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Turkish fi rms handling projects worth $12bn HIA opens Shafallah in Qatar, says QFC Centre Lounge published in QATAR since 1978

TUESDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11378 November 26, 2019 Rabia I 29, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir to open 24th Gulf Cup today His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim Qatar and Turkey stand shoulder to bin Hamad al-Thani will open the 24th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup at Khalifa International Stadium this evening. shoulder on bilateral, regional issues Amir to meet Palestinian president tomorrow His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will meet at the Amiri Diwan tomorrow with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who arrives in today for a working visit. The Amir and the Palestinian president will discuss bilateral relations and the latest developments in the Palestinian arena. Qatar participates in UN forum on rights Qatar participated in the opening His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani meeting with Turkish session of the 8th annual UN Forum His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Erdogan witness the signing of an agreement. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. on Business and Human Rights held yesterday in Geneva. HE the Assistant Director of the Human O Amir, Erdogan preside over 5th session of Qatar-Turkey Supreme Rights Department at the Ministry Strategic Committee O Several agreements, MoUs signed O Joint of Foreign Aff airs, Sheikh Mohamed bin Youssef al-Thani, headed Qatar’s communique highlights pledge to strengthen ties in all fields and delegation to the session. HE the Permanent Representative consensus on bilateral, regional and international views of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Khalfan al-Mansouri, QNA ing of the joint fi nal statement and a offi ce at the presidency of Turkey. participated in the session. Doha number of agreements and memoran- The signing ceremony was attended dums of understanding (MoU) that in- by a number of ministers, and on the cluded amending the currency-swap Turkish side by members of the offi cial Shura Council Speaker is Highness the Amir Sheikh agreement signed between Qatar Cen- delegation accompanying the presi- arrives in Djibouti Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani tral Bank and the Central Bank of the dent and ranking offi cials. Hand Turkish President Recep Republic of Turkey, the signing of a The Amir and Erdogan discussed HE the Shura Council Speaker Ahmed Tayyip Erdogan chaired yesterday the memorandum of understanding in the bilateral relations and ways to enhance bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud 5th session of the Qatar-Turkey Su- fi eld of urban planning, the signing of strategic co-operation in various fi elds arrived yesterday in Djibouti preme Strategic Committee at the a declaration of intent between Qatar in a meeting. City, heading Qatar’s delegation Amiri Diwan. General Organisation for Standards During the bilateral meeting, they participating in the 42nd Conference The meeting dealt with the strong and Metrology (QS) and the Turkish exchanged views on all regional and in- of Speakers of Parliaments of strategic ties in all fi elds, particularly Standards Institution (TSE), the sign- ternational developments of common the African Parliamentary Union political, trade partnerships, econom- ing of an agreement between the gov- concern. (APU), slated for November 26-29. ic, and investment. That is in addition ernment of Qatar and the government The Amir hosted a luncheon banquet They were welcomed upon arrival to energy aff airs, manufacturing, in- of Turkey on co-operation in the joint in honour of Erdogan and his accompa- at Djibouti International Airport dustry, education, media, healthcare, manufacturing and technology fi elds, nying delegation at the Amiri Diwan. by the Speaker of the House tourism, and projects related to the the signing of a memorandum of un- The banquet was attended by a number of Representatives of Djibouti hosting of World Cup 2022. derstanding in the fi eld of standards of ministers, the Speaker of the Shura Mohamed Ali Hamad and the charge The two sides also discussed their between the Public Works Authority Council and a number of members of d’aff aires at the Qatar embassy Faisal counter-terrorism eff orts and ex- (Ashghal) and TSE, a memorandum the council. bin Rashid al-Nuaimi. The conference changed views on the latest regional of understanding between Qatar Fi- The president visited the Turkish will discuss several topics on the and international developments, par- nancial Center and the fi nancial offi ce military detachment in Doha. agenda, including co-operation ticularly in Palestine, Syria, Yemen, of the presidency in Turkey, and the During the visit, both sides reviewed between the APU and other regional and Iraq. signing of a memorandum of under- the readiness of the Turkish forces and and international parliamentary His Highness the Amir and the standing between Qatar Investment the co-operation between them and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani welcomes Turkish unions. Turkish president oversaw the sign- Promotion Agency and the investment the Qatari forces. To Page 24 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Pages 23, 24

Qatar to raise LNG capacity to Saudi, UAE teams arrive for Gulf Cup 126mn tonnes a year by 2027 O Qatar face Iraq, UAE meet Yemen in tournament that begins today New studies have revealed that the North Field’s he Saudi and the UAE football teams arrived in Doha yesterday productive layers extend Tto take part in the 24th edition of well into Qatari land in Ras the Arabian Gulf Cup, which will be held Laff an, paving the way from November 26 to December 8. Upon arrival at Hamad International for a new LNG production Airport, the teams received an offi cial project in north of Qatar reception before heading to their resi- dence. By Pratap John The fi nal list of the Saudi team will in- Business Editor clude Mohamed al-Yami, Fawaz al-Qar- HE the Minister of State for Energy ni and Amin Bukhari. The other players Aff airs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi are Ziad al-Sahafi , Mohamed Khabrani, atar’s LNG production capacity addressing a press conference at the Hassan Timbukti, Sultan al-Ghannam, will be raised to 126mn tonnes QP headquarters yesterday. PICTURE: Mohamed al-Buraik, Saud Abdul-Hamid Qper year (tpy) by 2027, repre- Thajuddin and Yasser al-Shahrani. Abdullah Atif, senting a huge increase of 64% on the Mohamed Kanno, Abdulelah al-Malki, current 77mn tpy, HE the Minister of project in the north of Qatar. Salman al-Faraj, Turki al-Ammar, Yahya State for Energy Aff airs Saad bin Sher- Al-Kaabi announced that the con- al-Shehri, Abdulaziz al-Bishi, Nawaf al- ida al-Kaabi said yesterday. fi rmed gas reserves of the North Field Abed, Salem al-Dosari, Abdul-Fattah Addressing a press conference at the exceed 1,760tn cu ft, in addition to Asiri, Hattan Bahabri, Firas al-Burikan QP headquarters, al-Kaabi, also the more than 70bn barrels of condensates, and Abdullah al-Hamdan. President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, and massive quantities of LPG, ethane, Al-Hilal players, who won the Asian said new studies have revealed that the and helium. Champions League, will arrive today in North Field’s productive layers extend Asked how long the reserves would Doha. To Page 8 well into Qatari land in Ras Laff an, pav- last at the current rate of production, Sport Pages 1, 2, 3 Members of the Saudi and UAE (right) teams arrive at the Hamad International Airport. ing the way for a new LNG production he said, “a long time”. To Page 6 Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 QATAR

Amir greets Bosnia presidency Shura Council discusses draft budget for 2020 chairman His Highness the Amir Sheikh QNA the Internal and External Aff airs hannadi, as its rapporteur for Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Doha Committee to study it and submit this session. It also discussed His Highness the Deputy Amir a report thereon to the Council. Decree-Law No. 24 of 2019 reg- Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad The Shura Council also dis- ulating and managing the stra- al-Thani have sent cables of he Shura Council held cussed a draft law regulating tegic stock of food and consumer congratulations to Chairman of its regular weekly meet- medical treatment abroad. The goods, and decided to complete the Presidency of Bosnia and Ting yesterday under the draft law will facilitate the pro- its study at its next meeting. Herzegovina Zeljko Komsic on chairmanship of its Speaker HE cedures for the treatment of Qa- The Public Services and Utili- the occasion of his country’s Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al- tari patients abroad and provide ties Committee of the Shura National Day. Meanwhile, HE Mahmoud. them with the best services. Council held its fi rst meeting. It the Prime Minister and Minister At the outset of the meeting, Under the provisions of the re-elected HE Mohamed Mahdi of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin the Council discussed its draft draft law, the State shall assume al-Ahbabi, as its rapporteur for Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani budget for fi scal year 2020. the medical treatment of the this session. The committee has also sent a cable of The Council then discussed a citizens abroad and shall bear then studied a draft law regulat- congratulations to Chairman draft law on the diplomatic and the expenses of treatment and ing medical treatment of citizens of the Council of Ministers of consular corps. other costs in accordance with abroad and decided to complete Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr Denis The draft law includes 93 ar- the provisions of this law. its study at its next meeting. Zvizdic. ticles and determines the order The medical treatment of citi- The Internal and External Af- of the functions of the corps’ zens abroad shall be decided by a fairs Committee of the Shura FM sends message members and the conditions of decision from the relevant com- Council re-elected HE Abdullah appointment. It also includes a mittee in cases if the appropriate bin Fahad bin Qurab al-Marri, to Moldovan number of articles on diplomatic treatment is not available in the as its rapporteur for this session minister missions, their competence and country, in accordance with the HE Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud chairing yesterday’s session of the Shura Council. yesterday. The committee then matters relating to their admin- provisions of this law and its ex- studied a draft law on the dip- The Minister of Foreign Aff airs istration, the performance ap- ecutive regulations. expenses of medical treatment Committee to study it and sub- ing, the Committee re-elected HE lomatic and consular corps, and and European Integration of praisal system of the diplomatic The State shall also bear the of students studying abroad at mit a report to the Council. Nasser bin Rashid Saria al-Kaabi decided to complete its study at Moldova, Aureliu Chokoi, has and consular corps, promotion, expenses of medical treatment their own expense, on the condi- Meanwhile, the Shura Coun- as its rapporteur for this session. its next meeting. received a written message transfer, assignment, leave and of students and employees on tion that they provide enrolment cil’s Legal and Legislative Aff airs The Financial and Economic The Cultural Aff airs and In- from HE the Deputy Prime the duties of both corps’ mem- scholarships abroad and mem- verifi cation. Committee held its fi rst meeting Aff airs Committee of the Shura formation Committee of the Minister and Minister of Foreign bers. bers of their families who are le- After discussion, the Council yesterday, as part of the council’s Council held a meeting yes- Shura Council elected HE Khalid Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin After discussion, the Council gally dependent on them. decided to refer the draft law to 48th ordinary session. terday. It re-elected HE Ali bin bin Muhamed al-Kubaisi, as its Abdulrahman al-Thani, related decided to refer the draft law to The State shall also bear the the Public Services and Utilities At the beginning of the meet- Abdullatif al-Misnad al-Mo- rapporteur for this session. to bilateral relations and ways of developing them. The message was delivered by the Acting Charge d’Aff aires at the embassy of Qatar to Moldova, Hamad bin Rashid al-Athba, during his Qatar, Norway hold meeting with the Moldovan minister of foreign aff airs and European integration. political consultations Qatar condemns

atar and Norway yester- During the talks, they re- attack on UN day signed a memoran- viewed bilateral relations be- vehicle in Kabul Qdum of understanding to tween the two countries and establish political consultations ways of developing them, in ad- Qatar expressed its strong between the ministries of for- dition to issues of common con- condemnation and denunciation eign aff airs in the two countries. cern. of the attack that targeted The fi rst round of political Meanwhile, the Foreign a United Nation’s vehicle in consultations between the two Minister of Norway Ine Marie Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on ministries were held yesterday in Soreide met HE the Secretary- Sunday, killing one foreigner and Oslo. The talks were chaired by General of the Ministry of For- wounding five Afghans. HE the Secretary-General of the eign Aff airs, Dr Ahmed bin Has- In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr san al-Hammadi. Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Ahmad bin Hassan al-Hamma- They discussed bilateral re- reiterated Qatar’s firm stance di, and Norway’s State Secretary lations and ways of enhancing rejecting violence and terrorism, to Minister of Foreign Aff airs them, in addition to issues of regardless of the motives and Audun Halvorsen. mutual concern. – QNA reasons. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 3 QATAR Awqaf Minister visits fi nal session of Qur’an contest

QNA The Minister witnessed the fi - The winner of fi rst place in get QR50,000. Doha nal stage of the competitions for the Holy Qur’an memorisation, The organising committee will this year, which was hosted by recitation and improved read- also give prizes to the competi- the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd ing category for the citizens, as tors who have passed the second E the Minister of Awqaf Al Wahhab Mosque, in the pres- well as the categories of memo- stage and did not qualify for the and Islamic Aff airs, Dr ence of the chairman of the or- risation for citizens and special third stage of the competition in HGhaith bin Mubarak al- ganising committee of the com- memorisation for residents will memorising the Holy Qur’an in Kuwari, yesterday visited the petition and a number of senior get QR100,000, while second full, in addition to the rewards 26th session of the Sheikh Jas- offi cials in the ministry. place winners in the same cat- of good votes for all participants. sim bin Mohamed bin Thani The fi nal stage of the competi- egories will get QR85,000. On November 26, competi- Holy Qur’an Contest for men, tion determines the order of the The third place winner will tions will be held for female organised by the Ministry of winners in each category from get QR70,000, fourth will get citizens and residents during the Awqaf and Islamic Aff airs. fi rst to fi fth place. QR60,000 and the fi fth will morning. HE the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Aff airs, Dr Ghaith bin Mubarak al-Kuwari, at the event.

Al-Marri meets chief public prosecutor of Morocco Arab foreign ministers condemn US position on Israeli settlements

QNA the International Criminal Court land and undermine its territo- Cairo and other relevant principles of rial contiguity, and eliminate the international law. two-state solution. Qatar took part in the meeting The Council called for mobi- he Council of the Arab with a delegation headed by HE lising Arab eff orts at the level of League at the level of For- Qatar’s Permanent Representative governments, parliaments and Teign Ministers yesterday to the Arab League Ambassador civil society organisations to condemned and rejected of the Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz al-Sahlawi. work with international part- decision of the United States The Council warned that the ners to take measures to hold that the Israeli settlements in the unilateral decisions taken by the Israel accountable for its illegal HE the Attorney-General Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri yesterday met the Chief Public Prosecutor in Morocco and the King’s Attorney-General occupied West Bank and East Je- US administration are in fl agrant settlement policy and practices. Mohamed Abdel Nabawi. During the meeting, they exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest and ways of enhancing rusalem are not illegal. violation of the international law This includes urging the ICC co-operation in the legal and judicial fields. In a resolution issued at the and the UN resolutions related Prosecutor to open an investi- conclusion of an emergency to the issue, and are considered a gation in accordance with the meeting held yesterday to dis- real threat to security, peace and Rome Statute, calling on the UN cuss the implications of the stability in the Middle East and High Commissioner for Human recent US decision on Israeli the world. Rights to quickly release the da- settlement in the Palestinian The foreign ministers reiter- tabase of companies operating in ‘Speeding, texting at wheel’ two major causes of accidents territories, the Council consid- ated the condemnation of the the Israeli settlements. ered that the US decision has no illegal expansionist Israeli set- The Council also called for a QNA The directorate has called for eff orts to save lives and public lation and the accompanying in- legal eff ect and is a clear violation tlement policy in all its manifes- boycott of any establishment or Doha more eff orts to raise awareness property. Al-Kharji noted that crease in the number of vehicles. of the relevant Charter and reso- tations on the entire territory of company operating in the Israeli about the dangers posed by these the two violations are common He stressed that it was im- lutions of the United Nations, the State of Palestine occupied settlements, a boycott of settle- two violations. among all drivers regardless of portant for religious speeches including Security Council reso- in 1967, including East Jerusa- ment goods and a ban on settlers’ peeding and texting while Director General of the Gen- age. to focus on the dangers posed lution 2334 of 2016, the Advisory lem, considering that the Israeli entry into countries, commending driving are the two main eral Directorate of Traffi c, Ma- He noted that the directorate by speeding and using mobile Opinion of the International colonial settlements constitute the recent decision of the Court of Sreasons behind accidents jor-General Mohamed Saad was successful in bringing down phones while driving, noting Court of Justice of 2004, and the a serious violation of interna- Justice of the European Union that currently, the Interior Minis- al-Kharji discussed the fi nding the number of accidents and the that this could have a positive Fourth Geneva Convention of tional law and UN resolutions, products of the Israeli settlements try’s General Directorate of Traf- during a meeting held by the di- resulting deaths in the last few impact on young people in par- 1949, the 1998 Rome Statute of and aim to divide the Palestinian must be labelled. fi c has said. rectorate yesterday as part of the years, despite the growing popu- ticular. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 QATAR

Statistics authority Pakistani president meets praises public’s co-operation in Amiri Guard commander census process QNA Islamabad QNA Doha akistan’s President Dr Arif Alvi met the Amiri Guard PCommander Major Gener- he Planning and Statistics al Hazza bin Khalil al-Shahwani, Authority has praised the during the latter’s visit to the Tco-operation of citizens Pakistani capital Islamabad. and residents in the conduct of During the visit, Amiri Guard the fi rst phase of the census that Commander met with Chief of began in mid-November. Army Staff of the Pakistan Army The fi rst phase of the Qatar General Qamar Javed Bajwa and 2020 census seeks to complete Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff the database of buildings, facili- Committee of the Pakistan Army ties, and residential units. General Zubair Mahmood Hayat. It will include data on the During the meetings, they re- number of families and the size viewed aspects of co-operation of families. in the military fi eld and ways of Phase one will provide the op- enhancing them. tion for people to receive a cen- Saoud al-Shammari Qatar’s ambassador to Paki- sus worker or to fi ll the informa- stan Saqr bin Mubarak al-Man- tion online. He said that these systems souri, Military Attache at the Phase one also helps the cen- allow the census worker to embassy of Qatar in Pakistan sus workers complete the data send the data he obtained im- Brigadier Staff (Pilot) Salem Ha- they already have available from mediately to the database, with mad al Sharqi, and several senior the administrative records. no other party able to view it, Amiri Guard offi cers attended Assistant Director of the De- including the census worker the meetings. Pakistan’s President Dr Arif Alvi meeting the Amiri Guard Commander Major General Hazza bin Khalil al-Shahwani in Islamabad. partment of Censuses, Surveys himself. and Statistical Methods Saoud He also said that the workers al-Shammari said at a press received intensive training to use conference yesterday that the these advanced systems. co-operation of citizens and Al-Shammari said that these residents refl ects the society’s data are important indicators to awareness of the importance of policymakers. this process. Data on housing and facilities He added that the meeting be- for example refl ect the prosper- tween the census worker and the ity of a society. family takes no longer than three Other data collected during minutes. the census also make a contribu- The visits take place in the af- tion to enhancing the status of a ternoon from 15:30 to 19:30. country internationally, in areas He noted that there are 14 such as the Global Competitive- different governmental bod- ness Report and other similar ies that are co-operating with reports. the authority to complete the Saoud al-Shammari called on project. citizens and residents to co-op- He also noted that they were erate more in the remaining days using advanced technology in of phase one, and in the second Major General Hazza bin Khalil al-Shahwani holding talks with the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff the process of collecting and phase which begins in March. Committee of the Pakistan Army General Zubair Mahmood Hayat. verifying data. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 5 QATAR HIA opens lounge for passengers with special needs amad International Air- port (HIA) has opened Hthe Shafallah Cen- tre Lounge, a special handling lounge, in partnership with Shafallah Centre. Shafallah Centre is a Qa- tar Foundation for Social Work (QFSW)-affi liated centre. The lounge features educational, rehabilitative and recreational interactive devices and equipment. The inauguration was at- tended by Amal Abdullatif of sensory skills by integrating including those with ASD. Those latest technology, ensuring that al-Mannai, chief executive of- audio-visual and sensory eff ects who want to access this facil- passengers with disabilities will fi cer of QFSW, and Laalei Abu such as sound, image and touch ity can approach the airport staff have seamless and comfortable Alfain, acting executive direc- to help people with special needs who will facilitate the same. travel experience. The lounge tor of Shafallah Centre, as well meet their needs for communi- HIA off ers entirely barrier- will provide passengers with spe- as Saeed Yousef al-Sulaiti, cation and self-adjustment. free access and dedicated facili- cial needs with several features vice-president (security), and Badr Mohamed al-Meer, chief ties to make travelling friction- including a sensory room for the Abdulaziz al-Mass, vice-pres- operating offi cer, HIA, said: less and more comfortable for children with autism spectrum ident (marketing and corporate “Our goal is to provide all our passengers with special needs disorder and electronic carpets communications), at HIA. passengers with the same level and reduced mobility. The ter- to provide children with many The newly opened lounge is lo- of satisfaction when it comes to minal is equipped with various games and activities to help them cated on Concourse C at the air- experiencing HIA’s services and conveyance equipment to assist spend their time at the airport in port terminal and is catered to- facilities. By widening access with either vertical or horizon- a useful way.” wards departing and transferring for our passengers by tailored tal circulation of passengers with Shafallah Centre has previ- passengers with special needs, assistance for those with spe- reduced mobility (PRM). It also ously provided a specialised including those with autism cial needs and training our staff features reserved parking spaces, programme to train ground- spectrum disorder (ASD). to cater to them better, we ful- companion toilets for those that handling staff at HIA on how to This initiative is a part of a Inauguration of the Shafallah Centre Lounge. fi l our commitment to making require assistance, reserved seat- provide special care and assist- memorandum of understand- HIA the airport of choice for all ing and is fully equipped with ance to passengers with spe- ing (MoU) signed by HIA and who face unique challenges relaxing sensations for those munity while providing them passengers.” specialist equipment like medi- cial needs, including those with Shafallah Centre to provide ad- while travelling and navigating with ASD. with assistive technologies and Airport staff will be avail- lifts, PRM ready buggies, aisle Autism. Abu Alfain has praised ditional services to passengers through an airport environment, The lounge features educa- solutions that give them a seam- able for on-ground support and chairs and PRM lifting slings. the continuous co-operation be- with special needs and ensure a statement notes. tional, rehabilitative and rec- less and stress-free experience have received specialised train- Shafallah Centre acting exec- tween Shafallah Centre and HIA, their comfort and convenience The special handling lounge reational interactive devices and when travelling through HIA, the ing from experienced Shafallah utive director said, “The centre while highlighting the airport’s while travelling. The initia- is equipped with assistive tech- equipment that aim to promote, statement points out. Centre staff on how to provide takes pride in this joint achieve- commitment to developing in- tive also focuses on passengers nology, an innovative technol- integrate and empower people The deployment of the senso- special care and assistance to ment as it oversaw the process dustry-level services for people within the autism spectrum ogy that provides calming and with special needs in the com- ry room aids in the development passengers with special needs of equipping the lounge with the with disabilities.

QatarDebate Centre holds Workshop on combating violence against women workshop on climate CRA participates in 14th The Ministry of on the concepts of violence and social issues and their change negotiation skills Administrative against women, the forms eff ects and ways to prevent Development, Labour and and causes of violence and them, and to achieve the atarDebate Centre, a member of Qatar Foun- annual meeting of Internet Social Aff airs, represented its consequences. second national strategy dation for Education, Science and Community by the Department of The workshop emphasised of Qatar (2018-2022) and QDevelopment, organised a training workshop to Family Aff airs, yesterday the role of Qatar in Qatar Vision 2030 with a enhance the skills of participants in negotiation on cli- Governance Forum in Berlin organised a workshop addressing violence against strong and cohesive family mate change issues. entitled “Combating women and the measures structure, especially in the The workshop was organised in co-opera- he Communications Regulatory Au- sion and se- Violence against Women”, adopted against domestic area of family safety and tion with the Ministry of Municipality and En- thority (CRA) is participating in the curity, safety, in co-operation with Doha violence. the reduction of incidents vironment, at the centre’s headquarters in Tongoing 14th annual meeting of the stability & re- International Family Institute The organisation of this of domestic violence, where Education City. Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2019). silience. (DIFI), member of Qatar workshop comes within assistance centres are Saad al-Assad of QatarDebate Centre and the pre- The forum has been organised in Berlin “The Inter- Foundation for Education, the competence of the available and programmes senter of the three-day workshop, explained that the by the German government in co-operation net Govern- Science and Community Department of Family Aff airs have been developed to event aimed to raise public awareness on climate change with the United Nations (UN), and runs until ance Forum Development. at the Ministry to raise increase the eff iciency in issues and how to build attitudes towards these issues November 29 under the overarching theme brings various The workshop reviewed community awareness of reporting cases of domestic and defend the point of view on climate change issues. of ‘One World. One Net. One Vision’. stakehold- several themes that focused the challenges and family violence. (QNA) He said that the workshop was about applica- The IGF is a multi-stakeholder discussion ers’ groups tions on environmental issues and the foundations platform of the UN, which is attended onsite together to of adaptation, the negative eff ects and how to deal or remotely by multi-stakeholder from gov- discuss and Indian embassy to hold Open House on Nov 28 with them and the global eff orts to deal with these ernments, civil society, business, academia, share good matters. international organisations and the techni- practice as He pointed out that the workshop was divided into cal community. The participants deal with key elements Indian ambassador P 28 to listen to/redress it has been announced. three sections. The fi rst was devoted to global news all aspects related to the question of how the Abdulla Jassmi of Internet Kumaran will hold an any urgent labour and The Open House will take and its relationship to climate change, the second was Internet as we know it can be maintained and governance Open House at the Indian consular issues faced by place from 3pm to 4pm about how to establish general frameworks for dia- improved. in order to foster sustainability, robustness, embassy on November Indian nationals in Qatar, that day. logue on the points that aff ect our lives in global se- The forum addresses current legal, po- security, stability and development of the curity and the ways in which people make more sense litical, social and technical aspects of the Internet. Being at such an important stake- and do not contradict opinions. Internet. holders’ forum and exchanging knowledge He added that the fi nal section was devoted to The issues up for discussion include tech- with experts further add value in crafting simulation by dividing the participants into groups, nical standards, human rights matters, the and developing the best practice towards each discussing a proposal in which time is set and impact of digital technologies on everyday promoting the development of online soci- the section was an opportunity for dialogue and life and working life, and opportunities aris- ety that add value to Qatar journey towards consultation. ing for economic and social development. its National Vision 2030, wherein digital For their part, a number of participants in the work- The IGF has an advisory function and pro- knowledge will fuel the economy” said Ab- shop said that they have benefi ted from the methods vides an opportunity for all participants to dulla Jassmi, CRA Technical Aff airs Depart- of analysis and discussions and the solutions pre- infl uence the discussions in the relevant ment manager. sented during the debate, indicating that the de- decision-making bodies at national and in- On the sidelines of the forum, more than bate skills develops the foundations of dialogue and ternational level. 50 diff erent stakeholders will display their help raise ideas to support visions on the subject of The forum focuses this year on three ma- Internet governance-related work at IGF climate. (QNA) jor themes: data governance, digital inclu- Village. QC runs income-generating projects in Bangladesh

atar Charity (QC) has imple- places and also contribute to pro- mented a number of produc- viding some of their needs.” Qtive and income-generating Benefi ciaries of the Qatar Char- projects in Bangladesh benefi ting ity projects thanked the donors in 300 orphans and poor families. Qatar, expressing their happiness The projects, worth more than for these projects that they needed QR1mn, include poultry farming, most and which would provide fi sh farming, cattle breeding, shops, them with a steady income, ap- grain and vegetable farms, as well as preciating the standing of the peo- sewing projects. ple of Qatar with them, and also Through the implementation of thanked the Qatar Charity offi ce these projects, Qatar Charity aims for its continuous eff orts in pro- to help orphans and targeted poor viding them with assistance. families, improve the standard of The number of orphans spon- living of its members, and provide sored by Qatar Charity in Bang- a permanent source of income for ladesh is estimated at more than poor families, preserving their dig- 6,500 people within the social nity, and transforming them from welfare programme of the charity. needy to productive categories, The initiative, worth more than QR1mn, includes sewing projects. The Qatar Orphans Sponsorship through the fi nancing and imple- Project, which is implemented by mentation of income-generating tar Charity’s offi ce in Bangla- sector since more than 40% of Qatar Charity in Bangladesh, has projects, in addition to support- desh, said QC is interested in the workforce is employed in this eight centres, orphanages and social ing the agricultural, pastoral and such types of projects because sector. “Qatar Charity in Bang- welfare that contains internal de- crafts sectors. the Bangladeshi society is heav- ladesh is located in rural areas partments, where various facilities Hafez Amin, director of Qa- ily dependent on the agricultural because such projects fi t these are available. (QNA) Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 QATAR

QIC Insured joins SC welcomes new stars to hands with Careem to off er discount QIC Insured, the personal “Our continuous endeavour insurance division of Qatar is to look at extending Insurance Company, has partnerships that can add ambassador programme collaborated with Careem to real time benefits for our provide 30% discount on all customers. Our strategic he Supreme Commit- in the Community Engagement Careem services. partnership with Careem tee for Delivery & Legacy functions of the SC. The depart- Exclusive to customers is a testament to this value T(SC) – the organisation ment works with Qatar’s numer- buying or renewing proposition for our customers. responsible for delivering tour- ous and diverse local and inter- comprehensive car insurance “Observing the increasing nament infrastructure for the national communities to provide from QIC Insured, they can proclivity of millennials FIFA World Cup 2022 – has an- engagement opportunities in now take advantage of a flat booking rides using nounced that 10 new local and order to ensure Qatar 2022’s 30% discount on all Careem various apps, we decided regional stars have joined its preparation encompass all, and services, such as the Careem to partner with Careem to ambassador programme. its legacy is long lasting and far- GO, Careem Comfort, Careem off er something special to The SC ambassador family al- reaching, the report states. Max, Careem Business, customers that will enrich their ready consists of global icons Xavi Mostafa, who played for the Careem First Class and experience of being insured Hernández, Samuel Eto’o, Cafu Qatar national team on 82 oc- Careem Food delivery (to be with us. This way, we focus on and local star Mohamed Saadon casions, added: “Every Qatari launched soon) services, a growing customer satisfaction al-Kuwari. Joining them now are remembers where they were on press statement notes. by expanding our partnership Ali al-Habsi, Mobarak Mostafa, the day our country was award- The validity of the discount is and adding value to our core Ibrahim Khalfan, Adel Khamis, ed the rights to host the 2022 until January 5, 2020. off erings. It also facilitates , Khalid Salman, World Cup. It is a moment we Ahmed al-Jarboey, senior customer retention.” Mohamed Aboutrika, Younis will all remember forever, so to- vice-president – Mena Retail For more information, Mahmood, Bader al-Motawaa and Some of the new ambassadors with SC off icials. day to offi cially become part of & Motor at QIC Insured said: customers can call 8000742. Wael Gomaa, sc.qa reports. that journey with the Supreme The announcement comes of ambassadors. We launched members of our family is a source frastructure projects associated Committee is a source of great ahead of the kick-off of the 24th this programme in order to work of great pride for me personally, with the Arab world’s fi rst FIFA pride. I look forward to the next Arabian Gulf Cup – where the alongside some of our game’s but also a poignant symbol of World Cup. few years more than words can group will be presented to fans best known and most widely the power of sport and sporting As well as working to promote express.” and media during host nation respected names to amplify the events such as the World Cup the work being carried within Al-Habsi, Oman’s legendary Qatar’s opening game against tremendous work Qatar is car- in bringing nations and regions the borders of Qatar, the new goalkeeper, added: “As Arabs, Iraq today. rying out in preparation for the together as one. I look forward joiners will also take on ambas- we were all delighted to see the Among the new arrivals are delivery of the FIFA World Cup to working closely with each of sadorial roles across the region game’s biggest event come to fi ve Qatari nationals, two Egyp- 2022 – this new group refl ects our new ambassadors over the to amplify the progress of legacy our part of the world. We have tians and one from each of Iraq, exactly those qualities. coming years.” programmes such as Generation always felt part of the overall Kuwait and Oman. “From the very fi rst days of Established by the SC in 2018, Amazing – a football for develop- journey, and showcasing this Welcoming the new ambas- the bid, we have always said this the ambassador programme ment CSR programme that has al- region to the world is a responsi- sadors, SC Secretary-General World Cup is one not only for works alongside some of the ready reached more than 500,000 bility we all take incredibly seri- Hassan al-Thawadi said: “We Qatar, but for the entire Arab game’s most iconic stars to help recipients from underprivileged ously. I look forward with relish are proud and delighted to to- world. That our region is so well deliver and promote the numer- communities across the world. to playing my part in supporting The QIC headquarters in . day announce our new cohort represented among the new ous legacy programmes and in- They will also play an active role Qatar’s World Cup.” Online application open for Nine fi nalists named for Amiri medical scholarships Study UK Alumni Awards

atar Red Crescent Society he British Council has an- (QRCS), together with Hamad nounced the nine fi nalists for QMedical Corporation (HMC) Tthe Study UK Alumni Awards and Palestine Red Crescent Society 2019-20 in Qatar. (PRCS), has announced the opening For the second time in Qatar, the of online application for medi- awards are hosted at a national level to cal scholarships in the 2020-2021 celebrate the achievements of alumni academic year. in the country across three award cat- Under the Amiri Medical Scholar- egories: Professional Achievement, ship Programme, 10 scholarships will Entrepreneurial, and Social Impact. be granted to Palestinian physicians The fi nalists were selected for their from Gaza and the West Bank. Af- outstanding achievements as busi- ter 4-5 years of residency training in ness professionals, entrepreneurs and Qatar, the graduates will receive the community leaders, and for their im- Arab Board of Health Specialisations portant contribution to strengthening (ABHS) certifi cation from HMC. collaborative ties between the UK and The available medical specialisa- Qatar, a press statement noted. tions are divided as follows: West Three award winners will be an- The judging panel. Bank – internal medicine (major: nounced on December 7 during infectious diseases), internal medi- experience in the specialisation uous clinical practice for no less than the annual Qatar-UK Alumni Net- tribution to creating positive social The external judging panel consist- cine (major: nephrology), internal applied for. six months; fourth, to be graduate of working Event, part of Qatar British change, are Dr Rania Sawalhi, graduate ed of Ajay Sharma, British ambassador medicine (major: MICU), inter- Dr Haitham al-Hassan, member of a recognised school of medicine and Festival 2019. of the University of Warwick; Reema to Qatar; Sam Ayton, British Coun- nal medicine (major: rheumatol- the programme’s consultative com- holder of Bachelor of Medicine/Sur- The ceremony will be hosted at al-Merekhi, graduate of Newcastle cil country director; Abdul Hakeem ogy) and cardiothoracic surgery; mittee in Palestine, visited Doha to gery; fi fth, to submit a valid certifi - Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl- University and Cardiff University; Mostafawi, CEO of HSBC Bank Qatar; and Gaza – orthopaedics (major: hold preparatory meetings with the cate of either IELTS (passing score: Doha and sponsored by HSBC Bank and Dr Sharifa Noaman al-Emadi, Dr Sheikha Aisha bint Faleh al-Thani, spinal surgery), anaesthetics and concerned physicians and depart- Academic 7.0) or TOEFL (passing Qatar and AFG College with the graduate of Manchester Metropolitan founder and chairperson of Al-Faleh intensive care (major: regional ments of HMC. He also checked the score: PBT 550 – IBT 87); sixth, to University of Aberdeen. University. Education Holding; Dr Khalid Moham- anaesthesia), internal medicine in-progress medical trainees. complete a one-year internship in a The fi nalists of the Professional Sam Ayton, country director of the ed al-Horr, CEO of Qatar Finance and (major: geriatrics), obstetrics and As director of the Al-Makassed recognised hospital in Palestine or Achievement Award, which recognises British Council in Qatar, said: “The re- Business Academy; Sheikha Alanoud gynaecology (major: maternal med- Hospital in Al-Quds, Dr al-Hassan abroad; seventh, to be physically fi t; alumni who have distinguished them- markable individuals selected as fi nal- bint Hamad al-Thani, managing di- icine) and general surgery (major: discussed the development of the eighth, to have a police clearance selves through exemplary leadership ists for the Study UK Alumni Awards rector of Business Development, Qatar hepatobiliary surgery). hospital with the top management of certifi cate; ninth, to hold no medical in their professional fi eld, are Dr Alla in Qatar have all taken their UK educa- Financial Centre Authority; Mach- The selected applicants are bound QRCS, which has been operating the specialisation certifi cate from any El-Awaisi, graduate of University of tion as a starting point to excel in their aille al-Nuaimi, president of Com- to return to work in Palestinian hospital for many years. other country; 10th, to complete the Strathclyde and Robert Gordon Uni- chosen careers and shape the world munity Development, Qatar Founda- health facilities for at least double the The following eligibility require- internship no earlier than four years versity; Dr Dena Ahmed al-Thani, around them.” tion; Abdulla al-Mansoori, director, duration of the scholarship. ments must be met by each applicant: ago; and 11th, to submit evidence of graduate of Queen Mary Univer- “This year’s fi nalists are testimony Qatar Career Development Centre, The selection process meets the fi rst, to be a national and resident of passing any of the following clini- sity of London; and Dr Samar Aboul- not only to the diversity of UK alumni member of Qatar Foundation; and Dr standard selection procedures adopt- Palestine with a valid Palestinian cal examinations: USMLE Step 2 CK soud, graduate of Cardiff University and their endeavours, but also to the Noha Aboueldahab, global winner of ed by HMC. Applicants can prefer- ID; second, to work in a Palestinian (passing score: 209) or IFOM-CSE (Prifysgol Caerdydd). transformative impact of a UK educa- Study UK Alumni Awards 2018-19, ably be fresh graduates or having health facility; third, to be in contin- (passing score: 73). The fi nalists of the Entrepreneurial tion. With more than 5,000 alumni of Professional Achievement category. Award, which highlights alumni who a UK education in Qatar, there is much The external moderation meeting was have played a leading role in innova- to celebrate!” hosted by HSBC Qatar. tion, are Khalifa al-Haroon, graduate The shortlisting of applications This year, people can vote for their of Anglia Ruskin University; Nawar al- went through internal and external favourite inspirational story by nomi- Mutlaq, graduate of Royal College of judging process. The internal judging nating online one of the fi nalists for Art; and Vijay Sivasankaran, graduate panel consisted of Toff Wahab, head of the ‘People’s Choice Award’, launched of London Business School. Politics at the British embassy in Doha, for the fi rst time in Qatar. The fi nalists of the Social Impact and Rawan Khir, deputy head of Pro- Voting for favourite inspiring story Award, which acknowledges alumni grammes and Partnerships at British starts on November 28 at 12noon, who have made an exceptional con- Council Qatar. Qatar time.

Qatar to raise LNG production capacity

From Page 1 drilled onshore in the Ras Laff an Indus- about 6.7mn barrels oil equivalent per trial City, about 12km from shore and day.” Al-Kaabi said: “During the past underwent extensive testing over the Al-Kaabi took the opportunity to two years, Qatar Petroleum worked past few months. express, on behalf of everyone at Qatar diligently to determine the degree Al-Kaabi said: “These are very Petroleum, the greatest of gratitude to to which the North Field extends to- important findings, which will have His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim wards the south west, as well as the a great positive impact on Qatar’s bin Hamad al-Thani for his leadership possibility of production from Qatar’s gas industry, and which will move it and his guidance, and for his strong and northern coastal onshore areas.” forward into bigger and wider hori- unlimited support to Qatar’s energy “I am pleased to announce that our zons. These results will also enable sector. appraisal eff orts have borne fruit, and us to immediately commence the QP had said before it was lifting its that we have confi rmation that the necessary engineering work for two LNG production to around 110mn tpy productive layers of the North Field additional LNG mega trains with a by 2024, and that it would build four extend well into Qatari land in Ras Laf- combined annual capacity of 16mn new production facilities, known as fan. Studies and well tests have also tonnes per year. LNG trains. confi rmed the ability to produce large “This will raise Qatar’s LNG produc- According to Reuters the expan- quantities of gas from this new sector of tion from currently 77mn tpy to 126mn sion of Qatar’s LNG facilities is the the North Field.” tpy by 2027, representing an increase world’s largest and one of the en- It is worth mentioning that the latest of about 64%. It will also raise Qatar’s ergy sector’s most lucrative projects. North Field appraisal well (NF-12) was overall hydrocarbon production to Business Page 1 Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 7 QATAR

HEC professor EAA deepens network of explores crucial innovative collaborations role of learning

t the World Innova- tion Summit on Educa- Ation (WISE), the Edu- style versatility cation Above All Foundation (EAA), founded by Her High- EC Paris delivered a education institutions primarily ness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, workshop on the crucial in the tertiary education level,” “reaffi rmed its commitment to Hrole of learning style ver- explained Professor Amann, taking meaningful action” to satility at Qatar Foundation’s bi- who has designed and delivered provide out-of-school children ennial World Innovation Summit executive education seminars (OOSC) with access to quality for Education (WISE). for more than 20 years, pub- primary education. Professor Wolfgang Amann, lished more than 40 books for Deepening its network of in- academic director of HEC Paris executives and won numerous novative collaborations, EAA in Qatar Specialised Master’s research, teaching and impact launched a new mobile class- Degree, delivered a workshop awards. room prototype, created in col- devoted to ‘The crucial role of The workshop, primarily de- laboration with the late Dame learning style versatility in times signed as an experiential learn- Zaha Hadid. of unlearning and relearning.’ ing exercise, focused on a tested The classroom prototype The workshop aimed to trig- approach at HEC Paris in Qatar was developed in partnership ger rich discussion on the role with Professor Amann summa- between EAA and Zaha Hadid of learning style versatility as a rising key session lessons and Architects (ZHA) and due to be new meta-skill and learning out- providing participants with produced by the Supreme Com- come. It presented a case on how a written summary of the in- mittee for Delivery & Legacy a learner will benefi t from an in- sights. (SC). creased learning style versatility “Participants also gained a The SC has committed to The classroom prototype was developed in partnership between EAA and Zaha Hadid Architects and due to be produced by the SC. over a lifetime and especially in thorough overview on how to fund a minimum of 100 struc- a more volatile, uncertain, com- measure learning outcomes and tures. The classroom features a meeting the restraints of their Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary- The converted classroom mented by an agreement be- plex and ambiguous world. learning eff ectiveness based on a number of innovative design so- surroundings, including avail- general of the SC. structures are planned to be de- tween Education Above All and “This workshop shed light newly developed and practically lutions that will allow it to func- able resources, material and la- “This project with EAA and ployed post-2022 in Cambodia, Unesco in Iraq and with sup- on the larger responsibilities of tested tool,” he added. tion as both a learning space and bour. Each 12m by 8m module Zaha Hadid Architects perfectly Cameroon, Colombia, Jordan, port from the QFFD, targeting community hub for those living will serve as a classroom for 45 captures that vision. Much like Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Pal- 150,000 OOSC in the governo- through the realities of current students. Qatar’s modular stadiums, these estine, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, rates of Babil, Baghdad, Erbil, day migration and displace- The modular system allows innovative structures have been Turkey and Uganda, a press Ninewa, Salah Al Din and Thi ment. for fl exibility in the assembling designed with a legacy usage in statement notes. Qar. “Our approach was based on and dismantling processes and mind and will be used during the In another eff ort to reach Upon completion, the pro- the objective of creating spaces is optimised for fl at-pack lo- tournament for a variety of pur- OOSC, the director-general for posed project will rehabilitate that off er customised and trans- gistic demands. Additionally, poses before being dismantled, Development Co-operation 10 schools and provide 17,000 formative solutions focused on the classroom prototype will repurposed and reconstructed at the Italian Ministry of For- children in the governorates of education and the support of enhance the thermal perform- into classrooms that will be do- eign Aff airs and International Salah Al Din and Baghdad with students’ and communities’ so- ance of the currently available nated to countries around the Co-operation, Giorgio Mar- school kits and targeted enrol- cial and emotional well-being,” classrooms by addressing fabric world and help thousands of out rapodi; director of the Unesco ment campaigns. said Charles Walker, director, quality, ventilation possibilities of school children,” he said. Iraq offi ce, Paolo Fontani; and “Innovative agreements with ZHA. The classrooms represent and lighting conditions. The SC, in partnership with EAA representative Leena al- partners, focused on system- the evolution in Hadid’s work To propel this project for- EAA, has chosen the project as a Derham, agreed on the devel- ic change, are a path towards with tented structures. ward, EAA formed a partnership key feature of its post-2022 sus- opment of a joint project in Iraq transforming education and They are constructed around with the SC. tainability legacy to further the and signed an agreement with making it accessible to every the following criteria: feasibil- “We have always said that our achievement of the UN’s Sustain- both parties, with the support child, we thank the Italian gov- ity, constructability, modularity, vision for the FIFA World Cup in able Development Goals (SDG), of Qatar Fund for Development ernment for the support of the fl exibility and thermal condi- Qatar would be to ensure a lega- particularly important as Her (QFFD). Iraq project and looking forward tion. The design and construc- cy was left long after the last ball Highness is a UN SDG Advocate Currently, EAA and Unesco working together in other coun- tion are economically viable, has been kicked in 2022,” said for Quality Education (SDG4). operate a project that is imple- tries,” said al-Derham. Professor Wolfgang Amann Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 QATAR

Kuwaiti youth minister praises Qatar’s eff orts to make Gulf Cup a success

Temporary closures of different roads Kuwait’s Minister of Information remarkable and distinctive way. in particular. He said that the certainly see hard competitions. and Minister of State for Youth In a press statement ahead of Arabian Gulf Cup has always The Gulf Cup will continue until around Khalifa International Stadium Aff airs Mohamed al-Jabri praised his departure to Doha to attend been the most prestigious December 8. the eff orts and arrangements the opening of Gulf Cup which sports competition in the region Group A of the championship made by the concerned kicks off today, al-Jabri said that since its inception in 1970, consists of Qatar, the UAE, Yemen authorities in Qatar in order to this tournament enjoys wide expressing the hope that the and Iraq, while Group B consists successfully organise the 24th public and media attention in Kuwaiti team would win the title of Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia Arabian Gulf Cup and show it in a the region in general and Kuwait of the championship, which will and Bahrain. — QNA Saudi, UAE teams arrive for Gulf Cup

From Page 1 lem Rashid, , Ali Yacoub and Ali Saleh. The team litical thinking, tweeted that the Mabkhout, Mohammed al-Attas, will play in Group A alongside end of the GCC crisis could be in Saudi Arabia will play in Group Waleed Hussein, Mohamed Mar- Qatar, Iraq and Yemen. sight following the Gulf Cup an- B alongside Oman, Kuwait and zouk, Yousef Jaber, Ismail al- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab nouncement. Abdulla called the Bahrain. The UAE team starts its Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil, Khalid Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain an- trio’s decision “as political as it is fi rst game in the fi rst round today Issa, Ahmad Burman, Bandar nounced earlier this month they sporting”. “Football... may open against the Yemeni team. Qatar al-Ahbabi, Mohamed Barghash, would contest the 24th Arabian the door for the travel of sports face Iraq today at 7.30pm in their Hamdan al-Kamali, Khalil al- Gulf title. Iraq, Kuwait, Oman fans to Qatar to support their fi rst match at the Khalifa Inter- Hammadi, Mohamed al-Shamsi, and Yemen will also vie for the teams, which means necessarily national Stadium. Adel al-Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, cup. Leading Emirati politics lifting the travel ban to Qatar and The fi nal list of the team will Majid Sorour, Shaheen Abdul- professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, the return of Gulf cohesion,” he The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced the temporary closures of diff erent roads include 24 players: Ali Khasif, Sa- rahman, Tariq Ahmed, Jassim an authority on the UAE’s po- wrote after the announcement. around Khalifa International Stadium during the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup, which begins today and will continue until December 8. The closures will be implemented during the match days only from noon to midnight. The closures, which will be implemented in co-ordination with the General Directorate Free Metro access of Traff ic, are aimed at facilitating the entry and exit of fans to and from the stadium, Ashghal has tweeted. Any spectator holding a valid ticket for any of the Arabian Gulf Cup matches is entitled to collect a free Day Pass on the day of the match from any station Gold Club off ice, Qatar Rail said in a tweet yesterday. Ashghal works round the clock to ensure success of Gulf Cup he Public Works Author- ity (Ashghal) has stressed Tthat it is working round the clock to facilitate public access to the stadiums hosting the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup from today until December 8. In a press statement yesterday, Ashghal said it raised “its per- formance level to the fullest, ex- ecuting all the tasks required to ensure the safety of road users and spectators and to ensure smooth traffi c fl ow on the road network around Khalifa International Sta- dium, Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadi- um (Al ) and Al Janoub Sta- dium. Ashghal is co-ordinating with all related entities to execute Signage leading to Khalifa International Stadium. Arab League Street Al Furousiya Street works completion. the required work and also moni- toring the road and drainage net- on road closures, traffi c diver- The enhancement works also comprised the project. It will be transformed vides an ideal route to the sta- Al Janoub Stadium work to ensure full success of the sions and alternative road plans into a three-level intersection and dium for the masses coming from Ashghal has delivered a number tournament, the statement notes. to facilitate the movement of in- the upgrading of the lighting system and include a bridge providing free Doha or the north. The intersec- of local roads, expressways and dividuals and vehicles during the the installation of 233 lighting poles as traffi c along the corridor, as well tion also provides better access various infrastructure projects Khalifa International Sta- tournament. Accordingly, all nec- as two overhead bridges to link to local roads as well as alleviates that serve Al Janoub Stadium fa- dium essary operational and emergency well as the construction of pedestrian traffi c between Al Waab Street traffi c congestion on the northern cilities, in addition to developing Operational and maintenance response plans have been com- and cycle paths with 5m width, to and the corridor, which will re- side of Doha Golf Club, West Bay, new roads and upgrading exist- works around the stadium: pleted and four teams are ready duce congestion at the Al Waab Legtaifi ya, Al Khor Expressway ing roads to facilitate access to the Ashghal’s Roads Operation and equipped with the necessary encourage a healthy lifestyle intersection. and the northwestern side of the stadium and its facilities. and Maintenance (ROM) team is machinery. In addition, emer- Preparation to deal with rain: development project, in The Southern Part of the Doha working round the clock to fa- gency test scenarios have been Jadeed Street, Huwar Street, etc. Street. The two intersections were Ashghal continues monitoring addition to providing local roads Express Highway project is con- cilitate the traffi c management carried out and rapid intervention The completion of upgrade works equipped with traffi c signals and the drainage network around the access to the area surrounding the sidered one of the most impor- on the roads surrounding Kha- plans put in place. on Al Furousiya Street has signifi - Intelligent Traffi c Systems (ITS) to stadium to ensure its continuous stadium. tant roads that directly connect lifa International Stadium, and Since August, the ROM depart- cantly enhanced the traffi c fl ow improve traffi c fl ow and increase and effi cient operation, includ- Main and local roads developed to the stadium though Al Wukair the main entrances and exits by ment has started to survey, study and reduced congestion in the capacity on Sports City Street and ing cleaning of drainage man- to facilitate access to Abdullah Bin Interchange, as it connects with installing more than 100 direc- and test all available road assets area, especially that the project is the surrounding areas. holes in and around the stadium Khalifa Stadium: Doha Expressway, Sabah Al Ah- tional signs to guide the public around the stadium such as as- aimed at improving the vehicular Main roads leading to the sta- to ensure that the stadium and Arab League Street now al- mad Corridor and G-Ring Road to the parking lots based on their phalt condition, directional signs, capacity of the street by increas- dium: its surroundings are free of rain lows the residential suburbs of on the one end, and with Al Wu- categories. In addition, Ashghal safety barriers, drainage assets, ing its lanes from three to four in Ashghal announced the open- accumulations during the event. , , , kair Road, Mesaieed Road and Al is using dynamic signs to inform street lighting, pedestrian cross- each direction, upgrading exits ing of the 1,500m Umm Al Jama- Teams have been recruited to pro- and to Wakrah Main Road on the other road users about the roads status ing, tunnels and traffi c signals. and entrances of the surrounding jim Street in Murraikh to traf- vide support in case of rain and commute easily to Duhail Sports end. and event updates. All the road projects being imple- streets as well as providing service fi c to provide direct movement the department will continuously Club and Doha City. It also allows This is in addition to the devel- Moreover, Ashghal has worked mented around the stadium have roads, Ashghal explains. between Furousiya Street and Al monitor and respond to customer commuters to easily exit/enter opment of part of Al Wukair Road, in co-ordination with the Su- been inspected, surveyed and The scope of works included Waab Street through Al Khufoos feedback in areas around Khalifa Al Shamal Road. The benefi ts of which included an increase in the preme Committee for Delivery & refurbished to ensure their readi- road and infrastructure works Street, which will be used during International Stadium. completing this project was re- number of lanes from two to four Legacy (SC) on a number of maps ness to use during the event. This in addition to the installation of the Arabian Gulf Cup as a main ducing traffi c congestion, cutting lanes and the installation of traf- to be published on social media is done in full co-ordination with road signs and the planting of access to the parking lots. Abdullah Bin Khalifa Sta- down on travelling distances and fi c signals in the area between Al to guide road users and specta- the General Directorate of Traffi c, 900 trees covering 73,000sqm Umm Al Jamajim Street en- dium (Al Duhail Stadium) times and providing safer com- Wakra Hospital and Al Wukair tors to the designated parking Qatar Football Association and of green areas along Al Furousiya hances traffi c in the area after its During the week before the muting. Road’s intersection with Doha lots for each stadium, with the the SC. Street. major development. The street, start of the Arabian Gulf Cup, In addition, the develop- Expressway. help of directional signs for the In addition, a series of routine The enhancement works also which consisted of a lane in each Ashghal installed more than 60 ment and expansion of Al Khafj i The works done on the road public coming from diff erent des- explorations and tests have been comprised the upgrading of the direction, has been revamped into directional signs on the roads Street also contributed to en- facilitates the movement of traf- tinations, such as Salwa Road, carried out at various locations lighting system and the installa- a two-lane road in each direction surrounding Abdullah Bin Khalifa hancing the capacity of the road fi c in the area and provides addi- Muaither or Al Huwar. round the clock on the days before tion of 233 lighting poles as well to accommodate about 8,000 ve- Stadium (known as Duhail Sta- and increasing traffi c fl ow. The tional exits and entrances to the Through the Roads Manage- the event to monitor the work de- as the construction of pedestrian hicles per hour, saving travel time dium) to direct fans from diff er- project included the conversion stadium. ment Centre, Ashghal contin- velopments required to ensure the and cycle paths with 5m width, to by more than 60%. ent destinations to the stadium’s of three roundabouts, namely In order to facilitate the fan ues to monitor the road network success of the tournament. encourage a healthy lifestyle. The Public Works Authority is parking lots. roundabout, commute from the Al Wakra Met- round the clock to ensure that the Al Furousiya Street works com- Sports City Street: still working on Sabah Al Ahmad Developed intersections to roundabout and the Environment ro station to Al Janoub Stadium, roads surrounding the stadium pletion: Ashghal has implemented up- Corridor that will extend for ap- reach the stadium: roundabout into signal-control- Ashghal has implemented 3.5km- are free of obstacles and to ensure Ashghal opened Al Furousiya grading works on Sports City proximately 25km from Hamad Converting Rounda- led intersections, and increasing long pedestrian and cycling tracks smooth traffi c fl ow. Street to traffi c a few weeks before Street, which facilitates access International Airport to Umm bout project (known as Golf Club the number of lanes from three to extending from the Al Wakra Met- Green fencing has been in- the kick-off of the Arabian Gulf from and to Khalifa International Lekhba Interchange (known as Roundabout) into a signal-con- four on parts of Al Khafj i Street. ro station to the stadium, starting stalled on Al Waab Street to en- Cup, to facilitate the commuting Stadium through its direct con- Landmark Interchange) on Doha trolled intersection has improved This has enhanced the capac- from Al Wakrah Street and pass- courage pedestrians to use the pe- of fans heading to Khalifa Interna- nection to Al Waab Street. Expressway. The project includes traffi c fl ow and increased the ca- ity of the road network around Al ing through the Street ex- destrian tunnel of the Sport City tional Stadium. The street is also Works included the develop- the construction and upgrade of a pacity of the intersection, while Duhail Club. Improvements also tension and Al Wukair Road. The Metro station and cross the main connected to some of the most ment and expansion of Sports number of interchanges and tun- providing easy access to Abdullah included installing the ITS, street implementation of these tracks road safely. This has been done to vital roads in the country such Street Intersection with Osama nels. bin Khalifa Stadium. lighting, developing drainage aims to enhance the movement ensure the safety of pedestrians. as Salwa Road, Al Waab Street, Bin Zaid Street and its intersec- The Al Waab intersection is one Moreover, the signalised systems and pedestrian and cycle and transportation of visitors and A study has been carried out Muaither Street, Al Rayyan Al tion with Ammar Bin Yasser of the vital intersections within Izghawa intersection now pro- paths. fans during the event. QU’s Sesri conducts survey to gauge views on Gulf Cup

esponses to a short tel- bia and the UAE in the event, the Cup. Moreover, 95% of Qatari taris think that the participation of white-collar expatriates think public awareness of the games, age points. The calculation of ephone survey by the So- survey fi ndings show. nationals and 87% of white-col- of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the the participation of Bahrain, the Internet, social media and the this sampling error takes into ac- Rcial and Economic Survey From November 19 to 22, Sesri lar expatriates are aware of the UAE in the 24th Arabian Gulf Saudi Arabia and the UAE is ei- television were most commonly count design eff ects. Research Institute (Sesri) at Qa- surveyed nationally representa- participation of Bahrain, Saudi Cup in Doha is likely to lead to the ther very likely (12% of Qataris) cited by Qataris and expatriates The fi nal dataset was weighted tar University (QU) revealed that tive samples of Qatari citizens Arabia and the UAE in the games. end of the blockade of Qatar, the or somewhat likely (36% of Qa- as their initial source of news to adjust for probability of se- both Qataris and white-collar (695) and white-collar residents Also, Qatari nationals and survey shows. taris) to lead to the end of the about the Gulf Cup. lection and non-response. The expatriates are quite aware of the (721) on the 24th Arabian Gulf white-collar resident expatriates The survey indicates that Qa- blockade. A total of 1,416 Qatari nation- results of the survey were an- Gulf Cup and positive about its Cup, which begins today and in large numbers said they wel- tari nationals and white-collar These percentages are signifi - als and white-collar expatriates nounced at a press conference potential impacts. continues until December 8. come the participation of Bah- residents hope that the games cantly higher among white-col- completed the survey, yielding attended by Dr Hassan al-Sayed, Also, the vast majority of Qa- Overall, the vast major- rain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will lead to an end of the block- lar expatriates (at 34% and 42%, a response rate of 48.6% and a director of Sesri; Dr Abdoulaye tar’s citizens and white-collar ity of Qatari nationals (92%) and in the 2019 Arabian Gulf Cup. ade of Qatar. About half (48%) respectively). The remainder of maximum sampling error for a Diop, research associate profes- residents are aware of the par- white-collar expatriates (84%) The majority of white-collar ex- of Qatari nationals and slightly both groups were neutral or said percentage at the 95% confi - sor and head of the Research De- ticipation of Bahrain, Saudi Ara- reported being aware of the Gulf patriates and about half of Qa- more than three-quarters (76%) they did not know. In terms of dence level of +/- 3.02 percent- partment at Sesri, and others. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 9 QATAR Trees planted on Al Wajba Street hirty students from Abdul Rahman Bin Auf Prepara- Ttory School for Boys have participated, along with the Pub- lic Works Authority (Ashghal), in the planting of trees at the Al Wajba Street Planting Project. This came as part of the ongoing ‘Qatar Beautifi cation and Our Kids Planting Trees’ campaign, which will continue until the end of 2021. Mohamed bin Saleh al-Khay- arin, Central Municipal Commit- tee (CMC) member for Constitu- Students of Abdul Rahman Bin Auf Preparatory School for Boys plant ency 16, said the CMC always has trees as part of the campaign. recommendations regarding the planting of trees on roads. vironment and I benefi ted a lot, I vironment (MME), in co-ordina- “There is constant co-oper- am also happy to plant trees.” tion with several ministries and ation between all governmental Hazaa Mohamed al-Qahtany, other entities of the State such institutions to achieve the goals another student, added: “I would as the Ministry of Transport and of the campaign,” he added. love to see my country green and Communications, Ministry of Salem al-Yafei, deputy man- am happy to participate in help- Culture and Sports, Qatar Mu- ager of Abdul Rahman Bin Auf ing achieve that.” seums, Qatar Rail, Private Engi- School, said they were delighted The Al Wajba Street Develop- neering Offi ce and others. to see the schoolchildren partici- ment Project, being implement- The committee is responsible pate in the planting of trees. ed by Ashghal, includes planting for fi ve major tasks, including He thanked Ashghal for im- 2,045 trees and 135,694sq m of the construction of central pub- Off icials with students during the initiative. plementing this important cam- landscaping. lic parks, provision of dedicated paign. The Supervisory Committee lanes for pedestrians and bicy- The supervisory committee’s minimised consumption and cars and improved lifestyle through and places of public gathering Nasser Mohamed, a partici- of Beautifi cation of Roads and cles, development of the Doha campaign will enhance sustain- conservation of energy resources. clean and safe transportation. through increased aff oresta- pating student, said: They talked Public Places in Qatar is imple- Corniche, development of Cen- ability through minimising envi- It focuses on the provision of It also works for ensuring a tion and landscaping, which will to us about the importance of menting the campaign under the tral Doha and increasing aff ores- ronmental pollution and reduc- more public transport options aim- healthy environment within greatly help in reducing the tem- planting trees to preserve the en- Ministry of Municipality and En- tation and green areas. ing the emission of CO2 through ing at the reduced use of private residential neighbourhoods perature in cities.

Georgetown Ambassador in Residence to give public lecture

E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz the Doha community in attendance. is required for positive sustainable al-Kuwari, Minister of CIRS director Dr Mehran Kam- change. HState, will give his fi rst rava stressed the importance of “Good public diplomacy isn’t an public lecture in his capacity as creating public platforms for dia- abstract concept. It requires build- Georgetown University in Qatar’s logue and engagement with leading ing relationships through substan- Ambassador in Residence at a Dia- public fi gures in Qatar, saying: “As a tive and continuing dialogue with logue Series lecture hosted by the research centre, bringing together the community, which is why I look university’s Centre for Interna- leading thinkers, scholars, practi- forward to an engaging conversa- tional and Regional Studies (CIRS) tioners and the public is a key pillar tion at CIRS,” he said. at 6pm tomorrow. of the work we do at CIRS. We look Dr al-Kuwari was appointed GU- The lecture, titled ‘The Global forward to hosting his excellency Q’s fi rst Ambassador in Residence Majlis: My Experience with Inter- and hearing his views on the work- earlier this year. The programme national Organisations’, will fea- ings of real-world diplomacy.” connects prominent fi gures from ture Dr al-Kuwari’s insights gained Known for his advocacy in pro- the public sector in Qatar to GU-Q’s from his extensive experience as a tecting Qatar’s cultural heritage community and aims to establish HE Dr al-Kuwari career diplomat. and candidacy in the 2017 election avenues of ongoing collaboration He will also take part in a ques- of the director-general of Unesco, with innovative thinkers and sector Those interested in attending tion-and-answer session with stu- Dr al-Kuwari says inspiring new leaders to further GU-Q’s academ- the event can register on the GU-Q dents, faculty, staff and members of generations of community leaders ic, research and service eff orts. website.

Speakers at the World 5G Show in Doha yesterday. World show ‘helps Qatar inch closer towards 5G vision’ s part of the Qatar Innovation Week fi cer at GBI Qatar, among other speakers. organised by Trescon, the inaugural The speakers discussed major topics such Aedition of World 5G Show took place as ‘How to successfully deploy 5G critical in Doha yesterday with more than 200 par- infrastructure on time and on a budget’, ‘The ticipants, including top telecommunications Impact of 5G across industries with new serv- service providers and senior-level decision- ices and applications’ and ‘Achieving Digital makers from enterprises and governments. Transformation using 5G’. Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari presiding over the meeting. The conference centred on Qatar’s vision While delivering a technical presentation of stimulating business opportunities and on 5G best practices around the world, Sameer strategies among stakeholders to catalyse the Gupta, principal for Analysys Mason, said: creation of 5G-based solutions in the country. “Regulators in most parts of the world are pri- The second day of the Qatar Innovation marily focusing on facilitating infrastructure Qatar Chamber panel reviews school fees Week today will include the 13th global edi- build-out, updating spectrum regulations to tion of World AI Show, taking place at Marsa ensure that operators get the right amount of Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl-Qatar. spectrum in the right frequency band, allow- he education committee of teachers, mechanisms to improve of His Highness the Amir Sheikh that businessmen “are looking for- The World 5G Show featured powerful key- ing new industry participants to drive service Qatar Chamber has inves- the business environment for pri- Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who ward to more legislation and proce- notes, tech talks and panel discussions on 5G innovation.” Ttigated various subjects re- vate sector education, as well as declared support for the private dures that support these directives”. technology from some major telecom stake- Al-Sulaiti delivered a comprehensive gov- lated to private sector education, the committee’s operations and sector so that it could perform its He stressed that developing pri- holders, such as Salma Mohamed al-Sulaiti, ernment keynote on how 5G will change lives. including the capacity of schools expansion of membership. role in economic development. vate sector education requires the head of Standards and Next Generation Tech- Her presentation provided key insights on and school fee procedures, espe- The topics were discussed at the He also lauded government ef- “concerted eff orts by all partners nology at Qatar’s Communications Regula- how stakeholders should collaborate to ensure cially for schools that have been seventh meeting of the education forts to streamline procedures in to solve all obstacles”, even as he tory Authority; Gilad Garon, CEO of ASOCS, the proper and cost-eff ective implementation operating for many years and enjoy committee, which was led by Qatar Qatar’s business environment. praised the co-ordination of the US; Ayush Sharma, head of Programmable of 5G networks to develop a new ecosystem. national and international accredi- Chamber fi rst vice-chairman and Al-Kuwari also praised the co- committee with the Ministry of Networking and Intelligence at Sterlite Tech- She also emphasised how governments play tation. Education Committee chairman operation of the Ministry of Edu- Education and Higher Education nologies; Diego Camberos, COO at Vodafone a critical role in the early 5G launches by de- It also discussed the short dura- Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari. cation and Higher Education and “in examining all issues related to Qatar; and Jim Clarke, chief commercial of- veloping clear ICT roadmaps. tion of licences renewal, the age of Al-Kuwari praised the directives the private education sector, saying the education sector”.

‘Chess playgrounds’ at public parks inaugurated Qatar-Singapore urban planning forum convenes in Doha

Qatar-Singapore ur- ban planning forum was Alaunched in Doha yesterday morning in the presence of senior offi cials from the two countries. The opening of the forum was attended by Fahad al-Qahtani, Assistant Undersecretary for Planning Aff airs at the Ministry of Municipality and Environ- ment (MME); Abdullah al-Karani, director of the Urban Planning Department at the MME, Ibra- him Abbas, director of the Infra- structure Planning Department; Dignitaries at the forum. PICTURE: Ram Chand and Turki Fahd al-Turki, assistant director of the Urban Planning gapore and the Urban Develop- He noted that the forum would Department, alongside Han Yong ment Planning Sector in Qatar in further enhance the exchange of Hoe, deputy CEO at the Urban 2009, which resulted in a number experiences and introduce the Redevelopment Authority of Sin- of recommendations and impor- Singaporean delegation to the lat- gapore and head of the Singapo- tant decisions in the fi eld. est key projects in Qatar. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), represented by the Public Parks Department, yesterday inaugurated a rean delegation, and Singapore’s He said the forum is a good The offi cial added that a ‘chess playgrounds’ project at public parks in co-operation with Qatar Chess Association. The first environment-friendly ‘chess ambassador to Qatar Jai S Sohan. platform to exchange technical number of urban planning em- playground’ was inaugurated at the new Park, QNA reported. The project is the first of its kind that aims at changing the Al-Qahtani said that the event, expertise and experiences and ployees were delegated to Singa- concept of the playing grounds at parks to include games for stimulating the mind and thoughts in addition to entertainment. The ‘Urban Forum Qatar-Singapore’, explore the possibility of future pore for training. ‘chess playgrounds’ will help improve the mental abilities of the children, in addition to giving an opportunity for the whole family is being held in Doha as a key out- co-operation between the two In the past two years, fi ve em- to benefit and enjoy. The project comes in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, and coincides with the upcoming celebrations of come of a co-operation agree- countries in the fi eld with all the ployees studied there as an out- Qatar National Day 2019. ment signed between the Urban involved challenges and opportu- come of the co-operation agree- Redevelopment Authority of Sin- nities. ment signed earlier. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 REGION/ARAB WORLD/AFRICA

WEATHER WOES HEALTH SECURITY CAMPAIGN TRAIL Toll from Kenya storms Yemen fighting epidemic DR Congo army to stage rises to 52, says off icial of dengue fever: Red Cross ‘joint operations’ with UN

The death toll from floods and landslides in Yemen is now grappling with an epidemic of DR Congo’s armed forces will stage “joint Kenya’s west over the weekend has climbed to dengue fever, adding to its woes of war and cholera, operations” with UN peacekeepers in the eastern 52, an off icial said yesterday, with more heavy the Red Cross said yesterday. While UN off icials town of Beni, where massacres by an armed group rain forecast to lash the region. Bodies were still recently said the intensity of the war has eased, have sparked angry protests, the president’s being recovered in the Pokot region, 350km Yemen still faces a very dire humanitarian situation, off ice said yesterday. The joint operations aim northwest of the capital Nairobi, after powerful said Robert Mardini, head of the International at “ensuring peace and security for the civilian walls of mud and rock swept away homes and Committee of the Red Cross’s delegation at the population,” it said after an emergency meeting, buried people in their sleep on Saturday. “The UN. “We have been recently extremely worried adding that DR Congo’s armed forces would number of people confirmed dead now is 52”, and concerned by reports of dengue outbreak, set up an “advance headquarters” in Beni. The West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo told in addition to cholera,” Mardini told a gathering meeting — described as that of a “security council” A boy walks through the mud after River reporters yesterday, adding some had been of journalists. More than 3,500 people have — was chaired by head of state Felix Tshisekedi Algerian presidential candidate Abdelaziz Muruny burst its bank following heavy rains in buried and others taken to the mortuary. Kenya’s reportedly come down with dengue fever and, in and attended by the head of the UN force, Leila Belaid campaigns in the city of Boumerdes, Parua village, about 85km northeast of Kitale, interior ministry had said that army and police the city of Hodeida, 50 are thought to have died Zerrougi. The president’s off ice did not say when 30km west of Algiers. Five candidates are in West Pokot county, western Kenya. helicopters have been sent to West Pokot. from late October to early November, he added. the joint operations would begin. contesting the December 12 election.

Egypt Coptic activist faces Lebanon protesters defi ant ‘terror’ charge

AFP Cairo

n Egyptian Coptic rights despite Hezbollah attack activist is facing charges Aof joining a “terror” group By Hashem Osseiran, AFP and spreading misinformation, Beirut his lawyer confi rmed yesterday, amid a renewed crackdown on dissidents in the country. rotesters remained defi ant yester- Ramy Kamel was arrested day after supporters of main Shia from his Cairo home on Satur- Pgroups Hezbollah and Amal at- day by seven plainclothes police tacked demonstrators overnight, spark- offi cers, a member of his defence ing a UN call to keep protests peaceful. team, Atef Nazmy, told AFP. Demonstrators demanding a com- He said Kamel was questioned plete government overhaul have stayed by state security prosecution mobilised since protests began on Oc- until 10pm and that his lawyers tober 17, but a bitterly divided political only managed to see him for the class has yet to fi nd a way forward. fi rst time on Sunday. Frustrated by the stalemate, protest- The prosecution has alleged ers had called for road blocks and a gen- Kamel joined a “terror” group, eral strike yesterday, but an attack by received foreign funding and supporters of allied parties Hezbollah broadcast false information. and Amal on Sunday night weakened Kamel was set to be kept in the turnout. temporary custody at Tora pris- Political parties “are trying to in- on in southeast Cairo for 15 days, still fear in us as a people, so we don’t with further questioning sched- progress and stay at home,” said Dany uled for later this month. Ayyash, 21, who was blocking a key road The vocal activist is a leading in Beirut’s Hamra district. member of the Maspero Youth But “the attack gave us all — at least Union, a Coptic human rights or- the ones here right now — a sense of de- ganisation born in the wake of the termination,” Ayyash said. January 2011 protests that toppled At around midnight on Sunday, back- longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak. ers of Hezbollah and Amal attacked Coptic Christians, the largest demonstrators at a fl yover near the cap- non-Muslim religious minor- ital’s main protest camp. ity in the Middle East, make up Brandishing party fl ags, they hurled about 10% to 15% of Egypt’s pre- stones at peaceful demonstrators and dominantly Sunni population of taunted them as riot police deployed to 100mn and have long faced sec- contain the violence. tarian discrimination. The attackers also ravaged a nearby In recent years, the commu- encampment, tearing down tents and nity has been targeted by a series damaging storefronts in their most se- of militant attacks, including by rious assault on protesters so far. the Islamic State group. At least 10 demonstrators were in- Emad Gad, a well-known jured, civil defence said. Egyptian Coptic lawmaker and The UN Security Council called for all columnist, condemned the ar- actors to maintain “the peaceful char- rest, calling it “shocking”. acter of the protests by avoiding vio- “Release Ramy Kamel...you lence and respecting the right to peace- have no proof that Ramy broke the ful assembly in protest”. law,” he said on his Facebook page. UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Several activists noted online Jan Kubis earlier called for restraint. A Lebanese demonstrator waves the national flag while security forces stand by during a protest in Awkar, northeast of the Beirut, yesterday. that Kamel had been sharing foot- “I urge all Lebanese political forces to age of sectarian violence in south- control their supporters, to avoid using smashed with rocks. being lax with Hezbollah and Amal sup- after a man and woman were killed in a ers include initiating parliamentary ern Egypt on social media, elicit- the national protests for pursuing their Security forces tried to disperse pro- porters, most of whom were allowed to car accident earlier yesterday. consultations to appoint a new premier, ing a warning from authorities. political agenda,” he tweeted. testers in a neighbouring Beirut district, walk away. A video of the incident showed a car said he was open to a government that The United States Com- The state-run National News Agency and removed other demonstrator barri- “The thugs throw stones and insult ramming at high speed into a metal bar- would include technocrats and repre- mission on International Reli- said authorities have begun an investi- cades deployed in the north and east of security forces but they don’t confront rier before catching on fi re, in an inci- sentatives of the popular movement — gious Freedom also denounced gation into the incident. the country. them,” said Elie, 24, who was among the dent both Shia parties have blamed on a both key demands of the protesters. Kamel’s detention on Sunday. Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who The army detained nine people north protesters attacked. “They don’t arrest protester roadblock. But demonstrators say they reject “USCIRF is deeply alarmed by heads the Amal Movement, called on of Beirut at dawn after they tried to them the way they arrest us.” The demonstrators however denied any government that would also include (the) arrest of Coptic activist Ramy security forces to keep roads open to block roads, but freed them later, the Such criticism prompted Interior any responsibility, publishing a map of representatives of established political Kamel,” said a post on the gov- avoid “civil strife”. military and the NNA said. Minister Raya al-Hasan to say the army their roadblocks on social media. parties. ernment body’s Twitter. “Egypt Yesterday morning, scattered stones, They also arrested four other “riot- and police remain the only “guarantors Political leaders have failed to select The United States, France, the World must...fulfi l its claims of reform shattered glass and mangled tents lit- ers”, releasing three shortly afterwards. of the country’s stability”. a new government nearly a month since Bank, and credit rating agencies have and steps toward religious free- tered the main Beirut protest camp at The security forces have come under Yesterday afternoon, hundreds of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s cabinet all urged offi cials to accelerate cabinet dom,” it added, also criticising a Martyrs’ Square. fresh criticism following Sunday’s at- Hezbollah and Amal supporters rallied resigned under popular pressure. formation, warning of a deteriorating “renewed crackdown on activists Nearby car windows had been tack, with protesters accusing them of in the southern suburbs of the capital President Michel Aoun, whose pow- economic and political crisis. and journalists” in the country. Hundreds of Sudanese women march against violence Iranians stage AFP correspondent reported. Khartoum “There is less violence now, but we still need to change the laws that are against us.” pro-govt rallies undreds of Suda- Bashir seized power in a coup nese women yesterday in 1989 and since then the role Reuters But we will destroy our ene- Hmarched in Khartoum to of women had been severely re- Tehran mies...America, Israel and Saudi mark International Day for Elim- stricted in Sudan. Arabia if they cross our red lines,” inating Violence against Women, During his 30-year-old rule, Salami told pro-government in the fi rst such rally held in the authorities implemented a strict housands of supporters of demonstrators in Tehran’s Revo- northeast African country in moral code that activists said Iran’s clerical establish- lution Square, state TV reported. decades. primarily targeted women, using Tment rallied yesterday Iranian TV carried live foot- Chanting “Freedom, peace, harsh interpretations of Shariah. in Tehran, accusing the United age of crowds chanting “Death to justice,” the catchcry of the pro- Thousands of women were States and Israel of instigating America,” and “Death to Israel”. test movement that led to auto- fl ogged and handed hefty fi nes the most violent anti-govern- “I recommend they (foreign crat Omar al-Bashir’s ouster in under a controversial public or- ment protests in at least a decade countries) look at the marches April, the demonstrators took to der law for “indecent dressing”. in Iran. today, to see who the real people the streets in the Burri district, a During the protests that Anti-government demonstra- in Iran are and what they are say- site of regular anti-Bashir pro- rocked Bashir’s regime, women tions began on November 15 after ing,” Foreign Ministry spokes- tests earlier this year. were at the forefront, demanding the announcement of gasoline man Abbas Mousavi said. Many women, dressed in or- his ouster and an end to violence price hikes. Details have been diffi cult to ange, carried banners that read: against them. The government has blamed report in part because of an in- “Women’s revolution continues” The army deposed him on “thugs” linked to exiles and the ternet blackout in much of the and “We are the revolution, we April 11, and his overthrow has United States, Israel and Saudi country. are the change.” triggered hope that laws encour- Arabia for stirring up the street State authorities warned “ri- Many also carried banners aging violence against women be unrest. oters” of severe punishment if such as “Stop rape of Darfuri scrapped. Hossein Salami, the top com- unrest continued. Women,” as they called for jus- “I came to demand an end to mander of Iran’s elite Revo- They said last week that dis- tice for female victims of the war violence against women,” said, lutionary Guards, warned the turbances had ceased, although in the western Sudan region. Adila Farouk as she marched in United States and its regional unverifi ed videos posted on so- “There is an atmosphere of the capital’s streets. allies not to push Tehran into cial media after restrictions on freedom now,” said 21-year- “I have been subjected to sex- devastating retaliation over what internet access were partially old university student Fatima, ual harassment, but it is nothing it sees as their support for “riot- lifted suggested sporadic pro- as others behind her whistled, compared to what other women Sudanese women march yesterday in the Burri district of Khartoum to mark International Day for ers”. tests were continuing in some clapped and ululated, an AFP have faced.” Eliminating Violence against Women. “We have shown restraint... places. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 11 AMERICAS US Navy chief Spencer fi red in SEAL saga Trump ordered Pentagon to let convicted SEAL keep elite status

Reuters Washington

resident Donald Trump or- dered the Pentagon to let a PNavy SEAL convicted of battlefield misconduct keep his Trident pin designating him as a member of the elite force, in- stead of holding a review board, his defence secretary said yes- terday. A 60ft tall blue spruce Christmas tree is unloaded from a flatbed truck and will stand in front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. The disclosure by Mark Esper Spencer ...sacked The tree was harvested from the Carson National Forest in New Mexico. Next week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will light the tree illustrates how Trump intervened during a formal lighting ceremony. repeatedly in the case of Special Esper said he asked for Spen- him of illegally posing with the de- Operations Chief Edward Gal- cer’s resignation letter on Sunday. tainee’s corpse. lagher, who was acquitted by a Spencer’s letter, seen by Reu- That had led to his rank being military jury of murdering a cap- ters, took parting shots at Trump reduced. Gearing up for annual presidential tured Islamic State fi ghter in Iraq, and defended the need to pre- Trump, who publicly opposed but convicted of posing with the serve “good order and discipline taking away Gallagher’s Trident detainee’s corpse. throughout the ranks” — some- pin and had intervened in the case turkey pardon: Bread or Butter? After restoring Gallagher’s rank thing Navy offi cials had believed to restore his rank, cheered Esper’s on November 15, Trump on Sun- the peer review board would help moves. day gave a formal order to halt the ensure. “Eddie will retire peacefully he White House has opened up day morning and their names were an- The holiday has its roots in Native military’s plans to hold a review “The rule of law is what sets us with all of the honours that he has voting for the public to choose nounced as Bread and Butter. American harvest festivals. board, Esper said. apart from our adversaries,” Spen- earned, including his Trident Pin,” Twhich of two turkeys President Trump is due to issue his pardon today. Notably, in 1621, European settlers cel- “I spoke with the President on cer wrote. Trump said on Twitter. Donald Trump will pardon this year, as Last year, the birds were Peas and Car- ebrated an autumn feast with the indig- Sunday. He gave me the order that “Unfortunately it has become Spencer last week suggested a part of a modern Thanksgiving tradition. rots and the president ultimately decided enous Wampanoag people. Eddie Gallagher will retain his Tri- apparent that in this respect, I no possible split with Trump by tell- The birds stayed overnight at a luxury to use his pardon powers to send both to The fi rst US president, George Wash- dent pin,” Esper told reporters at longer share the same understand- ing Reuters that Gallagher should hotel in Washington, where they got to live out the rest of their days on a farm. ington, declared a day of Thanksgiving the Pentagon. ing with the Commander in Chief still face a peer review board. enjoy the fi ner things in life, including Peas, however, was declared the win- in 1789, in the wake of the establish- Esper said he had been in favor who appointed me.” The White House said in No- fl uff y beds, good food and a tour through ner of the poll, which Trump said was a ment of the republic, though much of of following the regular processes The top US general said yester- vember that Trump had restored the historical gallery. “fair and open election.” the holiday’s traditions were slowly de- but stressed that, as president, day that as far as he was concerned Gallagher’s rank and had pardoned The birds were brought out for a press Thanksgiving is celebrated on the veloped and formalized over the coming Trump had “every right, authority the Gallagher case was now closed. two Army offi cers accused of war conference at the Willard Hotel yester- fourth Thursday in November. decades. and privilege to do what he wants “As far as I’m concerned, it is crimes in Afghanistan. to do.” case closed now and it is time to Critics had said such actions His comments were Esper’s fi rst move on and address the national would undermine military justice since after he fi red Navy Secretary security of the United States,” and sent a message that battlefi eld Richard Spencer on Sunday over Army General Mark Milley, chair- atrocities will be tolerated. his handling of Gallagher case. man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Milley said he believed that the Esper gave new detail about why a small group of reporters during a US military remained a disciplined he fi red Spencer, saying the Navy trip to the Middle East. force. Concern over climate action chief had sought to cut a side deal He added that the hiring and “This case obviously raises a va- with the White House that was fi ring of civilian leadership at the riety of questions, but in the main, “contrary to what we had agreed Pentagon was out of his purview as I think the United States military to and contrary to Secretary Spen- the top US general. remains and will always remain a grows among Republicans cer’s public position” — in which “The secretary of defence, Pres- very highly disciplined force.” he appeared to favour allowing ident of the United States, are all Trump said he would nomi- the military justice process to go part of the process and made a de- nate the US envoy to Norway, Ken By Matthew Lavietes, Reuters people who said the government was wildfi res, hurricanes and fl ooding hitting ahead. cision, as far as I’m concerned, it Braithwaite, to replace Spencer as New York taking too little action to tackle climate the United States had likely played a part “We learned that several days is case closed now and it is time to Navy secretary. change was unchanged from a year ago — in shifting Republican opinion. prior, Secretary Spencer had pro- move on and address the national In an appearance on Fox News but unease among moderate Republicans “People are beginning to hear and see posed a deal whereby if the Presi- security of the United States,” Mil- Channel on Sunday, Gallagher in- he majority of Americans, including grew signifi cantly, noted the report. that the impacts of climate change are dent allowed the Navy to handle ley said. dicated that he hoped to retire next a growing share of moderate Repub- “Previous analysis showed that concern here — now,” he told the Thomson Reuters the case, he would guarantee that The SEAL was acquitted by a Saturday, “without the board” Tlicans, are dissatisfi ed with US gov- about climate change has gone up over the past Foundation. Eddie Gallagher would be restored military jury in July of murdering convening to decide whether he ernment eff orts to curb global warming, several years (since 2013) among Democrats Most climate scientists believe a hu- to rank, allowed to retain his Tri- a captured and wounded Islamic could continue to be a SEAL, con- researchers said yesterday. but not Republicans,” said Cary Funk, director man-produced increase in greenhouse dent and permitted to retire,” Es- State fi ghter in Iraq by stabbing sidered among the most elite of US In a survey by the Pew Research Center, of science and society research at Pew. gases is heating the planet but the survey per said. him in the neck, but it convicted fi ghting forces. a Washington-based non-partisan think- But the new survey, which polled more found no change in the longstanding US tank, two-thirds of Americans said US than 3,600 people last month, found that political divide on that issue. President Donald Trump’s administration 65% of moderate or liberal Republicans Just under half of respondents agreed was “doing too little” to reduce the eff ects said the federal government was not do- human activity contributes a great deal to of climate change. ing enough to reduce the eff ects of global climate change, and another 30% said hu- Since taking offi ce, Trump has rolled warming, up from 53% in 2018. man actions have some role. Ginsburg released from hospital backed Obama-era rules limiting planet- A divide was also seen by age, with 52% “Many people, not just Republicans, warming emissions from sectors of the of 18 to 38-year-old Republicans dis- underestimate the scientifi c agreement AFP The 86-year-old has had a se- chills, according to a court spokes- economy such as electricity, transport, pleased with government climate action, about this stuff ,” noted Leiserowitz. New York ries of health scares this year, person. A feminist icon, Ginsburg is and oil and gas. compared with 41% of those from 38-54, For decades, the fossil fuel industry has sparking speculation she may re- one of four liberals on the nine-jus- The Trump administration fi led paper- and 31% of those aged 55 or above. pushed a message that climate change is tire — a move that would allow tice court and has given no sign she work this month to pull the United States Among Republicans, 46% of women part of natural cycles, he said. uth Bader Ginsburg, the US conservative US President Donald is thinking of stepping down. out of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate thought the government was doing too lit- Nonetheless, the survey showed most Supreme Court’s eldest jus- Trump to nominate a replacement. US Supreme Court justices are change, while his opponents have cham- tle, compared with 34% of men. Americans favour adopting renewable en- Rtice and de facto leader of Ginsburg is “home and doing appointed for life. She has repeat- pioned a “Green New Deal” that seeks to Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the ergy sources, with 92% of adults support- its liberal wing, has been released well”, US media reported the court as edly said she will only retire when slash US emissions within a decade. Yale Program on Climate Change Commu- ing the expansion of solar power and 85% from hospital after being admitted saying late on Sunday. She was hos- she feels incapable of handling the In the Pew survey, the proportion of nication, said the recent wave of extreme backing wind power. last week with a possible infection. pitalised on Friday with fever and workload. Canada’s rail strike to hit fertiliser output, slow grain exports

Reuters Mark Hemmes, president of A CN spokesman said compa- said the company had taken Ottawa Quorum Corp which monitors ny offi cials continue to negotiate “mitigation measures” to ensure the movement of prairie grain and call for binding arbitration, customer needs are met. for the Canadian government, a demand the union has rejected Richardson Internation- strike at Canada’s larg- told Reuters there were 21 ships thus far. al could not immediately be est railroad, Canadian parked in the Port of Vancouver A spokeswoman for Canadian reached for comment. ANational Railway Co, has as of Friday and nine anchored Labor Minister Filomena Tassi Around 300 farmers gathered forced one fertiliser company to at the Port of Prince Rupert, in declined comment. yesterday with a dozen tractors set a date to curtail production northern British Columbia. The federal government has so near the prime minister’s parlia- and is threatening to slow agri- Those fi gures, he added, are far sidestepped calls to force em- mentary offi ce in Montreal to de- cultural exports with at least 30 likely to rise to a combined 35 ployees back to work by insisting mand the government do more to vessels waiting at Canada’s West vessels, which are used to trans- collective bargaining is the fast- end the strike because of a pro- Coast to load grain shipments. port grains to international mar- est way to solve the dispute. pane shortage. As the strike by some 3,200 kets. The strike, Hemmes said, is CN is a key link in the trans- unionised employees entered its Canada relies on its two ma- aff ecting both shippers who are port of propane to parts of East- seventh day yesterday, labour jor railways — CN and Canadian captive to CN lines and exporters ern Canada where it is used to union Teamsters Canada said it Pacifi c Railway to move products who rely on CP, because many of heat homes, hospitals, and to dry was no closer to an agreement like crops, oil, potash, coal and the grain handling facilities at the grain. than when the strike began. other manufactured goods to country’s major ports are serv- Some farmers held bags of Striking conductors and yard ports and the United States. iced only by CN. grain and signs that read “Pro- workers are demanding improved Economists have estimated “Any Richardson facility or pane — it’s not just for barbe- working conditions, including a prolonged strike could hit al- Cargill facility that is located on cues” and “To dry grain, you worker rest breaks in what is Can- ready slowing growth expected CP (lines) is basically unable to need propane.” ada’s biggest rail strike in a decade. by year’s end while costing the ship anything from the country “Producers are increasingly Nutrien Ltd said yesterday it Canadian economy billions of to Vancouver,” he explained, re- distressed...they are a bit exas- was preparing to shut down its dollars. ferring to major Canadian grain perated by the government’s lack largest potash mine, Rocanville, About half of the country’s ex- companies. of sensitivity so far,” said Patrice for two weeks eff ective Decem- ports move by rail, industry fi g- In a statement, Cargill Ltd Juneau of Quebec’s Union of Ag- Teamsters Canada union workers picket outside the headquarters of Canadian National Railway in Montreal. ber 2 because of the CN strike. ures show. spokeswoman Connie Tamoto ricultural Producers. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 ASIA

Pulp giants pressed to paper US: Myanmar may over rivalry to save rainforest

By Michael Taylor APP, one of Asia’s largest makers of paper Kuala Lumpur and pulp, started to think in 2016 about how it could use technology to monitor its land, she said. sia’s pulp and paper giants — which It has teamed up with a Canadian fi rm to de- have stockpile of supply materials for stationery, tissues ploy a system that uses algorithms and satellite Aand toilet roll — are being urged by envi- images to generate and send alerts if deforesta- ronmentalists to follow the palm oil industry in tion occurs on its concessions, said Sritaba. stepping up collaboration to tackle forest loss Once an alert is received, APP sends a team and fi res in Indonesia. to investigate and initiates an action plan if Singapore’s APRIL Group and its main rival needed. Indonesia’s Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP), In areas judged to be under threat from de- chemical weapons both with operations largely on Sumatra island, forestation, the company tries to help local are working with local communities and using people farm land without burning it, or fi nd AFP Myanmar “had a destroy its chemical weapons “stands ready to assist Myanmar” technologies like satellite imagery to protect new sources of income that do not rely on log- The Hague chemical weapons facility.” to destroy the weapons. forests on their concessions and prevent fi res. ging. programme in the Myanmar has previously faced Myanmar was the 191st State Many parts of Indonesia, home to the world’s “We cannot say there is no deforestation 1980s that included accusations of storing and using Party to the Chemical Weapons third-largest tropical forests, are blighted by within our concession because of the challeng- yanmar is in breach of a a sulphur mustard such weapons. Convention, which came into deforestation and fi res, which green groups es still there,” said Sritaba, citing illegal logging global convention ban- development In 2013, a parliamentary re- force in 1997 and is monitored by blame on land clearance by the paper and pulp, and encroachment by communities. Mning chemical weapons programme and port said police had used phos- the OPCW for compliance. palm oil and timber industries, as well as farm- Competitor APRIL, whose products are ex- and may have a stockpile left chemical weapons phorus the previous year against In 2005, London-based rights ers. ported to more than 70 countries, has worked over from the 1980s, the United production facility” protesters at a copper mine in group Christian Solidarity Air pollution caused by annual forest fi res with villagers since 2014 to raise awareness of States said yesterday. the north of the country, causing Worldwide accused the former this year was the worst since 2015, according to the impacts of unmanaged burning and air pol- The Southeast Asian nation cility,” Thomas DiNanno, Dep- severe burns. military junta of using chemical the World Resources Institute, a US-based en- lution. may still have weapons at a “his- uty Assistant Secretary of State, In July 2014, fi ve journalists weapons against rebels from the vironmental think-tank. The fi rm has close to 450,000 hectares of toric” facility where mustard told the OPCW in The Hague. from Myanmar were sentenced Karen community. Technology is becoming an essential tool to plantations and 370,000 hectares of forest un- gas was produced, a senior State Washington had informa- to 10 years in prison with hard The US allegation comes as curb destruction of Indonesia’s vast forests, der protection or restoration. Department offi cial told the an- tion that Myanmar “had a labour over an article accus- Myanmar faces growing inter- viewed as crucial in the fi ght against climate Fire hot-spot alerts tend to cluster around the nual meeting of the Organisation chemical weapons programme ing the military of producing national legal pressure over its change as trees store planet-warming carbon. boundaries of corporate concessions where there for the Prohibition of Chemical in the 1980s that included a chemical arms. treatment of another minority Earlier this month, ten major palm oil com- is public access, rather than inside them, as well Weapons. sulphur mustard development The previous year, Myanmar’s – the Muslim Rohingya, thou- panies teamed up on a new radar system to as on land whose ownership is disputed, said Myanmar offi cially joined the programme and chemical then quasi-civilian government sands of whom were forced to monitor forests. APRIL’s sustainability director Lucita Jasmin. Chemical Weapons Convention weapons production facility”, denied using chemical weapons fl ee to Bangladesh in a huge mili- Elim Sritaba, chief sustainability offi cer at Fire-free villages are rewarded with grants to (CWC), which bans the produc- he added. against rebels from the Kachin tary operation in 2017. APP, which has government licenses to develop build infrastructure, and the scheme also sup- tion, storage and use of chemical “Based on available informa- ethnic minority during clashes Civilian leader Aung San Suu 2.5mn hectares (6.2mn acres), about a quarter ports education and village-based fi re preven- arms, in 2015. tion, the United States certifi es in the north of the country. Kyi is due to travel to the In- of which is forest area set aside for conserva- tion teams, she said. “The US has serious concerns that Myanmar is in non-com- The US offi cial said Wash- ternational Court of Justice in tion, said the company had “very strong” se- “Collaboration is essential to achieving a that a chemical weapons stock- pliance with the CWC, due to its ington had held talks with My- The Hague in December to lead curity patrols but some of the land was hard to fi re-free landscape,” she added. (Thomson Re- pile may remain at Myanmar’s failure to declare its past chemi- anmar’s civilian government the defence in a genocide case access. uters Foundation) historical chemical weapons fa- cal weapons programme and to and military over the issue and against Myanmar. Bangladesh starts fencing Rohingya refugee camps

IANS are taking it from there to erect.” were aiming to prevent Rohingya humanitarian needs,” it said in a Dhaka General Ahmed said the de- spread across the country. statement on September 30. mand for buying wire for erect- Home Minister Asaduzzaman “The proposed measures do ing the fence had been placed Khan told reporters in Dhaka on not meet the standards of ne- angladesh authorities said and it would take some time for September 26 that they would soon cessity and proportionality for yesterday they have start- the process to be completed, the install barbed wire fences around restricting free movement under Bed the process of erecting Efe news reported. the camps “as per the directive of international human rights law.” barbed wire fence near Rohingya He also revealed the govern- the prime minister to maintain law Nearly 745,000 Rohingya camps in the country’s Cox’s Bazar ment has sanctioned the con- and order in the camps and ensure refugees have been living in district, a move that has already struction of a 287km road along safety and security”. Bangladeshi camps since August been criticised by the rights group. the Myanmar and Indian border. New York-based rights group 2017, following a wave of perse- Bangladesh Army chief Gen- “This (the construction of Human Rights Watch criticised cution and violence in Myanmar eral Aziz Ahmed told reporters road) is now at the planning the move, saying that violate that the UN has described as at a programme in the area: “Our stage. Very soon we will appoint refugees’ rights to freedom of ethnic cleansing and genocide. preparation is on full swing. contractor,” he said. movement. Myanmar does not use the In one camp some pillars have Bangladesh announced the “While the authorities have a term Rohingya and also does already been erected. plan to install barbed wire fences duty to protect camp residents, not recognise the group as citi- “The pillars are being con- around the Rohingya camps in security measures should not zens, arguing they are illegal Rohingya walk near relief tents at a camp in Cox’s Bazaar district of Bangladesh. structed at the cantonment. We Cox’s Bazar as the authorities infringe upon basic rights and immigrants from Bangladesh. Lanka deploys troops to After 44 years, Vietnamese woman maintain public order

IANS arises following the conclusion Colombo of the recently held presidential reunites with daughter airlifted to US election will not be tolerated and all those involved will be arrested By Cath Turner, Reuters city centre “and told my boss ling/fi rst cousin.” Another e- ri Lankan President Gota- by the armed forces, the defence Ho Chi Minh City that I let her go.” mail arrived that said: “I think baya Rajapaksa has issued secretary said. She thought about what you’re my sister. Your Vietnam- Sa special gazette notice Newly-elected President she had done “until it felt like ese mother is looking for you.” calling on the armed forces to Rajapaksa last week vowed to s US troops exited Vi- my brain shattered.” She cried During an exchange of texts with maintain public order across strengthen national security and etnam in 1975 after 20 “every night for months. My fa- the woman named Bonnie Ludlow, the country, for the safety of the establish a secure country where Ayears of confl ict, thou- ther didn’t speak to me for two Leigh Mai learned they shared the general public, media reports everyone “can live without any sands of South Vietnamese who months.” She took “all sorts of same father – who had died in 2011 said yesterday. fear”, especially after the Easter had fought alongside them or jobs” after that to make a living. – but had diff erent mothers. “And I The gazette notice was issued Sunday attacks on April 21 which otherwise opposed the North “Life pushed me around.” think it just exploded from there,” over the weekend and calls upon the killed over 250 people. were terrifi ed of what lay ahead. But Dep never gave up hope Leigh Mai said. army, navy and the air force to be President’s new chief of staff As some fl ed, more than 3,000 of fi nding Leigh Mai. She con- They were helped by a 30-year- deployed in all 25 districts including named: Retired Major General K children were fl own to new fam- tacted various intermediaries old Vietnamese man called Vu Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo. B Egodawela has been appointed ilies overseas in what became over the years and even wrote Le, who had read an article about Sri Lanka’s new Defence Sec- as Sri Lankan President Gota- known as ‘Operation Babylift’. a letter to the late US Senator Dep’s search for Leigh Mai and retary Kamal Gunaratne told local baya Rajapaksas chief of staff . Among those infants was Edward Kennedy, who chaired made it his mission to help her. He journalists that the special gazette The newly-appointed chief of Leigh Mai Boughton Small – the a Senate subcommittee hearing found Joe O’Neal’s obituary with notice was issued to maintain law staff had been actively engaged daughter of a Vietnamese maid Leigh Boughton Small talks with her mother Nguyen Thi Dep as on Operation Babylift in 1975. Bonnie’s name, tracked Bonnie and order and not meant to carry in the military operations for and a GI – who was airlifted for they reunite in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam after 44 years apart. She said she never got a reply. down, and told her about the half- out a military administration. over three decades since joining a new life and adopted family in Leigh Mai knew from an early sister she had never met. Any political violence which the Sri Lankan army in 1971. New England. namese family “and that there was nearly a year old then. A age she was adopted and half-Vi- For Dep, Leigh Mai was al- Leigh Mai and her birth was love there... and aunts and long letter she wrote to O’Neal etnamese but no one had any idea ways a three-year-old child. mother may have spent the uncles and that never kind of was returned. He was married who her parents were. The chil- “Seeing her as this grown-up Top detective fl ees Lanka aft er ‘death threats’ rest of their lives wondering crossed my mind.” and had a family in South Caro- dren of Operation Babylift arrived woman with a family, it isn’t as about each other – except for She also could not compre- lina, she later learned. with little or no documentation. emotional as when I looked at A Sri Lankan detective election on November 16. the mother’s persistence, the hend how hard it must have Many of the children who were She enjoyed the good life her photos as a small baby,” she investigating high-profile cases His investigations included high- daughter’s decision to try a been for Dep all those years. fl own to new homes in Operation Dep had hoped for her in a said after the reunion. has fled the country after profile killings and corruption DNA website, and help from a A feeling of panic was rife in Babylift were orphans. Others happy, middle-class home in But the meeting did give her receiving death threats soon involving administration Vietnamese Good Samaritan. Saigon as the North Vietnamese were sent abroad in hopes they New England with a sister and relief about her daughter’s life after the change of government, members under former president After years of trying to fi nd Army and their Southern wing, would have a better life – or that brother, also adopted. in the US. police and media reports said Mahinda Rajapaksa, brother of each other, Leigh Mai, now 47, the Viet Cong, approached the they might be reunited soon after Although she occasionally “I love her a lot and I am at yesterday. the new president, who ruled for met her birth mother Nguyen city in April 1975. The evacua- the chaos of the war. But Viet- wondered about her mother ease because Mai has grown up, Inspector Nishantha Silva has a decade until 2015. thi Dep on November 17 in Ho tion of US civilian and military nam and the United States, where growing up, it was only when having her own family, can take sought asylum in Switzerland, Mahinda Rajapaksa has returned Chi Minh City. personnel, along with tens of most of the children were taken, she was 27 in 2000 that she care of her own self, as opposed according to media reports. to power as prime minister after It began with awkward hugs. thousands of South Vietnamese did not normalise ties until 1995, thought of searching for her. to before when it was always He left the island on Sunday leading his younger brother’s Dep, 70, now a gray and skinny civilians, was underway. dashing those hopes. Leigh Mai and her adoptive ‘Is my baby still alive? If she is, without informing his Criminal successful election campaign. woman. Leigh Mai, accompanied Dep had worked as a maid The last time Dep saw her mother, Mary Beth Boughton, what life does she have? I was Investigations Department Police said there was no pending by her husband Jeff and three and then telephone operator daughter, at the orphanage went to Vietnam to begin the worried she had it hard.” superiors, a police statement said. disciplinary action against Silva, children, was eager to reassure her at US army barracks in Saigon, where she was awaiting her search. Their only clues were Leigh Mai thought about “There are various allegations that but an inquiry will be initiated to mother she harboured no resent- where she met Leigh Mai’s fa- fl ight, she told Leigh Mai she Leigh Mai’s Vietnamese name, bringing her birth mother back this off icer had been biased during find out how he left the country ment about being sent away. ther, Joe O’Neal, she recalled in had “to go wash my face,” in- the town she was born in, and to the United States, but Dep his investigations in the past four and without permission. Leigh Mai gave Dep a locket an interview before the reunion tending to leave by the back the orphanage she was placed in prefers her simple life in Thu a half years,” the police statement Silva was removed from and a scrapbook of her child- at her home in Thu Duc, on the door. “But then her instinct told ahead of Operation Babylift. Duc. She still bikes to her job as said without giving details. his CID post last year after hood. Dep gave her grandchil- outskirts of what is now called her something, and she yelled Then in September 2019, a school janitor. The Daily Mirror newspaper Mahinda Rajapaksa briefly dren traditional red envelopes Ho Chi Minh City. ‘Mom don’t leave’. To be hon- Leigh received an e-mail from With technology, Leigh Mai said Silva left after receiving served as prime minister. But containing cash. She lost touch with O’Neal est, at that moment all I wanted ancestry.com, a website off er- thinks they can stay in touch. death threats after Gotabaya he was restored after that What hit Leigh Mai the most after he was sent home in April was to turn around and take her ing to help people discover their “So I’m hoping that she can Rajapaksa won a presidential administration collapsed. (AFP) was realising it wasn’t just a 1973. The little girl, who the home,” Dep said. Instead, she heritage and family links, telling get into the iPhone,” Leigh said mother she had lost, but a Viet- mother had named Phuong Mai, walked from the airport to the her of a connection to a “sib- with a laugh. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA New govt documents leak reveals how China runs Xinjiang camps

AFP Staff are also banned from be- “absolutely no mercy” against Former detainees describe Xinjiang fa- other special circumstances, Xinjiang were sent to “education Beijing friending inmates and engaging separatism and extremism in a they must have someone spe- and training” because of IJOP, in “personal interactions” to pre- 2014 speech following a Uighur cilities as indoctrination camps that are cially accompany, monitor and while around 2,000 were placed vent “collusion”, the document militant attack on a train sta- part of a campaign to eradicate Uighur control them.” under “preventative surveil- eaked government docu- read. tion. After initially denying their The memo says inmates lance.” Even Xinjiang residents ments outlining the need to “It shatters (the Chinese existence, China acknowledged culture and religion should be judged based on a outside the country were subject Lprevent escape, double lock Communist Party’s) CCP’s nar- that it had opened “vocational points system that measures to surveillance, the documents doors and constantly monitoring rative about these camps as be- education centres” in Xinjiang nation camps that are part of a students who must “graduate” “ideological transformation, showed. detainees in China’s network of nign vocational training centres aimed at preventing extremism campaign to eradicate Uighur from the camps, the guidelines study and training, and compli- According to another bulletin internment camps in Xinjiang where Uighurs and other Chinese by teaching Mandarin and job culture and religion. lay out how staff should manage ance with discipline.” from June 2017, the Chinese gov- refute Beijing’s defence of “voca- Muslim(s) willingly undertake skills. The latest leak consists of a their day-to-day lives, such as “There must be full video sur- ernment recorded 1,535 individu- tional education centres” in the training,” said James Leibold, In light of ICIJ’s investiga- list of guidelines for running the by ensuring “timely haircuts and veillance coverage of dormito- als from Xinjiang with foreign region, experts say. an expert on ethnic relations in tion, China’s foreign minis- camps approved by Xinjiang’s shaves”, while also emphasising ries and classrooms free of blind nationality who had applied for Obtained by the International China and a professor at Mel- try remained dismissive, with security chief in 2017, along with that detainees are barred from spots, ensuring that guards on Chinese visas. Consortium of Investigative bourne’s La Trobe University. spokesman Geng Shuang yes- intelligence briefi ngs that show having cellphones, according duty can monitor in real time, Those “for whom suspected Journalists (ICIJ) and published Instead, the documents out- terday accusing “some media” how police use data collection to an English translation of the record things in detail, and report terrorism cannot be ruled out” by 17 media outlets worldwide on line “in the Party’s own words... of “smearing China’s counter- and artifi cial intelligence to se- memo posted by ICIJ. suspicious circumstances imme- and had cancelled their Chinese Sunday, the documents show the the calculated, coercive, and ex- terrorism and anti-extremism lect residents for detention. “Students ... may not contact diately,” it adds. citizenship were to be deported, strict protocols governing life in trajudicial nature of these deten- eff or ts in Xinjiang”. The Chinese Offi cials were ordered to keep the outside world apart from ICIJ’s documents also bol- while those who had not were the camps in Xinjiang, where an tions,” he told AFP. embassy in London denied such strict secrecy about the “highly during prescribed activities,” the stered existing reports on the “fi rst be placed into concentrated estimated 1mn Uighurs and other The leak comes one week af- documents existed, telling the sensitive” centres, with staff memo reads, adding that staff “Integrated Joint Operation education and training”, it said. mostly Muslim minorities are ter The New York Times reported, Guardian, one of the partners in forbidden from bringing mobile should “strictly manage students Platform” (IJOP), a surveillance According to the memo, “stu- held. In one document, local of- based on more than 400 pages of publishing the memos, they were phones or cameras into “teaching requesting time off .” app previously reported on by dents” must stay in detention for fi cials are told to monitor inmates internal papers it had obtained, “pure fabrication and fake news”. and management areas”, accord- If indeed the so-called stu- Human Rights Watch. Accord- at least one year, though that rule at all times — including during that Chinese President Xi Jin- Former detainees describe ing to one document. dents “really need to leave the ing to a leaked bulletin from June was not always enforced, former toilet breaks — to prevent escape. ping ordered offi cials to act with Xinjiang facilities as indoctri- Referring to detainees as training centre due to illness or 2017, more than 15,000 people in inmates told ICIJ. Democratic win puts pressure on Hong Kong leader

Reuters Hong Kong A pro-democratic winning candidate at district council local elections argues with police off icers (not pictured) as they walk towards the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong.

ong Kong’s leader wan, which China claims as its tion,” it said. “...Months of social rising about their physical and pledged to listen to public own, the presidential offi ce ex- unrest have seriously disrupted emotional health. They left after Hopinion yesterday after pressed “great admiration” for the electoral process.” meeting two protesters whom a landslide election victory by the election result which it said Demonstrators are angry at they were unable to convince to opponents of Chinese rule amid demonstrated Hong Kong’s will what they see as Chinese med- leave despite the now-dire con- months of sometimes violent to pursue freedom and democ- dling in the freedoms promised to ditions on campus. pro-democracy unrest. Demo- racy. the former British colony when it “You can’t rest well, you can’t cratic candidates secured almost The number of seats held by the returned to Chinese rule in 1997. get proper food,” said a man in his 90% of 452 district council seats pro-democracy camp more than China denies interfering and says 20s, who asked to be identifi ed in Sunday’s poll, held during a quadrupled and turnout, at 71%, it is committed to the “one coun- only as Norym, clutching a cup of rare weekend lull in clashes with was almost double the number in try, two systems” formula put in coff ee from a kitchen fi lled with police, despite a strongly re- the previous polls four years ago. place at that time. garbage. sourced and mobilised pro-es- Starry Lee, chairwoman of the Police say they have shown re- The university is surrounded tablishment opposition. city’s largest pro-Beijing party, straint in the face of potentially by riot police, after about 1,100 Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing chief the Democratic Alliance for the deadly attacks. were arrested last week. Some executive, Carrie Lam, said the Betterment and Progress of Hong Britain said it welcomed Lam’s were held during escape attempts government respected the re- Kong, apologised for her party’s promise to “seriously refl ect” that included trying to clamber sults and wished “the peaceful, performance. on the result. Jimmy Sham, a down ropes to waiting motor- safe and orderly situation to con- “For this major defeat, we do leader of the Civil Human Rights bikes, with protesters throw- tinue”. not want to fi nd any excuses and Front, which organised some ing petrol bombs and police re- “Quite a few are of the view reasons,” said Lee. She said the of the anti-government rallies, sponding with tear gas, rubber that the results refl ect people’s Police off icers are seen inside the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong yesterday. party rejected her off er to resign won his electoral contest, while bullets and water cannon. dissatisfaction with the current earlier yesterday. some pro-Beijing heavyweights, There was a small standoff situation and the deep-seated While district councils deal government needs to face the de- my Cheung, a former student Former student leader Lester such as Junius Ho, a hate-fi gure between police and protesters problems in society,” Lam said. with local issues such as trans- mands of a democratic system,” protest leader who won a seat in Shum, who won a seat, said dis- among protesters for his abrasive outside the campus on Monday The government would “listen port, their members also form he said. the Yuen Long district close to trict councils were just one path comments, lost. evening, with many shouting to the opinions of members of part of the election committee Along with universal suff rage, China’s border. to democracy. “In future, we Ho described the outcome on “come out” and hurling abuse at the public humbly and seriously for Hong Kong’s chief executive. the protesters’ demands include Asked if the chief executive must fi nd other paths of strug- Facebook as “an unusual result” police. refl ect”, her statement said. This could give them some an independent inquiry into should consider her position in gle to keep fi ghting,” he said. while his victorious opponent, The protests started over a The elections saw record infl uence over the next vote in perceived police brutality. The light of the election results, Chi- China’s state-run Xinhua news political newcomer Cary Lo, ex- now-withdrawn extradition bill turnout after six months of pro- 2022, although they only account voting ended with no major dis- nese Foreign Ministry spokes- agency announced the comple- pressed surprise and delight. that would have allowed peo- tests and brought upset wins for for 117 of its 1,200 members. ruptions across the city of 7.4mn man Geng Shuang said Beijing tion of the election, but did not Sham and other democrats ple to be sent to mainland China democrats against heavyweight Democratic Party chairman Wu people on a day that saw mas- “fi rmly supports” Lam’s leader- say which side had won. “Rioters, entered the Polytechnic Uni- for trial but rapidly evolved into pro-Beijing opponents, greeted Chi-wai described the election sive, though orderly, queues form ship. Hong Kong’s most urgent in concert with external forces, versity to urge police to end a calls for full democracy, posing in some voting centres by chants as the fi rst step in the long way outside voting centres. “This is task was to restore order and stop have continuously committed standoff and allow humanitarian the biggest populist challenge of “Liberate Hong Kong” and to full democracy. “This district the power of democracy. This is a the violence, Geng told a daily and escalated violence, resulting assistance to those few protest- to Chinese President Xi Jinping “Revolution Now”. election shows that the central democratic tsunami,” said Tom- press briefi ng. In self-ruled Tai- in social and political confronta- ers trapped inside, with fears since he came to power in 2012. Pope urges world leaders to renounce Philippines rescues British nuclear weapons during visit to Japan man, wife held by militants

Reuters cis had told Naruhito that he re- AFP fi re, but they later abandoned the the Philippines. Separatists have Tokyo called as a nine-year-old boy in Manila couple after being overwhelmed led a decades-long insurgency in Argentina how his parents had by pursuing government forces,” the south of the Catholic-major- wept on hearing of the attacks on Lieutenant General Cirilito So- ity Philippines, which has led to ope Francis appealed yes- Hiroshima and Nagasaki and how hilippine soldiers yester- bejana told AFP. Regional army the death of tens of thousands of terday to world leaders to this had left a lasting impression day rescued a British man spokesman Arvin Encinas said no people. Pensure that nuclear weap- on him. Pand his wife from Islamic ransom was paid. While the government has ne- ons are never used again, a day Francis, who turns 83 next State-linked militants nearly two British Foreign Secretary Do- gotiated peace with the largest after he visited Hiroshima and month, also expressed concern months after the couple were kid- minic Raab confi rmed the rescue group, the Moro Islamic Libera- Nagasaki, the only cities ever to about future energy sources napped from their beach resort in of the couple, saying “both Alan tion Front, hardline factions allied be hit by atomic bombs. as he comforted victims of the the nation’s south, authorities and Wilma Hyrons are safe and with the Islamic State group are Nuclear disarmament has 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor said. well, and being looked after by the not part of the accord. been a key theme of the pope’s disaster, noting a call by Japan’s Troops recovered the pair Philippine authorities.” IS claimed responsibility for trip to Japan, a country not only Catholic bishops to abolish nu- after a fi refi ght with gunmen “We worked closely with the a suicide bombing on a Sunday haunted by the memory of the clear power outright. from the Abu Sayyaf group on Government of the Philippines mass in January at a Catholic two attacks that ended World Around 18,000 people died or the restive southern island of on Alan and Wilma’s case over cathedral on Jolo which killed 21 War II but also alarmed by the were classifi ed as missing after Jolo, which is a stronghold of the last two months,” he added in the country’s worst attack in nuclear programme and missile a massive earthquake set off a the kidnap-for-ransom gang in a statement. Armed men ab- years. tests of nearby North Korea. tsunami -- in some places 30m that has been behind some of ducted the couple on October 4 at Authorities blamed the bomb- “(I) invite all persons of good high -- destroying a wide swath the worst attacks in the Philip- their beach resort on the south- ing on Abu Sayyaf, which in part will to encourage and promote of Japan’s northeastern coast and pines. ern island of Mindanao, which funds its violence with ransom every necessary means of dis- Pope Francis shakes hands with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe triggering a nuclear meltdown at “There was a brief exchange of makes up the southern third of payments. suasion so that the destruction during a meeting with the diplomatic community at the prime minister’s the plant. Francis has also been generated by atomic bombs in off ice in Tokyo yesterday. outspoken in his opposition to Hiroshima and Nagasaki will the death penalty, still used in Australia investigates ‘plot’ to create spy MP never take place again in human pable of ensuring lasting peace”. broke down. Japan. history,” Francis told dignitaries Pyongyang has conducted seven Francis backs a UN treaty aim- A mass he said at a Tokyo sta- Australia’s prime minister insisted allegations Sunday night that to the Australia Security Intel- including Japan’s Prime Minister missile tests since US President ing to ban nuclear weapons and dium yesterday was attended by he was “not naive” to the threat suspected Chinese agents ligence Organisation (ASIO) last Shinzo Abe. Abe said Japan was Donald Trump met North Korean says even their possession for Iwao Hakamada, an 83-year-old of foreign interference yesterday, had off ered Chinese-Australian year, before he was found dead committed to a world free of nu- leader Kim Jong-un earlier this the purpose of deterrence is im- man who spent 46 years on death as authorities investigated an Bo “Nick” Zhao A$1mn (US in a motel room in March. Prime clear weapons. year. moral. row before being released and alleged plot by China to recruit $679,000) to run as a candidate Minister Scott Morrison said yes- In an apparent reference to the One of North Korea’s top nu- Nuclear devastation was also a was baptised during his time in a businessman and get him in a federal seat in Melbourne. terday the allegations surround- tensions with North Korea, Fran- clear negotiators said on Friday topic of the pope’s meeting yes- prison, local church offi cials said. elected. The 32-year-old luxury car dealer ing Zhao, a member of his Liberal cis said dialogue was “the only it would be the fault of the United terday with Emperor Naruhito. Francis ends his four-day trip to Nine network programme 60 had reportedly disclosed the Party, were “deeply disturbing weapon worthy of man and ca- States if diplomacy on the issue A palace spokesman said Fran- Japan today. Minutes broadcast explosive alleged approach for him to spy and troubling”. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 BRITAIN UK children ‘exposed to more asbestos than other countries’

Guardian News and Media across 1.5mn buildings in the UK, UK can expose a child to 100,000 ucation professionals have died of harm caused by asbestos is a his- than 50% of all asbestos traded tos should be maintained in situ London with about 80% of schools and fi bres per day, compared with mesothelioma. A 2018 study sug- torical issue relating to tradition- throughout the world. The UK rather than removed, provided it 94% of NHS trusts containing it. 10,000 fi bres in Germany,” the re- gested that there were fi ve times ally hazardous occupations and imported more asbestos per cap- is in a “good condition and well The report criticises the regula- port said. more deaths from mesothelioma industries,” said the report’s au- ita than any other country and protected either by its position ritish asbestos regulation is tory regime in the UK for allowing According to fi gures from the among teachers and three times thors. has the highest rates of asbestos- or physical protection”. This ap- so inadequate that a child schoolchildren to inhale levels of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) more among nurses than expected “However, this view underes- related deaths in Europe. proach has been criticised by un- Bcan legally be exposed to 10 airborne asbestos so much higher released in July, in 2017 there were in populations not exposed to the timates the dangers of chronic The report also argues for the ions for putting people at risk. times as much of the toxic material than are accepted elsewhere. 2,523 deaths from mesothelioma, substance. low-level exposure resulting creation of a central register of all The director of ResPublica, as they would be in countries such It argued that the technology a cancer of the lining of the organs The thinktank recommends from working in buildings con- asbestos in public buildings across Phillip Blond, said toxic material as Germany, a report has warned. used to measure airborne asbestos caused almost exclusively by the that the UK government bring re- taining asbestos. Mesothelioma the UK – which should identify being allowed to sit in an increas- The report, from the think tank fi bres in the UK is far less accurate inhalation of asbestos fi bres. quirements for the management of can develop from exposure to precise location, type and condi- ing state of decay in our schools ResPublica, calls for standards than the techniques used in other It is estimated that a similar asbestos up to the highest interna- only a small concentration of as- tion – and calls on the government and hospitals coupled with the to be brought up to levels in the countries. “A child inhales be- number of people die from asbes- tional standards, which it says are bestos fi bres, making secondary to commission a cost-benefi t death rates among nurses and strictest European countries. tween fi ve and 10 cubic metres of tos-related lung cancers. Accord- practised in Germany, the Nether- exposure no less a cause for con- analysis of the removal of all as- teachers were “a tragic indictment There are estimated to be about air per day, meaning the permitted ing to fi gures from the ONS, since lands and France. cern.” Between 1920 and 2000, bestos from them. of the current system of contain- 6mn tonnes of asbestos spread levels of airborne asbestos in the 2001 at least 305 teaching and ed- “The assumption is that the Europe accounted for more UK regulations state that asbes- ment and control”. Cinemas come Charles visits Solomon Islands under fi re for pulling gang fi lm after brawl

Guardian News and Media tions, but you choose to blame London @BlueStoryMovie & ban it from ALL your venues. Utterly ridicu- lous. Congrats on your achieve- wo leading cinema chains ments @RealRapman. Your hard are facing a backlash over work isn’t forgotten by those of Ttheir decision to pull a fi lm us with common sense.” about warring gangs after a mass Others on social media ac- brawl involving teenagers armed cused the cinema chains of rac- with machetes in Birmingham. ism. “From what I can see, Vue West Midlands police are in- Cinema’s decision to ban Blue vestigating what sparked the fi ght Story from all of their cinemas is involving up to 100 youngsters but at best disproportionate and at said it was “not jumping to any worst blatant racism,” said one conclusions” or formally connect- user called Jonathan. ing it to the fi lm, Blue Story. Umar Kankiya, a solicitor and Chief superintendent Steve co-founder of the group Dope Graham stressed that the force Black Dads, which aims to chal- Prince Charles greets local residents in Honiara in the Solomon Islands. did not ask for the movie to be lenge negative perceptions of withdrawn by Vue and Show- black fathers, said he felt there case cinemas following the dis- was “something a little bit more turbance at the Star City leisure sinister underlying all of this”. complex on Saturday night. He told the Guardian: “I don’t Footage on social media ap- want to label any institution to peared to show people fi ghting be racist without fi rm evidence in the foyer area of the cinema, that they are. It’s a very danger- where families and children were ous thing to say: ‘I think this in- queuing to watch Frozen II, while stitution is racist’ when I don’t witnesses said some of those in- have any real foundation to say Uber loses licence to volved tried to force their way into that. Arguably you can make a lot screening rooms without paying. of inferences from their behav- A police spokeswoman said on iour but I think it’s incumbent Wednesday that investigations on them to come out and explain were ongoing but that it was not their reasons and why they have clear whether any violence took made the decision they have.” place inside a screening of Blue Kankiya has written to Vue de- operate in London Story, which was released on Fri- manding an explanation for their day. withdrawal and said the cinema Guardian News and Media identifi ed a “pattern of fail- made positive improvements, the fi x was eff ective. that the fi rm had put in place. He Showcase said it would no chain was “withholding the abil- London ures” by Uber, including several reservations remained – includ- Jamie Heywood, Uber’s re- tweeted: “We understand we’re longer show the movie at its 21 ity to show black art and black breaches that placed passengers ing a change to systems that al- gional general manager, said: held to a high bar, as we should venues in the UK after Vue with- artistes” He said: “Why have Vue and their safety at risk. lowed unauthorised drivers to “TfL’s decision not to renew be. But this TfL decision is just drew the movie from nearly 100 Cinemas made that unilateral ber has lost its licence In a statement, TfL said: “De- upload their photos to other Uber’s licence in London is ex- wrong. Over the last two years we cinemas on Sunday. decision to withdraw the fi lm to operate private hire spite addressing some of these is- drivers’ accounts. This security traordinary and wrong, and we have fundamentally changed how Six teenagers, including a from all 91 cinemas across the Uvehicles in London af- sues, TfL does not have confi dence lapse resulted in at least 14,000 will appeal. We have fundamen- we operate in London.” 13-year-old girl and 14-year-old country? I can appreciate the in- ter authorities found that more that similar issues will not reoccur trips where someone other than tally changed our business over Steve McNamara, the general boy, were arrested after what cident happened in Birmingham than 14,000 trips were taken in the future, which has led it to the booked driver picked up the last two years and are setting secretary of the Licensed Taxi West Midlands police described – maybe there’s an issue there with more than 40 drivers who conclude that the company is not passengers, TfL said. the standard on safety. Drivers Association, which rep- as “maybe the worst thing” its that they needed to address in had faked their identity on the fi t and proper at this time.” The latest off ence reported “On behalf of the 3.5mn riders resents London black-cab driv- offi cers had seen. that particular cinema – but they Uber app. The decision will not see Uber was less than three weeks ago. and 45,000 licensed drivers who ers, said: “It’s all about public However, the decision to pull then took the decision to strip it Transport for London an- cars disappear from London im- Some 43 fraudulent drivers have depend on Uber in London, we safety and the mayor has taken Blue Story from cinemas has away from all the other 90 cin- nounced the decision not to mediately, as the fi rm has said it been discovered, including some will continue to operate as nor- the right decision. provoked a fi erce backlash. The emas across the country and renew the ride-hailing fi rm’s li- would appeal and could contin- whose licences had been re- mal and will do everything we “As far as we’re concerned Guardian has pressed Vue and that’s where the issue lies.” cence at the end of a two-month ue to operate pending the out- voked, one driver who had been can to work with TfL to resolve Uber’s business model is essen- Showcase for more detail about Vic Santoro, one of the actors probationary extension granted come provided it launched offi - cautioned for distributing inde- this situation.” London remains tially unregulatable. It is based on why they have pulled the fi lm in in Blue Story, said the fi lm did not in September. Uber was told cial proceedings within 21 days. cent images of children. one of Uber’s biggest worldwide everyone doing what they want the absence of a formal link to glorify street gangs or violence then it needed to address issues When TfL fi rst rejected Uber’s Uber said it fi rst notifi ed TfL markets. Shares in the fi rm fell and fl ooding London with vehi- the violence. and was “completely opposite to with checks on drivers, insur- licence renewal, in Septem- about the issue in May 2019 and almost 6% in pre-market trad- cles. Uber cannot guarantee that Charlene White, the ITV News the stigma that’s been attached ance and safety, but has failed ber 2017, the fi rm eventually had since implemented techni- ing in New York. the cars are properly insured, or presenter, tweeted: “Seriously @ to it due to the unfortunate inci- to satisfy the capital’s transport persuaded judges to award it a cal fi xes to resolve it. A spokes- The Uber chief executive, Dara that the person driving the car vuecinemas?! Clearly an isolated dent that took place in Birming- authorities. 15-month licence to continue. woman said an audit of all Lon- Khosrowshahi, said the decision is the one that is supposed to be incident at one of your loca- ham”. TfL yesterday said it had While TfL said Uber had since don drivers had demonstrated was “just wrong” after reforms driving, as recent incidents show.” Doctors fear Assange Laying the foundation Man pleads guilty to ‘could die’ in prison immigration off ence Reuters 44 while three were aged under London 18, including two 15-year-old AFP the United Nations special rap- cated should be administered in boys. London porteur on torture. a properly equipped and expertly The discovery of the bodies The independent UN rights ex- staff ed university teaching hos- British truck driver has shone a spotlight on the illicit pert said Assange’s “continued ex- pital (tertiary care). charged with the man- human smuggling trade that sees ore than 60 doctors posure to arbitrariness and abuse “Were such urgent assess- Aslaughter of 39 Vietnam- poor people from Asia, the Mid- wrote an open letter may soon end up costing his life”. ment and treatment not to take ese nationals found dead in a dle East and Africa make perilous Mpublished yesterday Assange used WikiLeaks to pub- place, we have real concerns, on truck near London last month journeys, often after paying huge saying they feared Julian As- lish classifi ed military and diplo- the evidence currently available, pleaded guilty yesterday to plot- sums to criminal gangs, to west- sange’s health was so bad that matic fi les in 2010 about US bomb- that Assange could die in prison. ting to assist unlawful immigra- ern Europe. the WikiLeaks founder could die ing campaigns in Afghanistan and The medical situation is thereby tion and to acquiring criminal Most of the victims were from inside a top-security British jail. Iraq that proved highly embarrass- urgent. There is no time to lose.” property. the provinces of Nghe An and Ha The 48-year-old Australian is ing to the US government. The doctors are from the US, Appearing in court by video Tinh in north-central Vietnam, still fi ghting a US bid to extradite “We write this open letter, Australia, Britain, Sweden, Italy, link from Belmarsh Prison in east where poor job prospects and him from Britain on charges fi led as medical doctors, to express Germany, Sri Lanka and Poland. London, Maurice Robinson, 25, other factors all fuel migration. under the Espionage Act that our serious concerns about the At his fi rst appearance in pub- from Northern Ireland, was not Prosecutor William Emlyn could see him given a sentence of physical and mental health of lic for six months, in a court asked to enter a plea to 41 other Jones told yesterday’s hearing up to 175 years in a US prison. Assange,” the doctors said in hearing last month, Assange charges, including 39 counts of at London’s Old Bailey criminal In the letter to Home Secretary their 16-page open letter. seemed frail. He also appeared manslaughter. court that it was likely to be a Priti Patel the doctors called for They said they had “con- confused whenever he was asked No trial date was set and Rob- large and complex case. Assange to be moved from Bel- cerns about Assange’s fi tness” to talk at Westminster Magis- inson is next due in court on De- Robinson admitted to having marsh prison in southeast London to go through the full extradition trates’ Court in London. cember 13. conspired with others between to a university teaching hospital. hearing, which is set for Febru- He seemed to have diffi culties The victims, 31 men and boys May 1, 2018 and October 24 this They based their assessment ary. “Assange requires urgent ex- recalling his birth date, and at and eight women, were found on year to commit an off ence of as- on “harrowing eyewitness ac- pert medical assessment of both the end of the hearing told dis- Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn lays a brick during a October 23 on an industrial es- sisting unlawful immigration as counts” of his October 21 court his physical and psychological trict judge Vanessa Baraitser that visit at the West Nottinghamshire College Construction tate in Grays, Essex, not far from well as acquiring cash which he appearance in London and a No- state of health,” they wrote. he had not understood what had Centre in Ashfield, Britain, yesterday. docks on the River Thames. knew or suspected came from vember 1 report by Nils Melzer, “Any medical treatment indi- happened in court. The oldest of the victims was criminal conduct. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 15

BRITAIN Windrush victim forced to sleep in bin shed

Guardian News and Media was six but became too old to Harrison is a vulnerable indi- cent of – the Home Offi ce wants arated from each other because erupted he hoped to sort out his ter informing him that he would London continue looking after him so vidual with several serious health to deport him. of the unrest in the area. immigration status. Initially the receive the biometric permit was asked her daughter, Harrison’s conditions, including problems He has resorted to sleeping in He went into a shop to look for signs were positive and he was an “administrative error”. It told aunt, who was living in the UK, to with both feet that cause dif- a cold bin shed covered in pigeon his son and was then reunited overjoyed when he received a the Guardian at the time: “We man caught in the Wind- take him to Britain. fi culty with walking. He needs droppings on a south London with him. He is shown on CCTV letter from the Home Offi ce this accept that a mistake was made rush scandal has resorted Harrison’s aunt agreed and he corrective surgery but because council estate, which he has to going into the shop and leav- year stating he would soon re- in this case for which we sin- Ato sleeping in a freezing lived with her and her family for a the Home Offi ce is not allowing slide in and out of through a small ing empty handed. Yet he was ceive a residence permit entitling cerely apologise.” Harrison says bin shed because the Home Of- few years. He was granted indefi - him to work, and has denied him hatch. charged with theft and advised him to remain in the UK. he is terrifi ed of not surviving the fi ce has not regularised his status nite leave to remain in the UK. At access to public funds, he is un- Harrison’s problems began to plead guilty, even though he However, the Home Offi ce winter in the bin shed and of be- and is trying to deport him. the age of 10 he was taken into able to get NHS treatment. during the inner-city riots in insisted he had not stolen any- overturned this decision, saying ing deported to Jamaica. Roy Harrison, 44, arrived in care and remained there until he Harrison arrived in the UK in 2011, after the fatal shooting of thing and had never committed it had made a mistake. It issued “All I can remember about my the UK as a six-year-old. He had was 18. 1984 and therefore qualifi es for Mark Duggan. He and his chil- any crime. him with a deportation notice early life in Jamaica is being an been abandoned as a newborn in He then began working, and leave to remain under the Home dren were living in Croydon, He served eight months in and he has been asked to report outcast because I had no mother Jamaica by his mother and left on has two sons, now aged 23 and Offi ce’s Windrush scheme. How- south London, at the time. He prison and was then placed in to the department’s Croydon of- and no father. My life is here in his grandmother’s doorstep. 25. The older one has an eight- ever, owing to a conviction for was taking one of his sons, then immigration detention. fi ce on December 6. the UK. I have never known any- She brought him up until he month-old baby. theft – a crime he says he is inno- 13, home when they became sep- When the Windrush scandal The Home Offi ce said its let- thing else,” he said.

Johnson’s ‘vague’ social care Thousands funding plans fl ayed of university Guardian News and Media London

icky Morgan has de- fended Boris Johnson Nover his decision to shelve plans to overhaul social staff strike in care funding in the Conserva- tives’ manifesto launch. The Tories have pledged to allocate an extra £1bn a year for the social care sector as part of a cautious manifesto, while guaranteeing that no one should pay cuts row have to sell their home to meet the costs. Guardian News and Media education secretary, addressed a to a row of new bars and restau- But it falls short of John- London rally of staff and students at Man- rants on university land, including son’s rallying cry on the steps chester University. She promised the burger chain Five Guys. of Downing Street when he took to “end the scandal of chancel- Wendy Bottero, who has taught offi ce, claiming “we will fi x the niversities across the UK lors getting extortionate pay while sociology in Manchester since crisis in social care once and for are facing widespread dis- people at the other end of the pay 2005, said: “We don’t mind them all … with a clear plan we have Uruption after tens of thou- scale have to use food banks, which investing in buildings if they invest prepared”. sands of lecturers and other staff is absolutely disgusting and dis- in staff too. Investment in staff has Theresa May was forced into a walked out on strike in protest over graceful.” dropped to its lowest level and they U-turn when her 2017 manifes- pay cuts, increased pension costs She said under a Labour govern- have broken the pension promises to social care plan was labelled and deteriorating conditions. ment academics would not need they made last time (during the a “dementia tax”, and Johnson Union leaders reported a strong to strike. “You will not need to be February 2018 strike). My pension has now committed only to show of support yesterday for the on the picket line because I will will halve under the current plans.” saying the party will “build a industrial action, which will last be working with you, not against Outside the Williamson build- cross-party consensus” on how eight days and could extend into you.” Kate Green, the Labour can- ing, Julia Horn, a teaching assist- it should be funded in the long the new year with a second wave didate for the Greater Manches- ant in criminology, said she was term. of strikes if staff demands are not ter constituency of Stretford and on an insecure contract which only Sir Andrew Dilnot, the former met. Pickets were set up at 60 Urmston, urged Nancy Rothwell, paid her for six hours a week, 20 chair of the commission on universities that are taking part in Manchester’s chancellor, to “listen weeks a year. “I was refused for a funding of care and support, the action, and the University and to the concerns of staff ”. credit card recently because of it. said the Tory plans were “very College Union (UCU) said talks Outside the university, one of If I had to pay a mortgage I would vague”. And the head of a think- were under way with other insti- the largest academic institutions have been evicted by now. I know tank has said Johnson’s pledge is tutions about being balloted again in the UK, many of the 2,200 UCU of a colleague who is living in a too little to plug the gap needed to join further action in the new members were on the picket line caravan in her mother’s garden be- to cater for the country’s ageing year. and students waved banners criti- cause she can’t aff ord to live any- population. More than 40,000 lecturers, cising the £260,399 salary of the where else,” she said. However, Nicky Morgan, technicians, librarians and other vice-chancellor, Nancy Rothwell. Rhodri Jerrett, a lecturer in ge- the secretary of state for dig- academic and support staff were Seth Schindler, a senior lecturer in ology, said poor working condi- ital, culture, media and sport taking part in the action, but the urban development, was dressed tions shut out women and minor- (DCMS), defended Johnson’s UCU said it had been processing as the former chancellor of the ex- ity groups. “Often when people strategy. requests from 3,500 more work- chequer George Osborne, who was start academia they are on very “There’s a very clear three- ers seeking to join the union since appointed by Rothwell in 2017 to short-term contracts and that point plan - that’s the £1bn the strikes were announced three be an honorary professor of eco- makes it very diffi cult to have a extra every year, the need to weeks ago. nomics. family. You have to sacrifi ce a lot. build a cross-party consensus As well as pickets, many lec- “The university is raiding our You have to work many more hours – because social care is a long- turers are off ering alternative pension pot while investing mil- than you are contracted to do, and term, complex issue – There is teach-outs for their students, and lions of pounds in real estate that quite obviously marginalises also a very clear statement, as industrial action short of a strike, deals,” Schindler said. “They are certain groups. Certainly it’s much the prime minister set out in including staff working strictly to renting space to fast food restau- easier as a man, because at the the Question Time debate last their contracts, will continue until rants while claiming they don’t time of the life when you transfer week, that no one should have further notice. Mass demonstra- have enough money to properly from your PhD studies to wanting to sell their own home to pay for tions were also held in Newcastle, fund pensions or equal pay for to be an academic is around the their care,” she told BBC Radio Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson holds a bull in the show ring as he visits Bristol and Manchester. women and black and minority time when women are starting to 4’s Today programme. the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Llanelwedd, Britain, yesterday. Angela Rayner, the shadow ethnic staff ,” he added, gesturing think of children,” he said.

Uproar forces BBC UK in a dangerous to bin ‘six-chip-rule’

Daily Mail tograph on Twitter of six chunky London chips on his plate. mess, warns Blair He said: “New rules in the BBC canteen limit the number of chips Reuters Blair, the only Labour leader 31 if he wins a parliamentary ungry BBC workers had to six! The staff seemed shocked London to win three elections, said his majority and then to negotiate the frites of their lives that I didn’t go with the unlimited party was now controlled by a comprehensive deal with the Hwhen canteen workers couscous instead.” its “Marxist-Leninist wing” bloc covering trade and future limited them to just six chips each. The row even led to some good- ormer prime minister Tony and that its leader Jeremy relations during a transition One said there was an outcry in natured bragging from staff at the Blair yesterday said Britain Corbyn was promising a revo- period due to end next Decem- the cafe at Broadcasting House af- BBC’s base in Salford, MediaCi- Fwas in a dangerous mess lution. ber. ter servers told disappointed din- tyUK. One shared a photograph of and that neither his own La- “The problem with revolu- Blair cast doubt on that time- ers they’d had their chips – and his plate of food and wrote: “Not bour Party nor Prime Minister tions is never how they begin but table and said there was still a wouldn’t get any more. showing off or anything but I’ve Boris Johnson’s Conservatives how they end,” said Blair. “The risk that Britain could exit the Dom Stirling, a Radio 1 and been given at least 15 up here in deserved to win a December 12 problem with revolutions is that EU in a year’s time without hav- Asian Network producer, tweeted: Salford...” election. they always end badly.” ing struck a deal with its biggest “Just in case you thought the BBC However, Tom Green, assistant Britain is holding an election “The truth is: the public aren’t trading partner. was a glamorous place to work, editor for BBC Radio 5 Live at Me- three years ahead of schedule be- convinced either main party de- “No-deal Brexit is not off the there is uproar in the canteen as diaCityUK, said there was a catch, cause parliament was deadlocked serves to win this election out- table,” Blair said. “This negotia- the ‘six-chip rule’ is introduced... explaining: “In Salford you’re al- over Brexit, unable to agree on right.” tion (on the future relationship) in which servers are instructed to lowed as many chips as will fi t in how or even whether to leave the The December 12 vote presents has no chance of being conclud- individually count out six chips a small bowl (about the size of a European Union. a stark choice between a so- ed in that transition period.” per person. I wish this was a joke.” fi nger bowl). “We’re a mess,” Blair said at a cialist-run state under Labour, Blair said he did not know A BBC spokesman denied that “But the chips are massive, so Reuters Newsmaker event. “The which is off ering a second refer- whether Labour, which has its London restaurant staff were your mileage varies depending on buoyancy of the world economy endum on leaving the EU, and the tacked sharply to the left under being stingy, adding: “There’s whether some big potato lodges has kept us going up to now, but free-market Conservatives, who Corbyn, would ever return to the something a little fi shy about this width-wise and pushes out lots of should that falter, we will be in want to “get Brexit done” by the centre ground of British politics, story as there is defi nitely no six- his chippy brethren.” deep trouble.” end of January. but added: “We must set about chip rule.” However, BBC journal- Eventually, it appears that be- Blair, Labour prime minis- Blair, an opponent of Brexit, the urgent task of reconstructing ists confi rmed that the chips were leaguered canteen staff in London ter from 1997 to 2007, said both argued for a second referendum the sensible mainstream of Brit- down. Daniel Sandford, a home gave up on the paltry potato serv- major parties were peddling fan- on the decision to leave, saying it ish politics.” aff airs correspondent for BBC ings. BBC News producer Callum tasies, adding that if the opinion would need to be followed by an- “Otherwise, this laboratory News, tweeted: “I was given six at May tweeted: “UPDATE – just polls were accurate, Johnson’s other general election. experiment in populism running Former prime minister Tony Blair speaks during an interview with 12.10pm.” been told by a canteen source (as I party looked likely to win a ma- Johnson has pledged to take riot will end very badly for our Axel Threlfall at a Reuters Newsmaker event on “The challenging Arif Ansari, head of news for the was served a total of 14 chips) that jority. Britain out of the EU by January nation.” state of British politics” in London yesterday. BBC Asian Network, posted a pho- the six-chip rule has been ‘relaxed’.” Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 EUROPE US, EU ‘owe half the cost’ of repairing climate damage

By Patrick Galey, AFP by global warming, the groups These “common but diff eren- loss and damage reparations. climate change for ActionAid. Developing nations are both national Monetary Fund (IMF) Paris said. tiated responsibilities” are the A collection of nearly 100 en- The groups analysed each na- most at risk of climate-related provided Mozambique with A week ahead of a UN climate bedrock of ongoing international vironmental groups said coun- tion’s ability to fi nance climate disasters and least prepared to an emergency load of $118mn summit in Madrid – in which negotiations on how countries tries must agree on a fi nancing action, and compared that to its tackle them. – woefully short of what was he United States and Eu- the controversial issue of how can limit global warming to the facility whereby richer nations historic emissions, dating back This double threat was borne needed. rope bear more than half funding for the so-called “loss Paris target of “well below” 2° – those mainly responsible for to 1950. out this year in Mozambique, The groups highlighted the Tthe cost of repairing the and damage” infl icted by climate Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit). emissions – help countries re- It found that the US, the larg- when two deadly cyclones bat- basic inequality inherent in man- damage already wrought by cli- change will be provided – they But as climate change outpaces cover from climate-related ca- est polluter in history, should tered its coast. made climate change: the world’s mate change, a coalition of en- said the amount needed would eff orts to tame it, poorer nations tastrophes. contribute at least 30.4% of loss The storms displaced millions, richest 10% cause 50% of emis- vironmental groups stated yes- hit $300bn annually within a – historically virtually blameless They called for $50bn by 2022, and damage funding. destroyed homes and crops, in- sions, while the world’s poorest terday. decade. for manmade emissions – are rising to $300bn annually to help The EU should pay 24%, they fl icting an estimated $3bn in 50% cause 10%. Based on their historic green- The UN Framework Conven- pleading for richer countries to at-risk nations by 2030. said, while China – the largest damages – roughly 20% of the “We can no longer pretend house gas emissions, the US and tion on Climate Change, under compensate them for the natu- “This is a crucial opportunity current emitter – was obliged to country’s GDP. that the climate emergency is EU should be held jointly respon- which the 2015 Paris agreement ral disasters hitting their shores for the rich countries and pollut- fund 10.4%. But without a global, uni- something for the future,” said sible for 54% of funding owed was signed, is based on the prin- right now. ing industries that have caused Going further back to the start fi ed process for climate damage Alison Doig, head of global policy to developing nations already ciple that all countries must give Negotiators at the COP25 in the crisis to meet their respon- of the industrial age, the analysis funding, countries are not yet at Christian Aid. “Poor and vul- dealing with extreme fl ooding, at least their fair share in global Madrid are tasked with fl eshing sibility to those who are being found that the US’s fair dam- obliged to get their chequebooks nerable people are losing their droughts and megastorms ren- eff orts to mitigate and adapt to out an international mechanism hardest hit by climate disasters,” age funding share would be over out. homes, livelihoods and loved dered more frequent and intense our changing climate. guiding how countries fi nance said Harjeet Singh, global lead on 40%. After Cyclone Idai, the Inter- ones right now.”

Iohannis is re-elected as president

Klaus Iohannis has been re- elected president of Romania with 65.88% of the vote, the ‘Priceless’ jewels stolen electoral authority in Bucharest said yesterday after 99.67% of the votes had been counted. The liberal was well out in front of his Social Democratic opponent Viorica Dancila, who garnered 34.12% of the vote. The off icial final result should be from German museum available in a few days. Supported by the governing AFP Using an axe, they smashed a es, the green diamond, is cur- National Liberal Party (PNL), Berlin window and cut through a grill rently on loan to the Metropoli- Iohannis is considered a middle- before making their way to a dis- tan Museum of Art in New York, class liberal and a pro-European. play case “in a targeted manner” where it is a headline attraction Top figures from the European obbers made off with and destroying it, police said. in the temporary exhibition Union gave their congratulations three priceless diamond They then fl ed in an Audi A6 “Making Marvels: Science and Iohannis yesterday. Rsets from a state museum and remain on the run. Splendor at the Courts of Eu- Donald Tusk, president of the in Dresden yesterday, police and Bild daily said the heist was rope”. European Council, wrote in a museum directors said, in what “probably the biggest art theft After the Royal Palace suf- letter that he had appreciated German media have described as since World War II”. fered severe damage in World for the past five years “your the biggest art heist since World Dirk Syndram, director of the War II, the Green Vault remained consistent commitment War II. Green Vault itself, said the mu- closed for decades before it was to European values and a The thieves at dawn broke seum’s jewellery sets amounted restored and re-opened in 2006. prosperous Romania in the into the Green Vault at Dresden’s to “a kind of world heritage”, to- Saxony’s state premier said European Union”. Royal Palace – home to around talling about 100 items. the heist went beyond the value “The strong support of the 4,000 precious objects of ivory, He explained that the stolen of the artefacts stolen. Romanian people for your gold, silver and jewels – after a sets were part of a 10-set col- “The treasures that are found unequivocally pro-European power cut deactivated the alarm. lection which includes not only in the Green Vault and the Dres- choices for the country comes The stolen items included diamonds but also sapphires, den Royal Palace were hard- at an important time,” European brilliant-cut diamonds that rubies and emeralds. earned by the people of Saxony Commission President Jean- belonged to a collection of jew- Founded by Augustus the over many centuries,” Michael Claude Juncker wrote in another ellery of 18th-century Saxony Strong, Elector of Saxony in Kretschmer said. “One cannot letter. ruler Augustus the Strong. 1723, the Green Vault is one of understand the history of our “We are talking here about 12 museums which make up the country, our state, without the items of inestimable art-his- famous Dresden State Art Col- Green Vault and Saxony’s State Tigers saved by torical and cultural-historical lections. Art Collections.” value,” the director of Dresden’s One of the oldest museums in In 2010, the museum hosted Polish zoo to be state art collections Marion Europe, the Green Vault holds a meeting between Chancel- This picture taken on April 9 rehoused in Spain Ackermann told reporters at a treasures including a 63.8cm lor Angela Merkel and then-US shows the White Silver Room, press conference on Monday. fi gure of a Moor studded with president Barack Obama on his one of the rooms in the historic Five tigers rescued by a Polish “We cannot put an exact value emeralds and a 547.71-carat sap- fi rst state visit to Germany. Green Vault. zoo from a transport stranded on them because they are price- phire gifted by Tsar Peter I of The museum remained closed at the Polish-Belarusian border less,” said Ackermann, adding Russia. and sealed off by police yester- Right: Dresden’s Police in late October are to travel she was “shocked by the brutal- The museum is now made up day. President Joerg Kubiessa (left), to an animal asylum in Spain ity of the break-in”. of two sections – a historic part The theft is the second the director of Dresden’s state at the weekend, the director The thieves launched the bra- and a new area. high-profi le heist in Germany art collections Marion of the zoological gardens in zen raid after a fi re broke out at Yesterday’s break-in target- in recent years, after a 100kg Ackermann, and State Poznan, Ewa Zgrabczynska, said an electrical panel near the mu- ed the historic section, which (220-pound), 24-karat giant Prosecutor Klaus Roevekamp yesterday. seum in the early hours of yes- contains around three-quarters gold coin was stolen from Ber- (right) at the press conference. In Spain the animals will enjoy terday, deactivating its alarm of the museum’s treasures and lin’s Bode Museum in 2017. a milder climate, Zgrabczynska as well as street lighting, police which has a strict limit on the Dresden police said they were tection of museums and cultural said, as well as better conditions, said, adding that investigations number of daily visitors. in contact with colleagues in institutions was now of “the including large outdoor were ongoing to determine if Exhibits are arranged in nine Berlin to examine “if there are highest priority”. enclosures, than the zoo in there was a link to the robbery. rooms, including an ivory room, any connections and if there are “The theft of items which Poznan, in western Poland, is able Despite the power cut, a sur- a silver gilt room and the central similar patterns in the crimes”. make up our identity as a nation to provide at short notice. veillance camera kept working “Hall of Treasures”. Germany’s Culture Minister of culture strikes at our hearts,” Last month, the zoo and fi lmed two men breaking in. One of its most valuable piec- Monika Gruetters said that pro- she said. accommodated nine tigers that had been transported in dire conditions from Italy to Dagestan in Russia and were stopped on the Polish-Belarussian border due to lack of necessary Thousands of sheep feared dead in Romania ship capsize documentation. One animal died during that trip. The organiser of the transport is AFP fl agged vessel back to the dock, less than right ban them,” Acebop president Mary facing charges of mistreatment Bucharest 1km away, battling stormy weather and Pana said in a statement late on Sunday. of animals. rough seas. Acebop has previously called for legal Four other animals from that Ana-Maria Stoica of the local rescue changes that would oblige transporters to transport, including one that housands of sheep were feared dead services told AFP that workers were trying improve conditions aboard livestock car- recently underwent a successful yesterday, a day after a vessel over- to remove the cargo refl oat the ship. riers. operation on its digestive tract, Tturned off the Romanian coast, She said once this was done, rescuers Gabriel Paun of Animals International are to remain in Poland, in zoos leading to renewed calls for a ban on the would be able to take out the remaining has also called for an inquiry to be held in Poznan and the north-western controversial sea transport of livestock. sheep. “without delay”, alleging that the ship had town of Czluchow. The Queen Hind, bound for Saudi Ara- “We hope that some of them are still been overloaded. The transport of the animals to bia with 14,600 sheep aboard, capsized on alive,” she added. He added that the Queen Hind already Spain is to be paid for by Dutch Sunday shortly after leaving Midia port on Mihaita Gheba, chief of the local veteri- had engine problems last December. non-governmental organisation the Black Sea in eastern Romania – no ex- nary authority, said the dead sheep would The veterinary authority said in a state- Advocates for Animals, which planation has been given. be burned while surviving ones would be ment that the vessel had fully complied runs the asylum, the Polish Press The crew of 20 Syrians and one Lebanese returned to the breeder. with EU regulations and that suffi cient Agency reported. were rescued along with 32 sheep. Romania joined the EU in 2007 and is space, food and water had been provided. The rescued sheep have been taken to a the bloc’s third-largest sheep breeder and Activists have labelled the livestock special shelter in Midia. a top exporter, primarily to Middle Eastern transport vessels – about 100 of which Man dies after No one has been able to board the ves- markets. leave Midia every year – “death ships”, say- sel to check its hold, but photos and video Romania’s main livestock breeders and ing that sheep risk being cooked alive on being hit by footage distributed by rights group Ani- exporters’ association Acebop has called board during the hot summer months. roller coaster mals International showed dead sheep for an urgent investigation, saying it was In July, the European commissioner in This handout photo made available by the General Inspectorate for in the ship and dozens fl oating in the sea “shocked by the disaster”. charge of health and food safety demanded A man was killed at a Christmas Emergency Situations (IGSU) shows the capsized livestock transport nearby. “If we cannot protect livestock during that Bucharest stop the transport of 70,000 market in Berlin on Saturday vessel, in the ‘Midia’ Black Sea harbour. Rescuers were trying tow the Palau- long-distance journeys, we should out- sheep to the Gulf, citing animal welfare. night after a roller coaster crushed him. He was believed to have been an employee of the Christmas market, located off Landsberger Allee in northeast Berlin, European police attack Islamic State’s online presence according to the initial police investigation. A police spokeswoman said on Reuters The move shut down a large it is 100%, we will see how they ment that it had been working tremism” last week. helping Europol to “root out ... Sunday that they are treating the The Hague number of accounts and web- recuperate from this. It will take with nine of the largest Internet “Telegram was the online malicious content”. death as a suicide. sites run by the group’s news a huge eff ort for them to come platforms to counter Islamic service provider” where most There was no immediate re- The man was hit by the roller arm, Europol said. back.” State propaganda operations, off ending material was found, sponse from Telegram to a re- coaster and then pinned uropean police agencies “They have disappeared from Offi cers involved in the joint including with Google, Twitter, Europol said. “As a result, a sig- quest for comment. underneath. have knocked out several an important part of the In- action by Europol and police Instagram and Telegram. nifi cant portion of key actors “IS is not all about the battle- After he was pulled out from EInternet servers used by ternet,” Belgian prosecutors’ agencies in 11 countries said Europol said on its website within the IS network on Tele- fi eld. They have radicalised and under the car, attempts to Islamic State (IS) in a blow to the spokesman Eric Van Der Sypt around 26,000 items were tak- that it had examined “propa- gram was pushed away from the have recruited a large number of resuscitate him failed. group’s ability to spread propa- said at a news conference at en offl ine last week, including ganda videos, publications and platform.” foreign fi ghters in our countries The four people who were riding ganda online, the Europol police Europol headquarters in The communication channels. social media accounts support- It praised Telegram’s assist- through those media channels,” in the car that hit the man were agency said yesterday. Hague. “I cannot say at this time Europol earlier said in a state- ing terrorism and violent ex- ance and said the company was Van Der Sypt said. off ered counselling. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 17 EUROPE

Activists worry domestic Measures to halt violence abuse law will be against women unveiled diluted AFP ing how harassment can lead to said that the rules covering phasising that the “fi ght against Paris suicide. medical confi dentiality would marital violence is not just a Since the start of 2019, at least be changed to make it easier for question of money”. AFP 117 women have been killed by doctors to signal to the authori- An AFP examination this Moscow rance unveiled yesterday their partner or former partner ties when a person is at risk of month of every case of femicide new measures to combat in France, according to a case- violence. in France showed up repeated Fviolence against women by-case study by AFP based on He said that the new meas- trends, including the failure of ussian rights activists said by their partners or ex-part- media reports. ures would be inscribed in a bill the authorities to act on warn- yesterday that they fear a ners, seeking to toughen up the The fi gure shows no improv- to be presented to the French ing signs of the potential for vio- Rproposed law on domestic law as concerns mount over the ing trend – last year, 121 wom- parliament in January, and that lence. violence could be watered down number of women killed in the en died in what are increasing the plans would benefi t from Indicating the scale of the as ultra-conservative groups country. termed femicides, to underscore €360mn ($400mn) of annual problem across Europe, the Ger- campaign against it. Prime Minister Edouard the fact the victims were killed funding. man government said yesterday The bill is due to be discussed Philippe made the announce- because they were female. Tens of thousands of people that 122 women were killed in in the lower house of parliament ments on the UN-backed Inter- An additional 213,000 women demonstrated in France on Sat- femicide crimes in 2018, down next month after being submit- national Day for Eliminating Vi- in France are victims of physi- urday in actions organised by from 147 the previous year. ted by a ruling party MP, but its olence against Women, two days cal and or sexual violence on the feminist group #NousToutes Hiowever, the number of chances of adoption are unclear. after tens of thousands of people the part of their partner or ex- (All of Us) to demand an end to women who reported being vic- The law would for the fi rst took to the streets across France partner, according to the latest violence against women. tims of violence in Germany in- time defi ne domestic violence in a show of solidarity. offi cial fi gures. However, while welcoming creased to 114,393 last year from and treat it as a separate crime, Growing anger over the fail- The announcements by the proposed tightening of laws, 113,965. introducing restraining orders ures in Europe and globally to Philippe focused on ending what feminist advocates regretted the And in a rare move, global po- against abusers among other make progress ending the hor- he described as “absurdities” lack of more concrete help. Prime Minister Philippe with Junior Minister for Gender Equality lice co-operation organisation measures. rendous annual toll has pres- and “dysfunctional aspects” in “The government has missed Marlene Schiappa at the news conference at the Hotel Matignon in Interpol launched an interna- Rights activist Alyona Pop- sured governments to begin to the law to ensure that women the target,” said Caroline De Paris. tional appeal yesterday to fi nd ova, one of the bill’s authors, take action, though activists would be better protected. Haas of #NousToutes. eight men suspected of mur- warned at a Moscow press con- warned that far more needs to be The notion of psychologi- The head of the Foundation of “What is necessary is to bol- also stark regional disparities dering or committing violence ference that conservative groups done. cal “entrapment” would now be Women, Anne-Cecile Mailfert, ster special measures such as within France. against women. are seeking to “neuter the text, Expressing hope that the written into the law as this can said the government was not off ering sanctuary and then Equality Minister Marlene In 2017, some 87,000 women which they believe goes against plan would prove an “electric also lead to violence, he told re- off ering more help to the asso- supporting the victims,” said Schiappa vowed in an interview and girls were murdered world- traditional Russian values”. shock”, Philippe said the meas- porters in Paris. ciations which are increasingly Francoise Brie, who heads the with the Figaro newspaper that wide, according to a 2018 report Some 200 groups, many pro- ures would seek to broaden the And in a measure that has being approached by victims of National Federation of Women’s funds would be available for all from the UN Offi ce on Drugs and moting fundamentalist Ortho- defi nition of violence, includ- been widely called for, Philippe domestic violence. Solidarity, noting that there are the new measures, while em- Crime (UNODC). dox Christian views, have signed a petition addressed to President Vladimir Putin calling for the bill to be dropped as it goes against family values and the right to private life. Activists, some from ultra- Sources: Malta grants pardon conservative Orthodox groups, held a protest against the bill in a Moscow park at the weekend. The Russian Orthodox Church has spoken out against the bill, to suspect in journalist killing with senior spokesman Va- khtang Kipshidze telling Interfax news agency yesterday that the Reuters Spanish Guardia Civil’s divers work to refloat a submarine used bill’s proposals “prompt a lot of Valletta to transport drugs illegally in Aldan, northwestern Spain. doubts” and are based on ideas from “Western governments”. Nevertheless, a petition call- man suspected of being ing for the bill to be adopted has the middleman in the more than 800,000 signatures Amurder of anti-corrup- Spain captures sub on Change.org. tion journalist Daphne Caruana Russia urgently needs a Galizia has been granted a presi- “mechanism to protect victims dential pardon, police sources with cocaine cargo of domestic violence” who are said yesterday. not safeguarded by current weak The move indicated that in- legislation, said Irina Kirkora, vestigators believe the man, AFP out specifying which country Moscow branch president of named as Melvin Theuma, has Madrid the vessel departed from. women’s rights NGO Assol, at a given them solid evidence they “It is not the fi rst time but press conference in Moscow on can use in court to try to convict we don’t see this every day” in the International Day for Elimi- the person who ordered the kill- olice in Spain have seized Europe, the source added. nating Violence against Women. ing. a submarine carrying Drug traffi ckers, especially Yet the Russian justice min- Caruana Galizia, one of Mal- Pcocaine off the coast of from Colombia, have been istry does not even have statis- ta’s best-known investigative the northwest Galicia region caught using submarines to tics on the scale of the problem, journalists, was blown up as she which had arrived from South transport cocaine into Mexico, pointed out Olga Gnezdilova, a left her home on October 16, America, offi cials said yester- and from there into the United lawyer who specialises in such 2017. day. States. cases, saying this showed offi - The murder shocked Europe Two Ecuadorian men were The gangs often pay unem- cials’ dismissive attitude. and raised questions about rule arrested as part of the opera- ployed engineers desperate for Russia decriminalised all but of law on the Mediterranean is- tion on Sunday in the seaside money to design and make the the gravest types of domestic land. town of Cangas near the border submarines, said Wilder Ale- violence in 2017, and since then Three men are awaiting trial with Portugal, a spokesman for jandro Sanchez, a defence and neither police nor courts take for setting off the bomb. the central government’s rep- geopolitics analyst at a US- “domestic” cases seriously, she Theuma was arrested on No- resentative in Galicia said. based think-tank, the Centre complained. vember 14 in a separate anti- “A diver managed to enter for International Maritime Se- She cited the case of Anna money laundering case but of- the submarine (yesterday) and curity (CIMSEC). Tkacheva, a young woman fered to provide information on removed a bundle of cocaine Most are only semisubmers- strangled by her ex-boyfriend in the 2017 murder of in exchange from inside,” he told AFP. ible – a ship partially sub- 2017. for a pardon. Police were trying yesterday merged that cannot fully dive Before her death, she applied Local media reported that he This picture taken last week shows the picture of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia being held to refl oat the vessel and they like a submarine – but some for eight protection orders but has audio recordings and text aloft by people gathered at the Great Siege Square. will not be able to determine are able to go 30m under water, these were not enforced. messages to back his claims. the total amount of drugs on he added. “This was the 42th murder in The police have not con- quested a pardon in return for involved in many illicit activi- Chris Cardona, Tourism Minis- board until they have done so, “They are becoming more 10 years,” said Popova. fi rmed the reports or said what information about the case. ties, including running a secret, ter Konrad Mizzi, and Muscat’s he added. and more modern and com- This summer, the European information he has handed over. A pardon is granted by the multi-million euro lottery and chief of staff Keith Schembri. A source close to the inves- plex,” he told AFP. Court of Human Rights ruled Prime Minister Joseph Mus- president on the advice of the as a loan shark, off ering loans at Police briefl y called in Car- tigation told AFP that the sub- Galicia, one of Spain’s poor- that Russia’s laws were failing cat said last week he would rec- government. extremely high interest rates. dona for questioning on Satur- marine was “likely” transport- est regions, is a top entry point to protect women and called for ommend a pardon if Theuma’s A president cannot refuse to Neither Theuma nor Fenech day in connection with the case. ing “several tonnes (of cocaine) for cocaine into Europe. changes. evidence was corroborated and issue a pardon once it has been have made any public com- The minister has denied any but this is just an estimate”. A maze of coves, caves and It noted Russian authorities’ could stand up in court. recommended by the govern- ments since their arrests. wrongdoing, as have Mizzi and Spanish media said the ves- inlets dot its rugged coastline, “reluctance to acknowledge the A day after news of Theuma’s ment. A trail-blazing journalist, Schembri. sel was carrying over three making it a smuggler’s para- seriousness and extent of the arrest was leaked, police de- Theuma, 41, is a taxi driver Caruana Galizia regularly post- Government lawmakers met tonnes (6,600 pounds) of co- dise. problem”. tained Yorgen Fenech, a promi- who regularly worked at an ed allegations of corruption on yesterday to discuss the situa- caine from Colombia. Spain accounted for the sec- A Russian deputy justice min- nent businessman regarded as a apartment complex owned by her blog and on various occa- tion, with some calling openly The submarine, about 20m ond-highest proportion of co- ister last week wrote in a letter to person of interest in the case. Fenech. sions targeted Fenech as well as for resignations to protect the (65’) long, came from South caine seizures in the European the court that “the scale of the Police sources said on Sat- Previous court appearances members of the government, reputation of the ruling Labour America, another source close Union last year after Belgium, problem ... is quite exaggerated”. urday that Fenech too had re- have shown that he was also including Economy Minister party. to the investigation said with- with 41 tonnes apprehended. Guardian of the French language warns against rise of ‘franglais’

AFP deeply worried by the develop- lic institutions to respect the law to “le challenge” (pronounced fallacieuse” instead. Paris ment of franglais,” it said in a themselves in the fi rst place”. “shallonge”) and invite col- French President Emmanuel statement late on Thursday. “If they do not react vigor- leagues to take part in “un brain- Macron, unlike all his immediate The academy complained that ously and if public opinion does storming” whereas young people predecessors, is a fl uent English centuries-old institution a 1994 law that insists on the use not take into account the extent describe someone who’s past it as speaker and happily gives entire regarded as the guard- of French in all government pub- of the danger that we are facing, “un has-been”. speeches and interviews in the Aian of the French lan- lications, commercial contracts French will then cease to be the And if a task was easy to per- language. guage has warned state offi cials and advertisements, was being living and popular language that form a French person might say However, Macron has been against encouraging the spread “repeatedly violated” by an “in- we love,” it said. they did it “fi nger in ze nose” – a keen to present himself as a de- of “franglais”, saying that it could vasion of Anglo-Saxon terms”. The academy did not specify direct translation of the French fender of the French tongue, have dire consequences for the Franglais (from the French the target of its criticism. expression “les doigts dans le always speaking in French in future of the language. words for French and English, In recent years, the French nez”. speeches at home and taking L’Academie francaise, estab- “francais” and “anglais”) is the have become increasingly fond The anglicisms have got up the care not to slip into too much lished in 1635 to defend the pu- mixing of spoken French with of spicing up their language with nose of French language purists, franglais. rity of the French language, said English words, either for eff ect, English words, even on occasion who came out swinging last year In March last year, he unveiled in an offi cial statement that it had humour or because the speaker using “yes” instead of the French against the widespread use of the plans to get more people speak- never been hostile to the intro- believes an English word can ex- “oui” and exclaiming “c’est English term “fake news”, urging ing French, aiming to make it Macron: a fluent English speaker and happily gives entire speeches duction and use of foreign terms. press the idea better. cool!” speakers of the language of Hugo the fi rst language in Africa and and interviews in the language. “But today it (the academy) is The academy called on “pub- Business people talk of rising and Moliere to use “information “maybe even the world”. Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 INDIA

SURGERY INVESTIGATION FLOODING ACCIDENT POLITICS Delhi doctors remove Three arrested as police 350 houses damaged Nine killed in bus-truck Sinha-led group ends 7.4kg kidney from man bust alleged terror group in Bengaluru lake breach collision in Uttar Pradesh visit to Kashmir

Doctors in a Delhi hospital have removed Delhi police have arrested three men, allegedly At least 350 houses were damaged when the Nine people, including a child, were killed when A five-member group led by former Bharatiya a kidney weighing 7.4kg from a man with part of a terror gang, from Gopalpada in Assam, Hulimavu lake in Bengaluru breached and a bus collided with a speeding truck in Uttar Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha yesterday a life-threatening genetic condition. The off icials said yesterday. They are aged between 25 flooded the area, but caused no deaths or Pradesh’s Banda district yesterday afternoon, concluded its Kashmir visit. The team was not kidney is one of the biggest ever removed and 30 years. “We were getting intelligence about injuries, an off icial said yesterday. “The houses police said. The bus with 45 passengers on allowed to meet former Jammu and Kashmir in an operation, a surgeon said. “It was a the three terrorists for quite some time. We found were aff ected with waterlogging,” Bruhat board, was on its way to Fatehpur from Banda chief minister Farooq Abdullah who has been huge lump that was occupying half of his out during an investigation that these terrorists Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Joint and collided with the truck. The accident also left detained after the revocation of Article 370. The abdomen. We knew it was a big kidney are from Assam. They were planning strikes in Commissioner Rama Krishna told IANS. The over 20 passengers injured, the police said. Soon group, however, met with several delegations and but never thought it would be this heavy,” Assam and then in Delhi,” a police off icer said. lake breach occurred on Sunday afternoon. after the accident, a police team was sent to start members of civil society after reaching Srinagar Sachin Kathuria, a member of the surgical He said that improvised explosive devices (IED) According to Krishna, 4 to 5ft of water from rescue operations. The injured were admitted to on November 22. After speaking to Farooq on the team, said. The 56-year-old patient, suffering and some literature related to Jaish-e-Mohamed lake emptied into nearby areas. He said the a local hospital and the vehicles that had turned phone, Sinha wanted a meeting with the National from autosomal dominant polycystic kidney were recovered from them. During interrogation civic the body has brought the situation under into a mangled heap of iron were removed to Conference leader and MP from Srinagar but was disease, underwent the two-hour operation it was found that the three were influenced by control but is yet to zero in on the people allow traff ic movement. The bodies were sent denied permission by the administration. “We at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital last month. A the terrorist group ISIS. The IEDs recovered from responsible for the disaster. “A police complaint for postmortem and eff orts are on to establish are under constant surveillance, while leaving we normal kidney weighs about 120 to 150g and is them were the same which were used during the has been filed; there is no CCTV footage to the identity of the deceased. Chief Minister Yogi have decided not to pass through the way where 12cm long. The Guinness Book of Records says Bhopal train blast. The suspects were planning a identify the culprits. The police are searching Adityanath has expressed grief over the deaths Farooq is detained,” Sinha told IANS. He was the largest kidney removed from a human was strike in Assam and if that was a success their plan for them,” Krisha said. The civic body is in the and has asked off icials to ensure proper treatment earlier barred from visiting Kashmir and turned 4.25kg in an operation in 2017. was to go in for a bigger strike in Delhi. process of assessing the damage. of the injured passengers. back from the Srinagar airport in September. Female comic Palace restoration work superhero fi ghts sex traffi ckers, social stigma

Reuters Priya’s Shakti (Priya’s Strength) Mumbai was the fi rst Indian comic book of its kind when fi rst released in 2014, using augmented reality female superhero will use to tell the story of a young, rural her powers to fi ght sex woman who is gang-raped and Acrimes in India and the then shamed by her family and stigma that traffi cking survivors community. face, in the third instalment of a In her latest comic titled Priya comic series due to be released and the Lost Girls, she returns this week. to her village where she fi nds all Priya, a rape survivor-turned the women, including her sister, superhero who fl ies around on missing. a tiger, fought her abusers and She then traces them to a helped acid attack victims in the brothel owned by a demon who last two editions of the Priya’s she must fi ght to rescue the wom- Shakti comic. en. “Comics are hugely popu- Although set in India, the story lar with teenagers and young has global resonance, the creators adults...we wanted to reach teen- said. agers because they are learning “People in fi rst world countries A man leads a bullock to grind limestone according to a traditional method for restoration works of a 250-year-old Indo-Saracenic style building named Humayun about sexuality, gender-roles and think of sex traffi cking as a third Mahal or Chepauk Palace, in Chennai yesterday. sexual violence,” said series crea- world problem. What they don’t tor and fi lmmaker Ram Devineni. realise is, it happens in their own “More importantly, we have backyards. It is a global industry given voices and put attention on making a lot of money,” the comic survivors of gender-based vio- book’s writer Dipti Mehta said. lence,” Devineni told the Thom- The story was based on re- son Reuters Foundation in an e- search the creators conducted of mail. brothels in red-light districts of Thousands of people across Kolkata and Mumbai. India – largely poor, rural women “I think as artists and creators BJP candidate attacked as and children – are lured to cit- it is our social responsibility to ies each year by traffi ckers who raise awareness and give voice to promise good jobs, but sell them those who need it the most,” Me- into modern day slavery. hta said. India recorded around 3,000 The Priya’s Shakti series has human traffi cking cases in 2017, been downloaded more than Bengal holds by-elections according to recently released 500,000 times and read by about crime data, which anti-traffi ck- 26mn people worldwide, Devine- IANS ble to vote in 801 polling stations Majumdar was shown black came out of the booth onto the and Trinamool district observer ing campaigners said masked the ni said. Kolkata to choose their representatives fl ags and ‘go back’ slogans were road. Rajib Banerjee claimed that Ma- true scale of the crime. Augmented reality is being from among 18 candidates, in- raised against him in Sahebpara Around 50 people surrounded jumdar was either the victim of In the new comic, which can be used as a sex education tool in cluding three women. where he was asked to leave a Majumdar, staged a demonstra- his party’s “factional feuds” or downloaded for free from today, Myanmar, while Indonesian sto- Bharatiya Janata Party In Karimpur in Nadia district, booth after the Trinamool alleged tion, and then started slapping had “orchestrated” the incident Priya rescues sex traffi cking vic- rytellers are spreading a ‘mighty (BJP) candidate was at- the Trinamool Congress and the that he was getting too close to and punching him before push- himself to gain sympathy in the tims and challenges the commu- girls’ message through a series of Atacked up and pushed into Bharatiya Janata Party were en- electronic voting machines. ing him into nearby bushes. As face of “certain defeat”. nities that refuse to accept them illustrated e-books to fi ght male a bush, as West Bengal held three gaged in a no holds barred fi ght. But things turned ugly outside Majumdar tried to regain his Majumdar’s rival and Tri- on their return home. dominance. assembly by-elections. BJP candidate Jay Prakash the Ghiyaghat Islampur primary composure, one of the protest- namool candidate Bimalendu Election Commission (EC) Majumdar, the party’s state vice school booth where Majumdar ers kicked him hard, sending Sinha Roy also courted contro- Telangana bus staff end strike, but sources said turnout was a little president and a familiar face in had gone after receiving news him hurtling down further into versy after he was found to have over 75%. television debates, moved around of alleged electoral malprac- the bushes in full glare of televi- entered a booth with the party company refuses to take them back The EC sources said except for the constituency since the morn- tice and found eight outsiders sion cameras and the presence of symbol displayed on his dress. some sporadic incidents, the vot- ing, despite strong resistance in the room where meals were central forces. He was ordered to leave. Employees of the Telangana Commissioner. TSRTC managing ing was largely peaceful in Kalia- from the Trinamool cadres. purportedly being prepared for An enraged BJP fi led a case At Kaliaganj in North Dinajpur State Road Transport Corporation director Sunil Sharma said the ganj, Kharagpur Sadar and Kar- He also got involved in a heated polling offi cials. The offi cials, against the Trinamool Congress district, a presiding offi cer was (TSRTC) yesterday ended their decision of the employees, who impur assembly constituencies. exchange with some people, al- however, denied any knowledge workers, and moved the Election removed after the Trinamool 52-day-long strike, and said they were on an illegal strike, was “The average voting percent- legedly Trinamool supporters, at of food being cooked for them Commission seeking its imme- Congress lodged a complaint would return to work from today. legally not tenable and asked age was 75.48%. The turnout a booth in Thanarpara where the only 10m from the booth. diate intervention in the con- with the Election Commission But the management of the them to wait till the Labour was 77.17% in Kaliaganj, 67.62 in BJP alleged that its polling agent Majumdar removed the ‘out- stituency. against BJP candidate Kamal state-owned company said the Commissioner completes the Kharagpur Sadar and 81.23 in Ka- had been abducted. Central forces siders’ and lodged a complaint While state BJP president Chandra Sarkar for breaking workers cannot be taken back as process as per the direction of the rimpur,” the EC said. fi nally intervened and removed with the district administration, Dilip Ghosh called it an “at- rules by showing his wife the the matter is before the Labour Telangana High Court. Over 734,000 voters were eligi- those people. but all hell broke loose when he tempt to murder”, state minister EVM button she needed to press.

Music competition Facial recognition at cafe Polluted Delhi worse than hell, says court

IANS the Yamuna River, and where is it sparks privacy concerns going? What is the status of water New Delhi in Delhi? We are taking suo moto Reuters fi ling of individuals”, said Joanne said. A Personal Data Protection cognizance of people’s right to get Mumbai D’Cunha, associate counsel at Bill is scheduled to be introduced he Supreme Court yester- pure drinking water.” Internet Freedom Foundation, a by lawmakers in the current par- day said that Delhi has be- The top court observed that life digital rights group. liamentary session ending on De- Tcome worse than “narak” was not cheap in India anymore, he use of facial recognition “Until India introduces a com- cember 13. (hell) in the wake of deteriorat- and what was given in Bhopal gas technology at a popular prehensive data protection law The draft of the bill proposed ing air quality, mounting garbage tragedy is nothing compared to Tcafe chain that triggered a that provides such guarantees, strict conditions for requiring and and unfi t drinking water, and what is given to victims in similar backlash among customers, led there needs to be a moratorium storing personal data, and hefty asked why the state administra- cases worldwide. to calls from human rights advo- on any technology that would in- penalties for misuse of such data. tion should not be held account- “What is the value of life you cates yesterday for the govern- fringe upon an individual’s right But digital rights activists had able. assess? People are suff ering from ment to speed up the introduction to privacy and other rights that criticised a recent consultation on A bench of Justices Arun Mishra bronchial asthma, do you know of laws to protect privacy. stem from it,” she told the Thom- the bill they said was “secret and and Deepak Gupta asked Chief how many cancer patients are in Customers at Chaayos took to son Reuters Foundation in New selective”. Secretary Vijay Dev, present before Delhi?,” the court said, adding the social media during the last week Delhi. Worldwide, the rise of cloud the bench: “Are you serious about Delhi government’s top adminis- to complain about the camera A statement from Chaayos said computing and artifi cial intelli- water and air pollution in Delhi... trative offi cer had no right to be on technology they said captured the technology was being tested gence technologies have popular- you have just 55% capacity to han- his chair. images of them without their in select cafes and was aimed at ised the use of facial recognition dle waste, what about the remain- Accusing the state authorities consent, with no information on reducing purchase times for cus- for a range of applications from ing 45%?” of passing the buck, and playing what the data would be used for, tomers. tracking criminals to catching As the chief secretary sought to the blame game on the issue of and no option to opt out. The data was encrypted, would truant students. explain that Delhi governance was water and air pollution in Delhi, an While the technology is mar- not be shared, and customers In India, facial recognition an issue due to dual power cen- angry Justice Mishra said: “You are keted as a convenience, the lack could choose to opt out, it added. technology was installed in sev- tres, Justice Mishra retorted: “Do politicising the issue of pollution. of legislative safeguards to pro- “We are extremely conscious eral airports this year, and the West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar attends the not blame others, and think you Why are governments not sitting tect against the misuse of data about our customers’ data securi- government plans to roll out a na- traditional music competition ‘Dhaker Larai 2019’ in Kolkata can get scot-free. You are liable together, instead of blaming each can lead to “breaches of privacy, ty and privacy and are committed tionwide system to stop criminals yesterday. to compensate the people. How other? Everything cannot be done misidentifi cation and even pro- to protecting it,” the statement and fi nd missing children. much money is coming to clean under the noose of this court.” Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 19 INDIA SC to give ruling on Maharashtra govt today

IANS today at 10.30am. Solicitor Gen- November 22, Devendra Fadnavis ister and Ajit Pawar as his deputy ers have never claimed that the that he has the affidavit of sup- He said that 148 plus seven in- New Delhi eral Tushar Mehta, appearing for staked claim to form govern- in a surprise early morning move MLAs’ signatures were forged. port of 150 MLAs. He informed dependent MLAs gave support the central government, told the ment, which also includes letters on Saturday. The submissions were made the court that pre-poll alliance in the affi davit. Insisting that court that he has “brought letters of support of 11 independents Mehta said that “after this, the in the court during the hear- fell out as the BJP did not stick the signatures of the NCP MLAs he Supreme Court yester- of support of the BJP, NCP MLAs and other MLAs.” governor sent information to the ing of a petition of Shiv Sena, to its promises with the Shiv were perjury, Singhvi said, “We day gave a breather to the on which the governor’s decision The BJP has 105 MLAs in the president. Citing this informa- Congress and NCP against the Sena. want to have a fl oor test today af- TBharatiya Janata Party- rested”. 288-member assembly and the tion, he requested for the revo- surprise government formation Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu ter 155 people are saying we sup- Ajit Pawar government in Ma- Mehta said: “Documents show NCP 54. The BJP claimed that it cation of president’s rule in the by Fadnavis on Saturday morn- Singhvi, also appearing for the port.” harashtra as it reserved its order that NCP leader Ajit Pawar sub- has the support of 11 independ- state.” ing. Fadnavis was sworn in along Congress and NCP, said what has Mehta intervened to Singhvi’’s on Governor B S Koshyari’s de- mitted a letter of support of ents and others thus taking its Senior advocate Mukul Ro- with Ajit Pawar, nephew of NCP been done is a “fraud on democ- submissions, and said, “Twelve cision to invite the BJP to form a 54 Nationalist Congress Party number to 170. Mehta also raised htagi appearing for the BJP said supremo Sharad Pawar, as his racy”. signatures were missing when a government in the state. (NCP) MLAs to the governor with preliminary objections to a judi- that the governor had gone with deputy. “How can the governor rely on letter was submitted to the gov- The top court said the order on their signatures. According to the cial review of Koshyari’s decision the party with the support of 170 Meanwhile, Kapil Sibal ap- the signatures of MLAs without a ernor to withdraw Ajit Pawar’’s Maharashtra will be pronounced letter of support of Ajit Pawar on to appoint Fadnavis as chief min- MLAs. Rohtagi said that oth- pearing for the Congress said covering letter?” Singhvi asked. authority.” ACB closes corruption cases against Ajit Pawar

IANS These nine fi les pertain to big suspicious” and would be chal- Mumbai and small irrigation projects in lenged at all levels. Washim, Yavatmal, Amravati and The Congress called it a blot on Buldhana in the Vidarbha region, democracy. he Anti-Corruption Bu- according to the ACB notifi ca- Party spokesman Randeep reau (ACB) yesterday tion. Surjewala said closing the cor- Supporters of the Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against the formation of a Bharatiya Janata Party Tclosed investigations in These cases, among others – ruption cases was a bargaining (BJP)-led coalition government in Maharashtra, in New Delhi yesterday. some of the cases pertaining to collectively known as the sensa- tool. the infamous “irrigation scam” tional Rs70,000 crore “Irrigation He said that “closing corrup- in the Vidarbha Irrigation De- Scam’’ – were allegedly perpe- tion cases is now being used as velopment Corporation (VIDC) trated around 10 years ago, and a bargaining tool to carry on an when it was headed by Deputy created a massive political storm. illegitimate BJP-Ajit Pawar gov- Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, offi - Ajit Pawar was heading the ernment in Maharashtra. This is cials said. VIDC at that time when the a blot on democracy. ‘‘Contract The ACB has shut the inves- Congress-Nationalist Congress killing” of democracy is now Diff erences on CM post led tigations into at least nine cases Party alliance was in power, and synonymous with ‘contract kill- in which Pawar was allegedly in- the then opposition parties, ing’ of honesty and accountabil- volved, though it is not clear if he the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv ity,” he said. was directly named. Sena, Aam Aadmi Party and oth- Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has The move comes on the fi rst ers raised it regularly to gain po- demanded that Fadnavis quit to delays, admits NCP chief day of the new government tak- litical mileage. immediately since he does not ing offi ce, 48 hours after it was The ACB is investigating over have support and is heading a IANS to go to the governor and stake women MPs yesterday lodged pletely compromised.” sworn in early on Saturday. 2,600 tenders in irrigation-re- ‘minority government. Karad, Maharashtra claim to form the government a complaint with Lok Sabha They said Congress president However, Director-General of lated complaints in which two “We have the numbers. We the following afternoon. Speaker Om Birla against the Sonia Gandhi was present in par- Maharashtra Anti-Corruption dozen FIRs have been registered, have 165 legislators’ support However, early morning of security staff accusing them of liament when all this happened. Bureau Parambir Singh said that which are being investigated as with us. We can prove our ma- ationalist Congress Party November 23, the Bharatiya Ja- pushing and “manhandling” “We have lodged a complaint to “none of these cases closed today before, and the fi les closed yes- jority right away, in any man- president Sharad Pawar nata Party’s Devendra Fadnavis them while they were protesting the speaker to take action against pertain to DCM (Deputy Chief terday are only in nine routine ner. We can take our legislators Nyesterday admitted that and NCP leader Ajit Pawar were “peacefully” during proceedings. the people who manhandled us,” Minister) Ajit Pawar”. cases. for a headcount by the gover- diff erences over sharing the post sworn in as chief minister and Remya Haridas and S Jothi- Haridas told reporters. After a furore in the evening, ACB offi cials also said that nor, or voting on the floor of the of chief minister led to delays in deputy chief minister respec- mani said they were protesting Congress leader Adhir Ran- the ACB issued a statement say- yesterday’s closures are condi- assembly in any form, voice- the formation of the Maharashtra tively, shocking the country. against the central government jan Chowdhury also alleged that ing it is probing 2,654 tenders tional and could be reopened if vote or secret ballot,” Shiv Sena government by the Shiv Sena- One of the reasons cited by over the formation of a BJP-led women parliamentarians were in 45 projects under the VIDC – more information comes to light Legislative Party leader Eknath NCP-Congress alliance. Ajit Pawar for his abrupt reason government in Maharashtra. ‘manhandled’ in the Lok Sabha then headed by Pawar – as per during investigations or a court Shinde said. Speaking at a function here, to ally with the BJP was he was The women lawmakers when they were protesting in the two public interest litigations order for a further probe. He challenged the BJP that if Pawar said that earlier the NCP “tired with the delays leading to claimed they were standing well of the House over the Ma- fi led in the Bombay High Court The Vidarbha Jan Andolan it has suffi cient numbers, then it had sought a 30-month sharing the government formation proc- near the speaker’s podium along harashtra issue. (Nagpur Bench) in 2012. Samiti (VJAS) has taken strong must prove its majority without of the chief minister’s post which ess”. with other party leaders holding “The security personnel man- So far the open probe has been objections to the sudden clo- resorting to delaying tactics. led to disagreements among the However, Sharad Pawar made placards when the security staff handled our women parliamen- completed in 212 tenders and sure of these alleged cases with a “They are in a minority and we three parties and a consensus it clear that he would never go pushed and manhandled them. tarians. We have never experi- First Information Report (FIRs) threat to launch an agitation and shall prove it in the legislature. eluded them virtually till last back on his promise made to the “The security staff pushed and enced this inside parliament. We fi led in 24 cases and charge- also counter it legally. If they are so confi dent of their Friday. Sena now and reiterated that his manhandled all of us when we will be waiting to see what action sheets in fi ve cases. “In these nine cases alone support, then they must show Finally, late on Friday evening, nephew did not have either the were protesting peacefully. We has been taken against responsi- Open inquiry has been shut pertaining to the VIDC matters, the numbers to the people of the the three parties announced family or the NCP’s backing for feel very hurt and annoyed. There ble people,” Chowdhury said. in 45 tenders as no off ence was there are very serious allegations state,” Shinde said. that there was unanimity among his sudden step. is no lady security staff inside. Congress members Hibi Eden found, and departmental inquir- of misuse or siphoning of over His statement came a day af- them that Sena president Ud- His disclosure came as he Male security staff pushed and and T N Prathapan who were ies have been recommended in 28 Rs9,000 crores. After so many ter NCP leader Nawab Malik and dhav Thackeray should be the visited the memorial of Mahar- manhandled us. What is hap- holding a banner with slogan matters for administrative laps- years, how can they be abruptly others demanded that Fadnavis chief minister for a full fi ve years, ashtra’s fi rst chief minister and pening inside parliament? Even “Stop Murder of Democracy’’ es, the ACB said. closed,” VJAS president Kishore should resign forthwith, claim- with NCP-Congress having the deputy prime Minister Y B Cha- they have female security staff . – jostled with the marshals as The ACB added that the nine Tiwari asked. ing he did not have the numbers. post of Deputy chief ministers. van to pay respects to the politi- We were just protesting for our other Congress members also closures yesterday are among the He said the manner in which it The Congress has also de- Hoping for a favourable re- cal stalwart on his 35th death an- democratic rights. Our dignity, came near the speaker’s podium, 45 closed in the past two-to-fi ve has come two days after the new manded a fl oor test to prove sponse from Thackeray, the three niversary. safety and fundamental rights to leading to the adjournment of months as no criminal off ences government was sworn in itself the BJP’s claim of its majority parties had tentatively planned Meanwhile, two Congress protest inside parliament is com- proceedings. were found against anyone. makes the ACB’s move “very strength. Sena, NCP, Congress organise Situation is under control: public parade of 162 MLAs Ahmed Patel

IANS Pawar, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Pawar’s conscience and decision. Mumbai Raut, Ashok Chavan, Nawab On Sunday, some top leaders mid the ongoing twists Malik, Jitendra Awhad and Adi- including NCP state president and turns in Maharashtra, tya Thackeray and others were Jayant Patil had called on Ajit Pa- ACongress leader Ahmed n an unprecedented action present. war twice at his home to win him Patel yesterday expressed con- in Indian politics, the Shiv The public parade, including a over, ahead of the crucial vote of fi dence that things were under ISena-Nationalist Congress joint photo-session, comes a day confi dence in the Maharashtra control in the state and signalled Party-Congress combine yester- after the top leaders of the three assembly. victory of the “Maha Vikas day organised a public parade of parties addressed ‘‘cross-meet- Simultaneously, members of Aghadi’’ alliance comprising the their 162 supporting MLAs in a ings” of the legislators of each the Pawar clan – including Rohit Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress bid to disprove the claims of 170 other’s parties, again a unique R Pawar, a newly-elected legisla- Party and Congress during a legislators made by the Bharatiya development in politics. tor and grand-nephew of Sharad fl oor test in the assembly. Janata Party and its ally Ajit Pa- Meanwhile, the NCP is con- Pawar, MP Supriya Sule-Pawar, Patel’s reaction came after the war. tinuing all eff orts to woo back also issued appeals on social me- Supreme Court gave a breather The parade comes barely 12 Ajit Pawar. dia, extending an olive branch to to the BJP-Ajit Pawar govern- hours before the scheduled In the fourth such series of Ajit Pawar. ment in Maharashtra, reserv- hearing in the Supreme Court meetings, former deputy chief Rohit Pawar even went to the ing its order on Governor B S today morning on the parties’ minister Chhagan Bhujbal vis- extent of pleading that at this Koshyari’s decision to invite the challenge to the new govern- ited Ajit Pawar’s home and tried critical time, “the family and BJP to form a government in the ment sworn in early Saturday to convince him to return to the party must remain united” and state for today. morning with Devendra Fad- NCP fold. stand solidly behind Sharad Pa- “Situation is under control in navis as chief minister and Ajit He was later joined by senior war to weather the political cri- Maharashtra,” Patel said. Pawar as Deputy chief minister, leaders Dilip Walse-Patil and sis. He also accused the BJP of creating a political upheaval in Sunil Tatkare and the three trav- A social media war had erupt- crossing the limits of “shame- the state. elled to Mantralaya to discuss is- ed after Ajit Pawar claimed he lessness” and “shattering” de- Besides the enthusiastic 162 sues with Ajit Pawar. was still with the NCP, and he mocracy after the saff ron party MLAs of the three “Maha Vikas NCP sources say this will be had the support of 54 MLAs, and formed the government due to Aghadi’’ partners, top leaders the fi nal eff ort by the party and that Sharad Pawar remained his Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress leaders seen with their MLAs during a public parade a coup by NCP chief Sharad Pa- of all three parties like Sharad thereafter it will be left to Ajit leader. in Mumbai yesterday. war’s nephew Ajit Pawar. Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 LATIN AMERICA Europe warns over Brazil move to end soy moratorium

Reuters European Union vegetable oil and ed,” said Lecocq. Agriculture Minister Tereza Mars? From the moon?”. goods associated to deforestation Some US and Argentinian car- Sao Paulo meal industry said. “The European market, driven Cristina described the morato- Andre Nassar, head of Abiove, to enter the EU market,” she said. goes were also booked last week, Aprosoja, the main group rep- by consumer concerns relative rium as “absurd”. Bartolomeu Braz has a diff erent opinion. Meanwhile Chinese buyers one of the traders said, with total resenting Brazilian soy growers, to climate change, is increasingly Pereira, head of Aprosoja, said the He does see a risk of Brazil los- scooped up at least 20 cargoes of purchases of about 30 cargoes. razilian farmers risk losing wants to end the moratorium, demanding products that are free moratorium is not in accordance ing market share and cites grow- Brazilian soybeans last week due to Chinese buyers have bought part of the European market which applies to land in the Ama- from embedded deforestation,” with national legislation that al- ing imports by Europe from the US uncertainty over a trade deal with signifi cantly fewer soybeans from Bfor soy products estimated zon that was cleared after 2008. she said. lows some agricultural activities in and Argentina in 2018 when Brazil the US that sent them rushing to their second largest supplier, the at $5bn per year if they scrap a Brazil’s Abiove, the associa- Aprosoja has decided to oppose the Amazon. was selling almost all of its soy to lock in supplies, traders said yes- US, this year, due to high tariff s on so-called soy moratorium barring tion representing soy traders and the moratorium because it says He said farmers will seek a fa- China. terday. imports, which are expected to be grain traders from buying oilseed crushers, wants to keep the mora- landowners in the Amazon region vourable ruling by CADE, Brazil’s Lecocq said that recent data Importers also jumped on the lifted if the two sides agree to the from areas in the Amazon that torium. It said Europe bought are entitled by Brazil’s Forest Code agency that oversees market com- showing an increase in deforesta- new crop Brazilian beans because fi rst phase of a trade deal. have been deforested. around $5bn in soybeans and to clear up to 20% of the land for petition. tion will only push EU consumers of attractive margins, said two Completion of the fi rst phase “This farmers’ movement can soymeal from Brazil in 2018. agricultural activities. Asked if farmers fear a back- further in their rejection of prod- traders who declined to be identi- risks sliding into next year, Reuters be perceived as a challenge,” Nath- “This market could be put at Farmers’ move to end the policy lash from European buyers, he ucts. fi ed. The purchases were for deliv- reported last week, leaving buyers alie Lecocq, director general of FE- risk if the Amazon soy morato- found support in the Brazilian gov- said: “From where they are go- “It is likely to spur policy-mak- ery when the new harvest hits the uncertain about market condi- DIOL, the group representing the rium was questioned or suspend- ernment. ing to buy soy if not from Brazil? ers to take measures preventing market early next year, they said. tions.

US not to designate Centre-right drug cartels as terrorists, victory on hold feels Mexico

Reuters Mexico City as Uruguay vote

exico’s Foreign Min- ister, Marcelo Ebrard, Myesterday said he did not expect the US to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist too close to call groups to allow Washington to intervene south of the border to AFP around the headquarters of his Abella said both he and his wife combat them. Montevideo conservative National Party had were born under Uruguay’s dicta- The minister was speaking a earlier been ordered to hold back torship and for them, voting was day after a formal petition was on celebrations as it became clear both a right and a duty. “Seeing posted on the White House’s ruguay’s presidential the result was on a knife-edge. how things are in the region, not website that seeks to designate election is too close to call “Everybody knows it and they everyone has the possibility to unspecifi ed Mexican drug cartels Uand the result will not be don’t accept it,” Lacalle Pou said choose. You have to value that,” he as “terrorist organisations.” known for several days pending when he addressed them, saying said. “I don’t think the US will a recount, the South American Martinez “has not called me and The election was eff ectively a pursue this path because we’re country’s electoral court said. has not conceded a result that we referendum on 15 years of rule by working together, and I don’t “The court is not going to an- believe irreversible.” the Broad Front — or Frente Am- think they would want to open nounce a winner right now,” Elec- “Presidente! Presidente!” plio — which has won the last three up the possibility of Mexico in- toral Court president Jose Aro- chanted the crowd regardless. elections. voking the same legal princi- cena told reporters after a night of Offi cials at the headquarters “Voters are tired of economic ples,” Ebrard told reporters. drama in Montevideo. of the Broad Front, which has stagnation, high unemployment Mexican media reported that The announcement came after won Uruguay’s last three general and rising crime since the end of the White House petition was unoffi cial results showed centre- and presidential elections, were the commodity supercycle, and linked to the massacre earlier right candidate Luis Lacalle Pou similarly reserved about conced- will look to Lacalle Pou for im- this month of three mothers and only around 30,000 votes ahead ing defeat, sparking celebrations provements,” Wood said. six children of dual US-Mexican of the ruling party’s Daniel Mar- among their own supporters. Infl ation is running at 7.5% nationality in an ambush by sus- tinez — turning opinion poll pre- National Party leader Lacalle and unemployment at 9%. Out- pected cartel gunmen in north- dictions of a comfortable victory Pou, a senator, trailed Martinez going president Tabare Vazquez ern Mexico. on their head. in last month’s fi rst round, but noted turmoil sweeping Latin Ebrard said that in the event The court said the number of a pact with centre-right and America — the resignation of drug gangs were designated as provisional or contested ballots right-wing parties following si- Evo Morales as president of Bo- terrorists it could, under US — around 35,000 — exceeded the multaneous legislative elections livia, and sometimes violent law, enable the US to act di- margin between the two candi- gave him a majority in Congress street protests in Chile and now rectly against the threat if it so dates. as well as a signifi cant lead head- Colombia — and said Uruguay chose. The recount of ballots, which ing into the runoff . will carry out a smooth transfer US President Donald Trump could take two or three days, will A win for the right would “re- of power to a new president in responded quickly to the mas- begin today, meaning the result fl ect a trend in the region of vot- March of next year. sacre of the women and children, may not be known before Friday. ers rejecting the incumbent party “The people of Uruguay can who came from families of US Lacalle Pou said he was con- over disappointing results,” said rest assured that we are going to Mormon origin that settled in fi dent his victory would be con- Robert Wood, Latin America achieve this,” Vazquez told report- Mexico decades ago. fi rmed, however. specialist with the Economist ers. He urged Mexico to join him in Opinion polls since last Intelligence Unit. In a highly unusual incident in wiping out the drug cartels. month’s fi rst round had indicated With bright and sunny weather, the early hours of Sunday, a bus Mexico invited the FBI to co- the 46-year-old former senator more than 70% of the country’s carrying military personnel to operate in the investigation to would comfortably win the run 2.6mn eligible voters had cast bal- guard ballot boxes was stoned by fi nd the killers, and local media off . lots three hours before the polls people participating in an elec- reported that dozens of vehi- But with almost all the votes were due to close at 7.30pm (2230 tronic music festival in Montevi- cles from the bureau entered the counted, his lead over Martinez, GMT), the electoral authority said. deo. country this month. a 62-year-old former Montevideo “We want the Front to win, be- Uruguayan media and vid- Still, Trump’s response stirred mayor, was just over 1%. If con- cause we feel that with the left our eos circulated on Twitter showed fears he could exploit the cartel fi rmed, the result would mean de- rights are guaranteed,” said Juan several cars had been damaged. violence to put pressure on Mex- feat for the long-dominant leftist Pablo Abella, 40, as he walked to “When I saw that, I thought it was ico during his bid for re-election ruling Broad Front coalition after a polling station in Montevideo’s another country. Unfortunately next year, just as he did over ille- 15 years in power. upmarket Villa Biarritz district it was Uruguay,” said Lacalle Pou, gal immigration in his fi rst tilt for National Party presidential candidate Luis Lacalle Pou acknowledges his supporters after the Thousands of fl ag-waving with his wife and nine-year-old who has promised to get tough on the presidency. second-round presidential elections, in Montevideo, Uruguay, yesterday. Lacalle Pou supporters massed daughter. rising crime levels. Duque opens Colombia 59 expelled for alleged links to violence

DPA Three people have been killed talks following protests and one seriously injured. Bogota Ahead of the protests, Co- AFP tion and the urgent needs of the of the 2016 peace deal and the lombian President Ivan Duque Bogota municipalities and cities, and the environment. olombia yesterday ex- warned that his Venezuelan plans they have,” Duque tweeted, Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez pelled 59 Venezuelans for counterpart Nicolas Maduro without referring to the demands questioned the focus of the dia- Csecurity reasons follow- could send people to infi ltrate the nder-fi re Colombian of protesters. logue after the meeting, however, ing a wave of violent anti-gov- rallies and to spread chaos. President Ivan Duque, the The president appointed a and challenged Duque to speak to ernment protests, the migration On Saturday, Duque said that Utarget of days of unprec- senior offi cial in his administra- protesters. authority said. “some foreigners” had been iden- edented anti-government pro- tion, Diego Molano, as national The dialogue was “not about The Venezuelans were be- tifi ed among violent protesters. tests, has opened a national dia- co-ordinator of the consulta- explaining government policies lieved to have engaged in “ac- Protest organisers and some logue aimed at assuaging popular tions, which will run for several in more depth and communicate tivities which put public order witnesses, however, have claimed anger, even as activists called for months. them better,” she said. and national security at risk,” that police offi cers infi ltrated the a major new protest. The initial talks at the Casa “No, the dialogue has to be the migration authority said in a rallies to foment violence. Demonstrations have con- Narino presidential palace in- to humbly recognise mistakes, statement. Sandra Borda, a political sci- tinued in the capital Bogota, volved 24 incoming mayors make changes and make conces- “We shall not allow any for- entist at Bogota’s Los Andes Uni- and in Medellin and Cali. elected in municipal polls last sions, otherwise it will not be a eign citizen to aff ect our tran- versity, thought it possible that While those protests were month, including those of Bogo- dialogue that leads to anything quillity,” said Christian Krueger some within the police force may smaller than previous days, a ta, Cali and Medellin, the cities at concrete but to more frustra- Sarmiento, head of the migration have wanted to thus “delegitimise major trade union held a mas- the centre of the protests. tions.” authority. peaceful protests.” sive march yesterday. The president had proposed The demands of protesters On Thursday more than She dismissed Duque’s claims Duque, a conservative, “initi- the talks on Friday in response include a crackdown on drug 200,000 Colombians nation- that Maduro could be involved, ated the social dialogue” with to nationwide protests a day ear- traffi cking and violence, more wide demonstrated against eco- stating that they constituted only mayors and other offi cials, the lier that descended into violence, fl exible labour market condi- nomic reforms, a funding short- an attempt to legitimise the gov- presidency said in a statement. leaving three dead. tions, and improved retirement age for education, corruption ernment’s policy towards Ven- Duque outlined “the progress Molano said Colombians benefi ts. and killings of community lead- ezuela, where Colombia supports and the challenges facing his would be given until March 15 Duque yesterday met with the ers by armed groups. an opposition campaign to oust government” and listened to the next year to present proposals ministers of fi nance, labour and Some of the rallies escalated Maduro. views of mayors on health, edu- around fi ve main themes of con- trade, along with representatives into clashes with police, looting Krueger Sarmiento said the ac- cation, infrastructural and peace cern to the demonstrators: the of business owners and workers, and acts of vandalism. The vio- tivities of the expelled Venezue- issues in their cities, the state- fi ght against corruption, bolster- while dialogue with “diff erent lence continued until Friday, fol- lans had sparked “outbreaks of ment said. ing public education, equitable social sectors” would take place Colombian President Ivan Duque speaks after meeting with lowed by largely peaceful dem- xenophobia” that the government “We are assessing the situa- economic growth, management during the week. mayors in Bogota. onstrations over the weekend. wanted to avoid. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 21 PAKISTAN JUI-F convenes PM reaffi rms govt’s opposition meet Internews members’ nomination since Islamabad January, the issue has acquired a greater political signifi cance after the ECP fi nally decided he multiparty confer- last week to hold a hearing of ence of opposition par- the fi ve-year-old foreign fund- green commitment Tties convened by the ing case against the ruling Pa- Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fa- kistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) „ New government index zlur (JUI-F) to fi nalise a char- on a daily basis. launched to foster green ter of demands and a strategy The PTI has questioned the competition among 19 cities to intensify anti-government “haste” in hearing of the case, „ Pakistan to switch 30% of protests will also deliberate whereas the opposition par- all new vehicles to electric by on nominations for the Chief ties have blamed the govern- 2030 Election Commissioner (CEC) ment for “intentionally delay- and members of the Election ing” appointment of new ECP Internews Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members. Islamabad from Sindh and Baluchistan. The positions of ECP mem- This was disclosed by Ahsan bers from Sindh and Balu- Iqbal, a member of the opposi- chistan fell vacant in January rime Minister Imran Khan tion’s Rehbar committee and after the retirement of Abdul has reaffi rmed the govern- the Pakistan Muslim League Ghaff ar Soomro and Justice Pment’s commitment to – Nawaz (PML-N) secretary- (retired) Shakeel Baloch. make Pakistan clean and green general. Under the law, the posi- with the support of the people. He said that Leader of the tions were required to be fi lled He was addressing a ceremony Opposition in the National As- within 45 days, but the legal in connection with the launch of sembly and PML-N president deadline passed without even “Clean Green Pakistan Index” in Prime Minister Khan has said Shehbaz Sharif, who is cur- the initiation of consultation Islamabad yesterday. that he regrets that Lahore has rently with his ailing brother between Prime Minister Khan The index aims at improving become the second or third Nawaz in London, had author- and Opposition Leader Sharif. overall green and clean outlook most polluted cities in the world ised them to fi nalise nominees Even after belated com- of the Pakistani cities by kicking as no eff ort was made in the past for the CEC offi ce and the two mencement of an indirect off competition amongst them to protect its environment. ECP members after consul- consultation process, a con- on various indicators. tation with other opposition troversy erupted when a let- Khan said that every segment Aslam also said that the gov- parties. ter proposing names from the of the society, including the ad- ernment is committed to switch- Iqbal said they would dis- government side came from ministration, the elected repre- ing 30% of all new vehicles to cuss the matter in the upcom- the Foreign Offi ce instead of sentatives and the youth, should electric by 2030. ing multiparty conference the Prime Minister’s House. become part of the clean and A ferris wheel is seen amid heavy smog conditions in Lahore. He said the transition would be and try to fi nalise the list that Days later the prime minis- green initiative to fi ght environ- kicked off with 100,000 vehicles would then be sent to Shehbaz ter reconsidered the decision, mental degradation and protect introduced in Punjab and Khyber saw the city losing 70% of its make Pakistan a clean and green and 500,000 motorcycles and Sharif in London. withdrew the previous nomi- the future of the country. Pakhtunkhwa. green cover. country. rickshaws in the next four years. As under the Constitution, nations, and proposed three He said that it was due to the “This system envisages em- Khan said that Pakistan is He said that in the fi rst phase The adviser said the govern- only the opposition leader and names each for the two posi- participation of the people that powerment of the people at the blessed with immense resources, of this campaign, a healthy ment would soon off er tax ben- the prime minister are required tions to the opposition leader 1bn trees have been planted in grassroots level. Elected repre- including 12 climatic zones, fer- cleanliness competition will be efi ts and incentives to manufac- to hold consultations on the afresh. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over a pe- sentatives at the village level will tile land, and natural resources. conducted in 19 cities. turers and importers of electric matter, Shehbaz would then The 12 names thus received riod of fi ve years. also be made part of the regional He said we need to value these Aslam said students from vehicles in order to reduce its forward the list of the opposi- from the government and the “Now we will make the entire level competitions on environ- resources in order to help the schools and universities are be- infl ated oil imports’ bill, car- tion’s nominees to Prime Min- opposition were sent to the country green, with particular mental indicators,” he added. country stand on its own feet. ing engaged in the drive, and bon emissions, boost industrial ister Imran Khan, he added. parliamentary committee on focus on the cities where specifi c Describing pollution as the si- The prime minister said that urged the general public to help growth, and create jobs. He said the opposition lead- appointment of ECP members, areas will be identifi ed for plan- lent killer, the prime minister re- given the immense beauty of the make this campaign a success. Aslam also revealed that the er had received a joint letter where both sides having equal tation,” the prime minister said, gretted that Lahore has become country, it will be made a desti- The adviser said the youth government is drawing up plans from Senate Chairman Sadiq representation tried hard to adding that his government will the second or third most polluted nation for tourism. of country should register and to prevent water wastage, say- Sanjrani and National Assem- have a member from Sindh of gradually increase funds for this cities in the world, as no eff ort Addressing the ceremony, Ad- participate in this drive, and the ing that thousands of gallons of bly Speaker Asad Qaiser, ask- their choice and off ered each campaign. was made in the past to protect viser to Prime Minister on Cli- government will recognise and clean water are being wasted due ing him to propose three names other to have a member from Khan said that an effi cient lo- its environment. mate Change Amin Aslam said reward those who actively par- to lack of policies in utilising wa- each for the positions of ECP Baluchistan as they like. cal bodies system is also being He said that the last 10 years the government is committed to ticipate. ter resources. member from Sindh and Balu- However, the committee chistan, as per the Islamabad could not reach a decision, High Court (IHC) decision. leaving many to how to pro- The IHC recently directed ceed if the Constitution is si- the government and the oppo- lent in case of such a stalemate. sition to resolve the matter by Interestingly, President Dr December 7, when incumbent Arif Alvi appointed both nomi- Locust attacks CEC Justice (retired) Sardar nees from the ruling PTI’s list Mohamed Raza would com- as ECP members on August 22. plete his tenure. The crisis deepened over When asked, Senator Mus- the move when the next day, tafa Nawaz Khokhar said Paki- Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui and on crops to be stan Peoples Party (PPP) chair- Munir Ahmad Kakar, appoint- man Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ed as members from Sindh had decided to attend the mul- and Baluchistan, respectively, tiparty conference. went to the ECP to assume the While Khokhar, the offi cial charge and CEC Raza refused more severe spokesman for the PPP chair- to administer the oath of offi ce man, expressed his ignorance to them, making it clear that about the agenda of the mul- their appointment was uncon- Internews “(However) these aircraft are tiparty conference, Rehbar stitutional. Islamabad 50 years old, (and) are not suffi - committee member and PPP Arguing that the CEC had no cient for the needs. We are plan- secretary-general Nayyar authority to examine “validity” ning to award the contract of Bokhari explained that the of government notifi cations, n offi cial of the ministry aerial spray to the Pakistan Air committee had decided on No- Law Minister Barrister Farogh of food security has told a Force,” he said. vember 19 that the opposition Nasim described his refusal to Aparliamentary panel that The committee recommended parties would discuss names of administer oath to the “uncon- swarms of locust are likely to at- that the fi nance ministry imme- the ECP members and the new stitutionally” appointed mem- tack crops in the coming two to diately release the funds speci- This picture taken on November CEC in the next meeting. bers as “unconstitutional”. three years, wreaking havoc in fi ed to counter possible locust 11 shows locusts in the sky over In a related development, The two ECP members’ ap- Baluchistan, Sindh, and south attacks. Karachi. PML-N president Shehbaz pointments were later chal- Punjab. Committee chairman Rao Sharif has nominated former lenged in the IHC by two Ministry of food security sec- Ajmal Khan said that a locust Ajmal Khan said: “Agriculture NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, members of the parliamentary retary Hashim Popalzai told the swarm lays 500mn eggs during is the backbone of our economy Iqbal, party leader Amir Mu- committee belonging to the National Assembly’s Standing its journey. and we need to focus on this sec- qam, and party chairman Raja PML-N. Committee for Food Security “The loss this year is not too tor and increase its production. Zafarul Haq for participation The IHC in its order earlier and Research that a tender has much, but the next year we ex- We need to increase the capacity in the multiparty conference. this month observed that the been placed for the purchase of pect much greater damage to of our farmers.” While the government and constitutional provisions had Malathion spray, which is used to crops. The attack will start from The committee set up a three- the opposition have failed to not been followed in the ap- kill locusts. sub-district Haroonabad in member subcommittee to check solve controversy over ECP pointment. “One hundred thousand litres south Punjab and will move to- the standards of the locally-pro- of spray will be purchased, that wards Sindh and Baluchistan,” duced tractors. will be enough for six months. he said. The committee decided to visit Dutch queen arrives for 3-day visit The insecticide will be sprayed in The meeting, held at the Pa- the tractor manufacturing plants Thal and Hub areas. We are ready kistan Agricultural Research in Pakistan as it felt that these A farmer holds a locust in a field in Karachi. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has arrived in Pakistan in to deal with locust swarms and Council, was attended by mem- tractor manufacturing compa- her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special are preparing plans for next three bers of the National Assembly nies were not following any par- enable citizens purchase cheap He said that a mobile applica- Advocate (UNSGSA) for Inclusive Finance for Development. years. (MNAs) Zain Qureshi, Rai Mur- ticular standards. pulses. tion has been introduced in Is- The Dutch queen was received by off icials of the foreign ministry “The government has allo- taza Iqbal, Shaukat Ali, Ahmed The ministry of food security Murtaza Iqbal said that an lamabad to end role of the mid- yesterday at the Nur Khan Air Base in the garrison city of cated a fund of Rs5.3mn. We have Hussain Deharr, Nausheen Ha- secretary said that the govern- open-shade policy should be dleman. Rawalpindi. one airplane in working condi- mid, Shahnaz Saleem, and Kamal ment is focusing on reducing the adopted for the farmers as it will If it succeeds, the app’s cover- During her visit, the queen will meet President Dr Arif Alvi and tion for aerial spray. Another will Uddin, as well as offi cials of rel- import bill for pulses. protect them from the market age would be extended to other Prime Minister Imran Khan, as well as a range of stakeholders from be operational soon. evant departments. Local production of pulses will mafi a. cities. the public and private sectors. Punjab authority to promote sharing culture to curb food wastage

Internews be able to procure excess and un- and hotels in the province. will not initiate any proceedings prevent large-scale food wastage However, the PFA rejected the have to ensure that they would Lahore used food from diff erent eateries “We have made this system against the NGO pertaining to at major hotels and eateries. proposal and maintained that distribute unused food to poor and restaurants across Punjab to provide food to the poor. The criminal negligence. He wrote the draft after con- registration and licensing are people at their own expense. and supply it to deserving indi- Punjab Food Authority will re- Food operators and NGOs will sulting all the stakeholders. necessary to ensure compliance Food items seized during raids n a bid to help the poor and viduals. main part of the eff ort to ensure be obliged to provide timely de- However, some NGOs had fi led with the rules regarding food by the PFA will also be supplied the needy, and put a halt to As per the rules, the NGOs in- the quality of the food,” he said. tails to the authority regarding a writ petition in this regard in quality. to deserving people through the Ifood wastage, the Punjab terested in the operation must The unused food will be pack- unused food, while food manu- the Lahore High Court. The PFA has added a clause, authorised NGOs. Food Authority (PFA) has for- get themselves registered with aged and stored as per the rules facturers will be required to min- During the hearing, the high according to which after con- Food factories, especially in warded a draft for its earlier-pro- the PFA, as well as obtain a food and standards of the food au- imise the level of unused food in court directed the food author- fi rming that the NGO is provid- terms of bakery items, should posed “Disposal of Excess Food licence. thority, and if there is a viola- their factories by 2025. ity to consider the stance of the ing unused food to deserving in- ensure that food supplied to the Regulations” to the provincial The PFA will not collect any tion of the rules in packaging and A “point-based system” will NGOs and incorporate their jus- dividuals, the licensing fee would registered NGOs have not gone law department. offi cial fee from the licensed storage, action would be taken also be introduced for food op- tifi ed recommendations in the be waived. past the expiration date. A formal notifi cation in this NGOs after confi rming that food against the NGOs concerned. erators providing unused food draft rules. Food operators will also be “We have to ensure that NGOs regard is expected to be released is being delivered to the poor free According to a clause provided under which they will be given The NGOs were adamant registered with the authority, deliver food to the poor in the soon. of charge. for in the law, if any food con- some concessions. that the Punjab Food Authority and PFA staff will ensure that the right way,” Younus said. “The Drafted over six months ago, Punjab Food Authority direc- sumer contracts a disease even It has been revealed that You- should allow them to conduct the quality and packaging of unused major part of the job rests with the new rules will spell out the tor-general Captain (retired) Us- after adequate food packaging nus, immediately after taking operation without registration food is good and fi t for consump- the NGOs, as they would be sup- process with which non-govern- man Younus said 40% of food is and storage standards have been charge of his post, started pre- and not impose a condition for tion. plying the food to the poor at mental organisations (NGOs) will wasted by factories, restaurants maintained in good faith, the PFA paring rules and regulations to obtaining a licence. The food operators will also their own expense.” Gulf Times 22 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Coal power set for record fall in 2019

Global coal-fi red power, a key driver of climate change, is set to fall a record 3.0% this year, largely led by developed countries although much-criticised China and India play their part too, analysis showed yesterday. This “historic” drop would be equal to 300 Terawatt hours (TWh), or more than the combined coal-based electricity output of Germany, Spain and Britain last year, the UK-based Carbon Brief website said. The turnaround is largely due to “record falls in developed countries, including Germany, the EU overall and South Korea, which are not being matched by increases elsewhere.” The West’s arrested “The largest reduction is taking place in the US, as several large coal-fi red power plants close,” it added. For 2017-2918, falls in the US and the European Union were “off set by increases elsewhere, particularly in China,” Carbon Brief said. “This year, however, the fall in developed economies is social development accelerating, while coal generation in India and China is slowing sharply, precipitating a global reduction.” In the past 35 years, there have been only two overall coal By Helmut K Anheier state, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, of limbo, earning too little to make It is time to heed Dahrendorf’s call. Berlin was just $29,133 – 60% lower than ends meet, but too much to qualify This does not mean implementing power declines – 148 TWh in 2009 in the wake of the global Hamburg’s $69,719. The national for government support. Over time, protectionist policies, which would not fi nancial crisis and 217 TWh in 2015 as China slowed. average was $43,110. they become economically, socially, only undermine economic growth, but In China, coal tends to fi ll the gap between clean energy fter three decades of A study by the UK2070 Commission and culturally isolated, increasingly also potentially reinforce authoritarian growth and rising demand, Carbon Brief said. worsening economic shows that from 1971 to 2013, Northern resentful of the prosperous elites, temptations, given such policies’ link “This means that when electricity demand is growing inequality, advanced-country England’s cumulative output growth and vulnerable to appeals by neo- to identity politics. Instead, it requires strongly, coal dependence comes to the fore.” Apopulations are angry, fell by 17 percentage points, whereas nationalist populists and aspiring a comprehensive program comprising The study noted that and they are taking their grievances London’s rose by 12. This has important authoritarians. proven measures for increasing to the ballot box or the streets. But implications for social mobility: a child This dynamic is most pronounced economic security and social and “The largest Chinese fi rms have credibly addressing inequality also who is poor enough for free school in the US, where it contributed to political engagement. continued to add new demands action regarding a less- meals in Hackney, one of London’s the election of President Donald For starters, countries should reduction is taking coal-fi red power plants discussed facet of this trend: declining poorest boroughs, is still three times Trump, and in the UK, where it fuelled reform their tax systems with an eye at a rate of one large intergenerational social mobility. more likely to attend university than an support for Brexit. But, with much of to reducing wealth disparities and place in the US, as facility every two weeks, Nowadays, parents cannot assume equally poor child in the northern town the Western world having followed encouraging entrepreneurship and job even as average plant that their children will be better off of Hartlepool. Thatcher and Reagan’s example, it is creation. At the same time, following several large coal- utilisation rates tumble than they are. On the contrary, a 2018 These trends can be traced back now affl icting all developed economies, the example of California – where OECD report concluded that in the to the 1980s, when US President dividing societies and stunting their post-World War II investment in fi red power plants to record lows below average developed country, it would Ronald Reagan and UK Prime Minister development. public universities were pivotal to its 50%. take 4-5 generations for children from Margaret Thatcher began to pursue None of this should be surprising. subsequent economic success – they close” The result is that the bottom earnings decile to reach the structural reforms that aimed to boost In 1995, the sociologist Ralf should foster social mobility through China “still dominates mean earnings level. The more unequal competitiveness by rebalancing their Dahrendorf described the “perverse investment in education and skills the global picture” in coal-fi red electricity generation which the country, the longer upward mobility economies away from manufacturing choices” demanded by globalisation. training. “peaked unexpectedly” in 2014 when the world’s second largest takes. and curbing the power of unions. But, To become and remain competitive in Social protections targeting those economy began to cool off . Inequality and lack of social mobility while those reforms were in some ways international markets, he observed, who are most vulnerable to globalisation are closely linked to geography, with warranted – recall the “stagfl ation” of countries had to use resources in ways are also needed, as are policies to In the US, coal-fi red power generation was down 13.9% urban areas typically doing much better the 1970s – little was done to mitigate that threatened social cohesion and compensate for regional disparities, through to August this year while in the fi rst six months of 2019, than rural ones. In the United States, their social consequences. political freedom. including managed migration (both European Union output tumbled 19%. the Brookings Institution reports that This policy failure, exacerbated by the These choices led, for example, to a domestically and internationally). For the full year, the EU could drop as much as 23%, Carbon cities with more than one million eff ects of technological progress, led to new form of inequality that Dahrendorf In the 1930s, US President Franklin Brief said. residents have contributed 72% of total what the economist Dennis J Snower called inequalisation: “building paths D Roosevelt’s New Deal, which lifted The future of coal-fi red electricity “has signifi cant employment growth since the 2008 calls as the “decoupling” of economic to the top for some and digging holes the US out of the Great Depression, implications for global eff orts to tackle climate change,” it fi nancial crisis, compared to just 6% and social trajectories: even as GDP for others, creating cleavages, splitting.” included such measures, as did similar for cities with populations of 50,000- grew, real wages and prospects for He presciently predicted that the programmes in Europe. noted. 250,000. Since 1970, wages in the top advancement stagnated or deteriorated emergence of an “underclass,” excluded Finally, to counter social exclusion Last year, a 3% increase in CO2 emissions from coal-fi red 2% of US metropolitan areas have risen for large swaths of the population. For and insecure both economically and and fragmentation, eff orts must be power generation was responsible for half the global increase in by nearly 70%, compared to 45% in the example, the Economic Policy Institute socially, would give rise to authoritarian made to strengthen civil society and emissions from fossil fuels. rest of the country. reports that, from 1979 to 2018, net temptations. to encourage sustained, credible, and For 2019, a 3% reduction could imply zero growth in global Likewise, in France’s Île-de-France productivity in the US rose 70%, but The advanced economies’ “overriding respectful public debates. It may take CO2 output, if emissions changes in other sectors mirror those region, which includes Paris, GDP per real hourly wages increased by only 12%. task” for the subsequent decade, decades to heal social and cultural during 2018. capita rose from 148% of the national Today, 14% of Americans – more than Dahrendorf wrote, was to get as close divides, but it can be done. The question average in 1975 to 165% in 2010, whereas half of whom are people of colour – are to possible to “[squaring] the circle is whether leaders will do what is These changes are significant but the study still in the less-developed Lorraine, that “working poor” (full-time workers with of wealth creation, social cohesion, needed. – Project Syndicate noted that this year’s projected 3.0% fall would be only fi gure fell from 95% to 76% over the incomes that are less than 200% of the and political freedom.” Yet more than half the 6.0% drop the International Energy Agency same period. This divide can also be poverty line). two decades later, most have not even z Helmut K Anheier is professor says is necessary each year to 2040 to bring about its seen in Germany, though one major city, With low-paying jobs and little attempted that feat. Instead, following of sociology at the Hertie School of “Sustainable Development Scenario” aimed at limiting Berlin, does lag behind the rest. In 2016, hope of getting ahead, a growing the logic of neoliberalism, they focused Governance in Berlin and at the Max global warming to below 2C. per capita GDP in Germany’s poorest share of people are stuck in a kind on economic growth. Weber Institute, Heidelberg University. The World Meterological Organisation said yesterday that greenhouse gas emissions hit a new all-time high in 2018. Greenhouses gases are gases that get trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, causing global warming. “There is no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline, in greenhouse gases concentration in the atmosphere despite all the commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,” the organisation’s Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said. “We need to translate the commitments into action and increase the level of ambition for the sake of the future welfare of the mankind.”

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© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved The “yellow vests” in France take their name from the high-visibility jackets they wear. Their rage stems from a squeeze on household incomes. Gulf Times Tuesday, November 26, 2019 23 QATAR Qatar, Turkey express satisfaction over progress in bilateral relations z Joint Communique of the 5th Session of Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee

QNA Doha

he 5th session of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme TStrategic Committee took place in Doha yesterday. It was presided over by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and President of Turkey Recep Tayy- ip Erdogan, with the participa- tion of the ministers responsi- ble for facets of co-operation included in the agreement that established the Supreme Stra- tegic Committee and signed on December 19 of 2014. The fi fth session was held in a friendly environment that re- fl ected the distinguished part- nership and commitment of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and President Erdogan witness the signing of both sides to the continuation of agreements at the Amiri Diwan yesterday. long-term strategic co-opera- tion in all fi elds. The committee reviewed the results of the previ- ous session that took place in Is- tanbul on November 26 of 2018. The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the continuing progress in bilateral ties as the 46th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties approaches. The committee welcomed the results of the ministerial pre- paratory meeting that took place in Doha on November 3 of 2019 and was presided over by the two countries’ ministers of for- eign aff airs who are in charge of co-operating and preparing the committee’s meetings. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani receiving the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip The committee also welcomed Erdogan at the Amiri Diwan yesterday. the outcomes of the ranking of- fi cials’ meeting that took place in the increase in bilateral trade hosting of the 7th session of the their willingness to enhance co- importance of the unity of the in accordance with UN Secu- humanitarian situation in Libya, October 24 of 2019. volume in a way that refl ects the joint Qatari-Turkish Committee operation in defence industries Gulf Co-operation Council, rity Council Resolution 2254. and stressed the importance of The 5th session saw the sign- strength of political ties. They for economic, trade, and tech- over the long-term. especially in light of the chal- They called on the international ensuring a full and lasting cease- ing of the following agreements also stressed their commitment nical co-operation, which will The two leaders praised the lenges surrounding the region, community to support eff orts to fi re to start a comprehensive po- and memorandums of under- to ratifying a trade and economic take place during the fi rst half joint security committee that and stressed the need to adhere stabilise the situation and con- litical process. They also stressed standing with the goal of build- partnership agreement that was of 2020. The two sides agreed to held its meeting in Ankara on to the principles of mutual re- tribute to a lasting and credible the absence of a military solution ing on the progress achieved signed in the previous session. encourage the regular partici- January 30 of 2019. The two sides spect and full sovereignty of political solution to the crisis. to the confl ict in Libya and reaf- so far through the committee’s The committee also welcomed pation in trade exhibitions that pointed to the letter of intent for States and non-interference in With their support to this end to fi rmed their commitments to the mechanisms: the Qatari companies’ increasing they both organise, in order to organising major events between their internal aff airs and good- the formation of the Constitu- Libyan-led and UN-sponsored 1. Amending currency-swap interest in investing in Turkey, promote bilateral trade. Qatar and Turkey, which was neighbourliness, while clarifying tional Committee. political process to fi nd a lasting agreement signed between Qa- and reviewed the commitment The committee welcomed co- signed on October 31 of 2019. that constructive dialogue is the The two sides rejected all at- solution. tar Central Bank and the Central made by Qatar to invest $15bn in operation in the tourism fi eld, The committee also discussed only way to end the current Gulf tempts to fi nd new facts based The two sides reiterated their Bank of the Republic of Turkey. Turkey, which was announced by including health tourism. In that the importance of enhancing crisis. on the grounds of combating commitment to contribute to the 2. An agreement between the His Highness the Amir Sheikh regard, the Qatari side suggested co-operation in the fi eld of food The two sides reaffi rmed their terrorism, and expressed their development of the African con- government of Qatar and the Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani dur- that Turkish delegations pay security. commitment to maintaining determination to stand against tinent and promote possible co- government of Turkey on co- ing the visit to Turkey in August fi eld visits to health facilities in The two sides also called for maritime safety in the Gulf re- separatist programmes aimed operation projects to this end. operation in the manufacturing of 2018. The two sides pledged to Qatar to get to know the health- enhancing their ties by estab- gion. They stressed the impor- at undermining the sovereignty The two sides affi rmed their and the technology fi elds. continue their co-ordination in care sector better and off er sug- lishing a twinning agreement tance of avoiding any rhetoric and territorial integrity of Syria support for peace, stability and 3. A Memorandum of Under- the fi nancial fi eld. gestions that could benefi t both between their respective cities. or action that would increase as well as the national security development in Somalia and standing between Qatar Finan- The committee also expressed sides in diff erent fi elds. They also expressed their sat- tensions in the region, and urged of neighbouring countries. In Sudan, welcoming the progress cial Centre and the fi nancial of- its satisfaction with enhanc- The committee expressed its isfaction with the strength of ties all parties to exercise maximum this regard, the Turkish side ex- made by Somalia in many areas, fi ce of the presidency in Turkey. ing co-operation in projects re- appreciation to the increase in in the legal and judicial fi elds. restraint and refrain from esca- pressed its gratitude to Qatar for and agreed to further develop 4. A memorandum of under- lated to hosting the World Cup the number of fl ights between The committee also high- lation. its support to Operation “Peace their co-operation with Somalia, standing between Qatar Invest- fi nals in 2022. The Qatari side the two countries, and the strong lighted the strong ties in the fi eld The two sides stressed the Spring”. calling on the international com- ment Promotion Agency and the welcomed the participation of co-operation in the fi eld of civil of culture, youth, sports, edu- need for a political settlement on Both sides expressed their ap- munity to continue its support investment offi ce at the presi- Turkish companies in infra- aviation. In that context, the cation, archival, and libraries, the Cyprus issue through con- preciation for their co-operation for Somalia and commending dency of Turkey. structure projects related to the committee called for holding a with both sides expressing their structive dialogue based on ex- in providing support to Syrians the eff orts made by the transi- 5. A Memorandum of Under- World Cup and to the Qatar Na- bilateral meeting between avia- willingness to carry out joint isting facts and equality between under temporary protection in tional Government of the Sudan standing in the fi eld of urban tional Vision 2030. The two sides tion authorities in either Doha or projects in those fi elds. the two peoples on the island. Turkey. The Turkish side wel- to overcome the economic dif- planning between the govern- agreed to raise the level of their Ankara to increase bilateral co- The two sides held in-depth Both sides expressed concern comed the assistance provided fi culties. They expressed their ments of Qatar and Turkey. participation in each other’s in- operation in that fi eld. talks on international issues, over the recent developments in by Qatar through Qatar Char- willingness to co-operate with 6. A declaration of intent be- frastructure projects. The two sides also recom- stressing the importance of co- the State of Palestine which have ity Foundation and Qatar Red Sudan for sustainable economic tween Qatar General Organisa- The committee stressed the mended the exchange of ex- ordinating their positions and undermined the possibility of a Crescent Society which helped development and called for the tion for Standards and Metrology importance of the role played pertise, information, and visits further strengthening the part- two-state solution. They reaf- improve the living conditions lifting of sanctions on Sudan. (QS) and the Turkish Standards by trade chambers in enhanc- in the fi eld of developing land nership in light of continued re- fi rmed their commitment to the of Syrians. The Turkish side ex- The two sides reaffi rmed their Institution (TSE). ing investment opportunities, transport systems. gional developments. just Palestinian cause and their pressed its appreciation for Qa- determination to strengthen 7. A Memorandum of Under- and welcomed the organisation The Qatari side for its part The two sides reaffi rmed their strong support for the establish- tar’s commitment to continue its their co-operation and solidarity standing in the fi eld of standards of the Qatari-Turkish Business suggested the enhancement common commitment to main- ment of an independent, sov- contributions in the future. in international and regional or- between the Public Works Au- Forum that was held in Ankara of co-operation in the fi eld of taining and promoting peace, ereign State of Palestine within Both sides reaffi rmed their ganisations, including the Unit- thority (Ashghal) and the Turk- on October 31 of 2019 with the standards and metrology. security and stability in the Mid- the 1967 borders with Jerusalem commitment to support inter- ed Nations and the Organisation ish Standards Institution (TSE). participation of HE the Prime The private sectors committee dle East and neighbouring re- as its capital. Both sides strongly national eff orts to facilitate the of Islamic Co-operation. The two sides also stressed Minister and Minister of Inte- called for examining and evalu- gions, as well as fi nding peaceful condemned Israel’s continued safe and voluntary return of dis- The Turkish side congratu- on their commitment to en- rior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser ating investment opportunities resolution to disputes, without use of excessive and dispropor- placed Syrians to Syria. lated Qatar on its successful hancing the legal framework of bin Khalifa al-Thani and Turkish in free zones and industrial areas resorting to the threat of force or tionate force against Palestinian The two sides welcomed the hosting of the 16th Ministerial their bilateral ties. They also ex- Vice-President Fuat Oktay. located in the two countries. sanctions. civilians, its successive attempts contribution of Qatar Fund For Meeting of Asia Co-operation pressed their satisfaction with The two sides welcomed the The two sides also expressed The committee stressed the to undermine the legal status of Development (QFFD) to the ini- Dialogue (ACD) and the positive Jerusalem, its continued expan- tiative to accelerate the impact results of the meeting. sion of illegal settlements in Pal- of the Sustainable Development The Qatari side expressed its estine, as well as the destruction Goals, launched by Turkey and readiness to co-operate with Tur- and seizure of Palestinian prop- UNDP to support innovative so- key during its current chairman- erty by the Israeli authorities. lutions to the needs of refugees. ship of the Asia Co-operation The two sides reaffi rmed their The two sides stressed the Dialogue, and to work jointly dur- mutual interest and solidarity in importance of preserving Iraq’s ing Qatar’s hosting of the third the fi ght against terrorism in all unity and territorial integrity in summit of the Asia Co-operation its forms and manifestations, order to achieve regional stabil- Dialogue to be held in 2020. and reaffi rmed their determi- ity. In the light of the ongoing The two sides agreed to con- nation to co-operate to counter demonstrations in Iraq, the two tinue to closely monitor the the threat posed by terrorist or- sides expressed their concern implementation of the recom- ganisations, including ISIS, the over the loss of life and the ac- mendations and decisions of the Kurdish Democratic Union Par- companying casualties. They Supreme Strategic Committee. ty, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, stressed the need to meet the le- The two sides also agreed to the Gulen terrorist organisation gitimate aspirations of the Iraqi hold the sixth session of Qatar- and other affi liated organisa- people. They also reaffi rmed Turkey Supreme Strategic Com- tions. their readiness to assist recon- mittee meetings in Turkey in The two sides affi rmed their struction eff orts in Iraq. 2020 at a date to be determined continued commitment to sup- The two sides stressed the through diplomatic channels. port the political process to end importance of the unity, sover- The two sides praised the the Syrian crisis in a way that eignty and territorial integrity of spirit of sincere brotherhood and guarantees Syria’s sovereignty, Yemen, and the need to end the the common will witnessed in independence, unity and terri- war in Yemen through national the deliberations, which refl ects torial integrity. They expressed reconciliation and constructive the depth and strength of the their desire to see a stable, dialogue as a basis for a last- distinguished relations between peaceful, prosperous and demo- ing political settlement in ac- the two countries and brotherly cratic future for Syria in line with cordance with relevant Security peoples. the legitimate aspirations of its Council resolutions, including President of Turkey Recep people. resolution 2216 (2015), the GCC Tayyip Erdogan expressed his The two sides stressed that Initiative and its implementation deep appreciation to His High- there can be no military solu- mechanism, and the outcome of ness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin tion to the ongoing Syrian cri- the Comprehensive National Di- Hamad al-Thani for the warm sis, especially since the confl ict alogue Conference. welcome and hospitality extend- President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan being received by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin can only be resolved through Both sides expressed their ed to him and his delegation dur- Mohamed al-Attiyah. a negotiated political process, concern over the deteriorating ing their stay in Qatar. Gulf Times 24 Tuesday, November 26, 2019 QATAR

Qatar, Turkey stand shoulder to shoulder on bilateral, regional issues

From Page 1 The committee also expressed ing that constructive dialogue is His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and its satisfaction with enhancing the only way to end the current ways to enhance strategic co-operation in various fields yesterday. His Highness the Amir and President Erdogan chaired the 5th session Erdogan was accompanied by co-operation in projects related Gulf crisis. of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee that took place in the Amiri Diwan and both leaders oversaw the signing of the joint final HE the Deputy Prime Minister to hosting the World Cup fi nals The two sides reaffi rmed their statement, and a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs). and Minister of State for De- in 2022. commitment to maintaining fence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mo- The two sides expressed maritime safety in the Gulf re- hamed al-Attiyah. their willingness to enhance gion. They stressed the impor- The Turkish president left co-operation in defence indus- tance of avoiding any rhetoric or Doha yesterday evening after tries over the long-term and action that would increase ten- heading his country’s delega- discussed the importance of sions in the region, and urged tion to the fi fth session of the enhancing co-operation in the all parties to exercise maximum Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strate- fi eld of food security. restraint and refrain from esca- gic Committee. Qatar and Turkey held in- lation. The president and the dele- depth talks on international is- Both sides expressed concern gation accompanying him were sues, stressing the importance over the recent developments in seen off upon departure from of co-ordinating their positions Palestine. They reaffi rmed their Hamad International Airport by and further strengthening the mutual interest and solidarity in Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-At- partnership in light of contin- the fi ght against terrorism in all tiyah and Turkish ambassador ued regional developments. The its forms and manifestations. Fikret Ozer. two sides reaffi rmed their com- The two sides affi rmed their A joint communique was is- mon commitment to maintain- continued commitment to sup- sued after the 5th session of the ing and promoting peace, secu- port the political process to end Qatar-Turkey Supreme Stra- rity and stability in the Middle the Syrian crisis. They stressed tegic Committee. It said the East and neighbouring regions, the importance of preserving two sides stressed their com- as well as fi nding peaceful reso- Iraq’s unity and territorial in- mitment to enhancing the le- lution to disputes, without re- tegrity in order to achieve re- gal framework of their bilateral sorting to the threat of force or gional stability. ties. They also expressed their sanctions. The two sides stressed the satisfaction with the increase in The committee stressed the importance of the unity, sover- bilateral trade volume in a way importance of the unity of the eignty and territorial integrity that refl ects the strength of po- Gulf Co-operation Council and of Yemen, and the need to end litical ties. The committee wel- stressed the need to adhere to the war in Yemen through na- comed the Qatari companies’ the principles of mutual re- tional reconciliation. increasing interest in invest- spect and full sovereignty of Qatar and Turkey also reiter- ing in Turkey, and reviewed the States and non-interference in ated their support for just so- commitment made by Qatar to their internal aff airs and good- lutions to the issues faced by invest $15bn in Turkey. neighbourliness, while clarify- Libya, Somalia and Sudan.

Turkish president visits military detachment in Doha

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday visited the Turkish military detachment in Doha as part of his visit to Qatar. During the visit, they reviewed the readiness of the Turkish forces and the co-operation between them and the Qatari forces. The Turkish president was accompanied by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah.