BUSINESS | Page 1

SPORT | Page 2 Rayyan on verge of INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2 – 7, 28 COMMENT 26, 27 Ooredoo Group winning REGION 8 BUSINESS 1 – 10, 16 – 20 16,787.45 9,969.25 34.34 ARAB WORLD 8 – 10 CLASSIFIED 11 – 15 posts net profi t of +270.85 +76.93 +0.59 INTERNATIONAL 11 – 25 SPORTS 1 – 12 QSL title +1.64% +0.78% +1.75% QR2.1bn in 2015 Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10015 March 2, 2016 Jumada I 22, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir meets Education Excellence award winners UN aims to restart Syria In brief peace talks on March 9 QATAR | Funding PM visits housing Reuters project in Tunisia Geneva HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani he UN will delay the next round yesterday paid a visit to the Omar of Syria peace talks by two days al-Mukhtar housing project in the Tto allow the cessation of hos- Sijoumi district, Tunis. The project tilities in force since Saturday to take is funded by Qatar Friendship Fund hold, UN Syria envoy Staff an de Mis- (QFF). During the visit, the Prime tura said. Minister listened to a briefing on International observers have ac- the final stages of the project, knowledged violations of the agree- which includes 810 social housing ment intended to halt nearly fi ve years units at a cost of $29mn, 40% in a of fi ghting while reporting that the level form of a gift from the QFF and the of violence has decreased considerably. 60% in a form of interest-free loan. “We are delaying it to the afternoon of (March) 9th for logistical and tech- nical reasons and also for the ceasefi re QATAR | Collaboration HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met yesterday at the Ritz-Carlton Doha with the winners of the ninth Education Excellence Day award for academic year to better settle down,” de Mistura said QDF donates $90mn 2014-2015. HH the Emir said that he was keen on meeting the winners to listen to their views on the country and development. Page 3 yesterday. The talks had been pencilled in for March 7. for Swaziland The cessation of hostilities was “a The Qatar Development Fund glimmer of hope”, Syrian President (QDF) yesterday signed a $90mn Bashar al-Assad said, although he ac- grant agreement with the cused the opposition of violating the Swaziland Ministry of Commerce, agreement. Industry and Trade for the Internet- The opposition in turn says the Syri- led e-commerce (Traders-Link) an government has breached the fragile project. In his speech on the EAA in deal to educate truce by repeatedly attacking its posi- occasion, Qatar’s ambassador in tions, which the government denies. Mbabane Yousef bin Mohamed al- The cessation of hostilities agree- Mahmoud said that “we are proud ment, drawn up by the US and Russia, to be the excellent sponsors for the is seen by the UN as an opportunity to project.” revive peace talks which collapsed be- fore they had even started a month ago 2mn high-risk children in Geneva. QATAR | Aviation It also hopes the truce will allow hu- HIA ranks joint second Refugees and internally displaced Syria crisis an education and the Syria manitarian aid to be sent into besieged children in Syria, Afghanistan, conference aims to achieve this for all areas where many Syrians are living in in 2015 ASQ Awards Pakistan, South Sudan, Kenya, children in the region. dire conditions. Doha’s Hamad International Airport Nigeria and Ghana will benefit “Our partnership with Education However, the opposition said it had ranks joint second with Abu Dhabi from the agreement Above All will ensure that vulnerable yet to be offi cially informed of a new International Airport in the Best children in low income and developing round of talks on March 9, insisting Airport Middle East category of wo million children in high- countries, as well as those aff ected by that no serious discussions can begin winners of the 2015 Airport Service risk communities will receive confl ict, don’t miss out on the chance before detainees are freed and block- Quality (ASQ) Awards announced Tprimary education after Edu- to go to school and the hope for a bet- ades are lifted. yesterday by Airports Council cation Above All’s Educate A Child ter future.” Riad Nassan Agha, a member of the International (ACI) in Montreal. programme (EAC) and the UK Depart- In addition to working together on High Negotiations Committee, said Jordan’s Queen Alia International ment for International Development education in the target countries, EAC the opposition would study the call Airport in Amman won the first (DFID) signed a fi ve-year partnership and DFID will collaborate on global for talks based on developments on place in the Middle East category agreement in London. advocacy, fi nancing and delivering the ground, adding that it heard of the while Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd The agreement will benefi t refugees education programmes, conducting March 9 date only through the media. International Airport in Dammam, and internally displaced children in research, and co-ordinating organi- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Dubai International Airport and Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South sational capacity and professional de- and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana. Al- velopment programmes. Lavrov said there was an urgent need to Airport came joint third. most 30% of the 59mn out-of-school EAA’s aim is to build a global move- implement the agreement and for the children globally live in these coun- HH Sheika Moza bint Nasser, Justine Greening MP, Fahad al-Sulaiti and a DFID ment that contributes to human, warring parties to return to the negoti- tries. off icial at the signing ceremony. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL social and economic development ating table, a UN statement said. BUSINESS | Finance HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, through quality education and other “They agreed on the importance of Al Meera sees record founder and chairperson of EAA, and the traditional education system in an vests $100 per child so that, together welfare programmes and initiatives. urgently moving forward simultane- Justine Greening MP, Secretary of eff ort to alleviate some of the barriers with our partners, we can provide With a particular focus on areas af- ously on implementing the cessation results in retail sector State for International Development to accessing education. quality primary education for some fected by poverty, confl ict and disas- of hostilities agreement, providing Al Meera Consumer Goods of the UK, witnessed the signing of the Fahad al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education of the world’s most hard to reach chil- ter, EAA champions the needs of chil- vital humanitarian assistance to civil- Company has posted a net profit of agreement. Above All, expressed hope that others dren,” al-Sulaiti explained. dren and youth and empowers them to ians, and returning to political nego- QR162.1mn in 2015 with a “record- Earlier, HH Sheikha Moza and Sec- will be inspired by the example set by Desmond Swayne, Minister of be active members of their communi- tiations,” the statement said. breaking” performance in its retail retary Greening discussed the impor- EAC and DFID and invest in the future State, UK DFID, said that investing in ties. US Secretary of State John Kerry said sales and leasing segments. The tance of accelerating eff orts to enrol of the world’s children. education is absolutely fundamental By meeting the demand for educa- on Monday that while eff orts were being company’s Board of Directors has out-of-school children in quality This partnership is an innovative to tackling extreme poverty and build- tion, EAA equips them to support sus- made to track down alleged violations recommended distribution of a education programmes, especially for way to tackle funding for education. ing secure, sustainable communities. tainable development and to nurture of the cessation of hostilities, there was cash dividend of QR9 per share, those living in confl ict aff ected re- Each side will operate according to its “For children, an education is their environments of peace, security, jus- currently no evidence to suggest they which is equivalent to 90% of the gions. strengths – DFID by focusing on fund- fi rst step to being able to take control tice and prosperity. would destabilise the fragile peace. nominal share value. Business HH Sheikha Moza emphasised the ing government systems, and EAC by of their lives and build the future they EAA is the umbrella organisation In a telephone conversation yester- Page 20 importance of dedicating resources funding local and international NGOs want. No child should miss out on this overseeing three core programmes: day, Lavrov and Kerry reaffi rmed the specifi cally to support children aff ect- and UN agency projects – to maxim- opportunity simply because of where Educate A Child, Al Fakhoora and importance of coordination, chiefl y ed by the Syrian crisis and advocated ise the pledge’s impact for the world’s they happen to be born. Protect Education in Insecurity and military, between Moscow and Wash- REGION | Accident for the support of alternative educa- most vulnerable children. “The UK has helped give a quarter Confl ict, as well as the Kakuma/Kenya ington to strengthen the truce, the 18 killed in Oman tional approaches and modalities to “Typically, Education Above All in- of a million children aff ected by the Project. Page 3 Russian foreign ministry reported. truck-bus collision Eighteen people were killed and 14 injured when the bus they were travelling in crashed into a truck in central Oman yesterday Gene holds key to (no) grey hair: study Population hits 2.5mn morning, state news agency ONA reported. The collision occurred on a roundabout connecting the AFP fessor at the University College London “mono-brows”, hair colour and shape, mark for the fi rst time districts of Ibri and Fuhud and Paris Genetics Institute who led the study. balding and greying. the victims came from several Understanding how the gene inter- This is well-travelled ground scien- countries. Page 8 acts with other genes controlling hair tifi cally, but the size and original de- By Ramesh Mathew available till recently on the ministry’s yeing one’s hair may no longer colour, for example, might yield cos- sign of the research yielded a trove of Staff Reporter website. The country’s population be- be the only option for keeping metic applications that block the fade to new results. Another gene, PRSS53, for gan to grow considerably after 2006. Dgrey at bay, scientists said yes- grey as hair grows in the follicle, he said. example, was found to infl uence curli- The previous highest population terday in announcing the discovery of a Setting aside unresolved ethical is- ness, shedding light on the evolution he country’s population has hit fi gure was on November 30, when the gene that makes hair lose its lustre. sues, one could even “wildly contem- of hair shape that led to straight hair in the 2.5mn mark for the fi rst time, country had as many as 2,463,000 The gene, IRF4, was known to aff ect plate” the use of gene editing, a ultra- East Asia and among Native Americans. Taccording to the latest fi gures residents. colour, but a new study is the fi rst to precise cut-and-paste process for To undertake the analysis, scientists released by the Ministry of Develop- The latest fi gure also shows that pinpoint its unique role in the inexora- altering DNA sequences, he said. did a so-called genome-wide associa- ment Planning and Statistics (MDPS). there has been a 9 % rise in the popu- ble transition to shades of grey. But the IRF4 variant that favours grey tion scan (GWAS) of 6,630 volunteers As per an announcement yesterday, lation compared to the fi gures of the Further research on precisely how also produces fair hair, he cautioned, so in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and the country had 2,545,000 people on same period last year. IRF4 works could unlock techniques tinkering with the gene could also mean Peru, matching similarities in their February 29, which was an all-time The population at the end of last and treatments that slow or even halt fewer blondes. DNA with physical traits. record improvement of 5.10 % than the month was 2,423,000, which showed a that process, said the scientists. In the study, published in the peer- But rather than selecting subjects population of the previous month. marginal growth of only 0.1% compared “An initial avenue has to do with the reviewed journal Nature Communica- that shared a common ancestry - all There has not been such a massive to the fi gures as of December 31, 2015. role IRF4 could play in survival and tions, Ruiz-Linares and three dozen northern Europeans or Japanese, for growth in the population before in a The country’s population had maintenance of cells that make pig- colleagues investigated the genetic example - the researchers deliberately one-month period, at least in the last touched the 2.4mn mark in October ment,” said Andres Ruiz-Linares, a pro- triggers for facial hair, the prevalence of mixed things up. seven years, the fi gures of which were last year. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 QATAR

Qatar-Italy ties reviewed PM meets Tunisian president, premier

HE the Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah met the Minister of Economic Development of Italy HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani met Federica Guidi in Doha yesterday. Bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them were discussed. The meeting was attended by Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and the country’s Prime Minister Habib Essid in Tunis yesterday. Qatar’ambassador to Italy Abdulaziz Ahmed al-Maliki and the Italian ambassador to Qatar Guido De Sanctis. Means to enhance bilateral relations and the latest regional and international issues were discussed. Economy Minister chairs Qatar-Italy panel meet

QNA Thani to Italy this year. adding that the total number of opment of business sector in or- Doha He noted that the relations joint ventures operating in Qatar der to serve the interests of both between the two countries were exceeded 200 companies. countries. further enhanced after Qatar’s The two sides reviewed the re- E the Minister of Econ- successful participation in the The two sides reviewed the lations of co-operation in many omy and Commerce Expo Milan 2015, during which relations of co-operation in fi elds, including economy, trade, HSheikh Ahmed bin Jas- the Qatar Pavilion organiaed many fi elds investment, transport, commu- sim bin Mohamed al-Thani and several important events that nications, energy, industry, cus- Italy’s Minister for Economic contributed signifi cantly to the HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim toms, banking, agriculture, and Development Federica Guidi consolidation of relations in var- bin Mohamed al-Thani added tourism. chaired the fourth session of ious fi elds, especially economic that Italy is a favourable desti- They agreed to take steps to Qatar- Italy joint committee for and investment sectors. nation for Qatari investments strengthen and develop eco- economic co-operation in Doha The Minister of Economy and in various economic sectors and nomic relations to increase the yesterday. Commerce pointed to the meet- activities, adding that this em- volume of trade, and facilitate During the session, the two ing which he had held with Ital- bodied the keenness of the State the fl ow of goods, services and sides held wide-ranging talks ian businessmen and investors of Qatar on dedicating part of its investments between them. and reviewed aspects of co-op- on the sidelines of the Milan resources for investment in stra- They reiterated willingness to eration in diff erent sectors. Expo and focused on the oppor- tegic economies, where there are intensify and increase coopera- In his remarks, HE Sheikh tunities available for investment promising investment opportu- tion to activate the previously Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mo- in Qatar. nities. reached agreements and memo- hamed al-Thani stressed the The Minister described Italy Concluding his remarks, he randa of understanding. close relations between Qatar as a strategic partner of Qatar, hoped that the proposals and HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jas- and Italy, which he said re- as the total trade exchange be- recommendations examined and sim bin Mohamed al-Thani ceived further boost after the tween the two countries reached discussed during the meetings of and Federica Guidi signed HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani and Italy’s historic visit of HH the Emir about $3bn in 2015, accounting the joint committee would open the minutes of the meeting. Minister for Economic Development Federica Guidi signing the minutes of the fourth session of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- for 2.8% of Qatar’s foreign trade, up new prospects for the devel- Business 6 Qatar- Italy joint committee for economic co-operation in Doha yesterday.

Minister meets ILO official In brief

Emir sends cable of condolences to Bahrain king

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin HE the Minister of Administrative Development and Labour and Social Aff airs Dr Khalifa al-Thani have sent cables Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi holding talks with ambassador Misako Kaji, the head of to King Hamad Isa al-Khalifah of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) high-level delegation currently visiting Bahrain condoling the death of Qatar. They discussed issues of mutual interest and prospects for co-operation Sheikha Lulwa bint Mohamed bin between the two sides. Abdullah bin Isa al-Khalifah. Djibouti president leaves Doha

President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Ministry marks 11th Gulf Guelleh left Doha yesterday after an off icial visit to Qatar. President Omar Guelleh and his Consumer Protection Week accompanying delegation were seen off at Hamad International Airport by HE the Minister of he Ministry of Transport and Communications Economy and Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, TCommerce (MEC) Qatar’s ambassador to Djibouti has organised a number Jassim Jaber Jassim Sorour and of activities for the 11th Djibouti’s ambassador to Qatar Gulf Consumer Protec- Moamin Hassan Berri. tion Week, which started yesterday under the slo- Real estate gan “One Gulf, One Con- sumer”. transaction The annual event aims to unify the Gulf Co-op- Registered real estate contracts eration Council’s (GCC) in Qatar from February 21-25 eff orts to expand the con- were worth QR208,798,888, sumer protection umbrella according to a report published through mutual co-opera- Off icials demonstrating how to distinguish counterfeit yesterday by the Real Estate tion and empowering con- products. Registration Department at the sumers by providing essen- Ministry of Justice. tial skills and knowledge to duties as consumers. sumer protection, with the The properties traded ranged make them aware of their The exhibition will also aim of raising the public’s from open plots of land, houses, rights and responsibilities. introduce “The Market awareness of the ministry’s compound and multipurpose The MEC is hold- Programme” to educate roles and responsibilities. buildings. They spread across ing various events, ac- children on sound pur- The ministry will set up a municipalities in the country such tivities, and awareness chasing and shopping children’s corner; hand out as Doha, Umm Salal, Al Khor, Al programmes during the practices and habits as well gifts and souvenirs and co- Dhakira, Al Rayyan, Al Daayen week in the morning and as the negative impacts of ordinate with the owners of and Al Wakrah. evening at Souq Waqif. incorrect purchasing and globally registered trade- The programme includes shopping practices and marks to hold public lectures. Morocco minister exhibiting original and habits; off ering age-ap- Through these events, counterfeit goods and how propriate information that the MEC aims to apply the meets Qatari envoy to distinguish between can be useful in improv- resolutions of the Con- them; organising con- ing their future shopping sumer Protection Commit- Moroccan Minister of Tourism sumer awareness lectures methods. tees at the GCC Secretariat, Lahcen Haddad met Qatar’s to spread sound shop- The ministry will also raising consumer aware- ambassador Abdulla bin Falah ping and consumption hold public competitions ness in the community and bin Abdulla al-Dossari in Rabat practices, while providing on the services off ered by educating the public on the yesterday. special means for hearing the Ministry of Economy activities and programmes The meeting reviewed bilateral and speaking impaired in- and Commerce in the areas of the Consumer Protec- relations between Qatar dividuals and familiarising of economic aff airs, com- tion and Anti-Commercial and Morocco and means of them with their rights and mercial aff airs and con- Fraud Department. developing them. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 3 QATAR Merger of ministries will improve effi ciency: Emir

QNA Doha

H the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- HThani has said that re- cent changes to the Cabinet and mergers of ministries will improve effi ciency and help the country achieve its 2030 nation- al vision. Interacting with students who were honoured at the Ministry of Education and Higher Edu- cation’s ceremony marking the ninth Education Excellence Day Award for academic year 2014- 2015 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel yesterday, the Emir stressed that development projects, spending on infrastructure, education and health will remain at good levels despite the fall in oil prices. The Emir said that he was keen on meeting the award win- ners to listen to their views on the country and development. The Emir added that Qatar was continuously looking for nation- HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani interacting with the winners of the Education Excellence Awards at the Ritz Carlton Hotel al talent that pushes the country yesterday. forward in all fi elds. The Emir added that educa- Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi On behalf of the honoured Meanwhile, in his address, HE Addressing the winners, he tion was an important phase, but thanked HH the Emir Sheikh students, excellence award the Minister of Education and said that the recognition puts business and work after gradu- Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for winner (Doctoral Degree Cat- Higher Education Mohamed them against bigger challenges ation were an even more impor- honouring the ceremony. egory) Dr Abdulaziz al-Ibrahim Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi to maintain their achievements. tant. He urged the youth to stand He stressed that celebrating underlined that honouring the said that every country needs its For her part, HE Minister of resilient in the face of bureaucracy the 9th session of the Education outstanding students of Qatar young talent to contribute to de- Public Health Dr Hanan Mo- to facilitate development for their Excellence Day refl ects the State’s refl ects the State’s great atten- velopment as the world seeks a hamed al-Kuwari said that the generation and the coming ones. commitment to develop the ca- tion to education and scientifi c knowledge-based society. attendance of the Emir will give The award winners thanked pacities its people, and its keen- research to serve the homeland As a result Qatar continues a boost to the education sector the Emir for attending the event, ness to launch their creativity and and its citizens. working on developing its edu- and to students to innovate and which refl ected his commitment to encourage individuals and edu- The Emir then presented the cational system in order to build develop themselves. to education. cational institutions to improve awards to the winners. an entire generation of young HE the Minister of Develop- Earlier the Emir presided over their performance and spread the Meanwhile, Qatar’s Deputy people well-equipped to inno- ment Planning and Statistics the ceremony marking the ninth spirit of fair competition in the Prime Minister and Minister of vate and keep up with the mod- Saleh Mohamed Salem al-Nabit Education Excellence Day Award fi eld of scientifi c excellence. State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed ern world. This would help reach said that encouraging science for academic year 2014-2015 at Education Excellence Day is bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mah- sustainable development in light and innovation refl ects the vi- the Ritz Carlton Hotel. a commitment to guide indi- moud said the patronage of the of the goals of Qatar National Vi- sion of Qatar’s wise leadership The ceremony was attended vidual and institutional energies Emir of the ninth Education Ex- sion 2030, the Minister added. and its commitment to educa- by Sheikhs and Ministers, along towards excellence, and to pro- cellence Day award for academic Furthermore, he said the min- tion as the cornerstone of sus- with the heads of diplomatic mote positive attitudes among year 2014-2015 refl ects his keen- istry was keen on supporting the tainable development. missions accredited to the State, citizens towards participation ness to support innovators in the educational process with the lat- HE the Minister of Endow- senior offi cials in the fi eld of ed- in the knowledge industry, the Qatari society. est technologies that help devel- ments and Islamic Aff airs, Dr ucation; and parents of the stu- Minister added. The Deputy Prime Minister op the capabilities of young peo- Ghaith bin Mubarak al-Kuwari, dents who were honoured. The Minister of Education congratulated the winners for ple in Qatar. The Minister said also congratulated the winners Addressing the ceremony, HE and Higher Education congratu- their recognition. He wished that the winners were delighted and said that the event refl ects HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani presenting the the Minister of Education and lated the honorees and called for them further success in their that the Emir was present to rec- the appreciation of Qatar to the Education Excellence Awards at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel yesterday. Higher Education Dr Mohamed greater excellence and creativity. academic and scientifi c future. ognise their eff orts. relevance of education.

Public lecture on labour reform Sheikha Moza meets UK official QNL to host research workshops in Qatar

atar National Library community. The second session activities aimed at engaging the The Research Centre for Islamic (QNL), a member of Qa- is in April. wider community. Legislation and Ethics (CILE) is Qtar Foundation for Edu- On March 29 at the HBKU This month’s book discus- hosting a public lecture titled cation, Science and Commu- Student Centre, QNL will hold sion will feature a book titled, ‘I “The Migrant Labour Reform nity Development (QF), will host a research seminar titled “How Declare Love’ by Qatari author, in Qatar: Towards a More throughout March a range of en- to Publish in Academia”, which Wedad al-Kuwari. Comprised Holistic Approach” today. CILE riching research-focused events will help researchers develop of a series of articles on educa- is a member of Qatar Faculty of and workshops. their skills of writing research tion and self-learning, the book Islamic Studies (QFIS) at Hamad “The various research work- papers and off er advice on how highlights al-Kuwari’s deep love Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). shops are intended to ensure to get academic work published. of reading and how being a vo- The event will be held from 7pm that members of the com- racious reader has benefi ted her to 9pm at the QFIS building munity are provided with the “The various research during diff erent life events. To in Education City. The lecture necessary training to be able to workshops are intended be conducted in Arabic, the dis- will be presented by Dr Ray utilise the resources eff ectively to ensure that members cussion will take place on March Jureidini, professor of migration, for their individual research of the community are 9 in the TV Lounge at HBKU human rights and ethics at needs,” Saadi al-Said, QNL’s provided with the Student Centre. CILE. From 2012 to 2013, Dr director of administration and necessary training to The Music Day workshop on Jureidini served as a consultant planning. be able to utilise the March 16 will give members of to the Migrant Workers Welfare Giving undergraduates the resources eff ectively for the public an insight into the Initiative at Qatar Foundation opportunity to improve their their individual research history of music and the valu- in Doha, contributing to the QF research skills, ‘Conducting Re- needs” able online music databases of- Standards of Migrant Workers HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser holding talks with Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for search’ workshop will be held fered by QNL, such as the Inter- Welfare for contractors and International Development in the UK. They discussed the importance of accelerating eff orts to tomorrow for the second time to In addition to the informative national Index to Music and the sub-contractors and completing enrol out-of-school children in quality education programmes, especially in conflict regions. meet popular demand of univer- research workshops in March, Music & Performing Arts data- a report on labour recruitment PICTURE: AR Al-Baker / HHOPL sity students and the academic QNL will organise numerous bases. for Qatar. CMC call to check unauthorised storehouses in residential areas

By Ayman Adly pointed out that in areas such CMC vice-chairman Hamad policy. They will sent a letter Staff Reporter as Al-Hilal, Al-Thumama and Lahdan al-Mohannadi said that with the names of the centres others, there are various gov- before providing valid and suf- that do not follow eff ective seg- ernment storehouses for the fi cient alternatives, getting such regation to the MME with a re- he establishment of vari- Kahramaa and the Ministry of storehouses out of residential quest to resort to necessary pro- ous government and pri- Municipality and Environment areas would only shift them to cedures. Tvate storehouses within (MME) for example. other areas and the problem Further, the council issued a residential areas of Doha has to CMC member Jassim al- would not be resolved. recommendation to study the be checked, the Central Munici- Malki said that such store- Eventually, CMC members possibility of launching a taxi pal Council (CMC) has recom- houses should be located and a pointed out that the phenom- service with female drivers and mended. recommendation addressed to enon has many adverse conse- only for women and families. CMC chairman Mohamed the MME to take the necessary quences, so they agreed to form The CMC also reviewed the Hamoud al-Shafi raised the is- measures. He was of the view a special committee to further response of the MME on its sue at yesterday’s bi-weekly that a shortage of storage facili- study the issue in co-operation previous recommendations on regular session, recalling that it ties and land have caused such with the entities concerned to the rain drainage networks at had been tackled many years ago phenomenon to escalate and devise adequate recommenda- highways and regarding inspec- by the previous councils. persist. Besides, when plots are tions. tion on massage centres and ap- “Yet, things remained un- assigned for the purpose they The council also addressed proved them. changed with even more un- often lack the necessary service the issue of enforcing eff ective The session was concluded authorised storehouses being infrastructure. segregation between women by a review of the outcome of established among residential Accordingly, he suggested that and men at Primary Health Care the CMC members visit to the buildings, causing adverse se- the government should launch CMC chairman Mohamed Hamoud al-Shafi (centre) and vice-chairman Hamad Lahdan al-Mohannadi (left) Centres to maintain the local worksite of Lusail expressway curity, safety and environmental major projects and assign them at the session. traditions and give women more project. The council recom- impacts,” he explained. to real estate developers in the convenience and privacy. mended that work should be ex- CMC member Sheikha al- country. The government should high and adversely aff ect the storehouses projects at diff erent stated that the unauthorised and The council agreed that while pedited to make up for the delay Jufairi said it has been more conduct the leasing process and consumers. areas including Al Wakrah, the unlicensed storehouses within some health centres maintain in the project and the completed than eight years since the issue control the rent, failing which Al-Shafi pointed out that the Industrial Area and Brekat al- residential areas, constitute a this, others still lack the infra- parts should be opened to traffi c was fi rst raised by the CMC. She the rates would go unreasonably government has launched major Awmrah, among other areas. He major part of the problem. structure to strictly follow such if possible. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 QATAR International Food Festival to begin on March 22 at MIA Park By Joey Aguilar Renowned chefs set for food fest Staff Reporter Some of the renowned chefs five restaurants in Mexico, and a from around the world will hold number of chefs from the Arabic he seventh edition of Qa- live cookery shows to whip up food channel Fatafeat such as Daad tar International Food a variety of delectable dishes at Abu Jaber, Salma Soleiman and TFestival (QIFF) will fea- the seventh edition of the Qatar Mohamed Orfali. ture an array of gastronomi- International Food Festival (QIFF). HIA, partner of FC Bayern cal events to welcome a large Co-hosting the event, Qatar Munich, will also bring the number of visitors at the Mu- Airways (QA) will bring the football club’s head chef Alfons seum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park chefs to the cooking theatres. Schuhbeck to take part in live from March 22 to 28. “Global lifestyle personality cooking demo. Expecting more than 220,000 Martha Stewart, and Australian In co-ordination with the visitors from Qatar and neigh- MasterChef judge George Ministry of Education and Higher bouring countries, the week- Calombaris are expected at the Education, QIFF has extended the long celebration will also see live cooking demonstrations,” visiting hours this year for school a dozen food trucks deployed said Salam al-Shawa, senior students from 9.30am to 1pm. The at The Pearl-Qatar, one of the QIFF organisers announcing the details of the event yesterday. vice president, marketing and event will be open to the public satellite venues. corporate communications, QA. between 1pm and 10.30pm. A number of QIFF activities will host a number of popular ing, and build bridges between annual culinary celebration is inviting more visitors from dif- QA’s on board chef Vineet A youth court will be set and events will also take place eateries, cafes and restaurants cultures, has been continuously QA’s Dinner-in-the-Sky which ferent GCC countries to take Bhatia will be back to present up to provide wholesome at Katara - the Cultural Vil- while the cuisine court will off er supporting QIFF. has been giving visitors a fi ve- part at QIFF. mouth-watering dishes, as well entertainment such as live stage lage esplanade such as the mini fi ne-dining creations by chefs Entry is free of charge irre- star hospitality experience. “The festival has all of the as chef Massimo Capra, who shows for families hosted by live cooking and entertainment from hotels at aff ordable prices spective of the number of people Salam al-Shawa, marketing right elements to be attractive established Qatar Duty Free’s Baraem TV at the MIA Park. shows. One of the unique of- (between QR5 and QR35). coming to the festival and the and corporate communications to people throughout the GCC; Soprafino Restaurant at Hamad Popular Kidzmondo characters ferings in this edition includes Visitors will also have the prices of food are very minimal. senior vice president at QA, it is a family event; it has ex- International Airport (HIA). are also expected to entertain water taxis going to the three chance to taste a variety of Organisers will also set up a said they have invited a number citing food and entertainment The annual culinary celebration children at the venues while festival venues. Chinese and Qatari dishes at health court to underline the of international and national from around the world; and it will also see four international visitors and passersby can “The festival is one of our the culture court as part of importance of healthy eating by celebrity chefs who will pre- has the world’s best airline fl y- Michelin star-rated chefs including witness the nightly spectacular signature events and part of our the Qatar-China 2016 Year of serving organic food. It will also pare food live at QA’s cooking ing directly to Doha,” said Ehab Japan’s Tagaki Kazuo, Australia’s fireworks display. strategy is to diversify the coun- Culture organised by Qatar off er free medical check-ups for theatre. Amin, senior vice president, Paul Bentley, Bangkok’s Tim Butler, Some of the sections include the try’s tourism off erings in part- Museums (QM). visitors. QA Holidays has created spe- commercial, QA. and celebrated pastry chef Jesus High Tea in the Bay area, catered nership with the private sector,” Mohamed Nasser al-Othman, Qatar Airways (QA) is co- cial travel packages for visitors Besides the 12 food trucks Escalera. by Katara Hospitality, which said Mashal Shahbik, director, director, public and interna- hosting QIFF and providing “a abroad. These packages will in- coming from Qatar and across Other chefs who will hold live will serve English, Chinese and events and festivals at Qatar tional relations at QM, said the fi rst-class touch” to the various clude transportation, accom- the region, The Pearl-Qatar will cookery at QIFF include Francisco Arabic tea throughout the seven- Tourism Authority (QTA). initiative, which intends to foster activities, said Shahbik. modation, and hotels especially host a number of sports activities Ruano, owner of one of the top day festival. At MIA Park, a snack court improved mutual understand- One of the highlights of the during the weekend aimed at and entertainment shows.

Met office predicts poor visibility in some parts Jeep Cherokee models recalled Poor visibility is expected in some chances of isolated rain”. Some off shore areas, meanwhile, will parts of the country late tonight due to Today’s forecast for inshore areas says see hazy to misty conditions during CENG holds forum on quality, The Ministry of Economy and fog, the Met department has said. it will be misty in some places at first, the day. Commerce (MEC), in collaboration The weather off ice also said, through followed by moderate temperature The minimum and maximum with United Cars Almana, has posts on its social media channels, during the day and slight dust at times. temperatures today are expected reliability and risk management announced the recall of Jeep that there were “initial indications of It will become misty to foggy in some to be 14C and 28C, respectively, Cherokee models of 2014 and another unsettled weather situation areas by late tonight, when visibility with the forecast for Doha being 2015 over the potential leakage starting from Saturday evening with may drop to 1km. 18C and 28C. he Department of of water into the lift gate module Mechanical and In- connector. Tdustrial Engineer- The MEC said the recall campaign ing and Quality, Reliability comes within the framework of and Maintainability En- its ongoing eff orts to protect gineering Centre at Qa- consumers and ensure that car tar University College of dealers follow up on vehicles’ Engineering (QU-CENG) defects and repair them. held a conference on qual- The MEC will co-ordinate with ity, reliability and risk the dealer to follow up on the management. maintenance and repair works Titled “Quality, Reliabil- and communicate with customers ity and Risk Management”, to ensure that the necessary the event was organised in Prof Elsayed A Elsayed speaking at the event. repairs are carried out. conjunction with Rutgers The MEC has urged all customers University. It aimed to ad- cal and industrial engi- ity profi le monitoring, to report any violations to its dress quality measures, neering Dr Elsadig Mahdi, reliability optimization, Consumer Protection and Anti- reliability tools and risk as well as CENG faculty, failure mode and eff ect Commercial Fraud Department. management strategies students and staff . analysis in oil and gas in- adopted by academics, re- Keynote speakers were dustry, emerging research searchers and practition- CENG mechanical and and practice in qual- Retaj names CEO ers to improve productivity industrial engineering ity assurance, maintain- and reliability. professor Dr Shaligram ability assessment tech- Retaj Hotels and Hospitality has Around 50 engineers, re- Pokharel and assistant niques, risk assessment appointed searchers and practitioners professor Dr Fatih Mutlu, and control, use of vari- Kamel Senhadji, from the public and private Rutgers University De- ous modeling techniques pictured, as sector came together to partment of Industrial and on quality and reliability the new chief discuss, share and evalu- Systems Engineering Dis- applications, and more. executive ate the latest developments tinguished Prof Elsayed A Dr Alammari said: off icer and applications in quality, Elsayed, QP’s head of reli- “This event aligns with (CEO). An reliability and risk man- ability Vimalendu Bhush- the college’s ongoing ef- experienced agement, and to build aca- an Tripathi, and Maersk forts to actively tackle hotelier with demic and research collab- Oil Qatar’s reliability lead- local challenges and re- a PhD degree in psycho-analysis oration and partnerships. er Chris Davis. search solutions for issues from Université de La Sorbonne, The opening ceremony The programme agenda that are of the interest of Paris, Senhadji, on top of his was attended by CENG included panel discus- the wider community, in Algerian roots brings along a dean Dr Rashid Alammari, sions that addressed a line with QU’s mission multicultural history of over 25 CENG acting associate wide range of topics re- and vision which are di- years of hotel management in dean for Academic Aff airs lated to quality man- rectly linked to Qatar Na- France, Morocco, Malta, Egypt, Dr Mohammed Samaka, agement, engineering tional Vision 2030 and the Sudan, Jordan, China and Japan. and professor of mechani- process control, qual- development strategies.” He speaks six languages. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 5 QATAR QA to announce new destinations at ITB Berlin atar Airways has Baker said: “The way people experience Qatar Airways’ tralia) from May 2, Yerevan said it is planning to travel is changing and ITB premium products and (Armenia) from May 15 and Qmake a “signifi cant showcases the latest trends customer service in Hall Atlanta (US) from June 1. network announcement” and innovations. We are 22.B, booth 207. The air- Meanwhile, the airline during its participation in looking forward to leading line’s A380 and A350 fi rst will this year reveal a com- ITB Berlin, a leading travel the industry with our supe- class and business class pletely redesigned exhibi- and trade event set to open rior business and economy seats will be on display, tion stand. Its latest brand on March 9. products, and to announcing with visitors invited to put campaign theme, “Going The Doha-based airline exciting new destinations them to the test. Places Together”, will be re- will announce new desti- for our passengers. “The new destinations to fl ected in the redesign and nations and also reveal a “We are a young company be announced will add to an activities, with the focus new exhibition stand that that is growing rapidly. With already exciting year of inau- on bringing travellers closer will welcome guests from a current fl eet of 177 mod- gurals,” the statement said. together. around the globe, it said ern aircraft, we are con- Qatar Airways recent- “Thus, the airline pro- in a statement. This year’s necting even more passen- ly started services to Los poses a fresh, new direc- stand will feature particular gers to our global network of Angeles (US) on January tion. The ethos presented elements of Hamad Inter- more than 150 destinations, 1, Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) over the course of this com- national Airport, Qatar Air- and off er a product that can on February 2 and Sydney munication strategy re- ways’ new home since 2014. expertly match their travel (Australia) on March 1. The fl ects the development of Looking forward to an- needs. This is what we will airline will begin service Qatar Airways as a brand other successful show in demonstrate once again this to Boston (US) from March and its role as a leader in Berlin, Qatar Airways Group year at ITB.” 16, Birmingham (UK) on the aerospace industry,” the chief executive Akbar al- Trade fair visitors can March 30, Adelaide (Aus- statement noted.

Shop closed for selling fake items

he Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has closed a shop in the Al Azizyah area for a Tmonth for selling and displaying counterfeited women’s accessories, mobile phones and clothes of a registered trademark. A violation report was issued to the shop in accord- ance with article no. 7 of law no. 8 for 2008 on con- sumer protection. The closure will be announced on the MEC website and two local dailies at the cost of the A ministry off icial putting a closure notice on the shop door. erring fi rm. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 QATAR

HMC to take part in Tafawoq hosts session Arab hospitals forum amad Medical Corpo- to convey its vast healthcare ration (HMC) will take experience and to introduce Hpart in the 17th annual health developments in Qatar. forum of the Arab Hospitals Al-Noimi added: “The health- Federation, Medhealth. care services provided by HMC for project managers The forum will start tomor- are rated within the recognised row in Cairo, and the theme of standards at the global level in afawoq hosted a ‘Master the conference is “Challenges terms of quality and devel- Class in HSSE Leadership of excellence building in the opment; this was achieved Tfor Project Managers’ as Arab healthcare system.” through strong partnerships, part of its commitment to fur- The forum, held in conjunc- including our partners in the ther develop the competencies tion with the meeting of the academic and research areas, of the project management pro- Arab Health Ministers Coun- locally and globally.” fessionals in Qatar. cil, provides an important Ali Abdulla al-Khater, chief The master class, held in Doha stage for discussing health- communications offi cer at recently, targeted senior project care developments in the Arab HMC, said: “HMC’s partici- managers and directors, HSSE states. pation in the annual forum managers, asset managers, and The event is expected to provides an opportunity to operations managers who are include specialised debates highlight the health develop- involved in projects and asset involving various Arab health ments witnessed by Qatar, to management in the oil and gas ministers as they meet with enhance our organisation’s industry. participants. profi le to key stakeholders and The event off ered participants HMC is participating in the to showcase the Corporation’s the opportunity to network with forum at the invitation of the services and vision for the fu- senior Shell executives, who Arab Hospitals Federation, and ture. It also provides us with shared their insights on how to this is the eighth consecutive an opportunity to share our acquire the required leadership year that the Corporation is focus on integrating research, and professional skills to become attending. The event is in line education and clinical services a successful project manager. with HMC’s commitment to to improve patient care and Participants discussed past providing safe, compassion- deliver innovative healthcare major disasters, lessons learned, ate and eff ective healthcare for solutions by showcasing Qa- and how to better manage simi- all patients while remaining tar’s Academic Health System, lar scenarios and how to prevent abreast of the latest develop- the fi rst within the Mena re- them, should they arise in the ments in the healthcare sector. gion.” future. Mohamed Mubarak al-Noi- Topics of discussion at the More importantly, they fo- mi, HMC’s chief of staff and forum are expected to include cused on workers’ welfare and chief of the managing direc- methods of preparing and how fostering a culture of care tor’s offi ce said participating qualifying future health sector and wellbeing for workers cre- in the annual event is an im- leaders, challenges of building ates a happy workforce that is portant part of HMC’s strat- excellence in the healthcare both more productive and works egy for remaining current with system, trends shaping the more safely. regional, global, health sector future of the region’s health- In addition, global case stud- developments. care and building a sustainable ies of best-in-class projects The forum also allows HMC healthcare system. were presented, including the successful implementation of HSSE during the Pearl GTL Participants in the ‘Master Class in HSSE Leadership for Project Managers’ hosted by Tafawoq recently. Project in Ras Laff an. Bader al-Jaidah, director, mately contribute to our profes- unique platform for knowledge- tal leadership skills he acquired tween Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Tafawoq, said: “Tafawoq aims to sional advancement, in line with sharing between the project during the Master Class will Shell and Hamad Bin Khalifa provide an environment that will Qatar National Vision 2030.” management professionals and assist in his job on a daily basis. University, offers world-class support and foster development Ian Jewitt, HSSE delivery their peers.” “Understanding major disaster training for project profes- for project management profes- manager (Integrated Gas) at Hamdan Easa al-Kubaisi, risks and how to avoid them is an sionals through unique pro- sionals. We are proud to off er Shell said: “I am honoured to head (Construction &Interface imperative part of my role, as is grammes to further develop the this Master Class, which will as- have been invited to contribute Services - Engineering & Ven- the planning and implementa- competencies of the thriving sist in the progression of current to Tafawoq’s HSSE Leadership tures Division), Qatargas, ac- tion of HSSE standards,” he said. project management commu- industry innovations and ulti- Master Class, which provided a knowledged that the fundamen- Tafawoq, a partnership be- nity in Qatar. Mohamed al-Noimi (left) and Ali al-Khater

QFC’s mobile app off ers access to services

atar Financial Centre (QFC) way for us to engage with our fi rms, and The mobile application builds on has launched its mobile phone provide them with a fast and easy way QFC’s commitment to off er its cus- Qapplication, a “free interactive to access our services at the touch of tomers time-saving services and tool” that allows access to its services a button,” he added. “This app will al- amenities, and further reinforces the including company registration, li- low our fi rms to focus on growing their organisation’s dedication to support- censing and immigration. business while we take care of the lo- ing its fi rms. The new application features a mul- gistics behind it,” he concluded. This latest step follows on previous ti-touch menu which allows customers Raed al-Emadi, chief commercial of- services the QFC has made available to to learn more on how to set-up at the fi cer echoed Yousuf’s remarks and said: clients. In 2014, the QFC was the fi rst QFC and make payments for immigra- “The launch of this app is an excellent entity in the Mena region to make its tion services among others. example of the best-in-class services tax guidance material available online, “We are always looking for new ways we provide our licensed fi rms.” and in 2015 it created an online tax to enhance our clients’ experience” He added: “This app complements treaty database. said Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, chief our QFC Client portal and covers the The QFC mobile app is available on executive offi cer. wide spectrum of services we off er pre, Apple’s “App Store” and Google’s “Play “The QFC mobile app is yet another during and post the licensing phase.” Store.”

New parking facility at Religious Complex

new car parking area at the western side of the Religious Complex (pictured) in Mesaimeer will A be functional from tomorrow (Thursday). The use of the facility by churchgoers will ease the pressure on the main car parking area. Access to the western car parking area is from the Doha to Wakrah Road, behind the Birla and Pak Shama schools. Signage will be in place at the complex to assist churchgoers. After parking, churchgoers can enter the complex through Gate No 9. The exit and entry from the western car park will have the same route. The Public Guards Department will open the parking slots for the disabled at the main car park on Friday. Visitors are not allowed to park in these slots with- out a disabled badge or pass. Illegal parking can attract penalties. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 7 QATAR

Second year CPH student Huda Barhoush and third year WCM-Q student Mohamed al-Hajjaji during the activity. 70 students take part in activity on smoking

ore than 70 students from ronment for students of all healthcare said, adding, “collaboration of this four major educational insti- backgrounds to understand and re- capacity provides all students the Mtutions in Qatar have partici- spect their roles and responsibilities to opportunity to further their skill- pated in the second Inter-professional stakeholders.” set and become more well-rounded Education (IPE) activity on smoking CNA-Q school of health sciences healthcare practitioners in the work- cessation. dean Irene O’Brien stated that health- place”. The students were drawn from Qatar care is all about teamwork and improv- Students were later engaged in ad- University (QU) College of Pharmacy ing patient care. dressing cases of smoking cessation (CPH) and department of health sci- “It is wonderful that students can adopting the strategies learned during ences, College of North Atlantic-Qatar gain practice in this area to better pre- a session conducted by WCM-Q as- (CNA-Q), University of Calgary – Qa- pare them for when they start working sociate professor of family medicine tar (UCQ), and Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar’s healthcare system.” in clinical medicine Dr Mohamud Ver- – Qatar (WCM-Q). The students were then oriented on jee. One such case involved helping a The workshop hosted at CNA-Q the relevance of smoking cessation and heavy smoker suff ering from chronic started with an ice-breaker activity the role of healthcare providers by CPH obstructive pulmonary disease to stop to familiarise students on the concept assistant professor Dr Ahmed Awaisu smoking. Also discussed were strate- of IPE and to share the commonali- who also emphasised the role for col- gies and roles in establishing a smoking ties and diff erences of their respective laborative care in tobacco cessation cessation clinic. academic disciplines and professional clinics as part of the strategies to con- Second year CPH student Radoa backgrounds. trol tobacco use in Qatar. al-Ansari said: “Collaborating with Opening the event, assistant dean On the importance of students in students from other healthcare pro- for student aff airs and IPE chair Alla healthcare profession disciplines grammes gives us a better understand- El-Awaisi said: “Part of our goal from joining forces for a healthier Qatar, ing of each other’s roles and perspec- these workshops is preparing our he said: “Learning together using an tives in the healthcare team. These students for shared decision making IPE model is a unique opportunity to sessions provide us with the tools we through collaborative practice in their build a strong foundation for future will need in the workplace to provide careers ahead. Smoking cessation is partnership among pharmacy, medi- optimal care to the patient. Working an eff ective model for showcasing this cal, public health, nursing and allied together for the betterment of the pa- collaboration and providing an envi- health professionals students”, he tient is everyone’s goal.” Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 REGION/ARAB WORLD

18 killed in Oman truck-bus crash Egyptian is beheaded, head-on collision in- volving a truck and a Abus killed 18 people of son shot dead in Sinai various nationalities in western Oman yesterday, police said. Sixteen people were also AFP night. His son was shot in the injured in the pre-dawn ac- Cairo head,” a medic said. cident on the road between The killings come weeks af- Ibri and Fahud, police said in ter Egypt’s IS affi liate posted a statement. n Egyptian man has pictures online of two men it The bus was carrying been beheaded and his said were killed for spying for passengers from Salalah Ateenage son shot dead in the military in the Sinai. in southwestern Oman to the Sinai, offi cials said yester- The IS affi liate - “Sinai Prov- Dubai, the Times of Oman day of the peninsula where Is- ince” - is waging an insurgency reported, citing the Gulf lamic State group militants are in the restive peninsula that has Transport Company which spearheading an insurgency. killed hundreds of soldiers and operates the service. The man and his 17-year-old policemen since the military The dead included six son were killed late Monday overthrew Islamist president Omanis, four Saudis, two Pa- in the North Sinai provincial Mohamed Mursi in 2013. kistanis and a Yemeni, police town of El-Arish, security of- The group also claimed the said, adding that the injured fi cials and medics said. October 31 downing of a Rus- included 11 Omanis, two Sau- No militant group has yet sian airliner carrying tourists dis, a Chinese and a Pakistani. claimed responsibility for the over Sinai that killed all 224 The nationality of a man in attack. people on board. IS said it had the intensive care remained In the past, militants from smuggled a bomb onto the unknown. the Egyptian affi liate of IS have plane at an airport in the south The two vehicles col- beheaded several people and of the peninsula. lided head-on in the desert posted gruesome pictures on- The Sinai militants pledged area, Lieutenant Colonel line after accusing them of spy- allegiance in November 2014 Saeed al-Dawoudi said in ing for the army in the Sinai. to IS, which controls parts of the statement, adding that “The man’s decapitated Iraq and Syria and also has a a car later crashed into the body and his son’s body were presence in confl ict-ridden wreckage. An Omani police handout photo of the accident site on the road between Ibri and Fahud in western Oman. brought to hospital on Monday Libya. Rouhani says Iran voters chose ‘right and proper path’

AFP Rouhani’s diplomacy with the West that the country must be in confron- out by reformists in Tehran, they re- Tehran and his moves to open Iran up to tation with others, they still haven’t tained some seats in other cities and foreign investment were soundly got the message of 2013,” he said, al- enjoyed strong support in rural areas. beaten by reformists. Conservatives luding to his landslide presidential Some 69 constituencies had no ranian voters chose “the right also lost seats. election victory on a pledge to end clear winner, meaning a second and proper path for the coun- “The owners of this country are years of standoff over Iran’s nuclear round runoff in April in a fi eld that Itry”, moderate President Hassan the people... they determine the programme and crippling sanctions. has more conservatives than re- Rouhani said yesterday after fi nal path and direction of this country,” No single group won a decisive formists and moderates. election results showed his allies had the president said. share of parliament’s 290 seats, but The outcome signalled strong made signifi cant gains. “I thank our intelligent and brave tallies suggested the pragmatic Rou- public support for the nuclear deal Friday’s twin elections - to parlia- people who have taken a step for- hani would be able to forge a working between Iran and world powers, an ment and to top clerical committee, ward,” he said at an auto industry majority. agreement steered by the president the Assembly of Experts - were cru- conference in Tehran. The main conservative list secured which saw the lifting of sanctions in cial for the president and a de-facto Buoyed by new backing from re- 103 MPs, reformists and moderates January. referendum on his administration formists supportive of the govern- 95, and independents 14, while fi ve “Cooperation should be every- after its nuclear deal with world ment, the president urged a spirit of seats went to minorities and four to one’s concern. Today the era of con- powers. cooperation among MPs from across candidates with no single affi liation. frontation is over,” Rouhani told me- In the parliamentary election, Iran’s political spectrum. While conservatives were wiped dia persons yesterday. hardliners who vocally opposed “If there are still some who think

(From left) Kuwaiti MP Rawdhan al-Rawdhan, Defence Minister Sheikh Khaled al-Jarrah al-Sabah and Minister for Cabinet Aff airs Sheikh Mohammad al-Abdullah al-Sabah attend a parliament session at the National Assembly in Kuwait City yesterday. Kuwait MPs okay an extra $500mn for Eurofighters

Kuwait’s parliament yesterday approved a bill allowing the government of the Gulf state to spend an additional $500mn on buying Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes. The new funding comes on top of $10bn additional defence spending already approved by parliament in January to upgrade the country’s military. Defence Minister Sheikh Khaled Jarrah al-Sabah told MPs the $10bn will be spent over the next 10 years, while the new funds will be used as an advance payment for the jets. The extra funds will be withdrawn from state reserves. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 9 ARAB WORLD Tunis and Berlin to Lost Israel troops stray into camp, speed up return of sparking clashes

AFP military spokesman said. The other fl ed to- Jerusalem wards the nearby Israeli settlement of Kochav Yaakov. Their jeep was burnt, and what was said to be its registration plate could be seen rejected migrants wo Israeli soldiers using a traffi c app on the ground in the camp. to fi nd their way mistakenly entered Sajdia’s father, Omar, said a huge contin- AFP De Maiziere rejected the criti- Ta refugee camp in the occupied West gent of Israeli forces arrived at the camp. Tunis cism, saying that although desig- Bank overnight, sparking clashes that killed “If you want to describe the situation you nated safe countries are assumed one Palestinian and wounded 15 people, of- would say there is a war,” he told AFP as he to not systematically persecute fi cials said yesterday. received guests who paid their respects at his unisia and Germany have their citizens, individual requests The two soldiers travelling in a jeep entered home. agreed to speed up the repa- for protection would still be con- the Qalandia refugee camp and were targeted Residents said the Israeli reinforcements Ttriation of rejected asylum- sidered. with rocks and Molotov cocktails, Israeli of- included a bulldozer that caused damage to seekers from the North African Chancellor Angela Merkel has fi cials said. Israeli reinforcements were then homes. country, German Interior Minister come under intense pressure to urgently deployed to the camp between Jeru- The soldiers’ mishap made headlines in Thomas de Maiziere said yesterday. limit the infl ux of migrants, mainly salem and Ramallah to rescue them, provok- Israel, whose military is reputed to be the re- He said the two countries were also from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Af- ing further clashes that lasted hours. The two gion’s most technologically advanced. seeking to boost security cooperation, ghanistan, with the southern state soldiers were later rescued unharmed. “They apparently used Waze, which indi- namely with Berlin training border of Bavaria demanding permanent Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said cated a shortcut from Jerusalem to Ramal- guards to secure the frontier with its controls on its border with Austria. the soldiers “apparently used Waze,” the Is- lah,” Yaalon said at a conference, according confl ict-hit neighbour Libya. In Tunis, De Maiziere also spoke raeli-developed navigation app now owned by to his offi ce. After taking in more than 1mn of bolstering security ties with Tu- Google. The military said it was investigating. “They didn’t know the terrain. We have to asylum-seekers last year, Germany nisia, especially along the border Waze however said the soldiers themselves verify who sent them on the mission, what is trying to reduce arrivals, includ- with Libya, where the Islamic State were at fault, with a setting that tells the they knew and what they didn’t know and ing with a law to declare Morocco, group has gained a foothold, and to app to avoid “dangerous areas” having been how to respond when, in modern times, Waze Algeria and Tunisia as safe coun- battle terrorism. turned off and the driver having deviated shows you the way.” tries of origin. Last month the German newspa- from the suggested route. Yaalon said: “I learnt long ago, when GPS Speaking in Tunis at the end of a per Bild am Sonntag said Germany With the threat of two of their soldiers be- began to be used, that you cannot neglect lo- tour of the three countries, De Mai- was considering sending troops to ing kidnapped or killed, Israeli forces were cating yourself with a map.” ziere said a fi rst group of 20 Tuni- Tunisia to help train soldiers in the quickly dispatched. According to an Israeli He added that it was important to know sians who failed to secure asylum fi ght against IS. police spokeswoman, Palestinians threw “the environment and not be misled by tech- in Germany would soon be repatri- And on Monday, British De- German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere and his Tunisian counterpart homemade explosives and shot at the rescue nological systems that show you the way.” ated. fence Minister Michael Fallon told Hedi Majdoub inspect equipment, off ered by Germany, at a national guard team, which also opened fi re. But Waze, acquired by Google for more This “pilot project” would test parliament his country would be barracks in Tunis yesterday. The Palestinian health ministry said one than $1bn in 2013, hit back at suggestions the ground to ensure the “effi cien- sending a training team to Tunisia Palestinian was killed and 10 wounded. The its app was at fault, saying it cannot protect cy” of the system and pave the way to help stop people illegally enter- Tunisia troops kill four militants dead man was identifi ed as Eyad Omar Saj- against human error. for further returns, he said. ing from Libya. dia, a 22-year-old student. Five Israeli border “(Waze) includes a specifi c default setting “These repatriations would not IS has claimed responsibility for Tunisian troops killed four suspected resulted in the seizure of “a Kalash- police were also wounded, one of them seri- that prevents routes through areas which are concern the tens of thousands of three bombings last year in Tunisia militants in a counter-terrorism oper- nikov, ammunition, a large quantity ously, police said. marked as dangerous or prohibited for Is- Tunisians who live legally in Ger- that killed dozens of people, in- ation overnight, the interior ministry of detonators” and a home-made A trail of blood could be seen extending raelis to drive through,” the company said in many (where) they run small busi- cluding 59 foreign tourists. It has spokesman said yesterday. grenade, a ministry statement said. down a wall from a roof where Sajdia was a statement to AFP. In this case, the setting nesses, live normally and pay their been blamed for a series of atroci- There were no security force Kasserine province, which neigh- believed to have been when he was shot. The was disabled. taxes,” he said. ties in Libya. casualties in the operation in the Ain bours Algeria, has seen repeated narrow roads of the camp were littered with “In addition, the driver deviated from the Human rights groups oppose the Western countries have agreed Jaff el area on the border between clashes between security forces and rocks and other debris, and several thousand suggested route and as a result, entered the designation of the three Maghreb that military action is needed to the central provinces of Kasserine Islamist militants. people later attended Sajdia’s funeral, his prohibited area. countries as “safe” under a law dislodge IS in Libya - which lies and Sidi Bouzid, Yasser Messbah Tunisia has built a 200km barrier body wrapped in a Palestinian fl ag. “There are also red signs on the road in awaiting upper house approval, on Europe’s doorstep - but world told AFP. that stretches about half the length The two soldiers who fi rst entered the question that prohibit access to Palestinian- pointing to discrimination against powers want a national unity gov- The operation, which ended at of its border with Libya in an attempt camp abandoned their jeep, with one hiding controlled territories (for Israelis). It is the homosexuals and curbs on free ernment installed to request help around 1100 GMT yesterday, also to prevent militants from infiltrating. in the courtyard of a house and shooting to responsibility of every driver to adhere to speech and assembly. before formally intervening. defend himself and signal his position, the road and traffi c signs and obey local laws.” Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 ARAB WORLD

Censor censured Italian student ‘interrogated’

Reuters Shaaban al-Shami, assistant to tervals during a period of about Cairo the justice minister on forensic fi ve to seven days.” medical aff airs, had denied Ab- The case has put a spotlight del Hamid was questioned by on alleged police brutality in n Egyptian forensic of- the public prosecutor’s offi ce. Egypt, a strategic ally of the fi cial has told the public The main Interior Ministry United State and other Western Aprosecutor’s offi ce the spokesman was not available powers. autopsy he conducted on an for comment. Another Inte- Shopkeepers in Regeni’s Italian student showed he was rior Ministry spokesman, asked neighbourhood of Cairo said interrogated for up to seven days by Reuters to comment on the there were no signs that police before he was killed, two pros- fi ndings, said: “I know nothing in the area had been questioning ecution sources said. about this matter.” people since his disappearance The fi ndings are the strong- A source in the Department or death. est indication yet that Giulio of Forensic Medicine confi rmed Rights groups accuse the Regeni was killed by Egyptian Abdel Hamid had been ques- police of widespread abuses security services because they tioned. Reuters reached Abdel against Egyptians since the point to interrogation methods Hamid by telephone but he de- army toppled Egypt’s fi rst freely such as burning with cigarettes clined to comment. elected president in 2013. in intervals over several days, Regeni, 28, disappeared on Such actions against foreign- which human rights groups say January 25, the anniversary of ers are not common. Sudanese journalists pose with chains outside the Tayar newspaper to announce a hunger strike yesterday in protest against a are the hallmark of the security the 2011 uprising that ended Italy has said Egyptian inves- decision to withhold the publication of the newspaper. services. former President Hosni Mubar- tigators should hand over the In the past, the Interior Min- ak’s 30-year rule. evidence they have uncovered istry has rejected accusations Regeni had written articles on Regeni’s death. about human rights abuses. critical of the Egyptian govern- Egypt invited Italian investi- The prosecution sources said ment, the Italian newspaper that gators to take part in the inves- Hisham Abdel Hamid, Director published them said. tigation, but judicial sources in of the Department of Forensic The broken corpse of the Rome say the collaboration has Medicine, gave his fi ndings dur- Cambridge University student, been limited because not enough Iraqi offi cer killed in attack ing questioning as an expert by who was researching the rise information was shared. offi cials in the public prosecu- of independent labour unions A second autopsy in Italy tor’s offi ce last week. following the 2011 revolt, was “confronted us with something Reuters with soldiers, said Major General Ali Daboun, headquarters near Haditha dam and attacked “We asked Hisham Abdel Ha- found in a ditch on the side of a inhuman, something animal”, Baghdad the commander of Jazeera and Badiya opera- soldiers stationed there with light weapons mid to appear before the pros- motorway on February 3. Italian Interior Minister Ange- tions in charge of the western desert border- and hand grenades before detonating their ecutor’s offi ce for questioning, Egyptian forensics and pros- lino Alfa has said without elabo- ing Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. explosive vests. to ask him questions about the ecution offi cials have said his rating further. senior Iraqi army offi cer and seven “Four terrorists attacked the entrance to The statement named Abboud and several autopsy,” an investigator in the body showed signs of torture The case has created tensions others were killed overnight when Is- the command headquarters and our soldiers other security offi cers it said were also killed. prosecutor’s offi ce told Reuters, and that he was killed by a blow between Egypt and Italy. Alamic State militants attacked a mili- managed to kill them. Regrettably Brigadier The last major attack on Haditha in Janu- adding that Abdel Hamid was with a sharp object to the back of Egypt’s interior ministry has tary headquarters near the town of Haditha, Ali Abboud was martyred in the attacks,” Da- ary by about 200 Islamic State militants accompanied by two associates the head. said possible motives for the security offi cials said yesterday. boun said by phone. was repelled with the help of US-led coali- who also took part in the autopsy. “The autopsy report shows a killers included criminal activity Haditha and its nearby dam, which the A news fl ash on state television confi rmed tion air strikes. A coalition spokesman said “Abdel Hamid said during the number of injuries at one time; or the desire for revenge “due to command is charged with protecting, are Abboud’s death. at the time that off ensive was in response to questioning that the wounds on and there are a number of other personal reasons”. in one of the few parts of the Sunni Muslim Seven other police and army personnel the group’s losses in the provincial capital the body occurred over diff er- injuries later and other injuries a Italian judicial sources say an province of Anbar still controlled by Iraq’s were killed, including a second army offi cer, of Ramadi, which Iraqi forces recaptured in ent intervals of between 10-14 third time,” said another inves- Italian team in Cairo has not re- Shia-led government forces and local police two police sources said. December. hours. That means that whoever tigator in the public prosecutor’s ceived any information of value backed by tribal fi ghters. The area is about Initial investigations showed the militants Islamic State has claimed responsibility is accused of killing him was offi ce, summarising Abdel Ha- from their Egyptian counter- 190km northwest of Baghdad. managed to reach the base by dressing in for a string of attacks in recent days in and interrogating him for informa- mid’s statements. parts. Brigadier Ali Abboud, the command’s chief army uniforms, security offi cials said. around Baghdad and in the eastern province tion.” “The wounds and fractures “They have given us nothing,” of staff , was killed when four suicide bombers Islamic State said in an online statement of Diyala which have killed more than 100 The state news agency said occurred at diff erent times in in- a judicial source told Reuters. attacked an entrance to the base and clashed that two of its fi ghters had infi ltrated a police people. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 11 AFRICA S Africa’s Zuma easily wins no-trust vote Zuma may face pressure from within Pressure has mounted on the president “Every one of the 8.2mn unemployed The ANC dismissed the DA’s no-con- to step down against the background of an economic citizens in our country feels a sense of be- fi dence motion as “a frivolous stunt” de- crisis sparked by his fi ring of two fi nance trayal,” Maimane said. signed to divert public attention from “the An ANC MP heckles an opposition speaker. AFP ministers within days in December. South Africa’s president is elected by racism scandals embarrassing the party on Pretoria “Our president’s quest for power has parliament and if a majority of members an ongoing basis”. Analysts say that despite fi nancial crisis was the spend- never been about creating a more prosper- support the no-confi dence motion he is The DA is seen as the political home of Zuma surviving the vote, heavy ing of $23mn of taxpayers money ous South Africa,” the leader of the oppo- obliged to resign, along with his cabinet. many South African whites after the end losses for the ANC in the munici- on upgrades to his rural home at eleaguered South African Presi- sition Democratic Alliance (DA), Mmusi The DA is also pursuing an attempt of apartheid, and the ANC has stepped up pal elections could turn the party Nkandla. dent Jacob Zuma easily survived a Maimane, told parliament. in the high court in Pretoria to reinstate its attacks on alleged racism in the party against the president. For two years Zuma resisted Bno-confi dence motion in parlia- “It has always been about creating a charges of corruption against Zuma which ahead of municipal elections later this “There’s nowadays dissident demands by the public protec- ment yesterday after a heated attack on his more prosperous Jacob Zuma.” were dropped in 2009, shortly before he year. voices in the ANC. The sup- tor, the national ombudsman, to “reckless” handling of the economy. The no-confi dence vote, called by the became president. Maimane said the more obvious Zuma’s port of Zuma is weaker but not repay some of the money, before Zuma’s African National Congress par- DA, said Zuma’s “irrational, irresponsible The charges, which relate to a multi-bil- failures became, “the more the ANC plays to the point of collapse,” Susan his lawyers conceded in court ty’s overwhelming majority saw the no- and reckless leadership has done immeas- lion dollar arms deal signed in 1999, were the race card to defl ect legitimate criti- Booysen of the University of the last month that he was obliged confi dence motion defeated by 225 votes urable damage to the economy”. dropped allegedly because of interference cism”. Witwatersrand told AFP. to pay. to 99, with 22 abstentions. Maimane told parliament that the in the prosecution case by his political op- Maimane went on to ask how a party “If the ANC suff ers badly in lo- Zuma will have completed two But the president was pilloried by opposi- country was going through its most dif- ponents. once led by liberation icon and racial rec- cal elections it could be a signal terms in 2019 and is not eligible tion speakers during the debate, which came fi cult period since the end of apartheid 22 A statement from the presidency de- onciliator Nelson Mandela “has been re- they can’t approach national elec- to run for president again, but if on the same day that his lawyers fought a years ago. Unemployment is running at scribed the court proceedings as “an abuse duced to this”. tions (in 2019) with him in charge.” opposition to him continues to high court battle to prevent the reinstate- 25% and the economy is forecast to grow of process by a political party in order to Zuma was not in parliament for the de- One of the major scandals mount, the party could replace ment of corruption charges against him. less than 1% this year. advance a political agenda”. bate. surrounding Zuma before the him ahead of the vote.

Zimbabwe’s ex-VP launches party to challenge Mugabe

Reuters scribed Mujuru’s party as a Harare “gathering of losers”. “We will defeat them anytime. We are ready for imbabwe’s former them. What is it that they vice president Joice want to tell us that they ZMujuru has launched couldn’t do for 34 years a new party to challenge when they were with us her ally-turned-adversary in the (ZANU-PF) party?” Robert Mugabe, promising said Kasukuwere. to revive the economy and Zimbabwe is struggling repair strained relations to emerge from a deep re- with the West. cession that shrank its Mujuru was Mugabe’s economy by nearly half deputy for a decade and during the decade to 2008. seen as the veteran presi- It is also facing its worst dent’s likely successor un- drought in years. til he fi red her in 2014, ac- Zimbabwe has had par- cusing her of leading a plot ticularly strained relations to oust him. with former colonial ruler In her fi rst public ad- Britain and the West since dress since then, she told 2000, when Western pow- reporters yesterday the ers imposed sanctions on new Zimbabwe People First Mugabe’s government ac- party would bring jobs and cusing him of election vio- review the ruling ZANU- lence, rigging and rights PF party’s divisive black abuses. economic empowerment Mugabe, 92, denies the laws, which critics say have charges and says Britain scared off investors. lobbied its allies to punish She said she was open to Zimbabwe for taking com- alliances with other oppo- mercial farms from white sition groups before 2018 farmers, in an often-vio- presidential elections. lent land seizure drive. There is no independ- Mujuru, like Mugabe, ent estimate on the size of took part in Zimbabwe’s her support. Other parties 1970s independence war, have previously said they and her aides say she still would be open to talks with enjoys support from some Mujuru. of her comrades who hold “Today we confi rm our senior positions in the po- existence as a viable, in- litically powerful military. clusive home-grown po- “She had deep roots litical party,” Mujuru, 60, in ZANU-PF and her ap- said to cheers and ululation peal was national so she from supporters. may be able to take some “We are not fi ghting one supporters to her new po- man but a system, that litical home but it will not system which is unjust,” be plain sailing,” Eldred she told an audience in- Masunungure, a political cluding reporters, Western science lecturer at the Uni- diplomats and four former versity of Zimbabwe said. cabinet ministers fi red by Mujuru said an interim Mugabe. management team would ZANU-PF national com- run Zimbabwe People First missar and cabinet minis- until it elects leaders at a ter Savior Kasukuwere de- convention this year.

Radical accused of war crimes

AFP The Hague

rosecutors at the International Criminal Court yes- terday accused a Malian jihadist of a war crime by Punleashing “a callous assault” on the centuries-old world heritage site of Timbuktu. “We must stand up to the destruction and defacing of our common heritage,” said chief ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda as she unveiled a single charge of war crimes against Ahmad al-Faqi al- Mahdi.“Humanity’s collective consciousness was shocked by the destruction of these sites. Such an attack must not go unpunished,” she told the Hague-based tribunal, set up in 2002 to try the world’s worst crimes.Faqi’s lawyers defended their client as “an intelligent, reasonable and educated man” who had sought to do good in response to a “divine message.” Faqi, aged about 40, is the fi rst jihadist to appear before the ICC and the fi rst person to face a war crimes charge for an attack on a global historic and cultural monument. Prosecution for the 2012 attack on the ancient Malian shrines comes amid a global outcry over the razing by the so-called Islamic State group of sites in Iraq and Syria. Prosecutors are seeking to persuade the three judges that there is enough evidence to proceed to a trial. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 AMERICAS Super Tuesday voting begins AFP test ballots against Trump. If Rubio or Cruz were the Re- Arlington “Normally I would vote for the publican candidate, Clinton Democrats, but I am more afraid would face a much closer race. of Trump. I still don’t know how Strikingly, Sanders, a self- mericans voted yester- I will vote,” said one woman as described democratic socialist, day in what is deemed she walked into a voting station topped all three Republican can- Athe most pivotal day of in Arlington. didates by wide margins, the poll the White House primaries, with Exiting the red brick city hall showed. frontrunners Hillary Clinton and in colonial-quaint Alexandria, Trump’s incendiary campaign Donald Trump hoping to wipe a voter who gave her name as has infuriated Republican rivals, out all rivals for their party nomi- Stephanie said she was pulling including mainstream favour- nations. for Trump. “He has inspired a lot ite Rubio who has intensifi ed his Millions of people are taking of people to come out. In north- personal attacks and stressed part in Super Tuesday – a series ern Virginia, I don’t think he will Trump would have trouble in a of primary votes and caucuses do well but in more southern general election. in a dozen states stretching from parts of Virginia I think he will.” The Florida senator warned Virginia on the east coast all the Trump’s Republican rivals, supporters in Tennessee that US way to Alaska. Senators Marco Rubio and Ted media and Democratic groups If Democrat Clinton and Re- Cruz, have been frantically trying will jump on Trump “like the publican Trump – an outspoken to halt the real estate magnate’s hounds of hell” if he wins the billionaire who has tapped into a march toward the nomination, nomination. Cruz, Trump and Rubio: fighting to be the Republican presidential candidate, with billionaire Trump the clear frontrunner. vein of conservative rage at con- seeking to unite the party against But Trump is clearly in the ventional politics – win big, it the man they see as a non-con- driver’s seat. mocking him for sweating on the disabled, urged a ban on Muslims Court revives fraud claim against Trump University could spell doom for their chal- servative political interloper. He is leading in polls in at least campaign trail and warning that entering the country, and eagerly lengers. Clinton meanwhile was riding eight of the 11 Super Tuesday he could not stand up to strong advocated the use of torture, A New York appeals court has revived a fraud claim that the state attorney Polling stations opened fi rst in high after thrashing rival Bernie states, and expanding his lead men like Russian President would have been the undoing of a general brought against Trump University, a for-profit investment pro- Virginia where a steady stream of Sanders in South Carolina over nationally with CNN/ORC giv- Vladimir Putin. normal candidate. gramme. voters stopped to cast ballots on a the weekend, securing an as- ing him 49% support compared He derided the “horrible” job But the 2016 cycle has been The ruling came in a case New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman day like few others on the calen- tronomical 86% of the African- ahead of Rubio on 16%. his rivals have done in their home anything but normal, with a fu- filed against the Trump venture in 2013. dar leading up to the November American vote in her third win in Cruz of Texas is third, at 15%, states, in an interview with Fox rious electorate keen to back an The state accused the venture of misleading students into paying for pro- presidential election. four contests. followed by retired neurosurgeon News yesterday. outsider who scorns the political grammes they thought came from a licenced university, according to yes- In the swing state’s subur- A new CNN/ORC poll found Ben Carson at 10% and Ohio Trump’s infl ammatory rheto- establishment. terday’s decision by the Appellate Division, First Department in Manhattan. ban, middle-of-the-road north, that either Clinton and Sanders Governor John Kasich at 6%. ric, in which he has accused Mex- “I’m representing a lot of an- The New York Attorney General claimed that the Trump venture misrepre- some Democrats are considering would easily defeat Trump if the Trump punched back against ico of sending rapists across the ger out there,” Trump told CNN. sented that Trump himself handpicked instructors, the decision said. crossing party lines to cast pro- general elections were held now. Rubio, calling him “Little Marco”, border, mocked women and the “We’re not angry people, but He also accused Donald Trump of having a significant role in Trump Univer- we’re angry at the way this coun- sity’s operations. try’s being run.” The lawsuit accused the venture of using “bait and switch” tactics to steer In the latest controversy, enrollees into higher cost seminars. Trump came under withering Trump was notified by the state in 2005 that his Trump Entrepreneur criticism for not immediately Initiative – known as Trump University until 2010 – was in violation of state disavowing the support of David education law. Duke, who once led the Ku Klux In 2014, a judge ruled that it was undisputed that he never complied with Klan. the licensing requirements. Rubio said that Trump’s fail- ure to promptly repudiate Duke, who has expressed support for recognise that there are a whole Texas is the largest prize, and Trump, makes him “unelectable”. bunch of other people who say, Cruz is banking on winning his Some conservatives have said if this becomes the David Duke/ home state. He trails in nearly all they will shun Trump if he is the Donald Trump party, there are other Super Tuesday states. nominee. a lot of us who are out”, he told Almost 600 Republican del- “This is the party of Abraham MSNBC. egates are up for grabs yesterday, Lincoln,” said Senator Ben Sasse, If Trump sweeps the South, nearly half the 1,237 needed to accusing Trump of being a non- where many of the Super Tues- secure the nomination. conservative plotting a “hostile day races are taking place, it Some 865 Democratic del- takeover” of the party. could be lights out for his Repub- egates are at stake, 36% of those In the Democratic corner it’s between Sanders and Clinton. Trump supporters “need to lican challengers. needed to win. Apple lawyer, FBI chief facing off before Congress

Reuters ing to one of the San Bernardino of millions of Apple devices, ac- creating an unlocking technique and Malik Tashfeen traveled as might be on the device.” would go beyond the single court Washington shooters. cording to Sewell’s prepared re- would “unlikely to be a trail- they fl ed police after their ram- Manhattan District Attorney case and require companies like Last Thursday, Apple fi led a marks before the US House of blazer” for setting a legal prec- page in December that killed 14 Cyrus Vance will also testify in Apple to ensure that their devices motion to vacate the court order, Representatives Judiciary Com- edent and would not be useful and wounded 22 in San Bernardi- support of the FBI, arguing that could be accessed in unencrypted pple Incorporated and the maintaining its stance that Apple mittee. for breaking into later generation no, California. default device encryption “se- form. US Federal Bureau of In- chief executive Tim Cook said he “Hackers and cyber criminals Apple devices. “We’ve looked at every gas sta- verely harms” criminal prosecu- “My colleagues from jurisdic- Avestigation (FBI) were due would be willing to take all the could use this to wreak havoc on Comey told a congression- tion camera, every intersection tions at the state level, including tions around the country have to make their cases before a con- way to the Supreme Court. our privacy and personal safety,” al panel on Thursday that the camera, we have the whole route, in cases in his district involving been running into the same road gressional panel yesterday re- Apple’s general counsel, Bruce he said in those remarks. phone could have “locator serv- but we’re missing 19 minutes at least 175 iPhones. blocks in their eff orts to inves- garding a court order to force the Sewell, was to argue that creating Sewell will testify directly after ices” that would help the agency before they were fi nally killed The district attorney’s offi ce tigate and prosecute serious technology company to give the a tool to unlock the phone would FBI Director James Comey, who fi ll in a gap in its knowledge of the by law enforcement,” Comey has drafted legislation that it crimes,” Vance said in prepared FBI data from the iPhone belong- weaken the security of hundreds told lawmakers last week that route that Syed Rizwan Farook said, adding: “The answer to that wants Congress to enact, which remarks.

Canada charges four for exporting satellite technology to China Canadian police have arrested two men and are seeking New York judge backs Apple against government two others for exporting controlled goods and technologies intended for space satellite use to China in violation of export and defence laws. Reuters arguments that Apple has made Bernardino case, will not be bound nish the Apple brand”, according to request. Amazon.com, Alphabet Three of the men are linked to Waterloo, Ontario-based New York in the San Bernardino case, par- by Orenstein’s decision, the senior court records. Incorporated’s Google, Facebook Teledyne DALSA Incorporated, while the fourth works for ticularly his fi nding that a 1789 Apple executive said it will likely Orenstein said his ruling in Ap- Incorporated, Microsoft Corpora- one of the Chinese companies involved in the transaction, law called the All Writs Act cannot be infl uential. ple’s favour was not a decision on tion and Twitter Incorporated have the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said late on he US government cannot be used to force Apple to open the In both cases, the government “whether the government should voiced support for Apple. Monday. force Apple Incorporated to phone. relies on the All Writs Act, a broad be able to force Apple to help it un- The iPhone 5s at issue in the case “These contracts involved a state-owned corporation and a Tunlock an iPhone in a New Orenstein also found that Apple 1789 law which enables judges to lock a specifi c device; it is instead was seized by the US Drug En- Chinese-based company founded by two of the accused to York drug case, a federal judge in was largely exempt from comply- require actions necessary to en- whether the All Writs Act (AWA) forcement Administration during create microelectronics destined to enhance space satellite Brooklyn said on Monday, a ruling ing with such requests by a 1994 force their own orders. resolves that issue and many oth- a 2014 search of the Queens, New camera technology,” the RCMP said in a statement. that bolsters the company’s argu- law that updated wiretapping laws. The Justice Department is “dis- ers like it yet to come”. York, residence of Jun Feng, who The charges came two years after the Canadian government ments in its landmark legal show- A senior Apple executive, who appointed” in Orenstein’s ruling Orenstein concluded that “the authorities suspected of being in- asked the police to investigate controlled goods being down with the Justice Department spoke on condition he not be and plans to ask a higher judge government posits a reading of the volved in drug traffi cking. shipped between Canada and China in violation of Canada’s over encryption and privacy. named, said during a call with re- within the same federal district to latter phrase so expansive – and in Authorities sought to access the trade laws, which restrict the export of sensitive defence and The government sought access porters that Orenstein’s decision review the matter in coming days, particular, in such tension with the phone in 2015 while the case was security-related technologies. to the phone in the Brooklyn case would bode well for the company a department representative said. doctrine of separation of powers – pending. Ottawa requested the investigation after receiving a in October, months before a judge in the San Bernardino case, which Though the defendant in the as to cast doubt on the AWA’s con- Feng later pleaded guilty in Oc- complaint from Teledyne DALSA. in California ordered Apple to take has touched off a fi erce national drug case has already pleaded stitutionality if adopted”. tober while Orenstein was weigh- special measures to give the gov- debate about the balance between guilty, the Justice Department still He also wrote: “The implications ing the request, but both Apple and ernment access to the phone used fi ghting crime and preserving pri- believes the phone may contain of the government’s position are the Justice Department said they by one of the shooters in the San vacy in the digital age. evidence that “will assist us in an so far-reaching – both in terms of wanted a ruling. Bernardino, California, attacks. He said that the government’s active criminal investigation”, the what it would allow today and what Prosecutors have said that since US Magistrate James Orenstein demands in the San Bernardino offi cial said. it implies about Congressional in- 2008, Apple has complied with 70 in Brooklyn ruled that he did not case, which include compelling When fi ghting the government’s tent in 1789 – as to produce imper- such court orders based on the All have the legal authority to order Apple to alter its operating system, order to help extract data from the missibly absurd results.” Writs Act without objection. Apple to disable the security of an were even more far-reaching than iPhone, Apple had argued that be- Orenstein also found that Com- Many of those cases appear to iPhone that was seized during a in the New York case. ing forced to do so “could threaten munications Assistance for Law have involved earlier iPhone mod- drug investigation. Although US Magistrate Judge the trust between Apple and its Enforcement Act, passed in 1994, els that did not require customised His ruling echoed many of the Sheri Pym, the judge in the San customers and substantially tar- exempted Apple from this sort of software to unlock. Oscars draws eight-year low US TV audience

AFP same day “fast nationals” rating. full credit for the decline, certainly Erik Davis, managing editor of biggest blockbusters, Star Wars: Los Angeles Civil rights leader Al Sharpton, one would have to assume we were fi lm website Fandango, described The Force Awakens, Jurassic World who had called for viewers to “tune eff ective and part of the decline. the evening as “one of the most and The Avengers: Age of Ultron out” after no ethnic minority nomi- And to those that mocked the idea consistently entertaining Oscar being largely absent from the he ABC TV network said on nees were announced in the acting of a tune out, it seems the joke was shows in memory”. nominations. Monday that 34.3mn Ameri- categories for the second year run- on them.” “Whether or not it was intention- The viewership for half of the Tcans watched the 2016 Os- ning, said the drop was “heartening”. The show itself, though contro- al, the show had a unifying theme, last 16 Oscars shows since 2000 cars, the lowest ratings in eight “This is a signifi cant decline versial, received generally favour- and every Chris Rock joke was a per- has dipped below 40mn, with the years for the glitzy culmination to and should send a message to the able reviews from the critics, who fect riff on that theme,” he said. Ellen DeGeneres-hosted 2014 edi- Hollywood’s annual awards season. Academy and to movie studio reserved their most fulsome praise Rick Kissell, of fi lm industry tion attracting the largest audience Despite headlines generated by a heads,” Sharpton, who led a small for host Chris Rock, who targeted magazine Variety, attributed the of 43.7mn. Jon Stewart’s 2008 race row embroiling the 88th Acad- protest in Hollywood on Sunday, the Academy with a series of caus- lower numbers in part to best pic- show, when the Coen brothers’ No emy Awards, the audience was 6% said in a statement. tic jokes about the Oscars’ lack of ture nominees not appealing to Country For Old Men took best pic- down on last year’s 36.6mn in the “Though clearly we don’t take racial diversity. older audiences, and 2015’s three ture, remains a low point at 32mn. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 13 ASEAN

Navy drill Hopes fade for Suu Kyi deal as Myanmar hastens presidential vote

AFP The main fi gures at the talks Naypyidaw have in public tip-toed around the leadership issue. In typically cryptic com- yanmar’s parliament ments yesterday, NLD spokes- will bring forward man Win Htein said the party Ma vote for the next stood behind an eventual Suu president to March 10, it was Kyi presidency. announced yesterday, leaving “Aung San Suu Kyi must little time for Aung San Suu become the president... it just Kyi to strike a deal to let her depends on whether it is ear- take the top offi ce. lier or later,” he told reporters The country’s democracy in the capital Naypyidaw. fi gurehead is currently banned Clause 59 (f) of the current from becoming president un- constitution bars those with der the junta-era constitution. foreign children or spouses Suu Kyi has held several from the top offi ce. Suu Kyi’s rounds of closed-door talks late husband was British, as with the powerful military are her two sons. since her National League for Shortly before November’s Democracy (NLD) party won landslide win, Suu Kyi pledged crushing victory at elections to rule “above” whoever suc- in November. ceeds Thein Sein. Observers say the talks were Experts have so far been likely aimed at testing the mil- surprised by the relatively itary’s appetite for a constitu- smooth passing of power from tional change to allow Suu Kyi the military to a party led by its This photograph released yesterday by the Myanmar Armed Forces shows Myanmar Navy ships sailing in formation during the Sea Shield 2016 combined fleet exercise off to the top job, a post many of one-time nemesis Suu Kyi. Coco island in the Andaman Sea. Myanmar’s people see as her But the army retains sweep- destiny. ing political and economic But news that the presi- powers. It is allocated a quar- dential vote has been brought ter of all parliamentary seats forward by one week suggests and will choose one of three negotiations have failed to candidates for president. reach a deal to clear her path The other two candidates to power. will be chosen by the elected “We are going to hold the members of the lower and up- meetings... for MPs to be able per houses, which are domi- to elect the president and nated by the NLD. Najib slams report he vice presidents on March 10, The new president will Thursday, a week earlier than emerge from a vote by the was previously announced,” combined houses. Win Khaing Than, speaker of Speculation has swirled Myanmar’s combined houses around who that could be. of parliament, told lawmakers Tin Oo, the NLD’s near yesterday. 90-year-old patron, has re- took money from fi rm The handover from a half peatedly tried to swat away century of military rule to a suggestions that he could take AFP The fund transfers to Najib — prime minister Mahathir Mo- “personal donation”, which has nated from 1MDB and moved popularly elected government the job. Suu Kyi’s loyal per- Kuala Lumpur fi rst revealed by the Journal last hamed has led calls for Najib to not been confi rmed by the Saudi through a complex web of over- has been complex and drawn sonal doctor Tin Myo Win and July — and allegations of huge be removed. “They (the news- government and is widely de- seas fi nancial entities, aided by out -- and the army will con- a leader of Suu Kyi’s chari- sums pilfered from the state paper) keep repeating the same rided in Malaysia. 1MDB also re- offi cials in Abu Dhabi. tinue to play a major role. table foundation Htin Kyaw he offi ce of Malaysia’s company have rocked Malaysian old allegations without provid- leased a statement repeating its Malaysia’s attorney gen- It is still unclear who will have also been tipped for the scandal-plagued prime politics, prompting calls for Na- ing evidence; they keep relying assertion that it had never given eral has said $620mn out of the take over on March 31 from post. Tminister yesterday de- jib’s ousting. solely on anonymous sources money to Najib. $681mn was returned to the President Thein Sein, the Even the junta’s former nounced a Wall Street Journal Najib, 62, and the company — that might not even exist; and The donations to Najib’s per- Saudis, without explaining why. former general who has steered number three Shwe Mann, has report which alleged that he ac- 1Malaysia Development Berhad they keep choosing to omit key sonal bank account were made in Since the scandals emerged dramatic reforms since 2011. been linked to the role. cepted hundreds of millions of (1MDB), an investment vehicle known facts,” the statement 2013 just before a general elec- last year Najib has purged crit- dollars that originated from a founded in 2009 — have con- said. tion. The longtime ruling party ics in his government, detained state fi rm he established. sistently denied wrongdoing but The statement did not directly squeaked through with its worst whistleblowers, and clamped The Wall Street Journal report, critics have accused both of fail- refute the key allegations in the showing ever amid growing op- down on media reporting of the citing investigators in foreign ing to provide convincing proof. story. position to the government. aff air. countries and other anonymous Najib’s offi ce released a state- It also repeated a Malaysian The donations were initially But US authorities are report- Young couple among sources with knowledge of the ment saying the newspaper had government claim that the mon- put at $681mn. edly looking into 1MDB-related money movements, also said become a “willing vehicle” for ey Najib received was a gift from But the Wall Street Journal overseas fund fl ows, while Swiss, the sums received by Najib Ra- those plotting to oust him. the Saudi government. report said its investigations in- British, Singaporean and Hong 18 caned in Aceh zak may have topped $1bn — far It did not specify who was be- No details have been given dicated they may have reached Kong authorities have acknowl- more than previously thought. hind the alleged plot, but former about the reason for the Saudi $1bn. It said much of this origi- edged scrutinising the aff air. AFP and a 21-year-old man were Banda Aceh caned eight times each af- ter they were found spending time alone together, which is ighteen people were against the law for unmarried publicly caned yesterday couples in the province. Vietnam hit by worst drought in 90 years Efor breaking Islamic law Public caning happens on a in Indonesia’s Aceh province, regular basis in Aceh to imple- including a young unmar- ment Islamic Shariah law, but AFP “The water level of the Mekong River ket. Intensive cultivation and rising sea Thailand and Myanmar. Le Anh Tuan, a ried couple who were caught is less common for women. Hanoi has gone down to its lowest level since levels already make it one of the world’s professor of climate change at the Uni- spending time alone together. Six young men were also 1926, leading to the worst drought and sa- most ecologically sensitive regions. versity of Can Tho in the heart of the Me- A hooded man meted out caned 40 times each after they linisation there,” Nguyen Van Tinh, depu- Scientists blame the ongoing 2015-2016 kong region, said as much as 40-50% of lashings with a rattan cane on were caught drinking alcohol, ietnam is suff ering its worst ty head of the hydraulics department un- El Nino weather phenomenon, one of the the 2.2mn hectares (5.4mn acres) of arable a stage next to the mosque in which violates Islamic law, at a drought in nearly a century with der the Ministry of Agriculture, told AFP. most powerful on record, for the current land in the delta had been hit by salinisa- Banda Aceh, the capital of the birthday party in a hotel room Vsalinisation hitting farmers espe- The low-lying and heavily cultivated drought. tion. western province, in front of a in December. Authorities did cially hard in the crucial southern Mekong Mekong region is home to more than Water shortages have also hampered “We do not have any specifi c measures large, cheering crowd. not disclose the off ences com- delta, experts said yesterday. 20mn people and is the country’s rice bas- agriculture in nearby Cambodia, Laos, to mitigate the situation,” Tuan said. A 19-year-old woman mitted by the rest of the group.

COMPENSATION Rare Thai labour win as tuna factory Activists advise against elephants for rides, tigers for selfi es pays out $1.3m n

A Thai tuna processing factory DPA in Thailand. The fi rst is, Do not loris. Even pop star Rihanna country has lost 50% of its coral has agreed to pay staff $1.3mn Bangkok ride elephants. Who wouldn’t couldn’t help but take a selfi e reefs since 2000. compensation for a litany of labour want to take a picture on top with a loris while she was visit- “Coral bleaching has been abuses, an off icial said yesterday, a of an elephant? It would un- ing Thailand. a problem in Thailand but it rare victory for migrant workers in hailand has been mar- doubtedly fetch a plethora of But slow loris’ are listed is made worse by tourism and the scandal-hit seafood industry. keted around the world likes on Facebook and be the in Convention on Interna- human activity,” said Suchana Hundreds of Myanmar labourers Tas a place where couples envy of friends and family. But, tional Trade in Endangered Chavanich, a Professor of Ma- at Golden Prize Tuna Canning, a and families can relax on golden increasingly, conservationists Species(CITES) Appendix I, rine Biology at Chulalongkorn processing plant in Samut Sakhon beaches, explore lush jungle, and are warning tourists that taking meaning they are threatened University. province east of Bangkok that sells meet exotic animals on the way. part in elephant rides is encour- with extinction and their trade When the divers stand on or fish worldwide, have spent months Tourists return brandishing aging a trade that is as danger- is prohibited. touch the coral it puncture the seeking compensation for exploita- smartphone snaps of elephant ous as it is destructive. “You cannot have a loris animal’s thin and fragile outer tive working conditions. Thailand rides, visits to a tiger temple and Between June 2015 and Feb- without a permit and you can- cover which in turn can lead to is the world’s third-largest seafood close-up encounters with curi- ruary 2016 at least four people, not use the animals to sell for small infections. exporter, but the industry is plagued ous monkeys and colourful sea including the Scottish tourist, tourist selfi es and play dates,” “Divers need to be more con- with rights abuses and fuelled by life. were killed on elephant tours by said Roger Lohanan, the head of scientious about preserving traff icked labour from neighbour- What the advertising videos out-of-control pachyderms. the Thai Animal Guardians As- what little coral we have left,” ing Myanmar and Cambodia. The do not show is that the booming “These events have only A tourist has his photo taken with a tiger wearing the hat of a sociation. she said. sector has come under heightened tourist trade has had a serious caught the public eye because a volunteer at the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. “Loris are nocturnal, they And the fourth advice is: do scrutiny from foreign governments impact on the welfare of Thai- Scottish person was killed,” said don’t like humans and they are not go to the Tiger Temple. over the past year, with the Euro- land’s wildlife. Sangduen Chailert, founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation of “Wild live elephants are be- subdued because they are terri- The images of monks walking pean Union currently considering In January, when a Scottish the Save Elephant Foundation Thailand (WFFT), argues that ing illegally captured to supply fi ed,” he said. alongside unchained tigers may an all-out ban on Thai fishing prod- tourist was killed in front of in Thailand. male elephants should not be the lucrative tourism industry Learn from Rihanna’s mis- evoke a strong sense of curios- ucts. The US also passed a bill last his daughter by a bull elephant, “For people who are familiar used at all for rides because in Thailand and urgent changes take. After she tweeted her loris ity and oriental mysticism but week outlawing goods produced conservationists said that the with the elephants tours, these when they are in musth — a ... are needed to stop the traf- selfi e, the two men that gave it do not be fooled into visiting the by forced labour that could see tragedy could have been pre- events happen regularly be- periodic rise in aggression and fi cking,” the organisation said in to her were arrested for animal Tiger Temple. Thailand targeted with import bans. vented if the elephant had been cause the elephants get stressed testosterone — they can be un- a statement. traffi cking. A National Geographic ex- Rights groups say Golden Prize treated with suffi cient care and out from overwork and poor controllable. The second is, do not take The third activity that should pose in January accused the workers had long been subject to respect. working conditions.” Asian Elephants are an en- photos with or buy a slow loris. not be indulged is: don’t touch temple in western Thailand of unlawfully low salaries, supervisor On the occasion of World Sangduen says that to fi x the dangered species in Thailand With their giant eyes, their coral reefs. supplying the black market with abuse and a lack of compensation Wildlife Day, here are four ac- situation, better animal welfare with less than 5,000 left in the fuzzy exterior and quiet pres- While Thailand attracts sea- tiger parts, echoing longstand- for machine accidents on the 25- tivities animal conservationists laws are needed. wild according to animal trade ence, people the world over loving visitors to its beaches and ing claims of local conserva- acre processing sites. advise against while travelling Edwin Wiek, founder of the watchdog Traffi c. have fallen in love with the slow dive sites, scientists say that the tionists.

Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Lego giraffe Pastor held after cross protest

Agencies “They also excessively in- Beijing terfere in freedom for reason- able use of building interiors, violating the basic spirit of hinese authorities have the state’s religious manage- arrested the pastor of ment,” said the statement to Cthe biggest Protestant Zhejiang authorities. church in the eastern city of The state-linked Zhe- Hangzhou for embezzlement, jiang Christian Council and a state-backed newspaper said Zhejiang Three-Self Patri- yesterday, after he opposed otic Movement of Protestant the forced removal of crosses. churches said Gu had also Zhejiang province, which been removed as pastor of has Hangzhou as its capital, the church and stripped of his has launched a widespread positions in the two bodies, campaign to remove crosses according to statements re- it deems to violate building leased Monday. rules from churches, but ac- The news comes days after tivists describe the moves as a a Zhejiang court sentenced crackdown on religion by the another Christian pastor Bao Communist state. Guohua to 14 years in jail for Hangzhou police formal- embezzlement and other ly arrested the head of the charges, after he also opposed Chongyi church, Gu Yuese, the forced removal of crosses. on suspicion of misappropri- His wife Xing Wenxiang ating large amounts of funds was jailed for 12 years in a sen- and other “economic crimes”, tence handed down last week, according to the Zhejiang reports said. Daily newspaper. China’s offi cially atheist The Chongyi church, which Communist authorities are is state-approved, in May wary of any organised move- last year issued a rare public ments outside their control, A Lego giraff e is seen next to a shopping mall in Shanghai yesterday. People spent 450 hours building a 6.16m tall cartoon giraff e with over 40,000 Lego pieces, according to criticism of the local govern- including religious ones, and the local media . ment regulations on religious analysts say controls over buildings. such groups have tightened Zhejiang has announced under President Xi Jinping. rules requiring crosses for In 2014, Wenzhou city in Catholic and Protestant Zhejiang demolished the large churches to be attached to Sanjiang Church, following the front of the building, government declarations it rather than on the roof, and was an illegal structure. be no more than a tenth of the A Chinese court has con- building’s height. victed 24 people over a fi nan- “The rules make many un- cial scam that defrauded hun- reasonable requests for Cath- dreds of thousands of people N Korea sanctions olic and Protestant buildings,” of 10bn yuan ($1.5bn), state the church letter said. media said yesterday. vote in UN delayed China tycoon fl ayed Reuters counterpart, Xi Jinping, China agreed to technology, saying it was a peaceful satel- North Korea has been under UN sanc- for microblog posts United Nations support the unusually tough measures lite launch. tions since 2006 because of its four nu- intended to persuade its close ally North The offi cial North Korean news agency clear tests and multiple rocket launches. Korea to abandon its atomic weapons pro- KCNA said in a commentary on Monday Candidates for the blacklist include Reuters Ren of making remarks criti- he United Nations Security Coun- gramme. its “position as a satellite manufacturer Choe Chun-sik, who was head of North Beijing cising state media and ques- cil delayed until today a vote on a Last week the United States presented and launcher will never change (and) ... Korea’s long-range missile program; tioning whether taxpayers TUS-Chinese drafted resolution that the 15-nation council with the draft reso- space development is not something to Hyon Kwang Il, senior offi cial at NADA; money should be used to pro- would dramatically expand UN sanctions lution that would signifi cantly tighten re- be given up because of someone’s ‘sanc- Yu Chol U, director of NADA; Jang Bom hina’s ruling Commu- mote the government. on North Korea after Russia said it needed strictions after North Korea’s nuclear test tions’.” Sun and Jon Myong Guk, Tanchon Com- nist Party will impose The Beijing city Xicheng more time to review the text, diplomats and February 7 rocket launch, and cre- It called the proposed sanctions “a wan- mercial Bank offi cials in Syria; Jang Yon C“severe intra-party district party committee said said. ate what it described as the toughest UN ton infringement on (North Korea’s) sov- Son and Kim Yong Chol, Korea Mining penalties” on a former prop- that Ren had “released illegal The vote, which had been scheduled for sanctions regime in two decades. ereignty and grave challenge to it.” Development Trading Corporation (KO- erty tycoon whose microblogs information and made inap- yesterday afternoon, is now planned for Originally Washington had wanted the The proposal would also close a gap in MID) representatives in Iran; and Kang were closed at the weekend propriate comments online, 10am (1500 GMT) today, the diplomats council to adopt the resolution last week- the UN arms embargo on Pyongyang by Ryong and Ryu Jun, KOMID representa- after he criticised government resulting in a vile infl uence said on condition of anonymity. end but Russia had demanded more time banning all weapons imports and exports. tives in Syria. policy, state news agency and damage to the party im- “Subsequent to the United States’ re- to study it. There would also be an unprecedented Two Tanchon bank representatives in Xinhua reported. age”, Xinhua said late on quest ... to schedule a council vote for this The draft seen by Reuters would require ban on the transfer to North Korea of any Vietnam are also to be blacklisted. Microblog portals such as Monday. afternoon, Russia invoked a procedural UN member states to conduct mandatory item that could directly contribute to the In addition to NADA, North Korean en- Weibo.com and t.qq.com, The committee, where Ren 24-hour review of the resolution, so the inspections of all cargo passing through operational capabilities of its armed forc- tities to be blacklisted include the Acade- among China’s most popu- is registered as a party mem- vote will be on Wednesday,” the US mis- their territory to or from North Korea to es, such as trucks that could be modifi ed my of National Defense Sciences, Chong- lar, were ordered to shut the ber, will “punish him strictly sion to the United Nations said in a state- look for illicit goods. Previously states for military purposes. chongang Shipping Co and the Ministry of accounts of Ren Zhiqiang, a according to party rules”, the ment to reporters. only had to do this if they had reasonable Other proposed measures include a ban Atomic Energy Industry. retired top executive from a report said, without elaborat- The expanded sanctions, if adopted, grounds to believe there was illicit cargo. on all supplies of aviation and rocket fuel Also new, countries will be required, state-controlled property de- ing. would require inspections of all cargo go- The list of explicitly banned luxury goods to North Korea, a requirement for states to not just encouraged, to freeze the as- veloper who had more than Party punishments gener- ing to and from North Korea and blacklist- will be expanded to include luxury watches, expel North Korean diplomats engaging in sets of North Korean entities linked to 30mn online followers. ally involved administrative ing North Koreans active in Syria, Iran and aquatic recreational vehicles, snowmobiles illicit activities, and blacklisting 16 North Pyongyang’s nuclear or missile pro- China’s Internet regulator demerits, but in extreme cas- Vietnam. worth more than $2,000, lead crystal items Korean individuals and 12 entities, includ- grammes and to prohibit the opening of said that Ren, a party mem- es members can be expelled, After nearly two months of bilateral ne- and recreational sports equipment. ing the National Aerospace Development new branches or offi ces of North Korean ber, had been “spreading il- which generally happens to gotiations that at one point involved US Pyongyang denied the February 7 Agency, or NADA, the body responsible for banks or to engage in banking correspond- legal information”. those implicated in major president Barack Obama and his Chinese launch involved banned ballistic missile February’s rocket launch. ence with them. Chinese media has accused corruption cases. Evidence of coral bleaching on Barrier Reef

AFP It occurs when reef symbiosis — been recorded in history and Hughes Sydney the mutually benefi cial relationship said he hoped the reef would avoid a between two organisms that inhabit similar fate. corals — is disrupted by a rise in “We have been closely monitoring cientists yesterday warned ocean warming, although there can conditions on Australia’s coral reefs coral bleaching was occurring also be other causes. for the past six months,” he said. Son the Great Barrier Reef as sea Janice Lough, senior research sci- “The best outcome is that the temperatures warm, and it could rap- entist at the Australian Institute of bleaching doesn’t get any worse, idly accelerate unless cooler condi- Marine Science, said the next few but if it becomes more widespread, tions blow in over the next few weeks. weeks were crucial. we are ready to mobilise a network Authorities cautioned last year “The latest Bureau of Meteorology of scientists to document the extent that the world faced a mass glo- forecasts suggest that we could see of the bleaching, which will help us bal coral bleaching event driven by signifi cant above average tempera- understand how the reef is respond- the warming eff ects of the El Nino tures through the month of March, ing to successive major bleaching weather phenomenon, and the ARC which may mean more bleaching events.” Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef ahead for corals on the Great Barrier WWF-Australia said a wide variety Studies said it was a growing con- Reef unless we get some windy and of corals were being impacted. cern. cloudy weather soon,” she said. “Global warming — fuelled by “Current reports of coral bleach- The Barrier Reef — the world’s big- burning fossil fuels — is increasing ing on the Great Barrier Reef do not gest coral reef ecosystem — is already the water temperature and bleaching equate to a mass bleaching event,” struggling from the threat of climate coral reefs,” said WWF Great Barrier said the centre’s director Terry change, as well as farming run-off , Reef campaigner Louise Matthiesson. Hughes, based at James Cook Uni- development and the coral-eating “Right now, the Great Barrier Reef versity in Townsville in Queensland crown-of-thorns starfi sh. is on a knife-edge.” state. It narrowly avoided being put on One of the worst mass bleach- “But we are concerned about a the UN World Heritage in danger list ing episodes on record, which af- growing incidence of minor to mod- last year with Canberra working on a fected reefs in 60 tropical countries, erate bleaching at multiple locations plan to improve the reef’s health over took place in 1998, when the El Nino along the reef as the peak of summer successive decades. weather pattern was exceptionally approaches.” A study by the University of strong. Bleaching is a phenomenon that Queensland and the US National The phenomenon occurs when turns corals white or fades their col- Oceanic Atmospheric Administra- trade winds that circulate over waters ours, threatening a valuable source of tion in October said only two previ- in the tropical Pacifi c start to weaken biodiversity, tourism and fi shing. ous mass coral bleaching events had and sea surface temperatures rise. Lyle Vail, director of the Lizard Island Research Station, examining coral at Lizard Island off the Australian state of Queensland. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 17 BRITAIN/IRELAND

CRIME LAW AND ORDER VIOLENCE INITIATIVE EDUCATION Bid to kidnap teenage Boy charged with murder One killed in Dublin in BA cabin crew raise £3,000 Secondary schools in girl in underpass as man found dead at home suspected gang attack with charity trolley dash capital ‘most overcrowded’

An attempt by a man to drag a teenager away A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the The brother of an Irish crime boss murdered British Airways cabin crew have completed a One in five London secondaries is now full or from an underpass is being treated as kidnap, murder of a 52-year-old man. Paul Jeff eries was in a gang feud in 2012 has died of his injuries dash across London with their trolleys for Sport over capacity, making schools in the capital the police have said. The man approached the young found dead at his home in the village of Mayfield after being shot in his car, Irish media reported Relief. The crew walked 10 miles across 32 of most overcrowded in the country, according to woman – in her late teens – as she walked through in East Sussex last week. Police said he died from yesterday. The victim, Vinny Ryan, was the London’s best-known bridges, including Vauxhall figures. They show 19.6% of secondary schools an underpass in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, at “multiple injuries”. The teenage suspect, from brother of Alan Ryan, a suspected leading Bridge, Battersea Bridge and Westminster in London are full (1.1%) or over capacity (18.5%), 9.30am on Monday. “Initially the off ender tried to Crowborough, is accused of killing Jeff eries on member of the dissident republican Real IRA Bridge. They raised £3,000 for Flying Start — ahead of those in the South-East on 18% and the engage her in conversation and walked alongside February 23. A Sussex Police spokesman said: group who was also gunned down in Dublin, the airline’s charitable partnership with Comic West Midlands on 17.2%. The figures, obtained her,” a Thames Valley Police spokesman said. “Jeff eries, 52, was found dead by police who called the Irish Times and Irish Independent reported. Relief. Mary Barry, BA’s community investment by Labour mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan, show “Then he grabbed her by the waist and started at his home in Coggins Mill Lane after concerns Vinny Ryan was shot by a two-man hit team on manager, said: “It’s a great way to raise money, big discrepancies between diff erent boroughs. dragging her away.” The spokesman added: “She had been expressed that he had not been seen for Monday afternoon after dropping off his partner as well as a few smiles at the same time.” This In Kingston-upon-Thames and Redbridge, half managed to grab on to some railings and call a few days.” A 17-year-old girl from Eastbourne, a and child and died a few hours later in hospital, year, Sport Relief is calling for the public to walk, of secondary schools are at or over capacity. In the police on her mobile phone. At this point the 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man, who were the reports said. The Irish Independent said two run, swim or cycle to raise cash for the charity. Kensington & Chelsea, Merton, Tower Hamlets, off ender ran off .” The man is described as being arrested on suspicion of assisting an off ender, have gangs were among the possible suspects in the The drive culminates in the Sport Relief Games, Haringey and Wandsworth the figure is 36% while Asian, with some facial stubble, and 5ft 7in tall. all been released on bail until April 21. attack. taking place from March 18-20. Hackney, Lambeth and Newham have no issues.

Charges against IRA blast Prepare for suspect dropped second poll, AFP Belfast

court yesterday dropped all charges against Seamus ADaly, the only suspect in the Adams tells 1998 Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland that killed 29 people. Daly, a bricklayer, was arrested and charged in 2014 for the atroc- ity committed by the republican militant Real IRA splinter group. The car bombing, which also injured around 220 people, was Sinn Fein the single worst atrocity of the sectarian confl ict known as The Guardian News and Media vote for Sinn Fein, which won up to reasons, to call it a day, although Troubles. London 24 seats, the party’s leading lights there is absolutely no sign of that No-one has ever been convicted have been rallying around their at present. He clearly does not fi nd in a criminal court over the bomb- leader. the parliamentary scene at Lein- ing, which tore through the market inn Fein president, Gerry Adams’s closest ally and key ster House very stimulating. town of Omagh, testing the peace Adams, has told activists to partner during the peace process, “The obvious successors would accords signed only months earlier Sbe ready for a second election the Northern Ireland Deputy First be Mary Lou McDonald, current to end three decades of strife. with no calls coming from within Minister, Martin McGuinness, was deputy leader, and Pearse Do- In 2009, the Belfast High Court his party for him to step down as blunt over the weekend about any herty, who is fi nance spokesman. found that Daly and three other leader following its best ever elec- prospect of his colleague relin- Neither of them has anything like men were liable in a civil case tion to the Irish parliament. quishing the leadership. the republican aura that Adams brought by families of the victims The party once umbilically “Some of the people who criti- has acquired over the last 40 years and they were later ordered to pay linked to the Provisional IRA will cised Gerry Adams couldn’t lace and the prospect of a move against more than £1.6mn in damages to return to the Dail next week with his boots as a politician … He led us the current leader is well-nigh un- the relatives. Daly has always de- up to 24 seats, up from 14 in 2011 - to a dramatic performance in 2011 thinkable.” nied involvement in the bombing. a performance that for now at least from four to 14 seats, and is now The central question facing Sinn “It’s very painful but on the has dampened down speculation leading us to another dramatic Fein is whether the 14% achieved evidence we’ve heard, I wouldn’t that Adams might move aside performance with a 50% rise in our in this general election is the pla- want anyone to be convict- from the centre of power he has seats. It is absolutely not the time teau in terms of potential support ed,” Michael Gallagher, whose held since 1983. for Adams to step aside,” McGuin- or whether it can reach the fi gures 21-year-old son Aiden was one of Adams performed relatively ness said. As for Adams himself, it was getting in last year’s opinion those killed in the bombing, told poorly on three main live television the Sinn Fein president appeared polls - about 26%. They did fail in the BBC after the case collapsed. debates during the three-week to be focused on fi ghting a second one of their strategic goals between “I feel that there has been a general election campaign, which election very soon - a distinct pos- the last election fi ve years ago and chance wasted here. There never has ended in uncertainty and no sibility if no government can be last Friday’s poll: supplanting Fi- was a political will to fi nd the peo- prospect of any coalition securing formed when the new Dail meets anna Fail as the main opposition ple responsible,” he said. a working majority. On polling day on March 10. party in the Republic. “Justice as we know it is very, itself, former Irish premier Bertie “We advised all of our candi- Fianna Fail’s pre-Easter revival very diffi cult in Omagh,” he said, Ahern claimed Sinn Fein would dates to stay on election footing. from its worst ever election result adding that he was hoping for a have won 10 extra seats if they had We advised our people to take in 2011 (21 seats, including only public inquiry to fi nd out the truth had an alternative leader without down the posters and hide them one in Dublin) to at least 43 seats of what happened. the baggage of the IRA past as well away because we could be back this time means the party founded Acting on confl icting bomb as someone more able to deal with again very, very soon. Now that by Eamon de Valera has seen off - warnings, police had moved shop- economic questions. might not happen, if a govern- for now - what was once a serious pers and shop workers into a part During one live debate, Adams ment is formed, but we are cer- existential threat from Sinn Fein. of Omagh where a car packed with stumbled and appeared to get tainly staying on election footing,” In fact, it is what Fianna Fail 225kgs of explosives was parked, mixed up over taxation fi gures. He he said. Deaglan de Breadun, the does next that will determine Sinn unwittingly putting them in close was dogged throughout the cam- author of a new book on the rise of Fein’s fortunes over the next few proximity to the huge blast. paign with questions over allega- modern Sinn Fein, said that while years. The author Ed Moloney, a A fi reball swept from the epi- tions that he had led the IRA dur- Adams himself was a poor per- veteran IRA and Sinn Fein watcher, centre of the explosion and shop ing the Troubles, and also why he former on television his position at has described the prospect of Fi- fronts were blown back on to defended convicted tax fraudster the top was not under threat. anna Fail joining in a “grand coa- shoppers inside. The blast was so and one time Provisionals’ chief- He said: “Adams is untouch- lition” with its old civil war rivals powerful that some of the victims’ Seamus Daly walks to a car after being released from Maghaberry prison near Belfast, Northern Ireland, of-staff , Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy. able as leader but he could at some Fine Gael as a “dream” for Gerry bodies were never found. yesterday. But following a 14% surge in the future stage decide, for personal Adams’ party. Kensington residents fi ght Honoured Boy fl ies to US for to keep anti-bird netting proton therapy London Evening Standard then run me over with a truck.” London Surgeons at St George’s hos- London Evening Standard geons fouling windows. How- the conservation area should pital in Tooting, which was not London ever, after a neighbour com- be trumped by the desire of the responsible for the misdiagnosis, plained it created a “sense of residents to be protected from boy aged eight whose undertook a highly-risky fi ve- enclosure”, officers launched this nuisance.” brain tumour was misdi- and-a-half hour operation to esidents of a Kensington enforcement action. Paul Wheeler, 82, a former Aagnosed as an “abdominal remove as much of the tumour street are in a bizarre bat- Neighbours in the road, MI6 specialist Middle East of- migraine” has been fl own to the as possible from behind Louis’s Rtle with town hall chiefs which is a conservation area ficer who was later a screen- US for specialist treatment after right eye. The tumour sat on the over a 60ft bird net they in- and where three-bedroom flats writer on Minder and the Dar- going blind in one eye. optic nerve, causing blindness. stalled to stop them from being fetch £3mn, mounted a legal ling Buds of May, said: “My wife Louis Ackers is receiving pro- Kerstin said it was heartbreak- plagued by pigeons and their challenge to the planning in- Alex and I came home one day ton beam therapy, paid for by the ing trying to explain to Louis why droppings. spectorate, but after losing an and the kitchen window was NHS, after his parents battled for he had to undergo brain surgery A retired judge and former appeal have lodged a last-ditch covered in poo. We said enough 18 months to establish what was that left him in so much pain. MI6 officer are among neigh- application to keep the net in is enough and all decided to causing daily headaches, mid- “Louis recovered from the sur- bours who have spent £10,000 place. put up the nets, which made an day sleeping and lack of growth. gery like a superhero; he is our fighting Kensington & Chelsea Dr Daniel Sister, a leading enormous difference and got rid Louis and his family, from Car- very own little superman,” she council’s demand that they take anti-ageing specialist, warned of the problem. We considered shalton, are fronting a campaign said. down the netting. that pigeon poo could lead to employing a hawk to get rid of for the Brain Tumour Charity’s The family fi rst became The birds moved into De people catching potentially the pigeons and we were quoted “Bandanas for brain tumours” alarmed at his condition early in Vere Gardens in 2010 after two “life-threatening” psittacosis. £10,000 a year.” day on Friday, which aims to raise 2014 but were repeatedly told by hotels were demolished to be He said: “Until the temporary The planning department awareness of tumours and funds doctors he was not seriously un- replaced by the £600mn One pigeon netting was installed in has recommended the plan- to help speed-up diagnosis. well as he could walk in a straight Kensington Gardens develop- 2013, our rear patio was fouled ning committee takes the unu- Mother Kerstin told how line and touch his fi nger to his ment opposite the park. daily by pigeons roosting on the sual step of refusing to rule on their lives “changed forever” nose. The nearby Baglioni Hotel ledges, window sills and eaves. the application at its meeting on August 20 last year when The family — also including erected a net over its patio to Since the netting was installed, next Tuesday. A report states: an MRI scan revealed a large father Darren and sisters Harli, protect its celebrity clientele, there has been genuine and ob- “There are more discreet and mass at the base of Louis’s 11, and Tayla, two — are due back which has included Lindsay Lo- vious improvement.” equally effective methods of brain. This was suppressing from Florida this month. A fund- han, George Clooney, Mariah Retired immigration judge bird control available including, Fashion designer Stewart Parvin poses with his medal his pituitary gland, explain- raising campaign raised £25,000 Carey, Beyonce and Jay Z. and City lawyer Christopher for example, spikes and wires.” after being appointed a member of the Royal Victorian ing why he “hadn’t grown 1cm to cover their living costs. Residents later erected their Wright, 78, chairman of the If the application is not ap- Order (RVO) at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham within a year”. She said: “I felt Louis had 10 weeks of proton own net behind two six-storey residents’ association, said: proved, residents will have until Palace in London yesterday. like someone had shattered my beam therapy to prevent the tu- Victorian terraces to stop pi- “The obligation to maintain March 15 to remove the netting. family into tiny little pieces and mour re-growing. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 BRITAIN/IRELAND London has nothing to fear from leaving EU, claims study

London Evening Standard cluded that the capital would such as China and India which It comes after Johnson dis- staying with the status quo, would provide more than the preferred scenario of being out- London remain Europe’s economic posed both a threat and an op- missed as “baloney” David when I think the real risk is we status quo,” it said. However, it side, but on good terms with powerhouse whether the UK is portunity. Cameron’s insistence that the will simply remain in a system suggested that staying in the EU the EU and globally focused, as inside the EU or out. “London: The Global Power- premier is pursuing “project that is less and less suitable to if it was reformed would be the “second best” as it would see oris Johnson’s economic It argued that London’s fu- house”, authored by Dr Gerard fear” by laying out the dangers our needs.” best outcome for the capital. the capital’s economy grow to case for Brexit was pub- ture financial success instead Lyons, admitted leaving would of a Brexit. The mayor’s report backed up It predicted that London’s just £615bn. Blished yesterday in a ma- depended on “playing to its be an “economic shock” for the On a visit to Northern Ire- his argument that leaving the economy would grow in real The report added: “The fu- jor report insisting that London economic strengths” to adapt capital that would “depress” ac- land, the mayor hit out at the EU would be better in economic terms from £350bn to £640bn ture of the economic and finan- has nothing to fear from leaving to the new global economy. tivity. But he added: “These fore- “project fear” tactics being terms than staying in an unre- over 24 years in the “brave new cial success for London and the the European Union. It also said the capital had to casts also indicate there is uncer- used by the Remain campaign. formed EU. world” scenario of a reformed UK will not depend solely on The 300-page study by the make sure it was equipped to tainty associated both in leaving He said: “There is an attempt “That is, leaving and purs- EU. whether the UK is in the EU or mayor’s economic adviser con- challenge new economic forces the EU and staying in it.” going on to scare people into ing sensible economic policies But it described Johnson’s not.”

Disaster training exercise Millions ‘face working longer to get pension’

London Evening Standard state pension age rises. Reforms London could lead to arrangements where manual workers, who left school at 16 and paid into the illions of people’s re- system for 40 years, could then tirement plans were start claiming the state pension Mthrown into doubt yes- early. terday as the government opened Similarly, people in poor the door to a major shake-up of health might also be able to get the state pension. the state pension at an earlier Ministers said a review would age. The state pension age is due look at whether the current sys- to rise to 66 by 2020, before go- tem of a universal state pension ing up to 67 as early as 2026, 68 age, rising in line with life ex- in the mid-2030s, and then 69 in A Urban Search and Rescue Member (USAR) extricates a “casualty”, played by an actor, who had been trapped on a London Underground train carriage during the pectancy, was “optimal in the the late-2040s. Exercise Unified Response (EUR) planned training exercise combining all aspects of British emergency services, in Dartford, south east England, yesterday. Emergency long run”. Ministers ordered the increas- services and search and rescues teams took part in a training exercise simulating a building collapse onto a London underground station. The exercise, funded by the MPs immediately warned that es to take into account longer life European Commission Exercise Program, is the largest ever disaster training exercise undertaken by the London Fire Brigade. it could lead to some people hav- expectancy since the state pen- ing to work for even longer than sion age of 65 for men was set currently planned to get their decades ago. state pension. The Pension Act 2014 in- The review would take into cluded a review at least every account the costs to the taxpay- fi ve years which would be based er, “fairness” and “fuller work- around the idea that people ing lives objectives”. should be able to spend a cer- The government said the re- tain proportion of their adult view, to be headed by former life drawing a state pension. The CBI boss John Cridland, would terms of reference of the review Labour’s Khan is unfi t not aff ect planned rises of the include: state pension age to 67 by 2028. z What a suitable state pen- Whitehall sources said it was sion age is over coming years and not “something for people to be the longer term. alarmed about”. z Whether the current system Labour called on ministers to of a universal state pension age “be honest” about the review, rising in line with life expect- to be mayor: minister saying it smacked of a bid to raise ancy best supports aff ordability, the retirement age more quickly. fairness, and fuller working lives London Evening Standard Khan’s offi ce hit back by ac- back the security forces against said Britain’s foreign policy is to “Sadiq has consistently spo- Shadow work and pensions objectives. And if not, how state London cusing the minister of “de- terrorist threats. He added: “My blame for the terrorist threat.” ken out against extremism and secretary Owen Smith said: pension age arrangements might meaning” his offi ce by making priority as defence secretary is Fallon, speaking in support terrorism. He’s suff ered death “People are right to worry that better support these objectives. an attack “on mainstream Mus- to give our armed forces what of Tory mayoral candidate Zac threats and constant abuse from the terms of this review may The independent review senior Cabinet minister lims like Sadiq”. they need to protect our people Goldsmith, went on: “London extremists throughout his life suggest that government is set to would have regard to “variations yesterday launched an The row follows a series of and our territory, here at home has witnessed appalling terror- because of his mainstream views. speed up rises in the state pen- between diff erent groups”. Aunprecedented attack on media reports highlighting links and overseas, now and into the ism in the past. It needs a mayor Attacks like this on mainstream sion age, throwing into chaos the Minister for Pensions Baron- mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan, between Khan and controver- future. who will back our police, secu- Muslims like Sadiq only make it retirement plans of millions of ess Ros Altmann said: “As our calling him a “Labour lackey sial individuals and groups. “With the Home Offi ce and rity services and armed forces harder for us to fi ght extremists, British workers.” society changes it’s only right who speaks alongside extrem- Khan was challenged on LBC the police, we have plans in place all the way. Labour cannot be put an end to radicalisation and Smith attacked the “gross that we continue to review state ists”. radio yesterday morning over to deploy up to 10,000 troops in trusted with our country’s se- beat the terrorists — it demeans mishandling” of a higher pen- pension ages and take into ac- Defence Secretary Michael several allegations, which he the event of Paris-style terrorist curity and they cannot be trust- the offi ce of the defence secre- sion age for women born in the count the relevant factors to Fallon claimed the Labour can- called “desperate”. He respond- attacks. The mayor has an im- ed with London’s either.” tary.” Fifties which had “caused huge make sure that the state pension didate was “unfi t” to be Lon- ed: “For goodness sake, let’s portant role to play in protecting A spokesman for Khan hit back The attack went much further fi nancial worries for 2.6mn fam- is sustainable and aff ordable for don’s mayor because he had have a campaign that is posi- London, supporting the police, at the minister: “The Tory cam- than any launched by Goldsmith, ilies”. future generations.” shared platforms with extreme tive.” and reassuring the public. That paign is in real desperation and it who has branded Khan “radi- Experts also said one issue Cridland said: “I know how radicals. Fallon’s strongly worded at- is why we need a candidate who was only a matter of time before cal and divisive”, to the fury of is whether manual workers in important this issue is, and will He lambasted Khan as “a man tack came in a speech to Con- can unite our city, not a Labour they went down this route — so Labour which says the terms are physically demanding jobs like consider all the evidence to en- who has said Britain’s foreign servatives in Bromley. The lackey who speaks alongside ex- it’s no surprise it’s Michael Fal- “coded racism” and designed to building can be expected to work sure that we have a state pension policy is to blame for the terror- minister said the fi rst duty of a tremists, proving himself unfi t to lon who will literally say anything link their candidate with radi- as long as offi ce employees as the age fi t for the future.” ist threat”. mayor was to unite the city and perform that role. A man who has during an election. calisation in the minds of voters.

Concerns remain as recast Nervous Adele kicks surveillance bill published off world tour in Belfast AFP stage fright, also informed fans AFP amid a global debate on how far “Terrorists and criminals are Belfast that she was suffering “bowel London countries should go in snooping operating online and we need movements” because of nerves. on citizens’ private data follow- to ensure the police and secu- Dressed in a long black dress ing leaks by former intelligence rity services can keep pace with dele has kicked off her with golden threads, she per- he security services and contractor Edward Snowden. the modern world and continue fi rst world tour in four formed 18 hits including Hello, police would have their to protect the public from the Ayears with a concert in Rolling in The Deep, Set Fire to Tright to trawl in bulk for many serious threats we face,” Belfast that received overwhelm- The Rain and Skyfall, the theme online data boosted under a pro- she added. ingly positive reviews despite the song to the James Bond film of posed new law to recast surveil- Safeguards in the bill include bestselling singer’s bout of pre- the same name. lance powers published yester- a new “double-lock” authori- gig nerves. Adele last performed in Brit- day. sation process meaning that The show in Northern Ire- ain in September 2011. The new Investigatory Pow- both the home secretary and a land’s main city late on Monday Alexis Petridis, music critic ers Bill would require websites to judicial commissioner will have was sold out months in advance for The Guardian newspaper, keep Internet connection records “Terrorists and criminals to review applications for inter- and fans came from as far as Ja- gave the concert four out of five for up to a year and allow law are operating online and we ception warrants. pan and South Africa to catch stars, praising her “fantastic enforcement agencies to access need to ensure the police The bill also reinforces exist- a first glimpse of the ballad voice” and calling the perform- them to help with investigations. and security services can ing encryption powers, allow- singer. ance “solid - if unsurprising”. The proposals have already keep pace with the modern ing officials to ask technology The 100-stop tour includes The Sun, the biggest selling drawn a hostile response from world” companies to provide content dates in London in March, Paris daily in Britain, gave her five technology companies and pri- where it is deemed “practica- in June, as well as New York’s stars saying the show “proved vacy campaigners, who say the In the US, Apple is locked in ble”. Madison Square Garden and the why she is the most successful case for such wide-reaching a legal battle with the FBI over a The House of Commons is Staples Centre in Los Angeles, artiste of the 21st century”. powers has not been made. warrant which seeks to make it expected to hold its first debate culminating with two dates in The show was “polished and “Powers for bulk intercep- unlock an iPhone used by one of on the bill in two weeks. Mexico City in November. perfect”. tion and bulk equipment in- the attackers who shot dead 14 Ministers hope to pass the leg- “I know some of you have Adele has broken several terference - hacking by any people in San Bernardino, Cali- islation by the end of the year, been dragged along but I’m go- records with her third and lat- other name - leaves the right fornia, in December. when existing powers expire. ing to win you over,” Adele joked est album, featuring the ballad to privacy dangerously under- Home Secretary Theresa May Over 100 politicians, cam- with some 11,000 fans gathered Hello. mined and the security of our insisted that the government was paigners and academics signed a in Belfast, the BBC reported. She was officially the big- infrastructure at risk,” said Gus “not seeking sweeping new pow- letter to the Daily Telegraph yes- “Although some of my songs gest-selling artiste in the world Hosein, executive director of ers” in what would be the fi rst terday warning the government get a bit depressing.” in 2015, according to the Inter- Privacy International. overhaul of surveillance laws for against rushing the bill through The 27-year-old singer, national Federation of the Pho- The bill is being published 15 years. parliament. Adele: pre-gig nerves who has been frank about her nographic Industry (IFPI). Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 19 EUROPE

Macedonia minister justifi es use of tear gas Austria planning ad campaign

AFP 400 young male people trying imposed a daily limit on the Poposki reiterated that Mac- Reuters an upper limit of 37,500 (asylum Kosovo last year with a local me- Skopje forcibly to enter Macedonian number of migrants allowed to edonia, which is home to 2mn Vienna requests this year). In order to dia campaign, Austria will pay territory from Greece,” Foreign enter. people and has seen tens of thou- get to this number it is necessary for huge posters to be put up in Minister Nikola Poposki told BBC In a separate interview with sands of migrants pass through to reduce the infl ux of refugees,” Afghanistan’s fi ve biggest cit- acedonia’s foreign min- Newsnight late on Monday. German business daily Han- its territory, was keen to join the ustria wants to deter Af- Interior Minister Johanna Mikl- ies as well as for adverts on more ister has defended his “If you are part of the security delsblatt, Poposki warned: “We European Union. ghans from seeking asy- Leitner said. than 1,000 Afghan websites and Mcountry’s use of tear forces and you are faced with a have to be careful that it doesn’t He told the BBC that the easi- Alum there by funding a She added: “It’s only a ques- in daily newspapers, the interior gas against hundreds of migrants situation where you have a vio- lead to confl ict between neigh- est thing for the country to do campaign of advertisements on tion of fairness to tell people in ministry said. who tried to break through a lent attempt from several hun- bours. Slovenia sends back illegal was “to simply pull out and let all Kabul buses, on Facebook and on their home countries about the The Alpine republic of 8.5mn fence at the Greek border, also dred young male people to enter migrants to Croatia, Croatia to the migrants cross”, but that EU television telling them not to ex- strict asylum laws in Austria.” people received 90,000 asy- warning that the pressure on the territory, without willing(ness) Serbia, and Serbia to Macedonia members instead wanted a com- pect a warm welcome. In large red capital letters, lum requests last year, around a Balkans could spark confl ict. to register or to go to reception et cetera,” Poposki said. prehensive system registering Austria, the last stop before Austria tells Afghans in its ad- quarter of them submitted by Af- Macedonian police on Mon- centres, I don’t think that this is “I fear that such a scenario eligible asylum-seekers. Germany, the top destination for verts: “No asylum in Austria” ghans, a trend which is continu- day fi red volleys of tear gas at in line with what we have agreed could become reality with a high “Right now we have to have a migrants fl eeing war and poverty for economic reasons, adding ing this year. migrants, including women and at the European level.” number of refugees. If in addi- system and the biggest problem in the Middle East and beyond, that Vienna sets time limits for Austria is not the fi rst country children, who forced their way Thousands of migrants are tion, pressure grows from the is that this system doesn’t seem has come under fi re from the Eu- asylum, is increasing its depor- to plan such a campaign to re- past a Greek police cordon and stranded in Greece after Mac- south of the Balkan route, then to work. Therefore each one of us ropean Commission and human tations and has strict conditions duce immigration. tried to break through a barbed edonia, along with other Balkan there could be a serious confl ict has to do his part of the respon- rights groups for capping its in- for family reunifi cation. Australia launched a similar wire fence into Macedonia. states including Serbia and EU situation in the Balkans. We must sibility on his own territory,” he take of refugees. Drawing on its experience in initiative warning “You will not “What we have seen is some members Slovenia and Croatia, aim to avoid such a situation.” said. “The federal government has curbing migrant numbers from make Australia home”. ‘Jungle’ burns as Greece ‘boils’

AFP receiving compassion, desper- Calais ate refugees were facing a “rising roar of xenophobia”. And Eva Cosse of Human rance was razing parts of Rights Watch said trapping asy- the “Jungle” migrant camp lum-seekers in Greece was “an Ffor a second day yesterday unconscionable and short-sight- while thousands of migrants re- ed non-solution that is causing mained blocked in Greece as Eu- suff ering and violence”. rope struggled with the fl ood of Despite the criticism, coun- desperate people at its borders. tries in the fi ring line were stand- An overnight downpour left ing fi rm. stranded refugees shivering in “We cannot take in hundreds the mud on the Greek border of thousands of people. We are with Macedonia as the UN said not Germany’s waiting room,” more than 131,000 migrants had Austrian Chancellor Werner crossed the Mediterranean to Faymann told Heute daily news- reach Europe so far this year. paper. “It cannot be that people The fi gure was more than the Migrants stand near a makeshift shelter set ablaze in protest against are just waved through Greece, total number for the fi rst fi ve the partial dismantlement of the Calais camp for migrants called the Macedonia and Croatia and that months of 2015 as Europe grap- ‘Jungle’. Austria does the EU’s job of shar- ples with its biggest migration ing them around.” crisis since World War II which “We have already seen prison from the EU, which said it was Back in northern France, oper- many fear poses a threat to very and torture, this doesn’t scare “not our idea of managing the ations to raze the southern half of core of the European project. us,” a migrant told one of the crisis”. the Calais camp were continuing, In the northern French port teams. In a bid to ease some of the with offi cials saying that it would city of Calais, tensions were high While the Jungle has become deep divisions which have aff ect between 800 and 1,000 as bulldozers continued disman- a cause celebre for activists, the emerged over the crisis, EU pres- Migrants at the Greek-Macedonian border fence, near the Greek village of Idomeni, look at security people, although charities work- tling the southern half of the crisis there pales in comparison ident Donald Tusk set off yester- personnel on the Macedonian side of the border. ing there say it would aff ect more Jungle camp, which has become to the situation along the Greek- day on a tour which will take him than 3,450 people, among them a magnet for people hoping to Macedonian border where more to Vienna, the Balkan states and entering their territory, there has canned food and long-life milk Merkel, whose country regis- 300 unaccompanied children. reach Britain. than 7,000 people are stranded Turkey. been a swift build-up along the was quickly mobbed and emptied tered 1.1mn asylum-seekers in The demolition comes ahead Roving teams were trying to after Balkans states imposed a At the Idomeni border camp border in northern Greece, with in minutes. 2015, lashed out at the border re- of talks tomorrow between convince the inhabitants to leave daily limit on the number of mi- in northern Greece, where Athens warning that the total “The food is not enough, eve- strictions, saying that they risked French President Francois Hol- of their own volition and move to grants allowed to enter. thousands of refugees and are number of people “trapped” on ryone is lying to us and we are plunging debt-ridden Greece lande and British Prime Minister better accommodation provided Increasingly desperate, some camped, an overnight downpour its soil could reach up to 70,000 desperate,” added the 32-year- into refugee chaos. David Cameron. for them, but many fear it will tried to force their way across left their tents drenched and in March. old, as children could be heard UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al The fate of the camp has also take them further from their goal the frontier on Monday but were children coughing miserably. “We have been waiting for coughing and crying in nearby Hussein denounced the growing played into fraught discussions of reaching Britain, with clashes tear-gassed by Macedonian po- With Austria and Balkan states six days,” said a Syrian woman tents. border restrictions as “an act of about Britain’s possible exit from erupting on Monday. lice, prompting a sharp rebuke capping the numbers of migrants called Farah as a van distributing German Chancellor Angela cruelty”, saying that instead of the European Union (EU). Kremlin defends TV blackout of Ukraine bans offi cials from criticising govt toddler’s death at nanny’s hands Reuters rules on the need for transpar- Kiev ency and integrity. The shock resignations in AFP atric examinations, investigators Pole metro station. Some people February of economy minister Moscow said. at the scene made the sign of the kraine has banned gov- Aivaras Abromavicius and a The suspect, identifi ed as cross, while Muslims stood annd ernment offi cials from top prosecutor shone a spot- mother of three Gyulchekhra prayed. Upublicly criticising the light on the failure of the Kiev he Kremlin has defended a Bobokulova from Muslim-ma- A call was made on social me- work of state institutions and leadership to follow through controversial media black- jority Uzbekistan, was set to ap- dia for a memorial rally to sup- their colleagues, after damag- on promises to eliminate the Tout on the grisly murder of pear in a court today, with a judge port the family. ing disclosures last month that infl uence of vested interests on a toddler allegedly killed and de- expected to place her under offi - Critics derided the media highlighted slow progress in policymaking. capitated by her nanny who then cial arrest. blackout, charging that national fi ghting corruption. In a Facebook post about paraded the bloodied head on a Many questioned the profes- television would provide blanket The move immediately drew the new ethics code, Olena Moscow street. sionalism of police after she was coverage of a similar tragedy were criticism from some civil serv- Minitch, a department head The death of the girl named allowed to pace up and down it to happen in the West. ants who saw it as a blow to in the economy ministry, said Nastya, said by investigators to outside the metro station with Others noted that nothing freedom of speech, at odds that the new rules appeared to be three or four years old, has the head for about 20 minutes. had prevented state-controlled with the embattled govern- have been “created hastily and shocked usually hardened Mus- A spokeswoman for the Offi ce Channel One from airing a false ment’s Western-backed re- adopted quickly” in the wake covites. of the General Prosecutor said a report claiming the Ukrainian form drive. of Abromavicius’s allegations City residents turned out to probe would be launched into the A woman mourns at the site where a woman suspected of killing army had nailed a three-year-old The rule on “loyalty” is one about corrupt state practices. lay fl owers at the metro station matter. a toddler was detained on Monday, near Oktyabrskoye Pole metro boy to a board in the east of the of several outlined in a new “The little document ... is in where the black-clad nanny was The mass-circulation Mosko- station in Moscow. Moscow police arrested on Monday a woman for country in 2014. ethics code that civil servants the best traditions of the Com- spotted pacing up and down on vsky Komsomolets, citing Uzbek beheading the girl in her care, with witnesses saying that the “One simply needs to under- must follow or face discipli- munist period, more precisely Monday, waving the severed police, said that the woman, aged black-clad woman was carrying a severed head and threatening to stand that federal media tell sto- nary action, according to a de- in the traditions of Stalin and head of a child and threatening to in her 30s, had suff ered from ‘blow everyone up’. ries not about life in Russia but cree posted on the government Beria,” Minitch said, refer- “blow everyone up”. schizophrenia for 15 years. about a parallel reality in Ukraine, website. ring to repressive Soviet leader The suspect – dubbed “the Komsomolskaya Pravda, citing spokesman denied the state- sion of the channels because this Europe, and Syria,” wrote Ser- “The government has de- Josef Stalin and his security bloody nanny” in the media – a close family friend, said that controlled channels had received is probably too monstrous to be gei Medvedev, a professor at the cided to introduce standards chief, Lavrenty Beria. was detained on suspicion of the live-in nanny had recently a gag order from the Kremlin but shown on television.” Higher School of Economics. of ethical conduct for civil Others appeared to poke fun butchering the girl, who had become very religious, spent a lot said that the presidential admin- He said the move was in line Some experts said the Krem- servants to restore public faith at the state’s call for offi cials to suff ered from learning disabili- of time online and had brought istration approved of their deci- with international practice and lin did not want to infl ame anti- in the work of the state bodies toe the party line. ties and epilepsy, at the fam- home a prayer mat. sion. was the channels’ “civil stance”. immigrant or nationalist senti- and offi cials,” the government “I’m a loyal public servant. ily’s apartment in northwestern While footage of the shocking “As far as we know, the chan- The tragedy jolted a usu- ments. decree said. I’m thrilled with the work of Moscow, before setting fi re to the incident was released by several nels indeed have taken a decision ally dispassionate Moscow and Channel One’s deputy general Government employees state bodies (and) their of- home and fl eeing. small television stations, nation- not to show this horrible trag- by evening yesterday mourners director Kirill Kleimyonov said should “avoid any public criti- fi cials,” Ukraine’s Ambassa- The agitated woman, who was al broadcasters did not report the edy,” said Dmitry Peskov. “And had laid heaps of fl owers, toys, the gruesome footage could not cisms of the work of state in- dor-at-Large Dmytro Kuleba reportedly also shouting “Allahu murder. it seems to me, one can only ex- chocolate bars and balloons at be shown “under any circum- stitutions and their offi cials,” tweeted, linking to an article Akbar”, has been sent for psychi- President Vladimir Putin’s press solidarity with this deci- the entrance to the Oktyabrskoe stances”. the code stipulates, alongside about the ban.

Italy recovers €14.9bn in unpaid tax

Italy recovered a record €14.9bn in unpaid tax in 2015, helped by a new “no questions asked” appeal to suspected dodgers to put their Turkey’s top judge defends court independence aff airs in order. The national tax agency said yesterday that the total raised from anti-evasion activities was up from €14.2bn in 2014 and had more Reuters Erdogan said on Sunday that state intelligence agency helping are doing our job. We do not look their grip on key courts, height- than tripled in the last decade. Ankara he neither recognised nor re- to send weapons to Syria, drew at who is making the application. ening concern about judicial in- The amounts raised remain tiny in comparison to Italy’s huge losses spected Thursday’s ruling by the international condemnation and We are not on anybody’s side or dependence. to endemic tax avoidance, but do appear to reflect a more pro- constitutional court that led to concerns about media freedom in against anyone.” Turkish Justice Minister Bekir active approach on the issue. urkey’s top judge asserted the release of Can Dundar, ed- Turkey, which aspires to join the Arslan’s predecessor, Hasim Bozdag echoed Erdogan’s criti- A total of 315,000 residents were sent letters last year inviting them his court’s independence itor-in-chief of the opposition European Union membership. Kilic, clashed with Erdogan sev- cism of the court ruling yester- to correct potential “errors or oversights” in their annual returns Tyesterday after President Cumhuriyet newspaper, and its “Decisions taken by the con- eral times, warning last year day, telling parliament that the with an assurance they would only be liable for reduced penalties. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Ankara bureau chief. stitutional court using its au- that the judiciary could become ruling was a “clear violation of Nearly half of them (156,000) took up the off er, bringing in €250mn. justice minister both criticised a Their arrest last November, af- thority, are binding for everyone an “instrument of revenge” for the constitution and law”, ac- Italy last year estimated the country’s total losses to tax evasion at ruling that the detention of jour- ter Cumhuriyet published video and every institution,” court politicians after government- cording to the state-run Anadolu €90bn a year. nalists had violated their rights. footage purporting to show the chairman Zuhtu Arslan said. “We backed candidates strengthened news agency. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 INDIA

CRIME EVENT HARASSMENT ACTION HEALTH Woman raped before Modi may attend global Woman files case Sahara’s Aamby Valley Catholic priest opens murder, say police Sufi meet in New Delhi against legislators sealed for tax default yoga centre in Agra

A woman found murdered in her rented room Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to A woman yesterday filed a harassment complaint Sahara Group’s flagship project, Aamby A Catholic priest yesterday opened a yoga in Gurgaon last week was raped before she was attend the first World Sufi Forum to be held against an Odisha legislator who she claimed Valley Resort, has been sealed by the and nature cure centre in Agra’s Dayalbagh killed, police said yesterday after the arrest of in New Delhi this month, organisers said. was her father-in-law. But the independent Maharashtra government for non-payment area to “benefit the suff ering humanity”. two suspects. The 28-year-old widow from West Over 200 renowned Sufi scholars from 20 legislator dismissed the accusation as “baseless”. of non-agriculture taxes of around Rs40mn, Father John Ferriera - who said he had Bengal’s Darjeeling worked in pubs and bars countries, including Pakistan, will attend the In her complaint, Kabita Mahakud said she was an off icial said yesterday. A team of off icials treated hundreds of people with chronic in Gurgaon. She was murdered in Chakkarpur event that will highlight India as the “global subjected to physical and mental torture by swooped on the township situated on the ailments and authored half a dozen books on area on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road on centre for moderate” Islam. Muslims constitute Sanatan Mahakud, who represents Champua outskirts of the famous Lonavala hill station yoga - asserted that the ancient techniques February 23 following a monetary dispute with the largest minority in India. The organisers seat in the iron ore belt of Keonjhar district. He to seal the property’s main gates and its of breathing, meditation and postures have the accused, the police said. “A postmortem have invited Modi for the March 17-20 meeting is the richest legislator with declared assets of administrative sections. However, the back nothing to do with religion. “Yoga is my life, revealed she was raped. She was beaten to organised by the All India Ulema and Mashaikh Rs690mn. He runs a mineral transport company. entrance had been kept open for the resort my mission, passion and everything. I want death by five men,” Ashok Kumar, in charge Board (AIUMB), its founder president Syed Kabita told reporters she was not only physically staff and residents to enter and exit for the people to be healthy. By teaching people how of Sector 29 police station in Gurgaon, said. Mohamed Ashraf said. AIUMB is India’s apex and mentally tortured but also intimidated. She time being, an off icial said. The off icials also to live a more satisfying and healthy life, many The accused - Gabbar and Nitish- both aged 25 body for Sufi shrines. The event is focused on also made allegations against her “husband” served a notice to the resort authorities to diseases can be controlled. Due to changing and residents of Gurgaon villages, have been finding constructive ways to spread the Islamic Pankaj and brother-in-law Dinabandhu Barik. Police clear the two-year old dues by March-end, lifestyles, side- or after-eff ects of modern arrested while the three other suspects on the message of peace and tolerance as a counter Commissioner Y B Khurania has ordered an inquiry failing which the government would initiate medicines, people are unwittingly falling run, Kumar said. to rising global violent extremism, Ashraf said. into the matter. legal proceedings. victims to diff erent ailments.”

Campus protest Police kill 8 Maoist Police charge rebels in gunfi ght

Agencies Pachauri Raipur

olice killed eight suspected rebels including fi ve wom- Pen in a gun battle in cen- tral India yesterday, local offi cers with sexual said, the latest deadly encounter in the country’s long-running Maoist insurgency. Police ambushed a large group of heavily armed Maoists in a rebel stronghold near the border of Chhattisgarh and Telangana harassment states, triggering a battle which Lawyer says his client will In July, TERI announced it was began in early morning and lasted defend the charges and replacing Pachauri after a back- six hours, they said. stresses the case still has a lash over his return to work while “Forces today killed at least long way to go facing the allegations. eight Maoists in Sakler forest,” A court had barred him from Santosh Singh, a senior police Agencies entering the institute’s offi ce for offi cer, said in Sukma district, New Delhi many months following the com- some 390km from the Chhattis- plaint, but later allowed him to garh state capital Raipur. return while still on bail. “Among those killed are fi ve olice said yesterday they Last month his appointment female and three male Maoists,” had charged the former as TERI executive vice chairman Singh said, add that six assault Phead of the UN climate caused outrage, forcing the in- rifl es were found with the rebels. change panel Rajendra Pach- Pachauri: more trouble stitute, where he had worked for Sukma police chief D Shravan auri with sexual harassment, fol- 35 years, to put him on indefi nite Kumar said elite anti-Maoist lowing a complaint by a former client would defend the charges leave. police squads launched the am- colleague at the environmental and stressed the case still had a Pachauri continues to hold the bush in a joint state operation af- think-tank TERI that he founded. long way to go. position, according to the TERI ter receiving a tipoff about rebel Police brought the charges “Obviously he is maintaining website. movements through the forest. against Pachauri in a Delhi trial his innocence. The charge-sheet But women rights activists at A rebel leader with a court, more than a year after a doesn’t make any diff erence be- the time said it was too little too Rs500,000 ($7,300) bounty on female employee in her late twen- cause he has not given his side of late as he still retained his post. his head was among those killed. ties fi led a complaint accusing the story,” Dixit said. Senior lawyer Vrinda Grover, The militant leader was wanted him of sending inappropriate “The charge-sheet is based on who has been vocal in the case, for planting explosive devices in texts and e-mails. the complainant’s statements. said that the action “does not schools and government build- “We have fi led the charge- Arguments have not been heard mean anything”. ings, police said. sheet today and the court will de- from the other side,” he said. “Pachauri’s leave doesn’t mean There were no police casual- cide when to begin the hearing,” Pachauri, who is on bail, has anything as he still holds the ties. Over 500 policemen have investigating offi cer Virender denied the sexual harassment posts. He retains his offi ce as the been killed in the last fi ve years Dalal said. charges and said his e-mails and chancellor (of TERI University) in guerrilla attacks, government Police have charged Pachauri mobile phone were hacked. and it is illegal and he needs to be data shows. with four counts including sexual Pachauri, 75, a leading voice removed by the Human Resource India’s Maoist insurgency assault, harassment and criminal on the dangers of global warm- Development Ministry and by the began in the 1960s, inspired by intimidation, according to the ing, was forced to quit as chair- university board,” Grover said. Chinese revolutionary leader complainant’s lawyer. man of the Nobel Prize-winning “Sending him on leave doesn’t Mao Zedong, and has cost thou- “Police have fi led the nearly UN Intergovernmental Panel on make it tenable... He (Pachauri) sands of lives. 1,400 page charge-sheet in the Climate Change (IPCC) in Febru- cannot hold that offi ce. The au- The rebels, described by trial court,” lawyer Prashant ary 2015 after his colleague at The thorities will have to remove him. former prime minister Manmo- Demonstrators climb a police barricade during a protest march in New Delhi yesterday. Dozens Mendiratta said. Energy and Resources Institute It is not his discretion if he holds han Singh as India’s most serious of protesters from Campus Front of India (CFI) staged the protest to express solidarity for “We will need time to examine think-tank fi led her complaint. that position or doesn’t,” she said. internal security threat, say they Rohit Vemula, a Dalit student of the University of Hyderabad who was found hanging at a the entire document but it states Last year the employee, who Vanani, a woman activist from are fi ghting authorities for land, hostel in January and were also demanding the release of Kanhaiya Kumar, a Jawaharlal Nehru that they have found prima facie cannot be named for legal rea- Delhi-based non-governmental jobs and other rights for poor University (JNU) student union leader accused of sedition. evidence,” he added. sons, resigned from TERI based in organisation Saheli, echoed simi- tribal groups. His lawyer Ashish Dixit said his New Delhi. lar views. Does Congress have right to criticise ‘pro-poor’ budget?

ewis Mumford, one of the But the opposition had not yet Manmohan Singh saw nothing Tata, of course, has a personal in- rule has only helped foreign air- more respected American fi nished though. good in the budget calling it a terest in the matter because the lines as they are not hindered by Lphilosophers of the last In his fi rst two budgets Jaitley “nit-picking budget.” “There is two airlines that will benefi t if such rules in their countries of century, had put it quite succinct- had laid emphasis on industry Delhi Diary no big idea except one that…the the rules are changed are Vistara origin. ly: “A certain amount of opposi- and manufacturing because the government plans to double the and Air Asia India and Tata has Something of this very nature tion is a great help to man. Kite government felt that was the only By A K B Krishnan farmers’ income in the next fi ve signifi cant shareholdings in both. was evident during the recent rises against, not with, the wind.” way to restore business confi - years. I think it is an impossible But that apart there is much merit agitation and riots by the Jat com- As with man so with govern- dence and boost investment after Gulf Times Correspondent dream and there is no inclination, in what he said. munity in Haryana when fl ights ments. The opposition in a de- the disastrous fi nal years of the no way of telling the country how Till now India’s aviation rules between Chandigarh and Delhi, mocracy must criticise. But it Congress-led United Progressive it will be achieved…” stipulate that any private air- which takes all of 45 minutes, were should be criticism of a construc- Alliance (UPA). The retrospective edly farmer and rural oriented. Or, thrust. Development oriented. One is tempted to ask the good line wishing to operate fl ights to costing as much as Rs100,000! In tive nature so that the country as a tax regime introduced by the UPA, in Congress terms, if it truly prac- Emphasis on infrastructure. doctor about the one bid idea that foreign destinations should fi rst spite of their hard-core competi- whole can rise. That’s for matured according to investment experts, tices what it preaches, the budget Cong/Left will fi nd diffi cult to really got fulfi lled in ten years of satisfy, besides other things, two tion, airlines are prone to cartelise democracies. On empirical evi- had set India back by a decade. In is poor-oriented. It has levied ex- criticise.” UPA rule. See what being in op- major conditions: 1, it should have themselves at the slightest op- dence one has to admit India’s is his maiden budget Jaitley had cat- tra taxes on the rich by as much as Where Goenka went wrong was position can do to people. operated inside India for a mini- portunity to extract the maximum defi nitely not one. egorically stated that the draconi- 10% in some instances and even the last sentence in his tweet. The mum of fi ve years and 2, it should out of the hapless passenger. Otherwise how do you explain an tax would never be implement the salaried class, or the middle Congress and the Left had no hes- have a minimum of 20 aircraft. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok the opposition - and here I spe- henceforth although he said he class, has not been spared. After itation in criticising the budget. Consumer is The fi rst condition also stipu- Gajapati Raju had said nearly a cifi cally mean the Congress Party could not repeal it altogether be- all, if you have money to buy gold, Till now they were the self-pro- the king lates that airlines must operate a year ago that the 5/20 rule “has to - trying to subvert what is per- cause there were cases concerning you cannot be considered poor, at claimed defenders of the poor and certain percentage of their fl ights go”. But then the lobbyists moved haps the most important day in it in the Supreme Court. least in the Indian context. So you the marginalised. Suddenly they If all goes well Gulf-based NRIs to less lucrative tier-2 and tier-3 in and the entrenched bureaucra- parliamentary democracy - the The Congress, with adequate pay 1% extra tax on gold jewel- see the middle class as the orphan will soon have more choices to airports. cy did the rest. The move was put budget day? Hardly had Finance support from the Left, had then lery. If you are rich enough to buy and are rushing to its aid. “Living fl y into and out of India. Not that Private airlines now fl ying on the back-burner. But with Tata Minister Arun Jaitley stood up criticised the Modi government high end cars (that is those that standards of the people are bound they are presently deprived of abroad had all fulfi lled these con- throwing his hat in the ring, as it to say the words “Madam, I rise for being pro-rich and perforce cost more than Rs1mn), then you to fall further,” says CPM boss Si- such choices, but in these mat- ditions. So Jet Airways, Spicejet, were, there is new momentum to present…” than the Congress anti-poor and by extension pay an additional 2.5% to 4% ex- taram Yechuri. This from a man ters the more the merrier, isn’t it? IndiGo and GoAir are all protest- to review the rule. Raju’s deputy benches, led by K C Venugopal anti-farmer. (It is another mat- tra tax. If you indeed are a high- whose party ruled West Bengal for And if there are more choices cer- ing against Tata. (GoAir has the Mahesh Sharma has now said the from Kerala, jumped up to shout ter that after half a century of fl ier, meaning you like to take off 34 continuous years and literally tainly the options are going to get qualifi cation to fl y abroad but has government will soon scrap the that they wanted to move a privi- Congress rule the Indian farmer rather than roll on, you pay extra presided over its ruin. cheaper as well. Considering that not done so till now). rule. “5/20 is going. In place of lege motion against Human Re- continues to be equated with pov- because Jaitley has increased the Shashi Tharoor is a respected the latest budget has made fl ying a These airlines say there should that we will have something like sources Development Minister erty). Last year’s budget was also excise duties on aviation turbine politician across party lines be- little more costly, any such devel- be a level playing fi eld for all 0/10 or 0/20 or 1/10 or 2/20. One Smriti Irani on charges that she somewhat similar to the previous fuel which will result in costlier cause he has a clear mind and ar- opment would be more than wel- stakeholders and that they had of these options will be chosen misled the parliament with fab- one, so the opposition refrain also plane tickets. ticulates his thoughts better than come for the average passenger. gone through severe hardships very shortly,” Sharma said. ricated documents on the Rohith remained the same. “Modi is for Now all this and some more are most. But then again he has to fall Ever since Ratan Tata, the doy- before becoming eligible for the In an increasingly market- Vemula suicide case. For a couple the Ambanis and Adanis of this targeting the rich. The industry - in line with his party’s declared en of Indian industry, went public more lucrative foreign destina- oriented economy the consumer of minutes at least it looked like world. He doesn’t care about the and by that I mean the rich, really objective of opposing the gov- with his opinion that the govern- tions. But Tata feels that the rule is king and it is his interest that the usual “march into the well” poor and the marginalised.” For rich - has welcomed the budget ernment at all costs. So he sim- ment should seriously consider is discriminatory and “is remi- counts most. The earlier the gov- and walk-out was about to hap- good measure a communal angle wholeheartedly. Billionaire Harsh ply says: “Implementation can be revisiting the so-called 5/20 niscent of protectionist and mo- ernment enacts its new rule the pen. Thankfully, normalcy was was also thrown in. Goenka of RPG group summed more important than speeches.” norm for private airlines to fl y nopolistic pressures by vested better for him. Will the lobbyists restored soon enough for Jaitley to This week’s budget - the third it for all industry when he said: Who said it isn’t any way? abroad, the aviation industry has interests.” Air Asia chief Tony and the ‘babus’ win again? We continue without further ado. in a row by Jaitley - was unabash- “A common man’s budget. Rural Even the otherwise reticent gone on overdrive with reactions. Fernandes chipped in saying the will wait and see. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 21 INDIA

Mumbai’s iconic music store Rhythm House fades into history

IANS the time has come for us to bid behind the closure, nor specu- has finally passed into the Fizza even remembers the recently, even the Blu-ray Discs Mumbai goodbye to the music and video lated whether it would be reo- city’s glorious history. haunting numbers Badnam na (BRDs). business for reasons that need pened in some other ‘avatar’ in “I was newly married at that ho jaaye, mohabbat ka afsana With the advent of the mo- no elaboration. We are the last future. time and I remember going there (Shaheed), Gaaye ja geet milan bile phone and smartphones in umbai’s iconic mu- of our city’s large format music When it fi rst opened in 1948 in with my late doctor husband ke and Ye zindagi ke mele (Mela), the early 2000s, even the era of sic and entertainment and video stores to yield to the south Mumbai, Rhythm House to buy LPs of the just-released and Chanda re jaa re jaa re (Zid- cassettes and CDs crumbled and Mstore Rhythm House challenges posed by new tech- catapulted music lovers into a Dilip Kumar starrers Mela, and di). music became personal, sup- passed away into history yester- nologies and piracy,” it said, diff erent world with its plethora Shaheed, and Ziddi starring Dev Over the next six-plus dec- ported by online applications day, exactly 68 years after it fi rst throwing its patrons and mu- of Indian music, both fi lmy and Anand,” reminisced N Fizza, ades, Rhythm House brought and on-the-go for afi cionados. opened in 1948. sic-lovers in general into a pall non-fi lmy, classical, and mod- now in her early 90s. music into people’s homes and Little wonder, over its life- Late Monday night, it downed of gloom. ern and classical Western music, Rhythm House: only a memory Later, when the happy couple hearts by selling the large and time, Rhythm House saw some its shutters for the last time for Managing director Mehmood in the country which had just at- now reached home in a tram in nearby small black-coloured 78 rpm of the greatest names like Pt Ravi the patrons and even posted a Cumally confi rmed that the tained independence. Kalbadevi with their prized LP lacquered discs, LP vinyl discs. Shankar, Ustad Zakir Hussain small ‘Thank You’ note to all its shop which stood at the same However, as Mumbai trans- modern technologies, avail- records, the entire family en- Later in the late-1970s, it was and Oscar laureate A R Rahman, dedicated clientele in India and location for nearly seven dec- formed into an international ability of music on mobile joyed the songs over dinner and the turn of the more manage- top singers, music lovers, music abroad. ades has shut forever, but de- city, Rhythm House could not phones making it easy, cheaper again the next day and for years able plastic cassettes followed by collectors and commoners com- “It saddens us to inform you clined to speak on the reasons keep pace with the advent of and convenient to enjoy, and together. Compact Discs (CDs), and more ing to the shop. Parrikar links Pakistan govt to Pathankot air base attack

Agencies properly secured,” the minister New Delhi said. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said Pakistan had ndia yesterday linked the Pa- decided to send a team to India kistan government to a mili- and details of the proposed visit Itant attack on an air base that are being chalked out. killed seven soldiers in January. “India has handed over all the India had previously blamed collected evidence to Pakistan in militants from the Pakistan- relation to the Pathankot attack. based Jaish-e-Mohamed (JeM) They have registered a case and militant group for the assault decided to send a team to India. Labourers take part in construction work on the banks of the Yamuna in New Delhi yesterday for a mass yoga and meditation festival. on Pathankot air base in Punjab, For the fi rst time, Pakistan has which triggered two days of gun initiated action after evidence battles. was handed over by India,” Rijiju But yesterday New Delhi said said. the militants could not have car- He, however, said that Pa- ried out the brazen attack on the kistan has not yet given details air base near the Pakistan border such as the date or the size of its without Islamabad’s support. team. “Pakistan’s non-state ac- “We are waiting for the de- tors were defi nitely behind the tails. India is ready to co-oper- Ravi Shankar under attack. Also, no non-state ac- ate,” he said. tor from there (Pakistan) can In response to another ques- function smoothly without the tion, Rijiju said the government state’s support,” Defence Minis- was taking all measures to stop ter Manohar Parrikar told parlia- infi ltration from the border areas ment. of Punjab. “The entire details of the at- The rare targeting of an In- tack will only come out in the dian military installation outside attack over festival National Investigation Agency Kashmir came days after Prime (NIA) investigation,” he said. Minister Narendra Modi’s sur- Organisers expect 3.5mn lasting environmental damage. environmental court to cancel it had secured permission from and harmony in diversity”. The NIA is carrying out a prise visit to Pakistan in Decem- people to attend the three- Organisers say they expect the event. all the necessary authorities to The globe-trotting Shankar, probe into the case. ber. day event 3.5mn people to attend the “It is most unfortunate that hold the event. once ranked by Forbes magazine Asked by an MP whether im- It led to the postponement of three-day event, which will the event is being organised by “We have used only eco- as India’s fi fth most powerful portant defence force bases like peace talks planned between the Agencies feature yoga and meditation an apostle of peace and non- friendly material like wood, person, is close to Modi and the in Pathankot should be shifted neighbours, with Modi urging New Delhi sessions, peace prayers by San- violence.” mud, cloth, and scaff olding pair have meditated together. far from border areas, Parrikar his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz skrit scholars and traditional Manoj Mishra of the Live towards building a temporary The Yamuna river is the larg- said: “There are bases strategi- Sharif to take “fi rm and immedi- cultural performances from Yamuna campaign to protect stage,” the foundation said in a est tributary of the Ganges, cally located within the country. ate action”. orld-famous spir- around the world. the river that fl ows through the statement. considered holy by Hindus. Pathankot is equally important The foreign secretaries of the itual guru Sri Sri Ravi Around 35,000 musicians capital, said more than 1,000 Gautam Vig of the founda- Despite high levels of pollu- because it is closer to the border two countries had been sched- WShankar has come will perform on a vast stage acres had been cleared to make tion said: “In 2010, we initiated tion, its fl oodplains are rich in and there is a lot of investment uled to meet in January. No fresh under fi re for a mass festival to concurrently in a bid to create way for a stage, pontoon bridg- the Meri Dilli, Meri Yamuna fl ora and fauna with more than which has been carried out in date has been announced. promote peace that environ- a world record. “It is one of the es, portable cabins and parking. for which Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 320 bird species and 200 types Pathankot. It will be costly to Pakistan banned JeM in 2002, mentalists say risks damaging biggest cultural gatherings in “Reed beds were cleared, veg- pulled out plastic and fi lth from of plants. shift (from) Pathankot.” a year after it was blamed for an the delicate ecosystem of Del- recent times,” the foundation etation was chopped for a two- the river. We have also planted On Monday a committee ap- He said intelligence on the attack on the Indian parliament hi’s Yamuna river. claims. and-a-half day event which will 55 lakh saplings.” pointed by the environmental possibility of an attack on the that took the two neighbours to Critics say the World Culture “Three-and-a-half million leave an ever-lasting impact on The event, due to start on court National Green Tribunal airbase was received in advance. the brink of war. Festival, to be held later this people are going to trample the the environment,” Mishra said. March 11, is billed as a platform recommended fi ning the foun- “We have now done a security It also arrested the group’s month on the banks of the river area so basically 210,000 tonnes Shankar’s Art of Living foun- “for spiritual and religious dation $17.5mn but did not say audit in addition to the normal leader in the wake of the 2008 with millions of fans includ- of weight will be put on a fragile dation, which is organising the leaders, politicians, peace- the event should be cancelled. security. We are in the process Mumbai attacks but he was later ing Prime Minister Narendra ecosystem,” said activist Anand festival, denied there would be makers and artists to spread The NGT will hold a further of ensuring all installations are released. Modi in attendance, will cause Arya, who has asked India’s top any permanent impact and said the message of global peace hearing into the matter today. Dulquer, Parvathy win top 5 held for hounding Malayalam fi lm awards Kerala TV anchor IANS never, ever mentioned a word Thiruvananthapuram on Durga Devi. Now I feel I am By Ashraf Padanna Prakkat shared the award for “I have to thank co-actors and being targeted with some mo- Gulf Times Correspondent the best scriptwriter with R Unni all the members of the crew. If tive,” she said. Thiruvananthapuram (Charlie) while Rafeeq Ahmed such good artists were not there, erala police have ar- “Although I am not scared, was adjudged the best lyricist I don’t think I would have per- rested fi ve people on it’s a nuisance. Even today for Kathirunnu Kathirunnu in formed so well.” Kcharges of abusing and numerous calls came from or the second straight year, Moideen. Parvathy also dedicated her threatening a leading woman various parts of the coun- young talents swept most While Ramesh Narayanan award to the colleagues, in- anchor of a popular TV chan- try and abroad. Now I answer Fof the Kerala fi lm awards is the best music director cluding Dulquer, who “showed nel. only calls that are from people announced here yesterday. (Moideen, Edavappathi), his immense involvement” and The telephone of Sindhu known to me.” Charlie and Ennu Ninte daughter Madhusree brought described the awards as a cel- Suryakumar of Asianet TV has Suryakumar said she had Moideen got eight and seven ma- home the award for the best fe- ebration of the spirit of unity. not stopped ringing since she been told that five people jor awards respectively. Sanal- male singer (Edavappathi). “This would be a great inspi- anchored a discussion on Fri- had been arrested and that kumar Sashidharan’s Ozhivu Di- Veteran P Jayachandran, the ration for me to go ahead and day night on Human Resource more arrests would take vasathe Kali is the best fi lm. 1986 national award winner who better my performance,” she Development Minister Smrithi place. Dulquer Salman won the sang the chartbuster Sharad- said. Irani’s comments on Ma- Police have said the fi ve award for the best actor for hambaram in Moideen got his “I took a six-month break hishasura in parliament suspects arrested were linked Charlie while Parvathy T K was fi fth state award for the best after Moideen to prepare my- last week. to various rightwing Hindu declared the best actress for male singer. self for an entirely diff erent Suryakumar said groups. her performance in Charlie and Jayasurya received the special character in Charlie. This year’s she had received more The anchor said: “I want Ennu Ninte Moideen. jury award for his performance awards would encourage all than 2,500 calls, abus- the police to fi nd out is who Nivin Pauly and Nasria Nasrin in Lukka Chuppi and Su Su Sudhi youngsters.” ing and threaten- is the brain behind had received the coveted award Vathmeekam while Joy Mathew Manoj Kana’s Ameoba won the ing her. She has this organised last year. (Mohavalayam), Joju George award for the second best fi lm. been accused of hounding. Other- Charlie director Mathew (Oru Second Class Yathra, Lukka Sreebala K Menon (Love 24X7) using words to wise, how can this Prakkat, who debuted in 2010 Chuppi) and singer Shreya Jaya- is the best debutant director and describe Hindu happen even after with Mammootty-starrer Best deep (Amar Akbar Anthony) re- Malayattom directed by Tho- goddess Durga the police register- Actor, walked away with the ceived special mention. mas Devasia the best children’s which she in- ing a case and ar- award for the best director and “Dad hugged and kissed me. movie. sists she never rests were made?” Ennu Ninte Moideen, the direc- Everyone in the family is happy,” Prem Prakash (Nirnayakam) is used. Suryakumar an- torial debut of R S Vimal, won Mammootty’s son Dulquer, who the best character actor and An- “I am yet to chors a hugely popu- the award for the best popular debuted with Second Show in jali P V (Ben) the best character fi gure out what lar weekly programme fi lm. 2012, told reporters in Kochi. actress in the female category. Dulquer and Parvathy: top honours wrong I did. I Cover Story. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

INVESTIGATION COMMENT OUTBREAK DISASTER LAW AND ORDER Petrobras corruption Brazil police detention of Mexico says 11 pregnant Flooding, landslides cause Colombian ex-president probe targets Lula Facebook off icial ‘extreme’ women infected with Zika traff ic chaos in Peru Uribe’s brother arrested

Federal prosecutors who uncovered a huge Facebook called the detention of its vice Mexico has confirmed 11 pregnant women are Traffic on a key Peruvian highway was A brother of Colombia’s former president corruption scheme at oil company Petrobras are president for Latin America yesterday an infected with the Zika virus, out of a total of blocked yesterday following a flood and Alvaro Uribe has been arrested on suspicion of looking into whether Brazil’s former president Luiz “extreme and disproportionate measure” 121 cases, the government said. Most of the two landslides. Cars and trucks were unable homicide and links to ultra-conservative militia, Inacio Lula da Silva received undue favours from stemming from a case in Brazil involving its cases were identified in the southern Mexican to move on the Carretera Central, which authorities said. A younger brother of the ex- engineering firms they are investigating. In a letter messaging service Whatsapp, which operates states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, according to a connects Lima with the east of the country, president who is now a senator, Santiago Uribe to the Supreme Court made public, the head of the separately from the Facebook platform. Earlier health ministry report. Eight of the pregnant the El Comercio paper reported online - a rancher - was arrested in the El Poblado area investigation, Deltan Dallagnol, argued for a probe in the day police and court officials in Sergipe women are from Chiapas, two are from yesterday. Traffic was brought to a halt by the of Medellin, capital of Antioquia department, because some of the alleged gifts were made while state announced the detention of Diego Oaxaca, and one is from the Gulf coast state flooding of the Rimac river, which runs parallel a source in the prosecutors’ off ice said. He will Lula was still in off ice. The prosecutors suspect Dzodan in Sao Paulo state after the company of Veracruz, the health ministry reported. The to a key road, as well as two landslides near be tried on charges of aggravated homicide favours were extended to Lula by executives of failed to co-operate with judicial orders in a number of cases of infected pregnant women Huarochiri, 80kms east of Lima. Transport and conspiracy to commit crimes linked to Odebrecht and OAS that have been charged with drug trafficking investigation. “Facebook has has risen since mid-February, when the authorities said that the road could not a paramilitary group, the source added. The corruption and money laundering in the massive always been and will be available to address health ministry said there were 80 confirmed immediately be cleared due to prolonged group has been blamed for many killings over bribery and political kickback scandal involving any questions Brazilian authorities may have,” cases of Zika, including six cases of pregnant rainfall in the area and motorists were being the years in eastern Antioquia, and the younger contracts with state-run Petroleo Brasileiro SA. the company said in an emailed statement. women with the virus. advised to take detours of up to 450kms. Uribe has been investigated in the past.

Venezuela Brazil rate cut demanded opposition Case of slain chief faces inquiry Argentina

AFP Caracas he Venezuelan govern- lawyer ‘closer ment is investigating the Topposition leader heading a campaign to hold a referendum on fi ring President Nicolas Ma- duro, offi cials said. Henrique Capriles said the government was seeking revenge to being solved’ for his eff orts to have Maduro terminated as president this The death remains unsolved, indisputable conclusion that the gentina around the time of Nis- year. His term ends in 2019. but authorities claim weapon that produced Nisman’s man’s death. “They know they’ve lost pop- ‘evidence produced so far’ death leaves residue from the Nisman and Stiuso had ular support, that they don’t shows it was homicide, and shot up to 20 hours after being worked closely together gath- have the people on their side. court testimony may provide fi red, while no particle charac- ering evidence for Nisman’s That’s why they have targeted new clues teristic of a blast was found on charges against Iranian offi cials me this way,” the former gover- the victim’s hands,” Sáenz wrote for their alleged involvement in nor and ex-presidential candi- Guardian News and Media in the document which was sub- the AMIA bombing. date told reporters. Buenos Aires mitted to the court in support of Although both Stiuso and “It means the government is a lawsuit launched by Nisman’s Nisman were originally sup- scared of the referendum on dis- family. porters of the Fernandez ad- missing (Maduro) in a big way. year after the mysterious Nisman’s supporters have ministration, the relationship “We got people out cam- death of star prosecutor long alleged that the prosecutor cooled after Fernandez off ered to paigning for the referendum AAlberto Nisman shook was killed in an attempt to derail replace the court investigation around the country in a hurry,” Argentina to the core and made his investigation into the bomb- into Iran’s alleged involvement he added. “And the top level of headlines around the world, the ing of the AIMA Jewish com- with an independent probe by a the government orders me to be case may fi nally be moving clos- munity centre in Buenos Aires, binational Iranian-Argentinian investigated.” er to being solved. which left 85 dead and hundreds committee of experts. The Comptroller’s Offi ce will A judicial attempt to rule out wounded. In the last few days before his investigate budget manage- the suggestion that Nisman’s “Nisman was murdered and demise, Nisman made public ment in Miranda state - where death was suicide and the ap- it was state policy (under Fern- hundreds of hours of wiretaps Capriles was governor—in 2011, pearance in court of a former andez) not to investigate it,” that he claimed showed how a 2012, and 2013, state offi cials spymaster who could provide said Waldo Wolff , a Jewish com- shadowy group of low-level in- said in a statement. clues in the case suggests that munity leader and legislator for telligence operatives and social “Inspect whatever you like,” the stalled investigation may the Cambiemos (Let’s Change) activists were secretly acting as a defi ant Capriles said. “I have inching towards a conclusion. coalition of the country’s new intermediaries between Fernan- nothing to be afraid of.” Nisman was found shot dead centre-right President Mauricio dez and Iran, seemingly off er- Maduro narrowly defeated in his home last year just hours Macri. ing protection from prosecution Capriles during a presidential elec- before he was due to appear be- Cristina Fernandez appeared for the Iranian offi cials allegedly tion in 2013. But the socialist “rev- fore Congress to explain his ac- to benefit from Nisman’s de- involved in exchange for trade olution” championed by Maduro cusations that then-president mise after the dead prosecu- concessions that could help al- and his predecessor Hugo Chavez Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner tor’s charges against her were leviate Argentina’s troubled is under the mounting pressure of had conspired to cover up Iran’s thrown out by a judiciary economy. a grinding economic crisis mainly alleged involvement in a 1994 closely controlled by her ad- During the last year the probe fuelled by low oil prices. terrorist attack in Buenos Aires. ministration. into Nisman’s death became The opposition-controlled The death remains unsolved, But the former president has mired down in cross-accusa- National Assembly is trying to and until last week, authorities strongly denied that her govern- tions between Nisman’s fam- eject Maduro from offi ce with had not even decided whether to ment was involved in Nisman’s ily, who claimed the evidence the referendum drive and a bill defi ne it as homicide or suicide. death, suggesting at diff erent showed Nisman was murdered, that would declare the president On Thursday, however, federal times that the prosecutor had and the court offi cials handling to have abandoned his duties. appeals court prosecutor Ricar- taken his own life or fallen vic- the probe, who favoured the However, Maduro’s ruling do Saenz said that “the evidence tim to rogue intelligence agents “suicide” hypothesis. United Socialist Party of Venezue- produced so far” showed that out to discredit Fernandez. Nisman’s former wife and la (PSUV) says he will withstand Nisman had been the victim of a The appearance in court of mother of his two daughters, the churning political waters. homicide. former spymaster Antonio judge Sandra Arroyo Salgado, “We have no doubt that in Saenz agreed with Nisman’s “Jaime” Stiuso may shed further has been a harsh critic of the last terms of what lies ahead, none of family that the absence of gun- light on the case. A long-time government’s apparent lack of these initiatives will be success- Trade union members demonstrate in front of the headquarters of Brazil’s Central Bank, powder on Nisman’s hand has secret operative who began his interest in solving the case. “As a ful,” the PSUV’s number-two at the financial centre on Paulista Avenue, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, yesterday demanding the ruled out the possibility of sui- career in the intelligence service mother I never felt that that the offi cial Diosdado Cabello told a reduction of the basic interest rate, presently set at 14.25%, one of the world’s highest. cide. during Argentina’s bloody 1976- state protected us,” she recently party meeting. “Scientifi c tests lead to the 83 dictatorship, Stiuso left Ar- told reporters. Macri asks Congress Rolling Stones to play free concert in Cuba to approve debt deal Reuters capital, and will mark the fi rst Havana open-air concert in that na- tion by a British rock band, the Reuters ratings have taken a hit as he cuts leader of moderate Peronists in group’s publicist said. Buenos Aires the public payroll. the Senate, said earlier that the he Rolling Stones will “We have performed in many “We have been in default since proposed deal with holdouts will perform a free outdoor special places during our long 2002,” Macri said. “I am count- not go to an immediate vote. Tconcert in Havana on career but this show in Havana rgentine President Mau- ing on this Congress to end this “The bill has to be studied March 25, the band’s publicist is going to be a landmark event ricio Macri yesterday confl ict, which has lasted 15 carefully,” he said, adding that announced yesterday, a mile- for us and, we hope, for all our Aurged Congress to ap- years. I am sure you will meet he is likely to vote in favour. stone event in a country where friends in Cuba too,” the band prove a landmark deal reached this responsibility.” Provincial governors, desper- the communist government said in a statement. with creditors over defaulted As he spoke, the local cur- ate for money needed to restore once banned the group’s music The announcement by the debt, in order to comply with a rency hit an all-time low of 16 to crumbling roads, are lobbying as an “ideological deviation.” British rockers adds a scheduled US court deadline and permit the US dollar. Macri’s address to the Senate in favour of the deal. The Stones added the show stop in the Caribbean nation that access to the fi nancing needed to both houses of Congress was in- But senator Maria de los An- - likely to be the biggest rock had censured their music, as well jumpstart Latin America’s third terrupted by applause from allies geles Sacnun, a staunch Fern- concert ever staged in Cuba - to as that of the Beatles and Elvis largest economy. and heckling from foes. andez ally, called the deal “an a Latin American tour that had Presley, after the 1959 revolution Macri, less than three months Some held up signs saying intrusion of our sovereignty.” been due to end on March 17 in that brought Fidel Castro, Raul’s in offi ce, is likely to cobble to- “Destruction of the State”, in The US judge hearing the Mexico City. brother, to power. gether the votes needed to im- reference to recent public sec- creditors’ case said last month The concert will come three Castro ultimately lamented plement the deal announced on tor job cuts, and “Don’t Mort- that he wants Congress to repeal days after US President Barack his government’s music censor- Monday to pay $4.65bn “hold- gage the Future”. The opposition the law banning the government Obama is due to conclude a ship and attended the unveil- out” hedge funds that rejected is against Argentina’s return to from off ering better terms than visit to Cuba, the fi rst by an ing of a statue of the late former steep cuts in repayment terms the global bond market, fearing those included in Argentina’s American president since 1928. Beatle John Lennon in a Havana off ered in the country’s 2005 and a steep increase in indebtedness. 2005 and 2010 debt restructur- Obama and Cuban President park on the 20th anniversary of 2010 bond restructurings. The country must settle the ings. The holdouts rejected those Raul Castro announced in De- his death on December 8, 2000. The question is whether Con- court case in order to launch restructurings and sued for full cember 2014 they would seek to “I very much regret not having gress will pass the deal before an Macri’s economic recovery pro- repayment in the US courts. normalise relations after more known you before,” Castro said April 14 deadline set by the US gramme. Elected in November on The government wants to is- than half a century of Cold War during the ceremony. court hearing the case. a free markets platform, he has sue two or three new sovereign animosity. Castro said he was too busy Adding to the urgency, the lo- lifted many of the controls that bonds on international markets The show is set to take place governing and his English was cal peso is plumbing record lows, previous President Cristina Fern- for a total of up to $15bn in April Argentine President Mauricio Macri waves during the on the grounds of the Ciudad too poor, to understand the 30% infl ation is squeezing con- andez had put on the economy. if lawmakers are swift in backing inauguration of the 134th period of ordinary sessions at the Deportiva de la Habana, a 64- Beatles fully. “It’s not my fault,” sumers, and Macri’s approval Miguel Angel Pichetto, a the accord. Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday. acre sports complex in Cuba’s he said of the censorship. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

CRIME New ‘honour killing’ in Pakistan a day after Oscar triumph

A father has shot dead his daugh- Thousands mourn hanged ter in Lahore in an apparent “hon- our killing”, police said yesterday, a day after a Pakistani director won an Oscar for a documentary on such murders. Investigators said Mohamed Rehmat, who is now on the run, killed his 18-year-old daughter Komal Bibi on Monday killer of Punjab governor after she failed to tell him where she had been for about five hours. Tensions ran high at the them on the streets of the coun- “The father fled after killing his funeral of Mumtaz Qadri, the try,” said Khadim Hussain. daughter and police are searching killer of Punjab governor Mourners travelled from dis- for him,” local police off icial Mo- Salman Taseer, who was tant cities, including Karachi hamed Yaqoob said. “It appears hanged on Monday and Lahore as well as Pakistani- to be a case of honour killing,” he held Kashmir, while small dem- said. A Girl in the River: The Price Reuters onstrations were held in cities of Forgiveness, a film telling the Kabul such as Peshawar. story of a rare survivor, won the The media maintained a near- Academy Award for best docu- blackout on the news for the mentary short at the star-studded ens of thousands of sup- second day running, a move that Hollywood ceremony on Sunday. porters chanted and threw analysts said has helped limit Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Trose petals yesterday at an fallout from the execution. met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ambulance bearing the body of A United Nations offi cial said recently as speculation grew the a Pakistani Islamist executed yesterday all its staff had been film would win an Oscar. for killing a liberal governor, as sent home from various work- schools closed and police guard- places in the capital due to se- WOMEN’S RIGHTS ed fl ashpoints. curity fears, including from the HRW slams Afghan Crowds fl ooded into a park in tightly guarded diplomatic en- the garrison city of Rawalpindi clave. ‘virginity tests’ for funeral prayers for Mumtaz Many schools and universities Qadri, chanting slogans such remained closed for the day after Human Rights Watch has as “Qadri, your blood will bring shutting early Monday. slammed “virginity exams” con- revolution”. Thousands had protested ducted on Afghan women and An AFP estimate put the across Pakistan on Monday af- girls accused of so-called moral number of people at up to ter authorities announced the crimes, saying the invasive tests 100,000. hanging had taken place early by government doctors were tan- Main junctions and sensitive that morning. tamount to sexual assault. Women buildings in Rawalpindi and the But with security stepped face growing levels of violence nearby capital Islamabad were up across the country of some and harassment in Afghanistan guarded by thousands of police 200mn, most dispersed peace- more than 14 years after the and paramilitary Rangers, while fully. Taliban regime was toppled from schools were shut. Pakistan has never offi cially power by a 2001 US-led invasion. Security forces kept a careful executed anyone for blasphemy. Of 53 women and girls as young distance from the crowd at Li- People raise their hands next to the ambulance carrying the body of Mumtaz Qadri during his funeral in Liaqat Bagh in Rawalpindi yesterday. But anyone convicted, or even as 13 accused of pre-marital sex aqat Bagh park, and some of the just accused, of insulting Islam — punishable by up to 15 years in supporters dispersed after the politician’s calls to reform the languishing in jails under false Analyst Amir Rana said law and they will not allow space risks a violent and bloody death jail -- 48 were subjected to virginity prayers. blasphemy law. charges. Qadri’s execution marked a key for extremism in Pakistan.” at the hands of vigilantes. exams, Afghanistan’s Independent But hundreds continued to Blasphemy is a hugely sensi- But those who lynch alleged moment for Pakistan in its fi ght But Rana said the move might Taseer had been vocal in his Human Rights Commission found march behind the fl ower-strewn tive issue in the Islamic republic, blasphemers largely escape pun- against religious extremism backfi re by making Qadri a martyr. support of Asia Bibi, a Christian in a recent study. ambulance as it inched its way and Qadri, who was hanged early ishment. lasting more than a decade. Several supporters took turns woman who has been on death through a sea of supporters to- Monday, was hailed as a hero Earlier, a few hundred Qadri “I think it is a very critical mo- to denounce and threaten the row since 2010 after being found MILITANCY wards the burial site. by many conservatives eager to supporters carrying sticks ment in the political history of government before the funeral. guilty of insulting the Prophet Qadri, a police bodyguard to drown out calls to soften the leg- were seen among the crowd in Pakistan. It is the fi rst time the “The chief justice, the army Mohammed. Her case has been Four Afghan Salman Taseer, shot the liberal islation. Rawalpindi as they shouted slo- political government has made chief and the president should championed by the Pope. policemen killed Punjab governor 28 times at an Critics say the law — which gans including: “The punish- such a decision (to carry out the fear the day when every single Yesterday some Qadri sup- Islamabad market in 2011. carries the death penalty — is ment for a blasphemer is be- execution),” Rana said. individual of the country will porters attending funeral prayers Four Afghan policemen were He said he was angry at the largely misused, with hundreds heading!” “The resolve is on the rule of become Mumtaz Qadri and grab chanted: “Death to Asia Bibi!”. killed after a police off icer aff iliated with the Taliban opened fire at their checkpoint in Afghanistan’s Pakistan blast kills two local US consulate staff southern Kandahar province, an off icial told DPA yesterday. “The shooter killed all his colleagues Terror groups ‘stealing’ Pakistan’s sovereignty: US At least two local employees to eradicate narcotics fields,” at the checkpoint and fled to the of the US consulate in the Kerry said at an event. “An IED Taliban after,” said General Ghulam Pakistani city of Peshawar have exploded and several were Sakhi Roghliwanai, the police chief IANS (that) seek to undermine Paki- tant for us to stand up to them,” commitment not to diff erentiate been killed in an explosion lost. A few of the soldiers of south-central Urozgan province. Washington stan’s eff orts to foster strong, Kerry said. between terrorist groups in the while out on an anti-narcotics who were there to guard Although the checkpoint is within positive relations with its neigh- Kerry also commended Paki- implementation of this strategy,” mission, US Secretary of State them also,” he added. The the territory of Kandahar province, bours,” Secretary of State John stan’s commitment not to diff er- he said. John Kerry said yesterday. State Department did not the highway checkpoint is the arning Pakistan that Kerry said yesterday. entiate between terrorist groups, as Pakistan Foreign Aff airs Ad- The top US diplomat said immediately provide more responsibility of the neighbor- anti-Afghanistan and “In the end, a group like the Pakistan assured that it had reached viser Sartaj Aziz said: “As an several Pakistani soldiers also information on the incident. ing Urozgan police, according Wanti-India terror groups Haqqani group or Lashkar-e- out to India as part of its policy of a all-important part of our policy died in the blast involving an Peshawar, located in northwest to Roghliwanai and a Kandahar were “stealing” its sovereignty and Taeba or Jaish-e-Mohamed peaceful neighbourhood. of peaceful neighbourhood, we improvised explosive device Pakistan, made somber global off icial. Roghliwanai said that the undermining its eff orts to improve - all of these groups are liter- “We commend Pakistan for its have reached out to India. (IED). “Just this morning I headlines in December 2014 checkpoint was manned and un- relations with its neighbours, US ally stealing the sovereignty of a whole-of-government approach “We believe the resolution of woke to the news that we when the Taliban massacred der control of the Afghan security has welcomed Pakistan’s commit- nation,” he said at the inaugural to implement the National Ac- all outstanding issues, including have lost two local employees more than 150 people there, forces when the incident hap- ment not to diff erentiate between session of the US-Pakistan Stra- tion Plan and eliminate the abil- the Kashmir dispute, is possible in Peshawar who worked mostly children, prompting the pened on Monday evening. Earlier terrorist groups. tegic Dialogue here. ity of militant groups to recruit, through resumption of full-scale with our consulate there who country’s army to intensify its in February, at another checkpoint “Groups like the Haqqani “And they’re stealing the fu- to fi nance, and to incite violence. and uninterrupted dialogue with were going out on an eff ort off ensive against militants. in the same province, four Afghan Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba ture of a nation. And it is impor- “And we welcome Pakistan’s India.” policemen had been killed. Karachi property prices soar after crime crackdown

Property prices jump as crime falls in Karachi; Pakistani developers seek to fill housing shortages; Critics say security comes at cost; future uncertain

Reuters Karachi

akistani Abdul Qadeer gave up trying to build a Pblock of fl ats in Karachi four years ago, when gangsters demanding $20,000 in protec- tion money shot him in the legs because he refused to pay. Now he is back, putting the fi nishing touches to one of sev- eral apartment complexes he is constructing, part of a property boom which he attributes to the security crackdown on insur- gents and criminals launched in the city in 2013. Zubair Habib, Chief of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) talks on mobile phone at his off ice in The construction site of the Bharia Icon 62 story building is seen in the background as a woman walks “The terror in people has been Karachi. along a street in Karachi. eliminated. Business is good,” he said, pointing to six scars left by erage of 10 percent, data from The clampdown also has a grow- There is a shortage of housing At least some of the money builders away, despite a severe Rs30,000 per square foot well the gunshot wounds. property website Zameen.com ing number of supporters, not least and a lot of backlog,” Habib said. pouring into Karachi real estate housing shortage. above the average for high-end Qadeer’s experience was not showed. among a business community long Rising demand for property in is also likely to be illicit, property Recorded murders in Karachi Karachi fl ats. uncommon for those trying to Activists have accused se- frustrated by Karachi’s reputation Karachi may not refl ect the Paki- experts said, with some inves- fell to 650 last year, a 75% drop Still, some developers fear the do business in Karachi, home curity forces of human rights for high rates of crime. stani economy as a whole. tors seeking to avoid paying tax. from 2013, while registered ex- property boom might turn out to to more than 20mn people and abuses, while the MQM, Kara- “In those areas where there It grew at 4.2% in the year to Offi cial data on total property tortion was down 80% and kid- be a bubble. with a reputation as one of the chi’s dominant political party, was a law and order problem, June 2015, against a central bank spending are not available, but napping by nearly 90%, accord- In Lyari, rubbish litters pot- world’s most dangerous cities. says the crackdown is eff ectively people have started buying target of 5.1% and below the 6%- land prices and project starts ing to the CPLC, which collates holed streets and locals com- But with recorded crimes a witch-hunt against it. houses again,” said Arif Habib, plus economists say is needed to show a surge in demand. offi cial police data. plain about a lack of water, elec- down sharply since paramili- In the narrow lanes of Qa- head of one of Pakistan’s largest absorb new entrants into a la- Developers launched 134 resi- Across the city from Lyari, bil- tricity and jobs, signs of broader tary Rangers moved in to make deer’s working class Lyari area, conglomerates. bour force from a growing popu- dential and commercial projects lionaire Malik Riaz is construct- weaknesses in Pakistan’s econ- its mean streets safer, property the forces killed 200 people last Arif Habib Corporation is lation of 190mn people. in Karachi last year, up from 106 ing Pakistan’s tallest skyscraper, omy. developers across the metropolis year alone, said Zubair Habib, building a large housing scheme The central bank said in De- in 2014 and 72 in 2013, according a 62-fl oor tower and complex Crime rates could also climb are looking to cash in on home head of the Citizens-Police Liai- in Karachi, with enough land cember that the economy re- to Zameen.com. of offi ces, luxury fl ats and malls again if the Rangers decide to buyers’ new-found confi dence. son Committee (CPLC). eventually to accommodate mained structurally weak, with The 2015 total includes 40 with Arabian Sea views, sched- wind down their lengthy opera- Karachi property prices The police say they are of- 30,000 units, and last year listed low levels of tax collection, low projects stalled during the worst uled to open next year. tion. jumped 23 percent last year to ten victims of attacks by armed the country’s fi rst real estate in- capital investment and a strug- of the violence when rival ethnic Project manager Sajid Usm- “If they leave, the same situ- a record high, outpacing other criminals, and that the operation vestment trust. gling export sector all posing groups, Taliban militants and ani said 80% of the apartments ation will occur,” said Qadeer. large cities and the national av- is working. “We have the population. risks to growth. powerful gang lords frightened had been bought, with prices of “The criminals will come back.” Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 PHILIPPINES Binay pledges Braving the waters jobs to combat high poverty

By Joel M Sy Egco bring home a bigger pay check Manila Times every month. In the farm sector, Binay said his administration will ice President Jejomar give more subsidies to help Binay, standard-bearer farmers increase their produc- Vof the United National- tivity. ist Alliance (UNA), yesterday “We should also increase vowed to produce more jobs the subsidy of farmers. Espe- in the critical sectors of agri- cially fertiliser and irrigation,” culture, manufacturing and he added. business process outsourc- His camp earlier said a Bi- ing (BPO), saying poverty is nay presidency will construct caused mainly by lack of em- and improve rural infrastruc- ployment opportunities. ture facilities such irrigation, “We have to generate jobs. farm-to-market roads con- Many people are poor because nected to highways and post- they are unemployed. This harvest facilities. will be our priority,” he told a Crop insurance will also radio interview in Odiongan, be pushed by the Binay ad- Romblon. ministration to protect farm- The province has a 40.5% ers, and to give farmers and poverty incidence rate, ac- fi shermen capacity-building cording to the National Statis- programmes to help in their tical Coordination Board. credit-worthiness so that they It also used to belong to the can avail of fi nancial loans. top 20 poorest provinces in Binay said his administra- the country in the last decade. tion will also strive to improve Aside from focusing on the the BPO industry that has sectors that generate the big- been providing jobs to skilled gest number of jobs, Binay Filipinos. also vowed to abolish the in- He added that he will con- come tax for workers earning tinue and expand the Pan- P30,000 and below monthly. tawid Pamilyang Pilipino The move is expected to Programme (4Ps) to include A father and his son paddle a makeshift banca made out of styrofoam and bamboo while carrying buckets full of fishes they received from local fishermen, which they plan bring relief to more than 6mn senior citizens and other mar- on selling at a wet market in Navotas, Metro Manila yesterday. workers and enable them to ginalised groups.

Voters urged to pick candidates with Poll agency likely to block good track record

Manila Times the best qualifi cations, he said telecast of Pacquiao’s fi ght Manila he wanted to give young vot- ers a guide in making the right Reuters chise during the election peri- Last month, a left-wing can- judgment.“I’m asking them to Manila od,” Andres Bautista, chairman didate and rival of Pacquiao ice presidential can- make that judgment as many of the Commission on Elec- wanted the poll body to declare didate Sen. Ferdinand of them are fi rst time voters. It tions, said said the commission the boxing match a violation of V“Bongbong” Marcos is a guide for them on how to he Philippines’ elec- could prohibit public broad- election rules as it would give Jr advised fi rst time voters to choose the people that they will tion commission yester- casts in the Philippines of the the boxer an undue advantage change the country for the vote for, how to choose the can- Tday said it may bar local fight. “That could be possible, over other candidates in the better by choosing candidates didates that they feel will serve broadcasts of boxing icon Man- but as to whether we can stop race to become a senator. based on their track record and the country well,” he explained. ny Pacquiao’s bid to win back him from fighting, that’s dif- Last month, Pacquiao lost a performance. Marcos campaigned in Rizal the world welterweight title ferent.” sponsorship deal with Nike Inc, Talking to youth voters at province where political king- next month because it could give The poll body has given Pac- as the world’s largest sports- the Voters’ Education Forum pins, led by the Ynares family, him an unfair advantage over quiao, a two-term congress- wear-maker cancelled its con- at Tomas Claudio College in threw their support behind his rival candidates in an election a man, five days to comment on tract with the Filipino boxer af- Morong, Rizal, Marcos said the vice presidential bid. month later. the issue before making a final ter he described gays as “worse youth have the immense power The senator thanked the The 37-year-old former ruling on whether the bout vio- than animals”. to make a diff erence. people of Rizal for their over- world champion will fight lates election rules. Pacquiao remains popular in “We are approaching an elec- whelming support to his Unity American Timothy Bradley, Bautista said the poll body’s the Philippines, regardless, and tion and let us allow those who Caravan. reigning WBO welterweight law department has presented opinion polls rank him eighth vote in the elections to make “It was so beautiful. There champion, for a third time in several options for Pacquiao, among four dozen candidates their own judgments as to who were a lot of people who went April, exactly a month before including a partial restriction running for Senate seats. did the most for this country out to welcome me. They he contests an election for one on the airing of his fight. On May 9, more than 54mn and who had the opportunity were not only saying hello of 12 vacant seats in the upper Pacquiao : broadcast curbs Earlier, Pacquiao said it was people in the Philippines will to do much for this country but but they were really express- house of Congress. difficult to postpone the bout vote for a president, vice- who did not,” he told reporters. ing their support to which I am The bout is being billed as curtain on a career that saw him “We have some form of con- and pointed out that he had president, 300 lawmakers and While Marcos did not name very thankful and humbled,” Pacquiao’s last fi ght, as the crowned world champion in trol, or regulatory supervision, also fought a month before thousands of local government any candidate that possesses Marcos said. sporting hero brings down the eight diff erent weight divisions. over entities which have a fran- polling in past elections. posts.

Poe’s name to remain on ballot irrespective of ruling Offi cial faces sexual By William B Depasupil ready been printed by the Na- ano del Castillo disqualifi ed Poe Manila Times tional Printing Offi ce (NPO). on the grounds that she did not his is roughly 25% of the meet the residency requirement harassment 56.7mn ballots that need to be for presidential candidates. he Supreme Court (SC) printed for the national and lo- The SC magistrates, however, is yet to rule on Sena- cal elections on May 9, 2016. are yet to vote on del Castillo’s charge Ttor Grace Poe’s eligibility Printing has to be fi nished not decision. But Poe’s lawyer, for the May 2016 elections, but later than April 25 or two weeks George Garcia, also yesterday qualifi ed or not, her name will before election day. said everything remains spec- By Reina Tolentino remain on the ballot, the Com- The ballots are precinct-spe- ulative until the High Court Manila Times mission on Elections (Comelec) cifi c. comes out with its resolution on said yesterday. Printed on the front are the Poe’s disqualifi cation case. It is too late to erase the names of the presidential can- “We don’t believe it. Until the n offi cial of the Depart- names of disqualifi ed candi- didates–Manuel “Mar” Roxas, SC comes out with a ruling, we ment of Social Wel- dates or make any changes on Jejomar Binay, Poe, Rodrigo Du- remain qualifi ed,” Garcia added. Afare and Development the ballots since printing has terte, Miriam Santiago and Se- “Granting that she is disqual- (DSWD) Field Offi ce VIII in Ta- started last month, according to neres–as well as the 115 party- ifi ed, we can still fi le a motion cloban City is facing a sexual the poll body. list groups. for reconsideration. It’s a long harassment case before the Comelec chairman Andres The names of the 50 senato- process. Under a worst-case Sandiganbayan for allegedly Bautista said even the name of rial candidates and local candi- scenario, her vote would only be asking sexual favours from a former OFW party-list Rep. Roy dates are at the back. considered as stray,” he said. young man seeking employment Seneres, who passed away in Up for grabs in the 2016 elec- “The issue of delisting at this in his offi ce in August 2011. February, will also be on the of- tions are the positions for presi- point is impossible,” Garcia The Ombudsman accused fi cial ballot. dent, vice president, 12 senators, added. former assistant Regional Direc- Seneres had backed out from 115 party-list representatives, He said the Poe camp re- tor Jaime Eclavea for violation of the presidential race a week be- 235 district congressmen, 81 mains confident of winning Republic Act 7877, also known as fore he died. governors, 81 vice governors, the case pending before the SC the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act Bautista said it is not possible 772 members of the Sanggunian as they have established dur- of 1995. to cross out or put a line across Panlalawigan, 144 city mayors, ing the oral arguments, in their It was reported that the young the names of candidates who 144 city vice mayors, 1,610 city pleadings and evidence sub- man was seeking employment were disqualifi ed or who passed councillors, 1,490 municipal mitted to the court, that Poe with the DSWD under Kapit- away to indicate that they are mayors, 1,490 municipal vice has met the 10-year residency bisig Laban Sa Kahirapan- no longer in the race because it Grace Poe: remains on ballot mayors, 11,924 municipal coun- requirement. Comprehensive and Integrated would entail a reprinting of bal- cillors and a governor and a vice “Even the Solicitor-General, Delivery of Social Services (Ka- lots that is no longer possible at deadline to fi nish the printing of Bautista also explained that if these people who were dis- governor for the Autonomous the government’s lawyer, says lahi-CIDSS) programme. this time. ballots,” he explained. a candidate died or was disqual- qualifi ed and those who passed Region in Muslim Mindanao she (Poe) is a natural-born Fil- Eclavea allegedly demanded “We could not do that (put a “So printing will continue ifi ed, their votes will be physi- away,” he said. and 24 ARMM assemblymen. ipino and has met the 10-year from the applicant that he sleep line across the names). It would even if the Supreme Court rules cally counted but these will be Comelec spokesman James The Manila Times has report- residency requirement. So who with him in his lodging house be complicated, we would not to disqualify (Poe),” the Come- declared stray. Jimenez earlier said that more ed that a draft decision written will doubt what the Solicitor- with a threat that if the latter be able to meet our April 25 lec chairman said. “You will know the votes of than 10.5mn ballots have al- by SC Associate Justice Mari- General has said?” Garcia said. refuses, he would not be hired. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Paragliders rescued Top Bangladesh editor gets in Nepal tourist town bail over criminal lawsuits after storm AFP Anam said last month the cell, were also carried by most But Hasina on Monday night DPA Dhaka stories had been based on un- other Bangladesh newspapers. accused Anam and the editor Kathmandu corroborated leaks from the The cell was set up by the- of Prothom Alo, Bangladesh’s military-backed caretaker gov- then caretaker government largest circulated daily and a court granted one of ernment that ruled Bangladesh that ruled Bangladesh for two sister company of the Star, of leven paragliders were Bangladesh’s top news- until Sheikh Hasina become years after a military takeover conspiring against her. rescued after they Apaper editors bail yester- prime minister in 2009. in 2007, which led to the arrest “They ran the reports either Ecrashed due to a strong day following a spate of defa- Anam said he had been wrong of Hasina and her main political as paid DGFI (the military in- storm in the city of Pokhara mation suits from government to publish them, sparking an rival Khaleda Zia, now leader of telligence agency) agents or in Nepal yesterday, police supporters over reports alleg- outcry from government sup- the opposition, on corruption because they were involved in said. ing corruption against the now porters and calls from Hasina’s charges. a conspiracy,” she told parlia- The paragliders landed in dif- prime minister. son for the editor to be tried for Neither was convicted of ment, according to online news ferent parts of Pokhara, where Daily Star editor Mahfuz treason. any crime and both denied portal bdnews24.com the 2016 Nepali Pre World Cup Anam was summoned to appear Pro-government groups have corruption. “What kind of ties could paragliding competition is in court in the northern city of since fi led 62 suits, seeking a Human Rights Watch and one have with those who tor- taking place. Rangpur over one of the 62 suits total of 1.33trn taka ($16.6bn) other groups have slammed the tured teachers, students, and Seven paragliders fell into the fi led against him for stories in damages for defamation, a suits, saying they “are part of politicians?” she said. Fewa Lake, one was found dan- published in 2007. criminal off ence that in Bangla- a larger, organised assault on Fears over freedom of speech gling on a tree, and there others “Anam surrendered to the desh also carries a penalty of up independent media”. Crimi- have been mounting in Bangla- landed in diff erent parts of the court this morning and he was to two years in jail. nal defamation cases are rarely desh, which has seen a spate of town. granted bail,” his lawyer, Munir The reports, based on infor- brought before the courts in killings of secular bloggers and Security personnel and the Chowdhury, said. mation supplied by a military Bangladesh. publishers. Mahfuz Anam ... facing 62 suits Nepal Aviation Sport Institute conducted the rescue. One paraglider came from Rajapakse’s China, one from Kazakhstan, three from Ukraine and the rest son suspended from Russia. from navy The competition, involving Nepal extends Everest climbing permits 150 paragliders from 35 coun- The Sri Lanka navy has suspended tries, has been postponed for former Lt Yoshitha Rajapakse, the past three days due to bad second son of former president AFP when the April quake triggered ism department chief Gobinda eight of the world’s 14 peaks “We are not happy that weather. It is set to conclude on Mahinda Rajapakse and who is Kathmandu an avalanche on Everest base Bahadur Karki. over 8,000m. the government decided on March 5. now under arrest, from its service camp that killed 18 people. Nearly 9,000 people lost “We hope the number of this so late. Had the decision with eff ect from February 28. The quake marked the their lives when the 7.8-mag- climbers will increase this year come earlier, expedition teams This was in response to a request epal has extended the second year with almost no nitude quake ripped through after the government’s latest would have a little more time made by the Financial Crimes climbing permits of summits on Everest after the Nepal, triggering avalanches decision,” Karki said. for preparations,” said Ang Investigation Division (FCID) to the Nhundreds of moun- deaths of 16 Nepali guides in and landslides that buried part Industry insiders welcomed Tshering Sherpa, president ministry of defence to take action taineers forced to abandon an avalanche in 2014 sparked of Everest base camp and de- the move, but said the delay in of Nepal’s mountaineering Crash against Yoshita “in order to keep Mt Everest after last year’s a shutdown of the world’s stroyed the popular Langtang making the decision had left association. the ongoing FCID investigations massive earthquake, to try highest peak. trekking route. operators with little time to or- Kathmandu last year agreed independent, as currently charges to lure tourists back to the “The government has de- Following the disaster, ganise expeditions. to extend Everest climbing plane are being framed in the courts”, an Himalayas, an offi cial said cided to extend permits for two Nepal is desperate to revive Everest’s two-month permits until 2019 for foreign off icial release stated. yesterday. years in order to compensate tourism including its moun- spring climbing season kicks mountaineers already holding A month ago, Yoshitha had been Climbers, who paid $11,000 those climbers who could not taineering industry, key reve- off in April when weather one, following the 2014 shut- pilots arrested along with four others in each for a permit last year, quit continue their expeditions due nue-earners for the impover- conditions are deemed ideal down of the 8,848m (29,035ft) a money laundering case. their expeditions in droves to the earthquake,” said tour- ished country that is home to for ascents. high peak. awarded Bomb scare medals

Oli to visit DPA Kathmandu

wo pilots who died China towards in a crash landing Tlast week will re- ceive posthumous bravery awards after all their passen- gers survived, offi cials said March-end yesterday. Pilot Dinesh Neupane and co-pilot Santosh Rana told IANS import of petroleum products passengers before the crash Kathmandu from China, as discussed dur- landing they would make sure ing Deputy Prime Minister they survived even if they lost and Foreign Minister Kamal their own lives, the survivors epal Prime Minister K Thapa’s visit in December, said. P Sharma Oli will pay is likely during Oli’s visit,” Nine passengers including a Nan offi cial visit to Chi- Khanal said. 17-month-old were on board the na towards March-end, the Nepal Oil Corporation single-engine plane operated by media reported yetserday. (NOC), the state-run organi- Air Kastamandap en route from A meeting of the Council of sation that deals with procur- Nepalganj to Jumla district when Ministers took a formal deci- ing and distribution of petro- it developed technical problems sion on Monday evening re- leum products, had signed a and came down in Kalikot on garding the trip, Information framework agreement with Friday. Minister Sherdhan Rai said. Petro China last October for It was the second aviation ac- This is going to be Oli’s importing one-third of Ne- cident in Nepal in three days. second foreign trip after he pal’s fuel requirements. Twenty-three people were killed became the prime minister The country currently im- A member of the army’s bomb disposal team carries a suspicious object after a bomb scare outside the Singha Durbar off ice complex last Wednesday when a plane on October 11, Xinhua news ports all its petroleum prod- that houses the prime minister’s off ice and other ministries, in Kathmandu yesterday. The scare was later found to be a false alarm. crashed in the mountains of agency reported. ucts from India under an Myagdi district. He visited India from Feb- agreement between NOC and ruary 19 to 24. Indian Oil Corporation. Offi cials at the Nepal’s min- During Thapa’s visit to Chi- istry of foreign aff airs said na, both sides signed an eight- preparations for Oli’s visit to point deal for the long-term China were on but dates were supply of petroleum products, Bangladeshi women traffi cked to Canada to help rebuild yet to be fi nalised. improving connectivity and “The prime minister will at- increasing bilateral trade. tend the 2016 Annual Confer- Both NOC and Petro China war-torn Syria: RAB commander earthquake-hit areas ence of the Boao Forum of Asia were directed to work out to be held in China from March details on pricing, taxation, 22 to 25,” said Oli’s foreign re- transportation and other is- Reuters people — sometimes to work as agencies to legitimately move IANS challenges in Nepal for more lations expert Gopal Khanal. sues before a formal deal is New Delhi a maid, sometimes for sex. She people to countries like Jordan Kathmandu than 20 years. “But it is confi rmed that sealed. But the deal got stuck told us there were others.” and Lebanon. The initiative will strength- the prime minister will make because Nepal sought the Sarowar said the 34-year-old Traffi ckers in these countries en the capacities of com- an offi cial trip to China,” he waiver of certain taxes. cores of Bangladeshi wom- woman was “extremely sick and then transported the women to Syr- anada’s International De- munities and institutions for added. A four-member team of en have been lured with unable to move”. Bangladeshi of- ia, where they were bought and sold velopment Research Cen- disaster risk management and During Oli’s visit, Nepal and senior bureaucrats and NOC Sthe promise of a good job fi cials in Syria fl ew her to Dhaka and passed on to diff erent people, Ctre (IDRC) has announced climate change adaptation and China are expected to ink a offi cials left for China yes- in the Middle East and then traf- where she is being treated for a with little chance of escape. to help rebuild Nepal following build eco-friendly, climate and long-term deal on the supply terday and it is expected to fi cked to war-torn Syria, where kidney illness, he added. Eight people have been arrest- the 7.8-magnitude earthquake earthquake resilient homes, of petroleum products. resolve all these issues before they are forced into domestic or The International Organisa- ed in Bangladesh, he said, add- that hit the Himalayan nation the IDRC said in the statement. “An offi cial agreement on Oli’s visit. sex work, a senior Bangladeshi tion for Migration (IOM) es- ing most were owners and staff in April 2015, a statement said in The Canadian government has police offi cial said. timates that more than 8mn of recruitment agencies who had Kathmandu yesterday. so far provided $23mn in human- The head of a Rapid Action Bangladeshi nationals are work- either knowingly or unknowing- The $1.2mn investment that itarian assistance in response Battalion (RAB) - an elite squad ing abroad, many of them in Gulf ly been part of an international was announced by IDRC’s to the crisis. The fund has been of the Bangladeshi police - said Arab states and South East Asia. traffi cking ring. Traffi ckers in president Jean Lebel and Am- directed to experienced humani- his unit had come across 45 cases Many migrate willingly, but Syria, Lebanon and Jordan has bassador of Canada to Nepal tarian partners, including UN of women who had been exploit- fi nd themselves in situations of not been identifi ed or arrested Nadir Patel on Monday will humanitarian agencies, Cana- ed, beaten, tortured or raped in forced labour due, in part, to ex- yet, he added. restore housing, public build- dian NGOs and the International Syria in the last year. orbitant recruitment fees which Sarowar said the victims were ings, and infrastructure, as Federation of Red Cross and Red “It started with one woman need to be repaid and restric- largely poor rural women who well as promote better mitiga- Crescent Societies (IFRC), it said. called Shahinoor who escaped tions placed on them by their were paying an average recruit- tion and management for fu- “This initiative will support from her captors in Syria. She employers. ment fee of 30,000 taka ($380) ture natural disasters. mountain communities in their called her mother who com- Women, in particular, take up in return for a one-year contract Working with local partner rebuilding and rehabilitation plained to us,” Commander jobs as domestic workers in Gulf with a monthly salary of $200. the International Centre for eff orts following the earth- Khadaker Golam Sarowar of states where they are abused and “They are innocent, unedu- Integrated Mountain Develop- quake of 2015,” the statement RAB-3 said on Monday. face a lack of freedom. cated women who come from ment (ICIMOD), this partner- quoting Lebel said. “Shahinoor was supposed to Sarowar said Syria—where the villages. They do not know ship will support rehabilitation “Canada remains commit- go to Lebanon. Instead she was a civil war has raged for fi ve anything about Syria and what and reconstruction activities ted to work with Nepal in sup- taken to Dubai with fi ve other years—has become a new desti- is happening there. They think in Dhungentar ward. porting the most vulnerable K P Sharma Oli to attend the 2016 Annual Conference of the women, and then onto to Syria nation for traffi ckers who were they are going to Lebanon or The IDRC has been working people aff ected by this trag- Boao Forum of Asia to be held in China from March 22 to 25. where she was sold to diff erent using Bangladeshi recruitment Jordan for a good life,” he said. on climate and water related edy,” Patel said. Gulf Times 26 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed Rights promotion, protection Production Editor: C P Ravindran

P.O.Box 2888 strategic choice for Qatar: FM Doha, Qatar [email protected] QNA a stain of shame for humanity as Geneva Israel continues its illegal policies, Telephone 44350478 (news), arbitrary arrests, the siege of the Gaza 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) Strip since 2007, the expansion of Fax 44350474 E the Foreign Minister settlements, repeated and systematic Sheikh Mohamed bin attacks on Al Aqsa Mosque, the Abdulrahman al-Thani destruction of schools, and the Hsaid that the promotion inappropriate treatment of prisoners and protection of human rights are and detainees. strategic choices for Qatar which state The minister said the Israeli has been working to achieve by laying policies constitute fl agrant challenge GULF TIMES their foundations at the national to the will of the international level as well as through regional and group and violates the international international eff orts. humanitarian law, particularly the In a statement before the 31st Fourth Geneva Convention, adding regular session of the Human Rights that Qatar is constantly exerting Global growth calls Council, HE the Foreign Minister eff orts to alleviate the suff ering said the State of Qatar had adopted of Gaza residents through the several legislative measures related reconstruction of the strip. for a united stance to the promotion and protection He called on the international of human rights, including, the society, the Security Council in issuance of Law No. 1 of 2015 particular, to shoulder its legal and amending some provisions of the ethical responsibilities in taking the against currency wars Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 and Law necessary measures to end the unjust No. 21 of 2015 regulating the entry, siege of Gaza, provide protection for exit, and residence of expatriates. the Palestinian people, compel Israel While nations have fought against each other These legislations, he said, have to end its occupation of the Arab throughout history for a host of reasons, central strengthened the constitutional territories, achieve comprehensive bankers usually don’t fi ght wars. But with investors and legal protection for the foreign and just peace that remains a strategic workers’ rights in accordance choice in line with the Arab Peace worried about a potentially new recession taking hold, with international standards and Initiative and international legitimacy the global economy is now in a precarious situation. obligations under international resolutions. Make no mistake, there is an ongoing tussle – conventions to which Qatar is party. HE the Foreign Minister added “I wish to pay tribute to the that civilians are usually the victims intentional or not – to gain the competitive edge, with signifi cant role played by the of wars and violent confl icts, each country brandishing its currency as a weapon, expatriate workers in the development expressing sorrow over the death of leading to the “currency wars.” of the State of Qatar, and to stress in more than 300,000 Syrians, mostly Policymakers cut exchange rates so that goods made this regard that the State of Qatar is women, children and elders, and the keen on promoting and protecting displacement of over 12mn people by a country’s exporters can be sold cheaper overseas. their rights and providing them with internally and abroad at the hands of a When other nations retaliate by doing the same, suitable work environment,” said HE regime that exceeded all red lines. currency wars erupt, hitting the global economic Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman He said that failing to punish the balance. al-Thani. culprits of these crimes makes the In its eff orts to enhance the international community lose its The idea of a currency war became a problematic institutional framework for human credibility in establishing criminal with China’s surprise devaluation of the yuan in rights, Qatar issued Law No. 12 of justice and raises doubts about the August last year and a further slide in the currency 2015 with a view to ensuring greater eff ectiveness of the protection of in early 2016. The moves raised concern that China independence of the National Human civilians and the preservation of Rights Committee its members as well human rights. would depreciate the yuan to revive a slowing as to ensure them further safeguards HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addressing He stressed the necessity of economy despite denials from Chinese offi cials. and guarantees in line with Paris the Human Rights Council session in Geneva on Monday. reaching a peaceful solution that The yuan has weakened 5% versus the dollar since Principles, he said, pointing out that achieves the legitimate ambitions the August devaluation, even as the central bank the state is currently working on a many developing countries to catch eff ectively and professionally fulfi l its of the Syrian people according to national plan for human rights in up with the development process as mandate and role. the Geneva I Communique and burnt through more than $400bn of the nation’s accordance with the Cabinet decision part of its eff orts and enforcement of He stressed that human rights the establishment of a transitional foreign exchange reserves over the last six months to issued in 2014. development goals. challenges are growing all over the government with absolute executive support the exchange rate. Japan also jolted markets In the framework of Qatar’s With regard to national world despite the passing of nearly powers. by introducing negative interest rates, following the eff orts to contribute eff ectively development, HE Sheikh Mohamed a decade since the Human Rights HE the Foreign Minister said to international eff orts aimed at bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that Council was created. Qatar is an active player in the European Central Bank’s move below zero in 2014. promoting human rights and peace Qatar citizens are the top priority in Addressing the session, HE the implementation of the UN counter- At least 24 countries cut interest rates last year, with and security, the Foreign Minister accordance with the directives of HH Foreign Minister said that despite terrorism strategy, and continues nations from Canada to said Qatar hosted several major the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad eff orts of the Human Rights Council, to emphasise the need to reach a Singapore unexpectedly international conferences and events al-Thani, adding that this is enshrined the situation of human rights is comprehensive agreement that The currency of interest to the region, including a in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and not better that it was upon the includes a defi nition of terrorism and easing monetary policy. regional conference on “UNHCR’s the National Strategy 2011-2016. establishment of the council, adding does not link it to any religion, race wars have The currency wars role in the promotion and protection He pointed out that the State of that occupation, tyranny and racial or culture with a clear distinction have simmered for Human Rights in the Arab region” last Qatar topped Arab countries and discrimination remain sources of between terrorism and the legitimate simmered years as countries January. came in 32nd place in the Human human rights violations. right of peoples to fi ght for freedom He described the adoption of the Development Report issued by the UN HE the minister referred to his and independence. for years as fought their way sustainable development agenda in Development Programme in December speech before the council last March HE Sheikh Mohamed bin out of the recession 2030 recently as fundamental turning 2015. when he said that if tackling human Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar countries fought brought about by the point in international development He stressed Qatar’s commitment rights violations is not eff ective and is committed to promoting freedom 2008 fi nancial crisis. eff orts. to continue co-operation with fi rm enough, the world will witness of expression and the right to their way out of Qatar, he said, attaches great the council as the best and most more violence, extremism and inform, stressing that Doha refuses The devaluation of importance to international co- appropriate mechanism for the confl icts. to use that right as a means to the recession the yuan – the fi rst in operation and is going to implement promotion and protection of human He said that the continuing Israeli justify the incitement of hatred and more than two decades a number of programmes to enable rights, and to support its eff orts to occupation of Arab territories is resentment. – prompted calls for clearer communication and a more united stance from the world’s central bankers. Leading to the Group of 20 meeting last week, Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned counterparts against getting embroiled in a currency war by pushing Is Europe worth the eff ort? interest rates too low, while International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde said the eff ects of monetary policies, even innovative ones, are By Jean Pisani-Ferry cynical – stance has mired Europe in the audit has not resulted in any fact fragile – and increasingly so. diminishing. Paris an unhappy equilibrium: It cannot request for signifi cant competence American leadership buttressed it in move backward, it cannot move repatriation. the decades after World War II; but Steep losses on global stock markets and volatility forward, and it satisfi es no one. Perhaps for this reason, Brexit the US no longer regards itself as the in currencies this year have fuelled calls for G20 hen the United Kingdom One hopes that the fi erce EU advocates often focus on the guardian of multilateral rules. The US members to do more to stoke demand and bolster joined the then- membership debate, now that it has diminishing benefi ts of regional eff ort to create two mega-regional European Economic begun, will be honest enough for integration and claim that Britain free-trade zones – the Trans-Pacifi c stability. The IMF last month trimmed its global Community in 1973, everyone to learn from it. In particular, would be much better off playing its Partnership and the Transatlantic growth projections and said 2016 would be a “year of W it was at the rearguard of European the economic benefi ts of EU cards alone. Why bother negotiating Trade and Investment Partnership, great challenges.” integration. The question raised membership are a matter for serious with continental partners, when the neither of which includes China – is The G20 fi nance chiefs last week agreed to consult by the UK’s upcoming referendum discussion. UK can trade with the whole world? indicative of America’s priorities. And on continued European Union Economists describe regional Aren’t small, open economies like the other big players, from China to closely on foreign exchange markets, while renewing membership is whether Britain is integration as a tradeoff between Singapore thriving? the commodity producers, are not shy past pledges to refrain from competitive devaluations. now at the forefront of Europe’s economies of scale and the diversity of There are serious objections to about wielding their economic power. They agreed to use monetary, fi scal and structural disintegration. preferences. By joining, countries gain this argument. For starters, free trade For all its weaknesses, the EU is a tools to boost growth. The issue has little to do with effi ciency and infl uence, at the cost suffi ces for selling shirts, but trade in big economic player that participates the insignifi cant accord that Prime of having to settle on policies that do services requires detailed legislation in shaping the world around it. As To be sure, every nation is entitled to formulate a Minister David Cameron recently not exactly match their choices. For and institutions (such as sector- a standard-setter, a negotiator, and monetary policy, which is best suited to stimulate reached with his EU colleagues. example, businesses get access to a specifi c authorities) to enforce it. a rule enforcer, it has considerably growth. But the “unspoken currency wars” can stifl e Indeed, it is hard to believe that larger market, and consumers benefi t Absent a comprehensive regulatory more infl uence than its opponents global economic recovery, creating unjust winners and this agreement will determine from lower prices, but regulations are apparatus, fi nancial or healthcare recognise. Because it is itself Britain’s fateful choice in June. The less attuned to their liking. It is like services, among others, cannot be based on rules, it is the strongest losers. If devaluation is truly a consequence of prudent fundamental issue is whether EU sharing an apartment: you reduce your traded. champion of rules-based economic monetary policy necessitated by real macro-economic membership still yields large enough costs, but you have to adapt to your So the notion that all that is needed interdependence. For these reasons domestic reasons, then nations must make sure to benefi ts to outweigh the loss of roommates’ habits. is to eliminate tariff s and bureaucratic alone, to dispense with it would be an inform and consult with each other. It’ll do a world sovereignty that it entails. In Europe, preferences today are red tape is pure fi ction. The UK, adventurous gamble. This is not a matter for discussion arguably much less dissimilar than which is strong in services, needs the If rational arguments do not of good, if there are no surprises, especially given the in Britain only. For many in the EU, they were a few decades ago. Former institutional framework of the EU support leaving the EU, why has the perilous state the global economy is in. however, it is a very diffi cult question British Prime Minister Margaret single market much more than, say, question arisen? In part, it is because to ask, because Europe remains Thatcher and former French President Poland, which is stronger in goods. the EU has disappointed. But this is emotionally loaded. Only in Britain François Mitterrand were much Second, the global trading an argument for reforming it, rather could a cabinet minister from the further apart ideologically than their framework is itself in serious trouble. than leaving it. In part, it is because To Advertise same party that brought the country current successors. True, the British The Uruguay Round, the latest global transnational democracy has not into the EU call for exiting it. No are still more inclined toward free trade agreement, was completed in delivered. But the answer is not to [email protected] mainstream German, French, or markets than the French, but the gap 1994. Its putative successor, the Doha give up on it, but to make it work. In Display Spanish politician would dare discuss between them has become much Development Round, has not been part, it is because the emotional glue Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 the matter openly, let alone advocate narrower. There is no factual basis completed and probably never will binding Europe together has dried divorce. for claiming that we have become be. Global trade increasingly relies on up. But this a reason to make change, Classified But the question cannot be ignored. unhappier roommates since the 1980s. bilateral or regional arrangements. not to pander to parochialism. – Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 In most EU countries, large segments Nor has the EU ventured into According to the World Trade Project Syndicate of public opinion are dissatisfi ed domains where it produces no value Organisation, 267 such agreements Subscription with the Union and increasingly added. The fi rst Cameron government are in force, including 49 involving the zJean Pisani-Ferry is a professor at [email protected] sympathetic to nationalistic appeals. launched a review of EU competences EU. Contrary to popular perception, the Hertie School of Governance in In response, many politicians pay lip in 2012 to determine which lie with globalisation has not made regional Berlin, and currently serves in Paris service to Europe while emphasizing the EU and which with the UK. A arrangements irrelevant; on the as Commissioner-General of France 2014 Gulf Times. All rights reserved purely national solutions. This comprehensive public consultation contrary, it largely relies on them. Stratégie, a French policy advisory inconsistent – and often simply and 32 thorough reports later, Furthermore, globalisation is in institution. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 2, 2016 27 COMMENT Will Brexit break the pound?

Despite the destabilising within two years Britain was hit by campaigning to exacerbate the another currency crisis – this one situation are eff ectively discredited. impact of Brexit, it is large enough to require support from The risk is that UK voters, angry about possible that, in the long the International Monetary Fund. the government’s damaging actions, Again, Labour lost the next election will succumb to the pro-Brexit camp’s run, Europe would be and the party split. false claim that leaving the EU will better off without the UK Such credibility issues were restore the UK’s economic dynamism. not exclusive to Labour. It was In any case, the Conservative Party under Prime Minister John Major’s is sure to face the kind of internal By Harold James Conservative government that 1992’s confl ict that destroyed the Labour Princeton “Black Wednesday” struck, with party after 1931 and again after the pound being forced out of the 1976. Already, Conservative MPs are European Exchange Rate Mechanism, deeply divided, with no prospect of he British government’s the precursor to the euro. This severely reconciliation. recent announcement damaged the government’s credibility. For the rest of Europe, the British that a referendum on Although the Conservatives did political drama is a source of TBritain’s European Union manage a narrow victory in the next frustration and embitterment. At membership will be held on June 23 election, the party’s internal fi ssure a time when the EU is confronting was quickly followed by a sharp drop over European integration deepened, many serious challenges, the last in the pound’s value. Exchange rate and by the end of the 1990s, Labour thing it needed was protracted and volatility for the pound is bound to was back in power (and would remain awkward negotiations on the changes continue until the referendum, and to there for more than a decade). to the terms of UK membership that intensify at moments when a vote for The economic eff ects of Britain’s Cameron’s government demanded. “Brexit” looks more likely. The result 20th-century currency crises were None of this bodes well for Europe’s may be a self-fulfi lling prophecy, in far less severe than the political commitment to keeping the UK in which market and political instability repercussions. In fact, the devaluation the Union. Just as some European drive British voters to reject the of 1931 set the stage for an era of cheap politicians during the Greek debt crisis EU – an outcome that would be money, which made 1930s Britain a advocated amputating the “infected highly dangerous for them and their much less dismal place than it had limb,” a growing number may lose European counterparts alike. been under the economic orthodoxy patience as the UK’s economic The political implications recall of the gold standard in the 1920s. And situation deteriorates. the experience of the 20th century, the 1992 devaluation led to a new Indeed, despite the destabilising when the pound’s external value was monetary-policy approach, greater impact of Brexit, it is possible that, in a national obsession in the UK and macroeconomic stability, and faster the long run, Europe would be better currency crises regularly destroyed economic growth. off without the UK. After all, Britain’s the credibility of governments and Today, however, the British European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker addresses the European Parliament on the outcome of the “Brexit” government both recognises the wreaked political havoc. For example, economy is facing serious risks. summit, in Brussels on February 24. need for greater fi scal integration and in August 1931 – the middle of the Exchange-rate fl uctuations pose a continues to resist it. In this sense, Great Depression – a fi nancial crisis serious short-term challenge for a large current-account defi cit. The Conservative government. The is a source of strength and stability Brexit may off er Europe the chance and a run on the pound forced the monetary policy, given the potential prospect of losses from a declining question is whether that will turn for the UK. Meanwhile, advocates of for a new start – one that EU leaders resignation of the Labour government, of the resulting price changes to spur exchange rate will be a further voters against the government’s Brexit argue that the UK is uniquely may consider taking. But the more led by Prime Minister Ramsay infl ation. That may not seem like such deterrent, potentially pushing the pro-EU campaign, causing them to powerful, with the most dynamic likely outcome of Brexit would be the MacDonald; it was replaced by a a bad thing, given today’s excessively United Kingdom into a vicious cycle choose Brexit, or against the damaging capital city in the world and, as Justice spread of fi nancial crisis, with all of coalition government, and the Labour low infl ation (partly a result of falling of collapsing confi dence. In that case, referendum that the government has Secretary Michael Gove put it, the its political repercussions. – Project Party split apart. oil and commodity prices); the risk, of the forced adjustment of the current introduced, thereby spurring a pro-EU world’s greatest concentration of “soft Syndicate In 1967, another Labour course, is that infl ation will overshoot. account would tip the economy into outcome. power.” government, led by Harold Wilson, More dangerous is the possibility recession. Two competing narratives are If the prospect of a referendum zHarold James is Professor of History was damaged by a devaluation spurred that political uncertainty in the run- As in the 20th century, this now being tested. Those, including alone is enough to push the UK and International Aff airs at Princeton by a speculative attack; Labour lost up to the referendum will discourage economic breakdown is likely Cameron, who support continued into dire economic straits, both University and a senior fellow at the the subsequent general election. The foreigners from buying British assets to destroy the credibility of EU membership emphasise that the government that introduced Center for International Governance party regained power in 1974, but – a major problem for a country with Prime Minister David Cameron’s Europe (but not the single currency) that referendum and the group Innovation. Weather report Can an artist ever really own a colour? Three-day forecast TODAY Anish Kapoor has the ever. Vantablack, developed by British Klein died in 1962, but IKB lives on. their heads in a twist over a colour. High: 28 C company NanoSystems to use on Derek Jarman used it in his fi lm Blue Black itself has always tantalised Low : 18 C exclusive rights to paint Misty at places at first becomes stealth satellites refl ects almost no and performance artists The Blue Man painters. In the 18th century, leading moderate temperature day time with slight dust at times becomes misty using Vantablack, the light at all. Group cover themselves with it. artists including Benjamin West and to foggy at places by late night blackest black that has ever Painters are outraged that Anish Kapoor has been working with Joshua Reynolds paid through the Kapoor, the British sculptor who Vantablack since 2014. It is a clever nose for the right to use “Titian’s THURSDAY existed - but other artists are designed the blood-red Orbit tower move by NanoSystems to associate shade”, a mixture of ivory black and High: 25 C keen to use it for the London Olympics, has their material with the greatest Prussian blue that was supposed to be Low: 19 C exclusive rights to the artistic use colourist in 21st-century art. With the Venetian master’s secret colour. It M Sunny By Jonathan Jones of this revolutionary new colour. all due respect - not much, really - to was in reality a con trick concocted by Guardian News & Media NanoSystems has confi rmed that he the minor painters who are kicking a painter called Ann Provis, who had alone can paint it Vantablack. up a fuss, Kapoor is an ideal artist to a good laugh at the men of the Royal FRIDAY “We should be able to use it,” experiment with this freaky black. Academy. High: 26 C olour is precious. Colour can complains portraitist Christian Furr. He loves deep, dark, sensual colours. Long before Klein created IKB, Low: 20 C drive you mad - especially “It isn’t right that it belongs to one In some of his most beguiling works, painters and their patrons paid P Cloudy if you are an artist. The man.” he fi lls holes and voids with colour to through the nose for the rarest of colours that artists use This is not the fi rst time an artist create the powerful illusion that you pigments, lapis lazuli. This mineral C Fishermen’s forecast can be as expensive as gold - which has claimed a unique bond with a are looking at a fl at surface, until you that creates the colour ultramarine has installationist Richard Wright painted particular colour. In 1960, the French put your hand into the empty blue only ever been found in Afghanistan. OFFSHORE DOHA on to a wall in Tate Britain to win the artist Yves Klein took out a patent space. In other works, conversely, he In the middle ages, it was mined there Wind: SW-NW 08-18 KT Turner prize - or as lethal as arsenic, for International Klein Blue (IKB), paints the ground such an unrefl ecting and traded at enormous prices to Waves: 2-4/5 Feet which in the Romantic age was used to a deep, matt shade of blue that he black that it appears to be a hole create European images of the blue INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 05-15/5 KT make the beautiful but deadly Scheele developed with a Paris paintmaker and leading deep into the earth. heavens. Gold leaf was then daubed on Waves: 1-3 Feet Green. used in a series of monochrome blue This creator of sublime chromatic it to make stars. The colour currently ruffl ing artistic paintings. He splashed it on to models eff ects is just the guy to make Colour is magical – you can’t blame Around the region temperaments is black - but not just in a performance piece that was Vantablack look like the new black. Anish Kapoor or his critics for going Weather Weather any black. This is the blackest black outrageous even by 1960s standards. But artists can’t be blamed for getting mad for Vantablack. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Abu Dhabi Sunny 26/14 Sunny 27/17 Baghdad Sunny 28/13 P Cloudy 27/16 Dubai Sunny 24/18 Sunny 28/19 Kuwait City Sunny 27/16 P Cloudy 26/17 Manama Sunny 23/17 M Sunny 24/18 Muscat T Storms 27/21 P Cloudy 27/21 Live issues Riyadh M Sunny Sunny 24/13 28/17 Tehran Sunny 18/07 Sunny 18/09 Is it safe to use talcum powder?

By Luisa Dillner continuing to link talc with ovarian Guardian News and Media cancer. A 2003 meta-analysis looking at 16 studies involving 11,933 women found talc was associated hat could be more with a higher risk of ovarian cancer, wholesome than but a 2014 study of 61,576 women Johnson & Johnson’s found no such link. Wtalcum powder? It is The International Agency for the fragrant way to dry the bits towels Research on Cancer (part of the can’t reach. Up to 40% of women may WHO) has classified talc applied use talc at least occasionally. But last to the genitals as “possibly week a Missouri jury awarded $72mn carcinogenic”. The studies that have (£51.5mn) in damages to the family found the weak links have been case- of Jackie Fox, who died of ovarian control studies that compare the cancer having used the well-known use of talc by women with ovarian Around the world brand of powder for years. More than cancer to those without it. They rely Weather Weather 1,200 other cases are still waiting to on self-reported talc use, which is today Max/min tomorrow Max/min be heard. not terribly reliable. Athens M Sunny 20/11 Sunny 19/11 The scientifi c evidence linking There is a plausible mechanism by Beirut M Sunny 25/18 Showers 19/13 talcum powder to ovarian cancer is which talc could promote cancer – by Bangkok Sunny 35/23 Sunny 36/24 Berlin Showers 08/01 M Cloudy 08/-1 not overwhelming, but the trial saw triggering long-term infl ammation. Cairo P Cloudy 32/15 M Sunny 23/13 an internal memo from a medical But since ovarian cancer is Cape Town Sunny 27/19 Sunny 28/19 consultant employed by Johnson & uncommon, the use of talc will only Colombo M Sunny 36/24 P Cloudy 35/24 Johnson that suggested that “anybody raise a small risk by a smallish amount Dhaka M Sunny 33/22 M Sunny 33/22 Sunny Sunny 18/14 who denies [the] risks” between (up to a third). Hong Kong 17/13 Istanbul Rain 14/08 P Cloudy 12/09 “hygienic” talc use and ovarian cancer There are stronger risks for Jakarta T Storms 29/24 T Storms 31/24 would be publicly perceived in the ovarian cancer, such as genetic Karachi P Cloudy 34/19 S Showers 34/19 same light as those who denied a abnormalities, hormone replacement London Showers 07/02 M Cloudy 09/02 link between smoking cigarettes and therapy and being overweight. Manila M Sunny 28/22 P Cloudy 31/23 Moscow Rain&Snow 03/01 Cloudy 03/-1 cancer. Is talc a health hazard? Studies do not show a relationship New Delhi Sunny 32/17 M Sunny 33/17 Three years ago I wrote about a between the amount of talc used and New York Cloudy 09/-3 P Cloudy 04/0 paper linking talc to an increased from the soil and, before 1973, was developing a mesothelioma (a the likelihood of ovarian cancer – if Paris T Storms 09/05 S Showers 09/04 risk of ovarian cancer. It is a debate often contaminated with asbestos tumour of the lining of the lungs) there was a strong link they would Sao Paulo T Storms 24/18 T Storms 24/18 Seoul P Cloudy 09/0 P Cloudy 12/04 that has rumbled on for decades. (a naturally occurring close from using talc with asbestos in do. But while talc may not be unsafe, Singapore S T Storms 32/26 T Storms 32/26 Talc is naturally occurring and neighbour in the ground). it – the tiny fibres in talc are easily a fluffy towel is safer. The popularity Sydney P Cloudy 29/20 P Cloudy 29/20 consists of magnesium, silicon, Last year, a court awarded a inhaled. Removing the asbestos, of talc is already waning and won’t Tokyo Clear 11/01 Clear 14/02 hydrogen and oxygen. It is mined woman in California $13mn for however, did not stop some studies be helped by more lawsuits. Gulf Times 28 Wednesday, March 2, 2016 QATAR The Pearl-Qatar hit by power outage power outage hit The Pearl-Qatar yesterday Amorning after road works on Al Shamal Road damaged a cable in the main network feed- ing the Island. The Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) tweeted around 10.45pm that the cable repair was close to comple- tion and it expected power to be restored within the next few hours. Earlier, the corporation said in a press statement that the outage Work under way to fix the problem. was triggered at 6.57am after the road work damaged a portion of the power network under the Al Kharaitiyat bridge. Once the matter was reported, Kahramaa standby teams rushed to the site to resolve the matter. The aff ected part was located under the bridge, near Ikea, and work was under way in full swing to restore electricity supply to The Pearl-Qatar at the earliest, according to the statement. Kahramaa worked along with United Development Company (UDC) - main developer of The HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada and Kahramaa president Essa bin Pearl-Qatar – to fi x the problem. Hilal al-Kuwari following up on the repair work on site near the Al Kharaitiyat bridge. All pictures The UDC management set up a courtesy Kahramaa Twitter page crisis room immediately after the power failure to deal with the situ- ing with Kahramaa’s team round A street at The Pearl-Qatar lit up using mobile generators. ation and make eff orts to restore the clock to restore power sup- electricity to all the aff ected zones, ply in general to the Island and, Streets on the Island were apologised to those aff ected by Saleh al-Sada and the corpora- particularly the residential and in turn, restore The Pearl-Qatar also powered by mobile genera- the outage through its social me- tion’s president, Essa bin Hilal commercial precincts of the Island, back to a fully functional resi- tors from Kahramaa in co-or- dia platforms and also provided al-Kuwari, were on site to follow the company said in a statement. dential and retail destination.” dination with The Pearl-Qatar regular updates on the situation. up on the repair work. “The initial eff orts resulted in Since the start of the power administration. It also urged people to stay safe Kahramaa receives customer co-ordination with Kahramaa, outage, UDC provided 51 power Many residents of the Island and follow practices such as un- queries round the clock via its call which took responsibility to see generators, while Kahramaa gave expressed concern – through plugging appliances during the centre (991), website (km.qa), ap- to it that a technical team was a further 16 electric generators Twitter and other online chan- outage so as to prevent any dam- plication for smartphones (www. despatched to deal with the situ- to aid in channelling emergency nels - over the prolonged power age when the power is restored. km.com.qa/Pages/Download- ation and work to restore power power to vital areas on the Island, outage and how it might aff ect In a Twitter post, Kahramaa App.aspx), Facebook (facebook. supply to The Pearl-Qatar,” the such as the sewage plant and wa- water supply, food stocks, etc. said HE the Minister of Energy com/kahramaa) and Twitter statement noted. “UDC is work- ter pumping stations. The damaged cable that caused the power outage. The corporation, on its part, and Industry Dr Mohamed bin (twitter.com/#!/kahramaa). Qatar Rail raises awareness through arts initiatives

atar Rail has launched a month of arts, creativity and performance, Qwhich is intended to celebrate the integrated railway project that it is re- sponsible for delivering to the nation. The calendar of activities kicked off on February 29 with the Qatar Rail Theatre Festival, a three-day event featuring pro- ductions by local students based on their perceptions of the landmark project. Later this week, Qatar Rail will open Metro Art, an exhibition that uses art to bring the Doha Metro to life. The theatre festival is an initiative organised by Qatar Rail with the Min- istry of Transport and Communica- tions and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Held at Qatar National Theatre, it features two plays by local students. The fi rst, titled Our Memories of the Future, sees the students imagine using a time machine to travel into the future, visiting Qatar in 2030 and experiencing the impact the integrated railway sys- tem has had on Qatar’s community. The play is performed by students from Naseeba Bint Kaab Independent Primary School for Girls. The second production performed (From above) The calendar of activities kicked off with the Qatar Rail Theatre Festival., which features peformances by children.w by students from Abou Obaidah Pre- paratory Independent School for boys, that features talented Qatari artists matter experts from Qatar Rail and titled The New Guest (Qatar Rail), fea- besides many other engaging perform- the Ministry of Education and Higher tures a grandfather telling his grandson ances.” Education and was established with the how a family visitor would arrive not by goal of raising awareness of the young air, sea or road, but “from the under- Qatar Rail’s arts initiative generation with regard to the upcoming ground”. is intended to celebrate the railway networks in Qatar. Both productions have been created integrated railway project that it These messages became part of the and performed by the students. is responsible for delivering academic curriculum at the primary Qatar Rail chief executive offi cer Dr to the nation and preparatory levels starting from the Saad al-Muhannadi said, “We are de- 2015-2016 academic year. A decision lighted to launch this month-long arts The two plays are a result of the work has also been taken to include these celebration and what better way than carried out by a committee responsible topics in school activities during the with a theatrical performance done by for including Qatar Rail projects within academic year as well as summer, and local youth. Later this week, we are go- academic curricula and school activities. the two plays represent the fi rst step in ing to launch Metro Art, an exhibition The committee comprises subject- that regard. American fi lmmaker holds workshop for Qatari talents

group of young Qatari of Qatar Cinema and Film Madigan told them the necessity of fi lm enthusiasts attended Distribution Company general concentrating on such areas as time Aa workshop on fi lmmak- manager Abdulrahman Najdi. and budget. She also highlighted ing, hosted by visiting American The interactions featured the necessity of mastering better fi lmmaker Alix Madigan at the discussions on the quality of academic knowledge for becoming Girls Creativity Centre. the fi lms produced by the local good moviemakers and the Madigan was in Doha on an youngsters and the challenges importance of better life experience invitation from the US embassy faced by each producer in fi nalising in making fi lms. as part of its Discover America their projects while working in Madigan has produced the Week celebrations. the fi lm fi eld. The workshop, popular Winter’s Bone, featuring At the workshop, the US “Voices of Women”, was held in well-known actress Jennifer fi lm personality held diff erent partnership with the Middle East Lawrence and John Hawkes. sessions covering six short fi lms Partnership Initiative. The fi lm won top honours at the Madigan (third right) with young Qatari filmmakers, Najdi (right) and other off icials at the Girls Creativity Centre. Madigan was in Doha on an produced by the Qatari girls. The Expressing her desire to annual Sundance Film Festival in invitation from the US embassy as part of its Discover America Week celebrations. sessions were held as an initiative help young Qatari fi lmmakers, Utah (2010) .