Established 1961 9 International Tuesday, August 14, 2018 Tunisian leader proposes inheritance equality for women, with exceptions Thousands reject any challenge to Islamic law TUNIS: Tunisia’s president yesterday pro- servatives, he left the door open for some forces which have been managing its demo- posed giving women equal inheritance rights exceptions, saying families who wished to cratic transition since 2011, avoiding the despite protests from thousands of people continue the allocation based on Islamic law upheaval seen in Egypt, Libya or Syria. objecting to any challenge to Islamic law. The They had agreed in 2014 on a constitution North African Muslim country, which toppled granting far-reaching political rights, limiting autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, the role of religion and holding free elections, grants women more rights than other coun- which stands out in a region often run by tries in the region, and since last year has Muslim women autocrats. But one of the few areas where the allowed Muslim women to marry non-Muslim Islamists have resisted change is the inheri- men. But in a show how divided society allowed to marry tance law. To break the standoff Essebsi, a remains, thousands demonstrated on Saturday secular politician, had in August 2017 set up a in front of parliament against any changes to non-Muslim men committee to draft proposals to advance inheritance rules. women’s rights, winning praise from secular- The current system is based on Islamic minded women. While Tunisia has been hailed law which typically allows men to inherit as the only “Arab spring” success story eco- double what a woman would receive. “I pro- nomic growth has been disappointing, howev- TUNIS: Hundreds of Tunisians hold pro-conservative signs during a protest pose equality inheritance to become law,” would be able to do so. Parliament now er, with high unemployment driving many against proposed reforms opposed by conservative Muslims that include equal President Beji Caid Essebsi said in a speech. needs to decide on a bill. Tunisia is ruled by a young Tunisians abroad who had joined the inheritance rights for women and decriminalizing homosexuality. — AFP But in the face of the opposition from con- coalition of moderate Islamists and secular uprising. — Reuters

from the disgruntled 44-year-old, once an Rogue White ardent Trump ally, and represents another area from the central province of Homs, he stunning breach of trust. It also appears to Death toll in said. HTS controls more than half of Idlib show a president who has little knowledge province and is led by jihadists from Syria’s House ex-employee of what is happening inside his own White former Al-Qaeda affiliate. Most of the rest House-or who is willing to lie to avoid con- Syria arms is held by rebels, while the regime also Omarosa releases frontation. holds a slither of the province’s southeast. “Omarosa? Omarosa what’s going on? I depot blast The Islamic State jihadist group also has just saw on the news that you’re thinking sleeper cells in the area. In recent months, a Trump’s tape about leaving? What happened?” he said, series of explosions and assassinations- WASHINGTON: Former White House apparently unaware she had already been increases to 69 mainly targeting rebel officials and fighters- staffer and TV celebrity Omarosa fired. “Nobody even told me about it,” BEIRUT: The death toll of an explosion at a have rocked the province. While some Trump is heard saying. Manigault Newman has released a record- Omarosa Manigault weapons depot in northwestern Syria has attacks have been claimed by IS, most are “You know they run a big operation, but the result of infighting since last year ing of a private conversation with President risen to 69, mostly civilians including 17 Donald Trump after she was fired. NBC’s I didn’t know it.” He continues: “I didn’t children, a monitor said yesterday as search between other groups. Regime forces have in the past week “Today” program played the brief record- know that. Goddamn it. I don’t love you the White House Situation Room. Trump operations continued. Sunday’s blast of leaving at all.” Trump has already branded came to office vowing to hire “only the best unknown origin in the town of Sarmada in ramped up their deadly bombardment of ing, in which Trump claims to have had no “Omarosa”-as she is commonly known-a people”-but has struggled to put a lid on Idlib province took the lives of 52 civilians, southern Idlib and sent reinforcements to knowledge that she was sacked by chief of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights nearby areas they control. President Bashar staff John Kelly, and expresses regret at the “lowlife” after she released a recording of leaks, backbiting and scandal inside his said. The explosion also killed 17 members Al-Assad has warned that government news. The recording is the latest volley her firing by Kelly, seemingly recorded in White House. — AFP of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a jihadist-led forces intend to retake control of Idlib, after alliance, according to the Britain-based his Russia-backed regime regained chunks monitor, which relies on a network of of territory from rebels and jihadists in oth- sources inside Syria. “Rescue operations er parts of Syria. Around 2.5 million people fisheries are still ongoing,” Observatory head Rami live in the province, half of them displaced Abdel Rahman told AFP, more than 24 by fighting in other regions of the country. hours after the blast at the depot inside a More than 350,000 people have been killed minister resigns residential building. and millions displaced since Syria’s civil war Most of the civilians killed were family started in 2011 with the brutal repression of after trip members of HTS fighters displaced to the anti-government protests. — AFP OSLO: Norway’s fisheries minister resigned yesterday following his earlier admission that he breached government security protocols injured and nearly 353,000 displaced. The during a holiday to Iran last month. Per Indonesia’s hardest hit region of Lombok has been in the Sandberg, who initially failed to notify col- north, where 374 people died and more than leagues of his whereabouts and also took his 137,000 have been forced from their homes, government-issued mobile phone to Iran, had quake death according to the latest official tolls. Most of been rebuked by Prime Minister the displaced are sleeping under tents or tar- for violating the cabinet’s travel rules. toll tops 400 paulins near their ruined homes or in evacua- Sandberg, 58, deputy head of the anti-immi- tion shelters, while makeshift medical facilities gration , has also faced criticism JAKARTA: The death toll from an earthquake have been set up to treat the injured. from within his party for going on the trip with on the Indonesian island of Lombok has Split open roads, particularly in the moun- his girlfriend, Iranian-born Bahareh Letnes, 28, topped 400, authorities said yesterday, as tainous north of the island, are still proving to who obtained residency in Norway a decade bodies were still being recovered from the be a major headache for relief agencies trying ago. Ruling in a minority with a coalition cabi- net of her Conservatives as well as Progress ruins of destroyed buildings. The shallow 6.9- to distribute aid. Nugroho said three helicop- OSLO: Norway’s Minister of Fisheries Per Sandberg (left) waves as he leaves a and the Liberals, Solberg’s government has magnitude quake on August 5 leveled tens of ters, including one from the military, have press conference yesterday in Oslo. Norway’s rightwing Fisheries Minister Per slumped in opinion polls after news of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses been used to drop supplies to isolated com- Sandberg quit after breaching security protocol when he went on holiday to Iran Sandberg’s trip broke. The prime minister said across Lombok, just a week after another munities, many of which urgently needed with an Iranian-born former beauty queen, in a major media scandal. — AFP tremor surged through the island and killed 17. clean water, food, bedding and medicine. she had ordered Sandberg to hand his phone to “Search and rescue teams are still removing Meanwhile, the economic toll of the quake - police for safety checks, but still faced criticism victims who were buried beneath collapsed including its impact to buildings, infrastruc- in parliament from opposition parties question- destination. It also forbids the use of gov- Tom Nesvik, the prime minister’s office said. buildings and landslides,” said national disaster ture and productivity - has ballooned to 5 tril- ing the government’s competence on issues of ernment-issued phones in a country with Norway is the world’s largest producer of agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. lion rupiah ($342 million). “This damage and national security. The government requires which Norway does not have established farmed salmon, and seafood is the Nordic The total number killed in the quake is now loss is very large,” said Nugroho, adding the ministers to inform the prime minister’s security cooperation. The new fisheries min- country’s second-largest export industry 436, Nugroho said, with more than 1,300 final figure was likely to be higher. — AFP office of where they are going, regardless of ister will be Progress Party veteran Harald after oil and gas. — Reuters