BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Qatar’s al-Attiyah wins silver, INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-10, 28 COMMENT 26, 27 Commercial Bank REGION 11 BUSINESS 1-7, 13-16 sets sights on posts net profi t of 20,743.00 10,933.69 53.06 ARAB WORLD 11, 12 CLASSIFIED 8-13 +118.95 +20.93 +0.66 INTERNATIONAL 13-25 SPORTS 1-12 QR501.4mn in 2016 Tokyo 2020 +0.58% +0.19% _+1.24% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10372 February 22, 2017 Jumada I 25, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals PM meets rights conference delegates US sets plan for sweeping In brief crackdown on all illegal

QATAR | Offi cial immigrants Emir chairs SC board meeting AFP Washington HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday chaired the first meeting of the Board of he Department of Homeland Directors of the Supreme Committee Security issued tough new or- for Delivery and Legacy for the year Tders yesterday to begin a sweep- 2017, held at the Emiri Diwan. HH ing crackdown on illegal immigrants, the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah putting nearly all of the country’s 11mn bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday met United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights undocumented foreigners in their Personal Representative of HH the Kate Gilmore, Secretary-General of the Arab Maghreb Union Dr Taieb Baccouche, and President of Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission Dr Bandar bin Mohamed cross-hairs. Emir and Deputy Chairman of the al-Aiban, on the occasion of their participation in the International Conference on Human Rights Approach to Conflict Situations in the Arab Region, currently in session in Two memos issued by DHS Sec- Board of Directors Sheikh Jassim Doha. Talks during the meeting dealt with important topics listed on the agenda of the conference. Page 2 retary John Kelly order border patrol bin Hamad al-Thani, HE the Prime and immigration offi cers to deport as Minister and Interior Minister and quickly as possible any illegal immi- Board Member Sheikh Abdullah grants they fi nd, with only a few ex- bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, and ceptions, principally children. other members of the Board also The priority for deportation will re- attended the meeting. Discussions main undocumented immigrants con- covered the latest developments victed of crimes, but will also include and the progress achieved in the anyone who has been charged or po- projects for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Qatar plans 1,000 berths tentially faces criminal charges. Cup over the past months. The However, categories of illegal im- meeting also touched on investment migrants deemed as low priority by the opportunities concerning Ras Abu previous Barack Obama administra- Aboud stadium. tion – generally anyone not tied to a crime – are no longer protected. QATAR | Diplomacy for private ships, boats “With extremely limited exceptions, Emir, Bahrain crown DHS will not exempt classes or catego- By Santhosh V Perumal appropriate and modern facilities with ries of removal aliens from potential prince review ties Business Reporter global standards and specifi cations to enforcement,” the department said. HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin meet the needs of ship and boat owners “All of those in violation of the im- Hamad al-Thani held a telephone a in a way that serves the national econ- migration laws may be subject to en- conversation with Prince Salman bin atar will have a total of 1,000 omy and contributes to better regulat- forcement proceedings, up to and Hamad al-Khalifah, crown prince, berths for private ships and ing ship berthing and stevedoring op- including removal from the United deputy supreme commander and Qboats in Al Ruwais, Al Khor, Al erations, in addition to protecting them States.” first deputy premier of the Kingdom Zakhira and Al Wakrah harbours in view from risks in cases of strong storms. Kelly ordered immediate action to of Bahrain. They reviewed fraternal of the growing demand in the country, a The selection of berthing locations begin planning and building a wall ties between the two countries and move that will be a boost for the private Alkhaldi (left), Qadar (centre) and al-Mohannadi give details of 1,000 berths for were based on a careful study, Mo- along the US southern border with means of boosting and enhancing sector. private ships and boats, at a press conference yesterday. hamed Saeed al-Mohannadi, director Mexico. them in addition to discussing a set “Berthing locations were decided to be of Fisheries Department at the MME He also ordered the hiring of another of regional and international issues at four harbours which are state owned, cerned with the matter. the four harbours. “Work is underway said, adding “the new berthing spaces 5,000 offi cers for the Customs and of mutual interest. operate under the Ministry of Munici- The project, with a dedicated budget, to put the project out to public tender, to be allocated to ship and boat own- Border Protection agency and 10,000 pality and Environment (MME) and are has been approved and its implementa- followed by the award of the project, ers will not be at the same spaces being for the Immigration and Customs En- QATAR | Weather increasingly frequented by many ship tion was commissioned by the MoTC which should be completed in less than used by ships and boats that belong to forcement agency. owners,” Nasser Qadar, director of Mari- to Mwani Qatar (Qatar Ports Manage- a year-and-half,” Nabil Alkhaldi, engi- fi shermen, but rather will be adjacent Soon after being inaugurated presi- Country records coldest time Transport Licensing and Planning ment Company), a leading entity with neering director at Mwani Qatar, said, to them.” dent on January 20, Donald Trump February since 1962 Department at the Ministry of Transport experience in berthing and harbour de- adding the project is a refl ection of the It is one of the strategic projects serv- ordered action to begin construction This month is turning out to be the and Communications (MoTC) told re- velopment, in accordance with the best public-private sector partnership poli- ing the private sector, as it would help of a wall along the nearly 3,145km US- coldest February on record in Qatar porters in Doha yesterday. internationally-recognised safety and cy adopted by the MoTC. elevate the effi ciency of the facilities al- Mexico border, a tightening of border since 1962. The Met department A committee, established by HE quality standards, Qadar said. Given the growing number of pri- located for local communities, support security, and tougher enforcement informed in a tweet yesterday that Prime Minister and Interior Minister He, however, did not disclose the cost vate ships and boats registered with the economic development at the four against illegal immigrants inside the the temperatures recorded this Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa of the project. the ministry, eff orts were accelerated sites by boosting business activities, country. month have been lower than the al-Thani, formed a working group that Mwani Qatar prepared the integrated to provide solutions to ship and boat and provide facilities for stakeholders. The memos come ahead of meet- normal range for February by 2-3C, conducted studies and drafted plans for planning and technical studies, under owners by allocating them berthing lo- The project will help in business de- ings this week between Kelly and US based on a comparison of climate setting up the berthing slots. Headed the supervision of MoTC, and engi- cations, Qadar said. velopment and contribute to achieving Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and records since 1962. It has been a by the MoTC, the committee has mem- neering designs and drawings were The project refl ects the considerable part of the goals of Qatar National Vi- Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto month of cold spells in the country, bers from all governmental bodies con- approved for nearly 1,000 berths at attention the MoTC pays to providing sion 2030, the offi cials said. in Mexico. marked by temperatures well below Besides Pena Nieto, the two Ameri- 10C at a number of places with can offi cials will meet with Mexico’s strong winds adding to the chill Qatar’s achievements in astronomy win praise Salman to visit Indonesia ‘with entourage of 1,500’ ministers of the interior, foreign af- factor. Page 2 fairs, fi nance, defence and the navy, the State Department said. Qatar’s discovery of three new writer highlighted the role of Qatar in Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will visit Indonesia hopes the visit will help Key topics include border security, exoplanets orbiting around other reviving the Islamic heritage in this Jakarta and Bali on the Indonesian leg further cement relations between law enforcement operation and trade, stars by scientists at the Qatar field. of his Asian tour next month, bringing its state-owned energy company according to a State Department state- Exoplanet Survey is the first real The newly discovered planets were 1,500 people in his entourage Pertamina and Saudi Aramco, which ment. bond for the Islamic countries with identified by the Qatar Exoplanet including 10 ministers, Indonesian are working together to upgrade the The new rules make it easier for ICE their history and their heritage in the Survey (QES), operated by the Qatar off icials said. Cilacap refinery, Indonesia’s largest and CBP offi cials to automatically ex- field of astronomy after more than Environment and Energy Research “This is a very historic visit for us,” refinery complex, while eyeing other pel undocumented immigrants. seven centuries, renowned American Institute (QEERI), which is part of Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung developments. Kelly said the mass detentions of the science writer Shannon Stirone has Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) told reporters yesterday, adding that “We are targeting investments,” past, requiring judicial review, have said. of Qatar Foundation. the king would be in Indonesia from Indonesia Investment Coordinating overburdened the government. In her article, titled “How Islamic The planet-searching survey, led by March 1 to 9. Board chief Thomas Lembong told “The surge of illegal immigration at Scholarship Birthed Modern QEERI’s acting executive director Dr He would spend the last six days of his reporters. the southern border has overwhelmed Astronomy”, Stirone highlighted the Khalid al-Subai, discovered the gas trip “relaxing” in Bali. Indonesia expects to sign agreements federal agencies and resources and has distinguished role of Islamic scholars giant exoworlds belong to the so- Anung said Indonesian President Joko with Saudi Arabia on increasing the created a signifi cant national security in the development of astronomy. She called “hot Jupiter” family of planets Widodo hoped the visit would bring frequency of flights from the Middle vulnerability to the United States,” he mentioned famous achievements for and were designated Qatar-3b, Qatar- Saudi investments of up to $25bn. East to Indonesia and increasing said in one of the memos. distinguished Muslim astronomers like 4b and Qatar-5b. There was no immediate comment visitor numbers. “Thousands of aliens apprehended Ibn Yunus, Abdulrahman al-Sufi, Ibn al- Qatar’s planet-searching programme from Saudi Arabia. The longest leg of King Salman’s trip at the border, placed in removal pro- Haytham, and Mariam al-Astrulabi. ranks fifth globally in terms of the The last visit by a Saudi king to to Asia this year will be in Indonesia, ceedings, and released from custody Speaking about the Islamic role in number of planets discovered which Indonesia was 46 years ago, when said Deputy Foreign Minister have absconded and failed to appear at astronomy in the modern age, the are five planets so far. King Faisal came to the archipelago. Abdurrahman M Fachir. their removal hearings. HMC’s Travel Clinic to provide vaccinations, counselling he Hamad Medical Corpora- returning with travel-related infections. Mondays in the interim, and will expand fl u shot. Some additional vaccines for said Dr Muna al-Maslamani, medical Shop” for travellers in Qatar.” tion’s Communicable Diseases The clinic will operate on an appoint- as demand grows. The clinic, the fi rst of yellow fever, rabies and diphtheria may director of the CDC. Vaccinations that will be available TCenter has opened a new clinic ment basis with people able to call and its kind in Qatar, will provide highly spe- also be required for travel, depending on “It is important for travellers to be at the Travel Clinic include Meningo- off ering vaccinations and other pre- book ahead of time. Those accessing the cialised advice and treatment for those the country being visited. Vaccinations up-to-date with their vaccination coccal vaccine, rabies vaccine, typhoid ventive measures to people planning clinic’s services will be able to attain a returning from overseas trips and sus- will be free for all, unless the medica- and have their medical care optimised vaccine, MMR vaccine, haemophilus to visit overseas countries where such certifi cate of vaccination as well as dis- pect having a travel-related illness such tion required is specialised (for example before they travel, particularly when infl uenza type B, diphtheria, tetanus, steps are mandatory. ease prevention advice for the countries as persistent diarrhoea, rash and fever. Japanese Encephalitis). there is a heightened risk of becoming acellular pertussis (TdaP) vaccine, The Travel Clinic provides travel- they will visit. The services include recommended “Our aim is to protect the health sick in the country they are visiting. By tetanus vaccine, yellow fever vaccine, lers with counselling, vaccinations and Travellers can make appointments vaccines for measles-mumps-rubella of travellers by providing exemplary providing all the necessary advice and hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis B vac- other preventive measures. It also off ers at the clinic by calling 40254003 from (MMR), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, clinical care along with specifi c advice preventive measures including vacci- cine, pneumococcal vaccine,seasonal assessment and medical care for those 7am to 7pm. The clinic will operate only polio, hepatitis A and B and the yearly and information for each traveller,” nations, our clinic will be a “One Stop fl u vaccine and polio vaccine. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 QATAR

Transport Minister attends UN meeting Ministry workshop for schoolgirls

HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti participated in the ministerial meeting of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Inland Transport Committee which was held in Geneva yesterday. Held under the title ‘Past and future of UNECE Inland committee’, the meeting tackled the work and achievements of the Inland Transport Committee and its future mission until 2030 at a time of profound changes, challenges and opportunities globally. The meeting was organised to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the The Ministry of Municipality and Environment’s Public Relations Department has conducted an awareness workshop at Umm Al Umad Inland Transport Committee, take stock of its past and decide on its future mission until 2030. Independent Primary School for Girls on the importance of recycling. The girls were taught how to make better use of waste Ambassador Ali Khalfan al-Mansouri, the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations materials in creative works. Similarly, 30 pupils at Al Daayan Independent Primary School for Girls were given training on planting Off ice at Geneva, also attended the meeting. herbal and perfume saplings.

Qatar records Call to set up regional coldest February centre for human rights since 1962

By Joseph Varghese his month is turning out Staff Reporter to be the coldest Febru- Tary on record in Qatar since 1962. he human rights confer- The Met department in- ence organised by Na- formed in a tweet yesterday Ttional Human Rights that the temperatures record- Committee (NHRC) has sug- ed this month have been lower gested several recommendations than the normal range for including setting up a regional February by 2-3C, based on a centre for human rights protec- comparison of climate records tion in the confl ict areas in the since 1962. Arab region. It has been a month of cold The two-day international spells in the country, marked conference on ‘Human Rights by temperatures well below perature in the country today Approach to Confl ict Situations 10C at a number of places with is likely to be 11C in Mesaieed, in the Arab Region’ attended by strong winds adding to the Wakrah and Abu Samra; in more than 320 delegates from 80 chill factor. Doha, the minimum will be countries, concluded yesterday. Early in February, the coun- 14C and the maximum 21C. During the closing ceremony, try was aff ected by a “cold Meanwhile, the country has Kate Gilmore, United Nations wave” for a few days due to been experiencing more rain Deputy High Commissioner for the extension of a Siberian since Monday. In particular, Human Rights, lauded the ef- Dr Ali bin Sumaikh al-Marri addressing the closing ceremony as other off icials look on. PICTURES: Shaji Kayamkulam high-pressure system, ac- drizzles were reported from forts of NHRC and hoped that the companied by fresh to strong Doha and other areas on Mon- recommendations will be imple- northwesterly winds. It was day night and scattered light mented in the right spirit as they during this period (February 5) rain was detected at a number come at the right time since the that the lowest ever tempera- of places early yesterday as well. region has been grappling with ture – 1.5C – in Qatar’s history The weather offi ce yester- confl icts for a long time. was recorded in Abu Samra. day said the chances of rain Some of the major recom- The previous record was set in would improve by this evening mendations of the conference 1964, when the temperature and the conditions would peak include respecting human rights had dropped to 3.8C in Me- tomorrow and on Friday. On in the confl ict ridden areas; em- saieed. Monday, the Met department power the vulnerable sections The mercury level went had said a state of instabil- of the population; framing and up for a while after that, and ity was expected to aff ect the supporting policies that aim for the country also experienced country during the weekend human rights and ending vio- rains for nearly a week. Then, due to the “passage of an up- lence in the region; and estab- another cold spell started af- per-level trough of low pres- lishing a regional centre for hu- fecting the country since last sure”. man rights and capacity building Saturday (February 18). This The skies are likely to be- and exchanging best practices. time, too, it was attributed come cloudy gradually dur- Answering a question from to a Siberian high-pressure ing this period and there is Gulf Times, NHRC chairman Dr system, which was accompa- a chance of scattered rain, Ali bin Sumaikh al-Marri said nied by northwesterly fresh to mostly light to moderate in that the recommendations will strong winds. intensity, which may become be implemented with the help of While the nights have been thundery at times over some UN bodies. A section of the audience at the closing ceremony. particularly chilly, the day- areas. “We will submit these rec- time temperatures, too, have Today’s detailed forecast ommendations to the regional al-Marri said that it was for the children and people with special vide necessary medical aid to the the region and hold all key play- been quite low on a number of says hazy to misty conditions and international, bodies of the governments and other organi- needs as well as responding to victims as well as setting up sus- ers accountable for their actions. occasions, including in Doha. are expected in some places United Nations. We also have sations to decide on the matter. the rights of children to educa- tainable development centres. The event was organised by Yesterday, the minimum at fi rst, followed by mild day- participation in the conference Other recommendations an- tion and avoiding child labour. There must also be new legisla- the National Human Rights temperature was 9C in Karana time conditions and scattered from governments and civil so- nounced at the closing session The meeting also highlighted tion and laws to protect aff ected Committee and the UN High and 12C in Doha, while the clouds. There is a weak chance cieties in the region. Similarly, of the conference include sup- that there should be no discrim- children and schools and eff orts Commissioner for Human maximum ranged from 16C of light rain today. we have representatives from porting curriculum to empower ination to the victims of abuse to adopt schools which are under Rights, in co-operation with the to 19C. The wintry weather is In off shore areas, too, hazy several international and region- human rights; responding to in these areas and all possible constant attack. General Secretariat of the Coun- expected to remain until to- and cloudy conditions are al organisations.” humanitarian needs at the earli- eff orts must be done to support The conference also called on cil of Arab Interior Ministers and day, according to the Met de- likely at times and there is a When asked whether Doha est; ensuring protection of hu- them physically and emotion- the UN bodies to initiate dia- the Arab Network for National partment. The minimum tem- possibility of scattered rain. will host the regional offi ce Dr man beings especially women, ally. There was also a call to pro- logue with all the key players in Human Rights Institutions. Human rights meet focuses on education, humanitarian aid

By Joseph Varghese cil of Arab Interior Ministers and in such areas,” she added. countries like Syria, Iraq, and Staff Reporter the Arab Network for National The speakers focused on the Yemen. It discussed the chal- Human Rights Institutions. topic of accountability for educa- lenges facing the delivery of hu- A workshop on “Education tion-related violations in inter- manitarian aid in these areas and romotion of education, under Attack: How to Protect national law. They discussed the ways to overcome them. challenges in delivering the Right to Education in Armed challenges facing the issue and One of the challenges the par- Phumanitarian aid, and Confl ict” discussed the ways to how to improve the processes of ticipants focused on was the tar- protection of women and chil- protect the rights of students in documentation, persecution and geting of humanitarian organisa- dren in confl ict–ridden areas in confl ict-ridden areas. Speak- partnership to end attacks against tion by the extremists as 40% of the Arab region were among the ers suggested that along with education. The other idea was to aid workers were subjected to vio- major topics of discussion on the traditional ways, new methods avoid the use of schools for mili- lence. They called for document- second and fi nal day of the in- should be explored to provide tary purposes as well as engaging ing those attacks and for holding ternational conference on ‘Hu- education to children in these with non-state armed groups to accountable the attackers. man Rights Approach to Confl ict places. “It needs legal and policy encourage them to abide by the They also called for respect- Situations in the Arab Region.’ reforms. There must be a safe international law related to edu- ing international humanitarian The conference was organ- school declaration and schools A group of participants discussing the rights of children at conflict areas. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam cation. They also pointed out that law, which they said would help ised by National Human Rights must not be allowed to be taken civil societies must promote the alleviate the suff ering and limit Committee (NHRC) and the UN over by the military in any case. Lawyers for Justice in Libya. large number of students, reeling to protect the rights of the chil- right to education in areas of con- the killing and displacement of High Commissioner for Human It must come from international She highlighted the example of under confl icts, using the Skye to dren. Eff orts must be made to en- fl ict in a big way. people. It would also allow for Rights, in co-operation with the and regional advocacy,” said a Skypeschool in Benghazi where educate the children. gage the international commu- Another workshop addressed providing humanitarian aid to General Secretariat of the Coun- Chloe Jane Dennis, a member of the Libyan diaspora is helping “There must be similar eff orts nity for the rights of the children the humanitarian aid eff orts in the needy at these places.

Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 QATAR

Qatar’s envoy to Deputy PM meets UN chief’s envoy Qatar-Turkey relations reviewed Spain presents credentials

Spanish Foreign Ministry Protocol Director Juan Sunye Mendia received a copy of the credentials of Qatar’s ambassador to Spain Mohamed Jaham al-Kuwari. The head of protocol wished the ambassador success in his mission, and further progress and development for bilateral relations between the two countries. Al-Khulaifi meets deputy speaker of Arab parliament

HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council Mohamed bin HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Mubarak al-Khulaifi met the al-Mahmoud met UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for Humanitarian Aff airs, Dr Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Mahmoud met the outgoing Turkish ambassador to Qatar Ahmet Demirok in Doha yesterday. Deputy Speaker of the Arab al-Muraikhi, in Doha yesterday. They discussed ways of developing co-operation between Qatar Talks covered bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in all fields. HE al-Mahmoud wished Parliament Adel Abdulrahman and the UN in the area of humanitarian work. HE al-Mahmoud wished the UN envoy success in his the Turkish ambassador success in his assignments and the relations between Qatar and Turkey Mohamed Ahmed al-Assoumi duties to contribute to the development of the humanitarian work. further development and growth. yesterday. Talks dealt with the parliamentary relations. Picasso-Giacometti expo opens at Doha Fire Station

By Joey Aguilar Organised into six sections, “We are particularly pleased many similarities despite their Staff Reporter the exhibition highlights key to share this discovery with the age diff erence.” works by each artist such as Qatar audience. Thanks to an ‘Picasso and Giacometti’ re- the Self Portrait (1901), Woman exceptional gathering of mas- fl ects two years of research done he fi rst-ever Pablo Picas- Throwing a Stone (1931) and terpieces, the audience will ben- by the Fondation Giacometti so and Alberto Giacometti The She Goat (1950) by Picasso, efi t from a large presentation of and the Musée national Picasso- Texhibition in the Middle and Flower in Danger (1932),Tall unique artworks from these two Paris, and curated by Grenier, East opened yesterday at the Woman (1960) and Walking Man giants of Modern Art,” Grenier with associate curators, Serena Fire Station’s Garage Gallery in (1960) by Giacometti, presented noted. Bucalo-Mussely and Virginie Doha. alongside rare and fragile casts, “They will be introduced to Perdrisot. More than more 120 works some newly discovered drawings the specifi c context of emulation Grenier and the Musée na- by Picasso (1881-1973) and Gi- and photographic archives. and artistic exchanges which tional Picasso-Paris director acometti (1901-1966), two of The exhibition evokes dif- characterised this particularly Laurent Le Bon will discuss the the most important artists of the ferent aspects of each artist’s fertile time for arts,” she added. exhibition, its concept, devel- 20th century, are featured at the production, including the devel- Khalifa al-Obaidly, direc- opment and curation at a pub- exhibition, which will run until opment of their work as young tor of Qatar Museums’ (QM) lic roundtable event today from May 21, 2017. Entry is free. artists through to their modern- Fire Station Artist in Residence 6pm to 8pm at the Fire Station. The artists’ works, drawn ist creations. It also shows the Programme, echoed the di- The Self Portrait (1901), one of In addition, the exhibition will from the notable collections of correspondences between their rector’s statement saying the Picasso’s masterpieces, featured also feature a series of engaging, the Musée national Picasso- works, the infl uence of the sur- Khalifa al-Obaidly and Catherine Grenier welcoming the guests at the blockbuster show is exception- at the exhibition. fun and interactive educational Paris and the Fondation Gi- realist movement, and the return opening of the Picasso-Giacometti exhibition yesterday. PICTURES: al, and by bringing such inter- activities for school children, acometti in Paris, as well as ex- to realism during the post-war Shemeer Rasheed nationally significant artists live in and visit our country.” teachers and families. ceptional loans from French and period. to Qatar, “QM hopes to spark The Fire Station, he added, is The exhibition will be open other international collections, The exhibition, curated by known relationship between the shared many key moments dur- creativity for a young and crea- a place where its artists in resi- to the public from 11am to 8pm include paintings, sculptures, Fondation Giacometti director two artists. ing their distinguished careers, tive generation, and help build dence meet, “just as Picasso and from Sunday to Thursday and sketches, photographs and in- Catherine Grenier, portrays for Despite an age gap of 20 years, both on a personal and profes- an exciting future for Qatar and Giacometti encountered each from 2pm to 9pm every Friday. terviews with the artists. the fi rst time the previously un- she said Picasso and Giacometti sional level. enrich the lives of all those who other and shared a dialogue and It will be closed during Mondays. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 5 QATAR

HMC consultants during a press conference yesterday. Huge increase in number of new kidney patients here has been a sig- present on the occasion. hypertension. Among chil- ney diseases with level four nifi cant increase in HMC will hold the 12th dren, the major reason is to fi ve need frequent visits Tthe number of new Annual Kidney Day on congenital abnormalities,” maybe once a month. Ma- patients with kidney dis- March 9. noted the physician. jor paediatric cases are due eases in the country over “HMC aims to raise Dr Alkadi revealed there to congenital abnormalities the recent years, according awareness about kidney are about 800 patients on and we have a very good an- to a senior offi cial of Ha- diseases in the commu- haemodialysis, in which a tenatal programme with the mad Medical Corporation nity. The theme, this year, dialysis machine and a spe- antenatal diagnoses ultra (HMC). is ‘Kidney Diseases and cial fi lter called an artifi cial sound,” said Dr Hamad. “We have data from 2013 Obesity’. Kidney Day ac- kidney, or a dialyser are used Dr Adel Aziz said that to 2016 which suggests that tivities will be held in hos- to clean blood. “There are obesity is one of the caus- there is a big increase in the pitals, schools and health 170 patients on peritoneal es of kidney diseases and number of new patients. centres and dialysis units. dialysis – a treatment for it aff ects the body as a Some three years ago it was There will be a walkathon on kidney failure that uses the whole causing high blood about 100 patients and now March10 at Katara as well as lining of abdomen, or belly, pressure, diabetes, bone it is 200 per year. There is a two-day symposium,” said to fi lter the blood inside diseases and ankle diseases. also increase in the number Dr al-Malki. the body. About 140 are on “Healthy food and exer- of patients who need di- According to Dr Nauman, the waiting list for kidney cise are major ways to avoid alysis,” Dr Hassan al-Malki, kidney diseases are com- transplantation,” he added. obesity, hypertension and adult nephrology consult- mon in all countries with a Dr Hamad noted that diabetes. If the patients have ant, and head of Nephrol- prevalence rate of about 8 nearly 4,500 to 5,000 pae- any kidney disease, they ogy Division, HMC, told to 10%. “We do not have a diatric kidney patients are need to get a review from reporters yesterday. comprehensive epidemi- treated at 14 HMC clinics the doctor. Follow the phy- Paediatrics senior con- cal survey here, but it is the yearly. “One of the clinics is sician’s advice to get proper sultant Dr Bajes Y Ha- same as in other parts of the specialised for chronic kid- medicine and avoid pain mad, and consultants Dr world. This includes mild ney disease and we have a killers. Proper investiga- Awais Nauman, Dr Mo- to chronic kidney diseases. team of paediatric nephrol- tions should be done if any hamed Mahmood Alkadi, Most of kidney disease cases ogy experts who will ana- problems occur as it leads to and Dr Adel Aziz, were also are related to diabetes and lyse the cases. Chronic kid- early diagnose,” he added.

Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 QATAR QU organises Graduate Open

Day on March 1 Rota off icials announcing details of Empower 2017 conference yesterday.

atar University (QU) will organise Qthe Graduate Open Day event on March 1 at its Research Complex to pro- vide information to pro- spective graduate students Over 450 to attend on the number of diverse programmes. The event also aims to familiarise prospective students on admission re- quirements and registra- tion procedures. Visitors Empower conference will have the opportunity to meet with programme each Out To Asia The participants will ex- ta’s mission to address skills velopment Bank, Virginia sions, and group workshops faculty, graduate staff , and A student engaged in a research programme. (Rota) has announced plore ways to become en- development, education, Commonwealth Univer- all built around the theme current graduate students Rthat its annual gaged in sustainable tour- and investment in youth sity in Qatar, Qatar Leader- of sustainable tourism from to learn about programmes search at QU. They can academic and professional youth-led conference, Em- ism to promote cultural to motivate them to utilise ship Academy, ILLAFTrain a youth perspective. and life at QU. also network with current ambitions right here in Qa- power 2017, will take place heritage, and contribute their capabilities to achieve Centre, Silatech, Qatar The workshops will cover There will be activi- QU faculty and research- tar as well as providing fi - from March 2 to 4 at Ha- to economic growth and success and independence. Foundation for Education, numerous topics including ties spanning 34 graduate ers, industry specialists nancial support to graduate mad Bin Khalifa University environmental preser- “The conference will Science and Community tourism and social media, programmes, comprising from various sectors and students on a competitive (HBKU) Student Centre in vation with the aim of highlight the key role of Development, the Ministry the marketing and brand- four diploma programmes other prospective graduate basis. Education City. achieving Qatar’s sustain- youth in promoting sus- of Culture and Sports, and ing of nations, arts for sus- in education, 25 Master’s students. “QU, the largest national Essa al-Mannai, execu- ability objectives and the tainable tourism, and serve Msheireb Properties. tainable tourism, intercul- degree programmes, one QU vice president for re- university in Qatar, off ers tive director, Rota, will at- United Nations Sustainable as an impactful tool to en- The theme of this year’s tural learning in sustainable PharmD programme, and search and graduate studies the widest range of gradu- tend the conference, while Development Goals. gage young people as lead- conference holds special sig- tourism, leadership from a four PhD programmes with Prof Mariam al-Maadeed ate programmes in Qatar, Dr Khalid al-Sulaiti, general Mohamed Abdulla Saleh, ers and empower them to nifi cance as the UN has de- diff erent perspective, and 15 areas of concentration. said the Graduate Studies tailored to meet the needs manager of the Katara the national programme direc- take action towards a suc- clared 2017 the ‘International eff ective team work. Visitors will also have Offi ce aims to support to all of Qatari society. QU has Cultural Village, will give tor, Rota, said that the or- cessful and sustainable Year of Sustainable Tourism Empower was established the opportunity to learn prospective graduate stu- been successful in high- the opening speech. ganisation “fi rmly believes future.” for Development’ to highlight by Rota to promote leader- about the many research dents. It is also committed calibre graduate education The ninth edition of the in investing in the leaders For Empower 2017, Rota the role of the tourism sec- ship and service learning centres associated with to helping citizens and resi- and research initiatives,” Empower conference will of tomorrow, and Empower has partnered with INJAZ tor in advancing economic, among youth. graduate study and re- dents alike to achieve their she added. bring together more than underscores the importance Qatar; Qatar Tourism Au- social and environmental Rota’s youth advisory 450 young people, aged 17– of youth empowerment and thority, Aspire Logistics, sustainability. board members Ahmed Al- 30, from Qatar, the region leadership”. the Ministry of Munici- The three-day confer- lenjawi, Rehab al-Naemi, and and around the world un- He added, “Sustainable pality and Environment, ence will include a combi- Empower Youth Planning der the theme ‘Sustainable tourism was selected as the Doha Film Institute, Qatar nation of seminar discus- Committee member Dalal Tourism for Development: theme for this year’s con- Museums, Katara Cultural sions, keynote speeches, Mohamed were also present A Youth Perspective’. ference as it aligns with Ro- Village, Bedaya, Qatar De- exhibitions, off -site excur- at the press conference. Al Mahmood Pearls takes part in DJWE

ahrain-based Al troduce our creations of Mahmood Pearls is exceptional jewellery col- Bparticipating in the lection in this year’s edi- ongoing Doha Jewellery and tion of Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) Watches Exhibition. It is in the Qatari capital. through our participation Mohamed al-Mahmood, in last year’s version that general manager, Al Mah- we noticed that the yellow mood Pearls, said: “We are Bahraini gold caught the eye absolutely delighted to be of many of our visitors, and participating in Doha Jewel- so, this year, we have been A jewellery set from the Al Mahmood Pearls collection. lery and Watches Exhibition keen to participate with an Mohamed al-Mahmood, general within the section allocated exclusive collection of yel- manager, Al Mahmood Pearls. perfect place for us to dis- rain”. It was in 1982 that for Amiri Gems. It brings us low gold jewellery studded play our fi ne creations as it Abdul Razak al-Mahmood great joy and pride to be ex- with various sizes of Bah- history of the Arabian Gulf is one of the most prominent established his fi rst pearl hibiting our work along with raini natural pearls,” al- region and help preserve it, exhibitions in the luxurious jewellery showroom in the the famous jewellery houses Mahmood added. in addition to sharing this jewellery and watch-making old souq and today, Al Mah- participating in one of the He said the intricate de- heritage with the rest of the industry,” he added. mood Pearls showrooms world’s largest and most signs in their pieces were world. Al Mahmood Pearls is can be found in some of the prestigious exhibitions.” inspired by the “renowned “The Doha Jewellery and “synonymous with the most prestigious locations Now in its 14th year, traditionalistic herit- Watches Exhibition is the pearling industry in Bah- in Bahrain. DJWE 2017 is a signifi cant age that jewellery-making event in the regional calen- stems from in the Arabian dar for collectors, afi ciona- Gulf, which in turn refl ects dos and admirers of beauty the rich culture and long and fi ne workmanship, and history of the region”. constitutes a rare opportu- “Through designing this nity for visitors to acquire unique and exclusive col- precious works of art. lection, we aim to revive “It is our pleasure to in- the rich heritage and great Dune London unveils new brand video une London, a brand operated by DApparel Group, has launched the brand video of the year which guides viewers through the streets of the British capital. Teaming up with ac- claimed photographer and fi lmmaker Rankin, Dune London’s new Spring/Sum- A moment from the Dune mer 2017 Collection is show- London brand video. cased in the style of a classic romantic comedy ... with a tracted by more than just twist. footwear. Game of Thrones star Dressed in palest crushed Nathalie Emmanuel is “the velvet, rose gold metallic Girl” and model/chef Isaac leather, embellished heels, Carew is “the Boy” who statement slides and be- embarks upon a tale of fate, spoke trims, Nathalie em- romance and shoes after a bodies a delicate sense of chance meeting on London’s whimsy. iconic Abbey Road. With royal blue suede, Nathalie shines in blush softest leather loafers and velvet loafers and Isaac cuts statement brogues reign- a dapper dash in tan leather ing supreme for the boys, ‘A monks, but as fi lming is Love Aff air’ is a cinematic delayed by on-set mishaps ode to the season’s most they fi nd themselves dis- desirable designs. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 9 QATAR HMC hosts French orthopaedic specialist

rench shoulder and elbow clinics conducted over two days, have an increased risk of oste- (total shoulder replacement). geon who stands out due to his the highest quality of care for consultant and surgeon Dr Dr Scarlat saw more than 60 oarthritis, likely due to obesity. Total shoulder replacement ar- involvement in sustained medi- patients and also to boost the FMarius Scarlat has con- pre-booked patients. The bulk Osteoarthritis is a joint disorder throplasty is a well-established cal activity. “We are so proud to skills and expertise of surgeons cluded his visit to Hamad Medi- of the patients were suff ering characterised by the breakdown surgery for restoring comfort have a surgeon of Dr Scarlat’s at HMC. cal Corporation’s (HMC) Bone from Type 2 diabetes. of joint cartilage. and function to the arthritic caliber visit our facility and at- Dr Scarlat also gave a lecture and Joint Center after seeing “Due to the high prevalence It may aff ect any joint in the shoulder. tend to patients. on advanced shoulder surgeries. many patients and performing of diabetes in Qatar and the re- body. He explained further that “In this procedure, the ar- His visit has again comple- During a round hosted by HMC’s advanced surgeries. gion, we have many people who certain factors, such as nerve thritic ball is replaced by a mented our local expertise and Orthopaedic Department and Dr Scarlat has extensive ex- have issues with their joints, like damage (diabetic neuropathy), smooth metal ball fi xed to the boosted the high-quality care attended by specialists from the perience in the specialty of or- shoulder pain and damaged ro- arterial disease, rheumatoid arm (humerus) by a stem that we are already off ering to our department, he shared experi- thopaedic surgery and has com- tator cuff s. If you have diabetes, arthritis and obesity, may also fi ts within it,” he explained. patients.” ences from France. Dr Scarlat pleted many training courses you are at increased risk of vari- contribute to these problems. Dr Mohamed al-Ateeq, direc- Dr al-Ateeq added that his also took part in HMC’s fi rst both in Europe and in the United ous bone and joint disorders,” he During his stay, Dr Scarlat tor of the Bone and Joint Center visit is part of the plan aimed shoulder arthroscopy workshop States in specialties such as said. also performed 10 advanced and chairman of HMC’s Ortho- at inviting international and aimed at training HMC faculty prosthetic hip surgery, shoulder Dr Scarlat noted that people shoulder and elbow surgeries, paedic Department described reputable experts to the Bone from the Orthopaedic Depart- and elbow replacement. During who have Type 2 diabetes also including reverse arthroplasty Dr Scarlat as an eminent sur- and Joint Center to maintain ment. Dr Marius Scarlat ...insight.

Ooredoo and UDC off er free Wi-Fi at The Pearl

oredoo and United Develop- This far-reaching agreement with ment Company (UDC) have UDC shows that companies in Qatar Oannounced the launch of a free are increasingly deploying advanced public Wi-Fi solution on The Pearl- technology to improve people’s lives, Qatar, which will benefi t residents, and we’re very proud to be working visitors and shoppers on the island. with UDC on this landmark public The Cisco-based Ooredoo Super- Wi-Fi project.” net solution, that can be accessed by Ibrahim Jassim al-Othman, UDC anybody with a compatible device, president and CEO, said: “Our vi- delivers “incredible Internet speeds sion for The Pearl-Qatar is to pro- and a smooth browsing experience”, vide an incredible family-friendly according to a press statement. atmosphere for residents and visi- Full coverage is already live across tors across the island, and superfast, the island’s three retail hubs — Porto reliable, affordable Internet plays a Arabia, Medina Centrale and Qanat role in that. Quartier. When people shop, eat out or ar- “By facilitating the deployment of range to meet friends on The Pearl- Internet access points across the is- Qatar, they can now access the Oore- land, UDC takes a step closer in the doo Supernet to choose where they direction of implementing smart sys- want to go and fi nd out about new tems on The Pearl, while enhancing events taking place in this exciting the visitor experience and improving community.” communications with key stakehold- The Wi-Fi solution has been de- ers,” the statement noted. signed to provide a “superior custom- Waleed Mohamed al-Sayed, CEO er experience” for The Pearl-Qatar’s of Ooredoo Qatar, said: “Ooredoo is residents and guests, and is the latest focused on delivering the best data in a series of innovations designed to experience for our customers across “ensure that the urban development Qatar by providing the most-ad- remains one of the most desirable vanced networks and the most con- destinations in Qatar”, the statement venient access wherever they are. added. UDC and Ooredoo senior off icials at the signing ceremony. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 QATAR MEC seeks investment in more eateries he Ministry of Economy and timated cost for creating a 64sq m Commerce (MEC) has an- restaurant could be QR500,000 Tnounced the latest statistics covering monthly rent, decora- about eateries and off ered some tions and equipment. advice for investment in the fi eld, In the meantime, MEC stressed aiming at boosting such an impor- that the restaurant owner should tant economic sector in the country. make eff orts to develop the menu, MEC said yesterday that the to- manage staff , regulate the stock, tal number of active commercial conduct a marketing and promo- licenses in the restaurant sector tional campaign, and take care of amounts to 3,716. the customers. Most of these are concentrated Besides, it is necessary to adopt inside Doha Municipality with a practical work plan that cover 2,004, followed by Al Rayyan all the related and involved issues (1,038), Wakrah (291), Umm Salal such as the investment concept, QTA senior off icials lead Shop Qatar’s closing ceremony yesterday. (130), Al Khor and Al Zakhira (111), marketing, training and qualifi ca- Al Shehaniyah (47), and Al Shamal tion of staff , daily tasks manage- Municipality (23). ment, and the long run cost. These active licenses include MEC also emphasised that 1,889 restaurants, 1,271 cafeterias, choosing a proper location refl ects 270 juice shops, 201 fast foods, and directly on the size of sales. 121 popular kitchens, besides other The restaurant should be easily ac- minor activities. These include 12 cessible for potential customers with grilled meat shops, nine for sea- adequate number of parking lots. Shop Qatar celebrates 16.8% food, eight outlets for meal and ca- Regarding the layout of the place tering services, and seven outlets itself, MEC said that around 45% that include eateries, juice shops, to 65% of its space should be allo- cafes and kitchen. cated to the food court, while 35% In addition, there are six outlets should be allocated to the kitchen that off er healthy and diet meals. and the remaining area should be increase in visitor footfall Comparing the density of pop- administrative and storage area. ulation at various places in the MEC strongly recommended the By Joey Aguilar visitors to Qatar over the month-long and Souq Al Wakrah festivals have con- According to Qatar’s draft Tourism country to the number of active use of modern technology to pro- Staff Reporter period of the festival,” QTA noted. tributed signifi cantly in tourism growth Satellite Account, shopping represented licenses in this fi eld, MEC advised mote the new restaurant projects Many of the visitors arrived during the and strong sector performance. a larger portion of inbound and domes- there are many areas that provide as increasing number of customers January school holiday in Saudi Arabia, “Through exciting new additions to tic tourism spending in 2014 than tourist suitable new investment opportu- prefer to look online for food outlets. atar saw a 16.8% increase in visi- a 43% in increase compared to same oc- our calendar of events, as well as new accommodation or F&B, contributing nities in the restaurants sector. Accordingly, MEC recommend- tor arrivals during the month- casion in 2016. Hotel occupancy, both retail, entertainment and cultural prod- QR6bn to the economy. MEC said that the most impor- ed the eff ective use of social media Qlong Shop Qatar festival com- weekends included, reached 82.3% on the ucts, we are building all the ingredients “The collaborative spirit shown from tant steps to establish a new restau- including Google Plus, Facebook, pared to the same period last year, Qatar average with a peak mid-way through the needed for a touristic experience refl ec- the various private and public sector part- rant include fi rst determining the Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Tourism Authority (QTA) has said. holiday with occupancy rates above 90%. tive of Qatar and its people,” QTA chief ners for the fi rst edition of Shop Qatar has type of the restaurant, whether it a TripAdvisor. From January 7 to February 7, QTA QTA said the direct impact of inbound tourism development offi cer Hassan al- yielded remarkable results across several high end restaurant, fast foods, caf- Generally, MEC instructions and noted that Qatar’s hospitality sector also tourism on the gross domestic product Ibrahim said in a statement. sectors,” QTA’s chief marketing and pro- eteria, café, sea foods or any other regulations in this fi eld should be recorded a 70.5% occupancy rate with (GDP) was estimated at QR1.06bn, a QTA introduced the fi rst edition of motion offi cer Rashed al-Qurese said. type designated to diff erent areas. strictly followed such as providing guests availing the festival’s special of- substantial increase from similar esti- Shop Qatar following a notable growth “This gives me confi dence that togeth- Second, the cost of starting a Arabic speaking staff , giving de- fers. mates during previous festivals. in Qatar’s retail sector, matched by a er we can continue to expand this festival restaurant should be determined. tailed invoices, clearly display the Based on QTA’s records, 188,523 na- In August 2016, inbound tourism’s strong contribution to tourism. in the years to come and reinforce Qatar’s The cost should take into consid- commercial license and registration, tionals from various GCC countries vis- impact on the GDP during the Qatar The festival featured an array of live position as a destination of choice for eration the type of the restaurant, avoid imposing charges or com- ited Qatar in the period coinciding with Summer Festival was estimated to be entertainment and cultural shows, shoppers and families,” he added. its facilities, the required equip- missions on using credit cards or the festival, an increase of 23% com- QR639mn. outdoor activities, beauty and fashion Shop Qatar also featured 30 pop up ment, the volume of customers, and debit cards, clearly posting the price, pared to the same period last year. Besides festival activities, off erings events, shopping promotions, musi- shops at various participating malls, the other related operational issues. charges and services, and avoid exer- “Much of this growth came from the and regional promotions, other festivals cal performances, comedy acts, and a which showcased locally designed and However, MEC said that the es- cising the minimum charge system. Saudi market, bringing a total of 133,849 around Qatar such as the Souq Waqif QR1mn mega draw, among others. produced items. MBC+ Ooredoo channel is formally launched

oredoo and MBC Group have the latest and best content, whether live, hosted a star-studded event at On Demand or on the go via the Ooredoo Othe Museum of Islamic Art to tv App. This is the latest step in our vi- launch the exclusive new MBC+ Oore- sion of off ering leading local and inter- doo Channel for Ooredoo TV subscrib- national content to Qatar and we hope ers. you enjoy the wide range of programmes The event was attended by Ooredoo we have selected especially for Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed Mohamed al-Sayed tv customers in HD.” and MBC Group CEO Sam Barnett. Barnett added, “It’s a privilege to be Also present were a host of MBC tal- partnering with such an innovative tel- ents, including ‘Sabah Al Khair Ya Arab’ ecommunications company. star Khaled al-Shaer, reporter and The speed and sophistication of the broadcaster Ali al-Ghofaily, journalist network provided by Ooreedoo means Ola al-Fares as well as presenter Ghada that viewers in Qatar are able to experi- Mussali from MBC1 and presenter Mar- ence audiovisual content at industry- iam Said from ET Bil Arabi. leading levels of quality. The MBC+ Ooredoo Channel launch “It was only a few months ago when is part of a multi-year memorandum of we announced our intention to work understanding Ooredoo and MBC Group together, and now today our combined signed last year, which gave Ooredoo teams are ready to launch both MBC+ exclusive rights to some of the Group’s Ooreedoo and our premium Video On most popular High Defi nition (HD) Demand service, Shahid Plus.” channels in Qatar. Ooredoo and MBC Group recently With this latest partnership, Ooredoo announced that all Ooredoo customers TV customers will now be able to “ex- can now exclusively enjoy MBC’s Shahid clusively enjoy a brand-new channel and Plus online service in Qatar. that will include a selection of MBC’s They can catch up with the latest and best Arabic content”, according to a press exclusive shows, award-winning content statement. among many dramas and movies with no MBC+ Ooredoo Channel is available advertisements. on channel 180 and the content will in- Existing Mozaic TV customers who clude ‘Tabakh Al Sultan’, ‘Scoop’, ‘Dah- want to upgrade to Ooredoo tv to take sha’, ‘El Hokm’, ‘El Hob Al Halal’ and advantage of the MBC+ Ooredoo Chan- more. nel can visit any Ooredoo retail shop to Talking at the event, al-Sayed said: register and collect a free Ooredoo TV “Since its launch, Ooredoo tv has off ered play device. Waleed al-Sayed and Sam Barnett with celebrities and members of the team at the launch event. Emirates heads to Phnom Penh

mirates has announced that Phnom Penh in Angkor Wat, near Siem Reap. Recent growth and Cambodia will be the latest destination it infrastructure development has led to Phnom Ewill serve from July 1 this year, with a Boeing Penh becoming a signifi cant economic and tour- 777-300ER aircraft in a two-class confi guration. ism destination. Outbound, fl ight EK388 will depart Dubai at There were more than 4.7mn foreign tourist ar- 9.15am and arrive in Yangon (Myanmar) at 5.25pm. rivals to Cambodia in 2015 and this is forecast to It will then depart Yangon at 6.55pm before ar- rise to 8mn by 2020. riving in Phnom Penh at 9.25pm. The inauguration of the Phnom Penh Airport The departure time of fl ight EK388 from Dubai terminal extension in March last year will com- “seamlessly connects” with a number of Europe- plement this growth, eff ectively doubling passen- an services such as Paris, London, and Frankfurt, ger capacity. according to the airline. The new Dubai-Yangon-Phnom Penh route will On the return segment, fl ight EK389 will depart also enable passengers from Yangon to travel to Phnom Penh at 11.10pm and arrive in Dubai at Phnom Penh and vice-versa. 5.40am the next day after a short stop in Yangon. Emirates will be the only airline with a direct All times are local. The Emirates Boeing 777-300ER. service between these two cities, the statement The new service from July 1 is subject to gov- notes. ernment approvals, the airline has said in a press From July 1, Emirates passengers travelling to In terms of cargo, garments and clothing are statement. Hanoi will no longer stop in Yangon before reach- expected to be popular exports from Phnom Penh The launch of daily services from Dubai to ing the Vietnamese capital. on this route. Phnom Penh will coincide with the introduction Phnom Penh, located in the south-central re- All services between Dubai and Phnom Penh of a direct, non-stop route between Dubai and gion of Cambodia, is the most populous city in will off er two classes of travel – business and Hanoi. Cambodia and is a gateway to World Heritage Site economy. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 11 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Seven million Yemenis close to starvation: UN

Seven million Yemenis are closer than ever to starvation, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Egypt and Jordan say no the country warned yesterday, almost two years since a conflict escalated between the govern- ment and rebels. “Seven million Yemenis do not know where their next meal will come from and are ever closer to starvation” compromise on Palestine in a country of 27mn people, Jamie McGoldrick said. AFP “Over 17mn people are currently Cairo unable to adequately feed them- selves and are frequently forced to skip meals — women and girls gypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi eat the least and last,” he said in and King Abdullah II of Jordan agreed a statement. Yemen’s war pits Eyesterday there could be no conces- the internationally recognised sions on establishing a Palestinian state, government of President Abd- the presidency said after talks in Cairo. Rabbu Mansour Hadi against The meeting between the leaders of the Houthi rebels allied with forces two Arab countries that have signed peace loyal to former president Ali treaties with Israel came after US President Abdullah Saleh. The fighting Donald Trump’s administration suggested has intensified since a coalition it would not insist on a Palestinian state for intervened in support of the a Middle East peace agreement. government in March 2015 after “The two sides discussed ways to push the Houthis seized the capital the the stagnant Middle East peace process, previous September. Since early especially in light of US President Donald January, pro-government forces Trump’s administration coming to power,” have pressed a major off ensive a presidency statement said. aimed at recapturing Yemen’s A two-state solution “with a Palestinian Red Sea coastline, and retook state...with east Jerusalem as its capital is the southwestern port of Mokha a nationalist principle that cannot be con- earlier this month. “I am deeply ceded”. concerned with the escalation After meeting Israeli Prime Minister of conflict and militarisation of Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington earlier Yemen’s western coast. It is com- this month, Trump said he would entertain ing at a great cost to civilians,” Mc- a “two-state and a one-state” solution. Goldrick said. Unexploded rockets But his ambassador to the United Na- have landed inside the rebel-held tions, Nikki Haley, later tempered this port of Hodeida, he said, “reducing stance, saying Washington “absolutely” even further the number of ships supports a two-state solution but wants and imports” vital for Yemen’s food new ideas on how to move forward. supplies. “Given that the country is The two-state solution — a Palestinian 80-90 % dependent on imported one alongside Israel — has long been the food staples, I am compelled to cornerstone of US and international policy, raise the alarm,” the UN off icial said. and the seeming American shift was greet- A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace yesterday, shows Jordan’s King Abdullah II shaking hands with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a ed with hostility from other world powers. meeting in Cairo. Trump critic McCain meets Saudi king

AFP ment and the opposition gather base in Raqa, Syria.Saudi For- Riyadh in Geneva tomorrow for a new eign Minister Adel al-Jubeir round of United Nations-bro- has expressed optimism that kered talks aimed at ending six the Trump presidency will be nfl uential American Sena- years of fi ghting. more engaged in the region, tor John McCain, a critic of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and a particularly in containing Iran IPresident Donald Trump, few other Gulf states have pro- which backs the Assad regime held talks with Saudi Arabia’s vided military and fi nancial aid and rebels in Yemen. King Salman yesterday, offi cial to rebels fi ghting the Syrian Assad’s other main ally is media said. regime. All are also members Russia, against which McCain McCain, who chairs the Sen- of a US-led coalition battling takes a hard line. ate Armed Services Commit- the Islamic State militants Trump, in contrast, has tee, arrived in Riyadh after talks there. faced allegations of improper on Syria with Turkish President After his talks in Syria, the Russian influence on his ad- Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Republican senator from Ari- ministration, something he The Saudi Press Agency gave zona said on his website that denies. The New York Times no details of McCain’s meeting Erdogan “described a pro- on Sunday called McCain This handout photo provided by the off icial website of the Centre for Preserving and Publishing the Works of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali at Salman’s offi ce, except to say posal to establish safe zones “critic in chief” of the Trump Khamenei, yesterday shows (from left) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani that the friendly ties between in Syria and retake Raqa that presidency, partly for his de- and judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani attending the sixth international conference in support of Palestinian uprising, in Tehran. their two countries were dis- should receive serious con- fence of traditional Republi- cussed. sideration by the United can foreign policy positions McCain’s visit comes two States”. that contrast with those of the Iran supreme leader calls days before Syria’s govern- He was referring to the IS president. for uprising against Israel

Reuters Khamenei said, according to his between Iran and world pow- States on social media. Beirut website. The Supreme Leader’s ers, including the United States, Khamenei did not men- bellicose comments, made dur- in 2015 intended to partially lift tion any Iranian military attack ing a two-day conference in Te- sanctions on Tehran in exchange against Israel in his comments ran’s Supreme Leader called hran focused on its support for for curbs on its nuclear pro- yesterday and was focused on on Palestinians yesterday to the Palestinians, come at a time gramme. gains that Palestinians could Ipursue an uprising against of increasingly heated rheto- Iran says its programme is for make in any confrontation with Israel, suggesting the Israeli ric between Iran, Israel and the purely peaceful means. Israel, which he described as tu- government was a “cancerous United States. When Iran carried out a bal- mour developing into “the cur- tumour” that should be con- While on a visit to Washington listic missile test in late January, rent disaster”. fronted until Palestinians were last week, Israeli Prime Minister Trump’s then national security “The Palestinian intifada completely liberated. Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox adviser Mike Flynn said the ad- continues to gallop forward in “...by Allah’s permission, we News that Israel and the United ministration was putting Iran a thunderous manner so that it will see that this intifada will be- States had a “grand mission” “on notice”. can achieve its other goals until gin a very important chapter in to confront the threat of a nu- Ordinary Iranians have been the complete liberation of Pal- the history of fi ghting and that it clear Iran. US President Donald posting their concerns about a estine,” he said, according to the will infl ict another defeat on that Trump has already been highly possible military confrontation transcript of the speech posted A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace yesterday, shows Saudi King Salman meeting with usurping regime,” Ayatollah Ali critical of a deal hammered out between Iran and the United on his website. US Senator John McCain in the capital Riyadh. Tehran, Turkey trade barbs over roles in region

AFP Erdogan after last year’s failed gion and urging Tehran to pro- Turkey’s foreign ministry cluding talks with the leader- crucial role in aiding Assad. force at the end of last year as a Istanbul coup. mote stability. spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu ship of Saudi Arabia. Iran has provided few de- basis for peace talks. But mainly Turkey and Iran Erdogan has also in recent hit back by saying it was “in- Ali Vaez, senior Iran analyst tails over its involvement but But Vaez said the Syria talks have been on opposite sides of weeks accused Iran of promot- comprehensible” to receive with the International Crisis has confirmed the deaths of process was reaching an im- iplomatic tensions es- the conflict in Syria. ing a “Persian nationalism” such accusations from Tehran Group, said Iran and Turkey some 1,000 volunteer fighters passe, while the spheres of in- calated between Turkey The tensions come with UN- that had damaged the Middle who he charged with “not hesi- feared the other was seeking to in Syria. fluence of Iran and Turkey were Dand Iran yesterday as backed peace talks for Syria due East. tating to push into war zones capture regional hegemony via Ankara has meanwhile colliding in Syria. the regional powers traded ac- to restart tomorrow and Turkey The Iranian foreign minis- refugees sheltering from re- proxies on the ground. warned Iran and its allies in the “Ultimately Turkey and cusations over their roles in the engaged in fierce fighting in- try on Monday summoned the gional crises.” “Instead of ac- “With each failure to find an Baghdad government against Iran, as neighbours, will have Syria conflict and the Middle side Syria to capture the town Turkish envoy to issue a protest cusing countries that have accommodation, the context using militia in the assault to to live with the outcome of the East. of Al-Bab from militants. after Cavusoglu’s comments criticised Iran, it should take of Turkey’s and Iran’s rivalry recapture the militant-held conflicts now burning around The pair have been rivals for Foreign Minister Mevlut Ca- while spokesman Bahram constructive steps and review has become more complex and Iraqi city of Mosul. them,” he said. centuries but have sought to vusoglu lashed out at Iran in a Ghassemi warned that Tehran’s its own regional policies.” disagreements more intracta- Harmony between Turkey “Any sustainable solution forge a pragmatic relationship speech to the Munich Security patience “has limits”. The angry exchanges have ble,” he said. and Iran is crucial in ensuring will require a regional power in recent years, with the Islamic Conference at the weekend, “We hope that such state- come just after Erdogan re- While Turkey has backed the preservation of a fragile balance tolerable for both,” he Republic strongly supporting saying some of its actions had ments are not made again,” he turned from a week-long tour rebels in Syria throughout the ceasefire in Syria — also backed said calling on both sides to Turkish President Recep Tayyip undermined security in the re- added. to the Arabian peninsula, in- conflict, Tehran has played a by Russia — that came into recognise the other’s interests. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 ARAB WORLD Gaddafi son’s trial unfair, should be sent to ICC: UN

Reuters sein said in a statement. The UN said including killing protesters during the trial and also breached Libyan law in “The court can either change the the control of the internationally-rec- Geneva in a report that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi revolution. some respects”, it said. verdict themselves or can send back ognised Libyan authorities,” the UN should also face separate charges of Zintani forces refused to hand him No prosecution witnesses were the case for retrial by the same court report said. crimes against humanity, including over, saying they did not trust Tripoli called to testify, undermining the de- of fi rst instance or by another one,” he It called on Libyan authorities to he trial of a son of former Libyan murder and persecution, at the Inter- to guarantee he does not escape. fendants’ ability to challenge evidence. said. ensure the surrender of Saif to the leader Muammar Gaddafi fell national Criminal Court (ICC) that is The UN report on the trial of 37 Appeals are pending at Libya’s Court Saif, former intelligence chief Ab- Hague-based ICC, “in compliance Tshort of international standards seeking his surrender. defendants including Saif cited seri- of Cassation. “We are calling on the dullah al-Senussi and former prime with Libya’s international obligations”. and the appeals court should review Since his father’s toppling in 2011, ous violations of due process, such as Court of Cassation in particular to minister Al-Baghdadi Mahmoudi were The ICC does not allow the death pen- the sentence of death passed in absen- Saif has been held in Zintan, a moun- prolonged incommunicado detention take into full account the due proc- among nine defendants sentenced to alty. “We believe that Libya should tia or order a re-trial, the United Na- tainous western region, by one of the without access to families or lawyers, ess violations that we have identifi ed death by fi ring squad. comply with Security Council resolu- tions said yesterday. factions that began contending for and allegations of torture that were not and to take remedial action,” Claudio “The Libyan Government has been tions and they should hand him over,” “This trial was a missed opportunity power after Gaddafi was killed. properly investigated. Cordone, the UN human rights repre- unable to secure the arrest and sur- Cordone said.”To the extent that he re- for justice,” UN High Commissioner He was sentenced to death in July The proceedings “fell short of inter- sentative in Libya, told a news briefi ng render of (Gaddafi ), who remains in mains in Libya, obviously he should be for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hus- 2015 by a Tripoli court for war crimes, national norms and standards for fair by telephone. Zintan and is considered to be outside tried fairly.” Syria talks Iraqi forces fi ghting IS remain focused on ‘political set to storm airport transition’ Reuters Islamic State is essentially un- South of Mosul, Baghdad der siege in western Mosul, after being driven out of city districts AFP mands for Assad’s departure east of the River Tigris after 100 Geneva may go unheard. S-backed Iraqi forces days of heavy fi ghting ending in US President Donald closing in on the Islamic January. Trump’s administration has UState-held western half IS has prevented residents pcoming Syria peace said it is “re-looking at eve- of Mosul prepared yesterday to from leaving but in the fi rst two talks remain focused rything” about its involve- storm the airport and a nearby months of the Mosul campaign, Uon negotiating a “po- ment in Syria, and Turkey last military base on its southern in October and November, it litical transition” in the war- month said last month it was outskirts to create a bridgehead forced thousands of villagers to ravaged country, the UN me- no longer “realistic” to insist for a thrust into the city. march alongside its fl eeing mili- diator’s offi ce said yesterday, on a solution to the Syria con- Since ousting IS from eastern tants as human shields against following concern the UN was fl ict that excluded Assad. Mosul last month, Iraqi forces air strikes. backing away from that aim. But Ahmad Ramadan, a have advanced in sparsely popu- “This is the grim choice for United Nations envoy spokesman for the opposition lated outlying areas but fi ghting children in western Mosul right Staff an de Mistura had ap- National Coalition, insisted will intensify as they near the now: bombs, crossfi re and hun- peared reluctant in recent to AFP that “the main issue in teeming inner city of western ger if they stay – or execution days to use the term “political this round will be the political Mosul and the risk to roughly and snipers if they try to run,” transition” — a term the op- transition.” 750,000 civilians there will rise. the Save the Children humani- position has linked to Syrian “The opposition delegation The US military commander tarian agency said in a state- President Bashar al-Assad’s will focus on a proposition to in Iraq has said he believes US- ment. removal from offi ce. form a transitional governance backed forces will retake both It added that children com- De Mistura’s chief of staff , body,” he said, adding that it of IS’ urban bastions – Mosul prise about half the population Michael Contet, told reporters would “present a complete and Raqqa in neighbouring Syria in the city’s western sector. that Security Council Reso- plan on the topic including – within the next six months, Up to 400,000 civilians could lution 2254, which calls for how it will be executed based which would end the militants’ be displaced by the off ensive, “negotiations on the political on international resolutions.” ambitions to territorial rule with western Mosul suff er- transition process”, was still Contet meanwhile said the three years after they declared a ing food and fuel shortages and the basis for the talks set to be- discussions would centre on “caliphate”. markets closed, according to the gin in Geneva tomorrow. the “establishment of a cred- Iraqi federal police and elite Iraqi families who fled the front line gather in the village of al-Buseif, south of Mosul, during an off ensive by United Nations. Political transition and the ible, inclusive and non-sec- interior ministry units known as Iraqi forces to retake the western side of the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters yesterday. Western Mosul contains the opposition’s insistence that tarian governance,” as well as Rapid Response have made rapid old city centre, with its ancient Assad quit power have been a “a schedule and process for progress towards western Mo- airport on Monday, the military ticipate much resistance at the in part because tanks and ar- souks, government administra- main sticking point in previ- drafting a new constitution, sul in a sweep upwards through said. airport or base especially as the moured vehicles cannot pass tion buildings and the mosque ous rounds of negotiations. and...free and fair elections.” stony desert terrain from the A Rapid Response spokesman area was exposed to air strikes through narrow alleyways that from which Islamic State leader The Damascus government His comments came as 40 south since launching the off en- said the airport, once retaken, and artillery bombardment. crisscross the city’s ancient Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi pro- has categorically insisted that human rights organisations sive’s second phase on Sunday. would be a close-support base “The next step, God willing, is western districts. claimed his self-styled caliphate the president’s fate is not up called for the talks to focus After fi ghting their way with for the onslaught into the west to advance to the Ghozlani mili- Militants have developed a over parts of Syria and Iraq after for discussion. heavily on ending the rampant helicopter gunships, machine of Iraq’s second largest city. tary base,” said Rapid Response network of passageways and shock territorial advances by IS Since April 2016, when ri- rights violations that have gun fi re and rocket-propelled Iraqi forces will also need to Captain Mohamed Ali Mohsen. tunnels to enable them to hide in 2014. val delegations were last in characterised Syria’s nearly grenades to Albu Saif on Mon- secure the Gozhlani military The Counter-Terrorism Serv- and fi ght among civilians, melt Mosul is the largest urban the Swiss city, the opposition six-year confl ict, in more than day, Iraqi forces were building complex, which includes bar- ice, Iraqi units that were trained away after hit-and-run op- centre captured by IS in either has seen its position weakened 310,000 have been killed and up their positions in the hilltop racks and training grounds and by the United States for urban erations and track government country. Townsend has said he substantially, as government millions more displaced. village that overlooks the airport sprawls across the area between warfare and spearheaded the re- troop movements, according to believes US-backed forces will forces have recaptured terri- “One of the main goals of the and built-up western Mosul be- the airport and the end of the capture of east Mosul, are now inhabitants. recapture both Mosul and Syria’s tory including the former rebel Geneva talks should be putting yond, a Reuters correspondent Baghdad-Mosul highway. redeploying and are expected The US commander in Iraq, Raqqa in Syria by mid-2017. bastion of eastern Aleppo. an end to the violations against reported from the area. A senior Iraqi offi cial said the to surge into the city’s west Army Lieutenant General But even without notable ter- The opposition has also Syrians who have faced bomb- The corpse of an Islamic State airport and Gozhlani base had once regular forces clear access Stephen Townsend, told a news ritorial holdings, the resilient seen its biggest supporters — ing, chemical attacks, star- insurgent with a missing leg lay been heavily damaged by US-led points. conference in Baghdad on Mon- militants are likely to keep up a the United States and Turkey vation, illegal detention, and in the street of Albu Saif village. air strikes to wear down IS mili- Iraqi commanders expect the day he had been placing US campaign of suicide bombings — show signs of shifting their more horrors,” said Lama Fakih Iraqi forces reached the “vi- tants ahead of the off ensive. battle to be more diffi cult than military advisers closer to and inspiring lone-wolf shoot- positions, prompting concern of Human Rights Watch in a cinity” of Mosul’s international He said Iraqi forces did not an- in the east of Mosul, however, front lines in Mosul. ing and bomb attacks abroad. in rebel ranks that their de- joint statement.

WARNING IS won’t be defeated US-backed rebels unless graft Israeli soldier gets 18 months jail term tackled: watchdog

AFP an appeal and right-wing Israeli March last year. He also received had not expressed remorse for enter Deir al-Zor Western governments need to Tel Aviv ministers immediately called for 18 months in suspended sen- his actions. step up their eff orts to combat a pardon, while the Palestin- tences and was demoted from Azaria will begin his sentence corruption if they are to defeat ian government and the victim’s sergeant to private. on March 5, the court announced. province for fi rst time militants such as the Islamic State n Israeli military court family condemned the sentence Heller said the panel of three He has already spent more group and Boko Haram, Trans- yesterday sentenced as too lenient. judges had taken into account than 10 months confi ned to an parency International warned Aa soldier to 18 months Judge Maya Heller handed mitigating factors including the Israeli military base but this is Reuters the Kurdish YPG militia and yesterday. in prison for shooting dead a down the sentence a month af- “harm suff ered by his family” not included as time served, the Beirut Arab fighting groups, had Corrupt practices in states such as wounded Palestinian fi ghter ter Elor Azaria, 21, was found and the fact Azaria was in “hos- court ruling said. captured some 15 villages Nigeria, Libya and Iraq are provid- who lay on the ground, sparking guilty of manslaughter for kill- tile territory” when the shooting Azaria and his family didn’t from Islamic State militants ing fertile ground for extremists, criticism from rights groups. ing Abdul Fatah al-Sharif in the occurred. react in court as the sentence he US-backed Syria in their incursion into the the organisation’s British branch Defence lawyers announced southern occupied West Bank in She added, however, that he was passed down. Democratic Forces province, the source added. said in a report. T(SDF) alliance has The source did not specify “Corruption is the most powerful crossed into Deir al-Zor when this had taken place. weapon in the armoury of violent province for the first time as Islamic State controls Deir extremism,” it said in a 44-page part of an offensive against al-Zor province apart from a report entitled “The Big Spin”. Islamic State, a Kurdish mili- Syrian government-held en- The report said extremist groups tary source said yesterday. clave in Deir al-Zor city and a drew on public anger at the abuse nearby military air base. of power as a means to radicalise A number of different A number of diff erent and recruit. groups in Syria’s multi-sided groups in Syria’s multi-sided They also use corrupt off icials and conflict are fighting separate confl ict are fi ghting separate their links to organised crime to battles against Islamic State battles against Islamic State facilitate financial and arms flows. from various sides from various sides. Corruption also hollows out state The SDF has recently ad- institutions that should keep The advance into the prov- vanced against IS to the north extremist forces in check, the ince, which is almost entirely and east of Raqqa. report said. under the ultra-hardline Syria’s army and its allies, Air strikes against the likes of the group’s control, is part of an backed by Russia, have been Islamic State group in Iraq and operation to encircle and ul- fi ghting back Islamic State as- Syria are “woefully insuff icient” in Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (right), who shot dead a wounded Palestinian fighter timately capture its de facto saults in Deir al-Zor city and building long-term stability, which in March 2016, is embraced by his mother Oshra at the start of his hearing in a Syrian capital of Raqqa in the engaged in clashes with the requires accountable govern- military court in Tel Aviv yesterday. north of the country. group further west. ments, the monitor said. One aim of the campaign Turkish-backed Syrian “Radical movements like ISIS is to cut IS’ supply lines from rebels, meanwhile, are fi ghting thrive when people lose all faith Journalist freed after 10 months in Israel jail Raqqa to Deir al-Zor prov- for control of the northern city in those in power — when off icials ince. of Al-Bab, which monitors say profit from the misery of the A senior Palestinian journalist has he never received specific allegations, “Military operations of is still mostly in Islamic State many, when the police exploit been released after 10 months in only a “general accusation” that he was the SDF are now taking place hands. That battle has brought rather than protect, and when an Israeli jail without charge, he said threatening “regional security”. “When within the provincial bound- the Turkish-backed rebels economic opportunity is skewed yesterday. my lawyer asked for details, he got only aries of Deir al-Zor, from the into close proximity with Syr- in favour of the connected few.” Omar Nazzal, 55, was released on Mon- rejections from judges and military north — so, via southern Ha- ian government forces, which Islamic State seeks to portray itself day after nearly a year in prison and fol- prosecutors,” said Nazzal, a member of saka (province),” the Kurdish had advanced towards the city as a countervailing force for po- lowing 13 hearings in an Israeli military the general secretariat of the Palestinian military official told Reuters. from another direction before litical integrity and reliable public court, he said. Despite that, he added, Journalists Syndicate. The SDF, which includes the rebels entered it. service delivery, the report said. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 13 AFRICA Buhari extends medical stay in Kiir vows UN access UK: spokesman

Reuters Abuja to famine-hit areas igerian President Mu- Reuters/AFP A boy watches as sacks of food hammadu Buhari Juba drop to the ground during a Nneeds further rest in United Nations World Food Britain following medical tests Programme (WFP) airdrop, close but there is no need to worry Buhari: left for London for outh Sudan’s President to Rubkuai village in Unity State, about his health, his spokes- medical leave a month ago for Salva Kiir has promised northern South Sudan. man said yesterday, as his ab- an unspecified illness. Said agencies safe access to sence enters the second month hunger-stricken civilians, a day Kiir (below) said the government while the oil producer is in re- The central bank on Mon- after his government declared a will ensure that all the cession. day devalued the naira for re- famine in parts of the war-rav- humanitarian and Buhari, 74, left for Lon- tail customers, days after a aged country. developmental organisations don for medical leave a month top advisory body demanded South Sudan has been mired have unimpeded access to the ago for an unspecifi ed illness, an urgent review at a meeting in civil war since 2013 and the needy population across the putting Vice-President Yemi chaired by Osinbajo. United Nations said on Monday country. Osinbajo, 59, in charge. Buhari has rejected a deval- that it was unable to reach some He had originally planned to uation even though some of- of the worst hit areas because of stay 10 days. fi cials have privately said that the insecurity. The government has sought the high naira rate had been “The government will ensure to allay concerns of a void at deterring badly needed invest- that all the humanitarian and de- the helm of Africa’s biggest ment. velopmental organisations have economy at a time that it is Osinbajo, who comes from unimpeded access to the needy battling recession by stressing the southern port Lagos, has population across the country,” that Osinbajo has full powers also travelled during Buhari’s Kiir said in a speech to parlia- as acting president. absence several times to the ment. “The president needs to rest Niger Delta oil hub to discuss The government was also tak- for some further time,” Bu- development projects to end ing its own steps to help people hari’s spokesman Femi Adesi- attacks by militants fi ghting threatened by famine, Kiir said, na told reporters at the presi- for oil revenues on pipelines. pledging to increase food sup- dential villa in Abuja. “From He has travelled to other plies and to subsidise their prices the results of the (medical) states and met anti-gov- in aff ected areas. tests further rest has been rec- ernment protesters who had Nearly half of South Sudan’s ommended.” marched on the villa – in con- 11mn people will lack reliable ac- He declined to say when trast to Buhari who did not cess to aff ordable food by July, Buhari might be back or what travel much in recent months, the government predicts, be- his condition is, saying only: talking mainly to his key aides cause of the fi ghting, drought “There is no cause to worry. He in the villa coming, like him, and hyperinfl ation. is the one who owns his body. from the army or Muslim South Sudan has been hit by houses have been looted and aid In some parts of the country workers have complained of bu- the country was “entirely man There is nobody who knows his north. the same east African drought workers killed. farming has been hampered and reaucratic obstacles, checkpoints made” and called for urgent ac- body better than him.” Buhari’s predecessor, Good- that has pushed Somalia back The confl ict has increasingly food prices have soared since where government or rebel tion to prevent more deaths. Osinbajo, a commercial luck Jonathan, was sworn in to the brink of famine, six years split the country along ethnic a military confl ict erupted be- troops demand payments from “Crucially what matters is that lawyer, has been holding cabi- after the death in 2010 of pres- after 260,000 people starved to lines, leading the United Nations tween Kiir and his former deputy, aid convoys, looting of com- all parties allow humanitarian net meetings and continu- ident Umaru Yar’Adua. death in 2011. to warn of a potential genocide. Riek Machar, in December 2013. pounds, and even rape and kill- organisations to have immediate ing working on an economic His illness created a power The UN children’s agency The medical charity Medecins The UN mission to South Su- ings of humanitarian workers. and full access to do their job and reform plan needed to get a vacuum that was only fi lled by Unicef said yesterday that nearly Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had dan said last week that soldiers Meanwhile, the European deliver aid,” he said. World Bank loan to help plug Jonathan, his vice-president, 1.4mn children were at “immi- set up an emergency intervention had prevented peacekeepers Commission announced an South Sudan’s military confl ict a defi cit due to a collapse of oil after three months of political nent” risk of death in famines in in northern Mayendit county to from carrying out a foot patrol to €82mn ($86mn) emergency aid has killed tens of thousands and revenues. infi ghting. South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen help malnourished children. Wau Shilluk in the north to check package for South Sudan, which displaced 3.4mn people. and Nigeria. One in four children in Mayen- on the situation of about 20,000 will be used to meet the most The formation of a unity gov- South Sudan is rich in oil re- dit had acute malnutrition, MSF people who had fl ed fi ghting. urgent needs in the country and ernment in April 2016 did not sources. said. The peacekeepers wanted to assist neighbouring countries prevent fi ghting from starting But, six years after independ- “Providing healthcare is a ma- check if the displaced people manage the infl ux of refugees. again a few months later. ence from neighbouring Sudan, jor challenge in such a dangerous needed assistance, UN mission Christos Stylianides, EU com- In his speech, Kiir pledged to Ghana’s economy in there are only 200km of paved context: people are constantly head David Shearer said in a missioner for humanitarian aid relaunch the dialogue with the roads in a nation the size of Texas. moving to seek safety,” MSF said statement. management, said yesterday that rebels, calling it “a key priority a ‘bad way’: leader In the fi ghting, food ware- on Twitter. Throughout the confl ict, aid the “humanitarian tragedy” in for this government”.

Reuters/AFP from lawmakers from the rul- Accra ing New Patriotic Party and jeering by the opposition Na- South African stores looted in Pretoria unrest tional Democratic Congress. hana’s President Nana Just a few years ago Ghana’s Akufo-Addo said in his economy was one of Africa’s Reuters “xenophobic attacks” on Nige- “We are sick and tired of for- Gfi rst state of the nation most dynamic, but it was hit Pretoria rians, other Africans and Paki- eigners who are coming to sell address that the economy was hard starting in 2014 by a stanis. drugs and kill our people, we in a “bad way” but he would slump in global prices for its South African police said they can’t let the community go down press ahead with a plan to cre- gold and oil exports. t least 20 shops possibly did not yet know the motive for like this,” said an unemployed ate jobs, cut the budget defi cit A fi scal crisis saw infl ation belonging to immigrants the latest attacks, and no deaths man in his mid-twenties, who and improve sustainable agri- and the defi cit rise sharply and Awere looted in South Afri- had been reported. declined to be named. culture. the currency fall, forcing the ca’s capital overnight, the police “There are allegations that South Africa, with a popula- Akufo-Addo told parliament previous government to enter said yesterday, but they could not these shops belong to foreign tion of about 50mn, is home to an yesterday that a three-year the IMF programme. confi rm if the attacks had delib- nationals,” police spokeswoman estimated 5mn immigrants. International Monetary Fund The speech before parlia- erately targeted foreigners. Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said. In April 2015, Nigeria recalled (IMF) programme to stabilise ment was Akufo-Addo’s fi rst Anti-immigrant violence has “It is alleged that the community its top diplomat in South Africa national fi nances had failed major address since he was fl ared sporadically in South Af- members are saying that these to discuss anti-immigrant at- to meet its objectives, and he sworn in on January 7, and he rica against a background of shops were used for drug dealing tacks that killed at least seven placed the blame squarely on outlined a series of priorities near-record unemployment, but that is unconfi rmed. We will people and sent hundreds of for- the government he defeated in in line with his manifesto com- with foreigners being accused of only be able to start a formal in- eigners fl eeing to safety camps, elections in December. mitment to cut taxes and stim- taking jobs from locals and get- vestigation once the shop owners as authorities sent in soldiers to “The IMF programme nego- ulate private sector growth. ting involved in crime. come forward.” quell unrest in Johannesburg and tiated was ostensibly to restore However, he gave few details Responding to similar inci- The Atteridgeville neighbour- Durban. fi scal discipline, debt sustain- on how the government would dents in Pretoria at the weekend, hood, where the looting took In 2008, at least 67 people ability and increase economic implement its programme, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said it place, was calm yesterday as were killed in anti-immigrant vi- growth. In fact, virtually all given that it inherited an econ- This picture taken on Saturday shows a mob attacking a Nigerian would summon South Africa’s police cars drove through the olence, with thousands of people the targets under the IMF pro- omy far worse than it expected. man outside a church in Pretoria. envoy to raise its concerns over streets. fl eeing to refugee camps. gramme as at December 2016, The issue is important po- have been missed,” Akufo-Ad- litically because of sky-high do said. voter expectations. The fi scal defi cit for 2016 Finance Minister Ken Ofori- was 9% of gross domestic Atta is due to deliver the an- product on a cash basis, rather nual budget in early March. than the target of 5.25%, he Akufo-Addo said that the government would build a Mugabe turns 93 said, and estimated growth of 3.6% last year was the lowest dam in every village to enable in 23 years. year-round agriculture, start AFP “But for now, I think I can’t ephants, buff alo and impala for He said the government will work this year on a railway line Harare say so,” he added. “The majority the feast. signifi cantly reduce the defi - connecting the port city of Ta- of the people feel that there is no The veteran leader, who came cit in 2017 as part of its goal of koradi to northern Ghana and replacement – a successor who to power when Zimbabwe won ensuring that fi scal stability tackle the problem of jobless- resident Robert Mugabe, to them is acceptable.” independence in 1980, is accused becomes an engine of growth, ness for young people, which the world’s oldest national Mugabe, who has ridiculed of holding onto offi ce through reasoning that it would lead to he described as a “time bomb”. Pruler, turned 93 yesterday, regular reports that he is close to ruthless repression of dissent lower interest rates. According to the World using a long and occasionally death, spoke about creating jobs and election rigging, while over- “The economy of our coun- Bank, one quarter of Ghana’s rambling interview to vow to re- in Zimbabwe’s wrecked econo- seeing an economic collapse. try is in a bad way,” he said in 27.4mn people live in poverty. main in power despite growing my, the country’s extreme cash The state-owned Herald Mugabe gesturing during his 93rd birthday celebrations in Harare. a speech to parliament fre- Per capita income in 2015 signs of frailty. shortage and his much-criticised newspaper published a 24-page quently interrupted by cheers was $1,480 (€1,400). He celebrated the day at a pri- wife. supplement of congratulatory In September of the same year ZANU-PF women’s wing in a vate event in Harare with a cake Sitting in State House, his of- messages from government de- he read a speech to parliament move that could make her a pos- and presents from staff as sup- fi cial residence in Harare, he ap- partments and regime loyalists, apparently unaware that he had sible successor to Mugabe. Burkina president fine-tunes govt porters and ruling ZANU-PF peared lucid at some points while while state television and radio delivered the same address a “She is very acceptable. Very party offi cials fi lled state media at other times he drawled and broadcast tributes and songs of month earlier. much accepted by the people,” Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has given with gushing messages of good- lost track of his thoughts. praise. His party has endorsed Mu- Mugabe said in the interview, government ministers specific responsibility for security and will and congratulations. The Zimbabwean opposition “As we celebrate his 93rd gabe as its candidate for gen- without giving further details. defence in a reshuff le off icially announced on state television. During an hour-long, pre- used the birthday to say that Mu- birthday today, we do so in the eral elections next year, and he Another leading candidate is National security will be separated from other home aff airs in the recorded television interview gabe was an outdated leader, in- knowledge and comfort that our remains widely respected as a Mugabe’s vice-president, Em- new government of the west African country, which since 2015 has broadcast late on Monday, Mu- capable of solving the country’s country is in very good and capa- liberation hero by other African merson Mnangagwa. been vulnerable to attacks by Islamist militants in the Sahel region. gabe appeared to grow increas- problems. ble hands,” the Herald said in its leaders. A spokesman for the Move- The portfolio for defence and armed forces veterans, traditionally ingly tired, pausing at length The president’s main birthday editorial. On Friday, his wife, Grace, 51, ment for Democratic Change op- held by the head of state, was handed to Jean Claude Bouda, a between sentences and speaking celebrations will be held on Sat- The defence ministry message claimed Mugabe would be the position party wrote a stinging politician close to Kabore previously in charge of youth, said the with his eyes barely open. urday at Matobo National Park read: “Your wise visionary lead- voters’ choice even after he dies. opinion piece in the privately- announcement late on Monday. “The call to step down must outside Bulawayo, where thou- ership continues to provide us Grace, who has a reputation owned NewsDay paper. The ministry of security, territorial administration and come from my party ... in such sands of offi cials and ZANU-PF with clear direction and greater for extravagance and fi erce ver- “Today’s problems need to- decentralisation was split in two. circumstances I will step down,” faithful are expected to gather. resolve to defend our country.” bal attacks on rivals, has also said day’s people. Yet you do not even Simon Compaore, ex-mayor of the capital Ouagadougou and a he said. “They want me to stand Large game animals are often Several incidents in recent she would use a wheelchair to belong to yesterday’s generation. top off icial in the ruling People’s Movement for Progress, becomes for elections ... if I feel that I can’t slaughtered for the occasion. years have highlighted Mugabe’s transport him to election rallies At 93, you certainly belong to wholly responsible for national security while the other two do it any more, I will say so to my In previous years Mugabe advanced age – including a pub- if needed. yesterday but one,” wrote Luke portfolios have been handed to newcomer Simeon Sawadogo. party so that they relieve me.” has reportedly been off ered el- lic fall in 2015 at Harare airport. She was appointed head of the Tamborinyoka. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 AMERICAS Trump appoints McMaster as NSA

Reuters Twitter as “terrifi c” and said Mc- Washington Master “will not be afraid to ques- tion his boss.” McMaster, who fl ew back to the resident Donald Trump on Washington area from Florida with Monday named Lieutenant Trump on Air Force One, will re- PGeneral Herbert Raymond main on active military duty, the McMaster as his new national se- White House said. curity adviser, choosing a military Trump also said Keith Kellogg, offi cer known for speaking his mind a retired US Army general who has and challenging his superiors. been serving as the acting national McMaster is a highly regarded security adviser, as chief of staff to military tactician and strategic the National Security Council. thinker, but his selection surprised John Bolton, a former US ambas- some observers who wondered sador to the United Nations, would how the offi cer, whose Army career be asked to serve the administra- stalled at times for his question- tion in another capacity, Trump Anti-Trump protesters march towards the White House during the ‘Not My President’s Day’ rally in Washington. ing of authority, would deal with said. a White House that has not wel- “He has a good number of ideas comed criticism. that I must tell you I agree very “He is highly respected by eve- much with,” Trump said of Bolton, rybody in the military and we’re who served in Republican President very honored to have him,” Trump George W Bush’s administration. Kellogg and Bolton were among Thousands of protesters insist told reporters in West Palm Beach where he spent the weekend. “He’s those in contention as Trump spent a man of tremendous talent and the long Presidents Day weekend tremendous experience.” considering his options for replac- One subject on which Trump and ing Flynn. His fi rst choice, retired Vice Trump is ‘not my president’ McMaster could soon diff er is Rus- sia. Admiral Robert Harward, turned McMaster shares the consen- down the job last week. AFP The 70-year-old political novice has Earlier in the day, the president played “Trump won’t listen to us, but if ordi- sus view among the US national McMaster, 54, is a West Point New York raised eyebrows in Twitter postings, his 18 holes of golf with Irish golf superstar nary people march in the streets, may- security establishment that Rus- graduate known as ‘HR’, with a PhD preferred method of public communi- Rory McIlroy at Trump International be we’ll have some kind of revolution sia is a threat and an antagonist to in US history from the University of cation that bypasses the nation’s media, Golf Club, according to media reports. against Trump, I hope.” the United States, while the man North Carolina at Chapel Hill. bout 10,000 anti-Trump pro- which he calls “the enemy of the Ameri- Anti-Trump activists took advantage In Los Angeles, protesters carried whom McMaster is replacing, re- He was listed as one of Time testers marched in New York to can people.” of the federal public holiday, dedicated anti-Trump signs outside City hall, tired Lieutenant General Michael magazine’s 100 most infl uential Ashouts of “not my president!” He tweeted an all-caps message to to US presidents, to organise rallies in some reading “1. Resist 2. Impeach” and Flynn, appeared to view it more as a people in 2014, partly because of Monday, joined by others in cities across celebrate the holiday, writing: “HAPPY Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Wash- “Trump is Mentally Ill,” with the “u” in potential geopolitical partner. his willingness to buck the system. the United States on its Presidents Day PRESIDENTS DAY — MAKE AMERICA ington and other cities. his name replaced by the Russian Com- Trump in the past has expressed A combat veteran, he gained re- holiday. GREAT AGAIN!” On the streets of New York, Trump’s munist symbol of a hammer and sickle. a willingness to engage with Russia nown in the fi rst Gulf War — and After a raucous fi rst month in offi ce, With his job approval rating at a his- home base, demonstrators of various Meanwhile, Trump’s daughter Ivan- more than his predecessor, Barack was awarded a Silver Star — after President Donald Trump returned to torically low 40 %, according to a Gallup ages and backgrounds gathered in Co- ka, a convert to Judaism, denounced Obama. he commanded a small troop of the Washington after spending a weekend at poll published Friday, the 45th US presi- lumbus Circle, in front of Trump Inter- bomb threats and vandalism reported Flynn was fi red as national se- US 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment his Mar-a-Lago estate in Miami Beach, dent is expected this week to work on national Hotel and near Central Park, to against Jewish sites. curity adviser on February 13 after that destroyed a much larger Iraqi Florida, which he calls the “Winter fi lling out his administration’s top spots voice their dismay. “America is a nation built on the prin- reports emerged that he had misled Republican Guard force in 1991 in a White House.” and rejigging his controversial immigra- The mood was festive, and the crowd ciple of religious tolerance. We must Vice President Mike Pence about place called 73 Easting, for its map The “Not My Presidents Day” pro- tion restrictions order that was blocked grew to 10,000, according to an unoffi - protect our houses of worship & reli- speaking to Russia’s ambassador to coordinates, in what many consider tests aim to show grassroots opposition by the courts. cial police estimate. gious centers.#JCC,” tweeted Ivanka the United States about US sanc- the biggest tank battle since World to the Republican president remains On Monday, he named counterinsur- One of the protesters, retired psycho- Trump, who has played a prominent role tions before Trump’s inauguration. War II. fervent one month after his January 20 gency strategist US Army Lieutenant therapist Rima Strauss, wore a denim in her father’s administration. The ouster, coming so early in As one fellow offi cer put it, refer- inauguration. General H R McMaster as his new na- jacket with a button that read “Not my Her comments came after at least 10 Trump’s administration, was an- ring to Trump’s inner circle of aides Controversies over the property ty- tional security adviser. president” and another one showing a Jewish community centres nationwide other upset for a White House that and speaking on condition of ano- coon’s unprecedented approach to run- McMaster takes over the post left picture of Russian President Vladimir were reported to have received bomb has been hit by miscues, including nymity, the Trump White House ning the world’s remaining superpower vacant after Michael Flynn was ousted Putin holding a baby Trump in diapers. threats — in the latest wave of such inci- the controversial rollout of a travel “has its own Republican Guard, are at full-pitch amid investigations into on February 13 after giving misleading “He’s hurting our country. We’re los- dents and graves were said to have been ban on people from seven Muslim- which may be harder for him to deal ties between Trump and his associates statements about his contacts with Rus- ing our country if we don’t do some- vandalised at a Jewish cemetery in St majority countries, since the Re- with than the Iraqis were.” with Russia. sia to Vice President Mike Pence. thing,” Strauss said. Louis, Missouri. publican president took offi ce on The Iraqi Republican Guard was January 20. the elite military force of ousted The national security adviser is dictator Saddam Hussein. an independent aide to the presi- Trump relies on a tight, insu- dent and does not require confi r- lar group of advisers, who at times mation by the US Senate. appear to have competing political Uber hires Holder to probe sexual harassment claims He has broad infl uence over for- agendas. eign policy and attends National Senior adviser Steve Bannon Security Council meetings along has asserted his infl uence by tak- AFP She said she complained to more sen- sexism in male-dominated Silicon Valley. including alleged inappropriate behav- with the heads of the State Depart- ing a seat on the National Security San Franciso ior managers and the company’s human Holder was former president Barack iour from her previous manager. After ment, the Department of Defense Council. resources department, but was told that Obama’s attorney general between 2009 lodging various complaints, Fowler said and key security agencies. McMaster’s fame grew after his it was the man’s “fi rst off ense” and that and 2015. The lawyers will be aided by she was told by her manager that she Republican Senator John Mc- 1997 book “Dereliction of Duty” ber has hired former attorney they wouldn’t feel comfortable punish- journalist Arianna Huffi ngton, who is was “on thin ice” for reporting the boss Cain, chairman of the Senate criticised the country’s military general Eric Holder to review ing a “high performer.” a member of the Uber board, the CEO to human resources. Armed Services Committee and a and political leadership for poor Uworkplace conditions after a ex- Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said in an said. In 2015, a California jury rejected frequent Trump critic, praised Mc- leadership during the Vietnam War. employee alleged sexual harassment and email to staff Monday that Holder and Fowler said she was given the choice charges of gender discrimination against Master as an “outstanding” choice. Trump’s pick was praised by one sexism at the fi rm. another attorney at the fi rm Covington of joining another team, or staying in a prominent venture capital fi rm in a case “I give President Trump great of the president’s strongest back- Susan Fowler, an engineer who & Burling “will conduct an independent her position with the possibility of re- seen as a proxy trial of Silicon Valley sex credit for this decision,” McCain ers in the US Congress, Republican worked at the rideshare company until review into the specifi c issues relating ceiving a poor performance review from bias. Ellen Pao had sued Kleiner Perkins said in a statement. Senator Tom Cotton, who called the end of last year, said in a blog post to the workplace environment raised by her manager. Caufi eld and Byers (KPCB), saying she A former US ambassador to Rus- McMaster “one of the fi nest com- Sunday that her manager made sexual Susan Fowler, as well as diversity and in- Fowler said she met other women en- was fi red after complaining about bias sia under Obama, Michael McFaul, bat leaders of our generation and advances shortly after she joined the clusion at Uber more broadly.” gineers at the company who said they at the fi rm that notably backed Amazon, a Democrat, praised McMaster on also a great strategic mind.” company at the end of 2015. The case is likely to revive debates over had experienced similar harassment, Facebook and Google. Refugee claimants from US strain Canada’s border resources

By Allison Lampert, Reuters Quebec-US border crossings more across the snowy gully divid- RCMP’s Champlain Detachment Hemmingford, Quebec than doubled from 2015 to 2016. ing Roxham Road in Champlain, commander, told reporters near the Last month, 452 people made New York, from Chemin Roxham border. “Some of these people had a claims in Quebec compared with in Hemmingford, Quebec. long journey. Some are not dressed anadian police said on 137 in January 2016, the agency “Please explain to her that for the climate here.” Monday they had bol- said. she’s in Canada,” one Canadian Asylum seekers cross illegally Cstered their presence The infl ux is straining police, offi cer told another cer.offi because Canada’s policy un- at the Quebec border and that federal government and com- Police take people crossing the der the Canada-US Safe Third border authorities had created munity resources from the west- border in for questioning at the Country Agreement is to turn a temporary refugee centre to ern prairie province of Manitoba, border agency’s offi ce in Lacolle, back refugees if they make claims process a growing number of where people arrive frostbitten Quebec, which is the province’s at border crossings. asylum seekers crossing from the from hours walking in freezing biggest and busiest border cross- But as US President Donald United States. conditions, to Quebec, where ing. Trump cracks down on illegal The Canada Border Services cabs drop asylum seekers off Police identify them and en- immigrants, Amnesty Inter- Agency, or CBSA, said at a news metres away from the Quebec- sure they are not a threat or car- national and refugee advocacy conference that it had converted U.S.border, the border agency rying contraband. groups are pressuring the Cana- an unused basement into a refu- said. They are then transferred to dian government to abandon the gee claimant processing centre. Canadian Immigration Min- the CBSA for fi ngerprinting and agreement, arguing the United Both the border agency and ister Ahmed Hussen’s offi ce did further questions. States is no safe haven. the Royal Canadian Mounted not respond to a request for com- If people are deemed a threat On Monday, Montreal, Cana- Police are reassigning staff from ment on Monday. or fl ight risk, they are detained. da’s second most populous city, other locations in the province, A Reuters reporter on Mon- If not, they can fi le refugee voted to declare itself a “sanc- as needed, to accommodate ris- day saw RCMP offi cers take in claims and live in Canada while tuary city,” making it the fourth ing demand. for questioning a family of four they wait for a decision Canadian city to protect illegal A telecommunications operator reenacts procedure for an illegal US-Canada border crossing seen in their The CBSA said the number of — two men, a woman and a baby “It’s touching, and we are not in- immigrants and to provide serv- operational control centre at Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters in Montreal. people making refugee claims at in a car seat — who had walked sensitive to that,” Bryan Byrne, the ices to them. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 15 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

CALAMITY MONEY LAUNDERING TRIAL SOCIETY DEFAMATION Travellers use meat to Eight years jail sought for Japan school apologises Thai junta urged to drop throw off sniff er dogs foreigners in Bali murder for hostile comments case against activists

Two Singaporean men used steaks and lamb Prosecutors in Indonesia sought sentences of A Japanese kindergarten known for its nationalist Rights groups urged the Thai army to drop chops to mask the smell of cash notes which they eight years each for a British man and his Austral- curriculum has apologised after coming under defamation charges against three activists over a were trying to smuggle out of Australia. The two ian girlfriend on trial for killing a policeman. David fire for hostile comments about Korean and report on torture in the conflict-hit south, decrying were detected by a police sniff er dog at Adelaide Taylor, 34, and Sara Connor, 45, were arrested in Chinese parents. The operator of Tsukamoto Kin- the prosecution as an eff ort to silence critics. A airport as they tried to illegally take more than August after local policeman Wayan Sudarsa was dergarten in the western city of Osaka was ques- state prosecutor was handed the case file and will A$520,000 out of the country. Yesterday, Ryan found dead with head injuries on a beach on Bali’s tioned by local education authorities last month now decide whether to press on with the contro- Marc Pereira and Edward Choi Gou Hang, both 34, Kuta tourist strip. The indictment said Taylor hit after complaints from parents in December. versial charges against Pornpen Khongkachonki- pleaded guilty to dealing with proceeds of crime the victim with binoculars, a mobile phone as the Kyodo news agency reported last week that the et — the chair of Amnesty International Thailand at the Australia District Court and were sentenced two fought after the Briton accused the off icer of school had handed parents copies of a statement — Anchana Heemmina and Somchai Homlaor. to nine months and six months in jail respectively. stealing Connor’s purse. Connor helped Taylor by which described the parents of Chinese and The trio could face up to seven years in jail for Pareira’s bag contained more than A$270,000 pulling the policeman’s legs. “The sentence recom- Korean children as having “evil thoughts.” defamation. The case is being closely watched in Students wade through floodwaters after school dollars, alongside T-bone steaks, while Choi’s bag mendation is unfair for Sara because all witnesses The private pre-school had also posted a state- junta-run Thailand where authorities routinely use in a flood-hit area at the Mangga Dua business had almost A$250,000 concealed behind a tray said she was not involved in attacking the police- ment on its home page referring to “delinquent” defamation laws to shut down reporting of allega- district in Jakarta, Indonesia. of lamb chops. man,” Connor’s lawyer Erwin Siregar said. South Korean and Chinese parents. tions of abuse or corruption. Myanmar probes murder of four N Korean suspect lived people in Rakhine

AFP accounts of how troops gang- Yangon raped women, murdered babies mystery life in Malaysia and burnt families alive. UN investigators who in- Reuters Body still not claimed yanmar police are in- terviewed escapees say the Kuala Lumpur vestigating the mur- violence is so severe it “very Mder of four people in likely” amounted to crimes Armed men stood guard yes- intelligence sources said, but northern Rakhine, the govern- against humanity and ethnic i Jong-chol, a North Ko- terday at the morgue holding AFP was not able to confirm his ment said yesterday, days after cleansing. rean arrested in the probe the body of the assassinated presence in the city. ending a military campaign in For months Myanmar has Rinto last week’s murder of half-brother of North Korea’s In the early hours yesterday the area the UN has compared curtailed access to the strip of the half-brother of the isolated leader Kim Jong-un, with of- a convoy of four unmarked to ethnic cleansing. land near the Bangladesh bor- state’s leader, lived in Malaysia ficials denying reports the dead vehicles was seen entering the The corpses of three women der and vehemently rejected for more than three years with- man’s son had arrived to claim hospital compound where they and a man were found buried similar allegations collected by out working at the company reg- the remains. dropped off dozens of Malay- in a fi eld near Luuphanpyin rights groups and journalists. istered on his employment per- The corpse of Kim Jong-nam sian special forces. village in Maungdaw town- But the UN’s report has mit or receiving a salary. – who was killed last Monday They were later replaced by ship last Thursday, according struck a nerve, piling pressure Ri, 47, had a Malaysian work at Kuala Lumpur airport – has private security off icers. to the offi ce of de facto leader on Suu Kyi’s young govern- visa that showed he was an em- been at the centre of a diplo- A white police van was seen Aung San Suu Kyi. “A man’s ment. Since it was released this ployee of Tombo Enterprise. But matic row between Pyongyang leaving the complex at 4am, an dead body was found with deep month state media has carried the owner of the company said and Malaysia, after the North AFP journalist said. wounds in the left armpit and almost daily updates on the he never worked a day there or insisted it be returned and No family member had yet the head cracked open,” her of- movements of a state-backed drew a salary from the small objected to an autopsy being come forward to claim the fi ce said in a statement. commission tasked with prob- herbal medicine fi rm. Chong performed. body, said Noor Hisham Abdul- “Two of the three women ing allegations of abuse in Ra- Ah Kow said he facilitated Ri’s But Malaysia rejected the lah, director general of health, had deep wounds on their khine. Critics have rejected the working visa by stating in sup- request, saying the remains at a press conference which backs and broken spines. The body, which is led by retired porting documents that he was must stay in the morgue until a otherwise off ered few details other had no (visible) inter- general turned Vice President a product development manager family member identified them about Malaysia’s investigation. nal injuries,” the statement Myint Swe and includes no in the company’s IT department with a DNA sample. “We’re still waiting for next of added without detailing who Muslims, as toothless. earning 5,500 ringgit ($1,230) per Jong-Nam’s son Kim Han- kin to come to us,” he said, add- the victims were. The bodies The UN’s top offi cial on pre- month. sol had been due to arrive in ing that an autopsy report was were discovered the day after venting genocide, Adama Di- The visa was renewed once, Kuala Lumpur from Macau on still pending more than a week the government announced the eng, has said it is “not a cred- he said, in June 2016. “It was Monday night, local media and after the murder. end of army “clearance opera- ible option” and called for an just a formality, just documents, North Korean Ri Jong-chol was arrested in connection with the murder tions” in the north of the eth- international investigation into I never paid him,” Chong, a Ma- of Kim Jong-nam. nically divided state that were the claims. laysian, said in an interview. “I has used the Southeast Asian Pyongyang’s suggestions that launched to fi nd militants who Myanmar’s persecution of don’t know how he survives here. contact his wife or his daughter. room extract with anti-cancer nation as a hub to promote its its police are acting at the be- attacked police posts in Octo- the more than 1mn Rohingyas I don’t know how he gets money.” Eff orts to contact the North Ko- eff ects. Chong said he has visited strategic and business interests, hest of South Korea. North Ko- ber. who live in Rakhine state has Chong, a frequent traveller rean embassy in Kuala Lumpur North Korea about 10 times and legitimate and otherwise, some rea and Malaysia have had a cosy The United Nations has said long drawn international criti- to North Korea, said he was just were also unsuccessful. admires the country for its cul- analysts say. relationship since former prime this was used as a cover for cism. trying to “help out” Ri. Chong said Ri rented an apart- ture. However ties are under strain minister Mahathir Mohamad a four-month crackdown in They are loathed by most He has been interviewed by ment in Kuchai Lama, a middle- “They have great shows,” following the killing of Kim embraced the isolated state, in which security forces butch- people in the Buddhist ma- police he was ready to face any class Kuala Lumpur suburb. Chong said. “(Ri was a) soft- Jong-nam. Kim died last week part to rebuff the United States. ered hundreds of Rohingyas. jority country, who consider consequences from submitting Three-bedroom apartments in spoken, courteous, humble man after being assaulted at the air- However, two-way trade be- Some 73,000 of them have them illegal immigrants from false information to the govern- the neighbourhood typically rent — just like other North Koreans.” port with what police believe was tween the two nations was worth since fl ed to southern Bang- Bangladesh, and forced to live ment. Chong, who has remained for about 1,500-2,000 ringgit Ri met Chong infrequently, a fast-acting poison. only 23mn ringgit ($5mn) in 2015. ladesh, bringing harrowing in conditions akin to apartheid. friends with Ri, said the North ($337-449) per month, accord- driving with his daughter to The two women who assaulted Even so, Malaysia’s Proton cars Korean lived with his wife and ing to property websites. Chong’s offi ce in Kuala Lumpur. him, one who is Indonesian and have been sold to North Korea two children in Kuala Lumpur. Ri’s daughter studies at HELP The men discussed business op- another who carried a Vietnam- and used as taxis in Pyongyang. Police in Xinjiang to track cars by GPS Police could not be reached for University, a fee-paying pri- portunities, such as palm oil ese passport, are both in custody. North Korean miners work in comment to explain how Ri sup- vate college in a western Kuala importation, with Ri’s daugh- Police have said they are also Malaysia’s Sarawak province A prefecture in China’s restive Xinjiang region has ordered all vehicles ported his family in Malaysia. Lumpur suburb that bestowed a ter translating from Korean into seeking four other North Koreans while Malaysian palm oil and to be equipped with GPS-like tracking software, police and media Ri has been arrested as a key honorary doctorate in economics English and vice versa. Nothing, who fl ed the country on the day rubber is exported to the com- reports said, as authorities step up an “anti-terrorism” campaign. All suspect in the murder of Kim on Kim Jong-un in 2013 for his however, came from the talks, Kim was murdered. munist state. drivers in the Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture must Jong-nam, the half-brother of “untiring eff orts for the educa- Chong said. South Korean and US offi cials Last year, the chief executive install a China-developed satellite navigation system called Beidou North Korea’s leader Kim Jong- tion of the country and the well- The duo last met in January. believe Kim was killed by agents of the Malaysia External Trade “to prevent theft, but also primarily to maintain stability”, an off icer un. being of the people”. Malaysia is about the only from the North, possibly on or- Development Corp, Dzulkifl i at the prefectural police headquarters said. China’s Global Times Police have not specifi ed what The university has confi rmed foreign country that a North ders from his half-brother be- Mahmud, spoke of North Korea newspaper quoted a police off icial as saying the policy was needed role he may have played in last she is a student there. Chong Korean can easily enter, thanks cause he had spoken out publicly “using Malaysia as a gateway so that drivers “can be tracked wherever they go” and residents had week’s brazen killing at the Kuala said he and Ri met in 2013 when to a visa-free policy for visitors about his family’s dynastic con- to Southeast Asian markets as until June 30 to comply. Xinjiang is the homeland of the Uighurs — a Lumpur International Airport. the North Korean came to him in that is largely reciprocated by trol of the nuclear-armed nation. it fi nds the country business- Turkic, traditionally Muslim, ethnic minority, many of whom complain Reuters was unable to fi nd out Kuala Lumpur, and said he was Pyongyang. Malaysia has not gone that friendly with pro-business poli- of Chinese cultural and religious repression and discrimination. whether Ri has a lawyer or to related to the inventor of a mush- Since the 1980s, North Korea far, but it has been annoyed by cies.”

Five die as plane crashes into Melbourne mall ‘Kim Dotcom legal

AFP fi reball go up into the air”, add- ing it “felt like a bomb had gone saga far from over’ Melbourne off ”. “The fi re was just so hot we could not get anywhere near AFP US$175mn in criminal proceeds light aircraft smashed it,” he said. “We could see the Wellington and cost copyright owners more into shops and exploded wreckage, or what was left of it.” than US$500mn by off ering pi- Ainto a “massive fi reball” The US embassy in Canberra rated content. Dotcom has de- killing all fi ve on board, includ- said the four passengers were im Dotcom’s marathon nied any wrongdoing and ac- ing four American passengers American citizens. extradition battle will run cused US authorities of pursuing reportedly golfers on the trip of “We extend our deepest con- Kfor at least another year, a vendetta against him on behalf a lifetime, offi cials in Australia dolences to the families and despite a New Zealand court of politically infl uential Holly- said yesterday. loved ones of those who died in ruling that he can be sent to the wood studios. In Monday’s de- The twin-engined Beechcraft today’s tragic crash,” a spokes- United States, the Megaupload cision, the High Court said Dot- plane veered just after take-off woman said. founder’s lawyer said yesterday. com could not be extradited for into a shopping centre, that was Melbourne’s Herald Sun The fl amboyant internet mo- copyright infringement because still closed, next to Essendon identifi ed two of the dead as gul is already planning to take it is not a criminal off ence in New Fields airport near Melbourne. Greg De Haven, 70, a retired FBI Monday’s ruling to the Court of Zealand. But it said there was “Five on the aircraft and looks agent and lawyer Russell Mun- Appeal and his chief lawyer Ira evidence that Megaupload’s ac- like no one has survived the sch, both from Texas, who were Rothken said the legal saga was tions constituted fraud, meaning crash,” said Victoria Police As- travelling with two unnamed unlikely to end there. Dotcom and his three co-accused sistant Commissioner Stephen friends, the daily said. Plumber “We think it’s going to take were still eligible to be extradited. Leane. Michael Howard, 29, told the about a year or so for oral argu- Rothken said Dotcom would Premier Daniel Andrews de- Australian Broadcasting Corpo- ments in the Court of Appeal in prevail because the US case had scribed it as “the worst civil avi- ration he saw a “blue fl ash”. Wellington,” he told Radio New been built on allegations of copy- ation accident that our state has “I was... just looking out the Zealand. “They have a discretion right infringement, not fraud. seen for 30 years”. The private window... and then all of a sud- in how long they want to wait be- “We see that the entire case has charter from Essendon, north den I just saw a blue fl ash come fore they come back with their been gutted... we do believe that of Melbourne, to King Island, down and then all of a sudden judgement.” the New Zealand appellate courts 55 minutes to the south, came Firemen putting out a blaze at the crash site near Melbourne. there was a massive fi reball.” San Francisco-based Rothken will fi nd in our favour, it’s only down just short of a major mo- “It was like something from a said the case then appeared cer- logical,” he said. torway packed with the heavy “The pilot unfortunately at- and told of the “massive fi reball” and hit the front of the taxi as we movie,” Howard said. tain to end up in the Supreme Born Kim Schmitz in Kiel, traffi c of early morning com- tempted to return to Essendon and a landing wheel bouncing were driving along.” Melbourne fi re brigade chief Court— New Zealand’s last av- northern Germany in 1974, Dot- muters. but has crashed into the DFO onto the motorway. Victoria Police Superintend- Paul Stacchino tweeted that enue of appeal— a process which com changed his name in 2005, Live television footage (Direct Factory Outlet) at Es- “I saw this plane... when it hit ent Mick Frewen said investiga- “more than 60 fi refi ghters have could also take more than a year. around the same time he estab- showed burned out wreckage, sendon Fields,” Leane told re- the building there was a massive tions centred on a “catastrophic worked hard to bring the fi re ... Dotcom’s fi ght against extra- lished Megaupload. The website fl ames and major damage at the porters. fi reball,” said the man called Ja- engine failure”. under control. Crews to remain dition has already rumbled on was an early example of cloud shopping centre and adjacent The centre was not due to son. The highly experienced on scene for some time”. for more than fi ve years, since computing, allowing users to buildings. open for another hour and the “I could feel the heat through 60-year-old Australian pilot Essendon Fields was closed armed police raided his man- upload large fi les onto a server A column of thick black authorities confi rmed no one the window of the taxi, and then made a May-Day call before and all traffi c diverted to Mel- sion just outside Auckland in so others could easily download smoke rose into the air as wit- inside was hurt. a wheel — it looked like a plane crashing. A shopworker called bourne’s two larger airports January 2012. The FBI alleges them without clogging up their nesses spoke of an explosion. A taxi driver called ABC radio wheel — bounced on the road Ash told Sky News he saw “the Tullamarine and Avalon. Megaupload netted more than e-mail systems. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 BRITAIN

TRANSPORT CRIME CITY MEDIA PROBE Night Tube workers Pensioner fighting for life Pranksters climb to top of Attenborough to present Crash report: Tram moving vote to strike after being knifed in park Canary Wharf skyscraper BBC Blue Planet sequel faster than initially thought

London Underground staff PA Maintenance A pensioner is fighting for life after a stabbing Reckless thrill-seekers have climbed to the top of Britain’s most revered TV naturalist David An investigation into the Croydon tram crash has workers on the Night Tube have voted to in a park in east London. Police and paramedics Canary Wharf’s One Canada Square in London. In Attenborough, 90, is returning to present a revealed that the vehicle was speeding faster than strike over claims of a breakdown in industrial raced to the scene of the attack in South Parkat a clip, posted on YouTube, two young men jump sequel to The Blue Planet documentary series, originally thought — but has also shown that the relations. Members of the Rail, Maritime and around 10am. The man was rushed to hospital over the security barriers before getting the lift 16 years after the original illuminated the depths speed limit restriction sign would only have been Transport union backed walkouts yesterday after suff ering life threatening injuries, police said. and stairs to the highest floor. They climb onto of the world’s oceans. Blue Planet II will air later visible long after a driver would need to apply the following a ballot. They also voted to carry out Pictures posted on social media show an entrance the roof and scale the outside, filming themselves this year on the BBC, and follows the 2001 series brakes. Seven people were killed when the tram other types of industrial action. The result will to the park cordoned off as police off icers carry hanging off the edge of the building and even which vividly depicted marine life from across came off the rails on a sharp curve on 9 November now be considered by the RMT’s executive and out an investigation. A Met Police spokesman touching the tip of the famous pyramid. At the the world and won two Emmys and two Baftas last year. The tram was travelling at almost four could lead to the first strike action on the 24- said: “Police were called at 10.02am on Tuesday, start of the video, the cameraman describes the for its music and cinematography. The BBC said times the speed limit, investigators now believe, hour service since it launched six months ago. February 21, by the London Ambulance Service challenge as “almost impossible”, adding: “We the new series will feature phenomena such as at 46mph (not 43mph) in a 12mph zone, having General secretary Mick Cash said: “The level of to reports of a man found suff ering stab wounds are going to try to infiltrate the building called methane volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico and braked too late from 49mph in a tunnel before flagrant abuse and ignorance of long-standing in South Park, off Green Lane, Ilford. “The man in One Canada Square”. The urban climbers make the Pacific Ocean’s so-called ‘boiling sea’, as well the curve. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch policies and procedures is unacceptable and the his 80s was taken to hospital. His injuries are life- their way up 50 floors and are shocked to find the as footage from 1,000m under the Antarctic highlights that the speed limit sign would be anger among RMT fleet grades members is clear threatening. A crime scene is in place and off icers doors to the roof are unlocked. The cameraman, Ocean. “I am truly thrilled to be joining this new visible only at a distance of between 60m to 90m following this overwhelming mandate for strike are in attendance.” The spokesman added that filming the extraordinary views, says: “Guys I can’t exploration of the underwater worlds which away, with headlights on. The tram was running in action and action short of a strike.” there have been no arrests. believe we are here.” cover most of our planet.” darkness in early morning amid heavy rain. UK teacher Pro-EU protest removed from fl ight

Guardian News The school booked him on London to a fl ight back to the UK. The school party was due to return to the UK on 20 February. British Muslim school- The teacher’s employer, teacher travelling to New Neath Port Talbot council, has AYork last week as a mem- written to the US embassy in ber of a school party from south London demanding an expla- Wales was denied entry to the nation and the issue is being United States. taken up by Welsh politicians. Juhel Miah and a group of A council spokesman said children and other teachers Miah was left feeling belittled were about to take off from at what it described as “an un- Iceland on 16 February on their justifi ed act of discrimination”. way to the US when he was re- The council said the teacher is moved from the plane at Rey- a British citizen and does not kjavik. have dual nationality. The previous week, on the The spokesman said: “Juhel 10 February, a US appeals court Miah was with a party from had upheld a decision to sus- Llangatwg comprehensive who pend Donald Trump’s executive travelled initially to Iceland en Demonstrators take part in a pro-Europe protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London. order that temporarily banned route to New York last week. entry to the country from seven Miah boarded the onward Muslim-majority countries. fl ight in Reykjavik on 16 Febru- The trip proceeded as ary but was escorted from the planned but pupils and col- aircraft by security personnel. leagues from Llangatwg com- While the school trip pro- prehensive in Aberdulais were ceeded as planned, Miah’s re- left shocked and distressed af- moval from the fl ight left pupils ter the maths teacher, who had and colleagues shocked and valid visa documentation, was distressed. escorted from the aircraft by “The local authority under- Those seeking second security personnel. stands that Mr Miah was re- Miah, 25, from Swansea, said fused permission by the United he was made to feel like a crimi- States authorities to fl y to New nal and was so worried by what York, despite being issued with happened to him that he did not a valid visa for travel. eat or sleep for two days. Miah is a popular and re- He told Wales Online that spected teacher at Llangatwg vote don’t believe in shortly before the fl ight was comprehensive school. He is a due to leave he was approached Welsh Muslim. by an offi cial who told him he “We are appalled by the could not board the plane. treatment of Miah and are de- “Everyone was looking at manding an explanation. The me,” Miah said. “As I was get- matter has also been raised with ting my luggage the teachers our local MP. democracy: Lamont and kids were confused. “No satisfactory reason has I couldn’t believe this was been provided for refusing en- Lamont said the Liberal to when Britain fi rst joined in June 23 referendum. Inside the Lords, Lady D’Souza ment of the day, rewarded for happening. I was being escorted try to the United States — either Democrats had isolated 1973. He said: “What part of that do said: “There is a core of peers either keeping their mouth shut out. It made me feel like a crim- at the airport in Iceland or sub- themselves Speaking on the second day those on the Liberal Benches not who work incredibly hard, who or opening their mouth or their inal. sequently at the US embassy in of the Lords debate on the Brexit understand? [The Lib Dems] are do that work, and there are, sad purse at a particular moment in I couldn’t speak, I was lost for Reykjavik. Miah attempted to Evening Standard Bill, the pro-Brexit peer said: opposed to the composition of to say, many, many, many peers time.” words. visit the embassy but was de- London “I little dreamt 45-years-later I this House, arguing that it lacks who contribute absolutely noth- Tory peer Lord Tebbit added: “We got to the airport, and as nied access to the building. Un- would actually be advocating the democratic legitimacy. ing but who claim the full allow- “Far too many people have been soon as we got to check in, the derstandably he feels belittled reverse procedure, namely that “Despite being reduced to a ance. put in here as a sort of personal lady behind the desk read my and upset at what appears to be ormer chancellor Lord La- we should withdraw from the rump of nine Members in the “I can remember one occasion reward.” passport and then straight away an unjustifi ed act of discrimi- mont has issued a warn- union I advocated joining. House of Commons, more than when I was leaving the House Liberal Democrat Lord Tyler said you’ve been selected for a nation.” Fing to peers not to amend “But it’s not me whose 100 of them have landed here like quite late and there was a peer also gave a withering assess- random security check. Trump’s travel ban was un- Theresa May’s Brexit Bill and changed, it’s Europe.” beached whales noisily swim- — who shall be utterly nameless ment, describing the House of “She took me to the room, veiled at the end of his fi rst blasted those calling for a second Lib Dem calls for another EU ming against the democratic — who jumped out of a taxi just Lords as “the best day care cen- made me stand on a stool, take week in offi ce. referendum as anti-democractic. referendum were met with hos- tide.” outside the peers’ entrance, left tre for the elderly in London”. He my shoes off , jacket off , checked Neath Port Talbot council The senior Tory’s veiled swipe tility throughout the fi rst day The Labour and Lib Dems are the engine running. said: “Families can drop in him or under my foot, got a swab to pointed out that UK govern- at the Lib Dems — who want to of debate with Labour claim- expected to team up and vote “He ran in, presumably to her and make sure that the staff brush over my hand and bag, ment advice states: give people another say on the ing they have “isolated” them- in favour of amendments to the show that he’d attended, and will look after them very well nice my clothing and school hoodie. “We have confi rmed with terms of Brexit — came after selves. Government’s Brexit Bill. then ran out again while the taxi meals subsidised by the taxpayer, They gave me the all clear and the US government that Brit- another senior Conservative de- Labour’s shadow Brexit Both parties would outnumber was still running. and they can have a snooze in the then I went. The search was ish passport holders (regardless scribed the party’s 102 peers as spokesperson Baroness Hayter the Tories 252 peers. “So I mean that’s not normal, afternoon in the chamber or in about fi ve minutes. There were of country of birth or whether “beached whales noisily swim- said yesterday: “One thing that A shameless peer once kept his but it is something that does the library.” fi ve or six people in the room, they hold another passport/na- ming against the democratic was really very strange was how taxi running while he nipped into happen and I think that we have A House of Lords spokesman two searched me.” tionality) aren’t aff ected by the tide”. Lord Lamont said: “Any isolated the Lib Dems were. Parliament to collect his £300 lost the sense of honour that used said: “All members have to cer- He was taken to a hotel. “I executive order.” people who retreat into “we’re The cross-benchers do not daily allowance, a former speaker to pertain, and that is a great, tify that they have undertaken was waiting for two hours for a It also drew attention to a going to come back for a second take what the Lib Dems are doing of the House of Lords has said. great shame.” parliamentary work when claim- room. It was horrendous. There statement made by the foreign one”, don’t believe in democracy. very well. Baroness D’Souza told a BBC Also in the documentary, ing for attending the House. were holes in the sheets, a dirty secretary Boris Johnson at the I believe in democracy and I “Almost none of the Lib Dems documentary that many peers which combines interviews with “Where members are shown bag under the bed, the light end of last month in the House believe we should proceed rapid- used the word “referendum”. “contribute absolutely nothing” fl y-on-the-wall footage, Lord to have claimed when they have wasn’t working and only the of Commons, when he said: ly with this bill without amend- They talk about “going back to to Parliament and attend only to Blunkett and Lord Tebbit ques- not undertaken parliamentary lamp was working. “We have received assurances ment.” the people” as if they know the claim their daily attendance al- tioned appointments prime work, the House has the power to “My phone battery was dy- from the US embassy that the The 74-year-old peer led John word referendum isn’t good.” lowance. ministers had made to the upper suspend them — as in the case of ing so I went to my suitcase, and executive order will make no Major’s bruising campaign to However former Tory Scottish She suggested the “sense of house. Lord Hanningfi eld. that’s when I realised the pad- diff erence to any British pass- sign up to the Maastricht Treaty secretary, Lord Forsyth, blasted honour” that used to come with Labour former home secretary “The House has a robust Code lock was missing. It had gone. I port holder, irrespective of their in the early 1990s, but said he ac- the party and said the British being a member of the House of Lord Blunkett said: “You have of Conduct overseen by the inde- was so paranoid, I was scared, I country of birth or whether cepted the European project had people had clearly shown they Lords had been lost. got people who may well be, out pendent Lords Commissioner for didn’t sleep or eat for two days.” they hold another passport.” changed and was quite diff erent wanted to leave the EU on the In the new documentary, titled of the patronage of the govern- Standards.” Presenter abused for asking youth to stop littering

Evening Standard a Thameslink service on Saturday encounter to British Transport Police when approached. sorry to hear about Cathy’s experi- London evening from Sutton to Farringdon. and told followers she refrained from Social media users described New- ence and thank her for reporting it. The journalist was travelling home taking a picture of the man as she sus- man as brave for challenging the man This was a particularly unpleasant after she fi nished her 6.30pm bulletin pected he was a teenager. while many fl ooded her with support- and aggressive act that no-one should hannel 4 news presenter Cathy when the passenger began littering British Transport Police said it ive messages in the wake of the inci- have to suff er. Newman has told how she was fast food yards from her, which caused had launched a probe to identify the dent. “We recently introduced a team of Cthreatened by a young man on her “blood to boil”. In a series of tweets man and condemned the behaviour In response to one who asked if she rail enforcement offi cers to supple- a train after he repeatedly dropped posted on her Twitter account along as “totally unacceptable”. But when was OK, she said: “The train was quite ment British Transport patrols and chicken bones on the carriage fl oor. with a picture of the discarded bones, contacted by the Standard, a spokes- busy so I felt safe. help combat just this sort of behav- Newman told Twitter followers Ms Newman wrote: “A kid on the train woman said the presenter had said The fi rst two bits he dropped I ig- iour. a man called her a “********” and chucks this on the fl oor & when I ask she wished not to take the matter any nored but felt my blood boiling on the “The BTP also has a text number, threatened to punch her in the face him who’s going to pick it up he calls further. third.” 61016, that passengers can use to dis- Newman told Twitter followers how she was during the menacing encounter on me a “*******”. She later reported the Newman confi rmed her decision A Thameslink spokesman: “We’re creetly report anything they see.” subjected to verbal abuse and threats. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 17 BRITAIN Five teens quizzed over ‘plan to fi ght for ISIS’

Evening Standard the teenagers, four of whom are with the operation. preparation of terrorist acts the border into war torn Syria. London school children, to travel to join Detectives are examining and were being interviewed at Khadiza is thought to have the jihadist terror group after how the teenagers, who are all a central London police station been killed in an air strike in communicating with each other known to each other, came into today. Syria last year but the fate of the ive London teenagers were online. contact. Detectives are examining if other two girls is unknown. being questioned by anti- In a co-ordinated operation The arrests came after Scot- any of the fi ve had made contact Today it also emerged that Fterror police yesterday on early yesterday, two youths, land Yard’s Counter Terrorism with jihadists in Syria and or if a Briton fi ghting with Islamic suspicion of planning to fl ee aged 16 and 17, were held at sep- Command searched the teen- the group had hatched a plot to State blew himself up in a sui- Britain to fi ght for Islamic State arate addresses in south London agers’ addresses in London last travel online. cide mission against troops in Syria and Iraq. while two others, aged 17 and 19, month. The arrests follow the case of advancing on western Mosul. The fi ve — including a were arrested at the same ad- Detectives are thought to three London schoolgirls who The terror group said a man 15-year-old schoolboy — were dress in west London. have recovered a number of ran away from home to join Is- using the name Abu Zaka- arrested yesterday at homes A boy aged 15 was arrested phones and computers during lamic State in February 2015. Off icers stormed a number of homes in London. riya al-Britani was one of two across London. last night in east London while these raids. Shamima Begum and Amira fi ghters who died attacking Counter terror detectives are a further address in Lambeth The Met said the fi ve were Abase, both 15 at the time, and fellow pupils at Bethnal Green their homes in east London and Iraqi troops in the battle for investigating alleged plans by was also searched in connection arrested on suspicion of the Khadiza Sultana, then 16, all Academy, disappeared from fl ew to Turkey, before crossing the city. Ukip leader Harry at Heads Together event gives witness statement

Guardian News identities of every boy who had London been at Hillsborough, in order to help them through a diffi - cult period, but Nuttall was not he Ukip leader, Paul among them. Nuttall, has said he Nuttall, who admitted on Tspent three hours on Liverpool’s Radio City Talk Monday giving an offi cial wit- that he did not lose “close ness statement to the police personal friends”, contrary to investigation into the Hillsbor- quotes in his name on his web- ough disaster. site, said the mistake “wasn’t Nuttall said he accepted crass, maybe Arron Banks was he had been wrong to allow but I made a genuine error”. a press release in his name to “Of course I’ll apologise to say he had lost “close personal the people of Liverpool, I’ll friends” in the crush at the apologise to everyone for not football ground, which killed checking what went up on my 96 Liverpool fans, but insist- website. It’s my fault,” he said. ed he had been present at the “I haven’t spoken to him. Prince Harry at a training session for runners taking part in the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon for Heads Together, the off icial Charity of the Year, in Newcastle, north- match. Arron Banks isn’t a member east England yesterday. Heads Together is a campaign supported by Prince Harry to change the conversation on mental health. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: of Ukip so I can’t kick him out “It is part of a wider smear of an organisation he isn’t a campaign started last Friday member of. whereby there was a claim I But I have publicly con- wasn’t at the Hillsborough dis- demned it. He’s not a mem- aster, even though I provided ber, he has given money in the witness statements I was there past.” Nuttall said he would not and spent three hours yes- resign if his campaign found- terday morning at Operation ered in Stoke. Resolve giving a witness state- “It will only be 12 weeks into ment.” my leadership at the end of this MPs in testy debate on Operation Resolve is the byelection. What we have got criminal investigation into the here is a long-term project go- 1989 disaster, examining evi- ing forward,” he said. dence of wilful neglect by po- Snell has also suff ered em- lice and offi cials. barrassment during the cam- It has so far sent to the Crown paign after off ensive Twitter Prosecution Service possible comments about guests on the invitation to Trump charges of gross negligence TV programme Loose Women manslaughter, perverting the were unearthed, as well as The government insisted that the former Scottish fi rst min- ane Abbott, addressed the crowds, Edward Leigh, Conserva- We cannot support what he is course of justice, misconduct criticism of the Labour leader, there would be no rowing ister said. “To do it in the name as did Lucas — who emerged from tive MP for Gainsborough, told doing,” she said. in public offi ce and off ences for Jeremy Corbyn, as an “IRA- back on the invite of shared values was stomach the debate to describe Trump as colleagues that he was going David Lammy, the Labour MP breaches of the Safety of Sports supporting friend of Hamas”. churning. What exactly are the a “bully and a bigot”. Inside the to make a “difficult argument” for Tottenham, warned that Afri- Grounds Act 1975 and health At the Radio 5 Live hustings, Guardian News shared values that this house, chamber, Flynn was criticised by a and then claimed that Trump’s can Americans were afraid of the and safety laws. Nuttall insist- Snell said he wanted to apolo- London this country would hope to Conservative MP when he quoted racism and misogyny had been presidency, saying Trump was ed he would not resign if he lost gise again. have?” the Observer’s Andrew Rawnsley, overstated. “Which one of us supported by the Ku Klux Klan the Stoke Central byelection on “I have apologised to my Labour’s Paul Flynn said that who has described the visit in un- has not made some ridiculous and had white supremacists in Thursday. wife and my grandmother and ritish MPs lined up to pour only two US presidents had been fl attering terms. sexual comment at some point his inner circle. He is fi ghting Labour’s Gareth my daughter because those scorn on a “racist and sex- accorded a state visit to Britain in Jacob Rees-Mogg responded in his past,” he said, prompting Salmond also said that Trump Snell for the seat, which Labour aren’t words I would like them Bist” Donald Trump, who more than half a century and it that it was out of order and ar- an angry response from female would not have forgotten previous holds by a majority of 5,179, but to have to face,” he said. “So if they said should not be allowed was “completely unprecedent- gued that no one had complained MPs. insults of him by the prime min- his campaign has been dogged I can take the opportunity to to come to Britain for a state visit ed” that Trump had been issued when Emperor Hirohito came on A number of female MPs stood ister, and said that his experience by the controversy over his apologise, I will do.” because of the risk it would em- his within seven days of his pres- a state visit to the UK. up to complain of Trump’s sex- of dealing with the former real- Hillsborough comments. Snell said his criticism of barrass the Queen. idency. Rees-Mogg was one of a ism, with Paula Sherriff , Labour ity television star, who owns golf The Ukip donor Arron Banks Corbyn was because of a “very The US president was com- Flynn — who started the de- number of Tories to defend both MP for Dewsbury and Mirfi eld, courses in Scotland, showed May also added fuel to the row by fractious summer in our party” pared to a “petulant child” and bate because he is on the peti- the president and May for issuing quoting an infamous comment, was in a diffi cult position. “From saying he was “sick to death” when Owen Smith challenged had his intelligence questioned tions committee — said Trump a state visit. which she said was sexual assault. my experience negotiating with of hearing about the disaster. Corbyn for the leadership. by MPs during a three-hour de- would hardly be silenced by the Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Rushanara Ali, Labour MP for Donald Trump, never ever do it Over the weekend, two Ukip “We spent a lot of time arguing bate triggered after more than invitation being rescinded, ac- Valley, warned against sneer- Bethnal Green and Bow, urged from a weak position because the chairmen in Merseyside re- amongst ourselves,” he said. 1.8mn people signed a petition cusing him of a “ceaseless incon- ing at the 61mn Americans who the prime minister to remove her result will be a total disaster.” signed in protest at the “crass “Things got very heated and urging Theresa May to cancel her tinence of free speech”. Asked by voted for the president, describ- invitation because of the “dam- However those close to minis- insensitivity” of the party’s things were said. invitation. Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the ing them as “the forgotten peo- age to the Queen” of the associa- ters made clear that there would handling of the controversy. The comments that I made So many politicians packed Green party, if Trump’s views ple”. Adam Holloway, Conserva- tion. be no rowing back on the invita- Nuttall said he wanted to put were to point out that we were into Westminster Hall for the de- on climate science should also tive MP for Gravesham, said that Naz Shah, Labour MP for tion to Trump and hit out at MPs. his comments “in perspective”, getting to a point of hyperbole bate that they had to have their be taken into account, Flynn re- while Trump’s travel ban on peo- Bradford West, said she had “It would be interesting to see insisting he had been present in our party that was damaging speeches limited to fi ve minutes sponded that the president had ple from seven Muslim-major- once urged Trump to come to how much time and public mon- at the disaster, despite surprise us publicly. each. shown “cavernous depths of sci- ity countries was absurd, it was her constituency to share a curry ey was wasted on today’s debate expressed in comments to the “But since then I’ve met Alex Salmond said he was un- entifi c ignorance” on the issue. “rather refreshing” to see a poli- and meet a Muslim chief super- — it achieved nothing apart from Guardian by a former school- with Jeremy. He’s been to the sure over whether to be appalled They were speaking as thou- tician actually do what they had intendent, headteacher, health off ering some, who have nothing mate and teacher that he had constituency three times. He’s by the morality of the invitation sands of demonstrators de- promised. workers and so on. better to do, the opportunity to been present. been campaigning with us. or astonished by its stupidity. scended on Parliament Square to Crispin Blunt, who chairs the “But to do so now that he is grandstand. One of his former teachers, a He’s been on the doorstep. And “As an example of fawning protest against the visit, chant- foreign aff airs committee, president will only reinforce his The British people will be more Roman Catholic priest, told the every time he spoke to some- subservience, the prime minis- ing and waving placards read- said the Queen would be em- actions, his divisive racist and interested in the important de- Guardian that the school be- body, they’ve been glad to talk ter holding hands [with Trump] ing “no to racism; no to Trump”. barrassed if the invitation was sexist messages. This fl ies in the bate in the Lords on Brexit,” said lieved it had been aware of the to him.” would be diffi cult to match,” The shadow home secretary, Di- now withdrawn. face of everything we stand for. a government source. Scotland ‘is leaving the EU independent or not’

Reuters quit the EU due to the weight of arguing for an independent Scot- government with just one MP out own independent membership of ated sympathy, EU diplomats say. While a troubled country like Edinburgh the pro-leave vote in more popu- land that would face an uncertain of 59 in Scotland, but that MP — the EU to start by the time the rest As long as Scotland avoided a Serbia is still negotiating its ac- lous England. process applying to join the EU as David Mundell — seems totally of the United Kingdom leaves the unilateral or disputed secession, cession after seven years, mem- The Scottish government says a new member state.” oblivious to the irony of him seek- bloc in early 2019 is dismissed as Spain and others would fi nd it dif- bers like Sweden joined in the ritain’s Secretary of State that means Scotland should have “There is no set of circum- ing to lay down the law on what far-fetched by British and EU of- fi cult to argue it should be unique- 1990s within two years of apply- for Scotland will tell the a choice on a future without the stances in which Scotland could should happen next.” fi cials. ly and indefi nitely barred from ing. BScottish parliament that United Kingdom. remain a member of the EU after The devolved government in European Union leaders refuse joining the EU. However, the changes inherent Scotland is leaving the EU wheth- Although the independence the rest of the UK has left,” he will Edinburgh has proposed that to be drawn on hypothetical ques- The EU treaty says “any Euro- in becoming an independent state er or not it becomes independent. movement lost a referendum in say, according to an advance copy Scotland be able to retain at least tions of whether a future inde- pean state” may apply. “There’s would raise uncertainties about The comments by David Mun- September 2014, the ruling Scot- of his speech. membership of the EU’s single pendent Scotland would be let in no question we would welcome Scotland’s institutions and its dell are bound to raise hackles with tish National Party (SNP) says that Mundell is the only member of market once Britain leaves. and how long that would take. Scotland very warmly, and pretty economy, which could prolong the the pro-independence devolved a second independence referen- the British parliament from the But it accepts that the EU will Fears of encouraging the break- quickly, once it became independ- accession process. Scottish government as talk of a dum is warranted as Brexit means ruling Conservative Party to hold not negotiate with it directly. up of other members, such as ent,” a senior EU diplomat said. In any case, the timing of a new new referendum on splitting from circumstances have signifi cantly a seat in Scotland. And the British government has Spain or Belgium, meant the EU How long that might take is un- bid for secession is unclear. the United Kingdom swirls. changed. In response to his comments, given no sign it is ready to seek maintained a chilly distance from clear. Earlier this month a poll sug- A majority of Scots voted to But Mundell will say: “The a Scottish government spokes- special deals from Brussels for the Scots’ 2014 secession bid. As part of the EU now, Scotland gested support for Scottish seces- stay in the European Union in last Scottish government are in ex- person said: “Scotland faces be- Scotland. However, Scots’ strong vote in broadly meets all the membership sion has risen to 49% from 45%, June’s Brexit referendum but Brit- actly the same position they were ing dragged out of Europe against The notion that Scotland could favour of remaining despite the criteria, for example on democ- the same level as in the 2014 inde- ain as a whole will nevertheless in before the 2014 referendum — its will by a Tory (Conservative) somehow secede and negotiate its Brexit vote in England has gener- racy. pendence referendum. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 EUROPE

Le Pen calls off meeting over headscarf requirement

Reuters dentials nine weeks from the Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian. Le Pen’s aides had been in- Buoyed by the election of Beirut April 23 fi rst round, and may be He heads the Dar al-Fatwa, formed beforehand that a head- President Donald Trump in the partly targeting potential Fran- the top religious authority for scarf was required for the meet- United States and by Britain’s co-Lebanese votes. Sunni Muslims in the multi- ing and had been “surprised by vote to leave the European Un- rench far-right National Many Lebanese fl ed to France, religious country. her refusal”. ion, Le Pen’s anti-immigration, Front (FN) presidential Lebanon’s former colonial “I met the grand mufti of Al But it was no surprise in the anti-EU FN hopes for similar Fcandidate Marine Le Pen power, during their country’s Azhar,” she told reporters, refer- French political context. populist momentum in France. cancelled a meeting yesterday 1975-1990 civil war and became ring to a visit in 2015 to Cairo’s French law bans headscarves Like Trump, she has said with Lebanon’s grand mufti, its French citizens. 1,000-year-old centre of Islam- in the public service and for radical Islamism must be faced top cleric for Sunni Muslims, After meeting Christian Pres- ic learning. “The highest Sunni high school pupils, in the name head on, although she has toned after refusing to wear a head- ident Michel Aoun – her fi rst authority didn’t have this re- of church-state separation and down her party’s rhetoric to at- scarf for the occasion. public handshake with a head of quirement, but it doesn’t mat- equal rights for women. tract more mainstream support Le Pen, among the frontrun- state – and Sunni Prime Minis- ter. You can pass on my respects Le Pen wants to extend this and possibly even woo some ners for the presidency, is using ter Saad al-Hariri on Monday, to the grand mufti, but I will not ban to all public places, a meas- Muslim voters disillusioned Le Pen refusing the headscarf ahead of her meeting with Lebanon’s Grand a two-day visit to Lebanon to the FN leader had been sched- cover myself up.” ure that would aff ect Muslims with France’s traditional par- Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian in Beirut. bolster her foreign policy cre- uled to meet the Grand Mufti The cleric’s press offi ce said most of all. ties.

France arrests three over Offi cers fi re on terrorist attack plot stolen gas truck AFP AFP Joan Carles Molinero told a news Paris Madrid conference. He was identifi ed by a source close to the investigation, who rench police have arrested panish police opened fi re declined to be named, as Joakim three men suspected of yesterday on a truck load- Robin Berggren. Fplanning a terror attack in Sed with gas cylinders that Court documents in Sweden raids in the Paris area, Marseille was speeding the wrong way seen by AFP revealed that he had and the central city of Clermont- down a Barcelona road, man- served prison time before 2012, The delivery truck which was shot at by police off icers. Ferrand, legal sources said. aging to halt it and detain the though why he was jailed is not In Clermont-Ferrand, a Swedish driver. known as these details are erased to stop as he sped down the sibility that it could be a person bomb-disposal operation was Fears that the 32-year-old was from criminal records after fi ve wrong side of a ring road. with psychological imbalances called in to sweep the home of a trying an attack similar to those years. “When people shouted at him, or who has consumed substanc- 37-year-old suspect for explo- last year in the French city of He then ended up back in he would laugh and make off en- es,” he said. sives, a source said. Nice or Berlin were soon put to court twice for driving under the sive gestures with his hand,” she Spain has been mentioned on “The suspects had a plot that rest when Interior Minister Juan infl uence of drugs, taking drugs told AFP. extremist websites as a possible was suffi ciently advanced for the Ignacio Zoido tweeted “it was and for carrying a banned weap- An investigator looks for evidence in the truck. The truck was stopped when attack target for historical rea- police to decide to arrest them,” not a terrorist act”. on – in this case brass knuckles it crashed against the wall of a sons, given Muslims ruled in the another source said. “The detained driver of the – and was fi ned for each off ence. During the chase, which last- leg was struck by one of the cyl- motorway, and the driver was country for close to eight centu- The raids were ordered by an- stolen butane truck in Barce- Police said the small truck ed several kilometres, several gas inders that fell from the truck, then detained. ries until 1492. ti-terrorism prosecutors in Par- lona has a history of psychiatric rammed several cars near Bar- cylinders fell off the truck as the Molinero said. Molinero said that there was The country increased its ter- is, according to a judicial source. problems,” he said. celona’s harbour before police man drove at high speed. Mireia Ruiz, a woman who “no indication whatsoever that ror alert to category four on a France, which has been rocked The man was unarmed and fi red seven shots to stop it. Three people were lightly in- saw the incident from her home he was planning a terrorist at- fi ve-point scale in 2015 follow- by a wave of deadly jihadist at- was taken to a hospital for a The trace of two gunshots jured during the chase, includ- nearby, said that the driver ig- tack”. ing attacks in France, Tunisia tacks from January 2015, remains check-up, regional police chief were visible on the windscreen. ing a Brazilian woman whose nored people screaming at him “We are working on the pos- and Kuwait. on high alert. On February 3, a 29-year-old Egyptian armed with machetes German state clears full-face veil ban lunged at four soldiers on patrol outside the Louvre museum, Legislation that bans face veils in select public spaces and crying “Allahu Akbar”. Mosque attended by Berlin attacker closed situations was agreed by the government of the southeastern He was shot and seriously in- German state of Bavaria yesterday. jured by one of the soldiers. “Face veiling will be prohibited in the fields of civil service, A week later, police arrested DPA on the mosque had been taken street, the police had kept the Winfried Wenzel said offi cials universities, schools, kindergartens, in the fields of public four people in southern France, Berlin down. mosque under surveillance with were taking note of the associa- general safety and order, and at elections,” the state government including a 16-year-old girl near The local broadcaster RBB re- a hidden camera. tion’s decision of no longer us- announced after a cabinet session. Montpellier, on suspicion they ported that the building’s own- Amri, who killed 12 people ing the building. Situated on the German border with Austria and the Czech were planning an “imminent” he mosque in Berlin at- ers and the mosque association and injured more than 50 oth- “Of more importance to the Republic, Bavaria was the first point of entry for the hundreds of attack. tended by Berlin truck had agreed to cancelling the ers when he drove his truck into Berlin police is the question thousands of migrants and refugees who entered Germany in 2015. During the raid, the offi cers Tattacker Anis Amri has rental agreement. a crowded Christmas market on where potential perpetrators The premier of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, has been one of the most found ingredients used to make been closed. Furniture and prayer rugs had December 19, was often fi lmed may turn to next,” he said. vocal critics of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policies as the TATP, a highly unstable home- The mosque is permanently already been removed. visiting the mosque, including It would make sense to con- 2015 influx stoked Germans’ concerns about domestic security and made explosive used in the No- closed, read a note in German Police say they had informa- on the same day as his attack. tinue eff orts seeking a ban of the the integration of migrants into German culture. vember 2015 attacks in Paris. and Turkish on the door of the tion that the place of worship in Berlin authorities have been association, Wenzel added. According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, a The teenage girl, her partner prayer rooms which was seen the apartment house had been debating a possible ban of the This would prevent its of- Muslim woman who veils her face is acting contrary to the local and an older man described as yesterday. a meeting point for violence- mosque association “Fussilet fi cials from setting up a new German culture of communication. their mentor were charged with This was confi rmed by the prone Islamists. 33” since 2015. mosque under the same or a “A communicative exchange takes place not only through speech, terrorist off ences. police, who said that the signs From a building across the Berlin police spokesman similar name. but also through looks, expressions and gestures,” Herrmann said.

Corpses wash up on Libyan beach Pope Francis decries

Reuters ‘populist rhetoric’ Tunis

Reuters and dignifi ed welcome”, particu- he bodies of at least 74 Vatican City larly those fl eeing war, the Pon- Pope Francis migrants have been found tiff said in a lengthy address to Twashed up on the shore in participants of a conference on cessible and secure humanitarian western Libya after the engine ope Francis called yester- migration in Rome. channels,” the Pope said. of their infl atable boat was sto- day for a radical change “Faced with this kind of rejec- Countries had a “moral im- len, coastguard and aid offi cials Pof attitude towards im- tion, rooted ultimately in self- perative” to help exiles, asylum- said yesterday. migrants, saying they should be centeredness and amplifi ed by seekers, migrant workers, vic- Red Crescent spokesman welcomed with dignity and de- populist rhetoric, what is needed tims of human traffi cking and Mohamed al-Misrati said the nouncing the “populist rhetoric” is a change of attitude, to over- even migrants in “irregular situ- corpses had been recovered on he said was fuelling fear and self- come indiff erence and to counter ations”, he added in an apparent Monday near the city of Zawiya ishness in rich countries. fears with a generous approach reference to undocumented im- and the migrants appeared to The Pope, who has champi- of welcoming those who knock at migrants. have died during the past two oned the cause of migrants since our doors.” A number of US cities have days. taking offi ce in 2013, did not sin- Populist anti-immigrant par- fi led lawsuits challenging They were all adults, most- gle out any country for criticism. ties have made gains in a number Trump’s executive order direct- ly from sub-Saharan African But his words may resonate in of European countries, includ- ing the federal government to countries, and all but three were the United States, where courts ing Italy, France and the Nether- withhold money from cities that male. have blocked an executive or- lands, where anti-Muslim politi- have adopted sanctuary policies The Zawiya coastguard post- der by President Donald Trump cian Geert Wilders on Saturday toward such people. ed a video that showed the mi- to suspend arrivals from seven launched his campaign for next Francis even echoed the US grants’ boat, with no engine, as mainly Muslim countries, and in month’s election with a prom- Declaration of Independence by the fi rst bodies were recovered. a Europe still struggling with a ise to crack down on “Moroccan saying that they all had “inalien- Joel Millman, a spokesman A handout picture released yesterday by the Zawiya branch of the Libyan Red Crescent shows the arm mass infl ux of more than 1.3mn scum”. able rights”. for the International Organisa- of a dead migrant on the beach as volunteers recover the bodies of 74 migrants that washed ashore migrants and refugees since the “For those who fl ee confl icts “Defending their inalienable tion for Migration (IOM), said a near Zawiyah on Libya’s northern coast. start of 2015. and terrible persecutions, of- rights, ensuring their fundamen- local staff member had reported Immigrants should not be re- ten trapped within the grip of tal freedoms and respecting their that “traffi ckers came and re- them only as far as European migrant smugglers, with wood- deaths this year to more than jected out of hand as unworthy criminal organisations who have dignity are duties from which no moved the engine from the boat rescue vessels stationed in in- en boards inserted to reinforce 365. rivals but given a “responsible no scruples, we need to open ac- one can be exempted,” he said. and left the craft adrift”. ternational waters. the fl oor, pulled up half-way Having largely closed off sea “This is not only horrible Most leave from the stretch onto the beach close by. crossings between Turkey and number of deaths in one inci- of Libyan coast between Tripoli Some bodies were still inside Greece last year, the European Court rules against automatic refugee status for Syrians dent but it strikes us as some- and the Tunisian border to the the boat. Union is searching for ways to thing that we haven’t really seen west. A local volunteer said the toll stem the fl ow of migrants from Syrians fleeing the multi-sided civil war in their home Federal Off ice for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) on much of, which is either delib- The bodies of those who could rise, as some bodies had Libya. country do not have an automatic right to refugee his own status. erate punishment or murder of drown are frequently found been spotted in the sea but aid This month European leaders status under the Geneva Convention, a German The off ice currently awards Syrian asylum-seekers migrants,” Millman said. washed up on Libyan shores. workers had not yet been able to off ered Libya money and other court ruled yesterday. only temporary, so-called “subsidiary protection”, Libya is the main departure The Red Crescent published recover them. assistance to try to reduce the It could not be assumed that asylum seekers which protects them from deportation but prevents point for migrants hoping to pictures of the bodies laid out in Last year a record 181,000 numbers departing across the returning to Syria would be persecuted as political them from reuniting with family members. reach Europe by sea. white and black body bags along migrants crossed between Libya Mediterranean. opponents solely on the grounds of their having The ruling is significant for other cases. They generally attempt the the beach. and Italy. More than 4,500 are Aid groups criticised the fled, the Higher Administrative Court in the western In the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia crossing in fl imsy infl atable Some of the images showed a known to have died. move, saying such plans ex- German city of Muenster ruled. alone, 12,300 lawsuits had been brought by Syrians craft loaded with small amounts semi-defl ated grey rubber boat The IOM said the latest inci- posed migrants to further risks A refugee from Aleppo had brought the case contesting decisions by the BAMF by the end of of fuel which are intended to get of the kind typically provided by dent raised the total number of and abuses within Libya. forward, contesting a decision from Germany’s January. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 19 EUROPE Ukraine tycoon held after shock

Austria ruling Firtash arriving at the courthouse in Vienna yesterday. AFP Vienna unexpectedly ruled that media reports saying that Firtash cial institutions, travel to and with the gas magnate in April Firtash owns Group DF, a busi- kovych was ousted in protests Vienna he should be handed over US au- was accused of belonging to a from the US, and use of US-based 2015 and rejected the US request. ness empire involved in energy, in February 2014, and Firtash’s thorities. criminal organisation which had communications – computers, But the appeals court said yes- chemicals, media, banking and arrest in Austria came soon af- The shock decision overturned laundered €10mn ($10.5mn) in telephones, and the Internet. terday that the US had provided property in Ukraine and other terwards, although offi cials deny ustria has detained a 2015 verdict by a lower court, Spain. Firtash was arrested in Vienna “suffi cient” proof that Firtash countries including Germany, any link. Ukrainian oligarch which had rejected the US re- But when the warrant was is- in March 2014, but released on a “may have committed the crimes Italy and Austria. Observers say that US authori- ADmytro Firtash yesterday quest on the grounds that it was sued, the tycoon was already un- record Austrian bail of €125mn he is accused of”. He made his fortune import- ties want to detain Firtash be- over alleged links to organised politically motivated. der house arrest in Austria over ($130mn). “(The ruling) means simply ing gas to Ukraine from Russia cause he holds information on crime in Spain, shortly after a Although the latest ruling can- the US allegations. He has denied all charges and that it’s up to another country and Central Asia via his group close allies of Russian President Vienna court approved his extra- not be appealed, the fi nal extra- Firtash, 51 – a one-time ally maintained he was the victim of to decide whether he’s guilty or Rosukrenergo, since disbanded, Vladimir Putin. dition to the US on separate cor- dition decision lies with the jus- of Ukraine’s ousted president a smear campaign. not,” judge Leo Levnaic-Iwanski in collaboration with Russian gas “The case against Firtash in ruption charges. tice minister. Viktor Yanukovych – is wanted His legal team argued that he said. giant Gazprom. the United States will not be Police took the gas magnate The prosecutor’s offi ce refused in the US over charges that he and was caught up in a larger bat- The move dealt a blow to Fir- Having backed the 2010 elec- limited only to the bribery alle- into custody as he left the packed to comment on the Spanish case fi ve others paid $18.5mn in bribes tle over the future of Ukraine, tash who had said he would “re- tion campaign of Yanukovych, gations in India,” said Ukrainian courtroom surrounded by his or how Firtash’s arrest would af- to offi cials in India to secure tita- where the government has been turn home immediately” after Firtash was able to expand his MP Sergiy Leshchenko, a former lawyers and bodyguards. fect the extradition ruling. nium mining licences in 2006. engaged in bloody fi ghting with the verdict, in comments made business interests, acquiring journalist who used to investi- The dramatic arrest of one of Authorities in Barcelona had The United States argues that Russian-backed separatists in shortly before the decision. chemicals and fertiliser factories gate Firtash’s case. “He is very Ukraine’s richest men took place issued a European arrest war- its laws applied because the con- the east since 2014. “I want justice,” he told re- as well as TV channel Inter. valuable not only as a defendant just after the appeals court in rant in November last year, with spiracy involved using US fi nan- A lower court in Vienna sided porters in Vienna. The Russian-backed Yanu- but as witness too.”

65% voters wish Azerbaijan leader appoints Romania’s anti-corruption Fillon drops out About two-thirds of French voters wish that conservative presidential candidate Francois his wife as vice-president decree ditched for good Fillon withdraws his bid after allegations his wife was paid for a fake job, according to an Ifop poll Reuters AFP Social Democrat (PSD) govern- drawal, thousands of protesters for Journal du Dimanche. Baku Bucharest ment adopted an emergency have vowed to continue dem- The poll, based on 1,004 decree that critics say would onstrations until the govern- interviews with French voters on have protected corrupt politi- ment quits. Friday and Saturday, showed that zerbaijan’s President Il- omanian MPs have voted cians from prosecution. Even since before Romania 65% of respondents wished Fillon ham Aliyev has appoint- to defi nitively shelve a The proposed changes, which joined the European Union in would drop his candidacy. Aed his wife Mehriban as Rcontroversial decree that also sparked concern in Brus- 2007, Brussels has taken it to The results were down by three his deputy, further entrench- had sought to water down anti- sels and Washington, would task over the endemic problem percentage points compared with ing the power of the family in corruption legislation but end- have made abuse of power of corruption and organised an identical poll conducted two what one opposition leader ed up unleashing the nation’s a crime punishable by jail crime. weeks earlier, Ifop said. denounced as a “fi rst step to biggest protests in a quarter- only if the sums involved ex- The country has intensifi ed The margin of error is estimated establishment of an absolute century. ceeded 200,000 lei (€44,000, its fi ght against corruption in at + or - 3.1% when poll’s results monarchy”. The left-leaning government $47,500). recent years with the creation are 50% or higher, Ifop said. Ilham Aliyev assumed the had already revoked the decree Critics say that this would of a powerful anti-corruption Among supporters of Fillon’s presidency of the oil and gas earlier this month but it still have let off PSD leader Liviu agency, which has seen the ar- political party The Republicans, exporter in 2003 after the death needed to be repealed through a Dragnea, who is currently on rest of hundreds of senior offi - 70% of respondents wish that he of his father Heydar, whose parliamentary vote. trial for alleged abuse of power. cials and politicians. maintains his candidacy, which is rule stretched back into Soviet “This decree’s saga has fi nal- Dragnea, who denies the Graft watchdog Transpar- six points higher than two weeks times. ly come to an end. The govern- charges, insisted he would not ency International ranked Ro- ago. Mehriban herself hails from ment’s unfair and nontranspar- have benefi ted from the decree. mania below all but three of its Fillon said on Friday that he one of the most wealthy and in- ent move has been corrected,” The law has triggered weeks fellow EU states in a January re- would stay in the race come what fl uential families in the country, This 2009 file picture shows Aliyev and his wife Mehriban after a said the head of the centre-right of rallies, peaking on February 5 port based on public perception may, after saying for weeks that the Pashayevs. meeting at 10 Downing Street in London. opposition, Raluca Turcan. with an estimated half a million of the prevalence of corruption. he would step down if he were “Mehriban Aliyeva is a very On January 31, less than a people nationwide. Worldwide, the country put under formal investigation professional, clever, experi- Foundation, a philanthropic or- cusations, saying Aliyev’s rule month after being sworn in, the Despite the decree’s with- ranked 57th. over his wife’s employment. enced, principled and benevo- ganisation. has brought prosperity and sta- lent person,” Aliyev told a meet- She and her husband have bility to a country located in an ing of Azerbaijan’s Security two adult daughters and a stu- area, the southern Caucasus, Council. “It is not mere chance dent son. that has seen several confl icts that the Azeri people love her Her offi cial title will be First since collapse of the Soviet Un- very much.” Vice-President, a post that ion in 1991. Italian taxi drivers protest against competitors Ilham Aliyev’s hold on power was created last year following Its own territory of Nagorno- was tested last year when low a referendum on constitutional Karabakh is focus of a “frozen” prices for Azerbaijan’s main changes. confl ict with Armenia. Reuters export, oil, hit the currency The revised constitution does Mehriban’s collection of con- Rome and pushed up prices for staple not specify what duties the fi rst temporary art forms the basis of goods like fl our. vice-president has. a new museum of modern art in Riots erupted in some cities Opposition fi gures described Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, on taly’s taxi drivers staged a outside Baku, witnesses said, the appointment as an abuse of the shores of the Caspian Sea. sixth day of protests in major before police restored order, de- power by the ruling family. Her family, the Pashayevs, Icities yesterday and blocked taining dozens of people. “This appointment shows has vast business interests, in- central Rome to try to force the Since then, oil prices have disrespect to the people,” Ali cluding several banks, an insur- government to crack down on recovered and the currency has Kerimli, leader of one of Az- ance company, construction, limousine businesses and the stabilised. erbaijan’s opposition parties, travel, and Azerbaijan’s only app-based Uber service. Known for her stylish dress told Reuters. “It’s the fi rst step Bentley dealership. The taxi revolt broke out last sense and immaculate appear- to the establishment of an abso- Several of her relatives have week when the ruling Democrat- ance at public events, Mehriban lute monarchy in the country.” served in senior government ic Party (PD) said it would delay Aliyev, 52, is a member of par- European institutions and posts. yet again introducing norms liament and a Unesco goodwill rights bodies have accused the Under its revised constitu- aimed at regulating car-hire and ambassador. Azeri authorities of curbing free tion, Azerbaijan also has a vice- car-share schemes. However, her most promi- expression and preventing fair president – which is more jun- Taxi drivers gather with street vendors to protest in front of the House of Deputies during discussions on Taxi drivers operate under nent role until now has been elections. ior to the fi rst vice-president. amendments that, according to the taxi drivers, deregulates the sector of transport, enabling a wider use rigid regulation and say they are as head of the Heydar Aliyev Azeri offi cials deny those ac- That post is vacant. of Uber. being penalised by the growth of little-monitored app-based services like Uber, which con- nect users to the nearest drivers via smartphone, and increas- Spanish man killed in ingly popular chauff eured lim- Jailed opposition leader loses MP status ousines. “We don’t mind competition, ‘horrifi c dog attack’ but there isn’t a level playing Reuters parliament and jailed the other, Demirtas was sentenced to fi ve on April 16 to replace Turkey’s fi eld. These companies don’t Ankara weeks ahead of a referendum months in prison, broadcaster parliamentary system with an have the same constraints as on extending the president’s NTV and other media reported. executive presidency. AFP to look for him and found him ly- us,” said Paolo Ricci, a taxi driver powers. HDP lawmaker Idris Baluken The HDP, which says as Madrid ing on the ground in a “horrifi c protesting outside the prime urkey’s parliament has Figen Yuksekdag has been in has also been arrested, NTV re- many as 5,000 of its members scene”, they added. minister’s offi ce in the heart of stripped one of the pro- detention on terrorism charges ported. have been detained, opposes There are no dangerous wild Rome. TKurdish Peoples’ Demo- since November after being ar- The arrests have left the sec- the changes, which, if passed, Spanish man has been animals in the area, and suspi- “We are a public service. We cratic Party’s (HDP) two lead- rested with co-leader Selahat- ond-largest opposition party could see President Recep mauled to death in what cion soon fell on a neighbour have fi xed fares, fi xed shifts ers of her status as a member of tin Demirtas and, yesterday leaderless before Turks vote Tayyip Erdogan rule until 2029. Apolice believe was a vi- whose dogs have caused prob- and have to take any customer, Erdogan and his supporters cious attack by his neighbour’s lems in the past. even if it is only a short ride that Six students detained by police for singing in Kurdish say the changes will give Tur- fi ve dogs. “The dogs didn’t have any makes no money. The competi- key stronger leadership. The 66-year-old was dis- trace of blood on them, but po- tion doesn’t have any of these Six students who were detained by police for Sirri Sureyya Onder a member of parliament from But his critics, including covered by his son lying on lice realised that one of them was problems and the government singing in Kurdish, their mother tongue, received the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the HDP and main opposition the ground covered in wounds soaking wet, as if it had just been must act,” he said. backing from politicians yesterday, which is marked a pro-Kurdish grouping, voiced support for the secular CHP, say it will lead to “caused by animal bites” which washed,” the Guardia Civil said. The protest coincided with a globally as International Mother Language Day. students. a one-man rule. police suspect were the work of “The owner alleged he had fallen demonstration by market and Six pupils were detained in Aydin, on the Aegean The students “sang a folk song in a language that On Monday, HDP appealed the dogs, all crosses between pit in the pool.” stallholders, who are up in arms coast, last week after their teacher reported them they speak in their dreams”, he said in the HDP’s to the European Court of Hu- bulls – considered dangerous – Police took DNA from the dogs over plans to implement the to police for their songs and traditional dancing. weekly faction meeting in parliament. man Rights over what it said and bull terriers. to confi rm whether they killed European Union “Bolkestine” The students were released by a judge under Kurdish was once banned in Turkey, though restric- was the unlawful imprison- The victim left his home in the man. directive aimed at opening up judicial control. tions have since been relaxed. ment of its two leaders. Beniarbeig, southeastern Spain, If they did, the owner could competition within the services “We are not people who would betray our nation, International Mother Language Day is marked an- Prosecutors want Demirtas on Saturday to tend to his veg- face charges of involuntary man- sector. our people,” the father of one student was quoted nually by the United Nations which says “languages jailed for 142 years and Yuk- etables nearby, the Guardia Civil slaughter. While one group of protest- as saying by the private Dogan news agency. “No- are the most powerful instruments of preserving sekdag for up to 83 years on the police force said in a statement The dogs, meanwhile, were ers closed roads around the body can claim one is a traitor because of listening and developing our tangible and intangible herit- charges of inciting violence and yesterday. taken to a shelter where they bit prime minister’s offi ce, another to Kurdish music.” age”. propaganda in support of a ter- When his son realised he had a worker and destroyed the cage crowded around the entrance to rorist organisation. been gone a long time, he went they were kept in, police said. the nearby PD headquarters. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 INDIA

CO-OPERATION CRIME JUSTICE OFFBEAT WILDLIFE India, UK hold Juvenile held in Delhi for Man gets for life term for Curbs on guests, dishes Scientists find new extradition talks kidnapping employer’s son widow’s rape and murder at Kashmir weddings miniature frog species

Days after New Delhi’s request seeking the depor- A juvenile arrested in Delhi on charges of kidnap- A Delhi court yesterday awarded life imprison- The Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday Scientists have discovered four new species of tation of fugitive baron Vijay Mallya, India and the ping his employer’s son for ransom said he was ment till death to a 22-year-old man for raping ordered curbs on the number of guests on mar- miniature night frogs small enough to sit on a United Kingdom yesterday concluded extensive inspired by a Bollywood film. Police said the and murdering an 81-year-old woman at her riages, engagements and other events and to fingernail in a remote part of India, according to a talks related to extradition of criminals. Mallya abducted boy – kidnapped from his Kalyan Puri south Delhi residence two years ago. Judge avoid wastage of food. report published yesterday. The researchers, who faces loan default charges back home but has residence in east Delhi – has since been rescued Sanjiv Jain sent Neeraj Safi, domestic help in Addressing the media, Consumer Aff airs and spent five years exploring the lush Western Ghats been hiding in the UK. According to the external from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh. “The accused had the house of the elderly woman, to jail for life, Public Distribution Minister Zulfikar Ali said the mountains, said the tiny amphibians were there aff airs ministry, the two sides held “detailed delib- left his job and gone to his native place, Badaun, saying his act was “brutal and diabolic”. The order will come into eff ect from April. The family in abundance but had likely been overlooked erations on the legal processes and procedures after the death of his mother,” a police off icer said. court, however, refused to award death sen- of a woman getting married can invite up to 500 because of their size. They also found three other in either country and reviewed the requests for However, he was thrown out of his house by his tence to Safi considering his age. The court also guests while the number of guests allowed for species of night frogs, according to the report in extradition and mutual legal assistance pending sister-in-law. He then returned to Delhi in search imposed a fine of Rs18,000 on him considering a son’s wedding cannot exceed 400. Invitees on the PeerJ medical sciences journal. “The miniature on either side”. The two countries reiterated their of a job and watched a movie where four people his poor background. Safi, a resident of Madhu- engagement functions cannot exceed 100. And species are locally abundant and fairly common determination to strengthen legal co-operation kidnap a boy for ransom. This gave him the idea bani in Bihar was the victim’s servant. He raped only seven non-vegetarian and seven vegetarian but they have probably been overlooked because and expedite the pending requests, said the of kidnapping his former employer’s son, the and killed her in her Greater Kailash-II house on dishes can be served to guests in addition to two of their extremely small size, secretive habitats statement. police said. July 7, 2014. sweet dishes. and insect-like calls,” researcher Sonali Garg said. Congress seeks Campaigning for votes court-monitored probe in Naliya gang-rape case

IANS Oza maintained that the Nali- New Delhi ya incident of “women molesta- tion was not limited to just BJP and RSS workers but also linked he Congress yesterday to other top leaders, which in- demanded that a sitting clude leaders of Gujarat and also Tjudge under the supervi- other BJP-ruled states”. sion of the high court investigate “They are trying their best the Naliya gang rape case, alleg- to threaten, blackmail and even edly involving BJP leaders from lure the victim’s family. They are Kutch, and questioned Prime also trying to malign the victim’s Minister Narendra Modi’s si- character,” she said. lence on the issue. Oza added that the National “The BJP, which used ‘Nirb- Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) haya case’ as a plank to come to data reveals that the BJP-ruled power, is in the dock over wom- states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajas- en’s safety. The Modi govern- than and Maharashtra have high ment has completed half its term rates of violence against women. but women’s security in Gujarat “The past record of the Gu- has become so bad that women jarat government has proved there need to be saved from the that Special Investigating Team Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav (second right) and Congress Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi take part in a joint roadshow in support BJP leaders,” said Shobha Oza, probes are merely lip-service of their state assembly election party candidates in Allahabad yesterday. Voting in state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh continues in phases with results on March 11, in a chairperson, All India Mahila to save the real culprits. In this contest seen as a key test for Narendra Modi halfway into his first term as prime minister. Congress. context, we want to ask why this “While talking about zero tol- shameful incident is not being erance, the prime minister has investigated by a sitting judge awarded a ministerial berth to under the supervision of high rape accused Nihal Chand,” she court?” Oza added. alleged. “Why is Modi not ready for A 24-year-old woman from investigation of such incidents Kutch had fi led charges in Naliya which took place in Gujarat, As- town last month, alleging she sam and other BJP-ruled states? had been raped repeatedly by Will Modi take responsibility nine persons, including four lo- for the safety and security of the Modi raises visa issue cal BJP offi ce-bearers, since last victim and her family?” she de- year. manded. The Gujarat assembly budget On the question of rape charg- session on Monday saw pande- es against some Congress leaders monium by opposition mem- in Bihar and Jammu and Kash- bers over the alleged gang-rape, mir, including current state PCC forcing Governor O P Kohli to chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who with visiting US team cut short his customary opening was later acquitted, Oza said: address. “The law should take its own Reuters “The prime minister referred further applicants who have ob- that his isolationist rhetoric and meeting with Prasad, declined Oza also led the protest in course. If he (Mir) was later set New Delhi to the role of skilled Indian tal- tained a US master’s degree. hostility to free trade would hurt to answer a question on visa re- front of the Bharatiya Janata free, then it must have been on ent in enriching the American The actual number of Indian India’s hi-tech and outsourcing strictions, saying it was up to the Party (BJP) headquarters here the basis of law. economy and society,” Modi’s nationals working in the US industry. president to reassess his policies against the party leaders’ alleged “The guilty should not be pro- rime Minister Narendra office said in a statement after under the H-1B programme is The sector, led by Tata Con- on immigration. involvement in the sex scandal in tected or go scot-free. We are Modi yesterday urged he met a bipartisan delegation significantly higher, however, sultancy Services, Infosys and A senior Indian offi cial, Gujarat. saying that the probe should be Pthe US to keep an open of 26 members of the US Con- because many visas are rolled Wipro, employs 3.5mn people speaking on condition of ano- “Why has the prime minister done taking into account what mind on admitting skilled In- gress. over. and is lobbying against proposed nymity, said the government maintained a stoic silence on the the victim wants. A person is dian workers, in comments that “He urged developing a re- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, US visa curbs — including in- hoped to resolve the visa issue issue of ‘Naliya BJP sex scandal’ found guilty only after probe. pushed back against Republi- fl ective, balanced and far-sight- who was born in India, also met creases on salaries that H-1B with the US but declined to be of Kutch? The slogan of ‘Beti Once they are found guilty, then can President Donald Trump’s ed perspective on movement of Modi yesterday. He told the Eco- visa holders must earn. drawn on the details. Bachao’ is simply a hollow one they are expelled from the party “America First” rhetoric on jobs. skilled professionals.” nomic Times earlier that his own Part of the delegation led by The government supported a and the BJP and the RSS (Rash- as well. Our party doesn’t want Modi’s comments refl ected Indian nationals are by far the career had been made possible Congressman Bob Goodlatte, a move by Nasscom, India’s high- triya Swayamsevak Sangh) lead- to protect anyone,” she added. concern that India’s $150bn IT largest group of recipients of the by “an enlightened immigration Republican from Virginia who tech industry association, to ers have become exploiters of Meanwhile, Congress spokes- services industry would suff er if 65,000 H-1B visas issued each policy”. chairs the House Judiciary Com- lobby US lawmakers and com- women in the country,” said Oza. person and MP Sushmita Dev put the US curbs the visas, known as year to new applicants under a Initial confi dence that Asia’s mittee, met Ravi Shankar Pras- panies to urge the administra- “The sex scandal of Naliya has the onus on the prime minister to H-1B, it relies on to send its soft- cap mandated by Congress. third-largest economy would ad, India’s minister in charge of tion not to crack down on allow- unmasked the real character of investigate such matters across ware experts to the US on project Exemptions on the H-1B cap benefi t from Trump’s election electronics and IT. ing its skilled workers into the the BJP,” she added. the country. work. are available to up to 20,000 victory has given way to concern Goodlatte, speaking at the US, the source said. Millions vote in crucial Driver accuses BJP Maharashtra civic polls leader of murder IANS that the alleged murder of Gaonkar Panaji was a revenge act, in response to the IANS for four terms, the BMC has a For the BJP, the election is a murder of Rane’s brother Prithviraj Mumbai budget of Rs370.52bn for the virtual mid-term report-card on in 2005, in which Gaonkar was al- current year (2016-17) catering to its much-bandied issue of trans- video, purportedly spill- legedly involved. a population of around 18.30mn. parency and clean governance. ing the beans on an al- “The blatant acts of commis- illions voted yesterday In comparison, neighbouring A generous dose of glamour, Aleged murder of a local sion and omission by the state in Maharashtra to elect Goa’s budget last year was around glitz and power play was visible youth in 2006, which went viral government in failing to nab the M10 major civic bodies, Rs147bn. Voting was also con- in Mumbai at the 7,304 booths to on Monday on social media, has real culprit who is hand in glove including the Brihanmumbai Mu- ducted in other nine civic bodies elect 227 BMC corporators from commanded the interest of the with the police, not only makes a nicipal Corporation (BMC), India’s (besides Mumbai) – Thane, Ul- among 2,275 candidates. Goa Human Rights Commission mockery of justice, but is a clear largest and richest civic body. hasnagar, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri- Early voters included Sharad and the state police. human rights violation against the The election, which will also Chinchwad, Solapur, Amravati, Pawar, his daughter Supriya Pa- The commission yesterday is- deceased and his family members pick 11 Zilla Parishads (district Akola and Nagpur. war, Uddhav and wife Rashmi sued notices to state chief secretary by not allowing the cause of his councils) and 118 Panchayat Sami- This is the fi rst time the fate Thackeray and Maharashtra and the director general of police, death to be probed honestly and tis (rural local governments), is of a state government could rest Navnirman Sena president Raj after a city-based lawyer-activist in not giving the deceased and the widely seen as a referendum on on the outcome of a municipal and wife Sharmila Thackeray. Aires Rodrigues in a complaint at- family rightful dignity guaranteed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. election, given the bitterness be- Chief Minister Fadnavis and tached along with the video, raised as a human right,” Rodrigues said By close of balloting, an esti- tween the BJP and Shiv Sena in his wife Amruta voted in Nagpur. questions about the police probe in his petition to the commission. mated 50% of Mumbai’s 9.2mn the run up to the polls. So did union minister Nitin Gad- into the 2006 case, which allegedly Rane could not be contacted electorate had voted. Early voters An aggressive Shiv Sena presi- kari and Rashtriya Swayamsevak implicates a local BJP leader. for comments despite calls made included political leaders as well dent Uddhav Thackeray has put the Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat. The 3.17-minute video con- to his phone as well as queries as Bollywood actors. The coun- BJP government “on notice period” Among the Bollywood person- tains footage of a Kolhapur- sent to him by SMS. try’s commercial capital and the and said he would decide whether alities who voted — and asked based person Pandurang Ad- Speaking to reporters, super- richest civic body has generally to continue the state-level alliance everyone to vote too — were harkar, who claims he was intendent of police north Goa, recorded a dismal voter turnout. after the results tomorrow. Rekha, Hema Malini, Prem Cho- employed as a driver in 2016 by Karthik Kashyap, said a probe But the encouraging turn- Since Nationalist Congress pra, Kamini Kaushal, Shahrukh BJP’s candidate from Poriem as- had been started into the Shanu out prompted Fadnavis to tweet: Party President Sharad Pawar Khan, Ranveer Singh, Anushka sembly constituency, Vishwajit Gaonkar case, after the video “Thank you Mumbai for the record has ruled out support in such Sharma, Shraddha Kapoor, John K Rane, and that he was witness surfaced on Monday. voting percentage and ... for partici- an eventuality and predicted Abraham, Vivek Oberoi, Arshad to the latter shooting one Shanu “All aspects are being verifi ed. pating in festival of democracy!” mid-term assembly polls, the Warsi and Shreyas Talpade, re- Gaonkar at a bar in North Goa’s We are also interrogating people Controlled by the Shiv Sena Fadnavis government will be re- nowned poet Gulzar and fi lm- Actor Shahrukh Khan casts his vote during BMC elections in Sattari sub-district. concerned with the case as part and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) duced to a minority. maker Subhash Ghai. Mumbai yesterday. In the video, Adharkar alleges of our enquiry,” Kashyap said. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 21 INDIA

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS MILITANCY TRAGEDY LAW AND ORDER CLOSE CALL Jaishankar meets Chinese Seven Maoist rebels Man who lived with Jilted lover behind bars Manipur deputy CM off icial ahead of key talks killed in gunfight sister’s corpse found dead for harassing student escapes bid on life

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar yesterday At least seven suspected Maoist rebels were Partha De, the man who was discovered An 23-year-old jilted lover has been arrested for Manipur deputy chief minister Gaikhangam met Chinese state councillor Yang Jiechi killed in a gunfight with police yesterday in the living with his sister’s corpse in 2015, was sending obscene messages to a Delhi University yesterday escaped an attack on his life by a ahead of the first strategic dialogue remote forests of Chhattisgarh, an off icer said, found burnt to death in Kolkata yesterday, student. The accused, Aman Singh, a resident tribal militant outfit in Tamenglong district. between the two sides which is likely to see the latest deadly encounter in the country’s the city police said. De was found dead in of west Delhi’s Paschim Vihar area, create The ambush at Namkalong in Tamenglong India raise the issue of China blocking the long-running insurgency. Police ambushed a a burnt condition in the bathroom of his multiple fake accounts to send messages and district occurred when Gaikhangam was ban on Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar, group of heavily armed rebels passing through house in Watgunge Street, the police added. make calls to the victim from fake international going there to address an election meeting. among other issues. “On the eve of India- the dense forests of a Maoist stronghold, A half-empty bottle containing petrol and a numbers using various mobile applications, Police said a militant group opened fire at China Strategic dialogue in Beijing, foreign triggering an hours-long gun battle before few matchsticks were also recovered beside police said. Singh, who was working with a the minister’s cavalcade from two places. secretary S Jaishankar called on state the suspected guerrillas fled. “So far we have the body, the police claimed. In June 2015, reputed IT-company, had befriended the victim In the firing one of police commandoes councillor Yang Jiechi,” the Indian embassy recovered seven dead bodies along with some De was found living in his house then at during a college fest in 2015 where they became was hit in the right thigh. Police said after said. China’s opposition to India’s bid for arms and ammunition. We may find more bodies Robinson Street with the skeletons of his sister friends but broke up after a couple of months. the attacks the cavalcade of Gaikhangam Nuclear Suppliers’ Group membership is as the combing operation is on,” an off icer said. Debjani and two dogs. The burnt body of De’s “The engineer displayed his all technical skills was stranded for several minutes. also expected to figure in the meet when He said they launched the assault after receiving father Arabinda was also discovered inside a to mislead police, but the cyber-crime cell However, the minister and his entourage Jaishankar meets Chinese Vice Foreign information about the movement of 30 to 40 bathroom. Some experts have pointed out a succeeded in tracking him down from his proceeded towards the meeting venue once Minister Zhang Yesui in Beijing today. armed rebels near Narayanpur district. genetic link to depression in the case. residence on Monday night,” the police said. reinforcements arrived.

Heads of Many hurt in chariot collapse adoption Bail hearing centre held over traffi cking of suspects in

AFP Kolkata

he police yesterday said actor assault they have arrested the Theads of an adoption cen- tre suspected of selling at least 17 children to foreign couples, the latest traffi cking scandal to hit the country. Investigators said children case deferred aged between six months and 14 years were sold to couples from By Ashraf Padanna Manikandan also said the gang Kamal and the friendly atmos- Europe, America and Asia for be- Thiruvananthapuram had been given a ‘contract’ for phere was a thing of the past. tween $12,000 and $23,000 and the job. “Suni’s plan had been to “A lot of undesirable tenden- taken out of the country. record the assault and then use it cies have crept into the indus- Police in West Bengal arrested he Kerala High Court yes- to blackmail the actor,” Manikan- try,” said the lawmaker whom Chandana Chakraborty, head of terday deferred to March 3 dan claimed adding he had gone the new-wave fi lmmakers mostly the Bimala Sishu Griha centre, Tthe decision on the bail plea along for the money. neglect. and her deputy Sonlai Mondal at of three men accused of molesting The three parted ways in Coim- “A lot of anti-social elements the weekend after a tip-off from a leading Malayalam fi lm actress batore after a drunken quarrel have entered the fi eld. Many are the federal adoption agency. last week. over the money. The police also using goons. The drug mafi a is “In the last two to three years, Police have identifi ed Pulsar are looking into the “conspiracy” active in Kochi. Look at the stand- they have sold at least 17 chil- Suni, Manikandan and V P Vi- angle involving others in the fi lm ard of fi lms they make, including dren,” a police offi cer said on geesh as main suspects in the industry. those starring Mammootty and condition of anonymity. crime. The 30-year-old actor was Forensic experts inspected the Mohanlal,” he added. “We will try to contact the assaulted in a moving car in Kochi car in which the actor was al- Meanwhile, Prime Minister couples and are expecting more for two hours from 9pm on Friday. legedly assaulted to verify their Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Jana- arrests in coming days.” Though the police were im- claims. During the attack, the ta Party alleged the government One French couple paid mediately alerted of the crime, men are believed to have threat- allowed the culprits to remain in Rs1.5mn ($23,000) for a child in the suspects managed to fl ee ened to drug the actor and hand the city a day after the incident, 2015, he said. to Coimbatore in neighbouring her over to 20 men ‘waiting at an giving them time to arrange a The women were also involved Tamil Nadu late Saturday night apartment’. lawyer and sign their bail appli- in running two other homes in after hiring a lawyer to move their Meanwhile, adding fuel to cation. the area. anticipatory bail application. speculation that enmity in the They also demanded a probe “Two people were arrested The police arrested Manikan- fi lm industry had a role in the into the role of actor Bineesh after raids in three charitable dan from Palakkad on Monday incident, ruling legislator and Kodiyeri, the elder son of homes on Saturday night,” Sashi night, but Suni, the mastermind, former minister, K B Ganesh Ku- Communist Party of India Panja, state women and child de- and the other accomplice remain mar, said the new generation (Marxist) secretary Kodiyeri velopment minister, said. at large, even after four days, fi lmmakers indulged in all kinds Balakrishnan. It is not clear how the alleged despite Chief Minister Pinarayi of illegal activities. “He is leading the mafi a in the sales escaped offi cial notice. Vijayan’s assurance that the sus- “There are drug abusers and industry. Balakrishnan’s cold Investigators said they had pects will soon be arrested. money lenders among the new response to the incident points been monitoring the char- Police had arrested Martin, generation fi lmmakers who use to this,” BJP leader A N Rad- ity since June when child welfare the actor’s driver who alleg- such elements for their personal hakrishnan said. “The chief min- authorities found discrepancies edly helped the attackers. Later interests. Some are even engaged ister is helpless before him.” in their records and relocated two others, Vadival Saleem and in real estate business and employ Cinema minister A K Balan de- all the children from one of the Pradeep, who are not directly these gangsters,” he told reporters nied the allegations and said the homes. involved in the crime, were de- in Kollam. culprits would soon face justice. The country has an estimated tained. A court remanded the “I have met the actor and “We will fl ush out all those 30mn orphans, but the rules gov- three in custody for two weeks. spoke to the investigating offi c- in hiding,” he told reporters in erning international adoptions Police revealed Manikandan ers. Her condition is worse than Kozhikode. are strict and domestic adoptions denied any role in the assault, you think. I’ll soon meet the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi remain relatively rare. claiming the plan had been to ab- chief minister and apprise him Vijayan, who spoke to the actress Only 4,362 children were le- duct the actor and extort money. of everything.” over phone on Monday, had also gally adopted in 2014 and 3,677 Many people were injured when a giant chariot used during Kottur Jaatre celebrations in Bellary He claimed he knew about the Kumar said he had a deeper un- promised stern action against in 2015, according to the Central district of Karnataka collapsed. target only after entering her ve- derstanding of the industry than those responsible for the Febru- Adoption Resource Authority. hicle. the state-run Film Academy head ary 17 incident. Machiavellian Sasikala and party has nation riveted ndia’s most crucial assem- tarajan. First she got herself cho- given their due signifi cance by legacy, what does it mean? Surely and her sister-in-law Ilavarsi and bly elections are under way sen as general secretary of the All most analysts and editorial writ- the people of Tamil Nadu cannot nephew Sudhakaran and sen- Ibut the focus of the national India Anna Dravida Munnetra ers. be burdened with another corrupt tenced them to four years’ jail and media, the intelligentsia as well Kazhagam (AIADMK) to fi ll the Delhi Diary First, it must be remembered leader. But the vagaries of democ- a fi ne of Rs1bn. as the party circuit in the capital vacuum created by the death of J that Jayalalithaa was accused racy are such that law is supreme But on May 11, 2015, the Kar- has been on faraway Chennai and Jayalalithaa. Then she moved in By A K B Krishnan number one (A1) in the dis- and ethics and morals don’t count nataka High Court came up with Bengaluru for more than a month. for the kill, as it were, by getting proportionate assets case and for much. a convoluted calculation of the First it was the bull-run, or interim chief minister Ottakara Gulf Times Correspondent Sashikala was only A2. Because A1 The likes of Sasikala are there in assets amassed by the accused, ‘Jallikattu’ as the people of Tamil Paneerselvam to resign and el- is no more, her conviction stands most states and they exploit these found they were all innocent and Nadu call it, and then it was the evate herself on to that position. ‘abated’, the legal terminology for loopholes in law to the maximum. acquitted them of any/all wrong- free run of corrupt politicians all But then fate intervened. First eral of her senior party colleagues which Sasikala had bundled off all what the Romans once said: “De Remember Lalu Prasad Yadav doing. over the state assembly and be- Paneerselvam revolted, saying he before and after the sham fl oor her crony legislators to a seaside mortuis nil nisi bonum” (Of the who, after being convicted of cor- Jayalalithaa returned to the yond. was forced to quit even though the test which her faction of the AI- resort belonging to one of her co- dead say nothing but the good). ruption and banned from contest- chief minister’s chair once again It used to be said that if Luc- departed leader Jayalalithaa had ADMK won. horts for fear they may be inclined But even if nobody wants to ing elections, promptly foisted his and in May 2016 led her party to know sneezes, Delhi would catch wanted him to be the chief min- The law does not allow jailbirds to jump ship and join the Paneer- speak ill of the dead, can anyone unlettered wife as chief minister victory in the assembly elections. cold. The importance of Uttar ister. Then came the mortal blow to use phones but Sashikala can- selvam faction, had its own cloak- forget what the dead had done of Bihar? Sasikala didn’t choose It is easy to conclude that had Pradesh (UP) in national politics from the Supreme Court convict- not be deterred by such fl imsy and-dagger elements in it. It is and by extension the legacy that her husband but gave the honours the high court not acquitted Jay- could not have been described ing Sasikala of corruption and concerns. said that every room in the resort person has left behind? to her nephew T T V Dinakaran to alalithaa she could neither have better. sending her to a four-year jail term While the main opposition was guarded by two bouncers. In the present case what is the lead the party. contested the elections last year Although over the years the in Bengaluru. But Sasikala, or the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Television sets in the rooms legacy of Jayalalithaa? Yes, she The other point that had not nor could she have led her party to state has been whittled down people behind her, is nothing if not (DMK) cannot be absolved of its were disconnected, newspaper had created an entire industry out seen much discussion is in the victory. With the Supreme Court both in size and population as new scheming. She promptly got her sins in creating violent scenes in vendors were stopped at the gates of freebies and doles. realm of would-have-beens. The now reinstating the trial court’s states were created, UP continues chosen man to become chief min- the assembly, Sasikala’s men also and told to take their stuff back The ‘Amma’ signature was on Supreme Court verdict was only order, is it not logical to think that to be the prime prize for any prime ister. And she will soon fi nd her were not exemplars of democratic and the mobile phones of the leg- everything from morning tea to an overturning of the judgment of her election and that of her party’s minister and his party at the fed- way back to a Chennai jail. good behaviour throughout the islators were confi scated. evening dinner, from a new-born the Karnataka High Court which victory were illegal and, therefore, eral level as well. So Prime Min- Paneerselvam had been a seat- four days of drama that ensued In spite of all such precautions, baby’s naming ceremony to a had set aside the original convic- should also be reversed? But of ister Narendra Modi and his party warmer for Jayalalithaa three her conviction by the apex court. three legislators managed to “es- nonagenarian’s fi nal journey. But tion by the trial court. course the law in a democracy, president Amit Shah have drafted times earlier and now Edapadi Governor Vidyasagar Rao has cape”. One jumped off the bus in the wake of the court verdict Dr Subramanian Swamy, then as stated earlier, works on diff er- as many as 20 ministers for cam- Palaniswami is doing the same for reportedly asked the assembly when it was entering the resort, she also had the word “corrupt” of the Janata Party, had fi led the ent dynamics and, honestly, the paigning in the state. Sasikala. So what if she has been secretary to provide him with a another changed his south Indian stamped all over whatever she did. case in Chennai in 1996. But after country is none the better for it in But all that can wait because put away for four years? She has detailed report of how the fl oor ‘dhothi’ for a bermuda and jogged So the legacy of ‘Amma’ is Jayalalithaa became chief minister these circumstances. one woman in Tamil Nadu wanted more than enough money and test was contested. If he were to his way out like a tourist while a corruption-ridden state and in 2002, the DMK moved the high What will become of the party to make sure that her writ pre- clout to manage things from in- fi nd any wrongdoing, the gover- the third joined the gardeners in Sasikala Natarajan is the prime court to have the case transferred is the big question now being vailed both in her party and in the side the jail and there are enough nor could order another trial of their digging and walked out with living example of that legacy. So to Karnataka since it contended asked. Pundits predict a vertical government and the nation got corrupt jail offi cials willing to strength through a secret ballot, them. when Sasikala herself or, for that she could infl uence the trial court split and eventual disintegration. glued to what she was up to. oblige. the main demand of the DMK and Be that as it may, two major is- matter, her newly-acquired rival from her position of power. After Will too many tears be shed in Everything was moving ac- Reports say that Sasikala was the Paneerselvam faction. sues that were thrown up by the Paneerselvam swears by ‘Amma’ a prolonged 11-year trial the court Tamil Nadu? Not much chance for cording to plan for Sasikala Na- speaking to Palaniswami and sev- Even the “resort politics”, by Supreme Court verdict were not and promises to continue that convicted Jayalalithaa, Sasikala that is the general feeling. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 LATIN AMERICA Cartoons and calendars help Bolivian farmers dampen fi re risk

By Sophie Hares, Reuters Experts say Chile requires increased re- La Paz sources to tackle blazes, combined with comprehensive fi re education and tighter measures to control arson, blamed for mix of high-tech satellite data and starting some blazes. brightly coloured cartoons is help- Garfi as said more fi rebreaks were needed Aing subsistence farmers around Rib- to stop fi res running out of control, while eralta in Bolivia’s northern Amazon pick Chile’s Green Ecologist Party has called for the best time to burn off their land and re- a kilometre-wide boundary between popu- duce the risk of uncontrolled blazes, as per- lated areas and the vast industrial planta- sistent drought makes wildfi res a hot issue tions that have replaced native forests, to in Latin America. try and limit damage. “Fire is a real problem with these com- In Peru and Bolivia, where farmers use munities — it’s something they’re very fi re as a cheap way to clear land and remove concerned about,” said Veronica Ibarnega- plagues of insects and snakes, experts say ray, programme director at Bolivia’s Fun- better co-ordination, faster reaction times dacion Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN — and wider use of early warning systems Friends of Nature Foundation), explaining could help prevent blazes spiralling out of that slash-and-burn farming for crops and control. cattle is largely to blame. Some argue that simply suppressing fi res To let indigenous farmers know whether now will lead to bigger blazes in years to hot, dry or windy conditions could fan their come, arguing that more emphasis should fi res out of control, threatening livelihoods be placed on using controlled burning to and ecologically sensitive areas, fi re moni- remove debris that could fuel future fi res. tors check local conditions with hand-held Low-intensity fi res can help regenerate weather meters before adjusting colour- soil, but bigger blazes can cause serious coded signs showing the risk level, she said. soil damage and erosion, which in turn may The foundation, which has developed lead to fl ash fl oods and impact water sup- its own early warning system combining plies. Choking air pollution from clouds of Nasa satellite and weather data, distributes smoke can also cause serious health prob- burning calendars and pamphlets illus- lems. trated with cartoons showing farmers what “A lot of the time, fi re is used for agricul- Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos greets the military during a visit to the Farc concentration zone in Putumayo. precautions they should take to keep fi res tural management — burning resets eve- under control. rything and can enrich the soil too,” said It is also training local communities to Karyn Tabor, early warning systems direc- become fi rst-response fi re fi ghters after tor at Conservation International which running a similar project in Bolivia’s east- provided fi re risk data to Bolivia’s FAN be- ern Chiquitania region. fore it developed its own model. Following a spate of recent fi res in Bo- But those using the method need to be livia, Peru and Argentina, alongside deadly knowledgeable about how to do so, “and blazes in Chile, experts are calling for a that’s a huge issue”, she said. greater focus on fi re education and alerting Although forests in some regions have FARC prepares to systems to limit wildfi res, which are widely adapted to fi re and sometimes even need it expected to increase as pressure grows on to renew themselves, many parts of Latin land and climate change brings warmer America do not have this natural resist- conditions. ance, so damage can be devastating and “When the fi re weather is so bad and permanently change the landscape, experts the fuels are so dry, nobody can put them say. out,” said Amber Soja, a Nasa scientist who Ernesto Ráez-Luna, one of a team of sci- works with Conservation International entists who last year warned governments give up its arms on fi re detection and risk forecasting. “No in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia of the fi re risk matter how technical and advanced you in drought-hit regions, said no forest eco- Reuters mobilisation toward the zones was ELN suspected in bullring blast are, you can’t throw enough money at them system in the tropical Andes was adapted Bogota completed and the protocols of the to extinguish them.” to fi re. bilateral and defi nitive ceasefi re and Colombian authorities suspect a bullfight. Twenty-six people, mostly In drought-hit Peru, thousands of hec- “If you burn a forest in Latin America... the abandonment of arms has be- Marxist ELN rebels were behind a police, were injured. tares of land were scorched in fi res late last all you’ll end up is with a savannah or olombia’s Marxist Farc rebels gun,” Santos said in southern Putu- bomb attack near Bogota’s bullring Villegas told local W Radio the de- year, including forests, farmland and pro- grassland,” said Ráez-Luna, a professor at can begin surrendering their mayo province. on Sunday, leaving dozens of police vice was probably activated remotely tected areas known for their biodiversity Peru’s Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University. Cweapons to the United Na- Over the past weeks, Farc rebels off icers injured as they prepared for by a cellular phone and that suspects and rare animals, while fi res have also fl ared There is little comprehensive data on the tions now that almost 7,000 of them crisscrossed Colombia on foot and anti-bullfighting protests in Colom- have been identified. in Bolivia which has suff ered its worst number of wildfi res around the world each have reached designated demobi- by boat from their jungle and moun- bia’s capital. If proved to be the National Libera- drought in 25 years. year, but experts predict longer, more in- lisation zones around the country, tain camps to 26 zones monitored by “It’s a hypothesis we’re investigat- tion Army (ELN), the attack will anger Tinderbox conditions caused by a near- tense fi re seasons as climate change exac- President Juan Manuel Santos said UN personnel. ing,” Bogota police chief General President Juan Manuel Santos who is decade long drought, high temperatures erbates weather variability. on Monday. Under the terms of the peace ac- Hoover Penilla told reporters on engaged in peace talks with the rebel and strong winds led to the fi res that re- Several years of wet weather that allows The Revolutionary Armed Forces of cord, the Farc, which began as a Monday. group in Ecuador. cently ripped through Chile, killing 11 peo- vegetation to fl ourish, followed by periods Colombia (Farc) signed a peace agree- peasant uprising 52 years ago, is to Defense Minister Luis Carlos The ELN, which has about 1,500 ple, destroying 1,500 homes and costing of drought and high temperatures create ment with the government late last year form a political movement in the Villegas also said it was the “most- combatants have stepped up attacks the government $333mn in damages and the perfect “boom-bust” conditions as to put an end Latin America’s longest- South American nation. probable hypothesis.” on economic infrastructure since the forestry industry around $350mn. plants dry out leaving plenty of fuel for fi res running armed confl ict, which killed The accord has been heavily criti- The blast, which caused damage to talks began this month. “The fi res here are all caused directly or to consume, said Timothy Ingalsbee, co- more than 220,000 people. cised by many, and was initially re- water pipes and smashed windows, There have been two bombings of indirectly by man, so the fi rst job we need to director of the Association for Fire Ecology. The rebels will have turned in all jected in a referendum, as being too appeared to be timed to coincide with an oil pipeline in less than a week and do is environmental education,” said Rob- “It’s these changes in fi res that are really their arms by June, Santos said. lenient on the rebels who will be the gathering of riot police ahead of the kidnapping of an elderly man. erto Garfi as Salinas, forestry engineer at going to hit home to people that climate “This weekend the process of spared jail time. the University of Chile. change is real and it’s happening,” he said.

Chile recalls envoy after 60,000-year-old microbes On strike! Cuba blocks ex-minister Workers of the hile said yesterday it was recalling Escondida copper its ambassador to Cuba for consul- discovered in Mexico mine mine block a road Ctation and speaking to the Cuban as they strike in government to establish why a prominent Antofagasta, Chile. former minister was blocked from enter- AFP About 90% of them have never Workers at the ing Cuba on Monday night. Boston been observed before now, she said. world’s largest Mariana Aylwin, a former education The discovery of these ultra-hardy copper mine, BHP minister and daughter of ex-president micro-organisms has been a windfall Billiton’s Escondida Patricio Aylwin, was traveling to the is- asa scientists have discov- for researchers but also a source of in Chile, began an land to receive a prize on behalf of her ered living micro-organisms concern for astrobiologists thinking indefinite strike father. Ntrapped inside crystals for about bringing back samples collected on February 9 The event, planned for today, was or- as long as 60,000 years in a mine in on space missions in the solar system. to demand pay ganised by the Latin American Network Mexico. The extreme conditions under increases, prompting of Youth for Democracy, which has been These strange ancient microbes which these microbes have survived concerns on world critical of the Cuban government. have apparently evolved so they can raises the possibility that dangerous commodity markets. The organisation has also invited Luis survive on a diet of sulfi te, manganese extraterrestrial organisms could ac- Almagro, the head of the Organization of and copper oxide, said Penelope Bos- cidentally hitch a ride to Earth on a American States, which suspended Cuba ton of Nasa’s Astrobiology Institute in returning spaceship. in 1962 for being Communist. a presentation over the weekend at a Astrobiologists also worry about While the Washington-based OAS conference of the American Associa- the risk that Earth organisms could agreed in 2009 to lift the Cold War ruling, tion for the Advancement of Science. contaminate other planets in the Cuba declined to rejoin the group, which “This has profound eff ects on how course of missions to places like Mars, Ecuador presidential election set for runoff it deems an imperialist instrument of its we try to understand the evolutionary which has already been visited by sev- former Cold War foe the United States. history of microbial life on this plan- eral US robots. Aylwin was prevented from checking et,” she said. Nasa sterilises its spacecraft and Reuters While Ecuadoreans are angry over votes counted, the offi cial prelimi- in to her fl ight in Chile’s capital, San- They were discovered in the Naica equipment before launching them into Quito an economic downturn and corrup- nary election count showed yester- tiago, apparently at the request of the mine, a working lead, zinc and silver space. But there is always a risk that tion scandals, the opposition split day morning. Cuban authorities, she told journalists mine in the northern Mexican state of ultra-resistant micro-organisms will its votes among seven candidates The electoral council has said full yesterday. Chihuahua. survive. cuador looked set for an April and the ruling Country Alliance re- clarity would not arrive until around “Exercising the right (to travel between The mine is famous for its huge “How do we ensure that life-detec- runoff between leftist ruling mains popular with many poor vot- Thursday due to votes coming in nations) should not be interfered with, crystals, some as long as 15m. tion missions are going to detect true Eparty candidate Lenin Moreno ers thanks to social welfare programs. slowly from isolated areas and Ec- especially given that Chile has recognized The discovery has not yet been Mars life or life from icy worlds rather and former banker Guillermo Lasso If a runoff goes ahead, the op- uadoreans abroad, bureaucratic de- the feats of various fi gures in Cuban his- published in a peer-reviewed scien- than our life?” asked Boston. in its presidential election, with 94 position is expected to close ranks lays and “inconsistencies” in some tory and politics,” Chile’s Foreign Rela- tifi c journal, but it has led Boston to The concerns are not new. % of votes from the weekend’s fi rst around Lasso, who has promised to ballots. tions Ministry said in a statement. believe that living organisms may also During the Apollo missions of the round of voting counted by yester- create jobs and investigate corrup- The opposition has said it is wor- Mariana Aylwin served in Congress in have survived in the extreme environ- 1960s and ‘70s, astronauts returning day morning. tion scandals. ried about fraud and there have been the 1990s for Chile’s centrist Christian ments of other planets and moons in from the moon were quarantined. Moreno was so far less than As results trickled in, Moreno, a protests by Lasso supporters in front Democratic Party, and later as minister our solar system. The micro-organisms found in the one percentage point short of the disabled former vice president, was of the electoral council headquarters in the 2000s under centre-left president She said about 100 diff erent kinds Naica mine are not even the oldest threshold needed to avoid a second just short of the 40% of votes and a 10 in the capital, Quito. Ricardo Lagos, who is running for presi- of micro-organisms — most of them discovered to date. round on April 2 and continue a dec- percentage-point diff erence over his Moreno has dismissed the oppo- dent in Chile’s 2017 elections. bacteria — have been found locked Several years ago scientists reported ade-long period of leftist rule, just nearest rival needed to win outright. sition’s stance, calling Lasso a “sore She is seen as an ideological leader of in Naica crystals for periods ranging fi nding microbes in ice and salt that as South America is broadly moving He had 39.18% of valid votes ver- loser” and urging Ecuadoreans to the most conservative segment of Chile’s from 10,000 to 60,000 years. were up to 500,000 years old. to the right. sus 28.38% for Lasso, with 93.8 % of wait for the fi nal results. centre-left ruling coalition. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Pakistan moves Three suicide bombers heavy artillery to attack Pakistan court Afghan border Internews forces have resolved to restrict AFP Islamabad illegal border movement and Tangi, Pakistan any attempt to breach border security will be responded to akistan Army has moved with full force. t least seven people were heavy artillery towards Security forces have killed when multiple Pthe Pak-Afghan border stepped up patrolling in the ATaliban suicide bomb- in Chaman and Torkham dis- areas along the Afghan border, ers attacked a court complex in tricts, security offi cials said while security has been put on northern Pakistan yesterday, yesterday. high alert in North and South the latest in a series of assaults The move came just two Waziristan agencies. which have raised fears militants days after the military deci- The stringent border are regrouping. mated camps of the Tehreek- checks were implemented One bomber was briefl y on the e- Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) after a week of deadly attacks loose inside the busy complex Jamaatul Ahrar (JA) faction on by terrorists left dozens of in the Tangi area of Charsadda the Torkham border opposite people dead and injured in district but was killed by police Mohmand and Khyber tribal different cities of Pakistan, some 20 minutes after the attack regions. prompting a pledge of ‘re- began, offi cials said. The group, which claims to venge immediate revenge’ A second bomber was shot be behind the recent wave of from Army chief General dead by security forces and a terrorist attacks, has found Qamar Javed Bajwa. third died when he detonated his safe haven in Afghanistan, ac- Security forces have also vest outside the main gates of the cording to the Pakistani secu- indefi nitely closed the border facility in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rity establishment. between Pakistan and Af- province, according to police. Security sources said their ghanistan. The attack was claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) faction of the Pakistani Taliban, which carried out a series of apparently co-ordinated assaults last week including a powerful bomb blast Govt invites senators in Lahore which killed 14 people. Earlier this month the group vowed a fresh off ensive on tar- to key meeting gets in Pakistan including the judiciary. “So far seven people have on military courts been killed and 15 wounded,” Su- hail Khalid, district police chief, A soldier stands guard as volunteers collect remains of the walls and doors around the site of a blast at the courthouse in Charsadda yester- said, adding that a lawyer was day. Internews allies have enough numeri- among the dead. Hundreds of people including “When I looked up I saw the Islamic State group claimed people and wounded hundreds. Islamabad cal strength in the National Prime Minister Nawaz Shar- lawyers, judges and citizens nor- three armed men, hurling gre- a suicide bombing in Quetta that The emergence of IS and a Assembly but lack requisite if’s offi ce condemned the latest mally attend the court complex. nades and opening fi re,” said the killed 73 people, including many TTP resurgence would be a ma- numbers in the Senate. assault. An AFP reporter at the scene 35-year-old civil servant, add- of the southwestern city’s legal jor blow to Pakistan, which had n an eff ort to expedite the During the meeting, Rab- “We are a steadfast nation and said the area was littered with ing he sought shelter in a nearby community. enjoyed a dramatic improve- process for reestablish- bani asked Dar to take parlia- will not be deterred by such at- human remains, while a pile of police barracks from where he Police and troops had been on ment in security over the past Iment of military courts mentary leaders of diff erent tacks. Our government will con- law books stained with blood heard the gunbattle. high alert in Pakistan after last two years after a military-led for another term, the govern- political parties in the Senate tinue to fi ght against terrorist and riddled with bullets lay “This continued for some week’s wave of attacks, which crackdown begun in 2014. ment of Pakistan has decided on board. elements and we will succeed,” a strewn outside an offi ce. minutes and then I heard anoth- killed more than 100 people. Islamabad launched a violent to invite senators leading their On his request, the gov- statement said. Police scoured the area for er big bang. Some minutes after Most, including the Lahore crackdown in the wake of the re- political parties in the upper ernment asked the National The three attackers had evidence as military helicopters a policemen told me that it’s all bomb, were claimed by JuA, a cent attacks, saying it killed doz- house to a sixth meeting of the Assembly Secretariat to in- opened fi re on police and thrown whirred overhead. over.” faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban ens of “terrorists” and carried heads of parliamentary parties vite leaders of parliamentary grenades as they tried to battle An old man whose four-year- Lawyers and the judiciary are Pakistan (TTP, or Pakistani Tali- out strikes on militant hideouts in the National Assembly to be parties in Senate in the next their way into the complex, Kha- old grandson died in the attack frequent targets in Pakistan. ban) group. along the border with Afghani- held on February 23. meeting. lid said. wept. Another man who wit- Among last week’s assaults But the Islamic State group stan. The huddle was earlier In a press statement issued “Bomb disposal experts told nessed the attack, Mohamed was a bomb blast targeting a van claimed the deadliest of last Hundreds of families have scheduled for February 27. later in the evening, the sec- us that each bomber was wear- Hussain, said he was about to carrying judges in Peshawar, week’s assaults, a suicide bomb been displaced by the fi ring on Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, retariat confi rmed that the ing seven to eight kilogrammes enter the complex when he heard which killed their driver. at a Sufi shrine in Sindh province both sides of the border, accord- who has been tasked by Prime Speaker National Assembly of explosives,” he told reporters. the blast. Last August JuA along with on Thursday which killed 90 ing to offi cials. Minister Nawaz Sharif to ex- would be inviting senators in pedite the process to adopt the next meeting which has 25th amendment in the Con- been rescheduled for February stitution for extending tenure 23 now. of the courts, held a meeting The Senate has already sent Protest yesterday with Senate Chair- names of 14 senators who Sharif to hold crucial man Raza Rabbani to seek head their parties in the upper much-needed support of the house. upper house. In the wake of a recent wave meeting with Erdogan The Senate’s support is vital of terrorism that gripped the in passing any amendment to country last week, Dar on the Constitution that requires Saturday contacted parlia- Internews region as it provides platform to support of at least two-third mentary leaders of almost all Islamabad thrash out regional issues. members of both houses sepa- the parties in the lower house, Highly placed diplomatic rately. including Fazl to expedite the sources said yesterday that The ruling PML-N and its process. In a signifi cant diplomatic Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif move Prime Minister Nawaz will dash to Turkish capital An- ]Sharif will have extensive kara for leading Pakistan’s del- and in-depth discussion regard- egation for taking part conspic- Security forces surround Afghan VP’s house ing aff airs related to Afghanistan uously important framework with President of Turkey Recep of Pakistan-Turkey High Level Afghan security forces television, Dostum warned Tayyip Erdogan today when they Strategic Co-operation Council blocked roads and took up President Ashraf Ghani that will have important meeting in (HLSCC). Its 5th session will be positions around the house of any action against him would Turkish capital Ankara. taking place tomorrow (February Vice President Rashid Dostum weaken the government but Pakistan has decided to deal 23). The working groups under yesterday as a standoff flared said he would not order his with the terrorism in ultimate strategic council are already en- up over accusations his men own militia fighters to take manner that emanates from Af- gaging in trade, banking, com- tortured one of his political action against government ghanistan. Turkey is the pioneer munication, culture and energy Pakistani supporters of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) organisation hold an eff igy of Pakistan’s Defence opponents. In an address forces. “My message to the of Heart of Asia Istanbul Proc- sectors and other areas have Minister Khawaja Asif as they shout slogans against him during a protest after JuD leader Hafiz to supporters at his Kabul president is to maintain our ess focusing Afghanistan that concluded their recommenda- Saeed was placed under house arrest by authorities in Lahore yesterday. residence, broadcast live on national unity,” he said. includes several countries of the tions. Woman forges peace among Pakistani and Indian youth

Reuters fi nd out he was Indian. for eight-week peacebuilding He said, ‘It’s wrong. You should the Global Youth Peace Festival Bangkok “I had never thought I would courses. never sit with them, you should in the northern Indian city of meet Indians – I only thought I Harir, who now lives in the never eat with them.’” Chandigarh and Aaghaz-e-Dos- would meet Indians if there was Pakistani capital Islamabad, said Raised amid prejudice, she ti meetings. liya Harir was an impres- a war, if the Indians came in to the initiative works with young was amazed that in the United Last October, Harir led a sionable teenager who kill us. But the Indian I met was children to counter state propa- States she made Indian friends group of 20 female students to Asoaked up the patriotic a human being, just like me,” she ganda and negative stereotypes. who brought her home-cooked India, and during their trip, ten- propaganda from her school- said in Bangkok on the sidelines “We are focused on children food and invited her to parties. sions between the two countries books and the one TV chan- of a UN-supported conference and young students from prima- The diff erences melted away escalated again. nel that served her town in the aimed at supporting women ry to secondary grades because as similarities emerged: Pakista- Having learned of the student mountains of northern Pakistan. peacebuilders. that is the critical and formative nis and Indians love cricket and delegation, India’s Minister of So she feared, and hated, In- Pakistan and India have been stage of the development of a Bollywood movies, Harir said, External Aff airs Sushma Swaraj dia. locked in acrimonious confl ict child,” she said. adding that the food was the worried about their safety and “There were always rumours and border skirmishes for dec- Harir – the second of four same, and even their languages, contacted Harir to assure her that India’s going to attack Pa- ades, since partition and inde- children in a family – is from the Urdu and Hindi, were similar. they would get home safely. kistan soon, and I was always pendence from Britain in 1947. minority Shia Ismaili sect. Then one day she fell ill and Responding to Harir’s note of worried: Where would I hide if The fi ghting and animosity “When this debate of Sunnis began to vomit blood. thanks on Twitter, Swaraj’s note an Indian soldier comes?” Harir, infuse the countries’ politics, as versus Ismailis came up, I used She was fl own by helicopter of concern was retweeted more now 25, said as she laughed, em- well as fi lms and nationalistic to feel ashamed. I used to cry, to hospital in Birmingham and than 3,000 times. barrassed at her younger self. TV programmes. ‘Oh God, why was I born an Is- treated for tuberculosis. But Harir does have detrac- Then in 2011, she was accept- Harir’s epiphany in the United maili?’ I never discussed it with She stayed almost a month. tors. ed into an exchange programme States led her on a quest – to my parents. I didn’t have the Her Indian friends drove three “People call me anti-national. to spend six months at Troy Uni- promote India-Pakistan peace courage to,” she said. hours to keep her company with They say, ‘If you love India so versity in the southern US state by connecting children from Her father, who had lived in Bollywood movies and food from much, go and live in India,’” she of Alabama. both countries, both online and Australia and Britain, owned a Indian restaurants. “I changed a said. As she settled into school, a in person. Aliya Harir, founder of Aaghaz-e-Dosti. tourism company and used to lot. I felt ashamed,” she recalled, “Because of this patriarchal Nepali student drove her to Wal- Upon her return to Pakistan, host foreigners, so one of Harir’s shaking her head. mindset, men are not used to mart and brought along a friend. Harir found like-minded peo- on confl ict resolution. ers and journalists to class- teachers once asked her if she Since returning to Pakistan seeing women as leaders, espe- Exchanging pleasantries, ple in Delhi and Islamabad and Aaghaz-e-Dosti, mean- rooms in Pakistan, and pairs shared meals with “infi dels”. fi ve years ago, Harir has been cially when talking about In- Harir asked the friend where he launched Aaghaz-e-Dosti, a ing “beginning of friendship”, up children on both sides of “I started shivering. What do I to India fi ve times, bringing dia. People say ‘Go and do your was from and was shocked to “friendship initiative” focused brings Indian activists, teach- the border to be online buddies answer? I have to respect him... groups of Pakistani students for homework.’” Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Cops defy Senator claims president a order of punishment ‘sociopathic’ serial killer posting Reuters AFP and rights groups have said the nesty International has warned Manila Manila charges against her are manu- that police actions in the drug factured to silence her as well war may amount to crimes as intimidate other people who against humanity. ore than 250 rogue hilippine President Ro- may want to speak out against Duterte has at times insisted police reassigned by drigo Duterte is a “se- the president. he and his security forces are MPhilippine President Prial killer” who should be “The prosecution of Senator not breaking any laws in pros- Rodrigo Duterte to an island forced out of offi ce, one of his Leila de Lima is an act of politi- ecuting the drug war. stronghold of militants failed chief critics said yesterday, as cal vindictiveness that debases On other occasions he has to show up at their punishment she faced arrest on drug charges the rule of law in the Philip- boasted of killing people to set posting yesterday, and faced ex- which she insisted were meant pines,” Human Rights Watch an example for police and said pulsion from the force. to silence her. deputy Asia director Phelim he would be “happy to slaugh- Just 53 of the 311 offi cers whom Senator Leila de Lima in- Kine said this week. ter” 3mn drug addicts in the Duterte had publicly shamed voked the famous “People “The Duterte administration Philippines. as “foolish, idiots and sons of Power” revolution that toppled seems intent on using the courts Late last month Duterte or- b******” were on a C130 plane dictator Ferdinand Marcos three to punish prominent critics of dered police to halt involvement when it touched down in the decades ago, in her strongest its murderous ‘war on drugs’.” in the drug war after the media southern city of Zamboanga, a comments yet against Duterte De Lima could be detained revealed that anti-drugs offi cers transit point for the restive island and his war on drugs that has anytime, although the courts had kidnapped and murdered a of Basilan. claimed thousands of lives. hearing the cases must issue an South Korean businessman as Duterte this month gave the “There is no more doubt that arrest warrant. part of an extortion racket. offi cers an angry dressing down our president is a murderer When asked about De Lima’s But he has vowed to continue live on television, telling them and sociopathic serial killer,” comments yesterday, presiden- the drug war with the military’s they could return to Manila if De Lima told reporters, as she tial spokesman Ernesto Abella support, while rights groups say they survived Basilan, the home called on Duterte’s cabinet to simply described them as “col- extra-judicial killings of drug of the Abu Sayyaf group noto- declare him unfi t to lead and ourful language” and pointed suspects by unknown attackers rious for piracy and beheading urged ordinary Filipinos to voice out that Duterte would allow are continuing. hostages. opposition to his rule. public demonstrations against The powerful Roman Catholic The order came a week after an De Lima said the constitu- him. Duterte, 71, won the presi- Church, which helped lead the outraged Duterte disbanded the tion allowed for a majority in dential election last year after People Power revolution, has in police anti-drugs units following his cabinet to force him to step promising during the campaign recent months begun speaking the discovery that rogue offi cers down by ruling that he was to eradicate drugs in society out against the drug war and on used his drugs war as a cover for mentally incapacitated, and by killing tens of thousands of Saturday held a rally against the the kidnap and murder of a South urged members to do so. people. killings, attracting thousands of Korean businessman. If they did not, she referred to Senator Leila De Lima gestures as she speaks during a press conference at the senate in Manila yesterday. He immediately launched the people. But Duterte remains pop- Most of the police reassigned the mass uprising that in 1986 crackdown after taking offi ce ular with many Filipinos, who see to Basilan were under internal ended the “iron fi st” of Mar- dictator and his evil regime,” De who led other villains in com- sioner, with orchestrating a in June and police have report- him as the strongman needed to investigation for off ences that cos’s dictatorship. Lima said. She also compared mitting crimes. drug traffi cking ring when she ed killing 2,555 drug suspects fi ght drugs and corruption, and included robbery, extortion and “Now the time has come Duterte to Batman’s foe, the The government last week was justice secretary in the pre- since then, with about 4,000 there is little expectation of a kidnapping. again for us to be brave and Joker, saying the president was charged De Lima, a former na- vious administration. other people murdered in un- popular uprising against him in “They are showing their bad stand up to another criminal also a “psychotic murderer” tional human rights commis- De Lima, 57, her supporters explained circumstances. Am- the near future. attitude by their absence,” said Oscar Albayalde, the chief of the capital region police. He gave the no-shows three days to provide a written expla- Tricky ride nation for their absence, or lose Abu Sayyaf ‘likely’ their jobs. The war on drugs has broad public support despite the killing behind Vietnam of more than 7,700 people since Duterte took offi ce on June 30, about 2,500 in police operations. freighter attack The cause of other deaths are much in dispute, attributed by police to vigilantism, turf wars, AFP Filipino extremists have taken or everyday murders unrelated Manila to piracy, boarding ships and to drugs. seizing seamen for ransom. Activists are convinced many Maritime offi cials have are extra-judicial killings, car- ilipino militants were warned of an emerging “So- ried out by police or with their likely behind an attack malia-type” situation in the encouragement. Fon a Vietnamese cargo waters if the attacks are not ship in which one crew mem- addressed. ber was killed and six others Prior to the latest incident abducted, Philippine Foreign the military said the Abu Sayyaf Secretary Perfecto Yasay said — one of the armed groups in yesterday. the area who have pledged al- Offi cers The MV Giang Hai was hit legiance to Islamic State fi ghters by unknown gunmen Sunday in Iraq and Syria — were holding near the southernmost Philip- 27 hostages. killed in pine island of Baguan near the They include Filipino, Malay- Malaysian coast, in a region sian, Indonesian, Vietnamese notorious for such assaults. and German hostages, as well as a shootout “We can only assume that Dutchman abducted in 2012, ac- they were taken by Abu Sayyaf cording to the military. people but this has to be veri- Yasay said Vietnam’s for- DPA fi ed,” Yasay told a news con- eign minister raised the issue at Manila ference aired live on television, an informal Asean ministerial but added that it was “likely”. retreat in the Philippines this Commuters ride on trolleys along a railroad track in Manila yesterday. The waters between Malay- week.At least six Vietnamese our Philippine police offi c- sia and the southern Philip- crew members of another vessel ers were killed yesterday in pines have become increasing- had been abducted in the area in Fa shootout with one of the ly dangerous in recent years as November last year, Yasay said. country’s most wanted crimi- nals, who also died in the fi re- fi ght, police said. Beijing opposes US naval patrols in disputed zone Three police offi cers were also wounded in the clash in the town of Lubuagan in the northern Reuters Carl Vinson, began “routine sovereignty and security of lit- patrols. US ships last year con- province of Kalinga, 345 kilo- Beijing operations” in the South China toral countries under the fl ag ducted several such patrols to metres north of Manila, a police Sea on Saturday amid growing of freedom of navigation and counter any efforts to limit report said. tension with China over control overfl ight,” Geng said in Chi- freedom of navigation in the The offi cers were serving an hina said yesterday it of the disputed waterway. na’s fi rst offi cial comment on strategic waters. arrest warrant against Willy opposed action by other “China always respects the the latest US patrol since it be- Friction between the Unit- Sagasag, who was wanted for Ccountries under the pre- freedom of navigation and gan. ed States and China over multiple counts of murder, rob- text of freedom of navigation overfl ight all countries enjoy “We hope relevant countries trade and territory under US bery and other crimes and car- that undermined its sovereign- under international law,” Chi- can do more to safeguard re- President Donald Trump has ried a reward of 600,000 pesos ty, after a US aircraft carrier nese foreign ministry spokes- gional peace and stability,” he increased concern that the ($12,000) for his arrest. strike group began patrols in man Geng Shuang said at a said. South China Sea could be- But Sagasag and his men shot This undated handout photo released by Philippine Coast Guard the contested South China Sea. daily news briefi ng. The US carrier strike group come a flashpoint. at the police offi cers, triggering (PCG) yesterday shows coast guard personnel escorting the The US navy said the strike “But we are consistently op- has not referred to its recent China wrapped up its own the fi refi ght, the report said. Vietnamese cargo ship MV Giang Hai, after it was hit by unknown group, including the Nimitz- posed to relevant countries operations in the South China naval exercises in the South Sagasag’s body was found af- gunmen on February 19 near the island of Baguan. class aircraft carrier the USS threatening and damaging the Sea as “freedom of navigation” China Sea on Friday. ter the shootout, police said. New witness is key to murder probe: rights chief

AFP the president’s past. Arthur Lascanas, with respect to the Davao death squads”, tigation late last year after Duterte, who ment, which falls under the president’s de Lima, with drug traffi cking, accusa- Geneva an ex-offi cer in Davao, went public this Gascon said in Geneva on the sidelines of was elected president in May, boasted authority. tions that Gascon called “trumped-up... week with claims that Duterte com- a human rights conference. that he had killed criminals years ago. With Duterte in charge the rights political harassment”. manded a death squad that killed many The rights commission had previously He has over the years variously denied commission has “encountered more and The rights chief accused Duterte of probe into whether Philippine people including a pregnant woman, investigated claims that while mayor and confi rmed the existence of a Davao more witnesses and victims who are un- apparent disregard for the law and use President Rodrigo Duterte ran a and paid for the assassination of a Duterte commanded hitmen in Davao death squad. willing to approach the whistleblower of state institutions to attack political Adeath squad is making progress journalist. who killed more than a thousand petty But Duterte’s political rise has made programme,” Gascon said. opponents. He said this may destroy the following crucial whistleblower testi- Lascanas said he himself took part in criminals. the investigation and witness protection The commission has tried to organise democratic gains made after Ferdinand mony this week, the head of the coun- the death squads and even killed his two When that probe ended in 2012, Gas- increasingly diffi cult, Gascon said. alternative safeguards despite limited Marcos’s dictatorship fell in 1986. try’s rights watchdog said yesterday. brothers. con said his offi ce recommended that “We are of course extremely con- resources but “our small witness pro- “If he continues in the trajectory that Philippine Commission on Human Presidential spokesman Martin charges be brought but prosecutors did cerned about possible reprisals upon tection programme is currently over- he is pursuing,...ultimately what we Rights chief Jose Gascon, who is in- Anadanar on Monday rejected all the not act. The commission does not have (whistleblowers) because the mayor is booked,” he added. might see is a trajectory towards an illib- vestigating allegations that Duterte claims by what he called “a self-con- the power to bring cases itself but Gas- now president of the country,” Gascon Duterte, 71, won elections last year eral democracy where a popularly elect- orchestrated murders while mayor of fessed hitman”. con voiced hope that the criminal justice said, while encouraging more people to after promising to eradicate drugs in so- ed president over time will undermine the southern city of Davao, said new “We feel that this is an important system would act if the inquiry uncov- come forward. ciety by killing tens of thousands of peo- the democratic institutions.” evidence from a retired policeman had piece in clearing up what the role of ered evidence to justify charges. The Philippines’ main witness protec- ple. The government has also charged a “We had hoped for better in this coun- removed “murkiness” about events in then-mayor, now President, Duterte had The commission reopened its inves- tion scheme is run by the justice depart- prominent Duterte critic, Senator Leila try”, Gascon added. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL/MALDIVES

Dhaka adds UN envoy visits Rohingya teeth to animal camps in Bangladesh cruelty AFP, Reuters state, have brought harrowing fi nding militants who attacked The foreign minister said the entitled only to limited rights. and outraged some of Myanmar’s law Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka accounts of systematic rape, police border posts. infl ux of Rohingya was having The authorities in Dhaka neighbours, with mostly Mus- killings and torture at the hands On Monday, Bangladesh’s an adverse impact on the local meanwhile say they are My- lim Malaysia being particularly of the military. foreign minister called on the population and undermining anmar nationals and must vociferous in its criticism. By Mizan Rahman N human rights envoy Lee, the UN’s Special Rap- international community to ad- security. ultimately go back. About 1.1mn Rohingya live in Dhaka Yanghee Lee yester- porteur on the issue, was in the dress Myanmar’s treatment of In a separate meeting, The UN human rights offi ce northwestern Myanmar. Uday visiting Rohingya coastal district yesterday after its Rohingya Muslim minority, Norwegian Foreign Minister said in a report this month that Bangladesh is seeking funds refugee camps in southeastern holding talks with government tens of thousands of whom have Borge Brende, in Dhaka on a Myanmar’s security forces had for a plan to relocate refugees he Bangladesh cabinet has Bangladesh, where thousands ministers in Dhaka about the fl ed in recent months to Bang- two-day visit, urged the in- committed mass killings and from Myanmar to an isolated approved the draft of the have taken shelter after fl ee- crisis. ladesh from its mainly Buddhist ternational community to put gang rapes of Rohingya Muslims and undeveloped island in the Tanimal welfare Act, 2016, ing a military crackdown in There was no immediate neighbour. more pressure on Myanmar and burned their villages. Bay of Bengal called Thengar incorporating provisions of jail Myanmar. comment from the UN, but the Speaking at a meeting with to stop maltreatment of the UN offi cials working with Char. term and fi ne for killing animals, Almost 73,000 Rohingya Bangladesh foreign ministry Yanghee Lee, the United Na- Rohingya. refugees in Bangladesh have The plan was criticised by behaving cruelly with them or have arrived in Bangladesh said Dhaka had expressed con- tions Special Rapporteur on “The Buddhist majority said the death toll from the se- humanitarian workers when it forcing them to do hard work. since the military unleashed a cern over the presence of the human rights in Myanmar, A H country has to treat minorities curity sweep could be more was fi rst proposed in 2015, not The approval was given at the four-month campaign of vio- Rohingya in the country. Mahmood Ali said a peaceful with dignity and inclusiveness,” than 1,000. least because Thengar Char regular weekly meeting of the lence against the stateless Mus- “She (Lee) is now visiting the resolution must be found, a for- Brende said. Myanmar has denied almost often fl oods in the monsoon. cabinet held on Monday at the lim minority that the United camps to talk to the refugees,” eign ministry statement said. Rohingya have faced dis- all allegations of human rights Following her visit to Bang- Bangladesh Secretariat with Nations says may amount to Bangladesh foreign ministry Ali also described eff orts by crimination in Myanmar for abuses and says a lawful coun- ladesh, Special Rapporteur Lee Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in crimes against humanity. spokeswoman Khaleda Begum Dhaka to engage with Myan- generations. They are not clas- terinsurgency campaign has will share her fi ndings in a re- the chair. The refugees, most of whom said. mar bilaterally by establishing sifi ed as a distinct group under been underway since the Oc- port to the UN Human Rights Briefi ng reporters after the are now living in squalid camps Myanmar says its army has border liaison offi ces and talks Myanmar’s citizenship laws and tober attacks on the security Council which will be available meeting, cabinet secretary in the Cox’s Bazar district which now halted its operations in on security cooperation, the are regarded instead as illegal posts. online on March 13, the foreign Shafi ul Alam said the draft law borders Myanmar’s Rakhine Rakhine, which were aimed at statement said. immigrants from Bangladesh, The violence has dismayed ministry statement said. has been proposed changing the existing Cruelty Act 1920 which was very old. The defi nition of animal has been specifi ed in the draft law, Floral homage to martyrs Shafi ul Alam said, adding that Plan to link Nepal all vertebrate except human be- ings, domestic animals used for getting services and pet animals capital with Delhi, would come under the purview of the law. Alam said, according to the Kolkata by rail new draft law, showing unnec- essary cruelty to animals, killing animals or showing cruelly to IANS Nepal for monitoring the them or forcing them to do extra Kathmandu project. hard work would be considered According to experts, the as punishable off ences. move is a counter to China’s About the punishment, he ndia’s Minister of Railways bid to expand its rail network said, anyone involved in the of- Suresh Prabhu has an- towards Lumbini via Kath- fences like killing of animal or Inounced that Kathmandu mandu. hurting animal seriously would would soon be linked to New Prabhu held separate meet- face maximum two years of jail Delhi and Kolkata using di- ings with Nepal President or 50,000 taka as fi ne or both the rect railway lines, in a bid to Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Prime punishments. strengthen cross-border con- Minister Pushpa Kamal Da- Besides, six months of impris- nectivity and facilitate move- hal, Minister of Physical In- onment or 10,000 taka as fi ne or ment of people between the frastructure and Transport both the punishments would be two countries. Ramesh Lekhak, Civil Avia- awarded for cruel or heartless Prabhu, who is in Kathman- tion, Culture and Tourism behaviour or for any unnecessary du to address the Nepal Infra- Minister Jiwan Bahadur Shahi harmful behaviour to animals. structure Summit, said that and Energy Minister Janardan The cabinet secretary said di- this could happen as soon as Sharma. A woman decorates the Bangladesh Central Language Martyrs’ Memorial monument with flowers in homage to the martyrs of the rector general of the department Nepal signed a memorandum He also met Nepalese busi- 1952 Bengali Language Movement in Dhaka yesterday, on International Mother Language Day. International Mother Language Day of veterinary or his authorised of understanding (MoU) for ness leaders, political leaders, is celebrated each year on this day, which in Bangladesh marks 65 years since police off icials fired at thousands of protesters at offi cer or any police person- engineering surveys. industry heads, with whom universities in then East Pakistan, who were demanding that Bengali be declared the state language. The deaths marked the start nel holding the post of not be- He added that India was he discussed a wide range of of a nearly two-decades-long struggle for the establishment of the state Bangladesh which was achieved when Indian troops were low sub-inspector can fi le case ready to share its drone tech- infrastructure development victorious in the 1971 independence war with Pakistan. against any person for doing nology and experience with issues. such off ences. 2016 El Nino led to enormous Restoration of ancient coral death in Maldives: study water tanks holds hope

IANS growth and so limit the coastal pacity of these reefs to match or chemical dissolution), infl u- London protection and habitat services any increases in sea-level, but is ences the development of these these reefs presently provide,” also likely to lead to a loss of the structures and how fast a reef for Lanka climate crisis Perry said. surface structure of the reefs can grow. ncreased surface ocean tem- The researchers studied the that is so critical for support- “Coral reefs provide a wealth peratures during the strong impact of the 2016 El Nino ing fi sh species diversity and of benefi ts. They are vital habi- Guardian News Service province, are among those most use more water for irrigation, I2016 El Nino led to a major event at sites in the southern abundance,” Perry pointed out. tats, essential for a vast number Colombo prone to the impacts of erratic while fi shermen demand that coral die-off in the Maldives, and Maldives. Coral reefs are formed by of species and they are also im- weather,” says Dissanaike. the tanks remain full in order to this has caused reef growth rates The study published in the the accumulation of coral skel- portant for tourism and food Researchers found that while sustain their fi sh stock.” to collapse, says a study. journal Scientifi c Reports, etons (made of calcium carbon- provision. The reduction in fter almost three decades drought and high rain variability Scarce resources can often “A very major concern now is showed that the event had not ate) that builds up over 100s carbonate budget threatens of civil war, Sri Lanka has are reducing yields of crops such lead to confl ict and the risk is how quickly these reefs might only caused widespread coral to 1000s of years, forming the these benefi ts and may well also Athe daunting task of ad- as maize, millet or chickpea, thought to be even greater in Sri recover. Recovery from similar bleaching, a phenomenon complex structures that sup- lead to the structural collapse of dressing the increasing impacts frequent fl oods are also damag- Lanka. An analysis by the UN’s past disturbances in the Mal- whereby corals expel their port a huge diversity of marine reefs,” Kyle Morgan from Uni- of climate change. ing what little of the irrigation Environment Programme found dives has taken 10-15 years, photosynthesising algae when life. versity of Exeter explained. The small island country is infrastructure remains intact that the “impacts of climate but major bleaching events are stressed by high tempera- The so-called ‘carbonate The extent of the 2016 already facing environmental after the war. The increasing change can trigger pre-existing predicted to become far more tures, but that this had also budget’ of a reef, which repre- bleaching, which also aff ected challenges that could dwarf the threat of chronic kidney disease, ethnic, nationalist, religious di- frequent than this,” said Chris led to extensive coral death in sents the balance between the reefs in other parts of the In- damage infl icted by civil war. the causes of which remain un- visions” and that confl icts be- Perry, professor at University of all shallow water reef habitats rate at which this carbonate dian Ocean and Pacifi c, was so Drought and erratic weather certain but have been linked to tween communities can arise Exeter in Britain. examined. is produced by corals and the severe that it was subsequently patterns deplete soils, leaving polluted water, also adds to the “when [they] cannot or must “If this is the case it could “This in turn has major im- rate at which it is removed (by named the ‘Third Global Coral Sri Lanka increasingly vulner- burden. fi ght harder to meet their basic lead to long-term loss of reef plications not only for the ca- biological or physical erosion Bleaching Event’. able to climate change and new With a $38.1mn grant from the needs”. resource-driven confl icts. Its Green Climate Fund, the gov- Sustainable access to water ancient and complex network ernment is rehabilitating 320 of for the targeted communities of canals, connecting more than these small tanks, while UNDP is from diff erent ethnic and social 15,000 small tanks and large res- supporting the restoration of an groups in the north-central, Treetop refuge ervoirs to feed a fertile and resil- additional 34, improving their north, east and north-western ient ecosystem, is long gone. Sri design to match the needs of a areas of Sri Lanka addresses a Lanka now struggles for water. growing population living under crucial push factor of confl ict. But local researchers believe the strain of tougher weather. In the past, “the tanks were that restoring some of the small “This groundwater table can- managed by local communities water tanks that peppered the not be used for irrigation but in a participatory manner. But island more than 2,000 years ago serves other purposes, such as the government took over their could ease all of these problems replenishing domestic wells maintenance in the mid-1850s at once. with clean water and protecting and failed to manage them prop- “Climate change is aff ecting people from the potential im- erly,” says Herath Manthrithi- the whole country, but there are pacts of kidney diseases,” says lake, head of the research pro- communities who suff er more Sampath Abeyrathne, UNDP’s gramme at the International because of their inability to coordinator. Water Management Institute in cope,” says Tharuka Dissanaike, Taking advantage of the natu- Sri Lanka. “The system gradu- policy specialist with the UN De- ral inclination of the landscape, ally deteriorated and rural com- velopment Programme (UNDP), the cascading system connects munities are now very much de- which is rolling out a pro- small tanks with large reservoirs, pendent on the few tanks still in gramme aimed at weaving cli- preventing upstream waters from operation.” mate resilience into Sri Lanka’s being dispersed after it rains. The importance of coop- postwar recovery plans. Maximising water collection eration in the management of “Our assessment of the coun- and storage is a resilience strat- shared waters is a key goal of the try’s vulnerabilities found that egy that works, says Abeyrathne. restoration project. But when a the districts where fi ghting had “There are various dynamics large number of ethnic and faith A man looks at a wild leopard taking refuge in a treetop after it was found wandering at Gothatar in Kathmandu yesterday. been going on for [almost] 30 with respect to resource shar- groups share the same space, years, in the northern and eastern ing,” he says. “Farmers want to there are challenges. Gulf Times 26 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko Science entering a

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] new frontier: politics Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) President Donald Trump’s Fax 44350474 dismissive attitude towards climate change has forced many scientists to venture into political GULF TIMES fray

By Deborah Netburn Euro is under New York ike many scientists, Aaron Parsons doesn’t have a history of political engagement. L Instead of focusing on threat; Gulf needs earthly concerns, the University of California, Berkeley radio astronomer spent most of his time scanning the outer reaches of the cosmos, searching to take notice for the earliest stars in the universe. “We’re looking for when the lights turned on,” he said. The 19-nation euro, for sure, is facing some existential But after Donald Trump became threats. the leading Republican candidate Anti-European Union parties across the continent have for president, Parsons turned his attention closer to home. gained support from voters; “withdraw from the single As someone who has lectured about currency” is a rallying cry for Italy’s Five Star Movement the atmospheres of distant planets, he and Marine Le Pen’s National Front in France, while was dismayed by Trump’s dismissive Greece is struggling to meet creditors’ demands in return attitude towards climate change and for crucial loan payments again. With Britain heading his claim that the science on global out of the EU, there are regular reminders of how many warming was a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Scott Pruitt is sworn in by Justice Samuel Alito as his wife Marilyn holds a problems the European single currency has to tackle to He became distraught when bible during ceremony at the Executive Off ice in Washington. stay afl oat. he heard that the new Trump Amid growing doubts over the euro’s future, markets administration was considering climate data for fear that it may soon humanitarian issues, but I bet it never “The taxpayers deserve to have are placing bets that will pay out if the risks in the pulling out of the Paris climate become unavailable to the public or occurred to them that it also has someone knowledgeable about the eurozone escalate. agreement to curb greenhouse deleted entirely. scientifi c implications.” scientifi c literature to off er their emissions. Many have lamented that nearly a Among them: Researchers from expertise.” Here’s the important question: What is at stake for the And he watched with increasing month into his presidency, Trump has overseas are threatening to boycott UC Berkeley evolutionary biologist Gulf? despair when Trump’s nominee to still not selected a science adviser. meetings held in the United States. Michael Eisen has announced on All the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, head the Environmental Protection Perhaps the biggest outcry came Already, Sudanese-born Mohamed Twitter his plan to run for US Senate except Kuwait, have their currencies pegged to the US Agency, Scott Pruitt, said at his Senate after the White House announced H A Hassan, co-leader of a group of in 2018. dollar. But riding on the back of consistently higher oil committee hearing that there is no that travellers from seven primarily scientifi c academies from around the He hasn’t fi led formal papers yet, clear scientifi c consensus that global Muslim countries would be blocked world, has said he won’t travel from and he has no fundraising apparatus in prices over the last decade, Gulf countries have built warming is caused by human activity. from entering the United States. Europe to attend the AAAS annual place, but he says his campaign is not massive fi scal reserves estimated at $2.45tn by the “I had to do something,” Parsons Hundreds of research institutions, meeting in Boston. a stunt. International Institute of Finance. This fi nancial cushion said. hospitals and scientifi c organisations Bill Foster, a physicist-turned- “I’d been thinking about issues of has allowed GCC sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) to invest “I felt like I couldn’t ignore what expressed grave concerns for how it congressman from Illinois, said the science and politics for a long time, heavily in Europe. was going on anymore.” would aff ect the future of research in political awakening among researchers and a lot of people felt like things So he sent an open letter to Trump the United States. is not solely a consequence of the were coming to a head with the new The peculiar investment pattern of Gulf SWFs makes explaining the widespread consensus “It doesn’t matter if you were born rapid series of executive orders coming administration,” he said. it diffi cult to take updated stocks of the assets under among experts that human-caused in Pakistan or Somalia or whatever – from the Oval Offi ce. “The moment seemed to call for their management. But between 2002 and 2006, close climate change is real and that its scientists like to work with scientists,” “In science, if you stand up and say more engagement, so one morning I to $100bn of the $642bn surplus in these funds was consequences are already being felt. said Massachusetts Institute of something you know is not correct, just said this is what I have to do.” invested in EU countries, especially in the fi nancial “The science of how greenhouse Technology president Rafael Reif. that’s career-ending,” said Foster, a Eisen said the whole thing is kind of gases trap heat is unimpeachable,” he “If you are after facts and truth and Democrat. like one of his science experiments. sector, according to a December 2012 estimate. wrote. what’s real, then it doesn’t matter who “It used to be that way in politics, “It’s clear that there is a lack of Gulf SWFs provided emergency fi nancing with a He passed it around Berkeley’s can help you.” but not anymore. To see how far empirical decision-making in our number of European astronomy department to see whether James Appleby, head of the we have fallen, that is particularly politics,” he said. banks after the fi nancial his colleagues would sign on. Gerontological Society of America, disturbing to scientists.” “Our hypothesis is that having more The peculiar crisis in 2008. Between Within a few weeks, 2,300 echoed that sentiment. Holt agreed. scientists involved in politics would 1995 and 2010, an researchers and academics from across “There is a saying that all politics “Some of us have been saying for reverse that trend. It’s an untested investment the University of California and Cal is local, but I think it’s fair to say all years now that ideological assertions hypothesis, but one we should test.” estimated 30% of their State University systems had added science is international,” he said. have been crowding out scientifi c As a realist, he doesn’t expect to pattern of Gulf cross-border investment their names to the letter. “There is this image of the lone evidence in public debate,” he said. win. was made in the EU. As “When facts become politicised, scientist toiling away in the laboratory “But the wilful disregard for facts is But he said he hoped his campaign SWFs makes it of data available in 2015, then scientists have to speak up,” to come up with the next big advance, worse now than it’s ever been.” would help spark a conversation total assets acquired by Parsons said. but in reality, many of the biggest To counteract this trend, some about the relationship between diffi cult to take “We are fi ghting for what is leaps come from our ability to sit researchers are considering their own science and politics, and possibly GCC private investors knowledge, and how we know it.” down with other scholars from around experiments with politics. inspire other scientists to run for updated stocks and SWFs in the EU In ivory towers across the US, the world.” The recently formed 314 Action PAC office as well. was estimated at more scientists are leaning in. The burst of activity has been had 2,500 people with backgrounds in Foster, the sole physicist in of the assets than €400bn, making Spurred by a fl urry of executive particularly gratifying to Rush Holt. science, technology, engineering and Congress, said he hoped more them one of the largest orders and presidential adviser As a physicist, he helped lead the math sign up for training on how to scientists would join him there. under their Kellyanne Conway’s references to Department of Energy’s Princeton run for offi ce. “Scientists want to know the foreign investor groups “alternative facts,” certain researchers Plasma Physics Laboratory for more Thousands more have volunteered evidence behind a statement; they management in Europe. are venturing beyond the safety of the than a decade. to help with their campaigns. want reproducible tests and verifi able GCC policy makers are lab and into the murky political fray. Then he was elected to Congress, “What has motivated them? Donald facts,” he said. envisaging a non-oil scenario for future generations and Four hundred scientists took to the representing the New Jersey district Trump,” said founder Shaughnessy “There is a big diff erence in the San Francisco streets at an American that includes Princeton University for Naughton, a trained chemist from thought process of a trial lawyer who returns from overseas assets are meant to sustain their Geophysical Union conference in 16 years. Pennsylvania who lost two campaigns is interested not in what’s true, but economies during the rainy days. Longer term, to be sure, December to denounce Trump’s Now he leads the American for Congress. what he can convince a jury is true.” doubts about shaky euro will weigh on GCC assets in position on climate change. Association for the Advancement of “But the bigger picture is the feeling Parsons, the astronomer who Europe. A larger “March for Science” in Science, the largest organisation of that science is under attack.” penned the letter about climate These are, for sure, tough times for Europe. Amid Washington is being organised for scientists and engineers in the world. Jamie Tijerina of Highland Park is change, said scientists had a moral Earth Day in April. Holt said that when his group one of the scientists who signed up for obligation to speak out. growing divides over such issues as immigration, budget Researchers have spoken out against penned a letter to President Trump 314 Action’s workshop. “I wish we lived in a world where discipline and national security together with Brexit new restrictions on how government decrying the travel ban, 171 other She works in Caltech’s cytometry science could live outside of the risks and an anti-EU American President Donald Trump, scientists at the EPA and other federal institutions quickly signed on. lab and is a member of her local political sphere,” he said. economic risks are getting more pronounced for Europe. agencies communicate with the “In my relatively long career I have neighbourhood council. “But we didn’t bring this battle to Europe’s slow recovery from its worst-ever recession public. not seen this level of concern about “It’s important for people with a them; they brought it to us. And we hasn’t helped either. The euro dropped by the most on Others have been collecting and science,” he said. scientifi c background to have a seat at have to fi ght back.” – Tribune News storing the government’s copious “This immigration ban has serious the table,” she said. Service record in June 2016 on the surprise decision by British voters to leave the EU, even though the UK is not part of the common currency. Eurozone leaders say the common currency is now more resilient in the face of shocks. They argue that even if Greece were to fall out of the euro, the single currency Breaking the law to save life on Earth would survive. But there’s a consistent argument by business leaders, analysts and politicians that the currency’s structural defi ciencies mean its demise is just By Ezra Silk Michael Foster and Ken Ward – knew Extreme drought and heat are global warming through polite, legal a matter of time. New York the risk they ran. slashing food and water supplies, means, his action was necessary and Yet they openly fi lmed and driving millions of climate refugees justified. Stakes are high for the Gulf. And GCC policy makers livestreamed their actions. from their homes in the Middle East The judge, Michael Rickert, need to plan for any crisis arising out of Europe/eurozone n October, fi ve environmental (Journalists, fi lmmakers and and Africa, including countries from disallowed Ward’s “necessity defence,” to protect their investments and trade interests. activists cut chains and closed supporters on hand were arrested and which Trump recently attempted to since, he said, “there’s tremendous emergency shutoff valves on charged, too.) ban immigration. controversy over...whether (climate Ifi ve major pipelines bringing tar In an open letter to President Barack “We are methodically, with full change) even exists.” soils oil from Alberta, Canada, to the Obama, the valve-turners called for awareness, and in the presence of Ward still managed to get enough of To Advertise United States. an emergency national mobilisation acceptable alternatives, destroying the his point across that on February 1 his The valve-turners were arrested to shut down the tar sands pipelines, conditions which allow the wild riot trial ended in a hung jury. [email protected] and charged with felonies carrying rapidly phase out coal and tar- of diverse life on the planet and have He will be retried. Display potential penalties including decades sands oil extraction, transition to made civilisation possible,” valve- Trials of the other valve-turners Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 in prison and tens of thousands of renewable energy sources, and remove turner Ken Ward wrote. and their supporters will follow. dollars in fi nes. atmospheric carbon dioxide through The valve-turners and their The valve-turners acted to rally the Classified Closing the valves did not endanger biological sequestration. supporters, whom I know through public and resist the assault on the Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 anyone. “If you take no action,” they wrote, my work as a climate change biosphere. But it did temporarily stop the fl ow “you will have presided over the activist, will all plead not guilty at As Emily Johnston said, “My love Subscription of dirty oil. collapse of civilisation.” their trials. for the beauties of this world is far [email protected] It also helped dramatise the struggle With the administration of Ward was the fi rst to face trial. greater than my love of an easy life. against climate change and the call for President Donald Trump now in place In January, before a jury in Skagit If others feel the same way, there’s nonviolent, direct action. and moving to expedite fossil fuel Superior Court in Washington hope for us yet.” As Ward’s hung jury 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved The activists – Annette Klapstein, projects, global average temperatures state, he argued that after decades suggests, others do feel the same way. Emily Johnston, Leonard Higgins, are continuing to escalate rapidly. of unsuccessful efforts to stop – Tribune News Service Gulf Times Wednesday, February 22, 2017 27 COMMENT Financial education of Eurozone

EU leaders should focus integrated banks and fi nancial markets restructure a couple of medium-size can also be an essential source of banks, just to show that it can. on restoring the banking resilience. Finally, policymakers should sector’s credibility Contrary to many predictions, the encourage further capital-market eurozone did not inevitably collapse; integration, which would reinforce rather, it was undeniably bolstered by the euro, improve cross-border risk By Christopher Smart a response that improved oversight, taking, diversify funding sources, and London strengthened institutions, and pooled expand access to fi nance. resources. This will become all the more It is particularly remarkable that important after the United Kingdom n 2017, Europe’s leaders will eurozone regulators can now oversee has left the single market. confront an array of severe tests, and, if necessary, intervene on behalf Today’s political climate limits the including tumultuous elections of the monetary union’s largest banks. possibilities for structural reforms, Ifeaturing populist insurgencies, Of course, the crisis, together with fi scal pooling, and improved labour complex negotiations over Britain’s European institutions’ perceived mobility. departure from the European Union, clumsiness, has also provoked a But if European leaders can and a new American president who signifi cant backlash among voters, strengthen the banking union, there is thinks that the transatlantic alliance is some of whom doubt that the common still hope for the eurozone’s future. “obsolete.” currency can deliver prosperity. The eurozone has gone through a But, despite these challenges, EU Indeed, just because the euro period of fi nancial education. leaders will also have an opportunity survived the last crisis does not mean Political leaders were forced by to strengthen their battered union and that it will survive the next one. global markets to take unpalatable reinforce its institutions. And yet, even in today’s fraught steps to reinforce the monetary In particular, they should focus political climate, European leaders can union, only to realise that one feature on restoring the banking sector’s make progress if they set aside grand, of the problem – bank and market credibility, by providing it with more unrealistic proposals for a European interdependence – also pointed to a capital and better oversight. fi nance minister or more intrusive solution, and will likely drive more Even if they make progress on inquiries into countries’ economic reforms. nothing else, achieving this goal could policies. Taking steps to integrate the turn 2017 into a very good year after Instead, they must concentrate on banking union and European capital all. reinforcing the common currency’s markets further may not be suffi cient Europe’s banks have long inherent strengths, not least by to ensure the euro’s long-term been central to the continent’s formulating a credible plan to clean survival; but doing so is necessary. economy. up the bad loans on Italian and And in these politically tumultuous In France and Germany, bank assets Portuguese banks’ balance sheets. times, it is the only realistic option. – amount to 350-400% of GDP, whereas Ideally, such a plan would include Project Syndicate in the United States, they are equal to European resources as well as local just over 100% of GDP. interdependence is what eventually leaders ever would have agreed to resolve threatened institutions, thus reforms, and it would address zChristopher Smart, a senior fellow After the 2008 fi nancial crisis, the saved the day. to a $1tn backstop for financial alleviating market turmoil. insolvency-regime ineffi ciencies, so at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center eurozone’s weakest banks quickly Because Irish, Portuguese, and markets. While political leaders were that banks are not burdened with non- for Business at Harvard University’s buckled under the weight of their bad Greek banks owed money largely to Meanwhile, the European Central cavilling over the legality of interstate performing loans while they wait for a Kennedy School of Government, loans, and then threatened to drag German, French, and Dutch banks, the Bank’s integrated payment system loans, European institutions were court’s approval to convert collateral. was Special Assistant to President their respective governments down external shocks to the weakest banks enabled regular transfers to continue softening the blow from a global To improve confi dence in the overall Barack Obama for International with them. and economies were immediately between peripheral and core banks, shock. system, policymakers also need to Economics, Trade, and Investment With many countries’ shared with the strongest. which sustained commercial activity Economists tend to agree that set limits on banks’ sovereign-debt and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the creditworthiness in doubt, even This forced all stakeholders to co- and fi nancing through the worst parts an “optimum currency union” exposure, which will end the doom US Treasury for Europe and Eurasia. strong banks were caught in a “doom operate on a joint response, despite of the crisis. requires such features as high labour loop and allow for more contributions This commentary is based on his study loop,” as they suff ered losses from the political costs. The ECB also maintained its mobility, shared fi scal oversight, and to fl ow into the EU’s Single Resolution of the European crisis, The Financial the collapsing sovereign debt on their Had all European banks and liquidity support – if not always synchronised business cycles – none Fund. Education of the Eurozone, published books. economies not been imperilled, it generously and reliably – and of which the eurozone has. And, for good measure, the ECB this month as a Mossavar-Rahmani Ironically, eurozone banks’ is hard to imagine that European ultimately committed to intervening But as the fi nancial crisis revealed, should consider intervening to Centre Associate Working Paper. Weather report Libya risks becoming a ‘failed state’ Three-day forecast TODAY High: 21 C branch or political or tribal clan is controlled by dozens of militias of over the prospects for Libya to avoid Low : 14 C By Imed Lamloum/ AFP Inshore: Hazy to misty at places at can govern the country on its shifting allegiances. becoming a “failed state”. first becomes mild daytime with Tripoli scattered clouds and weak chance own” in the post-Gaddafi era, said The authority of the GNA headed “It’s now been six years that the of light rain. Rachid Khechana, director of the by Fayez al-Sarraj is challenged by international community is trying ibya’s transition has been Mediterranean Centre for Libyan a rival administration in east Libya, to impose a democratic, united THURSDAY bogged down by insecurity Studies in Tunis. much of which is under the control government when there is nothing High: 20 C and chaos, leaving the country “This is why the country is not of armed forces commanded by on which they can build it,” said Low: 17 C Llooking like a “failed state” six ready for ‘classic’ democratic controversial Field Marshal Khalifa Federica Saini Fasanotti, an analyst P Cloudy years after the Nato-backed uprising competition” through elections, he Haftar. with the Washington-based Brookings that ended Muammar Gaddafi ’s rule. said. The general in his 70s was Institution. “We got rid of one dictator only to In the absence of a strong regular overlooked in the Morocco accord but “Libyans must decide whether their FRIDAY see 10,000 others take his place,” said army, the oil-rich country with long, has returned to the forefront with his country will become a new Somalia, or High: 22 C Fatma al-Zawi, a Tripoli housewife, porous borders has turned into rich forces’ capture of four oil terminals in whether they’ll make diffi cult choices Low: 16 C bemoaning the multitude of warlords terrain for smugglers of arms and the east from which most of Libya’s to steer it in a diff erent direction,” she Sunny and militias which have run the North people from sub-Saharan Africa lifeline oil is exported. said. African country since the armed revolt desperate to reach Europe via perilous Haftar, a sworn foe of Islamist Fasanotti stressed that “not a single which erupted in mid-February 2011. Mediterranean crossings. militants, is accused by detractors remotely unifying political leader has Fishermen’s forecast Ordinary Libyans showed little Also stepping into the void have of aiming to establish a new military emerged for the country”. OFFSHORE DOHA enthusiasm for the anniversary, which been militants, especially the Islamic dictatorship and has so far failed to Claudia Gazzini of the International Wind: NW-N 06-16/20 KT the authorities marked last week State group which has seized swathes woo Western support. Crisis Group was also downbeat, Waves: 3-5/6 Feet with cultural and sporting events in of Libya, although it was expelled in But a rapprochement with Russia ruling out any major political or INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 05-15 KT Martyrs’ Square in the capital. December from its bastion of Sirte, a and the backing he enjoys from military settlement in 2017. Waves: 1-3 Feet Living conditions have deteriorated city on the Mediterranean. regional states such as Egypt and the “Whether or not this state of badly through a combination Hopes for a recovery and return United Arab Emirates are prompting suspended animation marks the Around the region of insecurity, power cuts, water to an era of security raised by a the international community to review beginning of Libya as a ‘failed state’ Weather Weather shortages, a cash crunch and the Government of National Accord its position. depends primarily on its economic today Max/min tomorrow Max/min plunging value of the Libyan dinar. (GNA), set up under a December 2015 The UN envoy to Libya, Martin standing,” she said. Abu Dhabi M Sunny 22/16 Sunny 25/19 Libya’s executive and legislative agreement brokered by the United Kobler, said last week that talks “The risk of a further deterioration Baghdad Sunny 18/05 M Sunny 20/06 Dubai Sunny Nations and signed in Morocco, had made progress on “possible of the country’s economy is real P Cloudy 24/16 26/20 branches have been paralysed by fi erce Kuwait City P Cloudy 19/11 Showers 17/10 rivalries between political movements, proved short-lived. amendments” to the December 2015 despite the uptick in oil production,” Manama M Sunny 19/14 Showers 19/15 ideologies and tribes. It set up shop in Tripoli in March agreement, and notably on a future which has climbed to 700,000 Muscat Sunny 23/19 Sunny 26/22 “The protagonists have not 2016 but has failed to extend its role for the military strongman. barrels per day, was her bleak Riyadh P Cloudy 21/13 P Cloudy 22/09 understood that no single ideological authority, even in the capital which But analysts remain sceptical assessment. Tehran Sunny 11/-1 P Cloudy 12/00 Live issues Night shifts may harm women’s eggs: study

AFP evening, night or rotation shifts. Paris The eff ect was strongest in overweight women and those older than 37, the researchers said. omen who work nights Women are believed to be born with and do heavy lifting on a fi nite number of eggs, which steadily the job may have fewer die off over time – a process which Wand inferior eggs than can be accelerated by factors such as nine-to-fi vers, a study into a potential smoking, for example. Around the world cause of infertility has said. The team merely observed a Weather Weather Previous research had shown a correlation between work conditions today Max/min tomorrow Max/min link between work conditions and and egg health, and cannot say with Athens Sunny 17/08 Sunny 19/09 fertility, but this was the fi rst attempt certainty that one causes the other. Beirut Sunny 18/12 Sunny 18/11 Bangkok M Sunny 34/26 M Sunny 34/27 to examine how shift work or manual They also cannot be sure that a Berlin Rain 09/05 Rain 10/03 labour might aff ect a woman’s similar correlation would be found Cairo M Cloudy 20/09 P Cloudy 22/10 physical capacity to have a baby, the in women not in need of fertility Cape Town Sunny 33/19 Sunny 34/18 authors said. treatment. Colombo P Cloudy 32/23 P Cloudy 32/24 P Cloudy 30/18 The US-based team analysed data Other experts not involved in the Dhaka 32/23 M Sunny Hong Kong M Cloudy 24/19 Cloudy 20/14 from about 400 women attending a research pointed out other potential Istanbul P Cloudy 12/06 Sunny 15/08 Massachusetts fertility clinic. Their fl aws. Jakarta T Storms 32/24 S T Storms 32/24 average age was 35. With fewer than 500 women, the Karachi Sunny 29/14 Sunny 31/16 The researchers assessed “ovarian study was too small to rule out other London Cloudy 13/10 Showers 11/03 Manila P Cloudy 32/23 P Cloudy 33/24 reserve” – the number of remaining physical exertion was required of demanding jobs had a lower reserve possible causes for reduced egg Moscow S Showers -1/-9 S Showers 01/-1 eggs a woman had – as well as levels them, and the hours that they worked. of eggs than those whose work quantity or quality. New Delhi Sunny 27/12 Sunny 26/13 of a hormone which rise as fertility About 40% of women said they did not regularly require heavy “For example, it is possible that they New York P Cloudy 14/09 Cloudy 17/12 dwindles. had to regularly move or lift heavy lifting,” said a press statement (shift workers and heavy-lifters) were Paris Cloudy 12/08 Showers 12/04 Sao Paulo S T Storms S T Storms 32/21 They also examined how many objects, while a fi fth said their jobs from the journal Occupational & poorer and therefore had diff erent 32/20 Seoul Rain& Snow 04/-4 Sunny 03/-8 eggs were “mature” and capable of were moderately to very physically Environmental Medicine, which social conditions or diet compared Singapore T Storms 32/24 T Storms 32/24 developing into a healthy embryo. demanding. Ninety-one percent published the study. with the nine-to-fi ve workers,” said Sydney Cloudy 26/18 Cloudy 29/19 This data was compared to the worked during normal offi ce hours. Heavy lifters also had fewer mature Channa Jayasena of Imperial College Tokyo Clear 11/02 Cloudy 16/06 women’s job conditions — how much “Women with physically eggs – even fewer if they worked London. Gulf Times 28 Wednesday, February 22, 2017 QATAR Fifty One East to sponsor Qatari Designers initiative ifty One East, a prominent department store in Qatar, Fhas announced its three years’ sponsorship for the Young Qatari Designers initiative at the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhi- bition (DJWE), which runs at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre until Saturday. The initiative will showcase the exquisite and bespoke jewel- lery collections of Doha’s fi nest young designers. Part of the Fifty One East sponsorship is their commitment to nurture the tal- ent of Qatari youth who are cre- ating their jewellery collections inspired by traditional tech- niques and unique craftsmanship handed down through genera- tions, preserving signature Qa- tari artistry. Sarah al-Hammadi (right) and Nada al-Sulaiti (middle) along with another designer at the pavilion of Bader Abdullah al-Darwish, Young Qatari Designers at the DJWE yesterday. chairman and managing director of Darwish Holding, expressed the economic and social devel- al-Hammadi (of Sarah’s & Co) (founder of Ghada Albuainain his delight to help Qatar’s bright- opment of Qatar.” who will present a collection fo- jewellery) who has become well- est artisans, commenting; “We This year’s young Qatari de- cused on bridal jewellery inspired known for transforming uncon- are proud to stand hand in hand signers exhibiting, are: Noor by wedding glamour, nature and ventional materials into elegant with the Young Qatari Designers Alfardan (owner of Noudar), abstract arts; Nouf al-Meer (of works of art. initiative. who will reveal a new collection Nouf Jewellery) whose crafts- Part of Fifty One East’s owned The younger generations are of diamond-studded jewels in- manship is developed by social collections are Rolex, Chanel the future of our nation, and the spired from the noble heritage of interaction and an observation of and Boucheron as well as Andre ones who will build upon our the Arabic and Islamic culture; her surroundings; Fajr al-Attiya Marcha, Azza Fahmy, Bremont, ancestors’ heritage and steer our infl uences from Oman patterns (of Trifoglio) who has been in- Falamank by Tarfa Itani, H Mo- country forward. It has always and Henna designs; Nada al-Su- spired by nature, while her latest ser & Cie, Hueb, leBebé, Le- been essential to us that we sup- laiti (of Hairaat), an award-win- collection brings a modern touch Lune, Pasquale Bruni, Pandora, port them and help realise their ning Qatari designer with a keen of femininity to the classic sham- Speake-Marin, Takara, Tudor ambitions. They are the base for interest in wearable art; Sarah rock leaf; and Ghada Albuainain and Yvan Tufenkjian. The pavilion for the Young Qatari Designers initiative at the ongoing DJWE 2017. World’s most intricate timepieces at DJWE

irard-Perregaux, fi ne Jewellery and Watches Exhibition community, according to a press a complication — the Tri-Axial in this new edition, which blends watchmakers for over two (DJWE) are crafted in a variety of statement. Each of the timepiec- Tourbillon — that combines the what is traditional and what is in- Gcenturies, has lined up a materials ranging from titanium es draws heavily on the maison’s tourbillon in three diff erent axes. novative at the same time. range of “exquisitely designed, and tantalum to steel and carbon “rich tradition of innovation and This watch is available in a lim- The Constant Escapement LM ultra-sophisticated and intri- composites, instead of the more creativity, precision workman- ited edition of 20 pieces only. marks a “revolutionary innova- cately complicated” timepieces normal gold. ship and unique engineering” and As for the Neo-Tourbillon, Gi- tion of constant energy”. With the for the benefi t of fi ne watch lovers Highlighted in the Swiss mai- these are all collector’s items in rard-Perregaux keeps all the links launch of this watch in 2013, Gir- and afi cionados from the Middle son’s exhibits will be “excep- their own way. “These complica- with the heritage code in this ard-Perregaux revealed the result East. tional timepieces”, including tions present a unique look at fi ne version, while at the same time of years of research and develop- Estimated to represent a the Neo-Tourbillon with Three watchmaking and attain heights introducing some crucial refi ne- ment. It is considered one of the combined value of QR18.20mn Bridges, Minute Repeater Tour- of haute horology in their own ments and tweaks in a “memora- leading technical developments ($5mn), the masterpieces that billon, Constant Escapement LM way,” the statement noted. ble refresh of an icon”. in the industry and has won the make up the Swiss maison’s line- and the Tri-Axial Tourbillon, “all Housed in a 48mm titanium With Neo-Bridges, Girard- Golden Scorpion Award (Aiguille up — in partnership with Alfardan of which have attracted rave re- case, the master craftsmen of Gi- Perregaux’s legacy and future vi- d’Or) at the prestigious Grand Jewellery —at the ongoing Doha views” from the haute horological rard-Perregaux have put together sion for the watch industry meet Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve. Girard Perregaux masterpieces on display.

Glimpses of DJWE

Karun Kirac and wife Sinem with their gold-plated ‘water bottle’, one of the major attractions at their pavilion at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition. PICTURE: Thajudheen Karun Kirac has good hopes in Qatar market

By Ramesh Mathew Staff Reporter

urkish jewellery designer Karun Kirac, who has made a dream Along with a large number of diamond-studded ornaments and watches on display at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, such accessories as pens embedded with start to his Qatar sojourn, has an independent pavilion at the precious stones, leather bags, cuff links and beads too are among the exhibits at some of the boutiques. Albir Arazi’s stall at the Alfardan pavilion has a rich collection of Tongoing 14th Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) such expensive pens and similar gadgets. The owner says Qatar has been a good market all these days for such luxury premium accessories. PICTURES: Thajudheen at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. First-timers at the expo, Kirac and his wife Sinem, are hopeful that most of their creations would go down well with the clientele in Qatar as each of those pieces were designed bearing in mind the tastes and interests of the people in the Gulf region. Born into an Armenian family, which has a more than 500-year- old history in making ornaments and priceless mementos, souvenirs and similar accessories for the royals of many states, Kirac said he has showcased an array of his immaculate creations, many of which took him several months to make. Among them is a gold-plated water bottle with a remarkably stun- ning appeal. “Already I have some interesting inquiries from some of the visitors,” he said while explaining the unique features of some of his company’s precious pieces brought for the expo. Similar gold plated souvenirs adorned his showcase. The jeweller said he is motivated by a passion for designing such curios and works with his team round-the-clock to suit the tastes and requirements of his potential customers. “Most of my ruby and diamond-studded necklaces showcased here are long and narrow as we know it too well that such charac- More than four-decade old Paul Picot has an impressive teristics are mandatory for some of the serious buyers, especially line up of limited edition time pieces at their stall within among Gulf women,” said Kirac. First timers Hazoorilal from India has a number of Alfardan pavilion. A company off icial said though they The designer has also taken into account the tastes and prefer- ornate emerald necklaces on display at their stall at are a new entrant at the exhibition, the company’s ences of Qatari males, and rich and ornate cuff -links and bracelets the Alfardan Jewellery pavilion. The company, which made-to-order and limited-edition premium watches are displayed in abundance. “Similarly diamond and stone-studded has completed more than 65 years in service, has a have a good following in major markets across the attractive beads too are there,” he said while recalling the hard work rich and illustrious tradition. world. An exquisite necklace at Alfardan Jewellery. of his craftsmen to make each of those pieces.