BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Almoez nets four as Qatar slam Hassad Food boosts six past Qatar drive for North Korea self-suffi ciency in food published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 11063 January 14, 2019 Jumada I 8, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief Amir, Pompeo review QATAR | Offi cial $20mn Qatar fund to help African immigrants strategic ties, discuss His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has given directions to establish a fund, eff orts to fi ght terror sponsored by the African Union, for covering the costs of evacuating irregular African immigrants in Libya QNA economy, trade and investment, as well to their countries and reintegrating Doha as joint eff orts in combating terrorism them into their communities. Qatar and extremism. will contribute $20mn to the fund. Pompeo thanked the Amir for the This initiative from His Highness the is Highness the Amir Sheikh eff orts of Qatar in this regard through Amir comes as part of his vision of Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani the eff ective role carried out by the Al supporting the humanitarian and Hyesterday met with US Sec- Udeid Air Base. development work in the African retary of State Mike Pompeo and his The latest regional and interna- Union countries and to alleviate the accompanying delegation at Al Bahr tional developments, in particular diff icult living conditions of these Palace. the Gulf crisis and the situation in immigrants. They reviewed relations and strate- Palestinian, Syria and Afghani- gic co-operation between Qatar and stan, were also discussed during the QATAR | Reaction the US in various fi elds, especially meeting. those related to the results of the sec- The US Secretary od State was in Ministry condemns ond Strategic Dialogue between the Doha to take part in the second Qatar- Mogadishu attack two countries, and means of enhanc- US Strategic Dialogue. Qatar expressed its strong ing partnership in defence, security, He later left Doha. condemnation of the attack that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hold talks. took place in Deynile district commissioner residence in the Amir meets Omani foreign minister Somali capital of Mogadishu, killing one person and injuring many. In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs reiterated Qatar’s firm stance rejecting 2nd Qatar-US dialogue violence and terrorism regardless of the motives and causes.

EUROPE | Co-operation Turkey-Qatar ties to underlines keenness to deepen, says Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that the existing co-operation with Qatar is continuing enhance bilateral ties strongly in all fields, and praised the great development witnessed by the Turkish-Qatari relations in O MoU signed to support defence activities at Udeid Air Base recent times. Erdogan said Turkey’s co-operation with Qatar will continue O Three agreements signed in the fields of education and culture to strengthen in various sectors O HE Sheikh Mohamed, Pompeo discuss issues related to the region and GCC, including defence, trade, tourism and energy. “We have never forgotten Middle East peace process, reconciliation process in Afghanistan, Syrian crisis and will never forget the solidarity O Qatar is a great friend of United States, says Pompeo shown to our country by our Qatari brothers on nearly all issues - from QNA said in a joint press conference with tegic Dialogue yesterday in the fi elds the July 15 coup attempt to the Doha US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of education and culture, as well as a attacks in August on our exchange that Qatar’s partnership with the US memorandum of understanding on rates,” Erdogan added. is strong and is based on solid founda- supporting defence activities at Al atar and the United States have tions and built on mutual understand- Udeid Air Base. REGION | Diplomacy reiterated the depth and impor- ing and common interests. HE Sheikh Mohamed expressed the Qtance of their strategic bilateral During the press conference, HE the hope that Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue Iran foreign minister relations and their keenness to develop Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of has tangible results, and for the rela- in Baghdad for talks co-operation to wider horizons to serve Foreign Aff airs welcomed the US Secre- tions to see a qualitative leap. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed the mutual benefi ts of both sides. tary of State on his fi rst visit to Doha to He said during his meeting with the Javad Zarif met with his Iraqi They affi rmed the importance of participate in the Strategic Dialogue. US Secretary of State they discussed all counterpart in Baghdad yesterday the second round of Qatar-US Stra- HE Sheikh Mohamed said the Stra- issues of interest to both countries, es- for wide-ranging talks, including tegic Dialogue in Doha, which refl ects tegic Dialogue included seven sessions pecially those related to the region and on US sanctions against Tehran. the historic relations between the two covering the economic, commercial, its security starting with the GCC, the The visit came just days after US countries and contributes to develop- cultural, education, political, defence peace process in the Middle East, the His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday met at his Amiri Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ing co-operation in all fi elds. and sports relations between the two reconciliation process in Afghanistan Diwan off ice with Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah. During the made a surprise stop on his regional HE the Deputy Prime Minister and countries. and other issues such as the Syrian cri- meeting, they reviewed the brotherly relations between the two countries, and ways tour to urge Iraq to stop relying on Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh He said three agreements were sis and combating terrorism. To Page 2 of supporting and developing them, in addition to addressing a number of issues of Iran for gas and electricity imports. Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani signed in the framework of the Stra- More in Business section common concern, especially those concerning the Gulf aff airs. PSG superstar arrives in Doha Pompeo calls for unity QIA aims to reach $45bn in US of GCC member states investments in 2 years: CEO

O US Secretary of State to raise Khashoggi killing with MbS Reuters “Our objective is to balance our Doha portfolio...currently we have a little bit QNA Addressing a joint press conference of concentration in Europe and having Doha with HE the Deputy Prime Minister this allocation toward the US market is and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh atar Investment Authority to balance the portfolio,” he said. Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Tha- (QIA) aims to raise investments In the US, QIA was looking at fun- S Secretary of State Mike ni, he said: “We’re all more powerful Qin the United States to $45bn in damental sectors such as real estate, Pompeo has stressed the im- when we’re working together, when the next two years as it rebalances its technology or US exchanges, he said. Uportance of unity among GCC disputes are limited, and when we portfolio of assets away from Europe, In one such US deal, QIA and hedge members, urging them to leave aside have common challenges in the re- its chief executive said yesterday. fund Elliott Management Corp in De- diff erences to meet the challenges gion and around the world, disputes The sovereign wealth fund has built cember 2017 took Gigamon Inc, the US and achieve common goals. between countries that have a shared up a huge European portfolio through networking software company, private In this context, he stressed the objective are never helpful. They nev- stakes in companies including Deut- for $1.6bn. importance of co-operation among er permit you to have as robust and sche Bank, Credit Suisse, London Stock Mahmoud was speaking as US Sec- the countries of the region and leav- powerful response to common ad- Exchange and Volkswagen. retary of State Mike Pompeo visited ing diff erences aside to achieve the versaries or common challenges as if, QIA currently has about $30bn in- Qatar on a tour of the region. required strength to meet the chal- as you might when countries have a vested in the US, Mansour Ibrahim al- The value of bilateral trade between lenges and achieve common goals. dispute between them. We see this all Mahmoud told reporters on the side- Qatar and the US has doubled in 10 He pointed out that the disputes be- the time. We have lots of places where lines of a conference. years, Qatar’s Minister of Commerce tween the GCC countries “do not al- we’re building out coalitions and “We are talking about $45bn for the and Industry HE Ali bin Ahmed al- low the building of alliances or mak- there are challenges between diff er- US market... we are on track for this Kuwari said at the US-Qatar Strategic Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar arrives at the Al Aziziya Boutique Hotel in ing a strong and fl exible response to ent parts of the coalition. It’s some- over the next two years,” he said. Dialogue conference. He said the US Aspire Zone yesterday as part of the team’s winter camp in Doha. The Qatar-owned deal with common challenges and thing we work through, work around, Mahmoud’s predecessor Sheikh Ab- tops the list of exporters to the country. top French club will be taking part in several activities in Doha over the next four enemies, stressing the importance of and we’re hopeful that the unity of dullah bin Mohamed bin Saud al-Thani Al-Kuwari said bilateral trade vol- days, including a public training session from 5pm tomorrow evening at Khalifa the unity of the GCC states during the the GCC will increase in the days and in 2015 committed to invest $45bn in ume reached $6bn in the period from International Stadium. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayail Sport Page 2 next phase”. weeks and months ahead.” To Page 2 the US over a fi ve-year period. January to October last year. Page 2 Gulf Times 2 Monday, January 14, 2019 QATAR Amir meets AUC chairman Minister highlights role of private sector in strategic partnerships

E the Minister of Com- US Chamber of Commerce, Qa- over the next fi ve years. lations at all levels. He looked merce and Industry Ali tar-US Business Council, Qa- He said that the bilateral forward to continuing the stra- Hbin Ahmed al-Kuwari tar Chamber and Qatari Busi- co-operation between the two tegic dialogue with Qatar, one underlined the important role nessmen Association for their countries has been developed of the US most important allies of the private sector in Qatar commitment to contribute to over 50 years of diplomatic re- and partners. and the United States in hold- increasing the volume of trade ing strategic partnerships that exchange and strengthening would support the bilateral partnership and co-operation investments in the industrial between Qatar and the US. fi eld, calling on US investors He noted that the meeting to benefi t from the developed provides an ideal platform to infrastructure and the logis- strengthen the bridges of com- tic services off ered by Qatar to munication between the private enhance access to regional and sectors in Qatar and the US, international markets. which will contribute to the es- The minister was speaking tablishment of fruitful and suc- at a reception organised at the cessful bilateral partnerships His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met yesterday at his Amiri Diwan off ice, with conclusion of the second Qa- in areas of common interest to African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat and the accompanying delegation, on the tar-US Strategic Dialogue, in fulfi l the aspirations of the two occasion of their visit to Qatar. Talks during the meeting addressed the relations between Qatar and the presence of US Deputy Sec- friendly countries. the African Union in diff erent spheres. Mahamat extended thank to His Highness the Amir for Qatar’s retary of Energy Dan Brouillette For his part, US Deputy continuous support for the development projects in Africa, particularly the Amir’s directions for and representatives of govern- Secretary of Energy Brouil- establishing a fund, sponsored by the African Union, to cover the costs of evacuating irregular African ment agencies and business- lette affi rmed the readiness of immigrants in Libya to their countries and reintegrating them into their communities as well as con- men from Qatar and the US. the US companies to support tributing $20mn to this fund. The meeting also touched on a host of topics of mutual interest. Addressing the reception, the Qatar in its eff orts aiming at HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari minister extended thanks to the expanding LNG production speaking at a reception. Pompeo calls for unity of GCC states From Page 1 US exports to Pompeo underlined that the resignation of General Anthony Zinni, the US special envoy de- puted to resolve the Gulf crisis, did not refl ect any change in US policy, ef- Qatar reach forts and strategy in the Middle East or its com- mitments to the region, adding that the US con- tinued to seriously engage with various countries in- volved in the crisis. $5.15bn in ’18 Regarding the US position on the kill- S exports to Qatar have Figures released earlier by ing of journalist Jamal increased in 2018 to reach the ministry showed that Qatari Khashoggi, Pompeo said U$5.15bn, a refl ection of imports from the US stood at talks are continuing with the continued strengthening of $4.88bn in 2017. Saudi Crown Prince Mo- both countries’ trade relations, Key US exports to Qatar com- hamed bin Salman, add- an offi cial of the US-Qatar Busi- prise aircraft and related spare ing that this issue will be ness Council (USQBC) said cit- parts, machinery and furnaces, raised in the talks to be ing offi cial fi gures announced automobiles (excluding trams held with the Saudi side HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, during the Qatar-US Strategic and rails), electronic and elec- during his visit to the and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hold a joint press conference at the Sheraton Grand in Doha yesterday. Dialogue held yesterday in Doha. trical equipment, medical and Kingdom. PICTURE: Jayan Orma On the other hand, Qa- technical optical equipment, tar’s exports to the US stood at pearls, precious stones and met- $855mn last year, USQBC man- als, as well as aluminium and aging director Mohamed Barakat its derivatives, mineral fuels, USQBC managing director told Gulf Times on the sidelines oils and distillates, iron or steel Mohamed Barakat. PICTURE: of the second leg of the strategic products, prefabricated build- Shemeer Rasheed 2nd Qatar-US dialogue underlines meeting. ings, furniture, lighting fi xtures “The trade numbers between and signs, plastics and related introduction of more potential Qatar and the US, according to products and various chemical and new US products and trade the Ministry of Commerce and products, and meat. services to the Qatari market. keenness to enhance bilateral ties Industry, have increased, which “Also, there have been a lot “There is a lot of increase in is fantastic. We want to advance of Qatari private sector entities investment numbers. We heard this and want to do more trade that have expressed interest in that most of the allocations of From Page 1 the best way to resolve crises and that the focus was fi rst and fore- security and defence issues, he missions because there are more pouring investments in the US, the Qatari investments in the US both Qatar and the US agreed on most on security and defence discussed trade, investment Americans expressing interest and they want to engage in more have been placed and that there “Qatar looks forward to a new it. partnership. On the signing of and Qatari eff orts in promoting in the Qatari market – they have collaborations and partnerships. is more to be place,” Barakat and stronger phase of bilateral Pompeo said Qatar is a great a new memorandum of under- transparency and protection of seen a lot of movement and a lot “We hope that as more stra- pointed out. relations, and to continue co- friend of the United States and standing (MoU) on expanding foreign workers. of commitment. The latest trade tegic dialogues take place, it will In 2015, the Qatar Investment ordination on all issues of mu- expressed appreciation for the the US presence at Al Udeid Air On the Ministerial Meeting fi gures prove that the market is drive more businesses to and Authority (QIA) pledged to in- tual concern,” he said. relations between the two coun- Base, which was discussed last to Promote a Future of Peace open and it is taking more direct from both countries. As a coun- vest $45bn over a fi ve-year peri- Referring to his country’s me- tries. year, he stressed the importance and Security in the Middle exports from the US and other cil, we will work closely with od, of which $10bn would be in- diation work, the Foreign Minis- Referring to what US Presi- of the base as an important key East to be held in Warsaw, the countries,” Barakat stressed. the US and Qatari governments, vested in the US infrastructure. ter said Qatar is continuing with dent Donald Trump said when to the US defence establishment. US Secretary of State said this In a roundtable discussion at and all entities involved, such as QIA has holdings in real estate the implementation of the Doha he hosted His Highness the Amir Pompeo commended Qatar’s conference will work to pro- the strategic dialogue, HE the the chambers of commerce and and a number of US companies, Peace Agreement in the Darfur Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- commitment to improving and vide security for this region and Minister of Commerce and In- private sector players,” Barakat and has invested in the Bank of region of Sudan. In addition, Thani at the White House last modernising Al Udeid Air Base the world by discussing many dustry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari continued. America, several funds, and the Qatar is working with the US to year, he said: “There are special while praising Qatar’s contribu- things, stressing that the coali- announced that Qatar-US bilat- The offi cial said he hoped the Mezzanine funds in the US, ac- achieve peace in Afghanistan, things that are happening in the tion as a member of the coalition tion that continues to fi ght ISIS eral trade volume stood at $6bn increase in Qatari investments in cording to fi gures from the Min- as well as the ongoing consulta- bilateral relations between the to defeat ISIS. around the world will be part from January to October 2018. the US would help facilitate the istry of Commerce and Industry. tions with the US, alliances and two countries including co-op- He also referred to the memo- of it. Countries from Asia, Af- friends from other countries on a eration in combating terrorism, randum signed between Qatar rica, and all across the world number of issues related to Syria and illegal traffi cking in persons, and the US in the fi eld of com- will participate in the confer- and the Middle East peace proc- as well as cybersecurity and oth- bating terrorism and its fi nanc- ence, he said, pointing out that ess. er areas.” ing, as the US-Qatar eff orts it would work on many issues, HE the Deputy Prime Minister He pointed out that the agree- helped in better targeting of the including how to get Iran to Strategic dialogue represents and Minister of Foreign Aff airs ments signed yesterday will fi nancing of terrorism. behave properly, as well as dis- reiterated that diplomacy was deepen bilateral relations, noting He pointed out that besides cussing other important issues.

Speaker hails commitment to Qatar-US ties relations with By Peter Alagos “It also provided an ships,” Barakat explained. African nations Over 658 US fi rms working in Qatar Business Reporter opportunity for members Asked about the council’s ex- of the Qatari private pectations on the results of the The Shura (Advisory) Council E the Ministry of For- US Strategic Dialogue held in counter-terrorism eff orts. sector to interact with strategic dialogue, Barakat said Speaker HE Ahmed bin Abdullah eign Aff airs spokesper- Doha yesterday, AlKhater ex- The two sides signed a mem- he second leg of the Qa- their US counterpart, the event “will have a major im- bin Zaid al-Mahmoud met Hson Lolwah AlKhater pressed satisfaction with the orandum of understanding to tar-US Strategic Dialogue continue some of the pact” in terms of opening new yesterday with African Union yesterday said that Qatar in- level of the Qatari-US relations, expand Al Udeid Air Base, in Theld in Doha yesterday old discussions and markets for Qatari investments Commission (AUC) chairman vests in the United States looking forward more co-oper- addition to two memorandums demonstrates a commitment to hopefully to form new in the US and in the strengthen- Moussa Faki Mahamat, who is equivalent to 24% of the total ation for the prosperity of the of understanding to enhance further strengthen and develop relationships” ing of established partnerships currently visiting Doha. foreign Qatari investments, Qatari and American people. co-operation in the educational not only political ties but also the between the two countries. The meeting dealt with a host of while the United States invests AlKhater said that a number and cultural fi elds. business relationship between During the meeting, Barakat “For one, this shows the com- issues of common concern. in Qatar about QR26.3bn, not- of consultation and discussion On the educational fi eld, the the two countries, an offi cial of said Qatari offi cials discussed mitment of both countries in During the meeting, the Speaker ing that more than 658 pri- sessions were held to intensify spokesperson said that Qatar the US-Qatar Business Council the new legislative reforms un- terms of political relationships, praised the significant growth vate American companies are eff orts and co-ordination in all hosts in Education City six US (USQBC) has said. dertaken by Qatar since the June as well as in the Qatar-US busi- of Qatar’s relations with African operation in Qatar. aspects of relations between universities working eff ec- Speaking to Gulf Times on the 2017 economic blockade, as well ness and economic relations. A countries, especially after the tour Speaking to reporters on the Qatar and the US, as well as co- tively to enhance the quality of sidelines of the dialogue, USQBC as the investments poured by lot of US companies wanted to carried by His Highness the Amir sidelines of the second Qatar- ordination in regional fi les and education and research. managing director Mohamed both the US and Qatar. come to Qatar and be part of the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Barakat said the council held a “The discussions served as a strategic dialogue. Some of these the visits of several African leaders to roundtable meeting with major learning opportunity for both companies, even if they already Doha and the numerous agreements players in the Qatari private sec- sides, especially for most of the have businesses in Qatar, want to signed during those visits. tor yesterday. US companies that attended the participate and send a represent- He stressed that the Advisory He said a mix of companies, a meeting. They received a fi rst- ative because it’s always good to Council attaches great Council panel discusses draft law majority of which are from the hand overview of the investment show the commitment. importance to developing and US oil and gas, defence, cyberse- climate in Qatar from the coun- “Moving forward, we’re hop- cementing co-operation with he Internal and External hannadi, the meeting discussed committee decided to send curity, construction, manufac- try’s leading authorities and ing that this kind of dialogue African parliaments. Aff airs Committee of the the draft law on amending its recommendations to the turing and services industries, senior executives. and discussions, and agreements For his part, Mahamat lauded TAdvisory Council held some of the provisions of the Advisory Council. met with representatives from “It also provided an opportu- that were signed by both sides, the great role, Qatar plays, for yesterday a meeting chaired by Law No 7 of 2007, on separating The committee also reviewed the Ministry of Commerce and nity for members of the Qatari would encourage more US busi- realising peace and stability in its Rapporteur Abdullah bin Fa- administrative disputes. a draft law on DNA profi l- Industry, Qatar Investment Au- private sector to interact with nesses to invest in Qatar, and the continent as well as its keen had bin Ghorab al-Marri. The secretary-general re- ing and decided to continue thority, Hamad International their US counterpart, continue also to facilitate more Qatari in- interest in developing its relations Attended by Secretary-Gen- sponded to the inquiries of the reviewing it in its upcoming Airport, Barzan Holding and Free some of the old discussions and vestments in the US,” Barakat with African countries. eral Hamad bin Ahmed al-Mo- committee, after which the meeting. Zones Authority. hopefully to form new relation- emphasised. Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 3 QATAR CyberKnife Chief of Staff meets Omani official treatment benefi ts over

HE the Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem, yesterday met the Sultanate of Oman’s Assistant Chief of Staff for Administration, Commodore Shamis Mohammed al-Habsi, currently visiting Qatar. They discussed a number of military issues of mutual interest between the two brotherly countries, as well as means of enhancing and developing bilateral relations between the two sides. HE the head of human resources in the Qatar Armed Forces, Major General 100 patients Abdullah Abdulrahman al-Kaabi, attended the meeting. ore than 100 patients accurate shaping of the dose to have benefi ted from the tumour, while simultane- Mthe cutting-edge M6 ously sparing the surrounding CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery healthy tissue. system since it was installed at This signifi cantly improves Hamad Medical Corporation’s outcomes for patients and re- CNA-Q, German tech varsity mull partnership (HMC) National Center for Can- duces short- and long-term side cer Care and Research (NCCCR) eff ects. For some patients, it is in 2015. an excellent treatment option ollege of the North At- In a statement yesterday, HMC and our ability to off er this kind lantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) said it was the fi rst healthcare or- Dr Noora al-Hammadi of technology to patients who Cand the German Univer- ganisation in the region to off er would benefi t from this type of sity of Technology (GU-Tech), treatment using the CyberKnife Of the approximately one hun- radiosurgery supports HMC’s based in Muscat, Oman, have system and is one of a few hospi- dred patients treated with the commitment to providing state- initiated partnership discus- tal systems worldwide to have a technology at HMC, the major- of-the-art cancer care to the sions that would facilitate the system equipped with the M6 In- ity had brain and spinal cord tu- people of Qatar,” she said. exchange of best practices be- cise Multileaf Collimator — spe- mours. Dr al-Hammadi adds that Cy- tween the two technical insti- cialist technology that further “CyberKnife is used for the berKnife treatments involve a tutions, and establish pathways enhances the ability to target the treatment of both malignant and team approach to patient care, for CNA-Q graduates to earn radiation dose distribution. benign tumours. The system is with the participation of several GU-Tech bachelor’s degrees. CyberKnife is one of the most equipped with highly advanced specialists. The two institutions, which advanced forms of radiosurgery. state-of-the-art technology “Once a treatment plan has off er internationally accredited The painless, non-invasive used to deliver high doses of ra- been developed, the patient is technology-based programmes treatment uses a robotic arm to diation with extremely high pre- ready to undergo the CyberKnife that align to the needs of the lo- deliver highly focused beams of cision,” said Dr al-Hammadi. procedure. The length of each cal labour market, are seeking to radiation to destroy tumours or According to Dr al-Ham- session is dependent on the type collaborate on pathways within lesions within the body. madi, the CyberKnife system of tumour being treated. Each the program areas of Business The fl exibility of the robotic arm “has greatly advanced HMC’s patient is unique and requires a Studies, Engineering Technolo- Off icials at the formal commemoration. makes treatment possible to areas radiation oncology treatment unique treatment plan. If treat- gy and Information Technology. of the body that cannot be treated programme”. Unlike other ra- ment is being delivered in mul- This partnership would be the cal fi elds highly sought after in by RWTH Aachen University in complete their diplomas with by other radiosurgery techniques, diotherapy systems, CyberKnife tiple fractions, patients will need fi rst such collaboration between industry. Germany. A partnership with the College have multiple and such as the spinal cord. is capable of real-time tumour to return for additional treat- two technology-focused higher Canada, the model which GU-Tech off ers CNA-Q gradu- varied opportunities for higher Compared to other radiosur- tracking, enabling a high dose of ments over several days (typically education institutions based in forms the basis for CNA-Q’s ates a chance to earn a bach- academic credentials. gery techniques, CyberKnife radiation to be delivered to tar- no more than fi ve), as determined Qatar and Oman, CNA-Q has programmes, and Germany, are elor’s degree and build on ap- Graduates of the College can off ers several advantages to pa- geted cancerous tissue. by the radiation oncologist,” she said in a statement. However, an both countries that lead in tech- plied, competency-based skills avail of seamless pathways to tients, including rapid relief from “CyberKnife provides more said. alliance of this nature comes as nology-based education. for increasingly complex tech- continue their education for ca- pain and other symptoms. no surprise, as the two institu- According to Dr Khalifa al- nological fi elds, while being reer progression and mobility, Treatments are performed on tions share many common fea- Khalifa, president of College close to home, in a similar cul- the statement adds. an outpatient basis, with each tures and interests, it adds. of the North Atlantic - Qatar: ture and environment.” This year marks the 17th year treatment typically lasting be- Both institutions have similar “CNA-Q is committed to se- Such partnership talks be- that CNA-Q has been providing tween 30 to 90 minutes. mandates where the develop- curing continuing education tween CNA-Q and GU-Tech are high-quality experiential tech- The number of treatments ment of a competent and inno- opportunities for its graduates, in line with CNAQ’s strategic nical education in Qatar to sup- varies depending on the tumour vative national workforce is key, and GU-Tech is a reputable intention to increase and di- port the State’s strategic vision size, location and shape. and where curriculum meets in- institution that off ers excep- versify pathways for its gradu- to educate and develop young Recovery is often immediate, ternational standards in techni- tional curriculum accredited ates, such that students who Qataris. given the low risk of complica- tions and damage to healthy tis- sue. While not every patient is a candidate for CyberKnife treat- ment, Dr Noora al-Hammadi, QU students complete Oman internship chair of the Department of Radi- ation Oncology at NCCCR, said the “revolutionary procedure he Department of Human Nutrition delivers highly focused radiation HMC said it was the first healthcare organisation in the region to off er at the College of Health Sciences, precisely where it is needed”. treatment using the CyberKnife system. TQatar University (QU) sent six of its female students to complete a student in- ternship programme at Sultan Qaboos Uni- versity (SQU) in Oman, College of Agricul- tural and Marine Sciences. Raffle winners named The interchange is in line with the need to enhance food security awareness and expe- rience, within the framework of the Interna- tional Student Exchange Programme. As part of the programme, QU’s College of Health Sciences hosted Omani students in July 2018. The exchange programme provided an Snapshots from the exchange programme. opportunity for students to learn about the diff erent study plans in the nutrition cur- gramme was one of the most important goals Subsequently, they visited the centre of riculum between the two colleges. that had been developed because of its ben- excellence in Marine Biotechnology and The students learned about the various efi cial outcomes in exchanging experiences ending the programme with a seminar on fi elds of food science and technology, expe- received by colleges from around the world. economics of internet and artifi cial intelli- rienced work in laboratories and attended The importance of food production and gence, which presented precision medicine various workshops. security was further emphasised by the stu- (genomics) and predictions on the outcome The programme also included a visit to dents training in the SQU dairy production of legal proceedings. the SQU Dairy Factory and showed the stu- facility, product development, processing Dr Mohamed AlRuzeiki, professor at dents preparations for equipment in food lines, quality control and a tour within the SQU, said: “I am very pleased with the stu- engineering, laboratory and seminars on SQU botanical garden. dent’s performance. They showed great in- food analysis and a nutritional assessment Students explored a food engineering lab terest in diff erent instruments, nutritional Malabar Gold & Diamonds has announced the final set of raff le draw winners of the MGDF session. for the diff erential scanning colorimetric workshops and scientifi c seminars.” campaign, ‘Win up to 2 Kilos of Gold & up to 100% Cash Back’. This was done in the presence of Students said the programme was “very method, attended two workshops in the role Al-Jazi al-Qahtani, a teaching assistant of Ahmed al-Shahrani, an off icial from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Santhosh T V, insightful and helpful to increase their ex- of dietitian in both Alnahada Hospital and the Nutrition Department at QU, who su- regional head, Raju T Johny, deputy branch head, and other management team members of perience in the area of food production and ROP Hospital. pervised the students, said that it was an in- Malabar Gold & Diamonds. The winners are Anil Kumar (coupon No 99246), Parmeshwar (59177), food security”, QU said in a statement. By the end of the programme, they at- valuable practical and scientifi c experience, Yamini R (84260), Manzoor Ahmed (35659), Karthik Rajendran (30083) and Gino K J (69495). Dr Tahra El-Obeid, head of the Nutrition tended a remote sensing laboratory and in which students learned new ways to their Department at QU, said the exchange pro- learnt how it could be obtained in daily life. fi eld of study.

College of Islamic Studies provides training and lectures at Indian university

wo professors from the The agreement outlines co- lamic education in a state that professors off ered consultations College of Islamic Studies operation between the two in- has such a rich and vast Muslim to the institutional leadership T(CIS) at Hamad Bin Kha- stitutes on graduate-level edu- community.” and faculty based on the CIS ex- lifa University (HBKU) recently cation to promote knowledge on As a prelude to the visit, both perience and curriculum, and the travelled to Kerala, India, where the intellectual, scientifi c, re- professors were also invited to college’s unique interdisciplinary they delivered a series of lec- search and sociocultural contri- the institution’s conference on approach to the delivery of Is- tures on Contemporary Fiqh and butions of Islam. ‘Building the World in the Light lamic education. Comparative Religions to under- Commenting on the faculty of Qur’an’, which focused on These consultations centred graduate and graduate students members’ visit facilitated by developing and addressing the on how Al Jamiya Al Islamiya can at Al Jamia Al Islamiya from Jan- the MoU, Dr El Gammal said: challenges of modern civilisation better develop and deliver its Is- uary 1-7. “The impact of the MoU cannot using Qur’anic teachings and lamic studies programmes, with Dr Badrane Benlahcene and be underestimated, these are principles. a special focus on a new master’s Dr Mohamed El Gammal, asso- the means by which CIS plays Dr Benlahcene was recognised programme to be added to its Is- ciate professors at CIS, led daily an instrumental role in creat- as a guest of honour, delivered lamic studies portfolio. lectures at the renowned Indian ing impact in Islamic stud- the inaugurating speech at the “These consultations form institution of Islamic higher ies education outside its own conference, as well as his pa- the seeds of developing strongly education, as part of a memo- geographical borders. With the per on ‘The Role of Religion on founded academic standards in randum of understanding (MoU) agreement with Al Jamiya Al Achieving Social Development’. the fi eld of Islamic studies for the signed by the two institutions in Islamiya, CIS will continue to In addition to the series of lec- sake of Islam, Muslims and hu- Dr Badrane Benlahcene and Dr Mohamed El Gammal led lectures at the renowned Indian institution of September 2018. support the development of Is- tures and the conference, the CIS manity at large,” said Dr Badrane. Islamic higher education. Gulf Times 4 Monday, January 14, 2019 QATAR Hamad International Airport in safety week campaign

amad International Airport (HIA) has launched its safe- Hty week campaign, which is being conducted on the premises until January 17. In line with aviation and airfi eld safety, ‘HIA Safety Week 2019’ aims to raise awareness on aviation safety standards and ensure best industry practices amongst HIA staff and stakeholders. As part of Qatar Airways Group initiative, HIA, with the participa- tion of other Qatar Airways Group stakeholders and agencies operating at HIA, will conduct multiple train- ing sessions on the various risks and dangers at the airfi eld to help refresh and enhance the staff ’s understand- ing and knowledge on the airport safety and security protocols. This event will focus on advanc- ing safety and security develop- ment and individual improvement through experience and learning, to ‘HIA Safety Week 2019’ aims to raise awareness on aviation safety standards and ensure best industry practices foster commitment and support of amongst HIA staff and stakeholders. the management towards safety for the wider QR Group community. member to place safety and security The topics that will be discussed as their number one priority in their during the Safety Week intend to day-to-day work environment”. upgrade the general safety culture As Qatar is ranked as one of the at the airport by creating an atmos- world’s top countries in civil avia- phere for data sharing and learn- tion safety according to Interna- ing in the realm of safety hazards. tional Civil Aviation Organisation’s Hundreds of participants will be (ICAO) 2017 Security Audit Report, encouraged to consider their own HIA strives to further advance safe- well-being and their obligation in ty and security through best in class providing a safe environment for all training. airport users. In addition to annual campaigns, Hamad International Airport the airport will continue to invest in chief operating offi cer Badr Mo- the latest cutting-edge technologies hamed al-Meer stated, “Hamad to improve passenger experience, International Airport places a high while complying with global safety priority in the commitment of and security standards. guidelines and safety and security Hamad International Airport is regulations in daily operations. It is classifi ed as a fi ve-star airport by our responsibility to provide a safe Skytrax, making it one among only environment for all airport users. fi ve other airports in the world to “This helps us ensure the well- achieve this prestigious status. being of travellers and the welfare HIA also has been ranked the fi fth of our staff and stakeholders. It is sure passenger satisfaction.” tive of this initiative is to emphasise best airport in the world at the Sky- through initiatives like Safety Week Qatar Airways senior vice presi- the importance of safety and secu- trax World Airport Awards 2018 and that HIA can guarantee enhanced dent (Group Safety and Security) rity within the airport and the Qatar is a candidate for the “World’s Best airport safety and security and en- Ashish Jain said, “The core objec- Airways group. We aim for each staff Airport 2019” awards by Skytrax.

Gulf Times 6 Monday, January 14, 2019 QATAR Qatar Airways Minister holds talks with Chinese envoy ‘Offi cial Airline Partner’ for ‘Qatar-India Year of Culture 2019’ HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti met here yesterday with the Chinese ambassador to the State of Qatar Li Chen. The meeting discussed aspects of co-operation between the State of Qatar and the People’s Republic of atar Airways has an- rience Qatar’s incredible hos- “Throughout this year, we China in the fields of transport services, ports and communications, and means of further enhancing them. nounced that it is the pitality and cultural heritage are going to see great works of Q‘Offi cial Airline Partner’ throughout the year.” art, international collaboration for the Qatar-India Year of Cul- The Year of Culture pro- and beautiful showcases of the ture 2019, marking the begin- gramme, developed under the vibrant cultural history of our ning of a year-long collaboration patronage of HE Sheikha Al Ma- two countries. We are proud that will see both nations jointly yassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al- to partner with Qatar Airways Pakistan ambassador presents credentials celebrate their unique cultural Thani, Chairperson, Qatar Mu- as the Offi cial Airline Partner legacies. seums, has continued to grow for Qatar-India Year of Culture Developed by Qatar Muse- under her leadership each pass- 2019, which is a testament to the ums, the Qatar-India Year of ing year, with the Qatar-Russia close collaboration between our Culture 2019 will invite audi- Year of Culture 2018 programme countries’ institutions.” ences in both Qatar and India to being the largest cultural col- In Qatar, residents and visi- explore their cultural heritage laboration to date. tors to the country will be able to through an exciting array of pro- Qatar Museums Acting Chief enjoy the Year of Culture experi- grammes, including a variety of Executive Offi cer, Ahmad al- ence at the Doha International Qatari-Indian exhibitions, mu- Namla said: “Since its launch with Book Fair 2019, where India will sical performances, fashion, fi lm the Qatar-Japan Year of Culture be the Guest of Honour. Other and artistic events. 2012, the Years of Culture pro- highlights include an exhibition Qatar Airways Group Chief gramme has been building bridges by Raqs Media Collective, which Executive, Akbar al-Baker said, between Qatar and the world, cel- makes contemporary art, edits “We are delighted to be the Offi - ebrating both our similarities as books and curates exhibitions, cial Airline Partner of the Qatar- well as our diff erences. and a ‘Festival of India’ event India Year of Culture 2019, tak- “After several successful edi- that will feature a range of visual ing place in both Qatar and India. tions, we are pleased to launch arts and performances such as As an airline, we believe that Qatar-India Year of Culture classical dance and music (both culture is a universal connector 2019. Our two countries have Indian and Western), as well as that brings people together, and long enjoyed a close partner- cinema and theatre. this year-long event will enable ship, one that extends beyond Key events to look forward to both societies to share a mutual economic ties. Our aspiration in India include, ‘The Monsoon path of understanding and ap- is that the Year of Culture pro- Wedding’ musical, and a con- preciation of each other. gramme will further strengthen temporary Art Qatar Exhibition HE the Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi received yesterday copies of the credentials of Syed “As the Offi cial Airline Part- our existing ties, encourage new – a landmark exhibition show- Ahsan Raza Shah, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the State of Qatar. The Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs ner, Qatar Airways also looks encounters, and spur creativ- casing Qatar’s rapid, social and wished the ambassador success in his mission, stressing that he would receive all support to promote bilateral relations between forward to being the bridge be- ity and curiosity among the new urban transformation through the two friendly countries for closer co-operation in all fields. A number of foreign ministry off icials attended the ceremony. tween both countries by bring- generations of both countries, the eyes of talented emerging ing more travellers from India so that they may feel inspired to artists from the country. to Doha, so that they can expe- achieve great things together. Qatar Airways currently op- erates 102 weekly fl ights be- tween Doha and 13 destinations in India, including Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Carrefour Qatar in blood donation drive Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mum- bai, Nagpur and Thiruvanan- arrefour Qatar organised a blood thapuram. Qatar Airways intro- donation drive at its headquarters duced its ‘Qsuite’ business class Cin Al Dafneh as well as its employ- experience on the Mumbai and ees’ accommodation in Al Mansoura, as Bengaluru routes in July 2018, part of its corporate social responsibility both of which are served by a activities and goals. Boeing B777 aircraft. In February The initiative organised in partnership 2018, the award-winning airline with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) introduced its state-of-the-art received a positive response with a large Airbus A350-900 on its Delhi number of employees participating, Car- route. refour Qatar said in a statement. The airline’s cargo division, A team of medical professionals from Qatar Airways Cargo, currently HMC was operating a fully equipped mo- operates a total of 26 weekly bile blood donation unit assisting the do- freighters to seven destinations nors. Off icials mark the occasion. in India. The top three cargo des- Laurent Hausknecht, country manager tinations in India are Mumbai at Carrefour Qatar, commented on the are very proud of our staff members who strate its commitment to the local com- and Chennai, with seven weekly occasion: “At Carrefour, we take our re- have stepped forward to participate in this munities, positively contributing to a frequencies each, and Delhi with sponsibility as an active corporate citizen initiative and donated their blood to save wide range of initiatives to create great Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum built in Agra, India, in fi ve weekly frequencies. very seriously and will continue our ef- the lives of other individuals.” moments for everyone every day,” the 1632, is one of the world’s best-known World Heritage sites. forts to support humanitarian causes. We “Carrefour will continue to demon- statement added.

Two Asians get death sentence Over 3,500 abandoned Ministry found 345 ‘green’ violations last year for killing employer vehicles removed he Ministry of Munici- Doha Criminal Court pality and Environment has sentenced two T(MME) reported 345 en- AAsian men to death oha Municipality’s General Control Section carried out several vironmental violations in 2018 for the premeditated murder inspections during the year 2018, covering all localities inside and issued 900 warnings as part of their employer, and a third DDoha and the Industrial Area. of its eff ort to put an end to such man to six months in jail for These resulted in spotting 3,553 abandoned vehicles, investigat- violations and to protect the en- being aware of the crime and ing and taking action on 1,374 complaints which were transferred vironment, QNA reported. not reporting it. to the section. A total of 943 affi davits were signed by the viola- Omar Salem al-Nuaimi, di- Local Arabic daily Arrayah tors and 2,560 on-the-spot reports issued against violations, out of rector of the Environmental reported recently that the which 2,210 were reconciled. The total amount of collected fi nes was Protection, Nature Reserves and two main convicts used to QR316,266,05. Wildlife Department at the min- work for the victim and had istry, said patrols work round conspired to steal his money the clock across the country to and fl ee after killing him. One ensure that environmental laws week before the crime, the two are enforced. They also conduct convicts fi nalised the plan, in- cleaning campaigns across the cluding to steal their IDs and country. passports kept by the victim. The authorities concerned On the night of the have called on all companies Some of the violations detected last year. crime, the victim called and individuals to co-operate one of them to help him re- with the ministry in conserv- issued by the MME. He also pair the trailer of his boat. ing the environment and saving informed that the department So, one of them went to him wildlife. distributed and planted around and called the other convict Al-Nuaimi said wildlife and 4,000 seedlings of wild plants claiming he needed him for environmental protection pa- and conducted various cleanup help. Both the convicts over- trols detected various violations campaigns in the wild. powered the victim, stabbed last year, including non-com- This was in addition to fa- him with a knife and hit his pliance with Ministerial Deci- cilitating various administra- head with a heavy brick until sion No 277 of 2017 regarding tive transactions for the public, he died. the ban on camel grazing, un- such as issuing 1,768 certifi cates Then, they buried him authorised excavation, entry of to import and export birds, ani- under a tree near the wall of vehicles in wild areas, dumping mals and related products, as his house. Eventually, they untreated sewage water in the well as 663 passports for fal- ran away with his money and open desert, transporting haz- cons. their papers. ardous materials in unprotected Moreover, he pointed out that The court convicted them vehicles, and setting up farms the winter camping season wit- based on the investigations and winter camps without nessed the registration of a large and the evidence included in proper licences, among others, number of camps - 1,121 - in the the case. Some of the abandoned vehicles which were removed. according to a press statement country. Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 7 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Zarif in Iraq Iran objects to US for talks AFP Baghdad

ranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ja- vad Zarif met with his Iraqi counter- summit in Poland Ipart in Baghdad yesterday for wide- ranging talks, including on US sanctions Reuters aims to develop a platform for against Tehran. Dubai action for the stability and pros- The visit came just days after US Sec- perity of the Middle East. retary of State Mike Pompeo made a sur- Relations between Tehran and prise stop on his regional tour to urge Iraq ran’s foreign ministry sum- Washington are highly fraught to stop relying on Iran for gas and elec- moned a senior Polish dip- after the decision in May by tricity imports. Ilomat to protest at Poland US President Donald Trump to Washington has granted Baghdad a jointly hosting a global summit withdraw from a 2015 nuclear waiver until late March to keep buying with the United States focused deal between Iran and world Iranian gas and power, despite reimpos- on the Middle East, particularly powers and to reimpose sanc- ing tough sanctions on Tehran in Novem- Iran, state news agency IRNA re- tions, including on Iran’s oil sec- ber. ported yesterday. tor. After a two-hour meeting yesterday, US Secretary of State Mike Speaking in Qatar yesterday, Iraq’s top diplomat Mohamed Ali al-Hak- Pompeo on Friday said the sum- Pompeo said the aims of the im said he had talked through the restric- mit – to be held in Warsaw over summit will include changing tions with his counterpart. February 13-14 – would focus the “behaviour” of Iran, which “We discussed the unilateral economic on stability and security in the Washington accuses of desta- measures taken by the US and are work- Middle East, including the “im- bilising the region and support- ing with our neighbour (Iran) on them,” portant element of making sure ing terrorism. Tehran denies the Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Alhakim speaks with his Iranian Hakim said. that Iran is not a destabilising accusations and says US mili- counterpart Mohamed Javad Zarif during news conference in He said the two talked through various infl uence”. tary presence in the Middle East Baghdad yesterday. political and economic issues, including An Iranian foreign minis- causes tensions and instability. Syria and Yemen, in a “long and interest- try offi cial told Poland’s charge “We will gather around a criticised Poland for hosting Iran conference in Europe,” the ing meeting”. d’aff aires in Tehran that Iran saw number of diff erent topics ... the meeting and wrote on Twit- semi-offi cial news agency Fars Hakim said Iraq was in favour of the the decision to host the meeting fi ghting ISIS is part of that ... ter: “Polish Govt can’t wash the quoted Jahangiri as saying. Arab League reinstating Syria’s member- as a “hostile act against Iran” and address how we can get the shame: while Iran saved Poles in Meanwhile, a cultural offi - ship, eight years after suspending it as the and warned that Tehran could Islamic Republic of Iran to be- WWII, it now hosts desperate cial said that a planned Polish confl ict there unfolded. reciprocate, IRNA added. have like a normal nation,” Pom- anti-Iran circus.” Film Week in Iran would be can- Zarif is expected to attend several “Poland’s charge d’aff aires peo told reporters in Doha. Zarif was referring to Iran celled if the summit plans are not economic forums in various Iraqi cities, provided explanations about the “There will be countries from hosting more that 100,000 dropped. including Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdish conference and said it was not Asia, Africa and all across the Polish refugees during the Sec- “Iranians have hosted various north. anti-Iran,” the agency added. world. It won’t be confi ned to the ond World War. nations and ethnic groups with Iran is the second-largest source of im- The Polish foreign ministry US, Europe and the Middle East.” Iranian Vice President Eshaq open arms, especially the Poles,” ported goods in Iraq. confi rmed that the meeting took The United States and its re- Jahangiri said the summit was be- Hossein Entezami, head of the Besides canned food and cars, Baghdad place on Saturday. gional ally Saudi Arabia back ing held because US sanctions had Cinema Organization of Iran, also buys 1,300 megawatts of electricity “The international communi- opposing sides in the confl icts failed to bring Iran to its knees. said on Twitter. and 28 million cubic metres of natural gas ty has the right to discuss various in Yemen and Syria as well as “Americans thought pressures “To protect the honour of Iran daily from Iran to feed power plants. regional and global problems,” it rival political groups in Iraq and would break down our economy. and Iranians, the holding of the That dependence is uncomfortable for said in a statement yesterday, Lebanon. They wanted to bring our oil ex- Polish Film Week will depend Washington, which sees Tehran as its top adding that Poland has the right On Friday Iranian Foreign ports to zero but failed ... Now on Warsaw’s appropriate behav- regional foe and expects Iraq to wean it- to co-host a conference that Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif they’ve decided to hold an anti- iour.” self off Iranian energy resources.

Israel claims Syria air strike, says hunt for Hezbollah tunnels over

Reuters tacks over the past several years “According to our assess- Jerusalem of Syria’s civil war, in which Ira- ments, there are no longer any nian and Hezbollah forces have tunnels crossing into Israel,” backed the Damascus govern- military spokesman Lieutenant- srael acknowledged yes- ment against rebels and Islamist Colonel Jonathan Conricus said. terday that it carried out a insurgents. He added that Hezbollah re- Iweekend air strike on what it “In just the last 36 hours, the tained underground facilities on called an Iranian arms cache in air force struck Iran’s ware- the Lebanese side. Syria, and that it also completed houses, containing Iranian arms, Hezbollah has not commented Patrick Cammaert, centre, speaks with an off icial in the port city of a hunt for cross-border tunnels in Damascus international air- on the tunnels, the existence of Hodeidah yesterday. dug by Tehran-allied Lebanese port,” he added, referring to a several of which was confi rmed Hezbollah guerrillas. Friday night sortie that Syria by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. Long wary of publicity around said it had answered with anti- Hezbollah and Israel last its operations against Iran- aircraft fi re. fought a war in 2006. While they linked targets on its northern Syrian state media said at have at times traded blows with- front, Israel has been lifting the the time of the attack that the in Syria and the Israeli-occupied Houthis boycott veil in recent days – a sign of damage was limited to a hit on a Golan Heights, the Israel-Leb- confi dence in a campaign waged warehouse at Damascus airport. anon border has mostly been amid occasional tension with Netanyahu also cited an Israeli quiet. Syria’s big-power backer, Rus- search-and-dismantle mission Citing intelligence assess- sia. against suspected Hezbollah at- ments, Israel’s outgoing armed meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin tack tunnels along the border forces chief, Lieutenant-Gen- Netanyahu may also be playing with Lebanon that was launched eral Gadi Eizenkot, told a local up his security credentials as he in December and deemed com- TV station on Saturday that seeks re-election on April 9. pleted yesterday. the tunnels were prepared in “We have been taking action The Israeli military said a sixth secret, over a period of years. UN monitors with impressive success to arrest tunnel was found on Saturday, He said this was part of a Hez- Iran’s military entrenchment in 55m (yards) deep and reaching bollah plan to send as many as Syria,” Netanyahu told his cabi- “a few tens of metres” into Is- 1,500 fi ghters to infi ltrate Israeli AFP the truce has largely held since it net in televised remarks, saying raeli territory from 800m within border communities during any Sanaa came into force on December 18 this entailed “hundreds” of at- Lebanon. future war. but there have been delays in the agreed pullback of rebel and gov- emeni rebels yesterday boy- ernment forces. cotted a meeting chaired by The Houthis control most of Ythe head of a UN-led cease- Hodeidah while government forces fi re monitoring team in the fl ash- are deployed on the southern and Palestinian Funding shortage point city of Hodeidah, accusing eastern outskirts. him of pursuing “other agendas”. Since the Saudi-led military Retired Dutch general Patrick coalition intervened in sup- wounded by leads to WFP cuts Cammaert is leading a joint com- port of the government in March mittee, which includes both gov- 2015, the confl ict has killed nearly ernment and rebel representatives, 10,000 people and unleashed Israel fi re dies for Palestinians tasked with overseeing a truce in the world’s worst humanitarian the Red Sea port city and the with- crisis, according to the United AFP AFP Hebron in the southern West drawal of both parties. Nations. Jerusalem Jerusalem Bank, Maha al-Nawajah said Houthi rebel negotiator Mo- Top brass injured in rebel she is buying fewer necessities. hammed Abdelsalam said Cam- drone strike dies: A high-ranking “In December, they did maert “steered from the course of Yemeni intelligence offi cial injured Palestinian wounded by he World Food Pro- not renew my card,” said the the agreement by implementing in a Houthi rebel drone attack on Israeli fi re during Gaza gramme (WFP) has 52-year-old mother, refer- other agendas”. the country’s largest air base died Aborder protests and clash- Tsuspended or reduced ring to the WFP card that al- “If (UN envoy to Yemen Martin) of his wounds yesterday, medical es three weeks ago has died from aid for some of its Palestinian lowed her to buy groceries for Griffi ths does not address the is- sources said. his wounds, the health ministry benefi ciaries in the occupied 12 members of her extended sue, it is going to be diffi cult to dis- Intelligence Brigadier General in the Hamas-run enclave said West Bank and Gaza Strip due family. cuss any other matter,” he said on Saleh Tamah was wounded on yesterday. to funding shortages, an offi - She said family members Twitter without elaborating. Thursday in a strike on a military Anwar Quday, 33, was wounded cial with the organisation said were unemployed. An AFP photographer said that parade in Al-Anad air base, in gov- in the neck east of Khan Yunis in yesterday. “My sons do not have per- the Houthi representatives did not ernment-held Lahij province some the southern Gaza Strip, said min- Some 27,000 Palestinians mission to enter into Israel take part in the committee meeting 60km (40 miles) north of Yemen’s istry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra. are no longer receiving aid and my husband receives it in Hodeidah on Sunday. second city Aden. At least 242 Palestinians have through the United Nations occasionally” and can earn The UN declined to comment. Medical sources said that Tamah been killed since protests and programme since January 1 in some cash during those times, Clashes erupted between Houthi underwent several surgeries in a clashes with Israeli forces erupted the West Bank, said Stephen she said. rebels and government forces in hospital in Aden but died Sunday along the Gaza border on March 30. Kearney, the organisation’s The West Bank has an un- Hodeidah on Saturday, dealing a morning. Two Israeli soldiers have been director for the Palestinian employment rate of 18% and new blow to the fragile truce. At least seven loyalists – in- killed over the same period, one territories. some Palestinians seek to The rebel-held port city, which cluding Tamah – were killed and by a Palestinian sniper and an- Another 165,000, including work in Israel with the hope of is a lifeline for the delivery of des- 11 injured in Thursday’s incident, other during a botched special 110,000 in Gaza, are receiving earning a higher salary. perately needed humanitarian aid, which threatens to hamper United forces operation inside Gaza. 80% of the usual amount, he said. But permits are needed to was for months the main front line Nations-led peace eff orts. Protests and clashes have calmed The cuts were decided upon do so and Israel is selective in in the Yemeni confl ict after gov- Among those injured were Yem- in recent months amid an informal after a gradual reduction in who is given one. ernment forces supported by Saudi en’s deputy chief of staff Saleh al- truce between Israel and Hamas that donations over the past nearly The WFP launched a fund- Arabia and its allies launched an Zandani, senior army commander has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide four years, with US cuts hav- ing appeal on December 19 off ensive to capture it in June. Fadel Hasan and Lahij governor millions in aid to blockaded Gaza. ing the biggest eff ect. and received additional con- But last month the warring parties Ahmad Abdullah al-Turki. But an expected delivery of In 2018, the WFP assisted tributions from the European agreed a ceasefi re for Hodeidah dur- Turki and Zandani were fresh funds from Doha did not 250,000 people in Gaza and Union and Switzerland, but ing UN-sponsored talks in Sweden. transported to Saudi Arabia for arrive last week, leading to fears 110,000 in the West Bank. the amount remains short, The United Nations has said treatment, a Yemeni offi cial said. of another increase in unrest. In the village of Yatta near Kearney said. Gulf Times 8 Monday, January 14, 2019 AFRICA Congo should New Gabon government announced from abroad

AFP months since Bongo suff ered the Security forces captured the Libreville stroke in October during a visit rebel chief and killed two of his recount election to Saudi Arabia. men at the broadcasting offi ces A new cabinet was also an- in the capital Libreville, restor- abon’s prime minister nounced on Saturday evening by ing calm to the city after hours announced a new gov- presidential secretary Jean-Yves of upheaval. However questions Gernment in a video mes- Teale in another video missive remain over the balance of pow- sage recorded thousands of recorded in Morocco. No sig- er in the West African nation miles away in Morocco, where nifi cant changes were made to where political change has been vote, says SADC ailing Gabonese President Ali either the cabinet or the gov- negligible for more than half a Bongo is recovering from a ernment. Gabon’s constitution century. Brice Laccruche Ali- Reuters stroke. states that ministers must take hanga, head of the cabinet since Kinhasa Recently appointed PM Julien their vows before the president 2017 who is reportedly close to Nkoghe Bekale gave details of – but in Bongo’s lengthening fi rst lady Sylvia Bongo, retained the reshuffl e in footage broad- absence it is unclear how, when his post in the new line-up. n infl uential African bloc cast late Saturday on state tel- and where the ceremony will Ali Bongo, 59, is the son of urged Democratic Re- evision, less than a week after take place. On Monday, ren- Omar Bongo, who became head Apublic of Congo yester- the country foiled an attempted egade soldiers stormed a state of state in 1967 and died in June day to recount votes cast in its coup. Gabon has been with- radio station to call for an up- 2009, leaving a legacy of cor- disorganised presidential elec- out eff ective government for rising while Bongo was abroad. ruption allegations. tion, raising pressure on Kin- shasa to ensure the legitimacy of the next government and avert widespread violent unrest. The Dec 30 vote was sup- posed to mark Congo’s fi rst un- Sharp hike in prices of fuel contested democratic transfer of power in 59 years of inde- pendence, and the beginning of a new era after 18 years of cha- sparks anger in Zimbabwe otic rule by President Joseph Kabila. But irregularities including AFP faulty voting machines, poorly Harare run polling stations and a halt in the vote for over a million people due to insecurity and an Ebola imbabweans reacted with outbreak in opposition strong- outrage yesterday to a holds, have overshadowed talk Zsharp rise in fuel prices an- of democratic progress. nounced by President Emmerson Yesterday’s intervention by Opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu (right) leaves the Center Missionnaire Philadelphie Mnangagwa in a move to improve the Southern African Devel- (CMP) with his wife Esther after they attended a Sunday mass yesterday in the capital Kinshasa. supplies as the country struggles opment Community (SADC), with its worst petrol shortages in which contains regional allies of But the SADC will hold great- a decade. Kinshasa like South Africa and er sway in Congo. Its approval of After years of international Angola, could push Kabila to the election results are critical isolation, Zimbabwe’s economy tackle the presidential runner- for the legitimacy of president- has been in decline for more than up’s accusations that the vote elect Tshisekedi’s new govern- a decade with cash shortages, was rigged. ment. SADC previously said the high unemployment and a re- Second-place fi nisher Martin election went “relatively well” cent scarcity of basic staples like Fayulu says he in fact won by a despite some problems. But bread and cooking oil. landslide and that the offi cial on Sunday it said it had taken In a televised address late Sat- In this file photo, motorists queue to buy petrol in Harare, Zimbabwe. winner, opposition leader Felix note of the “strong doubts” urday, Mnangagwa said prices Tshisekedi, struck a deal with cast on the poll by the Church. of petrol and diesel would more (ZCTU) said the government had countries, saying some foreign- Kabila to be declared the victor. “A recount would provide the than double to tackle a shortfall demonstrated a lack of empathy ers were taking advantage and Tshisekedi and Kabila deny this. necessary reassurance to both caused by increased demand and for the already-overburdened buying fuel in bulk for resale Isolated post-election violence winners and losers,” a SADC “rampant” illegal trading. poor. “The government has of- elsewhere. in the country of 80mn people statement said. Mnangagwa, who took over fi cially declared its anti-worker, Mnangagwa said the new that sprawls across central Af- The Church’s bishops con- from longtime leader Robert anti-poor and anti-people ideo- measures were aimed at curbing rica, has many fearing a return ference, known as CENCO, was Mugabe and won a disputed logical position,” it said. “Work- a burgeoning speculative paral- to the kind of confl ict and up- not immediately available for election last July, also announced ers’ salaries have been reduced lel market in which fuel was be- heaval that has killed millions comment, nor were spokespeo- A supporter of Martin Fayulu, runner-up in Democratic Republic a package of measures to help to nothing and our suff ering el- ing sold at fi ve times the offi cial since the 1990s. ple for Kabila and Tshisekedi. of Congo’s presidential election, holds the Congolese flag during state workers after strikes by evated to another level.” price. “It’s going to reduce de- Congo is the world’s leading But Fayulu, who has already a protest in front of the constitutional court as they wait for him doctors and teachers over poor Nelson Chamisa, who heads mand for fuel because it’s now a miner of cobalt, a mineral used called for a recount, welcomed to deliver his appeal contesting Congo’s National Independent pay. He said from midnight Sat- the opposition Movement for bit expensive and that will deal in electric car batteries, Africa’s the announcement. Electoral Commission (CENI) results of the presidential election in urday, petrol prices would rise Democratic Change (MDC) said with speculative demand if it biggest copper producer and “It is essential that this proc- Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. from $1.24 a litre to $3.31 (2.89 the situation was “descending was there,” said economist God- also mines gold and diamonds. ess of recounting and validat- euros) and diesel from $1.36 a li- into a humanitarian crisis”. Evan frey Mugano. Mnangagwa also International pressure on Ka- ing the real results be carried politicians to similar arrange- overturned. Meanwhile, Ka- tre to $3.11. Mawarire, a cleric and activist warned the government would bila has been building since the out in all transparency, in order ments that were very successful bila’s ruling coalition won a But many Zimbabweans who led the 2016 anti-govern- deal harshly with those “bent vote, in part because Congo’s to proclaim the real winner,” he in South Africa, Zimbabwe and majority in legislative elections, criticised the move, worrying a ment protests that shut down on taking advantage of the cur- infl uential Catholic Church said in an emailed statement. Kenya (that created the) neces- according to results announced knock-on spike in other costs major cities, added: “You have rent fuel shortages to cause and said that tallies compiled by “The credibility of the process sary stability for durable peace,” on Saturday. would worsen an already diffi cult cornered us and you leave us no sponsor unrest and instability in its 40,000-strong monitoring is at stake.” the statement said. This will undercut Tshiseke- economic situation and trigger choice. It’s time to mobilise every the country”. team show a diff erent winner to The 16-nation SADC also The chances of this kind of di’s ability to deliver on cam- protests and strikes. “I am not person who truly loves Zimba- Government doctors went on that announced by the electoral recommended a government of unity in Congo appear slim for paign promises and fuels sus- a politician and neither am I an bwe.” a 40-day strike in early Decem- commission, without saying national unity including parties now. Fayulu, who is backed by picions in Fayulu’s camp that economist but you don’t need a “Those in government may not ber, demanding salaries in US who. representing Kabila, Fayulu and bitter political rivals of Kabila, Kabila will retain infl uence over rocket scientist to tell you that admit it but they know in their dollars and improved working France, Belgium, the United Tshisekedi that could promote on Saturday fi led an election important ministries and the we are now headed for the worst hearts that they have failed,” said conditions, while teachers’ un- States and Britain have all ex- internal peace. “SADC draws complaint with the Constitu- security forces after stepping following the fuel price mad- Edmore Phiri, a tired-looking ions called a strike this week for pressed concern about the vote. the attention of Congolese tional Court to have the result down. ness,” said William Masuku, 32, a motorist who had just spent a better pay but their calls went car dealer in Bulawayo, the coun- second night in a petrol queue largely unheeded. Although try’s second largest city. Victor in Avondale suburb. “We are Mnangagwa announced a pack- Nyoni, head of a local business not going anywhere with these age of measures “to cushion gov- body, said the fuel prices would piecemeal solutions that are not ernment workers”, he gave few push up the cost of other goods solutions. “You can’t have a details. Despite the price hike, Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima turns with businesses likely to pass country where people sleep in diplomats and tourists would on the higher transport costs to cars for days for a commodity be able to access cheaper fuel at consumers. that should be readily available.” certain pumping stations. “The opposition candidate in race for polls in May The president’s announce- Mnangagwa, who has pledged intention is to create a constant ment came after fuel shortages to revive the moribund econo- supply of fuel for diplomats and which began in October last year my, blamed the shortfall on in- tourists to manage the country’s AFP appeasement. Nepotism is one worsened in recent weeks with creased fuel usage “compounded image,” said Mugano. Lilongwe, Malawi of the evils that we have to fi ght motorists sometimes spending by rampant illegal currency and “Those designated fuel sta- outside corruption and abuse nights in fuel pump queues that fuel trading activities”. The gov- tions will be able to restock easily of offi ce. “It’s not a secret that stretch for kilometres. The Zim- ernment claims fuel prices were from the sales they make in US alawi Vice President there is corruption in this coun- babwe Congress of Trade Unions lower than in other regional dollars.” Saulos Chilima has try, and it must be dealt with. Mlaunched a bitter at- “We need to speak against tack on his own government nepotism ... You fi nd it in pro- ahead of elections in May, when curement, in recruitment and he hopes to win power as head of promotions in the public serv- Sunny spot a new opposition party. ice.” Chilima told AFP in an inter- President Mutharika won the view that he no longer speaks election in 2014 two years after to President Peter Mutharika, his brother, Bingu wa Mutha- and he alleged that corruption rika, died while serving as presi- had worsened under the cur- dent. Malawi has been beset by rent government. Chilima was corruption scandals, including Mutharika’s running mate in the Malawian Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima speaks during an an offi cial anti-graft report last 2014 election, but the two have interview with AFP at his off icial residence in Lilongwe. year that accused Mutharika of fallen out spectacularly. receiving money from a con- “I send my communication tensive gardens in the capital mental activities.” tractor supplying food rations (to the president) as notifi cation Lilongwe, Chilima told AFP that About half of Malawi’s 18mn to the police. The president that I am travelling – that is as corruption and bad leadership population live below the pov- himself was elected after his much communication as there had worsened poverty in one of erty line, according to the World predecessor Joyce Banda was is,” Chilima said, adding there the world’s poorest countries. Bank. Chilima, a former ex- embroiled in the “cashgate” was “no relationship” between “People in leadership posi- ecutive with Airtel mobile and scandal in which ministers and the two men. Chilima, 45, a tions... have known what need- other international companies, government offi cials syphoned wealthy former businessman, ed to be done but they have done said poverty could be tackled by off tens of millions of dollars of is seen as a young challenger the opposite,” he said. “There modernising Malawi’s agricul- public money. to Mutharika, 79. He quit the is serious plunder of public re- ture sector and boosting tour- Foreign aid — on which the ruling Democratic Progressive sources that are meant to im- ism and construction. Despite southern African state is de- Party (DPP) last year and set prove quality of life. Because of being a senior member of the pendent — was temporarily fro- up the United Transformation plunder, we have under-sourced government, he railed against zen over the revelations. Banda Movement (UTM) to contest the programmes that would have the graft and patronage that he returned to the country in April election. brought about a better quality said was plaguing Malawi. after four years of self-imposed Under Malawi’s constitu- for the citizens. “Whether we have accom- exile and is also set to run in the tion, the vice president can- “We need to have a situation plished fully what we had set elections, scheduled for May 21. not be sacked by the president. where everybody can eat three up to accomplish? The answer Food shortages, power out- Speaking at his grand offi cial decent meals a day. If we cannot is no. Corruption is worse,” he ages and ballooning external house decorated with oil paint- feed ourselves, we really cannot said. debt have hurt the president’s A lizard is apparently enjoying the sunshine on a jeep’s tyre in Kinshasa, DRC. ings and surrounded by ex- do any meaningful develop- “It’s politics of patronage and popularity. Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 9 AMERICA

Sheriff punished over Top Republicans oppose Parkland shooting ‘emergency’ declaration response AFP The No. 2 Senate Democrat, support some border security War veteran cancels project to raise money for border wall Washington Dick Durbin, said yesterday on spending – the fi gure of $1.3bn ABC that “if this president is go- has been fl oated – but not the An Iraq war veteran has cancelled his plan to crowd- “Our highly experienced team is highly confident that AFP ing to turn to national emergen- $5.7bn he wants for a wall. source $1bn to help President Donald Trump build a we can complete significant segments of the wall Miami op Republican lawmak- cies every time he disagrees with Two new polls indicate the wall on the Mexico border, after raising only $20mn in less time, and for far less money, than the federal ers have warned against Congress, I’m against it”. Democrats may be winning the and drawing questions about his online activities. government,” he wrote on his fundraising page. TDonald Trump declaring He urged Trump to “put an battle for public support. Triple-amputee veteran Brian Kolfage launched a The non-profit company, We Build the Wall, Incorpo- lorida’s governor has sus- a national emergency to secure end to the shutdown and put The Washington Post/ABC GoFundMe account in December, quickly piling up rated, is led by Kolfage and other anti-immigration pended the sheriff who funds for a border wall, signal- everything on the table”. News survey found that far more donations as Trump was unable to get Congress to activists including private security expert and regular Foversaw the response ling doubts within the presi- As the partisan battle drags Americans blame Trump and fund the wall – leading to a now three-week-old partial Trump consultant Erik Prince; David Clarke, the former to last year’s Parkland school dent’s party as a government on, the eff ects of the partial the Republicans for the shut- shutdown of the government. Milwaukee sheriff and a favourite of Trump; and Kris shooting over failings in his han- shutdown was set to enter a shutdown have become stead- down than blame the Democrats However, donations slowed and Kolfage said the Kobach, the conservative secretary of state of Kansas. dling of the massacre. fourth workweek. ily clearer, and new polls show – by 53% to 29%. group had concluded that the government won’t be Kolfage announced the move on Friday after con- Governor Ron DeSantis said Senator Ron Johnson, chair- growing public dissatisfaction. Meantime, a separate sur- able to make use of them in the foreseeable future. demning the BuzzFeed article as “absolute lies to trick that Broward County Sher- man of the Homeland Security Yesterday Trump acknowl- vey conducted by CNN showed In addition, Kolfage was put on the defensive late Americans” to not support the new venture. iff Scott Israel had “repeatedly Committee, told CNN that he edged, at least indirectly, the Trump’s disapproval rating on Thursday by a BuzzFeed News article that raised BuzzFeed noted that Facebook had cancelled ac- failed” and “demonstrated a would “hate” to see Trump in- mounting costs of the shut- among Americans had climbed questions about his use of funds from a previous counts he had for pages that promoted right-wing pattern of poor leadership” fol- voke emergency powers for a down. by fi ve points – to 57% – in just GoFundMe campaign, and alleged he ran an operation views that Facebook deemed “inauthentic activity”, lowing shootings at Marjory wall. “The damage done to our a month, with just 37% approv- to fabricate fake news against liberal groups and its term for spam and click-bait focused pages, often Stoneman Douglas High School “If we do that, it’s going to go Country from a badly broken ing. politicians in order to generate traff ic and profits from known for fake news. and Fort Lauderdale airport in to court and the wall won’t get Border – Drugs, Crime and so However, the Post poll also advertising. BuzzFeed also said that a 2015 GoFundMe campaign 2017. built,” he said. much that is bad – is far great- found a hardening of Republi- Kolfage said on his GoFundMe page that he will refund started by Kolfage raised over $16,000 for a veteran At a press conference, the And Representative Steve er than a shutdown, which the can support for a wall, with 70% donations or, if donors agree, will put them toward a mentorship programme. newly-elected Republican went Scalise, the No. 2 House Repub- Dems can easily fi x as soon as now saying they strongly sup- new company that will build sections of the wall itself But it reported that three military hospitals named by so far as to say that the Park- lican, told ABC: “We don’t want they come back to Washington!” port the wall, up from 58% a year on private property along the frontier. Kolfage said they never received any funds from him. land massacre, which killed 17, it to come down to a national he tweeted. earlier. “might never have happened had emergency declaration”, even if Many lawmakers spent the The president has closely tied Broward had better leadership in he believes Trump has the au- weekend in their home states his fate to his steadfast conserv- “I want to give them the eral presidential move would be Washington – its impact felt the sheriff ’s department”. thority to do so. – often hearing constituents’ ative base. chance to see if they can act re- constitutional overreach and set increasingly around the country But Democrat Israel, 62, ac- Trump only recently backed complaints about the shutdown Many Republicans doubt sponsibly,” he told Fox in an in- a dangerous precedent. – with the president refusing to cused DeSantis of having politi- away from talk of an emergency – but will return to Washington that the invocation of a na- terview late on Saturday. The partial shutdown became sign off on budgets for swaths of cal motives – arguing that that declaration, after pressing it for today. tional emergency would help Trump has acknowledged that the longest on record at mid- government departments unre- there were no suspensions fol- days as a way out of the continu- Trump has tried various an- their cause – likely infl uencing an emergency declaration would night on Friday, when it overtook lated to the dispute. lowing a 2016 shooting at an Or- ing budget stand-off . gles to pressure Democratic Trump’s decision on Friday to likely trigger a legal battle end- a 21-day stretch in 1995-1996 As a result, 800,000 fed- lando gay nightclub, which left Democrats have strongly op- negotiators, but they have not say he was holding off in order to ing in the Supreme Court. under president Bill Clinton. eral employees received no 49 dead. posed the idea. visibly budged from an off er to give Democrats time for a deal. Opponents say such a unilat- The impasse has paralysed paycheques on Friday. “The diff erence is I spoke out against gun violence,” he said. “This is about politics, not about Parkland,” he added, vow- ing to fi ght the “unjustifi ed” suspension in court and the Trump rejects report that he hid details of Putin meetings Florida Senate. A commission investigating the school shooting published a AFP When asked why not release that the US economy “is the Fox asked if he had ever report last week, lamenting the Washington details of the nearly two-hour strongest in the world”, and that worked for Russia. “abysmal response” of the in- conversation, Trump said: “I the Washington Post is “basi- “I think it’s the most insulting school police offi cer and a lack would, I don’t with care. cally the lobbyist for Amazon” thing I’ve ever been asked,” he of action upon Broward sheriff ’s resident Donald Trump “I mean, I had a conversation as both are owned by billionaire said, without directly answering deputies’ arrival at the school has rejected a Washington like every president does. You Jeff Bezos. the question. building. PPost report that he has re- sit with the president of vari- Trump also took aim at an ear- He slammed the Times story DeSantis named Gregory fused to share details of his con- ous countries ... We were talk- lier story in the New York Times as “the most insulting article Tony, a veteran of the police de- versations with Russian Presi- ing about Israel and securing stating that the Federal Bureau I’ve ever had written and if you partment in Coral Springs, Bro- dent Vladimir Putin with top US Israel and lots of other things ... of Investigation (FBI) launched read the article, you’d see that ward County, as Israel’s replace- government offi cials. I’m not keeping anything un- a previously undisclosed coun- they found absolutely nothing”. ment. Trump, in a phone interview der wraps, I couldn’t care less. I terintelligence investigation to No evidence has publicly He is the president of Blue on Saturday with Fox News, mean, it’s so ridiculous.” determine whether he posed a emerged that Trump was secret- Spear Solutions, a private secu- dismissed as “ridiculous” the He added: “Anybody could national security threat, at the ly in contact with or took direc- rity fi rm that specialises in pro- Post story that alleged he went have listened to that meeting, same time that it opened a crim- tion from Russian offi cials, the viding training for responding to to great lengths to hide the con- that meeting is up for grabs.” Trump and Putin: The Washington Post has report that the US inal probe into possible obstruc- Times said. shootings and attacks like that tent of his talks with Putin, even According to the Post there is president has refused to share details of his conversations with the tion of justice. The FBI had been suspicious seen in Parkland. confi scating the notes of his in- no detailed record of Trump’s Russian president with top US government off icials. The FBI investigation was lat- of Trump’s ties to Russia during Parkland shooter Nikolas terpreter and ordering that per- personal talks with Putin at er folded into the probe by Spe- the 2016 campaign, but it held Cruz is awaiting trial, with pros- son to not discuss what was said. fi ve locations over the past two ernment offi cials as sources for lusion” has been found between cial Counsel Robert Mueller into off on opening a probe until the ecutors seeking the death pen- Trump said he had “a great years. the story. his 2016 campaign and Russia, Russia’s meddling in the 2016 president sacked Comey, who alty for 17 murder charges and 17 conversation” with Putin in The newspaper quotes un- Trump also told Fox when that he was a better candidate election and possible collabora- refused to roll back the Russia attempted murder charges. Helsinki in July 2018. named current and former gov- asked about Putin that “no col- than Democrat Hillary Clinton, tion by the Trump campaign. investigation, the Times said.

Snowstorm hits Washington after killing fi ve in Midwest

Reuters Dozens of fl ights were cancelled Washington at St Louis Lambert International Airport, which described the on- slaught of snow on Twitter as one winter storm that dumped of its biggest single-day winter heavy snow on the US Mid- storms in years. Awest, causing at least fi ve Snow is forecast for the Appa- roadway deaths, stranding some lachian Mountains and the Mid- motorists in Missouri and cancel- Atlantic during the weekend. ling dozens of fl ights, marched east “Given how cold it is across toward Washington on Saturday. the Midwest and even in the mid- The weather system, which Atlantic region, certainly people started as rain from Mexico but has who are going to be out are going to since turned into snow, is forecast want to dress in layered clothing,” to aff ect a 1,800-mile (2,900km) Orrison said. swath of the United States from Washington, where many federal Colorado to the Mid-Atlantic. government offi ces are closed due The storm hit Kansas and Mis- to the US government shutdown, is souri on Friday and pummelled expected to receive 6” to 8” (15cm those states again on Saturday as to 20cm) of snow from this storm, it extended into parts of Iowa, Il- according to the National Weather linois, Indiana and Ohio, said US Service. Weather Prediction Centre mete- Central and northern Virginia orologist Andrew Orrison. will receive even more, with up In Kansas City, snow dusted the to 10” of snow possible in some fi eld at Arrowhead Stadium dur- places. ing Saturday’s National Football Baltimore and parts of Mary- League play-off game between the A view of the White House during a winter storm on the 23rd day of the US government shutdown. land are also bracing for a similar hometown Chiefs and Indianapolis amount. Colts. snow was recorded, with still more in Missouri and Kansas, according road is bad in Kansas right now!” Philadelphia is expected to re- The storm is leaving its heaviest falling on Saturday, Orrison said. to the highway patrolmen in both Trooper Tod Hileman, a spokes- ceive a few inches of snow, but ar- snowfall on areas west of St Louis, At least fi ve people died in states. man for the Kansas Highway Pa- eas north of there are expected to where about a foot and a half of weather-related crashes on roads “I think it’s safe to say that every trol, said on Twitter on Saturday. be spared, Orrison added. Florida pardons wrongly accused ‘Groveland Four’

Reuters as the “Groveland Four” remain lee, Walter Irvin and Samuel Shep- a 17-year-old girl in 1949 near Renewed interest in the Grove- Tampa, Florida alive, family members and sup- herd, and Ernest Thomas. Groveland, Florida. land Four was sparked by the book, porters appealed their innocence Republican Governor Ron De- The alleged victim maintained Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Mar- to the Florida Clemency Board, Santis, elected to the offi ce in No- on Friday that she was not a liar shall, the Groveland Boys and the our black men wrongly ac- composed of the state’s governor, vember and sworn in earlier this and opposed the pardons before Dawn of a New America by Gilbert cused of raping a white teen- attorney general, chief fi nancial week, called the case a “miscar- they were granted. King that won a Pulitzer Prize in Fager 70 years ago were par- offi cer and agriculture commis- riage of justice” in which the na- Thomas was hunted down by a 2013. doned by top Florida offi cials on sioner. tion’s judicial ideals were “per- posse and killed. The three others Florida legislators passed reso- Friday, a long-sought step in a case The board, meeting at the state verted time and time again”. were beaten in custody and con- lutions in 2017 apologising to the seen as a historic racial injustice. capitol in Tallahassee, voted unan- The men were accused of ab- victed. Of those, one was shot dead families of the four and recom- While none of the men known imously to pardon Charles Green- ducting and sexually assaulting on the way to a retrial. mended the posthumous pardons. Gulf Times 10 Monday, January 14, 2019 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Japan military exercise

Paratroopers of Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force 1st Airborne Brigade descend with parachutes following their jump CH-47JA helicopters from Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force take part in an airborne exercise with the 1st Airborne from a military transport aircraft during an airborne exercise yesterday at Narashino training ground in Funabashi, Chiba Brigade at Narashino training ground in Funabashi, Chiba prefecture, Japan. prefecture, Japan.

Australia to force local govts to Striking workers induct citizens on national holiday

Reuters fi rst British fl eet to Sydney Cove Corporation, Immigration Min- Sydney where the British fl ag was raised ister Coleman said more than on the continent marking the 100 of the country’s 537 councils start of colonisation. Aborigines do not hold citizenship ceremo- ustralia’s federal govern- trace their lineage on the island nies on the Australia Day holiday. in Bangladesh ment has ordered local continent back 50,000 years and However, Australian Lo- Agovernments to hold nat- for them, the date marks the start cal Government Association uralisation ceremonies for new of the loss of their cultural herit- President David O’Loughlin said citizens on Australia Day amid age and suff ering under discrim- councils hold multiple citizen- controversy over the holiday, inatory policies. The holiday has ship ceremonies throughout the which some claim is off ensive to become controversial with pres- year and the majority of those its indigenous people. sure by activists to change the who skip Australia Day do so for clash with police The government is proposing date from what they call “Inva- practical reasons. “It’s a very ex- that all local government bodies sion Day”. pensive undertaking to do a pub- AFP in Australia, typically referred The country’s 700,000 or so lic event on a public holiday,” he Dhaka to as councils, must hold induc- indigenous people track near the told Reuters on Sunday. “About tion ceremonies for new citizens bottom of its 25mn citizens in al- two or three only moved the day on the Australia Day holiday on most every economic and social for ideological reasons.” housands of Bangladeshi garment January 26 and the Australian indicator. The proposed changes to the workers churning out clothes for Citizenship Day holiday on Sep- Several local councils have Australian Citizenship Ceremo- Ttop global brands walked off the job tember 17 or have their authori- stopped holding citizenship cer- nies Code are planned for intro- yesterday and clashed with police as pro- sation revoked, Immigration emonies on Australia Day be- duction by the fi rst half of 2019, tests over low wages entered a second week. Minister David Coleman said in cause of concerns the date is in- the minister’s statement said. Police said water cannons and tear gas were an e-mailed statement yesterday. sulting to Aborigines. Coleman plans to write to the fi red to disperse huge crowds of striking Australia Day marks the anni- At a press conference televised councils and receive feedback on factory workers in Savar, a garment hub just versary of the 1788 arrival of the by the Australian Broadcasting the changes, the statement said. outside the capital Dhaka. “The workers barricaded the highway, we had to drive them away to ease traffi c conditions,” industrial police director Sana Shaminur Rahman told AFP about strike action. “So far 52 factories, including some China to roll out measures to big ones, have shut down operations due to the protests.” One worker was killed on Tuesday af- ter police fi red rubber bullets and tear gas at maintain stable employment some 5,000 protesting workers. Bangladesh is dependent on garments stitched by millions Garment workers block a road as they protest for higher wages in Dhaka, Bangladesh. of low-paid tailors on factory fl oors across the Reuters ernment will reduce the burden last year, up 100,000 from 2017. emerging South Asia economy of 165mn peo- they will uphold the agreement. labour law,” association president Siddikur Beijing on companies, offi cials from the In comments published on Sat- ple. Roughly 80% of its export earnings come Babul Akhter, a union leader present at Rahman told reporters. Last year Bangla- Ministry of Human Resources urday, Chinese Premier Li Ke- from clothing sales abroad, with global retail- the meeting, told AFP the deal should ap- desh was the second-largest global apparel and Social Security said, accord- qiang said planned tax cuts tar- ers H&M, Primark, Walmart, Tesco and Aldi pease striking workers. “They should not exporter after China. It has ambitious plans hina will roll out a series ing to Xinhua, adding that re- geting smaller companies would among the main buyers. reject it, and peacefully return to work,” he to expand the sector into a $50bn a year in- of measures to maintain search on plans to cut their social help support employment and Union leader Aminul Islam blamed fac- told AFP. Minimum wages for the lowest- dustry by 2023. Cstable employment this insurance premium rate would be economic stability. tory owners for resorting to violence to paid garment workers rose by a little over But despite their role in transforming the year, the offi cial Xinhua news accelerated. “For 2019, China still faces control striking workers. “But they are more 50% this month to 8,000 taka ($95) per impoverished nation into a major manufac- agency reported yesterday, citing “Enterprises with fewer or large employment pressure, united than ever,” he told AFP. “It doesn’t month. But mid-tier tailors say their rise turing hub, garment workers remain some the country’s human resources zero layoff s can take half of the with more than 15mn newly- seem like they will leave the streets, until was paltry and fails to refl ect the rising costs of the lowest paid in the world. The industry ministry. previous year’s unemployment added job-seekers in urban ar- their demands are met.” of living, especially in housing. also has a poor workplace safety record. The China is grappling with the insurance premium back,” Xin- eas, including a record number The protests are the fi rst major test for Bangladesh’s 4,500 textile and clothing Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in 2013 impact of a slowing economy hua quoted an unnamed senior of 8.34mn college graduates ex- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since win- factories shipped more than $30bn worth of killed more than 1,130 people in one of the amid a damaging trade dispute ministry offi cial as saying, reiter- pected,” the human resources ning a fourth term in December 30 elections apparel last year. world’s worst industrial accidents. Follow- with the United States, its largest ating a policy that was fl agged by ministry offi cial added. College marred by violence, thousands of arrests The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers ing the disaster, major retailers formed two trading partner, and sources have the State Council, China’s cabi- graduates, migrant rural workers and allegations of vote rigging and intimi- and Exporters’ Association, which wields groups to introduce factory reforms. The said it plans to set a lower eco- net, in December. and veterans should be given tar- dation. Late yesterday, the government an- huge political infl uence, warned all facto- Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and nomic growth target of 6 to 6.5% Xinhua said China’s urban un- geted assistance in fi nding jobs, nounced a pay hike for mid-level factory ries might be shut if tailors do not return Exporters’ Association says its members in 2019, compared with “around” employment rate was 3.8% by the offi cial said, adding that more workers after meeting with manufacturers to work immediately. “We may follow the have since invested $1bn in safety upgrades. 6.5% in 2018. In order to ensure the end of 2018, with 13.61mn skills training channels should be and unions. Not all unions have signalled ‘no work, no pay’ theory, according to the employment, the Chinese gov- new jobs created in urban areas opened for the unemployed. Trump’s demand that S Korea pay more for US troops leads to impasse

DPA last March on a fi ve-year funding if an agreement can’t be reached, Klingner said. “Conversely, Presi- the cost of US military protection. near Seoul and the Demilitarised while Moon was forced to cater to Washington agreement were suspended after and umbrage over hardest bar- dent Moon could insist he won’t But major US-South Korean mili- Zone along the border with North a political base that includes stu- negotiators did not agree on a new gaining from its closest ally since pay any higher reimbursement tary drills have been suspended Korea to new installations farther dent activists who have histori- by the end of 2018, when the last the Korean War, which ended 66 costs even if it means ... fewer US since June, when Trump stopped south. Song, the South Korean cally opposed US military pres- outh Korea is resisting a agreement expired. years ago. “If it was reasonable, forces.” Either scenario could lead them after his fi rst summit with legislator, said that such favour- ence in Korea. Trump administration de- South Korea, which initially we’d go along,” said Song Young to “a premature reduction of US Kim in Singapore. In addition, the able terms ensured that Trump In a news conference this week, Smand for sharply higher called for adjusting annual pay- Gil, a member of the National As- forces in South Korea,” he said. cost of such exercises is tiny com- would not pull out in the end. Moon said he believed that Kim payments to defray the cost of ments only to account for in- sembly. “But the Trumpian way Trump’s ability to withdraw pared with what South Korea pays “The US will never give up a Jong-un understood that the basing US forces on its territory, fl ation, is expected to make a of... accusing us of free riding – troops is limited, however. Con- every year for hosting US troops. base they’re keeping under these presence of US troops on the Ko- raising fears that President Don- counteroff er this month, but it we can’t cave to that ... Whether gress last year passed a law bar- The last funding agreement, great terms,” he said.”They won’t rean peninsula was not directly ald Trump might threaten a troop is unlikely to satisfy the White it’s Korean money or American ring the Pentagon from reduc- signed in 2014, increased Seoul’s be able to give it up.” tied to whether North Korea gives draw down at a time of sensitive House, US offi cials said. “The Ko- money, it’s taxpayer funds.” ing troop levels in Korea below contribution to more than Song said he viewed the hag- up its nuclear arsenal. “US troops diplomacy on the Korean penin- reans want to keep the status quo,” Song, who belongs to the same 22,000 unless the president cer- $830mn a year. That’s about half gling over cost-sharing as a in Korea, or strategic assets the US sula. said one US offi cial who discussed party as Moon and supports en- tifi es to Congress that doing so is the annual cost of keeping 28,500 practical matter that wouldn’t has in Guam or Japan, ... don’t ex- US negotiators have sought the deliberations on the condition gagement with North Korea, said in US national security interest. US troops in South Korea, not infl uence the US-South Korean ist only in relation to North Korea a 50% increase in Seoul’s an- of anonymity. “But the president he believed that threats to remove Negotiators are considering vari- counting salaries and other per- alliance. Many conservatives in but for the overall security and nual payment, which last year had made clear, not just to Korea US troops are a negotiating tactic ous ideas to break the impasse, sonnel costs the Defense Depart- South Korea, though, worry that peace of North-east Asia,” Moon was about $830mn, or about half but to other allies, that the status and would not happen given the including having South Korea pay ment pays no matter where the the stalled talks are signs of a fray- said.” of the estimated cost of hosting quo won’t do.” US’ broader strategic interests in a portion of the US cost of joint troops are posted. The money ing relationship. Park Hwee-rhak, Mike Bosack, a US Air Force 28,500 US troops, according to The standoff is straining the north-east Asia. Bruce Klingner, a military training exercises, or to doesn’t go to Washington, how- a Kookmin University professor captain who worked on cost- two US offi cials familiar with the long-standing alliance as Trump former CIA analyst on Asia at the help defray costs of deploying US ever. who has researched military cost- sharing negotiations with Japan discussions. plans a second summit with Heritage Foundation, a Washing- bombers, warships, missile de- It’s used to pay salaries of Kore- sharing agreements, said the dis- from 2014 to 2016, said the Trump The US stance refl ects Trump’s North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ton think tank, called the dispute fence batteries and other military ans working on US bases in South pute was “threatening the foun- administration was jeopardising view that US allies have taken to renew the US push for elimina- “worrisome.” assets when tensions with North Korea, or is in the form of non- dation of the alliance.” its alliance with South Korea. Bo- advantage of US military protec- tion of Pyongyang’s nuclear arse- “President Trump could again Korea are high, according to one cash contributions of services and He said South Korea could eas- sack said the brinkmanship would tion for decades – a view resented nal, and South Korean President threaten to reduce troops, either of the US offi cials. construction at US installations ily pay the increase given that its benefi t North Korea by potentially by many South Korean offi cials, Moon Jae-in is pursuing his own as a negotiating tactic or to fulfi l A commitment by Seoul to pick there. South Korea also is fund- defence budget tops $42bn this making the US military less popu- who say they already pay more to rapprochement with Kim. his campaign promise that Seoul up some of those costs could help ing more than 90% of a $10.8-bn year. Park said he believed that lar in South Korea and driving a the US than almost any other ally South Korea in anxious about a has to pay 100% of US troop Trump claim that he succeeded in construction project that will al- Trump was seriously considering wedge between Washington and except Japan. Talks that began potential withdrawal of US troops costs or he would remove them,” forcing a key ally to pay more for low US troops to move from bases removing the US troops in Korea Seoul. Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 11 BRITAIN EU ‘preparing to delay Brexit until at least July’

Guardian News and Media Article 50 in the coming weeks. will command a majority in the fi rst session of the parliament a large number of Tory MPs fear tiating period. we think the EU will be willing London A special leaders’ summit to Commons. is in July. You would need UK will trap the UK in a permanent That conclusion is shared in a to provide it to avoid a cliff -edge push back Brexit day is expected An EU offi cial said: “Should MEPs there if the country is still customs union, could neither be forecast by the Economist Intel- situation.” to be convened by the European the prime minister survive and a member state. But things are altered nor reinterpreted. ligence Unit (EIU), a leading risk The Brexit secretary, Stephen he EU is preparing to de- Council president, Donald Tusk, inform us that she needs more not black and white in the Eu- But offi cials said Brussels analyst, which will be published Barclay, yesterday insisted there lay Brexit by until at least once a UK request is received. time to win round parliament to ropean Union.” The European would be in listening mode, and today. had been “some movement” by TJuly after concluding that EU offi cials said the length of the a deal, a technical extension up to commission will publish a letter take guidance from the prime Danielle Haralambous, a UK MPs in favour of May’s deal while Theresa May is doomed to fail in prolongation of the negotiating July will be off ered.” today giving fresh assurances on minister as to the next steps, analyst at the EIU, said: “Time suggesting the prime minister getting her deal through parlia- period allowed under Article 50 Senior EU sources said that a the temporary status of the Irish should she suff er a heavy defeat, is simply running out, and we’re would take guidance from parlia- ment. would be determined based on further, lengthier extension could backstop in a hope to win over as is widely expected. at a stage where Brexit can prob- ment on what MPs could support The country’s March 29 dead- the reason put forward by May be off ered at a later date should a some MPs to the deal but EU of- May has to give parliament ably only happen in late March should it fail. line for exiting the EU is now for the delay. general election or second ref- fi cials are downplaying expecta- a statement on her next move now in the unlikely event that “The country does have a right regarded by Brussels as highly A “technical” extension until erendum be called although the tions. within three parliamentary parliament approves May’s deal to know what members of parlia- unlikely to be met given the do- July is a probable fi rst step to give upcoming May elections for the The heads of state and govern- working days of the vote. EU tomorrow, or if parliament sup- ment are for, not just what they mestic opposition facing the May extra time to revise and rati- European parliament would cre- ment said at a recent summit that offi cials believe that whatever ports leaving without a deal. For are against, and it’s important prime minister and it is expecting fy the current deal once Downing ate complications. the withdrawal agreement, and emerges will likely require a pro- all other options, the government that the house comes to a view as a request from London to extend Street has a clear idea as to what One EU diplomat said: “The the contentious backstop that longation of the two-year nego- will need to buy more time, and to what it can back,” Barclay said. No-confi dence motion against premier soon, says Corbyn

Guardian News and Media deliver on Brexit if there were an London election and he became prime minister, Corbyn said: “At the very minimum, a customs ar- eremy Corbyn has pledged rangement with the European Labour will call a no-con- Union that gives us a say of what Jfi dence motion in Theresa goes on but also avoids the whole May’s government “soon”, while issue of the problems of North- again indicating that if he be- ern Ireland, which this deal came prime minister he would does.” prefer to negotiate his own Brexit Corbyn said: “What I’m say- deal rather than call a second ref- ing is we’re campaigning for a erendum. country that is brought together The Labour leader again re- by investment,” adding that peo- fused to confi rm that an imme- ple were “very, very angry about diate challenge to the govern- the way they’ve been treated ment would take place if May, as in their diff erent communities expected, loses tomorrow’s key around the country”. vote on her Brexit plan. Pressed on whether he was Prime Minister Theresa May leaves with her husband Philip after attending a church service, near her Maidenhead constituency, west of London, yesterday. “We will table a motion of no- campaigning to leave, Corbyn confi dence in the government at added: “We’re campaigning for a time of our choosing, but it’s a customs union.” Asked later going to be soon, don’t worry whether Labour would push for about that,” Corbyn told BBC a second referendum in the ab- One’s The Andrew Marr Show. sence of a general election, Cor- Pressed on the timing he add- byn said: “We’re then into that ed: “We’ll have the vote and then consideration at that point.” you’ll see.” He added: “My own view is Would be catastrophic Under the Fixed-term Parlia- that I would rather get a negoti- ments Act, Labour can call a no- ated deal now if we can, to stop confi dence motion, which would the danger of a no-deal exit from most likely prompt a general the EU on March 29 which would election if May lost it. be catastrophic for industry, cat- Labour’s plan on Brexit, as de- astrophic for trade.” cided at the party’s conference, The Labour leader insisted his to halt Brexit, warns PM is to seek a general election fi rst, Brexit plan, condemned by some and only if this cannot happen critics as unrealistic as it would Reuters lose it, said lawmakers must not of the EU seeking a cleaner break he said he would propose a vote Vince Cable, the leader of the then look at the possibility of a contravene basic EU internal London let down the people who backed and many pro-Europeans press- of confi dence in the government pro-EU Liberal Democrats, said second Brexit referendum. rules, was viable. “The EU is well Brexit in a June 2016 referendum. ing for a second referendum. “soon” if May loses tomorrow. parliament would act to prevent While a large majority of party known for its ability to be fl exi- “Doing so would be a cata- May is expected to suff er a big The Observer newspaper re- a no deal Brexit, and could ulti- members, according to polling, ble, for its ability to delay things,” rime Minister Theresa May strophic and unforgivable breach defeat when parliament votes to- ported that military planners had mately seek to prevent Brexit al- want Corbyn to actively seek he said. yesterday warned lawmak- of trust in our democracy,” she morrow. been sent into several government together. a new referendum, the Labour He rejected the idea that one Pers that failing to deliver wrote in the Sunday Express. Brexit Minister Stephen Bar- departments to help with prepara- “I think parliament will take leader has previously said it is of Labour’s “six tests” for Brexit Brexit would be catastrophic for “So my message to Parliament clay told BBC TV that persuad- tions for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. control of this process, will insist more likely he would push to take – that a deal should replicate the democracy, in a plea for support this weekend is simple: it is time ing enough lawmakers to support After a week in which parlia- that we pursue the option of no the UK out of Europe with a dif- benefi ts of membership – went two days before parliament is to forget the games and do what the deal would be “challenging” ment forced the government Brexit,” he told BBC TV. ferent deal. against the EU’s basic tenets. expected to reject her deal with is right for our country.” but that even if it was rejected, to promise to come back with a Cable said this could be done Corbyn declined to say wheth- ”We’re not tearing up the Brussels. May has so far refused to re- he suspected parliament would ‘plan B’ within days if May’s deal by revoking Article 50, the mech- er a Labour manifesto for a snap treaty of Rome any more than the With the clock ticking down treat from her unpopular deal, ultimately support something is rejected, Barclay said the risk anism which triggered the exit election would promise to deliver EU wants to tear up the treaty of to its March 29 exit from the which envisages close trading “along the lines of this deal”. of parliament acting in a way that process, or by holding a second Brexit, arguing that this would Rome,” he said. “What we’re say- European Union and parlia- ties with the EU, but without any Opposition Labour Party lead- frustrates Brexit had increased. referendum. be up to party processes, but ing to the EU is: this is the politi- ment deadlocked, Britain faces a say on policy as Britain has now. er Jeremy Corbyn said leaving The Sunday Times reported Former Conservative prime strongly indicated his preference cal situation in Britain, where we hugely uncertain path that could The vexed Brexit issue rep- the EU without a deal would be that rebel lawmakers were plan- minister John Major wrote in the would be to depart with a deal have a country that’s divided on lead to a disorderly exit or even resents Britain’s biggest shift in catastrophic and his party would ning to wrest control of the leg- Sunday Times that the govern- that kept the UK in a customs this issue. We want to bring them remaining in the bloc. foreign and trade policy in more do everything it could to prevent islative agenda away from May ment itself should revoke Article union and with access to the sin- together, a trade relationship May, who postponed a vote in than 40 years. that outcome. next week with a view to sus- 50 and ask parliament to consult gle market. helps to bring people together. I parliament on her deal in Decem- May’s deal has come under fi re However, Corbyn’s priority is pending or delaying Brexit, citing on the options before calling an- Asked what he would want to think they understand that.” ber after admitting she was set to from all sides — with opponents to force a national election and a senior government source. other referendum. Schools census ‘used for Grayling warning over immigration enforcement’ rise of far right fl ayed Guardian News and Media that voted 70% to leave say, ‘Sor- London ry guys, we’re still going to have Guardian News and Media to store the data already collect- every state school by the DfE. It freedom of movement’, they will London ed, but also that parents can no includes details such as age, ad- turn against the political main- longer ask schools to enter “re- dress and academic attainment, hris Grayling’s claim that stream. fused”, which instructs the DfE which are recorded in the na- blocking Brexit could lead Labour MP David Lammy de- he government has re- to delete their children’s data. tional pupil database. Figures re- Cto a rise in far-right ex- scribed Grayling’s comments as voked parents’ right to Schools and families have not leased in December showed that tremism is dangerous scaremon- “a desperate attempt by a govern- Tretract information on been informed of the change in in the year to September 2018 the gering and a desperate attempt ment minister to use a tiny far- their children’s nationality and policy, which was revealed in an Home Offi ce requested data on to shore up the prime minister’s right minority to hold our democ- country of birth submitted to the answer to a parliamentary question 835 children from the DfE, which Brexit deal, campaigners and racy to ransom. It is gutter politics. schools census, months before last month. Nick Gibb, the schools provided it in 247 cases. MPs have said. “History shows us appease- Brexit throws the immigration minister, said the “last opportunity When concerns were fi rst The transport secretary told ment only emboldens the far right status of 3mn European residents for parents to retract (nationality raised about collection of chil- the Daily Mail that Britain would and impoverishing the country into doubt. and country of birth) information dren’s nationality and country of become a less tolerant and more through Brexit will only increase Offi cials from the department was via the last (schools census) col- birth, the DfE had insisted that nationalistic society if it failed resentment. To heal our nation, we for education (DfE) collected the lection in summer 2018”. the new data would not be shared to leave the EU. He said revers- need to provide a positive narra- data on 6mn schoolchildren, before Other data from the DfE will still with immigration enforcement ing the referendum result would tive that actually addresses the in- it was halted last June in the face of be used for immigration enforce- authorities, that it was only be- result in the 17mn people who equalities that have been allowed opposition from critics who said it ment, Gibb added. “Where the ing collected for “analytical, sta- voted to leave feeling cheated to ferment over recent years, rath- was an attempt to turn schools into police or Home Offi ce have clear tistical and research purposes”, and urged colleagues to support er than follow through with bogus internal border checkpoints. evidence that a child may be at risk and that parents could opt out Theresa May’s deal. solutions that worsens them.” Confusion over the policy had or evidence of criminal activity, in- whenever they wanted. “People should not underes- The Liberal Democrat Brexit already led some schools to in- cluding immigration, (that) pupil’s But when it emerged that timate this,” he said. “We would spokesperson, Tom Brake, said: struct only pupils who were not address and school details may be names and addresses of children see a diff erent tone in our poli- “Grayling has lost the plot. This “white British” to bring in iden- requested from the national pupil collected through the census had tics. A less tolerant society, a kind of scaremongering is not tity documents, spreading alarm database,” he said in response to a since 2015 been secretly shared more nationalistic nation. It will only dangerous, but it is embar- that it was encouraging racism separate question. Both questions every month with immigration open the door to extremist pop- rassing. Politicians should be and a culture of institutional were tabled by David Lammy, the enforcement, thousands of par- ulist political forces in this coun- focused on healing the divisions hostility to migrants. Labour MP. ents in 2016 heeded calls by hu- try of the kind we see in other in our country, not shamefully Now ministers have confi rmed The schools census is a termly man rights groups and teachers’ countries in Europe. stoking the fi re in order to secure that not only will they continue collection of details of pupils in unions to boycott the questions. Grayling: accused of scaremongering “If MPs who represent seats support for May’s botched deal.” Gulf Times 12 Monday, January 14, 2019 BRITAIN

HEALTHCARE GAME DEMAND CRIME ACCIDENT Food saving thousands Lottery off ers £10,000 Longer jail time for Men armed with knives Man held after boy, 11, dies of patient lives: experts a month for 30 years fraudsters sought rob child’s birthday party in Manchester hit-and-run

The lives of thousands of elderly patients in hospi- A new National Lottery game designed to ap- Fraudsters who steal thousands of pounds Police are appealing for information after masked Police are questioning a 31-year-old man after tals are being saved just by giving them an extra peal to young adults will launch in March – pay- from vulnerable people should face tougher robbers armed with knives burst into a children’s a boy was killed in a hit-and-run collision. The meal a day, health experts revealed. A pilot scheme ing winners £10,000 a month for 30 years. The punishments because sentences are too short birthday party in Norfolk demanding drugs and 11-year-old died in hospital after he was treated at backed by the National Health Service says giving so-called annuity prize would be the equivalent to deter them, one of Britain’s top detectives has money. Three men in balaclavas, who police be- the scene of the crash in Beswick, Manchester. A elderly patients an extra meal a day halves their of earning £206,000 a year before tax and put demanded. Mick Gallagher, head of Scotland lieve broke into the wrong address, burst through grey Volkswagen Golf was believed to have been chances of dying in hospital. Results have revealed the winner in the top 5% of richest UK house- Yard’s organised crime command, said courts the back door of the home in Old Catton, near involved in the collision on Albert Street. Greater that death rates among those admitted with hip holds. The Set For Life game is designed to ap- are failing to take account of the horrendous Norwich, during a 10th birthday party while chil- Manchester Police said the car was found aban- fractures have plummeted since the scheme was peal to young adults who will expect to be alive impact on cyber-crime victims. “There are lots dren ate cake on the sofa, residents said. Nobody doned near the scene. Off icers are appealing for introduced two years ago at a number of hospitals, long enough to collect the full value of the prize of victims and some of the smaller businesses was hurt in the incident, which took place around witnesses. The force said the man later attended prompting medical chiefs to consider recommend- – £3.6mn. Tickets cost £1.50 and there will be subject to fraud will go bust,” he said. Gallagher 6.50pm on Friday, but a woman’s mobile phone a police station and was arrested on suspicion of ing it nationally. The Sunday Telegraph reports that two draws a week, on a Monday and Thursday. pointed out that a bank robber can be jailed was stolen after she tried to call the police. The causing death by dangerous driving. He remains experts behind the programme say older patients Players pick five main numbers from one to 47 for life, but that the maximum sentence for an men, described as black, wearing dark clothes in custody for questioning. Albert Street was are failing to consume enough nutrients while and a ‘Life Ball’ from one to 10, with a range of online fraudster who steals from bank custom- and around 6ft tall, demanded cannabis and closed between Charlestown Street and Darley convalescing on geriatric wards. prize tiers. ers is only 10 years. money from residents while brandishing knives. Street after the accident.

Outrage as couple cuts Sturgeon refers raffl e prize from £3mn herself to ethics to £110,000

Daily Mail watchdog over London

couple who promised to raffl e their £3mn eco- A home by selling £25 Salmond talks tickets have prompted fury by slashing the fi rst prize to Guardian News and Media with Salmond was a party mat- Labour leader, said Sturgeon had £110,000 in cash and keeping Edinburgh ter but she acknowledged yester- done the right thing by heeding up to £640,000 for themselves. day that her claims that she acted opposition calls for her to refer Company director Mark Be- in line with the ministerial code herself. But there still needed to be resford, 61, and wife Sharon, 57, icola Sturgeon has referred needed to be confi rmed by inde- a separate Scottish parliament in- told contestants they would give herself to an independent pendent advisers. vestigation into the entire episode, away their riverside property in Nministerial ethics body “I have acted appropriately and with Holyrood also given powers Hampshire if they sold 250,000 after bowing to intense pressure in good faith throughout, and in to review the ministerial code in- tickets. to allow an investigation into her compliance with the ministerial quiry. But they sold only 30,000 – actions in the Alex Salmond sexual code at all times. However, I have “Transparency is now absolute- raising £750,000 – and so did harassment case. refl ected carefully and understand ly essential in order for the pub- not trigger the prize draw for the The fi rst minister’s move fol- that it is also important for parlia- lic to have confi dence in the fi rst six-bedroom home near Ring- lows her admission that she held ment and the wider public to be minister and the Scottish govern- wood, on the edge of the New a secret meeting with Salmond assured of that,” she said. ment,” he said. Forest. at her home, in the presence of Her conduct will now be in- “That is why we should also see In the terms and conditions her government-employed chief vestigated by a two-person panel a full, public parliamentary inquiry the couple stated that if they of staff and one of Salmond’s ad- made up of Dame Elish Angiolini, in to what exactly has happened – failed to sell enough tickets, the visers, where he briefed her on a a former lord advocate, Scotland’s and I look forward to working con- fi rst prize would be 75% of the Scottish government inquiry into chief prosecutor, and James Ham- structively with members from ticket sales, minus their promo- sexual harassment allegations ilton, a former director of public other parties this week in order to tion costs. against him. prosecutions in the Republic of secure that.” They maintain that £450,000 Opposition parties said that Ireland. Kevin Pringle, Salmond’s was spent in advertising, mar- meeting and a subsequent phone Sturgeon said its remit would former spin doctor and a former keting and legal bills, and that call with Salmond were in clear be carefully drawn up to avoid it communications chief for the they are also entitled to keep breach of the ministerial code compromising a police criminal SNP, yesterday urged her to do so up to 25% of the ticket sales – since discussions with outsiders investigation into the allegations quickly. “The fi rst minister will roughly £187,000. on government business had to be against Salmond. Sturgeon said have to be bold and candid” to al- The revised fi rst prize of immediately reported to civil serv- the interests of the women in the low her to rebuild the party’s repu- £110,070 was won by Carina Al- ants. Richard Leonard, the Scot- case must be paramount. Salmond tation, he said. cock, from nearby Christchurch tish Labour leader, said it was a denies the allegations of sexual Pringle was Salmond’s chief in Dorset. “grave error of judgment”. harassment against him. spokesman when the then fi rst But the couple have been Sturgeon revealed on Thurs- Sturgeon said: “The fact re- minister made several self-refer- criticised by other entrants day it took two months before she mains that at the centre of this rals under the ministerial code. for allegedly pocketing the raised the meeting and phone call issue are two women whose com- Salmond was exonerated of any remainder of the funds while with Leslie Evans, the Scottish plaints could not be swept under breach each time. keeping their house. Rebecca government’s top civil servant, the carpet. Any continuing com- Writing in the Sunday Times, Gleaves, from Bournemouth, and only did so because she was mentary about these issues at Pringle said the “drip-drip of in- said: “It might be legal but about to meet Salmond for a sec- this stage – whether from myself, formation coming out slowly is that doesn’t make it OK mor- ond time. the government or Salmond and poison” for Sturgeon’s govern- ally.” Sturgeon advised Evans in writ- his representatives – would only ment and the SNP. He said it un- Richard Reddington, from ing that legal action by Salmond serve to distract from and po- dermined the case for independ- London, added: “I will never en- against the Scottish government tentially compromise the proper ence if the civil service that would ter another competition like this was imminent, but denies that was consideration by the police of the run an independent Scotland again.” an intervention in the inquiry. subject matter of their investiga- could not be trusted. Michelle Philpott, from Poole, Her spokesman has also refused tions. That is something we will “Last week was torrid for Stur- said: “I think all who entered to confi rm or deny that Salmond not do.” geon, and it can’t go on like that,” should be given their money urged her to intervene at that Sturgeon had come under pres- Pringle said. “She should lead back.” meeting. The two had a total of sure to make the referral, which the charge for an independent, Beresford, who made his three face to face meetings and two under the Scottish government’s external inquiry into the whole money turning around failing phone calls where the investiga- rules can only be made by a fi rst business, covering the conduct of businesses, defended the veraci- tion was discussed over a 15-week minister, from senior fi gures in the ministers and offi cials. It may be ty of the draw and the legitimacy period last summer. Scottish National party. uncomfortable, but it’s the only of the costs incurred. Former first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, arrives at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland. Sturgeon insists her meeting Richard Leonard, the Scottish path to better ground.” Government’s nuclear Killer’s legal aid must power plans face setback be stopped: minister Daily Mail adding: “He has shown utter con- London tempt for the family... and utter Daily Mail Japanese newspaper the Nikkei on the new plant would begin by contempt for the justice process London Asian Review reported that the 2020. itself. company will is likely to decide to Developers said it would create peedboat killer Jack Shep- “That is just unacceptable. It is stop construction of the plant at a up to 8,500 jobs during the con- herd should have his legal right that all police and other re- ritain’s nuclear power plans board meeting this week after fail- struction – and suspending devel- Said cut off until he returns sources are deployed to see he is have been thrown into jeop- ing to secure enough private fund- opments could put about 370 jobs to face justice, a cabinet minister brought to justice.” Bardy as another project tee- ing. at risk. said. The Daily Mail has off ered a ters on collapse. Hitachi has been in fi nancing Although funding and invest- James Brokenshire said it was £25,000 reward for information Japanese fi rm Hitachi is set to negotiations with the UK govern- ment has struggled, recruitment ‘astonishing’ that fugitive Shep- leading to Shepherd’s capture – a ditch its £16bn power station in ment over the project since last and arrangements for the project’s herd is receiving legal aid in order move Brokenshire said had been Wales – leaving Britain’s nuclear June. supply chain have continued. Jap- to lodge an appeal against a six- ‘very helpful’ in the international strategy at the mercy of Chinese Another Japanese conglomer- anese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, year sentence for killing 24-year- manhunt. Charlotte was killed investors. ate, Toshiba, scrapped its Brit- who met Theresa May in London old Charlotte Brown. in December 2015 on a date with The looming collapse of Wylfa ish NuGen project at Moorside on Thursday, said the two leaders The housing secretary’s dra- Shepherd, who took her for a spin Newydd project on Anglesey in Cumbria last year after its US did not discuss the plant. matic intervention comes a day in his speedboat on the Thames comes after rival Japanese group reactor unit Westinghouse went Tom Greatrex, chief executive of after Theresa May told the runa- in London while drunk. She died Toshiba abandoned plans to build bankrupt and it failed to fi nd a the Nuclear Industry Association way to give himself up to police when his boat fl ipped over at high a reactor in Cumbria. buyer. said it was ‘imperative’ the project and called the case ‘shocking’. speed. This raises questions over It means that Hinkley Point C went ahead. Brokenshire, a former lawyer, Shepherd, who is also wanted how Britain will be able to keep in Somerset, being built by EDF, is “If the UK is going to decarbon- rounded on Shepherd’s solicitors for allegedly glassing a Devon pub lights on when ageing coal and the only plant under construction. ise its power supply and meet our for refusing to co-operate with barman in the face in a separate other nuclear plants close in the China General Nuclear Power obligations to reduce carbon emis- police in their hunt for the callous incident, has already run up a legal 2020s. Group, a company which took a sions, we need to replace the 20% killer, saying their attitude was aid bill totalling almost £100,000. The government wants a new minority investment in Hinkley of our electricity delivered by our “surprising, at best”. Justice Secretary David Gauke series of reactors to be up and run- Point, is now the only company low carbon, reliable, secure nucle- He has been involved in the ‘ap- has asked offi cials to look at ning in the coming years to supply actively looking to invest in UK ar fl eet, most of which will retire in palling’ case since 2016, when he whether to close an apparent energy to homes and businesses nuclear projects. the next decade,’ he added. was contacted by Charlotte’s fa- loophole in the law that allows across the country. Hitachi said it The Wylfa Newydd plant would Hitachi’s UK subsidiary has ther Graham, who lives in his Old criminals to claim public money to has not yet made a formal decision operate for 60 years if a permit is already spent £847mn on the Bexley and Sidcup constituency in appeal against convictions while on the Anglesey project, but con- granted for its operation and could project, and is expected to book south-east London. they are on the run. Brokenshire, a fi rmed it is considering suspend- provide around 6% of the coun- a loss of between £1.4bn and Brokenshire said he wanted to former Home Offi ce minister, said ing work. try’s electricity. It was hoped work £2.1bn. James Brokenshire: angry at assistance for fugitive see Shepherd, 31, ‘behind bars’, there was a clear case for action. Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 13 EUROPE Swedish opposition backs Lofven as prime minister Greek PM calls DPA Bjorklund cautioned that an Both Lofven and Kristersson Stockholm envisaged Lofven-led govern- lost confi dence votes last year. ment “could still be blocked by The Centre Party and Liberals, other parties”, noting that the traditional allies of Kristersson, weden edged closer to Left Party has yet to state its voted against him, fearing the ending months of politi- stance. Sweden Democrats would hold Scal deadlock yesterday as Former Left Party parliamen- sway over his government. vote after top two parties – the Greens and the tarians have criticised proposed Making sure that the populist Liberals – expressed support for tax cuts and changes in labour Sweden Democrats do not have Social Democratic leader Stefan laws, and therefore urged the political infl uence was key for Lofven returning as prime min- party to vote against Lofven. the Greens, who, since 2014, have ister. The party’s parliamentary been junior partner in Lofven’s The Liberal Party’s council of caucus was due to meet today. government. trustees voted 62-to-30 in favour Earlier yesterday, the Greens The Centre Party endorsed of supporting Lofven as prime came out in favour of the alli- the agreement on Saturday, also minister quits minister, refl ecting the divisions ance. citing the need to isolate the in the party. “It was decisive for us that Sweden Democrats and the Left Dissenters in the Liberals pre- Sweden continues to make Party. fer Ulf Kristersson, leader of the progress in the climate area,” The parliamentary speaker is conservatives, as prime minister. Greens co-leader Isabella Lovin set to meet all party leaders to- Following numerous failed at- told reporters. day before nominating the new tempts at creating a government Sweden’s September 9 general prime minister. since September’s inconclusive election resulted in a political A confi dence vote is scheduled over name deal elections, a draft agreement be- stalemate between the country’s for Wednesday. tween the Social Democrats, the two main political alliances, one The speaker has two more at- AFP Tsipras-Kammenos coalition Greens, the Centre Party and the led by Lofven’s Social Democrats tempts to propose a prime min- Athens as “a staged governmental di- Liberals was unveiled on Friday. and the other by the conserva- ister before fresh elections are vorce”. “It’s the best way to block the tives under Ulf Kristersson of the automatically triggered. The conservative party said fringe parties from infl uence, Moderate Party. The Left Party has 28 seats. reek Prime Minister the “charade” aimed to allow and it’s the most stable solu- Neither bloc has a majority in If the party votes with the con- Alexis Tspiras has called the ratifi cation of the Macedo- tion with the least risk of recur- the 349-seat legislature, com- servatives, the Christian Demo- Gfor an “immediate” con- nia name change deal and keep ring government crises and fresh plicating the formation of a new crats and the Sweden Democrats fi dence vote in parliament over Tsipras in power. elections,” Liberal Party leader government. they could muster 182 “no” votes the resignation of a top minister, Centre-left To Potami leader Jan Bjorklund said of the agree- Also at issue is the relative against Lofven. after his coalition government Stavros Theodorakis said yes- ment after the party’s vote. surge enjoyed by the right-wing In order to be accepted as collapsed in a row over a name terday that his party “won’t In addition to excluding the populist Sweden Democrats, prime minister, a candidate has change deal with Macedonia. give a vote of confi dence to Mr right-wing Sweden Democrats, which took 17.5% in the election to avoid a majority in the 349- The move raises the possibil- Tsipras” because “ineffi ciency the agreement sidelines the Left and could act as kingmaker if any seat parliament – at least 175 ity of snap elections and came and populism can’t be reward- Party, which will not have a say of the mainstream parties were legislators – voting against him after defence minister Panos ed”. on a new government. willing to work with them. or her. Kammenos resigned in protest Tsipras has already said he over an agreement to end the wants the Macedonia name 27-year Macedonia name dis- change vote to take place soon. Three dead in avalanche in Austria pute. New Democracy is vehe- “We will proceed immedi- Tsipras: We will proceed immediately to the renewal of the mently against the agreement Snow continued to plague the regions surrounding the European ately to the renewal of the confi - confidence in our government by the parliament. but Tsipras hopes to convince Sex abuse Alps yesterday, with at least three deaths reported as forecasts dence in our government by the opposition MPs from smaller called for another coating of snow. parliament in order to proceed ister for the co-operation and Kammenos fi rst threatened to parties to back the historic name Off icials in Austria reported that three Germans died – and one was with the major issues for our I explained to him that for this pull out of the government after change deal. cases missing – after they went skiing near the city of Lech. country,” Tspiras said. national issue we cannot con- Tsipras signed the name change Tsipras has said a separate They were struck by an avalanche after they went on a route that Parliament speaker Nikos tinue,” Kammenos said, adding deal with Macedonian Prime vote on a protocol to enable had been put off limits due to such dangers. Voutsis suggested a debate on that his party “is pulling out of Minister Zoran Zaev in June last Macedonia to join the North colour Authorities began the search after the wife of one of the men placed the confi dence motion could the government”. year. Atlantic Treaty Organisation a telephone call late on Saturday. start tomorrow (Tuesday), with Macedonian lawmakers voted Kammenos said he and two (Nato) would be held “not long They were still searching for the fourth man, a 28-year-old from a vote on Wednesday night. on Friday to rename their coun- other ANEL lawmakers would afterwards”. debate on southern Germany. Tsipras’s leftist party Syr- try the Republic of North Mac- vote against the government but Greece has previously blocked The deceased were identified as men, aged 32, 36 and 57, also from iza has 145 deputies in the edonia, but the agreement will analysts say some ANEL MP’s Macedonia’s accession to Nato southern Germany. The dead had suff ered multiple injuries and 300-member Greek Parlia- only come into eff ect with back- could be willing to back Tsipras and the European Union. Finland showed signs of suff ocation, despite deploying rescue air bags. ment, but could win the confi - ing from the Greek parliament. in the confi dence vote. The collapse of the Greek co- The search for the fourth man was called off yesterday due to the dence vote with just 120 votes if The proposal faces resistance If a motion of no-confi dence alition has raised questions over risk of more avalanches. enough lawmakers abstain. in Greece, which has a northern had been tabled by the opposi- how much longer Tsipras can migration “It’s questionable whether it’s responsible to have the search due to Kammenos, who is head of province of the same name, over tion, the voting math would stay in offi ce. the heightened risk of avalanches,” said one police spokesman. the nationalist Independent implied claims to Greek terri- have been more diffi cult for Parliamentary elections are Meanwhile, German police in the state of Bavaria reported multiple Greeks party (ANEL) which has tory. Tsipras as the government scheduled in October but local Reuters accidents and street blockages thanks to the snow. seven MPs, said he was “sacri- For many Greeks, Macedonia would have needed 151 votes to media speculate that polls could Helsinki However, only one injury was reported amid the 24 recent accidents fi cing” his post over the Mac- is the name of a northern prov- avoid an election. be held in May, coinciding with reported in the Lower Bavaria region. edonia name issue. ince that was the cradle of Alex- Yesterday New Democ- European parliament and local “I thanked the prime min- ander the Great’s empire. racy described the end of the elections, or even sooner. he parliamentary heads of two of Finland’s largest Tparties have called for ac- tion after investigations against 19 foreign-born men on suspi- cion of sexual abuse of minors. The issue has boosted the Paris gas blast toll rises as body is found support of the anti-immigra- tion, populist The Finns Party, whose popularity jumped two AFP cent years, the huge blast jangled points to over 10% in the latest Paris nerves. poll published by the national “I was in bed when it hap- broadcaster YLE ahead of a par- pened, I heard a muffl ed boom, it liamentary election on April 14. he death toll from a pow- moved the building,” said Sylvie, Police have said there were erful gas explosion in who lives close to Rue de Treviso foreign-born men among the Tcentral Paris has risen to where the explosion occurred. 16 investigated for rape or other four after rescue workers found a “I heard the sirens. I burst into sexual abuses of adolescent girls woman’s body in the rubble, in- tears.” in the town of Oulu over the last vestigators said yesterday. Others were out trying to re- two months. Two fi refi ghters and a Span- pair some of the damage, with Yesterday police said they had ish tourist were also killed in the Philippe Benoliel attaching arrested three foreign-born men Saturday morning blast that in- wooden panels to the front of his on similar charges. jured dozens and badly damaged tourism business that is located Antti Kaikkonen, parliamen- nearby apartments. on the same street. tary head of the coalition-lead- Rescue workers with sniff er “When I arrived this morning ing Centre Party, called for a dogs had earlier searched for a we found two windows blown meeting of all the parliamentary missing woman who lived above off , glass shards everywhere. The party heads, tweeting: “Every- the explosion site and who was explosion 200m away caused one who comes to Finland has to believed to be in the rubble. all that,” he said. “It could have follow the local laws.” A source close to the investi- been worse – we don’t work on Antti Lindtman, parliamen- gation said that the body found Saturdays.” tary head of the main opposi- could be that of the missing The blast was believed to be tion party, the Social Democrats, woman. accidental, but Paris prosecutor said: “The question is, are there The blast gutted the lower part Remy Heitz remained cautious. measures we could take now – of the building which housed a “At this stage, we do not ex- even during this term – to pre- bakery and a restaurant, and also clude any hypothesis,” he said. vent cowardly crimes like these? overturned cars, leaving glass Christian Buff et of gas dis- Yes, there are.” and rubble strewn across large tributor GRDF said it was “too Prime Minister Juha Sipila swathes of the street. This picture taken on Saturday shows debris and car wreckage following the explosion of a bakery on the corner of the streets Saint-Cecile early to identify the cause” of tweeted that the government Around 50 people were in- and Rue de Trevise in central Paris. the explosion, which he called would discuss the “inhuman and jured, nine of them seriously, in- the largest and most serious in reprehensible events” this week. cluding several foreign tourists A fi re service spokesman said everything is cleared, stone by Given the extent of the dam- closed yesterday, with offi cials more than a decade. The topic is shocking for who were in the area to visit local 40 fi refi ghters were clearing the stone, to be certain there is no age, around 50 people were put saying that the safety of each Many homes and buildings many in Finland, which sees it- attractions like the Musee Gre- debris by hand yesterday due to one else,” he said, indicating that up in temporary accommoda- would be assessed. in Paris use gas for heating and self as one of the safest and hap- vin wax museum and the popu- the dangerous conditions. such an operation could last for tion. In a city that has been shaken cooking, though explosions due piest countries on earth. lar Rue des Martyrs. “We will only leave once about a week. Twelve buildings remained by a string of terror attacks in re- to leaks are relatively rare. A citizens’ initiative to with- draw asylum from people con- victed of a sex crime has doubled its signatures in just days and reached 25,000 yesterday – half the total needed to force parlia- French media denounce violent ‘yellow vest’ attacks on press ment to consider the issue. The country of 5.5mn people has historically had very few im- Reuters demonstrators from around the beaten while he was on the around during Saturday’s “yel- that anyone attacking reporters high fuel prices, the movement migrants. Paris Arc de Triomphe monument on ground and had his nose bro- low vest” marches. will be brought to justice. has morphed into a fi ght for so- But the issue has become more Saturday, in the ninth straight ken, with footage of the incident Reporters without Borders “In our democracy, the press cial justice and more direct de- fraught since the European refu- weekend of protests against widely shared on social media. Secretary-General Christophe is free ... attacking journalists is mocracy. gee crisis of 2015, which caused rench media and report- French President Emmanuel In Paris, an LCI reporter was Deloire called on authorities to attacking the right to inform,” he Several demonstrations have the number of asylum-seekers ers’ organisations have Macron’s economic reforms. pushed to the ground as dem- take action. said. degenerated into violent clashes to almost quadruple to 28,208 Fdenounced attacks on Journalists covering the pro- onstrators tried to take away her “This is anti-democratic France has been rocked by with police. in 2016. journalists by “yellow vest” tests are increasingly becoming camera, the station said, add- blackmail from people who con- yellow vest protests against Ma- Over the coming week, Ma- Statistics Finland says around anti-government protesters and a target for the demonstrators. ing that it will take legal action sider they can beat up journal- cron’s reforms since the middle cron will launch three months 1,200 cases of sexual abuse of called for better protection after In the western city of Rouen, against the attackers. ists if they disagree with the way of November in a movement that of national debate to air yellow- minors are reported to the police a series of incidents this week- LCI television reporters were at- Several other stations, in- events are covered,” he said on has no designated leaders and is vest grievances in the hope of each year, and that foreigners end. tacked by a group of protesters. cluding BFM TV and franceinfo, France Info radio. not linked to political parties or appeasing the movement, which were involved in 18% of the cases Paris police fi red water can- One of the security agents showed yesterday images of re- Interior Minister Christophe unions. has undermined his authority that came to trial last year. non and tear gas to push back working with the TV crew was porters being hassled or pushed Castaner said on his Twitter feed Started as a protest against and upended his reform drive. Gulf Times 14 Monday, January 14, 2019 INDIA

EASY RIDE ON THE RUN POLITICS #ME TOO? ASSESSMENT Maoist with Rs1mn bounty Daughter protests against Filmmaker denies ‘sexual Report sought on threat to shot dead in Jharkhand Paswan’s Rabri remark assault’ accusation Delhi CM’s daughter

Top Maoist commander Sahdev Rai was killed Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief and federal Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani has been accused The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on yesterday in a shootout with Sashastra Seema Bal Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s daughter Asha of sexual assault by a woman who worked Sunday sought a detailed information from Delhi (SSB) in Chhatupara forest area in Dumka district Paswan yesterday staged a protest against her with him in his 2018 film Sanju. He has denied Police over its action taken in the matter regarding of Jharkhand, the paramilitary force said. The own father for calling former Bihar chief minister the allegation. According to a Huff Post India an email threatening to kidnap Delhi Chief Minister fierce gun-battle began at around 6.55am when Rabri Devi an ‘angootha chhap’ (illiterate). Asha article yesterday, the woman claimed that Hirani Arvind Kejriwal’s daughter. In a letter, DCW chief a group of 15-20 Maoists opened fire on the SSB Paswan along with dozens of women carrying sexually abused her on more than one occasion Swati Maliwal Jaihind asked the Delhi Police team, comprising 42 personnel, which was on posters and banners staged the protest in front over a six-month period between March and to provide information to the Commission by combing operation in the forest based on specific of the LJP off ice near the Patna airport. She September 2018. The 56-year-old filmmaker has Wednesday on some points that included copy of inputs. The shootout lasted around 90 minutes wants Ram Vilas Paswan to apologize to Rabri denied the allegations. A statement issued by FIR registered in the matter, status report of the leading to the death of Rai, who carried a bounty Devi. “My father should take back his words,” his lawyer Anand Desai dubbed the allegations investigation, details of the email ID and IP address of Rs1mn on his head, SSB spokesperson Kanishk she said. In an obvious reference to Rabri Devi, “false”, “mischievous”, “scandalous”, “motivated” from which the mail was sent; whether the IP Tourists enjoy a camel ride on the second Chaudhary said. According to the off icer, Rai had Ram Vilas Paswan had said on Friday that RJD and “defamatory”. The woman made the charge address has been tracked and the location/ persons day of the two-day 26th International Camel links with Santhal Pargana Zone — an infamous believe in merely raising slogans and making an in an e-mail dated November 3, 2018 to Hirani’s identified, if not, provide reason for the same; and Festival in Bikaner yesterday. Maoist group in the state. ‘angootha chhap’ the chief minister. Sanju co-producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra. reason for no arrests in the matter to date.

Justice Sikri Congress to withdraws ‘consent’ for contest all C’wealth post IANS New Delhi

fter a controversy erupted, Supreme Court judge A K Sikri, who last week seats in UP Asided with the government in the three-member committee to remove CBI IANS AAP to fi ght Lok Sabha polls in director Alok Verma, yesterday withdrew Lucknow UP, Kejriwal won’t contest his “consent” to be nominated to the post of president/member of the London-based The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said yesterday Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribu- nubbed by the Samajwadi Party (SP) it will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elec- nal (CSAT). and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) who tions from Uttar Pardesh but unlike last time, Sources close to the judge said that Sikri Shave joined hands in Uttar Pradesh, the party chief Arvind Kejriwal will not be its face Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases a commemorative coin to mark the birth anniversary of communicated to the government yester- Congress said yesterday it will contest all the from Varanasi. tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh, in New Delhi yesterday as former prime minister Manmohan day expressing his withdrawal of consent 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state but insisted Speaking to IANS, AAP MP Sanjay Singh Singh looks on. after news broke out over his nomination to that its doors were open for secular parties said the details of the seats and candidates the post. willing to defeat the BJP. would be finalised by February-end. They said that the judge was asked by the A day after arch rivals SP and BSP an- “The party or Kejriwal never said that he is government in December about his inclina- nounced an alliance, Congress general sec- going to contest the Lok Sabha elections. He tion to hold the post. retary Ghulam Nabi Azad said his party not is Delhi’s Chief Minister and he has no plans Kovind, Modi pay homage He had then agreed. being a part of the alliance was a blessing in to join the electoral race in the 2019 Lok As there was “no word of communica- disguise as it will get to contest all the seats Sabha elections,” Singh said. tion” from the government till the news in the state. “The party will field candidates in the Lok broke out about his nomination, Sikri told “Our party is rather happy...had there Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh from the to Guru Gobind Singh the government yesterday that he was been an alliance we would have to be contend areas where the organisation is strong. The withdrawing his earlier consent, the sourc- with 25-30 seats. But now we will be contest- details of seats and candidates will be an- es said. ing in all the seats. We are all prepared and nounced by February-end,” he added. IANS perity and good fortune across the country.” Sikri was part of the selection committee will contest in all the 80 seats,” Azad told the The AAP has announced that it will focus New Delhi At another event yesterday, Modi said the including Prime Minister Narendra Modi media here. on Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is com- and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mal- “We are ready to contest all the 80 seats Goa in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. mitted to ensuring justice to the 1984 anti-Sikh likarjun Kharge that on Thursday decided but if there are any secular party or parties resident Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Min- riot victims and asked why the Kartarpur Sahib 2:1 to remove CBI chief Verma from the whom we fi nd competent to join us in our ister Narendra Modi yesterday paid hom- gurdwara was allowed to go to Pakistan during post. Kharge gave a dissent note and op- fi ght against the BJP, we are ready to accom- this fi ght to defeat the BJP on our own,” he said. Page to the tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind partition when it was close to the border. posed Verma’s ouster. modate them. We welcome such party or “For the last 3-4 years we have been talk- Singh on his 352nd birth anniversary. Addressing a gathering after releasing a Rs350 The CSAT was established to meet the parties and we will agree for seat sharing,” he ing about secular parties joining hands “Homage to Guru Gobind Singh on his birth commemorative coin to mark the birth anniver- requirements of the Agreed Memorandum said. against the BJP. Some of them like N Chan- anniversary. He devoted his life to serving the sary of Guru Gobind Singh here, Modi said his on the Commonwealth Secretariat (1964) Talking about the SP-BSP dumping the drababu Naidu’s TDP (Telugu Desam Party) people and upholding truth, justice and compas- government was pledged to facilitate the smooth which was revised by governments in 2005. Congress, Azad said: “The Congress is the has come on its own. So whether we are talk- sion. The example and teachings of Guru Gobind entry of Sikhs to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in In fulfi lment of its obligations under the only party that can uproot the Modi govern- ing with some parties for an alliance or not, Singh continue to inspire us,” Kovind tweeted. Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor. Agreed Memorandum, the UK government ment and defeat the BJP. We wanted all secu- that is not something to be informed in a In his tweet, Modi said: “I bow to Sri Guru “The gurdwara was just a few kilometres away passed the Commonwealth Secretariat Act lar parties to join our fi ght against the BJP. press conference,” said Azad, on being asked Gobind Singhji on his jayanti.” but it was not brought in India. Building the Kar- 1966 which, among other things, gives the “But if someone does not want to walk if the Congress was in talks with other par- Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) is revered by tarpur corridor is an honest attempt to recom- Commonwealth Secretariat legal personal- with us, it is their choice, we cannot do any- ties for stitching a grand alliance in the Lok the Sikh community as he founded the ‘Khalsa pense that loss. It is an act of repentance for the ity and accords it certain immunities and thing,” he said. Sabha polls. Panth’, the warrior Sikh community, at Anandpur mistake that happened in August 1947,” he said. privileges. On the SP-BSP combine leaving out Am- The Congress also refused to comment on Sahib in 1699. The prime minister also said that the BJP gov- The CSAT has a full complement of eight ethi and Rae Bareli — constituencies held by the prime ministerial face, saying the battle The festivities this year coincided with the ernment would ensure that justice was provided members comprising the president and Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA was fi rst about defeating the BJP. festivals of ‘Lohri’ and ‘Makar Sankranti’. Kovind to “all sisters and mothers” who were victims of seven others. chairperson Sonia Gandhi respectively — On Saturday, the BSP and SP, burying a also exchanged greetings on the occasion of vari- the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed the assas- The members are selected by Common- Azad said that both the parties earlier too did quarter century of animosity, announced ous festivities celebrated across the nation today. sination of then-prime minister Indira Gandhi. wealth governments on a regionally repre- not contest on the two seats. they will fi ght the Lok Sabha polls jointly in “As the sun enters Capricorn, and the weather “The Central government is working to pro- sentative basis from among persons of high “This is not a fi ght for a state, the fi ght is Uttar Pradesh — 38 seats each. begins to change and harvesting season begins in vide justice to those who have been subjected to moral character who must hold or have held for Parliament,” said Azad, while remaining Apart from Amethi and Rae Bareli, they many parts of our country, greetings and good injustice since 1984,” he said. high judicial offi ce in a Commonwealth evasive about a post-poll alliance. are expected to accommodate the RLD in two wishes to fellow citizens as we celebrate Lohri, Modi also said that his government had asked country. The Congress leader spoke after a meeting seats in western Uttar Pradesh. Makar Sankranti, Bhogali Bihu, Pongal, Uttaray- all Indian embassies to celebrate the 352nd ‘Pra- The members are appointed on a four- at the party’s state headquarters here. In 2014, the BJP swept 71 of the 80 seats an and Poush Parbon,” he said in another tweet. kash Utsav’ of Guru Gobind Singh. year term which may be renewed only once. “We had earlier also said that we are ready to while an ally won two more seats. The Con- “This festive occasion, which is celebrated in Calling Guru Gobind Singh a “multi-talented Born on March 7, 1954, Sikri was sworn in walk with every party that wants to defeat the gress won only from Amethi and Rae Bareli diverse yet similar ways across India, is a moment personality”, Modi said the Sikh master was not just as a Supreme Court judge on April 12, 2013. BJP. But we can’t force anyone. They have (SP- while the BSP drew a blank. The Samajwadi to celebrate the hard work and perseverance of all a warrior but a poet and literary fi gure whose values He earlier served as the Chief Justice of BSP) closed this chapter, so we will continue Party got fi ve seats. our people, especially farmers. May it herald pros- could be found in the foundation of new India. the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Kochi plays host Cold snap Fewer devotees taking to India’s biggest part this year in annual startup incubator Sabarimala pilgrimage

IANS By Ashraf Padanna ness the Makara Jyothi this year,” said Kochi Thiruvananthapuram Kadakampally Surendran, the state’s minister for temples. “There’s a dip in the number of devo- erala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday undreds of thousands of people tees arriving here because of the wide- inaugurated here the country’s biggest startup have reached the Sabarimala hill spread violence unleashed by the (fed- Kincubator. Hshrine in Kerala ahead of the ap- erally) ruling BJP and others.” Housed in a 180,000 square-feet facility, it has in- pearance of Makara Jyothi or the Light The temple and nearby areas where cubation setups across a string of segments in modern of Capricorn today evening. the “celestial light” is visible used to technology. The light is lit after the sundown atop witness large crowds of devotees who The Integrated Startup Complex, set up under the the mountain on the Western Ghats get into a frenzy when the light appears, Kerala Startup Mission (KSM), has ultra modern fa- where around half a million devotees often leading to stampedes. cilities, like “Maker Village” dedicated to promotion arrive to have a glimpse of it. In two big stampedes, 106 devotees of hardware startups, “Bionest” for promoting medi- This year there was an estimated dip were crushed to death in 2011 and 53 cal technologies, BRINC which is the country’s fi rst of some 40% in footfall and revenue as in 1999 and every season this point of international accelerator for hardware startups, BRIC many dropped their plan saying the en- the pilgrimage season put the security which aids developing solutions for cancer diagnosis try of young women had desecrated the forces on edge. and care, and a Centre of Excellence set up by the in- temple. Police and health offi cials are on high dustry majors. The Supreme Court on September alert, and the authorities have made “Overall, the Kerala government is working for the 28 lifted an age-old ban on women of massive deployment of police and fi re- state to have a total area of 23mn sq ft of IT space. We reproductive age, defi ned as between fi ghters and put more doctors on duty. are also planning to give direct jobs to 250,000 in IT,” 10 and 50, much to the chagrin of tradi- They have also brought in more am- said Vijayan and added that the government is working tionalists. bulances to be put on standby and asked to ensure that information technology fosters social Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s the hospitals in the region to go on full development. Bharatiya Janata Party has since been gear to meet any eventuality. After the completion of three more projects, Kerala on the warpath against the state’s com- “We have made better arrangements will have startup and incubation space of 500,000 sq munist government which is fi rm on this time for the comfort and safety of ft, which will be largest of these type in the world. implementing it. people,” said deputy superintendent of M.Sivasankar, Secretary, IT (Kerala), pointed out: Protests led to the death of at least police NC Rajamohan. “This has never happened in our country, where it usu- one protesting devotee in stoning by the “We have put up barriers to control ally takes a couple of years for an incubator to get the activists of Communist Party of India crowds and prevent them from moving whole area occupied. The fi rst three fl oors of the new (Marxist) or CPM that leads the ruling into dangerous places. We have also lit complex have been furnished, while the rest of the Snow covers vehicles in Shimla yesterday. coalition. up all their trekking paths and camp- fl oors have already got allotted to various startups.” “We expect 200,000 devotees to wit- sites.” Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 15 LATIN AMERICA Fugitive Italian Freedom of speech ... ex-militant held in Bolivia, faces extradition Nicaraguans demonstrate outside the Nicaraguan Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, to protest against the arrest AFP “Battisti was arrested in the street, un- interior ministry source said. of opposition journalists Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda in Nicaragua. Mora was accused of “conspiracy” and Brasilia armed and he didn’t resist, responded to Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Sal- “terrorism” after the closure of his television station, which has been critical of Daniel Ortega’s government, police in Portuguese and showed a Bra- vini thanked the Italian and foreign amid allegations of an escalation to silence independent press. zilian document confi rming his identity,” police who captured “a delinquent who ormer Italian communist militant an Italian interior ministry source said. did not deserve the comfortable life on Cesare Battisti, sought by Rome “Now Italy is waiting for him.” the beach, and who should spend out Ffor four murders in the 1970s, has Italian state police said the arrest had the rest of his days in prison.” been arrested after an international po- been carried out by a joint team of Ital- Bolsonaro’s son, Brazilian lawmaker lice squad tracked him down on the run ian and Bolivian offi cers with the help Eduardo Bolsonaro, tweeted in Italian in Bolivia where he faces quick extradi- of Italy’s counter-terrorism section. with a picture of Battisti: “Brazil is no tion to Italy. According to the Italian government longer the land of bandits. Migrants’ scramble to US Italy has repeatedly sought the ex- sources, Battisti was spotted “with cer- Matteo Salvini, the ‘little gift’ is on tradition of Battisti, who lived in Brazil tainty” in Santa Cruz last week and an its way.” for years under the protection of former operation was prepared with local au- Battisti escaped from an Italian leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da thorities. prison after being convicted in 1979 of Silva (2003-2010), who is now in prison Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera belonging to an outlawed leftist group, is a race of life and death for corruption. reported the fugitive, wearing a false the Armed Proletarians for Commu- Battisti, 64, was arrested late Satur- beard and moustache, was snatched in nism. day in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz the street by a special Interpol squad. He was subsequently convicted in By Jeff Ernst city centre, the area is dominated by in 2011 at 86.5 for every 100,000 in- de la Sierra, Italian interior ministry An Interpol team had targeted their absentia of having killed two Italian po- Tegucigalpa the notorious MS-13 gang. habitants, and have since decreased sources confi rmed, where he gave up search in Santa Cruz before Christmas, licemen, taking part in the murder of a In cities across Honduras, El Sal- to 43.6 for every 100,000 inhabitants without a struggle after reportedly be- closing in on the Italian fugitive in a few of butcher, and helping plan the slaying of vador and Guatemala, gangs terrorise in 2017, according to the Violence Ob- ing caught disguised in a false beard and the city’s neighbourhoods, the paper said. a jeweller who died in a shootout which everal days after Nelson Espinal residents into submission and recruit servatory. moustache. Italy’s envoy to Brazil fi red off a tri- left his 14-year-old son in a wheelchair. slipped across the US southern young people by force or coercion, But that still works out to more “Italian terrorist Cesare Battisti was umphant tweet upon hearing the news. Battisti admitted to being part of the Sborder, he called his family back promising “work” for youths who than 10 murders a day – in a country detained in Bolivia (Saturday night) “Battisti has been arrested! Democ- group but denied responsibility for any in Honduras from inside a US deten- have little prospect of fi nding formal with a population slightly larger than and will be soon brought to Brazil, from racy is stronger than terrorism!” am- deaths. tion centre. employment – and threatening death London – and is still the fourth-high- where he will probably be sent to Italy bassador Antonio Bernardini wrote. He reinvented himself as an author, “Tell Mom not to worry – I’m ap- for those who refuse. est rate in the Americas. to serve a life sentence,” tweeted Filipe Battisti could be expelled “within writing a string of noir novels. plying for asylum,” Espinal, 28, told “When they get their eye on some- Across the country are neighbour- G Martins, a senior aide on interna- hours” from Bolivian territory, a Boliv- In 2004 he skipped bail in France, his sister Patricia, who recounted one, they search them out again and hoods like Espinal’s, where the threat tional aff airs to Brazilian President Jair ian government source told AFP, with- where he had taken refuge. the December phone call with tears again,” said Patricia Espinal. of violence is omnipresent and eve- Bolsonaro. out giving details where he would be He went to live clandestinely in Brazil streaming down her sun-scarred The gangs had tried to recruit her ryone knows someone who has been During Brazil’s recent presidential sent. until he was arrested in 2007 in Rio de cheeks. brother since he was a teenager, but murdered. campaign the far-right Bolsonaro — Italian authorities yesterday dis- Janeiro. “We must pray to God that they he had steadfastly resisted. “In this neighbourhood they’ve who took offi ce on January 1 — vowed patched a plane carrying police and After years in custody, then-presi- give it to me. I told them I can’t go “They’re asking if I want to work killed tons of boys,” said Espinal’s that if elected he would “immediately” secret service agents to Bolivia, the in- dent Lula issued a decree — later upheld back to Honduras because if I go back, with him,” she recalled him saying. mother, Sara Matamoros. “Neigh- extradite Battisti to Italy. terior ministry said, in apparent prepa- by Brazil’s Supreme Court — in 2010 re- they’re going to kill me.” “(But) I’d rather have rough hands bours and friends.” In mid-December Brazil’s outgoing ration for a possible extradition. fusing Battisti’s extradition to Italy, and Espinal had made the 4,900km (from manual labour) than join a gang.” Men account for nearly 90% of president, Michel Temer, signed an ex- “Now it’s necessary to work out if he was freed, angering Italy. journey with several thousand oth- So when news broke last October homicide victims in Honduras. tradition order for Battisti after a judge Battisti will make a stopover in Brazil Battisti, who has a fi ve-year-old Bra- ers who joined the migrant caravan that a large group of migrants was Those between the ages of 20 and ordered his arrest. or if he will be brought immediately to zilian son, last year told AFP he faced in October in the hopes of starting a planning to head north from the city 29, such as Espinal, were murdered at By then the Italian ex-militant had Italy. This is a problem that will be de- “torture” and death if he were ever to new life. of San Pedro Sula, Espinal and a pair a rate of over 160 for every 100,000 disappeared and gone on the run. cided in the coming hours,” the Italian be sent back to Italy. Within weeks of reaching the US, of friends rushed to join the caravan, inhabitants in 2017. however, he was deported back to his calculating that there would be safety But no population group escapes gang-infested neighbourhood in the in numbers. the bloodletting. Guatemalans protest Honduran capital Tegucigalpa – and It was unprecedented for such a Women make up a small percentage the death threats that had prompted large number to set out together, and of victims, but the country’s femicide president’s bid to shut him to fl ee. Espinal believed the caravan off ered rate is among the world’s highest. UN anti-graft unit Ex-Farc commander He resolved to try his luck again in the perfect opportunity to escape. And in 2017, Honduras’s child the new year: head north, save his life In the end, however, the violence homicide rate was the highest in the housands of Guatemalans and fi nd a way to help his family and that has plagued Honduras for more world, according to a report by Save marched Saturday against criticises peace process provide for his seven-year-old son. than a decade proved inescapable. the Children. According to Migdonia Ayestas, di- Meanwhile, domestic and sexual President Jimmy Morales’s bid But just over a week after his re- T turn, Nelson was shot dead on the rector of the Violence Observatory at violence is endemic, but according to close a UN anti-corruption mission quez said in the video, published by street outside his home on 18 Decem- the National Autonomous University to the Center for Women’s Rights in that sought to investigate him on sus- DPA Bogota Venezuela’s AVN state news agency ber 2018. in Honduras, more than 70 migrants Tegucigalpa, remains largely unre- picion of campaign fi nance violations. and prepared for the Rosa Luxemburg Despite a recent drop in homicide have been murdered upon returning ported due to structural machismo. Marchers chanted and waved ban- Conference in Berlin which began rates in Honduras and neighbouring to the country in recent years. Ayestas and others argue that until ners reading “We reject the govern- n ex-leader of Colombia’s Saturday. countries, Espinal’s murder is a sharp “In a country as violent as Hondu- Hondurans feel secure in their homes ment of the corrupt” and “We are former guerilla movement “We agreed to lay down our weap- reminder that for many people in the ras, many of the people who are forced and neighbourhoods, they will con- tinue to migrate. against impunity” amid rising interna- AFarc has used a rare appear- ons before securing an agreement on region, the decision to migrate is one to migrate do so out of fear of violence ance to sharply criticise the 2016 the political, economic and social in- of life or death. – so when they are deported it’s essen- “Here in this country they just kill,” tional concern. peace process which saw the rebels tegration of the fi ghters,” he added. A ruling last June by the then-US tially a death sentence,” said Joaquin said Matamoros. “They don’t care Morales notifi ed the United Nations demobilise in exchange for seats in Colombia’s 52-year armed con- attorney general Jeff Sessions made it Mejia, a human rights lawyer, who about the family’s pain.” last week that the International Com- the country’s Congress. fl ict involved Farc and smaller left- all but impossible for victims of gang added that the responsibility lay with That pain was clear in the face of mission Against Impunity in Guate- Luciano Marin, alias Ivan Marquez, ist groups, the army and right-wing violence like Espinal to obtain asylum. the Honduran government for its fail- Espinal’s son Yojan, who sat in the mala (CICIG) would close early. said Saturday in a YouTube video paramilitary groups. And as a new migrant caravan pre- ure to guarantee the security of its citi- family home, staring blankly and But last Wednesday, the country’s that 400 community leaders and 85 The peace deal with Farc led to pares to set off from Honduras to- zens and the US government for not clutching a toy car; Nelson bought it as Christmas gift, but didn’t survive highest court stopped the ruling. The former fi ghters have been killed since the demobilization of about 7,000 of morrow, more will probably suff er the fulfi lling its human rights obligations. Farc signed the deal with Colombia’s its fi ghters. Some 1,200 dissidents same fate. Due to the government shutdown, long enough to give to him. Constitutional Court ordered govern- government in 2016. from the group, as well as the smaller Espinal lived with his parents, four the Guardian was unable to reach US According to his family, Yojan has ment authorities to tell staff and civil “Only two years later, the results rebel force National Liberation Army sisters and son in a rough shack in the Customs and Border Protection for already started talking about leaving servants to co-operate with the UN in terms of implementation by the (ELN) and criminal groups still re- Jose Angel Ulloa neighbourhood. comment. home and heading north to escape. mission. government are devastating,” Mar- main active in the countryside. High in the mountains that cup the Homicide rates in Honduras peaked Guardian News and Media

Venezuela claims win in diplomatic dispute, ignores criticism of Maduro

Reuters that signed the statement had since urday, US Secretary of State Mike Caracas clarifi ed their position on the Guy- Pompeo described Maduro’s gov- ana dispute. ernment as illegitimate and said “We believe that regional diplo- the United States would work enezuela’s government macy has convinced these coun- with like-minded nations in Latin claimed victory on Saturday tries” to reconsider the border is- America to restore democracy in Vin a diplomatic quarrel with sue, Arreaza said. “Diplomacy has Venezuela. Latin American countries over a ensured the rule of law.” Arreaza responded on Twitter border dispute with Guyana, while He said he hoped that the other by accusing Pompeo of “openly ignoring an avalanche of criticism two countries — Paraguay and promoting a coup in Venezuela by over President Nicolas Maduro’s Canada — would follow the exam- encouraging the disavowal of the second term in offi ce. ple of the bloc’s other members. constitution and the will of the Maduro had warned members of Paraguay cut diplomatic ties people.” the so-called Lima Group of “dip- with Venezuela on Thursday. The head of the country’s oppo- lomatic measures” after they said Arreaza did not address the sition-run Congress, Juan Guaido, on January 4 that they would not Group’s broader point about the said on Friday that he was prepared recognise his second term because legitimacy of Maduro, who was to assume the presidency on an in- Venezuela’s 2018 election was not sworn in on Thursday, except to terim basis and call elections, be- free or fair. denounce the bloc’s January 4 cause Maduro had been declared The statement, signed by na- statement as “vulgar” interference illegitimate. tions including Brazil, Argentina in Venezuelan internal aff airs. Congress has been stripped of and Colombia, also expressed con- The Opec nation’s 2018 vote was powers by the Supreme Court and cern that Venezuela had violated widely boycotted by the opposition a pro-Maduro legislature known as Guyana’s sovereignty by stopping a and condemned as rigged by gov- the Constituent Assembly, and the ship doing off shore oil exploration ernments around the world. impact of Guaido’s remarks was on behalf of Exxon Mobil Corpora- Maduro insists it was fair and not immediately clear. tion. that opposition leaders did not take Brazil’s government said on Sat- Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza part because they knew they would urday that it recognised the oppo- A Venezuelan living in Argentina holds a sign reading ‘Nicolas you are not president, you are a genocidal killer’ during a protest against said at a news conference on Sat- lose. sition lawmaker as the legitimate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, at Vaticano Square in Buenos Aires. urday that 10 of the 12 governments Speaking in Abu Dhabi on Sat- president of Venezuela. Gulf Times 16 Monday, January 14, 2019 PAKISTAN Apex court judge says Nisar’s action is ‘unwarranted’

Internews justice earlier comprised Justices “I agree with my learned pendence of judiciary. “Any eff ort to muffl e disagree- Hon’ble Chief Justice to pass an constituted, the cause list issued, Islamabad Isa and Mansoor Ali Shah. brother Qazi Faez Isa, J that the He said that the construction ment or to silence dissent or to appropriate order in response to and the bench starts hearing the However, during the hearing, reconstitution of the bench by of a judicial system is pillared on dampen an alternative viewpoint the order of my learned brother cases, the matter regarding the Nisar announced the reconsti- the Hon’ble Chief Justice in the the assumption that every judge, of a member on the bench would Qazi Faez Isa”. constitution of the bench goes fter Justice Qazi Faez Isa, tution of the bench by excluding present case is unwarranted and besides being fair and impartial, shake the foundations of a free The judge believes that a outside the pale of administrative another Supreme Court Isa. unprecedented and undermines is fi ercely independent and is free and impartial justice system, bench, once it is constituted and powers of the chief justice and Ajudge has called into ques- Later, Isa issued a three-page the integrity of the system,” he to uphold his judicial view. thereby eroding the public confi - is seized of a matter on the judi- rests on the judicial side, with the tion the May 2018 reconstitution note, raising serious questions wrote in a six-page note. This judicial freedom is foun- dence on which the entire edifi ce cial side, cannot be reconstituted bench. of an apex court bench by Chief over reconstitution of the bench. Shah says that in the absence dational to the concept of the of judicature stands,” Shah says. by the chief justice in exercise of “Any member of the bench Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib After the passage of seven of a recusal by a member of the rule of law. The judge admits that his sit- his administrative powers unless may, however, recuse to hear a Nisar, calling the decision “un- months, Justice Shah has also bench, any amount of disagree- “Reconstitution of a bench ting on the reconstituted two- a member(s) of the bench recuses case for personal reasons or may warranted and unprecedented”. endorsed Isa’s objections. ment amongst the members of while hearing a case, in the ab- member bench was a mistake or for reasons discussed above. not be available to sit on the The chief justice had recon- “The reconstitution of the the bench on an issue before sence of any recusal from any and having realised that after Shah says that the Supreme bench due to prior commitments stituted a bench, hearing various two-member bench and the pro- them, cannot form a valid ground member on the bench or due examining the legal position, he Court 1980 Rules provides for or due to illness. public interest cases at the Su- ceedings before the said bench for reconstitution of the bench, to any other reason described did not sign the orders passed by administrative powers of the “The bench may also be recon- preme Court Peshawar Registry, on 9th May, 2018 in all the cases adding that any reconstitution above, would amount to stifl ing the reconstituted two-member chief justice to constitute bench- stituted if it is against the rules on May 9, 2018. fi xed before it are void and non- on this ground would impinge on the independent view of the bench “and as a junior mem- es. and requires a three-member The bench headed by the chief est. the constitutional value of inde- judge. ber of the bench, awaited for the However, once the bench is bench instead of two,” he says.

Mentally ill man’s Govt mulls ordinances execution suspended

DPA/AFP amid political gridlock Islamabad/Geneva Internews the opposition parties. of legislation would stand an- Former Speaker and senior same force and eff ect as an act of may be made only once. Islamabad He said that the opposition nulled much before expiry of its Pakistan Muslim League – Na- parliament and will be subject to All other ordinances will be he Supreme Court has wants to make the National Ac- 120-day life. waz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq like restrictions as the power of laid before both Houses if they suspended orders for the countability Ordinance (NAO) In view of this scenario, there has pointed out that unless the parliament to make law. do not contain provisions deal- Texecution of a mentally n the absence of any agree- weak, and claimed that the op- seems to be no point in promul- opposition parties have before Every such ordinance will be ing with any of the matters re- ill prisoner on death row since ment with the opposition position was not putting obsta- gating an ordinance that may be them the set of proposed leg- laid before the National Assem- ferred to article 73 (2), and will 2003. Iparties on lawmaking, the cles in essential lawmaking. killed by the Senate by a disap- islation that the government bly if it contains provisions deal- stand repealed at the expiration “Taking notice of the issue, government is considering do- An ordinance can be promul- proving resolution shortly after wants to introduce, they cannot ing with all or any of the [fi nan- of 120 days from its promulga- the chief justice suspended the ing legislation through ordi- gated only in the case of an ordi- its issuance. respond. cial and fi scal] matters specifi ed tion or, if before the expiration sentence of the prisoner till fur- nances. nary law, and cannot be issued to Such legislation will turn out “The government should in Article 73 (2) and will stand of that period a resolution dis- ther orders and fi xed the matter “We are mulling over intro- amend the Constitution. to be inconsequential for having come out with all the laws that it repealed at the expiration of 120 approving it is passed by either for hearing on January 14 (to- ducing some public interest laws Legal experts are of the opin- a brief life of just a few days as it plans to pass by the parliament. days from its promulgation or, if House, upon the passing of that day),” said a statement issued by through ordinances because the ion, however, that the lack of would not be possible to achieve It has to accommodate the op- before the expiration of that pe- resolution. the Supreme Court late on Sat- opposition is not co-operating,” requisite numerical strength of its intended objective. position when it is faced with riod a resolution disapproving it Either House may by a resolu- urday. an informed source said. the ruling coalition in the Senate Sajjad said that the Supreme no-majority in one parliamen- is passed by the Assembly, upon tion extend it for a further pe- Khizar Hayat, a former police He admitted that during talks will hinder the government to Court in its diff erent judgments tary chamber and its numerical the passing of that resolution. riod of 120 days and it will stand offi cer, was sentenced to death in with the opposition parties, keep an ordinance alive even for has rejected the practice of do- superiority in the other House is The National Assembly may repealed at the expiration of the 2003 over the shooting of a fel- there has been no breakthrough a couple of weeks. ing “legislation by the Execu- hanging by a thread.” by a resolution extend the ordi- extended period, or if before the low police offi cer. to get certain proposed laws of Prominent lawyer and former tive” when lawmaking is the do- Under article 89, the president nance for a further period of 120 expiration of that period a reso- He was scheduled to be ex- urgent nature unanimously ap- Senate chairman Wasim Sajjad main of the parliament. may, except when the Senate or days and it will stand repealed at lution disapproving it is passed ecuted on January 15. proved by the parliament. “We said that if an ordinance that He said that in one of its rul- National Assembly is in session, the expiration of the extended by a House, upon the passing of He was fi rst diagnosed as a are left with no option but to re- the opposition parties would not ings, the apex court has held that if satisfi ed that circumstances period or if before the expiration that resolution. schizophrenic in 2008 by prison sort to ordinances.” sanction is promulgated, they issuance of a presidential ordi- exist which render it necessary of that period a resolution dis- The article also says that ex- medical authorities. Federal Law Minister Dr Fa- would pass a resolution in the nance is an “abuse of the Con- to take immediate action, make approving it is passed by the as- tension for a further period may In 2010, the prison medical rough Nasim has been quoted as upper house of parliament dis- stitution” because it does not and promulgate an ordinance as sembly, upon the passing of that be made only once; and may be offi cer recommended that Hayat saying that the promulgation of approving it. involve the legislature, which is the situation may require. resolution. withdrawn at any time by the needed specialised treatment ordinances will put pressure on As this will be done, the piece assigned this job. Such ordinance will have the Extension for further period president. and should be shifted to the psychiatric facility, which never happened. A Supreme Court bench will All in a day’s work hear the appeal for suspension of death sentence fi led by Hayat’s South Snowfall strands mother, said Shahid Kambohyo, a spokesman for the country’s top court. Punjab to tourists, closes roads Pakistan is signatory of The Convention on the Rights of Per- sons with Disabilities (CPRD), be created in Galiyat region an international convention that guarantees the dignity of indi- viduals with disabilities. this year: Internews He said that according to the Pakistan lifted a six-year un- Islamabad latest updates, Murree Road is offi cial moratorium on the death closed from Bara Gali onward, penalty after Islamist militants Qureshi while the road to Ayubia is killed more than 150 people, cores of tourists are closed from Changla Gali and mostly children, at a school in stranded as roads in Gal- Tauheed Abad, Bakot to Nathi- the northwestern city of Pesha- Internews Siyat region in northwest agali road is also closed while war in December 2014. Multan of Pakistan are closed due to Abbottabad to Thandiyani road Meanwhile, UN experts have snow fall while temperature is is also closed from Kala Pani urged Pakistan not to carry out below freezing point in Abbot- onward. the execution. oreign Minister Shah Meh- tabad district. Routine life came to a freez- “The imposition of capi- mood Qureshi has said that Between 9” to 1’ of snow has ing halt as rain in Balakot and tal punishment on individuals Fa separate South Punjab been recorded in Thandiyani, snowfall in Kaghan Valley con- with psychosocial disabilities province along with its secretar- Ayubia, Changla Gali, Donga tinued for the consecutive day. is a clear violation of Pakistan’s iat will be established this year. Gali, Bara Gali and other hilly The current snow spell has international obligations,” said Speaking to the media in Mul- areas of Abbottabad. broken 15 years reacord for Ka- Agnes Callamard, UN expert tan, Qureshi said that a separate “We are waiting for a pause ghan Valley for the month of on extrajudicial executions and Public Service Commission will in the snowfall to deploy ma- January. Catalina Devandas, the special also be established for the pro- chinery for clearing the roads,” The valley, among the most rapporteur on disabled rights, in posed province. said Galiyats Development Au- visited tourist spots of Paki- Geneva. “We have sought support thority (GDA) spokesman Ah- stan, has received up to four Justice Project Pakistan, an from the opposition for the crea- san Hameed. feet of snow in January, a NGO handling Hayat’s case, has tion of Southern Punjab prov- He said that the GDA en- record for the past 15 years. welcomed the “timely interven- ince,” he said. gineering wing staff has been Areas including Shogran, tion by the highest seat of justice The foreign minister added called in, and are waiting for Bhonja, Mahandri, Kaghan and in the land to prevent a wrongful that the Pakistan Tehreek-e- an interval in the snow and rain Naran are covered in a white execution”. Insaf (PTI) government believes spell to start work. blanket. Hayat, 60, who has spent in the rule of law. The local authorities have In some places, there was up more than 15 years in custody, Regarding National Account- issued road advisory for the to 2’ of snowfall. has been kept in solitary con- ability Bureau (NAB)’s recent tourists, advising them to con- The link roads were blocked fi nement since 2012, the UN crackdown against politicians, tact the GDA Facilitation Cen- with snow and people were experts said, urging the govern- Qureshi said that all of the ac- tre in case of any emergency or stranded in their homes. ment to halt the execution and countability watchdogs’ cases for information on road situa- Travelling on Shahrah-e- questioning the veracity of his were fi led during the tenure of tion. Kaghan has become hazardous conviction. previous governments. Hameed said the tourists due to extremely slippery con- “During his trial, no evi- He continued that politics of have been asked not to travel ditions. dence or witnesses were called confrontation is not the govern- at night. Owing to continued snow- in his defence and no questions ment’s policy, and that they are They have also been warned fall, temperatures in Naran were asked regarding his men- just implementing the decisions against taking selfi es on roads have dropped to -6° Celsius, tal health, although he was later of courts. due to slippery and uneven Kaghan -4°C, and Shogran diagnosed with a mental health “Prime Minister Imran Khan conditions. -1°C. condition and has been receiving believes in the supremacy of law A vendor holds turtles for sale at a bird and animal bazaar in Karachi yesterday. treatment for the past 10 years,” and he even appeared in the un- they said. justifi ed helicopter case.” Pakistan’s new ambassador to US Responding to a question re- garding the economy, Qureshi presents credentials to Trump said that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China are co-operating with Pakistan’s new ambassador to the US, Dr Asad Majeed Khan, on Pakistan for the revival of the Friday presented his credentials to President Donald Trump at a KP police unit conducted 68 successful ops economy due to the sincere ef- ceremony held at the White House. forts and eff ective foreign policy. While presenting his credentials, the ambassador “expressed his He further said a delegation determination to work hard towards fostering strong bilateral ties Internews terrorists, making use of sniff er other units of the KP police, the carried out throughout the of Malaysian investors, includ- between Pakistan and the United States”, said an embassy off icial. Peshawar dogs in the missions, leading to K-9 unit has also been further province on daily basis. ing Prime Minister Mahathir He also highlighted the need to enhance “people to people contacts huge quantities of arms, ammu- strengthened in the ongoing war The unit’s sniff er dogs have Mohamed, will visit Pakistan on and trade and investment links”, the off icial added. nition, and explosives seized. against terrorists. taken part in 68 operations con- January 23. An embassy statement said the ambassador conveyed the hyber Pakhtunkhwa As the per directives of the A spokesperson for the K-9 ducted against the anti-state el- Prime Minister Khan will visit greetings of Pakistan’s leadership to the US president, who province police K-9 Unit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspec- unit has said that the 62 sniff er ements since its establishment Qatar on January 22 to further “reciprocated with similar positive sentiments for Prime Minister Khas so far conducted 68 tor General of Police (IGP) dogs were regularly taking part in 2008 when terrorism was at solidify bilateral relations. Imran Khan”. successful operations against Salahuddin Khan Mehsud, like in search and strike operations its peak. Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 17 PHILIPPINES

MILF to withdraw Senators seek probe into warriors under passport data breach new law By Bernadette E Tamayo should immediately be con- criminal charges against the passport mess started dur- By Masiding Noor Yahya Manila Times ducted and those responsible foreign company that ran off ing the term of President Glo- Manila Times/Iligan City must be made to face and suf- with personal data of passport ria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), fer the consequences,” Lacson holders. now speaker of the House, and our senators have joined said. “This is horrible and fright- worsened during the Aquino 3rd he Moro Islamic Libe- a call for an investigation “Those databases in the ening. This means that the con- (PNoy) Administration. ration Front (MILF) will Finto the reported breach of hands of private contractors tractor tasked to make the pass- “The problem started under Tstart decommissioning the passport data at the Department will defi nitely compromise vital port left with the whole data GMA’s DFA and got worse under 40,000 combatants of its Bang- of Foreign Aff airs (DFA). information of individuals who system and it has access to all of PNoy’s DFA,” he tweeted. samoro Islamic Armed Forces Opposition Senator Risa have dealt with those agencies, our information,” she said in her “It will be solved by President (BIAFF) once the Bangsamoro Hontiveros on Saturday called and the number runs into mil- weekly radio show. Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s (PRRD) Organic Law (BOL) is ratifi ed. for an inquiry, after Foreign Af- lions of people,” added Lacson, “A case should be fi led DFA under Locsin. The yel- Republic Act 11054, known as fairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr chairman of the Senate Com- against the fi rm because they low crowd who perpetrated the the BOL, created the Bangsamoro admitted on his Twitter account mittee on Public Order. do not own that data,” Robredo passport fraud are in a panic Autonomous Region in Muslim that a privately contracted fi rm Hontiveros on Saturday said added. because we are gonna autopsy Mindanao (BARMM) to replace took the entire physical data- the data breach “indicates a se- Defence Secretary Delfi n their crooked deal. Period.” the present Autonomous Region base of all the country’s pass- rious national security risk, and Lorenzana yesterday said the His tweet did not sit well with in Muslim Mindanao, which is port holders, after its contract is evidence of the Duterte gov- passport data breach could be some netizens. subject for approval in the plebi- was not renewed. ernment’s gross incompetence considered a “very grave secu- “There you go again blam- scites on January 21 and Febru- Senate Minority Leader Fran- in protecting the people’s pri- rity concern,” while National ing others except the current ary 6. Jannati Mimbantas, MILF klin Drilon and Senators Paolo vate data.” Security Adviser Hermogenes administration,” tweeted @ Northeastern Mindanao Front Benigno “Bam” Aquino, Aqui- “Exactly what data were Esperon Jr downplayed the BebieShan.“You’ve been in for commander, told Manila Times lino Pimentel and Panfi lo Lac- lost? When, how and under issue.“If true, then it is a very almost three years. that the negotiating peace panels son yesterday cited the national whose watch did this happen? grave security concern and quite You had all the chances to im- of the government and the MILF security implications of the re- Who exactly is the responsible alarming,” Lorenzana told re- prove it.” created an international decom- ported breach. fi rm? And why aren’t they be- porters. Locsin served as the Philip- missioning body (IDB) that will Locsin’s admission was ing sued for running away with Lorenzana noted that the pines’ permanent representa- be observed by an independent prompted by a complaint from such vital information?” she primary information of pass- tive to the United Nations before international monitoring team. another Twitter user over DFA’s Paolo Benigno Aquino: concern over national security asked. port holders, including the full being named as secretary of for- He said Turkey would lead the requirement for applicants to “The public needs to be re- name, date and place of birth, eign aff airs, replacing Alan Peter seven-member IDB with Brunei submit anew birth or marriage edly decided to tap another fi rm agencies have entered into such assured that the data will be and other information “could be Cayetano. and Norway as members on the certifi cates to renew their pass- to print the passports. a contract which is disadvanta- retrieved completely and with used illegally.” “I have my passport since international side, General Rey- ports. “Why was it that APO was geous to the government and the the highest sense of urgency and “We will get in touch with the time immemorial…under PNoy naldo Abu and Dr Mario Abuja The National Privacy Com- able to subcontract? It was re- people,” he added. priority,” Hontiveros said. DFA to fi nd out the details of term I had renewed twice (2010 for the government, and Jannati mission has announced that it ported that there is a prohibi- Pimentel added, “Why is it Senator Gregorio Honasan, this issue and how to mitigate and 2015) less than an hour I and Jack Abbas for the MILF. would conduct its own inves- tion in the MoA (memorandum that the DFA does not have a an administration ally, said: its ill eff ect,” the defence chief was fi nished then I had them He said decommissioning tigation and summon DFA offi - of agreement) to sub-contract,” copy of the data (of the passport “Everything from hereon is a noted. delivered to my offi ce three would be done in three stages. cials, other concerned agencies, Drilon said. holders). What are the terms of function of proactive internal Esperon said there had been days after with no hassle,” The fi rst, will be carried out im- as well as the passport contrac- Aquino, in a chance inter- the contract with the passport administration control and se- no indications of Philippine tweeted Alecks Puerta yester- mediately after the BOL is ratifi ed tor. Drilon said the Department view at the Quezon City Circle, provider?” curity measures, legal action.” passport data being dissemi- day. “Don’t keep accusing and with 30% of the MILF combatants of Justice, Commission on Au- said: “I hope the DFA can take Lacson said it was diffi cult to “I agree with the SFA (Secre- nated on the Internet. just solve the issue, don’t just including their assorted arms and dit, and the National Privacy the lead in cleaning their ranks. understand why government tary of Foreign Aff airs Teodoro “Don’t speculate yet because say #idontknow).” weapons being decommissioned. Commission must conduct the The Senate can also investigate agencies like the Land Trans- Locsin Jr) that the immediate there has been no known leak of “Last time I checked, it’s The second, will be done after investigation. that.”“It might lead to a lot of portation Offi ce and the DFA objective is to prevent it from data (yet),” he told reporters in a 2019. This admin has been in the formation of the Bangsam- “It should be investigated. bad things,” he said. would enter into contracts with happening again,” said Hona- separate message. ace for almost three years now, oro Police under the supervi- There is a basis for investiga- Pimentel said in a text mes- private entities “without mak- san, chairman of the Senate Some Twitter users hit Locsin tweeted @allanray. If this ad- sion of the Philippine National tion,” said Drilon in a radio in- sage.: “The DFA must explain. ing sure that the terms and con- Committee on Defence and Na- for blaming “the yellow crowd” min haven’t fi xed what crook- Police.The third will take place terview. Why did it happen? I am fi ling a ditions will protect the national tional Security. for the issues surrounding the edness existed in the fi rst two when both parties have signed Drilon noted that state- resolution to fi nd out more.” security interest of our country Vice President Maria Leonor loss of passport data. years when they arrived, you re- an exit document attesting that owned APO Production Unit Inc “We need to know what other and its people.” “Leni” Robredo yesterday ech- In a tweet on Saturday ally expect us to play the blame their agreements have been im- held the contract, but suppos- data-gathering government “An in-depth investigation oed the call of lawmakers to fi le morning, Locsin said that the game by this point?” plemented. Bataan sees decline in water bird count Duterte dismisses Bacolod By Ernie B Esconde Lu. He cited the reasons for the ests and refrain from indiscrimi- Manila Times/Balanga City, Bataan decline in the water bird popu- nately carrying out reclamation lation to the deep water in fi sh- projects,” he recommended. ponds and the erosion of the Counted during the census police chief over drug links he Department of Envi- mountain that resulted in fl ash were 36 species of 13 resident birds ronment and Natural Re- fl oods. “The fi shponds are full of and 23 migratory ones. Whiskered Tsources (DENR) and the water so the birds cannot land. terns registered the most number By Ralph Villanueva stern consequences. He also Wild Bird Club of the Philippines The timing of fi sh farming also at more than 2,000.A Far Eastern Manila Times threatened to kill police offi cers (WBCP) found during a census changed,” Lu said. Curlew, which is seldom reported who are involved in the illegal on Saturday, that the number of He added that more gravely in birdwatching sites in the Phil- drug trade. water birds in several areas here aff ected by the deep water in ippines, was sighted for the fi rst resident Rodrigo Duterte The president’s promise of has declined. fi shponds were the small birds, time in Balanga. has fi red the chief of po- eradicating the proliferation Mike Lu, WBCP team leader, which may have consequently The number of Pond Heron, Plice of Bacolod City, Ne- of illegal drugs in the country said that during the census, only transferred to other places out- one was seen for the fi rst time last gros Occidental, and four other virtually slung him to the presi- 9,544 birds were seen compared side of the counting area. year, increased to seven. police offi cers for allegedly pro- dency. to the 13,065 last year, in four Lu said they also noticed cut Meanwhile, Mila Ramirez, tecting drug syndicates in the This led to the bloody “Oplan birdwatching sites in the baran- logs apparently carried by water DENR provincial wild life offi cer, city. Tokhang,” a programme that gay (village) of Tortugas, Lote, from the mountains down to the said more attention should be Duterte, during the birthday earned the ire of human rights Sibakan and Puerto Rivas Ibaba. river and the sea that aff ected mud given to information dissemina- celebration of Leo Rey Yanson, advocates here and abroad. “I think this is the lowest fl ats. tion and protection of the birds’ chief executive offi cer of Val- Police involvement in the count in the last fi ve years,” said “Let us take care of the for- habitat. lacar Transit, at the L’Fisher Duterte administration’s drug Hotel in Bacolod City on Sat- war has been as controversial as urday night, asked for Chief of the war itself. Police Francis Ebreo in the mid- Earlier, the PNP headed the Foreign department to repatriate Filipino killed in Saudi dle of his speech. Rodrigo Duterte: war on drugs drug crackdown. The PNP was The president then asked pulled out in October 2017 The Department of Foreign Aff airs (DFA) is working Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Adnan Alonto said the Ebreo to stand up if he was there Shortly after, Duterte also thing to do with the interest of over the drug-related deaths of on the repatriation of the remains of a Filipino suspect is in serious but stable condition at the Na- and announced the fi ring. fi red Senior Supt. Allan Rubi the city…you are protecting, or teenagers Kian de los Santos, worker killed by another Filipino early this week in tional Guard Hospital in Riyadh where he is being “I’d like to know if the chief Macapagal, Supt. Richie Maki- you are in cahoots with the drug Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Rey- Saudi Arabia, Manila Times reported. treated for injuries he sustained after jumping from of police is here.If you are here, lan Yatar, Supt. Nasruddin syndicate in the city,” Duterte naldo de Guzman. The DFA on Friday said it was awaiting the approval the third floor of the apartment building he and the kindly stand up because you are Daud Tayuan and Senior Insp. said. Late last year, the three oper- of authorities in Saudi Arabia for the repatriation victim stayed. fi red as of this moment,” Du- Victor Paulino. The Philippine National Po- atives who killed De los Santos of the remains of the unidentified victim from Alonto urged members of the Filipino community terte said. “You are out,” he said. lice (PNP) named Senior Supt. were convicted of murder and Pampanga. in Saudi Arabia to refrain from passing on specula- “In your involvement in A press statement issued Henry Binas as offi cer in charge each sentenced to life impris- The Philippine embassy in Riyadh said authorities tive and unverified information about the incident. drugs and making the people of yesterday by Malacanang said of the Bacolod City Police. onment. were expected to issue the approval upon the The DFA on Wednesday said the unidentified Bacolod miserable, I am reliev- the president ordered the police Numerous times in the past, The PNP was reinstated in conclusion of its investigation of the incident. suspect stabbed the victim to death last Monday ing and dismissing you from offi cers to report to the Offi ce of Duterte had warned police of- the anti-drug campaign on Jan- The autopsy report was to be released on Friday for unknown reasons. There are over 1mn Filipino the service as of now, Senior the President today afternoon. fi cers and government offi cials uary 29 this year as a support (Saturday in Manila). workers in Saudi Arabia. Superintendent Francis Ebreo,” “But, these persons that I linked to illegal drugs, telling arm for the Philippine Drug En- he added. have mentioned have some- them to drop the act or face forcement Agency. Firms without waste treatment plants near Manila Bay face scrutiny

Manila Times concessionaires, Manila Water allow. If they discharge waste- water used to clean some 640 Manila Company Inc and Maynilad water that violates standard, animals fl ow to the creek. Water Services Inc, requiring that is the time that they will Garcia said the city govern- all enterprises in Western and be penalised,” he said. ment of Manila has promised eventeen out of the 30 es- Eastern Metro Manila to put up He said that they expect to to help them construct an STP. tablishments near Manila a wastewater treatment facility. fi nish their verifi cation “before Environment Secretary Roy SBay don’t have sewage This move is part of the Tuesday next week.” Cimati has expressed the need treatment plants (STPs), ac- preparations for the massive The Manila Zoo manage- to clean polluted waterways cording to the Laguna Lake De- clean up of Manila Bay. ment confi rmed that it does connected to the bay, such velopment Authority (LLDA). LLDA General Manager not have a sewage treatment as the Estero de San Antonio The LLDA, one of the agen- Jaime Medina said those with- plant. Abad, which has the highest cies tasked to rehabilitate out sewage systems would “We are not the sole con- level of coliform or the harmful Manila Bay, said it was inves- undergo a separate inspection tributors of the pollution in bacteria found in human and tigating 204 establishments before the agency decides if it Estero de San Antonio Abad animal feces, with 1.3bn per and 38 hotels surrounding the would issue a notice of viola- but we recognise that we need 1000 millilitres. bay to check their compli- tion, order them closed or fi le to fi x our drainage system,” Jas Cimatu said his department ance with the 1997 conces- charges against them. Garcia, offi cer in charge of the would meet representatives of sion agreement signed by the “We still have to check if they zoo’s public operations bureau, agencies and stakeholders in- Metropolitan Waterworks and have septic tank with zero dis- said. volved in the restoration of the Sewerage System and the two charge of wastewater, which we Garcia claimed that only the bay. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu inspects areas near Manila Bay. Gulf Times 18 Monday, January 14, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES US has security crisis, but it’s not on the border For all his talk about a supposed national security crisis on the border with Mexico, President Donald Trump is ignoring the potential crisis the federal shutdown is creating elsewhere in the country. Trump has essentially taken nine federal departments and dozens of federal agencies hostage in an eff ort to coerce Congress into spending $5.7bn on the bigger, longer border wall he promised on the campaign trail to build (supposedly at Mexico’s expense, but now on the US taxpayers’ tab). Vital government services and responsibilities are being sacrifi ced in the political standoff , and there’s no end in sight. Shelter from the storm in 2019 In some cases, the shutdown is making communities less safe. By Barry Eichengreen managing a corporate-debt load if US President Donald Trump ends his a serious threat to stability, then surely The western United States has experienced a series Brussels of 160% of GDP requires not just trade war, the growth outlook in the US a scathing indictment by Mueller of catastrophic fi res in recent years, yet much of the selectively restructuring bad loans, and China will brighten. Robust growth and his team, leading the House of prevention work needed to reduce the risk is on hold during but also increasing the denominator there would create a more favorable Representatives to draft articles of hat would have to happen of the debt-to-GDP ratio. With external environment for Europe, impeachment, is the most direct route the shutdown. Firefi ghter hiring and training is frozen, as for this to be a tranquil infrastructure investment weak and brightening its own economic outlook to removing this danger. are contracts for equipment and aircraft. The US Forest year economically, manufacturing production declining, and bolstering the electoral prospects of But if the Mueller report implicates Service has suspended controlled burns of dead timber and Wfi nancially, and China is increasingly unlikely to mainstream parties and politicians. Trump’s children – Donald Trump, dry brush, steps that are designed to reduce the fuel and politically? Answer: a short list of achieve the authorities’ 2019 target of Conversely, a poor outcome on Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump intensity of future wildfi res. This is all essential work that threats to stability would have to be at least 6% growth. In that case, slow one front will dim the prospects on and her husband, Jared Kushner – or averted. growth and mounting debt problems others. Disappointing growth in the the president himself, Trump will can be done only during the increasingly short off -season, First, the trade war between the will feed on one another, dragging US, for example, would cause Trump lash out, as he does whenever he feels and stopping those eff orts leaves both firefi ghting agencies United States and China would have down economic performance in China to seek a scapegoat. If not Fed Chair the need to defend himself. The likely and wildland communities less prepared. to be placed on hold. In November and and much of the emerging-market Jerome Powell and his colleagues, targets include not just Mueller and the There are similar problems across federal agencies, as the December, fi nancial markets reacted world. that someone will likely be Chinese Democratic majority in the US House lengthy shutdown exacerbates existing challenges. There’s positively to each hint of a negotiated Fourth, voters in the European President Xi Jinping. In that case, the of Representatives, but also the Fed, already a shortage of air traffi c controllers across the aviation settlement and negatively to each Parliament election in May will have trade war will be back on, and growth China, Mexico, and the countries of mention of renewed hostilities – and to prevent the victory of a right-wing and financial stability in China would Central America and Europe, as Trump system, and the shutdown has suspended training of new for good reason: tariff s that disrupt nationalist majority hostile to European suffer accordingly. This combination lays down an economic smokescreen ones. Controllers currently on the job are required to work trade fl ows and supply chains do global integration. Europe needs to move of US and Chinese economic woes to cover his political misdeeds. This without pay, adding another growth no good. And, as we know, what forward in order to avoid falling back; would then drag down growth in will roil fi nancial markets and depress anxiety to an already happens in fi nancial markets doesn’t the existence of the euro leaves it no other parts of the world, fanning investor confi dence. And there will be It’s a crisis of stressful job of managing stay in fi nancial markets: outcomes choice. For now, moving forward means the populist backlash against the no obvious end to the disruption, given the nation’s airspace. there powerfully aff ect consumer creating a common deposit insurance political establishment in Europe and the low likelihood that the Republican- confi dence in confi dence and business sentiment. scheme for its banks, introducing elsewhere. controlled Senate will vote to convict National parks are being Second, the US economy will have at least a modest euro-area budget, Similarly, if the negative shock is Trump. the presidency trashed and trampled by to grow by at least 2%, the consensus and augmenting the resources of its slower growth in China, the authorities Rather than pursuing impeachment, visitors while park service forecast incorporated into investor rescue fund, the European Stability in Beijing will almost certainly respond the Democrats should focus on how of the United employees are furloughed. expectations. If growth comes in Mechanism. But if the common by depreciating the renminbi. This, too, to beat Trump in the next presidential Security lines at airports signifi cantly lower – whether because currency’s travails during the past would incite further trade confl ict, with election. That means crafting an agenda States are getting longer as the sugar high from the December 2017 decade have taught us one thing, it is negative repercussions all around. and agreeing on a candidate. In the tax cuts wears off , the Federal Reserve that such measures cannot be force-fed A fi nal prerequisite for a tranquil meantime, we can only cross our fi ngers Transportation Security chokes off the expansion, or for some to the European public by the elites. year is a limited outcome for US and hope for the best. November 2020 is Administration workers, who are required to work without pay, other reason – fi nancial markets will Durable integration requires grassroots Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s still a long way off . – Project Syndicate have begun calling in sick in large numbers. And some low- move sharply downward, with negative support. And that support must be investigation into misdeeds by Russia’s income renters who rely on federal housing could face eviction implications for confi dence and evident at the polls. government and the Trump family zBarry Eichengreen is a professor at the after rental assistance contracts expired on January 1, because stability. All of these happy outcomes are of circle. This conclusion might seem University of California, Berkeley. His Third, China will have to avoid course far from assured. But if some odd. If the US president’s erratic latest book is The Populist Temptation: the Department of Housing and Urban Development can’t a significant intensification of its of them materialise, they will increase personality, disruptive tweets, and Economic Grievance and Political renew them until the government reopens. financial problems. Successfully the likelihood of others. For example, counterproductive policies pose such Reaction in the Modern Era. These are basic functions of government – protecting residents and public assets. They should not be chips in a high-stakes political poker game. There will surely be personal crises when more than 800,000 federal workers at shuttered agencies do not get paid. That includes the workers who have been idled by furloughs and “essential” employees who have been required even though there’s no money to pay them. Also losing out are a slew of contractors that provide goods and services to federal agencies and the agencies’ customers. Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and federal workers are no exception. One missed paycheck – forgoing wages for half the month – can be devastating for families in fi nancially precarious positions. How are these people supposed to pay the rent, their utility bills or their car payments? Even those who do have a fi nancial cushion could be in for trouble, especially if the shutdown drags on for months or years, as Trump has warned could happen if Democrats do not agree to his demands to fund a bigger border wall. All this for a wall that is rich in exclusionary symbolism but unlikely to have much eff ect on the problems Trump says he’s trying to solve, such as human traffi cking and drug smuggling. There is most certainly a crisis underway. It’s a crisis of confi dence in the presidency of the United States.

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© 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved A prerequisite for a tranquil year is a limited outcome for US Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into misdeeds by Russia’s government and the Trump family circle. Gulf Times Monday, January 14, 2019 19 COMMENT To accept an OBE is to condone empire’s brutality

By Priyamvada Gopal comforting thought runs counter acknowledging the “incredible London to the British establishment’s own achievements of black and Asian adamantine but honest refusal, Britons”, OBEs can be seen as a despite official criticism of the word defeat of racism. Apart from the century ago the eminent as “anachronistic” and “insensitive”, ways in which tokenism usually Bengali writer Rabindranath to substitute “empire” in these enables hierarchical and exclusionary Tagore returned his titles with something less divisive systems to continue business as A knighthood to the viceroy and racially charged. It also ignores usual, the more vital question is of India. The “time has come the extent to which aspirations to a whether OBEs actually facilitate when badges of honour make our resurgent imperial global grandeur what Olusoga correctly describes as shame glaring in their incongruous have resurfaced, so explicitly and the “need to confront” not celebrate context of humiliation”, Tagore harmfully in the case for Brexit. Is the the history of empire. The role of wrote in outrage as scores of empire really over, or has it remained an officer of the empire is hardly peaceful protesters were massacred a virus-like sleeper cell in the British calculated to induce that much- in Jallianwala Bagh. He would political imagination? needed confrontation. now “stand, shorn of all special The black scholar Paul Gilroy The British establishment, utterly distinctions, by the side of my suggests that Britain’s refusal reliant on fictions of imperial glory countrymen”. to accept the loss of empire has and benevolence, is not so naive In accepting the knighthood, produced “deluded patterns of as to facilitate its own undoing. Tagore had been unfairly accused historical reflection and self Olusoga and others are fully entitled of being a colonial flunkey, partly understanding”. Surely it is the task to their personal choices and because he had expressed justifiable of black and Asian Britons to undo, private compromises. What is more reservations about aspects of Indian not pander to, these delusions. questionable is the presentation of nationalism. The 1919 atrocities in The most eloquent case for these personal decisions as politically Amritsar jolted the Nobel laureate descendants of the enslaved, the sound choices made selflessly in the into accepting that that his Knight indentured and the colonised name of all black Britons. Commander of the British Empire to refuse honours that exalt the Does having a few black names (the KBE still in use today) could British empire was made by the with OBE after them really signify not be treated as unconnected to the poet Benjamin Zephaniah in this that the British establishment bloodied realities of that empire’s paper. He linked his own rejection acknowledges the profound historical operations. of an OBE in 2003 not just to past contributions of black and Asian The belief that titles such as atrocities or a “betrayal” of enslaved people to Britain, not least through Officer, Dame Commander or ancestors but to the very real afterlife producing much of its wealth? Member of the Most Excellent Order of empire: racism, police brutality, Beyond exceptional individual of the British Empire can be treated privatisation, militarism, ongoing achievement, non-white Britons have as purely symbolic, untainted by economic dispossession and the also collectively organised for rights, the gross brutalities of the imperial retention of the spoils of empire. fought racism challenged the empire, project, appear more plausible today, One is either “profoundly anti- lobbied for legislation, run for with historical distance. empire” or one accepts its many political office, led demonstrations, Accepting his Order of the British self-serving fictions along with the produced community newspapers, Empire, the public historian David honour, including the notion that and engaged in radical political Olusoga, who has a Nigerian father, despite a few mishaps, it was a largely education. So no: the “only options has insisted defensively that while “the benevolent enterprise. Rabindranath Tagore: ‘The time has come when badges of honour make our shame glaring in their incongruous context of on the table” are not “to accept or empire was an extractive, exploitative, Zephaniah’s choice was based on humiliation.’ Photograph: Fox Photos/Getty Images decline” a seat at it. The real task is to racist and violent institution”, the fact clear principles, from a long and bring Britain to an understanding of that “there isn’t an empire any more” often forgotten tradition of black pass and ensuring that criticism and even knighthoods” as a key tactic given widespread resistance. A select what empire was, did and continues changes things completely. and Asian resistance to the global was toned down. In the 1930s, for diffusing confrontation. class of non-white leaders could be to do – and to question how a The E-word is now a slightly harm inflicted by empire, and the the fiercely anti-colonial black Bestowing knighthoods on African upheld as exemplars of a just system genuinely democratic decolonisation retro empty term – a little bit understanding that imperial and British newspaper International chiefs (indirect rule) and Indian even as the large majority continued can be achieved in future. – Guardian distasteful, for sure, but happily domestic rule were maintained African Opinion identified “the princes elicited their assistance in to face widespread discrimination News & Media emancipated from any historical by paternalism, buying loyalties judicious management of the black controlling the colonised masses, and inequality. z Priyamvada Gopal is a lecturer at reference. However, Olusoga’s heading off dissenters at the intelligentsia, giving them jobs, OBEs though this was not always possible Olusoga suggests that, by Cambridge University

Congo poll leaves uncertainty for Three-day forecast TODAY Maximum Temperature : 250c Minimum Temperature : 180c miners at heart of EV revolution TUESDAY Maximum Temperature : 260c Minimum Temperature : 200c By Joe Bavier/ Reuters mining operator, who asked not to be privatisation of state assets. “At the top, these are Kabila’s WEDNESDAY Johannesburg identifi ed. But in what appeared an olive branch people. That’s now going to be in a Maximum Temperature : 260c “There may be some improvements, to mining fi rms, Tshisekedi said on state of fl ux that, I think, is going to Minimum Temperature : 200c but we’re not counting on it.” the campaign trail that he would take last months.” Fisherman's forecast he surprise outcome of Tshisekedi’s supporters hailed the a second look at a new mining code Even if Tshisekedi’s win is validated, Congo’s election – a vote election result as the end of nearly two introduced last year. Kabila’s infl uence is unlikely to WARNING Relations between miners and the disappear. Inshore : Poor visibility at places meant to bring closure decades of corrupt rule under Kabila. by early morning Tto years of turmoil under But the outcome has quickly come government hit a nadir over the code, Supporters of Fayulu, who was Offshore : Nil President Joseph Kabila – has done under question, and the extent to signed into law in March, which raised declared runner-up, allege Tshisekedi’s little to ease uncertainty for miners which Kabila will continue to wield royalty rates across the board. victory grew from a backroom power- WEATHER Inshore : Misty to foggy at places and investors in a country crucial to infl uence over the economy through But even under Tshisekedi, the sharing deal struck with Kabila and are by early morning the electric vehicle revolution. sprawling patronage networks remains prospect of a rethink is slim, said challenging the result in court. becomes mild daytime Democratic Republic of Congo is unclear. Elisabeth Caesens, director of Tshisekedi and Kabila’s camps deny with slight dust & sctd clouds, relatively cold the world’s leading miner of cobalt, a “It’s going to be an extremely Resource Matters, which advocates for any such deal. by night mineral used in electric car batteries volatile period,” said Jason Stearns, better natural resource governance. A Catholic Church observer mission Offshore : Partly cloudy at times which has seen a surge in demand director of New York University’s “Increasing taxes on multinationals concluded Fayulu was the clear victor, with chance of mist by early morning in recent years, with mines run by Congo Research Group. was way too popular a move to easily diplomats briefed on its fi ndings said. WIND fi rms including Glencore and China “If I were a savvy investor, I’d look turn back,” she said. Belgium and France also questioned Inshore : Southeasterly-Southerly Molybdenum. at Congo and just step back for six Five mining executives contacted the result. 05-15/20 KT Offshrore : Southeasterly-North Opposition candidate Felix months.” by Reuters said they were not yet Kabila’s allies retain a parliamentary 05-15/20 KT Tshisekedi, an unknown quantity for Tshisekedi has little political track operating on the assumption that majority, and with it the right to name mining executives, was declared the record for investors to judge. Tshisekedi’s win would be validated by the prime minister, according to results Visibility : 4-8/2 KM winner of last month’s chaotic vote on Few companies had expected him to the Kabila-appointed Constitutional announced on Saturday, making it Offshore : 2-4/6 FT unclear who will control key posts. Thursday, defeating Kabila’s chosen win, one industry source said, and had Court and expected the outgoing Around the region successor, Emmanuel Ramazani focused attention on Martin Fayulu, president to fi ght to keep his While the president formally Weather Shadary. another opposition leader and ally of stranglehold on the sector. appoints ministers, those names are Weather tomorrow Max/min The stakes for mining fi rms are high. the former governor of Congo’s mining None wanted to speak on the record. proposed by the prime minister. today Max/min Sunny 18/08 In a study last year, McKinsey region, Moise Katumbi. Companies could fi nd themselves “You wield power in Congo via the Baghdad Sunny 17/07 P Cloudy 19/13 forecast a 60% increase in demand for They fear that strategy could now caught in the crossfi re of turf wars power of appointment, and what I’ll be Kuwait CityCloudy 22/13 P Cloudy 24/19 cobalt by 2025, and cited uncertainty in hurt relations with the new president, over ministry jobs and positions in the looking at is who gets put where,” said Manama P Cloudy 24/18 P Cloudy 26/19 Congolese government policy as one of the source said. bureaucracy, not knowing who is really Gregory Mthembu-Salter, a former UN Muscat M Sunny 27/19 Sunny 11/02 the major risks to supply. Tshisekedi’s party, the Union for in charge. sanctions monitor in Congo who now Tehran Rain 09/04 “It could be that, as a mining Democracy and Social Progress, has “There are always people you have to heads Phuzumoya Consulting, which sector, we’re worse off than when historically favoured an important sway if you want a contract or a mining advises on due diligence and supply we were under Kabila,” said one state role in mining and opposed the permit,” Stearns said. chains.

Live issues

HRT tablets ‘double risk of lethal blood clots’ Around the world Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min By Ben Spencer It works by replacing the female HRT use in Britain plummeted after tablets cause more DVTs than patches – Athens Rain 09/04 Sunny 11/02 Medical Correspondent hormone oestrogen as the body stops studies in 2002 and 2003 raised fears of just that there is an association. Beirut Rain 15/13 Cloudy 17/12 producing it. cancer. It is essential that more research is Bangkok Sunny 34/26 P Cloudy 33/25 Around 80% of those who use it take The proportion of menopausal women conducted. Berlin Cloudy 03/00 Rain& Snow 06/06 aking HRT pills to cope with the tablet form. taking it fell from 36% to around 10%. “Best practice is to prescribe the Cairo P Cloudy 18/08 Cloudy 18/10 the menopause doubles the The new fi ndings, published in the But in 2015, health watchdog Nice lowest possible dose of HRT for the Cape Town P Cloudy 21/16 Cloudy 23/18 risk of dangerous blood clots, British Medical Journal, show that issued new guidance advising GPs to shortest possible time, and so specifi c Colombo S T Storms 31/23 S T Storms 30/23 Tresearch has found. equine oestrogen tablets, such as the start off ering the drug to more women, products and formulations of HRT are Dhaka Sunny 28/14 Sunny 27/14 A major study has shown that those Premarin brand, carry a higher risk than saying the cancer fears had been only initiated after a comprehensive Hong Kong S Showers 18/16 P Cloudy 18/12 who take hormone replacement drugs synthetic oestrogen. overblown. discussion.” Istanbul P Cloudy 09/04 Rain& Snow 06/00 in pill form are more likely to suff er Researcher Dr Yana Vinogradova, of Out of 10,000 taking HRT for fi ve Dr Channa Jayasena, of Imperial Jakarta T Storm 31/24 S T Storms 31/25 pulmonary embolism or deep vein the Nottingham School of Medicine, years, for example, there would be just College London, added: “We know that Karachi Sunny 25/12 Sunny 26/16 thrombosis. said: “Diff erent tablets are associated 60 extra cases of breast cancer and 15 of HRT has important benefi ts to alleviate London P Cloudy 09/04 M Cloudy 11/08 Both conditions can be fatal or require with diff erent risks of developing blood ovarian cancer. menopausal symptoms. All drugs have Manila Sunny 31/22 Sunny 31/23 the amputation of a leg. clots.” Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, side eff ects. Moscow S Showers -2/-3 S Showers 01/-4 Researchers from the University of She said the lower risk with patches of the Royal College of GPs, said HRT “This helpful study allows us to see New Delhi Fog 19/06 Fog 20/06 Nottingham who studied 80,000 British or gels had been known about for some was the only eff ective treatment for which types of HRT have the highest New York P Cloudy 03/-3 M Sunny 04/-1 women found the risk increased only with time so it was surprising that only 20% menopause symptoms. and lowest risk. HRT patches have the Paris M Cloudy 09/04 P Cloudy 09/02 tablets – patches, gels or creams did not of women took HRT in that way. “It’s important that patients don’t lowest risk and should be fi rst choice for Sao Paulo S T Storms 28/21 S T Storms 31/21 increase the incidence of blood clots. Researchers stress that the absolute panic or stop taking HRT,” she added, older women, for whom blood clot risk Seoul P Cloudy 07/-4 Sunny 02/-12 Around 1mn British women take HRT risk remains small. advising anyone worried to discuss the is highest.” Singapore T Storm 30/25 T Storm 31/25 to cope with menopause symptoms They found that for every 10,000 issue during a routine GP visit or seek She said the study reassured women Sydney P Cloudy 27/21 Cloudy 28/21 including depression, hot fl ushes and women who take HRT pills, there are advice from the website NHS Choices. that blood clots were still an uncommon Tokyo Clear 09/02 Clear 10/02 night sweats. just nine extra cases of clots every year. “The fi ndings do not prove that HRT complication. – Daily Mail Gulf Times 20 Monday, January 14, 2019 QATAR National Museum of Qatar wins top award for design n another milestone ahead its great curved discs, intersec- of its opening in March this Sheikha Mayassa tweet tions and cantilevered angles, Iyear, the National Muse- the museum is a totality, at um of Qatar (NMoQ) has been Qatar Museums Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint once architectural, spatial and The National Museum of Qatar. PICTURES: Iwan Baan awarded the Best Roofscape Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani tweeted: “Pleased to hear that the sensory.” honour at the 15th edition of National Museum of Qatar (@NMoQatar) just won the Best Set to open on March 28, tive learning opportunities to the annual Wallpaper* Design Roofscape category in 2019 @wallpapermag Design Awards. NMoQ will celebrate Qatar’s tell the story of the people and Awards. The @NMOQatar was chosen as the Best Roofscape winner in past, present and future. The the land of Qatar from earliest Each year, a panel of inter- @wallpapermag Design Awards due to its iconic design, which structure is a highly complex times to today, giving voice to national creatives is invited by stemmed from architect @ateliersjnouvel’s fascination with organically propagating series the country’s rich heritage and Wallpaper* magazine to nomi- the desert rose — a natural crystalline formation found in the of interlocking disks that sur- culture and expressing a vi- nate projects and designers sands of Qatar.” round the building, creating a brant community’s aspirations across 11 categories — from best ring of gallery spaces circling a for the future. hotel design to best new private central court. Nouvel’s new 52,000sq m house — that have generated Bjarke Ingels, Canadian de- from architect Jean Nouvel’s With its sand-coloured con- building incorporates as its buzz in the design community signer Philippe Malouin, South fascination with the desert rose crete cladding, in harmony centrepiece the restored his- over the past year. Korean artist Do Ho Suh and — a natural crystalline forma- with the local desert environ- toric Palace of Sheikh Abdul- Nominees represent the senior curator of the Depart- tion found in the sands of Qa- ment, the building appears to lah bin Jassim al-Thani (1880- world’s most exciting projects ment of Architecture and De- tar. Speaking to the magazine, grow out of the ground and be 1957), son of the founder of in architecture, products and sign at the Museum of Modern Nouvel noted that the concept one with it. modern Qatar: a building that design innovations. Art, Paola Antonelli, among was created in 3D from the out- Within the galleries, the in former times was both the The 2019 Wallpaper* De- others. set: immersive and experiential home of the Royal Family and sign Awards judging panel in- NMoQ was chosen as the Best “To formalise a rose was very NMoQ presents artworks, rare the seat of government, and cluded creative luminaries such Roofscape winner due to its difficult, so the whole project and precious objects, docu- subsequently the site of the as Danish superstar architect iconic design, which stemmed was done in software… With mentary materials and interac- original National Museum. Another view of NMoQ. VCUarts Qatar exhibition looks Color Run tickets selling fast he Color Run presented Hero Tour theme, “encourag- 5k with a super-charged Finish by Sahtak Awalan: Your ing all Color Runners to unleash Festival that includes a DJ, MC THealth First, the fl ag- their inner superhero and enter and plenty of games and activi- at the notion of ‘Comfort Zone’ ship public health campaign of into a realm where they are un- ties for all. Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar stoppable, and nothing is im- The 2018 edition of the Color (WCM-Q), takes place at Qatar possible,” the statement notes. Run attracted a record-break- he Gallery at Virginia National Convention Centre on Participants will “soar to new ing 9,000 participants and this Commonwealth University January 26. heights in the new Super Zone year’s turnout is expected to TSchool of the Arts in Qa- Tickets for the event are sell- and discover their inner super- bypass that, the statement adds. tar (VCUarts Qatar) will host an ing fast and can be purchased hero in the Foam Zone”. All run- Christian Moufarrej, event di- exhibition titled ‘Comfort Zone I on the Color Run website (www. ners will receive a cape in their rector, said: “We are thrilled (Home)’ from January 16. thecolorrun.qa) or paid for in race pack and, for the fi rst time to bring back the Color Run to The exhibition “will consider cash at Marriott Marquis City ever, everyone will be given a Qatar in 2019. We are proud the notion of the comfort zone as Center Doha Hotel, between medal at the fi nish line. that the community is showing a place or rather a state of mind, January 20 and 25, the organisers Participants can choose to interest in living a more active in which things feel familiar and have said in a statement. run, walk, jog or skip around the lifestyle and we hope to see even consoling but also as a form of es- This year’s edition of the 5k 5k course with their family and more people participating in capism — an (imaginary) place to annual run brings with it a new friends. The runners fi nish the Color Run 2019.” which people want to retreat from the often-overwhelming reality of their everyday lives”, VCUarts Qatar has said in a statement. A panel discussion with the Parenting advice shared at QNL event artists and curator will take place at the university’s Atrium at 6pm on January 16, before the opening Dr Bahaa Abudaya reception at the Gallery at 7pm. The panel discussion will be ist based in Kuwait City. After fi rst moderated by Dr Bahaa Abudaya, establishing an artistic collabora- curator of Contemporary Art at tion with fellow Kuwaiti artist and the Fire Station Artist in Resi- musician Fatima al-Qadiri based dence in Doha. Both events will in New York City, he relocated to be free and open to the public. No Kuwait City in 2012 to help co- prior registration is necessary. found the artist collective GCC. The exhibition aims to high- His solo work centres on docu- light the ambivalent relationship menting the urban and domestic people have with comfort, do- landscapes of his native Kuwait. mesticity and privacy. It will shed Shahbazi is an Iranian artist light on the need for rootedness who is based in Berlin. Her solo and belonging as a form of ref- shows were held at Tarahane uge; the banality of comfort but Setareh Shahbazi, Spectral Days Series, 2012, c-type print. (Image Azad, Tehran; Gypsum Gallery, also the escapist idealism that is courtesy of the artist and Gypsum Gallery) Cairo; 98weeks Project Space, attached to it and that might lead Beirut; Contemporary Arts Fo- to isolation, stagnation and loss of “As a child, there wasn’t a who was born in Kuwait of Pales- rum, Santa Barbara; Galerie Sfeir- agency. single place I could call home,” tinian origin, and raised between Semler, Hamburg; Montgomery, ‘Comfort Zone I (Home)’ brings Alsharif said in an interview with France, the US and the Gaza Strip. Berlin and at Karlsruher Kunstv- Award-winning author Omar Khawaja off ered families useful advice on raising responsible together the works of Basma Projectorhead magazine. “In my She works between cinema and erein. children at an interactive event, ‘Ilyas & Duck Show’, which took place at Qatar National Library Alsharif, Khalid al-Gharaballi and experience, people build their installation, centring on the hu- The exhibition has been cu- (QNL). The author shared with parents stories from his famous storybook series Ilyas & Duck, Setareh Shahbazi, artists with identities around where they’ve man condition in relation to shift- rated by Daniel Berndt, whose which combine relatable characters with beautiful illustrations and exciting stories. The book various artistic backgrounds such come from or what they are con- ing geopolitical landscapes and writing has appeared in Ibraaz, series presents real-world stories to help children develop a sense of curiosity and find answers to as photography, painting and nected, or disconnected to.” natural environments. Springerin, Aperture and Frieze, their own questions. video. Alsharif is an artist/fi lmmaker Al-Gharaballi is a Kuwaiti art- amongst other publications.

Qatar Airways Offi cial Airline Partner and Gold Sponsor of Ooredoo Doha Marathon

atar Airways was the but also raises funds for a range Airways become the Official Official Airline Partner of worthy charities throughout Airline Partner of the 2019 edi- Qand Gold Sponsor of the country.” tions of the FIFA Club World the Ooredoo Doha Marathon, Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed Cup, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which took place at the Mu- al-Sayed added, “This year’s the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the seum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park event was especially successful, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, on January 11. as it saw the highest number of and the FIFA eWorld Cup. Now in its seventh year, the participants yet and brought to- In addition to its existing annual event featured four gether runners from across Qatar partnership with the German courses suitable for all abili- to compete for a great cause and football club giants FC Bay- ties of runners, including a full show their commitment to fi t- ern Munchen AG, for which it marathon, a half-marathon, ness and health. We thank eve- is a Platinum Partner, Qatar 10km and 5km route, as well ryone who participated in this Airways also recently revealed as a special children’s 3km and exciting event and congratulate multi-year sponsorship agree- 1km fun run. Funds raised by all winners.” ments with Italian football club entry fees will be donated to a Qatar Airways has an exten- AS Roma, for which it is the Of- range of charities across Qatar. sive sponsorship portfolio with ficial Jersey Sponsor, and with Qatar Airways Group chief premier sporting clubs around Argentinian football club Boca executive Akbar al-Baker said, the world. In May 2017, it an- Juniors, for which it is the Of- “The Ooredoo Doha Marathon nounced a sponsorship deal ficial Jersey Sponsor. is a wonderful example of Qa- with FIFA, which saw the air- Last year, the airline an- tar Airways’ commitment to line become the Official Part- nounced that it is the Official celebrating sport as a means ner and Official Airline of FIFA Global Airline Partner of the of bringing people together. As until 2022. NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the the national carrier of Qatar, we The partnership will give Qa- team’s home, Barclays Center, are thrilled to once again have tar Airways extensive market- the Brooklyn, New York venue supported this annual event ing and branding rights at the that hosts many of the world’s that not only encourages peo- 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. most exciting entertainment ple to live a healthier lifestyle, The agreement also sees Qatar and sporting events. The Ooredoo Doha Marathon.