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THURSDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10359 February 9, 2017 Jumada I 12, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Qatar condemns Israeli settlement law

In brief Steep fall in road EU | Politics British MPs approve bill to start Brexit British MPs overwhelmingly backed a bill yesterday empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to accident start negotiations on leaving the European Union, bringing Brexit a significant step closer. Members of the House of Commons voted by 494 votes to 122 for a law enabling May to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, which begins two fatalities years of talks on pulling out of the 28-nation bloc. The unamended two- The decline is due to stringent clause bill now moves to the House enforcement of traff ic rules, says of Lords, where there may be more off icial opposition from unelected peers – and where May’s Conservative party By Ramesh Mathew does not have a majority. Staff Reporter BRITAIN | People here was a steep fall of 21.6% in UK minister gives the number of deaths from road up US citizenship Two Israeli women walk past a construction site in a new housing project in the Israeli settlement of Na’ale, near the West Ttraffi c accidents (RTAs) during British Foreign Secretary Boris Bank city of Ramallah, yesterday. Qatar yesterday strongly condemned Israel’s approval to build thousands of new settlement 2016 in Qatar compared to the previ- Johnson, who was born in New York, units in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs said that the ous year, according to fi gures released Brigadier Mohamed Saad al-Kharji has renounced his US citizenship, a Israeli Knesset’s adoption of settlement legislation law is a flagrant violation of international resolutions, especially UN Security by the Ministry of Interior’s General speaks at the meeting. United States Treasury Department Council Resolution 2334, and a blatant attack on the right of the Palestinian people. The Foreign Ministry confirmed in its Directorate of Traffi c yesterday. document said yesterday. Alexander statement that the continuation of Israeli violations would undermine international eff orts to implement the two-state solution. RTAs claimed a total of 227 lives in The studies also found speeding Boris Johnson figured in the The statement called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to 2015, but the number dropped to 178 in claimed 12 lives and left 15 seriously Treasury list of people who had enforce the Security Council resolutions and compel Israel to halt its settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territories. 2016 – 94.9% of them were men. The injured while wrong overtaking caused given up their US citizenship in the total number of RTAs also fell by 7.8% three deaths and left 16 injured. Lack of last quarter of 2016. The former in 2016 compared to the previous year, discipline among drivers resulted in 14 mayor of London has held both even though there was a 4% rise in the deaths and 53 serious and 466 minor British and US passports. Johnson total number of vehicles in 2016. injuries. had said in 2015 he intended to give “The fall in RTA deaths is due to Jumping signals led to one death up his dual nationality for patriotic the stringent enforcement of the traf- and 23 serious and 286 minor injuries. reasons. He said his US passport fi c rules and regulations, the eff ective Drivers’ failure to keeping safe distanc- was “an accident of birth” and that Oil producers may ‘need use of advanced signalling equipment es caused six deaths and 68 serious and he had to “find a way of sorting it and installation of radars across the 1,323 minor injuries. out” with the then US ambassador country,” Brigadier Mohamed Saad al- While the authorities attributed Matthew Barzun. Kharji, director general of the General reckless driving and negligence as the Directorate of Traffi c told a meeting. main cause for 108 fatal cases, owing ARAB WORLD | Agreement to extend output cuts’ There were no injuries in approxi- to the same reasons, commuters sus- mately 97.5% of the accidents that Qa- tained 388 major and 2,228 minor in- Libya talks on new unity tar witnessed in 2016. While the aver- juries. Bloomberg remove as much as 1.8mn barrels of oil said on January 16 in Abu Dhabi. govt gather pace: UN age number of RTA deaths in Qatar per Overturning of vehicles accounted Doha a day from the market. The oil market would be re-bal- Talks on changes to Libya’s unity Opec expects to decide whether to anced when global inventories, cur- 100,000 was 5.5, the global average is for 12.1% of the major crashes while government could yield results in extend the cuts at its bi-annual meet- rently near record highs, approached around 17.4%, which is 68.4% higher 11.5% of the accidents involved running the coming weeks, putting the north pec and other major crude- ing in Vienna in May. their fi ve-year average level, al-Sada than the local average, the directorate over the victims. Almost two-thirds African country on a path to stability, producing nations may need Benchmark Brent crude fell as said. The third quarter of this year said. (66.7%) of the major RTAs were from the UN envoy said yesterday. The to extend output cuts into the much as 61 cents in London yesterday would be a “good estimate” for when As many as 66 drivers (37.1%) were collision between two vehicles, and O among those killed in the RTAs. The such accidents also claimed 67 lives UN-backed government of Prime second half of the year to re-balance and was trading at $54.64 a barrel at this is likely to happen, he said. Minister Fayez al-Sarraj was installed the market, Qatar’s Energy and In- 10.03am local time, on course for a Investment in the oil industry has casualties included 57 pedestrians and left 336 with serious and 3,674 mi- (32%) and 55 passengers (30.9%). nor injuries. in Tripoli last year but has failed dustry Minister HE Dr Mohamed bin third daily decline after industry data tumbled during the past three years, to assert itself further east, where Saleh al-Sada said yesterday. showed US stockpiles surged. and a failure to reverse this trend strongman General Khalifa Haftar Global oil supplies have decreased A committee in charge of monitor- could hurt future supply and cause holds sway. UN envoy Martin Kobler Most victims in 21-30 age group as the Organisation of Petroleum ing compliance with the deal is due to a shortage three years from now, told the Security Council that talks release its fi rst report on February 17, on “possible amendments” to the Exporting Countries and producers al-Sada said. Current oil demand is Nearly 36.5% of the 178 people who accounted for 53.9% and Arabs 21.9%. political agreement, and notably outside the group comply with a six- disclosing January production levels healthy and will increase by 1.1mn to lost their lives in road traffi c accidents Residents from other Gulf countries on Haftar’s future role, had made month deal to curb output that took for participating countries, al-Sada 1.2mn barrels a day in 2017, he said. (RTAs) during 2016 were from the 21-30 (1.7%) constituted a minor section among progress in the past two months. eff ect on January 1, al-Sada said at a said. The fi ve-member committee, Reuters adds: age group, the General Directorate of the victims. There was a 4.5% decline in news briefi ng in Doha. chaired by Kuwait, will use as many as Al-Sada also said Qatar was look- Traffi c announced in a report released the number of traffi c off ences in 2016 REGION | Confl ict “It’s too early to make a judge- six sources of data to measure output, ing for opportunities to invest in the yesterday. Those in the age group 31-40 compared to the previous year. The ment,” he said, adding that markets he said. US energy market. constituted 27% of the total fatalities number of off ences recorded in 2015 were US in touch with may re-balance in the third quarter. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s Energy He said Qatar wanted to build on while those above 40 represented 1,720,735. The daily average of violations Yemen over raid Opec agreed in November to im- and Industry Minister Khalid al-Falih Doha’s good ties with Washington approximately 22.5%. As many as 11.2% was 4,564 and hourly fi gure was 190. The White House said yesterday pose quotas on its members for the said an extension of the agreement and shrugged off fears about any pro- of those killed were between 11 and 20 The majority of the RTA victims in the it had been in touch with Yemeni fi rst time in eight years, in an eff ort to probably wouldn’t be necessary, given tectionist policies under US President years and the remaining 2.8% were under Industrial Area were pedestrians. More off icials through diplomatic stem a supply glut that had depressed high levels of compliance and expec- Donald Trump. 11 years. Almost 94.9% of the victims were pedestrian bridges would be provided for channels amid concerns over a US crude prices. The organisation en- tations of strong demand. Nonethe- “We have an excellent relationship males and 5.1% women. Of the victims, the Industrial Area residents in coming commando raid targeting Al Qaeda listed support from 11 other producers less, “all players have indicated their with the US on all fronts,” al-Sada 16.3% were Qataris; Asian nationalities months, an offi cial said. militants that killed several civilians. on December 10 in an historic deal to willingness to extend, if necessary,” he said. “We are in touch with Yemenis through diplomatic channels,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news briefing. “They understand the fight and commitment that we both share.”

RUSSIA | Controversy Cabinet approves law on domestic workers

Putin foe gets 5-year he Cabinet has given its consent sponsor in return for wages in line with to the Advisory Council’s recommen- lates that anyone who takes or circu- the Cabinet had referred the matter suspended jail term to a draft law that specifi es the the contract and “established norms”. dations on the matter, a draft law that lates photographs or videos of accident to the Advisory Council in September Top Russian opposition leader Trights and duties of domestic The new law is a major step towards includes penalties for clicking, record- victims through any device in any un- 2016. Alexei Navalny was found guilty workers and their sponsors, and regu- regulating the services of domestic ing and sharing images and videos of authorised way will be punished. According to earlier reports, Article yesterday of embezzlement and lates the relationship between them. workers as they are not covered un- accident victims. The amendments are aimed at pro- 333 of the law states that “whoever ille- given a five-year suspended The law defi nes household work as der Qatar’s labour law. When the law The draft law amends some provi- hibiting the widely prevalent practice gally intrudes into another person’s pri- sentence that threatens to end his the services a domestic help provides takes eff ect, the employment contract sions of the Penal Code, which was of sharing accident victims’ pictures, vate life and without consent” through bid to challenge President Vladimir to his/her sponsor or those living with and established norms will dictate the issued as Law No11 of 2004, and stipu- mostly on social media platforms, and diff erent means, including “taking or Putin in a presidential poll next the sponsor in family residences, in terms of the relationship between the transmitting somebody’s photographs year. A judge in the provincial city line with the terms of the contract be- sponsor and the worker. It is expected or pictures of other persons in a private of Kirov found the Kremlin critic tween them and “established norms”, to be hugely benefi cial to the workers. Work on road projects in full swing place using any type of device”, shall be and anti-corruption campaigner the offi cial Qatar News Agency (QNA) HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Ab- punished by imprisonment for a term guilty at a trial that he insists was reported. dullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani Giving an update on the mid-2020. The Finance Minister is the not exceeding one year in prison and/or aimed at knocking him out of Domestic workers include drivers, chaired the Cabinet’s regular weekly implementation of major projects in chairman of the ministerial group for a fi ne not exceeding QR5,000. the election expected in March nannies, cooks, gardeners and others meeting at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. the Cabinet, HE the Finance Minister co-ordination and follow-up of major Also, Article 331 stipulates that 2018. Navalny, 40, announced doing similar jobs. Speaking to QNA after the session, HE Ali Sherif al-Emadi said about 65% of projects (of strategic importance). He “whoever spreads news, photographs in December that he would run Further, the draft law defi nes both the Deputy Prime Minister and Minis- the scheduled road projects will be also said more than 50% of the railway or comments related to a person’s pri- for president, with Putin widely the sponsor and the domestic worker as ter of State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed completed by 2018 and most of the project has been completed, including vate life, or that of his family, even if expected to compete and win a natural persons. The domestic worker bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud other projects are expected to be 100% of tunnel-drilling operations and true”, can be punished with a maximum fourth term despite not confirming carries out household works under the said the Cabinet also took the neces- accomplished between 2019-end and 45% of stations. jail term of one year and a fi ne of up to his candidacy yet. Page 19 management and supervision of the sary measures to issue, after referring QR5,000, or either. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, February 9, 2017 QATAR

Niger president meets Defence Minister, Attorney-General

HE Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah holding talks with Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou, currently on a visit to Qatar, yesterday. They exchanged views on bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in the military sector and means of developing them. Right: President Mahamadou Issoufou with HE the Attorney-General Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri in Doha yesterday. They discussed issues related to the judiciary as well as the ways of co-operation in the field of rule of law and the fight against corruption.

Chance of light rain by this evening Finance Minister briefs here is a chance of light rain by this evening, the TMet department has said. Parts of the country are also likely to experience poor visibil- ity – 2km or less – in the early Cabinet on key projects hours today. On Tuesday, the weather of- bout 65% of road projects ised ministerial groups. also informed that four hospitals cordance with their plans, dead- grammes in combating and pre- fi ce had forecast that unsta- in Qatar will be com- HE the Minister noted that and four health centres would lines and the allocated budget. venting drugs, and treating and ble weather would aff ect Qatar Apleted in 2017 and 2018, more than 50% of the railway open in 2017. Meanwhile, HE the Deputy rehabilitating drug users. from this evening until Tuesday and most of the remaining works project has been completed, in- In the fi eld of electricity and Prime Minister and Minister of According to the provisions (February 14) night, resulting in between the end of 2019 and cluding 100% of tunnel-drilling water, it is expected that the fi rst State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed of the bill, the committee will be strong winds, rain and thunder- There is also a chance of scat- middle of 2020, HE the Minister operations and 45% of stations. phase of the Umm Al Houl plant bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mah- established at the MoI under the storms. tered rain by the afternoon, ac- of Finance and chairman of the Also, around 90% of projects will be completed by the end moud said the meeting approved name “national committee on This is due to the “deepening cording to the Met department. ministerial group for co-ordi- related to the 2022 FIFA World of 2017, and 50% of the biggest a draft Cabinet decision to es- combating drugs”. HE the Min- of an upper low-pressure sys- The minimum temperature is nation and follow-up of major Cup across all sectors have been water reservoir projects has also tablish the national committee ister of Interior acts as chairman tem” over northern Saudi Ara- expected to be 9C in Abu Samra, projects (of strategic impor- awarded and are expected to be been implemented. on combating drugs. of the committee while HE the bia along with an “extension of Wakrah and Mesaieed today, 10C tance) has said. executed within the schedule. He added that the State is im- The Ministry of Interior (MoI) Minister of Justice will be the the Sudan low-pressure system” in Al Khor and 15C in Doha. The HE Ali Sherif al-Emadi made It was also revealed that a plementing several projects in has prepared the draft decision vice-chairman. over the Arabian Peninsula, the maximum, on the other hand, the observation while giving a programme for infrastructure the education sector, the most with the aim of establishing a As for members, the commit- report explained. will range from 20C to 23C. presentation yesterday to the projects, involving the provision important of which is the ex- high-level committee that su- tee comprises HE the Minister The detailed forecast for in- Yesterday, a minimum tem- Cabinet on the implementation of more than 10,400 residential pansion of educational build- pervises the implementation of of Public Health, HE the Min- shore areas today says hazy to perature of 7C was recorded in of current and future projects in plots of land for citizens over the ings at Qatar University and new State policies in the fi eld of com- ister of Education and Higher misty/foggy conditions are ex- Mesaieed and Turayna, followed key sectors, the steps taken to next three years, had also been schools across the country. bating drugs in all forms, types Education, HE the Minister of pected in some places at fi rst. It by 8C in Karana and 9C in Abu execute them and their current approved. HE Prime Minister Sheikh Ab- and names, QNA said. Endowments and Islamic Af- will also be cloudy at times and Samra and other places. In and stages in line with the approved HE the Minister also pre- dullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- The committee will have the fairs, HE the Minister of Culture there is a chance of light rain by around the capital, the mini- plans, timetable and assigned sented to the council what was Thani, who chaired the Cabinet’s authority to draw up the relevant and Sports, the MoI’s director- the evening. Also, it will be cold mum temperature was 12C in budget, the offi cial Qatar News achieved in the health sector regular weekly meeting at Emiri public policy, co-ordinate offi - general of public security, head by late in the night. the Qatar University area, 14C in Agency (QNA) reported. in 2016, including the opening Diwan yesterday, called for the cial and popular eff orts to com- of the General Authority of Off shore areas, meanwhile, the Hamad International Airport The presentation was made of the Communicable Disease commitment of the competent bat and prevent drugs in all its Customs and head of the MoI’s are likely to see hazy conditions area and 15C in the Doha airport in the light of follow-up by the Center, three health centres and authorities to the implementa- forms, endorse the Ministry of Criminal Investigation Depart- and it will be cloudy at times. area. Cabinet on the work of special- two workers’ health centres. He tion of diff erent projects in ac- Public Health’s plans and pro- ment. Qatar’s Al Quds support panel to be reconstituted

QNA ter. It will comprise three ity’s (QFMA) proposal to re- bal Dryland Alliance, and Doha members from the Foreign new the membership of the a draft agreement on its Ministry, one of whom will chairman and members of headquarters. act as deputy chairman; a the QFMA appeals commit- It also approved a draft he weekly Cabinet representative of the offi ce tee. memorandum of under- meeting, chaired by of the prime minister; a rep- The appeals committee, standing for co-operation in THE the Prime Min- resentative of the Ministry of established within QFMA, is the fi eld of smart grids and ister Sheikh Abdullah bin Public Health; a representa- headed by one of the presi- the methods and techniques Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani tive of the Ministry of Edu- dents of the Courts of Appeal used in smart cities between at the Emiri Diwan yester- cation and Higher Educa- and consists of two judges of the Qatar General Electric- day, approved a proposal tion; a representative of the the such court as well as two ity and Water Corporation by the Foreign Ministry Ministry of Finance; a rep- experts in securities dealings. (Kahramaa) in Qatar and amending some provisions resentative of the Ministry It looks into cases and re- Korea Electric Power Corp of the Emiri Decision No of Endowments and Islamic quests of stay of QFMA pro- (KEPCO) in the Republic of 14 of 1998 forming Qatar’s Aff airs; and a representa- ceedings. Korea. Permanent Committee for tive of the Qatari joint relief In addition, the Cabinet’s The meeting also re- the Support of Al Quds. committee. session approved the ap- viewed a memo by HE the Giving details, HE the The meeting also ap- plication of the provisions Minister of Economy and Deputy Prime Minister and proved the Foreign Minis- of Law No. 24 of 2002 on Commerce on the outcome Minister of State for Cabinet ter’s draft decision to create retirement and pensions of the fi fth session of Qatar- Aff airs, Ahmed bin Abdullah sections in the administra- on Qatari employees by Al German Joint Economic and bin Zaid al-Mahmoud, said tive units of the Ministry Qayed Holding Group Com- Trade Co-operation Com- that under the proposal, the and defi ne their terms of pany. mittee, which was held in committee shall be reconsti- reference. The cabinet approved Doha in December 2016, tuted under the chairman- It also approved the Qatar a draft agreement on the and took the appropriate ship of the Foreign Minis- Financial Markets Author- establishment of the Glo- decision.

Commerce Ministry conducts public draw for mobile vendors

he Ministry of Econ- omy and Commerce T(MEC) conducted yesterday a public draw to allocate 12 investment op- portunities for mobile ven- dors. There were 170 qualify- ing applications. In addi- tion to the 12 main winners, two additional winners were drawn for each opportunity, in case any of the main win- ners failed to complete the process for obtaining the licenses in accordance with the terms and conditions set by the MEC. The MEC has urged the winners to go to its head- The draw in progress yesterday to announce the mobile vendors. quarters at Lusail and ap- proach the registration and with type of activity. selves to a single activity portunities for mobile ven- licensing department, to The winners should abide per license as stipulated and dors include fi ve in the fi eld complete the registration by the general standards and avoid selling or transferring of foodstuff , four main- process and get the required regulations for conducting the license to others. tenance, and three in the approvals in accordance such business, limit them- The 12 investment op- services fi eld. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 3 QATAR Qatar-Djibouti health ties reviewed Pakistan president meets Qatar’s Unesco candidate

QNA Islamabad

akistan’s President Mam- noon Hussain met HE PHamad bin Abdulaziz al- Kuwari, Adviser at the Emiri Diwan and Qatar’s candidate for the post of director general at the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organi- sation (Unesco). HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari met Djibouti’s Minister of Health Dr During the meeting, which Djama Elmi Okieh in Doha yesterday. During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral relations and took place on Tuesday night at ways of developing them in the health sector. The meeting was attended by Djibouti’s ambassador the presidential palace in Islama- to Qatar Tayeb Robla and the accompanying delegation. bad, HE al-Kuwari conveyed the greetings of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to president of Pakistan and his best wishes of more progress and prosperity to the Pakistani people. President Mamnoon Hussain More ‘spit and rob’ cases reported reciprocated the Emir’s wishes and greetings and praised the strong bilateral relations be- Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain receiving HE Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari in Islamabad. ases of fraudsters trying was following me drew sud- by such a large amount only af- tween Qatar and Pakistan, hop- to rob people after spit- denly close and spat on me. As ter a while, when he searched his ing for more co-operation in Cting on them on Doha’s I have heard about this modus pocket for the money. diff erent fi elds and stressing his streets are being increasingly operandi, I immediately shout- The victim had said he was support for the Qatari candidate. reported. ed at him and resisted his at- “robbed” when he was returning Dr al-Kuwari briefl y presented Close on the heels of an inci- tempt to wipe the spit off my from an exchange house. He said his vision and plan to fi ght the dent near Souq Waqif the other blazer. By that time, a pedes- he had kept the money in one of obstacles facing Unesco, and day, another similar incident trian was approaching from the the lower front pockets of his thanked the president for his time. was reported in the Al Hilal area opposite side and the motorists cargo trouser. Dr al-Kuwari also met the Ad- yesterday. passing by also began to take Another victim, who lost viser to Pakistan’s Prime Min- An Asian expatriate was note. The fraudster ran away in QR3,500 in another incident ister on Foreign Aff airs, Sartaj robbed of QR7,500, by a man the commotion.” had said a trickster threw some- Aziz, and presented him with who spat on him before stealing Gulf Times had earlier re- thing on his face that left his eyes his vision. Aziz wished Dr al- his wallet containing the money ported similar experiences of moist in no time. He said he also Kuwari good luck in his mission. near Souq Waqif a few days ago. victims who had told stories of noticed spit on the lower half of In addition, the Qatari candi- A similar attempt was made their “pockets being picked” by his long cargo trouser. date presented his vision to Mar- on an Indian offi ce worker in the thugs at locations near the Doha “In no time, the fraudster riyum Aurangzeb, Minister of Hilal Area near the Gulf Cinema Bus Station. bowed down and started wip- State for Information Broadcast- signals yesterday evening. How- In an earlier story in this ing off the saliva with a piece of ing and National Heritage, who ever, due to the alertness of the newspaper, a person was report- cloth. After some time I realised praised the cultural relations be- potential victim, the fraudster’s ed to have lost a hefty QR22,500 that the front pocket of my trou- tween Pakistan and Qatar, hoping bid was foiled. after a man spat on him and then ser was torn and I had lost the to develop them further. Narrating his experience, he off ered to wipe off the spittle, all entire money I was carrying,” the Aurangzeb praised Qatar’s said he was walking towards his the while profusely apologising victim had told this newspaper. role in preserving Islamic her- car after withdrawing money for the “indeliberate” but “un- He said he was going to an ex- itage through the Unesco. The from an ATM nearby. “As I civilised” act. change house near the “Sword meetings were attended by Qa- reached a deserted place near The victim, a businessman, Signal” when he had the en- tar’s ambassador to Pakistan the parking lot, a person who realised he had become poorer counter with the trickster. Saqr bin Mubarak al-Mansouri. HE al-Kuwari with Adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on Foreign Aff airs, Sartaj Aziz.

Gulf Times 6 Thursday, February 9, 2017 QATAR

Ezdan Real Estate organises ‘health day’

zdan Real Estate Co, tenants in its compounds blood donation campaign, a subsidiary of Ezdan by providing comprehen- in collaboration with Ha- EHolding Group, sive and diversifi ed services, mad Medical Corporation, has organised a ‘health particularly with regard to in addition to its input in or- day’, in co-operation with health and nutrition. ganising several awareness Planet Medical Centre Ezdan Real Estate said events during World Health and Amazon Diet Centre, the company recently par- Day to better serve the A participant being examined by to provide diverse medi- ticipated in organising a community. doctor at Al Gharafa Compound. cal and nutritional con- sultations at Al Gharafa Compound No.1. Planet Medical Centre conducted medical exami- nations and provided con- sultations for children, in addition to creating medical fi les for all visitors. Amazon Diet Centre provided free consulta- tions with the support of a specialised nutritionist and conducted a number of body mass index analyses (BMI), in addition to giving out free coupons to tenants to use at the centre’s facility. On the sideline, par- ticipating children enjoyed several recreational activi- ties, including face painting and distribution of toys and souvenirs. Ezdan Real Estate acting general manager Omar al- Yafey said the organisation is keen to join hands with all parties in order to achieve maximum well-being for

Lunar eclipse on Saturday The first lunar eclipse of 2017 can be seen in Qatar on Saturday, between 1.34am and 3.45am. A statement from the Calendar House said the eclipse will be penumbral. In a penumbral eclipse the Moon passes through an outer region of the Earth’s shadow called the penumbra. This is the outer part of the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will start at 1.34am and reach the peak at 3.45am. It will end before the sunrise at 5.53am. The eclipse duration will be 4 hours and 19 minutes.

Gulf Times 8 Thursday, February 9, 2017 QATAR Malabar Gold & Diamond names draw winner Al Meera opens latest branch l Meera Consumer Goods Company Ahas opened its lat- est branch in Umm Slal Ali, marking the launch of the third shopping centre in the company’s previ- ously announced 14-store expansion plan. The event marks the third launch in Al Meera’s cur- rent fi ve-store expansion phase in the country, after the opening of both the Bu Sidra and North Sailiya (Al Malabar Gold & Diamond Festival’s fifth raff le draw winner Ambika Pandey receiving the prize of 250gm gold from Miarad) branches, with the Qatar regional head Santhosh T V in the presence of other off icials. remaining two stores near- ing completion and slated to open in Al Wakrah (West) and Leaibab 2. Al Meera said there are six stores that are currently Dignitaries from Al Meera during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new branch in Umm Slal Ali. under construction that be- gan during the second half sion plan to a total of 11 out interior designs and shelv- facilities further augment of 2016, which will include of 14 branches. ing installations, as well as customers’ experience at branches in Rawdat Aba El The 4,014sqm new shop- advanced technologies and the shopping centre. Heran, Azghawa, Leabaib, ping centre in Umm Slal Ali, facilities that have become Al Meera chairman Sheikh and Umm Qarn – to be built next to the Saad Bin Moaz equivalent to the retailer’s Thani bin Thamer al-Thani on a land area of 10,805sqm, School, features a 1,750sqm community shopping cen- said: “As with every new 6,311sqm, 17,390sqm, and supermarket equipped to tres around the country. branch that Al Meera opens, 10,230sqm, respectively, serve residents in the area To serve the community’s the Umm Slal Ali branch is while the branches in both with fresh sections. The su- diverse shopping needs un- designed to exceed consum- Al Khor and Sailiya are to permarket’s ‘fresh sections’ der one roof, the Umm Slal ers’ expectations with a dis- be built on a land area of include butchery, fi shery, Ali branch also includes nine tinctive, integrated shop- 15,000sqm each. bakery, and a delicatessen. shops, a restaurant area, and ping experience that sets a The state-of-the-art The store exhibits Al small food court. A dedicat- benchmark for retail chains stores will bring the expan- Meera’s trademark modern ed parking space and other across the country.”

Subaru Tribeca models recalled Safari holds promotion draw The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in collaboration with Mannai Trading Company, has announced the recall of Subaru Tribeca models of 2007-2012 because of a defect in the hood safety and lock system. The MEC said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs. The MEC will co-ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and Safari’s ‘Win 10 BMW 5 Series’ car promotion’s third draw Romeo Jr Laloma Marcado communicate with (coupon number 0818823) and Musthafa C K (2976254) receiving the key from Safari customers to ensure that the Group’s director/general manager Zainul Abideen along with other off icials at a ceremony necessary repairs are carried at Safari Mall, in Abu Hamour. out. Vodafone’s Treasure Hunt begins today at Hyatt Plaza

odafone Qatar is involves a number of puz- the success of several other In 2017, AmanTECH will organising its next zles about the digital world, Vodafone Treasure Hunts at continue to reach out to VTreasure Hunt at which parents need to solve a number of Doha malls and parents and children aged Hyatt Plaza, in partnership in collaboration with their public parks that saw the between fi ve and 17 years. with the Jungle Zone enter- children to win prizes. participation of thousands The programme will adopt tainment centre, for three This comes under the of families, the company a three-pronged approach days from today. banner of AmanTECH, said in a statement. with a focus on awareness, The initiative aims to Vodafone’s aid programme Dana Haidan, head of education and technical inform parents about how for online child safety. CSR at Vodafone Qatar, support. This will entail on- to keep their children safe Launched in May 2014, said, “At Vodafone, we aim going school parental work- in the digital world and AmanTECH, which stands to empower parents and shops, an online source for encourage them to have for “safe tech world”, aims help them equip their chil- information and tips for an open dialogue with at promoting digital lit- dren with the right tools parents [www.vodafone.qa/ the children about these eracy among parents and and understanding to navi- AmanTECH], online maga- matters. improving children’s gate the digital world safely zines, in addition to digital Treasure Hunt takes digital safety. and to take full advantage of parenting guide available place from 3pm to 10pm and The latest event follows its benefi ts. online, the statement notes. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 9 QATAR

Dental health programme for students is back again he Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) awareness on the importance of orthodon- has launched the national orthodontic tic health. It is also meant to help children Thealth programme “Bright smile for a abandon the wrong practices and behaviours Kia unveils all-new Cadenza bright future” for the fi fth consecutive year at that lead to tooth decay. 19 primary schools, covering 5,000 students. The programme will be implemented by By Joey Aguilar The eight-week programme, in co-op- the nursing staff at the participating schools, Staff Reporter eration with the Ministry of Education and under direct supervision from the work team Higher Education and Colgate Palmolive concerned at MoPH. A workshop was held Arabia, aims at promoting the adoption of a on Sunday to train and prepare the partici- ia has set new standards for comfort, proper and healthy lifestyle by raising pupils’ pating staff . dynamics and in-car technologies Kwith the launch of its all-new Ca- denza yesterday at The Gate Mall. “The Ca- denza is classifi ed as one of Kia’s premium cars,” Hossam Abu Shadi of Al-Attiya Mo- tors and Trading Company, the exclusive distributor of Kia in Qatar, told Gulf Times. Designed with a longer, lower, and wider body, he said the second-generation luxury sedan is powered by a 3.3-litre ‘Lambda’ V6 gasoline engine to provide a smooth and enjoyable driving experience. The car boasts a precisely crafted cabin, cutting edge technology for connectiv- ity and driver assistance, a stronger body structure, and power-train enhancements. Using a console at the back, Shadi said passengers can enjoy “a full control of every- thing” such as adjusting the AC and the sound system while being driven by a chauff eur. The Cadenza features several luxury items, Hossam Abu Shadi (second right) of Al-Attiya Motors and Trading Company, the exclusive distributor of Kia including a navigation system with an 8-inch in Qatar, at the unveiling of the all-new Kia Cadenza yesterday at The Gate Mall. PICTURE: Jayan Orma

display screen, ventilated itors, Shadi pointed out that seats for both the driver the Cadenza’s noise vibra- and passengers, a rear view tion is lower, “which gives a camera, front and rear park- feel of premiumness.” ing sensors, premium sound “This is the only car in system, and all the safety el- the market that comes with ements, according to Shadi. a fi ve-year manufacturer’s Cutting-edge driver as- warranty and unlimited sistance features are also mileage,” he stressed.“It available, with Kia bring- has a very long warranty ing a suite of DRiVE WISE that tells you how confi dent Advanced Driver Assistance we are about the car, about Systems to the sedan. DRiVE its durability.” WISE embodies Kia’s phi- Shadi noted that the car losophy to realise intelligent- went through (a series of) ly safe vehicles and improve tests with more than 1.1mn safety for all road users. km drive carried out in vari- For buyers of the new ous parts of the world and Cadenza in various mar- in extreme temperatures, kets, blind spot detec- including Siberia and coun- tion is available, guiding tries in the Middle East. the driver by giving out a “I do not think that many sound and light alarm on cars went through all these the side-view mirrors. kinds of tests for durability “It also has an electric and luxury, and all of that,” tailgate, you do not have to he added. open by hand the trunk,” Kia Qatar also off ers cus- he explained.“You just tomers a week of test drive approach the car holding for the Cadenza, priced at some stuff and stand be- QR129,000 for the full op- hind it for few seconds, the tion. trunk will automatically open even if it is locked.” He added that smart- phones also get charged with a wireless charger in the front console. The Cadenza’s interior has been thoughtfully re- designed with higher qual- ity materials than the pre- ceding model. The driver’s seat has been lowered for a sportier and more stable feeling while engineers extended the seat cushion slightly and devel- oped an innovative cushion extension mechanism that slides and rotates, making it easier to fi nd the perfect driving position. Compared to its compet- Gulf Times 10 Thursday, February 9, 2017 QATAR

Sidra lead team performs complex Research reveals genetic basis of rheumatoid arthritis in Arabs procedure in a Middle East fi rst esearchers at Weill rheumatoid arthritis in Ar- Cornell Medicine- abs but are not in Europe- RQatar (WCM-Q) ans and East Asians. multidisciplinary have completed a fi ve-year Dr Arayssi said the re- team of clinical ex- investigation of the genetic search is one of the larg- Aperts from Sidra factors underlying suscep- est studies ever conducted Medical and Research Center tibility to rheumatoid ar- among Arabic populations (Sidra) and Hamad Medical thritis in Arab populations with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Corp (HMC) has made medi- in fi ve diff erent countries. “The results of the study cal history by successfully WCM-Q’s Dr Thurayya give us new and extremely performing a series of hugely Arayssi, associate profes- valuable population-spe- complex surgeries for the sor of medicine/senior as- cifi c insights into the patho- fi rst time in the Middle East. sociate dean for Medical physiology of rheumatoid Over the past two years, Education, led a team of Dr Arayssi arthritis, which is extremely the team has worked to save researchers from fi ve cen- encouraging. RA is a very the life of a baby boy through tres across the Arab World that collected unpleasant disease to live with so any discov- multiple procedures to correct samples from around 1,600 individuals with eries we can make about it are very valuable birth defects from OEIS Syn- rheumatoid arthritis in Qatar, Jordan, Saudi and could help future researchers develop drome, a rare and life threaten- Arabia, Lebanon and the UAE, plus samples new, more eff ective drug therapies.” ing condition which can prove from control subjects. Rheumatoid arthritis is a potentially de- fatal in 95% to 99% of cases. They also worked with researchers at the bilitating autoimmune disease character- An interdisciplinary pae- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to ana- ised by very painful infl ammation of the diatric medical team led by Baby Mohamed’s family thanks Sidra doctors. lyse the genetic data of Arab populations in joints, particularly in the hands and feet. Sidra’s division chief of pae- comparison with European and East Asian Dr Richa Saxena of the Broad Institute diatric general and thoracic hamed, born to an Egyptian to repair the baby’s blad- populations in relation to susceptibility to observed that Arab populations are diverse, surgery Dr Abdalla Zarroug, family living in Qatar. der, as well as ventral hernia rheumatoid arthritis. and as in other populations, family history comprised of surgeons, Among the most recent of repair, genital reconstruc- The team found that mutations in a gene is an important risk factor for rheumatoid urologists, anaesthesiolo- these, an operation in Octo- tion and gastrostomy tube called HLA-DRB1 are associated with rheu- arthritis in Arabs. “We found that dozens gists, neurosurgeons and or- ber 2016 lasted more than 12 placement. matoid arthritis (RA) risk in Arab populations of genes already known for RA from Euro- thopaedic surgeons worked hours. The team led by Joao This marked the latest of just as is the case with Europeans and East pean and Asian populations also play an im- closely together to conduct Luiz Pippi Salle, Sidra’s divi- the more complex proce- Asians, suggesting broad similarities in the portant role in Arabs. Surprisingly, we also more than seven highly sion chief of paediatric urol- dures needed to correct the genetic structure of RA across ethnic groups. found two new genetic factors that increase complex surgical procedures ogy, successfully conducted specifi c set of malforma- However, the study also identifi ed two risk of RA in Arabs only but do not infl uence to save the life of baby Mo- bladder exstrophy surgery tions aff ecting the baby and additional genes that are associated with risk in these other populations.” which are caused by OEIS. Mohamed’s medi- cal journey began in his mother’s womb following Baby Mohamed an early diagnosis of pos- sible OEIS Syndrome dur- and institutions in Qatar “The success of highly VegeBlock looks to boost ing a prenatal ultrasound and elsewhere across the complex surgeries like this conducted by Sidra’s di- region. depends on a broad range of vision chief of maternal The surgical team head- experience and expertise, as sustainable construction foetal medicine Dr Karim ed by Sidra’s Dr Zarroug well as a fully multi-disci- Kalache and Dr Sawsan al- included Dr Mansour Ali, plinary approach to patient Obaidly from HMC. head, Paediatric Surgery, care. The results are a clear new building block, VegeBlock, com- The team of more than HMC, Dr Jason Howard, testament to the quality and posed entirely of recycled aggregates 30 clinicians worked in division chief, Paediatric calibre of the practitioners Aand used vegetable oil, was launched close harmony during the Orthopaedic Surgery, Sid- at Sidra and HMC and we’re yesterday to help increase sustainability across past two years, each play- ra, Dr David Sigalet, chair, incredibly proud of this suc- Qatar’s construction segment. VegeBlock, ing a major part in helping Department of Surgery, cess. also described as ‘Smart Block,’ is a joint ini- to save the patient’s life. Sidra, Dr Khalid al-Khara- This case represents a tiative of TRL, the global centre for innovation Their success provides zi, acting division chief, real milestone for clini- in transport and mobility, and the Ministry of an important blueprint Paediatric Neurosurgery, cal practice in the Middle Municipality and Environment (MME). for eff ective collaboration Sidra and Sidra’s Dr Joao East,” concluded Sidra’s Present at the launch were Dr Mohamed between medical experts Luiz Pippi Salle. CEO Peter Morris. bin Saif al-Kuwari, (head of the Environ- mental and Municipal Studies Institute — MME) and Dr Khaled Hassan (TRL country IBQ rewards loyal customers with new programme director and head of Middle-East Infra- structure), along with key stakeholders in nternational Bank of Qatar (ibq) has the construction industry. launched its ‘merchant discount pro- The launch of VegeBlock represents the Igramme’ for the seventh year in a row, latest stage in an ongoing programme of col- with new partners bringing “a fresh twist” laborative work between the MME and TRL to the exclusive off ers this 2017. to improve the sustainability and adoption Discounts are strategically designed of green construction in Qatar and the rest around the following themes: indulgence, of the region. Previous projects have fo- Dr Khaled Hassan and Dr Mohamed bin Saif well-being, shopping, and services. ibq head of Retail Banking Hassan al-Mulla. cused on the use of locally available recycled al-Kuwari at the launch of the new building ibq credit card holders can treat them- and secondary aggregates in place of im- block yesterday. selves with a wide range of benefi ts off ered In addition to the ‘merchant discount ported primary aggregate. by many retailers in the country. programme’, ibq credit cards holders already The project was funded under the Na- cated that VegeBlock was resistant to dam- Hassan al-Mulla, head of Retail Banking have access to world-class rewards that can tional Priorities Research Programme of the age from water, salts and fuel. at ibq, said: “At ibq, customers always come be redeemed at over 800 airlines, 160,000 Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) at A trial wall of full size VegeBlocks was fi rst. The bank is thriving to off er the best hotels and car rental services worldwide, for the Qatar Foundation. The project enabled constructed outdoors at the Qatar Stand- opportunities to our customers in order to Nojoom Points from Ooredoo, Qmiles from the VegeBlock concept to be adapted to the ards offi ces in April 2016 with a wall of build long-term and solid relationships with Qatar Airways, and for airport lounge access specifi c conditions and materials available conventional concrete blocks for com- each and every one of them. at Hamad International Airport. in Qatar — particularly to maximise the use parison. The condition of the wall has been “Loyalty and trust are built over time with All off ers will run until December 31. of recycled and waste materials. monitored through the heat of summer and the utmost care. We would like to thank all Terms and conditions apply. Customers can The initiative falls in line with the Qatar heavy rains in winter. It is still intact after our partners participating in this seventh apply for a credit card by contacting 4447 National Vision 2030 objective of balancing 10 months in service. Monitoring and test- edition, allowing us to continuously improve 8000, visiting any of ibq’s branches, or via economic development with the protection ing of the trial wall will continue to provide ibq’s customer experience.” www.ibq.com.qa of the environment. Durability tests indi- more confi dence in use.

ASC’s Hisham Hadid and TMME’s Thibaud De-Lisle shake hands as other off icials look on. ASC appointed ELF distributor l Jaber Group’s Ara- ket leadership in Qatar,” bian Supply Centre TMME said. A(ASC) has been ap- “We are proud to be pointed the offi cial dis- working with ASC, who are tributor in Qatar for ELF, a ideally placed to service the brand of Total. This was an- growing and developing nounced by Total Marketing market of Qatar, in which Qatar (TMQ), a subsidiary of they are already well estab- Total Marketing Middle East lished. (TMME), at a signing cer- ELF is a leading brand in emony in Doha. Qatar and the world, and “This collaboration will through this partnership, boost sales among new busi- we will have a stronger nesses and leverage Total’s opportunity to maximise presence on a national level,” business,” said Thibaud TMME announced in a state- De-Lisle, managing direc- ment yesterday. “With its tor, TMME. worldwide presence in over At the signing ceremony, 113 countries, ELF products Hisham Hadid, CEO of help customers improve the ASC, stated that “ASC is performance of their equip- glad to partner with Total ment and vehicles while sig- and expand the ELF brand nifi cantly reducing environ- in the market, providing mental impact and running a team of experts with an costs as well. ELF seeks to extensive experience in be the most technologically this fi eld and is geared up to advanced lubricant in the meet the demands of cus- market. tomers. And through this part- “This distribution agree- nership between ELF and ment will allow ELF to fur- ASC, Total and Al Jaber ther penetrate the retail and Group maximises their commercial segment in the opportunities and mar- developing Qatar market.” Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 11 REGION UN appeals for Shopping zone $2.1bn to avert Yemen famine Famine now a real O’Brien told a news briefi ng. unrecorded deaths, they die at possibility for 2017: UN aid “A staggering 7.3mn people do home, they are buried before chief O’Brien; not know where their next meal they are ever recorded.” Economy collapsing, is coming from,” he said. In all, nearly 19mn Yemenis imports dried up, Yemen has been divided by — more than two-thirds of the malnutrition “rife” nearly two years of civil war population — need assistance that pits the Iran-allied Houthi and protection, the United Na- Reuters group against a Western-backed tions said. Geneva coalition that is carrying out air “Ongoing air strikes and strikes. fi ghting continue to infl ict heavy At least 10,000 people have casualties, damage public and he United Nations said been killed in the fi ghting. private infrastructure, and im- yesterday that 12mn peo- Nearly 3.3mn people — includ- pede delivery of humanitarian Tple in Yemen faced the ing 2.1mn children — are acutely assistance,” it said. threat of famine brought on by malnourished, UN fi gures show. “The Yemeni economy is be- Yemeni vendors are seen at a market in the old city of the capital Sanaa yesterday. two years of civil war and the sit- They include 460,000 chil- ing wilfully destroyed,” it added, uation was rapidly deteriorating. dren under age fi ve with the saying that ports, roads, bridges, It appealed for $2.1bn to pro- worst form of malnutrition who factories and markets have been vide food and other life-saving risk dying of pneumonia or di- hit. UNREST aid, saying that Yemen’s econo- arrhoeal disease. About 55% of Yemen’s main port at Hode- 32 killed in my and institutions are collaps- Yemen’s medical facilities do not ida is badly damaged and lacks ing and its infrastructure has function and the health ministry cranes for offl oading, leaving 30 Govt expresses concern at US western been devastated. has no operational budget, said ships off shore at any time and port clashes “If there is no immediate ac- Jamie McGoldrick, UN humani- delaying deliveries, McGoldrick tion, and despite the ongoing tarian co-ordinator in Yemen. said. raid but stops short of ban Thirty-two combatants were killed humanitarian eff orts, famine is “Many of the people never An estimated 63,000 Yemeni yesterday in the battle for a key now a real possibility for 2017. make it to the feeding centres or children died last year of pre- coastal town in western Yemen Malnutrition is rife and rising at the hospitals because they can’t ventable causes often linked to Reuters the United States to carry out special operations between government forces and an alarming rate,” UN emergen- aff ord the transport,” he said. malnutrition, the UN Children’s Sanaa ground missions. However, we made clear our Houthi rebels, off icials said. cy relief co-ordinator Stephen “Many people die silent and Fund (Unicef) said last week. reservations about the last operation,” a senior The deaths occurred as forces Yemeni offi cial told Reuters. loyal to President Abedrabbo he Yemeni government has expressed “We said that in the future there needs to be Masnour Hadi advanced into concern to the United States over a US more co-ordination with Yemeni authorities neighbourhoods of Mokha and Kuwait welcomes Iran’s readiness for dialogue Tcommando raid targeting Al Qaeda before any operation and that there needs to be Houthis retreated to northern and militants which killed several civilians, but it consideration for our sovereignty,” he added. western parts of the town, military Kuwait has welcomed Iran’s willingness for dialogue Minister Khaled al-Jarallah, responding to Iranian stopped short of revoking permission for future The account was confi rmed by another Yem- sources said. with its Gulf neighbours, saying any talks are likely Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif’s comments operations. eni offi cial. Loyalists backed by the firepower to help resolve civil wars in Syria and Yemen, ac- that his country was ready for dialogue with the The nighttime raid in southern al-Bayda US defence offi cials said they were investi- of a coalition entered the strategic cording to Kuwaiti state news agency Kuna. GCC, said: “It’s what we’re looking for”. Such a dia- province, approved by new US President Don- gating the reports of civilian casualties in the port town in late January as part Iran and Saudi Arabia, which dominates the Gulf logue would “contribute effectively to containment ald Trump, resulted in a gun battle that left one raid and White House spokesman Sean Spicer of their eff orts to drive the rebels Co-operation Council (GCC), back opposite sides in of many areas of tension in the region, whether in Navy SEAL dead and an American aircraft a said on Tuesday it was aimed at gathering intel- away from the Red Sea coast. Syria and Yemen. US President Donald Trump has Yemen or in Syria or anywhere else,” Kuna quoted charred wreck. ligence and was “highly successful”. The Yem- The clashes yesterday left dead 24 added extra strain by ratcheting up pressure on Iran Jarallah as saying at a reception at Iran’s embassy Local medics said several women and chil- eni government has supported a US campaign rebel fighters, including 12 whose over its missile programme. Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign in Kuwait. dren were killed. against the country’s powerful Al Qaeda branch bodies were taken a hospital in “We have not withdrawn our permission for for more than a decade. Mokha, medical off icials said. Gulf Times 12 Thursday, February 9, 2017 ARAB WORLD Human rights prize for Iraqi lawmaker Egyptian exports to Gaza signal better ties with Hamas

Reuters fl ow of consumer products. aged or destroyed in four wars Hamas would further bolster Gaza That left Israel’s Kerem Sha- between Israel and Palestinian security along the border with lom border crossing as the only fi ghters since 2006. the Sinai peninsula, where Cai- conduit for Gaza imports, al- Cement shipments for ro is battling militants. gypt has eased restric- though some items are banned projects sponsored by the Egypt’s government has ac- tions at a tightly-control- and the Israeli navy maintains a United Nations already move cused Hamas of aiding the Is- Eled border with the Gaza maritime blockade. through the Israeli crossing. lamic State-linked groups in trip in a sign of improved rela- Last month, however, com- Ashraf Abouelhoul, an Egyp- the Sinai. Hamas denies those tions with the Palestinian terri- mercial material moved tian expert on Palestinian af- allegations. Egyptian offi cials tory’s rulers. through the crossing along fairs, said recent talks in Cairo had no immediate comment on Truckloads of goods rang- with travellers on the few days between Egyptian offi cials and commercial ties with Gaza. ing from steel to fi sh have rolled it was operational.Offi cials and a Hamas delegation may have Israeli authorities also de- into the enclave in the past sev- economists listed some 20,000 led to the decision to move clined to speak about goods eral weeks. tonnes of products include ce- goods through Rafah. moving through Rafah. Egypt had insisted for years ment, wheat, steel, lumber, “Everyone knows Hamas has Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas that the Rafah crossing — which paint, tar and fi sh, as having improved to some extent the se- spokesman, acknowledged a it opens for a three-to-fi ve day moved from Egypt into Gaza. curity situation along the Gaza “crisis of trust” between the period about once every 40 The bulk of Egyptian imports border with Egypt and has to group and Egypt in the past. days — would handle the pas- for Gaza continues to enter some extent hardened control “Trust has become better and sage of only people, not goods. through Israel, where the goods on smuggling tunnels of people those fears are fading away,” he House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (centre), D-California, and former US Congressman Tom Long at odds with Gaza’s are inspected, and then sent to and goods,” he said. said, citing what he termed a Lantos’ wife Annette Lantos (left) applaud as Vian Dakhil (right), an Iraqi lawmaker and governing Hamas group, Egypt the territory via Kerem Shalom. Mohamed Abu Jayyab, a Gaza heavier deployment of security internationally renowned activist who has been called the militant group IS’ “most wanted” had destroyed nearly 2,000 Last year, Cairo began allow- economist, said Egypt might forces on the Egyptian fron- woman, receives the Lantos Human Rights Prize on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC yesterday. smuggling tunnels that provid- ing cement into Gaza via Rafah have been motivated by hopes tier by the Hamas-run Interior ed its 2mn people with a steady to help rebuild homes dam- that in return for more imports, Ministry.

DIPLOMACY Libya talks on new unity govt gather pace: UN Talks on changes to Libya’s unity Erdogan, Trump agree ‘joint government could yield results in the coming weeks, putting the north African country on a path to stability, the UN envoy said. The UN-backed government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj was installed in Tripoli last year but action’ against IS in Syria has failed to assert itself further east, where strongman General Reuters key has repeatedly said it wants Khalifa Haftar holds sway. UN Ankara to be part of the US-led opera- envoy Martin Kobler told the UN tion to retake Raqqa from the Security Council that talks on “pos- Islamic State, but does not want sible amendments” to the political urkish President Tayyip the YPG, which is part of the agreement, and notably on Haftar’s Erdogan and US Presi- SDF alliance, to be involved. future role, have made progress. Tdent Donald Trump Relations between Erdogan “I am confident that a format will agreed in an overnight phone and Obama soured over US sup- be found in the next weeks within call on joint action against Is- port for the YPG, which Ankara which these questions can be de- lamic State in the Syrian towns regards as a terrorist group and cided upon and recommendations of Raqqa and Al-Bab, both held an extension of Kurdish insur- can be put forth for approval to the by the militants, Turkish presi- gents fi ghting inside Turkey. relevant institutions,” Kobler said. dency sources said yesterday. The Turkish army and Syr- US-Turkish diff erences dur- ian rebel groups it supports ing former President Barack have been fi ghting IS in a sepa- PLEA Obama’s administration im- rate campaign around Al-Bab, Israel’s court peded the US-led campaign northeast of the city of Aleppo. against Islamic State, and clos- Ankara has complained in the petitioned to strike er co-ordination could mean past about a lack of US support down settler law faster progress towards freeing for that campaign. Kalin said swathes of northern Syria from there had been better co-ordi- Israeli and Palestinian rights IS. nation with the US-led coali- groups petitioned the Supreme Erdogan now hopes that rela- tion on air strikes in the last 10 Court yesterday asking it to strike tions with Washington, strained days. down a new law allowing expro- by the presence in the United He added that Ankara’s pri- priation of private Palestinian land States of a cleric he blames for ority remained the creation of for Jewish settlers. The law has an attempted military coup a safe zone between the Syrian sparked an outpouring of con- last year and by US support for towns of Azaz and Jarablus, a demnation from around the world Kurdish militia in Syria, can be strip of border territory to the since it was passed in the Israeli reset under Trump. north of Al-Bab. parliament late Monday, although Turkey has the second largest The Turkish sources said the United States has remained army in the Nato alliance and is Pompeo would discuss both tight-lipped. Israeli group Adalah key to any success in rolling back Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters walk with their weapons during an off ensive against Islamic State militants in northern Raqqa province. the YPG and steps against the said that it and the Palestinian and eventually neutralising IS in network of US-based Turkish NGO, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Hu- Syria and Iraq where IS declared tional security priority. “shared commitment to com- terparts.There was no immedi- militias, launched a new phase cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom man Rights Center (JLAC), sought a cross-border caliphate after Turkish government and Syr- bating terrorism in all its forms” ate confi rmation from Wash- of its campaign against Islamic Turkey accuses of orchestrat- to overturn the “dangerous” law. lightning advances in 2014. ian rebel sources said yesterday and welcomed Turkish contri- ington of Pompeo’s visit. State in Raqqa on Saturday.Tur- ing last July’s coup attempt. Turkey has presented a de- insurgents backed by Turkey’s butions to the fi ght against Is- But the offi ces of both leaders tailed plan to oust Islamic State military had taken the outskirts lamic State. said Trump had reiterated US UNWELCOME from its Raqqa urban strong- of Al-Bab, northeast of Aleppo. But it gave few details.Sourc- support for Turkey “as a strate- Govt jets carry out deadly strikes on Homs district Jordan will not hold in northeastern Syria and If Al-Bab falls, Ankara would es in Erdogan’s offi ce said the gic partner and Nato ally” dur- strategy discussions with the strengthen its sway over an area two leaders had touched on is- ing Tuesday’s phone call. Syrian government jets bombed a rebel-held district of Homs city invite Damascus Trump administration are un- of northern Syria where it has sues including a “safe zone”, Turkey has long urged world in the west of the country yesterday, killing several people, rescue to Arab summit der way, according to Erdogan’s created a de facto buff er zone. as well as the regional migrant powers to help create a safe workers and a monitoring group reported. spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin. Syrian government forces crisis and the fi ght against ter- zone, which it also sees as a way A pro-Damascus media outlet said Syrian planes targeted militants Jordan said yesterday it would “The operational details were have also advanced on Al-Bab rorism. to purge its border of Islamic in Al-Waer neighbourhood after the insurgents fired at civilian ar- not invite Syria to an Arab summit not discussed on this call... Now from the south, bringing them Turkey has long advocated a State and Kurdish militia fi ght- eas in government-held Homs. It was a rare deadly flare-up in the next month, five years after the detailed planning will be con- into close proximity with their secure zone for displaced civil- ers, and stem a wave of migra- area. Al-Waer has for months been spared the intense bombard- bloc suspended Damascus over a ducted in co-ordination,” he Turkish and rebel enemies in ians in Syria threatened by mili- tion that has caused tensions ment by Syrian and Russian air forces suffered by other rebel-held harsh crackdown against protest- told Turkish broadcaster NTV one of the most complex bat- tants or forces fi ghting for Syr- with Europe. areas including Idlib province, controlled by President Bashar ers. Jordan is set to host the Arab in an interview. tlefi elds of Syria’s six-year-old ian President Bashar al-Assad. Obama and US allies balked at al-Assad’s opponents. The British-based Syrian Observatory for League’s annual summit near the Ankara believes recent IS at- civil war. They also said Erdogan had the idea, saying it would entail Human Rights said at least eight people were killed in the govern- Dead Sea on March 29. “How the tacks in Turkey, including a But Turkey said international urged the United States not to signifi cant ground forces and ment bombardment.The Syrian Civil Defence, a rescue service invitations are dealt with will be New Year’s Day shooting in an co-ordination was under way support the Syrian Kurdish YPG planes to patrol a “no-fl y zone”, operating in rebel-held territory, did not give a figure, but said on based on the decisions of the Arab Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 to prevent clashes with Syrian militia and that new CIA Direc- a dicey commitment in such a its Facebook page that its centre in Al-Waer was hit, wounding a League, and we will abide by what people, have been steered from forces. The White House said tor Mike Pompeo would be in crowded and messy confl ict. staff member, and that there were fatalities elsewhere including it has decided,” Jordanian Foreign Al-Bab and Raqqa, and regards that in the phone call, Trump Turkey today to discuss that and The Syrian Democratic Forces women and children. Minister Ayman Safadi said. a clear-out of the towns as a na- spoke about the two countries’ other issues with Turkish coun- (SDF), an alliance of US-backed Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 13 AFRICA

CRIME Zimbabwe’s top Gunmen abduct court throws Colombian nun out case against

Unknown gunmen kidnapped a Colombian Mugabe Catholic nun in southern Mali, the spokesman of the ministry for security and civil protection said Ex-PM Farmajo elected yesterday. Sister Gloria Agoti of the Congregation Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court of the Franciscan Sisters was kidnapped during dismissed a case against Presi- the night from her parish near the southern town dent Robert Mugabe yesterday of Koutiala. The four attackers first abducted lodged by an activist who ac- the nun using the parish’s ambulance, but later cused the ageing leader of violat- abandoned the vehicle to flee on mopeds towards President in Somalia ing the southern African country’s Mali’s border with Burkina Faso, spokesman Maha- supreme law during protests last madou Sangho said. Members of religious orders AFP year. or aid organisations regularly become victims of Mogadishu The case was the first time a kidnappings in Mali and other parts of West Africa, private citizen has asked the court usually in the hope of obtaining a ransom. to decide whether actions by ormer Somali prime minister 92-year-old Mugabe, the world’s Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, oldest leader, violated the consti- JUDGEMENT Fwho holds joint American tution. Burundian teacher citizenship, was elected president Mugabe, who has ruled the yesterday, vowing to crack down on former British colony since inde- sentenced for rape corruption and Al Shebaab militants. pendence in 1980, was last year The 55-year-old former premier, confronted by the biggest anti- A Burundian teacher was yesterday sentenced to whose hails from the Darod clan and government protests in a decade. 30 years in prison for raping 17 female pupils aged who goes by the nickname “Farma- Security forces responded with between nine and 12 years, the court announced jo”, won after incumbent president teargas and water cannon. Activist in the central city of Gitega. Corneille Munyankindi, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud admitted pastor Evan Mawarire, who was who is HIV positive, was also ordered to pay 3mn defeat in a second round of voting by at the heart of those protests, was Burundian francs ($1,778) in damages to each lawmakers. “This is the beginning of yesterday freed on bail by the victim. The 59-year-old teacher had kept girls unity for the Somali nation, the be- High Court after he was arrested behind when other pupils had left evening classes, ginning of the fi ght against Shebaab last week and charged with organ- witnesses said. He also abused his pupils during and corruption ...” a triumphant ising demonstrations and inciting breaks and outside school hours. Farmajo said after being declared the violence. The court said he had previously given them winner in a long, drawn-out election Political activist Promise Mkwa- lemonade containing drugs to make them uncon- process in the confl ict-wracked na- nanzi, whose #Tajamuka group scious of what he was doing to them. “Thirty years tion. helped organise the demonstra- is nothing for a case like this! This man might as Civilians took to the streets and tions, said in his application that well have killed our children, because he is HIV soldiers fi red celebratory gunfi re in Mugabe’s response and speeches positive,” said Charlotte Nizigiyimana, the mother the capital Mogadishu which had Somalia’s newly elected President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo addresses lawmakers in Mogadishu. in the protests’ aftermath “un- of one of the victims. been near-deserted for two days dermined national security and with roads and schools closed and third round. president in 2012, in the fi rst election government still has limited con- threatened citizens.” residents urged to stay indoors for The father of four served as prime inside the country since 1991. In that trol over a country where swathes At a meeting with war veterans VIOLENCE fear of a strike on the capital by She- minister for only eight months be- election only 135 clan elders picked of countryside are controlled by Al after one of the protests, Mugabe Militia chief killed baab militants. And Somali refu- tween 2010 and 2011 and was ousted the lawmakers who went on to elect Qaeda-linked Al Shebaab militants said his ruling ZANU-PF punished gees in Dadaab, the world’s biggest in a deal to form a new government the president. who regularly launch deadly strikes defectors during the liberation war in C Africa flare-up refugee camp in eastern Kenya, also and postpone elections that year. In 2016 Somalia had been prom- against Mogadishu. by keeping them “underground erupted with joy and sang the na- However several of his moves, such ised a one-person, one-vote elec- If Farmajo is serious about crack- like rats, in bunkers” -- something A militia chief and two of his henchmen were tional anthem when hearing Farmajo as implementing regular payments tion. However political infi ghting ing down on corruption, he has his he threatened to do to protest shot dead in clashes in Bangui, Central African had won. of soldiers, were well received and and insecurity saw the plan ditched work cut out for him in a country leaders. Mkwananzi said Mugabe Republic’s capital, sparking a backlash in which a “Time has come for us Somalis. I many supporters took to the streets for a limited vote running six months listed as the most corrupt in the also claimed partisan control of pastor was also killed, police said yesterday. The thank God. This is the man we need, of Mogadishu to protest his removal. behind schedule. world by Transparency Internation- the police and army, which is incident, which took place on Tuesday, erupted he cares for us, he cares for the poor Farmajo was born in the capital to Although the election is billed as al. Mogadishu-based anti-corrup- against the constitution. But the in the flashpoint PK5 neighbourhood as security men and women,” said 60-year-old a family from the southern Gedo re- its most democratic in nearly fi ve tion NGO Marqaati in a report re- nine-member Constitutional Court forces backed by UN peacekeepers went in to Anfi Kassim who has lived in the gion, and moved to the United States decades, only 14,000 delegates were leased this week described rampant bench dismissed the case, saying question the leader of an armed group, known camp since 1992. where he studied history and politi- able to vote for the lawmakers who vote-buying, and alleged that civil Mkwananzi did not follow proper as “Big Man”. “Big Man and his entourage After six hours and two rounds of cal science at the University of Buf- went on to elect the president. servants had gone unpaid for seven procedure in making his applica- resisted. An exchange of fire erupted and the voting, a crowded fi eld of 21 presi- falo. The long, drawn-out election has months and public lands sold off to tion. His lawyer consented to the leader was neutralised along with two of his dential candidates was whittled He went on to work in the foreign largely consisted of horsetrading fund lobbying for MP positions. decision. “We are going to re-apply men,” a police source told AFP. Sporadic gunfire down to the two veteran politicians. ministry and as a diplomat in Wash- between diff erent clans, with wide- “When delegates refused to take within 30 days in terms of the continued until nightfall, with militia members Farmajo failed to win the required ington before the collapse of Siad spread allegations of vote-buying money and vote a certain way, they constitution, correcting those retaliating to the arrest operation by surrounding two thirds majority, but had 184 Barre’s military regime in 1991 which and corruption, leaving it a distant would be replaced, intimidated, technicalities. We are not giving a local apostolic church and killing the pastor, votes to Mohamud’s 97, prompting led to civil war and decades of anar- process to the average Somali. harassed and, in some incidences... up,” Mkwananzi told reporters the source said. the incumbent to drop out to avoid a chy in Somalia. Farmajo also ran for The internationally-backed shot,” read the report. after the 20-minute hearing. Gulf Times 14 Thursday, February 9, 2017 AMERICAS

MATTERS OF STATE CHILL SPILL FLEEING US FAST TRACK HELPING HAND Icy morning leads to 22 migrants brave cold to Texas bullet train races to Facebook ‘Community Help’ multiple car crashes claim refuge in Canada clear up land issues to off er disaster assistance

Icy weather yesterday morning snarled travel Twenty-two migrants fled the United States and A Texas high-speed rail company announced Facebook plans to add a feature to make it easier through parts of the northeastern United States, braved bone-chilling cold to walk across the agreements to withdraw nearly all its pending for people aff ected by disasters to find each other with state police in Massachusetts reporting that border into Canada in order to make refugee land survey court cases on Tuesday, days before locally to provide and receive help. The world’s 55 cars were involved in a series of crashes outside claims over the weekend, police said Tuesday. the leaders of Japan and the United States are largest social network said its “Community Boston. It was the start of a forecast whipsaw of Many of them — mostly from Somalia — had expected to discuss a joint jobs package that Help” will activate after natural disasters and weather over 48 hours, with temperatures around already made long and dangerous journeys to get may include the project. Texas Central Railways, major accidents as a part of “Safety Check,” a Boston expected to pass 10°C before dropping back to the United States, after fleeing violence back a private firm seeking to build a 386km high related feature that allows Facebook users to below freezing overnight. The result was chaos home. Seeing images of Canadian Prime Minister speed rail link between Dallas and Houston, said assure others that they are safe. The company’s on roads around Massachusetts, Connecticut and Justin Trudeau welcoming Syrian refugees it had withdrawn 17 cases concerning access for designers envisioned a virtual classified New Hampshire, with multiple collisions reported, last year and his appointment of Somali-born land surveys to initiate more talks with property advertising section where people near each other including the series involving 55 cars around the Ahmed Husse as immigration minister last month owners. Land option agreements have been can off er shelter after a forest fire, seek food in the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hosts Boston suburb of Wakefield. People were injured in reportedly gave them hope. Once in Canada the reached on about 30% of the parcels needed for wake of an earthquake and meet other immediate Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland at 55-car crashes outside Boston, but none seriously, group called federal police for help, and were the train’s route in a 10-county stretch between needs in an organised way. Facebook had rolled the State Department in Washington yesterday. state police said on Twitter. taken to a border outpost in Emerson, Manitoba. North Texas and Houston, the company said. out Safety Check in 2014.

Army set Courts ‘so political’ for Trump to okay Dakota as his travel ban faces scrutiny pipeline Reuters Reuters the security of our nation, the security Washington Washington of our citizens.” The appeals court must decide if Trump acted within his authority or he US Army will grant the resident Donald Trump yesterday whether his directive was tantamount to fi nal permit for the con- stepped up his criticism of the a discriminatory ban targeting Muslims. Ttroversial Dakota Access PUS judicial system, saying courts The appeals court judges questioned oil pipeline after an order from seem to be “so political,” a day after whether the directive improperly tar- President Donald Trump to ex- his US travel ban on people from seven geted people because of their religion. pedite the project despite op- Muslim-majority countries faced close “If these judges wanted to, in my opin- position from Native American scrutiny from an appeals court. ion, help the court in terms of respect for tribes and climate activists. A three-judge panel of the San Fran- the court, they’d do what they should be In a court fi ling on Tuesday, cisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Ap- doing,” the Republican president said. the Army said that it would al- peals on Tuesday heard arguments on Last week Trump labelled the judge low the fi nal section of the line the Trump administration’s challenge who put his directive on hold, US Dis- to tunnel under North Dakota’s to a lower court order putting his tem- trict Judge James Robart of Seattle, who Lake Oahe, part of the Missouri porary travel ban on hold. The appeals was appointed by Republican president River system. court is expected to issue a ruling soon. George W Bush, a “so-called judge.” This could enable the $3.8bn “I don’t ever want to call a court bi- Last year Trump sharply attacked a pipeline to begin operation as ased,” Trump told a few hundred police judge who was presiding over a case in- soon as June. chiefs and sheriff s from major cities at a volving one of his businesses. Energy Transfer Partners is meeting in Washington. In a Twitter post yesterday, Trump building the 1,885km line to help “So I won’t call it biased. And we wrote, “If the US does not win this case move crude from the shale oilfi elds haven’t had a decision yet. But courts as it so obviously should, we can never of North Dakota to Illinois en route seem to be so political. And it would be have the security and safety to which we to the Gulf of Mexico, where many so great for our justice system if they are entitled. Politics!” US refi neries are located. would be able to read the statement and During an oral argument lasting more Protests against the project do what’s right. than an hour on Tuesday, the appeals last year drew drew thousands “I think it’s a sad day. I think our se- court panel in San Francisco pressed an of people to the North Dakota curity’s at risk today,” Trump said. administration lawyer over whether the plains including Native Ameri- Trump’s January 27 order barred Trump administration’s national secu- can tribes and environmental travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Soma- rity argument was backed by evidence President Donald Trump speaks at the Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriff ’s Association Winter Meeting activists, and protest camps lia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from enter- that people from the seven countries in Washington, DC, yesterday morning. sprung up. ing for 90 days and all refugees for 120 posed a danger. The movement attracted days, except those from Syria, whom he At the meeting with law enforcement in fragments and sprinkling bits of in- president to suspend entry of any class “A bad high school student would high-profi le political and celeb- would ban indefi nitely. offi cials, Trump read from the law he terpretation in between. of people if he determines would be a understand this,” Trump said. “Any- rity supporters. He said his directive was “done for used to justify the travel ban, quoting it He said the law clearly allowed a detriment to national security. body would understand this.” The permit was the last bu- reaucratic hurdle to the pipe- line’s completion, and Tues- day’s decision drew praise from supporters of the project and outrage from activists, includ- ing promises of a legal challenge 31 hurt as tornadoes from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. “It’s great to see this new ad- ministration following through on their promises and letting pummel Louisiana projects go forward to the ben- efi t of American consumers and workers,” said John Stoody, Reuters seen before,” Edwards told a “It’s devastating and a lot of spokesman for the Association Baton Rouge news conference on Tuesday. families have lost everything of Oil Pipe Lines. “When you see it from the air that they have,” Landrieu said. The Standing Rock Sioux, you’re even more impressed Thirty-one injuries have which contends the pipeline ome 31 people were re- that so few people were in- been reported, according to the would desecrate sacred sites ported injured after six jured and that nobody’s life mayor’s offi ce. and potentially pollute its water Stornadoes tore through was lost.” Six of them were moderate or source, vowed to shut pipeline New Orleans and other parts The storm system battered severe injuries, and there have operations down if construction of Louisiana, pounding across New Orleans and suburban Ba- been no reported fatalities, the is completed, without elaborat- highways and streets and leav- ton Rouge, marking the fourth offi ce said in a statement. ing how it would do so. ing trees, power lines and time in a year the state has been At least 8,100 custom- The tribe called on its sup- homes levelled by yesterday jolted by natural disasters. ers were without power in the porters to protest in Washington morning. A string of tornadoes struck New Orleans area by yesterday on March 10 rather than return Dick DeVos watches as Vice President Mike Pence administers the oath of off ice to US Secretary of Federal and state damage in February 2016 and four peo- morning according to Entergy to North Dakota. Education Betsy DeVos during a swearing-in ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Off ice Building assessment teams yesterday ple died in widespread fl oods in New Orleans Inc. “As Native peoples, we have in Washington, DC. began working to see if Loui- March. About 150 workers from the been knocked down again, but siana can qualify for federal Louisiana was then devastat- energy company assisted in re- we will get back up,” the tribe assistance, Mike Steele, com- ed by major fl ooding in August, covery eff orts yesterday. said in the statement. “We will munications director for the when more than 60,000 homes Nancy Malone, communica- rise above the greed and cor- Governor’s Offi ce of Homeland were damaged or destroyed in tions director for the Red Cross ruption that has plagued our Silenced in Senate, Warren speaks Security and Emergency Pre- 20 parishes, or territorial dis- of Louisiana, said damage was peoples since fi rst contact. We paredness, said. tricts, marking the state’s worst reported in about six parishes, call on the Native Nations of the Governor John Bel Edwards disaster since Hurricane Kat- where the Red Cross was assist- United States to stand together, out loudly against Sessions declared a state of emergency rina in 2005. ing fi rst responders. unite and fi ght back.” throughout Louisiana, as search One twister carved out a “While this was not expect- Former president Barack and rescue teams scoured the swath of destruction about ed, communities in southeast Obama’s administration last Reuters Judiciary Committee, which ultimately rejected landscape for survivors from 3km long and about 1km wide, Louisiana have been aff ected year delayed completion of the Washington his nomination to be a federal judge. Tuesday’s tornadoes. aff ecting an area with 5,000 numerous times in the last 12 pipeline pending a review of Sessions had “used the awesome power of his “The width of the devasta- properties, New Orleans Mayor months,” Malone said. “Here tribal concerns and in December offi ce to chill the free exercise of the vote by black tion was unlike any that I have Mitch Landrieu said. we are again.” ordered an environmental study. ilenced on the Senate fl oor, Democrat citizens” when he prosecuted voting fraud cases Less than two weeks after Elizabeth Warren took her criticism of US when he was the US attorney in Alabama,” ac- Trump ordered a review of the SPresident Donald Trump’s attorney general cording to the letter read by Warren. permit request, the Army said nominee out to the hallway — and found much Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cut in a fi ling in District Court in larger platform. her off , saying that she broke a Senate rule that Washington DC it would cancel Republican senators voted on Tuesday evening “impugned the motives and conduct of our col- that study. to end Warren’s reading of a letter written 30 league from Alabama.” The fi nal permit, known as an years ago by Martin Luther King Jr’s widow that Senators voted 49-43 to silence Warren. easement, could come in as little criticised Senator Jeff Sessions, the nominee to Warren has been a fi ery critic of Trump since he as a day, according to the fi ling. lead the Justice Department, for his civil rights launched his presidential campaign. There was no need for the en- record. Democrats have expressed concern about Ses- vironmental study as there was The action prompted a tide of support on Fa- sions’ record of controversial positions on race, already enough information on cebook for Warren, a darling of the political left, immigration and criminal justice reform. the potential impact of the pipe- under a hashtag #LetLizSpeak” after she went “Mr President, I am surprised that the words of line to grant the permit, Robert outside the chamber and read the letter in a video Coretta Scott King are not suitable for debate in Speer, acting secretary of the US posted on the site that drew more than 5mn views the United States Senate. I ask leave of the Sen- Army, said in a statement. by yesterday morning. ate to continue my remarks,” the Massachusetts Trump issued an order on “The Republicans took away my right to read senator responded. January 24 to expedite both the this letter on the fl oor — so I’m right outside, Many civil rights and immigration groups also Dakota Access Pipeline and to re- reading it now,” she said. have concerns about Sessions with the American vive another controversial multi- The unusual rebuke of Warren came after Civil Liberties Union saying his positions on gay billion dollar oil artery: Keystone the Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday rights, capital punishment, abortion rights and XL. Obama’s administration cleared the way for confi rming Sessions as attor- presidential authority in times of war should be blocked that project in 2015. ney general. examined. The tribe said in a statement Warren took to the Senate fl oor to argue against Sessions was a federal prosecutor in 1986 when the decision “wrongfully termi- the nomination, reading the letter Coretta Scott he became only the second nominee in 50 years to Locals walk down a street along Chef Menture Ave after a tornado touched down in the eastern part nated” environmental study of King wrote in 1986 about Sessions to the Senate be denied confi rmation as a federal judge. of New Orleans on Tuesday. the project. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 15 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

CIVIC NATURE APPOINTMENT TOURISM DIPLOMACY Sinkhole opens up near New genus of snail named Thai king’s daughter given Thailand extends free Indonesian president to Australian PM’s home after David Attenborough goodwill role with UN tourist visas to 21 nations visit Australia this month

A sinkhole opened up less than 1km from Austral- A snail from a remote forest in Tasmania has been The new Thai king’s daughter, Princess Bajrak- The Thai cabinet has extended its free tourist visa Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit ian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s home in named after world-renowned conservationist itiyabha Mahidol, is to become a goodwill ambas- programme to 21 countries until the end of Au- Australia later this month, amid attempts to the wealthy Sydney suburb of Point Piper, media and television personality David Attenborough, sador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia, the gust, government spokesman Sansern Kaewkam- smooth over a rift following the suspension said yesterday, after a night of heavy rain and Australian Museum announced yesterday. “At- United Nations Off ice on Drugs and Crime said nerd confirmed. The free tourist visa programme of some military co-operation. Joko will meet flash flooding. There were no reports of injuries tenborougharion rubicundus is found in a small yesterday. The princess would help to promote waives the 1,000-baht ($28.50) fee for applica- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on or damage to private property from the sinkhole area of just 80sqkm of wet forest in Tasmania,” justice reform and had a special interest in prison tions abroad and halves the visa on arrival to February 26. The Indonesian military last month that opened up on a sidewalk, but police have said German biologist Frank Koehler, one of the issues, particularly around women in prison, the 1,000 baht. The programme was initially planned suspended education co-operation with the cordoned off the street. scientists who found the species. The brightly regional head of the UNODC told Reuters. to end in May. The countries include Andorra, Australian Defence Force over teaching materials “We will make the site safe,” the director of colourful red-and-green mollusc had been known She would be active in Thailand as well as the Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, at an Australian military training centre which it technical services for the municipal council, Tom about for almost 40 years, but the genus had rest of Southeast Asia. Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Maldives, Malta, said discredited Indonesia and the state ideology, O’Hanlon, told reporters in a briefing. “And at the been classified wrongly. Earlier, it was included in “She doesn’t see herself as above the law and Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Pancasila. Wiranto played down the rift, saying it same time, we are working with the three utility the genus Helicarion, but the diff erent mitochon- is interested in helping out to advance justice Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The Tour- stemmed from an incident involving individuals. companies so they can do some work around to drial gene sequences and genital anatomy meant reform,” UNODC regional representative Jeremy ism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecast a 10% “We must not let (the incident) shake the strong get the power back on.” it could be classified into a new genus. Douglas said. growth in tourist spending this year. relationship between the two countries,” he said.

Japan’s own stand on refugees stops it from criticising Trump

DPA a lawmaker of the main opposition Tokyo Democratic Party, told Abe, who is set to hold talks with Trump in Washing- ton on Friday. “Since immigration and S President Donald Trump’s ex- refugee problems and counterterrorism ecutive order banning refugee are global issues, I’ll discuss them with Uarrivals sparked condemnation the president,” Abe responded. from world leaders and protests across Lawyers and human rights activ- the globe, but Japanese Prime Minister ists say Japan’s standards for certifying Shinzo Abe has kept out of the row. refugees are more stringent than those The reason may be Japan’s own inac- of the international community. They tion on refugee issues. also argue the country’s immigration Japan — the world’s third-largest bureau focuses on controlling refugees Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hand with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G20 Summit economy — accepted only 27 refugees Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe ...tight spot. rather than protecting them. last year. out of 7,586 applicants in 2015, up from Japan donated $165mn to the UN 11 out of 5,000 in 2014 and six out of Minister Abe is not in a position to High Commissioner for Refugees in 3,260 in 2013. make comments as it is hard to say that 2016, the fourth-largest contributor That is miniscule compared to the not only the Japanese government but after Germany. 50,000 refugees the Trump admin- also the Japanese public has reached At the UN General Assembly in 2015, istration said the US would accept a broad consensus on the acceptance Abe pledged to provide more than in 2017, although Barack Obama had of refugees,” Osa wrote on the group’s $1.5bn to help Syrian and Iraqi refugees pledged to expand the refugee pro- website. and assist peace-building eff orts in the gramme to 110,000. Trump’s order “I believe that, while looking at Middle East and Africa. China invites temporarily banned most visitors from Trump’s immigration and refugee pol- When asked if Japan would receive seven Muslim-majority nations for 90 icy, we need to point to ourselves, not to refugees from Syria and other war-rav- days and suspended the US refugee the United States,” she said. aged areas, as other developed coun- programme for four months, citing na- When asked in parliament last week tries had done, Abe replied that the tional security concerns. to explain Japan’s position on the travel country had more important priorities. Abe’s reticence to comment on ban, which has been criticised as “anti- “If I talk about this as a population Trump’s measure was predictable in Muslim,” Abe said: “I’d like to refrain issue, there are things we have to deal Britain for Silk light of Japan’s stance toward refugees, from making comments because it’s a with before accepting immigrants. said Yukie Osa, president of the Asso- domestic matter for the United States.” That is promoting the roles of women ciation for Aid and Relief, Japan. “If you think their policy is wrong, and the elderly and raising birthrates,” Road summit “It is understandable that Prime you have to say so,” Hiroshi Ogushi, he said.

Reuters said the source, speaking on condition The Commerce Ministry has said Beijing/London of anonymity. China has an open attitude towards Two other diplomatic sources con- a free trade deal with Britain once it fi rmed May was on the invite list. “It’s leaves the EU and was willing to study hina has invited British Prime China’s most important diplomatic it, but Chinese offi cials have otherwise Minister Theresa May to attend event of the year,” one of the sources said little publicly about the subject. Ca major summit in May on its said. May attended a summit in China of the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative to build China’s Foreign Ministry did not G20 leading economies last September, a new Silk Road, diplomatic sources immediately respond to a request for shortly after she became prime minis- said, as London said she would visit comment on whether it had invited ter following June’s referendum vote to China this year. May. Sri Lanka has already confi rmed leave the EU, and was invited by Xi to ‘One Belt, One Road’ is Chinese its prime minister is coming, and China visit again. President Xi Jinping’s landmark pro- says Philippine President Rodrigo Du- With May having made clear she gramme to invest billions of dollars terte is also attending. plans for Britain to leave the EU’s single in infrastructure projects including Foreign leaders often combine at- market, trade has dominated her talks railways, ports and power grids across tendances at important multilateral with foreign leaders in recent months. Asia, Africa and Europe. events China is hosting with offi cial She has secured assurances from China has dedicated $40bn to a Silk state visits to China. Speaking in Lon- US President Donald Trump, Indian Road Fund and the idea was the driving don, May’s aides confi rmed she would Prime Minister Narendra Modi and force behind the establishment of the visit China this year to discuss trade other world powers that they are keen $50bn China-backed Asian Infrastruc- ties, the latest in a series of foreign trips to start talks on boosting links. But her ture Investment Bank. China has so far to cement relations with major powers attempts to up the stakes in talks with given few details about who will attend as she negotiates Britain’s divorce from the EU, which she is due to launch be- the summit, to be held in Beijing. the European Union. fore the end of March, have also drawn The country’s top diplomat, State May’s aides gave few details about criticism. Councillor Yang Jiechi, told the offi cial the trip, but she is keen to strengthen Some opposition lawmakers have China Daily last week that leaders from her hand by securing foreign support accused May of ducking diffi cult issues about 20 countries have confi rmed before launching Brexit talks, which to win promises for trade — a charge their participation, representing Asia, are set to be among the most compli- repeated when she became the fi rst Europe, Africa and Latin America, cated Britain has ever undertaken. foreign leader late last month to meet though he did not give names. “It would be a renewed expression of Trump, who has since been criticised One Beijing-based diplomatic the close relationship between Britain over his immigration curbs. source with direct knowledge of the and China, something that you have She also came under fi re for invite list said that May was among the seen obviously develop over the past strengthening ties with Turkish Presi- leaders who had been invited. “China few years,” May’s spokesman told re- dent Tayyip Erdogan, who has been is choosing the countries it sees as porters. “I would imagine that trade criticised by rights groups for jailing friends and who will be most infl uen- would form some part of the discus- tens of thousands of people after a tial in promoting ‘One Belt, One Road’,” sions that we have.” failed coup in July. China says both sides will lose from confl ict with US

AFP Yi said on a visit to Australia that war tant to give priority to diplomatic ef- Sydney would benefi t no-one. forts, ABC said. “For any sober-minded politician, On a trip to Japan last week, Mattis they clearly recognise that there can- said Beijing “has shredded the trust” eijing has played down the pros- not be confl ict between China and the of regional countries with the military pects of confl ict with the United United States,” he said in Canberra fortifi cation of islands it controls, but BStates over the South China Sea through an interpreter late Tuesday, balanced the message with a call for in the wake of aggressive rhetoric by the Australian Broadcasting Corpora- disputes to be settled through arbitra- Donald Trump’s administration, say- tion reported. tion and diplomacy. ing both sides would lose. “Both will lose and both sides can- After scheduled strategic dialogue China asserts sovereignty over al- not aff ord that.” talks with Wang, Australian Foreign most all of the resource-rich region Spicer last month said the US “is Minister Julie Bishop said Beijing was despite rival claims from Southeast going to make sure we protect our in- keen for a close relationship with the Asian neighbours and has rapidly built terests” in the South China Sea while Trump government. “Beijing certainly reefs into artifi cial islands capable of Tillerson said China’s access to the welcomes a deep engagement with the hosting military planes. islands might be blocked — raising United States,” she told Sky News. The islands are considered a po- the prospect of a military confronta- “They are looking forward to an era tential flashpoint and recent com- tion. of co-operation, they see opportunity ments from White House spokesman Wang said the US-China relation- with the new administration to deepen Sean Spicer and Secretary of State ship had defi ed “all sorts of diffi cul- the connections and as he (Wang) said, Rex Tillerson have raised the tem- ties” over decades and pointed to more the United States and China have too perature. recent statements by US Defence Sec- much to lose for there to be confl ict be- But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang retary James Mattis that it was impor- tween them. Gulf Times 16 Thursday, February 9, 2017 BRITAIN Pension benefi ts extended to unmarried partners

Guardian News It brings the Northern Ireland would become eligible for survi- vention on human rights. appellant’s article 14 right is, at We need pension scheme rules solicitor in the fi rm Mishcon de London public pensions scheme into vors’ pensions. Article 14 prohibits discrimi- least, highly questionable.” which refl ect the world we live Reya, said: “Today’s judgement line with changes already made That nomination had not been nation in the way human rights The number of unmarried in today, and not the world of brings Northern Ireland in line in England, Wales and Scotland made for Brewster and she was laws are applied, and the fi rst couples living together has risen 50 years ago”. Shlomit Glaser, with England, Wales and Scot- Northern Ireland woman and could also advance the rights denied the pension. protocol protects a person’s right rapidly in recent decades. a solicitor specialising in fam- land with regards to the rights a who was refused payments of millions of families across the Brewster’s lawyers had argued to property and the peaceful en- In 1996, there were fewer than ily law at the London fi rm Glaser surviving cohabitee has to their Afrom her former partner’s UK seeking equal treatment for that the requirement of the nom- joyment of possessions. 3mn people cohabiting; by 2015, Jones said: “This is an important partner’s pension. pension has won her battle to cohabiting couples in other areas ination form was disproportion- Giving the supreme court’s the number had risen to more breakthrough for cohabitees in “However, the decision brings extend benefi ts automatically to such as the tax regime. ate and in eff ect discriminatory. ruling, Lord Kerr said he con- than 6mn. accessing their partner’s pen- into sharp focus the issue of what those who are unmarried. The fi ve justices said that the In their unanimous judge- sidered the objective of relevant The former pensions minister sions, putting them in the same happens when a cohabitational Denise Brewster, from Cole- refusal to pay her the pension ment, the fi ve supreme court provisions of the 2009 regula- Sir Steve Webb, who is now a di- position as a married person on relationship ends by separation raine, had been living with Lenny was unlawful. McMullan had justices said the requirement for tions “must have been to remove rector of the pension fi rm Royal the death of a partner. rather than by death. McMullan for 10 years. worked for 15 years for Translink, a nomination form should be re- the diff erence in treatment be- London, welcomed the ruling.”It It has wide implications for Our legal system largely ig- They were engaged on Christ- which runs Northern Ireland’s moved from the pension scheme. tween a longstanding cohabitant is totally unacceptable,” he said, public sector schemes. nores the needs and obligations mas Eve 2009 but he died sud- public transport services. Helen Mountfi eld QC, repre- and a married or civil partner of a “for cohabiting couples to be The supreme court empha- of the adult members of sepa- denly in the early hours of Boxing He had paid into Northern Ire- senting Brewster, had asked the scheme member”. He added: “To treated as second-class citizens. sised that no convincing eco- rated, unmarried, families. Day morning. land’s local government pension Supreme Court to declare that suggest that, in furtherance of With more than 6mn people nomic or social reasons had been Although cohabitants do have Her victory at the Supreme scheme. the opt-in nomination rule in that objective, a requirement that living together as couples and the put forward for the policy of ex- some legal protection in several Court marks a signifi cant exten- It required members, using a the 2009 regulations breached the surviving cohabitant must be numbers rising every year, this cluding a cohabitee, solely be- areas, cohabitation does not al- sion of the rights of unmarried designated form, to nominate article 14 and article 1 of the fi rst nominated by the scheme mem- is an issue that needs to be ad- cause a form had not been fi lled ter a couple’s legal status, unlike cohabitees. cohabiting partners before they protocol of the European con- ber justifi ed the limitation of the dressed as a matter of urgency. in.” Barbara Reeves, a family law marriage and civil partnership.” Premature Charles at gallery opening baby died after doctor walked out

Evening Standard progress things. It’s coming up London to Huw’s birthday and it’s still unresolved. We can’t focus on moving on. I can’t even think premature baby died af- about having another baby.” ter a shortage of doctors Philippa Stewart, who Aand midwives at one of worked as a occupational ther- the country’s biggest hospitals apist with children damaged resulted in fi ve hours of missed at birth, had been admitted opportunities to save his life. to St George’s on February 13 Huw Stewart was delivered last year with abdominal pain. stillborn at St George’s hospi- She was kept in overnight and tal, Tooting, after staff initially her water broke about 8am the failed to realise his mother next day. Philippa Stewart had gone into The internal review said labour at 27 weeks. that delivery should have been An internal investigation recommended at 9.15am. By found the “delay in delivery” 10am, “immediate delivery” and failure to act on his weak- was required, but this did not ening heartbeat were the “root happen until 2.11pm. cause” of death. The report said: “Each time The shocking report, passed the patient was reviewed after to the Standard, said a junior 09.15 there were missed op- midwife had been placed in an portunities for intervention. Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince of Wales meets residents before touring the newly re-opened Ferens Art Gallery in Kingston-Upon-Hull in northern England. The Royal couple “untenable situation” by hav- “The root cause of the still- are spending the day in the city meeting local residents and attending public engagements as Hull celebrates it’s City of Culture 2017 status. ing to look after Philippa Stew- birth was the delay in delivery art and three other women in of the baby following incorrect labour at the same time, mean- classifi cation of a pathological ing their safety “was compro- and preterminal CTG [cardi- mised”. The midwife had to in- otocography heart rate scan].” terrupt an operation in a bid to Philippa Stewart said: “We summon urgent help after the didn’t know it was chaotic. baby’s heartbeat could not be We just knew people were not detected, the report said. there. I tried a number of times It also revealed that a locum to tell them things were wrong. doctor had walked out — with- On my [medical] notes, they out telling colleagues — after label me as anxious, which is Candy bros accused discovering he was to be paid quite upsetting. less than he thought. “I guess the fi rst time we Details of the case come knew things were going ter- as the Royal College of Mid- ribly wrong was when my wa- wives this week warned that ters broke and there was no one NHS maternity services were around. “reaching crisis point”, with My husband had to stand in England short of 3,500 mid- the corridor and shout to get of coercion in court wives. help.” George’s, which features in Stewart, a Metropolitan po- The property developers about his assets”, and that he de- With well-known investors the TV documentary series 24 lice civilian crime scene exam- have been accused of faulted on the terms of the loan. ranging from the DJs Danny Hours in A&E, was last year iner, suff ered a stroke 10 weeks coercive behaviour Individuals previously close to Rampling and Pete Tong to the rated “inadequate” by NHS in- after Huw’s death. He was the Candys have come forward to Goldman Sachs investment spectors, though its maternity saved by St George’s. Guardian News join 11 witnesses prepared to take banking boss Anthony Gutman, department was praised. “That is the whole irony of London the stand in support of Holyoake. Crowdmix employed 160 staff It off ered no bereavement what happened to us,” Philippa They include the former in- in London and Los Angeles at its counselling to Philippa Stewart Stewart, an Australian, said.“It terim chief executive of Candy peak. and husband Jonty and delayed would be easy for us to say St he billionaire Candy & Candy, Clive Hyman, who It collapsed last summer in accepting blame for almost a George’s is a terrible hospi- brothers faced accusa- worked for the brothers in 2005 a blaze of publicity after burn- year. tal and tell people to never go Ttions of blackmail, extor- after leaving KPMG, where he ing through £14m without ever Six hours after it was ap- there. tion and intimidation in the high was a partner. launching its app to the general proached by the Evening “What it shows is what hap- court yesterday, as former busi- Also lined up is the bank- public. Standard last week, Stewart’s pens when you have a well- ness partners and once close ad- er William Pym, who advised In a 103-page written sub- solicitors were told that “li- funded service with staff on visers prepared to give evidence The Candy brothers. Christian Candy while working mission, Stewart said the fi nan- ability is admitted” and that hand. In one hospital there are against them in a £132mn claim at Credit Suisse, and later in his cier Jonathan Arnst would also the trust was preparing “to two completely polar opposite for damages. Roger Stewart QC for the claim- claimed his client was subjected own advisory fi rm, and was so give evidence, alleging that the apologise for this extremely extremes.” The case, which has fi nally ant said Holyoake was pressured by the Candys to “a long-run- close to the property magnate brothers attempted to desta- distressing incident”. Philippa The couple have moved to reached trial after a year of legal into repaying £37mn and pull- ning, highly unpleasant and that he attended his stag event. bilise” Holyoake’s relationship Stewart, 34, told the Standard: Melbourne for a “fresh start”. wrangling, is being brought by ing out of the development, los- malicious campaign of threats, Ian Roberts, founder of a high with his employer, Investec bank. “I’m forever changed by what Their lawyer, Mark Bowman, the entrepreneur Mark Holy- ing £100m in potential profi ts by abuse, intimidation and coercion profi le technology startup called Stewart said emails uncov- has happened. of Fieldfi sher, said: “The NHS oake, whose own reputation was selling it before completion. directed at himself and his fam- Crowdmix, is to break a six- ered in disclosure proceedings I’m defi nitely not the person keeps publicly promising bet- dented after the collapse of his In his legal claim, Holyoake al- ily. month silence over the collapse before the trial appear to show I was before we lost Huw. ter transparency for people ex- fi sh importing business, British leges his business interests, his This included threats to the of his venture in order to give that Christian Candy discussed “I needed someone to say periencing such tragedy. Seafood, six years ago. reputation, and his personal and physical well-being of Mark Ho- evidence. “stealing” Grosvenor Gardens sorry, that we did this terrible “Philippa and Jonty had ex- Christian and Nick Candy, family life were threatened in a lyoake, his pregnant wife and Roberts was ousted from his from Holyoake. thing. That is all I really wanted perienced the worst pain pos- best known as the creators of series of exchanges. their unborn child”. The purpose company, in which Nick Candy They suggest Candy attempt- in the end. sible and were not given the the super-luxe One Hyde Park He claims Christian Candy of this conspiracy, said Stewart in was the largest investor, weeks ed to purchase Holyoake’s loan It’s sad it has taken a phone care and compassion any of us apartment complex in London’s told him during a phone call: his opening submission, was to before it fi led for bankruptcy. from Investec, which had under- call [by the Standard] to would hope for.” exclusive Knightsbridge district, “You need to think about your obtain Grosvenor Gardens House Candy then bought the ven- written the project. are embroiled in a bitter and pregnant wife,” and that he at an “undervalue” and to “extort ture, which was set up to create a In March 2012, Christian costly battle that has seen mil- would“feel terrible if anything very signifi cant sums of money” music sharing app, out of admin- wrote: “Once we buy this loan, lions spent already on private were to go wrong during the from him. istration. we may want to call default un- investigators, public relations pregnancy for her or the baby”. Their actions, he said, The evidence from Roberts der this loan agreement also... I advisers and a small army of so- The fi nger was also pointed at amounted to “blackmail”. The would support the allegations of think CPC can steal this site of licitors and silks. Nick Candy, who is married to Candys deny the charges “in blackmail,claimed Stewart. MH [Mark Holyoake] if we are Holyoake, a university friend the singer Holly Valance, with their entirety”. In their defence “Mr Roberts will give evidence clever.” of Nick Candy’s, is suing the claims he threatened that his statement they allege “serial dis- relating to Nick Candy’s involve- Holyoake’s case has also drawn brothers and their CPC Group brother would sell the debt to honesty and fraud on the part ment in Crowdmix, in particular in the controversial private in- property business in a dispute “certain people, potentially Rus- of Holyoake and his associates” how Nick Candy sought to ob- vestigator Cliff Knuckey. over a £12mn loan. sians” who would “not think and that the Grosvenor project tain Crowdmix at an undervalue A former Metropolitan police The money was provided in twice about hurting” Holyoake was developed “on dishonest via unlawful means,” Stewart detective who went on to run his October 2011 to help fund his or his family. foundations with other people’s alleged. “Mr Roberts’s evidence own investigations fi rm, Knuck- own project at Grosvenor Gar- Holyoake’s wife Emma is money”. They say he commenced will seek to show the propensity ey was allegedly ordered by a dens House, a 42-apartment scheduled to give evidence over the development without any of Nick Candy to engage in the Candy manager to obtain crimi- mansion block in London. the coming weeks. certainty on how it would be conduct that is alleged by claim- nal record checks on Holyoake Jonty and Philippa Stewart, who lost their baby son. Opening the proceedings, Outlining the case, Stewart funded, that he “consistently lied ants in these proceedings.” and an associate. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 17 BRITAIN Businessman ordered to support ex-wife for life

Evening Standard could buy a house and look after “I don’t think it’s right that to put her down, I’d rather the ef- It meant the ex-Notting Hill wife and their 10-year-old son, “I think it’s grossly unfair. I’m London their young son. after divorce you should be tied fort was concentrated on making estate agent fell into debt as she with whom he lives at their home not entirely sure what my op- Following a two-year legal together for ever. the law work for people.” had “over-fi nanced” and in- in Guildford. tions are but it gives me no in- battle the Court of Appeal this I don’t think you can move on He called for a mandatory time creased her mortgage liabilities Mills’s barrister told the court centive to work because it feels businessman ordered to week ruled in her favour, increas- mentally or physically with that bar on maintenance after divorce on each home, leaving her unable her debts were “run up over like the more I do the more I pos- pay fi nancial support to ing the payments to £1,441 after tie in place. The law is wrong in and said he will consider fi ghting to “meet her basic needs”, judges many years as a single parent sibly will have to pay. Ahis ex-wife for life has she ran out of money and built up that regard.” this week’s ruling if his lawyers heard. with health diffi culties”. Last year “It’s more stress, more money called for a time limit on mainte- heavy debts following a string of The pair have now been apart advise it is an option. She was left with no capital Judge Mark Everall, QC, rejected going out — and it’s out of tax- nance payments so that divorced “unwise” property deals. for two years longer than the 13 Mills ran into fi nancial dif- when selling the Battersea fl at in her claim but Lord Justice Long- able income, so I need to earn couples can “move on”. Graham The court also told Mills he years that they lived together as a fi culties after she overstretched 2009 and is back in Weybridge in more and Sir Ernest Ryder, in the even more before I get more for Mills, 50, told of his “anger and must support his ex-wife for life, married couple. herself on a series of property a rented property, working two Court of Appeal, overturned his myself. It’s money I’d have had frustration” after judges ruled because she is “unable to meet Mills added: “I feel like I am purchases. days a week as a part-time beauty ruling. for my new child. he should increase the payment her basic needs”. In his fi rst inter- paying for her mismanagement After buying a home in Wey- therapist. Mills said: “It’s like I am in- He said he only agreed to the he makes to Maria Mills 15 years view since the ruling Mills, who of fi nances. bridge, Surrey, she admitted Mills applied to cut or cap his suring her decisions. I shouldn’t “open-ended” deal as he was after they split. has built up and chairs a success- “I’m angry and frustrated the “unwisely” up-grading to a maintenance payments two years be held responsible. It feels like told he “had no alternative” In the 2002 divorce settle- ful surveying company Tech- system allows this to happen. I three-bedroom fl at in Wimble- ago because their son is now 23 it goes against you if you’re suc- due to his former wife being ill ment Mills, 51, was awarded a nics Group, told the Standard: “I don’t really want this to be about don before moving to a two-bed- and more independent. cessful. If I hadn’t bothered in at the time and uncertainty on £230,000 lump sum and £1,100 don’t think it’s a good message to me and her, I think there’s a wider room apartment at a Victorian He also wanted to free up life I wouldn’t have those liabili- how much she could work in the a month in maintenance so she send to men or women. issue about the law. I’ve no need mansion block in Battersea. money to spend on his second ties. future. ‘Panic and Soldier’s wife fights for release chaos’ as smoke fi lls carriage

Evening Standard those moments where you’re London like ‘oh my god’.” Joan Sanyaolu, 52, a catering manager from Romford, said: assengers told of their “I was on the train just check- “sheer terror” as bleed- ing my texts on my phone and I Ping commuters were heard screaming and shouting trampled on amid “pandemo- and everyone started pushing nium” after smoke fi lled a train and rushing off the train. carriage. “There was screaming and There were chaotic scenes shouting, people were saying it at Dalston Kingsland station as is a bomb, it is a fi re. travellers on the packed London “I could smell burning. Overground service smelled “There were so many peo- smoke and feared an explosion. ple. We didn’t know where we Pictures showed many trav- were going, we didn’t know ellers fl eeing the westbound what was happening. train from Stratford to Rich- “I just tried to get out on the mond. Some jumped down platform. onto the tracks while others “One woman fell over and scrambled up the sidings to es- people were trampling on her, cape the crush. people tried to drag her out. The incident began shortly There was a girl crying. after 7am, bringing the line to “I’ve never seen anything a standstill in both directions like it before. and forcing the evacuation of “We didn’t what was hap- Claire Blackman wife of imprisoned marine Alexander Blackman arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London yesterday. Blackman who was found guilty of the station. pening.” murdering an injured Taliban fighter in Afghanistan is appealing against his landmark conviction. The smoke was caused by Another passenger, Aaron an overheated battery from a Webb, praised the response workman’s drill. from emergency services and Hackney council issued tweeted: “Sheer terror & pan- an alert of “several walking ic on board. I scrambled up wounded” and appealed for the bank. People were getting people to avoid the area. crushed. It was terrifying.” Seven passengers were Student Mohamed Iqbal, 22, treated by London Ambulance from Stoke Newington, said: medics, with four requiring “Everyone was freaked out. hospital treatment. We didn’t know if it was some- Govt ‘does not believe’ The injuries are understood thing bigger and more serious to have been caused during the and just felt the need to get out. evacuation rather than from “It was so busy at the station the smoking battery pack. and people were just turned Ogechikanma Oguazu, 31, an back. I was preparing for the NHS worker who was travel- worst.” ling from Manor Park, said: “I Fire crews from Stoke New- in Scottish referendum closed my eyes listening to my ington were called at 7.11am music, then I heard someone and had it under control by The government is stressing that the — backed by nearly three quarters of Scot- views to reporters outside his north Lon- shouting ‘get down’. 7.44am. result of the first referendum was tish lawmakers from across the political don home this morning. “At fi rst I thought it was a The brigade described it as a decisive spectrum — is one of the most important In comments that will make it hard for gun. Everyone started coming “small incident” and said dry in the parliament’s 18-year history. Lewis to avoid rebelling and resigning, the through to my carriage. powder extinguisher was used Agencies May warned yesterday that an inde- MP said: “It’s my intention to do what’s “Everyone was panicking, on the faulty battery pack. London pendent Scotland “would not be in the right by my constituents and my con- we didn’t know what we were It said in a statement: “A European Union.” science. It’s a really tough call.” running from. As I was getting workman’s drill had overheat- Labour leader Corbyn faces a shadow A fellow shadow cabinet member told off the train I fell between the ed and started smoking. he British government “does not cabinet walkout tonight from potential the Standard that Lewis was “very unpre- train and the platform. Firefi ghters extinguished the believe there should be a second leadership rival Clive Lewis, as the crunch dictable” and seemed to be struggling with “I saw the fi re as I was get- battery and placed it in a buck- Treferendum” on Scottish inde- Brexit vote dealt another blow to Labour the competing pressures. ting off the train. et of sand.” pendence, Prime Minister Theresa May’s Britain’s Brexit Secretary David Davis unity. Among those was a clear sense that he “It was only after I had got British Transport Police spokeswoman said yesterday following re- walks into his office in Downing Street. Shadow business secretary Lewis ad- would not receive Corbyn’s support in any out of the station that I real- said: “Several passengers left ports that she is making contingency plans mitted he might quit to rebel against Cor- future leadership contest if he rebelled to- ised my fi ngers and knees were the train as a result of the for another vote. dependence referendum is now “highly byn’s three-line whip.“I’ve got to make night. bleeding. smoke. This incident is not be- Speculation is mounting that Scotland likely”, and allies have suggested it could a decision on how I vote,” he told the Lewis is believed to be assessing his own “People were crying. It was ing treated as suspicious at this First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will de- be as early as 2018. BBC.“I’m going to make my mind up.” chances as a future leader from the Left. very shocking, it was one of time.” clare her intention to hold a rerun of the Former SNP leader Alex Salmond tweet- Asked how he will vote he said: “I don’t A Labour MP said: “Clive’s position may September 2014 vote, as a poll published ed a picture of the Herald’s front page sto- know … a lot on my plate, a lot on every- become untenable today. From what I un- yesterday revealed rising support for in- ry on the poll, saying: “Game on...” body’s plate.” derstand he is quietly gathering opinion on dependence ahead of Britain’s departure The SNP said the latest poll showed the In a day of Labour tensions Corbyn’s whether he should launch a bid when the from the European Union. independence debate is now “a virtual offi ce was forced to deny rumours he is opportunity arises.” “We don’t believe that there should be a dead heat”. thinking about stepping down and anoint- Another added: “He is on manoeuvres Three die as blaze second referendum. There has been a ref- “If the Tories continue with their blind ing a successor from the Left. and I think he will vote against [at the] erendum, it was clear, decisive, it was le- pursuit of a hard Brexit, ignoring the clear A source said there was “no truth at all” third reading and will resign because he gal, and both sides agreed to abide by the view of an overwhelming majority of peo- to the claims. recognises if he wants to run for leader he rips through home results of that referendum,” May’s spokes- ple in Scotland, then more and more peo- Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has to have been in a position that’s against man told journalists yesterday. ple will see independence as the option was expected to fall into line after be- Article 50. Downing Street was responding to a re- delivering certainty and stability,” said ing mocked by colleagues for missing last “It’s a bit like the Iraq war, you have to be Evening Standard everyone at the brigade are port that it had told Scottish newspaper SNP chair Derek Mackay. week’s vote with a migraine. on the right side of the debate.” London with the friends and family The Courier it was holding “contingency” Conducted among 1,067 voters aged A source said: “We think Diane has Abbott walked away without speak- of the three people who have talks to deal with a referendum announce- over 16, the poll asked: “Should Scotland bought a packet of ibuprofen.” ing when the Standard asked her how she died following the tragic fire ment. be an independent country?” with 43% A rebellion by London Labour MPs who would vote today. hree pensioners have in Hornchurch on Monday Scotland rejected independence by saying “Yes” and 45% saying “No”. The re- are opposed to Brexit looked likely to grow. Sources said she sat in complete silence died after a fi re ripped morning. 55% in 2014, but 20 months later it voted mainder were undecided or would not say. Two more, Seema Malhotra and Jim at yesterday’s shadow cabinet meeting Tthrough a house in east “Firefi ghters worked ex- to remain in the European Union by 62%, It represents a three-point swing to- Fitzpatrick, were considering defying the which discussed the vote. London. tremely hard and did all they sparking calls for a fresh vote. wards independence from a similar BMG/ whips. Corbyn’s offi ce was forced to deny that One woman, 68, died at the could in diffi cult conditions.” The battle over Scotland’s constitu- Herald poll conducted in December. Theresa May was confi dent that the he had set a “departure date” for a leader- scene of the blaze in Horn- More than 20 fi refi ght- tional future is now almost an even split, However, the survey also found 56% of Government would cruise to victory in the ship handover, perhaps next year. church, which broke out at just ers and four engines from according to a new poll released yesterday. Scots do not want another independence third reading of the Bill, empowering her But one Labour source said it was be- after 4am on Monday. Hornchurch, Dagenham and Support has risen to 49%, excluding referendum before the conclusion of Brex- to trigger Article 50 and begin Brexit. lieved that Corbyn’s wife, Laura Alvarez, Firefi ghters also pulled two Romford fought the blaze for undecided voters, with 51% in favour of it negotiations, expected in 2019. Lewis was called to a private one-to-one was pushing him to retire, adding: “Jer- elderly men from the burning over an hour and a half as it staying in the British union, a BMG poll for The Scottish parliament, in a symbolic meeting in Corbyn’s Commons offi ce last emy’s wife is defi nitely concerned about house in Laburnum Avenue. destroyed part of the ground the Herald newspaper said. motion, voted overwhelmingly on Tues- night, the Standard learned, after he gave him, upset, and she’s had enough.” The men, aged 76 and 74, fl oor. The poll was conducted after May con- day to reject Britain’s march towards the a clear signal in an earlier shadow cabinet More than half of all London Labour have since died in hospital. Investigators and police are fi rmed her intention to take Britain out of EU exit, with the semi-autonomous gov- meeting that he was prepared to rebel. MPs are expected to rebel against Corbyn London Fire Commis- working to establish the cause the European single market. ernment warning Scotland would not be But it was clear today that Lewis had not tonight when they are asked to vote for sioner Dany Cotton said: of the fi re, which is not yet Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish Na- “humiliated”. made up his mind. the fi nal time to trigger Britain’s departure “My thoughts and those of known. tional Party (SNP), has said a second in- The Scottish government said the vote A terse Corbyn refused to give inter- from the EU. Gulf Times 18 Thursday, February 9, 2017 EUROPE Ukraine rebel commander killed in ‘act of terror’

AFP commander of the self-declared kharchenko accused the Ukrainian adviser the the SBU chief, Yuriy seny Pavlov, was killed in a bomb mander and later worked various killing, airing archived portraits Donetsk, Ukraine Donetsk People’s Republic, the military of conducting the attack. Tandit, told the 112 Ukrainian attack. Several rebel command- manual jobs before he joined the and showing the charred build- rebels’ spokesman told AFP. “The Ukrainians... channel. ers considered to be adversaries rebel cause, where he also started ing and an offi ce gutted by an ap- “There has been an act of terror can not defeat us on the battle- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry of the separatist authorities have off as a driver for another com- parent fi re. Some 10,000 people military chief of a self-pro- and Givi was killed,” Eduard Bas- fi eld, so they kill us in a malicious Peskov called the killing “an at- been killed in car bombings and mander. have been killed since Ukraine’s claimed Russian-backed urin said, using the nom de guerre way,” he said. tempt to destabilise the situation” ambushes far from the scene of the He and Pavlov, who was better mostly Russian-speaking eastern Arepublic in eastern Ukraine which Tolstykh was better known Kiev’s SBU security service in eastern Ukraine and also denied fi ghting in eastern Ukraine. known as “Motorola”, had been industrial regions revolted against was killed in an “act of terror” yes- by. however denied that it was re- that Russia was in any way in- Tolstykh took part in major bat- the most recognised faces among Kiev’s pro-Western government in terday, the latest victim of a string He blamed Ukrainian security sponsible, instead suspecting an volved in it. tles with Ukrainian government the rebels during the worst of the April 2014. of similar attacks, local authorities services but declined to provide internal operation to clear the Rebel offi cials announced two forces in a confl ict that has been fi ghting, starring in viral video Kiev and the West have accused said. more details. rebel ranks. days of mourning after Tolstykh’s going on for 33 months despite clips from the combat zone and in- Russia of supporting the rebels The dead man was Mikhail Tol- Local reports said Tolstykh’s of- “People tied to illegal armed death. Western eff orts to forge a truce. terviewed often by state channels. and deploying troops across the stykh, 36, head of the notorious fi ce was blasted by a fl amethrower. groups are purged by special agen- In October, another well- Born in eastern Ukraine, he Russia’s state-owned Ros- border, claims that Moscow de- “Somali” battalion and a leading Rebel chief Alexander Za- cies beyond the line of contact,” an known Donetsk military chief, Ar- served in the army as a tank com- siya24 channel heavily covered his nies. No-trust Fox domestication motion fails in Romania

Reuters the architect of the decree. Bucharest Party sources have told Reu- ters he may resign on Wednes- day and Grindeanu said yes- omania’s Social Dem- terday a decision on Iordache ocrat-led government would be announced today. Reasily survived a no- Opposition deputy Catalin confi dence motion in parlia- Predoiu said of the no-confi - ment yesterday, three days af- dence motion: “This is a warn- ter mass street protests forced ing signal that we managed to it into an embarrassing U-turn gather the votes of the whole over a graft decree. opposition and it also shows Critics said the decree, which that whenever the new govern- also drew rebukes from Roma- ment derails we will gather and nia’s Western allies, would have sanction it.” turned back the clock on the Grindeanu said his govern- Zoo employee Vlada Zapolskaya walks with Ralf, an 11-month-old red fox, during a training session which is a part of a programme of taming wild animals for research and fi ght against corruption in the ment would not consider any interaction with visitors at the Royev Ruchey Zoo in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia. Ralf was born at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (ICG) in Novosibirsk, which experi- ex-communist nation of 20mn further initiatives similar to the mented on fox domestication through long-term selection and breeding for more than 50 years, according to zoo representatives. people. rescinded decree “that could The government rescinded awake powerful emotions in the decree on Sunday. society without proper and “I do hope that as of today we wide debate”. get back to work,” Prime Min- The decree would have de- ister Sorin Grindeanu told law- criminalised a number of graft makers before the vote. off ences and eff ectively shield- The Social Democrats and ed dozens of public offi cials their allies control nearly two from prosecution for graft. thirds of the seats in parliament Romania remains one of the after winning a December elec- poorest and most graft-prone Suicides among Afghan tion. member states of the European They abstained in yester- Union, which it joined in 2007. day’s vote, when 161 lawmakers Before the debate, around backed the no-confi dence mo- a dozen protesters wrote ‘RE- tion and eight voted against. SIST’ in the snow that had The government, however, fallen overnight in front of the has been badly shaken by the government headquarters. teens over asylum rules protests, the largest in Romania But the number of people at- since the 1989 fall of commu- tending daily protests — which Asylum conditions are being easier for authorities to expel Sweden took in the highest No offi cial numbers have been “I’m trying to activate the re- nism, and opposition parties reached a quarter of a million tightened across Europe rejected asylum seekers to Af- number of refugees per capita published for 2016. entry agreements we’ve made vowed after the vote to con- on Sunday — has fallen sharply ghanistan. in Europe in 2015, registering To increase deportations, Italy over the years. tinue their close scrutiny of the since the government’s climb- AFP “There are parts of Afghani- 160,000 asylum applications. plans to open some 16 new de- I went to Tunisia to ask them to ruling party’s actions. down. Stockholm stan where one can return,” a Last year, the Scandinavian tention centres to hold migrants speed things up. One minister resigned last Parliament must still endorse spokesman at the Swedish Mi- country granted 2,100 Afghan before they are sent home, Min- If the response time had been week saying he could not sup- the government’s decision to gration Board told AFP. minors asylum and rejected 600 niti said. only a month, Amri would have port the decree and the Social rescind the graft decree and it wave of suicides among He said rejected asylum seek- others. Only four pre-deportation been deported,” Minniti said. Democrats have said they are is expected to hold a session to- teenage Afghan migrants ers under 18 will not be sent back Italy will boost deportations of detention centres are now func- Amri was shot dead in Italy considering the position of Jus- wards the end of the week. Ain Sweden after it intro- to Afghanistan if they do not have migrants who do not have a right tioning. by police days after the attack in tice Minister Florin Iordache, duced stricter asylum rules has family members or acquaintanc- to stay in the country and open All 20 will have about 1,600 Berlin. sparked concern among refugee es to take care of them. new detention centres for those beds, he said. Minniti said there must be new workers and volunteers. Sara Edvardson Ehrnborg, being sent home, Interior Minis- That would still accommodate legislation to try to shorten the In the past two weeks, seven a teacher who also volunteers ter Marco Minniti said yesterday. only a fraction of migrants with- asylum process. asylum seekers, all unaccom- for a non-profi t group helping The interior ministry said in out permits of stay estimated to Migrants who are rejected panied minors, have tried to kill refugees, said unaccompanied December it would take a tough- be living in Italy. asylum can appeal to the court Mother jailed for themselves at diff erent refugee Afghan migrants were increas- er stance on migrants this year, Minniti fi rst announced his in- system, extending the average housing centres across Sweden. ingly worried their asylum appli- without giving details. tention to increase deportations time for a defi nitive response to Three of them died, all Afghan cations would be rejected. In testimony to parliament, less than a month after the Ber- an asylum request to two years, ‘selling daughter’ teenagers aged under 18, said Loneliness and lack of aff ec- Minniti described his plan pub- lin truck attack by Tunisian Anis Minniti said. Mahboba Madadi, who works tion in asylum homes could also licly for the fi rst time. Amri that killed 12, including an “It takes too long for asylum closely with unaccompanied asy- trigger the teens to end their Italy took in a record 181,000 Italian woman. seekers, and it takes too long AFP woman had off ered her teenage lum seekers for a non-profi t group. lives, according to Madadi. boat migrants last year, and more The Tunisian came to Italy for the communities that host Frankfurt am Main daughter, then 16, for sex online “They’re afraid of being ex- “They’re not happy in the than 9,000 have arrived already by boat in 2011. Italy later tried them,” Minniti said. over a period of six months. pelled and have no hope,” Madadi homes. in 2017, a sign people smugglers without success to deport him Asylum seekers will also be She arranged appointments told AFP. They’re kids who need some- in Libya continue to operate with back to Tunisia. asked to earn their keep by German court sentenced with men, kept the money, and In a revised security assess- one who shows them love,” she impunity. He was then released from a working with little or no pay on a woman to four years in threatened to throw the girl out ment published in December, said, expressing concerns that “We have to deport those who detention centre and ordered to civic projects, a programme that Ajail yesterday after she of the house if she refused to the Swedish Migration Board more asylum seekers would at- do not qualify for protection and leave the country in 2015. has been tested over the past admitted to charges includ- submit. deemed some regions of Afghan- tempt suicide. are in violation of the law,” Min- Minniti said Amri had been months in the northern town of ing selling sex with her teenage The woman was also present istan “less dangerous” despite “We are extremely worried niti told lawmakers in the lower released because it had not re- Belluno. daughter online. and even helped while her boy- “increasing violence” in the war- and we want the Swedish gov- house. ceived a timely response from “It’s not about creating com- The 37-year-old was jailed friend assaulted her younger torn country. ernment to do something about Fewer than 4,000 migrants Tunisia recognising him as one of petition on the job market,” Min- on charges of serious sexual daughter, then aged 11, pros- The assessment has made it this,” she added. were deported in 2015. their citizens. niti said. abuse of children and procura- ecution documents showed. tion, a court spokesman said. Court proceedings only be- Judges also sentenced the gan in January this year, al- woman’s 40-year-old boy- though the older daughter had friend to four years and 10 gone to the police in July 2013. months in prison on three “The sentences are an im- counts of serious sexual abuse portant signal and compensa- for the crimes dating back to tion for the girls,” the lawyer Russian contacts of Western sleuths silenced 2012-13. for the two daughters told news The state court in Hild- agency DPA after the hearing. Reuters a sudden halt since Ruslan Stoy- of threat research at Fidelis Cy- Some American cyber-securi- to Reuters requests for comment, esheim in the northern state of “They suff ered to an unbe- Moscow anov, head of the computer inci- bersecurity. ty experts now think the arrests and no offi cial bodies in Russia Lower Saxony found that the lievable extent from these acts.” dents investigation team at Rus- The arrests send a message could be a rebuke to the United have commented about the case. sian cyber security fi rm Kaspersky that “even an informal informa- States or warning to Russians not A Kremlin spokesman said only ussian cyber-security ex- Lab, was arrested in December on tion-sharing relationship with to aid US investigations into the that President Vladimir Putin was Poland ‘wants US nuclear umbrella’ perts have scaled back co- suspicion of treason. trusted Russian intelligence and election or other major contro- aware of media reports about the Roperation with Western Two offi cers from Russia’s law enforcement offi cers might versies. arrests but the Kremlin could not The powerful head of Poland’s ruling party wants his country to contacts after one of their number Federal Security Service (FSB) be considered treason,” said Vi- “This sends a shiver down eve- confi rm anything about them. be “included” in the US nuclear defence system, according to an was arrested in Moscow on trea- were also arrested, identifi ed by a tali Kremez, director of research rybody’s spine,” said a senior US Stoyanov could not be reached interview published yesterday. Jaroslaw Kaczynski told the Gazeta son charges, making it harder Western security source as Sergei at American security fi rm Flash- law enforcement offi cial. “We for comment. Polska daily that Warsaw “should work for the inclusion of Poland to fi ght global online crime, US Mikhailov and Dmitry Dokuchay- point. were getting some headway over Reuters was unable to fi nd a in the American nuclear defence system”, which “would be the law-enforcement and industry ev, both from the FSB’s Informa- While no charges have been offi - there” with arrests last year of lawyer representing him or get in optimal solution”. But Kaczynski also called for Europe to become sources say. tion Security Centre. cially announced, the three arrests suspects accused of using sophis- touch with his family. a “nuclear superpower”, in a separate interview published Tuesday Despite acrimonious relations Five experts at US or other came after US intelligence agencies ticated software programs to steal Kaspersky said the charges by Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily, as Chancellor between Russia and the United Western cyber fi rms all told publicly accused Russia of interfer- from bank accounts in multiple against Stoyanov related to a pe- Angela Merkel visited Warsaw. Under Nato’s Article 5 collective States in recent years, experts on Reuters their communication ing in the US presidential election countries, the offi cial said. riod before he joined the company defence agreement, the US nuclear umbrella already protects Nato cyber security in both countries with contacts in Russia had been through computer hacking, an al- The offi cial said Kaspersky, and that it was not aware of all of allies including Poland as well as Japan, South Korea and Australia. say their law enforcement agen- scaled back since the arrests, ei- legation Moscow denies. which sells cyber security soft- his prior activities. Kaczynski, who is regarded as Poland’s most powerful decision- cies and private fi rms had been ther because the Russians had Ivan Pavlov, an attorney rep- ware and advice, was one of the “The computer incidents in- maker despite holding no formal governmental post, did not working together more closely stopped replying or because the resenting one of the suspects, al- Russian fi rms seen in the West as vestigation team, headed by Mr elaborate how his proposed arrangement would be diff erent from behind the scenes to fi ght fi nan- Westerners had decided it was though he did not identify which, “trying to do the right thing” in Stoyanov, hasn’t had any US the existing Article 5 security guarantee. His comments come amid cial fraud and other crimes com- better not to contact them for said the charges were for treason, co-operating with Western law projects, as the unit primarily in- uncertainty in eastern Nato allies like Poland stoked by US President mitted online. now. related to allegations the men had enforcement agencies to help vestigates cyber attacks on Rus- Donald Trump’s seemingly pro-Moscow stance coupled with critical But at least some of that co- “Everybody has clammed up,” provided information to US spy fi ght cyber crime. sian companies,” the company pronouncements on Nato. operation appears to have come to said John Bambenek, a manager services. Russia’s FSB did not respond told Reuters by e-mail. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 19 EUROPE Fillon in appeal to voters, retains party backing

Reuters for lack of a clear “plan B”, but Opinion polls show Fillon, 7, has this week driven the pre- told journalists on Tuesday, in wife Penelope had received pub- end of last year that former AXA Paris plunging popularity ratings show a clear favourite until the jobs mium that investors demand a change of tack after Fillon had lic money for work she may not chief Henri de Castries could be- the 62-year-old, who pegged his scandal erupted, is unlikely to for holding French over German said he welcomed the investiga- have done. It later said two of his come fi nance minister. AXA and campaign on an image of integ- reach a second round run-off , in government debt to multi-year tion and wanted it to be conclud- adult children had also received Fillon’s entourage did not reply to onservative French presi- rity, faces an uphill battle to con- which centrist Emmanuel Ma- highs. ed as quickly as possible. taxpayer money. requests for comment. dential candidate Fran- vince voters. cron is seen beating far-right After apologising on Mon- Fillon has said he would drop Fillon has said his wife did A source in the Socialist party Ccois Fillon appealed to “I have nothing to hide,” Fillon party leader Marine Le Pen. day for having employed family out of the presidential race if he work for him. said grandees in his The Repub- voters yesterday via a newspaper said in his letter to voters. “Eve- But Fillon was not far from members, and with yesterday’s was put under formal investiga- Yesterday, BFM Business, a licans party were unlikely to top- column to back his campaign, rything was legal.” Macron in an Opinionway poll letter to voters, Fillon’s new tion. TV channel, said in an article on ple Fillon now, given no clear al- trying to claw back support after “Nothing will divert me from published on Wednesday, with strategy includes attacking the The investigation is so far a its website that Fillon was paid ternative candidate had emerged losing his place as frontrunner the real aim of my presidential the outcome within the margin legitimacy of the fi nancial pros- preliminary one and it is unclear 200,000 euros in fees by insur- and time ran out to organise a over accusations of fake jobs for campaign: set France back up- of error. ecutor’s offi ce investigating the when it will be over. ance company AXA between new primary. his family. right and bring the French to- Uncertainty over the outcome fake jobs allegations. Fillon’s troubles started when mid-2012 and mid-2014 via his “They weren’t far (from a par- Fillon has managed to stem a gether,” he said. “It’s up to you of the election, taking place in The investigation is “void,” the satirical weekly Le Canard consultancy business 2F Conseil. ty coup), but they got stuck,” the rebellion within his party, partly and only you to decide.” two rounds on April 23 and May Fillon’s lawyer Antonin Levy Enchaine reported that Fillon’s French media speculated at the source said. Agency sees New realism no mistake in Berlin attack case

DPA He had at least two resi- Munich dences during his time in Germany, is believed to have worked as a drug dealer and ermany’s immigration came under investigation for authority committed links to terrorist groups. Gno errors when it al- On December 19, he com- lowed Berlin Christmas mar- mandeered a truck from a ket attacker Anis Amri to seek Polish driver and rammed it asylum, even though it knew into a crowded Berlin Christ- about his multiple aliases and mas market, killing 12. criminal background, says the Cordt noted that all of his agency’s head. aliases were noted when the Amri received permission to asylum request was rejected. stay in Germany while his asy- Germany’s migration lum request was pending from agency hopes to clear a back- the Federal Offi ce for Migration log of 435,000 asylum cases and Refugees (BAMF) in April. within months, the organi- “Granting such permission sation’s new director said in Visitor look at a piece of art by the French Sculptor Cesar during the exhibition ‘Autour du Nouveau Realisme’ (About the new realism) at the Musee des Abattoirs, in Tou- does not imply a positive as- an interview with Germany’s louse, as part of the 40 years anniversary of the Centre Pompidou. The exhibition will finish on May 28, 2017. sessment,” Jutta Cordt, new Handelsblatt newspaper yes- head of the BAMF, told the terday. Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper. Cordt told the newspaper “The permission guarantees her top priorities were to ac- him residency while his asy- celerate the processing of lum request is being proc- asylum applications, deepen essed.” She noted that the integration, and step up de- offi ce “rejected the asylum portations of those whose ap- request within four weeks as plications were denied. obviously unfounded.” “We carried over 435,000 German offi cials have come cases into the new year and we Putin foe Navalny given under fi re since December as it want to have dealt with those has emerged that Amri — who this spring,” the paper quoted spent a long stretch in an Ital- Cordt as saying. ian prison after leaving his na- She told the paper the agen- tive Tunisia for Europe — was cy had received $42.57mn in even allowed into the country. additional funding in 2017 to He arrived in Germany in work on repatriation process- suspended jail term July 2015 and was known to ing and wanted to start that have 14 aliases. process sooner. Navalny accuses the and his co-defendant, business- “We don’t recognise this forced Navalny to step away from government of sabotaging man Pyotr Ofi tserov, did not have verdict, this verdict will be an- frontline politics and concentrate his election hopes a fair trial. nulled,” he told journalists in on digging up compromising in- They had been convicted of al- court. formation on the lavish lifestyles AFP leged embezzlement from the Ki- After Navalny appealed to the of top politicians and offi cials. Moscow rov regional government budget European court, Russia’s su- The lawyer came to fame with Russia detains ‘hackers’ of 16mn rubles ($270,000, preme court ordered that Nav- punchy oratory at mass rallies in 253,000 euros) in a timber deal alny and Ofi tserov face a retrial. 2011 and 2012 against Putin’s re- rominent Russian opposi- when he was working as a con- A conviction for a serious turn to the Kremlin. AFP were detained on January 25,” min- tion leader Alexei Navalny sultant to the governor. crime would disqualify him from He was runner-up in Moscow’s Moscow istry spokeswoman Irina Volk said. Pwas convicted yesterday of Opposition leader Navalny. The judge gave Navalny and standing for president according 2013 mayoral race after taking to One was placed under arrest. embezzlement and given a fi ve- Ofi tserov exactly the same sen- to the federal law on elections, the streets with a Western-style A total of 27 members and or- year suspended sentence in a rul- sisted he would keep on cam- tences as before. eliminating the most prominent campaign against a Kremlin- ussia has detained nine peo- ganisers are being investigated, ing that threatens his bid to chal- paigning despite Russian law “It’s 100% the same,” Navalny and eloquent representative of backed incumbent. ple alleged to be part of a with 19 of them now under arrest lenge President Vladimir Putin in banning people serving such a told journalists in court. the opposition to Putin. At the time he was appealing Rcybercrime ring accused of in pre-trial jail, the ministry said. next year’s presidential poll. sentence from standing for offi ce. The judge however took into However, in a legal confusion, against the Kirov verdict so was stealing some $17mn from bank Unnamed security sources told The judge in the court in the “According to the constitution account the years that the men the Russian constitution allows not formally convicted. accounts, the interior ministry Russian agencies that the lat- provincial city of Kirov found the I have a full right to take part in served from their suspended anyone who is not in prison to The end of Navalny’s trial said yesterday. est arrests are connected to a case Kremlin critic and anti-corrup- the elections and I will do that,” sentence before the ECHR ver- stand for election. comes as another member of The detentions followed a na- against legendary hacking collec- tion whistleblower guilty on a Navalny said after the verdict. dict last year. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Russia’s marginalised opposi- tionwide manhunt. tive Lurk that was targeted by law charge that the 40-year-old law- “I will continue to represent This means Navalny’s sus- Peskov ahead of the verdict de- tion, Vladimir Kara-Murza, is in The FSB security agency enforcement agencies in a sweep yer insists is aimed at knocking the interests of people who want pended sentence will run out in nied that Navalny’s possible a coma with organ failure after launched a major operation last last year. him out of the vote. to see Russia a normal, honest about 18 months, his lawyer Olga exclusion would make the 2018 suff ering an “acute poisoning” year against the alleged 50-strong According to cybersecurity gi- Navalny in December an- and non-corrupt country.” Mikhailova told journalists. polls look bad to international last week, his wife said. “hacker group” that pilfered more ant Kaspersky, the group was nounced his intention to run for The court held a retrial case Navalny vowed to appeal and observers. So far there has been no con- than one bn roubles ($16.8mn) reportedly suspected of stealing president in 2018, while Putin after the European Court of Hu- continue his bid for the presi- “As for how it will look, here fi rmation of foul play over the since 2013, the statement said. some three bn roubles from com- has yet to confi rm his expected man Rights last year quashed an dency regardless. we don’t consider any fears to be incident, which comes two years “Nine individuals suspected of mercial organisations that includ- participation. original 2013 against Navalny “There’s no question that we appropriate,” Peskov said. after an earlier suspected poi- participating in hacking attacks ed banks. The fi erce Kremlin critic in- ruling, saying that the politician will appeal,” he said. The 2013 verdict in Kirov soning nearly killed Kara-Murza. Brussels bomber’s friend fl ed despite conviction

AFP “Apparently he fl ed for Syria ed. But he was allowed his free- Laachraoui was a bomb-maker Hungary plans to detain mi- “Now there will be two op- legislation allow the mass deten- Brussels and the Turks arrested him. dom during the subsequent trial for the November 2015 Paris at- grants while their asylum re- tions. If they meet certain crite- tion of asylum seekers without We are asking for his extradi- as he had a home in Belgium. tacks and that the same Brus- quests are assessed, a ruling ria, then they could be detained. individual examination and jus- tion,” spokesman Eric Van Der La Derniere Heure said the sels-based cell was responsible party lawmaker said yesterday, a If not, we will create a hot spot tifi cation,” it said on its website. friend of one of the Brus- Sypt told AFP, confi rming a re- court had nonetheless noted for both incidents, which were proposal that human rights cam- where they will need to wait for “If an asylum seeker is sus- sels bombers managed to port in La Derniere Heure news- Khattab’s “worrying frame of claimed by the Islamic State. paigners said could be illegal. authorities to process their asy- pected of being a terrorist, then Afl ee Belgium despite hav- paper. mind” after a CD glorifying the Belgium, a country divided The plan will be part of the lum requests,” Kosa said. they can and should be taken into ing been sentenced to seven years “During the hearing we asked Islamic State group was found in along linguistic and political spring legislative agenda of the Migrants would be detained custody during the asylum re- in prison for terrorist off ences, for his immediate arrest,” Van his police cell during his initial lines, has been accused of mul- Fidesz party of Prime Minister close to the border, he said, but quest procedure,” it said. “How- prosecutors said yesterday. Der Sypt said. “The court did not detention. tiple failings in keeping track of Viktor Orban, whose popular did not explain whether the gov- ever, all asylum seekers or even Khaled Khattab, a friend of air- take us up on it and that is their Bomber Laachraoui, 24, was home-grown extremists in the hardline stance on immigration ernment would set up new camps their majority... port attacker Najim Laachraoui, right.” also convicted at the same trial wake of the Paris and Brussels may help him retain power at an or what the “hot spots” would cannot be locked up on this was convicted and sentenced in Khattab, a dual Belgian-Syrian and sentenced to fi ve years in jail attacks. election early next year. look like. basis.” May 2016 for helping to recruit national, received the harshest of in absentia. In one revelation, Turkey said Under the plan, migrants The Hungarian Helsinki Com- Hungary has been a focal point jihadists for Syria, a prosecutors’ 26 sentences in a mass terror trial Laachraoui was one of two sui- Belgium ignored warnings from whose asylum applications are mittee human rights group said of the migration crisis, with spokesman said. of people linked to top Belgian cide bombers who struck Brus- Ankara after it deported Ibrahim not immediately rejected would the measure could violate inter- hundreds of thousands passing But the 26-year-old Khattab jihadist recruiter Khalid Zerkani. sels airport on March 22 last year, El Bakraoui, the second airport no longer be allowed to move national law if migrants are de- through in 2015 in often chaotic was allowed to go free while he Khattab had been arrested in while a third blew himself up on bomber, to the Netherlands as freely while their requests are tained en masse. scenes on the frontier with Serbia was awaiting a further hearing to Belgium in October 2014 after a metro train, killing 32 people in a “terrorist fi ghter” in 2015 fol- processed, Fidesz parliamentary “Neither European Union law — the external border of the EU’s fi nalise the details of his jail term, having returned from a visit to all. lowing his arrest near the Syrian group leader Lajos Kosa told a nor the European Convention passport-free Schengen area — and was arrested in Turkey. Syria, La Derniere Heure report- Investigators also believe border. news conference. on Human Rights nor Hungarian and a Budapest rail terminus. Gulf Times 20 Thursday, February 9, 2017 INDIA

LEGAL POLITICS JUSTICE DATA CRIME Contempt notice issued Nagaland groups warned Two get life for acid 1,200 Pakistani seek Suspects in theft at to Calcutta judge against coercion of MLAs attack on woman Indian citizenship Satyarthi house identified

The Supreme Court yesterday issued a Nagaland assembly Speaker Chotisuh Sazo A court in Gurugram yesterday sentenced two Minister of State for Home Aff airs, Kiren Rijiju, Three to four suspects involved in a burglary at contempt notice to sitting Calcutta high court warned tribal organisations against coercing men to life for throwing acid on a woman in said more than 1,200 Pakistani minority child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi’s house in judge C S Karnan for writing letters casting legislators into tendering their resignation or the Haryana industrial hub in 2014. The court members have applied for Indian citizenship and New Delhi, wherein his Nobel Prize citation and aspersions on several judges. Asking judge withdrawing their support to the government. awarded life imprisonment to Raja and his more than 12,800 Pakistanis have applied for replica medal were stolen, have been identified Karnan to appear before it in person on There has been a growing demand by tribal accomplice Azad, who attacked 27-year-old long term visa (LTV). “In 2016, as per information and will be arrested soon, a police off icer February 13, a constitution bench directed that organisations for the resignation of Chief Suman in her house in Gurugram on December available on this ministry’s IVFRT (immigration, said. Police have questioned local criminals, Karnan would not discharge any judicial and Minister T R Zeliang for deciding to conduct 15, 2014, after she rebuff ed Raja’s advances. A visa and foreigners registration and tracking) security guards and vendors but are yet to administrative functions during the pendency elections to urban civic bodies with 33% nine-year-old daughter of the victim was also online module, more than 12,800 applications make any breakthrough. “From the closed- of the proceedings. Judge Karnan “shall reservation for women. The Naga tribal injured in the attack. The court has also slapped for long term visa and more than 1,200 circuit television footage, we have identified remain present in court in person, on the next organisations under the banner of Nagaland a fine of Rs100,000 each on the two attackers. applications for grant of citizenship to Pakistan three-four people involved in the crime. They date of hearing, to show cause,” the bench Tribes Action Committee and Joint Co-ordination An NGO, ‘Faristay’, fought the case for the minorities have been received,” the minister told will be arrested soon,” an off icer said. Gifts and said. It also directed Karnan to hand over all Committee has served a three-day ultimatum to victim free of cost. A third accused, Aarif, was the Rajya Sabha. “The ministry of home aff airs awards received from various international files relating to his judicial and administrative Zeliang to step down. Various Naga tribal groups acquitted due to lack of evidence. The court has sensitised the states/UT administrations to organisations and heads of states, ancestral functions to the registrar general of the high have opposed the reservation for women, saying has directed jail off icials that 60% of the duo’s expedite the processing of LTV applications for jewellery and electronic items were also stolen court. that it will infringe on customary laws. income should be handed over to the victim. speedy processing,” Rijiju said. during the raid. Data linking death with air pollution ‘inconclusive’

Guardian News and Media 1.2mn deaths annually. Dahiya said New Delhi the air pollution estimate control- led for “all imaginable risk factors, from obesity, to smoking and in- he environment minister suffi cient consumption of fresh has been accused of play- fruit … and many other risks”. Ting down the health risks “The number of deaths attrib- of the country’s extremely pol- uted to air pollution in the study luted air by claiming, contrary to are only due to air pollution,” he research, that there is no conclu- said. sive data available linking “death Researchers have argued that exclusively with air pollution”. the frequent inhalation of tiny The environmental group pollutants in particular may in- Greenpeace released a report in crease the likelihood of blood January citing Global Burden of clots, damage the body’s ability to Disease (GBD) research that es- oxygenate blood and infl ame tis- timated nearly 1.2mn Indians die sue in the nervous system. each year due to high concentra- India has been slower than its AIADMK secretary V K Sasikala gestures to supporters at party headquarters in Chennai yesterday. tions of airborne pollutants such neighbour, China, to address the as dust, mould spores, arsenic, problem of toxic air, which in lead, nickel and the carcinogen Delhi is attributed to a range of chromium. sources including road dust, ve- It found that no cities in north- hicle exhaust fumes, open fi res, ern India, and only a handful of industrial emissions and the regions in the rest of the coun- burning of crop residues in neigh- try, met international air qual- bouring states. ity standards, with pollution rates But the government has taken Rao reaches TN today particularly high in the capital, steps in the past two years to grow Delhi, and the neighbouring Uttar its network of air-quality moni- Pradesh. tors, push cleaner fuels, upgrade Asked about the report in the vehicle emissions standards and upper house, Environment Min- has mandated – but not yet fully ister, Anil Madhav Dave, said: rolled out – new technology to “There is no conclusive data avail- limit emissions from coal-fi red as political battle rages able in the country to establish power stations. direct correlationship of death ex- While acknowledging the clusively with air pollution.” problem, government bodies IANS Rao was studying the situation Panneerselvam of “betrayal” af- “Nobody will believe that I Manickam yesterday became He said the health eff ects of have been sensitive about ac- Chennai in the state. ter he refused to back her plans forced him to resign as chief the fi rst party MLA to openly air pollution were a “synergistic cepting international fi ndings on Naidu denied speculation that to head the government. She minister. Not the people, nor the side with Panneerselvam. manifestation of factors which the issue, rejecting a 2014 World the Modi government had a role was earlier elected by party leg- (AIADMK) cadres. “There is no need for a change include food habits, occupational Health Organisation study that amil Nadu Governor C to play in the political crisis in islators as their house leader. “This is a deceitful plan of in the chief minister’s post,” habits, socio-economic status, declared Delhi the world’s most Vidyasagar Rao is set to Tamil Nadu. On his part, Panneerselvam the DMK,” she said. “For two Manickam said. He pointed that medical history, immunity, he- polluted city. Treach here today amid Panneerselvam, who on Tues- announced that a Supreme months, Panneerselvam has been Jayalalithaa had chosen him as redity etc of the individuals”. It has also repeatedly had run- a bitter war between All India day night dramatically revolted Court judge will head a com- collaborating with opposition the acting chief minister twice “Air pollution could be one of ins with Greenpeace, temporarily Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhag- against Sasikala and alleged he mission of inquiry to probe Jay- forces but I ignored all that.” in the past. the triggering factors for respira- freezing the NGO’s funding and am (AIADMK) general secretary was forced to quit as chief min- alalithaa’s demise after a 75-day Referring to his revolt of Meanwhile, former AIAD- tory associated ailments and dis- accusing it of being one of several V K Sasikala and acting Chief ister on Sunday, yesterday said stay in hospital. He said there Tuesday night, Sasikala asked: MK MP K C Palaniswamy said eases,” he added. groups conspiring to stymie In- Minister O Panneerselvam, both he would prove his majority in were many questions over the “Why did he keep quiet all these party activists would unleash a Sunil Dahiya, a campaigner dia’s economic growth. of whom claimed majority sup- the 234-seat assembly. death. days? Was he being backed by movement to retrieve the with Greenpeace India, said the Polash Mukherjee, a researcher port in the ruling party. Addressing supporters at his The MLAs backing Sasikala the DMK? AIADMK headquar- remarks were contrary to the with the Delhi-based Centre for Maharashtra Governor Rao, residence, Panneerselvam said: were ferried to secret locations, “I faced so many be- ters, Jaya TV as well fi ndings of the GBD survey, a Science and Environment, said who holds additional charge of “A government expected by you party sources said, amid specu- trayals in the 33 years I as the Poes Garden comprehensive global research diff erent groups came up with Tamil Nadu, will be in Chennai will be formed soon.” lation that they may fl y to New have lived with Amma,” residence of Jayala- programme that monitors the diff erent estimates of the number today afternoon, offi cial sources But Sasikala supporters said Delhi to be paraded before Presi- she said, referring to the lithaa from the “oc- causes of illness and death in eve- of deaths caused by air pollution in Mumbai said. as many as 130 of the 134 AI- dent Pranab Mukherjee. iconic Jayalalithaa. “I have cupiers”. “Panneer- ry country in the world. because of varying methodolo- Amid criticism from Sasikala’s ADMK MLAs were with her, a Addressing AIADMK MLAs at overcome all those and we selvam will become The 2015 edition of the survey gies or interpretations. “But what backers that Rao was seemingly long-time confi dante of former the party headquarters, Sasikala will overcome this one too. the chief minister estimated that 3,283 Indians died is undeniable is that there is an avoiding coming to Chennai, chief minister J Jayalalithaa who accused Panneerselvam of cov- The AIADMK won’t again,” Pal- each day due to outdoor air pol- eff ect on the health of people,” he Information and Broadcasting died on December 5. ertly aligning with the DMK to break, nor will I.” aniswamy lution, making for around nearly said. Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said Yesterday Sasikala accused undermine the ruling party. AIADMK’s K said.

Ardent fans Congress up in arms over US businessman held over idol smuggling Modi’s raincoat barb narian art dealer G Deenadhaya- AFP Mumbai lan, who was arrested in Tamil IANS Former Union fi nance minister ing to a debate on the Motion of Nadu last year for possessing New Delhi P Chidambaram said the remarks Thanks to the President’s Address hundreds of allegedly stolen ar- were in “extremely poor taste and to the joint sitting of both houses olice have arrested an tefacts. unbecoming of a prime minister”. of Parliament on January 31. American businessman “Vijay Nanda is a prime player he Congress yesterday “I have never seen a prime min- Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party Paccused of involvement in in the international art smug- strongly criticised Prime ister making such derogatory re- MP Bhagwant Mann yesterday an international smuggling ring gling syndicate with extensive TMinister Narendra Modi marks about a former prime min- urged Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra that illegally trades in artefacts connections in the US, Europe over his “raincoat” barb against ister. The kind of words that he Mahajan to expunge Prime Min- believed looted from temples, of- and Hong Kong,” the directorate his predecessor Manmohan Singh has used are unacceptable,” said ister Narendra Modi’s jibe at him fi cers said yesterday. of revenue intelligence (DRI) said and demanded an apology. The Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. in the Lok Sabha. They detained Vijay Nanda, a in a statement. party said the remark was in ex- Congress leader Renuka Chow- In a letter to the speaker, the US citizen of Indian origin, af- The DRI said the terracotta tremely poor taste. dhary was also scathing in her Aam Aadmi Party member from ter fi nding antiques including sculptures were found at Nanda’s Congress leader Kapil Sibal criticism. Sangrur in Punjab asked her to terracotta fi gurines more than home alongside bronze fi gurines said the opposition party will not “This is what the country is expunge Modi’s remark or send 2,000 years old at his premises in dating from the 17th and 18th allow Modi to speak in Parliament coming to that you have the prime his complaint to the Privileges Mumbai. centuries. unless he apologised. minister coming to Parliament Committee of the House. The idols, which investigators They also found six large stone Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, and not even giving respect to a Speaking on Tuesday, Modi suspect were stolen from Hindu statues in crates at a warehouse Modi said only Manmohan Singh former prime minister,” she said. quoted a saying from the Char- and Buddhist temples in south- he owned. knew the art of bathing while “He can say what he wants to, vaka school of philosophy to say ern and eastern India, were des- “These statues appear to be wearing a raincoat, prompting we cannot stoop to that level. And a person should take loan and tined to be sold for vast sums to reliefs stolen/vandalised from the Congress members, including that is why we walked out (of the drink ‘ghee’. “I generally tell peo- private collectors abroad, police various temples in eastern and Manmohan Singh, to walk out. Rajya Sabha). Our self-respect ple ‘drink ghee’... but if Bhag- said. southern India and belong to the “Modi chooses to speak when is intact, let the prime minister want Mann were to tell people he Art theft is big business in In- 10th-11th century A.D,” read the everyone else is done with and then prove his,” she added. will ask them to drink something dia where looters and smugglers DRI’s statement, detailing the makes unsubstantiated allegations. “There is a lot for us politicians else,” Modi had said. Supporters of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav target ancient temples. ring’s modus operandi. We cannot tolerate this. We will not to learn... so much happened but Mann wrote in his letter: “... climb trees to catch a glimpse of him speaking during Many are located in remote ar- It said stolen idols were gener- let him speak until he apologises for he (Manmohan) did not get a taint. you may kindly exercise your a public rally at Sardhana in Meerut district yesterday. eas and have been left abandoned ally smuggled out of India under his remarks,” Sibal said while liken- Only Manmohan Singh knows power and expunge the deroga- Elections in Uttar Pradesh begin on February 11, voting is without any security. fake documentation and con- ing Modi’s remarks to a “chieftain the art of bathing while wearing a tory expressions alluded to me by divided into seven phases. Offi cers said Nanda was linked cealed in furniture or garment addressing a local crowd”. raincoat,” Modi said while reply- the honourable prime minister.” to the same syndicate as octoge- consignments. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 21 INDIA

DECISION OFFBEAT CRIME DATA POLITICS Cash withdrawal limits Try suff ocating kittens, Two IIT students detained Kerala registers 5.71% Politician ousted from to go from March 13: RBI textbook tells children over alleged molestation growth in tourist arrivals house, hospitalised

The limits on savings bank cash withdrawals A publisher has caused a furore with a school Police have detained two students of the Indian Even though there was a dip in tourist arrivals There was pandemonium in the West Bengal post-demonetisation are to be withdrawn in two textbook that encourages children to suff ocate Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG), for after the demonetisation move, Kerala tourism assembly as leader of opposition Abdul Mannan stages, the Reserve Bank of India announced kittens as part of a scientific experiment. The book allegedly molesting three students of Gauhati witnessed a 5.71% increase in arrivals in had to be hospitalised after he was forcibly yesterday, with the limit slated to go up to includes an experiment in which two kittens are University. The victims said the incident took place the 2016 calendar year. Provisional figures removed by marshals following his suspension. Rs50,000 per account from February 20 and placed in separate boxes – only one of which had when the educational institution was celebrating from the tourism department, released in Speaker Biman Banerjee slapped a two-day to cease from March 13. The announcement holes. “Put a small kitten in each box. Close the its annual festival “Alcheringa”. “The programme Thiruvananthapuram yesterday, showed that suspension on Mannan for disobeying order was made by RBI deputy governor R Gandhi boxes. After some time open the boxes. What do was over by 10.30pm and we were looking for over 14mn tourists arrived in Kerala in 2016, of to remove placards containing pictures of the following the fiscal’s last monetary policy review you see? The kitten inside the box without holes accommodation in IITG on rent. The accused which more than 13mn were domestic arrivals vandalism in the assembly lobby on November announcement by the central bank. On January has died,” read the text. Animal rights activists said promised to help us and later off ered us some and around 1mn were foreign visitors. November 30, 2006. The speaker called security personnel 30, the RBI had ended all curbs on withdrawals several schools had already pulled the off ending soft drink. After consuming it, we felt dizzy,” the 2016, a peak tourist season for Kerala, saw a half to remove Mannan from the house, leading to a from current accounts, cash credit accounts page from the book. Last week a passage from a victims stated. “I could sense someone trying to percentage drop in domestic tourist arrivals scuff le. Other Congress legislators also joined the and overdraft accounts. The limits were placed textbook in Maharashtra caused outrage over its molest me. I tried to resist but lost consciousness. following the Centre’s announcement of a ban scuff le. During the disturbance, Mannan sustained following the November 8 demonetisation of assertion that “ugly” women had led to a rise in However, one of my friends remained conscious on high-value currency notes. Visitor numbers injury and was rushed to a Kolkata hospital, where Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes. dowries claimed by the groom’s family. and witnessed the molestation,” a victim said. did increase in December 2016. he was detected with a blocked heart.

Software to help Stir at Kerala cops snare human traffi ckers school ends as

Thomson Reuters Foundation Bengaluru management ew software for police could revolutionise the Nfi ght against human traf- fi cking in northeast India and speed up cross-border investiga- tions with Bangladesh and Myan- mar, its creators said. accepts terms Police in six Indian states now have access to the Impulse Case By Ashraf Padanna the strike, withdrew last week, said Arya John, a student who Info Centre software, which pro- Thiruvananthapuram others insisted that the move dis- spearheaded the campaign along vides new ways of sharing intel- regarding UGC norms would pave with other girls in their fi nal se- ligence, accessing a database of a way for Nair’s backroom admin- mester. Former defence minis- wanted traffi ckers and getting up- tudents of the Kerala Law istration. ter A K Antony described their dates on cases. Academy yesterday called “The new principal should have protest as a manifestation of the Reports of human traffi cking Soff their 29-day old strike all qualifi cations that the law pre- emerging girl power. in India rose by 25% in 2015 com- after reaching an agreement with scribes, and Nair will not be back, “Initially we were nervous pared to the previous year, with the management. The strike had even on the faculty, for the next while appearing on television with northeast states such as Assam snowballed into a major political fi ve years,” the minister, also a seasoned politicians and forcibly reporting the highest number of crisis in the state. The students former teacher, said, appreciating arguing our case. We knew that minor girls being traffi cked, ac- said the academy promoters had the students’ perseverance. we were taking on powerful peo- cording to government data. accepted all their demands. With mainstream political ple. Soon we overcame our limita- Years of ethnic confl ict in many As per their demand, the au- parties taking over the protests tions on the strength of our goal parts of the northeast have made it thorities have also released a started by girl students against and took it to a logical conclusion,” a traffi cking hotspot, campaign- newspaper advertisement seeking unjustifi able restrictions and John said. Later, more allegations ers say, adding that the region is a new principal in place of Lak- dress code on the campus and dis- against Nair cropped up, and the a source, destination and transit shmi P Nair. criminatory awarding of internal police had to book her for harass- point. Nair, heir to the family that runs assessment marks, the issue had ment of two Dalit students, a seri- Sanjeevan Devnath of the start- the school, has been accused of been dominating headlines for ous off ence. up DFM Info Analytics said it took victimising the students. weeks together. The long-drawn They Dalit students accused two years to develop and fi ne tune “The management has agreed agitation in full media glare also Nair of casteist remarks and call- the software. to appoint a full-time principal found the ruling Left Democratic ing them out from the class and “The biggest challenge was the following the (federal regulator) Front (LDF) deeply divided with forcing them to work at her hotel fact that our users were going to University Grants Commission the Communist Party of India found illegally functioning on the be policemen, many of whom had guidelines,” said V S Joy, president (CPI), the second largest coalition campus built on 11.49 acres of never worked with a computer be- of the Kerala Students Federation partner, revolting against Chief government land. The land is said fore,” said Devnath. (KSU), a feeder outfi t of principal Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s tacit to have been confi scated from a Salomi Thommy of the char- opposition Congress party. support of the management. freedom fi ghter before Independ- ity Impulse, that worked with “Classes will resume on Mon- “It’s our victory. We thank all ence and allotted to the institution Devnath to develop the system, day, and a new head will take political parties who backed us,” fi ve decades ago. said it can provide detailed infor- charge in two weeks.” mation such as profi les of traffi ck- After a meeting with repre- Court issues notice to ministers, Nair ers. sentatives of students and the “The best feature is the alert management where the pact was A Thiruvananthapuram by the institute including mechanism that tells investigators reached, Education Minister C sub-court has issued notices misuse of government land if there are other cases registered Raveendranath said the govern- to the Education Minister C and making admissions and involving the same traffi cker they ment would ensure that Nair was Raveendranath, Law Minister awarding degrees disregarding are looking for,” said Thommy. not back in chair. A K Balan, Kerala Law norms. He also questioned its Thousands of people, mostly Students, except for the domi- Academy principal Lakshmi aff iliation. Meanwhile, revenue from poor rural areas, are taken to nant Students Federation of India Nair and 27 others on a secretary P H Kurien submitted cities every year by gangs who sell (SFI) of the ruling Communist petition against violations a report recommending them into bonded labour or hire Party of India (Marxist), had earli- at the institute. They also recovery of unused land and them out to unscrupulous em- er rejected a management off er to include the advocate general action against the running of a ployers. keep Nair away for fi ve years and and vice-chancellor of the hotel and bank on the institute Many end up as domestic work- put the 67-year-old vice-princi- University of Kerala. BJP leader campus and encroachment on ers or labourers in brick kilns, pal in charge. V Muraleedharan moved 27 cents of government land to roadside restaurants or small tex- Kerala Law Academy students celebrate after the managements gives in to their demand in While the SFI, which entered court claiming irregularities build a gate and road. tile and embroidery workshops. Thiruvananthapuram yesterday. the scene almost two weeks into Gates Foundation’s ties to All in a day’s work Dummy mum comes health mission cut by govt to tiger cubs rescue AFP and grass to recreate the feel- New Delhi ing of being close to their real Reuters infants each year. programme due to apparent mum.” New Delhi It will now be funded by the confl icts of interest. The cubs were found in a crit- government which felt there was That’s because the Bill & ark rangers in India are ical condition not long after the a need to completely manage the Melinda Gates Foundation also using a cuddly toy tigress body of their mother was dis- group backed by the Bill crucial programme on its own, backs GAVI, a global vaccine al- Pto help three traumatised covered near a river in January. & Melinda Gates Foun- senior health ministry offi cial liance that counts big pharma- cubs spring back to their feet It is believed the mother was A dation that works on im- Soumya Swaminathan said. ceutical companies as its part- after the death of their mother. killed after brushing against an munisation programmes in the “There was a perception that ners. The cubs, who were or- electric fence erected by cattle country will now be funded by an external agency is funding The country’s immunisation phaned last month, have been farmers, Pathak said. An inves- the health ministry, a govern- it, so there could be infl uence,” programme vaccinates children happily feeding from milk bot- tigation is underway. ment offi cial said, a move in Swaminathan said yesterday. to shield them from life-threat- tles fitted inside the toy, said Rangers quickly treated part prompted by fears foreign Swaminathan, however, ening conditions such as mea- the field director at Bandhav- the cubs for dehydration and donors could infl uence policy stressed there were no instances sles and polio, and is viewed by garh Tiger Reserve in Madhya rushed them back to the enclo- making. of infl uence found and the deci- experts as crucial for improving Pradesh. sure. The tiger treatment has a The decision is seen as part sion was only in part prompted public health. “We tried to give them goats’ precedent. of the government’s broader by a wider perception about for- A key win has been the suc- milk initially but they didn’t In rural India it is common clampdown on non-govern- eign funding of the programme. cessful eradication of polio, but like the human interaction. to keep dummy calves next to mental organisations to assert The unit will continue to ex- more than a million children still They just refused to take the cows and buffaloes who stop control over decision making in ist, she said. die every year before reaching bottle from our staff,” Mridul lactating when they lose their key policy areas. A spokeswoman for the Bill the age of fi ve. Pathak said. offspring. The sense of attach- Last year, the government & Melinda Gates Foundation “The government must en- “Now they have been feed- ment encourages the mothers ordered the dismissal of dozens (BMGF) said its grant for the Im- sure that universal immunisa- ing from the synthetic nipples to begin producing milk again. of foreign-funded health ex- munisation Technical Support tion does not suff er in any way,” attached to the dummy for six The country is home to more perts working on public welfare Unit ends this month. “We are said Keshav Desiraju, a former days. Their energy levels in- than half of the world’s tiger schemes. in advanced stages of discussion federal health secretary. creased from the first feed.” population with more than The Gates Foundation has for with the ministry on the con- Bill & Melinda Gates Founda- Forest rangers have also built 2,200 roaming its reserves, ac- years funded the Immunisation tours of the next phase of tech- tion, the charity funded by the a special enclosure for the cubs cording to the most recent cen- Technical Support Unit (ITSU), nical support,” she said. personal wealth of Microsoft inside their compound, using sus in 2014. which provides strategy and Critics have in the past raised co-founder Bill Gates, has en- twigs, grass and sand to mimic At least 98 big cats died last monitoring advice for New Del- concerns the Bill & Melinda joyed good relations with the A mahout clears dust from his elephant in Ahmedabad their natural habitat, he said. year, said the National Tiger hi’s massive immunisation pro- Gates Foundation should not government of Prime Minister yesterday. “We even rubbed the faeces Conservation Authority, with gramme that covers about 27mn have any association with the Narendra Modi. of the mother on the toy tiger poaching blamed in most cases. Gulf Times 22 Thursday, February 9, 2017 LATIN AMERICA

CLAIM PEOPLE WILDLIFE LAW AND ORDER CRIME Honduras backsliding on Fujimori extends hospital Firm gears up for rodent Argentina’s ex-spy Mexican marine, five human rights: activists stay due to health problems removal at Chile mine chief faces arrest others killed in shootout

Honduras is suff ering its worst period in Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori South African bullion producer Gold Fields is Prosecutors have requested the arrest of Five suspected criminals and a marine died decades in terms of human rights, comparable yesterday said he was extending his more than gearing up for an operation to capture and Argentina’s intelligence chief under former in a shootout in the northwestern city of to the 1980s when forced disappearances weeklong stay in a hospital outside his prison relocate a population of critically endangered president Cristina Kirchner over murky Culiacan, where 10 other people were killed occurred, humanitarian activists said. “The cell because of new health problems. Fujimori chinchillas living around its Chilean mining accusations he shielded a fugitive drug traff icker over the weekend, authorities said. Marines situation for human rights defenders in said on Twitter that he could not be discharged project. The environmental impact of mining from arrest. The request came after ex-spy chief were on patrol in the city when “heavily Honduras is in a critical moment,” said Bertha as expected on Tuesday because of a “severe” companies is under growing scrutiny and Oscar Parrilli was indicted on charges of hiding armed” civilians who were travelling in several Oliva, co-ordinator for a group called the inflammation of his veins that put him at risk of is high on the radar of both investors and information on the whereabouts of the man who vehicles opened fire, prompting the troops to Committee for Relatives of Detained Missing in blood clotting and infection. He was hospitalised conservationists. Hunted for their thick, soft pelt, was formerly Argentina’s most-wanted fugitive. hit back, the Sinaloa state prosecutor’s office Honduras. The association was formed in 1982 in late January to undergo treatment for a hernia chinchillas are now only found in the wild in parts Parrilli was a key figure under Kirchner (2007-15), said. The five suspects were all men who were by families of left-wing activists and others in his spine. Fujimori, who governed Peru with of Chile and the mining company has agreed to spearheading her programme to overhaul the wearing bulletproof vests and were armed seized by military death squads and made to a heavy hand for a decade before fleeing the move the rare rodents. “We have to capture all intelligence services amid accusations they were with AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles, the office disappear. Activists of several stripes say the Andean country during a massive graft scandal in the chinchillas and resettle them,” Gold Fields interfering in politics. The fugitive, Ibar Perez said in a statement. Ten other people were climate against them has noticeably worsened, 2000, has been serving a 25-year prison sentence chief executive Nick Holland said. “It’s part of our Corradi, was wanted for a 2008 triple homicide, killed in three separate shootouts in the city with off icials doing little to protect them. for corruption and human rights abuses. environmental agreement with the state,” he said. as well as money laundering and drug charges. over the weekend, officials. Brazil sparks Start of judicial year trade row over Canada support for Bombardier

Reuters The province’s largest pension Brasilia/Sao Paulo fund invested $1.5bn in the com- pany’s rail unit. Embraer chief executive Paulo razil opened a formal com- Cesar Silva said in a statement plaint against Canada at that the ongoing cash injections Bthe World Trade Organi- “have not only been fundamen- sation (WTO) yesterday, accus- tal in the development and sur- ing the country of distorting the vival of the C Series programme, global aerospace industry with but have also allowed Bombar- subsidies for planemaker Bom- dier to off er its aircraft at artifi - bardier. cially low prices.” Brazil has threatened for Last year, Bombardier scored months to open the WTO proc- an order from Delta Air Lines ess, arguing that support for for 75 C Series jets, worth some Bombardier’s new C Series was $5.6bn at list prices, beating undercutting the market for out Embraer’s competing E-Jets commercial jets made by Brazil- with below break-even prices, ian rival Embraer SA. according to the Brazilians. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro attends a ceremony to mark the opening of the judicial year at the Supreme Court of Justice in Caracas, Venezuela. The case builds on decades Two sources familiar with the of antagonism between the two deal said Bombardier off ered a regional jet makers and ech- roughly two-thirds discount to oes arguments in the world’s win the order, its biggest to date largest trade dispute, a trans- for the fl edgling C Series pro- atlantic spat over government gramme. support for Boeing and Airbus Bombardier booked a $500mn Group SE. “onerous contract” charge relat- Brazil’s action came on the ed to that Delta order and a sepa- heels of fresh support for Bom- rate deal with Air Canada. bardier on Tuesday in the form Yesterday, Bombardier re- Probe sought as Santos of interest-free loans worth ferred to comments by chief ex- C$373mn ($283mn) from the ecutive Alain Bellemare saying Canadian government. investments from Quebec and Canada’s Trade Minister Canada’s federal government are Francois-Philippe Champagne both WTO compliant. said the loans complied with “We have the best aircraft in WTO rules and the government the C Series,” Bellemare told re- would defend itself against liti- porters at a company plant in hit by graft allegations gation. Montreal on Tuesday. “So peo- Brazil’s foreign ministry cited ple are fi nding ways to come af- Reuters berto Martinez told reporters. “Santos for President — 2014.” millions of dollars in bribes in mission for receiving money additional funding for Bombar- ter us. Bogota “For now, the testimony of The president’s campaign association with projects in 12 from Odebrecht. dier in a statement yesterday, It’s okay. We will continue to Bula is the only proof of the en- chief, Roberto Prieto, denied countries, including Brazil, Ar- Zuluaga was the candidate for criticising “at least $2.5bn in compete successfully.” trance of $1mn into the Santos the accusation and Camilo En- gentina, Colombia, Mexico and former president Alvaro Uribe’s government support” for the Both countries now have up to olombia’s attorney gen- campaign. He has explained the ciso, the president’s transpar- Venezuela, between 2002 and right-wing Democratic Center Canadian planemaker in 2016. 60 days to try to settle the dis- eral yesterday called for method, time and place of the ency secretary, said the allega- 2016. party. “It is the understanding of pute before the WTO convenes Ca probe into whether delivery of that money,” said tions were untrue. Martinez has said that Bula, The case is the latest spinoff Brazil that these Canadian sub- a panel of experts to help make a President Juan Manuel San- Martinez, who asked that the The 2014 campaign secured a who was arrested last month from a giant scandal in Brazil sidies artifi cially aff ect inter- ruling in the case. tos’s 2014 campaign received as country’s electoral commission second four-year term for San- on charges of bribery and il- involving the state oil company national competitiveness,” the The latest WTO standoff fol- much as $1mn from a Brazilian launch an investigation. tos, who won the 2016 Nobel licit enrichment, was tasked by there, Petrobras, which was ministry said in a statement. lows nearly a decade of spar- fi rm, though he added that the On Tuesday night, Martinez Peace prize. Odebrecht with ensuring a cer- bilked for billions of dollars over “New support that has been an- ring between Brazil and Canada only evidence came from an ex- was more emphatic about the Odebrecht’s Colombian of- tain number of higher-priced the course of a decade by corrupt nounced could further deepen over state fi nancing for Embraer senator accused of corruption. allegations. “It has been es- fi ce declined to comment. tolls were included in a highway executives, politicians and con- the distortions in the aerospace and Bombardier’s exports in the Some of the $4.6mn alleg- tablished that of that amount The company is dealing with construction contract. tractors — including Odebrecht. sector in detriment to Brazilian 1990s. edly paid by engineering com- ($4.6mn), in 2014 Otto Bula the fallout from its role in an Bula has denied the allega- The controversy comes as interests.” However, the current dispute pany Odebrecht SA to Otto sent two transfers to Colom- international bribes-for-con- tions. the Santos government imple- The province of Quebec, is closer in substance to the clash Bula Bula, a former Liberal bia, which were cashed at the tracts scandal unearthed by The campaign of Santos’s ri- ments a historic peace deal with where Bombardier is based, in- between the US and the Euro- Party senator, may have gone to time, for a total sum of $1mn, Brazilian prosecutors. val in the election, Oscar Ivan Colombia’s Farc guerrillas and jected $1bn into the company’s C pean Union over allegedly unfair the Santos re-election eff ort, and whose fi nal benefi ciary was US prosecutors allege that Zuluaga, is also facing an inves- seeks to negotiate another with Series programme last year. support for Boeing and Airbus. attorney general Nestor Hum- the campaign management of Odebrecht paid hundreds of tigation by the electoral com- a rival rebel group, the ELN. Yellow fever kills 600 Anger at killing Chile Escondida mine workers’ strike begins monkeys in Brazil defi nitely going on strike,” union Reuters Antofagasta, Chile spokesman Carlos Allendes said. Reuters farmers that something was There is no such protection The strike is planned to start Brasilia amiss, sparking specialists to available for monkeys. at 8am (1100GMT) today. investigate. Yellow fever is a viral dis- orkers are set to strike “We’ve decided not to re- The masked titi is considered ease found in tropical regions today at BHP Billiton’s place workers, at least during n outbreak of yellow fe- as “vulnerable” by the Swiss- of Africa and the Americas WEscondida copper the fi rst 15 days of the strike. ver has claimed the lives based International Union for that mainly aff ects humans and mine after contract talks medi- With complete conviction, we Aof more than 600 mon- Conservation of Nature, which monkeys and is transmitted by ated by the Chilean government have accepted that we will not keys and dozens of humans has placed it on its Red List of the same type of mosquito that failed to reach a deal, the main be producing during this phase in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest Threatened Species. spreads dengue and the Zika union at the world’s largest cop- because the safety of our work- region, threatening the sur- No evidence has so far sur- virus. per mine said. ers cannot be guaranteed during vival of rare South American faced of the affl iction felling Hundreds of thousands The union has warned that a strike,” said Patricio Vilaplana, primates, a zoologist said yes- woolly spider monkeys, con- of people died from it in the a strike at the Chilean copper Escondida’s vice-president of terday. sidered one of the world’s most Americas before a vaccine was mine could be lengthy, poten- corporate aff airs. The monkeys, mostly brown endangered by the IUCN. developed in 1938. tially aff ecting global supplies of Copper prices have spiked howlers and masked titis, are Brazil is suff ering the worst Brazil’s federal health of- a metal used in everything from in recent weeks over fears of a falling out of trees and dying yellow fever outbreak in dec- ficials are investigating if the construction to telecommunica- strike at Escondida, which pro- on the ground in the forests of ades that has killed at least 69 latest outbreak is linked to tions. duced 6% of the world’s supply Espirito Santo state in Brazil’s humans, nearly all in central a tailings dam collapse last BHP Billiton said it planned in 2015. southeast. state of Minas Gerais, where year in Minas Gerais at the to halt production during the One tonne of copper was trad- “The number of dead mon- the problems began. Samarco iron ore mine co- strike since it could not guaran- ing at $5,795.00 at 7.18pm lo- keys increases every day,” said Most people recover from owned by BHP Billiton and tee the safety of the 80 workers cal time (1018GMT), up from a Sergio Lucena. yellow fever after the fi rst phase Vale SA. the government had authorised morning low of $5,786. “We now know that the rare of infection, which usually in- The dam accident, which to remain at the mine to perform The two sides on Friday buff y-headed marmoset is also volves fever, headache, shiv- polluted the Rio Doce river, is “critical duties”, such as equip- started a fi ve-day government- threatened by the yellow fever ers, loss of appetite and nausea regarded as the country’s worst ment upkeep and adherence to mediated period of negotiations virus and dying,” he said of the or vomiting, according to the environmental disaster. environmental protocols. that eff ectively delays a work impact of the disease’s spread World Health Organisation. Some scientists have said “The company doesn’t want stoppage the Escondida Union in his state. Millions of Brazilians have that calamity may have made to change its position, so we voted for last week. The howler’s sounds closely been vaccinated as health au- the monkeys more susceptible Members of the civil police vote in favour of a strike after one understand that there is noth- A strike can only legally begin resemble grunts or barks. thorities scramble to prevent to contracting yellow fever by of their members was killed in a shootout, according local ing left to negotiate...there is today since yesterday was the last It was the silence that fell the outbreak from turning into decimating their habitat and media, in Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil, yesterday. nothing left to talk about, we’ve day of the scheduled negotiations on the forests that fi rst alerted an epidemic. food supplies. already talked a lot and we are if talks are not actually held. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN India’s ceasefi re violations pose ‘potential threat’

Agencies a civilian died from his injuries “continued unprovoked” cease- Indian security forces “unpro- moned the Indian Deputy High labourer working on an under fi re Understanding besides initi- Islamabad caused by “unprovoked indis- fi re violations by India along the voked ceasefi re violation” along Commissioner JP Singh and construction building, it added. ating a probe into the recent inci- criminate” Indian fi ring in the LoC and International Border as the Line of Control (LoC). condemned the unprovoked “The director general de- dents of ceasefi re violation by the Khoiratta sector of the Line of “potential threat to regional sta- ceasefi re violation, on February plored the deliberate targeting Indian forces, the statement said. he Pakistan Army yes- Control (LoC). bility”, a statement issued by the “The director general 7, 2017, by the Indian forces on of civilians, which is a crime as According to the Pakistan terday termed “contin- Army chief General Qamar Inter-Services Public Relations deplored the deliberate the LoC,” a Foreign Offi ce state- well as violation of international Army, Indian forces committed Tued” ceasefi re violations Javed Bajwa chaired a Corps said. targeting of civilians” ment said. human rights and humanitarian at least 178 ceasefi re violations from the Indian side as potential Commanders conference at Pakistan yesterday sum- The “unprovoked” fi ring from laws,” the communique read. along the LoC and International threat to the regional stabil- the General Headquarters in moned the Indian Deputy High “The Director General (SA & the Indian side resulted in the The Foreign Offi ce urged New Border last year, killing 19 civil- ity. The stance came a day after Rawalpindi that viewed the Commissioner here to protest Saarc), Mohamed Faisal, sum- death of a 25-year-old Pakistani Delhi to respect the 2003 Cease- ians and injuring 80 others. Six Red Cross staff Pakistan seeks to curb child, forced marriages

Reuters “The punishment has been about its amendments is key to Islamabad made harsher in the law in order make the law a success,” said killed, two missing to completely curb the social Mahpara Shakil Ghauri, a sen- maladies which have risen be- ior offi cial at Aurat Foundation, AFP akistan has outlawed cause of the less stringent pun- a charity promoting women’s Kabul child marriage and ishment and fi nes,” Federal Law rights. Ptoughened penalties for and Human Rights Minister Za- Local advocacy group, the those guilty of the crime in an hid Hamid told Thomson Reu- Society for the Protection of the ix Red Cross workers have eff ort to crack down on the ters Foundation by telephone. Rights of the Child (SPARC), been killed and two oth- practice which is estimated According to the UN chil- estimates that almost 58% of Sers are missing in northern to aff ect one in fi ve girls in the dren’s agency Unicef, around girls are child brides in rural Afghanistan, the international country. 21% of girls in Pakistan are areas. charity said yesterday, under- The legislation passed by the married before the age of 18. SPARC’s chair Humera Malik scoring the growing dangers National Assembly, or lower Nearly 4% of Pakistan’s pop- said it was a concern that civil faced by aid workers in the war- house of parliament, on Mon- ulation of 202mn people are not society organisations’ demand battered country. day, also bans forced marriage Muslim, according to the CIA to increase the age of marriage They were killed in the volatile involving women from minor- Factbook. to 18 from 16 had been ignored province of Jowzjan, the charity ity groups. Social and gender inequal- in the new law. added, without revealing their Under the new law, off end- ity, a desire to control women’s “Raising the age of the girl to nationalities or who was behind ers will face a minimum of fi ve sexuality and protect fam- 18, the same as that of a boy was the incident. years in prison and may serve ily honour as well as poverty long-standing demand of the “We can confi rm that six of our up to 10 years. are some of the factors driving child and women rights organi- colleagues were killed and two are They also face a fi ne of up child marriage in Pakistan, ac- sation in the country. But it’s unaccounted for in Jowjzan prov- to Rs1mn ($9,547). Before the cording to advocacy group Girls really disappointing the age is- ince,” a spokesman for the Inter- change in law, off enders faced a Not Brides. sue have been left untouched,” national Committee of the Red minimum of three years in pris- “Large-scale awareness Malik told the Thomson Reu- Cross said, adding that a state- on and a fi ne of 500,000 rupees. about the crucial law and now ters Foundation. ment would be released later. “We are shocked and devas- Afghan men unload a coff in of an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) employee, who was tated,” he added. killed by gunmen in Jowzjan province, at a hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, yesterday. The killings come after a Spanish employee of the ICRC Aid workers in Afghanistan active in Afghanistan and Paki- judges, a UN report on the civil- was abducted on December 19 have increasingly become casu- stan — the suicide bomber was ian victims of the Afghan war re- when workers from the char- alties of a surge in militant vio- identifi ed as Abu Bakr al-Tajik, vealed on Monday. Ban on Bollywood movie ity were travelling between the lence in recent years. who “ignited an explosive belt in More may have gone un- northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif In April 2015 the bullet-rid- a group of judges and employees claimed. and the neighbouring volatile dled bodies of fi ve Afghan work- of the court.” The attack was widely con- Taliban hotbed of Kunduz. ers for Save the Children were Twelve men and nine women, demned, among them by Afghan sparks online backlash He was released nearly a found after they were abducted as well as the bomber, died in the President Ashraf Ghani, the month later, but ICRC and local in the strife-torn southern prov- blast, while 41 others, including country’s Chief Executive Ab- offi cials did not say how he was ince of Uruzgan. two children, were injured. dullah Abdullah, the UN, the EU AFP ple”, Mubahsar Hassan, chair- boards hate Mahira so much?” freed or who was behind the ab- Meanwhile, Islamic State yes- Analysts had expected the and the US administration. Islamabad man of the Pakistan Film Cen- said writer Haji S Pasha. duction. terday claimed a suicide bomb- Taliban to be behind the blast. Islamic State has so far fo- sor Board, said. Some, however, backed the “Devastated by this news out ing on the Supreme Court in They have attacked the Af- cused its attacks mostly on the A second offi cial complained censors. of #Afghanistan,” ICRC presi- Afghanistan’s capital Kabul that ghan justice system numerous Shia minority in Afghanistan. akistan’s ban on Bol- about the comparison between Yasmeen Ali, a lawyer and dent Peter Maurer said on Twit- killed at least 21 civilians the times over the years as they want In November, it had claimed lywood thriller Raees Muslims and Hindus. university professor, wrote: ter about the latest incident. previous afternoon. to see the country under Islamic responsibility for an attack on a Psparked a social media “This fi lm gave a message “I support the ban on #Raees “My deepest condolences to In a statement released on- law, Shariah, only. Shia mosque in Kabul, killing at backlash yesterday, after the that all Muslims do bad things owing to showing muslims of the families of those killed — and line by the militants’ Khurasan In 2016 alone, they had least 28 people and wounding fi lm featuring Indian super- and are involved in crimes while a particular sect of Islam con- those still unaccounted for.” province wing — an IS branch claimed 16 attacks on courts and dozens of others. star Shah Rukh Khan was de- Hindus are gentlemen and they ducting heinous crimes & being nounced for portraying Mus- stop them from the dirty work,” terrorists”. lims as “terrorists”. he said on condition of ano- Pakistani cinemas last Octo- The government decision to nymity. ber announced a ban on Indian bar the 2017 action fi lm came But fans dismissed the con- fi lms following strained rela- after Pakistani cinemas lifted cerns, with many arguing that tions between Islamabad and Strong quake strikes off Pakistan coast: USGS their own ban on Indian fi lms. art can be about politics but Delhi, lifting it only last month. Bollywood movies and Khan politics should have no place in For its part, the Indian Mo- in particular are immensely art. tion Pictures Producers Asso- AFP injuries. The shallow quake struck dents in towns and cities near In October 2015, a 7.5-mag- popular in Pakistan and the fi lm “This ban on #Raees is an ciation banned Pakistani actors Quetta at 3:03am, with the epicentre 23km the epicentre, including the port nitude quake in Pakistan and also stars a leading Pakistani example of the kind of absurdi- and technicians from working southwest of the coastal town of of Gwadar, woke in panic and Afghanistan killed almost 400 actress, Mahira Khan. ties Pakistan’s moral crusaders on Bollywood sets after last Pasni, the USGS said. rushed out of their homes recit- people, fl attening buildings in But the industry has become and grovelling bureaucrats can year’s tensions. strong 6.3-magnitude There were no immediate re- ing verses from the Holy Qur’an. rugged terrain that impeded re- a political battleground amid attain on their own,” tweeted The Pakistani censor board earthquake struck off the ports of casualties in the remote Pakistan straddles part of the lief eff orts. heightened tensions between Pakistani fi lmmaker and jour- offi cials said other Bollywood Acoast of Pakistan early province of Balochistan which boundary where the Indian and The country was also hit by a the nuclear-armed states in the nalist Hasan Zaidi. fi lms such as Kabil and Ae Dil yesterday, the US Geological covers the quake zone. Eurasian tectonic plates meet, 7.6-magnitude quake on Octo- disputed Kashmir region. “Ban on Indian movie Raees is hai Mushkil can still be shown Survey (USGS) said, but there An AFP reporter in the pro- making the country susceptible ber 8, 2005 that killed more than The fi lm “portrays Muslims a ban on #Mahira for her barely as they do not contain objec- were no immediate reports of vincial capital Quetta said resi- to earthquakes. 73,000 people. as terrorists and violent peo- acting debut. Why Pak censor tionable content.

Home-grown streaming app helps Pakistan’s musicians fi nd voice

Reuters The first two videos, featuring Karachi Abid Brohi, a rapper from remote Sibbi in southwestern Balochistan province, and 13-year-old tea vendor or years, violence kept most of Jahangir Saleem, have drawn more Pakistan’s aspiring young mu- than a million views, matching Coke Fsicians from following their Studio, Pakistan’s premier music dreams, whether the threat of Tali- programme. ban militant attacks or gang wars in Another video features Nazar Gill, the crowded southern port city of from the capital, Islamabad, who was Karachi. one of the cleaning staff at an apart- Now, as law enforcement crack- ment building where Naqvi once lived. downs slowly improve the security One day, Gill knocked on Naqvi’s situation across the nation, some door and asked to sing a song he had musicians are getting help from two- written. year old Pakistani start-up Patari, “I sang my song for him and he a music streaming and production liked it,” recalled Gill, a member of the company. country’s tiny Christian minority that Both the startup and the musi- prides itself on its musical tradition. cians’ eff orts are helping to carve out “He said, ‘Nazar, I will not let your a new creative space for young people voice go to waste.’” in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where Tabeer’s sole female artist, Malala those below 30 make up 60% of a pop- Gul, grew to love music as a child, by ulation of almost 200mn. Nazar Gill, (right) a local singer, practices a song along with his brother at his Malala Gul, a local singer, looks to buy music CDs at a shop in Peshawar, Pakistan, listening to an aunt who sang songs in Karachi rap ensemble Lyari Under- residence in Rawalpindi. on January, 28. the Pashto language spoken across Pa- ground was once afraid of putting its kistan’s northwest. music on Facebook, deterred by epi- added. “If there is no rap, then it is not creative pursuits. apart from saying the company was $15,000, and features on its app. Times were tough when she began sodes of bloody gang war in the pre- a ghetto. Rap is a product of this reality Launched in February 2015, Patari “self-sustaining”, mostly by produc- Patari exploited the fact that Paki- singing fi ve years ago, in a city roiled by cinct of the same name that many Pa- and these surroundings.” now boasts a library of 40,000 Paki- ing events for established fi rms such stan’s tiny pop music scene comprised Taliban-led violence. kistanis consider the most dangerous Band members said when they fi rst stani songs and podcasts, and sub- as drinks company Pepsi, consumer a couple of “corporate branded shows” “Conditions in Peshawar were very in their largest city. heard the music of Tupac, although scribers exceed half a million, said goods giant Unilever and Pakistani featuring the same artists every year, bad, but thank God the situation is But the same violence has inspired half a world away, it reminded them of Chief Executive Khalid Bajwa. clothing brand Khaadi. but excluded amateur musicians. much better now,” she said. many of the group’s songs, taking cues their own experiences living with vio- Nearly 30mn of Pakistan’s people The company’s latest initiative, “We saw an ineffi ciency in the mar- Gul stressed the importance of mu- from the music of US rapper Tupac lence and poverty. use the Internet, mainly on mobile tel- Tabeer, or ‘Dream Come True’, pairs ket, where you have all this talent, sic. “This is a big world, and some peo- Shakur, said its founder, who uses the Lyari remains one of Karachi’s poor- ephones, says digital rights organisa- established artists with unknown mu- all this interest, but there is nothing ple will say one thing, others will say name AnXiously. est areas and fi nancial limitations of- tion Bytes for All. sicians to produce six songs and mu- bridging the two,” said Chief Operating another, but anyone who understands “In a ghetto, rap exists naturally,” he ten force its young people to forego Bajwa declined to discuss revenue, sic videos, completed on a budget of Offi cer Ahmer Naqvi. and values music will go very far.” Gulf Times 24 Thursday, February 9, 2017 PHILIPPINES Govt seeks US, China help to combat pirates

AFP coming increasingly dangerous. ation with China would likely be Manila “If shipowners will skirt that discussed at a meeting between area just to avoid kidnap at sea the two countries’ coast guards activities by these terrorists, for in Manila next week. he Philippines is seeking sure, it will have an additional Lorenzana said Manila plans US and Chinese help to cost,” Philippine Coast Guard to “talk to the ministry of de- Tguard a major sea lane as chief Commodore Joel Garcia fence of China on how to opera- militants shift attacks to inter- said. tionalise this joint patrol” off the national shipping, offi cials said “It’s not just the concern of southern Philippines. yesterday. the Philippines or Indonesia and Garcia said rising incidents of Manila does not want the Sib- Malaysia, but of the internation- piracy around the 29-kilometre- utu Passage between Malaysia’s al shipping community.” wide Sibutu Passage threaten to Sabah state and the southern Manila plans to ask its long- push up overall shipping costs, Philippines to turn into a So- standing defence ally the United including insurance for vessels, malia-style pirate haven, coast States to hold joint exercises in cargo and crew. guard offi cials said. waters off the southern Philip- Diverting ships to Indonesia’s The deep-water channel, used pines to address the problem, Lombok Strait would be more by 13,000 vessels each year, of- Defence Secretary Delfi n Loren- expensive and voyages would fers the fastest route between zana said on Tuesday. take longer, said Filipino coast Australia and the manufacturing And Philippine President Ro- guard spokesman Commander Residents look on as a fire destroys hundreds of houses at an informal settlers community in Delpan, Tondo, Manila. powerhouses China, Japan and drigo Duterte last week urged Armando Balilo. South Korea, they added. China to launch patrols off the The Filipino coast guard re- In the past year Abu Sayyaf piracy-plagued waters, citing corded 12 piracy or kidnapping gunmen from the southern Beijing’s dispatch of a naval con- incidents in the passage in the Philippines have boarded ships voy to the Gulf of Aden in 2009 last six months alone, on top of and kidnapped dozens of crew- to protect Chinese ships from four unsuccessful attempts by Nearly 15,000 homeless as men for ransom in waters be- Somali pirates. gunmen to board vessels. tween Malaysia, Indonesia and Duterte made the comments “It (a Somalia-like situation) the Philippines, raising regional a day after meeting a special en- has not happened, but if it es- alarm. voy from Indonesia who wanted calates into a full-blown piracy Indonesia has warned the re- to know what Manila, which has area, that would be scary be- fi re engulfs Manila slum gion could become the “next one of the weakest naval forces in cause they will avoid that route. Somalia” and the International the region, plans to do to address They will use other routes Maritime Bureau says waters off the threat. Garcia said details of and shipping costs will rise,” AFP the southern Philippines are be- the possible sea patrol co-oper- Balilo said. Manila

s many as 15,000 peo- ple are homeless after Aa huge fi re engulfed an overcrowded slum in Manila, Duterte defends drugs destroying thousands of homes and sending residents fl eeing with their few possessions. The inferno started in a war, rejects advice of sprawling slum near the port late Tuesday and raged for about 10 hours, as hundreds of fi refi ghters from across the Philippine capital hauled their ex-Colombia president hoses across rickety, tin roofs to reach the fl ames. As the blaze whipped across Reuters the squalid area, sending a huge Manila plume of smoke billowing into the night sky, residents ran for their lives carrying refrigera- hilippine President Rodrigo Duterte made tors, religious icons and other a vigorous defence of his war on drugs yes- valuables. Pterday, rejecting not only allegations of Others, desperate to save extra-judicial killings, but the advice of a former their homes, used buckets of Colombian leader who urged him not to repeat his water to douse the fi re. mistakes. About 3,200 homes, many The ex-prosecutor promised to stand behind made from little more than those on the front lines of his war and called Cesar scrap wood, were destroyed and Gaviria an “idiot” for a newspaper article in which President Rodrigo Duterte gestures while delivering four people were injured, Edil- the former Colombian president warned Duterte a speech during the 115th founding anniversary of berto Cruz, a fi re investigator that a security-centred approach “do more harm the Bureau of Customs in Metro Manila yesterday. looking into the cause of blaze, Fire victims gather along a street after a fire destroyed more than hundreds of shanties at a community than good”. told reporters yesterday. of informal settlers, according to authorities, in Parola Compound, Tondo city, Metro Manila yesterday. Duterte last week suspended police from anti- same, and concluded that police had behaved like “The houses in that place are narcotics operations after a South Korean busi- the criminal underworld they were supposed to all (made of) light materials. area, which is hit by fi res almost they waited for food and other slums where many residents nessman was murdered by rogue drugs squad po- suppress, taking payments for killings. That is why the fi re was quick every year, were left homeless. aid to arrive. Temporary evacu- still use candles to light their lice. He has put the Philippine Drug Enforcement The report said many killings were “systematic, to spread. We are just lucky that At daylight thousands of ation centres have been set up homes. Nearly a quarter of Agency (PDEA) in charge, and plans to deploy planned and organised” by authorities. Duterte no one was killed,” he said. people gathered on surround- at nearby gyms and schools. Manila’s 13mn residents live troops as reinforcements. rubbished those claims and said it was necessary to Manila city government of- ing streets, warily guarding the The Manila fi re department in slums due to poverty and a Duterte said his campaign was about destroying provide undercover police with cash to buy drugs in fi cials said that between 9,000 belongings they had managed said such fi res were common shortage of low-cost housing, the apparatus of the drugs trade, not killing, and sting operations, referred to as “buy-busts”, other- and 15,000 people from the to salvage in the chaos while in the city’s densely populated studies have found. only he would be accountable if law enforcers were wise prosecuting dealers would be diffi cult. accused of wrongful killings during raids and sting He denied his campaign was focusing on small- operations. “Those done in the line of duty I take time users and pushers only, and he had proved lo- full responsibility,” he said in a speech. cal politicians were on his radar. “If someone should go to jail, it’s not police, not “There is always a contention Duterte is killing military, not the PDEA — It’s me.” the poor,” he said. “So where is the big fi sh? We Rebel group offi cial arrested over murder Duterte’s war on drugs has attracted global at- started with the mayors, they were killed along the tention due to its high death toll in his fi rst seven way, so there’s the big fi sh,” he said. months in offi ce and the shock factor of images In Tuesday’s New York Times, Gaviria, who was By Eugene Y Adiong Group (CIDG) on Tuesday Muñez, for the killing of 1Lt. the one they arrested is Rogina in media of bloodied corpses lying in streets and Colombia’s president from 1990-1994, appealed to Manila Times night. Archie Polenzo in March 2010. Navarro-Quilop,” Baribar said slums. Duterte to use alternative strategies to fi ght drugs Army Capt. Eduardo Pre- Precioso said Navarro was also adding it was “a case of illegal As at Jan 31, some 2,555 Filipinos were killed in and explained why his country’s crackdowns on cioso, 303rd Infantry Brigade arrested in 2010 for arson but arrest.” what police said were shootouts during anti-drugs cocaine cartels had failed. community organiser Civil Military Operations chief, was released from jail after But Precioso insisted that operations. He hoped Duterte would avoid a heavy-handed and alleged officer of said Rowena Quilop Navarro, posting bail. “Rowena and Rogina are one More than 7,700 deaths have been recorded approach and “not fall into the same trap”. A the New People’s Army allegedly a fi nance offi cer of the The suspect was again is- and the same person.” overall, and the cause of many of those are much in “Trust me, I learned the hard way,” he wrote. (NPA) linked to the murder of NPA, was nabbed on San Juan sued an arrest order for murder Clarissa Sinco-Lagatan, dispute. The Catholic Church used sermons at the Duterte said Gaviria was “lecturing” and the an Army lieutenant in Cadiz Street, Bacolod City. in 2011 but her lawyer, Archie chairperson of human rights weekend to speak out about the drugs war, saying Philippine case was diff erent to Colombia, because City, Negros Occidental sev- Navarro ’s arrest was by vir- Baribar, claimed the operatives group Karapatan in Negros Oc- killings were not the solution and the poor were be- “shabu”, or methamphetamine, was damaging to en years ago was arrested by tue of an arrest warrant for nabbed the wrong person. “The cidental has confi rmed they ing worst hit. the brain whereas the behavioural impact of co- operatives of the Criminal murder issued by Cadiz Re- name specifi ed in the arrest have a member by the name of A Feb 1 report by Amnesty International said the caine was less severe. Investigation and Detection gional Trial Court Judge Renato warrant is Rowena Navarro but Rowena Navarro- Quilop. Philippines ‘unfi t for mining’ because of unique ecosystem

Reuters vowed to overturn a ruling that The Philippines is the world’s top then heal the land. It is closure Philippines can survive without Manila they say will aff ect 1.2mn people. nickel ore supplier and Lopez has because there is no way you can a mining industry, has thrown The 63-year-old minister de- said that closed mines represent have any kind of mining in wa- his support behind Lopez’s deci- fended her decision, convinced about half the country’s output. tershed areas,” she said. sion. hilippine Environment and of mining’s destructive nature. A team that reviewed the au- Lopez launched the environ- The minister’s decision to Natural Resources Sec- “Every time you put up an dit of Philippine mines recom- mental audit of the mines in July, close and suspend mines is “il- Pretary Regina Lopez will open pit and every time you put mended the suspension of op- initially suspending 10 and say- legal and unfair,”, jeopardising not reconsider her decision to up a tailing pond you’re putting erations and payment of fi nes ing 20 more were at risk of being an industry that has paid a large shut down 23 of the country’s our country at risk,” Lopez told for environmental violations, halted. amount in taxes and fees to the 41 mines, saying the Southeast Reuters in an interview at her of- instead of the closures, two peo- She is a long-time environ- government, the country’s min- Asian nation is “unfi t for min- fi ce in Manila. ple with knowledge of the matter mentalist who took over the ing industry body said earlier. ing.” “It’s really unfair. I’ll be so bla- said. department that oversees the Lopez stood by her action. Lopez last week ordered the tant to say the Philippines is unfi t Lopez said she opted to close mining sector last June when “They’re killing our rivers, our Philippines’ Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Regina mines permanently shut and for mining. Because we’re an is- many of the mines permanently President Rodrigo Duterte came streams, they’re mining in wa- Lopez poses for a picture during an interview with Reuters in Quezon suspended fi ve others, shock- land ecosystem with biodiversity so she can access rehabilita- to power. tersheds. That’s against the min- city, Metro Manila. ing mineral producers that have and endemicity like no other.” tion funds. “If it is closure, I can Duterte, who has said that the ing law,” she said. Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Dhaka protests ‘act of Lanka ramps up fuel imports unprovoked aggression’ as drought hits Reuters forces launched a crackdown strife in the area near the border Bangladeshi district of Teknaf ernment, the Ministry of Foreign Yangon/Cox’s Bazar that has tested the already with Bangladesh, where many said fi sherman Nurul Amin, Aff airs said in a statement. strained relations between the Rohingya live, is an internal 26, was killed when a Myan- “The ministry expressed deep neighbours, who both see the matter. mar navy vessel approached concern at the repetition of hydropower Myanmar patrol boat stateless Rohingya as the other The government-run Glo- his boat at speed in the Naf such acts of aggression that do opened fi re on Bangla- side’s problem. bal New Light of Myanmar, said river which forms the border not contribute towards building Adeshi fi shermen, killing Bangladesh has complained the Myanmar patrol boat came in that area. up of an atmosphere of mutual Reuters matter, speaking on condition one, because it feared it was un- about a new wave of almost across eight “illegal” Bangla- The Myanmar boat chased trust and understanding among Singapore/Colombo of anonymity. der attack, Myanmar state media 70,000 refugees from Myanmar deshi fi shing boats, fi ve of which the small wooden fi shing boat neighbours,” it said. Sri Lanka typically imports said yesterday, in a report on the since Oct. 9, who have followed were in Myanmar’s waters. toward the Bangladeshi bank Bangladesh offi cials said in 26,000 to 32,000 barrels per latest violence on the countries’ hundreds of thousands of Ro- “The illegal boats surrounded of the river before opening fi re, late December four Bangladeshi ri Lanka’s fuel imports day (bpd) of diesel and 6,000 troubled border. hingya already in Bangladesh, the marine patrol boat in ma- they said. fi shermen were injured by My- in January jumped to to 10,000 bpd of fuel oil, But Bangladesh called the ear- having fl ed previous unrest and noeuvres that suggested they One fi sherman was being anmar’s navy in an incident on Sdouble typical monthly Kumaran said. ly Monday shooting an “act of discrimination. were going to attack,” the news- treated for a bullet wound and the border. levels, with the country rush- A delay in awarding term oil unprovoked aggression” against Many of the refugees have giv- paper said, citing unidentifi ed another went overboard but A spokesman for the offi ce of ing to plug an energy short- contracts also caused a spike unarmed fi shermen, in a com- en accounts of extrajudicial kill- offi cials. swam to safety, said the sources, Myanmar President Htin Kyaw, fall as severe drought hits its in spot imports, traders said. ment likely to increase tension on ings, beatings, rape and arbitrary “To ensure security and the including Colonel Anisur Rah- said the information in the hydropower output, industry “We have decided to in- a border that has been unsettled detention to U.N. investigators, lives of the soldiers, the patrol man, Border Guard Bangladesh newspaper report came directly sources said. crease imports of fuel oil since attacks on Myanmar guard journalists and human rights team fi red two shots, causing the commander for Cox’s Bazar. from the navy and he could not The South Asian nation is mainly and more diesel as well posts on October 9 in which nine monitors. boats to abandon the area.” Rahman said the Myan- give any more details. suff ering its worst drought because the Ceylon Electricity policemen were killed. The Myanmar government, The newspaper did not sug- mar vessel had “crossed into “This is a complicated is- in over 40 years, dragging Board needs more for power Myanmar blamed insurgents led by Nobel Peace Prize winner gest the Bangladeshi fi shermen Bangladesh’s body of water”. sue,” said the spokesman, Zaw hydro’s share of Sri Lanka’s generation,” a senior Ceylon from the Rohingya Muslim mi- Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected were armed. Bangladesh had “strongly Htay, adding it would take time power mix to below 11% in Petroleum offi cial said, de- nority for the October attacks the reports of abuse, saying Bangladeshi police, resi- protested the act of unprovoked to “fi nd out the real situation of 2016 from an annual aver- clining to be named as he was and, in response, its security many were fabricated. It insists dents and fi shermen in the aggression” to Myanmar’s gov- this incident”. age of about 35%, said Senthil not authorised to speak with Kumaran, senior oil analyst at the media. energy consultancy FGE. “(Ceylon Petroleum) is also “As a result, fuel oil and die- going to maintain additional sel consumption in thermal stocks of fuel and diesel due Pollution menace power plants increased, part- to the drought. So both these Police ly to off set the hydropower products will be maintained at defi cit,” Kumaran said. more than required levels.” “High fuel oil imports Sri Lanka’s fuel oil demand shoot dead should continue amidst will likely grow by about 14% range-bound crude prices.” year-on-year to 24,000 bpd Ceylon Petroleum Corp, in 2017 and diesel demand will wild tiger the country’s state-owned oil increase by 7% year-on-year importer, has been requesting to 53,000 bpd, FGE’s Kumaran bigger-than-usual volumes of said. in Nepal diesel and fuel oil in the spot An improving housing mar- market, traders said. ket, lower interest rates and It has bought about 260,750 government eff orts to speed DPA more barrels of diesel in Janu- up infrastructure projects will Kathmandu ary than December and around keep supporting diesel de- 260,000 more barrels of fuel mand in the next two or three oil, said a source close to the years, Kumaran added. olice in southern Nepal have shot dead a wild tiger Pafter it injured nine people including four policemen, local offi cials said yesterday. The wild cat left its habitat Central bank to raise at Parsa Wildlife Reserve early Tuesday and entered Lakhanpur village in Parsa district, said $2.5bn through loans Chakra Raj Joshi, deputy super- intendent of police. People drive vehicles at Ring Road in Kathmandu yesterday. Most Nepalese people are aff ected by the pollution due to the reconstruction Local children spotted the ani- of houses damaged by earthquake in 2015, including the road expansion project, the Melamchi water supply project, increasing number AFP cabinet paper (seeking formal mal near a pond and raised the of vehicles and even the bricks factory near the city area. Colombo approval) to issue the inter- alarm, Joshi said. national sovereign bonds,” he “The villagers gathered said. around it and began to chase it ri Lanka’s central bank The money raised is ex- using homemade weapons. But it yesterday announced pected to repay part of the ex- retaliated by attacking them,” he Splans to raise $2.5bn in isting debt and build reserves, said, adding that the animal was foreign loans, a month after fi nance ministry offi cials said. killed on Tuesday afternoon. BNP calls for review of EC chief’s appointment Finance Minister Ravi Karu- The previous government Five locals and four policemen nanayake said the country was took Chinese loans to build a were among the injured. struggling under a “gigantic deep-sea port at Hambantota Nepal is home to 198 endan- By Mizan Rahman person would know that fair and the appointment of the CEC.” was organized by Youth Forum, debt trap”. in the south of the country – gered wild tigers, of which seven Dhaka acceptable elections would not President Hamid on Monday a pro-BNP platform, to demand The nation is struggling to at a cost of $1.4bn – and an in- live in the wildlife reserve near be possible under his steward- night constituted the new Elec- withdrawal of ‘false’ cases fi led repay billions of dollars bor- ternational airport in the same the border with India. ship,” said BNP vice chairman tion Commission (EC) naming against BNP chairperson Kha- rowed by its previous gov- area. An estimated 3,890 tigers live ajor opposition Bang- Shamsuzzaman Dudu. former secretary Nurul Huda the leda Zia and senior vice chair- ernment for white-elephant However, only one airline in the wild, mostly in Asia, ac- ladesh Nationalist Speaking at a human chain chief election commissioner. man Tarique Rahman. projects. operates to the airport while cording to conservation group MParty (BNP) yesterday programme, he said, “Still, He also appointed four new Dudu said Huda was in- Central bank Governor only a handful of ships call at World Wildlife Fund. Their num- urged President Abdul Hamid there’s a chance for the presi- election commissioners – volved in Janatar Manch formed Indrajith Coomaraswamy the port every month. bers have shrunk due to poach- to reconsider the appointment dent to change his decision former additional secretary against the BNP govern- told reporters the country The government is now ing, hunting and habitat loss. of Nurul Huda as the chief elec- as the CEC and commission- Mahbub Talukder, ex-secretary ment in 1996, and he removed will issue $1.5b in sovereign looking to lease out the port Although tiger attacks are rare tion commissioner (CEC) as he ers are yet to be sworn in. We Rafi qul Islam, ex-district and then prime minister Khaleda bonds and raise another $1bn and the airport and is also in Nepal, human-wild animal is a ‘controversial person’. don’t want to say anything sessions judge Begum Kabita Zia’s photograph from his of- through a syndicated loan. seeking a partner for cash- confl icts are common, raising “A controversial person has about the four election com- Khanam and Brig Gen (retd) fi ce when he was working as “In the coming months the strapped national carrier Sri concerns about the safety of peo- been appointed the chief elec- missioners. So, we call upon Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury. the Deputy Commissioner of government intends to raise a Lankan to reduce foreign debt ple living near protected areas. tion commissioner. Even a naïve the president to reconsider The human chain programme Comilla district. syndicated loan and there is a servicing costs.

BNP chief files Risky journey plea for shifting of Nepal off ers to host Bimstec graft case Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia Summit towards year-end yesterday filed a petition with the High Court (HC) to seek transfer of a graft case to another court IANS third Bimstec Summit in My- celebrate the 20th anniversary from the existing one. Kathmandu anmar, Nepal had committed to of the establishment of Bimstec Zia’s lawyer Mahbub Uddin host the summit in 2016 but the with various activities in mem- Khokan filed the petition with the event was postponed due to the ber states and its secretariat in HC as the BNP chief expressed epal has proposed to host devastating earthquake in 2015 Dhaka. no-confidence over the lower the fourth summit of the and other reasons. The activities include releas- court dealing with the Zia NBay of Bengal Initiative Nepali Foreign Secretary ing commemorative stamps in Orphanage Trust graft case. for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Shankar Das Bairagi told media June this year designating Bim- In the petition, the BNP chief Economic Co-operation (Bim- that some important decisions stec heritage sites and promot- sought a HC order asking the stec) towards the end of 2017. were taken to revitalise the Bim- ing Bimstec Buddhist circuit and authorities concerned to shift to As chair of the regional group- stec process. tourism. another court, Khokan said. ing, it is Nepal’s turn to host the “Nepal off ered to host the The member states, accord- The petition also sought a stay summit. 15th Bimstec Ministerial Meet- ing to Bairagi, have agreed to order on the case proceedings Nepal has off ered to host the ing in June 2017 and the fourth sign memorandum of under- until the appeal is disposed of, he summit in October or Novem- Bimstec Summit in Nepal to- standing (MoU) for the estab- added. ber and the exact date will be wards the end of 2017, in con- lishment of the Bimstec Gird The petition states, “So many circulated to the member states sultation with Bimstec Interconnection at the third cases are under trial process during the upcoming Bim- members,” he said. Energy Minister’s meeting at the Special Judge Court-3. stec Ministerial Meeting that is The agenda of the meeting which is expected to be held in Although the court holds scheduled to take place in June, included important priority sec- Kathmandu on March 30-31 hearings of those cases after a according to offi cials who at- tors such as connectivity, trade, after completing their internal long gap, it sets hearing dates in tended the meeting of the sev- tourism, investment, energy, procedures. Zia’s graft case every week. The enth session of senior offi cials of and technology transfer, among During the meeting, Nepal court arranges back-to-back dates Bimstec. others. has off ered to prepare a concept to harass the BNP chairperson The meet concluded in Kath- The three-day meeting also paper on the mountain economy politically. It’s not possible to get mandu on Tuesday. tasked an Eminent Persons’ for exploring and exploiting its justice in the court.” The three-day meet of for- Group to work out Bimstec vi- potential, said Bairagi. On February 3, the BNP eign secretaries and joint secre- sion – a roadmap for future Bim- Other decisions included fi - chairperson expressed no- taries from the seven-member stec roadmap in the UN Agenda nalising the fi nancial matters confidence in the Special Judge states deliberated upon various 2030. and others like salaries, allow- Court-3. issues related to strengthen- It is also decided to conclude ances and other facilities of After the hearing, the judge ing and revitalising the Bimstec the Bimstec Free Trade Agree- the secretary general, directors Sri Lankan commuters hold onto the side of a train as they head to work in Colombo rejected the plea and said it process. ment at the earliest. and general service staff of the yesterday. was filed to disrupt the trial Earlier in 2015, during the The meeting also decided to secretariat. proceedings. Gulf Times 26 Thursday, February 9, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko The global economy’s

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] surprising resilience Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) A snapshot of what the provides a pretty good preview of the with consumption data while allowing The last key indicator is the Fax 44350474 US economy for the next 3-6 months, the industrial-output fi gures to monthly Ifo Business Climate Index global economy will even though manufacturing comprises register a decline. in Germany, which contains useful look like for the next six a relatively small share of GDP. In any case, we have to work with cyclical data for Europe overall, Like the latest jobless claims, the what we have. owing to Germany’s centrality in the months ISM’s numbers are currently giving A fi fth indicator is South Korean continent’s economy. cause for optimism. trade data, which is consistently The Ifo survey has reported positive By Jim O’Neill A third indicator is a subcomponent reported on the fi rst day of each results in recent months, although GULF TIMES of the same ISM survey: month after trades occur – faster than the data were more promising in London manufacturers’ new orders and any other country. December than in January. inventories. South Korea has an open economy Taken together, these six indicators isconcerting political Currently, new orders are increasing and trading partners around the suggest to me that the global economy developments in the United and inventories are low, which world, including the US, China, Japan, might now be growing at a rate of more Olympic golf hit States and the United suggests that businesses will have to and the European Union, so one can than 4%. This is the fastest growth DKingdom might lead one to produce more in the coming months to extrapolate from its trade data to draw in a number of years – although the conclude that an already challenged satisfy those orders. conclusions about the state of global last decade’s average growth rate of world economy will struggle even Looking beyond the US, a fourth trade. 3.3% was barely lower than the rate more in the near term. indicator is the ratio of Chinese After trending down in recent in the previous decade – and close to by discriminatory But as we continue into 2017, the retail spending relative to industrial years, South Korean trade since the pace of the previous two decades cyclical evidence actually suggests production (adjusted for inflation). November has shown signs of before that. otherwise. These figures give us a glimpse of recovering, notably in terms of At the same time, the six indicators Since my days as chief economist at both cyclical trends and China’s export growth; and in January, it cannot tell us anything about what politics again Goldman Sachs, I have kept an eye on structural rebalancing away from bounced back significantly. will happen after the next few months. six indicators from around the world exports and toward domestic To be sure, this fi nding is at It is an open question whether that, taken together, provide a reliable consumption. odds with all of the eulogies for global economic growth will remain It is happening again. The wave of negative publicity snapshot of what the global economy This will arguably be one of the globalisation that one hears these strong, strengthen further, or start to which preceded golf’s return to the Olympic Games may will look like for the next six months. most important indicators for both days, and Donald Trump’s decidedly weaken. have been off set in part by the thrilling men’s nalefi in Right now, all six indicators show China and the rest of the global protectionist administration in the It has been interesting to watch more promise than they have for some economy for years to come. US could now send global trade into a growth accelerate in the face of shocks Rio, but another public relations disaster has not taken time, and only one of them has fallen The ratio of Chinese monthly retail long retreat. such as the UK’s Brexit referendum long to arrive. slightly from a recent high. sales to industrial production, while But South Korea’s recent data and Trump’s election. Bulletins from Tokyo, where the venue for the Games’ The fi rst indicator is weekly erratic, has been slowly trending suggest that globalisation still has And yet it is unclear why this is tournament, Kasumigaseki Country Club, operates a unemployment claims in the US, higher since 2008, and there appears some life left in it, and that 2017 is off happening. policy whereby women cannot become full members and from which one can gauge the overall to have been another uptick in to a decent start. Some might say the trend is a result strength of the US economy. consumption recently. In fact, barring the worst-case of policy decisions in the US and UK, cannot play on Sundays, yet again bring golf’s Olympic Economists are rightly trained to This is why I am less worried than scenario under Trump, it is possible but far more would probably say that it alliance into question, just as it does the competence of treat unemployment as a lagging others about frequently cited risks that the slowdown in global trade is happening despite those decisions. those managing it. indicator, but these data can also be confronting the Chinese economy. in recent years will turn out to be a Unfortunately, there are no At a time when the International Golf Federation useful in forecasting the near future. Chinese consumer spending has temporary phenomenon. indicators that provide an answer to US jobless claims are always up remained strong despite the slowdown It may have been a singular this question – only time will tell. – (IGF) should be using all its energies to convince 2016 to date, because they are produced in industrial output and investment occurrence that refl ected a variety Project Syndicate refuseniks why participation in Tokyo 2020 makes weekly, and statistical evidence and the government’s eff orts to of factors, including the euro crisis; perfect sense, it has been hit by another storm. Welcome suggests that they are a leading constrain spending on luxury goods. continued economic weakness in zJim O’Neill, a former chairman of back to golf’s age-old problem of discrimination, which indicator for US equity prices. Some might object that Chinese many European countries; the sharp Goldman Sachs Asset Management and has now been catapulted back into focus, this time far As of last week, jobless claims data cannot be trusted. decline in commodity prices; dramatic former Commercial Secretary to the remained rather low, as they have for But I do not see why the data on one slowdowns in Brazil, Russia, and other UK Treasury, is Honorary Professor of away from gin-stained corduroys on Scotland’s east some time, which bodes well for US side of the ratio would be any more emerging economies; and tighter Economics at Manchester University coast. stock markets. or less reliable than data on the other regulations for international banks, and former Chairman of the British Pieced together, one wonders whether Olympic golf Similarly, the Institute for Supply side. which might have hindered trade government’s Review on Antimicrobial – which, as with football and tennis, will never be the Management Manufacturing Index Why would Chinese offi cials fi ddle fi nance. Resistance. pinnacle of a player’s career and therefore opens itself to criticism – should take a hint. There is also a legitimate question as to the judgment of those within the IGF responsible for planning. Whereas the Zika virus was the handy excuse for those opting out of Rio, this time the matter in hand relates to the discriminatory politics of an Olympic venue. In 2017, such anachronisms remain golf’s biggest predicament. The outside world looks on and laughs. Unanimous approval This is the from a 15-man board is required to alter IGF’s second the stance of the Kasumigaseki Country and sizeable Club, with the club Olympic chairman, Kiichi Kimura, not helping blunder in as matters when, after the latest meeting at the many attempts start of this week failed to produce a suitable outcome, he said: “That this situation has developed is a nuisance for us, it’s really perplexing.” This is the Muirfi eld of the far east, where being scrutinised in return for hosting a global event really is a pest. Consider this for a moment: golf’s return to the Olympics was partly based upon the desire to showcase a mixed gender sport in order that fresh competitors – and commercial partners – could be sourced. But in 2020 the sport wants to stage the event at a club which discriminates against women. You almost couldn’t make it up. This is the IGF’s second and sizeable Olympic blunder The art of European integration in as many attempts; previously, they comprehensively failed to convince marquee golfers such as Rory McIlroy, By Sergei Guriev sovereign assets, or eurozone-wide leaders are unwilling to risk their Countries that are undesirable Jason Day, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Dustin London risk-free securities. political capital to push through such to refugees, owing to high cyclical Johnson why Brazil was both safe and worthwhile. Another potential step, motivated reforms. unemployment, would benefi t by the profound asymmetry of But what if the reforms were made disproportionately from such a policy, The International Olympic Committee’s position on he past year has been full of eurozone countries’ economic more appealing? Breaking down especially in the short term. this is fascinating. Already, it is understood to have made watershed developments. performance during the crisis, political resistance may be as simple The expectation that those transfers its unhappiness over the Japan situation perfectly clear. Aside from Donald would be a joint unemployment- as packaging proposals together. would eventually be off set by refugee- Whereas golf was believed to be very close to securing an TTrump’s victory in the United insurance scheme, whereby cyclical The proposals with greater benefi ts resettlement funds may be just what extended Olympic run in the early part of this year, issues States’ presidential election, some unemployment benefi ts would be for some could be combined with and is needed to get low-unemployment of the European Union’s weaknesses fi nanced from the EU budget. counterbalanced by those with greater countries on board. such as this won’t help. were fully revealed, with the United Finally, the refugee crisis has led benefi ts for others, and the short-term To be sure, on the refugee issue, The joust between Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson Kingdom’s vote to leave casting the to a discussion of a joint scheme for costs of one policy could be off set by in particular, there may be added in Rio, albeit overplayed as some kind of tournament bloc in a particularly harsh light. enforcing the EU’s external borders, the shorter-term gains of another. complications. novelty, was in golf’s credit column but what arrived But Brexit does not have to spell the allocating asylum-seekers among its Consider eff orts to address the Social resistance to immigration Union’s demise. member countries, and fi nancing their refugee crisis. in a country like Germany, fuelled by before and after is hardly endearing. Instead, it can serve as a wake-up integration. Once it became clear that some terrorist attacks and populist political For more than 100 years, the Olympics could look call, spurring action to address the All of these – and many other – countries, particularly in Central rhetoric, could undermine the appeal at golf’s distinct troubles with a relief at not being EU’s problems. ideas have been discussed at length, Europe, were unwilling to accept EU- of such a programme. embroiled in them. The change has not been for the Some European leaders are and have even been elaborated to the imposed quotas for resettlement, it But, in that case, the specifi c policy better; red faces all round would be appropriate. attempting to heed that call, point that actionable agendas have was proposed that asylum-seekers be package could be adjusted. by urging EU member states to emerged. permitted to choose where they want Packaging reforms to make them “complete the Union.” Without Yet little progress has been made. to settle. more palatable may sound like the UK, they argue, it will be easier The UK, it turns out, is far from the The EU budget would cover the Business 101. To Advertise to advance integration, as the only source of political resistance to costs, potentially using newly issued But this is not just about quotidian remaining members are somewhat deeper integration. safe bonds. deal-making. [email protected] less heterogeneous, and therefore Of course, who opposes integration But this idea could also run up Rather, it is about completing – and Display more likely to agree on steps that depends on the specifi c proposal, all against resistance, not least because thus protecting – the EU, by building a Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Britain might have opposed. of which are likely to benefi t some EU the countries that would attract more sustainable set of institutions. One such step – and a constant members more than others. the most refugees are those that If the EU is to remain a beacon of Classified focus of attention since the euro crisis In some cases, a proposal might already have stronger economies, and openness and liberal democracy, it Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 began – is a banking union. result in greater long-term gains for therefore need EU funding the least. must forge ahead with integration. While substantial progress has all, but carry signifi cant up-front The solution would be to introduce If it is to make headway, its leaders Subscription already been made on this front, costs for particular countries. another measure, producing transfers will have to ensure that all members [email protected] European banking integration is far At a time when some major EU in the opposite direction, in tandem benefi t equally along the way. from complete. member countries are set to hold with the refugee policy. Sergei Guriev is Chief Economist Unfi nished business includes a national elections, and when anti- The best candidate for this role at the European Bank for 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved deposit-insurance scheme, as well as establishment politicians are deposing may well be the joint unemployment- Reconstruction and Development. – the creation of a senior tranche of safe moderate parties, many national insurance scheme. Project Syndicate Gulf Times Thursday, February 9, 2017 27 COMMENT Brexit in a brave new world

Notwithstanding political This highlights a challenge that the Brexiteers did not anticipate. rhetoric, a “bad deal” is They expected Brexit to occur actually better for the UK against the backdrop of the rules- based multilateral trading system. than no deal at all With global trading frameworks like the WTO in place, it seemed that even By Daniel Gros the worst-case scenario for Britain Brussels wasn’t all that bad, and, therefore, that the consequences of leaving the EU would be minor. hen it comes to bilateral But the world has changed trade, gains and considerably since then. losses are distributed Trump’s rise to power was fuelled Wasymmetrically between by promises to throw off the fetters of the larger and the smaller economy. the WTO – indeed, of all international In the best of times, that would organisations – and to take unilateral be bad news for the United Kingdom decisions based on America’s own as it seeks new trade deals with the interests. European Union and others. Even trade negotiations with the And these are not the best of times. EU seem too multilateral to some of Economic theory predicts that Trump’s cohorts, because they involve erecting new trade barriers hurts both 27 member countries. sides. Without the US on board, the But economic principles also rules-based international system suggest that the larger of the two would be far less secure – not least economies is likely to lose less. because others might soon follow In the case of a tariff , for example, Trump’s example, choosing bilateral lower demand from the larger deal making over multilateral co- economy will tend to push down the operation. prices of the goods that it imports. As the world trading system became The smaller economy is unlikely to less open, everyone would lose, but have enough of an impact on overall not equally. demand for the goods it imports, and The US, China, and the EU (provided thus on their prices. concluding that the UK will bear the May, declaring that the UK will walk would be “first in line” for a US have to adhere to US standards and it survives) would do far better than The advantage of the larger lion’s share of the costs of Brexit. away from negotiations that don’t go trade deal. regulations. smaller economies, like the UK. economy is even greater when it If the UK and the EU agree to a new its way, refuses to recognise. Moreover, he has praised Brexit, May knows that, to get a decent It remains to be seen whether comes to non-tariff barriers, which trade relationship based on World Notwithstanding political rhetoric, even encouraging other EU member deal out of Trump, she has to play his the US, with its economic might, often result from diff erences in Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, the a “bad deal” is actually better for the states to follow the UK out of the bloc. game. can aff ord Trump’s protectionist regulations and standards among studies predict, the UK will lose about UK than no deal at all. But Trump has also pledged to put So when Trump signed an executive approach. trading countries. €110bn ($119bn), whereas the EU will But the talks with the EU are only “America fi rst” in all deals it makes order to bar anyone from seven But it seems clear that the UK will In most cases, the smaller country lose only about €50bn. the beginning. and actions it takes, particularly Muslim-majority countries from incur some heavy costs during the must simply accept the larger one’s Given that the EU’s economy is The UK will also have to negotiate regarding trade. entering the US for 90 days, and to Brexit process. rules. about fi ve times larger than that of the trade deals with other partners, This raises doubts about whether close the door to refugees from Syria If more countries follow Trump’s Given this, Brexiteers are wrong to UK, this implies that the loss for the including the world’s two largest Trump will be willing to open US indefi nitely, she avoided any strong lead, and the rules-based global claim that the UK, as a net importer, UK, as a share of GDP, would be about economies: the US and China. markets in the few areas where the UK statements. system continues to deteriorate, will be in a strong position in trade ten times larger. At fi rst glance, the negotiations can still compete, like the aerospace By contrast, her EU counterparts, those costs will only grow. – Project negotiations with the EU. If no deal is reached, the same with the US may seem like nothing to and automotive industries. confident in the size and strength Syndicate What counts is relative size, not net imbalance will emerge, only the costs worry about. Even if he does, he is not likely to do of the EU as a trading bloc, were trade fl ows. to the UK will be even larger – a reality After all, President Donald it for free. uninhibited in condemning the zDaniel Gros is Director of the Centre Multiple studies confi rm this, that British Prime Minister Theresa Trump has indicated that the UK At the very least, the UK will move. for European Policy Studies. Weather report Russia’s bad equilibrium Three-day forecast TODAY High: 23 C By Anders Åslund metro system and modern, clean, and While the ministers’ stance may cow School of Social and Economic effi cient airports. not be surprising, past Gaidar Forums Sciences, Russia’s destruction of Low : 15 C Moscow Inshore: Expected poor visibility at Even its once-chaotic parking lots have carried the hope – if not the Aleppo has given Putin another places at first. have been put in order – and the need expectation – of some challenge to the “win” to tout. fter more than two years of to park has been reduced by the prolif- ruling elite. Add to that the growing clout of economic contraction, Rus- eration of cheap and rapid car-sharing Moscow’s academic economists right-wing populists in the West – a FRIDAY sia seems to have achieved services. listen intently to the Forum each year, symptom of a larger crisis of liberalism High: 24 C some semblance of stability. Residents can visit impeccable hoping to hear something radical, – and it has been easy to portray Putin Low: 17 C A P Cloudy Though economic growth is ex- and luxurious shopping malls, and or even a little defi ant, though they as the kind of leader countries need. pected to reach only about 1% in 2017, purchase virtually any food they desire themselves are unwilling to mount a This year, nobody on the Gaidar the fear of economic destabilisation (apart from Western cheeses) from challenge. panel anticipated anything but policy that has permeated the country since upmarket grocery stores. At last year’s Forum, a ten-person inertia, more repression, and mass SATURDAY its 2014 invasion of Crimea – which Of course, there are Russians who panel of prominent Russian liberal conformism. High: 24 C was met with crippling sanctions from are not satisfi ed with the current state political analysts – a regular feature Putin’s regime has consolidated Low: 18 C the West – has all but evaporated. of aff airs. of the Forum, in which I participate – itself around the fl ag, and few within P Cloudy The combination of foreign-policy That, among other things, is what suspected that some defi ance was on Russia are willing to challenge the optimism, creature comforts, and the all-powerful Federal Security its way. status quo. domestic repression seems to be a Service (FSB) is for. Some panel members even pre- The only potential sources of Fishermen’s forecast potent elixir. Freedom House has just further dicted a challenge to the regime – change, therefore, are external events OFFSHORE DOHA Just as in Leonid Brezhnev’s time, downgraded Russia’s score for politi- say, that a member of the opposition and relationships - areas where Putin Wind: SE-SW 03-12 KT foreign policy is overshadowing Rus- cal rights, to the lowest possible level. would be elected to the Duma, or does not have full control. Waves: 1-3/4 Feet sia’s domestic politics. The spectre of repression was ap- that economic hardship would fuel As it stands, Russia seems to be on INSHORE DOHA Wind: SE 04-13 KT Unlike then, however, Russia’s pros- parent at last month’s Gaidar Forum, social unrest. strong geopolitical footing. Waves: 1-2 Feet pects are looking up. an annual event held by the Russian Those predictions came to nothing. But things are not always as they US President Donald Trump has Presidential Academy of National Few of Russia’s Europeanised liber- seem. Around the region made clear his desire to improve rela- Economy and Public Administration als voted in the Duma election; the For example, though Trump’s sup- Weather Weather tions with the Kremlin, and will re- that honours the Yeltsin-era reformer conservatives in the country’s south port for closer ties would seem to be today Max/min tomorrow Max/min portedly meet with Russian President Yegor Gaidar. and east were far more enthusiastic. good for Russia, a major ingredient of Abu Dhabi M Sunny 26/17 P Cloudy 26/18 Vladimir Putin in June. Each year, thousands of Russia’s Our panel, it seems, overestimated Putin’s nationalist appeal is his ability Baghdad P Cloudy 20/06 Sunny 19/06 Dubai Sunny social scientists and hundreds of for- economic results and underestimated M Sunny 27/17 27/17 The French presidential election, set to reinforce Cold War drama. Kuwait City P Cloudy 22/12 Sunny 22/10 for April, may also go Russia’s way. eigners gather for three days to discuss the role of war and repression in con- For that, he needs the US – and Manama M Sunny 22/14 P Cloudy 23/15 Both the centre-right candidate, economic policy. solidating support for Putin and his the West, more generally – to be his Muscat Sunny 25/17 Sunny 27/20 François Fillon, and the far-right Government ministers on the panels regional groups. enemy. Riyadh P Cloudy 23/12 M Sunny 24/12 candidate Marine Le Pen, are ardent appear relaxed, open, and competent, In fact, the overwhelming sense Amity could spell long-term trouble Tehran S Showers 09/03 S Showers 09/00 friends of Putin, though centrist but are careful to avoid stark state- among Russians is that Putin’s inva- for Putin. Emmanuel Macron, who is not, also ments. sion of Ukraine and annexation of In the short term, however, as the stands a chance. Russia’s key problems – the absence Crimea were good for Russia. independent political analyst Dmitri Russia’s own presidential election, of real property rights, rule of law, and It was a masterful play on Putin’s Oreshkin put it at the Gaidar Forum, it set to take place in March 2018, ap- democracy – were mentioned this part. is likely that only a “black swan” event pears much less momentous, because year, notably by former fi nance minis- By transforming Ukraine into a weak abroad could bring about change in no change is expected, with Putin ter Alexei Kudrin, but only gently and and confl ict-ridden enemy, he both Russia. being re-elected and Dmitri Medvedev in passing. quelled rising pro-democracy sentiment The country’s new equilibrium may staying on as prime minister. As usual, most plenary discus- in Russia, inspired partly by Ukraine’s not be good, but it appears stable – for That appears to be acceptable to sions were devoted to details of the move towards the European Union, and now. – Project Syndicate most Russians, at least to comfortable country’s well-functioning macroeco- aroused nationalist euphoria. Muscovites. nomic policy. Another foreign-policy develop- zAnders Åslund is a senior fellow at Moscow’s infrastructure has never Russia’s large economic establish- ment may have benefi ted Putin. the Atlantic Council. His latest book, looked better: the city boasts a well- ment remains too well off to want to According to Tatyana Voro- co-authored by Simeon Djankov, is functioning and recently expanded rock the boat. zheykina, a professor at the Mos- Europe’s Growth Challenge. Live issues Around the world Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens Cloudy 15/08 S Showers 12/07 Beirut M Sunny 17/11 Sunny 18/12 E-cigs much safer than smoking: study Bangkok M Sunny 35/24 Sunny 34/23 Berlin P Cloudy -3/-6 P Cloudy 01/-4 Cairo Sunny 22/10 Sunny 23/11 Cloudy 31/19 Reuters had much lower levels of toxins in International — more than three times December urged lawmakers to impose Cape Town 28/18 Cloudy their saliva and urine than those who that of NRT products. price and tax policies that would Colombo M Sunny 30/22 Sunny 31/22 London Sunny 30/18 continued to smoke. They are, however, still dwarfed discourage their use. Dhaka 29/16 Sunny Hong Kong P Cloudy 17/11 Sunny 16/12 “Our study adds to existing by a tobacco market estimated by The February 6th study, published Istanbul Cloudy 08/04 Cloudy 06/03 onsuming e-cigarettes evidence showing that e-cigarettes Euromonitor to be worth around in the journal Annals of Internal Jakarta T Storms 30/24 Showers 29/24 is far safer and less toxic and NRT are far safer than smoking, $700bn. Medicine, analysed saliva and urine Karachi Sunny 27/12 Sunny 27/13 than smoking conventional and suggests that there is a very low Many health experts think samples from long-term e-cigarette London Cloudy 04/00 M Cloudy 03/-1 Manila P Cloudy P Cloudy 29/22 e-cigarettes, or vapes, which do not and NRT users as well as smokers, 31/22 Ctobacco cigarettes, according risk associated with their long-term Moscow Cloudy -3/-6 Cloudy -2/-4 to the fi ndings of a study analysing use,” said Lion Shahab, a specialist contain tobacco, are a lower-risk and compared levels of key chemicals New Delhi Sunny 22/09 Sunny 22/08 levels of dangerous and cancer- in epidemiology and public health at alternative to smoking and potentially found in their bodies. New York Snow 01/-7 M Sunny -1/-3 causing substances in the body. University College London who led a major public health tool. It found that smokers who switched Paris P Cloudy 07/-2 P Cloudy 05/-3 Sao Paulo M Sunny S T Storms 28/18 the work. But some question their long-term completely to e-cigarettes or NRT 27/17 Researchers found that people Seoul M Sunny -1/-10 Sunny -3/-9 who switched from smoking regular E-cigarettes, which heat safety and worry that they may act as had signifi cantly lower levels of toxic Singapore S Showers 33/23 P Cloudy 33/24 cigarettes to e-cigarettes or nicotine nicotine-laced liquid into vapour, a “gateway” to taking up conventional chemicals and carcinogens compared Sydney P Cloudy 28/21 P Cloudy 38/22 replacement therapy (NRT) such as have grown into an $8bn-a-year cigarettes. to people who continued to smoke Tokyo Rain 05/01 Cloudy 09/01 gum or patches for at least six months market, according to Euromonitor The US surgeon general in tobacco cigarettes. Gulf Times 28 Thursday, February 9, 2017 QATAR QDF debuts L’Oréal Luxe pavilion at HIA

atar Duty Free (QDF) in HIA, voted the Middle East’s has unveiled the L’Oréal only fi ve-star airport and one QLuxe pavilion at Hamad of the world’s top fi ve airports International Airport (HIA), of- for shopping. More than 30mn fering a number of new fragrance passengers travel through HIA collections. annually, and it is ranked among Passengers departing, arriving the top 10 airports worldwide. at or transiting through the air- QDF senior vice-president port will discover one of the most Luis Gasset said, “Qatar Duty prestigious Parisian squares, Free is inspired to create experi- Place Vendôme, recreated in HIA ences for our customers that add to house a number of fragrances, richness and value to their over- including Lancome’s new collec- all travel experience, and creat- tion Les Parfums Grands Crus, ing this unique opportunity to Giorgio Armani Prive Collection, bring the L’Oréal Luxe collection YSL’s new, Le Vestiaire Des Par- launch to Doha is yet another QCS chairman Dr Khalid bin Jabor al-Thani and Ooredoo Group CEO Sheikh Saud bin Nasser al-Thani opening the centre yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil fums, Viktor & Rolf and Ralph way we can help our customers Lauren, according to a press make lifelong memories.” statement from QDF. The L’Oréal Luxe pavilion The 180m squared pavilion exclusively features the Le Ves- is located in the centre of HIA’s tiaire Des Parfums collection, departures terminal, behind the which includes scents inspired Lamp Bear and nestled among by the iconic designs of Yves the duty free retailer’s shopping Saint Laurent, including Tuxe- avenue alongside major interna- do, with its hint of impertinence; Middle East’s fi rst cancer tional brands and restaurants. Caban, borrowing the scent of The concept of combining refi nement with a spark of pink fashion and retail experiences pepper; Saharienne, combining in an airport environment is the adventure of summer with an emerging trend, which QDF the crispness of cotton; Trench, is expanding upon as part of taking the classic cut of the so- its lifestyle brand off ering, the phisticated outerwear paired awareness centre opens statement notes. with the refreshing scent of The architectural spaces at citrus; and Caftan, a warm and By Joseph Varghese Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, liative care and surviving the of the governmental and pri- increase the quality of life by HIA create “memorable and exotic mystery evoking Eastern Staff Reporter director of public health at the disease. vate sectors, cancer survivors, increasing awareness about enjoyable” shopping moments traditions in a contemporary Ministry of Public Health as Ooredoo and Qatar Cancer healthcare providers inside healthy and safe lifestyle to pre- throughout passengers’ journeys manner, the statement adds. well as a number of senior offi - Society pledged in 2014 to build and outside Qatar, in addition vent cancer,” he added. he Qatar Cancer Society cials from other health facilities a new state-of-the-art cancer to cancer patients and their Waleed Mohamed Ebrahim (QCS) yesterday opened in the country. awareness centre, with Oore- caregivers. al-Sayed, CEO, Ooredoo Qa- Tthe doors of the Oore- Located at the Barwa Towers doo supporting Qatar Cancer Sheikh Khalid said that the tar, hoped the Ooredoo Cancer doo Cancer Awareness Centre, at Al Sadd, the centre occupies Society not only in the con- state-of-the-art facility is truly Awareness Centre will raise a fi rst of its kind in the Middle the top four fl oors of Tower 2. struction of the Centre, but also the meeting point for the two awareness about the disease East, for training and education The 18th and 19th fl oors will be funding for the facility for a fur- sides. “Alongside our expertise and helps dispel the fear of about cancer. used for the training facilities, ther fi ve years in an agreement in healthcare and education, it. The centre aims at raising The centre was opened joint- the 20th fl oor for the admin- worth QR30mn. Ooredoo has provided the latest public awareness about cancer, ly by QCS chairman Sheikh Dr istrative staff and the top floor The Ooredoo Cancer technology to help spread the the importance of prevention Khalid bin Jabor al-Thani and for offi ces of the chairman and Awareness Centre will become message and ensure it’s heard. and early detection, dispel- Ooredoo Group CEO Sheikh other offi cials. an important part of Qatar’s This facility is for everyone in ling fears and misconceptions Saud bin Nasser al-Thani in the The Ooredoo Cancer community by offering edu- Qatar.” about cancer, empowering presence of a large number of Awareness Centre aims to ed- cational programmes, aware- “The centre will implement healthy lifestyle culture, train- offi cials from both the organi- ucate all members of the com- ness lectures, and support an awareness strategy to help ing volunteers to deliver cancer sations. munity about cancer-related for all age groups in the com- change the mindset of the peo- awareness to the community The opening ceremony was issues, including information munity such as students from ple about cancer and reduce as well as support and care for also attended by several lead- relating to prevention, risks, schools and university, people the stigma associated with the cancer patients and their car- The pavilion adds ‘an element of flair and elegance to the shopping ing offi cials including Sheikh Dr examination, treatment, pal- with special needs, employees disease, and it will also help egiver. experience for international travellers’. Eight DFI-supported fi lms to screen at Berlin Film Festival

ight fi lms from across the world and supported by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) have been chosen for the 67th EBerlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). One of the most acclaimed and established fi lm festivals in the world, Berlinale, begins today. “This achievement under- lines our mandate to support high quality fi lms, especially by Alternative access to emerging talents, from the region and the world,” DFI CEO Fatma al-Remaihi said. The line-up of fi lms supported by Qatar at the 11-day fes- Al Busayer Street tival includes feature fi ction, experimental and documentary fi lms, as well as a short fi lm. Seven of these fi lms will have their world premieres while temporary alternative ac- The traffi c signal on the junc- Off Frame AKA Revolution Until Victory by Mohanad Yaqubi cess to Al Busayer Street tion of Al Rayyan Al Jadeed premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Afrom Al Rayyan Al Jadeed Street/Al Busayer Street will be Two feature narratives have been selected for the Panorama Street will be provided from removed to allow free-fl owing segment including Headbang Lullaby by Hicham Lasri (Mo- tomorrow for a period of six traffi c entry to, and access from, rocco, Qatar/ 2017), and Ghost Hunting by Raed Andoni (Pal- months. Al Busayer Street. estine, France, Switzerland, Qatar / 2017). Ashghal said in a statement The traffi c diversion is re- The 47th Forum section will showcase the feature docu- that road users travelling along quired to allow for completing mentaries; City of the Sun by Rati Oneli (Georgia, US, Neth- Al Rayyan Al Jadeed Street to- works on the Al Rayyan Road erlands, Qatar / 2017) and House in the Fields by Tala Hadid wards the Olympic Roundabout Upgrade (Phase 1). Once com- (Morocco, Qatar / 2017). (also known as Sports Rounda- pleted, the project will deliver In the Forum Expanded segment, the feature experimental bout), who usually turn left on three major interchanges with fi lm Experimental Summer by Mahmoud Lotfy (Egypt, Qatar to Al Busayer Street, would now two underpasses and three sig- / 2017), feature essay Off Frame AKA Revolution Until Victory be required to access Al Busayer nalised at-grade junctions. It by Mohanad Yaqubi (Palestine, France, Qatar/2016) and the Street using a newly construct- will establish strategic links be- short experimental Turtles are Always Home by Rawane Nas- ed U-turn as (shown on the tween New Rayyan, Bani Hajer sif (Lebanon, Qatar / 2017) will be screened. Wallay by Berni map). and central Doha. Goldblat (Burkina Faso, France, Qatar / 2017), a feature narra- tive, will be screened in the Generation section. House in the Fields examines the life of a rural Amazigh community. Temporary closure on Tarfa Street

closure on both directions of Al Tarfa Street will be Ain place from 10am to- day to 4am on Sunday. A 400m stretch from Lebaib Intersection (near Wadi Al Banat Petrol Sta- tion) to Lusail Roundabout will be closed. The traffi c heading from Al Shamal Road to Lebaib Intersec- tion can either turn right to Arab League Street (towards Jeryan Nejaima Junction) or turn left to Al Kheesa. The commuters from Lusail The closure is being made Roundabout to Lebaib Intersec- for laying the fi nal asphalt layer tion on Al Tarfa Street can use on Al Tarfa Street as part of the the service road to turn right to project to develop the roads sur- Arab League Street (as shown on rounding Internal Security force the map). camp in Al Duhail. Headbang Lullaby narrates a story of an embittered cop.