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Sunday 13 January 2019 | 7 Jumada I 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa Volume 23 | Number 7770 | 2 Riyals

'Irresponsible goals behind fabricated Gulf crisis'

THE PENINSULA “The development in Gulf countries’ and citizens’ needs H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem are not at the same bin Jabor Al Thani, former Prime Minister of , has level. The countries said that the money siege which are spending countries were spending on money on campaigns lobbyists to promote their against Qatar have ideas in West against Qatar should have been spent on the no justification and development projects of those I think this crisis GCC countries. is fabricated,” H E “The development in Gulf countries’ and citizens’ needs Sheikh Hamad bin in various (GCC countries) are Jassem bin Jabor Al not at the same level. The coun- Thani said. tries which are spending money FM holds talks with Oman’s Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs on campaigns against Qatar the crisis still believe that the have no justification and I think siege they have imposed on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met here yesterday with Minister this crisis is fabricated,” H E Qatar must continue.” Responsible for Foreign Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, in the presence of Secretary-General of the Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin As well, Sheikh Hamad, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. During the meeting, they exchanged views on the GCC’s march and Jabor Al Thani said in an said in the interview which was other issues of common concern. interview with Russia Today telecasted yesterday, that the (RT) TV channel. siege countries believe that Sheikh Hamad revealed the there exist conflict of respon- reasons behind the resignation sibilities in Washington as this of Anthony Zinni, the US’ issue is managed by more than special envoy to resolve the one bodies in Washington and Voter registration for CMC elections begins today Gulf crisis last week. this made Zinni’s mission Sheikh Hamad said that he difficult. THE PENINSULA Sign boards have been fixed in CMC elections in 2019. conduct the electoral process was not surprised by Zinni’s Shiekh Hamad added that DOHA many places to guide people The Committee advised all starting from the stage of voter resignation. “I was not sur- Anthony Zinni is logical person about the constituencies. The citizens who have not registered registration to the screening prised because I know that he who has meaningful points. He The voter registration process for Supervisory Committee for the in the voters’ lists previously to stage and the result did not make any progress for stressed that one of the reasons CMC polls will begin today and elections of the Central Municipal initiate the registration process announcement are all ready in several reasons including the for his resignation was obstinacy all the polling stations are ready Council (CMC) recently inaugu- in their constituencies. all the polling stations, the Com- fact that the parties that created of siege countries. `P3 in all respects to receive citizens. rated the website for the sixth The electronic equipment to mittee had stated.

Qatar's ports Ashghal opens deepest and record highest annual growth longest bidirectional tunnel IRFAN BUKHARI The Project Manager, Jumah SACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA Al Bader, told media persons that THE PENINSULA the newly-opened section of road The Public Works Authority and tunnel will reduce travel time Qatar’s ports have delivered ‘Ashghal’ yesterday partially between Bu Erayen and an impressive performance opened the longest and deepest Street and and last year with all round bidirectional tunnel in Qatar. by up to 65 percent particularly growth in all the segments. The tunnel, which is 1.5km due to the increased lane capacity The ports in the country long and sits 25 metres below and removal of the existing diver- achieved highest annual ground level, is part of the con- sions and will reduce traffic con- performance in containers, struction of the Road gestion on 22 February street. vessels and livestock Upgrade Project Phase 2. After Al Bader added that the con- segments in 2018. partial opening, two out of four struction of the new tunnel faced The ports received 4,781 lanes in each direction will be many challenges that were vessels and handled 1.34 delivered, accommodating overcome. “For instance, it was million Twenty-Foot Equiv- 8,000 vehicles per hour in each necessary to establish multiple alent Units (TEU) containers direction causing smooth flow traffic diversions and the con- during the year. The ports of traffic in that area. struction of two temporary sig- also handled 1.4 million The tunnel is part of the newly nalised intersections to facilitate tonnes of general cargo; upgraded 2.1km stretch between the progress of works. Excavating 71,173 vehicles; 324,248 Bu Erayen and Lebday Street. The 25 metres below ground level tonnes of building materials inauguration event was attended meant that the project team had and 957,487 heads of live- by Eng. Yousef Al Emadi, Manager to manage extremely large quan- stock in 2018. of Highway Projects Department; tities of groundwater.” “Mwani Qatar continued Brigadier General Mohammed He said that the tunnel is to break record highs in 2018, Maarafiya, Manager of MoI Traffic fitted with all the safety and maintaining excellent growth Safety Department, and a number security facilities and a dedicated throughout the year, of officials, project engineers and building was constructed to serve achieving its highest annual media persons. as the central control room for performance in containers, The tunnel forms part of the monitoring and controlling all vessels & livestock, which complex three-level interchange operating system. recorded an annual growth known as Al Mokafaha inter- Meanwhile, Ashghal has of 70 percent, 24 percent and change. At the top level there is said that it achieved 88 percent 12 percent respectively, sup- signalised junction which facili- completion of the Al Rayyan ported by 28 direct shipping tates traffic movements in all Road Upgrade Project and is on lines,” said Mwani Qatar in a directions including Al Waab, target to complete in Q1 2019. tweet. and Doha. Beneath The Al Rayyan Road Upgrade Hamad Port, the largest this is an underpass which allows Project Phase Two is a critical port in the Middle East, led road users to travel seamlessly inner city project that will from the front in boosting between Doha and Bani Hajer. enhance 5.5km of Al Rayyan Qatar maritime sector as it The tunnel is beneath the Road and Al Rayyan Al Jadeed occupied the lion’s share in underpass both of which replace Street to the west of Olympic the overall port traffic. `P3 the old roundabout. Intersection. `P2 02 HOME SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 Age limit for pediatric care to be increased to 18 years FAZEENA SALEEM At present, the age THE PENINSULA limit for care at HMC’s The age limit for pediatric care Pediatrics Emergency at Hamad Medical Corporation Centers are till 14 (HMC) will be increased to 18 years and Sidra years in the future, said a senior Medicine sees cases official yesterday. At present, the age limit for up to 18 years. care at HMC’s Pediatrics Emer- gency Centers are till 14 years and Sidra Medicine sees cases up Medicine of Sidra Medicine, the LEFT: Dr Mohamed Al Amri. RIGHT: The participants at the third Qatar Pediatric Emergency Medicine to 18 years. conference gathered more than Conference held jointly organised by HMC and the Department of Emergency Medicine of Sidra Medicine. “We are discussing and 600 experts at Grand Hyatt Doha making arrangements to to discuss about several topics increasing the age limit for pedi- related to pediatric emergency Medicine relevant to all clinicians management, surgical emer- better care to children with cases seen at the Al Saad Pedi- atric care and keeping it at an medicine. It also featured inter- providing emergency or urgent gencies, respiratory emergencies urgent and emergency health atric Centre. We receive about unified age at all healthcare facil- national speakers from the US, care to children, and also current and how vaccinations help pre- issues,” said Dr Al Amri. 50 to 60 mild and moderate ities,” Dr Mohamed Al Amri, Oman and Kuwait. best evidence for common and venting infections. Separate discussions were on trauma cases a day. We evaluate, Medical Director of Pediatrics Several international critical pediatric emergencies. Participants include emer- treatment and management of stabilize and transfer the patient Emergency Services at HMC told attendees and speakers are The conference discussed gency physicians, primary minor and moderate traumas needs Sidra Medicine depending The Peninsula, while speaking attending the conference from topics that range from initial healthcare physicians, nurses such as fractures, cut wounds on the condition,” said Dr Al on the sidelines of the third Qatar countries including Kuwait, management and stabilization and persons from the emergency and burns as well about complex Amri. “However, major trauma Pediatric Emergency Medicine Oman and the United States. of pediatric emergency cases, medical services (EMS). “The dis- trauma. cases are seen at the Trauma and Conference. The three-day conference types and incidence of medi- cussions and learning sessions “Fever, respiratory, seizure Emergency Department at the Jointly organised by HMC and covered fundamentals of Pedi- cation errors in pediatric emer- during the conference help pedi- and bacterial infection are the Hamad General Hospital,” he the Department of Emergency atric Emergency gency, infectious diseases, pain atric care clinicians provide even common medical emergency added. Winter vegetable market to open in Al Shahaniya this month

SANAULLAH ATAULLAH Ibrahim Al Siddiqi Hall for Agri- He said that the centre is pre- THE PENINSULA cultural Education’ with the paring to sign agreement with capacity of 75 trainees is equipped the Ministry of Education and The Ministry of Municipality and with necessary modern education Higher Education and Ministry Environment represented by the tools like audio visual aids, chairs of Municipality and Environment Agricultural Affairs Department is and tables. about organising workshops on preparing to open another new The water saving modern agricultural awareness training. winter vegetable market in Al techniques of agriculture “We have already cooper- Shahaniya this month. including hydroponic, aquaponic ation with Qatar Development The new market like other and those for growing hydroponic Bank (QDB) in this regards, said four existing markets at , green fodder are showcased in Al Kaabi. He said that the initi- Al Mazrouah, -Dhakhira an attached facility to give prac- ative aims at serving all segments and , will offer farm tical lessons to the trainees. of the society including citizens fresh vegetables directly to the He said that winter vegetable and expatriates. “We target customers at reasonable prices. markets are part of a project of households, students from gov- The department is also the Ministry to provide marketing ernment and private schools,” he working to open a fully air condi- platforms to local farmers so they added. tioned vegetable market at Al Maz- could get reasonable prices for “About 45 trainees will get rouah. “A vegetable market will their products training at a time however, the also open soon in Al Mazrouah “The shopping complexes hall can accommodate 70 besides Central Market. contributed in a big way to people,” said Al Kaabi adding The new vegetable market will be market the products of local that the centre will host agricul- fully air-conditioned and will run farms,” said Al Khulaifi adding tural experts and engineers as round-the-year unlike other veg- that the Ministry provided agri- trainers from Qatar, Kuwait and etable markets which open only cultural inputs and other support Oman. during some months,” said Yusuf to reduce the cost of the pro- “The training centre will Khalid Al Khulaifi, Director of Yusuf Khalid Al Khulaifi (centre), Director of Agriculture Affairs, and other dignitaries cutting a ribbon duction so they can compete to provide theoretical and practical, Agriculture Affairs. “The capacity to mark the opening of the agriculture education hall at the Global Farm for Agricultural Supply, the market. both types lessons to the students of new market will be double yesterday. PIC: ABDUL BASIT / THE PENINSULA “The idea of setting up the to increase the awareness about compared to the existing market. centre came after blockade the importance of agriculture in The new market will accom- and about 15 farms are expected Peninsula on the sidelines of a cer- educate citizens and expatriates where we received many ques- the community,” said Hasan modate 75 outlets of local farms,” to participate initially. emony held at a local farm ‘Global including school students and tions from the people about the Abdullah Al Muhammadi, Head said Al Khulaifi. “Winter vegetable markets are Farm for Agricultural Supply’ households about the basics of basics of agriculture,” said Ali of the Public Relations and Com- He said that new market in Al very important for marketing the yesterday. agriculture and create awareness Ahmad Saad Mansour Al Kaabi, munications Department at the Shahaniya will have the same size products of local agricultural The farm opened a center at about its importance. owner of the Global Farm for Ministry of Education and Higher of other similar existing markets farms,” Al Khulaifi, told The its premises under an initiative to The center ‘Late Ahmad bin Agricultural Supplies. Education.

Ashghal opens deepest and longest bi-directional tunnel New 24-hour bus service launched FROM PAGE 1 from HIA As well as increasing the lane capacity of the main car- riageway to four lanes in each direction, the project will deliver four main interchanges and upgrade of a flyover THE PENINSULA and a tunnel. It will also provide upgraded service roads to DOHA serve businesses and residential areas as well as dedicated pedestrian and cycle paths. Mowasalat has introduced a Notably, the project scope includes the upgrade of utility new bus route, 757, to Hamad infrastructure such as treated sewage effluent lines, storm- International Airport (HIA) in water drainage network, potable water line and foul water addition to the existing bus networks as well as landscaping and beautification works. route 737. Both the new and The project caters to several residential areas throughout existing routes will operate 24 its stretch from Doha to Bani Hajer including Al Rayyan, hours a day and will have a Muraykh, Lebday, , Al Waab, , Al Luqta and frequency of every 30 minutes Al Hetmi Al Jadeed. Travelling on Al Rayyan Road Upgrade between 4am and 11pm and Project Phase Two will provide improved access to Al Fur- every 60 minutes from 11pm ousiya Equestrian Complex and Horse Racing to 4 am. In twitter, Mowasalat The officials and project workers at the site. Academy. said the move is to “address the The project serves a passenger demand and due to number of key business the high demand for bus districts such as Al Shafi services to HIA.” Street commercial area in The bus route 757 will start New Al Rayyan and cre- service from tomorrow, ating easy access to Jarir January 13, 2019, and Mow- Bookstore, Family Food asalat urged all passengers to Center, and Al Rawabi Food check the new timetable on Center. their website www.mowasalat. The project will provide com. The new bus will start its easy access to Al Rayyan round trip from HIA and follow Park. The project will the route as follows HIA– Al provide easy access to Matar Street – Al Matar Al and Edu- Qadeem Street – D Ring Road cation City. The project will – Najma Street – Abha Qatar provide good connectivity – Al Mansoura Street – Al to three local metro sta- Matar Street – D Ring Road – tions; Al Messila Station, Al Jabar Bin Hayan Street - Al Rayyan Al Qadeem Station Matar Al Qadeem Street - Al and Al Shaqab Station. Matar Street – HIA. SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 HOME 03

H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, participating in the latest ‘Off The Record’ discussion in New York City. Sheikha Hind attends US discussion on education, women’s rights and the blockade

THE PENINSULA Laguerre-Wilkinson from US areas through collaboration. with the skills that enable them current academic year, while As part of the trip, she met DOHA news program ‘60 Minutes’. “Innovation in education is to address national and global overall female enrolment at with senior officials from the Speaking about her partici- one of the key elements of QF’s challenges and make a positive Carnegie Mellon University in home campuses of QF’s inter- H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad pation in the event, Sheikha mission. Our participation in this impact on the world.” Qatar – also a QF partner uni- national partner universities, as Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and Hind said: “This discussion has event has illustrated how we are QF’s commitment to versity – stands at 63 per cent. well as influential thought CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF), provided a valuable opportunity an exemplar of high-quality empowering women in edu- Across QF, 40 percent of the leaders, innovative think tanks, has participated in the latest ‘Off to outline and promote the education provision, and how cation is reflected by the fact organization’s leadership is and leading policy-makers in The Record’ discussion in New vision and mission of Qatar we have created a multidisci- that the number of female stu- female. education and research, and York City, US. Foundation to the world, on an plinary, cross-cultural educa- dents enrolled in engineering Sheikha Hind’s participation toured Weill Cornell Medicine, The talk, titled ‘A Discussion impactful international platform tional and research envi- courses at Texas A&M University in the ‘Off The Record’ event part of Cornell University, to of Education, Women’s Rights that focuses on addressing ronment. This environment is at Qatar, a QF partner uni- formed part of a four-day visit meet students and learn more and the Blockade’, was mod- global and international chal- built on equality of opportunity, versity, has reached an all-time to the US, which concluded on about its innovative research erated by journalist Magalie lenges in education and other and equipping young people high of almost 50 percent in the January 11. initiatives. Irresponsible goals behind Qatar’s ports record highest annual growth FROM PAGE 1 Management Company (Mwani economic diversification and According to Qterminals, Qatar) to manage the port. competitiveness, import and re- fabricated Gulf crisis Hamad Port handled around 1.33 Direct services to Hamad Port export of goods. million TEU containers, over 1 in recent times have reduced long Since commencing opera- FROM PAGE 1 men, living and million tonnes of break bulk waiting periods for consignees to tions in December 2016, Hamad dead people as cargo, over 255,000 of bulk cargo, receive their goods. Mwani Qatar Port has modernised the way “I think Zinni tried to well”. over 68,000 vehicles and over has inked agreements with a Qatar handles imports and bring the views closer to “This is a 400,000 heads of livestock number of local, regional and exports and has helped in facili- achieve common ground serious phe- during January to December in international players to tating the growth and diversifi- but the problem is that nomenon,” he 2018. A total of 1592 vessels called strengthen Hamad Port’s status cation of the country’s economy. the US Secretary of State said, adding, “It at Hamad Port, last year. Qter- in the region. Hamad Port is It has acquired 28 percent share handling the Gulf crisis will not end when minals was set up by Qatar Nav- already making a paradigm shift in the volume of trade in the and at the same time the crisis ends. The igation (Milaha) and Qatar Ports in Qatar’s Middle East. Jared Kushner doing the relations between same job and there are all the GCC coun- many parties interested tries were not only for one reason or kinship matter but another in this issue,” H also affiliation and E Shiekh Hamad bin Jassem (pictured) stressed. belongings to one Gulf and people were waiting He added: “In my personal opinion, I believe for one Gulf passport and one currency. Now you that this crisis seems to continue because there see that there is hatred instead.” are many parties who have interests in this and H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem talked about Washington has started reaping the fruits of the the hacking of the Qatar News Agency (QNA) Gulf dispute and many other countries as well.” saying, “They fabricated news stories to start the “What is being spent on this crisis in the West dispute by attributing false statement to the Amir and the US through lobbyists, consultancy and H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.” legal firms is the benefit emerging from this He added: “When the siege counties exhausted dispute. Therefore, they want this crisis to con- in the first week or in the first month, they started tinue without any resolve or escalation.” to talk about more than one subject and when one With regard to the consequences of the Gulf story ended they started new ones. Because, there crisis and the siege of Qatar, H E Sheikh Hamad is no basis for this Gulf crisis, but the purpose of bin Jassem said: “Socially and politically, families fabricating this crisis is an irresponsible goal by have been dispersed and we begun to hear very the countries that have taken the decision to fab- low level language that affected symbols, women, ricate the crisis.” Law on supporting national products lauded SIDI MOHAMED investments which includes THE PENINSULA investment returns,” he said, stressing that the law will help Qatar has recently issued a the flow of foreign capital, accel- number of laws that will erate economic development, contribute strongly to strength- and raise the level of Qatar’s ening the national economy and global economic indicators. promoting foreign investment. Regarding the decision to Commenting on these laws, support national products and lawyer Rashid Al Saad (pic- protect them against harmful tured), member of Advisory practices, Al Saad said that the Board of Qatar Financial Center, decision to support national said that the law allowing non- types of incentives like allo- products was necessary from an Qatari investors to invest 100 cating land to the investor to economic perspective. “It is percent capital in most of eco- establish their project, allowing important due to many benefits nomic sectors will enhance them to import machinery and attached to it. It will increase investment and will attract equipment for construction, profitability of national products investors to Qatar. permitting them expansion of and industry in general, and will Speaking to The Peninsula, their projects, and exempting also encourage consumers to he also said that earlier non- them from income tax. “There buy local products.” Qatari investors were allowed is something very important to “This decision will also stim- to invest only 49 percent in any reassure any investor that the ulate the owners of startups and company’s shares while the new investments are not subject to entrepreneurs to expand their law will attract foreign expropriation either directly or projects and increase pro- investment, increase tax returns, indirectly, unless it was for the duction in line with the State’s and protect domestic and public benefit and in a non-dis- plans to promote diversification foreign investors. criminatory manner,” Al Saad of national economy and self- Al Saad also pointed out that pointed out. sufficiency of the country the law regulating foreign “Also the investor has the relying on its national products investment includes various freedom to transfer his and capabilities,” he added. 04 HOME SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 Katara signs cooperation agreement with International Amber Association

THE PENINSULA As per the agreement and high-level forums related to DOHA both sides will the industry. cooperate in exchange The three-day exhibition at In a major initiative to promote of materials in Katara Cultural Village drew amber industry in Qatar and thousands of amber enthusiasts, worldwide, Katara Cultural education and research, who had an opportunity to see Village yesterday signed an publications and and buy the wide range of agreement with the Poland- information on amber, authentic Kahraman amber based International Amber Asso- technical assistance beads, ornaments and historic ciation (IAA) for mutual cooper- artifacts on display. ation in various fields related to in amber laboratory Amber merchants, traders, the industry. issues and exchange of artistes and experts from seven The Letter of Intent was employees, expertise countries - Qatar, Turkey, signed by Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Kuwait, Lebanon, Russia, Poland Al Sulaiti, General Manager of and research scholars and Lithuania- took part in the Katara Cultural Village and and promotion of exhibition, featuring about 80 Mariusz Grzegorz Gliwinski, amber culture, history stalls with a rich variety of Deputy President of the Associ- and contemporary amber products. ation at the First Katara Exhi- Most stalls have also show- bition for Kahraman beads design. cased rare and natural pieces of which concluded yesterday. fossilised amber of different Khalid Al Sayed, head of the Association and its member colour, size and quality. The exhibition and other Katara offi- organisations in various fields exhibition also introduced the cials were also present at the particularly in technical aspects different styles and perspectives signing ceremony. related to amber industry. The in manufacturing Kahraman Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara Cultural Village, and Mariusz Grzegorz International Amber Asso- agreement will be especially amber beads and ornaments, Gliwinski, Deputy President of the Association, at the First Katara Exhibition for Kahraman beads ciation is a platform for amber beneficial in establishing a ded- from authentic material, through during the signing ceremony. merchants and manufacturers, icated center for Kahraman a number of seminars and artistes making amber artworks amber at Katara Cultural Village workshops. and collectors of natural amber as well as in holding future exhi- research, publications and infor- of amber culture, history and Both sides will serve as a The exhibition, the first of its and historic amber artifacts as bitions and other related events,” mation on amber, technical contemporary design. bridge for cooperation between kind in Qatar and one of the well as researchers in this field. said Khalid Al Sayed. assistance in amber laboratory The parties will discuss the different organisations involved biggest in the region, is expected “The agreement will help As per the agreement both issues and exchange of opportunities and challenges in the amber industry. The to give major boost to Kahraman Katara benefit from the expe- sides will cooperate in exchange employees, expertise and presented and would enter into parties will also cooperate in amber industry in Qatar, the Gulf rience and expertise of the of materials in education and research scholars and promotion specific agreements in future. organizing exhibitions, seminars, and worldwide. Qatar Charity sets up four sewing workshops in Sudan

THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Charity (QC), with the support of benefactors in Qatar, has set up four sewing workshops to train the mothers of orphans and underprivileged women, promote their products and provide them with 89 sewing machines. The workshops were set up as part of 164 income-gen- erating projects, which were implemented by Qatar Charity through its office in Sudan in A view of the audience at the interactive event at Qatar 2018 at a total cost of more National Library. than QR1m, benefiting hun- dreds of families in need. Women undergoing sewing training at a workshop set up by Qatar Charity in Sudan. The four workshops aim Parenting advice shared at at rehabilitating and training ’s event the beneficiaries in sewing The workshops were set up as part of 164 source of income for their and embroidery arts for one income-generating projects, which were families. year, then giving them sewing Hocine Kermache, THE PENINSULA The author shared with parents and embroidery machines implemented by Qatar Charity through its director of QC’s office in DOHA stories from his famous storybook along with necessary oper- office in Sudan in 2018 at a total cost of Sudan, said this project was series Ilyas and Duck, which ating accessories. more than QR1m, benefiting hundreds of considered as one of the Award-winning author Omar combine relatable characters with Through its economic families in need. important income-generating Khawaja offered families useful beautiful illustrations and exciting empowerment projects, Qatar projects implemented by advice on raising responsible stories. Charity seeks to alleviate the Qatar Charity in Sudan, as this children at an interactive event, The book series presents real suffering of poor families by accessories and 20 pieces of the Khartoum workshop, said project involves training ‘Ilyas and Duck Show,’ which took world stories to help children providing a decent job that cloths, benefiting mothers of the sewing workshop was set women and teaching them the place yesterday at Qatar National develop a sense of curiosity and find provides them with a stable orphans living in the city. up in a densely populated methods to market and Library. answers to their own questions. income. Such projects will Another workshop set up area, where most of the promote their products, in help lift them out of poverty in the White Nile State people are poor, who need addition to giving them and preserve their human included 17 sewing machines such projects that help them sewing machines. dignity. along with accessories in live a decent life, adding that Compared to 2017, eco- A workshop was set up at addition to two workshops in the workshop aims at training nomic empowerment projects the Sheikha Aisha bint Hamad the Khartoum State, which women in producing. witnessed an increase in the bin Abdullah Al Attiyah Model included 33 sewing machines The trainees expressed number of completed projects Orphans City in the River Nile along with accessories, ben- their pleasure and thanked the in 2018, reaching 164 projects, State, where the workshop efiting more than 150 benefactors in Qatar for their while 64 income-generating included 31 different sewing families. generous donation, which projects were implemented in machines along with Rabab Hussein, director of contributed to providing a 2017.

QFMA to hold training program on ‘Combating Financial Crimes’

QNA DOHA

The Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA), in cooper- ation with the Union of Arab Securities Authorities (UASA), will hold a training program on “Combating Financial Crimes” on 4-5 February 2019. The program topics cover specific issues related to com- bating financial crimes such as money laundering, terrorist financing, bribery, corruption and fraud, along with the practical defences, and focuses on how laws, regula- tions and best practice con- tinue to evolve across the entire spectrum of associated activities. SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 HOME 05 QM announces Year of Culture photography competition

THE PENINSULA DOHA

After officially announcing India as its 2019 Year of Culture partner country, Qatar Museums (QM) has officially launched the first initi- ative of what is set to be a year filled with cultural and artistic exchange. The competition, titled “Cricket Contemporary Photog- raphy” has invited Qatar-based photographers to submit photos A picture by Abdelhamid Serghini. and videos about Cricket for a Nurses pose for a group photo after the workshop at the Ministry of Public Health. chance to a prize from Qatar Museums. Said to have originated that portray themes such as: com- sport that ignites passion among in 16th century south-east petition, sportsmanship, passion, its enthusiasts and we look Ministry of Public Health organises England, Cricket went on to loss, and triumph. forward how participants can become one of the most popular Commenting on the compe- bring that to life.” sports in India. The premise of the tition launch, Fuad Al Mudahka, Under the leadership of H E Tdap vaccination campaign game involves two teams of eleven Acting Director of 3-2-1 Qatar Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad players playing using a bat and Olympic and Sports Museum, bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM spear- ball. The game is played on a field, stated: “Photography has always heads the Years of Culture initi- THE PENINSULA done in cooperation with the Students of public schools will at the centre of which is a been an integral part of the Year ative — an annual series of DOHA Ministry of Education and have their vaccinations from 20-metre pitch with a wicket at of Culture program. Every year we bilateral, cultural exchange pro- Higher Education, and with the February 17 to 26. each end, each comprising two look to photographers to use their grammes with a partner country. The Ministry of Public Health Primary Healthcare The Ministry organised a bails balanced on three stumps. imagery to introduce audiences to It is designed to deepen under- launched yesterday its annual Corporation. workshop for nurses that pro- Photographs and videos sub- the cultural elements of both Qatar standing between nations and vaccination campaign against The first day of the cam- vided them with the nec- mitted for review may depict any and partner countries, thus fos- their people through mutual Tdap, focusing in students in paign will begin today in essary training that would location in Qatar where the com- tering mutual appreciation and exchanges of arts, culture and her- year 10. private and expat schools, and guarantee the success of the munity plays cricket, including understanding between our itage. The deadline for submissions The campaign is being will continue to February 24. campaign. professional or friendly matches people. Cricket has long been a is March 31 2019. Reviving book reading culture through cafes HALA ABDALLAH century, for example.” THE PENINSULA Al Khateeb also shed light on crucial idea to promote book To revive dying culture of book reading culture in Qatar as she reading, a number of well-known suggested, “The presence of cafes in Qatar have started with libraries in airports or metro sta- the initiative of providing their tions is a very important idea. As customers with an ambiance that well as, if each family assigns a motivates them to read books. corner for library and reading Book reading habit is on con- these things are fundamental to stant decline in the Middle East stimulate the culture of reading and it is due to several cultural, in our community.” economic, and even political Saoud, a Qatari customer at reasons, said a Lebanese writer, Mokarabia Ezdan Tower 1 branch Basma Al Khateeb. “But allocating said, “It is the first time I am vis- a section for reading in cafes is a iting this branch; I really liked the healthy phenomenon that I hope fact that there is more than one to spread.” Interaction with many section so I can find a calm place people has revealed that they do to read.” “I think this is the right A view of Mokarabia Cafe at Mall of Qatar branch. RIGHT: Jobelle Milla, supervisor of Mokarabia Cafe, at Mall of Qatar. strongly believe that the atmos- place for readers,” he added. PIC: QASSIM RAHMATULLAH / THE PENINSULA phere being provided by cafes “In Qatar, there are many like Mokarabia, Caribou Coffee technological and entertainment and Paul Café helping in Interaction with many people who come here to meet Sometimes visitors hide the books makes the visitor feel comfortable attractions that distract people spreading the book reading people has revealed and talk about business, students inside the book cabinet so that to read in public. “The interior in from reading. In addition, reading culture. that they do strongly studying or people just reading they could easily find it on their Paul Café is just like European is not usually rooted in the Arab “We offer more than thou- believe that the books. One time, I even saw a next visit,” said Thata Alido, the and we usually like to read in family,” Al Khateeb told The sands of books here in different teacher teaching his student in assistant manager of Mokarabia public places so this café induces Peninsula adding, “Thus I see the languages for all our customers,” atmosphere being this café. Because, I think, the Ezdan Tower 1 branch. me personally to practice my initiative of promoting reading in said Jobelle Milla, supervisor in provided by cafes like ambiance and the place in “The majority of our cus- habit of reading.” cafes through this strategy as Mokarabia Café at Mall of Qatar. Mokarabia, Caribou general is suitable for the purpose tomers that are interested in Highlighting on the impor- good and promising step.” “The library is a part of the of learning,” said Lindsy an reading here are Arabs and Euro- tance of this initiative, Al Khateeb However, Al Khateeb claimed interior design and the theme was Coffee and Paul Café American college student in peans. They usually come here to added, “Coffee shops throughout that “their success depends on the an initiative by the owner helping in spreading Qatar. read between 6pm and 9pm; history have witnessed the birth response of the public and the himself,” Milla told The Peninsula the book reading Nevertheless, Mokarabia’s during this time it is a bit dull and of great ideas in which many intention of those who are in adding, “The books were col- culture. library contains books that are not crowded so they prefer to stay authors wrote influential books charge of these initiatives and lected randomly from different not only in English but also in in the last section of the café to in global cultural and social their application. It depends on places in Qatar since we first and Spanish. “Our strategy read in tranquility,” she added. movement and where the elites whether they are offering it arbi- started cafe in 2015.” readers, students and even is not to lend books to customers Emma, a European customer would meet to discuss and trarily or on the basis of a delib- Moreover, Caribou Coffee workers in Qatar. “In Caribou so they would come back just to at Paul Café believes that the develop ideas, as in sidewalks erate plan with conscious goals noticed a wide turnout by Coffee, there is always a type of finish the book they were reading. interior of the place is what Parisian cafes in mid-twentieth and future steps.” Shop Qatar 2019 announces winners for third raffle draw THE PENINSULA CEO commented, “As proud sup- pm on Sunday, January 20 at the DOHA porters of QNTC’s Shop Qatar fes- Doha Festival City Mall. tival, Mall of Qatar is thrilled to Enter the raffle draws in 4 easy The third of the Shop Qatar’s four host the 3rd raffle draw on our steps. raffle draws was held at Mall of iconic Ooredoo Oasis stage. The The steps include ‘keep your Qatar and nine winners walked cash and car prizes are a great way receipts after your shop at stores away with two Jaguar cars and to support our retailers and a fan- in the participating malls’, go to QR200,000 in cash prizes tastic incentive to encourage our the Shop Qatar info kiosk in the Thursday. At the time of the raffle customers to shop more in order mall and show your receipts’, ‘for draw, there was also a ‘Wheel of to increase their chances in the every QR200 spent, receive 1 An official holding Shop Qatar 2019 raffle draw at Mall of Qatar. Fortune’ where 15 shoppers won prize draw.” voucher’, ‘drop your voucher(s) in valuable prizes courtesy of the Visitors and residents still have the Shop Qatar raffle box’. mall’s shops. a chance to win in the fourth and Last Chance to Buy Tickets for his soulful voice and unparalleled Nominated for MTV Video locally acclaimed designers, 11 The five winners of the final draw by shopping or dining Musical Concerts, Arjit Singh talent. Music Awards’ Best New Artist, masterclasses and workshops by QR10,000 cash prizes in the third at any of the festival’s 13 mall Concert. In addition to the exciting Tickets range from QR100 to Bazzi is one of 2018’s breakout famous beauty experts, and 8 week’s raffle draw are Cas- partners or at The Pearl-Qatar. For shopping experiences, Bollywood QR2,500 with VIP Box packages stars with hit singles such as interactive sessions at the Fashion tillo(148038), Yusuf (010851), every QR200 spent at any of the music buffs can listen to the most of QR10,000 (8 seats) and ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Mine.’ Speakers Corner organised by Mohamad Ibrahim(142684), Niyaz participating retailers or restau- sought-after music sensation Arijit QR12,000 (11 seats) and are on sale Along with Boyce Avenue’s Fashion Trust Arabia. (144157), Milvin De Arce(132183), rants, shoppers can enter the final Singh perform his superhit songs on https://www.wanasatime.com/ familiar acoustic sound that has Fashion enthusiasts shopped The winner of QR50,000 is raffle draw, with three cars live on Friday, January 19 at Lusail night-life/ArjitSingh2019 gained them over 4 billion views at 85 pop up shops showcasing Gabriel (145880). and the biggest namely: Jaguar E-PACE, Range Sports Arena. under Bazzi and Boyce on YouTube and more than 12 international and local designers, cash prize of QR100,000 went to Rover Evoque 2019 and Land Gates will open at 5pm and the Avenue, there is great news for million subscribers. Design Dis- beauty products and services and Ziad Ali (125086). Two fortunate Rover Discovery Sport 2019 along concert will end at 11pm. With American pop/rock music fans! trict wraps up, Saturday marked other custom-made and person- shoppers Asif Aslam (214772) and with 7 cash prizes ranging from more than 200 songs in just 5 Not one but two international sen- the end of 8 days of fashion- alised products. Rasy (148214) get to update their QR10,000 to QR100,000 to be years including hits like ‘Tum hi sations Bazzi and Boyce Avenue forward activities at the Shop In addition, the visitors ride this year with brand new won at the end of the festival on ho’ from Ashiqui 2 and ‘Channa will be performing live in Doha Qatar Design District, the first of enjoyed daily live entertainment Jaguar E-PACE and Jaguar XJ 20 January 2019. Meriya’ from Ay Dil Hay Mushkil, during the Shop Qatar festival on its kind in the festival. and a variety of food stalls and respectively. The next and final Shop Qatar Arijit Singh has enjoyed an Thursday, January 17 from 7pm It featured 17 fashion shows cafes inside the district and in the Stuart Elder, Mall of Qatar’s Raffle Draw will be held at 7:30 immense fan following thanks to – 11pm. from globally renowned and outdoor entertainment area. 06 HOME SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA 07

Turkey: Efforts UN proposal calls for being made to maintain monitors to oversee truce in Idlib

QNA Yemen ceasefire ANKARA

AP The British-drafted Turkish Defence Minister UNITED NATIONS resolution would Hulusi Akar said that all approve Secretary- efforts are being made to A proposed UN resolution would maintain ceasefire, stability establish a United Nations political General Antonio in the province of Idlib in mission to oversee implemen- Guterres’ proposal for northern Syria. Akar, Chief of tation of a ceasefire and the with- up to 75 UN monitors General Staff Gen. Yasar drawal of rival forces from to be deployed for an Guler, Land Forces Yemen’s key port of Hodeida. Commander Umit Dundar, The British-drafted reso- initial period of six Intelligence Chief Hakan lution would approve Secretary- months. Fidan met at southern border General Antonio Guterres’ pro- province of Hatay yesterday. posal for up to 75 UN monitors During the meeting, they to be deployed for an initial security at the three ports. discuss latest developments period of six months. Diplomats said the Security in Syria’s Idlib region and the Lise Grande (right), UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen, meets with officials during her visit to the The draft resolution says the Council is expected to vote on efforts made to maintain embattled Red Sea port city of Hodeida. monitors would oversee the the draft resolution next week. ceasefire, stability under ceasefire in Hodeida and the sur- The council voted unani- Sochi agreement. rounding area, demining opera- mously on December 21 to cease-fire in Hodeida and the The ceasefire, which went Dujarric said that there are cur- “Our close cooperation tions at Hodeida and the smaller authorise the deployment of UN surrounding area and the pullout into effect on December 18, has rently about 20 monitors in with Russia continues in this ports of Salif and Ras Issa, and the monitors to observe implemen- of rival forces. But that was only halted months of heavy fighting Yemen, stressing that their manner,” Minister Akar said. redeployment of forces. They tation of the agreement between for 30 days, so a new resolution in Hodeida, whose port handles deployment also hinges on the The defence minister would also work with Yemen’s the government and the Houthis is needed to extend the 70 percent of the food and security situation, which he arrived at southern border government and Houthis to signed in Stockholm on deployment and establish a more humanitarian aid imported into called “fairly delicate, to say the province of Hatay on Friday assure that local forces provide December 13 to monitor the permanent UN operation. Yemen. UN spokesman Stephane least.” to inspect Turkish army units stationed there. Following a meeting last September in the Russian city of Sochi between Turkish 12 civilians dead in President Recep Tayyip Congo ruling coalition Erdogan and Russian coun- terpart Vladimir Putin, the Burkina Faso attack two sides agreed to set up a wins legislative majority demilitarised zone — in which AFP gunmen attacked a village acts of aggression are pro- REUTERS with the 18-year Kabila era and for president in 2023 when term OUAGADOUGOU market in broad daylight, the hibited — in Idlib. KINSHASA fuel suspicion that his victory, limits no longer apply. security ministry said in a announced on Thursday, came The runner-up in the presi- Twelve civilians were killed in statement issued late Friday. Dozens feared Outgoing Democratic Republic of through a backroom deal that will dential election, Martin Fayulu, an attack in the north of Burkina “Around 30 armed indi- Congo President Joseph Kabila’s preserve Kabila’s influence over filed a fraud complaint yesterday Faso, which has been battling a viduals perpetrated... a terrorist dead in Nigeria ruling coalition won a majority in important ministries and the with Congo’s highest court to wave of violence, officials said. attack in the village of Gasseliki,” legislative elections, a coalition security forces. challenge the result, a campaign The west African country it said, giving a toll of 12 dead and as leaking oil official said yesterday, despite Kabila is due to step down in spokeswoman, Eve Bazaiba, said. declared a state of emergency in two wounded. opposition leader Felix the coming days in what was Fayulu says he won in a land- several provinces at the end of “A barn, a cart and six shops tanker explodes Tshisekedi’s win in the presi- meant to be Congo’s first demo- slide in the December 30 ballot last year and on Thursday were also set alight,” it added. dential vote the same day. cratic transfer of power in 59 with more than 60 percent of replaced its army chief as it A local source said that the AP The result will undercut Tsh- years of independence. But he has votes and accuses Tshisekedi of struggled to put a stop to a spate attackers “ransacked stores and LAGOS isekedi’s ability to deliver on cam- signalled he intends to remain striking a deal with Kabila to be of such attacks. opened fire on people who had paign promises to make a break involved in politics and might run declared the winner. In the latest violence, gathered for the weekly market”. An overturned oil tanker exploded in Nigeria while dozens of people were scooping up the leaking fuel and many were killed, police ANC kicks off S Africa election campaign and witnesses said yesterday. Hundreds of people have AFP Congress (ANC), which has ruled performance in 2014, when it died in similar accidents in DURBAN since the end of apartheid 25 picked up 62 percent. In South recent years in Nigeria, years ago, is tipped to win the Africa’s parliament, the party Africa’s largest oil producer, South African President Cyril election in May despite faltering which holds a majority of seats as impoverished people risk Ramaphosa yesterday launched support, internal divisions and also selects the president. their lives to collect fuel the ANC’s campaign for legis- a sluggish economy. The forecast upswing is leaking from pipelines or lative elections in May, acknowl- The party of Nelson Mandela pinned on the appointment of trucks. edging the party’s past mistakes suffered a slump in popularity moderate pro-business reformer “We have recovered 12 and promising to restore demo- under the scandal-ridden pres- Ramaphosa as president after corpses and taken 22 persons cratic institutions and economic idency of Jacob Zuma, who was ANC lawmakers forced Zuma to with serious burns to hos- growth. ousted last February after nine resign as corruption scandals pital,” police spokeswoman Ramaphosa unveiled a years at the helm. But a recent piled up. Ramaphosa admitted Irene Ugbo told The Asso- 68-page manifesto before tens IPSOS survey predicted the ANC the party has in recent times ciated Press. She said the blast of thousands of supporters in the could garner as much as 61 “fallen short” of expectations. occurred Friday evening in eastern city of Durban, marking percent in the national and pro- “We must acknowledge that Odukpani in Cross River state FROM LEFT: Former South African President Jacob Zuma, President the start of four months of hectic vincial elections. mistakes have been made and in the southeast. Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza cut a cake campaigning. At the legislative level, that that in some areas transfor- But some residents put during the election manifesto launch in Durban, yesterday. The African National would put it on a par with its mation has stalled,” he said. the death toll closer to 60. 08 VIEWS SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 Bolton juggles muddled ESTABLISHED IN 1996 Syria withdrawal mess CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI [email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR MOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED [email protected]

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR MOHAMMED OSMAN ALI [email protected]

A file picture of Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin meeting with US National Security Adviser John Bolton at the EDITORIAL presidential complex in the capital Ankara, on January 8, 2019.

president’s decision to withdraw, but spokesman Garrett Marquis said that Qatar-US: Key allies to do so from northeast Syria in a way Bolton joined with the chairman of the that makes sure that ISIS is defeated Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph atar and the United State have been key allies since the and to make sure that the defense of Dunford and Syria envoy Ambassador establishment of diplomatic relations in March 1972. Since Israel and our other friends in the James Jeffrey in Turkey to convey “the Qthen the bilateral relations have become strong and coor- region is absolutely assured, and to Administration’s five coordinated dination on a wide range of regional and global issues has become take care of those who have fought principles for implementing the Presi- very close reaching its highest level in previous years. The coop- AARON BLAKE with us against ISIS and other terrorist dent’s guidance on withdrawal.” eration aims at supporting progress, stability and prosperity in THE WASHINGTON POST groups,” Bolton said Sunday in Among them, according to a senior the region. The views and stands, the two sides have shared over Jerusalem. administration official, were that the decades on a number of regional and international issues, have t may wind up being the most sig- Bolton added: “There are objec- withdrawal would happen “in a delib- helped them to develop a strategic partnership that reflects in nificant decision of Donald tives that we want to accomplish that erate, orderly and strong manner” and the constant dialogues and the political and economic Trump’s presidency, and it’s a condition the withdrawal. The time- that “the US will defeat the remaining partnership. muddled mess. table flows from the policy decisions ISIS caliphate on the way out.” That Qatar and US have developed long-lasting and close military IThe administration has been that we need to implement.” suggests Bolton’s conditions could still and security ties, where Qatar hosts one of the most vital military bobbing and weaving on its Syria Those conditions have not been be in-play, even with a withdrawal in facilities in the region making Qatar an important ally to the US policy for two years. It bobbed again met - or really anything close to it. progress. in its fight against terrorism. US remains the largest foreign Thursday, commencing some sort of Turkey, which helped persuade Trump But if you’re Turkey, and you see investor in Qatar’s Oil and Gas sector and sources of imports. withdrawal just days after a top to withdraw in the first place, has the United States is already pulling out Qatar as well has significant investments in the US, where its official signaled things might be on roundly rejected the US condition that - at least to some extent - you have to investments have exceeded $45bn, which is equivalent to 23 hold. it leave the Kurds, whom it regards as wonder how ironclad Bolton’s percent of its GDP according to statement made last year by the Late last terrorists, alone. demands were. We’ll see if the full former Minister of Economy and Commerce month, Pres- Turkish President Recep Tayyip withdrawal was truly conditional on H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani. ident Donald Erdogan declined to even meet with Turkey acquiescing, because that As the United States welcomes every year hundreds of Qatari Trump Bolton during his visit to the region doesn’t appear likely to happen. students in its universities, Qatar announced a and called Bolton’s comments “a And either way, there is just so has developed international edu- It’s also not total and serious mistake.” “The message that much confusion here, completely of cational institutions to cater the clear the Islamic immediate Bolton gave in Israel is unacceptable,” the administration’s own making. As region’s market and currently hosts State is close to withdrawal Erdogan said in a televised address to The Washington Post noted Thursday branch campuses of six major US handled. As my of US troops his political party Tuesday. “It is not night, there’s no real clarity on universities. The Qatar-US Stra- from Syria, possible for us to swallow.” whether Bolton’s conditions are oper- Qatar and US tegic Dialogue comes in this context colleague Liz Sly leading to It’s also not clear the Islamic State ative. Even the five principles laid out have developed to enhance cooperation, strengthen reported last two high- is close to handled. As my colleague in Turkey were more aspirations than long-lasting and bilateral relations looking forward month,” Signs profile resig- Liz Sly reported last month,” Signs that demands. Instead of making sure the close military to a broader perspective on the that the Islamic nations, the Islamic State is starting to regroup safety of the Kurds was “absolutely basis of common values and including and rumblings of discontent within the assured,” as Bolton required, they say, and security ties, mutual respect they share. State is starting Defense Sec- Arab community point to the threat of “The US wants a negotiated solution to where Qatar The second session of the stra- to regroup retary Jim an insurgency.” Turkish security concerns,” and “The hosts one of tegic dialogue will reviews the and rumblings Mattis. But Reporting indicates that, despite United States opposes any mis- the most vital overall relations of the two coun- then the Bolton’s comments, the Pentagon has treatment of opposition forces who tries through “high-level discus- of discontent adminis- not received any updates on its with- fought with the US against ISIS.” military facilities sions on a number of political, eco- within the Arab tration drawal plans from last month and is Trump has made a point to say in the region nomic, defense and cultural community point seemed to moving forward with Trump’s plan. that he doesn’t like telegraphing mil- making Qatar an spheres and will witness the signing to the threat of backpedal a One anonymous defense official told itary moves, which is understandable of a number of memorandums of bit. The the Wall Street Journal: “Nothing has from a strategic standpoint. But in this important ally to understanding (MoUs) that an insurgency.” timeline was changed. We don’t take orders from case, he telegraphed the whole thing the US in its fight enhance cooperation in the slowly drawn Bolton.” upfront. And if you’re going to attach against terrorism. interests of the Qatari and US out and conditions were attached. It all It’s not impossible to square what conditions to something, you need to peoples, as the Spokesperson of the culminated this weekend in national Bolton said with a partial withdrawal. be abundantly clear about them. That Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E security adviser John Bolton declaring His comments never actually said has simply not been the case here, and Lolwah Al Khater has pointed out last Thursday. that the withdrawal would be condi- there would be no withdrawal of we seem to get a different indication The second session which kicks off today is expected to focus tioned on certain “objectives” being troops without the conditions being about this withdrawal every week or on bilateral issues of economy, investments and military coop- met: the complete defeat of the Islamic met. Perhaps he was simply saying the so. eration, along regional issues related to security and stability State, also known as ISIS, and an United States wouldn’t completely The most likely conclusion, from including crises in Yemen, Syria and Palestine besides efforts agreement by Turkey not to target the withdraw until those conditions were there, is that there is no firm plan at being carried by the countries to fight terrorism. The meeting US’s Syrian Kurdish allies once the US met. Perhaps the speed of the with- this point, and that the likes of Bolton also comes at the time when all efforts to tarnish the image of was gone. drawal is what is contingent here. et al. are still trying to shape a with- Qatar in America and the Western countries in general have “We’re going to be discussing the National Security Council drawal that is now already in motion. failed, and Qatar’s foreign policy has proved its credibility having strong ties with the major powers in the world and dealing with the different regional and international challenges. Qatar has also proved that it is an important ally for the US in resolving regional conflicts and maintaining peace and security. No emergency Washington also shares with Qatar similar views over the current GCC crisis, where US has strong desire to resolve it through dip- THE WASHINGTON POST to the president. Yet even if the courts the ingenuity of lawyers determined to lomatic means in harmony with the vision repeatedly reiterated accept this strained legal reasoning, take advantage of the thick web of by the leadership of Qatar in different occasions. Qatar strongly resident Donald Trump spent the notion that there is a military emergency authorities delegated to believes that the Gulf crisis has no solution rather than sitting the week sending ever- emergency on the border demanding the president. for dialogue and commitment to respect each other’s stronger signals that he would the reallocation of Pentagon funding There is another danger. If Trump sovereignty. declare a national emergency would remain an absurd sham. helped establish the expectation that andP unilaterally direct funds to begin The move would represent a par- the invocation of emergency powers is construction on a wall along the US- ticularly obnoxious betrayal of the sep- often a partisan political exercise, then Mexico border. On Friday, he backed aration of powers, because Trump has presidents would be met with more QUOTE OF THE DAY off, saying that “what we’re not looking pushed Congress hard, to the point of skepticism when they use those to do right now is national emergency,” closing the government, for the money powers in more legitimate ways. This and that he is “not going to do it so fast.” to build a wall and lawmakers have could harm efforts to unite the We are making every He should take the idea off the table for refused. It could hardly be clearer that country, mobilize resources or obtain effort to preserve the good. It’s wrong to use the threat that legislators do not want taxpayer money congressional cooperation in times of ceasefire and stability he might, at some future date, ignore to be spent in this way. authentic crisis. Moreover, if Trump in Idlib, in line with Congress, as well as last November’s Some Republicans have raised declares an emergency and loses his midterm election results as leverage in concerns that future Democratic pres- argument in the courts, judges might the Sochi agreement. continuing negotiations. idents would take Trump’s example use the opportunity to constrict presi- Our close cooperation An emergency declaration would and seek their own ways to maneuver dential emergency powers - for good with Russia continues. set a dangerous precedent. Trump and around Congress’s wishes - to address or for ill. future presidents would feel less con- climate change, perhaps - with their As we argued Friday, Congress has strained in asserting their right to act own adventurous interpretations of likely delegated too much discretion to Hulusi Akar unilaterally, even on spending matters extant authorities delegated long ago the executive branch to sidestep law- Turkish Defence Minister on which Congress’s authority should to the executive branch. A future Dem- makers’ powers during a presiden- be paramount. The legal argument is ocratic executive may not find as tially declared emergency. Congress that Trump would act according to much legal grounding as Trump might should review and rescind emergency powers Congress previously delegated now claim, but we also do not doubt powers that are outdated or too broad. SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 OPINION 09 Denationalisation: A punishment reserved for Muslims

n the name of “safeguarding” civ- accorded to government officials, the long-term member of parliament for - no legal trial or conviction nec- ilisation, the forces waging the disproportionate targeting of Muslims, Rochdale itself, (non-Pakistani) Cyril essary - if he or she decides it is “war on terror” have revived a and the destruction of the most basic Smith, had allegedly sexually “conducive to the public good”. form of punishment once rights of the expatriated. assaulted at least eight boys in gov- Although this provision is only Idescribed by the United States In a BBC interview on December ernment care, as documented in a supposed to be used against dual Supreme Court as “more primitive 26, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid 2018 report from the official Inde- nationals, British courts have upheld AZEEZAH KANJI than torture”: the stripping of citi- defended the decision to denation- pendent Inquiry into Child Sexual denationalisation decisions even in AL JAZEERA zenship. Forced denationalisation alise and eventually deport four Paki- Abuse - but was knighted instead of situations where the second citi- entails “the total destruction of the stani-British men convicted of sex- prosecuted. zenship is little more than a legal individual’s status in organised society ually abusing and trafficking vul- Javid’s assertions, then, shed less fiction, leaving the ex-citizen effec- [...and] subjects the individual to a fate nerable young women in Rochdale light on the cultural peculiarities tively stateless. The Immigration Act of ever-increasing fear and distress - part of the “grooming gangs” attributed to Muslims than on the passed in 2014 further expanded the […] In short, the expatriate has lost the scandal popularly represented as problems with what Berkeley Uni- already-expansive powers of the right to have rights,” the court stated emblematising uniquely Muslim versity law professor Leti Volpp home secretary to render indi- in its 1958 decision in the landmark pathologies, even though it implicated describes as “blaming culture for bad viduals officially stateless, stripped case of Trop vs Dulles. less than 0.005 percent of the British behaviour”: “When the actors not only of one’s national identity But despite these extreme effects Muslim population and nearly 90 involved are immigrants of colour, we but of the “right to have rights”. of expatriation, a number of countries percent of convictions for child abuse label behaviour that we consider Appeals in cases of citizenship- claiming to be the foremost defenders in the UK inculpate white men. problematic as ‘cultural’ and under- stripping involving national of human rights have enacted laws Indeed, the uncovering of a stand this term to mark racial or security are heard before the enabling them to strip citizenship similar operation preying on teenaged ethnic identity … In contrast, when a Special Immigration Appeals Com- from those they deem “terrorists” or girls in Derby in 2012 - but involving white person commits a similar act, mission (SIAC), the special features otherwise undesirable, including the predominantly white abusers - failed we view it as an isolated instance of of which include the use of secret Two recent stories United Kingdom, France, Belgium, to elicit any of the hysteria generated aberrant behaviour.” evidence that the accused is not concerning citizenship- Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada by the Rochdale case, and received The “extra-territorialising of prob- allowed to see: an arrangement stripping - one in (subsequently revoked) and Australia. virtually no media coverage. lematic behaviour by projecting it denounced by the UK Parlia- (The US, for its part, has preferred Such realities, however, did not beyond the borders of ‘American mentary Joint Committee on the UK and one in in its counterterrorism strategy to deter Javid from insisting on the sig- values’”, as Volpp observes with ref- Human Rights as “offensive to the Australia- illuminate stick with the supposedly less prim- nificance of the Pakistani background erence to the American context, “has basic principles of adversarial several of the troubling itive tactic of torture, as well as extra- of the Rochdale perpetrators, hypoth- the effect both of equating racialised justice” and “fair play”. aspects of the practice: judicial killing by drone; since citi- esising the existence of “cultural immigrant culture with sex-subordi- The possibility of meaningful zenship-stripping was declared reasons ... that could lead to this type nation, and denying the reality of gen- appeal is rendered even more the dangerously- largely unconstitutional by the US of behaviour.” dered subordination prevalent in illusory by the government’s high levels of Supreme Court in 1967, “it is easier Instead of looking afar to Paki- mainstream white America” - a cri- pattern of performing expatriations discretion accorded to [for the American government] to kill stani “culture”, the home secretary tique that applies equally to the UK. when the subject is out of the government officials, [its citizens] than expatriate” them, could have found the “reasons” he The banishment of Muslim sex country and barred from returning according to Temple Law School pro- was searching for much closer to offenders from British citizenship to challenge it. Two men are the disproportionate fessor Peter Spiro.) home - recent inquiries having reifies this extra-territorialisation in known to have been hunted down targeting of Muslims, Two recent stories concerning cit- revealed the pervasiveness of simi- law, adding an extra punishment for and killed by US drones in Somalia and the destruction of izenship-stripping - one in the UK and larly predatory and sexually exploit- Muslims that is not imposed on white after being dispossessed of their one in Australia- illuminate several of ative “types of behaviour” in British non-Muslim criminals. Children’s British citizenships - demonstrating the most basic rights the troubling aspects of the practice: churches, politics, policing, schools, entertainer Rolf Harris, for instance, the fatal power of of the expatriated. the dangerously-high levels of dis- child welfare and the media and has not been threatened with denationalisation. cretion entertainment industries. The former expulsion to his country of birth, Aus- Muslims appear to be the most tralia, despite being found guilty in likely victims of citizenship- 2014 of 12 charges of indecent assault stripping in Australia as well. Its against young girls. denationalisation law was applied The Rochdale citizenship- most recently against accused stripping case represents a significant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant expansion of the state’s targeting of (ISIL or ISIS) recruiter Neil Prakash. Muslims, “exemplifying how [citi- zenship] deprivation measures could be imposed beyond national security and terrorism concerns and imposed more routinely,” University of York sociologist Nisha Kapoor points out in her book Deport, Deprive, Extradite: D-RING ROAD 21st Century State Extremism. POST BOX: 3488 In its increasingly routine exer- DOHA - QATAR cises of expatriation, the British gov- [email protected] ernment has shown itself to be a habitual violator of the same “British values” it purports to be protecting EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OFFICE from the threat of Muslim TEL: 4455 7741 / 767 “extremism” - namely, “the rule of FAX: +974 4455 7758 British Home Secretary Sajid Javid recently law, democracy, individual liberty defended the decision to denationalise and the mutual respect, tolerance and MANAGING EDITOR TEL: and deport four Pakistani-British men understanding of different faiths and 4462 7505 convicted of abusing vulnerable young beliefs”. women in Rochdale. The UK’s home secretary has DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR TEL: almost unfettered discretion to relieve 4455 7769 individuals of their British citizenship LOCAL NEWS SECTION TEL: 4455 7743

BUSINESS NEWS SECTION ALEX HORTON & he street cleaners huddled total for that year at more than 17,000. does not make decisions based on it, TEL: 4462 7535 SHARIF HASSAN around a portable stove on Health officials in Afghanistan said he said. the sidewalk to pour midday they do not have data to measure At the same moment Friday, Salt SPORT NEWS SECTION tea, taking sips underneath death rates related to pollution. Lake City ranked highest in the United TEL: 4455 7745 Tmasks that filter acrid smog. Health and environmental experts States on AirVisual, with an air quality Mohammad Sharif’s throat measure ambient PM2.5 pollutants, index of 93. ONLINE SECTION burned. His lungs ached. But he can’t particulate matter so small it can Residents here were relieved TEL: 4462 7501 afford a doctor on his wages, any embed in human lungs, causing when two separate days of heavy [email protected] more than he can afford to use gas or severe problems including heart snow this week drove away the smog. Precipitation is typically the only attacks, strokes and respiratory infec- PUBLIC RELATIONS thing that cuts the haze during the tions, along with stunted development TEL: 4455 7613 winter months. in children. The WHO’s recommended [email protected] daily-exposure level is 25. NEPA has made an effort to warn In war-weary Kabul, burning Kabul’s population has tripled the public of the health risks associated ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT over the past decade, and the capital with air pollution, said Abdul-Hadi TEL: 4455 7837 / 780 coal and tires keeps residents buzzes with Soviet-era cars emitting Zheman, a former chief of staff for the FAX: 4455 7870 thick plumes of exhaust. Apartment organization. Yet Zheman resigned in [email protected] warm - and city choked by smog buildings and factories send columns late December, citing frustration over of coal smoke into the air, which mismanagement and what he said was CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT grows even smoggier in winter as a lack of strategic vision at the agency. TEL: 4455 7857 temperatures plummet and residents In leaving, he joined an exodus that has [email protected] crank up their furnaces. included other senior officials and electricity to heat his home. At 11:10 a.m. Friday, Kabul’s air more than a dozen environmental SUBSCRIPTION & Sharif burns wood, animal fat and quality ranked worst in the world experts within the past year, said DISTRIBUTION sometimes plastic to keep himself and with a score of 277, ahead of Delhi Ghulam Mohammad Malikyar, a TEL: 4455 7809 / 839 his family warm, although he knows and the Pakistani city of Lahore, former technical deputy director who FAX: 44557819 that adds to the airborne toxins blan- according to a snapshot from the left the agency months ago. [email protected] Health and keting this city of 5 million.”We don’t commercial air-quality website Air- While some Afghans are unaware environmental experts have any other option,” he said. Visual, which logs readings from con- of the dangers of air pollution, even Afghanistan, long embroiled in sumer-operated sensors around the those who know the risks have little measure ambient conflict, has focused for the past 18 globe. Those readings are perhaps the choice but to continue the behavior All thoughts and views PM2.5 pollutants, only way Kabul residents can quantify that causes it, Zheman said. More than years on security and reconstruction at expressed in these columns particulate matter so the expense of issues affecting the the severity of air pollution half of all Afghans live below the are those of the writers, small it can embed in environment, according to current and day-to-day. poverty line, according to the World former environmental officials. They Afghanistan’s National Environ- Bank, forcing many, like Sharif, to not of the newspaper. human lungs, causing say the government remains ill- mental Protection Agency, or NEPA, burn whatever they have to cook and severe problems equipped to curb the practices - has its own air-quality monitors but stay warm. All correspondence including coal consumption and does not publicly release the data, NEPA could find ways to reduce including heart attacks, regarding Views and strokes and respiratory vehicle exhaust - that cause Kabul’s said Mohammad Iqbal Hamdard, a pollution, Zheman said, including thick haze. About 4.2 million pre- spokesman for the agency, adding subsidizing gas and electricity to Opinion pages should be infections, along with mature deaths worldwide were linked that NEPA is working toward a format make it more affordable and building send to editor-in-chief stunted development to ambient, or outdoor, air pollution in geared for social media. more coal refineries capable of office or mailed to the in children. 2016, according to the World Health NEPA officials monitor the Air- removing some of the harmful carbon Organization, which put Afghanistan’s Visual score in Kabul, but the agency and lead. [email protected] 10 ASIA SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 BSP, SP announce tie-up for LS polls, keep Congress out

IANS “The Bahujan Samaj She also said that the BJP was LUCKNOW Party and Samajwadi rattled at the fact that the two regional parties had buried a Arch rivals for over 25 years, the Party will each contest long-standing animosity and that BSP and SP announced yesterday 38 seats while two it was letting loose government that they will contest the coming seats have been left agencies to thwart the alliance. Lok Sabha polls together in Uttar “But here we are formally Pradesh sharing 38 seats each of for one or two parties. coming together, to ensure that the 80 in the state, while leaving We have also decided at all costs, the BJP is not allowed Rae Bareli and Amethi for to leave Amethi and to return to power but also to Congress, which has been kept Rae Bareli seats for give relief to the teeming millions out of the alliance. who were suffering at the hands “The Bahujan Samaj Party Congress though we do of the faulty and anti-people pol- and Samajwadi Party will each not have alliance with icies of the BJP government at contest 38 seats while two seats it,” Mayawati said. the Centre and in many states”, have been left for one or two the Dalit leader announced. parties. We have also decided to Making it clear that the deep leave Amethi and Rae Bareli hinted at supporting Mayawati differences and simmering hos- seats for Congress though we do as a Prime Ministerial tility between the BSP-SP were not have alliance with it,” candidate. “now things of the past”, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav (right) and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati during Mayawati said at a joint con- “Uttar Pradesh has produced Mayawati also said that in “larger a press conference to announce their political alliance in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, yesterday. ference here with SP chief numerous prime ministers in the public interest she had even Akhilesh Yadav. past. You know whom I will decided to overlook the infamous form the government. the Rafale jet fighter scam” she said. the 2014 Lok Sabha and the sub- Answering questions, support. I will be happy if June 1995 murderous attack on She went on to bracket the Explaining the reason for sequent Assembly polls in 2017, Mayawati called the alliance a another prime minister comes her by SP workers”. BJP and the Congress on the keeping the Congress out of the has been viewed by analysts as “permanent phenomenon” that from the state.” Mayawati Listing a host of problems same page, saying their “ideology alliance, Mayawati said it was a possible game changer. would not only sound the “end described the alliance also as a like demonetisation, rolling out and the working style” was because of past experiences and In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, of the dictatorial, arrogant and “new political revolution” taken of the GST, agrarian distress, similar. electoral history showed that the BJP won 71 seats on its own anti-people the BJP” but one that in national interest to stop the marginalisation of the poor, The BSP supremo also while the vote of the BSP and SP while its ally Apna Dal picked up would last beyond the 2019 BJP from coming to power again. Dalits, downtrodden and alleged that while the people did shifted to the Congress in toto, it two. The BSP drew nil, while the general election and also go in The four-time Uttar Pradesh farmers, Mayawati, who looked not profit in governments of both did never happen vice versa. SP won five and Congress two -- the 2022 state Assembly polls. Chief Minister started her address very much in control at the con- the Congress and BJP, even “Both the BSP (1997) and SP all family pocketboroughs. The two parties will keep by saying that what she was about ference, also said that the defence scams took place under (2017) tied up with the Congress, Mayawati said the seat- their personal differences aside to say and announce would give alliance was set to knock out the their watch. but the results were not in our sharing between two parties was to end “the monstrous rule” of anxious and sleepless moments BJP as they successfully did in the “If Bofors was responsible for favour because of this very decided at a meeting in Delhi on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to the “guru-chela” duo of Prime 1993 state Assembly polls when the ouster of the Congress gov- reason.” The coming together of January 4 and the distribution of she said. Minister Narendra Modi and BJP the late Kanshiram and Mulayam ernment at the centre in the 90’s, the two parties, which were seats has also been broadly On his part, Akhilesh Yadav National President Amit Shah. Singh Yadav came together to the BJP will go down soon due to swept away by the Modi wave in worked out.

Retrieving ‘idea of India’ biggest Grand Alliance a comical union of desperate parties: BJP challenge for IANS Modi government’s economic leaderless opportunistic alliance work with renewed vigour in the Citing examples of the NEW DELHI and foreign policies and its poor- — a ‘majboot’ (strong) gov- Lok Sabha elections,” it said. The helpless government between next polls: Rahul centric welfare measures and ernment or a ‘majboor’ (helpless) resolution described the oppo- 1990 to 2014, it said, “India of Calling the opposition said that the biggest change in government,” it said. sition alliance as a “desperate” 2019 is not the India of 90s where IANS ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (Grand the last four years was the The resolution also took note formation to take on Modi. the longevity of the central gov- DUBAI Alliance) a comical alliance of crackdown on corruption. of the party’s defeat in the recently “Today a comical alliance ernment comprising these des- desperate and opportunistic In the resolution, the party concluded Assembly elections in known as Mahagathbandhan of perate and opportunistic ele- Accusing the Narendra Modi political parties, the BJP on said that today Indians across the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh desperate, contradictory and ments ranged from four months government of pushing intol- Saturday said that the people of world are feeling far more con- and Rajasthan and said “we note opportunistic political forma- to one year.” “The choice today erance, Congress President the country will have a choice in fident and secure as they know with a mixed feeling”. tions is being sought to be raised is between stability and instability Rahul Gandhi yesterday said the 2019 general elections either that government is caring for Lauding the party workers for to take on the Prime Minister, the — effective governance or des- retrieving the ‘idea of India’, to elect a majboor (helpless) them even while they are far putting in a lot of hard work in BJP and the NDA,” it said. perate mal-governance, a well- which is tolerant, was the government of a leaderless away. The global stature of Modi the elections, it said, “all the BJP “They neither have any pro- respected leader like Modi being biggest challenge in the next alliance or a majboot (strong) and the personal warmth he has state governments have given gramme agenda for the country opposed by an opportunistic Lok Sabha polls. government under the lead- introduced in the diplomatic dis- exemplary record of devel- or for the people, nor any leader alliance whose leader is Interacting with students ership of Prime Minister course has also enhanced the opment and good governance”. but the only glue is the hatred unknown,” it said. at the IMT University here, the Narendra Modi. stature of India. “We shall surely draw the against Modi,” it said, adding that The party hoped that the Congress President also gave The political resolution “Choice between stability or right lessons but surely this will this in many ways also exposes people of the country will repose a glimpse of his vision vis-a- adopted at the two-day BJP instability, between an honest serve as an inspiration for the the limitations of the constituents their faith in the Modi gov- vis the future of India wherein National Convention hailed the and courageous leader, and a party workers and cadres to of this opportunistic alliance. ernment and again elect it. he said that healthcare, air transport and agriculture were some of the key areas where Indian leadership would have to think “strate- Reinstate Alok Verma gically” to transform them. “When someone asks me ‘what do you mean by being an as CBI Chief: Congress Indian’, my response is that India has taught me to look at a point IANS stage of Rafale? Was it that he of view which is totally different NEW DELHI had evidence, witnesses, doc- from mine, which I might even uments which would nail the dislike, yet I respect it,” he said. The Congress yesterday multiple lies of this government, “Tolerance is embedded in demanded reinstatement of CBI the Prime Minister, the ruling our culture. And it is quite sad Chief Alok Verma, terming his party president?” he to see what is going on back ouster from the investigating wondered. home in last four-five years — agency by the Prime Minister- Apart from Verma’s rein- a lot of intolerance, anger, divi- led selection committee, a statement, the party also sions between communities. I negation of “natural justice” demanded reconvening of the think it stems from the men- and a decision taken to derail selection committee and giving tality of people who are the Rafale probe. him back the 77 days out of his leading. India generally tends Congress leader Abhishek two years’ tenure which he lost to be tolerant. We need to go Manu Singhvi referred to the due to the probe. back to that because it is what statement given to a newspaper Earlier, Patnaik had told a has made us strong,” he added. by retired Supreme Court newspaper that there was “no Gandhi, who is on a Justice A K Patnaik, who super- evidence” of corruption against two-day visit to the United Arab vised the selection committee Verma and that the committee Emirates (UAE), half-jokingly meetings, to accuse the ruling took the decision in “very, very said that even though a separate Harvest festival party of removing Verma from haste”. Ministry of Tolerance was “not the CBI post in “haste and “There was no evidence a bad idea”, but it was not going Women clad in traditional Punjabi dress perform a ‘giddha’ folk dance during celebrations on the eve anxiety” and with a view to against Verma regarding cor- to work as long as the leader at of the Lohri festival at Shahzada Nand College in Amritsar, yesterday. The Lohri harvest festival, which “hide matters of public ruption. The entire enquiry the top was unreceptive of a falls on January 13 this year, is marked in northern India by the lighting of bonfires and flying kites. interest”. was held on (CBI Special diverse viewpoint. “This is very serious, it is Director Rakesh) Asthana’s urgent, it is very important complaint. I have said in my because ultimately the issues report that none of the are the same, the issues have findings in the CVC’s report not changed. But, the issues are mine,” he had told The Sikkim CM launches ‘One Family, One Job’ scheme highlight a tearing hurry, Indian Express. anxiety and urgency to hide Verma was transferred by IANS He also declared that all loan state as a token gesture to kick- Once the formal launch of vital matters of public interest. the three-member selection GANGTOK debts in the farming and agri- start the scheme during ‘Rojgar the programme was over, the This government is running committee — including Leader culture sector would be revoked. Mela 2019’ at the packed Paljor officials took over and carried scared... I think, it is very clear... of Opposition Mallikarjun Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, the longest stadium here. out the job of distributing that there is much to hide, it is Kharge, who dissented against Chamling yesterday launched serving Chief Minister in inde- Chamling’s Sikkim Demo- appointment letters. In all, not a cupboard full of skeletons, Verma’s removal — from the ‘One Family, One Job’ scheme pendent India, personally cratic Font government earlier 11,772 people were issued it is only skeletons, there is no CBI Chief’s post to the post of that envisions employment to a handed out temporary announced that 20,000 youths appointment letters on Saturday cupboard,” Singhvi said in a Director General of Fire member of every family which appointment letters to two ben- would immediately be given itself. press conference. Services on Wednesday, two does not have a government job eficiaries from each of the 32 temporary jobs under the Chamling said the rest would “Was it that the CBI Director days after the Supreme Court in the state. Assembly constituencies in the scheme. get the documents very soon. was deep into the investigative had reinstated him. SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 ASIA 11 ‘US demand for Pakistan to do more proved unsuccessful’

INTERNEWS “I cannot say whether they recognise that it was talks would be determined by the So, the problem is deeper than a bureaucrats at the assistant sec- WASHINGTON an unfair demand – that Pakistan had done a Americans and the Afghan structured engagement,” he said. retary and higher levels were lot at a great cost to herself. But it is clear that people, not Pakistan. “There is mistrust on both political appointees, providing a The United States has ultimately “The Americans understand sides that needs to be unwound strong political dimension in their seen that its demand for Pakistan the US South Asia strategy was not successful,” that and we are facilitating the and that will take an effort where system, which ensured that the to do more was unsuccessful, said former Pakistan envoy to Washington, Ali process as best we can because the leadership on both sides need direction that the US president says the country’s former envoy Jehangir Siddiqui. not only is peace in Afghanistan to be engaged by the respective wanted was where the system went. to Washington, Ali Jehangir a noble goal but Pakistan has diplomats and historical issues “So, both sides have an Siddiqui. been the second worst sufferer are discussed and we clear and understanding of each other and Siddiqui, who served in demand – that Pakistan had Asked if Pakistan can help in this conflict and we want a put the last 20 years of history of their own historical positions. Washington from May to Dec done a lot at a great cost to create a semblance of normality peaceful Afghanistan,” he said. behind us.” He disagreed with It is true that both sides don’t 2018 - a period when Pak-US ties herself. But it is clear that the US in Afghanistan as the Americans Asked what he believed was the common perception that the spend enough time under- went from cold to frigid – was South Asia strategy was not suc- demand, Siddiqui said: “There is preventing US-Pakistan relations US and Pakistan sides fail to standing where the other is speaking in an interview with cessful,” said Siddiqui when a lot of focus on Pakistan here from taking off, Siddiqui said it understand each other and coming from and frequently miss Dawn newspaper in a report pub- asked how did America’s but we have already done eve- was the lack of “clarity on both instead of talking to each other, the considerations and pressures lished yesterday about the com- demand for Pakistan to do more rything we can. We used every sides.” He noted that Pakistan had they talk across each other. the other side has to manage,” plexities in relations between the affect bilateral ties. ounce of security and diplomatic not had the broad-based strategic “I don’t think this perception he said. two countries, the challenges he “I think that Pakistan has goodwill we had to get all parties dialogue with the US for a long is correct. The bureaucracies on Siddiqui said that since faced as an envoy, and whether gained from standing its ground. on the table.” Referring to Paki- time and that had held things back. both sides are sophisticated. But Pakistan was often busy dealing Pakistan can contribute to nor- Of course, in the interim there stan’s efforts to persuade the “But when we did have the the US political system has much with short-term issues and mality in Afghanistan. was a lot of pressure on the rela- Taliban to hold direct talks with strategic dialogue in the Obama more influence in its bureaucracy crises, there was limited long- “I cannot say whether they tionship but we sustained it,” he the Americans, Ambassador Sid- years that was precisely when the compared to ours,” he said. term policy planning at least vis- recognise that it was an unfair added. diqui said the outcome of these relationship was worsening rapidly. Siddiqui noted that many US a-vis the US.

Provinces brace to get Nawaz Sharif denied medical their revenue shares check-up, slashed by Imran govt says daughter

ANATOLIA INTERNEWS Cyan in place of Professor KARACHI ISLAMABAD Ibrahim Khan. Balochistan has replaced Dr Qaisar Bengali with Daughter of former Prime President Dr Arif Alvi has recon- Mehfooz Ali. Minister Nawaz Sharif has stituted the 9th National Finance The NFC is required to be accused the government of Commission to work out a new set up at intervals not exceeding not allowing doctors to see resource distribution formula five years as required under her ailing father, who is between the Pakistani federal Clause (1) of Article 160 of the currently serving a seven- and provincial governments Constitution. year term in a jail after being amid Imran Khan’s desire to The finance minister and convicted in a corruption slash provincial shares without provincial finance ministers are case. amending the Constitution. statutory members of the NFC. Maryam Nawaz — Sharif’s The Ministry of Finance has Each provincial government eldest daughter and sup- notified the new 10-member also has the right to include one posedly political heir — in a Commission. Finance Minister non-statutory member. Twitter post alleged that Asad Umar will chair the NFC, The 9th NFC has held few doctors kept waiting outside which will comprise the four pro- meetings during the last tenure Religious seminary examination Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore but vincial finance ministers and their before they reached a deadlock authorities did not allow them respective technical members, over the Centre’s demand to set Pakistani and foreign religious students take part in their second term exam at Islamic Jamia Binoria to see her father. according to the notification. aside 6 per cent of the federal seminary in Karachi, yesterday. More than 5,000 students took their examinations at the seminary “He (Sharif) is having pain The Centre has included the divisible pool for incurring where hundreds of Pakistanis and foreigners study. in his arm, which could be federal finance secretary as the expenditures on security and angina,” she said, demanding tenth member as the official federally administered regions. an immediate medical expert. Currently, the Centre gets 42.5 checkup of the three-time The 9th NFC had been con- per cent of the divisible pool, premier. stituted in April 2015 to finalise while the provinces receive the Ahsan Iqbal, Secretary- the 8th NFC Award. The 9th rest. Under the 7th NFC award, Mobile phone calls set to become dearer General of Sharif’s party and a Commission was first reconsti- announced in 2010, the provincial former interior minister, warned tuted in February 2016 when share had been jacked up to 57.5 INTERNEWS and continued lengthy deliber- The Supreme Court of if “something wrong” happened Punjab changed its technical per cent of the total divisible pool. ISLAMABAD ations. The sources said that dif- Pakistan had suspended col- to the former premier, the party member. Former finance minister ferent tax proposals for lection of withholding tax from would lodge a case against It is the second reconsti- Ishaq Dar and former caretaker With possibility of seeking upcoming mini budget also mobile subscribers that was Prime Minister Imran Khan, the tution in the last four years, as finance minister Dr Shamshad assistance from the International came under discussions. causing huge losses to both the interior minister and other rel- all the four provincial govern- Akhtar had proposed cutting Monetary Fund to overhaul Paki- One top official said that the FBR at federal level and provincial evant authorities. ments have decided to change the provinces’ share in the stan’s dilapidated taxation government was considering dif- revenue collection authorities. In a tweet, he alleged that their non-statutory members. range of 6 per cent to 8.2 per system, the taxes on mobile ferent proposals to jack up dwin- “Now the FBR is considering Sharif had continuously been Punjab has replaced cent to meet the extraordinary phone calls are set to go up. dling tax revenues as the FBR alternate routes to slap FED on denied medical treatment. Naveed Ahsan with Dr Salman security expenditure and fulfil The Federal Board of was facing massive shortfall of mobile usage,” said an official There was no immediate Shah, who previously served as the requirements of the Azad Revenue (FBR) is contemplating over Rs160bn in first six months adding that the possible taxation reaction from the government adviser to the prime minister Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit- upon different options for of the current fiscal year. rate would be around 5 to 10 per on the allegations. on finance during the General Baltistan and the former Fed- slapping different rates of 5 to Without additional tax cent on different level of usage. A Pakistani court, last Pervez Musharraf regime. Sindh erally Administrated Tribal 10 per cent Federal Excise Duty measures, it is simply impossible The government is also con- month, had sentenced Sharif has nominated Asad Sayed in Areas (Fata). (FED) on usage of cellular phone for the FBR to achieve tax target sidering differentiating FED to seven years in jail in a cor- place of Senator Saleem Man- During staff level talks, the through upcoming mini-budget of Rs4.39 trillion. Now the gov- between tax filers and non-filers. ruption case, while exonerated dviwala, who is now deputy International Monetary Fund to increase tax collection. ernment is planning adjust- But it is not yet known that how in another. Insisting on his chairman of the Senate. (IMF) had also pressed Pakistan The IMF team led by Res- ments in taxes with the intention the FBR will be able to ascertain innocence, Sharif has already Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has to slash provincial share under ident Chief in Pakistan visited to jack up the tax target to that how the user earnings are challenged his conviction in brought in Musharraf Rasool the NFC. the FBR headquarters last week Rs4.45 trillion for end June 2019. more than taxable limit. the Islamabad High Court.

Pakistani court South Punjab province to be allows 5-day formed this year: Qureshi probe in Chinese mission attack INTERNEWS previous governments. MULTAN Qureshi continued that pol- itics of confrontation is not the AP Foreign Minister Shah government’s policy and that KARACHI Mehmood Qureshi yesterday they are just implementing the said that a separate South decisions of courts. “Prime Min- A Pakistani court has ruled Punjab province along with its ister Imran Khan believes in the that police may have five secretariat will be established supremacy of law and he even days to investigate the five this year. appeared in the unjustified hel- suspects accused of helping Speaking to the media in icopter case.” a separatist group attack the Multan, Qureshi said that a sep- Responding to a question Chinese Consulate in arate Public Service Commission regarding the economy, FM Karachi in November, killing will also be established for the Qureshi said , UAE two civilians and two proposed province. “We have and China are cooperating with policemen. sought support from the oppo- Pakistan for the revival of the Officer Nusrat Shaikh said sition for the creation of Southern economy due to the sincere yesterday that anti-terrorism Punjab province,” he said. efforts and effective foreign court judge Abdul Malik The foreign minister added policy. ordered that formal charges that the Pakistan Tehreek-e- He further said a delegation be levelled against the five Insaaf government believes in of Malaysian investors including after the investigation. the rule of law. Prime Minister Mahathir Senior officer Amir Regarding National Muhammad will visit Pakistan Sheikh said earlier the men Woes of garment workers continue Accountability Bureau’s recent on January 23. confessed to facilitating three crackdown against politicians, PM Imran will visit Qatar on assailants who were killed Police officers intervene as garment workers block a road during a protest for higher wages in Qureshi said that all of the January 22 to further solidify during the November. 23 Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday. accountability watchdogs’ cases bilateral relations between the attack at the consulate. were filed during the tenure of two countries, he added. 12 ASIA SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019

South Korea, US Top US Navy officer to hold meeting on North Korea to visit China amid next week

BLOOMBERG heightened tension BANGKOK

AP The goal of the visit South Korea and the United BEIJING is to “continue a States are expected to hold a “working group” meeting on The US Navy’s top officer will results-oriented, risk North Korea next week, visit China starting today amid reduction focused Yonhap News Agency increasing frictions in the South dialogue” between reported, citing unidentified China Sea and other tensions the two militaries. diplomatic sources in Seoul. underscoring their rivalry for Seoul’s nuclear envoy, dominance in Asia. Lee Do-Hoon, and his Chief of Naval Operations American counterpart, Adm. John Richardson will meet the US and have held three dis- Stephen Biegun, will co-chair with his counterpart Vice Adm. cussions via video telecon- a video conference session on Shen Jinlong and leaders of ference, the most recent in denuclearisation. The two China’s Central Military Com- December, the release said. sides are “fine-tuning the Tengku Abdullah Shah (centre) walking after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur. mission during his visit to Beijing In recent years, the South details for the meeting” slated and the eastern city of Nanjing China Sea has become the main for the latter half of next lasting through Wednesday, the area of contention, home to week. The two sides are Navy said. islands, rich fishing grounds, Malaysian state chooses new expected to discuss details The goal of the visit, Richard- undersea mineral deposits and regarding inter-Korean rela- son’s second as head of opera- shipping lanes through which tions as Washington and tions, is to “continue a results- pass an estimated $5 trillion in sultan, expected to be next king Pyongyang are poised to oriented, risk reduction focused goods annually. resume talks. dialogue” between the two mil- China claims virtually the AFP the next king of Malaysia by the Malaysia’s royalty command Officials from the White itaries, the Navy said. entire waterway on historical KUALA LUMPUR Council of Rulers, who will chose great respect, especially from House, South Korea’s presi- “A routine exchange of views grounds and has strengthened a new king on January 24. Malaysia’s predominantly Muslim dential office and its unifi- is essential, especially in times of its hold through the fortification A Malaysian state announced it Malaysia is a constitutional Malays, and criticising them is cation ministry will also join friction, in order to reduce risk of its island holdings and the con- had a new sultan yesterday, who monarchy with a unique regarded as offensive. the talks. The meetings have and avoid miscalculation,” the struction and man-made out- is expected to be elected king after arrangement where the national Portraits of the king and been reportedly delayed due release quoted Richardson as posts by piling sand and concrete the former monarch abdicated throne changes hands every five queen adorn government to the shutdown of the US saying. “Honest and frank dia- atop coral reefs. following his reported marriage years between rulers of the coun- buildings throughout the federal government, Yonhap logue can improve the rela- Five other governments also to a Russian former beauty queen. try’s nine states. Pahang state is country. The king is also the reported. tionship in constructive ways, exercise overlapping claims in Tengku Abdullah Shah has due to provide the next ruler. symbolic head of Islam in the help explore areas where we the area and while the US takes replaced his father, Sultan Ahmad Sultan Abdullah Shah, 59, is nation, as well as the nominal MNLF reaffirms share common interests, and no formal position on sover- Shah as the ruler of Pahang state, a popular figure in the sports chief of the military. Malaysia’s reduce risk while we work eignty, it insists on the right to the official Bernama news agency scene and is currently president sultans trace a lineage back to support for through our differences.” navigation and overflight, said. of the Asian Hockey Federation the Malay sultanates of the 15th Richardson and Shen met including in air and waters within Local reports said the move and a council member of foot- century. The king is referred to Bangsamoro law previously at the 2018 Interna- the territorial limits surrounding was designed to pave the way for ball’s world governing body, FIFA. as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or tional Seapower Symposium in China’s holdings. Sultan Abdullah to be chosen as While their role is ceremonial, “He Who Is Made Lord”. ANATOLIA ANKARA

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Philippines reiterated its commitment to a 11,557 earthquakes hit Indonesia last year peaceful and orderly plebiscite for greater autonomy to BLOOMBERG That was more than the struck the island. That was predominantly Muslim region JAKARTA average 6,000 quakes preceded by a series of deadly of Bangsamoro on Mindanao recorded in recent years, earthquakes earlier last year island. Indonesia was rattled by Antara news agency reported, that rattled the popular tourist After a meeting with the more than 11,500 earthquakes citing the meteorological destination of Lombok island, presidential peace advisor, last year, almost double the agency’s head, Dwikorita near Bali. MNLF Central Committee annual average of the past Karnawati. The Southeast Asian chairman Yusop Jikiri said his decade, according to the Indonesia’s 17,000 islands nation also recorded for the faction was “100 percent nation’s meteorological are prone to earthquakes first time liquefaction, a phe- behind” the president’s bid to agency. because the country straddles nomenon that causes soil to “bring lasting peace and The archipelago was hit the Pacific Ring of Fire — an lose its strength after violent progress” to the southern by 11,557 temblors in 2018, arc of fault lines and vol- shaking. It was seen in province of Mindanao. with 297 of them packing a canoes that causes frequent Sulawesi last year, and after For his part, advisor Carlito magnitude of more than 5 on seismic upheavals. a tsunami triggered by a vol- G. Galvez Jr. congratulated the the Richter scale, according In September more than canic eruption in the Sunda MNLF for conducting suc- to data from the Meteorology, 4,000 people were killed in Strait between Java and cessful and peaceful campaign Climatology and Geophysics Central Sulawesi after an Sumatra in December, rallies in the proposed Bang- The Ibu mountain spewing volcanic ash into the sky in West Halmahera, yesterday. Agency. earthquake and tsunami Karnawati said. samoro Autonomous Region. Thai security forces slay two EU holding country ‘hostage’ with tariffs: Cambodia PM AFP October to withdraw the duty- country he has run for nearly 34 PHNOM PENH free Everything But Arms years by building up vast linked to shooting at school scheme (EBA), which benefits patronage networks. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun exports from Cambodia’s After bringing up several AFP The death toll in the — potentially to the detriment Sen blasted the European Union garment and footwear sector, historical grievances with the BANGKOK conflict dropped to a of many children’s learning and yesterday for holding the the largest formal employer. bloc he said it was making future development.” country “hostage” with threats The multi-billion dollar another mistake by “using EBA Two insurgents believed to be record low last year The 15-year insurgency has to axe trade preferences after it sector employs hundreds of as a threat to sanction Cam- tied to a motorcycle drive-by as Thailand’s junta seen scores of teachers killed, held elections with no credible thousands of labourers and is bodia... and take about 16 million shooting at a school in Thai- tightened its security slain for their perceived collab- opposition. seen as one of the 66-year-old’s Cambodians as hostage of the land’s south were shot dead operations. oration with the Thai state, The EU threatened in few vulnerable positions in a so-called EBA.” yesterday, police said, as Unicef which led to the use of armed warned of trauma for children guards at schools. near the scene of the lunchtime Though he did not give The death toll in the conflict violence. information about their iden- dropped to a record low last Since 2004 clashes between tities or affiliation, he said he year as Thailand’s junta Malay-Muslim rebels and the was “confident that they are the tightened its security operations. Buddhist-majority Thai state same group who carried out the But recent weeks have seen an that annexed the area over 100 attack Thursday” by driving by uptick in violence, as rebels years ago have killed nearly on motorbikes. show they remain able to carry 7,000 people, mostly civilians Authorities have also out more pinpointed of both faiths. detained one suspect and are operations. The conflict rarely makes questioning five others, while a In a rare statement dated global headlines but is a reality military source said an eight- January 4 the main rebel group for residents of border provinces year-old had been grazed by a — the Barisan Revolusi Nasional where security forces maintain bullet but not seriously injured. (BRN) — swore to “keep fighting” a large footprint, aided by poorly Unicef Thailand represent- while warning people not to paid defence “volunteers” ative Thomas Davin said that help or support the state. drawn from local communities. one child at the Bukoh school But Thai authorities as well The four men killed in Thurs- attack was reportedly injured as the Malaysian facilitator of day’s shooting were all Muslims by debris and some who may the talks have recently and were guarding a school in have witnessed the attack could expressed confidence they will Pattani province when the face long term psychological make progress soon. attackers struck just before trauma. “This attack has Former 4th Army com- lunchtime with students mere undoubtedly put the school mander Udomchai Thammasa- metres away. children, the teachers and rorat said at the Foreign Corre- Pattani provincial police school personnel in harm’s way. spondents Club in Thailand on commander Piyawat Chalermsri It has put children at grave risk Friday that he “wants to find a Children’s Day celebration at a military facility said that two people with of injury or death,” he said. solution to exit from the vio- A girl plays with a weapon on the top of an army vehicle during Children’s Day celebrations at a alleged ties to the school vio- “Such violence could also lence” and he has urged the military facility in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. lence were killed in a shootout affect parents’ willingness to southern army commander to yesterday morning. send their children to school try and ensure public safety. SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 EUROPE 13 Gas explosion leaves two dead in France

AFP Police closed off far as four blocks away, Com- PARIS streets in front of mander Eric Moulin of the Paris the Garnier Opera fire service said, adding that res- A powerful explosion tore house as emergency cuers were still searching for through a building in central other victims. Paris yesterday, killing two fire- services landed two “I was sleeping and woke up fighters, injuring dozens of helicopters in front of by the blast wave,” Claire Salla- people and causing extensive the historic building to vuard, who lives on the Rue de damage to nearby buildings, offi- evacuate victims. Trevise where the explosion cials said. occurred, said. Around 200 firefighters were “All the windows in the mobilised to battle the fire that tourist attractions including the apartment exploded, doors were broke out after the blast and Musee Grevin wax museum and blown off their hinges, I had to evacuate victims and residents the popular Rue des Martyrs. walk on the door to leave the in the area, Interior Minister Police also closed off streets room, all the kids were pan- Christophe Castaner told in front of the Garnier Opera icking, they couldn’t get out of reporters at the scene. house as emergency services their room,” she said. The explosion came with the landed two helicopters in front “Firefighters advised us to city on edge during the latest of the historic building to leave but the elevator shaft had “yellow vest” anti-government evacuate victims. been blown out, there was no A woman is evacuated by firefighters after the explosion at a bakery on the corner of the streets of demonstrations, which have Besides the two dead fire- railing, nothing, and there was Saint-Cecile and Rue de Trevise in central Paris, yesterday. often degenerated into violence fighters, 47 people were injured too much smoke,” she added. and vandalism in Paris and other in the blast, 10 of them seriously, Rescuers eventually used a “First there was a gas leak Dozens of tourists, suitcases circled overhead. cities in recent weeks. the Paris prosecutor’s office said. ladder to evacuate the family, and the firefighters arrived, then in hand, were evacuated from “We were sleeping when we “It happened when there The explosion occurred who lived on the first floor. there was an explosion that the many nearby hotels in the heard the noise, it sounded like were people in the street, and shortly after 9:00 am (0800 Firefighters had been caused the fire,” Heitz said. area, a popular weekend an earthquake,” a teenager who firefighters inside,” Castaner GMT) in building that housed a responding to an alert of a gas Cars were overturned by the shopping destination for locals lives on a nearby street said. said. bakery as well as a restaurant on leak at the site when the blast and glass and rubble was and visitors alike. Many homes and buildings Around 100 police officers the ground floor in the Ninth explosion occurred, Paris pros- strewn across large swathes of Other residents were in bath- in Paris use gas for heating and blocked off several streets in the Arrondissement. ector Remy Heitz said at the the street as dozens of residents robes or quickly dressing in the cooking, though explosions due area, home to restaurants and The shockwave was felt as scene. were treated by rescue workers. street as police helicopters to leaks are relatively rare.

Man jailed in Parliament approves Macedonia name change London for REUTERS government said in a statement. Johannes Hahn hailed the vote. SKOPJE “It makes absolutely plau- “Nato strongly supports the Greece orders probe into alleged cyber attack sible two of our biggest state full implementation of the Macedonia’s parliament passed interests - membership in Nato agreement, which is an threats over Macedonia name deal AFP an amendment to the consti- and EU,” it added. important contribution to a REUTERS Greek heritage and identical to LONDON tution to rename the country Greek Prime Minister Alexis stable and prosperous region,” ATHENS a northern region of Greece. Republic of North Macedonia, in Tsipras called his Macedonian Stoltenberg wrote on his twitter The order for a preliminary A British man was jailed by a line with an agreement with counterpart Zoran Zaev to con- account. A Greek prosecutor yesterday investigation came after two London court for orches- Greece to put an end to a gratulate him, his office said in My sincerest congratulations ordered an investigation into Greek news websites reported trating a massive cyber attack 27-year-old dispute. a written statement. to political actors and citizens of alleged threats to lawmakers that lawmakers had received against a telecommunications The countries struck the deal Greece blocked its neigh- the hopefully soon to be North over a name deal with Greece’s threatening text messages to company in Liberia two years on the new name in June, but bour’s aspirations to EU and Nato Macedonia on Parliament’s vote neighbour Macedonia, a judicial vote against the deal, the source ago. Macedonia will start using it only membership over the use of ‘Mac- on the constitutional changes,” source said. added. Daniel Kaye, 30, was sen- after the parliament in Athens edonia’, which it said implied ter- Hahn tweeted. Macedonia’s parliament The probe will seek to tenced to 32 months in prison also ratifies the agreement. ritorial claims to a Greek province “(I) hope that this historic passed an amendment to the determine whether there has after pleading guilty to com- Eighty-one deputies in the of the same name. decision creates a positive constitution to rename the been a violation of personal data puter misuse and criminal 120-seat parliament voted in The implementation of the dynamic for reconciliation in the country Republic of North Mac- and inducement to commit a property possession from late favour. Representatives of the agreement, named after the bor- whole Western Balkan region.” edonia, in line with an crime, the source added. 2016 to early 2017. opposition VMRO-DPMNE, who dering town of Prespa where it Macedonian opposition agreement with Greece to put The Macedonia accord has The court heard the self- opposed the agreement with was signed, is intended to end parties and nationalists said an end to a 27-year-old dispute. strained relations between taught hacker was paid Greece, boycotted the vote. the dispute. changing the name of the Many Greeks are irked that Greek Prime Minister Alexis around $30,000 by a rival to “A new historical chapter in Nato Secretary-General Jens country and national symbols is their Balkan neighbour is Tsipras and his junior coalition disrupt the systems of mobile our statehood has been written Stoltenberg and EU commis- too high price to pay for assuming a name linked to partner Panos Kammenos. phone company Lonestar this evening,” the Macedonian sioner in charge of enlargement Nato accession. MTN, Liberia’s biggest Internet provider. The so-called distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks overwhelmed its net- Winter death toll in works and meant its servers couldn’t operate properly, prosecutor Robin Sellers said. Europe rises to 21 The firm spent $600,000 fixing the problem, losing tens of millions of dollars in AP About 2,000 soldiers and revenue, he said. BELGRADE other emergency workers in Kaye’s lawyer, Jonathan Albania were assigned to help Green, had argued Lonestar’s Heavy snow paralysed much of people trapped by snow and to estimates of its losses were Europe for yet another day, clear roads to restore access to “unsupported by any cutting off mountain villages, cutoff villages. evidence”. sparking avalanches like one Several towns and cities in that crashed into a Swiss hotel southwest Serbia introduced and killing at least four more emergency measures, warning Romanian govt people. of snow piling up on the roads Workers at the Hotel and sealing off mountain vil- scraps warships Saentis in eastern Switzerland lages, Serbian state TV spent Friday shoveling out hip- reported. acquisition deep snow after a 300 metre Most schools in the area A woman walks past a sign promoting the city of Plovdiv as a European Capital of Culture, in wide avalanche smashed closed down and 10 people had Bulgaria, yesterday. through the hotel’s windows to be rescued from their homes. AP and piled up in rooms and the Strong winds complicated the BUCHAREST dining hall. Police said three work of emergency crews. people were hurt by avalanche In neighbouring Mon- Bulgaria’s oldest city honoured Romania’s defence ministry in Schwaegalp. tenegro, meteorologist Dragan has suspended the $1.83bn In all, at least 21 weather- Buric said the first 10 days of acquisition of four warships related deaths have been January have been among the as European culture capital following a political dispute reported in Europe in the last coldest the country has seen in over which offer best serves 10 days. decades. AP between Western Europe and cultural life. the Nato member. The Bulgarian Red Cross In the central Bosnian SOFIA the Middle East. Examples of this influence The ministry said it had said two snowboarders were municipality of Kladanj, snow Plovdiv claims to be the were presented during the informed military prosecutors killed died in an avalanche in disrupted power supplies and Plovdiv, the oldest city in oldest continually inhabited opening music, light and dance there were “reasonable sus- southwest Bulgaria’s Pirin cut phone lines. Zijad Vejzovic, Bulgaria, has been officially European city, with more than show under the motto picions” about the legality of Mountains. from the civil protection inaugurated as the European 6,000 years of history. Evidence “Together.” the procedure, saying it could A snowplow driver died in agency, said authorities Capital of Culture for 2019. of that can be seen in many Some 350 cultural events are harm national security. It Germany after his vehicle declared an emergency. Some 50,000 people architectural landmarks dating scheduled in Plovdiv this year, didn’t provide further details. toppled into an icy river on In Germany and Austria, gathered on a central square back to Thracian, Greek, Roman, including an exhibition featuring The acquisition of four Friday, while an electrical where heavy snow caused fatal yesterday to watch the opening Byzantine and Ottoman times. fragments of the Berlin Wall to multirole corvettes has worker in Albania suffered a avalanches and major disrup- show dubbed as “We are all The city on both sides of the mark 30 years since its fall. caused political friction with fatal heart attack while tions in the past few days, the colors” with 1,500 local and Maritsa River is also known for Plovdiv, the first Bulgarian the ruling Social Democratic repairing damaged power lines. situation was easing Friday. foreign artists on several stages. its ethnic diversity. Many of its city to become a European Party favouring an offer from Austrian military heli- Still, airlines cancelled Squeezed between the 340,000 inhabitants belong to culture capital, was also named Damen, a Dutch company. copters flew 66 German teen- around 120 flights at Frankfurt Balkan and the Rodopi Moun- the country’s Turkish, Roma, among The New York Times’ list Army Chief of Staff agers out of a mountain guest Airport and 90 at Munich tains, Bulgaria’s second-largest Armenian, Greek and Jewish, all of 52 places to go in 2019. It Nicolae Ciuca, however, house where they had been Airport because of concerns city has survived for thousands of which have quite a strong shares the 2019 culture title with reportedly considered the stuck for several days. about snow. of years on the crossroads influence on the city’s vibrant the Italian city of Matera. deal too expensive. 14 EUROPE SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019

Hungary set to UK considers ending short jail term release man jailed for 2015 AFP “They come (into prison), Peter Dawson, director of the Stewart made the eye-catch- LONDON they meet a lot of interesting Prison Reform Trust, said that ingly bold pledge last August to border riot characters and then you whap government ministers in London resign if he was not able to The British government is them on to the streets again,” he “should be congratulated for reform its 10 worst jails within a AFP considering scrapping jail Parliament member said. “The public are safer if we having the political courage to year. BUDAPEST sentences of six months or less Rory Stewart said have a good community sen- start the debate”. A Ministry of Justice for most crimes in a bid to reduce that short jail terms tence... and it will relieve a lot of England and Wales’s prison spokesman confirmed that it A Syrian man jailed in reoffending and ease pressure were long enough to pressure on prisons.” population has doubled since the was “exploring potential alter- Hungary for his role in a on the system, the prisons The change would mirror early 1990s to now stand at more natives” to prisons for some border riot in 2015 will be minister said yesterday. damage you and not 2010 reforms in Scotland, where than 80,000 inmates, official crimes. released next week, a court “The move could see tens of long enough to heal judges are now guided by a legal figures show. “As we have said previ- said yesterday, ending a thousands of people convicted you. presumption against custodial Meanwhile, more than half ously, short sentences are too controversial case that saw of non-violent or non-sexual sentences of less than three of the 86,275 offenders sen- often ineffective, provide little Budapest accused of heavy- crimes, such as burglary and months. tenced to immediate custody in opportunity to rehabilitate handedness. shoplifting, spared jail under the enough to damage you and not Reoffending rates there have 2017 were given sentences of six offenders and lead to unac- Ahmed Hamed will be plan,” Parliament member, Rory long enough to heal you. since fallen to their lowest levels months or less. ceptably high rates of reof- conditionally released from Stewart told The Daily “You bring somebody in for for nearly two decades, and the The country’s prisons are fending,” he added. prison on January 19 and Telegraph. three or four weeks, they lose Scottish government is consid- considered in a state of crisis, “But this work is ongoing and then expelled from the In an interview, he said that their house, their job, their ering extending it to less than a with violence and drug use on we have reached no conclusions country, a court spokesman short jail terms were “long family, their reputation. year. the rise. at this time.” in Nyiregyhaza eastern Hungary said. Hamed was accused of using a megaphone to orches- trate violence and throwing Ukraine acquires armed stones at Hungarian police to force them to open the border drones from Turkey with Serbia in September 2015. KIEV and equipment will also be The clashes took place ANATOLIA delivered. during the peak of Europe’s Bayraktar TB2 has been migration crisis, a day after Ukraine signed an agreement used by the Turkish Armed Prime Minister Viktor to buy unmanned aerial Forces and Turkey’s Security Orban’s hardline anti-immi- vehicles (UAVs) from Turkey, Directorate since 2015. gration government sealed Ukrainian president announced The TB2 armed UAV, was frontier with a razor wire yesterday. developed for tactical recon- fence. In a Twitter post, Petro naissance and surveillance mis- Hamed admitted Poroshenko said the agreement sions and it can also carry throwing stones at police but was signed for the purchase of ammo, do assaults, and has denied being a terrorist. Bayraktar TB2 armed UAVs for laser target acquisition. Hamed was sentenced to the Ukrainian army. Currently, Turkish Armed 10 years in prison in Poroshenko said the Forces have a fleet of 75 November 2016 under anti- country continued to rearm its Bayraktar TB2 platforms. terrorism laws. army with modern models that The purchase agreement His conviction was later meet Nato standards. between Ukraine and Turkey annulled over lack of evi- According to the infor- is the second export dence but after a retrial last mation, Turkish UAV manufac- achievement of the TB2. September he was ordered to turer Baykar will produce six During an international serve two-thirds of a five- Bayraktar TB2 and deliver them defense exhibition in March year jail term - including time Protesters holding banners as they participate in a “yellow vest” demonstration, in central London, to Ukraine in a year. 2018, Qatar also signed an already spent in detention - yesterday. Along with the UAVs, three agreement to buy six Bayraktar and given an expulsion order ground control station systems TB2 armed UAVs from Turkey. from Hungary. ‘Yellow vest’ protest in London AFP appeared to be petering out at very social fabric” of Britain. LONDON the end of 2018 but has since “We need a general election German far-right leader forms new party regained momentum, with now to bring about the fairer, Hundreds of demonstrators weekly clashes seen in Paris and more equal society we all want AP placed under observation by wearing yellow vests took to the other French cities. to live in,” he said. BERLIN Germany’s domestic intelli- streets of London yesterday, in Britain has seen several Retired teacher Stephen gence agency. the largest protest yet in Britain small protests by Brexit sup- Hamer, 59, clad in a yellow vest, The far-right Alternative for The new party, named copying the “yellow vest” porters wearing yellow vests said the London protest would Germany faces a new challenge Awakening of German Patriots, protests rocking France. since November, but other likely have occurred without the from a breakaway faction after features a blue corn flower in its Protesters opposed to the activists have been slow to adopt movement in France, but it had a once-prominent member logo. government’s austerity pro- the symbolic attire and “helped things along”. confirmed that he has quit to In neighbouring Austria, the gramme and demanding a movement. “I think we need a change in found a rival party. flower has historically been general election marched through Yesterday’s event, organised government very urgently,” he Andre Poggenburg (pic- associated with the anti-Semitic the centre of the capital before by the left-wing “People’s added. “The UK is falling apart tured) told German news agency Schoenerer Movement and was rallying in Trafalgar Square. Assembly” group, saw main- — nothing works anymore.” dpa that he believes his new used as a secret symbol by Nazi They included two French stream opposition lawmakers Delia Hazrati, a health movement stands a chance of sympathizers until the Alpine activists involved in the dem- join forces with several unions worker in her 50s who had trav- entering state parliament in after labeling Turks as “camel nation was annexed by Adolf onstrations sweeping France and other organisations focused elled from Kent in southeast regional elections later this year. drivers” and immigrants with Hitler’s Germany in 1938. since mid-November who were on causes ranging from refugees England in a yellow vest, said Poggenburg led Alternative dual nationality a “homeless Awakening of German invited by the organisers of the to racism. the left in Britain needed to for Germany to its strongest mob we no longer want to Patriots is the fourth breakaway British event. Addressing the crowd in “reclaim” the movement there. state election performance yet, have.” movement to emerge from The French protests began Trafalgar Square, Labour’s “It’s a movement against when the party won almost a In an interview with daily Alternative for Germany since in mid-November over a pro- shadow finance minister John austerity laws — that’s what it’s quarter of the vote in Saxony- Die Welt, Poggenburg said the its founding in 2013. posed increase in fuel duties, McDonnell said eight years of about,” she added, noting right- Anhalt in 2016. party, known by its acronym In 2015, AfD founder Bernd and soon turned violent. austerity under the ruling Con- wingers had been “opportun- The 43-year-old resigned as AfD, had taken a noticeable left Lucke quit after losing an The leaderless movement servatives was “tearing apart the istic” in adopting it. regional party leader last year turn lately for fear of being internal power struggle. Dutch sea waters cleanup Denmark PM attends funeral of slain student begins after container spill AFP church. An adjoining room next REUTERS island, which is blocking an COPENHAGEN to the main hall was opened to AMSTERDAM important shipping route accomodate all of the guests. between Germany and the Hundreds of mourners, Moroccan authorities have Swiss shipping line MSC has Netherlands. including Denmark’s Prime arrested a total of 22 people in started cleaning up Dutch sea Work was planned to start Minister, packed a Danish connection with the murders. waters, ten days after it lost at midday yesterday, but rough church yesterday for the funeral They include four main suspects nearly 300 containers from one weather looked set to delay the of a woman hiker murdered in and a Spanish-Swiss man who of its largest cargo vessels in a operation, De Feijter said, Morocco’s Atlas Mountains in had links to some of the suspects storm. adding that 238 objects had December. and who subscribed to “The clean up will likely been identified in the water so Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, “extremist ideology”, Moroccan take months”, Dutch water far. 24, was killed together with officials said. authorities spokesman Edwin “Those objects are not all 28-year-old Maren Ueland from The main suspects belonged de Feijter said yesterday. “The entire containers, they can also Norway, as the two camped to a cell inspired by IS militant largest part of the debris has be part of the cargo lost from overnight at an isolated hiking group ideology, but none of the been located, but there are still broken ones.” spot south of Marrakesh while four had contact with IS parts missing.” Seventeen containers on vacation. members in Syria or Iraq, At least 291 containers, washed up on shore on the Their bodies were found the Morocco’s counter-terror chief some holding hazardous chem- Dutch islands of Terschelling, following day. Abdelhak Khiam said. icals, fell off one of the world’s Vlieland, Ameland and Schier- Moroccan authorities have Jespersen and Ueland had largest container ships, the MSC monnikoog, with the debris of said they were beheaded and are Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen (right) during the been studying outdoor activities Zoe, on January 2 in German many others littering the calling the crime a “terrorist” act. funeral of Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen at Fonnesbaek and tourism at the University of waters near the island of islands’ beaches. Yesterday’s 45-minute Church in Ikast, Denmark, yesterday. Southeastern Norway. Borkum during a North Sea MSC, the world’s no. 2 con- service for Jespersen was held The pair decided to go to storm. tainer shipping group, on at the Fonnesbaek Church in Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen who we are, what we are made Morocco for Christmas and Two salvage ships left the Wednesday said it had made Ikast, in the Mid Jutland region vowed her life would not be of, and what we stand for,” he arrived for a month-long holiday harbour at IJmuiden, near significant progress on the of Denmark. forgotten. said. on December 9. Amsterdam, on Friday night, Dutch islands, with a total of Speaking just before Jes- “Though the pain is According to tabloid BT, Maren Ueland’s funeral is to heading towards a container 1,220 tonnes of debris collected persen’s casket was carried out unbearable, we must not more than 400 people attended be held in Norway on January north of the tiny Rottumerplaat so far. of the church, Danish Prime succumb. We must remember the service in the modern 21. SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019 AMERICAS 15 FBI probed Trump’s link to Russia: Report

AFP The New York Times campaign finance laws he WASHINGTON report said that undertook, prosecutors alleged, under Trump’s direction. The Federal Bureau of Investi- the FBI had been And Trump’s former presi- gation (FBI) opened an inquiry suspicious of Trump’s dential campaign chair, Paul in 2017 into whether US Pres- ties to Russia during Manafort, has been convicted in ident Donald Trump was the 2016 campaign. one case brought by Mueller and working on behalf of Russia, The pleaded guilty in another, over New York Times reported. financial crimes related to his The investigation — a dual But it held off on opening work in Ukraine before the 2016 counterintelligence and criminal an investigation until the pres- campaign, and for witness probe — was launched after the ident sacked Comey, who tampering. president fired FBI director refused to swear his allegiance Cell phone records show James Comey in May 2017, the and roll back the nascent Russia that Cohen was near Prague Times said, citing anonymous investigation, which is now during the summer of 2016, sup- sources. being spearheaded by Mueller. porting claims that he met there US President Donald Trump with other officials during a “roundtable discussion on border security The counterintelligence Trump has repeatedly crit- with Russian officials during the and safe communities” in the Cabinet Room of the White House, in Washington, DC, yesterday. aspect consisted of determining icized the Mueller investigation presidential election campaign, whether Trump was knowingly as a “witch hunt” and views it as McClatchy news service has or unknowingly working for a stain on the legitimacy of his reported. Moscow and whether he was a presidency. Cohen, who will testify in Trump slams Democrats over shutdown threat to national security, the But while Trump has Congress on February 7, insists newspaper reported. slammed the probe as baseless, that he has never been to AFP at our Southern Border.” increasingly around the country It added the criminal portion Mueller has issued dozens of Prague, but added in a tweet: WASHINGTON “Democrats could solve the — with the president retaliating related to Trump’s firing of indictments and steadily “#Mueller knows everything!” Shutdown in 15 minutes!” he by refusing to sign off on budgets Comey. chalked up convictions of some As for Manafort, two pro- The partial US government said in one tweet, adding in for swaths of government The FBI investigation was of the president’s close asso- Russia Ukrainian oligarchs were shutdown entered a record 22nd another, “We will be out for a departments unrelated to the soon folded into Robert Muel- ciates — including his former the intended recipients of US day yesterday, as President long time unless the Democrats dispute. ler’s inquiry into Russian inter- national security advisor, his polling data that Manafort Donald Trump remains steadfast come back from their ‘vaca- As a result, 800,000 federal ference in the 2016 vote and former personal lawyer, and his admitted to sharing with a in his demand for $5.7bn to build tions’ and get back to work. I employees — workers as diverse possible collusion between his ex-campaign chief. Russian during the 2016 presi- a Mexico border wall and Demo- am in the White House ready as FBI agents, air traffic con- campaign and Moscow, it said, The ex-national security dential race, CNN reported. crats in Congress determined to to sign!” trollers and museum staff —did adding that it was unclear if the adviser, Michael Flynn pleaded The Mueller investigation is refuse the funds. But most lawmakers left not receive paychecks Friday. counterintelligence aspect was guilty to lying to investigators set to continue to cast a cloud The president issued a town on Friday and will not The shutdown became the still being pursued. about his Moscow ties. over the White House: a judge series of tweets in an effort to return before Monday, leaving longest on record at midnight The Times said that the FBI The lawyer, Michael Cohen, has given an extension to the defend his stance and goad little chance for any solution to on Friday (0500 GMT Saturday), had been suspicious of Trump’s has been sentenced to three years secret grand jury empanelled in Democrats to return to Wash- the stalemate before then. when it overtook a 21-day ties to Russia during the 2016 in prison for multiple crimes, the probe, extending its original ington and end what he called The impasse has paralyzed stretch in 1995-1996 under pres- campaign. including felony violations of 18-month mandate. “the massive humanitarian crisis Washington — its impact felt ident Bill Clinton. Three dead, 23 Obama-era housing hurt in Ottawa bus crash secretary to run for

AP president in 2020 OTTAWA REUTERS A double-deck city bus SAN ANTONIO smashed into a transit shelter during yesterday’s rush hour, Texas Democrat Julian Castro and Ottawa authorities said (pictured), a former San three people were killed and Antonio mayor who went on to 23 injured. be the top US housing official, Police Chief Charles Bor- formally announced his White deleau said the bus driver was House bid yesterday, making arrested after the crash, but him the first Hispanic in what he declined to provide details looks to be a crowded field of on why she was detained. He candidates vying to challenge said police were still investi- President Donald Trump in the gating the cause of the crash. November 2020 election. December, Castro has begun to “Something led us to Castro, 44, the grandson of stake out positions on policy A “Welcome Home Jayme” sign displayed, one day after the missing teenager, Jayme Closs, in having to arrest the individual a Mexican immigrant, served debates that will dominate the Barron, Wisconsin, yesterday. and take them to the station,” as secretary of Housing and nominating contests that kick Bordeleau said. Urban Development under off early next year. The crash took place west former President Barack Castro has endorsed the of downtown at 3:50pm, just Man charged after Wisconsin Obama and has long been “Medicare for all” proposal, as dusk was beginning to viewed as a rising star in the which would in effect create a settle on the coldest day of the party. He will seek to position national health care plan by winter so far in Canada’s teen escapes kidnapping ordeal himself as a political outsider allowing anyone to join the capital with liberal credentials. public health care system. That Two of the dead were REUTERS called “the will of a kid to survive,” Less than 15 minutes later, “When my grandmother got policy point is likely to divide riding the bus and one was on BARRON a disheveled Closs escaped a Jake Patterson, 21, was in here almost a hundred years Democrats in the primary, with the platform at Westboro house in the tiny town of Gordon custody, after police pulled over ago, I’m sure she never could more moderate candidates station, a major stop on the A 21-year-old Wisconsin man where she had been held captive, his vehicle, based on Closs’ have imagined that just two favoring a less drastic approach. city’s busway, Mayor Jim was charged with holding a about 100km north of Barron, and description. generations later, one of her Castro, whose grandmother Watson said. 13-year-old girl captive for three found a woman with her dog on Patterson, an unemployed grandsons would be serving as was born in Mexico, has sought The vehicle apparently months after murdering her Thursday afternoon. resident of Gordon, has been a member of the United States to use his family’s personal jumped the curb as it parents, one day after the teen The woman and Closs charged with kidnapping and Congress and the other would story to criticize Trump’s border approached the station and managed to escape and was hurried to a neighbor’s house on with murdering James and be standing with you here today policies. plowed along the platform, discovered by a woman walking Thursday to call authorities. Denise Closs, whose bodies to say these words: I am a can- Castro is the second can- where the roof of a shelter her dog. “This is Jayme Closs!” the were discovered on October 15. didate for President of the didate to formally launch a cam- carved deep into the vehicle’s Thousands of volunteers and woman said when the neighbor He was being held in the United States of America,” paign. Former USRepresentative second deck. The first seats hundreds of law enforcement opened the door, according to Barron County jail, and it was Castro said in a statement John Delaney has been cam- on the upper level of the bus officers had searched round the the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. not yet clear whether he had a announcing his campaign. paigning for more than a year, were crushed together. clock around the small town of “Call 911!” lawyer. One of Castro’s first stops as and US Senator Elizabeth Paramedics said a total of Barron after Jayme Closs’ Both the woman and the More than 200 law a candidate will take place Warren of Massachusetts has 25 people were taken to the parents were found shot dead neighbor recognized the teen enforcement officials were on tomorrow in Puerto Rico, where formed an exploratory com- hospital, suggesting one of the in their home, the front door immediately due to the the ground day and night fol- he will attend an event hosted by mittee and has begun holding victims could not be revived open and the girl gone. enormous public campaign fol- lowing Closs’ disappearance, the liberal Latino Victory Fund. campaign events in Iowa and at the scene and the other two Relying on what Barron lowing her disappearance, Fit- sifting through thousands of tips Since announcing formation New Hampshire, the states with died after arriving. County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald zgerald said. but finding little to go on. of an exploratory committee in the earliest contests. Venezuela Congress leader ready to assume presidency REUTERS Juan Guaido (pictured), a law- Venezuela, the armed forces, and leadership illegitimate. Ruling CARACAS maker from the Popular Will oppo- the international community that Socialist Party leaders have sition party who was elected to give us a clear mandate to assume” described the criticism as coloni- The leader of Venezuela’s oppo- head the National Assembly on the presidency, Guaido said in a alist interference led by the US. sition-led Congress said he was January 5, said he would only take speech to supporters outside the The Supreme Court and an all- prepared to assume the country’s office with support of the armed United Nations program office in powerful legislature called the Con- presidency on an interim basis and forces. He also called for protests Caracas. stituent Assembly have stripped call elections, just one day after on January 23, the anniversary of Maduro was re-elected last year Congress of its powers, meaning it leftist President Nicolas Maduro the fall of a military dictatorship in in a vote that was widely dismissed does not have the capacity to was sworn in for a disputed second 1958. as fraudulent, and countries around remove the president as would a term. “It should be the people of the world have called his continued legislature in many countries. 16 MORNING BREAK SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2019

PRAYER TIMINGS Anne-Marie, Dua FAJR 05. 01 AM Environmentalists identify Lipa among BRIT SHOROOK 06. 21 AM Awards nominees ZUHR 11. 42 AM MAGHRIB 05. 06 PM another threat to planet REUTERS ASR 02. 43 PM ISHA 06. 36 PM LONDON BLOOMBERG conference in Nairobi and a US law it announced long-term industry-wide WEATHER TODAY LONDON banning micro-plastics used in goals to recover and recycle plastic Singers Anne-Marie, Dua Lipa, Jess cosmetics. packaging, and for all US manufac- Glynne and George Ezra are among Environmentalists have identified “We’ve had information over the turers to join OCS Blue by 2020. the nominees for next month’s BRIT another threat to the planet. It’s called last couple of years from the plastics There’s limited information on the Awards, Britain’s annual pop music a nurdle. industry, that they’re taking this all extent of this kind of plastic pollution honours, in a list dominated by young Nurdles are tiny pellets of plastic seriously,” said Conrad MacKerron, by US companies, and global talent. resin no bigger than a pencil eraser senior vice president of ‘As You Sow’. researchers have struggled to make Anne-Marie is in the running for that manufacturers transform into The companies say they have set goals an accurate assessment. four prizes — British Female Solo Artist, packaging, plastic straws, water bottles to recycle plastics, he said. A 2018 study estimated that 3 Mastercard British Album of the Year and other typical targets of environ- “This is really more of a bellwether million to 36 million pellets may for “Speak Your Mind”, British Single mental action. moment, as to whether they’re serious escape every year from just one small and British Artist Video of the Year for But the nurdles themselves are also … if they’re willing to come out, warts in Sweden, and if “2002” at the British Record Industry a problem. Billions of them are lost and all, and say ‘here’s the situation. smaller particles are considered, the Trust (BRIT) awards, to be held on Feb- from production and supply chains Here are the spills that are out there. quantity released is a hundred times ruary 20 in London. every year, spilling or washing into Here’s what we’re doing about them.’” greater. Lipa, who triumphed with two waterways. The companies already participate New research is revealing the wins at last year’s event, is nominated A UK environmental consultancy in Operation Clean Sweep, a voluntary ubiquity of plastic pellets in the British Single category for estimated last year that preproduction industry-backed effort to keep plastics Eunomia, the British environ- “IDGAF” as well as her “One Kiss” col- plastic pellets are the second-largest out of the ocean. mental consultancy that discovered laboration with DJ Calvin Harris. The source of micro-plastic pollution in As part of an initiative called OCS nurdles are the second-largest source two songs are also in the running for water, after micro-fragments from Blue, members are asked to share data of micro-plastic pollution, estimated British Artist Video of the Year. vehicle tires. confidentially with the trade group in 2016 that the UK could be unwit- Glynne’s name also featured in Now, shareholder advocacy group about the volume of resin pellets tingly losing between 5.3 billion to 53 four categories including British ‘As You Sow’ has filed resolutions with shipped or received, spilled, recovered billion pellets into the environment Female Solo Artist and British Single Chevron Cor., DowDupont Inc, Exxon and recycled, along with any efforts to every a year. for “I’ll Be There”. Chart-topper Mobil Corp. and Phillips 66 asking eliminate leakage. New research is revealing the “These Days” by Rudimental fea- o o them to disclose how many nurdles Jacob Barron, a spokesman for the ubiquity of plastic pellets, from the turing Glynne, singer Dan Caplen and 16 C 23 C escape their production process each Plastic Industry Association (PIA), an bellies of fish caught in the South rapper Macklemore is also nominated Minimum Maximum year, and how effectively they’re industry lobby, said “the provision Pacific, to the digestive tracks of short- for British Single and British Artist addressing the issue. about confidentiality is included to tailed albatross in the north and on the Video of the Year. As justification, the group cites eliminate competitive concerns that beaches of the Mediterranean. The other contenders for British Moderate temperature daytime with some clouds, cold by night. estimates of high financial and envi- might prevent a company from dis- The companies will decide in the Female Solo Artist include Florence ronmental costs associated with plastic closing this information.” next several months whether to + The Machine, Lily Allen and Jorja

HIGH TIDE 08:35 – 23:50 LOW TIDE 02:30 –16:51 pollution, and recent international The American Chemistry Council, include the resolutions in this year’s Smith, last year’s Critics’ Choice Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department efforts to address it. another lobbying group, co-sponsors proxy statements, according to ‘As winner. Smith is also nominated for These include a United Nations OCS along with the PIA. In May, You Sow’. her album “Lost & Found”. Lab revokes honours for DNA scientist

AP everyone is equal, “people who October car crash, and that his NEW YORK have to deal with black awareness of his surroundings employees find this is not true.” is “very minimal.” James Watson, the Nobel Prize- In this month’s docu- “My dad’s statements might winning DNA scientist who lost mentary, he said genes cause a make him out to be a bigot and his job in 2007 for expressing difference on average between discriminatory,” he said, but racist views, was stripped of blacks and whites on IQ tests. that’s not true. “They just rep- several honourary titles by the The laboratory, calling the resent his rather narrow inter- New York lab he once headed. latest remarks “reprehensible” pretation of genetic destiny.” Cold Spring Harbor Labo- and “unsupported by science,” “My dad had made the lab ratory said it was reacting to said they effectively reversed his life, and yet now the lab con- Watson’s remarks in a television Watson’s 2007 written apology siders him a liability,” he said. documentary aired earlier this and retraction. James Watson shared a 1962 month. It said it had revoked three Nobel Prize with collaborator In the film, Watson said his honorary titles, including chan- Francis Crick and scientist views about intelligence and cellor emeritus and honorary Maurice Wilkins for discovering race had not changed since trustee. in 1953 that DNA was a double 2007, when he told a magazine Watson had long been asso- helix, shaped like a long, gently that he was “inherently gloomy ciated with the lab, becoming its twisting ladder. about the prospect of Africa” director in 1968, its president in The breakthrough was key Lello Bookstore because “all our social policies 1994 and its chancellor 10 years to determining how genetic are based on the fact that their later. A school at the lab is material works. Tourists pose for a picture at the Lello bookshop, a Gothic Revival style bookstore in the historic intelligence is the same as ours named after him. The double helix became a centre of Porto, in Portugal, yesterday. On the brink of bankruptcy, the historic Lello Bookstore, which — where all the testing says not Watson’s son Rufus said in widely recognised symbol of allegedly inspired JK Rowling to write Harry Potter, has started charging an entrance fee to tourists. really.” a telephone interview that his science, and Watson himself In the 2007 interview, father, who’s 90, was in a became famous far beyond sci- Watson said that while he hopes nursing home following an entific circles. Greenland’s residents grapple with global warming

REUTERS above pre-industrial levels in order to Greenland, are now TASIILAQ minimize global sea level rise, reduce abundant - a boon for the flooding and the overall impact of local fishing industry, Nestled between icy peaks and lapped climate change on the world’s eco- Moeller and Nielsen said. in frozen ocean waters, the tiny town of systems. This would require global net Moeller also cited Tasiilaq in southeastern Greenland is carbon dioxide emissions to fall by about another temporary home to some 2,000 people. 45 percent by 2030 from 2010 levels. advantage climate change Colorful wooden houses dot the sub- Nielsen said that, over the last 10 has brought to his tourism Arctic landscape battered by one of the years, it has become increasingly hard business: People want to see harshest climates on the planet. to reach usual hunting grounds with sled the ice cap before it is too But global warming is reshaping the dogs due to unpredictable weather, late. world’s largest island, causing the ice thinning ice or no ice at all. “Go and see the glaciers sheet to melt at a faster rate than pre- “Every year we see the glaciers, the before they disappear. That’s viously thought, according to recent landscape, the ice sheet melting and the thing you hear again and research. melting,” he said. “What we know from again,” Moeller said. As scientists study the threats posed our ancestors is almost gone and we A first-of-its-kind survey by a warming climate, some of the cannot take it back. We have to find new conducted in December by immediate effects of climate change tools.” the University of Copen- have been a double-edged sword for Lars Anker Moeller used to be able hagen, the University of some in and around Tasiilaq. to take tourists out on his signature five- Greenland and Kraks Fond Julius Nielsen, 40, who lives about day sled dog ride every year when he Institute for Urban Economic 45km from Tasiilaq, has been hunting started working at tour operator Arctic- Research sought to paint a and fishing in the area most of his life. Dream over a decade ago. picture of how Greenlandic “There’s no snow, it’s too hot and Now, Moeller often has to take his residents view climate the water is not freezing,” said Nielsen. clients on alternate routes because of change. A thin, frail ice sheet — or lack of ice — the lack of ice. The study found that pose a big problem for locals like Nielsen But there is a silver lining. over four in 10 residents A man walks to his boat past a number of abandoned and dry-docked boats in the town of who are not able to go hunting with their Ice retreating earlier in the year is believe climate change will Tasiilaq, Greenland. sled dogs, or have to take alternate freeing access to areas that were pre- harm them, while just one in routes. viously locked away for longer, and it 10 think they will benefit Continued global warming will has allowed Moeller to kick off boat from it. reality. “About eight in 10 residents say Despite the new challenges brought accelerate thawing of the ice sheet and tours for tourists much earlier in the “Our results indicate that climate that they have directly experienced by the changing climate, Greenland’s contribute to rising sea levels worldwide, summer season, said the 45-year-old change is personally relevant to most climate change, over 60 percent think residents are known for their scientists have found. Dane. people living here and something which that it’s extremely important or very resilience. A United Nations report released in “Instead of having three months, we the majority of residents are already important to them personally... and “The beauty is that Greenlanders October urged nations to limit the can go (on boats) four months or five experiencing now,” Kelton Minor, one slightly less than half the population have always been good at adapting, so increase in global temperatures to 1.5 In addition, fish such as mackerel, of the survey’s authors, said. think that climate change will harm they will survive anyway, whatever will degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) usually not found in the icy seawater of For many in Greenland, it is a daily them,” Minor said. happen,” Moeller said.