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MONDAY Vol. XXXVI No. 9999 February 15, 2016 Jumada I 6, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir meets Exxon Mobil chairman University In brief

QATAR | Event registers Minister to open Interfaith Dialogue HE the Minister of Justice Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr al-Muhannadi will inaugurate the 12th Doha conference of Interfaith Dialogue on Wednesday. More than 500 big growth scholars and experts will attend. It will be under the slogan of “Spiritual and Intellectual Safety in the Light of Religious Doctrines.” The conference will conclude on February 17. There will be four main panel discussions. in research They are “Religion and its role in spiritual and intellectual security”, QU has become one of the fastest ity of research metrics is one and QU “Destabilisation of moral and growing institutions for research in has achieved 1.25. Our researchers’ intellectual security”, “Protecting the region with a compound annual published work has increased by ap- youth from intellectual and moral growth rate of 36.45%, based on a proximately 246.7% based on the fi eld- violation and cultural alienation”, 2015 comparative study, according weighted citation impact, which is a and “Strategies for protecting to the off icial quality metric maintaining a value of spiritual and intellectual freedom 1.17 in 2014, and 1.25 in 2015. The col- and security: future expectations.” By Joseph Varghese laboration in research has resulted in Staff Reporter 3,200 co-authored publications. HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday met with Exxon Mobil Corporation chairman Rex Tillerson. The “Qatar National Research Fund REGION | Confl ict meeting at the Emiri Diwan was attended by the delegation accompanying the chairman. (QNRF) is the main funding source for Saudi intercepts Scud atar University (QU) has recorded Qatar University. QU’s budget for cur- as much as 250% growth in re- rent active grants and contracts was missile from Yemen Qsearch programmes over the last $141.5mn of which $48mn was awarded Saudi Arabia intercepted a Scud fi ve years, it was announced yesterday. in 2015, with QNRF providing 94% of missile fired towards the kingdom The national university undertook the funding,” she said. by Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, over 450 research projects collaborat- Al-Emadi pointed out that several the Riyadh-led coalition fighting Syria truce hopes dwindle ing with 319 institutions around the private organisations also supported the insurgents has said. The off icial world during this period. QU by providing funding for research Saudi SPA news agency said the “QU has taken a tremendous lead in through diff erent ways. missile was destroyed by the research collaboration and output and “Over the past eight years, QU has kingdom’s air defences on Saturday, as offi cials slam Moscow it is evident in the recent ranking of the received about $22.7mn from other around 100km from its border with university from various agencies,” act- agencies for its research activities. QU Yemen. Page 9 ing vice president for research Dr Dar- continues in its eff orts to create an DPA wish al-Emadi said. enabling environment of research ex- Muncih “The university has been ranked cellence by providing full support to its ASIA | Decision number one in international collabo- research community.” Seoul defends pullout ration in the Times Higher Education “These organisations support QU by opes of a successful truce and (THE) Mena Universities Ranking and establishing a chair at diff erent colleges from industrial zone the speedy delivery of hu- number four in the Mena region for re- of the university. They also support and South Korea yesterday defended Hmanitarian aid to besieged search,” he pointed out. sponsor many of the programmes of its decision to abruptly pull out of areas of Syria dwindled yesterday as QU has become one of the fastest the university. In addition, some com- an inter-Korean industrial zone, regime forces - backed by Russian growing institutions for research in the panies approach us by asking for as- claiming 70% of wages for North airstrikes - pushed ahead with an of- region with a compound annual growth sistance in tackling certain issues, they Korean workers were for years fensive against rebels in the northern rate of 36.45%, based on a 2015 com- come across in their activities,” he said. used to fund Pyongyang’s nuclear province of Aleppo. parative study, according to the offi cial. “In the course of the last eight years, and missile development. Seoul US Senator John McCain, Riyad Research activities of QU are focused around 1,200 students benefi ted from last Wednesday announced it Hijab, chief negotiator for the Syrian on four major areas. “They are energy, student grants, and about 800 stu- would withdraw from the Kaesong opposition, and deputy UN chief Jan environment and resources sustain- dents were supported through univer- industrial complex. Page 15 Eliasson were among diplomats and ability; social changes and identity; sity, start-up, and summer grants with foreign policy experts to cast serious population, health and wellness; and QU spending approximately $14mn on doubt on an agreement by world pow- A boy looking up as he inspects the damage after airstrikes by pro-Syrian government information and communication tech- these grants.” WORLD | Health ers to implement a truce and deliver forces in the rebel held Douma neighbourhood of Damascus yesterday. nologies. There are several research Nayla al-Thani observed that many Broccoli compound aid by next week. programmes in these sectors, focusing students have been the benefi ciaries “My scepticism rests simply on the the sidelines of the conference. ists,’ which it insists is everyone, even on the grand challenges of the country.” of the Undergraduate Research Experi- ‘slows breast cancer’ nature of our adversaries’ ambitions,” “We need quick action from their civilians”, McCain charged. Nayla Ahmad M al-Thani, assistant ence Programme (UREP) of QNRF. US researchers say a compound McCain said at the Munich Security side,” he said, adding that aid convoys Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s director, Offi ce of Academic Research, A total of 1,668 undergraduate stu- found in cruciferous vegetables Conference, adding that President were ready to go but it was unclear forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, observed that the quality of the re- dents have benefi ted from the UREP in such as broccoli slows growth of Vladimir Putin’s Syrian intervention when security assurances from Da- pressed ahead yesterday with a major search work of QU was above the inter- last eight years. QU receives 55 UREP breast cancer cells. Oregon State was an attempt to re-establish Russia mascus would come. attack against the rebel-held towns of national rating. grants per year totalling approximately University and the Oregon Health as a major power by exacerbating the Key players in the conflict were Anadan and Hreitan on the northern “The international average for qual- $1.9mn. Page 4 & Science University researchers refugee crisis in order to divide Nato still trying to prop up hopes for a outskirts of Aleppo, according to ac- suggest in a study that the and undermine the European project. truce, with the Kremlin putting out tivists. compound sulforaphane has long “If Russia and the Assad regime a statement that a phone conversa- Warplanes, believed to be Russian, shown evidence of value in cancer violate this agreement, what are the tion between Putin and US Presi- unleashed a series of airstrikes yes- prevention. consequences? I don’t see any. Com- dent Barack Obama in the wake of terday on the rebel-controlled district mon sense will not end the confl ict in the agreement had been “frank and of al-Qatrji in the city of Aleppo, the Syria - it takes leverage,” he said. constructive”. capital of the province of the same INDIA | Arrests Hijab accused Moscow and Damas- According to the Kremlin, Putin name, the Syrian observatory for Hu- Protests snowball cus of pursuing a “strategy of forced reiterated the importance of co-or- man Rights said. displacement”, adding that neither dinating US and Russian military ef- Meanwhile, hostilities were con- over sedition row party was invested in a truce. forts in the fi ght against the Islamic tinuing elsewhere on the ground. Protests snowballed yesterday The UN was still waiting for secu- State and al-Nusra Front militias, two Turkish forces shelled positions at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru rity guarantees that would allow the groups which are exempted from the held by the Kurd-led Democratic University (JNU), days after its delivery of humanitarian aid to be- truce. Russia has insisted its air cam- Forces of Syria (DFS), a coalition student union president was sieged areas of Syria that world pow- paign only targets “terrorists.” linked to the Kurdish People’s Protec- arrested on charges of sedition ers had scheduled for today. The truce “requires opposition tion Units (YPG) in the northern and and at least seven others detained. The process is more complicated groups to stop fi ghting but it allows north-western parts of Aleppo prov- Page 21 than expected, Eliasson told DPA on Russia to continue bombing ‘terror- ince. Page 11 Dr Darwish al-Emadi announcing QU’s research achievements yesterday. Ministry destroys 2.9mn tonnes of unfi t food

he Ministry of Public Health stroyed for being unfi t for human con- around 901.5mn tonnes topped the tonnes re-exported for non-compli- for non-compliance last year included Among the destroyed food items (MPH) last year returned or de- sumption. other entry points in the country in food ance and 445.8 tonnes destroyed for 1,392 boxes of bread, 1,224 boxes of were 4,700 boxes of spices, cakes, Tstroyed more than 5mn tonnes As part of the ministry’s food safety imports. Of this, 897.6mn tonnes were not being fi t for human consumption. tomato paste, 1,872 boxes of juice, 149 chicken, drinking water and cooking of foodstuff that did not meet Qatar campaign, 7,162 random samples were admitted and approved while 1.4mn The air cargo terminal at Hamad In- boxes of pickles, 2,326 boxes of various oil. In addition, several fi sh and meat standards, it was announced yesterday. taken from the cargoes that arrived tonnes were rejected and re-exported ternational Airport came third with foodstuff and 151 packages of honey. All cargoes were destroyed after changes A total of 2.59bn tonnes of food in the country and sent to the Central for non-compliance. In addition, 2.4mn 738.3mn tonnes. After tests, 8.9 tonnes were rejected due to non-compliance in their natural physical properties items imported into the country were Food Laboratories where they were tonnes were destroyed for non-compli- of these were re-exported and around with the set health standards, such as were detected. Other destroyed food- inspected by the ministry at various subjected to several tests that resulted ance with the set specifi cations or being 24.8 tonnes destroyed. the means of transportation, use of stuff included juices proven to contain ports of entry during 2015. in accepting 6,527 samples and reject- unfi t for human consumption. Al Ruwais Port, which was inaugu- non-standard artifi cial ingredients, or a percentage of alcohol. While 2.2mn tonnes of the foodstuff ing 635 samples for various microbial, Abu Samra Border Post came second rated last year, received 216.9 tonnes of lack of proper data. Besides, food labels According to market sources, the were returned to the country of origin chemical and physical reasons. with 898.36mn tonnes. After tests con- imported foodstuff during November that contained words such as “pork”, MPH inspection of imported foodstuff because they did not comply with the MPH statistics issued yesterday re- ducted on samples, 898.35mn tonnes and December 2015. “wine” and other banned substances is considered highly effi cient and ac- set standards, 2.9mn tonnes were de- vealed that the Doha seaport with were allowed into the country and 704 The foodstuff that were re-exported were rejected. curate. Gulf Times 2 Monday, February 15, 2016 QATAR FM turns spotlight on Qatar-UK defence ties reviewed oppressed communities

QNA ing confl ict and persecution. favourable environment for all Munich Reiterating the importance of kinds of destructive interests. discussing the balance of power In Syria, the regime’s un- at a time of mounting tensions precedented brutality and the E the Foreign Minister between regional actors, the failure of the international Sheikh Mohamed bin Foreign Minister said under- community to protect civil- HAbdulrahman al-Thani standing the new geopolitics of ians from massive bombard- has said that the most urgent the Middle East requires raising ment led to two issues, the fi rst matter to discuss is the fate of a question as to how the Mid- of which is the militarisation millions of families and commu- dle East and North Africa region of the civil revolution, and the nities living under oppression in changed from an era of possible second is mounting infl uence the Middle East. political reform to an era of con- of foreign groups that took ad- In a speech at a session of the fl icts and disputes. vantage of the power vacuum 52nd Munich Security Confer- HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Ab- and controlled lands in both ence under the title of “Grow- dulrahman al-Thani added that Syria and Iraq, he said. ing Rifts, Power Shifts? The New the region is already reeling from HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Geopolitics of the Middle East”, the overwhelming impact of key Abdulrahman al-Thani added: the Foreign Minister said, con- factors for instability, namely “The historic coexistence of sidering the issue from popula- the siege against the Palestin- diff erent religions and ethnic tion perspective more than 6% ian people, the absence of a just groups enrich our culture and of the world’s population is liv- solution and the loss of hope for society, but the politicisation of ing in the Middle East. This fi g- any corrective step by the inter- sectarian diff erences is a recent ure includes Muslims and Chris- national community to end one phenomenon that has unfortu- tians, Arabs and Kurds, adding of the last remaining occupa- nately been used and reproduced that 57.6mn people are in need tions in the world. by regional and international of humanitarian aid, including He explained that massive vi- powers and encouraged by the HE the Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah met the visiting UK Defence Procurement Minister, Philip 17.7mn people are either inter- olations of human rights, chaos, existing competition between Dunne, and his accompanying delegation in Doha yesterday. Talks during the meeting focused on military relations between Qatar and nally displaced or refugees fl ee- and instability have created a countries”. the UK and ways of enhancing them. Chief of Staff of Qatari Armed Forces HE Major-General Ghanem bin Shaheen al- Ghanem attended the meeting. Ooredoo upgrades Shahry Smart packs

oredoo has announced have their data allowance boost- ‘the switch’. an upgrade of its Shahry ed by up to 10GB per month, “Our new super loaded Ministry withdraws tainted OSmart packs, by enhanc- whilst 750 customers will be up- Shahry Smart plans off er great ing the monthly local data al- graded from 10GB to 50GB data value for everyone in Qatar,” said lowance, as well as international at no extra cost. Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari, direc- and local minute allowance at no Shahry Smart 250 users will tor Community & Public Rela- extra charge for new and existing also get an allowance of 100 in- tions, Ooredoo. stock of Advil Suspension customers. ternational calling minutes to Shahry Smart packs off er a Ooredoo Shahry Smart cus- use calling 120 countries around host of local and international tomers who currently sub- the world. minutes/SMS, data and access he Ministry of Public The Pharmacy and Drug Con- Further, the department af- withdraw the remaining stock of scribe to the 55 pack will now The upgrades will be avail- to the 4G+ network for super- Health (MPH) has an- trol Department at MPH has fi rmed it has received a letter this batch. receive double the data allow- able for all new and existing fast mobile data speeds. Packs Tnounced the withdrawal affi rmed that all the hospitals from the manufacturer of Ad- The department also in- ance, whilst Shahry 100 and 150 customers as part of Oore- come in denominations of 15, of batch J89260 of Advil Sus- under Hamad Medical Corpora- vil indicating that the com- structed the local agent of the subscribers will get extra local doo’s new ‘Just Switched’ 35, 55, 100, 150, 250, 450 and pension 100mg/5ml, 100ml tion and all health centres do not pany has voluntarily withdrawn company to withdraw the af- calling minutes, for the same campaign which aims to high- 750. from all the private pharmacies have this batch. All types of oth- the aff ected stock of the drug fected batch of the medicine monthly fee. light the enhanced commu- More information on Shahry and hospitals in the country as er drugs are closely monitored amounting to 6,540 packages. from the pharmacies, stop its To cater for the growing de- nications experience avail- Smart pack could be had from an a precautionary measure due to through testing random samples Immediately, the department import and supply the depart- mand for data in Qatar Shahry able with Ooredoo, as well as a Ooredoo Shop or www.ooredoo. an issue with the viscosity of the at MPH laboratories to ensure sent its inspectors to all private ment with a report on the with- 150, 250 and 450 customers will range of the customers taking qa product. their safety. pharmacies and hospitals to drawn quantity.

Gulf Times 4 Monday, February 15, 2016 QATAR

In brief Transport Minister meets ambassadors

FM holds meetings in Munich

HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met Singapore’s Minister of Defence Ng Eng Hen and his Polish counterpart Witold Waszczykowski in Munich on Saturday. The meetings took place in Germany, where the HE the Minister of Transport and Communications, Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, held separate meetings with the ambassadors of France, Canada and Swaziland to Qatar, Eric Chevallier, Adrian Norfolk, and off icials are participating in Felizwe Dlamini, in Doha yesterday. Talks dealt with bilateral relations in transport and communications sector and means of enhancing them. Munich Security Conference. Bilateral relations and issues of joint interest were discussed. Minister meets French envoy Expat acquitted of forgery charge QU research programmes HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment, Mohamed Doha Criminal Court has acquitted feit his university degree certifi cate is- bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi met the a Jordanian expatriate man of the sued by Jordan and submitting it to the ambassador of France to the Acharges of counterfeiting offi cial authentication department of the Qatar State of Qatar, Eric Chevallier, in documents and cancelled a previous ver- Ministry of Foreign Aff airs. However, the focus on four major areas Doha yesterday. dict of three years in jail and deportation. fi le of the case did not include the coun- Talks dealt with means of Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported terfeited document. Besides, the defend- co-operation between Qatar yesterday that the man was accused by ant submitted his original certifi cate, By Joseph Varghese They are energy, environ- country. The university has on sub-themes such as pre- and France in municipal and the Public Prosecution of conniving with making the court acquit him for lack of Staff reporter ment and resources sus- been targeting these areas as vention and treatment of environment aff airs. another unidentifi ed person to counter- evidence. tainability; social changes most of them are relevant to chronic non-communicable and identity; population, the society and the country.” diseases and traffi c safety. atar University (QU), health and wellness and in- According to Dr al-Ema- Finally, the last topic has focused its re- formation and communica- di, all the four areas of re- has several research pro- Qsearch programmes tion technologies.” search comprise of several grammes in the fi elds of on four main areas, an offi - “QU is instrumental in sub-themes. In the fi rst cat- intelligent and secure infor- Eight expatriates jailed cial of the research division realising Qatar National Vi- egory, the major subdivi- mation processing; distrib- said yesterday. sion 2030 of transforming sions are research on marine uted systems and e-services It was announced that QU the country into a knowl- resources; water, air and and enabling technologies. for assault, disturbing has achieved 250% growth edge-based economy. Re- food security; materials and Dr al-Emadi noted that in the research programmes search is one of the most nanotechnology and lique- research always takes its over the last fi ve years by important elements in re- fi ed natural gas and alterna- own time to produce de- peace while intoxicated taking up more than 450 re- alising a knowledge econ- tive energy. sired outcomes. “Research searches with 319 collabora- omy. It is fundamentally The research on social takes time and needs some tors from around the world. important to concentrate change and identity com- duration to get the desired Doha Criminal Court icated when they attacked Speaking to Gulf Times, on research to produce and prises areas such as mod- results. Sometimes we have has sentenced eight their victims at the gate of Dr Darwish al-Emadi, QU disseminate knowledge,” he ernisation, national identity to research on the outcomes ANepalese men to two the housing. acting vice-president for continued. and society; Islam and con- of a research. We would not months in jail for attacking The defendants also research explained: “We “Several of the research temporary issues and edu- be doing these researches if others and disturbing peace injured four of their col- are focusing on several re- programmes in these sec- cation and capacity build- they were not relevant to the while being intoxicated, lo- leagues rendering them in- searches which are broadly tors are focusing on the ing. Qatari society and the coun- cal Arabic daily Arrayah re- disposed for a period of less divided into four areas. grand challenges of the The third sector focuses try in general,” he added. ported yesterday. than 20 days. According to testimony The witnesses said of the witnesses, who were though they asked the de- the co-workers and accom- fendants to go away but modation mates, the de- they refused and fought fendants were clearly intox- with them.

Some of the participants at the march. QU-CMED holds march in support of cancer patients

atar University Col- patients. The march pro- solidarity with cancer pa- lighted some of its research lege of Medicine ceeded towards the Oryx tients and their support for areas. “Our cancer research Q(QU-CMED) held a statue in the middle of the cancer research. We aim aims to identify prognos- march in support of cancer Corniche and back to the to develop this into an an- tic biomarkers and develop patients and with the long- starting point. nual tradition that coincides novel therapeutic inter- term vision to establish a Medical student Moham- with World Cancer Day. We ventions for personalised tradition of individual fun- ed al-Jaber said: “Com- anticipate that with time, it medicine in addition to de- draising support for cancer munity events like this one will grow into a large-scale veloping new protocols and research in the country. have the three-fold purpose event and raise considerable strategies that synergise The march was held at of increasing public aware- funds for cancer research at with conventional cancer the Corniche with over 100 ness, strengthening ties the college.” treatments.” community members join- among college members, The college recently es- ing QU and CMED mem- and raising funds for a good “We aim to develop this tablished two groups fo- bers. Participants started cause; in this case support- into an annual tradition cused on cancer research from the Costa café at the ing cancer patients.” that coincides with - one to study Cancer Bi- Sheraton end of the Cor- QU vice-president for World Cancer Day” ology and Metastasis; the niche where they received Medical Education and other to explore Cancer lavender-coloured scarves CMED dean Dr Egon Toft Dr Toft noted the impor- Proteomics and Systems and balloons to repre- said: “By participating, tance the college places on Biology for Personalised sent support for cancer marchers expressed their cancer research and high- Medicine. Justice Minister launches web portal for digital documentation

QNA tion in Qatar. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad real estate documents. The Doha The Minister oversaw the al-Thani to facilitate gov- new electronic system will fi rst electronic transaction. ernment services for citi- adopt a one-stop shop sys- The portal provides 14 dif- zens. The web portal is part tem, where citizens can fi n- E the Minister of ferent online documenta- of Qatar’s e-government ish all the steps of register- Justice Dr Hassan tion services. In the near strategy 2020, which is im- ing a property at one place. HLahdan Saqr al- future, the ministry will add plemented under the direc- A government employee can Muhannadi inaugurated 16 diff erent real estate regis- tives of HE the Prime Minis- check the status of any re- a legal web portal named tration services. ter and Minister of Interior quest made through an SMS ‘Sak’. The web portal is Commenting on the Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser service. He can use the por- part of the fi rst phase of launch, the Minister said it bin Khalifa al-Thani. tal to fi nd out whether there developing the infrastruc- comes in the context of the Part of establishing the are missing papers, or if the ture of legal documenta- directives of HH the Emir portal will be to digitise all request was rejected. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 5 QATAR

Qatar-US relations discussed

HE the Advisory Council Deputy Speaker Issa bin Rabia al-Kuwari met a delegation of senior US congressional staff members yesterday. Talks during the meeting dealt with relations between Qatar and the US and ways of enhancing them in addition to issues of common interest. The meeting was attended by Advisory Council Controller Mohamed Abdullah al-Sulaiti along with Council Secretary-General HE Fahad bin Mubarak al-Khayareen.

Emir and Sheikha Jawaher to attend QU graduation events

H the Emir Sheikh emony on June 2. Both cere- lid al-Khanji said the velopment and growth. Tamim bin Ha- monies will be held at Doha ceremonies refl ect QU’s “QU is committed to Hmad al-Thani will Exhibition and Convention commitment to gradu- strengthening its students’ honour Qatar University’s Centre. ate highly-qualifi ed and graduates’ Arabic and men’s graduation ceremo- This year, 1,800 students students who meet the Islamic identity and values. ny of Class of 2016 on June - 400 men and 1,400 wom- labour market’s expec- The organisation is ensur- 1, it was announced yester- en - will be graduating with tations by empowering ing that its graduates inter- day. bachelors, masters, and di- them with the knowledge act with and are open to the HH Sheikha Jawaher plomas from all colleges of and skills for lifelong world while promoting their bint Hamad bin Suhaim al- QU. learning to make sig- connectedness with their Thani, wife of HH the Emir, QU vice president for nifi cant contributions in cultural roots and Islamic will grace the women’s cer- Student Aff airs Dr Kha- driving the country’s de- values.” Gulf Times 6 Monday, February 15, 2016 QATAR Barwa Bank picks winners of fi fth round of Thara’a draw

arwa Bank has announced of a representative of the quali- basis to customers holding a cluding unlimited withdrawals the names of the fi fth tative licence and market control minimum balance of QR10,000. and deposits, as well as free fund Bround of draw winners for department at the Ministry of On a monthly basis, there are transfers across their accounts Evans speaks at the Waste Management and Recycling Summit. Thara’a, its Shariah-compliant Economy and Commerce. seven winners per draw for the and through all Barwa Bank savings account. Capping the 2015 series of cash prize of QR5,000, as well channels. The bank said Ahmad Hussin draws with a dual reward for as four winners per draw for the Customers can learn about Mohamed Aboshaar, Abdulrah- Thara’a account holders, the cash prize of QR10,000. Thara’a savings account and its man Abdulsamad A A al-Mulla, draw doubled up the chance for Additionally, twice every year, benefi ts by visiting Barwa Bank’s Alawi Abdulkadir Aljuneid and two participants to walk away there are four winners per draw website, www.barwabank.com, Ameera Abdelaziz Omer Elhu- with the QR1mn grand prize. for the cash prize of QR25,000, or by calling the contact centre Expert explains sain each won a cash prize of The winners were Salem Said al- two winners per draw for the on 800 8555. QR10,000. Merri and Alla Hail Marouf who cash prize of QR50,000 and one Barwa Bank off ers an exten- Also, a cash prize worth each took home QR1mn. winner per draw for the grand sive variety of personal banking QR5,000 was awarded to Ali Thara’a off ers account holders prize of QR1mn thus rewarding products and investments, as Ghlamshah Ismaiel Ghanbar- the chance to benefi t from cash 102 winners in total with cash well as eight strategically-locat- poor, Rashid Mohamed O R al- rewards up to QR1mn, a fi rst for prizes up to QR3mn. ed branches and a broad network importance of Naimi, Suhir Yousef, Anuncia Islamic banks in Qatar. Based on Coupled with cash prizes of more than 60 ATMs located Rosario Fernandes, Aldana Ah- several criteria, Thara’a account and a reward scheme, Thara’a across Qatar. mad A M al-Malki, Mahmod M S holders are eligible for a number is a product full of value-added Customers can access their ac- Albanna and Hamad Mohamed of periodic draws for cash prizes. benefi ts and services. Thara’a counts from the convenience of A M al-Sabah. Totalling QR3mn, Thara’a off ers account holders access to their offi ce or home through the The draw’s fi fth round was cash rewards are distributed on Barwa Bank’s innovative bank- state-of–the-art online banking, ‘reduce, reuse, conducted under the supervision both a monthly and biannual ing channels with benefi ts, in- or via the 24/7 contact centre. recycle’ concept

he “prevailing focus” of the “reduce, reuse, and recycle” patch to recycling facilities. This the construction indus- concept “to a higher level.” also includes water usage, which is Ttry is to fi rst reduce the “In what they are calling a monitored closely and used only as amount of waste produced, an methodology to ‘Design Out necessary, while also ensuring that offi cial of Qatar Project Manage- Waste’, the project managers are any runoff does not contaminate ment (QPM) has said. implementing a seven-point groundwater reserves. In a presentation delivered ‘avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle, re- Evans said reused materials, at the recently-concluded “6th cover, treat, and dispose respon- acquired from excavation and Waste Management and Recy- sibly’ plan,” he explained. demolition and as surplus during cling Summit” in Doha, Dr Mark Evans stressed that “no the build, are inspected to ensure Evans, who is also with Qatar amount of wishful thinking” will project integrity in adherence to Rail’s PMC Major Stations De- replace consistency in repeating the latest Qatar Construction partment as Environmental & the principles of the seven-point Standards (QCS) code. Sustainability manager, said: methodology. “Prevention of waste will lead “There is a need to reinforce the “Toolbox sessions defi ne the to the best improvements in role of resource effi ciency in con- operational, health, safety, and terms of environmental impact struction and related training, environmental policies that work- as well as cost savings across ma- which is a relatively new addition ers need to understand and learn terials, labour and transporta- to courses.” from. People will inevitably make tion, which all add to the bottom He added: “The industry, mistakes. But they can learn to line. When you study the impact overall, has a lot of gaps to bridge. avoid repeating them,” he noted. of a well-defi ned waste manage- Some waste is unavoidable, but He said Qatar Rail utilises all ment plan, the benefi ts soon add there are plenty of opportunities materials it can reuse at its projects up and can be a much more pow- for reuse and recycling.” and also segregates unusable erful motivator for developers One of the winners of Barwa Bank’s Thara’a prize draw. Evans said Qatar Rail is taking waste for proper disposal or dis- than legislation alone,” he said. HBKU appoints new vice president for Student Aff airs

he Hamad Bin Khalifa Univer- shown a deep commitment to providing sity (HBKU), a member of Qatar students with holistic education focused TFoundation for Education Sci- on the academic achievement, as well as ence and Community Development, personal growth and development. has appointed Maryam Hamad al- She will be primarily responsible for Mannai as its new vice president for student life, career development and Students Aff airs. community outreach, taking an active Previously, al-Mannai held senior role in ensuring that the community is positions at the Ministry of Education fully aware of the university’s key ini- and Texas A&M University at Qatar tiatives and academic programmes. (Tamuq). Al-Mannai previously developed the “By providing students with an en- Community Relations Programme at riching academic and cultural envi- Tamuq and at HBKU she plans to build ronment, in addition to a multitude of Maryam Hamad al-Mannai similar new programming to accom- opportunities to build their leadership modate the needs of the rapidly ex- skills, HBKU’s Student Aff airs team Vision 2030, and it is a privilege to panding student body. aims to inspire students to be our ef- be able to help prepare them for their She had been awarded the Distin- fective and ambitious ambassadors,” professional lives as they navigate how guished Achievement Award in Student al-Mannai said. best to use their knowledge and skills to Relations by Texas A&M University in “I believe our students share an ob- contribute to society,” she added. 2010 for her eff orts in helping students jective to work towards Qatar National Throughout her career, al-Mannai has fulfi l their true potential. CRA marks World Radio Day

he Communications Regulatory assistance is required. Radio is also an Qatar as already achieved many Authority (CRA) has marked eff ective low-cost medium to broad- PPDR targets. CRA is the fi rst telecom- TWorld Radio Day and granted cast emergency news and updates, munications regulator in the region to spectrum for ‘Radio in Times of Emer- available everywhere and suitable to assign the required radio spectrum fre- gency & Disaster.’ reach remote communities and vulner- quencies for certain PPDR applications CRA is the fi rst telecommunications able people such as the illiterate. in co-ordination with the relevant gov- regulator in the region to assign radio The Unesco theme for Word Ra- ernmental entities, especially the Min- spectrum frequencies for Public Pro- dio Day this year is “Radio in Times of istry of Interior. Qatar is also the fi rst tection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) ap- Emergency and Disaster,” as radio has GCC country to deploy the narrowband plications. a strong and specifi c role in emergency (Tetra Security System) and wideband World Radio Day marks the anniver- communication and disaster relief. (LTE Security System) PPDR applica- sary of the fi rst broadcast by the United At the International Telecommuni- tions. Nations Radio in 1946, when it trans- cations Union’s (ITU’s) World Radio- As Qatar’s communications regula- mitted its fi rst call sign: “This is the communication Conference (WRC) in tor, CRA’s mandate includes the man- United Nations calling the peoples of Geneva last year, the importance of agement of the radio spectrum, which the world.” bringing World Radio Day to the atten- is carefully regulated as a scarce re- Celebrated globally, World Radio tion of the public was highlighted. source to ensure all public and com- Day seeks to raise awareness about the CRA, as part of the Qatar delegation, mercial demands, including those re- importance of radio, facilitate access was one of the biggest supporting or- lating to PPDR, operate eff ectively. to information through radio, and en- ganisations during the WRC-15 for the The CRA is the communications hance networking among broadcasters. adoption of a resolution to recognise regulator in Qatar established by virtue Radio plays a vital role in emergency the spectrum requirements for diff er- of Emiri Decree (42) in 2014. CRA regu- situations where it is used by emer- ent types of PPDR applications in line lates the communications and infor- gency and security services to com- with the theme of World Radio Day mation technology sector, postal serv- municate in times when immediate 2016. ices, and access to digital media.

Poor visibility due to fog forecast today Poor visibility is again expected in some The forecast for inshore areas says it wards the north and the sea level rising to 7ft. parts of the country in the early hours will be misty to foggy in some places Visibility, meanwhile, may drop to 1km or today due to fog, the Qatar Met depart- at first, followed by moderate tempera- less at first in some areas. ment has said. tures during the day and a relatively The minimum and maximum tempera- In off shore areas, strong winds and high cold night. tures in the country today are expected seas are likely towards the north, accord- Off shore areas are likely to see some clouds, to be 11C and 25C, respectively, with the ing to the weather report. with the wind speed reaching 22 knots to- forecast for Doha being 15C and 25C. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 7 QATAR

A student engages in a scientific experiment. WCM-Q holds student recruitment event

bout 400 middle the anatomy and function onstrations and hands-on our world-class medical and high school stu- of the human heart, how to activities, the students be- programme and interact Adents and their par- deliver emergency care and came more aware of what with our faculty, staff , re- ents attended Weill Cornell transplant surgery, among it takes to become a doctor searchers, and students. It Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) others. and learned about the ad- is a wonderful event that annual student recruit- Organised annually by mission requirements. connects our college with ment event – ‘Medicine WCM-Q’s Offi ce of Student The participation of Ha- the community to share our Unlimited’. Recruitment and Outreach, mad Medical Cooperation programmes and invite stu- Students and their fami- the event provides access to and the Sidra Medical and dents to consider medicine lies had the chance to tour prospective students, their Research Center provided for their career track.” the teaching facilities at parents and school admin- an excellent opportunity for Visitors were also able to WCM-Q, meet the faculty, istrators, to a real-life expe- the dissemination of basic learn more about WCM- and learn about career op- rience at the medical college health information. Q’s award-winning Sa- portunities to students by interacting with its fac- Dr Rachid Bendriss, as- htak Awalan – Your Health who study for a degree in ulty, researchers, students sistant dean, Student Re- First campaign, which had medicine. and staff . cruitment, Outreach and a booth at the event off er- Attendees were invited During event, partici- Foundation Programmes, ing free dietary and exercise to take part in a series of pants learned more about said: “Medicine Unlimited advice, health checks and interactive presentations basic sciences teaching, provides a unique oppor- the chance to take a spin on led by WCM-Q faculty us- laboratory activities and re- tunity for high school stu- the blender bikes to make ing models to demonstrate search facilities at WCM-Q. dents, families, and school a healthy fruit smoothie medical concepts such as Through interactive dem- professionals to learn about using only pedal power. Gulf Times 8 Monday, February 15, 2016 QATAR QA Group chief, envoy visit Chinese pavilion at QDF

hinese ambassador Li Chen and Qatar Air- ways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker Ccommemorated one of China’s most impor- Research associate Kira Schipper. tant festivals, the Chinese New Year, with a visit to French ambassador Eric Chevallier visits the algae testing facility in Al Khor. PICTURES: Najeer Feroke Qatar Duty Free’s (QDF) traditional Chinese pavil- ion recently. This was in keeping with the spirit of celebrating the Qatar-China 2016 Year of Culture. Hany al-Deeb, UnionPay regional country manager, joined Chen and al-Baker on a tour of the Chinese pagoda at Hamad International Airport (HIA). The pavilion is off ering passengers discounts Commercial algae ‘plant may of up to 20%, spending rewards and an array of promotions to mark China’s Year of the Monkey. UnionPay and QDF have also collaborated to off er passengers traditional red envelope retail vouchers worth QR100 for customers who buy items valued at QR1,000 ($274) and above using a UnionPay payment card. need 100 hectares of land’ On the occasion, al-Baker said: “I am honoured to visit Qatar Duty Free’s Chinese pavilion with By Joey Aguilar termine the best place to establish Mr Li Chen. The Chinese New Year is an impor- Staff Reporter and operate the commercial algae tant time for families to gather together and en- production plant. joy each other’s company. For many families, this “Considering the conditions means travelling to see their loved ones, enjoy the uture commercialisation of in Qatar, we have to do it with sea traditional New Year feasts and special holiday Qatar’s algae production may water, we need to be near the in- markets. Frequire about 100 hectares of dustries and we are going to use “For those travelling, we wanted to bring a land, an offi cial of Qatar Univer- CO2 to grow algae so there is a lot taste of this tradition to their actual travel ex- sity’s (QU) Centre for Sustainable of interest to look at where the best perience by again building our version of the Development has said. location is,” she said. holiday market, with special products and “If we take it step by step Schipper also sees a possibility, promotions.” we can increase the possibil- as well as opportunities, of Qatar The traditional red and gold pavilion is a cen- ity of succeeding, we are go- exporting algae products in the trepiece at HIA, positioned directly behind ing to start at a one hectare site future. the Lamp Bear, serving as a festive attraction in the very near future,” research “We are focused on supplying it as well as a starting point for bespoke shop- associate Kira Schipper told for Qatar fi rst and if we have a sur- ping tours designed specifi cally for Chinese Gulf Times. plus we can always look to expand passengers. She said they are proposing to in- the market to other places, fi rst in Chinese language-dedicated QDF staff , fl uent crease the land by 10 times, a scale the GCC region,” she said, adding: in Mandarin, Cantonese and other Chinese dia- up for each step until it reaches 100 “If there is more demand, maybe lects, are available upon request to lead passengers hectares or more. outside of that.” around HIA showcasing their favourite brands and QU currently operates an algae Asserting that producing animal products. testing plant at its farm in Al Khor and marine feeds are more feasible A view of the algae testing facility at Al Khor. Passengers will discover an array of specially for the university’s Algal Technolo- now, Schipper stressed that bio- curated products inside the Chinese pagoda, gies Programme (ATP). It consists of fuel production remains “on the “We did start looking just at forts into more than just biofuels,” funding, according to Schipper. which will remain at HIA until mid-March in open race-way ponds with paddle table.” biofuels but now we realised that she added. “We can have diff erent QU also has ongoing discussions recognition of the Qatar-China 2016 Year of Cul- wheels and closed fl at panel photo The fi rst phase of the algae animal and fi sh feeds for example kinds of products depending on the with the Ministry of Municipal- ture. bioreactors. project, funded by Qatar Airways are something that are much more needs for the Qatar society.” ity and Environment which, she Savings of up to 20% are being off ered on QDF QU’s research team is trying to and Qatar Science and Technology nurtured to be realised from algae,” Algae can also be cultivat- said, is very supportive of their fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, confectionery, select the best algae strains out of Park, mainly focused on produc- Schipper noted. ed to produce food for human algae project. “They can also sup- luxury watches, fi ne jewellery and other gift items the 200 strains being tested at the ing biofuels: bio-crude oil, biodie- “In this project we found out that consumption and health prod- port us to have access with diff er- in the Chinese pavilion. Additional Chinese New facility. sel, and a blend for the aviation algae are so much more diverse, the ucts. However, these research ent companies and supporting our Year discounts of up to 10% are also available on Schipper said they have to de- industry. reason why we diversifi ed our ef- projects will need additional programme in that way.” brands in selected boutiques at HIA. Rota launches Training of Trainers programme

each out to Asia (Rota), a demic Bridge Programme and learning about Qatari soci- sponsible for providing training member of Qatar Founda- Awsaj Academy, and refl ects ety from a historical, social, and to 450 low-income workers,” Rtion for Education, Science QF’s mission to unlock human cultural perspective, promot- said Rota executive director Essa and Community Development potential in order to develop a ing an informed cultural respect al-Mannai. (QF), has announced the launch knowledge-based economy. between Qatar and other coun- RAEL introduced in 2009 and of the second phase of its 2015- Other entities involved in the tries. RAAL in 2013, were created pri- 2016 Training of Trainers (ToT) training initiative include Doha Similarly, RAEL’s 170 vol- marily to develop English and programme, which will compli- Expressway, a Public Works unteers will become literacy Arabic literacy of low-income ment both the Adult Arabic Lit- Authority of Qatar (Ashghal) trainers, using Rota’s custom- workers in Qatar. A further ben- eracy (RAAL) and Adult English project, and Qatari Diar Vinci designed English literacy cur- efi cial feature of the programme Literacy (RAEL) programmes. Construction’s (QDVC) Light riculum to help workers improve includes the opportunity for The ToT programme, which Transit System (LRT). their language abilities, improv- young people in Qatar to take part runs until the end of April, is a This year, 20 volunteers will ing their life opportunities and in experiential service-learning, collaboration between several focus on RAAL to develop their acquisition of personal goals. thus developing their skills and A training session in progress. QF members, including the Aca- Arabic communications skills, “ToT’s volunteers will be re- knowledge as literacy trainers.

IFS Qatar celebrates National Sport Day

Integral Food Services Qatar (IFSQ) has held a walkathon to celebrate National Sport Day, seeking to raise awareness on the importance of health and fitness. This was the second consecutive walkathon organised by IFS Qatar and covered a 5km route from the Museum of Islamic Art along the Corniche, Doha. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 9

REGION/ARAB WORLD Oman may focus on domestic, not regional rail system

Reuters Futaisi said yesterday. low oil prices are now dragging with the borders of Saudi Arabia As a result, he added, Oman “So instead of the initial the ports of Duqm and Salalah in Muscat Oman and the fi ve other states the fi nances of GCC govern- and Oman. might change its focus from us- plan of importing via Oman’s southern Oman. in the Gulf Co-operation Coun- ments into defi cit, prompting Futaisi told reporters yesterday ing its railways to distribute im- ports and then using the GCC Futaisi said the future of the cil (GCC) have been planning to them to slow construction plans that the suspension of Etihad’s ports of goods around the region rail project, we might start regional rail network would be man may focus on build- build a railway line linking the in some areas. This has cast fur- plan made it diffi cult for Oman via the GCC network, to facilitat- with exporting what we have in discussed at the next meeting of ing a domestic rail net- region. Tens of billions of dol- ther doubt on the project. to award a contract for its own ing Oman’s seaborne exports of Oman.” GCC transport ministers, which Owork rather than con- lars would be spent on about Last month Etihad Rail, the track, even though Muscat was items such as raw materials. The GCC rail plan envisages a might occur in October. necting its railways to a regional 2,100km (1,310 miles) of track. state-backed fi rm building a rail- ahead of other countries in de- “We are connecting the ports, line running from Kuwait down The UAE’s Etihad Rail said last system, because of uncertainty But technical and bureaucratic way network in the United Arab signing its part of the network. as planned, but we might be uti- the Gulf coast and through the month that it was reviewing op- over when the regional project delays have pushed expected Emirates, said it had suspended “The picture is not clear yet re- lising the railway for promising UAE to the Omani capital of tions for the timing and delivery will go ahead, transport min- completion of the project past the tendering process for a plan garding the regional rail project,” sectors such as mining,” Futaisi Muscat, where it would link up of the next phase of its construc- ister Ahmed bin Mohamed al- the original target of 2017, and to connect track inside the UAE Futaisi said. said. with a domestic line to be built to tion plan, but did not elaborate.

Bahraini celebration Saudi troop deployment in Syria ‘up to coalition’

Reuters ground operations in Syria is However, the head of air de- Riyadh linked to a decision to have a fence forces in Iran, which along ground component to this coali- with Russia is the main supporter tion against Daesh (Islamic State) of Assad, said any interference audi Arabia said yesterday in Syria - this US-led coalition - without Syrian consent would that any move to deploy so the timing is not up to us,” Sau- fail. SSaudi special forces into di Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir “Syria is a big country... which Local folk performers play Bahraini traditional music as they dance celebrating the 15th anniversary of National Charter Day in the Sitra Syria would depend on a decision told a news conference with his has been fi ghting terrorists for Park south of Manama yesterday. by the US-led coalition fi ghting Swiss counterpart in Riyadh. fi ve years. Any presence there Islamic State insurgents. “With regards to timing of the without co-ordination with that US Defence Secretary Ash mission or size of troops, this has country’s government will only Carter said on Friday he expected yet to be worked out,” he added. lead to a defeat and a fi asco,” both Saudi Arabia and the United Major powers agreed in Mu- Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili Arab Emirates to send special nich on Friday to a pause in com- told Iran’s Tasnim news agency. operations forces to Syria to help bat in Syria, but Russia pressed Iran “will spare no eff ort to local opposition fi ghters in their on with bombing in support of provide Syria with advisory as- campaign to retake the city of Syrian President Bashar al-As- sistance in the air defence fi eld” Egypt to retry cop jailed Raqqa, Islamic State’s de facto sad, its ally. Assad has promised if asked, Esmaili added. capital in Syria. to fi ght until he regains full con- Despite the territorial advanc- Saudi Arabia on Saturday trol of the country. es made in recent weeks by As- confi rmed it had sent aircraft to US President Barack Obama sad’s forces, backed by Russian Nato-member Turkey’s Incirlik has ruled out sending US ground air strikes and military assistance over protester’s shooting air base for the fi ght against Is- troops to Syria. But Turkey said by Iran, Jubeir said he did not be- lamic State militants. that both Ankara and Riyadh lieve the Syrian president would AFP A lower court sentenced Lieu- His lawyer Gamil Sayid con- prompting President Abdel Fat- “The kingdom’s readiness would support a coalition ground survive. “Now, he asked for Rus- Cairo tenant Yassin Mohamed Hatem, fi rmed yesterday’s decision. tah al-Sisi to publicly demand to provide special forces to any operation. sia’s help and it will fail in saving 23, to 15 years in prison after “It just proves that my client that the perpetrator be brought Bashar al-Assad,” he said. convicting him of “battery that was innocent from the start,” to justice. Switzerland to handle Saudi consular aff airs in Iran Relations worsened between gypt’s top court yester- led to death”. Sayid said, adding that Hatem, Sabbagh was hit on January Tehran and Riyadh over Saudi day annulled a 15-year jail Hatem’s trial was a rare legal who is currently in jail, would 24, 2015 on the eve of the fourth Switzerland will handle Saudi the (consular) interests of Saudi Arabia’s Jan. 2 execution of a Shia Esentence for a policeman proceeding against policemen soon be freed. anniversary of the anti-Mubarak Arabia’s consular aff airs in Iran Arabia in Iran, and we in the king- cleric. That led Iranian protesters accused of the fatal shooting of a charged over protester deaths The Court of Cassation did uprising when police dispersed a and will facilitate Iranian pilgrims dom of Saudi Arabia appreciated to storm Saudi diplomatic mis- female protester and ordered his since the army’s ouster of Islam- not immediately give its rea- peaceful protest that had been coming to the kingdom, Saudi that and accepted,” Adel al-Jubeir sions in Iran, after which Riyadh retrial, a court offi cial said. ist president Mohamed Mursi in son for annulling the previous organised by her Socialist Popu- Arabia’s foreign minister said told a joint news conference with severed relations. Shaima al-Sabbagh was struck 2013. judgement and a new trial date lar Alliance, a small leftist party. yesterday, following a diplomatic his Swiss counterpart. Jubeir said there was no need by birdshot in January 2015 as Yesterday, the Court of Cas- has yet to be fi xed. Marchers had been carrying a dispute between Riyadh and He also said, however, there was for mediation in the rift, citing police dispersed a small march sation annulled the lower court’s Sabbagh’s death triggered wreath to a monument in Cairo’s Tehran. no need for mediation in its rift what he described as Iran’s long on the eve of the fourth anniver- order after accepting an appeal outrage in Egypt and abroad. Tahrir Square to commemorate “Switzerland off ered to ... handle with Iran. pattern of interference in region- sary of the uprising that toppled fi led by Hatem and ordered a re- Part of the incident that led to the deaths of protesters during al confl icts. president Hosni Mubarak. trial, a court offi cial said. her death was captured on fi lm, the 2011 revolt. Two killed, 15 wounded in air strike on Yemen workshop

AFP Sanaa

Saudi-led coalition air strike on a sewing workshop killed Aat least two people and wounded 15 in the rebel-held Yem- eni capital yesterday, the factory owner said. “Two employees, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed and 15 others wounded in the overnight air raid,” Faisal al-Musaabi said. A search was underway for anoth- er employee still buried under the rubble of the building in the east of Sanaa, he added. The coalition has been carrying out air strikes against Iran-backed rebels across Yemen since March. The rebels, who have control- led Sanaa since September 2014, reported a higher death toll of 11 employees killed and four others wounded in the strike on the work- shop, according to their sabanews. net website. A Yemeni man sits amid the debris at the site of a Saudi-led coalition air strike which hit a sewing workshop, in the Meanwhile, a United Arab Emir- capital Sanaa, yesterday. ates soldier was killed and another was wounded while fi ghting in Yem- WAM did not give any more details. The offi cial Saudi SPA news agen- southern Saudi Arabia. en as part of the coalition, state news More than 60 Saudi and Emirati cy said the missile was destroyed The missile “precisely hit its tar- agency WAM reported yesterday, troops were killed in September 2015 by the kingdom’s air defences at get,” it said. citing the army general command. when a Tochka rocket hit the al-Saf- around 2145 (1845 GMT) on Satur- Saturday’s incident is the third The coalition is fi ghting to stop the er air base near Marib in northeast- day, around 100km from its border time Saudi Arabia says it has shot Houthis, allies of Riyadh’s main re- ern Yemen. with Yemen. down a Scud fi red from Yemen. gional foe Iran, from taking complete Saudi Arabia intercepted a Scud Houthi rebels meanwhile said On Tuesday, the coalition said control of Yemen after they seized the missile fi red towards the kingdom in a statement on their sabanews. that a Saudi Patriot missile had capital Sanaa and advanced south to- by Houthis in Yemen, the coalition net website that the missile tar- downed a Scud fi red from the rebel- wards the port city of Aden. fi ghting the insurgents has said. geted the Abha Regional Airport in held Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Gulf Times 10 Monday, February 15, 2016 ARAB WORLD Hariri says Lebanon will never be an ‘Iran province’

Reuters The group has denied any in- Beirut volvement in the killing, which pushed Lebanon to the brink of Palestinians wait for a travel permit to cross into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip civil war and still stirs emotions 11 yesterday. Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing on Saturday for two days to allow Palestinians on humanitarian grounds to travel in aad al-Hariri said yesterday years later. The killing deepened a and out of the Gaza Strip. Lebanon would never be an sectarian divide in Lebanon’s pol- S“Iranian province” hostile itics that still aff ects it to this day. to Saudi Arabia, and attacked Shia Hariri, whose last visit to Leba- Hezbollah’s role in the Syrian war non was for the 10th anniversary, in a speech refl ecting regional heads the March 14 political alli- tensions. ance that was forged in the after- Three suspected Palestinian The former prime minister was math of his father’s assassination. speaking in Beirut on the 11th an- He publicly confi rmed for the niversary of the assassination of fi rst time that late last year he put his father, Rafi k al-Hariri. It was forward a proposal for Suleiman only his third visit to the country Franjieh, an ally of Hezbollah and teenage attackers killed since the Hezbollah-dominated friend of Assad, to fi ll the post of March 8 alliance toppled his cabi- president that has been vacant for net in 2011. 21 months. DPA Border policemen manning Palestinians have launched The suspect was a 17-year- Tensions between Saudi Arabia But he questioned whether his Tel Aviv the checkpoint had told the girl scores of knife attacks against old from a village near the West and Iran, which both have power- Lebanon’s former prime political rivals really wanted an to freeze and remove her hand Israelis since early October, pro- Bank city of Bethlehem, the ful infl uence in Lebanon and sup- minister Saad al-Hariri end to the crisis that refl ects wider from her bag. Samri said the girl testing perceived violations at a Palestinian Health Ministry port rival political blocs, are con- addresses his supporters during paralysis in Lebanese government. hree Palestinian teen- then took out a knife and tried to disputed Jerusalem holy site and said. tributing to confl icts across the the 11th anniversary of the His initiative has not gained trac- agers were killed and a stab the offi cer, who shot her. the ongoing occupation. Earlier, Israeli soldiers shot Middle East, including in Syria. assassination of his father, Rafik tion. Hezbollah says it is sticking Tfourth critically injured An Israeli army vehicle evac- Many of the attackers have two other Palestinian minors “We will not allow anyone to al-Hariri, in Beirut yesterday. by its preferred candidate, Michel yesterday as they allegedly tried uated her to hospital in critical been lone teenagers without a dead on a northern West Bank pull Lebanon to the camp of hos- Aoun. to attack Israeli security forces condition, the spokeswoman known connection to a militant road after one opened fi re with tility towards Saudi Arabia and its ian army in support of President “We are sincere. We want a in the West Bank. said. The Palestinian Health organisation. Palestinians have a rifl e and the other wielded a Arab brothers. Lebanon will not Bashar al-Assad in a war against president of the republic. We A veiled Palestinian, de- Ministry gave no immediate blamed ongoing oppression for knife, a military spokeswoman be, under any circumstances, an insurgents who have received want to be rid of the vacuum. We scribed by locals as a 14-year- confi rmation of her age or con- the uptick in violence. said. Iranian province. We are Arabs, backing from Saudi Arabia, Tur- have paid the price at home and old girl, was shot when she al- dition. Earlier yesterday, a Palestini- Both were in a crowd of Pales- and Arabs we shall remain,” said key and other states. abroad,” Hariri said. legedly tried to stab an Israeli It was the fourth attempted an minor was shot dead when he tinian protesters, hurling stones Hariri, who is backed by Saudi Five Hezbollah members have But addressing his rivals, he border policeman at a check- attack by teenagers reported ran, knife raised in hand, toward at passing Israeli motorists west Arabia. been indicted by an international said: “Please go to the parliament point in the southern West Bank yesterday as a months-long Israeli border policemen at a of the Palestinian city of Jenin. Hezbollah, which is backed by tribunal over the 2005 killing of and elect a president, unless your city of Hebron, police spokes- wave of violence between Israe- checkpoint into East Jerusalem, The Palestinian Health Min- Iran, is fi ghting alongside the Syr- Rafi k al-Hariri. real candidate is the vacuum.” woman Luba Samri said. lis and Palestinians rages on. police said. istry said they were 15 years old.

Five killed in bus accident

Children were among at said. The brother of the truck UAE sentences least five people killed when driver told Israel’s Channel a bus slammed into a truck 2 television that they had on Israel’s main highway spoken on the phone and four to death from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv that the driver told him he yesterday, police said. had stopped on the side of At least nine people were the road because his clutch for joining IS injured, with in critical and was broken. The bus was another in serious condition, travelling to the Tel Aviv spokeswoman Luba Samri suburb of Bnei Brak. Reuters The UAE is concerned Dubai about Islamist movements that appeal to religious con- servatives and challenge its United Arab Emirates lack of democratic rule. court sentenced four It has declared the Islamic Apeople to death in ab- State insurgent group a ter- sentia yesterday for joining rorist organisation and taken the Islamic State militant part in US-led air strikes on group, the UAE state news it in Syria. agency WAM reported. In another case yesterday, They were among 11 citi- the court sentenced three zens of the Emirates and people to 10 years in prison other Arab countries on trial and subsequent deportation after some of them entered for providing supplies, com- an Arab country and partici- munications devices and pated in the militant group’s chemical materials to the activities, off ered fi nances Iran-allied Houthi move- and ran a website to promote ment in Yemen, WAM re- their ideas, WAM said. ported. The four given the death Three others on trial were sentence were Emiratis acquitted, said WAM, which and travelled to Syria, local did not specify their nation- newspapers added. alities.

No date set for Salman’s Russia visit

No date has been set for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi King Salman’s visit to Russia, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA reported yesterday citing a source at the foreign ministry. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 11 ARAB WORLD Recounting Aleppo life under air strikes

AFP People are fl eeing. The town was Aleppo completely destroyed by Russian air bombardment,” the 30-year- old - whose father was killed yrian farmer Mahmud when six Russian air strikes hit Turki was sitting on his his town - said. Scouch at sunset watching “We are besieged by the Rus- the news with his family after sians on one side, the YPG (Syr- eating supper. Then an air strike ian Kurds) from the west and hit his home and turned his life Daesh (Islamic State) from the upside down. east, and the (Syrian) regime His story is typical of accounts from the other side.” of the “hell” that is life in the Aleppo was once Syria’s thriv- war-scarred region around the ing economic powerhouse, home northern city of Aleppo, where to several World Heritage sites up to 31,000 people have fl ed as including its famed ancient souk government forces press an of- and citadel. fensive against rebels, according But it has been ravaged by war to the UN. and divided since mid-2012 be- “The moment of the air tween government control in strike... nobody can describe it,” the west and rebel control in the Turki - stitches still in his head east. Regime air strikes in the and his body covered in bruises east, where they also use bar- - said from his hospital bed in rel bombs, have caused massive neighbouring Turkey, where he destruction, rendering parts of was among just a few allowed whole neighbourhoods virtually Civil defence members search for survivors after air strikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel held Al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo yesterday. across for treatment. unlivable. “I lost consciousness. The roof Rebels also fi re mostly crude fell on me and on my children. I and unguided missiles into the remember hearing the voice of west, often killing civilians. my wife asking me if I was alive Fleeing Syrians have been or dead,” he told AFP. massing for days around the Turki, 45, was admitted to Bab al-Salama border gate hospital in the border town of across from Turkey’s Oncupi- Kilis after being pulled alive by nar border point, which re- US to Russia: stop raids his friends from the rubble of his mains closed. home in Minnigh. Turkish offi cials say the border Fierce fi ghting in Aleppo prov- is kept open for “emergency situ- ince - sparked by a week-long ations,” including the evacuation government assault backed by of the injured like Turki and Naj- Russian air support - have dis- jar. placed tens of thousands of peo- on ‘moderate’ rebels ple. “It was like hell. We Alaa Najjar also arrived in Tur- couldn’t stand the Reuters and “other terrorist organisa- The situation in Syria has been to direct support for insurgent “Mr Putin is not interested in key to be treated for a shoulder bombings. Even the Beirut/Rancho Mirage, California tions”, an indication that it would complicated by the involvement groups. being our partner. He wants to injury incurred during an aerial animals couldn’t stand also target groups in western of Kurdish-backed combatants France called on Turkey to shore up the Assad regime,” Mc- bombardment in Marea, also just them” Syria where militants such as in the area north of Aleppo near stop the shelling, but Turkey Cain said. north of Aleppo. S President Barack Al Qaeda are fi ghting Assad in the Turkish border, which has said it would continue to re- A senior ally of German Chan- “It was like hell. We couldn’t Ambulances and aid trucks Obama urged Russia yes- close proximity to rebels deemed drawn a swift military response spond to Kurdish militia attacks cellor Angela Merkel said Rus- stand the bombings. Even the are seen coming back and forth Uterday to stop bombing moderate by the West. from artillery in Turkey. in Syria. sia had gained the upper hand in animals couldn’t stand them,” he throughout the day. “moderate” rebels in Syria in Russia says the “cessation” The Kurdish YPG militia, Syria also said Turkish forces Syria through armed force. said, adding there were up to four Turki was taken to Turkey in an support of its ally Bashar al-As- does not apply to its air strikes, helped by Russian air raids, seized were believed to be among 100 Norbert Roettgen, head of the air strikes a day. ambulance before his family who sad, a campaign seen in the West which have shifted the balance of an ex-military air base at Menagh gunmen that entered Syria on foreign aff airs committee in the “I had a kitten. When the kit- arrived three days later. as a major obstacle to latest ef- power towards Assad. last week, angering Turkey, which Saturday with a dozen pick-up German parliament, said Russia ten heard the sound of the planes, Taking AFP to their room forts to end the war. It says Islamic State and the Al sees the YPG as an extension of trucks mounted with heavy ma- was determined to create “facts she ran directly under the bed. If where his daughter Raghad was Major powers agreed on Friday Qaeda-affi liated Nusra Front are the PKK, a Kurdish group that chine guns in an operation to on the ground”, to bolster its ne- animals were intimidated that sleeping and four-year-old son to a limited cessation of hostili- the main targets of its air cam- waged a bloody insurgent cam- supply rebel fi ghters. gotiating position. much, how can human beings Mussa was with his wife, Turki ties in Syria but the deal does not paign. But Western countries say paign on Turkish soil over most of Other fronts were also active As the fi ghting continued, the endure it?” said his two children had skull take eff ect until the end of this Russia has in fact been mostly the past three decades. yesterday. Syrian army urged citizens in Russia launched a bombing fractures that required surgery. week and was not signed by any targeting other insurgent groups, Kurdish-backed forces were Deraa province, the Ghouta area campaign in Syria last year at The father asked little Mus- warring parties - the Damascus including some they support. “President Obama fi ghting with insurgent groups east of Damascus, and in rural the request of President Bashar sa, with a bandage on his head: government and numerous rebel The White House said Obama’s emphasised the near Tel Rifaat in the northern districts east of Aleppo to quickly al-Assad, saying it was targeting “Who attacked us?” Mussa an- factions fi ghting it. discussion with Putin stressed importance now of Russia Aleppo countryside, while fur- seek “reconciliation” with the the Islamic State group and other swered: “Bashar’s air strikes.” Russian bombing raids di- the need to rush humanitar- playing a constructive role ther south, government forces government. militant organisations. Turki lashed out at the inter- rected at rebel groups are mean- ian aid to Syria and contain air by ceasing its air campaign renewed their shelling of rebel So-called local reconcilia- The West has accused Rus- national community for lack of while helping the Syrian army to strikes. against moderate positions to the northwest of tion agreements are often seen sia of targeting more moderate action on Syria and denounced achieve what could be its biggest “In particular, President opposition forces in Syria” Aleppo city. as a means for the government factions that oppose Assad’s re- Russian President Vladimir Pu- victory of the war in the battle for Obama emphasised the impor- The Observatory also reported to force surrender on insurgents, gime, and Syrian activists say tin over Moscow’s bombing cam- Aleppo, the country’s largest city tance now of Russia playing a Turkey began shelling while air strikes by jets believed to be and have typically followed the strikes have killed civilians, paign. and commercial centre before the constructive role by ceasing its demanding that the YPG militia Russian in areas east of Damas- lengthy blockades of rebel areas allegations Moscow dismisses as “There is no international confl ict. air campaign against moderate withdraw from areas it has cap- cus, north of Homs, and in the and the civilians living there. “absurd”. community, no UN, no Geneva. There is little optimism that opposition forces in Syria,” the tured from Syrian rebels in the southern province of Deraa. Saudi Arabia confi rmed it had Russian backing has helped NGOs are just a lie. The Security the deal reached in Munich will do White House said in a statement. northern Aleppo region in recent Reaction from politicians in sent aircraft to Turkey’s Incirlik Assad’s forces make signifi cant Council is also a lie,” he said. much to end a war that has lasted Relief workers said eff orts to days, including the Menagh air the West to the Munich deal was air base to join the fi ght against advances in recent months - in- He poured scorn on Putin’s fi ve years and cost 250,000 lives. deliver humanitarian aid were base. The bombardment killed sceptical. Islamic State, but said any move cluding its latest off ensive seek- claim only to be targeting Is- The Kremlin said President being threatened by the latest es- two YPG fi ghters, according to US Senator John McCain said to deploy Saudi special forces ing to encircle rebel-held areas lamic State and other militant Vladimir Putin and Obama had calation of violence. the Syrian Observatory for Hu- he did not view the deal as a into Syria must await a decision of Aleppo and sever their supply groups, pointing sarcastically to spoken by telephone and agreed “We must ask again, why wait man Rights. breakthrough. “Let’s be clear by the US-led coalition combat- lines to Turkey. his children and saying: “They to intensify co-operation to im- a week for this urgently needed The Syrian Kurdish PYD party about what this agreement does. ing the militants. Rebel fi ghter Mohamed are Daesh members hit by Putin’s plement the Munich agreement. cessation of hostilities?” said rejected Turkish demands for It allows Russia’s assault on Any ground operations in Syria crossed the border, walking with air strikes.” But a Kremlin statement made Dalia al-Awqati, Mercy Corps withdrawal, while the Syrian Aleppo to continue for another will lead to “a full-fl edged, long crutches and bandages around “They are Daesh. The mur- clear Russia was committed to its Director of Programs for North government said Turkish shell- week,” he said at security confer- war”, Russian Prime Minister his right leg and a fi nger. derer Putin, the killer of chil- campaign against Islamic State Syria. ing of northern Syria amounted ence in Munich. Dmitry Medvedev warned. “The situation is very bad. dren.” Gulf Times 12 Monday, February 15, 2016 AFRICA Boko Haram fi ghters ‘trained in Somalia’

Reuters Munich

ighters for the Nigerian Is- lamist militant group Boko FHaram have been trained in Somalia on Africa’s eastern coast before returning to West Africa, Somalia’s president told a security conference in Germany yesterday. Somalia, plagued by political in- fi ghting, corruption and attacks by Shebaab insurgents, has recently made limited progress towards creating a functioning political system, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said. “Without a stable Somalia, the whole region of the Horn of Africa will remain unstable and by and large, the African continent. There Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks at the Munich are proofs and evidence that (for) Security Conference in Munich. some time Boko Haram has been trained in Somalia and they went It was not clear from his com- links to Al Qaeda and wants to back to Nigeria,” he said. ments whether he believed She- overthrow the Somali govern- “The terrorists are so linked to- baab was still training Boko Haram ment and impose a harsh version gether, they are associated and so fi ghters, who have pledged alle- of Islamic law, claimed responsi- organised, (that) we the world we giance to Islamic State militants in bility for a blast this month that need to be so organised,” he said, Syria and Iraq. punched a hole in the fuselage of speaking in English. Somalia’s Shebaab, which has a plane.

Child killed in Burundi grenade attack

Reuters “The attackers were in a car and According to the UN refugee Nairobi threw two grenades at a military agency UNHCR, nearly quarter of station which injured two people 1mn people have fl ed the violence including a child and his father, in Burundi, which emerged from A UN security off icer keeps guard as people wait to cast their votes in the second round of presidential and legislative elections in the grenade attack on a military both coming from a hair salon,” a an ethnically charged civil war ten PK5 neighbourhood of Bangui. base in Burundi’s capital Ngagara administrator said yes- years ago. Akilled a child and wounded terday. In December, the African Un- his father and one other person, “The child died after but his fa- ion’s (AU) Peace and Security an offi cial and witnesses said yes- ther is undergoing treatment,” he Council announced plans to de- terday, as violence linked to the said. ploy a 5,000-strong force, saying it president’s disputed re-election A witness, who gave his name could invoke an article of the AU’s persists. only as Paul, said a soldier was also charter that allowed it to intervene More than 400 people have been wounded, but the administrator whether or not the government killed since April last year when could not confi rm it. agreed. Central Africans President Pierre Nkurunziza an- It was not immediately clear Last week, the AU said it had ap- nounced he would run for a third who was responsible, but activists pointed fi ve heads of state to try to term. That sparked weeks of street and authorities have in the past convince the government of Bu- protests led by the opposition reported a number of apparently rundi to accept the peacekeeping which said his bid was unconsti- targeted killings. force. tutional. On Friday, unidentifi ed gunmen Nkurunziza, whose army foiled Witnesses and an offi cial said shot dead two people in an ap- an attempted coup in May, is stead- vote for peace the attack late on Saturday had parent targeted killing the Gisozi fastly opposed to the plan, saying targeted the base in the Ngagara commune in Mwaro province some its deployment would amount to Reuters ing a campaign of ethnic cleansing, some of the violence, which has left the north- neighbourhood in Bujumbura. 60km from Bujumbura. an invasion. Bangui voters arrived before dawn to queue at the east under the control of Muslim rebels main polling centre. while Christian militias roam the south- Alima Zeinabou Shaibou, 32, who like west. entral Africans cast their ballots most Muslims in the southwest has been Both Dologuele, a banker, and trained yesterday in an election meant to forced to leave her home, crossed the road mathematics professor Touadera have Crestore democratic rule, deter- from the mosque where she now lives with made the restoration of peace and security Museveni slams Deby picks PM mined to turn the page on years of blood- her fi ve children to be among the fi rst vot- the centrepiece of their campaigns. Both shed that has killed thousands and split ers. candidates are Christians. the impoverished nation along religious “I want there to be a change. I want “We hope that the people will vote mas- ‘partisan’ ICC ahead of ballot and ethnic lines. Christians and Muslims to live together as sively for my candidacy, because it is a One of the world’s most chronically un- before,” she said. candidacy of unity,” Touadera told report- stable countries, Central African Repub- The voting centre in PK5 witnessed vio- ers after voting. “We think they have heard ganda’s veteran ruler Yoweri Museveni, AFP lic was pitched into the worst crisis in its lent attacks by local militia during a De- the message.” who is standing for re-election on Thurs- N’Djamena history in early 2013 when mainly Muslim cember constitutional referendum. And “I wish a happy Valentine’s Day to Uday, has said he is in favour of his country Seleka fi ghters toppled President Francois though the situation has remained largely everyone,” Dologuele told journalists. “I pulling out of the “partisan” International Crimi- Bozize. calm during the election period, yester- would like Central Africans to consid- nal Court based in The Hague. had’s president has appointed a new prime Christian militias responded to Seleka day’s vote was held under heavy security. er (voting today) an act of love for their Museveni, who came to power in 1986, made the minister, Albert Pahimi Padacke, national abuses by attacking the Muslim minority Armed soldiers from MINUSCA, the country.” remarks during a televised debate late on Saturday Cradio reported, as he looks to extend his grip community. One in fi ve Central Africans country’s 11,000-strong UN mission, Expectations were running high in a - his fi rst ever with his presidential challengers. on power in the central African nation. Observers say has fl ed, either internally or abroad, to es- guarded polling stations while attack heli- nation where nearly every household has “The ICC is not serious, it is partisan, it is not the appointment is most likely a reward after Pahimi cape the violence. copters circled in the skies over Bangui. been aff ected by a crisis which has in some balanced, it is not very serious,” he said, referring Padacke announced his support on Friday for Presi- Two ex-prime ministers, Faustin- Armoured vehicles from a 900-soldier cases pitted long-standing neighbours to The Hague based court set up in 2002 as the last dent Idriss Deby Itno, who is running for a fi fth term Archange Touadera and Anicet-Georges French military contingent patrolled the against one another. resort to try war criminals and perpetrators of gen- in April elections. Dologuele, were contesting a presidential streets. While the polls should reinstate democ- ocide never tried at home. Outgoing prime minister Kalezeube Pahimi Debeu, run-off that will determine who will be Polls generally opened on time at 6am racy after three years of unpopular interim The ICC has opened probes involving eight na- in power since 2013 and a member of the ruling Patriot- charged with the enormous challenge of in Bangui, a marked improvement on a administrations, analysts warn the elec- tions, all of them African: Kenya, Ivory Coast, Libya, ic Salvation Movement (MPS), resigned from the post. restoring peace and reuniting the nation. December 30 fi rst round of voting, when tion of a new government is only the fi rst Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Afri- The radio broadcast late on Saturday did not give Touadera has portrayed himself as an ballot materials arrived late or not at all in step in a long process. can Republic, Uganda and Mali. Many in Africa have any further details, but the new prime minister is anti-corruption stalwart, while Dologuele many areas. Whoever wins the presidency will face railed against the court as being biased and targeting leader of the National Rally of Chadian Democrats pledges to revive the economy and draw “I have noticed less turnout today than the daunting tasks of extending state au- Africans with some leaders on the continent accus- (RNDT), a political party aligned with the MPS, and in investors hesitant until now to exploit for the fi rst round. But I’m very pleased thority outside the capital, rebuilding the ing it of acting as the judicial arm of foreign powers. came second in presidential elections in 2011. signifi cant gold, diamond and uranium that the second round is better organised,” army, jumpstarting a moribund economy “For instance, there are so many leaders who President Deby, who has been in power for 26 deposits. said former Senegalese prime minister and re-establishing a semblance of secu- should have been tried but because it (the ICC) is years, modifi ed the constitution in 2004, scrapping Authorities were also trying to re-run a Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye, heading the rity across a nation awash with guns. not serious they have not tried them. So we have its two-term limit on presidential tenure, and won fi rst round of legislative polls which were African Union’s elections observer mis- “It’s cheaper to buy a grenade in Bangui lost interest in ICC,” Museveni said. the following elections by a huge majority. cancelled over irregularities. sion. than it is to buy a can of Coke. That’s how During the last African Union summit in Janu- Deby had seized power in 1990 after toppling Hiss- In Bangui’s PK5 neighbourhood, the The fi rst round turnout of nearly 80% bad it is here,” said Lewis Mudge, Africa ary in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, African ene Habre, who is on trial at a special court in Senegal capital’s principal Muslim enclave follow- was largely viewed as a popular rejection researcher for Human Rights Watch. leaders backed a call led by Kenya to quit the ICC. for crimes against humanity.

Africa’s big cities off er investors glimmer of hope in hard times

Reuters ing faster than anywhere else in the and 2.7 times larger in Nairobi than Kreme doughnuts and Hennes & chrome skyscrapers, business Johannesburg world and city dwellers have more nationally in Kenya, Abraaj esti- Mauritz. parks, palm trees and a marina. money to spend. mates. There are similar stories else- By 2025, Mckinsey estimates “In the current economic en- Lagos, one of the world’s fastest where. that more than 80 cities in sub- frica’s biggest economies vironment, investors want areas growing cities and with a popula- This year, Kenya is set to unveil Saharan Africa will have popula- have been hammered by where success is proven, growth is tion of 20mn, expects economic the Two River malls in Nairobi, tions of more than 1mn, account- Athe collapse in commodity strong and will remain strong. Big growth of 7% this year, twice the the continent’s largest shopping ing for 58% of the region’s growth. prices over the past 18 months but African cities give you that,” said pace of the country as a whole. centre outside South Africa, with This rapid urbanisation means there are still investment bright Jacob Kholi, a partner at Abraaj, a Even South Africa, which is brands like Porsche, Hugo Boss Africa’s big cities will need more spots to be found. private equity fi rm with $9bn un- grappling with youth unemploy- and France’s Carrefour already roads, hospital and power stations, In cities such as Lagos, Nairobi, der management. ment of over 40% and could slip booking space. while growing numbers of new Accra, Kinshasa and Johannes- “It has become even more im- into recession this year, has areas “The economy still has oppor- inhabitants will be buying con- burg, growth remains robust and portant to focus on these key cities where industry is booming. tunities,” said Gabriel Modest, a sumer goods like instant noodles, investors are prospering in the re- than before,” Kholi added. “Looking around here, you jeweller who says demand for the washing powder and mobile phone tail, fi nancial services, technology Nairobi is the most attractive wouldn’t know things were so gold necklaces and bracelets he cards. and construction sectors. destination for foreign invest- bad,” construction worker Sifi so sells remains strong. Back in Lagos, business is still This means investors can now ment, according to a 2015 report Zwane told Reuters in Johannes- “Sometimes you have to treat expanding for cab-owner Cyril re-adjust their strategy for Africa. by PricewaterhouseCoopers, fol- burg’s wealthy Sandton business yourself,” he added, ordering a Ugochukwu, whose earnings are Instead of taking a view on the lowed by Accra, with Lagos and district. bowl of muesli and yoghurt at an running well above the target he continent as a whole, or choosing Johannesburg equal third. “Rich people will always fi nd upmarket Nairobi coff ee shop. set for his business, which has con- one country over another, they Consumption per capita in Ac- a way to make more money,” said In Lagos, plans are in place to tracts with online fi rm Easy Taxi. can seize opportunities city by cra is 1.6 times greater than the av- Zwane, with cranes fi lling the sky- develop the vast multi-billion dol- “Individuals must make trips city. erage in Ghana, 2.3 times bigger in line behind him and billboards ad- lar Eko Atlantic city, a Dubai-style whether times are good or bad,” he Sub-Saharan Africa is urbaniz- Lagos than the average in Nigeria, vertising new retailers like Krispy gated community that will boast told Reuters. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 13 AMERICAS Democrat campaign snarled by foreclosure

Reuters their mail has been returned to Washington the county elections offi ce as undeliverable. Latinos make up almost 32% emocratic presidential of Las Vegas. hopefuls Bernie Sand- Personal information on Republican presidential candidates Ohio Governor John Kasich, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson on stage at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Ders and Hillary Clinton voters forms the lifeblood of Carolina. Residents of South Carolina will vote for the Republican candidate at the primary on February 20. are fl ooding Nevada with vol- modern election campaigns. It unteers ahead of this week’s can be used for just about every key nominating contest but aspect of a ground operation - they face a problem - the ad- from building the so-called dresses, phone numbers and turf packets that volunteers other personal data they need scoop up to go knock on doors, to reach many voters are out of to guiding the thousands of date. phone calls made by volun- Nevada, which is more than teers. Slugfest drowns policy a quarter Latino, was one of Campaign strategy is often the states worst aff ected by the based on the voter fi le, which 2008 fi nancial meltdown, with can tell a campaign everything hundreds of thousands of fam- from where they need to turn ilies unable to pay their mort- up more supporters to what ar- gages and forced to move in a eas they can consider strong- crisis that by some estimates holds - or weak points. talk at GOP’s debate hit minorities twice as hard as Clinton staff ers fi rst arrived whites. in Nevada last April, cam- Personal attacks were more the rule been the 2016 Bush candidate instead of Trump, whose insurgent campaign has Obama has imposed on us already”, he With the foreclosed homes paign offi cials said, targeting than the exception her son. “Jeb is so wrong,” Trump sneered, turned the presidential race on its head, on said. often switching hands multi- the state early because it has to loud boos from the audience. Friday made legal threats against his near- Trump said he would impose taxes on ple times - from homeowner the third nominating contest AFP Bush parried back, hitting Trump’s sug- est rival Cruz, who was born in Canada, Carrier air conditioning units manufac- to bank to investor and back in the presidential race for the Washington gestion he could work with Russia to com- claiming the latter is not a “natural born tured in Mexico in light of the company’s to another homeowner in just Democrats. bat the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria citizen” and therefore unqualifi ed to run decision to move production from Indi- a few years - keeping up with But because so much of the and Iraq, and saying the real estate mag- for president. ana, a position in line with his strong op- voters who at some point lived fi le was out of date, the Clin- he Republican presidential race nate gets his foreign policy advice from But the most memorable clashes Satur- position to international trade deals. in those homes is diffi cult. ton campaign had to work veered into vicious personal attacks “the shows”, referring to weekly Sunday day were between Trump and Bush, who Video of the company’s announcement The Nevada Democratic harder just to fi nd voters and TSaturday as White House hopefuls morning talk shows. has stepped up his aggressive campaigning last week to employees went viral on the caucus on February 20 has make sure their information brawled in their latest debate, with front- “While Donald Trump was building a and criticism of Trump. Internet, showing emotional reactions emerged as an unusually im- was correct. Door knocking, runner Donald Trump and Jeb Bush lock- reality TV show, my brother was building a John Kasich, who placed an impressive to the loss of jobs while a representative portant test of Sanders’ and for example, was often much ing horns in some of the campaign’s most security apparatus to keep us safe. And I’m second in New Hampshire, has sought of the company explained the move was Clinton’s political strength. more time consuming: Peo- pointed clashes to date. proud of what he did,” Bush fumed. to keep his head above water in the more “strictly a business decision.” Carrier, a Clinton is under pressure to ple listed at certain addresses The showdown, the ninth of the “The World Trade Center came down conservative, more evangelical South manufacturer of air conditioning units, is keep her wide lead among Lat- might have moved, requiring months-long battle for the Republican during your brother’s reign,” Trump shot Carolina. owned by United Technologies Corp and inos, while Sanders must erode volunteers to engage with new nomination, began with a respectful mo- back. “Remember that.” On the debate stage he steered clear of announced it would be moving 1,400 jobs it to show he has a path to the residents from scratch and, ment of silence for iconic conservative US It was an extraordinary back and forth the daggers. to Monterrey, Mexico. nomination that does not rely perhaps, fi nd out where the supreme court justice Antonin Scalia who on the national stage, with candidates “I don’t want to get into all this fi ghting “I’m going to tell them, ‘Now I’m going mainly on the young white vot- previous occupants had gone. died suddenly earlier in the day. often ignoring the moderators and going tonight because people are frankly sick of to get consensus from Congress and we’re ers who make up the core of his That brand-new informa- But with a primary just one week away after each other in perhaps the most ag- the negative campaigning,” he said. going to tax you,’” Trump said. “So stay support base. tion, in turn, created more in South Carolina, a state where national gressive exchanges of the nine Republican Meanwhile, campaigns and their sup- where you are [in Mexico] or build in the “This ongoing (foreclosure) work as volunteers were forced politics often gets dragged into the mud, debates to date. porters have saturated South Carolina’s United States.’ Because we are killing our- crisis makes reaching potential to spend time inputting the the debate in Greenville quickly turned “We’re in danger of driving this into the airwaves with negative advertising, in- selves with trade pacts that are no good for voters more diffi cult,” Sanders’ new information into the cam- nasty and divisive, with billionaire Trump, dirt,” one of the CBS debate moderators cluding a harsh takedown of Trump by a us and no good for our workers.” campaign said in a statement paign’s own database. former Florida governor Bush, and senator said at one point. pro-Bush group that criticized Trump for A central part of Trump’s campaign e-mailed to Reuters. The Clin- The problem complicated Ted Cruz exchanging heated verbal blows. With the fi rst two nomination contests denigrating women, associating with the message has been his opposition to trade ton campaign said the voter normal operations, Neri said. “You are the single biggest liar,” Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire under their Clintons and for insulting decorated war pacts that allow products manufactured lists supplied by the Demo- “Had we had cleaner lists, had told Cruz when the Texas senator chal- collective belt, the candidates vying to be heroes. overseas to be imported with limited or cratic Party needed “signifi - we had not such a transient lenged him on his previous support for their party’s standardbearer are blanket- Despite the feuding, the Republican no tariff s. It’s a position that reverberates cantly” more work to update, population, we would be fo- liberal policies. ing the so-called Palmetto State known for hopefuls came together as one to oppose with middle- and low- income Americans, forcing them to spend valuable cused more on the volunteer Trump, visibly irritated, repeatedly its bare-knuckle politics. president Barack Obama nominating a who have watched manufacturing jobs canvassing time building up recruitment,” he said. interrupted his rivals, especially Bush, Cruz won Iowa, with Trump fi nishing successor to Scalia on the Supreme Court. leave the country. their own private data. The Sanders campaign is whose momentum he is seeking to blunt in an embarrassing second after proclaiming Rubio, seeking a breakout moment after Trump cited the video of the work- Las Vegas, Nevada’s big- also knocking on doors and a state where his dynastic family remains for weeks he would win. But The Donald fi zzling in New Hampshire, said Obama ers, which has more than 2.8mn views on gest city, has seen some of the phone banking, said Joan Kato, popular. bounced back to win New Hampshire, and should not move to fi ll Scalia’s seat, noting YouTube, at the debate. country’s highest foreclosure the state director. But, she He went after Bush on foreign policy holds a substantial lead in South Carolina. lame duck presidents in their fi nal year in “If you saw the people, because they rates since 2008, hitting No. added, the campaign was using and immigration, and lambasted Jeb’s The state holds its Republican primary offi ce have not had a supreme court nomi- have a video of the announcement that 1 among more than 200 US community outreach eff orts brother president George W Bush’s war in February 20, the same day Democrats vote nee confi rmed for decades. Carrier is moving to Mexico, they were metro areas from 2009 to 2011, too, such as house parties and Iraq as “a big fat mistake”. in Nevada for either Hillary Clinton or If he did, he would “ram down our laid off ,” he said. “They were crying. It was according to RealtyTrac, a pro- speaking to student groups, He even said Jeb’s mother should have Bernie Sanders. throat a liberal justice, like the ones Barack a very sad situation.” vider of real estate data and to gather data from attendees. analytics. Even now, the city Kato did not say how much ex- and its surrounding area rank tra work the voter fi le problem No 17. had created for the campaign. Data that might have been Latinos make up about 27 corrected in the 2012 general percent of Nevada’s popu- election has, in many cases, lation and they lean heavily already fallen out of date again Democrat, meaning they are a Republicans gear up for Supreme because the Nevada housing prize voter bloc for Clinton and market has continued to see Sanders. wave after wave of foreclos- There hasn’t been enough ures, the campaigns said. polling in Nevada recently The Democratic party’s to show who is ahead among Court battle after Scalia’s death voter fi le is based primarily Latinos. But nationally Clin- on voter registration records ton has the advantage: Among Reuters unprecedented to have a va- White House could use the proc- ported Srinivasan. At his 2013 across the country. But the Latinos who describe them- Washington cancy on the highest court for ess to energise Democratic vot- investiture, leading lights of time between when a person selves as Democrats, 54% sup- a year, Republicans said no ap- ers ahead of the presidential and the legal establishment from moves and when their voter port Clinton and 37% back pointment should be made in congressional elections in No- both parties praised him. Fed- registration fi le gets updated Sanders, according to Reuters/ epublican lawmakers and the so-called lame-duck year of vember. If a Democratic nominee eral appeals court judge J Harvie can vary because diff erent Ipsos polling from October% 1 presidential candidates a presidency. were to replace Scalia it would Wilkinson, a Reagan appointee states and counties have dif- to February 12. Rhardened their positions “The president can decide lead to a sizable shift in the ideo- for whom Srinivasan was also a ferent rules about how to han- Latino Decisions, a polling yesterday on blocking a move by whatever he wants, but I’m just logical balance of the high court, law clerk, called him “lightning dle those changes, which are and research fi rm, said Latinos President Barack Obama to re- telling you the senate is not mov- which has had a conservative smart”. not automatic. are expected to form up to 20 of place the late conservative justice ing forward on it until we have a majority for decades. Jacqueline Nguyen: Other “Not just our modelling and the voters in Nevada this year Antonin Scalia on the Supreme new president, and I agree with Here are some of the possi- names the administration could turnout operation but our re- up from 8.4% in 2012, as tallied Court, a lifetime appointment that,” senator Marco Rubio, a Re- bilities, including two prominent consider include Jacqueline cruitment operation is based by Pew Research Center. that would help decide some of publican presidential candidate, Asian-American judges: Nguyen, 50, a Vietnamese- on having very clean data,” said The importance of a good the most divisive issues facing said on CBS’s Face the Nation. Sri Srinivasan: Among those American who has been a judge Jorge Neri, Clinton’s Nevada voter fi le can’t be underes- Americans. Asked what litmus test he the administration could turn on the San Francisco-based 9th organising director. timated, according to Ethan The next justice would tilt the Justice Antonin Scalia. would apply to any nominee, to is Sri Srinivasan, 48, who has US Circuit Court of Appeals Underscoring the problem, Roeder, who was President balance of the nation’s highest Rubio’s criteria echoed Scalia’s served on the US Court of Ap- since May 2012. about a fi fth of the 1mn vot- Barack Obama’s data director court, which now consists of four He lumped Donald Trump in “originalist” ideology that looks peals for the District of Columbia Paul Watford: An African- ers registered in Clark County, in the 2008 and 2012 elections. conservatives and four liberals. with the Democrats, saying that at the US Constitution through Circuit since May 2013. He would American who is also a judge where Las Vegas is located, are “You can run a campaign The vacancy left by the death of the Republican front-runner’s the lens of its framers’ 18th cen- be the fi rst Indian-American on on the 9th US circuit court of tagged as inactive, according without a voter fi le. You just Scalia, 79, quickly became an is- views were indistinguishable tury intentions. the court and has impeccable bi- appeals, Paul Watford is an- to Joseph Gloria, the county’s can’t run a successful cam- sue in the 2016 presidential race. from theirs. “Does the person that we are partisan credentials. other possibility. He was an ap- registrar of voters - meaning paign,” he said. “We ought to make the 2016 Democrat Obama said on Sat- nominating have a consistent The Senate confi rmed him on a pellate litigator at the Munger, election a referendum on the su- urday that he would nominate and proven record of interpret- 97-0 vote three years ago. He was Tolles & Olson law fi rm before preme court,” US senator and Re- someone to fi ll the now-empty ing the Constitution as initially a law clerk to supreme court Jus- Obama nominated him to the ap- publican presidential candidate seat, setting up a battle with the meant? What do those words tice Sandra Day O’Connor, now peals court in 2011. Watford, 48, Ted Cruz said on NBC’s Meet the Republican-controlled Senate, mean to that society at the time retired, a 1981 appointee of Re- clerked for 9th circuit judge Alex Press. which must approve any nomi- in which those words were writ- publican president Ronald Rea- Kozinski, a libertarian-leaning The nine-justice court is set nee. ten in the Constitution? That’s gan. At Srinivasan’s confi rmation Republican, and for justice Ruth to decide its fi rst major abortion Senate Republican leader what I want out of a judge, out of hearing, Texas Republican sena- Bader Ginsburg, one of Scal- case in nearly 10 years, as well as Mitch McConnell said hours a justice,” Rubio said. tor Ted Cruz, now a presidential ia’s colleagues on the Supreme cases on voting rights, affi rma- after Scalia’s death was an- Trump, appearing on NBC, candidate, described himself as Court. tive action and immigration. nounced that the high court va- was more direct when asked what a long-standing friend dating He was confi rmed by a 61-34 Cruz said the vacancy makes cancy should not be fi lled until he would want in a nominee: back to their time together as law vote, as some Republicans raised November’s election even more Obama’s successor takes offi ce “Someone just like Justice Scalia.” clerks in the US appeals court concerns about Watford’s work critical, warning that a justice next January so that voters can President Barack Obama has a based in Richmond, Virginia. as a lawyer on immigration and chosen by Democratic candidates have a say in the selection. number of likely options as he Cruz said Srinivasan had done death penalty cases. Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders His Democratic counterpart, looks for a nominee to the US a “very fi ne job” in answering the Jane Kelly: Jane Kelly, a white would mean the second amend- Harry Reid, said failure by the Supreme Court to replace Justice committee’s questions. woman and former public de- ment right to bear arms would be senate to act would be a “shame- Antonin Scalia, who died on Sat- During his nomination to the fender who has served on the St Secret Service off icer stops a woman from touching Democratic “written out” of the constitution ful abdication” of the chamber’s urday. appeals court, prominent Re- Louis, Missouri-based 8th US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as she greets people after and abortion on demand would constitutional responsibilities. If Obama’s nominee is not publicans such as former US circuit court of appeals since speaking at a campaign rally at the International Union of become the law of the land. While Reid said it would be confi rmed by the Senate, the solicitor general Ted Olson sup- April 2013. Painters and Allied Trades training center in Henderson, Nevada. Gulf Times 14 Monday, February 15, 2016 ASEAN Pilots’ strike Fun run leaves local passengers stranded

Agencies Smile Airways, Thai Lion Air Bangkok and Thai AirAsia, but all of them are full,” Mr Patee told Thairath TV. udget airline Nok Air “I am confident that there cancelled eight local will be no problem with flight Bfl ights yesterday evening cancellations tomorrow” as after pilots went on strike, Monday is a normal working leaving some 1,000 passengers day when the full administra- stranded at Don Mueang air- tion resources and back-up port, Bangkok Post reported. plans are in place, Patee said. The airline initially gave no He said the damage caused reason for the abrupt cancel- by the pilot protest was un- lation and only informed its acceptable and management passengers that scheduled would discuss what to do flights were not ready to take about it. off due to “technical prob- Don Mueang airport di- lems”, and that it would offer rector Petch Chancharoen full refunds to affected cus- said the airline had to ar- tomers. range accommodation for the Nok Air chief executive Pa- stranded travellers if it could tee Sarasin later told report- not find alternative flights for Cambodian people run for fun during the Valentine’s Day in Phnom Penh yesterday. Cambodia’s government has hit out at Valentine’s Day, warning students against losing ers the airline was forced to them and described the situ- the “dignity of themselves and their families” in a note sent to schools across the country. cancel the flights because ation at Don Mueang airport more than 10 pilots staged a as of 9pm as “still chaotic”. strike after it increased audit Many of the passengers lat- standards for the flight oper- er went on to Nok Air’s Face- ations department, bringing book page to express anger at them into line with those of their treatment by the airline. the European Aviation Safety They criticised the airline Agency. He said some pilots for the delay in alerting them did not meet the new criteria to the flight cancellations. and went on strike to express Some said they did not get Ethnic rebels’ show of force their discontent. any message at all. The airline announced Others attacked the strik- the cancellation of the eight ing pilots, accusing them of flights at 3pm. All were holding the passengers hos- scheduled to leave Don tage. Mueang airport late in the af- Facebook user Hikawari highlights peace challenge ternoon to Chiang Mai, Khon PS wrote: “Phuket-Bangkok Khaen, Hat Yai, Nakhon Si flight at 10.45pm has been Reuters He signed a fi ve-year contract Thammarat, Surat Thani, cancelled and there is no alert Loi Tai Leng, Myanmar in December and will be paid $11 Phitsanuloke, Phuket and message. I have to work early a month for his service. Ubon Ratchathani. tomorrow morning. What While ethnic groups carry “Nok Air has contacted should I do? …. It is too late to peaking to 1,000 of his sol- many grievances rooted in dec- other airlines that fly on the book a bus - but travelling 12 diers at a mountain base ades of discrimination by a gov- same routes such as Thai hours by bus is terrible.” Son Myanmar’s border with ernment and military dominated Thailand, the leader of a power- by the Bamar majority, their ful ethnic armed group called on vested economic interests, many other rebels to join government- illicit, and human rights abuses led peace talks and appealed for make achieving peace a daunt- unity among the country’s mi- ing task. Man kills lover, self norities. Offi cers in Yawd Serk’s mi- “Stop shooting and come litia say it has given up forced to the negotiation table,” said recruitment from villages and at mall in Thailand Yawd Serk, who leads the towns, though the UN Secretary 6,000-strong Shan State Army- General still lists the SSA-S as South (SSA-S). “Whether it is Lt. Gen. Yawd Serk, chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State gives a speech during a military parade “persistent perpetrators” in the Agencies Pijakkana Somsakul, 44, three trustworthy or not, we should celebrating the 69th Shan State National Day at Loi Tai Leng. Right: Soldiers from the Shan State Army-South recruitment and use of children Bangkok times in the chest with a .38 grab the chance to talk.” march in formation during a military parade celebrating the 69th Shan State National Day at Loi Tai Leng, the in its ranks. revolver. Ending decades of ethnic con- group’s headquarters, on the Thai-Myanmar border. The SSA-S emerged under He shot himself in the head fl ict is one of the biggest chal- Yawd Serk’s command in 1996 as distraught man shot a minute later and died at the lenges for the incoming gov- der with China shows how little “Disarming is impossible,” noodle stands and mobile phone a breakaway faction of a narco- dead a woman thought scene. Pijakkana succumbed to ernment of Nobel Peace Prize control Suu Kyi’s government said Yawd Serk, fl anked by a booths selling Thai mobile army led by heroin kingpin Khun Ato be his lover in a Non- the gunshot wounds while be- laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who will have over Myanmar’s wild heavily armed security detail in- phone SIM cards. Sa, who signed a ceasefi re with thaburi department store yes- ing rushed to hospital. has made it her fi rst priority. hinterlands at the start of its cluding a man who said he was “We are not soldiers with guns the then-ruling junta. terday, and then killed himself One of the bullets hit a But although Yawd Serk fi ve-year term on April 1. a former member of US special but we help as much as we can,” It has been accused of con- with the weapon, injuring a nine-year-old girl, Papassorn signed a government-brokered It also highlights the shift- forces. said Lar Yen, 33, selling Shan tinued involvement in the drug nine-year-old girl with a stray Kwaniam, in the neck. She was ceasefi re deal last October, in a ing loyalties and complexities The SSA-S leader was speak- souvenirs with the proceeds do- trade along the borders with bullet as he did so. walking with her mother at the much-needed boost to the peace that have made peace so elusive ing as thousands of Shan from nated to the SSA-S. Thailand and China, an allega- The shooting occurred in time. The girl is being treated process of outgoing President in the ethnic confl icts that have Myanmar and Thailand fl ooded One of the new cadets was Sai tion its members reject. front of iStudio store on the at Pranangklao hospital and is Thein Sein, over the winter some plagued the former Burma since his windswept headquarters at Sai Wan, 28, who, like many sol- To fund its operations, the second fl oor of Central Plaza reported to be safe. of his troops have been fi ghting World War Two. Loi Tai Leng, perched on a ridge diers, said he joined the group to group collects “taxes” on eve- Rattanathibet in Muang dis- Police initially assumed Su- another ethnic group for con- Yawd Serk has courted inter- a few hundred metres from the protect Shan heritage and shared rything from mining and log- trict at about 11am and caused chart had tried but failed to trol of remote swathes of eastern national businesses since sign- Thai border, last Sunday to mark its deep distrust of the Myanmar ging operations to cars driven panic to Valentine’s Day shop- settle a love issue with Pija- Myanmar. ing the ceasefi re and recently Shan National Day. military that ruled the country by residents of towns under its pers, Bangkok Post reported. kkana, who was a sales assist- That a contingent of Yawd joined a study trip to Switzer- Visitors pitched tents on the with an iron fi st for decades. command. Pol Lt Supalak Promwong, ant at the shopping mall. Pol Lt Serk’s soldiers could travel un- land. He is not willing to lay mountainside. The base’s main “We need to protect our peo- Asked what would happen a duty offi cer at Rattanathi- Supalak said the gunman had challenged some 300km north down his arms, however, or give thoroughfare, a dirt road strad- ple and our country. We don’t if someone refused to pay, one bet sub-police station, said a grocery shop opposite the to fi ght the Ta’ang National up infl uence over a region rich in dling Thailand and Myanmar, want the Burmese army control- group member said: “You are Suchart Pheupradit, 50, shot Ministry of Commerce. Liberation Army near the bor- gold, timber and gemstones. was lined with carnival games, ling our future,” he said. going to have some trouble.”

Floral delight Rescuers attempt to free Indonesian miner

DPA This is a signifi cant milestone in Jakarta developing our primary rescue option,” Newcrest managing di- rector and CEO Sandeep Biswan rescue operation was un- said in a statement released der way yesterday to free yesterday.“Before we attempt Aa miner who has been the extraction, we will need to trapped for seven days in an un- line the bore hole so that we can derground gold mine on Halma- safely bring Mursalim up. It is hera island in Indonesia’s North expected that lining the hole will Maluku province. take several days,” Biswan said. Solo drill operator Mursalim Local news web site Viva. Sahman, 36, is reportedly in good Coid reported that there were 50 health despite being trapped in a miners who were working in the mining chamber 300 metres un- Kencana mine when it collapsed derground and has maintained on Monday, but 49 managed to contact with his family using a get out, while Mursalim, who is newly installed phone line. a native of Halmahera, failed to The Gosowong gold mine is do the same as he was manning operated by PT Nusa Halmahera heavy machinery. Mineral, a joint venture between The rescue operation has been Australia’s Newcrest Min- under way since then. Operation ing, which controls 75% of the of the company’s three under- shares, and state-owned miner ground mines has been halted in PT Aneka Tambang. the meantime. “Earlier this morning we The company said a “geo- broke through into the cham- technical” event of unknown ber where Mursalim is located cause spurred the mine collapse, after completing the boring of which occurred at 8.30pm East- A farmer works in a field of blossoming cabbage plants in Xuan Son village, outside Hanoi, Vietnam. a 70-centimetre diameter hole ern Indonesia Time (1130 GMT) approximately 38 metres deep. last Monday. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Beijing pins HK riots on ‘separatists’ Beijing’s explanation during Lunar New Year celebra- The mass rallies seeking fully is probably a little too tions late Monday night. free leadership elections in the convenient Police fi red warning shots city blocked some major streets in the air, while demonstrators for more than two months. But AFP hurled bricks levered up from the rallies failed to win conces- Beijing pavements, charged police lines sions from the authorities. with homemade shields and set Pro-democracy activist Joseph rubbish on fi re. Cheng said weighing in on the senior Beijing offi cial yes- About 100 people were in- protest was a tactic by Beijing to terday blamed “radical jured, including police offi cers, justify its hardline approach to Aseparatists” for a riot that journalists and protesters, and 65 the pro-democracy movement. A cliff collapses at the Whitewash Head area, in the suburb of Sumner, Christchurch. erupted in Hong Kong last week, were arrested in the rare outbreak “The whole idea, of course, the worst clashes the city has of violence. Some 30 have been is to condemn the protesters in seen since mass pro-democracy charged with rioting. association with the pro-de- protests. Hong Kong leader Leung mocracy movement in the public In unusually blunt remarks Chun-ying said yesterday most opinion war,” the retired scholar, on a local Hong Kong matter, of the protesters were unem- who has advocated direct lead- ership elections for Hong Kong, Quake hits New Zealand, Zhang Xiaoming, Beijing’s top ployed and did not refl ect main- representative in the semi-au- stream views. told AFP. tonomous city, told reporters “The majority of them are job- “Condemning the riot has the the violence that left dozens of less. Quite many of them belong purpose of justifying the hardline police offi cers hurt also showed to radical political groups. Their (stance) of Beijing,” He added he expected the brings down coastal cliff elements of “terror”. political demands... cannot re- “After the riot in Mong Kok, fl ect the majority of society,” the Hong Kong authorities to con- we are feeling very much shocked chief executive said. duct a “neutral investigation” AFP around the South Island city and had everyone running out,” she “This quake is too small to and saddened,” Zhang told re- The battles have been dubbed into the incident. Christchurch at least one building was evacu- said. have caused a tsunami,” GeoNet porters. the “fi shball revolution” after a Hong Kong was returned by ated, according to media reports. “I made sure everyone was OK, spokeswoman Caroline Lit- “We strongly condemn those favourite Hong Kong street snack Britain to China in 1997 with its People posted pictures on so- it was quite a big shock. It’s crazy tle said but added with such radical separatists who have be- and refl ect underlying tensions way of life protected for 50 years 5.8-magnitude earth- cial media of a cliff face crum- out here at the moment.” tremors “people and animals come increasingly violent, even over the erosion of the city’s tra- by a joint agreement. quake hit the New Zealand bling into the sea, however emer- The quake struck a week before are alarmed, and many run out- (carrying out) activities that ditions. Demonstrators included But there are fears that Acity of Christchurch yes- gency services said there were no the fi fth anniversary of a deadly side. Walking steadily is dif- showed terror tendencies,” the “localist” activists who want to freedoms enshrined in the agree- terday, seismologists said, send- immediate reports of any struc- 6.3-tremor in Christchurch, ficult... objects fall from walls director of China’s Liaison Offi ce restrict Beijing’s infl uence on the ment are being eroded by Chi- ing goods fl ying off shelves. tural damage to buildings. which killed 185 in one of New and shelves”. in Hong Kong said in Chinese. city. nese infl uence, including the GeoNet Science, the offi cial Jenny Krex, the manager of a Zealand’s deadliest disasters. New Zealand is on the bound- The clashes erupted when Mong Kok, on the city’s Kow- recent case of fi ve Hong Kong New Zealand earthquake moni- coff ee shop in the seaside suburb The latest quake was measured ary of the Australian and Pacifi c protesters gathered following of- loon peninsula, was the scene of publishers known for titles criti- toring service, warned of after- of Sumner, told the New Zealand at 5.8 by the US Geological Sur- tectonic plates, which form part fi cial attempts to remove illegal some of the worst violence during cal of Beijing, four of whom it is shocks following the “severe in- Herald that items broke in her vey at a shallow depth of about of the so-called “Ring of Fire”, hawkers from the busy commer- the 79-day “Occupy” pro-democ- confi rmed have been detained on tensity” quake. shop. eight kilometres and centred 17 and experiences up to 15,000 cial neighbourhood of Mong Kok racy street protests in late 2014. the mainland. Sirens could be heard going off “Everyone got a big fright, we kilometres west of the city. tremors a year. Australian hospital will not send refugee baby to Nauru

AFP calling for the asylum seekers, Queensland state’s health min- paigners abseiled from a Mel- Sydney who are set to be deported after ister Cameron Dick, who said bourne bridge with a “Let Them being brought to Australia for in a statement yesterday that he Stay” banner. medical treatment, to be allowed “strongly support(s) doctors in “I think the case of the 267 n Australian hospital to stay. our hospitals to make the right people has just really spoken to has refused to return The #LetThemStay campaign, clinical decisions”. the hearts of the people across Aan asylum seeker baby which has been trending on “Doctors must expect to advo- Australia,” GetUp! organiser Sal- to detention in Nauru, as mo- Twitter, has also seen hundreds cate for their patients,” Doctors ly Rugg told AFP. mentum built across the coun- of people maintain a vigil — now For Refugees co-founder Richard “It’s people from all walks of People dance at a Colatec in Seoul. try yesterday against offshore in its third day — outside the Kidd, who has joined the vigil life. We are seeing churches and Pacific camps for processing Brisbane hospital where the baby outside the hospital, told AFP. hospitals and teachers and pre- refugees. is being cared for. “We have... overwhelming miers, it’s a whole movement.” Under the government’s tough The 12-month-old infant, evidence over many years now Canberra has long defended immigration policy, asylum- who is called Asha and the child that detention does terrible harm its policy, saying it has prevented seekers who try to reach Austral- of Nepalese asylum seekers, was to babies and children, particu- the deaths of asylum seekers at larly their mental health but also sea and secured its borders. ‘Afternoon Fever’ ia by boat are sent to detention brought to the eastern city of camps in the Pacifi c island na- Brisbane for treatment in late physical health.” But rights groups have criti- tions of Papua New Guinea and January after being scalded with Australian church leaders in cised the measures and deten- Nauru. hot water at the remote Nauru early February vowed to defy tion conditions, while the gov- They are blocked from be- facility. the federal government, off er- ernment-funded Human Rights ing sanctuary to the asylum- Commission has found that in old-age discos ing resettled in Australia even if Following the High Court’s found to be refugees. ruling earlier this month in fa- seekers. children who lived in the Nauru The hospital’s move came as vour of the government’s poli- Several state government pre- centre had high levels of mental AFP to enjoy themselves, dancing their lives working, working state governments, churches and cies, Asha and 36 other babies miers have said they would help illness. Seoul the years away at clubs where and working, and leisure was activists stepped up their eff orts born in Australia are among settle in their communities those “This off shore detention poli- 50-year-olds are turned away considered a privilege of the to stop the return of some 267 the asylum-seekers facing re- facing deportation if they were cy is being operated by the Aus- for being “too young.” elite,” said Hwang Nam-Hui, a refugees to Nauru following a moval. allowed to stay. tralian government in secrecy s the mercury outside Colatecs fi rst emerged in the researcher at the Korea Institute High Court ruling. But a spokesman for Bris- There have also been numer- and there’s a severe lack of trans- plunges to minus 10 late 1990s as dance halls for for Health and Social Aff airs. Yesterday, campaigners from bane’s Lady Cilento Children’s ous community-led protests. parency and that’s obviously not Adegrees on an ice-cold teenagers, where alcohol was “So many fi nd it hard, and ActionAid, Amnesty Interna- Hospital said Asha “will only be Thirty-seven cots — one for how people of Australia want Monday afternoon, the dance banned and the only drinks on even baffl ing, just to relax and tional, GetUp! and Greenpeace discharged once a suitable home each of the Australia-born ba- their taxpayers’ money being fl oor inside the Kukilgwan Pal- off er were sodas like Coca-Cola. enjoy themselves after retire- unfurled a #LetThemStay ban- environment is identifi ed”. bies — were set up on Sydney’s spent,” Amnesty’s Ming Yu Hah ace is packed with grey-haired But they soon fell out of fash- ment,” Hwang said. ner on Sydney’s iconic harbour Their stance was supported by Bondi Beach, while two cam- told AFP. Korean couples moving to the ion with their young clientele Kukilgwan Palace owner Lee rhythms of high-volume disco. which migrated to gatherings says clubs like his off er a vital “I come here every day of at Internet cafes and karaoke opportunity to “unwind and the week, except for Saturday clubs. just have fun”. and Sunday,” said 81-year-old And so the Colatecs rebrand- His venue attracts 800 visi- Jun Il-Taek as he danced be- ed themselves for an entirely tors on a weekday and up to North Korea took 70% of Kaesong labourers’ neath the giant disco balls and diff erent demographic. 1,500 at weekends. The en- brightly-coloured string lights “They became a playground trance fee is cheap at 1,000 decorating the venue in central for the over 60s ... and they won ($0.80). Most of the club’s wages to spend on weapons, says Seoul Seoul. turned out to be far more loyal income comes from food and Jun was one of around 200 customers,” said Lee Kwan- drinks. men and women on the fl oor — Woo, the owner of the Kukilg- The physical limitations of its Reuters Thursday and froze the assets of the South The South Korean government and compa- all engaged in the same, rather wan Palace which was estab- elderly patrons are refl ected in Seoul Korean fi rms. nies had invested about 1tn won ($829mn) in static, knee-bobbing dance lished in the early 2000s. the noon-6pm opening hours. “The wages for the North’s workers and Kaesong including 616bn won in cash since it routine, with the odd slow-mo- “Here, they can exercise to “If a regular suddenly stops other fees were paid in cash in US dollars to opened more than a decade ago, unifi cation tion twirl to liven things up. stay healthy, make new friends coming, it usually means he outh Korea said 70% of the US dol- the North’s authorities and not to the work- minister Hong Yong-pyo said on Wednesday. The sedate nature of the and have a little bit of excite- or she has died,” said Lee, who lars paid as wages and fees for the sus- ers,” South Korea’s Unifi cation Ministry said Kaesong’s North Korean workers were giv- dancing is in stark contrast to ment,” said the 70-year-old feels attending funerals of loyal Spended Kaesong industrial project, run on Sunday. “This is believed to be channelled en a taste of life in the South, working for the the decibel level of the music, former nightclub singer. customers is part of his job. jointly with the North, had been diverted for in the same way as other foreign currency it 124 mostly small and medium sized manu- which slowly envelops the as- South Koreans aged 65 plus Many are widows or widow- Pyongyang’s weapons programme and luxury earned.” facturers that operated there, about 54km cending elevator as it approach- make up 13% of the population, ers looking for some company goods for leader Kim Jong Un. northwest of Seoul. es the ninth-fl oor dance club. that fi gure is expected to rise to and mild fl irtation, and anyone It is the fi rst formal acknowledgement “The wages for the North’s workers The minimum wage for North Korean “Nothing keeps me health- as much as 40% by 2060. under 60 is turned away as they by the South that the 55,000 North Korean were paid in cash in US dollars to the workers was about $70 a month, although ier than dancing ... I can’t live Currently, half of that de- may “annoy other patrons and workers at the Kaesong complex saw little of North and not to the workers” the companies paid more than double that without this place,” Jun said, mographic live on or below the spoil the mood”, Lee said. the $160 they were paid on average a month. amount after overtime and bonuses - still low deftly leading his 75-year-old poverty line. A meagre pension In what remains a very Con- South Korea on Wednesday suspended The cash is then kept and managed by the compared with wages in the South. female partner into a slow turn. and lack of social welfare make fucian culture, elderly South the project as punishment for the North’s ruling Workers’ Party’s Offi ce 39 and other The Kaesong project resulted from the fi rst The army veteran is one of retirement a daunting prospect. Koreans are expected to behave long-range rocket launch on February 7 say- agencies, the ministry said. The ministry said summit meeting of the rival Koreas in 2000, thousands of retired South Ko- Among those with some dis- with moderation and dignity, ing it would no longer allow the funds paid to it had confi rmed the movement of the money where their leaders pledged reconciliation reans hitting the dance fl oors at posable income, leisure activ- and Colatecs are frowned on by Kaesong to be used in the North’s missile and through various sources but did not specify and cooperation. It was the last remain- Colatecs -- special discos for ity is something of an unknown those who see them as unseemly nuclear programmes. them. ing symbol of that eff ort in volatile North- the elderly that are fl ourishing fi eld for a generation whose la- hook-up joints for pensioners. The North conducted its fourth nuclear Offi ce 39 is widely believed to exist to fi - South relations over the years. Kaesong had across the country. bour transformed the country As a result, patrons like test last month. nance the luxurious lifestyle of the North’s been shut only once before, for fi ve months South Korea’s rapidly age- from a war-ravaged backwater Han Keum-Ok, a 75-year-old The North called the South’s move to leader. The offi ce is also believed to be part of in 2013, amid heightened tensions following ing population may be a major to Asia’s fourth-largest econo- Kukilgwan regular for the past suspend operations “a declaration of war” the North’s agencies that fund the country’s North Korea’s third nuclear test, although its headache for policymakers, but my. 10 years, keeps her hobby a se- and kicked out all South Korean workers on missile and nuclear programme. continuing existence often seemed tenuous. its members are determined “This generation spent all cret. Gulf Times 16 Monday, February 15, 2016 BRITAIN

OBITUARY LEGAL LAW AND ORDER PEOPLE CRIME Lord Avebury dies Charges against ex-TV Woman released on bail in Search on for missing Sex assault on woman of cancer aged 87 host Leslie ‘dropped’ businessman’s death probe junior doctor walking home

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has paid Former TV host and radio presenter John Leslie A woman arrested by detectives investigating A major search operation has been launched Police have appealed for information after a tribute to “true Liberal” former MP Lord Avebury, has said he has been cleared by police over the murder of businessman Akhtar Javeed has for a junior doctor who has gone missing. Dr woman was attacked and sexually assaulted who has died aged 87. Eric Avebury, known for claims of sexual assault. The former Blue Peter, been released on police bail pending further Rose Polge, 25, who works at Torbay Hospital in as she walked home in south London. The campaigning for democratic and human rights, This Morning and Wheel of Fortune presenter inquiries. The 19-year-old was detained by West Torquay, Devon, has not been seen since Friday. 20-year-old was grabbed from behind as she represented Orpington for eight years after was questioned in connection with an alleged Midlands Police late on Friday at an address in Police and coastguard have been searching for walked down Orlando Road in Clapham after winning a Commons by-election for the Liberals sexual assault on a 22-year-old woman in Leicester on suspicion of assisting an off ender. Dr Polge after her car was discovered in a car a night out with a friend. As she was walking, in 1962. He inherited the title of Baron Avebury Edinburgh last year. Leslie told the Sunday Mirror Off icers are continuing to question two men park near Ansteys Cove. Martin Ringrose, interim she became aware of someone coming up in 1971, and was elected to remain in the Upper police had informed him three days ago he aged 18 and 26, who were arrested in Derby and director of human resources at Torbay and South behind her. The suspect grabbed her, pushed House when most other hereditary peers were would not face action over the claims. He spoke Leicester, on suspicion of murdering Javeed. Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are aware her against a wall and sexually assaulted her. ejected in 1999. The father-of-five, a Buddhist, had of his relief and his anger about the impact the The father-of-four, aged 56, was shot in the that one of our junior doctors is missing. “Our The suspect was disturbed by a passing car and been suff ering from leukaemia and died at home allegations had on his family and career. “While neck during an attempted robbery at a drinks thoughts are with her family and loved ones at ran off towards Clapham Old Town. Police say in London. Farron said: “He was a true Liberal who I am glad to be cleared, I have served a hefty distribution warehouse in Digbeth, Birmingham, this very distressing time. “We will do whatever the victim was left traumatised and managed will be remembered as much for his unyielding punishment for a crime that never was. The on February 3. Detectives have seized a silver we can to support the authorities investigating to make her way home where a relative called commitment to fighting for Liberal causes”. damage to my parents and to me is incalculable.” Renault Megane as part of the inquiry. her disappearance and searching for her.” police. Scarred by election fl op, pollsters split over Brexit

Reuters points, and in some polls by more London than 20 points. But online polls, which are being done more frequently by f you believe online polls, Brit- YouGov, ICM and four other fi rms, ain’s looming referendum on have found that the two sides are Iwhether to quit the European neck and neck. The largest lead in Union will be a tight race that the an online poll was nine points for “out” camp could win. But if you the out camp, in a YouGov poll trust telephone polls, the “in” published on February 4. camp should triumph by a wide Curtice has been overseeing a margin. “poll of polls”, a rolling average of The divergence has raised fresh the six most recent phone and web questions about whether polling polls, which provides a summary is reliable after the industry suf- of the overall referendum polling fered a severe blow to its repu- picture. http://bit.ly/1O4xUc3 Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond looks at his watch while appearing on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show in London yesterday. tation last year when a general Last updated on February 7 election resulted in a Conserva- when it showed 51% in favour of tive victory that it totally failed to remaining and 49% wishing to predict. withdraw, the poll of polls has The stakes in the referendum never shown a lead for the so- could hardly be higher. The EU called “Brexit” option. risks losing its second-biggest Pollsters pointed out that these economy and one of its two main were early days, with major uncer- military powers, while the con- tainties hanging over key aspects EU reform talks will go sequences for Britain in terms of of the referendum. trade, growth and infl uence in the Those include when it will take world could be profound. place, whether some high-profi le The pollsters are desperate to politicians like London mayor get it right this time. Boris Johnson will campaign to “I don’t think the polling indus- leave, and what fi nal deal on Brit- try can aff ord to get this one wrong ain’s membership terms Prime to the wire: Hammond and I think the world will be look- Minister David Cameron will se- ing at our performance,” said Mar- cure from Brussels. Reuters that do not, national sovereignty bloc stepped up a gear yesterday, ing people,” former defence min- as a bureaucracy and I’m certainly tin Boon, director of pollster ICM. Pollsters from both sides of London and access to welfare benefi ts. when the boss of airline easyJet ister Liam Fox told the newspaper. a Eurosceptic, but recognise the The trouble is that pollsters dis- the divide also said they expected British and EU negotiators have said Britain’s membership of the Meanwhile Eurosceptic Labour catastrophe that would happen if agree on which method - phone or there would be some convergence already broadly agreed much of a EU was the reason that the cost grandee Lord Blunkett has backed we pulled out of Europe now. Internet - is producing better re- between the two methods as cam- ritain’s push to win backing reform package, but tricky politi- of fl ights had plummeted, while the campaign to keep Britain in He added: “There are millions sults, and independent experts say paigning intensifi ed and voters from its European partners cal issues, notably on migration, the range of destinations had the EU - warning of a “catastro- of people we’re going to have to it is impossible to know for sure. became more engaged. Bfor its wish list of EU re- are still outstanding. soared. phe” in the event of a vote to leave. win over, who are not enthusi- “The honest truth is there’s For now, a phone versus online forms will go “right to the wire” Prime Minister David Cam- “Whatever way to look at it, The former home secretary told astic, who have been sceptical... an awful lot of uncertainty sur- debate is in full swing. at a summit this week, Foreign eron is hoping to return from a the EU has brought huge benefi ts Sky News Britain needed to be at and are going to have to be won rounding this referendum,” said One argument put forward in Secretary Philip Hammond said summit of European leaders on for UK travellers and businesses,” the heart of Europe to deal with over if we don’t have an econom- academic John Curtice, Britain’s favour of phone polls is that web yesterday. Thursday and Friday in Brussels Carolyn McCall wrote in the Sun- challenges such as Islamic State ic, a social and an international foremost expert on electoral be- panels tend to attract more po- “There isn’t a deal yet, there is with a package of reforms that he day Times. terrorism, organised crime and crisis, because our withdrawal haviour. litically engaged respondents, as a working draft, there are lots of can take to the British people in a “Staying in the EU will ensure mass migration. from Europe would bring those “If the online polls are correct people must voluntarily partici- moving parts and we have got a referendum on whether to remain that they, and all of us, continue Lord Blunkett is one of fi ve pre- things.” it’s quite close, and we don’t know pate rather than receiving unin- negotiation that will run through in the EU. to receive them.” viously eurosceptic Labour Party Lord Blunkett along with which set of polls is correct, if ei- vited calls. This could skew on- this week, and I have no doubt will “Our European partners un- Campaigners to leave, however, fi gures who have backed the case Margaret Beckett, Neil Kinnock, ther.” line results towards the out camp, run right to the wire,” he told BBC derstand that we have to have a repeated claims that EU support- for Britain to remain in a reformed Jack Straw and shadow foreign Over the past six months, the regarded as the more committed television yesterday. robust deal in each of those areas ers were running a fear campaign European Union, in apparent secretary Hilary Benn - who all two fi rms that have been conduct- group. He said progress was needed to if the British people are to vote to to scare people into voting to stay. support for David Cameron’s ne- campaigned against membership ing phone polls, ComRes and Ipsos Tom Mludzinski, director of nail down key demands in the ar- remain inside the European Un- “Those that wish to remain in gotiations. of the European Community in MORI, have consistently found political polling at ComRes, said it eas of competitiveness, the rela- ion,” Hammond told the Andrew the EU should make the positive He said: “People who were 1975 - have signed an open letter the option to stay in the EU was was also diffi cult for internet polls tionship between countries in the Marr Show. case for the supranational Euro- sceptical 40 years ago may still be to argue the case for remaining in ahead by well over 10 percentage to reach elderly voters. bloc that use the euro and those The campaign to remain in the pean project rather than frighten- sceptical of the way Europe works the EU.

Thames flooding Anger at move to boost Farage accepts Salmond challenge

Labour ruling committee Agencies He said: “ Salmond is no long- London er leader of the party, no longer leader in Scotland, no longer London Evening Standard to approve every utterance just They also say the NEC should leader in Westminster and it London takes the party further away be “notified in advance of pro- igel Farage has accepted a should be broader than just Nigel from the electorate.” posed appointments of all sen- challenge to debate with and Salmond, because neither of A proposal to boost the NEC ior staff, before posts are adver- NAlex Salmond in the run them represent the whole argu- hadow cabinet ministers was tabled last month based on tised”. up to the in/out referendum on EU ment.” could be blocked from a plan drawn up by Jon Lans- Another top Labour figure membership. Salmond, who stood down as Smaking policy announce- man, the co-founder of the said: “This is an attempt by Scotland’s former fi rst minister fi rst minister and SNP leader after ments without permission from pro-Corbyn Momentum group. Corbyn and the NEC to tighten threw down the gauntlet to the the No vote to Scottish independ- Labour’s ruling national execu- It suggested scrapping an their stranglehold on Labour Ukip leader during an interview ence in 2014, also told the pro- tive committee, the Standard existing policy committee and policy. It’s actually a sign of on the Sky News Murnaghan pro- gramme that the prime minister revealed. giving the NEC control of “all weakness. They’re making this gramme. would have no choice but to resign The change, proposed in aspects” of policy-making and proposal because their grip on The SNP’s foreign aff airs in the event of a vote for Brexit. leaked party documents, would for a new NEC staffing commit- policy is slipping.” spokesman said he would be “de- He said: “He won’t have a drastically increase the power of tee to make “all senior appoint- New rules were almost put to lighted” to take on Farage “or any choice in the matter. If he loses the Left-wingers who are increasing ments”. a vote at January’s meeting of comer on the anti-European side”. referendum then he’ll be shown their hold over the NEC. Documents seen by the the NEC, but the item was un- He told the programme: “I don’t the door as indeed will the Chan- But it was condemned by top Standard point to changes to expectedly delayed. know if they’ve quite decided who cellor George Osborne. party figures who branded it an the NEC’s terms of reference When the NEC meets again they will be fi elding yet. They “It’s untenable to try and main- attempt to “gag” frontbench- that do not go as far as the Lans- in March, the changes are ex- seem to have spent a lot of time tain a position if you lose a refer- ers and gain “politburo” control man plan, but do give the NEC pected to have a greater chance fi ghting with each other. endum and, what is it they used over Labour. greater influence. They state of passing, as a new more Left- “That’s the sort of folk they are. to say in the Conservative Party a Other proposed changes that the NEC would be “responsible wing Young Labour representa- But yes, of course you debate all long time ago, you would have to could tighten Jeremy Corbyn’s for the oversight of the policy of tive is likely to be elected. comers in a referendum campaign. do the honourable thing.” grip would see the NEC seize the Labour Party.” On Thursday shadow foreign “If I may say so it has been Salmond has branded Cam- greater control over who gets They go on to say while front- secretary Hilary Benn opened Cameron who has been tentative eron’s EU renegotiation a “sham” top party jobs. benchers may sometimes need a fresh rift with Corbyn as he and sensitive about debating with and accused both sides in the de- A senior Labour figure said: to take quick policy positions, backed maintaining the UK’s people in recent history.” bate of scaremongering. “The new politics was sup- “no statements will be made nuclear deterrent in a speech. Cars lie partly submerged in flood-waters in Richmond, A Ukip spokesman later said He said: “If we have that sort of posed to be about wider debate, on such policy matters without The party is facing a major row south-west London. Some areas of south-west London Farage was “absolutely up for it” debate over these next few weeks not central control and trying to the agreement of the Leader’s ahead of an expected Commons experienced localised flooding when the River Thames but that any debate should be then I think there’s a very real gag frontbenchers. Office following consultation vote on whether to renew the burst its banks as a result of heavy rain and high tides. broader than just a one-to-one chance that the anti-Europeans “Waiting for the politburo with the NEC.” Trident weapons system. with Salmond. will win.” Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 17 BRITAIN/IRELAND IRA ties temper rise of Irish protest party Sinn Fein

Reuters Party leader Gerry Adams, the other protest parties in Greece and party will have enough votes to ity” to some voters and potential nationalists seeking an end to Brit- drews, who analysts say is a serious Dublin face of Irish Republican Army Portugal to enter government and govern alone. But rivals’ aversion partners. ish rule in Northern Ireland and contender in a Dublin constituen- bombing campaigns for many reverse cuts. to the party due to its past IRA links “But if we imagine a future elec- the British Army and Protestant cy where the party had previously in Britain, confounded critics by But its support slipped back to means it is unlikely to secure a spot tion in four or fi ve years time, on loyalists who defended it. never stood a realistic chance of rish protest party Sinn Fein is steering his party’s support from an average of 18% in opinion polls in the next government coalition. this sort of trajectory, then could The party insists the IRA - des- victory. set to reap the rewards of op- 10% in the last parliamentary elec- this year as Prime Minister Enda “This is going to be a great elec- be talking about a Sinn Fein gov- ignated a terrorist group by Britain “Most of the people here can- Iposing austerity with a major tion in 2011 to an opinion poll rat- Kenny’s coalition has presided tion for Sinn Fein ... but we’re a ernment at that stage,” he added. - “left the stage” in the wake of a vassing were only toddlers when breakthrough at elections this ing of 26% this time last year. over the fastest-growing economy long way from the kind of scenar- Sinn Fein was the political wing 1998 peace deal. the fi rst ceasefi re happened,” said month, but its push to enter gov- Boosted by its opposition to in Europe. ios we’ve seen in Greece and Por- of the IRA, which was responsible It is now benefi ting from sup- Andrews. “The electorate sees that ernment has stumbled over an an unpopular EU/IMF austerity Sinn Fein is still fi ghting for an tugal,” said David Farrell, professor for more than half of the 3,600 port among a new generation too Sinn Fein is moving on and be- improving economy and unease programme, Sinn Fein has said it unprecedented second place in an of politics at University College killings during three decades of young to remember IRA attacks, coming a very central part of poli- about its ties to the IRA. hopes to emulate the success of election where polls suggest no Dublin, citing the party’s “toxic- violence between Irish Catholic said Sinn Fein candidate Chris An- tics in Ireland.”

New Year celebration ‘Boarding’ of hospital London’s patients criticised housing crisis Agencies Edinburgh

ore than 130,000 hos- pital patients have is coming Mbeen “boarded out” from hospital wards in the past two years, according to figures from Scottish Labour. The practice of moving a pa- tient from a specialist ward to a ward treating different condi- to a crunch tions can result in them staying in hospital longer and increases AFP don, more than 150 students is opening up his own plush the risk of infections spreading, London have gone on a rent strike. One home in trendy Shoreditch to researchers have said. UCL block has rooms costing as lodgers paying whatever they Freedom of information much as £262 a week. can aff ord, in a bid to encourage requests from Scottish La- ondoners are getting des- At this month’s protest out- others. bour found health boards have perate over rising rents, side Downing Street, two UCL “Demand has increased mas- moved more than 130,000 pa- Lwith residents and stu- students carried a symbolic sively. It’s not unusual to see 10 tients between wards. dents taking to the streets and home-made housing ladder, or 12 people for every room es- The party said the number social media over the cramped with all but the very top rungs pecially in some parts of Lon- could be higher with Tayside conditions tenants are forced knocked out. don,” he said. and Grampian health boards to accept. “I don’t see any prospect of “In England there’s some- not providing information. With house-building lagging owning a home - certainly not thing like 19mn spare rooms, Dundee University research- well behind the population in- in London,” said its co-creator, empty rooms and if we just ers examined boarding last year crease in western Europe’s big- doctorate student Liam Shaw, convinced 3% of that to take a and said a reduction in bed gest city, prices are soaring be- 24. lodger that’s the size of a small numbers and a rise in hospital yond anything affordable. London’s population is at a city in extra housing.” admissions had led to it be- “The situation is becom- record high of 8.6mn and grow- The outrage over rising rent coming more common. ing untenable,” said retired ing at around 100,000 a year. is fed with regular stories in The Scottish Government teacher John Ford, 60, who Some 25,994 new homes local papers about tenants be- said it is working to reduce the joined a 2,000-strong protest were built in London in 2015, ing offered bedrooms in closets practice. this month against the govern- down 9% on the previous year. under stairs or in corners of Scottish Labour said the fig- ment’s new housing bill, which “People in the lowest-paid living rooms, or matchbox-size ures “showed the huge strain would radically alter public jobs have to live on the outskirts houses selling for astronomical our hospitals were under” and housing and the rights of its of London,” Green Party leader amounts. called for more investment in tenants. Natalie Bennett said. “We’re A flat dubbed the “least ex- social care. “My nephew is a young sur- now hearing of junior doctors, pensive” in London, measur- The party’s public serv- geon. He cannot aff ord, on his nurses and teachers having to ing just 75 square feet, sold last ices spokeswoman Jackie Bail- salary, to buy a house in London. commute from outside.” month for £79,000 in Clapton lie said: “These figures point So this crisis is beginning to eat Commuting from outer Lon- in east London. Housing is a to huge levels of stress in our into the middle class,” he said. don is not without cost in time major issue in May’s London hospitals. We know that only a Latest figures show the av- and stress, let alone money. An mayoral election to decide who third of NHS staff believe they erage London house price was annual travel pass from the city replaces Boris Johnson. have the resources to do their £514,097 in December, up limits costs £2,364. At a debate this month, the jobs properly. 12.4% in 12 months, compared Part of the problem is two leading contenders, Con- “This information sug- to a 6.4% increase to £188,270 wealthy foreign buyers snap- servative Zac Goldsmith and gests that too often there isn’t across England and Wales. ping up high-end new develop- Labour’s Sadiq Khan, outlined enough space for patients to be The London-wide median ments as a safe investment and their plans. Goldsmith said treated in the appropriate ward. rent is £122 a week for a room in leaving them empty while they transport links must be im- That is hugely concerning. a shared home; £276 for a one- accrue value. proved to “reflect the reality of “We know from the SNP gov- bedroom property and £402 for “Buy-to-leave is dreadful. more and more people living on ernment’s own research treat- a three-bedroom home. But the real issue is what’s be- the outskirts”. Khan vowed to ing patients in the wrong ward Many “generation rent” ing built: homes designed for build more “genuinely afford- is more likely to increase patient young professionals, whose just that,” said Bennett. able homes” and clamp down risk. Questions have to be asked parents bought comfortable “Let’s provide genuinely af- on developers selling property of Shona Robison about what she homes in their early 20s, have fordable, secure homes for to foreign investors. is doing to deal with this. given up on their dream of ever people.” With the price of even the “Scottish Labour would give Performers wear a traditional costume to perform the “Flying Lion Dance” at an event affording a property in London. Some are proposing innova- average London property go- our NHS established in the to celebrate Chinese New Year in Trafalgar Square, London, yesterday. The celebrations Students are also feeling the tive solutions to the situation. ing up by £10,682 in December 1940s, the tools it needs to face yesterday marked the Chinese New Year of the Monkey, which fell on February 8, 2016. crisis bite. Rupert Hunt, founder of fl at- alone, there will be little time the challenges of the 2040s”. At University College Lon- share website SpareRoom.com, to waste. Viola Beach band killed Mother faces jail as car plunges off bridge for £23,000 con London Evening Standard of telecoms fi rm Lebara, who London is worth an estimated £250mn. Agencies wrote: “RIP Viola Beach and His band-mate John Olsson Liddle pleaded guilty to stealing London their manager. Such incredibly said Tarry had not been drink- £22,897 from him between April tragic and sad news. Thoughts ing at the event because he was mother-of-two who was and June last year. “This defend- with the friends and families of driving. spared jail for swindling ant is in breach of a suspended ll four members of Brit- all involved x.” The band’s car crashed through Athousands of pounds sentence for a similar case involv- ish indie band Viola The Coral’s James Skelly post- a barrier after the bridge - at the from Premier League stars faces ing a sum of £80,000,” said pros- ABeach and their manager ed: “So sorry to hear about viola Saltskogs junction, between the a prison sentence after admit- ecutor Michael Morris. have been killed after their car beach and Craig tarry’s accident E4 and the E20 motorways - ting a £23,000 con on a telecoms In her last scam Liddle off ered plunged off a bridge in Sweden. so sad, their families must be opened to let a boat pass. millionaire. lifestyle coaching to six victims Their car crashed through a devastated.” The bridge has a middle sec- Claire Liddle, 40, was remand- through her company Solutions motorway bridge barrier at Sod- Gemma Hepworth, a friend tion that rises upwards, leaving a ed in custody ahead of sentencing Lifestyle. ertalje and fell more than 80ft of Tarry, said he was a life-long gap that the car drove into. after a hearing at the Old Bailey. Odemwingie was swindled out into a canal. Manchester City fan who “never Offi cers said a barrier, 50 me- She avoided prison two years of more than £15,000, while Wis- Police divers recovered the gave up on his dream” of work- tres before the gap, has fl ashing ago for an £80,000 fraud in dom paid £6,600 for a trip to Ja- bodies of singer Kris Leonard, ing in the music industry. lights and signs warning there is which Coventry City boss Tony maica that never materialised. guitarist River Reeves, bass- Swedish musician Fet Poet, a bridge opening. Mowbray, Stoke City footballer The Old Bailey heard she faces a ist Tomas Lowe, drummer Jack whose band Psykofant played at Swedish police spokesman Peter Odemwingie and Liverpool confi scation hearing as her previ- Dakin and the band’s manager the same gig on Friday, said he Martin Bergholm said: “For some fullback Andre Wisdom were ous victims are still trying to re- Craig Tarry, from the water, was devastated when he heard reason, the car drove through the duped into handing over thou- coup their lost money. around 40km from Stockholm. they had died. barriers and crashed down into sands of pounds for “life coach- Liddle, from St Albans, broke The Warrington group had He said: “We were sitting in the canal.” ing”. Mowbray paid £30,000 for down in tears as judge Anuja Dhir played a gig at a Swedish music the dressing room, and the door He added: “The witnesses just a holiday to Dubai, but turned up refused to release her on bail ahead festival on Friday night. opened and these four very Brit- saw a car beside them and kind to fi nd he had been booked into of a sentencing hearing on April 15. They were due back in the UK ish lads fell in. It was like a scene of disappear.” a diff erent hotel and the bill had “A custodial sentence is inevi- to play in Guildford, Surrey, on from A Hard Day’s Night with He said it is not yet known not been paid. A judge at Staff ord table,” she told Liddle. Saturday night, but the venue The Beatles. whether the men were wear- crown court passed a suspended Bernard Eaton, defending, said said the gig had been cancelled “They were very chirpy, and ing seatbelts, but added: “That sentence in April 2014 after Liddle Liddle was on anti-depressants due to “unforeseen circum- very happy and joked around would not have helped them.” vowed to pay her victims back. and under the care of a GP who stances”. ... they were fantastic people. Police received a call at 2.30am But the fraudster was back in had diagnosed her as bipolar, but Tributes have been paid on so- I really enjoyed my hours with on Saturday local time, and ar- court to admit a £23,000 con on judge Dhir said she could “com- cial media . them, and I was so, so sad when rived at the scene fi ve minutes Divers and rescuers search in the canal under the E4 highway Sri Lankan-born millionaire Yo- mit further off ences” if she was British band The Enemy I heard the news.” later. bridge in Sodertalje, Sweden. ganathan Ratheesan, the head not remanded in custody. Gulf Times 18 Monday, February 15, 2016 EUROPE

Flower power! Merkel is isolated on refugee imbroglio By Frank Zeller, AFP Austria to press ahead Brussels on border protection Austria will start building new facilities to bandoned by France, defi ed by east- better protect its borders, notably the one ern Europe, German Chancellor An- with Italy, Chancellor Werner Faymann said Agela Merkel cuts a lonely fi gure in her in an interview published yesterday, under- struggle for EU “solidarity” on the refugee lining eff orts to limit admissions of migrants. crisis ahead of a Brussels summit. Austria recently built a 3.7km fence at Merkel is battling for a deal that will see its busiest border crossing with Slovenia, refugees more evenly spread around the Spielfeld, saying this would help manage the European Union after Germany welcomed flow of new arrivals onto its territory. 1.1mn asylum seekers last year. Asked whether Austria would take new But instead, eastern European countries measures on the Italian border, including are planning new razor wire fences, and even the “Brenner” border crossing, he told the Paris - traditionally Berlin’s closest EU ally daily Oesterreich: “It’s already February. I’m - has shown little enthusiasm for Merkel’s not willing to let more time pass. It’s too late welcome policy. for that. A man dressed as a knight presents flowers to a woman during an event marking Valentine’s Day in Moscow. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said “In March, one can expect a new wave of on Saturday that the mood in France was migrants. So we have to build the technical “not favourable” to Merkel’s call for a per- facilities now so they are ready for use when manent quota system. we need them.” “Europe cannot take in all the migrants Faymann said the defence and the interior from Syria, Iraq or Africa,” Valls told German ministries would specify what the border media. “It has to regain control over its bor- control system will look like. ders, over its migration or asylum policies.” The newspaper had reported earlier that a Most Spaniards see elections as US Secretary of State John Kerry praised fence was planned for the Brenner crossing, Merkel for showing “great courage in help- but that the government first wanted to see ing so many who need so much” amid “the how eff icient the fence at the Spielfeld cross- gravest humanitarian crisis in Europe since ing would turn out to be. World War II”. The new border management system at only way to break the deadlock But he also told the Munich Security Con- Spielfeld aims to speed up applications while ference that the mass infl ux spells a “near making sure no asylum seekers can enter existential... threat to the politics and fabric the country without undergoing thorough Reuters According to the survey, by poll- Top PP offi cial resigns aft er corruption investigation of life in Europe”. checks and registration. Madrid ing fi rm GAD3 for the newspaper Another guest in Munich, Russian Prime Austria, which has a population of 8.4mn ABC, about 58% of the 800 people The head of the Madrid branch of campaigned against perceived Minister Dmitry Medvedev, took a far darker and last year received 90,000 applications polled said parties would not be Spain’s ruling People’s Party said yes- deep-rooted corruption. Hundreds view, charging that “it’s quite simply stupid for asylum, has said it will limit the number of majority of Spaniards believe able to reach an agreement and new terday she had resigned after police of politicians across Spain are cur- to open Europe’s doors wide and invite in refugees it accepts this year to 37,500. that new national elections elections would be held, almost 5% investigated members of her off ice for rently under investigation. everyone who wants to come to your coun- “We’ve set this threshhold and it remains Awill have to be called given more than a month ago. alleged illegal financing, the latest in a “Corruption is completely killing try”. valid,” Faymann said, adding he had to take that party leaders have been unable Sanchez has ruled out back- string of graft scandals involving PP. the party,” Aguirre told a news “European migration policy is a total fail- responsibility for Austria even if Italy and to agree on a viable coalition after ing acting Prime Minister Mariano Esperanza Aguirre, a party conference at the headquarters. ure, all that is absolutely frightening,” he Germany were not pleased. an inconclusive poll in December, a Rajoy’s centre-right People’s Party veteran of over thirty years, said she “The gravity of these reports, even told the Handelsblatt daily. Austria told Macedonia on Friday to survey showed yesterday. (PP), and disagreements with anti- was not linked personally to the brib- though they are not yet validated, A number of EU nations that were once in be ready to “completely stop” the flow of The head of the Socialist party, austerity party Podemos are mak- ery and money laundering case, but leads me to present my resignation.” Russia’s Cold War orbit seem to agree. migrants across its southern border from Pedro Sanchez, is leading talks to ing his preferred coalition of leftist she assumed responsibility. She said A Spanish judge had ordered Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece, warning that Vienna would do the form a government and end the parties diffi cult to attain. acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy police searches on Thursday of the Slovakia plan to meet Monday to discuss same on its own frontiers within months. almost two-month political stale- Furthermore, the support of Po- understood her decision. off ices and homes of the former how to close down the main refugee route mate, but so far he has made little demos alone for a coalition would Her resignation comes at a head of the PP’s Madrid headquar- through the Balkans, reported Germany’s progress. not be enough. The Socialists would delicate time for Rajoy, who has ters and of a corporate executive of Spiegel news weekly. 2mn refugees?” said Defence Minister Ur- Sanchez said on Friday he hoped need the backing of at least three spent almost two months in fruitless Spanish builders OHL. “As long as there is no common Euro- sula von der Leyen in Munich. to reach an agreement over a coa- parties and the abstention of several negotiations with other parties to Last month in a separate anti- pean strategy, it is legitimate that the na- Merkel said Friday there was “a group of lition by the end of the month and others to achieve a majority. form a coalition government. If no corruption investigation, police tions along the Balkans route protect their countries” that may voluntarily accept more would seek a confi dence vote in Sanchez, who came second in the government is formed, new elec- arrested 24 people, most linked borders,” Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav refugees in exchange for redoubled eff orts parliament in early March. Failure December election, is eager to avoid tions may be called. to the PP, in the region of Valencia Lajcak told the magazine. from Turkey to tackle illegal immigration. in the vote would give other party a return to the ballot box. Recent Rajoy lost his parliamentary over the alleged payment of illegal He also opposed Merkel’s plan for an EU She did not name the members, but at a candidates two more months to surveys show Podemos overtaking majority in an indecisive December commissions in exchange for public quota system, saying “quotas only increase EU summit in December, Germany gathered form an alternative majority before the Socialists if another election election, after newcomer parties contracts. the incentives for migration”. offi cials from Austria, Belgium, Finland, a new election would be called. were held. At the other end of the route, Austria’s Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and foreign minister warned Macedonia on Fri- Sweden. day that it should be ready to close its border Merkel is planning to bring together what to migrants coming up from Greece. the media have dubbed a “coalition of the Vienna also plans to impose a cap on refu- willing” on the margins of a two-day EU gees and may start turning them away in the summit in Brussels starting Thursday. Germany mulls random emissions tests on cars coming months. She suggested its members could help Merkel, long dubbed the “Queen of Eu- Turkey’s refugee eff ort beyond the 3bn euros rope”, has seen poll numbers drop at home, ($3.3bn) already committed by the EU. Reuters Bild. “Unannounced and every year.” carmaker, admitted in September close the procedures that led to the coalition members rebel and EU allies duck Turkey, which is hosting over 2.7mn Berlin One way to carry out the random it had cheated US emissions tests manipulation,” Dobrindt told Bild. away as the refugee crisis has sparked deep mostly Syrian refugees, has voiced deep tests would be to select models from by installing software capable of German media reported in De- discord and threatened the bloc’s system of frustration with the EU as a fresh wave of car rental companies, the newspa- deceiving regulators in up to 11mn cember that Germany planned to open borders. Syrian refugees mass on its border. ermany wants to carry per said. Technicians who carry out diesel vehicles worldwide. The ad- review emissions and fuel usage of She has pledged to reduce arrivals by Angry over calls that Turkey should do out unannounced emis- the tests would be rotated to ensure mission wiped billions of euros off Volkswagen diesel vehicles in a sec- more quickly turning away “economic refu- more, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Gsions tests on all carmak- transparency. VW’s market value. ond testing round once the compa- gees” and combating traffi ckers, including last week that his nation could throw out its ers, Transport Minister Alexander Bild said a draft proposal on the The company has said only a ny has installed fi xes in cars caught through a new Nato surveillance mission in existing refugees, threatening to fl y and bus Dobrindt said yesterday, aiming to new measures would be presented small group of employees was re- up in a cheating scandal. the Aegean Sea. them to Europe. reinstate confi dence in the industry to the Bundestag lower house of sponsible for cheating on US diesel Volkswagen has set aside 6.7bn Meanwhile, her government has urged “We do not have the word ‘idiot’ written that was shattered by the Volkswa- parliament on Thursday. It would emissions tests and there was no euros ($7.38bn) to help cover the fellow Europeans to remember their core on our foreheads,” he said. “We will be pa- gen cheating scandal. also call on the government to indication board members were in- costs of diesel recalls and another humanitarian values. tient, but we will do what we have to. Don’t “There will be controls on vehicles present plans to encourage motor- volved in what has become the big- 2bn euros for compensation pay- “How can a continent of 500mn citizens think that the planes and the buses are there in the style of doping tests (for ath- ists to switch to electric cars. gest business crisis in its history. ments related to its manipulations see its foundations shaken... by 1.5mn or for nothing.” letes),” Dobrindt told the newspaper Volkswagen, Europe’s largest “I expect Volkswagen to fully dis- of carbon dioxide emission levels. Sarkozy urges party unity, lags behind Juppe

Reuters The Republicans’ (LR) candidate party leader, has fallen behind his 2012, made a comeback in Sep- border-free Schengen area is not Paris for the presidential elections main rival Alain Juppe in opinion tember 2104 and was elected as completely overhauled. have all said they would not be polls. head of the party. Criticism - sometimes veiled, bound by it. Some 48% of right-wing vot- While he still commands loy- sometimes open - among senior ormer French President They snubbed his keynote ers think Juppe would be LR’s alty amid party offi cials, he has in offi cials was rife at the two-day Nicolas Sarkozy, struggling speech at the end of a two-day best candidate in 2017, versus past months seen Juppe, a former meeting and French media said Fto put his re-election bid policy meeting of top party of- only 20% for Sarkozy, a BVA poll prime minister in the mid-1990s, another offi cial, Jean-Francois back on track, yesterday urged fi cials, one of them saying he published on Saturday showed, rise in opinion polls and overtake Cope, was set to announce he too his conservative party to rally couldn’t be there “because it’s confi rming a string of similar him, with the gap between them will run in the party primaries in behind a programme of curbing Valentine’s Day.” polls in the past weeks. widening. an evening news interview, at the immigration, building more jails Sarkozy said he would put the And while for long Sarkozy Their rivalry is set to dominate same time as another channel in- and cutting taxes. policy plan to a vote of all party remained more popular with much of the party’s agenda until terviews Sarkozy. Sarkozy wants his platform, members in April. “It would be LR sympathisers, he has fallen its members vote in the Novem- Asked why he would not be which also includes overhauling unacceptable for us to be divided behind there too, with 43% fa- ber primaries. Both published there to listen to Sarkozy’s policy labour rules and restoring checks at a time when the (far-right) Na- vouring Juppe while 30% prefer books last month setting out speech, one Sarkozy challenger, at French borders, to set the par- tional Front is so strong,” he said. Sarkozy, the poll showed. their platforms - with Sarkozy Bruno Le Maire, told BFM TV on ty line for the 2017 presidential “There will be no going back.”. Sarkozy, who had retired from yesterday reiterating that France Saturday: “I want to spend Val- French right-wing Les Republicains (LR) party president Nicolas elections. While he received a standing politics after he lost in his fi rst must set tougher rules on grant- entine’s day with my wife and Sarkozy (right) and delegate vice-president Laurent Wauquiez But his main rivals for Novem- ovation from hundreds of party re-election bid to the Social- ing citizenship and reinstate bor- children.” Juppe also invoked attend the LR National Council in Paris yesterday. ber primaries that will choose offi cials, Sarkozy, who is also the ist party’s Francois Hollande in der checks as long as Europe’s “family reasons.” Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 19 EUROPE Danes honour attack victims AFP with police in the immigrant- Danish intelligence agency PET country’s involvement in the Iraq Copenhagen heavy Norrebro district. has been criticised for failing to and Afghanistan wars, Ranstorp Danish Prime Minister Lars act on information from prison said. Lokke Rasmussen left fl owers services that he was at risk of rad- Over the past year, Denmark’s ne year after a Danish- outside the cultural centre and icalisation, and former classmates already tough tone on Muslim born gunman killed a the city’s main synagogue. have claimed they tried to warn immigration has become even Ofi lmmaker and a Jewish He then attended an event in- the police as far back as 2012. tougher, partly as a result of the security guard in twin attacks in side parliament organised by the Four men held after the attacks attacks but also due to Europe’s Copenhagen, the country yester- Finn Norgaard Association, a have been charged with helping refugee crisis. day honoured the victims amid charity set up to support children El-Hussein and will appear in Denmark registered 21,000 tight security. and young people. court next month. asylum applications in 2015, On February 14, 2015, Omar Uzan and Norgaard were com- French ambassador Francois making it one of the top Europe- El-Hussein, a 22-year-old Dane memorated with a chain of 1,800 Zimeray, who had been a speaker an recipients of refugees in rela- of Palestinian origin, opened fi re candles lit on a 3.6km route between at the free speech event that was tion to its size. with an automatic weapon on a the two locations of the attack. attacked, said he had seen “a Once a champion of refugees’ cultural centre where Swedish Amid a massive police pres- growing awareness” in Denmark rights, attitudes have gradually cartoonist Lars Vilks was among ence, artist Vilks returned to “that we have entered a diff erent shifted in the country along with those attending a conference on Copenhagen on Saturday for world where nobody, nowhere, is the rise of the anti-immigration “art, blasphemy and freedom”. another event on freedom of ex- completely safe from terrorism.” Danish People’s Party over the Danish fi lmmaker Finn Nor- pression, this time held inside Danes “have become used to past 15 years. gaard, 55, was killed and three parliament for security reasons. living with terror and don’t let And some observers say there policemen were wounded. After “It’s a shame that you can’t be it dominate” life, Magnus Ran- had been an increase in anti- managing to escape, the assailant anywhere else. We have to be in a storp, an expert on radical Is- Muslim rhetoric since the at- shot a 37-year-old Jewish secu- ‘fortress’,” he told AFP. lamic movements at the Swedish tacks. rity guard, Dan Uzan, in front of El-Hussein, who was released National Defence College who “Some people have used this a synagogue, also wounding two from prison weeks before the helped Copenhagen city offi cials shooting episode to bring for- police offi cers. attacks after serving time for a devise an anti-radicalisation ward their hate speech, it has El-Hussein, seemingly inspired stabbing, pledged allegiance to plan, told AFP. become a little clearer than be- by the attacks on French satirical the Islamic State militant group “Nearly every year” in the past fore,” said Sami Kucukakin, the weekly Charlie Hebdo, was killed on his Facebook account on the decade, Danish authorities have chairman of an umbrella group a few hours later in a shootout day of the attack. thwarted attacks linked to the for Danish Muslim organisations. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen speaks to Bodil Uzan, mother of Dan Uzan, in Copenhagen. Greece nabs three Iraqi Kurds One century after with guns and ammunition Dada, museum

Reuters The three men, all British passport Alexandroupolis, in a vehicle with a connect them with ISIS ... we have recreates lost work Athens holders aged between 30 and 40, were trailer that contained boxes with 18 informed Europol and Interpol”, a po- found to have tens of thousands of rifl es and 27,000 cartridges, the coast lice offi cial told Reuters. The weapons small-calibre cartridges and more guard said in a statement. were not combat rifl es but could have By Nathalie Olof-Ors, AFP at MOMA, noticed a series of numerical reek authorities arrested three than 20 pistols and rifl es in trailers Following their arrest, a third sus- been used for training, the offi cial Zurich, Switzerland markings on various pieces while par- Iraqi Kurds in two separate close to the border with Turkey on pect was apprehended close to the said. ticipating in a Dada retrospective at the Goperations, on suspicion they Saturday evening. Turkish border crossing, police and Police offi cials earlier said the men Beaubourg Museum in Paris. were trying to move a large number Two of them were arrested af- coast guard offi cials said. He was were aged 22, 28 and 39 but the coast century after Dadaism was “When we inspected the art work I of guns and ammunition into Turkey, ter a tip-off by the country’s secret found to have 200,000 cartridges and guard said that according to their founded in Zurich, a prestigious started to see these numbers at the back police and coast guard offi cials said services. They were found at a park- four pistols in a trailer. passports they were 35, 36 and 40 Amuseum in the city is hosting an of the works and asked myself, ‘what are yesterday. ing at the northern Greek port of “We don’t have any evidence to years old. exhibit that aims to recreate one of the these numbers’,” she told AFP. rebellious artistic movement’s great but Her curiosity piqued, Sudhalter headed unfi nished projects. to the archives of the Jacques Doucet li- Dadaism was born in 1916 at the fa- brary in Paris, which has a signifi cant col- mous Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich’s old lection of Dada and surrealist material. New Year parade town, where artists produced work part- There she discovered a list which ly inspired by the devastation of World corresponded to the numbers and se- War I that sought to challenge pre-ex- quences she found on the pieces at the isting notions of what constituted art. retrospective. One of its founders, Romanian-born Baffl ed at fi rst, she little by little real- Tristan Tzara, tried in 1921 to release a col- ised the list was a complete inventory of lection with some 200 contributions from Tzara’s intended Dadaglobe. She would some of Dadaism’s main contributors - a be able to assemble “the pieces of the project named “Dadaglobe”, which ulti- puzzle”. mately faltered due to fi nancing problems. “It was really artistic detective work,” Thanks to artistic sleuthing, much of the Sudhalter told AFP. “Because of this list collection has been reassembled and put on and because of these numbers I realised display Zurich’s Kunsthaus museum. it would be possible to put (Dadaglobe) back together again.” “It was really artistic detective Tzara, who died in 1963, commis- work. Because of this list and sioned pieces from the leading lights of because of these numbers I Dadaism, many of whom sought to poke realised it would be possible to fun or mock outright a world thrust into put (Dadaglobe) back together upheaval by World War I. again” The “Reconstructed” exhibit features work by German painter and sculp- Entitled “Dadaglobe Reconstructed”, tor Max Ernst, who fought in WWI and it includes some 160 works by 40 artists was reportedly traumatised by the ex- from across the world, including noted perience, producing art that was partly fi gures like Max Ernst, Hans Arp and concerned with the subject of mental Sophie Taeubeur. All had sent contribu- illness. tions to Tzara for the project. Also featured are Hans Arp and So- The exhibit opened this month and phie Taeubeur, who were married and will be on display in Zurich until May 1, worked together in Zurich, turning out before it shifts to the Museum of Mod- what were then ground-breaking multi- ern Art (MOMA) in New York. media projects. Tzara’s Dadaglobe project was con- Taeubeur, born in Davos, is pictured ceived as an anthology of the movement, on Switzerland’s 50-franc note. which ran through the mid-1920s and Sudhalter told AFP that in her research used humour, wit and irony to highlight for the project she consulted with Michel what some artists described as the social Sanouillet, one of France’s most re- and cultural decay in Europe. nowned experts of Dadaism, who spoke Dadaglobe gradually fell into obliv- with Tzara a few years before his death. ion, aside from passing interest from a “Tzara told (Sanouillet) that Dada- Members of the Asian community take part in a parade to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Paris. few scholars. In 2005, however, Adrian globe was one of his biggest regrets,” Sudhalter, an art historian and curator Sudhalter said. Ukraine’s graft problem tests West’s patience, resolve

By Dmitry Zaks, AFP strongly-worded statement. dling by one of the most senior and 18 other Ukrainian research But both Yatsenyuk and Poro- Yatsenyuk will have all these Analysts believe that deputies’ Kiev “Ukraine risks a return to the members of the president’s inner centres wrote in a letter to the shenko know they cannot survive unsavoury prospects in mind instinctive desire to keep their pattern of failed economic poli- circle. president. without foreign assistance and when he accounts for his per- jobs and avoid snap elections cies that has plagued its recent Abromavicius said he could “For the consistent pursuit of that early legislative polls could formance before Ukraine’s in- will keep Yatsenyuk in place and kraine’s failure to fi ght history.” no longer withstand pressure reforms, there are only two ways return to power Russian-backed creasingly agitated parliament on lead only to a minor government state graft is testing the Lagarde’s message struck at from shadowy business interests out of this political crisis: a gov- deputies who just might be en- Tuesday. shakeup aimed primarily at pre- Upatience of its Western the heart of concerns of Ukrain- that were trying to seize the cash ernment cleanup and creation of ticed into warming Kiev’s frozen He foreshadowed his perform- serving the current coalition in- allies and threatening renewed ians who joined three months fl ows of the vast but opaque de- a technocratic and professional relations with Moscow. ance on Thursday by promising tact. economic and political chaos in a of enthusiastic but ultimately fence and energy industries. government, or early elections - Ukraine’s central bank chief foreign audits and new inde- “If the government fails in country still healing the wounds bloody protests that brought US State Department spokes- probably not only parliamentary further also warned that the pendent directors for Ukraine’s Kiev, it will have a direct eff ect of war. down the ex-Soviet republic’s man John Kirby called Abromav- but also presidential ones.” mounting uncertainty was top 50 state-held fi rms. on political and economic sup- The latest and perhaps ster- Russian-backed leadership in icius “one of those leaders who That prospect may have been putting renewed pressure on the But many lawmakers have port from the West. Ukraine’s nest warning to the pro-EU team February 2014. put Ukraine’s interests above any one of the factors prompting Po- hryvnia just as it was starting to been sharpening their knives in many sceptics will gain the upper of President Petro Poroshenko Polls show public frustration personal interests of his own.” roshenko to vow in a subsequent fi nd its footing from a 68% slide advance of Yatsenyuk’s appear- hand, and its few friends will face came last Wednesday from IMF with Poroshenko and Prime Min- Kirby’s statement appeared to phone conversation with Lagarde against the dollar since the start ance as they consider a possible a steep uphill struggle,” said Joerg chief Christine Lagarde - the ister Arseniy Yatsenyuk mount- signal Washington’s worry that to draw up “a roadmap of top- of 2014. vote of no confi dence in the gov- Forbrig of the US-based German architect and one of the most ing and hopes ebbing away that the new breed of Kiev leaders it priority reforms that will give a “Without IMF support, we ernment. Marshall Fund policy research ardent supporters of Ukraine’s Ukraine was fi nally ridding itself had put its trust in were reverting boost to Ukraine-IMF relations.” should expect devaluation and They had already shown their institute. huge fi nancial rescue plan. of mind-numbing bureaucracy to old habits of standing up for The IMF chief had said bluntly social instability,” said Anatoliy resolve by blocking a consti- “Reduced assistance - wheth- “I am concerned about and bribe-taking. their respective business clans. that it was “hard to see how the Oktysyuk of Kiev’s International tutional change pushed by Po- er political, fi nancial, adminis- Ukraine’s slow progress in im- That angst was encapsulated “The current crisis in Ukrain- ($40bn) IMF-supported pro- Centre for Policy Studies. roshenko that the West hoped trative or military - will even- proving governance and fi ghting by this month’s resignation of ian politics is, fi rst of all, a crisis gramme can continue” with- “The alternatives (to IMF sup- would end Ukraine’s 21-month tually forfeit the modest gains corruption,” the International reform-minded Aivaras Abro- of no confi dence,” experts from out Ukraine making good on its port) are not even currently being separatist confl ict by giving lim- Ukraine has made and expose the Monetary Fund’s managing mavicius as economy minister in the George Soros-founded Inter- promise to take radical stream- considered because they are all ited special status to pro-Russian country’s many vulnerabilities,” director said in an unusually protest at alleged infl uence-ped- national Renaissance Foundation lining steps ignored in the past. apocalyptic,” Oktysyuk said. rebel-run parts of the east. Forbrig said. Gulf Times 20 Monday, February 15, 2016 INDIA

Tamil Nadu Roundup Expats needn’t panic over oil crisis, says expert IANS elons of the job market, S Iruda- fallen more than 70% since June the past quarter of a century. Non-resident Indian (NRI) Ireland, Canada, Australia and By Umaima Shafiq Thiruvananthapuram yarajan, who heads the migration 2014, hitting the earnings of oil His latest study shows that deposits in Kerala’s banks surged New Zealand, Irudayarajan said. department at the Centre for De- companies and forcing them to 90% of Kerala’s 2.3mn expatri- to Rs1,21,619 crore in September There is still a need, however, velopment Studies here, said. decommission their rigs, cut ate workers are in the Gulf, with 2015 from Rs80,809 crore in for the central or state govern- Pakistani national he downturn in global oil “I was in Qatar in December investments in exploration and the United Arab Emirates ac- September 2013, according to ments to do a study on whether recovering industry, its deepest since and I found that things are the production, and lay off workers. counting for 38.7% of them and the latest banking statistics. there would be a direct impact Tthe 1990s, is no cause for same. There was nothing that “Kerala’s remittances mostly Saudi Arabia 25.2%. Moreover, not all money on the overall migration trends, after surgery at panic among people from India I could attribute to oil prices come from the millions of un- Data bear out Irudayarajan’s earned overseas is being sent he said. working in the Gulf, an interna- dropping to rock bottom levels. skilled and semi-skilled expatri- stand that there is no reason to back home, he points out. “A study would be the best Tiruchi hospital tional migration expert said. I was told that the construc- ate workers who religiously send expect the downturn will have a A large number of Kerala’s ex- thing to be done because then The crisis might, however, tion sector also did not feel the their hard earned money back to big impact on Kerala’s expatri- patriates also park their excess one knows where one stands and A private hospital in Tiruchi has have some impact on those who pinch,” he said. the state,” said Irudayarajan who ate workers and the remittances funds elsewhere and they are al- can work out medium- and long- successfully removed a pituitary are employed in the higher ech- The price of a barrel of oil has has been studying migration for economy. ways looking to move to the US, term plans,” added Irudayarajan. tumour from a Pakistani national using a minimum invasive technique. Dr T N Janakiraman, a skull base surgeon trained in the US, explained that Bakhtiyar Khan,30, had a tumour in the cavernous sinus, a large collection of thin- walled veins. These veins create a cavity bordered by the temporal bone of the skull and the sphenoid Delhi govt bone in the head. Instead of going through the standard technique of opening up the skull, Dr Janakiraman used Bakhtiyar’s nose as the entry point and completely excised the tumour through this aperture. He claimed it was a scarless and to waive off quick recovery procedure. Khan, was recommended the Tiruchi doctor by his neurosurgeon in Balochistan. He arrived in India by train with his brother through the Wagah border and reached Tiruchi on January 31. The hospital has water bills waived his fees except the cost of medicines. Khan is recovering well and the brothers will soon return to Pakistan. Four killed as car hits till Nov 2015 container Kejriwal announces first “There have been cases where the allocation for education and anniversary ‘gift’ people got infl ated bills. To avoid raised the health budget by 45%. Four people died when their car paying such bills, they stopped He said government schools will hit a container truck at Kundadam IANS paying every bill, posing a huge soon be at par with private in- in Tirupur about 45km from the New Delhi problem for our accounts de- stitutions. “We have done away textile city of Coimbatore last partment,” he said. with the management quota. The week. The victims, all relatives, “It was posing an unnecessary business should be taken out of were returning from Coimbatore. nnouncing a “gift” on burden on us, and we knew this education sector.” Police suspect that the driver slept completing a year in of- amount wasn’t recoverable.” “We allocated 25% of the to- off at the wheel. Afi ce, the Aam Aadmi Party “This waiver will help all of us tal budget to the education sec- In another freak accident, N government in Delhi yesterday start anew. And households will tor. We will construct 8,000 new Venkatesh, a bank manager aged said water bills of households resume paying bills and will also classrooms till July this year. We 35, stepped on the accelerator pending till November 2015 will go for functional metres,” Mishra are committed towards providing of his car instead of the brake, be waived off partly or fully. said. quality education at our govern- and fatally hit two security Addressing a gathering to The Delhi Jal Board supplies ment schools,” he said. guards and injured three others mark the fi rst anniversary of the potable water to over 1.9mn “We will open 1,000 mohalla inside an apartment complex at AAP government, Chief Minister households in the capital. clinics in the city by December Tiruvanmiyur in Chennai. Arvind Kejriwal said numerous Kejriwal also presented the and by next year, we will be able The guards died on the way families that received infl ated ‘report card’ of the AAP govern- to start 150 polyclinics. Today we to hospital, while others were water bills at some point had ment on completion of its one will inaugurate 20 mohalla clin- hospitalised. Venkatesh admitted stopped paying the bills. year in offi ce by holding a public ics at various locations in the he had lost control and was The scheme is a slab-wise interaction session along with his city,” he said. arrested. waiver on accumulated arrears ministers where he and his cabi- Kejriwal said the implemen- In yet another incident, Selvamani and 100% write-off of late pay- net answered phone calls from tation of the odd-even traffi c a 32-year-old businessman, who ment surcharge till November 30, people. scheme was one of the bold deci- left his house in alcoholic stupor, 2015. The waiver will depend on On one year of his government, sions his government took. was found dead two days later the category of the housing colo- Kejriwal said: “Today, I am here The odd-even scheme was a inside his car parked across the ny, based on property tax. to give an account of our work in unique experiment that allowed street. Police suspect that he died While the economically weak- one year. As promised, we made petrol and diesel cars with odd of carbon monoxide inhalation er sections will get full waiver electricity cheaper and provided and even registration numbers from the air-conditioner of the up to November 30, others will 20,000 litres of water free of cost on roads on alternate dates in a vehicle. Ironically his family enjoy concessions of 25-75% de- to the Delhi people.” bid to reduce pollution. remained unsuspicious as pending on their economic cat- Kejriwal said his government “For the successful implemen- Selvamani was an alcoholic. egory, the chief minister said. was working towards making tation of the odd-even scheme, Kejriwal said people resid- piped water available to almost we took people together. This ing in A and B category colonies all the households in the city. was our biggest achievement,” 9 Ukrainians will enjoy concession of 25% on “By March-end, piped wa- Kejriwal added. held for using their pending water bills, while ter will reach 268 colonies. And Earlier, expressing his delight residents of C and D category by December 2017, almost every on completing one year in of- drone camera colonies will get rebates of 50 and household in Delhi will get drink- fi ce, Kejriwal said the bonding 75%, respectively. ing water through pipelines.” between the AAP and Delhi was Nine Ukranian nationals including Pending water bills of people The chief minister said every “deep and everlasting”. three women were arrested living in E, F, G and H category department in the government “Last year, on this day, Delhi for using a drone camera to colonies - which also include performed with full dedication fell in love with AAP. This bond- photograph the Arunachaleshwar unauthorised colonies and slum towards completing the promises. ing is deep n everlasting,” he temple in Tiruvannamalai district clusters - will be fully waived off , Giving details of projects com- tweeted. about 195km from Chennai last he said. pleted, the chief minister said his On February 14, 2015, Kejriwal week. Water Minister Kapil Mishra government saved Rs3bn of pub- took oath as Delhi chief minister Acting on a tipoff from the said the concession was condi- lic money with the timely com- and exactly a year before that on public, police confiscated the tional on the aff ected households pletion of three fl yovers. February 14, 2014 he resigned as Ukranians’ imported drone Bharatiya Janata Party leaders stage a protest against the Aam Aadmi Party government which installing functional water me- In its maiden budget in 2015, chief minister after 49 days in of- camera. The group claimed to be completed one year in off ice yesterday, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. ters. the AAP government doubled fi ce. taking photos for their albums. However police warned them that flying unmanned objects without government permission amounted to espionage. In January this year, six engineers Shah Rukh Khan’s car from Chennai were detained Thousands pay homage to ONV for similar reasons at the same temple. Last year, a French and By Ashraf Padanna Winner of the Jnanpith stoned in Ahmedabed Chinese national were booked for Gulf Times Correspondent award, ONV, as he is popu- using drones over the Auroville Thiruvananthapuram larly known, died on Saturday religious commune in Pondicherry evening. He was 84. IANS sial movie Parzania based on the and at Chennai’s Marina beach “Saddened to hear of the de- Ahmedabad 2002 Gujarat riots. Raees has respectively. housands of people yes- mise of the great poet and man Pakistani heroine Mahira Khan terday paid their last re- of letters ONV Kurup, who lived along with Khan. Tspects to O N V Kurup, in Thiruvananthapuram. A rotesters yesterday stoned The actor shot some scenes at Compensation one of Kerala’s most celebrated great and gracious man, he will the car of Bollywood su- the historic Sarkhej Roza mosque for families of poets. be much missed,” said Congress Pperstar Shah Rukh Khan and dargah campus during the Writers, fi lmmakers and pol- MP Shashi Tharoor. while he was shooting for his day. Over 200 policemen guard- Siachen victims iticians across party lines joined The VJT Hall witnessed forthcoming fi lm Raees here. He ed the Roza campus. the mourners, who started ar- emotional scenes when many, was not in the car and was not Meanwhile, over a dozen ac- Chief Minister Jayaram riving early morning at the Vic- including poet Vishnu Naray- hurt. tivists of the Vishwa Hindu Jayalalithaa announced Rs1mn toria Jubilee Town Hall where anan Namboodiri, broke into Malayalam actress Manju Warrier pays tribute to ONV at the VJT According to police, a small Parishad (VHP) were detained by each for the families of four his body was kept. tears. Many paid homage at his Hall yesterday. crowd shouting slogans against police as they burnt an effi gy of soldiers from Tamil Nadu who Prime Minister Narendra city residence, Indeevaram, the actor stoned the car parked the actor on Ashram Road. lost their lives in the February 3 Modi, Congress Party vice- where the body was brought at Chief Minister Oommen the department of Malayalam some distance from the location Last week, a group of demon- avalanche that hit their post at the president Rahul Gandhi and 7.15pm. Chandy, who was away in Ko- at the University of Kerala here. where the fi lm was being shot. strators staged a protest near Siachen glacier. many others took to Twitter to The mourners included ttayam, joined the mourners The Communist Party of Raees is based on the life of the Kutch district collec- “I was shocked to know that condole with his family. minister V S Sivakumar, oppo- later. India (Marxist) postponed an Ahmedabad-based un- tor’s offi ce in Bhuj de- Havildar M Elumalai of Vellore, “ONV Kurup’s demise is a sition leader V S Achuthanan- The funeral will be held at the the culmination rally of Nava derworld don of the 1980s, manding a ban on Khan’s Havildar S Kumar and Sepoy G major loss to Malayalam litera- dan, police chief T P Sen- Shanthi Kavadam, the electric Kerala Yatra (journey for new Abdul Lateef Shaikh, who entry into the Rann of Ganesan of Madurai and Sepoy N ture. His works were admired kumar, fi lmmaker Adoor crematorium in the city that he Kerala) led by party strongman was killed in a shootout Kutch. Ramamurthy of Krishnagiri were widely. May his soul rest in Gopalakrishnan and actress named, at 10am today with full Pinarayi Vijayan for a day. with police. The VHP has called for buried alive. They lost their lives peace,” Modi said. Manju Warrier. state honours. Vijayan also visited ONV’s The fi lm is being a boycott of the actor guarding our nation,” the chief “With his demise, Malay- “He was not just a poet. The government has de- residence on Saturday night directed by Rahul to protest against his minister said in a statement. alam literature has lost a much He was active in many other clared a holiday for colleges in and paid homage to the poet, Dholakia, who reported statement Meanwhile the soldiers’ families loved and admired voice,” Gan- spheres leaving an indelible the district as a mark of respect who was a fellow traveller of the had earlier made that India was intol- are still waiting for the bodies. dhi tweeted. mark,” Achuthanandan said. for ONV, who retired as head of Left throughout his life. the controver- erant. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 21 INDIA India’s fi rst all-woman ocean crew set for global adventure

IANS women crew to sail the oceans. the sailing and it requires a hard fi rst Indian sailor to circum- Riding the open seas in a sail- “This is certainly Mission The boat on which the jour- Visakhapatnam Joshi, along with a crew of fi ve level of physical activity. You navigate solo across the globe on ing boat is not an easy feat to pull Possible. We have been taking ney will fi nally be undertaken is women, will soon go globe-trot- have to be physically and men- INSV Mhadei. off . special training on circumnavi- at present under construction in ting. Their adventure is likely to tally very strong and there is no Donde, in the same tone, said The crew needs to be aware gation since (last) April. The Goa, and the crew has to famil- boat or the sea doesn’t start in 2017. The team stood out short cut to it,” Joshi said. a sailor is a sailor, irrespective of of every inch of the boat, which course included navigation, iarise itself with every inch of the diff erentiate between a at the just-concluded Interna- “It does not matter whether gender. “The sea does not dif- they may need to repair them- equipment, managing a crisis or vessel. Aman and a woman and tional Fleet Review (IFR) where you are a man or a woman, you ferentiate between a man and a selves in case of damage. Weath- distress situation and commu- Apart from Joshi, the team in- there are no shortcuts to the the crew was on INSV Mhadei, have to do what you are required woman. A sailor is a sailor.” er in the open sea also remains nication courses,” she explained. cludes Lt Pratibha Jamwal and physical and mental fi tness re- a sail training boat of the Indian to do,” said the sailor, who is a Asked about his advice to the unpredictable, and smaller boats The team sailed to Visakhap- Lt P Swathi in the core group, quired to sail the open seas, says Navy on which they are current- naval architect by training. team, the commander said: “Nev- face more challenges. atnam for the IFR from Goa, and Lt Vijaya Devi and Sub Lt Payal Lt Commander Vartika Joshi, ly training. The crew is being trained by er let your guard down... You have Lt Commander Joshi was con- is now on its way back to con- Gupta. A sixth member is yet to who is set to lead India’s fi rst all- “We are training every day for Commander Dilip Donde, the to be on your toes all the time.” fi dent. tinue the training. be named. ‘Make in India’ initiative puts workers at risk, claim activists

Reuters in the country between the ages Mumbai of fi ve and 17, out of 168mn glo- bally, according to the Interna- tional Labour Organisation. ff orts by the government to More than a quarter of them boost manufacturing and work in manufacturing, confi ned Eencourage startups may to poorly lit, barely ventilated put vulnerable workers at greater rooms embroidering clothes, risk, activists say, amid pressure weaving carpets or making from investors to smooth the matchsticks. path of doing business. Even adult workers are not The “Make in India” week protected. Almost half the kicked off on Saturday, aimed world’s enslaved workers, or at luring greater investment to about 16mn, are in India, many increase output and create more working in poorly regulated in- jobs in industries including elec- dustries such as brick kilns or tronics manufacture and textiles small textile units. and apparel. In the automotive industry, Activists of the All India Students’ Association stage a demonstration demanding that sedition charges against JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar be dropped, A separate eff ort to boost star- which has drawn large global at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi yesterday. tups exempts them from some brands including Honda Mo- inspections and taxes for at least tor and Suzuki Motor, more than three years. 1,000 workers, most below 23 “There’s already a lot of pres- years of age, are injured seriously sure to amend existing laws to in the automotive hub of Gurgaon make it easier to fi re workers or and Manesar in northern India prevent them from unionising,” alone every year, according to a said Gayatri Singh, a co-founder report by non-profi t organisa- of the Human Rights Law Net- tions Agrasar and Safe in India. Protests snowball work in Mumbai. “It’s dangerous “Most enterprises remain to exempt businesses even more. in the informal sector for fear There are large numbers of child of compliance with the laws workers and bonded labourers; and this is bad for labour be- without checks and balances, we cause they get no benefi ts,” said won’t know what’s going on.” Prashant Narang, an advocate India is regarded a low-cost at the Centre for Civil Society in over JNU sedition row manufacturing hub for indus- New Delhi. tries ranging from autos to tex- “The policy should be to sim- Oppose anti-national raised may have terrorist links. activists say Guru was not given thorities refusing permission. Activist lawyer Prashant tiles. Protection for workers is plify labour laws and promote slogans, says Rajnath Singh “What happened at JNU was a fair trial. Members of the Akhil Bhushan said the off ence of se- lax and legislation poorly imple- formalisation of the economy.” fully supported by Lashkar chief Harshit Agrawal, a student Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad dition could be established only mented. Prime Minister Narendra Mo- Agencies Hafi z Saeed. I appeal to all po- who was present on the occa- (ABVP), a students’ union af- if there is an incitement of vio- Millions of workers contend di’s government has focused on New Delhi litical parties that whenever sion, said there were also some fi liated to the BJP, have been lence or public disorder. with archaic labour laws and are eff orts to draw more foreign in- such situations arise where an- young Kashmiri men present demanding that the students “Mere raising of the slogans, confi ned to the so-called infor- vestment and make it easier for ti-India slogans are raised, the who were not students of JNU indulging in anti-national ac- even against the country or mal sector, with poor training businesses to set up shop. India rotests snowballed yes- entire nation must speak in one and they were the ones who tivities should be punished. against the state cannot amount and few benefi ts in businesses ranked 130 of 189 countries on terday at the Jawaharlal voice,” Singh said. shouted the slogans. Meanwhile, legal experts said to sedition, though it is objec- that often fl out laws concerning the World Bank’s Ease of Doing PNehru University (JNU) India holds the Pakistan- Police are probing the case, the sedition charge against Ku- tionable,” he said. safety or the employment of un- Business index from last year, in the Indian capital, days after based militant group Lashkar- but has sought a transfer to the mar cannot stand test of the Another senior advocate Ka- derage workers. well behind its peers including its student union president was e-Taiba responsible for several Special Branch, saying that as law, and expressed surprise that mini Jaiswal regretted that the There are 5.7mn child workers Brazil, China and Russia. arrested on charges of sedition terrorist attacks on India in- there were charges of sedition, a the government was routinely government was taking a very and at least seven others de- cluding the one on its fi nancial terror link could emerge. slapping the measure against easy way out by levelling sedi- Fire engulfs event venue tained. hub Mumbai in 2008 that left “The university had already whosoever raises voice against tion charges against anybody Students and teachers of the 166 people dead. instituted an inquiry into the it. who raises voice against it. A huge fire yesterday by dancers. It quickly spread, university came out in large JNU students’ union presi- incident to ascertain the facts The sedition charge pre- Describing the arrest of Ku- engulfed the venue of a fanned by high winds, licking numbers to march across the dent Kanhaiya Kumar was ar- and take necessary action and scribes a jail sentence from mar as shameful, Jaiswal said it cultural event in Mumbai that the sides of a scaffolding rig campus criticising the federal rested on Friday after a lawmak- the police action was totally three years to life imprisonment only goes to show “how inse- was being held at the opening and lighting up the night sky. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) er of the ruling BJP complained uncalled for,” Ajay Patnaik, a for “whoever, by words, either cure” the present government of a ‘Make in India’ week Thousands of spectators, government for what they to the police that students at a member of the JNU teachers’ spoken or written, or by signs, is. “It is an outdated law and all launched by Prime Minister among them dignitaries termed infringing on the au- function to mark the hanging of association said. or by visible representation, or those believing in fundamental Narendra Modi to drum up including Maharashtra Chief tonomy of the university. Afzal Guru had allegedly shout- “It has only aggravated the otherwise, brings or attempts to rights should press for dropping foreign investment. Television Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Home Minister Rajnath Singh ed anti-national slogans. situation and it goes against the bring into hatred or contempt, section 124-A from the Indian pictures showed fire breaking were evacuated safely, said the controversial protest on Guru was hanged on Febru- autonomy of the university,” or excites or attempts to excite Penal Code (IPC) introduced out at the front of the outdoor eyewitnesses told Times Now February 9 during which slo- ary 9, 2012, for an attack on the Patnaik added. disaff ection towards the gov- by the British to haul up those stage during a performance television. gans against the government Indian parliament in which 14 The controversial function ernment established by law in engaged in the Independence and the country were allegedly people were killed. Civil rights was held despite university au- India”. movement.”

India is the fastest developing Jeweller opens outlet in New Delhi among larger economies: PM

IANS organised by the DAV group of forward,” the prime minister New Delhi educational institutions, also said. marked the 130th foundation By 2030, when the popula- ceremony of the Arya Samaj tion of many countries will rime Minister Narendra Hindu reform movement. grow old and when they require Modi yesterday said India “Everyone is saying this... a workforce, India can power Pwas the fastest develop- the World Bank, the IMF... these nations with skilled and ing country among the “larger The world is going through an technically qualifi ed manpow- economies of the world.” economic crisis, but it is India er, Modi said. “When most of the world alone that is progressing at a The prime minister also said powers are in doldrums, every- rapid pace. This is a unique sit- that the central government’s one is looking up to us who are uation when the whole world is policies and programmes, such developing at the fastest pace. slipping and India is growing,” as Skill India, Start up India, India is the fastest growing Modi said. Stand up India, Digital India and among the larger economies,” Calling India the “youngest Mudra scheme of loans, have Modi said. nation in the world”, Modi said contributed immensely to the He said India was the only the power of youth will be used development of the country. economy which has not been for the nation’s development. “For the youngsters, we initi- aff ected by the global economic “The government’s focus is ated the Start up India, Stand up crisis. on how to convert the power India campaign. So that if some- The prime minister was ad- of the youth which can used one has an innovative idea, he can dressing the Swami Dayanand for development of the na- take a loan under Mudra scheme Saraswati Janmotsav, an event tion. Therefore, we not only and set up his own business. Our to mark the 192nd birth anniver- launched a skills development people from backward classes, sary of Hindu reformer and Arya programme for the youth but Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Leading jeweller Joyalukkas has opened their showroom in New Delhi at Pusa Road. Vijender Garg, parliamentary secretary to minister Samaj founder Swami Dayanand also created a new ministry, Tribe are among those who ben- for Public Works Department, government of Delhi, inaugurated the outlet in the presence of Joyalukkas executive director P D Jose Saraswati in the capital. with its own budget and a set of efi ted the most from these gov- and deputy general manager (retail) P D Francis. The ‘Naya Sankalp’ event, offi cers to take the programme ernment schemes,” Modi said. Gulf Times 22 Monday, February 15, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

LAW AND ORDER INQUIRY LEGAL JUSTICE ECONOMY Mexico prison off icials Alleged killer of journalist Farmers take Monsanto Men get 30 years for Peru central bank hikes accused of homicide arrested in Veracruz complaint to regulators beauty queen’s murder key rate, warns of inflation

The director of a prison in northeast Mexico The presumed mastermind behind the murder Argentina’s main farm group took complaints A Venezuelan court has sentenced three men Peru’s central bank raised the benchmark interest where 49 people died in a riot this week was of a Mexican journalist was arrested in the against Monsanto Co to local regulators, to 30 years in prison for the killing of a former rate for the third straight month and warned that accused of murder and detained, along with eastern state of Veracruz, the state’s governor accusing the company of abusing its dominant beauty queen and her partner, prosecutors said. rising inflation expectations threatened to trigger two others, a state prosecutor said. The riot, said, as Mexico struggles with a wave of attacks position in the market by ordering exporters The court in the northern state of Carabobo a feed-back loop of quickening price hikes. A likely the deadliest in Mexico’s history, happened on reporters. Anabel Flores, who covered the to inspect soy cargoes for second-generation convicted the men of “intentional homicide majority of analysts had forecast an increase of in the old and crowded Topo Chico prison police force for regional media outlets, was genetically modified seeds. Monsanto’s Intacta committed during a robbery” in the January 2014 the key rate by 25 basis points to 4.25% after the in Monterrey. The prison warden, Gregoria violently dragged from her home in Veracruz soybeans have a gene that allows the soybean attack on the couple. Monica Spear, 29, and her annual inflation rate rose to a fresh four-year Salazar, and the deputy superintendent, by a group of armed men earlier this week and plant to protect itself against crop-devouring partner Thomas Henry Berry, 39, were returning high of 4.61%. The central bank said that recent Jesus Fernando Dominguez, were accused of found dead on a highway. “Josele Marquez (alias) worms. The Argentine Rural Society (SRA) filed from a trip with their daughter when their car price spikes were driven by temporary supply homicide and abuse of authority and placed in El Chichi is implicated, among other crimes, the complaint before the National Commission broke down on a remote stretch of highway in factors but had seeped into the market’s outlook. preventive custody, said Roberto Flores, Nuevo as (the one responsible) for the assassination for the Defence of Competition. The SRA argues north-central Venezuela. As a tow truck operator “These increases in consumer prices have Leon’s prosecutor. A prison guard, Jose Reyes of journalist Anabel Flores,” Governor Javier that the company wants them to pay to plant tried to help, a group of gunmen opened fire on aff ected inflation expectations, placing them Hernandez, was also detained but accused of Duarte wrote on his verified Twitter account in second-generation seeds produced on the farm the vehicle, killing the couple. Their daughter was above the target range, which can feed back into homicide, Flores told a news conference. announcing the arrest. with Intacta technology. wounded. Spear was Miss Venezuela in 2004. inflation,” the central bank said Pope calls on Argentina anti-government protest Mexico leaders, bishops to tame drug mayhem

AFP shopkeeper from the crime-rid- Mexico City den eastern state of Veracruz. Pena Nieto gave Francis a red-carpet welcome at the or- ope Francis admonished nate palace, making him the Mexico’s political and re- fi rst Pope to visit the seat of Pligious leaders to take on governments that were mili- drug violence, calling for “true tantly secular throughout the justice” and “courage” against 20th century. the scourge affl icting the coun- While Mexico is the world’s try. second most populous Catholic The Argentine-born pontiff country after Brazil, diplomatic used his visit to the National relations with the Vatican were Palace and the capital’s cathe- only restored in 1992. dral to send tough messages to “It’s the fi rst time that a pon- the country’s elite. tiff is greeted at this historic At the palace, with President place. This refl ects the good re- Enrique Pena Nieto by his side in lationship between the Pope and a patio packed with lawmakers Mexico,” Pena Nieto said. and government offi cials, Fran- “Your presence contributes cis told them political leaders to the reaffi rmation of our col- have a duty to give “true justice” lective vocation for peace and and “eff ective security” to Mexi- brotherhood, for justice and hu- People gather in support for former Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during an anti-government festival organised by a group of artists in a public cans. man rights. The Pope’s causes park in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The banner behind reads, “Cristina, the loyalty is forever, the posts are short-lived”. “Experience teaches us that are also Mexico’s causes.” each time we seek the path of Francis then visited the capi- privileges or benefi ts for a few tal’s cathedral next door, where to the detriment of the good of he called on Mexican bishops all ... society becomes a fertile to combat drug traffi cking with soil for corruption, drug trade, “courage.” exclusion of diff erent cultures, “I urge you not to underesti- violence and also human traf- mate the moral and antisocial fi cking, kidnapping and death,” challenge which the drug trade he said. represents for Mexican soci- It was the kind of message ety as a whole, as well as for the Aristide ally chosen as that many ordinary Mexicans, Church,” the Pope said. fed up with a decade of drug He warned that the “immen- violence that has left more than sity and its scope which devours 100,000 dead or missing, were like a metastasis, and the grav- hoping for. ity of the violence which divides Mexico was reminded of its with its distorted expressions, troubles on the eve of the Pope’s do not allow us as pastors of the Haiti interim president arrival, when 49 inmates were Church to hide behind anodyne killed in a prison brawl between denunciations.” Reuters dent. His main task will be to week ago with no elected suc- from power in 2004 by armed and called for Privert to create rival groups in the north of the Francis, who has been dubbed Port-au-Prince quickly organise fresh elections. cessor. groups, Privert was jailed for a balanced electoral council ac- country. the “Pope of the poor” for his Haiti cancelled a runoff Under an agreement struck two years on charges that he or- ceptable to all sides. Thousands of Catholic faith- appeals for a more humble presidential election in January before Martelly left offi ce, the chestrated a massacre of Aris- A major challenge for Privert ful who stood outside the Na- Church, told the bishop to resist aiti’s lawmakers yester- amid often violent protests over interim government will have tide’s opponents. The charges will be to reach an agreement tional Palace in the historic Zo- acting like “princes.” day selected an opposi- alleged fraud in the fi rst round a 120 day term but should or- were later dropped. about who can participate in the calo square broke into cheers at The following days will take Htion senator who served and after the opposition candi- ganise elections by April 24, and Lavalas spokesman Gerald election, with many opposition the Argentine pontiff ’s words. the Pope to some of Mexico’s as interior minister under date boycotted the vote. hand power over to the winner Gilles welcomed the develop- parties rejecting the October “Bravo! How great that he tells notoriously poor and violent re- former president Jean-Bertrand Privert vowed to complete in May. ment. “The election of Privert results that led to a two-man the government the truth,” one gions. Aristide as interim president, in the elections and hand over to Privert’s selection could help is a great satisfaction for us and race between opposition can- woman shouted. The Pope’s trip ends on a move aimed at fi lling a power an elected president by May 14. calm the protests led by factions for the democratic sector,” he didate Jude Celestin and ruling “The Pope put the govern- Wednesday with a major serv- vacuum threatening stability in “I will engage in dialogue with of Aristide’s Lavalas movement, said. party favourite Jovenel Moise. ment to shame with everything ice in Ciudad Juarez, the former the Caribbean nation. all sectors to get the country out which believed elections organ- Another opposition party, a The last time there was an in- that he said. Let’s see if Pena murder capital of the world, Senate chief Jocelerme Priv- of crisis,” he said. ised under Martelly were not breakaway faction of Aristide’s terim government in Haiti was Nieto does the right thing,” said across the border from the US ert, 63, was sworn in later yes- Former president Michel free and fair. movement called Platform Pitit after Aristide’s ouster and it Ramiro Sosa, a 56-year-old state of Texas. terday as the provisional presi- Martelly fi nished his term a After Aristide was forced Dessalines, was more cautious took two years to hold elections.

Rodeo festival Argentine debt talks US recovers Hellfi re to continue: mediator

Reuters holders, Dart Management and missile from Cuba Montreux Partners, accepted New York the off er put forth by Argenti- Cuba said the missile arrived Lockheed Martin spokes- But he said reestablished na, court-appointed mediator by mistake or mishandling man Bill Phelps declined com- diplomatic relations between rgentina’s ongoing sov- Daniel Pollack said. on a commercial flight from ment. the two countries have helped ereign debt settlement Argentina off ered a pot of Paris and was not listed on The missile had been sent to the US “engage with the Cuban Atalks will continue de- money, $6.5bn, to settle the the cargo manifest Europe for a training exercise government on issues of mu- spite no resolution between the claims fi led against it in the in 2014 but somehow ended tual interest.” government and four remaining US courts. The off er repre- Reuters up in Cuba in an embarrassing Cuba said the missile arrived major holdout creditors, court- sents a 27.5% to 30% discount Washington/Havana loss of military technology, the by mistake or mishandling on a appointed mediator Daniel Pol- for creditors who fi led claims Wall Street Journal reported commercial fl ight from Paris lack said in a statement. of about $9bn. Holdouts led last month. and was not listed on the cargo “Claims by four other large by Elliott Management and he US has recovered an manifest, and that it was dis- ‘holdouts’ were not resolved Aurelius Capital Management inert Hellfi re air-to- covered by customs inspec- last eek, but intensive dis- have led a more than decade- Tground missile that had tors. cussions between and among long legal fi ght in the US courts mistakenly ended up in Cuba, “Once the US government high-ranking Argentine gov- against Argentina to collect on US and Cuban offi cials said. offi cially informed the Cu- ernment offi cials, principals of investments in sovereign debt The laser-guided AGM 114 ban government that a train- those four fi rms and me have defaulted upon in early 2002. Hellfi re mistakenly arrived in ing missile belonging to the continued,” Pollack said. On Thursday, US district Cuba in June 2014 and was re- company Lockheed Martin “These discussions will judge Thomas Griesa ordered trieved on Saturday by US of- was mistakenly sent to our continue,” he said, noting that the remaining holdouts to fi cials and representatives of country and expressed its in- two large creditors have settled show cause as to why he should Lockheed Martin Corporation, The laser-guided AGM 114 terest in recovering it, Cuba their claims in principle for an not vacate orders restricting the missile’s owner, the Cuban Hellfi re mistakenly arrived communicated the decision aggregated amount, between Argentina from servicing its foreign ministry said in a state- in Cuba in June 2014 to hand it over and started ar- them, of “well over $1bn.” restructured debts in light of ment. rangements for its return,” the Pollack said that other inves- the settlement off er. “We can say, without speak- “The department is restrict- Cuban statement said, without tors with “substantial holdings Mark Brodsky, Aurelius’ ing to specifi cs, that the inert ed under federal law and regu- revealing when the US made of defaulted Argentine bonds” chairman, said given “the training missile has been re- lations from commenting on the request. have also come forward ex- choice between accepting the turned with the co-operation specifi c defence trade licensing A team of US government Chilean “huasos” or cowboys mount wild horses during the XIV pressing interest in settling and substantial haircut we have of the Cuban government,” cases and compliance matters, and Lockheed Martin experts International Rodeo Festival in Aguas Frescas, some 30km south are working to reach an agree- off ered, continuing negotia- state department spokesman so we cannot provide further took the missile back to the US of Punta Arenas, in Patagonia in southern Chile. ment with the government. tions, and litigating, Argentina Mark Toner said in a statement. details,” Toner said. on Saturday, Cuba said. Two out of six leading bond- chose to litigate.” Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Pakistani among scientists who detected gravitational waves

Internews of Jesus and Mary (CJM) in Clift- in the mid-1980s and Nergis and today,” Mavalvala said. Meanwhile, Nergis herself Karachi on. Prior to that, she grew up in a her older sister, Mahrukh, went Nergis’s uncle or chacha, who shared a bit about her life here big house near the PIDC building to college in the States. They lives in Parsi Colony in Meh- through e-mail. Her love for on Beaumont Road. only have extended family here moodabad, also remembered his science developed during her uch before her name “Her grandfather, Maneck in Pakistan now. The last time nieces as very serious about their school days here. She wrote: “I became synonymous Mavalvala, a prosperous busi- we met both the sisters was over education. went to CJM, graduating in 1984. Mwith Einstein and his nessman, lived there with his two years ago when they came “Nergis was also into sports. My chemistry teacher there was gravitational waves, the as- three brothers. It was more than to Karachi to attend a cousin’s She would frequent Karachi Ranjith Bulathsinhala. trophysicist and associate de- a house. It was a big sprawling wedding,” the cousin-in-law Gymkhana for sports activities, He was also the lab instruc- partment head of physics at mansion with these four broth- shared. especially swimming,” he said. tor for all science subjects and the Massachusetts Institute of ers, their children and grand- “I am part of this family “I just received an email from was a very infl uential person for Technology (MIT), Dr Nergis children. through marriage but we Parsis my older brother and sister-in- me. He allowed me to experi- Mavalvala, was a little girl born “The compound also housed are a close-knit community so law, her parents, about Nergis’s ment with reagents and explore to a Parsi family in Karachi and a dhobi, drivers, cooks and their I remember the girls well. They latest achievement. We were circuits during recess or free pe- raised here in a joint-family set- families. Today, the site has been were sweet, happy children but already so proud of her ear- riods when I was not socialising up. turned into a marriage hall,” not very naughty. I would de- lier when she was awarded the with friends. Nergis moved to Cambridge, reminisced Natasha Mavalvala, scribe them as quiet studious MacArthur Fellowship in 2010, Another infl uential teacher Massachusetts, in 1984 for high- who is married to Nergis’s fi rst girls, who were highly accom- and this is even better as now she in high school was my physics er studies after having complet- cousin. plished students. Both are bril- is being hailed as the pride of Pa- teacher Freddie Irani. He lives in ed her schooling at the Convent “The family moved to Canada liant scientists and professors kistan,” the uncle said. Vancouver, Canada, now.” Dr Nergis Mavalvala

APPOINTMENTS Valentine’s Day selfie Foreign postings on merit alone, Pakistan rejects PM Sharif orders Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered observance of policy guidelines to ensure transparency, merit and fairness in foreign appointments. According Indian concerns to a letter sent from the off ice of the prime minister’s secretary yesterday, the guidelines would be followed in postings in Pakistani missions and at the country’s posi- tions at international organisations over F-16 deal and bodies. The ministry or divi- sion concerned will ensure that Agencies tion period after which it will be on Tuesday, asking him to stop the selection process is transpar- Islamabad fi nalised. the proposed sale to Pakistan. ent and merit-based. The tenure Earlier this week, the US State “As a matter of policy, we for any foreign post would not be Department informed Con- don’t comment on proposed extendable, the letter said. “An of- akistan yesterday rejected gress that it was committed to arms sales or transfers or even ficer of identified services, cadres Indian concerns over its improving Pakistan’s precision our preliminary consultations and occupational groups for any Pproposed deal with the strike capability, which was with the Hill, with Capitol Hill, foreign post will be eligible for two United States to buy eight F-16 seen as a veiled reference to F-16 prior to any formal congression- tenures of foreign posting in his fi ghter jets, saying it was sur- fi ghter jets. al notifi cation,” Toner replied. entire service, provided that there prised by the reaction from New And on Thursday, a State De- But he off ered to address the shall be an intervening period of Delhi. partment spokesman, Mark broader issue of US security as- A couple takes a selfie as they stand next to a heart-shaped paper flower decoration at a flower at least three years between two “We are surprised and disap- Toner, said at a news briefi ng sistance to Pakistan, saying: “We market on Valentine’s Day in Islamabad yesterday. such tenures.” pointed at the Indian govern- that US weapon sales to Pakistan are committed to working with ments reaction,” the Foreign contributed to the fi ght against Congress to deliver security as- STATISTICS Ministry said in the capital Is- terrorism and furthered Ameri- sistance to our partners and our lamabad. “They are the largest ca’s foreign policy interests. allies that we believe furthers US Population importer of defence equipment.” foreign policy interests by build- census likely to India summoned the US am- “We are surprised and ing the capacity to meet shared be postponed bassador to Delhi on Saturday to disappointed at the Indian security challenges.” Afghanistan summons Pakistan convey its “disappointment and governments reaction. Responding to another ques- displeasure” over Washington’s They are the largest tion about terrorists using safe The long-awaited 6th population plan to sell fi ghter jets to Pakistan. importer of defence havens inside Pakistan to attack envoy over governor’s kidnapping census is all set to be postponed “We disagree with their ra- equipment” US troops in Afghanistan, Toner again mainly because of non- tionale that such arms transfer said: “We believe US security availability of required number of help to combat terrorism,” the The remarks followed a move assistance to Pakistan actually AFP day, police have confi rmed. group behind the kidnapping army personnel and inability of Indian Foreign Ministry said. by some US lawmakers and a contributes to their counterter- Kabul Afghanistan has fraught re- and immediately secure the re- the Centre to convince Balo- Islamabad said the deal was campaign in the US media to rorism and counterinsurgency lations with Pakistan, which it lease of Mr Wahidi,” the state- chistan over lingering controversy to enhance its capability to fi ght stop the Obama administration operations.” blames for sponsoring Taliban ment said. of counting Afghan nationals, it against Islamist militants. from selling eight F-16 fi ghter Further explaining this point, fghanistan yesterday militants fi ghting an ongoing Pakistan is in the grip of a has been learnt. “It is matter of “Pakistan and the United jets to Pakistan. he added that such operations summoned Pakistan’s bloody insurgency. homegrown Taliban insurgency just off icial announcement now States closely co-operate in Although Congress has de- “reduce the ability of militants Aambassador to the for- Yesterday the foreign min- but the tightly-guarded capital regarding postponement of the countering terrorism ... the sale layed the proposed sale, the to use Pakistani territory as a eign ministry in Kabul to ex- istry expressed concern to has a very low crime rate in gen- house listing and population cen- is to enhance precision strike ca- administration still seems in- safe haven to carry out terrorist press “serious concerns” over ambassador Sayed Ibrar Hus- eral, and the F-7/2 sector where sus exercise by end March/ early pability,” the statement added. terested in pushing it through, attacks and as a base of support the kidnapping of a former sain and urged Islamabad to Wahidi was seized is a high secu- April this year mainly because The proposed $700mn deal insisting that it’s in vital US in- for the insurgency in Afghani- Afghan governor in Islamabad, throw all its resources into rity area that houses politicians, of non-availability of required would include Lockheed Martin terests to do so. stan.” the ministry said in a state- fi nding Wahidi, described as bureaucrats and expats. number of army personnel for F-16s, radar, training and logis- At the State Department news That’s why, he said, the United ment. one of the “big personalities” A Pakistani police offi cial undertaking this exercise because tics support, the US Defence Se- briefi ng, an Indian journalist States believes “these operations Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi, a of the war-torn country. said yesterday that investiga- of its hectic engagements in Zarb- curity Co-operation Agency said asked spokesman Mark Toner if are in the interests of both Paki- former governor of Herat prov- “The Afghan government tors were treating the abduc- e-Azb, operations in Karachi and on Friday. US Secretary of State John Kerry stan and the United States and in ince, was snatched by uniden- calls upon the Pakistani gov- tion as a “high-profi le case”, other parts of the country,” off icial The proposed deal will now had received a letter Republican the interests of the region more tifi ed men in an upscale district ernment to use all tools and but that no arrests have yet sources said yesterday. The last go through a 30-day notifi ca- Senator Bob Corker sent to him broadly.” of the Pakistani capital on Fri- possibilities in identifying the been made. census was held in 1998. Afghan civilian casualties top 11,000 to hit record in 2015

AFP Kabul

he number of civilians killed or wounded in Af- Tghanistan last year was the highest recorded since 2009, the UN said yesterday, with chil- dren paying a particularly heavy price. There were 11,002 civil- ian casualties in 2015 including 3,545 deaths, the UN said in its annual report on Afghan civil- ians in armed confl ict, a four percent rise over the previous high in 2014. “The harm done to civilians is totally unacceptable,” said Ni- cholas Haysom, the UN’s special representative for Afghanistan. “We call on those infl icting this pain on the people of Af- A file picture taken on August 22, 2015 shows Afghan residents reacting as they search for relatives at the Nicholas Haysom (3rd L), the UN’s special representative for Afghanistan, speaks during a press ghanistan to take concrete ac- site of a car bomb in Kabul. conference in Kabul yesterday. tion to protect civilians and put a stop to the killing and maim- But the report also noted a role in Afghanistan on January his own blood and you are crying report documenting a 14% in- price, with a 37% surge in female year, of which 46 involved fatali- ing.” 28% year-on-year surge in the 1, 2015, leaving Afghan forces for him?” the father is quoted as crease in child casualties over casualties. One in every ten cas- ties. Fighting and attacks in popu- number of casualties caused by to take the lead in fi ghting the saying. the year. ualties recorded was a woman, The Taliban claimed 95% of lated areas and major cities were pro-government forces, includ- resurgent militants as they tar- The statistics in the report “Tell these people not to attack the report said. such targeted attacks, the report described as the main causes of ing the Afghan army and inter- geted towns and cities. do not “refl ect the real horror”, children,” it quotes a 12-year-old The document highlighted an said. civilian deaths in 2015, under- national troops. “Why did they fi re this rock- Haysom told a press conference survivor of a mortar attack that increase in women being tar- While ground engagements scoring a push by Taliban mili- Seventeen percent of all casu- et? Why was it necessary?” the yesterday. killed four others as saying. “I geted for alleged moral crimes, were the largest cause of civilian tants into urban centres “with a alties in 2015 were caused by father of a man killed in shelling “The real cost... is measured want to study, not to die.” calling the executions and lash- casualties, improvised explosive high likelihood of causing civil- such forces, the report said. It by the Afghan army in a village in the maimed bodies of chil- While fi ghting and impro- ings a “disturbing trend”, and devices came second, the report ian harm”, the report stated. was not possible to say which in Wardak province in Decem- dren, the communities who vised explosive devices were saying the UN plans to release said, adding that the use of such The UN began compiling the side caused the remaining 21 ber was quoted as saying in the have to live with loss, the grief the top two killers of children, a separate report on such inci- weaponry violated international annual report in 2009. percent of casualties. report. of colleagues and relatives, the unexploded ordnance picked up dents soon. law and could constitute war Including Taliban-claimed The report criticised Afghan Nine people died in that at- families who make do without and played with by curious and Chillingly, the report docu- crimes. attacks, the United Nations As- forces in particular for their reli- tack, according to the report, a breadwinner, the parents who unsuspecting youngsters also mented a doubling of civilian It refl ects “a disconnect be- sistance Mission in Afghanistan ance on explosives in populated highlighting the dangers to ci- grieved the lost children, the claimed a heavy toll, killing 113 casualties due to the deliberate tween commitments made and assigned responsibility for 62 areas. vilians during ground engage- children who grieved the lost children — an average of two a targeting by militants of judges, the harsh reality on the ground”, percent of total civilian casual- US and other international ments. parents,” he said. week — and injuring 252 more in prosecutors and judicial institu- said the director of the UN’s hu- ties in 2015 to anti-government troops moved from a combat to a “Can you imagine how diffi - One in every four casualties 2015. tions. man rights mission in Afghani- elements. training, advisory and assistance cult it is when your son is lying in in 2015 was a child, with the Women also paid a heavy There were 188 such cases last stan, Danielle Bell. Gulf Times 24 Monday, February 15, 2016 PHILIPPINES Vice president’s Campaign to end violence against women, children camp accuses Liberal Party of bribery

By Reina Tolentinto Benigno Aquino, who will step Manila Times down this year when he fi n- ishes his single six-year term. Its presidential bet Roxas, a he United Nationalist member of Aquino’s Cabinet Alliance (UNA) has ac- as interior secretary, is run- Tcused the Liberal Party ning, among others, against (LP) of bribing local execu- Vice President Jejomar Binay, tives with government funds who leads UNA. to secure votes in the coming “No matter how Mar and LP elections. call it or sweeten the packag- The allegation came af- ing, it is still legalised vote- ter the ruling LP’s standard- buying because it is meant to bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas infl uence the people’s voting promised to allocate P100bn preferences… the BuB can now in funding for local govern- be called ‘Bribe Ur Barangay’ ment units (LGUs) if he wins because this is already their the presidency, in a speech model of legal vote-buying,” before the Liga ng Barangay sa Ilagan said. Pilipinas Forum in Pasay City He added that the admin- (Metro Manila). istration was “so desperate” The amount, Roxas said, it had to allegedly resort to will fund the Bottom Up “wholesale bribery” by using Budgeting (BuB) programme. the BuB and Conditional Cash “The BuB’s aim is very much Transfer (CCT) Programme diff erent from its original in- just to win local support. tention as the national budget “’Bribe Ur Barangay’ is is in the people’s hands. But the new localised version One Billion Rising founder Eve Ensler (front left) and Philippine actress Monique Wilson (front right) gesture the “number one” sign as they dance to take part in the “One it seems that the party is us- of pork-barrel politics. The Billion Rising” campaign in Manila yesterday. Wilson, who counts among her achievements the lead role in the West End production of the Miss Saigon musical in the early ing the national budget to power of the LP’s purse is 1990s, is the global director for the campaign, which aims to end violence against women and children. bribe the public,” former energised by the administra- Cainta (Rizal) Mayor and UNA tion’s CCT and BUB projects. spokesman Mon Ilagan said in The BUB’s rationale is no a statement issued yesterday. longer developmental but He further alleged, “The envelopmental, no longer LP’s bribery using the BuB is economics but politics,” Ila- grave. There is P24.7bn tucked gan said. in the national budget and this The CCT Programme is the is the largest pork-barrel in government’s flagship pro- election year history.” gramme that aims to reduce Ilagan was referring to the poverty by providing cash Aquino to raise sea row 2016 national budget for the grants to extremely poor BuB programme, wherein households so that they can LGUs and people’s organisa- meet human development tions identify local projects goals. for funding by the national Both Roxas and Binay government. vowed to expand the CCT The LP is led by President Programme in earlier sorties. with Obama at summit Pacifi c region may be enhanced Coloma said Aquino will likely CRIME By Joel M Sy Egco Manila Times through more vigorous trades lead his Asean counterparts dur- Crackdown on traff icking discussed that, in turn, must be assured ing the dialogue with President by freedom of navigation in the Obama since he has been so pas- Human trafficking and the proliferation of illegal drugs in Tawi- resident Benigno Aquino main navigational routes of glo- sionate about the sea dispute Tawi were the main concerns addressed at the Provincial Peace will lead other Associa- bal trade and commerce, includ- with China. and Order Council (PPOC) Consultative Meeting convened in De- Ption of Southeast Asian ing the South China Sea,” Co- “President Aquino has always cember last year, Manila Times reported. The PPOC meeting was Nations (Asean) heads of state in loma added. represented the Philippines’ attended by members of the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Board, Provin- bringing forth the issue of mari- Quoting the Department of position on the importance of cial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), time security, particularly the Foreign Aff airs, he said Aquino ensuring freedom of navigation Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National disputes at the West Philippines will attend the Asean-US Lead- and overfl ight, as well as adher- Police (PNP). Tawi-Tawi Gov. Nurbert Sahali commended the Sea (South China Sea), during ers’ Summit in Sunnylands, ence to Unclos (UN Convention efforts of the different stakeholders that attended the PPOC con- their meeting with US President California, from February 15-16 on the Law of the Sea) and inter- sultative meeting including the civil society organisations (CSOs) Barack Obama this week, ac- “to further boost and strengthen national law,” he added. for extending their support and assistance in addressing the cording to a Malacanang offi cial. strategic partnerships” among “The president has also been issues and problems relating to peace, security and development Communications Secretary the countries involved. a leading advocate for a legally confronting the province. Governor Sahali noted that Tawi-Tawi Herminio Coloma Jr, in an in- Besides maritime security, binding Code of Conduct in is beset with the problem of human trafficking. Over the years terview over state-run Radyo Coloma said the summit may the South China Sea, as well as illegal recruiters have been using the capital town of Bongao ng Bayan, yesterday said it has also tackle political and security on the importance of seeking and the southernmost municipality of Sitangkai as transhipment been agreed during the Asean- issues, “transnational challeng- peaceful avenues for dispute points to move out of the country via this “Southern Backdoor” US Summit last November that es” and the continuing threat of resolution that underpins the for their illegal recruits bound for nearby Sabah, Malaysia. Sahali Obama shall hold a dialogue terrorism. Philippines’ petition before the appealed to the national government through the representation with Asean leaders on their mar- Aquino: focus on sea dispute “The two-day summit will be UN Arbitral Tribunal at The of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) “to itime concerns. informal so that the leaders of Hague, a move that is being look at the provisions and any other resources that would enforce “Maritime security has Asean economic integration initiative on establishing a Asean can freely express their followed closely by other states anti-human trafficking interventions including the capacity build- emerged as a vital concern to through the Asean economic Trans-Pacifi c Partnership (TPP) sentiments and concerns that with maritime entitlement ing and equipment to address the issue.” Asean. The goal of achieving community, as well as the US to promote free trade in the Asia are of import,” he added. claims,” Coloma said. Marcos Jr hopes next leader would Agency seeks evidence of drug give priority for renewable energy fund use for election campaign

Manila Times given in order to encourage RE By Joel M Sy Egco was about to be replaced at PDEA. But Malapad said Manila companies in doing their busi- Manila Times they “can only attribute the presence of narco-pol- ness here. itics in the country to the government offi cials par- “Our government needs to ticularly barangay (village) offi cials and employees ice presidential can- give support for research and espite claims that money from illegal drugs arrested by PDEA and those charged in court for didate Ferdinand investigation of possible sites could have been used to fi nance the cam- drug-related off enses.” V“Bongbong” Marcos for RE endeavours and pilot Dpaign of some local politicians and that “We have no data to gauge regarding how seri- Jr yesterday said the next ad- locations as well as give them some of them are directly involved in the illicit ous is the threat of narco-politics in the country… ministration should speed up more tax exemptions in the trade, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency We have no data or we did not receive any reports implementation of the coun- production aspect,” Marcos (PDEA) said there are simply no reliable data to regarding the claims whether the drug money has try’s renewable energy (RE) said. back up these allegations. reached the government or if there are national of- programme that will not only “Many of them are com- In fact, PDEA Public Information Offi ce (PIO) fi cials who are on the payroll of drug lords,” he add- solve the power needs but also plaining about the slow chief Glen Malapad said they do not have hard evi- ed. Poe said nobody can deny the fact that “govern- protect the environment. processing of their applications dence against top government offi cials who are said ment offi cials themselves are involved in the illegal The senator added that the for land conversion and other to be involved in the drug trade. drug trade.” next administration must vig- environmental clearance from He, however, added that they have arrested 69 “But defi nitely, from year on end, we need to be orously increase the country’s the national level to the local elected government offi cials who hold lower posts able to expose the names of those people. And I RE capacity targets to make it at level. This should be shortened from January 2015 to January 2016. would probably do so,” she added. least 50% by 2030. or simplifi ed,” he added. “We cannot accuse anybody without evidence. Malapad admitted that drug traffi ckers are bet- “We need to boost our re- “The government should We are bound to violate individual rights if we based ter equipped than them and that the archipelagic newable energy programme ease the process of doing busi- our accusations on plain assumptions,” Malapad nature of the Philippines makes it more diffi cult for and this should be prioritised to ness in the country in general so told Manila Times. This paper reported last week them to run after these criminals. ensure economic development that companies like those en- that at least one governor and a few congressmen “The present scenario indicates that the agency while protecting our environ- gaged in RE will be encouraged were into the drug trade, quoting former PDEA di- is faced by more equipped and advanced adversar- ment,” he said. to invest here,” he added. rector General Dionisio Santiago. ies in terms of fi nancial, technological and logisti- According to the senator, Marcos has championed RE, Santiago and Sen. Grace Poe, head of the Senate cal aspects. In spite of these challenges, we are pos- some 70% of the nation’s elec- building the fi rst wind farms committee on illegal drugs, claimed narco-politics itive that the drug problem can be eradicated but we tricity at present is generated in Southeast Asia while he was threatens the country’s political environment. cannot fi ght alone. We need co-operation among from fossil fuels and 90% of governor of Ilocos Norte in Santiago also disclosed that he had sent a full local and international drug enforcement agencies, which are imported. 2003, making it the country’s report on the involvement of the public fi gures to and of course the participation and support of the “The next administration fl agship project for renewable Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin as early as 2010, stakeholders which are deemed important in de- should be aggressive in increas- Ferdinand Marcos Jr: backing renewable energy energy. before he left PDEA. feating the drug menace,” he pointed out. ing our renewable energy pro- He authored Senate Bill 2953 “I surmise Malacanang already has a copy of my “The archipelagic set-up of the Philippines is grammes by encouraging com- RE additional perks on their in- that include income tax holiday or the Act creating a Hydro- report. It contained everything, including the who’s exploited by traffi ckers to transport illegal drugs panies to build more solar, wind vestments and cut bureaucratic for seven years and duty-free gen Research and Development who in the drug industry. The highest government and controlled precursors and essential chemicals and hydrogen power plants,” he red tape. importation of renewable en- Centre to support and encour- offi cials included in my report were a governor and into the country. The international and local air- said. It was learned that the Bu- ergy machinery, among others. age the use and development some active lawmakers from Southern Tagalog and ports, seaports, mail and parcel services and the Marcos added that the gov- reau of Investments (BOI) gives These, however, those are not of hydrogen as an alternative Central Luzon,” he told Manila Times. vast expanse of coastline are being utilised as entry ernment must give investors in incentives to RE companies enough, saying more have to be source of energy. He said he brought his report to Gazmin as he and exit points,” Malapad explained. Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Lankans Hasina urges help in digital want ministers to share education at primary level executive By Mizan Rahman provided, aiming to fl ourish free a country from poverty. the Chittagong Hill Tracts will Dhaka the operations of multimedia Mentioning that the coun- be turned into residential one classrooms across Bangladesh. try’s children and students for the convenience of students, power “I’ll call upon all the Bang- are talented and meritorious, the prime minister reiterated. angladesh Prime Minister ladeshis that they were once Hasina said scopes should be The main aim of Inter-Ac- Sheikh Hasina yesterday students in primary schools created for fl ourishing their tal- tive Multimedia Digital Ver- Agencies Burged the affl uent section and now they’ve become es- ents for which the government sion’ programme is to prepare Colombo of society, particularly former tablished like businessmen or gives greater importance to interactive multimedia digital students, to help their schools job holders ... why not they take technology-based education. education content of 17 books in to in digitalisation. up initiative to provide at least Cautioning guardians over Bangla, English, Mathematics, ri Lanka’s powerful presi- “I hope those who are rich one multimedia projector or a exerting too much pressure on Science, Bangladesh and World dency should be scrapped and well established will donate laptop as gift to their former the children for their academic Aff airs related to the curriculum Sbut executive power should something to schools of their ar- school,” she said. activities, Hasina said guardians of primary education framed by not be concentrated in the prime eas as gifts and this is my ardent The prime minister said it should stop such practice. the National Curriculum and minister and instead shared call to the nation,” she said. is not so tough to have at least Hasina said the lessons Textbook Board (NCTB). among cabinet ministers, ac- The prime minister was ad- one multimedia classroom in should be more attractive for The digital education content cording to a report by Citizens dressing a function while in- 63,601 primary schools across students and schools should incorporated in various kinds of Initiative for Constitutional augurating the ‘Primary Edu- the country. have such an environment so pictures, charts, diagrams, au- Change. cation Content; Conversion to “We’ll take our steps from the that they feel more encouraged dio, video and other multimedia The new government, formed Inter-Active Multimedia Dig- government, but alongside this in their academic activities. components and thus presenting Sheikh Hasina: “We’ll take our steps from the government, but after presidential and parlia- ital Version’ programme in the all should have to come up with The prime minister also those through animation for mak- alongside this all should have to come up with self-initiatives.” mentary polls that ousted the capital Dhaka. self-initiatives.” vowed to make a stronger foun- ing the textbook contents is more Mahinda Rajapakse regime last Hasina said some 1,500 mul- Noting that education is dation of education for the fu- attractive and easily perceivable. Ahmed Pakak, Brac founder and McGrath, also spoke on the oc- year, has called for public views timedia classrooms have al- the most important tool for ture generation using modern Primary and Mass Education chairperson Fazle Hasan Abed casion. ICT division secretary and recommendations for the ready been set up while some building a nation, Hasina technologies. Minister Mostafi zur Rahman Fi- and interim regional director Shyam Sundor Sikder delivered new constitution with abolish- 5,000 laptops have also been said it is education which can Most schools in hilly areas of zar, State Minister for ICT Junaid of Save the Children, Michael the address of welcome. ing the executive presidency a key, and long-standing proposal. “The executive presidency should be abolished,” said the report, a collection of public views gathered through a na- tionwide campaign that reached Nepal proposes ‘wish-list’ for Bangladesh’s thousands of people through workshops, and e-mail and letter campaigns. “However, this shouldn’t mean that an executive prime prime minister’s India visit burn institute minster should assume this position. “While the prime minister IANS should be the head of govern- Kathmandu ment, executive power should to be named be shared among the members of the cabinet,” said the re- head of Nepal Prime port, published by the Centre Minister K P Sharma for Policy Alternatives, a non- AOli’s upcoming visit to governmental organisation. India, Kathmandu has fi nalised after premier “All decisions should be made a comprehensive wishlist it by the cabinet collectively.” wants New Delhi to fulfi l. The Citizens Initiative for Projects related to infra- By Mizan Rahman just 52 plastic surgeons for Constitutional Change said it is a structure and hydel develop- Dhaka around 600,000 burn victims coalition of civil society organi- ment and power transmission across Bangladesh. sations and individuals dedi- top Oli’s agenda for the six-day Initially, the institute cated to ensuring that Sri Lanka visit commencing on February angladesh Health would be able to produce 10 “fi nally receives a constitution it 19, offi cials said. Minister Mohammad to 12 doctors every year, with deserves” in 2016. The wish-list for Oli’s visit BNasim yesterday said Master of Science in Plastic - his fi rst foreign tour since as- the government will set up a Surgery qualifi cation. The suming offi ce in October last burn and plastic surgery in- doctors will be posted at - includes fi nalisation of two stitute at Chankharpool in burn units in every district hydro-power projects of a to- Dhaka which will be named hospital. tal 750 MW capacity that have after Prime Minister Sheikh At present, Bangladesh gets 25 injured been on the table for quite some Hasina. just two expert plastic sur- time now. The prime minister will lay geons a year, Sen said, adding The two projects together the foundation stone of the that the National Institute of in accident would cost about $1bn. institute, the fi rst of its kind Burn and Plastic Surgery at the Nepal is estimated to have in Bangladesh, in the fi rst Dhaka Medical College Hospi- the potential to generate week of March, Nasim told tal will continue to function IANS 42,000 MW of hydropower but reporters. as a burn unit after the project Colombo today produces 800 MW - far Besides, the minister said, implementation. less than the domestic demand K P Sharma Oli will begin a six-day tour of India on February 19. a process is underway to Project sources said the in- of 1,400 MW. have permission from the stitute will also train nurses, t least 25 students of a Sri The two power projects were Out of the $1bn, $250mn is er corridors at various border Nepal relies heavily on for- Bangabandhu Trust over paramedics, physiothera- Lankan university were among agenda-points that Ne- aid and the remaining $750mn points. eign aid and assistance from naming the institute after pists and staff specialised in Ainjured as the bus they pal’s Finance Minister Bishnu is soft loan to carry out vari- According to Nepal fi nance India has contributed to major Sheikh Hasina. dressings. were travelling in collided with a Poudel had proposed to his ous post-quake reconstruction ministry offi cials, Poudel also infrastructure development in Offi cials of the health min- It would have 500 beds, container truck yesterday, police Indian counterpart Arun Jait- works. sought Indian assistance to the Himalayan nation. istry said the proposed project including 50 for the intensive said. ley and Indian External Aff airs The other major proposals build one national institute of Grants from India helped to will cost the 5.22bn taka. care unit, 12 operating thea- The accident occurred on the Minister Sushma Swaraj during on Oli’s wish-list are comple- technology, establishment of build the airport in Kathmandu, Once set up, the institute tres (four each for the burn, Bandarawela-Haputale road a visit to New Delhi earlier this tion within fi ve years of the eight technical schools and the the fl ood control Koshi Barrage, would be the largest of its emergency and plastic sur- in Uva province, Xinhua news month. India-assisted Hulaki Road setting up of an ayurveda uni- Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, kind not only in South Asia gery units), and equipment agency reported. Two of the stu- India has already promised (postal road) project in Nepal’s versity. Trauma Centre, a number of ir- but also in the world, Dr such as burn tanks, added the dents were in critical condition. $2bn in aid during Prime Min- southern Terai area; laying of Other areas of discussion are rigation projects and important Samanta Lal Sen, chief co- sources. Poor road infrastructure and ister Narendra Modi’s visit to cross-border power transmis- the early implementation of the highways like Tribhuvan High- ordinator of the burn units Prof Dr Abul Kalam, di- reckless driving are the leading Nepal in August 2014. sion lines and developing a 6,720 MW Pancheshwor mul- way - connecting capital Kath- across the country, said, rector of the project, said causes of accidents. Another $1bn in assistance state-of-the-art hospital in tipurpose project, construction mandu to the Birgunj-Raxaul adding that one of its main the approved money would According to the WHO, road was pledged by India in June Kathmandu. of a second international air- border with India - and Sid- aims would be to prepare initially be spent to build a accidents are the world’s eighth 2015 at the International Con- Nepal and India have re- port in Nepal, and fast-track- dhartha Highway - connecting burn specialists and plastic 10-storey building in two leading cause of death. About ference on Nepal’s Reconstruc- cently installed 400 kV power ing of construction of the the Terai region in southern Ne- surgeons of international years. Later, the building 70% of the deaths from road tion following the April 2015 transmission lines and have Kathmandu-Terai road besides pal with the mountain region in standards. would have five more upper accidents occur in developing earthquake. also proposed to build six pow- some security issues. northern Nepal. He said currently there are floors, he added. countries. SC paves way for Khaleda’s All set for celebration trial in orphanage graft case

By Mizan Rahman no more legal bar to continue petition with the HC against Dhaka the trial proceedings of Zia the rejection of her petition by Orphanage Trust corrup- the lower court. tion case against the BNP Earlier on May 25, a Dhaka he Bangladesh Supreme chairperson. court rejected the defence Court (SC) yesterday On June 29, 2015, the HC lawyer’s petition for scrap- Tupheld a High Court rejected the petition fi led ping the deposition given by order that had earlier rejected by Khaleda for scrapping the plaintiff of the case on a petition fi led by BNP chair- the testimony of inves- six dates in absence of the person Khaleda Zia seeking tigation offi cer (IO) and accused. a directive on the trial court recording IO’s his fresh On July 3, 2008, the ACC to annul the testimony of the statement in her presence fi led the Zia Orphanage Trust plaintiff in Zia Orphanage at the court. graft case with Ramna police Trust fund misappropriation The bench comprising Jus- station accusing Khaleda, case against her. tice Moinul Islam Chowd- her eldest son Tarique Rah- A fi ve-member bench of hury and Justice J B M Hassan man, now living in the UK the Supreme Court headed by passed the order, saying there after securing bail, and four Chief Justice SK Sinha passed was nothing illegal in recording others for misappropriating the order. the statement of the IO in the over 21mn taka which came as Khaleda on September 16, graft case. grants from a foreign bank for 2015, fi led the appeal with the Khaleda can cross-examine orphans. SC against the HC order. the IO and therefore, she can On August 5, 2010, the IO After the SC order, law- fi nd out whether he has given submitted a charge-sheet yer of the Anti-Corruption wrong statement. to the court in the case Commission (ACC) Khur- On June 15 last year, the BNP against six people, including Nepalese girls pose for a photo with a balloon and roses on Valentine’s Day in Kathmandu yesterday. shid Alam Khan said there is chief fi led the criminal revision Khaleda. Gulf Times 26 Monday, February 15, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed European Union is the key Production Editor: C P Ravindran

P.O.Box 2888 to a new liberal world order Doha, Qatar [email protected] No matter how committed And, last week, US Defence Secretary bailout raises the possibility that after On its surface, America’s decision Telephone 44350478 (news), and innovative American Ashton Carter unveiled a proposed more than two decades of growing to confront Russia recalls previous 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) military budget for 2017 that signalled prominence, Europe will lose its occasions when Europe proved Fax 44350474 leadership remains, the US plans for a muscular global stance. agenda-setting power. unable to respond to challenges in its by itself can no longer The request included funding for In 2011, after Nato’s operation in neighbourhood – most memorably in naval operations in Asia, a restocking Libya, which fully revealed the limits Bosnia in the 1990s. guarantee the liberal of the military arsenal depleted in of Europe’s military capacity, then-US But the current situation is more international order the fi ght against the Islamic State, defence secretary Robert Gates visited dangerous still; it is reminiscent of the and a commitment to technological Brussels. Cold War, when Europe was an object By Ana Palacio innovation. His message was stark: “If current and not an actor in geopolitics. The GULF TIMES The proposal’s centrepiece, trends in the decline of European continent risks once again becoming Munich however, was the quadrupling of US defence capabilities are not halted and the chessboard on which the US and spending in Europe to “support our reversed, future US political leaders – the Kremlin play for advantage. he liberal international order Nato allies in the face of Russia’s those for whom the Cold War was not In 2001, the US accounted for one- that has helped stabilise the aggression”. the formative experience that it was fi fth of the world’s economic output. world since the end of the for me – may not consider the return Today, it accounts for less than one A huge triumph TCold War is under strain. America’s change on America’s investment in Nato sixth of the global total. A revanchist Russia, chaos in worth the cost.” No matter how committed and the Middle East, and simmering in calculus is not In the years since, Russia has innovative American leadership tensions in the South China Sea are annexed Crimea and destabilised remains, the US by itself can no longer for science all symptoms of a system that is the result of Europe eastern Ukraine. Instability in the guarantee the liberal international beginning to fray. Middle East has sparked a large-scale order. It needs allies in the eff ort, The drivers of instability are many. getting its act migration crisis. and the EU, still the world’s largest They include a shift in economic Terrorism has re-emerged as an economy despite years of stagnation, power from the West to the East, the together important threat. And yet, for all the would make a perfect candidate – if and humanity weakening of formal institutions, and talk of streamlining and strengthening only it would pull itself together. widespread disaff ection in Western Many in Europe might regard Europe’s defence capabilities, little of During the twentieth century, democracies. But, above all, two key Carter’s announcement as cause for signifi cance has been accomplished. Europe was America’s partner of fi rst When landmark and complex scientifi c discoveries are developments that have been eroding relief. After years of handwringing America’s change in calculus is not resort. Now, when it is needed once announced, the common folks cannot be blamed for asking the liberal international order: the US’ over Obama’s strategic “pivot” to the result of Europe getting its act again, the EU is slipping toward the how they aff ect them. The profundity can be easily missed withdrawal from global leadership and Asia, even as Russia was stirring up together; it refl ects the recognition sidelines. Europe’s prolonged crisis. trouble in Ukraine, Europe is once that the threat posed by Russia cannot Unless its leaders change course, and this is defi nitely the case when it comes to gravitational Recently, there have been signs again a strategic focus for the US. be left unchecked. This point was the painful unravelling of the liberal waves. that the US is beginning to reassert But the deeper message is far less driven home by a recent report by the world order will continue. - Project The announcement a few days ago that scientists have itself. After six years of “leading from encouraging. The US is acting because Rand Corp showing how vulnerable Syndicate made the fi rst direct observations of gravitational waves, behind” and drawing meaningless red its European partners have not. Nato’s Baltic partners – Estonia, the ripples in space-time foreseen a century ago by lines, US President Barack Obama has This divergence is troubling. Latvia and Lithuania – would be to a zAna Palacio, a former Spanish started to seek out innovative, fl exible American engagement is necessary to Russian assault. foreign minister and former senior acclaimed theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, has left the arrangements – diplomatic and provide momentum, but it is Europe’s As persistently low energy prices vice president of the World Bank, is average human beings scratching their heads. military – to respond to global threats. weight that has served as the critical put the Kremlin under increasing a member of the Spanish Council of Simply put, the fi nd is a triumph for Einstein’s celebrated In 2015, the Obama administration mass required to move the world’s pressure, there is a growing risk that State, a visiting lecturer at Georgetown general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern was instrumental in bringing about liberal order in a positive direction. Russian President Vladimir Putin University, and a member of the World the Paris climate agreement and a deal From the perspective of the could fan the fl ames of nationalism by Economic Forum’s Global Agenda physics and the basis of his 1916 prediction that the fabric of to rein in Iran’s nuclear programme. European Union, the latest US security lashing out once again. Council on the US. the universe is perturbed by gravitational energy. The discovery is also a milestone for the gargantuan scientifi c apparatus – the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Ligo) – that was the fi rst to pick up the advance of these waves, in this case created by the violent merger of two black holes 1.3bn years ago. Since gravitational waves carry information about their source, the ability to detect the ripples will allow researchers to study distant and elusive features of the universe, as pointed out by Traci Watson in USA Today. When X-rays were revealed by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895 during his experiments on cathode ray tubes, few would have known that in only a few years these high-energy electromagnetic waves would become a key “For now, component in everyday medicine from diagnosis the practical to treatment, recalled applications of Ian O’Neill, writing in discovery.com. gravitational “Likewise, the fi rst waves may experimental production of radio waves in 1887 seem restricted by Heinrich Hertz confi rmed predictions by to astrophysics James Clerk Maxwell’s and cosmology” famous electromagnetic equations. Only years later, in the 1890s, a series of demonstrations by Guglielmo Marconi, who set up radio transmitters and receivers, proved they had a practical use. Also, Schrodinger’s equations describing the unfathomable world of quantum dynamics are fi nding an application right now in the development of super-fast quantum computing.” As explained by O’Neill, all scientifi c discoveries are profound and many eventually have everyday applications that we take for granted. “For now, the practical applications of gravitational waves may seem restricted to astrophysics and cosmology - we now have a window into a “dark universe” where no electromagnetic radiation is required.” The space science producer has predicted that scientists and engineers will fi nd other uses for these space-time Learning life’s lessons — over and over ripples besides the awesome application of probing space- time. The huge advances in optical engineering, performed By Gina Barreca new occasion I greet them with a making progress (I’m moving, after seems new and the wound always feels by Ligo to detect these waves in the fi rst place will inevitably The Hartford Courant/TNS genuine “A-HA!” all) while reminding me - as I start to fresh, as if I’d never gone through it spawn new technologies. We play this kind of game with see familiar landscapes reappear - that before. ourselves in various arenas. We’re I’m back to where I started. But I’ve learned that if somebody As succinctly summed up by O’Neill, ultimately, the ave you meant to follow the “trending” (a Not much has changed since I was only calls to ask a favour, or to tell detection of gravitational waves is a triumph for humanity arrived at the non-word I refuse to employ without 17. Oh, I sometimes convince myself you that you didn’t live up to his or that will continue to teach us new things about our point in life quotation marks) hot-topic methods that I’ve evolved, but that’s mostly her expectations, or off er ungenerous universe for generations to come. “This is most defi nitely Hwhere you realise that every of organising our homes and offi ces. because my faults and my hopes judgment masquerading as advice, a golden age for science, where historic discoveries are new lesson you learn is one you’ve We’re meant to become minimalist have been upgraded, updated and then it’s just fi ne to keep that learned before? and effi cient. intensifi ed. They remain essentially individual from crossing the velvet commonplace. These discoveries drive our culture forward, Here’s what I’ve discovered: There the same as they were in high school (a ropes dividing the outer world from making us all richer and more aware that our universe is are no new lessons under the sun. There are no new fear of abandonment and a desire for your inner life. a beautiful and complex place. And we know we have the (There are even fewer at midnight.) approval) and the lessons I continue Finally, I need to be reminded every intellectual capability to create models of how we think the I’m sure I’ve arrived at precisely lessons under the to search for are iterations of what I few weeks, if not every few days, that this same conclusion many times fi rst almost-but-never-quite learned while we’re not responsible for what universe works and then perform experiments to prove we before. sun decades ago. life off ers us, we are responsible for are right.” I’ve always known better than to Happiness is neither elusive what we are willing to accept. repeat the mistakes I keep repeating, Yet new “life-hack” (also always in nor unobtainable. I arrive at this I first learned that lesson as a kid and yet that’s never stopped me. quotation marks) tips, such as never conclusion about every two years. from reading W C Fields, who said: To Advertise For example, I know better than to letting a piece of paper cross your desk Apparently I can absorb lessons “It ain’t what they call you, it’s overeat simply because I’m appeasing twice or donating to charity clothes for brief periods without acquiring what you answer to.” Even before [email protected] my palate instead of listening to my you haven’t worn in more than one mastery over the subject matter. I knew what Fields really meant, I Display appetite. I’ve already learned that to year, uncannily resemble creakingly Or let’s say I congratulate myself knew the words meant something; Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 hit the snooze alarm “just one more ancient methods of effi ciency. on fully grasping the hard-won I recognised the latent wisdom time” will create a frantic morning Recent books on decluttering concept that certain relationships are underlying the humour. Classified because of the poor decision to start your home repeat, in more lyrical unsustainable. I do this as regularly as Most new wisdom is an echo of Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 my day by delaying the very act of and Zen-infl uenced language, the some people plant bulbs. what we already know. entering into it. I’ve known both of essential points of articles your I’ve had to re-accept, at those But you already knew that. Subscription these things since, oh, 1971 and yet grandmother read in a 1952 issue of fortunately rare times when it [email protected] I’ll rediscover them, as if by magic, Good Housekeeping titled “Mess happens, that even long-term zGina Barreca is an English professor every six years and make their full Causes Stress!” friendships, if undermined too often at the University of Connecticut, a eradication my goal. But it’s the bigger issues that by distrust, envy or selfi shness, must feminist scholar who has written eight 2014 Gulf Times. All rights reserved It doesn’t happen. Yet I keep fi nding keep me circling in a fi xed orbit, be permitted to die a natural death. books. She can be reached through her great pieces of wisdom, and on each permitting me the illusion that I’m Somehow, however, the task always www.ginabarreca.com Gulf Times Monday, February 15, 2016 27 COMMENT Robots threaten millions of jobs

Automation and robotisation accompanied by stagnating wages in Facebook, Microsoft and Tesla, run by have already revolutionised the middle class, said Vardi. billionaire Elon Musk, are at the head Today there are more than 200,000 of the pack. the industrial sector over the industrial robots in the US and their Also, the Pentagon has requested last 40 years, raising number continues to rise. 19bn for developing intelligent Today, research is focused on the weapons systems. productivity but cutting reasoning abilities of machines, and What is concerning about these new down on employment progress in this realm over the past 20 technologies is their ability to analyze years has been spectacular, said Vardi. data and execute complex tasks. By Jean-Louis Santini “And there is every reason to believe This raises concerns about whether AFP/Washington the progress in the next 25 years will be humans might one day lose control equally dramatic,” he said. of the artifi cial intelligence they once By his calculation, 10% of jobs built, said Selman. dvances in artifi cial related to driving in the US could It’s a concern that some of the intelligence will soon lead disappear due to the rise of driverless world’s great minds have raised too, to robots that are capable of cars in the coming 25 years. including British astrophysicist Anearly everything humans According to Bart Selman, Stephen Hawking, who warned in do, threatening tens of millions of jobs professor of computer science at a BBC interview in 2014 that the in the coming 30 years. Cornell University, “in the next two consequences could be dire. “We are approaching a time when or three years, semi-autonomous or “It would take off on its own, and machines will be able to outperform autonomous systems will march into re-design itself at an ever increasing humans at almost any task,” said our society”. rate,” he said. Moshe Vardi, director of the Institute He listed self-driving cars and “Humans, who are limited by slow for Information Technology at Rice trucks, autonomous drones for biological evolution, couldn’t compete, University in Texas. surveillance and fully automatic and would be superseded,” he added. “I believe that society needs to trading systems, along with house “The development of full artifi cial confront this question before it is robots and other kinds of “intelligence intelligence could spell the end of the upon us: If machines are capable of assistance” which make decisions on human race.” doing almost any work humans can behalf of humans. These questions have led scientists do, what will humans do?” he asked “We will be in sort of symbiosis to call for the establishment of at a panel discussion on artifi cial with those machines and we will start an ethical framework for the intelligence at the annual meeting to trust them and work with them,” he development of artifi cial intelligence, of the American Association for the predicted. as well as safeguards for security in the Advancement of Science. “This is the concern because we years to come. Vardi said there will always be some don’t know the rate of growth of Last year Musk - the owner of need for human work in the future, but machine intelligence, how clever those SpaceX - donated $10mn to resolve robot replacements could drastically machines will become.” such concerns, deeming artifi cial change the landscape, with no Will the machines remain intelligence potentially more profession safe, and men and women understandable for the humans? Will dangerous than nuclear weapons. equally aff ected. humans will be able to control them? For Wendel Wallach, an ethicist at “Can the global economy adapt to Will they remain a benefi t for humans, Yale University, such dangers require a greater than 50% unemployment?” he or pose harms? global response. asked. These questions and more are being He also called for a presidential Automation and robotisation have raised anew due to recent advances in order declaring that lethal already revolutionised the industrial robotic technology that allow machines autonomous weapons systems sector over the last 40 years, raising to see and hear, almost like people. are in violation of international productivity but cutting down on Selman said investment in artifi cial humanitarian law. employment. intelligence in the US was by far the “The basic idea is that there is a Job creation in manufacturing highest ever in 2015, since the birth of need for concerted action to keep reached its peak in the US in 1980 and the industry some 50 years ago. technology a good servant and not let has been on the decline ever since, Business giants like Google, it become a dangerous master.” Letters Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY Options for experienced staff , rather than bringing many developing countries to eating High: 25 C in replacements and training new vermin, rodents and insects. It is a Low : 15 C Strong wind and high seas to employees hands. sad state of affairs but undoubtedly the north this will trigger the next global Please send us Dear Sir, Johnson Thomas pandemic. The most devastating (e-mail address supplied) epidemics we are aware of have been your letters TUESDAY Many companies are busy incubated in chickens, ducks, pigs, High: 26 C streamlining their operations, with horses, camels and bats. And of By e-mail Low : 15 C some even reducing their workforce, A major course, mosquitoes. [email protected] Sunny because of the economic situation medical threat Are we about to be pulverised by Fax 44350474 brought about by low energy an Armageddon virus? The Spanish Or Post prices, which have aff ected many fl u pandemic originated from a wild WEDNESDAY oil-producing countries like Qatar. Dear Sir, aquatic bird. Letters to the Editor High: 23 C Companies and authorities have the Professor John Oxford, from Gulf Times Low : 16 C right to take appropriate decisions to The Zika virus, discovered in Brazil, the University of London, a world P O Box 2888 Sunny safeguard their economical interests, is a serious medical threat. The virus authority on epidemics, warns that Doha, Qatar true. But I feel staff reduction should had migrated from Brazil to many we must expect an animal-originated be the last option of any cost- other countries, especially in Latin pandemic to strike the world within Fishermen’s forecast All letters, which are reduction process. America. Scientists are striving to fi nd the next fi ve years, with potentially OFFSHORE DOHA If at all being done, employees a vaccine to contain the Zika outbreak. cataclysmic eff ects on the human race. subject to editing, should Wind: NW 10-18/22 KT should be given an option to accept a It is evident that deadly diseases could Before it even has a name, it will have have the name of the Waves: 3-5/7 Feet INSHORE DOHA revised off er or contract. Also, workers travel at supersonic speed around the started to cut its lethal swathe through writer, address and phone Wind: NW-NE 05-15/18 KT who have been let go may be given globe. the world’s population. The World number. The writer’s Waves: 1-2/3 Feet an opportunity to fi nd another job in Of roughly 400 emerging infectious Health Organisation will be caught fl at Qatar. diseases that have been identifi ed footed. name and address may be Around the region These options will give all parties since 1940, more than 60% have withheld by request. Weather Weather the fl exibility to decide their future originated from animals. Farouk Araie today Max/min tomorrow Max/min and also will allow the state to retain Poverty has forced people in [email protected] Abu Dhabi Sunny 25/14 P Cloudy 25/14 Baghdad Sunny 24/11 Sunny 26/11 Dubai Sunny 23/15 Sunny 24/16 Kuwait City Sunny 25/14 Sunny 24/14 Manama Sunny 21/16 Sunny 22/14 Muscat Sunny 25/18 M Sunny 26/18 Riyadh Sunny 24/11 Sunny 25/09 Live issues Tehran M Sunny 15/04 Sunny 16/04 People with low self-esteem can hurt others

By Judi Light Hopson, Emma H While we all have to play diff erent lawyer, and I go bowling with truck Hopson and Ted Hagen games to fi t in with people, we should drivers who used to rib me about my Tribune News Service not have to apologise for looking or life in the upscale world. I love these feeling our best. guys, but they had to learn I have my If you look around you, you can share of problems, too.” ave you ever been puzzled probably fi gure out pretty quickly who John says we can be friends with by outright rejection? has high self-esteem and who doesn’t. almost anyone if we’re willing to let You know how this goes. Oddly enough, it has little to do with our guard down a little. HYou put forth your best clothes or looks. It goes deeper than Dealing with people who are harsh smile, lavish on kindness, and try to that. or mean is a diff erent story. “You engage another person with all your “I can spot a person with high can’t always be friendly with people heart. self-esteem from a block away,” says a suff ering from low self-esteem,” says But, the next day, this person is lawyer we’ll call John. “They look you John. “Sometimes, you have to pull gossiping about you all over town. in the eye and talk without weighing back and move on. Or, you can try You’re practically on his/her hate list. every word.” boldly confronting them with humour. Around the world Instead of refl ecting on your John uses his awareness of self- Every case is diff erent.” Weather Weather potential weaknesses, accept the fact esteem to coach individuals in When John’s daughter got elected today Max/min tomorrow Max/min that the other person might suff er how to present themselves for best cheerleader at her high school, a Athens M Sunny 22/13 P Cloudy 23/14 from low self-esteem. outcomes. group of girls decided to tease her Beirut P Cloudy 22/16 Sunny 22/16 Bangkok Sunny 36/25 Sunny 35/23 People with low opinions of “I had a divorce case where the mercilessly. Berlin Showers 05/-1 M Cloudy 03/-2 themselves sometimes clash heavily man divorcing my client was lowly “I told my daughter that if they Cairo Sunny 29/15 Sunny 31/14 with those who feel healthy self- and meek,” says John. “He made hated her that much, she had to be Cape Town P Cloudy 23/18 Cloudy 27/18 worth. anyone feel sorry for him. I had to doing something right,” says John. Colombo S T Storms 30/23 S T Storms 31/24 Dhaka Sunny 31/20 Sunny 32/20 Low self-esteem ignites envy. When tell my client the truth. I told her “My daughter started smiling and Hong Kong P Cloudy 16/12 P Cloudy 17/14 those with these issues enter your to act a little less sure of herself in waving at the girls who were taunting Istanbul P Cloudy 18/12 P Cloudy 18/11 presence, they can feel awkward and mediation. Otherwise, she was going her. She made up her mind to push Jakarta T Storms 29/24 T Storms 31/24 out of kilter. to come across as super confident back their jealousy by using humour. Karachi Sunny 28/14 Sunny 28/16 P Cloudy 09/01 Envy of others is a complex issue. and maybe lose in the financial Now, a couple of those girls are London 07/-1 M Sunny Manila P Cloudy 31/23 P Cloudy 31/22 People who don’t feel so great about picture of things.” her friends. They got ashamed of Moscow Snow 03/01 Rain&Snow 03/-4 themselves don’t necessarily know If you feel great about yourself, you themselves and apologised.” New Delhi M Sunny 25/11 Sunny 27/13 they are jealous of you. They just know can still have friends who have self- New York Snow 02/01 Rain 13/03 that you rattle their inner peace. Jan’s school made her trip miserable worth issues. Bragging on them is one zJudi Light Hopson is the executive Paris P Cloudy 07/-1 Sunny 07/-2 Sao Paulo T Storms 30/21 T Storms 28/21 A teacher we’ll call Jan teaches for the three days they were at the way to balance the feelings. But, just director of the stress management Seoul P Cloudy 05/-6 Sunny 06/-3 fourth grade. Jan spent a month’s conference. being aware of how you come across website USA Wellness Cafe at www. Singapore T Storms 32/26 S T Storms 33/26 salary on much-needed new clothes “When I decided to ramp up my can help, too. usawellnesscafe.com. Emma Hopson Sydney S T Storms 26/19 M Sunny 25/17 for a teacher’s conference last year. image, my cohorts didn’t like it,” says “We can’t go through life never is an author and a nurse educator. Ted Tokyo Clear 14/ 14 Clear 09/01 Jealous friends who also teach at Jan. acting vulnerable,” says John. “I’m a Hagen is a family psychologist. Gulf Times 28 Monday, February 15, 2016 QATAR Tunnelling work on Doha Metro project’s Green Line complete wo Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), deployed by Qatar TRail, successfully completed their tunnelling on Doha Metro’s Green Line on schedule, marking a milestone in the project’s progress. Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa TBMs went through four breakthroughs before reaching the fi nal destina- tion at Msheireb. The high-tech TBMs were two of the 21 used in the fi rst phase of the Doha Metro project which saw Qatar recognised by the Guinness World Records, for having the largest number of tunnel boring machines operating simultaneously in a single project. Qatar Rail project director Jassim al-Ansari expressed delight that Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa TBMs have completed their section of tunnel- ling on schedule and they can now be successfully decommissioned. “To date, roughly 30km out of 33km has been tunnelled on the Green Line, a remarkable feat con- sidering we began the Herculean task less than 18 months ago.” Decommissioning of a TBM at the under construction Msheireb station. Right: A TBM which completed its work is dismantled from a work site. The Doha Metro’s Green Line, which will take passengers from Al renknecht warehouse in Berlin to Al fl oading plans at the port and work Riff a to Al Mansoura, had six TBMs Messila site in Doha where they were sites were in place before the arrival working on tunnels over 33km in fi nally dismantled. of the TBM. length. Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa The Qatar Rail logistics team The fi rst phase of the Doha Metro TBMs will now be dismantled and monitored the entire process upon project is expected to be completed taken to the supplier, Germany’s the TBMs arrival at the Doha Port, in the fourth quarter of 2019 while Herrenknecht’s local offi ce in Doha and co-ordinated with the Doha Port completion of the Lusail Tram is set where their parts will either be recy- Authority, Qatar Customs, Milaha, for 2020. cled or sold off . Traffi c Police, Lekhwiya and numer- By 2030 all the three networks – The remaining four TBMs are ex- ous contractors to ensure a seamless Doha Metro, Lusail Tram and the pected to complete the work on the process from the ship to the site. long-distance rail, which will link Green Line in early April this year. The Qatar Rail team works around the country with the GCC Rail net- Leatooriya will be the next TBM to current traffi c constraints as part of work – are expected to be completed. complete its mission in the last week its constant eff orts to keep disrup- With the completion of the fi rst this month, when it achieves its tions for Qatar residents to a mini- phase of the Doha Metro and Lusail breakthrough at the Education City mum. In order to minimise the traf- Tram, Qatar Rail expects to ferry Station, followed shortly by the re- fi c disruption, transportation of the 600,000 passengers per day by 2021. maining TBMs. TBMs were done between 1 and 3am. By then, 37 metro stations are ex- Since operations started, the A mock trial run was done to elimi- pected to be complete, with an aver- TBMs have gone through a long nate obstruction in the way and at age journey time of two minutes be- journey which started from the Her- offl oading sites. Discharging and of- tween adjacent stations. Another view of the TBM decommissioning process.