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FRIDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10115 June 10, 2016 Ramadan 5, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Freej Aspire In brief to open doors

ARAB WORLD | Confl ict Syria newborns saved aft er hospital attacks for Ramadan Air strikes on a children’s hospital and two others in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo sparked a desperate bid by medical staff to rescue at least nine newborns. activities The UN’s children’s agency Unicef and doctors at Al-Hakim children’s ollowing the overwhelming suc- They will also have the opportunity hospital said Wednesday’s attacks in cess of last year’s event, Freej As- to explore and develop their creative the rebel-controlled part of the city Fpire will open its doors tomorrow side through a range of activities that were chilling. The attacks happened to off er members of the local commu- include Arabic calligraphy classes, within three hours and also targeted nity a chance to enjoy the spirit of Ra- workshops designed to build their un- the nearby Al-Bayan hospital away HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani meeting with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah in madan in a comfortable and welcom- derstanding and awareness of Qatari and the Abdulhadi Fares Clinic, the Kuwait City yesterday. ing, air-conditioned environment. traditions and heritage. agency said in a statement. “On On the opening day of this second Organising these workshops refl ects Wednesday morning, the hospital edition, Freej Aspire will host a range Aspire Zone Foundation’s (AZF) ef- was the target of an aerial raid of activities that off er something for forts to celebrate Qatari history and and a barrel bomb fell near here. all the family. Raqi group, a youth ini- traditions during Ramadan and to Thank God, there was only material tiative, will be organising a number of showcase the cultural signifi cance of damage,” Riyadh Najjah, a doctor at Qatar, Kuwait review ties competitions for children and their Arabic calligraphy and its role in the the hospital, said. Page 4 families. development of the Arabic language QNA brotherly countries and means to de- bers of the offi cial delegation accom- Several religious lectures delivered and Islamic culture. Kuwait velop and promote them in diff erent panying HH the Emir. by renowned scholars are also being This year, AZF has organised a dedi- EUROPE | Strike fi elds. On the Kuwaiti side, the meeting organised in collaboration with Raf cated space at Freej Aspire to exhibit a Smelly bins, pickets The two sides also exchanged views was attended by Crown Prince Nawaf Foundation. number of traditional artworks in addi- H the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin on a host of issues that serve the in- al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, Speaker Aspire Active nutritionist Mariam tion to a corner for henna drawing – a plague France Hamad al-Thani met with terests of the two brotherly countries of National Assembly Marzouq Ali Bekhit will take to the stage during the popular activity in the GCC. As the stench of rotten, uncleared Hthe Emir of Kuwait Sheikh and support the GCC joint action in al-Ghanim, Prime Minister Jaber al- Freej Aspire to share healthy tips and The Freej will also host an exhibi- garbage wafts through parts of Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah the face of current challenges, and Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah and a advice on how to follow a balanced diet tion for cyclists designed to promote a Paris and pilots prepare to strike, at Dasman Palace in Kuwait City discussed the Arab and international number of Kuwaiti sheikhs and minis- and maintain a healthy lifestyle during cycling culture amongst the local com- French President Francois Hollande yesterday. issues along with issues of common ters and senior offi cials. Ramadan. munity. Qatar Red Crescent Society said he would do what was needed At the outset of the meeting, they concern. HH the Emir and his accompanying Renowned cook Mohamed Nijm will will also organise a dedicated booth to to ensure protests do not spoil exchanged greetings and congratu- The meeting was attended by HH delegation later attended an Iftar ban- also present a number of his special familiarise the public with their activi- the Euro 2016 soccer tournament lations on the occasion of the holy the Special Representative of HH the quet hosted by the Emir of Kuwait. recipes on the stage under the banner ties and services. starting today. “France was chosen month of Ramadan, and reviewed Emir Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al- HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- of ‘Aspire Cuisine,’ designed to share a Small and medium-sized Qatari to host this big event and will live up bilateral relations between the two Thani, and Their Excellencies mem- Thani last night returned to Doha. number of healthy eating options with businesses are being given the oppor- to the scale of the task,” Hollande members of the local community dur- tunity to exhibit their products and said, adding that a smooth running ing Ramadan. services to the local community, dem- of the world’s third biggest sporting Two short fi lms by Qatari directors onstrating AZF’s commitment to sup- event would also showcase a will be presented from the Freej Aspire porting a wide range of organisations. country bidding to host the 2024 stage as part of an ongoing series fi lms Freej Aspire will provide a platform Olympics. “If measures have to be to be screened every day. Members of for more than 22 Qatari businesses to taken tomorrow, they will be taken.” the audience will also be given the op- promote themselves to the local com- portunity to meet both directors to dis- munity, alongside 17 kiosks featuring cuss the making of their fi lms. traditional Qatari products, sweets, BUSINESS | Markets A range of activities and competi- snacks and drinks. Gold at three-week high tions focused on Qatari culture and tra- Capable of hosting 3,000 visitors ditions will also be on off er at the Freej per day, this year’s Freej Aspire occu- as world equities fall Aspire. A number of sports events will pies an area of more than 8,000sq m, Gold extended its rally to a three- also be organised for families to take air-conditioned to 25C to keep visitors week high yesterday, supported by part in, including football and basket- comfortable. falling US Treasury yields and world ball played on mini pitches and courts. Freej Aspire forms part of Aspire equity markets, and the outlook for Children will have the chance to play Zone’s Ramadan Festival that runs US interest rates. The metal held traditional Qatari games in a dedicated from the Ramadan 5-20 (June 10-24), its momentum after surging 1.5% area, as well as interact with cartoon and which comprises a unique combi- on Wednesday, following below- characters and listen to traditional sto- nation of spiritual, sporting and social consensus US payrolls data and HH the Special Representative of HH the Emir Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Their Excellencies members of the ries narrated by storyteller Rashid al- activities in celebration and observ- comments from US Federal Reserve off icial delegation accompanying the Emir attending the meeting in Kuwait yesterday. Shib. ance of the holy month. Chair Janet Yellen which dampened expectations of an imminent rate hike. Spot gold was up 0.6% at $1,269.66 an ounce at 3:42pm EDT (1942 GMT), after rising 0.8% to $1,271.31, the highest since May 18. Thousands gather for Muslim Hot and windy today t will continue to be hot and windy Doha and 42C in Al Khor. RAMADAN THOUGHT in the country today, the Qatar Met Off shore areas, too, are likely to see Indeed, Allah does not do injus- Idepartment has said. strong winds along with high seas in tice, [even] as much as an atom’s funeral for boxing great Ali The wind speed may go up to 30 the early hours today, with the sea level weight; while if there is a good knots in some inshore areas at times reaching 8ft before dropping to 2-4ft. deed, He multiplies it and gives today before dropping to under 10 Slightly dusty conditions are also ex- from Himself a great reward Reuters An estimated 14,000 people, rep- has made us all feel a little more alone knots by night. In off shore areas, it is pected. [Qur’an 4:40] Louisville resenting many races and creeds, at- in the world,” said Sherman Jackson, a likely to reach a high of around 25 knots Visibility, meanwhile, may drop to tended the jenazah, or funeral in Ara- Muslim scholar. at fi rst before decreasing to 8-15 knots, 3km or less in some places at times. Prayer times bic, where he was repeatedly feted as Ali is due to be buried today, after a according to the weather report. The weather offi ce had, on Tuesday, Fajr....3.14 Zuhr....11.33 Asr....2.56 Muslim funeral for Muham- “the people’s champion.” funeral procession and before one fi nal The forecast for inshore areas says said windy conditions were likely to Maghrib.....6.27 Isha.....7.57 mad Ali yesterday drew thou- Ali, a three-time heavyweight goodbye when thousands more will strong winds are expected in some prevail in the country until the end of Asands of admirers to the boxer’s champion known for his showman- gather for an interfaith service. places during the day along with poor next week. This, in turn, was likely to Fasting times hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, ship, political activism and devotion Luminaries including former US visibility due to slight to blowing dust. result in blowing dust and poor vis- Iftar today ...... 6.27pm where mourners prayed over the body to humanitarian causes, died last Fri- president Bill Clinton, Turkish Presi- It will also be hot, with the maximum ibility. It also issued a warning for Imsak tomorrow...... 3.04am of a man who battled in the ring and day of septic shock in an Arizona hos- dent Tayyip Erdogan and comedian temperature likely to reach a high of strong winds and high waves in off - sought peace outside it. pital. “The passing of Muhammad Ali Billy Crystal will attend today’s event. 45C in Mesaieed and Wakrah, 44C in shore areas. Obama ‘fi red up’ for Clinton’s campaign, urges party unity

Reuters bruising campaign for the Nov. 8 elec- After an unexpectedly tough battle The pair were opponents in the 2008 Trump assailed the endorsement Washington tion. against Sanders’ challenge from the Democratic presidential primary race on Twitter: “He wants four more The endorsement increases pres- left, former fi rst lady Clinton made which Obama won but they buried their years of Obama-but nobody else sure on Sanders, a US senator from history when she reached the number rivalry and she served as his secretary does!” S President Barack Obama for- Vermont, to bow out of the race and of delegates needed to win the party of state for four years. Clinton’s campaign tweeted a brash mally endorsed Hillary Clin- lend his support to Clinton so that nomination this week. Clinton is the 2016 candidate who response: “Delete your account.” Uton’s White House bid yesterday the party can focus on defeating That made her the fi rst woman to the White House believes will best Sanders, who galvanised young vot- and called for the Democratic Party to Donald Trump, the Republican can- lead a major US party as its White safeguard Obama’s legacy. ers with his calls for more social equal- unite behind her after a protracted bat- didate. House candidate. “I don’t think there’s ever been ity and measures to rein in Wall Street, tle with Bernie Sanders for the party “It is absolutely a joy and an honour Obama, who enjoys strong approval someone so qualifi ed to hold this of- has been reluctant to concede the race, nomination. that President Obama and I over the ratings after nearly eight years in offi ce, fi ce,” Obama said of Clinton in a despite concerns among leading Dem- Clinton, the presumptive Democrat- years have gone from fi erce competitors will appear with Clinton on the cam- video.”I’m with her. I am fi red up, and ocrats that continuing party divisions ic nominee, said it “means the world” President Barack Obama endorses to true friends,” Clinton told Reuters in paign trail next week in Wisconsin, her I cannot wait to get out there and cam- could hamper Clinton’s eff orts to beat to her that Obama has her back in a Hillary Clinton. an interview. campaign said. paign for Hillary.” Trump. Page 6 Gulf Times 2 Friday, June 10, 2016 QATAR Minister meets envoy PM opens Integrated Surgery Centre at Hamad Hospital

QNA Doha

E the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh HAbdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani inaugurated HE the Minister of Transport and Communications, Jassim Seif yesterday morning the Inte- Ahmed al-Sulaiti, met the Netherlands ambassador to Qatar grated Surgery Centre at Hamad Yvette Burghgraef - van Eechoud in Doha yesterday. They General Hospital. discussed relations between Qatar and the Netherlands in the The Prime Minister toured fields of transportation and information and communication the centre where he was briefed technology, and means of further enhancing them. about the healthcare services, modern devices, operation rooms, intensive care units, CT and MRI rooms and EEG Labo- ratory. The Prime Minister was also Judicial ties reviewed briefed by a number of doc- tors and medical professionals about the services off ered by the centre, which is located on an area of 10,000 square metres and includes 20 operation rooms equipped with the latest tech- nology and two intensive care units for accident injuries and surgery. This would increase the ca- pacity of surgery services pro- vided at Hamad Medical Corpo- HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani inaugurating the Integrated Surgery Centre at ration. Hamad General Hospital yesterday.

HE the Minister of Justice Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr al-Mohannadi met the Attorney General of Malaysia Mohammed Apandi bin Haji Ali in Doha yesterday. Talks dealt with legal and legislative co-operation between Qatar and Malaysia and means of enhancing them, in addition to issues of common concern.

Emir greets Jordanian 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 Khalifa al-Thani yesterday sent cables of congratulations to King Abdullah of Jordan on the occasion of the anniversary of his accession to the throne. HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani touring the Surgery Centre.

Emir issues instruments of ratification Comfort and Omo bring annual HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday issued Ramadan clothes donation drive the following instruments of ratification: 1. Approving the ratification of nilever brands Unilever Gulf. exerting its eff orts for a the Articles of Agreement of the Comfort and Omo In 2014, the campaign long time towards charity Asian Infrastructure Investment Uare introducing set a Guinness World and humanitarian activi- Bank (AIIB) signed in Beijing on their annual clothes do- Record for the largest ties. 29/06/2015. nation drive to Qatar this clothing collection drive, The campaign will re- 2. Approving a draft agreement on Ramadan in partnership and then broke its own ceive donations at the co-operation in the field of culture with Qatar Charity (QC). record in 2015, the state- Omo and Comfort booth between the governments of “Share a Touch of Love ment notes. at Doha’s Landmark Mall Qatar and Turkmenistan signed in this Ramadan” with Omo Amer Mohamed al- until July 6. The “Share a Ashgabat on 07/03/2016. and Comfort encourages Touch of Love this Ram- 3. Approving a draft Memorandum people to donate clothes “Unilever is delighted adan” initiative has also of Understanding (MoU) for to the less fortunate dur- to bring the ‘Share a partnered with cab book- co-operation in the field of ing the holy month. The Touch of Love this ing service Careem to ar- financial aff airs between the campaign, now in its sev- Ramadan’ campaign range collections from Ministry of Finance of Qatar and enth year, has collected to Qatar” people’s homes during Turkmenistan’s finance ministry over 500,000 clothes since weekends. signed in Ashgabat on 07/03/2016. its launch, according to a Besiri, in-kind donations Clothes placed in do- 4. Approving a draft statement from Unilever. manager at QC, said: nation boxes are collected Memorandum of Understanding “Unilever is delighted to “We are proud to partner and carefully washed with (MoU) on tourism co-operation bring the ‘Share a Touch of with Omo and Comfort Omo and Comfort before between the governments of Love this Ramadan’ cam- through this initiative, being packaged and deliv- Qatar and Turkmenistan signed in paign to Qatar. The people especially that it is tak- ered to the families in need Ashgabat on 07/03/2016. of Qatar are generous, and ing place for the fi rst time and low-income individ- 5. Approving a draft Memorandum we are very confi dent that in Qatar and at the same uals through Qatar Char- of Understanding (MoU) for they will donate enthusi- time coincides with the ity, the statement adds. co-operation in the field of sports astically. We look forward holy month of Ramadan, The campaign can be between the governments of to the campaign becoming the month of generosity followed through www. Qatar and Turkmenistan signed in a regular Ramadan tradi- and giving.” facebook.com/com- Ashgabat on 07/03/2016. tion in the country,” said Al-Besiri noted that QC fortzonearabia, www. 6. Approving a draft Waqas Javed, marketing will distribute the donated facebook.com/OMOara- Memorandum of Understanding director (foods, refresh- clothes through Tayf, an bia or www.twitter.co/ (MoU) for co-operation in the ments and home care), initiative that has been OmoArabia field of transport between the governments of Qatar and Turkmenistan signed in Ashgabat on 07/03/2016. 7. Approving a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for co- Es’hailSat chosen by beIN operation in the field of education between the governments of Qatar and Turkmenistan signed in to telecast UEFA Euro 2016 Ashgabat on 07/03/2016. 8. Approving a draft Memorandum of Understanding s’hailSat, the Qatar Euro 2016 will take place of service and our market (MoU) in the field of higher Satellite company, in France from today. beIN penetration,” he added. education, research and Ehas announced Media Group deputy CEO, Es’hailSat owns and vocational education and training that beIN has chosen it to Yousef al-Obaidly said the operates satellites to between the governments of transmit live coverage of partnership demonstrates serve broadcasters, busi- Qatar and Australia signed in the UEFA Euro 2016, the Es’hailSat and beIN ability nesses and governments. Doha on 25/01/2016. quadrennial international to stay ahead of the com- Es’hail-1, which shares 9. Approving the ratification of men’s football champion- petition in bringing the a spacecraft platform an agreement on co-operation in ship of Europe. best-in-class TV experi- with the European satel- the field of traditional industries The premium TV con- ence to its subscribers. lite operator Eutelsat, was between the governments of tent will be broadcast in Es’hailSat’s president successfully launched on Qatar and Tunisia signed in Doha 4K from 26 degree East and CEO, Ali Ahmed al-Ku- 29th August 2013. on 09/12/2015. hotspot covering the Mid- wari stated that in addition The satellite provides 10. Approving the ratification dle East and North Africa to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, television, voice, Internet, of the Memorandum of (Mena) region. the English Premier League, corporate and government Understanding (MoU) between Es’hailSat and beIN will and a number of tennis and communications services Qatar Central Bank (QCB) and the be the fi rst in the Mena basketball tournaments, the across the Middle East and Central Bank of Tunisia signed in region to transmit live 4K company is seeing a grow- North Africa region and Doha on 09/12/2015. sports to consumers via ing number of broadcast- beyond. 11. Approving the ratification of satellite. beIN currently ers relying on Es’hailSat to Es’hail-2 is currently an agreement on co-operation broadcasts premium live broadcast premium sports under construction and is in the field of security between and exclusive sports con- content to the Mena region. expected to be launched the governments of Qatar tent to more than 3mn “This further underlines in Q1 2017 to be located and Tunisia signed in Doha on subscribers in the region. the value of our broadcast- at the 26° East TV broad- 09/12/2015. The month-long UEFA ing independence, quality casting hotspot. Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 3 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD

Assistant FM meets US envoy Al-Marri meets Malaysian attorney general

HE the Attorney General Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri met the Malaysian Attorney General Mohamed Apandi bin Haji Ali in Doha yesterday. Talks dealt with issues in the legal and judicial fields and means of co-operation in exchange of expertise and training. Separately, head of the Court of Cassation and President of the Judicial Supreme Council, HE Assistant Foreign Minister for Foreign Aff airs, HE Sultan bin Saad al-Meraikhi, met US ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Masoud Mohamed al-Amiri, met the Attorney General of Malaysia, Mohamed Apandi bin Haji Ali. Talks during the Smith yesterday. Talks dealt with relations between Qatar and the US and means of enhancing them and promoting meeting dealt with issues of common interest in the legal and judicial fields between the two jurisdictions of Qatar prospects for co-operation as well as matters of common concern. The meeting was attended by off icials at the and Malaysia and means of enhancing them. The meeting was attended by Malaysia’s ambassador to Qatar, Ahmad Foreign Ministry. Jazri bin Mohamed Johar, and the delegation accompanying the Malaysian Prosecutor.

Jordan sets parliamentary West-backed Syria vote for September AFP exploiting internal rifts to weaken the Amman group. Jordanian authorities view the Broth- erhood as an illegal organisation be- ordan yesterday announced it cause its licence was not renewed in would hold parliamentary elections accordance with a political parties law Jon September 20, but the Muslim adopted in 2014. rebel leader killed Brotherhood-backed main opposition In mid-April this year, authorities shut party said it had not yet decided wheth- seven of the organisation’s offi ces for Reuters He was buried in Amman yesterday. launched an attack on northeast Da- Jordan that provides support to er to take part. failing to obtain permission to operate. Amman Bakour, a founder of the Free Syria mascus around Dumier airport and Syrian rebels provided by foreign Previously tolerated for decades in But an all-out crackdown would risk Army’s Southern Front alliance of abducted scores of workers. states, including Gulf Arab gov- Jordan, the Brotherhood’s relations fanning discontent among the opposition rebel groups, took a lead in recent “The martyr was one of the tough- ernments. with the authorities have been rocky at a time when the kingdom is battling Western-backed rebel leader fi ghting to drive out Islamic State est leaders who fought Daesh (Islamic This year, these moderate rebel since the Arab Spring uprisings that militants in neighbouring Iraq and Syria. involved in the fi ght against militants when they pushed south af- State).We are committed to fi ght- groups have fought their biggest of- shook the region in 2011. The Jordanian branch of the Brother- AIslamic State in southern Syria ter being driven out of the central city ing them to the end,” said Issam el- fensives in the south against hardline A source in the Islamic Action Front, hood has fared better than others in the was killed by a suicide bomber sus- of Palmyra in March. Rayyes, the spokesman for the FSA’s groups such as Liwa Shuhada al Yar- the Brotherhood’s main political wing region in recent years. pected to be from the ultra-hardline Unlike parts of rebel-held northern Southern Front told Reuters from in- mouk, suspected of ties with Islamic in Jordan, told AFP the party “will hold In Egypt - where the Islamist group group, rebel sources said yesterday. Syria, Syria’s south has long been one side Syria. State, in ongoing battles that have a meeting on Saturday to decide its po- was formed in 1928 - it has been black- Saleem Bakour, a defector from the of the last major footholds of rebel Bakour, a member of the main- killed dozens. sition” on participating in the poll. listed as a “terrorist group” and the au- Syrian army where he was a colonel, groups that are not dominated by stream opposition body the Saudi- Fighting against the Syrian army The party, which boycotted elections thorities have cracked down hard on its was killed when a militant managed hardline militants. based High Negotiations Commit- has generally subsided as moderate in 2010 and 2013, demands more trans- members, including ousted president to get into his heavily guarded base A rebel source said Bakour played tee (HNC), was among the rebel rebels increasingly give priority to parency and reform to an electoral sys- Mohamed Mursi who has been sen- in the desert near the Jordanian-Iraqi a crucial role in April in pushing out leaders who coordinate operations fi ghting Islamic State affi liated groups tem it says favours tribal candidates. tenced to death. border and blew himself up. Islamic State militants when they from a joint command centre in in the south. Although it enjoys strong grassroots Hundreds of Mursi’s supporters have support, the Brotherhood has faced in- been killed and tens of thousands jailed creasing pressure from authorities in since he was ousted by the army in 2013. recent years. Other governments in the region, Its second-in-command in Jordan, particularly the Gulf monarchies, are Zaki Bani Rsheid, was sentenced to 18 also deeply suspicious of the Brother- Baghdad bombings kill 25 as months in prison in February last year hood, fearing that its brand of grass- for criticising a decision by the United roots activism and political Islam could Arab Emirates to blacklist the organisa- undermine their authority. tion. He was released in January. The Jordanian authorities recently In early March last year the gov- amended the electoral law, increasing ernment licensed a breakaway group the number of members of parliament siege in Fallujah continues from 130 to 150 and reserving 15 seats known as the Muslim Brotherhood As- sociation, prompting accusations it was for women. Reuters Baghdad

wo suicide bombings yesterday that killed about 25 people in Baghdad were claimed by Iran Guards arrest visiting TIslamic State, whose stronghold of Fallujah near the capital is surrounded by Iraqi forces which are now advancing on the city. Iranian-Canadian scholar The ultra-hardline Sunni insurgents said one at- tack was carried out with a car laden with explosives and the second with an explosive vest. Reuters including her mobile phone, laptop, Iraqi forces began an off ensive against Fallujah, Ankara identifi cation and academic research 50km west of Baghdad, on May 23 after a series of papers,” the rights group said. deadly bombings hit Shia districts of the capital. “Since then she had been interrogat- The troops yesterday began advancing against the ran has arrested a visiting Canadian- ed several times.” militants inside the city, after completing its encir- Iranian expert in gender and Islam, It said the 65-year-old, who also clement last week. Icampaigners said yesterday, at least holds an Irish passport, had suff ered a A police offi cer said a suicide car bomb had tar- the fi fth detention of a dual-national stroke in the past and was feeling under geted a commercial street of Baghdad al-Jadeeda reported in recent months. psycological pressure. (New Baghdad), in the east of the capital, killing 17 Homa Hoodfar, who teaches at Con- Her family issued a separate state- people and wounding over 50. A man wearing an ex- cordia University in Montreal, Canada, ment urging the Canadian, Irish and plosive belt blew himself up at checkpoint near the was held on June 6, the New York-based Iranian governments to secure her free- barracks of Taji, just north of Baghdad, killing seven An elderly woman walks past the site of car bomb attack yesterday in Baghdad al-Jadeeda, an eastern International Campaign for Human dom. soldiers and wounding more than 20, he said. district of the Iraqi capital. Rights in Iran (ICHRI) said. “We, the Homa Hoodfar family, are Islamic State “has a long experience in establish- Iranian authorities were not available very worried about her well-being and ing small multiple networks that have the ability to Fallujah is a historic bastion of the Sunni insur- Zebari last week he expected that the recovery of to comment. hold Judiciary offi cials responsible for operate independently from each other,” said Bagh- gency, fi rst against the US occupation of Iraq, in Fallujah would take time as the militants had dug “Her home was searched by (Iran’s her health,” the family added. dad-based analyst and former army general Jasim 2003, and then against the Shia-led authorities that tunnels and planted explosive devices in roads and elite) Revolutionary Guards agents Iran refuses to recognise dual nation- al-Bahadli. took over the country. Finance Minister Hoshiyar houses to impede the military advance. who took away several personal items ality. Sudanese play shines spotlight on migrant crisis

By Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali, ing many Ethiopians, attended Sudan,” said Dalia El-Roubi, a movement of people from and country can tackle these issues AFP the show. “I believe that theatre spokeswoman for the Interna- through Sudan towards other alone. We are inter-dependent.” Khartoum can deliver such a message be- tional Organization for Migra- countries,” she said. In Boat of Death, fi ve Sudanese cause it has a direct and immedi- tion, which funded Boat of Death. As Europe struggles with its actors - two women and three ate impact,” Saad said. The 45-minute play, already per- worst migration crisis since men - are shown as African mi- s the small fi shing boat is The play comes as the UN’s formed three times in Khartoum, World War II, UNHCR said last grants trying to cross the Medi- tossed around by a stormy refugee agency UNHCR accused is expected to be staged in other month that some 204,000 mi- terranean. AMediterranean, fear grips Sudan, a key transit route for mi- cities as well. grants and refugees had crossed They carry drums symbolising the African migrants crammed grants, of forcibly deporting more Boat of Death, with its haunt- the Mediterranean to Europe their African roots, and each has inside when they realise their than 400 Eritreans last month. ing background score, ends in since January. a unique motivation for the trip. fl imsy vessel has begun to sink. Many of those sent back were tragedy when migrants perish af- More than 2,500 people have One young man raised funds by The scene is all too real for allegedly arrested as they tried ter their boat sinks. died in 2016 while making the selling one of his kidneys, while the thousands attempting the to enter Libya from Sudan, which Before setting sail, the char- journey - the vast majority of one woman works as a waitress treacherous sea voyage to Europe the European Union is working acters negotiate with a smuggler, them between Libya and Italy. where she faces sexual abuse. each year in search of a better life. with in a bid to manage the fl ow who subjects them to abuse and Last week, hundreds of African “The character I play is talking It has been recreated in Boat of people hoping to cross the beats them. migrants went missing after their about the suff ering of a woman of Death, a play performed by Mediterranean. “I wrote this play so that we boat sank off the Greek island of who tries to migrate in order to Sudanese artists to highlight the Human Rights Watch also refl ect on these tragedies,” said Crete. And Italian police said on give her family a better life,” said perils of the wave of migrant sea criticised Khartoum, saying that its author Rabia Youssef. “We Wednesday that an Eritrean sus- actor Sana Saeed. crossings. those sent back to Eritrea were have tried to keep the play sim- pected of controlling a traffi cking Sudanese actress Sana Saeed poses for a picture during a performance Although the subject matter “The main theme of the play is likely to face abuse from authori- ple, so that it can be performed network that shipped thousands of the “Boat of Death” at the Ethiopian embassy in Khartoum last week. is harrowing, Saeed said she was to deliver a message to the youth, ties there. The United Nations on a small stage.” of people to Europe had been ex- hopeful that the play could per- to stop illegal migration and hu- says that around 5,000 Eritreans Roubi said people smugglers tradited to Italy from Sudan. Sudan last month hosted a rica region are source, transit suade young people considering man traffi cking,” director Maher risk their lives each month to fl ee were to blame for tragedies such “Irregular migration and smug- meeting of top European migra- and destination countries for the perilous crossing to Europe to Saad told AFP after a perform- their country. as that depicted during the per- gling in migrants are by defi nition tion and law enforcement experts migrants and refugees, and some think again. ance at the Ethiopian embassy in “Many of those travelling formance. a hidden phenomenon, but the as it attempts to crack down on are all three,” a British Home Of- “After the show some people told Khartoum last weekend. through Libya or perishing along “A sophisticated network of fi gures of arrivals on the European traffi cking. fi ce offi cial said at the end of the me that they could connect with Dozens of spectators, includ- the way have transited through smugglers and traffi ckers enable shores are telling,” Roubi said. “Countries in the Horn of Af- talks. “We recognised that no one the woman’s suff ering,” she said. Gulf Times 4 Friday, June 10, 2016 ARAB WORLD

Deep-sea robot to Israel clamps down after hunt for airplane

AFP deadly Tel Aviv attack Cairo AFP Abbas rejects violence Tel Aviv vessel with an underwater Palestinian President Mahmoud Ab- robot arrived yesterday in bas’s off ice said yesterda it rejected vio- AEgypt and is set to begin srael yesterday clamped down on lence against civilians after Palestinian searching the Mediterranean for Palestinian movements and planned gunmen killed four people in Tel Aviv, the wreck of the EgyptAir plane Ito deploy more troops after Pales- but stopped short of condemning the that crashed last month, author- tinian gunmen shot dead four people at attack outright. ities said. a popular Tel Aviv nightspot, the dead- The presidency said in a statement it The “John Lethbridge” re- liest attack in a months-long wave of has “rejected repeatedly all operations search vessel, which Egypt has violence. that aff ect civilians from whichever hired from the Deep Ocean Surveillance video that spread online party it comes from, and whatever the Search company, would begin showed two assailants dressed in black justifications.” combing the seabed today in the suits and ties calmly walking into a cafe “Achieving a just peace and creating crash zone between the Greek is- before pulling out guns and opening a positive climate is what will contribute land of Crete and Egypt. fi re. to removing and reducing the causes of What caused the Airbus A320 Most patrons fl ed in panic, though tension and violence in this region.” operating Flight MS804 from some fought back at the cafe at Sarona Abbas has repeatedly called for non- Paris to Cairo to go down on May Market in Israel’s commercial capital. violent resistance to Israeli occupation, 19, killing all 66 people on board, Five people were wounded in addi- but has never condemned a wave of remains a mystery. tion to the four killed. Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming The vessel, whose equipment The cafe was open again yesterday attacks that began in October. can locate and retrieve black and was about half full in the afternoon. He has said that the true cause of boxes from the seabed, arrived On the grass nearby, teenagers sat the violence is Israel’s occupation of in Alexandria yesterday, said in a circle playing guitars and singing: the West Bank and continuous settle- Egypt’s civil aviation authority. “Don’t be afraid, if you are alone, be ment building, which Abbas says have “The aircraft accident inves- strong.” robbed young Palestinians of any hope tigation committee for MS804 Israel’s government said it had re- in the future. was at the port upon the arrival voked entry permits for more than Abbas’s rival Hamas, the Islamist of the vessel,” the authority said. 80,000 Palestinians during the holy movement that runs the Gaza Strip and Committee members along Muslim month of Ramadan, a move calls for Israel’s destruction, called the with experts from Airbus are ex- likely to further stoke tensions. attack a “heroic operation.” pected to embark before the ship It was also sending two additional An Israeli soldier stops a Palestinian woman and her son at the entrance of Yatta near the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday. leaves for the crash zone some battalions - hundreds more troops - 290km north of the Egyptian into the occupied West Bank. It was a fi rst major test for Lieber- One of Israel’s fi rst responses was to “I heard with appreciation the harsh In March, as US Vice President Joe coast, a source close to the in- New Defence Minister Avigdor Lie- man, who has in the past threatened revoke tens of thousands of Palestinian and unequivocal condemnations from Biden visited, a Palestinian went on a vestigation told AFP. berman ordered that the bodies of severe action against Palestinian “ter- entry permits for Ramadan. the leading capitals of the world on the stabbing spree along the Tel Aviv sea- A French navy vessel using Palestinians killed while carrying out rorists”. COGAT, the defence ministry unit matter of this heinous murder,” he said. front, killing an American tourist and deep-water listening devices attacks no longer be returned to their He visited the scene yesterday and which manages civilian aff airs in the “I did not hear such condemnation wounding 12 people. picked up signals from one of the families for burial, a spokesman said. ordered lunch at the cafe where the at- West Bank, said that 83,000 Palestin- from the Palestinian Authority.” On January 1, an Arab Israeli killed black boxes over a week ago, but The policy is backed by Israeli hawks tack occurred. ians would be aff ected. UN Middle East peace envoy Nick- three people in a rampage in the city. so far it has failed to locate either as a deterrent measure. Israel’s security cabinet met later at The measures also included revoking olay Mladenov, said “all must reject Analysts say Palestinian frustration it or the second recorder. Enacting it was the hardliner’s fi rst the defence ministry, across the street. work permits for 204 of the attackers’ violence and say no to terror”. with Israeli occupation and settlement- The fl ight data recorder and major decision related to the Israeli- At the meeting, Lieberman reported- clan. “I am also shocked to see Hamas wel- building in the West Bank, the complete cockpit voice recorder have Palestinian confl ict since he took offi ce ly pushed for even faster punitive dem- Israel’s army locked down the Pales- come the terror attack,” he said. lack of progress in peace eff orts and enough battery power to emit on May 30. olitions of Palestinian attackers’ homes. tinian town of Yatta, where the assail- Violence since October has killed at their own fractured leadership have fed signals for four to fi ve weeks. Wednesday night’s victims were Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ants were from, with soldiers patrolling least 207 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, two the unrest. The area where the plane went identifi ed as Ido Ben Aryeh, 42, Ilana had already fast-tracked such demoli- and stopping cars as they entered and Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese. Israel says incitement by Palestinian down is believed to be about Nave, 39, Michael Feige, 58, and Mila tions after the current wave of violence exited. Most of the Palestinians were carry- leaders and media is a leading cause of 3,000m deep. The “John Leth- Mishayev, 32, all Israelis. broke out in October. “Yatta village has been completely ing out knife, gun or car-ramming at- the violence. bridge” has a side scan sonar One of their attackers was arrested, It was not yet clear if the attackers cordoned off ,” the government said af- tacks, according to Israeli authorities. Last week in Paris, representatives that provides digital images of while the other was under guard in hos- were acting alone or as part of a larger ter the security cabinet meeting. Others were killed in clashes with se- from 28 countries, the Arab League, Eu- the seabed, as well as a robot ca- pital after being wounded by gunfi re. plot. Netanyahu visited the scene of the curity forces or by Israeli air strikes in ropean Union and United Nations met pable of diving to 3,000m. They were identifi ed as Khaled Mo- A spokesman for Hamas, the Pales- shooting yesterday evening for the sec- the Gaza Strip. to discuss ways of restarting Israeli- Some small pieces of wreckage hamed Makhamrah, 22, and his cousin tinian Islamist movement that runs the ond time in less than 24 hours. The violence has declined in recent Palestinian peace eff orts. were retrieved from the Medi- Mohamed Ahmad Makhamrah, 21, both Gaza Strip and which is also present in In remarks broadcast live he said an weeks, though attacks have continued. Negotiations have been at a complete terranean last month, along with from the Hebron area in the occupied the West Bank, called the attack a “he- accomplice of the two assailants had Tel Aviv saw two other major inci- standstill since a US-led initiative col- belongings of passengers, but no West Bank. roic operation”. been arrested, but did not elaborate. dents this year. lapsed in April 2014. bodies have been found so far.

Spokesman say Libya unity govt forces enter IS bastion of Sirte

AFP to the international coalition On Wednesday, the unity Tripoli fi ghting IS, confi rmed the ad- government said its forces had vance. captured two military barracks “#GNA aligned forces now from the jihadists near Sirte, ibya’s unity government making rapid advances against which IS has held since 2014. forces yesterday fought #ISIL (IS) in #Libya and begin- Analysts have advised cau- Ltheir way into the Islamic ning to enter its stronghold in tion over the decline of the Is- State militant group’s strong- #Sirte,” he tweeted. lamic State group. hold of Sirte in a land, air and Tightening the noose on IS, “Soon IS will be driven out of sea operation to recapture the air strikes targeted the area Sirte. However, that defi nitely city, a spokesman said. around a conference centre would not be the end of the The United States confi rmed where IS had set up a command group in Libya,” said Mohamed the advance on the city, the post, while the GNA’s navy said Eljareh of the Rafi k Hariri Cent- hometown of ousted dictator it was in control of the waters er for the Middle East. Muammar Gaddafi that has also off the eastern city. “If ISIS is defeated in Sirte, been in the sights of forces of a Aziz Issa, a hospital spokes- we expect an increase in attacks rival authority in eastern Libya. man in Misrata, east of Tripoli, against oil installations to the The loss of Sirte would said a total of 115 fi ghters had south and also in the cities of amount to a blow for IS, which been killed and 300 wounded in Misrata and Tripoli.” is also faced with battlefi eld re- the anti-IS assault since mid- There has been no independ- A Syrian nurse stands next to incubators with newborns who were evacuated by medical staff at a children’s hospital into the basement following verses in Syria and Iraq. May. ent confi rmation of the an- reported government bombardment which hit within a few hundred metres of the medical facility a day earlier, in the rebel-held Aleppo. “The armed forces entered Stepping up the operation, nounced GNA advances over Sirte. They are currently in the the GNA’s navy has taken con- the past three weeks because centre, where clashes continue trol of the coast of Sirte as part of the absence of journalists on with Daesh,” said Mohamad of the off ensive, said Rida Issa, the ground. Ghassri, spokesman for the its commander for central Lib- Foreign intelligence services forces of the UN-backed Gov- ya. estimate IS has 5,000 fi ghters Hospital staff scramble to save ernment of National Accord “Our forces control the entire in Libya but its strength inside (GNA). coast of Sirte. They (IS) will not Sirte and the number of civil- “The operation will not last be able to fl ee by sea,” he told ians living in the city are una- much longer. I think we’ll be AFP. vailable. able to announce the liberation Naval forces had supported GNA forces are mostly made newborns after Aleppo attacks of Sirte in two or three days,” he the off ensive, he said, including up of militias from western cit- told AFP. by “carrying out operations to ies which have sided with the Brett McGurk, US President open the way for ground forces unity government of prime AFP hospital, leaving at least 15 civilians dead. killed in an air strike at Aleppo’s Al-Quds Barack Obama’s special envoy to advance along the coast”. minister-designate Fayez al- Beirut At Al-Hakim, nurses were worried the hospital. Sarraj and the guards of oil in- newborns would breathe in the dust and de- Dr Hatem pledged to repair and reopen the stallations which the IS has re- bris in the wake of the raid, Dr Hatem said. Al-Hakim hospital, which served roughly peatedly tried to seize. errifi ed medical staff rushed to rescue “As my staff moved the incubators, I went 3,800 patients each month. Mattia Toaldo, another Libya nine newborns after heavy bombing to tell the people in the waiting room to leave “I want every president to imagine that expert, said forces of the rival Tnear a children’s hospital in Syria’s the hospital. I ordered them to ‘Leave now! one of these newborns were his own son or authorities led by controversial divided Aleppo city, according to the leading There might be a second attack,’” Dr Hatem daughter. Whatever they would do for their General Khalifa Haftar were still paediatrician there. said. sons if they were bombed, they must do for “very far from Sirte”. In a statement published by The Syria “We expected that it would happen one these newborns.” “At the moment, his fortunes Campaign advocacy group, Dr Hatem, the day, and today is that day. There are now only Doctors in opposition-controlled parts are down”, after two armed chief of the Al-Hakim children’s hospital, de- 18 incubators left in eastern Aleppo.” of Aleppo city have raised alarm over medi- groups - the special anti-ter- scribed the aftermath of a raid that struck just The newborns all survived but the hospital cal conditions there, particularly as the last rorist force and a military intel- outside the facility on Wednesday. was left inoperable. route out into the rest of the province is under ligence brigade - switched their “It was a horrible moment. The nurses Founded in mid-2012, the hospital has near-daily bombardment. allegiance to the GNA last week. were trampling each other to rush the babies been forced to relocate multiple times in fear “Aleppans’ options are running out,” said Eljareh said the GNA still to the basement, while many of them started of government raids, said its funder, the Inde- Dr Samah Bassas of the Syria Relief Network, faced serious challenges even if to cry,” said Dr Hatem, whose full name was pendent Doctors Association. an umbrella organisation of 60 humanitarian it captured Sirte. not disclosed. Syria’s brutal confl ict has killed more than groups in Syria. “What will happen to all the Government bombardment of rebel-held 280,000 people and has seen hospitals de- “The bombs we are used to. But if we are to forces mobilised against IS,” he eastern Aleppo hit within a few hundred metres stroyed across the country. be held under siege, hunger and disease will asked. “And Haftar’s forces? of three medical facilities on Wednesday, in- In April, Dr Hatem mourned the death quickly take hold. Even more death is inevi- An armoured vehicle belonging to forces aligned with Libya’s unity There is a risk that they turn cluding near Al-Hakim and near the Al-Bayan of his colleague Mohammad Wassim Maaz, table,” she said. government drives on a road to Sirte yesterday. against each other.” Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 5 AFRICA

Shebaab militants raid Ethiopian base in latest Somalia attack

AFP were wildly divergent accounts killed before doubling the fi gure gan when a vehicle driven by a troops in Lego in June, Ugandan has refused to confi rm any num- of the capital, Mogadishu, fi ve Mogadishu of the death toll. to 240. suicide bomber exploded at the troops in Janale in September bers. years ago but continues to carry The Shebaab quickly claimed In a statement the African entrance to the base, after which and Kenyan troops in El Adde This is the fi rst such raid on out regular attacks on military, to have killed 60 Ethiopian sol- Union added that “hundreds” shooting erupted between mili- in January. an Ethiopian outpost in Soma- government and civilian targets hebaab fi ghters attacked diers and lost 16 of its own fi ght- of Shebaab fi ghters were cap- tant gunmen and Ethiopian sol- While the countries con- lia but appears to have been less in its battle to overthrow the an Ethiopian army base in ers. tured. diers. tributing soldiers to the eff ective with local offi cials say- internationally-backed admin- Scentral Somalia yesterday, Ethiopia’s government said Casualty fi gures from this “There was a huge blast and peacekeeping effort refuse to ing the base and town quickly istration. in the latest raid targeting for- that fi gure was “an absolute lie” type of attack in isolated parts of then heavy exchange of gunfi re confirm casualty numbers, it returned to Ethiopian army and The group typically inten- eign soldiers deployed as part and claimed to have foiled the Somalia are impossible to verify started,” said Osman Adan, a is believed that scores of AMI- Somalia government control. sifi es attacks during the holy of an African Union force in the raid killing 101 militants. independently. resident living nearby. SOM soldiers were killed in “There was a major attack this month of Ramadan, but this country. The African Union Mission The Shebaab generally exag- The Shebaab launched its each attack. morning at Halgan but they were year is considered critical, with The Al Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia (AMISOM) gave a gerates, while AMISOM usually first such “swarming” style of In the El Adde raid alone more driven back and their bodies are the Shebaab eager to disrupt an attacked the base in Halgan in fi gure of 110 dead militants and downplays losses. attack a year ago and has since than 140 Kenyan soldiers are everywhere,” said local offi cial expected change of government Hiran region, using a suicide car Somalia’s government initially Residents in the area close overrun forward operating believed to have been killed, al- Guhad Abdi Warsame. leadership due in the coming bomber and gunmen but there said 120 Shebaab fi ghters were to Halgan said the attack be- bases manned by Burundian though the Kenyan government The Shebaab was forced out months.

Opposition in Kenya softens line West Africa on talks off er

Reuters Nairobi now free of

enya’s opposition yester- day softened its rejection Kof a presidential initiative to end a dispute over an electoral oversight body, suggesting the Ebola, says move was a start in accepting the need for dialogue but did not go far enough. The opposition has been staging almost weekly protests against the Independent Elector- al and Boundaries Commission WHO offi cial (IEBC), which its says is too bi- ased to oversee a fair vote in 2017. Liberia enters a 90-day day period of heightened sur- surveillance and response ca- The demonstrations have led period of heightened veillance for any new cases. pacity and its laboratory system to regular clashes with police in surveillance for any new At its peak in 2014, Ebola since the start of the outbreak. Nairobi and at least four deaths cases sparked anxiety about a possible “We’ve proven we can contain in opposition strongholds in global pandemic and led some the outbreak, we can intervene western Kenya. AFP governments to threaten or uni- very swiftly,” said Nyenswah. The violence in a nation prone Monrovia laterally enforce travel bans to The risk of infection lasts be- to political strife has alarmed and from the worst-aff ected yond the 42-day period because Kenyans and Western diplomats. countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone the virus can survive in certain In a bid to resolve the dispute, iberia said yesterday it was and Guinea. bodily fl uids of survivors, partic- President Uhuru Kenyatta pro- free of Ebola, meaning The WHO declared an end on ularly sperm, where it can linger posed on Wednesday the setting Lthere are now no known June 1 to Ebola cases in Guinea up to a year, according to experts. up of a bipartisan committee in cases in west Africa of the tropi- - where it fi rst broke out in De- In Paynesville, the Monrovia parliament to discuss the issue, cal virus that has left more than cember 2013 - and in Sierra Leo- suburb where the most recent saying this would meet the de- 11,300 people dead in the region ne on March 17. spate of cases were registered, mand for dialogue as well as ad- since late 2013. However, previous declara- residents were glad to be mov- here to constitutional rules. Liberia was the country worst tions announcing the end of ing on. After rejecting the idea as hit with more than 4,800 Liberi- Ebola fl are-ups in west Africa “It is good to hear that Ebola “nothing new” on Wednesday, ans killed by the virus, and was have been followed by new cases is gone again, but from what we opposition leader Raila Odinga’s awaiting the all-clear following - the virus has re-emerged three saw recently we remain resilient spokesman, Dennis Onyango, the discharge of its last known times in Liberia. in our preventive measures. moderated his position after patients in May. Health authorities were mon- We don’t want our neighbour- talks yesterday between the op- “Liberia is again free of Ebola. itoring for new cases after a hood’s name to be attached to position and church leaders, who We have just ended the incu- woman died of Ebola in the capi- the outbreak,” said Bubakar Sa- are acting as mediators. bation period following the last tal of Monrovia on March 31 after nor, 56. “We are now saying at least he case,” Sorbor George, chief of arriving from Guinea. “We are happy that our health has recognised the need to dis- communication at the ministry, Two of her three children, workers are now up to the task, cuss IEBC but that alone is not said. aged fi ve and two, subsequently containing the virus with brav- enough,” he said. “If our con- The west African nation has tested positive for the virus. ery and professionalism,” he cerns are not taken on board we now passed the World Health In all, the virus aff ected 10 said. will resume protests.” Organisation (WHO) threshold countries, including the United China’s economic attache to He did not specify the con- of 42 days - twice the incubation States and Spain, with more than its Sierra Leone embassy an- cerns but said they would be period for the virus - since the 28,000 cases reported. nounced yesterday it would help relayed by mediators to the gov- last known patient tested nega- The Liberian health minis- to build a $5bn tropical disease ernment. tive for the second time. try called on people to remain research and prevention cen- The opposition has in the past “WHO commends Liberia’s vigilant in order to avoid another tre in the country to strengthen dismissed the idea of seeking government and people on their outbreak in the future. west Africa’s readiness to com- changes to the IEBC via par- eff ective response to this recent “We have been carrying on bat Ebola and similar conditions. liament, a body dominated by re-emergence of Ebola,” WHO a sensitisation campaign. This “The recent Ebola outbreak Kenyatta’s Jubilee coalition and Representative in Liberia Alex campaign will continue, and we damaged the country’s economy which previously rejected an Gasasira said in a statement. will still be in readiness to con- and health sectors so we have opposition petition against the “WHO will continue to sup- tain any eventual outbreak,” decided to construct a research IEBC. port Liberia in its eff ort to pre- George said. centre which will help in any fu- The IEBC has denied charges A man walks past an Ebola campaign banner with the new slogan “Ebola Must GO” in Monrovia on vent, detect and respond to sus- Tolbert Nyenswah, head of Li- ture disease attack in the coun- of bias and its commissioners February 23, 2015. The latest Ebola outbreak in Liberia, the last country still aff ected by the deadliest pected cases,” Gasasira added. beria’s Ebola response team, said try and in the sub region,” Shen have said they would not quit. flare-up in the history of the feared tropical virus, was declared over yesterday. The country now enters a 90- the country had strengthened its Xiaokai told journalists. DRC opposition ready Former tennis star loses rape appeal for ‘dialogue’ with govt AFP The appeal court said the Johannesburg former champion, who runs a citrus farm in South Africa’s AFP dent “to leave quietly and not ostensibly for medical treatment Eastern Cape province, did not Genval, Belgium expose the people to bullets,” he and is now staying in Britain. ormer tennis champion suff er from a terminal or inca- said. He left his country a day after Bob Hewitt will be jailed pacitating illness and leads a Tshisekedi, who leads the Un- the government announced he Fin South Africa after los- healthy life. eteran Democratic Re- ion for Democracy and Social would be tried for endangering ing an appeal yesterday against His lawyers had argued that public of Congo op- Progress (UDPS), said the op- state security. a six-year sentence for raping the trial court had “overem- Vposition leader Etienne position could consider dialogue Tensions have been soaring in young girls he coached decades phasised the seriousness of Tshisekedi said he was ready for with Kabila but on conditions the DRC in recent months over ago. the off ences” at the expense of dialogue with President Joseph - respect for the constitution, fears that Kabila will postpone Australia-born Hewitt, 76, Hewitt’s personal circumstanc- Kabila under international release of political prisoners and elections due to be held late this was convicted last year of rap- es. oversight as he called for unity oversight by the international year as he manoeuvres to extend ing two girls aged 12 and 13 in the They added that “he had only against the government. community to make sure any his time in offi ce. early 1980s, and of indecently raped each of the rape complain- DRC opposition fi gures began agreement was implemented. Tshisekedi, an opposition assaulting a 17-year-old girl in ants once and had not repeated a two-day meeting in Belgium leader since the rule of strong- 1994. the off ences.” to thrash out a common posi- “More than ever, we must man Mobutu Sese Seko, came Supreme Court of Appeal Hewitt won numerous Grand tion against Kabila who is widely be united to get rid of you second to Kabila in a fraud- judges said they had considered Slam doubles titles during his believed to want a third term, in know who” tainted 2011 election. Hewitt’s advanced age, but de- career in the 1960s and 1970s contravention of the constitu- His UDPS party, struggling cided “it is not a bar to a sen- and was inducted into the Inter- tion which allows only two. The meeting at a hotel in with internal divisions, was the tence of imprisonment.” national Tennis Hall of Fame in Tshisekedi, 83, told them they Genval near Brussels was called only major opposition group to “The sentences fi t- 1992. were gathered “as patriots to ex- by Tshisekedi who has been have shown willingness to nego- ted the criminal and His name was removed change views on the grave crisis convalescing in Belgium since tiate with the government. the crime and fairly when the series of sexual aff ecting our country.” 2014. No date has yet been set for a balanced the com- abuse allegations came to “More than ever, we must be Moise Katumbi, a leading DR new election, and late last year peting interests,” light. united to get rid of you know Congo opposition fi gure who Kabila said he hoped to organise the judges said. Born in Dubbo, Australia, who,” he said, referring to Kabila has announced his candidacy a “national dialogue” aimed at A frail-looking Hewitt has spent much of who has been in power since his for the presidency, had been reaching a wide consensus ahead Hewitt, who was of- his life in South Africa. father’s assassination in 2001. expected to attend but sent his of any poll. ten accompanied in It was not immedi- At the same time, the opposi- closest advisers instead, organ- Tshisekedi last appeared in a Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Etienne court by his elderly wife, ately known when tion must be mindful of the pos- isers said. video in January looking tired Tshisekedi attends the opening session of the congress of the had pleaded not guilty he would start his sible dangers and get the presi- Katumbi quit the DRC in May and struggling to speak clearly. opposition leaders in Genval, outside Brussels. to the charges. sentence. Gulf Times 6 Friday, June 10, 2016 AMERICAS

LEGAL TRIAL DECISION PEOPLE ECONOMY Judge blasts prosecutors Virginia man charged US agency endorses plan Bill Gates to donate Household vulnerabilities at Gray murder trial with supporting IS to cede Internet oversight chickens to Africa’s poor higher: Bank of Canada

A Maryland judge yesterday sharply criticised A Virginia man who allegedly trained with Islamic The US administration endorsed a plan to cede Bill Gates is launching his latest scheme to The Bank of Canada yesterday said prosecutors for withholding evidence in the trial State (IS) for nearly one month earlier this year its oversight of the gatekeeper of Internet help sub-Saharan Africans living in extreme vulnerabilities in Canada’s household of a Baltimore police off icer charged with murder was charged with providing material support addresses to the broader online community. poverty: he’s giving them chickens. Gates sector had increased and warned potential in the death of black detainee Freddie Gray. to the militant group, the US department of Commerce department assistant secretary for will donate 100,000 birds vaccinated against home buyers in hot markets like Toronto Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Barry Williams justice said in a complaint unsealed yesterday. communications and information Lawrence common diseases under a programme he said and Vancouver that prices were unlikely to said he would sanction chief prosecutor Michael Mohamed Jamal Khweis, 26, was detained Strickling said the proposal from the Internet Corp would boost incomes because chickens are continue to rise rapidly. In its semi-annual Schatzow for failing to turn over evidence to and taken into custody by Kurdish forces in for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meets inexpensive to care for, a good investment and Financial System Review, the central bank said lawyers representing Off icer Caesar Goodson Jr., northern Iraq in March. Khweis, a US citizen, the criteria set by the US administration. The plan help provide nutrition for children. “If I were the overall level of risk to Canada’s financial 46. Williams said Schatzow and his off ice should told FBI agents that he became interested in aims to maintain Internet governance under a living in extreme poverty, I’d want to raise system was largely unchanged from six months have known that evidence involving a witness joining Islamic State in mid-2015, after watching “multi-stakeholder” model. Concern has been chickens,” the Microsoft founder and billionaire previously. Policymakers are concerned about interview should have been turned over to the many videos of the group’s members executing expressed over the years that a perception that philanthropist said on his Twitter feed the potential for a sharp housing correction defence. The judge ordered the prosecution to prisoners, including a video showing the burning the US is holding the reins of the Internet could yesterday. Gates said a farmer starting with five in Toronto and Vancouver, given rapidly rising turn over all evidence to lawyers for Goodson and of a Jordanian pilot, according to an aff idavit filed prompt other countries to form their regional hens could earn $1,000 a year, compared with prices, increased household debt and strong four other off icers still facing charges in the case. with the complaint against him. “domains,” creating a potential for fragmentation. the extreme poverty line of $700 a year. mortgage credit growth. Clinton ally Warren weighs likely VP role, ‘sees hurdles’

Reuters ority issues such as addressing New York/Washington income inequality, the sources said. In the past, Warren has ac- S senator Elizabeth War- cused Clinton of abandoning her ren has considered the support for stronger bankruptcy Uidea of serving as Hil- legislation to try to appease Wall lary Clinton’s running mate but Street. sees obstacles to that choice An endorsement of Clin- as she prepares to endorse the ton could come within a week presumptive Democratic presi- or two, one of the sources said. dential nominee, several people Clinton has been appealing for familiar with Warren’s thinking Democratic Party unity. said. Warren, who represents Mas- While her thinking could sachusetts in the US Senate, has evolve, Warren has concerns stayed neutral in the Democratic about joining a Clinton ticket, primary race, notably remain- including the question of wheth- ing the only woman senator not er running two women would throwing her support behind the give the Democrats the best shot fi rst woman presidential nomi- at defeating Republican Donald nee of a major US political party. Trump, one source said. Were she to join the Clinton Advisers to Warren, a fi ery ticket, she could help energise US President Barack Obama walks with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC. critic of Wall Street and a pop- progressives and win over sup- ular fi gure among progressive porters of Clinton’s rival Bernie Democrats, have been in close Sanders, a democratic socialist contact with Clinton’s campaign US senator from Vermont. team and the conversations have Sanders’ calls for reining in increased in frequency in recent Wall Street and breaking up big weeks, the sources said. banks dovetail with Warren’s Warren has signalled to people views. An ongoing feud with close to her that she is intrigued Trump gained steam on social Sanders to work with by the possibility of being Clin- media with a series of posts in ton’s No. 2 but has not discussed which she labelled the celebrity the role with Clinton, 68, or any- businessman racist, sexist and one else from her campaign, the xenophobic and said she was people said. going to fi ght to make sure his Warren, 66, has been one of “toxic stew of hatred and inse- the Democrats’ most outspoken curity never reaches the White Clinton to beat Trump critics of Trump, 69, and her House.” priority is helping to defeat the Warren joined Clinton late last Reuters Clinton after a hard-fought pri- with her in the near future to see Obama, who is expected to suits against the billionaire’s presumptive Republican nomi- month in criticising Trump for Washington mary race. how we can work together to de- endorse Clinton soon, wel- defunct real estate training nee in the November 8 presiden- rooting for the 2008 fi nancial He said he would compete in feat Trump and to create a gov- comed Sanders to the White school. tial election, the sources said. crisis and delivered a 10-minute the fi nal Democratic primary ernment which represents all of House, chatting and chuckling Former House of Representa- Warren is also committed to invective on the subject at an an- emocratic presidential vote in Washington, DC, on June us and not just the 1%,” he said. as they walked into the Oval Of- tives speaker Newt Gingrich advancing her own politi- nual Washington gala two weeks candidate Bernie Sanders 14, thus formally staying in the “It is unbelievable to me - and fi ce. US senator Elizabeth War- told reporters yesterday the cal agenda, which they ago. Dyesterday said he would presidential race. I say this in all sincerity - that ren, like Sanders a progressive Trump situation was “fi ne.” described as “more “What kind of a man roots work with his party’s presump- Clinton, the former secretary the Republican Party would have and fi ery critic of Wall Street, is But he suggested Trump change progressive” than for people to get thrown out of tive nominee Hillary Clinton of state, won enough delegates a candidate for president who in preparing to endorse Clinton in tactics toward making more Clinton’s more their house? I’ll tell you ex- to defeat Republican Donald to secure the Democratic nomi- the year 2016 makes bigotry and the coming weeks after staying measured remarks as he did in centrist posi- actly what kind of man does Trump, though he did not im- nation this week and become the discrimination the cornerstone neutral in the Democratic pri- a speech after primary elections tions. that,” Warren said. “It is a mediately drop out of the White fi rst woman to lead a major US of his campaign,” Sanders said, mary, people familiar with her this week. Warren fears man who cares about no House race. party as its presidential nomi- referring to Trump. thinking said. Trump comes into the general that as vice presi- one but himself - a small Sanders, a US senator from nee. Sanders’ campaign has pre- Republicans, meanwhile, are election well behind Clinton’s dent, or in a Cabi- insecure money-grub- Vermont, spoke outside the Sanders said he spoke briefl y viously said he would carry his still grappling with the con- campaign in terms of fund-rais- net position, her ber who doesn’t care White House after a meeting to Clinton on Tuesday night and populist campaign to the Demo- troversy over Trump’s attacks ing and policy infrastructure. voice could be less who gets hurt so long with President Barack Obama, congratulated her on her “strong cratic National Convention in on Mexican-American US Yesterday, his top donors were heard than it is in the as he makes a profi t as Democrats pressured him to campaign.” July, when the party’s nominee is district judge Gonzalo Curiel, holding their fi rst offi cial meet- US Senate on her pri- off it.” end his campaign and support “I look forward to meeting formally chosen. who is overseeing fraud law- ing in New York. Justices fi nd judicial Changing times Speaker Ryan off ers security agenda bias in death row case Reuters Guantanamo detention cen- Washington tre. “It’s not too much to say Reuters who served as Philadelphia’s dis- ital punishment in the case due to that our enemies no longer Washington trict attorney when Williams was prosecutorial misconduct. S House Speaker fear us and too many of our convicted and was Pennsylva- Castille, now retired from the Paul Ryan yesterday allies no longer trust us. And nia’s chief justice and served on bench, was elected to the state’s Uunveiled a national I think this is a direct result of he US Supreme Court, the state Supreme Court when it high court in 1993 after touting security policy featuring the president’s foreign poli- siding with a death row affi rmed the death sentence. his record of sending criminals stronger defence, part of his cy,” Ryan said as he and other Tinmate, yesterday ruled “Where a judge has had an to death row. agenda to unify Republicans House Republicans introduced that Pennsylvania’s former top earlier signifi cant, personal in- Castille refused a request by after a divisive primary cam- the plan at the Council on For- judge should have stepped aside volvement as a prosecutor in a Williams’ lawyers to recuse him- paign, but softening some of eign Relations. when his court heard a case in critical decision in the defend- self when the case went before the hard lines taken by the While not providing fi gures, which he earlier as a prosecutor ant’s case, the risk of actual bias the state Supreme Court. party’s presumptive presi- the plan also calls for an end had authorised seeking capital in the judicial proceeding rises to Williams, a former star high dential nominee, Donald to military rollbacks and de- punishment. an unconstitutional level,” Jus- school quarterback, was con- Trump. mands “adequate, predictable The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 tice Anthony Kennedy wrote for victed of bludgeoning the man The plan is sharply critical budgets.” in favour of Terrance Williams, the court. and later setting the body on fi re. of President Barack Obama, Trump, whom Ryan has en- convicted in the 1984 bludgeon- Kennedy was joined by the Prosecutors claimed the kill- blaming the Democrat for dorsed in the presidential race, ing murder of a 56-year-old man court’s four liberal justices in the ing was tied to a robbery. During “eight years of broken prom- has made a promise to erect a in Philadelphia. ruling, with conservative justices the appeals process, Williams’ ises, concessions, and re- massive wall along the Mexi- Williams, 18 at the time of the John Roberts, Clarence Thomas lawyers introduced evidence treat” in the Syrian civil can border - a centrepiece of crime, said the man had sexually and Samuel Alito dissenting. that he had been abused by the war, nuclear deal with Iran, his campaign. The plan an- abused him as a youth. As district attorney, Castille man he killed. chilly relations with Russia nounced yesterday includes a Williams will now get a new gave the go-ahead for the pros- A lower court then found that and dealings with a bellicose range of border security meas- hearing before Pennsylvania’s ecution to pursue the death pen- prosecutors working for Castille North Korea. ures such as “high fencing,” Supreme Court to challenge his alty against Williams, who sepa- had withheld evidence about the It would overturn or back aerial surveillance and radar, death sentence. rately was convicted in a second man’s abuse of boys. away from what Obama al- but not a large wall. The justices threw out a 2014 murder. There is currently a death Costumed characters who pose for tips gather on a sidewalk lies see as his foreign policy “We must constantly reas- ruling by the Pennsylvania Su- In 2014, Castille served on penalty moratorium in Pennsyl- in New York’s Times Square, yesterday. Starting June 21, achievements, including the sess our defences in order to preme Court that upheld the the state Supreme Court when vania imposed by Governor Tom 2016, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) will begin Iran deal and his moves to- fi nd and close security gaps death sentence given to Williams. it unanimously reinstated the Wolf. enforcing rules restricting characters, performers and other ward normal relations with so that militants cannot slip Williams’ appeal focused on death penalty against Williams The justices heard arguments commercial activity to designated areas. Communist-ruled Cuba. And into our country undetected,” the actions of Ronald Castille, after a judge had thrown out cap- in the case on February 29. it criticises eff orts to close the Ryan’s plan said. Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 7 ASEAN Jakarta foils IS-inspired bombings

AFP in large areas of territory that radicalism in Indonesia. Jakarta they have seized in Iraq and Police did not give details on Syria. the third man. “They were inspired by IS Amar said the men were not ndonesian police said yes- leaders’ speeches.” involved in a suicide bomb- terday they have arrested Police said one of the detained ing and gun attack in Jakarta in Ithree Muslim extremists who men had links to Abu Jandal, an January, that left four civilians were planning to launch Islamic infl uential Indonesian militant and four attackers dead and was State-inspired suicide bombings fi ghting with IS in Syria, but did claimed by IS. in the country’s second-biggest not give further details. Indonesia, the world’s most city. populous Muslim-majority The police’s elite anti-terror “The were infl uenced by IS nation, has suffered several squad detained the men in Sura- on social media” Islamic extremist attacks in baya, on the country’s main is- the past 15 years, including the land of Java, on Wednesday and Analysts say that Jandal and 2002 Bali bombings that killed Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (left) off ers alms to Buddhist monks during a ceremony at the Grand Palace to commemorate seized bombs and fi rearms, said other Indonesians in Syria 202 people. Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 70th anniversary on the throne, in Bangkok, yesterday. national police spokesman Boy have been competing to im- A crackdown had weakened Rafl i Amar. press IS’s leaders by encour- the most dangerous networks, He said the group planned to aging their followers back but the emergence of IS has attack public places and govern- home to launch attacks, and proved a potent new rallying cry ment offi ces in the city in the have on occasion provided for radicals. coming weeks, without giving funds and guidance. Hundreds of Indonesians have Thai king marks 70 years further details. A second suspect had been travelled to the Middle East to “The were infl uenced by IS on jailed for drugs off ences in the join the jihadists, stoking fears social media,” Amar said, refer- same prison as several convicted that extremist groups are being ring to Islamic State jihadists, militants. revived and more attacks could who have declared a “caliphate” Jails are considered hotbeds of be on the horizon. since accession to throne

AFP burnished by ritual and a pub- blazoned with slogans saying describe decades later in a BBC Bangkok licity machine that sees giant “We Love the King”, while banks documentary as “very mysteri- portraits placed on streets and saw queues of people eager to ous”. Westerners ‘burnt to Vietnamese cinema-goers asked to stand for buy commemorative 70 baht Most Thais have known no undreds of orange- the royal anthem. notes. other monarch, who is formally robed monks led cer- The leading royals are also Thais are taught from a young known as Rama IX of the Chakri ashes’ on my watch, says communists Hemonies yesterday shielded from criticism by a age about his well-publicised dynasty. marking 70 years since Thai- harsh royal defamation law that development schemes and eco- Analysts attribute Thai- land’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej carries up to 15 years in jail for nomic strategies credited with land’s seemingly intractable Khmer Rouge cadre tighten grip ascended to the throne follow- each charge. lifting the kingdom out off pov- political conflict to a behind- ing the mysterious death of his The crown is also one of the erty as many of its neighbours the-scenes scramble for power brother, as anxiety grows over world’s richest, with a multi- fell to communism. by the Thai elite to secure their Reuters Most of the Khmer Rouge after election the health of the ailing octoge- billion-dollar property and in- But the kingdom is now cut future once his reign draws to Phnom Penh victims died of starvation, tor- narian. vestment portfolio. in two with the arch-royalist an end. ture, exhaustion or disease in The 88-year-old king is the Hundreds of well-wishers Bangkok elite and south pit- His anointed successor is labour camps, or were bludg- Reuters world’s longest serving mon- gathered outside the Grand Pal- ted against the pro-democracy Crown Prince Maha Vajiralong- he fi rst member of Cam- eoned to death during mass ex- Hanoi arch and is seen as a unifying ace in Bangkok early yesterday north and northeast, dominated korn but he is yet to draw the bodia’s notorious Khmer ecutions carried out across the force in a nation bitterly divided as a line of 770 monks began a by the political dynasty of bil- same level of devotion as his TRouge regime jailed for country. along political lines. day of celebration with an alms- lionaire ex-premier Thaksin father. the 1970s “Killing Fields” atroc- The majority of Cambodians ietnam’s Communist But he is hospital-bound and giving ceremony. Shinawatra. Questioning and criticism ities admitted yesterday brutally alive now were born after the Party entrenched its underwent a heart operation “I want to make merit for the Two coups have bloodied the of the monarchy is banned and murdering four unidentifi ed bloody era and are enjoying a Vpower monopoly yester- on Tuesday, following months king to encourage him to have Shinawatra clan over the last there has been a surge of royal Westerners and burning their peace and growth and embracing day after results of last month’s of treatment for various health good health. decade, the last in 2014 led by a defamation convictions – with bodies with piles of tyres. the capitalism the Khmer Rouge parliamentary election showed problems -- including water on That’s how I can show loyalty Bangkok-based establishment some sentences as long as 30 Kaing Guek Eav, alias “Duch”, had deplored. its members winning 96% of the brain. to him even though he can’t see that refuses to accept defeat at years – since the army grabbed is testifying at an international Nuon Chea and former head of seats, and trouncing most of the His health is of grave concern it, that’s fi ne,” said 68-year-old the polls. power in 2014. tribunal’s long-running second state Khieu Samphan are on trial independent candidates it had to Thais, who revere the king Bangkok resident Chonmanee The king has offi cially en- US President Barack case against the deputies of late at the UN-backed court for war approved to run. and see him as a constant in a Smativat. dorsed both coups. Obama and Britain’s Queen Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, crimes and genocide. Results showed 67mn people, turbulent country that has seen “I want him to know that we Bhumibol ascended to the Elizabeth II, who has been on whose four-year reign of terror Now in their 80s and in de- or 99.35% of eligible voters, cast numerous coups and repeated all love him.” throne on June 9, 1946, after his the throne for six years less in pursuit of a peasant utopia clining health, they were sen- ballots in the May 22 election, rounds of deadly political vio- Bangkok residents of all ages brother was found dead from than Bhumibol, both con- killed at least 1.8mn Cambodi- tenced to life imprisonment in which saw only 21 non-party lence. donned yellow polo shirts, the a gunshot wound at a Bangkok gratulated the Thai king on ans. 2014 for crimes against human- members elected to the 500-seat Bhumibol’s image has been king’s offi cial colour, many em- palace – a death the king would the milestone. Duch said “Brother Number ity. chamber, down from the 42 in Two” Nuon Chea had person- Their complex case was di- the last term. ally instructed him to execute vided into two to ensure justice Though parliament has long Ten arrested in Malaysia immigration department scandal NATURAL DISASTER four Westerners, including two was delivered while they were been regarded as a dull aff air in Americans, at a school that was still alive. a country that has only one po- Malaysian police said yesterday more than 10 quoted as saying by English-language newspaper 6.2 undersea turned into a torture centre, Two of their co-defendants, litical party, the election run-up people have been arrested after an investigation The Star. quake strikes where more than 14,000 people Ieng Sary and Ieng Thirith, are attracted a buzz of interest due found immigration department staff had Five of those arrested were reportedly were killed. dead. to attempts by more than 100 colluded with criminal groups to manipulate immigration department off icers, while the roles central Indonesia He said the foreigners were Pol Pot died in 1998. ordinary people to run as in- information on who entered or left the country, of the others were not immediately clear. killed because they had tres- Though other ageing cadres dependent, or self-nominated local media said. No further details were given. A strong 6.2-magnitude earth- passed into Cambodian waters. have been indicted, there is little candidates. The subterfuge was centred at Kuala Lumpur Authorities sacked 15 immigration off icers and quake struck off the coast of The identity of the foreigners optimism a decade-old tribunal All but 11 of them failed to get International Airport (KLIA) and had begun in suspended 14 others last week over security central Indonesia yesterday, US remains unknown. fraught with delays, political in- on the ballot due to the party’s 2010, the department’s director-general, Sakib breaches which allowed criminal syndicates to seismologists said, but no tsunami “They were interrogated and terference and funding problems strict vetting process, among Kusmi, earlier said. manipulate systems that track entry and exit. warning was issued and there smashed per instruction,” Duch can bring justice and closure to them dissidents, businessmen “We are still investigating. Around two dozen other department staff have were no immediate reports of told the court. Cambodia. and celebrities, some of whom So far we have made more than 10 arrests and faced administrative action or were under casualties or damage. “They had to be burnt to ashes Duch, 73, was jailed for life in were testing the sincerity of the have seized documents from them as well,” observation and 63 have been transferred, the The undersea quake hit about so there is no evidence that for- 2010 for crimes against human- party’s promises of greater in- national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar was immigration department said last week. 300km south of the popular holi- eigners were smashed by us.” ity. clusiveness. day island of Lombok at 12:13pm, at a depth of 29km, said the US Geological Survey. Indonesia’s disaster agency said off icials were checking to see if the quake had any impact. Indonesia experiences frequent Thailand’s animal tourism under scrutiny seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates Reuters dead cubs in jars, as well as other kind of spotlight that the Tiger collide. Bangkok protected species. Temple is now,” said Galster.”But It is unclear why the Tiger it was never shut down and TRAGEDY Temple was storing dead tiger the tiger numbers are still high rom selfi es with tigers to cubs and parts, although offi - there.” Missing British elephant rides and orangu- cials have said they might have Like the Tiger Temple, Sr- man found dead Ftan boxing, Thailand off ers been used for traditional Chi- iracha Tiger Zoo also charges tourists an array of attractions nese medicine. tourists to feed or take selfi es in Vietnam that animal rights activists say are The authorities have fi led with cubs. cruel and should be shut down. complaints against 22 people, Its main attraction is a circus in A British trekker was found dead in Wildlife offi cials discovered including six monks, whom po- which seven tigers display what a the mountains of northern Vietnam, scores of dead tiger cubs while lice will investigate for illegal ringmaster calls their “talents”: an off icial said yesterday, six days rescuing 137 tigers from a Bud- possession of wildlife and wild- leaping through rings of fi re and after a desperate call from the man dhist temple last week, raising life traffi cking. walking on their hind legs while sparked a massive search. The body fears that other tourist attrac- The temple denied the allega- the audience applauds. of 22-year-old Aiden Webb was tions could be fronts for animal tions at a press conference yes- The Sriracha Tiger Zoo’s man- spotted by rescue teams at the bot- traffi cking. terday. agement declined to comment. tom of a deep valley near Fansipan, The Tiger Temple was “just Thailand has long been a hub Both the Tiger Temple and Sr- Vietnam’s highest mountain in the the tip of the iceberg”, said Jan for illicit traffi cking of wildlife iracha Tiger Zoo are promoted tourist hotspot of Sapa, district Schmidt-Burbach, a Bangkok- and forest products, and endan- on the website of the Tourism communist party chief Nguyen based adviser at World Animal gered animal species are often Authority of Thailand (TAT), a Trong Hai said. Our rescue workers Protection. sold in its markets. department of the Ministry of confirmed the body is the British “We see an increase in demand Thailand’s animal tourism Tourism and Sports. man”, he said. for wildlife entertainment, and fuels the illicit trade, said Ste- Tourism Minister Kobkarn “We will try our best and hope to there’s limited transparency on ve Galster, executive director A boy feeds milk to a tiger cub at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in the Chonburi province, Thailand. Wattanavrangkul told Reuters be able to bring his body up early what goes on behind the scene of Freeland, a Bangkok-based she had “no knowledge” of the Friday morning,” Hai added, ex- and how those venues are profi t- group fi ghting human and wild- some there to make money from On Wednesday, the depart- the popular Sriracha Tiger Zoo traffi cking allegations against plaining that the area is diff icult to ing from the animals.” life traffi cking. tourists, and sell the extra ones.” ment seized more than 100 ani- in Chonburi, east of Bangkok, the temple and said it was not reach. Webb was last heard from During their week-long raid “We know that some zoos and a The Department of National mals, including two tigers and which came under scrutiny in her ministry’s responsibility to on Friday when he made a call to on the Tiger Temple west of lot of wildlife operators supply ani- Parks said it plans to inspect two elephants, from a zoo in the 2004 after it shipped at least 100 look into them. “But if they’re his girlfriend. saying he had fallen Bangkok, wildlife offi cials found mals into the black market,” Galster other tiger attractions following seaside town of Hua Hin. tigers to a Chinese zoo. true, of course we will not con- and injured himself while making frozen tiger carcasses, skins and said.”They breed the animals, have the raid on the temple. It said it would also inspect “Sriracha was under the same done it,” she said. an ascent of the 3,143 metre peak. Gulf Times 8 Friday, June 10, 2016 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

DANCING DRONES PSYCHO CASE SOMETHING NEW SEAL OF APPROVAL SOUVENIR Bystanders hurt as police First element discovered in North Korea to convene Umbrella heist dampens fire at knife-wielding man Asia named ‘nihonium’ assembly after party meet Japanese city’s spirits

At least four people were injured yesterday when Japanese scientists behind the discovery of element North Korea said yesterday that it will convene Free umbrellas for tourists - what could go police fired shots at a man who brandished a 113, the first atomic element found in Asia - indeed, a session of its parliament in late June, following wrong? Pretty much everything, as it turns out. butcher’s knife in a shopping mall in Sydney. The the first found outside Europe or the United States a rare congress of the country’s ruling Workers’ Off icials at the local chamber of commerce in a knife-wielding man was recently reported missing - have dubbed it “nihonium” after the Japanese- Party in May that cemented young leader Kim northern Japanese city have been left red faced from a nearby psychiatric centre, police said. “In a language name for their country. “I believe the Jong-Un’s control of the isolated state. Delegates after hundreds of umbrellas left for visitors to life-and-death situation, police had to make a very fact that we, in Japan, found one of only 118 to the assembly meet annually to formally adopt use while in town vanished. The mass brolly critical decision on the actions they took,” said Denis known atomic elements gives this discovery great the state budget, approve key appointments, legal theft - about 900 disappeared - has left historic Cliff ord, the assistant police commissioner of New meaning,” said Kosuke Morita, a university professor amendments, and formally approve other decisions port city Hakodate’s feel-good tourism scheme South Wales. “It’s alarming, but I wonder what may who led the discovery team from the RIKEN Nishina by the state leadership. Kim can put his mark on the in tatters. Visitors and locals alike could pick up have happened had the police not intervened and Center for Accelerator-Based Science. Element 113 parliamentary meeting that may approve personnel one of about 1,000 transparent umbrellas left at An aerial performance, featuring 100 illumi- stopped this person.” The knife-wielding man is was first found in 2004, and the number refers to changes announced at the last month’s congress. stands around town. Keep them as long as you nated drones, flies above the Sydney Harbour under police guard at hospital, where he is receiving its atomic number, or the number of protons in the “The 4th session of the 13th SPA (Supreme People’s like and return them when you’re done, signs Bridge and Opera House during the Vivid treatment, while the three women, aged between nucleus of the atom. It does not exist naturally and Assembly) will be convened in Pyongyang on June advised. But it seems many umbrella lovers Sydney light festival in Sydney yesterday. 60 and 82, are in stable condition at the hospital. has had to be synthesised. 29,” state-run KCNA news agency reported. helped themselves to a permanent souvenir. Japan protests China warship near disputed islands

Reuters work closely with the US,” Suga said. territory, for customs and immigra- Tokyo China’s Defence Ministry said tion violations, but can’t prevent yesterday it was looking into the re- passage by other nations’ vessels. ports that one of its navy ships sailed Complicating the situation for apan yesterday summoned the close to the disputed islands, adding Tokyo, three Russian naval vessels Chinese ambassador to express its navy had every right to operate in also sailed close to the islands at Jconcern after a Chinese navy Chinese waters. around the same time as the Chinese ship sailed close to what Japan con- “Chinese naval ships sailing warship, raising concern in Japan of siders its territorial waters in the through waters our country has ju- a coordinated show of force by Bei- East China Sea for the fi rst time, in- risdiction over is reasonable and le- jing and Moscow. creasing tensions over the disputed gal. No other country has the right Russia and Japan are locked in a area. to make thoughtless remarks about separate territorial dispute over the Japan said a Chinese frigate sailed this,” it said in a statement sent to return of islands seized by Moscow within 38km of the contested ter- Reuters. at the end of World War II. A Tim Samuel handout picture shows a small fish swimming inside the belly of a jellyfish off the coast of Byron Bay in New South ritory, the islands known as the While the US has not endorsed Suga said the government was Wales, eastern Australia. Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in Tokyo’s territorial claim to the is- investigating to uncover any link China, shortly after midnight. lands, which lie about 220km north- between the movements of Chinese Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Ak- east of Taiwan, it has said the Japa- and Russian vessels. itaka Saiki summoned the Chinese nese-controlled territory falls under The incidents come as Japan, the ambassador in Tokyo at around 2am its security treaty with Tokyo that United States and India prepare to (1700 GMT Wednesday) to “express obligates Washington to defend Ja- begin a major joint naval exercise, Fish eyes life inside a jelly’s belly a serious concern,” the government pan against attack. dubbed Malabar, from today in the said in a statement. “We are aware of the reports and nearby Western Pacifi c. Japanese and Chinese coastguard have been in touch with the Japanese As China pushes its claims in AFP jellyfi sh - appears to be one of fear. part of its tail appeared to be still outside vessels frequently face off around government,” US Deputy Assistant the neighbouring South China Sea, Sydney “He was trapped in there but con- the jellyfi sh, providing a clue to its ap- the islands as both sides press their Secretary of State for East Asian and which Japanese Minister of Defence trolled where the jellyfi sh was moving,” parent ability to steer. claims. Pacifi c Aff airs, Colin Willett told Gen Nakatani described last week as Samuel wrote in a post on Instagram. Marine life expert William Gladstone Until now neither has dispatched reporters by telephone from Wash- “unilateral and coercive,” Tokyo and fi sh has been pictured swimming After the image was reposted by @dis- confi rmed the rareness of the shot which warships to nearby waters, because ington. Washington are worried Beijing will inside a jellyfi sh off Australia’s coverocean on Monday, Samuel said his has been viewed more than 2.3mn times doing so would infl ame tensions and “Until I have a little more detail, look to extend its infl uence into the Aeast coast in a remarkable and rare phone started “going crazy”. on imgur. remove a buff er against potential I can’t really comment on exactly East China Sea and beyond. image that has gone viral, with more than “When @franny.plumridge and I The academic from the University of armed confl ict. what (Washington’s) reaction is,” Japan’s island chain there, includ- 2mn online views. stumbled upon it we knew we had found Technology in Sydney told The Sydney “We are worried that this action she added. ing Okinawa which hosts the biggest Underwater photographer Tim Sam- something special, but no idea just how Morning Herald he had seen a young raises tensions to a higher level,” Ja- The Chinese frigate stayed in the concentration of US military per- uel was in the water with a friend near unique and rare this sighting was,” he trevally - a species of fi sh - hide among pan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshi- waters around the Senkaku/Diaoyu sonnel in Asia, stands in the way of popular tourist resort Byron Bay in De- wrote. jellyfi sh, but had “never seen one like hide Suga said at a regular press waters for about an hour before sail- unfettered access to those seas. cember when they came across the little “I’m completely blown away by all the this where the fi sh is just a little smaller briefi ng in Tokyo. ing toward the Chinese coast. Japan’s military is reinforcing the creature trapped inside the only slightly attention it is getting from all over the than the jellyfi sh”. Samuel said he had “Related ministries are working Countries can police their contig- islands with radar stations and anti- larger jellyfi sh. world.” considered whether to “set the little guy together to deal with this and we will uous zone, adjacent to the disputed ship missile batteries. The expression on the golden fi sh’s Some speculated that the fi sh was be- free”, but ultimately decided it was best face - visible through the transparent ing stung, while others pointed out that to “just let nature run its course”.

Video hints Japan abetting South Korea arrests ivory trade, say activists fathers after kids’

AFP Another trader in the central Japa- Tokyo nese city of Gifu said: “I don’t care, teacher is raped Okay? Illegal is okay.” Japanese laws create a “huge loop- onservation activists yesterday hole” partly because traders do not AFP ents - whose assistance is es- showed undercover video they have to register all the tusks they have Seoul sential to run schools. Csay suggests that a “huge loop- unless they intend to sell them, and One local resident caused hole” in Japanese law enforcement is because no registration is required for uproar when they told a lo- hindering eff orts to rein in illegal ivory cut pieces of ivory, Thornton said. hree men have been cal television station that trading. “Traders know that it is illegal to detained in South they didn’t see what the Experts say most illegal ivory heads export the tusks, but they don’t have TKorea for allegedly problem was about the rape. for China, where it is seen as a status any concern about selling the tusk to gang-raping a teacher on a “Things worse than this symbol. By some estimates the coun- people who say they are going to ille- remote island, police said happen everywhere...Young try accounts for as much as 70% of gally export them,” Thornton said. “In yesterday, with two of the people might get involved in global demand. the United States and other countries suspects believed to be par- this kind of mishap. What’s The Convention on International that would be conspiracy to break a ents of the woman’s stu- the big deal?” media report- Trade in Endangered Species of Wild law and that would be illegal.” dents. ed the man saying. Fauna and Flora, or CITES, banned in- The release of the footage comes Teams compete during the Dragon Boat Festival in Luoyang, in China’s Henan province. The teacher was dining at Remote rural communi- ternational ivory trade in 1989. weeks after the United States an- a restaurant when the three ties may have “low sensitiv- Japan also prohibits cross-border nounced a near-total ban on the men pressured the reluctant ity about sexual violence,” trade and authorities say ivory bought trade of African elephant ivory in the woman to drink with them, said criminal psychology and sold inside the country was legally world’s second-largest market for it police said. professor Lee Soo-Jeong of obtained before the ban or under special after China. Record number of passengers After she became severely Kyonggi University. arrangements with African countries. Africa is home to between 450,000 intoxicated, the men volun- He called for a pub- But the US-based Environmen- to 500,000 elephants, but more than teered to drop her home and lic awareness campaign to tal Investigation Agency, a campaign 30,000 are killed every year on the in Dragon Boat Festival rush then allegedly all raped her. highlight the seriousness of group, covertly fi lmed four ivory trad- continent to satisfy demand for ivory, If charged and convicted, sex crimes. ers in diff erent cities in Japan who largely in Asia where raw tusks sell for they face a maximum sen- Activist Oh Chang-Ik showed no hesitation in selling ivory around $1,000 a kilo. DPA On Wednesday, 9.724mn memorate the death of poet tence of life imprisonment. said the country’s “warped” to Chinese buyers. “While China is busting criminals Beijing trips were made across China, Qu Yuan (340-278 BCE), who The case, which came drinking culture was partly The Japanese traders acted “know- smuggling tons of illegal ivory tusks up 6.5% from last year. committed suicide by drown- to public attention earlier to blame. ing the tusks would be illegally ex- from Japan, no enforcement action Annual college entrance ing in a river during the tumult this month after the vic- “Men see women only as ported to China”, EIA said in a state- is taken by Japan to prosecute ivory n estimated 10.7mn exams, called “gaokao,” end- of China’s Warring States pe- tim’s boyfriend posted a sexual subjects when drink- ment. traders facilitating illegal ivory ex- Chinese passengers ed on Wednesday, freeing riod. piece online criticising the ing, and such attitude is An undercover EIA investigator ports,” said Danielle Grabiel, EIA sen- Atook the train to return up high school students for The story says local people slow pace of the investiga- widely accepted by majority presented himself as a Chinese buyer ior policy analyst. home or go on holiday yes- travel. raced out in their boats to try tion, has shone a light on the of the public,” he said. and explicitly showed that he was An environment ministry offi cial terday on the fi rst day of the The Dragon Boat Festival, to save him, dropping balls of country’s complicated rela- Police said they plan to willing to send ivory to China, EIA was not immediately available for three-day Dragon Boat Festi- also known as the Duanwu sticky rice so fi sh would not tionship with alcohol. send the case to prosecutors president Allan Thornton told report- comment. val. Festival, is a statutory holiday eat Qu’s body. Teachers working on re- today, who will then decide ers as the group showed the footage. An offi cial at Japan’s trade ministry, China’s railway operators celebrated on the fi fth day of Today, Chinese people cel- mote islands told local me- whether or not to formally “You came too late,” a trader in Os- however, said authorities are closely had added 411 extra trains to the fi fth month of the lunar ebrate the holiday by racing dia they fi nd it hard to refuse charge the suspects. aka is shown saying.”We sold so many monitoring registered traders while cope with the record number calendar. long “dragon boats,” eating when asked to attend dinners, The three men were de- ivory tusks that ivory has been van- “such (illegal) cases fall under the cat- of passengers, the offi cial According to ancient lore, sticky rice dumplings and invariably accompanied by tained by police on Satur- ishing from Japan.” egory of criminal investigation”. Xinhua news agency reported. the festival is held to com- drinking wine. drinks, with students’ par- day. Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 9 BRITAIN/IRELAND

CLAIM FORECAST LIFESTYLE SCHEME TRIAL Minister ‘misled’ MPs over House prices expected Amazon starts same-day Anti-pollution squads Taxi driver denies Channel 4 privatisation to see short term dip grocery service to target London motorists woman’s murder

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has been House prices are expected to see a short- Amazon has signed up more than 50 Drivers who leave their engines idling are to A taxi driver has denied killing a 20-year- accused of misleading parliament over the term fall over the next few months for the independent London food stores for its new be targeted across London. A pilot scheme in old woman whose body was found in a government’s plans to privatise Channel 4. first time in nearly four years, according to a same-day home delivery grocery service the City of London, in which teams of residents, shallow grave eight years after she vanished. Shadow culture secretary Maria Eagle made the poll of surveyors. The report from the Royal launched yesterday. Produce from some of council air quality wardens and volunteers Christopher Halliwell pleaded not guilty to the accusation after it emerged that Whittingdale Institution of Chartered Surveyors pointed the capital’s best-known specialist suppliers, urged parked motorists to switch off their murder of Becky Godden between January 1, had met with Cabinet Off ice minister Matthew to uncertainty around the EU referendum including Holland Park butchers C. Lidgate, engines if waiting, is to be rolled out across the 2003, and April 3, 2008, at a plea hearing at Hancock “to discuss Channel 4 reform options” and a recent hike in stamp duty tax for Britain’s oldest cheesemonger Paxton & capital. It will be extended into Camden, Enfield, Bristol Crown Court yesterday. He appeared six days before he told the culture media and landlords as weighing on the market. Shares Whitfield and Stratford smoked fish specialist Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Islington, via a video link from Long Lartin prison in sport select committee last September that in house builders such as Taylor Wimpey, Forman & Field, is available on the online Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark, Worcestershire. The court heard the 52-year- there were “no plans” to sell off the broadcaster. Berkeley, Persimmon and Bellway fell in specialist’s new website, Amazon Fresh. The Tower Hamlets, and Westminster. The clean old will be representing himself during the The September 3 meeting with Hancock was the wake of the survey. According to the service off ers a range of 130,000 products. It is air squads will be deployed on certain days in trial. The father-of-three, who previously lived revealed under a FoI request the day after RICS poll, for the first time since November initially only available in parts of east and central pedestrian zones, outside schools and hospitals, in Swindon, was charged by Wiltshire Police Whittingdale repeated that there were no 2012 a majority of members questioned London to Amazon Prime members, who will pay in residential areas and on roads known for on March 30. Godden’s body was found in a active discussions about a sell-off to the same expected that prices over the next three an additional £6.99 monthly fee on top of their engine idling. Businesses and other groups will field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire, in March committee earlier this week. months would fall. £79 annual subscription charge. also be encouraged to reduce vehicle deliveries. 2011. Ex-MI6 offi cer not to face charges over Libya renditions

Guardian News and Media girl – were also rendered and London imprisoned. A CPS statement said: “In what has been a thorough and he former senior MI6 of- painstaking investigation, evi- fi cer Sir Mark Allen will dence and information was Tnot face charges over the obtained from a large number rendition and torture of two Lib- of records, individuals and or- yan dissidents after the Crown ganisations including the Secret Prosecution Service decided Intelligence Service (MI6), the there was insuffi cient evidence Security Service (MI5), other to proceed. government departments and After four years examining authorities in other countries. documents and statements col- “Evidence was also taken from lected by the Metropolitan po- alleged victims and other wit- lice, CPS has confi rmed that nesses during the course of this it did not believe there were four-year investigation.” grounds for launching legal ac- The CPS concluded: “Offi cials tion against “the suspect” de- from the UK did not physically scribed only as a public offi cial. detain, transfer or ill-treat the Sue Hemming, the head of the alleged victims directly, nor did CPS’s special crime and counter- the suspect have any connection terrorism division, said: “Fol- to the initial physical detention Former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair speak to members of the public as they walk across the Peace Bridge, during a visit to share a platform for the Remain lowing a thorough investigation, of either man or their families.” campaign event at the University of Ulster in Londonderry. the CPS has decided that there is Responding to the CPS deci- insuffi cient evidence to charge sion, Cori Crider, a lawyer from the suspect with any criminal of- the human rights organisation fence. Reprieve who represented the “We made our decision based two families, said: “With the upon all the available admissible offi cial acknowledgement that evidence and after weighing up British offi cials were involved all of the information we have in this rendition, the fi g leaf of been provided with.” offi cial secrecy in this case is Brexit would threaten There had been speculation in tatters. There is one crucial that the former foreign secretary question: who knew who was on Jack Straw could face charges. those planes, and for those who That prospect now seems to have knew, what possible reason can disappeared. there be for them to evade jus- Abdel Hakim Belhaj, a Libyan, tice? and his wife, Fatima Bouchar, “Top British offi cials helped UK unity: Blair, Major were abducted and fl own by the abduct a pregnant woman and CIA from Bangkok to president four children, and so far we have Reuters “Throw away the membership but since then the Scottish Na- fl ict. “If we were to leave on Blair said the European Un- Muammar Gaddafi ’s interroga- no apology, no explanation, and Belfast of Europe and don’t be surprised tional Party has gained further June 23, it would put...Northern ion and free travel and trade on tion and torture cells in Tripoli now no one held responsible. if in the end, as a consequence, strength, taking 56 of the 59 seats Ireland’s future at risk, it would the island of Ireland had been in 2004. Sir Mark Allen took credit, in we accidentally throw away our representing Scotland in the na- put our union at risk, it would an important factor in securing Evidence of MI6 involvement writing, for the operation. Jack ony Blair and John Major union as well,” Major, Conserva- tional parliament in London in be deeply damaging, a reckless the peace deal in 1998 and that it in the Libyans’ ordeal emerged in Straw, we are told, signed it off . yesterday warned a vote tive prime minister from 1990 to last May’s national election. course,” said Blair, who oversaw would be “profoundly foolish to correspondence with Allen that The head of MI5 was so incensed Tto leave the European Un- 1997, told students at the Ulster “If the UK was outside the the peace deal as Labour prime play any form of risk with those was found inside the abandoned about all this she wrote to Tony ion on June 23 would jeopardise University in Londonderry. European Union I could well minister from 1997 to 2007. foundations of stability.” offi ce of Moussa Koussa, Gadd- Blair at the time”. the unity of the United Kingdom “The most successful union envisage a diff erent result” he Former US president Bill Theresa Villiers, an opponent afi ’s foreign minister and former “Strangely, the CPS’s attitude by undermining peace in North- in world history could be broken added. Clinton, who also played a piv- of EU membership who serves as intelligence chief, after the re- to all this is ‘see no evil, hear no ern Ireland and bolstering the apart for good,” he said. Blair said the referendum otal role in the Northern Ireland Britain’s minister for Northern gime fell. evil, and speak no evil’. It is hard Scottish independence move- Major warned that if Scotland could also undermine the 1998 peace process, wrote in a guest Ireland, said the comments by The allegations also relate to to escape the conclusion that ment. votes to stay and the rest of the Northern Ireland peace deal that column in the New Statesman Blair and Major were irrespon- the rendition of another Libyan this decision has a great deal to Speaking together in North- United Kingdom votes to leave, ended three decades of killings magazine that the process had sible. dissident, Sami al-Saadi, who do with political power and very ern Ireland, the two former the pressure for a new referen- between Catholic Irish nation- benefi ted from Britain’s EU “Whatever the result of the spent six years in jail. Both little to do with the rule of law. prime ministers, who both dum on Scottish independence alists who wanted the province membership. referendum, Northern Ireland is Belhaj and Saadi say they were While these families have been played important roles in the “could prove to be uncontrol- to unite with Ireland and their “I worry that the future pros- not going back to the troubles of frequently tortured. Saadi’s denied justice at every turn, we province’s peace process in the lable and politically irresistible.” Protestant rivals who wanted to perity and peace of Northern Ire- its past and to suggest otherwise wife and four children – the are determined to keep fi ghting 1990s, warned that unity was Scots rejected independence keep it in the United Kingdom. land could be jeopardised if Brit- would be highly irresponsible,” youngest being a six-year-old for it.” eff ectively on the ballot paper. by 55%-45% in a vote in 2014 Over 3,600 died in the con- ain withdraws,” Clinton wrote. Villiers said.

Commonwealth Hub N Ireland police ‘colluded Not broken election pledge on fares: Khan in murders of soccer fans’ London Evening Standard as the fi gure most trusted to tell London the truth about the EU. Reuters the report found that police in- selves evidence of collusion,” po- Khan has admitted the freeze Belfast formants at the most senior level lice ombudsman Michael Maguire would not cover daily or weekly within armed Loyalist groups said in the report. adiq Khan yesterday denied travel cards or contactless caps were involved in the importation “When viewed collectively, I he had misled Londoners — used by half a million London- he collusion of police of- of arms used in at least 70 mur- have no hesitation in saying col- Safter a backlash over his ers — claiming that they were not fi cers was a signifi cant fea- ders and attempted murders, in- lusion was a signifi cant feature of fares freeze policy. under his control. Up to 11mn Tture in the 1994 killing of cluding the ‘Loughinisland mas- the Loughinisland murders.” The mayor rejected claims that passengers will still benefi t. six soccer fans in one of the most sacre’. The report found no evidence his election promise that com- In his election manifesto, Khan notorious episodes of Northern Special Branch offi cers in the that security forces were aware muters would not “pay a penny promised that Londoners “won’t Ireland’s ‘Troubles’, a report by Protestant-dominated Royal Ul- the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), more for their travel” over the pay a penny more for their travel the province’s police ombudsman ster Constabulary (RUC), which the most lethal Protestant para- next four years was disingenuous. in 2020 than they do today”. The said yesterday. has since been replaced by a new military gang, were planning the He has admitted hundreds of fares freeze pledge was a key bat- The report is the latest to indi- force under the terms of a 1998 attack but Maguire said the po- thousands of Londoners would tleground in the mayoral election cate state collusion in some of the peace deal, failed to pass on in- lice approach to informants was a miss out on the freeze, which will contest, with Khan’s team accus- 3,600 murders committed dur- telligence relating to the inform- concern which appeared time and only apply to single tickets and ing Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith ing the 30-year armed confl ict ants’ gunrunning, the report time again throughout the inves- pay-as-you-go fares. of a “secret plan to hike fares for between Catholic Irish national- found. tigation. However, he denied that the all Londoners”. ists seeking a united Ireland and It also listed a number of fun- The RUC, which the report said outcry over the announcement Caroline Pidgeon, a Liberal their Protestant rivals who want damental failings in the murder did not have the checks and bal- — which has led to him being Democrat London Assembly to keep Northern Ireland British. investigation, including the fo- ances in relation to the handling accused of breaking his word — member, said: “Khan’s manifesto On June 18, 1994, Protestant rensic strategy, enquiries around of informants that now exists in would dent trust in him. specifi cally said that Londoners paramilitary gunmen entered the getaway car and those con- modern policing, requested guid- He said: “I was quite clear in my won’t pay a penny more for their the Heights Bar in the village of nected to it, and in the strategy ance from the British govern- promise to Londoners of freezing travel in 2020 than they do today. Loughinisland and opened fi re for making arrests and fi nding ment, but none was forthcoming, TfL fares over the next four years. There were no ifs, or buts, in that indiscriminately on customers witnesses. the report added. Promise made, promise deliv- statement. watching Ireland play Italy in a “The protection of informants Yesterday’s report was the Queen Elizabeth visits Marlborough House in London, ered.” “The reality is that many Lon- televised World Cup match, kill- through wilful acts and the pas- second investigation into the yesterday, to launch a new Commonwealth Hub which A poll for the Standard on doners will see their travelcards ing six, including 87-year-old sive turning a blind eye; funda- Loughinisland killings after a 2011 brings Commonwealth organisations together in the same Wednesday found that the mayor rise over the next few years. What Barney Greene, one of the oldest mental failures in the initial police report was rejected by families location to create a collaborative, dynamic and innovative had overtaken David Cameron, we have found out feels like a very victims in the ‘Troubles’. investigation and the destruction of the murdered men as a white- way of working. Boris Johnson and even Bank of early broken promise from Lon- Among the failings identifi ed, of police records, are in them- wash. England governor Mark Carney don’s new mayor.” Gulf Times 10 Friday, June 10, 2016 EUROPE Mirror family Fasting row behind fi re at German shelter

Agencies in an interview with public Berlin broadcaster WDR. “It got to the point where threats were made over what quarrel over meal times would happen if things didn’t during the Muslim holy change, and one threat was ob- Amonth of Ramadan viously implemented.” likely sparked an arson attack Since the start of the year, that destroyed a German refu- police had been called 89 times gee shelter, said a report yes- to the 6,000sqm hall, which terday quoting prosecutors. was formerly part of the city’s The huge blaze in the west- congress centre, reports said. ern city of Duesseldorf on A German lawmaker called Tuesday completely razed a an agreement with Morocco hall that housed 282 male asy- to facilitate deportation of its lum seekers, mostly from Syr- citizens following a blaze at ia, Iraq, Afghanistan and North a refugee shelter that was re- African countries, with 28 portedly set by residents of the people suff ering from smoke accommodation. inhalation. Police said yesterday they One of the men had had detained fi ve men, sev- allegedly poured a eral of whom had stayed in the fl ammable liquid onto a shelter using false identity de- mattress and set it alight tails. Mirror Family performs on the opening of the ‘B-FIT in the Street!’ street art festival in Bucharest. Austria, Spain, UK, Germany and Italy are among the countries participating Two were suspected of the At the moment it’s “ex- with a programme of pantomime, circus, comedy, dance, acrobatics, music and street parade. arson attack – a Moroccan and tremely diffi cult” to send peo- an Algerian, both aged 26 – ple back to Morocco, said Ralf and were remanded in custody Jaeger, interior minister of the by a judge. German state of North Rhine- One of the men had allegedly Westphalia. poured a fl ammable liquid onto Both of the arsonists sus- a mattress and set it alight. pected of causing Tuesday’s Witnesses reported that blaze at accommodation in there had been recurring ten- Dusseldorf are from North Af- sions between followers of rica, according to prosecutors, diff erent religions in the Red but their exact origin hasn’t Cross-run facility. been made public. German politicians “During this time of Ram- North African countries are adan, there was one group that “completely uncooperative” wanted to strictly observe the about taking back their citi- fast, and another that insisted zens, such as those who have on the usual timetables and had asylum requests rejected, usual servings,” said Ralf Her- Jaeger said on German broad- renbrueck, spokesman for the caster ZDF. prosecutors service. The shelter, which houses hit back at Erdogan “This had led on several oc- around 282 men, was entire casions to disputes and alter- destroyed in the blaze, causing Armenia is an explosive topic also fi led a complaint with pros- The German parliament’s people” – and pointed at the labelled the mass killings a geno- cations with offi cials of the an estimated 10mn dollars of in Turkey ecutors asking for the 11 German president, Norbert Lammert, “members of parliament in cide. German Red Cross,” he said damage. lawmakers to be charged with said that statements by Turkish Germany that accuse their own Armenians say some 1.5mn AFP “insulting Turkishness and the leaders had prepared the ground country of genocide”. of their people were killed in a Berlin Turkish state,” the Hurriyet daily for a torrent of “hateful threats His comments went a step genocidal campaign by Ottoman reported. and insults” that were mailed to further than remarks at the forces – ordered by the minister European Parliament presi- the MPs. weekend in which he suggested of war, Enver Pasha, and other erman politicians hit dent Martin Schulz wrote to “I would not have thought it the MPs should undergo blood top offi cials – to wipe them from Greek publisher back yesterday at Tur- Erdogan to voice his “great con- possible that a democratically tests to see “what kind of Turks Anatolia. Gkey’s president for accus- cern” about his “verbal attacks elected president in the 21st cen- they are”. But Turkey insists similar ing lawmakers of Turkish origin and allegations concerning freely tury mixes his criticism of demo- Germany’s foreign ministry numbers of Muslims and Ar- dies in car blaze of having “tainted blood” in a elected members of the German cratically elected representatives on Tuesday asked in the Turkish menians were killed during row over whether the Ottoman Bundestag”. of the German Bundestag with charge d’aff aires to say that re- wartime conflict and has al- Empire committed genocide in Schulz, a German national, doubts about their Turkish ori- cent statements about German ways fiercely resisted pressure AFP an explosion,” an eyewitness World War I. also condemned “in the strong- gin, that he refers to their ‘tainted MPs were met with “incompre- to recognise that any genocide Athens told Mega TV. President Recep Tayyip Erdog- est terms” Erdogan’s comments blood’,” Lammert said in an ad- hension” in Berlin. took place. Mavrikos, the owner of sev- an reacted furiously after the 11 linking the lawmakers to “ter- dress to the chamber. One of the German lawmakers, The dispute comes while the eral minor newspapers, was German MPs with Turkish roots rorists”, in reference to the out- He added that “anyone who the Green party’s Cem Ozdemir, EU and Turkey are locked into a Greek newspaper pub- arrested in February with two last week backed a parliamentary lawed Kurdistan Workers Party tries to pressure individual MPs told Turkey’s Armenian weekly deal to contain the migrant cri- lisher on trial for black- other journalists and accused resolution that recognised the (PKK). with threats must know that he Agos that while he and other par- sis, which last year sent record Amail died yesterday of extorting advertising funds mass killings of Armenians as a Lawmakers and journalists’ is attacking the whole parlia- liamentarians were the targets numbers of people fl eeing Syria when his luxury jeep caught from state corporations. genocide. ability to work “without having ment”. of “death threats and insults”, at and other war zones and trouble- fi re on an Athens motorway, a The trio were questioned The sensitive issue has infu- to fear repression is part of the Lammert also warned that “we least they were “not incarcer- spots into Europe. police source said. following a complaint by the riated Erdogan at a time when non-negotiable foundation of will respond accordingly with all ated” and not had their “immu- Turkey has pledged to stop State agency ANA said the press offi cer of Greece’s state relations are already strained by every democracy,” he wrote. options available to us under the nity lifted for having simply ex- migrants from travelling to EU Porsche Cayenne jeep driven water utility Eydap, who sub- disputes about media freedom, Schulz warned that if national law”. pressed what we thought, unlike member Greece, and to take back by 42-year-old Panagiotis Ma- sequently had her phone while the EU is banking on Tur- leaders challenge these rights, Erdogan late Wednesday our colleagues in Turkey”. illegal migrants from there, in vrikos came to a halt in the mo- tapped by police. Mavrikos, key to stop the cross-border fl ow this “can be damaging to inter- spoke of people with “tainted The Armenian issue has return for fi nancial aid and ben- torway’s fast lane after burst- 42, who denied any wrongdo- of migrants. national relations in the long blood” – explaining he meant thrown Turkey into confl ict with efi ts including visa free travel for ing into fl ames. ing, had been conditionally re- A group of Turkish lawyers has run”. those “who wrong their own a number of countries that have Turks to most of the EU. “There was a loud noise like leased pending his trial. Austria, Hungary Protester arrested spar over migrants

AFP elled from Greece through Macedonia, Bulgaria and Budapest Serbia. Currently Austria is not sending any back to Hungary following a court decision last September ungary refused yesterday to take back any that prevented an Afghan family being returned be- of the several thousand migrants that Aus- cause of “inhumane conditions” in Hungary. Htria says should be returned under EU rules, An Austrian interior ministry spokesman, Karl- adding to a brewing spat between the two neigh- Heinz Grundboeck, said however that this con- bours. cerned an individual case and did not prevent peo- “(It) is clear that Hungary cannot take back these ple being sent back in the future. migrants,” defence minister Istvan Simicsko told “We have very clear expectations of Hungary. a joint news conference in Budapest with visiting Hungary is after all a member of the EU, the Austrian counterpart Hans Peter Doskozil. Schengen zone and is party to Dublin. “In order to take them back they would have had Of course our expectation is that in a Europe with to begin their journey here. this legal framework, returns to Hungary are possi- But... they crossed several countries before ar- ble,” Grundboeck told AFP. riving in Hungary. They didn’t suddenly get here by He said that ministry offi cials would travel to magic, they crossed several safe countries”, includ- Hungary later this month. ing Greece, Simicsko said. A meeting of the interior and defence ministers of Under the European Union’s much-criticised Austria, Hungary and Slovenia is planned soon, the Dublin Treaty, asylum claims must be processed by Austria Press Agency reported. the fi rst EU member state in which refugees arrive. Hungary has long been criticised for its treat- Several countries have suspended sending them ment of migrants, having sealed its border with back to Greece however. Serbia last year with razor wire and making illegal Austria, which saw 90,000 people claim asylum border crossing a criminal off ence punishable by last year, the second highest per capita in the EU, jail. says that there are several thousand migrants that This week the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) Hungary should take back. sharply criticised Hungary for conditions at a The Austrian defence ministry says around 150 makeshift transit camp on the border with Serbia migrants arrive in Austria every day from Hungary for people waiting to be admitted into Hungarian A French plainclothes policeman apprehends a demonstrator as protests continue against the labour reforms law in Nantes, France. – where most of them are registered – having trav- “transit zones”. Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 11 INDIA Court asks CBFC to explain cuts in Udta Punjab

IANS ducer Phantom Films before a to Punjab, its people and the lan- a major pre-release controversy court, seeking a copy of the edly not in conformity with the he can release it simultaneously Mumbai division bench of Justice S C guage used in the fi lm. revolving around the freedom of CBFC order suggesting changes Cinematograph Act. with its worldwide premiere. Dharmadhikari and Justice Sha- Responding to Phantom expression. to the fi lm. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress “The purpose of releasing the lini Phansalkar-Joshi. Films’ lawyer Ravi Kadam’s “Are you suggesting that the However, since the Revising president Amarinder Singh an- movie in Majitha is to tell the he Bombay High Court Dharmadhikari compared contention that the Revising fi lm depicts Punjab as only a Committee’s order was received nounced yesterday he would (ruling) Akalis and the BJP that yesterday asked the Cen- the film to another drug- Committee’s June 6 order was drug capital...? How can you ask on Wednesday afternoon, Phan- release the uncensored cop- no matter to what extent they Ttral Board of Film Certifi - themed movie Go, Goa, Gone “arbitrary and without ap- them to delete words like ‘MP’, tom Films had requested the ies of the movie in the state on try to go to gag the truth, I will cation to explain the 13 changes (2013) which showed Goa as a plication of mind,” the CBFC ‘MLA’, ‘election’ etc,” the court court for time to study it and June 17. expose it at any cost,” Singh said. suggested in the upcoming Bol- party destination where peo- said the order was proper and asked. make amendments to their peti- “Majitha town, like Mexico, “Not only do we want to high- lywood fi lm Udta Punjab. ple socialised and used banned within the framework of the On the other suggestions of tion. is the epicentre of drugs trade in light the harsh reality of Punjab, However, the board stoutly drugs. guidelines. the Revising Committee, the Accordingly, the court had Punjab. It was decided to release but also assert the right to free- defended its Revising Commit- “If Goa can be shown as a place The court expressed reserva- CBFC’s lawyer said he would posted the matter for hearing the movie there,” Singh said. dom of speech and expression tee’s decision in the matter. of drug abuse, what is wrong if tions on two suggested deletions make submissions today. The yesterday. He said he has written to the guaranteed by our Constitution, The suggested changes are Punjab is shown in Udta Punjab,” of references to Chandigarh, court will now continue to hear The Revising Committee’s or- producers Anurag Kashyap and which is being infringed upon by “justifi ed and proper,” the CBFC the judge asked the CBFC. Ludhiana, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, the case today. der has suggested 13 changes to Ekta Kapoor, urging them to the BJP at the behest of the Aka- said during a hearing of a peti- The CBFC lawyer argued it Jashanpura and Moga in Punjab. On the morning of June 8, the movie, besides deleting ref- provide copies of the uncensored lis, using the censor board,” the tion fi led by the fi lm’s co-pro- had objections to the reference The CBFC move has created Phantom Films moved the high erences to Punjab as it was alleg- movie on compact discs so that Congress leader said. Serious gaps in new plan to tackle disasters, say aid groups

Reuters cess buildings or transport, New Delhi relief camps or aid distribu- tion points. Another vulnerable group ndia’s new plan to tackle are people from Dalit com- disasters fails to address munity, who often live on the Ithe needs of vulnerable outskirts of settlements, in groups, which could lead to poor quality housing with lit- millions of women, children, tle protection against natural disabled and elderly people hazards. as well as lower caste and A 2013 report found many tribal communities being put Dalits do not get the same ac- at further risk, aid workers cess to emergency aid such as said. clean water, dry food rations Prime Minister Narendra or shelter as their higher-caste Modi unveiled India’s fi rst Na- neighbours. tional Disaster Management It said lower-caste com- Plan (NDMP) last week. munities were refused food at The plan aims to boost resil- a relief camp in Sri Lanka after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto drives Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a restaurant in Mexico City on Wednesday. ience to earthquakes, cyclones the 2004 tsunami, while dur- and fl oods and reduce deaths ing the same disaster in India, by focusing on early warning, Dalits were exploited for their response and recovery. labour to remove corpses and While the United Nations debris. and relief agencies have gen- “We are disappointed with erally welcomed the plan, the National Disaster Man- some aid groups say there are agement Plan, as it fails to serious gaps. consider the specifi c needs of Resistance to India bid “The NDMP document Dalits and other vulnerable should have included guide- groups,” said Rikke Nöhrlind, lines and systems to ensure executive director of the In- that the government’s disaster ternational Dalit Solidarity response, mitigation and re- Network. covery especially target most “The Indian government vulnerable sections among the is undoubtedly aware of this, for NSG seat softens disaster-impacted popula- and it seems incomprehen- tion,” said Sandeep Chachra, sible to us that it fails to ad- Opponents argue that dia’s fi rst nuclear test in 1974. ing towards a process, but we’d diplomatic source from a coun- “As a country we have a posi- ActionAid India’s executive dress the issue. The fact that granting India membership India already enjoys most of have to see what that process try resisting India’s bid said on tive and constructive backing for director. more attention is paid to ani- will further undermine the benefi ts of membership un- would look like,” one diplomat condition of anonymity. this.” Disasters aff ect people to mals than vulnerable humans eff orts to prevent der a 2008 exemption to NSG said after the closed-door talks Washington has been pressur- India is also poised to join varying degrees, and the gov- in this important plan is very proliferation rules granted to support its nu- yesterday aimed at preparing for ing hold-outs, and yesterday’s the Missile Technology Control ernment should identify the telling indeed.” clear co-operation deal with an annual NSG plenary meeting meeting was a chance to see how Regime (MTCR) after talks this specifi c needs of diff erent India is likely to be hit hard Reuters Washington, even though India in Seoul later this month. strong opposition is. week between Modi and Obama. groups to respond eff ectively, by climate change. It is already Vienna has developed atomic weapons Opponents argue that grant- US Secretary of State John Mexico supported India’s aid workers say. one of the most disaster-prone and never signed the nuclear ing India membership would Kerry wrote to members asking membership because of Modi’s For example, adolescent nations in the world and many Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), further undermine eff orts to them “not to block consensus on “commitment to the agenda of girls and women face many of its 1.3bn people live in areas US-led push for India to the main global arms control prevent proliferation. Indian admission to the NSG” in nuclear disarmament and non- problems - from a lack of san- vulnerable to hazards such as join a club of countries pact. It would also infuriate Paki- a letter. proliferation,” Pena Nieto said. itary towels to sexual violence fl oods, cyclones, earthquakes Acontrolling access to sen- But China yesterday main- stan, an ally of China’s, which Most of the hold-outs argue “I thank President Pena Nieto in camps and poor healthcare and droughts. sitive nuclear technology made tained its position that the Non- has responded to India’s mem- that if India is to be admitted, for his positive and constructive for expectant mothers. Floods - like those sparked some headway yesterday as sev- Proliferation Treaty is central to bership bid with one of its own. it should be under criteria that support for India’s membership As a result, maternal and by unprecedented rainfall in eral opponents appeared more the NSG, diplomats said. Pakistan joining would be apply equally to all states rather of the Nuclear Suppliers Group,” infant mortality rates, infec- Mumbai in 2005, or in Sri- willing to work towards a com- The handful of other nations unacceptable to many, given its than under a “tailor-made” so- Modi said at the end of a whirl- tious diseases fuelled by poor nagar in 2014 - will become promise, but China remained resisting India’s admission to track record. lution for a US ally. wind week of global diplomacy sanitation, sexual abuse and commonplace, experts say. defi ant. the group, including South Af- The father of its nuclear weap- Mexico’s president said on in which he also won support unsafe abortions tend to rise The NDMP covers all as- The 48-nation Nuclear Sup- rica, New Zealand and Turkey, ons programme ran an illicit net- Wednesday his country now from Switzerland. in the chaos following a dis- pects of disaster management pliers Group aims to prevent the softened their stance somewhat, work for years that sold nuclear backs India’s membership bid. Mexico’s backing represents aster. - prevention, mitigation, re- proliferation of nuclear weapons opening the door to a process secrets to countries including “Mexico recognises India’s in- a historic policy shift for the Disabled people are also sponse and recovery - and by restricting the sale of items under which non-NPT states North Korea and Iran. terest in joining the Nuclear Sup- country, which has held a fi rm disproportionately aff ected by provides for better coordina- that can be used to make those such as India might join, diplo- “By bringing India on board, pliers Group,” President Enrique position on nuclear disarma- disasters, say aid workers. tion among government agen- arms. mats said. it’s a slap in the face of the en- Pena Nieto said after talks with ment and non-proliferation for Many cannot physically ac- cies and departments. It was set up in response to In- “There’s movement, includ- tire non-proliferation regime,” a Prime Minister Narendra Modi. decades. 17 people an hour die in Ministers squabble road accidents: Gadkari over ‘animal killings’ IANS “In Bengal, they have per- New Delhi mitted the killing of elephants, AFP 62% of those blamed on speed- electronic surveillance to deter in Himachal Pradesh they New Delhi ing. traffi c off ences. have ordered the killing of “Accidents are killing more It is consulting state govern- n an embarrassment to monkeys, and in Goa they gave people in India than terrorism or ments over a new road safety Prime Minister Narendra permission to kill peacocks. I ndia’s transport ministry natural disasters and yet we nev- bill, which will be tabled in the IModi’s government, a war don’t understand their lust for admitted yesterday it has er talk about them,” Gadkari said next parliament session. of words broke out between killing animals,” she said. Iso far failed to improve road at a press conference to mark the The proposed law would crack two senior ministers yester- Defending his position, safety but said it was pushing release of the report. down on traffi c off ences and day. Javadekar said “such per- for stricter laws, as new fi gures “It saddens me that there has suggests steep penalties for of- Women and Child Devel- missions are given on the revealed 17 people die in traffi c been a negligible impact on re- fenders, including minimum opment Minister Maneka recommendation of state gov- accidents every hour. ducing the number of deaths de- seven-year jail terms in acci- Gandhi accused Environment ernments.” Transport Minister Nitin spite our best eff orts in the past dents that result in deaths. and Forests Minister Prakash “When state governments Gadkari acknowledged an urgent two years,” he said. Transport analysts blame In- Javadekar of permitting the write to us about farmers need to improve road infrastruc- Gadkari said the ministry was dia’s high numbers of road ac- “killing of animals” across the suff ering due to crops dam- ture as the numbers showed working to expand the country’s cidents on poor roads, badly country. aged by animals, then such traffi c accidents were one of the highway network from 96,000 maintained vehicles and reckless Gandhi said she could not permissions are given. It is single biggest causes of death in to 200,000km to ease the bur- driving, as well as inadequate understand the ministry’s on the recommendation of India. den on crumbling roads. road safety laws. “lust for killing animals.” the state governments. This The report found 146,133 Road accidents shave 3% off Some 30% of Indian driving “The environment ministry is not a central government people died in 501,423 road ac- the country’s GDP every year, licences are believed to be fake, is writing to every state, ask- programme, as it is an exist- cidents in 2015, an increase of the minister said. the government has said. ing which animal should be ing law.” almost 5% from 2014, while half The ministry said it is focus- India owns just 1% of the killed and that they will give However, Gandhi put the a million more were injured. ing on improving poorly de- world’s vehicles but accounts for Vehicles seized following road accidents are left outside a police station permission for it,” Gandhi, a blame on the environment Nearly eight in ten accidents signed roads and identifying 15% of global traffi c deaths, ac- in Allahabad yesterday. The transport ministry admitted it has so far well-known animal rights ac- minister for the killing of ani- were caused by drivers, with black spots, and plans to deploy cording to the World Bank. failed to improve road safety but said it was pushing for stricter laws. tivist, told reporters. mals. Gulf Times 12 Friday, June 10, 2016 INDIA

EDUCATION CRIME JUDICIARY INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES New MPhil entrance Two actresses, model BJP, AAP leaders fail New bridges, drinking Panel to publish findings test pattern upsets many held for flesh trade to settle row in court water projects in Odisha of child rights study

The murmurs are growing louder - not Mumbai police yesterday busted a high The Delhi High Court will today hear arguments As many as 100 new bridges and 75 drinking The West Bengal Commission for Protection everyone is happy with the new entrance glamour flesh trade racket, and arrested in a row involving Bharatiya Janata Party water projects were inaugurated across of Child Rights yesterday said the preliminary examination introduced by Delhi University for several women including a model and two legislator O P Sharma, accused of making Odisha yesterday. The new bridges built under findings of a team of experts on child rights MPhil and PhD candidates. It appears that the small-time actresses, an off icial said yesterday. derogatory remarks against Aam Aadmi Party the Biju Setu Yojana will benefit 1.6mn people issues in the state’s tea gardens are most likely academics are divided over the new format Among the women arrested were a Marathi leader Alka Lamba. Sharma, suspended for living in 345 panchayats while the 75 other to be published by the month-end. “Two teams in which objective questions have replaced film actress, an up and coming model and a two sessions from the Delhi assembly, and projects will provide drinking water to 115,000 of experts are working on child rights issues subjective questions, to be followed by an television serial star. Following a tip off , the Lamba could not reach a settlement in the court people living in 75 panchayats in 21 of the 30 in tea gardens and internal migration with interview. Moreover, the students are wary of police laid a trap for them at a prominent yesterday. After almost two hours of mediation districts in the state, Odisha Chief Minister respect to children. We will most likely publish the online form which will require a candidate upmarket shopping mall in Goregaon where with both leaders, Justice Manmohan Singh said Naveen Patnaik said. “The construction of the preliminary findings on the tea gardens by to submit his research proposal. A student the women were expected to meet their a settlement doesn’t seem possible and agreed 481 bridges has been completed while the month-end,” commission chairman Ashokendu said the new process has been introduced ‘bosses’ and customers. The police nabbed to hear the case today. The Delhi assembly work on another 382 bridges is in progress. A Sengupta said. He said the findings of the expert hastily. Some of them also complained that three bosses – identified as Ashraf, Saira passed a resolution on March 31 against Sharma decision has been taken to construct another groups will form the basis for the commission’s the common entrance form for MPhil and and Aman – who allegedly used to collect after an Ethics Committee recommended his 153 bridges,” Patnaik said. Rural Development recommendations to be submitted to the state PhD has added to the confusion. Some of the between Rs50,000 and Rs100,000 to supply expulsion for making derogatory remarks Minister Badrinarayan Patra said 10,418 government. “We have requested the Indian professors said the new process is short- the women to their high profile and corporate against Lamba. Sharma said the Committee’s drinking water projects have been made Statistical Institute to carry out work on internal sighted. clients. decision was “wrong and biased.” functional so far in Odisha. migration,” Sengupta said.

Sentencing in Gulbarg India plans Society case put off again

IANS expanded Ahmedabad

court yesterday again postponed the sentenc- Aing of 24 convicts in the 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre cruise missile in Ahmedabad which left killed 69 people. Judge P B Desai said he would sentence them today. This is the second time after June 6 that the sentencing was put off . The massacre is one of export drive the cases linked to the 2002 Gu- jarat riots. Sales to southeast Asia seen An air-launched version is un- BrahMos Aerospace, co-owned The prosecution has called for linked to unease over China der testing. by the Indian and Russian gov- the strictest punishment while Unlike Vietnam, the Philippines ernments, said discussions were defence sought lighter sentence Reuters and Malaysia, India is not a party underway with several countries and an opportunity for the con- New Delhi to territorial disputes in the South on missile exports, but it was too victs to reform. China Sea, a vital global trade route early to be more specifi c. The judge said the convicts need which China claims most of. “Talks are going on, there not be physically present in the ndia has stepped up eff orts to But India has an unsettled land will be a deal,” said spokesman court today and, if need be they sell an advanced cruise missile border with China and in recent Praveen Pathak. could be presented through video Isystem to Vietnam and has at years has grown concerned over India is still a marginal player in conferencing from the Sabarmati least 15 more markets in its sights, its powerful neighbour’s expand- global arms exports. Jail where they are lodged. a push experts say refl ects con- ing maritime presence in the In- The unit cost of the missile, fi t- During the arguments, the cerns in New Delhi about China’s dian Ocean. ted on Indian naval ships, is esti- prosecution stuck to its stand growing military assertiveness. It has railed against China’s mated at around $3mn. that the convicts be given the Selling the supersonic BrahMos military assistance to Pakistan India has been steadily building maximum sentence for the mass missile, made by an Indo-Rus- and privately fumed over Chinese military ties with Vietnam and is murder while defence lawyer ar- sian joint venture, would mark a submarines docking in Sri Lanka, supplying off shore patrol boats gued that the convicts should not shift for the world’s biggest arms just off the toe of India. under a $100mn credit line, its be given capital punishment. importer, as India seeks to send “Policymakers in Delhi were biggest overseas military aid. Citing a Supreme Court judg- weapons the other way in order to long constrained by the belief that This week Defence Minister ment, defence lawyer Abhay shore up partners’ defences and advanced defence co-operation Manohar Parrikar held talks with Bhardwaj said since the convicts boost revenues. with Washington or Hanoi could his Vietnamese counterpart Gen- never tried to tamper with evidence The government of Prime Min- provoke aggressive and unde- eral Ngo Xuan Lich in Hanoi and nor did they commit any crime dur- ister Narendra Modi has ordered sirable responses from Beijing,” both sides agreed to exchange ing their bail period, they should be BrahMos Aerospace, which pro- said Jeff M Smith, director of information on commercial ship- given an opportunity to reform. duces the missiles, to acceler- Asian Security Programmes at the ping as well as expand hydro- The lawyer forcefully argued ate sales to a list of fi ve countries American Foreign Policy Council graphic co-operation, the Indian that the court should take into topped by Vietnam, according to a in Washington. defence ministry said in a state- consideration that the attack on government note viewed by Reu- “Prime Minister Modi and his ment on Monday. the Gulbarg Society was pro- ters and previously unreported. team of advisers have essentially A source at the defence minis- voked when former Congress MP The others are Indonesia, turned that thinking on its head, try said India was hoping to con- Ehsan Jafri opened fi re, in which South Africa, Chile and Brazil. concluding that stronger defence clude negotiations on the supply one person was killed and several The Philippines is at the top of a relationships with the US, Japan, of BrahMos to Vietnam by the end injured. According to the lawyer, second list of 11 nations including and Vietnam actually put India of the year. Jafri was the key culprit for the Malaysia, Thailand and United on stronger footing in its dealings The Indian government is also unfortunate massacre. Arab Emirates, countries which with China.” considering a proposal to off er Vi- On June 2, the court found 24 had “expressed interest but need India’s export push comes as it etnam a battleship armed with the of the 66 accused guilty and ac- further discussions and analysis,” emerges from decades of isolation BrahMos missiles instead of just quitted 36. Six died during the the undated note added. over its nuclear arms programme. the missile battery, the source said. trial. Of the 24 convicts, 11 were A source familiar with the mat- It is poised to join the Mis- “A frigate integrated with the found guilty of various charges, ter would only say the note was is- sile Technology Control Regime BrahMos can play a decisive role, including murder. One person sued earlier this year. (MTCR) after talks between Modi it can be a real deterrent in the was found guilty of attempt to New Delhi had been sitting on and US President Barack Obama South China Sea,” the source said, murder, and remaining 12, in- a 2011 request from Hanoi for the in Washington this week. adding New Delhi would have to cluding Vishwa Hindu Parishad BrahMos for fear of angering Chi- BrahMos’ range means it falls expand the line of credit to cover leader Atul Vaidya, were held na, which sees the weapon, reput- short of the 300km limit set by the cost of the ship. guilty of lesser charges like riot- ed to be the world’s fastest cruise the voluntary organisation. Indian warships are armed ing and unlawful assembly. missile with a top speed of up to India’s accession to the MTCR with confi gurations of eight or 16 Special Investigation Team three times the speed of sound, as may also strengthen its case for BrahMos missiles each, while sets (SIT) lawyer R C Kodekar, during destabilising. joining another non-prolifera- of two or four would go on smaller the hearing on June 6, demanded Indonesia and the Philippines tion body, the Nuclear Suppliers vessels. strict sentence while the advocate had also asked for the BrahMos, Group, a move China has eff ec- A Russian offi cial said exports for the survivors and victims, S M which has a range of 290km and tively blocked. Both groups would of BrahMos to third countries was Vora, sought strictest punishment A man convicted in the Gulbarg Society massacre case is escorted by a policeman at a court in can be fi red from land, sea and give India greater access to re- part of the founding agreement of and compensation for the victims. Ahmedabad after a hearing yesterday. submarine. search and technology. the India-Russia joint venture.

Students detained Olympian accuses Kerala CBI questions Himachal CM in corruption case minister of insulting her “You have been named in the IANS New Delhi FIR. Why don’t you join the in- By Ashraf Padanna ever we were doing were wrong, The control of KSSC went into vestigation and fi nish it. Ulti- Thiruvananthapuram and he had the powers to control the hands of sports stars after mately, you have to join it,” Jus- us,” George said. Oommen Chandy took over as imachal Pradesh Chief tice Pratibha Rani told Virbhadra “I told him I had no political chief minister in 2011 and an- Minister Virbhadra Singh Singh, who is protected from ar- nju Bobby George, the affi liation and my commitment nounced a policy of not mixing Hwas yesterday questioned rest or interrogation by an order only Indian athlete to win was to the sport. That’s my poli- politics and sports. Politicians by the Central Bureau of Investi- of the Himachal Pradesh High Aan Olympics medal, yes- tics and religion.” were controlling the council ear- gation here over disproportionate Court. terday said the new sports min- The ace athlete took over as lier. wealth, offi cials said. In an oral observation, Justice ister of her native Kerala insulted president of Sports Council six Reports say the Left Demo- Virbhadra Singh, a senior Con- Pratibha Rani said: “If you have her when she made a courtesy months back after the term of cratic Front (LDF) of the commu- gress leader, arrived at the CBI intention to join the investiga- call. Padmini Selvam, another inter- nists want to shift to the previous headquarters around 11am. His tion, join it.” George, who heads the Kerala national athlete, ended in No- mode, and the new move was to questioning lasted till 2pm. But the court did not pass any State Sports Council, said she vember. smoke out the athletes, includ- The probe against the chief order to ask Singh to join the had “the worst experience of her “We thought he would ask us ing Preeja Sreedharan and Tom minister and his family members probe. life” when she met E P Jayara- about the status of sports in Ker- Joseph. was initiated after graft allega- The court was hearing his plea jan in his offi ce for the rst fi time ala,” she said. George, who later met Chief tions were made against him dur- for quashing the fi rst information since he took charge on May 25. “But he said, ‘you are all elect- Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and ing his tenure as the federal steel report lodged against him by the She said the minister accused ed by the previous ministry. So complained of the minister’s minister from 2009 to 2011. central agency. her of indulging in corruption. you all are other party members. misbehaviour, said he pacifi ed The octogenarian chief minister, Additional Solicitor General P He told her she and her col- All transfers and appointments her saying he did not see her as who was questioned for the fi rst S Patwalia told the court that the leagues were against his (Com- you are doing are illegal’.” someone with political interests. time, reached the national capital investigation was “seriously held munist) party and she was fl ying Jayarajan also said the previous However, speaking to reports Police detain and take away students of Jawaharlal Nehru on Wednesday and will return to up,” and added that the central in from Bengaluru, where she government had given her the later, Vijayan denied the charges University protesting against Human Resource Develop- Shimla late today. The Delhi High agency completed a dossier in the works, without authorisation. airfare from Bengaluru, which against Jayarajan, who earlier in- ment Minister Smriti Irani in New Delhi, yesterday. Court on April 5 asked Singh why case and the “facts which have “He started by saying what- was also “corruption”. sisted the meeting was “cordial.” he did not join the investigation. come up are very, very serious.” Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 13 LATIN AMERICA

TRAGEDY FALLOUT AGRICULTURE LEGAL DECISION 18 killed as bus Brazil bars Swedish firm’s Cuba 300,000 tonnes Venezuela bans media Panama Canal lifts plunges into ravine unit from public tenders short of raw sugar goal videos of lynchings restrictions on ship depth

A bus lost control and plunged into a ravine in Brazil has banned the local unit of Swedish The Cuban sugar industry has shut its last mill and Venezuela’s Supreme Court has banned media Off icials running the Panama Canal said they Brazil’s Sao Paulo state on Wednesday night, killing construction company Skanska AB from doing tallied lower output at 1.6mn tonnes of raw sugar, from publishing videos of lynchings, saying they have lifted restrictions on the depth of ships at least 18 people and injuring 28, most of them government work for at least two years, having sources close to the industry said this week, create “anxiety and uncertainty” in a country passing through that had been imposed since students, authorities said. The accident happened accused it of involvement in a bribery and compared with 1.9mn tonnes in the previous ravaged by violent crime and an economic crisis. April because of low water levels caused by severe about 120kms from the country’s economic capital kickback scandal, the ministry of transparency harvest. Azcuba, the state-run sugar monopoly, The Opec nation’s society is in upheaval amid drought. The start of the tropical rainy season had when the driver lost control of the bus carrying 46 said yesterday. The ministry said Skanska Brasil has remained mum on the harvest since April triple-digit inflation, a deep recession and brutal brought the water back up, meaning the ships’ passengers and crashed into a rock in the opposite belonged to a cartel that fixed prices on contracts when it reported output was well behind schedule shortages of food and medicine. As Venezuelans maximum draft - the distance from the waterline lane. The impact caused the vehicle to overturn with Petroleo Brasileiro SA. It also said the due mainly to unusually low cane yields. Just two have grown increasingly angry at frequent to the bottom of the hull - was restored to the and fall into a ravine, rescue services said. The company paid $890,000 in bribes to obtain a of 13 sugar-producing provinces reported meeting thefts, hold-ups and homicides, mob beatings usual 39.5 feet, the Panama Canal Authority said driver was among the dead, several media outlets 1.3bn-real ($386mn) contract for the expansion of their plans. “It was a bit under 1.6mn tonnes,” said and lynchings have increased in the country. in a statement. Starting April 18 the draft had been reported. The students were from three schools an oil terminal for the state-run company. Skanska a source who talked with Azcuba executives and President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government progressively trimmed in 15-centimetre increments in the town of Mogi das Cruzes and were headed Brasil has denied being part of the cartel of 20 requested anonymity. Another source, who has says the footage is part of a larger plan to sully to ensure vessels could transit through the canal to the town of Sao Sebastiao in foggy conditions, engineering and construction companies under access to industry data, confirmed the harvest his administration and stoke unrest in an attempt without scraping bottom. Around 35 to 40 cargo according to the Globo G1 news network. investigation in the massive corruption scheme ended at around 1.6mn tonnes. to unseat him. ships a day pass through the canal

Pro-Maduro rally Peru polls hinge on challenged ballots and jungle votes

AFP lies. Kuczynski, 77, has said he Lima won’t declare victory until the of- fi cial verdict is in. Fujimori, 41, has hunkered down in her campaign our days after Peru’s presi- headquarters and said she is “cau- dential run-off election, tiously waiting.” F99.99% of the ballots have Her campaign is hoping she will been counted, but the country still make up ground on the challenged didn’t know yesterday who its next ballots and win heavily in the still- leader is - and it was unclear how uncounted Amazon region known long the wait would be. as VRAEM, the acronym for the With the count nearly complete Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro River from Sunday’s vote, ex-Wall Street Valleys. banker Pedro Pablo Kuczynski led Advisers say she is strong in the his controversial rival, Keiko Fuji- isolated and lawless region thanks mori, by a razor-thin margin: 50.11 to her tough stance on crime and % to 49.89 %. her father’s campaign to wipe out But electoral authorities were the leftist rebels of the Shining Supporters of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro attend a rally in support of the government’s food distribution programmes in Caracas, Venezuela. still waiting for seven results Path movement, whose remnants sheets to arrive from a remote val- are still hiding out in the valley’s ley in the Amazon rainforest. dense rainforest. The results were being trans- Some Peruvians fondly remem- ported partly by river, with a secu- ber Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) rity escort to keep them safe from for his populist streak, his ruthless the drug traffi ckers and guerrilla crackdown on the Shining Path fi ghters hiding out in the region. and his management of a strong A small number of ballots - 0.45 economy. % of the total - have also been But his legacy has also been challenged in court for smudges, heavy baggage for his daughter. Govt mulls emergency improper markings or other is- His violent decade in offi ce ul- sues, keeping alive Fujimori’s timately landed him in prison for hopes that she can still close the 25 years for massacres by an army gap of 39,000 votes between her death squad. and Kuczynski. Famed for its ancient Incan cit- The electoral court is working ies high in the Andes mountains its way through the challenged re- and its fusion-fuelled cuisine, loan to Rio de Janeiro sults sheets one by one, but there symbolised by the refreshing raw is no clear timeline for how long fi sh dish ceviche, the nation of Reuters Although the city of Rio de Ja- borne Zika virus that has been talks said the amount of the loans year. The fi nance ministry press the process will take. 31mn people is a major exporter of Brasilia neiro has enough money to com- linked to brain malformation in will depend on how much debt offi ce declined to comment. Pollsters say it would be all gold, copper - and cocaine. plete the infrastructure for the babies in Brazil. relief the government can give The fi nance secretary of Rio de but impossible for Fujimori, the Economic growth slowed under Olympics, a fi nancial crisis in the “These states need cash injec- other states also under fi scal dis- Janeiro could be not be immedi- daughter of jailed ex-president outgoing leftist President Ollanta razil is considering an state threatens to disrupt public tion. There is no other way,” said tress. Brazil’s 27 states and federal ately reached for comment. Alberto Fujimori, to pull off a vic- Humala, from 6.5% when he took emergency loan to the services during one of the world’s a member of the government’s district resumed talks yesterday Rio de Janeiro’s fi nances have tory. Kuczynski’s camp has taken offi ce in 2011 to 3.3% last year. Bcash-strapped state of Rio biggest sporting events, which economic team who asked not to with the government of interim deteriorated so much that the to declaring him the virtual pres- Kuczynski, son of a Jewish doc- de Janeiro as it prepares to host starts on August 5. be named to speak freely. “These President Michel Temer to seek state missed debt payments to a ident-elect on a daily basis. tor from Germany, studied at Ox- the Olympic Games in less than Hit hard by the recession and loans will be backed by states’ as- relief on their debts that amount French development bank and “You all know what the mar- ford and Princeton. His American two months, two senior govern- drop in crude prices, the oil- sets such as banks, utilities, gas to a staggering 11.2 % of gross do- the Inter-American Develop- gin is. There’s no reason for it to wife is a cousin of Hollywood ac- ment offi cials familiar with the producing state faced its worst and sanitation companies.” mestic product. ment Bank last month, in what change,” one of his spokesmen, tress Jessica Lange. situation said. ever public health crisis this year The three states would transfer It is a tricky situation for Te- Moody’s Investor Services called congressman-elect Gilbert Vio- Fujimori, whose father is the The loan would be backed by when unpaid doctors and nurses their stakes in some state compa- mer, who in May replaced sus- a “credit negative for all of Brazil’s leta, said on Wednesday. “Like all child of Japanese immigrants, the state’s participation in local walked out of hospitals and clin- nies to the federal government, pended President Dilma Rousseff states.” Peru, we want this to end soon.” was aiming to become Peru’s fi rst companies and could be extended ics were left nearly empty, with- which could in turn sell them to while she stands trial in the sen- The state ramped up its payroll Peru is one of Latin America’s woman president. But analysts say to the states of Minas Gerais and out syringes. private investors as it did during ate for allegedly breaking fi scal during the years of high oil prices fastest-growing economies, and she was damaged by a late surge of Rio Grande do Sul, which are The Rio Olympics, the fi rst the last states’ debt restructur- rules. His government faces a with the expectation that the dis- both candidates are right-leaning, “anti-fujimorismo” - though her struggling to pay employees and held in South America, has been ing in the late 1990s, one of the severe fi scal crisis of its own that covery of massive crude reserves market-friendly, US-educated party won a congressional major- pensioners as a crippling reces- marred by political turmoil and sources said. cost the country its hard-won off its shores would keep its fi - politicians from immigrant fami- ity in the fi rst-round vote in April. sion slashes tax revenues. an outbreak of the mosquito- Another source involved in the investment grade rating late last nances in order. Brazil meat industry turns Journalists protest Nicaragua court to wheat as corn scarce splits opposition AFP the convention as soon as pos- Managua sible. Reuters suitable for human consumption Brazil’s No. 2 poultry producer, Montealegre was made head Sao Paulo to animal feed producers in recent recently bought 6,000 tonnes of of the PLI in 2014 after lawsuits weeks. wheat for feed. The company did he Supreme Court in by four dissidents - one of them “It’s not that wheat is cheaper. not respond to a request for com- Nicaragua controversial- Reyes Vallejos - toppled the pre- razil’s troubled poultry and It’s just that there isn’t any unsold ment. Tly split the opposition’s vious party chief. Their legal meat producers are resort- corn around,” one trader said at a The volumes are tiny compared ranks ahead of a presidential battle was taken to the Supreme Bing to feeding their animals co-operative in Parana state. with the 11mn tonnes consumed election in November by order- Court. wheat as an emergency substi- Traders in Parana quoted prices in Brazil each year and the 5mn- ing a change in leadership of a “With this verdict, Ortega is tute, a rare step for the industry of soft wheat at 800 reais to 850 6mn tonnes it grows. But if the pivotal conservative party. trying to deal a coup d’etat to as it struggles with the worst- reais a tonne, which is equivalent buying continues, it could boost The divested opposition lead- the opposition because he knows ever shortage and record prices of to 48-to-51 reais a 60kg bag. wheat prices. er, Eduardo Montealegre, im- he can’t beat it at the polls,” corn, experts say. Corn has been quoted, but not In the past, the South American mediately slammed the ruling as Montealegre said in his own news The practice, not seen in a easily found, at 50-to-60 reais a nation has been one of the world’s a “coup” instigated by President conference accompanied by sup- decade by one of the world’s bag in the south until recently. leading importers of wheat, with Daniel Ortega, who is stand- porters. largest animal protein indus- Luiz Carlos Pacheco at wheat the bulk coming from neigh- ing for re-election. He called for “We will move forward with tries, underscores how soaring consultants Trigo & Farinhas said bouring Argentina and Paraguay. protests starting today. the campaign on which the ver- local corn prices and an unex- the meats industry has bought High-quality North American His Constitutionalist Lib- dict has no bearing,” he said. pected supply crisis are spilling 220,000 tonnes of wheat since wheat regularly fl ows to Brazil, as eral Party (PLI) is the main force The development provoked over into other commodities May, as the extent of the shortage well. in the opposition coalition, a concern among business lead- markets and forced the industry of corn became clear. While it costs slightly less than grouping of eight parties and ers, many of whom back the gov- to seek alternatives. “Wheat sales for feed have oc- corn, wheat’s nutritional value is movements. ernment. The verdict created “a In another twist in the months- curred in volumes and prices well inferior for fattening livestock, The coalition has nominated complicated situation, utterly long crisis, meat processors are above normal for this time of limiting how much processors a lawmaker, Luis Callejas, as its precarious,” said Jose Aguerri, having to feed their chickens year,” Pacheco said, adding that can rely on it. Still for some, it presidential candidate for the head of the national employers’ higher-quality grain, normally 120,000 tonnes sold to the indus- may be a way of keeping operat- November 6 election, but that federation. used in fl our for cookies or breads. try came from Rio Grande do Sul, ing as they wait fresh supplies of has to be ratifi ed by a national Ortega, a 70-year-old former Supplies of lower animal-grade Brazil’s second wheat growing corn when the winter corn crop Thousands of journalists from dozens of media convention. rebel who has been a polarising wheat sometimes mixed into state. Another 100,000 tonnes gets harvested in the coming workers’ unions protested in Buenos Aires demanding Francisco Rosales, chief judge fi gure as head of state, is seek- feedstock have run out. came from Parana, Brazil’s No 1 weeks. Some chicken producers that media companies end dismissals. They also of the Supreme Court, told a ing a third consecutive presiden- Traders at three co-operatives producer. have been forced to close plants condemned the labour insecurity in newsrooms and news conference that the PLI’s tial term. He has been in offi ce in the southern grain states re- Another trader said JBS SA, the and slaughter animals that they sought decent salary increases. new leader was now Pedro Reyes since 2006, and before that had a ported isolated sales of wheat world’s largest beef exporter and cannot aff ord the feed. Vallejos, and the party must hold 1985-1990 stint as president. Gulf Times 14 Friday, June 10, 2016 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Pak concern Chinese assistance over growing India-US ties

Agencies Islamabad stepped up its diplo- Islamabad matic outreach among members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in a bid to stall New Delhi’s akistan yesterday ex- chances of gaining membership pressed concern over to the NSG. P“growing strategic ties” The Pakistan foreign ministry’s between India and the US, with a UN Desk on Wednesday held a top offi cial accusing Washington briefi ng in Islamabad for diplo- of using Islamabad “whenever it matic missions of NSG member- needs it”. countries to put forward its argu- The remarks by Sartaj Aziz, ment against India’s membership the Adviser to the Prime Minis- and to push for its own entry to the ter on Foreign Aff airs, came af- elite group. ter the US backed India’s bid for At the meeting, Pakistan membership to the NSG. warned that country-specifi c Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong (3rd right) hands over a symbolic key to Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar during The US backing came at a Sartaj Aziz exemptions could negatively im- a ceremony in Islamabad yesterday. China yesterday handed over free assistance of 505 vehicles, including 425 pick-ups and 80 meeting between Indian Prime pact strategic stability in South ambulances, in addition to off ice equipment to Pakistan. Minister Narendra Modi and was planned between Pakistan Asia. President Barack Obama in and US offi cials on June 10 in Is- Both Pakistan and India have Washington on Tuesday during lamabad. applied to be members of the which the two sides also inked “We fi rmly conveyed to the 48-member NSG that regulates SECUITY agreements to boost security US that maintaining eff ective global nuclear commerce. Pakistan to raise and defence co-operation. nuclear deterrence is critical for India is being backed in its bid Addressing the media here, Pakistan’s security and only Is- by several major NSG members, Obama administration defends US drone attack Aziz said: “The US approaches lamabad can determine how it including the US. Pakistan whenever it needs it should respond to growing stra- However, China is backing issue at UN and abandons it when it does not tegic imbalance in South Asia.” Pakistan. Beijing maintains that military assistance to Pakistan need Islamabad. Aziz maintained that Islama- if India, a non-signatory to the Pakistan will raise in the United Na- “Pakistan will convey its con- bad was ready for cordial rela- Nuclear non-Proliferation Trea- tions the issue of US drone attacks cerns to US over the latest issues tions with other countries in- ty, is given membership, then Internews secretary of defence to provide ate would “unnecessarily com- as they are against the country’s in the bilateral ties,” Aziz said, cluding India. Pakistan too should be taken on Islamabad certifi cation, without issuing plicate progress in US-Pakistan sovereignty, top Foreign Aff airs adding that a high-level meeting Aziz’s statement comes as board. a waiver, that Islamabad has bilateral relationship on this Adviser Sartaj Aziz said yesterday. been instrumental in combat- issue and would limit the sec- Aziz was speaking at a news con- he Obama administration ing terrorism, and taking dem- retary of defence’s ability to ference weeks after an American has once again defended onstrated action against mili- act in the US national security drone strike killed the Afghan Tmilitary assistance to Pa- tant groups. interest.” Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Man- kistan saying that any imposed “We share the commit- Senate version of the NDAA soor, near Quetta capital city in condition would “unnecessarily tee’s concerns regarding the diff ered with that of the House Balochistan province. High-level American team complicate” progress in bilateral threat posed to our forces on many issues including Paki- The attack on May 21 occurred ties and would be against the US and interests in Afghanistan stan. at a time when diplomatic eff orts interest. by the Haqqani network and The House version of the were underway to bring the Afghan The White House objected we continue to engage with bill, passed last month, calls Taliban to the negotiation table. to visit Pakistan this week to the US Senate’s version of Pakistan at the highest lev- for blocking $450mn of the “The recent drone attack in the National Defence Authori- els regarding the need for $900mn US aid to Pakistan in Balochistan in which the Taliban sation Act due to be discussed concerted action specifi- Coalition Support Fund. leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was Internews The US delegation could also what offi cials here regard as an later this week. cally against the group,” the The Senate version has re- killed, has breached our sover- Islamabad have meeting with Maryam Na- opportunistic and unprinci- The move imposes condi- White House said. duced both the figures re- eignty, caused a serious setback waz Sharif as Peter Lavoy visited pled stand by the US that could tion on the $300mn aid to Pa- It further said that the re- spectively to $300mn and to the peace eff orts and intensi- last year with an exclusive mes- tilt the nuclear balance in South kistan. It will also requires the striction imposed by the Sen- $800mn. fied hostilities in Afghanistan. The he fi rst high-level, face- sage of First Lady of the United Asia with grave consequences drone strike must, therefore, be to-face meetings between States Michelle Obama for Mar- for regional and global stability. condemned by all stakeholders,” TPakistani and US offi cials yam, off ering her to work on Ambassador Olson and Di- Aziz said at a news conference in since the Noshki drone strike Michelle’s worldwide endeavour rector Lavoy will likely to be Islamabad. that killed Mulla Mansour are set of girls’ education. informed about the increas- Ramadan prayers to take place this week amidst Highly-placed diplomatic ing frustration among decision LEGAL growing Pakistani concerns sources said yesterday evening makers here that the outside about the overall US policy in the that the US delegation that world, led by the US, is quick Court bails region. would have an overnight stay in to blame Pakistan for regional women jailed US Special Representative for the capital and would focus on setbacks rather than working Afghanistan and Pakistan Rich- discussions about the develop- with Pakistan towards finding for ‘vulgar’ texts ard Olson and Senior Director ments with regard to Afghani- collaborative, peaceful solu- for South Asian Aff airs at the stan. tions. Pakistan’s Supreme Court yester- National Security Council Peter Pakistani offi cials view such The withholding of funds for day bailed a mother and daughter Lavoy will meet Pakistan’s po- statements with a great deal of the purchase of F-16s and new who had been in jail for two litical and military leaderships concern that the region may proposed Congressional re- months for allegedly sending “vul- amidst growing calls among once again be lurching towards strictions on US assistance to gar” texts and pictures to another American policymakers and instability. Pakistan also suggest a punitive woman, a defence lawyer said. from Afghanistan for punitive Also concerning Pakistani mood against Pakistan just as Maria Naz, 19, and her mother action against Pakistan for its policymakers are the renewed internal stability is returning to Shazia Begum were arrested in alleged support of the Afghan attempts by the US to install In- the country at a great cost. Rawalpindi, a garrison town adjoin- Taliban. dia as a member of the Nuclear With senior foreign policy and ing the capital, Islamabad, by the The US team will hold im- Suppliers Group (NSG) the in- military offi cials privately ques- Federal Investigation Agency after portant meetings with offi cials ternational governing body for tioning if the US truly desires Naz’s aunt lodged a complaint including Adviser to the Prime civilian nuclear trade that Paki- a stable Pakistan, the visiting claiming she had received of- Minister on Foreign Aff airs Sar- stan also desires to be a member delegation will have perhaps the fensive texts from them, defence taj Aziz, Chief of Army Staff of. toughest meetings between the lawyer Zulfiqar Bhutta said. (COAS) General Raheel Sharif Peter Lavoy, an intelligence two sides since 2011, when the The court granted bail “as the and National Security Adviser veteran who now conducts the Raymond Davis episode, Osama prosecution admitted that it had (NSA) to the Prime Minister US dialogue with Pakistan on bin Laden raid and the Salala Afghan girls recite the Holy Qur’an at a Madrassa during the month of Ramadan in Kandahar found no incriminating material Lieutenant General (retd) Nasser nuclear matters, will face tough checkpost attack caused rela- yesterday. from the cell phones of both”, Khan Janjua. questions from Pakistan about tions to plummet. Bhutta said.

‘I want justice’: Husband of Pakistani teen murdered for honour

AFP claim her body. Qur’an to local children, and delay? Three girls have been Lahore Speaking to AFP yesterday, a the mother of one told AFP her burnt to death – this is a scary visibly distraught Khan said: “I daughter was frightened after new trend. am determined to continue the the killing. “It’s not as though we didn’t he husband of a 16-year- legal proceedings against the “Before sleeping she asked have thousands being killed be- old Pakistani girl who was family. many questions: ‘Why was my fore. Tmurdered by her family I am after them, and my family teacher killed? Why did her It’s not as though the law will for marrying him vowed yester- is supporting me. mum kill her?’” said Rani Bibi put an end to it but the the state day to do whatever it took to get “It is my destiny now to bring – who shared the common last must put its full force into ad- justice for his young wife. her justice – if the accused are name with Zeenat’s family – of dressing the issue,” she said. Zeenat Bibi was set on fi re on condemned it will bring calm her ten-year-old Maham. Rehman added that Prime Wednesday in Pakistan’s cultur- and peace to my soul.” “I said, ‘Don’t worry. You are Minister Nawaz Sharif had al capital of Lahore, a little over Khan, who said he had met his my beloved daughter.’” promised to push through le- a week after she wed 20-year- wife while they were students at Pakistan amended its criminal gal reform after a documentary old motorcycle mechanic Hasan high school, also suggested that code in 2005 to prevent men who highlighting the issue won an Khan against the wishes of her Perveen had been helped in the kill female relatives escaping Oscar in February, but had failed family. murder by her brother and son, punishment by pardoning them- to act. Her mother Perveen Bibi has and was covering up for them. selves as an “heir” of the victim. “I think they are pandering to admitted to the killing, though The case has drawn wide- But it is left to a judge’s discre- the religious parties,” she said, details of the brutal murder re- spread outrage even in a country tion to decide whether to impose referring to Pakistan’s Islamist main unclear. used to so-called “honour kill- a prison sentence when other opposition parties who wield Early reports suggested she ings”, which account for hun- relatives of the victim forgive the considerable infl uence beyond had been burnt alive though po- dreds of deaths every year. killer – a loophole which critics their representation in parlia- lice now say she may have been It was also the third such case say is still exploited. ment, where they hold around asphyxiated fi rst, with a post- involving burning over a three- Leading opposition senator fi ve percent of seats. mortem report not expected un- month span. Sherry Rehman, who is also a Those who would kill in the til later this month. An AFP reporter said Zeenat’s prominent women’s rights ac- name of honour “have increas- Bibi’s charred remains were family home was closed and tivist, called on the government ing impunity – they can see that buried by her new husband’s locked yesterday, as neighbours yesterday to pass a long-awaited despite public anger it’s the hal- Pakistani schoolgirl Maham (right), who was taught by a teenager who was set on fire by her mother, family before dawn after none expressed their shock. bill aimed at amending the law. lowed halls of power are turning poses for a photograph alongside classmate Amina (centre) and her father Mohamed Asghar outside the of her relatives sought to Zeenat had taught the Holy “What is the reason for the a blind eye,” she added. house where their teacher lived in Lahore yesterday. Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 15 PHILIPPINES Juvenile detained Military steps up eff orts to retrieve hostages

Agencies will not back down from the Manila gains of they have started. “In 21 days, I will be step- ping down from offi ce, but to he Philippine military all of you in attendance today, has stepped up eff orts and to each person of goodwill Tto rescue two foreign who wishes to fulfi l the prom- hostages and a Filipino woman ise of Mindanao, I will remain held captive by Islamist mili- your friend and ally,” he told tants threatening to execute an audience at the presiden- them next week if ransoms are tial palace composed of peace not paid, offi cials said yester- stakeholders from both sides. day. “Tell me how I can help this Troops are taking steps process, even as an ordinary to surround the Abu Sayyaf citizen, and I will be by your militants holding the hostages side.” in the jungles of Jolo Island, Aquino narrated how he de- 1,000km south of Manila, ac- cided to meet MILF chairman A mother wearing a Duterte wristband, accompanies her minor son who was temporarily detained for violating a curfew. Night curfews for children are in vogue while cording to major Filemon Tan, Al Haj Murad in Tokyo years alcohol consumption in public places and walking the streets half-clothed are going out of fashion as enthusiastic law enforcers give a foretaste of Rodrigo Duterte’s war a regional military spokesman. ago to jumpstart the peace on crime. “We are making their area process. smaller so that we can eventu- “There was an understand- ally engage them,” he said in able lack of faith between the a Manila television interview. two sides,” he recalled. “It was “Hopefully, we will be able to in that context … that I de- rescue the hostages anytime cided to fl y to Tokyo to meet soon.” with the leaders of the MILF A military source said ad- under chairman Murad, and— ditional troops have been de- fi nally—we began to build the ployed to Jolo ahead of the June trust necessary for the peace 13 deadline by the Abu Sayyaf process to move forward.” Duterte ‘endorsement’ terrorist group for a ransom of His critics slammed that 600mn pesos ($13mn) for the meeting as unpresidential, three hostages. saying success was not guar- The hostages - Canadian anteed. “For me, however, Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjar- such concerns were eclipsed tan Sekkingstad and Filipino by the potential benefi t for our Marites Flor - were abducted nation—by the possibility that of killings slammed by Abu Sayyaf militants from we may fi nally end a confl ict the resort island of Samal, just that has brought suff ering to Agencies are not exempted from assassination,” he he won the election.He is due to be sworn UN Special Rapporteur on summary across from Davao City, on far too many Filipinos.” United Nations added. into offi ce on June 30. executions Christof Heyns said Duterte’s September 21. That meeting, he said, re- Duterte raised the case of Jun Pala, a The United States co-operates with ef- recent remarks are “irresponsible in the A fourth hostage, Canadian sulted in the signing of the journalist and politician whose 2003 mur- forts by the Philippine government to fi ght extreme, and unbecoming of any leader”. John Ridsdel, was executed on Framework Agreement on the N secretary-general Ban Ki-moon der, like scores of other cases, has never crime and protect its citizens against such UN special rapporteur on freedom of April 25 after a ransom dead- Bangsamoro in Oct. 2012, and has strongly condemned incoming been solved. threats but the measures have to be carried expression David Kaye said: “Justifying line passed without payment. the CAB in March 2014. UPhilippine president Rodrigo Du- “I do not want to diminish his memory out within the bounds of law, a US embas- the killing of journalists on the basis of On Wednesday, Abu Sayyaf “And now, we remain hope- terte’s apparent support of extrajudicial but he was a rotten .... sy offi cial in Manila said. how they conduct their professional ac- militants released four Malay- ful for the passage [of the BBL] killings, voicing particular concern over He deserved it,” Duterte added. The offi cial made the statement when tivities can be understood as a permissive sian tugboat crew members in the incoming congress,” the his comments seen as justifying murder- Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo asked for comments on incoming presi- signal to potential killers that the murder abducted in waters off Tawi- president said. ing journalists. told AFP earlier this week the president- dent Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-crime drive, of journalists is acceptable in certain cir- Tawi province, the Philip- In his speech, Aquino also “I unequivocally condemn his appar- elect never said killing reporters was jus- including his call on the public to make cumstances and would not be punished.” pines’ southernmost prov- said the process undertaken ent endorsement of extrajudicial killings, tifi ed. citizen’s arrests when faced particularly A report from US-based Committee to ince, on April 1. by the government and MILF which is illegal and a breach of funda- “What he said is there were instances with drug traffi ckers caught in the act and Protect Journalists stated that the Philip- Authorities said they could panels was the “right path” to mental rights and freedoms,” Ban said in a where journalists were killed because of to shoot them if they fi ght back and resist pines, where at least 75 journalists have not confi rm if ransom was achieving lasting peace in the statement posted on the UN website. corruption.... arrest. been killed since 1992, is the second- paid, but the militants had once troubled region. “Such comments are of particular con- He recognises the fact that there are Earlier, the former crime-crushing deadliest country for journalists. demanded 200mn pesos “There is a lot more to come cern in light of on-going impunity for se- many instances where journalists are mayor of Davao City said in a nation- In a separate statement, Kurt Hoyer, ($4.35mn) for the hostages’ if we continue along the road rious cases of violence against journalists killed because of their advocacies,” Panelo ally televised speech: “If he fi ghts, and he spokesman for the US Embassy in Manila, release. to a true and lasting peace,” in the Philippines,” the statement quoted added. fi ghts to the death, you can kill him… Do it said Washington will defend press free- Still hopeful that the he stressed. “This is the right Ban as telling UN correspondents at a New Duterte on Saturday also lambasted a yourself if you have the gun…you have my dom. next Congress would pass path. It is a path that has ben- York reception on Wednesday. local journalist, accusing him of “imper- support.” “The United States values an open and the Bangsamoro Basic Law efi ted those in the margins of Duterte won last month’s elections by a tinence” when he questioned him about In a text message to The Manila Times free press and we will continue to speak (BBL), President Benigno society; and it is a path that landslide largely due to an explosive law- his health, asking to see his medical cer- on Wednesday, Emma Nagy, press attache out regularly to defend the rights of the Aquino III vowed yesterday heals the fractures within the and-order platform in which he pledged tifi cate. of the US Embassy in Manila, said: “The press. Our position on the protection night to continue working country we share.” to end crime within six months by killing “The son of a b****.... rule of law is fundamental to the peace and of journalists and the rule of law is very for peace in Mindanao even The book contains the vari- tens of thousands of suspected criminals. The journalist, who was named by Du- prosperity of any country.” clear,” he added. long after his departure from ous speeches and selected He has since off ered large bounties to terte, later said the question had been “The United States co-operates with all British ambassador to Manila Asif Ah- Malacanang. statements issued by both security forces as well as the general public asked by another reporter. Philippine law enforcement agencies to mad said the United Kingdom is “totally During the launch of Junc- panels since day one of the to kill drug traffi ckers. Also last week Duterte launched a pro- protect Philippine citizens against crimi- committed to the elimination and con- tures, a book about the peace peace talks, which culminated “If they are there in your neighbour- fanity-laced tirade against the UN. nal threats, including drug smuggling, demnation” of the killing of journalists. process between the govern- to the signing of the Com- hood, feel free to call us, the police or do it “The UN can’t even solve the Middle traffi cking in persons, fi nancial crimes and “There is a huge responsibility for any ment and the Moro Islamic prehensive Agreement on the yourself if you have (a) gun. East carnage... trademark violations,” she added. Other offi ce holder to show respect for the offi ce Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro, the precursor of You have my support,” he told a week- couldn’t even lift a fi nger in Africa... embassies sought for comment gave no that they hold and respect for the people president promised that he BBL. end rally in his southern hometown of shut up all of you.” response. that they have the privilege to govern for,” Davao city. He made the comments as he expressed The United Nations earlier slammed the he added in an interview. Duterte also told reporters last week irritation at criticism voiced by foreign tough-talking politician for supposedly “As president Duterte, we expect (of that journalists who took bribes or en- and local media groups over his remarks instigating deadly violence, especially him) a diff erent tone because everything gaged in other corrupt activities deserved about killing journalists. against journalists, when he justifi ed the he says will be on behalf of the nation. to die. Ban’s comments were the most critical killing of media men who did “anything This is not an issue where he is speaking Jail guard busted wrong”. “Just because you’re a journalist you from any world leader about Duterte since personally,” Ahmad said. in drug raid

Manila Times their arrival in Palo, Leyte on Tacloban City board a hired van. Congress approves measure to A negotiation between a PDEA agent and the jail guard gents of the Philip- started immediately and they pine Drug Enforcement agreed to do the payment in- AAgency (PDEA) 8 ap- side a lodging house in Palo, ban age requirement for work prehended a jail guard iden- Leyte the following day. tifi ed as an alleged big-time Unaware that the buyers drug courier in a buy bust in- were PDEA agents, the sus- Manila Times employer from requiring the declaration bour organisations, the government and on reasonable factors other than age. side a lodging house in Paw- pects welcomed them in- Quezon City of age or birth date during the application all its branches, subdivisions and instru- The measure also provides that setting ing, Palo, Leyte, early yester- side the room of the lodging process, declining any employment appli- mentalities, all government-owned and age limitations in employment would be day morning. house but after consummat- cation because of an individual’s age, dis- controlled corporations, government fi - allowed if the intent is to observe the terms PDEA 8 Director Laurefel ing the transaction, they were ongress has approved the measure criminating against an individual in terms nancial institutions, as well as non-profi t of a bona fi de seniority system that is not P Gabales identifi ed the sus- all stunned when the buyers banning age discrimination in the of compensation, terms and conditions or private institutions or organisations. intended to evade the purpose of the pro- pects as Renato Saratan, a identifi ed themselves as law- Cworkplace. privileges of employment on account of an Furthermore, the proposal prohibits the posed Act. prison guard at the Leyte Pro- men. The suspects did not re- This developed after the senate adopted individual’s age. employer to deny any employee’s promo- Also, implementing an age limit won’t vincial Jail in Baybay Leyte, his sist arrest. the house version of the measure that was The bill seeks to promote equal op- tion or opportunity for training because of be deemed illegal if the intent is to observe girlfriend Evelyn Saurez, and The PDEA said they have approved by the House on the third and portunities in employment and supports age, forcibly lay-off on the basis of old age, the terms of a bona fi de employee retire- Cesar Quijano, all residents of been following the activities fi nal reading last June 1, meaning only the employment of individuals on the basis of or impose early retirement on the basis of ment or a voluntary early retirement plan the municipality of Hilongos, of the group of the jail guard president’s signature is needed for it to be- their abilities, knowledge, skills and quali- an employee’s or worker’s age. consistent with the purpose of the pro- Leyte. after learning that his lifestyle come law. fi cations rather than their age. It is also unlawful to deny labour or- posed Act, provided that such is in accord- Recovered from the sus- has been questioned by fellow The measure, House Bill No. 6418 or the The proposal is in line with the state ganisation membership to any individual ance with the Labor Code, as amended, pects were two big plastic workers. It was learned that Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment policy of prohibiting arbitrary age limita- because of age, or exclude such individual and other related laws. packs containing a white crys- the group not only delivers Act, deems it illegal for an employer to tions in employment and the protection from membership because of his or her Violators will be meted with a P50,000 talline substance suspected to their goods in Tacloban City print or publish, or cause to be printed or of the right of all employees and workers, age. to P500,000 fi ne or imprisoned for three be ‘shabu’, weighing more than but to most important places published, in any form of media, including regardless of age, to be treated equally in However, the measure allows the em- to two years or both , at the discretion of 600gm and the cash money in Leyte and Samar. the Internet, any notice or advertisement terms of compensation, benefi ts, promo- ployer to set an age limitation on employ- the court. used in the buy bust. An informant told PDEA relating to employment suggesting prefer- tion, training and other employment op- ment if age is a bona fi de occupational The labour department would then have A PDEA agent told The that the suspects are consid- ences, limitations, specifi cations and dis- portunities. qualifi cation reasonably necessary in the the authority to investigate and require Manila Times that a transac- ered as one of the biggest sup- crimination based on age. The measure covers all employers, la- normal operation of a particular busi- the keeping of records necessary for the tion with the suspects started pliers of shabu in many parts In addition, the measure prohibits an bour contractors, subcontractors and la- ness, or where the diff erentiation is based administration of the proposed Act. Wednesday evening upon of Leyte. Gulf Times 16 Friday, June 10, 2016 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Hard work E-system approves $5.8bn in tenders

By Mizan Rahman the procuring agencies and the Dhaka bidding community, a senior WB offi cial said in Dhaka yes- terday. angladesh is reaping the The project also provided digital dividend by mak- three-weeks of procurement Bing a transformational training to about 2,400 of- shift to electronic government fi cials from four key agencies procurement known as e-GP covering over 1,000 procuring doing away with graft and de- entities, and over 1,900 offi - lay. cials from 20 additional agen- A joint team of the World cies with over 500 procuring Bank (WB) and Bangladesh entities, ensuring that over recently reviewed the project 85% of procuring entities have progress and noted the gov- at least one trained employee. ernment’s high commitment, Moreover, over 5,000 par- contributing to more transpar- ticipated in 17 types of short ency and competitiveness of courses. the public procurement sys- The project also piloted tem. public procurement monitor- Bangladeshi workers demolish a building in Dhaka. ‘The bank, which is support- ing through citizens’ engage- ing the government in imple- ment to ensure better value of menting the electronic public money, and transparency and procurement system, said that accountability at the grass- the four state agencies togeth- roots level. er invited over 55,000 tenders The project also facilitated online up to May 2016, up from a government-contractors fo- 8,000 in June 2014 with the rum, and public-private stake- corresponding value increas- holders committee (PPSC) with ing to $5.8bn from $700mn in representatives from the minis- the same period. tries, the procurement entities, The four agencies are Roads and the leading think- tanks. Detained BNP leader and Highways Department, The World Bank also noted Local Government Engineer- that to keep up pace with the ing Department, Bangladesh fast growth of e-GP, the cen- Rural Electrifi cation Board, tral procurement technical and Bangladesh Water Devel- unit needs strengthening fur- opment Board. ther in terms of capacity and These agencies together e-GP as a business service spend about half the country’s provider. ‘spills beans on plot’ annual development budget. To keep pace with the high Besides using e-GP, the demand of e-GP from the pro- The government is alleging that the The government recently arrested killed in separate gunfi ghts with law en- He further said the authorities will meet agencies are also monitor- curement entities, the project opposition has been plotting against it BNP’s newly appointed joint secretary forcers till date. heads of educational institutions to alert ing procurement performance is helping replace an existing general Aslam Chowdhury for meeting Of them, Kawsar Ali was an accused in them so that students do not fall prey to online. In addition to making data centre with a new state- By Mizan Rahman with Mendi Safadi in India as part of a plot the Bogra Shia mosque attack case. militant propaganda, mainly on the Inter- public contracting more ac- of-art data centre with expect- Dhaka to overthrow the government. Tarek Hossain Milu, alias Islamil, and net. cessible, secure, ed storage capacity increase by On May 26, a sedition case was also fi led Sultan Mahmud, alias Rana, were killed in At the same time, they will meet schol- effi cient and transparent, about 180 and set up a mirror against him. a gunfi ght at Pallabi in Dhaka. ars, imams and teachers of Islamic institu- the electronic procurement site with the same capacity, the olice yesterday claimed that de- Meanwhile, a Dhaka court on Wednes- Tarek was involved in the killing of Ra- tions to create awareness among people to is signifi cantly reducing col- WB offi cial said. tained Bangladesh Nationalist Party day placed Aslam on a fi ve-day fresh re- jshahi University professor of English, stop militancy. lusive bidding practices at the The World Bank’s total sup- P(BNP) leader Aslam Chowdhury has mand in the sedition case. AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, and Sultan Offi cers of law enforcement and intelli- local levels. port to the project is $68.10mn, disclosed the names of masterminds of Mendi Safadi later claimed in an inter- was involved in the Bogra Shia mosque at- gence agencies, including superintendents The e-GP has made doing which includes a $10mn addi- a conspiracy to oust the government of view telecast in the BBC that he had met tack. of police (SPs), are now increasing sur- business easier, and reduced tional fi nancing to project ap- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Prime Minister Another JMB activist, Jamal Uddin, was veillance of local leaders and activists of the transaction costs for both proved on June 6, 2016. “Aslam Chowdhury has divulged many Sheikh Hasina in his Washington offi ce but killed in a gunfi ght in Rajshahi. He had al- the Jamaat- e-Islami and student activ- things, but we can’t disclose anything the latter denied such a meeting legedly supplied bombs in the suicide at- ists grouped under Islami Chattra Shibir yet.” Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh tack on an Ahmadiyya mosque at Bagh- Shibir and militants out on bail in diff erent He spoke of people he had meetings Hasina has ordered a crackdown on mili- mara in Rajshahi. cases. with in India and those who arranged these tancy following recent killings that in- Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Law enforcement and intelligence agen- meetings,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police cluded the wife of a police offi cer, foreign Kamal told newsmen that law enforce- cies have met several times at the prime 162 Maoists arrested (DMP) additional commissioner Monirul nationals, minorities and bloggers. ment agencies have been directed to adopt minister’s offi ce (PMO), police headquar- Islam said yesterday. The suspected militant groups involved a hard line against militancy after a police ters and the special branch (SB). Security He came up with the remarks while are the Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen, Bangla- offi cer’s wife was killed in Chittagong on adviser to the prime minister, major gen- by Nepal police briefi ng reporters at DMP media centre. desh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) Sunday. eral (retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui, Monir claimed that the investigators and the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJi). “They (militants) will not be spared and held an exclusive meeting with the chiefs found enough evidence and information Law enforcement agencies have would be crushed at any cost so that they of law enforcement and intelligence agen- AFP No other injuries have been regarding the BNP leader’s involvement in launched a special operation across the cannot raise their heads any more. cies at the PMO. Kathmandu reported, Joshi said. the plot against the government. country to catch members of militant We are hoping that the target killings So far, at least 40 incidents have taken Kathmandu’s usually grid- Monir, also the chief of DMP’s Coun- groups, and also those sheltering and fi - will be stopped within the shortest possi- place in which the JMB and Ansarullah locked streets were largely ter Terrorism and Translational Crime nancing them, sources in the home minis- ble time,” he said. Bangla Team and other militant groups olice arrested 162 mem- empty and many shops re- Unit, said they will take action against try and at the police headquarters in Dhaka The home minister urged people to in- have been involved. bers of a Maoist splinter mained shut as people heeded the masterminds revealed by Aslam after said. form local police stations and the elite se- The police have so far arrested 145 mili- Pgroup across Nepal yes- the call to stay home, fearing they crosscheck the information and evi- Law enforcement and intelligence curity force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) tants belonging to diff erent outfi ts and terday for vandalising vehicles attacks by the protesters. dence. agencies have started gathering names if they fi nd anybody suspicious in their fi led 40 cases. and injuring two in a petrol “Politicians have to fi nd a He said Aslam, during his meeting with of members of militant groups and their localities. The government of Sheikh Hasina has bomb attack while trying to diff erent way to put forward Israeli Likud Party leader Mendi N Safadi mentors to curb their activities with a view “It is not possible for law enforcement banned six militant outfi ts— Hizb-ut- enforce a nationwide strike. their demands,” said banker and others, had tried to send out a message to stopping target killings and militancy, agencies alone to curb militancy. We must Tahrir, JMB and its off shoot Jagrata Mus- The protesters called on Niyati Shakya, who was walk- that the Bangladesh government was di- the sources added. work together with common people to lim Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB), Harkat- factories, schools and public ing to work. rectly or indirectly killing and oppressing At least four people, suspected mem- eradicate militancy from the country,” he ul-Jihad (HuJi), Shahadat-e-Al Hikma transport to shut down across “Strikes like these do noth- minorities and grabbing their land. bers of the militant outfi t JMB, have been said. and Ansarullah Bangla Team. the Himalayan nation as they ing but trouble the public,” the demanded the release of fellow 27-year-old told AFP. The Mao- cadres from the hardline fac- ists staged a ten-year insurgency tion, the Communist Party of against the state that ended in Nepal Maoist. 2006, leaving 16,000 dead. The party workers were ar- They are now a minor- rested earlier for allegedly van- ity partner in government but Women take over agriculture in dalising property in diff erent have lost ground since win- parts of the country. ning a landslide victory in the “We have 162 people in cus- Himalayan nation’s fi rst post- tody for trying to block roads, war elections in 2008. vandalise vehicles and car- Many former rebels have Nepal as men migrate for work rying petrol bombs,” police walked out of the main par- spokesman Madhav Joshi told ty and formed independent AFP. splinter groups, accusing its Reuters to do in his hometown, and he returns to “tharu” ethnic minority group, one of Ne- better access to cheaper seeds, fertilisers Joshi said two men, includ- leaders of betraying their orig- Phulbari, Nepal Phulbari every four months to see his fam- pal’s largest. and fi nance such as private investment ing a truck driver, suff ered inal revolutionary ideals. ily and hand over his earnings. In 2015, iDE helped Chaudhary set up a and micro-credit. injuries when demonstrators Although the Maoists struck Migration of mainly low-skilled work- village vegetable co-operative, which she While the project is still in its early days, threw a petrol bomb at the ve- a deal last month to form a new atna Chaudhary delicately lifts the ers is a key source of income for Nepal, chairs, to boost local farmers’ incomes. it is already yielding results. “Farmers now hicle in the southern district of party that includes many of the hem of her pink and green dress where remittances account for around a The project is part of the Building Resil- earn 50 rupees ($0.50) more a day than Rautahat. hardliners, a handful of leaders Rwith one hand, while using the oth- quarter of gross domestic product. ience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes they did previously,” said Pariyar. The truck was one of around and their cadres rejected the er to scoop up a batch of cabbages in her The outfl ow of male workers - in partic- and Disasters (BRACED) programme, Chaudhary expects to earn 9,800 ru- a dozen vehicles attacked move and continue to operate garden in the village of Phulbari, a dozen ular from rural areas faced with worsening funded by the British government. pees ($90) per year from leasing her land across the country. independently. kilometres from the Nepal-India border. climate conditions - has major implica- “Rural communities in Nepal are to fellow farmers. She calls three women to help, who join tions for the country’s agricultural sector, plagued by extreme poverty, which is the Over two-thirds of the group’s mem- the dance-like movement, bending and believes Madan Pariyar, project director result of recurring disasters such as fl oods, bers are women whose husbands travel Two held for account hacking swaying as they pick up vegetables and lay at International Development Enterprises droughts or earthquakes,” said Pariyar. abroad for seasonal jobs. them in a basket. (iDE), a non-profi t group that helps poor Phulbari is no exception. Chaudhary takes pride in encouraging A cyber security and crime check division team of Dhaka “Since my husband works in India now, farmers with work and income opportuni- Its long, fl at stretches of land are well- her friends and relatives to get into agri- Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested two people including a Nigerian I’m responsible for harvesting all our ties. suited to farming, but their proximity to cultural work, and become the decision citizen from the Bangladesh capital Wednesday night for allegedly crops,” said Chaudhary, holding two cab- “Men going to fi nd jobs in India and the the Mohana river makes them particularly makers in their family. taking money from the bank through hacking e-mail account, said bages to her face before throwing the yel- Middle East leaves few to manage agri- vulnerable to fl oods. “The women belonging to the co-oper- a DMP announcement said yesterday. The arrestees were identified lower one to the ground. cultural activities that were traditionally With iDE’s help, 25 subsistence farmers ative are now treated with respect,” added as Kingsley Living Stone, a Nigerian national and Sonia Sharmin, Her husband, Chatkauna, is one of at men’s preserve,” he said.”As a result, more - 18 women and fi ve men - grow vegeta- Chaudhary. “Most of them don’t see this a Bangladeshi woman. The DMP police team of counter-terrorism least 2.2mn Nepalis - nearly 10% of the women are taking charge of farming work.” bles on 68sqm plots of land, which they work as a constraint but as an opportunity unit led by senior assistant police commissioner M Nazmul population - who work abroad, accord- Chaudhary used to work on a sugarcane rent from Chaudhary, paying her in cash to have a say in the community and pro- Islam and police inspector M Rafiqul Islam conducted a drive at ing to the Nepal Institute of Development farm in India herself. “We just couldn’t or in kind. vide for their families.” Basundhara residential area under Bhatara police station at 9pm Studies. earn enough in our village,” she said. They bring their spare produce to a col- Sitting in her kitchen next to a mud- Wednesday night and arrested two members of a hacker group. For the past three years, Chatkauna has For the past six months, however, she lection centre, which transports the veg- built oven, she prepares a mixture of rice They were accused of taking money from the bank account by taken on seasonal work for most of the year has cultivated her own patch of land and etables and other crops to large markets or fl our and water for her four children. hacking e-mail-accounts. Following the primary interrogation, it as a miner in the Indian city of Haldwani. leases the remainder of it - 1,700sqm - to sells them to regular buyers. “I don’t want to go to India anymore,” was found that they collected business e-mail of a particular person It pays more than the daily jobs he used other poor, low-caste farmers from the The co-operative also gives farmers she said. “This is my job now.” or an organisation and sent it to the hacker team in Nigeria. Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 17 THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH Fasting and purifi cation of soul

you who believe! Observing saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that Oyou may become the pious. (Surah Al- Baqarah 2:183) The goal of fasting is to attain Taqwa or God- consciousness and fear of Allah. The ability to tame the unruly tendencies of one’s inner self on one hand, and the cultivation of one’s will power, on the other, are very important in the process of purifi cation of the soul. This is because during fasting in Ramadan, there are many opportunities, blessings and means that one can avail and utilise so that one’s soul is purifi ed. First, forgiveness of sins has a very positive result in purifying the soul. The accumulation of sins for the whole year produces in the conscience a sense of endless guilt and the feeling of one’s sins are being forgiven is a relief in one’s weary heart. Have you ever wondered how people cannot sleep at night because they have wronged someone or quarrelled with someone? This heavy burden upon a believer’s soul is relieved once reconciliation takes place. Similarly, Allah subhanahu wa taala, in His mercy forgives the fasting people whereby relieving him of the guilt of his past sins against Allah. The Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: Whoever fasts in Ramadan having Iman and Ihtisab, his past sins will be forgiven for him. (Agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim) This hadith stipulates two conditions in order for the sins to be forgiven. The fasting person must of course be a Mu’min. Al Ihtisab carries with it three meanings: having fi rm resolve, hoping for the reward, and being pleased with the act not considering it a heavy burden. Secondly, one should feel that he is doing a deed that is very dear and special to Allah. Every deed of son of Adam has an equivalent reward of 10 to 700 times, except fasting which will be rewarded by Allah Al Kareem, the Most Generous. Third, fasting purifi es the soul by cultivating the much needed virtue of patience. There are three categories or facets of patience: Being patient in performing the obligations, being patient in avoiding the prohibitions and being patient in times of calamity. All of these three are trained in the fasting person by performing Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha. PICTURE: Noushad Thekayyil the obligatory act of fasting, avoiding vile, fi lthy, senseless, sinful actions and being patient in turn on the switch of gratefulness in us for the really ours. This reality is vividly demonstrated in actually live to eat. For the fi rst time in human ordered us to do, this self-restraint that bridles diffi culties that might happen while fasting. blessings of Allah. people with illness such as stroke patients with history, there are more obese people in the world us to avoid what Allah has prohibited for us, and Fourth, fasting reminds him the true purpose Seventh, fasting makes us realise our hemiplegia or paralysis of one’s side of the body. than those who are starving. this love for Allah, doing what is beyond the of his creation and the meaning of Islam. That potential as human beings. Some of us think His left hand is there still connected to his body, Eleventh, fasting is a chance to demonstrate obligatory. Fasting in Ramadan and its Taraweeh to worship Allah, one must inevitably submit to that the obligations and prohibitions of Islam he can see it, yet he cannot move it on his own sincerity to Allah. All types of worship are visible incorporates all of these aspects, purifying our His will fi rst; that Allah comes fi rst before one’s are overwhelming or inapplicable especially in and sometimes might not even feel that it is there. to others even giving charity secretly whereby the souls and making us closer and closer to Allah. own desires. Especially for those who are living in non-Muslim societies so we involve ourselves Subhanallah! receiver knew that somebody gave him secretly. “Allah the Almighty has said : For whoever has non-Muslim countries experience the temptation in haram activities thinking that we cannot do Ninth, we have heard the hadith of the However in fasting nobody knows if you really mutual animosity with a friend (wali) of Mine, I where everyone is eating and drinking while you anything about it. But in Ramadan, we only haven’t Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: Whoever fasted or secretly ingested food to your mouth declare war upon him. My servant does not draw are holding yourself because you want to follow abstained from the haram but from the halal as guarantees me what is between his jaws/beard except Allah. Sincerity in actions is a fundamental near to Me with anything more beloved more to what Allah wants. well. If we have the strength to abstain from the [the tongue] and what is between his legs [sexual prerequisite in the acceptance of deeds and Me than the religious duties that I have imposed Fifth, everything seems to slow down during halal then all the more so we have the will power organs] I guarantee him Paradise [Bukhari]. consequently success. upon him; and My servant continues to draw Ramadan (especially in Muslim countries), and to abstain from the haram? Allah is not unjust that Don’t you see? Being fasting makes us more Twelfth, fasting helps to cure the disease of near to Me with supererogatory works such that one doesn’t have the usual energy to do the He would prohibit things from us that we cannot conscious of what we say and more careful in our the ‘desire for more’. When one thinks that he I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing fruitless things. Hence one is left with more free avoid. This is especially true for the smokers! In interactions with the opposite sex. is able to survive with only one and half meal a with which he hears, his seeing with which he time to think and ponder. This leaves a person fact fasting is a sort of training for the gradual Tenth, fasting again makes us remember day and this is his real needs. Some of us has this sees, his hand with which strikes, and his leg with more time to ponder over his life and weaning from the addictive eff ects of smoking. that we are not here just to eat and drink; that self-made needs, a make believe that we ourselves with which he walks. Were he to ask of me, I possibly the wrong things he have done. Eighth, turning to Allah and realising one’s our existence is not just mere fulfi lment and concocted. How many of us say things like “I would surely give him; and were he to ask Me for Sixth, feeling and doing the act yields more need for Him. If Allah takes away our most gratifi cation of our basic desires; that we are here can’t live without smart phone or a V8 engine refuge, I would surely grant him it. (Bukhari). certainty that witnessing it. How many times we fundamental needs as human beings then who for a more sublime purpose, which is to worship powered vehicle or a three-storey villa”? We Note: This article is adapted from the Book have seen pictures of malnourished children in is there to help us. Imagine if Allah takes away Allah. In other words we eat not just to live but misallocate our resources at the expense of other “Purifi cation of the Soul” by Jamaluddin Zarabozo. Africa and felt pity for them, yet one still cannot our sense of taste or sense of satiety. Having to worship the Creator. This is what separates us more important things. feel how is it to starved and taste the pangs of been born with all the complete senses and limbs from the modern, secular materialistic people Ultimately, Taqwa have a big role in all of this. Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/ hunger in one’s stomach. This in turn should makes us forget that ultimately these are not where they eat to live or even worst, some of them This will power to do the things that Allah has emainpage/ Fasting: a case of divine compassion oth reason and revelation In the second stage, fasting was made excess - it is better for him. But to confirm that Allah, The mandatory but if one happened to go fast is best for you, if you only knew.” Most Exalted, does not to bed before breaking one’s fast, one [Qur’an 2:184] Bmake obligatory that which would be obliged to continue one’s This stage of fasting paved the way does not benefit His servants nor fast until the next day’s Iftar time for the following stage- the last stage does He prohibit that which is not (sunset). [Al-Bukhari, the Book of in which fasting is made absolute harmful. Some of us may in fact Fasting] and obligatory on all mankind in the recognise some of these benefits Later, these two stages were verse (which means): “The month and detriments on which divine abrogated and Ramadan fasting took of Ramadan [is that] in which was commands and prohibitions are the final shape that Muslims practise revealed the Qur’an, a guidance predicated. Indeed, as Allah has today. for the people and clear proofs of placed wisdom in His creations, He What is more, Allah, The Most guidance and criterion. So whoever has also placed wisdom in His Law. Exalted, has made feeding poor sights [the new moon of] the month, For Allah is Wise in His Actions. He people an alternative to fasting for let him fast it.” [Qur’an 2: 185]. does not create something that has the elderly or those who are unable However, the license to make no value nor does He enact a law that to endure certain challenging it up still remains for those with is frivolous or of no significance. conditions. For travelers and the substantial excuses. And along with Almighty Allah, in His Mercy and sick, fasting is not obligatory but this last stage, Allah has brought through His Knowledge of man’s the days missed must he fulfilled in forth His Forgiveness and Mercy, complex nature, has mandated the future, as soon as circumstances as He Says (what means): “It has fasting through gradual stages. In permit, as Allah says (what means): been made permissible for you the fact, this progressive and forbearing “…and whoever is ill or on a journey night preceding fasting to go to your method is not only evident in fasting - then an equal number of other wives [for sexual relations]. They are but in all that Allah has ordered and days. Allah intends for you ease and clothing for you and you are clothing prohibited. Take for example the does not intend for you hardship for them. Allah knows that you used prohibition of alcohol. Allah has and [wants] for you to complete the to deceive yourselves, so He accepted regulated drinking gradually until period and to glorify Allah for that your repentance and forgave you.” the last and final prohibition came in [to] which He has guided you; and [Qur’an 2: 187] the verse (which means): “O you who perhaps you will be grateful.” [Qur’an No doubt, fasting in this flexible have believed, indeed, intoxicants, 2:185] manner is a blessing that deserves gambling, [sacrificing on] stone Not only did Allah break down our gratitude. And for this very altars [to other than Allah], and the obligation of fasting into three reason Allah ended the verses of divining arrows are but defilement stages, He also presented these stages fasting with gratitude, such as the from the work of Satan, so avoid it in an attractive and appealing fashion verse (which means): “Allah intends that you may be successful.” [Qur’an so that we would willfully accept for you ease and does not intend for 5:90] fasting and hope for its rewards. you hardship and [wants] for you to In the first stage, it was the option complete the period and to glorify in choosing whether to fast or feed Allah for that [to] which He has Stages in Mandating the poor. Allah then coupled this guided you; and perhaps you will be Fasting option with encouragement to grateful.” [Qur’an 2:185] mankind to fast, as He, The Most As regards fasting, it was mandated Exalted, says (what means): “And Article source: http://www. through three stages. In the first upon those who are able [to fast, islamweb.net/emainpage/ stage, Allah granted the believers a but with hardship] - a ransom [as choice to either fast Ramadan or feed substitute] of feeding a poor person a poor person for each day of fasting. [each day]. And whoever volunteers Gulf Times 18 Friday, June 10, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Production Editor: Amjad Khan European integration

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] with or without Britain Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) With clear limits on treaty provisions stipulating that fi rm rules of conduct, while France market or the fi nancial sector, have Fax 44350474 European integration in other non-euro states, such as and Italy would like to include signifi cant implications for the UK. Bulgaria and Poland, must adopt more mechanisms for common risk The eurozone, for its part, must regard place, on currency and other the euro when they meet the pre- management, such as Eurobonds British interests in the integration issues, Cameron believed determined conditions. (Sweden has or cost sharing for unemployment process, without allowing the UK to no permanent opt-out, and does meet insurance. slow it down. that he would be able to win the conditions for euro adoption, yet Clearly, a balance will need to be While issues relating to eurozone a popular somehow manages to avoid joining the struck. To satisfy Germany, stronger integration and the multi-currency GULF TIMES monetary union.) fi scal rules must form the foundation union have not been central to the majority in favour That ambiguity was born of an of greater integration. But such rules Brexit debate, which has tended to of the deal unwillingness – or inability – to must entail greater counter-cyclicality focus on immigration, they remain provide a clear description of how a and more symmetry, forcing surplus vital to the future of the EU, with or By Kemal Dervi multi-currency union will function in and defi cit countries alike to reduce without the UK. Though Britain’s Migrant deaths in Washington, DC the long term. It is a tough question imbalances. Moreover, the framework continued EU membership is not – one that will have to be addressed, will need to support more eff ective fundamentally incompatible with a regardless of the referendum’s risk sharing and a distinct eurozone more integrated eurozone, creating hen British Prime outcome. After all, if British voters budget, as the southern member institutions that can support a Med a cause for Minister David choose to leave the EU, a similar states demand. Institutional and legal permanent multi-currency union Cameron agreed with problem would arise in any post- changes, including the establishment – essentially, as I have argued, two Wthe European Union “Brexit” negotiation to keep the UK in of some kind of eurozone parliament Europes in one – will be politically and in February on revised terms for the the single market. and treasury, will also be needed, in legally challenging. United Kingdom’s membership, he There is now a general consensus order to provide legitimacy to the In its failure to put forward a clear concern to Europe insisted that the EU be recognised that, over time, the eurozone will need endeavour. vision, the deal announced in February offi cially as a “multi-currency to build more integrated economic Achieving all of this is essential did not set a strong precedent for union.” With clear limits on European governance systems. Indeed, most to enable the EU to function as an overcoming these challenges. If More than 10,000 people have died crossing the integration in place, on currency and economists agree that any monetary eff ective multi-currency union. Europe is to make genuine progress Mediterranean to Europe since 2014, the UN said, as other issues, Cameron believed that union needs not only a banking union, Cameron, like his predecessor toward greater stability and prosperity, the EU unveiled fresh plans to stem the migrant fl ow he would be able to win a popular which is now being established in the Gordon Brown, who was present it will need to ensure transparency majority in favour of the deal – and eurozone, but also greater fi scal- at the euro’s creation, but kept the and legitimacy every step of the way. from Africa. thus of remaining in the EU – when policy co-ordination, to compensate UK out, recognises the need for Only with a clear political vision and Following a rash of deadly shipwrecks that have the UK holds its referendum on for the lack of independent monetary further eurozone integration, if only institutions that can steer policy claimed hundreds of lives, the UN refugee agency said June 23. Yet, rather than providing policies and fl exible exchange rates. because the UK has an interest in during crises and in normal times alike the number of deaths at sea had risen sharply, with a such clarity, the pact uses contorted Politicians, too, support the shift better economic performance in its will the EU be able to prosper again. language to avoid such an offi cial toward greater fi scal integration most important export market. But If the UK stays, the EU must urgently record 2,814 people drowning since January. declaration – and the explanations – at least those who represent the engaging eff ectively with a more work out how a legitimate multi- With Europe in the grip of its worst migrant crisis that would have to come with it. moderate mainstream. Germany’s deeply integrated eurozone, without currency union will function, instead since World War II, the rising death toll has prompted To be sure, the February decision conservative fi nance minister, joining it, will be no easy feat. of reverting to business as usual. If the urgent eff orts to tackle the problem. did give Cameron enough to enable Wolfgang Schäuble, France’s centre- To be successful, the UK will need UK leaves, the same basic problems him to campaign against Brexit. By left Economy Minister Emmanuel to pursue two key objectives. First, it must be solved, with the diff erence, Brussels has been seeking ways to clamp down on the specifying that the UK and Denmark Macron, and Italy’s centrist Finance must establish strong co-operation however, that the UK will have lost all Africa route after a deal with Ankara in March slashed are under no obligation to adopt the Minister Pier Carlo Padoan, have with the EU on other key issues, leverage. – Project Syndicate numbers trying to cross from Turkey. euro, Cameron’s counterparts did all called for versions of a common such as security, foreign, and climate The mixed picture that migration from war-torn eff ectively confi rm the EU’s status as a eurozone fi nance minister. policy. Second, it must ensure that zKemal Dervi, former Minister of multi-currency union. Where the disagreement lies an increasingly integrated eurozone Economic Aff airs of Turkey and former and economically challenged parts of the Middle East But the decision also reiterated is in the form integration should does not gain the authority to make Administrator for the UN Development and Africa into Europe presents must be of concern to the goal of creating an EU “whose take. Germany considers fi scal co- unilaterally fi scal and regulatory Programme (UNDP), is a vice president Americans as well as to Europeans. currency is the euro,” and reaffi rmed ordination to be critical to enforcing decisions that, by reshaping the single of the Brookings Institution. There has been a slight shift. It was the case that the fl ow of migrants from war-ridden countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen through Turkey into Europe through Greece was the primary problem. The Europeans found the magnitude of the fl ow hard to absorb and beginning to create understandable political resistance to refugees at home, even in prosperous Germany. Facing that challenge, the Europeans made something of a deal with Turkey. Turkey would absorb them to some extent, prevent them from setting sail across The Europeans the Aegean Sea, and even found the take some of them back, in return for concessions magnitude of on the European Union side, including visa-free the fl ow hard to travel for Turkish citizens absorb in some of the European countries. That has seemed to be working, to some degree, to stifl e migration from the east. But now there is a new assault from the south, into Europe from North Africa. This time Libya, a previous off ender, and Egypt, a new origin for migrants, Online learning can facilitate the introduction of new and innovative teaching and learning methods. appears to be allowing them to leave their shores in unseaworthy dinghies and other boats to cross the Mediterranean Sea toward Greece and Italy. Boats have capsized and many hundreds have died, their bodies Bringing Arab education online washing up on shores or fl oating to the surface. Some of the migrants are from previous common By Maysa Jalbout universities teach computer science that the education they provide with MIT, a leader in open online sources, poor Africans seeking work in Europe. Others Dubai and engineering classes online. And, aligns with global quality standards learning. contrary to popular belief, these are and expectations. Through online Together, MIT and the Open are from troubled African countries such as Eritrea, not two-hour-long online lectures learning, it would be far easier to Learning Scholars Program will create Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. More troubling, ducation has long been a with no practical component. Rather, measure progress and ensure that two new “MicroMasters” programmes however, is the fact that more and more of the challenge in the Arab world, they comprise short video tutorials, students are acquiring knowledge and consisting of fi ve 12-week courses in Mediterranean migrants are from war-torn countries with inadequate access interactive activities to practise skills they can actually use. so-called STEM subjects (science, to the east of Europe. These include Afghans, fl eeing Eto high-quality schooling concepts in realistic scenarios, and Meanwhile, online learning can technology, engineering, and contributing to a widening skills gap quizzes and peer assessments that facilitate the introduction of new mathematics) that are not currently that country’s decades-long wars, Iraqis who are still that is leaving many young people, provide valuable feedback to students. and innovative teaching and learning taught in the Arab world. We expect moving away from the disruptions caused there by the even graduates, unemployed and Thanks to this fast-evolving model, methods. For example, a reduction in these programmes – accessible to Sunni-Shia confl ict that has come in the wake of the hopeless. In a region plagued by online learning is now a better traditional lecturing and rote learning young people in Arab countries and American invasion in 2003, and Syrians trying to get confl ict and disorder, addressing these alternative to traditional education could create space for the kinds of beyond – will attract signifi cant problems will not be easy. But, with a than ever. self-paced and personalised learning interest from students and strong away from that country’s long civil war. bold and innovative approach, it can This is great news. After all, and assessment tools being used by support from employers. In other words, many of the new Mediterranean- be done. delivering education via Internet professors delivering Massive Open But, in order to maximise the route migrants have done an end run around the Of course, no single strategy is technologies resolves some core Online Courses on EdX and other impact of our investment, perceptions guaranteed to resolve the Arab world’s challenges facing Arab countries’ online educational platforms. of online learning must change, attempted European-Turkish solution to the problem. educational challenges. At the newly education systems today. Third, the Arab world faces the which will require a joint eff ort by It should be clear to America, one of the major created Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation For starters, there is the sheer challenge of delivering continuous educational institutions, government, actors in the Middle Eastern wars, that the only long- for Education, which has $1.1bn and number of young people who need learning. In order to thrive in today’s and the private sector. Indeed, Arab run solution to the migrant problem is peace in their a mandate to broaden opportunities aff ordable access to education. Once fast-changing economic environment, educational institutions must begin for young Arabs by providing them a community has Internet access, where technology is making many to explore the development of high- countries of origin. Achieving that should be a major with scholarships, we have given a lot as the Arab world increasingly does, jobs redundant and rewarding greater quality online programmes. For their American foreign policy objective, through the rest of of thought to the eff ectiveness – and scaling up online learning to reach specialisation, workers everywhere part, governments should reconsider the administration of President Barack Obama and into cost-eff ectiveness – of the various the millions of young people who are must consistently upgrade or expand their position on recognising online the next round. possible approaches. And one option currently out of school or do not have their skill sets. learning delivered by credible and stands out: online learning. access to high-quality institutions can As it stands, only wealthy young internationally accredited institutions. Already, Arab countries are making be done at relatively low cost. people in the Arab world, without As for private-sector actors, the key rapid progress in expanding Internet The Arab world’s few strong personal commitments such as will be to reward employees with To Advertise connectivity. By 2018, there are institutions of higher education families and jobs, can pursue degrees and certifi cations received expected to be some 226mn Internet certainly could not accommodate continuous learning, in the form through online programmes. [email protected] users in the Arab world, amounting that many students. And even if they of graduate degrees from top In the meantime, the Abdulla Al Display to more than 55% of the population could, they might choose not to. We universities. Open online courses Ghurair Foundation for Education will Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 – almost 7% higher than the global have seen fi rsthand how universities can level the playing fi eld by off ering embark on a concerted eff ort to make average. But the vast majority of in the region and around the world professionally recognised credentials innovative STEM degrees off ered Classified young people use the Internet have shut their doors in the faces of that boost a person’s career prospects. online by the world’s best universities Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 for social media, rather than for refugees from Syria and elsewhere, Taking all of this into consideration, available to Arab youth. Not to do so economic or educational purposes. forcing them to overcome huge we have created the Al Ghurair Open would risk allowing the majority of Subscription In this sense, they are missing out bureaucratic and fi nancial hurdles. Learning Scholars Program, aimed at Arab young people to be left behind. [email protected] on a major opportunity, especially The second challenge is the low making some of the best education – Project Syndicate/Mohamed Bin given the strides that have been made quality of education currently being in the world available to Arab youth Rashid Global Initiatives, 2016 in improving the eff ectiveness and delivered. For far too long, the region’s through online degree programmes. 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved appeal of online learning. post-secondary institutions have We are setting the bar high, by zMaysa Jalbout is CEO of the Abdulla Nowadays, the world’s top operated without having to prove establishing our fi rst collaboration Al Ghurair Foundation for Education. Gulf Times Friday, June 10, 2016 19 COMMENT Working against waste to feed the hungry Every weekend, volunteers visit orphanages, hospitals, schools and communities using donated goods to cook for those in need and hand over ingredients for future use

AFP Accra

xcess and waste are usually considered symptomatic of the affl uent West but trained Echef Elijah Amoo Addo knows these are problems too in his home country, Ghana. One day he saw a homeless man collecting food scraps to feed others in the capital, Accra. Watching someone pick up food Chef Elijah Amoo Addo of “Food For All Ghana” charity speaks to journalists during a food distribution for patients at a no-one else would eat for people hospital in Accra. no-one was helping, got him thinking. just because they can’t get food to eat,” than 48,000 free meals have been Amoo Addo, however, said this Amoo Addo believed there was Amoo Adoo, 25, said. supplied in this way in the last three didn’t always happen. enough food in the west African “We have families who sometimes years. Pregnant teenagers as well as Volunteers of the “Food For All Ghana” charity prepare food to distribute for nation to feed all of its nearly 27mn in the day can’t even aff ord a plate of Samuel Ato Aggrey, quality people with addictions, mental illness patients at a hospital in Accra. people, but more had to be done to food. assurance offi cer at the Kwatsons food or disabilities are often disowned educate and inspire people to help “We have orphanages which serve import and distributing fi rm which by families and forced to live on the But reducing food losses by about factor and government could play its those in need. as a shelter for homeless children also has been participating in the scheme, street. 15% would provide enough food part, he added. The result was a charity, now called running short of food.” described the initiative as “a way of Regardless of how they got there, to feed more than seven million In the next fi ve years Amoo Addo Food For All Ghana. At the New Life Nungua children’s helping society”. they deserve the right to food, he said. Ghanaians every year, Amoo Addo’s wants his organisation to be rolled The process is simple and not unlike home in Accra’s suburbs, the Ghana was classed a lower middle- A 2013 study conducted by the charity suggested. out across the continent, making recent French legislation that forces institution’s founder, Nii Afotey Botwe income status country after the charity into waste in the supply chain For Amoo Addo, simply combating it Africa’s premier “food recovery” supermarkets to donate unsold food II, said funding was a struggle and the discovery of oil in 2010 but still and its economic and environmental ineffi ciencies in the food supply chain programme. to charities and food banks, which help from Addo was welcome. has poor development indicators, impacts indicated that more than 25% could end hunger in Ghana. “There is a need for Africa to campaigners want to see spread across The donated food off ered a change particularly in the north, where of food in Ghana goes uneaten. “We are not far away from solving actually have these community- Europe. in the children’s diets, providing them poverty heightens food insecurity. The report recommended that the issue of hunger but until we solve based food banks to ensure that Food manufacturers and suppliers with variety the orphanage often Just under 25% of the population companies conduct regular “food the issue of food wastage... it might feeding the vulnerable within are asked for unused and excess food couldn’t aff ord to supply. lives below the poverty line, waste audits”, set targets to reduce seem that hunger will always be in our our society becomes a possibility or products approaching their best- Among items recently donated according to the World Bank, with waste, and called for the government society,” he said. because Africa actually is producing before dates. to the home were potato chips, incomes stretched in recent years by to support recovery and public In May, Food For All Ghana enough food,” he added. Every weekend, volunteers visit condiments and tomato juice for rising inflation and a depreciating education programmes. hosted its fi rst conference aimed at “We are importing enough food. orphanages, hospitals, schools and cooking. currency. A 2016 Unicef report said 3.5mn cutting waste, linking suppliers and However the ineffi ciencies within our communities using donated goods to Food For All Ghana volunteers Like many countries in west Africa, children (28.3 %) live in poverty in distributors, and encouraging more supply chain makes it look as if we cook for those in need and hand over also cooked rice and meat for the Ghana lacks social welfare structures. Ghana and 1.2mn of those live in companies to help feed those in need. aren’t food-secure but... Africa is food ingredients for future use. youngsters. Instead family and friends are relied households unable to provide even Incentives to businesses who donate secure if we ensure effi ciency within “We have kids who are out of school According to the charity, more upon to step in when times get hard. adequate food. excess or unused produce were a key our supply chain.” Weather report Latin America’s rising right Three-day forecast TODAY High: 44 C By Mohamed A El-Erian signalling a shift away from the presidential race in the US. candidate and Bernie Sanders’s Low : 34 C Laguna Beach policies of the leftist Workers’ Party. The resulting deterioration in unexpectedly powerful challenge to Even incumbent governments in economic performance, including deep Hillary Clinton on the Democratic Strong wind and high seas at first the region are altering their course. recessions in Brazil and Venezuela, has side. In Europe, anti-establishment rom changes in government In Chile, President Michelle Bachelet accentuated popular dissatisfaction parties have been gaining ground in in Argentina and Brazil to was re-elected, but her government with public services and amplifi ed local, regional, and national elections, SATURDAY mid-course policy corrections is signalling a move to the right long-standing worries about inequality complicating government formation High: 43 C Fin Chile, Latin American on economic policy. Cuba, under and misappropriation of public funds. (for example, in Spain) and infl uencing Low: 33 C politics appears to be undergoing President Raúl Castro, is enlarging the Popular dissatisfaction is evident major policy decisions (such as the UK Sunny a rightward shift. But rather than legal scope for private businesses. even in traditionally well-managed Conservative Party’s decision to hold being “pulled” by the attractiveness And in Venezuela, a country countries, such as Chile, where lower- the upcoming “Brexit” referendum). of the economic policies that the tragically fl irting with “failed income groups have done relatively well With the exception of countries like SUNDAY right is advocating, this complex state” status, President Nicolás in recent years and where the scale of the Philippines, where voters opted High: 41 C phenomenon is predominantly a Maduro’s government confronts offi cial fraud – documented and alleged in last month’s presidential election Low: 32 C refl ection of the “push” implied by mounting economic and fi nancial – pales in comparison to neighbouring for a blatantly anti-establishment Cloudy anaemic growth and the disappointing challenges stemming from fi scally countries. candidate in Rodrigo Duterte, the provision of public goods, especially unanchored policies begun under his For now, rightist parties and policy tendency in the emerging world social services. predecessor, Hugo Chávez. Facing agendas are the main benefi ciaries has been for adaptations within the Fishermen’s forecast of the region’s economic and social confi nes of existing political elites. Indeed, we can think of the shift widespread shortages of goods and OFFSHORE DOHA as a Latin American variant of the malfunctioning markets, including for disillusion. The hope for many in the That may well be the best way to Wind: NW 08-15 KT West’s blossoming romance with anti- foreign exchange, his government has region is that political change can characterise what is happening in Waves: 2-4 Feet establishment movements. And that already lost control of the National catalyse faster growth, by revamping much of Latin America. INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 15-25/30 KT means that the region’s governments Assembly, and the opposition is existing policies and pursuing more Now it is up to these elites to respond Waves: 1-3 Feet must be seen to deliver to their now seeking to shorten his term by eff ective anti-corruption campaigns. eff ectively to the causes of popular anger, citizens. Otherwise, the shift will constitutional means. But, again, unless today’s political or risk facing the eventual emergence of Around the region prove to be only a stop on an uncertain Several key factors are driving winners deliver notably higher and anti-establishment movements, like their Weather Weather path – politically more complicated the region’s political dynamics. The signifi cantly more inclusive growth, American and European counterparts. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min and economically harder to navigate – sharp drop in international prices for their electorates are likely to move on. That outcome, by seriously complicating Abu Dhabi Sunny 42/27 Sunny 44/28 toward an even less stable destination. commodities, such as oil and copper, Viewed from a global perspective, the region’s political landscape, would Baghdad Sunny 42/24 Sunny 39/24 Dubai The evidence of the ongoing together with a slowing Chinese the shift in Latin America is part of further reduce governments’ scope for Sunny 37/26 Sunny 39/29 Kuwait City Sunny 48/31 Cloudy 46/29 political change comes in many forms. economy, has reduced the region’s a broader rise in discontent with the timely economic-policy adaptation. – Manama Sunny 39/31 Cloudy 37/32 After years of fi scally irresponsible export earnings and accentuated “establishment.” And it is not limited Project Syndicate Muscat Sunny 39/31 Sunny 41/33 populist rule by the Kirchner family, domestic economic challenges. This to governments. It also extends to Riyadh Sunny 45/29 Sunny 44/27 Argentina has opted for Mauricio has been aggravated by a more volatile private-sector elites, particularly zMohamed A El-Erian, Chief Tehran M Sunny 36/24 M Sunny 37/23 Macri, a former businessman running environment for fi nancial fl ows to banks and multinational companies. Economic Adviser at Allianz, is on a right-wing platform. In Brazil, emerging countries, more tentative In the US, the result has been Chairman of US President Barack and pending fi nal consideration by foreign direct investment, and a signifi cant shift away from Obama’s Global Development Council the Senate, President Dilma Rousseff concern about the potential fallout for establishment politics, including the and author of The Only Game in has been sidelined by a “temporary international trade from rising anti- unanticipated emergence of Donald Town: Central Banks, Instability, and impeachment,” with her replacement globalisation rhetoric in the unusual Trump as the presumptive Republican Avoiding the Next Collapse. Live issues Should I be tested for hepatitis C?

Tribune News Service Hepatitis C is caused by a virus The hepatitis C virus is spread from of liver tissue – a procedure called Washington that attacks the liver. Its eff ects can contact with contaminated blood. a liver biopsy – or have other tests Around the world be serious and long-lasting. If left The reason for the higher hepatitis C done to determine the severity of liver Weather Weather untreated, hepatitis C can cause liver infection rate in baby boomers is not damage. Results of these tests can help today Max/min tomorrow Max/min ear Mayo Clinic: I’m a damage, scarring of the liver tissues – entirely clear. It may be linked to the guide treatment decisions. Hepatitis Athens P Cloudy 26/19 Sunny 28/21 62-year-old man with no a condition known as cirrhosis – and, fact that, before 1992, blood screening C infection is treated with antiviral Beirut M Sunny 26/21 P Cloudy 26/20 S T Storms S T Storms 35/28 health problems. At my eventually, even death. Hepatitis C is tests for hepatitis were not as reliable medications that can clear the virus Bangkok 36/27 Berlin M Sunny 22/11 M Sunny 22/09 last checkup, my doctor a leading cause of liver cancer and the as they are now. So, it was possible from the body. Usually, a combination Cairo Sunny 33/21 Sunny 36/23 D Showers 19/09 recommended that I be tested for No. 1 reason for liver transplants. to get the virus through a blood of these medications is taken over Cape Town 16/09 M Sunny hepatitis C, even though I don’t In about 60 to 80% of adults who transfusion or an organ transplant several weeks to several months. Colombo T Storms 30/26 T Storms 30/26 have any symptoms. Is this really become infected with hepatitis C, without knowing it. Some people may Twelve weeks after the treatment is Dhaka S T Storms 33/27 I T Storms 31/27 Hong Kong P Cloudy 31/27 T Storms 31/27 necessary? the virus lingers in the body. But, in have become infected with hepatitis completed, another blood test is done Istanbul Sunny 23/14 Sunny 25/18 A: It is important for people most cases, it’s impossible to tell it C by sharing contaminated needles to check for hepatitis C. If the virus Jakarta S T Storms 33/24 P Cloudy 33/24 in your age group to be tested for is there without testing. As people when injecting drugs. This can happen is still present, a second round of Karachi Cloudy 35/28 Cloudy 34/28 hepatitis C. Studies have shown that with hepatitis C age, the virus slowly even if a person comes in contact with treatment may be recommended. In London M Cloudy 23/13 Rain 20/12 S T Storms S T Storms 33/26 Americans born between 1945 and damages the liver over time. Many an infected needle only once. In many the vast majority of cases, no further Manila 32/25 Moscow P Cloudy 20/10 Rain 18/12 1965 are fi ve times more likely than people with hepatitis C don’t know people, it is not possible to know how treatment is necessary beyond that. New Delhi M Sunny 41/30 M Sunny 40/31 other individuals to be infected with they have the infection until liver they became infected. No matter what I strongly encourage you to be tested New York Sunny 25/14 I T Storms 26/20 the virus. Most people who have problems show up. That’s often the source of a hepatitis C infection, it for hepatitis C. For everyone born Paris M Cloudy 23/16 Showers 20/13 hepatitis C do not show symptoms, so decades after the initial infection. is critical that it be detected. between 1945 and 1965, as well as Sao Paulo M Sunny 20/06 M Sunny 16/04 Seoul M Sunny 31/19 P Cloudy 29/21 the Centers for Disease Control and It’s estimated that if everyone in the Blood tests are available that anyone else who may be at high risk for Singapore S T Storms 32/27 T Storms 31/27 Prevention (CDC) recommends that recommended age group is tested for can identify the hepatitis C virus. other reasons, being tested for this virus Sydney Sunny 21/09 Sunny 19/09 anyone who falls in the high-risk age hepatitis C, it could prevent more than When the virus is found, it may be is a crucial step in ensuring long-term Tokyo Rain 28/19 Cloudy 28/19 range get tested. 120,000 deaths from liver disease. necessary to take a small sample health. – Mayo Clinic News Network Gulf Times 20 Friday, June 10, 2016 QATAR Interior Ministry issues advisory on staying safe during Ramadan he Ministry of Interior for Iftar. Urging motorists not to protect them from traffi c ac- (MoI) has issued an ad- to rush before Iftar, the advisory cidents. They should play only in Tvisory on how to ensure says they should instead start designated areas. safety at home and in public early so that they have enough The MoI has issued safety tips spaces during the holy month of time to reach their destination for the Garangao celebrations Ramadan. safely. The period before Iftar is as well. Noting that the Qatari “Important Tips for a Safe considered the most vulnerable society celebrates Garangao on Ramadan 2016”, which has been when it comes to traffi c acci- the 15th night of Ramadan, the issued by the Public Relations dents during the holy month, it advisory has asked people to be Department of the MoI, lists a observed. extra cautious while driving on number of dos and don’ts for Motorists have also been ad- this night, as children will walk people and covers key areas such vised to avoid parking their ve- around residential areas to col- as health, how to avoid fi res, hicles in such a way that may lect sweets and gifts from neigh- traffi c safety and what to do in an obstruct traffi c movement, es- bours, and take adequate safety emergency. pecially during prayer timings measures to avoid traffi c acci- Providing tips on how to avoid and Iftar gatherings. dents. food poisoning, the advisory has Off ering safety tips for pe- The ministry has also ad- urged people to check the validi- destrians, the advisory says dressed the issue of begging ty of canned, frozen or preserved they should ensure that a road during Ramadan through its ad- foodstuff and also ensure that is completely free on both sides visory. People have been asked to there is no changes in the smell, Noting that the period before Iftar is considered the most vulnerable before crossing, especially dur- report cases of begging to the an- colour or texture of food. “For Motorists have been advised to park their vehicles properly near when it comes to traff ic accidents during the holy month, the advisory ing peak hours. Also, they should ti-begging section at the MoI’s this reason, please make sure mosques and other places, such as souqs and shopping complexes, has urged people to start early so that they reach their destination on cross roads only through desig- Criminal Investigation Depart- that the foodstuff has been kept so that they don’t obstruct traff ic movement. time. Pictures courtesy of MoI Facebook page nated areas. ment on 2347444/33618627. in a clean and closed place or in “Please avoid last-minute Approved charitable organisa- the refrigerator,” it states, add- the situation. In such cases, one tinguisher is available at home. materials or electrical points,” avoid switching on exhaust fans shopping for Eid and fi nish it tions are the offi cial agencies in ing that people should also en- must cover the burning pan with Matchsticks should be thrown the advisory states. and lights as these may serve as early enough to avoid traffi c jams Qatar to help the needy and poor, sure that when dining out, they a thick lid or a fi re blanket. into the dustbin only after ensur- If people smell gas inside “ignition points” in case there is and having to park in ‘no-park- it adds. should ensure that the place and If a trash bin catches fi re, it ing that they are no longer burn- the house, they should open all a gas leak. ing areas’ because of the huge In the event of an emergency, food served are clean. should be immediately covered ing and people should not wear doors and windows immediately The advisory has stressed rush,” it adds. people should not get scared To ensure protection from with a damp cloth so as to pre- fl owing or mixed nylon dresses to “reduce the concentration of the need to follow safe traffi c Further, the advisory has re- and instead act wisely, the advi- fi res in the kitchen, the advisory vent it from spreading by de- while working in the kitchen in leaked gas”. They should never practices. One of the issues ad- minded people that children sory mentions, noting that they has asked people to avoid pour- priving it of oxygen. order to ensure protection from use a burning matchstick near dressed is overspeeding by mo- should not be allowed to play on should immediately call 999 ing water onto a pan in case the The MoI has advised people fi res. “Don’t leave children in the a cylinder while trying to locate torists as they try to reach home internal roads in residential ar- for assistance. The emergency oil catches fi re as it can aggravate to ensure that a good fi re ex- kitchen or near hot and burning the point of leakage and also – or some other place – in time eas, especially at night, in order number for the deaf is 992. Country’s extreme sports lovers showcase skills at Go Skateboarding Day event

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

atar Extreme Sports (QES) organised the fourth edition of Go Skateboard- Qing Day recently in Doha, giving many players and enthusiasts in Doha an op- portunity to showcase their skills. QES founder and patron Farhan al-Sayed, who has been supporting skateboarding, Relatively limited quantities of watermelons are available in the market this time. A view from the longboarding, BMX biking and cycling, said Doha Central Market. PICTURE: Jayan Orma Go Skateboarding Day is held simultane- ously in major cities across the world, such as New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney, among others. He noted that the event also aims to pro- mote and create awareness about the sport, Watermelon lovers cope longboarding, BMX biking, rollerblading and parkour, which are becoming popular in Qatar. “We want the youth to live a healthy life- style by involving them in sports, especially with ‘steep’ rise in price in outdoor activities,” al-Sayed stressed. Such endeavours, he added, would also help the youth stay away from gadgets such By Ramesh Mathew month of Ramadan has begun and there is a huge as smartphones and tablets as well as online Staff Reporter demand for the fruit owing to its high water con- games. tent. The QES founder, son of the fi rst cycling “Last year, watermelons weighing up to 10kg champion in Qatar, also vowed to support “steep” rise in the price of large water- were available locally for prices ranging between similar events in the future. “We are working melons, weighing 5kg or more, since the QR1.2/kg and QR1.5/kg,” recalled a retailer. hard to further promote these kinds of sports Abeginning of the month has come as a A resident said besides the central market, wa- in the country,” he said. rude shock to consumers as the fruit is a favourite termelons used to be sold from vehicles parked The skateboarding event was dominated during the peak summer months. on deserted stretches along the main roads be- by Patrick and Charles. Patrick won in the Enquiries at the Doha Central Market found tween Wukair and the Industrial Area and also Best Run and Highest Ollie category while that watermelons - imported from a Middle on some stretches of Salwa Road after the Doha Charles excelled in the Game of Skate and Eastern country - that used to be sold for QR1- Industrial Area interchange. However, this time Longest Ollie events. 1.50/kg during the corresponding period last such vendors are not to be seen on the roads. Al-Sayed said the longboarding event year now costs QR4.50-5/kg. Owing to the high price, watermelons are not had some amazing participants with Alon Attributing the price rise to both a shortage as being stocked at many of the smaller supermar- emerging as the winner in the Best Run and well as higher demand in the neighbouring mar- kets, it is found. Slide Jam while Prince Sherwin took honours kets, some of the traders said stringent screening While consumers hope that prices will come in the Slalom event. procedures in the movement of fruits and veg- down, they say they have “no choice but to QES hosted the fi rst longboard champi- etables arriving by road and an apparent shortfall cope with the high rates for now”. “Yesterday, onship in the country in April at the Doha in production in places such as Jordan have hit with no other option, I was forced to buy a 10kg Corniche Park. It is expected to organise a the supply of watermelons in the local market. watermelon for QR50,” said Abdul Salam, a series of similar competitions in the coming QES founder Farhan al-Sayed (left) awards Alon, winner of the Best Run and Slide Jam in the The price rise comes at a time when the holy resident. months. longboard event. Domasco announces special off ers for CMC models

oha Marketing Services ment of QR2,999, free fi ve Company (Domasco), years/100,000km warranty and Dthe authorised distribu- one-year/20,000km service tor for CMC in Qatar, has an- package. nounced special off ers for cus- Faisal Sharif, managing di- tomers on the Z7 and Veryca rector at Domasco, said the Ra- range in celebration of the holy madan deals emphasise the im- month of Ramadan. portance of giving added value to The Veryca Freezer is avail- customers. able for QR65,500, Panel Van for “The off ers will run until July QR45,900 and Semi Panel Van for 6 this year,” explained Mohamed QR46,900. CMC will also off er Majeed, sales and marketing customers 0% interest for the fi rst manager for CMC Qatar. 12 months, free one-year registra- During Ramadan, the CMC tion and free one-year insurance showroom on Salwa Road will on the complete Veryca range. operate from 8am to 2pm and CMC Z7, a seven-seater from 7.30pm to 11pm, Saturday MPV, will be available from to Thursday, and from 8pm to QR64,900 with a down-pay- 11pm on Friday. The Veryca range. The CMC Z7.