QATAR | Page 5 SPORT | Page 1 Le Clos and Sjostrom to lead Doha’s stellar Qatar, Turkey sign deal for economic partnership line-up published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10932 September 5, 2018 Dhul-Hijja 25, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir leaves for Germany today Amir, Merkel to open 9th Qatar-Germany Business Amir issues and Investment Forum in In brief Berlin on Sept 7 Amir to hold talks with German President and permanent Chancellor

is Highness the Amir Sheikh QATAR | Offi cial Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani Amir congratulates Hwill head today to Berlin on a residency law working visit to the Federal Republic Pakistan president-elect of Germany, where His Highness will His Highness the Amir Sheikh hold meetings with President Dr Frank- 20 years of legal residency in Qatar, good conduct, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Angela knowledge of Arabic, among conditions for eligibility Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Merkel and a number of senior offi cials Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent to discuss bilateral relations and means Children of Qatari women married to non-Qatari men, yesterday cables of congratulations of boosting them, in addition to dis- foreign spouses of Qatari nationals, persons who have to Dr Arif Alvi on his election as cussing issues of common concern. president of Pakistan, wishing The Amir and Chancellor Merkel will done great services to the country and individuals with him success in his duties and the open the 9th Qatar-Germany Business special capabilities needed by the country also qualify relations between the two friendly and Investment Forum, which will be countries further development and held in Berlin on September 7. for permanent residency growth. Page 20 The Amir will be accompanied, dur- ing the visit, by an offi cial delegation is Highness the Amir Sheikh 3- The non-Qatari wife of a Qatari QATAR | Diplomacy and a number of Qatari businessmen. Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani man According to a previous Gulf Times Hissued yesterday Law No 10 of 4- The children of Qataris who ac- PM sends message to report, Qatar has invested heavily in 2018 on permanent residency for non- quired citizenship Italy’s deputy premier Germany in a wide range of sectors. Qatari individuals subject to stipula- 5- Individuals who have done great HE the Prime Minister and Minister The National Committee for Organ- tions, the offi cial Qatar News Agency services to the country of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin ising the Business and Investment in (QNA) reported. 6- Individuals with special capabili- Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani has sent Qatar Forum said Qatar’s investment Article 1 of the Law deals with the ties needed by the country. a written message to Italian Deputy in Germany has exceeded €25bn. conditions that entitle a non-Qatari The marriage for categories 1, 2 and 3 Prime Minister and Minister of The committee, which is organising individual to get approval for perma- should be according to the law. Interior Matteo Salvini, pertaining the forum, said it will highlight major nent residency in Qatar. According to Article 3, “The Com- to bilateral ties and means to projects to be implemented in Qatar Prior to submitting an application mittee to Grant the Permanent Resi- support and develop them. Qatar’s and Germany in the commercial, eco- requesting approval for permanent dency Cards” shall be created at the ambassador to Italy Abdulaziz nomic, investment, and construction residency, the individual concerned Ministry of Interior to look into the bin Ahmed al-Malki delivered the fi elds. should have a continuous normal le- permanent residency applications. message during a meeting with With a wide participation of senior gal residency in Qatar for 20 years if A Cabinet decision shall be issued Stefano Beltrami, diplomatic adviser government offi cials, in addition to born outside and 10 years if born in the to determine its membership, rewards, to Salvini. businessmen, the forum aims to fur- country. system of work and the procedures that ther enhance Qatar-Germany bilateral The clause of continuous stay is not it would follow. QATAR | Initiative relations in all areas. undermined by the applicant stay- The committee shall submit its rec- ing outside the country for 60 days in ommendations to the Minister of In- Over 100,000 register a year. In all cases this period shall be terior, and the minister shall issue the as volunteers for 2022 deducted from the time calculated as appropriate decision in the relevant More than 100,000 people from residency in the country. applications. Accordingly, the minis- the region and the world have If the applicant left the country for ter of Interior shall grant the approved registered as volunteers, to support more than six consecutive months after person a card called “Permanant resi- preparations for the 2022 FIFA submitting his application for perma- dency card”. World Cup, in the first 48 hours Exit permit system lifted nent residency, the Minister of Interior Article 4 stipulates that not more following the launch of the initiative, may not consider his prior residency than 100 individuals shall be ap- the Supreme Committee for Delivery Amir issues Law No 13 and residency of expatriates, the of- employees. In case the MADLSA ap- period. proved per year for permanent resi- & Legacy (SC) said yesterday. The SC fi cial Qatar News Agency (QNA) re- proves the application, the entities The applicant should have enough dency. However, upon the approval had on Sunday opened registration of 2018, amending certain ported. concerned shall be notifi ed. income to meet his needs as well as of of His Highness the Amir, based on for volunteers, and it is estimated provisions of Law No 21 of As per the amendment, Article 7 of As for expatriate workers who do his dependents. A decision by the Cab- the recommendations of the Minister that the tournament, the first FIFA 2015 Law No 21 of 2015 has been replaced not fall under Labour Law No 14 for inet shall specify the minimum income of Interior, this number could be in- World Cup in the Arab world, will with a provision which stipulates that 2004, a decision issued HE by the and the cases to be exempted from this creased for each individual year sepa- need between 14,000 and 16,000 Workers covered under an expatriate worker covered under Minister of Interior shall specify the condition. rately. volunteers. Labour Law can leave the Labour Law No 14 for 2004 has the procedures and standards for exiting The applicant should enjoy good con- Article 5 takes into consideration country without any exit right to temporarily exit the country, the country. duct and reputation. He should not have the stipulation of law No 21 for 2015 SPORT | Football or for good, at any time throughout the The new law also stipulates that an been convicted by a fi nal ruling inside Regulating the Entry, Exit, and Resi- permit duration of his/her employment con- expatriate worker, who is not allowed Qatar or outside Qatar for crimes that dence of Expatriates. Accordingly, the Qatar to host Arabian tract without an exit permit. to exit the country for any reason, can undermine honesty, trust and fame. The holder of a permanent residency card Gulf Cup next year is Highness the Amir Sheikh However, an employer may submit approach the Expatriate Exit Griev- applicant should also have adequate has the right to exit the country and The Executive Committee of the Arab Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani a prior and reasoned application to ances Committee. For this, HE the knowledge of the Arabic language. return throughout its validity with- Gulf Cup Football Federation has Hyesterday issued a law that al- the Ministry of Administrative De- Minister of Interior shall issue a de- Article 2 details exception from the out the need to obtain a permit or ap- announced that Qatar will off icially lows expatriate workers, covered un- velopment, Labour and Social Aff airs cision regarding its formation, juris- stipulations of Article 1 and states that proval. host the 24th edition of Arabian Gulf der the Labour Law, to leave the coun- (MADLSA) with the names of the em- diction, procedures and work mecha- non-Qatari individuals belonging to As per Article 6 the holder of the Cup next year. This came during try temporarily or for good without ployees that he deems necessary to nism. the following categories can be eligible permanent residency card may get a meeting chaired by President any exit permit within the work con- obtain his pre-approval before leaving The committee shall decide on for permanent residency: education and treatment at the gov- of Qatar Football Association and tract duration. the country due to the nature of work grievances within three working days. 1- The children of a Qatari woman ernment institutes inside the country, Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation The Amir issued Law No 13 of 2018, of that employee. The new law is eff ective starting married to a non-Qatari man. according to the terms and conditions Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed amending certain provisions of Law The percentage of such workers shall from the day following its publication 2- The non-Qatari husband of a Qa- determined by a decision issued by the al-Thani in Doha yesterday. The No 21 of 2015 regulating the entry, exit not exceed 5% of the total number of in the offi cial gazette. Page 24 tari woman Cabinet. To Page 5 Executive Committee also approved Sheikh Hamad’s continuation as president of the federation for a period of two years. EAST ASIA | Weather Saudi seeks death penalty for India an important market for Japan hit by strongest typhoon in 25 years Qatar Airways: al-Baker The strongest typhoon to hit Japan preacher Salman al-Awdah in 25 years battered the west of the country yesterday with violent Reuters ing trend in the Kingdom (that) sends a horrifying atar and India share a “substantive and winds and heavy rain, killing seven Riyadh message that peaceful dissent and expression may strong relationship” that has evolved people and injuring scores more. be met with the death penalty.” Qover the years, making India an important Powerful gusts ripped sheeting Awdah has 14mn Twitter followers. market for Qatar Airways said airline Group Chief from rooftops, overturned trucks audi Arabia’s public prosecutor is seeking Saudi Arabia, where public protests and politi- Executive Akbar al-Baker. on bridges and swept a tanker the death penalty against prominent Islam- cal parties are banned, has witnessed a crackdown “India is on track to become the third larg- anchored in Osaka Bay into a bridge Sist preacher Salman al-Awdah on terrorism- on dissent, with dozens of clerics, intellectuals est global aviation market by 2025 and we are to Kansai Airport. Page 14 related charges, activists and his family said yes- and activists arrested in the past year, even as the determined to further grow our presence in the terday. authorities enacted some high-profi le social and Indian market by off ering passengers the award- AMERICA | Politics The 37 charges against the 61-year-old cleric in economic reforms. winning quality of service that they deserve,” al- the Specialised Criminal Court include spreading A roundup of senior royals, ministers and busi- Baker said at the International Aviation Summit Chaos mars hearing for discord and incitement against the ruler, accord- nessmen last November on charges of corruption in New Delhi yesterday. Trump top court pick ing to London-based Saudi rights group ALQST sent shockwaves through the country, stunning “That India is an important market for Qa- The confirmation hearing for US and other activists. allies and foreign investors. Most of those detain- tar Airways which is refl ected on the 102 weekly Akbar al-Baker at the International Aviation Summit President Donald Trump’s Supreme Awdah’s son, Abdullah, confi rmed the court ees were released after reaching undisclosed fi - fl ights we provide to 13 destinations across India,” in New Delhi, India, yesterday. Court nominee exploded into proceedings and said the accusations against his nancial settlements with the government. al-Baker noted. political feuding yesterday, with father included critical tweets and establishing an Awdah, whom UN experts have described as Al-Baker addressed key leaders in the aviation dia be a global aviation leader?’ alongside India’s furious Democrats demanding organisation in Kuwait for defending the Prophet a “reformist” and an infl uential religious fi gure industry including government offi cials, airline Minister for Commerce and Industry and Civil a postponement over withheld Muhammad (peace be upon him). who has urged greater respect for human rights CEOs, aviation industrialists and senior dignitar- Aviation, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, as well as the documents, and protesters shouting Amnesty International’s Saudi Arabia cam- within Sharia, was arrested in September 2017. ies among others, as part of the two-day summit. CEOs of KLM, Kenya Airways, Spicejet and Jet their opposition. Page 12 paigner Dana Ahmed called the reports “a disturb- To Page 10 He spoke at a panel discussion titled, ‘Can In- Airways. To Page 8; Business Page 16 Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 QATAR Ambassadors to Mexico Alliance of Eyesight of 25% Civilisation and Malaysia appointed Award for private students is Highness the Amir His Highness the Amir also issued: His Highness the Amir schools set up Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- issued the Decree No. 41 of 2018 Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- Hmad al-Thani issued approving the accession of the Thani issued an instrument of yesterday the Amiri Decision State of Qatar to the Interna- ratifi cation approving agree- atar National Com- No. 55 of 2018, appointing Jab- tional Covenant on Economic, ment on mutual administrative mission for Education, er Jarallah Masoud al-Ghafrani Social and Cultural Rights, the assistance in tax matters. QCulture and Science of below normal al-Marri as ambassador ex- text of which is annexed to this Law on commercial the Ministry of Education and traordinary and plenipotenti- Decree, and to have the force registry: His Highness the Higher Education and Qatar he results of the annual The survey covered tion (WHO) where school nurses ary to Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. of law in line with Article 68 of Amir issued yesterday the Law Committee for Alliance of Civili- survey of visual acuity of 96,356 students of 326 examine and transfer students His Highness the Amir also the constitution. No. 9 of 2018, amending some sations of the Ministry of Foreign Tschool students which schools, 154 of which with visual impairment to the issued the Amiri Decision No. His Highness the Amir also provisions of the Law No. 25 of Aff airs announced an Alliance of was run by the Ministry of Pub- were government schools specialist doctor to be diagnosed 56 of 2018, appointing Moham- issued the Decree No. 43 of 2005 with respect to the com- Civilisation Award for secondary lic Health (MoPH) during the (45,038 students), 172 and treated correctly, noting that med Jassim al-Jiham al-Kuwari 2018 ratifying a memorandum mercial registry. schools affi liated to the United academic year 2017-2018 has private and community the weakness of sight may cause as ambassador extraordinary of understanding for co-op- The law is eff ective starting Nations Educational, Scien- revealed that the sharpness of schools (51,318 students) diffi culties in student achieve- and plenipotentiary to Mexico. eration in the fi elds of energy from the following day of its pub- tifi c and Cultural Organisation the vision of 14% of students in ments,” she said. His Highness the Amir is- between the Ministry of Energy lication in the offi cial gazette. (Unesco) for 2018, which comes government schools and 25% of Sheikha Dr Al Anoud bint For her part, head of Non- sued the Amiri Decision No. and Industry of Qatar and the Law organising sports as part of the co-operation students in private and commu- Mohammed al-Thani, man- Communicable Diseases at 57 of 2018, appointing Fahd Department of Energy of the clubs issued: His Highness the between the entities. nity schools is below the normal ager, Health Promotion and MoPH, Dr Kholood al-Matawa, Mohammed Yousuf Kafood as United States, signed in Wash- Amir issued yesterday the Law The award aims to promote level of 6/6. Non-Communicable Diseases said the annual survey is part of ambassador extraordinary and ington on January 30, 2018, the No. 12 of 2018, amending some scientifi c research in schools, The survey which was car- at MoPH, said the survey cov- the ministry’s work to comply plenipotentiary to Malaysia. text of which is annexed to this provisions of the Law No. 1 of create communication networks ried out for the year 2016-2017 ered 96,356 students of 326 with VISION 2020 “the right The decisions are eff ective decree, and to have the force of 2016 organising sports clubs. and promote dialogue between revealed that eyesight of 17% schools, 154 of which were to sight”: A Global Initiative for starting from their date of issue law in line with Article 68 of The law is eff ective start- students and divine religions. of students in government government schools (45,038 the Elimination of Avoidable and are to be published in the the constitution. ing from the following day of The award also aims to devel- schools and 25% of students students), 172 private and Blindness and in aim to iden- offi cial gazette. The decrees are eff ective its publication in the offi cial op writing skills amongst the in private and community community schools (51,318 tify volume of visual impair- Three decrees issued: starting from their date of issue gazette. youth and instil the concepts schools was below the normal students). ment, causes of blindness and His Highness the Amir Sheikh and are to be published in the QS assistant of chairman and contents of the Alliance of level of 6/6. “Qatar is one of the fi rst coun- treatment. Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is- offi cial gazette. appointed: His Highness the Civilisations. The survey, done by MoPH in ties to implement an eye health “The ministry is organising a sued yesterday the Decree No. 40 Law organising politi- Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad The award also aims to en- co-operation with Ministry of programme, where the visual number of training workshops of 2018 approving the accession cal asylum: His Highness the al-Thani issued yesterday the courage students to provide the Education and Higher Education acuity test is mandatory for and lectures that target training of the State of Qatar to the Inter- Amir issued yesterday the Law Amiri Decision No. 58 of 2018 best researches in diff erent fi elds and Primary Health Care Corpo- students in fi rst, third and fi fth school nurses on the right way national Covenant on Civil and No. 11 of 2018 organising politi- appointing engineer Nawaf of Alliance of Civilisations and ration, covered students in fi rst, grade as well as students in fi rst and guideline to examine vision, Political Rights, the text of which cal asylum. The law is eff ective Ibrahim al-Hamad al-Mana, honour the distinguished sec- third and fi fth grade as well as and second preparatory classes. raise awareness on eye diseases is attached to this Decree, and to and is to be published in the of- assistant of the chairman of ondary school students in Qa- students in fi rst and second pre- This comes part of the directives and injuries and the ways to treat have the force of law in line with fi cial gazette. Qatar General Organisation for tar. The fi nal date to submit the paratory classes. of the World Health Organisa- them,” she added. Article 68 of the constitution. Instrument of ratifi cation Standards and Metrology (QS). application is October 18. Qatar, US sign accord on civil Bone and Joint Center aviation security co-operation hires surgeons to meet

atar, represented by the Civil Avia- tion Authority (CAA), has signed Qan annex to the co-operation growing demand agreement with the United States Depart- ment of Homeland Security on the Ex- change and Protection of Security Infor- MC’s Bone and Joint Each year about 10 He added that the course mation in the fi eld of civil aviation. Center has revealed an orthopaedic surgeons covers all specialties of ortho- The agreement, which was signed by the Hannual increase in the join the centre to cope paedic surgery and bone tu- Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority number of orthopaedic surgeons. with the increase in the mours and includes the latest Abdullah bin Nasser Turki al-Subaey, in Orthopaedic specialist Dr number of patients for studies and researches in the the presence of US charge d’aff aires in Qa- Mazen Abdul Aziz said in a the treatment of bone areas of surgery for foot and tar William Grant, states on establishing news conference yesterday that and joint diseases ankle diseases, paediatric bone the basis and mechanism for exchanging each year about 10 orthopaedic diseases and other specialised and sharing security information, pro- surgeons join the centre to cope The course includes orthopae- research. tecting and exchanging experiences and with the increase in the number dic specialists who are qualifi ed Dr Mazin pointed to the increasing co-operation in the fi eld of civil of patients for the treatment of to pass the orthopaedic resi- recent developments in the aviation between the two countries. bone and joint diseases, bone dents examination and receive centre and the increase in the The signing of this annex is considered a tumours and other specialties the Arab Board, which qualifi es number of specialised clinics key to strengthen the infrastructure of civil that fall within the specialisa- them to work in orthopaedic and pain relief clinic, as well aviation security from the administrative, tion of bone centre. surgery. as increased knee joint sur- practical and technical aspects. CAA Chairman Abdullah bin Nasser Turki al-Subaey shaking hands with William Grant. Dr Mazen pointed out that “This course, which is held gery through robotic surgery the most common diseases in annually, includes a large and increasing the number of Qatar, that are treated in the number of specialised lec- magnetic resonance imaging bones and joints centre, is knee tures, in which a large group devices. and spine diseases. of leading lecturers from the Bone and joint specialties The Bone and Joint Center is USA, UK and France, as well include spinal surgery, paediat- currently holding the fi fth Qa- as Qatar, will participate. The ric orthopaedics, knee surgery, MoTC recognises 14 fi rms with tar Orthopedic Review Course Qatari Council for Health Spe- bone and shoulder surgery, and under the patronage of the cialties is qualifi ed to take the treatment of sports injuries Medical Education Center of tests of the Arab Board and the such as shoulder dislocation ‘Qatar IT Business Awards 2018’ Hamad Medical Corporation. British Fellowship,” he said. and cruciate ligament injuries. he Ministry of Transport The MoTC executes mul- nance Department at Qatar Devel- MaktApp for cloud-based soft- and Communications tiple programmes, plans, and opment Bank (QDB), said: “We are ware solutions; ‘Tech Startup of Official meets with French envoy T(MoTC) has recognised 14 initiatives according to clear, truly honoured, as Qatar Develop- the Year’ – Droobi Health Tech- IT businesses at the fourth edition well-planned strategies, includ- ment Bank, to be one of the main nology for health application; of the ‘Qatar IT Business Awards’ ing the ‘Tasmu Smart Qatar Pro- sponsors of the ‘Qatar IT Business ‘Smart Transport Solution of following screening and assess- gramme’ and the Qatar Digital Awards 2018’, which is part of the the Year’ – Hamad International ment from a panel of 11 judges. Cluster, in addition to investing QDB’s strategy to evolve and build Airport for the HIA service de- The award is one of several in the ICT industry to raise its a knowledge-based integrated livery measurement solution. MoTC initiatives that support contribution to Qatar’s GDP, economy in Qatar through devel- ‘Smart Logistics Solution of and enhance Qatar’s ICT sector which currently stands at 2.7%, oping and nurturing Qatari en- the Year’ – Airlift QSTP for auto- and further improve the qual- al-Sulaiti said. trepreneurs and SMEs to embrace mated delivery solution; ‘Smart ity of services that IT business “This year, we doubled the modern ICT tools which will mas- Environment Solution of the Year’ companies provide. number of award categories to sively impact the nation’s various – Qatar General Electricity & Held at the St. Regis Doha yes- 14, observing our national pri- economic sectors. Water Corporation for sediments terday, the event was addressed orities. Those categories covered “QDB is committed to invest detection and water loss solution; by HE the Minister of Transport new awards aimed at growing in Qatari talents through sup- ‘Smart Healthcare Solution of and Communications Jassim some fi elds that are particularly porting entrepreneurs and SME the Year’ – Medihealth Solutions Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti before an important to the country,” said owners to further develop their Doha for ‘At-Home-Doc’; ‘Smart assembly of senior offi cials. MoTC assistant undersecretary projects and contribute eff ec- Sports Solution of the Year’ – As- “We want the Qatar IT busi- for Digital Society Development tively to this vital sector domes- pire Zone Foundation for its race ness awards platform to grow Aff airs Reem al-Mansoori. tically and globally.” monitoring platform. year after year in a way that rais- Al-Mansoori added that ICT Meeza, for its QPost solution, ‘Best SME Digital Transfor- es and enhances the value of lo- sector growth “is on track as won the ‘Service Provider of the mation Project of the Year’ – cal Qatari IT and telecom com- latest fi gures from the Interna- Year’ award; Malomatia took Mosafer Travel for e-commerce panies and their ecosystem, thus tional Data Corporation (IDC) home the ‘Systems Integrator adoption and digital tools; ‘Best contributing to the growth of the predict the software market in of the Year’ award for its digital e-Commerce Solution’ – Lusail national economy,” the minister Qatar to reach some QR1.55bn, transformation solutions, in- Media and Marketing for Fish. said in a speech. the IT service market to more cluding digitisation off erings; qa; ‘Innovative Fintech Solution He added that the Qatar ICT than QR1bn, and the infra- while the ‘Best Mobile Applica- of the Year’ – QPAY Internation- market was estimated at some structure market to more than tion of the Year’ is Q Tickets & al for Integrated e-payment so- The Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Secretary-General, Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, met with the $3.9bn in 2017 and the industry QR800mn by 2021.” Events for its Q-Tickets App. lutions; and ‘ICT Exporter of the French ambassador to Qatar, Franck Gellet. During the meeting they discussed bilateral relations is expected to grow by 2.3% per Khalid Abdullah al-Mana, ex- The ‘Cloud Service Provider Year – ‘Meddy’ for online doctor and ways of supporting and developing them, in addition to issues of common concern. annum to reach $4.4bn in 2021. ecutive director of Business Fi- of the Year’ award was given to booking platform beyond Qatar. Katara hosts ‘Ahel Qatar’ and ‘N33 Flight’ exhibitions wo art exhibitions – Ahel personalities in various fi elds. hard to stay away from realism, challenges that is known by the Meanwhile, the “N33 Flight” ing that the “door” could be an al-Zaeem said that his works Qatar and N33 Flight – Speaking to Qatar News Agen- explaining that the works carry Qatari society, and that he pre- Exhibition by artist Sara Hasan eye, a heart or a mouth that no one shed light on the issue of immi- Thave opened at Katara – cy (QNA), al-Mulla said that a creative modern touch using sented these fi gures in the lan- from Kuwait and artist Haider knows its keys except its owners. grants who fl ed the fi asco of vio- the Cultural Village. the exhibition is a tribute to the diff erent techniques (knife and guage of art away from the real- al-Zaeem from Iraq focused on Asked about Katara, the Ku- lent reality into a world of hope Ahel Qatar Exhibition, or the people of Qatar who were distin- brushes of all kinds, as well as ity, stressing that history will not the “door” and immigrants. waiti artist described it as the for salvation. People of Qatar, by Qatari artist guished in the cultural, artistic, tampering with colours. forget its loyal sons, and that this In a statement to QNA, Sara fi nest lighthouse in the Gulf and The exhibitions, Ahel Qatar Ali Ahmed al-Mulla presented 25 sports, military and other fi elds. Al-Mulla said that character exhibition documents those fi g- Hasan said that doors have sto- the Arab world. and N33 Flight will continue to paintings for prominent Qatari Al-Mulla noted that he tried has a history and a story full of ures who provided a lot. ries and secrets hid behind, not- For his part, Iraqi artist Haider receive visitors for two weeks.

Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 QATAR

FM sends message to Serbian Dy PM

Off icials addressed the meeting yesterday. Security fi rms introduced to Milipol Qatar 2018

meeting of companies rity will come under one roof, and preparedness for civil important exhibitions at the HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman working in the fi eld of he noted. emergencies, measures and global and regional level. al-Thani has sent a written message to first deputy prime minister and minister of foreign aff airs of Asecurity equipment was The Ministry of Interior assistance for civil protection, Many civil defence compa- the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, pertaining to bilateral relations and means to develop and support held yesterday to introduce (MoI) has taken important it was observed. nies have offi cially confi rmed them. The ambassador of Qatar to Serbia, Sheikh Mubarak bin Fahad al-Thani, delivered the message them to Milipol Qatar 2018. steps to ensure the utilisation Milipol Qatar 2018 will high- their participation in Millpol during a meeting with Dacic yesterday. Brigadier Nasser bin Fahd of latest civil defence systems light a range of state-of-the-art 2018, including Naff co, a world al-Thani, president of the in Qatar. “The Ministry con- civil defence, monitoring and leader in the production and Milipol Qatar Committee; tinues to raise awareness about protection solutions designed supply of fi re equipment, Con- Brigadier Hamad Osman al- public safety by organising a to protect the population. This solidated Engineering Systems Duhaimi, assistant director series of leading conferences, year’s edition will also feature Co (Cesco), Gulf International Envoy to Albania presents papers at the General Directorate of exhibitions, lectures and train- live interactive presentations, Trading Company, China Pio- Civil Defence; Brigadier Saud ing programmes. Eff orts are where exhibitors, visitors and neer from China, Haix Schuhe Republic of Albania’s chief of Rashid al-Shafi , assistant in place to develop the Milipol buyers will be able to see fi rst- GmbH from Germany and Tur- state protocol Dastid DG at the General Directo- Qatar exhibition and provide hand the latest products and bosan from Turkey, to name a Koreshi received a copy of the rate of Logistics and Supply; unprecedented experiences innovations in the industry. few. credentials of Ali bin Hamad and Milipol Qatar commit- for exhibitors, visitors, buy- Further, the exhibition will “Milipol Qatar is a pivotal al-Marri, ambassador tee member spoke at the ers and industry profession- feature seminars, informative event that provides unique op- extraordinary and meeting. als,” the MoI said in a statement presentations, case studies and portunities for security and plenipotentiary of State of The Milipol Qatar Commit- yesterday. important discussions in the safety professionals and secu- Qatar to Albania. Koreshi tee president said under the Amid the continuous presence of a group of global rity service providers to meet wished the ambassador patronage of His Highness the changes and developments thinkers. These seminars will and discuss the most important success in his duties and Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad that characterise today’s discuss three main topics: cy- developments in the security wished bilateral relations al-Thani, the 12th International world, the civil defence sector bersecurity, civil defence and sector under one roof,” Briga- further development and Exhibition of Internal Security continues to play an increas- security management of major dier al-Thani added. The ex- progress. and Civil Defence will be held at ingly important role in ena- events. hibition also presents the most the Doha Exhibition and Con- bling States to protect their At the end of the meeting, important internal security vention Centre from October populations in emergencies, the Milipol Qatar Committee solutions and innovations that 29 to 31. For the fi rst time, the disasters and daily challenges, president called on local com- are essential to any country and Civil Defence Exhibition and as well as addressing a range panies operating in the fi eld of thus provides a platform for Conference will be merged with of important issues such as security, safety and civil de- diff erent countries to see these Milipol Qatar so that every- crisis management, emergen- fence to participate in Millipol solutions, build relationships thing related to internal secu- cy management and planning Qatar, which is one of the most and make contracts. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 5 QATAR

Amir issues permanent residency law

From Page 1 a Cabinet decision, without a Qatari Article 10 stipulates that the Min- partner on condition that the com- ister of Interior shall issue a decision Article 7 stipulates that the spouse pany shall be established according to to determine the fees for the appli- of the holder of the permanent resi- the stipulations of the law that regu- cation of permanent residency ap- dency and his/her children of maxi- lates commercial companies. proval and that for issuing the per- mum 18 years old shall enjoy the priv- manent residency card, and its data ileges of a holder of the permanent The spouse of the holder of and validity. residency card in terms of residency, the permanent residency and Article 11 states that the Minister health and education according to the his/her children of maximum of Interior can cancel the permanent stipulation of this law. 18 years old shall enjoy the residency and revoke the permanent However, the Minister of Interior privileges of a holder of the residency card in case the approved can exempt from the age stipula- permanent residency card in person lost any of the conditions stip- tion male children of the permanent terms of residency, health and ulated in Article 1 clause 3 of the law HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani and Turkish Trade Minister residency card holder if they have not education or according to conditions for public Ruhsar Pekcan signing the agreement in Ankara yesterday. completed their university educa- good. tion until the age of 25, and unmarried As per Article 9 the holders of per- According to Article 12, the Minis- daughters. manent residency cards shall have the ter of Interior shall issue the necessary According to Article 8 the holders right to own residential buildings and decisions to implement the stipula- of the permanent residency card can invest in the areas, determined by a tion of this law, while Article 13 adds invest in the sectors of the national Cabinet decision, according to the ap- that the law is eff ective and is to be Economic partnership economy, which are determined by plicable terms and conditions. published in the offi cial gazette. pact with Turkey inked

QNA two sides reviewed bilat- that this agreement will in- two countries is expected Ankara eral relations between the crease the volume of trade to increase by over 30% in two countries and aspects exchange and facilitate the the current year, especially of joint co-operation, espe- fl ow of goods, services and after the establishment of a atar and Turkey cially in relation to the eco- investments between the commercial corridor from yesterday signed a nomic, trade and investment two countries. Turkey to Qatar that has Qbilateral economic fi elds, and means of enhanc- He told reporters that facilitated the fl ow of goods partnership agreement. ing and developing them. the agreement, which is the between the two countries The agreement aims at The agreement is the fi rst fi rst partnership agreement as well as benefi ting from cementing trade exchange of its kind signed by Qa- concluded by Qatar with the provisions of the agree- and easing restrictions tar with a business partner an important trading part- ment on trade and economic on investments, trade in and is a culmination of the ner such as Turkey, will in- partnership, under which services and e-commerce eff orts of a number of con- crease the rates of economic Turkish market demand for in addition to promoting cerned bodies in the coun- growth and productive ef- Qatari petrochemical and co-operation in customs, try such as the ministries fi ciency in the two coun- aluminium products will in- education, research and of Economy and Trade, tries. “It will also lead to crease. development and capacity Foreign Aff airs, Energy and increased and strengthened Several trade agree- building as well as organis- Industry and Justice in ad- joint economic co-opera- ments and memorandums ing exhibitions, forums and dition to Qatar Central Bank tion, and to opening great of understanding have economic conferences. and the General Authority investment opportunities to been signed between the HE the Minister of of Customs. private sector companies in two countries, including Economy and Commerce Following the signing of both countries.” an economic and technical Sheikh Ahmed bin Jas- the agreement, HE Sheikh Qatar and Turkey have co-operation agreement, an sim bin Mohamed al-Thani Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mo- close economic and trade agreement on encourage- and Turkish Trade Minister hamed al-Thani affi rmed relations, that have been ment and mutual protection Ruhsar Pekcan signed the that the Qatari-Turkish positively refl ected on the of investments in addition agreement after a meeting relations have witnessed a volume of trade exchange, to a memorandum of un- yesterday. The delegation growing development and which exceeded QR24bn derstanding on facilitating accompanying the min- continuous co-operation in during the past fi ve years. transport and transit traf- ister attended the signing various fi elds especially in Turkey is the ninth source fi c to strengthen economic, ceremony. the fi elds of trade, economy of imports of Qatar. The commercial and investment During the meeting, the and investments, adding trade volume between the co-operation. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 QATAR

Registration at Al Waab’s new health centre

he Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has Tannounced the opening of the registration at Al Waab Health Centre from September 16. The registration is open for residents of Waab Zone 55 area, Azizya, Freej Al Soudan 55 and 54, Mehairja. They may register by visiting the web site (https:// eservices.phcc.qa/location) or by visiting the health centre once it is opened. The new health centre is lo- cated in a populated area and will provide comprehensive healthcare services reducing the burden on neighbouring facili- ties. The health centre has the capacity to cater for 35,000 pa- Lawyer-turned-teacher Donna Fernandez with her second grade tients. Othman al-Omar as an Arabic teacher at Qatar Academy Doha. students at Qatar Academy Doha. “Community health issues vary by geography and popu- lation dynamics. As primary healthcare in Qatar we are keen to tackle the health priorities faced by the populations ac- cording to our community needs assessments. Al Waab health centre will be equipped with the necessary QF highlights key facilities, provide the highest level of expertise in the fi eld of primary care,” said Dr Samya al- Abdulla, executive director, op- erations and senior consultant role of teachers of family medicine, PHCC . atar Foundation offer which he could not time management skills,” to expect the unexpected tion, to workshops held (QF) has stressed refuse. she says. “Now as a teach- – two traits which she by the Education Devel- Qthe importance Now, 15 years later, he er, I find that I’m able to says are indispensable to opment Institute, under and crucial role of teach- says, “My years as an organise, fine-tune and teaching. the umbrella of Qatar ers in moulding the next aircraft technician drove teach lessons that convey “All you need is the Foundation Pre-Univer- generation as the new home the need for dis- information in a concise enthusiasm - Qatar sity Education.” academic year begins. cipline and punctuality yet interesting manner.” Foundation provides you Both al-Omar and It is also noted that in every sphere of one’s The former lawyer with the opportunity,” Fernandez feel that it is teaching is more of an in- life. I teach the same to also feels that the years she explains. “I’ve at- the trust that QA Doha ner call than just a pro- my students at school. As she spent handling tended a whole range of has placed in them, and fession as QF highlights a mechanical engineer, I medical-legal cases not courses, from special- the belief in their com- the personal experiences also have an understand- only honed her ability ised courses conducted mitment and expertise, of two of its teachers who ing of advanced math and to thoroughly research a by the International that has helped them set- took to teaching, leaving physics, and this allows topic, but also taught her Baccalaureate organisa- tle down and succeed. Al Waab Health Centre some very attractive pro- me to reach out to more fessions. students than a teacher Othman al-Omar and who has learnt only a sin- Donna Fernandez - both gle subject.” QF teachers - have taken His previous career up teaching, as their ca- also taught the impor- reer of choice while en- tance of staying fit and gaged in their original healthy and had devel- professions . oped sport activities In 1988, having com- that had been a part of pleted a diploma in me- his daily routine in the chanical engineering air force. When he joined from Prince Faisal Tech- QA Doha, the staff were nical College in Jordan, delighted to learn that he al-Omar joined the Air was a first-rate volleyball Force, where he quickly player as well. rose to the rank of crew “I wouldn’t be able to chief. The role required coach the QA Doha vol- an unusual level of pre- leyball team for interna- cision and discipline; al- tional tournaments were Omar had to finalise and it not for my sport train- give the ‘all-clear’ for the ing in the military,” says pre-flight inspections of Othman. “When people fighter planes. like me join teaching, we By the end of his fourth bring additional skills year, al-Omar had begun that enhance our teach- questioning his career ing capabilities.” choice. He was a poet at Al-Omar, moved to heart; penned his own Qatar with the inten- poems; loved literature; tion of leaving after three wanted to study further years, and says the rea- and loved to teach. But son he has stayed for 15 his work as an aircraft years is entirely due to technician barely left him the support he has re- with the time, or energy, ceived from the school’s to pursue any of these in- leadership. terests. Fernandez, a Grade 2 Al-Omar poured out lead teacher at QA Doha his emotions into a poem was a successful litigator titled ‘Crew Chief’ – the in the US, six years ago. same poem that, years She who was on her way later, he would read out to to becoming a partner in a his class at Qatar Acad- reputable law firm, when emy Doha (QA Doha). He she decided to give up her often re-read the poem, law career and take up a and, seeing his emotions profession that she felt set out on paper resolved was challenging, but far his confusion – it was more satisfying – teach- time for a change. ing. Al-Omar completed Fernandez completed a a four-year bachelor’s master’s degree in edu- degree in Arabic Litera- cation from the US, and ture from Yarmouk Uni- then worked as a teacher versity in three years. in Chicago and Singa- After working at some pore, before deciding to local schools, he secured relocate to Doha. a placement as an Ara- “When you’re working bic teacher at Amman as a litigator in a law firm, International School. you must give attention While there, a delega- to the smallest of details, tion from QA Doha vis- you need to plan, prepare ited the school, was im- and deliver briefs that are pressed with Othman’s sharp and succinct, and skills, and made him an you develop excellent

Correction

In the photograph accompanying the report titled ‘QDB fetes partner banks for SME support’ published in Gulf Times yesterday, Qatar Islamic Bank’s chief executive officer was wrongly identified. The award won by QIB (for best portfolio growth) was received on behalf of the bank by its CEO Bassel Gamal and not by another executive as was mentioned in the caption. The error is regretted. - Editor

Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 QATAR Ahlibank gives credit cardholders chance to win back school fees

hlibank has launched school fees, the more are their new credit cards. Four tomers a unique experience programme, a unique pro- The bank said it is always an exclusive campaign their chances of winning. winners will win the school/ while enjoying the benefi ts gramme providing the fl ex- seeking to reward our cus- Afor all Ahlibank credit Credit cardholders will college fees paid. Hassan and features of Ahlibank’s ibility to redeem earned tomers and to provide them cardholders, off ering them a qualify for the draw for every AlEfrangi, DCEO – Retail and credit cards. Paying school points through our selected with value-added services chance to win the fees back QR500 with three chances Private Banking, said: “When fees on Ahlibank credit cards partners, in addition to the when using their Ahlibank when paying school or col- when they pay abroad, two developing our marketing could be a rewarding experi- ‘Easy Payment Plan’ that al- credit cards. lege fees with their Ahlibank chances for online transac- and promotional campaigns, ence.” lows customers to buy any- For more information on credit card, up to a maximum tions, one chance when they we make sure to meet the This campaign is one of thing from electronics to Ahlibank credit cards, visit amount QR25,000 from Au- pay in Qatar and 10 bonus needs of our customers while the many benefi ts avail- jewellery, home furniture, any Ahlibank branch or call gust 26, 2018 till October 31, chances when they apply for rewarding them with value- able to customers holding an travel and entertainment, our 24/7 contact centre on 2018. a new credit card and pay the added services. “This new Ahlibank credit card, which and repay in easy and con- 4420 5222 or visit www.ahl- Hassan AlEfrangi, DCEO – Retail and Private Banking The more they spend on school or college fees using campaign will give our cus- includes the Pearl Rewards venient monthly instalments. ibank.com.qa. at Ahlibank.

India an AAB unveils all-new ’19 important market for Qatar Lexus ES in grand event Airways: bdullah Abdulghani Bros independent temperature con- (AAB) Company has trol system, a 17-speaker Mark Alaunched in Doha the Levinson sound system, multi- al-Baker all-new 2019 Lexus ES, which adjustable power and ventilated off ers “unparalleled comfort, front seats, power reclining rear refi nement, and luxury appoint- seats, a rear armrest with multi- From Page 1 ments.” The all-new Lexus ES operation panel, and a hands- builds on its strengths with an free power trunk lid. The panel discussed the avia- all-new platform that allows for The all-new vehicle has Lexus tion operating environment in a more dynamic exterior design Safety System+, an advanced India and the opportunities that and even better driving per- safety technology package that exist for the market to become formance. includes Pre-Collision System the third largest globally by 2025. The unveiling event started with pedestrian detection dur- The summit was organised by with AAB senior marketing ing daylight and certain low- the Airports Authority of India manager Firas Mufti introduc- light condition, all-speed range (AAI) and the Ministry of Civil ing Lexus chief engineer Yas- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Aviation (MoCA) in collabora- uhiro Sakakibara as the person Lane Departure Alert with a tion with the International Air responsible for the new ES. Ac- new feature called Lane Tracing Transport Association (IATA) cording to Sakakibara, the all- Assist, and two-stage adaptive to discuss the importance of new Lexus ES has been built to high beam system. the Indian aviation market, and deliver a fundamentally higher In addition, the car features what it will take for the aviation level of performance than any of a comprehensive array of safety sector to expand in India while its predecessors. features to protect its occu- maximising the economic and The newly developed GA-K pants, such as 10 SRS airbags, social benefi ts of the potential platform, an exceptionally rigid Vehicle Stability Control, Trac- growth. front-wheel-drive chassis, is tion Control, Anti-lock Braking Al-Baker said: “I am honoured made from several grades of Toyota and AAB off icials at the launch of the new 2019 Lexus ES. PICTURE: Jayan Orma System, Electronic Brakeforce to have been given the opportu- high-strength steel. The GA-K Distribution, Brake Assist, Pan- nity to share my views on the fu- platform also incorporates far fi ed hybrid model, which com- two power sources consisting oramic View Monitor, Blind Spot ture of the Indian aviation mar- more structural adhesives than bines two power sources con- of a petrol engine and two elec- Monitor, Parking Support Alert, ket at the International Aviation the previous ES platform, as well sisting of a petrol engine and two tric motors, producing 176hp Rear Cross-Traffi c Alert, Active Summit in New Delhi. as laser screw welding – a con- electric motors. and 22.5 kg-m of torque and Cornering Assist, and Hill-start “We recently launched our struction method shared with The second addition is the 118hp and 20.6 kg-m of torque, Assist Control, among many unique Qsuite Business Class the LS sedan, which is used in all-new 2019 Lexus ES F Sport respectively, delivering a com- others. product on the Mumbai and 120 locations throughout the model, which features numer- bined system output of 215hp. Available in 12 distinctive ex- Bengaluru routes, to provide GA-K platform to further solid- ous upgrades such as a retuned This powertrain is also mated to terior colours, the all-new Lexus passengers with the best experi- ify the already robust structure. suspension, 19-inch wheels and a new hybrid transaxle that pro- ES allows customers to express ence in the skies.” Additional measures were used tyres, and unique aluminium vides the lowest fuel consump- their individuality with two ex- In April 2018, India’s domes- to improve front-end stiff ness, interior trim that gives the ma- tion value of 22.4km/L, and clusive colours for the F Sport tic aviation market celebrated its including a strut tower brace, chine a more dynamic look and highest driving performance of version – Ice Ecru Mica Metallic 44th straight month of double- multiple reinforcement panels feel. this class. and Sunlight Green Mica Metal- digit growth, and expects to cel- for the strut towers themselves, The ES 350 is powered by a The hybrid transaxle off ers lic. The interior comes in a total ebrate the 50-month achieve- and new radiator support braces. 3.5-litre V6 engine, with 300 diff erential limit torque under Some of the new Lexus ES models on display at the launch event of fi ve colour schemes with two ment of double digit growth by Yugo Miyamoto, chief rep- hp and 36.4 kg-m of torque. certain conditions such as light (supplied picture). new schemes called Rich Cream October 2018. Consequently, the resentative, Middle East and The ES 250 is powered by an all- loads or low rotational speed dif- and Chateau, and an exclusive International Aviation Summit North Africa Representative new, high-effi ciency 2.5-litre ferences, to help realise excellent two electric motors, depending has a range of advanced features. scheme for the F Sport. focused on key issues that India Offi ce, Toyota Motor Corpora- 4-cylinder engine that produces straight-line stability against on the vehicle’s speed and cus- These include an enhanced in- Furthermore, the all-new needs to address in the future, tion, said “Building on the dis- 204hp and 24.8 kg-m of torque. external disturbances as well tomer’s driving behaviour. vehicle 12.3-inch multimedia model has been rearmed with such as airport infrastructure, tinctive characteristics of the ES, The two powertrains are mated as steering stability. The class- The batteries in the hybrid display, a 10.2-inch coloured four new wheel designs; a 17- capacity constraints in Mumbai the Lexus engineers challenged to a new eight-speed direct- leading hybrid electric model electric drivetrain are automati- and adjustable head-up display, inch wheel, two 18-inch wheels and taxes to name a few, in order their craftsmanship to sculpt the shift automatic transmission. ES 300h can be driven entirely cally charged by either the petrol a 7-inch colour multi-informa- – with one wheel developed to to sustain its linear growth. exciting, all-new sedan.” In addition, an electrifi ed hy- by either electrical power with engine or when braking and de- tion display, a wireless charging reduce weight, enhance rigidity, In June this year, al-Baker One of two major additions brid powertrain was developed zero-fuel consumption and car- celerating, eliminating the need system for smartphones, an LED and suppress noise generated by commenced his duties as the to the all-new Lexus ES lineup for the all-new ES. This third bon emissions, or with a com- to plug in a power cord. ambient illumination, the Lexus the tires – and a 19-inch wheel chairman of the Board of Gov- includes the ES 300h, an electri- powertrain option combines bination of a petrol engine and The all-new Lexus ES’ interior Climate Concierge with a 3-zone that is exclusive for the F. ernors (BoG) of prestigious global aviation industry body, the IATA, for a one-year term. Al-Baker is the 77th chair of the IATA BoG. Qatar Airways currently oper- Celebrity alumnus Horowitz lectures ates 102 weekly fl ights between Doha and 13 destinations in In- dia, including Ahmedabad, Am- incoming students at NU-Q ceremony ritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Nagpur and ollywood producer and Thiruvananthapuram. Northwestern alumnus Qatar Airways introduced its HJordan Horowitz advised revolutionary ‘Qsuite’ business Northwestern University in Qatar’s class services on the Mumbai incoming class to forget about their and Bengaluru routes in July, expectations and to focus on the both of which are being served process. by a Boeing B777 aircraft. The annual convocation, which Qsuite features the industry’s marks the beginning of the aca- fi rst-ever double-bed in busi- demic year – was attended by ness class. Sliding panels allow NU-Q faculty and staff , along with passengers in adjoining seats members of NU-Q’s incoming to transform their space into class, family and friends. private cabins so business col- At the ceremony, NU-Q Dean leagues, families and friends can Everette E Dennis said that Horow- work, socialise and dine together itz “exemplifi es great achievement during the fl ight. and excellence” and is “known for These revolutionary features his leadership in creative industries led Qatar Airways to win the where he has achieved notable crit- ‘Best Business Class Seat’ and ical and commercial success.” ‘World’s Best Business Class’ In his remarks to the students, awards at the 2018 Skytrax Horowitz explained the most im- Jordan Horowitz speaks at NU-Q’s annual convocation. World Airline Awards. portant thing he has learned over Qsuite is currently available the course of his career – “One,” he we found our success in the proc- During his visit to NU-Q, on select Qatar Airways’ Boeing said, “your expectations are mean- ess,” he told the audience. Horowitz also spent time advising 777-300ER, Airbus A350-900 ingless, and two, process is every- Also speaking at the convocation students in the classroom, partici- and A350-1000 aircraft. thing.” was NU-Q Student Union Ales- pated in a community meeting, and The launch of Qsuite to Mum- In explaining this advice, Horow- sandra El Chanti who reinforced hosted a special screening of ‘La La bai and Bengaluru follows the itz pointed to his unsuccessful fi lms Horowitz’s message and told her Land’ for the NU-Q community. introduction of the product to early in his career – all of which did fellow students as Northwestern Students were also invited to ask various destinations around the not meet his expectations. As his students they should dream big. him questions about his work, in- globe, including London, Paris, career developed, Horowitz revised “Here at NU-Q, communication spirations, and experience in Hol- New York, Chicago, Houston, his methods and with the movie ‘La students are not only fi lmmakers lywood. Shanghai and Canberra. La Land’ he saw success. and journalism students are not The more than 100 members of In February 2018, the award- “Instead of forcing things to be a only reporters. We are grander than NU-Q’s Class of 2022 inducted at winning airline introduced its certain way for reasons outside of just that. We’re researchers, lead- the Convocation ceremony is the state-of-the-art aircraft, the the fi lm itself, we were patient, we ers, storytellers, and aspiring pro- largest in the school’s history and Airbus A350-900 on its Delhi listened to what the movie wanted, fessionals in the vast fi eld of media. joins Northwestern’s global fam- route. Qatar Airways was the to what the movie needed, we gave There is so much to learn and even ily numbering more than 250,000 global launch customer for this it the space and time and care it de- more to create. Here, you are al- alumni around the world, including aircraft type, which features a served. Instead of defi ning our suc- lowed to dream bigger. You have all a number of notable fi gures and ce- two-class confi guration of 283 cess by the results, by what we ex- the resources in this university to lebrities who are leaders in the me- seats in total, off ering 36 in busi- pected people to think of the movie, make that happen,” El Chanti said. dia industry. ness class and 247 in economy. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 9 QATAR

Doha Bank off ers CCQ holds orientation ‘best exchange for new academic year rates for Asia he Community College of their PhD programme, others remittance’ Qatar (CCQ) has kicked became published authors or Toff the new academic presented at international con- year with the fall semester’s ferences. This year, we will build oha Bank has announced In addition, customers can orientation session to intro- on our successes as we take our that it will off er the best enjoy free remittances from duce incoming students to the advising and counselling serv- Dexchange rates in the in- Qatar to Doha Bank accounts in college community, guide them ices to the next level, as well as dustry for remittances to fi ve India and free of cost online and through their educational jour- continue enhancing the use of countries in Asia as part of its mobile fund transfers from Doha ney and prepare them for aca- innovative technologies and continued eff orts to make over- Bank India account to any other demic success. maximising our community- seas funds transfer more con- bank in India. The multipart session in- outreach eff orts, in addition to venient and rewarding. Furthermore, cash withdraw- cluded introductory presenta- launching our Al Khor campus, In a statement yesterday, als at any ATM in India when us- tions on the College’s academic among many other strategic Doha Bank said it will also allow ing Doha Bank’s ‘INR debit card’ advising services, registration goals we have set for the year.” customers to make instant mon- will be free of charge for an un- procedures and safety policies, As the nation’s most fast- ey transfer to India, in addition limited number of transactions, in addition to a number of in- paced educational establish- to enjoying many other benefi ts. off ering peace of mind for the teractive discussions that paved ment, CCQ’s earned title was Doha Bank customers sending bank’s customers. the way for a productive and refl ected through key perform- remittances through any branch, Doha Bank Group CEO Dr R fruitful year. ance fi gures in 2017-2018. The online or mobile App to Bangla- Seetharaman said, “Needless to CCQ held its 2018-2019 Fall academic year witnessed the desh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the say, remitting funds back home Convocation Week at the Col- college’s largest class to date, Philippines, and Sri Lanka can is a top priority for our expatri- lege’s C-Ring Campus under graduating around 900 stu- benefi t from quick transfers and ate customers in Qatar. With the theme, “Embracing Team- dents, among them the fi rst best exchange rates. our enhanced services and new building through Quality & CCQ holds fall convocation event. batch of Associate of Applied Meanwhile, fund transfers to off ers, we are off ering them in- Achievement”, which featured Arts in Theatre Arts graduates. Pakistan will be off ered free of creased convenience and ac- a host of workshops, sessions ous departments, and received “If you look at how the con- daily functions and activities, In addition, student enrol- charge for transactions exceed- cessibility while making their and group activities on a diverse important information to help cepts of quality and excellence so that quality and excellence ment grew to around 5,000 ing $200. remittances safer and more re- range of relevant skills and top- steer their experience at CCQ evolved over the last 100 years, become a tangible every-day students, compared to 300 stu- As part of the off er, Doha warding. We remain committed ics, centred on working together throughout the new academic the focus has shifted from the experience for our entire college dents in 2010, and the number Bank’s customers will be able to introducing new products and towards achieving institution- year. inputs, to the processing, and community,” he noted. of classes jumped to 568. The to take advantage of few extra services that cater to our cus- wide excellence. On the main Convocation more recently to the outcomes. CCQ dean Dr Abdallah Haza- number of academic pro- benefi ts when remitting funds to tomers’ banking needs in Qatar During the four-day event, Day, CCQ president Dr Moham- At CCQ, we will continue to fo- imeh said, “In 2017, many of our grammes witnessed another India, including the transfer of and in their home country.” new and returning faculty ed al-Naemi welcomed new and cus on the outcomes of our edu- faculty members got involved important leap with more than funds in seven seconds to Doha For more information on Doha and staff reviewed the Col- returning faculty and staff and cation process and translate the in a number of distinguished 15 programmes currently on of- Bank India accounts or within Bank’s remittances off ers, call lege’s past-year achievements, shared his vision for the coming College’s overarching vision, professional development ac- fer, including diversifi ed associ- 60 minutes to any other bank in 4445 6000 or send a WhatsApp learned more about its vari- period with attendees. mission, and values into our tivities. While some completed ate and bachelor’s degrees. India. message to 5033DOHA.

British Council launches computer-delivered IELTS in Qatar British Council has launched Retaj Group and Ihome Insaat Turkey computer-delivered IELTS in Qatar, it was announced yesterday. “Computer-delivered IELTS will not replace paper-based IELTS but rather off er a choice in delivery in pact to operate resort in Yalova and more availability,” the state- ment said. The computer-delivered etaj Hotels & Hospitality, solution is secure and capable part of Retaj Group, has of delivering the world-leading Rexpanded its footprint security, quality assurance meas- overseas by signing an agree- ures and operational benefits that ment to operate a new luxury IELTS is renowned for, according to resort in Turkey. British Council. Test takers can now In a statement yesterday, Re- choose the option and time to take taj Group said it has inked an IELTS that best works for them. agreement with Turkish real es- They can also get their results fast- tate developer Ihome Insaat to er, with results typically available manage Retaj Yalova Resort in between five to seven calendar the northwestern city of Yalova, days after the test has been com- near the eastern coast of the Sea pleted. The test content, timing of Marmara. and structure remain the same in The partnership is the result both options and, importantly, the of long-standing relations be- speaking test remains face-to-face tween Qatar and Turkey, which with a certified IELTS examiner. have strengthened further in the Test takers who choose the option face of the ongoing embargo.“It of computer-delivered IELTS can is also evidence of the strategic access support materials with bilateral relations established by which to prepare for taking IELTS His Highness the Amir Sheikh on a computer. IELTS is the most Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and widely used test of English for Turkish President Recep Tayyip migration to Australia, Canada, Erdogan, which is a model to New Zealand and the UK. follow. This step comes among It is recognised by more than the endeavours of Retaj Hotels 10,000 universities, schools, em- & Hospitality to expand its in- ployers and immigration bodies. ternational presence as a spe- cialised Qatari company in tra- ditional Halal Arabic hospitality services,” the Group said. Ministry recalls The coastal Retaj Yalova re- sort comprises 51 luxury apart- Retaj Group and Ihome Insaat off icials at the signing ceremony. 2017 ‘Mercedes ments across three low-rise Benz Sprinter’ buildings, off ering homeown- gym, social areas, a children’s hospitality management to the fi t for Retaj Group and Retaj Abdulrahman Shusha, general real estate sectors in Qatar and ers the opportunity to own their playground, private beach and new resort”. The signing of the Hotels & Hospitality. Ihome is manager of Ihome Insaat, add- Turkey and take advantage of The Ministry of Economy and “own piece of paradise” in one, more, the statement noted. agreement to manage the prop- a renowned developer and Retaj ed: “Our partnership with Retaj this growth to achieve the best Commerce (MEC), in collaboration two, three, four and fi ve-bed- Under the terms of the agree- erty is in line with Retaj Group’s is the largest Halal hotel brand. Hotels & Hospitality, which has investment revenue for both in- with Nasser Bin Khaled Automo- room options. ment with Ihome Insaat, Retaj strategy to grow and expand its It presents an ideal opportunity a reputable history in the sector vestors and countries.” biles, has announced the recall of The project, which is more Hotels & Hospitality will be services beyond Qatar. for us to demonstrate our ex- of international tourism and its Retaj Group is a 100% Qatari Mercedes-Benz Sprinter model of than 50% complete and is ex- responsible for the full man- Dr Mohamed bin Johar al- cellence to a new audience and expertise in hospitality man- company that aims, through its 2017 because the spot welds that pected to open in March 2019, agement of Retaj Yalova Resort, Mohamed, vice-chairman and this agreement signing is only agement, is a strong one. Our international expansion, to con- join the door frame with the hinge features a host of amenities de- including technical assistance managing director of Retaj the beginning in what we be- decision to join hands in this tribute to the leadership role of reinforcements behind it, might signed around the well-being until the opening date, bring- Group, said: “This collabora- lieve will be a long, successful project was to develop the rela- Qatar and achieve the vision to not have been applied as required. of residents, including a spa, ing its “service excellence and tion with Ihome is the perfect partnership with Ihome Insaat.” tions between the tourism and be present and invest globally. The MEC said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that automobile dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them. TMQ strengthens ties with Qatar Automobiles The MEC said that it will co- ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair otal Marketing Qatar lubricants that meet Mitsubishi’s works and will communicate with (TMQ) has renewed its technical, supply, and cost chal- customers to ensure that the nec- Tsupply agreement with lenges. essary repairs are carried out. Qatar Automobiles Co (QAC), the “It also illustrates our commit- authorised distributor of Mit- ment to provide world-class and subishi Motors and Fuso in Qatar innovative products and services 2005-2014 models and a subsidiary of NBK Group to best satisfy our customer’s ex- Company, for the supply of high pectations. Our teams are looking of Kia Carnival performance Total-branded lu- forward to support QAC in their recalled bricants in their service centres automotive activities,” Rahman across Qatar. said. The Ministry of Economy and TMQ, an international lubri- Nasser Bin Khaled Holding Commerce (MEC), in collaboration cant company, with prominent Automotive Operations director with Al-Attiya Motors and Trading share in the country, will support Sheikh Faleh bin Nawaf al-Thani Co, has announced the recall of Mitsubishi network and its cus- said, “We are pleased to renew Kia Carnival models of 2005-2014 tomers to provide the latest gen- this contract with Total Marketing because the Integrated Circuit eration of Total Quartz lubricants Qatar, one of the most reputable Module relay box might exhibit to enhance performance of Mit- Off icials from Total Marketing Qatar and Qatar Automobiles Co during companies of its fi eld. We always damage due to moisture ingress. subishi vehicles. the signing ceremony. look for reliable partners who are The MEC said the recall campaign The signing ceremony was at- an added value to our services and comes within the framework of tended by Total Marketing Mid- for after sales Frank Zauner, and ships established between both products. With this agreement, its ongoing eff orts to protect con- dle East vice president for sales other team members from QAC companies. Qatar Automobiles we reiterate our commitment to sumers and ensure that automo- Shakilur Rahman, TMQ GM Ket- and TMQ. Co is a strategic partner and the our valid customers that their bile dealers follow up on vehicles’ an Kumar, QAC general manager “This agreement is the demon- signature of this agreement dem- vehicles are well-maintained and defects and repair them. Hisham el-Sahn, QAC director stration of the excellent relation- onstrates our ability to supply getting high-quality service.” Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD

A picture taken yesterday shows smoke blowing from buildings on fire that were hit by reported Russian air strikes in the Syrian firefighters try to put out a fire in a building that was hit by reported Russian air strikes in the rebel-hold town of rebel-hold town of Muhambal, about 30 kilometres southwest of the city of Idlib. Jadraya, about 35 kilometres southwest of the city of Idlib, yesterday. Syrian and Russian warplanes pound Idlib before talks: monitor z Russia, Turkey and Iran to against using chemical weap- have mixed with the people,” a buffer zone along its bor- discuss Idlib on Sept 7 ons, promising a swift response said Abbas Araqchi, deputy der in an area north of Aleppo z Washington warns Assad if he did. foreign minister, according that adjoins Idlib, where it has against using chemical Since Russia’s entry into the to the Islamic Republic News set up a local administration weapons war on his side in 2015, Assad Agency. “They are using people alongside Syrian rebel groups. and his other allies, Iran and a as human shields.” Foreign Minister Mevlut Ca- Reuters group of regional Shi’ite mi- Idlib’s dominant rebel fac- vusoglu said Turkey was dis- Beirut/Ankara litias, have forced the rebels tion is Tahrir al-Sham, an al- cussing joint action with Rus- from a succession of bastions liance spearheaded by Al Qae- sia to target terrorist groups in including Aleppo, Eastern da’s former official affiliate in Idlib while avoiding a full-scale ussian and Syrian jets Ghouta and Deraa. Syria, the Nusra Front, though offensive. hammered a major rebel A Syrian government minis- other groups are also present. Ankara last week added Rstronghold yesterday, a ter said the siege of Idlib would Last week the UN envoy to Tahrir al-Sham to its list of war monitor said, days before probably be resolved by force. Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said designated terrorist groups. leaders of Russia, Iran and Tur- “Until now, military action is the Nusra Front and Al Qaeda, Ankara has said the presence key meet to discuss an expected more likely than reconcilia- both of which the international of radical groups in Idlib is be- Syrian government offensive tions,” Reconciliation Minister body designates as terrorists, ing used a pretext for a military that could spark a humanitar- Ali Haidar told Russia’s Sput- had an estimated 10,000 fight- operation. ian disaster. nik news agency. ers in Idlib. When he was in Russia in late The warplanes bombarded Damascus uses the term Jan Egeland (left), Special Adviser to the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, and Staff an de Mistura, Yesterday, de Mistura said August, Cavusoglu said “we countryside around Jisr al- “reconciliation” for the ne- UN Syria Envoy, attend a news conference at the UN in Geneva, yesterday. talks between Russia and Tur- have to differentiate terrorists Shughour on the western edge gotiated rebel surrenders that key held the key to resolv- from other people”, but added of the rebel enclave of Idlib af- have taken place in some areas. confrontation with Turkey, a his allies not to “recklessly at- Sarah Sanders said yesterday. ing the fate of Idlib without a that it was also important to ter weeks of lull, killing 13 ci- “Idlib is different from other supporter of the rebels, whose tack” Idlib, saying that hun- The UN Security Council will bloodbath. eliminate Russia’s concerns. vilians but no fighters, accord- regions because of the large army has set up observation dreds of thousands might die. discuss Idlib on Friday, Wash- He said he had heard reports Iran’s Foreign Minister Mo- ing to the Syrian Observatory numbers of fighters,” Haidar posts along the Idlib front lines Trump has twice ordered ington’s ambassador to the that Damascus had set a Sept hamed Javad Zarif, on a visit for Human Rights and a rebel said. “However we cannot say to deter fighting. US-led air strikes against tar- United Nations said. 10 deadline for diplomacy to to Syria, told Iranian state tel- source. there is no gateway to recon- Turkey’s Hurriyet daily re- gets in Syria in response to what The Kremlin dismissed his work before attacking. evision: “Our efforts are for... For President Bashar al-As- ciliation.” ported that Turkish armed Washington called the Assad comments yesterday, describ- Turkey fears a major assault the exit of terrorists from Idlib sad, the defeat of rebels in the Half of Idlib’s 3mn people forces were reinforcing the government’s use of chemical ing Idlib, where insurgent fac- on Idlib could send a new wave to be carried out with the least northwestern province would have already fled there from Idlib border with M60 tanks, weapons against civilians. tions dominate, as a “nest of of refugees towards its border, human cost.” mean breaking the last major their homes in other parts of and Reuters television filmed “If President Bashar al- terrorism”. Spokesman Dmitry and wants to maintain a “de- He and Peskov said Idlib stronghold of active military Syria, according to the United a convoy heading towards the Assad chooses to again use Peskov added: “We know that escalation agreement” that it would be a major subject of opposition to his rule, though Nations, and any offensive border. chemical weapons, the United Syria’s armed forces are pre- struck with Russia and Iran last discussion at a Sept 7 sum- other large areas also remain threatens new displacement Yesterday’s air strikes came States and its allies will re- paring to resolve this problem.” year. mit of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, beyond his control. and human misery. hours after US President Don- spond swiftly and appropriate- Iran echoed that theme. It has staged two major in- Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan and Washington warned Assad It could also spark a wider ald Trump warned Assad and ly,” White House spokeswoman “Terrorist groups (in Idlib) cursions into Syria, creating Iran’s Hassan Rouhani.

CRIME Explosive device Spain confi rms it has halted sale of bombs to Saudi thrown at US Spain has halted the sale of a shipment of bombs to Saudi Arabia amid embassy in Cairo Europe’s demand for dialogue concerns about their use in the conflict in Yemen, the Spanish Defence Ministry said yesterday. A man was arrested yesterday after Amnesty International and other human rights groups have denounced throwing a homemade explosive Western arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies in a war which the device close to the US embassy in ‘does not help Iran nuclear deal’ United Nations says has killed more than 10,000 people and left 8.4mn Cairo, Egyptian security and judicial on the brink of famine. Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser reported the sources said. The device exploded Defence Ministry had started a process to cancel a contract signed in front of concrete blocks guarding Reuters dismiss the supreme leader, sanctions on Tehran. The Iran to offset the impact of between Spain’s former government and the Gulf state in 2015 to sell the entrance to the complex which Geneva the highest authority in Iran. other parties to the accord US sanctions, part of efforts 400 laser-guided bombs. contains the embassy. The heavily Last week, French Foreign — China, Russia, Britain, to salvage the deal. The broadcaster said the bombs would have been used in Yemen, fortified US embassy is near numer- Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian France and Germany- are The European signatories where UN human rights experts have said air strikes by the Saudi-led ous other diplomatic missions in urope is not helping pre- said Tehran should be ready to trying to find ways to save to the deal are looking into coalition have caused heavy civilian casualties and some may amount the Egyptian capital. No-one was serve an accord on Iran’s negotiate on its future nuclear the agreement. “Europe has opening a Euro account for to war crimes. “We confirm the news,” a Defence Ministry spokeswoman wounded in the explosion and no Enuclear programme by plans, its ballistic missile arse- announced that they won’t Iran in European banks where said, declining to give any further details. significant damage was caused, asking for additional talks on nal and its role in wars in Syria leave the deal,” Jannati said, the Islamic Republic’s oil in- There was no immediate response from Saudi authorities. security and judicial sources said, issues like missiles, powerful and Yemen. according to IRNA. “In prac- come can be deposited, Iran’s Cadena Ser said the Socialist administration of Prime Minister Pedro without specifying the type of anti-Western cleric Ayatollah Iran’s foreign ministry re- tice, by bringing up a discus- deputy foreign minister Ab- Sanchez, who took over in Madrid in June after toppling his conserva- device involved. The man who Ahmad Jannati said yesterday, jected the idea. sion of missiles and other is- bas Araqchi said yesterday, tive predecessor, would pay back 9.2mn euros already paid for the threw it was detained by passers-by, according to the Islamic Re- President Donald Trump sues they are not following an according to Fars News. material. The ministry said last month it had never sold arms that could before being arrested by police. A public News Agency. pulled the United States out appropriate path.” Araqchi also said that Eu- be used against a civilian population, condemned the killing of non- team from the public prosecutor’s Jannati is the head of the of the 2015 nuclear deal be- Last month, the European ropean countries have to combatants in Yemen, and said it would review any possible sales that off ice also visited the site, the same Assembly of Experts, an infl u- tween Iran and world powers Union decided to provide make a decision to back Iran had not yet been closed and could be involved in attacks on civilians. sources said. The embassy initially ential body that can select and in May and is re-imposing 18mn euros ($21mn) in aid to even if it means paying a cost. warned US citizens to stay away over a “reported incident”, before later saying normal business had resumed. UN brokers truce to end clashes in Tripoli Saudi seeks death CONFLICT Coalition intercepts two missiles fired AFP while many more have remained talks yesterday for an “urgent various armed groups present penalty for preacher Tripoli trapped inside their homes. dialogue on the current secu- in and around the capital. towards Jizan “Under the auspices of (UN rity situation in Tripoli”. Representatives of the UN- From Page 1 that would have weakened the rul- envoy Ghassan Salame), a cease- The UN mission announced backed Government of National ing family. Awdah, a Sahwa leader, The Saudi-led coalition fighting he UN mission in Libya fi re agreement was reached and the ceasefi re hours later on Accord (GNA) including the He had previously criticised the was imprisoned from 1994-99 for in Yemen said yesterday it had said it brokered a cease- signed today to end all hostili- Twitter. It said the agreement interior minister also attended government but more recently kept agitating for political change. destroyed two ballistic missiles Tfi re yesterday to end a ties, protect civilians, safeguard also provided for the reopening the talks. The Libyan capital silent or failed to publicly back Saudi The Sahwa movement was later fired at the southern Saudi city of week of clashes in the capital public and private property,” the of Mitiga airport, the capital’s has been at the centre of a bat- policies, including a rift with Qatar undermined by a mixture of re- Jizan by the Houthis. Tripoli that have killed dozens UNSMIL mission said. only functioning airport that tle for infl uence between armed over ‘supporting the Muslim Broth- pression and co-optation. Some The Houthis said separately in a and forced thousands to fl ee Following another day of has been closed since August 31 groups since the fall of dictator erhood’. clerics, however, maintained large tweet by their al-Masirah TV that their homes. violent clashes in the capital’s due to the clashes. The agree- Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The Al Saud family has always followings through YouTube ser- they fired four missiles at a Saudi Fighting in and around southern suburbs, the fi ght- ment “today does not aim to fi x The fi ghting has pitted regarded Islamist groups as the mons. Aramco refinery and petrochemi- Tripoli since August 27 has ing came to a pause in the early all the Libyan capital’s security armed groups from Tarhuna biggest internal threat to its rule In 2011, he called for elections cal facilities in Jizan Economic City. killed at least 50 people and evening but it was unclear if all problems; it seeks to agree on a and Misrata against other mi- over a country in which appeals and separation of powers. He has A coalition statement carried by wounded 138 others, most of the groups involved would re- broader framework on the way litias from Tripoli supposed to to religious sentiment cannot be since been largely quiet on issues Saudi state news agency SPA them civilians, according to spect the agreement. to start addressing these is- be under the GNA’s control. lightly dismissed and an al Qaeda of domestic reform. said there were no casualties. The the Libyan health ministry. A ceasefi re deal announced on sues,” it added. The GNA, which has been campaign a decade ago killed hun- The authorities recommended Houthis, who control Yemen’s The violence has also forced Friday by offi cials from western The UN mission said among unable to form a functioning dreds. the death penalty last month for capital Sanaa, have fired dozens thousands of people to escape cities only held for a few hours. those who took part in the army or regular security forces, In the 1990s, the Brotherhood- fi ve human rights activists from of missiles into the kingdom in to nearby towns or seek shelter After that, UNSMIL invited closed-door talks were mili- has been forced to rely in such inspired Sahwa (Awakening) move- the kingdom’s Eastern Province, recent months. in other districts of the capital, the “various Libyan parties” to tary offi cers and leaders of militias to keep Tripoli safe. ment demanded political reforms including Israa al-Ghomgham. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 11

AFRICA

CRIME VIOLENCE MILITANCY TRAGEDY DIVESTMENT 19 killed in fresh violence Five pupils missing after Rebels ambush S African Eight die in munitions Ethiopia logistics sector in central Nigeria Cameroon school attack peacekeepers in Congo explosion in South Africa open to foreign investors

Nineteen people have been killed and scores of Five pupils are missing after gunmen attacked Two South African peacekeepers were At least eight people have been killed in Ethiopia will open its logistics sector to homes burnt in fresh violence in central Nigeria, a high school in an English-speaking part of wounded in a rebel ambush near the an explosion at a South African munitions foreign investors but cap their participation, police said, after weeks of relative calm in a long- Cameroon, severely injuring the principal, epicentre of an Ebola outbreak in eastern depot near Cape Town, authorities said. The the state investment body said yesterday in running conflict between farmers and herders. sources said yesterday. The attackers Democratic Republic of Congo, their UN blast occurred at the Somerset West-based the latest reform to loosen the government’s Eleven people were shot dead in the Lopandet targeted a school in Bafut, a town near mission said yesterday. The attack on Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) depot, a control of the economy. Prime Minister Abiy Dwei Du area of Plateau state. Eight others were Bamenda — the capital of the secessionist Monday on the outskirts of the city of Beni joint venture between Germany’s Rheinmetall Ahmed has presided over a shake-up of one killed last Tuesday in the state’s Barakin Ladi North-West region — on Monday, the first day underscored the challenges authorities face Defence and South Africa’s state-owned arms of the most heavily-regulated economies district. Twelve people were wounded in the first of the new academic year, a witness said. A in tackling a flare-up of the deadly disease in maker Denel. “I can confirm that eight people in Africa since his appointment in April. But attack. Three were injured in the second, which source close to the school’s administration an active conflict zone stalked by dozens of are dead,” said a spokesperson of Cape Town’s while Ethiopia has introduced incentives to also saw 95 houses burnt down and 310 cattle confirmed the report. Seven pupils and armed groups. The peacekeepers’ patrol was fire and rescue department. Firefighters are boost investment, bureaucracy and logistics stolen, said a police spokesman. Plateau has the school principal were initially reported attacked in the town of Ngadi by militants continuing to search for others believed to be constraints leave it at a low ranking in World for years suff ered tit-for-tat violence between missing after the attack. Two youngsters and believed to belong to the Allied Democratic trapped. The Rheinmetall-Denel plant is joint Bank global trade logistics indexes. The latest nomadic herders and farmers over land and the headmaster were later released, though Forces, a Ugandan militant group active owned by German-South Africa companies move lifted restrictions on foreign investment water that has taken on a wider ethnic and the principal was seriously injured, the school in eastern Congo, said Florence Marchal, and manufactures munitions and explosive in packaging, forwarding and shipping political dimension. source said. spokeswoman for the UN products. agency services. Nigerian ex-VP Protest over fuel levy attacks Buhari for ‘clinging on to power’

AFP down on all forms of democracy Lagos within the party and the govern- ment it produced”. Abubakar y described Jonath- igeria’s former vice-pres- an, who was lauded for conceding ident, Atiku Abubakar, defeat to Buhari, as “much more Nhas said he has “fears” for level-headed” and a “peaceful, the country’s election next year very patriotic Nigerian”. as he attacked President Muham- “We are dealing now with a madu Buhari for intransigence and retired general (Buhari), very un- wanting to cling on to power. compromising, also power-drunk “The characters that are in- who will not be ready to leave volved this time, as far as the power without a fi ght — or at least leadership of this country is con- those are some of my fears for the cerned, are diff erent from 2015,” current elections,” he said. he said. Buhari, 75, is a no-nonsense Abubakar, 71, was vice-pres- former army general who head- ident under president Olusegun ed a military government in the Obasanjo between 1999, when 1980s but ran a campaign four Pump attendants stand next to empty fuel pumps at a petrol station in Nairobi yesterday as a 16% VAT on petroleum products was announced and fuel distributors refused civilian rule was restored in Ni- years ago calling himself a “con- to collect stocks from depots. geria, and 2007. verted democrat”. He has been accused of ignor- ing the rule of law and using secu- rity services to silence perceived political opponents, as well as targeting opposition fi gures as part of his high-profi le anti-cor- ruption drive. Questions have been raised about whether he is well enough Banned Bemba denounces to run for a second term at the “The characters that are February election, after he spent involved this time, as far months undergoing treatment for as the leadership of this illness in London last year. country is concerned, are Previous polls in Nigeria have diff erent from 2015” been marked by extreme violence DR Congo vote as ‘parody’ but last week Buhari assured visit- Since then, he has been a presi- ing British Prime Minister Theresa AFP Criminal Court (ICC) for bribing volatile nation. However, Bemba and fi ve co- to Belgium, where he had spent dential candidate three times for May that he was “all out for free, Kinshasa witnesses at his war crimes trial. Kabila’s second and fi nal term accused were convicted on appeal part of his youth. three diff erent parties but failed fair and credible elections”. “The fact that one is choosing ended two years ago and he has of bribery, corruption and coach- He was then arrested in Europe to make it through the primaries. Security will be a major issue, opponents...is very worrying,” named his former interior minis- ing 14 defence witnesses in his on an ICC warrant for war crimes He left the ruling Peoples Dem- with Boko Haram militants still ormer DR Congo warlord Bemba told France 24 television, ter Ramazani Shadary as his cho- main trial. Later this month, the committed by his private army in ocratic Party (PDP) and joined the not defeated in the remote north- Jean-Pierre Bemba yes- adding that the restive nation sen successor. international court will sentence the Central African Republic from All Progressives Congress (APC) east, despite Buhari’s promises to Fterday denounced a long- would witness “a parody of an Bemba had declared his candi- the former vice president for brib- 2002-3, when its then-president before the last elections in 2015 end the nine-year insurgency that delayed December presidential election”. dacy after making a triumphant ing witnesses. Ange-Felix Patasse sought his that saw Buhari become the fi rst has killed at least 20,000 and dis- election as a “parody” after he was “The Constitutional Court fol- return home from Belgium, with Kabila who took over in 2001 help to repel a coup attempt. opposition candidate to unseat an placed more than two mn. banned from contesting and ac- lows the government’s orders...all tens of thousands of supporters after his father, Laurent-Desire Bemba, who became vice incumbent president. More than 1,500 people have cused President Joseph Kabila of this is to ensure that the govern- turning out to greet him after the Kabila, was assassinated by a bod- president of an interim govern- Atiku, as he is referred to across also been killed since September trying to hand pick a successor by ment’s candidate does not have a ICC based in The Hague acquitted yguard, is an arch-foe of Bemba. ment from 2003 to 2006, was Nigeria, praised Buhari at the time last year in renewed clashes be- eliminating serious rivals. serious challenger,” he said. him of war crimes charges. His tenure over the vast mineral- born on November 4, 1962, at but has since dumped the All Pro- tween farmers and herders in cen- Bemba was one of six presiden- The former Belgian colony has In June, a sharply divided fi ve- rich country has been marked Bogada in the northwest Equa- gressives Congress and rejoined tral states. tial hopefuls who was excluded by not seen a peaceful transition of judge ICC bench overturned by allegations of corruption, in- teur province. His father was a the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku did not disclose how he the election commission from the power since 1960. Bemba’s 2016 conviction and 18- equality and unrest. rich businessman close to dicta- accusing it of failing to deliver on would tackle Boko Haram, whose December 23 vote. Kabila, who has held offi ce year jail term for war crimes and Bemba lost presidential elec- tor Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled promises. home state of Adamawa has been He appealed the decision but since 2001, has fi nally said he will crimes against humanity com- tions to Kabila in 2006 and was from 1965 until he was ousted in He said last December the APC among the three most-aff ected by the Constitutional Court late not run again after keeping silent mitted by his troops in the neigh- later accused of treason when 1997. He left the country in 1997 had become as factionalised as its the violence and the humanitarian Monday upheld the ban due to his on the issue for months, fuelling bouring Central African Republic his bodyguards clashed with the after Laurent-Desire ousted rivals amid a “draconian clamp- aftermath. conviction by the International tension and deadly unrest in the in 2003. army in Kinshasa. In 2007, he fl ed Mobutu.

Camel race Ruling party to 100 elephants killed sweep Rwanda poll for ivory in Botswana AFP taking just 4.5% of the vote, ac- Kigali cording to preliminary results. Green Party leader Frank Hab- AFP According to Chase, the car- high. Because we had been spared ineza won only 0.45% of the vote Gaborone, Botswana casses’ skulls were “chopped poaching for a long time, I think wanda’s ruling party was in last year’s presidential election, open by presumably very sharp now we are realising the sophisti- set to win three-quarters of won by Kagame with 99%. axes, to remove their tusks”. In cation of these poachers. Rdirectly elected parliamen- Another opposition aspirant, inety elephant carcasses some cases the trunks were also “Unfortunately sometimes we tary seats in this week’s poll, pro- Diane Rwigara, was blocked from have been discovered in removed. learn these lessons the hard way,” visional results showed yesterday. contesting that presidential elec- NBotswana with their tusks “The scale of elephant poaching he said. Long-time ruler President tion before being arrested and hacked off , a charity said yester- is by far the largest I have seen or Defence chief major-general Paul Kagame’s Rwandan Patri- charged with treason. day, in what is believed to be one read about in Africa to date,” Chase Placid Segokgo said that he was otic Front (RPF), and its seven Nearly all of Rwanda’s 7mn of Africa’s worst mass poaching said, adding that the poaching co- unable to immediately comment smaller allied parties, had 75% of registered voters took part in sprees. incided with Botswana’s rangers on rangers being apparently dis- the votes after Monday’s election, Monday’s legislative vote, ac- Most of the animals killed were being reportedly disarmed earlier armed earlier this year under a new with 70% of ballots counted. cording to the National Election large bulls carrying heavy tusks, this year. government policy. Final results are not due until Commission. Elephants Without Borders said. Botswana has previously had The number of African el- September 16. Parties were vying The projected 75% for the RPF The grim discovery was made a zero-tolerance approach to ephants has fallen by around for 53 of the country’s 80 directly would represent a slight decline over several weeks during an poaching, with a “shoot-to-kill” 111,000 to 415,000 in the past dec- elected parliamentary seats of since the last parliamentary poll aerial survey by scientists from policy against poachers. ade, according to the International which 24 are reserved for women, fi ve years ago, but still guarantees Elephants Without Borders and The landlocked country with Union for Conservation of Nature two for youth and one for the dis- the ruling party’s dominance. Botswana’s department of wildlife its unfenced parks and wide open (IUCN). abled, all chosen by special coun- Despite winning widespread and national parks. spaces has the largest elephant The killing continues at a diz- cils and national committees. praise for the high level of female “We started fl ying the survey on population in Africa at over zying pace of about 30,000 el- Instead of voting for individual representation in Rwanda’s par- July 10, and we have counted 90 135,000. ephants a year to meet demand for lawmakers, Rwandans vote for liament, the legislature does not elephant carcasses since the sur- Chase said elephants in Zambia ivory in Asia, where tusks sell for a party which then decides the challenge Kagame, preferring to vey commenced,” Mike Chase, the and Angola, north of Botswana, around $1,000 a kilo. 19-year-old Samburu boy Rohisi Lepere riding a camel candidates to enter parliament. act as a rubber stamp for his ini- charity’s director, said. “Each day “have been poached to the verge The Botswana poaching oc- nicknmed ‘Ruaka’ wins the 21 km professional camel race To win at least one seat, a party tiatives. we are counting dead elephants,” of local extinction, and poachers curred just months after former category during the 29th edition of the Maralal International has to get at least 5% of the total Three years ago parliament he added. have now turned to Botswana”. president Ian Khama, deeply pas- Camel Derby at Maralal, Samburu County, northern Kenya. votes cast. unanimously approved a plan to The wild pachyderms were shot “I am very concerned, it’s a sionate about protecting wildlife, The event held annually, which aims at promoting sports and Once again the country’s only hold a constitutional referendum with heavy-calibre rifl es at water- huge worry,” he said. “I’m aware stepped down, handing power to cultural tourism, is Kenya’s best known and prestigious camel critical opposition, the Green that changed presidential term ing spots near a popular wildlife that the numbers are in double his chosen successor Mokgweetsi race attracting both international and local competitors. Party, appeared unlikely to win limits, clearing the way for Kag- sanctuary in the Okavango Delta. digit, and for Botswana they are Masisi. a single parliamentary seat after ame to stay in power until 2034. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 AMERICAS ‘Five Eyes’ agencies access demand reignites debate

AFP ment to access encrypted con- tion,” said the statement from the tries will compel providers to added that “it has become clear in San Bernardino, California. virtually everything we do online Washington tent that may not be available fi ve countries issued by Austral- build a backdoor that not only that encryption is vital for both The US government eventu- and most of those footprints can even with a search warrant. ia’s Department of Home Aff airs. governments will exploit but privacy and public safety”. ally dropped its demand after be collected without the hin- The call by the agencies from Without voluntary co-opera- hackers, criminals and other Similar concerns were voiced fi nding another means to ac- drance of encryption.” rivacy and human rights the United States, Britain, Can- tion, the agencies said, “we may bad guys will use as well,” said by Amnesty International, which cess the device, but a number of However, James Lewis of the organisations expressed ada, Australia, and New Zealand pursue technological, enforce- Greg Nojeim of the Washington- said in a tweet: “This won’t make law enforcement offi cials have Centre for Strategic and Inter- Pconcern yesterday after a threatens to reignite a long-sim- ment, legislative or other meas- based Centre for Democracy and us safer – it will just weaken se- complained that they are “going national Studies, who supports coalition of intelligence agen- mering debate on encryption. ures to achieve lawful access so- Technology. “It would weaken curity for everyone.” dark” with the use of encrypted better law enforcement access, cies renewed a call for technol- “Many of the same means of lutions”. cyber-security at the same time Encryption has been a hot- apps and devices that cannot be said that tech companies may ogy companies to allow so-called encryption that are being used While some law enforce- governments are preaching that button issue in the United States accessed by traditional wiretaps. face more pressure than in the “backdoor” access to encrypted to protect personal, commercial ment agencies contend that en- cyber-security needs to be ad- for years, and came to a head in Nojeim said the claim of “go- past. content and devices. and government information cryption is being used to shield dressed.” 2016 when Apple challenged the ing dark” is vastly exaggerated. “It’s part of the bigger public The reaction came following are also being used by criminals, criminal activity, tech fi rms and Marc Rotenberg, president Federal Bureau of Investigation “There has never been more move to rein in the tech compa- a weekend statement from the including child sex off enders, privacy activists argue that any of the Electronic Privacy Infor- (FBI)’s request to create software electronic information avail- nies and make them more social- “Five Eyes” intelligence agencies terrorists and organised crime weakening of encryption would mation Center, called the lat- that would enable investigators able to assist criminal and intel- ly responsible,” Lewis said. “The calling on “industry partners” to groups to frustrate investigations harm security for all users. est eff ort “a short-sighted and to access an iPhone used by an ligence investigations,” he said. old laissez-faire arguments are provide a way for law enforce- and avoid detection and prosecu- “The risk is that these coun- counterproductive proposal” and attacker in a 2015 mass shooting “We leave a digital footprint with losing ground.”

Storm Gordon starts Chaos at Senate hearing kicking up waves on Trump top court pick

Reuters Reuters Houston Washington

he leading edge of Tropi- he Senate confi rmation cal Storm Gordon hurled hearing for Brett Ka- Trough surf, gusty winds Tvanaugh, President Don- and heavy rain at parts of the US ald Trump’s US Supreme Court Gulf Coast yesterday afternoon, pick, opened in chaos yesterday hours before it was due to make as Democrats protested about landfall, possibly as a hurricane, Republicans blocking access to forecasters said. documents stemming from the The storm caused global oil nominee’s White House work prices to rise after two oil plat- more than a decade ago. forms in the Gulf of Mexico were News photographers clicked evacuated. pictures of a smiling Kavanaugh Gordon was due to come – the conservative federal ap- ashore later in the day near the peals court judge picked by border between Louisiana and Trump for a lifetime job on the Mississippi, and drop as much top US judicial body – as he en- Kavanaugh listens during the first day of his confirmation hearing at as 12” (30cm) of rain in areas still tered the hearing room along the US Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. recovering from last year’s pow- with family members. erful hurricanes, the National But moments after the Ju- Grassley ignored the Demo- If confi rmed, Kavanaugh is Hurricane Centre (NHC) said. diciary Committee’s Republi- crats’ request to halt the hear- expected to move the apex court Louisiana Governor John can chairman Chuck Grassley ing, saying that it was “out of – which already had a conserva- Bel Edwards declared a state of opened the session, Democrats order” . tive majority – further to the emergency. decried the withholding of the Republicans hold a slim Sen- right. Winds of about 65mph in documents and asked to have ate majority and can confi rm Senate Democratic leaders the afternoon were expected to the proceedings adjourned. Kavanaugh if they stay united. have vowed a fi erce fi ght to try to Women dressed as characters from the novel-turned-TV series The Handmaid’s Tale stand in an reach hurricane force of at least Shrieking protesters also dis- So far, there were no signs of block his confi rmation. elevator at the Hart Senate Off ice Building as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh starts the first 74mph by the time storm reach- rupted the hearing. Republican defections. Democrats signalled that they day of his confirmation hearing at the US Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. es the Gulf Coast. They took turns yelling as Trump nominated Ka- would press Kavanaugh in depth “I’m asking all residents to senators spoke, with one shout- vanaugh, 53, to replace Justice on abortion and gun rights, nominations, with anger in both calling him “one of the most case that legalised abortion na- do their part in getting ready ing, “This is a travesty of jus- Anthony Kennedy, who an- among other issues, when they parties. qualifi ed nominees – if not the tionwide. for this storm,” New Orleans tice”, another shouting “Our de- nounced his retirement on June get to question the nominee. But the Democratic frustra- most qualifi ed nominee – I have Kennedy was a solid conserv- Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a mocracy is broken”, and a third 27. Republicans have said that tions that boiled over yesterday seen”. ative but sided with the court’s statement. “The City’s absolute urging, “Vote no on Kavanaugh”. Democrats have demanded Democrats have more than had been simmering for more The Senate is likely to vote on liberals on some issues, includ- number one priority is to ensure Security personnel removed in vain to see documents relat- enough documents to assess Ka- than two years. confi rmation by the end of the ing abortion and gay rights. the safety of our residents.” dozens of demonstrators from ing to the time Kavanaugh spent vanaugh’s record, including his Democrats accused Senate month. Kavanaugh is also likely to Beaches around Mobile, Ala- the room. as staff secretary to Republican 12 years of judicial opinions as Republican leaders of stealing a The court begins its next term face questions about his views bama, were being washed by “We cannot possibly move former president George W Bush a judge on the US Court of Ap- Supreme Court seat by refusing in October. on investigating sitting presi- storm-driven waves on Tuesday forward. We have not had an op- from 2003 to 2006. peals for the District of Colum- to consider Democratic former “A good judge must be an um- dents and the ongoing probe morning, said Stephen Miller, a portunity to have a meaningful That job involved manag- bia Circuit. president Barack Obama’s pire – a neutral and impartial led by Special Counsel Robert meteorologist for the National hearing,” Democratic Senator ing paper fl ow from advisers to They have accused Democrats nominee to the high court Mer- arbiter who favors no litigant or Mueller into Russian meddling Weather Service. Kamala Harris said. Bush. of seeking to delay the hearing rick Garland in 2016, allowing policy,” Kavanaugh said in writ- in the 2016 US presidential elec- Outer rainbands (an area of Democratic Senator Cory “I think we ought to give the for purely political reasons. Trump to fi ll a Supreme Court ten remarks released in advance tion and possible collusion be- rainfall where all the clouds and Booker appealed to Grassley’s American people the opportu- Kavanaugh sat, fi ngers inter- vacancy instead. of the hearing. “I don’t decide tween Moscow and the Trump precipitation are stretched out in “sense of decency and integrity” nity to hear whether Judge Ka- twined, quietly staring ahead at Republicans also last year re- cases based on personal or policy campaign. a long line or band) of the storm and said the withholding of the vanaugh should be on the Su- the committee members as au- duced the margin for advancing preferences.” In 2009, Kavanaugh wrote a were producing gusty winds and documents by Republicans and preme Court,” Grassley said. dience members screamed while Supreme Court nominations The hearing gave Democrats law review article saying that heavy rain along the coast of the the White House deprived law- Democratic Senator Richard being dragged out of the hearing from 60 votes in the 100-seat a chance to make their case presidents should be free from western Florida Panhandle, the makers of being able to properly Blumenthal called the hearing a room. Senate to a simple majority in against Kavanaugh ahead of the distractions of civil lawsuits, NHC said in an advisory. vet the nominee. “charade” and “a mockery of our Irked by a protester who inter- order to force through the con- November’s congressional elec- criminal prosecutions, and in- Sea levels could rise as much “What are we trying to hide? norms”. rupted him, Republican Senator fi rmation of President Trump’s tions in which they are seeking vestigations while in offi ce. as 5’ (1.5m) from Shell Beach, Why are we rushing?” asked Republicans also have re- Orrin Hatch told Grassley: “Mr fi rst high court nominee Neil to seize control of Congress from “I fi nd it diffi cult to imagine Louisiana, to Dauphin Island, Democratic Senator Patrick leased some but not all of the Chairman, I think we ought to Gorsuch. Trump’s fellow Republicans. that your views on this subject Alabama, forecasters said. Leahy. existing documents concerning have this loudmouth removed. As the hearing eventually got Liberals are concerned that escaped the attention of Presi- The Mississippi Emergency Republican Senator John Kavanaugh’s two years as a law- We shouldn’t have to put up underway amid constant inter- Kavanaugh could provide a de- dent Trump who seems increas- Management Agency told South Cornyn accused Democrats of yer in the White House Coun- with this kind of stuff .” ruptions from protesters, Grass- cisive fi fth vote on the nine-jus- ingly fi xated on his own balloon- Mississippi residents to be pre- trying to conduct the hearing by sel’s Offi ce prior to become staff There is a long history of heat- ley sought to turn attention to tice court to overturn or weaken ing legal jeopardy,” Democrat pared to evacuate. “mob rule”. secretary. ed fi ghts over US Supreme Court Kavanaugh’s qualifi cations, Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Leahy said.

Most Canadians support handgun Trump accuses Sessions of hurting Republican poll chances ban, survey finds Most Canadians would be in Reuters thousands of dollars in cam- fending and upholding the con- favour of banning handguns, Washington paign funds to pay for vacations, stitution, but rather a President according to a poll released on video games, and other personal looking to use the Department of Monday, as the government mulls expenses and fi led false cam- Justice to settle political scores”. gun control measures in the S President Donald paign fi nance reports, federal of- Former Manhattan US at- wake of recent shootings in the Trump has launched a fi cials said. torney Preet Bharara called country. Ufresh attack on Attorney Hunter, the second congress- Trump’s tweet “next level crazy, According to a poll of 1,000 General Jeff Sessions, accusing man to back Trump for the White inappropriate, unethical, stupid, people carried out by Nanos him of jeopardising the chances House, has denied wrongdoing, incriminating”. Research on behalf of CTV of re-election for two Repub- and a recent poll put him in the US Senator Brian Schatz, a television network, 48% of lican congressmen by bringing lead for the election. Democrat, questioned Trump’s Canadians would support a ban criminal charges against them The Hunter investigation be- comments and whether they that exempts only police and just before the midterm elec- gan under Obama. were legal. security professionals, while 19% tions. Sessions: safe in his job until November. The unorthodox presidential “He’s not hiding how he views would be somewhat in favour of Trump wrote on Twitter that attack brought criticism from the law, law enforcement, of jus- Trump: Two easy wins now a ban. the Justice Department’s de- publicised charge, just ahead insider trading scheme involv- former Justice Department offi - tice. In his world they swore an in doubt because there is not On the other hand, 21% of those cision to fi le charges will hurt of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff ing an Australian biotechnol- cials and some Republican sena- oath to him, not (the) constitu- enough time. Good job Jeff . asked said they opposed a ban, safe Republican seats in the US Sessions Justice Department,” ogy company on whose board he tors, including Ben Sasse. tion and laws,” Schatz wrote on and 10% said they somewhat House of Representatives. the Republican president wrote. served. “The United States is not Twitter. Bloomberg that the attorney opposed it. Election analysts believe that “Two easy wins now in doubt Collins has denied wrongdo- some banana republic with a The president has repeatedly general was safe in his job until Nanos said that support for a ban there is a 50% chance that the because there is not enough ing but will not seek re-election. two-tiered system of justice – attacked Sessions for recusing November but declined to say was highest in Quebec – 77% – Democratic Party will take con- time. Good job Jeff ....” Despite Trump’s claim that one for the majority party and himself from an investigation if he would keep Sessions in the but weaker in western Canada trol of the House, in which all Justice Department spokes- both investigations began under one for the minority party. These into Russian interference in the role beyond then. at 55%. 435 seats are up for grabs in the woman Sarah Isgur Flores de- Democratic president Barack two men have been charged with 2016 US presidential election The president has repeatedly Calls for stricter firearms control November 6 elections. clined to comment on Trump’s Obama, Collins was charged crimes because of evidence, not campaign. denied there was any collusion increased after a 29-year-old Republicans currently hold a tweets, which did not name the over trades in June 2017 – nearly because of who the president After the recusal, Deputy At- between his campaign and Mos- man shot dead a young woman 236-193 advantage and there are congressmen. six months after Trump took of- was when the investigations be- torney General Rod Rosenstein cow. and girl and injured 13 others in six vacant seats. On August 8, Congressman fi ce. gan,” Sasse said in a statement. appointed Special Counsel Rob- US intelligence agencies have Toronto in late July. “Two long-running, Obama Christopher Collins, a Republi- On August 23, Republican Senator Jeff Flake, a Repub- ert Mueller to lead the probe, concluded Russia tried to help Toronto has been particularly era, investigations of two very can who was candidate Trump’s Representative Duncan Hunter lican, said on Twitter that the which Trump calls a “witch Trump win the 2016 election, aff ected by gun violence, with popular Republican Congress- fi rst supporter in the House, was was indicted on charges that he statement was “not the conduct hunt”. but the Kremlin denies med- 270 shootings leaving around 30 men were brought to a well- charged with participating in an and his wife used hundreds of of a President committed to de- Last week, Trump told dling. dead so far in 2018. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 13 ASIA

Floods, storms kill 14 in Vietnam Floods and storms have left 14 people dead in northern and central Vietnam, state media reported yesterday. Families of jailed Myanmar A tropical convergence zone that arrived in the region August 29 has caused heavy downpours and flooding after up to 200mm of rain fell, the Vnexpress news site reported. Nine were reported dead and three missing in Thanh Hoa reporters appeal for release province, the worst hit, while Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Lang Son, Son La, AFP months, if not years. State-backed media barely Yen Bai each reported one dead. Yangon The country’s president, mentioned the verdict yester- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan a close ally of Suu Kyi, could day although other papers stood Phuc on Friday urged authorities also pardon the reporters but in solidarity with the reporters. to take action to prevent the loss he wife of one of two Re- experts say any immediate A publication called 7Day of further lives. uters journalists jailed in intervention is unlikely. News branded it a “sad day” for TMyanmar made an emo- Erstwhile Suu Kyi advocates Myanmar and carried a large tional appeal yesterday to Aung overseas have been left dis- black rectangle on its front Bangladesh to ban San Suu Kyi to free her hus- mayed by her attitude to the page. band for the sake of their young journalists’ ordeal. The English version of the child labour daughter, as the leader comes Her one public reference to Myanmar Times ran a full The Bangladeshi government under increasing criticism for the Reuters journalists during front-page photo of Kyaw Soe yesterday approved the draft her silence on the case. the court case - telling Japa- Oo, calling the verdict “a blow of a law banning child labour in Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe nese broadcaster NHK that the to press freedom” although its the country with provisions for Oo, 28, were arrested while re- pair had broken the Offi cial Myanmar-language sister pa- stringent punishment to off enders. porting on atrocities commit- Secrets Act - was criticised by per was more muted, simply The draft was approved at a ted during the military’s bloody rights groups for potentially urging the overhaul of obsolete cabinet meeting with Prime expulsion of some 700,000 Ro- prejudicing the verdict. laws. Minister Sheikh Hasina in the hingya Muslims last year. Wa Lone’s wife Pan Ei Mon On Facebook – the prime chair, Xinhua quoted Cabinet A Yangon court on Monday described the families’ sadness source of news for many in a Secretary Mohammad Shafiul found them guilty under the Of- on seeing the interview, say- country that only recently came Alam as saying. fi cial Secrets Act and sentenced ing that was the moment they online – comments were over- The proposed “Bangladesh Labour them to seven years in prison, “realised that she didn’t know whelmingly stacked against (Amendment) Act” stipulates that sparking outrage from the UN, Pan Ei Mon, left, and Chit Su Win, wives of detained Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, attend about the case clearly”. the reporters, accusing them of anybody who engages child labour EU and US as well as media and a press conference in Yangon yesterday. US diplomat Bill Richardson, bias and some even calling for a will be fined about $60. rights groups. a former confi dant and mem- harsher sentence. In line with the draft, children Suu Kyi was herself subject- “I want my husband to come the verdict – the sternest test A whistleblowing policeman ber of her advisory board on the Pan Ei Mon and Chit Su Win aged 14-18 will only be allowed ed to house arrest for some 15 back,” she said. “I cry when my in recent years to free speech in had corroborated the defence Rohingya crisis, alleged she also say they just try to ignore the to do light work. The country’s years, relying on foreign media daughter asks me why her fa- the country – has shredded her argument that the reporters denounced the two reporters negative opinions about their existing labour law allows the to highlight a plight that kept ther is not with us. She asks me, reputation even further. had been entrapped by police, as traitors during a heated ex- husbands. minimum age for light work at 12. her away from her own children ‘Does he not love me?’” But Aung Hla Tun, a former who handed them documents change at the beginning of the “Some people say that I was The move comes as the as they grew up. A UN report last week ac- Reuters journalist who is now over dinner shortly before their year. wrong to marry a journalist but phenomenon of child labour Kyaw Soe Oo’s wife Chit Su cused Suu Kyi of failing to use deputy minister of information, arrest. While the case horrifi ed the I never feel like that,” Chit Su in Bangladesh is on the rise Win, 23, broke down in tears as her moral authority to stem the defended Suu Kyi’s reticence. But the judge chose to ignore West, domestically it garnered Win said. “He is not only a good in various informal sectors, she asked the Nobel Peace Prize violence last year and called for “Criticising the judicial sys- the testimony. little public attention despite its journalist but a good husband. including small factories and laureate to release her husband, the generals to be prosecuted tem would be tantamount to Lawyers for the pair will implications for press freedom. I’m proud of him and I will workshops, on the street, in the father of their three-year- for “genocide”. contempt of court,” he said. “I appeal the verdict although Response to the jailing was teach my daughter to be proud home-based businesses and old daughter. Her silence on the case and don’t think she will do it.” the lengthy process will take mixed. of her father.” domestic employment. Thailand king’s volunteers boost his support, visibility

Reuters seeking to distance himself from volunteer, said the volunteer Bangkok the military, which has been in programme benefi ts the royal power in Thailand since a 2014 household. coup. “It is good for society and the rom a distance, the volun- Last year, Vajiralongkorn de- revered royal institution,” Tha- teers cleaning up a clogged manded unprecedented changes montip said as she picked up FBangkok waterway could to a constitutional draft en- rubbish in Bangkok. be mistaken for Scouts, but the dorsed by the military govern- “I joined the programme be- group, wearing yellow foulards ment. He has also taken back cause I wanted to do good for and blue hats, are part of a vol- control of royal assets formally the king,” said another volun- unteer programme started by managed by the government. teer, Patcharaporn Husain, 61, a Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, David Streckfuss, a Thailand- housewife. 66. based independent scholar said More than 4mn volunteers The “Volunteer Spirit” he saw the volunteer programme from all walks of life have joined scheme, which offi cially began as an attempt by the king to cre- the scheme, according to offi - in 2017, has created a new army ate a separate power base. cials in charge. They carry out of civilians who have pledged “If the monarchy is... to dis- a range of tasks from cleaning allegiance to the king and are tinguish itself from the military public spaces to helping police boosting the image of Vaji- and attempt to bring Thailand to direct traffi c. ralongkorn ahead of his formal into a democratic constitutional Their most high-profi le mo- coronation at year-end. monarchy, then we might look at ment was came when the vol- King’s volunteers wearing blue caps and yellow foulards shout slogans before the start of the cleaning programme at a market in Bangkok. Vajiralongkorn’s father, King this eff ort by the new monarch unteers joined an international Bhumibol Adulyadej, was re- as creating an alternative power rescue eff ort to rescue 12 boys front of the king’s portrait be- trait every time before starting a of the monarchy, said, referring of foundations spread across Thai- vered by Thais during his seven base,” Streckfuss said. and their soccer coach from a fore being given their yellow and community activity. to the Wild Tiger Corps – a para- land, but no such volunteer pro- decades on the throne and the The palace declined fl ooded cave last month. blue uniforms – colours associ- Some say the programme re- military force founded in 1911 by gramme existed during his reign. deep relationship between the comment. “We fed about four thousand ated with former King Bhumi- fl ects the mindset of King Vaji- Vajiravudh that was inspired by The volunteers are able to do monarchy and the military Vajiralongkorn, however, is people every day at the cave,” a bol and Queen Mother Sirikit, ralongkorn who sees the Victori- the British Volunteer Force. things that the government might helped facilitate a smooth royal thought to have a good working palace offi cial who was involved Vajiralongkorn’s mother. an-era court of King Vajiravudh, He “wants the monarchy to otherwise not be able to, because transition following his death in relationship with Prime Min- with the rescue said. Once they put on their new also known as Rama VI, as the serve the people, to protect the of their royal backing, said Sulak. October 2016. ister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who He declined to be named. uniforms, the volunteers do a ideal model of kingship. people, to do well for the people,” “If the government asked them Since then, the new king has came to power following the Volunteers have to register military-style salute to the king’s “The king wants the volun- said Sulak, 86. they wouldn’t do it,” said Sulak. brought about a major shake- 2014 coup. with the palace and go through portrait and, in a completely teers to be a kind of ‘Sue Pa’,” Su- The volunteer force raised by “The volunteer programme is up of royal aff airs, and some Thamontip Puangkitja, a an initiation process that in- new tradition, they must line lak Sivaraksa, a renowned scholar Vajiralongkorn is not armed. one of the great successes of the observers have said he may be 50-year-old retiree turned volves lining up and bowing in up and salute the king’s por- who has sometimes been a critic Bhumibol was patron to hundreds new king.” 2 Vietnamese-Americans jailed Bangladesh court refuses to hear photographer’s case for 14 years over bomb plots AFP the high court in Dhaka and a allegedly violating Bangladesh’s Dhaka hearing was set for yesterday. Internet laws, enacted in 2006 But “the court did not hear the and sharpened in 2013, which Reuters warehouse in nearby Bien Hoa istry of Public Security said in a Minh City upheld prison sen- case because one of the judges critics say are used to stifl e Hanoi city, where confi scated vehicles, statement on its website. tences against 15 members of ward-winning photog- (said he) felt embarrassed to dissent and harass journalists. mostly motorbikes, were stored. Phan and Nguyen ran a net- the group it said were guilty of rapher and rights activ- hear the case,” lawyer Jyotirmoy Alam – whose work has ap- “The remaining 10 defend- work of underground opera- planting bombs in the interna- Aist Shahidul Alam, whose Barua said. peared widely in Western media Vietnamese court found ants in the same trial received tives in Vietnam, some of whom tional terminal of Tan Son Nhat month-long detention has trig- Barua said the judge did not and who founded the renowned two Vietnamese-Amer- prison terms of between fi ve were given titles in a shadow airport in April last year. gered an international outcry, give any further explanation. Pathshala South Asian Media Aicans guilty of terrorism and 11 years,” an offi cial at the government such as “governor In another case last month, failed to win bail yesterday after He said Alam’s legal team was Institute – faces a maximum 14 yesterday and sentenced them Ho Chi Minh City People’s of Saigon”, or “commander of police said it had arrested seven Bangladesh’s high court refused now trying to get the case heard years in jail if convicted, along to 14 years in prison for master- Court told Reuters by phone. national defence guards,” the people from a separate group to consider the request, his by another bench of the high with others detained during the minding bomb plots earlier this According to state media, ministry of public security said. over the a bombing of a Ho Chi lawyer said. court. protests. year, a court offi cial said. Phan and Nguyen were acting The pair assigned “counter- Minh City police station in June. Alam was arrested on August 5 Alam’s arrest capped a tur- The photographer told re- James Nguyen and Angel Phan on behalf of the “Provisional revolutionary” missions to the That incident, in which two for making “false” and “provoc- bulent month in Bangladesh as porters outside court last month were convicted, along with 10 Government of Vietnam”, a group’s members in Vietnam, small explosive devices were ative” statements on Facebook teenage students poured onto that he had been beaten so badly accomplices who received short California-based organisation the ministry said, including a detonated, injured three people Live during massive student the streets for nine straight days in police custody that his tu- jail terms, after a two-day trial. run by Vietnamese-Americans plan to broadcast anti-govern- in what police said was a “ter- protests in Dhaka. after two teenagers were killed nic needed washing to get the All defendants had been charged still loyal to the now defunct ment propaganda from local rorist case against the people’s Rights groups, UN rights ex- by a speeding bus. blood out. with “attempting to overthrow state of South Vietnam. radio stations, organise pro- government”. perts, Nobel laureates and hun- Alam had told the media that New York-based Human the state”. The US organisation, which tests, and “insult the image” of The Provisional Government dreds of academics have called the protests were the result of Rights Watch has demanded his Phan and Nguyen were ac- was listed as a “terrorist” group former president Ho Chi Minh. of Vietnam did not respond to a for the immediate release of the pent-up anger at corruption and release, denouncing authori- cused of planning the attempted by Hanoi in January this year, Phan and Nguyen will be de- request for comment made via 63-year-old, who says he has an “unelected government... ties for targeting activists and bombing of Vietnam’s larg- dispatched Phan and Nguyen ported after serving their jail its website. been beaten in custody. clinging on by brute force” that journalists instead of prosecut- est international airport in Ho to Vietnam in February 2017 to term, Voice of Vietnam radio The US embassy in Hanoi After a lower court rejected had looted banks and gagged ing those who attacked students Chi Minh City in April 2017 and carry out attacks on Vietnam- reported. was not able to provide imme- a bail petition for Alam last media. when last month’s protests were the actual bombing of a police ese national holidays, the Min- In June, a court in Ho Chi diate comment. month, his lawyers moved to He is being investigated for broken up. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

A truck sitting at an angle after being blown over by strong winds caused by Typhoon Jebi on the Seto Ohashi bridge in Sakade, Kagawa prefecture, on Japan’s Shikoku island. Six dead as typhoon slams western Japan

AFP cal media warned that the wind Tokyo was strong enough to topple traditional-style wooden houses as well as power poles, and urged he strongest typhoon to hit people in aff ected areas to avoid Japan in 25 years battered non-essential travel. Tthe west of the country Primary and middle schools yesterday with violent winds and in the storm’s path were closed heavy rain, killing six and injur- while regional businesses in- ing scores more. Powerful gusts cluding Universal Studios Japan ripped sheeting from rooftops, in Osaka and factories for several overturned trucks on bridges and large manufacturers shut down. swept a tanker anchored in Osaka Nearly 800 fl ights were can- Bay into a bridge to Kansai Inter- celled, including several interna- national Airport. tional fl ights departing and ar- The damage to the bridge left riving at Nagoya and Osaka, along the airport cut off from the main- with ferries, local train services Damaged vehicles blown by strong winds from Typhoon Jebi are seen in Osaka. land and stranded around 3,000 and some bullet train lines. people there, an offi cial told AFP. People walk against strong winds in Nagoya as Typhoon Jebi made Jebi had a similar trajectory to The airport was now conduct- landfall around midday in southwestern Japan. Typhoon Cimaron which made ing safety tests on the undamaged landfall on August 23, disrupt- section of the bridge, the offi cial NHK said 164 people had suf- ly 1.2mn people, with another ing transport but causing limited said, but it remained unclear fered mostly minor injuries. In 16,000 under stronger – though damage and few injuries. when the passengers could leave. Osaka television footage showed still not mandatory – evacuation Japan is regularly struck by High waves whipped up by the the large tanker smashing into the orders. major storms during the summer storm also fl ooded parts of the bridge connecting the city of Izu- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and autumn. airport, where all fl ights were misano with Kansai airport, with had urged people to evacuate The country has been sweating cancelled, and the severe weather its superstructure battering away early and ordered his govern- through a record deadly heatwave caused power outages and travel part of the bridge. ment to take all necessary meas- that followed devastating rain in chaos across much of the coun- Local TV also showed foot- ures to protect residents, after parts of central and western Ja- try. age of a 100-m (328-ft) tall ferris the weather agency warned of pan that killed over 200 people. Typhoon Jebi made landfall wheel in Osaka spinning furi- landslides, fl ooding and vio- The sustained rain caused around noon, slamming into the ously in the strong wind despite lent winds, as well as high tides, widespread fl ooding and land- west of the country with winds of being switched off . lightning and tornadoes. “I urge slides in July, devastating entire up to 216km per hour. The fast- “I’ve never seen such a thing,” the Japanese people to take action villages and forcing thousands moving storm quickly crossed the a 19-year-old boy at the scene to protect your lives, including from their homes. mainland, and by nightfall was told NHK. preparing and evacuating early,” The fl ooding and landslides heading out to sea from Ishikawa Elsewhere, the winds whipped he said. proved so deadly in part because in central Japan. Public broad- away part of the ceiling from Arriving on land, Jebi had many people did not heed evacu- caster NHK reported at least six Kyoto station and peeled off mul- winds of up to 162km (100 miles) ation warnings, which are not deaths in the storm, including a ti-storey scaff olding on a build- per hour at its centre, making mandatory. Since the disaster, 71-year-old man killed in west- ing in Osaka. The storm left more it a “very strong” typhoon, the authorities have urged people to ern Shiga prefecture after being than 1mn households without weather agency’s chief forecaster take the warnings more seriously trapped under a warehouse that power and evacuation advisories Ryuta Kurora told AFP. “This is and prepare to leave home imme- Damaged traff ic boards and telecommunication relay poles are seen after they were brought down by collapsed in strong wind. were issued at one point for near- (the strongest) since 1993.” Lo- diately they are issued. strong winds caused by typhoon Jebi in Osaka. China kindergarten principal NZ TV journalist held by Nauru police

Reuters der Australia’s hard line immi- she “voluntarily accompanied” ages in small boats. Australia has sacked for pole dance show Sydney gration policy anyone attempting police to the station and was in negotiated for the United States to reach Australia by sea is sent breach of her visa conditions be- to resettle some 1,250 refugees, for processing to camps on Nauru cause she did not go through the including from Nauru. AFP on. Others tried to mimic the ance, adding that the dance was olice in the South Pacifi c and Papua New Guinea’s Manus “proper channels” to seek to re- But resettlements have been Beijing sultry moves, with several small intended to liven up the atmos- island of Nauru briefl y held Island and is never allowed to port a story outside the meeting. slow, the vetting process sensi- boys gyrating their hips and phere. Hours later, local edu- Pa New Zealand journalist settle in Australia. “This journalist did not follow tive and Nauru’s hosting of the dancing around each other. In cation authorities announced at a police station and cancelled Television New Zealand procedures ... police and secu- Pacifi c Islands Forum this week kindergarten principal in the background, shocked par- they had fired the principal her permit to cover a regional (TVNZ) Pacifi c correspondent rity agencies are genuinely con- has thrown fresh scrutiny on to China trying to liven up ents could be heard comment- and put Xinshahui under in- leaders’ conference yesterday, Barbara Dreaver said she was cerned about safety and security the situation. Aa formal back-to-school ing about the suitability of the vestigation. because she met refugees with- held by police for three hours af- risks should media take it upon Nauru suspended its typical ceremony with a racy pole performance. “Other schools in the dis- out seeking permission, the gov- ter speaking to a refugee outside themselves to enter refugee resi- A$8,000 fee ($5,777) for journal- dancer was fi red after angry Many took to social media to trict should reflect on this ernment and broadcaster TVNZ a restaurant. dential settlements where emo- ist visa applications during the parents lit up social media with express their outrage, threaten- incident and strictly uphold said. “The police showed up and tions are high,” the government Pacifi c Islands Forum meeting, complaints. ing to pull their children out of education standards,” the Nauru closely controls ac- said I was breaching my visa statement said. but warned journalists against Like most schools across school and calling for Lai’s res- Bao’an education bureau said cess for foreign journalists and conditions and I was taken to the Australia defends its policy of engaging “in activities that cause China, the Xinshahui Kinder- ignation. in a statement. is particularly sensitive regard- police station,” Dreaver said in a forcing asylum-seekers who ar- or encourage disruption or civil garten in the southern city of “Pole dancing at a school “I may as well be dead. I al- ing asylum-seekers sent there by TVNZ interview. rive by sea to Manus Island and unrest”. The forum, attended by Shenzhen marks the start of the welcome ceremony? How can ready lost the hope to live,” Lai Australia. It has already banned “I think it probably shows that Nauru, saying it has deterred 18 member governments, com- school year with a ceremony, I trust my children with them? told state-run tabloid the Glo- Australia’s public broadcaster things are a wee bit sensitive people from making dangerous prising Pacifi c states plus Aus- usually consisting of perform- I’m going to pull my kid out and bal Times. This was just one of from sending reporters to the is- here, in fact a lot sensitive,” she journeys after thousands had tralia and New Zealand, runs un- ances and speeches. ask for a refund,” one parent several incidents in a shaky start land after critical coverage. Un- said. Nauru’s government said drowned during ill-fated voy- til September 6. But Monday’s edition, which wrote on social media platform to the Chinese school year. included the risque pole dance, WeChat. Over the weekend, parents cost principal Lai Rong her job. “Is the principal an i****?” complained that a television Videos circulating on social another commented on the programme deemed manda- media showed a scantily-clad Twitter-like site Weibo. In a tory viewing by state educators dancer in hot pants shimmying text message to parents, Lai on Saturday night included 12 Australia mints its most valuable coin ever up and down a pole to thumping apologised for the “horrifi c minutes of advertisements, music as stunned children in viewing experience” and for not mostly promoting online tutor- marching band uniforms looked checking the dancer’s perform- ing courses and stationery sales. AFP will be sold to the highest bid- Sydney der. It is the most valuable coin ever made in Australia and is American sentenced to hang in Malaysia for killing ex-wife expected to be sold to a buyer ustralia has minted a from Asia or the Middle East. An American man was who had been working as a in her death, Ramu said. The gold coin encrusted It was “released in response sentenced to death by hanging telecommunications consultant lawyer said Mickelson had no Awith rare pink diamonds to the distinct increase in de- in Malaysia yesterday for in Malaysia, was about to move motive to murder his ex-wife and worth A$2.48mn (US$1.8mn) mand for exclusive luxury murdering his ex-wife, but his to the Philippines to be with even called the management to meet growing demand for items”, said Perth Mint chief lawyer said he was acting in his new wife when his former of the building after killing her, high-end collectables from the executive Richard Hayes yes- self-defence and would appeal. partner called him. rather than fleeing. An appeal is ultra-rich. terday. Called “Discovery”, it Gerald Wayne Mickelson, 63, was When Mickelson went to see expected to be filed within the The 2-kg treasure, which was modelled after the “Holey convicted of strangling Guilda her in a serviced apartment next two weeks. depicts a sailing ship, a gold Dollar”, one of Australia’s fi rst Mickelson in Kuala Lumpur complex, the 62-year-old Malaysia has a mandatory death prospector and boab trees coins, with a private collector in November 2016, his lawyer allegedly tried to kill him, penalty for murder, which is found in Western Australia, paying Aus$495,000 for one of K A Ramu said. Mickelson, resulting in a struggle that ended always carried out by hanging. is considered legal tender and those in 2013. A minted 2-kg gold coin called “Discovery” in Perth. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 15 BRITAIN/IRELAND

PEOPLE OBITUARY TRANSPORT CRIME HEALTH Arron Banks ‘joins Blake’s 7 star Pearce Tube train travels Man charged over death of Novichok victim Conservative Party’ dies aged 74 with doors wide open Specials singer’s grandson treated for meningitis

Millionaire Brexit backer Arron Banks has Blake’s 7 actress Jacqueline Pearce has died Footage has emerged on social media of a London A man has been charged in connection with the The novichok poisoning victim Charlie Rowley had his application to join the Conservative aged 74. Pearce, who starred as villain Servalan Underground train travelling with the doors open death of a grandson of the Specials singer Neville is being treated in hospital for meningitis and Party accepted by a local association, the Mail in the BBC sci-fi show which ran between and passengers on board. The Jubilee line train Staple. Fidel Glasgow, 21, died in hospital after sight problems but is hoping to be discharged revealed. Banks, who bankrolled Leave.EU, and 1978 and 1981, had been diagnosed with was filmed on Saturday by Chris Nops as it travelled being stabbed in Coventry in the early hours of within a month. Rowley said he was happy with his business partner Andy Wigmore, applied to lung cancer. Famous for her short ‘pixie cut’ near Finchley Road station. He posted the footage Saturday. A second, unnamed 23-year-old man what doctors had told him and was optimistic he join the North West Leicestershire association of hairstyle, her character subjugated the galaxy to Instagram and the clip was also shared on remains in a serious condition in hospital after would be able to leave hospital soon. Speaking Tory MP Andrew Bridgen. Banks, a former Ukip while wearing evening dress and heels as Twitter. Nops later told reporters: “They made an the incident. Glasgow, who is the son of Staple’s from his hospital bed Rowley said his eyesight had donor and close ally of Nigel Farage, has urged Supreme Commander of the totalitarian ‘Terran announcement saying they were aware the doors daughter Melanie, was found behind Club M in improved but was not yet fully restored and said Brexit supporters to join the Conservatives to Federation’. Pearce won further admirers in the were open, so nobody pulled the emergency lever. Coventry city centre and rushed to hospital but there was still “a bit of meningitis in the system”. try to influence the direction of Brexit and any sci-fi world for her guest role in The Two Doctors I wasn’t concerned about my safety, however I was could not be saved. On Monday, West Midlands Rowley, 45, and his partner, Dawn Sturgess, 44, fell future leadership contest. Banks and Wigmore episodes of Doctor Who in 1985, opposite Colin alarmed as there were children in the carriage.” police confirmed that a man had been arrested in ill on June 30 in Amesbury, four months after the tried to join the party last month through a Baker’s Time Lord. Pearce, who died at home in Nigel Holness, the network operations director City Arcade shopping centre in connection with the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, central application process, but were rejected by Lancashire, had recently been diagnosed, her for London Underground, said the safety of death. Atikou Diallo, 23, was charged with violent Yulia, suff ered novichok poisoning in Salisbury. the party HQ. friend John Ainsworth said. customers and staff was “our top priority”. disorder and grievous bodily harm. Sturgess died but Rowley was discharged in July. Four in fi ve WellChild Awards ceremony adults at risk of early death, study reveals

Guardian News and Media aware of our general health and London prompt changes that will help us to live longer and healthier lives.” Prof Jamie Waterall, PHE’s our out of fi ve adults have national lead for cardiovascular hearts that are more dam- disease, said: “It’s worrying that Faged than they should be for so many people are at risk of dy- their age, putting them at greater ing unnecessarily from heart at- risk of early death, a major study tack and stroke. (But) I was un- has shown. surprised … given that we have a The disclosure prompted calls population that’s becoming more for Britons to ditch their un- obese and we have major prob- healthy lifestyles and monitor lems with things like high blood their own health more closely in pressure, high cholesterol, alcohol order to reduce their risk of having and physical inactivity. Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, meet four-year-old Mckenzie Brackley during the annual WellChild Awards ceremony at the Royal Lancaster a heart attack or stroke. “We need the public to under- Hotel in London yesterday. Leading doctors said the stand the impact that all that’s number of people with a heart having on their risk of having a “older” than their actual age was heart attack or stroke. Clearly, “really alarming” and should spur many people need to make major people to quit smoking, eat better changes to their lifestyles.” Up to and exercise more. The revelation 50 lives a day in England could be refl ects in part Britain’s high levels saved if people adopted healthier of obesity and physical inactivity behaviours, because 80% of heart and previously high smoking rate. attacks and strokes are prevent- Almost four-fi fths (78%) of able, he stressed. more than 1.9mn people in Eng- People also need to take much Police seek quick access land who have taken Public Health greater individual responsibility England’s new online “heart age for monitoring their own health, test” were found to have a heart especially their blood pressure that was older than their chrono- and cholesterol levels – both key logical age. markers of overall health –experts A third (34%) of those who an- said. That could include visiting a swered the 16-question survey pharmacy, seeing a nurse or doc- to social media accounts turned out to have a heart age that tor at their GP surgery, or taking was at least fi ve years above their the NHS Health Check for adults Agencies it was not the fi rst time a police diffi culties in trying to obtain the apply to the US justice depart- about it and they still haven’t actual age, while for one in seven in England aged 40 to 74. London service had approached a social messages from Facebook, South- ment for the password – a process changed it back.” (14%), it was at least 10 years However, Waterall urged people media fi rm looking for evidence ampton crown court was told by that could take months. This is the fi rst time that White higher. who receive bad news about their “and had to go through either a prosecutors. White, 30, told the Mail: ‘In has spoken publicly about her The government’s public health heart as a result of taking the new he head of Scotland Yard very protracted procedure, or has Nicholson was fi rst arrested by situations like this, Facebook re- concerns over Facebook. agency warned that anyone with a test to use it as a prompt to make has called for police to be found that it’s impossible to do Hampshire police on suspicion of ally should just release the infor- Senior MPs called for Facebook heart age older than their real age changes that many have probably Table to quickly access ma- so”. She said, during an interview murder and sexual activity with mation that is needed and I think to do the ‘right thing’ to help po- was at risk of “an early grave or previously considered but not im- terial from social media compa- on LBC Radio: “I absolutely think a child and remains on bail for that is the opinion that everybody lice solve this ‘shocking case’. ending up very disabled in later plemented. nies after the suspect in the mur- that in certain instances – and those allegations. A charging de- has. ‘They should give over the Yvette Cooper, chairman of the life”. It wants everyone over the “The shock of having a heart der of 13-year-old Lucy McHugh it sounds like this is one – law cision is expected on October 27. account details. Lucy needs jus- home aff airs select committee, age of 30 to take the test and, if attack is pretty devastating. When was jailed for withholding his Fa- enforcement in the UK ought to Earlier McHugh’s mother con- tice. It’s so easy for them to do.” said: “This was an appalling mur- necessary, take urgent action to I worked as a nurse on a coronary cebook password. have vital evidence which might demned Facebook over its failure MPs also voiced outrage, say- der, and McHugh’s family need reduce their risk. care unit, most people who had a The Metropolitan police com- bring someone to justice. There to hand over the prime suspect’s ing the delays in getting crucial justice. For there to be such long “These are really alarming fi g- heart attack wanted to turn back missioner, Cressida Dick, was are complex and practical things password. information were “deeply dis- delays and cumbersome interna- ures that will cause great anxiety time and to have lived healthier speaking after Stephen Nichol- for them, and legal things, which Stacey White accused the so- turbing”. White also criticised the tional processes for getting cru- for many,” said professor Helen lives. For example, often peo- son pleaded guilty last week to a I do respect. It’s not as straight- cial media giant of denying her social media company for turning cial information in such a serious Stokes-Lampard, chair of the ple talked about wanting to stop charge under the Regulation of forward as it sounds, but I think justice after police were forced her daughter’s private Facebook case is deeply disturbing. Royal College of General Practi- smoking but hadn’t got round to Investigatory Powers Act and was that’s where we should be.” to apply to American judges for account into a public memo- “It shouldn’t be beyond Face- tioners. “But rather than people it, so the inevitable had happened. sentenced to 14 months’ impris- Nicholson twice refused to give a court order demanding that it rial page. ‘It’s public so people can book and the US and UK govern- panicking, we hope this well- “It’s never too late – or too early onment. detectives his Facebook password hand over the information. write whatever they like on there,’ ments to come up with fast legal intentioned initiative by Public – to make changes. The number Asked if Hampshire police while being questioned on suspi- Because Facebook is based in she said. “They could at least have procedure for the police to get Health England will serve as a one thing to do is quit smoking, if should have been denied the data cion of murder and sexual activity America, offi cers from Hamp- the decency to stop it from be- answers when it comes to inves- wake-up call for us all to be more you are a smoker”, he said. they had requested, Dick said with a child. Police were facing shire Police have been forced to ing public – I’ve messaged them tigating a child’s murder.”

Health initiative Irish PM seeks deal Dagenham school talks with Fianna Fail

Reuters presented on October 9. damaged in blaze “Such uncertainty weakens our Dublin hand in Brexit talks, at a time of Guardian News and Media The 500-pupil school was Twelve fire engines and four increasing international uncer- London due to open for the start of water jets were involved in reland’s prime minister yes- tainty.” the autumn term today. “It is tackling the blaze. terday formally proposed ex- Some senior Fianna Fail law- unfortunate timing that this The cause of the fi re is un- Itending a deal with the main makers have said they are open fi re that engulfed al- fire has occurred just before known. Wainwright said: “It opposition party to back his mi- to extending the deal for another most three-quarters of the start of term,” Wainwright is too soon to speculate on the nority government beyond this year, but Martin reiterated in a Aa primary school in east said. cause but as soon as they’re able year, asking it to agree an elec- response published by his party London has been brought under to, fi re investigators will enter tion date for the summer of 2020. yesterday that he would not begin control, almost four hours after “It is too soon to speculate the site to start their work.” Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael-led talks on a possible extension until the alarm was fi rst raised. on the cause but as soon The part of the school aff ect- government operates through after the budget was announced. London fi re brigade said the as they’re able to, fi re ed is understood to be an exten- a “confi dence and supply” deal He did not respond directly to blaze caused “signifi cant dam- investigators will enter the sion of the main brick build- with the largest opposition party, Varadkar’s call to set a 2020 elec- age” to Roding primary school site to start their work” ing that sits at the back of the Fianna Fail, which has agreed to tion date. in Dagenham. The fi re was de- grounds. Unlike the front-fac- abstain from opposition-driven With Fine Gael leading Fianna clared under control at 8.40am A nearby school, Saint Tere- ing section of the site, it is un- votes against the government until Fail in opinion polls by a wider yesterday after fi refi ghters re- sa Catholic primary, had been derstood to be made from wood the end of 2018. margin than at the last election in moved a propane canister they due to open yesterday, but was and other less fi re-resistant Varadkar said earlier this year 2016, a senior Fianna Fail member feared would explode. closed as a precaution. material. Yesterday morning’s he wanted to renew the pact and of parliament who negotiated the Speaking from the scene, The front of the Roding fi re razed that area of the school that talks to do so should start well original pact accused Varadkar of the station manager Rod school showed little sign of to little more than smoking ahead of its expiry. trying to orchestrate a snap elec- Wainwright said: “Flames damage, but at the rear the fragments. In a letter to Fianna Fail leader tion. could be seen from some dis- charred remains of gutted Corina Turcanu, 33, who Micheal Martin published yester- “I think the letter is a distrac- tance away and crews were classrooms were exposed. lives in a house backing on to day, Varadkar said he was ready to tion and is unnecessarily creating faced with a serious blaze Firefighters could be seen the school grounds, was awok- start negotiations immediately. instability,” Jim O’Callaghan told when they arrived on the emerging from the building en by the blaze. She said: “At “A government cannot function national broadcaster RTE. “What scene.” with blackened faces. fi rst I thought it was a house, I properly if it does not know if it we need to do now is get agree- “They worked very hard to London fi re brigade said it could see the fi re creeping up. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meets young people will last from week to week, month ment on the next budget. After bring the fi re under control but was called to the fi re at 4.50am. I was worried because the fi re taking part in mental health focused PSE (Personal and to month, or if it does not know that, we have no diffi culty sitting given the intensity of the fi re, By dawn, 70% of the single- was coming towards our side Social Education ) classes, at the Leith Academy in Edinburgh what will happen the day after the down and discussing whether there is unfortunately signifi - storey building was alight, ac- and sparks were fl ying down yesterday. budget,” Varadkar said, referring it should be renewed or not,” he cant damage to the school.” cording to a spokesman. into our garden.” to a budget for 2019 which will be added. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 EUROPE Russia warns Google against election ‘meddling’

AFP A Google spokeswoman de- public order laws during a protest edly warned about the dangers sag in Vladimir Putin’s ratings. He said that Google-owned The offi cials discussed their Moscow clined to give a specifi c com- earlier this year. of Russian interference in up- YouTube is “the only chan- YouTube “acts as a link in the grievances against Google dur- ment, telling AFP in an e-mailed “Mr Navalny buys the com- coming elections and there is a nel to inform the masses” since chain for propaganda of anti- ing a meeting at Russia’s upper statement that the company “re- pany’s advertising tools to pub- full-scale probe underway into Russian companies have rejected social behaviour during Russian house of parliament. ussia said yesterday that it views all valid requests from gov- lish information on YouTube Moscow’s alleged role in the similar commercial requests to elections”. Alexei Zhafyarov, an offi cial has warned US Internet gi- ernment institutions”. about the mass political event on 2016 presidential election which publish information about up- He said that “over 40” from the Prosecutor-General’s Rant Google against “med- Central Election Commission September 9, on the day of elec- brought Donald Trump to offi ce. coming demonstrations, Volkov YouTube channels “constantly Offi ce, said that it had sent an dling” in next Sunday’s local member Alexander Klyukin said tions,” Klyukin said. Navalny’s close ally Leonid said. call for violating Russian law”. offi cial warning to Google over elections by hosting opposition that the commission had sent an “We informed Google that Volkov reacted to the offi cials’ “All levels of the Russian gov- “Certain parties interested the “inadmissibility” of violating leader Alexei Navalny’s videos offi cial letter to Larry Page, the such events on election day will statements by saying that the ernment ... have been ordered to in destabilising the situation in Russian election law. calling for mass protests. chief executive of Google’s par- lead to massive violation of the Sunday rally is perfectly legal and block the protest by any means Russia attempt to attract internet “This is a rather serious meas- Representatives of Russia’s ent company Alphabet, regard- law” because political agitation is does not violate election laws necessary,” he wrote on Face- users to illegal actions by provid- ure, after which they can be electoral commission, the Pros- ing Navalny’s use of YouTube. banned on election day, he said. since its aim is not to campaign book. ing unlimited opportunities on called to account”, including via ecutor-General’s Offi ce, and The fi erce Kremlin critic has “Meddling by a foreign company for a particular candidate. The deputy chief of Russia’s foreign internet giants like Goog- criminal prosecution, he said. the state Internet watchdog at urged Russians to protest on in our election is not permitted.” The demonstration is to pro- Internet watchdog Roskomnad- le,” he said. Russia has long pushed for a meeting alleged that Navalny September 9, when several Rus- He called Google a “gigantic test upcoming pension reforms, zor, Vadim Subbotin, accused If Google fails to respond to greater control of information uses Google’s services to dis- sian regions and Moscow elect American company” and hinted which will hike the retirement “foreign internet platforms” of offi cial complaints, this will be published by Russian users on seminate illegal information and regional and local offi cials. that Washington uses it as an in- age by fi ve years for women and disrespecting Russian laws and seen as “de-facto direct inter- international platforms to curb warned that the company may be Navalny is currently serving fl uence tool. three for men – a deeply unpopu- serving as a “mouthpiece for dis- vention in Russia’s domestic af- political dissent and prevent ter- prosecuted if it does stop this. a 30-day sentence for violating US offi cials have repeat- lar measure that has caused a rare seminating illegal information”. fairs,” he said. rorism.

Germany concerned Macron replaces ministers about cyber after second resignation bombs

AFP Prime Minister Philippe dismissive of traditional checks Reuters Paris would not comment, telling and balances. Berlin broadcaster TF1 simply that “The government has been on Flessel “has decided not to stay the defensive since the summer,” rance’s sports minister has in the government for reasons Ifop analyst Jerome Fourquet growing number of coun- become the second popu- she described as personal”, add- told AFP. “It’s like riding a bike tries can hack into private Flar member of President ing it was not for him to elabo- – when you stop pedalling, you Acomputer networks and Emmanuel Macron’s cabinet rate on such reasons. fall over.” install malicious software to to resign in a week, bowing out The 40-year-old reformer Threatening further head- sabotage another country’s in- amid reports of tax troubles that Macron came to power promis- aches for Macron is a planned frastructure, Germany’s domes- have added to the president’s ing to clean up politics and revive tax payment reform. tic spy chief said yesterday. mounting woes. France’s sputtering economy. After days of dithering, the China, Russia, and other Former Olympic fencing But over a year into his term, government confi rmed yester- countries continued to try to champion Laura Flessel an- polls show the French starting day that it will proceed with break into German companies’ nounced that she was stepping to sour on the energetic centrist, implementing a new system to computers to steal industrial in- down for “personal reasons”, the whose approval ratings fell to deduct income tax at source. formation, Hans-Georg Maas- latest setback for Macron after 31% in September according to The French currently are re- sen, head of the BfV domestic his star environment minister an Ifop poll – the lowest level sponsible for declaring, and intelligence agency, told a secu- Nicolas Hulot threw in the towel since he took offi ce in May 2017. paying, their own taxes. rity conference. in a shock move last week. Yesterday he attempted to re- “Income tax will be levied at However, intelligence offi cials Flessel did not elaborate fur- bound with two changes to his source from January 1, 2019,” are increasingly worried about ther on the reasons for her de- team. Philippe told TF1, saluting what so-called “cyber bombs” that parture in her statement, which Parliament speaker Francois he termed a simplifi cation of could be planted in the network thanked Macron and Prime de Rugy, a former Greens party the system and a “good reform” of an unsuspecting company and Minister Edouard Philippe for member and Macron loyalist, which would notably see some- detonated later. their “constant support” took over from Hulot, an en- one retiring take a smaller tax hit “In the case of China, Rus- However, a source told AFP vironmental campaigner who This picture taken on Monday shows Macron speaking with pupils in the canteen of a secondary school at the moment they exited the sia, we clearly see measures like that her decision to leave was accused the president of not in Laval, France, at the start of the school year in France. workforce. espionage, but it could also be “linked to her fi scal situation”. moving fast enough on key green The change, which will bring sabotage with the goal of attack- French investigative website pledges. “renewal” in high offi ce. Rugy possessed “ecological con- The reshuffl e is the rst fi act in France in line with most Euro- ing companies in Germany – in- Mediapart reported that tax The resignation of the im- Commenting on the choice of viction”. Macron’s campaign to get back pean countries, has been in the frastructure fi rms in the widest inspectors were looking into mensely-popular Hulot was a Rugy to replace him, Stephane Flessel, a popular fi gure who on track after a chequered sum- works for years but Macron had sense – at some future point,” whether Flessel under reported blow for Macron, who had fa- Rozes, professor at Sciences Po was overseeing preparations for mer. appeared this week to be having Maassen said. “That is a scenario the earnings of the company mously responded to US Presi- university and president of CAP the 2024 Olympics in Paris, an- In the biggest dent to date to second thoughts, despite polls that we view with concern.” that she and her husband set up dent Donald Trump’s withdraw- consultancy, said Macron had nounced her resignation just his credibility, one of his top se- showing voter backing. Cyber-experts warn that to manage her image rights. al from the 2015 Paris climate made a “safe” choice. hours before the planned re- curity aides was caught on fi lm Analysts say that the former Germany – with its high level “She did not make any mis- deal with a pledge to “make our “Maybe he drew the conclu- shuffl e. roughing up protesters during a investment banker may be loath of technology expertise – is a take, that is not why she’s leav- planet great again”. sion that he was better off hav- Swimming champion Roxana Paris demonstration. to be seen as responsible for a particularly attractive target for ing,” a source close to Flessel It also robbed Macron of one ing a politician who can accept Maracineanu, a silver medallist Critics accused the president drop in workers’ net salaries cyber-attackers of all kinds, in- said, denying the allegations, of the high-profi le political the idea of political compro- in backstroke at the 2000 Syd- and his team of trying to cover on their payslips – even if the cluding state actors. which if confi rmed could be em- greenhorns that he brought into mise,” he said. ney Olympics, takes over her up the incident, reinforcing Ma- amount of tax they pay remains A fi rm could be oblivious to a barrassing for Macron. government last year as a sign of Philippe, however, insisted portfolio. cron’s image as an aloof leader unchanged. cyber-attack that had been used to plant malware, Maassen said. Such a “cyber bomb” could then shut down power networks, for example, perhaps during a time of geopolitical tension. Tourists Teens in Dutch asylum row come out of hiding: report He said that such attacks could come from a range of countries. In its annual report, the agen- robbed AFP time the pair had gone into hid- Lili eventually emerged, their cy cited rapid strides in Iran’s The Hague ing during their battle to stay in case was before the courts and cyber-capabilities, although it the country. Dutch authorities decided to did not spell out concerns about at Paris In a saga that has gripped await the outcome before mak- such sleeper attacks. wo Armenian teens who the country – with even Prime ing a decision. Germany is worried that Chi- grew up in the Nether- Minister Mark Rutte and Dutch On Friday however, the na is also trying to gain dominant airport Tlands but now face im- royal Princess Laurentien be- Hague-based Council of State, positions in technology sectors minent deportation have come coming involved – the brother the country’s highest admin- by taking stakes in the German out of hiding and reported to and sister have been swept into istrative court, ruled there was fi rms, Maassen said. AFP authorities, a newspaper and a cat-and-mouse game as their no reason why the two teens “That is a political project on Bobigny, France their lawyer said yesterday. lawyers fought their case in should not be sent back to Ar- which the government is spend- Howick, 13 and his sister Lili, court. menia and the pair briefl y dis- ing a lot of money, not just to in- 12, disappeared over the week- The family had lived in the appeared again. vest, but to buy information for hree Russian tourists were end after a fi nal legal bid before Netherlands since 2008, but They are due to leave on Sat- its own technical progress, or to robbed of thousands of the Dutch highest court last last year the children’s mother, urday. gain a position in specifi c areas Tdollars’ worth of jewellery week failed to stop their expul- Armina Hambartsjumian, was Meanwhile, their supporters This picture taken on August 13 in The Hague shows Armenian that will make it impossible for and luxury clothing shortly after sion, the Algemeen Dagblad re- sent back to Yerevan after her have been furiously campaign- teens Howick and Lili, who face imminent expulsion from the others to continue developments landing at a Paris airport for pri- ported. asylum request was fi nally de- ing to keep them in the Nether- Netherlands. there,” he said. vate jets, police sources told AFP “After three days of hiding, nied. lands, where they are now liv- Torsten Becker, managing di- yesterday. the two Armenian ‘asylum chil- Just before leaving the coun- ing with a foster family. with Princess Laurentien – who Dutch King and Rutte begging rector of BOGEN Electronic, a The tourists were in a taxi dren’ have reported to authori- try she briefl y hid the children, Last year, fellow students is married to King Willem-Al- them to allow them to remain. German robotics supplier that leaving the Bourget airport ties on Monday,” the paper said refusing to tell immigration of- from their school in the central exander’s brother Constantijn Dutch premier Rutte said he also sells to China, said his fi rm north of Paris at around 10.30pm yesterday. fi cials where they were. Dutch city of Amersfoort dem- – now taking up their cause. had empathy with the teens’ had rebuff ed repeated takeover (0830 GMT) on Monday when “The children are indeed The 37-year-old woman was onstrated at parliament in The “We belong here. My brother situation but that the country attempts by Chinese fi rms, and they were struck by a car car- safe,” their lawyer Flip Schuel- deported without them and has Hague, waving placards with belongs here and my mum too,” also “had to be a fair and strict had also seen its products dupli- rying four people wearing ski ler told AFP, stressing “their since told Dutch supporters the teens’ faces and chanting an emotional Lili recently told policy”. cated in the Chinese market. masks, the sources said. mother simply needed them to that she is unable to look after their names. the NOS late night talk show “Those who don’t meet the BOGEN had stopped hiring The thieves made off with get rest” as the reason for their her children in Armenia. Howick and Lili have ap- Laat op een. criteria cannot be allowed to Chinese engineers or interns, three suitcases that the vic- disappearance – the second By the time Howick and peared on national television The pair also wrote to the stay,” Rutte said. and was taking increased meas- tims said contained items worth ures to protect its know-how, between $500,000 and $1mn but Becker said Chinese rivals (€430,000 and €864,000). benefi ted from government sup- Nobody was injured. port that gave them advantages On April 15, 2015, three thieves in the global market. made off with a handbag con- Mediterranean crossings ‘deadlier than ever’, says UN Burkhard Even, who heads the taining €4mn worth of Chanel BfV’s counterespionage unit, jewels in a smash-and-grab at- told the conference that the tack on a taxi carrying a Taiwan- AFP Between January and July, fell to just 18,500, down from of the year, nearly 1,600 people to make the journey along that amount of know-how ceded to ese art collector. Geneva more than 58,000 asylum- over 95,000 during the fi rst perished trying to make the route, compared with one in 42 Chinese through takeovers in the In February, 2017, a Russian seekers and migrants reached seven months of last year, the treacherous journey. who crossed during the same past two years already exceeded couple were robbed of items Europe’s shores after crossing United Nations High Commis- Around 1,200 of those deaths period in 2017. the damage from espionage. worth some €100,000 when ven as the number of the Mediterranean Sea – 41% sioner for Refugees (UNHCR) occurred along the central “This report once again con- He said there was “a very clear their chauff eur-driven car was migrants and refugees fewer than during the same said in a fresh report. Mediterranean route – around fi rms the Mediterranean as one connection” between cyber- forced off the road by robbers Ecrossing the Mediter- period in 2017, the UN refugee But the agency warned that half the number seen last year of the world’s deadliest sea attacks and takeover bids, with near Le Bourget airport. ranean to Europe has fallen agency said. Mediterranean crossings were when there were fi ve times as crossings,” Pascale Moreau, many companies often targeted The Bourget airport serves sharply, the likelihood of dying The number of people taking now “deadlier than ever”, with many arrivals in Italy. who heads the UNHCR’s Eu- in cyber-attacks before any only corporate and private jets during the voyage has risen sig- the particularly dangerous cen- the rate of deaths at sea rising. That means that one person rope operations, said in a state- M&A (mergers and acquisitions) favoured by wealthy travellers. nifi cantly, the UN said. tral Mediterranean route to Italy During the fi rst seven months died for every 18 who attempted ment. activity. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 17 INDIA RSS-backed union to protest against labour policies

IANS one of the largest trade unions of employment in India. To- “We tried reasoning with the ginning of a long-haul fi ght to dustrial Establishment (Stand- extend the facility of hiring work- New Delhi in the country, said they would day 67% of the organised sector Labour Ministry several times address the issue of rampant la- ing Order). But the move was de- ers on fi xed-term employment stage protests in all the districts workers belong to this category. but to no avail. The fi xed-term bour exploitation in the country. ferred following opposition from to all sectors. Under the rules, a demanding among other things, The trend of contract labour employment is not just leading The Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led trade unions. “fi xed-term employment” work- he Bharatiya Mazdoor scrapping of “fi xed-term em- system has increased with the to rapid expansion of contract government had fi rst allowed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley man is one who has been engaged Sangh (BMS) will launch ployment”, which he said was elimination of permanent posts labour but also resulting in in- hiring fi xed-term workers in in his budget speech this year on the basis of a written contract Ta nationwide agitation “destroying” the labour sector. in private and public entities creasing the number of new un- 2003. This was scrapped in 2007 announced extending the facility of employment for a fi xed period. tomorrow against the govern- The BMS is backed by the as well as government depart- employed youth. by the Congress-led govern- of fi xed-term employment ap- The new rules, which provide ment’s reforms that it says have Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, ments,” Narayanan said. “Therefore, we have to stand ment following intense protests plicable only in the apparel man- that a temporary workman can led to “extreme exploitation and the ideological mentor of the He said the contract labour sys- up to face the Himalayan chal- by trade unions. ufacturing sector to all sectors. be terminated without being harassment” of the labour sector ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. tem had expanded rapidly creating lenge to make contract labour After coming to power, the BJP Subsequently the central given any notice, has been wide- and led to increasing unemploy- “Because of these so-called a shortage of permanent employ- exploitation free,” said Naray- government in April 2015 again government in March notifi ed ly condemned by all trade unions ment in the country. reforms, contract labour has ees and making it a means of en- anan, adding that the nation- mooted the concept by issuing amending the Industrial Estab- and they have been demanding C K Saji Narayanan, chief of now become the default model hancing profi t in the public sector. wide agitation was only the be- draft rules for amending the In- lishment (Standing Order) 1946 to its rollback.

Salman launches new edition of Bigg Boss Woman’s arrest an act of fascism, says Congress

IANS of Periyar study circle in IIT- New Delhi Chennai, stopping the screening of a Kashmiri fi lm in IIT-Delhi, vilifi cation campaign against he Congress yesterday Jawaharlal Nehru University described the arrest of (JNU), etc; are among many such Ta Tamil Nadu woman instances. research scholar for allegedly He said there was a narrative raising slogans against the state which the BJP and the Rashtriya Bharatiya Janata Party president Swayamsewak Sangh was try- as an act of “fascism,” which ing to peddle. “If you question clearly showed there was an the BJP, you are termed anti- “undeclared emergency” in the national. If you question the country. government, then you are called The opposition party also said a traitor. Is this the India that we that the 2019 elections would be want?” he asked. a contest between fascism repre- “It is becoming clear that the sented by the BJP and democracy battle for 2019 is going to be represented by progressive and fought between fascism repre- Bollywood actor Salman Khan arrives on a speedboat during the launch event of season 12 of the television reality show Bigg Boss at Coco beach near Panaji in Goa pluralistic forces. sented by BJP and democracy yesterday. “Fascism was on full display represented by progressive, plu- when a young lady travelling ralistic forces. It is going to be a from Chennai to Tuticorin hit battle not just to replace the gov- a raw nerve when she allegedly ernment but for the very soul of shouted ‘down with fascist BJP India,” Tewari added. government’,” Congress leader Meanwhile a court in Tuti- Manish Tewari said at a press corin granted bail to Sofi a. conference. The young woman was taken He said that Tamil Nadu BJP to a government hospital in Tu- president Tamilisai Soundara- ticorin as part of the remand rajan in a display of unbridled procedure and was admitted US and India to discuss arrogance lodged a complaint owing to stomach pain. against the woman following Sofi a was charged with “pub- which she was sent to 15 days of lic nuisance” under the Indian judicial custody. Penal Code (IPC) and for giving “If this is not undeclared impolite reply to a public serv- emergency, then what is,” the ant under the Tamil Nadu City former minister questioned. Police Act. trade, defence issues “This was not only an assault Welcoming the bail granted on the freedom of speech and to Sofi a, Dravida Munnetra Ka- AFP The talks were fi rst meant to nated India a “Major Defence equipment. Proof of US out- sued major new platforms and expression but it was also an zhagam president M K Stalin Washington be held in April and then in June Partner,” capping years of ef- reach can be seen in the Pen- systems (from Russia). I can’t assault on the constitution, de- urged the Tamil Nadu govern- but both were postponed, trig- forts to improve India-US ties tagon’s recent renaming of its sit here and tell you that they mocracy and idea of India,” he ment to withdraw the case and gering speculation of a possible under president Barack Obama. massive Pacifi c Command to would be exempt, that we would said. also take action against BJP wo of President Donald rift between the two countries The aim was to improve mili- Indo-Pacifi c Command. use that waiver,” Schriver told a Tewari was referring to the members who had threatened Trump’s top offi cials are amid disputes over trade. tary co-operation and cut red But India, the world’s top de- Washington think tank. arrest of Lois Sofi a, 28, a re- her family. Tfi nally heading for talks Putting aside the interper- tape to ease defence deals. fence importer, wants to pur- The US is open to helping search scholar at the University Stalin said that in a democracy in India this week, after Wash- sonal dynamics of their two It is having some success, chase new systems from Moscow, India fi nd an alternative for the of Montreal in Canada, and a every individual had a right to ington twice pulled the plug on bombastic leaders, the Indian with the two countries set to including its S-400 long-range, S-400, he added. native of Thoothukudi in Tamil criticise the government. the summit. and US offi cials must tackle two discuss expanding the scope surface-to-air missile system. India already has bought US Nadu. Soundararajan told reporters The so-called 2+2 dialogue urgent issues – America’s de- and complexity of joint military Under current US rules Apache attack helicopters and Referring to the arrest of fi ve that Sophia had posted on social will see Secretary of State Mike mands for India to stop buying exercises. against Russia, third countries other gear, and is negotiating to social activists across the coun- media that she would shout slo- Pompeo and Defence Secretary Iranian oil, and for it to think India and the US are also close could face sanctions if they buy armed drones. try last week, Tewari said, “This gans against the BJP. Jim Mattis meet with their In- twice about making new Rus- to signing an agreement that transact with Russian defence Schriver said he was overall was completely uncalled for. Sofia was seated behind the dian counterparts on a range of sian arms purchases. would ensure communications or intelligence sectors. “bullish” about the prospects This was the second case within BJP leader on a flight on Mon- key defence and trade issues. “Creative thinking will be between their two militaries are The Press Trust of India re- for deepening US-India ties. a week.” day. Both sides are likely to herald needed in the 2+2 dialogue to compatible and secure. cently quoted an unnamed of- Pompeo and Mattis’s counter- “This is a pattern which has According to Soundararajan, tomorrow’s talks – the fi rst of overcome these challenges, America desperately wants fi cial as saying the deal was parts are External Aff airs Minis- been playing out repeatedly and the young woman said it was her their kind between the two na- which should also ensure that India on side to provide a re- almost done, and that Delhi ter Sushma Swaraj and Defence systematically since 2014,” he al- right to raise slogans and the BJP tions – as proof positive of their there are no nasty surprises gional bulwark against China’s would be asking for a special Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. leged. leader alleged that she uttered rapidly growing strategic part- and diffi cult issues are set- seemingly inexorable regional sanctions waiver from Trump. In May, Trump pulled the Listing the incidents of muz- “unspeakable words” at the air- nership in the region. tled through quiet diplomacy,” expansion that has already seen However last week, Randall US out of the nuclear deal with zling dissent, the Congress lead- port lounge. But between the friendly Rakesh Sood, a distinguished it secure a long-term lease on a Schriver, the Pentagon’s assistant Iran and said other countries, er said the assault on the stu- Sofi a was returning home photo calls and soundbites, the fellow at the New Delhi-based Sri Lankan port. secretary of defence for Asian and including India, a key buyer dents of Film Institute of Pune, when she spotted the BJP leader. diplomats must smooth a slew Observer Research Foundation, And it wants India to distance Pacifi c Security Aff airs, warned of Iranian oil, must stop pur- events that led to the suicide of Suddenly, she got up and shout- of problems, exacerbated by wrote in an opinion piece for itself from Russia, notably by there are no guarantees. chasing crude from the Tehran Hyderabad University student ed: “Fascist BJP government, Trump’s testy relationship with The Hindu newspaper. stepping back from decades of “We would still have very sig- before November 4 or face US Rohith Vemula, de-recognition down down.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2016, Washington desig- purchases of Russian military nifi cant concerns if India pur- sanctions.

Offi cer caught with woman Dog show CBI wants to close faces punishment: army chief Najeeb missing case IANS offi cials not belonging to the IANS had recommended that “action rooq Dar, a Kashmiri artisan, to New Delhi federal agency. New Delhi be taken (against the offi cer) the bonnet of his military vehicle Gonsalves requested the based on his guilt that emerges to deter stone pelters from at- court to hand over the status from this”. tacking his troops and election he Central Bureau of reports fi led by the agency. rmy chief General Bi- “If it is related directly to mor- staff in Budgam district in the Investigation yester- He alleged the probe agency pin Rawat yesterday said al turpitude, then we will take Kashmir Valley. Tday told the Delhi High has not conducted the inves- Acourt martial proceed- action accordingly. If it is some- The incident took place after Court that it has completed tigation in a fair manner and ings would be launched against thing else, then punishment will last year’s by-elections in the its investigation into the dis- has shielded members of Akhil an offi cer who was caught with be given according to the crime valley. An FIR was fi led against appearance of Jawaharlal Ne- Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad a woman in a Srinagar hotel on he has committed. We should go Gogoi after the April 9 incident. hru University student Najeeb (ABVP) by not conducting May 23 and he would be pun- in for court martial proceedings The offi cer, who is said to have Ahmed from “every aspect” their custodial interrogation. ished. for whatever he has been found been eff ective in counter-insur- and sought permission to fi le a He alleged political infl u- “I have very clearly said that guilty of.” gency operations in the Kashmir closure report. ence in the case as the Bharati- any case of moral turpitude and Major Gogoi was caught on Valley, was awarded a commen- A lawyer for the CBI told a ya Janata Party-led central corruption will be dealt with in May 23 in a Srinagar hotel with dation certifi cate by the army bench of Justices S Muralidhar government has “protected” a very stern manner,” Gen Rawat a Kashmiri woman and a man chief last year. and Vinod Goel that the agen- the ABVP members who had told reporters on the sidelines of who works for the army. He was Meanwhile, Rawat, who does cy has analysed “everything” threatened Ahmed. an army function in New Delhi. questioned by police and was not carry a cellphone, said sol- related to the matter, and that Countering his submission, He was replying to a question let off after the woman told the diers could not be denied access it now wants to fi le a fi nal re- CBI said it was just a presump- about Major Leetul Gogoi, who police that she had willingly ac- to social media and they should port seeking to close the case. tion. has been indicted by a court of companied the offi cer. be allowed to use smartphones However, lawyer Colin Gon- The court observed that it inquiry on two counts: for frat- Gen Rawat, during a visit to within a line of controlled dis- Personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) or Armed Border salves appearing for Ahmed’s cannot direct CBI to supply ernising with a local in spite Srinagar after the incident, said cipline. Force, stand next to their dogs prior to the start of a dog mother Fatima Nafees re- status report to the petitioner. of instructions to the contrary “the strictest possible action” He said the Indian army need- show organised at the Siliguri SSB frontier in Ranidanga, on quested the court to direct However, the bench said as and being away from the place would be taken if Major Gogoi ed to make optimal usage of so- the outskirts of Siliguri yesterday. Seven dogs performed in CBI to re-investigate the case per procedure, the petitioner of duty while in an operational was found guilty “of any off ence”. cial media in the advanced age the show where the animals displayed various skills including or order a further probe by can get detailed reports of the area. Major Gogoi hit the headlines of communication and informa- detection of explosives. another special investigation investigation after the fi nal re- The army chief said the probe in April 2017 when he tied Fa- tion. team which must comprise port is fi led. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 INDIA

INVESTIGATION CRIME EDUCATION CO-OPERATION HORROR Teenager accused of Nigerian arrested BJP demands report on China to be Jharkhand’s Stepmother, four others theft, beaten to death for alleged fraud vacant seats in schools partner country: Das held for girl’s murder

A teenage boy was allegedly beaten to death Police in Ghaziabad have arrested a Nigerian Delhi’s Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Vijender China will be Jharkhand’s partner country Five people, including the stepmother, were by six men in New Delhi yesterday after he for alleged online fraud in which he cheated an Gupta yesterday demanded that the Aam Aadmi at the Food Processing Summit to be held in arrested yesterday for the alleged gang-rape entered a house to steal valuables, police said. Indian of Rs2.9mn. The police recovered three Party government issue a ‘white paper’ on seats November, visiting Chief Minister Raghubar and murder of a nine-year-old in Jammu and Two suspects have been arrested. Deputy laptops and three mobile phones from the suspect, reserved for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) Das said in Beijing yesterday. Das is on a Kashmir’s Baramulla district in a horrific crime Commissioner of Police Aslam Khan said the Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna but lying vacant in private schools in the last four four-day visit to China at the invitation of the stemming from jealousy. Senior Superintendent boy was thrashed in Mukundpur area. “Two told reporters. The arrest followed a complaint years. “From 2015-16 to 2017-18, about 40,000 International Department of the Communist of Police Syed Imtiyaz Hussain told reporters persons have been arrested while four others from a Dinesh Chand who said he was cheated seats have remained vacant. During 2018-19, Party of China (CPC). Das met Song Tao, minister girl’s body was found in the forests of Uri tehsil are absconding,” the off icer said. Police got a of Rs2.9mn online. The cyber cell of Ghaziabad as many as 12,600 seats are lying vacant. The of International Department of CPC, and Huang two days back. Giving details of the crime, call about the theft around 6.35am while the police solved the case, leading to the arrest of the government owes an explanation as to why nearly Kunming, politburo member and head of Hussain said the victim’s father, Mushtaq Ahmad incident happened at 3.30am, neighbours said. Nigerian who gave his name as Friday and who 53,000 seats have remained vacant in these four Publicity Department of CPC. Talking to Indian Ganai, complained that his daughter was missing Hailing from Arariya in Bihar, the victim had lived in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar area. He told the police years,” Gupta said. The leader of the opposition in journalists in Beijing, Raghubar said he told the and he feared she may have been abducted. been staying with his uncles for about a month. that several gangs were operating in this field and the Delhi Assembly said that the government must Chinese leaders that Jharkhand wanted China During investigation, police found that the girl’s “He had come to get enrolled in a school after they would lure unsuspecting victims by telling expose those who denied admission in private to be its partner country in the food processing father had two wives and that the victim was the studying at a madrassa,” his uncle said. them that they had won big money in lottery. schools to children from deprived backgrounds. event. “They have agreed to it,” Das said. daughter of a woman from Jharkhand. Two convicted in Hyderabad twin blast case after 11 years

IANS The accused were arrested by who lost their lives and the 54 Hyderabad the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism injured are still suffering,” he Squad in October 2008. Three said. other accused including IM chief Owaisi said that he personally court yesterday convicted Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother knew a man who lost his daugh- two alleged Indian Muja- Iqbal Bhatkal still remain at ter in the terror attack. Ahideen (IM) operatives in large. The MP said the youths who People stand next to the wreckage of vehicles at the site of a bridge that collapsed in Kolkata yesterday. the 2007 Hyderabad twin bomb The case was initially inves- were acquitted spent nine years blasts which claimed 42 lives. tigated by the Andhra Pradesh in jail. “What will happen to Two others were acquitted while police and following bifurca- them?” the fate of a fi fth man will be de- tion of the state it was handed Reacting to the verdict, Ra- cided next week. over to the Counter Intelli- heem, a blast survivor said The Second Metropolitan gence (CI) wing of the Telan- said: “It has already been 11 One dead in Kolkata bridge Sessions Court found Anique gana police. years. I demand that the ac- Shafiq Syed and Akbar Ismail cused be given the strictest Choudhary guilty. They will “Justice is yet to be done punishment so that they un- be sentenced on September and families of the 42 derstand the pain we are going 10. people who lost their lives through.” crash, Mamata orders probe Anique allegedly planted the and the 54 injured are still In another alleged terror case, bomb at Lumbini Park which suff ering” the Supreme Court yesterday claimed 10 lives while Akbar rejected an appeal by Malegaon IANS bridge between Taratala and impeded due to occasional rain “However, all the pedestri- kept the bomb at Diluskhnagar Three charge-sheets were bomb blast case accused Lt Col Kolkata Mominpur collapsed around in the evening and lack of day- ans and passengers in the pub- but it failed to explode. fi led against the accused. In Prasad Shrikant Purohit for a 4.30pm,” a fi re offi cial said. light on a rainy day. lic and private vehicles could Farooq Sharfuddin and Sadiq 2014, the court framed charges judicial probe into his alleged Initially six fi re tenders were Banerjee, on a trip to Dar- be rescued. We are concerned Ahmed Sheikh were acquitted against them. They were charged abduction and torture by inves- portion of a 40-year- pressed into service. jeeling, expressed concern about the lives of fi ve to eight for lack of evidence. with murder and other off ences tigating agencies prior to his im- old bridge collapsed in “At least 20 to 25 people have over the incident and said people who might have got Public Prosecutor Seshu Red- under the Indian Penal Code plication in the case. Asouth Kolkata yesterday, been rescued from the spot. It her government will launch a trapped underneath.” dy told reporters that the ver- (IPC) and Explosive Substances “Why should we interfere at crushing a man to death and is possible that not many are probe. The opposition Bharatiya dict relating to the fi fth accused Act. this stage? It will have some im- leaving 19 injured and several trapped under the collapsed “We have heard one person Janata Party held the state Tariq Anjum will be pronounced The trial against them was pact on the ongoing trial”, the vehicles damaged. part of the bridge. But we need died so far. We are trying to get government responsible and on Monday. Anjum is accused of shifted to a court located in bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, The incident threw life in to remove the debris to fi nd out back but it takes close to four demanded its government im- giving shelter to the other ac- the premises of the prison Navin Sinha and K M Joseph large parts of south Kolkata and what is underneath,” another hours even to get down to the mediate resignation. cused after the blasts. in June this year on security said. South 24 Parganas district off offi cial working at the accident plains from the Darjeeling hills “It is the responsibility of Second Additional Metro- grounds. Senior counsel Harish Salve gear, as train services and road site said. on a rainy day. Also no fl ights state PWD department to con- politan Sessions Judge T Srini- Meanwhile, Hyderabad MP represented Purohit and urged traffi c were disrupted. Four teams of the Nation- are available right now,” she duct structural audits of all the vas Rao delivered the judgment Asaduddin Owaisi said justice the court to let the National In- West Bengal Chief Minister al Disaster Response Force said. bridges and fl yovers and change at the high security Cherlapally was yet be done for the families vestigation Agency (NIA) look Mamata Banerjee expressed (NDRF), fi re brigade and per- “We are constantly moni- the pairing of the old bridges in Central Prison on the city’s out- of the 42 people. into it. fears about the fate of fi ve to sonnel of the disaster manage- toring the situation. We are the city during the rainy season. skirts. All the accused barring Reacting to yesterday’s ver- Salve said the dismissal of the eight people who might be ment teams are at the scene. initiating a probe so that eve- But I think no such actions were Anjum were produced before the dict, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul plea would be viewed diff erently. buried in the rubble. Nineteen Cranes have been deployed and rything can be found out. taken. It is an example of the judge. Muslimeen (MIM) chief said that The court permitted Purohit injured people have been ad- gas cutters are being used for Steps are being taken on an Bengal government’s irrespon- While 32 people were killed at closure for the victims had not to raise the issue before the trial mitted to hospitals, she said the rescue operation. emergency footing to rescue sibility,” BJP leader Kailash Vi- Gokul Chat, a popular restau- happened. court. in Darjeeling and announced a Three columns of army per- those who are trapped,” said jayvargiya said. rant, 10 others lost their lives at Owaisi told reporters that the Purohit is facing trial in the probe. sonnel are also present at the Banerjee. State Congress president Lumbini Park, near State Sec- investigating agencies should Malegaon blast case and was Locals, however, claimed fi ve scene, but there has been no of- “We have heard that four- Adhir Chowdhury also ac- retariat, in near simultaneous properly conduct a fresh inquiry granted bail by the Supreme people were killed. fi cial deployment as no request fi ve labourers used to stay in a cused Banerjee’s government blasts around 7.45pm on August and the accused who were ab- Court on August 12, 2017. At least 20 to 25 injured peo- was received from the state temporary tin shed under the of negligence and claimed that 25, 2007. sconding should be brought to He is the main accused in ple were rescued by fi re offi cials government, Eastern Com- bridge. If they were there dur- the tragic incident could have More than 50 were injured in book. the blast, which killed six while more people are feared mand sources said. ing the collapse, it is possible been averted had the state gov- the blasts. An unexploded bomb He said the blasts were a tragic people in the Muslim-dom- trapped under the rubble, offi - The accident took place on a that something unfortunate ernment been more careful in was also recovered under a foot- moment for Hyderabad. inated powerloom town in cials said. day Kolkata received 72.1mm of may have happened to them,” maintaining the 40-year-old over-bridge at Dilsukhnagar “Justice is yet to be done Nashik district on September “A part of the Majherhat rain. The rescue operation was the chief minister said. bridge. that night. and families of the 42 people 29, 2008.

Flood-ravaged Kerala faces Woman alleges sexual shortages of ‘rat fever’ drug abuse by CPM legislator IANS So, on Monday she sent an e- Agencies ($2.81bn) worth of damage. not felt across the state. Thiruvananthapuram mail to Yechury. Kochi The state’s Kozhikode dis- Palakkad district has plenty She has attached audio clips in trict, one of the worst hit by rat of stocks, as its proximity to her complaint that she had given fever, is staring at supply short- Tamil Nadu state helped in Communist Party of In- to the leaders. lood-hit Kerala is facing ages as demand for the preven- faster transportation of medi- dia (Marxist) woman Sasi told reporters in Palakkad shortages of a drug that tive drug shot up, following a cal supplies. Ayouth leader has accused yesterday he was not aware of Ffi ghts an infectious bac- few deaths locally. “We have excess supply,” a party legislator in Kerala of anything and came to know terial disease after the worst Kozhikode corporation said Reetha K P, district medi- sexual abuse. The party said it about the allegation only after it fl ooding in a century, forcing needs about 3mn tablets over cal offi cer of Palakkad. was looking into the allegation. was reported in the media. authorities to turn to other the next two months, but cur- Reetha does not expect a The woman complained to “This is nothing but a political states to help ramp up supplies. rently has about 500,000 in major jump in leptospirosis the party’s Central Committee conspiracy hatched against me. I Suspected cases of leptospiro- stock, said R S Gopakumar, its cases locally, and the district is against Shornur legislator P K am in public life for so long and sis, a waterborne disease known health offi cer. focusing on vector-borne dis- Sasi, after her complaint to the all those who know me, know me locally as ‘rat fever’, has climbed “We have got supplies, but the eases such as dengue fever in- state leadership was not taken up well. These are gossips, a well- to 800 since mid-August, a stocks have been depleting fast,” stead, as stagnant water breeds with seriousness. planned out move to tarnish health ministry spokesman said. Gopakumar said, as more people mosquitoes. Party general secretary Sita- me. I have nothing to be worried Transmitted via the urine of are demanding the preventive “We are busy with source re- ram Yechury yesterday asked the about,” said Sasi. infected animals, its symptoms tablets, which need to be taken duction activities...,” she said, state unit to look into the matter. CPM secretary Kodiyeri include muscle pain and fever. once a week for a month. adding that, unlike leptospirosis, Yechury told reporters in New Balakrishnan said the media re- Confi rmed deaths caused by “Supply shortages are be- dengue had no preventive vaccine. Delhi that he got the complaint ports were “baseless”. leptospirosis so far total 12, while ing replenished. Of course the “All we can do is to keep the on Monday and it has been for- “Who said we have not done suspected deaths, pending full demand has shot up, but we intake of fl uids high.” warded to the state unit. “The anything? We are looking into medical reports, number 41, the are monitoring daily,” said Sa- Meanwhile, three former state unit will look into it,” said the issue and what we do in the spokesman added. ritha R L, the state’s director of ministers yesterday asked the Yechury. committee is not discussed out- The surge in cases comes after health service. government to order a judicial The youth leader from Pal- side. We have not swept any- torrential rain beginning on Au- The state government has probe into the fl oods, saying it akkad took up the issue of Sasi’s thing under the carpet,” said gust 8 fl ooded almost the entire sought help from Maharash- was a man-made disaster. behaviour with the state leader- Balakrishnan. state, killing hundreds of people, tra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Rains have been battering Residents of a low lying area on the banks of the River Ganges move ship besides politburo member He said since it was not a com- destroying thousands of homes states, Gopakumar said. most parts of the northern state their belongings to drier ground after flooding in Allahabad, Uttar Brinda Karat. plaint to be given to the police, it and causing at least Rs200bn The shortages are, however, since the past 10 days. Pradesh, yesterday. However, no action was taken. was given to the party. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 19 LATIN AMERICA

ERUPTION DECISION BLAZE LAW AND ORDER CONTROVERSY UN rights off ice not to stop Ancient human skull Brazil Workers Party Uber driver accused of monitoring Nicaragua ‘found in burned museum’ VP candidate charged kicking out blind woman

The UN Human Rights Off ice will not stop Firefighters combing through the charred Sao Paulo state prosecutors in Brazil yesterday A blind woman said an Uber driver abruptly left monitoring violations in Nicaragua, a remains of Brazil’s National Museum have said they have charged the Workers Party vice her on the side of a Rio de Janeiro street last spokeswoman said yesterday after the found a skull that may belong to its star exhibit, presidential candidate Fernando Haddad with week after loudly berating her over her request off ice’s experts were kicked out of the an 11,500-year-old woman named Luzia, local corruption, but any potential trial would not hinder that he turn down the car’s air conditioning, the country late last week. “We deeply regret the TV reported yesterday. A fire broke out in the his ability to run. Haddad, a former mayor of Sao latest safety incident involving the ride-hailing Nicaraguan government’s decision,” UN rights 200-year-old museum on Sunday evening, Paulo, will likely become the PT’s presidential firm. Nathalia Santos, 26, a Rio native who runs spokeswoman Liz Throssell said noting that the destroying the vast majority of its massive candidate within days as imprisoned former a popular YouTube channel about her life as a expulsion came a day after her off ice issued a collection and igniting a nationwide debate president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was barred blind woman, said she was unable to ascertain report that found systematic repression against over the role of culture and learning in a society from running by the top electoral court. Haddad’s her location after being expelled from the car anti-government protesters. “We will continue grappling with a frail economy and deep candidacy is not in danger of being blocked, as it or get to her destination. “He stopped the car, to monitor the country’s human rights situation austerity measures. Globo TV reported that would be virtually impossible for a trial to play out started shouting at me and said blindness was remotely, in line with the UN Human Rights firefighters at the site had found a skull that before the country’s elections next month. But the my punishment,” she wrote on Instagram about The Villarrica Volcano is seen at night from Off ice’s global mandate to promote and protect may belong to Luzia, whose remains are the accusations will allow political rivals to rail against Thursday’s incident, which highlighted concerns Pucon town, Chile. human rights for all,” Throssell added. oldest to be found in Brazil. him just a month ahead of the first-round vote. over Uber’s training and vetting of drivers. Greens fi ght to protect Chile glaciers from mining dust

AFP way to protect the glaciers with- Santiago out destroying the mining in- dustry, which is essential to the country’s economy.” hile is home to four-fi fths Chile’s economy depends on of South America’s gla- mining. It’s the world’s biggest Cciers and has some of producer of copper with around the largest ice fi elds in the world 5.6mn tonnes, a third of global outside the polar regions, but production. they are coming under threat Environmental law specialist from mining industry dust. Pilar Moraga says that Chile ur- Climatologist Fabrice Lam- gently needs a legal framework to bert from Chile’s Catholic Uni- specifi cally protect the glaciers. versity believes that the coun- In 2014 a bill was introduced try’s 24,114 glaciers are in danger in Congress to ban certain dan- from mining activity, although gerous industrial activities near the direct cause and eff ect are the glaciers. hard to establish. But the bill underwent several People bang pans during a protest in Boedo, Buenos Aires against President Mauricio Macri’s policies. “The dust generated by min- damaging modifi cations before ing can settle on the glaciers, it was fi nally ditched altogether covering the white surface so by the government of right-wing the particles absorb solar energy President Sebastian Pinera in that results in rapid glacial melt- June. The government says that ing,” Lambert said. existing rules aimed at protect- It’s a problem because “some ing biodiversity and the coun- glaciers in Chile are close to try’s national parks and reserves Trump backs Macri eff orts mines,” he says. are ample enough. Sara Larrain, director at the But specialists complain that Sustainable Chile environmen- not all of Chile’s glaciers are lo- tal NGO, says the country needs cated in protected parks. legislation like its neighbour “In Chile, 86.4% of glaciers Argentina to protect its glaciers, are in protected zones, but in the centre and the north of the to tackle economic crisis but says such proposals keep getting stonewalled by the pow- country, where water scarcity erful mining sector. worsens every day, there’s no Reuters port his engagement with the 3% to 39.2 to the US dollar. negotiated with the fund earlier new fi scal goals are what is be- “Since 2005, there have been protection for glaciers,” said Washington/Buenos Aires International Monetary Fund Last week alone, the currency this year. ing negotiated in Washington six or seven glacial protection Lambert. to strengthen Argentina’s mon- lost 16% of its value. The new measures were this week. projects presented to senators or He added that “climatic pro- etary and fi scal policies to tackle Trump said the US supports meant to assure investors that IMF offi cials in Washington, deputies but every time they’ve jections” in those regions “pre- S President Donald the country’s current economic Argentina “during this trying Argentina can pay its debts but who asked not to be identifi ed, been blocked by the mining sec- dict a 30% decrease in rainfall Trump yesterday backed challenges,” Trump said in a time.” fi nancial markets remained said they expected talks with tor,” she said. over the next 50 years.” UArgentine President statement outlining a call he Argentina’s Merval stock wary of the government’s abil- the Argentine delegation to last Joaquin Villarino, president of As glaciers are formed out of Mauricio Macri’s handling of a held earlier with Macri. index was down almost 3% ity to push reforms through a a few days. New terms would Chile’s mining council, says such the compacting of accumulated worsening economic crisis and Argentina is struggling to yesterday with traders citing restive Congress amid grow- have to be approved by the laws aren’t necessary. snow, such a major reduction encouraged his eff orts to quick- break free from cyclical fi nan- doubts about the government’s ing frustration on the streets of IMF’s board of directors, which “More than 70% of mining ac- in rainfall would have a mas- ly win fi nancing from the Inter- cial crises that have bludgeoned ability to make good on new Buenos Aires. can be convened at any time. tivity takes place in areas where sive impact on the regeneration national Monetary Fund. the country every decade over fi scal plans as Latin America’s “It’s hard for the market to The Fund has generally there are no glaciers,” he said. of glaciers that are reduced by Argentina’s peso slid fur- the last 60 years. third-largest economy slides believe that a country like Ar- voiced support for Macri and In any case, under current meltwater during the summer. ther as investors reacted with The most recent, in 2002, into recession this year. gentina can hit its new fi scal his orthodox economic policies. legislation “there is certain pro- Mining industry representa- skepticism to Macri’s plans to tossed millions of middle-class On Monday, centre-rightist targets over the short term,” Economy Minister Nico- tection that prevents mining tives deny they’ve put pressure cut the budget defi cit, while an Argentines into poverty and Macri announced new taxes said Sebastian Cisa, with Bue- las Dujovne has said early cash companies from damaging ex- on authorities and have praised Argentine delegation arrived shook investor confi dence in on exports and steep spending nos Aires-based brokerage disbursements from the IMF isting glaciers.” the decision to block any further in Washington for talks with the commodities-reliant econ- cuts to eliminate Argentina’s SBS. would allow the government to For Lambert, there’s a happy regulation. “The government the IMF about accelerating its omy. primary fiscal deficit next Argentina’s current IMF avoid going to the bond market medium to be struck some- has made a responsible decision standby fi nance deal. The Argentine central bank year. deal includes fi scal targets for fi nancing over the near term. where. “They are not going to that carries a political cost. It’s a “I have confi dence in Presi- auctioned $100mn in reserves In exchange, Macri is asking that Argentina says it wants to The IMF deal was negoti- close the mines within the next well thought-out decision,” Vil- dent Macri’s leadership, and I yesterday to help prop up the for early cash disbursements strengthen as part of its eff ort to ated earlier this year as pressure fi ve years, but we need to fi nd a larino said. strongly encourage and sup- peso, which nevertheless fell from the $50bn standby deal he gain the market’s trust. Those mounted on the peso. UN trying to orchestrate Fuel prices to be ‘intervention’: Venezuela hiked by October Reuters Maduro did not off er addi- Caracas tional details. Agencies Brazil, Ecuador and Peru creak- President Nicolas Maduro said Any increase would mark the Caracas ing under the strain. in a televised broadcast that op- fi rst time in 20 years that Ven- Speaking at a press confer- position street protests and US enezuela will hike the ezuela has signifi cantly raised ence, Rodriguez said UN offi cials fi nancial sanctions had led some price of its heavily sub- fuel prices, which have been a enezuela’s government had been using data from “en- Venezuelans to “try their luck” Vsidised gasoline by Octo- sensitive issue ever since riots accused the United Na- emy countries” and presenting in other countries but many were ber, President Nicolas Maduro broke out in 1989 in response to Vtions of exaggerating its it “as if it was their own.” Rod- reconsidering that decision. said as the crisis-stricken gov- austerity measures that included migration crisis to justify “inter- riguez didn’t identify who those “More than 90% are regret- ernment seeks to shore up its higher gasoline prices. national intervention.” offi cials or enemy states were, ting it, of this group that isn’t coff ers amid hyperinfl ation that Government regulations have Vice President Delcy Rod- though. more than 600,000 Venezuelans is accelerating a broad economic kept prices steady at the pump riguez said the government had Some 13 Latin American coun- who have left the country in the collapse. despite infl ation that is expect- complained to UN General Sec- tries began a two-day meeting in last two years, according to con- Despite the crisis, fuel prices ed to hit 1,000,000% this year, retary Antonio Guterres that Quito on Monday to discuss the fi rmed, certifi ed serious fi gures,” are set so low that the equivalent according to the International “individual offi cials” have been Venezuelan migration crisis, a co- he said, without off ering details. of $1 buys nearly 400,000 gal- Monetary Fund. portraying “a normal migratory ordinated regional response and Images of Venezuelans leaving lons of fuel. Drivers have for years paid fl ow as a humanitarian crisis to an appeal for outside funding. the country on foot through Co- That cripples the state’s hard for fuel in loose change, often justify an intervention.” “The worst humanitarian cri- lombia to escape hyperinfl ation currency earnings and drives a tipping service station workers The UN says 1.6mn Venezue- sis the world is going through and food shortages have sent lucrative smuggling trade. more than they pay to fi ll their lans since 2015 have fl ed eco- right now is that caused by Nato alarm bells through the region as The government yesterday tanks. nomic meltdown in the country, and European Union countries countries such as Ecuador, Peru launched a new payment system Experts estimate Venezuela which has been hit by shortages in Africa and the Middle East,” and Chile seek to prepare for the using a state-backed identifi ca- — where shortages of food and of basic necessities such as food added Rodriguez, who called on growing fl ow of migrants. tion card in border states to limit medicine have fuelled hunger, and medicine. top EU diplomat Federica Mogh- Venezuelan offi cials have de- smuggling. Gasoline prices is set disease and a mass exodus of cit- Venezuela is in a fourth year of erini to stamp out “fake news.” scribed such scenes as having to increase to international levels izens — loses at least $5bn a year recession while the International She pointed to a new UN re- been staged by the media and once the system is in place. as a result of not selling gasoline Monetary Fund has predicted port that stated nearly 1,600 mi- political adversaries to tarnish “During the course of Sep- at international prices. infl ation in the South American grants had died or gone missing Maduro’s government. tember, October, once that sys- Critics have questioned how country will reach 1mn% this year. in 2018 on “the way to Europe.” The government announced tem is working, we will estab- Venezuelans, whose salaries The fl ood of migrants aban- Rodriguez claimed neighbouring last month it had repatriated lish the subsidy systems and the have been destroyed by un- doning their country to seek Colombia was seeking interna- 89 Venezuelans from Peru after price of gasoline will be set at the checked infl ation, could aff ord to a better life elsewhere has left tional funds in order to use Ven- they complained of being hu- Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro attends a meeting with international price,” he said dur- pay the same fuel prices as those countries such as Colombia, ezuela to “live” off donations. miliated. ministers at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela. ing a televised broadcast. facing drivers in the US. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 PAKISTAN PTI candidate Alvi is elected president AFP/Internews ousted Pakistan Muslim League Outgoing president Hussain’s Islamabad – Nawaz (PML-N), came second fi ve-year term will end on Sep- with 185 votes while the Pakistan tember 8. Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Alvi is likely to assume the awmakers have elected Aitzaz Ahsan won 124 votes, Ah- president’s offi ce on Sunday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf mad said. A father of four and active L(PTI) leader Arif Alvi as the The offi cial result is expected Twitter user, Alvi was shot and 13th President of Pakistan after to be announced by the election wounded during a protest against the vote count ended, according commission today. military dictator Ayub Khan in to the unoffi cial results, winning Alvi was the favourite to win Lahore in 1969. with an overwhelming lead, of- the polls as the PTI had high- He still has a bullet embedded fi cial TV channel PTV News re- est number of seats in National in his right arm. ported. Assembly and also a majority in He studied at the University of Former dentist Alvi, one of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pun- Michigan and the University of the founders of Prime Minister jab provinces, besides having the Pacifi c in San Francisco, as Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek- the support of the ruling party in well as in Lahore, before making e-Insaf (PTI) party, will replace Baluchistan. a career as a dentist and then en- Mamnoon Hussain after the vote Alvi told reporters that he was tering politics. by more than 1,000 lawmakers “thankful to God”, and vowed to He served as the PTI’s secre- from both houses of parliament be a president for all of Pakistan. tary general for eight years from In this handout photograph released by the National Assembly, Prime and the four provincial assem- “It’s great responsibility on 2006, and was elected an MP in Minister Imran Khan casts his ballot during the president election. blies. my shoulders. I shall play the the southern megacity of Karachi Former cricket champion best possible role to improve the in 2013, winning re-election in raich said the president’s role is years after a decade-long strug- Khan became prime minister last living standard of common Pa- the July vote. now to act as a bridge between gle against religious extremism. month following his party’s vic- kistanis by providing them with Before taking oath as the presi- the federal government and the However, Khan’s government tory in the July 25 parliamentary Alvi: I shall play the best possible role to improve the living standard health facilities, justice and shel- dent of the country, Alvi will have provinces, adding that Alvi’s sta- now faces major challenges, with elections. of common Pakistanis by providing them with health facilities, justice ter,” said the 69-year-old Alvi. to resign from the national as- tus as a member of middle-class the country teetering on the edge State-run Pakistan television and shelter. TV footage showed him shak- sembly. Pakistan would endear him fur- of a balance-of-payments crisis announced the unoffi cial results ing hands with parliamentarians Pakistani presidents wielded ther to Khan. that analysts say could force it to just over an hour after voting Alvi secured 212 votes in the province, 33 votes from eastern after the vote, with many hand- more power until Asif Ali Zard- “In Pakistan, middle-class seek an International Monetary ended yesterday, with Alvi claim- joint session of the two houses Punjab province, and 22 votes ing him sweets in celebration. ari, the husband of assassinated presidents don’t revolt against Fund (IMF) bailout. ing victory in televised remarks. of the parliament, including from southern Sindh province. Supporting Prime Minister premier Benazir Bhutto, took of- prime ministers,” he said. Pakistan is also among the “According to unoffi cial re- Senate and the National As- Alvi’s opponent Maulana Fa- Khan’s austerity drive, Alvi said fi ce in 2008 and devolved most of Nuclear-armed Pakistan, world’s worst aff ected countries sults, Alvi bagged 353 votes,” sembly, 45 votes from southwest zlur Rehman of the Jamiat Ule- that he would not live in the his powers to his prime minister a Muslim giant of more than by global warming, and is facing election commission spokesman Baluchistan province, 41 from ma-e-Islam – Fazlur (JUI-F), an President House and take a very Yousaf Raza Gilani. 207mn people, has seen security a shortage of water exacerbated Altaf Ahmad later told AFP. northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opposition party backed by the limited protocol. Political analyst Sohail War- improve dramatically in recent by its surging population.

Pakistani inspires US owes Pakistan future UK lawyers Increase in River Indus fl ow A Pakistani law graduate has been named “Success Story 2018” by the prestigious Bright $9bn under CSF Network and was the honorary speaker at the annual Top 100 poses serious threats: study Future Lawyers event. Internews imbursements from the US Raza Nazar is the first Pakistani Islamabad under the CSF mechanism, in the history of the prestigious Internews said one top offi cial of fi nance awards ceremony to be Karachi division. featured as an exemplary legal head of US Secretary Under the CSF mechanism, professional. of State Mike Pom- Pakistan claims costs already He was invited by Bright Network akistan will see a 10% in- Apeo’s visit to Pakistan, incurred for mobilisation of after graduating with First Class crease in mean water fl ow the Trump administration has troops and launching of off en- Honours in Law from the London Pin River Indus for the pe- blocked $300mn in reimburse- sive against terror networks in School of Economics (LSE). riod 2046-2075, according to a ments under the Coalition tribal and other areas adjacent In the 2016-17 year, he emerged new baseline study and predic- Support Fund (CSF) mecha- to Afghanistan, which the US in the Top 5 Future Lawyers in the tions of most authentic climate nism. reimburses after the amounts same Awards Ceremony. models. Some Pakistani economists are reconciled. At the ceremony, Raza Nazar A team of experts from the have proposed to the govern- “Even reconciled amounts spoke about his story to the Commonwealth Scientifi c and ments in the past that Islama- have not yet been fully paid by top 100 law students from top Industrial Research Organisa- bad incorporate markups when the United States,” said a senior universities, including Oxford tion (CSIRO) conducted a com- submitting expenditure bills offi cial. University, Cambridge University prehensive baseline survey of Fishermen prepare to leave for fishing along the River Indus in Hyderabad. for reimbursement because the Pakistan’s offi cial Econom- and the LSE. the period 1976-2005 of all 54 fi nance ministry had to man- ic Survey for 2017-18 states Nazar said: “It is one source of rivers of South Asia, and used 15% spike in water fl ow, while a and main author of the coun- challenges facing our region, as age these expenses through that in the last 17 years, the happiness to secure a top legal this data in the climate models 20% increase is projected in the try’s fi rst climate change policy, climate change will increase ir- borrowings from internal and direct and indirect cost in- job in London, but it is quite deemed most accurate thus far. Narmada Tapti basin and in Sri Dr Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry, regular rainfall patterns and in- external resources, with the curred by Pakistan due to in- another to inspire 100 of the As a result, the future predic- Lanka. says the study indicates in- crease incidence of fl oods and attached markup cost. cidents attributed to terrorism UK’s best law students to do the tions of a wetter South Asia are The imminent increase in wa- creased fl ow of South Asian riv- droughts,” Chaudhry said. More than $9bn in claims amounted to $126.79bn, or same.” in consonant with the baseline ter fl ow of the rivers demands ers, which is in consonant with Scientists used diff erent tools, under the CSF remains pend- Rs10,762.64bn. study of the past. urgent need for a common plat- the previously-held views of satellite imagery and fi eld work ing before the US administra- After backing the US in its Global warming and climatic form for the South Asian coun- experts. to collect the best data sets. tion. war against terror, Pakistan’s change – with more rainfall and tries to tackle the issue. “These projections demand a The data was then used in Pakistan’s fi nance ministry economy suff ered major loss- 8,000 buildings enhanced temperatures – are An increase in River Indus scaling up of climate-resilient Coupled Model Intercompari- has just projected a reimburse- es from fi scal year 2008-9 to lack certificates responsible for the projected in- fl ow even by a small percentage integrated water resource man- son Project phase 5 (CMIP5) ment of Rs15.9bn from Wash- 2014-15. crease in water fl ow. could pose serious challenges agement practices in the South framework, with some down- ington in the current fi scal The losses stood at $9.18bn More than 8,000 buildings in the The fl ow of Indus, Ganges, for Pakistan. Asia region, one of the most scaling for the South Asian re- year’s budget 2018-19. in 2008-9, $13.56bn in 2009- Pakistani capital Islamabad have and Brahmaputra rivers will in- The country’s experts have climate vulnerable region glo- gion. After becoming an ally of 10, $23.77bn in 2010-11, yet to acquire the mandatory crease by between 10% and 30% already warned that rainy pe- bally,” added Chaudhry. The CMIP was designed by the US-led war against terror $11.98bn in 2011-12, $9.97bn in completion certificates. in annual runoff , according to riod is decreasing in lower parts Pakistan’s hugely populous hundreds of leading experts to in 2001, Pakistan and the US 2012-13, $7.7bn in 2013-14, and According to sources, due the paper published earlier this of the country and increasing in districts are directly located in predict future aspects of climate established a mechanism for $9.24bn in 2014-15. to indiff erence of the Capital month in the Journal of Hydrol- upper areas. the possible fl ood regions, and change. reimbursement of costs in- Total accumulated losses Development Authority’s (CDA) ogy: Regional Studies. Melting of glaciers, heat and increased river fl ow will be a The fi rst CMIP was devised curred for the launching mili- stood at $126.79bn in last 17 Building Control Directorate, The mean runoff will increase evaporation will also lead to in- problem for these areas. in 1995 and still updating with tary off ensives against terror years but, in the words of a people have stopped acquiring from 2046 to 2075. crease in fl ow of River Indus in “Developing resilience in more modifi cations. networks. senior offi cial, Pakistan had the completion certificate for The Ganges – Brahmaputra the future. agriculture to regular climate CSIRO experts also used oth- In the last 17 years, Islama- been reimbursed “just pea- commercial and residential and Deccan plateau will see a Pakistan’s top climatologist shocks is one of the biggest er hydrological models. bad has received $14bn in re- nuts” by the US. buildings. Authorities trace 2,750 UAE properties worth Rs4.2tn

Internews ted to zones/fi eld offi ces for the second source report,” the joint Rules which, once approved by ($8.1bn), with major share of de- the standing committee to act as plained income from foreign re- Islamabad initiation of inquiries,” revealed report further stated. Supreme Court and the govern- clared assets located in the UAE. designated authority in Pakistan mittance; and a report jointly prepared by the The investigators in their re- ment, will enable the FIA to ini- Properties/accounts holders in under the UNCAC (the United „ The FIA having no authority SBP and the FIA. port revealed: “The FIA has, to tiate MLA requests to key foreign other tax-haven countries ben- Nations Convention against to operate with the UNCAC and akistani investigators, with “The FIA’s anti-corruption date, taken cognisance of 2,750 jurisdictions (top money-laun- efi tted only marginally from this Corruption) and other bilateral the United Nations’ Convention the co-operation of Dubai wing has instituted 54 crimi- undisclosed properties (apart- dering destinations) and help scheme, added the report. and multilateral instruments, so against Trans-national Organ- Pauthorities, have traced nal inquiries (under the Foreign ments etc.) of Pakistani nation- Pakistan in foreign assets recov- It has been recommended to that investigators can seek infor- ised Crime 2000. 2,750 properties – worth around Assets Declaration Regulations als held in the UAE on various ery (track, freeze, and repatriate) the SBP governor that the scope mation regarding foreign proper- Finally, report also pointed Rs4,240bn – in the United Arab 1972) against 662 (out of 3,549 names, and inquiries are under- of foreign assets and accounts, and terms of reference (ToRs) of ties and accounts of all Pakistani out some essential investigation Emirates that were suspected to property holders); however, the way. If each property is valued especially those linked to cor- the standing committee consti- persons of interest in any tax ha- tools where FIA offi cials said that have been acquired by Pakistani inquiries were stalled due to on average at a conservative es- ruption, kick-backs and money tuted under the directions of the ven or foreign jurisdiction. the authority is constrained to nationals with illegal capital and non-provision of record by the timate of Rs40mn, the value of laundering etc. apex court should be expanded. The report also indicated rea- writing letters to request simple plunder of taxpayer money. real estate regulatory agency of UAE assets under inquiry with The report continued to re- The scope should not be lim- sons for poor control over money information from electronic da- Based on three intelligence the Dubai Land Department, the FIA comes to Rs110bn, which veal that an estimated $150bn is ited to the information regarding laundering and diffi culties in on- tabases, available in the national reports, the Federal Investiga- and subsequently by the Paki- is only 2.5% of Rs4,240bn – the stashed in foreign properties be- properties of Pakistanis in the going investigation. jurisdiction, including the FBR’s tion Agency (FIA), the State stan government’s tax amnesty value of offi cially known assets of longing to Pakistanis, as per pri- UAE and the UK, rather it should The diffi culties include: IRIS and PRAL databases, the Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and the scheme this year, regulated by Pakistanis in the UAE.” vate sector estimates (according be expanded. „ Weak legislative instru- Securities and Exchange Com- Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Foreign Assets (Declaration and A deep dive into the records of to Shabbar Zaidi of AF Ferguson). The UK government has list- ments (domestic), with the For- mission of Pakistan’s companies/ have started crackdown against Repatriation) Ordinance 2018. real estate regulatory agency of The report further indicated ed Pakistan as among top three eign Assets Declaration Regula- directors/share-holders data- around 5,000 super-rich Paki- However, the inquiries have been Dubai Land Department will be that the UAE as the top tax haven money laundering source coun- tion 1972 not authorising the FIA bank, the Financial Monitoring stanis who allegedly violated na- re-initiated,” the report said, ac- required to fathom the true mag- for Pakistanis, who have parked tries, after Nigeria and Russia. to investigate this matter; Unit’s databank on CTRs and tional laws to acquire these prop- cording to Geo News. nitude of assets held in the UAE, $100bn in the US and Europe. The joint report said that it „ The Income Tax Ordinance STRs (Cash Transaction Reports erties in the UAE. “The FIA’s anti-corruption investigators further stated. The report revealed that by the is imperative that this standing 2001, Section 111-(4) protecting and Suspicious Transaction Re- “Lately, the FIA’s cyber-crime wing instituted further criminal Offi cials of the FBR, the FIA, close of this year’s tax amnesty committee makes an assessment sources of unexplained income ports), telecom companies’ IPDR wing has deciphered the iden- inquiries last week (under the and the SBP, in their fi ndings, scheme, on July 31, declarations of the total Pakistani money from foreign remittance; (Internet Protocol Detail Record) tity of the Pakistani owners of Foreign Assets Declaration Reg- further said that Ahmer Bilal Sufi from 5,363 entities (individuals stashed in foreign assets and ac- „ The Pakistan Economic Re- database, and the revenue de- 1,467 properties in Dubai, and ulations 1972) against 621 UAE (as amicus curiae) has drafted and companies) had disclosed counts. forms Act 1992, Sections 4 and 5 partments’ and development au- the fi ndings are being transmit- properties, discovered through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) foreign assets worth Rs1,003bn A special authority invested in also protecting sources of unex- thorities’ property database. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 21 PHILIPPINES

Food imports under scrutiny over viral disease

By Eireene Jairee Gomez Manila Times

he Department of Agri- culture is closely watch- Ting food imported from countries hit by African Swine Fever (ASF) to prevent the entry of the fatal viral disease into the Philippines. “We have to institute stringent measures to ensure that the ASF will not be able to enter the coun- try,” Agriculture Secretary Em- manuel Pinol told reporters in an interview after his meeting with livestock stakeholders regard- ing the ASF outbreaks abroad. ASF, according to the Center for Security and Public Health, is a highly contagious disease. The ASF virus can survive in the en- Senator Antonio Trillanes (centre) speaks during a stand-up press conference at the Senate in Manila, yesterday as other lawmakers stand around. vironment and in uncooked pig products for a long time. There is no vaccine or treatment. Pinol said the DA would ask the assistance of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) for the mandato- ry inspection of food shipments that may enter the country. The DA has banned the im- President scraps amnesty portation of live pigs and pork products from Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and China. The department also suspended the processing and evaluation of applications for and the issuance of sanitary and of chief critic, orders arrest phytosanitary import clearances covering the aff ected commod- zSenator says being Antonio Trillanes, Duterte’s amnesty for involvement in a call trumped up or technicali- was nothing to undo,” Roque a preliminary examination of a ity. Pinol said Bureau of Animal persecuted by a “dictator” most vocal opponent, has ac- failed 2003 coup and a mutiny ties.They include politicians, told reporters in Jerusalem. complaint that accuses Duterte Industry Director Ronnie Do- zTrillanes sought overthrow cused him of hiding wealth, and four years later, both aimed at lawyers, a reporter, a judge, a “He (Trillanes) did not ask for of crimes against humanity. mingo is in Vietnam to discuss of ex-president for graft has supported petitions to the overthrowing then-President United Nations rapporteur and amnesty, it was given to him on Legislative immunity did not with his counterpart the meas- z This is not to scare anyone: International Criminal Court Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a Du- even an elderly nun and a cam- a silver platter.” Trillanes’ ar- cover Trillanes because of the ures being implemented by Ha- justice minister (ICC) seeking his indictment terte ally. paigner for indigenous peoples’ rest would make him the second seriousness of the alleged of- noi to prevent the entry of ASF. over the alleged murders of Trillanes called the execu- rights. of a vocal Senate minority to be fences, which included rebellion “The DA will now mobilise its Reuters thousands of suspected crimi- tive order “stupid” and said he Duterte, now on an offi cial detained after Leila de Lima, a and sedition, said Justice Secre- people, especially its technicians, Manila nals and drug dealers. would not resist arrest or fl ee. visit to Israel, has long main- former justice secretary held tary Menardo Guevarra, adding to check farms all over the country An executive order printed in “It’s a clear case of po- tained he has never penalised for 18 months charged with in- that invalidating the amnesty to ensure that whatever health is- the pro-Duterte Manila Times litical persecution,” he told anyone for criticising him. volvement in illicit narcotics. was not a political move. sues there are would be addressed hilippine President Ro- newspaper said clemency for reporters.”Mr Duterte is a dicta- Presidential spokesman Both have targeted Duterte “This is not to scare anyone, especially PED (porcine epidemic drigo Duterte yesterday the former military serviceman tor. He does not respect insti- Harry Roque said Duterte had over his bloody war on drugs but to ensure all of the laws are diarrhoea virus),” he added. Pwithdrew amnesty for an had been voided because he fell tutions. That is why we’re like proven his “maximum tolerance and have led Senate enquiries followed and obeyed,” he told He assured the pubic that the opposition senator involved in a short of the minimum require- this: ordinary people are killed for freedom of expression” and into his role in alleged execu- reporters. DA would be “very vigilant” to failed coup 15 years ago and or- ments, including admitting his and critics are jailed.” was simply enforcing the law by tions by police, both while pres- Senator Risa Hontiveros said ensure that smuggled products, dered his arrest, in what would guilt. Trillanes is the latest of Du- voiding an amnesty awarded as ident and when a city mayor. the action signalled “Duterte’s such as ham, from China would be the second detention of a In 2010, then President Be- terte’s detractors to be targeted, a political favour. Duterte denies wrongdoing. further slide into full authori- not enter the Philippines. lawmaker critical of him. nigno Aquino gave Trillanes accused of off ences opponents “It never was eff ective, there The ICC in February started tarian rule”. Israeli president lectures Duterte on Hitler Robredo condemns controversial remarks AFP human rights activist Eitay Jerusalem Mack said Further arms deals were expected to be part of Du- By Mary Gleefer F Jalea terte’s discussions in Israel. Manila Times sraeli President Reuven Riv- The Philippine president lin gave a brief lecture on met Prime Minister Benjamin IHitler to Rodrigo Duterte Netanyahu on Monday. ice President Maria Le- yesterday after the Philippine In comments before their onor “Leni” Robredo on leader’s 2016 remarks compar- working lunch, Duterte thanked VMonday reiterated that ing himself to the Nazi dictator Israel for supplying him with rape only happens because there who carried out the Holocaust. unspecifi ed defence equipment are rapists, and not because of “Hitler was actually repre- that was “critical” in “win- women’s good looks. senting the devil himself,” Riv- ning the war” — a reference to “For me, not just as a woman lin said when the two men met his government’s battle against but as a person, whatever state- at his Jerusalem offi ce. “He was militants in the city of Marawi ment that puts the blame on the devil on earth.” last year. women when it comes to rape, it Rivlin went on to say that Today, he will lay a wreath at is not funny. We should protest. Duterte’s visit to Israel’s Yad a memorial near Tel Aviv com- We know that it is wrong,” Ro- Vashem Holocaust memorial on memorating the Philippines’ bredo told reporters after a news Monday must have illustrated to Protesters hold placards depicting President Rodrigo Duterte as they demonstrate outside the acceptance of 1,300 Jews fl eeing briefi ng in Quezon City. him the sensitivity surrounding residence of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin during his meeting with Duterte in Jerusalem, yesterday. the Holocaust. She made the comment a week any reference to Adolf Hitler. He will travel to Jordan later after President Rodrigo Duterte “Probably you have realised The controversial Philip- to the Nazi leader. Duterte also China or Germany. The com- in the day. said in a speech that as long as yesterday the feelings when you pine president spoke of Hitler told Rivlin he had ordered his ments seemed to contradict Duterte’s trip to Israel began there were beautiful women, have visited the museum of Yad in 2016 when talking about his military to only buy military and Duterte’s previous remarks. on Sunday night with him apol- there would be more rape cases. Robredo: criticising comments Vashem in Jerusalem, to really violent drug crackdown that has intelligence equipment from Is- In November, he said he ogising to former US president “They said there are many feel the atmosphere, to feel the killed thousands. rael. planned to buy more weapons Barack Obama for having used rape cases in Davao. As long as raped,” Duterte told Filipinos in feelings of all the people that “Hitler massacred 3mn Jews. He said the United States from Russia. a controversial expletive against there are many beautiful women, Israel on Sunday. were part of this disaster,” said Now there are 3mn drug addicts was a “good friend,” but buying A few dozen people opposed him in 2016, one of several foul- there will be more rape cases,” The crowd burst in laughter. Rivlin, whose position is mainly (in the Philippines).I’d be happy such equipment from US fi rms to arms sales to the Philippines mouthed remarks that have Duterte said. “But you are almost mesmer- ceremonial. to slaughter them,” Duterte said meant the country would “also protested outside the presi- caused outrage. The president made the re- ised or tempted. That is how you Duterte appeared to be listen- then. Historians say 6mn Jews be listening”, seemingly mean- dential compound in Jerusalem He lobbed the insult in re- mark after the Philippine Na- control yourself. It is a democ- ing attentively during Rivlin’s died in the Holocaust. ing gathering intelligence on the during the meeting. sponse to steady criticism from tional Police (PNP) showed in a racy, freedom of expression,” brief comments. He later spoke Duterte later apologised and Philippines. “We’re protesting against Is- the United States at the time report that Davao City had the Duterte added. about trade and co-operation said the comments were aimed Duterte said the same would rael’s involvement in the crimes over his violent drug crack- highest number of rape cases in In the same speech, Duterte with Israel. at critics who had likened him be true for countries such as taking place there,” lawyer and down. the second quarter of 2018. said that he could still walk and The Gabriela Women’s Party he was still strong despite ru- lashed out at Duterte on Friday, mours of him being sick. saying a person who fi nds hu- On Monday, Chief Presiden- mour in demeaning women and tial Legal Counsel Salvador Pan- enabling rapists “is not fi t to be a elo said detractors of the presi- Tourists, investments up in Davao despite martial law president.” dent were merely “nitpicking” However, Malacanang down- and “making a fuss” out of the played Duterte’s remarks, saying statements of Duterte. By Jonathan Santes said Davao City continues to be By 2020, Davao City could of martial, the residential con- the extension of martial law in the public should not “give too “The president reveres his late Manila Times/Davao City an investment destination in reach the 6,000 hotel room dominiums remain stable. The Mindanao.” much weight on what the presi- mother and as Davao City mayor the country. She told members mark which is “a far cry from sector is experiencing relatively “We also tag the lands of Dav- dent says by way of a joke.” had undertaken projects and of the Davao City Chamber of 2017’s of just over 4,000 rooms.” high occupancy rate up to 83%,” ao as the gold mine of Mindanao In Israel, Duterte defended his measures protective of the rights espite the declaration of Commerce and Industry (DC- She added that the “residential she added. because of its continuous and “joke” as merely an exercise of of women and advancing their martial law on May 23, CCII) in a meeting last Friday sector maintains about According to Coyoca, nine steady progress,” she said. freedom of expression. cause,” Panelo said. D2017, there is a rise in real said tourist arrivals in Davao 80% occupancy rates and at more big condominiums will “Year by year commercial “They can say that I am mi- Panelo also said Duterte had estate investments and an in- City increased by 13.36% since competitive prices, the sector rise in the next three years and land in Davao City experiences sogynist. Which is why, I just given women recognition by crease in tourist arrivals in this the middle of the year. is performing really well due to most of the units are sold to a growth of 20% which indicate said that there are a lot of rape appointing them to important city. Coyoca said they also noted local investor purchasing and local investors in Mindanao the rapid escalation of Davao as cases in Davao. I just said there posts, the latest of which was Ruth Coyoca, Prime Philip- more hotel and condominium the positive outlook of Mindan- which she said “implies no a premium business district of are a lot of beautiful women in Teresita Leonardo de Castro as pines senior assistant manager, constructions in the city. aoans.” “Since the declaration signifi cant eff ect in relation to the Philippines.” Davao, I did not say they are all chief justice. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 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 India needs to rethink currency management

The economy is a fi ckle beast. Exactly a year ago, the rupee, having experienced a prolonged appreciating spree, had reached as high as 63.5 to a dollar. At the time, quite a few commentators wondered aloud if the Indian currency was overvalued and whether moderation was necessary. The trend of the rupee has entirely fl ipped this year. It has almost slipped 10% since January, closing below the psychological 70-mark this month for the fi rst time in history. Now, a wave of concern has swept the economy on the possible drawbacks from a depreciating currency. In India, Google races to There has been a mix of external factors that have contributed to the downslide. The immediate reason has been the crisis in Turkey. As a result, foreign investors have begun to withdraw money from emerging market economies fearing that what happens in Turkey won’t remain in Turkey. But, India’s currency slide predates the Turkey turmoil. Since parry rise of Facebook the beginning of the year, foreign investors have sold $6.8bn in equity markets and $5.15bn in debt markets. A leading reason By Paresh Dave and platform even though they haven’t chief executive, has pressed to fl ip this year spent more time on Google has been the raising of the interest rates by the US Federal created features specifi cally for Indian the company’s approach to emerging services than on Facebook services, Reserve as a part of the tightening of its monetary policy, which Sankalp Phartiyal/Reuters San Francisco/Mumbai advertisers,” said Vikas Chawla, who markets. according to estimates from audience has prompted investors to pull their funds out of the emerging runs a small ad-buying agency in India. “India is the most important market measurement fi rm Comscore. markets. Advanced economies are unwinding years of loose Facebook ads, compared with those for the ‘Next Billion Users’ initiative,” Over a similar period a year ago, monetary policy practised over the last decade in the post-crisis oogle retains only a slight on Google search or YouTube, tend Caesar Sengupta, the head of the eff ort, Facebook came out on top. period. So, the fi nancial market volatility arising out of it is here lead over Facebook in the to transcend language barriers more told Reuters on the sidelines of the Extending those gains to the ad to stay for the developing world in the near future. competition for digital ad easily because they rely more on visual annual “Google for India” event in New business is a work in progress. dollars in the crucial India elements, said Narayan Murthy Ivaturi, Delhi last week. A handful of Google executives, India, therefore, has not been G market, sources familiar with the vice president at FreakOut Pte Ltd, For many years Google designed including leaders for display ads and It is oft en alone with a weakening currency. fi gures say, even though the search a Singapore-headquartered digital its services for early adopters of new small business advertisers, travelled to However, it has been the hardest- giant has been in the country far longer marketing fi rm. technology, who tended to be in India earlier this year in a previously argued that a hit in Asia. This points to inherent and has avoided the controversies that Pinpointing younger consumers Silicon Valley, said Nelson Mattos, who unreported trip to better understand vulnerabilities in the Indian have dogged its rival. and rural populations is easier with oversaw Google’s Europe and Africa the needs of Indian clients. depreciating economy itself. Even though a case Facebook’s success has shaken Facebook and its Instagram app, he and operations for several years. The visit spurred them to consider other ad buyers said. Great products would then fi nd a ideas such as enabling advertisers to can be made that the currency has Alphabet Inc’s Google, led by Indian- currency is born CEO Sundar Pichai, who has made And Facebook is succeeding in India, broad global audience. reach users only in a particular Indian been merely adjusting to its true developing markets a priority. which boasts the fastest-growing “Over time, as you saw the growth state, since language and literacy vary not bad since value after having appreciated a Google offi cials in India earlier this year digital ad market of any major economy, of Facebook, the importance of greatly around the country, according to year ago, the issues that arise out were alarmed to learn that Facebook Inc despite internal turmoil and political WhatsApp and other tools in these new a person familiar with the discussions. it helps boost of a weak rupee are hard to deny. was likely to generate about $980mn in controversy. markets, and not the same adoption of At the New Delhi event, Google The most problematic aspect is revenue in the country in 2018, according It has been without a country Google, the company started to realise unveiled a plan to bring Indian exports the rising import bill that is mostly to one of the sources. head for the last year, and has faced a that maybe they had to change that newspaper content online, to increase Google’s India revenues reached $1bn series of incidents in which rumours approach,” Mattos said. the supply of search results – and ads – led by oil for India. The country is only last year. circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp Shortly after taking the helm three available in regional languages. the third-largest consumer of oil in the world after the US and Facebook and Google declined to have prompted mob violence. years ago, Pichai mapped a new strategy Google still has to reckon with other China and about 82% of this is imported. Global oil prices have comment on Indian revenue fi gures Facebook and Google between them for places such as India: More services issues. already been on the rise this year and a weak rupee merely acts or the competition between the two took 68% of India’s digital ad market tailored to locals; more marketing on Small businesses in emerging as a double whammy for the economy. companies. last year, according to advertising buyer radio, billboards and TV; more local markets are less likely to have websites, It is often argued that a depreciating currency is not bad since Google is now pushing back, Magna. staff and start-up investment. a foundation for Google ad campaigns attempting to lure customers with Media agency GroupM estimates Google’s India workforce has more but unnecessary for Facebook. it helps boost exports. However, in this case, even such gains better ad-buying tools and more digital advertising spending will grow than doubled since to more than Executives met with one Indian might not materialise. First, since the currency depreciation is localised services. 30% in India this year. 4,000 employees, or about eight times merchant who recorded product videos not unique to India and is occurring throughout the developing The revamped strategy mirrors The Facebook phenomenon is Facebook’s presence, according to a on YouTube then messaged the links to world, domestic exports might not seem particularly attractive initiatives that have succeeded in evident close to home for Google. tally of LinkedIn profi les and company potential customers on WhatsApp, said in the global markets. Some of the other competing emerging boosting the time Indian consumers During a recent lunch period, six out statements. Kim Spalding, the company’s general markets have witnessed even greater currency depreciations. spend with Google services. of 10 people who walked out of Google’s Its products evolved too, becoming manager and product lead for small There is a dire need to address the repeated macroeconomic The battle in India refl ects an epic Bengaluru offi ces while looking at their easier to use with low data plans. business ads. challenge for Google in developing phones told Reuters they were checking Smartphone apps such as Files Facebook, meanwhile, is already on to vulnerability of the Indian economy that is linked to its currency markets around the world that are WhatsApp. Go and Tez – rebranded last week as commercialising such behaviour. fl uctuations. It remains diffi cult for any government to devote crucial to the company’s long-term All 10 said they regularly used Google Pay – were aimed at Indians. Just weeks ago, it began charging resources towards developmental eff orts if cyclical external shocks growth – many consumers in those Whatsapp. “There’s defi nitely a sea change,” said for text-based marketing features on keep defi ning policy constraints. In the short run, the excessive country’s are gravitating to Facebook Eight Indian ad buyers interviewed Asif Baki, a user researcher at Google WhatsApp, with video ads expected to dependence on imports for crude oil has to be reduced. This and its siblings, Instagram and by Reuters were divided on whether who oversees two-week “immersion launch next year. would require a signifi cant boost in domestic oil exploration and WhatsApp, at the expense of Google Facebook would overtake Google in trips” in developing markets for senior Google is now pushing back, executives and staff . production, which has not been done in the last two decades. search and YouTube, and advertising Indian ad revenue. attempting to lure customers with dollars are quick to follow. That such a question would even be The eff orts are bearing fruit. better ad-buying tools and more A more long-term approach should involve debunking the “Facebook is a far more user-friendly debated explains why Pichai, Google’s Indian users during the fi rst half of localised services belief whatsoever that depreciation of currencies has any relation with higher exports. Instead, the focus should be on improving the productivity of the country’s resources, which can help set its export basket apart from that of its competitors in the world markets. Such an approach would disassociate export performance from periodical external shocks and improve macro-economic stability. Finally, in addition to keeping its house in order, India can also address its macroeconomic vulnerabilities with higher international co-operation on the monetary and fi nancial front. The world is missing eff ective international policy co-ordination that can ensure fi nancial stability across global markets.

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© 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved A woman walks past the logo of Google during an event in New Delhi. Google is attempting to lure customers with better ad-buying tools and more localised services in India. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 5, 2018 23 COMMENT Pelosi leads Democrats into battle again

By Sabrina Siddiqui planning for its time in power. reconnecting with the workers who presidential nominee was often Washington But as many as 50 Democrats have left us in the last few years. portrayed as angry or shown in on the ballot, including nine “This isn’t just about this election, unfl attering ways, Dittmar said, incumbents, reportedly will not back it’s about building a long-term Pelosi has become a central focus for ancy Pelosi was at the Pelosi for speaker if they do retake sustainable majority that can govern.” Republicans “to demonise and run podium at the US Capitol, the House. ‘Powerful women are either against”. fl anked by dozens of female To some observers, this illustrates a threatening or annoying’. “The photos they use or the ways Nlawmakers, when a reporter double standard for women in power. When Ryan last went up against they talk about her … that’s where asked a familiar question. Pelosi’s detractors insist there is a Pelosi, in the wake of Donald Trump’s you see the gender stereotypes about “Some of your colleagues privately legitimate discussion to be had over stunning presidential victory, how, for some people, powerful say that your decision to stay on ushering in new leadership. Democrats voted 134 to 63 in favour of women are either threatening or prohibits the party from having a But in the Senate, McConnell, the the status quo. annoying or whatever that may be,” younger leadership and hurts the party 76-year-old Republican leader who is The tides had shifted, slightly; Dittmar said. in the long run,” said Luke Russert, likely to remain in control, is not faced in 2014, Pelosi ran unopposed and “There’s something at the root of then a correspondent with NBC News. with similar demands. was re-elected in a unanimous vote that tied to your discomfort of women “What’s your response?” “Successful strong women, when despite similar grumblings from in powerful positions.” The women broke into a they can be demonised, seem to some corners. Dittmar said it was not inherently chorus of boos. “Discrimination! motivate a certain group of voters This isn’t just about this election, gendered for there to be a conversation Discrimination!” shouted one. who are fearful of these successful it’s about building a long-term about injecting new faces into party Russert defend his line of women,” said Cindy Simon Rosenthal, sustainable majority that can govern leadership. questioning, pointing out that House a professor of political science at the Rep Tim Ryan Now, Democrats are But it was diffi cult to isolate gender Democratic leaders were all over 70. University of Oklahoma and co-author buoyed by Trump’s historically low from the fi xation on Pelosi at a time Pelosi defended her record working of the 2010 book Speaker Nancy Pelosi approval ratings and increasingly when considerably less attention has to elect fresh faces, many of them and the New American Politics. optimistic about the prospects of a been given to the open race to replace women, to Congress. “There’s a lot of evidence in social blue wave in the midterms. House speaker Paul Ryan, who is “Oh, you always ask that question science research of the negative In the chaos of Trump’s Washington, retiring. except to Mitch McConnell,” she said. stereotypes associated with older they have sought to frame Republicans Cheri Bustos, a representative from That was November 14, 2012, just women” as compared with older men, as complicit in an administration Illinois who has led recruitment eff orts over a week after Barack Obama won she said. marked by corruption. within the Democratic party, dismissed the White House for the second time. “Women are thought as they age to Republicans are betting, against the obsession over the future of Democrats had a majority be more unpredictable, less capable, the odds, that the midterms will be a congressional leadership as a media in the Senate but the House of less cognitively with it, and men are referendum on Pelosi. distraction. Representatives was under Republican more likely to get a pass.” Like her counterparts in Voters she encountered, she said, control. Pelosi was elected in 1987 and has congressional leadership, the minority were “more concerned with healthcare It was not the fi rst time one of the long been a target for Republicans. leader holds unfavourable ratings from or even potholes”. most powerful women in American In 2007, she became the only woman a majority of Americans. Bustos said there was “a fair politics had been asked if it was time to ever to serve as speaker, a position she Pelosi has long been a target for Republicans. Nonetheless, evidence suggests the discussion” to be had over who should step aside. held until 2011. Republican attacks are not working. lead Democrats in the House, if they Nor would it be the last. She has been minority leader since tactician who has held her caucus in Congress,” said Tim Ryan, an Ohio A recent CNN poll found that won a majority. Seemingly every two years, as voters then. line to oppose Republican eff orts to representative who challenged Pelosi only 34% of registered voters said “That said, I think (Pelosi has) been head go to the polls, the same debate Her legislative accomplishments repeal the ACA and pass a vast tax after the 2016 election. Pelosi would be an extremely or very a remarkable leader and I think she’s emerges: are Pelosi’s days numbered, include securing the passage of overhaul. “She’s a phenomenal legislator, a important factor when they cast their been part of a very strong leadership or not? the Aff ordable Care Act (ACA) and She remains a prolific fundraiser phenomenal negotiator. I don’t take ballots this fall, last on a list of 10 team,” she said. With two months until the 2018 a stimulus package to revitalise who brought in nearly $91m that away from her.” factors. “Women in politics are judged in midterms, the chatter has risen again. the economy under the Obama through July for the Democratic Ryan, who did not rule out another Kelly Dittmar, an assistant professor a very diff erent way … what our hair Republicans have waged relentless administration. Congressional Campaign challenge, said it was simply time of political science at the Centre for looks like, what we’re wearing, how our attacks on Pelosi, 78, branding her a She has been heralded for advancing Committee. for the party to rebrand itself at the American Women and Politics at makeup looks, being judged because “San Francisco liberal”, attempting to women’s and LGBT rights. Those potentially eying the speaker’s national level. Rutgers University, said Republican we’re moms or we’re grandmas. tie all Democrats to her. She broke with most Democratic gavel do not deny her record. “It’s about reconnecting to the attacks on Pelosi echoed the party’s “Any woman in higher offi ce has felt The party is expected to do well. leaders by opposing the Iraq war. “I think she will go down as one of American people,” he said, “putting playbook against Hillary Clinton. it very personally.” – Guardian News According to Axios, it is already She is also a shrewd negotiator and the best speakers in the history of the forward a new brand for the party, As the former Democratic and Media

Europe’s populist Fifth Column Three-day forecast TODAY intelligence recently suggested to Bild close ties with far-right groups for Since invading eastern Ukraine Maximum Temperature : 390c By Guy Verhofstadt Minimum Temperature : 320c Brussels that Austria’s intelligence services years. and annexing Crimea in March 2014, cannot be trusted so long as the right- Moreover, Orbán and his Fidesz Putin has waged a complex hybrid THURSDAY wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) party control most of the media, which war against the West, combining Maximum Temperature : 400c uropean security currently is a governing coalition partner. uncritically disseminates Russian state information and cyber warfare with Minimum Temperature : 310c rests essentially on the Nato After all, in February, the propaganda. active special operations to disrupt FRIDAY alliance and the principle FPO interior minister made the Finally, in Poland, Antoni European institutions. Maximum Temperature : 410c Eof mutual defence, and extraordinary decision to order a Macierewicz, who was ousted as To that end, the Kremlin is actively Minimum Temperature : 310c police raid on Austria’s main domestic defence minister in January, has been supporting European populist on co-operation between national Fisherman's forecast intelligence services working to intelligence agency, removing fi les and accused of maintaining ties with movements and political parties and prevent violence against people and sensitive information. pro-Kremlin far-right groups and the their eff orts to exploit historical tensions WARNING Russian gangster Semion Mogilevich. and create divisions within the EU. Inshore : Nil national assets. The FPO has had a “co-operation But in an era when threats come pact” with Russian President Vladimir While in offi ce, Macierewicz’s Such divisions play directly into Offshore : Nil from domestic extremists as well as Putin’s United Russia party since 2016. attempts to reorganise the army and Putin’s hands. WEATHER hostile state and non-state actors Most worryingly, the agreement Ministry of Defence led Poland’s Nato A divided West with less intelligence Inshore : Misty at places at first becomes hot daytime seeking to undermine democratic provides for information sharing allies to question whether the country co-operation is at greater risk of attack and relatively humid institutions, this is not enough. on issues relevant to bilateral and could be relied on to counter Russia. and more vulnerable to domestic with some clouds at In recent years, intelligence sharing international relations. In all of these examples, far-right extremism and distrust in democratic times, humid by night. has stymied countless terrorist plots If there is reason to believe that populists are not just causing friction institutions. Offshore : Fine to misty at times. by extremists and far-right groups. information is being transferred from between national intelligence services; Putin would like nothing more than But failures to share intelligence Vienna to Moscow, then Austria could they are successfully politicising the to turn the EU into a living hell. WIND Inshore : Mainly Northeasterly across borders have also resulted be cut off from a large amount of data very institutions and legal instruments How should concerned politicians 05-10 KT in horrendous attacks in Brussels, essential for tackling extremism and upon which European security depends. and citizens respond? For starters, Manchester, and other cities. terrorism. For example, just as the Kremlin it is clear that the EU needs its own Offshrore : Mainly Northeasterly Belatedly, European security And yet that would undermine the politicises Interpol to harass its comprehensive inquiry into Russian 05-15/17 KT services have also begun to focus on security of all Europeans. political opponents abroad, Poland’s interference in European aff airs, along Visibility : 4-8/3 KM the threat that Russia poses to liberal In Italy, the far-right League party, ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party the lines of Special Counsel Robert democracy. which governs in a coalition with the has used its veto power as an EU Mueller’s investigation in the United Offshore : 2-4/5 FT member state to ban one of its critics, States. Over the course of recent populist Five Star Movement (M5S), Around the region election cycles, the Kremlin has has also entered into a co-operation the Ukrainian human-rights activist Russian fi nancing of European Weather proved successful at compromising agreement with United Russia. Lyudmyla Kozlovska, from entering populist groups must be tracked and Weather tomorrow Max/min democratic processes and polluting And the League’s leader, Interior the EU’s Schengen area. exposed, and its hybrid-war operations today Max/min Sunny 44/25 public discourse. Minister and Deputy Prime Minister It is absurd to think that a human rights within the EU must be shut down. Baghdad Sunny 43/24 Sunny 44/30 Making matters worse, the rise of Matteo Salvini, who opposes EU activist could be barred from the EU for Moreover, Europol should be given Kuwait City Sunny 42/30 Sunny 41/32 far-right populists in key countries is sanctions against Russia, has been criticising one government while far-right the power it needs to pursue those who Manama Sunny 40/32 Sunny 33/29 undermining the security apparatus photographed wearing Putin T-shirts, white nationalists like Bannon can freely are subverting European interests. – Muscat Sunny 33/26 Sunny 33/21 needed to counter Russian aggression. and is a regular visitor to Moscow. traipse around the continent fomenting Project Syndicate Tehran Sunny 32/20 Intelligence sharing requires mutual In Hungary, where both Salvini and extremism and Islamophobia. trust, but the alliances that once the American “alt-right” proselytiser EU authorities must investigate the zGuy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian provided the basis for trust are under Stephen Bannon have been welcomed Polish government’s motives to ensure prime minister, is president of the increasing strain. with open arms by Prime Minister that the EU’s security architecture Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for This is evident across Europe. Viktor Orban, Russian intelligence is not being exploited for political Europe Group (ALDE) in the European In Germany, the former head of services have reportedly maintained purposes. Parliament. Live issues

Around the world Your best age for everything Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens Sunny 34/23 M Sunny 32/23 By Lori Borgman of which you have probably already The peak for bone mass is age 30, If that’s where you are and it feels Beirut Sunny 31/26 M Sunny 29/26 Tribune News Service missed. for playing chess, age 31, and for like a long, dry stretch, it probably is. Bangkok S T Storms 32/25 S T Storms 33/25 The peak age to learn a foreign remembering faces, age 32. Out of the blue, age 69 pops up as Berlin P Cloudy 25/14 P Cloudy 26/16 language? Age 7. Yep, that ship has Your best age for the ability to focus when many experience life satisfaction Cairo Sunny 37/24 Sunny 36/24 chart titled “The Age sailed; bon voyage. is 43. – again – 46 years after the fi rst Cape Town Showers 12/08 Showers 12/08 You Peak at Everything,” In other bad news, your brain Where was I? satisfi ed life peak. Colombo S Showers 29/25 P Cloudy 29/26 published by Business processing power peaks around age 18. Let’s be honest; we all know what The two remaining peaks are Dhaka S T Storms 33/26 P Cloudy 33/27 AInsider, was sent my way and A moment for refl ection on that one. follows peaks. signifi cant. Hong Kong S T Storms 32/27 S T Storms 31/27 was an enjoyable read – if you enjoy If brain processors peak at age 18, Valleys. The chart does not note Wisdom really may come with age. Istanbul Sunny 29/21 T Storm 26/21 waves of uneasiness that roll your but greater life satisfaction lies beyond valleys, but it should. Psychologists gave groups of people Jakarta P Cloudy 34/24 I T Storms 34/24 stomach. 18, could it be that contentment is tied The chart uses a straight line a confl ict and asked for insights, Karachi P Cloudy 29/25 P Cloudy 29/25 Lest I sound somewhat despondent, to lower brain capacity? Just asking. marked with dots for peaks, but responses and possible outcomes. London Cloudy 21/11 M Sunny 19/08 which is possible since, according to Muscle strength tends to peak at realistically, life often looks more like The oldest age group – those in the Manila T Storm 30/24 S T Storms 31/25 the chart, my last Life Satisfaction age 25, followed by the peak likelihood a wild EKG. 69-90 age range – did better than the Moscow M Sunny 26/13 M Sunny 26/12 Peak was at age 23 and my next one of fi nding a marriage partner, which For an upswing on the EKG, your other ages on almost every count. New Delhi Cloudy 32/27 S T Storms 34/27 will not occur until age 69, the selling occurs around age 26. arithmetic skills peak at 50. The fi nal peak comes at age 82 and is New York P Cloudy 30/24 S T Storms 33/23 point of the chart is that growing The sequencing of those two - peak Apparently, the multiplication for psychological well-being. Paris S Showers 24/17 P Cloudy 22/13 older comes with benchmarks of strength followed by marriage – is tables take far longer to gel than The 82- to 85-year-old age group Sao Paulo M Cloudy 16/10 P Cloudy 21/11 contentment. entirely logical as marriage takes previously thought. gave the highest average number, Seoul Sunny 28/19 Sunny 29/21 One can only hope. strength. Peak points appear increasingly which was 7 on a scale of 10. Singapore I T Storms 30/25 S T Storms 29/25 Of course, there is a lot of ground Oh, does marriage take strength. sparse as the timeline progresses. Not a bad crescendo. Not bad at all. Sydney S Showers 17/09 M Sunny 19/13 to cover between youth and age with Right, honey? There is a near dearth of activity Repeat after me: The best may be yet Tokyo Rain 33/25 Clear 33/24 numerous peaks along the way, some Honey just shouted, “Yes!” between ages 52 and 68. to come, the best may be yet to come. Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, September 5, 2018 QATAR ILO, ITUC welcome new law on exiting country

he International Labour a signifi cant step in upholding of Qatar on these reforms,” said dures allowing the exit of work- bour rights in the country. The huge step for workers’ rights and Indian envoy lauds move Organisation (ILO) and the fundamental rights of mi- Houtan Homayounpour, head ers who fall outside the Labour initiative refl ects the common the end of the kafala system for TInternational Trade Un- grant workers in Qatar,” the ILO of the ILO Project Offi ce. The Law. “The adoption of this law commitment of both the Qatari migrant workers in Qatar,” Sha- Indian ambassador P Kumaran ion Confederation (ITUC) have Project Offi ce for Qatar said in a new law specifi es that employ- is another step in our continued government and the ILO to co- ran Burrow, general secretary of yesterday welcomed the passing of welcomed the new Qatari law statement. ers may submit for approval drive to provide decent work for operate on ensuring compli- the ITUC, said in a statement. the new law in Qatar that removes that allows expatriate workers “The ILO welcomes the en- to the Ministry of Adminis- all migrant workers in Qatar and ance with ratifi ed international “An estimated 1.5mn workers the need to obtain an exit permit covered under the Labour Law actment of Law No 13, which trative Development, Labour to ensure their protection,” said labour conventions, as well as will now have the freedom to by expatriate workers covered to leave the country without an will have a direct and positive and Social Aff airs the names of HE the Minister of Administra- achieving fundamental princi- leave Qatar without their em- by the Labour Law to leave the exit permit. impact on the lives of migrant workers for whom a ‘no objec- tive Development, Labour and ples and rights at work in Qatar ployer’s permission and elimi- country. “We welcome the move as His Highness the Amir workers in Qatar. This fi rst step tion certifi cate’ would still be Social Aff airs Dr Issa Saad al- in a gradual manner during the nates a central part of the kafala progressive, and look forward to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- towards full suppression of exit required, with a justifi cation Jafali al-Nuaimi, according to period 2018 -2020. system, which is still in place receiving more details as to which Thani yesterday issued Law No permits is a clear sign of com- based on the nature of their the ILO statement. Meanwhile, the ITUC also in other Gulf countries,” Bur- categories of workers it will apply 13 of 2018, amending certain mitment by the Government work. The number of these The ILO opened the Project lauded the new legislation is- row said. “Qatar’s next step is to. We are hopeful that it will bring provisions of Law No 21 of 2015 of Qatar to labour reforms and workers per company shall not Offi ce in Qatar in April to sup- sued in Qatar yesterday on re- to change the law for domestic substantial benefits to expatriate regulating the entry, exit and a key milestone in the process. exceed 5% of their workforce. port the implementation of a moving the need to obtain exit workers so they have the same workers when implemented,” he said residency of expatriates. The ILO will continue to work A Ministerial Decree will fol- comprehensive programme permits for workers covered by freedom as all other workers,” in a statement. The new legislation “marks closely with the Government low outlining rules and proce- on working conditions and la- the Labour Law. “Today marks a she added. PM fl ags off S’hail ’18 E the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh HAbdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani inaugurated the second edition of the Katara In- ternational Hunting and Falcons exhibition S’hail yesterday. The fi ve-day event is organised by Katara – Cultural Village Foun- dation. The opening ceremony was attended by HE the Minister of State Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser al- Thani, HE Adviser to the Amir for Defence Aff airs Major General Ha- mad bin Ali al-Attiyah, Ooredoo CEO Sheikh Saoud bin Nasser al- Thani, former minister of justice Hassan bin Abdallah al-Ghanim, and Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti. HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani touring the After the opening, HE Sheikh second edition of the Katara International Hunting and Falcons exhibition S’hail yesterday along with Abdullah toured the exhibition Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti and other dignitaries. that is spread across diff erent HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani after pavilions of participating compa- inaugurating the second edition of the Katara International Hunting and Falcons exhibition S’hail nies displaying products and ac- yesterday. cessories related to hunting and falconry hobby. He praised the pressed his happiness to be wit- exhibition and its diverse con- nessing a larger venue with many tents. Dr al-Sulaiti described the more participants in this edition, event as “the largest and most which he says will have a positive prominent exhibition in the fi eld impact on the local and interna- of hunting and falconry for the tional hunting afi cionados visit- variety of products and services it ing the S’hail exhibition. provides in this fi eld.” “More falcons and more com- He added that visitors to S’hail panies are here this year, which this year will realise the develop- makes our mission more eff ective ment in this edition with regards in supporting and promoting this to its size and the number of traditional hobby in Qatar,” he participating companies which said. The second edition of S’hail, proves that the exhibition is which had received a thumping growing rapidly and achieving response in the inaugural event great success. last year, has been unveiled with a The dignitaries at the open- new design in the shape of a large ing included Turkish ambassador circus tent inside the arena. S’hail Fikret Ozer, Kyrgyz ambassador 2018 is spread over an expanded Noran Niyazaliev and Lebanese exhibition area of 10,000sq m, ambassador Hassan Najem. They almost double of 4,500sq m from expressed their appreciation at last year. the variety of falcons, falconry, Over 150 manufacturers and Falcons displayed at the exhibition yesterday. PICTURE: Ram Chand hunting weapons and safari vehi- companies from 20 countries cles on display besides the other from and outside the region are display are falcon hoods, gloves ry and breeding falcons, delivered cons from Qatar and other coun- attractions for the visitors. participating in S’hail 2018. The and leather bags. Visitors were by experts in this fi eld, in addi- tries. Food items on off er at the The Qatar Society of Al Gannas fi rst of its kind exhibition in Qa- seen enjoying the opportunity tion to awareness lectures on safe eateries with dedicated kitchens has a signifi cant presence at the tar and the region in terms of size, to meet diff erent hunting arms hunting trips and overland safa- include meat of birds, deer and exhibition with a large pavilion diversity and quality, dedicated manufacturers and agencies such ris. The Katara – Cultural Village rabbit procured from fresh hunts where local falconers and hunt- to the needs and requirements An artist at work at the exhibition. PICTURE: Ram Chand as Browning and Ginochi from has an award of QR30,000 for the and prepared by top chefs. ers gather to discuss the issues of falconers, S’hail 2018, which diff erent countries displaying the ‘Best Trade Pavilion’ and ‘falcon S’hail is a distinguished event of hunting and falconry. Al Gan- runs until September 8, attracted also has more participation of accessories industry from diff er- latest brands of hunting weapon- hood’ at the exhibition. which refl ects Qatar’s heritage, nas president Ali al-Mehshadi thousands of visitors yesterday. handicraft promoters specialis- ent countries including Pakistan, ry. The exhibition also provides The everyday auction at S’hail both in the regional as well as the praised the exhibition and ex- This year’s edition of the S’hail ing in the hunting and falconry The Netherlands, and Spain. On three daily lectures about falcon- 2018 also features the fi nest fal- international arena. West Industrial Street fully opened

he Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced Tthe opening of the last phase of West Industrial Street to traffi c, which stretches from Street 33 in the Industrial Area to G-Ring Road. The opening is part of Ashghal’s eff orts to develop roads and infrastructure within Doha Industrial Area (DIA), the authority has said in a statement Ahmed al-Obaidly, head of Ahmed al-Obaidly the Southern Areas Projects Sec- tion at Ashghal’s Roads Projects Department, said completion of the fi nal phase of West Indus- trial Street’s development works took place one month prior to the planned opening date. He noted that the authority had announced, in December 2017, the opening of the fi rst phase of the street, which extends from Salwa Road to Street 33. With the com- pletion of the last phase, West In- dustrial Street provides connectiv- ity between north and south Doha, linking the north of Doha from Salwa Road to G-Ring Road that A view of the last phase of West Industrial Street that has been opened to traff ic. An intersection on West Industrial Street. leads to Orbital Highway. Al-Obaidly explained West In- with four lanes in each direction, three pedestrian crossings with safety of pedestrians and drivers. planned to be opened for traffi c pedestrian crossings with traffi c problem, and the construction dustrial Street would also serve taking the total length of the road traffi c lights. Some 110 parking The development of West In- by the fourth quarter of 2018, the lights and street lighting. of a 25km-long foul sewer drain- traffi c heading to the New Indus- developed under phases 1 and 2 to spaces were also provided within dustrial Street is part of the fi rst statement notes. This package also includes in- age network. This project also trial Area through Street 41, as around 5.8km. this part of the project, raising the and second packages of the Roads Package 2 of the DIA project in- frastructure development works diverted and protected existing well as facilitating access to more This was in addition to con- total number of parking lots along and Infrastructure Development cludes developing a total of 40km according to the highest stand- electricity cables, treated sew- than 1,030 commercial plots and structing a signal-controlled West Industrial Street to 477. Project in Doha Industrial Area, of main roads, collective roads and ards, including the construction age effl uent lines, potable water 400 residential plots in the In- intersection at West Industrial As for the safety of road us- implemented by Ashghal, which local roads, and provides many of a 46km-long storm water and lines and telecommunications dustrial Area. The last phase of Street’s intersection with Street ers, lighting poles, safety signs has been divided into seven pack- benefi ts for DIA’s residents and ground water drainage networks, networks. It also provided civil West Industrial Street included 41, a roundabout at the street’s and road markings were installed ages. Package 2 is 91% complete visitors, including parking bays, including gully connections to works for Intelligent Transporta- the construction of a 2.5km road intersection with Street 47, and along the street to ensure the and roads within this package are a signal-controlled intersection, solve the rainwater accumulation tion Systems.