QATAR | Page 2 SPORT | Page 1 Samba fi res gold warning by topping Fourth Cruise of Fath Al qualifying Khair returns to Doha times published in QATAR since 1978

SATURDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11319 September 28, 2019 Muharram 29, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with Dr Thomas Bach and Lord Sebastian Coe at the opening of the 2019 IAAF World His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani declares the IAAF World Athletics Athletics Championships in Doha yesterday evening. Championships Doha 2019 open. Amir opens IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 zSome 2,000 athletes from over 200 countries competing in 49 events

QNA Doha

is Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani Hannounced the opening of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 yesterday evening, wishing all participating delegations success and a pleasant stay in Qatar. The opening ceremony of 17th edi- tion of the IAAF World Athletics Championships was attended by His Highness the Personal Representative of the Amir, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE Sheikh Jassim bin Khalifa al-Thani and a number of their excel- lencies Sheikhs and ministers. The ceremony was also attended by the President of the International Ol- ympic Committee (IOC), Dr Thomas Bach, members of the IOC, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Lord Se- bastian Coe, members of the IAAF, and a number of Olympic and sport fi gures, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani fires the starting gun for the Women’s Marathon at the 2019 IAAF His Highness Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad heads of diplomatic missions accred- World Athletics Championships in Doha last night. al-Thani at the opening of the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha. ited to Qatar and senior offi cials and guests of the tournament. With the bulk of the competition tion from Benjamin Rai of the US and The ceremony began with the na- taking place at the fully air-condi- Carsten Warholm of Norway, the de- tional anthem, followed by a movie on tioned Khalifa Stadium, most athletes fending champion. Qatar welcoming the world. will be shielded from the heat in Doha. US sprinter Christian Coleman also After the movie, the President of Organisers however are leaving surged to an easy win in the 100m heats, Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and nothing to chance, with larger than while a pair of outclassed 5,000m run- head of the championship’s organising usual teams of paramedics on hand and ners drew the biggest roar of the night committee, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Ha- an abundance of water stations popu- as the World Athletics Championships mad al-Thani, and the President of the lating the course on Doha’s Corniche got underway yesterday. International Association of Athletics waterfront where the marathons will Coleman, the favourite for the 100m Federations Lord Sebastian Coe gave a be held. crown in today’s fi nal, shrugged off a speech to mark the occasion. “The overwhelming thrust of this is drugs controversy to cruise through After that, the march with the Arab the welfare of the athletes,” IAAF pres- his heat in the quickest time of the fi rst and foreign fl ags of the participating ident Sebastian Coe said. round at Khalifa Stadium. teams took place, followed by a fi re- “We will have more water on the The 23-year-old American was the works display. course than we’ve ever had in any mara- only man to duck under 10 seconds, Then, His Highness the Amir de- thon, we will have more medical support clocking 9.98sec, with plenty left in clared the start of the women’s mara- and more paramedics out there as well.” the tank as he crossed the line. thon. Earlier, at the Khalifa International Yet the biggest moment of yester- Falah the Falcon mascot with the participants of the parade at the opening of the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships. AFP adds: About 2,000 athletes Stadium, Abderrahman Samba of Qa- day’s opening day belonged to long from 208 countries and territories are tar sizzled in the heats of the 400m distance runners Braima Suncar Dabo heats, with the rest of the fi eld having It was then that Guinea Bissau’s of Derek Redmond’s famous hobbling competing in 49 events during the hurdles, clocking the best time among of Guinea-Bissau and shattered rival fi nished several minutes earlier. Dabo came to the rescue, stopping to finish at the 1992 Olympics, when the championships, which are seen as an all participants to reach the semis. Jonathan Busby of Aruba. Busby, 33, had slowed to almost a prop up his fellow racer and leading British 400m runner was helped over important staging post as Qatar pre- Samba, who is coming back from an Dabo and Busby had already been crawl down the back straight on the him around the fi nal 200m to the fi n- the line by his father after breaking pares for the challenge of hosting foot- injury, said he wants nothing but the lapped and were the only men left on last lap, lurching forward uncertainly ish line. down. Page 16, Sport Pages 1, 2, 3 ball’s World Cup in 2022. gold although he faces tough competi- the track at the end of their 5,000m and appearing close to collapse. It was a scene that was reminiscent and 8 Gulf Times 2 Saturday, September 28, 2019 QATAR

FM meets counterparts from Paraguay, Iran, Italy, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, and Indonesia

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held separate meetings with Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Paraguay Antonio Rivas Palacios, Foreign Minister of Iran Mohamed Javad Zareef, Minister of Foreign Aff airs and International Co-operation of Italy Luigi Di Maio, Minister for Foreign Aff airs of Greece Nikos Dendias, Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Kyrgyzstan Chingiz Aidarbekov, Minister of Foreign Aff airs and International Co-operation of Morocco Nasser Bourita, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Indonesia Retno Marsudi, on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly in New York yesterday. The meetings focused on reviewing bilateral relations and the means of enhancing then, in addition to discussing issues of joint interest.

FM meets Saint Vincent and the Grenadines PM Qatar participates in GCTF ministerial plenary meeting

QNA plained that within the frame- combating terrorism and its to dry up the sources of funding proach, and to support United New York work of the commitment of fi nancing. for such activities, in view of the Nations entities dealing with Qatar to combating terrorism The Minister of State said close link between terrorism and counter-terrorism and violent HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs and violent extremism, it has that in light of the importance transnational organised crime. extremism. Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with Prime atar has participated in continued to co-ordinate with of tackling the root causes of The Minister of State pointed He said that achieving these Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves, on the 10th Global Counter- the partners in the GCTF, and terrorism, Education Above All out that in December 2018, Qatar common goals require regional the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in QTerrorism Forum (GCTF) intensify work with relevant UN Foundation in Qatar contin- and the UN signed an agreement co-operation and co-ordination New York yesterday. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral ministerial plenary meeting, entities, adding Qatar is at the ues its programmes around the to support strategic initiatives among the relevant national relations and ways of supporting and developing them, in addition held on the sidelines of the 74th forefront of regional eff orts in world to ensure that children to address the scourge of ter- bodies, adding that taking indi- to several issues of common concern. session of the United Nations the Global Counter-Terrorism and young people have access rorism, with Qatar off ering a vidual measures and policies un- General Assembly. Coalition. to education, in order to protect contribution of $75mn to the UN dermine the eff orts of this forum Qatar’s delegation was head- He pointed out that the na- them from being victims of ter- Counter-Terrorism Centre. to combat terrorism. ed by HE the Minister of State tional institutions in Qatar, in- rorism and extremism. “In part- HE the Minister of State for The minister reiterated that Cables of congratulations sent to president for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin cluding the National Counter- nership with the UN, Silatech is Foreign Aff airs pointed out Qatar will spare no eff ort to sup- of Turkmenistan on Independence Day Saad al-Muraikhi. Terrorism Committee and the working in Qatar to implement that work is underway to es- port the plans and programmes The meeting was attended National Anti-Money Laun- programmes in the Arab region tablish a global centre in Doha of the GCTF and all relevant in- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani by special envoy of the Foreign dering and Terrorism Financ- to enhance youth capacity,” he to implement behavioural ternational and UN institutions. Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, sent yesterday cables of Minister of the State of Qatar ing Committee, continued to added. visions on violent extrem- He appreciated Morocco and His Highness the Deputy Amir congratulations to President for Counter-Terrorism and Me- follow closely the implementa- He stressed that Qatar had ism, and the State of Qatar the Netherlands for their valu- Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly diation of Confl ict Resolution Dr tion of the measures contained intensifi ed its eff orts, both bi- will provide $5mn to estab- able eff orts in leading the fo- al-Thani, and HE the Prime Berdimuhamedow on the Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani. in the UN Counter-Terrorism laterally and internationally, to lish and cover the work of the rum, stressing the continuation Minister and Minister of occasion of his country’s In his statement to the meet- Strategy and the relevant Se- combat transnational organised Center, in line with the Global of Qatar’s partnership with the Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Independence Day anniversary. ing, the Minister of State ex- curity Council resolutions on crime and human traffi cking and Counter-Terrorism Forum ap- member states.

WISE Accelerator announces Minister new cohort of EdTech initiatives holds talks he World Innovation Summit for children; OXED, which launched Wumbox, Education (WISE), an initiative an online and offl ine adaptive educational in New York Tof Qatar Foundation (QF), has platform for children; AskMyClass: an af- revealed the eight EdTech initiatives fordable social-emotional learning assist- E the Minister of State selected to join its 2019-2020 WISE ant for teachers; and Livox, an alternative for Foreign Aff airs Sul- Accelerator programme. communication software for non-verbal Htan bin Saad al-Mu- The programme will offi cially kick off people to communicate and learn. raikhi met yesterday with Niels during WISE 2019 Summit, slated for Atif Mahmood, founder and CEO, Teach- Annen, minister of state at Ger- November 20-21 in Doha. During the erly, said: “When you make the decision to man Federal Foreign Offi ce, on summit, representatives of the selected start a startup, it is like a roller coaster. But the sidelines of the 74th session initiatives will take part in workshops, what has helped us remain focused is be- of the UN General Assembly in attend master classes, and participate in lieving that our product is the best, know- New York. pitching sessions. ing our customers, and a burning desire to During the meeting, they Stavros Yiannouka, CEO, WISE, said: make a diff erence and succeed.” reviewed bilateral relations, “This year’s cohort is tackling tough chal- For this year’s cohort, WISE and the as well as issues of common lenges in education that range from help- World Innovation Summit for Health concern. ing teachers reduce planning time through (WISH) – also an initiative of QF – have HE al-Muraikhi also met with peer-to-peer support to tackling the glo- partnered to leverage their respective UN High Commissioner for bal labour shortage in the medical sector networks and expertise in supporting Refugees Filippo Grandi on the by providing scalable and quality content Medics.Academy, one of the selected sidelines of the 74th session of for training workers in the medical fi eld.” ventures which is at the intersection of the UN General Assembly. The eight initiatives are: Kamkalima, EdTech and healthtech. During the meeting, both a K-12 school platform that supports the “We are delighted to support Med- sides reviewed relations of co- teaching and learning of Arabic language; ics.Academy – a brand new, tech-based operation between Qatar and Teacherly, which aims to create teams of healthcare innovation that aims to help UN High Commissioner for teachers with collaborative lesson plan- medical professionals by off ering them Refugees (UNHCR), as well as ning and peer-to-peer coaching; Bot- education online. Within the diverse Qa- issues of common concern. ter, a gamifi ed and artifi cial intelligence tar Foundation ecosystem, this collabora- HE al-Muraikhi met with US (AI)-powered language teaching chatbot; tion presents us with a great opportunity ambassador-at-large for Inter- Medics.Academy, which aims to address to contribute to current knowledge at the national Religious Freedom Sam the needs of global health systems through intersection of health and medical educa- Brownback in New York. scalable education; Wiloki, an adaptive tion to support and optimise the delivery The meeting focused on review- platform that leverages artifi cial intelli- of health solutions around the world,” ing bilateral co-operation as well gence to support parents in teaching their Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH, added. as issues of joint interest. (QNA)

Fourth cruise of Fath Al Khair returns to Doha

QNA Doha

he fourth cruise of Fath Al Khair returned to Doha yesterday af- Tter a nearly 80-day cruise that included Turkey, Greece, Albania, Croatia and Malta. The cruise aims to raise awareness about the Qatari heritage, especially the maritime culture. It also aims to promote for Qatar’s hosting for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and presents its preparations for that event. The crew members of the cruise ar- rived at Hamad International Airport last night amid a warm reception. The cruise started from Babik harbour in Is- tanbul to the port of Sliema on the east pleted and the crew members returned al-Sulaiti, and offi cials and members of coast of the Mediterranean island of home safely after about 80-day cruise. the diplomatic corps in Malta. Malta after which it travelled to various Last Tuesday, the cruise arrived at the The second phase will set off in coasts of European countries. port of Sliema in Malta where a ceremo- June 2020 and will include harbours in Captain of Fath Al Khair cruise dhow ny was held and attended by the General France and Spain, while the third phase Yousef Mohamed al-Sada said he was Manager of Katara – the Cultural Vil- will pass through to Morocco, Algeria delighted that the fi rst stage was com- lage Foundation, Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim and Tunisia. Gulf Times Saturday, September 28, 2019 3 QATAR

Foreign minister holds meetings in New York

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met yesterday HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met yesterday with the President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullah Farmajo, on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly in New with the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly in New York. York. The meeting dealt with bilateral relations. The meeting dealt with bilateral ties.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ambassador Peter Maurer, on the sidelines of the 74th HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with session of the UN General Assembly in New York. On the sidelines of the meeting, the State of Qatar and the ICRC signed Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Off ice Vladimir Voronkov, on the sidelines of the 74th a joint declaration of intent. Under the declaration of intent, the two sides agreed that the State of Qatar would initiate a session of the UN General Assembly in New York. During the meeting, they reviewed the latest regional and international high-level dialogue with the ICRC, which would include the exchange of knowledge and experience in areas of common developments, as well as a number of issues of common interest. interest, including specific contexts and themes related to humanitarian issues. QCRI tech ‘helps address European Day of Languages challenges in region’ strengthens cultural ties with Qatar: Italian envoy By Peter Alagos vidual level, Aboulnaga said innovations Business Reporter at QCRI also help improve the day-to-day lives of citizens, such as improving health By Joey Aguilar dubbed as the fi rst-of-its-kind by analysing biological data and medical Staff Reporter to be established in the GCC re- he technologies developed by Qa- records to fi nd patterns that can support gion, gathers EU Member States tar Computing Research Institute treatment of diabetes and breast cancer in represented in Qatar and Swit- T(QCRI) have played a signifi cant role Qatar. talian ambassador Pasquale zerland to develop exchanges in addressing challenges on the government He said QCRI recently developed tech- Salzano underscored the between European and Qatari and individual levels, some of which help nology for the UN to improve disaster re- Iimportance of the European youth, as well as foster Euro- pump in millions of riyals into the economy, sponse by building situational labs, and it Day of Languages in deepening pean and Qatari artistic ex- an offi cial has said. also helped the World Bank understand im- cultural ties with Qatar and its changes. According to QCRI senior research di- migration patterns by analysing social me- people. Meanwhile, TII was founded rector Dr Ashraf Aboulnaga, the institute dia data. “This is a real opportunity for in 2012 to build capacity in Qa- developed technology for data analysis fol- “All of us are aff ected by Artifi cial In- Italy to develop and strengthen Italian ambassador to Qatar tar and the region and to func- lowing the June 2017 economic blockade telligence (AI), which is why we have cre- cultural links with Qatari people Pasquale Salzano. tion as a physical and virtual against Qatar. ated Qatar Centre for Artifi cial Intelligence, and the international commu- space that delivers sophisticat- “Everyone will recall that the blockade QCRI senior research director Dr Ashraf which is supporting government entities in nity in Doha, creating this way City, bringing together speakers, ed translator and interpreter began with a cyberattack on Qatar,” Aboul- Aboulnaga. PICTURE: Jayan Orma launching a National AI Strategy,” Aboul- a common land of mutual un- learners, and enthusiasts of the education, high-level train- naga noted during a recent launch event naga said. derstanding,” the envoy said in a diverse European languages. ing in a range of languages, and held at the Qatar Science and Technology on cybersecurity,” and is it also equipping On a foundational level, Aboulnaga said statement. “Italian is certainly one of the quality translation and inter- Park (QSTP) premises. the nation to be “best prepared for any QCRI “is planting the seeds for an innova- This annual event, which is most studied languages in the preting services of the highest He stressed that the QCRI has “unique threats of this nature.” tion eco-system that can grow in the fu- being celebrated globally on world and the main reason is that international standards. technology” that was used to swiftly ana- Abdoulnaga also noted that the Arabic ture.” September 26, aims to promote people are interested in knowing “By promoting the diff usion of lyse large amounts of data to help the gov- language processing system used to analyse “We are working to make Qatar synony- the cultural and linguistic diver- more about art, design, fashion, the Italian language in Qatar, we ernment identify the source of the attack. data during the blockade is registered intel- mous with innovation, and that means hav- sity of Europe. music, cinema, and cuisine – all would like to encourage a better “Tech is unique because it is developed to lectual property of Qatar and QCRI. ing intellectual property no one else has. The celebration in Doha was fi elds that express at best the knowledge about our traditions process Arabic language – this is the crown “We’ve used it as a base for other tech- There was a vision for world-class research organised on Thursday by the Italian identity,” Salzano noted. and consolidate our bonds of jewel of QCRI and can do what no other nologies, such as Arabic close captioning to take place in Qatar, and this vision has European Union National In- He cited the “excellent co-oper- friendship,” Salzano said. system can do. Thanks to this system and system, which is helping large scale TV been realised. stitutes for Culture (EUNIC) ation” between EUNIC and TII- “We are also glad to announce the world-class expertise at QCRI, we’re broadcasters like Al Jazeera do the work of “We need to be producers of innova- cluster in Qatar, in co-operation HBKU in this fourth edition of that the embassy of Italy is plan- now analysing data for a number of enti- 300 people with just two employees oper- tion now, and that is an eff ort that cannot with the Translation and Inter- the initiative, off ering the people ning one full week, from October ties in government, helping them to stay ating an Advanced Transcription System be led by researchers alone. Research, de- preting Institute (TII) – College of Qatar with crash courses in 11 21-27, dedicated to the promo- on guard for any future threats,” Aboulnaga (ATS). velopment, and innovation (RDI) is essen- of Humanities and Social Sci- European languages for free. tion of the Italian Language in explained. “These high-value technologies and nu- tial to the country, and we can all support ences at Hamad Bin Khalifa Uni- These include Bulgarian, Qatar by organising conferences, He stressed that QCRI’s work on cyber- merous others are commercialised and sold whether by encouraging young people to versity (HBKU). Dutch, English, French, German, concerts and activities of diff er- security paved the way for the newly-es- to regional government and private entities, study STEM, adopting research into our in- Some 11 parallel classes have Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Ro- ent kinds, with special attention tablished National Cybersecurity Research bringing millions of riyals into the econo- stitutions, or investing in RDI,” Aboulnaga been held at the Penrose House manian, Spanish and Swedish. to the Italian Opera and music,” Lab, making Qatar “a centre of knowledge my,” Aboulnaga emphasised. On an indi- added. (LAS Building) in Education The EUNIC cluster in Qatar, he added. More than 53,000 benefi t from QRCS’ health education activities

atar Red Crescent Socie- national Academy, Inspire Spe- by more than 3,000 students, QRCS marks this important glo- fi brillator, AHA Heartsaver and ty (QRCS) has concluded cial Needs Therapy Centre and workers, persons with special bal occasion through its Train- oxygen administration. Qits World First Aid Day Khalid bin Ahmed Preparatory needs and society members, ing, Research and Development For medical professionals, 2019 celebrations by holding, School for Boys. both male and female, QRCS Centre. A select group of medical QRCS off ers specialist courses. over a week, a series of health At the QRCS-managed Work- said in a statement. trainers and instructors present A wide range of health-related education activities for the ben- ers’ Health Centres, which are Multiple health education training courses accredited by the topics was presented to the pub- efi t of more than 53,000 people. supervised by the Ministry of messages were posted on QRCS’ MoPH Qatar Council for Health- lic, such as basic community Health educators at the QRCS Public Health (MoPH), public website and social media chan- care Practitioners, the American fi rst aid, fi rst aid for home safety, Medical Aff airs Division deliv- events and competitions were nels, which reached around Heart Association (AHA) and fi rst aid for road traffi c safety, ered fi rst-aid training work- held for visitors to four health 50,000 visitors with informative the International Federation of fi rst aid for sports injuries, im- shops at fi ve educational institu- facilities in Zekreet, Al-He- and audiovisual materials. the Red Cross and Red Crescent portance of drinking and eating tions: Rawdat Rashid Secondary mailah, Mesaimeer and Fareej Muhsen A al-Malik, director of Societies.” These courses cover for prevention of kidney diseas- School for Boys, Oscar Interna- Abdulaziz. Communication and Public Rela- fi rst aid, cardiopulmonary resus- es, personal hygiene (body-hair- tional Academy, Eadad Inter- The workshops were attended tions at QRCS, said: “Every year, citation, automated external de- hands) among others. Some of the activities which were showcased. Gulf Times 4 Saturday, September 28, 2019 REGION/ARAB WORLD/AFRICA

PEOPLE TRAGEDY UNREST CRIME CONFLICT Mugabe to be buried At least 52 dead in Chad Seven Nigerian troops Hundreds of ‘abused’ US air strike kills 17 at rural home: family gold mine collapse: off icial die in militant ambush captives freed from school in southern Libya

Zimbabwe’s ex-president Robert Mugabe will At least 52 people died when an illegal gold mine Militants killed seven Nigerian soldiers this week in Police in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna have US forces said yesterday they killed 17 suspected be buried today afternoon, his nephew said collapsed in northern Chad this week, a government an ambush on a military convoy in the restive north- rescued more than 300 male students being held militants in their third air strike in a week on southern yesterday, after the remains were moved from source said yesterday, with authorities still search- east of the country, a senior military off icer said at a religious school where many had been tortured Libya. The strike, conducted on Tuesday, hit southwest- his Harare house to his rural village ahead of ing for more bodies. Chad off icials initially said as yesterday. Fighters aligned to the so-called Islamic and physically abused, a police spokesman said ern Libya, the US Africa Command said in a statement, the event. The country’s founding leader died many as 30 people may have died when the mine State group on Wednesday attacked the troops yesterday. Off icers raided a building in the Rigasa area without giving the location. Residents of the city of in a Singapore hospital earlier this month, caved in on Tuesday in Kouri Bougoudi, in Tibesti with heavy guns and rocket-propelled grenades as of the city on Thursday where the victims including Sebha said they heard an explosion to the south. Two aged 95, almost two years after a military coup province, near the Libyan border, an area rife with they travelled outside the town of Gubio, triggering adults and minors were kept in “the most debasing separate air strikes had killed 19 suspected militants ended his nearly four-decade rule. After weeks illicit mining and smugglers. Another source who a fierce battle. “We lost seven soldiers when the and inhuman conditions in the name of reform- in southern Libya, the US military had previously said. of wrangling between government and his was part of a mission to visit the area also confirmed pickup conveying the troops was hit by an RPG,” ing them”, Kaduna state police spokesman Yakubu Some Islamic State militants retreated south into the family over the final resting place, the Mugabes the new death toll. “There are 37 injured, including 21 said the off icer, asking not to be identified. Another Sabo said. “We found around 100 students including desert as the group lost its stronghold in Sirte at the have opted to entomb him at his birth place seriously,” the second source said. Tibesti is largely military source confirmed the attack by fighters children as young as nine, in chains stuff ed in a small end of 2016. The US has said it will not allow militants and rural home, about 90 kilometres west of lawless and home to numerous gangs and traff ick- from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) room, all in the name of reforming them and making to use a conflict between eastern and western-based the capital. ers seeking to profit from a gold rush in the area. group but did not give a death toll. them responsible persons,” Sabo said. factions to protect themselves.

Turkey not satisfi ed Rouhani says he rejected with talks on US off er to lift sanctions Syria ‘safe zone’ Reuters President Tayyip Erdogan was Tehran rejected the Ankara reported as saying that Turkey’s offer due to current work on the safe zone was on ‘toxic atmosphere’ schedule and its military prepa- urkey is not satisfi ed with rations along the border were Agencies talks with the United complete. Geneva TStates on establishing a “Turkey is not a country that “safe zone” in northern Syria can be stalled,” broadcaster NTV and will act alone if there is no cited him telling reporters as he he United States off ered progress, Foreign Minister Mev- returned from New York. to remove all sanctions lut Cavusoglu said yesterday. On the sidelines of the General Ton Iran in exchange for Ankara has repeatedly threat- Assembly, US Special Envoy to talks but Tehran has not yet ac- ened to act against the Syrian Syria James Jeff rey told reporters cepted the off er due to the cur- Kurdish YPG militia, which it that Washington was moving as rent “toxic atmosphere”, Iranian deems a terrorist group, unless fast as possible, but added: President Hassan Rouhani said its Nato ally removes the fi ghters “We’ve made it clear to Turkey yesterday. from a 480km long area on the at every level that any unilateral Rouhani, speaking on his re- Syrian side of its border. operation is not going to lead to turn from the United Nations “We are not pleased with the an improvement in anyone’s se- General Assembly in New York, current state of eff orts and we curity...The Turks have an op- said he met there with US of- have conveyed this to the Amer- tion, of course, to act militarily.” fi cials at the insistence of Ger- icans very clearly,” Cavusoglu The YPG-led Syrian Demo- many, Britain and France. told reporters after the UN Gen- cratic Forces alliance has said it “It was up for debate what eral Assembly in New York. will pull back up to 14km in some sanctions will be lifted and they “If we cannot fi nd a way with areas, but Turkey says the United (the United States) had said the United States, we will clear States agreed that the safe zone clearly that we will lift all sanc- out the terrorist organisation,” should extend 30km into Syria. tions,” Rouhani said, according he told the briefi ng, broadcast Turkey plans to build homes to his offi cial website. live on Turkish television. to settle 1mn Syrian refugees in Iran was ready for negotia- The two countries have start- the “safe zone”. The state broad- tions but not in an atmosphere ed joint land and air patrols caster TRT Haber said yesterday of sanctions and pressure, the along part of Syria’s border with it would cost 151bn lira ($27bn). Iranian president said. Turkey, but Ankara remains an- Erdogan had said that, while at “This action wasn’t in a man- gry with Washington’s support the United Nations, he would ner that was acceptable, mean- for the YPG, which has been a discuss the safe zone and the ing that in the atmosphere of key ally in its fi ght against Is- possibility of buying US Patriot sanctions and the existence of lamic State in Syria. defence systems with US Presi- sanctions and the toxic atmos- A handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency yesterday shows President Hassan Rouhani walking with Vice President Eshagh Earlier yesterday, Turkish dent Donald Trump. phere of maximum pressure, Jahangiri (second left) and Ali Akbar Velayati (right), senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader on International Aff airs, upon disembarking even if we want to negotiate from his plane at Mehrabad International Airport in the capital Tehran during a welcome ceremony after the 74th United Nations with the Americans in the 5+1 General Assembly in New York. Time for large-scale prisoner swaps: UN envoy framework, no one can predict what the end and result of this and Iran’s detention of US citi- “We explained that someone on a deadline it set for European tions in exchange for curbs on The Syrian government and meant to unify Syria and end a negotiation will be,” he said. zens on what the United States who wants a nuclear weapon... powers to act to shield it from its nuclear programme, but opposition should move forward war that has killed hundreds of Rouhani did not meet US regards as spurious grounds. limits comprehensive inspec- US sanctions. their eff orts have so far borne on large-scale prisoner exchanges thousands and displaced about President Donald Trump in Meanwhile, Rouhani said tions. We have not reduced in- Rouhani, speaking to report- little fruit. to build confidence ahead of half of the pre-war 22mn popula- New York and European and yesterday that Iran’s abidance spections,” he said. ers at Tehran’s Mehrabad air- Tehran has already hit back the their first talks next month in tion. “After eight and a half years offi cials expect Washington by nuclear inspections proves it Iran fi red up advanced cen- port on his return from the UN twice with countermeasures in more than a year, the United Na- of war and conflict we actually to keep tightening the vice on does not seek to develop atomic trifuges to boost its enriched General Assembly, stressed all response to the US withdrawal tions special envoy for Syria said have some positive news,” envoy Iran’s economy. weapons despite having scaled uranium stockpiles on Septem- Iran’s nuclear activities would from the nuclear deal. On July yesterday. The UN announced Geir Pedersen told Reuters in an The United States and Iran back its compliance with a 2015 ber 7 as the latest scaling back of continue to be monitored by the 1, Iran said it had increased its on Monday the formation of a interview on the sidelines of the UN are at odds over a host of issues, accord. “Some were saying this commitments under the crum- International Atomic Energy stockpile of enriched uranium constitutional committee for Syria, General Assembly. “This is a deeply including the US withdrawal third step, that you want to set bling 2015 nuclear deal between Agency. to beyond a 300kg maximum a long-awaited step in a stalled divided society, there is a lack of from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, up modern centrifuges, means Tehran and world powers. Britain, France and Germany set by the deal. A week later, it peace process. UN off icials say trust, but there is also a lack of trust US accusations — denied by Te- that you are moving towards a The Islamic republic acted have repeatedly said they are announced it had exceeded a such a committee is key to po- between Syria and the international hran — that Iran attacked two nuclear weapon,” said Rouhani on a threat to further abandon committed to saving the deal 3.67% cap on the purity of its litical reforms and new elections community,” he said. Saudi oil facilities on Sept 14, on state television. its nuclear commitments based that gave Iran relief from sanc- uranium stocks. Anti-Sisi agitation hits Egypt, as supporters stage own rallies

AFP said, before security forces Cairo “took control of the situa- tion”. Entrances were closed off to Tahrir Square, where cattered protests broke surrounding cafes have been out yesterday in Egyptian shuttered for the past week. Scities against President Nearby streets were desert- Palestinian paramedics carry away on a stretcher a protester injured during clashes with Israeli forces Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as his sup- ed except for police officers following a demonstration along the border, east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, yesterday. porters also took to the streets frisking passersby. in counter demonstrations a In Cairo’s Nasr City about week after rare anti-Sisi rallies 1,000 people turned out in shook the country. support of Sisi, according to Police blocked streets leading an AFP journalist. Men and to Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square, women waving Egyptian flags Troops kill Palestinian the epicentre of the 2011 revo- and photos of Sisi streamed lution that ousted longtime- through an area near the tomb autocrat Hosni Mubarak, after of former president Anwar calls by exiled businessman Sadat. during border protests Mohamed Aly for a “million- Police watch as people cross the street in Ramses Square in Images broadcast on state man march”. Construction Cairo, yesterday. TV showed the crowd chant- magnate Aly’s viral videos ac- ing pro-Sisi songs. Reuters strations, who it said threw Jewish majority. Around 210 cusing Sisi and the military of with the tone set by President he told reporters. Despite the Apart from beefing up their Gaza firebombs and explosive de- Palestinians have been killed corruption sparked shock pro- Donald Trump who met Sisi at heavy security presence in the presence on the streets, the vices towards troops. since the protests began in tests against the president last the United Nations in New York capital, hundreds took to the security forces have also de- “IDF (Israel Defence Forces) March 2018, Gaza medical of- weekend, with hundreds taking on Monday and said he was streets in Cairo’s Warraq island tained people they suspect sraeli forces shot dead a troops responded with riot ficials say. to streets across the country “not concerned at all” by the district, a witness said. of being key influencers of Palestinian during protests dispersal means,” the spokes- In that period, an Israeli sol- calling for Sisi’s ouster. demonstrations. “About 3,000 people dem- unrest — journalists, human Ialong the fortified Gaza-Is- woman said. dier was shot dead by a Pales- But the security forces have Elected president in 2014, a onstrated after Friday prayers,” rights activists and lawyers. rael border yesterday, the Pal- Protesters have staged 18 tinian sniper along the frontier, since moved swiftly to snuff out year after pushing predecessor he said, adding police used tear UN rights chief Rights estinian health ministry said. months of weekly demonstra- and another was killed during further dissent, arresting near- Mohamed Mursi and his Mus- gas to break up the crowds. Michelle Bachelet expressed They named the dead as Sa- tions dubbed the “Great March an Israeli undercover raid into ly 2,000 people in seven days, lim Brotherhood from power, A video posted on social me- “serious concerns about re- her Othman, 20, and said 52 of Return”, calling for an end to Gaza. rights groups said. Sisi is seen by many as one of dia showed chaotic scenes as ports of lack of due process others were wounded during a security blockade imposed by Israel seized Gaza in a 1967 In mixed signals from Wash- the most authoritarian fi gures people ran to avoid the noxious following widespread ar- the often violent demonstra- Israel and Egypt, and for Pal- war and pulled out its settlers ington, a US offi cial yesterday in the Middle East. gas. rests linked to the protests tions, 27 of them by live fire. estinians to have the right to and troops in 2005. It says the expressed support for “the And after arriving home from In southern Egypt, small- in Egypt”. More than 2,000 A spokeswoman for the Is- return to land from which their security blockade is necessary right of Egyptians to express New York, Sisi insisted yester- scale protests were staged in people have been detained raeli military told Reuters families fled or were forced to to stop weapons reaching Ha- their political views freely, the day that there was no cause for Qus and Qena city, other wit- since last weekend’s protests, troops stationed along the bor- flee during Israel’s 1948 found- mas, the group that has fought right to associate, the right to alarm. nesses said. according to the UN quoting der did not use live fire. ing. three wars with Israel and fired peaceful political protest”. The “There are no reasons for “A hundred people went out civil society groups, in what It said some 7,000 Palestin- Israel rejects any such return, thousands of rockets at it in the call by the offi cial, who re- concern. Egypt is a strong in Qus and tore down banners could be the biggest crack- ians took part in the demon- saying that would eliminate its past decade. quested anonymity, was at odds country thanks to Egyptians,” bearing photos of Sisi,” one down since 2013. Gulf Times Saturday, September 28, 2019 5 AMERICAS

Former diplomatic, security Democrats vow to move offi cials endorse fast to impeach Trump inquiry AFP Washington

Reuters Washington emocrats have vowed to move quickly on the im- Dpeachment investigation ore than 300 former of US President Donald Trump, offi cials from US secu- saying that the evidence of abuse Mrity and foreign policy of power from his Ukraine phone agencies, including a former di- call and attempts to cover up rector of the National Counter- wrongdoing were already clear. terrorism Centre and a one-time An intelligence whistleblow- deputy secretary of state, have er’s complaint showing Trump endorsed the congressional im- pressuring Ukraine’s president peachment inquiry of President to supply dirt on election rival Donald Trump. Joe Biden left the White House Their statement said the sig- reeling and Trump doubling natories had served in the ad- down with an implicit threat ministrations of both parties. against witnesses to the call. It also said the signatories did “The clarity of the president’s not want to prejudge the conclu- actions is compelling and gave Trump: (House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ) sions Congress may reach in the us no choice but to move for- completely changed the words to make it sound horrible, and me inquiry. ward,” said House Speaker Nan- sound guilty. “President Trump appears to cy Pelosi. have leveraged the authority and “This is about the national Left: Protesters hold up letters reading ‘impeach’ in front of the US resources of the highest offi ce in security of our country: The Capitol building during the ‘People’s Rally for Impeachment’ on the land to invite additional for- president of the United States Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. eign interference into our demo- being disloyal to his oath of of- cratic processes,” they wrote in fi ce, jeopardising our national pushing back against mounting former prosecutor, I should tell Trump on impeachment probe: ‘We’re at war’ the statement sent to news or- security, and jeopardising the pressure in her party to impeach you that cases are made much ganisations. integrity of our elections.” Trump, trying to keep the focus easier when the defendant cops President Donald Trump called his struggle with published by the Los Angeles Times, showed Trump “That would constitute an She announced that House on battling next year’s elections. to the act, and here the president Democrats threatening impeachment a “war”, a video suggesting that whoever gave compromising infor- unconscionable abuse of power. Intelligence Committee Chair- However, the tables have is not denying what he said.” of comments that he expected to remain private mation to the whistleblower was “close to a spy”. It also would represent an ef- man Adam Schiff , who accused turned with the release of a “We don’t need to have a showed yesterday. He went on to say that “spies and treason” used to be fort to subordinate America’s Trump of acting like a “mafi a memo on Trump’s July 25 call months-long hearing ... we “We’re at war. These people are sick,” Trump says in handled “a little diff erently than we do now”. national interests – and those boss” this week, would take the with President Volodymyr Ze- have the president’s own words, the video obtained by Bloomberg. While that comment prompted chuckles from the of our closest allies and partners lead in the investigation. lenskiy, which confi rmed he and we have his conduct af- He was speaking at a closed-doors gathering with US crowd, it has since been criticised by Trump’s op- – to the President’s personal po- “They will take the time that pressed for dirt on the Bidens, ter the fact,” he said, referring diplomats in New York on Thursday and apparently ponents as being a veiled threat to the safety of the litical interest.” they need and we won’t have the followed by the whistleblower’s to Trump’s attack on the still filmed by one of the people attending. whistleblower and his sources. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calendar be the arbiter,” she said complaint, which alleged the anonymous whistleblower and The event was held in the wake of the Democrats’ The extended video clip published by Bloomberg this week announced she would in an interview with MSNBC. White House had attempted to other potential White House decision to launch an impeachment investigation into showed more of the remarks in which Trump also launch the inquiry after it “But ... it doesn’t have to drag cover up the call. witnesses against him, labelling Trump’s alleged attempt to arm-twist the Ukrainian refers to Biden as “dumb as a rock” – getting more emerged that Trump had asked on.” Democrats now appear able to them spies and traitors. president into providing dirt on one of his main 2020 laughter from the diplomats. the president of Ukraine to in- The fast-moving events muster the majority they need “You know what we used election rivals, Joe Biden. He also calls journalists “animals”, “scum”, and vestigate former vice-president have shaken the foundations of to vote through an impeach- to do in the old days when we The recording of the event, part of which was first “crooked”. Joe Biden, a possible rival in the Trump’s tempestuous two-and- ment motion in the House – for were smart? Right? The spies 2020 presidential election, while a-half-year presidency. only the third time in US history and treason, we used to handle delaying aid to the country. On Monday, Trump blithely – setting the stage for a possi- it a little diff erently than we do of guilt. Innocent people don’t the White House, testify before words to make it sound horrible, The news prompted a testy swatted away a whistleblower ble trial of the president by the now,” Trump told US diplomats talk that way”. his committee. and me sound guilty,” Trump House Intelligence Committee report that alleged he sought to Republican-controlled Senate. in a meeting at the United Na- Trump opened yesterday with He accused Schiff of “fraudu- said. “I am calling for him to im- hearing on Thursday with the pressure Ukraine for informa- “We should move quickly but tions. a series of Twitter attacks on lently” reading the offi cial White mediately resign from Congress acting director of national intel- tion that could damage Biden, not hurriedly, and we should Swalwell said that the re- Schiff , who has already asked House memorandum of the based on this fraud!” ligence. the leading democratic candi- focus on this Ukraine call,” marks (see sidebar), made on that the whistleblower, identi- Ukraine call in a hearing on the Yesterday’s statement was date to contest the presidency in Eric Swalwell, a member of the Thursday to a crowd from the fi ed by the New York Times as whistleblower’s complaint on „ Ukraine’s Burisma probe signed by the former deputy 2020. House Intelligence Committee, US Mission to the United Na- a Central Intelligence Agency Thursday. covers period before Biden’s assistant secretary of defence At the same time, Pelosi was said on CNN yesterday. “As a tions, showed “a consciousness (CIA) offi cer who once worked in “He completely changed the son joined / Page 9 for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia under former president Barack Obama, Evelyn Farkas, as well as the former national intelligence offi cer for Europe in Obama’s National Intelligence Offi ce, ‘Half a million at Montreal climate rally’ Spencer P Boyer. It was also signed by former offi cials of the National Secu- Climate movement now ‘too “Not only was it the biggest front of the parliament building sibility and he is, of course, not rity Council, the Central Intelli- loud’ for critics: Thunberg event in Quebec’s history, but it in August 2018, which inspired doing enough ... but this is such gence Agency (CIA), the Defence is the biggest event in the world the “Fridays for Future” move- a huge problem. This is the sys- Intelligence Agency, the State AFP/DPA/Reuters this week,” one of the organis- ment. tem that is wrong”, she said. Department, USAID, the Home- Montreal ers, Francois Geoff roy, told the Canadian Prime Minister Jus- Among other things, the pro- land Security Department, the crowd. tin Trudeau met with Thunberg testers are demanding that poli- White House, the Defence De- Police have not provided an yesterday and was expected to ticians adopt a climate action partment, the House Armed alf a million schoolchil- offi cial tally. join the Montreal march. plan to reduce net CO2 emis- Services Committee, the Navy, dren and adults marched “The strikes have been very Schools, colleges and univer- sions to zero by 2050. the Justice Department, and the Hwith teen climate activ- successful today,” the 16-year- sities cancelled classes to allow Trudeau is promising more Marine Corps, among others. ist Greta Thunberg at a rally in old Thunberg said. “It is very students to take part along with climate action but has also had US relations with the rest of Montreal as part of a wave of moving to see everyone, every- indigenous leaders and various to defend his decision to buy and the world must be based solely global “climate strikes”, organis- one who is so passionate.” national politicians. expand a major oil pipeline in on national interest, the signa- Thunberg is seen during the global climate protest in Montreal. ers said yesterday. Matthew McMillan, 22, a me- “My message to all the poli- western Canada. tories wrote in the statement. chanical engineering student at ticians around the world is the “In my wonderful conversa- Introducing any other con- Montreal’s Concordia Univer- same: Just listen and act on the tion with Greta this morning, we siderations from the president sity, held a “Make America Greta current best available united talked directly about the need to “debases our democracy, has Again” poster as he joined other science,” Thunberg told report- do more, much more. I thanked the potential to make us more students at the protest. ers in Montreal ahead of the her for the amount of people vulnerable to threats, and sends “I think it is the most impor- march, when asked what she that her call to action has mo- a message to leaders around the tant event of our generation,” he told Trudeau. bilised,” he told reporters after world that America’s foreign said. Thunberg, who travelled promising to plant 2bn trees if policy can be dangerously cor- Montreal is the latest stop in across the Atlantic last month re-elected. rupted by catering to a single in- Thunberg’s North America tour on a zero-emissions yacht, has Earlier, Thunberg hit back at dividual”, they wrote. to demand that governments been on a whirlwind tour that critics, including US President around the world take urgent has included attending numer- Donald Trump, saying that their climate action. ous climate protests and meet- mockery of children shows her Spider-Man to Her appearance follows well ing world leaders. message has become “too loud over 1mn people protesting in She gave an emotional speech to handle”. keep swinging more than 100 cities across the before the UN climate summit in Trump mocked her this week in the MCU globe as part of the weekly “Fri- New York on Monday, chastis- and Canadian Member of Parlia- days for Future” movement. ing leaders for not doing enough ment Maxime Bernier called her Spider-Man, the popular web- The demonstrations come to confront climate change and alarmist and mentally unstable. slinging superhero currently one week after record numbers accusing them of robbing young “I guess they must feel like played by British actor Tom showed up for an unprecedented people of their future. their world view or their inter- Holland, will headline a new global strike ahead of a UN cli- In Canada, hundreds of thou- ests or whatever ... is threatened movie in 2021 and appear in a mate summit of world leaders sands were expected to join pro- by us. We’ve become too loud for future Marvel Studios film under held on Monday. test marches in more than 80 people to handle, so they try to a deal announced yesterday An estimated 60,000 people cities across the country. silence us,” she said. “We should by Sony Corporation and Walt gathered in Stockholm yester- Thunberg said the challenge also take that as a compliment.” Disney Company. day, according to organisers. was far greater than any one The agreement between the The Swedish capital was the politician. „ Hundreds of thousands join Hollywood studios was welcome Young activists and their supporters rally for action on climate change in Montreal. site of Thunberg’s fi rst protest in Trudeau had “a lot of respon- youth climate rallies / Page 9 news to fans who had feared that a corporate dispute would keep Spider-Man out of the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). “I am thrilled that Spidey’s Ex-cop in wrong-apartment slaying trial breaks down on stand journey in the MCU will continue,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a statement. Reuters his own apartment after she en- walked into the central Dal- her apartment building’s park- nation by prosecutors who will ice that carries a lesser sentence In August, Disney-owned Marvel Dallas tered by accident. las apartment of Botham Jean, ing garage after her shift. attempt to poke holes in their than murder. Studios and Sony’s Sony Pictures The judge called for a recess a 26-year-old black PwC ac- “I kept thinking I was so story. During the trial, Guyger’s de- were at an impasse over Spider- but the former offi cer, Amber countant. lucky” for fi nding a spot next to The shooting, one of a series fence attorney, Robert Rogers, Man’s future. former Dallas police of- Guyger, yelled out “keep going!” The offi cer shot Jean as he the entry door, she said, making of high-profi le killings of un- said that she was “on autopilot” Sony owns the rights to the fi cer testifying in her as she was visibly shaking and ate ice cream, thinking he was it easier to carry her gear into her armed black men and teens by after a long workday on Septem- Marvel character under a long- Aown defence on a murder tried to choke back tears. a burglar in her apartment one apartment. white US police, sparked street ber 6, 2018 when she mistakenly standing arrangement, while charge wept in the courtroom The judge called for a break fl oor lower. It is relatively rare for crimi- protests, particularly after pros- parked on the wrong fl oor in Disney controls others such yesterday as she began to reen- anyway. Guyger, who is white, said that nal defendants to testify in their ecutors initially moved to charge the garage and was able to enter as Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain act the incident in which she Guyger, 31, was coming off she mistakenly thought that she own defence at trial, because it Guyger with manslaughter, a Jean’s apartment because he had Marvel, and Black Panther. killed her unarmed neighbour in a 13-1/2-hour shift when she had parked on her own level in subjects them to cross-exami- charge for killing without mal- left the door slightly ajar. Gulf Times 6 Saturday, September 28, 2019 ASIA

Thousands Indonesia orders probe after scramble to fl ee unrest in Papua 2nd student dies in protests AFP Wamena Reuters The two dead university stu- Karnavian has said offi cers Jakarta dents, both men, were part of were barred from using fi rearms a rally on Thursday in Kendari or sharp weapons to contain the housands of scared resi- on the island of Sulawesi. One protests. dents in Indonesia’s Pa- ndonesian President Joko died the same day and the other National Police spokesman M Tpua scrambled to board Widodo yesterday called for yesterday. Police gave the cause Iqbal said an investigation into military planes yesterday, fl ee- Ipolice restraint and promised of one of the deaths as bullet the students’ deaths, includ- ing urban unrest after one of the an investigation into the deaths wounds. ing autopsies, was under way, region’s deadliest eruptions of of two students, killed while Another student was criti- and that if it concluded they had violence in years. taking part in protests that have cally ill with head injuries after been shot, strict action would Anger over racism against in- spread to become the country’s a protest in Jakarta on Tuesday, be taken against the perpetra- digenous Papuans by residents biggest in decades. offi cials and the university said tors, even if they were found to from other parts of Indonesia has The protests, against new on Wednesday. be police. fuelled weeks of angry protests in laws, began on Monday and More rallies took place in the Widodo is due to be sworn in the impoverished region, as well have turned violent in several capital yesterday, but on a small- for a second term on October 20 as fresh calls for self-rule. places with more than 300 hurt er scale than on previous days after winning a national elec- Violence broke out again this in Jakarta alone, prompting calls and no clashes were reported. tion. week in Wamena city where over from Amnesty International Police chief Tito Karnavian said Chief Security Minister two dozen people were killed. for an investigation into what it at least 200 people had been ar- Wiranto has said the student Authorities said that some called “massive” aggression by rested since the protests began. protests were hijacked by a group were burned alive when build- police, who have fi red tear gas Widodo said on Thursday said aiming to disrupt parliament ings were set on fi re, while others and used water cannon. he was considering revoking the and Widodo’s inauguration next were stabbed during the chaos. Demonstrators’ anger is fo- new anti-corruption law. month. Some 700 Wamena residents - cused on a revised law that ac- Yesterday, he said he had or- The president also said on mostly migrants from other parts tivists say will hobble Indone- dered an investigation into the Thursday he planned to meet of the country - were evacuated sia’s anti-corruption agency, two deaths, telling reporters with students’ representatives, yesterday to other parts of the and plans to outlaw extramarital in Jakarta: “I told the national though yesterday State Secre- country, the military said. sex and penalise insulting the police chief that his personnel tary Pratikno said no schedule Indonesian police use shields to protect from rocks thrown by student protesters rallying against divisive A further 1,500 residents president’s honour. should not act repressively.” has been set yet for a meeting. legal reforms, in front of a parliament building in Medan, North Sumatra, yesterday. gathered at a local airport yes- terday in a bid to leave, accord- ing to local air force offi cial Arief Sudjatmiko, who added that at least 2,500 people had registered to get aboard fl ights. Two Rohingya “Our lives are at risk here,” UN suspends Lanka troops Debora Sibuea, who planned to return to her hometown in Su- matra, said. killed in gunfi ght “My house was set on fi re, stalls were set on fi re, even gov- from peacekeeping duties ernment offi ces were burned,” she said. with Bangladesh AFP Army deployments...,” Deputy erations,” the ministry said in a Silva has been accused by the The fresh violence this week Colombo UN spokesman Farhan Haq said statement. UN of committing war crimes was reportedly sparked by rac- in New York. Some 490 Sri Lankan troops during the fi nal stages of Sri ist comments made by a teacher “A Sri Lankan Army unit and are currently deployed for Lanka’s separatist confl ict, towards students in Wamena, border guards he United Nations has individual offi cers currently peacekeeping operations in which ended in May 2009. but police have disputed that suspended Sri Lankan serving with UN Peacekeeping Mali, Lebanon and Sudan. Two The 55-year-old general account. Ttroops from peacekeep- will thus be repatriated, begin- Sri Lankan soldiers were killed has dismissed the allegations In August, protests broke out Reuters found two Rohingya laid down ing duties after Colombo ig- ning next month, in accord- in a mine attack in Mali this year. against him while praising across Papua and in other parts Cox’s Bazar on the ground with bullet nored repeated warnings and ance with their rotation dates Human Rights Watch wel- Sirisena’s “courageous deci- of the country after the arrest, (wounds),” he said. appointed a general accused of and will not be replaced by Sri comed the UN decision, say- sion” to give him the top job de- racial abuse and tear-gassing of They were pronounced dead war crimes to head its army. Lankan personnel,” Haq said. ing it “sends a strong signal to spite intense foreign pressure. dozens of Papuan students, in wo Rohingya refugees on arrival at a local hospi- The UN and several Western In Sri Lanka, the foreign governments that sweeping The government has also the city of Surabaya. were killed in a gun bat- tal. The BGB said it recovered nations expressed concern over ministry said its secretary, Rav- suspected war crimes under the rejected as “unwarranted and The majority of Papuans are Ttle with Bangladeshi 70,000 methamphetamine the promotion of Major General inatha Aryasinha, will meet carpet will not go unnoticed by unacceptable” the avalanche Christian and ethnic Melanesian border guards as they tried to tablets, known locally as Yaba, Shavendra Silva last month de- with the Department of Peace the world body.” of international criticism over with few cultural ties to the rest cross into Bangladesh from along with a rifl e and bullets, spite the allegations against him. Operations. President Maithripala Sirise- Silva’s ascension to the top job. of Muslim-majority Indonesia. Myanmar yesterday, offi cials from the bodies. “In light of this appoint- Aryasinha is scheduled to na promoted Silva as the new UN rights chief Michelle They have become a minority said. Iqbal Hossain, additional ment, the UN Department of “discuss this matter with the army chief brushing aside in- Bachelet said at the time she in Papua after years of internal More than 730,000 Ro- police superintendent in the Peace Operations is therefore Under Secretary General of the ternational outrage over his ap- was “deeply troubled” by migration from other parts of the hingya refugees live in Bangla- Cox’s Bazar district, said that suspending future Sri Lankan UN Department of Peace Op- pointment. Silva’s appointment. country to the mineral-rich re- desh, having fl ed persecution 44 Rohingya have been killed gion, home to the world’s biggest in neighbouring Myanmar in gunfi ghts with law enforce- gold mine. where security forces are ac- ment agencies from January to A low-level separatist insur- cused of carrying out killings, date. Four Lankan elephants found dead of suspected poisoning gency has simmered for decades gang rape and arson in a crack- “All of them were engaged Four elephants were found dead century rock fortress and Other elephants may also have have been poisoned. We are in the former Dutch colony after down after attacks on police with drug peddling, robbery, yesterday in central Sri Lanka, with Unesco-protected heritage site, died but no further remains have investigating,” the off icer said. He Jakarta took over Papua in the posts by Rohingya insurgents human traffi cking and arms police suspecting the animals were police said. yet been found. said the four animals appeared 1960s. in August 2017. trade,” Hossain said. poisoned by angry villagers. “We have called wildlife experts He said there had been a spate of to be aged between 15 and 25 A UN-sponsored vote to stay Bangladesh is hosting refu- “In recent months a sec- A pregnant female and a male and vets to carry out autopsies,” incidents involving wild elephants years old. within the archipelago in 1969 gees in cramped conditions in tion of Rohingya are getting were among the four carcasses a police off icial in Sigiriya, 175km storming villages and destroying Killing an elephant is in theory was widely viewed as rigged, but camps in the border district involved in crimes and out of found yesterday at a forest (110 miles) north of Colombo, said crops in the area. punishable by death in Jakarta has long refused to con- of Cox’s Bazar, but wants to them some were killed in gun- reserve near Sigiriya, a fifth- by telephone. “We suspect the elephants may Sri Lanka. (AFP) sider another referendum. move them to a remote island fi ghts with law enforcement in the Bay of Bengal, citing agencies.” monsoons and an increas- Prodeep Kumar Das, offi cer ingly deteriorating law and in charge of Teknaf police sta- order situation fuelled by drug tion, said that several police smuggling. offi cers have been injured in Code War: Myanmar’s fi nal digital battle ends Mohamed Faisal Hasan gun battles with refugees. Khan, the commanding offi cer Rohingya rights groups By Richard Sargent, AFP Myanmar is the last nation to companies, banks and media ride, and he warned that initially zaw-jee) - meaning wizard - of the Border Guard Bang- say they want the killings Yangon embrace unicode that has signif- must be in Unicode by law. there will be “chaos”. evolved in Myanmar’s detached ladesh (BGB) in the Teknaf investigated. icant numbers of people online. Myanmar became a global Facebook - the main social me- digital ecosystem. sub-district of Cox’s Bazar, “We don’t support any Without it, most users see inter- code anomaly due to isolation dia platform in the country - has Its popularity exploded as the said that in early hours yester- criminal activities, but we ccessing everything from national content - and a lot from under its former military junta. developed automatic conversion country opened up from 2011 day a group of Rohingya were cannot accept such killing. Wikipedia to Google within the country - as lines of Microsoft and Apple helped software to give users a “seam- and smartphone use soared. crossing a river on the border We demand thorough inves- AMaps in Myanmar is meaningless symbols. other countries standardise less experience”, says strategic Today around 90% of people by boat when border guards tigations of all such killings,” about to get a lot easier when it Household name websites years ago, but Western sanctions response team member Sarah Oh. use Zawgyi instead of Unicode. challenged them and asked said Syed Ullah, general sec- fi nally adopts the universal code can be impossible to read while meant Myanmar lost out. But many will suddenly be un- Incompatible without fi ddly them to surrender. retary of Arakan Rohingya underpinning phone and online translation and voice recogni- IT pioneer Zaw Htut, 47, de- able to read messages on other apps plug-ins, it only allows people to “But instead of surrender- Society for Peace and Human communication next week. tion software do not work. scribes this as the fi nal battle won and from banks or phone opera- communicate in Burmese with ing they responded with fi re Rights of Kutupalong camp in Tech experts say the move to October 1 is “U-Day”, when in a decades-long code “war”. tors, while those who switch will no other Zawgyi users, excluding arms,” Hasan said. Teknaf. bring the country more in step Myanmar offi cially adopts the “This is like changing to de- longer be able to communicate with the nation’s minority languages. “When attack and coun- “Rohingya cannot do it with the rest of the digital world new system. From then on, all mocracy,” he enthuses. friends still using the old system. Its clunkiness also means ter attack stopped the BGB without the support and help is crucial, but will cause “chaos” electronic communication from However, making the switch A homegrown rival to Unicode search functions do not work, members went to the spot and from local people.” in a rocky transition period. government offi ces, telecoms to Unicode will be a turbulent called “Zawgyi” (pronounced: crippling data storage systems. Silent protest against Bangladesh’s loud horns sparks noisy support AFP ing “only an idiot honks a horn have been shared thousands of has contributed to Dhaka being forced and even illegal ear-split- Dhaka unnecessarily”. times on social media, attracting regularly ranked as one of the ting police and ambulance horns “This is my silent protest many supportive comments. world’s least liveable cities. are used by ordinary drivers. against the nuisance. I just try to According to the World Health Around 12% of Bangladesh’s Royal, who sometimes angladeshi Mominur Rah- deliver the message to the peo- Organisation, the maximum 165mn population suff er from campaigns after work also, man Royal is stopping ple,” he told AFP as cars, buses noise level that can be tolerated hearing problems due to noise is worried his hearing will Btraffi c - literally. and trucks rumbled noisily past by humans for eight hours with- pollution, the study found. suff er due to the amount of The 36-year-old is on a one- him. out some loss of hearing over “The number of traffi c (po- time he spends standing at man crusade to reduce unnec- Since starting his campaign time is 85 decibels. licemen) coming to the hos- intersections. essary honking in one of the four years ago, the graphic de- In Dhaka, home to 18mn peo- pital with hearing problems But the young father said he world’s noisiest cities, where the signer said he has received over- ple and more than a million every week has become a ma- would keep going until noise cacophony of vehicle horns in whelming support. registered motor vehicles, the jor concern for us,” Bangla- pollution reduces, adding heavy traffi c is as loud as a rock “People on their way home sounds of honking can reach 110 desh police spokesman Sohel that he was “taking a hit for a concert. stop by to stand by my side, si- decibels during peak hours, ac- Rana said. greater cause”. On the weekend, he stands lently holding my placards on cording to a 2017 environment The government has passed “I strongly believe this abnor- at a busy intersection near his the road even though they don’t department study. anti-honking laws with cul- mal behaviour (of honking) will home holding a yellow placard know me. This is a sign of a Heavy construction and loud- prits facing up to six months’ change one day and we will be Mominur Rahman Royal holds a banner with a Bengali slogan - with the Bengali rhyme “Horn positive change.” hailers used for political and re- imprisonment. able to leave a better Dhaka for “Horn hudai, Bajay Bhudai” that translates to “only the idiot honks Hudai, Bajay Bhudai” mean- Photos of his silent protest ligious events add to the din that But the rules are weakly en- our future generations.” horn unnecessarily” - on a busy street in Dhaka. Gulf Times Saturday, September 28, 2019 7 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Tens of thousands of New Zealand children kick off new climate strikes

Reuters marches by millions of children Action summit in New York this nationwide, a fi gure that would Thursday announced she had that they should be in school, House after a downtown rally, Auckland around the world, is planned to week. In New Zealand, scores of represent 3.5% of the country’s support from four other coun- instead of out on the streets pro- where they said the government roll through Asia and Europe protests were held in towns and population. Local media put the tries for a proposed new trade testing. “My education doesn’t gets an “%&*#@” in climate ac- before culminating in a rally in cities across the country with crowd in the capital of Welling- agreement to combat climate matter if I have no future or if I tion. ens of thousands of stu- Montreal, Canada, where teen- students carrying signs including ton, where students were deliv- change. have no land,” Elizabeth Glassie, “I believe government action dents gathered for march- age activist Greta Thunberg is “We’re skipping our lessons, so ering a petition to the national Ardern said negotiations a protestor in Auckland, told Ra- will change only if the voice of Tes across New Zealand scheduled to speak. we can teach you one” and “You parliament calling on the govern- would begin with Norway, Ice- dio New Zealand. young people are heard because yesterday to kick off a planned Thunberg, who is credited with can’t comb over climate change”. ment to declare a climate emer- land, Costa Rica and Fiji early About 500 students in the we’re the ones ... who are going second global school strike for inspiring the school strikes, this Organiser School Strike for gency, at around 40,000. next year, adding that she hoped South Korean capital, Seoul, to be the greatest victims of a climate action. week lambasted world leaders for Climate NZ tweeted that it had New Zealand Prime Minister other nations would sign on. urged more government action to climate crisis,” 15-year-old Kim The latest round of protests, a lack of climate change policies received credible reports that Jacinda Ardern, who is in New New Zealand protesters were address climate change, march- Do-hyeon, who was one of the which builds on last week’s at the United Nations Climate 170,000 people were striking York at the climate summit, on again ready to counter arguments ing towards the presidential Blue organisers, said. Missiles, drones may steal the show at Beijing

military parade A military vehicle passes along a street in central Beijing.

Reuters President Xi to oversee mass military parade on Oct 1; fellow with the Military Trans- Beijing formations Program at the S. Ra- China expected to show off advanced missiles; China’s jaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. China has hina’s armed forces are military modernisation has rattled regional nerves said about 15,000 personnel and expected to roll out an more than 160 aircraft will be in Carray of new weapons at continental ballistic missile, medium-range and intermedi- said the drone had its fi rst test the procession, making it larger a military parade in Beijing next which can carry several nuclear ate-range missiles, are critical to fl ight in 2013. Military watch- than the last mass parade in the week as President Xi Jinping warheads and reach the United the anti-access and area-denial ers spotted the second Chinese capital in 2015 celebrating the shows off his ambitious military States, forming the backbone of strategy, which is at the heart drone, most likely a supersonic 70th anniversary of the end of modernisation programme. China’s nuclear deterrent. of the PLA’s strategy to counter or hypersonic reconnaissance World War II. China’s advanced missiles will China has also made rapid American air and maritime pow- aircraft, possibly designated the Offi cials say Tuesday’s parade be a main attraction at the Oct strides in developing hypersonic er in Asia,” Roggeveen said. DR-8, under cover during parade is not meant as a “muscle fl ex- 1 parade to mark seven decades missiles, known as the DF-17, Analysts are particularly in- rehearsals. ing” exercise. But China is facing of Communist China. Many of which theoretically can manoeu- terested in the potential unveil- The shape is said to resem- a tricky strategic situation, boxed them are designed to attack the vre sharply at many times the ing of two models of stealthy ble the US D-21 reconnaissance in by US allies and military bases aircraft carriers and bases that speed of sound, further bolster- drones during the parade. China drone of the 1960s, which could near the Chinese coast, including undergird US military strength in ing the reach of the People’s Lib- has a practice of only displaying travel at more than three times US-armed Taiwan, and repeated the region. eration Army (PLA). systems in parades it says are op- the speed of sound. challenges to its claims of sov- Among them are the so-called Sam Roggeveen, director of the erational, suggesting that if the But experts add it will be hard ereignty in the disputed South “carrier killer” Dongfeng-21D Sydney-based Lowy Institute’s drones are shown they mostly to know how eff ective the un- China Sea. Planes from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air force fly (DF-21D), unveiled at a parade International Security Program, likely have already entered some crewed aircraft will be or how Chinese Defence Ministry during a rehearsal of the military parade on October 1 to mark the in 2015, which China says can said there was no real workable form of service. well the PLA can fi t them into its spokesman Ren Guoqiang on 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, hit warships at a range of up to defence against hypersonic mis- Analysis of leaked photos and network of other platforms. “It is Thursday said the world was not in Beijing, China. 1,500km, and the DF-26 inter- siles, aside from attacking the prototype models leads experts diffi cult to be too serious about a safe place and that the PLA mediate range missile, dubbed launcher, which would mean to believe one of them, the Sharp some of the equipment that the “must be fully prepared and bide visually stunning choreographed growing military, experts say. “It “Guam killer” in reference to the striking the Chinese mainland. Sword, which resembles the Chinese might be showing off . its time for battle.” marching, have almost no value shows some old fashioned think- US Pacifi c island base. That carries the risk of a nuclear United States’ X-47 series car- Some of them could be experi- Many western military offi cials for war. The sabre rattling may ing within China’s armed forces,” Attention in state media has response. rier-launched stealth drone, has mental or prototypes,” said Ri- and experts say China’s spend- also contradict Beijing’s eff orts to one Western diplomat in Beijing focused on the DF-41 inter- “The missiles, particularly the weapons bays. State media has chard Bitzinger, a visiting senior ing on such parades, with their project a benign image of China’s said on condition of anonymity.

Hong Kong protesters denounce Facebook hides ‘likes’ in Australia police ahead of fl ashpoint weekend to combat impact on ‘mental health’ AFP What began as a early learnings.” “While this has Sydney test on Instagram been testing on Instagram, Fa- Reuters cebook and (Instagram) are dif- Hong Kong in Canada was ferent surfaces and we will likely acebook has begun hiding see diff erent data come from this the number of “likes” for expanded to test.” housands of Hong Kong Fposts in Australia, it said Australia, Brazil The news was met with a mix protesters rallied at the yesterday, a trial designed to of “scepticism and apprecia- Tharbour side yesterday, ease social pressure that could be and several other tion” from cyberpsychology re- chanting slogans accusing the rolled out worldwide. major markets searcher Jocelyn Brewer, who police of brutality and setting Account holders across the welcomed Facebook’s review of the stage for a weekend of dem- country will also be blocked from dren report experiencing cyber- the impact of “vanity metrics” onstrations leading up to the viewing the number of reactions bullying, according to the coun- on people’s well-being. But users 70th anniversary of the People’s and video views on other peo- try’s eSafety commissioner. will fi nd other means to express a Republic of China. ple’s posts (beginning on Friday), The problem received na- reaction, she added. The downtown rally was one but will still be able to see how tional attention last year when a “As with many behaviours, of a series of protests that have people respond to their own. 14-year-old girl — who starred I believe it is likely that people united activists denouncing “We don’t want Facebook to in adverts for a well-known Aus- will adapt from liking to com- Chinese rule, calling for democ- feel like a competition,” the com- tralian hat brand — killed herself menting and other actions that racy and even for independence pany said in a statement. “This after being bullied online. Fa- achieve online recognition and from Beijing, often resulting in is a test to see how people engage cebook’s decision comes after identity signalling,” Brewer told violent clashes with police in with this new format.” it launched a trial in July to hide AFP. the former British colony. “We hope to learn from this “likes” on the company’s other The social media giant did not Activists have targeted police over time in order to see if we will major social media platform, In- confi rm how long the trial would over more than three months roll this out more broadly.” More stagram. run for. with petrol bombs, rocks and than 1bn people use Facebook What began as a test on Insta- “We want to understand from laser shone in their eyes, furi- worldwide, but the social media gram in Canada was expanded to people whether removing the to- ous at social media footage of Anti-government protesters attend a rally at Edinburgh Place to show solidarity for arrested political giant has come under pressure to Australia, Brazil and several oth- tal counts improves their experi- random beatings, especially one activists being held at San Uk Ling detention centre in Hong Kong. combat the platform’s impact on er major markets. The Facebook ence, while also not limiting any night against protesters cow- mental health. trial was described as “a limited positive interactions,” said Mia ering on the fl oor of a subway are all in line with police policies our offi cers chose not to use it.” lin, Taipei, New York, Kyiv and In Australia, one in fi ve chil- test in order for us to get some Garlick, of Facebook Australia. train. Police have responded and regulations,” they said in a Hong Kong leader Carrie London. with tear gas, water cannon, statement. “We will stop using Lam, in the fi rst “open dia- But the biggest protests are rubber bullets and occasional San Uk Ling Holding Centre for logue” session with the people likely to be on Oct 1, marking the Australia pledges $68mn more in aid to farmers live rounds fi red into the air. holding arrested people in this yesterday, said she would not anniversary of the proclama- The protesters gathered at a operation. The reason is to avoid accede to protesters’ demands tion of the People’s Republic of Australia will set aside an ad- lucrative agricultural product. lands they can remain productive park on reclaimed land in front any further public speculation for an independent inquiry into China in 1949, with protesters ditional A$100mn ($68mn) to Australia is among the world’s so they can stay on the land is of central government offi ces and unnecessary remarks ac- police action. She did not ex- saying they plan to use the holi- support drought-stricken farmers top 10 exporters of the grain, important to Australia.” Morrison yesterday night calling for an cusing the police.” plain why. This weekend, the day to propel calls for greater as continued dry weather threat- typically contributing about 2% said A$33mn, from the A$100mn, investigation into the remote One offi cer told reporters last Asian fi nancial hub marks the democracy. ens business for many growers, to GDP. In addition to setting will be set aside to provide cash- San Uk Ling camp near the Chi- week that some offi cers had fi fth anniversary of the start Activists plan a mass rally Prime Minister Scott Morrison aside more funds to prop up the strapped farmers, contractors nese border where they say de- overstepped the line when deal- of the “Umbrella” protests, a from Victoria Park in the bus- said yesterday. Australia’s east industry, Morrison said his gov- and families with emergency tained protesters were abused, a ing with protesters. “You are series of pro-democracy dem- tling Causeway Bay district to coast will swelter for at least ernment will also lower eligibility payments of up to A$3,000 each. claim police deny. “It’s obvious talking about a prolonged situa- onstrations in 2014 that failed Chater Garden near government three more months and the standards so more farmers can The government estimates there that there’s a problem of police tion, chaos, violent encounters,” to wrest concessions from Bei- headquarters. country will experience hotter- get access to the previously com- are about 24,000 farmers who brutality,” said 19-year-old uni- he said. “We have established jing. Offi cial festivities for National than-normal conditions, putting mitted A$7 billion in aid. would qualify for the payments. versity student Peter Sin. “They procedures to deal with allega- Thousands of people are ex- Day have been scaled back, with the chance of exceeding average “This isn’t welfare. This is really Another A$50mn will be al- now arrest people randomly and tions of abuse of force. Every pected to rally in the city cen- authorities keen to avoid embar- temperatures at 80% over the just helping people make sure located to expand a scheme that there’s much inhumane treat- day, with every chance we have, tre today evening. Protests rassing Beijing at a time when period, its weather bureau has that they can maintain viability,” pays drought-stricken farmers ment during prosecution and we remind our offi cers not to are also expected on Sunday President Xi Jinping is seeking said. Morrison told reporters in Dalby, income support every fortnight. detention.” succumb to emotions. to mark Global Anti-Totali- to project an image of national The forecast is a blow for the 208km west of Brisbane - the Morrison said the remaining Police said the camp was no “We’ve gone through multi- tarianism Day, with solidarity strength and unity. Pro-Beijing rural sector given the east coast state capital of Queensland. capital will be used to expand longer being used to hold pro- ple situations where lethal force events planned in cities across rallies are also planned in the city, accounts for about a third of its “These are important assets for services such as mental health testers. “Its setting and facilities would have been justifi ed, but the world, including Paris, Ber- raising the prospect of clashes. wheat output, the country’s most our country, our farming assets, counselling. Gulf Times 8 Saturday, September 28, 2019 BRITAIN More than 9mn eligible voters ‘not correctly registered’

Guardian News and Media would enable people to opt in tween younger people, renters, jor barrier to political equality from other countries.” “There are some simple ways alleged electoral off ences at the London when they engage with govern- low-income and black and ethnic and democratic engagement. It The ERS has also called for that registering to vote can made previous local election. ment bodies such as the DVLA, minority people, compared with means any snap election will al- same-day registration systems easier for renters, by integrating Labour announced in April it NHS and welfare agencies. older white people who own their most certainly be on the basis of to be trialled, allowing people to registration with services lots would consider introducing au- ore than 9mn people Research by the Electoral Re- homes. an incomplete franchise, with sign up on election day, as well of renters use like paying their tomatic voter registration to in- who are eligible to vote form Society (ERS) analysed The study also showed that the millions missing. as an online service to fi nd out if council tax locally,” she said. crease election turnout. Min the UK are not cor- electoral registers and found that number of people not correctly “You shouldn’t have to opt people are registered. In 2014, the government intro- Bridget Phillipson MP, who rectly registered and are at risk 17% of eligible voters in Great registered had risen from 16% of in to your right to vote. As the Georgie Laming, from hous- duced individual voter registra- represents the Speaker’s com- of not being able to have their say Britain, as many as 9.4mn peo- eligible voters in 2015, represent- Electoral Commission note, we ing campaign group Generation tion to reduce the possibility of mittee on the Electoral Commis- in a potential snap election, ac- ple, were either missing from ing as many as 8.3mn people. need to move towards auto- Rent, said renters in the UK fre- electoral fraud. This prevented sion, said this month it was im- cording to research. the electoral register or not reg- “These fi gures should sound matic registration now, start- quently moved home, often due universities from registering stu- possible to determine the number The fi nding sparked renewed istered at their current address, the alarm for anyone who cares ing with being able to check you to rising rents and lack of secu- dents en bloc. of people entirely missing from calls for Britain to follow Canada with major errors aff ecting up to about democracy,” said Dr Jess are registered online, and being rity, and that making registra- Earlier this year, voter ID was the registers because there was and Finland, among other coun- 5.6mn people. Garland, from the ERS. “That able to register whenever you tion easier would help the 11mn made compulsory in 10 voting not a “consistent, unique identi- tries, who automatically regis- It highlighted stark diff er- more than 9mn people are not engage with government bodies private renters have their voices districts despite voter imper- fi er for individual electors on the ter voters. One potential model ences in registration levels be- correctly registered is a ma- or services. We know this works heard. sonation making up just 3% of all registers”. BBC defends censure of TV presenter for Trump remarks

Guardian News and Media is that we look at the things peo- London ple say, we analyse them, we de- scribe them objectively. If some- one’s told a lie, we call it out for he BBC has defended the being a lie. If someone’s made a decision to censure Break- racist remark, we make sure peo- Tfast Show host Naga Mun- ple are aware that they’re inher- chetty for her comments about ently racist. Donald Trump, with the corpora- “The issue is about when she tion’s director of editorial policy went on further to discuss Presi- saying it is not the BBC’s policy dent Trump himself, what his to be “calling out people for being motivations were for that, and liars or racist”. that breached our impartial- The BBC Breakfast Show pre- ity requirements. Our audiences senter was found to have breached should not be able to tell from guidelines after saying she felt BBC output the personal opin- “absolutely furious” about the US ions of our journalists or current president’s language, after he told aff airs presenters on matters of four Democratic congresswomen public policy, political, or indus- to “go home” despite them all be- trial controversy.” ing US citizens. Munchetty made the original Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits The Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow, Essex, for an announcement on new patient scanning equipment in Harlow, Britain, yesterday. “I can imagine lots of people comments while presenting BBC in this country will be feeling Breakfast in July with co-host absolutely furious that a man in Dan Walker, who had questioned that position feels it’s OK to skirt her on how she felt about Trump’s the lines with using language like intervention. Although Mun- that,” Munchetty said at the time. chetty said she felt “absolutely David Jordan said that under furious”, she did not directly call the corporation’s editorial guide- Trump a racist, instead saying the lines Munchetty was allowed president’s language was “skirt- Premier’s Brexit rhetoric to accurately describe Trump’s ing the line”. comments as racist, she was al- Although the BBC received lowed to objectively analyse the many complaints from members impact that such racist comments of the public over the incident, have on herself and other people only one individual chose to dis- of colour, but she was not allowed pute the initial response and el- legitimises violence: Rudd to express a personal opinion on evate the case to the executive the motives and character of the complaints unit – the top-level Guardian News and Media/ Johnson’s use of words such Comparing Johnson’s ap- where that may be. purged MPs could stand as “in- person making those racist com- internal arbiter of BBC standards. Reuters as “surrender” and “betrayal” proach to that of Donald Trump The former home secretary dependent Conservatives”, only ments. This has led to anger among fel- London over Brexit, and his subsequent during the 2016 US presidential won her current seat of Hast- as independents. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today low BBC journalists and reporters refusal to apologise, Rudd said election, Rudd said “the casual ings with a majority of just 346 Meanwhile Johnson’s spokes- programme that the ruling had as to how a single member of the she had been “disappointed and approach to safety of MPs and over Labour in the 2017 general man dismissed the idea that the been misinterpreted by the pub- public with the time and incli- oris Johnson’s aggressive stunned” when the PM dis- their staff (was) immoral”, and election. “The most likely place government could use its pre- lic. “The line is not about calling nation to pursue a complaint to Brexit rhetoric could incite missed the fears of female MPs urged ministers to “consider for me to stand, if I need to stand rogative powers to avoid delay- out racist comments – which is higher levels has led to a public Bviolence against oppo- about a possible repeat of the their own judgments rather than as an independent Conserva- ing Brexit, responding to a sug- perfectly acceptable when things and internal crisis about how the nents, the former minister Am- 2016 murder of Jo Cox. be desperately loyal”. tive, would be somewhere with a gestion put forward by former are clearly framed in racist lan- corporation handles issues of race. ber Rudd has warned. Asked about the Downing Rudd’s departure from the strong Remain constituency, so I prime minister John Major. guage – it’s about how you go on The BBC declined to comment Rudd, who quit the govern- Street approach of couching government and party followed am looking around,” she said. In a speech on Thursday, to discuss the person who made on the make-up of the edito- ment and resigned the Conserv- Brexit as a battle between the peo- the purging of 21 Tory colleagues Among mooted constituen- former Conservative premier the comments and make assump- rial complaints unit, although the ative whip earlier this month in ple and a Remain-minded parlia- who voted to allow more parlia- cies could be Kensington, very Major said he feared Johnson tions or remarks about that. Guardian understands it consists protest at the prime minister’s ment, Rudd said: “The sort of lan- mentary time to pass a bill seek- narrowly held by Labour’s Emma would try to bypass the law by “In the politics of the present, of seven individuals with only two policies, also told the Evening guage I’m afraid we’ve seen more ing to block a no-deal Brexit. Dent Coad, or Chelsea and Ful- using an “Order of Council” to when we are in a politics of name- women and no one from an ethnic Standard that she might stand and more of coming out from No Rudd told the Standard she ham, where the MP is Johnson- suspend it until after the Brexit calling and insult, I think it’s minority background. Several in London as an “independent 10 does incite violence. It’s the wanted to “stay and fi ght” for loyalist Greg Hands. deadline. probably unwise of the BBC to be members are former BBC current Conservative” at the next gen- sort of language people think le- the one-nation style of Con- However, a Conservative “I don’t recognise that at all,” calling out people for being liars aff airs programme editors ap- eral election. gitimises a more aggressive ap- servatism associated with David source said that under Electoral the spokesman said when asked or racist. What is really important proaching retirement. Amid bitter complaints about proach and sometimes violence.” Cameron, but did not confi rm Commission rules none of the about the plan. Cardiff backs plan to give Harry highlights new streets Welsh names Angola mine peril AFP Harry also called on Angolans Huambo, Angola to protect the “unique wildlife” in Guardian News and Media the city educating 8,500 pupils deithas yr Iaith said: “We wel- the area, which lies 1,000km from London in Welsh. come the council’s intention to Huambo, near the border with The policy, due to be put be- name every new street in Welsh rince Harry yesterday Botswana. fore the full council for fi nal ap- only. It would give a boost to the walked through a cleared “That river and those wild- anguage campaigners have proval next month, says new status and use of the language Pminefi eld in Angola, trac- life are your natural assets and if welcomed a decision by streets should be given a Welsh in the city. After all, the Welsh ing his late mother’s footsteps to looked after will bring you un- Lcouncil leaders in Cardiff name “consistent with the local language belongs to everyone in draw attention to a country that limited opportunities within the to support a plan to give Welsh- heritage and history of the area”. Cardiff.” Caro Wild, the cabinet remains plagued by land mines. conservancy-led economy.” only names to new streets in the It says the names of specifi c indi- member for strategic planning Donning a protective visor and The Duke of Susses later trav- capital. viduals may be used where there and transport, said: “Ensuring blue bullet-proof vest, Harry was elled to Huambo to view the Cardiff council’s cabinet is is a historical or legacy link. that the names of new streets almost the exact replica of Prin- iconic site where Diana was pho- hoping the move will eventually More than 60% of people in the city reflect local herit- cess Diana when she famously tographed and visited a recently- mean there are as many Welsh who took part in a consultation age and the Welsh language will walked across a cleared minefi eld renovated orthopaedic hospital. street names as English ones in agreed with the proposal to work assist our vision of develop- near the central city of Huambo in More than 1,600 people have the city and bolster the language. towards parity between Welsh ing Cardiff as a truly bilingual 1997. been injured by landmines in An- The council will also make street names and English ones, capital city. Diana was drawing attention gola between the start of the war in sure existing signs on city centre with the majority feeling the pol- “Adopting this policy will to the more than 1mn landmines 1975 and 2015, according to British streets will be in Welsh and Eng- icy would have a positive eff ect also see us joining other en- planted during Angola’s 27-year charity Halo Trust. lish when they are upgraded. on the Welsh language. lightened capitals around the civil war, which ended in 2002. Most casualties occurred in However, existing street The Welsh Language Com- world, like Wellington in New Just months later she was killed 2002 and 2003, when Angolans names in residential communi- missioner, Aled Roberts, said: “I Zealand, who are embracing in a car crash in Paris, when Harry returned to their homes after ties and suburbs of Cardiff will congratulate Cardiff council on their own heritage by promot- was 12. peace was declared. retain their current names. their new street naming policy. ing the Maori language until it “Landmines are an unhealed Diana was photographed meet- Cardiff is not regarded as a tra- Place names can say a lot about has parity with English. scar of war,” Harry said in remote ing some of the victims during her ditional stronghold for the lan- an area’s history and heritage; “It’s very encouraging that the national park near the southern visit. guage, but the number of Welsh and this policy in the capital majority of people who took part town of Dirico, where he detonat- “If an international ban on speakers in the capital has more shows the council, and indeed, in the consultation are in favour ed a mine from a distance. mines can be secured it means, than doubled over the past 40 the country’s commitment to of these proposals. The Welsh “By clearing the landmine we looking far ahead, that the world years. promote the Welsh language.” language is intrinsically linked can help this community fi nd may be a safer place for this gen- There are 17 primary schools Mabli Siriol from the Welsh with the history of Cardiff over Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, walks through a cleared minefield in peace — and with peace comes eration’s grandchildren,” said the and three secondary schools in language campaign group Cym- the centuries.” Dirico Province, Angola, yesterday. opportunity.” princess at the time. Gulf Times Saturday, September 28, 2019 9 EUROPE Ukraine’s Burisma probe covers period before Biden’s son joined

Reuters tigation into the period when which was drilling for gas in But it said the period under in- covers a period when Ukraine “At the moment, this case is family strongly denies. Kyiv Hunter Biden was involved with Ukraine. vestigation was 2010-2012, and was governed by a Kremlin ally, up in the air, so to speak. Up in Kholodnytsky said that were Burisma if there were compel- Trump’s intervention is the noted that this was before the Viktor Yanukovych. the air means that there is no ac- Poroshenko to make a statement ling new testimony in Ukraine, subject of an impeachment in- company hired Hunter Biden. Burisma hired Hunter Biden tive investigative work ongoing. about being pressured into re- Ukrainian investigation Nazar Kholodnytsky, the head of vestigation by the US House of “Changes to the board of Bu- after Yanukovych was toppled in At the moment, detectives and moving Shokin from his post, of gas company Burisma anti-corruption investigations Representatives, with Democrats risma Limited, which are cur- a popular revolt in 2014 and re- prosecutors do not understand then an investigation must be Ais focused solely on activ- at Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s Offi ce, saying the Republican presi- rently the object of international placed by a pro-Western govern- what they are supposed to be in- launched. ity that took place before Hunter said on Novoye Vremya radio. dent was trying to push a foreign attention, took place only in May ment. vestigating,” he said. However, he said, neither his Biden, son of former US vice- However, Prosecutor’s Offi ce, leader to smear Joe Biden, who 2014, and therefore are not and At the time, many Ukrainian Trump wants Ukraine to in- agency nor the NABU had re- president Joe Biden, was hired to could not do so on its own initia- is seeking to run against Trump never were the subject of (the fi rms were seeking to distance vestigate the Biden family, ac- ceived such a statement thus far. sit on its board, Ukraine’s anti- tive, based solely on comments at presidential elections in 2020 anti-corruption bureau’s) inves- themselves from their relation- cusing Joe Biden of strong-arm- Likewise, he said his depart- corruption investigation agency currently being made in the (see report on Page 5). tigation,” the bureau’s statement ships with the previous, pro- ing the Ukrainian authorities, ment couldn’t initiate an investi- said. United States, he said. The National Anti-Corruption said. Moscow authorities, and some including the then-president gation based solely on comments Separately, a senior offi cial at US President Donald Trump Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said Hunter Biden was a director on invited Western public fi gures to Petro Poroshenko, to fi re General it had heard from the US side. the General Prosecutor’s offi ce asked Ukraine’s President Volo- an investigation was ongoing into Burisma’s board from 2014-2018, sit on their boards. Prosecutor Viktor Shokin in 2016 “If there was pressure from an said that neither of the Bidens dymyr Zelenskiy in July to probe permits granted by offi cials at the according to documents fi led by The NABU’s investigation re- to protect his son. offi cial of a foreign country then, had been called for questioning whether Joe Biden tried to block ministry of ecology for the use of the company in Cyprus, where it lated to the 2010-2012 period is Shokin says he was fi red to fi rst off , the law enforcement in relation to this investigation. an investigation into his son’s natural resources to a string of is registered. not particularly active, Kholod- prevent him from investigating agencies of that country must ask Ukraine would open an inves- relationship with the company, companies managed by Burisma. The investigation into Burisma nytsky added. Hunter Biden, which the Biden what it was.”

French queue to Hundreds of thousands remember Chirac

AFP join youth climate rallies Paris AFP/Reuters/DPA Rome/Stockholm/The Hague ourners gathered at the Elysee Palace in Paris Myesterday to pay their undreds of thousands respects to former president of youths demonstrated Jacques Chirac, whose death Hacross European cities unleashed a fl ood of tributes to yesterday in the second in a glo- a charismatic but complex giant bal series of protests to avert a of French politics. climate catastrophe. Chirac, president from 1995- Waving signs and yelling slo- 2007, died on Thursday aged gans, schoolchildren and stu- 86 after years of deteriorating dents in Italian cities were among health. those joining the latest “Friday Ahead of a national day of for Future” rallies. mourning announced for Mon- Organisers said 200,000 day, the French presidency threw people joined a march in Milan open the doors of the Elysee Pal- while another major rally snaked ace for people wanting to sign a through the centre of Rome. book of condolences. Demos were called in some 180 “I express my admiration and Italian cities. tenderness for the last of the “Be part of the solution, not great presidents,” read one trib- the pollution,” they yelled. ute. “Thank you for fi ghting, Tens of thousands of people thank you for this freedom and also marched in Vienna and other good spirits.” cities, making it Austria’s biggest In a televised address on climate rally day so far. Thursday night, President Em- The Vienna Boy’s Choir, one An activist holds up placard manuel Macron praised “a man of Austria’s most traditional cul- depicting 16-year-old Swedish whom we loved as much as he tural institutions, joined tens of climate activist Greta Thunberg loved us”. thousands of climate protesters during a demonstration in Chirac is also to be given the in the Austrian capital city. Stockholm yesterday. honour of a public memorial The 521-year-old choir took ceremony tomorrow as well as a to the stage on Vienna’s central Right: Participants stand on a mass on Monday, which will be Heldenplatz square, which was globe during the global climate attended by Macron and foreign fi lled with around 60,000 mostly protest yesterday in The Hague. dignitaries, including German young demonstrators. President Frank-Walter Stein- In Budapest, thousands of Left: Demonstrators pack a meier and EU Commission pres- mostly schoolchildren took to street during the global climate ident Jean-Claude Juncker. the streets, exceeding past par- protest yesterday in Turin. A minute of silence will also ticipation, with rallies held in be observed on Monday at public several other Hungarian cities. Below: A girl holds a placard institutions, schools and foot- They answered the call of during the global youth climate ball matches. Swedish teenager Greta Thun- action protest in Madrid yes- Schools have also been urged berg, the fi gurehead of the move- terday. to dedicate class time on Mon- ment against climate change. day “to evoke the former head She led the fi rst of the ma- of state’s memory”, with the jor demos last week, when vast education ministry saying that it crowds fi lled the streets in cities will propose potential discussion worldwide. themes for teachers. Scientists warn that time is And the Quai Branly museum running out for world leaders to of indigenous art founded by curb global warming, blamed Chirac, who had a deep appre- for an increase in environmental ciation of Asian cultures, said it disasters. would off er free admission until Schools in Italy and some October 11. schools in Austria let pupils out French newspapers splashed to join in the rallies – a trend al- his portrait across their front ready reported in several other pages and dedicated most of countries during last week’s ral- their editions to the former lies. president’s life – Le Parisien had Yesterday’s main event was in an exhaustive 35 pages plus a 12- Montreal, Canada, with Thun- page special insert. berg in attendance (see report on Even Chirac’s opponents Page 5). hailed his charm and qualities “I have goose bumps today. as a political fi ghter, as well as It is really emotional. Greta has how he stood up to Washington called us and we are there,” a in 2003 by opposing the Iraq war. 17-year-old demonstrator in But some questioned how Rome who identifi ed himself as much he had actually achieved Simone told AFP. “We want to during a long period in offi ce – live on this planet the way it is.” his career shadowed by a graft And thousands gathered in conviction while mayor of Paris, Thunberg’s home country of from 1977-1995. Sweden. He contested the ruling but An estimated 60,000 people did not appeal it, saying that the gathered in Stockholm yesterday, Hague exceeded expectations of the protests. “We have pre- in Germany, and over half of all French people “know who I am: according to organisers. with organizers, estimating the sented ambitious plans to deal energy in Sweden. Seven people drown as Greece an honest man” who worked The Swedish capital was the crowd at about 35,000. with these problems. But we have The government has pledged only for “the grandeur of France site of Thunberg’s fi rst protest in Police were forced to reroute to do it in a smart way, which also to halve CO2 emissions from grapples with migrant influx and for peace”. front of the parliament building the march to a location with creates jobs.” 1990 levels by 2030, but by 2017 And it hardly dented the in August 2018. more space. Thunberg’s brief address had only achieved a 13% cut. Six migrants, including a baby, drowned in the Aegean Sea popularity of the beer and sau- Thousands also gathered in “This strike is going to have a electrifi ed the start of the sum- In Germany thousands took to yesterday when a dinghy carrying them sank off the Greek cisse-loving charmer, whose the Swedish cities of Uppsala, lot of eff ect when people keep mit aimed at mobilising gov- the streets to demand more envi- island of Chios, state broadcaster ERT reported, citing Greece’s extramarital aff airs were an open Malmo and Umea, and there were showing up, not just today but ernment and business to break ronmental protection, although coastguard. secret. protests in other Scandinavian also in the future and we see international paralysis over car- the turnout was lower than for A ferry passing nearby rescued 12 people. He had barely been seen in countries too. diff erent kinds of people from bon emissions, which hit record similar protests a week earlier. The dinghy set off from the Turkish coast and had attempted to public in recent years, after suf- More than 20 locations in Fin- all walks of life,” said protester highs last year despite decades of An international youth move- reach the Inousses islets near Chios, some 15km north. fering a stroke in 2005 and un- land faced protests, including at Reinder Rustema. warnings from scientists. ment had announced demon- The nationality of the migrants was not immediately known. derwent kidney surgery in De- least 5,000 people demonstrat- Banging drums and holding “This is all wrong. I shouldn’t strations in at least 65 German The group was a part of a growing wave of refugees and cember 2013. ing in front of the parliament in pictures of Thunberg, protesters be up here. I should be back in cities this week. migrants trying to reach wealthy European countries through He will be buried at the Helsinki. walked through the city centre school on the other side of the In Hamburg, 3,200 peo- the so-called Balkan route, which has been formally closed Montparnasse cemetery in Paris Thousands of Dutch chil- with placards reading: “For the ocean, yet you all come to us ple demonstrated despite rainy since March 2016. next to his daughter Laurence, dren also skipped school to join Greta good”, “Don’t be a fossil young people for hope. How dare weather, according to police. Most of the migrants risk their lives to travel across the Aegean. who died in 2016 after a lifelong a global climate strike, blocking fool”, and “You will die of old age, you?” she said, her voice quaver- In Munich, police estimated According to the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, 174 people battle with anorexia. traffi c and asking their leaders we will die of climate change”. ing with emotion. that around 2,000 people took drowned making the journey last year. He is survived by Bernadette, “how dare you?” in a reference to “I understand their concerns, The Netherlands, with 17mn part in a protest march through The pace of arrivals accelerated this year: 41,940 people arrived his wife of more than six dec- Thunberg’s speech at the United I believe they are being heard,” inhabitants, generated less than the city centre, while 1,200 pro- from January 1 until September 22, compared to 27,718 and ades; his daughter Claude, who Nations early this week. Dutch premier Mark Rutte said 7% of all energy from sustainable testers were reported to have 32,494 in the whole of 2017 and 2018, respectively, according to served as his confi dante and ad- Turnout at the march in The at a press briefi ng within earshot sources in 2017, compared to 15% taken part in Nuremberg. UNHCR figures. viser; and a grandson, Martin. Gulf Times 10 Saturday, September 28, 2019 INDIA

DECISION TRAGEDY ANNOUNCEMENT POLITICS PEOPLE NCP leader Ajit Pawar Two pilots killed as Still no trace of missing BJP wins Hamirpur Salman’s ex-bodyguard steps down as legislator army chopper crashes Indian moon lander: Nasa by-poll in Uttar Pradesh goes on a rampage

Upset by the enforcement directorate (ED) case An Indian military helicopter on a training A Nasa satellite orbiting the Moon passed over the The BJP has won the Hamirpur Assembly by-poll High on steroids, a former bodyguard of actor lodged against him, Nationalist Congress Party mission in Bhutan crashed yesterday, killing site where the Indian probe Vikram should have in Uttar Pradesh, counting for which was held Salman Khan created a ruckus in Moradabad. leader and former two-time deputy chief minister two pilots, India’s army said. The single-engine made touchdown earlier this month, but didn’t yesterday. BJP’s Yuvraj Singh polled a total of Anaz Qureshi, the former bodyguard had to be Ajit Pawar has quit as legislator from Baramati, Cheetah helicopter was on its way from see the missing lander, the US space agency said. 74,500 votes while Manoj Prajapati of SP got overpowered using ropes and fishing net before party president Sharad Pawar said in Mumbai Khirmu in Arunachal Pradesh to Yongphulla The announcement was made after Nasa released 57,300 votes. Meanwhile in Tripura, BJP’s Mimi he could be taken into custody by the police. Local yesterday. “I was not aware of his decision. He is a in Bhutan. One of the pilots who died was photographs taken on September 17 by its Lunar Majumder won the Badharghat Assembly seat by residents were shocked and frightened to see a fighter and a blunt speaker who will not leave the from the Indian army while the other was Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) of the plains located 5,276 votes. The BJP, leading since the counting bare-chested Qureshi roughing up pedestrians and battlefield. I learnt about it after speaking with his from the Royal Bhutan Army. “Ground search about 600kms from the Moon’s south pole, which began, emerged victorious over the Communist hurling bricks at vehicles. . A video of the incident, family,” Sharad Pawar said in Pune. The Maratha and rescue were launched immediately is where Vikram aimed to land. “So far the... team Party of India-Marxist. The Congress was hardly which later went viral, showed hundreds of people, strongman said that according to his family, Ajit from Yongphulla. The wreckage has been has not been able to locate or image the lander,” in the race with just 9,101 votes. The BJP swept along with local police and fire brigade team, trying Pawar was “greatly disturbed” at the manner in located,” the Indian Army said in a statement. Nasa said. “It was dusk when the landing area was to power in this former Left turf in 2018, bringing to get hold down the man. Police reports said which Sharad Pawar’s name was dragged in the Bhutanese pilots have been training with imaged and thus large shadows covered much of decades of Manik Sarkar’s rule to an end. But it was Qureshi had consumed an overdose of steroids alleged Rs250bn scam in the Maharashtra State the Indian military since 2014 as a part of an the terrain; it is possible that the Vikram lander is not all good news for the BJP. In Chhattisgarh, it and was most likely suff ering from its eff ects. He Co-operative Bank Ltd (MSCB). arrangement between the two countries. hiding in a shadow,” the space agency added. lost the Dantewada seat to Congress’ Devti Karma. was referred to the Bareilly mental hospital. Evidence against Chidambaram was destroyed, claims CBI

IANS Peter along with some other New Delhi people met Chidambaram. However, the records of the visi- tors register were destroyed,” he Delhi high court yes- Mehta told justice Kait. terday reserved its or- Mehta further claimed that Tder on the bail plea fi led the though the hotel visitor reg- by former fi nance minister P ister had been destroyed, the Chidambaram in the Central Bu- details of the car in which the reau of Investigation case relat- Mukerjeas went for the meeting ing to INX Media. with the petitioner was secure A single judge bench presided with the agency. by justice Suresh Kumar Kait re- The CBI also told the court served the order after hearing the that Indrani in her statement be- arguments from both the sides. fore the magistrate claimed that During the course of the hear- when she and her husband went ing, solicitor general Tushar to meet Chidambaram at his of- Mehta stated: “We are at a stage fi ce – where discussions were where we have presented our held on granting Foreign Invest- evidence to him after we con- ment Promotion Board (FIPB) Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, US. fronted the accused and hence, approval to INX Media – it was the risk of tampering and infl u- conveyed to them that they will encing is much higher. have to “take care of his son”. “Some people are in so power- Opposing the claims of the ful a position that their mere pres- agency, Sibal contended: “Hun- ence can infl uence the witnesses. dreds of delegations call on the fi - To say that I am a responsible and nance minister. Chidambaram has respected citizen is not an argu- no recollection of an INX Media India has given the world ment altogether. Those who have delegation calling on him. Only fl ed the country are the ones who the Visitors Log can confi rm the are respected and responsible and fact and the court must only ac- having business empires,” the so- cept entries in the Visitors’ Log. licitor general said. Chidambaram is certain he has Defence lawyer Kapil Sibal never met Indrani at any place.” message of peace, says PM opposed the claims of the prose- However, the CBI then cution and said that Chidambar- claimed that “suffi cient evi- am was not a fl ight risk and that dence has come on record that IANS have the seriousness when we world is not in anyone’s bene- there was no evidence of him the petitioner was using his po- United Nations raise our voice against terror, fi t.” He said that countries can- tampering with evidence. sition to infl uence the witness. and anger too,” at which point not aff ord to remain within their “After spending 40 days in Indrani is not the only one who the prime minister changed the borders any longer. prison, why will he fl ee? They has given a Section 164 state- n a strong message against decibel of his tone to emphasise “And in this, we have to give have to justify each day of in- ment, there is another witness.” terror, Prime Minister the point. new focus to multilateralism, carceration,” said defence team In an affi davit fi led before jus- INarendra Modi told the “We agree that terrorism and to the UN,” Modi said. lawyer Singhvi on behalf of tice Kait, Chidambaram’s coun- UN General Assembly (UNGA) is not just a challenge for one The prime minister then cited Chidambaram. sels on Wednesday claimed that yesterday that India has given country, but for the entire Swami Vivekananda’s famous Mehta then added that “cer- government documents pertain- the world the message of peace, world... It is the biggest chal- speech on religious harmony in tain evidence relating to the ing to the FIPB approval were part and not war, and that is why its lenge for humanity. Chicago in 1893. “India gives meeting between Chidambar- of the Relied Upon Documents voice not only carries serious- “A world divided on the is- the same message of harmony ams and Mukerjeas had been de- (RUD) fi led by the ED in the pro- ness when it alerts the world sue of terror harms those and peace, and not dissension,” stroyed”. ceedings initiated before the against terrorism, but anger very principles on which the he said. INX Media was once promot- adjudicating authority in which too. UN was created. For the sake Earlier in his speech, Modi ed jointly by Peter and Indrani Karti and Nalini, Chidambaram’s Addressing the 74th UN Gen- of humanity, the world must cited the development works Mukerjea. Chidambaram and his son and wife respectively, were eral Assembly, Prime Minister unite and come together of his government. He also son Karti were named in the case made defendants. Modi also said that a “world against terrorism,” the prime spoke about the huge mandate by the Mukerjeas. The Mukerjeas The court had on Tuesday divided on the issue of terror” minister said. his government received in the are currently in jail in Mumbai in asked Chidambaram to fi le an af- harms the very principles on Modi also called for new fo- 2019 Lok Sabha polls. connection with the murder of fi davit stating the source of the which the UN was created. Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi rally in New York, US. cus on multilateralism, and on The prime minister spoke Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora. documents which were being He called for the world to the UN, saying that in view of about helping other developing “During investigation, it has referred to by his lawyers during unite against terror for the sake Modi said: “India has given dha or peace... The message the changes that are happening countries in facing their chal- come to light that Indrani and the hearing of his bail plea. of humanity. the world not war, but Bud- of peace. And that is why we around the globe, “a disunited lenges.

Call for action Maradu fl at owners to get Kerala Left wins battle Rs2.5mn interim payout for Pala after 54 years IANS drop below 20,000 to touch Pala (Kerala) 18,044. IANS regulation zone (CRZ) areas and the process be completed as per Chief Minister Pinarayi Vi- New Delhi natural disasters that follow. The this plan. jayan thanked the Pala elector- fl ats have to be demolished. If you The court has asked the Kerala he “Pala Wall” built in this ate for the victory of the Left- (government) cannot demolish it, government for a list of the pro- assembly constituency by backed candidate. he Supreme Court yester- we will ask someone else to do it posed names who may be part of Tlegendary Kerala Congress “This result is going to give us day expressed concern at at your cost,” the top court said. the committee. (Mani) leader K M Mani was fi - a good impetus in our eff orts to Tthe suff ering of the Ma- Thereafter, the Kerala govern- The court also said that mon- nally breached yesterday by the better serve the people here,” Vi- radu fl ats residents saying that ment proposed a time schedule ey for the compensation should ruling Left Democratic Front jayan said. they cannot be left in dire straits of 120 days to demolish the il- be recovered from the respective (LDF)-backed Nationalist Con- CPI-M state secretary Kodiy- and directed the Kerala govern- legal fl ats in the CRZ at Maradu. builders. gress Party (NCP) candidate Mani eri Balakrishnan told the media ment to disburse Rs2.5mn each The government informed the The Maradu complex com- C Kappen who won the Pala by- in the state capital that the result as interim compensation to the court that in 90 days demolition prises 356 fl ats in fi ve buildings poll by a margin of 2,943 votes. was a reward for Kappen who has fl at owners within four weeks. activities would be completed and houses 240 families. The The assembly by-poll was ne- been with Pala all along. A bench of justice Arun Mishra and ibn the remaining days the apex court had on September 6 cessitated by the death of sitting “At the recent Lok Sabha and justice S Ravindra Bhat gave debris will be disposed off . ordered its demolition by Sep- legislator K M Mani, who died in polls, the UDF candidate secured the order while expressing con- The top court opined that tember 20 for violating the CRZ April. Mani had represented Pala over 33,000 votes lead from Pala cern over illegal construction in shelter as well as compensation rules. since 1965 and the constituency assembly constituency. The po- coastal areas and natural disas- should be given to the Maradu The top court also directed will see a new legislator after a litical foundation of the UDF has ters that follow due to these ac- fl at owners. that the assets of the builders gap of over fi ve decades. been shattered. If you look back, tivities. The top court asked the Directing an interim compen- and promoters involved in the il- During the hectic election Pala was one constituency which authorities to submit a list of fl at sation of Rs2.5mn to the fl at own- legal construction be frozen. campaign, Kappen had often has never been won by the Left. I owners. ers, the top court said the remain- The top court has listed the said: “One Mani will replace an- call upon all our supporters to be Senior advocate Harish Salve der of the compensation amount matter for October 25 for further other Mani”. more humble and work hard for told the court that Rs1bn will be may be decided by a committee. hearing. Kappen had maintained a lead the upcoming fi ve assembly by- required to compensate the resi- The court ordered the ap- The court has sought de- right from start of counting, elections,” Balakrishnan said. dents of Maradu fl ats and pro- pointment of a committee tails of the property held by the which at one point crossed 5,000, Former chief minister and posed to pay interim compensa- headed by a retired judge, tech- builders and promoters of the only to see the Congress-led UDF Congress veteran Oommen tion to each fl at owner. nical and civil experts to oversee Maradu fl ats and partners of the candidate Jose Tom Pullikunnel Chandy, whose home turf is Ko- “We do not want Maradu fl ats’ the demolition and evaluate the company. The top court has also Students take part in a “Fridays for Future” march calling lowering it to below 3,000. ttayam and one who led the UDF residents to be left in dire straits. compensation payable to the fl at sought an undertaking from the for urgent measures to combat climate change, in Kolkata, Kappen ended up securing campaign, said counting reports But our primary concern is the owners. Kerala government regarding the yesterday. 54,137 votes, Pullikunnel got showed that the BJP’s vote share illegal constructions in coastal The court has directed that demolition. 51,194 and the BJP saw its votes had dropped considerably. Gulf Times Saturday, September 28, 2019 11

LATIN AMERICA Bukele urges Trump to keep TPS programme for migrants

Reuters/AFP the other leaders present and said “A couple of images on Insta- ment allowing the US to send could be sent back if Trump ends struggle. The struggle is that with the US, announced last Fri- United Nations he especially wanted to greet his gram can have more impact than back asylum seekers who cross the Temporary Protected Status if they were deported, it would day, which allows El Salvador to wife and baby daughter sitting in any speech delivered in this as- the Central American country (TPS) programme, noting that break up families,” he said. assess whether to extend refuge the gallery. sembly,” he said, quipping that while journeying north, arguing most migrants with TPS had the TPS was granted to El Salvador to migrants returned by the US. l Salvador’s President “If you’ll just bear with me a the annual summit of the world’s it was part of his eff ort to combat means to support themselves following two devastating 2001 He pushed back on criticism Nayib Bukele, whose social second,” he then added, pulling leaders could be done by video- irregular migration. and that El Salvador was their earthquakes that left hundreds that the policy turns El Salvador Emedia savvy helped win out his iPhone 11, lifting it up to conference. “If the US government is seri- “home.” of thousands of people homeless. into an enforcer of the Trump ad- him power earlier this year, took a his grinning face and snapping a Bukele stressed the US should ous about fi ghting irregular mi- But Bukele said Trump should The programme off ers protection ministration’s immigration poli- selfi e before his maiden speech at photo he later posted on Twitter promote legal migration as part gration, it should support and maintain the policy, arguing that from deportation to immigrants cy, and also rejected suggestions the UN General Assembly, which to his 1.1mn followers. of its crackdown on illegal im- encourage legal migration,” he most Salvadoran migrants with who already are in the US, in- it would lead to a massive infl ux he called “obsolete” and suggest- “Believe me, many more peo- migration, calling on President told reporters after the speech. TPS were law-abiding and suc- cluding those who entered ille- of migrants. ed scrapping. ple will see that selfi e when I Donald Trump to continue a pro- He said the poor, violence- cessful and wanted to remain gally, from countries aff ected by “We have not put up any wall,” In a dark suit and no tie, his share it than will listen to this gramme shielding some migrants stricken country would be ca- with their families in the US. natural disasters, civil confl icts Bukele said. “What we have done hair slicked back in his signature speech — I hope I took a good from deportation. pable of taking in hundreds of “The majority of people with and other problems. is support our largest natural style, the 38-year-old thanked one.” He also defended an agree- thousands of Salvadorans who TPS have means; that is not the Bukele also defended a deal ally.”

Water privatisation protest Honey heals the wounds of war in remote Colombia village

AFP tive programme for survivors of Chengue, Colombia armed confl ict. “We used to be all over the place, some people were in Ove- overed from head to toe in jas, others in Sincelejo, but we a protective suit, Yina Or- need to heal wounds and now, Ctiz peers through a veil to thanks to the beekeeping, people check in on her beehive. It is one have come back, they like to be of hundreds that form a lifeline with the bees, to study the life of for her remote village, helping the bees.” to heal the wounds of one of the For Ortiz, apiculture is a way Colombian confl ict’s most brutal of “trying to heal the wounds” atrocities. left over from the war, but it also Rightwing paramilitaries represents a hope of survival for stormed the village in the dead farmers whose mixed crops of of night and used machetes to tobacco, yam and cassava are hack 27 people to death, accus- gradually drying up because of ing them of collaborating with global warming. leftist guerrillas. The attack 18 Julia Merino, a 49-year old years ago was one of the con- school teacher who manages the Students perform a dance during a demonstration against water privatisation in San Salvador, El Salvador. fl ict’s worst atrocities. project, expects the fi rst harvest Ortiz, a young girl then, sur- at the end of the year to yield 13 vived the attack on her village of tonnes of honey. Chengue in the northern Mon- For Merino it will be a sweet tes de Maria region. But she lost victory, a balm to salve the mem- several members of her family as ories of the 2001 attack. well as close friends. Her uncles and cousins were Now 33, her memories are still mutilated and killed by the right clear, particularly of “the dead wing paramilitaries. lying in the streets the next day.” Two years later, her husband Congress shelves Vizcarra “It wasn’t just the streams was abducted and murdered by of blood, it was awful to see so the leftist Revolutionary Armed many dead bodies, one of top of Forces of Colombia (Farc) as local the other, there on the ground, families were once again caught and their loved ones picking in the middle of Colombia’s them up,” Ortiz said. internecine confl ict. proposal for snap Peru polls More than a hundred families Merino is known here as “the fl ed in the wake of the atrocity, last widow of Chengue” because Reuters back corruption scandals roiled the constitution gives us,” he can’t plan their lives.” makers on the right have ac- leaving behind a ghost village. she was the only one who re- Lima the country in recent years. added, without off ering addi- The president of Congress, cused him of overstepping his But nearly two decades later, turned to the village where she Lawmakers with the right- tional details. Pedro Olaechea, said the oppo- constitutional bounds. life has slowly returned to the lost her husband. wing opposition said they would The comments suggested a sition continues to “extend its Vizcarra has already pushed dusty village, in part because of In front of his whitewashed eruvian opposition law- not be strong-armed into pass- vote of confi dence was afoot. hand” to Vizcarra. through a law that bans the re- the lure of bees. grave, in the abandoned ceme- makers shelved a snap ing legislation they disagreed Peru’s sol currency depreci- Vizcarra, a former vice presi- election of lawmakers, giving the A programme initiated by Or- tery of nearby Ovejas commune, Pelection proposal from with. ated 1% against the dollar after dent who took offi ce last year af- current Congress little incentive tiz and a group of industrious she recalled the healing process centrist President Martin Viz- Under Peru’s constitution, the bill was scuttled, traders ter his predecessor resigned in a to heed a recent Ipsos poll that local women helped bring api- that has taken her to this point. carra, knocking the country’s sol Vizcarra can now opt to summon said. The showdown threatens graft scandal, has surprised Pe- shows 78% of Peruvians favour culture to Chengue and it hasn’t Workshops allowed her to “turn currency and setting the stage a vote of confi dence over the dis- to slow lawmaking in the world’s ru’s political and business elites early elections. looked back. these sources of pain” into “spaces for a new bout of political up- pute. No 2 copper producer, where in- by aggressively pushing reforms Many political analysts expect “Thanks to beekeeping, peo- of goodness, to heal wounds and heaval in one of Latin America’s If denied, he would have to vestor confi dence and economic to uproot corruption, unde- the Constitutional Court, six of ple have united, returned, they recover the social fabric that had most stable markets. dismiss his entire Cabinet but growth have already faltered on terred by having just fi ve ruling whose seven members are due enjoy taking care of the bees,” she fragmented,” she said. Vizcarra had proposed hold- could dissolve Congress in re- the US-China trade war. party lawmakers in the 130-seat for reappointment by lawmak- said, working the handle on a de- Merino says she shared her ing general elections a year ear- sponse. Some opposition lawmak- chamber. ers, will eventually have to take vice called a bee smoker to fumi- experience with other women, lier than scheduled to end an “We will not sit with our arms ers played on those fears, urging Vizcarra’s confrontational sides in the dispute. gate and calm the swarming bees. mounting the honey venture to impasse with the opposition- folded,” Peruvian Prime Minis- Vizcarra to give up the proposal stance with Congress has won Supporters of Vizcarra’s For the past year, the 159 fami- spark “economic change” in the run Congress over his proposed ter Salvador del Solar told a news and try to work with them. him support among ordinary early-election proposal accuse lies of Chengue alternate be- village. Chengue has suff ered anti-graft reforms. conference, fl anked by the rest “Today more than ever, the Peruvians, who often greet him the opposition parties of try- tween agricultural work and car- more than most rural villages He cannot run again due to of Vizcarra’s Cabinet in a show country needs calm,” said op- on the street with shouted calls ing to cling to their salaries and ing for the 500 hives donated by from Colombia’s brutal confl ict, term limits and has said he wants of force. position lawmaker Marisol of support for him to close Con- constitutional immunity from the government and the United and remains far from the reach of to clean the house to rebuild “We’re going to act with the Espinoza. “Investments are gress. prosecution to shield them from Nations, as part of a collec- state institutions. trust with voters after back-to- authority and the strength that leaving the country. People But hardline opposition law- ongoing corruption probes.

Vast oil spill along the Former Mexican state beaches ‘not Brazilian’

Reuters sold by the company. attorney general jailed Rio de Janeiro/Sao Paulo Crude oil is tested before ex- port to make sure it complies with the standards of the refi nery Reuters grams of narcotics from Mexico his position as Nayarit’s attorney razil’s environmental it is being shipped to. New York into the US for distribution in the general to assist H-2 cartel traf- agency Ibama said that an Crude oil from diff erent fi elds New York area. fi ckers, providing them offi cial Banalysis of a vast oil spill can be identifi ed according to The cartel, implicated in doz- sanction to operate with impu- along the country’s northeast- a series of chemical signatures, he former attorney general ens of homicides and tortures, nity in his region. ern beaches showed the spilled including levels of sulfur and ni- of Mexico’s Pacifi c coast also had distribution cells in Los In return for monthly bribes, crude did not originate in the trogen, acidity and viscosity. Tstate of Nayarit, hit hard Angeles, Las Vegas, Ohio, Min- Veytia directed corrupt Mexican country. The head of Brazil’s oil agen- by drug cartel violence in recent nesota and North Carolina, the law enforcement offi cers under Ibama said in a statement that cy ANP Decio Oddone said the years, has been sentenced to 20 US justice department said in a his supervision to aid and abet it had been investigating the spill agency believes the oil could years in US federal prison for his statement announcing the sen- the cartel and target rival traf- in several beaches in some north- have been spilled by a tanker role in a major Mexican-US tencing. fi ckers with wiretaps and arrests, eastern states since September 2. transporting the crude far from narcotics traffi cking ring. The department identifi ed the while assisting the H-2 cartel Local media showed pictures the Brazilian coast, but added Edgar Veytia, who was Nayar- drug ring in question as a cartel with murders and other acts of of sea turtles coated in black tar this possibility has not yet been it’s top law enforcement offi cial previously led by Juan Francisco violence, the justice department by the slick. confi rmed yet. from 2013 until his arrest in San Patron Sanchez, alias H-2, who said. The spill spans over 1,500kms An ANP statement said there Diego in 2017, was sentenced by was killed in a clash with Mexi- Veytia also had arranged for of Brazil’s northeast coast, af- were no reports of spills by any a federal judge in the Brooklyn can marines fi ring on him from a H-2 cartel members and associ- fecting wildlife and polluting operator of oil drilling rigs in the borough of New York City. Black Hawk helicopter in Febru- ates arrested for drug traffi cking some of the postcard beaches in country. He pleaded guilty in January ary 2017. off ences to be released from cus- one of the nation’s top touristic Ibama said that beaches in the to a single count of conspiracy to That group, also known as the tody, it added. destinations, such as Praia do states of Rio Grande do Norte, manufacture and distribute her- Beltran Leyva Organisation, split An armed group attacked Vey- Futuro, in the state of Ceara, and Maranhao, Ceara, Paraiba, Per- oin, cocaine, methamphetamine from and went to war in 2008 tia in 2011, but he escaped injury Maragogi, in Alagoas state. nambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe and marijuana. against the Sinaloa cartel, for- in the ensuing shootout. Brazil’s state-controlled oil were aff ected. In his plea agreement with the merly run by the notorious Mexi- A dual citizen of the US and company Petroleo Brasileiro SA Some marine turtles were government, Veytia, 48, admit- can drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Mexico, Veytia was arrested in said in a statement that it had contaminated by the oil. ted to conspiring with a drug Guzman, sent to US prison for a March 2017 after a federal grand concluded after a molecular They were rescued alive in the cartel operating in his home state life term in July. jury indictment in the Brooklyn An oil spill is seen on Praia do Paiva beach in Cabo de Santo analysis of the oil that the crude state of Rio Grande do Norte and to smuggle thousands of kilo- Veytia was accused of abusing borough of New York City. Agostinho, Pernambuco state, Brazil, yesterday. spilled was not produced nor sent to rehabilitation centres. Gulf Times 12 Saturday, September 28, 2019 PAKISTAN

Bill Gates hails PM’s Imran warns of Kashmir leadership in poverty ‘bloodbath’ in UN speech alleviation Reuters/AFP/DPA/Internews the worst,” Khan said. “If a con- strategy United Nations ventional war starts between the two countries ... anything could happen. Internews rime Minister Imran Khan “But supposing a country sev- Islamabad has warned that there en times smaller than its neigh- Pwould be a bloodbath once bour is faced with the choice – India lifts its curfew in disputed either you surrender or you fi ght o-chairman of the Bill Kashmir, and that any all-out for your freedom till death? and Melinda Gates Foun- confl ict between the two nucle- “What will we do? I ask myself Cdation and Microsoft ar-armed nations would rever- this question ... and we will fi ght chairman Bill Gates has hailed berate far beyond their borders. ... and when a nuclear-armed Prime Minister Imran Khan for He made the remarks in an country fi ghts to the end, it will showing leadership in develop- impassioned speech to the an- have consequences far beyond ing a new anti-poverty strategy nual United Nations General the borders.” under Ehsaas Programme. Assembly after India last month In its clampdown in the Indi- In a tweet, he said: “Ending removed the decades-old au- an-controlled part of Kashmir, Demonstrators protest during a ‘Stand with Kashmir’ protest in poverty and achieving the SDGs tonomy in the part of Kashmir it which has a Muslim majority, solidarity with the people of Kashmir, outside the UN headquarters (the UN Sustainable Develop- controls and detained thousands India fl ooded the territory – al- in New York. ment Goals) requires a whole- of people. ready one of the world’s most of-government approach. “There are 900,000 troops militarised zones – with troops. freed and mobile and Internet action by India to lift restric- “Imran Khan and Sania Nish- there, they haven’t come to, as It imposed severe restrictions connections remain suspended. tions it has imposed in Kash- tar have shown leadership in (Indian Prime Minister) Naren- on movements and cut all tel- While warning of the conse- mir and the release of detainees developing a new anti-poverty dra Modi says – for the pros- ephone, mobile phone and In- quences of lifting what he de- there. strategy.” perity of Kashmir,” Khan said. ternet connections. scribed as an “inhuman curfew”, He took direct aim at Modi in Pakistan and the Bill and “These 900,000 troops, what Thousands of people were ar- Prime Minister Khan demanded his speech and accused him of Melinda Gates Foundation have are they going to do? When they rested. that India do so and release all being a “life member” of Rash- signed a Memorandum of Un- come out?” New Delhi has since eased detainees. triya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), derstanding in support of the “If this goes wrong, you hope some of the curbs, although no He sketched out a scenario a Hindu nationalist organisa- Ehsaas initiative to alleviate for the best, but be prepared for prominent detainees have been under which he said he would tion that he said believed in the poverty in Pakistan. pick up arms if had been forced “ethnic-cleansing” of Muslims. The prime minister, Nishtar to live under curfew, to witness The RSS denies any prejudice and members of the Gates Foun- rapes, and to suff er humiliation. against Muslims, but says it is dation participated in a bilateral “I picture myself. I am in opposed to appeasement of any meeting on the future of Ehsaas Kashmir. I have been locked up community. Prime Minister Khan: You hope for the best, but be prepared for the Programme, a collaboration to for 55 days ... and there are rapes, Modi, in his address to the worst. put funding, technical assist- Indian army going into homes, UN assembly shortly before ance, and the help of global ex- soldiers. Khan spoke, made no mention met separately with both Modi the Western world. perts toward improving health, “Would I want to live this hu- of Kashmir, or Pakistan, con- and Khan on the sidelines of the “This is devastating the de- nutrition and fi nancial inclusion miliation? Would I want to live centrating mainly on Indian’s UN gathering. veloping world. It is impover- within Pakistan. like that? I would pick up a gun,” eff orts to protect the environ- Trump urged Modi to improve ishing them. The rich-poor gap The Ehsaas Programme aims he said. “You are forcing people ment. ties with Pakistan and “fulfi ll is growing because of them.” to provide eff ective safety nets into radicalisation.” He was not present during his promise to better the lives of He regretted that the serious- through 134 new poverty-fo- Muslim-majority Kashmir Khan’s address. the Kashmiri people”, the White ness with which money from cused policy actions and pro- has long been a fl ashpoint be- Modi did, however, make an House said. drugs or terror fi nancing is grammes. tween nuclear-armed India and oblique reference to Pakistan, Earlier, before he spoke on treated is not accorded to money Prime Minister Khan said this Pakistan, which have fought two telling fellow leaders: “We be- the situation in Kashmir, Prime laundered from poor countries. was “the biggest anti-poverty of their three wars over the di- long to a country that has given Minister Khan addressed the is- “How will we help [our] project ever launched in the vided territory. the world, not war, but Buddha’s sue of climate change. 200mn people when we are just country, and it has been planned Both countries rule parts of message of peace. “First of all, I start with cli- using all of our money for debt with a great deal of attention to Kashmir while claiming it in full. “And that is the reason why mate change. So many leaders servicing? We could spend the detail”. Prime Minister Khan ad- our voice against terrorism, to spoke about climate change, but money lost on our human be- “I’m pleased that the Bill and dressed the United Nations a day alert the world about this evil I feel there is a lack of serious- ings. Melinda Gates Foundation will after the senior US diplomat for rings with seriousness and out- ness (to tackle the issue). “We do not have the money to assist with a range of activities South Asia called for a lower- rage.” “Perhaps some of the leaders spend millions on lawyers. We including accelerating stunting ing of rhetoric between India India says that Pakistan has who can do a lot do not realise need help from the rich coun- reduction programmes, sup- and Pakistan, while saying that fomented an insurgency in the seriousness of the situation. tries; they must show political porting fi nancial inclusion ini- Washington hoped to see rapid Kashmir by arming, funding and There are a lot of ideas but they will. tiatives and investing in public training militants. are nothing without funding,” “How can poor countries health systems to improve health Demonstrators take part The speeches by the premiers said the prime minister, who was spend money on human devel- and reduce maternal, newborn yesterday in a protest rally in occurred as thousands of rival not reading from a paper. opment? and child mortality,” he said. Lahore (left), and in protesters gathered outside the He noted that Pakistan is in “Unless the rich countries in- The prime minister also ex- Muzaff arabad (below), the UN building to demonstrate, the top 10 list of countries most tend to build walls to stop eco- pressed full commitment to put capital of Pakistan-administered both against the clampdown in aff ected by climate change. nomic refugees from coming in, measures in place to end polio Kashmir, in support of Kashmiris Kashmir and in support of Modi. “We depend on our rivers, and there must be a deterrent. once and for all, as well as make in Indian-administered Kashmir. “Free Kashmir, End the Siege”, 80% of our water comes from “Corrupt elites must not be progress on the micro-payment read banners during the pro- glaciers. The glaciers are also in allowed to park their money gateway and fi nancial inclusion. Pakistan demonstration, while India in the Himalayas, Karako- (abroad). Why do we have these The “One Woman One Bank on the pro-Modi side protesters rum and the Hindu Kush. tax havens? Account” programme, which held up placards hailing the In- “If nothing is done, we are “Why shouldn’t rich people comes under Ehsaas Pro- dian leader as a “visionary”. scared humans are facing a huge pay taxes? Why are they legal, gramme, was also discussed in In Pakistan’s portion of Kash- catastrophe. these secret accounts? relation to how it can acceler- mir where many in recent days “In my country, where I “Sooner or later there will be ate both fi nancial inclusion and have been waiting keenly for came into power in Khyber Pa- a crisis if the rich keep getting women’s empowerment. Khan’s address, people were khtunkhwa (KP), we planted 1bn richer and the poor poorer. This new collaboration con- glued to their television sets. trees, and plan to plant 10bn to “I hope the UN takes a lead tinues the Gates Foundation’s Sohail Iqbal Awan, a lawyer counter global warming eff ects. on this. The International Mon- more than decade-long work in and political activist from the “One country cannot do any- etary Fund (IMF) and Asian De- Pakistan. Pakistan Muslim League – Na- thing, it has to be a combined ef- velopment Bank (ADB) must The foundation’s programmes waz (PML-N) party, a rival to fort of the world.” fi nd a way.” have covered a range of shared Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e- He said that the countries The prime minister also ad- development priorities, includ- Insaf (PTI), praised the speech contributing to greenhouse gas dressed the prevalence of Is- ing polio eradication, fi nancial and predicted that the United emissions must be pushed, and lamophobia, which he said has inclusion, routine immunisa- Nations would have to “open its that the UN must take initiative. grown at an alarming pace. tion, and maternal, neo-natal closed ears, eyes and mouth” on Prime Minister Khan, whose “Islamophobia is creating di- and child health. the Kashmir issue. speech went beyond the allot- visions, the hijab is becoming a Throughout that time, polio, a “As a Kashmiri, I felt proud ted 15 minutes, said that another weapon … a woman can take off disease that stands on the brink at his balanced, comprehensive issue he wanted to speak about her clothes, but she can’t put on of eradication across the world, and well-grounded speech ... was that of illicit fi nancial fl ows. more clothes. has remained the country’s top despite being his political oppo- “Every year billions of dollars “It started after 9/11, and it priority. nent I am compelled to shower leave the poorer countries and started because certain Western The foundation plans to spend praise on him,” he said. go towards rich countries, si- leaders equated Islam with ter- about $200mn in Pakistan in US President Donald Trump phoned off by the ruling elites of rorism.” 2020.

Pak border with Afghanistan shut Brother jailed for life for social media celebrity’s ‘honour’ killing Pakistan has closed all border crossings with Afghanistan in a bid to improve security ahead AFP/Reuters/DPA/Internews client guilty and sentenced him national headlines and reignited The Short Life of Qandeel Ba- retically claim a diff erent motive of presidential elections in the Multan/Lahore/Islamabad to life imprisonment, in a long- calls for action against an epi- loch – said that the verdict sent and still be pardoned. war-battered country after the awaited verdict. demic of so-called “honour kill- a “powerful statement” but In Baloch’s case, her parents insurgent Taliban threatened to “Inshallah (God willing), ings”, in which a victim – usu- warned that it would take more initially insisted their son would disrupt the polls. he brother of social me- he will be acquitted by a high ally a woman – is murdered for than a court decision to reverse be given no absolution. The crossings are to remain dia star Qandeel Baloch court,” he said. fl outing patriarchal social codes. deep-seated prejudices. Her father had said that closed to the cross-border T(pictured) was sentenced Five others were acquitted by Women have been burned, “I don’t think we can say that he would be happy if his son movement of people and to life in prison yesterday for her the court, including an Islamic shot, stabbed and strangled for the court’s verdict is going to fi x and three other accused were trade lorries during polling in murder – the country’s highest- cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi who had off ences such as choosing their everything. It’s a band-aid on a Human Rights Commission of “hanged for their unforgivable Afghanistan today, the Pakistani profi le “honour killing”. been embroiled in controversy own husband or – in Baloch’s bullet wound,” Maher told AFP. Pakistan found at least 300 cases crime”. foreign ministry said. Baloch, 26, who shot to fame with Baloch months ahead of case – bringing “shame” on Women’s rights experts say of “honour killing” in 2018. But, heartbroken at the Elections for a new Afghan for her risqué selfi es – tame by her death. their family by celebrating their that enforcement of justice is Many advocates say the actual thought of losing him too, they president are set for today amid Western standards, but consid- “We are distraught by this sexuality. often lax, with proceedings at number is far higher, with the changed their minds and said fears of violence after Taliban ered provocative in Pakistan – verdict. The government is still The killings are usually car- times being drawn out while ac- Honour Based Violence Aware- they wanted him to be forgiven. leaders ordered their cadres to was strangled in July 2016. enslaved to the whites and is ried out by a close relative. cused killers were freed on bail ness Network estimating that International revulsion at the disrupt the process. Her brother Mohamed Wa- bowing to their rules,” said Ba- Under Pakistan’s Qisas (blood and cases faded away. Pakistan accounts for about a killing had seen the Pakistani There have been claims that the seem was arrested. loch’s brother Aslam Shaheen, money) and Diyat (retribution) “It takes too long, people for- fi fth of the 5,000 honour killings state take the unprecedented Afghan Taliban launch attacks in Days later he told a press con- who was among the acquitted. law, they can then seek forgive- get,” said Farzana Bari, a wom- globally each year. step of declaring itself an heir Afghanistan using their hideouts ference that he had no remorse Earlier, Baloch’s mother An- ness from a victim’s relatives. en’s rights advocate and founder Three months after Baloch’s alongside the parents, however, across the border in connivance over what he did, saying that war Mai told AFP she had hoped The roots of “honour” killings of Pakistan’s fi rst gender studies murder, parliament passed new forcing the case to move ahead. with the Pakistani spy agencies. “of course” he had murdered his her son Waseem would also be lie in tribal social norms which department at a university, add- legislation mandating life im- Baloch, whose real name was Islamabad denies this. sister and that her behaviour had acquitted. remain prevalent across South ing that even the high-profi le prisonment for honour killings. Fauzia Azeem, was described Pakistan also deployed extra been “intolerable”. “He is innocent. She was my Asia and dictate the behaviour Baloch case had taken over three However, whether a murder as Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian security at the crossings to make His lawyer, Sardar Mehboob, daughter and he is my son,” she of women in particular. years to be resolved. is defi ned as a crime of honour and had built a modelling career sure militants do not cross into told AFP the court in the east- said. Sanam Maher – the author Though rights groups say reli- is left to the judge’s discretion, on the back of her social media Afghanistan. ern city of Multan had found his Baloch’s murder made inter- of the book A Woman Like Her: able data is hard to establish, the meaning that killers can theo- fame. Gulf Times Saturday, September 28, 2019 13 PHILIPPINES Govt to off er reward Army to opt for for info on rogue cops diplomacy By Javier J Ismael Filipinos conducted by the So- Manila Times cial Weather Stations (SWS) showed a rating of “excellent” for Duterte’s three-year cam- paign, with 82% satisfied, per- in sea row enator Christopher Law- rence “Bong” Go yesterday ceiving less drugs and crime in Ssaid President Rodrigo Du- the country. By Dempsey Reyes by the executive branch, ac- terte was willing to off er a reward The SWS survey also showed Manila Times cording to National Security to those who would give infor- that 86% of Filipinos rated Adviser Hermogenes Esperon mation about “ninja cops.” their lives positively in the last Jr. “President Duterte men- quarter of 2018. he Armed Forces of the Esperon yesterday called on tioned last Thursday night that As a result, Filipinos and Philippines (AFP) will Supreme Court Senior Asso- he was willing to give rewards their children are safe walk- Tstick with the govern- ciate Justice Antonio Carpio to those who could give infor- ing on the streets, particularly ment’s “diplomatic means” in to let the president handle the mation on policemen linked to during nights, said Go. addressing territorial disputes, Philippine claim to Scarbor- the illegal drug trade. Meanwhile, Albayalde said especially the one between ough (Panatag) Shoal in the He cited in his speech a P1mn he would attend a Senate hear- Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea. reward for a dead ‘ninja’ po- ing on the ninja controversy if South China (West Philippine) “That is an opinion from a liceman, P500,000 for a live invited by the Gordon commit- Sea. lawyer, but the prosecution or ninja policeman and P2mn for tees. Confrontation will not be the pursuit of a foreign policy a policeman who opts to fight PNP spokesman and Brig. enforced, according to Lt Gen. is in the hands of the president. back,” he added. Gen. Bernard Banac, in a state- Noel Clement, AFP chief of So, leave it to us. We’re say- Go said Filpinos were enti- ment, confirmed that the PNP staff , as he noted that intru- ing that the South China Sea tled to know the truth about chief was ready to face the Sen- sions or other violations that is not the start and end of our ninja (rogue) police officers and ate hearing to shed light on the may be committed by any for- relations with other countries men who recycle crystal meth, issue. On Thursday, Albayalde eign country in territorial wa- or China specifi cally,” Esperon or shabu, and other illegal said he had submitted to Presi- ters of the Philippines would said on the sidelines of the First drugs they seize in legitimate dent Duterte a list of 762 police be dealt through fi ling of dip- National Fisheries Summit in police operations. officers allegedly linked to ille- lomatic protests. Pasay City. The ninja cops were first gal drugs. “If ever there are violations He was responding to Car- mentioned by Benjamin Duterte: crackdown against rogue cops The list was based on the there like intrusions, then we pio’s statement that China Magalong, former chief of the record of PNP-Integrity Moni- work with the Department of would attempt to reclaim Scar- Philippine National Police Justice Committees headed President Duterte to appoint tion, crime and illegal drugs if toring and Enforcement Group. Foreign Aff airs (DFA) so we borough Shoal before the end (PNP)-Criminal Investigation by Sen. Richard Gordon to the him as PNP chief,” Go said. the public does not support the Based on the PNP intelli- can give them the information of Duterte’s term in 2022. and Detection Group and now president. Go said the identi- He pointed out that he still police,” he explained. gence report, 22 policemen are about the intrusions and prob- “After they fi nished the Baguio City mayor, during a ties of these rogue policemen trusts the PNP for as long as it He added that he would con- under monitoring for recycling ably we can fi le a diplomatic reclamation, their island- Senate inquiry into anomalies must be revealed. continues to weed out illegal tinue supporting the Duterte of seized drugs. protest,” the recently appoint- building in the Scarborough in the country’s correctional The lawmaker said he still drugs, corruption and crimi- administration and work hand- Albayalde admitted the con- ed Clement said during his Shoal, they will say, ‘Let’s sign facilities, particularly at the trusts PNP chief Oscar Albay- nality from within their ranks. in-hand with the president in troversy has affected the mo- fi rst news briefi ng yesterday the Code of Conduct.’ Nobody New Bilibid Prison in Muntin- alde, adding that he was sure “In fairness to the police, fulfilling the latter’s promise rale of the policemen. at Camp Aguinaldo, the head- builds anything anymore. Eve- lupa City. that Albayalde was not part there are many who are profes- of providing positive change in He, however, said, “Maybe, quarters of the AFP, in Quezon rything will freeze and that will A list of the rogue police- of the issue. “I still believe in sionals and their records clean. the lives of every Filipino. only 1 or 2% in the police force City. legitimise what they have cre- men has already been provided General Albayalde. The president would fail in His declaration came af- has tainted the good image of The military had reported ated, their artifi cial islands,” by the Senate Blue Ribbon and His good track record led his campaign against corrup- ter a quarterly poll of 1,200 the organisation (PNP).” sightings of Chinese naval ves- Carpio said in a maritime re- sels sailing in Sibutu Strait off porting seminar for journalists Tawi-Tawi province in south- on Wednesday. “Reclamation ern Mindanao. will be completed and that’s it. Defence Secretary Delfi n You cannot tell the Americans Lorenzana said these entries later on because we did not do were unauthorised, with the our part. So, my take, they will Transport operators joining strike ships even turning off their au- reclaim before the end of (the tomatic identifi cation system. Duterte administration),” the The Chinese incursions were senior associate justice added. also raised by President Ro- In the same interview, Espe- drigo Duterte in his bilateral ron assured the public that the set to face franchise revocation meeting with Chinese Presi- government was ensuring the dent Xi Jinping during his fi fth security of local fi sherfolk. visit to Beijing last month. “We have still, the Coast By Lisbet K Esmael Libiran said there were other ways for the Xi assured Duterte that Guard going there. That is the Manila Times operators and drivers to raise their disapproval Chinese naval ships pass- kind of protection that we can of the government’s push for the public util- ing through Philippine waters give. We want to maintain that ity vehicle (PUV) modernisation programme were harmless. so that we can maintain our perators and drivers who will partici- other than holding a strike. Clement, who had been as- right to fi sh there,” Esperon pate in what they describe as a nation- The DoTr in June 2017 launched the jeep- signed to lead units that focus added. Owide transportation strike on Monday ney fl eet modernisation programme, which mostly on counter-insurgency, He urged Filipinos to look at may face revocation of franchise, the Depart- targets to replace old units with modern ones. said the military could not af- the bigger picture in the coun- ment of Transportation (DoTr) warned yes- Complete phaseout of rundown PUVs is be- ford to go all out or confront try’s fi shing industry, not just terday. ing eyed by mid-2020, the LTFRB earlier said. foreign military presence in the the Scarborough Shoal, citing DoTr Assistant Secretary for Communica- When asked for his reaction to DoTr’s state- contested waters of the South the development of 12 Fisher- tions Goddes Hope Libiran said the govern- ment, Efren de Luna, national president of the China Sea. “As I have said, we ies Management Areas across ment might cancel their permit to operate as Alliance of Concerned Transport Organiza- cannot go to the extent that we the Philippines, which is seen commuters would suff er from the protest. tions (ACTO), said the department had been will be employing (readily) the generating more employment “We issue a strong warning to those plan- using the cancellation of franchise as a threat. Armed Forces just to be able and higher income for the fi sh- ning to join the strike as this is a blatant dis- “We will stop operations on September 30 to address this problem. That ers. “Our fi sheries do not end regard of their duty as operators,” she added in because the DoTr said they will phase us out is going to be a big step toward there. Why concentrate on statement. on July 1, 2020,” he said in a text message to addressing the issue, so we that? Our maritime domain is In a separate statement, the Land Trans- Manila Times. will stick to a more diplomatic about 2.3mn square kilome- portation Franchising and Regulatory Board Other transport groups were not immedi- means on this issue,” he added. tres and that is ours for us to (LTFRB) said 20 Certifi cates of Public Con- ately available for comment. The Philippine military has exploit. Why are you so con- venience of operators and drivers were can- The protest will be led by ACTO, Pinagkai- been referring the maritime cerned about Scarborough? celled after they joined a transport strike two sang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Na- row to the DFA. We have other things,” Esperon years ago. tionwide and Stop and Go. Complete phaseout of old public utility vehicles is being eyed by mid-2020. The dispute is best handled said. War on drugs ‘fuels attacks on land defenders’

By Carmela Fonbuena campaign against illegal drugs. continued to attract more in- carry out their activism safely Guardian News & Media Some environmental activ- vestment into the region. when Duterte’s government ists have been named on a list of Members of the army and and those doing business in the “narco-politicians” created by paramilitaries are the suspects Philippines take action — as in- resident Rodrigo Duterte’s Duterte’s administration. in almost three-quarters of the ternational law requires them war on drugs and declara- “The president’s brutal ‘war murders. to — to prevent land rights and Ption of martial law in an is- on drugs’ has fostered a culture Duterte declared martial law environmental abuses, protect land territory are being used as a of impunity and fear, embolden- during the 2017 siege of Marawi defenders at risk, and hold the pretext to attack people defend- ing the politically and economi- City by supporters of Islamic perpetrators of intimidation ing their land and environment cally powerful to use violence State. He kept extending it de- and violence to account,” the in the Philippines, new research and hitmen against those they spite the end of the crisis, citing report said. shows. see as an obstacle or a threat,” the need to eliminate terrorist However, the Philippine gov- The resource-rich archipelago the report said. cells operating in other parts of ernment dismissed the report. in south-east Asia is the world’s The report says the same is Mindanao. “The palace considers the UK- most murderous country for true for attacks against people Global Witness said martial based group Global Witness as people who oppose logging, de- opposing the coal industry, il- law was also used for the purpos- a purveyor of falsity and a sub- structive mining and corrupt legal mining, and corrupt agri- es of the military’s drive against servient machinery for politi- agribusiness. At least 30 people business around the country. the communist New People’s cal propaganda,” a spokesman were killed in the Philippines last Many deaths involve armed Army (NPA),which “may be op- for Duterte said. year, following 48 in 2017, dis- men on motorcycles, the same erating in and around some of The CHR chair, Chito Gas- lodging Brazil from the top spot modus operandi employed in the the rural communities opposed con, confirmed attacks on en- for the fi rst time since the inde- war on drugs. to abusive business projects”. vironmental defenders were pendent watchdog Global Wit- Global Witness said the mili- The research cited the 2017 continuing. “It is unfortunate ness began monitoring in 2012. tarisation of communities due to massacre of eight indigenous that rampant violence and In Palawan, illegal logging the declaration of martial law in activists opposing a coff ee plan- criminal activity have gone un- is the dark side of the tourism Mindanao has also increased the tation on their ancestral land in abated over several years, exac- boom as the island province danger for local land defenders. south Mindanao. Ruben Arzaga (left), who was shot dead by illegal loggers in September 2017. erbating a climate of impunity rushes to construct hotels and Almost half of the murders The military claimed they and injustice in this country. resorts. since Duterte assumed the presi- were communist rebels killed in used, but natural resources are Standard Chartered and Mizuho support to projects with human The (Global Witness) report At least 12 local environmen- dency have taken place in the re- a legitimate encounter, but the often found in ancestral lands Bank for fi nancing projects and rights risks. focused on attacks on environ- talists have been murdered since gion. “The imposition of martial Commission on Human Rights and indigenous peoples are fre- dealing with corporations linked The report, which serves as a mentalists and land rights advo- 2004, including Ruben Arzaga, law on the island of Mindanao (CHR) disagreed and held two quently shortchanged or exclud- to violence. midterm assessment of the Du- cates which is one of the several the head of El Nido village, who has empowered an army already military commanders liable for ed in consultation processes. It also called out countries terte government, called on the areas where the violence contin- was shot in September 2017 by known for protecting business the killings. Confl icts then erupt between such as the US for assisting the populist leader to take action ues,” Gascon said. illegal loggers. projects and attacking those who The Philippines has laws in locals and intruding investors. Philippine military, the UK for against the killings in the re- “We call on law enforcement Global Witness said the threat oppose them,” the report said. place to protect and uphold the The report also criticised failing to insert a human rights maining years of his presidency. to do everything to end this vio- against defenders in Palawan has Global Witness said violence right of communities to decide funders such as the World Bank’s element into its trade policy, and “Land and environmental lence and hold perpetrators to escalated with Duterte’s brutal had got worse as the government how their land and resources are International Finance Corp, the EU for providing fi nancial activists will only be able to account.” Gulf Times 14 Saturday, September 28, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Abuse of power, not criminality, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor key to Trump impeachment K T Chacko

Production Editor By Tom Hals and Jan Wolfe Amjad Khan Washington

P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar emocratic lawmakers have a strong case for impeaching [email protected] US President Donald Trump 44350478 (News), Dif they can prove he abused his power when he asked Ukraine’s 44466404 (Sport), president to “look into” an American 44466636 (Home delivery) political rival, several legal experts said. 44350474 Trump pressed Ukrainian President facebook.com/gulftimes Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden, an early favourite to win twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, according to a summary of a Trump phone call released this week by the White House. The administration also released GULF TIMES a whistleblower’s complaint that questioned whether US aid was held up until Ukraine showed it would act on Trump’s request. The legal experts said the central Trump’s EPA is question in an impeachment inquiry is whether Trump put his interest above those of the nation by leveraging aid to Ukraine in return for incriminating information. playing politics Evidence of a cover-up could strengthen the impeachment case, they said. “The US has a national security with California interest in Ukraine and it does appear that what the president was doing The Trump administration’s latest attack on California is so was putting that national security transparently spiteful that it would almost be laughable if we interest at risk in exchange for political weren’t talking about something as serious as clean, breathable benefi ts,” said Louis Michael Seidman, air and a habitable planet. a professor at Georgetown Law. “If that On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency chastised is what happened, that is the core of California for having “the worst air quality in the United States” what impeachment is about.” and threatened to cut off federal transportation funding as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment punishment for submitting inadequate pollution-control plans. inquiry on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump: call with Zelenskiy was perfectly appropriate. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler complained that about 130 If the Democratic-led House of such plans have been gathering dust at his agency, some of them Representatives votes to approve But during an impeachment inquiry, There is no evidence Biden used his immune from foreign investigations.” for decades, waiting to be completed or improved. articles of impeachment, the lawmakers are not required to adhere position as vice president to help his But other experts said the But never fear, Wheeler asserted, the Trump administration Republican-controlled Senate would to strict legal defi nitions and can look son. whistleblower’s claims that White – with its “goal of clean, healthy air for all Americans” – would then decide whether to fi nd Trump more broadly at whether Trump used his Legal experts said the House will House officials intervened to “lock push California to rewrite the plans and fi nally clean up its guilty and remove him from offi ce. authority for personal gain, experts said. likely seek testimony from those down” records of the July call smoggy, sooty air. If not, his agency would seek to layer on A total of 218 votes, a simple majority “Whether it is a crime or not who are familiar with Trump’s suggested a cover-up that could the penalties, which could include blocking highway funding, in the 435-member House, is required makes no diff erence for purposes discussions with world leaders, bolster the impeachment case against doubling pollution fees on power plants and other industrial sites for impeachment. of impeachment. Asking a foreign as well as communications from Trump. that want to expand operations, and possibly even writing new, Conviction requires a two-thirds country to provide campaign dirt in advisers leading up to and following Berit Berger, the executive director exchange for weapons is an abuse of the Ukraine call. of the Center for the Advancement stronger pollution plans itself. vote of the 100-member Senate — or 67 votes. power and precisely what the Framers Not all experts agreed there was an of Public Integrity at Columbia Law Sure. Under the US Constitution, the (of the US Constitution) believed impeachment case against Trump. School, said investigating a possible This is an administration that has spent the last two years president can be impeached for would justify impeachment,” said David Rivkin, a constitutional cover-up expanded the pool of trying to roll back environmental protections and make it harder “treason, bribery, or other high crimes former federal prosecutor Harry litigator and a former justice potential witnesses, and the likelihood for states – especially California – to clean up the air. and misdemeanours.” Sandick. department lawyer, said there was that some would be co-operative with A good example is in vehicle emission standards. California Legal experts said Trump’s call Trump has said that his call with nothing inappropriate about asking Congress. had worked with the Obama with Zelenskiy, who was seeking US Zelenskiy was perfectly appropriate. a foreign country to investigate a US “Anytime you have a situation where administration to adopt missiles, may run afoul of the bribery He has said he did not put pressure citizen who may have violated the laws you have a number of people involved California ambitious emission-reduction statute or violate campaign fi nance on the Ukrainian president to look into of that country. in an alleged criminal act, it’s that standards for the industry to law, which makes it a crime to solicit a Biden, who Trump says improperly “The fact some of such persons are many more people who can come in needs a reach by 2025, only to have benefi t to the campaign from a foreign tried to halt a Ukrainian probe of a currently running for political offi ce in and provide information to Congress,” the Trump administration national. company with ties to his son Hunter. the US doesn’t and cannot render them Berger said. – Reuters partner, not an announce in 2017 that it was abandoning the proposed adversary, to reductions. This summer fi nally clean California reached an agreement with four major up the air automakers to maintain Investing in frontline health workers higher standards, creating the possibility that much or all of the industry would defy the Trump administration to cut emissions. The administration responded By Maha Barakat donors, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates by seeking to revoke California’s power to set stricter vehicle Abu Dhabi Foundation and the Carter Center. emissions standards than the federal government’s – a decades- More recently, the private sector has also been increasing its contributions; old exception that recognised the state’s leadership in developing rontline health workers provide for example, some pharmaceutical policies and technologies to cut air pollution. essential services – from companies have donated vaccines and A senior EPA offi cial, who insisted on remaining anonymous administering vaccinations to medications. during a conference call with reporters, asserted that the letter to collecting the data needed to Given the scale of the problem and California threatening the loss of highway funds was completely F anticipate disease outbreaks – where the frequent scarcity of domestic unrelated to the ongoing fi ght over cleaner cars and the state’s they are most needed. These workers funding, all stakeholders must ramp authority to set its own standards. brave diffi cult, often dangerous, up their contributions. To that end, Sure. conditions to reach the 1bn people we must make better use of innovative Admittedly, California and its regional air-quality authorities around the world with limited access to fi nancing mechanisms that mobilise have repeatedly failed to cut pollution enough to meet federal health services, whether in remote rural private capital to support the creation standards. The state’s cities may not suff er from the choking villages or confl ict zones. And they are of resilient health systems and a strong smog that enveloped them in the 1960s, but more still needs to not getting enough support. frontline health workforce. The power of frontline health workers At the same time, steps should be be done. Having workable plans for reducing emissions from to improve global health has been taken to ensure the most effi cient vehicles, refi neries, power plants and other sources would proven time and again. For example, in possible use of funding. That means certainly help. the early 2000s, Rwanda and Ethiopia heeding another key message of May’s All the same, the letter smacks of political gamesmanship, recruited and trained thousands of WHO meeting: “implement what rather than a serious concern for public health and the such workers to lead the fi ght against works,” from community engagement to environment. Even if the EPA chose to act on its threats, the malaria by educating communities on people-centred approaches. penalties would not take eff ect until 2021, when – we hope prevention and detection, distributing Frontline health workers are crucial – there will be a new, more environmentally responsible tools like bed nets, and administering to such a strategy. That is why yet administration in Washington. treatment. As a result, the incidence of another key message is to “ensure The ongoing fi ght is deeply frustrating because there is so malaria fell by 75% in the two countries decent work”: proper training, fair much at stake. from 2000 to 2015. compensation, adequate support, and personal safety. Experts estimate that California needs a partner, not an adversary, to fi nally clean up the Yet the world continues consistently to underestimate the capabilities every dollar invested in the community air. That’s particularly true because so much of the state’s pollution and contributions of frontline health health workforce could generate $10 in problems are created by vehicles – heavy-duty diesel trucks, trains, workers. This not only undermines increased productivity. planes and ships – that are regulated by the federal government. their ability to do their jobs eff ectively; The fi nal piece of the puzzle is The transportation sector is also the state’s largest source of the it also puts them at signifi cant risk, technology, which can support health greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. If the Trump with widespread misinformation about In the early 2000s, Rwanda and Ethiopia recruited and trained thousands of such workers on the ground. For example, administration revokes California’s ability to set tougher auto vaccines, for example, fuelling attacks frontline health workers to lead the fight against malaria by educating communities mobile-phone apps can help connect emissions standards and mandate zero-emission cars, it’s hard to against those who provide them. on prevention and detection. workers to the most remote patients, see how the state will ever meet Clean Air Act mandates or help slow Consider Nigeria, where the Islamist enabling faster diagnosis and real- global warming. (Los Angeles Times) – Tribune News Service militant group Boko Haram – which Nations Sustainable Development Goal the WHO co-organised, with the time health advice. Moreover, digital has claimed that the polio vaccine can (SDG) 3. The 2018 commitment by 53 International Pharmaceutical technology can facilitate accurate lead to infertility and bone injuries leaders of the Commonwealth countries Federation, a meeting to address the analysis of the data health workers To Advertise – is credited with a 2013 attack on to halve the malaria burden by 2023 health-worker shortfall, producing six collect, thereby strengthening service vaccination-team members that left will also remain out of reach. In fact, by key messages to guide such eff orts. The delivery and outbreak detection. [email protected] nine dead. crippling primary healthcare systems, fi rst message is to foster collaboration Frontline health workers are the Display Such conditions are discouraging a shortage of frontline health workers among healthcare professional unsung heroes of global health. It skilled people from joining the ranks could reverse past progress, particularly associations, in order to mobilise a is time to sing their praises – and 44466621 44418811 of frontline health workers. The World in poor and marginalised communities. multi-sector strategy. implement policies that refl ect their Health Organisation warns that, by Fortunately, the international Such co-operation is imperative. But value. – Project Syndicate Classified 2030, there will be a shortfall of 18mn community has started to recognise to ensure adequate funding, it must go 44466609 44418811 health workers, with low- and lower- this. In May, the World Health Assembly further. In the past, major donors like O Maha Barakat, Board Chair of the middle-income countries hit especially concluded with three resolutions: on France, the United Kingdom, and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and Subscription hard. universal health coverage (focusing on United States have played a signifi cant Research Director at the Imperial College Without enough frontline health community health workers), primary role in driving progress in global health, London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi, [email protected] workers, the world will not be able healthcare, and next month’s High- both directly and through the Global serves as a jury member for the REACH to fulfi l the target of ending malaria, Level Meeting on Universal Health Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, Awards. The winners will be announced at tuberculosis, and neglected tropical Coverage. and Malaria. Their work has been the Reaching the Last Mile Forum in Abu © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved diseases by 2030 – part of United Moreover, on the WHA’s sidelines, supplemented by non-governmental Dhabi on November 19. Gulf Times Saturday, September 28, 2019 15 COMMENT California’s cross-cutting climate strategy

By Lenny Mendonca and Kate Gordon For those who must commute, California Sacramento is investing in its statewide rail network and a high-speed rail strategy. By attracting more investment, jobs, and residents, such e are parents, and one of us infrastructure investments can catalyse the (Lenny Mendonca) is also a revitalisation of downtown areas that may have grandparent. We are keenly aware lost their vigor. Wof how the intensifying impact of Meanwhile, to protect the one in 12 California climate change could aff ect the futures of not homes facing severe wildfi re threats, we are only our children and grandchildren, but also expanding our fi refi ghting resources and of families throughout California and around investing in cutting-edge technology. Such the world. Thinking about the eff ects of climate measures should help to stem the rapid increase change, however, doesn’t break our will; on in the price of homeowner insurance, which has the contrary, it only strengthens our resolve to further aggravated the housing crisis. work with California Governor Gavin Newsom Even as California promotes housing to advance his vision for a more sustainable development, it is taking care to protect and inclusive economic-growth strategy in our valuable lands, from farms to forests. As the great state. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change In fact, California’s determination to act recently highlighted, land use must play a only grows as climate eff ects hit home. Our central role in climate strategies. If adequately commitment to innovative climate solutions managed and protected, soils and forest deepens even as US President Donald Trump’s lands can store carbon, act as fi re breaks for administration attempts to demolish climate more developed areas, and mitigate fl ooding protections. (Trump has already taken and droughts – all while providing valuable action 129 times to repeal or weaken climate economic opportunities. regulations. Attempting to revoke California’s In fact, California’s experience has shattered long-held authority to set its own auto- the myth that climate action must come at emissions standards is only the most recent the expense of economic prosperity. With a manoeuvre.) sustainable and inclusive growth strategy, the For example, on September 20, Newsom state has achieved 114 consecutive months of signed an executive order that seeks economic expansion. Zero-emission vehicles “to leverage the state’s $700bn pension The town of Pacifica, just south of San Francisco, is ground zero for the issue of coastal erosion. Early this year, the combination of ocean surge and are now our eighth-largest export. investment portfolio and assets to advance a king tide caused high waves. Some homes and apartment building were destroyed. PICTURE: Tribune News Service The climate crisis, decades in the making, California’s climate leadership.” The order is as hard to solve as they come. Building “also directs multiple state agencies and That’s why California is committed to most, meaning that many live far from their At the same time, California’s Regions Rise resilience demands a cross-cutting approach. departments to review and update overall climate leadership through an all-hands-on- workplaces. Together Initiative – led by our two departments We’re proud to work for a state that has operations, transportation investments, and deck approach. That means not only reducing As a result, a growing number of Californians under Newsom’s direction – aims to create high- committed billions of dollars to developing use of the state’s purchasing power to advance greenhouse-gas emissions, but also integrating are now living a commuter’s nightmare, quality job opportunities in inland communities, effi cient and alternative transportation, to groundbreaking climate goals.” housing and transportation planning, economic spending more time in their cars and less time not only in our state’s $50bn agriculture industry, building aff ordable housing, to creating good Indeed, staying focused on solutions is the development strategies, and workforce with their families. And longer commutes mean but also in advanced manufacturing, software jobs in inland communities, and to expanding only sensible – and moral – option. Just ask investments. The goal is to achieve a carbon- that California’s transportation emissions – development, and professional services. In health care to help more residents. California is Californians living with a longer and more neutral economy by 2045 while advancing a which already account for 51% of the state’s addition to reducing commuter emissions, this resolute about providing the tools, technology, severe “fi re season” than ever before, or owners community-driven transition strategy that total emissions – are on the rise. will help to ensure that the benefi ts that have and leadership to ensure a better tomorrow, for of coastal homes and businesses trying in vain implements climate-resilience measures to So, beyond imposing stricter vehicle- already begun to accrue from our climate and generations to come. – Project Syndicate to fi nd insurance to protect their buildings address the eff ects Californians are feeling emissions standards, Newsom has set a goal clean-tech investments are more widely shared. against sea-level rise, or inland residents facing today. of building 3.5 mn new housing units by This is not a top-down directive to these O Kate Gordon is Senior Adviser on Climate more frequent extreme-heat days. And of In California, climate change, housing, and 2025. Working with the state legislature, his regions. Instead, we are focused on fi nding to the Governor of California and Director of course, as with all disruptions, the state’s low- transportation are inextricably linked. Nearly administration has allocated $1.75bn to boost ways to support the work on sustainable, the Governor’s Offi ce of Planning and Research. income and disadvantaged communities will 70% of employment growth from 2010 to 2018 housing construction by fi nancing loans and inclusive growth already occurring across every Lenny Mendonca is Chief Economic and disproportionally feel the impacts of climate was concentrated in the coastal areas around tax breaks for developers of aff ordable housing, region of California, while also investing in the Business Adviser and Director of the California change. Without support, they will be the least Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. especially those building infi ll housing nearer to critical infrastructure connecting our regions to Offi ce of Business and Economic Development. able to adapt and build resilience. But housing in those areas is unaff ordable for employment hubs. one another.

The mainstreaming of corruption Three-day forecast TODAY Distinguishing between the individual. When a politician Across the West, political cynicism Maximum Temperature : 380c By Slawomir Sierakowski Minimum Temperature : 300c Warsaw corruption in the name of the party embezzles money or misuses is upending the rules of politics, and and corruption in the interest of government resources (as Kuchcinski creating two separate ethical spheres. SUNDAY the individual is key. In Poland, did), voters can see that such acts do Acts that voters would regard as Maximum Temperature : 390c s we have seen in recent years, PiS Chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski not benefi t them. But when a politician unacceptable in most other domains Minimum Temperature : 300c domination by a populist party condones outright nepotism and is found to have off ered bribes or of life suddenly become virtuous in a MONDAY can lead to the deep polarisa- institutional corruption, but awarded cushy jobs in exchange for partisan political context. Maximum Temperature : 390c Ation of an electorate. But it condemns other forms of self-dealing. donations to the party, voters can see Politicians like Hungarian Prime Minimum Temperature : 300c also erodes the ethical fabric of political PiS offi cials are routinely hired by how those corrupt dealings might Minister Viktor Orban and Kaczynski Fisherman's forecast life. Unable to defeat populists through state-owned enterprises, but with the advance the “greater good.” started their careers in the mainstream the usual methods, traditional parties understanding that they will donate The University of Warsaw’s and embraced populism as a tool to WARNING have begun to emulate their opponents, a share of their earnings to the party. Przemyslaw Sadura and I have just realise their political ambitions. But Inshore : Expected poor visibility at some places by early leaving voters with no alternative but to And Kaczynski himself has reportedly published research into Polish voters’ politicians who have been populists morning embrace cynicism. pursued a deal with an Austrian attitudes one month prior to Poland’s from the outset have proven even In many countries, even supporters businessman to build two skyscrapers October 13 parliamentary election. more scandal-proof. Trump and Offshore : Nil WEATHER of anti-populist parties have begun on land owned by a PiS-connected Our fi ndings reveal the extent to which Matteo Salvini of the League party Inshore : Misty to foggy at consciously accepting pathological fi rm. cynicism has taken hold of the Polish in Italy, for example, actually places at first becomes behaviour, rule-breaking, and even By contrast, when it was revealed electorate. Consider, for example, the derive legitimacy from scandal. By relatively hot daytime with slight dust at time, illegal acts on the part of their chosen that Polish Prime Minister Beata following representative responses antagonising elites, the media, foreign relatively humid by political representatives. Following Szydlo had paid her ministers from a PiS voter: institutions (above all European), and night. Gresham’s Law, which holds that bad bonuses equivalent to ten months’ Should politicians like Kaczynski be the judiciary, and by violating norms Offshore : Misty at times with salary, Kaczynski demanded that forgiven for engaging in corruption to with abandon, they have claimed the some clouds money drives out the good, opposition WIND forces increasingly feel compelled to the money be donated to charity and some degree? mantle of “authenticity.” Political Inshore : Northwesterly-North- scheme and cheat in order to win. pushed through legislation to cut – Not necessarily. If we’re talking scandals, no matter how numerous, easterly 05-15 KT do not undermine such fi gures; on the Offshore : Northwesterly-North- As a result, politicians with scruples parliamentary and top government about individual material benefi t, then easterly 03-12 KT will fi nd themselves at a disadvantage. salaries. Polish MPs now earn about no, he’s fi nished. contrary, they make martyrs of them. Visibility : 4-8/2 KM With more and more voters concluding €1,800 ($2,000) net per month What if it weren’t to benefi t himself, By defi nition, opposition parties that populists must be beaten at their (members of the European Parliament but his mother? have fewer opportunities to engage in Offshore : 1-3 FT own game, opposition parties are faced earn nearly €8,800), which is good – If it were for the party, for the public corruption, because they are not Around the region with a choice between upholding their for the party image, but not good for greater good, then yes, I’d be inclined in power. But if they can fi nd a way to Weather ethical standards and saving liberal preventing corruption. More recently, to forgive him. overthrow ruling populists by taking Weather tomorrow democracy. Kaczynski forced the resignation of a For the party, not for himself? the low road, the evidence suggests that today Max/min Max/min Sunny Under these conditions, politicians long-time political ally, the marshal – Yes. their supporters will not judge them too Baghdad Sunny 43/24 42/23 Sunny do not have to worry about losing their of the Sejm (parliament), Marek Individual corruption may be bad harshly for it. – Project Syndicate Kuwait City Sunny 44/27 44/27 Sunny supporters’ trust if they break the law Kuchcinski, following revelations that not only because it violates moral Manama Sunny 37/31 39/31 Sunny in service to the party. But this tends to he had used a government plane for standards, but also because it damages O Slawomir Sierakowski, founder of Muscat M Sunny 35/29 36/29 Sunny favour the populists already in power. private travel. the image of the party. the Krytyka Polityczna movement, is Tehran Sunny 33/30 32/18 Hence, Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Kaczynski understands that PiS It is easy to imagine that hardline Director of the Institute for Advanced (PiS) party and Fidesz in Hungary have supporters will accept “institutional” supporters of US President Donald Study in Warsaw and Senior Fellow enjoyed an unprecedented degree of corruption that benefi ts the party, Trump or British Prime Minister Boris at the German Council on Foreign immunity from political scandals. but not corruption that benefi ts Johnson would off er similar responses. Relations. Live issues

Optimists live longer, say scientists Around the world Weather Weather Guardian News and Media amount of exercise they did. They also Network Open, the research examines optimistic had a 35% lower risk of today Max/min tomorrow Max/min London say there are plausible mechanisms by results from 15 studies encompassing cardiovascular events and a 14% lower Athens Sunny 29/18 Sunny 29/19 which optimism might have an eff ect. a total of almost 230,000 participants. risk of early death. Beirut P Cloudy 28/23 M Sunny 28/24 The team said the results are Ten of the studies explored a link Links remained even when the team Bangkok P Cloudy 34/26 P Cloudy 35/26 eople who have an upbeat interesting since optimism is largely between optimism and the risk of looked particularly at the impact of Berlin S Showers 19/13 S Showers 17/14 outlook on life have a lower infl uenced by non-genetic factors, cardiovascular events, such as heart depression, exercise, education, or Cairo P Cloudy 33/22 P Cloudy 34/21 risk of cardiovascular events meaning it might be possible to shift attack or death from heart disease, the length of time participants were Cape Town M Cloudy 24/14 S Showers 17/13 Pand premature death, a review people’s mindsets and, potentially, while nine looked at the risk of death followed – although in some cases the Colombo S T Storms 29/24 T Storm 28/24 of studies has found. improve their health outcomes from any cause. All were published size of the link was aff ected. What’s Dhaka S T Storms 30/25 T Storm 28/24 The review comes after research – although that idea is still being between 2001 and 2017, and followed more, 12 of the 15 studies found a dose Hong Kong Sunny 29/24 Sunny 29/25 published last month suggested researched. participants for anywhere between response – in other words, the more Istanbul Sunny 24/15 Sunny 26/15 optimists had a greater chance of Prof Alan Rozanski of the Icahn two and 40 years. optimistic you are, the lower the risk Jakarta P Cloudy 34/25 S T Storms 33/24 living to a ripe old age than those with School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Rozanski noted that all of the of either outcome. Karachi M Sunny 34/28 P Cloudy 34/27 a less sunny disposition. fi rst author of the research, said studies took the presence of other Rozanski said there were a variety London M Cloudy 19/14 Showers 18/11 The research, which looked at boosting optimism meant more health conditions into account. The of possible mechanisms for the links, Manila S T Storms 32/26 S T Storms 31/26 evidence from 15 previously published than simply telling people to “think vast majority of studies showed a link including that more optimistic people Moscow M Cloudy 11/06 S Showers 12/09 studies, cannot prove that being positively”. between an upbeat outlook and a lower tended to lead healthier lives, such as New Delhi P Cloudy 31/23 P Cloudy 31/23 optimistic is the driver of better heart “We have multiple ways to help risk of cardiovascular events and the having better diets, being proactive New York P Cloudy 28/21 Sunny 25/17 health and a lower risk of death. them including (developing skills risk of death during their study period and anticipating problems, while there Paris M Cloudy 20/13 Rain 21/12 However, the authors note the for) problem solving, developing the – although the size of the association was evidence that they also had lower Sao Paulo M Cloudy 20/14 M Sunny 24/15 associations remained even after muscle of positive thinking through diff ered. blood pressure and less infl ammation Seoul P Cloudy 29/16 Sunny 29/15 various other factors that might interventions like gratitude, and using When the results of diff erent than more pessimistic people. Another Singapore P Cloudy 31/26 T Storm 31/26 explain them were considered cognitive behavioural therapy,” he studies were taken together, the team factor, he said, could be that optimistic Sydney P Cloudy 17/09 P Cloudy 18/13 including education level, whether said. found that compared with the least people were better at problem-solving Tokyo Clear 26/21 Cloudy 25/21 participants had depression and the Published in the journal Jama optimistic participants, the most and coping with adversity. Gulf Times 16 Saturday, September 28, 2019 QATAR

Spectacular start to IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with His Highness Personal Representative of the Amir, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE Sheikh Jassim bin Khalifa al-Thani, President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Dr Thomas Bach, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Lord Sebastian Coe and a number of Sheikhs and ministers at the opening ceremony of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 yesterday evening. Amir meets IOC president

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met yesterday with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, who attended the opening of the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019. The meeting focused on reviewing bilateral co-operation and the means to enhance them, in addition to discussing issues of joint interest in sports. The meeting was attended by the President of Qatar Olympic Committee and head of the organising committee of the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani. Glimpses of opening ceremony Doha occupies prominent place in global sports arena: Sheikh Joaan

QNA will remain in the memory of Doha “our generations” an event with a message of “ambition without borders” from the Middle East E the President of Qa- to the world. For his part, the tar Olympic Committee President of the International Falah the Falcon mascot takes part in the opening ceremony of the 2019 IAAF World Athletics H(QOC), Sheikh Joaan bin Association of Athletics Fed- Championships in Doha yesterday. Hamad al-Thani, Chairman of erations (IAAF), Lord Sebastian the organising committee of the Coe, said athletics is one of only IAAF World Athletics Cham- two truly global sports and “we pionships Doha 2019, said that are proud to be the biggest single Doha has hosted many continen- sporting event in 2019.” “I would tal and international events and like to thank our generous and tournaments for decades, mak- gracious hosts His Highness the ing it a prominent place in the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad global sports arena, and enabling al-Thani for making available the its cadres to acquire a variety of resources and facilities of this experiences in the organisation city and country.” of major tournaments, thus ena- He also extended his thank to bling Doha to become one of the HE Sheikh Joaan for his “sup- most important sports capitals in port and consistent interest in the world. our sport”. This is because of the impor- “Thank you also to Vice Presi- tance of sport as one of the fac- dent Dahlan al-Hamad. You have tors infl uencing the pillars of put together a young, dynam- the Qatar National Vision 2030, ic, talented team and you have he added. Addressing the open- guided them well. You are a great People cheer the spectacular fireworks display during the opening ceremony. ing ceremony of the 2019 IAAF pride to the people of Qatar and World Athletics Championships, you have brought great pride to he said Qatar is welcoming to- our sport. Thank you!” day the world in this great fo- “As a fan I appreciate the rum, which emphasises the role diligence, concentration, de- of sport in promoting the values termination and dedication of of friendship and peace among the athletes that compete in peoples, and allows all to watch our showcase event, the World this 10-day big sporting event, Championships. As a Global in which the world’s elite athletes sport president, I understand are competing. what it takes to deliver a world Since the announcement of its sports event and appreciate the hosting of the World Athletics enthusiasm and passion that we Championships, Qatar started see time and again from the fans early preparation through the co- of our sport and everyone in- operation of all sectors in order volved behind the scenes.” to organise this big event, under HE the President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), Sheikh Joaan “Good luck to all the athletes the guidance of its leaders and bin Hamad al-Thani addressing the opening ceremony of 2019 IAAF who I know will give it their all. offi cials in order to ensure the World Athletics Championships yesterday. May you fulfi l your potential and success of the tournament in the may all your dreams come true.” best manner that refl ects the sta- ferent nationalities, Doha has with the organising committee “My heartfelt gratitude to tus of Qatar in the global sports, launched this major tournament, in preparing for this event, and the volunteers and the organis- Athletes compete in the Women’s Marathon at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in he added. he stressed. Concluding his thanked the volunteers for their ers without whom an event like Doha yesterday. Thanks to the eff orts of its speech, HE Sheikh Joaan thanked response and dedication to the this one just simply could not be citizens and residents of dif- all those who have collaborated success of a championships that staged.”