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SUNDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10481 June 11, 2017 Ramadan 16, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Show of solidarity GCC best In brief platform QATAR | Offi cial No action against residents from nations that cut ties The Ministry of Interior said in a for healing statement yesterday that Qatar, in accordance with its firm beliefs and principles, works on avoiding political conflicts with states and governments when dealing with their people. It stressed that Qatar did not take any measures against its rifts: FM residents who hold the nationalities There has been an outpouring of support for Qatar and its leadership from people living in the country — both citizens and of countries that severed diplomatic expatriates — after some neighbouring and other nations severed diplomatic ties and cut sea, air and land links. As a show of Agencies ties or lowered diplomatic solidarity, billboards have come up containing images of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Qatari flag and Moscow/Istanbul representations with Qatar, on the inspirational messages. Also, motorists have put up stickers and photographs of HH the Emir on their vehicles to show support. back of hostile and tendentious Similar images and graff iti could also be seen on the facades and walls of buildings. Sources in the local market said the demand campaigns against the country. The for such photographs and flags has gone up over the past few days as people look to express their support for the country and atar’s Foreign Minister HE statement said that those residents its leaders. PICTURE: Jayaram Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdul- have the complete freedom in Qrahman al-Thani has reaffi rmed staying in Qatar in accordance with his country’s commitment to the ap- the state’s laws and regulations, proach of dialogue in resolving diff er- through a work contract approved ences with some neighbouring coun- by their countries or an entry visa tries, and said the Gulf Co-operation granted to them. Council (GCC) is the most appropriate framework for fi nding solutions to dis- BRITAIN | Politics QP says it’s conducting putes in the region. During official talks with his Rus- May reaches ‘outline’ sian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in power deal with DUP Moscow yesterday, the foreign minis- Foreign Minister HE Sheikh Mohamed British Prime Minister Theresa May ter said that his visit to Moscow was bin Abdulrahman al-Thani meeting with reached an “outline agreement” business as usual aimed at informing Russia of the il- his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov yesterday with the ultra- legal measures taken against Qatar. in Moscow yesterday. conservative Democratic Unionist n response to the “recent unfortu- plies as the world’s most reliable LNG He thanked the Russian institutions Party in order to be able to govern nate developments” in the region, supplier.” that offered their assistance during vusoglu said Turkey would continue its after a humiliating election that has IQatar Petroleum (QP) and its sub- Qatar is the largest LNG producer the crisis. eff orts to resolve the dispute through left her authority in tatters. She also sidiaries have “immediately mobilised and exporter, contributing to more The foreign minister referred to the dialogue. confirmed to German Chancellor all available resources and activated than 30% of the global LNG trade and friendly relations between Qatar and “Our president has also stressed the Angela Merkel in a phone call that their business continuity plans” to supplying customers in all major LNG the Russian Federation. He expressed need to resolve this upsetting issue be- Britain was ready to begin Brexit mitigate the impact of any action that consuming countries in the world. hope that the co-operation between fore the end of Ramadan, as it is against negotiations “as planned in the next could hamper their eff orts to ensure Qatar is also a major exporter of the two countries would continue in our religion, beliefs and traditions, couple of weeks”, reassuring EU safe and reliable energy supplies to all natural gas by pipeline to neighbour- various fi elds. especially during the month of Ram- leaders who had expressed doubts customers across the globe. ing countries. In addition, Qatar is the The Russian foreign minister ex- adan,” Cavusoglu said. after May’s electoral losses. Page 17 Qatar Petroleum, and its subsidiar- largest exporter of helium and gas to pressed concern about the Gulf crisis Cavusoglu also said Turkey’s mili- ies, yesterday affi rmed that they were liquids products (GTL), and a major and asserted Russia’s support for re- tary base in Qatar, where there are conducting business as usual through- Saad Sherida al-Kaabi exporter natural gas liquids (NGLs), solving the diff erences through dia- currently around 90 Turkish soldiers RAMADAN THOUGHT out all its upstream, midstream and refi ned products, petrochemicals, fer- logue. He stressed Russia’s non-inter- based, was aimed at contributing to the downstream businesses and opera- live up to this reputation.” tilisers, steel and aluminium. ference in the aff airs of other countries security of the entire Gulf region and O you who believe! Do your tions, and in all activities across all of QP President and CEO Saad Sherida QP said it was worth noting that and said: “We cannot be happy in a was not aimed at a specifi c Gulf state. duty to Allah and fear Him. And QP’s world-class facilities. al-Kaabi expressed his deepest grati- many consuming countries across the situation when the relations between Turkey has also pledged to provide seek the means of approach “We are closely monitoring and as- tude to all his colleagues, to the entire world relied on Qatar’s LNG supplies our partners are worsening.” food and water supplies to Qatar. to Him, and strive hard in His sessing all developments, and are pre- oil and gas sector in Qatar, as well as for their vital power generation and Lavrov said Russia was convinced Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Cause (as much as you can), pared to take the necessary decisions QP’s international partners and serv- other energy requirements to fuel their that terrorism was the main threat to the Egypt severed ties with Qatar on Mon- so that you may be successful. and measures, should the need arise, ice providers for their resilient eff orts economy and satisfy the needs of their Gulf countries and stressed the need to day, accusing it of supporting Islamist (Qur’an 5: 35) to ensure that we always honour our during the past few days, which helped people. focus eff orts to tackle the menace. militants and Iran - allegations that commitments and obligations to all our mitigate the initial diffi culties caused The list of these countries include: Moscow’s appeal came after US Sec- Qatar calls as baseless. Prayer times customers and partners locally, region- by the recent developments. Japan, South Korea, India, China, Paki- retary of State Rex Tillerson encour- Niger yesterday announced it had Fajr....3.14 Zuhr....11.33 Asr....2.56 ally, and internationally,” a QP state- Al-Kaabi said: “On behalf of Qatar stan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Ma- aged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease recalled its ambassador to Qatar in sol- Maghrib.....6.27 Isha.....7.57 ment said. Petroleum and our operating ventures, laysia (Asia), United Kingdom, Belgium, their land and sea “blockade” of Qatar. idarity with Arab countries that have QP said it “remains committed I would like to express our gratitude to France, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Spain, Tillerson had said that the stand-off cut ties with Doha. Fasting times to its international reputation as a all our valued customers, and in par- Netherlands, Portugal (Europe), Argen- was hindering the US-led fi ght against Eritrea has declined a request by Iftar today ...... 6.27pm trustworthy, stable and reliable glo- ticular our LNG customers, and would tina, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, the Islamic State group. Saudi Arabia and the UAE to cut dip- Imsak tomorrow...... 3.04am bal energy producer and provider, and like to assure them of our determined Mexico (Americas) and Kuwait, UAE, In response to the UAE foreign min- lomatic ties with Qatar, according to is confident that it will continue to eff orts to continue uninterrupted sup- Jordan and Egypt (Middle East). ister’s allegations of Qatar funding Al Jazeera. The African nation’s foreign militant groups, HE Sheikh Mohamed ministry said in a statement it “reject- said in an interview with RT Arabic that ed” the demand to cut ties “with broth- there was “no clarity” in such accusa- er Doha”. It said Eritrea had “strong ties tions. with the brother people of Qatar”, and it “Qatar is accused of having a hid- was “impossible to cut ties”. den relationship with Iran, but its re- Meanwhile, rights group Amnesty lations with Iran are clear, transparent International warned of “heartbreak Qatar business community to and time-tested,” he said, noting that and fear” suff ered by ordinary people the UAE does more trade with Iran than caught in the diplomatic crossfi re. Qatar. Amnesty said the sea and land He denied that Qatar supported the blockade and other “drastic” measures Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. He against Qatar were taking their toll on provide ‘all necessary needs’ dismissed as “fantasy” a Saudi media families, workers and students. report that he had met in Baghdad with “Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE atar Chamber has assured that a decision to form a co-ordinating 24/7 hotlines 3321 7886 (look for Yahya) and international charters and conven- the head of Iran’s Quds Force. are toying with the lives of thousands the country’s business commu- committee comprising members of and 55305515 (Ahmed), or through tions. The board assures the chamber’s The foreign minister said Qatar re- of Gulf residents as part of their dis- Qnity “would exert all possible ef- the board to determine “all the obsta- [email protected] and abunahia@qcci. keenness and commitment to support mained committed to a Kuwaiti-led pute with Qatar, splitting up families forts” to provide “all necessary needs,” cles faced by businessmen and trad- org. It aims at determining importing the wise leadership. mediation eff ort, but he had yet to re- and destroying people’s livelihoods and including food items and building mate- ers during the process of importing obstacles and ensuring the ease re- “The board confi rms the ability of ceive a clear list of demands. education,” the London-based watch- rials “for all citizens and residents.” goods.” The chamber said the com- lease of goods into the Qatari market,” the national economy to defeat this Expressing his keenness to see an dog said. This statement was issued during mittee will be a link between busi- the chamber said. During Thursday’s siege, and assures that business sectors earlier end to the crisis, Turkish Presi- Despite Kuwaiti eff orts to medi- an emergency meeting called by the nessmen and the Ministry of Econo- meeting, the board expressed “its deep and Qatari businessmen would exert all dent Tayyip Erdogan told Bahrain’s for- ate, Saudi Arabia has released a joint chamber’s board of directors on Thurs- my and Commerce. sorrow over the diplomatic crisis and possible eff orts to provide all necessary eign minister that the dispute between statement listing 59 Qatari entities and day. Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh “Any obstacles in the process of im- the decisions taken by Saudi Arabia, needs, including food items and build- Qatar and other Arab states should be individuals, as involved in funding ex- Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani presided porting goods of all kinds can be com- UAE and Bahrain against Qatar.” ing materials for all citizens and resi- resolved by the end of the holy month tremist activities. over the meeting, during which the municated to the committee through “This act contradicts the regional dents,” Qatar Chamber said. of Ramadan. Qatar is home to the largest US air- board also announced that it will hold In a joint news conference with Bah- base in the Middle East, Al-Udeid, an expanded meeting today (June 11) rain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid making it a key ally in the US-led coali- with companies importing foods and bin Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Khalifah, tion against IS in Iraq and Syria. other concerned authorities like Ma- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Ca- Pages 2, 3, 4 wani Qatar and Qatar Airways. The meeting will discuss mecha- nisms to tackle “all obstacles facing Qatar hires ex-US attorney general Ashcroft food companies” and to fi nd solutions The Qatari government has hired John confi rm its eff orts to fi ght global terrorism for the ease of movement of commodi- Ashcroft , former US attorney general, and comply with fi nancial regulations, ties. Also, another meeting will be held as it seeks to rebut accusations from US including US Treasury rules, according to with companies importing primary President Donald Trump and its Arab a Foreign Agents Registration Act fi ling on materials, including Qatar Primary neighbours that it supports terrorism. Friday with the US Justice Department. Materials Company and other fi rms The appointment, which is for a 90-day Ashcroft was the US attorney general that import building materials. period, comes as the country seeks to during the September 11 attacks. The board of directors also issued Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani presiding over the board of directors’ meeting on Thursday. Gulf Times 2 Sunday, June 11, 2017 QATAR

In brief FM meets EU’s foreign policy chief Bani Hajer tribe

in Qatar renews Emir sends National Day greetings

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and loyalty to Emir Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani have sent cables of congratulations to President of the Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on his country’s National Day. QNA and unjust encroachment of Doha some neighbouring Gulf States French off icial meets Qatar’s envoy against Qatar and in response to any statement issued on behalf French Foreign Minister’s Adviser for North Africa and the Middle East ani Hajer tribe in Qatar, of the Bani Hajer tribe outside Olivier D met Qatar’s ambassador Dr Khalid bin Rashid al-Mansouri with all its branches, Qatar, it declares its full support yesterday in Paris. They discussed bilateral relations and means to Brenewed its complete for any actions taken by Qatar to promote them in addition to topics of mutual interest and absolute loyalty to HH the preserve the higher interests of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- the country. Qatar-Mozambique ties reviewed mad al-Thani, and its full sup- In a statement issued on Fri- HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met the High Representative port of any measures taken by day, Bani Hajer tribe denounced Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and Co-operation of of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Aff airs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Brussels Qatar. arbitrary measures taken by the Republic of Mozambique Jose Justio N met Qatar’s ambassador on Friday. Talks during the meeting dealt with the developments in the region, which witnessed The tribe said that in the neighbouring Gulf states against Yousuf bin Mohammed al Mahmoud yesterday. the severing of diplomatic relations by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates with midst of the current political the State of Qatar and its citi- The meeting discussed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing and Qatar. events that resulted in reckless zens. developing them in addition to a number of issues of common concern. Protests in many countries show support for Qatar

QNA residents to rise above and con- government of the Comoros to The capital, Moroni, wit- to cut off relations with Qatar. that Mauritanian policymaking lations with a sister country that Doha tinue to avoid responding simi- sever diplomatic relations with nessed mass marches in which The demonstrators chanted slo- remains dependent on foreign has an honourable past in stand- larly to the abuses that have been the State of Qatar. the participants raised the fl ags gans of solidarity with the State agendas that do not take into ing with Jordan. circulated in various social me- “The Comorian government of the State of Qatar and carried of Qatar, stressing that the de- account Mauritania’s national Qatar has honourable posi- n a show of solidarity with dia platforms. It also urges them unilaterally decided to cut off banners written in Arabic (peo- cision of its government does interest, religious unity or the tions in addressing the issues of Qatar, many people protest- to show a sense of responsibility diplomatic relations with the ple love Qatar). They also held not represent the Mauritanian delicate balance of foreign rela- Arab and Islamic nation, at the Ied in the capitals of coun- by refraining from directing any State of Qatar without consulting a protest in the square of Inde- people. The social networking tions. top of which is the Palestinian tries which joined the campaign kind of abuses to other coun- the governors of the three islands pendence in the centre of the sites were also fi lled within a few In the Jordanian capital Am- cause. It plays active role in the of breaking relations with Qatar tries, their leaders or their peo- that make up the Union of the capital Moroni, condemning the hours with thousands of posts in man, a statement by the National regional and international are- - a campaign that was based on ples. The right of Qatari citizens Comoros,” said governor of the decision of their government to solidarity with Doha and con- Alliance for Reform condemned nas in resolving disputes and false allegations and followed and residents to express their autonomous island of Anjouan sever diplomatic relations with demning the offi cial position of the government’s decision to confl icts and addressing the unprecedented and escalated opinions is always guaranteed, Abdou Salami Abdou. Qatar, stressing that the deci- Mauritania. downgrade diplomatic relations hotbeds of tension and has great measures. however keeping in mind the The governor of the autono- sion does not refl ect the will of Several Mauritanian opposi- with Doha, adding the Jorda- role in humanitarian relief cam- Arab masses also showed their Islamic and cultural values that mous island of Anjouan con- the people of the Comoros and tion parties called on the gov- nian government’s decisions are paigns during wars and natural support for the State of Qatar has been bestowed on us. demned the decision, while harms the strong historical rela- ernment to reverse its decision an additional escalation of the disasters, the statement said. through social media platforms, The protests in Moroni, the praising the role of the State of tions between the two countries. to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar. crisis instead of contributing to The National Alliance for Re- a matter which led to a number Capital of Comoros, are a good Qatar in providing assistance In Mauritania, people in capi- The union and change party said extinguishing its fi re and make form, in its statement, appealed of countries that have severed example as people took to the and support to its people. He tal Nouakchott demonstrated in a statement that Mauritania’s the country a party rather than to the Jordanian king to order the their diplomatic relations with streets condemning the deci- called on the government of the outside the Qatari embassy severing of diplomatic relations being part of solving it. government to rescind its shock- Qatar to pass laws criminalising sions of boycotting the State Comoros to reverse its decision against its government’s deci- with Qatar was not in the best The statement described the ing decisions and to contribute sympathy with Qatar as well as of Qatar and stressing the role and be part of the solution and sion to severe ties with Qatar. interest of the country. decision as “shocking” and con- to the international, regional to block Qatari media sites on the played by Doha in the estab- not part of the crisis, pointing to The protesters headed to the The National Rally for Reform stitutes a departure from the and Arab eff orts to solve the cri- Internet and Al Jazeera channels. lishment of international peace the need to review the Gulf reso- Embassy of Qatar hours after and Development, for its part, balance that Jordan has adopted sis and prevent the continuation This comes at a time when and security. The demonstra- lutions regarding severing rela- the announcement of Maurita- said Nouakchott’s decision to in all its relations with its Arab of its negative repercussions on Qatar calls on all its citizens and tors rejected the decision of the tions and imposing air embargo. nian Foreign Ministry’s decision cut ties with Qatar was proof brothers and a blow to Arab re- Arab and Islamic nation. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 3 QATAR

Qatar pavilion inaugurated at Astana expo

The Qatar pavilion at Expo 2017 Astana, Kazakhstan, was inaugurated yesterday by Ahmed bin Ali al-Tamimi, Qatar’s ambassador to Kazakhstan. The expo continues until September 10 under the theme ‘Future Energy’. The pavilion, spread across 457sqm, highlights a number of distinguished projects in the field of energy conservation and enhancements achieved through green technology. In addition, the pavilion will be an eff ective platform for promoting the tourism and business potential of the country through the participation of diff erent state entities, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has said in a statement. The pavilion also provides a good opportunity to present a number of activities and cultural programmes reflecting the Qatari heritage and history, besides its promising future. The pavilion at the expo has been set up by a special committee formed by the MEC. Around 18 international organisations and over 100 countries are taking part in the expo, with the number of visitors expected to exceed 5mn people.

Further intervention by MEC sought to monitor prices

ity residents have Gulf Times that within 24 were increased by some of in shops run by their stock- reiterated their de- hours after the announcement the suppliers and as a result ists in the Vegetable Mar- Cmand for further in- of the blockade by some of Qa- their retail prices have gone ket area. Similarly, a tray of tervention by the Ministry tar’s neighbours, a few distrib- up at a number of outlets. 30 eggs, which used to be of Economy and Commerce utors hiked the prices of some Gulf Times had reported available at retail outlets for and municipal authorities essential food items. on Friday that the prices of QR13-14, is now being sold to check the reported over- For instance, the prices some of varieties of Indian for QR17-18 in some places. pricing of some essential of rice, grams and even eggs rice had shot up by 25-30% Some retailers alleged edible items. that such a hike in prices This is mostly visible in was the result of “hoard- smaller neighbourhood stores, Some Saudi fi rms asking staff to go on leave ing by a few suppliers”. For whose operators blame a sec- instance, they claimed, a tion of distributors and sup- company that supplies bev- pliers for such price hikes. Some Saudi Arabia-head- ply dairy, poultry and other erages and food items to lo- “We request the authori- quartered companies sup- food products to Qatar, have cal groceries increased the ties to further intensify plying food and consumer reportedly given the instruc- rates the day the blockade their eff orts against such goods are sending their staff tion as no diary and poultry came into eff ect. practices. The price hikes on leave as their operations items are coming from Saudi However, some consum- are not only inappropri- have been hit by the ongoing Arabia and the representa- ers questioned the version ate in view of the ongoing closure of the land border tives of such firms have little of the grocery operators. blockade, but also a viola- with Qatar, according to to do at present. “The prices are not high at tion of directives issued on sources. The staff are clueless as to all groceries. So, blaming the prices of essential items Interactions with sources in when they would be able to suppliers alone may not be during the holy month,” the retail sector reveal that resume operations in the lo- enough – some of the grocers said a resident. these companies, which sup- cal market, the sources add. could also be involved in such Some local retailers told practices,” said one of them. Gulf Times 4 Sunday, June 11, 2017 QATAR

“For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the eff ect of the steps imposed in the wake Amnesty condemns actions of Saudi of this political dispute is suff ering, heartbreak and fear. These drastic measures are already Arabia, UAE, Bahrain against Qatar having a brutal eff ect” QNA his family for more than 10 London years, and was refused entry and sent back to Qatar as he tried to return home to Du- mnesty Interna- bai from Doha, just after the tional yesterday measures were announced A condemned the on 5 June. blockade measures taken His wife is an Emirati na- by Saudi Arabia, UAE and tional and is therefore for- Bahrain against Qatar, bidden from travelling to which has led to splitting Qatar, while his children are up families and destroy- Qatari nationals and so are ing people’s livelihoods required to leave UAE. and education, saying He is now separated from that these countries are his family and does not know toying with the lives of when he will next see them. thousands of Gulf resi- He described to Amnesty dents as part of their dis- International how his wife pute with Qatar. had pleaded with the duty Deputy Director of Am- offi cer to see her husband nesty International’s Global one last time. “The offi cer Issues Programme James said, no way just go back,” Lynch said: he said. “For potentially thou- He told Amnesty Inter- sands of people across the national that he fears his Gulf, the eff ect of the steps employers in the UAE will imposed in the wake of this dismiss him from his job political dispute is suff ering, since he cannot return and heartbreak and fear”. because of his nationality. “These drastic measures In another case, a Saudi are already having a bru- Arabian man, who lives in tal eff ect, splitting children Doha with his Qatari wife, from parents and husbands told Amnesty International from wives. People from that he is unable to visit his across the region not only mother, who is seriously ill from Qatar, but also from the in hospital in Saudi Arabia, states implementing these because if he did he would measures risk losing jobs not be able to return to Qatar and having their education to be with his wife and chil- disrupted,” he added. dren: “I go home, I cant see Lynch added: “All the my wife. I stay here, I cant states involved in this dis- see my mum.” pute must ensure their ac- Amnesty International tions do not lead to human also interviewed several Qa- rights violations.” tari students concerned they Amnesty International could not continue their has documented several cas- education in the UAE and es of people cut off from par- Bahrain. ents, children and spouses as The organisation also a result. condemned the decision of One of the cases docu- Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bah- mented by the organisation rain on harshly punishing is about a Qatari man, who citizens and residents who has lived in the UAE with show sympathy for Qatar. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 5 QATAR

Children take part in a traditional game during Qatar Foundation’s Garangao celebrations at Al Shaqab. Families enjoy QF’s Garangao celebrations amilies from across the country ite books and stories for children and culture and traditions, and our Ga- enjoyed a fun and festive atmos- families. rangao event is just one example.” Fphere at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Young visitors also had the chance A number of QF centres took part Garangao celebrations at Al Shaqab. to meet Rashid and Noura, their fa- in this year’s Garangao celebrations QF’s Garangao activities this year vourite characters from ‘Siraj’, QF’s with activities, including a plan- featured a range of traditional games animated educational TV series that etarium show organised by Qatar and cultural activities, including aims to instil a love of the Arabic lan- Environment and Energy Research ‘gaiss’ and ‘dahroui’, specially de- guage from an early age. Institute; puzzle and wheel games signed for the whole family to enjoy. Khalifa E al-Kubaisi, head of the by Qatar Biobank; and planting ac- Visitors were also able to sample some press offi ce at QF, said: “Qatar Foun- tivities hosted by Qur’anic Botanic of the region’s most popular dishes, dation’s annual Garangao activities Garden. Additionally, Weill Cornell including ‘harees’, ‘khanfaroosh’ and provide a wonderful opportunity for Medicine-Qatar gave visitors the op- ‘luqaimat’. community members of all ages and portunity to learn more about medi- QF’s popular National Reading backgrounds to come together to cine through role-playing as doctors Campaign hosted a series of inter- honour a beloved regional tradition. in the activity ‘Annie’. active games for children, including Throughout the year, we provide a Garangao is a popular children’s scrabble and jigsaw puzzles, while range of initiatives designed to fos- festival held annually across the Gulf the campaign’s innovative Reading ter social engagement and encourage region following the breaking of fast Truck was on hand to provide favour- people to learn more about Qatar’s on the 14th night of Ramadan. Gulf Times 6 Sunday, June 11, 2017 QATAR

Hundreds of expat children take part in Garangao Festival at Asian Town

Ibn Ajayan Projects (IAP) awarded certificates, a trophy Faiha Ismail, a nine standard prizes, respectively. organised the Garangao celebration celebrated Garangao Festival for and gifts. student from Shantiniketan School, Aalia, Jansi, Shreya, Parthiv Das in Asian Town and this year the kids at Asian Town on Friday. All the participants received won the first prize in the senior and Benette Sarah received the event is more colourful with lots Hundreds of children belonging certificates and traditional section while Maiza Ismail and consolation prizes. of children. As it is intended for the to various nationalities and Garangao bags. The competition Aarish Aravind bagged the second There were a number of children, Garangao is most precious from diff erent parts of Qatar was held in two categories: and third prizes, respectively. entertaining activities for for us among the many other events participated in the celebration the junior section included In the junior section, Viha from children, including face-painting, and programmes we organise during and a drawing competition participants aged 4 to 9 years, Rajagiri Public School won the a photo booth, henna designing, Ramadan. This celebration is IAP’s conducted on the occasion of while the senior section was for first prize. Paranav Das and Eman cartoon characters and more. Ramadan gifts for little kids,” said an Garangao. The winners were children aged 10 to 14 years. Ezar earned the second and third “This is the third time IAP has off icial from Ibn Ajayan Projects. Garangao celebration participants. Commercial Bank spreads Garangao joy in community

ommercial Bank tives focusing on the Qatari Al Wakra Hospital hon- cial Bank has made this a re- culturally signifi cant event has celebrated Ga- community, staff distribut- oured Commercial Bank sponsibility to celebrate and not only with children, but Crangao with fun ac- ed Garangao gifts, including with an award in recogni- preserve Qatari heritage. we have also taken the time tivities for children in the traditional sweets and nuts, tion of the bank’s eff orts “Garangao is an especially to extend our Garangao out- bank’s mall branches and to customers’ children at in sharing and spread- joyful time of celebration reach activities to those who among the wider Qatari Commercial Bank branches ing the Garangao joy with during the holy month of are in less fortunate circum- community. in Landmark Mall, City kids at the hospital during Ramadan and Commercial stances in support of the Garangao takes place Center Doha, Gulf Mall, Ramadan. Bank is proud to share this wider Qatari community.” on the 14th day of Ram- Mall of Qatar, Villaggio, Hy- Commercial Bank Group adan and is considered a att Plaza, Dar Al Salam and CEO Joseph Abraham said, tradition in Qatar and the The Pearl-Qatar. Commer- “Promoting traditional region. cial Bank staff also distrib- Qatari culture and values As part of Commercial uted special Garangao gifts is a constant underlying Bank’s corporate social re- at Hamad Hospital and Al theme behind all our CSR sponsibility (CSR) initia- Wakra Hospital. programmes, as Commer-

Ramadan Hamad Hospital visit by Commercial Bank. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 7 QATAR/RAMADAN Repentance: The gateway for seeking forgiveness

llah The Almighty Says (what means): {When the Victory of AAllah has come and the con- quest, And you see the people enter- ing into the Religion of Allah in multi- tudes, then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever accepting of repent- ance.}[Qur’an 110:1-3] This verse referred to the imminent end of the lifetime of the Prophet, sal- lallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, whereupon he was commanded to conclude it with seeking forgiveness. From that time on- wards, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, never abandoned seeking forgiveness until he died, despite his Clothes on display at one of the stalls belonging to an entrepreneur, at Meerat Ramadan in Katara. relentless striving as we have already seen. He used to say: “Subhaanak Al- laahumma rabbana wa bihamdik, Al- laahumma ighfi r lee (Exalted be You, O Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise (I exalt You); O Allah! Forgive me).” [Al- Bedaya Centre showcasing Bukhari and Muslim] He never wearied of repeating this since this verse was revealed to him, until he died. It is obligatory for the believers then to seal their deeds with the seal of seek- startups at Meerat Ramadan ing forgiveness, which rectifi es the de- fects of those deeds. Moreover, it clari- fi es the extent of their shortcomings in he Bedaya Centre for Beauty Line, Signature tives that aim to support nity for entrepreneurs to their relationship with Allah The Al- Entrepreneurship by Fatima, Marwad Qa- entrepreneurs. showcase their products at mighty. It also sheds light on how im- Tand Career Devel- tar, Life utensils, Aseela, On this occasion, Reem competitive prices during perfect their deeds might be, and how opment (Bedaya Centre), a Anteeka Gift, Alzenh, al-Suwaidi, general man- the holy month, especially they raise their hands to Allah The Al- joint initiative of Qatar De- Distinctive Touch, Qa- ager, Bedaya Centre, said: as Katara provides attrac- mighty, with regret for what they have velopment Bank (QDB) and tar Dress Boutique, An- “We would like to thank tive events during Ram- done, and confessing the negligence Silatech, is participating fal Collection, Aikoza, Al Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al- adan. This brings together in their deeds, which requires them to through a several startup Masala, Oryx Doha, Al Sulaiti, general manager, members of the local soci- seek the forgiveness of Allah The Al- projects at Meerat Ram- Qomash Al Motarz, Baby Katara - the Cultural Vil- ety and other communities mighty. It was the habit of the believers adan, being held at Katara- Mania, Happy Gift, Ras- lage, for providing this in one place. to intensify seeking forgiveness after characterised by seeking forgiveness, grave major sins. The same is true of the Cultural Village. lan Qatar, Al Bandar, Oud, opportunity to entrepre- “Moreover, a special area off ering acts of obedience. and which is seen as imperfect and the one who stands (at night in prayer The projects show- and Rihann. neurial projects, which at for kids has been allocated Allah The Almighty clarifi es this unfi t for Allah The Almighty, being not in) Ramadan, so that all his sins will case top quality goods and Meerat Ramadan off ers the same time, support the and includes a variety of state, which includes the departure done as it should be for Allah The Al- be removed. However, to expect such products such as clothing, an important opportunity centre’s goals and objec- games, entertainment, and from ‘Arafaat. It is true that people mighty, and, ultimately, raised to Allah forgiveness with neither fasting nor perfumes, incense, and to support the small and tives that support young education activities that depart from ‘Arafaat with their sins The Almighty by the doer, who hum- standing (in prayer) which are means foodstuff s at competitive medium local projects by people in strengthening bring enjoyment and ben- forgiven for them. Nevertheless, Al- bles himself to Him to accept it. of attaining forgiveness is indeed mere prices. providing a proper plat- their projects to allow a efi t to the public. This is lah The Almighty commanded them Seeking forgiveness at the end of illusion and false hope that we have to- This year’s version of form to showcase their new generation of entre- besides the other means to seek His forgiveness. He Says deeds means that the believers should day. Meerat Ramadan, which goods and products in preneurs to become strong of attraction that provide (what means): {But when you depart repent to Allah The Almighty with the Thus, repentance is one of the most resembles a bazaar, wel- one of the city’s most vi- foundations for building a a unique marketing and from ‘Arafaat, remember Allah at Al- general repentance, that is expected important deeds with which one con- comed a good number of brant places during the bright future for the state entertainment experience Mash‘ar Al-Haraam. And remember from whoever observes the fasts of Ra- cludes his acts of worship and acts of entrepreneurial projects holy month of Ramadan. of Qatar.” suitable for all exhibitors Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, madan, stands (at night in prayer of) obedience. That is, to turn in repent- such as Al Jaraa, Miswak This event is a new ad- She added: “Meerat Ra- and visitors at the same you were before that among those Ramadan, and stands (in prayer) on the ance to Allah The Almighty, and be de- Royal, Moon Collection, dition to Bedaya’s initia- madan is a great opportu- time.” astray. Then depart from the place Night of Al-Qadr, and as such he will termined not to return to the sin once from where [all] the people depart be forgiven. The diff erence is that who- again. If, in those days of worship and and ask forgiveness of Allah.} [Qur’an ever stands (in prayer) on the Night of obedience, one is waiting for them to 2:198-199] That is, after striving in Al-Qadr, will be forgiven immediately come to end to return to his previous worship and expecting the forgiveness on that very night, and he need not state of indulgence and negligence, or of Allah, His mercy and repentance, wait until the end of the month, un- to the same sins and misdeeds he used they seek the forgiveness of Allah The like fasting and standing of Ramadan. to do before Ramadan, in this case, his Almighty, realising that they fall short When it is the end of the month, the deeds are rejected, and the gate of re- in their deeds, that their deeds are so one who deserves forgiveness for his pentance is closed in his face, unless he defective that requires them to seek fasting and standing (at night in prayer) is determined not to return to the sin forgiveness. They realise that it is only will be forgiven out of the Bounty of once again, rather than to return to the seeking forgiveness that should be Allah. According to the majority of sin after the end of Ramadan. characteristic of their deeds that as- scholars, whoever observes the fasts Article source: http://www.is- cend to Allah The Almighty. If a per- of Ramadan, out of sincere faith, and lamweb.net/emainpage/ son looks at his deed and admires it, it expecting the reward for that with Al- will not ascend to Allah The Almighty. lah The Almighty, will be forgiven, What ascends is only the deed that is provided that he has repented from the Gulf Times 8 Sunday, June 11, 2017 QATAR QU placed Qatar has highest average Internet connection speeds 349th in QS in MEA region: CRA

ew research from Qatar’s National Broad- global cloud deliv- band Plan (NBP) was pub- Nery platform Aka- lished by ictQatar in 2013 Dr Hassan al-Derham, mai Technologies revealed to support and promote rankings president, QU. that Qatar has the highest broadband market de- average Internet connec- velopment by providing atar University (QU) its 2017 performance by 44 2011-2016 period by the pa- The university is among the tion speeds in the Mid- guidelines and actions the has been ranked places. The university also pers indexed in Scopus with most prestigious universi- dle East and Africa (MEA) nation needs to take in the Q349 in the Quac- improved by 136 places in publication dates between ties in the region, especially region. next decade to ensure that quarelli Symonds (QS) academic reputation. 2011 and 2015 have been in the fi eld of research. In In its fi rst quarter (Q1) the opportunities off ered World University Rankings The QS World University counted. Additionally, em- this context, Qatar Univer- 2017 State of the Internet by broadband technology 2018, among the 956 top Rankings have been pub- ployer reputation weight- sity continues in its eff orts Report, Akamai Technolo- are realised. Qatar has al- universities in the world. lished since 2004. While the ings have been recalibrated to provide resources that gies said Qatar averaged ready achieved the ambi- The announcement was headline measures have not to 50:50. contribute to promoting connection speeds of 13.7 tious goals relating to In- made on June 8 on the QS changed since 2005, refi ne- Commenting on this research excellence. Being Mbps, an increase of 64% ternet speeds and access website, naming QU 349th ments have been introduced achievement, QU president ranked 349th among the year-on-year. set out in the NBP. among the top universi- to provide even stronger Dr Hassan al-Derham said: top universities in the world Qatar ranked seventh in “The CRA plays a key ties in the world, fourth in results year after year. The “This achievement refl ects demonstrates the high qual- the world and fi rst in the role in enabling growth of the GCC and fi fth in the QS World University Rank- Qatar University’s ongo- ity education that Qatar MEA region with the high- diverse areas in the com- Arab region, according to a ings 2018 use the follow- ing eff orts over the years to University off ers to its stu- est average peak connec- munications sector, and statement from QU. ing indicators: Academic advance quality education, dents and the alignment of tion speed at 107.9 Mbps in ensuring the improvement In the 2018 edition, QU reputation (40%), Employer support the national econo- its academic programs with the fi rst quarter, surpassing of customer experience performed among the top reputation (10%), Citations my and build human capac- the needs of the local labour the 100 Mbps threshold for through the ubiquitous 36% in the QS World Uni- per faculty (20%), Student ities who are equipped with market and the society’s the fi rst time, represent- availability of smart, high versity Rankings. “Con- to faculty ration (20%), In- the knowledge and who expectations. ing a 21% year-on-year quality services. Today the sidering there are approxi- ternational faculty (5%) and are attached to their iden- “This also refl ects that our increase. In the mobile communications sector in Mohamed Ali al-Mannai, president, CRA. mately 26,000 universities International students (5%). tity and values, in line with graduates are capable to excel market, Qatar had the sec- Qatar is in good health as globally, this makes QU one For the QS World Univer- the goals of Qatar National and compete in the local and ond highest average mobile the numbers suggest. cilities,” said CRA president ers mandated by the Emiri of the top 1.3% universities sity Rankings 2018, the ci- Vision 2030. international labour mar- connection speeds at 13.6 “We have a fi xed line net- Mohamed Ali al-Mannai. decree to protect consumer in the world,” the statement tation window has been ex- “Qatar University has ket, as well as to pursue their Mbps. work that covers almost the The CRA is the commu- rights, ensure competition, notes. tended to six years. Hence, been successful in advanc- graduate studies at the top About 99% of Qatar’s entire country and, average nications regulator in the manage the resolution of Overall, QU improved on the citations attracted in the ing its academic reputation. international universities.” households are in areas Internet connection speeds State of Qatar established disputes, and manage the covered by a fi bre optic net- is now the highest in the by the Emiri Decree (42) electromagnetic spectrum. work and according to Qa- region. Service providers in 2014. The CRA regu- In all its activities, the tar’s ICT Landscape 2015: also play an important part lates the communications CRA seeks to ensure the Households and Individu- by upgrading the overall and information technol- provision of advanced, in- als, 86% of the households telecommunications net- ogy and postal sectors, and novative and reliable ICT Venus to reach outermost point on June 13 have fi xed wired broadband work, and by migrating to access to digital media. It and postal services across network. improved network and fa- uses its regulatory pow- Qatar.

enus will reach the Venus at its outermost tronomer Dr Beshir Mar- be at 4:43am on that day,” Aphelion point (out- point from the sun with the zouk. “The planet will ap- he explains. Vermost point) in its naked eye. pear as a bright star on the The phenomenon is orbit around the sun on June Qatar residents will not east side of the Doha dawn important because it is 13 at 12.12am Doha local need astronomical tel- sky for two hours and 39 the best time for observ- time, Qatar Calendar House escopes to see Venus at minutes before sunrise. Ve- ing Venus at its outermost Special off ers has said. Aphelion over the eastern nus will br over the Doha sky point from the sun over the People in Qatar and other horizon of the Doha dawn at 2:04am, while the sunrise Doha sky and also validates Arab countries can observe sky, according to noted as- time over the Doha sky will astronomical calculations. on Cadillac 2017 models announced

adillac Qatar has opportunity to wish eve- announced a se- ryone in Qatar Ramadan Cries of exclusive Kareem. We are very ex- off ers on 2017 models for cited to off er our existing The flagship Cadillac Escalade will start from QR86,266. all customers on the occa- and new customers these sion of the holy month of exceptional promotions on QR2,699 per month. The In addition to its beautiful Ramadan. our Cadillac line-up. With XT5 SUV is a new luxury design, the all-new model “Cadillac Middle East our improved in-house fi - vehicle for Cadillac, with comes with a wealth of new would like to wish everyone nancing solutions and the a bold new design and a technologies, including Ramadan Kareem. We have choice to defer payments, wealth of space. Apple Car Play, Rear Cam- worked closely with Man- will give our customers Customers purchas- era Mirror, Enhanced Night nai Automotive, our dealer further peace of mind when ing the ATS, CTS and XT5 Vision technology and the in Qatar, to ensure we off er purchasing any of our ve- will enjoy monthly instal- pioneering 34-speaker our customers exceptional hicles and allow them to ments for a 36-month Bose Panaray audio system, deals on their purchases enjoy the summer months period, with 10% down- the statement notes. this Ramadan, giving them with friends and family payment and in-house The fl agship Cadillac peace of mind throughout with the savings they have fi nancing, according to a Escalade will start from their ownership journey made.” statement. QR86,266 and includes with us,” said Nadim Gh- Customers will be able With a payment of in-house fi nancing. Esca- rayeb, sales and marketing to avail from a number QR9,999, customers will lade owners can also enjoy manager. of off ers, including the be able to own the fl agship the Cadillac Premium Care Mohamed Helmy, group ATS ‘lease to own’ from sedan, CT6, with in-house Programme. The vehicle general manager at Man- QR1,999 per month, fi nancing through 23 pay- sets the benchmark of SUV nai Auto, said: “On behalf CTS ‘lease to own’ from ments, as well as enjoy two luxury with a balance of so- of myself and Mannai Auto, QR2,599 per month and years full insurance and phistication, functionality we would like to take this XT5 ‘lease to own’ from two years free registration. and technology. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 9 QATAR QRCS holds group Iftar banquets at Aqsa Mosque

or the fi fth year in a row, feelings of solidarity, share ducted a number of similar the Qatar Red Crescent the Ramadan rituals with our projects in Ramadan. It has F(QRCS) is conducting a brothers in Jerusalem and pro- considerable experience, eff ec- Ramadan Iftar project in Al- vide them with necessary food tive personnel and an accurate Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, dur- in these summer days.” database about the benefi ciar- ing the holy month of Ramadan The director of the Zakat ies such as families with wid- in co-operation with the Zakat Al-Quds Committee stressed ows, orphans and poor people, Al-Quds Committee. the importance of the project according to a press statement. Every day, a group Ramadan in ensuring that the Al-Aqsa The project is part of QRCS’s Iftar banquet is held at the Mosque keeps getting visited Ramadan Campaign for 1438 yards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, by people. He thanked QRCS AH, which involves QR85mn off ering a total of 7,954 Iftar and Qatar for their contribu- worth of humanitarian and The Ooredoo Garangao celebration at Souq Waqif. meals over the month, with tions for the Palestinian people development projects. It in- funding from QRCS. in Jerusalem. cludes international projects QRCS secretary-general QRCS’s Ramadan Iftar in 15 countries at a total cost Ali Hassan al-Hammadi said: project in Jerusalem is imple- of QR65mn, as well as health, “Well before the start of Ra- mented by the Zakat Al-Quds social, qualifi cation and devel- Ooredoo shows true Ramadan spirit madan, we began preparing Committee, which has since opment projects in Qatar at a for this project to promote the its establishment in 1988 con- value exceeding QR19mn. oredoo drew crowds greeting for the children from children from across Qatar’s page and tag themselves if they with a special Garangao Ooroedoo. communities could enjoy the es- or their children attended the Ocelebration at Souq Wa- Talking about the event, Ma- sence of the night. Once again, event. qif this weekend by distribut- nar Khalifa al-Muraikhi, director our Ooredoo volunteers showed Customers can follow ing special goody bags to chil- of PR and Corporate Communi- the true Ramadan spirit and we Ooredoo’s Ramadan Hand- dren. cations at Ooredoo Qatar, said: thank everyone at Souq Waqif in-Hand campaign via its Fa- The Garangao bags, which “Garangao is an amazing time for coming to see us.” cebook, Instagram or Twitter were made by local craftswom- for children during Ramadan Ooredoo has encouraged page and the hashtag #Shar- en, included nuts, sweets and a and we wanted to make sure that people to check their Facebook eAMoment. Fog expected today

Poor visibility is expected in some off shore areas in the early hours of today due to fog, the Qatar Met department has said. Hazy to misty conditions are also likely in these places at times. The detailed forecast for inshore areas says it will be hazy in some places at first, followed by hot daytime conditions. It will also be relatively humid in some areas at night. A maximum temperature of 44C is expected in Every day, a group Ramadan Iftar banquet is being held at the yards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Abu Samra and 42C in Doha today.

NBK launches Ramadan off er on Mercedes V-Class

asser Bin Khaled from QR249,000 during to pay only 20% down pay- effi cient driving pleasure V-Class comes to the start- (NBK) Automo- Ramadan and continue un- ment at the time of delivery and safety that distinguish ing line with a 2.1-litre four- Nbiles, the author- til end of June. In addition, of the vehicle and can drive automobiles bearing the cylinder turbodiesel engine ised general distributor of customers can benefi t from the highly desirable Mer- three-pointed star”. with two-stage turbocharg- Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, free registration, three-year cedes-Benz with no further “The new V-Class pro- ing, which has already prov- has launched a special off er warranty with unlimited payments due until January vides optimum fl exibility en highly successful in many on Mercedes-Benz V-Class mileage and fl exible internal 2018,” the statement notes. when it comes to use of the passenger car model series cars to celebrate the holy and bank fi nancing options, The new V-Class com- interior and always cuts an from the A-Class to the S- month of Ramadan and NBK Automobiles has said bines room for up to eight elegant fi gure at the same Class, and which has now showcase its commitment in a press statement. people and “exemplary time. It is a versatile, multi- been further enhanced spe- to the Qatar community. “As part of this special fi - functionality with the talented vehicle that off ers cifi cally for the MPV. The V-Class is available nance off er, customers have high-class appeal, comfort, value, effi ciency and safety To enhance personal driv- at the highest level,” the ing pleasure, the V-Class is statement adds. the only vehicle in its seg- Even at fi rst glance the ment to off er the Agility Se- V-Class is unmistakably a lect function in conjunction member of the Mercedes- with the automatic trans- Benz passenger car family mission. At the push of a and sets an emotional high- button the driver can select light in its segment. At the from four driving modes: centre of the powerful front economical, comfortable, is the upright radiator grille sporty and manual. with the three-dimensional Thanks to new component central star and the progres- concepts and comprehensive sively designed headlamps, insulation, the V-Class off ers which for the fi rst time in its occupants the lowest noise this segment off er all light- level in the segment. The in- ing functions in LED tech- terior noise level has been al- nology as an option. most halved compared to the A high level of driving preceding model. comfort and an exemplary The interior of the V-Class standard of safety are en- is a completely new MPV ex- sured by a total of 11 in- perience. High-quality ma- novative driver assistance terials with a pleasant touch systems. They are based and feel and a harmonious on state-of-the-art ra- colour concept, intricate de- dar, camera and ultrasound tails as well as a progressive sensors, which were intro- and sensuous design idiom duced in the new E-Class convey outstanding high- and S-Class under the name class appeal in the segment. Mercedes-Benz Intelligent For easy loading and un- Drive. Standard equipment loading, the V-Class fea- includes Crosswind Assist tures another fi rst in this and Attention Assist, while segment in the shape of an available option is Active the separately opening rear Parking Assist. windscreen attached to the At market launch, the new upper tailgate frame.

The V-Class is the only vehicle in its segment to off er the Agility Select function in conjunction with the automatic transmission. Gulf Times 10 Sunday, June 11, 2017 QATAR Call to eat in moderation during holy month

ating in moderation dur- role in weight loss and mainte- ing Iftar and avoiding nance because it helps to get rid Eoverindulgence during of toxins and reduces hunger,” Suhoor will help prevent weight Daniel explained. gain during Ramadan, Hamad She has suggested eating Medical Corporation’s (HMC) dishes prepared by baking, Charina Daniel, clinical dietetics grilling, steaming or stew- co-ordinator at The Cuban Hos- ing and avoiding foods that pital, has said. are deep fried. “High-calorie Fasting during Ramadan can foods such as rich pastries and cause weight gain in some peo- sweet desserts should be eaten ple, so regulating food intake is in small portions,” she said. an important part of maintaining She also recommends chew- Garangao at The Pearl-Qatar. weight during the holy month. ing food slowly to avoid indi- “Part of the benefi t of fast- gestion and starting meals with ing is taking steps to develop a soup and a salad. Daniel noted healthier lifestyle. Lack of mod- that during Ramadan, breakfast eration in food intake and over- is the most important meal of indulgence in sweet foods will the day. Hundreds take part in Garangao contradict the purpose of the “When having Suhoor, resist fast. If fasting is done respon- trying to make up for the food sibly, it can benefi t our health. you will be missing during the Reduced food intake is one of the day by overeating,” she noted, most eff ective ways to improve recommending a meal that in- festivities at The Pearl-Qatar health and longevity. Fasting in cludes a healthy portion of pro- Ramadan allows our body to use tein, such as eggs with oatmeal. stored fats and glycogen, thereby “When thinking about the nited Development Com- madan Drummer), participants promoting ideal weight and body Suhoor menu, consider com- pany (UDC), master devel- learned about Qatar’s past by lis- fat loss,” Daniel said. plex carbohydrates such as Uoper of The Pearl-Qatar, tening to interesting stories con- When planning for Iftar, brown or whole wheat bread welcomed hundreds of participants veyed by professional storytellers. she recommends starting with and lean protein sources such to its annual Garangao festivities Additionally, children, families a light meal such as a couple as eggs, grilled chicken breast that took place on Friday in an in- and members of the wider com- of dates, laban or a hot soup. or low-fat dairy products, door arena at 29 La Croisette, Porto munity got the opportunity to en- “Plan your Iftar meal around dried beans and lentils. Try Arabia. joy traditional Qatari cuisine and healthy options such as whole adding a serving of low fat or Featuring an array of traditional drinks such as popcorn, cotton grain starches, brown rice or skimmed dairy products such activities such as henna drawing, candy, Arabic coff ee, dates and ice- potatoes, brown pasta, lean as yogurt, laban or milk. A cup colouring and face-painting sta- cream. meat, fish or poultry, and raw of fresh vegetables or fruit will tions, balloon twisting, folkloric The Pearl-Qatar has invited or cooked vegetables,” she sug- make the meal healthier and mascot characters and photogra- members of the community to visit gested “As soon as you break more nutritious.” phy booths, the event highlighted the destination throughout Ram- your fast, concentrate on get- “Most of all, the key to avoid- UDC’s endeavours to revive Qatar’s adan to enjoy Iftar and Suhoor at ting rehydrated by drinking ing weight gain during Ramadan traditions through engaging youth its diverse range of restaurants and plenty of water. This will help is moderation. You can always and families in interactive heritage- experience its hospitality. prevent overeating. Drink at seek help from your dietitian if oriented initiatives, according to a Shopping destinations across its least eight glasses of water in you wish to get a more individu- press statement. retail landscape are open through- small quantities to avoid bloat- ally tailored meal plan,” added While interacting with the tra- out the month and beyond for visi- ing. Water plays an important Daniel. ditional “Musaher” mascot (Ra- tors of all ages. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 11 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Tehran opposes Kurds’ plan for US-backed force pierces referendum into IS bastion from west

AFP Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) AFP Tehran launch sporadic attacks into Beirut Iran from rear-bases in Iraq, triggering sometimes deadly ran voiced its opposition clashes with the security S-backed Syrian fi ghters yesterday to an announce- forces. broke into the western Iment by Iraq’s autonomous After an upsurge attacks in Upart of the Islamic State Kurdish region that it will or- 2011, Iranian troops launched group’s stronghold Raqqa yes- ganise a vote on independence a cross-border incursion, terday, they and a monitor said, later this year. forcing KDPI to retreat deep- opening up a second front inside “Iran’s principal position er into Iraq. the northern Syrian city. is to support the territo- The federal government in The Syrian Democratic rial integrity of Iraq,” foreign Baghdad is deeply opposed Forces alliance of Kurdish and ministry spokesman Bahram to the referendum plan of the Arab fi ghters has spent months Ghasemi said. regional government in Arbil, tightening the noose on IS-held “The Kurdistan region is as is neighbouring Turkey, Raqqa and entered the city for part of the Iraqi republic and which has a large and restive the fi rst time earlier this week unilateral decisions outside Kurdish minority of its own. from the east, backed by US-led the national and legal frame- Washington has expressed coalition air strikes. work, especially the Iraqi concern that it could distract Yesterday, they pierced into constitution...can only lead from the joint fight against Raqqa from the west, accord- to new problems.” the Islamic State group by ing to the Syrian Observatory Iraqi Kurdish leaders an- stoking tensions between the for Human Rights monitoring nounced on Wednesday that Kurds, and Arabs and Turk- group. they will organise an inde- men in northern Iraq. “The SDF captured the west- pendence referendum on “An integrated, stable and ern half of the Al Sabahiya September 25, not only in democratic Iraq guarantees neighbourhood and are rein- their three-province au- the interests of the whole forcing their positions there,” tonomous region but also in people (of Iraq) from all eth- Observatory head Rami Abdel other historically Kurdish- nic and religious groups,” Rahman said. majority areas they have long Ghasemi said. The forces then advanced sought to incorporate in it. “Today, Iraq more than north into the adjacent district Iran worries about sepa- ever needs peace and na- of Al Romaniya and seized part ratism among its own Kurds, tional unity and differences of it in the evening, Abdel Rah- most of whom live in areas between Arbil and Baghdad man said. along the border with Iraq. must be resolved within the Earlier, a statement from Rebels of the Kurdistan framework of dialogue and in SDF’s Operation Wrath of the Democratic Party of Iran compliance with Iraq’s con- Euphrates said its fi ghters en- (KDPI) and the Party of Free stitution.” tered Al Romaniya yesterday and were locked “in fi erce fi ghting inside the district”. Held by IS since 2014, Raqqa emerged as a key hub for the militants’ operations in Syria, Iran arrests seven neighbouring Iraq, and beyond. The SDF, which was formed Displaced Syrians queue at a Kurdish controlled checkpoint between the rebel-held town of Azaz in northern Syria and the city of Afrin, along in 2015, launched its campaign the northern border with Turkey, as they attempt to cross it. suspects linked to capture Raqqa in November and chipped away at IS territory “IS has reinforced the north- Coalition strikes on the city says it takes every measure to lies could be seen arriving at a around the city’s north, west, ern approach to Raqqa much throughout the day yesterday avoid hitting non-combatants. makeshift camp in Ain Issa, 50 to twin attacks and east. more, thinking that’s how the killed at least 13 civilians, ac- An estimated 300,000 civil- kilometres north of Raqqa. In addition to holding part SDF would try to advance on the cording to the Observatory. ians were believed to have been Children sprayed each other of Al Sabahiya and Al Romani- city,” Abdel Rahman said. Abdel Rahman said the recent living under IS rule in Raqqa, in- with water from large red water Reuters diciary’s online news agency ya, the alliance also controls “The western and eastern en- raids brought the civilian death cluding 80,000 displaced from tanks, trying to cool off under Dubai Mizan reported. Raqqa’s eastern neighbourhood trances to the city were much toll in coalition raids to 47 since other parts of Syria. the beating summer sun. On Friday, authorities an- of Al Meshleb. less fortifi ed,” he said. the battle for Raqqa city was Thousands have fl ed in recent Last month a camp admin- nounced the arrests of 41 sus- But the force has struggled to The off ensive has been backed launched on June 6. months, and the UN humani- istrator said more than 20,000 ranian authorities have ar- pects in connection with the advance from the city’s north, by the US-led coalition with air Reports of civilian casualties tarian offi ce estimates about people had sought refuge in Ain rested seven people it sus- twin Tehran attacks. where IS holds a military com- strikes, special forces advisers, in the air campaign have swelled 160,000 people remain in the Issa, and appealed for additional Ipects of helping militants Separately, the head of the plex known as Division 17. weapons, and equipment. in recent weeks, but the coalition city. Yesterday, displaced fami- assistance. involved in this week’s attacks judiciary in Fars province said in the capital Tehran, a judici- seven people were detained in ary offi cial said yesterday. the southern Larestan area for Islamic State claimed re- possible ties to Islamic State, sponsibility for the suicide Iran’s Isna news agency re- bombings and gun attacks on ported yesterday. Egypt court adjourns verdict on ex-prosecutor’s killing parliament and the mauso- Tehran police said the car leum of the Islamic Republic’s the attackers used for both at- founder, Ayatollah R Kho- tacks was discovered yesterday DPA Chief judge of the Cairo Criminal Court, Hesham Barakat was killed in a Cairo in “co-ordination” with Hamas. meini, that killed 17 people on in the city centre. Cairo Hassan Farid, announced the postpone- bombing on June 29, 2015. Egyptian media have repeatedly ac- Wednesday. “The terrorists fi rst went by ment decision without an explanation. He was the most senior Egyptian fi gure cused Hamas of involvement in attacks in Ahmad Fazelian, a provin- the car to the mausoleum and The case involves 67 defendants, in- to fall victim to a spate of attacks that hit Egypt, including in Sinai, which borders cial judiciary offi cial, said the after dropping two of them, n Egyptian court yesterday ad- cluding 16 tried in absentia. the country following the military’s 2013 the Gaza Strip. seven, suspected of “providing went to the city centre to at- journed until July 17 a verdict in a Their trial opened in Cairo in June last toppling of president Mohamed Mursi. Hamas has denied the accusations. support for the terrorist team”, tack the parliament,” the po- Acase related to the assassination of year. The defendants are also charged with Last year, Egyptian authorities said Last month, Hamas unveiled a new were detained in Fardis, about lice said in a statement pub- the country’s former top prosecutor al- conspiring with the Hamas movement, to that members of the Muslim Brother- policy charter in a shift seen as aimed at 50km west of Tehran, the ju- lished on state media. most two years ago. carry out attacks in Egypt. hood were involved in Barakat’s killing improving ties with Egypt. Iraqi forces repel militant off ensive south of Mosul

Agencies Tikrit, Iraq

raqi forces repelled an of- fensive launched in the early Ihours of yesterday by Islamic State on the own of Shirqat, south of Mosul, during which more than 38 military and ci- vilians were killed and 40 more wounded, security sources said. About 24 Islamic State fi ght- ers were also killed in the fi ght- ing, which ended around mid- day, the sources said. About half the dead in the city were civilians and the rest mem- bers of the Iraqi armed forces and tribal fi ghters. A curfew was still in place in the early evening. Islamic State lost Shirqat to US-backed Iraqi government forces and tribal fi ghters last year. Its fall paved the way for the off ensive on Mosul, the mili- tants’ de-facto capital in Iraq. Eight months into the US- backed off ensive to take back Mosul, all of the city has been re- An Iraqi man (centre) is ordered to raise his hands for a check as civilians displaced by fighting between taken by Iraqi government forces the Iraqi forces and Islamic State flee the Al Zanjili district in Mosul, yesterday. Civilians displaced by fighting between the Iraqi forces and Islamic State flee the Al Zanjili district in Mosul. except an enclave by the western bank of the Tigris river. fi ghting primarily on a separate ing “caliphate”.“Hashed forces rounded by anti-IS forces. tary commander, known as ing in a statement. He said that Abadi has repeatedly said that Meanwhile, Iraq’s paramili- western front since the battle declare the liberation of all areas While the Counter-Terrorism Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, spoke Hashed forces had taken control no Iraqi forces should cross the tary Hashed al-Shaabi forces to retake Mosul was launched in west of Mosul except Tal Afar,” Service and other federal forces overnight to hail the achieve- of an area about two kilometres border into Syria. said that they had retaken all October last year. the organisation said on social were retaking Mosul one neigh- ments of his forces. from Iraq’s western border with The Hashed al-Shaabi is areas west of Mosul from the Their main objective has media. bourhood after another as well “The Hashed are awaiting neighbouring Syria, where an- nominally under his command Islamic State group except the been to isolate IS fi ghters bat- Tal Afar is a large town that as urban areas around it, Hashed orders from the prime minis- other alliance of forces backed but some of its components have town of Tal Afar. tling elite forces inside the city lies about 50 kilometres west of forces worked their way north ter and commander-in-chief a US-led coalition is battling IS. for years been sending fi ghters The umbrella organisation, by cutting off their supply lines Mosul on the way to Syria and is and west through mostly desert of the armed forces (Haider al- “The Hashed have not entered to support Damascus in its six- which is dominated by Iran- to remaining strongholds in the still in the hands of the militants, regions of Iraq. Abadi) to storm the district of yet,” he said, without elaborat- year-old confl ict against various backed Shia militias, has been Syrian part of their now crumb- although almost completely sur- The Hashed’s top Iraqi mili- Tal Afar,” he was quoted as say- ing. rebel groups. Gulf Times 12 Sunday, June 11, 2017 AFRICA Sahel countries Rwanda Day protest deploy to combat Islamist militants

By Ahamadou Cisse, AFP hel leaders have expressed ambitions for a Bamako 10,000-strong force. The force will operate in border areas and work to “create a secure environment by rance has asked the UN Security Coun- eradicating the actions of the terrorist armed cil to authorise the deployment of a groups and other organised criminal groups,” Ffi ve-nation African military force to the UN draft said. fi ght militants and criminality in the Sahel UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace- region, with a vote expected as early as this keeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said week. on a visit to Mali in May that a phased roll- What are the origins of the force composed out was envisaged for border regions of the of troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, country’s centre, an area that has seen an up- Mauritania and Niger, and why is it needed? tick in attacks once concentrated in the res- Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and tive north. Niger — the so-called “G5 Sahel” countries The force will have its headquarters in Mali, just south of the Sahara — fi rst raised the but will be under a separate command from Demonstrators hold a sign reading “Kagame go away, Rwandese people don’t want you” during a protest against the visit of Rwandese president idea of a regional force in November 2015 in the UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA, which at the Rwanda Day, a meeting of the Rwandese community at the Flanders Expo in Gent, Belgium. Chad’s capital, N’Djamena. has been deployed in the country since 2013. The idea then went quiet but was resur- It is also separate to but a complement rected in the light of the deteriorating securi- for the work of France’s own 4,000-strong ty situation in Mali, and following mounting military presence in the region, known as incidents of jihadist violence in neighbouring Barkhane. Burkina Faso and Niger. Lacroix has insisted on clearly defi ned In January, those three countries decided roles for the three diff erent deployments to create a joint security force on their mu- which will now be operating in Mali. tual border, followed by Sahel heads of state UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announcing the “immediate” creation of a has called for “close cooperation” between troop corps from all fi ve countries in Febru- any G5 force and Barkhane. Congolese cling to ary. It could off er “improved operational envi- The UN resolution tabled by France quick- ronment for MINUSMA,” which has suff ered ly followed after new President Emmanuel funding shortfalls and the deaths of dozens Macron reconfi rmed his nation’s commit- of peacekeepers, he said. ment to fi ghting terrorism in the Sahel on a However he urged nations to “maintain visit to Mali last month. their contributions to the (UN) mission”, a France carried out a military intervention possible reference to Burkina Faso, Niger and election hopes in Mali in 2013 to drive out jihadist groups, Chad whose troops already make up a third of some of which were linked to Al Qaeda, who the manpower of the MINUSMA force. By Aaron Ross, Reuters parts of the country almost a year with Western donors under Mobu- But Tshisekedi’s party is feud- had seized key cities in the country’s north. France will include a request to Guterres to Kinshasa ago, but the election commission tu sparked hyperinfl ation and eco- ing with offi cials over the burial Although the Islamists have been largely propose ways the UN can support the Sahel has said technical delays may mean nomic disintegration. place while the longstanding icon ousted from the north, extremist groups force through logistical and fi nancial means. the new deadline has to be pushed When Kabila, in power since his of Congo’s democratic struggle continue to mount attacks on domestic and The European Union has already promised rnaud Kalala had queued for back. father’s assassination in 2001, re- has languished since February in a foreign forces in violence that has also en- 50mn euros of support, with diplomatic chief hours in Kinshasa’s rainy In the meantime, corruption and fused to step down at the end of his morgue in Brussels, where he went gulfed parts of central Mali. Federica Mogherini citing stability of the Sa- Aseason heat to register to violence are again spreading across mandate in December, many Con- for medical treatment shortly be- Spillover attacks in Burkina Faso and Niger hel region as “crucial not only for Africa but vote in an overdue election to re- Democratic Republic of Congo, golese hoped protests could unseat fore he died. are causing increasing alarm. also for Europe.” place Congolese President Joseph long consigned to the ranks of the him. The eff ects of all this ‘glisse- The draft resolution would authorise “We have the men and the will, what we Kabila, but the 44-year-old civil world’s poorest countries by poor Instead, he has weathered all ment’ — slippage, as the Congo- the deployment of the force of up to 5,000 need now is the fi nancial resources to back servant had little faith in the new governance and a myriad of militia challenges, maintaining a fi rm grip lese call it — has been to aggravate military, police and civilian personnel for us up,” Niger’s foreign minister Ibrahim Ya- deadline. groups, despite copious mineral re- over the security forces that sup- crises in the vast, central African an initial period of 12 months, though Sa- couba said last week. “With what’s going on here, it’ll sources. pressed anti-government protests nation once under Belgian colonial be a miracle if it happens by De- The currency has lost more than last year, killing dozens. rule. cember 31,” said Kalala, surveying half of its value in the past year and He has also co-opted opponents More Congolese fl ed their homes Mugabe fires top prosecutor for ‘misconduct’ an impatient crowd of 100 resi- infl ation is nearing 30%, prompt- with government posts — despite due to violence last year than Syr- dents outside a secondary school. ing comparisons with the later fears he aims to change the consti- ians or Iraqis. resident Robert Mugabe has fi red Zim- Tomana faced charges of “criminal abuse Congolese have fl ocked to regis- rule of Mobutu Sese Seko, who was tution so he can run again, a charge An insurrection in Congo’s nor- babwe’s top prosecutor, who now faces of offi ce” and was awaiting trial, the paper ter in Kinshasa since voter enrol- eventually ousted by Kabila’s father he has neither confi rmed nor de- mally peaceful centre has killed Pa misconduct trial, state media re- added, without giving further details. ment began in the capital last week. in a civil war that went on to kill nied. hundreds since last August. ported yesterday, the latest twist in a dispute He was suspended in February 2016 after Many said they hoped for an millions. Those opponents have duly Large companies, even ones used dating back more than a year. “Suspended dropping charges against two men accused of eventual end to two decades of Ka- “Today, we have to ask the ques- stopped agitating for elections. to Congo’s risk, are shying away. prosecutor general Mr Johannes Tomana was plotting to bomb a dairy plant that belonged to bila family rule while holding out tion: do we let Congo collapse The planned funeral of leading They are reluctant to speak on yesterday (Friday) fi red for misconduct and the president’s wife, Grace Mugabe. A year earlier little hope for a vote this year. again?” said Daniel Mukoko Sam- opposition light Etienne Tshisekedi the record to avoid angering the incompetence after a tribunal set by Presi- he was convicted of abuse of power after initially The election should have taken ba, a former budget minister un- was expected to bring hundreds of government, but some of their ac- dent Mugabe to probe him recommended refusing to prosecute a legislator with Mugabe’s place by the end of last year and der Kabila, referring to the 1990s, thousands onto the streets in a rare tions suggest a move towards the dismissal,” The Herald newspaper reported. ZANU PF Party accused of raping a minor. voter registration began in some when massive corruption and rifts moment of unity against Kabila. exit.

South Africa to target Asian maize buyers as African supply jumps

By Tanisha Heiberg, Reuters all its maize surplus in 2014/15 to creased rainfall boosted crops in Persistent low maize prices Johannesburg other African countries. Malawi and Zambia which have may result in farmers, many of This season South Africa lifted export bans on their non- whom have high debts follow- hopes to export most of its maize genetically modifi ed (GM) crops ing the drought, reducing next outh Africa will need to surplus for the fi rst time to Asia that are preferred on the conti- year’s plantings and switching to target Asian markets to and the Middle East, where buy- nent. more profi table crops such as soy Sboost maize exports this ers use it for animal feed rather “It looks like Africa is well sup- beans, said de Villiers. year after bumper crops at home than human consumption. plied and if Africa needs maize, South Africa planted an es- and in neighbouring countries Industry producer group Grain with the likes of Kenya and Bu- timated 2,628,600 hectares of depressed prices and dampened SA said it will target markets in- rundi, they still have tough re- maize this season, up 35% from demand in Africa. cluding Japan, South Korea, Tai- strictions on GM,” said Wandile the previous year when plantings South African farmers, who wan and the Middle East. Sihlobo, an economist at the ag- and yields were hard hit by the are expected to produce a maize South Africa has a geographi- ricultural business chamber. drought. surplus of around 3.5mn tonnes cal advantage over rivals like Ar- South Africa is expected to White maize used mainly for this season, will need to attract gentina to supply these markets. harvest a record 15.6mn tonnes of human consumption in South new maize importers or crops “Most of those countries in the maize this year, double last year’s Africa will likely be used in may be wasted in another set- East don’t have a lot of land, their output. animal feed along with the yel- back for a struggling economy. animal feed industry mostly im- Favourable weather condi- low variety if prices continue South Africa posted a maize ports all the raw materials,” Grain tions have lifted yields following to drop amid an over-supplied defi cit last year due to a scorch- SA chief executive Jannie de Vil- an El Nino induced drought that market. ing drought but will return to liers told Reuters. “I don’t expect scorched crops in 2016. “A lot of the surplus of white surplus this season. a lot of maize going into Africa.” South Africa’s domestic con- maize will be utilised locally in Africa’s biggest commercial South Africa’s will struggle sumption is usually around animal feed rather than export- A farm worker walks between rows of vegetables at a farm in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg. crop producer exported almost to sell maize in Africa after in- 10.5mn tonnes. ed,” said de Villiers. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 13 AMERICAS More blood in the water in new shark thriller

AFP almost entirely under water. diving experience fi nd themselves in other boys on the boat,” he said. “In that sense we were kind of Guin- Last year, just 81 unprovoked shark Los Angeles Sisters Lisa and Kate — played by the dark with less than an hour of air “Imagine if in Gravity, you kept cut- ea pigs because no one knew what ef- attacks were reported worldwide, ac- Mandy Moore and Claire Holt — are on in their oxygen tanks — surrounded, of ting to ground control. It would have fect eight weeks everyday under water cording to the International Shark At- vacation in the Gulf of California, and course, by hungry sharks. killed the movie,” he said, referring to would have.” tack File (ISAF). None were reported in ore than 40 years ago, Ameri- it becomes clear that they should avoid “What I found far more terrifying is the 2013 Oscar-winning fi lm about as- An especially large diving mask was Mexico. cans were afraid to go into climbing aboard a fl imsy boat belong- the prospect and premise of drowning, tronauts stranded in space. designed so viewers could better see “We have a better chance of getting Mthe water as Jaws scared the ing to Taylor (Matthew Modine). of running out of air,” Moore told re- For the fi lm, Moore and Holt therefore Moore and Holt’s facial reactions. hit by lightning or eaten by a hippo than daylights out of a generation of ocean They also probably should not get in- porters. “That’s my biggest fear. That’s spent eight hours a day for eight weeks The actresses could communicate attacked by a shark,” said Modine, who swimmers. side Taylor’s rusty shark cage to plunge far more terrifying than sharks, which inside a six-meter deep water tank. via a special radio set, but communica- has been diving since he was a teenager. Hollywood is hoping for a repeat this into the water and observe the preda- are terrifying enough.” 47 Meters Down was fi lmed mainly tion with the rest of the fi lm crew was The chances of being attacked by a summer with the movie 47 Meters Down. tors up close. Director Johannes Roberts decided in sun-deprived Britain, far from Mex- via hand signs, while the director’s in- shark are nearly one in 4mn, according There have been more than 50 shark Modine’s character attracts the that once the women plunged into the ico’s bright Pacifi c coast. A few scenes structions were delivered through a to the International Wildlife Museum movies since Steven Spielberg made sharks by pouring blood into the water ocean there was no need for scenes on were made in the Dominican Republic. speaker inside the water tank. based in Tucson, Arizona. cinematic history with Jaws in 1975. — before the cage breaks away from the the surface. “We didn’t realize how physically “I was pretty nervous,” said Holt. And yet, a large mouthful of sharp This year’s shark movie, which will boat and drops to the ocean fl oor. “I had no interest in going back to taxing it was going to be, all that time “But we had great people taking care of teeth and fear of the deep sea add up to open in the US on June 16, takes place The two young women with little reaction shots with Taylor and the under water,” Moore said. us.” shark bait for Hollywood producers. Charity First entourage lands lunch sells for $2.68mn The money goes to Glide a America”, Williams said. charity Glide uses its $18mn annual budget to provide more than Reuters 750,000 free meals, emergency Washington shelter for 8,500 people, 2,600 HIV and Hepatitis C tests, and day care and after school pro- n anonymous fan of grammes for nearly 450 chil- Warren Buff ett agreed dren. Ato pay $2,679,001 at an Buff ett, 86, is the world’s online charity auction to have fourth-richest person, worth lunch with the billionaire chair- $76.2bn according to Forbes man of Berkshire Hathaway Inc magazine. He is donating virtu- Counsellor to the president Kellyanne Conway and White House Director of Strategic Communications Hope Hicks at Newark Liberty Airport in Newark, New Jersey. Conway The winning bid came in the ally all of his fortune to charity. and Hicks are travelling with US President Donald Trump to his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club. closing seconds of the fi ve-day Last auction winners have in- eBay auction, which drew 41 cluded hedge fund manager Ted bids before ending on Friday Weschler, who paid a combined night. It was lower than the $5.25mn to win two auctions. record $3,456,789 bid in simi- He later became one of Buf- lar auctions in 2012 and 2016. fett’s investing deputies, and Money will go to Glide, a San along with fellow deputy Todd Francisco charity that provides Combs is likely to oversee food, healthcare and other serv- Berkshire’s stock investments ices to the homeless, the impov- after Buff ett departs. Man credited with putting erished, and people struggling According to Glide, these with substance abuse. bidders have won its auctions: The successful bidder and up 2000: Pete Budlong, $25,000 to seven friends will dine with 2001: Jim Halperin and Scott Buff ett at the Smith & Wollen- Tilson, $20,000 2002: Jim pineapple on pizza dies sky steak house in Manhattan. Halperin and Scott Tilson, All topics are fair game apart $25,000 2003: David Einhorn, from where Buff ett will invest Greenlight Capital, $250,100 Guardian News and Media from an experiment: one day Panopoulos on a pizza erupted once more in February about Jhannesson’s comments: “The guy next. Buff ett has held 18 an- 2004: Jason Choo, Singapore, Toronto decided to put tinned pineapple on a pizza when the president of Iceland told high is crazy. He doesn’t grow a lot of pineap- nual auctions for Glide, raising $202,100 2005: Anonymous, to fi nd out how it would taste. “We just put school students in a Q&A that he was ples up there. He has a lot of fi sh — so he about $26.3mn. He became in- $351,100 2006: Yongping Duan, it on, just for the fun of it, see how it was “fundamentally opposed” to the idea. says put fi sh on it.” volved with Glide after his fi rst California, $620,100 2007: he man credited with inventing the going to taste,” he told the BBC earlier this A week later Guni Jhannesson clari- The restauranteur sold the Satellite, wife, Susan, became a volun- Mohnish Pabrai, Guy Spier, Ha- Hawaiian pizza, triggering endless year. “We were young in the business and fi ed his views on the subject in a Facebook where the Hawaiian was fi rst created, in teer, prior to her death in 2004. rina Kapoor, $650,100 2008: Tdebate around the world about the we were doing a lot of experiments.” post: “I like pineapples, just not on pizza. I 1980 and had been living in London, On- “We are very delighted and Zhao Danyang, Pure Heart legitimacy of pineapple on the Italian sta- He and his brothers liked the contrast do not have the power to make laws which tario, when he died suddenly on Thursday. proud that Mr Buff ett has for Asset Management, China, ple, has died aged 83. between the sweetness of the pineap- forbid people to put pineapples on their In his obituary his family described Pa- years made sure that he par- $2,110,100 2009: Courtenay Sam Panopoulos emigrated from Greece ple and the savoury fl avour of the ham. pizza. nopoulos as “an unforgettable personality. ticipates,” the Reverend Cecil Wolfe, Salida Capital, Canada, to Canada in 1954 at the age of 20 and ran “We tried it fi rst, [then] passed it to some I am glad that I do not hold such pow- Sam was respected by many for providing Williams, 87, co-founder of $1,680,300 2010: Ted Weschler, several restaurants in Ontario with his two customers. And a couple of months later, er. Presidents should not have unlimited strong and dependable advice, and for his Glide and pastor since 1963 $2,626,311 2011: Ted Weschler, brothers. they’re going crazy about it, so we put it on power. I would not want to hold this po- exceedingly generous nature. of the Glide Memorial United $2,626,411 2012: Anonymous, One was in Chatham, about 290km the menu.” sition if I could pass laws forbidding that “Fiercely loyal and protective, his can- Methodist Church, said after $3,456,789 2013: Anonymous, from Toronto and 50 miles from Detroit. It was called the Hawaiian after the which I don’t like. I would not want to live did and frank sense of humour, his boom- the auction ended. $1,000,100 2014: Andy Chua, It served typical American fare such as brand of tinned pineapple used. At the in such a country. For pizzas, I recommend ing laugh and blunt honesty will be missed Contributions have a “tre- Singapore, $2,166,766 2015: burgers and fries as well as Chinese dishes, time pizza toppings were usually limited to seafood.” by his family, friends, former employees mendous impact” on people Zhu Ye, Dalian Zeus Entertain- and in the early 1960s Panopoulos decided mushrooms, bacon and pepperoni, Pano- Even the Canadian prime minister, Jus- and customers.” who fi nd themselves “really ment Co, China, $2,345,678 to start off ering pizzas, which had become poulos said. tin Trudeau, responded to a question on His funeral will be held on Monday in unable to come to grips with 2016: Anonymous, $3,456,789 popular in the US. The question of whether pineapple is the subject on Twitter: London. It is not known whether Hawai- the issue of poverty in urban 2017: Anonymous, $2,679,001. His most famous creation would result desirable — or should even be allowed — Inevitably, Panopoulos was also asked ian pizza will be served at the wake.

On ICE Hayek stars in fi lm for the Trump era

AFP customer invites her to stay for dinner while “People think that (Mexicans) still get Los Angeles she waits for help. around on donkeys. The dinner turns into a free-for-all when There is a lack of understanding over who Beatriz decides to dispense with decorum we are, where we come from, what we feel eatriz at Dinner — a fi lm that takes a and take on another guest, billionaire real and what we want.” The movie, presented at hard look at class, racism and envi- estate developer Doug Strutt (John Lith- the Sundance Film Festival in January, opens Bronmental destructions — is seeming- gow), who at fi rst mistakes her for a serv- in the United States on Friday. ly perfectly suited for the Trump era, even ant. “There are things that my character says though it was fi lmed before the Republican At one point, Strutt — who builds projects that seems like they were written now,” said billionaire took offi ce. with disregard for the environment and Hayek, who has earned some early Oscar The fi lm stars Salma Hayek as a Mexican its eff ect on local residents — asks Beatriz buzz for her work. immigrant living in the United States who where she is from. “With time, the movie will become more was separated from her family after a failed When she answers “From Pasadena,” he relevant.” real estate project decimated her small presses: “Where are you from originally?” Director Miguel Areta and screenwriter town. The woman, who describes herself as The painful exchanges that follow — in- Mike White say they were inspired by the “ugly, old and fat”, now makes her living as cluding one about Beatriz’s immigrant sta- slaying of Cecil the Lion by an American a massage therapist among the wealthy in tus — refl ect the kinds of debates now com- dentist in Zimbabwe in June 2015. posh Orange County, in southern Califor- monplace in Donald Trump’s America, and There are people “who have a sense of en- nia. fuelled by the president’s promise to deport titlement and don’t realize the consequence Hayek plays Beatriz in plain clothes, no 3mn “illegal immigrants” and build a wall on of their actions,” Hayek said. In the middle make-up and awkward hair — a world away the border with Mexico. of fi lming, Hayek turned 50. from the sultry good looks showcased in America’s rich-poor divide is sharply To mark the occasion, she was serenaded From Dawn to Dusk (1996), or her Oscar- depicted in the fi lm: the petite, plain-Jane on set by a mariachi band. nominated performance as Frida Kahlo in Beatriz is clearly out of place with the tall, “It felt incredible, to share it with a direc- Undocumented immigrant from Chiapas, Mexico Guadalupe Lopez, 34, stands with her five Frida (2002). white, well-manicured women in high heels tor that I’ve been dreaming of working with US-born children at home in Thornton, Colorado. She said that she and her husband were After fi nishing a massage session at the and their husbands, who smoke cigars as for years and fi nally managed to do it at the stopped by local police for speeding 8 miles over the limit and were turned in to Immigration house of a wealthy patron, Beatriz’s car they discuss business deals. age of 50,” she said. and Customs Enforcement (ICE), agents. They are now undergoing ICE proceedings for possible breaks down. “I love this character because it repre- “And for a writer, one of my heroes, to deportation back to Mexcico. As she is far from home, where she lives sents so many people,” Hayek told AFP in a have written a fi lm for me — you can’t imag- with her dogs and a small goat, Beatriz’s telephone interview in Spanish. ine (the joy),” she said. Gulf Times 14 Sunday, June 11, 2017 ASEAN Myanmar Art fest! retrieves bodies from crash site

AFP Myanmar migrants on trial for Dawei, Myanmar alleging abuse at Thai farm Fourteen Myanmar migrant workers have yanmar navy ships yesterday bat- gone on trial in Bangkok after a Thai chicken tled high winds as they scoured the farm accused them of defamation for com- Mstorm-whipped Andaman sea for plaining they had been abused there, a court wreckage from a military plane crash, bring- off icial told DPA. ing another body to shore as scores remained Defamation is a criminal charge in Thailand missing. and if found guilty, the migrant workers could The Chinese-made Shaanxi Y8 aircraft was face up to one year in prison. carrying 122 people, including children and The group submitted an unprecedented other relatives of servicemen, when it disap- complaint to the National Human Rights peared while fl ying along Myanmar’s southern Commission of Thailand in July last year, coast on Wednesday. accusing the chicken farm they were working Navy vessels and local fi shing trawlers have for of abuse, said Andy Hall, a British rights fought fi erce monsoon weather as they search advocate. Balinese women perform a traditional dance during the 39th Bali Art Festival in Denpasar on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali. for bodies and traces of the plane. It was the first time a group of migrant A military vessel pulled another corpse from workers had ever reached out to rights advo- the waves on Saturday morning, bringing the cates in Thailand for help. number of retrieved dead to 33 as the search The workers claimed they were working 20 eff ort stretched into a fourth day. hours a day, with forced overtime, and were “A military ship retrieved a new dead body,” compelled to sleep in chicken rearing areas the army chief’s offi ce said in a statement. overnight, Hall said. One man’s remains were also found late Two of the 14 workers also face theft charges Friday while most of the other bodies were for taking their time cards to police as evidence Charities say refugee kids brought to shore on Thursday before severe of the alleged working hours, he added. monsoon weather set in, hampering search ef- Human Rights Watch have also called on forts. the Thai authorities to drop the charges. Hundreds of distraught relatives have “The Thai government should not allow fl ocked to Dawei for mass cremation ceremo- an employer to criminalise these migrant face ‘harrowing’ detention nies, with desperate families waiting for news workers for reporting what they describe as of those still unaccounted for, as hopes fade of horrendous and unlawful labour conditions,” Reuters countries including Myanmar, tion policies and interviews with quoted a 14-year-old girl, who was fi nding survivors. said Brad Adams, HRW’s Asia director. Kuala Lumpur Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who a small number of child detainees, detained in a cell with 150 other There has been no offi cial explanation for “The charges against these 14 workers are trying to fl ee violence or pov- the report found children often be- people, as saying. the cause of the crash, one of several deadly should be dropped, and Thailand’s criminal erty at home to reach Australia. ing detained with unrelated adults The charities said although the incidents involving Myanmar military aircraft defamation law should be abolished,” he rom overcrowding to a lack But they are often intercepted and separated from their families. number of child detainees in Asia- in recent years. added. of medical care, thousands during these journeys, and author- Some were forced to sleep in Pacifi c had fallen by over 50% at While monsoon season brings annual bouts Fof refugee children are lan- ities typically treat asylum seekers “cramped and substandard” con- the end of 2016 compared with of rainy weather, there were no reports of ma- guishing in “dangerous and har- and refugees as illegal immigrants, ditions, including on cardboard 2014, countries must move to end jor storms along the plane’s fl ight path when China, as a friendly neighbour, shares My- rowing” conditions in Southeast subjecting them to arrest or deten- or directly on the fl oor, the report child detention entirely. it disappeared while fl ying from the southern anmar’s sorrow over the incident, President Xi Asian detention facilities, accord- tion. said, and were given food that was In Australia, where nearly all city of Myeik to Yangon, Myanmar’s commer- Jinping told his counterpart U Htin Kyaw in a ing to two charities. “These children should not be “unpalatable”. children have been released from cial hub. condolence message, state news agency Xin- Over 2,290 refugee and asylum treated like criminals,” said Mike It found some children were detention in recent years, the two China will off er support and assistance for hua said late on Friday. seeker children were held in Thai- Novell, Save the Children’s interim housed in cells so hot it was dif- rights groups called for a review of Myanmar’s follow-up eff orts after a military “Xi mourned the dead and extended sincere land, Malaysia and Indonesia at director for Asia. fi cult to breathe, and on some oc- the country’s laws which still allow plane crashed off the Southeast Asian coun- sympathy to the government and people of the end of 2016, according to Save “The impact this environment casions in rooms so overcrowded the practice. try’s southern coast with 122 people on board, Myanmar, especially the families of the vic- the Children and the Asia Pacifi c has on children is extremely dam- they could not lie down at night Governments should adopt state media has said. tims,” the agency added. Refugee Rights Network in a report aging...It can lead to developmental with their legs fully extended. community housing or foster care released over the weekend. delays and self-harm while putting “There’s a lot of germs...the for unaccompanied child instead, The three nations have been on children at very real risk of violence, weather was so hot...we cannot the charities urged, saying they are key transit routes for thousands of sexual abuse and exploitation.” breathe ourselves easily because a more humane and cheaper alter- Recycled... migrants and asylum seekers, from Based on analysis of immigra- it’s really hot inside,” the report native. Vaunted Hanoi train factory running out of steam

By Jenny Vaughan, AFP Opened in 1905, Gia Lam was US planes targeting Communist- Train use remained steady at Hanoi the fi rst train factory in the then- backed revolutionaries in northern 11mn for the year. French territory, which spanned Vietnam. Today, some companies are modern-day Vietnam, Cambodia But today, output is down more seeking to revive the colonial ro- uilt by the French to fi x and Laos. than 90% since its 1990s heyday. mance of rail travel, off ering fi rst- trains for their fast-devel- Mechanics used the base to fi rst It is now mostly used to repair class trips, wood-lined cabins Boping Vietnamese colony, fi x and then assemble the engines old trains, with little demand for with restaurant car. the Gia Lam factory later churned and carriages that served the re- new carriages on the country’s “If rail transportation isn’t de- out weapons to fuel the country’s gion’s rapid push toward industri- vast but outdated rail network. veloped, then the railway indus- independence fi ght, and then sur- alisation. The industry is struggling to try cannot be revived,” union boss vived the onslaught of American The factory was taken over keep pace with the lure of low-cost Nguyen Anh Tuan told AFP. bombers during the war. by the Vietnamese in the 1940s, air travel. Some lawmakers recently called But the storied Hanoi plant is expanding production to make For many, the choice between a for private investment into the now in decline, a victim of the rising bazookas and grenades for revo- clanging, slow-moving train or a state-controlled sector, and the consumer power of Vietnam’s mid- lutionaries fi ghting the colonial quick — and cheap — plane is a no- country’s parliament is currently dle classes as passengers turn from rulers who were fi nally thrown out brainer. considering revising the law. trains to planes. “In the past, I was in 1954. In 2015, 31mn people trav- But unless the industry sees a proud to work here because this fac- And then it continued to make elled by air, more than double the major upturn in fortunes, Gia Lam A man recycles aluminium cans in Phnom Penh. tory was the biggest in Indochina,” weapons during the Vietnam number in 2010, according to of- employees fear it will soon run out repairman Au Duy Hien told AFP. War — even as it was bombed by fi cial statistics. of steam. Fertility clinics fl ourish in impoverished Laos

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre, ents from a country where sur- rector of Australian non-profi t Despite the bans, would-be was paid $8,000, or 72 times the couple was accused of abandon- after being implanted in Cambo- Reuters rogacy services have been illegal Families Through Surrogacy, parents are drawn by Asia’s lower country’s monthly minimum ing a surrogate baby born with dia prior to the ban there. Vientiane since 2001. which says its conferences and costs, as compared to wealthier wage, to carry twins. Down’s syndrome. “Our child was born to two Rights groups say communist advisory sessions have drawn countries. She received accommoda- But it remains a key centre for foreign nationals in Bangkok, and Laos, one of Asia’s poorest coun- about 600 Australian couples Service packages, from the tion in Bangkok, the Thai capi- surrogate births, thanks to so- handled as such,” Fisk told Reu- ozens of fertility clin- tries, is a linchpin of transnational and singles in the last four years. screening of potential surrogates tal, during her third trimester of phisticated medical care. ters in an e-mail. ics have mushroomed in crime, and a transit centre for con- But there was a risk that Laos to the birth of a baby, typically pregnancy, she added. Surrogates who deliver babies But three Bangkok hospitals Dland-locked Laos after traband from drugs and wildlife to would also ban commercial sur- cost $51,150 in Southeast Asia, But few medical centres in in Thailand are not breaking the contacted by Reuters said they scandals over commercial sur- timber — and recently, semen. rogacy, he warned, a fear aired says surrogacy agency New Ge- Laos are equipped for surrogate law, said Thongchai Keeratihut- would not accept surrogate births. rogacy have spurred wealthier In April, Thai police arrested a in February by another group, netics Global, making it the third births, particularly the twins of- tayakorn, deputy director of the Besides Western couples, the southeast Asian neighbours to man trying to smuggle six vials of the Nevada-based Sensible Sur- most aff ordable option after ten resulting from the multiple Department of Health Service Laos clinics are increasingly eye- ban the controversial procedure human semen into Laos in a tank rogacy, which warned couples to Ukraine and Kenya. embryo implants used in In Vitro Support. ing China, where health offi cials since 2015. of liquid nitrogen, which police avoid Laos and halted services in An Australian couple can ex- Fertilisation (IVF), who are more “If a Lao woman is hired to be estimate that 90mn couples have The gleaming, modern clin- said was destined for a fertility Southeast Asia. pect to pay around A$75,000 likely to be born premature and a surrogate, but close to the birth become eligible to have a second ics have names featuring words clinic. The offi ce of the Laos prime (US$56,000) for a baby through a require specialist care. they come to Thailand to deliver, child after a decades-old one- such as “Miracle” and “Perfect” Laos is becoming an interna- minister did not respond to Reu- Laos surrogate — less than in the “Neonatal intensive care units we don’t consider this a viola- child policy was relaxed in 2015. to help them stand out amid the tional destination for infertile ters requests for comment by e- United States, though more than are only available in neighbour- tion of Thai law,” Thongchai told But such couples face tougher dusty surrounding roads and couples, offi cials of two surro- mail or through social media site Ukraine, Everingham said. ing Thailand,” said Everingham, Reuters, adding that the surro- odds in getting pregnant, as 60% highways in the Lao capital of Vi- gacy advisory groups told Reu- Facebook. The surrogate mothers receive whose group includes two Thai gate must identify the biological of them include women aged 35 or entiane, close to the Thai border. ters, although there are no offi cial Paid surrogacy is illegal in only a small fraction of that sum, hospitals and two Vientiane father, however. above, with half of them over 40. “Laos has the best governance. estimates of how many IVF clin- much of Asia, having been for- but it far outstrips what many medical centres for surrogate “At no time did we carry out There are no offi cial estimates Surrogacy or egg donation is not ics and surrogacy agencies have bidden in neighbouring Thailand could earn elsewhere. births. surrogacy procedures in Thai- of the number of Chinese babies illegal!” one clinic, Thai Perfect sprung up there. in 2015, after a series of high- One 28-year-old Lao surro- Thailand’s ban on surrogacy land, or use a Thai surrogate,” delivered by surrogates, but me- IVF, said in a recent WeChat post “Many are turning to Laos,” profi le cases, with Cambodia fol- gate, who spoke to Reuters on services followed scandals such said Australian Anthony Fisk, dia say it exceeds 10,000 every in Chinese, hoping to attract cli- said Sam Everingham, global di- lowing suit last year. condition of anonymity, said she as one in which an Australian whose baby was born in Bangkok year. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Japan’s Abe shaken by ‘favouritism’ accusations

By Takehiko Kambayashi, DPA for a special zone for national strategy under Tokyo Abe’s government. Their proposal was accepted six months later. “It went according to script,” Kitamura told the IWJ. ccusations that Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s executive secretary Takaya “Imai drew Shinzo Abe used his offi ce to speed up the up a plan of a special zone for national strategy Aconstruction of a department at a univer- in order to let Kake launch a veterinary medicine sity run by his friend have rattled him in recent department” in Imabari. weeks. Kake has already brought a similar controversy A former top bureaucrat argued Abe’s advisers to the city of Choshi, east of Tokyo, where the and the Cabinet Offi ce put undue pressure on the group has established the Chiba Institute of Sci- Education Ministry last year to swiftly approve ence (CIS) in 2004, thanks to then-mayor Masa- Environmental activists protest outside a Chinese restaurant for providing sharks fin soup in Hong Kong. the establishment of the veterinary medicine de- kuni Nohira. partment of Okayama University of Science. Nohira was a former bureaucrat who served as They wanted to see the university open the de- vice governor in Okayama prefecture in the late partment in April 2018, Kihei Maekawa, former 1990s, where Kake is based. vice minister of the ministry, told the Tokyo In 2002, Nohira started to serve as visiting pro- Shimbun daily. fessor at the Okayama University of Science, run HK activists dress up as The opening was the “intent of the prime min- by Kake. ister” and the timing was “what the highest level In the same year, he ran for Choshi mayor, of the prime minister’s offi ce has said,” leaked pledging to attract the CIS. documents, which Maekawa verifi ed, showed. He was elected and did just that. The university is operated by the Kake Edu- Choshi provided funding of 9.2bn yen for the sharks to protest fi nning cational Institution, whose chairman is Kotaro university. Kake, Abe’s longtime friend. For much of the sum, the city got into debt, Since Abe took offi ce in 2012, he and Kake have which has deteriorated its fi scal conditions. AFP Yesterday’s demonstration next to where people were wait- classifi ed as low risk and that it has had dinner on at least nine occasions and played Isao Kiso, a director of the Kake group, who Hong Kong included about 30 protesters ing to enter the Maxim’s Palace seen consumption of the predator golf together four times. served as a special advisor to Abe from 2014 to wearing fi nless shark costumes restaurant for lunch, before fl op- drop signifi cantly at their restau- Abe has repeatedly denied having exerted his 2016, is now the president of the CIS. splattered with red paint, chant- ping down on the fl oor in protest. rants since it started to promote infl uence on the approval. Maekawa said Kiso, a former education minis- ozens of activists yes- ing “when the buying stops, the “The display is to show people shark-free menus in 2010. The project itself is controversial as the city of try bureaucrat, was one of the offi cials who dis- terday dressed in bloody killing can too”. how bad it is and what people do More than 70mn sharks are Imabari in Ehime prefecture has provided free cussed the project in Imabari with him. Dcostumes sprawled out- The activists, many of whom in real life because I don’t think killed every year, according to the land for the university and Imabari and Ehime are “Kiso told me, ‘Please give consideration’ to side one of Hong Kong’s most were children, said they came out people know that they actually World Wildlife Foundation. going to spend 9.6bn yen on the project, half of the establishment of a new veterinary medicine” popular restaurants linked to the to stop the “cruel” practice. chuck the bodies back into the Huge quantities are exported the total cost. although he did not cite the name of the Kake sale of shark fi n soup to protest “Shark fi nning is a very cruel water,” Meara Johnson, 12, who’s annually to Hong Kong, and most “Imabari used 9.6bn yen of taxpayers’ money, group, Maekawa told daily Asahi. against the killing of the marine thing that lots of people do, and favourite animal is the shark, of those fi ns are then sent on to while a tax revenue increase (from the project) The veterinary medicine department was ap- predators. we’re trying to stop a chain of res- said. mainland China. is 30mn yen (annually). It takes as many as 320 proved at a time when universities have struggled The southern Chinese city is taurants from selling it,” 11-year- “When I found out that they Hong Kong’s government in years to collect the money,” Mitsuru Sakurai, a to attract students amid a drop in the number of one of the world’s biggest mar- old Narnie Hockings told AFP be- were going to be endangered 2013 said it would stop serv- lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic children in Japan. kets for shark fi n, which is viewed fore donning her shark suit. soon, I thought we should do ing shark fi n at offi cial functions Party, told an upper house committee last month. “The answer is simple. The chairman of the by many Asians as a delicacy, of- The demonstrators also something,” Johnson added. as “a good example”, following “Are they allowed to do something like this?” Kake group is the premier’s close friend. Power ten served as a soup at expensive dumped a large bag of fake shark Maxim’s in response said they years of lobbying by conserva- In order to attract a veterinary medicine de- must not be used for an individual’s interests,” Chinese banquets. fi ns, cut from their costumes, only source fi ns from a species tion groups. partment, Imabari and Ehime had applied for a Sakurai wrote on Facebook. special deregulated zone for structural reform on Abe was dogged by another school scandal ear- fi fteen occasions from 2007 to 2014. lier this year, which involved the bargain-price But their proposal was never accepted. sale of public land to a controversial national- Behind the scene was Kake, Naoto Kitamura, ist school, where his wife held a role as honorary a former lawmaker who serves as adviser for the principal. Australian mulls ‘fuel-neutral’ clean energy target Japan Veterinary Medical Association, told the “Kake’s scandal is much more serious because Independent Web Journal (IWJ). he is a close friend of Abe and two often got to- In June 2015, Imabari and Ehime then applied gether,” said political analyst Minoru Morita. Reuters It was commissioned last Oc- ment to set a clean energy target erators should give three years’ Melbourne tober after tornadoes triggered to encourage investment in “reli- notice before closing to avoid a state-wide blackout in South able generation”, including coal shocking the market. Australia that came as a wake-up with carbon capture and storage Defying state bans on gas drill- ustralia should adopt a call to politicians as it left homes or gas. ing and green group calls for no “fuel-neutral” clean en- in the dark for up to eight hours Prime Minister Malcolm new gas-fi red power, Finkel said Beached humpback whale euthanised Aergy target to cut carbon and crippled industry for nearly Turnbull said such a target would gas would be essential for pro- emissions, cap soaring power two weeks. work, adding that the recom- viding reliable electricity. prices and keep the lights on, the “The lack of a transparent, mendation had the virtue of be- Based on the current energy DPA involved,” Shona Lorigan of bounced back after having been nation’s chief scientist said in a credible and enduring emissions ing technology-agnostic. mix and expected growth, Aus- Sydney marine rescue organization hunted to the brink of extinc- report over the weekend. reduction mechanism for the “We are looking at it, giving it tralia’s emissions in 2030 are ORRCA said. tion. Recommendations in the electricity sector is now the key very favourable consideration,” projected to be about 57% higher The whale, which weighs More than 30,000 hump- highly-anticipated review, aimed threat to system reliability,” the he told reporters. than its target of 290mn tonnes 9m long juvenile about 10 tons, remained at backs are now travelling up the at ending a decade of political review said. Finkel said the recommen- under the Paris climate accord, humpback whale has the beach overnight, as ex- Australian coast for the annual warfare over climate policy, mean The energy crisis has crept dation would help cut power the nation’s top research body A been euthanised a day perts watched its health de- breeding season, an indication that coal-fi red power generation up on Australia, despite its rich prices by 10% for households has said. after it washed up on an Aus- teriorate. of the overall recovery of the using carbon-capture technol- endowment of coal and gas, as and 20% for industry by 2050 Gas retailers, generators, and tralian beach, officials said “Mother Nature’s not species that is now thriving un- ogy could potentially be used states have promoted rooftop compared to if policy was left industry groups said they hoped yesterday. helped us today; the waves are der global protection. alongside gas and renewable solar and wind power in the ab- unchanged. the blueprint would provide the Rough sea conditions hin- getting bigger as I watch. We Wildlife services say the sources such as wind and solar. sence of stable carbon policy at a The review advised mak- certainty needed to drive billions dered rescue attempts as wild- had no hope of getting boats in stranded humpback was a The blueprint for energy se- federal level, and coal- and gas- ing new generators have “fast of dollars of investment into new life offi cials, marine mammal until at least Monday,” Lorigan young adult and this ardu- curity, presented to federal and fi red plants have shut. response” capabilities to deal generation. experts and volunteers tried said. ous migration trip may have state leaders, is expected to drive “More of the same is not an with peak demand, meaning “This blueprint is the last, best to assist the whale stranded at “We really had to think of been one of its first on its a compromise on carbon and en- option, we need to aim higher,” that variable sources like wind hope that Australian energy cus- Sawtell beach, south of Coff s the welfare of the whale and own. ergy policy, urgently needed to chief scientist Alan Finkel, the farms would need to be teamed tomers have for a secure, reliable Harbour. we didn’t want it to suff er any Offi cials said the whale will curb power price volatility and head of the review panel, said in with sources such as gas-fired and aff ordable energy transi- “It’s been a very, very dif- longer.” be be taken off the beach and end outages that have hurt man- a statement. power. tion,” said Energy Networks Aus- fi cult afternoon for everybody The humpback whale has buried. ufacturers. Finkel called for the govern- It also suggested large gen- tralia head John Bradley.

Japan’s godfather of art? Billionaire Maezawa rings in new era

By Shingo Ito, AFP “I buy simply because they when he said he would have the interest, Hasada believes Mae- Many traditional collectors are tering and infl uencing young art- Tokyo are beautiful. That’s all. I enjoy canvases put in his coffi n and zawa could inject new life into more secretive — ‘Untitled’ had ists,” Ida told AFP. classics together with the his- cremated with him when he died. the sector. previously not been seen in pub- Maezawa said he wanted to tory and stories behind them, He later recanted. “In all eras of history, patrons lic for decades — but Maezawa introduce upcoming artists to a ith a single post on In- but possessing classics is not the “Many Japanese rushed to buy have come out to boost the art wants to engage a new generation broader audience. stagram, Yusaku Mae- purpose of my purchase,” he told paintings for investment during world, and in that sense he is the with his passion — some 73,000 “I’m happy that good works by Wzawa announced not AFP. the bubble economy,” said Shinji modern one we have been wait- people follow his posts. young artists with limited chanc- only his purchase of an $110.5mn Rather than squirrel away his Hasada, an offi cial at Shinwa Art ing for,” Hasada said. “I think (Instagram) is help- es will see the light of day by my Basquiat masterpiece, and his latest purchase — Jean-Michel Auction, of the 1980s and 1990s An aspiring rock star as a teen, ing promote contemporary art in purchasing them,” he added. place in auction history, but ar- Basquiat’s 1982 ‘Untitled’, a boom period Customs fi gures he moved on to selling music terms of information sharing,” he Next he plans to open a muse- guably signalled a new era for art skull-like head in oil-stick, showed works of art valued at merchandise via mail order and explains, adding that he has also um in Chiba, east of Tokyo, which in Japan. acrylic and spray paint on a giant $246mn were imported in 1985, then online. uses social media to discover and will display his collection, which The price, a record for the art- canvas — he plans to loan it out to but the fi gure shot up to $3.4bn In 1998 Maezawa founded buy pieces from new talent. includes works by Pablo Picasso, ist, is reminiscent of 1980s Japan galleries worldwide. in 1990. Start Today, which operates the He founded the Contemporary Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, when corporate big-spenders “I hope it brings as much joy to But many of the bubble-era nation’s largest online fashion Art Foundation in Tokyo, a boon and Jeff Koons. It will also show- splashed out on Impressionist others as it does to me, and that masterpieces were sold off in a mall, ZOZOTOWN. for the city’s talent who feel they case his Basquiat pieces — last art — along with foreign property this masterpiece by the 21-year- fi re sale when the Japanese econ- Today, he is 11th richest person have fi nally found a champion. year he paid $57.3mn for the art- and businesses — in an asset- old Basquiat inspires our future omy collapsed. in Japan with a fortune of $3.5bn, Yukimasa Ida, a 27-year-old ist’s painting of a horned devil. buying spree. generations,” he said after the Today Japan’s art collection according to business magazine contemporary artist who has But he plans to tour ‘Untitled’, But billionaire Maezawa insists New York sale last month. Maezawa ... breaking ground market has shrunk to around Forbes. won the foundation’s special which set a record for any US art- he is just an “ordinary collector” The 41-year-old’s style is a one-twentieth of its peak, Hasa- His Instagram feed, where he jury award, regards Maezawa as a ist at auction, showcasing it at — despite his extraordinary bank step change from the corporate bought Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Por- da explained. proclaimed to the world that he was “fi gurehead” of up-and-coming galleries around the world. He balance. image of Japan’s traditional art trait of Dr Gachet’ in 1990 for And while collectors such as the one who purchased Basquiat’s Japanese artists aiming to chal- said: “I wish to loan this piece His purchases are born out of collectors who possess paintings $82.5mn — then a record — and former chairman of publisher painting, is peppered with shots lenge the global artworld. — which has been unseen by the love and driven by gut instinct, as investment tools or to cement Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Bal du Benesse Soichiro Fukutake, who of his luxury living — including “He is an encouraging collec- public for more than 30 years — rather than the instructions of their social status. Moulin de la Galette’ for $78.1mn helped transform a remote island private jets, yachts and designer tor, of a kind that has been hardly to institutions and exhibitions any art advisor. Paper tycoon Ryoei Saito, who — famously triggered outrage into an art haven, have bolstered watches, but also his beloved art. seen in Japan...in terms of fos- around the world.” Gulf Times 16 Sunday, June 11, 2017 BRITAIN Three terrorists who killed eight tried to hire huge lorry

The attackers may have been planning to return to their van

Reuters London

he three militants who killed eight people after Tdriving a van into pedes- trians on London Bridge and then attacking nearby revellers had initially tried to hire a 7.5 tonne truck, the head of the UK capi- tal’s counter-terrorism unit said on Friday. Commander Dean Haydon also revealed that the men had a stockpile of petrol bombs in the The pink ceramic knives used in the London Bridge terrorist attack. back of their van and carried out their deadly attack with pink ce- Police shot the attackers dead to the police. ramic knives. just eight minutes after the fi rst Asked if the Metropolitan Po- The discoveries, especially of call from the public. lice needed more resources, Dick the plan to hire a truck, suggested Metropolitan Police Commis- said: “We will want more re- more could have been killed. sioner Dick said she understood sources to help us and I am sure “Getting hold of a 7.5-tonne that people were concerned the same will be being said in the lorry — the eff ects could have about security after the attacks intelligence agencies. been even worse,” Haydon told in London and Manchester, but “Obviously we will be review- reporters. that the British capital would not ing, for example, the number of Although Islamic State mili- be intimidated. armed offi cers we have and how tants have claimed responsibility “London is a safe city and we they work, and a whole host of for the attack, Haydon said there will do everything we can in our other things that are likely, from was no evidence the attackers — power to keep you safe,” she said my point of view, to take more Pakistani-born Briton Khuram in an interview at London police resources, and I will be asking for Butt, Italian Youssef Zaghba and headquarters, just a few steps them.” Rachid Redouane who had links away from Westminster Bridge, After the London Bridge at- to Libya, Morocco and Ireland — where an attacker killed fi ve peo- tack, May said Britain was under were directed by anyone else, ei- Pedestrian walk past the Southwark Tavern and Brindisa restaurant at Borough market, scenes of the London attacks as police lift the last ple on March 22. threat from a new breed of crude ther in Britain or abroad. of the cordons. The assailants behind a terror attack in London last week had also prepared a stash of Molotov cocktails. “We won’t let them win and copycat militants who did not “We’re not looking for a wider London will carry on,” she said, spend months planning and may network,” said Haydon, head stead. killing all three men. Haydon said since last Sat- ‘Could we have prevented such adding that security services had not have been radicalised online. of London’s Counter Terror- At about 1730 GMT, the men Their victims were three urday they had taken 262 state- an attack?’,” Haydon said. “There foiled fi ve plots since then. “We are highly eff ective at pre- ism Command, adding that of- drove to pick up the van before French nationals, two Austral- ments from people from 19 dif- is nothing that I’m seeing at the Dick, an Oxford University venting attacks in this country fi cers were still trying to piece heading to Zaghba’s home in east ians, a Canadian, a Spaniard and ferent countries and numerous moment that suggested that we graduate, was appointed Lon- and we will step up a gear and do together how the three men had London. a Briton. international inquiries were on- got that wrong.” don’s fi rst female police chief and our level best to stop any further met. “How did they know each At 1838 GMT they left and In the attackers’ van detectives going relating to the attackers Police have installed security Britain’s top offi cer in February, attacks,” Dick said, urging those other? They are a diverse bunch,” two hours later the van reached found 13 wine bottles, fi lled with and the victims. barriers running alongside the taking charge of a force of 43,000 hiring out vehicles to be vigilant. he said. London Bridge which they drove lighter fuel with rags wrapped British police and security sidewalks at eight bridges across offi cers and staff with a budget of “But, as you point out, highly Haydon provided unusually along twice before targeting pe- round them to make Molotov services were criticised after it the River Thames, and Haydon more than 3bn pounds. volatile people who are intent extensive details of last Satur- destrians on the sidewalk on cocktail petrol bombs. emerged that they had known said similar protection was being She offi cially started the job on doing something absolutely day’s attack, the deadliest in their third run. There were also two blow about Butt, who featured in a TV considered at other locations. less than three weeks after Khalid terrible and who are quite happy London since suicide bomb- Three people on the bridge torches which Haydon thought documentary entitled “Jihadis Police were also reviewing se- Masood drove a car into pedes- — maybe even pleased — to kill ers killed 52 people on the city’s were struck and killed by the van, could have been used to light the Next Door”, in which he joined a curity at “iconic sites”, crowded trians on Westminster Bridge, themselves and to use low-tech transport network in 2005. believed to have been driven by homemade bombs as part of a group unfurling an Islamic State places and major events, and re- and then stabbed a policeman to methods — these are diffi cult On Saturday morning, Butt, Butt, before the men abandoned possible secondary attack. (IS) fl ag in a park. freshing advice to theatres, bars, death in the grounds of parlia- things to defend against.” who Haydon said was believed to the vehicle and began to attack “They were still fairly close Haydon acknowledged that shopping centres and sports ven- ment. Dick, who left the police to be the ringleader, tried to rent a people in bars and restaurants to the van. There is a possibility Butt had links to Al Muhajiroun, ues. Then, eight weeks later, three work in the Foreign Offi ce in 7.5-tonne truck but did not pro- in the nearby bustling Borough that they could have come back,” a banned group headed by cleric London will not be cowed Islamists staged a carbon-copy 2015 before taking up her new vide payment details. Market area. Haydon said. Anjem Choudary. by militants who have killed 35 attack on London Bridge. role, said the militant threat was It was not clear why he could The men were armed with There were also offi ce chairs, He was jailed last year for en- people in three separate attacks The spate of recent attacks — largely domestic. not pay, or if he lacked the neces- identical 12-inch pink ceramic a suitcase and two bags of gravel couraging support of IS, which in Britain, but police will ask the deadliest in Britain since four “The majority of them have a sary licence to drive such a vehi- knives, strapped to their wrists which Haydon said might have has been linked to numerous mil- for more resources to tackle the British Islamist suicide bombers domestic focus, if I can put it that cle. with leather bound around the been to add weight or to act as a itant plots in Britain and abroad. threat from marauding assail- killed 52 people on the London way, a domestic centre of grav- But his attempt echoed last Ju- handle. cover story for their activities to Butt was also arrested for fraud ants, London police chief Cress- transport system in July 2005 — ity,” she said. “However, there are ly’s attack in Nice, France, when They were also wearing fake friends and family. last October but was about to be ida Dick told Reuters yesterday. thrust security and policing to international connections and a 19-tonne truck was driven into suicide belts — plastic water bot- He said Redouane’s home, an told by prosecutors he would face Three Islamist militants the fore of the campaign for last links in many of them.” crowds, killing 86 people. tles wrapped in duct tape. apartment in Barking, east Lon- no further action. rammed a hired van into pedes- Thursday’s election. Dick said it was common for Shortly before 1700 GMT, Butt Eight minutes after police were don, was the men’s safe house “We will be looking at intel- trians before going on the ram- Prime MinIster Theresa May, Islamic State to make claims received a text message confi rm- alerted, armed offi cers arrived at where they put their plot togeth- ligence and our processes, and page where they slit throats and a former interior minister, came about attacks that it had not been ing his hire of a Renault van in- the scene and fi red 46 rounds, er and prepared the attack. asking ourselves the question: stabbed people. under particular scrutiny for cuts directly involved in. Isle of Wight festival Rowling blasts writer in Twitter tirade

London Evening Standard and then preen themselves as though they’ve been London brave,” she said. “When you do this, Mr Liberal Cool Guy, you ally yourself, wittingly or not, with the men who K Rowling has blasted a left-wing writer in a send women violent pornographic images and rape series of explosive Twitter posts for abusing threats, who try by every means possible to intimi- JTheresa May over her deal with the DUP. date women out of politics and public spaces, both Labour-supporting John Niven, who has 58,000 real and digital.” followers on the social media site, raged about the “Every woman I know who has dared express an PM’s deal with the Northern Irish party on Friday. opinion publically has endured this kind of abuse at But in an epic series of tweets, Rowling said the least once, rooted in an apparent determination to comment had forced her to unfollow the account, humiliate or intimidate her on the basis that she is accusing Niven of “fi lthy old insults” and misogyny. female. The Harry Potter author wrote: “Just unfollowed “If you want to know how much fouler it gets if a man whom I thought was smart and funny, be- you also happen to be black or gay, ask Diane Abbot cause he abused Theresa May. or Ruth Davidson. “If you can’t disagree with a woman without “I don’t care whether we’re talking about There- reaching for all those fi lthy old insults, ..... you and sa May or Nicola Sturgeon or Kate Hooey or Yvette your politics.” Cooper or Hillary Clinton: femaleness is not a de- The author went on to liken Niven to men who sign fl aw. send rape threats. “If your immediate response to a woman who “I’m sick of ‘liberal’ men whose mask slips every displeases you is to call her a name, then drop the time a woman displeases them, who reach imme- pretence and own it: you’re not a liberal. A young girl in a trolley during the Isle of Wight festival in Seaclose Park. diately for crude and humiliating words associated “You’re a few short steps away from some guy with femaleness, act like old-school misogynists hiding behind a cartoon frog.” Former Top Gear presenter Hammond in hospital after crash

Reuters fi lming for his new show, but his in- ing, and climbed out of the car himself known and is being investigated.” 288mph (463 kph) at Elvington air- colleagues Jeremy Clarkson and James London juries were not serious, a spokesman before the vehicle burst into fl ames,” a Hammond was involved in a much fi eld, near the British city of York, in May when Clarkson was fi red in 2015 said. spokesman for The Grand Tour said in more serious crash over a decade ago, September 2006. Hammond recovered for physically attacking a member of Hammond, 47, was driving an elec- a statement. while fi lming for his old show Top Gear. and returned to broadcasting and to the production team. ormer Top Gear presenter Rich- tric sports car during fi lming for The “He was fl own by air ambulance He suff ered serious brain injuries Top Gear, which aired in more than 200 The Grand Tour, an Amazon series, ard Hammond was airlifted to Grand Tour when the crash happened, to hospital in St Gallen to be checked and was in hospital for fi ve weeks af- countries and was watched by 350mn reunites the old Top Gear team. Yes- Fhospital in Switzerland yesterday the spokesman for the show said. over, revealing a fracture to his knee,” ter a Vampire drag racer he was driv- viewers worldwide. terday’s accident occurred during the following a dramatic car crash while “Richard was conscious and talk- it said. “The cause of the crash is un- ing burst a tyre and left the course at He left the BBC show along with fi lming of its second series. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 17 BRITAIN

Protesters gather outside Downing street in London. Right: Labour supporters placards at an anti-Conservative Party and anti-Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) demonstration in Parliament Square. UK Premier May fi ghting for survival ahead of Brexit talks The premier is now managing litical balance in Northern Ireland by at King’s College London, said her lack petence they have managed to make a dissent in the Conservative ranks aligning London more closely with the of a majority made it far more likely mockery of it,” it said in an editorial. pro-British side in the divided prov- that Britain would leave the EU without “The task of restoring orderly govern- Reuters ince, and increases the chance that a deal. ment in order to make sense of Brexit is London Britain will fall out of the EU in 2019 “Imagine she survives until autumn now a national emergency, and it falls to without a deal. May called the snap of next year,” he told Reuters. “You will them.” election to win a clear mandate for her have a very fractious parliament. The Telegraph newspaper said sen- ritish Prime Minister Theresa plan to take Britain out of the EU’s sin- It is far from guaranteed to vote the ior Conservatives including Foreign May was fi ghting for survival gle market and customs union, so she deal through.” Secretary Boris Johnson, interior min- Byesterday after a failed election could slash immigration. A failure to get legislation through ister Amber Rudd and Brexit minister gamble undermined her authority and But her party is deeply divided over parliament could eventually result in David Davis were taking soundings over plunged the country into a major polit- what it wants from Brexit and the result the need for another election. whether to replace May. ical crisis, days before the start of talks means British businesses still have no Party insiders are placing bets on After confi rming on Friday that her to leave the European Union. idea what trading rules they can expect how long May will last, less than a year top fi ve ministers, including fi nance May’s bet that she could strengthen in the coming years. after Britain’s surprise referendum minister Philip Hammond, would keep her hand by crushing what she believed The British pound tumbled against decision propelled her into Downing their jobs, May must name the rest of to be a weak opposition Labour Party the US dollar and the euro after the Street. her team, who will take on one of the backfi red spectacularly on Thursday as election result. “Theresa May is certainly the most demanding jobs in recent British voters stripped her Conservative Party German Chancellor Angela Merkel strongest leader that we have at the history. of a parliamentary majority. said she assumed Britain still wanted to moment,” lawmaker David Jones told She said Brexit talks would begin on The stunning outcome leaves May leave the European Union and that talks the BBC. June 19 as scheduled, the same day as battling to unite diff erent factions in must start quickly. When asked about her future, senior the formal reopening of parliament. her party and reliant on a handful of But Elmar Brok, a German conserva- Conservative lawmaker Owen Paterson To govern, she will need the support Northern Irish parliamentarians just tive and the European Parliament’s top said “Let’s see how it pans out”. of the socially conservative, pro-Brexit nine days before Britain starts the tor- Brexit expert, told the Ruhr Nachrich- The Times newspaper’s front page Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), tuous process of negotiating its depar- ten newspaper the talks would now be declared “May stares into the abyss”. which won 10 seats in Northern Ire- ture from the EU. more complicated. It said Britain was “effectively lead- land. May’s two top aides, Nick Timothy “May won’t be able to make any erless” and the “country all but un- A senior Conservative lawmaker, and Fiona Hill, announced they had compromises because she lacks a governable”. Its cartoon depicted Gavin Williamson, was in Belfast for quit yesterday, following sustained broad parliamentary majority,” he May in a coffin with her feet stick- talks with the party on Saturday, a criticism of the campaign within the said. ing out and a speech bubble saying spokeswoman for May’s offi ce said. party. Jeremy Corbyn talks with a shopper in Islington. If she is to succeed in delivering the “Nothing has changed”, a line she re- The two parties are broadly politi- Britain’s typically pro-Conservative wishes of 52 % of the public and take peated several times as she reversed cally aligned, but it remains to be seen press savaged May yesterday and ques- The best-selling Sun newspaper pel Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn into Britain out of the EU, she must fi nd a a key policy on social care during the what price the DUP will demand for its tioned whether she could remain in said senior members of the party had power. way to secure the full support of her campaign. support. One DUP lawmaker suggest- power, only two months after she start- vowed to get rid of May, but would “She’s staying, for now,” one Con- party to pass legislation preparing for “The Conservatives have not yet ed support for May could come vote ed the clock ticking on the two-year EU wait at least six months because they servative Party source told Reuters. and enacting the departure. broken the British system of democra- by vote, making the job of governing divorce process. feared a leadership contest could pro- The outcome risks upsetting the po- Anand Menon, professor of politics cy, but through their hubris and incom- fraught with risk.

Between the clock and a hard place DUP deal with Tories ‘could lead to vote on abortion time limits’

The Evening Standard May announced on Friday that she would London govern in partnership with 10 DUP MPs sitting in Westminster after losing the Conservatives’ Commons majority in a humiliating snap elec- former Tory minister has suggested MPs tion. could vote to reduce time limits on women The decision was met with criticism almost Ahaving abortions after Theresa May struck immediately as abortion rights groups voiced a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party. fears over the DUP’s record on the issue. Owen Paterson opened the door on debating May has previously backed the reduction of the 24 week time limit which is currently in place abortion time limits from 24 to 20 weeks, saying: after the Conservatives entered an agreement to “I think there is scope for some reduction.” govern with the right-wing Northern Irish party The London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign, the DUP. which campaigns for legal abortion in Ireland Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland unless a and Northern Ireland, warned the PM about the woman’s life is in danger or there is a serious or agreement with the DUP. permanent risk to her mental or physical health. “The DUP has consistently blocked any at- The DUP has a consistently anti-abortion tempts to allow abortion even in limited circum- stance and has repeatedly opposed attempts to stances,” the group told Newseek. legalise it. “They are out of step with the Conservative Last year, its leader Arlene Foster said: “I would Party and the people of Britain on many moral not want abortion to be as freely available here as and social issues, having also blocked attempts to it is in England.” legalise gay marriage in Northern Ireland. Theresa May ‘sorry’ for Tory MPs who lost We urge Theresa May to think carefully before their seats Asked about the impact of Mrs May’s aligning herself with a party intent on undermin- deal with the DUP Mr Paterson, who served as ing the human rights of Northern Irish women.” Northern Ireland Secretary from 2010 to 2012, Others have expressed fears over the DUP’s said: “I don’t see many major social issues com- stance on gay rights. ing up in the next parliament. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson “You might get a debate I suppose on further said she has received assurances from the Prime A man in costume pauses on Westminster bridge in London. reduction of abortion times as medical science Minister over gay rights should the Tories do a advances.” deal with the party. Gulf Times 18 Sunday, June 11, 2017 EUROPE

Notre Dame attacker a self-radicalised Merkel rallying G20 novice: prosecutor

AFP ened cases,” he added. “It Paris shows the diversity of profi les and that anything is possible.” The prosecutor confi rmed support on climate n Algerian who attacked that the man had recorded a a police offi cer with a video pledging allegiance to IS. Reuters Ahammer outside Notre He had opened an account Mexico City/Berlin Dame cathedral was a loner on the Telegram messaging with a deep interest in Islamic service, but did not appear to State (IS) propaganda, the Par- have contacted anyone. hancellor Angela Merkel is prosecutor said yesterday. Other Islamist militant sus- is seeking to bolster sup- The 40-year-old, identi- pects in France have been pi- Cport among G20 members fi ed only as doctorate student loted through Telegram mes- for tackling climate change ahead Farid I, was shot and wounded sages sent by Islamist militants of a summit in Hamburg next by another police offi cer dur- in Iraq and Syria, but there was month, while trying to avoid giv- ing Tuesday’s attack in which no sign it had happened in this ing the impression she is rally- he shouted: “This is for Syria.” case. ing an anti-US alliance, German The attack sparked panic The man, who received government sources say. among tourists at the popular hospital treatment for a gun- Merkel is ready for dissent attraction. shot wound to the leg, is to be at the meeting, however, after Paris prosecutor Francois charged with attempted mur- United States President Donald Molins said the suspect was der. Trump’s withdrawal from a glo- an educated man who under He had approached a group bal climate change agreement, questioning told investigators of police offi cers outside Notre they said. that he had radicalised himself Dame and suddenly aimed a Merkel told an audience in over a period of 10 months. hammer at the back of the head Argentina on Friday that as host Examination of a laptop and of one of them. of the G20, she would have to be four USB keys found at the Alerted by one of his col- upfront about diff erences if all 20 man’s apartment in Paris re- leagues, the victim was able to highly industrialised countries vealed a “lone wolves’ manual” bend partially out of the way, failed to see eye to eye on climate compiled by IS, the prosecutor avoiding a harder and poten- and other issues, as the fi nal told a press conference. tially more harmful blow, the communique requires unani- Investigators also found prosecutor said. mous consent. photographs of the last week’s The man was found to be “There will be issues where Islamist militant attack in carrying kitchen knives. not everyone gets what we London in which eight people France has been repeatedly want,” Merkel said, a clear nod were killed and videos “glori- targeted in Islamist militant to Trump’s move to pull out of fying” earlier attacks in Paris attacks since 2015. the 2015 Paris accord to combat and Brussels. In the bloodiest attack, 130 climate change days after refus- “He had never shown any people were killed in Paris on ing to endorse it at summits in sign of radicalisation to those November 13, 2015, in carnage Europe. close to him, he had never been claimed by IS. At the same time, Merkel, a convicted, he was unknown to France is part of the US-led strong advocate of the Paris ac- the intelligence services and international coalition fi ght- cord, must stay true to her views Merkel speaks with children so far, no signs of contact with ing IS and has carried out air at home, where she is seeking a during an event yesterday as Germany calls for €10bn permanent United Nations crisis fund anyone in Iraq or Syria have strikes against militants in fourth term in offi ce in Septem- part of the Dual Year been found,” Molins said. Syria. ber national elections and where Germany-Mexico, at the German Development Minister Gerd Mueller, citing aid for 7.8mn people hit by severe drought by the end “He therefore appears to Around 50,000 police will Trump remains deeply unpopu- Revolution Monument in hunger crises in eastern Africa, said that the UN should of this month, the Ethiopian government and humani- have the profi le of a neophyte provide security for the fi rst lar. Mexico City. create a permanent €10bn crisis fund, with contribu- tarian groups have said. that the services fi ghting ter- round of parliamentary elec- During visits to Argentina and tions to be based on a country’s financial strength. The United Nations said in March that more than 20mn rorism fear as much as hard- tions today. Mexico, the German chancel- Trump to sign the communique, “The catastrophe is already upon us,” Mueller said in people risk dying from starvation because of drought lor highlighted her shared views the magazine reported. an interview with the German newspaper Passauer and conflict in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and with the leaders of both coun- Government sources say that Neue Presse, published yesterday. northeast Nigeria, while more than 100mn face acute Social media users in Turkey mourn tries on climate change, trade Merkel needs Trump’s support to He pointed to dire conditions in countries such as malnutrition worldwide. and other issues. make the G20 summit a success, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Ethiopia. Famine was declared in some areas of South Sudan in music teacher killed in attack “Germany is looking for allies however, and his willingness to Mueller said that the United Nations estimated the February – the first off icial famine in six years. on issues that are important to compromise could wane if he financial needs in eastern Africa alone amounted to Mueller spoke ahead of a conference in Berlin tomor- Social media users in Turkey mourned yesterday the death of a us,” Merkel said after a meeting perceives her as his enemy. $4bn to $5bn. row that Germany is hosting to call more attention teacher in an attack by militants the previous day in the restive with Argentine President Mauri- Indeed, the chancellor told Creating a fund that would be continually restocked to Africa during its presidency of the Group of 20 southeast of the country. cio Macri. students in Buenos Aires that it would make it easier to respond to recurring humani- industrialised countries. A video of the 22-year-old music teacher, Senay Aybuke Yalcin, German magazine Der Spiegel was vital to maintain dialogue tarian crises, he said. Five countries – Ivory Coast, Morocco, Rwanda, singing a Turkish folk song about Cyprus appeared on various reported yesterday that her staff even with those who hold diff er- “We need to accomplish this as a world community,” Senegal and Tunisia – have already signed up for Turkish online media outlets and was shared thousands of times. have drawn up a 13-page paper ent views. he said. enhanced partnership agreements with G20 countries Militants fired on a car in the province of Batman, apparently aiming for the July G20 summit that in- “Because if I talk with some- Ethiopia, for example, will run out of emergency food under a new “Compact with Africa” programme. for a local government off icial. cludes specifi c references to the one, I can no longer simply say he However, the shots hit the teacher. 2015 Paris agreement – setting is stupid,” she said. The government blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for up a potential showdown with Complicating the issue further countries as possible to under- agreement,” he told the maga- States as a reliable partner, a drop what presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin called a “terrorist Trump. for Merkel, however, her foreign score their continued support for zine. of eight percentage points from attack”. Canadian Prime Minister Jus- minister, Sigmar Gabriel of jun- the Paris deal at the July summit. A recent poll by Infratest di- April that put it on the same level The presidential spokesman also joined a trending hashtag on tin Trudeau has suggested strik- ior coalition partners the Social “The G20 cannot result in a map showed that only 21% of as Russia and far below China on Twitter – #AybukeYalcin – and criticised “Western media” for an ing out the references to enable Democrats, wants as many G20 silent unity against the climate German voters viewed the United 36%. alleged lack of media coverage of the attack. Civil servants caught Germany to test in Catalan crossfi re software

By Daniel Bosque, AFP to choose between obeying their sos d’Esquadra police force, in terror Barcelona immediate superiors and facing summed up the situation: “I’m possible sanctions for disobey- pro-independence but I’m not ing Spanish law, or sticking by going to risk my salary.” fi ght hose orders to follow? the Constitution. The 17,000-strong Mossos Civil servants in Cata- “Many have called us, con- d’Esquadra force is under the Wlonia may not know cerned,” said Joan Escanilla, control of the regional govern- AFP which way to turn if the Spanish president of the Catalan branch ment but is also bound to respect Berlin region holds an independence of Spain’s CSIF civil servants Spanish law. referendum that Madrid deems union, which has close to 9,000 “We could fi nd ourselves be- illegal. members in the region out of a tween a rock and a hard space,” ermany will start testing Carles Puigdemont, Catalo- total of 300,000 public work- says Milagros, who is also facial recognition soft- nia’s fi ercely secessionist presi- ers. “The problem that we civil spokesman for the USPAC police Gware at a Berlin train sta- dent, announced on Friday that servants have is that we’re in the union. “As police offi cers, we tion this summer which could he would go ahead with a vote on middle of the railway tracks, and have to obey the law, we have no help police identify and locate October 1 despite Madrid’s op- we’re going to be hit by one train other choice.” A man holds a Basque and a pro-independence Catalan flag during a demonstration called by Basque terror suspects more quickly, a position, drawing a sharp rebuke or another.” Exactly how Catalonia is go- pro-independence platform ‘Gure Esku Dago’ (It’s in our hands) in support of a regional referendum on minister said yesterday. from Spain’s central govern- In Catalonia, like in the rest of ing to go against Madrid and the Basque country independence from Spain, in the city of Bilbao. Interior Minister Thomas de ment – and concern from public Spain, civil servants are fi rst and organise a referendum deemed Maiziere said the software would workers. foremost under obligation to re- illegal by the courts remains un- independence lawmakers have cently at a conference. but also “preserve the neutrality be tested with volunteers at Ber- They will be called upon to spect Spain’s Constitution. clear. an absolute majority. However, just like the referen- of all Catalan civil servants”. lin’s Suedkreuz station, and if organise a referendum which the If they disobey orders by their In a bid to circumvent all the The law will in theory force all dum itself, the law will likely be And the central government successful would be expanded Constitutional Court has ruled Catalan bosses, they could face legal and practical challenges in civil servants who work in Cata- suspended by the Constitutional has more drastic ways to stop the to other locations and also used is unlawful, by carrying out such disciplinary sanctions. organising such a vote, the re- lonia to obey the regional gov- Court. referendum. for a range of criminal investiga- steps as opening schools to serve But if they obey, they will go gional government has drafted a ernment come what may, fur- On Friday, Spain’s govern- It can ask the Constitutional tions. as polling stations, or polic- against Spanish law and will law seeking to extract Catalonia ther raising the stakes for public ment spokesman Inigo Mendez Court to suspend Puigdemont “We already have video sur- ing the 7.5mn-strong region in therefore face sanctions, which from Spain’s legal system. workers. de Vigo said Catalonia’s regional for disobedience, or it has the veillance in train stations, of Spain’s northeast. may even entail losing their jobs. It is expected to present the “Those who don’t obey will be executive was not only under power to take temporary control course. But we aren’t able, for As a result, they may be forced Josep Miquel Milagros, an bill in the next few weeks to the sanctioned,” pro-independence obligation to respect the law and of the regional government, even example, to put a picture of a into a delicate position – having agent in Catalonia’s Mos- regional parliament, where pro- lawmaker Lluis Llach said re- protect the rights of all Catalans, if this would be a last resort. terrorist on the run into software that would alert us when he ap- pears in a station,” Maiziere said in an interview on the website of Thief ruff les feathers, stealing from bird the Tagesspiegel newspaper. Bears block tourists from Dracula’s castle exhibits across Europe for collection “If this software proves reli- able, it should be able to be used State prosecutors in Basel have charged a Swiss citizen with a massive for serious crimes in other plac- DPA The 15th century Poenari Built on a cliff in Carpathian ministry approved the opera- plumage pillage for stealing feathers worth millions of dollars from es equipped with surveillance Bucharest castle is one of Vlad the Im- mountains in southern Roma- tion on Thursday, the Mediafax museum exhibits across the German-speaking world, the Swiss cameras,” he said. paler’s residences. nia, Poenari castle has been news agency reported. weekend newspaper Schweiz am Wochende reported yesterday. The Tagesspiegel report said Vlad earned his nickname drawing millions of visitors Encounters between people The 45-year-old man is reported to have targeted a variety of natural the new system was unlikely to family of bears near owing to his brutal methods. from all over the world. and bears are not uncommon in history museums in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, stealing run into legal obstacles since its the castle in Romanian Four centuries later, the The castle will remain closed the Carpathian woods. feathers from 167 exhibits of various birds of prey. use would be limited to target- ATransylvania that in- bloodthirsty tyrant inspired until the mother bear and her Authorities warn tourists, Damage was put at around $6mn in monetary terms, although the loss ing suspects, and so would not spired Bram Stoker’s Dracula Irish author Stoker to cre- three cubs are captured and re- hikers and campers to be care- to science was “immeasurable” as some of the exhibits were unique. infringe upon civil liberties of prompted police on Thursday ate the vampire Dracula in the located to a safe area. ful with garbage, as food scraps The suspect’s aim was apparently to create his own collection of almost people not sought in an investi- to close the fortress to tourists. eponymous novel. The Romanian environment attract bears. all the world’s birds of prey, according to the report. gation. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 19 EUROPE Macron party ready for parliamentary assault Renzi: It was our duty to try (for an accord) but now the game AFP around 30% of the fi rst-round leader in the legislative elections cron’s candidates are merely Given Macron’s attempts said Francois Baroin, who is is over. Paris vote today, which would put that always follow the presiden- riding the wave of popularity of to clean up French politics, he leading the Republicans as they it in pole position to secure an tial ballot. the new president and may of- faced embarrassment on Friday try to bounce back from Fillon’s absolute majority in the second Macron’s predecessors Fran- fer little opposition to their boss when his small centrist ally, the failure in the election. he year-old centrist party round a week later. cois Hollande in 2012, Nicolas once they are elected. MoDem party, was placed un- Le Pen’s party meanwhile of French President Em- That could equate to as many Sarkozy in 2007 and Jacques “If I may say, at the moment der preliminary investigation looks set to struggle to win 15 Early Tmanuel Macron prepared as 400 seats in the 577-seat Chirac in 2002 all won outright you could take a goat wearing a on suspicion of employing fake seats nationally, a score that yesterday for the fi rst round of chamber. majorities. Macron badge and it would have parliamentary assistants at the would represent another deep parliamentary elections looking “A wave or a tsunami?” asked Unlike Macron, however, they a good chance of being elected,” European Parliament. disappointment after she was polls off set to grab the lead in the race for the front page of the left-wing all came from long-established BFMTV political commentator The investigation comes with soundly beaten by Macron in the a clear majority. daily Liberation yesterday. parties. Christophe Barbier said. one of Macron’s ministers, Ri- presidential election. Macron swept away far-right REM has already had a boost REM has broken the mould of Macron has banned all the chard Ferrand, also being probed Le Pen was defi ant when in- the table, candidate Marine Le Pen to win after its candidates came fi rst French politics. REM candidates from employ- over suspicions that he favoured terviewed by AFP this week, the presidency on May 7, but has in 10 of the 11 French overseas Initially dismissed by Ma- ing family members if they are his wife in a property deal with saying: “We will be the only op- only achieved half the job. constituencies that have already cron’s opponents as a movement elected and they must not per- a public health insurance fund position force.” says Renzi Macron’s Republique en voted. of metropolitan bright young form consultancy work while when he headed the company. Macron has appealed to vot- Marche (Republic on the Move, The legislative elections are, activists without any real roots, they are lawmakers. Macron’s party has brushed ers to give him a strong mandate REM) party, which he only like the presidential contest, it will fi eld 530 candidates today. The edicts follow the scan- off the accusations against Fer- to overhaul the labour market DPA/Reuters founded in April 2016 as a plat- held over two rounds. In a bid to renew the political dal that sunk the presiden- rand as unfounded. whose rigid rules on hiring and Rome form for his presidential bid, If no candidate wins over 50% scene, many have never stood tial chances of Francois Fillon, With the political tide turn- fi ring hold back the economy, now needs a commanding ma- in the fi rst round, the two top- for offi ce before, such as Marie candidate for the right-wing ing against the main parties of according to many experts. jority in the National Assembly placed go into the second round Sara, a rare female bullfi ghter, Republicans party, who is fac- left and right, they have warned The president was economy taly will not hold early elec- for him to implement the re- – as well as any candidate who who is taking on a senior mem- ing criminal charges for paying that a landslide could be bad for minister in the previous So- tions in 2017, former pre- forms he promised on the cam- won the votes of over 12.5% of ber of Le Pen’s National Front his wife Penelope more than democracy. cialist government that began Imier and ruling party leader paign trail. the electorate. (FN) in southern France, Gilbert €900,000 ($1.0mn) as his par- “I don’t think it would be introducing the reforms, spark- Matteo Renzi said in an inter- A host of opinion polls show French voters have tradition- Collard. liamentary assistant. healthy for the democratic de- ing mass demonstrations for view yesterday, in the wake of Macron’s party could take ally rallied behind their new Some observers suggest Ma- Fillon denies the accusations. bate over the next fi ve years,” months last year. the failure of a cross-party deal that could have facilitated a snap vote. Renzi’s Democratic Party (PD) had struck up a deal to reform election rules with the anti- German establishment Five-Star Move- ment (M5S), the conservative Forza Italia of former premier president Silvio Berlusconi and the hard- right Northern League, but the pact collapsed on Thursday. opens Because of this, the next gen- eral elections will be “in 2018, at the end of the parliamentary major term”, Renzi told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. President Sergio Mattarella art show has always said he would re- sist calls to dissolve parliament ahead of time unless dysfunc- DPA tional voting rules are changed. Kassel, Germany They have diff erent mecha- nisms for the two chambers of parliament, maximising the he mammoth contempo- chances of inconclusive results. rary art showcase Docu- “It was our duty to try (for Tmenta 14 opened in the an accord) but now the game German city of Kassel yesterday, is over,” Renzi said. “We have a with German President Frank- horizon of nearly a year until the Police off icers walk pass the Parthenon of Books by Argentinian artist Marta Minujin at the Walter Steinmeier and his Greek elections, so let’s work for Italy.” Documenta 14 in Kassel. The Parthenon of Books, a full-scale replica of the temple on the Athenian counterpart Prokopis Pavlopou- “It is clear who is to blame for Acropolis, is made up with some 100,000 copies of banned books donated from the public. los there to cut the ribbon. the failure,” he added, pointing Steinmeier launched the Ger- to the M5S, which in turn has ac- Right: Greek President Prokopis man part of the event in the cused the PD of shooting down Pavlopoulos (second left) and Fridericianum Museum, before the reform. German President Steinmeier touring the exhibition together Commentators had suggested (centre) are seen at the with Pavlopoulos. that Renzi wanted an early vote installation Mill of Blood created Kassel’s Documenta 14 has because he is hungry for a come- by Mexican artist Antonio Vega been running in Athens since back after a referendum defeat Macotela at the Documenta 14 April 8, taking place for the fi rst last year that triggered his res- in Kassel. time this year in a partner city. ignation. “Examine your own preju- But early elections could have dices, take up the perspective of also been destabilising to the others – that is the only way to economy. fi nd common ground,” the Ger- The PD and the M5S are tied man president said, applauding in nationwide opinion polls, on the decision to extend the show around 30%. to Athens. The latest poll, published in In a country where the peo- Corriere yesterday, put M5S on ple are collapsing under the na- 30.6% and the PD on 29.3%. tional debt load and refugees are Local elections today, fol- drowning off its shores, politi- lowed by run-off s on June 25, cal problems were very much in could give more indications of focus in many of the works in their respective strengths. Athens. In a separate interview in the Documenta 14 started out in same newspaper, M5S deputy Athens for a run from April 8 Luigi Di Maio, widely expected to July 16, and now some of the to be the movement’s candidate works shown there are coming for prime minister, also said he to Kassel. believed the election would be This part of the art extrava- fought in 2018 using the current ganza through September 17. system. Among the exhibits Stein- “There are no longer the con- meier viewed in Kassel were an ditions in this parliament to re- installation of pipes by Iraqi art- form the electoral law,” he said. ist Hiwa K and the Mill of Blood Despite the stand-off , the by Mexican artist Antonio Vega main parties voted in the Cham- Macotela. ber of Deputies last week to Every fi ve years, Documenta resume negotiations over elec- transforms Kassel into the tem- toral reform in a parliamentary The work Man walking to the sky by US artist Jonathan Borofsky porary capital of the art world for committee. is seen in front of the Kassel Hauptbahnhof train station. An installation created by Iraqi-Kurdish artist Hiwa K is pictured at the Documenta 14. some 100 days. Finnish coalition govt at risk after nationalists pick hardline leader

Reuters for comments on a blog against “Of course (there’s a risk of That could derail healthcare roots for a tougher line. The government has sought Jyvaskyla, Finland Islam and Somalis, has said he break-up). This is a tough spot and local government reforms Mari K Niemi, a researcher to boost growth and curb public would push the three-party for the government,” Sipila, central to Sipila’s plan to balance at University of Turku, said the debt growth by cutting spending coalition to tighten immigration from the Centre Party, told daily public fi nances. party which had sought to rep- and reforming labour laws. inland’s eurosceptic Finns policies, and that he would not newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. Sipila is due to meet Halla- resent underprivileged people “If the coalition continues, it party picked an anti-im- stick to the three-party govern- The third coalition partner, aho and Orpo tomorrow. from the countryside is becom- gets more and more diffi cult for Fmigration hardliner as its ment at any cost. the pro-EU National Coalition Formerly known as True ing a more radical right-wing the parties to agree on anything. leader yesterday in a move that “We must be more aggressive Party (NCP) also said it might Finns, the party is known for populist party. And if the government broke Prime Minister Juha Sipila said in raising the topics that dis- not want to co-operate. complicating EU bailout talks “Young, sometimes educated up, a new coalition would surely might lead to a break-up of the tinguish us from other parties “This requires serious con- during the eurozone crisis. people with anti-immigration change the current fi scal policy coalition government it is part ... it is important to push our templation. The Finns party is But after becoming the sec- focus have become a more sig- programme,” said Nordea ana- of. priorities forward more vigor- not the same party anymore,” ond-biggest parliament party in nifi cant power within the party,” lyst Jan Von Gerich. At a Finns party congress, ously within the government Finance Minister Petteri Orpo 2015, it joined the coalition gov- she said, comparing the party’s Outgoing Finns party leader 56% of its members voted in programme,” Halla-aho told re- told Verkkouutiset, an online ernment and accepted compro- new party profi le to far-right and co-founder Timo Soini – a favour of European Parliament porters after his election. news site. mises, angering core voters. Sweden Democrats and France’s moderate populist who mostly member Jussi Halla-aho, who Sipila, citing diff erences in As snap elections are very rare Support for the Finns party National Front. focused on criticising the EU – wants Finland to leave the Euro- core values, said that there is a in the Nordic country, a possible has plunged from 17.7% in a 2015 Finland is recovering from a stepped down after 20 years. pean Union. risk the centre-right govern- break-up of the coalition would election to about 9% in a poll decade of stagnation and prob- It was unclear whether he will Halla-aho, who was fi ned by ment could break up due to Hal- likely mean that Sipila would try conducted this month, ampli- lems including the decline of continue as the country’s for- Sipila: This is a tough spot for the Finland’s Supreme Court in 2012 la-aho’s nomination. to form a new coalition. fying calls from the party grass Nokia’s former phone business. eign minister. government. Gulf Times 20 Sunday, June 11, 2017 INDIA

SERVICE INVESTIGATION POLITICS GOVERNMENT CONTROVERSY Emergency response One more held for NDA’s allies want to Tax payers to link Film director slams service upgraded honey-trapping MP join RJD: Tejashwi Aadhaar with PAN ministry’s decision

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah yesterday One more person was arrested for allegedly Alliance partners are upset with the Bharatiya All tax payers who have been allotted Kerala film director Kamal, who is also the launched Namma 100, an upgraded emergency honey-trapping Bharatiya Janata Party MP Janata Party in Bihar and are in touch with Permanent Account Number (PAN) should chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra response service Dial 100 of Bengaluru police. K C Patel, police said yesterday. Ajay Kumar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Bihar’s Deputy Chief intimate their Aadhaar number to the income Academy, has criticised the Ministry of “The police department should focus on 40, a resident of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Minister Tejashwi Yadav said yesterday, adding tax authorities for the purpose of linking both Information and Broadcasting for denying utilisation of the latest technology to reach people was arrested on Friday evening, Deputy many leaders of the National Democratic numbers, the Central Board of Direct Taxes permission to screen three films at the upcoming in an emergency. The state government is ready Commissioner of Police B K Singh said, adding Alliance also want to join his party. “BJP’s allies (CBDT) said yesterday, a day after the Supreme 10th International Documentary Short Film to allocate funds for this purpose,” Siddaramaiah that the accused was already involved in a including RLSP, LJP and HAM are upset with Court upheld the law on this. However, those Festival that begins in Thiruvananthapuram next said after launching the Namma 100 at the Police murder case. In May, a woman who alleged she the BJP in Bihar. They are keen to get rid of the who do not have Aadhaar and who do not wish week. The three films are The Unbearable Being Command Centre in Bengaluru. “Similar helplines was raped by Patel was arrested from Ghaziabad, BJP and are in touch with the RJD,” Tejashwi, to obtain it for the time being will not have of Lightness, a 45-minute documentary that tells will be launched in the districts in the near future,” after the MP said he was drugged and filmed in the younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad said their PAN cancelled, CBDT said in a statement. about the Rohith Vemula incident, March March he said. The Rs300mn upgraded emergency compromising positions with the woman. Later, in Patna. Tejashwi also said several of NDA’s “Everyone who has been allotted permanent March, a 19-minute short film that shows the JNU response service has 100 phone lines as against investigation revealed that the woman had MLAs and leaders are in touch with the RJD account number as on the 1st day of July, 2017, agitation, and In The Shade of Fallen Chinar, a 20 of Dial 100. Around 275 employees will take extorted over 20 politicians by making charges and are ready to join the party if given a green and who has Aadhaar number or is eligible 16-minute film that shows the lives of a group up to 8,000 calls per day against around 3,000 of sexual assault and molestation. “We were signal. According to Tejashwi, allies of the BJP- to obtain Aadhaar number, shall intimate his of young Kashmiri artists who are university received by Dial 100. Namma 100 aims to be the looking for Kumar for the past one month and led NDA are looking to dump it and join some Aadhaar number to income tax authorities for students. “This is some sort of a cultural go-to telephone number for emergency services, there is one more accused who we are trying to other alliance because they have no say in the the purpose of linking PAN with Aadhaar,” the emergency that is now prevailing in the country much like 911 in the US and 999 in Britain. arrest,” the DCP said. NDA and its government. statement said. and we are facing it here,” Kamal said.

GJM calls indefi nite shutdown Amit Shah starting tomorrow under attack

IANS Darjeeling

he Gorkha Janmukti Morcha yesterday called Tan indefi nite shutdown in for remarks the northern West Bengal hills from tomorrow in support of its demand for a separate Gorkha- land state. “All central and state govern- ment offi ces, banks, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration of- fi ces will be closed as part of the on Gandhiji shutdown from Monday. How- ever, schools and colleges will IANS of power, and the BJP can give “The Congress is not a party not be aff ected,” GJM general New Delhi/Jalpaiguri such indications. Would Ma- based on one ideology or one secretary Roshan Giri said. hatma Gandhi be now identifi ed principle, it is a special purpose Block Development Offi ces, with his caste?” he asked. vehicle to gain independence… Sub-divisional Offi ces and Dis- haratiya Janata Party chief Hitting back at Shah, Sur- this is why Mahatma Gandhi trict Magistrate’s offi ces will also Amit Shah came under jewala said the “Britishers used with foresight, he was a shrewd be closed. Banks will remain open Battack yesterday for his Hindu Mahasabha and the Sangh baniya, he knew what was going on Mondays and Thursdays. remarks describing Mahatma as a special purpose vehicle for to happen, he said immediately Giri said the state govern- Gandhi as a “shrewd bania” with the partition of the country. after independence that the ment’s revenue sources like Congress and other opposition “After independence, they Congress should be dissolved. electricity, mines and boulders parties demanding an apology have become a vehicle to oppress “He didn’t do it, but some will also be part of the shutdown. from him for “insulting” the Fa- Dalits, and the weaker sections. people are now completing the The protest was sparked off by ther of the Nation. This is their real face and char- job of dissolving it. He had said the West Bengal government’s Congress spokesman Randeep acter,” he added. this because the Congress had decision to make Bengali com- Singh Surjewala also demanded In Jalpaiguri, Trinamool Con- no ideology, was not formed pulsory up to class 10. an apology from Prime Minis- gress supremo Banerjee attacked based on a principle, and did However, the GJM decreed ter Narendra Modi over Shah’s Shah. “Mahatma Gandhi is the not have any principle to run that signboards in Darjeeling, remarks while West Bengal Father of the Nation and he is an the country or government,” Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik and Chief Minister Mamata Baner- icon of the world. We cannot use Shah said. several parts of Dooars and Terai jee termed them “unethical and such unjustifi ed language about Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal- would be written only in Nepali unfortunate” and said he should him. It is unethical, unfortunate United (JD-U) also slammed and/or English. Every Monday immediately withdraw them. and uncalled for. Shah’s remarks. JD-U spokes- there would be torchlight rallies Surjewala told reporters here “I think such statements man Neeraj Kumar said in Patna in various wards and assem- that Shah had committed a hei- should be immediately with- that Shah had insulted the na- bly constituencies of the hills nous crime and anti-national act. drawn and an apology should be tion and its people by using a from 7pm to 8pm for the sake of “We demand that Amit Shah, sought,” she said. “caste” name to address Mahat- ‘Gorkhaland’s revival, he said. the BJP and Prime Minister Banerjee felt a simple apology ma Gandhi. Giri said thousands of people Narendra apologise to the people from Shah would not end the Neeraj said Shah was targeting will hit the streets to take part and the families of the freedom matter as, “this is an intentional Mahatma Gandhi by naming his in mass rallies every Sunday and fi ghters of the country for in- blunder by him”. caste. “It is shameful and unfor- Thursday in Darjeeling, Kalim- sulting their struggle. Shah has The chief minister also tweet- givable.” pong, Kurseong and Mirik. indulged in a heinous crime and ed that politicians should be Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) “There will also be mass sig- an anti-national act. There can’t careful about their language. leaders said that Shah, by calling nature campaign in favour of be a bigger crime than this,” he “When we, in public life, Gandhi a “chatur baniya”, had Gorkhaland. The signatures will said. speak about icons of our nation exposed his own and the BJP’s be sent to the prime minister and Surjewala said identifying and the world, we must always mindset and their real agenda. the union home minister,” he said. Gandhi with caste exposes the show the utmost respect and Bihar Chief Minister Nit- Giri also announced that the “real face, character and mind- sensitivity with language,” she ish Kumar did not comment shutdown will be relaxed for four set” of Shah. tweeted. on Shah’s remarks and ignored days - June 27 to June 30 - when He said Shah had insulted the Taking a swipe at Shah, the questions from the media. central and state government of- sacrifi ces made during the free- Trinamool chief claimed that no Aam Aadmi Party leader Ku- fi ces and banks would be open. dom struggle by associating Ma- one should think of themselves mar Vishwas said he had not Meanwhile, Chief Minister hatma Gandhi with a business as a superpower just because heard Shah’s remarks but noted Mamata Banerjee announced model. they are at the helm. that any comment about the Fa- that the election of Gorkha Terri- “Has the entire struggle be- Shah, while addressing a ther of Nation should be made torial Administration - the devel- come a mere business? Was gathering in Raipur on Friday, by a person who has at least lived opment body in the north Bengal building the nation a business? referred to Mahatma Gandhi as a 1% of his life the way Mahatma hills - may take place soon. Tourists arrive back in Kolkata from violence-hit Darjeeling yesterday. Only Amit Shah, who does trade “shrewd baniya”. had done.

Bird’s eyeview BJP fi les complaint against Schizophrenic who Yechury as feud intensifi es killed father held IANS fessed to his crime and said some Ghaziabad occult practitioners told him IANS less tweet”, as the Rashtriya Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that that if he kills his father, his mis- Thiruvananthapuram Swayamsevak Sangh has no con- attacks on the party by the BJP eries would end, the police of- nection with the Hindu Sena. and RSS have increased dra- 29-year-old schizophre- fi cer said. Two men belonging to the Hindu matically after BJP president nia patient was arrested On the advice of his friend Ra- he Bharatiya Janata Party Sena were arrested for the attack Amit Shah’s visit to the state. Afor allegedly killing his jat Chaudhary alias Johny, Da- yesterday fi led a com- on Yechury at a press conference Since Wednesday, peace in father last month, police said boo bought a .30 calibre pistol Tplaint against Communist in New Delhi on Wednesday. Kerala has been aff ected with yesterday. and at 4.30am on May 11 killed Party of India (Marxist) general The Kerala BJP leader in his frequent clashes erupting in Superintendent of Police his father. secretary Sitaram Yechury here complaint states that Yechury several parts of the state be- Akash Tomar told reporters that After the murder, Dabboo fl ed over his “baseless tweet” hold- is solely responsible for the po- tween party activists of the BJP Anuj Tyagi alias Dabboo shot and travelled to various cities of ing the Sangh Parivar forces re- litical violence that has gripped and RSS and the CPM. dead his father on May 11 on the India and Nepal. He did manual sponsible for the attack on him at the state. Kozhikode district, which advice of occult practitioners. labour in factories to survive. a press conference in New Delhi. “His tweet has been proven witnessed the worst clashes, Dabboo was fourth among fi ve After the crime, Daboo had Kerala BJP general secretary to be factually incorrect and has for the past two days seen siblings and was suff ering from thrown his pistol in the com- V V Rajesh said that he has fi led politically provocative. This is a the BJP and CPM observing a schizophrenia. pound of a steel factory here, a complaint against Yechury clear case of exhorting violence, shutdown, one after the other. Two brothers run a prestig- which the police recovered yes- with state Director General of abetting and aiding it. Hence, I Expressing displeasure in ious coaching centre PACE, terday, Tomar said. Police T P Senkumar. request you, as the state DGP to the way Kerala is witnessing while the third is a senior police The family members told po- “I spoke to Senkumar and immediately direct registering of skirmishes, opposition Kerala offi cer. Dabboo is only a ma- lice that Daboo was suff ering have fi led a complaint against a criminal case against Sitaram Party leader Ramesh Chen- triculate, while the fi fth brother from schizophrenia, and was Yechury because it was after Yechury for exhorting violence, nithala said the party that rules is an IITian and a civil services under treatment. But when he his tweet, which said he was abetting the attacks on the of- the Centre and the one that aspirant. did not get relief, he was made to attacked by the Sangh Parivar fi ces and cadre of Sangh Parivar,” rules the state have spoilt the Besides schizophrenia, Daboo perform some religious rituals. forces, did the violence escalate he said in his complaint. peace and tranquillity which A bird flies over polluted waters of Sabarmati river on the also suff ered from severe inferi- Dabboo paid Rs350,000 to in Kerala,” Rajesh said. The complaint was lodged a prevailed here, demanding that outskirts of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, yesterday. ority complex. Johny to get a pistol to kill his He said this was a “base- day after Kerala CPM secretary they must end this impasse. During investigation, he con- father. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 21 INDIA Govt appeals to Naga insurgents to surrender

IANS who would shun violence. of Khaplang will aff ect other early solution to the Naga politi- tion to the Naga political prob- abrogated the ceasefi re with the and aspirations to the govern- Guwahati “NSCN-K chairman S S Khap- militant outfi ts from the north- cal problem. lem,” said Liezietsu. Indian government in 2015. ment of India in one voice is ab- lang was a Naga from Myanmar east, currently sheltering in My- The chief minister mourned “And it was encouraging to However, the 77-year-old solutely imperative,” he added. and infl uential in Myanmar. The anmar. “Khaplang was very in- the death of the insurgent leader, learn that Khaplang had, a few Naga insurgent leader died before Liezietsu appealed to all griev- day after the death of Na- NSCN-K has Nagas from Myan- fl uential in Myanmar and many who died at the NSCN-K council months back, conveyed his will- things could be taken forward to ing Nagas to “resolve and dedi- tional Socialist Council mar as well as Nagas from Indian organisations were dependent on headquarters in Taka in Myan- ingness to have a dialogue with their logical conclusion. cate ourselves to endeavour with Aof Nagaland (NSCN-K) side. I cannot comment anything him. The NSCN-K will also suf- mar’s Sagaing Division on Friday the government provided ‘issues Liezietsu said it is tragic that renewed vigour and determina- chairman S S Khaplang in Myan- on the Myanmarese Nagas but I fer and it will be diffi cult for them night. of substance’ were discussed,” such an important Naga leader tion” to fi nd a solution to the mar, Minister of State for Home am appealing to the Indian Nagas to achieve their goal now without “The Nagaland government he added in a condolence mes- like Khaplang has died consider- Naga political problem, which is Kiren Rijiju yesterday appealed in NSCN-K to return and surren- Khaplang,” he said. has been sending delegations to sage. ing the fact that the protracted “honourable and acceptable” to to the Indian Nagas in the outfi t der and the government of In- Meanwhile, Nagaland Chief meet the NSCN-K leadership in The Nagaland government has Naga political problem was on all stakeholders. to surrender and join the national dia is ready to rehabilitate them Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu Myanmar in recent times to con- been sending Naga civil society the verge of being resolved. “And that this protracted mainstream. provided they are ready to abjure revealed Khaplang had conveyed vince the group to re-enter the group leaders to Myanmar to hold “And the need for all diff erent problem be resolved during our He said the government was violence,” he said. his willingness to have talks with peace process with the Indian consultations with the NSCN-K Naga political (rebels) groups to lifetime and not to bequeath it to ready to rehabilitate everyone Rijiju also said that the death the Indian government for an government to fi nd an early solu- insurgent leaders after the outfi t come together to air our views the future generations,” he said. Six directors of perfume fi rm accused of bank fraud

IANS valuable securities to the bank New Delhi for enhancement of credit limit,” the offi cial said. In April, the CBI arrested aids were conducted on Sanjay Jain, Rajiv Jain, Choud- the premises on six di- hary and Agarwal in connec- Rrectors of a Delhi-based tion with ongoing cases relat- perfume company yesterday ing to cheating a consortium of after the Central Bureau of In- banks to the tune of Rs22bn, he vestigation fi led a fresh case said. against them for cheating the Sanjay Jain and Rajiv Jain are Development Bank of Singapore the promoters of Surya Vinayak of Rs1.22bn between 2007 and while Choudhary and Agarwal 2012, an offi cial said. are the other directors of the Agency offi cers conducted Delhi-based company. raids at the residential premises “They were held on a com- Police clash with Congress Party workers as they take part in a demonstration calling for the resignation of Madhya Pradesh chief minister in Bhopal yesterday. of Sanjay Jain, Rajiv Jain, Rohit plaint from the Punjab National Choudhary, Sanjeev Agarwal, Bank (PNB),” the agency offi cial Rajeev Jain, Kamal Kant Sharma, said, adding that all of them are as well as some other unidenti- in judicial custody. fi ed persons, in connection with the case. The stock of perfumery All the six, directors and pro- claimed by the company moters of Surya Vinayak Indus- was Rs887 crore. When tries Ltd and Surya Vinayak Hos- evaluated by FFDC Impose federal rule in pitalities Ltd, have been booked (Fragrance and Flavour under sections of criminal con- Development Centre), spiracy and cheating of the Indi- it turned out that the an Penal Code, and the Preven- alleged value was Rs4.83 tion of Corruption Act following crore a complaint by the bank, a CBI offi cial said. The accused allegedly used MP, says Congress “They are accused of cheating over a 100 shell companies to the bank of Rs122.49 crore be- launder funds availed through a IANS (drama) and retire from poli- Ajay Singh demanded that all and his ministers sat on a false tual price for their crops? Will tween 2007 and 2012,” he added. consortium of banks led by the Bhopal tics. A person who aligns with the money that is spent from fast. They should give up this the MP government fulfi l its The offi cial said the CBI has PNB. (Nathuram) Godse’s thinking is the state’s treasury for the chief ‘false fast’ and get prepared to go promise of giving relief to the so far registered six cases against “There was no genuine busi- now becoming a ‘Gandhiwadi’,” minister’s “drama” should be on a ‘political exile’,” Congress farmers? Will Prime Minister the group’s promoters and direc- ness transaction between the he Congress Party yester- he said. recovered from the government. spokesman Randeep Singh Sur- Narendra Modi fulfi l his promise tors. said fi rm and shell companies. day questioned the ability He added that the person Besides, all demands of the jewala said in New Delhi. of providing 50% profi t over the He said that directors of the The said fi rm also allegedly di- Tof Madhya Pradesh Chief who is responsible for killing six farmers should also be agreed “Instead of indulging in hy- cost of production,” said Sur- group, which was in the busi- verted Rs376 crore out of the Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan farmers in the state is now ap- upon immediately and Chouhan pocrisy and pretension of sym- jewala. ness of manufacturing perfume working capital limit obtained to rule, and demanded his gov- pealing for peace. should resign. pathising with the farmers, they He also denied allegations of compounds and trading agro from a consortium of banks to ernment’s dismissal and impo- “The people made him the Farmers’ protests that started should reply why a murder case Congress instigating the vio- commodities, arranged to show six wholly-owned foreign sub- sition of President’s Rule in the state’s leader and gave him big in the state on June 1, demanding has not yet been lodged for the lence in the state. bogus sale and purchase of both sidiaries based in Singapore, state. houses, all comforts to carry out better prices for their produce killing of six farmers,” Surjewala “Give justice to the farmers. these items. Hong Kong, Dubai, Indonesia, “I have demanded from the his duties. But he has betrayed and debt relief, turned violent asked. The Congress Party will always “The stock of perfumery Ghana and China,” the CBI said governor the implementation of the people’s confi dence and he is on June 6 when six farmers were “Four days after they denied stand with the farmers. False claimed by the company was in a statement later. President’s Rule in the state as insulting them. killed in police fi ring in Mand- deaths of farmers due to police videos and propaganda will not Rs887 crore. When evaluated by The company had availed the government has given up on “State Agriculture Minister saur. fi ring, the government admitted suppress us. Farmers should be FFDC (Fragrance and Flavour credit limits from the PNB-led the current situation,” opposi- Gauri Shankar Bisen has said that The Congress asked why the that it was due to the same,” he given justice immediately, or Development Centre), it turned consortium of Rs22bn and di- tion Congress leader Ajay Singh there can be no loan waiver for state government hadn’t lodged said. else we will launch a struggle.” out that the alleged value was verted the funds to the for- told reporters here. farmers, while the home minis- a murder case in the killing of six “Another farmer named Kis- Meanwhile, Chouhan started Rs4.83 crore. The accused also eign subsidiaries in violation of “It is time that Chief Minis- ter and others are giving diff erent protesting farmers. han committed suicide today. his indefi nite fast at BHEL’s allegedly submitted forged and bank guidelines for use of loan ter Shivraj Singh Chouhan stop statements. Overall farmers are “Today Madhya Pradesh Chief Would the government reply Dussehra Maidan here yesterday fabricated documents as well as amount, sources said. this indefi nite fast ‘nautanki’ being duped,” he said. Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan why farmers are not getting ac- till peace is restored in the state. Six infi ltrators killed in Pre-monsoon rains claim Kashmir, say offi cials 16 lives in Maharashtra IANS eight others were injured in Gad- Mumbai chiroli, three died in Nanded, Agencies had sneaked into the area. Advocating devising of new two in Latur and one in Nashik Srinagar With Friday’s gunbattle, the ways to combat these new chal- when they were struck by light- total number of infi ltrating mili- lenges, Rawat said the armed orrential rains lashed large ning in the early hours yesterday. tants killed by Indian forces along forces will have to wake up to the parts of Maharashtra in- A 10-year-old boy was washed t least six militants who the LoC in the past three days has new form of violence. Tcluding Mumbai yester- away when he was on his way to infi ltrated the Line of gone up to 13. Addressing cadets at the day claiming at least 16 lives. school and was trying to cross a AControl (LoC) in Jammu “The sinister design of Paki- passing out parade at the Indian The monsoon meanwhile pro- small bridge over a heavily fl ood- and Kashmir were killed by In- stan army to push in multiple Military Academy in Dehradun, gressed normally over the state ed drain in Nevasa in Ahmedna- dian security forces, offi cials said groups of armed intruders across Rawat also called for “proper and the weather department gar. yesterday. the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir use of technology” for public forecast heavy rain over the next Yogesh Kurle, an IT engineer, Troops guarding the bor- continue to be defeated by pro- good. 48 hours. was electrocuted when he acci- der spotted a group of heavily active operations being carried Terming terrorism as the big- Providing succour from the dentally touched a live wire near armed militants in the Uri fron- out on the LoC,” a statement is- gest scourge of modern times, the blistering heat, many areas of the Murbad in Thane district, while tier sector, some 110km west of sued by the Udhampur-head- army chief exhorted the cadets to state, including coastal Konkan, another person was seriously in- state capital Srinagar on Friday quartered Northern Command brace up to take on the menace Mumbai, northern, western jured. evening. said. and deal with it eff ectively. and eastern Maharashtra, were Early yesterday, four children The insurgents, who crossed “Relentless operations He also accused Pakistan lashed by a downpour accompa- aged between four and seven from Pakistani-administered mounted by troops have suc- of spreading misinformation nied with thunder and lightning were washed away in Chandrab- Kashmir, opened fi re on the forc- cessfully intercepted group s of among the Kashmiri youth with yesterday. haga river near Pandharpur in es, following which a gunbattle intruders all along the LoC in doctored videos and messages. Low-lying areas in some cit- Solapur district when they had erupted. Gurez, Machil, Naugam and Uri On the issue of women in com- ies experienced water-logging as gone for a swim. “Six militants who had infi l- sectors leading to elimination of bat roles, he said that “it’s im- gutters and storm water drains Their family members and lo- trated into the area were killed 13 intruders during the last 96 portant to have women in com- were fl ooded in a short time cal activists said the children by our forces in the clash,” state hours,” it said. bat roles in the army even in rank and water gushed out onto the failed to judge the water level on police chief Shesh Paul Vaid said, Meanwhile, Indian Army chief and fi le positions”. streets. account of illegal sand dredging. adding two soldiers were also in- Gen Bipin Rawat blamed social Noting that on many occa- At least 16 people have lost The downpour resulted in a jured in the encounter. media for fomenting trouble in sions during army operations, their lives in rain-related inci- technical glitch in an electric The army was carrying out Kashmir adding that a Pakistan- soldiers had to deal with the dents in diff erent parts of the transformer in Palghar district searches and a counter-infil- backed misinformation cam- public including women, he said state since midnight in what is with many areas experiencing tration operation in the state paign was instigating the youth the induction could benefi t the Two men try to escape from heavy rains in Gurugram, Haryana described as pre-monsoon rain. power breakdown since morn- to determine if more militants in the valley. forces. yesterday. Four people were killed and ing. Gulf Times 22 Sunday, June 11, 2017 LATIN AMERICA Temer wins bid to stay in power AFP the 2014 presidential election replacement by her then-vice mayed those pushing for Brazil to Brasilia was contaminated by undeclared president Temer. face up to its massive corruption campaign donations and bribes. It also backed up Temer’s problems. That clears him to serve out the strategy of arguing that corrup- “No democracy can come out razilian President Michel rest of his term to the end of 2018. tion accusations against him are unharmed from the institutional Temer defi ed predictions Dissenting judges painted a a dangerous distraction when he free-for-all that Brazil is going Bof his imminent political grim picture of the way Brazilian is needed to put Brazil back on through,” said Rio State Univer- demise when a court acquitted corporations seek to buy politi- the economic rails. sity academic Mauricio Santoro, him on charges of having won cians in Latin America’s biggest Eurasia Group consultants said slamming “the degradation of election thanks to dirty money. country. Temer’s chances of being toppled the rules and of public life”. And after Friday’s vote in the But with the panel drawn at before the end of his term have Opponents will now get an- Supreme Electoral Tribunal 3-3, the TSE’s president Gilmar now dropped from 60% to 30%. other chance to bring down Te- (TSE), he promptly went on the Mendes cast the deciding vote, “We under-appreciated the mer. off ensive in his battle to survive urging cool heads at a time of na- ability of the presidential palace Prosecutor General Rodrigo Temer: the TSE decision clears him to serve out the rest of his term to the end of 2018. additional corruption accusa- tional turmoil. to weave a narrative that Temer’s Janot alleges that Temer agreed tions. “You don’t switch the presi- permanence in offi ce represented to payments of hush money to Instead, his lawyers called in the Supreme Court. president to serve through 2018. Despite being branded by op- dent of the republic every hour,” the best bet for institutional and former lower house of Congress for the investigation to be shut That approval process in Con- The lack of a clear consensus ponents a political “zombie” and he said. “There are serious prov- economic stability until the 2018 speaker Eduardo Cunha, who is down, calling it a “comedy”, an gress could be lengthy and Te- fi gure is thought to be the major likened to characters from The en facts but not enough to annul elections,” Eurasia Group said. in prison for corruption. “inquisition”, and “arrogant”. mer is working daily to maintain reason why allies have not yet de- Walking Dead television series, the mandate.” Temer was clearly invigor- But again, Temer is fi ghting Analysts say Janot’s next sal- enough support among legisla- serted Temer. the scandal-plagued president’s That spared recession-rav- ated, greeting the TSE victory as back and the TSE verdict gave vo may be a request for formal tors to defeat any eventual charg- The main partner to his PMDB acquittal in the TSE showed he aged Brazil being plunged into “a sign that the national institu- him new momentum. charges. es. party in the ruling centre-right still has plenty of political life. its second leadership crisis in tions continue to guarantee the On Friday he rejected a dead- Under the constitution, the If he goes, the speaker of the coalition, the PSDB social demo- The TSE judges voted 4-3 14 months, following the im- smooth functioning of Brazilian line given by Janot to answer 82 lower house would have to ap- lower house would take over for crats, has shown signs of jitters against stripping Temer of his peachment of leftist president democracy”, his spokesman said. questions in a written deposi- prove the charges by a two-thirds 30 days during which legisla- and was due to meet next week mandate on the grounds that Dilma Rousseff last year and her However, the decision dis- tion. majority before a trial could start tors would choose a new interim on its stand. Poll fi nds vast majority of Venezuelans Mexican leftist reject Maduro plan for new constitution seeks to

Reuters 30 election to choose lawmak- the next presidential vote due at and widespread destruction. annul Caracas ers who will then work on the the end of 2018. Protesters gathered again on new charter, calling it a way to The poll was posted on the Saturday for a march dubbed restore peace after two months website prodavinci.com, where “towards victory”. votes resident Nicolas Maduro’s of anti-government unrest that largely anti-government arti- Maduro calls violent protest- plan to rewrite the consti- has killed 67 people. cles are posted, and confi rmed ers “terrorists” who are seeking Ptution is opposed by 85% However, opposition parties by Datanalisis’ head Luis Vice- to topple him with the help of Reuters of Venezuelans, according to a say they will not take part in the nte Leon, who has been a strong the United States and other for- Mexico City survey by polling company Da- election, which could dissolve critic of Maduro. eign powers. tanalisis carried out as protests the current, opposition domi- Datanalisis did not reveal the German Chancellor Angela calling for presidential elections nated parliament. number of participants, saying Merkel on Friday called the sit- he main rival to Mexico’s grew increasingly intense. The proposal has run into rare that the interviews were done by uation in Venezuela “concern- ruling party has said he In the poll, conducted be- criticism from within the gov- telephone with families from a ing”, in comments that the gov- Twill seek the annulment tween May 29 and June 4, 85.0% ernment’s own ranks. range of economic backgrounds. ernment decried as interference of the vote in fi ve districts in a of respondents agreed with the The opposition says the vote Maduro’s government has that would fuel violence. key governor’s race last weekend statement: “There is no need is a sham designed purely to been put under pressure by two Maduro’s approval rating in in a bid to overturn the result and to change the current consti- keep him in power and with months of often violent opposi- the poll was 21.9%, including strengthen his hand ahead of tution. What the government rules skewed in favour of the tion street protests that have led people who considered his per- next year’s presidential election. should do is enforce it.” government. to at least 67 deaths, thousands formance as president, not bad, Andres Manuel Lopez Ob- Maduro, 54, has called a July They want to bring forward of injuries, hundreds of arrests good and very good. rador’s National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) came in a close second to the ruling In- stitutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in last Sunday’s election in State of Mexico, claiming it had been robbed of victory. MORENA candidate Delfi na Gomez fi nished some 170,000 votes adrift of PRI contender Alfredo del Mazo in the state of some 16mn people, according to a preliminary offi cial tally. Lopez Obrador told a news conference that electoral au- thorities should annul fi ve dis- tricts where the PRI was 240,000 votes ahead of MORENA due to what he claimed was voter fraud. If those districts were dis- counted, MORENA would be the victor, he said. “We don’t accept the offi - cial result ... we maintain that Delfi na Gomez won,” said Lopez Obrador, who has led early polls in the run-up to the 2018 presi- dential election. Twice a runner-up for the Demonstrators protest outside the National Telecommunications presidency, Lopez Obrador has Commission (CONATEL) in Caracas on Friday to demand an end to a long record of claiming voter media censorship in the country. fraud in Mexico, where elections are frequently marred by such Right: Protesters hold a banner made from 3,000 two-bolivar-bills, allegations. that is equivalent approximately to $1 according to the black market Earlier this week Lopez Ob- exchange rate, in Caracas yesterday. rador said he would demand a vote-by-vote recount in the state but authorities have not Baby and teenager among six killed in Mexico attack granted that. His critics say his party is no A four-month-old baby and a 17-year-old boy were Local media reports said some of the victims were cleaner than others. ‘Air Cocaine’ convict moved among six people shot dead on Friday at a house from the same family. The state of Mexico, the coun- near the Mexican resort of Acapulco, authorities Some witnesses blamed the attack on a try’s most populous region, is said. vigilante group called the Union of Towns and home to one in eight Mexican Gunmen burst into the house in the small southern Organisations of Guerrero State, or UPOEG. voters and it has long been a to France for health reasons town of San Pedro Cacahuatepec and riddled it The group denied the claim. source of strength and fi nancing with gunfire, according to emergency off icials. It said it had gone to the scene to fend off the for the PRI. Three women and a man were also killed in the hail attack, which it blamed on a gang. The election was tarnished AFP knocked him over while he was His sentence was upheld in of bullets. Guerrero is one of the most violent states in by widespread accusations of Paris out on bail. November last year. Three children were wounded – ages one, eight Mexico, caught up in a bloody drug war pitting fraud, ranging from intimidation He will undergo surgery in The pilots, Pascal Fauret and and 11. rival cartels against each other and the army. of voters to vote buying. France to try to avoid amputa- Bruno Odos, managed to fl ee Frenchman sentenced to tion of his leg, his Dominican back to France. 20 years’ jail in the Do- lawyer Luz Diaz told AFP in But they were re-arrested Aminican Republic over a Santo Domingo. and are now under investiga- plot to smuggle a planeload of Castany and three other tion by French authorities. drugs has been transferred to Frenchmen were arrested at the Last week the prosecutor’s ’Ndrangheta mafi a boss arrested in Brazil France for health reasons, his airport in the resort city of Pun- offi ce in Marseille demanded lawyer said. ta Cana as their small Dassault that all four, along with seven Alain Castany, one of four Falcon 50 jet prepared to take other suspects in the case, be DPA drug traffi cking, has been ar- Canada, and in the Netherlands. Macri was intercepted at Sao Frenchmen convicted in the off with what authorities say handed over to the court in Rome rested in Brazil, Italian police said “Vincenzo Macri’s arrest is Paolo airport in Brazil before so-called “Air Cocaine” case, was a cargo of suitcases stuff ed Bouches-du-Rhone. yesterday. another very important opera- boarding a plane to the Venezue- arrived in France on Friday with some 700kg of cocaine. A French aviation security Vincenzo Macri, 52, was said tion against the ’Ndrangheta, lan capital of Caracas, where he morning for medical treatment, Castany was convicted in expert, Christophe Naudin, n Italian ’Ndrangheta to be one of Italy’s most dan- adding to the arrest of other dan- was living under a false identity, lawyer Karim Beylouni told 2015 of brokering the plot and who is accused of helping the Mafi a boss, on the run for gerous fugitives and a leader of gerous fugitives carried out re- Italian police said, adding that AFP. was sentenced to 20 years in pilots escape in being held in a Aalmost two years after be- the Comisso clan, based in the cently,” Italian Interior Minister US, Castany, 70, has been hos- prison along with the two pilots Dominican jail following his ex- ing charged with organised crime ’Ndrangheta’s heartland of Ca- Marco Minniti said in a separate Brazilian and Venezuelan au- pitalised after a motorcycle and a passenger on the aircraft. tradition from Egypt. membership and international labria but also active in Toronto, statement. thorities helped track him down. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Remittances from overseas Pakistanis jump by 21.36% in May

Internews a year earlier. Bilal Khan, an economist at with $440mn in April. next 15 years, the FIFA world Cup der Pakistan Remittance Initia- various estimates. Karachi Remittances usually receive Standard Chartered Bank said In May 2016, the infl ows were 2022 in Qatar and Expo 2020 in tive (PRI) free of cost as the cen- The routing of remittance a boost during Ramadan and the infl ows would remain fl at. $548mn. Dubai will create more labour tral bank paid rebate for these funds through unregulated ahead of Eid festival as Pakistani “Our expectation is that in- Analysts painted a bleak pic- demand,” the government said services to the banks, but now channels, such as Hawala and emittances from over- expatriates from Middle East, ward overseas workers’ remit- ture for the times ahead due in its ‘Pakistan Economic Survey the threshold is $200. Hundi is not widely productive seas Pakistanis fell 2.13% USA, UK and European coun- tances will end-FY17 almost fl at to unfavourable labour market 2016/17’ document. Industry sources said SBP for the economy. Rto $17.463bn during 11 tries send more money home to on the previous year at around conditions in the Gulf region, the Analysts said increasing cost cleared outstanding rebate pay- It’s also creating issues for the months of the current fi scal year, their families to meet Umrah and $19.8bn.” pound sterling’s depreciation for sending money home is also ments under PRI, owing to money transfer industry in the but the last month saw almost festival-related spending. Foreign exchange fi rms wit- against the dollar and tougher a major hurdle for Pakistani banks, till September 2016. country. one-fourth rise month-on- “May was a good month and nessed an upsurge in remittanc- regulatory controls in US. expatriates, and believed to Rebate claims for October and A senior banker, however, month in infl ows ahead of Eid so would be June due to Ram- es during the ongoing month of “(Remittance) infl ows will be negatively impacting such November are expected to be said since the stricter regula- al-Fitr. adan,” a senior banker said. Ramadan. stall next year unless migrant la- flows. cleared by the end of this week, tions against anti-money laun- The State Bank of Pakistan “Total remittances for May “Remittances recorded bour dynamics in oil-rich coun- “Yes, convenience and cost, said a source. dering and terrorist financing (SBP) data showed yester- and June should be between through exchange companies tries, which are aff ected by de- both are the major stimulants for Analysts said remittances are discouraging unorganised day that the country received $3.5-4bn; hence, the fi nal fi gure saw 10-15% increase during the pressed oil prices, get improved,” the sender and the benefi ciary routed through illegal sources channels, “we might actually $17.843bn in remittances from for June-end should be around fi rst 10 days of this Ramazan,” said an analyst. to send and receive remittances could be much larger than usu- see an upsurge in formal remit- expatriates in the July-May pe- $19-19.5bn.” said Zafar Paracha, general sec- The government is, however, through legal sources,” a banker ally thought as many senders tances.” riod of 2015/16. SBP forecast remittances at retary at Exchange Companies upbeat on the outlook. “The de- said. “Cost for sending money bypass banks and money trans- Despite a slowdown in In May, remittances from ex- $19.5-20.5bn for the current fi s- Association of Pakistan. velopment activities under Saudi is increased and it should be fer companies. growth remittances still re- patriate Pakistanis amounted to cal year, ending June 30. Remittances from Saudi Ara- Arabia’s vision 2030, which pro- brought down.” Transfers through unoffi- main one of the largest sources $1.867bn, up 21.36% over April Remittances stood at $19.9bn bia, which is the main source, vides a roadmap for kingdom’s Earlier, the sender could have cial channels could be worth of foreign exchange earnings and 3.77% over the same month during the last fi scal year. rose to $514mn in May compared development and economy for sent money home up to $100 un- up to $20bn, according to for Pakistan. Afghan cops killed in US ‘friendly fi re’

AFP Kandahar

US air strike killed at least two Afghan policemen Aand wounded four oth- ers in Helmand, offi cials said yesterday, in apparently the fi rst “friendly fi re” incident since American Marines returned to the southern province in April. Afghan border police were on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shake hands during a a patrol in the volatile district of meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Nad Ali when they came under on June 9. fi re during a military operation around midnight Friday. “We can confirm personnel from the Afghan National De- fense and Security Forces were Pakistan an important partner killed and wounded during overnight operations in Hel- mand Province,” the US mili- tary said in a statement, adding in South Asia, Putin tells Sharif that an investigation had been launched. “We would like to express our Agencies lateral relations, including trade mutually benefi cial. “Our rela- deepest condolences to the fam- Astana/Islamabad and economic co-operation, and tions are developing in many ar- ilies of the ABP members aff ect- Afghan Border Police personnel walk through an outpost damaged in an airstrike in the Nad Ali district of also current international issues eas, and our trade has increased, ed by this unfortunate incident.” Helmand province yesterday. during the meeting. even if only by a few percentage The policemen were patrolling ussian President Vladimir Adviser on Foreign Aff airs points,” he said. too close to a Taliban base when istan — only for it to slip deeper ince, a stronghold of Islamic Khogyani told AFP. Putin has termed Pakistan Sartaj Aziz and Minister for In turn, Prime Minister Sharif they came under attack, pro- into a quagmire of instability. State militants, an offi cial said. “The (Afghan) soldier was Ras an important partner Commerce Khurram Dastgir thanked President Putin, and the vincial spokesman Omar Zhwak The Taliban eff ectively con- The Taliban claimed respon- also killed in the return fi re.” for his country in South Asia, a were present at the meeting, Pa- Russian Federation for support- told AFP. trol or contest 10 of Helmand’s sibility for the insider attack in Nato forces in Kabul declined media report said. kistan Today reported. ing Pakistan’s full membership “Two police offi cers were 14 districts, blighted by a huge the volatile district of Achin, to immediately comment on the He conveyed this to Prime Putin congratulated Sharif on in the SCO. Sharif said, “While killed and four others wounded. opium harvest that helps fund saying it was carried out by an killings. Minister Nawaz Sharif during Pakistan’s accession to the SCO. in Ufa we did agree on improving A number of Taliban were also the insurgency. infi ltrator. “We are aware of an incident their meeting on the sidelines Putin said: “I am glad that we Pakistan-Russian bilateral trade, killed in the air strike,” Zhwak Separately, an Afghan com- “Today around noon an Af- in eastern Afghanistan,” the US- of the Shanghai Co-operation met for a bilateral meeting on the there is improvement but not the said. mando yesterday killed two ghan commando opened fi re led military coalition said in a Organisation (SCO) summit in sidelines of the SCO Summit.” level that we agreed upon. It has Helmand for years was the American soldiers and wounded on US troops in Achin district, brief statement. “We will release Astana on Friday. He said Russia-Pakistan rela- been always my endeavour to centrepiece of the US and British two others during a joint opera- killing two American soldiers,” more information when appro- The two leaders discussed bi- tions have been constructive and strengthen our relationship.” military intervention in Afghan- tion in eastern Nangarhar prov- provincial spokesman Attaullah priate.” Three men, 96 children: Pakistan’s population booms

AFP due to lower fertility rates, Bannu, Pakistan though she added it would re- main among the highest rates in the region. hree men who have fa- “There has to be a clear enun- thered nearly 100 children ciation of need to slow growth as Tamong them are doing a positive policy lever,” she said. their bit for Pakistan’s skyrock- “And then next a good, eff ective eting population, which is being health system that provides infor- counted for the fi rst time in 19 mation and services of quality.” years. Khan’s brother, Mastan Khan But in a country where ex- Wazir — one of his 15 siblings perts warn the surging populace — also has three wives. So far, is gouging into hard-won eco- Wazir has only fathered 22 chil- nomic gains and social services, dren but, like his brother, he says the three patriarchs are uncon- his grandchildren are too nu- cerned. merous to count. Allah, they say, will provide. The 70-year-old, with his Pakistan has the highest birth bushy moustaches and bejewel- rate in South Asia at around led fi ngers, is a minor celebrity three children per woman, ac- in North Waziristan tribal dis- cording to the World Bank and trict, where his blinged out jeep government fi gures, and the — done in the style of Pakistan’s census is expected to show that famous “jingle trucks”, with Pa- growth remains high. shto music pouring from the “God has created the entire stereo — is a familiar sight. universe and all human beings, “God has promised that he so why should I stop the natural will provide food and resources process of a baby’s birth?” asks Pakistani man Mastan Khan Wazir, 70, who has 22 children from his but people have weak faith,” Pakistani father Gulzar Khan, 57, who has 36 children from his three wives, receives a kiss from one of his Gulzar Khan, a father of 36. three wives, sits in his blinged-out jeep as he speaks during an he said, wearing a traditional daughters at his house in the northwestern town of Bannu. Tribal enmity is another fac- interview with AFP in Islamabad. Waziristani turban. tor in the northwest, where the In the southwestern city of them...Muslims should go for sible side eff ects and where to and this creates a mindset that 57-year-old lives in the city of The last census, held in 1998, any progress, using up valuable Quetta in Baluchistan province, more and more children,” he said. get them. That is missing,” she leads to prosperity within fami- Bannu with his third wife, who is showed Pakistan had a popula- resources in a young country Jan Mohamed — the father of 38 Denied their husbands’ per- added. lies that is likely to be emulated pregnant. tion of up to 135mn. where jobs are scarce and nearly children — agrees, despite hav- mission to speak, none of the Giving women more of a across communities.” “We wanted to be stronger,” Estimates suggest the new 60mn people live below the pov- ing previously called on the gov- three men’s wives could give choice in the matter could help, Khan, at least, admitted there the 57-year-old said, surround- census — carried out earlier this erty line. ernment to provide resources for their views on family planning. argues Aisha Sarwari, a femi- could be some benefi ts to slow- ed by 23 of his off spring — so year, with the preliminary results “It definitely is a problem his family. But there is already “abun- nist activist who has previously ing down. many, he observes, they don’t due by the end of July — will put because it is affecting health Jan spoke with AFP in 2016 to dant” awareness in Pakistan written on population and wom- For one thing, tribal enmity in need friends to play a full cricket the fi gure closer to 200mn. outcomes adversely and also voice his desire for a fourth wife about the need for birth spacing, en’s rights. the northwest has decreased in match. The economy is expanding eating into development gains,” as he continues his mission of or allowing a woman’s body to “Access to birth control for recent years, he said. “Now, with Polygamy is legal but rare faster than it has in a decade, says Zeba A Sathar, country having 100 children. rest for at least 18 months be- women can be a game changer,” the grace of God, the situation in Pakistan, and families like and last month Islamabad hiked director for the UN population No woman has yet agreed, he tween pregnancies, Sathar said. she said. “Ultimately the impact has changed — war and fi ghting Khan’s are not the norm, though its development budget by 40%. council. says, but he has not given up. “The need is for clear infor- is that there are more resourc- is fi nished — so, now, a decrease the beliefs he holds are wide- But observers have warned the Sathar predicted the census “The more Muslims grow, mation about the methods avail- es to go around...Empowered in the population would not be spread. population boom is negating would show growth has slowed the more their enemies will fear able, how they work, their pos- women have fewer children, bad.” Gulf Times 24 Sunday, June 11, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Philippine National Police Special Action Force personnel man a checkpoint in Marawi city, as government troops continue their assault against insurgents from the Maute group. Right: Evacuees cook food in an open area of the evacuation centre at Saguiran village in Lanao Del Sur, yesterday. US forces back troops in militant-held city

AFP the embassy said in a statement. the militants. Tens of thousands Marawi Marawi-based military have fl ed Marawi, which is the spokesman Lieutenant Colo- country’s most important Mus- nel Jo-ar Herrera confi rmed the lim city, as the fi ghting ripped nited States special forc- US help, adding that the special through residential neighbour- es are providing support forces were not fi ghting, but hoods, with more than 200,000 Uto the Philippine military “providing technical support”. displaced people now living in battling to dislodge militants in He said Friday’s deaths precarious conditions and vul- a southern city, the US embassy amounted to the military’s big- nerable to deadly health risks, said yesterday, as 13 Filipino ma- gest single-day loss in the cam- the International Committee of rines were killed in fresh fi ght- paign. the Red Cross warned Friday. ing. Herrera also said there are About 2,000 people are also Philippine troops are strug- “strong indications” that Omar- believed to still be trapped in gling to defeat hundreds of khayam and Madie Maute, two militant-held areas as insurgents fi ghters, who rampaged through leaders of the Marawi attack, continue to entrench themselves Evacuees blow soap bubbles as they play in an open area of the Marawi on May 23 fl ying black were killed in separate opera- two weeks into the confl ict, evacuation centre at Saguiran village in Lanao Del Sur. fl ags of the Islamic State (IS) tions. which saw them take a Catholic group, and have used civilians But he added the military is priest hostage, open up two jails in the embattled southern region Philippine military leaders as human shields, bomb-proof still “validating” the report and and destroy many buildings. of Mindanao comes after Duterte have said their troops unexpect- tunnels and anti-tank weapons there is no way of independently Herrera said security forces has sought to reduce the Phil- edly interrupted plans by the to fortify their positions. confi rming it. were struggling to contain the ippines’ reliance on the United fi ghters to take over Marawi in a Friday’s ferocious, street-to- “There were intense fi re- fi ghters without causing civilian States and build much closer ties spectacular event to show that street gunbattles with the mili- fi ghts, house-to-house gun- casualties. with China and Russia. IS had arrived in the Philippines tants saw 13 troops killed, in a A US P3 Orion surveillance aircraft flies over the town of Marawi city, as battles,” Herrera said at a news “The local terrorist groups are The US Embassy said Wash- and was intent on carving out dramatic surge in the toll from government troops continue their assault against insurgents from the conference in Marawi earlier in using the mosque, they are en- ington would “continue to work territory. the confl ict, Philippine military Maute group, who have taken over large parts of the city. describing Friday’s gunbattles, trenched there. They also used with the Philippines to address They initially estimated there spokesmen said. adding that the total number of civilians as human shields...we shared threats to the peace and were about 100 gunmen but later A 15-year-old boy was also parts of the city with strikes to American forces were providing government troops killed in the are very precise in our opera- security of our countries, in- said there were as many as 500 killed by a stray bullet as he support ground troops. assistance to the Filipino troops, confl ict was 58. tions to avoid collateral damage.” cluding on counter-terrorism is- and supplemented by foreign took part in Friday prayers at a Some 40 marines were although it declined to give de- Over 20 civilians have been President Rodrigo Duterte has sues” in its statement yesterday. fi ghters. mosque in Marawi as the skir- wounded in the gunbattles that tails for security reasons. confi rmed killed due to the said the militant attack was part The US on Monday gave the The gunmen have also had mishes raged outside, an AFP lasted 14 hours, according to “At the request of the govern- fi ghting, according to the gov- of a wider plot by IS to establish Philippines hundreds of ma- a surprisingly large arsenal of video journalist said. military spokesman Colonel ment of the Philippines, US spe- ernment, but the true number is a base in the southern region of chine guns, pistols and grenade military hardware, including It was among the heaviest Edgardo Arevalo. cial operations forces are assist- likely to be higher with authori- Mindanao, and declared martial launchers, which a local com- rocket-propelled grenades and fi ghting seen in mainly Muslim As the confl ict intensifi ed, ing the (Philippine military) with ties yet to fully assess the roughly law there to quell the threat. mander said would be used in the a so-far inexhaustible amount of Marawi as the air force battered the US embassy in Manila said ongoing operations in Marawi,” 10% of Marawi still being held by The announcement of US help fi ght against militants. ammunition.

Resorts World Customs denies ‘inside security firm Rebel leaders’ mother relieved of duties job’ in warehouse blaze NC Lanting Security Specialist Agency, the provider of security guards to Resorts World Manila, and nine others arrested Agencies 6:30pm after the unloading of was ordered relieved of all its du- Manila the articles, three hours before ties, after the Philippine National the fi re erupted. Police (PNP) Supervisory Off ice By Moh Saaduddin Among the articles damaged for Security and Investigation Manila Times/Marawi City he Bureau of Customs by the fi re were used clothing, Agencies found several security has dismissed claims counterfeit shoes, refrigera- lapses in the wake of the June 2 Tthe fi re that razed Se- tors, plywood, toys, cigarettes, incident where 38 people were he mother of key leaders curity Warehouse 159 on June soaps, non-serviceable cars, killed and 74 others wounded. of the militant Maute or 1 could have been an inside job. and other chemicals, all sub- Among the lapses were the failure TIslamic State (IS)-Ranao Sonny Sarmiento, deputy ject for destruction and con- of NC Lanting to observe the so- group was arrested by authori- chairman for operations of demnation. called duty-pairing system; lack of ties on Friday evening in the the BOC – Special Studies and Initial bureau fi ndings indi- training of its guards at the Resorts town of Masiu, Lanao del Sur, Project Development Com- cated that the fi re was caused World in mall security, which could a few kilometres away from this mittee, explained that the keys by faulty electrical wiring. have prevented the worsening battle-ravaged city, offi cials to the warehouse were kept by The Customs offi cial said of the situation; failure to wear said. four diff erent personnel from they were also awaiting the the prescribed uniform and lack Ominta “Farhana” Romato Customs Intelligence and In- result of the investigation by of permission for a special set of Maute, mother of Omar Roma- vestigation Service, Enforce- authorities. uniforms for guards, Manila Times to Maute and Abdullah Romato ment and Security Services, “However, those were just reported. NC Lanting guards were Maute, leaders of the Maute Ominta ‘Farhana’ Romato Maute (right), mother of Maute group leaders, is shown with her companions the committee, and a ware- probabilities. We are not mak- barred from carrying firearms. It group, was attempting to leave after being arrested by authorities in Masiu, Lanao del Sur. houseman designated by the ing any conclusion because we was also noted that one of the the province when intercepted Port of Manila. are still awaiting the result of security guards of NC Lanting lent around 7.15pm, said Chief Supt. suspects several high-powered tary, backed by the policemen, ty reasons. The couple has been “Unauthorised personnel the ongoing investigation by his weapon to a member of the Reuben Theodore Sindac, re- fi rearms and improvised explo- are attempting to contain the charged by the Department of cannot enter Warehouse 159. It the Bureau of Fire Protection Resorts World internal security gional police director of the sives. Maute men by June 12 or Inde- National Defence with rebellion can be accessed once the four (BFP),” he added. who then fought it out with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Masiu is among 39 towns of pendence Day. in connection with the Marawi agents are all present, so we Oscar Villalva, Auction and gunman, Jessie Javier Carlos. Mindanao. Lanao del Sur’s fi rst district, “The government is serious siege. already rejected the possibility Cargo Disposal Division chief Carlos eventually killed himself “Farhana was said to be buy- more or less 30 kilometres away in its fi ght to end the cultists’ Earlier arrested for rebel- of an inside job and sabotage,” of the Port of Manila, dis- with his M-4 carbine while 36 em- ing vehicles and fi rearms for from Marawi City. It is next terror attack in Marawi and lion were Nasser Dilangalen in he said in a statement. proved the claim of BFP that ployees and guests of RWM suc- their escape outside Lanao del to Butig, the hometown of the pre-empt their atrocious plans Cotabato City and former Ma- Based on the security video, they failed to co-ordinate as cumbed to smoke inhalation. A Sur province,” Sindac said. Maute clan that the terrorists in the entire nation,” Sindac rawi mayor Fahad “Pre” Salic customs agents facilitated the regards the ongoing investiga- foreigner suff ered a heart attack. He said two unidentifi ed briefl y took over last year. said. in Misamis Oriental and several transfer of goods to the ware- tion. “Also Lanting has no security plan wounded Maute members A police report, quoting a The Maute matriarch was other suspects, all said to be house at 5pm before the fi re “Immediately after the in- to ensure compliance with the and seven unidentifi ed female reliable source, said Farhana expected to be brought to Ca- supporters of the Maute group. broke out. It also validated the cident, we gave an initial copy prescribed security requirement personalities, who were with was hiding in Dayawan village gayan de Oro City and then to Intelligence authorities said agents’ report and residents’ of the inventory and during of the PNP, except its deploy- Farhana aboard a grey Toyota together with the two Maute Manila. the Maute matriarch was un- claims that “several men” the investigation. What we ment plan in the form of its Daily Revo, were also arrested by po- members. Farhana’s husband, Cayamo- der surveillance for years for were inside the warehouse at endorsed yesterday was the Shifting Detail Order,” said Chief lice in the village of Kormatan The arrest of the suspects ra Maute, was earlier arrested fi nancing the terror group, in- that time. offi cial transmittal of the list Supt. Jose Maria Espino, head of in Masiu. came as fi ghting in Marawi in Davao City and then trans- cluding purchasing vehicles The report added that the of inventory with the proper the PNP supervisory off ice. Authorities seized from the reached its 18th day. The mili- ferred in Taguig City for securi- under her name. warehouse was padlocked at endorsement,” he said. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Slain Maldives blogger’s father demands foreign probe at UN AFP “I think the UN can help us in ple stab wounds to his chest and month began making arrests, Geneva this,” he added. neck. He died in hospital. but activists say they doubt This file photo shows Hussain Rasheed, the father of slain Maldivian blogger Yameen Rasheed, speaking Choking back tears, the those detained are actually with reporters in Colombo. 54-year-old recalled seeing the “I am not trusting the behind the killing. he father of murdered body of his son, who had been investigation, my own “They have seven people under police had acted suspiciously, His comments came a day af- ensure justice for Rasheed’s killing. blogger Yameen Rasheed killed hours earlier at his home in suspicion is that the arrest now who may or may not washing down the scene of the ter Adam Azim, the brother of He was the third media fi gure Tin the Maldives has ac- Male by unidentifi ed attackers. police are trying to cover have been connected to the mur- crime and having the blood- jailed former defence minister to be targeted in the troubled ar- cused police of trying to cov- “My son was very brutally up the case” der, but we don’t believe that any splattered wall repainted. Mohamed Nazim and one of the chipelago nation in the last fi ve er up the case, and appealed murdered,” he said, shaking his of those people are the people be- They also prevented anyone few vocal dissidents still in the years. to the United Nations for an head and pointing out that the He had lodged complaints hind this,” Shahindha Ismail, ex- from taking pictures and had country, was arrested. Blogger Ismail Rasheed nar- investigation. 29-year-old blogger “had so with the police about death ecutive director of the Maldivian not questioned anyone in the Earlier this week 30 nations rowly escaped death when he Speaking to AFP on the side- many wounds, it was diffi cult for threats he had received in De- Democracy Network, said. building, he claimed. issued a statement criticising was stabbed by an unidentifi ed lines of the UN Human Rights me to count.” cember, but they were not taken “I am not trusting the inves- Asked why police would in- the Maldivian regime before the attacker in 2012. Council, Hussain Rasheed said Yameen Rasheed, who poked seriously. tigation,” Rasheed said, adding tentionally botch the investiga- Human Rights Council, calling A journalist with the inde- he had come to Geneva “to raise fun at the Maldives’ politicians The government of the In- that “my own suspicion is that tion, he said: “The government on the country to respect basic pendent Minivan News, Ahmed my voice internationally and to on his blog The Daily Panic, was dian Ocean archipelago has the police are trying to cover up is not on a democratic path freedoms. Rilwan, was likely abducted put pressure on the government found in the stairwell of his Male promised an investigation the case.” right now; it’s going towards a The statement also urged in August 2014 and has been to achieve justice for my son.” apartment building with multi- into his death, and police last He charged that the Maldives dictatorship.” President Abdulla Yameen to missing ever since.

Prime accused in Hasina Preparing Iftar plates motorcade attack arrested Bangladesh

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested the prime accused in attack on the ranked 6th motorcade of the then leader of the opposition in parliament Sheikh Hasina in 2002. Major Safayat Ahamed Suman, camp commander of RAB on climate at Sirajganj, said acting on a tip-off , the RAB arrested Khalid Manjurul Romel from Panchlia Bazar of Sirajganj district on Friday night. risk list During the primary interrogation, Romel confessed his involvement By Mizan Rahman more than 528,000 people in the attack on Hasina’s Dhaka died worldwide and losses of motorcade. $3.08trn ((in purchasing pow- On August 30, 2002, the then er parities) were incurred as a opposition leader Sheikh n international report direct result of almost 11,000 Hasina went to Satkhira Sadar said low-lying Bangla- extreme weather events,” the Hospital to visit the wife of a Adesh is among the top report added. freedom fighter, hailing from countries hit hardest by ex- Bangladesh expressed its Kalaroa sub-district in Satkhira treme weather events in last disappointment at the United district. two decades. States’ decision of withdraw- After visiting the victim at the The 2017 Global Climate ing from the Paris climate hospital, Hasina, along with Risk index ranked Bangladesh agreement. her motorcade, was going to sixth among the top 10 worst- “It would be unfortunate Jessore. aff ected countries in the to lose a leading partner like When the motorcade reached report. the United States in the global in front of BNP off ice in Kalaroa The Bonn-based advocacy journey to secure a green and on Jessore-Satkhira road group Germanwatch released safe planet for ourselves and around 11:30am, a group of the report. our future generations,” the armed men fired gunshots and The group came up with foreign ministry said in Dhaka hurled crude bombs at the the fi ndings after analysing in a statement. motorcade. weather related loss events Bangladesh, being one of Former lawmaker Mujibur A volunteer prepares plates of Iftar foods for residents to break their fast at a mosque in Dhaka yesterday. Muslims throughout the world from 1996 to 2015. the most climate vulnerable Rahman and several journalists are marking the month of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar during which Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. Between 1996 and 2015, an countries with a current pop- were injured in the attack. average of 679.05 people died ulation of 160mn, ‘remains from 185 climate events an- committed’ to the agreement, nually, the report says, add- it said. ing that the country also lost Bangladesh will continue 0.73% of its GDP. its eff orts with all friends and According to the index, partners around the globe to Nepal amends law to ensure minorities’ participation in polls Honduras, Myanmar, and mobilise domestic and inter- Haiti were the most affl icted national resources to address by such disasters. The other the grave threats posed by cli- Agencies second phase election slated omitted in the fi rst amendment. the parliament for discussion on provision 259 of parliament countries in the top 10 list are mate change, the statement Kathmandu for June 28. The long time agitating six Thursday, which was objected by rules-2073 was approved by Nicaragua, Philippines, Paki- added. The amended Article 18 (1) of parties of Madhesh, now uni- two of the lawmakers. The par- majority. stan, Vietnam, Guatemala and US President Donald the Local Level Election Act had fi ed as Rastriya Prajatantra liament, however, endorsed the The second phase election will Thailand. Trump on June 1 said that he parliamentary meet- a mandatory provision for polit- Party, had been long demand- amendment bill. cover the large swath of Nepal’s “People all over the world was withdrawing the United ing has endorsed the ical parties to submit the signa- ing for the amendment of this Before the amendment in volatile southern plains and 41 have to face the reality of cli- States from the Paris Climate Afi rst amendment bill tures of party offi cers to Election provision. the law, the parliament also districts which has the voter mate variability and in many Accord, a sweeping step that of the Local Level Elections Commission at least 15 days pri- Newly sworn in Deputy Prime approved the proposal of population of about 9mn. The parts of the world an in- fulfi lled a campaign prom- Act in Nepal, thus, paving or to the day of fi ling the candi- Minister and Minister for Home rule elimination. The previ- fi rst phase of local election was creasing variability,” said the ise while acutely dampening way for the participation of dacy. The timeframe, which was Aff airs Janardan Sharma pre- ous proposal to eliminate the held on May 14 which witnessed index. global eff orts to curb global the ethnic minorities in the mentioned in the law, was only sented the amendment bill in rule 127’s subsection (1) of 73% voter turnout. “Between 1996 and 2015, warming. Canada to deport Lankan refugee charged with murdering wife Agencies last month. He was set free Refugee Board of Canada on He was charged with second- da Border Services Agency upon Montreal by the court after the dura- Friday that he did not believe he degree murder in the slaying of his release and a deportation or- tion of his criminal proceedings would be in danger in his home Baskaran. der was issued against him. exceeded the legal limit. country and no longer needed to The charge was stayed in April Thanabalasingam, who came mmigration authorities in Ewa Staszewicz, a lawyer for be protected as a refugee. after the length of the proceed- to Canada as a refugee, originally Canada have said that a Sri the Canada’s immigration de- Thanabalasingam was arrested ings was deemed to have violated appealed the deportation order ILankan refugee accused of partment, confi rmed that steps in August 2012 after his 21-year- a recent Supreme Court of Can- but later changed his mind and killing his wife but set free by were being taken to obtain the old wife, Anuja Baskaran’s body ada ruling that set time limits for asked to be sent back to Sri Lanka. court, will be deported to his necessary travel documents for was found in their apartment in trials to be completed. There is still an appeal pend- home country, within weeks. Thanabalasingam, local media the Ahuntsic neighbourhood of He became the fi rst murder ing against Thanabalasingam as Sivaloganathan Thanabalasi- reported. Montreal. The woman in her 20s suspect in Quebec to be set free as the Crown has challenged the ngam, 31, was charged with Thanabalasingam reported to had been stabbed in the throat a consequence of the court ruling. judgment that halted the legal Sivaloganathan Thanabalasingam ... set free by court murdering his wife in Quebec have told the Immigration and many times. He was detained by the Cana- proceedings against him. Gulf Times 26 Sunday, June 11, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko A Brexit strategy for a

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] weak UK government Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) By Ngaire Woods collaborative process centred on joint constraints that may aff ect the EU and on goods swiftly crossing European Fax 44350474 Oxford problem solving. The negotiations its member states. borders, whether it be livestock from should focus on creating as much The third mistake is to create Ireland or crankshafts from Germany. value as possible for both parties, unrealistic expectations. The Brexit In short, the UK cannot aff ord s Prime Minister Theresa including through the bespoke UK- talks will undoubtedly be long and to lose frictionless borders, even May seeks to form a new EU free-trade arrangement (FTA) diffi cult – all the more so if citizens, temporarily, as it awaits agreement on government, following that May aspires to create. Fairness, businesses, or the negotiators a fi nal deal. It certainly cannot aff ord Aan election in which openness, and transparency are vital themselves become discouraged, after to lose them for the long term, as GULF TIMES her Conservative Party lost its to enable both sides to appraise the excessive expectations are not met. would probably occur if no deal were parliamentary majority, she knows prospective gains accurately and Managing expectations regarding reached within the allotted two years. that, within days, she will also need effi ciently, not to mention to allow timing may be most important. The Indeed, May’s threat that “no deal is to get down to the nitty-gritty of the private sector and other parties to UK hopes to conclude a bespoke FTA better than a bad deal” does not just negotiating Britain’s exit from the contribute innovative solutions. with the EU within the allocated undermine the negotiation process; it European Union. Preparations for The second classic negotiating two-year negotiation period. But is simply wrong. Aviation is the Brexit negotiations have been error is to focus exclusively on your comparable negotiations with other No deal would probably mean underway for some time, but they own interests. Eff ective negotiations major EU partners, such as Japan and reverting to standard World Trade have so far been impaired by three require a deep understanding of the Canada, have taken 9-10 years. And Organisation rules. That would mean elementary negotiating mistakes, and other side’s interests, priorities, and they have been crafted gradually, not a 14.4% tariff for Britain’s agricultural now must deal with the fact that the constraints. What do they stand to in one fell swoop. sector, which will already suff er from the business British government’s mandate to act win or lose? Where can’t they aff ord Consider the EU’s FTA with the loss of fi nancial support through has been damaged severely. to compromise? What could impede Canada, which began with the the European Common Agricultural The fi rst classic mistake made thus their ability to reach an agreement? establishment, in 2004, of a Policy. The UK’s dairy exports will be far was for the UK government to For example, both the UK and the framework for negotiations. Nearly subjected to a 40% average tariff . of freedom imagine that it was headed into battle. EU have capacity constraints. Britain nine years later, in 2013, an agreement As for services – by far the UK According to this view, negotiators is cobbling together a team to handle “in principle” was reached. The actual economy’s largest sector – the WTO must obscure their real plans or trade negotiations as fast as possible. deal was struck last September. Then rules governing exports are some 20 Aviation is the business of freedom. It requires borders intentions, as they work to seize a As for the EU, it is already engaged in the process of approval by European years old and woefully out of date. To that are open to people and for trade. dominant position and, ultimately, to negotiations for some ten FTAs, with institutions began, ultimately gaining get a sense of just how undesirable Without that, the positive impact of connecting people, vanquish their foes. Throw in some everyone from the Gulf Co-operation the European Parliament’s approval in these rules would be, consider that elaborate deception, and it is as if we Council to the United States. European February. And the process is still not all but six of the WTO’s 164 members goods, markets, and ideas through air transport cannot be were preparing for the D-Day landings governments still need to implement complete: national legislatures have either has an FTA with the EU, or is realised. in Normandy. fi ve other previously agreed FTAs with yet to ratify some elements of the pact. working to establish one. At the just concluded AGM at Cancun in Mexico, the But Brexit is not D-Day. Far from Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, West This suggests that, within the May called the recent election International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is attempting to defeat its enemies, Africa, and East Africa. two-year period, the UK’s best hope because she wanted a stronger the global body of airlines, has rightfully expressed deep the United Kingdom is attempting Britain expects to jump the is to complete a framework agreement mandate to negotiate a good deal for to preserve mutually benefi cial queue, because of the scale, depth, with the EU. A fi nal deal will almost her country. She didn’t get it. Now concern over the closure of air links to Qatar by some relationships with countries from and signifi cance of its economic certainly take much longer, not more than ever, securing a deal will Arab countries. which it cannot distance itself relationship with the EU. But, least because parts of it will require require shifting to a collaborative, While accepting that the countries have the right geographically – and from which if it does, the EU may face some ratifi cation by individual member outward-looking, and realistic to close their borders, IATA chief Alexandre de Juniac it can’t aff ord to distance itself backlash from those who are stuck states. The UK government should negotiating strategy. – Project otherwise. It should not keep its in line. In fact, throughout the Brexit be open and unambiguous with the Syndicate warned of travel disruptions in the wake of suspended air plans secret, as it has so far done, negotiations, the EU will need to public about this. links between Qatar and the Arab countries. and it certainly should not engage consider the messages it is sending to In the meantime, the UK must zNgaire Woods is Dean of the “I believe aviation is the business of freedom,” he said. in brinkmanship, such as that its other negotiating partners. If the commit to securing an interim Blavatnik School of Government “It liberates people to live better lives,” de Juniac added. exemplifi ed by May’s battle cry that UK is to help bring about a mutually agreement with the EU. Some 40% of and Founder of the Global Economic Aviation supports some 63mn jobs and $2.7tn in “no deal is better than a bad deal.” benefi cial agreement, its strategy must British exports go to the EU market, Governance Program at the University recognise this, as well as the other and Britain’s factories rely heavily of Oxford. economic generation—fi gures that are set to grow to more Instead, the UK must advance a than 99mn jobs and close to $6tn in economic generation by 2034, if aviation can grow unhindered by restrictive government policies. Aviation’s encouragement of free trade helps make products cheaper and provides consumers with more choice, thereby stimulating broader economic growth. It’s not just jobs and revenues that aviation makes possible. From connecting remote communities and delivering urgently needed medicines in times of crises, to enabling visits to family and friends and facilitating tourism, air transport makes the modern world tick. Qatar Airways’ contribution to global aviation is signifi cant in that it connects people, cultures and brings them ever closer. Qatar’s national carrier, a global super connector, now fl ies to more than 150 destinations around the world. Thousands of passengers in many countries far and wide will vouch for the effi cient, quick and competitive service being provided by “Our focus is on the Doha-based, state- owned airline. supporting our By imposing a blockade passengers” on Qatar Airways, these passengers are being denied the opportunity to fl y conveniently, effi ciently, and with great aff ordability, to destinations around the globe. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker recently reiterated his airline’s commitment to passengers around the world. “Our focus is on supporting our passengers and ensuring that we continue to deliver our award-winning service. As far as we are concerned, it is business as Britain’s Primer Minister Theresa May addresses the country after election at Downing Street in London, on Friday. usual,” he said. Aviation experts have already warned there will be only losers and no winners in the current air blockade in the GCC region. Theresa May’s failed gamble The impact will not be restricted to one particular country as some may choose to believe, but the region as a whole, which has invested billions of dollars on By Jacek Rostowski Brexit debate from being reopened. as essentially a done deal. The big resist a Conservative-negotiated Budapest That strategy seemed to enable decision had been made in last year’s Brexit deal – not least because of constructing airports, purchasing state-of-the-art her to avoid public attention to the referendum, when the British voted May’s approach. aircraft, and deploying modern infrastructure. fundamental lie – that Britain could by a narrow margin to leave the EU. According to constitutional The CAPA Centre for Aviation said, “Public confi dence ix months ago, I predicted that “have its cake and eat it” – peddled “Brexit,” May declared, “means convention in the UK, the Lords in aviation has been dealt a blow and for aviation there British Prime Minister Theresa by the now-Foreign Secretary Boris Brexit.” But what May hoped would do not block measures that the are no long term winners from this” in view of the landing May’s government wouldn’t Johnson and former Justice Minister seem like a clear, even powerful, government had in its manifesto. But Michael Gove, among others, during stance was actually a vague, fatuous, that won’t help May much, because and airspace restrictions. Slast far beyond May of this year. I expected the British people to the Brexit campaign. and rather transparent ploy to avoid she intentionally ensured that little of CAPA says it is diffi cult to see the ban persisting have realised by then that the “soft But British voters, it is now clear, the question that voters never had a substance about Brexit was included for long. There can be few winners from it. It has Brexit” they had been promised was weren’t fooled. They understood, chance to consider: “What kind of in her party’s manifesto. So the Labour already created wider uncertainty for Gulf aviation impossible. This would so undermine even if half-consciously, the Brexit should the UK pursue?” and Liberal Democrat majority in the May’s authority, I anticipated, that audacious dishonesty of May’s ploy. Now, May is attempting to form House of Lords – which May cowed and passengers whose bookings are months away. The she would have to resign. Lo and They saw through her “strong and a minority government. But, given into authorising the start of the Brexit nuances of the ban are too particular for the public to behold, the snap election that May stable” motto, repeated ad nauseum the Conservative Party’s history of talks in February – can reject the understand, but the broader shadow it creates spreads called two months ago has now denied throughout the campaign, to the summarily dethroning its leaders, deal that a minority Conservative widely. her Conservative Party a majority, spurious and shifty reality beneath. there is a strong chance that May government produces. resulting in a hung parliament. They realised that they were being will have to resign as prime minister Under these circumstances, the To be sure, by last month, I had manipulated – and they took their well before the Brexit negotiations only option left for such a government come around to the conventional revenge at the polls. end. would be to call a vote – whether To Advertise wisdom that May’s Conservatives Pundits will say that May lost Even if May remains at the helm of a general election or a second would win. After all, May had cleverly the election because she performed the next government, she will have to referendum – focused on the Brexit [email protected] called the election at a moment when robotically on the campaign trail, negotiate a Brexit agreement that will agreement that the Conservatives Display it could not be about Brexit: one failed to answer journalists’ questions have little chance of getting through negotiate. It is, of course, impossible Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 month after invoking Article 50 of the with conviction, and refused to debate the House of Commons, as all other to know now whether any such vote Treaty of Lisbon, thereby offi cially Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who parties (including even Northern would actually give British voters the Classified initiating the United Kingdom’s campaigned with more panache than Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, opportunity to rethink Brexit itself. Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 withdrawal from the European Union. anyone expected. All of this is true. on which her next government would But it would at least give them what The real negotiations – which are But May’s lack of passion was have to rely) want a relatively soft May never would until now: a real Subscription supposed to take two years, but are rooted in her own political strategy. Brexit. Even the Conservative Party is chance to choose the kind of Brexit [email protected] likely to take much longer – haven’t To avoid any real debate about the split between hard-line Brexiteers and they want. – Project Syndicate even started. issues Britain faces – in particular, the former Remainers. Of course, May did not count on reality of Brexit – she had to make the And getting the deal through the zJacek Rostowski was Poland’s 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved timing alone. She had been executing election about nothing at all. House of Commons is just the fi rst minister of fi nance and deputy prime a political strategy that prevented the May attempted to portray Brexit step. The House of Lords will also minister from 2007 to 2013. Gulf Times Sunday, June 11, 2017 27 COMMENT The ‘smoking gun’ of Comey

By Tim Weiner The facts are straightforward but That means that Mueller and the Reuters still shocking. Bureau might be looking at Trump as a Mueller and his investigators now potential subject of a criminal case. have the meticulous memoranda The law makes it a crime to smoking gun is of conversations Comey had with corruptly obstruct, infl uence or extraordinarily rare Trump. impede an FBI investigation. evidence. Think about it: Why did the former director feel Which brings us back to what we Athe gun has been fi red, the compelled to make them? “I was might learn from the case against smoke is curling from the barrel, and honestly concerned that he might Nixon. the Federal Bureau of Investigation can lie about the nature of our meeting,” The Justice Department almost see the traces. Comey said, “and so I thought it really certainly cannot indict a sitting But James Comey, dismissed as important to document.” president. FBI director by President Trump a We learned from Comey that Flynn But back in June 1974, two months month ago, delivered one in his Senate was under criminal investigation, before Nixon resigned, news broke testimony on Thursday. vulnerable to a charge that he lied to that he had been named as an It may prove injurious – possibly FBI agents who interviewed him about “unindicted co-conspirator” by the fatal – to the political fortunes of the his contacts with Russian offi cials, federal grand jury in the Watergate Trump administration. well before he was forced to resign case. The famous “smoking gun tape” Feb 13. The defendants in that case that doomed President Richard Nixon And that the following evening, included Nixon’s former attorney was recorded in the Oval Offi ce in face to face, one-on-one in the White general, John Mitchell, and the men June 1972, the week after White House House, Trump asked Comey to “let who had served as his closest White operatives were arrested breaking Flynn go” – to drop the case. House aides, H.R. Haldeman and John into Democratic National Committee “Was General Flynn, at that time, in Ehrlichman. headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. serious legal jeopardy?” asked Senate All three went to prison. Nixon wanted the FBI to halt its intelligence committee chairman At that time, the House Judiciary Watergate investigation. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Committee was weighing articles The Supreme Court ordered Nixon Republican. “Do you sense that the of impeachment against the to give up the tape, it provided a clear- president was trying to obstruct president. cut case of obstruction of justice, and justice?” The charges included obstruction of Nixon resigned three days later, in “There was an open FBI criminal justice, which the committee defi ned August 1974. investigation of his (Flynn’s) as an abuse of power in violation of The tape gave the lie to Nixon’s statements in connection with the the oath of offi ce he had sworn – to famous protestation that “I am not a Russian contacts and the contacts take care that the laws of the land are crook.” He was. themselves,” Comey replied. “I don’t faithfully executed. Comey’s testimony has made it think it’s for me to say whether the It is diffi cult – impossible, really – clear that the FBI is on the case again conversation I had with the president to contemplate a Republican Congress – and that one of the crime scenes is was an eff ort to obstruct. I took initiating impeachment proceedings 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. it as a very disturbing thing, very against President Trump. One target is retired Lt. General concerning, but that’s a conclusion Impeachment looks like a legal Michael Flynn, the shortest-serving I’m sure the special counsel will work proceeding, but it is at root political. national security adviser in American towards, to try and understand what An impeachable off ence is whatever history. the intention was there, and whether Congress says it is. It may come to pass that the that’s an off ence.” But that decision is ultimately in the president himself will fall under That might be count one if any hands of the American people. investigation for publicly declaring charges emerge from the probe. If they think that the man in the that he fi red his former director over This might be count two: “I take the White House is a crook, they will have the probe into Russia. president at his word – that I was fi red to vote to fl ip the House and the Senate If so, Trump handed the smoking because of the Russia investigation,” from red to blue in November 2018. gun over to Comey all by himself. Comey said. “Something about the If that happens, the fi rst order of Comey laid down the outlines of way I was conducting it, the president business for the new Congress in a case of obstruction of justice that felt, created pressure on him that he President Donald Trump and former FBI Director James Comey. January 2019 might conceivably be could be made by Robert Mueller III, wanted to relieve.” Firing Comey with hearings on impeachment. his predecessor as FBI director and the intent of derailing an investigation “You have the president of the “What was the response of your And, perhaps most disturbing of all, In the meantime, Robert Swan the recently appointed special counsel Trump has constantly called a United States asking you to stop an colleagues?” Comey answered: Comey said for the fi rst time that the Mueller III will be working in secrecy in the increasingly malignant case of hoax could also be construed as an investigation,” said Senator Dianne “I think they were as shocked and president’s conduct may fall within on the biggest case in the history of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. obstruction of justice. Feinstein, a California Democrat. troubled by it as I was.” “the scope” of the FBI’s investigation. 21st-century America.

Weather report Live issues Three-day forecast Breastfeeding TODAY High: 42 C Low : 31 C may help Inshore: Expected poor visibility at places at first due to fog. manage pain

MONDAY High: 44 C after C-section Low: 33 C Sunny

QNA TUESDAY Madrid High: 44 C Low: 33 C Cloudy reastfeeding after a caesarean section (C-section) may help manage pain, with Fishermen’s forecast Bmothers who breastfed OFFSHORE DOHA their babies for at least 2 months Wind: SW-NW 03-12 KT after the operation three times less Waves: 1-3 Feet likely to experience persistent pain INSHORE DOHA compared to those who breastfed for Wind: NW-NE 05-15/20 KT Waves: 1-2 Feet less than 2 months, according to new research being presented at this year’s Around the region Euroanaesthesia Congress in Geneva. Weather Weather C-sections account for around a today Max/min tomorrow Max/min quarter of all births in the UK, USA, Abu Dhabi Sunny 41/31 Sunny 39/32 and Canada. Chronic pain (lasting for Baghdad Sunny 42/27 Sunny 43/27 more than 3 months) after C-section Dubai Sunny 40/29 Sunny 39/29 aff ects around 1 in 5 mothers. It is Kuwait City Sunny 47/32 Sunny 46/32 Manama Sunny 41/32 Sunny 39/33 widely accepted that breast milk is Muscat Sunny 39/33 Sunny 39/34 the most important and appropriate Riyadh Sunny 46/29 Sunny 45/28 nutrition in early life, and WHO, the Tehran Sunny 38/24 Sunny 37/23 UK Department of Health, and US Department of Health and Human Services all recommend exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age. But until now, little has been known about the eff ect of breastfeeding on a mother’s experience of chronic pain after C-section. The study, by Dr Carmen Alicia Vargas Berenjeno and colleagues from the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Se ora de Valme in Sevilla, Spain, included 185 mothers who underwent a C-section at the hospital between January 2015 and December 2016. Mothers were interviewed about breastfeeding patterns and the level of chronic pain at the surgical site in the fi rst 24 and 72 hours after C-section, and again 4 months later. The researchers also looked at the eff ect of other variables on chronic Around the world pain including surgical technique, Weather Weather pain in the fi rst 24-72 hours, maternal today Max/min tomorrow Max/min education and occupation, and Athens S T Storms 26/18 P Cloudy 28/18 anxiety during breastfeeding. Beirut Sunny 26/22 Sunny 26/22 Bangkok P Cloudy 33/26 M Cloudy 33/26 Berlin M Sunny 28/18 P Cloudy 22/13 Cairo Sunny 36/21 Sunny 36/22 Cape Town S Showers 16/13 Showers 16/13 Colombo T Storms 29/26 S T Storms 29/26 Dhaka T Storms 32/26 T Storms 28/26 Hong Kong P Cloudy 32/28 S Showers 32/28 Istanbul P Cloudy 26/18 Sunny 25/18 Jakarta P Cloudy 32/25 P Cloudy 32/25 Karachi P Cloudy 34/29 M Sunny 33/30 London P Cloudy 21/12 Cloudy 20/11 Gulf Times 28 Sunday, June 11, 2017 QATAR First Aster hospital in Qatar starts operations

By Joseph Varghese Staff Reporter

ster Hospital, the fi rst hospital of Aster DM AHealthcare in Qatar, has started several services, includ- Dr Sameer Moopen and Nikhil Joseph. PICTURES: Jayaram ing outpatient and night clinics. All inpatient services will be tal started providing night clinic surgery, ENT surgery, gynae- open within a month or so, an services yesterday. “We will cology services and delivery as offi cial has said. provide services such as gen- well as emergency services,” he The hospital recently received eral medicine, paediatrics and noted. the fi nal approval to begin op- gynaecology at the night clinic. According to Joseph, the hos- erations from the Ministry of We will need some more time to pital is equipped with an ad- Public Health. be fully operational and all the vanced MRI unit and CT scan Speaking to Gulf Times, Dr inpatient services will be open facility, which off er “a unique, Sameer Moopen, chief executive within a month or so,” he ex- soothing patient experience”. offi cer of Aster DM Healthcare in plained. He also noted that the process of Qatar, said the hospital will be a “The outpatient facility is ful- linking medical insurance for the 50-bedded one. “There are three ly operational. There are about inpatient facility usage is under operation theatres, an intensive 15 doctors working in the de- way. care unit, neonatal intensive partment. All the staff mem- “We have approval from al- care units, a gastroenterology bers have been recruited and the most all the leading insurance unit and day surgery. It has spa- hospital will have more than 200 fi rms. Now, we have to submit to cious private rooms, consulta- staff when fully operational. We them the offi cial price list from tion rooms, a 24-hour lab and hope to have the offi cial opening the Ministry of Public Health. pharmacy. We hope to provide sometime in September,” con- Once the prices are approved, the best and quality services for tinued the offi cial. all the insurance facilities will be patients.” “We provide all surgical spe- available for visitors,” he added. According to Nikhil Joseph, cialties except cardiac surgery at The hospital is located near senior manager at Aster DM the new hospital. These include the Old Airport signal facing D- One of the operation theatres at the new facility. Healthcare – Qatar, the hospi- general surgery, orthopaedic Ring Road. Scholarship open day for nationals at Sidra

idra Medical and Research Center health related majors are invited to the of growth and development supported non-fi nancial assistance, in a variety of Medical Education and Biomedical Re- such as ultrasound tech, laboratory (Sidra) will host the scholarship scholarship open day. by Sidra. They will also be able to apply universities in Qatar and internationally, search. tech and anaesthesia tech. Sopen day at its Outpatient Clinic Students and their parents are invited for scholarships on the spot. Students which are listed on the Ministry of Edu- Scholarships are available for degrees More details including general admis- in Education City from 8pm to 11pm to- to the Sidra Outpatient Clinic where they will be required to carry their national ID cation and Higher Education’s website. such as medical degree or equivalent; sion requirements can be accessed at : morrow. will be able to talk to national develop- cards with them to register. Upon graduation, the scholarship re- bachelor in nursing, pharmacy and http://www.sidra.org/education-cent- High school students (Qataris and ment offi cers about scholarship oppor- Scholarships are being off ered for cipients will take up positions at Sidra psychology; allied health programmes er/national-development/scholarship- those with Qatari mothers) who are in- tunities, hear from sponsored health- students (Qataris and those with Qa- – working towards the realisation of its off ered at the College of North Atlan- program/ or contact the National Devel- terested in studying medicine or allied care professionals about their journey tari mothers), including fi nancial and three essential missions: Patient Care, tic – Qatar and technician programmes opment team on [email protected]