BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Al Shamal qualify for Emir Cup QNB profi t jumps draw to QR3.4bn in Q1 published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10785 April 11, 2018 Rajab 25, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Qatar never a supporter of In brief terrorism, Emir tells Trump ARAB WORLD | Syria confl ict Russia vetoes UN bid to O Qatar, US discuss ways to enhance co-operation in set up chem arms probe economy, investment, military and defence fields O Emir is very popular in his country and his people Russia yesterday vetoed a US- drafted United Nations Security love him, says US president Council resolution that would have O ‘Eff orts to restore regional unity working out well’ set up an investigation into chemical O Emir calls for immediate end to suff erings of Syrians weapons use in Syria following an alleged toxic gas attack in rebel-held Douma. It was the 12th time that QNA Qatar and the US are working together Russia has used its veto power at Washington to put an immediate end to the suff er- the council to block action targeting ing of the Syrian people. “This mat- its Syrian ally. A rival measure put ter has to stop immediately,” he said forward by Russia failed to garner is Highness the Emir Sheikh adding that the two countries will not enough votes for adoption. The Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani tolerate a war criminal who has killed showdown between the US and Hhas stressed that Qatar does more than half a million of his own Russia at the United Nations came as not and will not tolerate people who people. the threat of Western military action support and fund terrorism. The US president welcomed the in Syria loomed large. Page 10 In statements to the media at the Emir and the delegation accompany- beginning of his bilateral meeting with ing him at the beginning of the meet- AMERICA | Internet President Donald Trump at the White ing, and stressed the strength of the House, the Emir explained that Qatar personal relationship between him and Zuckerberg: Facebook in co-operates with the US to stop the the Emir. The US president said it “is a ‘arms race’ with Russia funding of terrorism around the region. great honour to have the Emir of Qatar Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg “I want to make something very with us”. Heaping praise on the Emir, took personal responsibility clear Mr President. We do not, and we the US president called him a personal yesterday for the leak of data will not, tolerate people who fund ter- friend and a great gentleman. on tens of millions of its users, rorism,” the Emir stressed. Trump said the Emir “is very popu- while warning of an “arms race” The Emir described the military co- lar in his country” and “his people love against Russian disinformation operation between the two countries him”. during a high stakes face-to-face as solid and strong, reaffi rming that Al The US president said he has been with US lawmakers. In his first Udeid Airbase is the heart of operations working with the Emir for a number of formal congressional appearance, in fi ghting terrorism, and noting that years before the counter-terrorism op- the Facebook founder and chief it has been a very successful campaign erations, pointing out that it is impor- executive sought to quell the storm against terrorist groups in the region. tant to stop the funding of terrorism over privacy and security lapses He said Qatar-US relations are in the region, especially in countries His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Off ice yesterday. Trump at the social media giant that strong and well established for more that are related to the US, including the hosted the Emir saying eff usively: “He’s a friend of mine”. “He’s a great gentleman.” have angered lawmakers and the than 45 years, highlighting that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others. network’s 2bn users. Page 11 economic partnership between the two “We’re working on unity in that countries is more than $125bn and the part of the Middle East, and I think it’s SPORT | Champions League they are looking forward to double it in working out very well. There are a lot of the coming years. good things happening. Roma, Liverpool in Referring to his visit to the head- “Also, we have a gentleman, on my semis as Barca, City lose quarters of the US Central Command right, who buys a lot of equipment Sheikha Al Mayassa opens ‘Arab AS Roma pulled off one of the great (Centcom) in Tampa, the Emir de- from us.” Champions League comebacks by scribed it as important and successful. “We’re working very well together, knocking Barcelona out with a 3-0 He said the visit showed the strong co- and I think it’s working out extremely win in their quarter-final second leg operation between the two countries in well,” Trump said. Women in Sport’ photo show yesterday, overcoming a 4-1 deficit the military and security fi elds. During the meeting, the two friendly from the first game to reach the last On the Gulf crisis, the Emir thanked countries discussed bilateral strategic four on away goals. Liverpool, too, the president for his personal eff orts relations and ways to boost and develop QNA by Marianne Lacombe, giving a glimpse reached the Champions League and important role in fi nding a solu- them in diff erent fi elds, especially in ex- New York into the history of female athletes from semi-finals for the first time in tion. He praised the president’s per- panding co-operation in economy, in- more than 20 Arab countries, as well as 10 years as Mohamed Salah and sonal support to Qatar during the vestment and military and defence fi elds. shedding light on some issues related to Roberto Firmino struck decisive blockade and thanked the American The meeting also dealt with a E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint gender, culture and sports in the Arab blows to secure a 2-1 win over people for their support to Qatar. number of current regional and inter- Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, world. Manchester City that completed a As for the Syrian issue, the Emir said national issues. Pages 23, 24 HChairperson of Qatar Muse- The exhibition has been very suc- 5-1 aggregate victory. ums, opened yesterday at the UN head- cessful since it was fi rst launched on quarter in New York, the ‘Hey Ya (Let’s July 25, 2012 in London, through Doha BRITAIN | Espionage Go): Arab Women in Sport’ photog- and a number of countries, including raphy exhibition, which is curated by Germany last year, to UN headquarters. Nerve agent poisoned the two international photographers The opening ceremony was at- daughter leaves hospital Brigitte and Marian Lacombe. tended by Secretary-General of the Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned with The exhibition, which aims to shed Supreme Committee for Delivery & a nerve agent in the English city of light on the impact of sport on the Legacy Hassan al-Thawadi, President Salisbury along with her Russian empowerment of Arab women, is or- of the UN General Assembly Miroslav ex-spy father, has been discharged ganised on the occasion of the Inter- Lajcak, and a number of member- from hospital, an off icial said national Day of Sport for Development combe works, displaying more than 50 states’ permanent ambassadors to the yesterday. “This is not the end of her and Peace, which falls on April 6 every of Brigitte’s pictures for a number of UN, as well as a number of prominent treatment but marks a significant year to mark the launch of the fi rst edi- Arab female athletes who participated personalities in the sports sector, UN milestone,” Salisbury hospital’s tion of the Olympic Games in 1896. in the Olympic Games, including 31 Goodwill Ambassadors, academics, deputy chief executive Christine The exhibition features a number of Qataris. media professionals and representa- Blanshard said. Page 14 the Sisters Brigitte and Marianne La- It also includes short features, fi lmed tives of civil society. Boeing, Qatar Airways sign letter of intent for fi ve 777 Freighters

The five 777 Freighters are invest in fl eet expansion. This transac- The 777 Freighter is capable of fl y- Qatar Airways takes worth $1.7bn at list prices tion will be a reinforcement of our con- ing 4,900 nautical miles (9,070km) fi dence in Boeing to continue to deliver with a payload of 112 tonnes (102 metric stake in JetSuite an outstanding product that meets our tonnes or 102,000kg). oeing and Qatar Airways have exacting standards. We expect no less The airplane’s long range translates Qatar Airways has taken a minority signed a letter of intent to pur- than perfection, and we are confi dent into signifi cant savings as fewer stops stake in JetSuite, a leading US private chase fi ve 777 Freighters, valued that Boeing will continue to deliver mean lower landing fees, less conges- aviation company, as well as an B indirect stake in JetSuiteX, the carrier at $1.7bn at list prices. that.” tion, lower cargo handling costs and said yesterday. When the purchase is fi nalised, it will Qatar Airways currently operates a shorter delivery times. The agreement means that Qatar be posted to Boeing’s ‘Orders and De- fl eet of nearly 100 Boeing widebody Boeing is the air cargo market leader, Airways joins JetBlue Airways and liveries’ website. airplanes and has about 100 more Boe- providing more than 90% of the dedi- a number of private investors as The letter of intent was signed dur- ing airplanes on order. cated freighter capacity around the stakeholders in both JetSuite and ing a ceremony attended by HE the “We are proud of our long-standing world. JetSuiteX. With this investment, Qatar Minister of Finance and Qatar Airways partnership with Qatar Airways and we Qatar Airways Cargo serves more Airways will help fuel the growth of chairman Ali Sherif al-Emadi, Qatar deeply appreciate their business and than 60 exclusive freighter destina- JetSuite’s private aviation business, Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar the positive impact on Boeing, our em- tions worldwide through its Doha hub which currently focuses on light and al-Baker, Boeing Commercial Air- ployees, suppliers and communities,” and also delivers freight to more than very light jets. planes President & CEO Kevin McAl- said McAllister. 150 key business and leisure destina- The investment extends to JetSuiteX, lister. “We are honoured that one of the tions globally with more than 200 air- the sibling company to JetSuite, “The addition of fi ve 777 Freighters is world’s leading international cargo car- craft. further accelerating the expansion of a signifi cant moment for our cargo di- riers recognises the unmatched capa- The Qatar Airways Cargo fl eet in- its acclaimed semi-private air service vision,” said al- Baker. bilities of the 777 Freighter and wants Al-Baker and McAllister sign the letter of intent as HE the Minister of Finance Ali cludes eight Airbus A330 freighters, 13 on the US West Coast and beyond. “As the world’s third-largest cargo to buy more to lift their growing freight Sherif al-Emadi and Qatar’s ambassador to the US Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani Boeing 777 freighters and two Boeing Business Page 16 operator, Qatar Airways continues to operations.” look on. 747-8 freighters. Page 4 Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 QATAR Qatar, Iran discuss OFFICIAL

Attorney General coastal security meets Russian justice minister QNA coastal security between both comes as part of the agreement Doha countries. signed between Qatar and Iran The meeting was chaired by to co-ordinate eff orts between HE the Attorney General Dr Ali the Director of Coasts and Bor- the coast and borders security bin Fetais al-Marri, who is visiting he 14th joint meeting of ders Security Department, Staff departments to discuss security Moscow, met the Minister of Coast Guard directors of Brigadier (Navy) Ali Ahmed al- issues and means of strength- Justice of the Russian Federation TQatar and Iran took place Badeed, and commander of the ening them regarding maritime Alexander Konovalov yesterday. in Doha yesterday. Iranian border guards, Brigadier channels and other topics re- Director of Coasts and Borders Security Department, Staff Brigadier (Navy) Ali Ahmed al-Badeed, and During the meeting, they The meeting explored a General Qassem Rezayee. lated to coastal security and commander of the Iranian border guards, Brigadier General Qassem Rezayee chairing the meeting in exchanged views on a number of number of topics related to Al-Badeed said the meeting borders. Doha yesterday. issues of common interest and discussed ways to strengthen judicial and legal co-operation between Qatar and Russia. The Attorney General also met Qatar, Russia hold talks the president of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Qatar signs air services, cultural Vyacheslav Lebedev. Qatar attends Armenian leader’s agreements with Panama inauguration

QNA the Director of the Middle President of Armenia Armen Doha East Regional Offi ce of the Sarkissian met HE the Deputy International Civil Aviation Speaker of the Advisory Council Organisation (ICAO) Mo- Mohammed bin Abdullah al- atar signed an air hamed Khalifa Rahma. Sulaiti, at the Presidential Palace services agreement They discussed the lat- in Yerevan, on the sidelines of Qand a co-operation est developments related to the inauguration of the President agreement in the cultural civil aviation in the world of Armenia. At the outset of the fi eld with Panama yester- and the Middle East, as well meeting, HE al-Sulaiti conveyed day. as ways of co-operation the greetings of His Highness the The air services agree- between the Authority and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad ment was signed by Chair- ICAO. al-Thani on assuming the post of man of the Civil Aviation The co-operation the president of Armenia as well Authority Abdullah bin agreement in the cultural as his wishes of more progress Nasser Turki al-Subaey and field between Qatar and and prosperity for Armenia. the Vice-Minister of Mul- Panama was signed by HE the Minister of Culture and Sport Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali and The Armenian president tilateral Aff airs of the Min- HE the Minister of Cul- Panama’s Vice-Minister of Multilateral Aff airs of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs reciprocated the Emir’s greetings istry of Foreign Aff airs of ture and Sport Salah bin Maria Luisa Navaro exchange documents after signing the agreement. and conveyed his thanks on Panama Maria Luisa Navaro. Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali the participation of Qatar in the The agreement provides and Panama’s Vice-Min- ceremony of his inauguration for opening the skies for ister of Multilateral Affairs besides wishing more progress in national carriers of Qatar of the Ministry of Foreign bilateral relations between Qatar The foreign ministries of Qatar and Russia held a round of and Panama to operate an Affairs Maria Luisa Na- and Armenia. political consultations in Moscow yesterday. The Qatari unlimited number of pas- varo, in the presence of Earlier, al-Sulaiti represented delegation was headed by HE the Minister of State for Foreign senger and cargo fl ights Panama’s ambassador to Qatar during the inauguration Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi, while the Russian side was between the two countries Doha, Oreste Del Rio San- ceremony. The inauguration headed by Russian President’s envoy to the Middle East and with full transport rights. doval. took place in the presence of North Africa and Deputy Minister of Foreign Aff airs Mikhail Separately, Chairman of The agreement aims for a number of leaders, heads, Bogdanov. Bilateral relations and means of developing them, in the Civil Aviation Authority exchange of expertise and Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Abdullah bin Nasser Turki al-Subaey representatives of a number of addition to issues of common concern were discussed. Abdullah bin Nasser Turki holding joint events be- and the Vice-Minister of Multilateral Aff airs of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs of countries and members of the al-Subaey yesterday met tween the two countries. Panama Maria Luisa Navaro signing the air services agreement. diplomatic corps. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 3 QATAR

Minister holds talks with German, Tunisian and Azerbaijani envoys

HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti held separate meetings in Doha yesterday with ambassadors Hans-Udo Muzel of Germany, Salah al-Salehi of Tunisia and Rashad Ismayilov of Azerbaijan. The three meetings discussed co-operation between Qatar and the three countries of Germany Tunisia and Azerbaijan in the fields of transportation and communications and means of further enhancing them, the Minister of Transport and Communications said in a statement.

PHCC: signifi cant increase in number Doha conference of medical devices at health centres

QNA Musameh Menahi al-Qahtani be opened soon. Breast and Intestine Cancer to discuss workers’ Doha said that the four new health He said that all devices are implemented by the PHCC. centres will be equipped with linked to one electronic sys- He added that there is more than 2,000 modern tem, which shows the results a plan to connect all the he Primary Health medical devices, including of tests in all government medical devices used in Care Corporation radiology, medical analysis, medical facilities, includ- the health centres with an T(PHCC) has revealed dental, physiotherapy, and ing health centres, clinics electronic system for main- rights, labour issues a signifi cant increase in the medical furniture. of HMC and Sidra Medical tenance so that the system number of medical devices He revealed a big increase Centre, in order reduce any will report electronically used in its 23 health centres, in the use of devices at all human error and protect the defective device, pointing QNA care for workers, while the equate housing. by Qatar to guarantee in addition to the construc- health centres. privacy of the patient. out that the time of the re- Doha second will examine local, Dar Al Sharq Group CEO workers’ rights, which has tion of four new centres For example, fully Al-Qahtani also revealed sponse to the problems take international and legal co- Abdul Latif al-Mahmoud received wide internation- which will be inaugurated equipped dental clinics will the procurement of three between 24 to 48 hours. operation in the fi eld of la- said that the conference al recognition. this year with the latest be increased from 89 to 125 mobile units for the Nation- Al-Qahtani underlined he Fifth Labour and bour rights. comes within the frame- He added that Qatar equipment according to the units by the end of 2018, al Oral Health project, in- that PHCC is keen on at- Workers Conference Chairman of Fifth Labour work of the state’s efforts provides excellent work- international standards ap- an increase of 40%. Mean- tended to examine students tending many conferences Twill be held in Doha and Workers Conference to improve and develop ing conditions for workers proved by the World Health while, the number of radi- in schools and to operate and exhibitions specialised on May 1, organisers an- Committee Sheikh Thani the labour environment, and has formed committees Organisation. ology units used in health in some emergencies when in medical devices in order nounced yesterday. It will bin Ali al-Thani said that which has achieved re- to handle labour disputes, PHCC will offi cially open centres will be increased needed. He added that four to keep pace with the latest be organised this year un- the conference’s theme is markable success at vari- preceded by other meas- next month two new health from 21 to 25 units by the more units would be pro- developments. der the theme of ‘Building a in recognition of the em- ous levels. ures, such as wage protec- centres, at Al Wajbah and end of 2018. cured in the near future. Regarding the import of state of prosperity and glo- ployers and workers who Al-Mahmoud added tion system, that provide an Muaither, as well as two other He noted that the total He noted that all health medical devices, al-Qahta- ry’, and focus on the medical participate in building the that the convening of this ideal working environment centres by the end of this year, number of medical devices centres are equipped with ni noted that, while the and legal aspects related to renaissance of Qatar and conference confirms that in the state. at Al Jamaa and Al Waab. of all types and speciali- mammography (FET) de- process of supply and in- workers. contribute wholeheartedly Qatar is moving ahead with Dar Al Sharq annual In a statement to Qatar ties is currently more than vices used in early detec- stallation took 3 to 5 months The conference, organ- to achieving the objectives its plans, programmes, and workers book, which comes News Agency (QNA), Direc- 10,000 distributed at 23 tion of cancer to meet the in the past, now, thanks to ised by Dar Al Sharq, will of the state under an unjust development achieve- this year under the title of tor of the Engineering Medical health centres in Qatar and needs of the National Early the direct shipping lines, it be held under the patronage siege. ments, as well as its efforts development partners, and Device Department at PHCC other new centres that will Detection Programme for takes 2 to 3 months. of HE the Minister of Ad- He referred to the legisla- in developing the working documents the achieve- ministrative Development, tive and legal directions and environment disregarding ments made at the labour Labour and Social Aff airs Dr measures taken by Qatar to the lies of the siege coun- and workers’ level during Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuai- improve the workers’ en- tries. the past year, will be inau- mi, with the participation vironment and guarantee Director of Labour In- gurated during the confer- of academics, legal experts, their rights in keeping with spection Department at ence. doctors, and human rights the highest international the Ministry of Admin- The winners of the activists from within and standards, such as the new istrative Development, workers’ awards will be outside Qatar. wage system, abolition of Labour and Social Affairs honoured during the con- The fi rst two working the sponsorship system, Mohamed Ali al-Meer said ference according to the sessions will discuss the key the provision of high-qual- that this conference comes categories decided by the issues related to the medical ity health services and ad- amid great achievements prize committee. Post-siege Qatar ‘positively diff erent from before’

QNA tiative launched by Weyak Recently, Qatari Authors’ Minister al-Ali added Doha on November 8, and which Forum was inaugurated, that culture is an important continues until next May, in which saw the launching of tool to stimulate positive the presence of HE Chair- many books and the hold- behaviour, and the speech atar after the siege man of Weyak Sheikh Thani ing of several seminars, the of the Emir was fi lled with isn’t the same bin Abdullah al-Thani and minister added. this spirit, and the book was Qcountry as before, Weyak Vice-Chairman Minister al-Ali noted the result of positive inter- as the State is now positive- Hassan bin Abdullah al- that the book Tamim Al action with this historic ly diff erent and the Qatari Ghanim. Majd derives its importance speech. community has been and The minister underlined from its association with Tamim Al Majd, which is remains an example of civi- that Qatar has the human the speech of His Highness written by researcher Amer lised society, HE the Min- resources that rank it among the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Kamel, one of Weyak vol- ister of Culture and Sports the developed countries in Hamad al-Thani, which unteers, is based on Emir’s Salah bin Ghanem bin the world - its youth, citizens was delivered on July 21, speech of 21 July 2017, with Nasser al-Ali has stressed. and residents who are exem- 2017, after the unjust siege enhanced feedback to men- The minister’s remarks plary in coexistence and civi- imposed on Qatar by the tal health inspired by the came on the sidelines of lised life. Saudi-led quartet on June 5, speech by psychological the inauguration of a book The minister said that 2017, and it was inspiring in counselling specialist Dr Al titled Tamim Al Majd by the book Tamim Al Majd every sense of the word. Araby Qwaidry. Mental Health Friends As- is an important element in He expressed hope that The book, which begins sociation (Weyak). The enhancing the awareness of the book reaches all seg- with the text of the speech, event was part of an ini- the community. ments of society. consists of 22 chapters.

Lekhwiya hosts meeting on counter-terror measures

QNA tions from a logistical per- co-ordination among them- through the interactive Doha spective and with the use selves. relations developed dur- of information systems, He highlighted the im- ing the meetings of the Su- and discussed enhancing portance of the new tech- preme Council of Leaders as he Internal Secu- capabilities and exchang- nology for security institu- well as the meetings of spe- rity Force (Lekhwiya) ing information and exper- tions, especially in light of cialised committees, which Thosted in Doha yes- tise in security areas among the current challenges and provide the opportunity to terday a meeting for the member-states. risks and the developments exchange experiences, co- New Technologies and Lo- In this context, Brigadier taking place in the world, ordination and encourage gistics Committee of the Ibrahim Khalil al-Mohanna- referring to Lekhwiya’s studies in the fi eld of hu- International Association di, head of the Legal Aff airs varied experience in this man resources. of Gendarmeries and Police Department at Lekhwiya area, which has success- These meetings help to Forces with Military Status and member of the National fully managed to use the exchange experiences in the (FIEP), to discuss mecha- Counter-Terrorism Com- latest technology systems fi eld of training and co-ordi- nism for responding to ter- mittee, said that terrorism in many tasks and duties nation between training pol- rorist attacks in open spaces has become a serious threat carried out and supervised icies, conduct comparative with the participation of 15 to the world as a whole and by national cadres of young studies between the various countries from the associa- not only to a specifi c people, offi cers. methods, programmes and tion’s member-states. which requires concerted Al-Mohannadi said that plans in force in each coun- Participants in the meet- eff orts to confront this phe- Lekhwiya’s participation in try, and facilitate the ex- ing reviewed the experi- nomenon especially by the FIEP meeting aims at rais- change of information and ences of their countries in security institutions, which ing capabilities and im- experiences between the combating terrorist opera- need more co-operation and proving its performance competent authorities. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 QATAR Qatar Airways resumes service to two Iraq cities

atar Airways yesterday capital city, as well as Najaf and tinations in Iraq. The airline fi rst the Paris Air Show. This is the announced that it has Basra. With an abundance of his- began fl ights to Erbil in 2012, fourth time that Qatar Airways Qresumed service to Erbil tory to unearth at each location, followed by the capital Baghdad, has been given this global rec- and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq. The we are pleased to be relaunching Najaf, Basra and Sulaymaniyah. ognition. In addition to being airline had suspended service to our award-winning service to both Qatar Airways enjoyed a voted Best Airline by travellers both routes in November 2017, of these destinations, off ering our record-breaking year in 2017, from around the world, Qatar’s per the Iraqi Civil Aviation Au- passengers yet again a multitude of claiming more than 50 indi- national carrier also won a raft thority’s directive to all interna- choice within Iraq.” vidual awards across multiple of other major awards at the cer- tional carriers at the time. Qatar Airways operates an Air- categories, demonstrating its emony, including ‘Best Airline in The award-winning airline bus A320 aircraft to both Erbil and continued commitment to ex- the Middle East,’ ‘World’s Best now operates seven weekly Sulaymaniyah, which features ceeding passenger expectations Business Class’ and ‘World’s fl ights to each destination. From 12 seats in Business Class and with its innovative approach to Best First Class Airline Lounge’. May 1, the airline will further 132 seats in Economy Class. Pas- product development and dedi- Last month, Qatar Airways boost its service to Erbil with sengers will be able to enjoy the cation to customer experience. revealed a host of forthcoming double daily fl ights. airline’s superior entertainment Leading the host of awards re- global destinations in line with Qatar Airways Group chief ex- system, off ering a wide variety of ceived by the airline last year is its expedited expansion plans, ecutive Akbar al-Baker, said: “Er- entertainment options, including the prestigious accolade of 2017 including the announcement bil and Sulaymaniyah have always the latest blockbuster movies, TV ‘Airline of the Year,’ awarded that it will be the fi rst Gulf car- been two important destinations shows, music and games. by the 2017 Skytrax World Air- rier to begin direct service to Deal signed for five 777 Freighters: A Qatar Airways freighter flies over Doha’s West Bay. Boeing and in Iraq, in addition to Baghdad, the Qatar Airways serves fi ve des- line Awards, which was held at Luxembourg. Qatar Airways have signed a letter of intent to purchase five 777 Freighters, valued at $1.7bn at list prices. 2018 WISE Awards Sidra Medicine launches fi nalists announced self-referral facility he World Innovation petite Enfance en zone Ru- of the 2018 WISE Awards transformative impact on Summit for Educa- rale), Morocco; StoryWeav- fi nalists has constructed an individuals, communities, idra Medicine is now centre for personalised and maternal care is growing. Ttion (WISE) an ini- er, India; and One Village eff ective and tested solu- and society of their context. accepting self-re- family-centred care. Our personalised approach tiative of Qatar Foundation One Preschool, China. tion to a global educational They also need to be fi nan- Sferrals from female The women’s urgent care takes into consideration has announced 12 fi nalists The chosen projects challenge. Whether it’s en- cially stable, have a clear patients from the private service is for Sidra Medicine not only the patient, but the for its 2018 WISE Awards. tackle pressing educational suring fundamental educa- development plan, and be sector. Women in need of patients who go into spon- entire family.” They are: Safe Space Club issues including girls’ edu- tion for refugees or creat- scalable and replicable. obstetrics and gynaecology taneous labour, pregnant Sidra Medicine also per- for Girls, Nigeria; Technol- cation, early childhood ed- ing the next generation of Each year, the WISE care can refer themselves women under 20 weeks’ mits fathers or a family ogy-Based Deaf Education, ucation, refugee crises, cul- empathetic and conscious Awards recognise and pro- directly via telephone or gestation as well as patients member to be present in the Pakistan; 1001 Nights Life tural exchange, citizenship leaders, each project is al- mote innovative projects face-to-face. with urgent gynaecologi- delivery rooms to attend Skills and Citizenship Edu- values, mother tongue lit- ready transforming lives, from across the world that Sidra Medicine has cal problems. Patients who their baby’s birth. The or- Dr Justin Konje cation Programme, Canada; eracy, youth employment, and provides an inspira- address global educational launched several new go into labour will be fi rst ganisation provides emo- Generation, US; Life Project entrepreneurship in dis- tional model for others to challenges. women’s services includ- seen by the women’s urgent tional support programmes Sidra Medicine as a private 4 Youth, France; Ghata, advantaged communities, adopt.” The WISE Awards win- ing an urgent care service care unit located in the Pla- such as maternal mental healthcare option, can re- Lebanon; TAK-TAK-TAK, deaf education, enhancing The fi nalists were evalu- ning projects will be an- to complement a growing za Level of Tower D in the healthcare services, edu- quest to speak to a repre- Mexico; African Children’s teacher motivation, and ated according to strict nounced in July and cel- number of specialties avail- main hospital. cation workshops related sentative within women’s Stories, Australia; Partners stimulating critical and criteria. They must be es- ebrated at WISE@NY able for both inpatient and Dr Justin Konje, execu- to breastfeeding and ante- services on 4003-3333. The for Possibility, South Afri- creative thinking. tablished, innovative edu- in New York, USA, on outpatient care. tive chair, Women’s Serv- natal classes for parents. In women’s services depart- ca; ANEER (Action Nation- Stavros N Yiannouka, cational projects that have September 22 and each will As a specialty healthcare ices Clinical Management support of the breastfeed- ment also off ers prospec- al pour l’Éducation de la CEO of WISE, said, “Each already demonstrated a receive $20,000. organisation for children, Group, said, “Sidra Medi- ing mother, Sidra Medi- tive patients a tour of its young people and women, cine is adding capacity for cine has lactation rooms birthing suites and other Sidra Medicine is ramping women’s services in Qa- located throughout its facilities. The women’s ur- up services through mid- tar at a crucial time when Outpatient Clinic. gent care is available on 2018 to become a leading the need for women’s and Women considering 40031401 or 40031402.

Qatari inventors take part in Geneva expo atar, represented by Qatar Sci- considered extensive, as QSC has six valve used to prevent gas leakage, the entifi c Club (QSC) of the Min- Qatari inventions, including one that device automatically shuts off the Qistry of Culture and Sports, has been entered on behalf of the GCC. source of gas. is participating in the Geneva Inter- The QSC inventions in the exhibition The fourth entry is a reservoir wa- national Exhibition for Innovation, are an interactive robot that provides ter cooler by inventor Mohsen Hus- which kicks off today. instructions for learning sign language sein al-Shaikh and the fi fth by Nasser QSC executive director Hareb al-Jabri for deaf children, by the Qatari inven- Mohamed al-Marri who is involved in said that QSC aims to participate in the tor Mohamed Hassan al-Jafi ri, and a making movable homes. forums of inventions, and Geneva exhibi- project designed to monitor the health The Qatari project, which is par- tion is among the important international status of workers at their work sites, by ticipating on behalf of the GCC, is an exhibitions, which QSC has participated innovator Rashid al-Mohannadi. integrated system for fi ghting fi re in in and achieved good results. The third project is by inventor vehicles by Mohamed al-Mohannadi He added that this participation is Saleh Safran – an electronic safety and Salem al-Shahwani. (QNA)

Diversion on Furousiya Street from tomorrow

A section of Al Furousiya Street will be closed in the two lanes leading from Al Furousiya Roundabout (Equestrian roundabout) towards Al Rayyan al Jadeed Street from tomorrow for five months. During this period, traff ic will be diverted to two temporary lanes parallel to the closed section of Al Furousiya Street. The diversion aims to enable construction works as part of Al Furousiya Street development project, which includes increasing the number of lanes of Al Furousiya Street to four lanes in each direction with a service road on both sides of the street in order to enhance traff ic flow and increase the street capacity to accommodate current and future traff ic requirements. The project also includes converting Al Furousiya and Muaither roundabouts into signal- controlled intersections. The Public Works Authority – Ashghal will install road signs advising motorists of the closure. The authority has requested road users to abide by the speed limit and follow the road signs to ensure safety. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 5 QATAR Typhoon jets to boost security for FIFA World Cup 2022: UK envoy

By Joey Aguilar the importance of Qatar’s sta- Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed exercises and all of these things, Eric Chevalier, Bart De Groof, Bahia Tahzib-Lie, Hans Udo Muzel, Willy Kempel, and pianist Sonja Park Staff Reporter bility not only to the region but al-Attiyah and Britain’s De- the UK Qatar relationship will along with others at the meeting to announce the concert series yesterday. PICTURE: Jayan Orma also to the world and UK’s na- fence Secretary Michael Fal- be completely transformed by tional interest. lon, signed a letter of intent in this.” atar’s defence relations “Up to 25% of our gas comes September 2017 to purchase 24 Such deal will see the UK with the UK will get a from Qatar, we can’t aff ord any- modern Typhoon aircraft with working more closely and con- Qfurther boost with the thing that puts that in jeopardy all their equipment. tinuously with Qatar through Concert by French singer acquisition of Typhoon jets, in and the rest of the world depends “Qatar has been our friend the former’s defence people, time for the FIFA 2022 World on Qatari gas,” the envoy noted. for a very long time and that is he said. “And it will not just Cup, British ambassador Ajay “The rest of the world can’t the main reason why we have for one year, or fi ve months, it Sharma has said. aff ord Qatar to be unstable nor such a strong defence relation- will be for decades, a purchase Ambroisibe Bre on April 17 “There will be Typhoon ready people in the region who are ship,” Sharma said. of these kinds of aircraft is a for the World Cup,” the envoy exporting oil and gas can’t af- According to the envoy, the decades-long commitment to told reporters yesterday. “We ford that regional instability,” two countries’ defence rela- each other.” he newly-constituted Belgian ambassador Bart De tion of musicians,” said Sharma. certainly see these jets as part of he added. tionship is taking a major step “What we will be able to have Chamber Music Soci- Groof said that his country cher- German ambassador Hans the way of securing the event.” “That is one of the reasons forward through the acquisi- at the end of the day is a more Tety of Qatar and embas- ishes a rich tradition, culture and Udo Muzel said the series is a Sharma was highlighting the why the stability of Qatar is tion by Qatar of Typhoon jets. eff ective defence relationship sies of six countries have joined heritage in musical composition remarkable attempt to promote two countries’ strong and deep very important to us, and the “The life span of these air- with Qatar as a result of this,” hands to hold a music concert by from such Renaissance pioneers understanding on international rooted relations especially in most important one is that at craft and the relationship that the envoy added. “Qatar’s de- French singer Ambroisibe Bre on as Orlandus Lassus to classical level in Qatar through cultural the fi eld of defence and secu- the end of the day, Qatar is our it generates is not just a one off , fence capabilities will increase April 17. era giants like Gossec and Gretry diplomacy. “Our embassy is en- rity, stressing that British and friend.” Sharma stressed. it is not you buy the aircraft and and our ability to do more to- The concert at The Mondrian or from the 19th to 21st centu- couraging this creative festival, Qataris have a shared interest in Qatar and Britain, led by HE that’s it,” Sharma explained. gether will increase and that Doha is the fi rst of a series fea- ries, Cesar Franck, Peter Benoit, bringing to life music and cul- stability in the region. the Deputy Prime Minister and “What happens is you have to will be for the benefi t of both turing established musicians, Eugene Ysave and more recently ture from a wide variety of coun- The UK, he said, recognises Minister of State for Defence have training, maintenance, countries.” according to organisers. The em- Wim Mertens and Dirk Brosse. tries and artists in a playful and bassies involved include France, “These stalwarts wrote inti- engaging manner”. Belgium, Germany, Austria, mate music for small audiences, Austrian ambassador Willy Germany and The Netherlands. taking delight in the universality Kempel said, “Music is the ex- French ambassador Eric of the language of music. Thus ternal language of our inner feel- Chevalier said yesterday that Bre Belgium as a small-scale coun- ings, thus connecting us to our- EDI to hold iSTEMed conference from April 13 will be backed by the event’s ar- try produced some of the fi n- selves and the world around us in tistic director and renowned pi- est small-scale masterpieces,” more than one way”. he Education Develop- leaders, and students from test an ‘aquatic drone’. Jennifer ics for these sessions will range anist Sonja Park. Groof added. While echoing her feelings, ment Institute (EDI), across schools and universities Wathall, a leading author and from creating whole school They will be accompanied by The Netherlands ambassador Sonja Park said she believes in Tpart of Qatar Founda- within Qatar. speaker, will be off ering hands- STEM initiatives to computer two musicians - Dmitri Torchin- Bahia Tahzib-Lie observed that Khalil Gibran’s words “Music is tion’s (QF) Pre-University The opening keynote speech on training in concept based coding for younger students. sky (violin) and Hassan Moataz music can bring people from all the language of the spirit ... it Education (PUE), will hold its will be delivered by Dr Gina mathematics. The event will also include an el Molla (cello) - from the Qatar walks of life and cultures togeth- opens the secret of life bringing iSTEMed 2018 Conference at Cherkowski, founder and CEO The three-day conference exhibition and engagement Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO). er and has the power to bond and peace, abolishing strife. Music, the Qatar National Convention of the STEM Learning Lab in will also include more than 25 space where participants can “The concert will be in honour unify people beyond all man- indeed, is a powerful tool and a Centre from April 13-15. Canada. Other notable inter- workshops given by local and learn about diff erent initiatives of the legendary French com- made borders. global language that galvanis- The purpose of iSTEMed national speakers include sen- international presenters in the and opportunities for student poser Achille-Claude Debussy,” British ambassador Ajay es nations with its message of 2018 is to enable educators to ior TED fellow Cesar Harada, areas of STEM education. learning and STEM. the envoy said, adding that the Sharma said an up and coming peace and unity.” understand how to create au- an inventor, environmental- Following a plenary session “iSTEMed 2018 will allow concert supports the non-profi t British musician is to be invited While Qatar Airways is the thentic engagements for stu- ist, and entrepreneur living in on April 15, from Cesar Harada, local and international voices foundation, Moving Young Art- to perform with the QPO as part offi cial airline partner, The dents across the areas of sci- Hong Kong, who will, along the event will conclude with a to discuss the technical and ists, which has been promoting of this initiative. “Qatar and the Mondrian Doha is the hospital- ence, technology, engineering, with delivering workshops, series of community sessions creative skills students need to classical music and nurturing UK already enjoy strong musical ity partner. Fifty One East and and math (STEM). The con- be working alongside teach- where students will be able to develop,” said Mehdi Benchaa- young local talent in Qatar for links and through these events FNAC are also actively support- ference will involve educators, ers and students to build and attend alongside teachers. Top- bane, director of EDI. nearly four years now. we hope to inspire a new genera- ing the event. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 QATAR First Qatari app Kahramaa, GE sign deal for for booking power sector co-operation taxis launched

he Qatar General Elec- atar Taxi, the fi rst Qatari deployed the best international tricity & Water Corpora- application of its kind for expertise in all fi elds, be it se- Ttion (Kahramaa) and GE Qbooking cars, has been curity and cyber protection, or Power yesterday signed Princi- launched by Al Dana, a local the telecom services in addition ples of Co-operation (PoC) for company. to collaboration with a group of a ‘power effi ciency and fuel sav- At the launch, Sheikh Ha- local companies and providing ings campaign.’ mad al-Thani, CEO of Al Dana unmatched services, which to- Kahramaa president Essa bin Company, said: “Qatar Taxi has gether make Qatar Taxi the ap- Hilal al-Kuwari and GE Pow- partnered with one of the world’s plication of choice in Qatar,” he er president and CEO Russell leading companies in this fi eld, said. Stokes were the signatories. which will be based in Doha, to On the sidelines of the event, The signing ceremony was ensure the security, privacy and Sheikh Hamad al-Thani also said attended by Ryan Gliha, chargé secrecy of our users and their that “Qatar Taxi will pursue sev- d’aff aires ad interim of the US data.” eral strategic partnerships with embassy in Doha; Joseph Anis, “This is the biggest attraction ministries and authorities in ad- president and CEO of GE’s of our app apart from various dition to launching a wide range Power Services business in Af- salient features to make it more of off ers to meet the needs of the rica, India and the Middle East; user-friendly,” he said. society. Enhanced features will Ghassan Barghout, president “Qatar Taxi is the fi rst of our be upgraded from time-to-time and CEO of GE’s Gas Power Sys- technology projects in the lo- after receiving the feedback from tems-Sales business in the Mid- cal market, therefore we have industry veterans.” dle East and North Africa as well as other senior offi cials of Kah- ramaa, the US embassy and GE. Mercedes S-Class, C-Class models recalled Al-Kuwari said “since its in- ception in 2000, Kahramaa has The Ministry of Economy and will co-ordinate with the dealer endeavoured to provide effi - Commerce (MEC), in collabora- to follow up on the maintenance cient, reliable, and sustainable tion with Nasser Bin Khaled and repair works and will com- services, and works through the Automobiles, has announced the municate with customers to National Programme for Con- recall of Mercedes S-Class and ensure that the necessary repairs servation and Energy Effi ciency, C-Class models of 2016 because are carried out. The MEC has Tarsheed, to save resources and the driver and front passenger urged all customers to report achieve energy effi ciency as per seatbelts do not match factory any violations to its Consumer Qatar National Vision 2030 and specification. The MEC said the Protection and Anti-Commercial Qatar development plans. GE recall campaign comes within the Fraud Department through the will help us advance these ef- Kahramaa president Essa bin Hilal al-Kuwari and GE Power president and CEO Russell Stokes shake hands after signing the PoC as Ryan framework of its ongoing efforts following channels: Call centre: forts further with their solutions Gliha, chargé d’aff aires ad interim of the US embassy in Doha looks on. PICTURE: Thajudheen to protect consumers and ensure 16001, e-mail: [email protected], and on-the-ground knowledge. that automobile dealers follow up Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: Our co-operation will help bet- porting Kahramaa in their future for the transfer of GE’s advanced “By enabling the supply of the country’s infrastructure on vehicles’ defects and repair MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for ter utilise fuel supplies, and re- plans. The PoC followed talks technology to support the best in class technology and requirements with its leading them. The ministry said that it Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar duce emissions to support sus- between Kahramaa and GE at strengthening of Qatar’s power the modernisation of existing solutions for the energy, avia- tainable development” the United States-Qatar Strate- sector, to the benefi t of both in- power plants, this PoC will help tion and healthcare sectors. Under the PoC, Kahramaa and gic Dialogue held in Washington dustry and citizens.” Kahramaa to better utilise fuel The GE Advanced Technol- Real estate transactions GE will co-operate to explore DC in January this year. “Qatar National Vision 2030 supplies, reduce emissions and ogy and Research Centre at the ways to drive higher effi cien- Gliha said “the US and Qatar defi nes a clear roadmap for the improve asset management, Qatar Science & Technology Real estate transactions registered empty land plots, houses, residen- cy, fl exibility and fuel savings have long enjoyed a strong bi- country’s long-term develop- transforming Qatar’s power sec- Park is also driving localised at the Ministry of Justice’s real tial buildings and multi-purpose across Qatar’s power sector by lateral relationship and a shared ment. A central pillar of the tor to support the sustainable innovation by focusing on ap- estate registration department buildings. The sale transactions utilising the latest technologies vision for progress. This sign- vision is the effi cient use of re- development goals of the coun- plied research and knowledge between April 1 and 5 stood at were located in the municipalities in the power generation sector, ing helps enhance the relations sources to best serve current and try.” transfer in key areas that drive QR320,431,605. The department’s of Doha, Al Rayyan, Al Daayen, enhancing the performance of between our two countries even future generations,” said Russell GE has over four decades of Qatar’s social and economic weekly bulletin said that the list of Umm Salal, Al Khor, Al Thakhira, Al existing assets as well as sup- further, laying the foundation Stokes. presence in Qatar, supporting growth. properties traded for sale included Wakrah and Al Shamal. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 7 QATAR DFI’s new Ajyal Film Series begin tomorrow A group of participants at the training programme. he Doha Film Institute (DFI) mankind’s ever-increasing reli- has launched the new Ajyal ance on impersonal technology TFilm Series to screen mov- and the gorgeous Doha seaside, ies that received audience acclaim the short fi lm is about Dana, who at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival. is playing with her kite on the Doha Film Institute CEO Fat- beach at the water’s edge while NBK staff undergo training ma al-Remaihi said: “The Ajyal her brother Ahmed sits on the Film Series upholds the spirit of sand messaging his friends on Ajyal, meaning ‘generations’ in his mobile phone. She tries to get Arabic, by bringing together all his attention but he is too busy ages of the public to celebrate to see the amazing shell she has to enhance customer service the power of cinema. Dana’s Kite found until he suddenly looks up “Every fi lm at the Ajyal fest and the young girl is nowhere to is selected for its appeal to the be found. asser Bin Khaled Auto- was to engage and motivate “The moment customers’ ed participants on the basic family, which makes the Ajyal Robert Connolly’s Paper mobiles, the authorised employees as they play an equal step into our showroom, they principles of the new Mer- Film Series an event that fosters Planes is about 11-year-old Dy- Ngeneral distributor of role to the premier products feel the diff erence in the level cedes-Benz strategy, and how togetherness. Through this new lan, who discovers his excep- Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, has themselves, in the brand’s suc- of care and service. This is to apply Mercedes-Benz prin- initiative, we want to continue tional talent for creating paper hosted ‘Our Passion — Best cess. also enhanced in the aftersales ciples to accomplish the best to build the culture of fi lm ap- planes. He becomes obsessed Customer Experience’ pro- Participants were engaged stage, where we spare no eff ort results, refl ecting the brand preciation and education that with his new hobby and even- gramme in Doha, allowing 165 with the growth objectives of to respond to the customers’ identity of excellence and sat- we drive year-round.” tually competes at the national staff and managers to have a the business and shown the im- enquiries and questions, pro- isfaction. The inaugural Ajyal Film Se- level in Sydney. Soon it looks like dedicated, special training on portance of company perform- viding them the best possible The training included an ries will be held tomorrow from Dylan is on his way to the world the excellence of customer ance in parallel to customer sat- experience. analysis of the status of cus- 6pm at the Katara Drama Thea- Paper Planes championships in Japan – if he service. isfaction. “Driving excellence is what tomer service experience and tre. Two fi lms will be screened can come up with the money to This internal platform in- Sheikh Faleh bin Nawaf al- we seek to accomplish, to meet how to take it into the next level. including a Made in Qatar short Qatari director al-Nasr’s get there. An endearing celebra- vests in ‘Customer Orientation’ Thani, operations director - our motto “The Best or Noth- It is based on actual staff fi lm, Dana’s Kite (Qatar, 2016), fi rst short fi lm, Health Invaders tion of talent and encourage- training for all customer-facing auto, NBK Holding said: “Nass- ing.” Excellence has no limits experience with customers to directed by Noor al-Nasr, and (2015) was part of a challenge for ment, the fi lm soars through a employees. er Bin Khaled Automobiles and and we will continue to invest in refl ect the real needs of every Paper Planes (Australia, 2015), a Seha health organisation; it pre- tale of friendship, creativity and ‘Our Passion’ programme is Mercedes-Benz give customers’ our staff to exceed our clients’ market, in line with Mercedes- heart-warming feature fi lm di- miered at the Ajyal Youth Film the precious bonds of family and part of a broader company ob- the utmost priority at all times. expectations.” Benz global sales strategy. rected by Robert Connolly. Festival and was featured in the community. jective to provide the best cus- ‘Our Passion’ programme re- Taking place over four days, Established in 1957, Nasser The screening of Dana’s Kite market of the Festival de Cannes. Tickets to the screening are tomer and employee experience fl ects the brand principles and the training included all sales, Bin Khaled Automobiles is will be followed by an audience Dana’s Kite was made as part of priced QR25 per person, and can in the region to ensure that it values as we continue to strive after-sales and support mem- Qatar’s exclusive distribu- Q&A with the director, moder- the DFI’s Short Filmmaking Lab be purchased at the Katara Dra- maintains its position as the towards improving operational bers who have direct interaction tor of Mercedes-Maybach, ated by two Ajyal jurors from 2015. ma Theatre Box Offi ce or online market leader. processes, customer handling with customers. Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes- previous years. Exploring love for family, at www.dohafi lminstitute.com The aim of the programme skills and communication. The intensive training guid- AMG. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 QATAR UK fi rms looking to invest in Qatar By Joey Aguilar In health, the fi rst and largest trade mission world, the way it is organising itself and we Staff Reporter in the healthcare sector took place in Qatar recognised that it creates a lot of opportuni- with people from foundations and companies ties for the UK to do even more with Qatar,” coming and looking on how to support the the envoy said. “We are very keen to take K fi rms and businesses are now eyeing Qatar as country. advantage of these opportunities and to use the next investment destination after the British The ambassador said that they have ap- those them for the benefi t of both countries.” Ugovernment made it a priority for these fi rms to pointed a member of its team, designated the “We still have a high level of ambition to invest outside of the UK, Britain’s ambassador to Qatar 2030 National Vision Offi cer, who will ensure do even more with Qatar than we’re doing Ajay Sharma has said. that the embassy implements its commit- at present, and we recognise that there will “We are now looking much more closely at investments ment to support Qatar on its National Vision be new areas where we can do even more to- in Qatar, in particular to take advantage of the port and 2030 eff orts. gether,” he added. free zones,” he told reporters yesterday. The UK is also exerting eff orts to get British The UK, Sharma stressed, is also working Sharma was addressing a press conference on the businesses to support Qatar’s development, hard with the government, businesses, and birthday celebration of Queen Elizabeth II, at a reception and to take advantage of the opportunities experts to support eff orts that will make the at the British embassy in Doha. that have come, including out of the eco- FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar a success. The celebration event takes place today. nomic blockade against Qatar. “The dispute has not changed our commit- Sharma: This matters a lot for the UK. That is why it will continue to do whatever it can to The embassy will also celebrate the strong and deep- “We also recognised that the dispute has ment to working with Qatar on a really suc- bring about a resolution. rooted relations between Qatar and the UK. changed the way that Qatar looks at the cessful 2022 World Cup,” he added. Sharma said that they have started a dialogue between the Qatar authorities and British businesses about the opportunities in Qatar, including through UK’s Confed- eration of British Industries, the body responsible for looking after the interest of the businesses in the UK. “We started having institutional conversations, dis- cussions, in order to look at how they can invest more in Qatar,” he added. Saying that the biggest British investor in Qatar is Shell, he noted that such investment “is a great example” on how investment in Qatar can benefi t both countries. Royal Dutch Shell – known commonly as Shell – is a British-Dutch multinational oil and gas company incor- porated in the UK. Its headquarters is in the Netherlands. The UK, Sharma said, is very supportive of Shell’s ef- forts to invest more in Qatar and to be part of the expan- sion of the North Field. “That is really a very important area for us, to support Shell in its eff ort to gain part of the expansion of the North Field,” he added. “It is a priority area and we are also in- vesting in education in the way we are bringing University of Aberdeen and Northumbria University to Qatar.” “I think we will see a lot of these kinds of investments in Qatar, which will be around the service sector, educa- tion and health care sectors, as well as perhaps in the oil and gas industry,” the ambassador said. He hopes to see some investments in manufacturing in the country in the future. Sharma said the UK is also looking at how it can work more with Hamad Port and take advantage of the trading route that Qatar has established. The envoy also stressed that “a new spirit of partner- ship” between Qatar and the UK is focused on two areas: helping Qatar to attain its National Vision 2030, and to successfully host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. “This is a historic relationship and we are continuing to deepen and make it more benefi cial for both our coun- tries,” Sharma told reporters yesterday. The UK signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar in March last year, during a visit by a delegation led by HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, on how the UK would help Qatar achieve its National Vision 2030. In education, for example, Sharma said the University of Aberdeen and Northumbria University opened cam- puses in Qatar, which he considered as signifi cant events. Britain wants GCC crisis resolved fast, says envoy

he United Kingdom will continuously look for op- portunities to resolve the GCC crisis as quickly as Tpossible, Britain’s ambassador to Qatar Ajay Shar- ma has said. “It (the crisis) is an important issue (for the UK) that should be resolved because we would like to see a united GCC,” he told a press conference at the British embassy in Doha yesterday. Sharma highlighted the UK’s continuing work with Kuwait’s mediation eff orts, led by its Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, as well as UK’s “friends in the GCC” in encouraging the parties to sit down and re- solve the issue. “Our desire for resolution hasn’t disappeared and our interest in supporting eff orts to resolve this remains very strong,” he stressed, also citing the support of countries such as the US. Kuwait, the US and the UK have been calling for a rapid end to the Gulf crisis through dialogue, expressing their concern over the prolonging of the dispute. The ambassador said that the UK has a special rela- tionship with the GCC, which it wants to develop further but is hampered by the ongoing crisis. “This matters a lot for the UK. That is why it will con- tinue to do whatever it can to bring about a resolution,” he stressed. “Sometimes it (the UK’s eff orts) may be indirect or di- rect. Quite often, it may not be noticeable in a public way,” the ambassador pointed out. “But no one should doubt our commitment to try to re- solve this issue. The region is going through a tough time and we do not need to have more problems, any unneces- sary problems in the region,” Sharma said. “We really want people in the Gulf to come together because we have a lot more big issues to deal with,” he added. In February, 15 members of parliament (MPs) in the UK signed a petition demanding that Prime Minister Theresa May strive for an immediate lifting of the siege against Qatar. The petition also encouraged blockading countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt) to respond to Kuwait’s eff orts as mediator to resolve the crisis, which began in June 2017. – By Joey Aguilar Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 9 QATAR UK lauds Qatar steps Volvo honours Domasco over parts sales growth oha Marketing Services Com- pany (Domasco), the exclusive Ddistributor of Volvo trucks in on terror, extremism Qatar, has announced that it has been awarded for its ‘outstanding parts sales growth’ by Volvo Trucks. By Joey Aguilar He noted that they also received a huge sup- The ceremony, which took place in Staff Reporter port from the political level — from HE the Prime Sweden’s Gothenburg last month, saw Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Domasco being ranked top for the en- Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, and especially from tire Middle East, East, North and West he UK has lauded the steps Qatar has taken His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Africa region comprising 57 countries. in the fi ght against terrorism and extremism, al-Thani. The ‘Best Performance of the Year’ TBritish ambassador Ajay Sharma has said. “The Emir set the overall direction very positive award was handed over by Helene Mel- “Such fi ght is really an important element of our about doing more with the UK on counter terror- lquist, senior vice-president, Volvo relationship and we are pleased with the steps that ism and counter extremism activities,” the envoy Trucks — Sales International, to Faisal the country has taken and the progress that we are pointed out. Sharif, managing director of Domasco. making with Qatar,” the envoy told a press confer- Sharma hopes they will formalise soon the co- Commenting on the award, Sharif ence yesterday. operation between Qatar and the UK their counter said: “We are extremely proud to have The UK, he stressed, vowed to work with Qatar terrorism eff orts. won the award from Volvo Trucks. on future steps and measures to combat terrorism The two countries also established a joint Qatar- Every day, our skilled and experi- and extremism. UK operational squadron (JOS) last year as part of enced technicians help our custom- The US State Department also earlier stressed strengthening military ties. ers get the most out of their vehicles that the country has taken very strong steps in re- The squadron, which will play a vital role in se- — thereby ensuring increased vehi- cent months to assist the international community curing the skies during the FIFA 2022 World Cup cle uptime, lower cost of ownership, and the US in their campaign against IS, Al Qaeda in Qatar, will include joint operations and train- maximum safety and best-in-class and other transnational terrorist groups. ing squadron, and an electronic warfare system fuel effi ciency. This award is further “We see Qatar as a friend and ally in the fi ght through continuous co-operation between the two testament to their eff orts in provid- against terrorism and extremism,” Sharma said. countries. ing our customers with the highest “We have worked very closely with Qatar on this JOS, a unique squadron in the region, is consid- levels of service and quality products agenda and we continue to work closely with our ered the nucleus of future joint operations between and I would like to thank them for experts and with our offi cials.” Qatar Emiri Air Force and Royal Air Force. Domasco managing director Faisal Sharif at the awards ceremony in Gothenburg, Sweden. their outstanding contribution.”

Vodafone Qatar woos customers with N8 launch

odafone Qa- tar yesterday Vlaunched the Vo- dafone Smart N8, a 4G Android smartphone that retails for QR499. The Vodafone Smart N8, which looks thin, is crafted with a slimming texture mid-frame and a wavy moiré pattern reminiscent of silk on the back panel. The back panel also has a fi ngerprint sensor conveniently placed for use in a natural holding The new Vodafone N8. position. It contains some of the very latest mobile technology available in the market, at a price that will enable all mem- bers of a family to enjoy the benefi ts of Vodafone’s fast and reliable 4G networks. “The Vodafone Smart N8 lets customers get a smart- phone with award-winning design and the latest mobile technology, such as a fi ngerprint sensor, at a fair price,” said Diego Camberos, chief operating offi cer, Vodafone Qatar. The inclusion of a fi ngerprint sensor provides increased security and added control for parents who can both con- trol access to apps, or temporarily unlock them as a reward for their children using their fi ngerprint. Its features include fi ve inch 720x1280p screen with a resolution of 293 pixels per inch and in-plane switching for richer and more vivid colour reproduction and wider viewing angles to view photos and videos; Android Nougat 7.0 operating system with smooth usage driven by a quad core processor supported by 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of RAM; 16GB of internal memory (10GB available), which can be expanded by up to 32 GB with a micro SD card; 2400 milli- ampere hour battery; and 13 MP rear camera and 5MP front camera, with dual fl ash and Omnivision sensors for more precise photos, particularly in natural light.

Doha Bank signs up to UN Global Compact

einforcing its commitment to Rsustainability, Doha Bank has become the fi rst Qatari bank to sign up to the UN Global Compact, a UN policy initiative en- couraging businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and social- ly responsible policies. “Doha Bank is known as one of the most active advocates of corporate social re- sponsibility (CSR), owing to the numer- ous green initiatives that we organise and support, including the Al Dana Green Run, ‘ECO-School Pro- gramme’, and beach The Doha Bank tower. cleaning and tree plant- ing initiatives, among others. “Climate change represents a real challenge for the mod- ern world, and organisations have an important responsi- bility at hand to support the change towards a low-carbon emission future. We have recently published our annual Sustainability Report, as we have since 2009. Emphasis- ing our dedication to implementing responsible business practices and supporting the Qatar’s environment com- mitments, we are proud to be a signatory to the UN Global Compact,” said Doha Bank CEO Dr R Seetharaman. Doha Bank’s pioneering work in raising environmental awareness has been recognised over the years through a series of awards and accolades, including the ‘Best Green Bank 2008 at the Industry Awards’ from Bankers Middle East, and the ‘Golden Peacock Global Award for Sustain- ability’ in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2017. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD Yemeni rights group sues Saudi prince in France

Reuters ble attacks that hit civilians in tal Sanaa, says on its website it France is the world’s third- there would be no move to make France do if six or seven ballis- alliance denies ever doing so in- Paris Yemen. monitors and documents rights’ biggest arms exporter and him attend a hearing or detain tic missiles were launched on its tentionally. The case was fi led in a Paris violations in Yemen. counts the kingdom as one of its him. capital?” The coalition also says it is court as pressure grows on Pres- “He ordered the fi rst bomb- biggest buyers. “The notion that the Houthis The Yemen confl ict has killed providing fi nancial support to rights group fi led a law- ident Emmanuel Macron to curb ings on Yemeni territory on The lawyers cited UN reports are victims is ridiculous. They more than 10,000 people and help aid agencies and humani- suit against Saudi Crown arms sales to Saudi Arabia and March 25, 2015,” the group’s law- and documentation by rights are the aggressor. We have pro- displaced more than 3mn — tarian groups to help civilians. APrince Mohamed bin Sal- the United Arab Emirates, which yers, Joseph Breham and Hakim groups such as Human Rights vided more humanitarian assist- more than 10% of the popula- The lawyers said French man during his visit to France spearhead a coalition fi ghting Chergui, said in the complaint Watch, Amnesty International ance than any country in Yem- tion. The complaint also accuses courts were competent to handle yesterday, accusing him of com- Houthi rebels who control of seen by Reuters. and Oxfam on arbitrary deten- en,” Jubeir said. the coalition of depriving mil- the case in line with the United plicity in torture and inhumane most of northern Yemen and the “The existence of indiscrimi- tions and the use of illegal clus- “This notion of a lawsuit is ri- lions of people of access to basic Nations convention against tor- treatment in Yemen, lawyers capital Sanaa. nate shelling by the coalition ter bombs. diculous. I think the whole world necessities due to indiscriminate ture. said. Speaking to reporters in Paris, armed forces aff ecting civilian Authorities will now begin should be supportive of our po- bombings and a naval blockade About 75% of French people The complaint on behalf of Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir populations in Yemen can be studying the suit and decide sition with regards the legality of Yemeni ports. want Macron to suspend arms Taha Hussein Mohamed, direc- dismissed the lawsuit and said qualifi ed as acts of torture,” they whether there is a basis to take of it. The war has pushed the coun- exports to Gulf states. tor of the Legal Center for Rights the Houthis should be held ac- wrote. further legal action. Everyone understands that try to the brink of famine. Several rights groups have and Development (LCRD), said countable for the war in Yemen. The lawsuit may embarrass If the case follows the usual you can’t have a terrorist militia Coalition air strikes targeting warned of possible legal action the prince who is Saudi Arabia’s The rights group, based in the Macron at a delicate moment in course, the prince would be in- that launches ballistic missiles Houthi fi ghters have frequently if the government does not halt defence minister was responsi- Houthi-controlled Yemeni capi- French-Saudi relations. formed of the legal action, but on your capital. What would hit civilian areas, although the its sales.

UNREST Iraq govt to take ‘measures’ to prevent IS attacks Global experts to inspect attack Iraq will take “all the necessary measures” to prevent cross-border attacks by Islamic State militants in Syria, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said yesterday. Last year Iraqi warplanes carried out at least site in Syria as US ponders reply one strike on Islamic State targets inside Syria, in co-ordination with Reuters be blocked by Russia, which the US-led anti-Islamic State coali- Beirut/UN will put two draft resolutions tion and with the approval of the on Syria of its own to a vote be- Syrian government. “Daesh are cause it does not agree with the present in eastern Syria, at the nternational chemical US text, diplomats said. Iraqi border. I will take all neces- weapons experts will go to “This is basically a diplomatic sary measures if they threaten the Ithe Syrian town of Douma to set-up,” said Richard Gowan, security Iraq,” Abadi told a news investigate a suspected poison a UN expert at the European conference in Baghdad. gas attack, their organisation Council on Foreign Relations. He said he had communicated said yesterday, as the United “Russia will inevitably veto this position to US President Don- States and other Western pow- the US resolution criticising ald Trump on the telephone on ers consider military action over Assad, and Washington will use Sunday. He said he had asked the the incident. this to justify military strikes,” country’s military command “to US President Donald Trump, he said. “A breakdown at the lay out all possible plans, as I am who had been due to travel to UN will also make it easier for keen to protect Iraqi citizens” from Peru on Friday, cancelled a trip France to justify strikes.” cross-border attacks. An expert to Latin America to focus on re- Russian UN ambassador close to the Baghdad govern- sponding to the Syria incident, Vassily Nebenzia accused the ment told Reuters last week that the White House said. United States, France and Brit- Iraq may carry out special forces Trump on Monday warned of ain of stoking international operations against Islamic State a quick, forceful response once tensions by engaging in a “con- militants in Syria. While troops responsibility for the attack was frontational policy” against could be dropped into Syria, the established. Russia and Syria. plan did not at this stage involve France and Britain also dis- France said it would respond sending ground forces over the cussed with the Trump admin- if it was proven that Assad’s border, Hisham al-Hashimi, who istration how to respond to the forces carried out the attack. advises several governments incident. A Russian warplane fl ew over on Islamic State, including Iraq’s, Both stressed that the culprit a French warship at low alti- told Reuters. Iraq has good rela- in the incident still needed to be tude in the eastern Mediterra- tions with Iran and Russia, Syrian confi rmed. nean this weekend, a deliberate President Bashar al-Assad’s main At least 60 people were killed Syrian onlookers gather around rescue teams clearing the rubble in the morning yesterday, at the site of an explosion of unknown origin breach of international regula- backers in the seven-year Syrian and more than 1,000 injured in which wrecked a multi-storey building the previous night in the war-battered country’s northwestern city of Idlib. tions, a French naval source said civil war, while it also has strong Saturday’s suspected attack on yesterday. The weekly magazine support from the US-led coalition. Douma, then still occupied by In Syria, thousands of mili- nesses have said victims showed Any US strike is likely to in- year’s would likely not cause Le Point said the Russian plane rebel forces, according to a Syr- tants and their families arrived in symptoms of poisoning, pos- volve naval assets, given the a shift in the direction of the had fl own over the frigate Aqui- ian relief group. rebel-held parts of the country’s sibly by a nerve agent, and re- risk to aircraft from Russian and war that has gone Assad’s way taine and was fully armed. POLICY Syrian President Bashar al- northwest after surrendering ported the smell of chlorine gas. Syrian air defence systems. since 2015. A European source The Aquitaine is equipped Assad’s government and its ally Douma to government forces. The Assad government and A US Navy guided-missile said European governments with 16 cruise missiles and 16 Bashir orders Russia have said there was no Their evacuation restored Russia both urged the OPCW destroyer, the USS Donald were waiting for the OPCW to surface-to-air missiles. release of all evidence a gas attack had taken Assad’s control over the eastern to investigate the allegations of Cook, is in the Mediterranean. carry out its investigation and It is currently operating off place and that the claim was bo- Ghouta, formerly the biggest chemical weapons use in Dou- French President Emmanuel for more solid forensic evidence Lebanon alongside US ships political prisoners gus. rebel bastion near Damascus, ma, a move apparently aimed at Macron said yesterday that any from the attack to emerge. as part of France’s contingent Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir The incident has thrust and gave him his biggest battle- averting any US-led action. strikes would not target the Syr- Any plan by the United States fi ghting Islamic State militants has ordered the release of all politi- Syria’s seven-year-old con- fi eld victory since 2016, when he “Syria is keen on co-operat- ian government’s allies or any- and its allies to take military ac- in Syria and Iraq. cal prisoners held in the country, fl ict back to the forefront of took back Aleppo. ing with the OPCW to uncover body in particular, but would tion was likely to be on hold un- A previous inquiry by the state news agency SUNA said international concern and pit- The Hague-based Organi- the truth behind the allegations be aimed at the Syrian govern- til then, the source said. United Nations and the OPCW yesterday. The decision came in ted Washington and Moscow sation for the Prohibition of that some Western sides have ment’s chemical facilities. Trump met at the White found the Syrian government response to calls from political against each other again. Chemical Weapons (OPCW) been advertising to justify their Speaking alongside Saudi House with Qatar’s Emir His used the nerve agent sarin in parties and groups that have par- Russia and the United States said Syria had been asked to aggressive intentions,” Syria’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Highness Sheikh Tamim bin an attack in 2017, and had also ticipated in the country’s ongoing were headed for a showdown at make the necessary arrange- state news agency SANA said. Salman, Macron said a decision Hamad al-Thani. Trump gave used chlorine several times as a national dialogue to grant detainees the United Nations over how to ments for the deployment of an Russian Deputy Foreign Min- on whether to carry out military no hints about potential US ac- weapon. the opportunity to engage in the respond to the Douma attack. investigation team. ister Mikhail Bogdanov said strikes would be made in the tion. Despite the international political process, SUNA reported. Aggravating the volatile situ- “The team is preparing to de- there was no threat of the situ- coming days after more consul- The UN Security Council is revulsion over the chemical Bashir, who has ruled Sudan since ation in the region, Iran, Assad’s ploy to Syria shortly,” it said in a ation in Syria resulting in a mili- tations with the United States due to vote on three draft reso- weapons attacks, the death toll 1989, has said he will not stand in other main ally, threatened to statement. tary clash between Russia and and Britain. lutions on chemical weapons from such incidents is in the elections expected in 2020 and respond to an air strike on a The mission will aim to de- the United States. Last year, the United States attacks in Syria later, setting up dozens, a fraction of the hun- appointed a prime minister last Syrian military base on Mon- termine whether banned mu- TASS news agency quoted launched strikes from two Navy a showdown between the Unit- dreds of thousands of combat- year for the first time. “The release day that Tehran, Damascus and nitions were used, but will not him as saying he believed com- destroyers against a Syrian air ed States and Russia. ants and civilians killed since of political prisoners comes to Moscow have blamed on Israel. assign blame. Doctors and wit- mon sense would prevail. base. A US action similar to last The resolution was likely to the war began in 2011. strengthen the spirit of reconcilia- tion, national harmony and peace created by the national dialogue” and as part of “steps to prepare a permanent constitution for the country,” SUNA said. Since 2015 Bashir has held ongoing meetings Israel makes false accusation against Gaza journo with opposition and rebel groups under the banner of a national dialogue, in part to end conflicts in AFP warring regions such as Darfur. Jerusalem Video of soldier shooting Palestinian confi rmed

Israel’s military yesterday confirmed the authenticity of a widely shared RIGHTS srael’s defence minister yes- video showing a soldier shoot a Palestinian on the Gaza border followed UN decries ‘horror’ terday accused a Palestinian by rejoicing, actions that have added to scrutiny of the army’s use of live Ijournalist killed by the army fire. The video comes at a highly sensitive time for Israel’s military, which suff ered by during protests along the Gaza has faced mounting criticism over its use of live fire on the Gaza Strip thousands in Libya border of having been a member border, where 31 Palestinians have been killed since late March as mass of the military wing of Hamas. protests have led to clashes. But the army alleged that the December Untold thousands of men, women The claim was immediately 22 shooting in the video it said left the Palestinian with a leg wound and children are being held in rejected by one of Yasser Mur- followed rioting and warnings from troops. Palestinians said it was proof horrific conditions in Libya by taja’s colleagues, who called the that Gazans were being shot along the border fence while posing no armed groups who subject them statement “ridiculous.” threat to soldiers. Israeli right-wing ministers meanwhile defended the to torture and other abuses, a Minister Avigdor Lieberman actions of the soldiers in the video, which began to spread widely on UN report said yesterday. Fresh told journalists Murtaja held a Monday night. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the sniper de- findings from the UN rights off ice “rank similar to captain.” served a medal — but that the soldier who filmed it should be demoted. and the UN Support Mission in He said the journalist had The army said in a statement that “the video depicts a short part of Libya (UNSMIL) found that Libya been paid by Hamas since 2011 the response to a violent riot, which included rock hurling and at- was plagued by “widespread, and had used a drone to collect tempts to sabotage the security fence, and lasted about two hours.” It prolonged arbitrary and unlawful information on Israeli forces alleged the warnings including firing into the air were ignored. “A sin- detention and endemic human along the border. gle bullet was fired towards one of the Palestinians who is suspected rights abuses in custody.” He did not produce evidence of organising and leading this incident while he was a few metres Since renewed hostilities broke for the claims and did not say from the fence,” it said. out in 2014, armed groups on all whether Murtaja had fl own a Palestinian women hold balloons at the site where tents are pitched in support of refugees returning to sides have rounded up suspected drone during Friday’s clashes, land they fled or were expelled from during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation, near the border, opponents, critics, activists, medi- when he was shot. east of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, yesterday. Israeli forces have killed 31 The army says its troops cal professionals, journalists and Murtaja was wearing a press Palestinians since March 30 in only open fire to stop attempts politicians, yesterday’s report said. vest when he was hit a few hun- the Gaza media scene, working with Murtaja, said Lieberman’s “They killed a journalist and protests and clashes along the to damage the fence, infiltra- “This report lays bare not only dred metres from the border for the local production com- statements were “ridiculous should confess it is a crime.” border with Gaza, which has tions, bids to carry out attacks the appalling abuses and viola- during the protests, witnesses pany Ain Media. comments that are not worth Murtaja’s funeral was at- been blockaded for a decade. and at those seeking to harm tions experienced by Libyans said. He worked on documentaries responding to.” tended by Hamas’ leader Ismail Israel has rejected calls from soldiers. deprived of their liberty, but the The army has not said if he published on Al Jazeera and with “Yasser has been working Haniya. He regularly attends the European Union, United Israel has fought three wars sheer horror and arbitrariness of was deliberately targeted or hit the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. for years in the press and mak- funerals of those killed in con- Nations chief Antonio Guterres with Hamas since 2008 and says such detentions,” UN rights chief by accident. Rushdi al-Serraj, director ing fi lms for the United Nations, fl ict with Israel, even if they are and other for an independent the blockade of Gaza is neces- Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said in a Murtaja was well known in at Ain Media and co-founder China and others,” he said. not members of the movement. investigation into the deaths. sary to isolate the movement. statement. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 11 AMERICAS

IN THE DOCK ELECTION POLITICS INDICTED INVESTIGATION Canadian vice admiral in Mexico allows independent Rousseff seeks ‘international Farc says peace process at Texas serial bombing victims court over leak charge ‘Bronco’ run for president solidarity’ for jailed Lula risk after arrest of ex-rebel appear not to be linked

The former second in command of Canada’s A court yesterday ruled that controversial Brazil’s former president Dilma Rousseff yesterday Colombia’s peace deal with the former Farc rebels The victims of the Austin serial bombing attacks military appeared briefly in court yesterday to independent candidate Jaime ‘The Bronco’ called for “international solidarity” with her is at risk of failure after the arrest of a soon-to-be that killed two people last month do not appear face a charge that he leaked cabinet secrets Rodriguez can run for president, even though predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who was congressman from the now-political party on to have been linked, a US attorney said on related to navy shipbuilding plans. Vice-Admiral electoral authorities found he failed to collect jailed over the weekend on a corruption conviction. drug traff icking charges, the group said yesterday. Monday, adding that the bomber, who killed Mark Norman, 54, wearing his navy uniform and the required signatures. Rodriguez will now be Lula, 72, remains the leftist Workers’ Party Seusis Hernandez, known by his nom de guerre himself as police closed in, likely acted alone. medals pinned to his blazer, did not enter a plea. the fifth candidate on the ballot for the July 1 candidate for Brazil’s October presidential election Jesus Santrich, was indicted by US grand jury for Bomber Mark Conditt, 23, an unemployed man Instead, defence lawyer Marie Heinen pushed election, along with veteran leftist Andres Manuel though his incarceration casts doubts on whether conspiring with three others to export 10 tonnes from the Austin suburb of Pflugerville, died on for an expedited process. “I’m anxious to get to Lopez Obrador, the front-runner; conservative he can legally run for off ice. “We need international of cocaine, worth $320mn in street value, to the March 21 after detonating a explosive device as court, get this dealt with as quickly as possible Ricardo Anaya; ruling-party candidate Jose solidarity,” Rousseff , who was impeached in 2016 for United States, Colombia’s attorney general said police ran toward his vehicle in an Austin suburb. and get back to serving the people of Canada,” Antonio Meade; and former first lady Margarita allegedly falsifying public accounts, told a conference on Monday. He will remain in Colombian custody “The investigation into motive and intent is Norman said following the court appearance. Zavala, a fellow independent. Mexico’s electoral in Madrid. She warned that “Brazilian democracy is at until a US request for extradition is formalised, ongoing. I have not seen information so far to Norman, who was second in command of the court ruled that the National Electoral Institute risk” because of the “parliamentary coup” which led the attorney general said. Hernandez was a rebel believe that there is a common link between the military prior to being relieved of duty in January erred in not letting Rodriguez contest its March to her impeachment and replacement as president negotiator for more than four years at peace victims,” John Bash, US attorney for the Western 2017, faces up to five years in prison, if convicted. decision to exclude him from the ballot. by her conservative vice president Michel Temer. talks between the government and the Farc. District of Texas, told a news conference. Trump slams ‘Angry face’ protest FBI raids on his lawyer

Reuters appointed last year by the Jus- encourage open communications Washington tice Department to investigate between lawyers and their cli- alleged Russian meddling in the ents, so that lawyers can provide 2016 election and potential col- sound legal advice. S President Donald lusion by Trump’s campaign. But the privilege is not abso- Trump yesterday reprised Critics have said that if Trump lute, and there is an exception for Uhis angry attacks on law tried to remove Mueller it would communications made to further enforcement following FBI raids amount to interference in the in- a crime. targeting his personal lawyer that vestigation. Senate Democratic Leader were related to a federal investi- “It would be suicide for the Chuck Schumer renewed a call gation into possible collusion president to want to talk about by his party for bipartisan legis- by Trump campaign aides with fi ring Mueller. The less the presi- lation to protect the US special Moscow. dent said on this whole thing, counsel. In two brief Twitter messages, the better off he would be, the Moscow has denied US intel- Trump lamented that “attorney- stronger his presidency would ligence agencies’ fi ndings that it Chelsea Hornick-Becker of Avaaz.org holds a protest sign in front of dozens of cardboard cut-outs of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg client privilege is dead,” and de- be,” Republican US Senator meddled in the 2016 presidential outside of the US Capitol Building in Washington yesterday. nounced a “total witch hunt,” Chuck Grassley said in an inter- campaign and sought to tilt the apparently restating his long- view on the Fox Business Net- race in Trump’s favour. held view of Special Counsel work. Trump has denied any collu- Robert Mueller’s investigation. Grassley is chairman of the sion by his campaign. He did not elaborate. Senate Judiciary Committee, Mueller’s probe has so far led FBI agents executed a series of which is among congressional to fi ve people, including four search warrants on Michael Co- panels conducting their own connected to Trump, pleading Trump’s homeland security adviser hen’s offi ce and home on Monday, Russia probes. guilty to charges, many of them law enforcement offi cials said. Frank Montoya, a former sen- related to making false state- One source said Cohen was ior FBI offi cial, said it was ex- ments to investigators. under investigation for activity tremely rare for the bureau to get Mueller has also charged Bossert resigns on Bolton request including possible bank and tax the authority to search a lawyer’s Trump’s former campaign chair- fraud and possible campaign law offi ce, let alone a residence. man, Paul Manafort, who has violations. “No question, a search warrant pleaded not guilty, and 13 Rus- Reuters Bolton’s arrival at the White House also previous national security advisers Michael The searches, which Trump for a lawyer is an extraordinary sian nationals and three Russian Washington prompted the departure of Trump’s na- Flynn and H R McMaster, White House denounced on Monday as dis- act,” he told Reuters. entities. tional security council spokesman, Michael Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, communica- graceful, were a dramatic new “Factor in that, in this in- Cohen has come under scru- Anton. tions directors Hope Hicks and Anthony development in a series of probes stance, it was the president’s tiny over a $130,000 payment resident Donald Trump’s homeland The partial purge raised concern from Scaramucci, economic adviser Gary Cohn involving associates of the Re- own attorney. Unprecedented.” he made shortly before the security adviser, Tom Bossert, has re- Democratic Senator Chris Coons, a member and chief strategist Steve Bannon. publican president. Montoya said the warrant re- 2016 election to adult-fi lm ac- Psigned at the request of new national of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, “The raid is seismic,” Demo- garding Cohen would have re- tress Stormy Daniels, who has security adviser John Bolton, an adminis- who told CNN Bolton “seems to be swiftly health secretary Tom Price and Veterans cratic US Senator Richard Blu- quired rigorous scrutiny above said that she once had sex with tration offi cial said yesterday, marking the moving to eliminate or to move toward an Aff airs secretary David Shulkin have also menthal, a former US attorney, and beyond the normal warrant Trump and was paid to keep qui- latest departure from the White House of a early retirement several of the president’s left. told MSNBC yesterday, adding process. et about it. senior adviser. advisers.” Bossert was socializing with US intelli- that such searches by the Federal “Everyone involved in this Last week, Trump said he did Bossert, a former deputy national securi- Jamil Jaff er, a former chief counsel to gence offi cials and reporters at a conference Bureau of Investigation indicate process, including the judge who not know about the payment. ty adviser to president George W Bush, had the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a coastal island off Georgia on Monday the possibility that a crime was signed the warrant, understood “A well-regarded Republican overseen the administration’s response to and associate counsel to Bush, said it was a night, according to two people who were committed. the scrutiny that would follow its appointed US Atty (attorney) the Hurricane Maria disaster in Puerto Rico, “huge mistake” to force Bossert out. present. The investigations have execution,” he said. obtaining valid search warrants, as well as cybersecurity policy. “Tom is a very smart and highly skilled One of the two people said Bossert gave dogged Trump since he took of- “As such, everyone in the approved by a judge, that are An offi cial said Bolton, who started his new national security leader who has been a bea- no indication he was leaving the adminis- fi ce last year, prompting him to process would have done their then...carried out by career, up- role on Monday, urged Bossert’s departure. con of principle, capability, and discipline in tration, but at one point joked that he was publicly criticise Attorney Gen- damnedest to make the warrant standing FBI agents doing their “The president is grateful for Tom’s com- an otherwise chaotic White House,” he said unsure of his future “like everyone else who eral Jeff Sessions for recusing as bulletproof as possible.” job to search for the truth is NOT mitment to the safety and security of our in a statement. works for Trump.” himself from the Russia inves- Cohen’s lawyer, Stephen M A WITCH HUNT. Period,” said great country,” White House spokeswoman “Letting Bossert go at a time of height- Bossert was generally well respected by tigation, and to suggest peri- Ryan, said on Monday prosecu- Michael Avenatti, a lawyer for Sarah Sanders said in a statement. ened threats and when there is signifi cant cyber security experts, who viewed him as a odically that he might try to have tors seized communications be- Daniels. “Tom led the White House’s eff orts to churn on the overall national security team knowledgeable voice. Mueller dismissed. tween Cohen and his clients based Cohen’s lawyer Ryan said on protect the homeland from terrorist threats, is a yet another unforced error.” Rob Joyce, the White House’s cyber se- Monday’s events renewed in part on a referral by Mueller. Monday the raid was inappropri- strengthen our cyber defenses, and respond Bossert joins a long list of senior offi - curity czar, who reported to Bossert, is still concerns that Trump could try The attorney-client privilege ate and that Cohen has cooper- to an unprecedented series of natural disas- cials who have resigned or been fi red since working in the administration, a White to act against Mueller, who was Trump referred to is intended to ated with authorities. ters,” she said. Trump took offi ce in January 2017, including House offi cial said.

Texas to deploy troops to Mexico border 111-year-old WW2 veteran gets African-American museum tour AFP El Paso The oldest US veteran of World War II, the 111-year-old grandson of a slave, exas will send more than 1,000 has received an exclusive tour of the National Guard troops to the US- National Museum of African American TMexico border, in response to History and Culture after being flown President Donald Trump’s call for the to Washington on a private jet by a military deployment to the southern wealthy benefactor. frontier, the state announced yesterday. Richard Overton, who turns 112 next An initial 250 Texas military person- month is believed to be the oldest man nel were sent to the border over the in the United States and the third-oldest weekend. in the world. The Texas Military Department said Overton grew up in Texas, where the initial deployment was command his grandfather, a former slave, settled and planning staff , along with support after being granted his freedom in Ten- aircraft, vehicles and other equipment. nessee. He served in the Pacific during The department yesterday an- World War II in an all-black battalion nounced it would activate 300 reserve and worked in a furniture store after troops this week, and each of the fol- the war. lowing weeks, for a total of more than On Sunday, Overton took a private 1,000 troops. Members of the Arizona National Guard listen to instructions on Monday at the tour of the African-American museum “The number of people coming Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix. in Washington thanks to Robert Smith, across the border has increased more a billionaire businessman and investor than 200% over this time last year,” The additional troops will be tasked The defence department said the who is richest African-American in the Governor Greg Abbott said in a state- with assisting border patrol agents by troops would not carry out law en- country, according to Forbes magazine. ment. carrying out surveillance, communica- forcement activities without federal Volma Overton, a cousin, told AFP A November 11, 2013, file photo of Richard Overton is applauded during a “The addition of National Guard on tions, and other tasks. The US Defense approval and would be armed for self- that Smith met with Richard Overton Veteran’s Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. the border has proven to have a mean- Department last week signed an order defence when necessary. on Friday in Austin, Texas, where they ingful impact to reduce the fl ow of peo- calling for as many as 4,000 National Trump has indicated he might keep both live. Smith came by his house to visit Rich- The Washington Post said that dur- ple and illegal activities coming across Guard personnel to assist at the south- troops at the border until his promised Smith, who donated about $20mn to ard for the first time,” he said. ing the tour, Richard Overton received the border.” ern border. National Guard troops are border wall is built. the museum, made the arrangements “He sat and talked to Richard about a call from Colin Powell, the former US Texas already had approximately 100 normally commanded by governors. The deployment has heightened ten- “for us to have a personal tour, a special two hours on Richard’s porch, and he secretary of state and ex-general who troops at the border prior to Trump’s The border state of Arizona has also sions with Mexico, whose President tour,” Volma Overton said. said: ‘Would you like to go to DC to see was the first African-American to serve request. They were fi rst activated in responded to the federal request, de- Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday ordered “We never thought about going to the museum? What about tomorrow?’ as chairman of the US military’s Joint 2014 and have been serving in an “ob- ploying 225 members of its Guard on a review of its bi-lateral co-operation the museum any time lately, but Mr “It happened just like that.” Chiefs of Staff . Reuters serve and support” role, offi cials said. Monday. with the US. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 AFRICA

ACCIDENT ILLEGAL LOGGING SHELTERS BURNT EULOGY NEW BROOM 17 dead as Kenya bus 3 Gambians arrested for 14 injured in new fires at Winnie Mandela ‘hated Sierra Leone gets national plunges into river Senegal guard’s murder Nigeria displaced camp corruption’: Ramaphosa cleanup day

At least 17 people died yesterday after their bus Three Gambian men suspected of murdering a At least 14 people sustained burns in a fresh South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Sierra Leone’s new President Julius Maada Bio plunged into a river in Kenya, local off icials said. forest guard in Senegal’s troubled southern region outbreak of fires at a camp housing tens of yesterday paid tribute to the late anti-apartheid has announced that the first Saturday of each According to authorities, the driver lost control of Casamance have been arrested, a Gambian police thousands of people displaced by Boko Haram icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at a memorial month will be “national cleaning day,” as part of a while trying to avoid a head-on collision with an spokesman told AFP in Banjul yesterday. Senegalese militants in northeast Nigeria, according to an aid service in her home town, ahead of her state campaign to improve hygiene and the work rate oncoming vehicle. The accident happened while authorities and Gambian police said Moustapha agency. The outbreak comes just two weeks after funeral this weekend. Ramaphosa lauded of civil servants. The measures were announced the bus was travelling from western Homa Bay Gueye, a guard at Niaming forest on the Senegalese a blaze at the camp, located at Rann, about 175km Madikizela-Mandela for her role in the fight against by the president’s off ice late on Monday, two county to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Narok side of the border, was killed last week in a village east of the Borno state capital Maiduguri, killed the white racist regime, noting that she was days after a rally in which Bio, a former general County Commissioner George Natembeya said in a region popular with tourists but where illegal five people. “There have been three separate fires tortured, placed in solitary confinement, banished who was briefly in power in the 1990s, said he more than 40 people were rushed to hospital for cross-border logging of Casamance timber has reported,” stated a memo seen by AFP from the and kept apart from her husband during his own would be a stickler for “discipline”. “A National treatment. He said the accident occurred after sparked tension. “The police have arrested Ali Gai, UN Off ice for the Coordination of Humanitarian 27 years in prison. However she never gave up, the Cleaning Day is declared and scheduled for a person, who was controlling traff ic near the Assan Sallah and Abdoulie Boye following the death Aff airs circulated among international aid president said. “Mama Winnie hated corruption the first Saturday of each month, from 7am to bridge the bus was travelling on, sent a wrong of a Senegalese forest guard,” police spokesman agencies in Maiduguri. The incidents resulted in and this new demon called state corruption and 12noon,” it said in a statement. “The first National signal. Off icial statistics show that around 3,000 David Kujabie said, adding police at Bansang in “reported 14 injuries (and) estimates that over state capture,” Ramaphosa said at a memorial Cleaning Day scheduled by the ministry of health people die annually on Kenyan roads. the Central River Region were investigating. 1,000 shelters have been burned,” said the memo. service in Mbizana in Eastern Cape province. aff airs is Saturday, May 5.”

Zimbabwe invites Art exposition West to observe election for fi rst time since 2002

Reuters Parliament summons Harare Robert Mugabe over diamond mining imbabwe will invite A committee of lawmakers in Western powers to Zimbabwe is to summon former Zmonitor its national president Robert Mugabe elections for the fi rst time to testify at a probe into lost in more than 15 years, of- revenue from diamond mining, fi cial papers showed yes- a legislator said yesterday. terday, ending a ban im- The lawmakers plan to question posed by veteran former Mugabe over his 2016 claim that leader Robert Mugabe. the country had lost $15bn in The vote, scheduled for income from diamonds due to cor- July, is seen is a major test ruption and foreign exploitation. for President Emmerson Mugabe — whose own Mnangagwa’s democratic regime was accused of siphon- credentials since he came ing off diamond profits — was to power in November after ousted last November after a a de facto army coup ousted military takeover that ushered 94-year-old Mugabe. his former deputy, Emmerson Zimbabwe will invite the Mnangagwa, to power. United States, the Euro- “The committee resolved pean Union’s Commission to call the former president and parliament, Australia to testify,” Temba Mliswa, an and the Commonwealth independent lawmaker who among 46 countries and chairs parliament’s committee 15 organisations, a list re- on mines and energy, told AFP. leased by the foreign aff airs “He was the president, and ministry showed. we want to know where he was The countries and getting the $15 bn figure (from).” groups on the list were all He said no date had yet been previously banned from set to call Mugabe to testify. watching elections in 2002 after Mugabe accused them of favouring his opponents. The West slapped sanctions on Mu- Visitors look at a painting by Spanish painter Angel Mateo Charris displayed during an exhibition at the Musee des Civilisations de Cote d’Ivoire (Museum of Civilisations of Ivory gabe and members of his inner circle, accusing them of rigging a Coast) in Abidjan. series of votes — charges they denied. Joey Bimha, permanent secretary at the foreign ministry, said the invitations would be sent out soon but declined to give more details. The election will pit Mnangagwa against a clutch of opponents including 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa from the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change. It will be the fi rst time that Mugabe has not been on the ballot since independence from Britain in 1980. Former presidents embroiled in Comoros passport sale scandal

By Aboubacar Mchangama, AFP United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, to several major economies includ- the report said, roughly the equiv- “President Sambi did not see Moroni give citizenship to stateless individu- ing Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong alent of 80% of the country’s gross anything of this scandal,” said one als from the Gulf known as bidoons. Kong. domestic product. of his former ministers, Ahmed el- In return, Comoros — an archi- The passports were extensively Ex-president Sambi received a Barwane. wo former Comoros presi- pelago between Mozambique and traded on the black market, profi t- “gratuity” of $105mn for signing “It’s a commission intended to dents are suspected of em- Madagascar and one of the world’s ing “parallel mafi a networks which off on the deal while Kiwan pock- get at someone or to silence some- Tbezzling millions of dollars poorest countries — was expected sold them under the cover of eco- eted $29mn for “encouraging” it, one,” he said, adding that Sambi from a scheme that sold passports to receive signifi cant investment nomic citizenship,” the report said. according to lawmakers. remained a contender for presi- to foreigners to fi nance develop- from the oil-rich nations. Former president Sambi’s neph- The “investment for passports” dential polls due in 2020. ment in the Indian Ocean island The initial deal agreed that ew “was able to go and print as scheme, suspended by current Some fear that the revelations nation. 4,000 bidoon families would be- many passports as he wanted” at a President Azali Assoumani follow- will not be followed with concrete A parliamentary report com- come naturalised Comorians in contractor’s facility in Belgium. ing his 2016 election victory, had action. piled in December and seen by AFP return for $200mn to be used for Most of the money paid for the been criticised from its inception. “In my opinion it will be buried,” accuses Ahmed Abdallah Sambi major infrastructure projects. passports — between 25,000 and Ex-presidents Sambi and Dhoi- said an adviser to president As- and Ikililou Dhoinine of involve- Over the following years, almost 200,000 euros — was stolen, ac- nine vehemently denied the accu- soumani who spoke to AFP on the ment in systematic fraud and calls 48,000 passports were issued un- cording to the parliamentary sations when they gave evidence to condition of anonymity. for criminal action against the pair. der the programme, according to probe. the parliamentary inquiry. The report was submitted to the “The courts must take up cases data collected by the parliamen- “The programme generated “We had fi nancial diffi culties president last week, said federal of embezzlement of public funds tary inquiry — but just a handful signifi cant fi scal resources. Un- and we were told that the pro- parliament speaker Abdou Ous- and conspiracy in which presi- were issued to bidoons. fortunately, a good chunk of the gramme could enable us to carry seni. dents and their associates are im- However more than 6,000 pass- proceeds never arrived in state cof- out projects,” Dhoinine told the “Our role was to understand plicated,” the report said. ports were sold “outside the legal fers,” said the fi ndings. “The state commission. what had happened, what follows The scandal dates back to 2008 channels”, the report said. has ended up a laughing stock.” “But it wasn’t clear,” he said, “no is down to the executive and the when Comoros launched a pro- Comoros-issued passports en- The state is thought to have one knew, not myself in any case, judiciary,” he wrote in the govern- gramme, in co-operation with the title holders to visa-free travel to missed out on as much as $971mn, what was happening.” ment-run Al Watan newspaper. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Vietnam activists accuse Facebook of censoring content

AFP party state where independent imposter accounts, but made no rights activists and citizen jour- ond only to China in all of Asia. or humiliating others with curse The letter to Zuckerberg Hanoi media is banned and blog sites explicit mention of anti-regime nalists in Vietnam,” it added. Activist Le Van Son, who signed words.” Vietnam announced last comes amid deepening con- are routinely removed. material. The group said that several the letter, told AFP his Facebook year a 10,000-strong military troversy at Facebook over pri- The letter to the head of the “It would appear that after Facebook posts were censored page is frequently censored and cyber force tasked with fi ghting vacy and security lapses after group of 50 Vietnamese world’s largest social media this high-profi le agreement to last week during a high-profi le his profi le was taken down tem- “wrongful views” online. the revelation that British fi rm activists and rights or- platform was signed by 50 or- co-ordinate with a government trial of six democracy activists porarily last week after he post- Activists have said the on- Cambridge Analytica — which A ganisations have written ganisations, activists and blog- that is known for suppressing who were handed heavy sen- ed in support of the activists on line brigade, dubbed ‘Force 47’, worked with Donald Trump’s an open letter to Facebook chief gers who said they have seen an expression online and jailing tences for “attempting to over- trial. has fl ooded their sites with pro- campaign — hijacked data on Mark Zuckerberg suggesting his uptick in “account suspensions activists, the problem of ac- throw the state”. “My Facebook account re- government commentary and millions of users. Vietnam was company may be colluding with and content takedown” since count suspension and content Vietnamese offi cials and Fa- fl ects my critical opinions and harassment. among 10 countries aff ected by communist authorities to scrub last year. takedown has only grown more cebook did not immediately re- enables my right to talk about Unlike in China, Vietnam the breach, according to a Fa- out online dissent. Vietnam’s government said acute,” said the letter published ply to requests for comment. In- democracy, press freedom and does not employ a Firewall to cebook blog post last week say- Vietnam ranks among Face- in April 2017 that Facebook has late Monday. ternet in the country is classifi ed freedom of expression in Viet- block major social media sites, ing that data from more than book’s top 10 users by numbers agreed to remove “bad and mali- “We urge you to reconsider as “not free”, according to web nam,” said Son. “I have never although Facebook access is 420,000 users in Vietnam may and the site is hugely popular cious” content that violates lo- your company’s aggressive prac- watchdog Freedom House, the violated regulations by posting sometimes interrupted during have been improperly shared among dissidents in the one- cal laws, including fake news and tices that could silence human worst in Southeast Asia and sec- racy pictures, false information protests in the country. with Cambridge Analytica. Kim makes fi rst offi cial mention of US-N Korea talks

AFP fi cials Monday, Kim discussed silent since its leader’s invitation hopefully there will be a deal on Seoul the “development of the north- to talks was delivered to Trump denuking,” he said. “Hopefully it south relations at present and by South Korean offi cials last will be a relationship that will be the prospect of the DPRK-US month. much diff erent than it has been orth Korea’s leader Kim dialogue”, the offi cial KCNA As offi cials in Washington for many, many years.” Jong-un discussed fu- news agency said, referring to the scrambled to prepare for the North Korea’s recent frenetic Nture talks with the US at North by its offi cial acronym. prospective meeting, the weeks- diplomatic activity marks a stun- a party meeting, state media re- He delivered a report “on the long silence had reportedly made ning turnaround after a year of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attending the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ ported yesterday, in his fi rst of- development of the recent situ- the White House nervous that heightened tensions which saw Party of Korea in Pyongyang. fi cial mention of dialogue with ation on the Korean peninsula”, Seoul had overstated the North’s the North fi re multiple missiles Washington ahead of a planned including the separate summit willingness to negotiate over its and carry out its most powerful on Monday after making stops of groundwork that usually pre- a nuclear-armed North Korea. summit with President Donald with South Korea to be held later own nuclear arsenal. nuclear test, further isolating the in Beijing, Azerbaijan and other cedes such meetings. No specif- That means it wants to see “com- Trump. this month, it said. In a growing Kim’s remarks on Monday regime and triggering a fi ery war former Soviet republics. ics have yet emerged concerning plete, verifi able, and irreversible” Trump agreed last month to rapprochement on the Korean break that public silence, al- of words with Trump. Ri also paid a visit last month the date or venue of the proposed denuclearisation — a very high a landmark summit with the peninsula, Kim is scheduled to though he did not specifi cally Since sending a high-profi le to Sweden, which acts as a diplo- summit, with a third country bar. nuclear-armed North — which meet the South’s president Moon refer to a “summit” with Trump. delegation along with athletes to matic go-between for Washing- such as Mongolia or Sweden The North has previously de- would be the fi rst between a sit- Jae-in for a rare inter-Korean Following multiple media the Winter Games in the South ton and Pyongyang. If the sum- under consideration to host the manded the withdrawal of US ting US president and a North summit on April 27. reports of back-channel talks in February, Kim has made his mit does take place, many remain talks, according to multiple re- troops based in the South and the Korean leader — but no specifi c Trump has agreed to meet Kim between the Cold War rivals, international debut with a visit sceptical about the whether a ports. Beyond that, a detailed end of the security alliance be- dates or venue have been set, for a historic US-North Korean Trump said Monday he planned to Beijing — his fi rst overseas meeting between the two no- agenda for the talks will need to tween Seoul and Washington — with questions mounting over summit to discuss denuclearisa- to meet Kim in “May or early trip since taking power in 2011. toriously unpredictable leaders be set. an extraordinary concession that Pyongyang’s participation. tion as soon as next month. But June”. “I think there will be great The North’s Foreign Minister can succeed. It is scheduled to Washington’s long-held it is hard to imagine any previous At the meeting of party of- the North had remained publicly respect paid by both parties and Ri Yong-ho arrived in Moscow take place without the months stance is that it will not accept US president acceding to.

Six Myanmar USS Theodore Roosevelt transits South China Sea migrant workers Australian linked killed in Thailand bus to fake ‘Black Lives’ crash Six migrant workers from Facebook page Myanmar were killed when a double-decker bus they were travelling in crashed into a AFP questions about the integrity ditch in Thailand, the second Sydney of Facebook’s platform and the fatal accident in as many content hosted there. A senior weeks involving migrants. Up Australia’s National Union of to 3mn people from poorer high-level Australian Workers fi gure — who is white neighbour Myanmar work union offi cial was sus- — was linked to the fake page in Thailand, many in menial Apended yesterday amid and other black rights web- jobs, with their remittances claims he was involved in a fake sites by the broadcaster. The home contributing 5% of gross “Black Lives Matter” Facebook union, which represents work- domestic product, the World page that raked in thousands of ers across various industries, Bank estimates. dollars in donations. Broad- said two people had been sus- Some rights groups say the caster CNN reported that the pended. migrant workers face harsh fake page had almost 700,000 “The NUW has launched an working conditions, and Thai- followers —more than twice as investigation into claims made land tightened rules for work many as the offi cial Black Lives by a CNN report and has sus- permits last year. The bus was Matter page — before it was pended the relevant offi cials travelling late on Monday from suspended. pending the outcome of an the border town of Mae Sot to It allegedly ran fundrais- investigation,” National Sec- the province of Chachoengsao, ing campaigns earning more retary Tim Kennedy said in a a farming hub near Bangkok, than US$100,000, purportedly statement. the capital. for Black Lives Matters causes Black Lives Matter is an ac- in the United States. CNN tivist organisation set up in claimed that some of the mon- the United States to campaign Japanese man, ey was transferred to Austral- against violence and racism An F-18 fighter, on patrol, lands on the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, transiting the South China Sea. ian bank accounts, raising new against black people. 112, is world’s oldest male

A 112-year-old Japanese man born months before Albert Einstein published his theory of special relativity was recog- Scandal clouds darken for Abe ahead of Trump summit nised yesterday as the world’s oldest man. Masazo Nonaka, Reuters a former Abe aide, Tadao Yanase, isterial matter”. The Asahi news- prove its previous statements born on July 25, 1905, took Tokyo had told local authorities in 2015 paper cited a document it said were correct. Victory in the Sep- the title after Francisco Nunez that a plan by Abe’s friend for a appeared to have been prepared tember party poll would set Abe, Olivera of Spain died this year veterinary school in a govern- by Ehime offi cials. who took offi ce in 2012 pledging at the aged 113, Guinness cronyism scandal em- ment-designated deregulation Ehime’s governor later told to reboot the economy and bol- World Records said. A farmer broiling the Japanese zone was a “prime ministerial reporters that the memo had ster defence, on track to become and lumberjack in his youth, Aprime minister deepened matter” and they should work been prepared by one or more Japan’s longest-serving premier. Nonaka later ran a hot spring yesterday ahead of a summit with hard to realise it. prefectural officials, NHK pub- Support for Abe’s cabinet fell inn in his hometown of Ashoro, US President Donald Trump with Abe has denied that he ever lic TV and Kyodo news agency six points to 38% in a weekend on Hokkaido island, 900km a memo media said suggested an instructed offi cials to give pref- reported. survey by broadcaster NHK, north of Tokyo, and raised two ex-aide had helped win approval erential treatment to his friend, The content of the memo as while his disapproval rate rose sons and three daughters. for a friend of the premier to set Kotaro Kake, the director of reported by NHK and Kyodo seven points to 45%, topping his Nonaka enjoys dipping in a up a veterinary school. school operator Kake Gakuen, matched that carried by the Asa- approval rate for the fi rst time in spa and is fond of sweets, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s who wanted to open the school hi newspaper. half a year. especially a strawberry sponge ratings have been hit by several — Japan’s fi rst new veterinary The aff air, which emerged last Abe has also denied that he cake. He was joined at an scandals over suspected favour- school in more than 50 years. year, is one of several suspected or his wife intervened in the award ceremony yesterday itism and cover-ups, raising Yanase, now a senior offi cial at cronyism scandals and cover- sale of state-owned land to an- by relatives and off icials. The questions about how long he can the Ministry of Economic, Trade ups eroding Abe’s support as he other school operator, Moritomo Guinness World Records title stay in power and his goal of re- and Industry, said in a statement Shinzo Abe eyes a third term as ruling Lib- Gakuen, which had ties to Abe’s for the oldest man who ever vising Japan’s post-war, pacifi st he had no memory of meeting eral Democratic Party leader in a wife, Akie. lived is held by another Japan constitution. authorities in Ehime prefecture nary schools. Kake Gakuen got ture or Imabari City,” Yanase said September vote. Doubts over the sale deepened man, Jiroemon Kimura, who His domestic troubles are or the city of Imabari to discuss approval to open the school in a in a statement. Opposition lawmakers re- on Monday when a fi nance min- died in 2013 at the age of 116 mounting ahead of the meeting the project. special economic zone in Ima- Yanase added that since the peated calls for Abe to resign, and istry offi cial said another cialoffi years and 54 days. The great- with Trump next week and an Economic zone status exempts bari. concrete selection process began Shigeru Ishiba, an ex-cabinet had proposed crafting a cover est authenticated age for any expected onslaught over Japan’s some localities from national “I met many people every day after he left his post as Abe’s aide, minister eyeing a challenge to story with the school operator human is 122 years, 164 days trade policies. regulations such as, in this case, but as far as I recall, I did not he could not have told outsiders Abe, told reporters the govern- to justify the steeply discounted by Jeanne Louise Calment of The Asahi newspaper said that limits on the number of veteri- meet people from Ehime prefec- that the issue was a “prime min- ment had the responsibility to price. France, who died in 1997. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 BRITAIN/IRELAND

DECISION OFFBEAT PROPOSAL ARCHAEOLOGY VERDICT British Gas to hike bills for Campers mistaken for £1bn ‘peace theme park’ Jaw bone fossil ‘was of Man jailed for bid to millions of customers suicide pact members plan for Silvertown huge ancient reptile’ get drugs into prison

Millions of families were yesterday facing higher Emergency services mounted a full-scale res- An Indian billionaire has launched an extraordi- A jawbone fossil found on a rocky English beach A man who planned to smuggle 19 mobile energy bills as British Gas upped its benchmark cue operation, including fire engines, ambu- nary bid to take control of a site at the centre of belongs to one of the biggest marine animals phones and drugs worth £23,000 over the wall of tariff by 5.5%. It will add £60 to a typical household lances and lifeboats, after a passerby thought one of London’s biggest regeneration plans and on record, a type of seagoing reptile called an Pentonville prison has been jailed. Joshua Lewis, “dual fuel” bill, raising it to £1,161 a year. The new a group of heavy metal fans out camping build a £1bn “peace theme park”. Media tycoon Dr ichthyosaur that scientists estimated at up to 85 25, admitted trying to sneak MDMA, cocaine, prices come into eff ect on May 29 and aff ect were involved in a suicide pact. The three Subhash Chandra said he was in advanced talks feet long - approaching the size of a blue whale. cannabis, psychoactive substances as well as the 4.1mn customers of Britain’s biggest energy men were sitting around a camp fire on an about buying the 62-acre Silvertown site in the Scientists said this ichthyosaur, which appears to mobiles over the perimeter wall using a hook supplier who are still on the “default” standard island in Loch Leven, Perthshire on Sunday Royal Docks centred on the derelict Millennium be the largest marine reptile ever discovered, lived and line. After off icers spotted a length of string variable tariff (SVT). British Gas, owned by Centrica, night, as their children slept in a tent, when Mills building. Chandra, India’s 19th richest man 205mn years ago at the end of the Triassic Period, hanging over the wall they waited and saw Lewis blamed rising wholesale costs and the burden they saw the lights from police boats rushing with a fortune of $5bn (£3.5 billion) hopes to talk dominating the oceans just as dinosaurs were approach in the early hours of August 13, 2016. of Government policy decisions for the increase. across the water towards them. “For some to Sadiq Khan about his vision. He said his com- becoming the undisputed masters on land. The He fled but dropped two bags containing the Mark Hodges, chief executive of Centrica Con- reason the police had received a tip that we pany, the Essel Group, would invest more than bone, called a surangular, was part of its lower jaw. contraband and his own mobile. Lewis was identi- sumer, said: “We are not raising prices for 3.7mn might be in grave danger and they came to £1bn in a cultural centre highlighting the achieve- The researchers estimated the animal’s length by fied from DNA on the phone and was arrested customers, including those on fixed-term deals, on rescue us,” said Panadiotis Filis, a lecturer at ments of Indian and other ancient civilisations comparing this surangular to the same bone in the in January last year. He was sentenced to 27 a prepayment meter, or who are vulnerable.” Aberdeen University. over 6,000 years. largest ichthyosaur skeleton ever found. months in jail at Blackfriars crown court. Number of Emin’s message Britons seeking EU passport soars in 2016

Guardian News and Media of failing to provide detail even London though they are planning to start registering EU citizens for a new immigration status from Sep- he number of Britons be- tember. coming citizens of anoth- “The list of questions shows Ter European Union coun- the huge gap between the claim try more than doubled in 2016, that citizens’ rights are done the year the UK voted to leave the and dusted and the reality for EU bloc, offi cial fi gures show. citizens still waiting for answers, Following the EU referendum, 655 days after the Brexit refer- many Britons are thought to have endum,” said the3million co- applied for citizenship of other founder Nicolas Hatton. bloc members to be sure they will “Let’s say you have lived in still have the right to travel and the UK for 30 or 40 years, have work freely in the remaining 27 lost all contact with family and states. friends in your home country The data from Eurostat shows and your application is rejected. that 6,555 of British nationals ac- Where do you go to start your quired citizenship in other mem- appeal? What do you do? Where ber states, up 165% from 2,478 in on earth do you go?” one Italian 2015. national, who preferred not to be The fi gures shows that Britons named in the UK, said. becoming nationals of other EU They also want answers on states has become a steadily ris- children’s rights, communica- ing trend in over the past decade, tions plans and protection from with the 2016 fi gure more than the hostile environment policy Artist Tracey Emin poses for a picture in front of her new piece at St Pancras station in London yesterday. The giant pink letters, a 20-metre sentence glowing below four times higher than in 2007. the Home Offi ce operates for mi- the clock in St Pancras station, spell out a love letter from Emin - but the words I Want My Time With You are addressed to Europe, not to a man. “I am deeply, deeply Germany was the biggest grants it wants to deport. concerned about Europe, and that in a year’s time we’re going to be a tiny little island just floating around in the North Sea. It’s madness.” recipient in 2016, with 2,702 The hostile environment in- Britons taking citizenship there volves a lockdown of benefits – more than four times the 2015 for the migrant deemed to be figure of 594. Belgium, where unlawfully living in the UK. thousands of Britons hold jobs This can include the freezing of in Brussels that may depend on bank accounts, cancellation of their being EU citizens, grant- driving licences, child benefit, ed passports to 506 of them in the ending of employment con- 2016, four times as many as in tracts and eviction from rental 2015. property. Anti-Brexit campaign group They also want to know what Daughter of Russian Best for Britain said the govern- protections are planned for EU ment should be “ashamed that citizens in the event of Home people feel they have no option Offi ce errors. Last year, the gov- but to give up their citizenship or ernment was forced to apologise apply to be a dual national”. after mistakenly sending out de- “These people are giving up portation letters to around 100 part of their identity to try and EU citizens. spy released into hiding secure their future,” the group’s “It is crucial for all 128 ques- spokesman Paul Butters said. tions to be answered so we can London Evening Standard into contact with the military- weekend that the substance had said the pair are likely to have about her being discharged and The figures from Eurostat have confi dence in the govern- London grade nerve agent Novichok. De- been specially designed to act “ongoing medical needs”. my heart jumped. Have you seen came as ant-Brexit campaign- ment’s application scheme,” said tails were kept secret until she had slowly and take about four hours The Kremlin has denied being her? How was she? No? Has ers claimed that more than Hatton. left the hospital yesterday morn- to kill, giving the would-be as- responsible for the poisoning of anyone seen her? There has been 120 questions about the future The Home Offi ce said it met he daughter of former ing, under police protection. sassins time to fl ee Britain. the Skripals, but the incident no call or message from her to rights of EU citizens in the UK EU citizens’ groups monthly and Russian double agent Ser- She was taken to a safe house Dr Christine Blanshard, Salis- has sparked a major confronta- me or anyone in the family.” remain unanswered by the gov- it believes “this has provided re- Tgei Skripal was released where she will be quizzed exten- bury district hospital medical tion between Britain and Russia. The Russian embassy issued a ernment. assurance” to them about their from hospital yesterday, follow- sively by security offi cials and director, yesterday confi rmed In Moscow Sergei’s 45-year- statement saying: “We congrat- Grassroot activists at the3mil- future. ing an extraordinary recovery detectives in the hope she can Yulia had been released but add- old niece, Viktoria Skripal, ulate Yulia on her recovery. Yet lion group have sent the list to the “We will be setting out fur- from the Salisbury nerve agent provide vital clues to the coun- ed: “This is not the end of her called on Britain to prove that we need urgent proof that what Home Offi ce ahead of a meeting ther details before the summer attack. ter-terrorism investigation. The treatment but marks a signifi - Yulia was healthy and out of is being done to her is done on next week with the Immigration and EU citizens will have plenty Hospital authorities said Ser- pair were found slumped un- cant milestone.” hospital. her own free will.” Minister Caroline Nokes. of time to make an application – gei, 66, was also making “good conscious on a park bench in the She said of Sergei: “Although Viktoria, who has been denied The announcement came The campaigners, who are once the scheme launches at the progress” and is expected to be Wiltshire on March 4 after com- he is recovering more slowly a visa to visit Britain by the UK amid speculation that the Skri- lobbying for all social and em- end of the year they will be able released in due course. ing into contact with the nerve than Yulia, we hope he too will amid claims she is being used pals could move to America and ployment rights to be extended to apply up until June 2021,” it Yulia Skripal, 33, was dis- agent. be able to leave hospital in due as a pawn by Russia, told a lo- be given a new identity under beyond Brexit, accused ministers added.” charged fi ve weeks after coming There were reports at the course.” The Foreign Offi ce has cal news station: “I heard news CIA protection. N Ireland peacemakers warn of new dangers 20 years on

Reuters “We have to be very, very In recent months the rhetoric ists, to prop up her government Belfast/Dublin careful,” said former US senator from both sides has hardened. has fanned nationalist rhetoric. George Mitchell, who chaired “Compromise has to become “The Tory government has the talks that led to the agree- a good thing, not a dirty word actively encouraged the most he leaders who brokered ment, when asked by Irish state and voters have to stop pun- negative, intransigent and sec- a peace deal for Northern broadcaster RTE if there was a ishing people who make those tarian elements of political un- TIreland in 1998 marked danger of a return to violence. compromises and start reward- ionism to attack and undermine its 20th anniversary yesterday “Nothing in life is guaranteed.” ing them,” said Clinton, whose the Good Friday Agreement,” by warning that a hardening Northern Ireland was quickly role in the 1998 Good Friday Gerry Adams, the former Sinn political divide and Britain’s transformed by the deal, with Agreement is celebrated as one Fein leader who also helped ne- exit from the EU were creating the Irish Republican Army, re- of the key legacies of his cheq- gotiate the agreement, said in a new dangers for the region. sponsible for most of the kill- uered presidency. speech yesterday. Former US President Bill ings, agreeing to give up its “The only thing that would be Brexit, he said, was a direct Clinton and ex-prime min- weapons and the British army calamitous would be to let the threat to the Good Friday deal. ister Tony Blair joined Irish dismantling its armed check- whole thing die,” Clinton said. Some unionists pointed the and Northern Irish politicians points and withdrawing. “To...go back to hell instead of finger instead at the Irish gov- in Belfast to mark the break- But while the outbreaks of going into a future.” ernment, saying its suggestion through on April 10, 1998 that violence have all but ended, the The political tensions have that Northern Ireland might called an end to 30 years of sec- region’s politics has become been heightened by Britain’s be governed by EU rather than tarian violence in which around more polarised — leading in decision to leave the European British regulations — or that it 3,600 people died. January 2017 to the collapse of Union, with some Irish nation- might unite with the Republic But the collapse early last devolved power-sharing for the alists highlighting the risk of of Ireland in the coming years year of the power-sharing ad- first time in a decade. next year’s departure leading to — risked inciting pro-British ministration at the heart of The supporter base of North- the reinstatement of a hard bor- militants. that deal meant there was no ern Ireland’s liberal parties has der between the UK province “I hope people realise that devolved government to greet shrunk, allowing the combined and Ireland, inflaming nation- some of the things they are say- them — and little sign of the vote of the more divisive Demo- alist opinion. ing are dangerous,” David Trim- province’s Irish nationalists and cratic Unionist and Sinn Fein to Prime Minister Theresa ble, head of the Ulster Unionist pro-British unionists resolving grow from around 34% in 1998 May’s decision to do a deal with Party, the largest pro-British the differences that have again to 56% at the last election in Blair and Clinton hold hands at an event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the region’s largest pro-British party in Northern Ireland in divided them. 2017. in Belfast, Northern Ireland, yesterday. party, the Democratic Union- 1998, told RTE. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 15 BRITAIN Tributes to intruder killed during burglary torn down

Guardian News and Media ers were believed to have been of Vincent have threatened to in Kent, and Cambridge. a struggle between one of the sociation: “I wouldn’t want them Nikita Hill, 39, who lives nearby, London placed by the family and friends take violent revenge. Offi cers were called to reports males and the homeowner and on my wall anyway, put it like that. said: “I don’t think they should of Henry Vincent, 37, opposite The Metropolitan police have of a burglary at 12.45am on April the intruder was stabbed in the They were climbing the fence and have put it outside his home. May- the home in Hither Green. meanwhile released an image 4, after two men entered the upper body. everything yesterday. Will he ever be they could have done it further ributes to an intruder It comes after Richard Osborn- of the man alleged to have been house. It is unclear what implement be able to come back and live here? away. But he’s got loved ones and who died after a struggle Brooks, 78, was told on Friday he Vincent’s accomplice in the ag- One suspect, armed with a was used. I doubt it. It’s sad.” family too so I understand why Tduring a botched burgla- would face no further action after gravated burglary, which took screwdriver, forced the home- At the street yesterday, burst A woman who did not give her they did it.” ry at a house in south London he was arrested on suspicion of place on a quiet residential street owner into his kitchen when he balloons and soiled cards littered name added: “You just feel sor- Offi cers have spoken with Vin- have been torn down outside murdering Vincent. in the borough of Lewisham. discovered them, while his ac- the area near where the makeshift ry for him as well, because he’s cent’s family about their reasons the property amid signs of ris- Osborn-Brooks and his wife, The man was named as Billy complice went upstairs, police memorial had been erected. probably worked his whole life to for not taking any further action ing tensions. Maureen, remain under police Jeeves, who the force said had said. A resident who gave his name get that house and now he’s out against Osborn-Brooks, according The balloons, cards and fl ow- guard amid reports that friends links to Orpington and Swanley Detectives believe there was only as Peter told the Press As- through no fault of his own.” to the Met.

Top Tory May visits Addenbrooke’s Hospital criticises No invite for Johnson

Guardian News and Media London May, Trump senior Tory has ques- tioned the way Boris AJohnson, the foreign sec- retary, promotes Britain abroad. Tom Tugendhat, chair of the cross-party foreign aff airs com- and Obama to mittee, also criticised Johnson’s apparent suggestion that the Commonwealth was not a politi- cal priority. In an interview with the centre- right Tory publication Bright Blue, Tugendhat said: “He (Johnson) royal wedding has the ability to make his voice heard and that is a real asset for Agencies fi eld Woodhouse, near Sheffi eld, ana, who married Charles aged 20, the United Kingdom. People lis- London was left traumatised after wit- and the 36-year-old Hollywood ten. But it is important, of course, nessing the bomb blow up after professional. “In some ways, the that they hear the words that Brit- the Ariana Grande concert in May groomed and camera-ready Mar- ain really wants to project. rime Minister Theresa May 2017. She also damaged her vocal kle was the woman Diana always “Those words must have to do has not been invited to the chords from screaming in horror. strove to become,” he wrote. with promoting the values of the Pwedding of Prince Harry Meanwhile a new biography The book also claims that as she United Kingdom and promoting and Meghan Markle on May 19, of Meghan details her lifelong fi nally found success as an actress, our interests around the world.” a government source said yes- embrace of good causes but also Markle shed her old acquaintanc- Next week the Queen will open terday. points to a calculating streak and es — including her fi lm producer the biggest gathering of Com- The wedding guests will be peo- claims she has her heart set on be- husband Trevor Engelson, who monwealth heads of government ple who have an existing direct re- coming “Diana 2.0”. helped her get on the acting ladder in London for 20 years. lationship with one or both of the She is fi ercely protective of with early parts. Johnson appeared to suggest at couple, a royal source said. “Brand Meghan” and sidelines “Her friends in Los Angeles no- a hearing by Tugendhat’s com- An offi cial spokesman for people as she moves ahead in life, ticed the change in her now that mittee last month that the Com- Prince Harry said: “It has been de- according to people who know her she was on the way up,” Morton monwealth was not a priority. Tu- cided that an offi cial list of politi- cited in the book. wrote. “She no longer had the gendhat said in the interview: “If cal leaders — both UK and interna- Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, time for friends she had known for the Commonwealth is not one of tional — is not required for Prince which is due out in Britain tomor- years. the priorities in a post-Brexit era, Harry and Meghan’s wedding. The row, details how the 36-year-old “A networker to her fi ngertips, one wonders what is.” government was consulted on this Suits star ditched her fi rst husband she seemed to be carefully rec- It is not the fi rst time the foreign decision, which was taken by the in a way that also cost her a lifelong alibrating her life, forging new aff airs committee has been critical royal household.” friend. friendships with those who could of Johnson’s tenure at the Foreign The government source said the The biography was authored by burnish and develop her career.” Offi ce. It has previously chal- wedding venue, St George’s Chap- Andrew Morton, the British royal Markle had been with Engelson lenged him to explain what the el in Windsor, was signifi cantly writer who penned the blockbust- since 2004 and they married in Ja- slogan “Global Britain” means. smaller than Westminster Abbey er Diana: Her True Story, with the maica in 2011. Johnson has been at the centre where Harry’s older brother Prince late princess’s covert assistance. Shortly after their engagement, a series of controversies in recent William wed Kate Middleton in Morton also details her fascina- she landed her signature role as months. On Monday he tweeted 2011 in the presence of numerous tion with Harry’s mother Diana Rachel Zane in the US legal drama congratulations to Viktor Orban, heads of government. around the time of her death in television series Suits. Filmed in the Hungarian prime minister, on The source said there had been 1997, watching her funeral in tears Toronto, their relationship be- his re-election at the weekend. no expectation from Downing and old tapes of her marriage to came long-distance as she became Hours later, the Organisation for Street, May’s offi ce, that the prime Prince Charles. a star. The marriage collapsed in Security and Co-operation in minister would be invited. Family friends said she was in- 2013. Europe (OSCE) condemned the It has also been confi rmed that trigued by Diana “not just for her “Trevor went from cherish- conduct of the election campaign, Barack and Michelle Obama, who style but for her independent hu- ing Meghan to, as one friend ob- saying there had been “intimi- are friends of Harry, have not been manitarian mission, seeing her as served, ‘feeling like he was a piece dating and xenophobic rhetoric, invited. a role model”. Her childhood friend of something stuck to the bottom media bias and opaque campaign Earlier a White House offi cial Ninaki Priddy is cited as saying: of her shoe’,” it reads. fi nancing”. confi rmed neither Trump nor fi rst “She was always fascinated by the Another friend said the decision Last month Johnson said he had lady Melania were invited. royal family. She wants to be prin- to end the marriage was made by been told by Porton Down that the Among the 600 guests who cess Diana 2.0.” Markle and another that she sent nerve agent used in the Salisbury will be attending the ceremony at Morton says comparisons with her rings back in the post. poisoning case could only have St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Diana are inevitable, given her hu- Markle’s parents split when she come from Russia, but the lead Prime Minister Theresa May is shown the advanced radiotherapy system during a visit to May 19, will be a 12-year-old girl manitarian work and glamorous was two and divorced fi ve years scientist at Porton Down later said announce new funding and research into prostate cancer, at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in injured in the Manchester Arena appeal. later. She went to a private school this was not the sort of fi nding the Cambridge yesterday. attack. However, he notes the crucial and was remembered for her lab could make. Amelia Thompson, from Dron- distinction between the timid Di- strong sense of right and wrong.

Charles in Darwin Queen’s secret passion ‘No toxins’ in dead Russian’s stomach for trees revealed Reuters that was found in Perepilichny’s London stomach had not been identifi ed, and that the small amount of ma- AFP dens of the Palace, which Treays Queen reveals that her huge col- terial used to conduct a DNA test Cannes shot in what she described as “the lection of new varieties of plants scientist yesterday told had been used up. most magical afternoon of my ca- came from people who were un- an British inquest that Bob Moxon Browne, the lawyer reer”. sure of what to get her. “I’ve been Ano plant toxins had been for Legal & General, with whom new documentary about The fi lm, The Queen’s Green quite diffi cult to give presents to,” found in the stomach of a Rus- Perepilichny had taken out a large Queen Elizabeth II has re- Planet, which will be broadcast on she quipped, “so they’ve said, ‘Oh, sian mafi a whistleblower who life insurance policy, told a pre- Avealed her previously un- ITV in Britain on April 16, high- let’s give her a plant’.” died suddenly in 2012, challeng- inquest hearing last year that po- known passion for trees. lights her work trying to build a And her dry humour was also ing earlier evidence that a deadly lice had fl ushed away contents of The 91-year-old monarch has global network of protected for- clear when she talked about a plant poison had been found. Perepilichny’s stomach and re- planted hundreds of trees on royal ests, The Queen’s Commonwealth mulberry tree planted in the early Alexander Perepilichny, 44, was trieved a small amount. visits all over the planet and has a Canopy. 1600s by James I in a failed at- found dead near his luxury home Simmonds yesterday said she deep and “touching” relationship Dendrophilia clearly runs in the tempt to get a royal silk industry on the exclusive gated St George’s did her test without knowing that with them, according to fi lmmaker royal family. going. Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey, other material had been disposed Jane Treays. Her son Prince Charles has “They chose the wrong variety southwest of London, after he of. An earlier pre-inquest hearing “She has spent her life planting previously admitted to talking to and so the silk worms didn’t pro- had been out jogging in November had been told traces of a rare and trees, and so have her ancestors,” plants and trees to help them grow, duce anything, which was a great 2012. deadly poison from the gelsemium the director said, as the fi lm pre- but recently joked that rather than disappointment to him I believe,” The sudden nature of the death plant had been found in his stom- viewed at the MIPTV market in taking the softly-softly approach, the Queen said. of Perepilichny, who had sought ach. Cannes, France. “now I instruct them instead”. In a separate excerpt from the refuge in Britain in 2009, and his The inquest resumed yesterday “It was very beautiful and Treays said the chemistry be- Queen’s walk with Attenborough, role in helping a Swiss investiga- having been adjourned since last touching to see how she relates to tween the Queen and Attenbor- released by ITV ahead of broad- tion into a Russian money-laun- June. No reason was given for the them, and how much they mean ough, who are the same age and cast, the quiet of the palace garden dering scheme raised suggestions delay. to her. She has a particular love of were born within three weeks of is broken by the noise of a helicop- that he might have been murdered. It resumes as relations between some London plane trees (at Buck- each other, helped her open up. ter hovering overhead. As the inquest resumed yester- Britain and Russia hit a post-Cold ingham Palace) planted by Queen “It was a lovely hot summer’s “Why do they always go round day after a lengthy delay, Monique War low over the poisoning of Victoria”, her great, great grand- day...They laughed and were quite and round when you want to talk?” Simmonds, a scientist from the former double agent Sergei Skripal mother, she said. playful with each other. They have the Queen asks, adding: “Sounds Prince Charles visits NORFORCE at Larrakeyah Barracks botanical Kew Gardens, was asked last month. The Queen’s secret passion known each other a long time and like President Trump, or President in Darwin, Australia, yesterday. The NORFORCE (North- to confi rm she had not identifi ed Prime Minister Theresa May emerged as she took the naturalist because of that we see quite sur- Obama”, apparently referring to West Mobile Force) is an infantry regiment of the any plant toxins in the samples she has said Russia behind the killing Sir David Attenborough on a “re- prising things,” she added. the aircraft used by the US presi- Australian Army Reserve. had tested. “That’s right,” she said. though Russia has denied any in- laxed and funny” tour of the gar- In one hilarious moment, the dents during visits to her. However she said some material volvement. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 EUROPE Italian president calls new govt talks amid bickering

Reuters a stalemate last week. party from last month’s vote, has assumed the mantle of lead- right crowd”, he said on Twitter campaign trail for regional elec- Rome Since then, the various po- while a rightist alliance, includ- er of the conservative bloc. on Monday. tions later this month, suggest- litical blocs seem to have drifted ing the anti-migrant League and He has rejected the suggestion “Di Maio, right now, interests ing they will wait for these to even further apart, fi ring daily former prime minister Silvio that he should split from his al- me less than zero,” the League’s pass before considering the sort talian President Sergio Mat- barbs at each other and showing Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, won the lies to hook up with M5S. Salvini responded. of painful compromises needed tarella will hold a second no sign of wanting to lay aside biggest bloc of seats. Looking to put on a display of The third force in parliament, to form a government. Iround of talks about the for- the rancour of the election cam- M5S leader Luigi Di Maio has unity, rightist leaders will see the the centre-left Democratic Par- If Mattarella fails to overcome mation of a coalition govern- paign and work together on a suggested forming a government president together tomorrow, ty (PD), has reiterated that it has the impasse he would have to call ment tomorrow and on Friday, joint project. with the League, but has refused rather than meeting him sepa- no intention of helping either new elections, almost certain- his offi ce said yesterday, with Financial markets have so far to countenance any accord with rately, as they did in the initial side to form a government and ly in the autumn, but a senior no indication that any break- shown little alarm about the Berlusconi, who has been con- round of consultations. plans to spend the coming par- source in his offi ce said he was through is at hand. prospect of prolonged deadlock victed of tax fraud and is stand- However, Di Maio has not liamentary term in opposition determined to avoid this. Mattarella has the power to in Italy, one of the eurozone’s ing trial for bribing witnesses – a budged on his refusal even to talk after suff ering a stinging defeat Italy has a long history of fi nd- name a prime minister, but elec- most heavily indebted nations. charge he denies. with Forza Italia. last month. ing a way out of apparently in- tions on March 4 resulted in a The anti-establishment The League unexpectedly There is “0% chance that With coalition talks appar- tractable political stalemate and Mattarella: will meet the leaders of hung parliament, and the fi rst 5-Star Movement (M5S) overtook Forza Italia at the ballot 5-Star will go into government ently going nowhere, political its shortest-lived parliament in the M5S and the League together. round of consultations ended in emerged as the largest single box and its chief, Matteo Salvini, with Berlusconi and the centre- leaders have gone back on the the modern era lasted two years.

Merkel gathers Airline staff strikes ‘warring’ ministers ground thousands for 2-day AFP Other airports such as Ham- ions of “lacking all proportion- if I can still get there, because it carrier said, with higher propor- retreat Merkel: has previously used Frankfurt am Main burg, Leipzig and Hanover were ality”, with the strike disrupting won’t work with the train,” the tions on schedule among me- cabinet retreats as hit with knock-on eff ects. tens of thousands of journeys – 41-year-old management ac- dium- and short-haul services team-building exercises. Half of the fl ights at Munich 90,000 at Lufthansa alone – and countant told AFP. from Paris and other French air- Reuters ens of thousands of air were delayed or cancelled ac- costs that they said would run Some passengers who faced ports. Berlin passengers were stranded cording to the union Verdi, DPA into the millions. disruption were understanding The group said the strikes be- important to her party mem- Tyesterday as workers at reported. Airport operator Fraport said of the walkout. tween February 22 and April 11 bers and to criticise the con- airlines Lufthansa and Air France Beyond airports, local trans- yesterday afternoon that service “It’s fair enough. Hope they were estimated to cost the com- hancellor Angela Mer- servatives. staged strikes that crippled traf- port, kindergartens, rubbish col- should return to normal in the get it,” said Ashley Gillham, 40, a pany €170mn ($210mn). kel gathered her new The pressure is on for both fi c at several major European air- lection and hospitals were also early evening. manager in the auto sector, of the Several Air France unions have Ccabinet for a two-day camps to deliver. ports. aff ected, as civil servants walked “It will take about 45 to 60 strikers’ pay demands – despite called four further days of indus- retreat yesterday, seeking to Their coalition deal includes Germany’s biggest carrier out to demand a 6.0% pay raise minutes for all the positions to having to switch to rail for part of trial action in April as they also forge some team spirit among a clause that foresees review- Lufthansa was forced to can- for the 2.3mn people working for be manned again and then we’ll his journey from New Zealand via seek a 6.0% pay raise. ministers already squabbling ing government progress after cel 800 out of 1,600 scheduled Germany’s federal, state and lo- go back to normal service,” a Frankfurt to Mallorca. Managers say that the compa- after just a month in offi ce. two years – giving each the op- fl ights, including 58 long-haul cal governments. spokesman told DPA. “This way we get to have a beer ny is not growing solidly enough Simmering antipathy be- portunity to leave the alliance fl ights. Given the country’s econom- Travellers had plenty of notice at 8am,” he joked. to justify such salary boosts, tween the coalition partners if it is not working for them. German public sector work- ic strength, “when if not now of upsets to their plans, avoiding In unrelated industrial action which they reckon would cost – Merkel’s conservatives and An Infratest Dimap poll for ers, including ground crew and should there be signifi cant pay scenes of chaos at Frankfurt air- in France, air traffi c was also se- €240mn per year. the left-leaning Social Demo- ARD published on Thursday airport fi refi ghters, walked out increases for workers, including port, but some could not avoid verely disrupted as the coun- Air France’s labour woes come crats (SPD) – boiled over at the showed that just 32% of re- at 5am with the strike due to last those in the public sector?” asked travelling. try’s biggest airline Air France at the same time as disruption for weekend in a dispute over law spondents were happy with the until 6pm (1600 GMT). Verdi leader Frank Bsirske in an Sybille Metzler, who was due to was forced to cancel one in four French state rail operator SNCF. and order, ending any honey- government. Yesterday’s “warning strike” appearance at Frankfurt airport. travel to Amsterdam for a meet- fl ights, in the sixth round of Workers are staging repeated moon period for the awkward The government situation is hit Germany’s biggest airport “We’re determined to achieve ing, turned up at the hub despite strikes launched by its employees walkouts in protest at the French allies. complicated by a regional elec- Frankfurt as well as other region- this.” warnings from the operator that since February. government’s plan to reform the The two groups only agreed tion in Bavaria in October, at al hubs such as Munich, Cologne However, the ADV airport op- her fl ight had been cancelled. Around 65% of long-haul company and change the special to team up to prolong their which Merkel’s Bavarian sister and Bremen. erators’ association accused un- “I knew, but I wanted to see fl ights will depart as planned, the status its employees enjoy. “grand coalition” – in power party, the Christian Social Un- since 2013 – because they were ion (CSU), fears losing its ab- desperate to avoid fresh elec- solute majority if the far-right tions, after they both haemor- makes gains. rhaged support in last Septem- Aiming to see off the rising ber’s national poll. far-right Alternative for Ger- Poland demands Russia return 2010 jet wreckage The government has many (AfD), Interior Minister achieved little since taking of- Horst Seehofer of the CSU said fi ce last month. last month that Islam does not AFP Merkel is using the meeting belong to Germany – a com- Warsaw at Schloss Meseberg, her coun- ment that infuriated the SPD. try residence outside Berlin, to Coalition sources say the art try to end the cabinet bickering of governing in the coalition oland’s President An- and launch a fl ood of reforms will be to fi nd a happy medium drzej Duda has demanded before the summer break. between substantive policy Pthat Russia hand over the Transport Minister Andreas work and party political skir- wreckage of a 2010 presidential Scheuer said that ministers mishes that allow the camps to plane crash that has stoked fric- made a constructive start to diff erentiate themselves from tion with Moscow and divisions their talks yesterday. each other. at home as Warsaw marked eight “We want to use this policy With over six months gone years since the disaster. camp in Meseberg to fi nd solu- since September’s election, President Lech Kaczynski and tions together for the coming Merkel is keenly aware that his wife Maria were among the months to give a clear signal voters expect the government 96 people who died in the crash that the grand coalition, with to address their economic, in Smolensk, western Russia, on this government, wants suc- social and security concerns April 10, 2010. cess for Germany,” he told re- quickly. Poland’s governing right-wing porters. In the past, she has used Law and Justice (PiS) party, led Jaroslaw Kaczynski attends a Ahead of the meeting, And- cabinet retreats as team-build- by Kaczynski’s twin brother Ja- ceremony outside the rea Nahles, who is expected to ing exercises. roslaw, has long insisted that the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, take over as SPD leader later North Atlantic Treaty Or- crash was no accident, with a marking the eighth anniversary this month, pressed Merkel to ganisation (Nato) chief Jens new probe suggesting it was trig- of the Smolensk crash that killed “get government business up Stoltenberg and European gered by an explosion. 96, including his twin, late and running”. Commission President Jean- The previous liberal govern- president Lech and his wife Nahles has chosen to stay Claude Juncker are joining ment blamed bad weather and Maria. outside the cabinet, instead the meeting – a way of Merkel errors by the Polish pilots and opting to lead the SPD parlia- signalling to her cabinet the two Russian air traffi c controllers Left: The monument, marking mentary group – a role that importance of the biggest Eu- for the crash, regarded by some the anniversary of the Smolensk allows her both to press the ropean Union country having a as Poland’s worst post-war dis- air crash. government to pass reforms stable government. aster. “The plane wreckage is proba- cal stripes or beliefs; it belongs Poles are divided over the bly the most important evidence to everyone and is for everyone,” causes behind the crash. in this case – it’s still in Russia Duda told several thousand peo- Some 57% of believe it was an and the Russian authorities don’t ple gathered in the square for the accident, while 20% think it was want to hand it over,” Duda told unveiling. an attack, according to a survey Turkey fl ies suspected Gulenists from Gabon Polish media. Known for his highly divisive published yesterday by the Super “One can only ask why the us-against-them brand of poli- Express tabloid daily. Russians don’t want to return tics, Jaroslaw Kaczynski used the Twenty-three per cent have no AFP Turkey on a private plane from livered three senior FETO mem- key but also abroad – notably in the wreck,” the president added, ceremonies to call for “the unity opinion. Istanbul Libreville, the state-run Ana- bers to our country,” Erdogan Africa, the Balkans and Central after laying fl oral tributes on the of all Poles” at a time when the In 2015, Polish prosecutors dolu news agency reported. said in a speech in Ankara to Asia – in particular through an graves of Kaczynski and his wife opinion poll ratings of his gov- charged one of the Russian air The suspects are accused of lawmakers from his ruling party. education network. in the southern Polish city of erning PiS party are plunging, traffi c controllers with “being he Turkish spy agency belonging to the group of US- The latest MIT swoop comes In the Gabon operation, one Krakow. amid public outcry over generous directly responsible for having has fl own three suspected based preacher Fethullah Gulen, on the heels of the expulsion of of the suspects is accused of Warsaw has repeatedly asked bonuses for its ministers. endangered air traffi c” and the Tmembers of the move- who Ankara accuses of orches- six alleged Gulenists from Kos- being the education co-ordi- Moscow to hand over the wreck- The monument’s location other air traffi c controller with ment blamed for the 2016 failed trating the bloody July 15 coup ovo in a similar operation. nator of Gulen schools operat- age and black boxes, but each on an historic central Warsaw “unintentionally causing an air coup back to Turkey from the bid two years ago, aimed at un- Hinting at further operations, ing across Kenya and another of time Russia has said it will only square adjacent to Poland’s Tomb traffi c disaster”. African state of Gabon in a cov- seating Erdogan. Erdogan added: “We got six being director general of Gulen do so when its own inquiry is fi n- of the Unknown Soldier has also Having rejected as a cover- ert operation, President Recep Ankara calls his group the from Kosovo, three from Gabon. schools in Gabon. ished. triggered tensions, and a thick up the conclusions of the earlier Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday. Fethullah Terror Organisation Our MIT is chasing them. Let’s Erdogan has vowed to hunt Ties between the two coun- cordon of police blocked protest- investigation that put the blame As part of a secret mission (FETO) but Gulen insists that he see where the new ones will down Gulenists inside and out- tries have been strained since the ers in a nearby park as the monu- on human error and bad weather, carried out by the National In- runs a peaceful movement and come from.” side Turkey, saying on Monday: crash, and also since Moscow’s ment was unveiled. the PiS government launched its telligence Organisation (MIT), denies any link to the failed plot. Gulen’s group had not only “We will never allow those vile 2014 annexation of Crimea from The triangular black granite own probe using new investiga- the men were brought back to “Thanks to God, Gabon de- built up huge infl uence in Tur- people to walk freely.” Ukraine, as well as the recent spy monument resembling the tail tors. poisoning row that prompted a wing of an airplane as well as air- They suggested last year that string of tit-for-tat diplomatic plane stairs is inscribed with the an explosion was likely to have Major Hungarian opposition newspaper to close after Orban victory expulsions between Russia and names of the crash victims. caused the aircraft to break up in the West. They include senior Polish the air. One of Hungary’s two national opposition European Union leaders and international profitable, incurred heavy losses after he fell Later in the day, Duda called statesmen and politicians of Polish justice offi cials have dailies will shut down today due to financial rights groups say underlines the country’s out with Orban and his publications were for unity among Poles as he un- various stripes who had been also exhumed the remains of the problems, its publisher said, in a sign of slide into authoritarianism. deprived of government advertising. veiled a controversial monument heading to a ceremony in Rus- victims to test for traces of ex- rapidly deteriorating prospects for media The 80-year-old daily is owned by tycoon “Due to the financing problems of Magyar to the victims of the crash in the sia’s Katyn forest in memory of plosives or combustion. freedom after the landslide re-election of Lajos Simicska, once an ally of the right- Nemzet, the owners have decided to cease capital Warsaw. thousands of Polish army offi c- A defence ministry sub-com- Prime Minister Viktor Orban. wing nationalist prime minister who fell out media content production activity from “I believe that this monu- ers killed by Soviet secret police mittee is due to present the par- The closure of Magyar Nemzet will be a with him and became one of his staunchest April 11, 2018. Therefore Magyar Nemzet and ment will unite us, regardless of in 1940 – a massacre the Kremlin tial fi ndings of the new probe to- milestone in the gradual disappearance of opponents in the election campaign. its online version mno.hu will close,” the our views, regardless of politi- denied until 1990. day in Warsaw. independent media in Hungary that western Simicska’s media holdings, once highly publisher said in on its website. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 17 INDIA

Modi to lead Opposition is trying to BJP’s hunger divide country: PM strike on April 12 IANS government as “anti-Dalit” IANS New Delhi while vowing to defeat the BJP in Motihari, Bihar the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The fast in Delhi was marked n an unusual action, Prime by controversies as Congress rime Minister Narendra Minister Narendra Modi will leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Modi yesterday accused Iobserve a day-long hun- Kumar, accused in the 1984 an- Pthe opposition of trying ger strike on April 12 to protest ti-Sikh riots, were asked to leave to “divide” the country and cre- against the washout of the sec- the Rajghat before Gandhi’s ar- ating hurdles “from streets to ond part of parliament’s budget rival. Also, a picture showing parliament” in the governments’ session due to continuous dis- some Delhi Congress leaders eff orts to uplift the poor and the ruptions, which the Bharatiya eating a heavy breakfast at a res- downtrodden. Janata Party blamed on the Con- taurant before the protest went “They (opposition) are creat- gress. viral on social media. ing hurdles in the work of the While BJP president Amit The controversies gave the government from the streets to Shah will observe a hunger strike BJP an opportunity to attack the Parliament. Today you have a in Hubli in Karnataka, party MPs Congress, saying the main oppo- government at the Centre which will fast in their constituencies. sition party was a “danga mas- is working to unite the people of “The prime minister will ob- ter” (master of riots) and Tytler the country while the opposition serve a fast even while engaged and Sajjan leaving the stage was is working to divide the people,” in his offi cial duty and cialoffi its “acceptance of guilt”. Modi told the national conven- engagements,” BJP spokesman G On the concluding day of the tion of ‘Swachhagrahis’ here. V L Narsimha Rao said. budget session, Parliamentary He was addressing over 20,000 Modi’s fast, the fi rst by a Aff airs Minister Ananth Kumar Swachhagrahis (cleanliness vol- prime minister, will be part of had blamed the Congress for the unteers) at the concluding cere- the BJP’s day-long hunger strike disruptions and announced that mony of ‘Champaran Satyagraha’ that day to protest against the the ruling BJP MPs will sit on centenary celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the first engine from the Madhepura Electric Locomotive Factory in Motihari yesterday. Also seen are disruption of parliament by the day-long fasts in their respective Mahatma Gandhi launched Bihar Governor Satyapal Malik, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, federal ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Uma Bharti. opposition. constituencies on April 12. the Champaran Satyagraha on The opposition Congress The BJP had earlier announced April 10, 1917 against the British by the Telugu Desam Party, the Yesterday, the fi rst engine Nitish Kumar for his patience from about 40% in 2014 to about termed the fast by the prime that the National Democratic to fi ght for the rights of farmers All India Anna Dravida Munne- rolled out of the factory. and able administration in fi ght- 80% today. minister as a “farce” and said he Alliance MPs would forego sala- who were forced to undertake tra Kazhagam and opposition “This is the style of working of ing the corrupt and anti-social “Toilet construction is ending should apologise over the way ries along with allowances for 23 indigo cultivation. parties including the Congress. this government. Now the cul- forces. social imbalances and becoming his party had “denigrated and days due to the washout of the The prime minister’s attack Hitting out at the former gov- ture of stopping fi les is not there. “It is not so easy,” he said, a means of socio-economic em- disrespected” parliament. second half of the budget ses- on opposition parties comes at a ernment led by the Congress The government is committed to adding that the central govern- powerment and women empow- “They have disrespected and sion. time when the Dalit community for delaying projects, the prime fulfi lling its mission,” the prime ment extended its full support erment,” he said. denigrated the highest temple of The session started on Janu- across the country has been agi- minister said his administration minister said. to the eff orts of Nitish Kumar in The prime minister launched democracy. So the prime min- ary 29 and went into a break on tated after a Supreme Court or- was completing all its commit- He said the changes brought fi ghting against corruption and several projects worth over Rs- ister should publicly say that he February 9. The two houses met der allegedly diluting the Sched- ments with the co-operation of in the society through develop- his eff orts towards sanitation 66bn and said these would go a is sorry that is why he is hold- for the second half of the session uled Caste/Scheduled Tribes the people. ment works had created prob- drive for social change. long way in the development of ing this fast on April 12 to tender on March 5, which concluded on Atrocities Act. Eight people were Describing the Madhepura lems for the opposition and they The prime minister said that the region and the state. this apology to various sections Friday. killed and dozens injured during Electric Locomotive Factory were unable to accept this. whether it is the Swachh Bharat He unveiled a plaque to mark of India’s population,” Congress While the fi rst half of the ses- Dalit protests turned violent on as a prime example of Make in “They cannot see the poor (clean India) Mission, or the the foundation stone of Moti- leader Randeep Singh Surjewala sion – January 31 to February April 2. India initiative and a source of getting empowered. They feel if fi ght against corruption, or the jheel Project, the Bettiah Nagar said. 9 – recorded 134% productiv- Modi’s attack was also aimed employment in the region, Modi the poor are strengthened, then development of civic amenities, Parishad Water Supply Scheme On Monday, Congress presi- ity in the Lok Sabha and 96% in at the opposition parties for dis- said work on the project was fi rst they (opposition) will not be able the central government is work- and four Ganges projects beside dent Rahul Gandhi led the par- the Rajya Sabha, in the second- rupting parliament that led to approved in 2007 but it began to speak lies. They will not be ing shoulder to shoulder with laying the foundation stone for the ty’s day-long fast at the Rajghat half, from March 5 to April 6, the washout of the second edi- only three years ago when the able to fool them,” Modi said. the state government. doubling of railway lines between in Delhi over alleged increasing the lower house recorded just tion of the budget session which Bharatiya Janata Party-led gov- The prime minister showered The prime minister said sani- Muzaff arpur and Sagauli as well as atrocities on Dalits, adivasis, and 4% productivity and the upper ended on April 6 due to protests ernment came to power. praise on Bihar Chief Minister tation coverage has expanded between Sagauli and Valmikinagar. minorities and dubbed the Modi house 8%. Deaths, injuries from accidents fall: railways

Reuters daily was going to take time, despite over the next few months to mainly fi ll New Delhi the safety success seen in 2017/18. positions left vacant by retirees. The number of deaths and injuries Lohani said the world’s fourth-big- last fi scal year ending March 31 was gest rail network was trying to make eaths and injuries from train the lowest in at least 18 years for which it easier for all levels of employees to collisions or derailment in In- data was provided. approach top offi cials via WhatsApp Ddia more than halved to 254 The worst was in 2002/03, when or other media so that grievances can people last fi scal year from a year ago, 1,400 people were killed or injured. be addressed immediately and human railways data showed, amid attempts The fi gure in 2016/17 was 607, the data error can be minimised. to improve its shoddy safety record show. “It is essential that the focus on through mega investments and re- “Safety is an end result. We need to safety must not be lost,” Lohani said in cruitments. focus on maintenance, and that also a recent posting on a railways What- The state-run Indian Railways includes looking after the people,” sApp group. shared the data with Reuters days af- Ashwani Lohani, who was brought in “We are a 24x7 organisation and ter an incident in which the brakes on to helm the department last August must be alert all the times.” a 22-coach train carrying hundreds of after a spate of accidents led to a top- He also said the railways was con- passengers failed, letting it run freely level shake-up, told Reuters in his of- sidering bringing in local private com- in reverse for about 13km. fi ce on Monday. panies to run new tourist trains and be The railways has suspended sev- “We have a tremendous inherent involved in overhauling of some sta- eral offi cials since the incident, and strength of our people. But I don’t tions. its chairman acknowledged that turn- have a magic wand.” The railways has joint ventures with ing around the culture and image of a The railways is in the midst of a Alstom of France and US-based Gen- government behemoth that employed $130bn, fi ve-year modernisation plan eral Electric for locomotive supply and 1.3mn and ran around 22,000 trains and is hiring nearly 90,000 people maintenance.

18 killed in Maharashtra truck crash BJP income rises 81%, At least 18 construction workers were killed when a speeding Congress’s dips 14% truck overturned in Maharashtra yesterday, police said. IANS to the Election Com- from voluntary contri- The labourers were on their New Delhi mission, compared the butions for 2016-17. way to work when the driver total income of the BJP Voluntary contribu- lost control of the vehicle, and Congress, their ex- tions accounted for 60% causing it to ram into a he income of the penditure and sources of (Rs6.16bn) of their in- barricade on the highway in ruling Bharatiya income. come in the previous fi s- the district of Satara. TJanata Party in- The ADR said both cal year. “Seventeen people died on creased by 81.18% to parties have declared These parties received the spot, while another victim Rs10.34bn crore while “donations/ contribu- Rs1.28bn income in bank succumbed to his injuries in the that of the Congress tions” as one of their interest in the same fi s- hospital,” police off icial Yuvraj decreased by 14% to three main sources of cal year. Hande said. Rs2.25bn between 2015- income. The report said the The victims included two children 16 and 2016-17, a report “The grant/ dona- due date for submis- under the age of 14, the police said. released yesterday said. tions/ contributions of sion of annual audited Child workers are common at According to the As- Rs997.12 crore declared accounts for the parties construction sites in India. sociation for Demo- by the BJP forms 96.41% was October 30, 2017, Another 17 injured were taken cratic Reforms (ADR) of the total income of the but the BJP submitted its to a hospital near the accident report, seven national party during 2016-17. report on February 8 and site, located 220km south-east of parties – the BJP, Con- Declaration of Rs115.644 Congress on March 19. Mumbai. gress, Bahujan Samaj crore under revenue The ADR said the BJP, “We suspect the driver was speeding Party (BSP), Nationalist from issuance of cou- Congress, NCP and CPI and lost control of the truck while Congress Party (NCP), pons by the Congress have consistently de- trying to negotiate a diff icult turn on Communist Party of forms top most income layed submitting their a slope,” Hande said. India-Marxist (CPM), of the party, contribut- audit reports for the past The accident occurred on the Communist Party of In- ing 51.32% of its total in- fi ve years. Pune-Satara Highway after dia (CPI) and Trinamool come during the fi scal,” It demanded that the the Khambatki Tunnel in the Congress – have de- it added. political parties provide Khandala ghats. clared a total income of The report said that all information on their Meanwhile, at least 12 people Rs15.59bn and expendi- the seven nation- fi nances under the Right were killed in two separate road tures of Rs12.28bn. al parties collected a to Information Act as a accidents in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra The report, based on maximum of 74.98% step to strengthen elec- district, police said. the submissions made (Rs11.69bn) income tions and democracy. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 INDIA

PEOPLE CONTROVERSY INVESTIGATION CORRUPTION CULTURE Parrikar likely to return Ambedkar’s saff ron Court issues notice to CBI questions Rabri Pradhan for upgrading by May, says BJP leader statue turns blue Karti Chidambaram’s CA in IRCTC case Sculpture Training Institute

Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar After facing flak over installing a saff ron- The Delhi High Court yesterday issued a notice The Central Bureau of Investigation yesterday Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan yesterday is responding well to treatment in the US for coloured statue of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, to the chartered accountant of Congress leader questioned former Bihar chief minister Rabri sought the co-operation of Odisha government to advanced pancreatic cancer and will return district authorities in Budayun in Uttar Pradesh P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram Devi in connection with its probe into alleged upgrade the Stone Sculpture Training Institute in Konark by next month, Bharatiya Janata Party leader yesterday changed its colour to blue. The saff ron on an Enforcement Directorate plea seeking irregularities in the 2006 Indian Railway Catering to international standards. “There is need to upgrade the Sadanand Shet Tanavade said yesterday. “He statue, unlike the usual blue, was installed in cancellation of his bail in the INX media and Tourism Corporation hotels maintenance present institute and create an institute of international is responding well to treatment and is likely Dugraiyya village on Monday after the earlier money laundering case. The court has listed contract case. Rabri Devi, the wife of Rashtriya standard. The government of India will provide all to be in Goa by May,” Tanavade said on the one was vandalised on Saturday. Off icials said the matter for hearing on August 16. The Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, was necessary assistance for the purpose,” Pradhan said in a sidelines of a media interaction at the state BJP the new statue was ordered from Agra and Enforcement Directorate has challenged the questioned at her residence in Patna. The case letter to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He urged headquarters in Panaji. Parrikar is being treated the sculptor had sent its picture to the district trial court’s order which granted bail to co- pertains to the time Yadav was the railways the chief minister to extend the co-operation of the in a New York hospital. He was hospitalised authorities. The authorities, in turn, shared it accused S Bhaskaraman on March 13. He was minister. In October last year, the CBI had state government to make the project successful. “An earlier at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital and then with the villagers. The statue was installed after arrested on February 16 on charges of money questioned Yadav and his younger son Tejashwi international standard skilling institute will not only help at Goa Medical College in Panaji after he approval by the villagers. The saff ron statue laundering. The agency alleged that Karti Yadav, a former deputy chief minister, in the case in upgrading the traditional skill sets of the sculptors, but complained of stomach pain on February 15. was seen as an eff ort by the Bharatiya Janata took money to facilitate a Foreign Investment at its Delhi headquarters. The CBI on July 5 filed will also help in keeping alive Odisha’s ancient heritage The chief minister was subsequently diagnosed Party government to impose saff ron - a colour Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX a corruption case against Rabri Devi, Yadav, and by training the entrants into the profession,” he added. with advanced pancreatic cancer. The Chief representing the ruling party. In the past too, Media in 2007 when his father was the finance Tejashwi Yadav for alleged irregularities in the This will help in the survival of an exquisite cultural facet Minister’s Off ice has maintained that Parrikar is the government has been criticised by the minister in the United Progressive Alliance allotment of contracts of two IRCTC hotels in of the state expressed through the intricate carvings on suff ering from “mild pancreatitis”. opposition for imposing saff ron colour. government. Ranchi and Puri in 2006 to a private firm. the stone, the minister said.

Families mourn death of children Probe ordered after passenger removed from IndiGo fl ight

Agencies He also said that the video he New Delhi shot of the mosquitoes on his mobile phone was also forcibly Relatives and villagers of school children mourn at a cremation ceremony near Nurpur in Kangra District, in Himachal Pradesh deleted by the airlines staff . yesterday, a day after a bus accident that killed at least 30 people, including 27 children. The accident occurred when the school bus he government yesterday Rai said he had three surgeries plunged into a deep ravine in the Himalayan foothills. ordered an inquiry after lined up in the day in Bengaluru Ta passenger was removed and hence he took a 12.30pm from a domestic fl ight in a fi ght fl ight later. that began after he complained IndiGo, however, said in a about mosquitoes. statement that the passenger IndiGo, India’s biggest air- misbehaved with the crew and line, said in tweets that surgeon threatened to damage the air- Saurabh Rai was offl oaded from craft. Govt ordered to report on eff orts a fl ight on Monday for “unruly “We have zero tolerance for behaviour” and using the word such behaviour,” the airline said. “hijack.” According to IndiGo, “he at- Rai told media that he was tempted to instigate other pas- to rehabilitate bonded labourers “held by the collar” and dragged sengers to damage the aircraft by the crew off the aircraft, and used words such as ‘hijack’. which was due to fl y from the Hence, keeping in mind appli- Reuters convener of the National Cam- India banned bonded labour vance payments, but they often northern city of Lucknow to cable safety protocols, the crew New Delhi paign Committee for Eradica- in 1976, but it remains wide- end up trapped in debt bond- Bengaluru in the south. apprised pilot-in-command, tion of Bonded Labour, who fi led spread, with millions from the age. “I have ordered an inquiry who decided to offl oad him.” the petition last week. marginalised Dalit and tribal Gorana said that India’s capi- into the incident of offl oading Rai: off loaded The incident generated a lot of court has ordered the The petition included a list communities working in fi elds, tal, New Delhi, is a hotspot for passenger Dr Saurabh Rai by In- buzz on the social media, lead- labour ministry, police of bonded workers who were brick kilns, rice mills, brothels bonded labour, because it draws diGo at Lucknow airport,” Civil also crying after being bitten by ing to the airline dealing with A and New Delhi govern- rescued over the last two years or as domestic workers to pay migrants from around the coun- Aviation Minister Suresh Pra- them. queries from passengers on what ment to report on eff orts to re- but had not been rehabilitated, off debts. try who come in search of work. bhu said. Many co-passengers, he it does to keep insects and fl ies habilitate people rescued from as well as details of people who The Indian government an- “Migrant labour is more likely Rai said the fl ight was full of claimed, also complained of the away from its aircraft. bonded labour, after allegations have been reported as trapped nounced plans in 2016 to rescue to get trapped in bonded labour,” mosquitoes and when he ex- mosquito menace after which This is not the fi rst time the that many did not receive sup- in bonded labour but have not more than 18mn bonded labour- he told the Thomson Reuters pressed concerns, he was called he told a fl ight attendant Sonali carrier has been been the subject port they were legally entitled been freed. ers by 2030, and increase com- Foundation. a “terrorist” and later threat- that she should spray something of controversy for its customer to. Police must provide a list of pensation for rescued workers He said that authorities have ened and manhandled by the to ward them off . relations. The order issued by the Delhi all cases registered with them by fi ve-fold as part of its eff orts not done a survey in the last crew. “I was told that she will ap- Last year, the airline apolo- High Court on Monday came in during the past fi ve years, “es- to tackle modern slavery. decade to determine of the state “I heard the crew saying if you prise her seniors about the com- gised to a passenger who was response to a petition claiming pecially of child victims who However, delays in getting bonded labour in New Delhi and have a problem with mosquitoes plaint but nothing happened and pushed and shoved by staff that the government has failed have been treated as bonded la- compensation, paperwork and the number of people trapped in then why don’t you leave India?” the plane doors were about to be members on the Delhi airport to provide rehabilitation, in- bourers”, said the court order. lack of proper rehabilitation it. he told the ANI news agency. closed when I raised the matter tarmac. cluding jobs, education and cash The court has given the gov- leads to many falling back into “We wanted the government According to Rai, he boarded again only to face half a dozen Videos of the encounter had compensation. ernment bodies one month to bondage, campaigners say. to carry out this survey and the 6.05am fl ight. He said there security staff of the airline who triggered a public outcry on so- “The government has the re- submit status reports on steps Across India, villagers are identify the many new forms were many mosquitoes hover- literally threw me and my cabin cial media and were televised sponsibility to rehabilitate these taken to rehabilitate bonded lured by traffi ckers with the of slavery that have come up,” ing around his seat (22C) and luggage out of the aircraft,” he widely on domestic news chan- workers,” said Nirmal Gorana, workers. promise of a good job and ad- Gorana said. some children on the plane were alleged. nels. If Modi loses next year, he can only blame himself

n one of the previous en- The party is dreaming for Rahul ans were already introduced to commissioner T N Seshan and, More importantly, who will judge tries in this diary, I had said while Kejriwal is doing his own the expression thanks to Naren- like Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain the quality of news to decide if Ihow Prime Minister Naren- dreaming. dra Modi. But as with McDonald’s to you and me) had once famously it is fake or not? The ministry dra Modi could well retain power Be that as it may, with just a Delhi Diary or Pizza Hut or Pepsi, all things said, the news of Seshan’s death guideline, in fact, said once the after next year’s parliamentary year to go, Modi’s chances of re- American had to have a local was “greatly exaggerated”. complaint is registered for de- elections because there is no one taining power looks a little less By A K B Krishnan twist to suit the Indian palate to Anyway, the short point is fake termination of fake news, the ac- on the horizon in any rival party bright than it had a year ago. Cu- survive here. So, we had the Con- news is here to stay because the creditation of the journalist, who- who could replace him. The word riously, this has more to do with Gulf Times Correspondent gress Party, smelling danger from means of communication or dis- ever “created and/or propagated” TINA (There Is No Alternative) is his and his party’s own actions/ Modi’s challenge to its till-then semination of news has greatly the fake news, will be suspended a favourite with political analysts inactions than what Mamata, unquestioned supremacy over changed over the past decade and till the determination regarding in the Indian capital. Naidu et al are trying to do. more damage to India’s economy Uttar Pradesh and Telangana and Lutyens’ Delhi, started calling the chaff will perforce come with the fake news is made. In short But over the past ten days or so The fact that the regional sat- in terms of job losses and export the attacks on Christian churches him ‘Feku’, the innuendo being the the wheat. This is especially so in you are guilty until proven inno- there has been a plethora of aspir- raps are hogging national lime- cancellations than many of the so- in Kolkata and Delhi. In these po- man was fake and, therefore, had the case of a democracy like India cent! ing prime ministerial candidates light once again is because Modi called fi nancial scams during the litically cynical times the opposi- no right to be what he was aspir- - and perhaps the US as well - be- The media in India is overseen who have raised their heads in has fallen short of the expecta- previous Congress-led regime. tion will always look for chances ing to be - the prime minister of cause the freedom of expression is by the Press Council of India (PCI) the hope they will be counted and tions he had raised when he be- Yet Modi seemed unmoved. to spite the government - the boot India. guaranteed in our respective Con- for the print version and the Na- recognised when it was time for came prime minister four years He very well knew that all he had was on the other foot four years That was 2014. The Congress stitutions. tional Broadcasters Association Indians to make their choice in the ago. He had disrupted the cozy old to do was speak up against the ago - so it is for the government, realised, however reluctantly, So, how to curb fake news in a (NBA) for television and FM radio. next one year. boys’ club in the national capital. lawlessness of his party men and more especially the prime min- that this particular ‘Feku’, in fact, democracy? Will shooting from Till date they have been doing a West Bengal’s Mamata Ban- The average Indian loved him for they would have been left with ister, to make sure that no such was the real thing and there was the hip do any good? It will look reasonably good job of self-gov- erjee, Uttar Pradesh’s Akhilesh it. Even the hardships of demon- no choice but to fall in line. The chance is given. no escaping that reality. We did very macho in a Clint Eastwood ernance. But Irani felt she should Yadav and Mayawati, Andhra etisation did not deter her/his ad- lynching of Muslim men trans- Post 2012 Manmohan Singh and not hear much of ‘feku’ or fake spaghetti western but not with do more to “clean up” the press. Pradesh’s Chandrababu Naidu miration for the new ‘disrupter in porting cattle or the violence in Sonia Gandhi gave ample chances for quite a while although we all India’s minister for information Mercifully, Prime Minister and even Telangana’s Chan- town’. the name of perceived shaming to the BJP which made sure the knew we were being regaled day and broadcasting. But that’s what Modi got wind of the ruling and drasekhar Rao have all started But the disruption stopped short of a mythical queen of Rajasthan Congress did not return to power. in and day out by fake news on Smriti Irani tried to do in her bid within 24 hours of its promulga- preparing for the big day without of his own Bharatiya Janata Party in a Hindi fi lm, to name just two They may say it was Modi-Amit 24X7 television, the print media to curb fake news. Eastwood al- tion forced Irani to withdraw the directly admitting - and in some (BJP) whose members seemed to be examples, would have stopped Shah machinations that did them and, most importantly, the social ways hit target at fi rst shot where- notice. With some crucial state cases even denying - that they a law unto themselves. Initially the immediately. But the prime min- in. But in their hearts they must be network without which life seems as Irani missed both the tree and assembly elections and even the were looking to become prime blame was placed on the so-called ister, despite repeated entreaties ruing the many missteps they had to be worthless, at least for some. the woods. general election not far away, minister, but no good politician “fringe”, meaning small-time local from various quarters including taken that eventually led to their I say ‘regaled’ because after the Last week the I&B Ministry it would have been a very dan- can ever be taken for her word chieftains who worked with their columnists like Tavleen Singh, downfall. If Modi does not win fi rst shock waves of sensational- issued a directive that journal- gerous but convenient weapon when it comes to ambition. own agenda. But soon it became chose to maintain prolonged si- in 2019, he will have nobody but ism that garnered much atten- ists accredited to it will lose that for the government had Irani’s Of course, there is Rahul Gan- clear there was a larger dimension lence. himself to blame. tion, things settled down quite a coveted recognition if found in- diktat prevailed. Curiously, the dhi who, the Congress Party to the whole scenario as amply il- The opposition took full ad- bit so much so that most people dulging in disseminating fake Emergency during Indira Gan- thinks, is the man ideally suited lustrated by the ban, though short- vantage of the reluctance on the knew fake news when they saw/ news. The operative word here dhi’s regime had witnessed the to replace Modi. And then there lived, on the sale of livestock for part of the prime minister to en- Nothing fake about read one and it just about man- is “found” because how do you incarceration of several of Irani’s is Arvind Kejriwal who has always slaughter at cattle markets. That gage in the national debate. In rap on Irani’s knuckles aged to stay afl oat because of its ascertain that a certain piece of colleagues even as the press was harboured grand ambitions ever one incident, strangely initiated by all probability it even helped the entertainment value. The latest news is fake and what is the yard- muzzled. If Irani had hoped for since that tumultuous and stu- the Ministry of Environment and rioters along as evidenced in the Much before President Trump in that series of fake news was the stick with which you gauge how a throwback to those dark days, pendous victory in Delhi in 2015. Forests and Climate Change, did destruction of some statues in made ‘fake news’ famous, Indi- “death’ of former chief election seriously damaging that news is? that was not to be and rightly so. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 19 PAKISTAN

Those with $10,000+ annual foreign income required to fi le returns Leaders meet today

Internews required to pay a penalty of 2% Karachi of the foreign income or value of the foreign assets for each year of default,” it said. he authorities have Tax experts said that sec- on caretaker govt warned that individu- tion 111(4)(a) of Income Tax Tals with foreign income Ordinance 2001 had provided a Internews the offi ce so far, he added. to name the new international and he is expected to hold anoth- raise a hue and cry over the con- of over $10,000 (Rs1.15mn) or blanket amnesty to inward re- Islamabad The PPP leader is of the view airport in Islamabad after the er round of consultations with duct of caretaker governments, assets worth $100,000 risk in- mittances. that if the government had PPP’s late chairperson Benazir them after meeting the prime at least in Punjab and Khyber Pa- curring penalties if they fail to The president signed anoth- thought of possible nominees, it Bhutto, and said that his party minister. khtunkhwa, where the party will annually fi le their returns un- er ordinance to amend the Pro- rime Minister Shahid should not declare them and wait would take the matter to the Su- The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have a direct role in the nomina- der a new law. tection of Economic Reforms Khaqan Abbasi and Op- for the opposition to share its preme Court if the government (PTI), the other main opposi- tion of a caretaker set-up. On Sunday night the presi- Act (PERA) 1992. Pposition Leader in the Na- nominees fi rst. did not agree to their demand. tion party, also wants a say in the The PTI appears to be more dent promulgated four ordi- After the promulgation of tional Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said that he wanted to The lower house Opposition process of appointing members worried about the future care- nances to make tax amnesty the ordinance, transfers to for- Ahmed Shah will formally hold a suggest names of people who Leader said that he would chal- of the caretaker government in taker government in Punjab, scheme, unveiled on April 5, eign currency accounts could meeting today to discuss the ap- had a good reputation because lenge the names of all hospitals Islamabad and in all the prov- knowing that in the general elec- into law. only be made if the account pointment of a caretaker govern- transparency and fairness of the and universities named after pol- inces. tions, the party with the most An ordinance, amending holders are on the active tax- ment for the upcoming elections. election depended heavily on the iticians who have been convicted At a recent news confer- seats in the province will claim Section 114 and Section 116 payers list. Shah disclosed this to report- conduct of the caretaker set-up. of corruption. ence, PTI chairman Imran Khan the driver’s seat in forming a of the Income Tax Ordinance The presidential ordinance ers at his Parliament House He also suggested the forma- Under the Constitution, con- stated that they would not allow caretaker government in Islama- 2001, made the fi ling of income amended the Section 5 of PERA chambers yesterday, and revealed tion of a parliamentary commit- sultation between the prime the PPP and the ruling Pakistan bad. tax returns and wealth state- 1992, under which holders of that this would be his second tee to ensure accountability of minister and the opposition Muslim League – Nawaz (PML- However, PTI’s vice-chairman ment mandatory for resident foreign currency accounts en- meeting with the prime minister politicians. leader is essential for the ap- N) to strike a deal on the appoint- Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that taxpayers having foreign in- joyed exemption from declar- on the issue. Shah is of the view that such pointment of a caretaker gov- ment of a caretaker set-up, as the so far, he had not had a formal come above $10,000 a year or ing the source of such funds He said that the Pakistan Peo- a committee could become more ernment to carry out the general two parties had allegedly done consultation with Shah on the is- foreign assets with a value of before any authority. ples Party (PPP) had not yet de- powerful than the National Ac- elections in a fair and transparent in 2013, without consulting the sue of a caretaker set-up. $100,000 or more. Tax experts said that foreign cided on a candidate for the offi ce countability Bureau (NAB), the manner. other parties. Responding to a question, Individuals are required to currency account holders also of caretaker prime minister. Federal Investigation Agency Shah has already organised in- However, political experts be- Qureshi said that his party has submit details in wealth state- need to fi le annual returns of Neither had any other opposi- (FIA), or any other institution. formal meetings with almost all lieve that this time around, the not fi nalised the nominees for the ment and returns, including income and wealth statement tion party put forward a name for He also urged the government opposition parties on the issue, PTI will not be in a position to future caretaker set-up. total foreign assets and liabili- to keep their accounts intact ties as of the last day of the tax after the amendment. year. Under the other the ordi- Individuals are also required nances issued by the president, to submit complete details of liquid foreign assets that are foreign income and expendi- not repatriated will incur a 5% Crocodiles guard tures during a tax year. tax, while immovable assets The presidential ordinance outside Pakistan will incur a prescribed a penalty for non- 3% tax. secrets of Pakistan’s compliance with the law of fi l- Liquid assets that are repat- ing of returns and statements riated and invested in govern- by individuals with foreign in- ment securities for up to fi ve lost African past come. years in US dollar-denominat- “Where any person fails to ed bonds with six-month pay- furnish foreign assets and in- ment profi t rate in rupees (3% By Ashraf Khan, AFP Bilal – one of Prophet Muham- come statements within the rate of return) will be “whit- Karachi mad (pbuh)’s closest compan- due date then such person is ened” with a 2% tax. ions. As the knowledge of their Individual income tax burden slashed ancing and chanting in origins has faded, so too have Swahili at a crocodile many of their traditions, in- The income tax burden on individuals in Pakistan will reduce by up Dshrine outside Karachi, cluding the vestiges of Swahili to 70%, on top of outright exclusion of more than 500,000 persons hundreds of Pakistani Sheedis once spoken in parts of Kara- from any tax liability with eff ect from July 1, provided the upcoming swayed barefoot to the rhythm chi. finance bill protects recent government decisions. of a language that they no “Swahili has been an aban- Last week, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi announced longer speak – the celebration doned language for some gen- reduction in tax rates on the income of individuals, with eff ect from off ering a rare chance to con- erations now,” says Ghulam next fiscal year, from existing rates of up to 30% to a maximum of nect with their African roots. Akbar Sheedi, a 75-year-old 15%. For many Sheedis, the community leader. Giving it legal cover, the government also promulgated an swampy crocodile shrine to “I remember that my grand- ordinance on Sunday to amend the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. Sufi saint Haji Syed Shaikh Sul- mother would extensively use In view of 120-day limit, the ordinance will need to be made part of tan – more popularly known as Swahili phrases in our daily Finance Bill 2018-19 to protect it for at least a full fiscal year. Mangho Pir – is the most po- conversation,” says 50-year- Under the ordinance, the threshold for income tax exemption was tent symbol of their shared Af- old Atta Mohammad, who now increased to annual income of Rs1.2mn (Rs100,000 per month) rican past, as they struggle to struggles to remember even a from existing threshold of Rs400,000, eff ectively pulling out about uncover the trail that led their few sayings. 500,000 people from any income tax liability. ancestors to Pakistan. With so many traditions lost An annual income of between Rs1.2mn and Rs2.4mn will attract a Many, like 75-year-old Mo- to the past, the Sheedi mela, or tax rate of 5%, while the tax rate would be 10% on an annual income In this photograph taken on March 4, Sajjad Burfat, the custodian of sacred crocodiles, feeds meat to a hammad Akbar, have simply crocodiles festival, at the Man- of Rs2.4mn to Rs4.8mn. crocodile next to a pond at the Mangho Pir shrine, during the Sheedi Mela or crocodiles festival, on the given up the search for their gho Pir shrine has assumed An annual income of above Rs4.8mn would attract a 15% tax rate. outskirts of Karachi. family’s origins. rich signifi cance and been the The descendants of Africans epicentre of the community in who have been arriving on the Sindh for centuries. shores of the subcontinent for They no longer know why it centuries, the Sheedis rose to is held there, they are simply lofty positions as generals and following in the steps and re- KP govt sets QAU, COMSATS among top 50 universities leaders during the Mughal Em- peating the words of their an- pire, which ruled swathes of cestors. South Asia. Mehrun Nissa, 65, prepares record in Internews velopment in the South. They are followed by Lahore’s Bu Ali Sina University of Iran. But, actively discriminated a sacred drink during the mela Islamabad The QAU has been ranked at University of Punjab, the Uni- The University of Punjab against during British rule, while translating from what 35 and is the top ranked Paki- versity of Karachi at sixth, the comes in at 97 in the list of the their traditions began to fade, she says is a Swahili dialect. taking loans stani university in the list. Government College University top 100 universities in the Is- and when Pakistan was created “Nagajio O Nagajio, Yo aa Yo ven as the Higher Educa- It fi nds itself sandwiched be- Lahore at seventh, the Univer- lamic world, sandwiched be- in 1947, they were absent from ... means now we are leaving tion Commission (HEC) tween Universite Mohammad sity of Sargodha at eighth, the tween the University of Minia the country’s elite political and to have a drink from the bowl,” Internews Edecided to abandon a uni- Premier Ouja of Morrocco and University of Peshawar at ninth, of Egypt and the Shahrood Uni- military circles. she explains. Peshawar versity ranking system owing to the Sabanci Universitesi of Tur- the Bahauddin Zakaria Univer- versity of Technology from Iran. Figures are scant but it is Mangho Pir is also home to “inaccurate data”, a ranking of key. sity at 10th, the International The top 10 rankings are domi- generally accepted that Paki- more than 100 lumbering croc- top universities in the Islamic On the other hand, COMSATS Islamic University Islamabad nated by universities from Iran, stan holds the highest number odiles that waddle between the he Pakistan Tehreek-e- world has ranked two institu- comes in six places below at 41, (IIUI) at 11th, and the Islamia Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. of Sheedis on the subcon- devotees near a swampy green Insaf (PTI) government tions from Pakistan amongst fi nding itself between the Alex- University at 12th. The King Abdul Aziz Univer- tinent, upwards of around pond where they have lived for Tin Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the top 50. andria University of Egypt and The UAF came in at 68 on sity of Saudi Arabia is ranked 50,000 people. generations. (KP) province has taken out The Information Technol- the Mohammed V University in the ranking of universities from top, with a score of 10.82. But their history has been Legend holds that lice on the loans of around Rs3tn, which ogy University (ITU) Qual- Morocco. the Islamic world, fi nding itself Malaysia’s University Malaya scantily written, making it Sufi saint’s head transformed would take nearly 40 years to pay ity Research Ranking has In Pakistan, COMSATS between the Babol Noshirvani is second with a score of 10.31. diffi cult if not impossible for into the reptiles that now live off . listed the Quaid-e-Azam Uni- comes in at second place on the University of Technology of Iran’s University of Tehran is Sheedis – including even those at the shrine. KP Deputy Information Sec- versity (QAU) Islamabad and the list behind the QAU. Iran, and the University of Not- third with a score of 9.98. like Akbar whose ancestors The oldest crocodile – retary Shaukat Yousufzai said COMSATS in the top 50. In the regional list, the Uni- tingham in Malaysia. The King Abdullah Univer- arrived in Pakistan relatively known as More Sawab, and be- that the need arose as the fed- The list contains 185 universi- versity of Agriculture of Faisal- The NUST, when compared sity of Science and Technology recently – to trace their ante- lieved to be anywhere between eral government did not disburse ties. abad (UAF) came in third while to international educational es- of Saudi Arabia is fourth with cedents. 70 and 100 years old – is feted funds to the province on time. COMSATS is the acronym the National University of Sci- tablishments, was ranked at 87, a score of 9.94, and the Sharif “I came to know in the 1960s at the festival’s climax with He added that they would pay for Commission on Science and ence and Technology (NUST) in between Tabriz University of University of Technology of Iran that my grandfather belonged garlands and decorative pow- back the loans by generating rev- Technology for Sustainable De- Islamabad is fourth. Medical Sciences of Iran and the is fi fth with a score of 8.58. to Zanzibar, and we contacted der while being fed raw meat. enue from the projects for which the Tanzania embassy to fi nd Even this tenuous link to the the funds were borrowed. our extended family,” Akbar community’s past is in danger However, the loans are said to 8th Wage Board told AFP outside his home in of being severed, however. burden the people of KP as they Karachi. The celebrations this March would be paid back over decades for media persons “We were told that we can were the fi rst time the festival to come, on a markup of 0.6% to Baluchistan drafts health policy is announced never reach them until we can has been held in nine years, 2%. identify our tribe, which we after rising extremism saw As per documents available Pakistan’s Minister of State don’t know,” he said. “I never Sufi shrines come under threat with Geo News, the PTI govern- Internews troduction of the healthy pol- The cabinet also approved for Information, Broadcasting, tried again.” across Pakistan, with repeated ment has taken loans of nearly Islamabad icy is necessary for providing a project for improving basic National History and Literary His plight is common, with gun and suicide bomb attacks. Rs3tn. better health facilities to the infrastructure in the industrial Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb little in the way of documen- “The situation was not suit- Out of the amount, nearly people of the province. town of Hub under the chief has announced the constitution tation or scholarship on the able for us as children and Rs99bn is for three projects, in- aluchistan’s cabinet has It decided that no further minister’s programme for de- of the Eighth Wage Board. community. women also participate in the cluding the Bus Rapid Transit decided to introduce a delay would be allowed in im- veloping divisional headquar- She said that a summary in What is available suggests mela,” said Qanbarani, as heav- (BRT) scheme in Peshawar. Bhealth policy. plementing the health policy ters. that regard had been sent to that many arrived as part of the ily armed police commandos The PTI government bor- A meeting of the cabinet in Baluchistan. It extended the service of the prime minister, with the African slave trade to the east fl anked the crowd. rowed Rs41.88bn from the Asian presided over by Chief Minis- The cabinet also decided the chairman of the Balu- necessary notification to be – a notion rejected by many However, with dramatic Development Bank (ADB) for the ter Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to implement the Quetta Safe chistan Public Service Com- issued after approval of the Sheedis, most of whom now improvements in security in BRT alone, while the remaining was informed that a compre- City Project without fur- mission for two years. cabinet in its next meeting. reside in Sindh province. recent years the community Rs57bn is being spent on elec- hensive draft of the policy ther delay and exempted the The cabinet approved The minister said the Wage Board “We don’t subscribe to the hopes to continue the mela, tricity, schools, solarisation of would be presented in the next project from some clauses of amendment in the Baluchistan would include representatives of theories that someone brought celebrating traditions that have basic health units and the Pehur meeting for its approval. the Baluchistan Public Pro- Public Service Commission’s media organisations. us as slaves to this region be- survived slavery, colonisation, High Level Canal in Swabi. The offi cers of the health curement Regularity Author- Act 1989, under Article 242 of Representatives of National cause Sheedis as a nation have and modernisation. It is said that PTI borrowed department briefed the meet- ity. the Constitutions. Press Club, Pakistan Federal never been slaves,” argues “It is a Sheedi community fi ve times more money than ing about the draft. It approved the issuance Chief Minister Bizenjo Union of Journalists and media Yaqoob Qanbarani, the chair- belief that by honouring the the previous KP government of The draft was referred to of a notifi cation from the law warned that all government organisations were present when man of Pakistan Sheedi Itte- crocodile, our whole year will Awami National Party (ANP). a committee of the cabinet department for re-determi- departments are bound to im- she made the announcement. had, a community group. pass in peace, tranquillity and The ANP government bor- headed by Health Minister nation of limits and headquar- plement decisions taken by the Aurangzeb commended the role Others say that the com- prosperity,” explains Moham- rowed approximately Rs21bn Abdul Majid Abro. ters of civil courts under the cabinet and an action would be of the media in strengthening munity’s origins can be traced mad. “We look forward to cel- during their term in from 2007 The cabinet members ob- Baluchistan Civil Courts Ordi- taken against offi cials who do democracy and in the war against back to the genesis of Islam, ebrating the mela next year too, to 2013. served that an immediate in- nance, 1962. not implement the decisions. terrorism. claiming a shared lineage with and forever.” Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 PHILIPPINES

Japanese businessman High court hears arguments to rescued from kidnappers remove Duterte ‘enemy’ Sereno

Reuters held a protest outside the Sereno and indicated he was AFP Manila court. ready to use his influence Manila Nearby, anti-Sereno pro- over the legislature to get rid testers called for her resigna- of her. he Philippine Supreme tion. “I’m putting you on no- Japanese man has been Court began hearing Sereno has voted against tice that I’m your enemy and freed after being lured to T arguments yesterday several of his controversial you have to be out of the Su- AManila and kidnapped on a government bid to in- proposals, including extend- preme Court,” he told report- as part of a complex plot organ- validate the appointment of ing martial law on a restive ers before heading to an Asian ised by a business partner he had the court’s top judge, whom island and allowing late dic- leaders’ forum in China. fallen out with, the Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte tator Ferdinand Marcos to “I will see to it. And after police chief said yesterday. is calling an “enemy” who be buried in a cemetery for that, I will request Congress Philippine police rescued the needs to be removed. national heroes, but Duterte go to the impeachment right 32-year-old victim on April 5 Chief Justice Maria Lour- denies instigating two at- away.” and arrested two Filipinos and a des Sereno’s fellow high tempts to remove her. The nearly 300-seat house Japanese fugitive who had been court judges will decide on Sereno has until now re- returns from a recess next holding him in a house outside merit of arguments for and frained from blaming Duterte month and will convene for the capital, national police chief against a petition, referred but directly questioned his a plenary vote on the im- Director-General Ronaldo Dela to as a “quo warranto”, by the intentions in a speech yes- peachment complaint, which Rosa said. government’s chief lawyer, terday. accuses Sereno of failure to The unnamed victim, a Tokyo for alleged violations in the “Mr President, if you have fully declare her earnings. resident, arrived in the Philip- appointment process. no hand in this, why did So- If passed, an impeach- pines in March with a Japanese The embattled judge, the licitor-General Jose Calida, ment trial will be conducted business partner, senior police Philippines’ first woman who reports to you, file the in the upper house, with the offi cial Glenn Dumlao told re- chief justice, is facing chal- Maria Sereno: facing challenges on several fronts quo warranto?”, she asked. 22 sitting Senators as judges. porters. lenges on several fronts and is “Surely, you must explain A spokesman for Sereno said “During the investigation we on a leave of absence to pre- Duterte makes no secret of session in the city of Baguio, Dozens of her supporters, this unconstitutional act”. she was eager to prove in conducted, we found he was pare for possible impeach- his dislike of Sereno. Sereno to defend herself against Cal- holding streamers and de- Within a few hours a fu- court she had done nothing tricked by his friend. They were ment proceedings. appeared at a Supreme Court ida’s petition. nouncing some of the judges, rious Duterte lashed out at wrong. business partners and allegedly, they had a rift in their business,” he said, without elaborating on the men’s ties. Shortly after arrival in Manila the business partner returned to NFA chief told to resign amid rice shortage Five kidnappers, police Japan and the victim was met at his hotel by two Filipinos, who asked him to come with them. By Llanesca T Panti obvious that somebody made Philippines President Alex Under its food security and offi cer killed in shootout The victim was initially reluc- Manila Times money in hoarding the NFA Buenaventura; Land Bank price stabilisation mandate, tant, but agreed to accompany rice. They created this scenar- of the Philippines Executive the NFA needs to have a stra- the men after being instructed to io,” Suarez said to reporters in Vice President Julio Climaco tegic rice reserve equivalent DPA had posed as police offi cers do so by the business partner. he administrator of the a news conference. Jr; Finance Secretary Carlos to 15 days’ national consump- Manila when they swooped down on The two Filipinos, along with a National Food Authori- “Consumers are suffering Dominguez; National Treasurer tion and a higher 30-day buf- Arguelles’ house, hogtied eve- Japanese national took the victim Tty (NFA) should quit his because of them (officials in Rosalia de Leon; Trade Secre- fet stock during the traditional ryone inside and seized him. to a house and held him while his job as soon as possible amid the NFA),” he added. tary Ramon Lopez; Trade and lean months of July to Septem- ive suspected kidnap- The suspects later messaged family in Japan was contacted. a shortage of affordable NFA Industry Undersecretary Teo- ber. pers and a police offi cer the Arguelles’ family with a The Japanese embassy in Ma- rice in the country, House Mi- “What is he (Aquino) doro Pascua; Secretary Ernesto The House Committee on Fwere killed yesterday in a ransom demand, he added. nila, acting on the request of the nority Leader Danilo Suarez waiting for? He should go Pernia of the National Econom- Good Government and Public shootout that led to the rescue Senior superintendent kidnapped man’s family, sought said yesterday. and quit. He should not ic and Development Authority; Accountability has been inves- of an abducted businessman in Rhorderick Armamento, the the help of the local police who In making the suggestion wait for the president to Executive Secretary Salvador tigating the NFA rice shortage the Philippines, police said. provincial police director in rescued the victim and arrested to NFA Administrator Jason fi re him. It is very obvious Medialdea; and farmer sector stemming from a House resolu- The businessman, a by- Quezon, said Arguelles was the suspects, Dela Rosa said. Aquino, Suarez cited an an- that somebody made representative Edwin Para- tion fi led by Rep. Luis Raymond stander and three police offi c- suspected of involvement in The Japanese suspect, who nouncement made by the Grain money in hoarding the luman, among others. Villafuerte of Camarines Sur ers were wounded in the fi re- the illegal drugs trade. had his passport cancelled in Retailers Confederation of the NFA rice. They created But before President Duterte before Congress adjourned for a fi ght on the outskirts of San “He is in our list of drug 2015, is also facing fraud charges Philippine that there is no more this scenario” decided to reconstitute the NFA two-month break last March 21. Pablo City in Laguna province, groups and personalities,” Ar- in Japan, police said. NFA rice supply in four regions Council and place it under the The House panel, however, is 70 kilometres south of Manila, mamento said. Dumlao said he could not namely Metro Manila (National The NFA rice shortage has al- jurisdiction of the Department yet to adopt recommendations a police report said. “This kidnapping is defi - elaborate on any ransom de- Capital Region), Cagayan Val- ready prompted President Rod- of Agriculture alongside the as a result of the probe. Pend- The hostage, identifi ed as nitely related to illegal drugs.” mands as the negotiations were ley, Central Luzon and Calabar- rigo Duterte to reconstitute the National Irrigation Adminis- ing the committee report on Ronaldo Arguelles, was ab- The Philippines’ campaign carried out with victim’s family zon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, NFA Council because of policy tration, the Philippine Coco- the probe, Villafuerte called on ducted from his house in near- against illegal drugs has been in Japan and it was Tokyo’s policy Rizal and Quezon). disagreements between the nut Authority and the Fertiliser the NFA to constitute a separate by Quezon province on Mon- criticised by foreign and lo- not to divulge such details. The government apparently NFA and the council composed and Pesticides Authority, Ma- body to monitor the supply and day night, and police were in cal human rights groups due The Japanese police were still confirmed this announcement of Aquino; Cabinet Secretary nila Times had learned from a prices of rice, much like how pursuit when they spotted the to the high death toll in police looking for the victim’s business by admitting that the NFA has Leoncio Evasco; Bangko Sentral source in the Palace that the the Energy Regulatory Com- suspects in San Pablo during operations and killings by al- partner, he added. only 200,000 sacks of NFA ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor NFA has sold as much as 1mn mission regulates power rates. the ransom pay-off . leged hired or vigilante killers. The Japanese embassy in Ma- rice left that are only good for Espenilla Jr.; Bangko Sentral sacks of NFA rice per month “In the same way that there The shootout erupted when Since the campaign started nila declined to comment on the less than a day–short of the ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor since November last year, caus- exists regulatory control on the one of the suspects saw the on President Rodrigo Duterte’s matter. 15-day requirement for the Diwa Guinigundo; Develop- ing the shortfall. cost of electricity, there should police offi cers and opened fi rst day in offi ce on July 1, Kidnapping for ransom gangs NFA rice buffer stock. ment Bank of the Philippines Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of also be regulatory control on fi re, said Senior Superintend- 2016, police have killed more are known to be active in the “What is he (Aquino) wait- Chairman Alberto Romulo; Davao del Norte earlier ques- the price of rice to prevent the ent Glenn Dumlao, head of the than 4,100 suspected drug Philippines, sometimes targeting ing for? He should go and quit. Director Teodoro Jumamil of tioned Aquino’s competence as profi teering schemes of un- national police’s anti-kidnap- pushers and users in anti- foreigners with the assistance of He should not wait for the the Development Bank of the NFA administrator but did not scrupulous traders,” he said in a ping group. drug operations, according to their countrymen. president to fire him. It is very Philippines; Land Bank of the call for Aquino’s resignation. statement. Dumlao said the suspects police data. President ‘did not buy Robredo urges president data’ to win election to hear people’s voices

Reuters By Llanesca T Panti a continuing challenge. It’s fi rst time, many Filipinos re- Manila Manila Times something that we should con- gard human rights as a sort of a tinue fi ghting for. It’s not one of bad thing. And it’s unfortunate. the high points of this adminis- Whenever I open my mouth on hilippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s elec- nstead of governing with tration, but we have to continue protecting human rights, there tion victory in 2016 did not rely on informa- an iron fi st, President Rod- pushing for a recognition than are people who are able to shift Ption bought from anybody and his campaign Irigo Duterte should learn to giving everyone a seat at the ta- the focus not on the issue that I team did not hire political consultancy Cambridge listen to sectors aff ected by his ble which is still a better way to talk about, but on the fact that I Analytica, his spokesman said yesterday. administration’s policies. do things,” Robredo said. am very ambitious and I want to The Britain-based Cambridge Analytica is at the “The inability… the inabil- Robredo then warned that take the presidency out of our centre of a controversy over harvested personal data ity to listen to voices. It’s not sectors who were not being president,” Robredo said. about users of Facebook, which was used to target just involving jeepney drivers… heard could not be ignored for Duterte has repeatedly voters in the US presidential election and Britain’s there are other sectors who are long. threatened to kill all drug per- 2016 referendum on European Union membership. complaining of the same thing. “Having said that, in many sonalities and called human A report last week in the South China Morning Rodrigo Duterte’s election victory in 2016 did not On the Marawi rehabilitation, instances under this adminis- rights as “the anti-thesis of Post newspaper said that Cambridge Analytica’s rely on information bought from anybody and his there is a group of people from Leni Robredo has warned tration, when the push becomes government.” He even went parent fi rm, Strategic Communications Laborato- campaign team did not hire political consultancy Marawi who are also complain- that sectors who were not harder, they do… they do retreat. as far as saying in August 2017 ries (SCL), had made the claim that it helped put Cambridge Analytica. ing that their voices are not being heard could not be It happened with the anti-drug that he might order police to Duterte in offi ce. But presidential spokesman Harry being heard. It’s just that they ignored for long. war. It’s not in the way that we shoot human rights advocates. Roque said that was far from the case and Duterte’s anybody else,” it said. The South China Morning are not given space to be heard. want it to be, but we have to ad- “There’s been so many road- win was “fair and square”. He said his then cam- Post report said Nix had dined in Manila a year be- They are proposing a manner by consequences if they don’t mit that there has been a source blocks as far as the fi ght for hu- paign treasurer and current fi nance minister, Car- fore the election with Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La which the modernisation can modernise by January 2018. of, you know, a… trying to cali- man rights is concerned, and los Dominguez, had assured him no transactions Vina and Peter Tiu Lavina, who played key roles in happen with the least amount The Ranaw Multi-Sectoral brate what they’ve been doing those roadblocks, we’ve not had taken place with Cambridge Analytica. Duterte’s campaign, which relied heavily on social of disruption on the livelihood Movement claimed last March into something that will be more allowed them to… not allowed Duterte’s victory should not be undermined media, mainly Facebook, to get him elected. of the jeepney drivers, but as 30 that Maranaos were being acceptable to the people. And if them to constrain us in what with “unsubstantiated allegations”, Roque said in a Recent research has shown Filipinos spend more in many instances and many left out in the plans that were the push becomes harder, I’m we’re doing. The crucial thing statement. time on social media than people of any other policies, it’s being done with, laid out by Task Force Bangon very positive that they will lis- here is that we can’t give up. British legislators have questioned Alexander country. La Via described the newspaper report as you know, a hard fi st,” Robredo Marawi during consultations ten,” Robredo said. We have to continue doing the Nix, the suspended Cambridge Analytica chief ex- “not entirely accurate” saying he met Nix during said during an open forum with held at city hall last week. “They won’t back down from pushback,” Robredo said. ecutive, over his role in harvesting data from mil- lunch served at a May 2015 news conference, but students of the London School Marawi City was ravaged by what they are fi ghting for, and Robredo recalled a video lions of Facebook users. had not since been in contact. of Economics and Political Sci- the Islamic State-inspired ter- for that they have a very good message ahead of a UN panel Outside the United States, the largest amount The newspaper included what it said was a pho- ence on Monday when asked ror group Maute from May to chance of being heard,” Robre- discussion in Vienna in March of user data acquired by Cambridge Analytica was tograph of the meal. what the future of jeepneys in October 2017, leaving the city in do added. 2017 in which she criticised from the Philippines. Jose Joel Sy Egco, currently an undersecretary at the country would be in light of shambles, killing over 100 peo- In the same forum, Robredo the Duterte administration’s The country’s National Privacy Commission, the presidential communications offi ce, confi rmed the government’s Public Utility ple and displacing hundreds of lamented that the fi ght for the war on drugs which, based on citing information it was given by Facebook, said it that Nix was in Manila in May 2015 as guest speaker Vehicle (PUV) modernisation thousands. protection of human rights fi gures of human rights advo- had data from 1.17mn Filipino accounts. at a media forum his group organised on the role of plan. “The challenge really is, be- in the Philippines was a big cates, has left 12,000 suspected In a statement posted on its website yesterday, information technology in elections. The PUV modernisation plan cause they’re (in the Duterte struggle due to Duterte’s huge drug personalities dead with- Cambridge Analytica said it did not “hack” Face- “That was the fi rst and last time that I met Nix,” seeks to replace public util- administration) not good at popularity, especially with the out charges and trial, as well as book and that a research company “licensed the Egco told ANC news channel. ity transport that are 15 years giving a seat at the table to, you masses. the “palit-ulo” scheme wherein data to us, which they legally obtained via a tool The Philippines’ National Privacy Commis- old and above with e-jeepneys know, to people’s organisa- “Human rights has been the police would take a member provided by Facebook”. sion said it was seeking updates from Facebook on worth P1.6mn each. tions… even non-government given a bad connotation in the of the family of a drug suspect “To be clear: Cambridge Analytica did not ille- measures taken to mitigate the risks that ensued Duterte warned jeepney organisations have been given Philippines. And it has not been without a warrant if the suspect gally or inappropriately collect or share data with from the controversy. drivers and operators of dire a negative connotation. It’s that way before. But for the very didn’t want to surrender. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 21 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Minister’s visit raises Student protests rattle hope for return of Bangladesh for third day Rohingya AFP But outside the camps, traf- Reuters Dhaka fi c was brought to a standstill as Dhaka protesters blocked roads in the nation’s capital. undreds of university The protests also spread to Myanmar government students across Bang- private campuses for the fi rst minister will visit Ro- Hladesh blockaded roads time since the demonstrations Ahingya refugee camps yesterday in a third day of pro- erupted on Sunday, drawing in Bangladesh today, offi cials tests against what they say hundreds to the streets. said, a rare trip Dhaka hopes are discriminatory quotas for Demonstrators want the will help speed the return home government jobs. share of top government po- of hundreds of thousands of the Students took to the streets sitions set aside for minority neighbouring nation’s Muslim in Dhaka and elsewhere despite groups and the disabled minority. assurances from the govern- signifi cantly reduced. Win Myat Aye, Myanmar’s ment that it would review the They are also particularly minister for social welfare, relief controversial quota system. irate that 30% of government and resettlement, will speak with The mass protests roiling positions are reserved for de- some of the roughly 700,000 campuses across the country scendants of veterans from Rohingya refugees the United have been among the biggest Bangladesh’s independence war Nations and aid groups say fl ed faced by Prime Minister Sheikh in 1971. a military crackdown in their Hasina in her decade in power. The government promised Buddhist-majority country since At Dhaka University – where to review the system yesterday, last August. more than 100 were injured in but that caused a rift among “So many people of his coun- clashes with police in recent demonstrators, with some ac- try are here and it’s their moral days – students vowed to stage cepting the assurance and obligation to see their condi- sit-ins until the government re- others resisting it. tions,” Mohammed Abul Kalam, form the quota system. A pro-government faction Bangladesh’s refugee relief and “We’ll continue our agita- of the student movement had rehabilitation commissioner, tion until the authorities ac- postponed its protest action but said. cept our demands,” said Rahat, left-leaning groups pledged to “His country may want to one of the roughly 500 students keep up the fi ght. show the global leaders that they camped out at the university’s Hasina – whose father was are sincere to repatriate. Bangla- main square. the architect of the Bangla- desh expects to resolve the prob- The protest was largely peace- desh’s independence from lem soonest, as it is a huge bur- ful, with no repeat so far of the Pakistan – has in the past re- den for this country, which we tear gas and rubber bullets fi red jected demands to slash the cannot bear.” by police to disperse crowds. quotas. University students block a road during a protest against the quota system used in government recruitment in Dhaka yesterday. The Myanmar minister con- fi rmed to Reuters last week that he was visiting Bangladesh. Kalam will accompany Win Myat Aye on the visit to the camps in Kutupalong, where New Nepal many refugees live in shacks Govt mulls tax on online made of bamboo and plastic sheets that are unlikely to with- constitution stand heavy rains and storms brought by the monsoon season when it starts in June. progressive: advertisements: minister A Bangladesh foreign ministry offi cial said his country wanted to show the visiting minister the president Agencies broadcast in Bangladesh, he but the 12.5% VAT and 5% Currently, the revenue au- challenges it was facing in host- Dhaka said. advanced income tax will be thority collects corporate tax ing the refugees in the coastal Besides, it will ask all the adjusted, he said. in six categories, ranging from district of Cox’s Bazar, bordering Agencies cable operators in the capi- However, the decision on 25% to 45%. Companies listed Myanmar. Kathmandu angladesh Finance tal and elsewhere to digitise the amount of the tax waiver with the bourse face a 25% Win Myat Aye, the minis- President Bidhya Devi Bhandari Minister AMA Muhith their services in phases so that was yet to be made. tax while non-listed ones pay ter charged by Myanmar leader Byesterday said the gov- it could impose tax on their Later, Muhith said the gov- 35%. Cigarette and bidi manu- Aung San Suu Kyi with lead- epal President Bidhya She hoped that strong at- ernment will impose tax on earnings. ernment would “rational- facturers have to pay a 45% ing rehabilitation eff orts in the Devi Bhandari yesterday tempts would be made to end advertisements on Google and Muhith also said the value ise” corporate tax in the next income tax. country’s Rakhine State that the Nsaid the constitution impunity. Facebook in the country. added tax (VAT) on private budget as the tax rate is very Finance Secretary Moham- Rohingya call home, is likely to had given top priority to human National Human Rights Com- “We will ask for tax on universities will stay but that high. mad Muslim Chowdhury, Pro- meet Bangladesh’s foreign min- rights in the country. mission chairman Anup Raj their earnings in the upcom- would be collected from the The objective will be to re- thom Alo editor Matiur Rah- ister tomorrow, said the offi cial, Inaugurating the Interna- Sharma said that overall chal- ing national budget… such university owners, not the move so many diff erent rates man, The Daily Star editor and who declined to be identifi ed, tional Human Rights Confer- lenges encountered by human taxes are paid everywhere, students. in the sector, he said. publisher Mahfuz Anam, Daily citing government policy. ence in Kathmandu, the Nepali rights institutions would be including India,” he told re- “We don’t know how they Earlier at a meeting with Samakal owner A K Azad, The Myanmar has said it has al- president said the constitution discussed in the conferences. porters after a pre-budget [the owners] will deal with the senior offi cials of diff erent Financial Express editor AHM ready verifi ed several hundred has incorporated provisions “Almost all the countries of discussion with owners of issue but charging students for ministries, the minister had Moazzem Hossain, bdnews24. Rohingya refugees for possible of inclusion and proportional South Asia region faced com- newspapers and private tel- this will be illegal,” he said. promised to examine the scope com editor-in-chief Toufi que repatriation. representation as fundamental mon challenges of impunity, en- evision channels at the State On the newspaper indus- for reducing corporate income Imrose Khalidi and National The Rohingya exodus followed rights along with human rights demic violence and institutional Guest House Padma. try, the minister said it would tax for the upcoming fi scal. Board of Revenue chairman reported killings, burnings, as guaranteed by the United discrimination, which would The government will also get concessions on newsprint The fi nance ministry organ- Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiy- looting and rape in response to Nations. be discussed in the three-day impose “landing fees” on the import. The current 5% im- ised the meeting ahead of the an, among others, attended Rohingya militant attacks on Stating that the new con- conference.” Indian TV channels being port duty will remain in force budget. yesterday’s discussion. security forces. stitution was undoubtedly ex- More than 50 international tremely progressive, the head representatives from over 20 of Nepal state said it is now countries of South Asia and Asia the responsibility of the gov- Pacifi c region, including chair- ernment to draft required laws persons and commissioners of necessary for implementation the national human rights insti- Cracks in coalition govt open of the guaranteed fundamental tutions of Afghanistan, Bangla- rights. desh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, President Bhandari said Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, the comprehensive Peace Ac- and Jordan, are taking part in the door for return of Rajapakse cord had provided a frame- conference. work for transitional justice. Likewise, chair of Asia Pacifi c “We should leave no stone Forum, Geneva Representa- Michael Safi and Amantha cracks in the already fragile coa- gled to work together, fi nding unturned to internalise and tive of Global Alliance for Na- Perera, GNS lition government that turfed they are united by little more embrace the mechanisms es- tional Human Rights Institu- Colombo Rajapsakse from offi ce in 2015. than antipathy toward the tablished to provide justice to tions along with international “We are heading towards a snap former president. “The rela- One of Mahinda Rajapakse posters launched during the February confl ict victims,” the presi- experts on human rights were election,” said Namal Rajapakse, tionship between the president local elections. dent said, adding the govern- also present, according to the familiar face is back on walls an MP and the former president’s and prime minister is as bad as ment is duty-bound to resolve NHRC. across Sri Lanka. The coun- son and heir apparent. “The fu- it could be,” Keenan said. coast. Fertiliser was eight times easily, said Asoka Obeyesekere, problems that have emerged in The NHRC said that Kath- Atry’s former president Mahin- ture of the coalition government To win over minorities such cheaper under the Rajapakse a lawyer and director of the lo- attainment of transitional mandu declaration would be da Rajapakse has been grinning from is going to be very unstable.” as the Tamils, the current presi- government, she said, and the cal chapter of Transparency In- justice. issued after the conference. thousands of posters and billboards Campaign advertisements in dent, Maithripala Sirisena, change has nearly halved the ternational. recently, palms pressed together the run-up to the February polls promised to implement tough annual profi t of her family farm. Namal Rajapakse calls the in gratitude. were stark. “Remember when reforms, including devolving “Now the fertiliser is delayed allegations of corruption and Voters delivered a shock re- winning a rugby match was pun- power to regional governments, and sometimes we never get it.” violence that dogged his father pudiation of Rajapakse’s gov- ishable by death?” asked one pursuing the cases of those who K A Karunanapala, another “well planned, well executed ernment three years ago, as the United National Party fl yer, in ref- disappeared during the Ra- southern farmer, worries about propaganda”. “We are looking Two Lankan corporals UN investigated war crimes erence to a murder allegedly linked japakse years, and reforming the Chinese infl uence in the re- for a fresh start,” he said. against Tamil civilians, dis- to the Rajapakse family. “Remem- constitution to ensure no presi- gion. The Sirasena government His party would seek a clean sidents disappeared in un- ber when white vans were a sym- dent could accrue the power of agreed last December to lease slate with western governments, held on riot charges marked white vans and warn- bol of terror and repression?” his predecessor. a new port in Hambantota to a he said, but added that continu- ings were issued that Sri Lankan The resurgence of a leader with Commentators in Colombo Chinese state-owned corpora- ing to participate in a UN Security democracy was at risk. such heavy baggage is less sur- agree too much of that agenda tion for 99 years. It was intend- Council investigation into the fi nal Reuters stroyed as Buddhist mobs ran In February, however, they prising to close observers of Sri has been shirked by a govern- ed to help pay back about $8bn months of the civil war – in which Colombo amok for three days early last gave the Buddhist nationalist Lankan politics. “Rajapakse nev- ment afraid of challenging Bud- in Chinese money borrowed by about 40,000 Tamil civilians may month in Kandy, a district previ- leader’s new party a surprise er went away,” said Alan Keenan, dhist nationalist sentiment in the Rajapakse government, but have been killed – would need to ously known for its diversity and victory in local elections. an analyst with the International the country, and kicking off a has provoked a furious back- be “looked into more deeply”. ri Lankan police have ar- tolerance. With polls for parliament and Crisis Group. “His shadow has wave of rightwing anger that lash. “What does [Sirisena] do “Any war will have casualties, rested two army corporals An offi cer at the police spokes- the presidency scheduled for two loomed over this government, could lift Rajapakse and his for us, other than going around we won’t deny that,” Rajapakse Sfor their suspected in- man’s offi ce said 342 suspects years’ time, the result has reaf- literally from the fi rst day.” family back into offi ce. trying to sell our assets?” said. “But at the end of the day volvement in anti-Muslim riots have been arrested. The corpo- fi rmed Rajapakse as Sri Lanka’s It took an unlikely coalition Less lofty issues have also Karunanapala asked. what matters is the future.” in the central highlands district rals were arrested on Monday. most popular politician, and to unseat Rajapakse from the sapped the government’s support. Civil society groups in Colombo That future is still uncertain of Kandy last month, police said Muslims comprise about raised hopes among his support- presidency in 2015. Appalled The price of staples such as onions, acknowledge a pall has lifted since for the family. Their party won yesterday. 9% of Sri Lanka’s popula- ers – and fears in others – that he by a leader they regarded as fi sh and coconuts has increased 2015. Newspapers that once la- about 45% of the vote in the local It was the fi rst arrest of serv- tion of 21mn. Buddhists make may yet return to power. breathtakingly corrupt and in- steeply, while a decision to remove boured under offi cial censorship, government elections, the larg- ing soldiers for the worst sectari- up about 70% and Hindus The Rajapakse-led opposition creasingly authoritarian, defec- an uneconomical fertiliser subsidy or the kind enforced by military est share in the country, but not an violence since 2014. It was not about 13%. forced a no-confi dence motion tors from his own party forged has burned the agricultural sector, vehicles parked outside journalists’ enough to win an outright parlia- immediately clear if any more The government ended a full- in parliament against the prime an alliance with members of the which still employs nearly one in homes at night, now print boister- mentary or presidential majority. senior offi cers are suspected. At blown 26-year civil war by de- minister, Ranil Wickremas- opposition, campaigning on a three Sri Lankans. ous criticism of the government. Should opposition groups fi nd least two ex-military offi cials feating mostly Hindu Liberation inghe, last week. It failed, but unity platform of reviving civil “Mahinda looked after us,” Human rights groups chased out a way to paper over their diff er- have also been arrested. Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels in Wickremasinghe was criticised society and tackling corruption. said Gamaga Nona, a paddy 10 years ago are re-establishing ences, and unite as they did in Scores of mosques, Muslim 2009, with claims of atrocities by several of his own ministers In power, however, longtime and banana farmer in Madilla, offi ces in the city. 2015, they may still have the num- homes and businesses were de- on both sides. during the debate, widening political enemies have strug- a village on Sri Lanka’s south People are breathing more bers to keep the Rajapakses out. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Opec in lead to boost oil prices but shale threat looms large

To be sure, eff orts led by the Organisation of 11-04-2018 Petroleum Exporting Countries to curb production since January 2017 have helped boost oil prices. Brent has rallied 5.1% in the fi rst quarter, the third straight quarterly gain, the longest streak since 2011. Opec production has now dropped to the lowest in a year amid the woes in Venezuela’s oil industry. Venezuela output declined by 100,000 bpd from February to 1.51mn bpd, according to a Bloomberg News survey of analysts, oil companies and ship- Italian politics and tracking data. The International Energy Agency said in its latest report that the Latin American nation remains the “biggest risk factor” when it comes to supply disruption amid a “worsening economic crisis.” Output from Opec’s 14 members fell by 170,000 barrels to 32.04mn bpd in March, according to the Europe’s future Bloomberg survey. That’s the lowest since last April’s 31.9mn bpd. By Jeff rey D Sachs – for example, Podemos in Spain, and My political predilections lie with rejecting a coalition with M5S. That While Libya saw production drop below 1mn bpd New York Syriza in Greece – are either winning social democracy. I blame conservatives is understandable: the upstarts after some fi elds were shut down, output from Saudi power outright or holding the balance like Schauble for driving voters into the thoroughly defeated the Democrats at of power between traditional pro- arms of populist parties. Yet too many the polls, often with outsize populist Arabia fell 10,000 bpd from February to 9.87mn bpd. ore than ever, the European EU mainstream parties and anti-EU mainstream social-democratic leaders promises. Yet the social democrats Opec, Russia and other oil producers agreed in Union needs unity to assert nationalist parties. went quietly along with Schauble. I have been fl accid and even silent in November to extend its values and interests There are three reasons for also fault Chancellor Angela Merkel the face of Schauble-style austerity Opec production self-imposed limits on Min an age when US global Europe’s changing politics. The first, and other European leaders for failing and irresponsible US-led wars. The output until the end leadership is on the verge of collapse, and perhaps least recognised, is a to speak strongly enough against the traditional social-democratic parties has now dropped China is ascendant, and Russia wavers generation of disastrous US foreign US-led wars in the Middle East and will have to regain their dynamism and of this year, seeking yet again between co-operation and policy in the Middle East and Africa. North Africa. European leaders should appetite for risk-taking to win again at to the lowest in a to counter a glut fed confrontation with the EU. Divided, After the Cold War ended in the early have been much more energetic at the the polls as true progressive parties. partly by US shale the EU is a mere helpless spectator 1990s, the US and local allies aimed United Nations in opposing America’s The stakes in Italy are high. With year drillers. to geopolitical upheaval. United, the to establish political and military hegemonic policy in the Middle East, Europe politically and geographically EU can play a critical global role, hegemony in the Middle East and with its catastrophic eff ects, including divided, Italy’s politics could tip the With a third of the surplus in global inventories still as it uniquely combines prosperity, North Africa through US-led wars of mass displacement and refugee balance. A pro-EU Italy governed by to be cleared, the oil market isn’t fully re-balanced democracy, environmentalism, regime change in Afghanistan, Iraq, movements. an M5S-Democrat coalition could join yet. But Opec and Russia have reaffi rmed that they’ll innovation, and social justice. And Syria, Libya, and elsewhere. The Advocates of a strong and vibrant with France and Germany to reform the persevere with their 1.8mn bpd oil-production cuts whether the EU regains unity of result has been chronic violence and EU – and I am fi rmly among them – EU; regain a clear foreign-policy voice until the end of this year to clear the glut. purpose, or instead spirals into disarray, instability, leading to massive refugee should be rooting for the insurgent for EU vis-a-vis the US, Russia, and will depend on what happens now in flows into Europe that have upended parties to join forces with the weakened China; and implement a strategy for The allies have also signalled they’re ready to co- Italy. politics in one EU member state after traditional social-democratic parties green, innovation-based growth. operate beyond 2018. Compliance with the production Italy’s pivotal role stems from its another. in order to promote sustainable To forge such a coalition, the M5S curbs Opec members have imposed on themselves position at the geographic divide The second reason is Europe’s now development, innovation, and would have to adopt a responsible and reached a record 129% in December, an impressive feat between northern Europe’s prosperity chronic under-investment, especially investment-led growth, and to block clearly defi ned economic program, and and southern Europe’s crisis, and by the public sector. Under former anti-EU coalitions. Or, as in Germany, the Democrats would have to accept for a group that has cheated on quotas in the past. the intellectual and emotional divide Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, they should urge the grand coalition being the junior partner of an untested By keeping the 1.8mn bpd of cuts in place for a between an open Europe and one a self-satisfi ed and economically of centre-left and centre-right parties insurgent force. A possible key to further nine months – and beyond if needed – the oil trapped again by nationalism, prejudice, successful Germany blocked European- to become much more dynamic and mutual confi dence would be for the producers aim to return stockpiles to their fi ve-year and fear. Italy stands also at the political wide investment-led growth, and investment-oriented at European Democrats to hold the crucial fi nance divide, with an insurgent new party, turned the eurozone into a debtors’ scale, both for the sake of economic ministry, while M5S appoints the prime average without overheating the market and eliciting a the Five Star Movement (M5S), sharing prison for Greece and a dispiriting zone good sense and to combat far-right minister. new fl ood of shale oil. the political stage with the right-wing, of stagnation for much of southern nationalists. It is not surprising that US President Opec’s obituary has been written many times, as anti-immigrant, and anti-EU League and eastern Europe. With the EU’s Or, as in France, they should Donald Trump’s utterly reckless former spurts of new technologies and petroleum discoveries party and the pro-EU but greatly economic policy limited to austerity, it’s cheer the amalgamation of pro-EU adviser, Stephen Bannon, rushed to rewrite the global energy trade. But the group has, just weakened centre-left Democratic Party. not hard to see why populism has taken traditionalists and insurgents in Italy to encourage M5S and the League The insurgent M5S fi nished fi rst in root. President Emmanuel Macron’s La to form a coalition that he called the as often, defi ed its critics. the March 4 parliamentary vote with an The third reason is structural. Republique En Marche ! Such pro-EU “ultimate dream,” because it would Opec, which pumps 40% of the world’s oil is still in astounding 33% of the vote, compared Northern Europe innovates, while alignments give the EU time to reform break the EU. That by itself should the lead to manage prices. to 19% for the Democrats and 17% for southern and eastern Europe by and its institutions, stake out a common remind Italians of the importance of But rising oil prices also gift a catch-22 migraine to the League. The implications of M5S’s large do not, or at least not nearly at foreign policy, and initiate investment- a pro-EU coalition that rejects such strong victory are a topic of heated the same rate. Italy straddles the two and innovation-led green growth in miserable nightmares. – Project Opec. debate in Italy and around Europe. sides of Europe: a dynamic north, place of austerity and complacency. Syndicate Just as the production cuts have helped push oil Throughout the EU, traditional and chronic malaise in the south (the Traditional social-democratic parties prices higher, the IEA has warned of “explosive” US centre-left and centre-right pro-EU Mezzogiorno). This is an old story, but mostly shun the new insurgent parties, zJeff rey D Sachs, university professor output growth this year. Opec, too, boosted its 2018 parties are losing votes. Just as in Italy, also an ongoing one. It helps to explain viewing them as populist, irresponsible, at Columbia University, is director anti-EU nationalist parties like the the frontlines of EU politics. The M5S opportunistic, and dishonest. Such of Columbia’s Centre for Sustainable forecast for rival oil-supply growth by 16%, also League are gaining votes, and anti- was triumphant especially in Italy’s is the view in Italy on the part of Development and the UN Sustainable cautioning of the eff ects of a higher price environment. establishment insurgencies like M5S stagnating south. the Democrats, with key politicians Development Solutions Network. The US shale boom has brought the country closer to energy self-suffi ciency than at any time since the 1980s. There are, of course, gainers and losers when it comes to consistently lower oil prices. But the world is in need of a stable oil market with price equilibrium. Opec and its allies have succeeded in rebalancing the oil market. But here is the big question: Can Opec maintain prices high and sustainable without stimulating further growth in US shale oil production?

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Luigi Di Maio, the 31-year-old Five Star Movement (M5S) leader, hopes to soon walk into the Italian Parliament as the youngest prime minister in Italian history. © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Gulf Times Wednesday, April 11, 2018 23 QATAR

HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani and other dignitaries at the signing of the MoU between Astad and Aecom. Signing of the agreement between Qatar Pharma and Dawah Pharmaceuticals. Qatar, US sign slew of accords to bolster economic relations number of agreements were signed yesterday on Athe sidelines of the Qatar- US Economic Forum in Wash- ington, DC. The memorandums of under- standing (MoUs) covered vari- ous areas, including pharma- ceuticals, project management services and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), among others. The signing of agreements was witnessed by HE the Min- ister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani in the pres- ence of HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Asso- ciation, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jas- Agreement signing between QDB and SBDC. sim al-Thani, chairman of Qatar Chamber, and Robert Cresanti, president and CEO, Internation- al Franchise Association. One of the MoUs was signed between Astad and Aecom to prepare a joint proposal on the provision of project manage- ment services for the expansion of Hamad International Airport MoU signing by Qatar Building Company and Roadtec. and the establishment of joint projects. two parties in the fi eld of invest- Another MoU was inked be- ment services, and helping pro- Minister meets IFA delegation tween Qatar Development Bank mote the exports of Qatari com- (QDB) and the Small Business panies in the US market. Development Centre (SBDC), The dignitaries also witnessed HE the Minister of Economy and Washington, DC. Discussions aiming at the exchange of best the signing of an MoU between Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin touched upon the prospects for practices and innovative solu- Qatar Pharma and Dawah Phar- Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani has co-operation in the economic, tions between the two parties to maceuticals. It envisages in- met with a delegation from the In- trade and investment fields, the support SMEs and the launch of vesting for the establishment a ternational Franchise Association promotion of partnerships and various initiatives to assist Qa- state-of-the-art pharmaceuti- (IFA), headed by IFA president eff orts to attract investments to tari entrepreneurs and prepare cal factory in Qatar to manufac- and CEO Robert Cresanti, in new markets in the region. them for the market. ture drugs for Qatar’s require- Meanwhile, QDB signed an ments as well as for exporting MoU with TheVentureCity for the them to Asia, Africa and Europe. Roadtec, aiming to establish a them with after-sales services exchange of best practices and in- Another MoU was inked by commercial dealership to serve and spare parts at reasonable novative solutions between the Qatar Building Company and customers in Qatar and provide prices. The MoU signing between QDB and TheVentureCity. Qatar-US Economic Forum begins in Washington

he Qatar-US Economic ment in the US over the years, which contributed to supporting Forum started yesterday which contributed to the crea- the US economy. Tin Washington DC, coin- tion of thousands of jobs across US-Qatari bilateral economic ciding with the visit of His High- the country and investments relations have grown signifi - ness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin through partnerships with many cantly since the signing of the Hamad al-Thani. American companies such as Trade and Investment Frame- The event is organised by the ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, work Agreement, back in 2004. Ministry of Economy and Com- and Raytheon. Today, the US is a strong trading merce (MEC) in co-operation The minister noted there are partner and a primary source for with Qatar Chamber, American about 15,000 Americans work- Qatari imports. Chamber of Commerce, Qatari ing in Qatar, of whom about During the past five years, the Businessmen Association, Qa- 5,000 are in jobs that require volume of goods trade between tar-US Business Council and a high skills within the private the two countries amounted to number of US entities. sector. Sheikh Ahmed stressed about $24bn. There are cur- In a statement issued on the the role of the Qatar Investment rently about 650 US companies occasion of the start of the Fo- Authority, which has allocated operating in Qatar, including rum, HE the Minister of Econ- $45bn of investments in the US about 117 wholly owned by the omy and Commerce Sheikh between 2015 and 2020, of which US as well as 55 US companies Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed $10bn will be directed for in- operating under the umbrella al-Thani stressed the depth and vestment in the infrastructure of the Qatar Financial Cen- power of the bilateral relation- sector. tre. The volume of US invest- ships between Qatar and the US. “These investments consti- ments in Qatar amounted to “Washington is the second tute 23% of Qatar’s GDP,” he QR26.3bn. stop of the current US economic asserted. Referring to Qatari in- The Forum was attended tour, which aims at focusing on vestments in the US, HE Sheikh by HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qas- the role of Qatari investment in Ahmed said Qatar Airways has sim al-Thani, chairman of Qa- enhancing partnerships between allocated about $92bn to support tar Businessmen Association; the two countries that produced the US economy by purchasing Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin more than one million job op- 332 US-made aircraft, support- Mohamed al-Thani, chairman portunities in the US,” he said, ing more than 527,000 jobs. of Qatar Chamber; ambassador while pointing out that the Qa- Highlighting the Qatari pri- Anne Patterson, chairperson of tari business community enjoys vate sector’s investments in the Qatar-US Business Forum, in strong relationships in Wash- US, the minister stressed that addition to 200 businessmen ington City. the latter injected more than and offi cials from Qatar and 200 HE Sheikh Ahmed pointed out $5bn in technology, hospital- businesspersons and executives that Qatar increased its invest- ity, real estate and home trade, from the US. Qatari and US off icials at the Qatar-US Economic Forum which started yesterday in Washington, DC. Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 QATAR

Emir meets President Trump and senior US officials in Washington

His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was welcomed by US President Donald Trump in the Oval Off ice yesterday. His Highness the Emir praised the president’s personal support to Qatar during the blockade and thanked the American His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani meets US people for their support during the Gulf crisis. Vice President Mike Pence at the Oval Office yesterday. The Emir meeting John Sullivan, Acting US Secretary of State.

The Emir holding talks with Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce. The Emir holding talks with Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury.

The Emir meeting with Kirstjen Nielsen, US Secretary of Homeland Security. The Emir in talks with Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil.

Qatar economy, World Cup work progressing fast: al-Emadi

By Ghaida Ghantous & Sherif al-Emadi told Reuters. Doha, accusing it of fi nancing casting private sector growth of meeting UK and US investors is business as usual,” he said. Dmitry Zhdannikov The Gulf state’s economy has terrorism. Qatar rejects the al- 4% in 2018. He said Qatar was ahead of issuing fi ve-, 10- and “If we see a good opportunity Reuters largely recovered from a boycott legations. The boycott disrupt- moving on fast with spending in 30-year dollar notes. we will go out.” imposed by other Arab states ed imports. But it developed preparation of hosting the 2022 Al-Emadi said before that Qatar’s banking sector is last June and is again one of the new trade routes and helped World Cup and that 90% of in- announcement that the po- still very liquid and can pro- he economy of Qatar, region’s fastest-growing. local fi rms to develop output of frastructure work for the event litical crisis had not dampened vide funding options for Qatari the world’s top exporter Qatar moved quickly to safe- some key goods. would be completed by 2019. appetite for Qatari debt and fi rms, while some of the more Tof liquefi ed natural gas guard its economy after Saudi “We are still doing very well Qatar is set to make its fi rst that Doha was engaged in the developed companies in the (LNG), is set to grow 2.6% this Arabia, the United Arab Emir- and will make sure economic foray into the international market. “We haven’t seen any country have already accessed year and closer to 3% in 2019, ates, Bahrain and Egypt cut dip- growth outpaces that of the re- bond markets since the Arab change in fi nancial institu- international bond markets, the HE the Finance Minister Ali lomatic and transport ties with gion,” HE al-Emadi said, fore- row erupted last year. It is tions’ behaviour towards us. It minister added. HE Ali Sherif al-Emadi World Cup a ‘catalyst for Qatar and region to accelerate social progress’ he 2022 FIFA World Cup is alities, UN goodwill ambassadors, civil of sustainable development for the proving society through sport is a key strategies, which will give young gen- seen as a catalyst for Qatar and society, academia, the private sector, host country, the region and the Arab pillar in our international co-opera- erations new opportunities”. He added Tthe region to accelerate social media and international organisations. world”, according to a report on sc.qa tion through the United Nations. To- that “Qatar is utilising the FIFA World progress and build a better future for The date of the event was selected “Hosting the fi rst FIFA World Cup in day’s event brought together leaders Cup to create social development,” re- generations to come, Supreme Com- to coincide with the United Nations’ the Middle East is an opportunity that in the fi eld of sport development and calling his experiences visiting refugee mittee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Sec- International Day of Sport for Devel- we consider of the utmost importance showcased the shared determination camps in Jordan, where he coached retary-General Hassan al-Thawadi has opment and Peace, which falls on April for the benefi t of our wider region and that exists to make a diff erence in so- young boys and girls as part of the pro- said. 6 every year, in commemoration of the Arab world as a whole,” he said. ciety at all levels through sporting ini- gramme. He made the observation while the inauguration of the fi rst Olympic “We aren’t going to settle for hosting tiatives.” After the event’s conclusion, al- speaking during the offi cial opening Games (1896) of the modern era. a month of football and then watch the In his remarks, Lajack said: “Sport Thawadi attended the unveiling of the session of a United Nations Offi ce on Al-Thawadi spoke of the impor- world move on. We view the event as a can boost self-esteem, help commu- ‘Hey Ya (Let’s Go): Arab Women in Drugs and Crime’s special event, titled tance of a multilateral approach toward catalyst for Qatar and the region to ac- nities, help bridge political, ethnic or Sport’ photography exhibition, which ‘Crime Prevention and Sustainable ensuring sport’s transformative power celerate social progress and to build a religious diff erences, can be a driver for was opened by HE Sheikha Al Mayas- Development Through Sports’, during is properly utilised for the benefi t of better future for generations to come.” peaceful societies and make commu- sa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, which he discussed the transforma- societies across the world and for the Al-Thawadi detailed initiatives nity initiatives more eff ective. Young Chairperson of Qatar Museums. tive power of sport and Qatar’s vision purpose of attaining the UN Sustain- launched by the SC that specifi cally people must be the torch-bearers for The exhibit, curated by Brigitte and for the fi rst Middle Eastern FIFA World able Development Goals. He said, “Our target youth, including Generation sustainable development, though. Marian Lacombe, is located at the Cup. collective challenge is to convey to the Amazing that focuses on contributing Young people should be leading the United Nations Delegates’ Entrance, Miroslav Lajcak, president of the world sport’s power to transcend lan- to the UN Sustainable Development discussion regarding the important visually showcasing how sport em- United Nations General Assembly and guages, faiths and culture and unite Goals through projects that utilise the role sport can and does play around the powers Arab women and youths’ daily former Slovakian foreign minister, people. We must ensure that access to SC Secretary-General Hassan power of football to instigate social world. What can the rest of us do? We lives. The event was the latest in the opened the event at the United Na- sport is facilitated and encouraged at al-Thawadi. change, break down social barriers, can help by fully supporting sport as a SC’s outreach at the United Nations, tions (UN) headquarters in New York. all levels of society, whether as an edu- increase access to sport and enhance rule for both development and peace to with the continuing intention to com- The event brought together a wide ar- cational tool in the developing world, in front of participants at the Ecosoc community integration. ensure we see its full potential.” municate the purpose and detail be- ray of fi gures, including member-state or at the organisational level of a mega Chamber at the home of international Qatar’s Permanent Representative In a video message, ex-FC Barce- hind the legacy programmes that serve representatives at the ministerial and event such as the 2022 FIFA World diplomacy, explained to the audi- to the United Nations, HE Sheikha lona legend, current Al Sadd player as a foundation for the overall vision of permanent representative level, dis- Cup.” ence Qatar’s integrated vision for a Alya bint Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, and SC global ambassador Xavi Her- hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the tinguished athletes, sporting person- The secretary-general, speaking FIFA World Cup that “leaves a legacy said: “Qatar’s commitment to im- nandez urged participants to “develop report adds.