BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Tight battle expected for GCT runner-up China is Qatar’s third largest trade partner position published in QATAR since 1978

THURSDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10996 November 8, 2018 Safar 30, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Iraqi president meets FM Qatar buys In brief

QATAR | Offi cial Grosvenor Amir sends message to Venezuelan president His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has sent House hotel a written message to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, pertaining to bilateral relations and means of boosting and developing them. The message was handed over by Qatar’s ambassador to Venezuela Rashid in London bin Mohsin Fetais during a meeting Iraqi President Barham Salih met HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin with the Executive Vice President of Abdulrahman al-Thani in Baghdad yesterday. During the meeting, HE Sheikh Mohamed conveyed the greetings of His O The historic hotel marks Katara Hospitality’s Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez. Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to President Salih, and his wishes of further progress and prosperity to the people of Iraq. The Iraqi president reciprocated the Amir’s greetings and wishes. During the meeting, the two sides third acquisition in the United Kingdom discussed bilateral relations and means to promote them besides topics of mutual interest. The foreign minister also met Qatar hails Moroccan separately with Chairman of the State of Law Coalition Nuri al-Maliki, Chairman of al-Fath Alliance Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the atara Hospitality is expanding was the fi rst hotel in London at that time king’s call for frank National Wisdom Movement Ammar al-Hakim, President of the National Alliance Dr Iyad Allawi and President of the National its global portfolio with the ac- to have a separate bathroom and entrance dialogue with Algeria Axis Coalition Khamis Khangar. He reiterated Qatar’s commitment to supporting the stability of Iraq and the region. Page 3 Kquisition of JW Marriott Gros- lobby for each bedroom and running venor House, a historic hotel on the chilled water in every bathroom. Qatar has welcomed the call of famed Park Lane in London’s Mayfair When the hotel fi rst opened, it was Moroccan King Mohamed VI for a district, refl ecting trust in the UK mar- also the headquarters of the Interna- frank and direct dialogue with Algeria ket as part of Qatar’s £5bn investment tional Sportsmen’s Club. Its facilities to overcome the situational and plan. included Turkish baths, a swimming substantive diff erences between the The acquisition brings Katara Hos- pool, squash courts and a gymnasium. two parties, and commended the Doha Declaration event at UN pitality’s portfolio of properties in The hotel is now one of the world’s move, hoping it to be the beginning operation or under development to truly great hotels, providing travellers of a constructive and fruitful 40 and marks the company’s third ac- with an unrivalled blend of historical dialogue. In a statement yesterday, quisition in London after The Savoy, A signifi cance and elegant accommoda- the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs said focuses on Education for Justice Fairmont Managed Hotel and the Adria tion. Qatar believes that opening channels Boutique Hotel. Operated by Marriott International of dialogue and diplomacy would he Education for Justice (E4J) Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, has Global Programme on Doha Declara- The announcement further builds on under the JW Marriott brand, Grosven- heal the diff erences. It stressed that initiative has inspired chil- said. tion supported by Qatar, the event fea- Katara Hospitality’s vision for iconic or House is a fi ve-star hotel that off ers Qatar is confident of the wisdom of Tdren and youth in the spirit He made the observation while tured a panel representing Unesco, the properties in strategic markets to com- 496 luxurious guest rooms, extensive both leaderships, their desire to settle of innovation to create a society free speaking at a high-level event at the United Nations (UN) youth envoy, Qa- mit signifi cant investment over the facilities including 5-star amenities, a long-standing diff erences and their from drugs, crime and extremism, United Nations headquarters in New tar’s mission to the UN and the United long term. fi tness centre and 31 meeting rooms. keenness to uphold the interest of HE the Secretary-General of Qa- York City on Tuesday. Nations Offi ce on Drugs and Crime Opened in 1929 and frequented by Each room off ers space, privacy and their peoples for good and prosperity. tar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Held within the framework of the (UNODC). To Page 9 royalty and celebrities, Grosvenor House many modern comforts. To Page 10

Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 3 QATAR

Foreign Minister holds meetings in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi met HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, in Baghdad, yesterday during his off icial visit to Iraq. They discussed bilateral relations and ways of supporting and developing them, in addition to issues of common concern. HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani also met Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali al-Hakim. The meeting discussed bilateral relations and means of boosting them, in addition to a number of regional and international issues of common concern. HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani also held a meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Iraq, Mohamed al-Halbousi.

Ooredoo, Msheireb Properties partner to provide Cabinet praises fi bre infrastructure in Msheireb Downtown Doha oredoo announced tions that can encour- yesterday its age social interaction, Opartnership with respect the local culture, Msheireb Properties to and provide greater care provide fibre infrastruc- for the environment. Amir’s speech to ture to its flagship devel- Ooredoo’s industry- opment, Msheireb Down- leading digital infrastruc- town Doha, the world’s ture, provided through its first sustainable down- Qatar Data Centre, will al- town regeneration project. low Msheireb Downtown Msheireb Downtown Doha to react and predict Doha is set to leverage Oore- Ooredoo chief business off icer Sheikh Nasser bin citizens’ needs in real-time. Advisory Council doo’s industry-leading Hamad bin Nasser al-Thani and Msheireb Jamal al-Kuwari, acting technology infrastructure Properties acting chief off icer-Commercial Jamal chief offi cer-Commercial, QNA siege and the plans cur- The Cabinet then re- enant on Economic, Social to transform the way that al-Kuwari shake hands after announcing the agreement. Msheireb Properties, said: Doha rently being implemented, viewed topics on its meet- and Cultural Rights (ICE- people think about urban “Sharing integrated real-time are a reason for being proud ing’s agenda as following: SCR) and the International living, and to improve their doo is providing its world- economy, providing social in- insights on citizens is vital for of the wise leadership of His The Cabinet approved a Covenant on Civil and Po- daily lives. The combina- class fi bre infrastructure to frastructure, and supporting Msheireb Downtown Doha he Cabinet’s regu- Highness the Amir and a draft decision to determine litical Rights. tion of Ooredoo’s network strengthen the smart city of- environmental sustainability.” to become a world-class lar meeting, chaired source of pride for all citi- the periods of registration The Cabinet took the infrastructure, cloud-based fering of Msheireb Downtown Msheireb Downtown smart city. We’re dedicated to Tby HE the Prime zens who stand united be- in the Commercial Register. necessary actions to ratify digital citizen services, and Doha, one of the smartest city Doha’s long-term digital partnering with Ooredoo on Minister Sheikh Abdul- hind their leadership. Under the provisions of the Multilateral Competent robust cybersecurity solu- districts in the world. roadmap, developed in building our smart core that lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa It also stressed that the the draft decision, the period Authority Agreement on tions will enable smart liv- “Ubiquitous connectiv- partnership with Oore- can future-proof our infra- al-Thani, hailed the speech Amir’s speech, which con- of registration in the Com- the exchange country-by- ing, shopping, and leisure. ity is at the heart of Msheireb doo, outlines how the structure, and support smart of His Highness the Amir tained useful guidance and mercial Register shall be for country reports. Ooredoo COO Yousuf Ab- Downtown Doha’s goals district leverages new buildings, shops, and facili- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad lofty values and meaning, not less than one year and a The Cabinet also ap- dulla al-Kubaisi said: “Oore- of transforming the local and emerging innova- ties.” al-Thani, at the opening of and which called for work maximum of fi ve years for proved a draft agreement on the 47th ordinary session ethics and performing it commercial companies and the Promotion and Protec- of the Advisory Council on in the best way and with a individual establishments. tion of Mutual Investments Tuesday. sense of duty and respon- The registration can be between the governments of Following the meeting, sibility towards society and renewed for similar periods. Qatar and Somalia, a draft which was held at the Amiri the State, will guide nation- The branches of non- agreement on the promo- Diwan, HE the Minister of al action in all fi elds. Qatari companies and tion and protection of mu- Justice and Acting Minis- The Prime Minister urged commercial representative tual investments between ter of State for Cabinet Af- the ministers to act in ac- offi ces shall be registered the governments of Qatar fairs Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali cordance with the directives within the period allowed and Saint Vincent and the al-Nuaimi said the Cabinet included in the speech of the for the company or repre- Grenadines and draft mem- lauded the visions, ideas, Amir with continuous and sentative offi ce to exercise orandum of understanding directives and policies the accurate follow-up to imple- its activity in the State, and for legal co-operation be- Amir’s speech contained, ment them in order to ensure that the duration of regis- tween the Ministry of Jus- as well as the positions it compliance with work ethics tration or its renewal shall tice of Qatar and the Minis- identifi ed towards various and good performance in all be within the duration of the try of Justice of Vietnam. regional and international the State’s entities. company. The Cabinet reviewed issues. He welcomed the new The Cabinet approved the results of the 102nd or- The Cabinet said that ministers and wished them the formation of a national dinary session of the Eco- the Amir’s assertion on the success in their duties, ex- committee to prepare the nomic and Social Council of strength and safety of the pressing thanks and ap- initial national report of the the League of Arab States at country’s economy and its preciation to the former State and discuss it before the ministerial level (Cairo, continuous development ministers for their eff orts in the Human Rights Commit- September 2018). The Cabi- and remarkable achieve- serving the country and the tee on the implementation net then took the appropri- ments despite the unjust citizen. of the International Cov- ate decision thereon.

New on-arrival Woqod opens two visa rules for Indians new fuel stations

he Ministry of Interior (MoI) atar Fuel (Woqod) “Woqod has recently He also said Woqod, in has updated rules for Indian opened yester- accelerated the process furtherance of customer Tcitizens looking to avail of Qa- Qday the Al Ghar- for the construction of satisfaction, opened one tar’s visa-free entry facility, intro- rafa-2 petrol station and new petrol stations to mobile diesel station near ducing a set of new conditions. one mobile diesel station meet the fuel and energy the Woqod Bu Fesseela These include non-extension of near the Woqod Bu Fes- needs of the country. station and is currently the visa beyond 30 days and manda- seela station, raising its Woqod team would like working on the disman- tory possession of a credit card, ac- network of petrol stations to extend its gratitude tling of diesel dispensers cording to information available on to 76. to all concerned gov- from Bu Fesseela station the MoI’s website (https://portal. Engineer Saad Rashid ernmental and private and will replace them by moi.gov.qa/qatarvisas/visadetails. al-Muhannadi, Wo- entities that contributed petrol dispensers to re- html?ctr=77&res=77). qod CEO, said: “We are and are contributing to duce the vehicles conges- The new rules come into eff ect on pleased to open our new the completion of this tion. November 11. fi xed petrol station, Al project.” Al-Muhannadi said: “As Under the new system, Indian na- Gharrafa-2. Woqod as- He added that Woqod part of its strategic expan- tionals can obtain an on-arrival tour- pires to expand its petrol is currently overseeing sion plan, Woqod is target- ist visa for a period of up to 30 days, station network in the the implementation of ing to achieve a total of 130 which cannot be extended, provided country to meet the rising 21 new petrol stations, a fuel stations by the end of they meet certain terms and condi- demand for petroleum large number of which is 2020.” tions. products and achieve the expected to be operational Al Gharrafa-2 is spread One of the new conditions is that goal of providing cus- during the current year, over an area of 15,000sqm the applicant must possess a valid tomers with access to noting that there are nine and has four lanes with 12 credit card. It is now mandatory to best-in-class products stations in the bidding dispensers that will serve present a valid credit card in the name and services at their con- phase and 14 stations in the Al Gharrafa and its neigh- of the traveller or the ‘paterfamilias’ venience and comfort. design phase. bourhood. (male head of the family), the MoI states. Also, the person concerned should have a confi rmed hotel reservation along with a confi rmed return ticket, while the passport must be valid for at least six months from the arrival date. “The duration of the visa cannot be extended beyond 30 days,” the Mol adds. Under the old system, an Indian citizen could get his/her on-arrival visa extended by a month for a total of 60 days. Also, no credit card was re- quired to obtain the visa. The Al Gharrafa-2 petrol station.

Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 5 QATAR

Ministry of Commerce registers 108 violations in October

QNA competent department, the lated mainly to organising a comply with the consumer Doha non-declaration of prices promotion without obtain- protection law and its ex- related to the items, and the ing the necessary licence ecutive regulations. description of the item or from the competent depart- The ministry also said he inspection cam- advertisement or displayed ment. that it will intensify its in- paign carried out by in a manner that contains Of the other violations spection campaigns to con- Trepresentatives from false or deceptive data. 16 were to do with non- trol such practices and refer the Ministry of Commerce The penalties included declaration of prices, while all violators to the entities and Industry in October administrative closure 10 related to selling expired concerned to take the ap- 2018, resulted in the issu- and fi nancial fi nes vary- items, and 9 related to de- propriate measures against ance of 108 violation notic- ing between QR5,000 and scription of items or adver- them to protect the con- es and seizure of items. QR30,000, according to the tising or display in a manner sumer. The ministry explained laws and decisions govern- that contains false or de- The ministry called on that the irregularities varied ing the work of consumer ceptive data. all consumers to report any between holding a promo- protection departments. The ministry said it will violations to the ministry tion without obtaining the Some 38 violations re- be fi rm against all those who through its communication necessary licence from the ported during October re- are negligent and do not channels. - QNA Gulf Times 6 Thursday, November 8 ,2018 QATAR

Qatar’s eff orts to address climate change lauded

The Ministry of Municipality Undersecretary for to achieve environmental and Environment’s Environment Aff airs balance in light of the Department of Climate Ahmed Mohamed al-Sada country’s urban, economic ILO praises Qatar’s steps Change yesterday held a stressed Qatar’s attention and social progress, and workshop on the preparation to the environment saying hailed what the State of Qatar’s second national it has enacted laws and institutions and companies communication and biennial regulations necessary to are doing to follow the report on climate change. preserve and maintain it for environmental laws that to protect workers’ rights Speaking at the opening future generations. He also contribute to Qatar’s eff orts of the workshop, Assistant praised the ministry’s eff orts to address climate change. QNA Groups commended the re- as social partners repre- Protection System (WPS), work system in compliance Doha forms undertaken by Qatar, sented by the Employers’ as well as setting up plans with international labour such as the abolition of exit Organisation, the Interna- and training for inspec- standards and ratifi ed con- visas, the establishment of a tional Federation of Build- tors, combating traffi cking ventions, and to ensure close he International La- Workers’ Support Fund and ing and Wood Workers and in human beings, proce- co-operation with all part- bour Organisation the establishment of joint the International Transport dures of the recruitment ners to provide a safe working T(ILO) board of direc- labour committees and the Workers’ Federation (ITF) . and contracting system and environment and protecting tors has praised the impor- study of a minimum wage. During the session, the strengthening complaint the rights and interests of all tant legislative achievements The ILO board members director of the International mechanisms. production parties. and reforms adopted by also welcomed the con- Labour Offi ce in Doha gave For his part, Mohamed He said Qatar thanks the Qatar in its ongoing eff orts structive co-operation and a briefi ng on the important Hassan al-Obaidly, Assist- partners of friendly gov- to promote and protect the partnerships undertaken steps and measures taken ant Undersecretary for La- ernments and employers’ rights of expatriate workers. by the government of Qa- by Qatar in a short period bour Aff airs at the Ministry and workers’ organisations Members of the govern- tar to support eff orts to of time and its co-opera- of Administrative Develop- for their support to the ef- ing body of the ILO, in par- implement reforms with a tion with the ILO through ment, Labour and Social Af- forts of Qatar and the In- ticular the governments of number of governments, in- the implementation of a fairs, said during the meeting ternational Labour Offi ce in the United States, the Euro- cluding the US, the United number of programmes that Qatar is willing to ensure achieving the activities and pean Union, Canada and the Kingdom, Switzerland and and activities related to the a productive working envi- objectives of the Technical Employers’ and Workers’ the Netherlands, as well development of the Wages ronment for all parties of the Co-operation Programme.

QNL announces new award for advancement of Open Science

atar National Li- Access Week, explored how researchers and scientists brary (QNL) has Qatar can design inclusive, in Qatar. Knowledge is the Qannounced a new and equitable open systems fuel of research and innova- award for the advancement to truly serve the needs of a tion, and opening up access of Open Science which will diverse global community. to the knowledge contained recognise individuals or This is the fi rst year that in the research literature will institutions that have con- QNL has celebrated Open encourage curiosity, experi- tributed to the fi eld, with a Access Week as a fully- mentation and entrepre- view to increasing the im- fl edged national library, neurship, and will ultimate- pact of their work. and it hopes to use the op- ly widen participation in the In addition, the Library portunity to explore further science, and questions the Chemical Biology of Neu- implementation of research provides practical support ways of delivering services rationale behind the consid- rodegeneration at the Brain and innovation for enhanc- to researchers wishing to to support national research erable investment that fl ows Mind Institute, Swiss Federal ing Qatar’s economy.” publishing Open Access and innovation. into for-profi t academic Institute of Technology, and Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie, books and articles. An Open Journal publishers and publishers. Dr Torsten Reimer, head of executive director at Qatar Access Author Fund covers editors received advice on The Week culminated on Research Services at the Brit- National Research Fund, article processing charges increasing the visibility of October 28 with presenta- ish Library. added, “Open Access is an for open access publica- national research outputs tions and discussions under Speaking at the fi nal opportunity to extend the tions. during an interactive work- the global theme, ‘Design- event of the week, Dr Rich- global reach and impact of A series of events high- shop, held on October 23 . ing Equitable Foundations ard O’Kennedy, vice presi- our research. It is not now lighting Qatar National The local premiere of Pay- for Open Knowledge: The dent at Qatar Foundation a question of whether we Library’s commitment to wall: The Business of Schol- Role of the National Library.’ Research, Development and should support full and making online publica- arship was also screened at Presentations were delivered Innovation, commented, immediate open access to tions available at no cost, the Library during the week. by leading experts, including “Open and equitable access research publications, but concluded last week. The This illuminating documen- Prof Hilal Lashuel, associate to knowledge will have an rather how soon can this be events, held to mark this tary focuses on the need for professor of Life Sciences and enormous impact on foster- achieved and what the most year’s International Open open access to research and director of the Laboratory of ing the future generation of sustainable routes are.”

Gulf Times 8 Thursday, November 8, 2018 QATAR

EAA condemns Cameroon pupils’ kidnap atar-based Education Above All where children and teachers should be safe (EAA) foundation has condemned to learn, teach and play,” said EAA’s head of Qthe recent kidnapping of 79 school advocacy, Mubarak al-Thani. pupils in Cameroon, according to a state- “Education Above All joins the global ment issued yesterday. community to unequivocally condemn this “The kidnapping of 79 students and a clear violation of the sanctity of schools and principal from a boarding school in the breach of the human right to education. Our North-West region of Cameroon is a viola- thoughts are with the victims and their fam- tion of the sanctity of educational spaces ilies,” Mubarak al-Thani added.

Sidra Medicine off icials at the press conference yesterday. PICTURE: Nasar T K Sidra Medicine to expand services; introduce air ambulance next year

By Joseph Varghese press conference at the hospital. congenital heart failure and surgery, outpatient consultation service. A Staff Reporter Other officials present were Dr among many others. fully purpose-built clinic includ- Mansour Ali, chair of the depart- Sidra Medicine has performed ing IVF services is set to open in ment of paediatric surgery; Dr over 2,700 surgeries to date. the spring of 2019. This is an excit- head of the offi cial opening Aisha Ahmad AA Yousuf, direc- “Sidra Medicine is helping create ing time for many advancements in on Monday, Sidra Medicine, tor of reproductive surgery; Prof a complete healing environment for healthcare and I am proud to be a Aa specialty women’s and Christof Von Kalle, chief research children who would have previously part this journey,” said Dr Yousuf. children’s hospital, has announced officer, Sidra Medicine and Prof had to travel abroad for care. We “Research is a key pillar of Sidra it will off er a lot more services next Ibrahim Janahi, chair of Medical also have patients from blockading Medicine and we are undertaking a year and make use of the air ambu- Education. countries seeking specialised care. number of exciting projects which lance facility. The offi cials of Sidra Medicine, It is very encouraging as we wel- will benefi t those living in Qatar, “We expect to start major trau- part of Qatar Foundation, also come more families in Qatar who the wider region and beyond. Our ma services for children in the fi rst shared a series of milestones on the are opting to stay back and seek our research will enable us to not only quarter of 2019, when we will be occasion. counsel and care for handling some understand the genetic makeup of able to accept ambulance service “On a monthly basis, about 3,000 highly complex and challenging people in Qatar, but also study dis- including air ambulance,” Sidra children are treated at the emergen- cases,” said Dr Ali. eases to help develop highly person- Medicine CEO Peter Morris said cy care while we admit about 600 Sidra Medicine has also launched alised medicine,” said Prof Kalle. yesterday while describing Sidra as inpatients and perform over 250 several key women’s services in- Sidra Medicine is involved in sev- the specialised tertiary centre for surgeries on children. The advanced cluding the opening of Women’s eral landmark research projects in children in Qatar. nature of treatment, the complex Emergency and the start of highly Qatar and on an international scale, “We are making use of robotic nature of the diseases and our abil- complex gynaecology surgeries us- with research teams looking at sev- surgery in many of the procedures ity to deal with the most complex ing minimally invasive keyhole pro- eral diseases prevalent in Qatar. and expect to expand it to many and challenging processes, make cedures. According to Prof Janahi, Sidra other areas including several gy- Sidra Medicine a unique healthcare The hospital has also partially ac- Medicine is working towards build- naecology surgeries. We will also be facility,” continued Morris. tivated its robotic gynaecology sur- ing national capacity through train- launching many reproductive serv- In the paediatric area, Sidra gery service, performed by Da Vinci ing and medical education. It has ices early next year,” he explained. Medicine is now operating over 50 Robot machines. recently launched the fi rst special- Morris was replying to a ques- clinics, off ering care across a range “Most recently, Sidra Medicine ised paediatric robotics surgery tion from Gulf Times during a of specialties including epilepsy, opened the reproductive medicine training programme.

MIA to present ‘Syria Matters’ exhibition

he Museum of Is- own spectacular collec- Syria, illuminating Syria’s cultural history going as far lamic Art (MIA) in tion, shown alongside key role in the artistic and back as the country’s early TDoha will present a loans from other world-re- intellectual history of the pre-Islamic past and will major exhibition entitled nowned international mu- world. explore its many contribu- Syria Matters on Novem- seums, including the Lou- So much of this precious tions to world history. ber 21 as part of its 10-year vre in Paris, the Museum of heritage has been tragically Qatar Museums said anniversary celebrations as Ancient Near Eastern Art in lost through the destruc- part of the exhibition in- Qatar’s first world-class Berlin, the Berlin State Li- tion of its fabled cities of stallation includes a spe- international museum, it brary, and other significant Palmyra and Aleppo, as cially-designed immersive was announced. QM collections. well as countless other cul- experience of several key The exhibition, under It is co-curated by MIA tural heritage sites, during sites such as the Umayyad the patronage of Qatar Mu- director Dr Julia Gonnella the bitter civil war. Mosque of Damascus and seums (QM) chairperson and Rania Abdellatif. According to QM, this the Citadel of Aleppo, giv- HE Sheikha Al Mayassa Syria Matters takes as exhibition will bring to life ing visitors a unique expe- bint Hamad bin Khalifa its subject the extraordi- the multifaceted layers of rience of these remarkable al-Thani, draws on MIA’s nary cultural heritage of Syria’s architectural and locations.

Submissions open for WISE Awards 2019 The World Innovation Sum- mit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foundation, has opened submissions for the WISE Awards 2019. Applications and nominations can be submitted at www.wise- qatar.org/wise-awards from today until January 15, 2019. Each year, the WISE Awards recognises innovative and impactful initiatives that address today’s most urgent education challenges. Past projects have addressed a number of diverse topic areas related to global educa- tion, including access and inclusion, design and ecosys- tems, digital and multimedia, society and workforce, and youth employment. Submissions are judged ac- cording to strict criteria. They must show innovation, have a clear development plan, and be financially stable, scalable, and replicable. They must also demonstrate a transformative impact on individuals, communities, and society. During 2019, a panel of independent judges will select 12 projects as WISE Awards finalists, who will then be evaluated, before the six winning projects are selected by a panel of judges. The finalists and winners gain global visibility and opportuni- ties to collaborate via various platforms, including WISE’s biennial summit and its events across the world, and through WISE communications and publications. They also receive a $20,000 prize. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 9 QATAR

Ministry recalls 2015 model Chevrolet vehicles

Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe models of 2015 have been recalled over a defect in the electrical steering assist by the ministry concerned in collaboration with Jaidah Automotive. The recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that automobile dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them. The ministry said it will co-ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will com- municate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out. The ministry has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels: Call centre: 16001, e-mail: [email protected], Twitter: @ MEC_Qatar, Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani with HE Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi at the event. Maj Gen Abdullah al-Mal Doha Declaration event at UN focuses on Education for Justice

From Page 1 the Doha Declaration and stressed the Doha Declaration Follow-up ODC in Vienna and it was agreed the necessity of providing educa- Committee, thanked the UNODC to implement the declaration, with The theme was ‘Education as tion for all children and youth as it and Unesco for their efforts to its diff erent pillars, among young a Source of Drug Security, Crime would be fundamental to the pre- strengthen criminal and human people through sports, according to and Terrorism’ as one of the four vention of crime and corruption, rights systems. QNA. main themes of the Doha World and to the promotion of a culture He noted that the period from He said the cost of these pillars Declaration, in the context of a of lawfulness that supported the 2015 to 2018 has been marked by was estimated at $49mn. The gov- partnership with Unesco to de- rule of law and human rights. significant achievements for the ernment of Qatar fully covered the velop a range of creative tools to Marie Paule Roudil, director of Doha Declaration on Education for amount in agreement with the UN support primary, secondary and the Unesco Liaison Offi ce New Justice, noting that the latest UN and set up a four-year programme tertiary education for children and York and also the representative of statistics indicate that the number that would end before the start of young people. Unesco, said she was particularly of countries benefiting from the 14th Congress on Crime Pre- The meeting was aimed at pro- happy at the partnership between projects of the Global Programme vention and Criminal Justice to be moting a culture of lawfulness in Unesco and UNODC for fostering for the Doha Declaration since its held in Japan in 2020, he added. education systems to make the a culture that respected the rule of adoption in 2015 amount to 166. The UN Secretary-General’s En- world safer from crime, according law. A total of 4,862 people benefited voy on Youth, Jayathma Wickra- to a statement issued in Doha by “I am proud of our partnership to from the awareness and education manayake, highlighted the impor- the Ministry of Interior. promote a culture of respect for the activities and its various initia- tance of young people in preventing Speakers from Qatar and the UN rule of law for more resilient socie- tives, along with 3,467 beneficiar- crime. Basketball legend and hu- highlighted eff orts in the E4J initia- ties,” said Roudil. She added that ies in the technical support area. manitarian Dikembe Mutombo, tive to enhance security from drugs, Unesco and the UNODC were work- “Qatar’s support for the Doha CEO and president of The Dikembe crime and terrorism and to contrib- ing towards the goals of the 2015 Declaration in partnership with Mutombo Foundation, highlighted ute to the rule of law through change Doha Declaration, integrating crime the United Nations is part of its the E4J resources and added that and the modernisation of educa- prevention and criminal justice into ongoing efforts to assist states, through support from Qatar, a series tion, the offi cial Qatar News Agency the broader agenda of the UN. particularly developing countries, of creative tools have been devel- (QNA) reported. Flagging Qatar’s support for to address organised crimes, to oped to promote education on crime HE the Permanent Representa- education and the rule of law, Maj build effective, fair, humane and prevention and criminal justice. tive of Qatar to the United Nations Gen Abdullah al-Mal, adviser to accountable criminal justice sys- The Doha Declaration is a syn- Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al- HE the Minister of Interior, high- tems, to consolidate the rule of law opsis of the outcome of the 13th Thani welcomed the guests and lighted how the Doha Declaration and to achieve sustainable devel- United Nations Congress on Crime delegates and moderated the dis- has contributed significantly in opment and also to make a positive Prevention and Criminal Justice cussion. directing international efforts to- impact on international peace and held in Doha in April 2015, one of Yuri Fedotov, UNODC executive wards building just and humane security,” he added. the largest programmes to be im- director, lauded Qatar for its sup- criminal justice systems. Maj Gen Maj Gen al-Mal said Qatar had plemented bilaterally between the port to the Global Programme of al-Mal, who is also chairman of started discussions with the UN- UN and one State. Gulf Times 10 Thursday, November 8, 2018 QATAR Cyber drills maintain state’s digital assets, says MoTC

QNA specialists in the fi eld of cyber se- state. Al-Hashmi added that the sectors or departments it also tar- tional strategy for cybersecurity Doha curity and information technology 6th edition of the event, which will gets departments that support IT is based on three important ele- from research centres and inter- take place in December, will be on departments, in aim to implement ments: the human element, the national companies spoke at the securing major events from a cy- drills on sound institutional bases, procedural element and the tech- he Ministry of Transport event. bersecurity aspect. He reiterated all in pursuit for achieving cyber- nical element, stressing that all and Communications Al-Hashmi highlighted the the importance of the topic which security through co-operation information security policies are T(MoTC) said Qatar is one importance of digital assets and the drill will touch on, due to the between diff erent entities, sectors issued by the state through various of the leading and fi rst regional the role of national cyber drills in importance of the events Qatar is and departments. relevant bodies, workshops and countries to run cyber drills de- protecting the state. He explained hosting, led by 2022 FIFA World He added that for the 6th edi- courses in this regard. pending on the national potential, that the assets are very important Cup. He stressed on the impor- tion, the private sector is allowed He added that this drill focused which enabled them to transfer in the current times and come as tance of achieving cybersecurity to participate as it is an important on the balance in the applying their knowledge and experience to information, data, systems and during these events. sector in the supply chain of equip- these three elements, with the other states during the drill. information and communications The assistant undersecretary ment and information technology. aim of achieving cybersecurity These remarks were made by technology (ICT) infrastructures said the fi rst edition in 2013 was The private sector also plays a vi- and protection systems, point- Assistant Undersecretary for Cy- by co-ordinating and unifying the joined by 120 participants and tal role in achieving cybersecurity, ing out that the legislation issued ber Security in MoTC Khalid Sadiq eff orts in exchanging information 20 entities, whereas the upcom- and its standards in achieving in- in this area may take a relatively al-Hashmi on the sidelines of the between sectors. He reiterated that ing edition is expect to include formation security matches global long time, referring to the privacy press conference on the 6th Na- this is one of the most important more than 500 participants and standards. He added that the drills of those legislation and related tional Cybersecurity Drill ‘Star 6’ foundations of cybersecurity for nearly 95 entities. The cybersecu- aim to raise effi ciency. to cybersecurity and information organised by MoTC. A number or the protection of all sectors of the rity drills do not target operational Al-Hashmi said that the na- systems.

Strong winds, thundery rain in VCUarts Qatar uses technology some parts today Thunderstorms are expected along with strong winds in some places today, the Qatar Met department has said. The to tide over unstable weather weather off ice has also forecast thundery rain in off shore areas, along with windy conditions irginia Commonwealth University and maintain instruction using Slack, a direct and high seas towards the School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qa- messaging platform similar to WhatsApp, and north. The wind speed may go Vtar), which was among the educational Google Drive for submissions. up to 25 knots inshore during establishments that closed temporarily on ac- “We also utilised online resources the uni- thunderstorms. Off shore, it may count of the recent unusually heavy rainfall, versity is subscribed to such as lynda.com – we reach a high 22 knots at the successfully deployed several diff erent techno- were able to cover topics remotely and assign time of thundershowers, with logical platforms to allow classes to continue. exercises. Slack was used to disseminate read- the sea level rising to 7ft. “VCUarts Qatar’s faculty members collec- ings, project briefs and for direct instruction,” The detailed forecast says tively moved to remote teaching so as to ensure the duo explained. relatively hot conditions are that its students did not face interruptions in The staff members either worked from home expected during the daytime their day-to-day learning. It seamlessly off ered or called meetings at various convenient loca- along with scattered clouds. an instructional experience that was as close to tions around Doha. “We had our fi nal class of There are chances of thun- what would have been experienced in the class- the week at the Doha Fire Station cafe. It did not dery rain in some areas by the room,” it was explained in a statement yesterday. resolve issues of running a studio class off cam- afternoon, followed by mild The faculty responded to the challenge by pus, but it was a signifi cant improvement over conditions by night. Cloudy employing creative ways that enhanced its stu- online sessions,” said associate professor in MFA conditions are likely in off shore dents’ experience beyond the regular confi nes Design Studies, Diane Derr. areas and there is a chance of a classroom. According to Patty Paine, inter- Executive dean Donald Baker said, “We were of scattered rain towards the im associate dean, Academic Aff airs, “The fac- surprised by the time it took to restore services north, which may be thundery ulty used the building closure as an opportunity and access to the campus after the recent del- at times. to do something innovative. These innovations uge damaged our capacity to function. While Meanwhile, the Ministry of ranged from using alternative materials and Executive dean Donald Baker. waiting, our faculty members quickly restored Municipality and Environ- creating shared, online, collaborative writing relations with their students and continued the ment’s committee in charge of spaces to participating in online peer feedback ent approaches from e-classrooms and social learning process by remote means. Fortunately, handling rainfall emergencies groups and relocating to stimulating off -site messaging applications to online resources and we had begun contingency preparation a couple and risks has discussed at its meeting places like the Fire Station and local video conferencing. Mohamed Suleiman and of years ago and most of our faculty members meeting preparations for the museums.” Hiathem A El-Hammali, assistant professors have a space on the Internet where they keep rains expected next week. VCUarts Qatar faculty used several diff er- of interior design, were able to keep contact course materials.” Qatar buys Grosvenor House in UK

From Page 1 The Great Room at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House is the venue of many prominent awards eve- nings, charity balls and the like, and it is often seen on British television. Since the 1930s, the Great Room has hosted the world’s oldest charitable ball, the Royal Caledonian Ball, and it is one of the largest ballrooms in Europe. Katara Hospitality’s vision is to build a portfolio of leading hotels in key destina- tions around the world. Grosvenor House is the ideal opportunity to ex- pand the company’s footprint into the vibrant and exciting London market. Katara Hospitality is Qatar Investment Authority’s hotel unit and a leading glo- The Great Room at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House is the venue of many prominent awards evenings, charity balls and the bal hotel owner, developer and operator. like, and it is often seen on British television.

Opened in 1929 and frequented by royalty and celebrities, Grosvenor House was the first hotel in London at that time to have a separate bathroom and entrance lobby for each bedroom and running chilled water in every bathroom. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 11 QATAR CNA-Q respiratory therapy students mark ‘Lung Health Day’ espiratory therapy stu- the importance of respiratory such as respiratory therapists, This year CNA-Q’s ‘Lung dents and faculty at Col- therapy as an allied health pro- are a vital part of the healthcare Health Day’ was held during Rlege of the North Atlan- fession, and for the community continuum in the country. We Doha Healthcare Week to rein- tic-Qatar (CNA-Q) showcased at large to learn about aspects of are thrilled that our students are force the importance of a well- their skills and the results of the profession. During the event, engaging in community educa- rounded approach to health and their experiential education in the College community was tion, which is a component of lifestyle in Qatar. the courtyard of the college this able to get their lung capacity their learning and also strength- Later in the week, the Col- week to celebrate ‘Lung Health checked, learn about intubation, ens community knowledge to lege’s Medical Radiography stu- Day.’ and receive advice on smoking build capacity and healthy so- dents will display their skills on ‘Lung Health Day’ is an annual cessation. cieties,” said Dr Andrea Smilski, campus and also attend Aspetar event on campus which profi les “Allied health professionals, dean, School of Health Sciences. World Radiography Day. CNA-Q respiratory therapy students celebrate ‘Lung Health Day.’

Jennifer Lopez to Algerian minister-led team attend DHFC’s grand offi cial opening visits LuLu in Al Messila oha Festival City the very fi rst time in her illus- (DHFC) is celebrating trious career.” lgerian Minister of Com- Dits grand opening with “Qatar Airways is passion- merce Said Djellab visited a one-of-a-kind appearance ate about promoting music as ALuLu Hypermarket – Al and meet and greet opportuni- a powerful way of connect- Messila on Tuesday along with ty with global superstar Jenni- ing people, this is something a large delegation that included fer Lopez (popularly known as which is at the heart of our Tayeb Zeitouni, general director J-Lo) for fans tomorrow (No- own brand message – Going of the Algerian Fairs and Expor- vember 9), it was announced. Places Together,” he noted. tation Company; Wahiba Bahl- Jennifer Lopez will appear Mondrian Doha general oul, general director of the Alge- in the mall in a special ques- manager Axel Gassar said: rian Chamber of Commerce and tion and answer session in the “We are excited to be partner- Industry; Nasr Eddine Larabeh, Luxury Node between 3.30pm ing with DHFC on this his- fi rst secretary of the Algerian and 4.30pm. torical event in Doha and are embassy in Qatar; and Algerian “We are extremely proud thrilled to be able to host Jen- businessmen. to have established DHFC as nifer Lopez.” A number of senior offi cials the region’s most recognised Al Wajba Motors general from LuLu Group, including shopping and entertainment manager Saher Baaj said Bent- Shanavas, regional manager; destination in Qatar, off ering ley Qatar is proud to be a part Mohamed Basheer, general the best in lifestyle, retail and in welcoming celebrities from manager – Hypermarket Opera- dining,” DHFC general man- around the world in the coun- tions; and David Stuart Bache, ager Robert Hall said. try. “We will always be at the Retail Operations manager, were “This has been an incredible forefront of support to such present at the reception held in journey and together with the international standard events honour of the Algerian minister support of our retail partners that aim to raise the name of and the accompanying delega- and the loyalty of our custom- Qatar all over the world”. tion. ers, we are pleased to see the Some 1,000 guests will also LuLu Group organised the destination come to life,” he get the chance to witness this reception at the entrance of noted. “We look forward to once-in-a-lifetime opportu- the hypermarket. The minister celebrating our offi cial grand nity through its ‘Spend and toured the entire hypermarket opening and to achieving even Redeem’ promotion. complex and listened to a de- more milestones in the future.” Shoppers will have 24 hours tailed explanation of the prod- DHFC’s grand opening cel- to spend a minimum of QR500 ucts, especially those imported ebrations are in partnership at any store and redeem their from Algeria. On behalf of Mo- with key sponsors, includ- receipt at Customer Service hamed Althaf, director of LuLu ing Qatar Airways, Mondrian Desks in exchange for wrist- International Group in Qatar, Doha Hotel, Vodafone and bands, granting shoppers ac- Shanavas presented a memento Bentley Qatar as well as two of cess to this spectacular event. to Djellab in honour of his visit to the leading hospitality brands Part of DHFC’s grand open- LuLu – stressing the co-operation that share the same vision of ing celebrations include the between LuLu Group and Algerian providing exceptional services ‘Super Sale’ period, off ering businessmen. to customers. up to 50% discounts across LuLu Group has been import- Said Djellab and the Algerian delegation with LuLu Group off icials. Qatar Airways Group chief all food, fashion and enter- ing agricultural produce from executive Akbar al-Baker said: tainment retailers, and a VIP Algeria for many years, including rich history and tradition in the of outstanding quality that meet the world for years and has a com- recently in the UK, US and Spain, “We are proud to be working Retailer Excellence Awards various types of olives, it said in cultivation of olive trees. Qual- international standards. prehensive network of export dis- to cater to the requirements of in partnership with DHFC to Gala Dinner, another fi rst in a statement. Algeria is known for ity indices state that the Algerian LuLu Group has been import- tribution centres in 24 countries, customers across all LuLu stores, bring the world-class megas- Doha, today (November 8) at its high-quality olives and has a raw olives and its oil products are ing food products from all over including major facilities opened the statement added. tar Jennifer Lopez to Qatar for Mondrian Doha.

Doha Bank’s new ‘Cards Spend Campaign’ Secret Notes boutique launches off ers chance to win more than 7kg of gold ‘Moroccan Leather’ perfume ighlighting its commit- away with 1kg of gold, while the Meanwhile, card transac- R Seetharaman said, “At Doha ment to off er rewarding next fi ve winners will receive tions at jewellery merchants Bank, we strive to provide our ecret Notes, which features a unique selection Hexperiences to custom- 250grams of gold and 100 win- will fetch the highest number customers with rewarding of the world’s fi nest fragrances, has launched ers, Doha Bank has announced ners will take home 50grams of of chances with customers re- banking experiences and off er S‘Moroccan Leather’ by Memo Paris at its the launch of its ‘Cards Spend gold. ceiving fi ve chances to the draw products and solutions that ex- boutique at The Pearl-Qatar, Blue Salon has an- Campaign’ that would award Customers can increase their against their QR500 spend. ceed their expectations. nounced. 106 lucky winners with more odds of winning the gold prize Furthermore, customers apply- “With exciting prizes, the A warm and inspiring fragrance, ‘Moroccan than 7kg of gold. draw by increasing their pur- ing for new Doha Bank credit new cards spend campaign will Leather’ celebrates the irresistible beauty and smell Doha Bank customers can chases using Doha Bank’s pay- card will automatically earn be a signifi cant value addition of an appealing blend of mandarin, ginger, leather, enter a raffl e draw by using ment cards. two chances to enter the draw. to our cardholders. The cam- and iris and the fragrance of orange blossoms with their credit or debit cards for Credit and debit card users In addition to lucky draw paign joins our several initia- ylang ylang. purchases during the campaign will receive an entry against entries, the bank’s cardhold- tives aimed at promoting cash- Memo Paris’ new fragrance comes with a soft period, which runs until Janu- each spend worth QR500, while ers can take advantage of six- less and digital transactions, touch of Tonka beans accompanied by a base of ary 31, 2019. the same amount spent at travel month instalment plans at no which in turn will support gov- musk and amber, offering an exceptional smell The fi rst winner of the lucky or hotel merchants or inter- fee for travel, hotel, interna- ernment’s eff orts focused on with distinguished excellence. draw, which is set to take place nationally will off er them vefi tional, and jewellery spends. transforming the country into a The launch ceremony at the Secret Notes bou- on February 17, 2019, will walk chances. Doha Bank Group CEO Dr digital economy.” tique was attended by regional sales manager Rafia bin Obaid and luxury perfume lovers, along with a group of perfume and fashion profession- als. ‘Moroccan Leather’ is a collection of chosen notes, dreams, and feelings inspired by the blue Memo Paris’ new fragrance off ers an exceptional town in Morocco and its charming natural life, smell with distinguished excellence. National Paints holds ‘Traders Meet’ where the harmonious mix of scent, tangerine and floss makes people travel to a world full of has crystallised from the service of a type of cus- vitality, passion and nostalgia. tomer who would like to buy perfume on a wider, ell-known local paint manufactur- The Secret Notes boutique targets rare per- more comprehensive and superior level. ing company National Paints Factories, fume lovers, as it contains very rare fragrances by The distinction of smells and perfumes inside Wheaded by chairman Saleh Ahmed al- distinguished brands from all over the world. the boutique and its refinement have been re- Khulaifi held its Traders Meet 2018 on Monday in Indeed, the boutique’s philosophy in this field flected in the admiration of many customers. the presence of more than 350 guests. In his presidential address, al-Khulaifi elabo- rated on the company’s expansion. After single window system approvals from the government, the company started a metallic can factory at Street 42 in Old Industrial Area and the other factories in New Industrial Area producing all protective and industrial coatings, white spirit, alkyd resin, poly- ester resin and emulsion. Earlier, the newly-appointed deputy general manager Mohamed bin Saleh al-Khulaifi welcomed the guests. A technical presentation on the new brands, Oryx Paints and Robson Paints was given by Mohamed Mehtab from the production depart- ment. Sales and Marketing manager John Abraham highlighted the achievements of the company and how they supported the end users in overcoming National Paints Factories chairman Saleh Ahmed al-Khulaifi and deputy general the scarcity of paint products since the blockade manager Mohamed bin Saleh al-Khulaifi honour a dealer as Sales and Marketing began. Best Seller Awards were distributed to 26 manager John Abraham looks on. dealers. Secret Notes boutique features a unique selection of the world’s finest fragrances. Gulf Times 12 Thursday, November 8, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Yemen faces ‘one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history’

By Joseph Varghese ceasefi re, the war, in all likeli- sition phase that followed after Staff Reporter hood, is going to come to an the non-violent struggle in 2011. end soon. However, the major Ultimately Saudi Arabia wanted challenge will be rebuilding the to control every part of Yemen emen is facing one of the country. As described by the UN, leading to severe problems in the biggest humanitarian cri- it is the worst humanitarian cri- country. If Saudi Arabia and the Yses in history and the in- sis since World War II. The entire UAE had not interfered, we could ternational community made a country is on the brink of famine have had national reconciliation mistake by giving a freehand to with almost more than half the leading to a stable government,” Saudi Arabia and the UAE, stated population seriously aff ected,” maintained the activist. Tawakkol Karman, renowned she said. A section of the audience. PICTURES : Ram Chand The Nobel Peace Prize win- Yemeni human rights activist and The event was moderated by ner also strongly condemned the the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Folly Bah Thibault, principal pre- “Even if the war ends, the hu- the absence of many of the basic killing of the journalist, Jamal Speaking at the Distinguished senter at Al Jazeera English. With manitarian crisis is the biggest is- needs and amenities,” said Kar- Khashoggi terming it a brutal act. Lecture event organised by the focus on “From War to Fam- sue. People especially children are man. “The murder of Khashoggi Brookings Doha Centre on Tues- ine: How to end Yemen’s Violent suff ering from malnutrition. The She blamed Saudi Arabia and is the murder of every journal- day, she said the international Confl ict?” Karman said that the health and educational facilities the UAE for the agony infl icted on ist in the world. What happened community has by now awak- humanitarian crisis is the biggest are severely aff ected by the war the people of Yemen. “The UAE to Khashoggi sends a dangerous ened to the reality. problem that the nation will be that has been going on for the last and Saudi Arabia played an un- message. It is a crime against hu- Karman in conversation with Folly Bah Thibault. “With the US giving a call for facing for some time to come. four years. People are struggling in dermining role in Yemen’s tran- manity,” added Karman.

TALKS Libya’s Haftar visits Russia ahead Rebel chief vows of conference Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu met Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar in Moscow yes- terday, Russian media reported, signalling Kremlin support ahead of a conference aimed at settling no surrender as the north African country’s years of strife. Russia’s military has long shown backing for the powerful Libyan commander, who domi- nates eastern Libya. He has visited govt forces push Russia before, and last year the Russian defence ministry hosted him aboard its sole aircraft carrier. Shoigu and Haftar discussed the Libyan crisis and the security situ- ation in the Middle East and North into Hodeidah Africa, Russian news agencies said, citing a defence ministry statement. Italy will host an international confer- AFP pro-government military source The Houthis, northern tribes- Women react during the funeral of a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter, killed in an off ensive ence on Libya on Nov 12 and 13, Sanaa said. men linked to Iran, seized large by the Islamic State (IS) movement against an SDF position near Deir Ezzor, in the northern Syria which Haftar will attend, Italy has said. In a lengthy televised speech parts of Yemen in a 2014 takeo- Kurdish town of Kobane. Haftar’s off ice has not confirmed his from an undisclosed location, ver, including the capital Sanaa. attendance yet. Haftar’s off ice said emen’s rebel chief vowed the country’s rebel chief ap- Saudi Arabia and its allies the meeting in Moscow had covered yesterday he would nev- peared to admit the alliance had joined the Yemeni government’s ways to end Libya’s crisis and the fight Yer surrender to Saudi- made headway into Hodeidah. war against the Houthis the fol- against terrorism. backed pro-government forces, International aid groups have lowing year, driving the rebels IS suff ers heavy Syria losses as international aid groups ap- appealed to both the rebels and back but failing to retake Sanaa pealed for safe passage for ci- the alliance to allow civilians to and Hodeidah. REACTION vilians caught in the fl ashpoint escape the densely-populated Nearly 200 combatants have Iran able to flourish port of Hodeidah. city of 600,000 people. been killed over the past week in despite Kurd pause: monitor After six days of intense bat- The International Committee the fi ght for Hodeidah on both under sanctions: tles, pro-government forces of the Red Cross appealed for the sides. Revolutionary Guards yesterday pressed even closer to warring parties to “spare civil- Rebel chief Abdulmalik al- AFP launched an assault on the used cover provided by sand the heart of Hodeidah, the Red ians and civilian infrastructure” Huthi yesterday acknowledged he Beirut Azrak oil fi eld, followed by an storms to launch a series of Iran can flourish under sanctions Sea city controlled by the Houthi including ambulances, hospi- was outnumbered, but appeared attack yesterday on the Tanak counter-attacks. and will defeat the United States in rebels and under blockade by tals, electricity and water plants. undaunted even while appear- oil fi eld where US-backed SDF By the end of the month, the the economic war it has launched, Saudi Arabia and its allies. The fi rst youngster was con- ing to admit to incursions by the t least 65 Islamic State fi ghters are based, it said. militants had recaptured all of the deputy head of the Revolu- Plumes of smoke were seen fi rmed killed in the fi ghting yes- Saudi-led coalition. group fi ghters have A coalition spokesman did the territory the SDF had won. tionary Guards said yesterday. billowing from the horizon on terday, with Save the Children “The enemy benefi ts from its Abeen killed around their not immediately reply to a re- The Hajin enclave is the The United States on Monday Tuesday as heavily armed pro- telling AFP a 15-year-old had numbers, which it has increased last enclave in Syria despite a quest for comment. last signifi cant remnant of the re-imposed sanctions on Iran’s government forces moved to- died of shrapnel wounds at a even further to pressure the city of pause in a two-month Kurd- The SDF killed another 17 “caliphate” IS proclaimed in oil, banking and transport sectors wards the port on foot and on the hospital in Hodeidah. Hodeidah,” al-Huthi said. ish-led assault, a monitor said IS fi ghters while defending a 2014 across a vast swathe of and threatened more action to back of pickup trucks. Millions of people across “Does the enemy think that yesterday. base in the village of Al-Bahra Syria and neighbouring Iraq. stop Tehran’s missile and nuclear The coalition, an alliance led Yemen are dependent on hu- penetrating this or that area, or The US-backed Syrian just outside IS-held territory The rest has all been lost to programmes and curb its influence by Saudi Arabia and the United manitarian aid to survive a dead- seizing this or that area, means we Democratic Forces announced on Monday, the Britain-based off ensives by multiple allianc- in countries such as Syria, Yemen Arab Emirates, had sent fi ghter ly trifecta of war, disease and will be convinced that we should a pause in its off ensive in the monitoring group said. es on both sides of the border. and Lebanon. “The enemy is trying jets and Apache attack heli- looming mass starvation — and surrender and hand over control? eastern province of Deir Ezzor Alliance spokesman Kino Outside the Hajin enclave, to strike a blow against Iran through copters to cover Yemeni troops nearly 80% of that aid comes “This is not happening and will last week in protest at Turkish Gabriel had stressed that the the group’s operations are a soft war and an economic war but fi ghting rebels on the ground, a through Hodeidah. not happen ever.” shelling of Kurdish positions pause in off ensive operations confi ned to sleeper cells and they will face a heavy defeat,” Revo- A medical source said yesterday along Syria’s northern border. did not mean SDF fi ghters to hideouts in unpopulated lutionary Guards Brigadier General that the Houthis had forced medi- But waves of US-led air would not defend themselves. desert and mountain areas. Hossein Salami was quoted as say- UN faces calls for stronger action to end Yemen war cal staff out of the May 22 Hospital strikes since Monday have The SDF launched its as- The Observatory relies on ing by the IRNA. “Iran has been — one of Hodeidah’s main medical killed 48 militants, including sault on the IS enclave around sources inside Syria for its in- able to advance in any area that Three countries at the UN Security Council yesterday blocked a statement facilities — and stationed snipers during two IS assaults on oil- the Euphrates valley town of formation, and says it deter- the enemy has placed sanctions on calling for an end to the war in Yemen and instead demanded a full-fledged on top of the building. fi elds north of the Hajin en- Hajin on September 10. mines who carried out strikes Iran,” he said. Separately, Salami said resolution be adopted to bring warring sides to the negotiating table. International aid groups rely clave, the Syrian Observatory But after making slow based on aircraft and muni- Lebanon’s Hezbollah had Israel in a The Netherlands, Sweden and Peru rejected the draft text proposed by on Hodeidah to ship into Yemen for Human Rights said. progress, it suff ered a major tions used, locations and fl ight “death grip”, “Today the Zionists are China, which chairs the council this month, and drafted by Britain, saying it aid — including basic vaccines and On Tuesday the militants setback last month when IS patterns. surrounded and are flailing between did not address their concerns about the dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen. water sterilisation tablets — and life and death,” he said. “We feel that the current situation above all else warrants a resolution that yesterday they called for the ur- gives both the special envoy and OCHA the support they need to take a gent evacuation of residents. step towards ending the conflict in Yemen and the suff ering of the Yemeni One of the city’s biggest hospi- OFFICIAL people,” the trio said in an e-mail to the council seen by AFP. OCHA, the UN tals, Al-Thawra, is now only “me- Qatar takes part off ice of humanitarian aff airs, has warned that Yemen is on the brink of the tres away from an active frontline”, Gaza fi sherman dies in Egyptian fi re world’s worst famine in decades. Yemeni pro-government forces, backed said International Committee in GCC ministerial by Saudi-led coalition fighter jets and attack helicopters, have launched an of the Red Cross spokeswoman meet in Kuwait off ensive on the rebel-held port city of Hodeidah despite warnings from aid Mirella Hodeib, speaking from the AFP had opened fi re on Abu Awad’s boat when it ap- groups that civilians are at risk. In the past 24 hours, fighting claimed the lives Yemeni capital. Gaza City parently approached or crossed the border yes- The State of Qatar participated in of 27 rebels and 12 pro-government fighters on the outskirts of Hodeidah Juliette Touma, spokeswom- terday afternoon. the 18th meeting of the ministerial city, a medical source said yesterday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres an for the UN children’s fund The union announced a one-day strike in committee on follow-up to the on Friday called for a halt to violence in Yemen to pull the country back (Unicef), said: “We’re talking Palestinian fi sherman was killed at sea by protest at the killing. implementation of resolutions from a “precipice” and build momentum toward talks on ending the war. about dying children who are cur- Egyptian fi re near the Gaza border yes- The heavily populated Gaza Strip is wedged concerning the joint action of That appeal came just days after the United States, in a significant shift, piled rently at the hospital. Aterday, the fi shermen’s union said. between Egypt, the Mediterranean and Israel, the Gulf Co-operation Council pressure on its Saudi ally to end the war by calling for a ceasefire and peace “What we are fearful about is The health ministry in Gaza confi rmed that which imposes strict limits on how far Gaza (GCC) held in Kuwait yesterday, talks. The United States, France and Britain – all veto-wielding council mem- that the escalation of violence is Mustafa Abu Awda, 32, had died but did not give fi shermen can venture out to sea. QNA reported from Kuwait The bers – support the coalition in its campaign, launched in 2015, to restore the highly likely to jeopardise human- further details. The enclave’s land border with Egypt had delegation of the State of Qatar to internationally-recognised government in Yemen but the heavy civilian toll itarian eff orts that are life-sav- The union said in a statement that he had been largely sealed in recent years, but reo- the meeting was headed by HE has raised concerns. ing,” she said, warning the already been killed by “Egyptian fi re”. A fi sherman who pened in May as relations improved between the Cabinet Secretary General Hamad dire situation would likely worsen. had been in the same area said Egyptian forces Egyptian government and Gaza’s rulers Hamas. bin Ahmed al-Mohannadi.

West Bank kin cheer fi rst Palestinian-American woman in US Congress

Reuters pride for Palestine and the en- Tlaib’s district is home to issues, including Palestine, is Ramallah and throughout the Beit Ur Al-Fauqa, West Bank tire Arab and Muslim world,” her one of the largest Arab-Amer- reflective of a shifting public territory, Palestinians took a uncle, Bassam Tlaib, said in the ican populations in the United discourse that Palestine activ- cautious view of the election small village of Beit Ur Al-Fauqa. States. ists have played a role in shap- news. “Change is incremental, uning into the news at With her win, Tlaib, 44, will Her win highlights a wave ing,” said Omar Baddar, deputy and Palestinians in Palestine dawn yesterday, the ex- become the first Palestinian- of Palestinian diaspora candi- director of the Washington- are intimately aware of that,” Ttended family of Rash- American woman to serve in dates and activists who have based Arab American Institute. said Salem Barahmeh, execu- ida Tlaib, the fi rst Palestinian- the US Congress. embraced the Democratic Par- Under Trump, Washington tive director of the Ramallah- American woman to be elected Alongside incoming Min- ty’s progressive wing. has alienated Palestinians by based Palestine Institute for to the US Congress, celebrated nesota Representative Ilhan In California’s 50th district, recognising contested Jeru- Public Diplomacy. her victory in their home in the Omar, she will also be one of Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Pal- salem as Israel’s capital and “That said, Tlaib’s election is Israeli occupied West Bank. the first Muslim women to join estinian-American who spent moving the American embassy seen as a glimmer of hope in a Tlaib, a Democrat, ran virtu- the congressional ranks. part of his childhood in Gaza there, and by slashing US fund- very dark chapter in the Pales- ally unopposed in Michigan’s “I’m going to speak truth to and whose father served in the ing of the UN body that aids tinian people’s history,” Barah- 13th congressional district, power,” Tlaib told the Detroit Palestinian Authority, was in a Palestinians. meh added. which encompasses southwest Free Press on election night on close race with incumbent Re- Palestinians have broken off Bassam Tlaib, the candi- Detroit and its suburbs west to Tuesday. “I obviously have a set publican Congressman Duncan contact with his administra- date’s uncle, said she had the city of Dearborn. agenda that’s not going to be a Hunter, early results showed. tion, which has promised to “stood against Trump” at a She previously served in priority for the current presi- “The success of (Tlaib and announce a peace plan soon for time when “even our Arab The uncle of Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to Michigan’s state legislature. dent but that doesn’t mean I’m Campa-Najjar’s) progressive the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. leaders are unwilling to face be elected to the US Congress, shows her picture on a tablet, in Beit She has become “a source of not going to push back.” messaging on a wide range of In the West Bank city of (him).” Ur Al-Fauqa, in the occupied West Bank, yesterday. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 13 AFRICA

ACCIDENT CRISIS JUDICIARY TRAGEDY Mauritania buses CAR facing worst food Mugabe ministers in 500 buff aloes drown collide, killing 11 security since 2014: UN court on graft charges when chased by lions

Eleven people were killed and 44 injured Nearly 2mn people urgently need feeding in Two former ministers under Robert Mugabe About 500 buff aloes drowned in Namibia’s yesterday when two buses collided on a road violence-hit Central African Republic in the appeared in court in Harare yesterday on corruption Chobe River due to a stampede triggered by between Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott and worst food insecurity in four years, the UN’s food charges, nearly a year after Zimbabwe’s long-time a lion attack, the environment ministry said the central city of Aleg, doctors and police said. agency has warned. Figures on food security ruler was ousted from power. Mugabe’s successor yesterday. The herd was trying to cross the Five passengers died in the crash and six more compiled by the World Food Programme in President Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to river from Botswana into Namibia when it on their way to hospital in Aleg, a doctor said. September found “the worst results since 2014, crack down on corruption. Former information, was attacked by a pride of lions on Tuesday The 11 comprised six Mauritanians, two Ivorians, with 1.9mn people in need of urgent food action”, communication and technology minister Supa night, spokesman Romeo Muyunda said via two Togolese and an 11th individual who has WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel said yesterday. Mandiwanzira faces two graft charges involving telephone. Because the river crossing was not been identified. One of the buses had come In this file photo taken on July 7, 2014 Urgent action was necessary “to prevent a $5mn. Harare’s chief provincial magistrate granted narrow, the animals had diff iculty escaping from the Malian capital Bamako, and most of children are seen waiting in line during a food humanitarian tragedy”, he warned, blaming him bail of $2,000 and set his trial date for the lions and a stampede occurred, according its passengers were Malians and Guineans as distribution by the Word Food Programme the deteriorating situation on the “persistent December 10. In a separate room of the same court to Muyunda. He said the final number of dead well as Mauritanians returning home, a security (WFP) at a school in Bangui. Nearly 2mn people insecurity”. Last week, fresh fighting between complex, the trial of Saviour Kasukuwere, a former buff aloes will be confirmed later but that some source said. Witnesses said the two vehicles urgently need feeding in violence-hit Central armed groups forced more than 10,000 people local government, youth and environment minister carcasses may have already floated away. had been travelling at high speed before they African Republic, the UN’s food agency has to take refuge in a hospital in Batangafo, about and a senior figure in the ruling ZANU-PF party, also He said off icials were still considering how to collided. warned. 380km north of Bangui. got under way yesterday. remove the carcasses. Madagascar goes to the polls to pick next president

AFP each attracting tens of thousands Antananarivo of supporters. The former French colony has struggled to overcome political adagascar went to the divisions after a disputed 2001 polls yesterday to elect election that sparked clashes and Ma new president, with a a 2009 military-backed coup that packed fi eld of candidates led by ousted Ravalomanana. three former heads of state pitch- Rajaonarimampianina has ing their ideas for ending a political promised “a new phase” in Mada- crisis and boosting the economy. gascar’s development if elected. Attempts by the most recent “I’m poor. I live hand to mouth, president, Hery Rajaonarimampi- day to day. I don’t have anything to anina, to change the Indian Ocean eat for tomorrow,” said Coledette, island’s electoral laws this year a mother-of-four angered by re- backfi red, sparking nearly three cent increases in the price of rice. months of sometimes violent pro- A presidential contender must tests in the capital Antananarivo. win 50% of votes cast to win out- The demonstrators forced Ra- right, otherwise a second round jaonarimampianina to accept a will be held on December 19. School children who were kidnapped by armed men are pictured after they were released, at a governor’s off ice in Bamenda, Cameroon yesterday. “consensus” government tasked “The big risk of this election is with organising the election in an that it will return us to an era of impoverished country burdened crisis,” said Sahondra Rabenarivo, by a long history of coups and un- an analyst at the Malagasy Ob- rest. servatory on Public Life. Nearly 10mn voters are eligible “It’s very important that the to cast ballots for one of 36 candi- results are credible and that the dates. third-placed candidate accepts In addition to the three front- them.” Kidnapped children runners, the fi eld includes two Tensions are high between Rav- ex-prime ministers, pastors and a alomanana and Rajoelina, who rock star. succeeded him with the backing of Short queues formed at sev- the army in the 2009 uprising. eral polling stations in the capital, Madagascar is one of the world’s where the interior ministry esti- poorest countries, according to mated turnout was around 40% World Bank data, with almost four released in Cameroon by midday. in fi ve people living in grinding In Toliara, the third city in the poverty. Reuters ratist crisis and a lack of offi cial nappers. Let us keep praying,” Army spokesperson Didier against Biya’s French-speaking country’s southwest, turnout had The main contenders – armed Bamenda, Cameroon information fuelled confusion he said, adding that one child Badjeck said the kidnappers government and its perceived reached 68%, according to the with lavish campaign resources in the wake of their disappear- had escaped on his or her own. released the children after the marginalisation of the English- ministry, which added that voting – have criss-crossed the island of ance. The freed children were un- military found out their loca- speaking minority. was proceeding without incident. 25mn by helicopter promising vot- idnappers freed scores “I learned about the kidnap- harmed although their clothes tion. The government has denied “I hope there won’t be a post- ers a better future. of school children and a ping on Facebook. I started were dirty and they appeared Two other children were still discriminating against them. election crisis, but as I see it the Although there were bloody Kdriver in west Cameroon praying for my daughter not exhausted, according to wit- missing, along with the princi- Cameroon’s separatist move- candidates are too arrogant,” protests in April that left two peo- early yesterday, but kept hold to be among them,” said Philo nesses. pal and teacher, he said. ment turned violent in 2017 af- said Eline Faraniaina, a retired ple dead, campaigning has been of a principal and one teacher, Happi, mother of a 15-year-old Alain, 17, described how the Fonki and the Cameroonian ter a government crackdown on 60-year-old, casting her ballot in peaceful. offi cials said, following an ab- girl. kidnappers had taken them military have accused anglo- initially peaceful demonstra- Antananarivo. Some candidates have however duction blamed on anglophone “I discovered she was kid- from school early Monday phone separatists of carrying tions by English-speakers. “No one wants to lose the elec- been accused of vote-buying. separatists. napped. I was crying. I was morning, forcing them to run out the kidnappings, but a sep- The linguistic divide is a leg- tion.” Rajaonarimampianina The head of Transparency In- Armed men who seized the scared. (Now) the children have and at one point cover their aratist spokesman has denied acy of a former German colony is competing against two of his ternational in Madagascar, Ket- youngsters on Monday in the been found. I’m happy.” faces. involvement. in central Africa that was di- predecessors. akandriana Rafi toson, was “dis- city of Bamenda – a commercial Samuel Fonki, a minister They were not treated vio- On Monday, Fonki described vided between allies France and Marc Ravalomanana, a milk gusted” by what she says was the hub of Cameroon’s restive Eng- of the Presbyterian Church in lently and received some food, how another 11 children were Britain at the end of World War mogul, ruled from 2002 to 2009 use of T-shirts, sewing machines lish-speaking region – released Cameroon who negotiated to he said. taken by the same armed group I. and Andry Rajoelina, a former club and even fl oor tiles to secure votes. them about 18km away in the free 78 children, said no ransom “They gave us kontchap (a on October 31, then released af- The latest kidnapping, which night promoter nicknamed “the Around 20 lower-profi le candi- town of Bafut, the army said. had been paid but gave no more mix of corn and beans) to eat,” ter their school paid a ransom of recalled the 2014 abduction of disc jockey”, succeeded him and dates have alleged irregularities in The scale of the incident – details on the circumstances he said. 2.5mn CFA francs ($4,400). more than 200 girls by militant was in power until 2013. the electoral roll and had unsuc- with some 80 children taken leading up to their release. “It was not enough but they The secessionists have im- group Boko Haram in Chibok in The trio staged massive rallies cessfully called for the poll to be – was unprecedented in the “The principal and one still gave us some. They also posed curfews and closed neighbouring Nigeria, was crit- over the weekend in the capital, delayed. country’s long-running sepa- teacher are still with the kid- gave us water.” schools as part of their protest icised by human rights groups. Prosecutors seek 22-year Nigeria court rejects bail for Shia cleric sentence for dissident AFP His legal team had called for his Kano, Nigeria release on health grounds, say- ing he needed urgent medical care AFP overshadowed by the 1994 her husband Assinapol – Diane’s abroad but the court denied the Kigali genocide. The two women had father – did not die in a car acci- Nigerian court yesterday request. spent more than a year behind bars dent in 2015 but was killed by state refused to release a Muslim “The court is of the view that we before being released on bail last agents. Acleric who has been in cus- were not able to establish that he is rosecutors yesterday re- month ahead of their trial. “I stand by my words and will tody since 2015 following deadly sick, and that even if he is sick the quested that Rwanda’s lead- In court, Rwigara came out continue to denounce the injus- clashes between troops and his (intelligence services) can provide Ping dissident politician be fi ghting, insisting she had only tices my family faces,” she said. supporters, his lawyer said. the medical attention he needs,” handed 22 years in prison for incit- spoken the truth about Rwanda Since Diane Rwigara’s arrest Ibrahim Zakzaky, who leads he said. ing insurrection and forgery as her and so could not be guilty of incit- last year, her brothers and sister the Islamic Movement of Nigeria The judge acknowledged the trial opened in the capital Kigali. ing the masses through falsehoods have been interrogated, family as- (IMN), and his wife Zeenat are defendant had been kept in cus- “We request that Diane Rwigara as the prosecution alleged. sets have been forcibly auctioned standing trial on charges of cul- tody for nearly three years but be imprisoned for 15 years for in- “I stand by my remarks,” she to pay off a multi-million dollar pable homicide and unlawful as- pledged a “speedy trial” would citing insurrection and seven years told the court’s three judges. tax claim, while a hotel the family sembly. take place, Kyon added. for forging documents,” prosecu- “They refl ect my political owned was demolished for alleg- At the state high court in the Zakzaky was remanded in cus- tors told the single-day hearing at journey, coupled with calling on edly failing to abide by city guide- northern city of Kaduna, soldiers tody until a further hearing on Kigali’s High Court. Rwandans to resist fear and speak lines. were on guard, barring access to January 22. Rwigara, 37, denies the charges, for our country.” “My family had nothing to do both the media and the public in The cleric’s court appearance dismissing them as “politically Rwigara also robustly denied with my political journey,” she a move denounced by his lawyer comes after fresh unrest involving motivated” after her blocked at- forging signatures on electoral said, adding, “people are guilty Maxwell Kyon. the IMN last week, which human tempt to challenge President Paul documents in a bid to win a place by association, meaning that my “We fi nd that to be quite trou- rights groups said left at least 45 Kagame in last year’s elections. on last year’s presidential ballot, family had to be punished for my bling because the defi nition of free people dead. She appeared in court an accusation she says was de- actions,” Rwigara told AFP earlier. trial should include access to the Soldiers and police allegedly yesterday alongside her mother signed to derail her challenge to Prior to her arrest an attempt courtroom by the public,” Kyon opened fi re on demonstrators call- who prosecutors also want Kagame. had been made to smear the young told AFP after the hearing. ing for Zakzaky’s release in Abuja. sentenced for 22 years for inciting Taking the stand, her mother female candidate by the online “My client was in court today. The army put the death toll at insurrection and promoting Adeline Rwigara publicly aired sharing of naked photographs Diane Rwigara talks to her lawyer Pierre Buhuru at the High The court refused to grant him six with 400 IMN supporters ar- sectarianism in a country still long-standing accusations that purporting to be of her. Court in Kigali, Rwanda yesterday. bail.” rested. Gulf Times 14 Thursday, November 8, 2018 AMERICA Trump defi ant as partisan warfare

Ilhan Omar celebrates with supporters after Democratic candidate Rashida Tlaib (centre) her Congressional 5th District primary victory celebrates at her midterm election night party looms after vote in Minneapolis, Minnesota. in Detroit, Michigan. By Chris Lefkow and Ivan Couronne, AFP work for solutions that bring us together, be- Washington cause we have all had enough of division.” Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib become Trump spoke to Pelosi following the elec- tion, Conway said, and appeared to extend an defi ant President Donald Trump yester- olive branch to her yesterday morning. fi rst Muslim women in US Congress day shrugged off the loss of the House of “In all fairness, Nancy Pelosi deserves to be ARepresentatives as Washington braced chosen Speaker of the House by the Demo- By Nova Safo, AFP identity. She supports free college education, hous- for the prospects of partisan warfare after US crats,” Trump tweeted. Chicago ing for all, and criminal justice reform. voters delivered a split verdict in a hard-fought “If they give her a hard time, perhaps we will She opposes Trump’s restrictive immigration midterm election. add some Republican votes. She has earned policies, supports a universal health care system, With Democrats promising aggressive this great honor!” A onetime Somali refugee and the daughter of and wants to abolish US Immigration and Customs probes of Trump’s administration and his per- US President Donald Trump speaks during Trump, who will face reelection in 2020, de- Palestinian immigrants shared the historic distinc- Enforcement (ICE), which has conducted deporta- sonal fi nances after winning the House, the a news conference yesterday, following scribed the election on Twitter as a “tremen- tion on Tuesday of becoming the first two Muslim tion raids. president went on the off ensive. Tuesday’s midterm congressional elections, at dous success” and a “Big Victory.” women elected to the US Congress. Rashida Tlaib is the Detroit-born daughter of “If the Democrats think they are going to the White House. “To any of the pundits or talking heads that Both women — Ilhan Omar, 37, and Rashida Palestinian immigrants — the eldest of 14 children. waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the do not give us proper credit for this great Mid- Tlaib, 42 — are Democrats from the Midwest and A fighter who once heckled US President Donald House level, then we will likewise be forced to Republicans wouldn’t conduct,” Democratic term Election, just remember two words — outspoken advocates of minority communities that Trump during a 2016 campaign stop in Detroit, she consider investigating them for all of the leaks Representative Eric Swalwell of California said FAKE NEWS!” he said on Twitter. have found themselves in the sights of US President says she didn’t run to make history as Muslim. of Classifi ed information, and much else, at on NBC’s Today show. Like in the 2016 presidential election, rural Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies. “I ran because of injustices and because of my the Senate level,” Trump said on Twitter. “Two “We’ll fi ll in the gaps on the Russia investiga- areas went heavily for Republicans while urban Omar won a House seat in a strongly Democratic boys, who are questioning their (Muslim) identity can play that game!” tions,” he said of the Mueller probe.”American areas broke towards the Democrats. district in Minneapolis, Minnesota, succeeding and whether they belong,” Tlaib said in an US televi- Trump also lashed out at the ongoing in- people will see (Trump’s) tax returns.” More women than men voted for Democrats, Keith Ellison who was himself the first Muslim ever sion interview in August. vestigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller “There will be intensifi ed fi ghting,” said Lar- according to exit polls, particularly white sub- elected to Congress. “I’ve never been one to stand on the sidelines.” into whether his 2016 election campaign col- ry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at urban women, and the new House will feature Tlaib’s victory was no surprise. Like Omar, she blazed a trail through Michigan luded with Russia to help him win the White the University of Virginia. a record number of women lawmakers. She ran unopposed in a congressional district politics, becoming the first Muslim woman to serve House, branding it a “disgusting Witch Hunt.” “There is now a veto in the system to limit Tuesday’s contest saw several historic fi rsts that stretches from Detroit to Dearborn, Michigan. in the Michigan state legislature in 2008. Democrats won the House on Tuesday but Trump and the Senate — though Trump will in the Democratic camp: in Kansas, Sharice Their stories trace a similar trail-blazing rise In August, she emerged as the winner of a Republicans increased their majority in the use executive orders to bypass Congress,” Davids and Deb Haaland became the fi rst Na- through local politics. Democratic primary for a seat vacated by John Senate in an election which revealed a country Sabato said. tive American women elected to Congress. “I’m Muslim and black,” the hijab-wearing Omar Conyers, a longtime liberal lion who stepped down still sharply divided along party lines. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell And in the Midwest, onetime Somali refugee said in a recent magazine interview. in December amid sexual harassment allegations According to projections by The New York said he expected the president would be able to Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the daughter “I decided to run because I was one of many and failing health. Times, Democrats will have 229 seats in the work with a divided Congress. of Palestinian immigrants, shared the historic people I knew who really wanted to demonstrate With no Republican challenger in the race, Tlaib’s 435-member House while Republicans will “The Senate is a pretty collegial place and distinction of becoming the fi rst two Muslim what representative democracies are supposed to election on Tuesday became a formality. hold 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, up even though we had big diff erences over things women elected to Congress. be,” she said. The seat she won is in a predominantly African from 51. like taxes and judges, there were plenty of oth- But the rosiest expectations of some Demo- Omar fled Somalia’s civil war with her parents at American congressional district with few Muslim Republicans defeated Democratic senators er things we did together and no reason that crats — that they could create a “blue wave” the age of eight and spent four years at a refugee voters. in several states won by Trump in 2016 — Flor- would stop simply because the House now be- even when playing defence on the Senate map camp in Kenya. She says her constituents were attracted to her ida, Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota. comes Democratic,” he said. — proved unfounded. Her family settled in Minnesota in 1997, where progressive politics, which are the polar opposite of Republican senate candidates were also “We’re certainly going to try to help the In one of the most closely-watched races, there is a sizeable Somali population. Republicans. leading in Arizona and Montana. president achieve what he would like with the Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke, She won a seat in the state’s legislature in 2016, Tlaib has advocated for universal health care, a Democrats appear to have won a Republican (US-Mexico) wall,” McConnell said. a charismatic congressman and former punk becoming the first Somali-American lawmaker in $15 national minimum wage, union protections, and senate seat in Nevada. Representative Nancy Pelosi, who is likely to rocker, fell short against Republican Senator the country. tuition-free college education. Democrats also picked up seven governor- return as speaker of the House despite opposi- Ted Cruz in Texas. Before that, she had worked as a community or- She also has been mindful of the historic nature ships but fell short in a high-profi le race for the tion from some centrist Democrats, promised Trump campaigned aggressively in the clos- ganiser, a policy wonk for city leaders in Minneapo- of her candidacy. governor’s mansion in Florida, expected to play that the party will serve as a counterweight — ing days on a hardline anti-immigration mes- lis, and as a leader in her local chapter of the NAACP During her tearful primary election victory a key role in the 2020 presidential election. but also work with Trump. sage. — the African-American civil rights group. speech in August, with her immigrant mother by With the House victory, Democrats will take “Today is more than about Democrats and He seized on scenes of a caravan of Central She decided to run for Congress after Ellison, her side, she said relatives in the West Bank were over committees, giving them the power to Republicans. It’s about restoring the constitu- American migrants heading for the United who is also black, decided to give up his seat after watching her success. hold hearings, call witnesses and issue sub- tion’s checks and balances to the Trump ad- States and sent soldiers to the Mexican border, 12 years in Congress to run for attorney general of “It just shows how incredibly wonderful our poenas to administration offi cials. ministration,” Pelosi said. threatening to have illegal immigrants shot if Minnesota. Omar has forged a progressive political country can be,” she said. “We will conduct the investigations that But she added: “A Democratic Congress will they throw stones.

Democrats pick governorships, lose Florida, Ohio Women, youth, Hispanics drive

By Letitia Stein, Reuters ers, briefl y ran for president in 2016. make sure every vote is counted,” she said. “We Democratic House wins: poll Tallahassee In addition to Wisconsin, Democrats also are still on the verge of history, and the best is won governor races in three other states — yet to come.” Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kansas — that Another Democrat trying to make history, Reuters The poll was conducted online on Tuesday and emocrats won governorships on Tues- supported Trump in 2016, bolstering the par- Ben Jealous, lost his bid to become Maryland’s Washington based on responses from 38,196 people who voted day in several US states that supported ty’s hopes of capturing those states in the 2020 fi rst black governor to incumbent Republican in 37 states. DRepublican President Donald Trump in presidential election. Larry Hogan. Election Day polling revealed a split among 2016 but lost high-profi le races in Florida and In Michigan, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer The races in Florida and Georgia were seen ncreased support from women, youth and women voters, who proved a decisive voting bloc Ohio, as voters cast ballots in dozens of guber- turned back Republican Bill Schuette in the as a test of whether liberal candidates could Hispanic voters gave Democrats the boost for Democrats in the House but sided with Re- natorial contests across the country. contest to replace Republican Governor Rick prevail in Southern states, where centrist Ithey needed to take control of the US House of publicans in key Senate races. The hotly contested race in Georgia, where Snyder, who could not run again due to term Democrats have repeatedly lost, by appealing Representatives on Tuesday, according to a Reu- Voters coalesced around three top election is- Democrat Stacey Abrams was seeking to be- limits. to a coalition of young and minority voters. ters/Ipsos Election Day poll. sues. come the fi rst black woman to be elected gov- In Kansas, Democrat Laura Kelly defeated Both DeSantis and Kemp had strong support About 55% of women said they backed a Demo- The poll found 14% listed the economy as their ernor of a US state, remained too close to call Kris Kobach, a staunch Trump ally, where out- from Trump, who travelled to their states in crat for the House this year, compared with 49% top issue and another 14% named immigration. yesterday morning. going Republican Governor Sam Brownback the closing days of the campaigns to energize who in 2014 said they backed a Democrat in the In third place, 13% said healthcare was their In Florida, Democrat Andrew Gillum lost his suff ered from low approval ratings. Republicans at “Make America Great Again” congressional midterm elections. primary concern. attempt to become the state’s fi rst black gov- Democratic candidates also triumphed in Il- rallies. Young voters also swung aggressively toward Both Democrats and Republicans cited immi- ernor, suff ering a narrow defeat to Republican linois, Maine, New Mexico and Nevada, where Democratic former president Barack Obama Democrats, with those ages 18 to 34 backing gration as a concern — evidence that the issue Ron DeSantis in a racially charged contest that Republicans had held the governorships. swooped in to boost the Democrats, and media Democrats by 62% to 34% support for Republi- resonated among the Republican base but also drew national attention. All told, Democrats had fl ipped at least seven star Oprah Winfrey visited Georgia on behalf of cans, a 28-percentage point gap. stoked opposition among Democrats. “I still plan to be on the front lines alongside Republican-held governorships without suf- Abrams. This was up from 2014, when 54% of young Among Republicans, immigration was the top every one of you when it comes to standing fering any losses as of yesterday morning. Accusations of race-baiting dogged Kemp, voters backed Democrats and 36% went for Re- issue with 24% citing it. up and fi ghting for what we believe in,” Gil- While much of focus of the elections on 55, and DeSantis, 40, who denied the allega- publicans, an 18-point gap. For Democrats, it was healthcare, which regis- lum, the 39-year-old mayor of Tallahassee, Tuesday was on which party would win con- tions. Neither Georgia nor Florida has elected Hispanic voters also favoured Democratic tered with 18% of voters. told supporters at his election night party, trol of the US Congress, Republicans and a Democratic governor in 20 years. House candidates by 33 percentage points — Democrats made healthcare and protect- where small groups of people embraced, tears Democrats were battling across the country “We all learned in 2016 not to count on an- higher than the 18-point gap with Republicans ing the Aff ordable Care Act, popularly known as streaming down their faces. for state-level power, which could have a major ything, not polls, not election integrity, not that Democrats enjoyed in 2014, the poll found. Obamacare, the central theme of their House and Republicans also scored a major victory in impact on issues such as congressional redis- the electoral mood,” Dawn Hucklebridge, 36, Democrats took control from Republicans in Senate campaigns, warning that people could lose Ohio’s governor race, where Mike DeWine, tricting and healthcare. a friend of Gillum, said at his election night the House on Tuesday but Republicans outper- coverage for pre-existing health conditions and the state attorney general, defeated Democrat In Georgia, Abrams, 44, was locked in a tight gathering as it became clear he would likely formed expectations in Senate races and were set other protections if Republicans kept control of Richard Cordray, who served as the fi rst direc- battle with Republican Brian Kemp, the state’s lose. “I’m pretty disappointed.” to pick up seats in the upper chamber. Congress. tor of the US Consumer Financial Protection secretary of state. Going into Tuesday, Republicans controlled All 435 seats in the House, 35 seats in the The Reuters/Ipsos poll found robust support Bureau. There was a minor party candidate also in 33 governors’ mansions and two-thirds of state 100-member Senate and 36 of the 50 state gover- for changing the nation’s gun laws. But in Wisconsin, Democrat Tony Evers the race, and under Georgia law, if no candidate legislative chambers. norship were at stake. Seven in 10 voters said they wanted “moderate” pulled off a narrow win in unseating Republi- exceeds 50% of the vote, the top two fi nishers The Democratic Party said it fl ipped at least Overall, US voters were deeply divided about or “strong” regulations and restrictions for fi re- can incumbent Scott Walker, according to data advance to a December runoff election. six state legislative chambers on the strength Republican President Donald Trump’s job per- arms, the poll found. provider DDHQ. By 2am EST, Kemp held a three-point lead, of local races. formance and the direction of the country. Emboldened by a spate of school shootings and The two-term governor, who also survived a but Abrams told her supporters that she ex- Democrats now have complete control of When asked about Trump’s performance in shift in public opinion, Democrats this cycle em- Democratic-driven recall election in 2012 after pected a runoff once all votes were counted. state government in Colorado, New York, Illi- offi ce, 52% said they disapproved and 44% said braced limits on fi rearms after decades of avoid- ending collective bargaining for public work- “I promise you tonight that we are going to nois, Maine and New Mexico. they approved, the poll found. ing talking about gun control.

Girl Scouts sue Boy Scouts over trademark as boys welcome girls to top tier

By Jonathan Stempel, Reuters The lawsuit in Manhattan fed- BSA in February 2019, and make Based in Irving, Texas, the threatens to “marginalise” Girl “new and uniquely damaging to name approach it adopted when New York eral court is an attempt by the girls eligible to earn its highest Boy Scouts recently had about Scouts activities and has already GSUSA,” the complaint said. it decided in October 2017 to let Girl Scouts, founded in 1912, to rank, Eagle Scout. 2.28mn members, less than half sown confusion, with families, “We did what any brand, girls enrol in the Cub Scouts, for avert an erosion of its brand and The Boy Scouts said in a state- its 1970s peak, while the Girl schools and communities na- company, corporation, or or- children 7 to 10 years old. he Girl Scouts of the Unit- membership as the Boy Scouts, ment it was reviewing the lawsuit. Scouts, based in Manhattan, said tionwide being told the organisa- ganization would do to protect It has also launched a “Scout ed States of America fi led founded two years earlier, tries “We applaud every organisation it has about 2mn. tion no longer exists, or merged its intellectual property, the Me In” campaign, featuring boys Ta trademark infringement to reverse its own decades-long that builds character and leader- In the complaint, the Girl with the Boy Scouts. value of its brand in the mar- and girls. lawsuit against the Boy Scouts membership decline. ship in children, including the Girl Scouts said the Boy Scouts have “Only GSUSA has the right to ketplace, and to defend its good The case is Girl Scouts of the of America on Tuesday, after the It was fi led after the Boy Scouts of the USA, and believe that no monopoly over such terms as use the Girl Scouts and Scouts name,” the Girl Scouts said in a United States of America v Boy Boy Scouts decided to drop “Boy” Scouts, which accepts children there is an opportunity for both or- “scouts” and “scouting” when it trademarks with leadership de- statement. Scouts of America, US District from its namesake programme 11 to 17 years old, said in May it ganizations to serve girls and boys off ers services to girls. velopment services for girls,” and The Boy Scouts has said its Court, Southern District of New and start welcoming older girls. would change its name to Scouts in our communities,” it added. It also said the name change the Boy Scouts infringements are rebranding was part of a single- York, No 18-10287. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 15 AMERICA

Women candidates ‘tired of waiting’ make record gains in Congress contests

By Amanda Becker, Reuters But their stories, politics and reasons that parents can make the decision for before running for Congress. Lives against gun violence this spring. New Britain, Connecticut for seeking offi ce were varied. their kids,’” Hayes said in an interview Jennifer Wexton, who unseated Re- “Then, what really got me going was Women from Michigan and Minne- with Reuters. publican US Congresswoman Barbara the thing at the border, I’ve never been sota will be the fi rst Muslim women in “I didn’t have a family that could Comstock in a suburban Virginia House so angry in my whole life,” Blacka said irst-time political candidate Ja- the House. make those decisions for me. That’s our district outside Washington, DC, is a of the Trump administration’s now- hana Hayes has a simple explana- Candidates from Kansas and New job as educators: to advocate for kids state senator. abandoned policy of separating immi- Ftion for why she — and a record Mexico will be the fi rst Native Ameri- who don’t have anyone else to do it for Ayanna Pressley is a Boston city grant families. number of other women — ran for seats can women in Congress. them,” she said. councilwoman elected on Tuesday to The policy drew thousands of wom- in the US Congress this year. Texas elected two Latinas to the Wanting to have a broader impact, be the fi rst black woman representing en to protest at the US Capitol. “Many women like me are just tired House for the fi rst time. Hayes, 46, became director of teacher Massachusetts in Congress. “This administration has been a of waiting for someone else to do it,” Some women who won are veterans; training in Waterbury, Connecticut. Wexton said she opted to make the wake-up call,” Blacka said. said Hayes, who was elected on Tues- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to others used to work for the CIA. Then, less than two weeks before the jump from state legislature to federal Pressley spoke openly on the cam- day to represent a broad swath of West- supporters in the Queens Borough Hayes, who will be the fi rst black state’s Democratic Convention in May offi ce in response to Trump’s “constant paign trail about surviving sexual as- ern Connecticut in the House of Repre- of New York. The 28-year-old from woman to represent Connecticut in 2018, she decided to run for the House attacks on women, immigrants the en- sault and the impact of incarceration sentatives. New York’s 14th Congressional district Congress, grew up in public housing seat being vacated by Democrat Eliza- vironment, free press, the intelligence on her family. In the November 6 elections, there won Tuesday’s election, defeating and openly talks about her mother’s beth Esty. community, independent judiciary, you She defeated a 10-term Democratic were 237 women on ballots for House Republican Anthony Pappas and past substance abuse. Hayes’ opponent in an August pri- name it.” congressman during her primary cam- seats and at least 95 had won their becomes the youngest woman elected At 17, she became pregnant with her mary election to choose the Demo- “I didn’t want to have to look at my paign, but ran unopposed on Tuesday. races as of yesterday morning, shatter- to Congress. fi rst child, but she persisted with her cratic candidate, Mary Glassman, was kids fi ve years from now, 10 years from Pressley said women are reacting to ing the previous record of 84 women in education, graduating from college, an experienced politician with offi cial now, 20 years from now, and say I didn’t the Trump administration’s “divisive the House, according to the Center for issues important to them, including getting a master’s degree and becoming backing from the state party and en- do everything I could,” Wexton said in rhetoric” about race, gender and sexual American Women and Politics at Rut- education, healthcare, gun control and a teacher. dorsements from the pro-business an interview. orientation. gers University. immigration. When it comes to politics, Hayes US Chamber of Commerce and liberal Wexton’s opponent, Comstock, won In an interview, she described the Eighty-three of the women who won As catalysts for their political en- says her political success was unantici- groups like MoveOn. their suburban district by more than 5 administration’s policies as a “locomo- were Democrats. gagement, many of them also cited the pated. “Nothing in my life says I should Hayes nevertheless routed Glassman points in 2016, despite Democrat Hil- tive that has been coming at us to roll The fi rst three House seats Demo- #MeToo movement against sexual as- be here,” she has said. by a 62-38 vote. lary Clinton carrying it by nearly 10 back every civil right protection and crats wrested from Republicans were sault, Trump’s 2016 election despite Hayes points to a 2017 meeting in She won with more than 55% of the points over Trump. freedom that we’ve fought for.” won by women. multiple sexual misconduct allega- Washington — one of many she attend- vote on Tuesday. This year’s House race was widely Pressley said women have been em- The enthusiasm for women’s candi- tions, and the confi rmation of Supreme ed after being named national Teacher “Traditionally, elected offi cials, es- seen as a referendum on the president’s boldened: to vote, to volunteer, to write dacies had Democrats on track to pick Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after al- of the Year in 2016 — as the point when pecially in Congress, take the same performance. checks, to run for their fi rst political of- up around 30 seats, with some races legations about his sexual misconduct she started to think beyond her class- path,” rising through the political Lorayne Blacka, 63, was at a Wex- fi ce or aim for a higher one. still undecided — more than the 23 they in high school were made by Christine room. ranks, Hayes said. ton event the week before the elections “When we stood on the Boston needed to gain control of the chamber. Blasey Ford. Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy “Everything about my experience, holding a “#ResistandWin” sign. Common (after) the November 2016 In dozens of interviews ahead of Nearly 80% of the women compet- DeVos was there and explained her vi- my background, the way I got here is She lives in a neighbouring safe elections for the Women’s March, we Tuesday’s election, Democratic women ing in House races this year were, like sion for expanded school choice. diff erent.” Democratic district and the fi rst-time held signs that said: ‘Today we march, candidates and voters told Reuters that Hayes, Democrats, according to the “She made the comment ‘I’d like to Some women followed more familiar political volunteer said she began to en- tomorrow we run.’ They just didn’t be- they felt Congress was not addressing centre’s data. move government out of the way so routes, serving in other elected offi ces gage after attending the March for Our lieve us,” she said.

Vote loss won’t put Trump back in his box

By Sebastian Smith, AFP Washington

Donald Trump boasts about winning, but after Democrats seized the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the reality show-host-turned-president is finding out how it feels to be one US House win pushes of the “losers” he usually mocks. And has he responded with humility? Did the former billion- aire real estate dealer and ringmaster at The Apprentice appear downcast? No. Trump was triumphant. He tweeted that the midterm elections — in which Demo- crats defeated his Republicans to control the lower house of Congress for the first time in eight years — were “a tremendous Pelosi to centre stage success.” His eye-popping enthusiasm after losing half of Congress on Reuters frequently assails her and other Tuesday is not as unrealistic as it might appear: his Republicans Washington Democrats as obstructions to his have retained and even expanded their Senate majority, while agenda. fighting with the House may yet be to his advantage when it “In all fairness, Nancy Pelosi de- comes to his own reelection in two years. ow that the Democrats serves to be chosen Speaker of the The tweet, ending with a cheerful “Thank you to all!” was have won control of the House by the Democrats,” he said pure Trump. NUS House of Representa- on Twitter. “If they give her a hard He’s a president who since his shock 2016 election win tives, they need to choose a leader time, perhaps we will add some against heavy favourite Hillary Clinton has repeatedly torn up and that means solving one of their Republican votes. She has earned the expected script to write his own. toughest puzzles: Nancy Pelosi. this great honour!” Howard Kurtz from Fox News, the network that Trump loves A contest among the Democrats Trump’s intent with the tweet to watch and to talk to, declared the loss of the House “a turning for the House’s top job of speak- was unclear but he also telephoned point.” er will play out over the next 10 Pelosi on Tuesday evening to con- “No amount of spin can soften the blow of losing the House weeks or so, with the formidable gratulate her on the Democrats’ to the Democrats. Indeed, there were reports that White House 78-year-old San Francisco liberal win. off icials had told the president to brace himself for a very tough at the centre. “We appreciate the President’s night,” Kurtz wrote on the Fox website. Pelosi, currently minority lead- enthusiasm for a House Demo- It’s sure that the Democrats — who have been pilloried by er, has been clear that she wants to cratic Majority,” Pelosi spokes- Trump in the most extreme terms during the election campaign be speaker of the House again. man Drew Hammill tweeted in — will take their opportunity to hit back. She has some critics, but no response. Controlling the House means controlling committees with challenger to her has emerged, and Trump adviser Kellyanne Con- subpoena power. They will be tearing into Trump’s carefully two senior Democrats said yester- way said he told Pelosi he is willing hidden personal finances and links to Russia, a legal morass day they would seek other leader- to make a deal on young illegal im- already being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller. ship jobs. migrants known as Dreamers and US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi celebrates the Democrats winning a majority in the US House The top Democrat on the judiciary committee, Jerry Nadler, Pelosi made history from 2007 work on infrastructure spending, of Representatives with House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (left), her grandsons Thomas and Paul and told MSNBC’s Ari Melber immediately after the election that to 2011 as the fi rst woman speak- but he also wants to build a wall on Representative James Clyburn (right rear) during a Democratic election night party in Washington. “we’ll use subpoena power if we have to, when we have to.” er, a powerful position second in the southern border. Not a politician famous for being able to take criticism, Trump the line of emergency presidential During the congressional cam- But not all the Democrats urging terday; that would keep him in the ary by all 435 House members from can be expected to respond blow for blow. succession after the vice president. paigns that just ended, dozens new leadership won election to the number 2 position. both parties. Washington, mockingly known as “the swamp,” may be in An unexpected intervention in of Democratic House candidates House. Clyburn, who had previously With Pelosi 78 years old, Cly- store for some unprecedented partisan ugliness. the speaker’s race came yesterday called for new leadership, register- With some races still undecided, said he would not challenge Pelosi burn also 78, and Hoyer 79, none of Of course, there’s a slender chance that the shock of the from Republican President Donald ing indirect dissatisfaction with Democrats were headed for a gain but would consider running for them represents the kind of “new midterms will produce a kinder, gentler kind of Trump who once Trump, who tweeted that Pelosi Pelosi, who has become a punch- of more than 30 seats, beyond speaker if Pelosi could not fi nd the blood” that some younger Demo- more breaks Washington’s rules by actually co-operating with deserved the job, even though he ing bag for Republicans. the 23 they needed to claim their votes, yesterday told McClatchy crats seek. the Democrats. fi rst majority in the 435-member news service that he will run for A handful of more junior law- According to the off ice of Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat in line Obama: change ‘won’t come in one election cycle’ House in eight years. House majority whip. makers are in the leadership frame, to become the new speaker of the House, Trump called her after Their fi rst order of business as For 16 years, Pelosi has steered as well. One is Louisiana’s Ce- the results came in “to extend his congratulations.” Former US president Barack Obama up for one another as Americans, the House majority will be to de- the House Democrats, fi rst as mi- dric Richmond, 45, chairman of “He acknowledged the Leader’s call for bipartisanship,” yesterday spoke of his pride over not separated by our diff erences, cide whether to put the speaker’s nority leader, then speaker, then the Congressional Black Caucus, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff , Drew Hammill tweeted. Democratic gains made in the mid- but bound together by one com- gavel back in Pelosi’s hands. minority leader again after the 2011 which recently sent a letter to But if the olive branch withers, Trump could arguably even term congressional elections — but mon creed.” “Leader Pelosi is very confi dent Republican takeover of the cham- lawmakers saying that if there is a benefit from open war with the House. warned the battle for much-needed Obama said attention would inev- about her support in the caucus ber. leadership change, it wanted one of First, the Republicans have firm control over the Senate. reforms had only just begun. itably be focused on the Democrat’s and among our members-elect,” Her path back to the top job is the top two Democratic leadership That means that Trump can still get things done, not least Democrats won the House of taking control of the lower chamber said Pelosi’s spokesman Hammill. clear. First, she must capture a spots, a Democratic aide said. Cly- confirmation of right-leaning judges with lifetime appointments. Representatives on Tuesday but Re- of Congress from President Donald At a victory celebration in majority of Democrats in a behind- burn is also a caucus member. As Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Tuesday: “the publicans increased their majority Trump’s Republican Party. Washington on Tuesday, Pelosi closed-doors November 28 party Ben Ray Lujan, 46, of New Mex- conservative judicial train will keep running.” in the Senate in an election which But he urged supporters to said a Democratic House “will leadership election. ico is the current chairman of the Even more importantly, conflict with the Democrats could revealed a country still sharply reflect on how that victory was se- work for solutions that bring us No certain rival to Pelosi has Democratic Congressional Cam- simply fuel Trump’s real goal of reelection in 2020. divided along party lines. cured — “by competing in places we together because we have all had emerged but there are possible paign Committee, which coordi- The Trump base will have no problem believing him when he “Our work goes on. The change we haven’t been competitive in a long enough of division.” challengers. nates House Democrats’ election says that Pelosi and her Democrats are to blame for every ill in need won’t come from one election time, and by electing record num- She was fl anked by No 2 House Two years ago, in the internal eff orts. the country. alone — but it is a start. Last night, bers of women and young veterans Democrat Steny Hoyer and No 3 party race for minority leader, 63 Before the election, two Demo- And White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders noted voters across the country started it,” of Iraq and Afghanistan, a surge of House Democrat James Clyburn in Democrats voted for Representa- crats said they wanted to run for another detail from the midterms that will quietly please Trump: Obama said in a statement. minority candidates, and a host of a sign that the three could aim to tive Tim Ryan of Ohio, but Pelosi assistant majority leader — Cheri candidates he supported in election rallies did “very well “I’m hopeful that going forward, outstanding young leaders.” lead the chamber in the new Con- received 134 votes. Bustos of Illinois, and David Cicil- tonight.” we’ll begin a return to the values we “The more Americans who vote, gress that convenes in early Janu- If Pelosi prevails at the party line of Rhode Island. In other words, the midterms are just the opening battle of expect in our public life — honesty, the more our elected leaders look ary. level, she would become the Dem- The current House speaker is the 2020 election — and Trump thinks he might just get back to decency, compromise, and standing like America,” he said. Hoyer plans to run for majority ocrats’ candidate for speaker in a Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican winning. leader, a spokeswoman said yes- public roll call vote in early Janu- who is retiring from Congress. Scientists push back against Harvard ‘alien spacecraft’ theory

By Kerry Sheridan, AFP uamua may be a fully operational mua, which we show may be ex- “Like most scientists, I would Katie Mack, a well-known as- pothesis he put forward, Bialy “It is impossible to guess the Tampa, Florida probe sent intentionally to Earth plained by the force of radiation love there to be convincing evi- trophysicist at North Carolina told AFP: “I wouldn’t say I ‘be- purpose behind Oumuamua vicinity by an alien civilisation.” pressure from the sun,” co-au- dence of alien life, but this isn’t State, also took issue with the al- lieve’ it is sent by aliens, as I am without more data,” Loeb was Oumuamua, the fi rst interstellar thor and Harvard astrophysicist it,” said Alan Fitzsimmons, an ien hype. “The thing you have to a scientist, and not a believer, I quoted as saying. scientifi c paper led by object known to enter our solar sys- Shmuel Bialy told AFP via e-mail astrophysicist at Queens Univer- understand is: scientists are per- rely on evidence to put forward Their paper was accepted for two researchers at Har- tem, accelerated faster away from Tuesday. sity, Belfast. fectly happy to publish an out- possible physical explanation for publication in the Astrophysical Avard University made a the Sun than expected, hence the “However this requires the “It has already been shown landish idea if it has even the tini- observed phenomena.” Journal Letters, and will appear splash this week by claiming notion that some kind of artifi cial body to have a very large surface that its observed characteristics est sliver of a chance of not being The other co-author, Avi Loeb, on November 12. that a cigar-shaped rock zoom- sail that runs on sunlight — known and be very thin, which is not en- are consistent with a comet-like wrong,” she wrote on Twitter. chairman of Harvard’s astrono- Oumuamua, Hawaiian for ing through our solar system may as a light sail — may have helped countered in nature.” body ejected from another star “But until every other possi- my department, told NBC News “messenger” or “scout,” was fi rst have been sent by aliens. push it through space. Their suggestion of an alien system,” he told AFP. bility has been exhausted dozen humanity may never know more viewed by telescopes in October The researchers noted in a pre- “Currently there is an unex- force at work went viral. “And some of the arguments in times over, even the authors about the mysterious object, 2017. print of the article that it was an plained phenomena, namely, the But other astronomy experts this study are based on numbers probably don’t believe it.” since it has travelled far away and The alien rock is about 400m “exotic scenario,” but that “Oum- excess acceleration of Oumua- aren’t buying it. with large uncertainties.” Asked if he believed the hy- isn’t heading back. long, and only about 40m wide. Gulf Times 16 Thursday, November 8, 2018 ASIA ‘Sri Lanka has suff ered Cloud cover a coup without guns’

Reuters tanks and guns,” Speaker Jayas- rebels from the Tamil minority, is Colombo uriya said in a letter dated Nov seen as a hero by many among Sri 5 to diplomats and foreign mis- Lanka’s Buddhist majority. He sions, adding the “entire matter has been accused by diplomats of ri Lanka’s parliamentary was pre-planned”. human rights abuses during the speaker has called the pres- Jayasuriya says the major- war, which he denies. Sident’s sacking of the prime ity of parliamentarians view the India and Western countries minister to bring a former leader change in prime minister as un- also worry about his close ties to back to power a non-violent coup constitutional. In the letter he China, which loaned Sri Lanka d’etat. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is said some of them were off ered billions of dollars for infrastruc- a key fi gure in the political stand- bribes and ministerial jobs to ture projects during his rule. off that started on Oct 26, when support the new government. He A foreign ministry offi cial told President Maithripala Sirisena accused Sirisena of acting “con- Reuters that some foreign envoys fi red Prime Minister Ranil Wick- trary to all norms of transparen- have said they will only recognise remesinghe and replaced him cy, decency, democracy and good Rajapakse as prime minister after with former president Mahinda governance, and contrary to the he can prove he has support of a Rajapakse. constitution which he has sworn majority in parliament. Sirisena Wickremesinghe is refusing to uphold and defend.” has recalled the parliament on to vacate his prime ministerial Sirisena says he fi red Wick- Nov 14. Independent political residence and insists he remains remesinghe because he was try- analysts told Reuters a majority in offi ce until voted out by par- ing to implement “a new, ex- in the 225-member legislature liament. The president had sus- treme liberal political concept by is against the sudden sacking of pended parliament, a move Ra- giving more priority for foreign Wickremesinghe. japakse’s opponents say is aimed policies and neglecting the lo- At least eight lawmakers have at preventing it from rejecting his cal people’s sentiment,” and de- deserted Wickremesinghe and return to power. nies acting unconstitutionally. accepted ministerial posts un- “The entire series of events Rajapakse, under whose rule Sri der Rajapakse, while one deputy can only be described as a coup, Lanka achieved its 2009 victory minister resigned and joined A ship sails towards Colombo main harbour as clouds gathered above sunset are seen from Galle Dutch Fort in Galle, Sri Lanka. albeit one without the use of in a decades-long confl ict against Wickremesinghe.

Bangladesh rejects opposition Kim Jong-nam murder plea for caretaker government

Reuters in our constitution to form would ensure a level playing Dhaka such a caretaker govern- fi eld by preventing minis- trial delayed to January ment,” said Obaidul Quader, ters from using government her party’s secretary-gen- buildings or vehicles for the angladesh’s ruling eral. next three months. Hasina AFP in August the prosecution case was sion in December to rule on that party has rejected an The BNP, which is in dis- and Khaleda, who between Shah Alam, Malaysia strong enough for the trial to con- request. The women deny murder, tinue, it was scheduled to resume claiming they were tricked into Bopposition party’s array after the jailing of its them have ruled Bangladesh at the start of this month with Ai- killing the estranged half-brother demand for a caretaker gov- chief, former prime minis- for decades, are bitter rivals he trial of two women for syah taking the stand to off er her of Kim Jong-un by North Korean ernment it says is essential ter Khaleda Zia, on corrup- and the BNP says its leader allegedly assassinating the defence. agents and believed they were tak- for a free and fair general tion charges, also pressed has been jailed on trumped- Thalf-brother of North Ko- But proceedings will now re- ing part in a prank for a reality TV election due to be held in for a caretaker government up charges to keep her out of rea’s leader will resume in January start on January 7 after the Indo- show. December. Although Prime at the last general election politics. instead of this month after a de- nesian’s main lawyer Gooi Soon But prosecutors, who likened Minister Sheikh Hasina’s in 2014. Yesterday the Awami fence lawyer fell ill, a court said. Siti Seng fell ill, another member of her the murder to the plot of a ‘James Awami League had agreed When that demand was League also rejected BNP Aisyah from Indonesia and Doan defence team, Kulaselvi Sandrase- Bond’ movie, have argued the pair to unprecedented talks last not met, it boycotted the demands to reconsider Thi Huong from Vietnam are ac- Kim Jong-nam garam, said after a hearing at the were well-trained assassins who week with the Bangladesh poll. Khaleda’s sentence, which cused of murdering Kim Jong-nam High Court in Shah Alam to set new knew exactly what they were do- Nationalist Party (BNP) to The party and its allies was doubled to 10 years on by smearing nerve agent VX on his the killing, but proceedings have dates. ing. Under current laws, the wom- discuss the arrangement, were still undecided wheth- October 30, so ruling her face at Kuala Lumpur airport, in a moved slowly due to the large Aisyah’s lawyers also urged the en in their 20s will be sentenced to yesterday it declared the er to participate in the elec- out of December’s contest. Cold War-style hit that shocked the number of witnesses, and the fact court to compel prosecutors to pro- death by hanging if convicted of demand was unconstitu- tion, BNP Secretary-Gen- “We told them the High world. hearings are held relatively in- vide them with some statements murder. However Malaysia’s new tional. eral Mirza Fakhrul Islam Court already announced its The pair went on trial in Octo- frequently under the Malaysian taken from police to help in their government has vowed to abolish “Our prime minister told Alamgir told Reuters. Quad- verdict about Khaleda Zia,” ber last year, eight months after court system. After a judge ruled case, and there will be a special ses- capital punishment for all crimes. them there is no provision er said the Awami League Quader said. Cambodia to boost clean energy Shinawatra clan, allies form use, but coal plants planned too new party ahead of Thai polls Reuters watras have won every election Thomson Reuters while coal makes up 36%, with completed by the end of 2019. A “So it makes more sense to Bangkok in the past decade. But the mili- Phnom Penh more plants being built, he said. 10MW solar plant came online now connect solar to the grid” to tary government’s new consti- Power imports from neigh- this year, he said, meet the country’s electrifi ca- tution, which the military said bouring countries contribute But hydropower and coal are tion goals, she said. Moving away elatives and allies of oust- aims to weaken major political ambodia will push ahead almost the entire remainder, still projected to make up 80% from coal can also help countries ed Thai premiers Thaksin parties, eff ectively cuts constitu- with plans to use hydro- with renewables such as solar of Cambodia’s energy needs meet their Paris Agreement RShinawatra and his sister, ency seats in provinces where the Cpower and coal to electrify accounting for less than 1%, he once the country achieves full goals to reduce greenhouse gas Yingluck, formed a new political Shinwatras have previously held the entire country by 2020, but said. But Jona said the govern- electrifi cation, Jona said. Coal- emissions, and help curb wors- party yesterday ahead of a gener- dominance. He said the party solar energy will play some role, ment has plans to develop more fi red plants are under construc- ening climate impacts, including al election set for early next year, would also serve as a “back-up” especially in remote areas, an en- clean energy, especially in hard- tion, and will contribute another more extreme fl oods, droughts seen as a strategy to win more should Puea Thai be dissolved. ergy ministry offi cial said yester- to-reach communities. 150MW by next year, he said. and sea level rise. Cambodia has seats. The military government Thaksin Shinawatra The Puea Thai Party faces day. The Southeast Asian nation “We hope that solar home Bridget McIntosh, the Cambodia committed to a 27% reduction in has promised to hold elections dissolution after the junta or- has electrifi ed rapidly since 2000, systems will do the role for the director for Energy Lab, which its climate-changing emissions between February and May after and the younger generation of dered the Election Commission when only 16% of the population very remote areas, in case the works to promote clean electric- by 2030, 16% of which will be repeated delays. the clan’s political allies. It will to investigate whether Thaksin had access to power, according to grid cannot expand to them,” he ity, said the the country should achieved by promoting clean and The race is set to be a contest be headed by Preechapol Pong- was still controlling Puea Thai. the World Bank. said on the sidelines of a clean consider adding more renewable more effi cient energy. between supporters of the mili- panich, an ex-member of parlia- The former telecommunications Today, 87% of villages and energy conference in the capi- energy to its mix, especially as the However, to scale up solar and tary and royalist establishment ment with the Puea Thai Party. tycoon was ousted in a 2006 73% of households are connect- tal, Phnom Penh. Some larger- cost of solar power falls. “It takes other power, Cambodia must and populist forces led by the “It’s a political strategy for coup and has since lived in self- ed to the grid, said Victor Jona, a scale solar is also being added to fi ve years to build a coal-fi red create a more welcoming regu- Puea Thai Party that was ousted Puea Thai under the new elec- imposed exile to avoid a graft spokesman for the department the mix. Jona said construction station or a dam, and in those latory environment for invest- in a 2014 coup. Members of the toral system to win more seats,” conviction in 2008 he says was of energy at the Ministry of of a 60 megawatt solar plant in fi ve years, the cost of solar will ment in it, said Pheakdey Heng, new Thai Raksa Chart Party in- political scientist Yuttaporn Is- politically motivated. He faces Mines and Energy. Hydropower Kampong Speu province, west continue to decline,” she told the a founder of the Enrich Institute, clude Thaksin and Yingluck’s sarachai told Reuters. separate corruption charges from accounts for 40% of the mix, of the capital, is scheduled to be Thomson Reuters Foundation. a Phnom Penh-based think tank. nephew and niece, close aides, Parties linked to the Shina- 2008 and 2012. Myanmar hosts talks to fi ght ‘alarming levels’ of drug production

DPA groups, as they have consolidated has required a matching surge in now, and the need to co-ordinate Yangon production into safe havens and precursor chemicals.” “While we on a strategy and programme started traffi cking to increasingly are a signifi cant source of illicit with UNODC has become ob- distant markets,” said Jeremy drugs, we are not a source of the vious,” said Min Tianshi, the op law enforcement offi - Douglas, UNODC’s regional rep- chemicals,” said Major General deputy secretary general of Chi- cials from 17 countries met resentative for South-East Asia Aung Thu, Myanmar’s vice min- na’s National Narcotics Control Tin the Myanmar capital and the Pacifi c. ister of home aff airs. Commission.”We see the talks Naypyidaw yesterday to formu- Myanmar is at the centre of Scant reports of so-called here this week as a step forward.” late a new strategy for control- this surge in the methampheta- precursor chemical being seized Central to any co-ordinated ling the fl ow of synthetic drugs mine trade, with vast swathes by governments in the region regional strategy will be en- throughout the Asia Pacifi c re- of militia-controlled territory indicate that “traffi ckers source hanced information-sharing gion. Record seizures of meth- serving as bases for production them easily and move them freely between countries, according to amphetamine this year signal and smuggling. With the coun- across borders,” said Douglas, UNODC synthetic drug analyst “alarming levels” of drug pro- try’s internal confl ict unlikely to adding that the ongoing confer- Inshik Sim. duction by organised crime net- resolved in the near future, par- ence will seek to develop a co- “Governments should be able works in Southeast Asia, accord- ticipants in yesterday’s meeting ordinated regional strategy for to look for and identify new ing to the UN Offi ce on Drugs and were seeking to stem the fl ow of controlling the movement of substances and chemicals and Crime (UNODC). drugs by cutting off producers’ these chemicals. share this information with Saturated local markets have supply of chemical ingredients China, with its large chemical each other through our SMART pushed producers to target new with which synthetic drugs are and pharmaceutical industries, early warning system,” he said. users in countries as far away as made. is often identifi ed as one of the “After what we have seen in Japan and New Zealand with of- Douglas said the “surge in syn- countries that could play a key North America with fentanyl fers of cheap drugs, UNODC said. thetic drugs, particularly meth, role in fi ghting the traffi cking of and related powerful opioids, “At this point the trade is worth that can be traced back to Shan chemicals used to make illegal we hope everyone appreciates billions of dollars to the larger (state) in Myanmar is like nothing drugs. “We’ve been building to- rapid sharing of information A mock-up of a Myanmar policeman, solider and a villager destroying an opium field is seen at the Drug transnational organised crime we have ever seen before, and it wards this for nearly two years can save lives.” Elimination museum in Yangon, Myanmar. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 17 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

S Korea warns Japan in row over wartime forced labour

Reuters Koreans for their forced labour late on Tuesday. It was referring of them Korean, forced to work in unwise,” he said in a statement secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said stance, so we have to arrange our Seoul during the war, a decision Japan to comments by Japan’s Foreign its wartime brothels. on Tuesday that accused Japan of South Korea was in violation of stance,” said the offi cial, who de- denounced as “unthinkable.” Minister Taro Kono in a Bloomb- Kono’s remarks threatened trying to stoke a diplomatic dis- international law after the Su- clined to be named. The binding court verdict is erg interview on Sunday, when he to add fuel to the controversy, pute with the issue. preme Court verdict, and urged “This takes time, and the Japa- apan should avoid aggravat- straining ties between the neigh- said, “It would be diffi cult for any the ministry said. “South Korea The row was triggered by a Su- Seoul to immediately take re- nese government overly criti- ing historical tensions in a bours and could aff ect their bid country to do anything with the is very concerned that Japan’s preme Court ruling that Nippon dressal steps. cising our government does not Jdiplomatic row over South to rein in North Korea’s nuclear South Korean government” if a leaders in positions of respon- Steel pay 100mn won ($87,700) “We are watching to see what help.” Koreans forced to work for Japa- programme, analysts say. court could reverse Seoul’s pacts sibility are disregarding the root to each of the four steel workers concrete steps the South Korean South Korea says nearly 5,000 nese fi rms during World War II, “The Japanese government made under international law. cause of the issue ... and contin- who sought compensation and government will take,” Suga said. victims of wartime forced labour South Korea’s foreign ministry must be clearly aware that ex- The two countries share a bit- ue to make comments that rouse unpaid wages, saying their repa- A senior offi cial in South Korea’s are alive, from a total of nearly and prime minister have warned. cessive political emphasis on the ter history that includes Japan’s our public’s emotions,” it added. ration rights were not terminated presidential offi ce said the gov- 150,000. In December, a South Last month, South Korea’s top present case will be of no help to 1910-45 colonisation of the Ko- South Korean Prime Minister Lee by a 1965 treaty. ernment needed time to resolve Korean appeals court is expected court ruled that Japan’s Nippon the future-oriented relationship rean peninsula and the use of Nak-yon also fi red back. Japan says the pact “complete- the issue. “There has been a rul- to rule on similar compensation Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp between South Korea and Japan,” comfort women, Japan’s euphe- “Japanese government leaders’ ly and fi nally” resolved the issue. ing by the judiciary that diff ers claims against Mitsubishi Heavy must compensate four South the South’s foreign ministry said mism for girls and women, many remarks are inappropriate and Yesterday, its chief cabinet from the previous government Industries. US abruptly postpones top-level N Korea talks

AFP work to arrange a second sum- North Korea has long sought US US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Washington mit following landmark talks be- recognition as a nuclear state and tween Trump and Kim in June. guarantees for the survival of the Although Trump has had generational Kim regime, which N Korea diplomat to visit Vietnam S Secretary of State Mike warm words since he meet with human rights groups consider to Pompeo abruptly shelved Kim in Singapore, his adminis- be one of the most repressive in North Korea’s foreign minister, spoken of his hopes for reform of Uplans to meet a top North tration has nevertheless insist- the world. Ri Yong-ho, will visit Vietnam this North Korea’s economy and has Korean offi cial in New York, ed on maintaining pressure on Critics in the United States say month to learn about its model looked to examples in the region. the latest twist in diplomacy to North Korea until a fi nal agree- that North Korea has yet to make of economic reform, a diplomatic Kim met South Korean President secure a potentially landmark ment is reached. any concrete concessions. Kim source and media reported yes- Moon Jae-in three times this peace deal. North Korea said last week that Yong-chol is a general, a former terday. Ri will visit the Vietnamese year. In their talks, Kim repeatedly The talks between President it would “seriously” consider re- top intelligence chief and right- capital, Hanoi, for three days cited Vietnam’s successes, South Donald Trump’s top diplomat turning to a state policy aimed at hand man to the North Korean from Nov 27 to inspect industrial Korean media reported. and the North Korean delegation, building nuclear weapons unless leader. zones and interview economic Kim also help a summit with which had been due today, “will Washington lifts sanctions. “The He visited New York in May for experts, a diplomatic source with US President Donald Trump in now take place at a later date,” improvement of relations and talks with Pompeo in what was direct knowledge of the trip told Singapore in June, when he was State Department spokeswoman sanctions are incompatible,” said the highest-level trip by a North Reuters. cited by North Korean media as Heather Nauert said. “We will a statement carried by the offi cial Korean to the United States in South Korea’s Yonhap news expressing his admiration for Sin- reconvene when our respective Korean Central News Agency. nearly two decades. The diplo- agency, citing unidentified gapore’s economic development. schedules permit,” she added in a “What remains to be done is the macy on North Korea has had sources, also reported that Ri US off icials have said Vietnam’s statement. US corresponding reply,” it add- a series of fi ts and starts, with would make the three-day trip at socialist market economy could State Department offi cials ed. Trump at one point scrapping a that time. Vietnam’s foreign minis- be an example for North Korea. gave no further reasons for the Pompeo, speaking on Fox North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju waving to trip by Pompeo just as he was set try did not immediately respond Yonhap said Ri had told the delay in the meeting, although News, said he was “not worried” Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel and his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza dur- to fl y off to Pyongyang. to a request for comment. South Vietnamese government that North Korea has stepped up its about the North Korean demands ing the Cuban leader’s departure at Pyongyang airport. The latest New York meet- Korea’s foreign ministry said it North Korea hoped to learn from demands that the United States and insisted there would be “no ing was set to come ahead of a was not aware of Ri’s visit. After Vietnam’s model of develop- lift sanctions. The State Depart- economic relief until we have sation,” Pompeo said separately threatening “fi re and fury” after busy season of diplomacy, with years of self-imposed isolation, ment. This week Kim hosted ment had just one day earlier achieved our ultimate objective.” on CBS’s Face the Nation. Pyongyang’s nuclear and mis- Pompeo meeting senior Chinese and sanctions for its development President Miguel Diaz-Canel of confi rmed that Pompeo would “I expect we’ll make some real Pompeo has travelled four sile tests. Trump has cast North offi cials in Washington tomor- of nuclear weapons and ballistic Cuba – another country under meet in New York with Kim progress, including an eff ort to times this year to North Korea, Korea as a crowning diplomatic row. Trump heads over the next missiles, North Korea has this year US sanctions – during a lavish Yong-chol — one of the North make sure that the summit be- for decades a US pariah, in hopes achievement and is eager for a month to international gather- been trying to build its foreign visit in Pyongyang, where the Korean leader’s right-hand men tween our two leaders can take of securing an accord. The di- fresh summit with Kim at which ings in Paris and Buenos Aires, contacts. two leaders vowed to boost their —to discuss progress toward a place where we can make sub- plomacy comes a year after fears the two may formally declare an while Vice President Mike Pence Its leader, Kim Jong-un, has co-operation. denuclearisation pact and to stantial steps toward denucleari- mounted of war, with Trump end to the 1950-53 Korean War. will tour Asia.

Indonesia extends search for jet crash victims Baby steps

Reuters Jakarta

ndonesia authorities ex- tended yesterday a search Ifor victims of a plane crash last week, when all 189 on board a Lion Air fl ight were killed, and for the aircraft’s second black box, the cockpit voice recorder. The nearly new Boeing Co 737 MAX passenger plane slammed into the sea on Oct 29, only minutes after takeoff from Ja- karta en route to Bangka island near Sumatra. “We have extended the op- eration for three more days,” Muhammad Syaugi, the head of the national search and res- Indonesian navy ships line up during a search operation of the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT 610 victims and cue agency (Basarnas), told debris on the waters off Karawang, yesterday. Reuters. It was the second time the search has been extended. A police offi cial said 186 body of sucking up mud was likely to air — a phenomenon that can But he said search teams from bags containing human remains be brought in to help, he told a throw the plane into an aero- the military, police and others had been retrieved and 44 vic- news conference. Boeing said dynamic stall and make it fall. A baby Southern White Rhino calf named ‘Imani’, walks with her mother ‘Umqali’ at the Monarto would stand down, leaving just tims identifi ed after forensic yesterday it had issued a safety KNKT said that there was a Zoo, located east of the city of Adelaide, in South Australia, yesterday. his agency to press on. examination. Authorities have bulletin reminding pilots how problem with the sensor on the “This operation has been downloaded data from one of to handle erroneous data from last fl ight taken by the doomed running for 10 days and the the black boxes found last week, a sensor in the wake of the Lion plane, from the island of Bali to results from combing the sea the fl ight data recorder, but Air crash. The US planemaker Jakarta, even though one sensor surface and the sea bed are are still looking for the cockpit said investigators looking into had been replaced in Bali. declining, therefore the re- voice recorder. the Lion Air crash had found The KNKT has interviewed sources of Basarnas should be A “ping” has been detected that one of the “angle of attack” crew and technicians on duty Tokyo medical school off ers spots sufficient,” Syaugi told a news from the second black box but sensors on the aircraft had pro- for two previous fl ights, while conference. Basarnas had 220 the signal was very weak, pos- vided erroneous data. also retrieving the faulty sensor personnel, including 60 divers, sibly because it was encased in Experts say the angle of at- from Bali for inspection. KNKT to unfairly denied students as well as four ships involved in mud,” said Nurcahyo Utomo, tack is a crucial parameter that is planning to simulate a fl ight the search and were focusing on an air accident offi cial at the helps the aircraft’s systems un- to assess the impact of sensor an area with a radius of 250m transportation safety commit- derstand whether its nose is too damage at Boeing’s engineering AFP to the applicants at the time,” have demanded 100,000 yen (273 yards), he said. tee (KNKT). A vessel capable high relative to the current of simulator facility in Seattle. Tokyo president Yukiko Hayashi told ($880) each in compensation reporters. from the school, citing “mental “We should never discrimi- anguish” as well as requesting a Runaway mining train in Australia travels 90km without driver Tokyo medical univer- nate”, she said, adding there are refund of exam and travel fees. sity that altered entrance “many female doctors who are The women in the group include Aexam results to exclude doing a wonderful job.” a doctor, students currently en- A huge runaway train laden hurting no one. Aerial images er they are not expected to cover recovery of our operations,” the women said yesterday it would The 101 applicants would be rolled at other medical schools with iron ore had to be derailed published by The West Austral- the entire period of interruption”, BHP spokeswoman said. off er places to dozens of appli- contacted to see if they are still and women who have taken jobs remotely after speeding through ian showed a trail of twisted a BHP spokeswoman said in a BHP’s shares closed 0.48% lower cants unfairly denied. interested in a place in April 2019. in other fi elds. the Australian outback for almost wreckage after Monday’s incident, statement. “We will be liaising to A$33.39 (US$24.18) in Sydney The institution’s president However, there are only a maxi- The university has admitted an hour. The 268-wagon train with some wagons covered by with our customers in relation to as reports in Britain said the said it would contact a total of mum of 63 actual spots available it began altering the test scores started on its solo journey when their loads. Australia is one of our contractual commitments Anglo-Australian firm was facing 101 applicants – including 67 due to quotas, said Hayashi. of female applicants in 2006, re- the driver got down from his cab the world’s major sources of iron over this period,” she added. The a £5bn (US$6.5bn) lawsuit over women – who took the exam in Places will be awarded based portedly in the belief that women to carry out an inspection, and ore. BHP said yesterday more Australian Transport Safety Bu- the deadly Samarco dam failure the past two years and who had on the original entrance scores. would leave the profession soon was soon hurtling along at up to than 130 people were working reau said it was investigating the in Brazil in 2015. BHP is also their places rejected. The university will be forced to after graduation when they mar- 110km per hour. Mining giant BHP, to recover the train and fix the incident. There was no indication facing an Australian class action In a scandal that hit head- reduce the number of students ried and started families. which owns the four-locomotive track – a key access route for the of what had caused the train to involving investors pursuing the lines worldwide, Tokyo Medical they will accept in April 2019 de- An independent probe last train, decided to derail before it enormous mining facility – with move without its driver. miner for losses relating to the University admitted routinely pending on how many of the 101 month found the school had re- reached the town of Port Hedland partial rail operations expected “We cannot speculate on the collapse. Nineteen people were changing the scores of female cheated students decide to take jected about a quarter of female near its Western Australia Pilbara to start up again in about a week. outcome of the investigation killed and a wave of toxic waste applicants to keep them out – as up the off er. applicants in the 2017 and 2018 site, and flicked the points. The The mine sites were still running however we are working with was unleashed when a dam burst well as those of male candidates Hayashi admitted this would exam although their original, train crashed off the rails, damag- and reserves would be used to the appropriate authorities and at the mine in one of Brazil’s worst who had already failed three make “a big impact” on new ap- unaltered test scores proved they ing around 1,500m of tracks, but maintain port operations, “howev- our focus remains on the safe environmental disasters. times. “We deeply apologise plicants. A group of 24 women reached the pass mark. Gulf Times 18 Thursday, November 8, 2018 BRITAIN

Facebook delays identity checks on UK political advertisers

Guardian News and Media month”, it says, pushing back the curacy of disclaimers, we will had paid for particular adverts, senator, vice-president Mike scandal earlier this year. tion whose members include Exx- London initial deadline of November 7. be introducing enforcement and add them to an Ad Library Pence, and Islamic State. Face- The investigative journalism onMobil, BP, Chevron and Shell”. “We have learnt that some systems to identify political ad- where they would be archived for book approved every disclosure, organisation ProPublica high- Facebook said: “Since we an- people may try to game the dis- vertisers and require them to go seven years. and the adverts entered the ar- lighted one real-world conse- nounced our political ads au- acebook is delaying its claimer system by entering in- through the authorisation proc- The company had initially chive intact. quence of the policy: a series of thorisation and Ad Library in plans to require British po- accurate details and have been ess.” planned to make the system com- In the UK, Business Insider pro-Trump adverts that were at- October we have seen hundreds Flitical advertisers to verify working to improve our review Facebook launched the fi rst pulsory by November 7, but in the similarly “disclosed” that ad- tributed to “Energy4US” on the of people go through the au- their identity, the Guardian re- process to detect and prevent phase of its UK political advertis- intervening time, a damaging se- verts attacking Brexit were paid social network, a company that thorisation process. Authorised vealed, after a spate of failures this kind of abuse,” a Facebook ing transparency eff ort in Octo- ries of stories cast doubts on the for by Cambridge Analytica, has no offl ine existence. advertisers create a ‘paid for by’ on the part of the company to spokesperson said in a state- ber, allowing political advertisers eff ectiveness of the project. the now-defunct political con- In fact, ProPublica discovered, disclaimer as part of this process vet disclosers in the UK and US. ment. to register to prove their location, In the US, Vice News used the sultancy whose acquisition of Energy4US “appears to be a front and we require them to represent The social network will bring “Once we have strengthened and creating a voluntary system system to “disclose” that adverts the personal data of more than for American Fuel & Petrochemi- themselves accurately when they in the requirement “in the next our process for ensuring the ac- whereby they could disclose who were paid for by every single US 100mn Facebook users sparked a cal Manufacturers, a trade associa- fi ll this in.”

House price rise Govt asked slowest in fi ve years: Halifax to publish

Guardian News and Media London Brexit legal nnual house price growth has fallen to its lowest rate Ain more than fi ve years, according to Halifax. Across the UK, house prices increased by 1.5% annually in October, following a 2.5% annual advice in full increase in September, Halifax said. Guardian News and Media drawn up by Cox, rather than just ernment’s response. Property values increased by London hearing his summary and inter- Downing Street has said there is 0.7% month on month in Octo- pretations. a long-standing convention that ber, taking the average price to Donaldson told BBC Radio 4’s the government does not discuss £227,869. ressure on the government Today programme: “It’s in the legal advice, “or the existence Russell Galley, the managing to provide details of legal ad- public interest that we under- thereof”. director of Halifax, said: “The Pvice about a possible Brexit stand fully what is happening here. Under the backstop idea, which annual rate of house price growth deal is growing, with the DUP, La- We’ve had that commitment al- offi cials will try to fi nalise before has fallen from 2.5% in Septem- bour and LibDems demanding it ready from the government, that another potential Cabinet meet- ber to 1.5% in October, which is be published, following calls from they will tell us what the legal ad- ing later in the week, the UK could the lowest rate of annual growth Cabinet ministers to see the full vice they have is in relation to the maintain a temporary customs ar- since March 2013. However, this document. backstop.” rangement with the EU without remains within our forecast an- One option could be for Labour He said: “If the House of Com- being forced to accept a border in nual growth range of 0% to 3% to seek to force publication via a mons is going to have a meaning- the Irish Sea. May told her Cabi- for 2018. Commons motion, as the party did ful vote on a deal upon which this net to “stand by their diaries”, with “House prices continue to be with the government’s Brexit im- legal advice is very important, then government sources suggesting supported by the fact that the pact assessments. I think people are entitled to know ministers could be summoned for supply of new homes and exist- Jeff rey Donaldson, the DUP’s what that legal advice is.” an emergency meeting later this ing properties available for sale chief whip at Westminster, said The LibDems called for the ad- week to sign off the backstop pro- remains low. Further house price the party, which supports Theresa vice to be published. The party’s posal before presenting it to Brus- support comes from an already May in government, would like to Brexit spokesman, Tom Brake, sels, possibly later this month. high and improving employment see the full document published, said: “Refusing to publish legal ad- She warned that, while she rate and historically low mort- allowing not only ministers but vice on Brexit makes a mockery of wanted to strike a deal, this could gage rates which are creating MPs and the public to assess it. the discredited mantra ‘take back not be “at any cost” and would higher rates of relative aff ord- The shadow Brexit secretary, control’.” Speaking in Brussels, depend on an “acceptable” frame- ability. Keir Starmer, said the advice must where he is meeting EU leaders, work for a future relationship with “We see this continuing to be be released to MPs so they can Starmer said a backstop agree- the EU, expected to be set out in a the case over the coming months scrutinise the document, while the ment had to be robust, meaning it separate political declaration. and we remain supportive of our LibDems called for the advice to be was “essential MPs are given the Hopes have grown in recent 0% to 3% forecast range.” published in full. opportunity to scrutinise the at- days that the issue of the back- Howard Archer, chief eco- The advice, drawn up by the at- torney general’s legal advice before stop – which seeks to put in place nomic adviser at EY Item Club, torney general, Geoff rey Cox, at voting on the fi nal deal”. a guarantee for the EU to avoid a said the 0.7% month-on-month the request of Theresa May, looks He said: “The public have the hard Irish border if no permanent house price increase in October, into the various options connected right to know precisely what the solution can be found – could be was likely to be a correction af- to the backstop, seen as the fi nal Cabinet has signed up to and what resolved, paving the way for a deal. ter a particularly sharp 1.3% dip major impasse before a deal can the implications are for the future.” Meanwhile, the Confederation in September. This had been the be agreed. At a Cabinet meeting Labour’s aim would be for the of British Industry has dismissed second fall in a row following on Tuesday, Cox gave ministers a advice to be available to MPs, as reports that it would play a part a 0.2% month-on-month de- summary of the advice, and told happened with the Brexit impact in a government PR plan to sell a crease in August. them that if the UK insisted on the assessments. They were made Brexit deal to the public. Archer said house prices were right to unilaterally end a backstop, available after Labour forced their The business organisation said typically expensive relative to opposed by the EU, it increased the release through a so-called humble it had no knowledge of the re- incomes, standing at around risk of no deal. address motion. ported plan, which suggested that fi ve-and-a-half times earnings It is understood that some min- This, or an amendment to a bill, both its director general Carolyn in October – well above the long- isters, among them Michael Gove, remain options for extracting the Fairbairn and the Japanese prime term average of just over four Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer (left) arrives at the European Commission building prior asked the prime minister whether legal advice, but it is understood minister would endorse the Brexit times earnings seen since 1983. to talks with EU off icials, in Brussels yesterday. they could see the full legal advice Labour want to fi rst await the gov- deal, if and when it was secured. Militant vegans threaten Thompson honoured Ryanair sacks cabin crew for fake photo staff at turkey farm Guardian News and Media of time” before moving to a VIP London lounge in the airport. They re- turned to Porto the next day, and Daily Mail Shop workers have received beings. They enjoy life just like did not work on the fl ight back. London death threats and insults from we do. They are not a meal.” yanair has sacked six cabin Airline cabin crew are enti- people identifying themselves Carter has reported the threats crew staff after they alleg- tled to “adequate” rest before as the Vegan Mafi a, he said. to the police. Redly staged a photo show- and during shifts, although the turkey farm has been One caller said staff “should The National Farmers’ Union ing themselves sleeping on an extent of rest required is often a targeted by militant ve- be the ones being killed” instead said: “Everyone has the right to airport fl oor. point of contention between air- A gans for offering fami- of the “innocent animals”. choose what they eat. What’s The staff were accused of gross lines and staff . lies the chance to name and Staff yesterday found ‘Mur- not OK is for some animal rights misconduct in creating the pho- The photograph of Ryanair care for their bird until it is der! Go vegan’ had been sprayed activists to use social media to to, which was shared widely on staff on the airport fl oor was slaughtered. on the front door. Pheasants not only post mistruths and in- various social media platforms, published on social media. Rya- Staff have been branded ready for sale had also been accuracies about the way food is as well as being reported by ma- nair has faced signifi cant is- murderers and received death sprayed with the bright blue made but also send particularly jor news outlets across the world. sues with staff strikes. The Irish threats since Greendale Farm paint. distressing messages and accu- However, the budget airline airline has offi cially recognised Shop advertised the pick-your- Carter, whose family has sations. Farmers take the health later published a video from se- multiple European unions over own service on Facebook. farmed in Exeter for fi ve gen- and welfare of their animals very curity cameras allegedly showing the course of this year in a bid to The post on Sunday attracted erations, said: “I’m not going seriously.” the crew moving to a corner of the improve relations. more than 4,000 comments, to remove the post or stop be- Dr Zoe Davies, chief executive crew room away from where they A Ryanair spokesperson said: mostly from the ‘Vegan Mafi a’. ing a farmer because we’ve had of a national farmers’ organisa- were originally sitting and lying “All six cabin crew members in Farm owner Matt Carter was a bit of opposition from vegan tion, said there has been a ‘con- down. One crew member then Porto were dismissed on No- called ‘twisted’, ‘psychopathic’ groups. If you are going to eat cerning increase’ in the number appears to take a photograph. vember 5 for breach of contract and a ‘murderer’. meat, I think our way is the best of members being targeted by The crew was grounded in the on grounds of gross misconduct, Others rallied to his defence way of doing it – where you can activists. early hours of October 13 in Ma- after staging a fake photograph and thanked him for giving them see the animals and then go to The Vegan Society said it laga airport, on the south coast of to support a false claim (widely the opportunity to educate their the butchers and buy the meat. “does not support any threats of Spain, because of storms in the reported in international media children about the circle of life. “It was the bit about naming violence, or abusive behaviour or Portuguese city, Porto. outlets) that they were ‘forced to Carter, 35, has off ered shop- they really didn’t like. I guess language” adding: “we encour- Ryanair claimed there were no sleep on the fl oor’ of the Malaga pers the chance to select their that’s because it brings it home age vegan activists to share their Actor Emma Thompson poses with her husband Greg hotel rooms in Malaga available crew room.” Christmas turkey from his fl ock. that it’s a real animal – but that’s message peacefully and posi- Wise whilst wearing her medal and insignia after she for staff because of the Hispanic The airline described the pho- They name, feed and look af- the whole point. That’s why we tively.” was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of Day national holiday, which falls to as “behaviour which damaged ter it for two months until it is treat them with respect.” “It’s important to note that ve- the British Empire (DBE) at an investiture ceremony at on October 12. their employer’s reputation and slaughtered, stuff ed and handed One vegan critic posted about ganism is based on kindness and Buckingham Palace in London yesterday. Ryanair said its crew were in caused an irreparable breach of to them oven-ready. the turkeys: “They are sentient compassion.” the crew room for “a short period trust with these six persons”. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 19 BRITAIN

ILLEGALS CRIME CONTROVERSY PEOPLE MOTORING 21 people found entering London teenager stabbed Councillor wears blackface Crooked banker’s wife 1.2mn motorists with poor UK in refrigerated lorry amid spate of knife crime at bonfire celebrations in extradition fight eyesight driving illegally

Six adults and 15 children as young as 12 have been A teenage boy and a man are seriously ill in A parent-teacher association for an Anglican The wife of a crooked banker who blew £16mn Up to 1.2mn people with poor eyesight could be found hidden inside a refrigerated lorry entering hospital after becoming the latest victims of primary school in Kent has apologised after shopping at Harrods is fighting extradition to driving illegally, a report warns. Almost half of the UK. The group, thought to be from Vietnam, separate knife attacks in London. Police were members taking part in a well-known bonfire her homeland. Zamira Hajiyeva, 55, was arrested optometrists (44%) have seen a patient in the last were concealed in a shipment of sparkling water at called just after midday yesterday to reports of a night celebration wore blackface makeup, after the Azerbaijani authorities accused her month who still drives despite being told their the port of Newhaven in East Sussex last Thursday, stabbing in White City, west London. The victim, among them a local Conservative councillor. of embezzling state funds. After a brief court vision is below the legal standard. This could according to a BBC news report, which said the a boy believed to be in his teens, was found at Hever Church of England school said a small appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court equate to around 1.2mn motorists, according to the lorry was stopped on after arriving from the French the scene with life-threatening stab wounds number of people connected to the PTA she swapped her £15mn Knightsbridge mansion Association of Optometrists, which commissioned port of Dieppe. Two of the adults — a man aged and taken to hospital by ambulance. Within two had worn the makeup when they marched for a prison cell as her bid for bail was blocked. a poll of 1,246 of its members. Some 262 people 18 and a woman aged 27 — were expelled from hours, at 1.53pm, police were called to a separate alongside the school’s float at the celebrations Her husband Jahangir Hajiyev is serving a 15-year were injured in crashes on the roads last year the UK, while the remaining four — a woman and incident in Hackney, east London. A man, who was in Edenbridge on Saturday. The town stages a prison sentence for embezzlement while chairman where poor eyesight was a contributory factor, three men — were placed in immigration detention. found at the scene with stab wounds, was taken large procession of carnival floats through the of Azerbaijan International Bank. Zamira is at the figures show. Despite this a separate survey The children were placed in the care of social to hospital in a serious condition, the Metropolitan centre to the site of the bonfire where an eff igy is centre of an inquiry by the National Crime Agency of 1,386 drivers by the AOP found 42% would services. They were cold but did not need medical police said. No arrests have yet been made over burned. This year the local bonfire society chose into dirty overseas cash. She has been ordered to continue to drive even if they were told their vision treatment, the BBC reported. either incident as inquiries continue. Boris Johnson. explain how she funds her lifestyle. could not be corrected to meet the legal standard. Minister sorry Royal visit for treatment of Windrush generation

Guardian News and Media The NHS is required to ask London about patients’ immigration sta- tus and can refuse treatment to those deemed ineligible. mmigration Minister Caroline Nokes urged her to speak to the Nokes has issued a “heartfelt Windrush taskforce but she said Iapology” to members of the she was too scared to do so. Windrush generation and admit- “I don’t want anyone to feel ted that she felt “ashamed” of how scared,” said Nokes. “It’s stories the Home Offi ce had treated them. like this that demonstrate to me Nokes was addressing dozens that what went wrong went re- of the Windrush generation at a ally horribly wrong. I will pick it meeting at the Black Cultural Ar- up and do absolutely everything to chives in Brixton, south London, help you.” Queen Elizabeth visits the new headquarters of Schroders in The City of London yesterday. and told them that she had come to It emerged during the meeting listen to their stories and fi nd out that not all the applications for re- about their experiences. dress under the Windrush scheme She has come under fi re for is- had reached the government. A suing contradictory statements Freepost address has been pro- about whether or not employers vided for these applications but would have to make additional one person showed Nokes that his checks on EU nationals post- application had been sent back to Brexit in the event of no deal. him with a “return to sender” no- “The way I always learn best is tice. Nokes promised to hand the by talking to people,” she told the application over personally to the Prince Charles could put members of the Windrush genera- right person. tion who had come to speak to her. Solicitor Jacqueline McKen- Several people told Nokes and zie of McKenzie Beute and Pope, the team of Home Offi ce offi cials who represents some members accompanying her about their ex- of the Windrush generation, and periences as a result of Home Of- is a member of the Windrush Ac- fi ce hostile environment policies tion Group, expressed concern at monarchy at risk: author which the Windrush generation the low number of people who the became caught up in. At times the Home Offi ce said have been as- Reuters streak could risk the institution “As a teenager, I remember to issues like the environment negative possible,” one former conversation became heated. sisted by the Windrush taskforce London itself. feeling deeply about this ap- but was someone unable to take close aide of many years, who Nokes said: “It’s really impor- to regularise their immigration “I think Charles will try his pallingly excessive demolition criticism. described himself as a big fan of tant, it really matters to me that status. There were 2,100 of them, hardest to be a good king,” Bower, job being done on every aspect “He’s very keen to criticise Charles, said. people have a chance to shout at according to the latest published rince Charles, the “rebel” who describes himself as a com- of life,” Charles said in a written others but cannot tolerate those “It’s not such a contradic- me. It really is. I just feel really statistics. heir to the British throne, mitted monarchist, said. response to Vanity Fair magazine who challenge him,” Bower said. tion that people have these polar ashamed, that’s the honest truth. “That’s shockingly low,” Mc- Pwill face a battle to win over “The question will be how he for an interview published this “He’s a person who is driven, views of him because somewhere “I feel ashamed the Home Offi ce Kenzie said. Offi cials declined to Britons and could even put the behaves, whether he abandons month. who undoubtedly wants to do in the middle is the real man.” got it so badly wrong over a long respond to her question about how monarchy at risk if he does not a lot of the qualities that were “In putting my head above the good but doesn’t understand Supporters of the prince say period. I was going to say I have to many people the Home Offi ce had temper his strong views when he shown in the preceding 20, 30 parapet on all these issues, and that the consequences of a lot of his detractors are often those say sorry but I want to say sorry. brought back from the Caribbean eventually becomes king, a royal years. I do believe the Queen and trying to remind people of their his actions cause a lot of trouble with axes to grind airing exagger- I’m really conscious that we have a who had been unlawfully removed biographer said. (her husband) Prince Philip have long-term, timeless relevance to and he doesn’t like to be told that ated grievances. “That refl ects on massive piece of work to do.” but said they would be in touch Charles, who turns 70 next been thankful to live so long to our human experience — never he might be doing something Charles for causing those people One woman from the Windrush about it. Nokes apologised several week, will be the oldest monarch prevent their son being the mon- mind trying to do something wrong.” to have a grievance,” Bower said. generation told Nokes she had times for treatment of the Wind- to be crowned when he fi nally arch because he would have jeop- about them — I found myself in Former aides who have worked “You don’t fi nd people speak- been thrown out of her council rush generation who had been in- succeeds his 92-year-old mother ardised it.” Such critical portraits confl ict with the conventional closely with Charles say many of ing with grievances against the accommodation because of a lack vited to Britain to help rebuild the Queen Elizabeth. of the prince are not new. outlook which, as I discovered, the stories in Bower’s book are Queen.” While the Queen was a of clarity about her immigration country after World War II. Tom Bower, whose unauthor- Since the public breakdown of is not exactly the most pleasant simply not true. The prince him- unifi er, he said: “Charles does the status. “I have kids and grandkids “We went out and asked for ised Rebel Prince biography of his marriage to Princess Diana in situation to fi nd yourself.” self has dismissed a story that he opposite. He divides the nation here but the Home Offi ce want to help. Help came. We have treated Charles was published earlier the 1990s, his lifestyle and views Bower, whose biography was travels with his own toilet seat. between those who like him and send me back,” she said. “I’m go- people shamefully since then. this year, said the prince was in- on issues such as climate change, based on interviews with 120 “I can understand why crit- dislike him, he divides his own ing blind but I’m scared to see a I would like to give everyone a telligent, kind and sensitive but religion, alternative medicine people including some who ics will write... negatively, but court, he creates hostility when doctor because of my issues with heartfelt apology. We are here to also selfi sh, ungrateful, and a and architecture have often had worked closely for the royals, all they’re doing is taking a facet he be creating harmony and the Home Offi ce.” help, we will help,” she said. lover of luxury whose stubborn unfavourable treatment. said the prince was committed of him and making it the most that’s his trait.”

Tribute Teen’s family launches art Farmer jailed for project in her memory volunteer’s death Guardian News and Media machine’s drive shaft – known as London a power take off or PTO – 28 min- Guardian News and Media disappearance, Gaia’s mother, Na- hoping it will help make sure the utes before she died. London tasha Pope, said: “This year has teenager is not forgotten and cre- The farmer had told investiga- been more painful than words can ate a forum for people aff ected by farmer who caused the tors he had been bedding down say. Sometimes I can’t believe I sexual violence and mental health horrifi c death of a young some cattle at the time of the ac- he family of a teenager have survived it, but with my every issues to share their experiences Avolunteer by failing to re- cident, but prosecutors said the whose disappearance from breath I love and demand justice through creative work. place a £75 cover on a World War video was proof he used the mill Tan English seaside town has for my daughter. They are calling for Gaia’s II-era milling machine has been that day. led to concerns over care for young “Since #MeToo, we have seen a friends, anyone involved in the jailed. Justice Dingemans said it was people with mental health issues rising movement for the rights of search and the wider public to Lauren Scott, 20, was spun clear Carpenter had started oper- have launched an art project in her women and girls. Change is com- think about submitting pieces of violently and fl ayed alive when ating the mill and Scott had taken memory a year after she vanished. ing.” art. her hair and clothes became en- over “in her normal helpful way”. Relatives of Gaia Pope, whose Calling for further help, Gaia’s Dorset police’s response to her tangled in the drive shaft of the The fi ve-day trial had heard body was found 11 days after she cousin Marienna Pope-Weide- disappearance is the subject of an equipment. Scott was an animal-lover who went missing in Swanage in Dor- mann said: “When she was miss- inquiry by the Independent Offi ce A court heard that a plastic often volunteered to help out at set, are also appealing for anyone ing, it was the support and dedica- for Police Conduct. sleeve which should have covered Carpenter’s 10-acre Springfi eld with information about the case to tion from the public that kept us The watchdog is also investigat- the spinning shaft was broken, Farm in Dawlish, Devon, a few come forward. going. You gave us hope that we ing a complaint from Gaia’s fam- leaving parts exposed. It would miles from her home in Kenton. Gaia, 19, vanished on November would fi nd Gaia. ily over Dorset police’s decision to have cost the tiny amount to re- In the tragedy on March 4 last 7 last year, leading to an extensive “A year after her death, we must take no further action in relation place. year she was scalped and had her police search and a campaign by call on you again to help us fi nd to the allegation of rape. Her fam- Neil Carpenter, 45, was found clothes ripped off after getting her family and friends to fi nd her. justice for her. We can’t do this ily said she developed symptoms guilty of manslaughter by gross caught in the shaft, which spun Her body was discovered in un- without you. of post-traumatic stress disorder negligence and sentenced to four- at 540 times a minute. Prosecu- dergrowth near a coastal path by “If you know anything that following that decision. and-a-half years in jail after he tor David Sapiecha said the eff ect police. might aid the investigation into Deborah Coles, the director of oversaw ‘appalling’ safety stand- would have been “instantaneous A postmortem revealed that Gaia’s rape case or the missing campaign group Inquest, which Captain James Pugh of the British army poses with ards. and catastrophic”. Gaia, who had epilepsy, died from persons investigation and help us is supporting the family, said: “It a section of 72,396 shrouded figures, which form Exeter Crown Court heard how Health and Safety Executive hypothermia but her family have learn the truth, please come for- is important that her family see the installation “Shrouds of the Somme” by British he lied about what had happened inspector Simon Jones said: “The raised concerns both about the ward; not just for Gaia’s sake, but a prompt and robust investiga- artist Rob Heard, laid out at the Queen Elizabeth and was brought to justice only guarding on this PTO was utterly police search and how offi cers for the sake of anyone else who tion. There has never been greater Olympic Park in London to represent Commonwealth after video footage was discov- appalling.” Carpenter also admit- dealt with an allegation of rape she might be at risk.” disquiet about victims of sexual servicemen who died at the Somme, and who have no ered on Scott’s phone. It showed ted two health and safety off ences made in December 2015. The family has launched a crea- violence being failed by statutory known grave. Carpenter starting up a tractor and will serve eight months con- A year on from her daughter’s tive project called #ArtForGaia, agencies. which powered the 1940s milling currently for those off ences. Gulf Times 20 Thursday, November 8, 2018 EUROPE Merkel protege Season’s colours wants new era in Germany Reuters Karrenbauer, who German media have suggested the top rate of tax be raised to Berlin nicknamed “AKK” after her initials, told 53%. A stroller walks his dogs in an autumn-coloured forest in Cuxhaven, nothern Germany. reporters in Berlin. Vowing “not to pursue an election “We have to thank Angela Merkel for a campaign against others”, Kramp-Kar- itching to succeed Angela Merkel as great deal.” renbauer delivered a message of party co- Christian Democrat (CDU) leader, “My experience is...that one always hesion and said that if she won the lead- PAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer yes- stands on the shoulders of one’s pred- ership she would seek to work with Merz terday promised a new chapter for Ger- ecessor,” she added, stressing the need for and Spahn, who lags the other two candi- many in which “people feel at home here” political stability in uncertain times. dates in polls. after a period of political turmoil marked “We need to work out a way for people Merz is chairman of the German arm European defence by the rise of the far-right. here to feel at home — people who have of the US hedge fund BlackRock, whose Should she secure the CDU leadership, lived here a long time and people who Munich offi ces prosecutors searched on Kramp-Karrenbauer, 56, would be in pole have arrived more recently,” she added, Tuesday as part of Germany’s largest position to succeed Merkel as chancellor. with reference to the upheaval caused by post-war fraud investigation, a person But polls show Kramp-Karrenbauer, Germany’s migrant crisis in 2015. with knowledge of the matter said. coalition launched who is the conservative party’s general She laid out the challenges of delivering BlackRock says it is fully co-operating secretary, lags businessman Friedrich prosperity and social cohesion but did not with the investigation covering the period Merz, 62, in the race. spell out any specifi c policy prescriptions. of 2007-2011. Reuters with the EU’s launch of a landmark newly assertive Russia. Merkel said last week she would vacate It could prove harder for Merkel to re- Merz took his role at BlackRock only in Paris defence pact meant to promote The initiative does not “contra- the CDU leadership at a party congress in main chancellor with Merz as CDU leader, 2016 and has condemned illicit dividend joint military investment. dict or circumvent the EU’s historic December, heralding the end of a 13-year as he lost out to her in a power struggle in stripping, but his role at the world’s big- Germany, Belgium, Britain, Den- defence eff orts, nor those of Nato,” era in which she has dominated European 2002 and has since pursued a successful gest fund manager risks refl ecting poorly coalition of European mili- mark, Estonia, the Netherlands, the defence offi cial said. politics. business career. on him in socially-minded Germany. taries ready to react to crises Spain and Portugal have all given “On the contrary, it will only im- As heir to Merkel’s centrist cause, Kramp-Karrenbauer’s advantage In an election, Merz’s right-wing pitch Anear the continent’s borders their green light for the French-led prove interoperability between the Kramp-Karrenbauer could probably co- over the other two candidates, Merz and could draw back some CDU voters from was launched yesterday with Fin- move. participating countries.” habit as party leader with Merkel as chan- Health Minister Jens Spahn, is that she the anti-immigration Alternative for land becoming the 10th country to It will see members collaborate On Tuesday, Macron called for a cellor, which she wants to remain until has won an election — albeit in the small Germany, which has gained from unease join, amid calls by French President on planning, on the analysis of new “real European army” to reduce de- the end of the parliamentary term in 2021. western state of Saarland — and served as among some voters about the infl ux of Emmanuel Macron for a “real Euro- military and humanitarian crises, pendence on the United States. For Kramp-Karrenbauer, the challenge state premier there. more than 1mn asylum seekers since 2015. pean army”. and on eventual military responses European Commission President is to defi ne her own profi le distinct from She is on the CDU’s left on economic Kramp-Karrenbauer is more likely to The French-led initiative would to those crises. Jean-Claude Juncker has long been Merkel’s, while remaining loyal to the policy, being a strong advocate of the be able to form a coalition with the rising not confl ict with the almost “In an environment where a vocal supporter of the idea that chancellor. minimum wage. force in German politics — the Greens, 70-year-old, US-dominated Nato threats and upheavals of a geopo- the EU should have more common “This is the end of the era,” Kramp- Before the 2013 national election she now the second-strongest party. alliance, proponents say, but re- litical or climatic nature are multi- defence capability, separate from fl ects in part concerns about a more plying, the initiative must send the Nato. isolationist United States under message that Europe is ready, that Not everyone is convinced. President Donald Trump. Europe is capable,” a French de- “Pragmatic advances and pa- The European Intervention Ini- fence ministry offi cial said. tient construction with those who All quiet on the... tiative took offi cial shape in Paris The imminent departure from are ready and willing for a political after months of negotiations with the EU of Britain, long opposed to convergence in defence are infi - Germany, who France wants at the EU military collaboration outside nitely preferable to totally illusory centre of the force. Nato, has revived talk of defence and even counterproductive slo- Macron proposed the idea more co-operation — as have concerns gans and incantations,” said Arnaud than a year ago but was met with that Trump might prove less will- Danjean, a member of the foreign scepticism by other European Un- ing than his predecessors to come and defence committee at the Eu- ion nations, the idea coinciding to Europe’s defence in the face of a ropean parliament.

Italy okays tough anti-migrant decree

By Charles Onians, AFP than international law — that were be housed in diff erent parts of the Rome awarded to 25% of asylum seekers country in order to facilitate inte- last year. gration. Instead, residency permits will There are currently around he Italian Senate yesterday be awarded under stricter condi- 146,000 migrants held in the coun- cleared the way for far-right tions such as a one-year “special try’s reception centres, down from TInterior Minister Matteo protection” status or a six-month 183,000 at the end of 2017. Salvini’s tough anti-migrant and “natural disaster in country of ori- The Italian mayors’ association security decree to become law fol- gin” status. has railed against the change, say- lowing a confi dence vote. The Italian Refugee Council said ing that having hundreds of unem- Cannons are displayed in the middle of Belleau Wood behind the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery dedicated to the US The populist government of Sal- it was “seriously concerned” by the ployed migrants in reception cen- soldiers killed in the Belleau Wood battle during the World War I at Belleau, France. vini’s League and Luigi Di Maio’s new law. tres can have a negative impact on anti-establishment Five Star “The abolition of humanitarian small communities. Movement (M5S) won the vote with protection will put thousands of The new law also lets local police 163 senators for, 59 against — in- people outside the law and only a have Taser stun guns and makes it Balkans deal on war missing an ‘investment in peace’ cluding fi ve M5S members — and 19 very few can be repatriated,” it said easier to evict squatters by getting abstentions. in a statement. rid of the obligation of fi nding pro- alkan countries will boost co-op- terview at the non-governmental group’s share information, and to even carry out The lower house of parliament A new procedure to fast-track the visional housing for the most vul- eration to identify victims of the headquarters in The Hague. joint exhumations. now has until the end of November expulsion of “dangerous” asylum nerable. B1990s wars, said the head of a group “The fact that they came together to “I am sure there will be hiccups, there to approve the decree, which the seekers will also be implemented. “We must welcome those who that helps trace missing people, describ- form a missing persons group and to sign always are, but genuinely I think they’re coalition fi rst put forward in Sep- The United Nations refugee are fl eeing war, but there is no place ing it as a “big deal” in an era of growing a work plan to commit themselves to fi nd- all committed,” Bomberger said. tember and makes it easier to expel agency said ahead of the vote that for economic migrants,” Salvini nationalism around the world. ing the remaining 12,000 missing persons The ICMP was set up in 1996 in Sara- migrants and strip them of Italian some of the decree’s provisions “do said. “Whoever fl ees a war is my Representatives from Bosnia, Croatia, is a big deal,” she added. jevo by then US president Bill Clinton and citizenship. not provide adequate guarantees, brother, but whoever comes here to Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia signed “That’s not an easy feat in an era now of moved to The Hague in 2016, where it Salvini tweeted that it was a especially for the vulnerable or sell drugs and create disorder must the agreement on Tuesday, said the Inter- populism and nationalism,” said Bomb- now hosts laboratories with DNA testing “historic day” after the Senate vote. those with particular needs such as go home.” national Commission on Missing Persons erger. technology. Work to identify the missing The government opted for a victims of abuse or torture”. One of the most controversial (ICMP). The deal came despite lasting tensions in the Balkans has been gruelling, cover- confi dence vote to get the decree “Lawmakers still have time to do measures in the bill provides for Around 12,000 people are still not ac- in the region, which during the 1990s ing mass graves such as those from the through the Senate after M5S mem- the right thing, not only for asylum stripping immigrants of their Ital- counted for out of the 40,000 missing formed the battleground to Europe’s 1995 massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim bers tabled a slew of amendments. seekers and refugees, but also for ian nationality if they are convicted from the wars that tore apart the former deadliest confl ict since World War II. men and boys at Srebrenica in Bosnia. It should have no problem pass- Italy’s long and proud tradition in of “terrorism”. Salvini, who is also Yugoslavia, according to the ICMP, which More than 70% of people missing af- The ICMP also has a programme in ing the lower house given the coali- terms of respect for human rights,” deputy prime minister, has taken a helps with DNA testing and the exchange ter the confl ict have now been identifi ed, Iraq, is involved in identifying migrants tion’s majority. the UNHCR said on Monday. hardline on immigration since the of data. giving closure to loved ones and also pro- missing in the Mediterranean, and has The decree ends two-year “hu- Asylum seekers will in future be coalition came to power in June, “It’s an investment in peace and sta- viding evidence for international trials. helped identify victims from crimes and manitarian protection” residency housed in bigger reception cen- refusing to allow several ships car- bility, defi nitely,” ICMP director general The agreement will now see the coun- disasters including the 2014 shooting permits — a lower level of asy- tres, while only minors and those rying migrants rescued in the Med- Kathryne Bomberger told AFP in an in- tries step up work to identify the rest, to down of fl ight MH17 over Ukraine. lum status based on Italian rather with recognised refugee status will iterranean to dock at Italian ports. Anger grows after deadly Marseille building collapse

By Estelle Emonet and Several other buildings in the and two women, prosecutor ings, only one of which was oc- Comoro Islands, said: “It’s only Castaner told lawmakers in The neighbourhood struck Julie Pacorel, AFP narrow street have been evacu- Xavier Tarabeux told AFP. cupied. blacks and Arabs living here, so Paris on Tuesday that he had or- by the disaster is home to many Marseille ated amid fears of further col- “We’re working hard, so Those on either side were in nobody cares.” dered a building-by-building au- buildings in a similarly dilapidat- lapse as “all the buildings lean there’s still hope,” a rescue work- such a poor state that they had “I pay rent — 380 euros ($430) dit before an launching an “am- ed condition, some of them run against each other” on the slop- er told AFP at dawn yesterday as been declared off limits and a month — and I even pay a mu- bitious programme for ensuring by slum landlords. sixth body was found yes- ing street, a fi refi ghter involved his team continued to search the boarded up for a number of years. nicipal housing tax. But you’ve safe conditions” in coordination Local residents called for a terday in the wreckage of in the search for survivors said. wreckage with sniff er dogs. City offi cials said building ex- seen the state of the buildings,” with Marseille authorities. meeting yesterday evening to de- Atwo dilapidated buildings Small groups of the 105 resi- But Interior Minister Christo- perts inspected the occupied build- the young man said. “Nearly 6,000 properties have mand better housing conditions. that collapsed in the French city dents ordered to leave were be- phe Castaner had already warned ing on October 18 and shoring up Sophie Dorbeaux told AFP she been identifi ed as at risk” in the Marseille authorities began of Marseille, where furious resi- ing escorted by fi refi ghters back on Monday evening that there work was then carried out before had left the now-demolished city, he said, representing some a vast upgrade plan for the city dents have accused authorities inside the buildings to fetch some was “little chance of fi nding air residents were allowed back in. block on Sunday night to stay 44,000 lodgings in lower-class centre in 2011. But a 2015 govern- of ignoring warnings about the of their belongings. pockets” in the rubble. Residents say structural prob- with her parents because her neighbourhoods. ment report said about 100,000 state of housing for the poorest. “It brings back my memories The diffi cult rescue operation lems were widely known, but city door, like several others, was not Marseille city authorities, who Marseille residents were living As many as eight people are of the war, when I was a child,” — and the fragility of the build- offi cials did little when alerted opening or closing properly. have evacuated and rehoused 105 in housing that was dangerous to feared to have been killed when said Yoanna, a 27-year-old Leba- ings — became clear when a third about them. “Everybody knew “The walls had been moving residents from nearby buildings, their health or security. the buildings crumbled in a mat- nese woman. “I’ve never had to adjoining block partially col- about the problems,” said Patrick for several weeks and cracks had believe heavy rain may have con- “It’s unthinkable that such ter of seconds on Monday morn- leave an apartment so quickly.” lapsed on Monday evening. Lacoste, a spokesman for a local appeared,” the 25-year-old phi- tributed to the collapse. things happen in our time,” said ing in Noailles, a working-class After searching the rubble for Google Maps images taken housing action group. “People losophy student said. But critics say Marseille’s Christian Gouverneur, who owns district in the heart of the Medi- a second night, rescuers have in recent months showed large died for nothing.” “It could have been me,” she poorest have long lived in unac- a fl at across the road from the terranean port city. retrieved the bodies of four men cracks in the facades of the build- Adama, originally from the added, visibly shaken. ceptable conditions. disaster site. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 21 INDIA

NGOs’ protest continues in Mizoram, EC summons CEO

IANS meanwhile, called the CEO to Election Commission director wat and other Election Commis- IAS offi cer, was reinstated. The 35,000 Reang tribals have tention of hurting the sentiments Aizawl discuss the situation, which Nikhil Kumar and Commission sioners in New Delhi. The Election Commission last demanded setting up of polling of the local people. was said to be returning to secretary S B Joshi arrived here “Hundreds of MNCC activists week removed Chuaungo from stations in refugee camps. “I strictly adhered by the rules normalcy after the Mizoram on Tuesday and left Aizawl yes- peacefully demonstrated in front his post for dereliction of duty Among the refugees, just over and the Election Commission’s n apex body of NGOs con- NGO Co-ordination Com- terday after meeting leaders of of the CEO’s offi ce here in sup- and interference in the election 11,000 are eligible to vote in Mi- guidelines and order,” he told re- tinued to protest here for mittee (MNCC) called for the MNCC, church bodies, elec- port of their demands,” a police process. zoram. porters. Aa second day yesterday state-wide protests for the tion offi cials and civil and police offi cial said. The CEO in his report to the Mizoram Chief Minister Lal The two main political parties against the removal of Principal sacking of CEO S B Shashank offi cers to normalise the situa- The MNCC, led by Mizoram’s Election Commission reportedly Thanhawla in separate letters to in the state, the ruling Congress Secretary (Home) Lalnunmawia after Chuaungo was removed tion. most powerful NGO Young Mizo said that Chuaungo was creating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the opposition Bharatiya Ja- Chuaungo and demanding the on an Election Commission According to offi cials of the Association, in a statement urged obstacles in allowing the Reang and Home Minister Rajnath nata Party, are also backing the sacking of the Chief Electoral order. state election department, the people to continue their tribals, sheltered in Tripura for Singh strongly opposed the re- protests. Offi cer (CEO) in election-bound A three-member Election Shashank left here yesterday af- protests until Shashank was re- over 21 years, to vote in the No- moval of Chuaungo. Christian-dominated Mizo- Mizoram. Commission team compris- ternoon to meet Chief Election moved as the CEO and Chuaun- vember 28 polls to the 40-mem- Meanwhile, Mizoram CEO ram is the only state ruled by the The Election Commission, ing Jharkhand CEO L Khiangte, Commissioner Om Prakash Ra- go, a 1987-batch Gujarat-cadre ber Mizoram Assembly. Shashank said that he had no in- Congress in northeast India. Hyderabad shooter ready for probe into tiger killing

IANS me. I challenge them to prove Hyderabad their allegations. They are power drunk,” said the 60-year-old Khan. harpshooter Shafat Ali Shafat, assigned the job of Khan is ready to face any capturing or killing the tigress, Sprobe into the shooting of had gone to Patna to attend a Bi- a man-eater tiger in Maharashtra har State Wildlife Board meeting as he says the inquiry will bring when Asghar along with the team out the facts. reached Ralegaon on receiving “We are 100% ready for any information about sighting of inquiry at any level. Nothing il- the man-eater on the evening of legal has happened. In fact, we November 2. want an inquiry so that the truth Asghar told IANS that the ti- comes out,” Khan told IANS yes- gress came before them when terday. they were on the road. She was Maharashtra Chief Minister about 20m away from their Devendra Fadnavis on Monday open-top SUV. announced a probe to establish if “After two forest guards iden- there were any lapses in the kill- tifi ed the animal as T1, a forester ing of Avni last week. fi red the dart. But in a fraction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with people on the occasion of Diwali at Harsil in Uttarakhand yesterday. Avni, identifi ed as T1 and held a second she charged towards us responsible for killing at least 13 with a roar. If I had not opened humans, was shot dead in a vil- fi re, it would have killed two- lage in Yavatmal district on No- three people,” said Asghar re- vember 2. calling that the big cat was just Shafat Ali Khan, whose son 6-8m away. Asghar Ali Khan shot dead the Defending his action, the tigress, said those sitting in air- young hunter said T1 was not be- conditioned rooms 1,000km having like a normal tiger and for PM celebrates Diwali away and making allegations her human beings were just like against them did not know the cats and dogs. facts. He explained that this change Shafat said they were still very in her psychology was due to her much part of the operation to venturing out of the natural hab- achieve its second goal - captur- itat, because of which she was ing two cubs of the tigress and not getting her base prey. with troops on border shift them to a rescue centre. “I was not at all happy. The “There is no threat to them. operation had gone out of con- IANS fl uence of Jalandhari Gadh and the people,” Modi said. acted with people from nearby state government offi cials on They are 11-month-old so they trol and ended in big disappoint- Dehradun Bhagirathi rivers and at the foot The prime minister recalled areas who had gathered to greet the reconstruction work of the are not cubs. Technically we call ment,” said Asghar, who claimed of the mountain that lies at the that he has been visiting soldiers him. guesthouse near the shrine. them sub-adults. They are bigger that during fi rst encounter with head of the Baspa Valley at a on Diwali ever since he was the Later, Modi left for the Ke- Meanwhile, Defence Minister than leopards and can capture the tigress on September 14 they rime Minister Narendra height of around 8,000ft. chief minister of Gujarat. darnath shrine where he off ered Nirmala Sitharaman too cel- their prey,” he said. had escaped narrowly. Modi yesterday celebrated Modi was accompanied by He also spoke of his interac- prayers and reviewed the recon- ebrated Diwali with soldiers and The marksman said he was He did not shoot her as she PDiwali with army soldiers army chief Bipin Rawat. tions with the ITBP personnel struction of the temple. their families at Hyulong in Aru- seeking legal opinion to take ac- had stopped at a distance after and personnel of the Indo- Greeting the army and ITBP years ago when he was part of Many parts around the shrine nachal Pradesh. tion against those making per- charging toward them. Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), personnel on the occasion, Modi the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. were devastated in the 2013 fl ash The minister was greeted by sonal and baseless allegations Stating that they had exhaust- mandated to guard 3,488km Si- said their devotion to duty in “India is taking great strides fl oods. village elders from the Mishmi against them. ed all options of capturing the no-India border, in Uttarakhand the remote icy heights was ena- forward in the defence sector,” The prime minister has taken tribe. “We will not leave them. We tigress alive, he said the killing of and said India was taking great bling the strength of the nation Modi said, and spoke of various personal interest in the recon- In a video uploaded on her of- will make sure that they are un- 13 people by the man-eater dur- strides forward in the defence and securing the future and the measures being taken for the struction and has visited the fi cial Twitter handle, the minis- seated from positions of power,” ing last two-and-half years had sector. dreams of 1.25bn Indians. welfare of ex-servicemen, in- shrine twice in the last six months. ter is seen interacting with the he said, without naming Minis- created a terror in 26 villages. The prime minister reached “Diwali is the festival of lights cluding OROP (One Rank, One It has been snowing in the re- soldiers and distributing sweets ter of Woman and Child Devel- “We had to avoid a situation Harshil village at around 7.50am which spreads the light of good- Pension). gion for the past few days and to them. opment Maneka Gandhi, who where people would have turned on a special Indian Air Force ness and dispels fear. The ja- He said that the Indian armed the road from the VIP helipad to “Happy Diwali to everyone! alleged that he had links with an- against the tiger because if this plane and distributed sweets to wans, through their commit- forces draw admiration and ap- the shrine that had been covered Jai Hind!” the minister tweeted. ti-nationals and was a suspected happens no matter what policy or the personnel, according to an ment and discipline, are also preciation across the world and with snow has been cleared. Earlier in the morning, she murderer. conservation plan you make, it will ITBP spokesperson. helping to spread the sense of in UN peacekeeping operations. Modi also watched a video celebrated the festival with “No court of law has convicted be threat to all tigers,” he said. Harshil is situated at the con- security and fearlessness among The prime minister also inter- presentation prepared by the troops in Dinjan in Assam.

Remembering Sikh guru Accounts frozen after govt Activist plans peace staff get double salaries walk to Geneva AFP confl icts around the world and Geneva dwindling natural resources. Agencies his salary has been debited form the zonal offi cers of Co-operative Rajagopal acknowledged that Chandigarh his account. Bank, Union Bank of India and there were many challenges “I received a single salary and Punjab National Bank to revoke n Indian activist said yes- ahead. that too has been debited. With Di- the bank accounts. terday that he expects He said there could be prob- t was ecstasy, chaos and misery wali holiday tomorrow, I don’t know But some employees, who had Athousands of people to lems obtaining visas for the for Punjab government em- what to do,” he said on Tuesday. not received the double salary, were join his “March for Justice and walkers to some of the countries Iployees in a span of just three Earlier, it was utter chaos at the shocked after they received an SMS Peace”, a 9,500km hike from New in their path, and that they may days. offi ces of the Punjab government saying that their October salary has Delhi to Geneva next year. choose to take a boat from Mum- On Saturday, some employees in Ludhiana district as a number of been debited from their account. Rajagopal P V told reporters in bai to Greece, and continue their found they had been paid double employees belonging to diff erent “The offi cials are working to re- Geneva that he plans to begin his walk from there. salary for October, and thought departments couldn’t withdraw solve the issue and the employees long trek from New Delhi next The man often dubbed the the Punjab government had given their salaries. whose salaries have been debited October 2 and should arrive in the “New Gandhi” - a title he says them a Diwali gift. To add to this, a number of will get the money back soon,” said a Swiss city on September 25, 2020. he is uncomfortable with - said But their happiness was short- employees who had not received senior offi cial in Ludhiana adminis- The departure date is the 150th he hoped to get the Dalai Lama lived as they could not withdraw double salary also found their ac- tration, requesting anonymity. birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, and former US president Barack their hard-earned money for three counts frozen. More than Rs1bn An assistant sub-inspector said which Rajagopal said “India is Obama involved in his cause. days. excess payment was made to gov- he needed money to buy sweets, celebrating in a big way” against From now until next Octo- Their accounts were frozen after ernment employees across Punjab. clothes and gifts for his family but a backdrop of an intensifi cation ber, he said he planned to travel the government realised that some In Ludhiana district alone, it could not withdraw the salary. of confl icts around the world. around the world to seek sup- employees have been paid double was Rs630mn and the fi gure was “I never received double sal- The 70-year-old engineer and port from organisations and cit- salary following a technical glitch. Rs500mn in Amritsar district. ary, why am I made to suff er? Also, advocate for the rights of land- ies, in the hope that thousands As if this was not enough, the It was on Monday that the even those who have received less peasants in India said the of walkers from other corners of government debited the salary of employees realised that their ac- double salary have not commit- Sikh devotees gather to pay their respects on the oc- idea was to cross through Paki- the globe will also set off on a trek some employees who did not even counts have been frozen and ted any mistake that they are being casion of Bandi Chhor Divas at the Golden Temple in stan, Iran and Turkey on the way towards Geneva. receive the double payment. started visiting banks as well as the deprived of their money. I am not Amritsar yesterday. Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas on towards the Swiss “city of peace”. Once they arrive in Geneva, District public relations offi cer district treasury offi ce. even able to withdraw the amount the same day as Diwali to mark the historic return of the The aim is to draw interna- the walkers plan to organise a Prabhdeep Singh said he received On Tuesday evening, the ad- that was there before I received the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind. tional attention to the links week of discussions on peace and an SMS on Tuesday evening that ministration issued directions to salary,” he said. between a growing number of non-violence in the city. Gulf Times 22 Thursday, November 8, 2018 INDIA

Ex-minister, 8 IAS offi cers face probe in Andhra land scam

Agencies nam district by a special investi- Lal, Joint Collector G Srijana and no objection certifi cates (NOCs) ty (TDP) in an apparent bid to the SIT remained silent over the in the Rayalaseema region. Hyderabad gation team (SIT). Deputy Collector of Visakhapat- by manipulating a section of of- browbeat leaders belonging to fraud in land deals reported from One of them is the then district The team was set up by the nam L Vijayasaradhi recommended fi cials to change the records of opposition parties. 2014 only to cover up the bigwigs collector who is currently on dep- government of Andhra Pradesh criminal action against those alleg- three acres of land assigned to “We purchased the land at in the ruling TDP. utation at the Centre and another ormer revenue minister in June last year to inquire into edly involved in the scam. an ex-serviceman in favour of Rs5.3 crore only after the seller Those accused in the scam also has opted for Telangana cadre after Dharmana Prasada Rao of complaints of tampering of The cost of land that slipped Virgin Rocks Private Limited, a obtained an NOC from the then include three IAS offi cers who the state’s bifurcation. Fthe opposition YSR Con- records of 1,226 acres of prime out of government’s hands runs granite mining and export com- district collector and the sale served as Visakhapatnam’s district Revenue Minister K E Krishna- gress, eight senior IAS offi cers government lands in and around into hundreds of millions of ru- pany located in Madhuravada deed was executed by the rev- collector over a period of time, murthy announced the forma- and other district-level offi cials Visakhapatnam city. The team pees, the SIT report said. area of which he was a promoter. enue and stamps and registration three other offi cers during their tion of the SIT after his cabinet from the stamps and registration submitted a detailed report to the Dharmana Prasada Rao, who Prasada Rao, the regional co- departments jointly. Where is the stint as joint collector, a district colleague Chintakayala Ayyanna department have been named state cabinet on Tuesday. was revenue minister during the ordinator of the YSR Congress, scope for tampering of records,” revenue offi cer, who was later pro- Patrudu, holding the roads and in a multi-million land scam in The SIT, comprising Deputy In- period when the scam was re- alleged he was being targeted by he asked. moted as an IAS offi cer and is cur- buildings portfolio, blew the Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapat- spector General of Police Vineet Brij ported, is accused of obtaining the ruling Telegu Desam Par- The former minister said that rently serving as a district collector whistle over the land scam.

Police probe Garbage fire mysterious death of Minister in Australian

Agencies Patna nepotism row

ystery continues to shroud the sudden Mdeath of a 35-year- old Australian tourist who was found hanging from a tree in must go, says Bodh Gaya, Bihar on Saturday. The body of John James Allan was handed over to the Austral- ian embassy on Monday after all formalities were completed. Allan’s body was sent to Luc- know, from where it fl own to Kerala’s UDF New Delhi. The police are exploring all By Ashraf Padanna including a regional manager angles, including murder and Thiruvananthapuram of a public sector bank and an ‘forced suicide’. undersecretary of the finance Discussions with locals and department. other Australian tourists re- erala’s Congress Party- “He (Jaleel) said none other vealed that Allan had been at led opposition United than Adeeb had the required the Buddhist township for more KDemocratic Front (UDF) qualifications. He was lying. than two months and visited yesterday stepped up the heat He had made some 60 similar Delhi and other places in be- on a minister accused of nepo- postings,” said P K Firos, gen- tween. tism to resign. eral secretary of the MYL. He preferred private houses The opposition says Higher “We complained to the Vigi- for his stay. Education Minister K T Jaleel lance, but they did nothing. So Nobody revealed the names appointed his cousin K T Adeeb we decided to move the Kerala of local people he was in contact as the general manager of a High Court against the minis- with. state-run aid agency for minor- ter.” Sources revealed that he ities disregarding merit. They cite a series of viola- might have lent money to in- He appointed Adeeb, a bank tions by the minister including vest in a business. Some said his officer, at the Kerala State Mi- the requirement of an expert funds had run short and he did norities Development Finance committee clearance for such not have money to go back to Corporation overlooking five Jaleel: under fire top-level appointments. Australia. other applicants. Industries Minister E P According to some reports, Strangely, the opposition qualified hands for govern- Jayarajan had to resign in 2016, the Australian used to frequent says, Adeeb lacked the required ment jobs,” Chennithala asked after barely five months in of- Bodh Gaya alone and had a mo- qualifications for the plum post at a press conference in Thiru- fice, for appointing his nephew torbike bearing the registration and had not even attended the vananthapuram yesterday. as head of a public sector enter- number of Delhi. interview “which is a clear case “Moreover, he did not get prise, following which the gov- On the ill-fated night, he was of nepotism”. the mandatory Vigilance (the ernment announced strict rules last seen by a kiosk operator “He has violated the oath anti-corruption police) clear- to ensure merit. around Rajapur garden. of office, so the chief minister ance required for such post- He quietly returned as a min- Police are investigating across (Pinarayi Vijayan) should sack ings.” ister armed with a Vigilance certain pockets of Bodh Gaya. him,” said Ramesh Chennitha- The Muslim Youth League clearance recently when the au- The investigation team is try- la, the leader of the opposition (MYL), which flagged the is- thorities were busy rebuilding ing to locate all those who were in the state assembly. sue, is now on a campaign seek- the state after the worst floods in close contact with him. “He is a culprit under the ing the minister’s resignation, in a century. However, even after 72 hours Anti-Corruption Act 1988. He waving black flags at him in Jayarajan, the de facto No of the incident, the local police had admitted on Facebook that several places. 2 in the cabinet, was the sec- have failed to fi nd the house he invited his relative and gifted The youth wing of the Indian ond tainted minister to return where Allan resided for two him the job as he found him a Union Muslim League (IUML) after P P Saseendran who was months. suitable candidate.” is now planning to take Jaleel to trapped in a telephone sleaze Bodh Gaya’s deputy superin- Chennithala said the min- court as he has refused to quit talk by a woman journalist. tendent of police (DSP) Raman ister relaxed the qualification saying he did nothing wrong “What Jaleel did was a more Kumar Chaudhary said that the criteria to accommodate his and it was a norm there. serious crime of nepotism than police have launched an investi- cousin. Jaleel, an independent leg- Jayarajan as the government gation and all options are under While a 2013 order says the islator, supported by the rul- had brought in stricter norms the ambit of the probe. general manager requires a ing Communist Party of India since,” said Chennithala. A forensic report would fur- masters in business manage- (Marxist), was a former general “He made the appoint- ther reveal the truth behind the ment or equivalent besides a secretary of the Muslim Youth ment violating the decision of death and the probe team was bachelor’s degree, in 2016, the League. his cabinet. He has no right to trying to locate those who were A heap of garbage is set on fire causing pollution and problems to motorists in Bengaluru minister eased it to a postgrad- The MYL released docu- continue in office, and his ar- in contact with the deceased, he yesterday. uate diploma for his cousin. ments showing the qualifi- guments are boomeranging on said. “Is this the way you find cations of other applicants him.”

Online registration S Korean First Lady visits Taj Mahal a hit with voters ‘Police watched as right-wing The Pune district administra- tion has received 53,553 voter registrations online, through the first online registration initiative, activists took over temple’ a two-month drive that began on September 1 and ended on October 31. Agencies women in the age group of 10 to 50 ‘choorunu’ (rice-giving) cer- District authorities collected a total Thiruvananthapuram to enter the temple though the Su- emony of her grandchild. of 201,324 fresh applications forms. preme Court on September 28 had Clapping and shouting slogans, As per voters list, there were ruled that the shrine must be opened a huge crowd of devotees sur- 7.2mn voters in the Pune district. indu right-wing groups to women from all age groups. rounded Lalitha suspecting her to The final voter list will be pub- virtually took over the Meanwhile, a 29-year old man be of under 50, but the police in- lished on January 4, 2019. HSabarimala temple dur- was arrested yesterday on charg- tervened and escorted her out. Monika Singh, deputy election ing the 24 hours it opened while es of participating in the alleged The woman showed her Aad- off icer of Pune said that as part police were mere spectators, the assault of a woman pilgrim at the haar card to them to prove that of the campaign, her team had Congress Party said yesterday. temple, suspecting her to be of she did not belong to the “tradi- encouraged new voters to enrol, “The government and police under 50. tionally barred” age group of 10 especially college students. were an abject failure as BJP and Sooraj, hailing from Elanthur in to 50 years. “This year we have received an RSS activists had the fi nal say in Pathanamthitta district, was one The police later escorted her to overwhelming response from the temple town till 10pm yester- of the main accused in the incident the shrine to off er prayers along citizens online. For working class day (Tuesday) when the temple which took place on Tuesday. with other women relatives. people it is diff icult to visit the closed after a day,” Congress leader Hundreds of devotees tried to Earlier on Tuesday, RSS leader off ice to enrol, and this year many Ramesh Chennithala told report- attack and prevent the 52-year- Valsan Thillenkery courted con- have opted this online mode ers, referring to the Bharatiya Ja- old Lalitha Ravi from off ering troversy after he walked down the eff ectively. Almost 30% of the nata Party and its ideological men- prayers at the temple. The man 18 steps with his back to the tem- total voter registration has been tor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. was arrested under non-bailable ple, an action that allegedly goes conducted through online mode.” “The police were mere spec- charges, police said, adding they against the traditional rituals. Principals and college staff members tators while these forces reigned were searching for other suspects According to the rituals, a per- encouraged students to increase supreme at the temple,” the lead- involved in the incident. son is allowed to climb up the South Korea’s First Lady Kim Jung-sook poses in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra yesterday. voter count. Besides this, the election er of the opposition in the state The man was arrested on the steps only if he is carrying the She praised the beauty and architecture of the monument of love, built by Mughal emperor commission of Pune is also working assembly added. basis of digital evidence and pho- ‘irumudikettu’, a cloth bag con- Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Agra was the last leg of her two-day towards enrolling the maximum The temple opened for a day tographs, a police offi cer said. taining off erings for the deity; visit to Uttar Pradesh. She reached Lucknow on Monday evening. After attending a dinner number of persons with disability at 5pm on Monday and closed on The police have registered while coming down, the person hosted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, she went by road to the temple town of Ayodhya (PWD) voters in the district. So far, Tuesday at 10pm. cases against 200 “identifi able” should be facing the temple, on Tuesday and took part in an event where more than 300,000 ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps) the commission has been able to The right-wing groups had made people for trying to prevent La- while his/her back should be fac- were lit up on the banks of the Saryu river. identify around 8,500 persons with it clear that they would not allow litha, who had come for the ing the bottom of the stairs. disability voters in the district. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 23

LATIN AMERICA

CLAIM WILDLIFE LAW AND ORDER PEOPLE EDUCATION Venezuela annual inflation 216 poisonous frogs found Ex-police chief arrested on Ex-Ecuador VP to be moved University resumes classes ‘hit 833,997% in October’ abandoned at airport baby-traff icking charges from prison to hospital after student protests

Venezuela’s consumer prices rose 833,997% in Colombian police found 216 live poisonous Peru’s former police chief Raul Becerra and a Ecuador’s former vice president will be A Nicaraguan university which had been the 12 months through October, according to a frogs hidden in a bathroom at Bogota airport, dozen others have been arrested for allegedly transferred from prison to hospital as his occupied by protesting students for 52 days has report by the opposition-controlled Congress the district’s environment authority said traff icking babies, the public prosecutor’s health has deteriorated following a 17-day reopened amid heavy security. The Polytechnic published yesterday, the latest sign that policy yesterday. The animals had been packed inside off ice said. The gang preyed on poor pregnant hunger strike, authorities said. Jorge Glas, University of Nicaragua, which is located in changes in August failed to halt rampant film canisters. They were meant to be smuggled women and persuaded them to give up their Rafael Correa’s vice president between the north of the capital, Managua, was one of hyperinflation. Monthly inflation decelerated to to Germany to be sold to collectors, the daily El babies, the off ice added in a statement. One 2013 and 2017, started the hunger strike the bastions of anti-government protests that 148% from 233% in September, the data showed, Espectador reported. The smugglers may have five-month-old baby was rescued in a police to protest against being transferred from engulfed the country starting April 18. Police but left the Opec nation on track to reach the got frightened of being caught and abandoned raid on 18 properties in the southern city of a Quito prison to one 90kms south in and paramilitary groups earlier tried in vain to 1mn percent inflation in 2018 expected by the the animals, according to the daily. The frogs Arequipa, off icials said, adding that those Latacunga. In December 2017, Glas was expel the students from the university, resulting International Monetary Fund. “The figure is still are believed to have come from Colombia’s arrested included Becerra and 13 others sentenced to six years in prison for taking in several deaths and dozens of injuries. scandalously high,” said opposition lawmaker Pacific region, and are from three species: the including a paediatrician and a gynaecologist more than $13mn in bribes from the Classes, meanwhile, continued via the internet. Angel Alvarado. The legislature has become the red-banded poison frog, classified as critically who were accused of being members of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, Heavily armed riot police were seen patrolling only source for economic indicators after the endangered; and the harlequin poison frog and criminal group. Authorities said they believe becoming the first serving vice president in the area. No incidents were reported. Despite central bank stopped publishing information Oophaga sylvatica frog, which are threatened Becerra’s romantic partner, Cintia Tello, was the history of the South American country attempts to restore normality, the situation in nearly three years ago. by habitat loss. ringleader of the gang. to be convicted. Nicaragua remains tense. Caravans Temer meets Bolsonaro threaten Mexico-US detente

Reuters before the US, Mexico and Cana- Mexico City da agreed a new deal on Septem- ber 30. Mexico sends 80% of its ex- stream of US-bound Cen- ports to the US and the Nafta tral American migrant renegotiation rattled Mexico’s Acaravans risks clouding the fi nancial markets and disrupted rapprochement between Mexi- investment. co’s next leader and US President Since a convoy of Hondurans Donald Trump, who has railed left the city of San Pedro Sula against illegal migration to ener- on October 13, several thousand gise his electoral base. Central Americans have crossed Mexican president-elect An- into Mexico. Trump has said he dres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a will send troops to the US south- combative leftist who takes of- ern border to stop what he calls an fi ce in December, has signalled “invasion.” he hopes to repair bilateral ties Lopez Obrador, by contrast, Brazilian President Michel Temer shakes hands with Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro next to Bolsonaro’s appointed defence minister Augusto Heleno (second right) damaged by Trump’s criticism of has been off ering to help his and appointed chief of staff Onyx Lorenzoni (right) during a meeting in Brasilia yesterday. Mexico for failing to stop migra- “brother migrants” with visas tion and his demands for a border and employment. wall. He wants to persuade Trump From opposite sides of the po- to contribute to a plan to promote litical spectrum, he and Trump development in Central America have so far defi ed fears they could and Mexico’s poorer south. clash, with both helping to fi nd However, Sarukhan said Trump common ground for a new North would almost certainly continue American trade deal. to campaign divisively on border But a spate of Central American security and migration as the race migrant caravans pushing into for the 2020 US presidential elec- Mexico in recent weeks revived tion heats up. No extradition request tensions in the run-up to US con- “It’s hard for me to see, given gressional elections yesterday. the current dynamics in the US, Trump has threatened to close the how Lopez Obrador is going to US-Mexico border if the migrants either ensure that this doesn’t are not stopped. become a fl ashpoint or convince “This is one of the poten- Trump to spend signifi cant po- tial fl ashpoints that could end litical, diplomatic and fi nancial for Assange: Ecuador the bromance between Lopez capital in holistic development in Obrador and Trump,” Arturo Central America,” he said. AFP embassy since 2012, but Ecua- dropped, but Britain still wants “What England asks of him were violated by its decision to Sarukhan, a former Mexican am- Angered by the caravans, Quito dor has shown increasing signs him to face justice over breach- is to appear before the British restrict his internet access. bassador to the US, said. Trump has threatened to cut in recent months that it is pre- ing his bail conditions following courts to answer for having bro- An Ecuadoran court threw out Trump’s 2016 election win sent aid to central America — the paring to terminate his six-year his arrest on the sexual assault ken the conditions of his provi- the lawsuit last week, but As- relations between the two neigh- very opposite of what the region cuador yesterday said it stay. allegations. sional release,” the foreign min- sange is appealing. bours to their lowest ebb in years. needs, said Hector Vasconcelos, has received no extradition Valencia said the cost of host- ister said. Quito confi rmed blocking During the campaign, he re- a lawmaker for Lopez Obrador’s Erequest for Julian Assange, ing Assange so far had come to “We do not see the British “We do not see the British Assange’s internet and mo- peatedly vowed to make Mexico MORENA party, and head of the which his lawyers have long cit- around $6mn. changing their point of changing their point of view, they bile phone access in March af- pay for a border wall to keep out senate foreign relations commit- ed as the reason the WikiLeaks Assange fears being extradited view, they continue to insist continue to insist that he appear ter accusing him of breaking “a migrants, and accused the coun- tee. founder has refused to leave its to the US to face charges over the that he appear before the before the courts and that they written commitment” not to try of sending rapists and drug “We need big economic devel- London embassy. WikiLeaks website’s release of courts and that they will will not give him safe passage to interfere in Ecuador’s foreign runners north. opment programs in Guatemala, “We have told Assange: ‘Up to troves of sensitive US govern- not give him safe passage to another country,” said Valencia. policies. Tensions over migration spilled Honduras and El Salvador if we now, as far as we know, there is ment fi les. another country” Ecuador said it had been in- A protocol governing As- over into economic aff airs. really want to reduce migration no extradition request from any He found refuge in the embas- formed by Britain that the pen- sange’s stay at the embassy — Trump tried to use border se- from those countries,” Vasconce- country,’” Foreign Minister Jose sy in London after a British judge His lawyer Carlos Poveda said alty for violating parole condi- revealed by Ecuadoran internet curity to extract concessions in los said. Valencia told state-owned Radio ruled he should be extradited to last month Assange was pre- tions would not be more than six site Codigo Vidrio and never de- the revamp of the North Ameri- Most of the migrants say they Public. face allegations of sexual assault pared to surrender to British po- months. nied by Quito — warns that fur- can Free Trade Agreement (Naf- are fl eeing gang violence and pov- The 47-year-old Australian in Sweden. lice if he receives assurances he Assange is currently suing Ec- ther breaches will lead to “ter- ta), which he threatened to scrap erty. has been holed up at Ecuador’s That case has since been will not be extradited. uador on grounds that his rights mination of asylum.”

Petro purchase More ‘El Chapo’ jurors Fujimori appeals prison sentence excused for safety fears eventually convicted. AFP Lima In ordering her detention, Agencies fore being captured again. A potential juror in the trial Carhuancho said there was a New York A total of 27 people have so far was dismissed by the judge after “serious suspicion” that Fuji- been dismissed as potential jurors, requesting the defendant’s auto- lawyer for Peru’s powerful mori was running a “de facto out of nearly 60 who have been graph. opposition leader Keiko criminal organisation that is en- he pool of potential jurors questioned. The man, whose identity is AFujimori has fi led an ap- trenched within the party” and for the US drug traffi ck- The 12 jurors and six alternate withheld along with all potential peal against a 36-month prison had laundered illicit money. Ting trial of accused Mexi- jurors eventually chosen will re- jurors under the rigorous secu- term that would eff ectively bury He described Fujimori as a can drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” main anonymous and be escorted rity arrangements surrounding her chances of a presidential run “high fl ight risk” and said “the Guzman continued to shrink, with to and from court by armed federal the trial, was born in Colombia but in 2021. only necessary measure in her two people who expressed fears marshals during the trial, which is has spent the last 20 years living in Fujimori was jailed last week case is undoubtedly preventive about their safety and one self- expected to last up to four months. New York. pending the outcome of a multi- detention.” described “fan” of the defendant One of the people dismissed af- He told the court during his in- million-dollar corruption probe Meanwhile, Carhuanco heard cut from the running. ter expressing fear about the case terview that he was aware of drug that has rocked Peruvian politics. public prosecutor Jose Domingo A total of 10 potential jurors said she had come across news traffi cking because he was born in Her lawyer, Giuliana Loza, Perez’s requests that another 10 were excused from the case during reports that Guzman promised Medellin, the hometown of former told reporters the application suspects from Fujimori’s Popular the second day of jury selection not to kill jurors, which made her Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Es- lodged with the court was “well Force party be jailed. Perez has in federal court in Brooklyn, New “pretty anxious.” cobar, and that he liked televised supported and detailed” and re- requested they also be sentenced York. Guzman, 61, watched from One man was let go after say- crime dramas, but insisted that sponded “to each of the points to 36 months’ detention, so as a table in the courtroom with his ing he had “some emotions mixed would not aff ect his judgement made” by judge Richard Concep- not to hinder the giant Odebre- lawyers, wearing a dark suit and tie with fear” about the case. should he be impaneled. cion Carhuancho in his ruling. cht investigation. in place of the open-collared dress US district judge Brian Cogan, But he was reported to have The defence is seeking an ap- In court, Perez outlined the shirt he sported earlier. who is overseeing the case, said asked a court security offi cer for peal court hearing within two case against Adriana Tarazona, Guzman formerly led the Si- another woman told him pri- Guzman’s autograph. weeks. whom he said was “an alter- naloa Cartel, based in the Mexican vately, in tears, that her mother, Brought back for questioning The daughter of disgraced nate treasurer” of the party put state of Sinaloa, which became one with whom she lives, said they by Judge Cogan, he admitted hav- former president Alberto Fu- in place by Fujimori. “Being al- of the most powerful drug traffi ck- would have to “move and get a new ing made the request. When asked jimori is accused of accepting ternate treasurer designated by ing organisations in the world. house,” drawing a laugh from Guz- why, the man replied: “I’m a bit of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia $1.2mn in illicit party funding Keiko Fujimori, she was the de He was extradited to the man. a fan.” Guzman fl ashed a smile. Flores participate in the process of buying Petro, the from Brazilian construction facto treasurer, who handled United States from Mexico on Cogan said the woman was The prosecution objected and cryptocurrency developed by the Venezuelan government, giant Odebrecht for her 2011 party accounts and campaign ex- January 19, 2017, after escaping worried the strain would aff ect her the defence argued he should stay, in Caracas, Venezuela. presidential campaign. She penses that treasurer Antonieta twice from Mexican prisons be- mother’s health, and excused her. but Cogan struck him. could face 20 years in prison if Gutierrez did not know about.” Gulf Times 24 Thursday, November 8, 2018 PAKISTAN Defence expo Flying free showcases in-house capabilities Internews world how Pakistan successfully 24 to help commuters fi nd alternative Karachi fought against terrorists. This would ways towards their destinations in- An off icial from the wildlife department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province holds a recovered falcon, seized from provide an opportunity to share our stead of using routes in surroundings smugglers, before releasing it into the wild, in Peshawar yesterday. experiences in the war against ter- of the exhibition premises. Pakistan is all set to raise the cur- rorism with the world,” he said. According to details, some 500 ex- tain on its own and friendly coun- To make it a memorable event, hibitors would set up their stalls in 11 tries’ latest defence products to show Pakistan Post Offi ce would issue a halls, including the fi ve under con- the world state-of-the-art mis- special stamp worth Rs20 on the in- struction temporary marquees, at the siles, tanks, fi ghter jets and replica augural day of the exhibition. Expo Centre. warships at IDEAS 2018 Pakistan, “This is for the fi rst time the Post The setup will be including 14-15 ‘Arms for Peace’ exhibition later this Offi ce is issuing a ticket in connec- countries specifi c pavilions. The exhibition will be open for the Air pollution fatalities month. tion with the exhibition. The ticket The exhibition is expected to help would remain available for purchase general public only for one day: No- Pakistan attract new buyers from at an outlet at the fair,” said Commo- vember 30. And children under 18 around the globe. dore Mahmood. would not be allowed. Around 50 strategic partners and This time the exhibition is being Responding to a question, Com- modore Mahmood said Pakistan alarming, says expert friendly countries from across the organised in a diff erent way. world will participate in the Novem- The foreign delegates would play a signed 14-16 memorandum of un- ber 27-30 International Defence Ex- golf tournament to freshen up from derstanding (MoUs) for the sale of Internews Pakistan,” FAO Representative in Paki- dependent solely on the presence or the hibition and Seminar (IDEAS) at the hours-long travel, prior to the inau- Super Mushshak, upgrading Al- Islamabad stan Mina Dowlatchahi said. increase of these pollutants. Karachi Expo Centre. gural ceremony scheduled for No- Khalid tanks and sale of other weap- The fi ndings of the study provide sci- Certain meteorological conditions “Chiefs of the three armed forces, vember 26. onries in the previous IDEAS 2016. entifi c evidence of the causes of smog help these pollutants become suspend- Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy and “Besides the healthy activity (golf) “Majority of them (or) at least 50% akistan suff ered one of the high- and the relationship between the phe- ed in the lower atmosphere which forms Pakistan Air Force, will participate would provide a platform for busi- of them have been materialised so est death tolls in the world from nomenon and burning of crop residue. a dense, visible layer. in the tenth edition of the exhibition ness networking, business-to-busi- far.” Pair pollution in 2015 as the United “The study will be instrumental in This phenomenon engulfs several cit- and seminar,” says Defence Export ness meetings and help build soft im- Further details in this regard will Nations (UN) estimates that thousands helping reduce the contribution of the ies in Punjab, particularly Lahore, dur- Promotion Organisation (DEPO) Di- age of Pakistan,” he said. be available on the curtain raiser day. have lost their lives because of the high agriculture sector in the formation of ing winter and has evolved into a public rector Commodore Tariq Mahmood. The three chiefs would participate Deals included sale of 52 basic level of fi ne particles in the air. smog,” she explained. health and economic emergency. Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan at their respective service confer- trainer aircraft Super Mushshak to This was revealed by the Food and Ag- Smog is one of the several forms of air FAO is also carrying out water ac- Navy are scheduled to present their ences, which are being organised for Turkey. riculture Organisation of the United Na- pollution that can harm humans. counting in the Indus Basin using ge- professional skills at Karachi’s Sea the fi rst time in the history of IDEAS. Besides, Pakistan and Ukraine had tions (FAO) during a workshop on vali- It is normally a combination of several ospatial data and techniques. View on November 29. “The exhibition would help Pa- signed an agreement for upgrading dation of key fi ndings of evidence based types of pollutants such as nitrogen ox- With more than 30 years of experi- This event, under the name of kistan attract new buyers from the the Al-Khalid main battle tanks in geospatial research on smog emissions. ides, sulphur oxides, aerosols, smoke or ence in development and use of geospa- ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan’, would be globe,” he said. the previous bi-annual exhibition. The fi ndings will be released later this particulates with fog. tial databases, opened for all citizens. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Shah Local defence production had month. Industrial and vehicular emissions, FAO helps countries implement ap- The exhibition will also feature a is also scheduled to hold a reception helped Pakistan save foreign ex- “We remain committed to support- and forest and crop burning are some of propriate solutions and assists govern- “counter-terrorism show” by ground in the honour of foreign delegates, he change worth Rs120bn ($1.14bn) in ing government eff orts to help devise the common sources of these pollutants. ment eff orts to create sustainable food forces that was last organised for said. one and a half year ended on June 30, appropriate strategies to tackle smog in However, formation of smog is not systems. participants in IDEAS 2008. He said DIG traffi c police would 2016. “The show would explain to the present a traffi c plan on November

Clean sweep KP inches closer IMF team arrives as China pledges to promised new economic aid

AFP health policy Islamabad

Internews The minister said each penny n International Monetary Fund team arrived Peshawar of the government will be spent yesterday in Islamabad for talks on a possi- for people’s welfare. Able IMF bailout, even as Pakistan insisted The proposed documents will it had solved its immediate balance of payments he health department in also take care of the implementa- crisis. Pakistan’s Khyber Pa- tion process of the policy for which Speaking shortly after Prime Minister Imran Tkhtunkhwa province has the advisory council has been Khan returned from Beijing, Pakistan’s fi nance presented the fi rst draft of the tasked to hold quarterly meetings minister said on Tuesday that assurances from provincial health policy to the and furnish suggestions. China — combined with a pledge made by Saudi members of Health Policy Advi- He said that the new policy Arabia last month — meant that Pakistan’s imme- sory Council. would also suggest ways to in- diate fi scal woes were “over”. According to a press release, vest in health sector and en- “We had a gap of $12bn and in that $12bn, $6bn the draft policy is likely to be hance public-private partner- came from Saudi Arabia and the rest came from given fi nal shape in another ship and seek input and support China,” Asad Umar told reporters, without speci- meeting scheduled today. from the international agencies fying the nature of the Chinese assistance. A meeting of the members to benefi t the people visiting the The fi nance secretary and the governor of the of the committee was held here state-run hospitals. state bank will attend a meeting in Beijing tomor- A man sweeps away plastic bags littering the grounds of a makeshift market in Karachi yesterday. earlier this week with Health “We are not only in touch with row to fi nalise the terms of the assistance, he add- Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah the provincial and federal gov- ed. in the chair. The participants of ernments but have also reported Pakistan secured $6bn in funding from Saudi the meeting were briefed about to the prime minister to devise Arabia and struck a 12-month deal for a balance of Pakistan’s e-employment plan receives overwhelming response the draft policy. a comprehensive health policy,” payments lifeline during Khan’s visit in October. Their suggestions were sought said the minister. Despite the pledges, the ministry of fi nance said he joint project e-rozgar The applications were invited So far, 3,549 have been graduated to go-ahead with the document He said that the document the Pakistan would still seek broader IMF support (employment) programme, from 21 districts and 27 centres in the among them 1,866 male and 1,683 to be submitted to the provincial would put the health system on for the government’s long term economic plan- Tlaunched by the Punjab In- province of Punjab for intake of the females have successfully com- cabinet before getting the status right track and people would get ning. formation Technology Board (PITB) new batch, which will commence in pleted the training and during train- of the fi rst-ever health policy of improved services. Since taking power in August, former cricketer and the Ministry of Youth Aff airs the fi rst week of December. ing earned online foreign exchange the province. Inamullah appreciated the Khan has been searching for ways to rally a strug- and Sports of Pakistan, has received The breakup of received 22,396 equivalent to more than Rs6.2mn The minister said that policy inputs and contribution of the gling economy hit by infl ation and shore up the an overwhelming response and over applications showed that 14,857 male in 27 centres operational across the formulation was part of the fi rst members of the committee for country’s dwindling foreign currency reserves. 22,000 applications have so far been and 7,539 female graduates applied province of the Punjab in various 100-day performance of the formulating the policy. As well as a highly-publicised austerity drive, submitted from across Punjab prov- for this programme. universities and educational insti- government. He said that the new policy including auctioning off government-owned ince, Internews reports from Lahore. The further training areas breakup tutions with the duly equipped labs, He said that fi nancial con- would refl ect the national health luxury automobiles and buff aloes, the new prime The programme has been launched of the applications indicated that among these centres four centres are straints would not become an vision that was aimed at achiev- minister has also made overtures to the IMF. for the graduates for free training and 10,446 non-technical, 7,786 tech- dedicated for females while the rest impediment in the implementa- ing the UN’s Sustainable Devel- Islamabad received billions of dollars in Chinese earning through the Internet while nical and 4,164 applied for creative of 23 are co-ed centres where both tion of the health policy. opment Goals. loans to fi nance ambitious infrastructure projects. taking freelancing as a profession. design. males and females can get training. National Assembly mulls name for new Islamabad airport

Internews Bhutto or another national hero. the new airport after Benazir port of the country could not be Shazia Marri, another PPP tional repute would not be af- should be formed to decide the Islamabad The decision has been taken Bhutto despite the fact that the named after her,” he said. leader, said a resolution should fected even if the airport was not matter. after Bilawal Bhutto’s Pakistan old airport at Rawalpindi had “However, I have seen a me- be passed so that the new airport renamed after her. “A committee should be People’s Party leader Khursheed been closed down for commercial dia report regarding the return of could be named after Benazir “Those who are not aware of formed as not only Benazir Bhut- he National Assembly of Shah raised the matter on a point fl ights, which now operate from Prime Minister Imran Khan from Bhutto. Benazir’s services to the country to but also the name of a leading Pakistan has decided to of order in the lower house of the new airport. China which said he landed at the In reply, Minister of State for must read her book (Daughter social worker has been suggested Tform a committee for re- parliament. “The authorities concerned Nur Khan Airport, which means Parliamentary Aff airs Ali Khan of the East),” he said, assuring for renaming the new airport,” he naming the new Islamabad In- He said the previous Pakistan were of the view that as the old that the old airport is no longer said he admired the services of the opposition that the govern- maintained. ternational Airport (IIA) after Muslim League-N government airport had been named after called Benazir Bhutto Interna- Benazir Bhutto, adding that re- ment will consider its demand The National Assembly ac- former prime minister Benazir of Nawaz Sharif had not named Benazir Bhutto, another air- tional Airport,” he added. spect for her and her interna- and suggested that a committee cepted his proposal. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 25 PHILIPPINES

$424mn Japanese Drug money ‘could play aid for Philippines

DPA role in mid-term polls’ Manila By Ralph Villanueva said. Ozamiz City Mayor Rey- But the idea was slammed Manila Times naldo Parojinog Sr, who was by Malacanang, saying those apan has earmarked more linked to the illegal drug trade, included in the list should be than 48bn yen ($424.6mn) in was killed in a drug raid in July accorded due process. Jaid to the Philippines to en- resident Rodrigo Duterte last year. Duterte last month said he hance the country’s air defence has floated the possi- His children, Ozamiz Vice does not want to expose the capabilities and rehabilitate a Pbility that drug money Mayor Nova Princess Paro- narco-politicians. metro rail system, the govern- could be in play in next year’s jinog and her brother, Rey- Later, Duterte said he will ment said yesterday. mid-term elections. naldo Parojinog Jr, were then issue a memorandum circular The two aid agreements were “Drug menace is the number arrested and are currently de- directing the entire govern- signed by Philippine Foreign one threat to national secu- tained for illegal possession of ment machinery to mobilise Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr and rity, linking drugs not only firearms and ammunition and its assets and to take an active Japanese ambassador to Manila to its significant influence in illegal possession of explosives role in the government’s anti- Koji Haneda. the rise of heinous crimes but and dangerous drugs. illegal drug campaign nation- Locsin hailed Japan for “vig- it also negatively affects the Judge Edmundo Pintac, who wide.| orously and unfailingly” sup- economy and the role it plays was handling their cases, was The machinery will be com- porting the Philippines through in the corruption of our col- gunned down on October 8. posed of the Philippine Na- economic and development as- lections even in our law en- The family, however, denied tional Police, Armed Forces sistance as well as aid for boost- forcement agencies,” Duterte any link to the murder. of the Philippines, Bureau of ing defence and security capa- said in Malacanang. Duterte again slammed hu- Customs and Philippine Coast bilities. “Look at the elections (next man rights groups, saying, Guard, among others. One of the agreements was year) you will see that. Drug “The human rights groups, It will “provide a necessary a 10.68bn-yen grant for spare money will be in play there,” they fight me. But they do not personal complement to carry parts and maintenance equip- he added. know how deep the drug prob- out the directive of the presi- ment for UH-1H helicopters to The president cited the lem in the country is. It’s hu- dent to the Bureau of Customs the Philippine Air Forces by the Parojinogs of Ozamiz City, man rights against my coun- to block the flow of illegal Japan Self-Defence Forces. These who are allegedly involved in try.” drugs in this country.” helicopters are used for humani- the drug trade. The Department of the In- “Drug menace is the number tarian assistance and disaster re- “Look at them, until now terior and Local Government one threat to national secu- lief, transport, and intelligence, the remaining siblings and rel- earlier called for the disquali- rity,” he said, admitting that surveillance and reconnaissance atives of Parojinogs, they kill. fication of those on the so- shabu enters the country “al- by the air forces, the Department They kill, even the judge,” he called narco list. most everyday.” Rodrigo Duterte: hinting at role of drug money of Foreign Aff airs said. Businessmen told to use force Human rights lawyer shot against corrupt govt offi cials dead in central Philippines By Catherine S Valente vours. It is not allowed by law, right remedies for an idiot who Manila Times it is not mine,” Duterte said. “I is not needed in the govern- am just here to enforce it be- ment. Humiliation and maybe DPA cause I said, unless you stop a loss of face is more than just Manila resident Rodrigo Du- corruption, the Philippines the money. It is the worst way Malacanang condemns ‘brutal slaying’ terte yesterday encour- could be just like a float some of losing whatever is left of you Malacanang yesterday condemned the “brutal slay- a pro bono lawyer for peasants, political prisoners, Paged businessmen to slap going by the tide of the sea, to in this planet,” he added. human rights lawyer be- ing” of the secretary-general of the National Union and victims of human rights violations in Negros. public offi cials who engage in and fro,” he added. Duterte has been trying to came the 34th attorney of People’s Lawyers-Negros Island and vowed Panelo said authorities were “now conducting a corrupt activities, as he reiter- The president, who prom- fulfil his campaign promise to Ato be killed under the ad- a “speedy and impartial probe into his murder,” speedy and impartial investigation with respect to ated his promise to stop cor- ised to dismiss anyone on “just clean up the government, as ministration of President Rodri- Manila Times reported. “Any form of violence, other the incident and pertinent agencies will do all they ruption in government. a whiff ” of corruption, vowed he has dismissed more than go Duterte after being shot dead than legal, has no place in a civilised society,” Palace can to ensure that the perpetrators of this detest- In his speech during the immediate action against gov- 20 alleged corrupt officials in the central Philippines, police spokesman Salavdor Panelo said in a statement, able atrocity are brought to justice.” He, however, hit Guangzhou Automobile Cor- ernment offi cials involved in since he came to power in June and colleagues said yesterday. after Ben Ramos was shot dead earlier in the day back at some groups and lawmakers who blamed poration Motor Philippines such activities. 2016. Despite his firing spree, Benjamin Ramos, 56, a as he was headed home. “We strongly condemn President Rodrigo Duterte’s government for Ramos’ brand launch in Pasig City, “But if you have something the president was saddened founding member of the Na- the brutal slaying of Atty. Ben Ramos, lawyer and murder, calling their actions as “reckless.” “Putting Duterte said he would give against somebody in govern- that many government offi- tional Union of People’s Law- founding member of the National Union of People’s the blame of the slaying on the government by a businessmen an opportunity ment, anybody, go to me, I cials continue to commit ir- yers (NUPL), was gunned down Lawyers (NUPL),” he said. Two men on a motorcy- group or by a member of Congress not only is reck- to slap government officials will contact you and I will call regularities. by two suspects late Tuesday in cle gunned down Ramos in front of a store near the less, irresponsible and baseless as well,” Panelo said. who demanded money. the person you are complain- Duterte admitted previ- Kabankalan City in Negros Oc- public plaza in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. “It will not reduce the sorrow of the bereaved family “I am giving you a 24-hour ing against and the three of us ously that he found it difficult cidental province, 560 kilome- He sustained three gunshot wounds in the right nor will it bring closer to the attainment of justice. audience should the case may will talk and I assure you that to stop corruption, stressing tres south of Manila. backside and left upper chest of his body. It can only inflame the emotions of those outraged be. You may approach a sena- if it is indeed something which that it was “very exhausting” “The victim sustained three Ramos, one of the founding members of NUPL, was by the senseless death,” he added. tor, congressman, any public amounts to corruption or graft, to chase public officials who gunshot wounds on his chest and official or your friend and all I will give you the privilege of continue to ignore his order was brought to (a nearby hospital) you have to do is call some- slapping that person a dozen against graft and corruption. but was pronounced dead on ar- pected drug users,” he added. “We The NUPL said Ramos was has been criticised for a violent body and it’s available, I am times in front of me,” Duterte “Graft is so embedded, it is rival by the attending physician,” assure the family of the victim of helping the families of nine sug- anti-drug campaign that has left sure the number is simply 888 said. endemic and it is always a part regional police director chief su- a thorough investigation to en- arcane plantation workers killed thousands dead. on TV, give his name the per- “That way you place him in of the territory of a transac- perintendent John Bulalacao said. sure the immediate arrest of the by unidentifi ed gunmen in the “These beastly attacks by son trying or asking money humiliation and you may shed tion, especially by govern- “The victim (served) as a law- perpetrators so that justice will be nearby city of Sagay on October treacherous cowards cannot go from you or even little fa- his dignity. And those are the ment,” the president has said. yer for suspected rebels and sus- served.” 20. The Duterte administration on,” NUPL said in a statement. Senator calls for eff orts to halt excise tax on fuel

By Bernadette E Tamayo Aquino fi led Senate Bill 1798 “The Senate is one in its desire It aims to add a safeguard to Manila Times or the Bawas Presyo sa Petrolyo to lower the price of petroleum ensure the suspension in the Bill in May while minority bloc and basic goods for the welfare collection of the excise tax on senators fi led Joint Resolution 15 of our fellowmen who continue fuel once the infl ation rate sur- enator Paolo Benigno calling for suspension and roll- to suff er due to high prices of ba- passes the government’s infl a- “Bam” Aquino 4th yester- back of the excise tax on fuel. sic commodities,” he added. tion target for three consecutive Sday urged the government Senators from the majority Aquino said, “Let us give months. to support eff orts in Congress to group had written President Ro- some relief to the poor who are “Removing the excise tax on stop the excise tax on fuel under drigo Duterte to suspend the ex- overwhelmed by high prices of fuel would not only bring down the Tax Reform for Acceleration cise tax on fuel under the Train goods.” prices of fuel, but also prices of and Inclusion (Train) Law. Law. He added that suspending the fares, food and other goods in The senator said time is run- “There’s no more time. It’s 47 excise tax on fuel under the Train the market,” Aquino said. ning out as lawmakers have just days before Christmas and there Law “is the best Christmas gift He added that the removal 15 session days remaining for are only 15 session days to push that the government can give to of the excise tax on petroleum 2018. our proposal, as well as the reso- the people.” would translate to additional The Senate and House of Rep- lution of the minority bloc re- Aquino noted that SB 1798 is P87 per day income for public resentatives will resume session garding the scrapping of the ex- the “only measure” in the Sen- utility drivers that they can use on November 12 and will adjourn cise tax on petroleum products,” ate that seeks to amend the Train to purchase two kilos of rice for December 12. Aquino said. Law. their families. Paolo Aquino: seeking excise tax cut

Sotto supports salary hike for Comelec employees

By Javier J Ismael address the disparity in the sala- ployees’ Union had for decades increase in their salary will be an Belmonte Jr. The Senate bill Manila Times ries of Comelec employees with asserted their right to substan- eff ective deterrent to graft and also seeks to institute regional those in other government agen- tial and just salary increases. corrupt practices,” Sotto said. and provincial offices and di- cies. “Equal pay for equal work in The bill, if approved, would vide the National Capital Re- enate President Vicente “It is about time that Con- government service is the ulti- benefit 5,000 employees of gion (NCR) into five adminis- Sotto 3rd has fi led a meas- gress responds to their call for mate goal of the proposed leg- the commission nationwide. trative districts. Sure that seeks to upgrade adequate adjustments in their islation. It can only be realised A counterpart measure has “The Comelec may delegate the salaries of employees of remuneration,” the Senate leader through reclassifi cation and been introduced in the House its powers and functions or or- the Commission on Elections said in the explanatory note of upgrading of their current plan- of Representatives by Speaker der the implementation or en- (Comelec) and to reorganise the his bill titled, “An Act Reorgan- tilla positions, particularly in the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and forcement of its orders, rulings poll body’s offi ces. ising the Comelec Offi ces.” Comelec main and fi eld offi ces. Representatives Gary Alejano, or decisions through the heads Sotto: wants upgraded salaries Sotto fi led Senate Bill 2082 to Members of the Comelec Em- Furthermore, it is posited that an Francisco Datol and Feliciano of its field offices,” Sotto said. Gulf Times 26 Thursday, November 8, 2018 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 Amir’s speech to Advisory Council a roadmap for Qatar

The speech delivered by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the opening of the 47th ordinary session of the Advisory Council is signifi cant as it lays a roadmap for Qatar to follow in the coming days and months while giving an assessment of the performance of the country in various sectors in light of the current political and economic circumstances. The Amir’s speech touched on the challenges the country is likely to face in the coming days and ways to meet them as well as the mechanisms for implementing the State’s programmes and plans within the framework of the Qatar The midterms were not National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2018-2022. The speech listed the achievements made especially in the fi eld of economy, the standard of living and in the areas of water and food security. The Amir praised the sectors that contributed to maintaining the economic boom of the country. He a bad night for Trump reaffi rmed that Qatar’s economic invulnerability against external tremors has been boosted and the country’s self- while openly white nationalist and became the fi rst Muslim women to as a radical right party, led by an reliance has increased – exports increased by 18%, the Qatari By Cas Mudde Guardian News and Media pro-Confederate Corey Stewart lost be elected to Congress, while Kansas’ omnipresent leader, who will defi ne the riyal has maintained its value, and the State has been able to the Virginia senate race with virtually Sharice Davis and New Mexico’s Deb Republican party for a whole generation overcome the eff ects of the unjust blockade imposed upon it the same score as his conservative Haaland will become the fi rst two of Americans. by the Saudi-led quartet since June 2017. any people have dubbed predecessor six years ago. Perhaps Native American Congresswomen. The fact that the Republicans held up The number of factories the midterm elections a most painful for Trump was that Kris And although Stacey Abrams, who ran pretty well during the midterms even operating in Qatar has referendum on Donald Kobach, a key player in his ill-fated in Georgia, will not become the fi rst though Trump himself was not on the The Amir’s increased by about 14% MTrump. The president and ill-named Presidential Advisory African-American female governor, ballot will give them hope for the 2020 after the blockade, the himself agreed, having toured the Commission on Electoral Integrity who Jared Polis of Colorado will be the fi rst presidential elections. In that election speech country extensively, crowding out has a decade-long history of racial voter openly gay governor in the country. they can rally around a clear leader Amir said adding that the suppression, was handsomely defeated So, where does that leave us? While and programme, whose polarisation country will maintain its rational messages by Republican represents a candidates about the booming economy in the Kansas gubernatorial race. there was a Democratic “blue wave”, mobilises the base unlike any candidate position as the world’s with a emotional message of nativism. But many other far-right Republicans it was modest, in line with usual could in the midterms. And if they strategy and largest liquefi ed natural Trump made the elections about him were re-elected, including Louie midterm shifts, particularly when one have promising-looking fi gures on the gas exporter for many and his openly far-right agenda. That Gohmert, Steve King and Ted Cruz in party is in charge of all the branches of economy, that will help, too, as it will a working years to come and that its left little space for non-Trumpian, let Texas, while old-school Republicans government. Trump will celebrate this have done this time. oil exports have not been alone anti-Trumpian, Republicans. were replaced by more brazenly as a victory, which is not without merit. Trump’s party will face a Democratic methodology to aff ected by the siege. While the Democratic party Trumpian ones – as, for example, Katie Sure, the Republicans lost many races, party, whose diversity is both its On the ongoing Gulf emphasised economic issues, and Arrington in South Carolina (House and some signifi cantly when compared strength and its weakness. It allows further develop crisis, the Amir reiterated particularly healthcare, they were of Representatives), Brian Kemp in to the 2016 presidential elections. them to tap into a much broader in his speech the fi rm happy to make the midterms a Georgia (governor), and Ron DeSantis in But they still held on to most of their electorate than the Republican party, Qatar position of Qatar saying: referendum on Trump and his nativism. Florida (governor). positions. but it also might prevent them from They emphasised their support for a On the other side of the political Trump’s biggest victory, however, presenting a clear and coherent “It is indeed unfortunate diverse America both through their spectrum, the Democratic party made was within the Republican party. programme. At the same time, most of that the ongoing Gulf crisis revealed the failure of the GCC candidates and discourse. The implicit modest overall advances, in terms of When he won the nomination, the power is set to remain in the hands to attain its goals,” and that the stability of the Gulf and Arab slogan was: Trump does not defi ne seats rather than votes – barely taking many prominent conservatives of the old white party elites, some of states will not be achieved by undermining the sovereignty America. the House, while staying well behind and Republicans were openly whom will also play a major role in the of states or interfering in their internal aff airs. The midterms turned out to indeed a US Senate majority. That said, the Never Trumpers. When he won the party primaries. In this regard, the Amir hoped that the current crisis be a referendum on Trump and party has changed fundamentally in presidency, most Republicans decided Another highly divisive primary will be resolved through dialogue and dispute resolution “Trumpism”, ie a populist radical right composition. Two years after Bernie to accept him, hoping to mould him could weaken the Democrats’ mechanisms will be developed in the GCC to ensure non- combination of authoritarianism, Sanders’ failed challenge for the into a mainstream conservative. Just mobilisation potential and play into recurrence of such measures in the future. nativism and populism. It was fully presidential nomination, there will be two years later, without Steve Bannon the hands of the Republicans, who In his speech, the Amir stressed the importance of embraced by the Republican party and almost as many Democratic Socialists and other alleged spin doctors, Trump face no internal challenge. At the same constitutional institutions and their responsibilities to fully rejected by the Democratic party. as conservative-leaning Democrats has shaped the Republican party in his time, having the House in the hands of The key result of the midterms is that (known as Blue Dog Democrats) in image instead. the Democrats gives the Republicans achieve the goals of the State while preserving Qatari, America is now both more nativist and Congress. While still a minority, they Whether the Republican the opportunity to shift blame and Arab and Islamic identity and culture on sound moral and more multicultural. will be a loud minority, convinced they establishment likes it or not – and more emphasise the importance of not letting civilised grounds. True, some of the most strident white represent the future of the party. and more are actually perfectly happy this “unique chance” to Make America The speech embodied the strategic visions of many nationalist and white supremacist Even more importantly, the with it – the Grand Old Party is now Great Again slip. All in all, this was not a current issues locally, regionally and internationally and Republicans were defeated – although Democratic congressmen and women Trump’s Party. Their fate is intertwined bad night for Trump. called on citizens to be sincere in work, both quantitatively an open neo-Nazi like Arthur Jones are fi nally starting to refl ect the party’s with his. The old conservative Cas Mudde is a Guardian US and qualitatively. It emphasised on work ethics for Qatar to still got over 25% of the vote in the diverse electorate. Minnesota’s Ilhan Republican party is dead, for now. The columnist and professor in international continue to develop and achieve sustainability. third congressional district of Illinois, Omar and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib coming two years they will campaign aff airs at the University of Georgia. The Amir also stressed the importance of national service and its role in building the Qatari youth. He paid tribute to the Qatari people – who have become more committed to the ethics they are famous for and are aware of the scale of their country’s accomplishments and the importance of national sovereignty and independence of political decision. The Amir also noted that the deterioration of the pan-Arab situation, including the Gulf, strips the Arab world of its immunity and ability to cope with the aggravation of various issues that it suff ers from in Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Libya and others. The Amir’s speech represents a roadmap, strategy and a working methodology to further develop Qatar and achieve a decent life for its citizens, as well as to maintain security and stability in the Gulf region and the Arab world.

To Advertise [email protected] Display 44466621 44418811 Classified 44466609 44418811 Subscription [email protected]

FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump gives two thumbs up to the crowd during a campaign rally on the eve of the US mid-term elections in Cleveland, Ohio., US, on © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved November 5. Gulf Times Thursday, November 8, 2018 27 COMMENT A radically realistic climate vision

By Barbara Unmüßig emissions totalling 1.2 billion tons hundred gigatons of CO2 from the Berlin of CO2-equivalents. These massive atmosphere. Their restoration would emissions – more than the combined protect not just biodiversity, but also total for all international fl ights local people, including the indigenous ccording to the latest report and maritime shipping – refl ect a communities whose land-tenure rights by the Intergovernmental “fast fashion” culture that produces have been systematically violated. In Panel on Climate Change, garments as cheaply as possible, fact, retaining and expanding the land Athe world’s main scientifi c with the expectation of constant area under management by indigenous authority on global warming, keeping turnover in people’s wardrobes. If each peoples and local communities could global temperatures from rising more garment were replaced half as often, protect over 1,000 GtCO2 worth of than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels the industry’s total greenhouse-gas carbon stocks. is a feasible goal. The IPCC’s stance emissions would plummet by 44%. According to a report by the Climate, represents a move in the direction A zero-waste circular economy Land, Ambition, and Rights Alliance, of the kind of “radical realism” that for textiles would include not just ecosystem-based approaches in many civil-society actors have long more use of the clothes that are the land sector and agro-ecological advocated. produced, but also improved recycling changes to food production and The IPCC does not bet on geo- and repurposing of materials, to consumption systems – including engineering proposals – for example, avoid emissions-producing waste- more local ownership – could deliver deep-ocean sequestration of massive disposal processes like incineration. 13 GtCO2eq per year in avoided amounts of atmospheric carbon The biggest gains would come from emissions, and almost 10 GtCO2eq dioxide, or “dimming the sun” by the introduction of less wasteful annually in sequestered carbon by spraying the atmosphere with aerosols production processes. 2050. The result would be 448 GtCO2 – to combat global warming. These Important steps should also be taken in cumulative removals by 2100 – largely theoretical solutions could have regarding land use (encompassing around ten times current global annual untold consequences for people and agriculture and zoning changes). As emissions. ecosystems, worsening not only the the international peasant’s movement Limiting global temperatures to climate crisis, but also the other social La Via Campesina shows, the 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and ecological crises we face. industrial food system’s emissions is our best hope of containing the Instead, the IPCC focuses on how we – including those from production, eff ects of a climate crisis born of can avoid crossing the 1.5°C threshold fertilisers, transport, processing, historical injustices and deep-rooted in the fi rst place. We must, it asserts, packaging, cooling, and food waste, inequities. The only way to succeed decarbonise the global economy and from deforestation associated with will be to undertake a shift to a new immediately to ensure that global CO2 the expansion of industrial agriculture socioeconomic system. This means emissions decline by about 45% by – account for 44-57% of the global abandoning the single-minded 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. total. obsession with GDP growth – which Achieving this will require not just A peasant agro-ecological has facilitated the proliferation of transforming economic activity, but production system based on food wasteful production and consumption also confronting destructive power In a zero-waste circular economy, everything we produce and consume returns safely to nature or is recycled and reused. sovereignty, small-scale farming, and patterns and fuelled economic and dynamics and social inequalities. agro-ecology could, La Via Campesina social inequality and injustice – in “Radical Realism for Climate Justice,” notes, it does not mean abrupt or other industries. This means replacing would also facilitate the restructuring argues, halve carbon emissions from favour of a public-goods approach that a new anthology published by the panicked action that could lead to a the market-based, investor-focused of energy systems to serve social and agriculture within a few decades. This serves genuinely to make people’s lives Heinrich Böll Foundation, sets out “sudden and dramatic shut-down of approach to energy production with ecological needs. approach is proven to work: small-scale better. strategies developed by international fossil fuel production, stranding assets, one that treats energy as a public good, Another system-level farmers, peasants, fi shers, indigenous Demanding such a transformation is civil-society and social movements to damaging economies, and harming while engineering a shift toward social transformation that would facilitate communities, rural workers, women, not “naive” or “politically unfeasible.” bring about such change. workers and communities reliant on ownership and management of energy major emissions reductions would be and youth already feed 70% of the It is radically realistic. In fact, it is the In line with the IPCC’s core message, the energy sector.” supplies. the creation of a zero-waste circular world’s population, while using only only way we can achieve social justice we urgently need a politically managed In building up the renewable-energy Rooted in energy sovereignty and economy, whereby everything we 25% of its agricultural resources. while protecting our environment from decline in fossil-fuel production. This sector, we should avoid replicating self-determination, this approach produce and consume returns safely There is also a need to restore devastating climate change. - Project means putting a brake on oil, coal, and systems that have driven inequality would spur faster decarbonisation, to nature or is recycled and reused. natural ecosystems that have been Syndicate gas production and exploration. As and entrenched damaging power including by weakening vested Consider textiles production, which destroyed. Forests and peatlands, Barbara Unmüßig is President of the group Oil Change International dynamics in the fossil-fuel sector and interests’ power to resist change. It in 2015 generated greenhouse-gas in particular, can sequester several the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Should Japan adopt daylight saving time? Three-day forecast TODAY (especially the Middle East), so it has A concern that has attracted par- duced by Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Maximum Temperature : 310c By Koichi Hamada Minimum Temperature : 250c Tokyo particularly strong incentive to mini- ticular attention is the possibility that Koike in 2005, when she was serving as mise energy use. DST would result in people working minister of the environment. Japanese FRIDAY Yet Mori’s proposal has been met longer hours. Japan’s business culture workplaces sacrifi ced some formality – Maximum Temperature : 300c fter this summer’s intense with considerable opposition. One – centred on highly successful kaisha allowing workers to wear short sleeves Minimum Temperature : 260c heat waves, which left at least particularly convincing argument is (fi rms) – is known to be very demand- and no ties or jackets to the offi ce – to SATURDAY 110 people dead, some in Ja- that, given today’s technologies, it may ing, to the point that karoshi, or death enable offi ce and retail buildings to Maximum Temperature : 280c Apan have become concerned not actually bring much in the way of from overwork or job-related exhaus- minimise their use of air conditioning. Minimum Temperature : 260c energy savings. tion, is not uncommon. Critics of DST Beyond changes to offi ce temperatures about athletes’ safety during the 2020 Fisherman's forecast Summer Olympic Games, which will According to the Ministry of Envi- fear that, if the sun is still out at the and dress codes, Cool Biz off ered some be held in Tokyo in late July and early ronment of Japan, one hour’s adjust- end of business hours, managers will other energy-saving advice to busi- WARNING feel pressure to continue working and nesses – including allowing employees Inshore : Thunderstorms August – the hottest and most humid ment in 2008 would have led to savings expected with sudden time of year in the country. One such of an estimated 0.910mn kilolitres push their employees to do the same. to work earlier. strong wind on some person is Tokyo 2020 Olympics Presi- of crude oil annually. Compared to Japanese often cling to tradition, and Given this, it is probably not sur- areas. dent Yoshiro Mori, who has proposed Japan’s total energy consumption – men tend to have a particularly hard prising that Koike reportedly recognis- Offshore : Expected thunder rain associated with strong a solution: adopt daylight saving time 512mn kL of crude oil in 2016 – this time adjusting to change. But, when it es the potential benefi ts of introducing wind and high sea to (DST), so that events scheduled for the is a drop in the bucket. If DST were comes to implementing DST in Japan, DST in Japan. Yet even she is hesitant the North. morning, such as the marathon, can be implemented today, it would prob- it may not have to be all or nothing, as about having the entire country change WEATHER Inshore : Relatively hot daytime held during cooler hours. Would Japan ably reduce energy consumption by some of the country’s female leaders its clocks twice per year, especially with scattered clouds benefi t from such a change? less than 0.2%. In terms of emissions are proving. if the main motivation relates to the and chance of thunder In much of the West, DST has long reductions, the impact would be simi- Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, 2020 Tokyo Olympics. More fl exible rain by afternoon. Offshore : Partly cloudy with been used as a way to save energy and larly negligible. has particularly long summer daylight solutions, like starting the marathon chance of scattered extend outdoor time for workers dur- To be sure, for a country that de- hours, making the case for seasonal at an earlier hour, seem to be more rain ing the dark winter months and the hot pends on imported energy, any savings adjustment especially strong. That convincing, from her perspective. WIND Inshore : Southeasterly-North- summer months (though the Euro- are valuable. And the recent fi ndings is why, in 2003, Governor Harumi Whether or not Japan adopts DST, easterly 05-15/25 KT. pean Union is now considering the by the Intergovernmental Panel on Takahashi introduced an experimen- one message emerges from the debate. Offshrore : Southeasterly-North- elimination of DST, in the belief that it Climate Change have shown that the tal and entirely voluntary schedule- When it comes to making changes in easterly 5-15/22 KT, costs more than it saves, and owing to threat from global warming, owing to adjustment plan that functions much change-resistant Japan, the ingenuity Visibility : 4-8/3 KM of Japan’s women leaders could well be the eff ect on the human biorhythm). reliance on fossil fuels, is even more like DST. Government offi ces, as well Around the region Given my extensive experience living urgent than previously known. But, as fi rms, can choose to allow their what determines the future. - Project Weather in New England, I initially viewed the given the potential complications as- employees to arrive at work and leave Syndicate Weather tomorrow Max/min adoption of DST in Japan as a relatively sociated with introducing DST, it is not an hour earlier than normal during the Koichi Hamada is Professor today Max/min M Sunny 22/12 straightforward solution – and not just clear whether this particular means summer months. Emeritus at Yale University and a spe- Baghdad M Cloudy 21/13 T Storm 24/18 to the Olympic issue. Japan depends of reducing energy consumption is Another successful seasonal experi- cial adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Kuwait CityShowers 24/19 P Cloudy 28/24 on fossil fuels imported from abroad worthwhile. ment was the “Cool Biz” policy intro- Shinzo Abe. Manama M Sunny 29/24 Muscat Sunny 29/25 Sunny 30/25 Tehran S Showers 13/09 P Cloudy 15/08 Live issues ‘Single-use’ named 2018 word of the year

By Alison Flood presenting them with false Guardian News and Media information until they doubt their sanity”, has seen its usage increase 20- fold in the last fi ve years, according to ingle-use, a term referring the dictionary, while MeToo, defi nined Around the world to products – often made of as “denoting a cultural movement Weather Weather plastic –that are made to be that seeks to expose and eradicate today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Sused once and thrown away, predatory sexual behaviour, especially Athens M Cloudy 19/13 M Sunny 19/11 has been named Collins Dictionary’s in the workplace”, was “transcending Beirut M Sunny 23/18 P Cloudy 23/18 word of the year for 2018. its original status as a social-media Bangkok T Storm 32/26 T Storm 29/26 Collins, whose lexicographers hashtag to become part of the Berlin M Cloudy 13/07 P Cloudy 12/07 monitor a 4.5bn-word corpus to come language”. Cairo P Cloudy 27/16 P Cloudy 26/16 up with an annual list of new and “This has been a year where Cape Town Cloudy 23/14 Sunny 28/14 notable words, said images such as awareness and often anger over a Colombo T Storm 28/23 S T Storms 29/23 those seen in the BBC’s Blue Planet II, variety of issues has led to the rise of Dhaka Sunny 31/19 Sunny 31/19 in which albatrosses unwittingly feed new words and the revitalisation and Hong Kong P Cloudy 26/20 P Cloudy 24/21 their chicks plastic, had contributed adaptation of old ones,” said head of Istanbul Cloudy 17/13 P Cloudy 18/13 to the increased usage of the term language content Helen Newstead. Jakarta 31/26 T Storm 31/26 Plastic waste on the banks of the River Thames in London. S T Storms single-use. It also pointed to increased “It’s clear from this year’s words of the Karachi Sunny 31/19 Sunny 31/19 public awareness of the problems campaign to reduce their use,” said the year in 2018 included plogging, a year list that changes to our language London M Sunny 13/07 Rain 13/10 that single-use products bring. The dictionary. “The word [single-use] has Scandinavian craze in which joggers are dictated as much by public concern Manila M Sunny 33/26 P Cloudy 32/25 European parliament recently backed seen a four-fold increase since 2013.” also pick up litter; gammon, meaning as they are by sport, politics, and Moscow Cloudy 05/02 Cloudy 05/01 a ban on single-use plastics such as The dictionary defi nes single-use “a person, typically male, middle- playground fads. The words in this New Delhi Sunny 28/13 Sunny 28/14 straws, cotton swabs, disposable plates as “made to be used once only”, calling aged and white, with reactionary year’s list perhaps highlight a world at New York Sunny 13/06 Rain 11/07 and bottles and cutlery; it is expected it “a term that describes items whose views, especially one who supports extremes – at one end, serious social Paris P Cloudy 12/06 P Cloudy 16/11 to come into eff ect in 2021. The UK unchecked proliferation are blamed the withdrawal of Britain from the and political concerns, and at the Sao Paulo Showers 18/16 P Cloudy 22/16 is also planning to introduce a tax on for damaging the environment and European Union”; and fl oss, the other, more light-hearted activities.” Seoul Rain 15/09 P Cloudy 16/07 plastic packaging. aff ecting the food chain”. It follows victory dance performed in the video All words in the list will be included Singapore S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 30/26 “Images of plastic adrift in the 2017’s word of the year, “fake news”, game Fortnite. on CollinsDictionary.com, and will be Sydney S Showers 18/12 Cloudy 21/14 most distant oceans, such as straws, and 2016’s selection, Brexit. Gaslight, meaning “to attempt to considered for inclusion in future print Tokyo Cloudy 19/13 Cloudy 21/15 bottles and bags, have led to a global Other contenders for word of the manipulate (a person) by continually editions of the dictionary. Gulf Times 28 Thursday, November 8, 2018 QATAR

The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. Qatar Airways, Orbis organise activities for Healthcare Week

he Orbis Flying Eye Hos- medical professionals as well as 473,000 children who are blind Working with a global team HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari visiting the Flying Eye Hospital, operated pital, in collaboration teachers and community work- across the two countries, and of volunteers and the world’s by global eye health charity Orbis, in Doha yesterday. Twith Qatar Airways, is ers. 50% of cases are avoidable. leading ophthalmic medical ex- hosting public and private tours Together, Orbis and the Qa- Qatar Airways’ support of Or- perts, each year Orbis delivers inside the one-of-a-kind air- tar Fund for Development are bis has been long standing, and between four to eight training craft, at Doha International Air- on track to deliver an impressive we are immensely grateful and programmes on board the Flying port. 5.6mn eye care treatments to proud of the partnership. We Eye Hospital. It also runs long- There are also on board children across India and Bang- would like to say thank you for term programmes in 18 coun- Health minister visits workshops, including nursing ladesh by mid-2020. welcoming Orbis and the Fly- tries, including Bangladesh, and ophthalmology sessions, Qatar Airways Group chief ing Eye Hospital so warmly and Ethiopia, India and Zambia, in support of Doha Healthcare executive Akbar al-Baker, said: providing us with a platform to among others. Week and to celebrate the Qatar “It is Orbis’ highly commend- celebrate Qatari generosity.” Qatar Airways was named Creating Vision Initiative, fund- able initiative that makes us Qatar Airways has been a ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by Flying Eye Hospital ed by the Qatar Fund for Devel- proud supporters of the global proud supporter of Orbis since the 2018 World Airline Awards, opment and led by Orbis. eye health charity. Since 2012, 2012. The multiple award-win- managed by international air The Flying Eye Hospital, op- we have worked hand in hand ning airline offi cially renewed its transport rating organisation QNA and medical sections. The fl ying She also praised the impor- erated by global eye health char- with the Flying Eye Hospital to sponsorship with the global eye Skytrax. It was also named Doha hospital is an aircraft that has tance of the Doha Healthcare ity Orbis, is a fully-equipped expand its reach and help pre- health charity in 2017 as the Of- ‘Best Business Class Seat’, ‘Best been equipped to be a hospital. Week and its unique activities MD-10 cargo aircraft with state- vent avoidable blindness around fi cial Airline Partner of Orbis UK Airline in the Middle East’, and She explained the impor- to promote awareness and en- of-the-art medical equipment, the world. We are delighted to for three years. ‘World’s Best First Class Airline E the Minister of Public tance of partnership with Or- courage people to adopt healthy an operating theatre and a class- have this unique aircraft back in Every year, the aircraft visits Lounge’. Health Dr Hanan Mo- bis through the Qatar Creating lifestyles. room, making it a truly unique Doha as part of Doha Healthcare countries across Africa, Asia and Earlier this year, Qatar Air- Hhamed al-Kuwari has Vision initiative, a unique hu- “This reinforces our goals for teaching facility. Week and we are positive that Latin America, partnering with ways revealed a host of upcom- visited the Flying Eye Hospital, manitarian initiative aimed at the people of Qatar to enjoy a The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital local guests will be fascinated local hospitals to deliver spe- ing new global destinations, in- operated by global eye health helping millions of children in healthier future,” she added. has supported the Qatar Creat- by the facility while touring the cialist training through its team cluding the announcement that charity Orbis, currently in Doha India and Bangladesh to detect Doha Healthcare Week is be- ing Vision initiative in Bangla- aircraft.” of world-class medical volun- it will be the fi rst Gulf carrier to celebrating Doha Healthcare diseases. ing organised by the Ministry of desh at the end of last year. Since Orbis UK chief executive Re- teers, carry out treatments, and begin direct service to Luxem- Week, which kicked off on Tues- The initiative was launched Public Health, Qatar Foundation July 2016, 4.2mn screenings for becca Cronin, said: “Through raise vital awareness about the bourg. Other new destinations day and will last until Monday. by the Qatar Fund for Develop- and many partners ahead of the children have been conducted the Qatar Fund for Develop- importance of eye health. to be launched by the airline The minister was briefed on ment and is being implemented World Health Innovation Sum- across India and Bangladesh ment we have been able to reach Since 1982 Orbis has been include Gothenburg, Sweden; the facilities on board the fl ying through partner charitable or- mit (WISH 2018) which will take and more than 56,000 training millions of children across In- working to prevent avoid- Mombasa, Kenya and Da Nang, hospital, including educational ganisations, notably Orbis. place on November 13 and 14. sessions have been provided for dia and Bangladesh. There are able blindness in areas of need. Vietnam.