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WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10386 March 8, 2017 Jumada II 9, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals PM meets Pakistan’s army chief

In brief Ooredoo to power drone QATAR | Statistics MoI conducts 71.5mn transactions in 2016 Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said yesterday that it completed more project for than 71.5mn transactions in 2016. The figure amounts to a monthly average of 5,963,781 and daily 198,793 transactions. The average number of transaction per hour was 8,283 with 138 transactions every saving lives minute. The number of electronic services was 47,948,796 which By Peter Alagos project. Ooredoo is sponsoring the buoy amounts 67% of entire transactions HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani met yesterday with the visiting Business Reporter by providing Wi-Fi connectivity to the and the number of transactions Pakistan Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa and his accompanying delegation. Talks during the meeting covered drone and the buoy via the Ooredoo Su- through the service centres were bilateral relations and ways to enhance them, as well as issues of mutual concern. pernet,” Abdelhady told Gulf Times. 23,616,571 that marked 33%. The life-saving drone project devel- Next month, Abdelhady said n-GON figure reflects the progress the oped by a Qatari startup aims will work on the proof of concept with ministry has made in providing Ato revolutionise emergency and the MoI, which will identify the coastal services electronically. Page 8 rescue operations, specifi cally near areas where the buoys would be de- coastal areas around Qatar, using state- ployed. The proposed target date to of-the-art connectivity solutions from launch the project would be “in the be- ARAB WORLD | Confl ict Ooredoo. ginning of 2018,” he said. Iraqi forces retake govt Stiff penalties for food Dubbed ‘Ooredoo Rescue’, the “We are currently waiting for ap- project utilises a solar-powered buoy provals from the MoI and discussions HQ, museum in Mosul that alerts a drone once it detects an are still ongoing before the project goes Iraqi forces said yesterday they had emergency such as drowning incidents. online,” he said. seized the main government off ices Tech startup n-GON has proposed to Citing statistics from the World in Mosul and its famed museum as safety violations deploy as many as 30 buoys around Health Organisation, Abdelhady said they made steady progress in their the country to assist the coast guard in there are at least 15 drowning incidents battle to retake the city’s west from he Advisory Council has ap- tion of bad or expired food, the pen- the authority concerned, the penalty monitoring marine activities. around the Gulf region per year. “The militants. The advances, which also proved a draft law to amend alty shall be imprisonment of two to shall be from two weeks and up two n-GON CEO Amr Abdelhady said ‘Ooredoo Rescue’ project could help included the recapture of three Tsome of the stipulations of Law four years, with a fi ne of QR15,000 and months in jail and a fi ne of QR300 and Ooredoo is sponsoring the buoys, minimise these incidents,” he said, neighbourhoods, were announced No 8 for 1990 on the Regulation of up to QR30,000. The penalty shall be up to QR2,000 or any of such penal- which will maximise the strength of adding that the proposed Phase 2 of the on the third day of a renewed Human Food Control. doubled if the crime resulted in death. ties. the telecommunications company’s project is geared towards border patrol off ensive against the IS group in These modifi cations include a pen- Also, attempt of committing such Food unfi t for consumption will 4G network via the Ooredoo Supernet and anti-smuggling operations. west Mosul - the largest remaining alty of a minimum six months in jail crimes will be punishable by the same be confi scated and destroyed at the to communicate with the rescue drone “Currently, the drone is manufac- urban stronghold in the “caliphate” IS and a maximum of one year in addition penalties. expense of the violator. Besides, the and command control centre. tured in the UK but we are planning declared in 2014. Page 11 to a fi ne ranging from QR7,000 and up For violating the regulations of erring outlet shall be closed for a pe- The buoy, 5m in diameter, is to start manufacturing it in Qatar very to QR15,000, or any of such penal- importing or handling food prod- riod ranging from one to three months, equipped with infra-red sensors, cam- soon,” he added. ties for handling food products unfi t ucts, the penalty shall be a maxi- with the penalty doubled in case of eras, and night vision cameras. Once it ‘Ooredoo Rescue’ is among the latest AFRICA | Disaster for human consumption. The penalty mum of one year in jail and a fine of repeat off ence. The closure decision detects an emergency within its range, technologies showcased at the Oore- UN chief’s aid plea to shall be doubled in case of repeat of- QR15,000 maximum or any of such shall be published in two local dailies the buoy will send a distress signal to doo booth during ‘Qitcom 2017’, which fence. penalties. with the cost paid by the violator. Also, the command control centre at the concludes today. avert Somalia famine In the event of causing a perma- In case of releasing seized food the convict shall be deported in case of Ministry of Interior (MoI), which will Aside from showcasing its data ex- UN Secretary General Antonio nent disability due to the consump- products without the prior approval of non-Qataris. receive a live video of the incident be- perience leadership with a range of ad- Guterres yesterday launched an fore the drone is deployed. vanced solutions, Ooredoo presented urgent appeal to avert a famine in The drone is equipped with an infl at- its 5G technology, data centre and cy- drought-stricken Somalia, calling able life raft, which will be released once bersecurity solutions, smart stadium for $825mn in international aid. it reaches the victim. After deploying concepts, the latest mHealth and con- “Urgent action is needed from the the life raft, the drone will return to the nected home technologies, and smart international community,” Guterres command control centre to get another technology for residences in Qatar. said after meeting Somali President Turkey asks Germany not life raft. It will then return and land Shah A M Kamaly, assistant director Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on the buoy, which is equipped with a – Ideation Management at Ooredoo, Farmajo in Mogadishu. The UN wireless charging station and a water told Gulf Times that Ooredoo’s ‘Con- chief said the money was needed turbine, Abdelhady explained. nected Health’ and ‘Smart Screening to support 5.5mn people for six to preach about democracy “We have signed an agreement with System’ would help enhance health- months and prevent “suff ering that Ooredoo, and we are the fi rst Qatari care and medical services in Qatar. is absolutely unacceptable in the drone startup to present this type of Pages 9, 28 modern world.” Page 12 AFP local authorities banned rallies that a breakfast in Berlin and visit a tour- Hamburg Turkish offi cials were due to address ism fair. TODAY’S EDITION INCLUDES to raise support among expatriate vot- Tensions have been rocketing be- SOCIETY MAGAZINE ers for a referendum in April on boost- tween Nato allies Turkey and Germany urkish Foreign Minister Mevlut ing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s over the past week after the cancella- FREE COPY Cavusoglu asked Berlin not to powers. tion of several rallies where Turkish Tpreach about democracy and “Germany must not intervene in cabinet ministers were due to whip up JUJUSTT FOOR human rights amid a mounting row our elections and out referendum,” he support for a “yes” vote in the April 16 sparked by Germany’s refusal to allow said. “Those who want to say ‘Yes’ in referendum. MOM meetings aimed at gathering votes to the referendum are being blocked and Erdogan escalated the crisis over the extend the Turkish president’s pow- that is not right.” weekend, likening the cancellations to ers. Local authorities had called off a “Nazi practices,” drawing a sharp re- “Please, don’t give us lessons in hu- rally in Hamburg where Cavusoglu sponse from Berlin. man rights and democracy,” the min- was due to speak, citing fi re safety He also warned Germany not to ister said, as he spoke to a crowd of concerns. block him from making an appearance some 200 Turkish government sup- Police said about 250 opponents of if he wished.

March 2017 MARVELLOUS IDEAS FOR porters gathered at the residence of Erdogan gathered near the consulate. Cavusoglu said the rally cancella- THE SECRET OF CARB CYCLING THE RISE OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES INCREDIBLE ICELAND their country’s consul in the northern Cavusoglu said he would meet today tions were “unacceptable” and remi- MARCH city of Hamburg. with his German counterpart Sigmar niscent of practices in the run-up to n-GON CEO Amr Abdelhady presents the drone used for the ‘Ooredoo Rescue’ 2017 The comments came after German Gabriel, whom he called a “friend”, at World War II. Page 18 project during ‘Qitcom 2017’. PICTURE: Jayan Orma. Citizens’ residences scheme makes progress in Doha, suburbs

By Ramesh Mathew tions, mainly in Doha neighbourhoods project. Drainage and communication Kuwari said the corporation is execut- Staff Reporter and some locations on its outskirts. networks are also part of the projects ing its works to provide utilities’ con- Al Mashaf and North Wukair areas being executed. In Wukair, nearly 23km nections to the plot owners on a war together accounted for 1,829 plots. Of of roads and eight signal-controlled in- footing. bout 85% of the infrastructural this 1,186 land plots are in Al Mashaf tersections are also being built. At the meeting the authorities also development works of the new West (Package 3) and remaining 643 in About QR2bn is earmarked every year briefed on the delivery of infrastructure Aresidential developments being Al Wukair North. for infrastructural works to be carried projects for citizens over the fi ve years executed in Al Mashaf West and North Already access roads have been laid out in similar sites in diff erent areas, in- until the end of 2021. Wukair are completed, Ashghal and and electricity and water networks formed Ashghal offi cials yesterday. Ashghal’s Road Projects Department Qatar Electricity and Water Corpora- have been built in the two areas where Speaking to journalists earlier at a director Saoud al-Tamimi explained tion (Kahramaa) announced yesterday. plots have been earmarked for citizens. site offi ce of the contractors in Wukair, the delivery schedule over the next few All works are expected to be over in A number of residences are already un- Ashghal president and senior engineer years. the second quarter of this year in the der construction in the allotted plots. Saad bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi said lo- After the works covering 1,829 plots projects areas, offi cials explained dur- The projects in Al Mashaf include the cal agencies were in good co-ordination in Al Wukair North and Al Mashaf West ing a media tour of the construction construction of a local roads network to ensure that works are completed at a areas, infrastructure facilities will be sites off Wukair area on the south west- of about 70km, which includes 92 main fast pace so that the plot owners would completed to serve 1,303, 2,511, 2,487 ern side of Doha yesterday. and local streets . be able to start construction in their al- and 2,270 plots during 2018, 2019, 2020 As many as 10,400 plots were al- There would be 13 signalled intersec- lotted sites on time. and 2021, respectively. Kahramaa’s Wa- lotted as part of an ambitious citizens’ Ashghal and Kahramaa off icials during their visit of the project site in Wukair North tions, besides three interchanges and Also speaking, Kahramaa president ter Networks director Abdulla al-Diyab residences scheme in some 17 loca- yesterday. PICTURE: Ram Chand provision of street lighting in Al Mashaf and senior engineer Issa bin Hilal al- was also present during the tour. Page 5 Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 QATAR

Sudan minister praises Qatar Message for Pakistan

Sudanese minister Ahmed Saad Omar has praised Qatar’s eff orts for realising peace and stability in Darfur Region. The minister said Solar-powered in remarks to QNA that the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) withstood many chal- lenges, thanks to the Darfurians’ strong will and adherence to the DDPD, which contributed to bringing security and stability in cooled helmet the region. The Sudanese people in general, and Darfurians in par- ticular, appreciate the great eff orts that Qatar has been making UN off icial meets ‘generating NHRC chief

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad met in HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has sent a written message Geneva yesterday with Chairman to the Adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Aff airs, Sartaj Aziz, dealing with bilateral of the Qatar National Human relations and means to bolster them. Qatar’s ambassador to Pakistan Saqr bin Mubarak Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Ali al-Mansouri delivered the message during a meeting with Aziz in Islamabad yesterday. global interest’ bin Smaikh al-Marri. They discussed mechanisms for implementing the he solar-powered cooled from South Korea got in touch, recommendations of the Interna- helmet designed and de- saying they were really interested tional Conference on Human Rights Tveloped in Qatar by Qatar and wanted to trial the helmet Approaches to Conflict Situations University, the Supreme Com- and give us their feedback. We in the Arab Region organised by mittee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) have had companies in Egypt, the NHRC and the Off ice of the Translation conference to focus on and Aspire Zone has generated India and Mexico reaching out United Nations High Commissioner global interest since making the to us. for Human Rights in collaboration news earlier this year. “I believe this could revolu- with the General Secretariat of the human and social responsibility The innovative concept can tionise the industry globally, Council of Arab Interior Ministers reduce the skin temperature of and change the way in which and the Arab Network of National construction workers by up to construction work in hot cli- Human Rights Institutions in Doha amad Bin Khalifa Uni- ment institutions, private enter- and widely published, both lo- 10C, it had been announced. mates is conducted. This is al- on February 20 and 21. versity’s Translation prise, and non-profi t organisa- cally and globally, and his ex- “There is a global demand, be- ready proving to be a legacy of Hand Interpreting Insti- tions develop an understanding perience is guaranteed to en- cause there is a worldwide need Cooled helmet: fulfilling a global 2022, because the impulse of tute (TII), part of the College of how to solve challenges facing rich the debate. for such technology,” said Dr need the tournament is helping to Registration for of Humanities and Social Sci- the profession. Human and so- Over the course of the two Saud Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Ghani, drive innovation forward in the pearl-diving event ences (CHSS), will host its 8th cial responsibility is at the fore- days, the conference will hold professor at the College of En- panies have approached us, in region.” Annual International Transla- front of these challenges today. eight separate panel discus- gineering at Qatar University, the region as well as there was This week, the cooled hel- The organisers of the ‘Senyar tion Conference at the Qatar It is our responsibility to build sions on a wide range of topics according to a report on the SC interest from the UAE in the oil mets are on display at the Qit- Championship’, a pearl-diving National Convention Centre bridges between diff erent cul- dealing with social responsi- website. and gas sector, where they were com summit ‘Qatar – Towards a and fishing competition, has (QNCC) on March 27 and 28. tures and viewpoints and retain bility. Some of the topics cov- “The safety of workers in hot looking to combat heat stress smart future’, and Dr Saud con- announced that registration This year’s event focuses on a sense of a responsible global ered will include citizen media, climates is a priority in coun- for workers and wanted to make cluded that the digital confer- for the event will continue until ethics and social responsibility community, based on a univer- audiovisual translation, role of tries across the world, and it is them work in safer conditions,” ence was another opportunity March 30. The popular festival in practice for a profession that sal value-system.” interpreters within the media very rewarding to see that the he said. to showcase the technology and has already attracted over 50 very often deals with sensitive Renowned regional and in- serving in confl ict zones, and research we have conducted With the first batch of the interact with leading industry teams for the fishing category domains such as law, politics, ternational infl uencers in the conference interpreting. in Qatar together with the SC helmets to be issued to work- experts. and another 12 teams for pearl- healthcare, socio-economics, fi eld will be taking part in the Two individual workshops can fulfil a global need,” he ex- ers on construction sites for “Qitcom is a fantastic oppor- diving, the organisers said in and activism. conference as panel members. are also scheduled for partici- plained. the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qa- tunity to display this innovation a press release yesterday. The Dr Amal Mohammed al-Mal- Among them will be Khaled pants on the subject of “Trans- Dr Abdul-Ghani revealed a tar this summer, the professor and get more stakeholders to see festival, which is in its sixth edi- ki, founding dean of CHSS, said: al-Maeena, editor-in-chief of lation Ethics: Identifi cation, company from Spain, special- who has taught at a number of the cooled helmets,” he said. tion, stems from Katara’s efforts “Translation and interpretation Arab News and renowned Sau- Analysis and Response to ised in kit for the protection of prestigious UK-based univer- “We can also look to take the to preserve Qatari culture and are going to take centre-stage in di television news anchor and Ethical Issues in Translation” workers, and another from Hol- sities sees the development as next step with these helmets and heritage, by promoting crafts- coming years within the broader talk show host. Al-Maeena’s and “Practices and Benefi ts of land have shown interest in the a tangible legacy of the tour- make them smarter, so that they men, traders and practitioners of fi eld of communications. Our commentaries on society and Translation in Legal, Health concept. nament. can also incorporate extended activities unique to the region. conference aims to help govern- politics are highly regarded Care and Community Areas.” “Locally in Qatar a lot of com- “A construction company healthcare.” Cityscape Qatar to held from March 13 to 15

ityscape Qatar 2017 will be held reconfi rming their participation in the weights such as gold sponsors Regus from March 13 to 15 at Doha 2017 edition. Qatar holds great poten- and Kohler, Al Qaseer Investment and CExhibition and Convention tial for both investors and developers Property Development, Kleindienst, Centre under the patronage of HE the and it clearly has the fi nancial stabil- Copperstones, Etqan, and the Eco- Prime Minister and Minister of Inte- ity to induce confi dence from even the nomic Group. Also involved will be rior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin most cautious investors.” homebuyers, private and professional Khalifa al-Thani. With an expected attendee fi gure investors as well as key industry pro- Now in its sixth year in Qatar, City- of more than 7,000, Cityscape Qatar fessionals from Qatar, the region and scape Qatar is the largest real estate 2017 will bring together the real estate around the globe, the statement notes. development and investment exhibi- community from around the globe to Cityscape Qatar 2016 attracted 92 of tion in the country. enhance and support the growth of the the world’s leading real estate compa- Speaking on behalf of Cityscape Qatar, industry under Qatar National Vision nies exhibiting along with 6,633 par- exhibition director Ahmed Zakaria said (QNV) 2030 while enabling all par- ticipants over the course of the event, they were honoured to have the contin- ticipants to see the country’s future the statement added. ued support of HE the Prime Minister and and the opportunities arising from the Cityscape Qatar 2017, which is ex- Minister of Interior. “This clearly empha- 2022 FIFA World Cup, the organisers pected to be the “largest-ever real estate sises the importance of the property mar- said in a press statement. event in the country”, is well-positioned ket to the Qatar government, underlines Several projects will be discussed to build on the success of previous events the State’s support for the industry and and highlighted during the exhibition. and will include a three day exhibition, the integral role Cityscape Qatar plays in The high-profi le three-day exhi- learning and networking features, along bringing regional and international indus- bition and conference will feature a with a number of landmark deals that are try professionals together. wide range of real estate opportunities, due to be struck throughout the upcom- “We have been overwhelmed by the leading local real estate companies ing event. response from key international and such as Al Bandary Real Estate, Ezdan To fi nd out more about Cityscape regional industry players with more Real Estate and Retaj Real Estate, and Qatar 2017, one can visit www.city- than one-third of last year’s exhibitors regional and international heavy- scapeqatar.com

Military ties reviewed

HE the Emiri Guard Commander Major General Hazza bin Khalil al-Shahwani met yesterday at Barzan Camp with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. During the meeting, they discussed issues of common interest in the military field and ways of enhancing them.

Retail group joins hands with online ride-hailing service

uality Retail Group has joined who sign up using the promo code, “A customer can book a ride in 10-15 hands with online ride-hailing available at all Quality Retail Customer seconds and be on their way within 5-6 Qservice Careem to bring to- Care Service Counters. minutes,” it was claimed in a statement. gether an exclusive line of promotions The Careem app, available on Goog- “More off ers are on the charts, to from tomorrow. le Play Store and the iOS App-store, be made available to the customers on To begin with, Careem will be of- provides transportation choices via a a regular basis,” added Quality Retail fering a 25% discount on the fi rst two mobile app, on the web and through a Group, which operates seven outlets rides for all Quality Retail customers call centre. across Qatar. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 3 QATAR 35 varsities Winners of camel racing festival crowned to attend ‘Study in UK’

exhibition HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, president, Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), crowned yesterday the winners of the fifth day of the annual festival of Arabian Thoroughbred Camel Race for the Sword of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The event took ritish Council has an- sortium and other well-known tional institutions remain the place in Al Shahania. HE Sheikh Joaan awarded sons of HH the Emir, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HE Sheikh nounced that it will host UK institutions. best in the world and students Jassim bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, with the golden shelfa (arrow) and golden dagger for their win. Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Bits annual ‘Study in the Meanwhile, a statement who graduate from the UK are Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and organising committee UK’ exhibition on March 12 from the British Council noted equipped with highly sought- chairman HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Faisal al-Thani were present. and 13 in Doha under the theme that new data released by the after skills, which are imme- “Time to invest in your future”. Higher Education Statistics diately applicable in the global The event, taking place from Agency in the UK showed that workplace.” 4.30pm to 8.30pm at Al Wa- the number of students from Students not able to attend jba Ballroom, La Cigale Hotel, the Gulf studying in the UK the exhibition can consult the will connect students in Qatar went up by 7% for the 2015/16 new Study UK website for in- with representatives of 35 vis- academic year to more than formation about living and MEC opens online application for patents iting UK universities, colleges 23,000 students. In Qatar, this studying in the UK: https:// and English language providers growth was even greater with study-uk.britishcouncil.org/ who can answer their questions a 16% increase, showing that Admission to the event he Ministry of Economy whole. It should be also “indus- agent (if available). These will the legal rights of the inventors about UK education. a UK education remained “as is free, but online registra- and Commerce (MEC) has trially implementable” whether be accompanied by the nec- and patent owner. During the two-day event, popular as ever”. tion has been recommended Tlaunched “online appli- through material products, in- essary attachments. The ap- Regarding the patent reg- students in Qatar will have the The theme for this year’s in order to gain faster access cation for patents” through its dustrial processes or the method plication will be checked ac- istration fees, it is free for opportunity to fi nd out all they exhibition, “Time to invest in and enter a draw for a chance website. of manufacture. Besides, the cordingly to see whether all students, QR1,000 for indi- need to know about founda- your future”, will shed light on to win prizes such as a GoPro The service is available for invention should be innovative the necessary information and viduals, QR2,000 for educa- tion courses, English Language what international students camera, gift vouchers, free the public, and the agents of and unknown to the specialists requirements are all supplied tional and research institutes, courses, career-based diplomas, love about studying in the UK IELTS premium preparation intellectual property rights. in its fi eld. with the possibility of going and QR2,000 for companies fi rst degree and postgraduate through talks by successful course and more. “Through this service the ap- MEC says applicants could back to the applicant. and organisations. The fees degree courses. The UK repre- UK alumni living in Qatar who An opening ceremony for plicant can submit the applica- log on https://services.me.gov. When the set fees are paid for technical inspection of the sentatives will also deliver talks will share inspirational stories the exhibition will take place tion electronically and it would qa , then the user register his successfully, a confi rmation invention are QR100 for stu- and seminars about diff erent about their UK experience and on Sunday morning at La be checked online as well to ac- entry on the system, and de- email will be sent to the ap- dents, QR2,500 for individu- aspects of UK education. subsequent career path. Cigale, attended by local edu- complish the necessary proce- termine the type of his request; plicant including the applica- als, QR5,000 for educational In addition to the talks and Dr Frank Fitzpatrick, direc- cation stakeholders. Opening dures in the shortest possible the Patent Cooperation Treaty tion number and the neces- and research institutes and seminars, parents and stu- tor of British Council in Qatar, speeches will be delivered by time,” MEC said. (PCT), or the Paris Convention sary requirements that should QR5,000 for companies and dents can speak directly to said: “I am proud to see that the the guests of honour, Dr Kha- To be issued a patent the in- for the Protection of Industrial be supplied within the grace organisations. representatives from Cardiff UK continues to be the most lid al-Horr, director of the vention should be original and Property (WIPO), and fi ll in the period, alongside the date for Such initiative is meant to University, the University of popular destination for Qataris Higher Education Institute new, with no previous his- form. The name of the inven- paying the annual renewal make MEC services easily ac- Birmingham, King’s College for overseas studies.” at the Ministry of Education tory of application for the same tion and inventor should be fees. cessible for the public, in addi- London, University of Derby, British ambassador Ajay and Higher Education; and whether inside or outside the supplied in addition, its main MEC stressed the importance tion to speeding up the related NCUK – The University Con- Sharma added, “British educa- Dr Fitzpatrick. country, whether in part, of as a details and information of the of patent registration in keeping processes.

Q-Chem holds graduation ceremony Doha centre to host event on role of women in media

he Doha Centre for Me- University; Reem al-Harmi, dia Freedom (DCMF), columnist; Latifa al-Darwish, TUnited Nations Educa- cartoonist; Christina Paschyn, tional, Scientifi c and Cultural assistant professor at North- Organisation (Unesco) and Al western University in Qatar; Qatar Chemical Company (Q-Chem) has celebrated the graduation ceremony of 14 sponsored students who have been recognised for completing Certificate II and III for Jazeera Media Network are or- Hanan al-Yafei, monitor- the Technician Preparatory Programme at College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q). Organised by CNA-Q, the ceremony was held at the Diplomatic Club recently. A Q- ganising an event – ‘Women ing and advocacy manager at Chem delegation led by Ahmed al-Sulaiti, human capital manager, attended the event. With enhanced technical skills and key competencies following their graduation, the Make the News’ – today to DCMF; and Amal al-Habani, students will be able to work at several departments within Q-Chem facilities located in Doha, Mesaieed or Ras Laff an. Addressing the students, al-Sulaiti said: “You have a celebrate the role of women in journalist. world of opportunities to discover and have a rewarding career within Q-Chem companies.” the media on the occasion of Attendees will also be invited International Women’s Day. to take part in hands-on work- The event, which will be shops at the Al Jazeera Café held from 5.30pm to 7.30pm Studio to learn more about at Al Jazeera Café, Katara-the techniques to present and fi lm Cultural Village, will feature news through video recordings prominent speakers from the under the guidance of women media, fi lm and academic journalists and fi lm-makers. 70% of Qatar population is either sector to highlight success- Held annually on the occa- ful stories, share inspirations sion of International Women’s with the public and discuss Day, ‘Women Make the News’ the representation of women is a global initiative led by in the media and women in the Unesco that aims to fi x global overweight or obese: HMC expert newsrooms. attention on an issue relat- Speakers include Mostafa ing to gender equality in and Souag, acting director-general through the media, driving de- By Joseph Varghese renal rejection in obese people,” of Al Jazeera Media Network; bate and encouraging action- Staff Reporter she added. Dima Khatib, managing direc- oriented solutions until global Dr Bashah told that 70% of tor of AJ+; Asma al-Hamadi, objectives are met. the bariatric surgery patients are Al Jazeera presenter; Sarah International Women’s Day here has been tremen- female and most of them are in al-Derham, fi lmmaker and is celebrated on March 8 every dous progress in the the age category of 30-40. The assistant professor at Qatar year around the world. Tbariatric surgery process highest weight of the patient at Hamad Medical Corpora- who underwent the bariatric tion (HMC) in the recent years, surgery in HMC was 450kg, done according to an offi cial. in January 2012. “We have conducted over According to Dr Bashah, en- QMC chief meets envoy 4,000 cases since we started doscopic treatment for obesity the process at HMC some fi ve has been in practice at HMC for years ago. We started with Ha- a long time and helps reduce the mad General Hospital and we weight of the patient by 25%. expanded it to Wakra Hospital “It is done by using balloons two years back and to Cuban Dr Moataz Bashah, Dr Wahiba M Elhag and Dr Buthina Ibrahim at the press conference yesterday. fi lled with saline or water or air Hospital six months ago,” said or other gases. Some of these Dr Moataz Bashah, consult- “We work almost seven days the programme. Any patient will and 40% is obese considering the balloons can be swallowed and ant, bariatric medicine surgery, a week in order to reduce the lose weight for the fi rst two years BMI Index. These are the fi gures some balloons are inserted and HMC. number of patients on waiting but the long-term impact will released by Qatar Biobank. The removed by endoscopy process. Dr Bashah was speaking at a list. Still we have about 1,000 depend on the patient’s lifestyle. more the body size, the more the They are kept from three months press conference to announce people on the waiting list. We Healthy diet and exercises are the burden on the kidneys,” she said. to one year depending on the World Kidney Day programmes conduct about 1,000 bariatric solutions for maintaining long- According to Dr Elhag, there is process.” organised by HMC. Dr Wahiba surgeries a year, which is a huge term impact of the surgery.” a close relation between obesity “Almost 25% of excess weight M Elhag, consultant bariatric number. Qatar ranks either third Dr Ibrahim said that obesity is and kidney diseases. can be lost with the help of Qatar Media Corporation (QMC) chief executive off icer medicine surgery, HMC; and Dr or fourth internationally in the now considered a disease and ac- “Obesity causes kidney mal- these balloons. The complica- Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani met yesterday Buthina Ibrahim, senior consult- number of bariatric surgeries companied by mental, mechani- function. Even if a patient is tion of the process is that it can with Romania’s ambassador to Qatar, Cristian Tudor. They ant, endocrinology and diabetes done a year,” said Dr Bashah. cal and metabolic complications. looking for the renal transplant, cause ulcer in the stomach and at discussed bilateral relations in the media field and ways to and a member of Qatar Metabolic Dr Elhag noted, “Surgery is not “Over 70% of Qatari popula- the weight of the person must be times lead to obstruction in the enhance them. Institute, were also present. the only solution. It is just part of tion is either overweight or obese reduced. There is a possibility of bowels,” he added. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 QATAR

Simpsons writer Farhadi gives an insight regales audience ike Reiss, winner of four Emmy Awards and famed for writing The Simpsons for three Mdecades, took the audience through his il- lustrious career at a packed auditorium in the Muse- um of Islamic Art, as part of this week’s Qumra Talks. The session, On writing and Pro- into his movie making ducing with Mike Reiss, saw him de- scar-winning fi lmmaker scribe the lessons Asghar Farhadi delivered that he has learnt Ohis Master Class at Qumra along the way, 2017 yesterday through an online demonstrating appearance, his fi rst public speak- how all these skills ing event since his Best Foreign came together in Language Film victory at the recent The Simpsons, the Academy Awards. internationally- In front of a packed house, of renowned ani- fi lmmakers, industry guests and mated comedy. delegates, he shared his thoughts The self-dep- and insight on fi lmmaking, includ- recating writer ing techniques he borrows from immediately en- his theatre background, that en- amoured the au- able him to create fi lms and stories dience to him by refl ecting the realities of everyday stating, “Please life. remember, I’m a The highly anticipated discus- comedy writer not sion, exemplifi ed Farhadi’s abil- a comedian.” ity to master the ordinary, which However, the Reiss addresses the audience at has gained the fi lmmaker two Best talk itself was full the Qumra Talks. Foreign Language Film Oscars — of great humour his fi rst for The Separation (2012) bringing his points about writing comedy to home and the second, last month for The by playing some of his favourite scenes from The Salesman (2017) which was sup- Simpsons. ported by the Doha Film Institute Imparting advice to attendees who are starting out (DFI). in their career, Reiss said: “In this job you have to make The Oscar wins are among nu- your own luck, and work on as many ideas and projects merous international awards and Farhadi speaks online at Qumra yesterday. as you can. When I started working with The National accolades he has received over the Lampoon, I had fi ve other projects on the go.” last few years. audience all the information. It is up His characters are developed lowed Farhadi to return to his the- examination of interpersonal re- Reinforcing the advice, Reiss also suggested writ- Sharing details about how he to them to make the judgement.” much later together with the actors, atrical roots. lationships that characterises his ers and fi lmmakers should take any job that comes sources inspiration, to stressing He expanded on this, stressing who come together for the initial The fi lm tells the story of a couple works. their way as one never know what it will turn into. the importance of rhythm within it is not his characters that deter- rehearsals to develop a back story who are acting together in Arthur The fi lm was screened at Qumra Reiss was off ered the role of writer of The Simpsons, dialogue, combined with the use of mine the story, but often one initial about their past and their relation- Miller’s play Death Of A Salesman. 2017 as part of the Modern Masters a new show in 1988, on TV network Fox Broadcasting music, Farhadi underlined the fact thought or a scenario that drives ships to each other. Farhadi chose specifi c scenes Screening. Company, which was also a newcomer to audiences. that the key to presenting insightful the fi lm forward. Before shooting any footage, the from Miller’s play to explicitly con- Qumra hosts leading interna- Rounding up the lively event, which was attended storytelling is an eye for detail. On summing up his own unique actors act out scenes from their vey the emotional journey each tional fi lmmakers, producers, in- by students, upcoming writers and vloggers, Reiss Turning his attention to the real- way of working Farhadi concluded ‘past’, from the time they may have character goes through after the dustry experts and professionals, said: “You can’t teach comedy, or how to craft it. It ism in his fi lms, Farhadi went on to by saying “My process for writing is studied together or from early wife is assaulted in her own apart- for intense brainstorming, knowl- just comes from observation. You have to watch a lot discuss how the placement of the usually in two parts: the conscious childhood. ment. edge-sharing and nurturing ses- of good comedy. Watching good work inspires you to camera can hugely aff ect the audi- and the unconscious. The con- Farhadi says these details help the Creating this play within a play sions with talents associated with do good work.” ence’s interpretation, and singular scious is much like the password couples and cast form believable blurs the lines of reality for the 34 fi lms from 25 countries. The session touched upon topics such as charac- perspective, of a scene. that can unlock the bank of your relationships, from subtleties such audience, making them question Directors and producers attached ter development, ‘What makes a good joke?’, and the He elaborated on his belief that it unconscious. This fi rst idea sparks as the way they look at each other whether they are watching a fi lm or to 18 narrative feature fi lms, 7 fea- writing process of The Simpsons. is the director’s responsibility to tell all those bits and pieces in the back to the nuances in conversation, and real life. ture documentaries and 9 short It was the second in the series of Qumra Talks or- the whole story. “If your camera al- of your mind.” the audience feels the connection Farhadi’s fourth feature-length fi lms are participating in the event ganised as part of Qumra, the industry event by the ways follows one actor, you are cre- Farhadi’s fi lms rely upon strik- and believes this is real life. fi lm About Elly (2009) employs that concludes today at Souq Waqif Doha Film Institute, in partnership with the North- ating a biased viewpoint. We give the ingly naturalistic performances. His latest fi lm, The Salesman al- the same respectful but unsettling and the Museum of Islamic Art. western University in Qatar. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 5 QATAR

Ashghal president Saad bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi (second right), Kahramaa president Essa bin Hilal al-Kuwari (second left), Kahramaa’s Water Networks director Abdulla al-Diyab and Ashghal’s Technical Committee manager Abdulla al-Attiyah at the meeting in Al Wukair yesterday: PICTURE: Ram Chand Ashghal to develop more residential plots

By Ramesh Mathew Staff Reporter

s part of the Citizens Residences Develop- Ament scheme being implemented in diff erent parts of the country, more works would be executed be- tween 2018 and 2021. While briefi ng journal- ists on the progress of works being executed in Al Wu- kair North and Al Mashaf projects, Ashghal president Saad bin Ahmed al-Mu- hannadi said the next four years would witness a series of works in other similar projects as well. Of the remaining works, the largest project would be in the south of Wukair where more than 3,500 plots would Residences being built alongside a newly laid road as part of the Citizens Residences be allotted, it is learnt. Project in Al Mashaf area. PICTURE: Ram Chand According to the informa- tion provided by the Ashghal West of Umm Slal Ali (216 of Smeisma (1,122 plots), Al ment and provisions would authorities, infrastructural plots), Rawdat Egdaim and Wukair South (3,508 land be made for amenities other development works would Izghawa (592 plots), North plots) and Rawdat Al Jihaniya than residences in the areas be carried out in a phased of Nassriya (461 plots), Al (637 plots). where projects are under- manner in such locations as Froosh/Al Kharaitiyat (619 It is also learnt from Ash- taken. Mosques, green areas, the West of Abu Hamour/Ain plots), Al Kheesa (197 plots), ghal offi cials that almost recreational areas and other Khalid (255 land plots), South West of Al Khor/Al Edga 90% of the allotted plots facilities including schools of Sheehaniya (280 plots), (679 plots), West and South are of the same measure- would also be made.

Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 7 QATAR

Caution against ‘unoffi cial’ SMEs among top IoT weight loss supplements

By Joseph Varghese orally and it is claimed that they could reduce Staff reporter body weight considerably within a short period. “Such supplements are multi-billion dollar users: Vodafone exec business all over the world. They are sold under ny oral tablet or supplement from unoffi - diff erent names and most of them claim that they By Peter Alagos “Mobile assets are critical to all cial sources should not be used for weight are herbal. Some of them can be harmful as they Business Reporter businesses, whether they are de- Aloss purposes without proper direction or cause diarrhoea and people lose weight. Some livery trucks or plant machinery, prescription from doctors as they could be harm- of them make people dehydrated and cause kid- shipping containers, or pallets. ful, some offi cials from Hamad Medical Corpora- ney failure,” said Dr Wahiba M Elhag , consultant mall and medium-sized By monitoring the status of these tion (HMC) have cautioned. bariatric medicine surgery, HMC . enterprises (SMEs) are key assets in the fi eld, a customer “Take medications only through prescriptions Dr Moataz Bashah, consultant, bariatric medi- Samong the leading sectors can ensure that they are put to from doctors. There is a growing practice among cine surgery, HMC said that such supplements in Qatar that are benefi ting from the best possible use. people to get such supplements either ordered are not approved either by HMC or the Ministry the advantages provided by the “And Vodafone’s connected online or brought in from other countries. When of Public Health. Internet of Things (IoT), an of- cabinets solution will help cus- such items are checked clinically, we fi nd that “Some of these products can have have adverse fi cial of Vodafone Qatar has said. tomers optimise the perform- they contain several elements which cause dam- eff ects caused by bacteria. Many such medica- “IoT initiatives and solutions ance of their remote retail cabi- age to the body,” said Dr Buthina Ibrahim, senior tions are claimed to be herbal and people feel are cost effi cient, which is why nets such as drinks, fridges, and consultant, endocrinology and diabetes at HMC. that all herbal produces are safe. If people are al- many SMEs are relying on tech- freezers, transforming them Recently, it has been noticed that people are ready taking other medications they should not nology in order to save and bring into intelligent, connected as- selling such products under the banner of dietary use these supplements as they can cause serious costs down. This is why Voda- sets that can report on their supplements. These are supplements to be taken complications,” he added. fone is catering to many SMEs on location, operating conditions a daily basis and providing them and stock levels in real time,” he the necessary solutions that meet explained. Volvo recalls model their business needs,” Vodafone ‘Asset Tracking’ and ‘Con- Qatar’s Enterprise Sales director nected Cabinets’ follows the Jan- he Ministry of Economy Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al- uary 2017 launch of Vodafone’s QEWC’s Lusail tower and Commerce (MEC), in Thani told Gulf Times yesterday ‘Fleet Management’ solution, a Tcollaboration with Doha on the sidelines of Qitcom 2017. telematics service designed to Marketing Services Company “Since their businesses are track and perform logistics man- to be ready by 2020 (Domasco), has announced the small, they are agile and it makes agement for companies aiming to recall of Volvo V40 2017 model it easy for them to adapt to the enhance productivity and tackle over a potential malfunction in constant changes in technology… road safety issues. he Qatar Electricity the company management the driver airbag. I am sure that Qatar is adapting Similarly, Vodafone show- and Water Company’s by December that year. The MEC said the recall cam- very quickly to these technologi- cased its global provisioning of T(QEWC) adminis- Besides the administrative paign comes within the frame- cal advancements.” managed IoT connectivity for trative tower, to be built in tower, the complex would work of its ongoing eff orts to Sheikh Hamad stressed that Philips Lighting, real-time fa- Lusail, will be ready in De- have adequate space which protect consumers and ensure Vodafone is helping organisa- cial image matching solutions cember 2020, according to would be utilised as an in- that car dealers follow up on ve- tions of all sizes optimise, au- for Video Surveillance Systems information provided by the vestment for the company. hicle defects and repairs. tomate, and innovate using IoT in partnership with Hitachi, and company at its annual gen- It was also announced that The MEC will co-ordinate technologies. the latest evolutions in network eral meeting on Monday. the power and water purchase with the dealer to follow up on “This is a technology revolu- technology with VoLTE and 5G A technical committee of agreement for Ras Abu Fontas the maintenance and repair tion that Vodafone is bringing to showcases. the board members had been B between QEWC and Qatar works and communicate with Qatar to support eff orts to build a Vodafone chief technology of- constituted and 18 proposals General Electricity and Water customers to ensure that the knowledge-based economy with fi cer Ramy Boctor said 5G will received when the design and Corp (Kahramaa) will expire necessary repairs are carried a vibrant ICT sector that works as be the next generation of mobile consultancy services were in October this year and the out. an enabler of Qatar National Vi- Vodafone Qatar’s Enterprise Sales director Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah technology, which the Interna- tendered. The committee has company has proposed the The MEC has urged all cus- sion 2030. al-Thani. PICTURE: Jayan Orma tional Telecoms Union expects to shortlisted two designs and extension of the agreement for tomers to report any violations “In essence, this technology be formally defi ned by 2020. He one will selected. 12 years until the end of 2029. to its Consumer Protection and opens up a range of exciting pos- assets are being used, businesses Zelitron Business Develop- added that Vodafone “is at the The tender for construc- It has also been informed Anti-Commercial Fraud De- sibilities for businesses regard- can improve performance and ment director Dimitris Flokos forefront of making 5G a com- tion will be fl oated by August that the deal for acquiring partment through the follow- ing how they operate, how they reduce their costs.” said with Vodafone’s mobile as- mercial reality” with 5G tech- 15 this year and approvals are 35% share of the 2045 MW ing channels: Hotline: 16001, grow, and how they can provide Yesterday, Vodafone offi cially set tracking solution, custom- nologies research underway to expected by October. Paiton Power Plant of Indo- e-mail: [email protected], Twit- superior customer experience. launched its ‘Asset Tracking’ and ers can follow where their assets prepare its networks for a tran- The tower is expected to nesia by the QEWC-owned ter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: By analysing relevant data and ‘Connected Cabinets’ solutions in go “with complete visibility and sition towards the new mobile be completed in August 2020 Nebras Power was completed MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for immediate feedback on how their Qatar, in partnership with Zelitron. control.” standard. and may be handed over to in December 2016. Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar WCM-Q annual research retreat focuses on success

eill Cornell Medicine — Qa- is also allowing WCM-Q to retain some tar’s (WCM-Q) seventh An- of the extremely talented individuals Wnual Research Retreat looked as permanent employees. at the transformation of biomedical re- Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMQ search in Qatar and the accomplishments said, “Qatar has, in a very short time, of WCM-Q’s scientists over the past year. established a robust research infra- Delegates attended from a broad structure and is conducting signifi cant range of biomedical institutions to basic research. hear of the latest developments in bio- “This will support the commerciali- medical research, and to examine the sation pipeline in the long term and will work of students, research specialists Dr Javaid Sheikh contribute towards Qatar transitioning and post-doctoral scientists. to a knowledge-based economy. Dr Khaled Machaca, associate dean “Over a six-year period, our scien- “Multiple research institutions in for research at WCM-Q, said that the tists had their work published in 587 Qatar are well on their way toward es- mission of the biomedical research publications, and this culminated in an tablishing collaborative programmes programme was to create a centre of annual citation rate of 3,411 citations in in the fi elds of basic, translational, research excellence in Qatar. 2016 alone.” clinical and population research.” He explained, “Our goal was to become Dr Machaca noted that the college The Research Retreat also featured a beacon of knowledge creation, contrib- now has 32 active laboratories, centred a total of 92 poster presentations by uting to Qatar’s drive towards a knowl- around eight research cores, and em- research specialists, students, post- edge-based economy, while also focusing ploys 181 researchers, the vast majority doctoral fellows and research associ- on the health needs prevalent in Qatar. of whom are recruited locally. ates from WCMQ, highlighting a broad “To be successful, we have had to In addition, Research Division has spectrum of scientifi c areas. create the infrastructure and develop trained 130 research specialists – 28 of The event closed with the an- the research workforce, thereby adding whom are Qatari nationals. nouncement of the winners of the research capacity to the wider industry. The Nationals Training Programme poster presentation in three categories.

Faculty and staff pose with the winners and runners-up in the poster exhibition.

Forum on Palestine from today

n association with about 75 organi- and developmental and humanitarian launching projects to support the in- sations, Qatar Charity (QC) will initiatives launched. terests of the Palestinian people. Iorganise the Humanitarian and The forum is sponsored by Qatar The OCHA (Offi ce for the Co-or- Developmental Forum for Palestine Fund for Development and a number of dination of Humanitarian Aff airs), (HDFP) from today at The Westin Doha other International Organisations Over UNRWA, Organisation of Islamic Co- Hotel. the last fi ve years QC has carried out operation, The United Nations De- As part of the forum, to be held with projects worth approximately $148mn velopment Programme in Palestine the attendance of many experts and for the benefi t of the Palestinian people. (UNDP), Doctors without Borders, and specialists, a number of technical ses- It is expected that the forum would Welfare Association-Palestine are also sions and workshops will be conducted make recommendations with regard to supporting the event. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 QATAR Most transactions of MoI’s services done electronically round 90,694 vehicles were registered transactions monthly and 198,793 daily. with all sections of the ministry doing their best and 94,680 driving licences issued in Also, the average number of transactions per to develop their services through constant scien- A2016, according to statistics issued by the hour was 8,283 with 138 transactions conducted tifi c studies, research and statistics”, according to Ministry of Interior (MoI). A majority - or 67% every minute. the report. - of the total transactions conducted last year to Around 67%, or 47,948,796, of the total trans- In terms of emergency services, a total of avail of diff erent services provided by the MoI actions were conducted electronically, while 3,389,606 calls were made to 999 in 2016, which was carried out electronically. service centres accounted for the remaining 33% included requests pertaining to traffi c, injuries, The data also showed that the number of with 23,616,571 transactions. illnesses, complaints, enquiries, fi re reports and HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani with Dr César O Malavé and associate dean Dr Hassan S transactions conducted through the Metrash2 Meanwhile, the number of Metrash2 sub- other personal services. Bazzi during the talk. application in 2016 - 2,267,698 - marked a 75.3% scribers reached 303,527 in 2016, the report said, The number of visa services amounted to increase as compared to 2015. adding that some 96 services are now available 6,857,124 in 2016, while residency-related trans- The MoI provided details of transactions car- through the application. actions reached 3,245,873. ried out in 2016 in a report yesterday. Using Metrash2 helps users save time and ef- Also, 18,583,651 entry and exit movements Noting that it “achieved substantial devel- fort to a “great extent”, the MoI added. were recorded through diff erent ports. opment in enhancing its services for the pub- Further, the ministry said an analysis of these A total of 46,947 Police Clearance Certifi cates Be content with lic through its various departments”, the min- statistics points to the progress it has made in were issued last year along with 56,265 building istry said it implemented a number of plans providing services electronically to the public. permits. and strategies in order to simplify procedures These advancements are “based on the con- Besides, 972,007 vehicular inspections were and save the time and effort of service seek- cept of transforming into ‘a paperless ministry’, conducted, the MoI report said. ers. what you have: These included expansion of its services net- Satisfaction survey work in diff erent parts of the State and trans- forming manual services to electronic ones A public satisfaction survey conducted to as- eff iciency of the services it provides to the public through the Metrash2 application as well as the sess people’s opinion about diff erent services is assessed through diff erent mechanisms, one of website of the ministry, Hukoomi or self-service off ered by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) in 2016 which is the satisfaction survey. Sheikh Faisal kiosks. showed that the satisfaction level had reached These eff orts have helped improve the ef- In all, the MoI completed more than 71.5mn 95%, marking an improvement over the previous ficiency levels through its service centres in diff er- (71,565,367) transactions in 2016, the report years. ent parts of the country and electronic systems exas A&M Univer- ter, sustainable future and of the world’s strongest and noted. Informing this yesterday, the MoI said the with accuracy and speed, the ministry added. sity at Qatar (Tamuq) seek out a virtuous circle of fastest-growing economies, This translated to an average of 5,963,781 Trecently hosted HE friends from whom you can according to a press state- Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al- benefi t and grow from, and ment from Tamuq. Thani, founder and chair- engage in lifelong learning Originally created with man of Al Faisal Holding, with”. modest start-up capital in during a Dean’s Leadership Tamuq dean Dr César O 1964 as a small, local trad- Series lecture in the branch Malavé said: “Leadership is ing company, founder and campus’ building at Educa- a core value instilled in every chairman HE Sheikh Faisal Porsche accepting orders for tion City. student at Texas A&M Uni- has built that business over During his talk, HE Sheikh versity, and His Excellency the past fi ve decades into Faisal praised the mission of is an inspirational business one of Qatar’s largest pri- the branch campus in con- and cultural leader in Qatar. vately held diversifi ed in- tributing to the development We are honoured to have dustry groups with opera- Panamera Sport Turismo goals of Qatar by educating him share his experience and tions that continue to grow exemplary engineers. wisdom with our students, across local, regional and “Having a degree, getting who will be the next genera- international markets, the orsche Centre Doha has started accepting or- an education in Qatar is bet- tion of engineering leaders in statement adds. ders for the all-new Panamera Sport Turismo ter than getting one abroad. Qatar.” HE Sheikh Faisal has also Pwhich is celebrating its world premiere at the Here, you are actively par- Born in Al Markhiya in pioneered the establish- 2017 Geneva Motor Show that opened yesterday. ticipating in the culture and 1948, HE Sheikh Faisal is one ment of a heritage venue, The Sport Turismo, with up to 550hp, off ers the building connections that of Qatar’s most successful the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim perfect combination of everyday usability and maxi- will serve you in your profes- businessmen and has played Al Thani Museum, with the mum fl exibility, with its large tailgate, low loading sional life. Upon graduation, a signifi cant role in the de- objective of reviving public edge, substantial luggage compartment volume and a you are a step ahead to build velopment of the business interest and appreciation of 4+1 seating concept. a career and you also have sector in Qatar. The story of local culture. “The Panamera Sport Turismo is a step forward the knowledge to build your Al Faisal Holding’s growth This window to the beauty into a new segment, but retains all of those values country better than how you and development refl ects the and splendour of the past of and attributes that are characteristic of Porsche”, says found it,” he said. same entrepreneurial vision, Qatar and the Islamic world Michael Mauer, director of Style Porsche. His closing words were drive and innovative think- has been opened for people From a technological and design perspective, the “to be content with what you ing that has seen the trans- from all walks of life to view Sport Turismo utilises all the innovations introduced have in order to build a bet- formation of Qatar into one and experience. with the latest Panamera model line. These include the digital Porsche Advanced Cockpit, chassis sys- tems, such as rear axle steering, and the Porsche Dy- namic Chassis Control. In addition, all Panamera Sport Turismo vehicles feature the standard Porsche Traction Management, an active all-wheel drive system with electronically Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo controlled multi-plate clutch. For all S- and Turbo- models, adaptive air suspension with three-chamber trically from the luggage compartment. When loading fl oor, four lashing points and a luggage technology is also part of the standard equipment. all backrests are folded down, the loading fl oor compartment partition net. An optional 230- Beginning from the B-pillars (start of the rear is virtually level and off ers a storage volume of V electrical socket can also be provided in the doors), the Sport Turismo features a completely up to 1,390 litres (Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport boot. unique rear design. Above the pronounced shoulder, Turismo: 1,295 litres), resulting in a total gain The fi rst models of Panamera Sport Tur- an elongated window line and equally long roof con- of 50 litres when compared to the luxury se- ismo are expected to arrive early next year. tour lend the vehicle its striking appearance. At the dan. Basic retail prices in Qatar are: Panamera 4 rear, the roof drops less dramatically than the window Porsche off ers a luggage compartment Sport Turismo (330hp) – QR422,000; Pan- line, resulting in a distinctive D-pillar which transi- management system for the Panamera Sport amera 4E-Hybrid Sport Turismo (462hp) tions into the shoulder section in a coupé-like fash- Turismo on request. Among other things, this – QR470,300; Panamera 4S Sport Turismo ion. variable system for the secure transportation (440hp) – QR497,300 and Panamera Turbo The roof extends into an adaptive spoiler with three of goods includes two rails integrated in the Sport Turismo (550hp) – QR695,800. angles of deployment, depending on the driving situ- ation and chosen vehicle setting. The system gener- ates additional downforce of maximum 50kg on the rear axle. Up to a speed of 170 km/h, the spoiler stays in its retracted position with an angle of minus seven de- grees, reducing drag and optimising fuel consump- tion. Above 170km/h, the roof spoiler automatically moves to the performance position with an angle of plus one degree, thereby increasing driving sta- bility and lateral dynamics. When Sport and Sport Plus driving modes have been selected, the spoiler automatically moves to the performance position at speeds from 90km/h. The angle of inclination is automatically adjusted to plus 26 degrees, when the panoramic sunroof is open at a speed of 90 km/h or above. In this case, the spoiler helps to minimise wind noise. The new Sport Turismo is the fi rst Panamera to feature three rear seats. The two outside seats take the form of individual seats, producing a 2+1 confi gu- ration. As an option, the Panamera Sport Turismo is also available in a four-seat confi guration with two electrically adjustable individual seats in the rear. The usability of the luggage compartment benefi ts from the electrically operated, wide tailgate, and a loading edge height of just 628mm. The backrests of the three rear seats can be folded down together or individually and are unlocked elec-

MoPH vaccinates 3,527 students against TdaP As many as 3,527 students have been vaccinated in 58 schools against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (TdaP) as part of the Ministry of Public Health’s (MoPH) annual campaign to vaccinate 10 graders from private schools in the country. Vaccination in private schools will continue until early next week. In government schools, medical teams from Primary Health Care Corporation will hold vaccination from March 12 to 16. The TdaP vaccination campaign is organised by the Health Protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at MoPH through its vaccination section. It is organised for the seventh year in collaboration with the Primary Health Care Corporation and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The campaign is targeting grade ten students as these diseases and considered dangerous and can cause disability or even death among young adults. Health protection and Communicable Diseases Control Department at the MoPH has advised all parents to urge their sons and daughters to take advantage of the opportunity. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 9 QATAR Q-Post, QMIC ink pact for new delivery platform

By Joey Aguilar Post) at the fourth Qatar Informa- QMIC’s expanding set of locally-built digital transformation initiative to Staff Reporter tion and Communication Technol- platforms and services in the area of broaden the set and enhance the qual- ogy (ICT) Conference and Exhibition intelligent mobility, according to Dr ity of services we deliver to our cus- (Qitcom) to support on-demand local Abu-Dayya. tomers,” chairman and managing di- ocal delivery services in Qatar delivery services in the country and in He said Tasleem compliments tra- rector Faleh Mohamed al-Naemi said. will soon become easier and neighbouring GCC countries. ditional delivery methods and off ers “We are excited to work with QMIC Lfaster with Tasleem, a new plat- The two national entities will work many advantages by reducing delivery to explore the potential of its new in- form designed to meet the rapidly ex- jointly in using Tasleem in the next time, optimising effi ciency by better novative local delivery platform that panding e-Commerce market in the few months as a standalone local de- utilising the available resources and can complement our existing delivery region. livery platform, paving the way for a using extra ones, and by enhancing channels,” he noted. “Tasleem (which means delivery) potential large-scale launch at a later the customer experience and satisfac- Tasleem will aid these enterprises will optimise the delivery process to stage. tion. by off ering an end-to-end technology meet expanding customer expecta- In addition, Q-Post and QMIC will Described as an “enterprise-centric platform to organise and better man- tions and do it in an economically collaborate to further evolve Tasleem solution,” he pointed out that Tasleem age the local delivery demand. It will effi cient manner,” Qatar Mobility In- to tackle diff erent use cases and ad- is set to fi ll an important market gap in also provide additional pool of drivers novations Centre (QMIC) executive dress diff erent deployment scenarios. terms of enabling large-scale crowd only when needed so that enterprise director Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya said This will ensure it is fully tailored to logistics services to support local e- can optimise the delivery process to yesterday. meet the needs and growing demands commerce businesses, enterprises, meet expanding customer expecta- Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya and Faleh Mohamed al-Naemi after signing the agreement to QMIC signed an agreement with of local and regional markets. and government. tions and do it in an economically ef- implement Tasleem. PICTURE: Jayan Orma Qatar Postal Services Company (Q- Tasleem is the latest addition to “Q-Post is embarking on a major fi cient manner. MoI’s digital services showcased at Qitcom

he General Directorate of In- formation Systems (GDIS) and Tthe Telecom Department at the Ministry of Interior showcased their modern equipment and digital services yesterday at Qitcom 2017. In its pavilion, the GDIS displayed sev- eral systems for using and completing transactions on smart phones and the Ministry’s web portal through its Me- trash2 app. Statistics of the MoI’s achievements in 2016 and guidelines on using its services are also shown at the pavil- ion at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Brigadier engineer Abdul Rah- man Ali al-Maliki, assistant director of GDIS, said that they are demon- strating nearly 211 electronic services, which are accessible through the Min- istry’s website or Metrash 2. In 2016, more than 2.1mn transac- MoI showcases its state-of-the-art devices and equipment at Qitcom 2017. tions have been completed through Metrash 2 and 6.7mn transactions Saleh, head of Wireless Services, said The Telecom Department has also through other electronic services. that the pavilion is highlighting its exhibited a number of modern tech- “It is notable that almost 67% of all functions of providing 4G telecom nology systems such as connecting the transactions are now done electroni- services between diff erent MoI de- cameras on patrolling cars to the oper- cally without visiting the government partments and patrolling units such as ations room, as well as other services, agencies concerned,” he noted. Al Fazaa, Traffi c and Lekhwiya. which enhance follow-up of security Meanwhile, the Telecom Depart- “The shared communication de- patrols using a map that can deter- ment has exhibited state-of-the-art pends on the fi bre-optic infrastruc- mine their locations and availability. devices and equipment used to en- ture, which supports high-speed The Telecom Department also facili- hance function and communication of communication, and provides high- tates video conference service, which diff erent departments of MoI. level security for these communica- enables meetings without commuting Captain engineer Abdullah Qaid tions, he explained. to various places.

Global experts discuss mobility and challenges

Mobility and connectedness have been the focus of discussion at four panel sessions yesterday at the fourth Qatar Information and Communication Technology Conference and Exhibition (Qitcom), which concludes today at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Ministry of Transport and Communica- tion assistant undersecretaries Rashid al-Nabit and Hassan al-Sayed were joined by senior executives from Lusail Real Estate Development Company, Qatar Ports Management Company, and Qatar Development Bank on stage during the Experts during a panel session at Qitcom yesterday. session. Azerbaijan’s Minister of Communications the developing world to skip public of Barcelona, urged those involved in and High Technology Elmir Velizadeh transformation infrastructure as it is urban development to adopt a ‘first city, introduced the theme of connected- known today. “This could result in the then technology’ approach. ness, citing his country’s strategic plan creation of super regions like ‘Stocksinki’ The transport and logistics panel saw a to become a leading media hub as part and ‘Talksinki’, where cities are able to lively discussion on challenges and op- of Asia – connected by the ‘one belt, one optimise and share services and social portunities for Qatar and other regional road’. infrastructure,” he added. countries. Dr Allan James, vice president of Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed al-Sayed Dr Ulrich Koegler, partner at PwC, Worldwide Business Development at talked about human and social develop- pointed out that productivity is increas- Hyperloop One, talked about the future ment enabled by technology, followed ing, and this can be capitalised by of mobility, giving the audience an idea by Smart Dubai director general Dr government through the introduction about the implications of hyperloop Aisha bin Bashr, who spoke about the of standards, forward looking and adap- travel. importance of prioritising ‘happiness’ tive regulation, and the incentivising of He said hyperloop will create ‘transfor- and creating a ‘happiness’ agenda. experiments. mation economics’, which will enable Antoni Vives, former mayor of the city Silvester Prakasm of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore reminded the audience that sometimes, “the biggest barrier to technology is human acceptance and hard work is required to win trust.” Speakers on the panel tack- ling digital clusters agreed on the importance of an existing community with a clear specialty and insights. Steve Fifita, executive direc- tor at City Digital UILabs USA, stressed the need for government funding and frameworks. Cross-sector collaboration and public-private-start up engagement to deliver on both digital clusters and smart cities was a point strongly made by Spain StartUp founder and CEO Maria Benjumea and Director of the Internet of Things and City Digisation North Europe for Cisco Bas Boorsma. Panel sessions also covered the importance of cyberse- curity, data privacy, regula- tion, and interoperability. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Top brands set for showcase at Dubai Watch Week in November

ubai Watch Week (DWW) re- personalities during the fi ve-day cul- watchmakers and the members of the the Middle East’s most trusted desti- Watch Services. Established in 2005, Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet, turns for its third edition in No- tural and educational event. media to interact and share knowl- nation for luxury watches and jewel- the objective of the FHH is to pro- Bovet 1822, Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Dvember 2017, under the patron- DWW’s objective is to educate the edge. lery. mote the values of fine watchmaking Chopard, Christophe Claret, De Bet- age of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohamed public on the skills and knowledge of DWW is a non-commercial event The family owned and run com- worldwide. Created in 2005 at the in- hune, F P Journe, Girard-Perregaux, bin Rashid al-Maktoum, vice chairman mechanical watchmaking as well as that will continuously foster the in- pany represents more than 60 luxury itiative of its three founders – Aude- Greubel Forsey, H Moser, Hermes, of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. raise awareness surrounding some of terests of its regional watch commu- timepiece brands across 65 locations mars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux and Hyt, Iwc, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Louis Organised by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons the watch industry challenges. nity by promoting Dubai as a plat- in the UAE. the Richemont group – the Founda- Vuitton, Mb&F, Montblanc, Officine in partnership with the Fondation de la The event has been recognised as form for horological enthusiasts and Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons has an ex- tion has grown with the years, gain- Panerai, Parmigiani Fleurier, Piaget, Haute Horlogerie (FHH), Dubai Watch a significant meeting point for the experts. clusive partnership with the largest ing in size and scope. Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Tag Week will once again host key industry watch industry as it creates an inti- Known as ‘curators of time’ since luxury watch and jewellery after- There are 28 partner brands that Heuer, Vacheron Constantin, Van spokespeople and leading horological mate platform for collectors, brands, 1950, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons is one of sales centre of its kind, the Swiss fund the FHH’s projects. They are A Cleef & Arpels. US govt pledges ‘great strictness’ on Iran N-deal

Reuters Tehran’s nuclear programme in terly meeting of the UN nuclear Vienna exchange for the lifting of in- watchdog’s Board of Governors. ternational economic sanctions “The United States will ap- against the Islamic Republic. proach questions of JCPOA in- S President Donald Trump has called the agree- terpretation, implementation, Trump’s administra- ment “the worst deal ever ne- and enforcement with great Ution pledged yesterday gotiated”. His administration is strictness indeed,” the statement to show “great strictness” over now carrying out a review of the to the International Atomic En- restrictions on Iran’s nuclear accord which could take months, ergy Agency’s (IAEA) 35-nation activities imposed by a deal with but it has said little about where board said, citing the deal’s full major powers, but gave little it stands on specifi c issues. name: the Joint Comprehensive A Syrian child stands in a school that was partially damaged in an air strike yesterday, in the rebel-held town of Utaya, in the eastern Ghouta indication of what that might The Trump administration Plan of Action. region on the outskirts of Damascus. mean for the agreement. also gave few clues about any But the US statement, the The 2015 deal between Iran potential policy shift yester- fi rst to the Board of Governors and six major powers restricts day in a statement to a quar- since Trump took offi ce in Janu- ary, also repeated language used by the administration of former Tehran rejects moves to seize 9/11 compensation US president Barack Obama, Army captures water station for whom the deal was a legacy Iran said yesterday it was “com- douni said Tehran’s assets can- achievement. pletely unfair” for US lawyers to not be touched before a verdict. “Iran must strictly and fully try to seize its overseas assets Quoted by IRNA, he also called adhere to all commitments and as compensation for the victims the US eff orts “against interna- technical measures for their du- supplying Aleppo from IS of the September 11, 2001 at- tional law” and “unenforceable”. ration,” it said — wording identi- tacks. Billions of dollars in Iranian as- cal to that used in the US state- In 2012, a New York judge sets were frozen in the US and ment to the previous Board of Reuters A Syrian military source had populous city before the war military chief of staff met his ordered Iran to pay $7bn in Europe as part of eff orts to push Governors meeting in Novem- Beirut/Ankara said earlier yesterday that the began nearly six years ago and US and Russian counterparts in damages to the families and Tehran into a nuclear deal with ber. The IAEA, which polices the army had advanced to areas has been entirely in govern- the southern Turkish province estates of victims from the at- world powers, which was finally restrictions on Iran’s nuclear ac- “very close” to both. ment hands since December of Antalya to discuss co-ordi- tacks, arguing that the country signed in July 2015. tivities under the deal, last month he Syrian army and its Aleppo’s main water supply when the last rebel enclave in nation in Syria. had aided Al Qaeda by allowing Some Iranian assets remain fro- produced a quarterly report say- allies have captured the has been cut off for nearly two its eastern districts was overrun The official said the results the group’s members to travel zen despite the deal, in part due ing that Iran’s stock of enriched Tmain water pumping months, and the city’s residents following months of intense of the meeting “could change through its territory. to ongoing compensation cases uranium had halved after coming station that supplies Aleppo now rely mainly on ground fi ghting. the whole picture”. Since Iran rejects the accusation — not just for the 2001 attacks close to a limit imposed by the in a sweeping advance against wells or water purchased from The United States appears “...It appears that the US and refuses to pay the money, but also the bombing of a US agreement. Islamic State that has brought private vendors. to have decided to enlist the may carry out this operation the lawyers are now trying to Marines barracks in Lebanon in That report was the fi rst to them to the bank of the Euphra- A military media unit run help of Kurdish YPG militia in a with the YPG, not with Tur- access $1.6bn of Iranian money 1983 that killed 241 Americans. specify how much enriched ura- tes, a group that monitors the by Hezbollah, a Lebanese ally campaign to push Islamic State key. And at the same time the frozen in a Luxembourg bank, “Iran’s frozen money in Luxem- nium Iran has, thanks to a series confl ict said yesterday. which is fi ghting alongside out of its stronghold in Raqqa, US is giving weapons to the according to a report in The bourg belongs to the period of agreements between Tehran The Syrian Observatory for President Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, thwarting Turkey’s am- YPG,” the official said. New York Times on Monday. before the (nuclear) negotiations and major powers clarifying items Human Rights said the army government forces, also quoted bitions, a senior Turkish offi cial “If this operation is carried “Some opponents of the Islamic and Iran’s (central bank) lawyers that would not count towards the and allied forces made rapid a military source as saying the said. out in this manner there will republic of Iran...have tried to are engaged in consultations to stock. gains east of Aleppo city, as army had advanced and re- Meanwhile, Turkish Prime be a cost for Turkey-US rela- broaden a US domestic law — obtain it,” Ravanchi said. Some major powers had criti- Syrian and Russian planes gained the Al-Khafsa area. Minister Binali Yildirim said tions, because the YPG is a which is completely unfair and He said there had been no new cised previous reports for not be- pounded the rural areas. Islamic State is losing ground Turkey, the United States and terrorist organisation...” baseless — to apply outside developments in recent days. ing specifi c enough on items such They recaptured the Al- in northern Syria to three Russia must co-ordinate to Chairman of the US Joint America,” said deputy foreign Default judgements from as the size of the enriched uranium Khafsa area on the western separate campaigns — by the clear Syria of terrorist groups. Chiefs of Staff General Joseph minister Majid Takht Ravanchi, various cases against Iran have stock, and the US statement called bank of the Euphrates River, Russian-backed Syrian army, The three countries’ chiefs Dunford attended the three- according to the IRNA news so far added up to more than for future reports to be as detailed. where the water treatment and by US-backed Syrian militias, of staff were working to prevent party meeting at the invi- agency. $50bn in compensation, al- “We welcome inclusion of the pumping plants are located, af- and by Turkey and allied Syrian clashes between the diff erent tation of his Turkish coun- The Iranian central bank’s legal though no money has yet been additional level of detail, and ex- ter the militant group withdrew rebel groups. parties. terpart, a spokesman for aff airs director Ardeshir Ferey- delivered. pect it will continue in the future,” the Observatory said. Aleppo was Syria’s most Yildirim spoke as Turkey’s Dunford said. it said.

HOUSING RESTRICTION Etihad advises checks with missions aft er new Trump order Saudi ministry sets Ban on American visitors in response to Trump order Etihad Airways is advising some passengers to about 60,000 people whose visas were revoked up venture to Iran said yesterday it would continue its retalia- ing to the ISNA news agency. Iran’s foreign ministry check with US diplomatic missions before travel- by the previous order will now be permitted to en- build homes tory measure of barring US visitors in response to announced in January it would ban Americans from ling after US President Donald Trump signed a ter. Etihad, based in the United Arab Emirates, said President Donald Trump’s updated travel ban on entering the country in response to Trump’s “insult- revised executive order banning visits by nation- it was strongly encouraging nationals of the listed Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Housing predominantly Muslim countries. ing” order restricting arrivals from Iran and six other als of six Muslim-majority nations. countries “to consult with their nearest United has set up a 98mn riyal ($26mn) “Our earlier counter-measure against Trump’s previ- Muslim states. Monday’s order, which takes eff ect on March 16, States embassy or consulate to ensure they are partnership with a private devel- ous order is still in place,” said deputy foreign minister It called the decision “illegal, illogical and contrary to keeps a 90-day ban on travel to the US by citizens legally entitled to enter the United States.” Fellow oper to build 462 housing units Majid Takht Ravanchi at a conference entitled “What international rules”. The White House re-issued the of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. UAE carrier Emirates said it was aware of the new in the east of the capital, it said to do about Trump’s America”. ban on Monday — this time excluding Iraq but still It applies only to new visa applicants, meaning order and would adhere to it. yesterday. It is the ministry’s first “There is no need for a new decision,” he said, accord- targeting Iranians — following legal challenges. public-private partnership and could become a model for the kingdom’s home construction plans, which aim to make home ownership more accessible for Saudis. The government is strug- Fearing bread subsidy cuts, gling to meet demand for homes for its young and growing popula- tion of 21mn nationals, while also Egyptians hold protests cutting back on its traditionally generous public spending after a sharp fall in oil prices since 2014. Reuters Egyptians posted pictures of confused The ministry will hold 13.63% in the Alexandria, Egypt people outside bakeries and in the street. new venture with Al-Tahaluf Real “We were surprised when the bakers Estate Company, which is jointly refused to give us bread with the excuse owned by Saudi Arabia’s Hamad undreds of Egyptians protested that the Supply Ministry reduced their bin Mohamed bin Saedan Real around the country yesterday, rations,” said Ahmed Faraj, an Alexandria Estate Investment Group and US- Hblocking roads and surrounding resident. based Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. government offi ces, after a change to the Most protests drew small crowds and way bread rations are managed raised dissipated quickly, but off ered the fi rst fears that the government was cutting major evidence of public anger over rising UNREST food subsidies by the back door. living costs. Two children Bread subsidies are an explosive issue “We are suff ering from high prices. We in Egypt, where over 70mn receive state have nothing left to live on but bread and killed in Yemen rations. Core infl ation in the country has now the government wants to deprive us drone strike soared above 30% since Egypt fl oated its of it,” said Samia Darwish, a 50-year-old currency in November, securing a $12bn homemaker in Alexandria. Egypt operates Two Yemeni boys were killed in loan package from the International Mon- a system in which each family receives a a drone strike while walking on a etary Fund (IMF) to support a government plastic card to buy fi ve subsidised loaves road in central Yemen used by Al austerity programme. per person per day. The government then Qaeda militants who have been Protests began on Monday after chang- pays bakeries a subsidy per loaf.Bakers subject to repeated strikes by US es to a bread subsidy scheme left some also receive “gold cards” to sell bread to forces in recent days, residents people without their ration. individuals without a smartcard — gener- said yesterday. They named the Unrest grew yesterday, with angry ally those waiting for cards. boys as Ahmed and Mohamed al- crowds gathering in the port city of Alex- The Supply Ministry issued a state- Khobze, two brothers both under andria, in at least one poor Cairo neigh- ment on Monday denying it planned to cut 15, and said they were killed on bourhood, and several other cities across bread subsidies after local media reported Monday on a road used by mili- Egypt. Supply_Uprising became the top that rations would go from fi ve to three tants in Yakla, an area in Al-Bayda trending Twitter hashtag for Egypt as loaves a day. province. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 11 ARAB WORLD Hamas gets tough on drug smugglers in Gaza Strip

Reuters merchandise. Drugs are moved Gaza inside cooking gas canisters or washing machines. Sometimes, small quanti- arijuana and pre- ties are thrown or catapulted scription painkill- from Egypt into Gaza. Mers are fl ooding into There are kilometres of the Gaza Strip as never be- tubes used to move small fore, prompting offi cials from packages, and in some cases the ruling group Hamas to drugs are shipped inside goods seek tougher punishments imported from Israel. for smuggling drugs into the “It is a problem but not a blockaded territory. phenomenon,” said Ahmed The quantity of drugs seized al-Qidra, head of Gaza’s anti- in Gaza in January was as drug squad. much as for the whole of 2016, “We suff er from it just as Displaced Iraqis flee their homes while security forces battle with Islamic State militants, in western Mosul yesterday. offi cials said. most countries all over the Eight major dealers were world.” arrested in one of the biggest But sentences for drug deal- police stings to date. ing had become more lenient Palestinian and Egyptian over the years and may have gangs move marijuana and an helped spur a resurgence, he opioid painkiller called tra- said. madol from Egypt into Gaza, The law allows life sentenc- where es and even the death penalty 2mn Palestinians live in a for drug smugglers, but many Iraqi forces retake territory about 45km long and manage to escape long prison up to 12km wide and where terms, he said. four in 10 young men have no Yehya al-Farra, an aide to job, pushing some towards Gaza’s attorney-general, said drugs. the courts needed to get at “They think tramadol will least tough as they were in change the reality and will 2009 when one dealer got 15 make them feel at peace,” years in prison. govt HQ, museum said Fadel Abu Heen, a psy- “The dealer who sells poi- chiatrist. “They want to lose son is a killer of the soul, he is AFP government. They also seized pushed from most of the territo- awareness and any feeling of the same as the killer who uses Mosul, Iraq control of the Al-Hurriyah ry they once seized but remain in reality.” a gun or a knife,” Farra told bridgehead, it said, in a step to- control of key bastions including In their latest raid, police Reuters. wards potentially relinking west west Mosul and the caliphate’s seized more than 100kg of “Therefore, the law states raqi forces said yesterday Mosul with the city’s east, which de facto Syrian capital Raqa. marijuana, worth as much as that a punishment up to the they had seized the main government forces seized from In Syria, they have faced of- $5mn on the streets of Gaza, death penalty can be applied.” Igovernment offi ces in Mosul the militants earlier in the of- fensives by three rival forces. and 250,000 tablets of trama- He and Qidra want more re- and its famed museum as they fensive. Turkish troops and their Syr- dol, which sells for between cruits to the anti-drug squad made steady progress in their All the bridges crossing the ian rebel allies have pushed 130 and 170 shekels ($35-$45) and more medical facilities to battle to retake the city’s west Tigris in Mosul have been dam- south from the Turkish border for 10 pills. treat addicts. from militants. aged or destroyed, and Iraqi and driven IS out of the northern Until 2013, most smuggling Inside a Gaza prison, con- The advances, which also in- forces would either have to re- town of Al-Bab. was through a network of tun- victs urged men to reject cluded the recapture of three pair them or install fl oating Syrian government troops nels Palestinians and Egyp- drugs. neighbourhoods, were an- bridges to reconnect the two have driven east from second tians had built under the bor- A 26-year-old barber said nounced on the third day of a banks of the river which divides city Aleppo with Russian sup- der to move everything from he started taking half a trama- renewed off ensive against the Is- the city. port and seized a swathe of food and consumer goods to dol a day after a friend off ered lamic State group in west Mosul Offi cers said yesterday that A government building is pictured during a battle with Islamic State countryside from the militants. cars, cattle and rockets. him some. — the largest remaining urban security forces had also managed militants in Mosul, Iraq yesterday. The Syrian Observatory for Hu- But Egypt destroyed the Soon he was addicted. stronghold in the “caliphate” to recapture the Mosul museum, man Rights, a Britain-based mon- tunnels — blowing them up “I urge young people...to declared by the militants in 2014. where the militants destroyed building, which the militants 51,000 people to fl ee their itor of the confl ict, said yesterday or fl ooding them — in 2014 give up bad friends, otherwise Supported by the US-led coa- priceless artefacts, releasing a looted along with other banks in homes, according to the Inter- that regime forces had neared a and 2015 to crack down on the they will be destroyed like me,” lition bombing IS in Iraq and video of their rampage in Febru- 2014, seizing tens of millions of national Organisation for Migra- key water pumping station for trade. he said. “I was a respected man Syria, Iraqi forces began their ary 2015. dollars. tion. But the number who have Aleppo and a military airport un- Since then, smugglers have who knew a loser friend and I push against west Mosul on Feb- The video showed militants The JOC announced yesterday fl ed is still just a fraction of the der IS control. found new ways of shifting became a loser myself.” ruary 19. at the museum knocking statues that Iraqi forces had regained 750,000 people believed to have “Regime forces are now on the The advance slowed during off their plinths and smashing complete control of the west stayed on in west Mosul under outskirts of the Jarrah military air- several days of bad weather but them to pieces. Mosul neighbourhoods of Al- IS rule. port and the town of Al-Khafsah was renewed on Sunday. In another scene, a jackham- Dawasa, Al-Danadan and Tal Emerging from the chaos of and the water pumping station,” The latest gains have brought mer was used to deface a large al-Ruman, bringing the total the civil war in neighbouring it said. government troops and police Assyrian winged bull at an ar- number of recaptured areas to Syria, IS seized control of large A US-backed alliance of Kurd- closer to Mosul’s densely popu- chaeological site in the city. 10. parts of Syria and Iraq in mid- ish and Arab fi ghters has been ad- lated Old City, where hundreds The militants’ attacks on an- In Al-Danadan, streets were 2014, declaring its “caliphate” vancing on Raqa and on Monday of thousands of civilians are be- cient heritage in Iraq and Syria left strewn with rubble and win- and committing widespread reached the Euphrates River cut- lieved to still be trapped under IS have sparked widespread inter- dows blown out of many houses. atrocities. ting the main road to the partly rule. national outrage and fears for “There was mortar rounds The US-led coalition launched IS-held city of Deir Ezzor down- Iraq’s Joint Operations Com- some of the world’s most pre- falling on us, they fell on the roof air strikes against the militants stream. World powers have vowed mand (JOC) said in a statement cious archaeological sites. and in the courtyard,” said Man- in both countries several months increased co-operation in tackling that federal police and the elite The museum was on a police hal, a 28-year-old resident of the later and has backed both Iraqi the global threat from IS, which Rapid Response unit had been list released yesterday of sites area. forces and fi ghters in Syria bat- from its base in Syria and Iraq has able to “liberate” the headquar- recaptured from IS, which also The recent fi ghting in west tling IS. organised or inspired a series of ters for the Nineveh provincial included Mosul’s central bank Mosul has forced more than The militants have been deadly attacks in foreign cities. A drug addict stands behind bars at a Hamas-run prison in Gaza City. Tunisia PM praises Tunnels uncover Assyrian winged bulls Ben Guerdane battle AFP sculptures of four women’s fac- In the Mosul region alone, Mosul es from the front. “These fi nds “at least 66 archaeological sites as ‘turning point’ are very important. They teach have been destroyed, some of us more about Assyrian art. them transformed into parking rawl through a labyrinth In general, their sculptures lots. AFP tight security. “To the inhabit- of narrow tunnels in show people in profi le, whereas Muslim and Christian places Ben Guerdane, Tunisia ants of Ben Guerdane, the town Cnear total darkness and here we have women face on,” of worship have suff ered mas- of resistance, your victory in suddenly they appear: two great said Salih. sive destruction, thousands of the March 7 battle, the victory winged bulls dating from the She said IS had not been able manuscripts have disappeared”, he battle against militants of security agents, of our sol- Assyrian empire found intact to extract many of the treasures Iraq’s Deputy Culture Minister in Ben Guerdane a year diers, marked a turning point in under the ground of Mosul. for fear of the hill collapsing al- Qais Rashid told a Unesco-or- Tago was a “turning point” the struggle against terrorism,” But as fi ghting rages to evict together but other removable ganised conference in Paris last for Tunisia, Prime Minister Chahed said. the Islamic State (IS) group artefacts, especially pottery, month. Youssef Chahed said yesterday An analyst with the Inter- from the main city in northern were certainly plundered. Salim Khalaf, a ministry offi - during a visit to commemorate national Crisis Group, Michael Iraq, it will be a race against Iraqi authorities found 107 cial, said at the forum that more the anniversary. Ayari, said residents and se- time to save the archaeologi- items of pottery in a house east than 700 archaeological items Militant groups mounted a curity forces in Ben Guerdane cal treasures uncovered in the of Mosul that were in good con- had been exhumed from the co-ordinated assault on security had shown “resilience, but that tunnels. The militants dug the dition and most likely exhumed tunnels of Nabi Yunus and sold installations in the town on the doesn’t mean Tunisia is im- network of tunnels to plunder from the tunnels of Nabi Yunus. on the black market. border with Libya last March 7, mune” to the militant threat. artefacts under a hill reput- After their capture of swathes The priority at the site is to aiming to win over residents and The attacks in 2015 and on edly housing the tomb of the of Iraqi territory to the north carry out studies on how to sta- establish an “emirate” of the Is- Ben Guerdane in 2016 were fol- Prophet Jonah, the Nabi Yunus and west of Baghdad in 2014, bilise the tunnels and save the lamic State group, according to lowed by stronger security co- shrine which they dynamited in the militants carried out a hill from collapse, explained Tunisia’s authorities. operation with Tunisia’s West- July 2014. widespread campaign of de- Salih. At least 55 assailants were ern allies, especially in military “We fear it could all collapse struction of archaeological and “The security situation in the killed, along with 13 members equipment and on supervision at any time,” entombing the religious sites. eastern sector of Mosul is still of the security forces and seven of the 500-kilometre border treasures, said Layla Salih who A member of the Iraqi troops stands next to archaeological findings Many shocking scenes were unstable. There’s fear of (IS) civilians. with Libya. is in charge of antiquities for inside an underground tunnel in east Mosul. fi lmed and posted on the Inter- drones and terrorist attacks,” Tunisia, which was the tar- Defence Minister Farhat Hor- Nineveh province. net, such as the destruction of she said. get of several IS attacks in 2015 chani backed up Chahed’s point. “There are cave-ins in the pieces survived the looting and the area was known to Iraqi ar- Nimrud, jewel of the Assyrian “We need foreign expertise, in which 72 people were killed “We showed that terrorism tunnels every day.” appear as the crouched visitor chaeologists. empire founded in the 13th cen- but to have that, security must — 59 of them foreign tourists — has no future in Tunisia...So Iraqi authorities discovered winds through the maze of tun- Two mural sculptures in tury BC, with a bulldozer, pick- be improved.” has since been spared any major long as the state is united, that the underground labyrinth, nels with its scent of damp clay. white marble show the winged axes and explosives. As if to underline her point, militant violence. the population is united, we will from which IS plundered to sell Salih said the artefacts date bulls with only the sides and The hilltop of Nabi Yunus is a columns of black smoke wafted “March 7 is no longer an ordi- defeat this scourge,” he said. on the black market, after they back to the eighth century BC feet showing. picture of desolation, the once into the sky over west Mosul as nary day in Tunisia. It has a sym- During his visit, the premier recaptured east Mosul at the in the Assyrian period and hail The tunnels lead to bas-re- elegant Jonah’s tomb reduced to Iraqi forces kept up their anti- bolic value,” the prime minister announced several projects for end of January. from the palace of King Es- liefs with inscriptions in cunei- a ruin of smashed and twisted IS assault with shelling and said at a ceremony held under Ben Guerdane. Miraculously, several choice arhaddon whose existence in form alphabet and two mural columns. air strikes. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 AFRICA

No excuses for Ghana ‘Massive response’ call poverty after 60 to avert Somali famine years, says AFP is one year old, and left the oth- risk of contracting waterborne president Mogadishu ers with her family in the south- diseases. ern region of Middle Juba. On Saturday Prime Minister Guterres said the world had a Hassan Ali Khaire said at least Reuters N Secretary General An- “moral obligation” to help peo- 110 people had died in 48 hours Accra tonio Guterres has urged ple like Mainouna. from “droughts and acute wa- Uthe international com- Guterres earlier met Presi- tery diarrhoea” caused by lack munity to take action to avert dent Mohamed Abdullahi Mo- of food, medicine and access to hana’s President Nana famine in Somalia where a biting hamed, a popular leader whose safe drinking water. Akufo-Addo has said that drought has left three million recent election has sparked hope “The combination of con- Gthe country had run out people going hungry. among Somalis of a more stable fl ict, drought, climate change, of excuses for failing to end pov- Somalia is facing its third future for a country notorious diseases and cholera is a night- erty and corruption, 60 years famine in the 25 years that it has for being the world’s foremost mare,” the United Nations chief after it became the fi rst in sub- been embroiled in civil war and failed state. told journalists during the fl ight Saharan Africa to win independ- anarchy. “We have a drought which to Mogadishu. ence from colonial rule. A 2011 famine left 260,000 could result in a famine if we Several failed rainy seasons Akufo-Addo said Ghana must people dead in the Horn of Af- don’t receive any rain in the have also severely impacted oth- not sacrifi ce its environment as rica nation. coming two months,” said the er east African nations such as it pursues development, in an “There is a chance to avoid the president, better known by his Ethiopia and Kenya, and much anniversary speech delivered in worst ... but we need massive nickname Farmajo. of southern Africa. the capital where Kwame Nk- support from the international While Somalia is inch- East Africans are holding their rumah became the country’s community to avoid a repetition ing closer to stability, Farmajo breath just weeks ahead of the founding president after Britain of the tragic events of 2011,” said warned after his election that main annual rains. departed. Guterres. “It justifi es a massive there would be no quick fi xes If they fail, the situation will Akufo-Addo triumphed over response.” for the country after decades of Guterres addresses a news conference after his meeting with President Mohamed (left) in Mogadishu. turn from crisis into catastro- his predecessor John Mahama After a stop in Mogadishu, repeated cycles of drought and phe. in December elections and his Guterres visited a camp of dis- insecurity. of countries like Somalia that ed number of famine alerts at An offi cial declaration of fam- Guterres’ visit to Somalia is advisers say that he must im- placed people in the central city African Union (AU) troops has created terrorism,” said Gu- one time around the world. ine is made when 20% of the only the third by a UN secretary plement his election promises of Baidoa which has been hard- forced the Al Qaeda linked She- terres. The United Nations said last population in the aff ected area general since 1993 – two years quickly to retain the support of hit by the drought. baab group out of the capital in The Horn of Africa nation is month that $4.4bn (€4.1bn) in has extremely limited access after then-president Siad Barre voters who have ejected the gov- “The major factor for coming 2011 but the Islamist militants one of three countries – along emergency funding is needed to food, acute malnutrition is was overthrown, plunging the ernment of the day three times here was the drought. There is a still control parts of the coun- with Yemen and Nigeria – on to address the crisis in the four higher than 30%, and more than country into civil war. since 2000. lack of water, a lack of food. Our tryside and carry out attacks the verge of famine which has countries, where more than two per 10,000 people are dying Guterres’ predecessor Ban Ki- He has vowed to stabilise na- livestock has died,” said mother- against government, military already been declared in South 20mn people face starvation. every day. moon visited in 2011 just months tional fi nances, help create pri- of-six Mainouna, who arrived in and civilian targets, seemingly at Sudan. In South Sudan, 100,000 peo- In Somalia, the drought has after the country’s last famine vate sector jobs, cut taxes and the camp last month. will, in Mogadishu and regional Confl ict and severe drought ple are already suff ering from led to a spread of acute watery which was Africa’s worst in 20 promote development with a She only brought three of her towns. are the common denominators a “man-made” famine due to diarrhoea, cholera and measles, years. dam in every village and a fac- children, the youngest of which “It is the dramatic situation that have led to an unprecedent- three years of civil war. and nearly 5.5mn people are at He returned in 2014. tory in every district. Last month, he appointed a special prosecutor for corrup- tion cases. “We assumed ... rapid eco- nomic development would fol- Malema banned from making land grab calls Outrage over attack low the political freedom that we had won. Sadly, the economic development that was meant to AFP he told supporters gathered out- on Gambia journalist accompany our freedom has still Johannesburg side the court. not materialised,” Akufo-Addo He said that he was not fazed said. by the threat of imprisonment. AFP “We condemn the attack “The challenge before us is to South African court has Malema, who was expelled Banjul on Kebba Jeff ang and call on build our economy and generate issued an order banning from the ruling African National the leaders of the three politi- a prosperous ... and dignifi ed life Aradical political leader Congress (ANC) in 2012, is due cal parties to take appropriate for the mass of our people,” he Julius Malema from calling on back in court on May 5. ournalists in Gambia have action to address this matter,” said. supporters to seize land, as he He also faces another charge urged the country’s new said Gambia Press Union sec- “Hard work, enterprise, crea- faces two charges for ordering for a similar statement he made Jleadership to uphold its retary general Saikou Jammeh. tivity, discipline and a consist- illegal occupations. in 2014. pledge to respect media free- Eyewitnesses said Jeff ang ent and eff ective fi ght against The High Court in the capi- The EFF, which won 6% of dom following a violent assault was attacked for asking point- corruption in public life will tal Pretoria ruled that Malema, the national vote in 2014, advo- on a reporter by supporters of ed questions to the ministers bring the transformation that we head of the radical Economic cates land redistribution with- President Adama Barrow. about whether their parties seek,” Akufo-Addo said. Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, out compensation. Kebba Jeff ang from Foroyaa would continue to maintain Ghana’s independence in 1957 could face arrest if found guilty Last week the ANC voted newspaper was attacked at a their coalition in Gambia’s up- was a milestone in the struggle of contravening the order. against a proposed amendment press conference on Sunday coming legislative elections. against colonial rule under na- The ruling followed an ap- Malema: has previously told his supporters that if ‘you like it, of a land ownership law to allow held by ministers from three “The journalist’s only ‘of- tions including France, Britain, plication by an Afrikaner lobby occupy it, it belongs to you ... it is the land that was taken from us by expropriation of land. parties in Barrow’s new coali- fence’ is to pose questions to Belgium, Portugal and the Neth- group, AfriForum, which voiced white people by force through genocide’. Malema’s EFF was in favour tion government. Ousainou Darboe and Mai Ah- erlands, opening the fl oodgates concern over Malema’s calls for of the amendment. Barrow has made press free- mad Fatty, the respective lead- to independence by most of the seizure of white-owned land. supporters to illegally occupy distributed land, 22 years after The government has in the dom a pillar of his reforms ers of United Democratic Party continent. Malema was not in court to agricultural land. the fall of apartheid. past admitted that progress in since taking power earlier and Gambia Moral Congress,” Nkrumah’s support for lib- hear the order. In November 2016, during “You like it, occupy it, it be- land redistribution, which al- this year from Yahya Jammeh, said witness Amadou Bojang. eration across the continent The fi rebrand leader of the one of his cases, he repeated his longs to you ... it is the land that lows the state to buy back prop- whose authoritarian 22-year Darboe is Gambia’s foreign and African unity inspired other leftist EFF is facing two charges call for land grabs and accused was taken from us by white peo- erty from willing sellers, has rule was marked by arrests and minister while Fatty currently leaders, some of whom thought related to encouraging party the government of failing to re- ple by force through genocide,” been slow. intimidation of reporters. serves as interior minister. his socialist vision of develop- ment could be a template for the rest of the continent. But the economy fl oundered and Nkrumah was toppled in a 1966 coup that was followed by Former general forms group to topple South Sudan leader several others. Ghana has held six peaceful elections since 1992 but its lead- AFP issuing a stinging indictment of ity and normalcy in our country, that will never see the light of He has accused Kiir of pursu- tially split the country between ers say that the country of 27mn Juba President Salva Kiir’s regime, Kiir must go; he must vacate of- day”. ing “ethnic cleansing” and loot- Kiir’s Dinka and Machar’s Nuer people has yet to live up to its accusing it of carrying out a fi ce without further bloodshed,” The resignation of the general ing the country. groups, but as the war spread so promise. “tribally engineered war”. his statement said. was a blow to Kiir’s government The extent of the former gen- did cracks between other ethnic Ghana has avoided corrup- former South Sudanese On Monday Swaka declared Swaka, former deputy chief and army, which are increasingly eral’s political and military sup- groups. tion scandals on a scale that has general has announced the creation of his National of the general staff for logistics, dominated by the president’s port – both in South Sudan and An August 2015 peace deal been seen in Kenya and Nigeria, Athe formation of a new Salvation Front, abbreviated as said Kiir should be “removed by Dinka tribe. in the wider region – is unclear. failed to end the confl ict, and but many voters say that graft is rebel group aimed at overthrow- NAS, and called on the people of all means necessary”. Swaka is from Equatoria, a South Sudan’s civil war began after an outbreak of fi ghting in a growing problem. ing the government after more South Sudan “to rise up and top- A South Sudan army spokes- previously peaceful part of the in December 2013 when Kiir ac- Juba, the capital, in July last year, Its per capita gross national than three years of civil war. ple the Kiir regime”. man, Brigadier General Lul Ruai country that has come under cused his deputy, Riek Machar, Machar fl ed into exile in South income stood at $250 in 1966 Lieutenant General Thomas “The National Salvation Front Koang, dismissed the new rebel- government attack in recent of plotting a coup. Africa, leaving the rebels with- and $1,480 in 2015, according to Cirillo Swaka quit last month, is convinced that to restore san- lion as “another armed group months. The fi ghting that followed ini- out an active fi gurehead. World Bank data.

Cyclone Enawo batters Madagascar

Tropical cyclone Enawo struck Madagascar yesterday, buff eting the island with powerful winds, heavy rain and high seas and threatening to cause chaos in the capital, the country’s weather agency said. “Enawo made landfall and struck ... with terrible winds of 210kph (130mph) with some gales of 290kph” from around midday (0900 GMT) yesterday, according to the head of the Madagascar’s Weather Service, Samueline Rahariveloarimiza. She warned that the capital Antananarivo was in “imminent danger” with the cyclone expected to reach the city of 1.4mn people today. The entire north of the island nation, which lies 400km (250 miles) east of mainland Africa, is on “red alert”, Rahariveloarimiza told AFP. Reports of injuries or damage caused by the cyclone’s arrival were not immediately available.

Zuma picks woman for appeal court

South African President Jacob Zuma has named Mandisa Maya to become the first woman president of the Supreme Court of Appeal, the nation’s highest court on non-constitutional matters. Maya is currently deputy president of the court, which made world headlines in December 2015 when it upgraded the verdict on Paralympic “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius to murder from manslaughter for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Her appointment will have to be confirmed by the Judicial Service Commission. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 13 AMERICAS

MIGRATION POLITICS LAW AND ORDER SECURITY DEFENCE Immigrant children may be Russia ‘may attempt to Police off icer charged in Head of RCMP to Ottawa extends Ukraine taken from parents destabilise Canada’ death of mentally ill man retire at end of June troop training mission

The US is considering separating immigrant Canada’s foreign aff airs minister said on Monday A Canadian police off icer has been charged with The head of Canada’s national police force will Canada will continue to provide weapons, tactical children from their parents in a bid to deter illegal that her country should be prepared for Russia manslaughter for the death of a mentally ill black retire on June 30, the Royal Canadian Mounted and survival training to Ukrainian troops through migration, Department of Homeland Security to try to destabilise its political system, saying it man following an arrest last year in Ottawa. Police said on Monday, as the country faces March 2019, off icials announced Monday. “We will Secretary John Kelly said Monday. Kelly, in an would be similar to its eff orts in the US. Chrystia The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said in a potential security challenges from asylum continue to advance democracy, human rights interview with CNN, was asked whether DHS was Freeland, who is a critic of Russia and is barred statement it has laid charges against Ottawa seekers illegally crossing the US border. and rule of law and military assistance to the end weighing an initiative that would split children from from entering that country, was asked whether Police Service Constable Daniel Montsion, 36, in Commissioner Bob Paulson has served in the of March 2019,” Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan their parents if they were caught trying to enter the Russia had engaged in a smear campaign against relation to the death of Abdirahman Abdi, who top spot for more than five years. A spokesman told a press conference. “This assistance is crucial US illegally. “I would do almost anything to deter her after negative articles appeared in pro-Russian was of Somali descent. Abdi, 37, died in July last for the RCMP did not comment on Paulson’s for a sovereign, secure and stable Ukraine,” he the people from Central America to getting on this media about her Ukrainian grandfather. “It is year after being hospitalised in critical condition reasons for retiring. Public Safety Minister Ralph said, joined by Foreign Aff airs Minister Chrystia very, very dangerous network that brings them up public knowledge that there have been eff orts, following his arrest. Witnesses told local media Goodale in a tweet thanked Paulson for his Freeland. The joint military training mission with through Mexico into the United States,” Kelly said. as US intelligence forces have said, by Russia to he was beaten by Ottawa police off icers who service and “dedication to protecting the safety Britain and the US started in 2015, in response “We have tremendous experience in dealing with destabilise the US political system,” Freeland told responded to calls of a disturbance. The man’s of Canadians.” Hundreds of people have defied to a more assertive Russia’s seizure of Crimea. unaccompanied minors,” he said. He noted the DHS reporters in Parliament. “I think that Canadians brother then told the Canadian Broadcasting winter weather to walk across the border after Canada deployed 200 military trainers to turns them over to the Health and Human Services and, indeed, other Western countries should be Corp that Abdi had been “sick” and rarely spoke the new Trump administration in the United Starychi, Kamyanets-Podilsky and other locations department. prepared for similar eff orts to be directed at us.” to other people. States started tightening immigration policy. in western Ukraine. Ben Carson Trump surprise calls slaves ‘immigrants’

Reuters prosperity and happiness in Washington this land,” he said. Enslaved Africans did not voluntarily come to the United en Carson, the new sec- States and were denied free- retary of the US Depart- dom for hundreds of years. Bment of Housing and “This is as off ensive a remark Urban Development (HUD), as it gets,” said Steven Gold- on Monday referred to slaves stein, executive director of the brought to the United States Anne Frank Center for Mutual against their will as “immi- Respect. grants”, drawing quick con- The remarks sparked outrage demnation from civil rights on Twitter, including from the groups who cast his remarks as actor Samuel L. Jackson. off ensive. The National Association for It was Carson’s fi rst address the Advancement of Colored to the staff at HUD. People (NAACP) also criticised He was confi rmed by the US Carson. Senate last week. A HUD spokesman later By way of introduction, Car- called the tempest “the most son shared anecdotes from his cynical interpretation of the US President Donald Trump points to child in the crowd as he surprises visitors during the off icial reopening of public tours at the White House in Washington. past career as a neurosurgeon secretary’s remarks to an army and praised immigrants who of welcoming HUD employees. worked long hours to build a No one honestly believes he better life for their children. equates voluntary immigration “There were other immi- with involuntary servitude”. grants who came here in the Carson was well received by the bottom of slave ships, worked hundreds of HUD employees even longer, even harder for in the room and got a standing less,” said Carson, who is Afri- ovation at the close of his re- can-American. marks. “But they too had a dream As housing secretary, Car- that one day their sons, daugh- son is in a position to play a Trump backs House ters, grandsons, granddaugh- leading role in reviving poor ters, great-grandsons, great- neighbourhoods, as Republican granddaughters might pursue President Donald Trump has

Slain soldier’s plan on healthcare Trump is keeping a promise scepticism from some in the par- angered some. Nearly half of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. ship unveiled a new healthcare he made to his constituency ty who are concerned about the those gained insurance under an The proposal would freeze plan. father says travel replacement plan’s tax credits expansion of Medicaid, which enrolment in Obamacare’s ex- “I am working on a new system Reuters for buying health insurance and would end in 2020 under the Re- panded Medicaid programme on where there will be competition Washington changes to coverage under Med- publicans’ new plan, then face January 1, 2020. in the Drug Industry. rights reviewed icaid, the government health in- funding caps. Polls have shown States that expanded Medicaid Pricing for the American peo- surance programme for the poor. most Americans want to main- could still sign up individuals un- ple will come way down!” Trump S President Donald The plan must pass both the tain Medicaid’s expansion. til the end of 2019, and continue said in a Twitter post. Reuters who cherish our freedom to Trump yesterday backed Republican-led House of Repre- Some industry groups have to receive enhanced federal funds zRepublicans in the US Senate Washington travel abroad,” Khan said in a Ua draft Republican pro- sentatives as well as the Senate, also expressed concern that for them thereafter, Republican passed a measure to eliminate an statement issued by the en- posal to dismantle Obamacare where it faces a higher bar for lawmakers are moving forward aides said. Obama administration rule that gagement organiser on Mon- that was unveiled Monday, say- passage, making its future un- without knowing how much the But going forward, federal would require prospective federal he father of an Ameri- day. “I am grateful for your ing the proposed healthcare leg- certain. new proposal will cost or how it funds for Medicaid would be contractors to report violations can soldier killed in Iraq support and look forward to islation was “out for review and Trump was due to meet with will aff ect healthcare coverage. capped. of more than a dozen US labour Twho came under criti- visiting Toronto in the near negotiation”. Trump, in a tweet the team of House lawmakers Mulvaney told CBS he ex- While eliminating the income- and employment laws. cism last year from then-can- future.” yesterday morning, described charged with tracking support pected the Congressional Budget based subsidies for purchasing On a 49-48 vote, the Senate didate Donald Trump said he Khan had planned to speak the bill proposed by fellow Re- for legislation later as lawmak- Offi ce’s review of the bill in a few insurance under Obamacare, the endorsed a joint resolution under has cancelled a speaking en- at a luncheon in Toronto on publicans in the House of Rep- ers on two key House commit- days. proposal would instead off er age- the Congressional Review Act gagement in Toronto after be- Tuesday in a discussion about resentatives as “Our wonderful tees prepare to review the bill on House Democratic leader based refundable tax credits. (CRA) to overturn the contractor ing notifi ed that his US travel President Trump’s admin- new healthcare bill”. Wednesday. Nancy Pelosi said on CBS pro- Those would be capped at disclosure rule. privileges were under review. istration, according to Ram- The plan, released late on White House Offi ce of Budget gramme This Morning that the upper-income levels, Republican The US House of Representa- Khizr Khan, an American say Talks, a Toronto-based Monday, would undo Democratic and Management Director Mick Republican plan would take mil- aides said. tives approved it last month, so citizen born in Pakistan, said speaker series hosted by Bob President Barack Obama’s 2010 Mulvaney, speaking in a round lions of people off health insur- “Our legislation transfers all that is left to kill the regula- he had not been given a reason Ramsay. healthcare law, removing the of television interviews yester- ance rolls. “Show us the numbers power from Washington back tion is President Donald Trump’s as to why his travel privileges Khan declined to comment penalty paid by Americans with- day, said he expected the plan to about what the impact is person- to the American people,” House signature on the resolution. were being reviewed. further in an email exchange out insurance coverage and roll- pass the House before lawmakers ally on people,” she said. Ways and Means Chairman Kevin The resolution targeting the He did not say what kind with Reuters. ing back extra healthcare funding leave for recess in mid-April. President Donald Trump and Brady said in a statement. contractor regulation, dubbed of review he was subject to, The organisation said in the for the poor. Still, Obamacare remains pop- fellow Republicans in Con- President Donald Trump said the “blacklisting rule” by critics, which US agency ordered it or same statement that Khan, a The plan was swiftly criticised ular with many Americans. gress have repeatedly promised yesterday he is developing a plan is a part of a larger Republican who told him of the change. US citizen for over 30 years, by Democrats. Some 20mn previously un- to repeal and replace former that will encourage competition eff ort to use the CRA to rollback “This turn of events is not was notifi ed Sunday evening Although Obamacare has long insured Americans gained cov- Democratic president Barack in the drug industry and bring a swath of federal regulations fi - just of deep concern to me but that his travel privileges were been a common target of Repub- erage under the law, although Obama’s signature domestic down prices for medicines, as the nalised in the last seven months to all my fellow Americans being reviewed. licans, the proposal also met with higher insurance premiums have policy achievement known as House of Representatives leader- of the Obama administration. Court action leaves transgender students in limbo

Reuters the basis of sex in education. urgent situation for transgender A handful of cases are pend- Carolina law, which still may be gender students, as thousands of By the time the transgender Washington Bathroom access has become a students,” said Joshua Block, a ing in federal courts, including repealed following a public out- schools around the country have bathroom issue returns, the Su- key issue in the intensifying bat- lawyer with the American Civil Grimm’s, all of which could reach cry against it. already been doing for years,” preme Court, which has been tle over transgender rights. Liberties Union who represents the Supreme Court. In the most recent ruling, a Mara Keisling, executive director down one justice for nearly 13 ransgender students at US North Carolina last year be- Gavin Grimm, the student who Courts are also set to decide federal district judge in Pennsyl- of the National Center for Trans- months, likely will have its full public schools were left came the fi rst state to require brought the case that the Su- the related legal question of vania on February 27 decided in gender Equality advocacy group, complement of nine justices. Tin legal limbo on Monday people to use bathrooms match- preme Court dodged. whether school policies that lim- favour of three transgender stu- said after the high court’s action. If Trump’s high court nomi- about whether a federal anti- ing their gender at birth in public Block said the justices’ ac- it access to bathrooms violate the dents who attend Pine-Richland Tony Perkins, president of nee, conservative appellate judge discrimination law enables them schools and government build- tion, which threw out a lower US Constitution’s equal protec- High School in the Pittsburgh the Family Research Council Neil Gorsuch, is confi rmed by the to use the bathroom of their ings. court ruling favouring Grimm tion guarantee. suburbs. Christian conservative advocacy US Senate, the court would once choice after the Supreme Court About a dozen other states are and instructed that court to re- In Grimm’s case, the Rich- The court ruled that the group, said the Supreme Court’s again have a conservative major- sidestepped a major ruling on the considering similar measures. consider the matter in light of the mond-based 4th US Circuit school’s refusal to allow the stu- action “provided good news ity. issue. President Donald Trump’s Trump administration’s stance, Court of Appeals will now take a dents to use the bathroom that to parents and students con- Gorsuch’s confi rmation hear- In cancelling planned argu- administration last month re- was “justice delayed not justice second shot. corresponds with their gender cerned about privacy and safety ing is due to start on March 20. ments in a bathroom access scinded guidance given to public denied”. In the meantime, the Its earlier ruling had been identity violated their constitu- in school showers, locker rooms Transgender rights advocates lawsuit brought by a Virginia schools last year by former presi- question of whether Title IX pro- based on the Obama adminis- tional rights. and bathrooms”. remain hopeful that conservative transgender high school student, dent Barack Obama’s adminis- tects transgender students will tration’s interpretation, now re- Other cases are pending in Il- “State and local offi cials work- Justice Anthony Kennedy, the the justices declined to resolve tration to permit transgender continue to be litigated in lower versed by Trump, that Title IX linois, Ohio and Wisconsin. ing together with parents are best court’s regular swing vote who whether transgender students students to use bathrooms that courts and mostly likely will be protects transgender students. “We expect and urge all equipped to design policies that ruled in favour of gay marriage are protected by a law, Title IX of correspond to their gender iden- decided by the Supreme Court The 4th Circuit separately is schools to meet their moral and respect the dignity, privacy, and in 2015, will side with the court’s the Education Amendments of tity. in the coming years, perhaps as due to hear arguments in May in legal responsibility to fully re- safety concerns of all students,” liberals on upholding transgen- 1972, that bars discrimination on “We had emphasised this is an early as 2018. a challenge brought to the North spect and include their trans- Perkins said. der rights. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 ASEAN

DEADLY LUNCH LESE MAJESTE HURTIING RELIGIOUS FEELINGS CLAMPDOWN SELFIE TIME! Poisonous toad egg meal Thai ‘red shirt’ leader jailed Singapore blogger seeks Cambodia cracks down on kills children in Vietnam for insulting monarchy political asylum in US drugs, over 4,800 held

Two Vietnamese children have died after A leader of Thailand’s “red shirt” opposition Teenage Singapore blogger Amos Yee was Cambodian authorities have arrested more than eating poisonous toad eggs in central Vietnam, group was jailed yesterday for two years yesterday set to face a closed-door hearing in 4,800 people in a two-month-old campaign local media reported yesterday. Ho Van Nam for insulting the monarchy during a Chicago’s immigration court as part of his bid for against drugs and that number could more than and Ho Van Ngoc, who were in school grades street protest in 2010. The Supreme Court political asylum in the United States. The publicly double, the country’s drug czar said yesterday. six and eight respectively, died shortly after said it had upheld the ruling of a lower atheist teen received widespread backlash in Giving the latest arrest figures at an event in cooking a meal of fish and toad eggs, the Tuoi court that Yosvaris Chuklom, also a comedian, Singapore over comments criticising Muslims Phnom Penh, Deputy Prime Minister Ke Kim Yan Tre newspaper reported. The fish and eggs had was guilty of the crime of lese majeste, and Christians. He has served two jail terms for said there were off icially estimated to be more apparently been fished out of a nearby stream in which can carry a penalty of up to 15 years wounding religious feelings. Yee was allegedly than 12,000 drug users in Cambodia, but the real their home province of Quang Tri. The two died for each off ence. Although Yosvaris did sent to solitary confinement for criticising Islam in number could be much higher. Kim Yan, who at home after suff ering from nausea, rapid heart not name the king in his speech in 2010, at a Muslim studies class while in the US jail but has also chairs the National Authority for Combating rates, and abdominal distention, while a third a time the red shirts were in opposition, the since been released, said Yee’s mother Mary Toh in Drugs, said: “In just two months, more than child is in a stable condition after he was taken court ruled that his gestures had made the insult a Facebook post last month. If he fails in his bid for 4,000 people were arrested so the arrests may A Buddhist monk takes a selfie with dancers to hospital. A local health care off icial found the clear. He had said he no intention of insulting asylum, Yee will be deported to Singapore where he reach 10,000.” Kim Yan did not say how many before they perform at ceremony to eggs in a cooking pot and bowls. the king. is due to serve his two-year military conscription. people had been charged. commemorate Women’s Day in Phnom Penh.

Malaysia says it N Korea blocks Malaysians, foiled attack on Arab royalty

Reuters in a ‘diplomatic meltdown’ Kuala Lumpur

Reuters alaysia said yesterday suspected mili- Kuala Lumpur tants from Yemen arrested late last Mmonth ahead of a visit by Saudi King Salman were planning an attack on “Arab royal- orth Korea yesterday barred Malay- ties”. sians from leaving the country, spark- A senior police source said the four Yemenis Ning tit-for-tat action by Malaysia, as belonged to a Houthi insurgency group that has police investigating the murder of Kim Jong- been fi ghting Yemeni forces backed by a Saudi- nam in Kuala Lumpur sought to question three led military coalition for two years. men hiding in the North Korean embassy. The Saudi monarch arrived in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak ac- on February 26 with a 600-strong delegation cused North Korea of “eff ectively holding for a four-day visit, at the start of a month-long our citizens hostage” and held an emergency Asia tour. meeting of his National Security Council. He is currently in Indonesia. The moves underscored the dramatic de- Between February 21 and February 26, Ma- terioration in ties with one of North Korea’s laysia arrested one Malaysian and six foreigners few friends outside China since the murder of — one Indonesian, four Yemenis and one East North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s estranged Asian — for suspected links to militant groups half-brother at Kuala Lumpur International including Islamic State, police had said in a Airport on February 13. statement. Malaysia says the assassins used VX nerve Malaysia’s police chief said yesterday the agent, a chemical listed by the United Nations four Yemenis were plotting an attack on Arab as a weapon of mass destruction. royalties. Police have identifi ed eight North Koreans “Four Yemenis, apart from their role involv- wanted in connection with the murder, in- ing in producing false travel documents they cluding two of the three believed to be hiding are also involved in distributing drugs...and in the embassy — a senior North Korean diplo- they are also planning to attack the Arab royal- mat and a state airline employee. ties during the visit in Kuala Lumpur, so we got The only people charged so far are a Viet- them in the nick of time,” Inspector General of namese woman and an Indonesian woman, Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters. accused of smearing the victim’s face with VX. The Yemenis were arrested in Serdang and He died within 20 minutes. Cyberjaya — near the capital Kuala Lumpur — North Korea’s foreign ministry issued a tem- for suspected links to a Yemeni insurgent group, porary ban on Malaysians leaving the country, Malaysian police had said on Sunday. “until the incident that happened in Malaysia Police seized multiple international pass- is properly solved,” state-run Korea Central ports from the four, along with 270,000 ringgit News Agency said. Journalists crowd around a North Korean embassy car leaving the embassy in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. ($60,742.41) in diff erent currencies which were “In this period the diplomats and citizens suspected to be channelled to the insurgent of Malaysia may work and live normally under Euan Graham, Director, International Se- was running an arms network in the country. building to get the three North Koreans sought group. the same conditions and circumstances as be- curity at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, called There are 11 Malaysians in North Korea, ac- in connection with the murder. The United Nations has said Yemen now pos- fore.” the latest events “a classic own goal of North cording to a Malaysian foreign ministry offi - “We will wait for them to come out,” the po- es the largest food insecurity emergency in the Najib denounced the travel ban in a state- Korea’s making”, triggered “by the most outra- cial, including three embassy staff , six family lice chief said. “We have got all the time.” world, with an estimated 7.3mn people needing ment as an “abhorrent act” that was in “total geous public murder than you can image, using members, and two others. Aside from those three suspects, police have immediate help, while more than 10,000 people disregard of all international law and diplo- a chemical weapon in a crowded international Hundreds of North Koreans are believed said four other wanted North Koreans left Ma- have been killed in the confl ict. matic norms”. airport”. to be in Malaysia, most of them students and laysia in the hours after the murder. Malaysia has arrested hundreds of people He said he had instructed the police “to pre- “You’d have to go back a long way for this workers. The only North Korean suspect to be appre- with suspected militant links during recent vent all North Korean citizens in Malaysia from kind of wholesale diplomatic meltdown.” The focus, however, was on its embassy hended was deported on Friday, released due to years. leaving the country until we are assured of the The Malaysian murder and the four bal- staff . insuffi cient evidence. The Southeast Asian nation has been on high safety and security of all Malaysians in North listic missiles North Korea test-launched on “We are trying to physically identify all the US offi cials and South Korean intelligence alert since suicide bombers and gunmen linked Korea”. Monday “creates a more supportive climate for embassy staff who are here,” deputy home suspect North Korean agents were behind the to Islamic State launched multiple attacks in Ja- Najib returned from Indonesia and held an even tougher rounds of sanctions and coercive minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters assassination of Kim Jong-nam, who had been karta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia, in emergency meeting of his National Security measures” against Pyongyang, Graham added. outside the North Korean embassy. living in Macau under China’s protection. January 2016. Council. Before the murder, North Korea could count He said staff would not be allowed to leave He had spoken out publicly against his fam- A grenade attack on a bar on the outskirts of There was no statement after the meeting, Malaysia as one of its strongest friends. the embassy “until we are satisfi ed of their ily’s dynastic rule of North Korea. Kuala Lumpur in June last year wounded eight but the prime minister addressed Malaysians’ But Malaysia has since stopped visa-free numbers and where they are”. North Korea has refused to accept the dead people. Islamic State claimed responsibility for concerns on social media. travel and on Monday it expelled North Korea’s By early afternoon, Malaysian police had re- man is leader Kim Jong-un’s half brother, and the attack. “I understand the feelings and concerns of ambassador for questioning the impartiality of moved tape and a police car blocking the North has suggested the victim died of a heart attack. Two of the seven arrested in late February — a the family and friends of Malaysians held in the murder investigation. Korean embassy driveway. No next of kin have come forward to claim Malaysian and an Indonesian — were planning North Korea. We assure that we are doing eve- Last week, Malaysia said it would investigate Speaking at a news conference in Kuala the body, but the Malaysian police chief said to launch a large-scale attack using a “vehicle- rything we can to make sure they come back to North Korea front companies after a Reuters Lumpur, Malaysia’s police chief Khalid Abu he was confi dent of obtaining DNA samples to borne improvised explosive device,” the police the country safely.” report showed that Pyongyang’s spy agency Bakar said police would not raid the embassy formally identify the murdered man. have said.

Thousands fl ee rebel raid in Myanmar Illicit haul

AFP The fi ghting has also raised fears of immediately and restore order to the Yangon a repeat of 2015, when the displaced border areas as soon as possible,” for- fl ooded across the border into China, eign ministry spokesman Geng Sh- raising tensions with Beijing. uang told reporters. housands were yesterday fl ee- In a statement yesterday, the army The rebels, who were said to be ing a Myanmar town bordering said it used heavy artillery to repel wearing police uniforms when they TChina after at least 30 people rebels who swept into Laukkai, the made the surprise raid, suff ered the were killed in fi ghting between the capital of the Kokang region, before heaviest losses with the military re- army and ethnic rebels as Beijing dawn on Monday. covering 20 charred bodies it says be- called for an immediate ceasefi re be- Insurgents from the Myanmar Na- longed to fallen insurgents. tween the two sides. tionalities Democratic Alliance Army Communications have been cut The violence is some of the most (MNDAA) “failed” in their attempt to around Laukkai but fi ghting contin- intense to rattle the Chinese-speak- take Laukkai, the army said, adding ci- ued yesterday morning, according to ing Kokang region since clashes in vilians and “some army offi cers” died the leader of another rebel group al- 2015 left scores dead and forced tens in a series of clashes around the town. lied with the insurgents in Kokang. of thousands to fl ee into China. An army source requesting ano- “Almost all residents from Laukkai The area is in northeastern Shan nymity told AFP that “about 7,000 town are fl eeing,” said Brigadier Gen- state, which has seen repeated bouts local residents are fl eeing to the Chi- eral Nyo Tun Aung from the Arakan of heavy fi ghting between the army na side because of fi ghting”. Army (AA), estimating that thou- and a band of well-armed ethnic mi- Beijing yesterday appealed for both sands had left. nority militias since November, un- sides to halt the fi ghting. Many rebel groups in the border dercutting a government peace bid. “Relevant parties should cease fi re region share close cultural ties with China, speaking Chinese dialects and using the country’s yuan currency. Observers believe Beijing holds signifi cant sway over the ethnic fi ght- ers and has a key role to play in peace talks that Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has tried to revive since coming to power in 2015. The next round of negotiations is slated for March, but the date has slipped several times. The Northern Alliance, a coalition of armed ethnic groups that includes the MNDAA and AA, has yet to join Thai customs and forensic off icials inspect pieces of ivory after the ivory haul was shown to the press at the airport in A burnt car is left on a street in Laukkai, Myanmar, after fighters of the Chinese the peace process or sign a ceasefi re Bangkok yesterday. Thailand has seized more than 300kg of ivory from Malawi on flights into Bangkok’s main airport, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army launched an attack on police, that was reached with a myriad of authorities announced yesterday, underscoring the country’s continued role as a regional smuggling hub. military and government sites in the border town. other militias in 2015. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 15 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA US starts deploying THAAD system in S Korea

Reuters South Korea,” US Pacifi c Commander rea’s) threat has entered a new phase.” intercontinental ballistic missiles Seoul Admiral Harry Harris said in the state- Trump also spoke to South Korea’s (ICBM), South Korea said, which can ment. acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn to reach the United States. The move by the US military is likely discuss the North’s missile launches, They fl ew on average 1,000 km and he United States started to de- to deepen the brewing confl ict between Hwang’s offi ce said. The missile test reached an altitude of 260km. Some ploy the fi rst elements of its ad- South Korea and China, which has an- was undertaken by an army unit com- landed as close as 300km from Japan’s Tvanced Terminal High Altitude grily opposed the THAAD deployment missioned with attacking US military northwest coast, Japan’s Defence Min- Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile as destroying regional security balance. bases in Japan, the North’s offi cial ister said earlier. The United States system to South Korea following North The four ballistic missiles landed in KCNA news agency said. and Japan have requested a United Na- Korea’s test of four ballistic missiles, the sea off Japan’s northwest, angering “In the hearts of artillerymen ... tions Security Council meeting on the US Pacifi c Command said yesterday. Seoul and Tokyo, days after North Ko- there was burning desire to mercilessly launches, which will likely be sched- The announcement came as North rea promised retaliation over the mili- retaliate against the warmongers going uled for today, diplomats said. Korean state media said leader Kim tary drills which it sees as preparation ahead with their joint war exercises,” The planned installation of the US Jong-un had personally supervised for war. KCNA said. anti-missile defence system, which Monday’s missile launches, stepping US President Donald Trump and Jap- “He (Kim) ordered the KPA Strategic South Korea has said would be opera- up threats against Washington as US anese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dis- Force to keep highly alert as required by tional by the end of the year, has led to a troops conduct joint military exercises cussed the launches during a phone call the grim situation in which an actual diplomatic standoff between China and with South Korea. yesterday. “Japan and the US confi rmed war may break out any time, and get South Korea. The first elements of the US-built Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense arriving at “Continued provocative actions by that the latest North Korean missile fully ready to promptly move, take po- Chinese authorities have closed Osan US Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. North Korea, to include yesterday’s launches were clearly against UN reso- sitions and strike so that it can open fi re nearly two dozen retail stores of South launch of multiple missiles, only con- lutions and a clear provocation against to annihilate the enemies.” Korea’s Lotte Group that approved a tem. China objects to the THAAD de- South Korea and the United States have fi rm the prudence of our alliance de- the regional and international commu- The missiles North Korea fi red on land swap with the country’s military ployment, saying its territory is the tar- said the missile system is aimed only at cision last year to deploy THAAD to nity,” Abe told reporters. “(North Ko- Monday were unlikely to have been last week to allow it to install the sys- get of the system’s far-reaching radar. curbing North Korean provocations.

CRIME British backpacker ‘raped repeatedly’ in Australia

A backpacker was repeatedly raped, beaten and choked during a two- month hostage ordeal in Australia, police alleged yesterday after she Missile drills for strike was rescued during a random traff ic stop. The 22-year-old, who court off icials said was British, was visibly distressed and had injuries to her face when police pulled over the car she was driving on Monday near Mitchell in outback Queensland, 560km west of Brisbane. A 22-year-old man was found hiding in the back of the vehicle. Authorities say she had been “held against her will and seriously assaulted over a period of several weeks”. on US bases: N Korea Police said the pair met three months ago and agreed to go on a road trip, but it all went horribly wrong with the woman repeatedly attacked AFP limited to the Korean peninsula between January 2 and March 5 at various locations. The man has been Seoul anymore but can extend to Japan charged with a string of off ences including four counts of rape, eight of at anytime and even the US,” he assault, four of strangulation, and two of deprivation of liberty. said. “The victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries including facial uclear-armed North Trump has described North fractures, bruising and cuts to her body,” police said, with the man Korea said yesterday its Korea as a “big, big problem” remanded in custody to appear in court at a later date. Nmissile launches were and vowed to deal with the issue Australia is a popular destination for young backpackers, with around training for a strike on US bases “very strongly”. 600,000 touring the country every year. They occasionally run into in Japan, as global condemna- White House spokesman trouble, most famously in the early 1990s when seven were murdered tion of the regime swelled. Sean Spicer said Monday the by Ivan Milat in a series of killings that terrified Australia. Three of the four missiles administration was taking steps Milat is serving consecutive life sentences after the remains of two fi red Monday came down pro- to “enhance our ability to defend Britons, three Germans and two Australians were found buried in a vocatively close to US ally Japan, against North Korea’s ballistic forest southwest of Sydney. in waters that are part of its ex- missiles”. clusive economic zone, repre- The New York Times report- senting a challenge to US Presi- ed at the weekend that under DISASTER CONTROL dent Donald Trump. former president Barack Obama In separate phone calls, the US stepped up cyber at- New Zealand to introduce Trump — whose rhetoric on the tacks against North Korea to try mobile phone quake alerts campaign trail had raised doubts to sabotage its missiles before about the issue — reaffi rmed launch or just as they lift off . Washington’s “ironclad com- The US military has begun New Zealanders and visiting nationals will receive alerts about mitment” to Japan and South deploying the THAAD anti-bal- earthquakes and potential tsunamis on their mobile phones by the end Korea. The US will demonstrate listic missile defense system to of the year, the country’s Civil Defence Minister said yesterday. to Pyongyang that there were South Korea to protect against All mobile phones in a specific area would receive the so-called cell “very dire consequences” for its threats from the North, US Pa- broadcast messages without downloading an app or subscribing to a actions, the White House said in cifi c Command said, with its service, Gerry Brownlee said in a statement. “The alerts are received a statement. Ballistic missiles being launced during a military drill from an undisclosed location in North Korea. fi rst elements arriving on Mon- automatically and for free,” Brownlee said. The United Nations Security day. “An alert will be sent out to mobile phones through the cell towers in Council scheduled an emergen- launched simultaneously are so Pyongyang wants to de- the aff ected areas in the event of an emergency.” cy meeting for today after a re- accurate that they look like ac- velop an intercontinental bal- The service is not only for phones equipped with New Zealand SIM quest by Washington and Tokyo robatic fl ying corps in forma- listic missile (ICBM) capable cards but is expected to work on all phones that are enabled to receive to discuss additional measures tion, he said,” the agency added, of reaching the US mainland cell-broadcast alerts. following the launch. referring to Kim. — something Trump has vowed “We can’t be 100 per cent sure in advance, but European tourists will Under UN resolutions, The military units involved would not happen. probably be able to see the alerts, since they would likely have a phone Pyongyang is barred from any are “tasked to strike the bases It has undoubtedly made enabled for the EU alert scheme,” a spokeswoman told dpa. use of ballistic missile technol- of the US imperialist aggressor progress in its eff orts in recent “The SIM card is less relevant than the software version on the phone ogy, and the US ambassador to forces in Japan in contingency”, years, although questions re- itself in terms of its ability to receive cell broadcasts,” she said. the UN, Nikki Haley, said on KCNA said. main over its ability to master As no technology is fail-safe, radio, television, websites, various social Twitter that the world “won’t The Korean version of the re-entry technology and min- media, smartphone apps and sirens would continue to be used in the allow” North Korea to continue KCNA report said the North’s iaturise a nuclear weapon suf- case of emergencies, Brownlee said in the statement. on its “destructive path”. missile launch demonstrated its fi ciently to fi t it onto a missile New Zealand sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around But six sets of UN sanctions readiness to “wipe out” enemy warhead. the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common. since its fi rst nuclear test in forces with a “merciless nuclear The North’s missile launch 2006 have failed to halt its drive strike”. could have been an attempt to for what it insists are defensive A series of photographs pub- Kim Jong-un supervising the launching of missiles. distract attention from the mur- weapons. Kim Jong-un gave the lished by the North’s Rodong der of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala order for the drill to start, the Sinmun newspaper showed Pyongyang. It regularly issues trip by new US Secretary of State Lumpur International Airport North’s offi cial Korea Central Kim watching the missiles rise threats against its enemies, and Rex Tillerson to the region. last month, South Korea’s acting News Agency (KCNA) reported. into the air and another of him carried out two atomic tests and Choi Kang, an analyst at the president Hwang Kyo-Ahn said “Feasting his eyes on the trails of smiling gleefully, clapping with a series of missile launches last Seoul-based Asan Institute for yesterday. ballistic rockets”, he praised the other offi cials. year, but Monday was only the Policy Studies, said the launch Seoul has blamed Pyongyang Hwasong artillery unit that car- Seoul and Washington last second time its devices have was a warning to Tokyo. for the killing of the half-broth- ried it out, it said. week began annual joint military come down in Japan’s EEZ. “North Korea is demonstrat- er of the North’s leader by two “The four ballistic rockets exercises that always infuriate The launches came ahead of a ing that its target is not just women using VX nerve agent.

China’s new civil code light on rights reforms Jackie Chan (centre) arriving at the Great Hall of the People before the opening session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Reuters Legislative Aff airs Research in- or what protections cover so- Instead, they lease the rights to code will go in defending the Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing. Beijing stitute, told state media on Sun- called “Good Samaritans”. use the property for a limited rights of individuals, known day. China’s incomplete legal sys- number of years from the gov- as “personality rights”, a broad “A foundational civil (law) tem was heavily criticised for ernment, an arrangement that term Chinese legal experts use to hina’s Communist lead- system is an important sign of an incident in 2011 when multi- creates uncertainty for buyers. talk about the basic rights each ers will this week intro- whether a country’s legal system ple passersby ignored a toddler “Whether farmers or city folk, individual should enjoy. Foreign ‘pressure’ good Cduce sweeping new laws is mature.” knocked to the ground in a hit- businessman or scientists, an Health, reputation, image, that codify social responsibili- Xi has made governing the and-run. inability to guarantee your own name and freedom are included, ties for the country’s 1.4bn citi- nation by law a top priority of property in the way that other but the term is signifi cantly nar- for Chinese fi lms: Chan zens while also providing some his tenure though he has drawn a One issue that lawyers nations allow will impact social rower and de-politicised com- modest new protections. line at allowing the courts to ex- say remains mostly stability,” said Li Shu, a lawyer at pared to human rights, accord- The preamble of what state pand their power at the expense unresolved in the draft Anli Law Firm in Beijing. ing to Chinese academics. AFP nese fi lmmakers to produce bet- media is calling China’s “dec- of the Communist Party’s con- code is that of property But Philip Cheng, a lawyer Proponents of individual Beijing ter work, Chan told reporters laration of rights” will be an- trol. Since pledging to reform rights at Hogan Lovells in Shanghai, rights have called for a dedicated during the annual gathering of nounced today and is expected and open in 1978, China has said a provision in the current section of the code, while others China’s political advisory com- to be passed by the close of the been gradually shifting its legal Shocked observers said the draft requiring civil activities worry granting too many private ction star Jackie Chan said mittee, of which he is a member. National People’s Congress system away from a socialist law lack of clarity on civil rights to be carried out in a “fair” and rights could lead to revolution. opening up China’s heav- “Their technology is more (NPC) on March 15, paving the towards something closer to a leaves helpers at risk of liability “reasonable” manner could help The current scope of per- Aily-restricted fi lm market advanced than ours, but on the way for more detailed laws ex- European-style legal system. when coming to the aid of stran- with certain property disputes. sonality rights in the draft rules to more foreign works would put other hand, we will have more pected to be passed in 2020. In 2011, China declared that gers. It may, for example, allow makes them “seriously imbal- positive pressure on local fi lm- opportunities to watch their The changes are part of Presi- “socialist legal system with Chi- Reformers also hope the code companies and individuals to be anced”, according to Xu Xian- makers, as rumours swirl Beijing films and learn from them,” he dent Xi Jinping’s wider push to nese characteristics” had been will resolve the issue of guardi- paid market rates for land that is ming, deputy chairman of the will expand its quota on import- said. align the legal system with the established, but offi cials them- anship for “left behind” children rezoned to produce new housing National People’s Legal Associa- ed movies. “We are concerned — very country’s social and economic selves say China’s laws remains a whose parents work away from in major cities or make way for tion, an advocate for more per- Since 2012, China has permit- afraid — but I believe that modernisation and for some le- work in progress. home and “empty nest” eld- industrial development, he said. sonal freedoms being included ted 34 fi lms to be imported from this kind of pressure is a posi- gal reformers, the code is a test The preamble, which was re- erly folk who are similarly aban- Many legal experts say the in the code. overseas each year, but the state- tive thing...the more films that of how far China will go in al- leased in draft form to the public doned by their children. latest draft of general rules that “First, the list of rights is in- run Global Times’ newspaper re- come in, the more we will our- lowing civil liberties that might in June last year, seeks to address One issue that lawyers say re- form the basis of the code falls complete; second, the number of ported last month that Chinese selves improve.” impinge upon state power. “Civil some of the legal issues that have mains mostly unresolved in the short of enshrining sweeping rights is insuffi cient; third, the and US offi cials are renegotiating Hollywood fi lms accounted law is the fundamental doctrine gnawed at public conscious- draft code is that of property private rights and makes little civil rights system is curtailed,” the limit. for more than half of China’s for a country’s legal system, ness in recent years, such as rights. Most Chinese homeown- progress in key areas including Xu wrote last year in an essay for A shakeup in domestic movie 45.3bn yuan ($6.6bn) in ticket the source of its basic essence,” who is responsible for China’s ers do not legally own the land property and civil liberties. the offi cial magazine of China’s off erings would challenge Chi- sales last year. Liang Ying, head of the NPC abandoned children and elderly, on which their homes are built. Another issue: how far the parliament. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 BRITAIN Chancellor ‘to unveil bailout plan for London businesses’

London Evening Standard facing crippling increases of 50% in government to appease leaders “cliff edge” hikes in their rates, al- year’s jump caused by the fi rst re- their concerns and are said to have “Since 2010 the world of retail has London or more are expected to be fa- of hard-pressed small businesses. lowing local government to reduce valuation since 2010. found the ministers “in listen- been transformed. There needs voured in funds totalling “hun- A government source said: “Philip the bills sent out. The London region will be the ing mode”. Bromley & Chislehurst to be longer term reform that ad- dreds of millions” of pounds. The Hammond knows that this is a z Sectoral funds for industries biggest benefi ciary in the bailout, MP Bob Neill said: “Ministers have dresses the bricks and mortar ver- ondon will get the biggest chancellor will also use his big major political problem that must such as retail and offi ces that are but will continue to be the biggest met London backbenchers and sus online shopping.” share of a bailout for busi- speech today to signal that the en- be dealt with.” suff ering the biggest hit follow- loser overall among the regions be- made the case that we need action Revaluations are likely to be held Lness rates losers as Philip tire system of business rates need a The Evening Standard under- ing steep rises in property values cause of its property boom. to ameliorate the disproportionate every three years. “That applies Hammond fi nds “new money” in fundamental overhaul to cope with stands that the bailout will include in town centres, especially within London Tory MPs had private cost of business rates in the capital. especially to London where the this week’s Budget to buy off fu- the rise of online commerce. diff erent forms of help. According the M25. meetings last week with Com- It was very positive.” property market has exploded,” rious protests from small fi rms, it The cash injection will be main- to well-placed sources, the key z A fi rm commitment to hold munities Secretary Sajid Javid and The government source said said the source. “It may be okay for was revealed yesterday. ly drawn from the Treasury’s re- features are likely to be: business rate revaluations more Treasury minister Jane Ellison, Hammond would say the rates the rest of the country but not for Traditional retailers and fi rms serves, refl ecting the huge priority z Special help for fi rms facing regularly in future, to avoid this who is MP for Battersea, to express system has become out of date: London.”

May makes school visit GCSE grading system revamp ‘is causing uncertainty’

Guardian News and Media cation if sixth forms and col- London leges decide it meets their re- quirements. Adding to the confusion, he he new GCSE grading claimed, was the government’s system in which students intention that pupils who failed Tsitting exams this sum- to achieve at least a grade 5 in mer will be awarded a number English and maths from 2019 instead of letter is creating un- would have to resit them in certainty for pupils and teach- sixth form or college. ers alike, a schools’ leader has Barton, the headmaster of warned. King Edward VI School in Suf- Geoff Barton, the next gener- folk, said the school had re- al secretary of the Association ceived fewer admissions which of School and College Leaders he believed could be connected (ACSL), said the replacement to the uncertainty, with pupils of A* to G with 9 to 1 (9 being opting for sixth form colleges the highest) had left everyone where they believe the require- Prime Minister Theresa May talks with head teacher Dan Abramson (centre) and students Felan Ragana (left), Harsimrat Singh (second left) and Charles Kanda (right) in the dark over what would be ments may be less taxing. during her visit to King’s College London Mathematics School in central London. considered a “good pass”. He believes students could be He said: “The whole idea of potentially selling themselves changing the grading system is short, while the school faces un- it will differentiate at the top certainty over funding, which is end. That may well be the case, related to student numbers. I suppose. The problem is the “What we’re seeing is the vast majority of students by consequence of seeing very definition will be in the middle. rapid introduction of an entire- “Inevitably people are ask- ly new grading system at a time ing ‘what’s the equivalent of a when teachers are dealing with grade C?’ and we’re waiting to massive reform; it’s another Lords vote down calls hear what it is. It’s probably a 4 thing to navigate,” he said. but there’s talk of a good pass He called for a definitive being a 5.” statement on what constituted The government has said a good pass, while stressing that broadly the same propor- that he disliked the negative tion of students will get 4 and connotation the term had for above as those who currently lower grades. for second referendum get C and above (considered a “If we get an announcement good pass), but that a grade 5 that for this year the good pass Agencies Justin Welby said the govern- This is about making sure that liament that there would have to election was “not in the interests will equate to the top third of grade is a 4 because of the uncer- London ment should not oversimplify the democratic process remains be another referendum if the UK of the country” and that there the marks for a current C and tainty in the fi rst year but in fu- the result of the referendum but democratic. That voters have a fi - were to vote to leave”, he said. was no public desire for one. the bottom third of the marks ture it will be a fi ve, while others holding another one would not nal say on the eventual negotiated He also warned that to hold an- “The prime minister has been for a current B grade. would welcome it, they (pupils he House of Lords has be sensible. “It will add to our outcome.” other referendum would “merely very clear and consistent on her Barton, who becomes gen- with a 4) might end up being dis- voted against a second divisions, it will deepen the bit- Dick Newby, the LibDem encourage divisions to fester” position on an early election,” eral secretary of the ASCL on criminated against down the line TBrexit referendum, but terness. It is not democratic. It is leader in the Lords, said his rather than bring the country to- said a No 10 offi cial. “She does not April, said pupils and teachers because they’re deemed not to peers are likely to support an unwise,” he said. amendment was “based on the gether. think there should be one and it is were in murky waters due to have a good pass. It’s uncertainty amendment forcing Theresa A large number of LibDem principle that having asked the “Where does this end?” he not in the interests of the coun- the absence of straightforward at a time when they should be May to give parliament a more peers and more than a dozen La- people whether they wished to asked. “Will we continue to hold try to have one. She is focused equivalence between the two focusing on revising.” meaningful vote on the UK’s fi - bour members disagreed, voting initiate the Brexit process, only the same referendum until we get on delivering the government’s grading systems. A department for education nal deal at the end of two years for a second referendum to make the people should take the fi nal the result those supporting this agenda.” He said that schools were spokeswoman said the GCSE of negotiations. sure the UK really does want to decision”. amendment would prefer?” Hague argued that a general being judged on the number of reforms would create “gold- Peers voted by 336 votes to 131 leave the EU in 2019. But the vast majority of peers Meanwhile, Downing Street election victory “would strength- pupils who achieved a grade 5 standard qualifications”. – a majority of 205 – against let- Peter Hain, the Labour peer voted against the idea. George yesterday rejected a call by former en the government’s hand at or better in English and maths She said: “We will of course ting Britain vote again on wheth- and former Cabinet minister, ar- Bridges, a Brexit minister, dis- Tory leader Lord Hague for an home and abroad”. He said a man- and in the EBacc (English Bac- continue to engage with all in- er to leave the EU at the end of gued a second referendum would missed the idea of a second refer- early general election to enhance date would improve May’s posi- calaureate), but the govern- terested parties to ensure the divorce talks in 2019, with the be about ensuring a fair proc- endum as “misguided in practice Theresa May’s ability to push tion in negotiations with other ment also says that grade 4 is changes are understood ahead archbishop of Canterbury among ess, “not disputing the outcome and in principle”. through a Brexit deal. EU leaders and empower her to sufficient for pupils to progress of them coming into eff ect later those speaking against having an- of June 23. This is not about “There was nothing on the bal- The prime minister’s spokes- face down opponents of Brexit in to the next stage of their edu- this year.” other nationwide poll. re-running that referendum. lot and no suggestion from par- man said she believed an early the House of Lords. Court to hear case of boy Corbyn is a disaster kept in cell 23 hours a day for Labour: Hawking Guardian News and Media science and you can see that in London a lot of the buildings and labora- Guardian News and Media other prisoners and keeping in 2015 that there were “well tories around Cambridge.” London them in solitary confi nement is known” risks involved with Hawking, who was diagnosed without any statutory basis. It solitary confi nement and that tephen Hawking has said with motor neurone disease adds that the practice appears prolonged solitary confi nement Jeremy Corbyn should aged 21, is a staunch defender legal challenge over a to be common at Feltham as – defi ned as lasting for longer Sresign as Labour leader, of the NHS, having previously boy locked up for 23 well as other juvenile prisons. than 15 days – was particularly adding that although he be- said the health service “must be Ahours a day in a London “If the claimant is correct harmful. lieves in many of his policies, preserved from commercial in- prison has been given the go- that such a practice is unlaw- A chief inspector of pris- he cannot win a general elec- terests who want to privatise it”. ahead. ful, and indeed if it constitutes ons report in 2015 of Feltham tion. During the interview, the The high court has agreed to cruel, inhuman and degrading found that a quarter of the “I regard Corbyn as a dis- professor also expressed some hear a judicial review brought treatment of children, it is a imprisoned children were be- aster,” the renowned physicist fears that the human disposi- by the Howard League for Pe- matter of real importance that ing managed on units under a told the Times. “His heart is in tion towards aggression was nal Reform on behalf of the it be remedied by the courts,” restricted regime that meant the right place and many of his becoming more of an existential boy, who is being held in pro- the statement continues. they were unlocked for less policies are sound, but he has threat with each technological longed solitary confi nement in Howard League lawyers have than an hour a day. The in- allowed himself to be portrayed advancement. Feltham young off enders prison supported at least six teen- spectors described it as “in ef- as a left-wing extremist.” “Since civilisation began, ag- in west London. age boys under the age of 18 fect, solitary confinement on Hawking said he would still gression has been useful in as A judge has agreed that the who have been in conditions their residential units”. vote Labour but did not believe much as it has defi nite survival challenge should be heard ur- of solitary confi nement for pe- The children’s commis- the party would win at the next advantages,” he said. “It is hard- gently after the penal reform riods ranging from weeks to sioner and another watch- general election. “I think he wired into our genes by Darwin- charity successfully applied more than six months. This is dog, the National Preventive should step down for the sake of ian evolution. Now, however, for a judicial review of the case believed to be the fi rst judicial Mechanism, have criticised the party,” he said. technology has advanced at involving the boy, who court review of the practice. the widespread use of solitary Hawking, a long-time Labour such a pace that this aggression documents only identify as AB. Frances Crook, the chief ex- confinement for children in supporter, publicly endorsed may destroy us all by nuclear or A statement of grounds pre- ecutive of the Howard League prisons in England and Wales. his local Cambridge Labour biological war. We need to con- pared for the court argues that for Penal Reform, said: “Cag- They found that one third of candidate, Daniel Zeichner, trol this inherited instinct by our the removal of the boy from as- ing children for over 22 hours a imprisoned children spent at the 2015 election. Zeichner, logic and reason. sociation and the lack of educa- day is unacceptable. All the ev- time in isolation and criticised who went on to defeat the Lib- “We need to be quicker to tional provision is unlawful. idence shows that it can cause the “worrying number of in- Dems’ Julian Huppert, has said: identify such threats and act be- The grounds say that the irreparable damage. This prac- stances where isolation was “I think he fully appreciates the fore they get out of control. This practice of informally removing tice must cease.” not subject to formal govern- huge investment that the last might mean some form of world children from association with The Supreme Court ruled ance”. Hawking: calls for Corbyn resignation Labour government made in government.” Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 17 BRITAIN

ACCIDENT POLICY APPEAL CRIME LAW AND ORDER Two critical after car Payout in contaminated Plant more trees to cut car Thug thrown off bus after Big four stores ‘flout ban hits pedestrians blood scandal scaled back pollution, urge scientists attack on ticket inspector on blade sales to minors’

Two people are fighting for their lives after a car A scheme to compensate the victims of an NHS Londoners have been urged to plant more trees, A violent passenger was dragged off a bus The big four supermarkets have been caught hit a group of pedestrians in a hospital car park blood contamination scandal is to be scaled back shrubs and hedges to create a “green filter” to by members of the public after he allegedly breaking the law banning knife sales to juveniles, in Greater Manchester. The women are being under government plans. Ministers believe the absorb the poisonous gases and soot belched attacked a ticket inspector. Fellow passengers chief constable Alf Hitchcock revealed. The treated for life-threatening injuries following the reforms are necessary as more people are now out by the capital’s traff ic. Scientists at the Royal grabbed the man and threw him off the 149 bus breaches were discovered during undercover test incident outside Withington Community Hospital. considered likely to develop serious health issues Horticultural Society have calculated that even in Stoke Newington. The ticket inspector had purchases carried out by under-age police cadets Greater Manchester Police said the crash hap- – and be entitled to higher payouts – pushing the a medium-sized front garden shrub can trap the asked the man to leave the bus after he refused in areas where there was a known blade problem. pened just after 2pm yesterday. The driver of the programme as much as £123mn over budget. equivalent of 30 diesel cars’ worth of harmful dust to pay his fare towards Manse Road at 1.20pm He said that smaller shops had also been found vehicle, a man in his 80s, remained at the scene The government has proposed measures that and soot particulates a year. Trees with rougher on March 5. The man, who refused to give making unlawful sales and that those caught and is speaking with police. The car, believed would cut predicted costs, including limiting the or hairier leaves are especially eff ective at remov- his details, then allegedly attacked the victim, continuing to do so this year will face prosecution to a Ford Focus, is understood to have crashed availability of the higher level of financial support ing toxins from London’s air. The holm oak is best punching him in the chest and head while kick- rather than further warnings. The off icer said that into barriers in a pedestrianised area outside the under the scheme. The Haemophilia Society said at reducing nitrogen dioxide — associated with ing his legs. As members of the public grabbed one in five of 391 recent test purchases by under- hospital. A force spokesman said: “Two women it was not confident that the government would diesel pollution — while conifers such as Leyland the man and pushed him off the bus, he is said age police cadets had resulted in a shop breaking have been taken to hospital with life-threatening achieve its aim of ensuring no one who received cypress and pines are best for absorbing larger to have shouted: “Next time I see you, you will the law by selling a blade. The 78 occasions when injuries.” an annual payment would be left worse off . particles. be a dead man.” the law was broken included 23 in London.

Govt ready Honoured to act over George Michael energy price hikes died from Reuters London

he government said it was “prepared to act” if Tmarkets fail consumers, natural causes, as E.ON yesterday became the latest of the country’s big six en- ergy providers to announce price hikes. The government is under pressure to help households struggling with bills, while coroner states higher energy costs could con- tribute to an increase in infl ation AFP Fawaz also hit out at the neg- performed Michael’s A Differ- which has already risen sharply London ative publicity he endured in ent Corner, his voice interwo- this year, leading to a cut back in the weeks following Michael’s ven with that of the late British spending. death and in particular the singer-songwriter, receiving a “Wherever markets are not ritish pop icon George leaked 999 call of his attempt standing ovation from the au- working for consumers, this Michael who was found to revive the singer after finding dience. government is prepared to act,” Bdead at his home on him lifeless in bed. Michael only revealed in said a spokesman for the depart- Christmas Day, died of natural He tweeted: “All the nasty public that he was gay in 1998. ment for business, energy and causes, a coroner announced comments, press and 999 were He went on to become a major industrial strategy (BEIS), re- yesterday. very cruel and unnecessary campaigner and donor for gay sponding to the E.ON price rise. The cause of death was di- whatsoever, Now I hope to re- rights and HIV charities. “We expect energy companies lated cardiomyopathy with ceive some real LOVE x.” The star later said he had not to treat their customers fairly myocarditis and fatty liver, ac- Former partner Kenny Goss wanted to come out while his and continue to be concerned by cording to Darren Salter, senior told Sunday Mirror that he mother was still alive because these price rises which will hit coroner for Oxfordshire, west thought “his body just gave up,” she would be concerned he had millions of people already pay- of London. adding that “all these years, it contracted HIV. ing more than they need to,” he The investigation is now was just weak.” Michael notched up po- said, without giving any further closed with no need for an in- Born Georgios Kyriacos Pa- lice cautions for cannabis and details on what the government quest, he added. nayiotou to a Greek Cypriot crack cocaine possession in could do. An initial post-mortem ex- father and English mother in his final years and in 2010 was E.ON UK, the British arm of amination on the 53-year-old, north London in 1963, Michael sentenced to eight weeks in jail German utility E.ON, said its who enjoyed a 35-year career shot to fame with the band after crashing his 4x4 into a standard dual fuel bill would rise punctuated by years of drug- Wham! and sold more than London shop while under the by 8.8% from April 26. taking, proved “inconclusive” 100mn records in his career. influence of cannabis and pre- This follows similar rises an- pending further tests. He met Andrew Ridgeley at scription medication. nounced last month by Innogy- Dilated cardiomyopathy, high school and the pair went In 2011, he spent several owned Npower and Iberdrola- which can be caused by sub- on to form Wham! in 1981. weeks in hospital in Vienna owned Scottish Power. stance abuse, affects the heart’s With their good looks, per- after contracting pneumonia E.ON said the rise in gas and ability to pump blood due to the ma-tans, highlighted hair and while on tour, later saying he electricity prices was due in part muscle becoming enlarged and carefree image, the duo cap- had come close to death. to the escalating costs of gov- weakened. tured the spirit of the 1980s Stories about Michael’s quiet ernment schemes to support Myocarditis is an inflamma- and fast became one of Britain’s philanthropy for children and renewable electricity generation tion of the heart wall. biggest pop acts with a string of HIV charities have been shared and to help customers use less Michael’s partner Fadi Fawaz hits including Last Christmas widely since his death, as well energy. said he had found the star “lying and Wake Me Up Before You Go- as a report of his anonymous “It is an announcement we peacefully” in bed at his home in Go. £15,000 donation to a woman never want to make but is due in the village of Goring on the River They split up in 1986, and who could not conceive to get large part to the fact that many Thames west of London. Michael began a solo career IVF treatment. of the costs we don’t directly The singer’s funeral can now with his album Faith, released “He was the sweetest person. control,” E.ON UK chief execu- take place after three months of in 1987. His final studio album People talk about him giving tive Tony Cocker said in a state- tests. featuring new songs was Pa- away £50,000 but he gave away ment. Michael’s publicist had been tience in 2004. millions,” said Goss. The government says its poli- keen to quell reports of foul Showpiece industry ceremo- On Monday, Michael was cel- cies only make up a small por- play, saying “there were no sus- ny the Brit Awards remembered ebrated at Paris Fashion Week tion of household bills, and that picious circumstances”. Michael last month with a mov- when the designer Stella Mc- by the 2020s bills will be lower Fawaz, tweeted a black and ing tribute from Ridgeley, who Cartney closed her show with on average than they would have Para-equestrian Anne Dunham poses with her medal after she was appointed a Off icer of white photograph of the him said his death “felt like the sky a procession of models dancing been without the initiatives. the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to para-equestrianism during an Investiture with Michael with the caption: had fallen in”. to his song Faith and chanting ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London, yesterday. “The Truth is out...” Chris Martin from Coldplay the words “love” and “faith.”

Government defeats bid Cost of tea, fi sh up as to restart Dubs scheme stores end price wars London Evening Standard in price. However, it’s impor- London tant to point out inflation is Guardian News and Media month that the numbers arriv- reach a compromise, with minis- still far from universal, with London ing under the system, introduced ters promising that a survey would prices actually falling across a through an amendment by the be carried out but would not spe- he long era of supermarket number of categories. Labour peer Alf Dubs, a former cifi cally identify the places availa- price wars is coming to an Prices began rising again in the he government has narrow- kindertransport refugee, would be ble for child refugees from Europe. Tend as more expensive im- run-up to Christmas after more ly avoided a Commons de- capped at 350. “This is not hard to do,” she said. ports and fewer promotions start than two years of defl ation from Tfeat on a Tory MP’s amend- This was despite campaigners’ “This is not forcing capacity that to push up the cost of food sta- September 2014 to December ment which would have forced insistence they had been promised doesn’t exist. It’s OK for areas like ples, fi gures revealed yesterday. 2016 caused by aggressive com- councils to reveal how many lone that around 3,000 lone refugee Kent to say ‘no more’, I understand Basket favourites such as but- petition from discounters such child refugees they had the capac- children from camps in Europe and respect that. But this is a na- ter, tea and fi sh all rose in price as Aldi and Lidl as well as the ity to take, in an attempt to restart would be brought to the UK. tional solution that diff erent parts by more than 5% over the past squeeze on consumers’ spending the Dubs scheme. The government had argued of the country can respond to dif- 12 weeks, pushing overall food power. The amendment to the Children that councils had no more space to ferently.” infl ation up to 1.4%. Imported With wages now running and Social Work Bill, introduced accommodate child refugees from A report published by the home fruit and vegetables were also ahead of infl ation shoppers are by the Conservative MP Heidi Al- Europe, which has since been dis- aff airs select committee on Monday more expensive. better off and supermarket sales len, was defeated by 287 votes to puted by several local authorities. called on the government to change At the same time groceries are now rising at their fastest 267 yesterday. Debate ahead of the vote was its mind over the Dubs scheme. sold through a promotion, such rate, 2.3%, since June 2014. More than two dozen Tories tense, with Theresa May seen ap- It said it was unclear how thor- as a multi-buy, dropped from a Of the “big four” supermarket were thought to have been con- proaching David Burrowes, an MP oughly the government had con- peak of just over 40% in 2015 to giants Morrison did best with sidering voting in favour of the who had previously spoken out sulted councils, suggesting that 34.3% during the past 12 weeks sales ahead by 2.6%, its fastest amendment, which would have about the closure of the scheme, as many as 4,000 extra children — the lowest level since Octo- growth in fi ve years. Lidl was required every local authority in to ask him to vote with the govern- could be sheltered if central fund- ber 2009, says market researcher Britain’s fastest growing super- England to declare their capacity ment. ing was provided. Kantar Worldpanel. market with sales up by 13% — for resettling children, with fi gures At the announcement of the The prime minister’s spokes- Fraser McKevitt, its head of while Aldi grew almost as quick- collated at least once a year. vote, Labour MPs shouted “shame” man told reporters yesterday retail and consumer insight, ly, increasing sales by 12.9% to In the end, despite nine Tory across the benches, watched by morning that the government was Actors Toby Jones (left) Rhys Ifans (second left), Juliet Stevenson said: “Staples such as butter, reach a record market share of MPs signing the amendment, it child refugee campaigners in the not in favour of the audit, but it (centre) and Joely Richardson (right) with faith leaders and tea and fish all saw prices rise 6.3%. was backed by just three: Allen, public gallery, including the actors was committed to publishing re- supporters stand in front of the Houses of Parliament in London by more than 5% during the While multi-buy style promo- the former education secretary Juliet Stevenson and Toby Jones. gional breakdowns showing where yesterday as they urge the government to re-consult local past 12 weeks, as fruit and veg- tions were sharply down, meal Nicky Morgan and Tania Mattias. Before the vote, Allen had said unaccompanied child asylum authorities on their ability to accommodate vulnerable refugee etables — many of which are deals off ering dinner for two for Ministers announced last she hoped the government would seekers were being looked after. children from Europe, eff ectively keeping the “Dub’s scheme” open. imported — also saw an uptick £10 remain popular. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 EUROPE

Births in Italy hit Germany hits back over record low in Turkish Nazi comments 2016, says DPA/AFP system,” Turkey’s chief diplomat stats offi ce Berlin/Ankara said, repeating Erdogan’s claims that the cancellation of rallies by Turkish ministers in Germany as Reuters erman Finance Minis- “reminiscent of the Nazi era”. Rome ter Wolfgang Schaeuble He criticised Germany and Gstepped up Berlin’s criti- other European countries in- cism of Ankara yesterday after cluding the Netherlands, where he number of babies born Turkey’s chief diplomat drew on politicians including Prime in Italy hit a record low Germany’s Nazi past to again at- Minister Mark Rutte have con- Tin 2016, the population tack the country. demned Cavusoglu’s plans to at- shrank and the average age crept Schaeuble said Berlin viewed tend a similar rally in Rotterdam. higher, national statistics offi ce political developments in An- “We are in a state of great ISTAT said on Monday. kara with “considerable con- fear,” Cavusoglu said. “If we Births dropped by 12,000 to cern” after Turkish President cannot stop the advance of racist 474,000 last year, the lowest Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared parties, Europe will head (back) Schaeuble: We can’t accept that Germany is being talked about in level since the unifi cation of It- the cancellation of rallies across to the pre-World War II period.” such a way. aly in 1861, while deaths totalled Germany for next month’s refer- As tensions between the two 608,000, ISTAT said. endum on constitutional reform nations escalated, Turkey’s with Michael Roth, state secre- countries’ chief consuls, includ- The average Italian is now in Turkey to “Nazi practices”. Minister for Economic Aff airs tary at Germany’s foreign min- ing Germany’s, in Istanbul. “I 44.9 years old, up 0.2 years from Echoing comments on Mon- Nihat Zeybekci said he was istry, sources in Celik’s ministry will meet this evening with our 2015, while some 22.3% of the day by Chancellor Angela Mer- launching legal action against said. citizens in Hamburg.” Cavusoglu speaking during a meeting with foreign diplomats in population is over 65, the high- kel, Schaeuble told foreign Germany’s daily Bild after the “Turkish-German rela- He added: “Nobody can and Istanbul. est ratio in the 28-nation Euro- correspondents in Berlin that newspaper referred to him as Er- tions are not local authorities’ should prevent us from meeting pean Union. Erdogan’s remarks were “unac- dogan’s “loyal attack dog”. responsibility but that of the with our citizens.” A demonstration calling for a support for the April referendum The total population fell by ceptable” and “irresponsible”. Zeybekci described the Bild German state,” Celik told Roth, Local authorities in Germa- “No” vote in the referendum has among the 1.4mn Turkish voters some 86,000 to 60.58mn, with “It would be wise if President report as “primitive insults” di- according to the sources. “We ny had called off a rally in the meanwhile been planned nearby. living in Germany. new migrants helping to off set Erdogan quickly found a way to rected against the whole of Tur- believe this is a systematic ob- northern city of Hamburg where Cavusoglu said he would meet Cavusoglu also claimed in the the falling birth rate. make this go away,” Schaeuble key. stacle to our government.” Cavusoglu was due to speak, cit- his German counterpart Sig- interview that Germany was ap- ISTAT said fertility rates fl uc- said. “We can’t accept that Ger- “We cannot accept this outra- Cavusoglu said yesterday ing fi re safety concerns. mar Gabriel, whom he called a plying pressure to get a “no” tuated wildly between the in- many is being talked about in geous attack,” he said. that he would go ahead with a But the Turkish foreign min- “friend”, at a breakfast in Berlin vote in the referendum, which dustrialised north and the poor- such a way.” Bild’s publisher, the Springer planned visit to Germany de- istry told AFP that a new venue today and visit a tourism fair. if approved would vastly expand er south. But in an interview with the Group, said only that any legal spite local authorities’ banning had been found, and Hamburg Diplomatic relations between Erdogan’s powers and weaken On the island of Sardinia, Turkish daily Hurriyet, Foreign action against the newspaper him from making a speech on police confi rmed Cavusoglu Turkey and Germany have tak- parliament. women had 1.07 children on av- Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hit would be examined. safety grounds. would meet 150 people from the en a turn for the worse over the The foreign minister is a erage, while the only province out again at Germany. Turkish EU Aff airs Minis- “I am going to Hamburg to- Turkish community at the resi- last week after the cancellation member of Erdogan’s Justice and where births rose was in Bol- “That is a totally repressive ter Omer Celik spoke yesterday day,” Cavusoglu told foreign dence of the consul general. of the rallies aimed mobilising Development Party (AKP). zano, near the border with Aus- tria, where the fertility rate was 1.78. If applied to the whole coun- try, Bolzano’s fi gures would put Italy among the most fertile Facebook wins German case countries in the European Un- ion, ISTAT said, whereas with Sardinia’s rate, “dangerously close to one child per woman, against Syrian in Merkel selfi e Italy would be in last place in Eu- rope, and likely the world”. The overall national average AFP Facebook had not “claimed own- but greeted the court’s position was 1.34 children per woman. Wurzburg, Germany ership” of the posts in question – that legal action was “not the Consumer group Codacons suggesting primary responsibil- most eff ective way to resolve the blamed families’ fi nances for the ity lies with those who wrote and situation”. fall in births, saying in a state- acebook clinched vic- posted them. It said that, just as it had ment that people struggled with tory yesterday in a Ger- In cases of “serious personal blocked previously reported hate rises in the cost of food, prams Fman court case brought injury”, it was justifi ed to demand posts targeting the Syrian man, and nurseries. by a Syrian refugee whose selfi e an “increased search eff ort” by “we will continue to respond to “The uncertainty and gen- with Chancellor Angela Merkel Facebook, the court in the south- all legitimate reports by Mr Mo- eral impoverishment among the had made him the target of rac- ern city of Wurzburg found. damani’s legal representatives”. middle class in Italy in recent ist trolls. However, it also said it was A Facebook spokesman added years has made it ever more dif- The court ruled that the US so- unclear whether Facebook could that, “in terms of the content fi cult for families to bring a child cial media giant was not obliged reasonably conduct such pro- people share on our platform, we into the world,” the group said. to actively search out and delete active searches “without major are continuing to comply with Meanwhile, the number of defamatory posts, like those that technical hurdles”. our obligations under German Italians moving abroad rose had falsely linked the claimant The court said this question law”. 12.6% year-on-year to 115,000, to Islamist attacks and violent may have to be settled by another Modamani arrived in Germany almost triple the rate of six years crimes. court hearing that could ask IT in 2015, along with a mass infl ux This picture taken on September 10, 2015 shows Modamani taking a selfie with Merkel outside a refugee ago. Anas Modamani, 19, had experts to testify. of almost 900,000 migrants. camp. sought an injunction demanding Jun, the IT lawyer, declared When Merkel visited his Berlin that the company, represented himself “disappointed” and said refugee shelter in September that Modamani – who is now taking hateful comments spreading on- by Facebook Ireland Limited, he would not pursue the case year, he took two selfi e images German language courses and line, in particular over the mass stop the spread of such slander- further as he had himself become with her in jubilant scenes also working in a fast food restaurant infl ux of migrants. ous fake news, which have been the target of personal threats on captured by news photographers. – to delinquents who tried to set This January – in the wake ‘EU member states shared countless times. social media. Since then, those emblem- fi re to a homeless man in Berlin of the US presidential election Modamani and his lawyer He also said that if German law atic images have been reposted last Christmas. when Facebook was accused of Chan-jo Jun had demanded that could not prevent such online in diff erent, often false, contexts, A surge of far-right and other helping the spread of fake news don’t have to issue Facebook actively search out and vitriol against his client, then at a time when xenophobic fury hate speech on Facebook and – the company pledged measures take down all libellous posts us- “we need new laws”. fl ared online against Merkel’s other social media in Germany to take down “unambiguously ing the famous selfi e images – Jun has demanded stiff fi nes liberal stance on refugees. has raised political heat on the wrong reports” being shared on humanitarian visas’ not just those they had fl agged to in cases where Facebook spreads Often anonymous users have companies in recent years. its platform. the company. content illegal under German cut and pasted Modamani’s pic- Justice Minister Heiko Maas It also said it would off er a They argued that Facebook law, such as incitement of racial ture into “wanted” posters and has warned that they could be simpler reporting process for Reuters ligation to do so would have could use its algorithms to auto- hatred, arguing that “it must fake reports, typically alleging punished if they do not comply fake news, display warnings next Brussels paved the way for many new matically identify them, just as become more costly to break the that the refugee made famous by with German law. to statements identifi ed as false applications they would then it does to take down copyrighted law”. the Merkel selfi e had later turned Facebook and other Web gi- by independent fact-checking have been unable to reject. music or images with nudity. Facebook voiced sympathy for out to be a terrorist. ants pledged in 2015 to examine organisations, and cut off adver- uropean Union states do Some European lawmak- The court however judged that Modamani’s “diffi cult situation” Other posts have falsely linked and remove within 24 hours any tising revenue to fake news sites. not have to admit peo- ers, as well as aid groups, have Eple on humanitarian called for such a solution, say- grounds, even if they are at risk ing that EU embassies and of torture or inhuman treat- consulates outside of the bloc ment, the EU’s top court ruled should handle such requests. yesterday, cutting off a possi- “NGOs (non-governmental ble channel for asylum-seekers organisations) wanted to move Hungary to detain all asylum-seekers into the bloc. the EU border to the embassies The decision by the Euro- but the ECJ has reined them in. pean Court of Justice (ECJ) A good thing,” said Belgium’s AFP chological impact on women, ers built onto existing “transit ing for asylum in Hungary this goes against advice from its migration minister, Theo Budapest children and men who have al- zones” erected in 2015 at the year and 105 people crossing the advocate general, who said last Francken. ready greatly suff ered”. southern border with Serbia. border illegally, according to the month that such visas had to be EU states have struggled to The Hungarian Helsinki Com- EU member Hungary’s bor- government. issued under EU law. accommodate the migrants ungary’s parliament has mittee said it was the “last step- der is also an external frontier of But Orban said yesterday that It spares EU states a new and refugees who made it into approved the systematic ping stone in completely dis- Europe’s border-free Schengen this was just a temporary lull. headache at a time when they the bloc, ensure suffi cient se- Hdetention of all asylum- regarding (Hungary’s) asylum zone. “The pressure on the border are pushing to stem immigra- curity screening and agree be- seekers in container camps, in a obligations under EU and inter- As well as building militarised will not end in coming years, as tion by cutting off asylum- tween themselves on how to move that Prime Minister Viktor national law and trampling the razor wire fences on its borders there are still millions of people seekers and labour migrants share out the responsibility. Orban said will make all of Eu- Orban: Those readying for the rights of asylum-seekers”. with Serbia and Croatia in 2015, preparing to step out on the road alike after taking in 1.6mn peo- They have waged political rope safer from terror attacks. journey do not want to live “We are urging the EU to step Hungary has handed thousands in hope of a better life,” he said. ple arriving across the Medi- battles over that for two years Calling immigration the “Tro- according to our ways and up and show Hungary that such of migrants expulsion orders for The 53-year-old Orban, a terranean in 2014-2016. now, with no sign of agreement jan Horse of terrorism”, Orban culture but according to their illegal and deeply inhumane “illegal border-crossing” and strong admirer of US President The court ruled on the case emerging on the horizon. said: “If the world sees that we own – only with a European measures have consequences,” even jailed some. Donald Trump, has long taken a of a Syrian family from the city The bloc has hence increas- can defend our borders ... then quality of life. Amnesty International said. It has also gradually been clos- hard line on immigration. of Aleppo who applied for a ingly started to turn to coun- no one will try to come to Hun- The Tunisian suspect in the ing down its network of refu- He has said that a large infl ux visa to stay with acquaintances tries south and east of the gary illegally.” are unsuccessful may also have to December 19 truck attack on a gee camps, while allowing only of Muslim migrants into Europe in Belgium in October. Mediterranean to have them The legislation will see asy- cover the costs of their own de- Berlin Christmas market that left a trickle of asylum-seekers into poses a security risk and endan- Belgian authorities had re- block people on their way to lum-seekers entering Hungary tention. 12 people dead was an asylum- the existing transit zones. gers the continent’s Christian fused the visa, leading to a Europe and be able to send as well as those currently in the Unaccompanied minors under seeker whose application had Hungarian prisoners are also culture and identity. court battle. them back more easily. country confi ned in camps at 14 will be placed in care as before. been refused. building a second “smart fence” Budapest has refused to take “Member States are not re- “Had the court ruled other- Hungary’s southern borders EU member Hungary previ- But most other recent attacks complete with night cameras and part in an EU scheme to share quired, under EU law, to grant wise, it would have been a huge while their applications are proc- ously systematically detained all in Europe were carried out by heat and movement sensors. around the EU the hundreds of a humanitarian visa to persons problem,” said a diplomat in essed. asylum applicants but suspended people who were born and/or At the height of Europe’s mi- thousands of migrants who en- who wish to enter their terri- Brussels who is involved in EU Anyone who passed through the practice in 2013 under pres- grew up in Europe. grant crisis in 2015, over 400,000 tered the bloc in recent years. tory with a view to applying for migration policies. a “safe third country”, including sure from Brussels, the UN refu- Some of those in the 2015 Paris people, many fl eeing the Syrian “Those readying for the jour- asylum, but they remain free to Other politicians and NGOs the main entry point Serbia, will gee agency and the European attacks had however posed as civil war, passed through Hun- ney do not want to live according do so on the basis of their na- criticised the verdict, saying be refused. Court of Human Rights. refugees. gary on their way to western Eu- to our ways and culture but ac- tional law,” the court said. that it ignored the EU’s com- Appeals against rejections will The UNHCR said yesterday Hungary’s government says rope. cording to their own – only with While EU member states can mitments to human rights and be fast-tracked in three days. that the new legislation “will the new camps will comprise This has since slowed dramati- a European quality of life,” Orban now issue such visas if they continued to put refugees in Migrants whose applications have a terrible physical and psy- converted shipping contain- cally, with 1,004 people apply- said yesterday. choose, an EU-wide legal ob- harm’s way. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 19 EUROPE

Police hunt for killer braggart

German police launched a manhunt yesterday for a 19-year- old male suspected of stabbing a nine-year-old boy to death and bragging about the murder in an Avalanche rattles skiers online video. Police said they were alerted on Monday by people who had viewed the clip on the encrypted darknet, an online space criminals use to trade weapons, drugs and child pornography. A team of police discovered the in Alps but no lives lost child’s corpse around 1930 GMT on Monday in the basement of AFP equipment on the slope, added reopening after the rescue op- “That meant an accumula- bodies because the victims were Nine climbers from Britain, the suspect’s house in the town Tignes, France Martrenchard, deputy prefect of erations. tion of a metre over three days, carrying transmitters designed Germany, Spain and Switzerland of Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia nearby Albertville. The fast-moving “powder which represents a thick layer of to assist in locating them. were killed as they tried to scale state. An initial report that several snow” avalanche was made of unstable snow,” she said, adding They had been only a few the north face of Mont Mau- The suspect was named as n avalanche forced skiers skiers were engulfed by the ava- light, recently fallen snow that however that it was “extremely dozen metres from a ski lift dit, which translates as Cursed Marcel Hesse, described as to jump out of their skis lanche sent alarm bells ringing fell away “naturally”, experts rare” for an avalanche to reach when the 400m-wide avalanche Mountain. an unemployed and socially Ayesterday at the popular through the sprawling resort just said. an active ski slope. ripped down the mountain. Avalanches can travel withdrawn man not previously French Alps resort of Tignes but three weeks after an avalanche Yesterday’s avalanche risk – Tignes is one of the biggest ski That incident brought to 14 at speeds of up to 400kph known to police. no one was seriously injured, a claimed four lives nearby. which is normally assessed only stations in the Alps, off ering 480 the number of accidents record- (250mph). Trained in martial arts, the local offi cial said. Up to 200 people took part in for off -piste and closed slopes – hectares (1,200 acres) of slopes ed in the French Alps and Pyr- In January, 29 people died in 1.75m tall, slim, blonde man was Twenty-fi ve “more or less search eff orts, all arriving over- was at four on a scale of fi ve. served by around 80 ski lifts. enees so far this winter, claiming Italy after an avalanche buried a thought to be wearing military shocked” people sought help land because poor visibility pre- At level fi ve, all slopes are The deadly avalanche on a total of seven lives. hotel in the central town of Rigo- style clothing and possibly from rescue workers, Nicolas vented the use of helicopters. closed. February 13, which hit during Last winter there were 45 ac- piano. armed. Martrenchard told a news con- Rescue workers and sniff er The area had 50cm (nearly school holidays, was a “slab” cidents and 21 fatalities. The force of that impact was Authorities have released a photo ference. dogs were deployed along with 20”) of snow overnight fol- avalanche, caused when dense One of the worst avalanches in calculated by police as being of the suspect, but warned the “Four skiers were buff eted fi refi ghters’ vehicles and ambu- lowing regular snowfalls since wind-packed snow breaks off the Alps in the past decade took equivalent to the three-storey public not to approach him. by the impact” of the rush of lances. Saturday, avalanche risk expert from a slope. place in the summer of 2012 in stone and wood structure being Police launched a large-scale snow and had to abandon their The slopes gradually began Cecile Coleou told AFP. Rescuers quickly retrieved the the Mont-Blanc range. hit by 4,000 fully loaded trucks. search of the town on Monday night, using sniff er dogs and helicopters.

Putin pardons Poachers kill white rhino in French zoo jailed woman Reuters/AFP “Staff left the rhino enclosure not installed in the area where deed or their equipment failed. Russian President Vladimir Putin Paris on Monday. When they returned the rhinos live. The zoo had security meas- has pardoned a 46-year-old on Tuesday, an animal had been “This was carried out despite ures in place, including surveil- female sentenced to seven years killed and its two horns had the presence of fi ve members lance cameras, and fi ve mem- in a penal colony for sending a oachers broke into a been sawn off ,” a police spokes- of staff who live on the site and bers of staff live on site. text message to an acquaintance French zoo, shot dead a woman told AFP. “Only the (despite) security cameras,” the Vince was brought to Thoiry about the movement of Russian Prare white rhinoceros and main horn was stolen.” zoo said. in March 2015 after being born military equipment. sawed off its horn in what is be- Global trade in rhino horn is A kilo of rhino horn fetched in a zoo in the Netherlands in An order from the president lieved to be the fi rst time in Eu- banned by a UN convention and €51,000 ($53,900) on the black 2012. published by the Kremlin said rope that a rhino in captivity has its sale is illegal in France. market in 2015, it said in a state- The world population of Oksana Sevastidi, sentenced for been attacked and killed. But demand for the horn is ment. southern white rhino, once on treason in March 2016, would The four-year-old male strong in newly-affl uent Asian The poachers broke through a the brink of extinction, has be relieved from completing white rhino called Vince was countries such as Vietnam, gate at the wildlife park during recovered to around 20,000 the rest of her sentence, citing found dead in his enclosure by where it is prized as an ingre- the night and forced the metal thanks to intensive conservation humanitarian principles. his keeper at the Thoiry zoo dient in traditional medicines, door of the enclosure where the eff orts, according to conserva- Sevastidi was found guilty and wildlife park about 50km and African authorities have rhino lived, the zoo said. tion group Save the Rhino. of treason after she sent a (30 miles) west of Paris yester- struggled to counter rampant The two other rhinos living Rhino poaching rates in South text message describing the day morning after an overnight poaching. at the park, 37-year-old Gracie Africa, home to more than 80% movement of a train which break-in, the zoo said. The Thoiry zoo said it be- and fi ve-year-old Bruno, were of the world’s rhino popula- carried Russian military hardware Vince, the four-year-old male white rhino, is seen in this handout Police, who were investigat- lieved it was the fi rst time a rhi- unharmed. tion, surged from 83 in 2008 to near the border with Georgia’s picture released by the Domaine de Thoiry (Thoiry zoo and wildlife ing the crime, said the rhino had no had been killed in a European Vince’s second horn was a record 1,215 in 2014, but have breakaway region of Abkhazia park) yesterday. The rhino was found dead in his enclosure by his been shot thrice in the head and zoo. partially cut, leading the zoo to fallen for the last two years, ac- not long before a war broke out keeper at the Thoiry zoo, about 50km west of Paris, yesterday one of its horns had been sawn The zoo is equipped with vid- believe that the intruders were cording to South African gov- in 2008. morning after an overnight break-in, the zoo said. off , probably with a chainsaw. eo surveillance, but cameras are disturbed while performing the ernment data.

Fillon hit by new revelation Polar bear cub Fritz,

AFP/Reuters but there is little evidence of her Centrist candidate Em- heir to Knut, is dead Paris work. manuel Macron, 39, has gone Investigators are looking into a from strength to strength, with possible link between this job and the latest poll putting him neck- Reuters/AFP and depressed,” said Tierpark candal-plagued French the bestowal of France’s high- and-neck with far-right leader Berlin zoo director Andreas Knieriem presidential hopeful Fran- est civilian honour, the Grand Marine Le Pen with 25.5% to of Fritz’s death. “It’s astonishing Scois Fillon was hit by a new Croix of the Legion of Honour, 26.5% for her. how the little polar bear capti- revelation yesterday, this time on Ladreit de Lacharriere in 2011 Fillon is lagging behind in third four-month-old polar vated our hearts.” over an interest-free, undeclared when Fillon was prime minister. place with 18.5%, according to bear cub born in captivity Fritz was born on November loan he received from a billion- The Canard Enchaine also said the Ifop-Fiducial poll yesterday. Ain Berlin has died of com- 3, the fi rst polar bear birth in aire friend. investigators were looking into a Meanwhile, friends and foes plications from a liver infl am- eastern Berlin’s Tierpark zoo in The conservative candidate consultancy fi rm called 2F Con- in Fillon’s corner sought to set- mation, offi cials at the city’s 22 years. “did not deem it necessary” to seil that Fillon set up in 2012 after tle their diff erences and get the Tierpark zoo said yesterday. He had a twin sibling which report the €50,000 ($53,000) he left offi ce as prime minister, conservative candidate’s presi- Named after a contest that died shortly after birth. loan he received from Marc which the paper says has paid dential bid back on track. drew more than 10,000 entries Zookeepers had found him ly- This photo taken on February 16 and released by Tierpark Berlin Ladreit de Lacharriere in 2013 to him hundreds of thousands of Even as Fillon languishes in from Germany and around the ing listlessly next to his mother (Berlin zoo) on February 24 shows polar bear Fritz, then three a state transparency watchdog, euros. third place in opinion polls, a world, Fritz had been celebrated Tonja on Monday morning. months old, with mother Tonja in their enclosure in Berlin. Le Canard Enchaine weekly said Fillon has denied any wrong- member of his team said recon- across the nation as an heir to A series of checks found the The Tierpark zoo said yesterday that Fritz has died. in its edition to appear today. doing with his consultancy work. ciliation talks would begin with Knut, who was born in a rival cub to be suff ering from a severe “The ‘oversight’ may be costly With just seven weeks to go discontented centrists of the UDI Berlin zoo in 2006. case of liver infl ammation. GMT) his breathing became ir- The chancellery joined in for the presidential candidate,” before France goes to the polls in party, who announced last week Knut turned into a global sen- He was given antibiotics and regular, and he was pronounced mourning, with Angela Merkel’s said the investigative and satiri- the April 23 fi rst round of a two- that they were withdrawing sup- sation for surviving against long painkillers, but the seriousness dead around half an hour later. chief of staff Peter Altmaier at- cal newspaper, which also made stage vote, Fillon has remained as port for the candidate and his odds when he was rejected by of his condition became clear An autopsy on the polar bear taching Bild’s tweet and adding: the allegations in January about the right-wing candidate despite party, The Republicans. his mother at birth. when the Tierpark said on Mon- cub was being carried out. “Anyone who remembers little the fake jobs scandal that has calls for him to allow rival Alain Others members of Fillon’s He was reared by keepers but day that they hoped he would “Fritz did not make it,” said Knut is sad. But above all, we threatened to derail Fillon’s can- Juppe to stand in his place be- team took to the airwaves to de- died in 2011. survive the night. top-selling Bild daily on its on- must protect polar bears in na- didacy. cause of the scandal. liver a call for unity, saying that “We’re speechless, saddened But by around 7.30pm (1830 line homepage and in a tweet. ture!” Le Canard Enchaine reported On Monday, he won the victory was still feasible. that Fillon’s lawyer Antonin Levy “unanimous” backing of his “The page has turned,” Bruno had confi rmed the loan had been Republicans party after Juppe, Retailleau, Fillon’s campaign co- repaid in full, but did not say 71, adamantly rejected the calls ordinator, told Radio Classique. when. while lamenting the state of Key members of The Repub- Once the frontrunner to be- Fillon’s candidacy, calling it a licans party, who thrashed out Farmers bring sheep to Rome protest come France’s next president in “waste”. the deal to rally behind Fillon on May, 63-year-old Fillon has had Juppe also chastised Fillon for Monday, secured a pledge that to battle to stay in the race be- the disdain that he has shown the he would temper his attacks on Reuters cause of the revelations that he justice system and his swipes at the judiciary and media, sources Rome had paid his wife Penelope hun- the media. close to the party told Reuters. dreds of thousands of euros from Fillon, campaigning as a In legal terms The Republicans public funds, allegedly for fake sleaze-free candidate, was the have no way to stop Fillon from talian farmers from regions jobs. surprise winner of the right- standing despite the damage his ravaged by earthquakes The former prime minister is wing primary in November, be- campaign has suff ered from the Ibrought sheep to central to be charged later this month. sting Juppe who was convicted in scandal, which has prompted Rome yesterday to protest what Ladreit de Lacharriere is the 2004 over a party fi nance scan- some key aides to resign. they say are serious delays in re- chief executive of Fimalac, a fi - dal. France’s constitutional court construction eff orts. nancial services holding compa- The infi ghting among Repub- on Monday issued a reminder More than 10,000 farm ani- ny, and owns the literary maga- licans and Fillon’s chaotic cam- that once a candidate has reg- mals have been killed or injured zine La Revue des Deux Mondes. paign have made an already un- istered the necessary sponsors, by quake damage and subse- The publication paid Penelope predictable election even harder only he or she has the power to quent freezing weather, farm- Fillon some €100,000 in 2012-13 to call. withdraw. ers’ association Coldiretti said. The 63-year-old Fillon has al- Outside parliament, a make- ready secured that support. shift paddock housed three Senate leader Gerard Larcher, sheep rescued from areas struck one of the group of right-wing by tremors while farmers waved politicians behind Monday’s fl ags and banners reading “Bu- pro-Fillon announcement, called reaucracy is more deadly than for unity, saying failure would earthquakes”. open the doors of power to Le Thousands of farming busi- Pen. nesses are housed in the cen- “I cannot resign myself to the tral regions of Lazio, Marche, Sheep are seen in front of Rome’s Montecitorio Palace during a protest yesterday by farmers from the idea of a second round where it’s Abruzzo and Umbria where earthquake zones of Amatrice. Le Pen versus Macron,” he said. tremors have rumbled since Au- Republican lawmaker Luc gust. easier for regional governments either stuck out in the cold, at Local crops like lentils are also Chatel said consolidating Fillon’s Prime Minister Paolo Gen- to buy temporary stalls. risk of death and disease, or in at risk as seeds cannot be sown position would involve win- tiloni has approved a draft law Farmers say about 85% of derelict buildings,” the farm as- on fractured land, it added. ning back the UDI centrist group to help quake victims, including their livestock need shelter. sociation said. The agriculture ministry said which deserted him last week. €35mn ($37mn) to compensate “Breeders still don’t know Stress caused by cold and fear the process of releasing emer- This file photo shows then-prime minister Fillon with Ladreit de farmers for lost income. where to put their surviving has reduced milk production in gency funds to farmers was un- Lacharriere during an award ceremony in Paris. See also page 27 The law also aims to make it cows, pigs and sheep, which are the region by 30%. der way. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 INDIA

POLITICS BUSINESS ALLEGATIONS JUDICIARY VIOLENCE Modi most talked about Concern over H-1B India denies charge of Bhatkal not in solitary Tension in Assam town politician on Facebook conveyed to US: Prasad creating unrest in Pakistan confinement, court told following clash, vandalism

As the assembly elections in five states are at India has already conveyed its concerns to the India yesterday refuted Pakistan’s allegation Tihar Central Jail officials yesterday told a Tension prevailed in Silapathar town in Assam a crucial stage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi US over its move to curb H-1B visa processing, that New Delhi and Kabul have joined hands Delhi court that Indian Mujahideen co-founder yesterday after members of a linguistic has emerged as the most talked about politician IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said yesterday. to create unrest in that country. Reacting to Yasin Bhatkal has not been kept in solitary minority organisation attacked and vandalised on Facebook from February 19 to 28 followed “Our concerns had been conveyed to the US the allegation by Pakistan’s Defence Minister confinement as there is no such cell in the the off ice of the All Assam Students’ Union by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh government. Indian IT companies are giving Khawaja Asif, Minister of State for Home prison. During on-camera proceedings, the on Monday. Dhemaji district administration Yadav. According to the rankings compiled by very good value addition to the American Kiren Rijiju said that New Delhi and Kabul jail officials also told the court that Bhatkal is on Monday imposed a night curfew and the Facebook, which are based on the number of companies. They are servicing more than believe in peace. “Both India and Afghanistan kept under surveillance since there are several army carried out a flag march in and around unique people engaging in conversation related 75% of the Fortune 500 companies. They are believe in peace but are victims of terrorism cases against him. The court was hearing the town yesterday to instil confidence among to leaders, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit making them more competitive and giving them emanating from Pak,” the minister said in a Bhatkal’s plea in which he has alleged that people. A rally by Nikhil Bharat Bengali Uddastu Shah was placed in the third spot, while Congress extraordinary value addition,” Prasad said at the tweet. Rijiju also denied that India indulges he cannot be kept in a high security cell as Samannay Samiti (NBBUSS) turned violent vice president Rahul Gandhi was fourth. These inaugural session of the three-day conference in unprovoked firing at the Line of Control. per previous rulings of the Supreme Court. and hundreds of its members raised slogans politicians were followed by Bahujan Samaj on the ‘ICEGOV 2017-10th International “Indian forces never indulge in unprovoked Bhatkal’s counsel M S Khan also claimed in against Assamese people and the Assam Party chief Mayawati and Akhilesh’s wife and MP Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic firing,” he added. On Monday, Asif alleged in the application that his solitary confinement Accord before attacking the AASU off ice in Dimple Yadav. The BJP was the most talked about Governance’ in New Delhi. “They (Indian IT the National Assembly of Pakistan that India amounts to contempt of court. The court Silapathar. The rally was organised after some political party with 64%. Congress with 45% and companies) have created more than 400,000 and Afghanistan have joined hands to create has listed the matter for March 25 for further NBBUSS leaders reportedly made inciting Samajwadi Party (SP) with 15% completed the list. jobs,” he said. unrest in Pakistan. hearing. speeches in a meeting earlier on Monday. Modi battles for hearts and minds in Varanasi

AFP to be cremated according to cen- Varanasi turies-old Hindu tradition. Modern changing cabins have sprung up along the river, al- aranasi boat owner Prab- though most stood empty as hu Sahani backed Naren- ritual bathers stripped off next Vdra Modi as his MP in the to them in the open, just as they 2014 general election. have always done. But the minister will not be “You used to see dead bodies getting his vote when the ancient of animals and sometimes even city on the Ganges goes to the people fl oating in the river. Now polls again today. that has decreased,” said boat- “He doesn’t understand Vara- man Suresh Sahani, who planned nasi,” complained Sahani, 34, to vote BJP, as he touted for cus- whose boats ferry tourists and tomers in the hot sun. pilgrims along the holy river. Away from the river, how- “We run the oldest transpor- ever, there were few signs of the tation in the city, going back “smart heritage city” that Modi generations, and he didn’t con- promised. sult us about his plans (to clean Work has begun on under- A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election campaign hoarding displays an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi. up the Ganges and modernise ground cables to replace the tan- the city).” gle of electricity wires that hang Modi’s decision to stand in precariously over the city’s nar- the sacred Hindu city in Uttar row streets. Pradesh rather than his home But for now that only worsens state of Gujarat in 2014 paid off the congestion, forcing honking with an overwhelming victory cars, rickshaws and bicycles into that he celebrated with a prayer an angry single lane of traffi c that on the banks of the Ganges. is often brought to a standstill by Last phase of UP polls Now his Bharatiya Janata Party a stray cow. (BJP) is trying to consolidate its Varanasi’s BJP Mayor Ram grip on power by seizing control Gopal Mohley blamed the state of India’s most populous state, government for the pace of which stretches from the high- progress, saying hundreds of rise outer edge of the national millions of rupees had been pro- capital in the west to the city on vided from federal coff ers to de- crucial for all parties the Ganges. velop the city’s infrastructure. It faces stiff competition from “They have been creating all In Poorvanchal, poverty is self as the party swept the Poor- Her parliamentary constituency both Modi and Akhilesh Yadav Varanasi has hogged the maxi- the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) the hurdles, but not for long. a dominant theme; in his vanchal in the 2014 Lok Sabha Mirzapur goes to the polls today. and there is nothing but disap- mum limelight. in a state where caste, family and We will form the government on speeches, Modi spoke a lot on battle. BJP leader Vijay Bahadur pointment. Poorvanchal, like It has eight assembly con- religious affi liations run deep. March 11 and things will change,” joblessness and poverty The Bahujan Samaj Party Pathak says the party was confi - other parts of the state, is looking stituencies of which the BJP Uttar Pradesh Chief minister he said. (BSP), trying hard to regain pow- dent of doing “exceedingly well” to the BSP for good governance,” won three. In all 127 candidates Akhilesh Yadav has rejuvenated “Whatever Modiji is doing for IANS er in the country’s most populous in Poorvanchal. the Dalit leader says. are in the fray in Varanasi. Modi, the SP’s image since he toppled his constituency is good.” Varanasi state, has put in all its might to “We have performed beyond Some areas are home to Mao- Akhilesh Yadav, Congress vice his ageing father this year, forg- With all to play for, party lead- add to its 2012 tally of fi ve seats. our expectations in the last six ists while some of the candidates president Rahul Gandhi and ing an alliance with the Congress ers fl ocked to Varanasi over the The Congress, now a Sama- phases. We are sure of getting the have a criminal background. Mayawati extensively cam- Party, and campaigning along- weekend to rally support. he seventh and last phase jwadi ally, won three seats in maximum number seats in the fi - Security has been stepped in paigned in the city. side its vice president Rahul Modi touted his party’s in- of polling to pick a new 2012, the Quami Ekta Dal one and nal phase,” Pathak said. Sonebhadra, Mirzapur and zDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Gandhi. vestment in the city and said the TUttar Pradesh assembly three independents too made it The Samajwadi Party expelled Chandauli. Kejriwal yesterday said Modi was Today’s vote will be the fi nal weavers of its famous silk had will be held today in seven dis- to the outgoing assembly. most of its powerful Poorvanchal It is a triangular fi ght in seeking votes in Uttar Pradesh stage of a bitter weeks-long bat- been given “modern facilities”. tricts of poverty-struck Poor- In Poorvanchal, poverty is a leaders after an internal party Mughalsarai, Sakaldeha, Sayye- in the name of “shamshan ghat” tle for the state that analysts say But there was little sign of vanchal region. dominant theme. In his speech- feud involving Chief Minister draza and Chakia seats in Chan- and not on the basis of his work. is too close to call. that in the impoverished Muslim Around 10.4mn voters are eli- es, Modi spoke a lot on jobless- Akhilesh Yadav and his estranged dauli. So is the case in Mirzapur, Saying he had listened to all It is a key test of Modi nearly neighbourhood where much of gible to take part in the balloting ness and poverty. uncle Shivpal Singh. Chunar, Majhwa, Chanbe and speeches of Modi in the Uttar three years after he came to offi ce the silk is made. in the sprawling region that in- The BJP did not win a single Senior cabinet minister and Madihan in Mirzapur district. Pradesh election campaign, Kejri- pledging inclusive government “Water supply is a problem, cludes Varanasi, Prime Minister seat in fi ve of the districts in 2012. Akhilesh Yadav aide Rajendra Sonebhadra – Robertsganj, wal told the Delhi Assembly that and a “shining India” that would power supply is a problem, and Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha con- The last phase of election is a Chowdhary says the region has Ghorawal and Duddhi – will see there was a diff erence in his and provide jobs for a growing youth we have fl oods every monsoon,” stituency. litmus test for BJP stalwarts. always stood by the Samajwadi a close contest between the BJP the prime minister’s approach. population. 75-year-old Abdul Azib said as The other districts which Former chief minister and now Party. and BSP. “Modiji seeks votes in the As voting day approached in the clack-clack of automated silk will see voting are Sonebhadra, federal Home Minister Rajnath The BSP is banking heavily on Political strongmen who are ei- name of ‘shamshan ghat’,” the Varanasi, one of the world’s old- looms resounded through the Chandauli, Mirzapur, Ghazipur, Singh comes from Chandauli. the appeal of Mukhtar Ansari and ther in the race or have fi elded fam- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader est cities, the once putrid banks narrow alleys. Bhadohi and Jaunpur. Mahendranath Pandey, an MP, his family. The region is home to ily members include Sigbatullah, said, referring to Modi’s remarks of the Ganges were certainly “All the candidates come While the onus is on the ruling is a member in the Modi govern- hundreds of thousands of weav- Vineet Singh and Atul Rai (BSP), that the Samajwadi Party-led shining brighter. to this area, they say a lot, but Samajwadi Party to retain 24 of ment. Ghazipur MP Manoj Sinha ers, many of whom are Muslims. Dhananjay Singh (Independent), Uttar Pradesh government Locals said cleaners now came nothing happens,” said Azib, who the 40 seats it won in 2012, a lot is minister of state for railways. BSP chief Mayawati speaks of a Alka Rai and Sushil Singh (BJP), should not diff erentiate between four times a day to sweep the scrapes a meagre living making is also at stake for the Bharatiya Apna Dal leader Anupriya Pa- groundswell in her party’s favour. Dinesh Kant (RLD) and Manoj Ku- Muslim graveyards and Hindu ghats, where bodies are brought saris. Janata Party (BJP) and Modi him- tel, a BJP ally, has a lot at stake too. “People have tried and tested mar (Samajwadi Party). cremation grounds.

8 hurt in MP train blast

AI sets record with all-female round-world fl ight In a suspected terror attack, at least eight people were injured, AFP were women. Even the engineers, who two of them seriously, in an New Delhi certifi ed the aircraft, and air traffi c con- explosion on a Bhopal-Ujjain trollers, who cleared its departure and passenger train in Shajapur arrival, were women, the airline said. district of Madhya Pradesh ndia’s national airline on Monday “Everyone involved in the fl ight op- yesterday, off icials said. Three claimed to have set a new record eration – from pilots to check-in staff men arrested from a bus in Iwith the fi rst round-the-world fl ight to cabin crew – were from our female Piparia in Hoshangabad district staff ed entirely by women. staff ,” spokesman G P Rao said. had made a “big disclosure” Air India said its Boeing 777 travelled Rao said even the air traffi c controllers during police questioning on from Delhi to San Francisco and back at the Delhi end of the fl ight, which re- the blast, state Home Minister again with an all-female crew last week, turned on March 3, were women. Bhupendra Singh said later. the fi rst time such a fl ight has circum- The airline will operate more all-fe- Chief Minister Shivraj Singh navigated the globe. male fl ights this week to celebrate Inter- Chouhan ordered a probe and The airline, which has faced criticism national Women’s Day today, Rao said. announced Rs50,000 each in the past for grounding dozens of fe- Last year the state-owned carrier to the seriously wounded and male cabin crew over their weight, said it said it had fl own a non-stop fl ight for 17 Rs25,000 to those who suff ered had applied to Guinness World Records hours to set a record for the longest all- minor injuries. Police earlier said to validate the claim. female crew trip. a coach on the train caught fire Smiling members of the crew, wearing In recent years Air India has taken after the explosion near Jabri saris and jackets, posed for selfi es in San several initiatives to improve its record railway station. The injured were Francisco International Airport before on gender equality. taken to the Kalapipal hospital. setting off on the fi nal leg of the trip. In January it announced designated Shujalpur Sub-Divisional Off icer Every member of staff – from the female-only seats on its domestic fl ights Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani stands with the pilots and crew members of an all-women Delhi Amit Mishra said the coach was fl ight’s captains to the cabin crew, after a spate of sexual harassment com- – San Francisco – Delhi flight as they pose for a photograph during an event on the eve of International Women’s Day in New detached from the train after the check-in and ground handling staff – plaints by passengers. Delhi yesterday. blast. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 21 INDIA Protests in TN after fi sherman is shot dead by Lanka navy

Agencies jured, the leaders of the fi sher- Fishermen from the two coun- ter Narendra Modi to act to curb Lankan High Commissioner to and Rs100,000 for the injured the past 30 years, leaving more New Delhi men told reporters. tries often stray into each others’ what he said was Colombo’s “ag- India should be summoned and fi sherman Saron. than 800 fi shermen dead. More than 1,000 people had waters, creating diplomatic diffi - gression” against innocent In- told about the strong feelings of The attack comes a day after Ramadoss said India and Sri gathered at the victim’s village in culties, though most are detained. dian fi shermen. the Indian and Tamil Nadu gov- Palaniswami wrote to Modi seek- Lanka had agreed that fi shermen Tamil fi sherman was al- Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram dis- It was the fi rst death in six The sea near the island is rich ernments about the unprovoked ing the release of 85 fi shermen crossing the maritime boundary legedly shot dead by the trict in protest, while his family years. in marine life, leading to frequent fi ring on Indian fi shermen. and their 128 boats in Sri Lankan by mistake should not be attacked ASri Lankan Navy trig- refused to accept the body, de- “Initial investigations indicate clashes between Indian and Sri The dead man had set sail custody. but handled in a humane manner. gering protests in Tamil Nadu manding action from the Indian that the Sri Lanka Navy is not in- Lankan fi shermen as well as navy. in a vessel with others from Pattali Makkal Katchi lead- “It seems Sri Lanka is not will- yesterday, following which New and Sri Lankan governments. volved in this alleged incident,” In a letter to Modi, Palan- Rameshwaram on Monday. er Anbumani Ramadoss con- ing to abide by any agreement,” Delhi raised concerns over the The Indian High Commission the Sri Lankan foreign ministry iswami urged him “to intervene Sri Lankan Navy spokesper- demned the killing and said New he said. killing with Colombo. in Colombo had taken up the said in a statement. personally in this sensitive liveli- son Lt Commander Chaminda Delhi should stop terming Sri The latest incident is the worst The shooting took place on matter with Sri Lankan Prime “If in fact a shooting has taken hood issue of our fi shermen and Walakuluge said in Colombo that Lanka as a friendly nation. since two Indian fi shermen were Monday evening when the fi sh- Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, place, it is a matter of grave con- use all means at the command of the navy personnel had been or- “They were fi rst attacked by shot dead in Sri Lankan waters in ermen were fi shing in the Kat- All India Radio reported citing cern and all possible action will the government of India to curb dered not to fi re at Indian fi sh- the Sri Lankan Navy with gre- January 2011. chatheevu islet in the Palk Strait government sources. be taken, in co-operation with the unacceptable aggressive ac- ermen but to only arrest them if nades and then were shot at,” he In 2014 Sri Lanka passed the that divides India from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka said it would con- the relevant Indian authorities, tions of the Sri Lankan Navy and they entered Sri Lankan waters. said in Chennai. death penalty on fi ve Indian fi sh- A fi sherman identifi ed as K duct a joint investigation into the to investigate into this incident.” to protect the life, limb and lib- The Tamil Nadu chief minister He said attacks on the Indian ermen convicted of drug smug- Britjo, 22, died from gun-shot killing, but denied its navy was Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K erty of our innocent fi shermen”. announced a compensation of fi shermen by the Sri Lankan gling, but they were later released wounds and two more were in- responsible. Palaniswami urged Prime Minis- Palaniswami said the Sri Rs500,000 to the family of Britjo Navy have been happening for to Indian custody.

Six men A celebration of women arrested over rape DU professor of orphans

Agencies sentenced to Thiruvananthapuram

ix men have been arrested for allegedly raping teen- Sage girls from an orphan- age in Kerala, police said yester- life in jail for day. The girls were lured into a shop near their orphanage in Wayanad district by the suspects who off ered them chocolates. The men were arrested on Monday night following a com- Maoist links plaint by the orphanage. “There are a total of seven vic- Court says Saibaba and for creating violence and causing ments have put a lot of pressure tims, who were sexually abused others conspired “to create public disorder.” on the judiciary to implement over the last two months,” dis- violence and cause public Judge S S Shinde convicted anti-people and undemocratic trict police chief Rajpal Meena disorder Saibaba, 47, under the Unlaw- policies at the behest of corpo- said. ful Activities (Prevention) Act rates and MNCs,” she said. Police said the girls alleged IANS and found him and his associates Vasanta Kumari said that she that the men fi lmed the rapes Mumbai guilty of conspiring and being a will fi ght for her husband’s free- and used the footage to black- member of the terrorist outfi t dom in the higher courts and mail them into further sexual and off ences relating to support urged civil society members to acts. elhi University profes- given to the Leftist rebels. condemn the “undemocratic The suspects have been sor G N Saibaba, who is Saibaba was in April last year character of the government”. charged with rape as well as of- Dwheelchair-bound, was granted bail by the Supreme “Honouring the court, Saiba- fences under the Protection of yesterday sentenced to life im- Court and exempted from per- ba has been attending it in all Children from Sexual Off ences prisonment by a Maharashtra sonal appearance on the grounds these years including today, de- (POSCO) act. court for his links with Mao- of his deteriorating health. spite his deteriorating health. As Media reports said medical ists. Besides the DU teacher, the a wife I will fi ght in the higher tests had confi rmed rape. The Gadchiroli Sessions Court court also convicted Jawaharlal courts to seek justice. Statements of the students of also handed out life imprison- Nehru University student Hem “The government has been Classes 8 and 9 were recorded by ment to four others while their Mishra and former journalist putting relentless pressure on a magistrate earlier in the day. sixth accomplice was jailed for Prashant Rahi – both arrested in my family for the last four years Lok Sabha member from Kan- 10 years. 2013 for their nexus with the Left by raiding my house in Delhi. I nur P K Sreemathi met the vic- The suspended English pro- wing extremists. appeal to democracy champions, tims yesterday. She instructed fessor of Ram Lal Anand College Saibaba came under police peoples’ organisations, intellec- the authorities that all residents was arrested in May 2014 from scanner after the JNU student tuals, students to condemn such of the orphanage be given coun- Delhi. confessed to police that he was undemocratic character of the selling. The prosecution claimed acting as a courier between the government,” she said. Offi cials of the orphanage said that incriminating documents, English professor and Maoist She noted that after the ver- when they came to know about compact discs and pen drives leaders, including Puppalla Lax- dict was announced, her appeal what had happened to the girls, containing literature about the man Rao alias Ganapathy. seeking co-operative behaviour they reported the matter to the banned Communist Party of In- Hours after the verdict, Saiba- towards Saibaba – who is wheel- police, which led to the arrest of dia-Maoist were recovered from ba’s wife expressed her shock chair-bound and 90% disabled the six men. him. and accused the central govern- – was also rejected by the judge. Kerala Minister for Social The court noted that the ac- ment of following an RSS agenda “The judge refused to issue Justice K K Shailaja told re- cused had conspired “to create in pressuring the judiciary for a any order on the appeal of our porters in the state capital violence, cause public disorder favourable outcome. advocate... (who) asked him Thiruvananthapuram that very and spread disaff ection towards “This judgement is shocking. to issue an order directing the soon all orphanages would be the central government and the In the history of Maharashtra jail authorities to give required inspected to find out their con- state government”. this is the fi rst case in which all medicines, help of assistants for dition. “In pursuance of the said the Saibaba’s movement, operation “Strict action would be taken criminal conspiracy, the ac- persons chargesheeted were to be performed for gall bladder, against the violators of rules and cused were found in possession convicted in all the sections with etc,” she added. regulations,” said the minister. of printed Naxal literature” that life imprisonment,” Vasanta Ku- Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharati- Women’s right activists ex- was to be circulated “amongst mari said in a statement. ya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) pressed the shock at the “hor- the members of banned CPI- “No evidence has been proved welcomed the verdict, say- rifi c” crimes and demanded the Students pose with their faces painted at a college in Chennai yesterday on the eve of Maoist and its frontal organisa- by the prosecution... electronic ing Saibaba played a big role in strongest possible action against International Women’s Day. tion RDF (Revolutionary Demo- evidence was not sealed. It seems spreading Maoism in urban ar- the accused. cratic Front) and other persons the state and central govern- eas.

Curfew needed to protect Protest against govt Fat-shamed cop ‘hormonal’ women: Maneka gets free surgery

DPA The Saifee hospital off ered Agencies seven or eight, that depends on col- minister, one user suggested New Delhi to treat Jogawat following De’s New Delhi lege to college but it really is for your “strategic introduction of sex comment, Datta said, adding own safety,” she told the studio au- education to save the youth from the cop, who weighed 180kg dience of college students during a hormonal outburst”. tweet by a popular before the operation, could emale students need cur- special show to mark International “Dear @Manekagandhibjp we writer fat-shaming a lose up to 80kg over the next fews to protect them from Women’s Day today. can handle ‘hormonal outburst’ but Apoliceman thrust the 18 months. Ftheir own “hormonal out- Gandhi said a similar deadline your ‘patriarchal outburst’ was too cop into national limelight The hospital has been in bursts”, Women and Child De- should be put in place for male much to take,” said Dipsita. and got him a free weight-re- the news after it began treat- velopment Minister Maneka students, but many social media “Verbal outburst is doing more duction surgery. ing an Egyptian woman, re- Gandh has said, sparking ridi- users ridiculed her for her com- damage than Hormonal Outburst, Inspector Daulatram Joga- portedly the world’s heavi- cule on social media. ments. better control former one,” tweet- wat was discharged from est, at 500kg. Many Indian universities in- “You know what would be ed Haroon Rashid Bhat. Mumbai’s Saifee Hospital on Jogawat earlier said he was fl ict curfews on women while safest? Lock hormonal men in, “Maneka Gandhi’s ‘hormo- Monday following a bariatric hurt by De’s tweet and that allowing their male students instead of denying women the nal outburst’ comment makes surgery, spokeswoman Amrita he was not obese because of freedom to stay out at night, a right to lead a full life,” tweeted her sound like a khap panchayat Datta said. overeating but due to medical policy that critics say is sexist one critic. representative,” posted Kunal The cop thanked Shobhaa issues. and outdated. “Maneka Gandhi seems to be Majumder. De for her tweet, widely seen Following the surgery, Joga- Asked about the practice on a having a “hormonal outburst” Another twitter user posted: as humiliating him, but one wat told the Hindustan Times television talk show, Gandhi said herself. Did she really say that? “Hostel curfew are required but which had the unintended that he had got the “oppor- it was necessary to protect young Curfew for girls? Happy Inter- don’t give such pathetic reasons consequence of drawing at- tunity to come all the way to women from their own hormones. national Women’s Day,” tweeted for some serious issues.” tention to his plight. Mumbai for treatment” be- “To protect you from your author Shobhaa De. Gandhi is no stranger to con- De had tagged the police- cause of De. own hormonal outbursts, per- “Madam Menaka Gandhi, I troversy. man’s photograph in a tweet De appeared apologetic as haps a certain protection, a Lak- am having a ‘hormonal outburst’ Last year she angered wom- last month that said Mumbai she took to Twitter again yes- shman Rekha (red line) is drawn,” right this moment after listening en’s rights campaigners arguing had planned “heavy security” terday. she said in comments broadcast to you. Please help,” said another for a law against marital rape for local elections. “What a positive and won- on the NDTV news channel on Twitter user. by saying that could not apply Trinamool Congress workers stage a demonstration The tweet went viral with derful response from Daulat- Monday. While several of them made in India because society viewed against the central government in Kolkata yesterday. critics trolling De for being in- ram Jogawat. Salute. God bless “You can make it (the curfew) six, personal remarks against the marriage as sacrosanct. sensitive. the cop.” Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 LATIN AMERICA

INDUSTRIAL ACTION DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS SCANDAL PEOPLE JUSTICE Top Argentina labour Peru, Venezuela row Kuczynski targeted in Morales ‘to return to Ex-head of Salvadoran group pickets over wages over US ties grows Odebrecht bribery probe Cuba for small operation’ soccer federation jailed

Workers represented by Argentina’s main Peru recalled its ambassador in Caracas for Peruvian prosecutors ordered investigations Bolivian President Evo Morales will return to The former president of El Salvador’s soccer labour union gathered on the streets of Buenos consultations as the countries’ governments into President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s possible Cuba in early April for an operation to remove federation, who is wanted in the US for Aires yesterday to protest job cuts and pay traded insults over the crisis in Venezuela links to an international corruption scandal a nodule in his vocal cords, Cuban state media alleged corruption, was sentenced to eight raises that have not kept up with inflation, and ties with Washington. In a protest note involving construction firm Odebrecht. State said. The leftist former coca farmer went to years in Salvadoran prison for labour fraud, challenging the government seven months to the Venezuelan embassy in Lima, Peru corruption attorney Katherine Ampuero said she Cuba for treatment on Wednesday after a the country’s attorney general’s off ice said. ahead of key congressional elections. The one- expressed “total rejection of the insolent had ordered a “preliminary investigation over sore throat robbed him of his voice, causing Reynaldo Vasquez, head of FESFUT between day picket, which attracted tens of thousands comments” against its President Pedro alleged suspect operations” involving payments him to cancel public appearances. The state 2009 and 2010, was found guilty of improperly of workers, was the first march by the CGT Pablo Kuczynski. Kuczynski had annoyed by Odebrecht to Latin America Enterprise, a outlet Cubadebate reported that Morales appropriating insurance discounts, provisions umbrella labour group this year. Mauricio Macri Venezuela’s government by calling for company linked to the president. She also said met Cuban media before leaving the country and union dues from 204 workers of a family- became Argentina’s president in late 2015, Latin America to intervene in what he the authority had ordered similar investigations and told them he had been diagnosed with a owned bed-manufacturing company between vowing to jumpstart the economy through termed a “humanitarian crisis” in the into former president Alan Garcia, suspected virus and was now recovering. Doctors had 2012 and 2014, the attorney general’s off ice fiscal reforms aimed at attracting sorely-needed country. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Delcy of accepting a bribe for awarding Odebrecht also detected a small nodule that they could said. “It’s surprising; it is not based on law,” investment. But the promised wave of foreign Rodriguez retorted by calling Kuczynski a a contract to build an underground train line. only remove once he was off medication, in Vasquez said at the courthouse, referring to direct investment has been slow to manifest “coward,” during a speech in Caracas on Kuczynski has previously denied taking bribes an operation that would last no more than 15 the sentence, which also forces him to pay itself. Monday. from Odebrecht. minutes, he was cited as saying. $400,000 to resolve his civil liability.

Noriega On the campaign trail undergoes brain Brazilians surgery

AFP suff ering Panama City

anama’s former military dictator Manuel Noriega Pyesterday underwent sur- gery to remove a benign brain tumour, with his family hoping the 83-year-old’s recovery will worst ever prevent his return to prison. His daughter Thays Noriega said the surgeon had sent her a message before he began surgery at the Santo Tomas Hospital, in Panama City. “We understand the opera- recession tion had to be done given that his quality of life was steadily di- AFP Speaking in Brasilia, Meirelles The probe is due to pick up minishing,” she said. Rio de Janeiro acknowledged Brazil “faces its pace soon with the expected Manuel Noriega was a mili- worst crisis in history.” However, release of damaging testimony tary intelligence offi cer who he said the problems refl ected in against senior political fi gures long worked for the CIA and razil is suff ering the worst plummeting GDP fi gures were and opening of new criminal who ruled his Central American recession of its history, linked to past mistakes, which cases. country from 1983 until US forc- Boffi cial fi gures showed today’s government is fi xing. Temer also faces scrutiny in es invaded in 1989 to topple and yesterday, but Finance Minister “The GDP announced today the Supreme Electoral Court capture him. Henrique Meirelles insisted that refers to the past. It’s looking which must decide whether his Relations between Noriega Latin America’s biggest econo- in the rearview mirror,” he said. 2014 election as then vice presi- and the US deteriorated as he de- my will soon bounce back. “It’s the result of a series of poli- dent to Rousseff should be an- fi ed pressure from US president The government statistics cies.” nulled due to alleged use of bribe Ronald Reagan to stand down, offi ce said the economy shrank “Brazil is already a country money during the campaign. and as he appeared to shift alle- 0.9% in the last three months returning to normal,” Meirelles According to the statistics of- giance to the then-Soviet Union, of 2016, the eighth consecutive said. “The country is clearly al- fi ce, the fourth quarter of 2016 at the height of the Cold War. quarterly dip. ready growing.” — October through December After his ouster Noriega was That meant an overall fall of President Michel Temer is — saw the economy slump 0.9% taken prisoner to the US, where 3.6% in 2016, following a 3.8% working to get austerity and compared to the previous quar- he was tried and imprisoned fall in 2015. structural reforms through ter. on drug traffi cking and money The two straight years of eco- Congress with a view to restor- The picture was even gloomi- laundering charges. nomic decline mark the deepest ing fi scal responsibility to the er compared to the fi nal quarter In 2010 Noriega was extradited recession since records began. debt-laden government. of 2015: a decline of 2.5% year on to France, where he was convict- Brazil used to be an emerging Reacting to the latest GDP fi g- year. ed on money laundering charges, markets poster child under pres- ures, Temer also promised im- The latest quarterly declines then extradited to Panama in ident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva provements and cited a steady were led by the agricultural sec- 2011, where he was sentenced for between 2003 and 2010, riding slackening in the long stubborn tor, which saw a 6.6% fall, 3.8% the disappearance of political op- booming commodity prices and infl ation rate. in the industrial sector, and 2.7% ponents during his reign. Chinese demand. “We want to put the coun- in services, the statistics offi ce The former dictator is cur- It also won praise for far- try on the rails so that whoever said. rently serving three 20-year reaching social policies aimed at comes after can simply drive the This rapid retreat by the econ- prison sentences in Panama for lifting tens of millions of people train,” he said. “The priority is to omy took place despite a hoped those rights abuses. from extreme poverty. create jobs.” for boost from the Olympics, Noriega was being held in El But the country was unpre- Temer took over last year after which Rio de Janeiro hosted in Renacer prison, on the banks of pared for a slump in prices for his predecessor Dilma Rousseff August. the Panama Canal. its oil, soy, metals and other was impeached for illegally ma- However, market analysts and But in January he was granted commodity exports, as well as nipulating government accounts the government expect better temporary release into home political instability and a huge with unauthorised loans. news soon, predicting the econ- detention to prepare for sur- corruption scandal. However, Temer’s hand has omy will fi nally exit the reces- gery, which had originally been By 2014 the economy was been weakened by enormous sion this year, albeit ending 2017 scheduled for February. fl at-lining and in 2015 entered unpopularity and a spreading with the most tepid of growth Noriega is suff ering from a negative territory. corruption scandal. rates — 0.49%. benign meningioma, a tumor on Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is running to be the presidential candidate for Unemployment recent- Several of his chief allies are Meirelles forecast that last membranes that cover the brain the ruling Partido Nacional (National Party), delivers a speech to supporters during a rally ahead ly reached a record 12.6%, mired in a probe looking at a quarter growth in 2017 would and spinal cord just inside the of the March 12 primary elections in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. amounting to around 13mn peo- sprawling bribery and embez- see 2.4 % compared to the same skull. ple out of work. zlement network. period last year.

New cable car line Honduras ex-president Mexico cancels sugar took bribe: gangster

AFP it was sent on to Guatemala, export permits to US Mexico and the US. New York Former president Lobo ap- Reuters to favour the southern neighbour It was not immediately clear pointed his son Fabio as an in- Mexico City and is seeking to renegotiate how many sugar export permits former Honduran drug terlocutor with Los Cachiros the North American Free Trade were cancelled or what penalties lord currently being — one of the country’s largest agreement. Mexico had faced. A held in the US said he drug gangs — Rivera Madariaga exico has cancelled The document made no sug- The Mexican economy min- paid large bribes to his coun- said, adding that he was put in existing sugar export gestion that the present dispute istry decided to cancel the per- try’s ex-president and his son charge of helping the gang with Mpermits to the US to was related to the wider poli- mits since it has no counterparts in exchange for protection from security. avoid penalties in a dispute over tics, but described as “absurd” at the commerce department to prosecution. Porfi rio Lobo denied what he the pace of shipments, a docu- an interpretation by “low-level” resolve the issue, the document Devis Leonel Rivera Madariaga called “absolutely false accusa- ment seen by Reuters said, partly commerce department offi cials said. — a former boss of the notorious tions” in comments to AFP, say- blaming the issue on unfi lled po- of a clause in so-called suspen- “Because the ministry can- Los Cachiros cartel who has con- ing he never met with drug traf- sitions at the US department of sion agreements, which have not resolve the issue with the fessed to killing 78 people — said fi ckers or received bribes from commerce. regulated the sugar trade be- department of commerce, since he paid former president Porfi rio them. It was not immediately clear tween both countries since the offi cials in charge of making de- Lobo (2010-2014) and his son Fabio Lobo, who was in what impact the cancellation end of 2014. cisions have not been appointed, Fabio hundreds of thousands of court dressed in a navy blue would have on exports to the US. In the document, chamber economy ministry attorneys in dollars. prisoner uniform, listened in The document, sent by Mexi- president Humberto Jasso says Washington insisted on send- He was speaking in testimony silence, sometimes shaking co’s sugar chamber to mills said the interpretation relating to ing a statement to the commerce in a New York court in a case his head at Rivera Madariaga’s existing permits would be reis- how much sugar Mexico can send ministry acknowledging the against Fabio Lobo, who is ac- statements. sued in April. in the six months up to March 31 problem and cancelling existing cused of drug traffi cking to the The US Drug Enforcement Mexico’s sugar mills are cur- means it would only be able to exports, so that they can be re- US. Agency (DEA) arrested Rivera rently in full swing at the height export 40% of the quota allocat- issued as of April 1,” the docu- Rivera Madariaga said his Madariaga in December 2015 on of the harvest. ed by the US in the period, caus- ment adds. group’s contacts with the Lobos, charges of drug traffi cking. He The amount of sugar sent to ing a concentration in the second Mill owners should consider other politicians — some still faces up to life in prison plus 30 the US varies from season to sea- half of the season. legally challenging the decision, ongoing — and the police and years. son, with the document referring The economy ministry said it said. military helped the cartel receive The DEA also arrested Lobo in to a quota of 820,000 tonnes in it could not immediately com- Trump has not fi lled staff po- tonnes of cocaine in Honduras, a Haiti in 2015. 2016-2017. ment. sitions in several departments, country with one of the world’s He pleaded guilty to conspir- Ties between the US and Mex- Offi cials from Mexico’s sugar a situation Mexican offi cials say Cable cars run along the recently inaugurated blue line, an highest homicide rates. ing to import and distribute co- ico have frayed under Donald chamber could not be reached for has made it hard to negotiate on urban ropeway, in El Alto city, on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia. The drug was shipped from caine in the US in May 2016. He Trump, who sees trade skewed comment. trade issues. Colombia and Venezuela before faces up to life in prison. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN 90% displaced CPEC creates 13,000 people from jobs in Pakistan: envoy tribal region Internews to the prioritised list but down- a rail connection, CPEC is Gwadar International Airport had become extremely uncom- Islamabad graded the 1,320MW Rahim Yar incomplete”, said Bizenjo. and Eastbay Expressway both petitive in the world and projects return home Khan power project on its ac- The Chinese ambassador said projects are critical for making initiated under the CPEC like tively promoted list, which cata- that CPEC had already entered Gwadar port fully operational. energy and infrastructure rojects under the China- logues projects to be completed the implementation phase, and The Chinese authorities schemes cannot help improve Internews hoped the remaining families Pakistan Economic Cor- over the next fi ve years. The so far 18 under-construction have not yet cleared these two competiveness. “The signs of Islamabad would return home in April Pridor (CPEC) are moving group also upgraded the Oracle projects generated 13,000 new projects, although they are part chronic external imbalances this year. ahead of schedule and so far power project to the priority list. jobs for local people. of the priority list. have already started appearing,” The offi cial said some 1,650 these schemes have generated The CPEC was ‘open and in- Sun said in its last meeting of Iqbal said that the groundbreak- said Umar. ata Disaster Manage- families had come back from 13,000 local jobs, China’s am- clusive’ and other countries Joint Co-operation Committee ing ceremonies of the Gwadar In- The CPEC is not solution to all ment Authority (FDMA) Khost and other provinces of bassador to Islamabad Sun Wei- could benefi t, said ambassador (JCC) of the CPEC, both coun- ternational Airport and Eastbay the ills of Pakistan’s economy, he Fdirector general Kha- Afghanistan. He added these dong told participants at a forum Sun Weidong while responding tries had agreed upon a new list Expressway would take place in a added. lid Khan said yesterday that families had gone to Afghani- organised by the Express Media to a question about linking Gwa- of priority projects, medium- few months – this was also stated Umar said that Pakistan’s about 90% of displaced fami- stan due to military operation Group yesterday. dar port with Iran’s Chabahar and long-term plans. by the minister last year. businesses have also started lies from the tribal areas had in North Waziristan. Developments in relation port. He said this had given a new im- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s feeling that the Chinese com- returned home so far. “The return process of to CPEC were occurring rap- Before the ambassador’s ad- petus to the CPEC implementation. lawmaker Asad Umar highlight- panies that are very competitive He said the remaining fami- refugees from Afghanistan idly and both countries recently dress, Ports and Shipping Min- The ambassador said that ed risks to the CPEC and the im- might overtake them. lies would reach native areas has been delayed due to the made minor adjustments to ister Hasil Bizenjo said that Pa- many energy projects would be- plications of the CPEC fi nancial The involvement of Pakistani by April 30. The offi cial said closure of border between the priority list by upgrad- kistan had proposed building an come operational this year and deals on the country’s economy. companies and labour is very the temporarily displaced Pakistan and Afghanistan,” ing schemes placed under ‘ac- 85-kilometre-long road, creat- the next year while construc- The repayments of the CPEC less, which has given an impres- persons from Kurram and he said, adding that it would tively promoted projects’, said ing a road link between Gwadar tion of industrial zones was also loans may expose the country sion that Pakistani companies Orakzai tribal agencies had al- resume with the reopening of ambassador Sun. and Chabahar ports. set to begin soon. He said that to yet another balance of pay- are not part of the CPEC devel- ready returned home through the border. Speakers highlighted chal- “Chabahar port cannot sur- a medium-term plan would be ments crisis, if Pakistan did not opment, said Umar, who also government-sponsored To a question, the FDMA lenges and opportunities that vive without Gwadar and both fi nalised this year. improve its competitiveness, heads National Assembly Stand- programmes. chief said the survey for all the $54 billion investment ports can complement each However, the ambassador said Umar. He said that the loans ing Committee on Industries Khan said some 17,000 fam- damaged buildings including package brought for Pakistan. other,” said Bizenjo. The min- pointed out that action was key obtained for CPEC projects were and Production. ilies from North Waziristan houses, shops and other prop- Last month, the Energy Ex- ister also underscored the need to CPEC construction. more expensive than other in- However, the planning min- and about 21,000 from South erties had been completed pert Group agreed to upgrade for prioritising railways projects, Planning Minister Ahsan ternational loans obtained for ister termed concerns of the Waziristan were yet return to in the areas, which had been another 660-megawatt (MW) which are not progressing Iqbal stressed upon the need for various purposes. business community “another native areas, adding that some cleared by the security forces Hubco coal-fi red power plant at a quicker pace. “Without early groundbreaking of the New Asad Umar said that Pakistan conspiracy against the CPEC”. 2,500 families of Bara tehsil and according to government in Khyber Agency would be policy, the aff ected people facilitated to return home by would be compensated for April 30. losses. The offi cial said the fed- “The survey and esti- Sharif visits Kuwait eral government had set April mates of completely and par- CPEC tower coming 30 the deadline for the return tially damaged houses are of all displaced families from in progress in some parts of tribal areas. tribal areas,” he added. He said up in Islamabad to Khan said the return proc- schools, hospitals, govern- ess was delayed due to harsh ment buildings and other in- be the tallest and unpleasant weather. He frastructure would be rebuilt.

Internews tifying a suitable site. The ac- Islamabad quisition of land in the light of the feasibility study was also Over 22,000 Afghans ordered. China-Pakistan Eco- “The committee should sit nomic Corridor (CPEC) with relevant departments displaced since Jan Atower will be con- to resolve issues of building structed in Pakistani capital of codes and regulations” said Islamabad, which will be the the minister. The initiative will DPA More than 650,000 civilians tallest in the city. provide facilitation to Chi- Kabul fl ed their villages and homes Minister for Planning, De- nese and other investors from in 2016. velopment and Reforms Ah- around the world. This year, the UN expects san Iqbal said the iconic tower He said the tower would ngoing confl ict in dif- 450,000 displaced persons would attract investors and help in the image building ferent parts of the inside the country. serve as a symbol of branding of Islamabad as a sustain- Ocountry has forced According to the report, Pak-China Friendship, says a able and vibrant city thriving more than 22,600 Afghans to last week fi ghting was regis- release issued by the Planning upon entrepreneurship, sci- leave their homes since the tered across the country in at Commission of Pakistan. ence and technology, research beginning of 2017, a Unit- least 12 provinces. It said the decision was and development, fi nance and ed Nations report revealed This week started with taken at a meeting chaired by culture. yesterday. fi ghting in southern Kanda- Minister Ahsan Iqbal. A com- An offi cial of the CDA The UN said it saw displace- har province, as the Taliban mittee to be headed by Malik said it was yet to be decided ment in 20 of the country’s 34 attacked Afghan security Ahmed Khan, Member Infra- where the tower would be provinces, while 36% of those posts in Nish district early on structure, will work on the constructed. displaced were in areas not Monday morning. proposed tower. “The project is at the initial able to be easily reached by aid According to Kandahar Speaking on the occasion, stage, various sites are under workers. police spokesman Ahmadzia A handout picture released yesterday by Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA), shows Kuwaiti Prime Minister Ahsan Iqbal laid down the consideration. We are also The report also included Durani, six members of the Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah, right, and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reviewing the tasks for the committee. Di- looking for a site in Mauve new fi gures on Afghans forced Afghan security forces were honour guard at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait City. rections were given to conduct Area near Kashmir Highway to move due to confl ict last killed while 13 others were a feasibility study after iden- and sector G-6,” he said. year. wounded. Afghan police in volatile south On home ground complain of not being paid

Reuters lems with salary payments in to pay police are disbursed al police in the province say they Kabul/Kandahar Uruzgan and the eastern prov- through the United Nations have not been paid since Septem- ince of Nuristan due to a failure Development Programme ber. In Kandahar, local police in with the transfer system at one (UNDP) to the Afghan govern- eight districts have not been paid olice in parts of volatile large Afghan bank. ment and mainly paid direct to since October, Zia Durrani, a po- southern Afghanistan have “We are now working on individuals’ bank accounts. lice spokesman said. Pnot been paid for weeks, fi nding another way of trans- However, while eff orts con- “We have given them weap- offi cials say, undermining morale ferring money to them,” said tinue to integrate personnel ons, ammunition and territo- at a time when Taliban militants spokesman Najib Danish. data electronically, offi cials ries but cannot pay them their traditionally increase attacks on However, another govern- say they do not know how salary. This is dangerous,” he security forces. ment offi cial said the problem many among authorised force said. The Nato-led coalition in was also caused by concerns in strength of 157,000 are actually The problem has been partly Afghanistan has repeatedly some areas that payrolls were serving, or whether they are all linked to diff erences between warned that the eff ectiveness being infl ated by non-existent being paid properly. the Afghan National Police and of police and soldiers to fi ght “ghost police” and exacerbated In testimony to a US Senate local police units. the insurgency has been un- by delays in getting the national committee last month, General A recent statement from the dermined by irregular pay and budget approved in parliament. John Nicholson, the top Nato interior ministry said reports leave, exacerbated by corrup- “When that happens, it de- commander in Afghanistan, that police in Kandahar and Pakistani soldiers check the identity of citizens returning from Afghanistan at the border town of tion and weak leadership from lays all the payments,” said said corruption and poor sup- Uruzgan had not been paid did Chaman, yesterday. commanders. the offi cial, who spoke anony- port for troops and police in the not concern national police but Dost Mohammad Nayab, mously because he was not au- fi eld was among the main prob- rather local units that did not spokesman for the governor of thorised to talk to the media. lems facing Afghan forces. come under its authority. Uruzgan province, said local Police units, usually worse Southern Afghanistan, in- “The local police were cre- Centre launched to protect women journalists offi cials had spoken “repeat- paid and equipped than the cluding the key Taliban heart- ated by the government but edly” with the interior ministry military, are a core part of Af- lands of Helmand and Kandahar, the government does not co- Reporters Without Borders within the news organisations for mainly in the big cities. about wage arrears, but had re- ghanistan’s security forces, as well as neighbouring Uruzgan operate with us any more,” yesterday launched a centre to which they work to defend both They find themselves caught ceived no satisfactory response, taking on much of the fi ghting and Zabul, is likely to see some of Shamsullah, a local police protect women journalists in their rights and their physical between Taliban militants on the echoing comments from other against Taliban insurgents and the heaviest fi ghting in the tradi- commander in Zhari district of Afghanistan, the second most safety,” the centre’s president one hand and their own families offi cials in the region. often suff ering higher casual- tional spring off ensive. Kandahar, said by telephone. dangerous in the country for the Farideh Nikzad said. on the other, who often do not “Our police forces haven’t ties than the army. Last year Taliban forces walked “We do not have food, am- profession after Syria. The biggest challenges are consider the job to be a suitable been paid for a month,” said Their pay has been a problem into the middle of Tarin Kot, cap- munition, fuel and now even The centre will aim to lobby the security and sexual abuse in the profession for a woman. Ghulam Farouq Sangari, police for years, despite eff orts by the ital of Uruzgan, after demoral- our salary,” he said. “If the gov- government for better working workplace, Nikzad said. Four women journalists have chief in the neighbouring prov- government and international ised police abandoned dozens of ernment wants to eliminate lo- conditions and rights for women RSF’s secretary-general been killed by their own relatives ince of Zabul. “When we speak partners to cut “ghost police” checkpoints without a fi ght. cal police, they should and let reporters. Christophe Deloire added: “By since 2002 for this very reason, with the interior ministry, they from payrolls and ensure that A dispute between rival po- us go our way. Not paying us is It will also talk to families to protecting women journalists, we according to RSF. just say there are some prob- wages are not lost through in- lice commanders was said to not a solution.” try to change perceptions that are defending media freedom in Afghanistan suff ered its deadliest lems with the system.” accurate records or skimmed be one of the main factors that Local elders fear that unpaid journalism is no job for a woman. Afghanistan.” year on record for all journalists in An interior ministry spokes- off by corrupt offi cials. prompted the abandonment. police and militia could under- “We want to support women The country currently has some 2016, according to a recent Afghan man said there had been prob- Funds from foreign donors Despite that, local and nation- mine security further. journalists both in war zones and 300-400 women journalists, Journalists’ Safety Committee report. Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 PHILIPPINES Poor portrayal of president in US drama criticised

AFP ously been criticised for wolf- Manila whistling at a woman journal- ist at a press conference and joking about looking at his fe- anila yesterday male vice president’s legs. “strongly protested” During last year’s presiden- Mabout an American tial campaign, the Australian television drama which shows and American ambassadors in a fi ctional Philippine president Manila criticised Duterte for making a sexual advance on the saying he had wanted to rape US secretary of state. a “beautiful” Australian mis- In the trailer for the latest sionary who was murdered in a edition of Madam Secretary, prison riot. the lead character punches Duterte reacted angrily to “the Philippines’ unconven- that criticism, saying the re- tional new president” in the marks had been misinterpret- face and gives him a bloody ed. nose in reaction to his unwant- Duterte also boasted on the ed pass. campaign trail about having “I clobbered a world leader two mistresses but said the instead of saving a major re- women would not cost taxpay- gional agreement,” the secre- ers much because he kept them Activists kneel as they pray behind a barbed wire during a protest rally against the passing of the death penalty bill, at the gate of House of the Representatives in Quezon city, Metro tary of state says. at cheap boarding houses and Manila, yesterday. The Philippine embassy in took them to by-the-hour ho- Washington said in a statement tels for intercourse. it had written to the producers However Duterte has won of the show, the CBS network, praise for a range of policies to urgently request it “take the promoting women’s rights, in- necessary corrective actions”. cluding reproductive health. “This highly negative por- His spokesman Ernesto trayal of our Head of State not Abella also criticised the show only casts doubt on the re- yesterday while making an ap- spectability of the Offi ce of the parent reference to womanis- Govt edges closer to Philippine President but also ing American leaders. denigrates (the) way our nation “I think they are project- navigates foreign aff airs,” the ing something they would re- statement said. ally like to say about their own While the description for the situation. trailer used a fi ctional name for I think they should use a the Philippine president, the fi ctional US president,” Abella embassy said the show mir- told reporters. death penalty return rored current events. “It’s their business. It’s their The real Philippine presi- craft. You cannot deny them Reuters topher Belonte said lawmakers dent, Rodrigo Duterte, has their craft, their taste perhaps.” Manila voting in favour would have previously caused controversy On social media, some Fili- “blood on our hands”. with comments seen as sexist pinos pointed out that thou- Congressman and former and off ensive. sands of people had been killed hilippine lower house law- Manila mayor Joselito Atienza Yesterday he added to that under Duterte’s controversial makers overwhelmingly said the bill would put “a curse list when he addressed a fe- drugs war and questioned why Papproved the re-imposi- on our predominantly Catholic male guest while giving a na- Philippine authorities should tion of capital punishment for nation”. tionally televised speech at the be outraged at a fi ctional tel- serious drug off ences yesterday, The passage through the presidential palace. evision show. clearing another hurdle in Presi- Senate is not guaranteed to be “I am distracted. You close “So it’s not OK for a TV show dent Rodrigo Duterte’s drive to smooth.Some Duterte loyal- your legs, God damn,” said to punch the fi ctional Presi- use death as a deterrent against ists in the chamber oppose it. Duterte, 71, drawing laughter dent of the Philippines but it’s crime. Deliberations by the 24- from the crowd. OK for 7,000+ people to be Voting 216 to 54 with one ab- seat upper house on its own “Is this on national TV? shot without trial? The hypoc- stention, lawmakers passed the version of the bill were sus- Your dad’s listening.” risy is particularly juicy,” one third and fi nal reading the bill to pended last month after the The president had previ- Facebook user posted. bring back the death penalty, but justice department reminded in a watered-down draft that ex- senators the Philippines is a cludes crimes like rape, kidnap- signatory to a United Nations for-ransom and plunder. treaty that prohibits execu- Two Korean inmates fl ee detention centre The bill, which permits death tions. The death penalty has by hanging, fi ring squad and le- been imposed and repealed Two Korean fugitives murder and fraud cases, thal injection, must now go to Members of the Philippine Congress attend the third and final reading of the death penalty bill inside the on and off in the Philippines escaped from the tightly respectively. the Senate. House of the Representatives in Quezon city, Metro Manila, yesterday. since after World War Two. guarded Bureau of Immigra- The incident has left another A return of the death penalty, Dozens of convicts were ex- tion (BI) Detention Centre black mark on the BI, which over a decade after it was abol- or unrelated murders. order agenda. He has spoken mised,” he told reporters. ecuted by electric chair from located inside Camp Bagong has yet to recover from the ished under pressure from the Re-imposing capital punish- repeatedly of his desire to hang Human rights groups and 1950 to 1986. Diwa, the headquarters of the P50mn extortion scandal church, has been a top priority ment was Duterte’s fi rst piece criminals, as many as 20 per day. Catholic bishops oppose the The death penalty was abol- Philippine National Police- that led to the dismissal of for Duterte, who was swept to of draft legislation and was sub- Robert Ace Barbers, who bill and have protested outside ished a year later and restored National Capital Region former Associate Commis- power on promises of a merciless mitted on his inauguration on heads the house committee on Congress and warned politi- in 1993 under President Fidel (PNP-NCR) command, Manila sioners Al Argosino and war on drugs and crime. June 30. dangerous drugs, said death cians supporting it to expect a Ramos, before being scrapped Times reported. Michael Robles and acting More than 8,000 people have It argued the justice system for those who manufacture and backlash from their constitu- again in 2006. The escapees were identified intelligence chief Charles been killed since Duterte took had been “emasculated” and possess large volumes of nar- ents. The International Commis- as Park Wang Yeol and Jung Calima. Immigration sources offi ce eight months ago, mostly tough measures were needed. cotics was appropriate because Opponents spoke out strong- sion on Jurists condemned the Jaeyul, both 38 years old. did not discount the possibil- drug users killed by mysterious Duterte has questioned why of the “irreparable damage” ly in the house, describing the house and urged the Senate to The two, who were await- ity that the two Koreans paid gunmen in incidents authori- lawmakers excluded serious drugs had caused to society. measure as barbaric, regressive block a bill that “puts the Phil- ing deportation, were facing for their freedom. ties attribute to vigilantes, gang crimes other than drugs, saying “The entire future of our and no deterrent against crime. ippines in direct conflict with members silencing informants, it runs counter to his law and country has been compro- Representative Jose Chris- its international obligations”.

Four suspects killed as police resume drugs war Call for ‘compromise’ over mining, environment Reuters and drugs were recovered. Manila The PNP’s reinstatement came just over a month after a Reuters “She has a good case. Hope- furious Duterte pulled police Manila fully we can strike a happy com- hilippine police killed four back from his crackdown in promise there,” he said. suspected drug dealers in the wake of the killing by rogue Lopez, a fi ery environmental Pthree separate incidents drugs squad police of a South hilippine President Rod- crusader, last month ordered the yesterday, a provincial police Korean businessman. rigo Duterte said yester- closure of 23 of the country’s 41 commander said, just hours af- Dela Rosa said “clean, dedi- Pday he hopes there will be mines and suspended fi ve oth- ter a relaunch of anti-drugs op- cated and patriotic” offi cers a “happy compromise” between ers to protect watersheds after a erations that the national police would form the new drug en- the mining industry and pro- months-long review by the en- chief said he hoped would be forcement unit under his com- tecting the environment, throw- vironment agency. “less bloody”. mand. The PNP has defended ing support once more to an em- Duterte, who last year said the The incidents were the fi rst its role in the drugs war, amid battled minister who shut half of country can survive without a reported deaths of drug sus- growing criticism from human the country’s mines. mining sector, has largely backed pects since Philippine National rights groups that they have op- Environment and Natural Re- Lopez’s mining crackdown, and Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela erated with impunity and sys- sources Secretary Regina Lopez did not appear to deviate from his Rosa announced the restart of tematically abused their power. will appear before Congress for stance yesterday. operations he hoped would be The crackdown is an issue of her confi rmation hearing today, “You just cannot ignore the less bloody “or even bloodless”. concern among Western gov- and will likely have to defend her cries of Gina Lopez,” he said, add- About 8,000 people had been ernments and the United Na- decisions on mine closures amid ing that she has clearly pointed killed since President Rodrigo tions. concerns over job and revenue out the environmental harm Duterte declared war on drugs The PNP points to some losses. mining has caused in nickel-rich upon taking offi ce on June 30, 40,000 people it has arrested in Lopez is among just a few of southern Mindanao island. more than 2,555 in what the drug operations and more than a Duterte’s appointees yet to be “We cannot be allowing dig- PNP says were shootouts during million drug users and peddlers confi rmed by lawmakers. ging forever in every nook and raids and sting operations. that have surrendered and vol- The Philippines is the top cranny of the mountain ranges. It The PNP insists it had no in- unteered to undergo drug reha- nickel ore exporter and Lopez’s will spell disaster,” said President volvement in the rest of the kill- bilitation. approval would probably sustain Duterte, also the former mayor ings and deny activists’ allega- Relatives of a suspected drug pusher, who was shot and killed by unidentified men, react upon learning that Duterte recalled the police worries over supply disruptions of Davao City, the biggest city tions that many of the deaths, their kin was killed in Quezon city, Metro Manila, yesterday. for the campaign because the that could lift global prices of the in Mindanao. Earlier yesterday, most unsolved and in mysteri- Philippine Drug Enforcement stainless steel ingredient. Lopez said she had asked Duterte ous circumstances, were assas- dlers were shot dead in the amphetamine to undercover Romeo Caramat. A fourth man Agency (PDEA) lacked man- “I know that we need the dol- to halt a second review of the 28 sinations of drug suspects with early hours of yesterday when offi cers in two towns in Bula- was killed when he confronted power to stem what the PNP lars but somehow we have to look mines that she ordered closed or police complicity. they resisted arrest after sell- can, north of Manila, accord- police manning a checkpoint, says are signs of drugs returning at the other way,” Duterte told an suspended, challenging its legal- Three suspected drug ped- ing packets of “shabu” meth- ing to Senior Superintendent he said, adding three handguns to the streets. agricultural industry event. ity after fi rst supporting it. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Nepal imposes curfew in two regions hit by charter clash

IANS Public transport, factories, the kin of the deceased, medical Kathmandu industries and educational treatment to the injured, decla- institutions were badly ration of the deceased as martyrs hit, as irate Morcha cadres and action against the guilty. urfew was imposed in held demonstrations and They vandalised the Com- Nepal’s Terai and Madhes burned tyres in Rajbiraj - munist Party of Nepal (Unifi ed Cregions yesterday in view the headquarters of Saptari Marxists-Leninists) [CPN- of the prevailing tension there district UML] regional offi ce at La- Riot police run for cover as Madhesi activists hurl stones at them in Saptari district of Nepal. Picture taken March 6. since the death of three Mad- han Municipality-1, gheraoed hesi Morcha cadres in a clash industries and educational in- Saptari district administration Dahal, meanwhile, called a meet- Saptari. The government will pay UML, in the Rajbiraj industrial Gajendra Narayan Singh Sagar- between security forces on the stitutions were badly hit, as irate offi ce (DAO), ransacked Rajbiraj ing of Home Minister Bimalendra compensation to the deceased zone. matha Zonal Hospital in Rajbiraj. previous day. Morcha cadres held demonstra- Municipality and Nepal Telecom Nidhi and security chiefs and and bear all costs incurred on the As tension grew, the Saptari Meanwhile, the main opposi- Sporadic protests and dem- tions and burned tyres in Rajbi- offi ce, and also damaged a Na- urged them to exercise restraint treatment of the injured,” said administration clamped curfew tion CPN-UML at a press confer- onstrations took place in sev- raj - the headquarters of Saptari tional Human Rights Commis- while using force. Prime Minister Dahal. in Rajbiraj. ence in Kathmandu on Tuesday eral parts of Nepal’s southern district. Markets in Bhardaha, sion vehicle, police said. After the meeting, the Home Three Morcha cadres died and According to the Morcha, sev- alleged that the attack on their region yesterday in reaction to Kanchanpur, Rupani and Kaly- In view of the violent protests, Minister called the chief district at least two dozen were injured en of the injured demonstrators offi ce was a plot to kill all the top the deaths. An alliance of Madh- anpur areas remained shut dur- security has been beefed up at offi cer and local security chiefs in police fi ring on Monday when were in critical condition. They leaders of the party. es-based parties has called for a ing the day. the district court, DAO, district of Saptari district to the national the alliance of the Madhes-based were undergoing treatment at the The Monday clashes took two-day strike to protest against Hundreds of protesters took to police offi ce and the district land capital for clarifi cation. parties attempted to disrupt the Dharan-based B.P. Koirala Insti- place immediately after the top the killings. the streets and chanted slogans revenue offi ce. “I am really saddened by the Mechi-Mahakali campaign of tute of Health Sciences, while CPN-UML leadership concluded Public transport, factories, demanding compensation to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal tragic incident that took place in the second-largest party, CPN- others were being treated at the a mass meeting. Police launch online service High Court stays trial of Zia in Niko graft case

By Mizan Rahman of the ruling, said Zia’s lawyer e-Islami’s leader Abdullah Mo- Dhaka Mahbub Uddin Khokon. hammad Taher are among the The ACC fi led the case on accused in the cases. December 9, 2007 accusing Zia Rizvi at the briefi ng alleged he High Court (HC) yes- and several others of abusing that plain-clothes police again terday stayed the trial power to award a gas explo- arrested BNP joint secretary Tproceedings against Bang- ration and extraction deal to general Habib-un-Nabi Khan ladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Canadian company Niko when Sohel at jail gate soon after he chairperson and former PM Kha- she was prime minister be- got released completing all legal leda Zia in Niko graft case. tween 2001 and 2006. formalities from higher court. An HC bench comprising Later on May 5, 2008, it sub- He said BNP is yet to be of- Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal and mitted charge-sheet against 11 fi cially informed by the law en- Justice Md Khashruzzaman people. forcers about the arrest of Sohel. passed the order following a In the meantime, police sub- Rizvi sought intervention of petition fi led by Zia seeking a mitted charge-sheets against the chief justice in the matter. stay on the trial proceeding of Zia and 77 others in two cases During the anti-government the case. of arson attacks which killed movement, on February 3, The court also issued a ruling sleeping passengers on a bus at 2015, protesters hurled petrol asking the Anti-Corruption Chauddagram in Comilla. bomb on a running bus at Miar Commission (ACC) to explain The Chauddagram police sub- Bazar at Chauddagram. why the trial proceedings mitted the charge-sheets to the ju- At least 20 people were in- against the BNP chief should dicial magistrate court of Comilla. jured in the attack. Eight of the not be scrapped. BNP senior leaders M K An- injured later died. Sri Lanka police chief Pujith Jayasundara, right, launches the first online service delivery by the Sri Lankan police at the headquarters in The HC stayed proceed- war, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Rafi qul Police fi led two cases of arson Colombo yesterday. For the first time, the police will allow applications for security clearance to be issued online. ings of the graft case at the Islam Mia and Shaukat Mah- in this connection. Zia was named trial court until the disposal mood and Bangladesh Jamaat- as an instigator in both the cases. Daring ambush fails Hasina seeks Indonesia’s to free top militant help on Rohingya crisis

By Mizan Rahman in Bangladesh Dhaka erming the Rohingya ref- AFP In a separate incident yes- cafe last year in which 22 people, ugee crisis a big problem, Dhaka terday, two men described as including 18 foreign hostages, TPrime Minister Sheikh Islamist extremists attacked a were killed by gunmen. Hasina yesterday urged the In- police checkpoint in the eastern Police have since arrested donesian government to play a uspected Islamist militants town of Chandina. scores of suspected extremists role in repatriating the Myanmar hurled bombs at a prison “They shouted “Allahu Ak- and killed several top leaders of refugees from Bangladesh. Svan in a daring attempt to bar” (God is Great) and hurled homegrown militant cells. “The Myanmar refugee issue free Bangladesh’s most-wanted two homemade bombs at police Hannan was sentenced to is a big problem for Bangladesh militant leader from death row, during a routine check,” local death in 2008 for his role in sev- and it needs to be resolved,” the police said yesterday. police chief Nasiruddin Mridha eral atrocities, including a gre- prime minister said at a meet- Police arrested a 24-year-old said. nade attack that wounded the ing with Indonesian President man at the scene and launched then-British high commission- Joko Widodo held at Jakarta a hunt for his accomplices after A gang throws bombs at er, and could be executed within Convention Centre on the the gang threw bombs at the van the van carrying Muft i months. sidelines of the IORA Leaders’ carrying Mufti Abdul Hannan in Abdul Hannan in the He led a campaign of deadly Summit. the town of Tongi just outside town of Tongi to free bombings in Bangladesh in the The Indonesian foreign min- Dhaka on Monday. him mid-1990s, masterminding at- ister recently visited Bangla- “Their aim was to snatch Mufti tacks on churches, secular gath- desh and Myanmar to take ac- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina holding talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta yesterday. Hannan,” local police chief Fi- “We fi red back with shotguns erings and mosques used by Is- count of the Myanmar refugee roz Talukder said, referring to and arrested both as they tried to lam’s minority sects. crisis, foreign ministry sources his visit after discussions with over the supply of 250 rail- co-operation in the fi eld of the high-profi le ringleader of the escape,” he said, adding the pair By the time he was arrested in said in Dhaka yesterday. Bangladesh offi cials. way carriages by Indonesia to liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) as Harkatul Jihad Al Islami group. were injured in the fi refi ght. late 2005, more than 100 people Foreign secretary Shahidul “We’re hopeful that the visit Bangladesh. Indonesia produces and exports Several of the bombs went off Bangladesh has suff ered a had been killed in attacks he or- Haque said co-operation in the of the Indonesian president to Highlighting Bangladesh’s the natural gas. but the van was able to return to spate of attacks on secular ac- chestrated across the moderate areas such as railway, pharma- Bangladesh will take place by development in the pharma- He said the Indonesian presi- prison with Hannan and 18 other tivists, foreigners and religious Muslim-majority nation. ceutical and energy between this year,” the foreign secretary ceutical sector, Hasina said it dent highly appreciated Bang- prisoners, he added. minorities in recent years. Hannan fought against the Bangladesh and Indonesia also said. is now exporting world class ladesh’s tremendous socio- Police recovered a range of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State Soviets in Afghanistan before came up for discussions at the Mentioning that his country medicines to over 70 countries, economic development under weapons from the scene, in- group have claimed responsi- returning to join Harkatul Jihad meeting. has made great strides in the including the United States and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cluding a grenade and Molotov bility in some cases but Prime Al Islami, a group founded for The prime minister also in- railway sector, the Indonesian the European Union. leadership. cocktails, along with a pistol and Minister Sheikh Hasina’s secu- jihadists who fought in that war. vited the Indonesian President president said they want to Widodo underscored the Foreign Minister Mahmood butcher’s knife. lar government has pinned the It was the fi rst Islamist mili- to visit Bangladesh. make contributions to the de- need for collaboration be- Ali, PM’s principal secretary The man captured following blame on local outfi ts. tant outfi t to emerge in Bang- Widodo told Hasina that a velopment of Bangladesh’s rail- tween the two countries in the Kamal Chowdhury, and Bang- the brazen attack was a former Security forces launched a ladesh, and rose to prominence ministry-level delegation will way sector. pharmaceutical sector. ladesh ambassador to Indo- student at an Islamic boarding crackdown on extremists fol- as Hannan escalated its deadly visit Bangladesh within two At this point, the prime min- Shahidul also said a dis- nesia Azmal Kabir were also school, police said. lowing a shooting at a Dhaka operations under his leadership. months to set the agenda of ister expressed her satisfaction cussion was held on possible present at the meeting. Gulf Times 26 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko A welcome return to hope

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar as resilience wins the day [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), Pakistan hosts high profi le 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) ECO summit, PSL fi nal, Fax 44350474 four days apart, in a bold gambit to lay the ghosts of GULF TIMES isolation at rest By Kamran Rehmat Doha

fter a spate of terrorist Egypt needs to build attacks across Pakistan last month that left more than A100 people dead, and also induced a swift rearguard from the on green shoots of country’s security forces, two epoch- making developments have infused a new hope in what is being seen as a symbolic victory against the forces of economic recovery darkness. The 10-member Economic Co- operation Organisation (ECO) summit It may still be too early to talk about the start of a in Islamabad brought together heads solid recovery for Egyptian economy even after more of state and government, including presidents of Turkey and Iran - the than six years of political and economic turmoil that fi rst time such a meeting was being have scared off investors and tourists. But some green held in fi ve years. The milestone shoots of hope are emerging. assumes signifi cance given the lead- up to the high profi le event with a Economic activity in the country’s non-oil private general air of cynicism surrounding sector accelerated the most since 2014, a sign that the very viability of the showpiece growth may be picking up after authorities abandoned event. However, save for Afghanistan, currency controls and secured a $12bn International which chose not to make a high-level Monetary Fund loan deal. representation amid deteriorating ties with Pakistan, the rest proceeded to The Emirates NBD Purchasing Managers’ Index for breathe a new life into the economic the whole economy climbed for the third month in a bloc that makes up 16% of the world’s row to 46.7 in February from 43.3 in January. While population and is inherent with a rich trade potential. readings below 50 indicate the economy is still in Recently, Pakistan blitzed a number TWIN BOOST: Leaders and representatives of the ECO member states pose for a family portrait with Prime Minister Nawaz contraction, the magnitude of the gain signals an of terrorist camps on the Afghan side Sharif, centre, in Islamabad; below, Pakistani fans make a statement during the PSL final in Lahore. improvement in business confi dence after the pound and closed the border when Kabul failed to meet its demand to hand over development of transport and in-the-making but its fate almost hindsight, like a do-or-die roll of the was fl oated in November to ease a crippling dollar the most wanted terrorists accused communication infrastructure, hit a dead-end when two blasts, dice. One lapse and it could all have shortage. of orchestrating the recent attacks in facilitation of trade and investment, including a suicide attack, inside 10 gone kaput! The Egyptian currency has lost about 40% of its Pakistan. promotion of connectivity with days hit Lahore where it was to be As it turned out, Pakistan won and Kabul’s decision to under-represent other regions, eff ective use of energy staged. terrorism lost: for once, it didn’t really value since the fl oat, causing annual urban infl ation to only served to undermine its own resources and undertaking measures The art and cultural capital of sound like a cliché. That message was accelerate to 28% in January. The benchmark stocks interests since the ECO is a regional for making the ECO eff ective and Pakistan was at the centre of how the manifest in the electric atmosphere forum and Islamabad was only playing effi cient. Vision 2025 underpins co- script went haywire back in 2009 at the jam-packed Gaddafi Stadium, index has gained a host. Attempts to foist bilateral operation among member states. when a security lapse led to an attack the headquarters of Pakistan cricket, more than 44% in disputes that work against the larger Intra-regional trade in the ECO on the touring Sri Lankan cricket as fans soaked in every moment of Egypt is taking a local currency terms interests of nations is not new. The bloc currently stands at 8% of their team, where but for the presence of national euphoria. And, then some since November 3. scuttled Saarc summit in Islamabad cumulative external trade. The aim is mind shown by their Pakistani bus action! raft of measures to last year is a case in point. to increase it to more than 20%. driver, who sped them to safety in a The undying resolve, resilience Authorities have Pakistan will therefore, take heart Even as Islamabad basked in hail of bullets, their goose had been and eventually, celebration were revive its economy also cited rising from managing successfully to the glory of hosting an array of cooked. visible by miles as evident in the thwart such a repeat spanner-in- international leaders, thus steadfastly As cricket-mad fans - deprived near-blanket coverage of the event dollar infl ows in the the-works. While much was made of negating attempts to isolate it, there of seeing both their national heroes what with the boisterous television banking system and an infl ux of foreign investments in Kabul’s choreographed snub, the fact was only one takeaway from the ECO and international stars at home - circuit going bonkers. As Ivy League government debt. They expect the economy to expand is that Afghanistan is not the only summit: the only road to salvation convulsed at the misfortune, the entertainers rocked the stage before game in town for potential Pakistani lies in engagement, dialogue and co- government with the backing of the the real McCoys got down to business 4% in the current fi scal year, which ends June 30, down investors. The opening of the Central operation. military defi ed the odds to take the in shimmering lights, there was much from 4.3% last year. Asian markets with the evolving Three days after the landmark highly risky decision to go ahead with to draw from the studied attempt to But here is the other side of the narrative. Anchoring China-Pakistan Economic Corridor summit, Pakistan received a massive the fi nal premised in the pledge not to restore the Lahore of yore: everyone means Islamabad will have plenty of confi dence boost when it also let terrorists dictate the state. went home content, but more infl ation expectations remains a key challenge for the opportunities and routes to make it successfully hosted the fi nal of its The decision followed massive importantly, safe and secure. central bank amid the price pressures brought about good. celebrated international T20 franchise popular sentiment in favour of taking The scorecard? Two events, four After working through a preceding tournament - Pakistan Super League - that stand in the face of present days apart, is all it took to make by subsidy cuts, value-added-taxes and expanding Council of Ministers meeting, the ECO with a select few international stars on and clear danger. Even though most Pakistan one happy, united nation, money supply. The cost of capital is also rising after produced the Islamabad Declaration hand against the run of play. international stars had deserted ship again. It’s a cinch the chorus for more the 300-basis-point interest rate hike in November. and Vision 2025 that calls for doubling Currently, the talking point of the and with just four days to go, a robust will grow. Even glow. intra-trade in the next fi ve years. sporting world’s imagination, the plan was put in place with a 5-tier Infl ation worries will also test the government’s The Declaration calls for high-octane encounter was a year- security cover, for, what seems in zThe writer is Community Editor. willingness to carry through with the painful reforms. For sure, Egypt is taking a raft of measures to revive an economy weakened by years of turmoil, but analysts caution that wooing foreign investors will take time. The 2011 revolution that ended Hosni Mubarak’s Germany’s misunderstood trade surplus three-decade rule, the mayhem that followed, the downing of a Russian airliner in 2015 and the crash of By Marcel Fratzscher The criticism of Germany’s trade miss the fact that exchange-rate European Commission, and the OECD an EgyptAir aircraft into the Mediterranean in May Berlin surplus suff ers from three fallacies. For movements have only a limited, short- have long tried to convince Germany starters, many of the critics seem to lived eff ect on domestic infl ation, to deregulate services, curtail vested 2016 have all brought down the economy to its knees. believe that Germany’s trade balance exports, and growth. Both central interests, and improve competition. Egypt looked like the poster child for the Arab Spring ow that Germany’s can be systematically manipulated banks are guided by their mandates, But, as it stands, wages, productivity, current-account surplus with the exchange rate. But, owing to not by an implicit or explicit exchange- and investment remain high in the in 2011 but the euphoria soon faded. The revolution has has reached a record €270bn the integration of global value chains, rate objective. German export sector, and low in the come a full circle now, having taught the country the N($285bn), or close to 8.7% industrial exports now comprise many A third fallacy – which one often non-tradable services sector. painful lesson that when people are starving societies of GDP, the ongoing debate about imported inputs, which means that the encounters on the German side of the The international debate about its economic model has intensifi ed. eff ect of exchange-rate movements on debate – is the belief that a country’s Germany’s current account should tend to unravel, no matter they are ruled by a military Eurozone politicians and Donald domestic prices and the trade balance current-account balance refl ects the thus focus on measures to liberalise the regime or an elected government. Trump’s administration in the United has decreased substantially over time. competitiveness of its exports. In country’s services and remove other Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation States are each blaming the other for In fact, Germany’s bilateral trade reality, a country’s external balance is barriers to investment. To that end, the economic imbalance; and all are surplus with the US has barely determined by its preferences and its Germany should improve its digital with half its 85mn people under the age of 25, blaming the euro. changed, despite substantial swings intertemporal saving and investment and transportation infrastructure; has an economy in which the military plays an Trump’s administration, for its in the euro-dollar exchange rate – decisions. Fundamentals such as strengthen market mechanisms to overarching role with commercial interests from part, has attacked Germany for which was as high as €1:$1.60 in 2011, Germany’s demographics alone encourage more renewable-energy exporting too much, and accused and as low as €1:$1.04 more recently. probably account for only about three development; address its shortage of food manufacturing to real estate. But the priority it of manipulating the euro. In fact, Germany owes its export success percentage points – or one-third – of skilled labour; change its tax system now should be to build on the fl edgling recovery with Germany’s trade surplus has little to not to currency manipulation, but its current-account surplus. to strengthen incentives to invest; meaningful structural reforms that will help attract do with the euro; which has become a to its strong market position and the As these three fallacies show, the and reform its regulations to reduce convenient scapegoat – a stand-in for pricing power of its highly specialised debate over Germany’s external surplus uncertainty. direct investment, create jobs and improve living other policy mistakes. manufacturing champions. should not be about the euro exchange Germany is an increasingly standards. Many Germans view the latest A second fallacy is the belief that rate or German exports. The euro is not important political and economic wave of criticism as a sign that others politicians and central banks can too weak, and German exports are not power in Europe and on the world For longer-term recovery, authorities should try to are merely envious of their country’s actually set exchange rates. In most too high. Rather, the problem is that stage. But, until now, the debate about restore social order and economic stability as well as success, and they have angrily refuted advanced economies, the exchange Germany’s imports are too low, owing to Germany’s current-account surplus build trust and transparency. arguments that Germany has tried to rate cannot simply be decreed; rather, its huge investment gap. has been counterproductive. Criticism gain an unfair competitive advantage. it is endogenously determined by the Germany has one of the of Germany’s export prowess, and Germany, they point out, does not underlying real economy and the state lowest public-investment rates accusations of currency manipulation, To Advertise engage in price dumping or direct of the fi nancial system. Currency in the industrialised world. Its are just as wrong-headed as Germany’s export promotion, and its leaders do markets are too deep for direct municipalities, which are responsible own defence of its excessive surplus. [email protected] not target the euro. intervention to be worth the risk, as for half of all public investment, Ultimately, Germany can serve Display On the contrary, prior to adopting the Swiss National Bank discovered currently have unrealised investment everyone’s best interests – including the common currency, Germany had a few years ago when it tried to stem projects worth €136bn, or 4.5% of its own – by reducing its surplus, and Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 for decades pursued a strong-Deutsche the franc’s appreciation. The US GDP; Germany’s school buildings thus the harmful economic imbalances Classified Mark policy, because it wanted to Treasury abandoned currency-market alone need another €35bn for repairs. that lie just beneath the surface. – Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 encourage domestic exporters to interventions in the 1990s; and the Meanwhile, private investment in Project Syndicate maintain competitiveness through European Central Bank has tried to Germany’s ageing capital stock has Subscription innovation, rather than reliance on the intervene only once, very briefl y in been weakened by many German zMarcel Fratzscher, a former senior [email protected] exchange rate. This was the central 2000. companies’ desire to invest abroad. manager at the European Central Bank, feature of Germany’s economic model Accusations that the US Federal The gap is the result of policy is President of the think tank DIW after World War II, and the main reason Reserve and the ECB have pursued failures – namely protectionist policies Berlin and Professor of Macroeconomics 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved its long Wirtschaftswunder (“economic unconventional policy measures to in the non-tradable services sector. and Finance at Humboldt University, miracle”) could be sustained. weaken their respective currencies The International Monetary Fund, the Berlin. Gulf Times Wednesday, March 8, 2017 27 COMMENT Fillon’s woes shake up election

The conservative ex- veteran politician with a nearly 40- Fillon and his wife Penelope are year career to remain in the race. set to be charged for suspected premier has been in “He’s got some breathing space, but embezzlement of public funds later torment since January he needs to ask himself if he can still this month. win the election,” one sceptical MP In press conferences and speeches, he 24 when revelations fi rst from his party told AFP on Monday, has repeatedly denounced a politically emerged that he had paid asking not to be named. motivated investigation, suggesting it was ordered by the government and his wife and children 2) The Republicans split abetted by a biased media. hundreds of thousands of The party’s divisions have His attacks have shocked some exploded again after a bitter bout observers. euros from public funds of infighting in 2012 sparked by “The way that (US President the defeat of ex-president Nicolas Donald) Trump has defi ed the justice By Adam Plowright/AFP Sarkozy who unsuccessfully sought system and attacked the media, calling Paris re-election. them ‘fake news’, I think in a way it’s Fillon has been hit by a blizzard encouraging Fillon and Marine Le of criticism from lawmakers close Pen to copy,” Herve Le Bras, a veteran ightwing presidential to Sarkozy and ex-premier Alain political watcher and demographer, candidate Francois Fillon Juppe, as well as ex-prime minister told AFP last week. appears to have won his Dominique de Villepin who warned Rbattle to stay in France’s him about taking the party into an 5) Everyone else drowned out election, but his fake job scandal will “abyss”. “It has dominated all the space. have a lasting impact on the vote and On the ground, Republican activists There’s a feeling of frustration to put beyond. and lawmakers say they have found it it mildly,” Jerome Guedj, a spokesman Fillon, 63, won unanimous backing diffi cult to go out campaigning to face for Socialist party candidate Benoit from leaders of his Republicans party often hostile voters. Hamon, told AFP. on Monday night giving him hope he “To say it’s been easy would be Senior Socialist fi gure Jean- has fi nally silenced those who have lying,” an MP from the eastern city of Christophe Cambadelis worries that consistently called on him to step Lyon, Dominique Nachury, told AFP “the winner will be elected by default aside over the last six weeks. last month as she and fellow activists without there being the possibility to The conservative ex-premier has handed out leafl ets in the centre of ever really subject their programme to been in torment since January 24 when the city. scrutiny.” revelations fi rst emerged that he had Candidates such as the hard-left paid his wife and children hundreds of 3) The outsiders gain Jean-Luc Melenchon have continued thousands of euros from public funds The disarray appears to have campaigning but largely out of the - with little evidence of their work. benefi ted centrist, pro-business public eye. candidate Macron in particular, as 1) Fillon prospects dimmed well as far-right leader Marine Le 6) Morbid fascination At the end of January, before the Pen, polls and interviews with voters Though polls show growing distrust scandal broke, the conservative ex- suggest. for both politicians and the media, prime minister was the clear favourite Macron only founded his party “En television viewing fi gures and newspaper to win the two-stage election on April Marche” (“On the Move”) last April French presidential election candidate for the right-wing Les Republicains (LR) party Francois Fillon listens during a debate sales have surged as voters tune in to an 23 and May 7. but events have reinforced his message at the French Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CPME) union’s headquarters in Puteaux, west of Paris, extraordinary election campaign. Shortly afterwards, according to a of the need to overthrow the “same on Monday. Little has gone to script so far in the tracker of polls compiled by AFP, he men and the same ideas.” campaign in which France’s future as fell behind the centrist Emmanuel Recent polls show Macron now war monopoly of France’s traditional National Front (FN) party’s anti-elite village near Fillon’s home region of well as the European Union’s is in play. Macron and only one voter survey out closing in on Le Pen in the fi rst round parties - with Macron seen as the message - or choosing to abstain. Sarthe last week. “Viewers are passionate about this of more than 20 since has shown him of the vote on April 23, with around most likely winner. “I’m tempted to vote National Front “It’s just to get rid of everyone,” he election. The news is unprecedented, ahead of the 39-year-old. 25% of the vote. The Fillon spectacle has led some even though I don’t share a lot of their explained. audience fi gures are too,” said Alain A poll at the weekend of 1,027 voters They would both progress to the voters to give up hope on the political ideas,” unemployed worker Michel Weill, head of SFR Media which owns showed only 29% of voters wanted the run-off on May 7 - breaking the post- class, favouring Le Pen and her Travigne, 51, told AFP in a bar in a 4) Institutions under attack rolling-news channel BFMTV. ‘America fi rst’ fi nancial regulation? Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY High: 27 C By Howard Davies frequent fl yer miles to prove it. international regulatory standards JP Morgan. It is a little hard to see that For some years, he has chaired the for fi nancial institutions among arrangement working well today. Low : 17 C London Inshore: Hazy at places at first Financial Stability Board’s little- global bureaucrats in foreign lands These questions are of more than becomes mild daytime with scat- known but important Standing without transparency, accountability, passing interest in Europe. European tered clouds. s US President Trump Committee on Supervisory and or the authority to do so. This is capital adequacy directives typically struggles to staff his Regulatory Co-operation. His unacceptable.” transpose Basel Accords into EU law. If THURSDAY administration with commitment to working with In her reply of February10, the Basel process stalls, transatlantic High: 29 C Asympathisers who will help colleagues in international bodies like Yellen fi rmly rebutted McHenry’s deals, which are the crucial Low: 17 C transpose tweets into policy, the the FSB and the Basel Committee on arguments. She pointed out that the underpinning of Western capital Sunny exodus of Obama appointees from the Banking Supervision, to reach global Fed does indeed have the authority markets, will be far harder to reach. federal government and other agencies regulatory agreements enabling banks it needs, that the Basel agreements There is a further complication continues. For the fi nancial world, to compete on a level playing fi eld, has are not binding, and that, in any arising from Brexit. Absent any special FRIDAY one of the most signifi cant departures never been in doubt. event, “strong regulatory standards deal between the EU27 and the United High: 28 C was that of Daniel Tarullo, the Federal Already, some of those who enhance the stability of the US Kingdom, British and EU regulators Low: 17 C Reserve governor who has led its work criticised him most vocally in the past fi nancial system” and promote the will come together in Basel, not in the Sunny on fi nancial regulation for the last are anxious about his departure. Who competitiveness of fi nancial fi rms. European Banking Authority. If Basel seven years. will succeed him? The 2010 Dodd- But that will not be the end of becomes a talking shop, without the It would be a stretch to say that Frank Act created a vice-chair position the story. The battle lines are now ability to set fi rm standards, another Fishermen’s forecast drawn, and McHenry’s letter shows key link in the chain will be broken, Tarullo has been universally popular on the Federal Reserve Board – which OFFSHORE DOHA in the banking community. He led has never been fi lled – to lead the the arguments that will be deployed and it will be harder for the UK to Wind: NW-N 05-15/18 KT the charge in arguing for much higher Fed’s work on regulation. Will that in Congress by some Republicans argue that if London’s banks meet Waves: N 2-4/6 Feet capital ratios, in the United States and appointee, whom Trump now needs to close to the president. There has international standards, they should INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 05-15 KT elsewhere. He was a tough negotiator, select, be as committed as Tarullo to always been a strand of thinking in be granted equal treatment in the EU. Waves: 1-3 Feet with a well-tuned instinct for spotting an international approach? Or will his Washington that dislikes foreign As central bankers bid farewell special pleading by fi nancial fi rms. But principal task be to build a regulatory entanglements, in this and other areas. to the devil they know, fi nancial Around the region crocodile tears will be shed in Europe wall, protecting US banks from global While Yellen’s arguments are correct, regulation has entered a period of Weather Weather to mark his resignation. European rules? the Fed’s entitlement to participate in high uncertainty – and high anxiety today Max/min tomorrow Max/min banks, and even their regulators, We do not yet know the answers to international negotiations does not for policymakers as they await an Abu Dhabi Sunny 24/19 Sunny 26/19 were concerned by his enthusiastic these questions, but Fed watchers were oblige it to do so, and a new appointee announcement from Mar-a-Lago. Baghdad Sunny 24/09 Sunny 26/09 Dubai advocacy of even tougher standards in alarmed by a January 31 letter to Fed might argue that it should not. No likely Federal Reserve Board Sunny 27/19 P Cloudy 28/18 Kuwait City M Sunny 26/13 Sunny 28/12 Basel 3.5 (or Basel 4, as bankers like to Chair Janet Yellen from Representative Such a reversal would generate candidates have been spotted at Manama M Sunny 24/18 Sunny 24/17 call it), which would, if implemented Patrick McHenry, the vice chairman tensions within the Fed, and where poolside, or being interviewed on the Muscat Sunny 26/21 Sunny 28/21 in the form favoured by the US, require of the House Committee on Financial it would leave the FSB, or indeed golf course, but a decision cannot Riyadh P Cloudy 31/13 Sunny 28/14 further substantial capital increases Services. McHenry did not pull his the Basel Committee, is unclear. be far off . Nothing can be taken Tehran P Cloudy 13/03 M Sunny 15/03 for Europe’s banks in particular. In punches. “Despite the clear message In the early days of the Bank for for granted. The fi nancial world is his absence, these proposals’ fate is delivered by President Donald Trump International Settlements (where holding its collective breath. – Project uncertain. in prioritising America’s interest in the Basel Committee’s secretariat Syndicate But Tarullo has also been an international negotiations,” McHenry is located) in the 1930s, the US enthusiastic promoter of international wrote, “it appears that the Federal government declined to take a board zHoward Davies is Chairman of the regulatory cooperation, with the Reserve continues negotiating seat, and the US was represented by Royal Bank of Scotland. Live issues Yellow cabs are safer, study fi nds

By Marlowe Hood/AFP accident records covering a painting yellow, the researchers Paris 36-month period for more than calculated. 4,000 yellow and 14,500 blue cars Assuming an average repair cost of belonging to the company. $700 (670 euros) per car and a down Around the world ellow taxi cabs have To make sure there was no time of six days, switching colours Weather Weather signifi cantly fewer accidents discrepancy in driver skills, they also would also generate annual savings of today Max/min tomorrow Max/min than cabs of a darker hue, analysed background data and work $1.4mn (1.3mn euros). Athens Rain 16/08 Showers 16/09 according to research that histories of 3,341 randomly selected The Yellow Cab Company of Beirut P Cloudy 19/14 Sunny 27/18 Y Bangkok M Sunny 33/26 Sunny 33/27 scientists say could end up saving lives professional cabbies. Chicago set what was to became Berlin M Cloudy 10/04 Showers 11/04 and money. “Some drivers also had experience a global trend in 1907 after Cairo Sunny 28/18 Sunny 29/14 A study published on Monday in the role in determining the colours used driving taxis of both colours, and we commissioning a study on what colour Cape Town Cloudy 25/18 Cloudy 30/16 journal PNAS showed canary yellow for public transportation vehicles,” the showed that they had higher accident would be most visible for people Colombo S T Storms 32/25 P Cloudy 33/24 cabs in Singapore were 9% less likely study concluded. rates when they drove blue taxis,” Ho trying to hail a cab. Dhaka S T Storms 28/22 S Showers 28/22 Hong Kong Cloudy 18/17 M Cloudy 21/19 to get into fender-benders or serious While this might seem like common said. During the fi rst two decades of the Istanbul S Showers 18/07 Cloudy 13/07 smash-ups than taxis that were deep sense, up to now there has been scant The risk, they found, is especially 20th century, almost all cars plying Jakarta P Cloudy 32/24 S T Storms 32/24 blue. scientifi c evidence that dark-coloured dangerous for the drivers. city streets were black. Karachi Sunny 29/18 P Cloudy 32/18 “Yellow taxis are safer to travel in cars are more dangerous. Over a typical, 40-year career, a Yellow cabs spread across the London Showers 14/08 Cloudy 15/08 Manila P Cloudy P Cloudy 31/23 because yellow is more visible than To test their hunch that colour cabbie in a dark-toned vehicle will, United States, most famously in New 32/23 Moscow P Cloudy 04/-2 P Cloudy 06/-1 blue,” lead author Teck-Hua Ho, a matters when it comes to safety, Ho on average, get into three additional York City, where they remain an icon New Delhi P Cloudy 27/14 P Cloudy 27/14 professor at the National University of found a real-world laboratory in his accidents, 34 instead of 31. and an institution to this day. New York P Cloudy 17/06 M Sunny 16/03 Singapore, said. own backyard. Any of those extra smash-ups, of As often happens in science, Ho and Paris Showers 13/11 Showers 14/09 Accident rates diverged even more The fl eet of Singapore’s largest cab course, might be fatal - for the driver his colleagues did not set out to study Sao Paulo T Storms 27/19 S T Storms 30/20 Seoul P Cloudy 06/-4 Sunny 09/-3 at night, probably because street company, it turned out, was divided or the passengers. the link between colour and car crashes. Singapore S T Storms 33/23 P Cloudy 32/23 lighting accentuates the contrast, he between light- and dark-toned The Singapore taxi company’s “We were engaged in a general study Sydney S Showers 20/17 P Cloudy 22/16 said. vehicles. 16,700 cars could avoid 900 accidents on the accident rate of taxi drivers,” ho Tokyo Clear 11/03 Cloudy 12/02 The fi ndings “should play a major The researchers compared per year if the entire fl eet were explained by e-mail. Gulf Times 28 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 QATAR Ooredoo Supernet to power Red Line oredoo and Qatar Rail- project, which will include the ground areas, at grade and el- has demonstrated its experi- ways Company (Qatar planning, designing, installing, evated stations. ence and expertise in connect- ORail) signed an agreement and commissioning of the Oore- “Ooredoo continues to be the ing Qatar with world-class ICT yesterday at Qitcom 2017 that doo IBS service. As construc- technology provider of choice infrastructure in the past and we will see Ooredoo implement its tion of the stations continues, for Qatar’s most prestigious are confi dent that this partner- next-generation In-Building So- Ooredoo will install the network projects, as we work to provide ship will enable us to provide the lution (IBS) across the Qatar Rail infrastructure required to pro- the very best services for the smoothest connection for our Red Line Metro network. vide voice and data services for people and companies of Qatar.” customers. The agreement was signed passengers during their travel on The Qatar Rail Metro Red “The agreement is designed by Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed the Doha Metro Red Line. Line will cover 17 stations span- to support our vision to provide al-Sayed and Qatar Rail CEO Once in place, the Ooredoo ning 40km, including a link to customer-centric integrated Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed al-Sayed and Qatar Rail CEO Engineer Abdulla al-Subaie shake hands after Engineer Abdulla al-Subaie at IBS service will enable travellers Legtaifi ya Station to allow pas- railway services that are acces- signing the agreement in the presence of HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Qatar Rail’s Qitcom stand in the to connect to Ooredoo’s Super- sengers to transfer over to the sible, effi cient, safe, and reliable Ahmed al-Sulaiti. presence of HE the Minister of net network at any of the Qatar Lusail Light Rail Transit. It also while maximising social, eco- Transport and Communications Rail Metro Red Line stations. connects to the central point of nomic, and environment ben- two companies’ partnership and solutions for the design, con- prehensive” deal by Ooredoo Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti. Al-Sayed said the project Msheireb, which will serve as efi ts for Qatar.” collaboration. Last year, Oore- struction, and operation of the and Qatar Rail. Under the terms As part of the agreement, will demonstrate the power and transit point and main intersec- Qatar Rail is currently driving doo signed a Memorandum of Qatar Rail Development Pro- of the agreement, Ooredoo is Ooredoo will work closely with reach of the Ooredoo Supernet tion for the Red, Green, Gold, the development of one of the Understanding (MoU) to estab- gramme. providing Qatar Rail with the Qatar Rail and their systems at Qatar Rail Metro Red Line and Blue Lines. largest rail projects in the world, lish a collaboration framework The agreement was one of the latest infrastructure and solu- contractor to complete the buildings, including under- Al-Subaie said: “Ooredoo and this is the latest phase in the to provide next generation ICT “most far-reaching” and “com- tions. HIA exhibits Smart Airport applications QNB unveils new amad International said, “Strategic investments in ATM technology Airport (HIA) has ex- technology are at the heart of Hhibited cutting-edge our mission to continuously technology providing visitors improve effi ciency and to pro- NB unveiled the new ‘Ac- novation and latest digital trans- unique opportunity to experi- vide great customer experi- tivate technology’ from formation for the future. ence the ‘Smart Airport’ pas- ence. At Qitcom, we are dem- QNCR, which operates the This advanced technological senger journey at the ongoing onstrating how technology is new age of ATM machines, dur- solution is yet another milestone Qitcom Exhibition and Confer- being used by HIA to become ing the 2017 Qatar Information in QNB’s customer experience ence. the ‘connected’ airport of the Technology and Communica- excellence across all channels, HIA is the offi cial sponsor for future.” tions (Qitcom) conference, the and it represents the bank’s con- this year’s annual digital event, Visitors to HIA’s exhibition biggest digital event in Qatar. tinuous endeavour to look for which is Qatar’s biggest, con- have an opportunity to experi- QNB will gradually adopt the more innovative ways to serve its necting smart technology with ence the Smart Airport concept technology for ATMs, which will customers through the ubiqui- international expertise, indus- fi rst-hand through a simulated present customers with a whole tous delivery of premium prod- try specialists, key government journey. new experience to securely ac- ucts and quality services. decision makers, innovators At the beginning of the cess their bank accounts us- One of QNB’s core values is and entrepreneurs. Under the journey, each visitor is given ing their cards or the biological constant improvement through theme of ‘Qatar — towards a a smartphone, a smart watch traits of their irises. innovation and refi nement of its Smarter Future’, Qitcom 2017 and travel information and The ATM’s interface will pro- off erings and services. Custom- brings together a diverse eco- encouraged to experience un- vide customers with seamless ers will enjoy more convenience system of stakeholders from all assisted interaction at various experience that makes it easier and the highest fi nancial secu- sectors to exchange ideas and airport touch points, including and more convenient to use the rity, protecting them in every collaborate towards achieving self-check-in, self-bag-drop, popular ATM channel. It is more transaction they make. the vision of a smarter Qatar. immigration/border control, aligned with the latest interfaces The transformation to ‘NCR A “digital transformation e-gate and self-boarding gate; familiar to customers from on- APTRA Activate’ will commence programme” is currently un- while observing how the air- line and tablet devices applica- this month to off er many new derway at HIA to ensure that Senior HIA executives at the event. From left: Hareb Ibrahim al-Mohannadi (off ice manager), Abdulaziz port measures its service levels tions. Also, the new technology services that will improve cus- it continues to set benchmarks al-Mass, vice-president (Commercial and Marketing), Badr Mohamed al-Meer, chief operating off icer, in real-time. will provide all types of services tomer interactions, QNB said. in customer experience, while Suhail Kadri, vice-president (IT), Saeed Yousef al-Sulaiti, vice-president (Security), Gaush Mohamed, The simulated journey also provided to customers online The group’s presence through continuously improving effi - manager (Business Systems). showcases HIA’s unique bea- such as international money its subsidiaries and associate ciency, safety and security. con-enabled mobile app, which transfers and Western Union on companies now extends to more Underpinning the transfor- sponsor of Qitcom 2017, HIA transforming the passenger enable visitors to discover the provides live fl ight notifi ca- ATMs for more convenience. than 30 countries across three mation are some of the most has carefully chosen the op- journey; and to launch its new unique art exhibits on display tions, turn-by-turn navigation The new technology, the fi rst continents providing a compre- innovative and leading-edge portunity to showcase how its smartwatch app and augment- at HIA. HIA Chief Operating and information of ongoing re- of its kind in Qatar, will be soon hensive range of advanced prod- technologies. As the offi cial Smart Airport Programme is ed reality off ering, which will Offi cer Badr Mohamed al-Meer tail off ers. available on QNB’s largest ATM ucts and services. network in Qatar, as it was an- The total number of employ- nounced during the conference. ees is more than 28,000 operat- Mwani Qatar highlights latest technology at ports Qitcom hosts Qatar’s corporates, ing through more than 1,200 lo- government ministries and cations, with an ATM network of agencies to showcase their in- more than 4,300 machines. Qatar Ports Management Company will have a positive impact on all economy (Mwani Qatar) is showcasing its latest sectors,” Mwani Qatar noted, as it seeks to technology in managing ports, as well adopt the best and latest technology that as the technical methods used in its will help achieve economic diversity and operations, at the fourth Qatar Information improve the level of services in the state. and Communication and Technology Hamad Port’s “Largest smart and Conference and Exhibition (Qitcom). environment-friendly project in the region” In a statement, Mwani Qatar said such award by the Seatrade Middle East, Indian technology off ers integrated information Subcontinent and Africa Awards 2016 is about Hamad Port and provides an ideal also showcased at Mwani Qatar’s stand. opportunity for visitors to get closely Qitcom 2017, Qatar’s biggest digital event, acquainted with the ship handling through promotes entrepreneurship, innovation a special device simulation available in the and learning to help the country generate stand. and sustain a vibrant knowledge-based In line with its continuous support to such economy. important events, Mwani Qatar’ noted that Qitcom 2017 includes some 70 public and its sponsorship of Qitcom 2017 focuses on private partners, 15 sponsors, more than one of the most important sectors – the 120 local and global exhibitors in the field, ICT. and more than 20 visiting international “The company is constantly striving to delegations representing global smart Mwani Qatar’s stand at Qitcom 2017. promote the ideas and technologies that cities. QNB unveils the new ‘Activate technology’ from NCR. Qatar Rail signs MoU with Ooredoo, QNBN, Vodafone

Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed al-Sayed and Qatar Rail CEO Engineer Abdulla al-Subaie exchange the agreements in the presence of HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti. Al-Subaie shakes hands with QNBN CEO Ahmed al-Sulaiti. Al-Subaie with Vodafone Qatar CEO Ian Gray.

atar Rail has signed three Engineer Abdulla al-Subaie, landmark project that is set to keen on establishing strategic using the Doha Metro Red Line proper infrastructure for a high- mencement of railway services. memoranda of under- Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed al- have a transformational eff ect partnerships with each of these from the commencement of rail- quality telecommunications net- Al-Subaie said the Doha Metro Qstanding with Ooredoo, Sayed, QNBN CEO Ahmed al- on the transportation sector. We leading telecommunications way services. work for metro users, therefore project “is progressing well” and Qatar National Broadband Net- Sulaiti, and Vodafone Qatar CEO understand that in today’s fast providers in Qatar to ensure that The MoU with QNBN aims to providing vital support to this that Qatar Rail, in working with work (QNBN), and Vodafone Qa- Ian Gray. paced world, people want to stay future users of the Doha Metro utilise opportunities for co-op- landmark economic project. “the very best entities” in Qatar, tar yesterday at Qitcom 2017. Al-Subaie said: “We are connected and we are working can stay connected while using eration in managing, operating, The MoU with Vodafone will will provide metro users “with The signing ceremony, held in pleased to fi nalise the MoU with with our partners, utilising their the railway network.” and maintaining the fi bre-optic ensure the availability of high- a sustainable and world-class the presence of HE the Minister Ooredoo, QNBN, and Vodafone knowledge and expertise to en- The MoU with Ooredoo will cables and related technologies quality telecommunications public railway transportation of Transport and Communica- and we look forward to building sure the very best telecommuni- ensure the availability of high- located in Qatar Rail stations, en- services to the general public system.” The fi rst phase of the tions Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Su- on the strong and fruitful part- cation services possible.” quality telecommunications suring the highest international using the Doha Metro Green Doha Metro project is expected laiti, was led by Qatar Rail CEO nerships that will benefi t this He added: “Qatar Rail was services to the general public standards are met to provide the and Gold Lines from the com- to be complete in 2020.