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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014 INTERNATIONAL UK’s Cameron woos voters with discount starter homes

LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister David property prices have risen, so too has the age Cameron pledged yesterday to build 100,000 of those entering the housing market. The new homes and offer them to younger first- average age of a first-time buyer is 30 nation- time buyers at a 20 percent discount if his ally, up from 28 in 2009. It is 32 in London. party wins a national election in May. The extension of the ruling Conservative’s “Help MP defects to UKIP to Buy” scheme - meant to get people on the Meanwhile, the British PM suffered anoth- housing ladder - was announced on the eve er blow on yesterday as Mark Reckless of the party’s annual conference, the last defected to UKIP, the second Conservative before the vote. backbencher to join the eurosceptic party in Property is a politically potent issue in a two months. Reckless’s announcement was country facing a housing shortage that has greeted with rapture at the United Kingdom helped push prices nearly 10 percent higher Independence Party’s annual conference, nationally in the past year, and much more in where delegates jumped out of their seats London. The “Starter Homes” plan would only cheering the switch. The defection comes cover houses built on brownfield sites, land just one month after fellow Conservative which has already set aside for commercial backbencher Douglas Carswell also left purposes, in England, the Conservatives said Cameron’s centre-right party for the anti- in a statement. Buyers aged below 40 would European Union, anti-immigration UKIP. get the discount on the market value, made “The leadership of the Conservative Party “possible because a Conservative government is part of the problem that is holding our will exempt them from taxes, reduce develop- country back,” said Reckless, who has made a ment costs and allow the release of cheaper name for himself as one of the Conservatives’ brownfield commercial land to build these most rebellious lawmakers. “Today I am leav- homes on,” the party added. The “Help to Buy” ing the Conservative Party and joining UKIP,” mortgage guarantee scheme was brought in said the 43-year-old, sparking jubilation at the last year to help would-be buyers struggling conference in Doncaster, northern England. to pay large deposits. Some critics said it did “These decisions are never easy. Mine certain- BARCELONA: Pro independence supporters gather outside the Generalitat Palace, the main head office of the Government of Catalonia. —AP nothing to spur new building. ly has not been. Many have been the sleepless A report by a former Bank of England poli- nights when I have talked it over with my wife cymaker published in March said the country and thought about the future of our children. needed 1 million homes. Construction of “It is a decision I make from optimism, a Catalonia defies Spain, homes in England slumped after the 2007- decision that is born of belief that Britain 2009 financial crisis and is still struggling to can be better and of my knowledge of how recover. In 2013, 110,000 homes were built, the Westminster parties’ hold us back-but the second-lowest reading since records also of my belief in the fresh start UKIP calls secession vote began in 1978 and down from 177,000 in offers. “We all know the problem of British 2007. Stewart Baseley, chairman of the Home politics. People feel disconnected from Builders Federation, said the house building Westminster. But disconnected is too mild a industry welcomed the Conservative plan. word. People feel ignored, taken for grant- Region’s political leaders support the vote “Enabling more first time buyers to realize ed, over-taxed, over-regulated, ripped off BARCELONA: The president of Spain’s powerful ernment plans to challenge a recently-passed py and satisfied that president Mas has called their ambition of home ownership and intro- and lied to.” Reckless represents Rochester northeastern region of Catalonia yesterday for- Catalan law permitting the independence refer- the referendum,” said Carme Forcadell, the ducing policies that allow more land to come and Strood, in Kent, southeast England. mally called an independence referendum, the endum before the Constitutional Court, which it leader of a pro-independence group that has forward and increase house building would UKIP topped the polls at the European latest secession push in Europe and one of the hopes will suspend it and halt the vote. pushed for the referendum by organizing rallies clearly be positive,” he said. As deposits and Parliament elections in May. — Agencies most serious challenges to the Spanish state of in the past three years. Unlike the Scotland vote, recent years. The Spanish government of Prime Pro-independence supporters a pro-secession result in a referendum in Minister Mariano Rajoy insists the referendum, Spain’s constitution doesn’t allow referen- Catalonia wouldn’t result directly in secession planned for Nov 9, is illegal and won’t take place. dums on sovereignty that don’t include all but Mas says it would give him a political man- Catalan leader Artur Mas signed the decree to Spaniards, and experts say its Constitutional date to negotiate independence. In the referen- call the referendum in a solemn ceremony in the Court would rule the vote illegal. Mas has sug- dum, Mas wants to ask Catalans two questions; regional government headquarters in Barcelona, gested that if a referendum can’t be held he may first, if they think Catalonia should be a state, flanked by most of the region’s political leaders call early elections, which could be turned into a and, if so, should it be independent. who support the vote. “Like all the nations of the yes or no vote on independence. “We are open Polls indicate most Catalans favor holding the world, Catalonia has the right to decide its politi- to negotiating the conditions of the referendum referendum but are roughly evenly split on inde- cal future,” said Mas. Pro-independence senti- until the last moment,” Mas said. pendence. Pro-independence fervor fades when ment in the economically strong region, where While Mas called the referendum, hundreds people are asked if they favor an independent the Catalan language is spoken side-by-side of pro-independence supporters gathered in the Catalonia outside the European Union, as the with Spanish, has surged in recent years, fueled square in front of the Catalan government build- region has been warned would happen. The ref- by a sense that the region deserves better fiscal ing in the center of Barcelona, with many wear- erendum has stirred debate about whether the and political treatment from Madrid. ing or waving pro-independence flags and 1978 Spanish Constitution should be updated to The announcement comes a week after chanting “independence.” The crowd cheered accommodate Catalonia’s demands for more Scotland voted against breaking away from when an electronic clock counting down the power while maintaining the 17-region country Britain. Rajoy, who was flown back from China, is days until the referendum was set in motion on unified. Separatist sentiment is also very strong LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron leaves the Houses of Parliament in expected to hold an emergency cabinet meet- the side of a building overlooking the square. in the northern Basque region. Giles contributed the back of a car. —AFP ing within days on the issue. The Spanish gov- “Today is a day to celebrate. We are very hap- from Madrid. — AP Spain readies beatification of Opus Dei leader

MADRID: Tens of thousands of peo- approachable man - for his interces- shock for Opus Dei, shaking every- ple gathered in Madrid yesterday for sion from heaven. Among the crowd thing up internally, including its the beatification of an early leader of at the beatification Mass were peo- communications strategy, Allen said. the Roman Catholic organization ple from as far afield as Africa, Dan Brown’s character of Silas, a celi- Opus Dei. At a large outdoor mass, Mexico and the Philippines. “We bate albino Opus Dei monk who Cardinal Angelo Amato began the have come from Kenya to be here,” practices corporal mortification and process that will confirm Alvaro Del said financial analyst James Gundiri who is capable of anything to cover Portillo as a saint. Del Portillo suc- from Nairobi. “He came to Kenya in up the idea that Jesus Christ had ceeded Opus Dei founder Josemaria 1989 and we are very happy, we been a king of Israel whose heirs sur- Escriva De Balaguer as leader of the want to emulate his life and live vived him to this day, seriously dent- organization. Opus Dei, once consid- according to the teachings of the ed the movement’s reputation. The ered a secretive, right-wing, cult-like church.” practices of self-harm, aggressive group that curried high favor within recruiting techniques, segregation of the church, has been trying to foster ‘The Da Vinci Code’ sexes in its residential centers and a friendlier image in recent years. “Our whole family has come from reports by former members that Dan Brown’s best-selling book, Colombia for this beatification,” said they were forbidden from having “The Da Vinci Code,” and subsequent lawyer Jorge Gomez, 39. “For us contact with family members only 2006 movie portrayed Opus Dei as a Catholics, it is like a symbol that added to the perception that Opus murderous, power-hungry sect at helps us live according to the Dei was a cult-like institution that the center of a complex conspiracy Gospel.” Del Portillo’s beatification is nevertheless had the blessing of the to cover up dark secrets at the heart interpreted by many as a confirma- papacy. Rather than call for a boycott of the church. Del Portillo’s journey tion that Opus Dei has normalized its or launch defamation lawsuits, Opus toward sainthood got underway place in the church. “My general Dei seized the opportunity that the after Pope Francis confirmed a mira- impression is they have gone from publicity generated to open up. After cle attributed to his intercession- a being the Darth Vader of the Catholic years of dodging press inquiries and requirement to become a saint. Church to being another piece of fur- fending off criticisms it was a cult, A Chilean baby boy’s heart started niture in the living room,” said John Opus Dei launched a global, media- beating again in 2003 after hospital Allen, who wrote an authoritative friendly PR “get to know us” cam- staff had failed to resuscitate him for 2005 book on the movement and is paign that culminates with the beati- 30 minutes. The boy’s parents say currently associate editor of Crux, a fication that was open for all to they had prayed to Del Portillo - news site covering Catholicism. attend. Winfield contributed from whom many saw as an affable, “The Da Vinci Code” was a massive Rome. — AP Thousands march in Congo against Kabila

KINSHASA: Thousands of people Democracy and Social Progress tion to allow him to stand for a third protested in the Democratic Republic (UPDS) party. “The Congolese people elected term in power. of Congo on yesterday, calling on are saying: no one touches the consti- Some allies of the president have President Joseph Kabila to respect his tution,” he said as he took part in a 11 already endorsed the idea, though country’s constitution and step down km (7 mile) march that set off from the Kabila has remained silent on the sub- when his second elected term ends in iconic monument to Patrice ject despite pressure from American 2016. A march in Kinshasa was peace- Lumumba, Congo’s first elected prime and other foreign officials to com- ful but protesters in Goma, the minister. mit to stepping down in 2016. biggest town in the volatile east, were Kabila came to power in 2001 Earlier this month, Kabila reshuffled dispersed by tear gas. The country is when his father, Laurent, was assassi- his top military command, a move rife with speculation that Kabila is nated in the middle of a conflict that some analysts said pointed to his looking for ways to remain in charge sucked in regional armies and aid determination to put loyalists in of the vast, mineral-rich nation that workers say ended up killing millions. key positions as he prepares the has been plagued by decades of con- He steered the country to post-war ground for a potentially volatile flict. elections in 2006 and won re-election period. “By promoting some of his In Kinshasa, protesters demanded in 2011, although the second vote key confidants and keeping poten- dialogue with the government over was marred by complaints of wide- tial spoilers in check, Kabila is likely the holding of presidential elections in spread irregularities. Kabila said this to be preparing the elite echelons 2016, even as many denounced Kabila week at the United Nations General of the security forces for the turbu- as illegitimate “We don’t want any Assembly that he would stick to a cal- lence associated with the constitu- more Mr Kabila. The people are tired,” endar of local and national elections tional revision process,” Christoph said Bruno Mavungu, secretary gener- due in 2015 and 2016. But critics say Wille, Africa analyst at Control Risks, al of the opposition Union for that he intends to rejig the constitu- said in a note. —Reuters