QATAR | Page 28 SPORT | Page 1 Serena wins record INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-9, 28 COMMENT 26, 27 Over 7,000 join REGION 10 BUSINESS 1–8, 20-24 23rd Grand Color Run in Health 20,012.00 10,989.78 53.17 ARAB WORLD 11 CLASSIFIED 9-19 -39.00 -45.85 -0.61 INTERNATIONAL 12–25 SPORTS 1–12 First campaign -0.19% -0.42% -1.31% Slam title Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

SUNDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10348 January 29, 2017 Jumada I 1, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir attends ceremonies at Katara Worldwide In brief chaos, panic ARAB WORLD | Diplomacy Putin, Trump ‘want to co-operate in Syria’ Russian President Vladimir Putin and anger at and US President Donald Trump said in a “positive” phone call yesterday they favoured their two countries co-operating in Syria to defeat Islamic State, the Kremlin said in a statement. In an eagerly awaited phone call, the Trump ban first since Trump’s inauguration, the two men stressed the importance Reuters sends the most visitors to the United of restoring economic ties between Washington States each year – around 35,000 in the two countries and of stabilising 2015, according to the Department of relations, the Kremlin said. US- HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attended part of conclusion of the Al Mazain Competition, and the honouring- Homeland Security. Russia relations had hit a post-Cold ceremony of the winners of the Marmi Festival 2017, which were held at the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara, yesterday resident Donald Trump’s most The ban extends to green card hold- War low under Barack Obama and evening. The ceremony was attended by HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Personal Representative of HH the Emir. It far reaching action since taking ers who are authorised to live and work Trump has made clear he wants a was also attended by a number of their excellencies sheikhs and ministers as well as heads of diplomatic missions accredited Poffi ce plunged America’s immi- in the United States, Homeland Secu- rapprochement with Moscow. to the State, and guests of the country. gration system into chaos yesterday, rity spokeswoman Gillian Christensen not only for refugees but for legal US said. residents who were turned away at air- It was unclear how many legal per- EUROPE | Diplomacy ports and feared being stranded outside manent residents would be aff ected. May eyes Turkey trade the country. A senior US administration offi cial Immigration lawyers and advocates said yesterday that green card holders boost as Brexit looms worked through the night trying to from the seven aff ected countries have British Prime Minister Theresa May help stranded travellers fi nd a way back to be cleared into the United States on a yesterday promised to ramp up Exit permit panel solves home. case-by-case basis. trade between Turkey and Britain Lawyers in New York sued to block Legal residents of the United States ahead of Brexit. On her first visit to the order, saying many people have were plunged into despair at the pros- Turkey as premier and fresh from already been unlawfully detained, in- pect of being unable to return to the meeting new US President Donald cluding an Iraqi who worked for the US United States or being separated from Trump at the White House, May held majority of expat cases Army in Iraq. family members trapped abroad. three hours of talks with President Confusion abounded at airports “I never thought something like this Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then he Exit Permit Grievances travel ban list or they are demanded as immigration and customs offi cials would happen in America,” said Mo- met Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Committee has been able to by the Public Prosecution.” struggled to interpret the new rules, hamed Hossein Ziya, 33, who came to Ankara. Page 19 Tsuccessfully “process” more Brigadier al-Muraikhi said that with some legal residents who were in the United States in 2011 after being than 70% of the applications it had most of the cases were resolved in a the air when the order was issued de- forced to leave Iran for his political ac- received since the formation of the friendly manner and “it turned out tained at airports upon arrival. tivities. AFRICA | Politics panel was announced on December 11 that the persons authorised by com- “Imagine being put back on a 12- Ziya, who lives in Virginia, has a Gambia president plans last year. panies to approve the expatriate work- hour fl ight and the trauma and crazi- green card and planned to travel to Set up in accordance with Law No ers’ exit permits were the main reason ness of this whole thing,” said Mana Dubai next week to see his elderly fa- massive overhaul 21 of 2015 regulating the Entry, Exit behind the delays”. He said communi- Yegani, an immigration lawyer in Hou- ther. “I can’t go back to Iran, and it’s Gambian President Adama Barrow and Residency of Expatriates in Qatar, cation with the companies’ manage- ston. “These are people that are com- possible I won’t be able to return here, said yesterday that every aspect the committee is tasked with solv- ment facilitated the immediate ap- ing in legally. They have jobs here and a place that is like my second country,” of his tiny west African state would ing the problems faced by expatriate proval of these permits. they have vehicles here.” he said. need an overhaul after ex-leader workers who are denied permission Law No 21 of 2015 abolished the Ka- The new Republican president on Saleh Taghvaeian, 36, teaches agri- Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule, but by their employers to leave the coun- fala (sponsorship) system, replacing Friday put a four-month hold on al- cultural water management at Oklaho- that its dreaded secret police would try. It comprises representatives of the Brigadier Salim Saqr al-Muraikhi it with a modernised, contract-based lowing refugees into the United States ma State University in Stillwater, said remain. Barrow faces an uphill task National Human Rights Committee employment system. and temporarily barred travellers from he feared his wife would not be able to after taking over from Jammeh, who (NHRC) and the ministries of Labour mation, with up to three meetings a While announcing the formation of Syria and six other Muslim-majority return from Iran after a visit. left behind a dysfunctional economy and Interior. week at times to review the exit per- the committee, Brigadier al-Muraikhi countries. In Cairo, fi ve Iraqi passengers and and allegedly emptied state coff ers In a statement issued yesterday, the mit applications. had said the employer was duty- He said the moves would protect one Yemeni were barred from boarding ahead of his departure. Page 12 Interior Ministry said the Grievances Giving details, the release said of bound to sanction any leave due to Americans from terrorism, in a swift an EgyptAir fl ight to New York yester- Committee had received 498 applica- the 498 applications, the committee the employee which is mentioned in and stern delivery on a campaign day, sources at Cairo airport said. tions until January 25 from expatriates straightaway approved the issuance the contract executed between them. promise. Dutch airline KLM said yesterday who presented diff erent problems in of 20 exit permits, and facilitated the The employer is also liable to grant The ban aff ects travellers with pass- it had refused carriage to the United securing a travel permit. issue of 296 permits after friendly co- leave to his employee in the event of ports from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, States to seven passengers from pre- “The committee has successfully ordination with the recruiters. emergencies, according to Brigadier Sudan, Syria and Yemen and extends dominately Muslim countries. accomplished around 70% of the ap- “However, 177 applications had to al-Murakhi. to green card holders who are legal per- Canada’s WestJet Airlines said it plications that complied with the set be referred to the entities concerned in The committee is able to reach a manent residents of the United States. turned back a passenger bound for the regulations through friendly commu- the country for these being out of the decision on granting travel permits Arab travellers in the Middle East United States on Saturday in order to nication with the recruiters and grant- scope of the committee’s work. These to expatriates within three days after and North Africa said the order was comply with the order. ed immediate exit permit approvals for include 138 applications linked to ab- a request is submitted. Workers have humiliating and discriminatory. A spokeswoman did not say which 29% of the applications .” sconding reports, 22 applications from the opportunity to contest before the It drew widespread criticism from country the passenger had come from. Brigadier Salim Saqr al-Muraikhi, persons who worked for other than the committee any evidence that might US Western allies including France and At least three lawyers from the In- Director of the Legal Affairs De- recruiter, six linked to the Department have been used against them. Work- Germany, Arab-American groups and ternational Refugee Assistance Project partment at the Ministry of Interior of Labour, and 11 referred to the Hu- ers also have the opportunity to ap- human rights organisations. were at the arrivals lounge at New (MoI) and head of the committee, man Rights Department. In addition, peal for clemency, in cases where they Iran condemned the order as an York’s John F Kennedy International pointed out that the panel has held fi ve applications were rejected as the owe debt but need to return home for a “open aff ront against the Muslim world Airport, buried in their laptops and more than 10 meetings since its for- applicants had been included in the medical or family emergency. and the Iranian nation” and vowed to conference calls, photocopies of indi- retaliate. viduals’ US visas on hand. Pages 10, Of the seven countries targeted, Iran 11, 13, 18, 23 and 26 Direct service between Hamad Qatar Airways to ‘enforce curbs’ on travellers to US

Port and Shanghai launched Trump signed a sweeping ex- AFP Doha ecutive order on Friday to suspend s part of the Ministry of Trans- it takes to get ships from this global umes out of South and East India, refugee arrivals and impose tough port and Communications’ market to 20 days. via Colombo. It will help to meet the controls on travellers from the seven Aambitious strategy, Qatar Ports “Through our dual emphasis on growing demand of Qatar’s export atar Airways said yesterday it countries. Management Company – Mwani Qa- continuous improvement across all market, by off ering direct connections would “enforce” the new rules The airline, which fl ies to some 15 tar, in association with MSC Medi- shipping lines and by enhancing our via Mundra Port to worldwide destina- Qgoverning entry to the US fol- American cities, also posted a “travel terranean Shipping Company, has focus on better meeting the needs of tions. lowing President Donald Trump’s tem- alert” online yesterday, listing the pa- launched the fi rst ever regular direct our customers, we constantly strive to Hamad Port will provide increased porary order restricting arrivals from perwork required by citizens of the service between Hamad Port and develop and improve our services in a throughput with a capacity for 2mn seven Muslim countries. seven countries. Shanghai. way that meets our customers aspi- containers per year, eventually in- A spokesperson for the Gulf carrier These include the permanent resi- MSC ELMA FK701A, the fi rst vessel MSC ELMA FK701A is docked at the rations and enhance our presence as creasing to 7mn. This will then be sup- said it would only carry passengers to dent card, known as the “Green Card”, to sail on the new service under MSC’s Hamad Port after it arrived in Doha. a regional and international leading ported by transshipment links by rail, the US who had the correct documen- and up to eight diff erent types of visa. New Falcon Service, left Shanghai on integrated port and logistics services sea and road to the region. tation. These are A1 & A2 (government offi - January 5 and arrived at Hamad Port on age over all the major ports and inlands provider,” al-Khanji stated. Ports in Qatar have been and will “We are enforcing the new rules,” cials and immediate family), C2 (travel January 26, marking the beginning of from Far East/South East Asia. “I take this opportunity to appreci- continue to be a major pillar of Qatar’s said the offi cial. to UN), G1 & G2 (representative and the port’s transshipment capabilities. Commenting on the launch, Mwani ate MSC, its management and staff for development and an important source “If travellers to the US don’t have the employees of international organisa- The addition to the company’s New Qatar’s CEO Capt. Abdulla al-Khanji launching this regular service to Ha- that would maximise its contribution proper documentation, we are not go- tions), G3 & G4 (representatives to and Falcon service will see container vol- said: “We are pleased to announce the mad Port and this is a signifi cant mo- in the GDP of the nation. The constant ing to take them to the US.” employees of international organisa- umes travel West from the Far East and launch of this fi rst ever regular serv- ment for us at Mwani Qatar, Hamad support provided by the government The news comes after Trump im- tions), and Nato. South East Asia, to Qatar. Customers ice, which connects Hamad Port di- Port and the Ministry of Transport and has taken the ports in Qatar to the posed tough new controls on travellers Qatar Airways destinations in the will also benefi t from a competitive rectly with the world’s second-largest Communications,” he added. highest levels of internationally ad- from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, US include New York, Atlanta and Chi- transit time and better service cover- economy and works to reduce the time The new facility will also serve vol- vanced global standards. Syria and Yemen. cago. Gulf Times 2 Sunday, January 29, 2017 QATAR

Deputy PM holds talks with Uganda’s president, PM

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud held separate meetings with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and the country’s Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda in Kampala yesterday. HE al-Mahmoud conveyed the greetings of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to President Yoweri Museveni. The Ugandan president reciprocated the Emir’s greetings and praised the positive role of Qatar in support of the peace process and development in Darfur. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff airs thanked the president of Uganda for his interest in bringing peace and security in Darfur. The two sides also reviewed relations between Qatar and Uganda, and ways of developing them in various fields. During his talks with Uganda’s prime minister, HE al-Mahmoud reviewed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in various fields. The Deputy PM also held talks with a number of senior Ugandan off icials during his visit. HE al-Mahmoud left Kampala yesterday after a two-day off icial visit to Uganda.

QRCS provides aid to IDPs in Mosul

atar Red Crescent awareness about rational- ‘Awareness about Society (QRCS) ised use of water, and speci- Qand United Nations fi cation of solid waste col- Children’s Fund (Unicef) lection hubs. personnel have distributed QRCS’s relief eff orts are 250 packages of basic non- co-ordinated with its part- food items (NFIs) to the in- ners, Unicef, and funders, cybersecurity high’ habitants of Al Jadaa camp, Qatar Fund for Develop- southern Mosul, Iraq. ment, to contain the over- This has been done under fl ow of displaced popu- the Warm Winter Project lations who live in tough 2016-2017. The Warm Winter Project 2016-2017. conditions in IDP camps, In a press statement, the statement notes. among executives QRCS has stressed that its hygiene (WASH) services. each lasting for a month. According to statistics relief providers work ac- This winterisation aid In the Al Khazir camp, from international humani- By Peter Alagos level where code, random tively to help internally included mattresses, blan- QRCS fi eld teams have con- tarian organisations with Business Reporter code or unknown code has displaced persons (IDPs) of kets, heaters, fuel packs, full tinued with their WASH operations in Iraq, the cur- no chance of being executed Mosul in co-operation with kitchenware sets, plastic services in Section M2, rent number of IDPs is es- on the user’s computer if Unicef. Financed by Qatar mats, cookers, solar lamps eastern Mosul. They super- timated at 200,000 people. ybersecurity has the user brings it in either Fund for Development, the and water fl asks. Also, com- vise water purifi cation test- As the fi ghting persists, this become a prevalent from websites, email, at- programme involves NFIs as plete hygiene kits have been ing, drinking water supply, fi gure is likely to soar to up Cconcern among C- tachments, pen drives, from well as water, sanitation and distributed among families, water tank maintenance, to 1.4mn IDPs. level executives in Qatar, home, or from colleagues,” an indication of heightened she said. “They still need awareness against a wide to get there with the solu- range of Internet security tions because they are not threats, industry experts ready to receive the wave of have observed. Paula Januszkiewicz, CEO Mohamed Arif, Windows malware…but they are on a “The one trend we defi - of CQURE. & Devices Business Group good track with the under- nitely see is that security is Lead at Microsoft Gulf. standing of the problem, a board-level concern,” said ested to know what their and that’s what every CSO Mohamed Arif, Windows security surface looks like er forms of cyber threats. should have.” & Devices Business Group and how protected they are “You can see a high level Arif said: “Staying on top Lead at Microsoft Gulf, in an because they feel the need to of awareness, take for ex- of the latest trends and so- interview with Gulf Times. ensure that part is covered ample on protecting USB lutions is how you secure Microsoft recently hosted to protect their business,” drives. Based on what we yourself. You never get con- a security event titled ‘CSO Arif stressed. have seen, there are a lot fi dent. And I think we saw Think Like a Hacker’, and This was reiterated by Ja- of oil companies that have a lot of that from the CSOs brought in security expert nuszkiewicz, who said: “I was created USB sticks that are we’ve met during the event. Paula Januszkiewicz, CEO positively surprised…be- not accessible by regular That’s exactly the kind of of CQURE, to speak be- cause the participants were employees. That kind of ap- approach and attitude that fore chief security offi cers so engaged and they were on proach and understanding will help you secure your (CSOs) and other stake- the ground looking at prob- the threat is already there,” companies. holders in Qatar. lems out there and fi guring she explained. “We see our role as being Arif said the event aims to out how to solve them.” However, Januszkiewicz a trusted adviser to all these create a forum or communi- Asked on the prepared- pointed out that the imple- customers. We want to be ty for CSOs in Qatar and to ness level, Januszkiewicz mentation of code execu- there to enable them with bring in expertise from the said based on her evalu- tion prevention or identi- the technologies we off er, industry to provide global ation of the participants, fying all types of malicious but more importantly with insights and trends to the companies in Qatar are codes or malware still pose the guidance that we pro- participants. “making extreme eff orts” a challenge to the partici- vide them and show them “There are more non-IT to make sure that they are pants. the path that enables them executives who are inter- safe from malware and oth- “They should be on the to be more secure.”

QIC honours long serving employees

atar Insurance Com- ees in various capacities. and commitment to QIC and eff orts, QIC will grow pany (QIC) has hon- More than 30 certifi cates of and its customers. from strength to strength. Qoured more than 30 appreciation were given to Al-Subaey said: “We “While the industry con- long serving employees for employees who have served consider our employees to tinues to evolve, one thing their “impressive contribu- QIC between 10 and 35 be our assets. The commit- that remains constant is the tion” to the company, it was years. ment and enthusiasm of our need to have dedicated and announced in a statement. Khalifa Turki al-Subaey, long serving staff members committed industry profes- The “special felicitation” Group president & CEO of have helped QIC in achiev- sionals who are willing to ceremony was held at the QIC Group, congratulated ing success. Going forward, serve both the burgeoning QIC headquarters in West the employees and thanked we are certain that with sector and the community Bay to honour the employ- them for their dedication their continued dedication we live in.”

Dignitaries from QIC together with some of the company’s long serving employees during the awarding ceremony. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 3 QATAR

Women’s Hospital reconstructive surgery team Reconstructive surgery helps women feel complete again

he reconstructive causes the blood vessels and ectomy several weeks in ad- permanent disability due to surgery performed at other parts of the placenta vance of her due date. This congenital anomaly was able TWomen’s Hospital is to grow into the walls of the is called a planned pre-term to get pregnant again and boosting the confi dence of uterus. The condition com- cesarean hysterectomy. It deliver a healthy baby after women and is even provid- monly occurs in connection involves leaving the pla- the reconstructive surgery. ing some women the ability with placenta previa where centa in place and taking it The patient had placenta ac- to have children again. a women’s cervix is blocked out together with the uterus crete. Instead of removing The fi rst uterus recon- by the placenta. It can result in order to help minimise her uterus, the surgical team, struction surgery per- in severe bleeding before or a woman’s risk of severe led by Dr Bayo, removed the formed by Dr Arabo Ibrahim during delivery and even re- bleeding and other compli- placenta and reconstructed Bayo, senior consultant ob- sult in maternal death. cations.” the uterus. stetrician and gynaecolo- Dr Bayo says the number He added, “While this “This patient was able gist at Women’s Hospital, of patients experiencing solution may work for some to have a perfectly healthy took place in 2009. This was placenta accrete is on the women, it may not work for baby delivered at 35 weeks the fi rst time the procedure rise due to the increase in all. The reconstructive sur- after having two children was performed anywhere in deliveries by C-section and gery has given some of my with disabilities and suf- the world and since then Dr other uterine surgeries. He patients the ability to main- fering through a terrible Bayo and his team have suc- adds that women having tain a regular menstruation pregnancy which could have cessfully performed more multiple pregnancies is also cycle, which can be very im- resulted in her uterus need- than 30 surgeries. a factor. portant to a women’s self- ing to be removed,” Dr Bayo According to Dr Bayo, re- “In most case, if a woman esteem. It can even allow added. moval of the uterus may be is diagnosed with a placenta her to conceive again.” At present, Women’s required if a patient has pla- accrete, a physician may In one of Dr Bayo’s most Hospital is one of the few centa accrete, a life-threat- recommend removing the rewarding cases, a patient hospitals worldwide that is ening condition which entire uterus with a hyster- who had two babies with a able to perform the surgery. Gulf Times 4 Sunday, January 29, 2017 QATAR

Awqaf receives three new mosques CloudClinik Emir condoles with ruler of Dubai he Ministry of En- Aqdeem with a total capac- Umm Seneem and Rawdat H the Emir Sheikh Rashid al-Maktoum on the ister of Interior Sheikh dowments and Is- ity to accommodate 1,047 Qadeem can accommodate Tamim bin Hamad death of Sheikha Sheikha Abdullah bin Nasser bin Tlamic Aff airs (Awqaf) worshippers. 384 and Rawdat Qadeem to off er online Hal-Thani yesterday bint Saeed al-Maktoum. Khalifa al-Thani also sent has received three new The mosque in Umm worshippers, respectively. sent a cable of condolences HH the Deputy Emir cables of condolences to mosques in Umm Salal, Salal can accommodate 365 The mosques also have to UAE Vice-President and Sheikh Abdullah bin Ha- UAE Vice-President and Umm Seneem and Rawdat worshippers, and those in residences for imam. Prime Minister and Ruler of mad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Ruler of booking facility Dubai Sheikh Mohamed bin Prime Minister and Min- Dubai.

oredoo has an- make appointments online. nounced that its The “robust and easy-to- OCloudClinik serv- use” service can be accessed ice will now off er an online online from anywhere at any scheduling facility for Medi- time, and patients will be cal Centres, the ‘CloudClinik notifi ed of their booking ac- Appointment & Schedule cordingly through an SMS Management System’, so feature. that they can provide a 24/7 As well as saving on book- booking services for their ing admin costs and staff clients. time, the system will make Ooredoo’s CloudClinik serv- tracking missed appoint- ice, which was launched in early ments easier and off er a truly 2015, has become the “fastest “digital lifestyle” solution to growing” Electronic Medical businesses, as patients can Records (EMR) system for pri- access the feature via smart mary care clinics in Qatar. devices. Built in consultation with Starting at just QR899 per renowned medical special- month, the solution is user ists, CloudClinik takes care friendly, doesn’t require IT of everything from walk-in expertise, and no software or online patient registra- installation is necessary. tion, to appointment track- To get started with Cloud- ing and insurance claim gen- Clinik, medical centres simply eration, all while ensuring need a web-browser, desktop, iron-clad security of patient laptop/tablet/smartphone, data. high speed Internet connec- With the new self-service tion, and a scanner to access a feature, ‘CloudClinik Ap- host of tools. pointment & Schedule Man- As the “leading” ICT so- agement System’, the clinics lutions provider in Qatar, will be able to publish the Ooredoo is committed to the schedule of its doctors to a success of businesses in the dedicated portal, so that pa- country, and CloudClinik is tients can see their preferred hosted in one of Ooredoo’s doctor’s availability and high-tech Qatar Data Centres.

Survey to assess economic environment

The Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, in collaboration with the Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland will be carrying out the “Executive Opinion Survey” during February and March. In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry said that the survey data will complement hard statistical data and provide qualitative analysis about economic policy, regulations and various aspects of the business environment which influence the nation’s competitiveness ranking. The 2017 IMD World Competitiveness Report, scheduled for release in June, will measure strengths and weakness in Qatar’s economic environment. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 5 QATAR

The panellists at the AmCham forum. NU-Q dean, faculty participate in AmCham Qatar event

orthwestern Uni- in residence; and Ali Mus- tween raw data and the in- central role in informing versity in Qatar tafa, visiting faculty mem- terpretation of that data,” the public. “Thanks to the N(NU-Q) partici- ber and digital journalist at Mitchell said. “The lesson smartphone, there’s been pated in its third American TRT World. I’m taking away from this a lot more liberalisation on Chamber of Commerce Dennis noted that it has election is to ask how I can the coverage of elections, in Qatar (AmCham Qatar) been a “very tumultuous expand my own interpreta- eliminating any need for the panel on the US presidential ride from the election for- tions of the data.” journalist’s function of dis- elections. The forum of- ward. With a very unusual LaMay, who has worked seminating news,” Mustafa fered insights into the les- post-election period, there with the Commission on said. sons learned from the elec- have been many questions Presidential Debates, said Robert Hager, president tion season, the rise of fake regarding the future and that journalists should no of AmCham Qatar noted news, and the responsibility whom it might aff ect.” longer moderate discus- “Qatar is well positioned for of the media. Starting with the scrutiny sions between nominees. the Trump administration. The discussion titled pollsters have come under, “The debates are the only This administration knows “Post Election Predica- after numerous sources place in the campaign where Doha very well. President tions and the Unknowable such as the BBC, The New the candidates talk to each Donald Trump visited Doha Future,” moderated by Ev- York Times, and polling ag- other so I’d rather see ex- and toured The Pearl-Qatar erette E. Dennis, dean and gregation website FiveThir- perts in their fi elds ask can- a few years ago. His national CEO of NU-Q, featured tyEight predicted a clear didates about specifi c poli- security adviser Lieutenant panellist Jocelyn S Mitch- victory for Hillary Clinton, cies,” he added. General Michael Flynn and ell, assistant professor in the panel discussed lessons Digital journalist Mustafa many generals and members residence; as well as Craig from the election. said that traditional sources of the Trump cabinet have LaMay, associate professor “There’s a diff erence be- of news no longer play a been in Qatar.” Gulf Times 6 Sunday, January 29, 2017 QATAR

Poor visibility, strong winds forecast for today

Poor visibility is expected activity is likely tomorrow there is a chance of light rain early today, followed by strong as well, the Met department towards the north, the report winds in parts of the country has said. states. The sea level may go HMC’s home healthcare services by the afternoon, the Qatar The detailed forecast for up to 8ft by the afternoon. Met department has said. inshore areas today says A minimum temperature of Strong winds are also misty to foggy conditions 14C is expected today in Abu likely in off shore areas by are expected in some places Samra, while in Doha it will this afternoon along with at first. Scattered clouds are be 20C. The maximum, on staff attend road safety training high seas, according to the also likely and there is a weak the other hand, will be 28C in weather off ice. chance of light rain in some Abu Samra and 25C in Doha. A wind speed of 10-20 knots areas. This will be followed Yesterday, a minimum taff from Hamad has been forecast in inshore by dusty conditions. temperature of 12C was Medical Corporation’s areas, reaching a high of 25 Visibility, meanwhile, may recorded in Abu Samra and S(HMC) Home Health- knots in some places at times. drop to 2km or less at times. 13C in Karana and Turayna care Services (HHCS) at- In off shore areas, the wind Off shore areas will see until 5.30pm. In the capital, tended a road traffi c safety speed may go up to 25 knots. slightly dusty and cloudy the minimum was 19C in the awareness training course. Strong northwesterly wind conditions at times, and Doha airport area. The training was organised by the Ministry of Interior’s Traffi c Department. HHCS staff who attended the safety education session included physicians, nurses, drivers and allied health workers, who drive every day as part of their duties providing home-based spe- cialised care to adults and children across Qatar. As part of the service of- fered by HHCS, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals visit patients in their homes and perform Staff from HMC’s Home Healthcare Services and Traff ic Department pose for a group photo. a variety of medical sup- port procedures, includ- “Community and Home ing oxygen administration, Healthcare Services teams catheter changes and a travel around Qatar mak- number of therapies such ing over 4,000 patient vis- as respiratory, physical, its each month,” said Susan occupational and speech Yates, HHCS’s administra- therapy. Other services, tor. “HHCS is expanding its including wound care and services to include extended diabetes management, afternoon coverage and are also provided. specialised clinical and ed- The service is used by pa- ucation programmes. This tients who no longer require will increase the need for the acute care provided in our staff to be on the road a hospital setting but still even more and the HHCS need support recovering team appreciates this great from an illness or operation, partnership with the Traf- or in the management of a fi c Department in providing chronic condition. education and promoting “We are concerned about road safety.” the safety of our staff and Yates added that patients one of our priority areas is and their families can also road safety. Participating play a role in helping HHCS in the Traffi c Department’s staff stay safe by provid- comprehensive road safety ing accurate directions to training helps to make sure their home and informa- our staff are aware of traf- tion about any construc- fi c rules and ways in which tion work around the area. they can stay safe while on Keeping driveways acces- the roads,” said Mahmoud sible and well lit (in case of al-Raisi, chief of continuing visits during the night) is care at HMC. also important.

Gulf Times 8 Sunday, January 29, 2017 QATAR QNB off ers customers chance to win smartphones

NB has launched a clients, including fl exibility new campaign pro- to transfer worldwide, sched- Qviding its custom- uling recurring transfers, bill ers a chance to win one of payments, and many other 16 iPhone 7 and 16 Samsung innovative and secured solu- Edge 7 smartphones by using tions via its mobile and Inter- the QNB Internet or mobile net banking services. banking services. Customers can get a Customers can get chance to win one of the a chance to win one The winners with off icials. smartphones when using of the smartphones any of the services included when using any on QNB Internet and mobile of the services banking, including making included on QNB bank transfers to another Internet and mobile customer inside or out- banking side Qatar, making trans- fers through Western Union QNB said it is always look- and PayPal, and making bill ing for innovative ways to AAB-Toyota honours top payments and purchasing reward its customers while prepaid service vouchers delivering premium quality for an amount of QR50 or products and services in the more for any of the following Middle East and Africa region partners: Ooredoo, Voda- and across its international fone, QPost, QatarCool, and footprint. Kahramaa. It is notable that the bank performing employees The campaign, which has received recently the ‘Best runs until May 8, is in rec- Business Model Execution bdullah Abdulghani & by R K Murugan, COO (automo- growth and preserved its po- On his part, Ismail said: showroom), Ahmed Agha (sec- ognition of the trust cli- in the Middle East’ award by Bros (AAB)-Toyota has tive), and Hisham Ismail, senior sition as the leader of the car “Thanks to the eff orts of the ond place, main showroom) and ents place in QNB’s various The Asian Banker magazine in Arecognised top perform- manager – Toyota national sales, market in Qatar thanks to the sales team and the concerted Mubarak al-Tayeb (third place, banking services. It is also 2016, in recognition of the ex- ing employees of 2016 at a recent along with key personnel and “great support off ered by AAB to eff orts of all departments main showroom), while the part of QNB’s ongoing ef- cellence of its business model programme. department managers of AAB enhance the Toyota sales team’s and sections of Abdullah fl eet sales winners are Jafar Mo- forts to put its customers and strength of its network in The initiative was aimed at who handed over the awards to capacities and skills as well as Abdulghani & Bros, the au- hamed (fi rst), Rojet Bou Molheb fi rst as they use its digital the Middle East. encouraging the sales staff to the winners. the continuous impetus for the tomobile market leader in (second) and Shailesh Kumar banking services to balance QNB Group is present, develop their skills and abilities On the occasion, Murugan team to meet the wishes and as- Qatar, the company has con- (third). The product knowledge today’s needs with tomor- through its subsidiaries and to provide the best services to said that AAB, the exclusive pirations of customers, increase tinued its care and support award winners, main showroom, row’s aspirations. The win- associate companies in more Toyota customers in line with dealer of Toyota in Qatar, man- sales and provide the best cus- for clients and the Qatari are Feraz Khan (fi rst place), ners will be selected in two than 30 countries across the foundations laid by Toyota aged to overcome the diffi cult tomer service”. society.” Mohamed Nasr (second), and batches, with the fi rst raffl e three continents providing Motor Corporation to main- situation experienced by the “The celebration is recogni- The AAB-Toyota sales team Rawad Hamza and Ranjith Ram- draw taking place on March a comprehensive range of tain the brand’s leading posi- automotive market over the past tion of their eff orts and a call for members awarded during the das (third), while the fl eet sales 15 for 16 phones and the products and services. QNB tion at the international level, year and was determined to grow them to devote more eff orts to event are Mohamed Nasr (fi rst awardees are Mohana Sundram second on May 15. Group staff exceeds 28,000 according to a statement. in the market. continue the success this year,” place, main showroom), Osama (fi rst place) and Shailesh Kumar QNB provides the best dig- through 1,200 locations and The ceremony was attended AAB continued with its sales he added. Fathi (fi rst place, City Center (second). ital banking services to its 4,300 ATMs.

Saudia Hypermarket holds raffle draw

The first raff le draw for Saudia Group’s Anniversary Bonanza was held at Saudia Hypermarket, Umm Al Dhoom branch, recently. Saudia Group operations, finance, human resource and branch managers were present on the occasion.

New speakers from Bang & Olufsen

ang & Olufsen, rep- Sound evenly in all direc- resented by Darwish tions, and is clad in a premi- BTechnology, has in- um wool-blend fabric that troduced a new member to adds beauty and warmth to its family of wireless speak- any interior arrangement”, The Beoplay M5. ers for the home – the Beo- according to a statement. play M5. Darwish Technology is of speakers for the home they are placed”. Also, B&O Designed by award- the technological arm of that play beautiful music PLAY uses a proprietary winning Danish industrial Darwish Holding. and look wonderful doing Ambient Technology solu- designer Cecilie Manz as The Beoplay M5 is avail- so,” said Jens Jermiin, head tion to create a true stereo a standalone speaker with able at Bang & Olufsen and of global marketing at B&O sound experience from a multiroom audio capability, FNAC stores at Lagoona PLAY. single speaker. the Beoplay M5 gives people Mall and Fifty One East in The Beoplay M5 comes Further, the Beoplay M5 a “seamless way to connect Al Maha Showroom, Salwa with True360 degree om- comes with Chromecast to music they love, dispers- Road. nidirectional sound that lets built-in so that the entire es the highly-acclaimed “The Beoplay M5 deliv- people enjoy “equally per- family can stream millions Bang & Olufsen Signature ers perfectly on our vision fect sound no matter where of songs.

Yves Rocher store opens at Mall of Qatar

Abu Issa Holding has opened a Yves Rocher store at Mall of Qatar. This is the first standalone outlet in Qatar for the cosmetics and beauty brand. Pictured are off icials at the opening ceremony. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 9 QATAR Ministry issues tips for investing in street-vending businesses hose investing in busi- practice of street-vending ac- by fi guring out potential clients mind are issues such as main- Also, they should obtain all vendors. Regarding the activi- Meanwhile, the MEC advised nesses run by street ven- tivities. The advice seeks to and estimated profi ts. Besides, taining adequate distance from other relevant certifi cates and ties permitted, the ministry said investors to be careful while Tdors and pedlars need to focus on the promising invest- they should adopt a strategy that the entry/exit points of buildings permits before launching a busi- those operating with mobile choosing a suitable trademark be innovative in their approach ment opportunities in non-oil take into account factors such as and the need to avoid being in ness. vehicles can work in the fi elds and look for innovative and at- and follow four key steps while sectors and create an encour- the budget and anticipated in- the vicinity of outlets that off er Finally, investors should adopt of tyre maintenance, sale of hot tractive designs that can attract setting up operations, the Min- aging environment for the pri- come. In addition, creative busi- similar services or items. an innovative approach while and cold meals, beauty salons customers. Besides, they should istry of Economy and Commerce vate sector and business lead- ness ideas are to be implemented Then, investors should ob- launching their projects, giving and home maintenance. ensure the optimum use of social (MEC) has advised. ers in line with prevailing rules by taking into consideration fac- tain the necessary licences and priority to factors such as the Those using push carts can media to promote their busi- In this regard, the MEC has and regulations, according to a tors such as the volume of work permits for the targeted busi- choice of services and items, the sell fruits and vegetables, nesses. issued a slew of tips for poten- press statement. and the target audience. nesses and get the mandatory proper location and the manner packed foods, and hot and cold Investors can also use smart tial investors in the sector as The ministry has specifi ed Secondly, the MEC advised approvals from the departments of display. meals, while individual vendors device applications and online part of an initiative based on four steps to launch any street- investors to look for the best lo- concerned, such as the Civil De- Earlier, the MEC had speci- can sell fl owers, practise profes- resources such as eZee iMenu, HE the Minister of Economy vending business. cation to start the selected ac- fence, Traffi c Department and fi ed that street vendors include sions requiring certain skilled MarketMan Restaurant, Tri- and Commerce’s Decision No To begin with, investors tivity, such as areas with higher Ministry of Municipality and the owners of mobile vehicles and handicraft professions, pAdvisor, Zomato and Howalk 243 for 2016 on the conditions should start with a work plan for population density and public Environment’s health aff airs de- and push carts, including non- and sell newspapers and gifts, to help them better manage and and regulations governing the the targeted commercial activity presence. Also to be borne in partment. motorised bikes and individual among others. run their businesses. Minister tours hi-tech recycling factory

E the Minister of Municipality and that recycling old tyres is of great impor- Environment (MME) Mohamed bin tance. More than 1mn used tyres are col- HAbdullah al-Rumaihi has visited lected per year, on an average, from various Modern Recycling Factory in Mesaieed. collecting points in the county, according to He was accompanied by Ahmed Mohamed a press statement. al-Sada, undersecretary for Environmental The minister said more factories for re- Aff airs at the MME, and a number of minis- cycling and treating refuse materials will be try offi cials. set up in the country in order to benefi t from The minister conducted a fi eld tour of the them economically rather than just dispos- various facilities of the plant and was briefed ing of them in an improper manner. There on the work mechanism and recycling stag- is also a short-term strategic plan to benefi t es. He also observed the modern technology from refuse in a better way. He also pointed deployed in the factory, including the proc- out that Qatar is counted among the ad- ess of receiving old tyres, their classifi ca- vanced countries in the area of recycling. tion, cutting, separation and transforming The MME logistically supports the factory the refuse into rubber materials for various and provides it with used tyres and discard- purposes. ed vehicles from the Umm Al Afai area and He stressed the importance of the work Rawdat Rashid and transports them to the being done at the factory, as it represents factory for recycling. the participation of the private sector in the The plant is the fi rst of its kind in the sustainable development process, and noted country and uses advanced technology. HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment (MME) Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi is seen with other dignitaries during the visit. Gulf Times 10 Sunday, January 29, 2017 REGION

Rouhani says no time to Hope amid conflict create walls between nations

Reuters Dubai Iran says will respond in kind to ‘insulting’ ban

ranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will ban Americans from entering the yesterday it was no time to build walls country in response to President Donald Ibetween nations and criticised steps Trump’s “insulting” order restricting arrivals towards cancelling world trade agree- from Iran and six other Muslim states, the ments, without naming new US President foreign ministry said yesterday. Donald Trump. “The Islamic Republic of Iran...has decided Trump on to respond in kind after the insulting deci- Wednesday or- sion of the United States concerning Ira- dered the con- nian nationals”, the ministry said in a state- struction of a ment carried by state television. Trump on US-Mexican Friday signed a sweeping executive order border wall, a to suspend refugee arrivals and impose major promise tough controls on travellers from Iran, Iraq, during his elec- Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. tion campaign, Iran’s foreign ministry called the decision “il- as part of a pack- legal, illogical and contrary to international Iranian President age of measures rules”. It said its own ban on US nation- Hassan Rouhani speaks to curb illegal als would continue until the American at a conference in immigration. measure was lifted. It said it had ordered Tehran yesterday. “Today is not Iranian diplomatic missions to help Iranians the time to erect who had been “prevented from returning walls between nations. They have forgot- to their homes and places of work and ten that the Berlin wall fell years ago,” Rou- study” in the United States. Travel agents in hani said in a speech carried live on Iranian Tehran said that foreign airlines had begun state television. barring Iranians from US-bound flights. “To annul world trade accords does not help their economy and does not serve the development and blooming of the world threatened to annul it or seek a better deal. economy,” Rouhani told a tourism con- The other fi ve powers party to the deal ference in Tehran. “This is the day for the have reaffi rmed their commitment to it. world to get closer through trade.” Rouhani said earlier this month that The protectionist-minded Trump for- Trump could not unilaterally cancel the mally withdrew the United States from nuclear deal and that talk of renegotiating the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership trade deal it was “meaningless”. Since sanctions were on Monday, fulfi lling a campaign pledge lifted, Iran has signed major deals with Two Yemeni women, one clad in a face-covering burqa, browse through wedding dresses in a shop in the capital Sanaa yesterday. Despite the to end American involvement in the 2015 Western fi rms, particularly with plane- conflict in Yemen that led to the deterioration of the economic situation in the country, which was already struggling financially, people con- pact. Rouhani, a pragmatist elected in makers Airbus and Boeing. tinue to spend on weddings and other celebrations. 2013, thawed Iran’s relations with world Rouhani said yesterday: “Today is the powers after years of confrontation and time for peaceful co-existence, not the engineered its 2015 deal with them under time to create distance among nations.” which it curbed its nuclear programme in Rouhani made no direct reference to exchange for relief from sanctions. Trump’s order on Friday curbing the entry For Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, of refugees into the United States and tem- the agreement was a landmark foreign pol- porarily barring travellers from Iran and six icy achievement but the new president has other Muslim-majority countries. Govt forces advance into Mokha amid resistance

AFP wounded, a medical source in the Dhubab district further south in millions of civilians. The world body Aden rebel-held port city of Hodeida fur- their biggest advance in months. says about 14mn people — nearly ther north said. The off ensive comes with the 80% of the Yemeni population — Eight loyalist troops have been president and his coalition backers are in need of food aid. emeni government forc- killed and 13 wounded, medical under mounting international pres- Elsewhere, suspected Al Qaeda es have advanced into the sources in the government-held sure to agree to a UN ceasefi re plan. gunmen yesterday killed the special YRed Sea town of Mokha but second city of Aden said. In a speech to the Security Coun- security forces head in the southern Houthi rebels are still putting up The rebels’ only escape route is to cil on Thursday, UN envoy Ismail province of Abyan, Major Rushdi al- fi erce resistance, a military offi cial the north after loyalist forces sur- Ould Cheikh Ahmed criticised Hadi Alwani, and three guards, a security said yesterday. rounded Mokha from the east and for rejecting his proposals for a offi cial said. Forces loyal to President Abd-Rab- the south, the military offi cial said. transition that would see him cede He said gunmen ambushed Al- bu Mansour Hadi, backed by a coali- The waters off the port are block- much of his power to a vice presi- wani’s car in the town of Loder. tion, captured the police headquar- aded by coalition warships and dent who would oversee a govern- Al Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen, ters and several surrounding streets Apache helicopters. ment of national unity. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula late on Friday, the offi cial said. Mokha was Yemen’s main port “President Hadi continues to (AQAP), is seen by Washington as Deadly clashes have shaken the serving as its export hub for coff ee criticise the proposals without the militant network’s most dan- town after loyalist forces launched until it was overtaken by Aden and agreeing to discuss them and this gerous franchise. an off ensive nearly three weeks ago Hodeida in the 19th century. will hinder and impede the path to- It and the rival Islamic State to oust the rebels and their allies Nearly 260 combatants have wards peace,” the envoy said. group have exploited the power from the southern part of the Red been killed since government forces The UN has also criticised the vacuum created by fi ghting between Sea coastline. launched their drive up the Red Sea air and sea blockade of rebel areas, the government and Houthis to ex- Since Friday alone, at least 19 coastline on January 7. warning that it is impeding the de- pand their presence in Yemen, es- rebels have been killed and 23 They have already retaken the livery of desperately needed aid to pecially in the south.

Iranian-built drone shot down in Yemen

Reuters the plane from atop a light Dubai transport vehicle and coor- dinated and communicated with the UAE air force op- he air force of the erating in Yemen, which did United Arab Emirates its part in dealing with the Tshot down an Irani- plane, destroying it with an an-made drone in Yemen, air-to-land missile,” WAM state news agency WAM re- quoted the offi cer saying. ported yesterday, quoting a Major General Ahmed Yemeni military offi cer. Saif al-Yafei added that the The UAE is a member of incident occurred in the a coalition that is back- area around the Red Sea ing Yemen’s internation- port of Al-Mokha, the scene ally recognised govern- of heavy fi ghting between ment in a nearly two-year Houthi and coalition backed war against the Iran-allied Yemeni forces this week. Houthi group. There was no immediate It appeared to be the fi rst reaction to the allegation time the coalition had ac- by Iran or the Houthi group, cused the Houthis of de- which has repeatedly denied ploying drones made by their accusations that it serves regional arch-rival Iran. an Iranian agenda in Yemen “Yemeni forces...spot- or has been armed by the ted preparation to launch Islamic Republic.

POLICY Austria cancels visas over US move Austria is cancelling visas for Iranians destined for the US, includ- ing members of non-Muslim minorities, due to changes in US migration policy brought in by new President Donald Trump. Visas for 300 people — including Christians and Jews — had to be cancelled, said Thomas Schnoell, spokesman for the Austrian Foreign Ministry, yesterday. Up until now, Austria was acting as a sort of proxy for the US, which does not have an embassy in Iran. Using the visa, migrants first travelled to Austria, then continued on to their final destination in the US. On Friday, Trump signed an ex- ecutive order suspending the US refugee programme for 120 days. The order also bars people from several majority Muslim countries from entering the US for 90 days whether they seek refugee status or not. The order doesn’t name the countries, but refers to a specific section of the Immigration and Naturalisation Act. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 11 ARAB WORLD US travel Memorable reunion curbs decried as unjust and insulting

Reuters taking offi ce a week ago, Trump to celebrate Iranian New Year in Cairo/Baghdad signed an executive order on Fri- March. “What have we done to day to pause the entry of travel- deserve such a ban?...This ban lers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, So- will ruin our lives. Thank you rabs and Iranians plan- malia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen Mr President. Are you making ning US trips reacted with for at least 90 days. America great by hurting inno- Afury yesterday to new He said separately he wanted cent people?” American travel curbs they said the United States to give priority Some people planning US were insulting and discrimina- to Syrian Christians fl eeing the travel said the curbs would harm tory, as fi ve Iraqis and a Yemeni war there. their careers. were stopped from boarding a The travel curbs began im- Others feared for the safety of New York-bound fl ight in Cairo. mediately, causing confusion for their families. In some of seven Muslim-ma- would-be travellers with pass- In Baghdad, Bayan Adil, a jority countries aff ected by the ports from the seven countries. doctor working in the Iraqi restrictions, would-be travel- Sources at Cairo airport said Health Ministry who applied lers preparing family visits, work the fi ve Iraqi passengers and for a US visa to attend a medi- trips or seeking to escape war one Yemeni, arriving in transit cal seminar, said Iraqi academ- reported chaotic disruption to to Cairo airport, were stopped ics should visit Europe instead their plans. and re-directed to fl ights headed of the United States, where they Some said they had been hu- for their home countries despite were no longer welcome. miliated. holding valid visas. “Trump’s decision is unfor- A Libyan inmate is greeted by his relatives after he was freed from a prison in Ganfouda district, upon his arrival in Benghazi yesterday. Iran, one of the seven coun- In Doha, Qatar Airways ad- tunately a humiliating insult not tries, said it would stop US citi- vised passengers bound for the only for us as academics but for zens entering the country in re- United States from the seven all Iraqis,” she said. taliation to Washington’s visa newly banned countries that Her comments were echoed ban, calling it an “open aff ront they needed to have either a US by Abd al-Jafar, a 43-year-old against the Muslim world and green card or a diplomatic visa. university professor in Sudan’s the Iranian nation”. Farea al-Muslimi, a US-edu- capital Khartoum, who said he Syria rebels join forces with ex-Qaeda affi liate “It’s not right to portray huge cated Yemeni political commen- had sought to go to the United groups of Arabs and Muslims tator with the Sana’a Centre for States for doctoral studies. as possible terrorists,” Najeeb Strategic Studies said, “It’s in- “This decision, if imple- AFP The factions Liwa al-Haq, ing Aleppo province. been carried out by the US-led Haidari, a Yemeni-American sane — but what part of Trump mented, will be a disaster,” he Beirut the Ansar al-Din Front and The fi ghting continued yes- coalition fi ghting militants. security manager in Yemen, said is sane?” said.”I have work in Sudan and Jaish al-Sunna also signed the terday with Fateh al-Sham The Britain-based Observa- a day after Trump put a four- “This punishes thousands of have no desire to emigrate to declaration. seizing the area of Ihsem and tory has said Fateh al-Sham ap- month hold on refugee arrivals innocent people for things they the US, just to study there. This everal Syrian rebel fac- The new alliance, whose the village of Dana in Idlib from pears to believe that local rebels and temporarily barred travel- have no control over, when the decision is illogical.” tions merged with the name means “Liberation of rebel factions, the Syrian Ob- were providing co-ordinates for lers from war-torn Syria and six last few attacks in America had In Beirut, Joumana Ghazi SFateh al-Sham Front yes- Syria”, emerged days after other servatory for Human Rights the strikes. other mainly Muslim nations. to do with radicalised US citi- Chehade, 34, a refugee from terday after days of clashes be- rebel factions joined the power- monitor said. The armed opposition has “This is a stupid, terrible de- zens, not foreigners.” Yarmouk in Syria living in the tween armed opposition groups ful Ahrar al-Sham group. Fateh al-Sham has been ex- for months criticised Fateh al- cision which will hurt the Amer- A 34-year-old Sudanese man Lebanese capital’s Burj al- and the former Al Qaeda affi li- Fateh al-Sham and Ahrar cluded from both a fragile na- Sham, accusing it of tarnish- ican people more than us or who won the US Green Card Barajneh camp, said the deci- ate, they said. al-Sham have for years battled tionwide ceasefi re in force since ing the image of the rebellion anybody else, because it shows lottery said he was worried he sion would “destroy a lot of The militant group and four side by side against President December 30 and peace talks because of its ties to Al Qaeda, that this president can’t manage would be forbidden entry. people”. rebel factions — including the Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the organised by Russia, Turkey even after its cut ties to the glo- people, politics or global rela- “If I’m barred...this will de- “Of course we’re not going infl uential Nureddin al-Zinki northern province of Idlib, the and Iran this week in the Ka- bal network last year. tionships,” Haidari added. stroy my life because I resigned to go blow anything up...All we faction — labelled the new alli- last major bastion of the armed zakh capital. Tensions rose further af- Sudan called the decision to from my work in Sudan and was are asking for is security and ance Tahrir al-Sham. opposition. The members of the new al- ter the army retook the whole ban entry of its citizens very preparing to settle in America,” freedom.” Mirna, an American “In view of the plots shak- But the former Al Qaeda af- liance did not attend the Astana of Aleppo from the rebels last unfortunate in light of “historic he said. and a mother of two living in ing the Syrian revolution...we fi liate — which is listed as a talks either. month, and they traded blame steps” just weeks earlier to lift Fariba, an Iranian-American Syria, said it was clear Trump announce the dissolution of all “terrorist” group by the United Fateh al-Sham has accused for the fall of the northern city. US sanctions for co-operation who declined to give her fam- “doesn’t want to receive Syrian groups mentioned below and Nations and Western govern- rebels of seeking to isolate it Syria’s confl ict has killed on combating terrorism. ily name and lives in New Jer- Muslims...we have to expect their total merger into a new ments — has clashed with its as it is targeted by deadly air more than 310,000 people In the most sweeping use of sey, said her parents would not the worst from him because he entity named ‘Tahrir al-Sham’,” erstwhile allies in recent days strikes. and displaced millions since it his presidential powers since be able to make a planned visit is a crazy man.” they said in a statement. across Idlib and the neighbour- Most are believed to have started in 2011. Aleppo football fans cheer fi rst home game in years

AFP Aleppo

yrians cheered excit- edly in an Aleppo stadium Syesterday as they watched their fi rst live football match in the war-ravaged city in years. The Ittihad club beat Hurriya 2-1 in their fi rst match on home turf since rebels took east Alep- po in 2012, dividing the northern city into a regime-held west and rebel-controlled east. The sixth stage league game comes after the army last month retook Aleppo’s eastern neigh- bourhoods, regaining control of the whole city. Police in full riot gear stood by as eager fans wearing winter jackets and woolly hats chanted their encouragements to their team on the dry grass pitch. A large Ittihad banner draped in the stands featured an image of President Bashar al-Assad. Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war, despite having lost friends who had been killed or fled Syria during its nearly six-year war. “The last match I went to was in 2010,” said Mohamed Ali, who appeared to be in his early thir- ties, his hair slicked back and beard neatly trimmed for the oc- casion. “Of course there were a lot Al-Ittihad’s goalkeeper makes a stop during the Syrian league football match between derby rivals Al-Ittihad and Al-Hurriya in Aleppo yesterday. Right: Al-Ittihad supporters wave flags bearing the team colours during the more of us then. I was with my Syrian league football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hurriya. friends. Now some of them have travelled and others died,” he riya had only ever played games in a leather jacket, said before red and black shirts hung on Bakri Turab, another player, week said the game was “a fi rst ago. In 2012, matches resumed said, sporting his team’s red and in other parts of Syria. the kick-off . “But now security hooks in the changing room. said he had “been waiting for step towards Aleppo clubs re- in a reduced format and only in black jersey. Earlier games this season for has returned, we hope the club’s “I can’t tell you how it feels this moment for years”. Fans turning to play on home ground, only the regime-held cities of More than 310,000 people both teams were held in the re- crowds will slowly come back to to return to the pitch (in Alep- cheered as Ittihad took to the waiting for pitches to be ready”. Damascus and Latakia. have been killed and millions gime coastal stronghold of La- the stands,” he said, standing next po) after fi ve years,” said Ittihad fi eld to play their black-clad ri- But so far no other game has yet A National Football Fed- have fl ed their homes in the con- takia. to a fellow fan in a Syrian-fl ag- player Omar Hamidi before the vals, with young boys dressed been scheduled in Aleppo. eration offi cial last month said fl ict since it erupted with the “We had started feeling a bit themed outfi t and beanie hat. game. in green looking on from the With games played previously Syria League games would now brutal repression of anti-gov- desperate because no match was As they warmed up outside “My heart’s beating so fast,” touchlines. all over the country, the Syria return to the central cites of ernment protests in 2011. ever held in Aleppo,” Ghassan in their tracksuits before the he said, adding that his last game Maher Khayata, deputy head League was suspended after the Homs and Hama after they were Since 2012, Ittihad and Hur- Mahmoud, another supporter match, the Ittihad team’s bright in the city was in 2011. of the general sports union, this confl ict erupted nearly six years deemed safe. Gulf Times 12 Sunday, January 29, 2017 AFRICA Three soldiers killed in Boko Haram raid

AFP killing three soldiers after a gun battle,” A civilian resident in the nearby Mir- was named leader by the IS high com- Millions of children in northeast cerned about children living in large Kano, Nigeria said the military source who asked not inga village said the Kamuya assault mand in August. Nigeria, where Boko Haram is wag- areas of Borno state that are not yet ac- to be identifi ed. was carried out by fi ghters from the Al- Villages in the area have been razed ing an insurgency, have been vacci- cessible.” “The troops retreated to Buratai Barnawi faction who are known to be and plundered in deadly raids by Boko nated against measles in recent weeks While the Nigerian army has recap- t least three Nigerian soldiers where they teamed up with another de- hiding in the area’s Ajigin forest. Haram since Tukur Buratai became Ni- but many others could not be reached tured large swathes of land from the were killed when Boko Haram tachment and went after the terrorists Umar Sanda told AFP that Ajigin for- gerian army chief in June 2015. due to the threat posed by the Islamist Islamist militant group, much of the Ajihadists raided a military post in the bush,” the military offi cer said. est was the bastion of the Al-Barnawi The attacks are believed to be repris- militants, the United Nations said on northeast is still cut off from humani- near the country home of Nigeria’s army Troops sealed the area, preventing fi ghters and that “they are responsible als over the successes by the Nigerian Thursday. tarian aid with Boko Haram fi ghters chief in northern Borno state, military villagers from leaving and making it for most of the attacks in the area in- troops who have pushed Boko Haram Some 4.7mn children in Adamawa, prowling in the bush and regularly car- and civilian sources said yesterday. diffi cult to get a detailed account of the cluding the one in Kamuya”. from swathes of Nigerian territory they Borno and Yobe – the three states hit rying out attacks and suicide bombings. The Islamist group however claimed incident. He added that the residents have re- had seized in their bid to carve out an hardest by Boko Haram violence – were Around two-thirds of Borno’s health to have killed fi ve troops in the attack. Nigerian military offi cials declined to peatedly told the soldiers that “Ajigin is Islamic Caliphate. given vaccines in the past two weeks to facilities have been damaged or de- Armed jihadists from the Islamic comment on the attack. the hideout of Boko Haram in the area The military campaign which suc- protect them against the highly conta- stroyed during the insurgency, disrupt- State-supported Al-Barnawi faction of In a tweet from the IS-affi liat- and as long as they are not dislodged ceeded in substantially cutting off Boko gious virus, the UN children’s agency ing healthcare for millions of people, Boko Haram launched a midnight at- ed Amaq news agency, Boko Haram there will no end to their attacks”. Haram’s food, fuel and weapons sup- Unicef said. the World Health Organisation said. tack Thursday on Nigerian troops in the claimed it killed fi ve soldiers from the Boko Haram, which has pledged al- plies has also seen Boko Haram losing “Security has improved in some ar- However, Unicef said it had worked village of Kamuya, around 5km from regional coalition fi ghting the jihadists. legiance to the Islamic State group, its Sambisa forest stronghold to Nige- eas so we have acted quickly to access with the government to repair health Buratai, the native home of army chief “Killing of fi ve African coalition sol- has been in the grip of a power strug- rian forces. places we could not previously reach centres and set up temporary clinics of staff general Tukur Yusuf Buratai, a diers and 11 injured after attack by Is- gle. Boko Haram violence is estimated and protect children from the spread to provide more than 4mn people with military source told AFP. lamic Caliphate forces... One faction is led by Abu Musab al- to have killed 20,000 people and dis- of a very dangerous disease,” Unicef services ranging from antenatal care “The terrorists who rode on camels in Kamuya town,” the tweet read in Barnawi, the 22-year-old son of Boko placed 2.6mn since the start of its in- representative Mohamed Fall said in a to treatment for malaria, diarrhoea, attacked our checkpoint at Kamuya, part. Haram’s founder Mohamed Yusuf, who surgency in 2009. statement. “We are still extremely con- pneumonia and measles.

Anti-EU protest Gambia’s new president plans huge overhaul Barrow has to transform a coff ers before leaving for exile in Equa- ceived opponents were tortured and in repressive regime into a democracy torial Guinea, and diplomats have said some cases died. the country was already in a precarious Colley was made the director of pris- Agencies fi nancial state. ons by Gambia’s former leader, Yahya Banjul, Gambia Barrow’s fi rst cabinet pick, Vice Presi- Jammeh, who lost an election last month dent Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, has but refused to step down. Jammeh fl ed caused controversy as she is allegedly into exile in Equatorial Guinea last week ambian president Adama Barrow too old to serve, according to current as a West African regional military force said yesterday that every aspect constitutional rules. stood poised to remove him. Thousands of people take part in a government-sponsored demonstrations yesterday in Bujumbura, to protest Gof his tiny west African state Asked about reform of The Gambia’s Senegal surrounds tiny Gambia on against an European Parliament resolution calling the UN and the International Criminal Court to investigate the would need an overhaul after ex-leader army, whose poor reputation is partly three sides, and it spearheaded the oper- crisis that has plagued the country since April 2015. The procession, led by the mayor of the city and the number Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule, but that responsible for the presence of 4,000 ation to install opposition fi gure Adama two of the interior ministry, stopped in front of the EU representation’s headquarters. The African country has its dread secret police would remain. west African troops to guarantee Barrow Barrow, the election winner. been in the throes of a serious, sometimes deadly political crisis since April 2015 when current president Barrow faces an uphill task after tak- and the population’s safety, the presi- Its police reinforced border checks announced his intention to run for a third term which opponents said was unconstitutional. ing over from Jammeh, who left behind dent said he expected foreign nations to following Jammeh’s departure. a dysfunctional economy and allegedly provide help. “These checks led to, among other emptied state coff ers ahead of his depar- “In the army, if we need technical aid, results, the arrest on January 25, 2017, of ture. we will contact countries that are willing Gambian general Bora Colley by police Rights group blame the notorious Na- to help us,” he said. at the border checkpoint in Mpack as he tional Intelligence Agency (NIA) under Controversial army chief Ousman attempted to enter Guinea-Bissau,” the his longtime control for forced disap- Badjie would however keep his job, he police said in a statement. pearances and torture. said. Colley was later handed over to Sen- Starvation looms Barrow said the NIA was “an institu- There was “no time set” for the west egalese military authorities, it said. tion that has to continue”, but that its African force to leave, Barrow added. Neither Colley nor any of his associ- name would be changed and training Barrow said yesterday that he will ates could be reached for comment. would be given to its operatives. require complete fi nancial transparency Jammeh seized power in a 1994 coup “The rule of the law, that will be the from the ministers he chooses for his and ruled Gambia for 22 years. for 6mn children in order of the day,” he said. government. His regime grew increasingly brutal Barrow also addressed one of Jam- During his fi rst press conference, and his election defeat, which he initial- meh’s most controversial declarations, Barrow — who was elected almost two ly acknowledged before a dramatic re- from 2015, that The Gambia was an “Is- months ago but had to fl ee to Senegal af- versal a week later, was celebrated across lamic republic”. ter his predecessor refused to step down the country. Horn of Africa Barrow, in contrast, insisted the — said that his cabinet picks would have Colley served as commander of the country — whose population is 90% to declare their assets before assuming military camp in Jammeh’s home village Muslim, with the rest Christian and ani- offi ce. of Kanilai. He was appointed director of Thomson Reuters Foundation people, or more than four out of 10 residents, do not have mist — was a republic, “not the Islamic Barrow also said he would ensure Gambia’s prisons in 2012. Nairobi enough food. republic”. press freedom in the country. Human Rights Watch accused Jam- Fighting between Al Shebaab and Somalia’s AU-backed Civil servants would likely return to a Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the small meh’s government of forced disap- government continues, with 28 killed on Wednesday in an fi ve-day work week, breaking with Jam- West African nation for 22 years with pearances, arbitrary detention, and the unger, malnutrition and death threaten 6.5mn attack in the capital, Mogadishu. meh’s rule that Friday was a day off in an iron fi st, caused a major political im- torture of journalists, human rights ac- children in the impoverished drylands of Somalia, AU and Somali troops have driven Al Shebaab from ma- line with his Islamic republic rules. passe by refusing to give up power after tivists, political opponents and critics. HEthiopia and Kenya due to back-to-back droughts, jor urban strongholds and ports, but they have often strug- “My government is going to look at losing the December 1 presidential elec- Gay, lesbian and transgender people a charity said on Friday, with spring rains also predicted to gled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks. every avenue and there will be a com- tion to Barrow. were also targeted. be poor. Thousands of Somalis are on the move in search of food plete overhaul of the system,” Barrow After weeks of pressure from regional Many of those abuses were committed Repeated rain failures have pushed 15mn people across and water, many crossing into Ethiopia for assistance, said, speaking at his fi rst press confer- players and the threat of arrest by West in jails, including the notorious Mile 2 the three countries into crisis, and in need of aid, as their charities say. ence since arriving back from Senegal on African troops, Jammeh eventually con- Central Prison in the capital, Banjul. animals are dying and water is in short supply, Save the Save the Children said there are high rates of malnutri- Thursday. ceded defeat. Barrow returned to the More than 90 opposition members Children said in a statement. tion among children on arrival in Ethiopia’s vast Dollo Ado The president promised his cabinet Gambian capital on Thursday. were jailed following a wave of peaceful “The situation for already desperate children and camp. would be named early next week so that He said there had been no deal struck protests that began last April. families in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya will only get Many Somalis have been living in exile for three decades, he could “get the ball rolling”, adding he with Barrow, and that he had left be- Two died while in custody. worse – leaving millions at risk of hunger, and even with almost 1mn in refugee camps in nearby Ethiopia, Ken- would receive the fi rst comprehensive in- cause his security was not guaranteed. UN offi cials, who were allowed into death,” the charity’s Ethiopia country director, John ya, Djibouti and Uganda, where food is also in short supply formation about the state of the nation’s Senegalese police said on Friday that the country for the fi rst time in 2014, Graham, said. due to lack of funding. fi nances also on Monday or Tuesday. they had arrested general Bora Col- found that “torture is a consistent prac- The next rainy season is likely to bring more below-aver- In Ethiopia, hard hit by drought in 2016, almost 6mn Jammeh has been accused by a Bar- ley, the man who ran Gambia’s prisons, tice” and “avoiding arrest is a necessary age rainfall across the region, experts predict. people need aid. row aide of taking $11mn from the state where human rights groups say per- preoccupation for Gambian citizens”. Almost 500,000 children already have severe acute mal- The Kenya Red Cross Society launched an appeal to the nutrition, Save the Children said, which means they risk public on Friday for 1bn Kenyan shillings ($9.6mn) to pro- dying without emergency intervention. vide food vouchers and cash to thousands of hungry fami- Donors, political leaders and the new United Nations lies in the north and along the coast. Secretary Antonio Guterres are meeting at the African Un- As livestock deaths are increasing, weak animals will ion (AU) summit which opens on Monday in Ethiopia. also be slaughtered and the meat donated to schools, or- Guterres was the UN’s refugee chief during Somalia’s phans, the elderly and sick, it said. 2011 famine, in which 260,000 died due to drought, con- It predicted the number of Kenyans without enough to fl ict and a ban on food aid in territory held by the Islamist eat would almost double by April to 2.4mn from 1.3mn. militant group, Al Shebaab. “The eff ects of the drought are escalating,” said Abbas The UN warned this month that Somalia, crippled by Gullet, Kenya Red Cross Society’s secretary general. “This decades of war, risks slipping back into famine as 5mn should worry us all.”

Kenyan army claims it killed 70 terrorists in Somalia attack

DPA among its own troops as of yester- The Sunni extremists are battling to Nairobi day. The terrorist organisation Al establish an Islamist state in Somalia Shebaab claimed that it had slain 57 in a confl ict that has cost thousands Kenyan soldiers. of lives. While Al Shebaab often ex- he Kenyan army said yes- Two suicide bombers rammed two aggerates the number of casualties terday that 70 militants had vehicles into an African Union mili- caused by its attacks, the Kenyan gov- Tbeen killed in Somalia the tary base in Kolbiyow in the Lower ernment regularly remains silent on previous day during a terrorist at- Juba region on Friday. military losses. tack targeting its soldiers in the Kenyan defence ministry spokes- According to the Somali govern- country. The government in Nairo- man Paul Njuguna confi rmed that ment, an attack in January 2016 could bi had given no details of casualties the attack had led to “heavy fi ghting”. have killed up 180 Kenyan soldiers. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 13 AMERICAS Trump bars seven countries Reuters/AFP it comes to asylum decisions. Washington “It’s a completely plausible prioritisation, to the extent this group is actually being persecut- resident Donald Trump has ed,” Spiro said. halted the entry of citizens The order may also aff ect spe- Pfrom seven Muslim-ma- cial refugee programmes for Ira- jority countries, putting a four- qis who worked for the US gov- month hold on allowing refugees ernment as translators after the into the United States and tem- 2003 invasion of Iraq. porarily barring travellers, say- It is already aff ecting refugees ing that the moves would help and their families, said Jen Smy- protect Americans from terrorist ers of the Church World Service, attacks. a Protestant faith-based group He said his most sweeping use that works with migrants. of his presidential powers since Smyers said she spoke to taking offi ce a week ago, barring an Iraqi mother whose twin travellers from the seven nations daughters remain in Iraq due to for at least 90 days, would give Photographers snap pictures of Trump as he speaks by phone with processing delays. his administration time to devel- Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Oval Off ice. “Those two 18-year-old op more stringent screening pro- daughters won’t be able to join cedures for refugees, immigrants ion (ACLU) and other advocacy Islamic Relations said that the their mother in the US,” she said. and visitors. groups after two Iraqi men were order targets Muslims because of Democrats on Friday were “I’m establishing new vet- detained on Friday night at John their faith, contravening the US quick to condemn Trump’s order ting measures to keep radical Is- F Kennedy Airport in New York. Constitutional right to freedom as un-American, saying that it lamic terrorists out of the United It seeks their release on of religion. would tarnish the reputation of States of America. Don’t want grounds of unlawful detention. “President Trump has cloaked the United States as a land that them here,” Trump said earlier The groups asked that the what is a discriminatory ban welcomes immigrants. on Friday at the Pentagon. “We challenge be given class action against nationals of Muslim “Today’s executive order from only want to admit those into status so they can represent all countries under the banner of People exit immigration after arriving from Dubai on an Emirates flight at John F Kennedy International President Trump is more about our country who will support refugees and travellers held up national security,” said Greg Airport in Queens, New York. extreme xenophobia than ex- our country and love deeply our because of Trump’s executive or- Chen of the American Immigra- treme vetting,” said Democratic people.” der on Friday. tion Lawyers Association. On Friday evening, Abed Ay- In December 2015, he called for whether this order was constitu- Senator Edward Markey in a The bans, though temporary, The New York Times reported Trump has long pledged to oub of the American-Arab Anti- a ban on all Muslims entering the tional. statement. took eff ect immediately, causing that airport authorities started take this kind of action, making it Discrimination Committee said United States, drawing fi re for “If they are thinking about an Some Republicans praised the havoc and confusion for would- detaining travellers as early as a prominent feature of his cam- he had fi elded about 100 queries suggesting a religious test for im- exception for Christians, in al- move. be travellers with passports from Friday night. paign for the November 8 elec- from people anxious about the migrants that critics said would most any other legal context dis- Representative Bob Goodlatte, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, It said one of the Iraqi men tion. order, which he said he believed violate the US Constitution. criminating in favour of one reli- chairman of the House of Repre- Syria, and Yemen. held in New York had worked for But people who work with could aff ect travelling green card His idea later evolved into a gion and against another religion sentatives Judiciary Committee, The order seeks to prioritise the US government in Iraq for 10 Muslim immigrants and refugees holders, students, people coming proposal for “extreme vetting”. could violate the constitution,” said Islamic State has threatened refugees fl eeing religious perse- years and the other was coming were scrambling to determine the to the United States for medical Trump’s order also suspends said Stephen Legomsky, a former to use the US immigration sys- cution, a move that Trump sepa- to America to join his wife, who scope of the order. care and others. the Syrian refugee programme chief counsel at US Citizenship tem, making it important to do rately said was aimed at helping had worked for a US contractor. Even legal permanent resi- “It’s chaos,” Ayoub said. until further notice, and will give and Immigration Services in the more screening. Christians in Syria. The Times quoted their law- dents – people with “green During his campaign, Trump priority to minority religious Obama administration. “I am pleased that President That led some legal experts to yers as saying both men had cards” allowing them to live and tapped into American fears about groups fl eeing persecution. However, Peter Spiro, a profes- Trump is using the tools granted question whether the order was valid visas to travel to the United work in the US – were advised to Islamic State (IS) militants and Trump said in an interview sor at Temple University Beasley to him by Congress and the pow- constitutional. States. consult immigration lawyers be- the fl ood of migrants into Eu- with the Christian Broadcast- School of Law, said that Trump’s er granted by the Constitution to US rights groups fi led a legal Another group said it would fore travelling outside the coun- rope from Syria’s civil war, saying ing Network that the exception action would likely be constitu- help keep America safe and en- challenge yesterday. announce a court challenge to- try, or trying to return, accord- that refugees could be a “Trojan would help Syrian Christians tional because the president and sure we know who is entering the The suit was fi led by the morrow. ing to Muslim Advocates, a civil horse” that allowed attackers to fl eeing the civil war there. Congress are allowed consider- United States,” Goodlatte said in American Civil Liberties Un- The Council on American- rights group in Washington. enter the United States. Experts were divided on able deference and leeway when a statement. Trump aides divided over policy Zuckerberg drops Hawaii land case shielding ‘dreamer’ immigrants following outcry Reuters ney General, as well as Bannon, said DACA recipients live in fear Washington former head of right-wing Breit- and uncertainty as the message bart News, have pushed Trump from the White House and Re- By Julia Carrie Wong to the Guardian, because na- to take a harder approach and publicans seems to shift by the Guardian News & Media tive Hawaiians view land as an ivisions have emerged rescind the protections. day. “ancestor” or family member, among advisers to Presi- Two offi cials at the Depart- House Speaker Paul Ryan told rather than as a possession. Ddent Donald Trump over ment of Homeland Security ex- a woman protected by DACA, at a ark Zuckerberg will “It’s a grandparent,” she whether to rescind a signature pect Trump to simply stop re- town hall session hosted by CNN drop his lawsuits said. “You just don’t sell your policy of his predecessor, presi- newing the authorisations that on January 12, that there should Magainst hundreds of grandmother.” dent Barack Obama, that shields “dreamers” currently have to be a solution for people like her to Hawaiians to force the sale of Sproat criticised Zucker- young immigrants from deporta- work, drive and obtain higher get “right with the law” and not small tracts of land within his berg’s lawsuits as “the face of tion, according to congressional education. be separated from their families. Kauai estate, the Facebook neocolonialism”, and many sources and Republicans close to Under that plan, the most re- Just two days prior, Sessions, a chief executive announced on Hawaiians seemed to agree. the White House. cently renewed authorisations Senator, told a Senate panel con- Friday in an op-ed in Kauai’s Ing announced legislation to Even though Trump cam- would expire in two years. sidering his confi rmation that newspaper, the Garden Island. reform the quiet title process. paigned on a promise to roll back But a senior House Republi- it would “certainly be constitu- “Upon refl ection, I regret Some neighbours planned to Obama’s executive orders on im- can aide said it was uncertain tional” to repeal DACA. that I did not take the time to march on Zuckerberg’s prop- migration, the Republican has so whether the administration had Sessions also attempted to fully understand the quiet title erty in protest, according to far left intact an order safeguard- scrapped the idea of overturn- force a vote to block DACA in the process and its history before Business Insider. ing 750,000 people who were ing Obama’s Deferred Action Senate in 2014. we moved ahead,” Zuckerberg After the Honolulu Star- brought to the United States il- for Childhood Arrivals, known Priebus (left) has said publicly that Trump will work with Congress to Miller, Sessions’ former staff - wrote. “Now that I understand Advertiser fi rst reported on the legally as children, known as the as DACA, as the internal debate get a ‘long-term solution’ on the issue. er, is now Trump’s senior adviser the issues better, it’s clear we lawsuits, “dreamers”. plays out. for policy at the White House. made a mistake.” Zuckerberg took to his own The issue has become a fl ash- Preserving DACA has also be- and Republican Lindsey Graham over the next four weeks. Miller is known to be a staunch The billionaire had faced Facebook page to defend him- point for White House advisers come somewhat of a bartering to protect the “dreamers” as the “They shouldn’t be very wor- advocate for restricting immi- major backlash from Hawai- self, calling the media coverage divided between a more moder- chip as Trump seeks congres- “sugar that would help the medi- ried. They are here illegally. They gration, even by workers who en- ians since he fi led eight “quiet “misleading”. ate faction such as chief of staff sional support for a wall on the cine of the wall go down”. shouldn’t be very worried. I do ter legally on visas. title” lawsuits on December He attempted to cast the Reince Priebus and immigra- US-Mexico border and other The bill would likely face chal- have a big heart. We’re going to Both Miller and Bannon, 30. suits as a boon for the defend- tion hardliners Stephen Miller early administration priorities. lenges winning enough votes to take care of everybody. We’re go- Trump’s senior counsellor and Quiet title suits seek to clar- ants, since they might “receive and Steve Bannon, said a former The White House is “acutely pass. ing to have a very strong border,” chief strategist, are seen as out- ify the ownership of plots of money for something they congressional aide who has been aware” of the fi restorm in the Eff orts to attach some tough Trump said in the interview. siders to the Republican estab- land, which can be very com- never even knew they had”. involved with immigration issues country and within Congress conservative amendments could Trump reportedly told Durbin lishment and unafraid to upset plicated in Hawaii, and can re- But some of the defendants in Washington. that could swamp the fl edgling lose Democratic Party support during the inaugural luncheon people like Ryan to stay true to sult in owners being forced to told the Garden Island that Priebus has said publicly that administration just as it plunges and sink the whole eff ort. at the Capitol on January 20 that Trump campaign promises. sell at auction. they would never sell their Trump will work with Congress into negotiations over the wall, Trump has kept his public he did not have to worry about Priebus, however, came to the The process is controversial shares because of the impor- to get a “long-term solution”. healthcare, tax reform and infra- comments on DACA vague. an executive action overturning White House after chairing the in Hawaii, where many view it tance of having a connection to Meanwhile, Miller, said to structure investments, said the In an interview with ABC Obama’s order. Republican National Commit- as a tool of dispossession fi rst their ancestral lands. have mastered the thinking of senior House Republican aide. News on Wednesday, President But there is scant trust among tee and has spent years seeking employed by sugar barons, but Zuckerberg seems to have his former boss and anti-immi- Another congressional aide Trump said that his administra- Democrats that Trump will keep to unify the party and cultivating later adopted by the wealthy understood the issue now. gration advocate Jeff Sessions, described a Senate bill spon- tion would be coming out with his word. relationships with career politi- malihini (newcomers) seeking “We understand that for na- Trump’s nominee for US Attor- sored by Democrat Dick Durbin a policy to deal with “dreamers” And immigration advocates cians. vacation homes. tive Hawaiians, kuleana are sa- Hawaii state representa- cred and the quiet title process tive Kaniela Ing, who emerged can be diffi cult,” he wrote. “We as one of the key critics of want to make this right, talk Invasive carp in the lawsuits, said that he was with the community, and fi nd the Great Lakes “happy” and “humbled” by a better approach.” Calexit campaign gains momentum Zuckerberg’s announcement. “We appreciate Mr Zucker- A new species of invasive Asian “It’s not every day where berg’s sense of justice and his carp has appeared in three of you face off with one of the desire to truly understand the North America’s Great Lakes, AFP The 585,407 signatures re- Padilla said that the inde- and could fl ourish on its own. most infl uential billionaires, impact that the introduction of threatening the ecosystem, Los Angeles quired by July 25 represent 8% pendence measure – deemed “In our view, the United best PR professionals and best private property has had on the Canada’s fisheries and oceans of registered voters in Califor- highly unrealistic – would have States of America represents so attorneys in the world and indigenous people of Hawaii,” ministry said on Friday. nia – the most populous state in a deep impact on the state and many things that confl ict with win,” he said. “It’s a victory for Moses K Haia III, the executive Grass carp, one of four Asian carp campaign for California the country with nearly 40mn would likely face legal chal- Californian values, and our con- everyone who shared the story director of the Native Hawai- species, were captured between to secede from the rest residents and the world’s sixth- lenges. tinued statehood means Cali- on social media, for native Ha- ian Legal Corporation, said in a 2013 and 2016 in Lakes Michigan, A of the country over Don- largest economy. “Assuming that California fornia will continue subsidising waiians, and for people eve- statement. Erie and Ontario, the ministry ald Trump’s election is gaining Should the initiative make it actually became an independ- the other states to our own det- rywhere. It shows that when Haia’s group regularly de- said, citing a joint Canada-US momentum, with supporters on the ballot, a “Yes” vote would ent nation, the state and its local riment, and to the detriment of thousands of people stand to- fends native Hawaiians who study. allowed to start collecting sig- repeal clauses in the California governments would experience our children,” according to their gether, we win.” could not otherwise aff ord le- The fish, which can reach 45kg natures for the measure to be Constitution “stating Califor- major, but unknown, budget- website. The parcels at stake in the gal representation in quiet title and 1.5m in length, could cause put to a vote. nia is an inseparable part of the ary impacts,” he warned. “This The idea of independence Zuckerberg case were kuleana suits. “extreme” ecological damage California’s Secretary of State United States and that the Unit- measure also would result in became very appealing to many – land granted to native Ha- Zuckerberg promised to hold within the next 50 years as it Alex Padilla gave the green light ed States Constitution is the su- tens of millions of dollars of Californians following Trump’s waiians in the 1850s after land discussion with “community supplants native species, the on Thursday for proponents of preme law of the land”, a state- one-time state and local elec- shock election. was privatised for the fi rst time leaders” representing native study concluded, noting a lack “California Nationhood” – also ment by Padilla’s offi ce said. tion costs.” Democratic candidate Hillary in Hawaii – contained within Hawaiians and environmen- of natural predators to keep its known as Calexit – to start col- Voters would then be required Calexit enthusiasts, whose Clinton easily beat Trump in the the boundaries of his 700- talists, and added that he is numbers in check. lecting the nearly 600,000 sig- to decide in another referen- campaign is called Yes Califor- progressive state, winning by acre, $100mn estate. “looking for more ways to sup- The species can consume nearly natures needed for the measure dum in 2019 whether California nia, are pushing for independ- more than 4.2mn votes, almost Kuleana lands are espe- port the community as neigh- 40% of its weight in aquatic to qualify on the November 2018 should become a separate coun- ence on grounds the state is out double the number of ballots cially important, law profes- bours”. vegetation per day. ballot. try. of step with the rest of the US cast for Trump. sor Kapua Sproat explained Gulf Times 14 Sunday, January 29, 2017 ASEAN

Guests cut the ribbon during the opening ceremony of a grand celebration to greet the traditional Chinese New Year in Yangon yesterday. Indonesians watch a lion dance during the Lunar New Year celebrations in Malang, eastern Java island. Chinese communities in S Asia celebrate Year of the Rooster

Agencies day of the Year of the Rooster across the region to share their tions outside of China, the “By putting in a touch of tional tourists,” Yuthasak Dance being performed at Kuala Bangkok with traditional dances and wishes for an auspicious start to Year of the Rooster was Thai-ness, we want to Supasorn, governor of the Tour- Lumpur’s Thean Hou temple. prayers, media across the region the Lunar New Year, Efe news re- rung in on Friday night with a ensure that Thailand’s ism Authority of Thailand, told New Year’s revellers were also has reported. ported. parade in the capital’s Lumpini celebrations to mark the media persons in Bangkok. seen visiting the temple with hinese communities While the main celebra- In Thailand, which boasts Park, which saw some partici- Chinese New Year 2017 will In Malaysia, hundreds of their families for prayers and across South Asia yester- tions got underway in China, of hosting the biggest pants dressed in traditional Chi- be unique and memorable people gathered yesterday to posing for photos with decora- Cday celebrated the fi rst huge crowds gathered for events Lunar New Year celebra- nese costumes. for local and interna- watch a traditional Chinese Lion tive lanterns. Illusionist charged with Singapore fraud

Agencies obtain cash payouts under the investigations into a number Singapore PIC scheme. The alleged of- of suspicious PIC claims and fences occurred between June many of the claims were linked 2013 and November 2014. to Chandran. n Indian-origin illu- This is the biggest case in- Iras tax prosecutor Elisa Soh sionist in Singapore was volving an alleged PIC promot- Hui said that Chandran acted as Acharged in a court with er to date, the report said. a PIC broker and received about multiple counts of helping Chandran was off ered bail of 400,000 Singapore dollars others to fraudulently obtain S$200,000 Singapore dollars. ($279,000) from the payouts. Productivity and Innovation He will return to court on The PIC scheme is meant for Credit (PIC) cash payouts and February 3. qualifi ed businesses with real bonuses amounting to S$1.1mn The former IT instructor quit productivity-enhancing in- (US$768,000), the media re- his job in 2008 to pursue his vestments. ported. dream of being a magician, and It off ers tax deductions or S Chandran, 35, owner of became famous after winning the cash payouts to companies that Paradize Consultancy, was Best Variety Entertainer award invest in areas such as staff charged late on Friday and faced by the US-based International training, information technol- 58 charges under the Income Magicians Society in 2014. ogy or automation equipment Tax Act, the Strait Times re- In a statement, the Inland to boost productivity. ported yesterday. Revenue Authority of Singapore If convicted, Chandran could He was accused of intention- (Iras) said that over the past be fi ned up to S$50,000 or jailed ally assisting 49 claimants to year, it conducted extensive for up to fi ve years.

Seized Singapore troop carriers A technician uses a computer to create a laser-carving on a watermelon at Nguyen Van Minh’s workshop in Hanoi. head home from Hong Kong

Reuters Next stop, home,” Singapore this (January 27) morning”. Laser-carved melons lead Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen After the nine troop carriers said in a Facebook post. had been seized in November, Hong Kong’s Cable Tel- Beijing, which regained sov- ingapore’s defence minis- evision carried footage of the ereignty over the former Brit- ter has said that armoured carriers being transported on ish colony of Hong Kong in Vietnam’s fancy fruit fetish Svehicles seized by Hong trucks away from the facility 1997, warned countries against Kong in November, on their where they were being held, maintaining military ties with way home from military exer- with armed police standing Taiwan, which it views as a AFP holiday known as Tet in Vietnam The designer produce is often dragons, phoenixes and mes- cises in Taiwan, have left Hong by. wayward province. Hanoi that kicked off yesterday. gifted to colleagues and relatives, sages wishing good fortune or Kong port and are headed back Asked whether the Singa- The seizure came amid signs “Laser carving is more ac- or kept at home as decorations. wealth. to Singapore. pore-bound containers had of tension between China and curate and better for small pat- Minh’s Hanoi-based company Yet at about $1.50 to $3.50 a Hong Kong had said last week been released and shipped out, Singapore, which has deepened fter learning to use a laser terns. Plus, the designs are more is now churning out scores of pop, Minh says his company has it would release the nine Singa- Hong Kong’s Customs and Ex- its security relationship with engraving machine in a diverse,” the 27-year-old en- decorated and polished melons yet to be graced by riches. porean armoured vehicles, eas- cise Department said: “The the United States over the last AVietnamese engineering trepreneur told AFP as a laser at a fraction of the speed that it “Our profi ts are not good, but ing tensions between China and batch of controlled items were year and remains concerned school, Nguyen Van Minh is now beam rapidly etched an elaborate takes traditional carvers to chisel we still want to do it because this Singapore. reclaimed by the relevant ship- over China’s assertive territo- putting the technology to an un- rooster design into the green rind away at the fruit’s peel by hand. is a new business, and also be- “Our Terrexes left Hong ping company from Customs rial stance in the South China expected use: decorating fruit. of a bowling ball-sized melon. In the Chinese zodiac’s Year of cause we’re passionate about it,” Kong port at 0415hrs on Friday. warehouse in Tuen Mun early Sea. It is a modern twist on the tra- From giant pomelos to gold- the Rooster, the bird is without he told AFP. ditional custom of hand-carving dusted coconuts, Vietnam’s a doubt this season’s must have As far as wishes for the new designs into watermelons on the markets fi ll up with an array of emblem. year, Minh says he only has one: occasion of the lunar new year, a novelty fruits ahead of Tet. Other popular designs include a fruitful business.

Activist jailed for defaming Thai crown

IANS Military court sources con- of the monarchy and a cyber crime. Watch’s Asia chief, Brad Adams. Bangkok fi rmed yesterday to Efe news the Burin Intin maintained his in- The lese majeste law in Thai- sentence handed down on Friday nocence from the time of his ar- land carries sentences of up to to Burin Intin, who was arrested rest until January 24, when he 15 years in prison for those who Thai military court has on April 27, 2016, during a protest changed his plea to guilty. broadcast messages about the sentenced an activist who in Bangkok against the military “In the name of protecting the Royal House that the authorities Apleaded guilty to defam- junta that has ruled the country monarchy, the junta is stran- consider off ensive. ing the Crown in a comment since 2014. gling freedom of expression and Arrests for this crime have made on social networks to 11 The court found the defendant fuelling a climate of fear across multiplied since the military One of nine Terrex armoured vehicles, which belong to Singapore, waits to be loaded onto a truck years and four months in jail. guilty of two counts of defamation Thailand,” said Human Rights coup of May 22, 2014. at a cargo terminal in Hong Kong on Friday morning. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

Rich? Scared about New Year fi reworks spark return the Trumpocalypse? to hazardous Beijing pollution Try New Zealand

Reuters By Neil Sands, AFP or bought land include Holly- Beijing Wellington wood director James Cameron, Russian steel magnate Alexan- der Abramov and US fi nancial esidents of China’s capital he elevation of an un- services guru William Foley. awoke yesterday to dense, predictable billionaire One of China’s wealthiest Rchoking smog after many Tto the helm of nuclear- executives, Jack Ma, said last set off a barrage of fi reworks armed America has given fresh year that at least 20 former overnight to ring in the Lunar impetus to the idea of remote colleagues from his Alibaba New Year, despite limits and New Zealand as a bulwark for empire had retired to New Zea- public admonitions against such civilisation in the event of a land and he was considering displays in the congested city. global catastrophe. purchasing a property himself. The Beijing Municipal Envi- The idea has pedigree — The nation of 4.5mn people ronmental Protection Bureau British science fi ction writer is nestled deep in the South said harmful particulate matter John Wyndham’s 1955 novel Pacifi c Ocean, some 2,000km in the air had hit the second- The Chrysalids describes a from Australia. highest level in fi ve years by Sat- post-apocalyptic landscape It is prosperous, has spec- urday morning, the state-owned where Zealand (or Sealand) tacular landscapes and Trans- China News Service reported. is the only place that has not parency International rates it Beijing launched a “war sunk into barbarity. the least corrupt country in the against pollution” in 2014 as part The fi ctional Zealand es- world, alongside Denmark. of a central government promise caped the holocaust because The New Yorker magazine to reverse damage done by dec- it was “somewhat secluded” this month reported it had be- ades of breakneck growth and and it seems that, in uncertain come the refuge of choice for strengthen powers to shut down times, the real New Zealand is ultra-rich Americans looking and punish polluters. attracting interest for the same for a bolthole if Trump’s presi- Eff orts to clean up the skies in reason. dency goes disastrously wrong. the industrial heartland around “The world is heading into Peter Campbell of high-end Beijing are being thwarted by a major crisis,” German-born construction fi rm Triple Star coal-burning industry and in- Internet mogul and alleged Management said wealthy door heating, which increases online piracy kingpin Kim Dot- Americans wanted helipads in during China’s winter months. com tweeted late last year. their luxury escapes, but not Public health concerns over “I saw it coming and that’s necessarily underground shel- air pollution have grown and the why we moved to New Zealand. ters. government has found no source Far away & not on any nuclear “It’s not like you need to of pollution too small to ignore. target list.” build a bunker under your They have even taken on out- After Trump’s election in No- front lawn, because you’re sev- door food vendors in recent vember, about 17,000 Ameri- eral thousand miles away from years, as well as the annual battle cans registered interest online the White House,” he told the against China’s long tradition of Performers take a part in a re-enactment of an ancient Qing Dynasty ceremony as the Lunar New Year of the Rooster is celebrated at the in moving to New Zealand, a 13- magazine. lighting fi reworks to celebrate the temple fair at Ditan Park (Temple of Earth park) in Beijing. fold increase on regular levels. New Zealand Prime Minis- Lunar New Year. Immigration New Zealand ter Bill English has said he can “In setting off fi reworks, be In Beijing, eff orts to ease smog lution from healthy to hazardous quality index and double the ple and spectators at outdoor also reported a spike in inquir- see why his country’s political conscious of ‘setting off the (pol- included neighbourhood post- levels in a matter of hours. threshold considered hazardous. performances. ies from Britain after the Brexit stability and strong economy lution) index’,” read an editorial ings asking residents not to light Beijing’s level of PM2.5, a The greater region of Beijing, Dispersal of the pollution vote. were attractive. yesterday in the People’s Daily fi reworks, fewer approvals for measure of small particulate the nearby port city of Tianjin largely depends on weather con- Just last week it emerged “Around the world now newspaper, the Communist Par- fi rework stalls and offi cials being matter particularly damaging and surrounding Hebei province ditions, with two cold air fronts that tech titan Peter Thiel, there’s quite a lot of anxiety ty mouthpiece. warned to lead by example and to health, peaked at 647 micro- surpassed peak levels of PM2.5 in likely to help reduce pollution in one of Trump’s strongest sup- because there’s so much uncer- Hundreds of millions of people abstain from the pyrotechnics. grams per cubic metre early yes- 2016, it said. the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Re- porters, quietly obtained New tainty, whether it’s in Europe or criss-cross China to visit fam- Although state-owned Xin- terday, the national Ministry of In response, many on the gion through to Wednesday, the Zealand citizenship in 2011 and the UK or the US,” he said. ily and friends during the Lunar hua reported that purchases of Environmental Protection said in streets of Beijing wore masks to environmental ministry said, be- owns several properties in the “So I’d expect there would New Year period, with the gov- fi reworks fell 4.9% in Beijing a statement on its website. welcome the Year of the Rooster, fore conditions deteriorate again South Pacifi c nation. be demand for people to come ernment predicting up to 3bn this year, the measures weren’t That was well beyond the up- including paramilitary police and potentially lead to another Other rich-listers who have to New Zealand. That’s a meas- trips. enough to avoid a spike in pol- per limit of 500 on China’s air stationed at Beijing’s Lama Tem- heavy bout of pollution. either moved to New Zealand ure of success.” Gulf Times 16 Sunday, January 29, 2017 BRITAIN

BRAWL knives had been found CRIME POLITICS SOCIETY Deadly weapons seized by in a company pool Shopkeeper hit with fake Ukip leader Nuttall Landlord caught renting car which had been police after teenagers fight abandoned, police gun in row over belts backs waterboarding out storeroom as tiny flat said. The car and A haul of deadly weapons were seized by police weapons were both A south Londoner knocked a shopkeeper out Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has backed A “rogue” landlord was caught renting out a tiny in east London after a gang of 20 yobs were seized. The discovery cold by thumping him with a fake gun during waterboarding of terror suspects “through gritted caretaker’s storeroom with just one window as a seen fighting with bats, poles and knives. comes towards the end an argument over women’s belts. Christopher teeth”.Nuttall, said he would be “OK” with its use, flat in south London. Christian Podina has been Police raced to the scene in Tower Hamlets of a new week-long Dawson, 58, went into the women’s which simulates the experience of drowning, if it ordered to stop using the property as a one- on Thursday evening after reports of a brawl Seized weapons Met Police crackdown accessories shop in Streatham hoping to do ensured lives were saved. Speaking to Sky News bedroom home in Rope Street, Rotherhithe and between a group of male youths in several cars. on knife crime after a business with the shopkeeper. But Dawson on the campaign trail in Cumbria, Nuttall said: “If must remove its kitchen and bathroom by May. PC Brian Coll of the Met Police’s Tower Hamlets string of stabbings in the capital. The drive against grew furious when the owner of the Streatham waterboarding ensures that we save a number The property, a former caretaker’s storeroom with branch said by the time off icers arrived the gangs has seen police carry out more weapon High Road shop refused his deal to offer four of lives in this country or in America because just one proper window, measured at 27m2 way yobs had mainly dispersed. PC Coll told the sweeps, stop and search action and targeted belts in exchange for £50. After threatening someone admits to something that is going to below the minimum 37m2 required for planning Standard: “The calls stated they were armed with operations over the past week. The long-planned the shopkeeper, Dawson returned to the south happen in terms of a terrorist attack, well through approval. Mark Williams, cabinet member for bats, poles and knives and had several cars.” crackdown, which is phase seven of Operation London shop five days later armed with a gun gritted teeth I’d probably be OK with it. Later he regeneration and new homes, said: “We will Off icers began scouring the area for weapons Sceptre, will run until Sunday. In similar knife drives – which later turned out to be fake. Dawson tweeted: “Just to clarify, I would put the protection not allow unscrupulous landlords to make and found several deadly knives including a in the past the Met’s off icers carried out over 5,700 repeatedly hit the shopkeeper on the head of British families from a terrorist attack over the money by renting out unsuitable, cramped and machete sword-style knife and a dagger. The sweeps and recovered more than 1,430 weapons. with the weapon, knocking him unconscious. rights of a Jihadi every day. Period.” uninhabitable premises wherever they see fit.” Foggy alley Cumberbatch creates art for children’s charity

Evening Standard in 2001 — said the charity London aimed to give children, who may not have the chance to be creative an opportunity to elebrities including express themselves and have Benedict Cumberbatch fun. Cand Joanna Lumley She told the Standard: have created works of art to “Anno loved to write and make raise money for a London- music, that was his joy in his based children’s charity. life and that’s what he wanted The stars drew or paint- to do. ed works which will feature “I happened to be in Africa among prizes in a raffl e organ- when I found out that he’d ised to raise money for edu- died and I saw all these kids cational arts programmes in who had never been to school, Kenya and Malawi. who didn’t have a pencil, let A host of other celebrities alone access to paint and I have also contributed works thought what better way to including Daniel Craig, Felic- celebrate Anno’s legacy than ity Jones, artist Conrad Shaw- give these kids a chance to be cross and singer Laura Mar- creative and have fun on the ling. way.” A man walks in fog in Dunham Park near Altrincham in Britain. The artworks by Cum- The raffl e marks the tenth berbatch, Craig, Jones and anniversary of the charity Lumley, are hidden among which Gilbert founded along the many other drawings and with Anno’s father in 2006. paintings to be won. Ten years on Anno’s Africa The raffl e, which will be works with over 1,700 children drawn in February, has been in Kenya and Malawi along organised by London charity with its sister organisation One Anno’s Africa to raise enough Fine Day. money to build an arts centre Cumberbatch and Lumley in Kibera, one of Kenya’s poor- have been longtime supporters est slums, and to expand their of the charity. Morgan unfazed by work in Malawi. In the past it had organised Londoner Bee Gilbert, who high-budget auctions to raise founded the charity in mem- money but Ms Gilbert said this ory of her son Anno Birkin — year they wanted to do some- a 20-year-old musician and thing in which anyone could threats from ‘morons’ writer who died in a car crash partake.

Evening Standard gan said: “A few morons shouting at London me… what is he going to shoot me Five rescued with? Morgan was booed after his public iers Morgan has said he is unfazed spat with Ewan McGregor, in which he after gas blast by the death threats he receives called the actor a “paedophile-loving Pfrom “morons”. The Good Morn- hypocrite” after McGregor cancelled an ing Britain presenter, 51, said he doesn’t appearance on Good Morning Britain Evening Standard Photos taken in the af- worry about being a target despite re- over Morgan’s controversial views on the London termath of the blast show a ceiving threats “every three minutes” Women’s March. large police cordon along the during his time at CNN. McGregor was scheduled to be inter- pavement with police offic- Speaking to The Sun he said: “I’ve nev- viewed about his new fi lm, T2 Trainspot- irefi ghters pulled four ers and firefighters guarding er had security, I take care of myself. ting, on the ITV breakfast show when he adults and a child from a the area. “If someone wants to try their luck pulled out minutes before. Fsouth east London house One photo appears to the then good luck to them! Explaining his reasons he tweeted: after a gas blast ripped through roof of a house partly dam- “I honestly don’t worry about being a “Was going on Good Morning Britain, their home. aged with tiles collaps- target. didn’t realise @piersmorgan was host. The fi ve people had to be ing into the house. People “When I was in America at CNN I did Won’t go on with him after his com- rescued after the gas explosion nearby complained of long a campaign about gun control and I was ments about #WomensMarch.” in Sidcup at around lunchtime delays as Sidcup Hill was getting death threats every three min- Morgan scolded the actor for letting yesterday. shut between Foots Cray utes.” down his fans and for refusing to engage One man was injured in the High Street and Sidcup High Morgan was met with a chorus of boos in a debate with someone who held a dif- blast and treated by paramed- Street and buses were di- during his appearance at the National ferent viewpoint. ics at the scene. verted. A spokeswoman for Television Awards with his co-host Su- He called for a boycott of his fi lms and The explosion happened at the London Fire Brigade said sanna Reid. said McGregor had “revealed himself a house on Sidcup Hill and left firefighters had evacuated On taking to the stage one man shout- to be a narrow-minded, stupendously roads in the area choked up as four adults and a child fol- ed: “Shoot him.” self-aggrandising, anti-democratic little police, ambulances and fi re lowing the blast and made Speaking about the outburst, Mor- twerp”. Piers Morgan with Susanna Reid at the NTAs. engines raced to the scene. the house safe. Disabled cyclist ‘knocked out after road rage row’

Evening Standard after he banged his hand onto the bon- the parked car and the Prius, he man- He shouted ‘look what you made He was on the fl oor with some dam- suspicion of GBH. He has been bailed to London net in frustration. aged to force his way out and slapped me do’ and threw a punch straight age to his face. return on a date in March.” The cyclist was allegedly assaulted in his hand on the bonnet which aggra- into his face and he was knocked out “There was a man, who I thought A London Ambulance Service Endell Street in Holborn on Thursday vated the driver. cold. The cyclist was riding a wheel- was a private hire driver, shouting at spokesman said: “We were called at disabled cyclist was knocked out Video footage taken in the aftermath “The driver jumped out of his car and chair cycle. the cyclist on the fl oor and telling him 4.43pm on Thursday, January 26 to re- cold when he was punched in shows the cyclist on the fl oor next to a went down on top of him. “He was out cold for about 30 sec- he was in the way. ports of a road traffi c collision at Endell Athe face by a driver during a road hand pedal bike. onds. I stepped in between them to “I asked him if he was alright and he Street. rage row in central London, witnesses Scotland Yard said a 38-year-old The cyclist, who was riding stop him from doing anything else and told me he had the whole thing on cam- “We sent an ambulance crew to the said. man was arrested on suspicion of a wheelchair cycle, became somebody else called the police.” era. scene. The cyclist, 27, was allegedly at- GBH in connection with the inci- jammed between a parked Billy Clerkin, 24, from Peckham, was He turned his face to me and I saw We treated a patient at the scene and tacked after he got into an argument dent. car and the Toyota Prius but cycling home from work past the in- that he had a cut face. took them to a hospital in west Lon- with the driver of a silver Toyota Prius Police said offi cers were called to the managed to force himself free cident and saw the police arrive at the “There were a whole bunch of don.” who was attempting to overtake him assault in Endell Street at about 4.25pm during the incident in Endell scene. people standing around who wit- An Uber spokesman said: “We are along a narrow street in Holborn on and found the victim suff ering from fa- Street Clerkin, a technology worker and nessed it. currently investigating these shocking Thursday afternoon. cial injuries. cycling campaigner, said: “There was A Met Police spokesman said: “Po- reports. Witnesses said the cyclist, who was The cyclist was taken to a hospital in As I was jumping out of my car to a lot of traffi c down Endell Street and lice were called to a report of an as- Whenever there is a serious incident riding a wheelchair cycle, became central London by paramedics. stop it, his car rolled forward into two cars trying to get down there from High sault of a 27 year-old male, on Endell it is our policy to prevent the licensed jammed between a parked car and the A spokesman for minicab app Uber other parked cars. Holborn. I fi ltered through and got to Street, near the junction with Shaft- private hire driver from using our app Toyota Prius but managed to force him- told the Standard that a private hire “I ran round and pulled him off . the incident. esbury Avenue on Thursday January while we investigate.” self free during the incident in Endell driver had been suspended from using And everything was calm for a couple “There was a man on the fl oor sit- 26 at 4.25pm. Helen Chapman, Transport for Lon- Street. the app while the company investi- of seconds. ting up in the middle of the road with “The victim sustained facial injuries. don’s general manager for taxi and pri- The motorist, who is believed to be a gated. But then the driver noticed that what looked like a hand pedal bike next LAS attended and the victim was vate hire, said: “These are serious al- minicab driver, allegedly got out of the The witness told the Standard: “Af- his car had rolled into the parked to him, which was defi nitely a bike for taken to a central London hospital. legations and we are working with the car and punched the cyclist in the face ter the cyclist became jammed between cars. wheelchair users. “A 38 year-old male was arrested on police to urgently investigate them.” Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 17 BRITAIN Fly past Papers cast new light on ‘mad’ George III

AFP He is processing knowledge London on a proto-industrial scale as a part of his role,” said Andrew Lambert, professor of naval his- housands of papers from tory at King’s College London. the reign of Britain’s “He’s the best-informed Tking George III went chief executive this country online yesterday, including an has ever had.” essay by the monarch on losing The papers are accompanied America and details of his spy by a BBC documentary, George network. III — The Genius of the Mad Some 33,000 pages were King. published by the Royal Ar- The newly published ar- chives, detailing the life and chive includes instructions times of Britain’s longest- to the 18th-century explorer reigning king, who was on the James Cook and details of king throne from 1760 to 1820. George’s spy network. “George III is often labelled In one document, a spy with as ‘mad’, or the king who lost the code name Aristarchus America,” said the Georgian asks for payment for warning Papers Programme. of a French assassination plot The papers bring new in- against the king. sights into a “complex, en- Personal correspondence is gaged polymath and highly in- also in the archive, such as a Late in the afternoon, gulls fly over the river Thames in front of The Elizabeth Tower, more commonly known as Big Ben, and the houses of parliament in central London. formed monarch”, it said. letter sent by queen Charlotte Oliver Urquhart Irvine, the after the death of her young Royal Archives librarian, said son prince Alfred, which in- the new database, which has cluded a lock of the toddler’s the support of Queen Elizabeth hair. II, would open up the historic Although king George was papers to a global audience. on the throne until 1820, his “Seeing original documents eldest son reigned as regent is utterly compelling,” he said. from 1811 because of recurrent, “You can feel the passion, per- and eventually permanent, sonality, worries and triumphs mental illness. of individuals who have shaped An insight into the formal Veteran British actor major events. handover of power is given It can change your perspec- with two pages detailing the tive of history.” banquet for king George IV’s It was during king George’s coronation, in 1821. reign that Britain lost the Thir- The menu fi t for the king in- teen Colonies, which declared cludes “La Blanquette de Pou- independence as the United lardes aux truff es de France” States in 1776 — a moment la- (chicken in white sauce with John Hurt dies at 77 mented by the sovereign in an French truffl es), served in essay which is part of the digi- Westminster Hall. Hurt had key roles in some It was such an honour to have playing a parody of his Kane tised collection. Publication of the royal pa- cult movies watched you work, sir.” character in spoof sci-fi com- “America is lost!” the king pers is set to continue, with Among many other tributes to edy Spaceballs, directed by Mel writes, in a text which archi- more than 350,000 pages set to AFP fl ood in, American actor Chris Brooks. vists have said is a near verba- be added to the Georgian Papers London Evans described Hurt as “re- The veteran US comic posted tim extract from a longer essay Programme database by 2020. markable”. on Twitter that he was “terribly published by a diff erent author. They cover the reigns of “John Hurt was one of the most sad today to learn of John Hurt’s A turning point in the US Britain’s fi rst four kings called scar-nominated British powerful, giving, and eff ortlessly passing. independence campaign — the George, from 1714 to 1837. actor John Hurt, known real actors I’ve ever worked with “No one could have played The 1781 Battle of the Chesapeake — For more than a century the Ofor his roles in Elephant Remarkable human being. Elephant Man more memorably,” is captured in a paper written by papers have been stored in the Man and Harry Potter, has died U will be missed,” he wrote on he added.”He carried that fi lm naval offi cer Samuel Hood. Round Tower of Windsor Cas- aged 77 after a battle with pan- Twitter. into cinematic immortality. “The king takes his job very tle, a royal residence west of creatic cancer, his wife said yes- Born on January 22, 1940 in He will be sorely missed.” seriously. London. terday. Chesterfi eld, central England, The actor, who received a total The versatile actor, who played Hurt fi rst began his career as a of four BAFTAs, was knighted by Mr Ollivander in Harry Potter teacher of drawing. Queen Elizabeth II in 2014. and the Philosopher’s Stone and But he quickly moved to a life His cancer was diagnosed the in two other fi lms in the series, on camera and, after entering the following year but he did not give passed away in Norfolk, eastern prestigious Royal Academy of up his profession. England, on Wednesday, accord- British actor John Hurt. Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, For his fi nal role, he played he began his career in British fi lm Tube staff ing to wife Anwen Rees Meyers. Father Richard McSorley in the He starred in the movie adap- role two years later in Elephant statement released by publicist in the 1960s. biopic Jackie, the story of the tation of George Orwell’s novel Man about a severely deformed Charles McDonald. But it was at the end of the former American First Lady, 1984 and played the role of Kane man in 19th century London. “John was the most sublime of 1970s when his career defi ni- which was released in December in Alien, who dies when the crea- He received a BAFTA award actors and the most gentlemanly tively took off following back- in the US. to-back roles in Midnight Express to stage ture dramatically bursts from his for Midnight Express as well as a of gentlemen with the greatest of He was however forced to pull chest in one of the most memo- Golden Globe in the best actor in hearts and the most generosity of and Alien. out of a play last July on the ad- rable death scenes in movie his- a supporting role category. spirit. Hurt, who appeared in some vice of his doctors. tory. Hurt’s death was confi rmed by He touched all our lives with 140 fi lms, often playing sup- “It is therefore with great sad- He was twice nominated for an his widow Anwen. joy and magic and it will be a porting roles, also maintained ness and disappointment that I a strong television presence, two strikes Oscar, in the best supporting ac- “It is with deep sadness that strange world without him.” must withdraw,” he said at the tor category for his performance I have to confi rm that my hus- Lord of the Rings star Elijah making appearances in cult Brit- time. in the 1978 fi lm Midnight Express band, John Vincent Hurt, died Wood paid tribute to the actor, ish series Doctor Who among Aside from his wife, he is sur- Evening Standard promised on London Under- as Max, a British man imprisoned on Wednesday 25th January 2017 writing on Twitter: “Very sad to others. vived by two sons, Alexander and London ground off the back of cash-led in Turkey, and for his starring at home in Norfolk,” she said in a hear of John Hurt’s passing. He also showed a lighter side, Nicholas. cuts to staffi ng levels that the union has warned would have ube workers are to stage a serious, lasting and corrosive two strikes next month impact for staff and passengers Tin a row over jobs and alike. ticket offi ce closures. That is why our members are Members of the Rail, Mari- taking this further action. A cult actor of many faces time and Transport union “RMT members on the Lon- (RMT) will walk out for 16 don Underground stations see hours from 6pm on February 5 day in and day out the toxic AFP Hurt excelled in cult movies and partic- and for 15 hours from 10am on impact of the job cuts pro- London ularly in futuristic fi lms, like 1984, in which the 7th. gramme and they are reporting he played Winston Smith in the same year, The strike was announced back that it is horrifi c. V for Vendetta, by James McTeigue in 2005 after talks between transport “It has now also been shown ritish actor John Hurt, who has died and Snowpiercer by Joon-ho Bong in 2013. bosses and the union broke that at management level there aged 77, was a cult actor of many But his career of 140 fi lms, of which he down this afternoon. is agreement with the union Bfaces, often playing supporting roles admits openly some he accepted to make a The RMT and Transport that the cuts have been a dis- which went down in the annals of cinema living, also led him to portray Garrick Ol- Salaried Staff s’ Association astrous mistake. history. Whether as the fi rst victim in Al- livander, a genial magic wand seller in the (TSSA) staged a 24-hour strike “With the constant over- ien, the sensitive monster in the Elephant Harry Potter fi lms, and the mad scientist earlier this month which crip- crowding on stations and plat- Man or the transvestite writer in the Naked Oxley in the Indiana Jones Kingdom of the pled Tube services. forms it is only a matter of time Civil Servant, Hurt slipped seamlessly into Crystal Skull. The RMT said it is also plan- before there is a major tragedy any role. The actor with a melancholy regard who ning further strikes in March. if we don’t act decisively. “I’m open to any genre — that is who I scoured the bars of London’s Soho district Over 3,000 RMT station “Our dispute is about tak- am. Essentially I am an actor for hire,” he John Hurt in Alien with Peter O’Toole, Oliver Reed and Lu- staff members were balloted ing action to haul back the cuts once said. cian Freud, liked playing eccentrics and for action over the impact on machine and put safety back at Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II last year In parallel with the stage he also made He won an Bafta award and the Golden psychotics, be they victims or torturers. safety from the axing of nearly the top of the agenda. for services to drama, Hurt was born on his debut in television, where he made his Globe for the best supporting role and was His deep and grave voice led him to 900 front-line workers along- “The union remains avail- January 22, 1940 near Chesterfi eld in the mark in Britain portraying transvestite nominated for an Oscar. carry out on several occasions the role of side the closure of Tube ticket able for further serious talks.” British heartland county of Derbyshire. writer Quentin Crisp, and then the Roman The year after the tall and slender actor narrator, notably in Dogville of Lars Von offi ces. Steve Griffi ths, London Un- His mother, who herself was an amateur emperor Caligula. with a shock of red hair played the second Trier — with whom he collaborated on The unions have warned derground’s Chief Operating actress, forbade him from going to the cin- His role model was Alec Guinness in offi cer Kane in Ridley Scott’s Alien. three occasions — or in Perfume, the Story that the job cuts have left Offi cer, said: “This threat of ema, which she thought was too common David Lean’s Oliver Twist. The scene where the extra-terrestrial of a Murderer, the adaptation of the novel safety on a “knife edge” with strike action is completely un- for the son of a pastor. “It was the fi rst time on fi lm I’d seen kills him when emerging from his chest of Germany’s Patrick Sueskind. repeated reports of dangerous necessary. He discovered theatre at school, but it an actor practise the theatrical tradition has gone down in the annals of cinema. After having fought problems with al- overcrowding on stations and We invited both unions to was towards painting that the great ad- of taking himself to the part, rather than In 1980, after 12 hours of make-up, he cohol, Hurt announced on June 16, 2015 on platforms. continue talks at ACAS today mirer of Edvard Munch fi rst turned, secur- the other way round — something that slipped into the tragic skin of the Elephant his blog that he was suff ering from pan- Union members have been in a bid to resolve this dispute. ing a grant to become teacher of drawing at remains a lasting infl uence on my work to Man for the black and white masterpiece creatic cancer and said he was “more than banning overtime, which they “We are still in talks with the Saint Martin’s School of Art in London. this day,” he told the Guardian newspaper of David Lynch. optimistic about a satisfactory outcome”. say has exposed the “massive TSSA union but the RMT re- In 1960 his passion for the stage caught in 2011. His performance won him a second Os- Scarred by the accidental death in 1983 defi ciencies” in station staffi ng. fused to join us today. up with him and he entered the prestigious In 1978 he played Max, an English hero- car nomination and a Bafta for the best of his fi ancee of 16 years, the French model Mick Cash, RMT general “We urge the RMT to con- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in addict in the hellish Turkish jail in Alan actor. He won another Bafta for his whole Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, Hurt was secretary, said: “RMT will not tinue talking to us so that we from which he graduated two years later. Parker’s Midnight Express. career in 2012. married four times and had two children. stand by while safety is com- can reach a resolution.” Gulf Times 18 Sunday, January 29, 2017 EUROPE

Migrants boost EU heavyweights vow German population fi rm response to Trump to record AFP controls on travellers from sev- we have to respond.” Luxembourg Foreign Minister new German counterpart, Sig- pean leaders with his positive of 82.8mn Paris en Muslim countries including Trump has announced a series Jean Asselborn condemned the mar Gabriel. comments on Putin, and has war-wracked Syria. of controversial decisions, mak- tougher visa measures slapped “This decision can only cause left open the possibility of lift- Hollande spoke out a day after ing good on what some thought on seven Muslim states: Iran, us concern. But there are a lot of ing sanctions on Russia despite Reuters he EU’s traditional power Trump – who has made clear he may have been electioneering Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, other issues that are causing us Moscow’s annexation of Crimea Berlin couple France and Ger- thinks other EU countries will campaign pledges, on an almost Syria and Yemen. concern,” Ayrault, with Gabriel and role in the Ukraine confl ict. Tmany have expressed leave the bloc – called Britain’s daily basis since taking offi ce on “The decision is … bad for at his side, said. Europe is fi rmly against this. mounting alarm at key decisions exit from the European Union a January 20. Europe, because it’s going to Gabriel, whose country has The French and German min- ermany’s population by US President Donald Trump “wonderful thing”. British Prime Minister There- strengthen even further the welcomed hundreds of thou- isters reiterated yesterday that grew by some 600,000 in his fi rst week in offi ce, saying “When he talks about Brexit sa May, whose country voted to mistrust and hatred towards the sands of migrants, added: “For any easing of sanctions on Mos- Glast year to reach a record that they raised many issues of being a model for other coun- leave the EU last June plunging West in the heart of the Mus- us it’s important that Germany cow must be linked to the imple- high of 82.8mn people due to the concern. tries, I think we must respond,” the bloc into an unprecedented lim world,” he told the Sunday and France visibly and in sub- mentation of the Minsk Agree- number of migrants who have French President Francois the French leader told reporters crisis, became the fi rst world edition of German daily Ta- stance share joint positions as ment signed in February 2015. arrived in the country, the Fed- Hollande vowed a “fi rm” re- on the sidelines of a summit of leader to meet Trump in Wash- gesspiegel, excerpts of which widely as possible.” The ministers also plan to eral Statistics offi ce said on Fri- sponse to a growing list of pro- southern EU nations in Lisbon. ington on Friday. were released a day in advance. Trump was due to hold tele- contact Trump’s nominee for US day. nouncements by the maverick Trump’s “protectionist” Keen to forge a post-Brexit The French and German for- phone talks yesterday with Hol- secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, In a preliminary estimate for tycoon, including his encour- measures could “destabilise trade deal with the United States eign ministers meanwhile voiced lande as well as German Chan- once he is confi rmed, “to discuss 2016, the statistics offi ce said agement for Brexit and suspen- economies not just in Europe and other countries, May put the “concern” about Trump at talks cellor Angela Merkel – whose the issue point by point and have the population had eclipsed the sion of all refugee arrivals. but the economies of the main accent on global leadership as in Paris. decision to admit so many mi- a clear relationship”. previous record high of 82.5mn Another EU founder member, countries of the world”, Hol- she cosied up to Trump. “Welcoming refugees who are grants he called a “catastrophic Hollande, speaking in Lisbon, recorded at the end of 2002, even Luxembourg, also said Trump lande added. “And when he But other EU countries have fl eeing war is part of our duty,” mistake” – as well as Russian added: “We must affi rm our po- though the number of deaths in risks bolstering “hatred towards refuses the arrival of refugees, diff erent priorities, and are France’s Jean-Marc Ayrault said President Vladimir Putin. sitions and then engage in a fi rm 2016 exceeded the number of the West” by slapping tight new while Europe has done its duty, making their concerns clear. following a meeting with his Trump has alarmed Euro- dialogue on what we think.” births by between 150,000 and 190,000. Deaths have exceeded births in Germany since 1972, with a Taking a break total of more than 5mn fewer births than deaths. Fears grow over However, countering that trend, more than 1mn people fl eeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and beyond cyber threat from fl ocked to Germany in 2015 and 2016, drawn by its strong econo- my, relatively liberal asylum laws and generous system of benefi ts. militant groups Since the height of the euro- zone debt crisis, Germany is also attracting many migrants from By Michel Moutot, AFP mediate and showy as fi ring other European countries such Lille, France automatic weapons in a theatre as Greece and Spain. or in public,” he added. The fi gures used to calculate Data pirates and cyber net migration were based on slamist militants have yet criminals from several coun- numbers signing up at registra- to shut down a power grid, tries, often linked to organised tion offi ces. Iparalyse a transport net- crime, off er their services on Asylum-seekers are initially work or banking system or take the darknet. housed in reception centres and over a key industrial site from Given the anonymity of the generally only registered later. afar, but experts say the threat sites, some may help Islamist Steady economic growth since of such a cyber attack should militants without realising it. 2010 and generous pro-family be taken seriously. “In fact, that’s our fear,” policies by successive govern- Analysts fear that while ex- Poupard said. “It’s not so much ments in recent years have tremist groups may not have that IS can quickly develop cy- helped lift the birth rate but it is the necessary skills them- ber attacks but that they will still below the death rate. selves, they could hire some- be able to go through interme- German government support one else to wreak havoc. diaries.” for refugees has climbed in re- “Digital attacks with ma- Speaking in Davos, retired cent years. jor impacts are unlikely in the Pakistani general Raheel Sharif For 2016 and 2017 the gov- short term,” said Guillaume said cyber terrorism is “a real ernment set aside €28.7bn Poupard, head of France’s dig- threat”. ($30.64bn) in funding to accom- ital security service ANSSI, “As technology improves, modate and integrate the more speaking to AFP at an interna- the possibility exists that Migrants rest aboard the former fishing trawler Golfo Azzurro, operated by Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, following a rescue than 1mn asylum-seekers who tional cyber security confer- someone can hack into a very operation near the coasts of Libya, in the central Mediterranean Sea, yesterday. entered the country, the minis- ence in Lille, France. sophisticated system and con- try said. “However, that could change trol that resource in such a way very fast. Our real fear, and we as to do maximum damage may already be there, is that somewhere.” they will use mercenaries, peo- Most developed countries ple who will do anything for are steadily boosting their de- money,” Poupard said. fences against the cyber threat, Russians rally to protest cathedral handover The Islamic State (IS) group, be it terrorism, crime or espio- Al Qaeda and other Islam- nage. ist militant groups are so far “Terrorist groups that cur- AFP would be justice served after the using the Internet mainly for rently use the Internet for Saint Petersburg long Soviet-era campaign of raz- propaganda and recruitment planning, propaganda and re- ing or repurposing church build- purposes. cruitment purposes could be- ings. “The skills are complex, come full players in the cyber ore than a thousand About 100 people from na- though not at the level of a nu- arena,” French Defence Minis- people rallied in Rus- tionalist group National Libera- clear weapon,” Poupard said. ter Jean-Yves Le Drian said last Msia’s Saint Petersburg tion Movement, which is known “With a few dozen people, month as he unveiled his coun- yesterday to protest the decision for sometimes violent rallies and a little money, but not that try’s policy on military cyber by authorities to hand over the actions protecting “traditional” much, you can be eff ective.” security. city’s famous St Isaac’s cathedral and religious values, gathered Earlier this month, Europol “Since asymmetrical opera- to the Orthodox Church. not far from the protest, bran- director Rob Wainwright also tions are naturally etched into The crowd of about 1,500 dishing slogans like “a church is a warned of the use of digital their DNA, cyber space gives was the biggest showing yet to place of worship”. mercenaries by Islamist mili- them an obvious fi eld of action, oppose giving the cathedral, a Saint Petersburg is one of few tant groups at the World Eco- where major damage can be in- popular tourist attraction owned places in Russia where mem- nomic Forum in Davos, Swit- fl icted with limited means,” he by the city, to the church, saying bers of the Kremlin’s political zerland. said. that it would rob the municipal- opposition have been elected “Even if they don’t have ac- Disturbing precursors of ity of needed revenue. into local parliament, and yes- cess to the capabilities, they more insidious actions ahead The imposing 19th-century terday’s gathering was called by can simply buy it on the dark- are Internet interlopers that St Isaac’s Cathedral on the main the liberal Yabloko party, as part net (a hidden Internet realm do not steal or destroy data but street Nevsky Prospekt functions of a wider campaign against the of encrypted websites), where appear to map websites, pre- as a museum, gallery and concert handover. there is an enormous trade in paring off ensive weapons for hall, and is also used for religious “It’s not a question of faith, it’s cyber criminal technology,” later use. services. a question of money,” said Yab- Wainwright said at a panel dis- “This kind of attack has “The church has claimed too loko MP Boris Vishnevsky. cussion on “Terrorism in the even begun in some countries,” much in recent years. Russia is a Protester Tatiana Tsenko- Digital Age”. Poupard said. “We are closely secular state,” said 37-year-old vskaya echoed: “The money A woman in period costume walks past St Isaac’s cathedral in Saint Petersburg. “That said, attacking the following what’s happening in resident, Filipp Gotfrid. earned by the cathedral was the critical national infrastruc- Ukraine where strange break- Proponents of the handover, city’s, but now it will be for the director of the State Hermitage him to delay the handover to cool fl ict and allow to fi nd the wisest tures at least of most countries downs are becoming frequent which was decided by the city’s church. It’s not fair.” Museum, Mikhail Piotrovsky, tensions in the city. and most just solution”, the let- is … not easily done, and it’s that are caused by extremely governor earlier this month The campaign was backed by who sent a letter to Russian Pa- A pause in the handover proce- ter said, according to a museum something that is not as im- sophisticated actions.” without public debate, say that it key cultural fi gures, notably the triarch Kirill on Thursday, asking dure would “stop the public con- statement. Russia to check space fl ight engines over faulty parts

AFP nology and documentation”, dinated” with the verifi cations. A commission appointed to said that all engines built for the reasons of unsatisfactory work Moscow Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said launches using investigate the matter conclud- third and second stages of the and product quality”. Rogozin said, vowing to punish the Proton rocket would resume ed earlier this month that the Proton rocket had been recalled, The launch in December of the those responsible. in three and a half months. malfunction was caused by the while a test showed that a key EchoStar-21 communications ussia said yesterday that Earlier reports said engine He did not mention the Soy- break-up of the third-stage en- heat-resistant part made of ma- satellite by a Proton has already it had ordered a full check parts used on the second and uz rockets, which are used for gine, either due to “foreign ma- terial containing precious metals been delayed. Rof engines used on its key third stages of the widely-used manned fl ights, particularly the terials” getting inside or an “as- had been switched during assem- Russia is currently the only Proton rocket after a cargo ship Proton rocket had been swapped next International Space Station sembly fault”. bly. country executing manned space crashed last month due to engine for cheaper variants. (ISS) mission set for late March. The cargo ship was carried by It was not immediately clear fl ights to the ISS. disintegration and an inspection “A necessary check of engines The Progress freighter crashed the Soyuz rocket, but the same whether Soyuz rocket engines Its space industry had suff ered revealed factory violations. with possible technical defects in Siberia after it failed to reach engine is used on the Proton would also be checked or re- a string of setbacks and launch A plant making engines for will be made,” Roscosmos space orbit in early December due to a rocket, according to its maker, called. failures in recent years, while both the Soyuz and Proton rock- agency said, adding that the malfunction during third-stage Voronezh. The chief of the Voronezh corruption scandals have plagued Rogozin: vowed to punish those ets had its workers “switch tech- launch schedule will be “co-or- separation. A report by Kommersant daily plant quit earlier this month “for its new space port in the Far East. responsible. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 19 EUROPE

Turkish soldiers seeking UK’s May in Turkey for asylum in Germany: trade, presses on rights report AFP But she added: “Now it is im- for business”, after the Brexit Ankara portant that Turkey sustains vote. that democracy by maintaining She added that “it marks the AFP the rule of law and upholding its start of a new and deeper trading Frankfurt am Main ritish Prime Minister international human rights obli- relationship with Turkey”. Theresa May has promised gations, as the government has The initial phase is worth over Bsteps to ramp up trade be- undertaken to do.” £100mn (€117mn), Downing everal dozen Turkish sol- tween Turkey and Britain ahead May stressed that Turkey was Street said. diers assigned to Nato have of Brexit but also urged Ankara one of Britain’s “oldest friends” But the agreement can pave Ssought asylum in Germa- to uphold human rights follow- with relations going back over the way for further deals poten- ny, a media report said yesterday, ing a failed coup. 400 years, referring to the es- tially worth billions of pounds quoting offi cers who said that On her fi rst visit to Turkey as tablishment of relations be- over a 20-year lifespan, May’s they fear jail and possibly torture premier and fresh from meeting tween the Ottoman Empire and spokeswoman told reporters. back home. new US President Donald Trump England under Elizabeth I. Back in the UK, some MPs Around 43,000 people are un- at the White House, May held Earlier, a spokeswoman coun- have urged May not to let trade der arrest in Turkey on charges three hours of talks with Presi- tered criticism from some MPs overshadow human rights con- or links to last year’s failed mili- dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan. that Britain was cosying up to cerns in Turkey. tary coup against President Re- May sought to strike a delicate Turkey while turning a blind eye “The Conservative Brexit cep Tayyip Erdogan. balance between showing Brit- to its human rights record. government is so desperate for “About 40 Turkish troops, ain’s keen interest in expanding The spokeswoman said: “I trade deals with anyone but mostly of high rank and sta- trade with Turkey following the don’t think there are any issues the mature democracies of the tioned in Nato bases, applied for June vote to leave the European that the prime minister is afraid European Union that even the asylum in Germany,” Der Spiegel Union while echoing Europe- to bring up.” most unsavoury rulers are to be magazine and the ARD television an alarm over the scale of the Around 43,000 people are subjected to the prime ministe- station said in a joint report. crackdown after the July 15 at- under arrest on charges of links rial charm,” opposition Liberal One offi cer, who insisted he tempted coup. to the coup bid, which Ankara Democrat MP Sarah Olney wrote had no connection to the coup May announced the creation blames on the US-based preach- in the Guardian newspaper. attempt or sympathy for those of a joint group to boost trade er Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan and May also dis- behind it, was quoted as saying: ahead of Britain’s departure He denies the charges. May and Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara. cussed the battle against mili- “If I return to Turkey I risk im- from the EU and also oversaw May’s visit is also seen as the tants in Syria and eff orts to prisonment, or perhaps torture.” the signing of a deal for Britain’s fi rst to Ankara by a major West- a multipolar world – in his vast ground for our post-Brexit trad- Under a non-binding agree- reunify Cyprus, where both The report quoted Germany’s BAE Systems to develop a new ern leader since the attempted presidential palace in Ankara. ing relationship” after Britain ment, BAE Systems and state- Ankara and London are guaran- interior ministry and Offi ce for Turkish fi ghter jet. putsch, although then-US vice- Erdogan said that the two leaves the European Union. owned Turkish Aerospace In- tor powers, as well as aviation Migrants and Refugees as saying May said after meeting Er- president Joe Biden held talks sides were targeting increasing “We both want to build on our dustries (TAI) will establish a security. that the soldiers would be treat- dogan at his palace that she was with Erdogan in August. annual trade from over $15bn to existing links and I believe that partnership for the development “I am pleased with the steps ed no diff erently as other people “proud” Britain had stood with Her visit came hours after Er- $20bn. doing so will be to the benefi t of of the TF-X fi ghter jet. we have taken and I believe in who apply for asylum. Turkey’s democratically-elect- dogan had hosted the American Meanwhile, May said Britain both of our countries and for the May said it indicated that the continuation of this success Turkey has been vital to Eu- ed government when the coup actress Lindsay Lohan – a keen and Turkey have agreed to set up prosperity of both our nations,” “Britain is a great, global, trad- in the future,” Erdogan said after ropean Union (EU) plans to stop struck. supporter of Erdogan’s vision of a working group to “prepare the she said. ing nation and that we are open the talks. the mass fl ow of migrants from the Middle East and Africa into the bloc, especially to Germany. Relations between Ankara and Berlin deteriorated in the after- math of the attempt to topple Erdogan but German Chancel- Gang violence rattles lor Angela Merkel is planning to visit Turkey on February 2. The German government has expressed alarm about the crackdown on alleged plotters Montenegro’s capital linked to the coup while Turkey has criticised Berlin for its fail- ure to extradite alleged terror By Olivera Nikolic, AFP police force and an intensifi ed tween the state and crime,” he suspects. Podgorica presence on the streets. told reporters on Friday. Turkey blames the coup eff ort After nightfall for the past The North Atlantic Treaty on US based preacher Fethullah several days, heavily-armed of- Organisation (Nato) signed Gulen. eavily-armed police are fi cers have patrolled the squares an accession agreement with He denies the charges. guarding the streets of of the capital, closely monitored Montenegro last year, paving Around 3mn Turkish people Police off icers investigate a crime scene in Podgorica on January 19. Heavily-armed police are guarding HMontenegro’s capital customers in bars and cafes the way for the country to be- live in Germany. the streets of Montenegro’s capital after a spike in gangland violence rattled the Balkan country. after a spike in gangland vio- and carried out tight security come the 29th member of the lence rattled the Balkan coun- checks on cars. Western military alliance. try, which is on the brink of So far they have seized several So far more than 20 of the 28 joining Nato. guns, drugs and one vehicle, but Nato allies have ratifi ed the ac- Drug mafi a feuds began in the no arrests over the Podgorica cession of the former Yugoslav coastal towns of Bar and Ko- blasts have been announced. republic, which is also a candi- Berlusconi to stand trial in sex bribery case tor, hotbeds of organised crime, Residents of the capital fear date for European Union mem- where anti-terrorist police becoming collateral damage of bership. swooped in to tackle the deadly the warring gangs. But mountainous Montene- Reuters tion charges but his case was rivalries last summer as tourists “This has crossed all limits ... gro, which declared independ- Milan separated from that group be- came and went on cruise ships. the whole society is descend- ence from Serbia in 2006, has cause of health problems follow- But the troubles have come ing into the underworld. I am struggled to contain the wide- ing heart surgery. to the streets of the capi- afraid of innocent people being spread scourge of organised n Italian court has ordered Berlusconi denies all wrong- tal Podgorica in the past few killed,” said Milos, 45, an econ- crime and related violence. former prime minister doing. weeks, with two people killed omist who witnessed the latest The EU regularly urges au- ASilvio Berlusconi to stand His trial is due to start on April and two others seriously injured blast in the centre of Podgorica thorities to do more. trial on charges he bribed wit- 5. in three explosions. on January 19. Last summer, dozens of anti- nesses to silence them over ac- Among those being tried in the “Recent events in Podgorica A young man with a criminal terrorist police descended on cusations he paid for sex with separate, related corruption trial and events that preceded them record was killed in the explo- the mediaeval fortress town of young women. are 16 women who took part in in other towns have under- sion and the passenger in his car Kotor, a popular tourist desti- Berlusconi was acquitted in Berlusconi’s so-called “Bunga standably provoked the anxi- had to have her leg amputated. nation on the Adriatic coast, af- 2014 of charges of having had sex Bunga” parties at the former pre- ety of citizens, who expect the Another resident in the capi- ter a string of public shootouts with Karima El Mahroug, a Mo- mier’s residences. authorities to do all they can tal, 47-year-old lawyer Ana, between rival drug-traffi cking roccan who is better known by Berlusconi’s lawyer, Federico in a merciless struggle against described the situation as “un- gangs. her stage name Ruby the Heart- Cecconi, rejected the accusa- organised crime,” said Interior bearable” and wondered “what Nine men were later arrested stealer, when she was 17. tions, acknowledging that Ber- Minister Mevludin Nuhodzic. has prevented the authorities over the violence. Prosecutors later alleged that lusconi helped some of the girls Berlusconi: his political career has been dogged by non-stop legal He admitted that “in some from strengthening their fi ght Montenegro’s veteran leader around €10mn ($11mn) were fi nancially but insisting he did battles. way, order is threatened”. against crime?” Milo Djukanovic stepped down paid to corrupt the witnesses in not bribe them. Twelve people were killed last Local people who spoke to after his party only narrowly the case, of which, they said, El “There is a risk that what will has been dogged by non-stop le- fraud and although he remains year as a result of gang feuds in AFP were reluctant to give their topped an election in October, Mahroug received €7mn. go on trial here is generosity,” he gal battles. head of his Forza Italia (Go Italy!) the country of 620,000 people, family names for security rea- handing the prime ministership Berlusconi was to have stood said. He was barred from offi ce fol- party he has lost much popular whose tourism sector is grow- sons. to a close ally. trial with others facing corrup- Berlusconi’s political career lowing a 2013 conviction for tax support. ing under the threat of powerful Nuhodzic insisted the gov- But many Montenegrins still organised crime. ernment was “taking perma- see Djukanovic as the real boss. In one incident in September, nent action. Our goal is to create The former PM, who led the Less than half of a sniper shot a prisoner dead in insecurity for criminals”. country towards closer ties with broad daylight in a yard in Mon- But Nebojsa Medojevic, a the West, is accused by critics of Italians want to tenegro’s highest-security jail leader of the main opposi- links to organised crime, which Inquiry widens into Fillon’s wife stay in EU: poll in Podgorica. tion Democratic Front alliance, he denies. The man had been jailed for said the security situation was On election day authorities Less than half of Italians want to extortion. “worrying” and that there was arrested of a group of Serbians AFP remain in the European Union The recent spike in attacks a “political character” to Mon- whom they accuse of plotting Paris while over two-thirds blame it for has resulted in dismissals and tenegro’s organised crime. to seize parliament and assas- not helping deal with the migrant resignations at the top of the “There are no boundaries be- sinate Djukanovic. crisis, according to a new study rench investigators have published on Thursday by the searched the offi ces of Eurispes research institute. Fa magazine as part of a The Italy 2017 report found widening inquiry into whether that 48.8% of respondents presidential candidate Francois oppose leaving the EU, while Norway has female air force chief Fillon’s wife was paid for alleg- 29.5% support a Brexit-style edly fi ctitious jobs, sources told referendum. AFP yesterday. However, a majority of Italians AFP nent replacement of a fl eet of helicopter pilots and submarine The raid late on Thursday at blame the European Union for Oslo old F-16 fi ghter jets with ultra- commanders. La Revue des Deux Mondes fol- not helping deal with the migrant modern F-35s. Military service has been lows the launch of the inves- Fillon: has seen a drop in popularity ratings. crisis (71.5%) and for imposing Skinnarland has been acting mandatory for both sexes in tigation into Penelope Fillon’s unfair economic sacrifices orway, one of the as the head of the air force since Norway since last year, in a role at the literary monthly, nothing to earn her salary at the Francois Fillon, the right- (70.2%). world’s most gender her predecessor died in Octo- unique case for the Nato bloc. owned by a billionaire friend of legislature, since it had been wing presidential candidate, Meanwhile, 48.5% of respondents Nequal nations, has an- ber. But due to a limited number her husband, as well as in the unable to fi nd anyone who re- has seen a drop in popular- said that their purchasing power nounced its fi rst appointment After serving for three dec- of places, only the most moti- French parliament, where she membered her working there. ity ratings following the revela- eroded this year. of a woman to head the air force. ades in the army – never as a vated are kept on the force. was paid €500,000 ($534,000) The newspaper also alleged tions. More than three-quarter, 77.2%, The appointment of Tonje pilot – her promotion is seen as Nearly one-third of con- as his aide. that in 2012 and 2013, Penelope La Revue des Deux Mondes said that they know people who Skinnarland, promoted at the a new milestone on the road to- scripts called last summer were The satirical weekly Le Ca- Fillon was paid €5,000 a month (The Review of the Two Worlds) can’t make their wages last the age of 49 to the rank of major wards gender parity. young women, who are of- nard Enchaine, which broke at La Revue des Deux Mondes, traces its roots to the French month. general, comes as the nation’s Since the early 1990s, the ten housed in mixed dorms to the story, said that the Welsh- owned by Marc Ladreit de La- literary scene of the early 19th And almost one-quarter, 24.2%, air force undergoes a moderni- Norwegian army has seen strengthen cohesion within the born Penelope Fillon had done charriere, 76. century. said they feel poor. sation drive, with the immi- women serve as fi ghter pilots, force. Gulf Times 20 Sunday, January 29, 2017 INDIA Law school Year of the Rooster principal barred for fi ve years

By Ashraf Padanna The report gave them a strong ammu- Thiruvananthapuram nition, forcing CPI (M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who had earlier dismissed it as a local campus strike which doesn’t call subcommittee of the University of for his intervention, to visit them. Kerala Syndicate has found serious However, he was cautious to strike a bal- Airregularities in the controversial ance, without supporting the call for Nair’s Law Academy Law College here. resignation, and attacked political oppo- The fi rst private law school in the south- nents for their “attempts to turn the strike ern state was found violating rules in the against the government and the SFI.” conduct of exams and holding government “Some anti-democratic groups are try- land beside harassing students using sexist ing to hijack the strike. The government and casteist language. should be cautious about it and try to solve Following the report which found sub- the issue amicably through talks,” he said. stance in almost every allegation of stu- “After all, it’s a private management dents, the Syndicate barred Lakshmi Nair, (that runs the institute).” the principal of the fi ve-decade-old insti- The panel found students being driven to tution, from conducting the University ex- the brink of suicide not being able to with- ams for fi ve years. stand harassment by the authorities. Nair claims close links with the ruling The students also submitted audio clip- Communist Party of India (Marxist) and pings of Nair scolding them using abusive Members of the Chinese community perform a ‘lion dance’ as they celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Rooster in Kolkata yesterday. hosts a popular cookery show on the party’s language. Kairali TV. Some were forced to work at her hotel on Her father, Narayanan Nair, continues as the 12-acre campus built on the govern- its founder-director. ment land, and those who failed to enter The report observes that the institu- her good books were even barred from tak- tion with a long legacy has “come to this ing exams while others got lavish marks in kind of a pathetic situation” and that it had internal assessments. unanimously concluded that it was “solely It found the monthly attendance state- Rahul tears into Badals’ corruption, because of the maladministration” of Nair ments were not prepared, and valued an- and that such an institution “should never swer sheets returned promptly. have this kind of a downfall.” “It is quite ironical that the students are It also recommends giving a “year-out” insisted on signing the score sheet fi rst, and from college to her son’s fi ancee, Anurad- marks are entered only later,” it says. questions Modi for SAD support ha Nair, found to have benefi ted from her “The split up of marks awarded for vari- awarding of internal marks. ous components of the internal marks are The panel was formed to probe the alle- neither recorded nor published. On veri- IANS for the February 4 assembly elections. “The Badals have fi nished all indus- He reiterated that Congress Pun- gations of students who are on an indefi nite fi cation of the available records regarding Jalalabad, Punjab The seat is witnessing a high- try in Punjab. They don’t allow people jab unit chief Amarinder Singh strike for almost a month demanding her re- attendance, the committee is convinced profi le contest with Aam Aadmi from other countries and states to in- would again be the chief minister if moval as principal of the alma mater of many that there is an unholy interference of the Party (AAP) MP and satirist Bhag- vest and start industry here. the party returns to power in Pun- politicians and their children. The Students college principal.” ongress vice president Ra- want Mann also in the fray. Industry has moved to other jab. Federation of India (SFI), a feeder outfi t of the The report says the “committee is fully hul Gandhi yesterday made a Questioning Modi’s claims of states and Punjab youths are ren- On Friday too, Rahul Gandhi had CPI (M), also joined the strike later, putting convinced” that the power of awarding in- Cfrontal attack on the “mas- fi ghting corruption, Rahul said: dered jobless,” Rahul said. slammed Modi as well the Akali Dal the government in a tight corner. ternal marks centred on the principal who sive corruption” by the family of “Modi should explain why is he sup- He said the youth was being de- over the issue of corruption. Several leaders, including former chief “according to her whimsies and fancies Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh porting Sukhbir if he is fi ghting cor- nied government jobs by the Badal “Modi talks of corruption and re- minister VS Achuthanandan, leader of awards marks freely to those whom she fa- Badal and questioned Prime Minister ruption?” government. ligion at various places. But how can the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and vours.” Narendra Modi on his claim of fi ght- Rahul said Sukhbir Badal, whose “Amarinder Singh (Congress he stand with the corrupt Akali Dal Congress party’s president in the state VM Some 90 students, whose statements the ing corruption while supporting the party the Shiromani Akali Dal has chief ministerial candidate) would leaders and talk of fi ghting corrup- Sudheeran, had visited them in solidarity. panel recorded, complained of the princi- Punjab’s corrupt regime. an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata change the face of Punjab, which tion,” Gandhi wondered at an elec- Later, Chennithala sent a complaint to pal using abusive and vulgar language, at Rahul said that Punjab Deputy Party in the state since 2007, said had been completely devastated by tion rally in Akali stronghold Ma- Governor P Sathasivam, who forwarded it to times casteist and sexist. Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, that the SAD had deviated from the the corrupt and tyrannical Badals, jitha in Amritsar district. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and sought a “Students are criticised even for wear- who is the ruling Shiromani Akali ideology of Sikhism’s founder Guru in just two years after taking over as Majitha is represented in the as- report from the university’s vice-chancellor. ing dresses commonly used by girls in our Dal President, was an “icon of cor- Nanak Dev. chief minister,” Rahul said. sembly by Revenue Minister Bikram A statement from the Raj Bhavan said country,” it says. ruption”. “Sukhbir Badal claims he is pro- Every section of the society would Singh Majithia, who is a brother-in- the petition seeks his intervention to solve “The subcommittee has observed that “Sukhbir Badal is an icon of cor- tecting the Sikh religion and ideol- progress under the Congress, which law of Sukhbir Badal and brother of issues that “paralysed the academic activi- the positioning of two (surveillance) cam- ruption. The biggest corruption in ogy of Guru Nanak Dev. But Sukhbir was the only party concerned about federal Minister Harsimrat Kaur. ties in that institution.” eras inside the women’s hostel (breaks any state of the country is occur- and the Akali Dal say everything is the poor,” he added. The 117-member Punjab assem- Actor Suresh Gopi, a nominated member their) privacy. ring in Punjab,” Rahul said at a rally theirs,” the Congress leader said. The Congress vice-president bly will go to polls on February 4. of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s “The allegations that the sick students in support of Congress candidate He said the Badal family had mo- cautioned people against support- The counting of votes will be held on parliament, also visited protesters and the are thrown out or being threatened are Ravneet Singh Bittu. nopolised all businesses in the state, ing the AAP of Arvind Kejriwal. March 11. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V Mu- found to be true.” Bittu, a Congress MP from Ludhi- including transport, cable TV and “Punjab needs a chief minister The main contest is between the raleedharan who is on an indefi nite hunger The principal, however, rejected all al- ana, is pitted against Sukhbir Singh mining, and were getting commis- from Punjab. Kejriwal runs Delhi like ruling SAD-BJP alliance, the Con- strike there pressing the demand. legations. Badal from Jalalabad assembly seat sion from the liquor trade. a dictator,” he said. gress and the AAP. Kerala governor laments Demonetisation put RBI reputation at risk, reiterates Chidambaram

IANS “How many people attend- said: “My real grievance on media-court impasse demonetisation is that the de- Kolkata ed? They will not tell us. “Was there an agenda paper cision of this magnitude with By Ashraf Padanna them. In October, two women television jour- for the meeting? Were there enormous consequences can- Thiruvananthapuram nalists were assaulted in a courtroom here but, choing former RBI gov- minutes of the meeting? They not be taken, or is not to be the police failed to frame charges against them. ernor Y V Reddy, former will not tell us. taken, by one person.” “We have kept all channels open to ensure EUnion Finance Minister “How long the meeting Chidambaram said three erala Governor P Sathasivam said yes- a free fl ow of information, but no concrete P Chidambaram said yesterday lasted? They will not tell us,” important offi cial of the Fi- terday he was sad at the standoff be- action is coming from authorities,” said BS that demonetisation move put he said. nance Ministry — the Finance Ktween journalists and lawyers in the Prasannan, the district secretary of the Kerala the central bank’s reputation “I have information that the Secretary, Banking Secretary state. Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ). “We at great risk and dubbed the meeting lasted 30 minutes and and the Chief Economic Ad- “It is very sad that the most literate state had approached all available forums to end the whole process a “command the recommendations were viser — should be involved in faces an unending confl ict between lawyers ban, but the courts remain shut on us. It hap- performance”. made to the government. The the (any proposed) demon- and media-persons, both of whom constitute pens in Kerala when advanced democracies He also dubbed the demon- cabinet was waiting for the rec- etisation and they should be two pillars of democracy,” the governor said televise court proceedings live.” etisation as a “terrible deci- ommendations,” he claimed. in the forefront in telling about inaugurating the Kerala chapter of Indian As- The women journalists say they were pub- sion that was terribly imple- “How could the Cabinet and defending the scrapping of sociation of Lawyers in Kollam. licly abused with the judge remaining a silent mented”. know that the RBI will recom- currency. “The lawyer is the sworn offi cer of the court spectator. But the lawyers were booked on Asked whether the Reserve mend the withdrawal of legal He said none of them had unto society’s welfare; the journalist is the minor charges and were released on bail im- Bank of India (RBI) autonomy tender status? It was a com- spoken a word in the last 70 unsworn offi cer of society unto the common mediately. They also fi led a counter complaint was over or not, the former mand performance,” he said. days. good. Both law and journalism, in their last against them. Union Minister said: “On this Echoing Reddy, Chidambar- “What it means is that the and fi nal analysis, are professions of public Sathasivam ... pained They journalists want steps to ‘facilitate a issue, the answer is yes.” am said: “And to that extent, three most important offi cials service. There is no other adequate reason for democratic, and dignifi ed working atmos- “Reversing the sequence in this instance, the Reserve of the Finance Ministry con- their existence in a social state.” yers, uphold,” said the governor, a former chief phere’ at the HC and subordinate courts by stipulated in the Act...in- Bank’s reputation has been put cerned were not consulted; Journalists are not allowed to the courts justice of the Supreme Court of India. giving them access to the courts and for open- stead of the Reserve Bank at a great risk, the point which if they were consulted, they after a clash with lawyers on the High Court “It is surprising that lawyers are unable to ing the media rooms. recommending withdrawal (ex) Governor Reddy made.” disagreed,” he added. premises seven months back. take the lead in settling this issue. Let us not They say they had earlier submitted rep- of legal tender status for The senior Congress leader Chidambaram said former The media room at the HC remain closed, forget that society is watching us. As sup- resentations to the governor, chief minister, the (high-denomination) said he would have resigned RBI governor Raghuram Rajan and there were instances of lawyers chasing porters and protectors of democracy, the legal chief justice, advocate general and the HC reg- currency, the government if demonetisation was imple- opposed demonetisation and away reporters. fraternity should come forward to resolve the istrar but no eff ective step had so far been tak- recommended to the bank mented during his term as Fi- formally put his view on the The governor has since been advising the issue, which I understand, has worsened to the en to reinstate reporting facilities on courts. that the legal tender status nance Minister. issue in a fi ve-page note to the authorities to end the impasse at the earliest level of lawyers refusing to argue cases per- The closure was ‘arbitrary and unjustifi ed’, should be taken away.” “In the last 50 years, no ma- Prime Minister’s Offi ce. but to no avail. taining to media companies.” and the cold relationship between the lawyers Recalling the build-up to the jor economy has demonetised “In retrospect, I suspect one The half-hearted eff orts by the government, The judiciary and journalism are, he said, and journalists cannot be a reason for perma- November 8 demonetisation its currency. India has been of the reasons why his term holding a meeting of stakeholders at his in- society’s two most important watchdogs of nently closing the media rooms, they argued. announced by Prime Minis- added to the list that includes was not extended was that the stance as demanded by the opposition, also democracy and that there are many similari- When the HC took up their appeal recently, ter Narendra Modi, the senior Zimbabwe, North Korea and government was in a hurry to did not succeed. ties between lawyers and journalists. its registrar informed the court that a section Congress leader said: “That Libya,” Chidambaram said, demonetise,” he said. “I would say that reasonable restrictions in Though they moved the SC against the ban, of lawyers was still opposed to allowing re- was on November 7 when adding that demonetisation “That is why 64 days after the courts can be understood, but a total non- the apex court left it to the HC which is yet to porters in, despite several lawyers, including the RBI Board (meeting) was was a “terrible decision that the new Governor (Urjit Patel) co-operation and antagonism are not in the ensure freedom of journalists to cover its pro- Kaleeswaram Raj and Dr Sebastian Paul, de- called. Was there a written no- was terribly implemented”. assumed offi ce, we have de- spirit of the democratic values that we as law- ceedings with lawyers physically preventing manding an end to the media ban. tice? They will not tell us. Taking a swipe at Modi, he monetisation,” he added. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 21 INDIA

Cattle fair Shah: BJP will consult women on triple talaq if it wins UP

IANS BJP doesn’t need alliance with Shiv Sena: Fadnavis Lucknow Contemptuously dismissing the Shiv Sena was stuck in its ada- the Shiv Sena move to snap its mance on seat sharing despite JP president Amit Shah 25-year-old partnership with the all our eff orts for a compromise yesterday raked up the ‘tri- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), formula, and now has broken the Bple talaq’ issue ahead of the Maharashtra Chief Minister alliance for the civic elections,” Uttar Pradesh assembly elections Devendra Fadnavis yesterday he said. and said if the party wins, it will declared that the BJP has arrived, Listing his agenda for Mumbai, A boy arrives with his camels at the Nagaur cattle fair, where animals like camels, cows, horses and bulls are brought to be sold or seek the opinion of the state’s and it doesn’t need an alliance Fadnavis said the BJP would take traded, in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. Muslim women and approach the with the Sena. up development of BDD chawls Supreme Court accordingly. “The BJP has arrived on its in central Mumbai, coastal roads, “If voted to power, the Bharati- own strength..We don’t need any develop beaches as tourist points, ya Janata Party (BJP) will seek the alliance with the Shiv Sena...With constructing the Mumbai Trans opinion of Muslim women in the visionary leadership of Prime Harbour Link bridge within four Uttar Pradesh on the triple ‘ta- Minister Narendra Modi, we have years. laq’ issue, which is going on in shown it in the last Lok Sabha and Additionally, he listed rede- Soldiers the Supreme Court,” Shah said, Assembly elections,” Fadnavis velopment of the 60% slums Delhiites breathe in while releasing his party’s mani- said. comprising Mumbai, metro festo for the assembly polls here. “They are questioning ‘what rail networks, a CCTV cover for pulled alive The state will witness seven is our status (aaukaat’)’ — We will peoples’ security and other mega phased election from February 11 show it to them on February 21,... projects to ease the lives of mil- to March 8. We are fully confident of winning lions of Mumbaikars who spend cleanest air in months from snow “And on the basis of that opin- the civic elections,” he declared. hours daily in commuting. ion, the BJP government in the In a thundering speech, Accusing the Shiv Sena of state will then approach the Su- Fadnavis castigated the Sena for “double-talk”, Fadnavi said “on IANS the light winds are the reason PM10 and PM2.5 (parti- in Kashmir preme Court,” Shah added. unilaterally severing its ties for one hand we get all permissions New Delhi for this drastic improvements. cles with diameter less than The Allahabad High Court had the upcoming civic elections next and clearances for the coastal “We will study the exact 2.5mm) mostly ranged be- in December last year termed month, and squarely blamed the road, the Sena insists that BMC reasons behind such fall in tween moderate and good yes- AFP triple talaq as “cruelty against party (Shiv Sena) for all the ills should construct it, and then they fter almost three pollutants, though rains are terday. Srinagar Muslim women” and said no plaguing the common Mumba- (Sena) instigate the Koli fisherfolk months of choking pol- defi nitely the reason as the In Noida, Mathura Road and “Personal Law Board” was above ikars. to oppose it”. Alutants and smog, Delhi particulate matters get set- IGI Airport, the PM2.5 level the Constitution. “Not any more...Our sole “Which side are you on? I yesterday breathed much tled on the ground,” Polash remained well under control ive Indian soldiers have The court had observed that agenda is development. We have would like to assure all the Kolis, cleaner air, as the rains and Mukherjee, Research Associ- at below 100 units, labelled been rescued alive after Islamic law was being wrongly made it clear that Mumbai will de- who are the original inhabitants the wind speed markedly im- ate at CSE (Centre of Science “good”. Fthey were buried under interpreted. velop, its progress in inevitable... of Mumbai, that nobody’s liveli- proved air quality for the sec- and Environment), told IANS. This however, is still above heavy snow yesterday in Kash- Triple talaq is interpreted as We shall ensure that whatever hood will be hit by the coastal ond consecutive day. He added that the overall the norms of World Health mir, where 20 people were killed the Islamic practice of divorcing tasks remained incomplete or road and we shall implement it... The harmful pollutants in- reason is however a cumulative Organisations (WHO). As per by avalanches earlier this week, a a woman by uttering the word merely on paper for the past 25 Our administration shall always cluding particulate matters, eff ect of winds and rains. WHO’s prescribed interna- military offi cial said. ‘talaq’ thrice. years, will be implemented by the work for the poor and downtrod- nitrogen oxides, carbon mon- The national capital saw tional standards, PM10 and “All the fi ve soldiers were suc- Most Muslim-majority coun- BJP,” Fadnavis assured a meeting den,” Fadnavis declared. oxides and ozone remained in rains on Wednesday night, PM2.5 should be 50 and 25 cessfully rescued and are un- tries do not approve of it. of party workers here yesterday He made it clear that there good-moderate level across which continued on Thursday, units annually, while as per the dergoing treatment,” Colonel The All India Muslim Personal evening. were no ideological diff erences Gurugram and Noida. and Friday morning. The city domestic standards, it should Rajesh Kalia told AFP. Law Board (AIMPLB) had said Recounting the developments between the BJP and Shiv Sena. The air quality for yester- got over three days 30.3mm of be 60 and 40 units, respec- The soldiers had been ap- the decision of the high court on the eve of the 2014 assembly “It’s a fight for honesty and day, according to the data from rainfall. tively. proaching a border post in was “not in line with the Sha- elections, Fadnavis claimed that transparency between us, while Centre’s air quality research “Today, winds from north- The air-quality of Delhi Machil, northwest of the main riah”, but the concept of triple if the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance had it’s an ideological fight with the agency SAFAR and Cen- west blew at 15-20 kmph, Fri- mostly was “Severe or Very city of Srinagar along the Line talaq has come under attack from not snapped then, he would never Congress-Nationalist Congress tral Pollution Control Board day saw a similar situation. poor” since mid-October last of Control (LoC) that divides the Muslim women activists. have become the Chief Minister. Party. But what kind of transpar- (CPCB), was moderate, after Delhi will see good wind speed year till January 26. territory with Pakistan, when Shah’s mention of triple talaq “It actually helped us to show ency have you shown all these mostly being “very poor” and for couple of days. This helped The situation became worse the track they were following during BJP’s manifesto release is and consolidate our strength, but years?” occasionally “poor” till Janu- in dispersing the pollutants in November due to agricul- caved in. being seen as an indication that ary 26 since November 2016. and maintaining the air qual- ture residue burning in neigh- Another army offi cer said on the party will rake up the issue SAFAR also predicts better ity,” Mahesh Palawat, direc- bouring states. condition of anonymity that the during its election campaign in tober and said the government Modi had also urged people air quality for Sunday for 10 tor private weather forecaster Due to that schools were fi ve soldiers were in a critical the state. and the society should ensure not to make triple talaq a Hindu- weather stations across Delhi, Skymet, told IANS. shut and people were advised condition and hostile weather Prime Minister Narendra Modi justice to Muslim women and not Muslim issue and slammed po- Noida and Gurugram. He added that the national to refrain from outdoor ac- prevented them from being fl own had also talked about triple talaq let their lives be destroyed by tri- litical parties who he said were According to the experts, capital may see rains again on tivities like jogging and other to a base hospital in the main city at a rally in Uttar Pradesh in Oc- ple talaq. politicising the issue. rains on January 26 and 27, and February 5 and 6. sports. of Srinagar 140km away. On Wednesday, 15 Indian sol- diers died when a patrol and two camps were hit by avalanches in the north of the territory. It took rescuers two days to retrieve their bodies from under Son defends Mukerjea in Sheena Bora murder case tons of snow.

IANS “These important circumstances, and not her children, the Tweet added. have led to him becoming aware of the stating the same, which was why he was Priest turns saviour Mumbai which to date have not been pointed Indrani had instructed Sheena and truth about Indrani’s past and her kids. certain that she must be fi ne. for abandoned infant out, very clearly show that Peter was Mikhail to maintain the lie, or she Something which she was seemingly Rahul urged that the emails and re- not ‘in the know’ nor was he involved in wouldn’t help them in any manner, and trying to hide.” cordings must be seen in the correct A four-month-old baby girl, ahul Mukerjea, son of former me- the crime. Hence, charges against Peter she would have been extremely angry “Indrani has been cunning and ma- context as he (Peter) believed what In- wrapped in blanket, was found dia baron and murder-accused ought to be dropped.” with Sheena for disobeying her most nipulative and with tragic results, very drani told him, it was not a case of mis- abandoned near a temple in a RPeter Mukerjea, came to his fa- Claiming that the version pointing important instruction and undermining convincing.She was able to make Peter leading because of complicity in any forested area by a priest here ther’s defence yesterday and shifted the to Peter’s involvement was ‘absolutely her, said Rahul. believe her lies so that she could main- crime, but a situation where he really yesterday, police said. blame of Sheena Bora’s murder on his incorrect’ and has very unfairly been Not aware of Sheena and Indrani’s tain her deception, and carry on doing believed that Sheena was ok because his The baby was admitted to All step-mother Indrani Mukerjea. publicized as the only narrative without true relationship, if Peter asked her what she really intended. He certainly wife was assuring him of such. Moreo- India Institute of Medical Sci- A witness in the CBI case, Rahul was a fair and balanced counter, Rahul said whether there was any truth in these did not know what lndrani was upto be- ver, any and all who inquired about ence (AIIMS) child care centre in a live-in relationship with Sheena and it was Indrani “who introduced Sheena apparent revelations, she only denied it fore, during, or after, with regard to any Sheena were peddled the same story by where her condition was stated wanted to marry her, but their parents Pe- and Mikhail as her siblings to every- and claimed they were ‘sisters’. crime,” Rahul said. Indrani and were equally convinced, it to be “fit” with no trace of her ter and Indrani respectively were opposed one, including Peter”, and she obviously “Evidently, there was no fi nancial He said that Indrani had given Peter was not just Peter who believed her. parents. as they were step-brother and step-sister. didn’t want it to be revealed that they motive. Whatever Indrani may have the story that Sheena had contacted her Rahul reiterated that Peter was clearly The priest, Sandeep Shastri, Posting an open letter on Twitter as were actually her children. done was for her own personal reasons. with a view to “leaving our relation- not involved, nor was he aware of any who stays in the temple, told the CBI prepares for the trial to com- However, Peter didn’t know the truth Peter was clearly not involved,” Rahul ship” and wanted money and help to do crime allegedly perpetrated by Indrani, IANS that he heard the baby’s mence, Rahul said: “Peter was clearly of Sheena and Indrani’s relationship and said. that, which was not true. despite claims to the contrary. cries around 8am near the not involved, nor was he aware of any when Sheena and Rahul tried to tell him, He added: “Peter was never allowed However, trusting Indrani, Peter be- He concluded that “the truth stands temple in Tughlakabad village crime allegedly perpetrated by Indrani, he asked Indrani and she strongly refut- by Indrani to visit Guwahati to meet lieved it and she backed it up by send- for itself..it may not be as sensational as when he had gone to answer despite claims to the contrary.” ed it saying they were in fact her siblings her parents, obviously as that would ing SMSs from Sheena’s phone to Peter the hype, but it is the truth.” nature’s call. The baby was crying at the top of her voice, shivering from cold and hunger, he said, adding he inquired about her from the Story time! locals and later informed the Dancer Kiranmayee No oil spill after vessels collide near TN port police. Madupu performs “I heard the child crying and Tamil folklore ‘Stories ran for help. Fortunately, dogs of the Soil’ through a IANS around 4am between MT BW dent. All other ship movements they laid a boom around MT who roam around the temple Bharatanatyam dance Chennai Maple carrying liquefi ed petro- are normal.” Dawn Kanchipuram to contain for eatables, did not attack her. interspersed with leum gas and MT Dawn Kan- An Indian Coast Guard offi - the spill, it said. Her parents may have dumped singing and chipuram carrying petroleum cial told IANS: “We have issued The coastal security agency her early morning in the forest,” storytelling at the wo ships ferrying petro- oil lubricants. notice to the ship owners as to said the owner of the vessel/ Shastri said. Hyderabad Literary leum products collided The LPG carrier was out- their action plan on the spill.” agent have been advised to ex- A police off icer said doctors Festival in Hyderabad. Tyesterday outside Tamil bound while the other was in- He said as per an aerial sur- pedite all repairs and undertake at AIIMS have declared her The three day Nadu’s Kamarajar Port, but bound. vey done by the Coast Guard’s survey of ships for bringing “medically fit”. Hyderabad Literary there was no major damage to “There is no damage like oil helicopter, a very thin sheen of these to the port to facilitate “We are seeking help of Festival concludes today. the ships or oil spill, authori- spill and no casualty or injury oil was seen on the water sur- early discharge of cargo. some private NGOs for her,” the ties said. to any person. Both vessels are face. “The Coast Guard is main- off icer said. Shipping industry profes- afl oat and anchored. The ex- The Coast Guard has sent taining a close watch, especial- “The police are investigat- sionals told IANS it was “prov- tent of damage is under assess- one of its ships to the spot in ly toward marine environment. ing the matter and trying to idential” that no major damage ment,” the statement said. case of need, he added. Presently, there is no damage to locate her parents. A team with occurred due to the collision “All top port offi cials are The Coast Guard said crew the marine or coastal environ- the child’s photograph is also which seems to be due to grave closely monitoring the situa- of both vessels are reported to ment,” the statement added. inquiring in the surrounding human error. tion that is under control. be safe. Port offi cials told IANS that areas to find her mother,” the In a statement, port authori- An inquiry has been ordered The port deployed three tugs the operations at Kamarajar off icer said. ties said the collision took place to fi nd the cause of the acci- for immediate assistance and Port is as usual. Gulf Times 22 Sunday, January 29, 2017 LATIN AMERICA Colombia, Farc to wage joint fi ght against coca

Reuters than 96,000 hectares sown proximately 50,000 hectares of as part of last year’s peace agree- has lasted almost 53 years and Bogota with coca, manually destroyed illicit crops during the fi rst year ment. taken more 220,000 lives. 17,642 hectares last year and of implementation in more than Post-Confl ict Commissioner The Farc initially “taxed” coca seized a record 378 tons of co- 40 municipalities in the most af- Rafael Pardo said the government production by farmers in ru- olombia’s government caine. fected departments,” the govern- would invest $340mn in the sub- ral areas under its control but it and Marxist Farc rebels Planting of coca was up 39% in ment and the rebels said in a joint stitution programme, which he went on to dominate traffi cking Cannounced a plan on Fri- 2015 after the government halted statement. said would benefi t 50,000 fami- in those same areas. day to substitute illegal crops and aerial fumigation with the chem- The Farc, or Revolutionary lies. The guerrillas vowed to aban- eradicate vast tracts of coca leaf, ical glyphosate, which was a key Armed Forces of Colombia, was Cacao and fruit trees are don the lucrative drug trade once the raw material for cocaine, over part of its US-backed countern- considered one of the biggest among crops that will be planted a peace deal was reached but other the next year as part of a peace arcotics strategy. players in Colombia’s drug busi- instead of coca, depending on armed groups, including para- deal to end a half-century con- Colombia and neighbouring ness. soil characteristics. military groups and other crime fl ict. Peru are the world’s leading pro- President Juan Manuel Santos Colombia’s confl ict, pitting gangs have been looking to re- Colombia, which according ducers of cocaine. and Farc leadership agreed on leftist rebels against right-wing place the Farc and take over its old View of a coca field on a hillside in a rural area of Policarpa, to the United Nations has more “The goal is to replace ap- the crop substitution program paramilitaries and the military, income stream wherever possible. department of Narino, Colombia. Forest fire in Chile Brazilians ‘short of papers for property’

Thomson Reuters Foundation erty by providing security from Rio De Janeiro eviction and encouragement and incentives for investment in improvements and small alf of Brazil’s popula- businesses. tion cannot prove full “People with insecure tenure Hlegal ownership of their are less likely to make invest- homes, depriving authorities ments in the structure they in the recession-hit country are living in because they are of a major source of taxes and worried they could lose it,” deterring local investment, a Jan Brueckner, a University of senior government offi cial said. California economist told the An estimated 100mn people Thomson Reuters Foundation. lack property rights, a senior Across Brazil, a varied and ministry of cities offi cial told complex system of informal the Thomson Reuters Founda- property ownership has com- tion, highlighting the need for plicated government eff orts to Brazil to bring its housing sec- provide titles and regularise tor into the formal economy. property ownership, said Vitor Title deeds for millions of Bukvar Fernandes, a University A forest fire in Llico, 250km south of Santiago. Raging forest fires in central Chile have killed 11 people, displaced thousands and destroyed entire villages, the government unregistered homes would of Campinas researcher who said Thursday. provide residents with greater has studied land issues. security and investors with Some homes in middle class more stability, analysts said. areas, for example, exist in a The government provided legally grey area where resi- the fi gures revealing the size of dents have a bill of sale aff ord- Brazil’s informal economy and ing them some security but the lack of property rights after the properties are not regis- Brazil to it announced a drive to provide tered with the government and title deeds for tens of millions therefore do not exist within of Brazilians last month. the formal title system, he said. privatise The programme aims to help “Informality in big cities is Colombia, Peru to kick-start economic growth rampant,” Fernandes told the after two years of recession and Thomson Reuters Foundation. river the loss of two mn jobs nation- Land rights analysts gener- wide. ally support the idea of im- “Once the resident’s (prop- proving formal property own- transfer erty) right is registered it can ership for the urban poor but be pledged as a bank guarantee, some question the govern- stand with Mexico increasing access to credit,” ment’s priorities. Reuters Silvio Figueiredo, director of “Getting formal titles is not Brasilia The Pacific alliance asserts that open “Right now one of us is facing serious “There are clouds of uncertainty around urban aff airs for Brazil’s Minis- a high priority for (favela) resi- markets will win the day diffi culties that are not of its own making,” the world,” Colombian president Juan try of Cities, told the Thomson dents,” said Tais Borges, an ur- Kuczynski said in reference to Mexico as he Manuel Santos said.”We want to join the call Reuters Foundation. ban planner at Massachusetts razil is studying private Reuters sat beside his Colombian counterpart on an of countries that adhere to the principles “A number of benefi ts are Institute of Technology (MIT) operation of the long-de- Lima offi cial visit.”We have to stand together on that have been so good for the world: free guaranteed from urban land who has worked with the Bra- Blayed Sao Francisco river our ideals, on global trade which has done us trade, respect for treaties... multilateral so- regularisation.” zilian government on property transfer that will bring water so much good.” lutions.” Figueiredo could not say regularisation. to four states in the drought- eru and Colombia vowed to stand with Though Kuczynski did not mention Santos said he spoke with Pena Nieto by how much funding has been “The biggest complaints are stricken North East of the coun- Mexico as the country faces an un- Trump by name, his comments were some phone on Thursday, when the Mexican lead- allocated to the government’s sewage and parking,” she said. try when it is completed this Pcertain economic future and grapples of the fi rst rumblings of displeasure with the er announced he cancelled a meeting with title deed program nor could For example, favela commu- year, a government offi cial said with a crisis with the United States just days Trump administration from traditional US Trump as a diplomatic crisis over the pro- he estimate how many house- nities need postcodes so mail on Friday. into US president Donald Trump’s adminis- allies in Latin America. posed wall deepened. holds would benefi t. can be delivered and to make President Michel Temer will tration. Trump has insisted he will force Mexico to Kuczynski, a former investment banker However of the homes lack- it easier for residents to apply visit the project tomorrow to Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczyn- pay for a wall between the two countries to who spent years living in the United States, ing full title deeds, offi cials for jobs, she said, adding that open the third of six pumping ski said members of the Latin American curb illegal immigration and drug traffi cking. said the four countries in the Pacifi c Alliance say that more than 3.6mn are these basic facilities are needed stations on one of the two canals trade bloc the Pacifi c Alliance must dou- He has also threatened to slap taxes on represent a market of some 200mn people in Brazil’s sprawling slums or more than formal property ti- that will carry water from the ble down on eff orts to open markets and Mexican imports and tear up the regional and that each has emerged from economic favelas, which fi rst developed tles. Sao Francisco River to the states strengthen ties as they navigate the “turbu- trade deal NAFTA if he cannot renegotiate it crisis in the past by opening markets to glo- as squatter communities and Currently, most favela prop- of Ceará, Pernambuco, Paraiba lent waters” of protectionist rhetoric. to ensure more benefi ts for the United States. bal trade. are home to millions of people. erties are bought and sold in- and Rio Grande do Norte. Peru, Colombia, Chile and Mexico formed The Mexican peso has been rocked by ten- “Of course there are costs to global trade, Some urban economists and formally — often among friends The 470km of canals have the Pacifi c Alliance in 2011 to remove obsta- sions between the two countries, fi rming of course there are job losses, but it’s also analysts believe granting title and neighbours — because they taken a decade to build, and cost cles to trade and orient their markets to the on Friday after Trump said he had a friendly clear that the benefi ts are bigger,” Kuczynski deeds in favelas will help resi- are not offi cially registered by overruns have trebled to more fast-growing Asia-Pacifi c region. phone call with Mexican President Pena Nieto. said. dents break the cycle of pov- the government, analysts said. than 8bn reais ($2.5bn). The gov- ernment hopes water will fl ow down the fi rst canal by March to bring relief to Campina Grande, a city of 350,000 that is close to running out of water. “We have commissioned The amateur surfer fi ghting corruption studies to see if a private-pub- lic partnership would be vi- able to operate the canals,” said AFP — the investigation would fail. three years ago to get involved, brecht have agreed plead deals. a spokesman for national in- Curitiba, Brazil An amateur surfer, he spoke he replied that he had a holiday Dallagnol says that will dou- tegration minister Helder Bar- to AFP in his offi ce in the seaside booked. ble the total number of suspects balho, who is responsible for the city of Curitiba, the centre of the But they persuaded him and charged in the aff air. project. razilian state prosecutor probe. he ended up tugging the thread “We are investigating thou- Brazil’s federal water agency, Deltan Dallagnol describes The investigation, dubbed that led the case to unravel into sands of multimillion-dollar ANA, has begun public consul- Bhimself on Twitter as a “Lava Jato” or “Car Wash,” has a $2bn bribery aff air. crimes committed by hundreds tations to work out how much “Follower of God” and a “pros- made Dallagnol and his team A routine inquiry into a minor of people,” he said. each of the benefi ciary four ecutor by vocation”. stars in the eyes of many. suspect led investigators unex- The fi rm’s former head states should pay the operator But he insists the huge cor- Their opponents criticise pectedly to a bigger one: former Marcelo Odebrecht was reported for the transfer service. ruption investigation he is help- their methods: having suspects Petrobras executive Paulo Rob- last year to have given testimony The government plans to re- ing lead at the age of 37 “is not a held in pre-trial detention and erto Costa. implicating President Michel duce its costs by having a private moral crusade”. off ering scores of them lighter He became the fi rst suspect to Temer. operator. “It is an island of justice and sentences for testifying against strike a plea deal, and opened the A key judge involved in taking Business newspaper Valor hope in a sea of impunity,” he others. Protesters marching toward the National Congress to deliver two fl oodgates. testimony from Odebrecht ex- Economico reported on Friday says. Dallagnol says it was “luck” million signatures for a bill with ten measures against corruption “He was the contact who re- ecutives, Teori Zavascki, died in that government estimates put Dallagnol is a senior member that the judges selected to han- and in support of the Lava Jato anti-corruption operation in Brasilia. vealed the Petrobras scheme,” in a plane crash last week. the cost of operating the canals of a team probing the Petrobras dle the case have been in favour Brazil’s federal police have a relatively new tradition of coming up which executives bribed offi cials Police are investigating. and pumping stations at 320mn scandal, shaking Brazilian poli- of such methods. with creative titles for their operations, with a focus on original in the state oil fi rm to win con- “Criminal cases do not change reais a year. The Sao Francisco tics to its foundations. It is one of many things he at- names that are attractive to the public, such as “Lava Jato” or “Car tracts, Dallagnol says. a country,” Dallagnol admits. river transfer was promised in Along with judge Sergio Moro, tributes to luck. Wash” – the investigation into the Petrobras corruption scandal. Lava Jato has already put hun- “They can convict a few peo- 2006 by former president Luiz he has been accused of overusing Dallagnol is one of a wave of dreds of white-collar suspects ple and recover the embezzled Inacio Lula da Silva as a solution powers of preventive detention Evangelical Christians to come for two reasons: by using a new The Harvard law school grad- behind bars. money. to shortages in his native North and plea deals. to prominence over recent years model for an investigation and uate nearly skipped the case to Among them, scores of But unless the structures that East, now in the sixth year of a Dallagnol says that without in a mostly Catholic country. also due to a series of random begin with. former executives from the dis- lead to corruption are changed, drought. such methods — and a lot of luck “Lava Jato has made progress fortuitous factors,” he says. When colleagues asked him graced construction fi rm Ode- we won’t get anywhere.” Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Nobel Peace winner Malala ‘heartbroken’ by Trump order

AFP “I am heartbroken that today and families,” she added in a “I am heartbroken that Amer- mediately make the wording ian refugee children, who have New York President Trump is closing the statement just moments after ica is turning its back on a proud public, but a draft text leaked to suff ered through six years of war door on children, mothers and Trump signed the decree. history of welcoming refugees US media said it would suspend by no fault of their own, are sin- fathers fl eeing violence and war,” Yousafzai is the youngest ever and immigrants – the people the entire US refugee resettle- gled out for discrimination,” said alala Yousafzai, the said the 19-year-old, shot in the recipient of the Nobel Peace who helped build your country, ment programme for at least 120 Yousafzai. Pakistani student ac- head by the Taliban in 2012 after Prize, which she shared in 2014 ready to work hard in exchange days while tough new vetting She named a friend who had Mtivist and Nobel Peace publicly advocating education with India’s Kailash Satyarthi, a for a fair chance at a new life,” rules are established. fl ed wars in Somalia, Yemen laureate, said yesterday she for girls in her home country. fellow education activist. she said. In addition, it specifi cally and Egypt to study in the United was “heartbroken” by Donald “In this time of uncertainty Now living in England, she The decree signed by Trump bars Syrian refugees from the States, where she had hoped to Trump’s order on refugees and and unrest around the world, made a remarkable recovery af- was entitled: “Protection of the United States indefi nitely, or un- be reunited with her sister. urged the US president not to I ask President Trump not to ter undergoing medical treat- nation from foreign terrorist en- til Trump decides that they no “Today her hope of being reu- abandon the world’s “most de- turn his back on the world’s ment and has travelled the world try into the United States.” longer pose a threat. nited with her precious sister fenceless.” most defenceless children as a campaigner. The White House did not im- “I am heartbroken that Syr- dims,” she said. Malala Yousafzai

Rain havoc Missing activist ‘recovered’ in Islamabad

Reuters “Police say he was returned to the blasphemy laws can carry a Islamabad Islamabad last night.” mandatory death sentence. Haider’s family could not be Haider has written columns immediately reached for confi r- for a popular English-language akistani poet and activist mation. newspaper and taught at the Fa- Salman Haider who went There was no word on the tima Jinnah Women’s University Pmissing from the capital whereabouts of the four other in the city of Rawalpindi, some Islamabad earlier this month, missing activists. 15km from capital Islamabad. just days after four other human It is not known how the fi ve Last year, Haider wrote a poem rights campaigners disappeared, activists went missing, but some about human rights abuses in has been found, local media re- rights groups and newspapers Pakistan’s restive Baluchistan ported yesterday. have asked whether state or mil- province, including a line about The fi ve missing liberal activ- itary agencies were in any way his friends’ friends disappear- ists, some of whom have posted involved. ing. blogs criticising the political in- The Interior Ministry has re- He queried whether his fl uence of the military and speak- peatedly said it is doing all it can friends, or even he himself, will ing up for the rights of religious to recover the missing men. be next to suff er such a fate. minorities, had each gone missing Shortly after the activists dis- Two of the missing activists, Vehicles move through flooded water after heavy rain in southern Pakistani port city of Karachi on January 27, 2017. At least 22 separately since January 4. appearances, blasphemy allega- Waqas Goraya and Aasim Saeed, people were killed and scores others injured in separate rain-related accidents in Pakistan over the last five days, local Urdu media Police sources told Geo News tions against them appeared on live in the Netherlands and Sin- and off icials reported. channel that Haider, who disap- social media and in a complaint gapore. peared on Jan 6, was found late to police. Their relatives said they were on Friday night. Friends, family and support- taken on Jan 4 while visiting Pa- “Police sources have con- ers of all fi ve men deny they kistan. firmed that he has been re- have blasphemed, and have de- The fourth activist, Ahmed turned and also that his phys- nounced the campaign to press Raza Naseer, suff ers from polio. ical condition is okay,” Geo that charge, which could endan- A fi fth Pakistani social activ- News reported yesterday, but ger their lives were they to reap- ist, Samar Abbas, went missing Judiciary completely independent, giving no further details on pear. from the capital Islamabad on how Haider was found. In Pakistan, conviction under Jan 11. says chief justice of Pakistan

Internews of whom he and everyone could relationship of respect; there- “Once it has been estab- Karachi feel proud of. “Each one of my fore, there was no rift between lished that the breach of fun- Bilateral problems must judges in the Supreme Court is the two. damental rights has been upright, capable, and a man of He said under Article 4 of violated somewhere, then it is hief Justice of Pakistan integrity and ability.” the Constitution, no judge had the duty of a judge to enforce Saqib Nisar has said Justice Nisar said: “Neither the authority to give any deci- such law because the element not aff ect Saarc: Pakistan Cthat the judiciary in the will we derelict in the perform- sion on his/her own whims, as of discretion of the judge does country is a completely inde- ance of our duties nor will we the former chief justice Naseem not remain there anymore,” he pendent institution which has disappoint our nation,” adding, Hasan Shah had already de- added. IANS ing forward to welcoming Saarc overcome the diffi culties that the unique, competent and upright “Judges through their charac- clared in the famous case of the He said it was the duty of his Islamabad leaders for the 19th Summit in organisation faced and expressed judges. ter and decision will prove that Utility Stores Corp in 1987. judges to enforce fundamental November but was postponed the hope that the summit would “The importance of the ju- Pakistan’s judiciary is unique in “Therefore, the whimsical, rights. when India impeded the proc- be held as soon as possible. diciary is not hidden from any- its calibre, decisions and inde- capricious and arbitrary deci- He said the cases in eight akistan has expressed hope ess and violated the spirit of the The boycott from India came one,” he said while speaking at pendence.” sions are against the calibre of diff erent categories, including that the Saarc summit, Charter.” as relations between the neigh- a reception hosted by the Su- The chief justice viewed that a judge.” fresh criminal bails before and Pwhich was boycotted by Aziz expressed Pakistan’s bouring nations dipped in the preme Court Bar Association in the bar and the bench were in- CJP Nisar said a judge was after arrest, rest, services, ex- India and other neighbours last commitment to host the 19th wake of the September 18 at- his honour. tegral and inseparable parts of duty bound to give decision in ecution, jail appeals against the November, will be organised soon. Saarc Summit in Islamabad at tack on an Indian Army base in “In democracy, the judiciary the same institute “because accordance with the law, as Ar- sentences up to ten years, would It also urged that “internal the earliest so that the objectives Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir is like sine qua non, a neces- the former cannot give good ticle 4 says: every individual has now be fi xed on the dates pro- and bilateral problems of mem- of regional co-operation under that left 19 soldiers dead. sary condition without which and independent judgements the right to be dealt with in ac- posed by lawyers. ber states must not be allowed to the bloc can be pursued more India blamed Pakistani mili- something is impossible, for without the assistance from the cordance with the law. The chief justice said library aff ect the organisation” — in an vigorously. tants for the attack. the existence of the state,” the latter”. He said the provision of “We have taken the oath to of the apex court was being apparent reference to India. According to Nepal, the cur- Tensions between the two chief justice added.“Pakistan is facilities to the bar was essen- follow the Constitution.” digitalised to save space to ac- Pakistan foreign policy chief rent Saarc chair, the conference countries shot up following the fortunate to have a written con- tial. “After assuming the offi ce The chief justice said the commodate law offi cers and Sartaj Aziz on Friday in a meeting was cancelled after Bangladesh, prolonged unrest in July in the stitution under which the judi- of the country’s top judge, my chapter of fundamental rights in lawyers; however, he added that with Arjun Bahadur Thapa, the Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Kashmir Valley, and escalated ciary is functioning.” fi rst directive to the court staff the Constitution was the most the federal government was also outgoing Secretary General of Lanka followed India’s decision markedly after India said it had He reiterated that Pakistan’s was to facilitate litigant public beautiful part and asserted that asked to provide land in the vi- the South Asian Association for to boycott the summit on the is- conducted strikes across the superior judiciary is independ- and lawyers.” the chapter was his weakness, as cinity of the Supreme Court to Regional Co-operation (Saarc), sue of terrorism. Line of Control on September 29, ent and upright, adding the Su- Justice Nisar said since the the enforcement of fundamental accommodate the offi ces of law said that “Islamabad was look- Thapa emphasised the need to a claim denied by Pakistan. preme Court had unique judges bench and the bar enjoyed the rights was very sacred. offi cers.

Sweet factory 700,000 Afghan refugees returned home from Pakistan in 2016: IMF

Internews from Europe. Statistics released ing to a country facing con- Islamabad by a UN refugee agency, and fl ict, insecurity and widespread quoted in the report, show that poverty.“Given the diffi cult Afghans are the second largest economic climate, prospects ore than 700,000 refugee group after Syrians and for returnees are generally refugees returned to most of them live in Pakistan. poor,” it warns. MAfghanistan in 2016, The IMF urged the interna- Most refugees are labour- most of them from Pakistan, tional community to “play a ers and workers in the informal says a new International Mon- vital role” in providing fi nancial economy, with limited savings, etary Fund (IMF) report. and humanitarian support to or small business owners The Washington-based In- avert a crisis and limit the dam- who are forced to liquidate their ternational Monetary Fund said age to Afghanistan’s already assets at fi re sale prices. “A typ- that the repatriation, which challenging social and security ical returning refugee has a high started as a trickle, has now conditions, and development risk of falling into poverty,” the changed into a fl ood. prospects. report warns. “This is seriously aggravat- The report quotes analysts The document notes that ing the government’s capacity as projecting that up to 2.5mn the prospects for absorbing to absorb refugees in an already refugees will follow over the returning refugees are further diffi cult environment of high next 18 months, which will add complicated by the existence unemployment and internally nearly 10% to Afghanistan’s of more than one mn internally displaced people after decades population. displaced people, the number of confl ict,” the report warned. To put this in perspective, of which signifi cantly increased The refugees were “primarily this would be akin to 50mn mi- in 2016 as the insurgency inten- returning from Pakistan, often grants entering the European sifi ed. not voluntarily,” it added. Union over a two-year period. The IMF warns that these Workers make raw sugar balls from juice of sugar cane at a local factory in northwest Pakistan’s Peshawar, yesterday. There were also returnees The report says that many problems will severely stretch from Iran and to a lesser extent of these refugees are return- the country’s capacity to cope. Gulf Times 24 Sunday, January 29, 2017 PHILIPPINES Top militant Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations injured in air strike

AFP day in the mountain town of The militants later beheaded Manila Butig, 800 kilometres south of one captive in their stronghold Manila. in Basilan island in the strife- “As of (Friday, Hapilon) is torn south while another hos- top leader of a militant still being carried by four men tage died in the crossfi re with group who is on the in a makeshift stretcher moving soldiers during a rescue opera- AUnited States’ list of northeast of Butig,” Lorenzana tion in 2002. “Most Wanted Terrorists” has said. The third American was been wounded in military air- “Troops are in hot pursuit freed. strikes, the Philippine defence supported by ground artillery Hapilon has pledged al- minister said yesterday. and air support.” legiance to IS, which has en- Isnilon Hapilon was indicted Lorenzana added the mili- dorsed him as “leader for in Washington for his involve- tary off ensive killed four of Ha- Southeast Asia,” according to ment in the 2001 kidnapping of pilon’s companions including a 2016 report by the Jakarta- three Americans in the Philip- an Indonesian he identifi ed as based think-tank Institute for pines, and has a $5mn bounty having the alias Mohisen. Policy Analysis of Confl ict. on his head from the US gov- The Abu Sayyaf, a loose net- “Southeast Asians in Syria ernment. work of militants formed in the have pledged their loyalty to The 50-year-old militant is a 1990s with seed money from him,” the report said. senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf, Al Qaeda, preys on vessels in Hapilon was based in Basilan a notorious kidnap-for-ran- the waters between Malaysia, but Lorenzana said this week som gang based in the southern Indonesia and the Philippines that he had moved to Lanao del Philippines, and security ana- and has earned millions of dol- Sur province, 300 kilometres lysts say the Islamic State (IS) lars from kidnappings-for- east, in a bid to establish an IS group has recognised him as its ransom. presence there. leader in Southeast Asia. Hapilon was involved in the Lorenzana added Hapilon Philippine Defence Secretary kidnapping of three Americans was “trying to rally” into co- Delfi n Lorenzana said Hapilon from a resort in the western operation the Maute group, an- Revellers perform a dragon dance among smoke caused by firecrackers during Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Manila’s was “seriously wounded” in Philippine island of Palawan in other gang which had pledged Chinatown yesterday. military air strikes on Wednes- 2001, according to the US. allegiance to IS. Bataan Most Filipinos ‘want govt to Palawan mayor sacked offi cials over misconduct arrested assert rights in disputed sea’ By Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino the mayor’s security personnel.” Manila Times Bayron added that “Karl’s position is highly confi dential over drugs By Michael Joe T Delizo cent disagreed and one percent less dependent on the United tained that the president in nature where trust and con- Manila Times “do not know.” The survey was States. “The people ought continues to assert the Phil- he Offi ce of the Ombuds- fi dence are the primary consid- conducted from December 6 to be consulted about what ippines’ rights over the West man ordered the dismissal erations.” By Froilan E Magtoto to 11, 2016, two months after should be the foreign policy Philippines Sea (South China Tof Puerto Princesa City But Ombudsman Conchita Manila Times/Camp Olivas ight out of 10 Filipinos Duterte’s state visit to China because it’s they who pay for Sea) through diplomatic ap- Mayor Lucilo Bayron and his son Carpio Morales did not give believe that the Philip- that resulted in billions-worth the salaries of diplomats, for proach. Karl, for serious dishonesty and weight to the arguments and Epine government should of commitments. defence budget, for other ex- “What the president is do- grave misconduct in connection ruled, “While Karl’s engagement town councillor of Mo- assert its rights in the disputed The same survey showed penditures if there’s a sum- ing it, he’s asserting it. But in with the latter’s appointment was to a confi dential position, rong in Bataan, listed as West Philippine Sea (South that the US and Japan enjoyed mit,” the analyst said. “They a diff erent diplomatic style,” as project manager of Bantay which is exempted from the rule Ahigh value target (HVT) China Sea), according to a sur- high trust ratings from Fili- would have to pay the conse- Presidential spokesman Er- Puerto-VIP Security Task Force on nepotism, the disclosure of for drugs, and a municipal offi - vey by Pulse Asia. pinos with 24% and 17%, re- quences whatever the cost of nesto Abella said in a news in 2013. their fi lial relationship was still cial were arrested in simultane- The poll showed that 84% spectively. that change in foreign policy conference. In a decision approved by the necessary.” ous operations in the province. of the 1,200 respondents On the other hand, 22% of would entail.” “If you remember, when Ombudsman on December 15, “As for Lucilo, the untruth- Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, agreed that the government the respondents said they do Dindo Manhit, president of the ruling was promulgated 2016 the Bayrons were ordered ful statement in the narration of Central Luzon police regional di- should uphold the decision not trust China and 17% do private think tank Stratbase in July 12, we got a lot of brag- disqualifi ed from holding public facts was made with abuse of his rector, said that Councillor Bien- of an international arbitral not trust Russia – two coun- ADR Institute, said the sur- ging from countries around offi ce, their eligibility was can- offi ce as city mayor and as hiring venido Vicedo Jr, 45, of Barangay tribunal favourable to Ma- tries that Duterte wants to vey suggested that the Phil- that we should forcefully as- celled and their retirement ben- authority,” she added. Poblacion in Morong who is No nila. have closer ties with. ippines should continue to sert the ruling in favour of the efi ts forfeited. The Ombudsman also stated 1 HVT of Bataan was served with Of that number, 44% said Professor Renato de Cas- advocate that all concerned Philippines. But our govern- The case stemmed from a con- that the respondents violat- a search warrant and seized from they “very much agree,” while tro of De La Salle University’s states, including China, must ment showed instead a soft tract of service the mayor signed ed Civil Service Commission his residence were a 12-gauge 40% said they “agree.” international studies depart- abide by the terms of the rul- landing. The president chose hiring Karl as project manager Memorandum Circular No. 26 shotgun, improvised revolver and The Permanent Court of ment said there was an appar- ing. to have a bilateral talk with for the port security task force and 26-A (Series of 1997), which assorted ammunition. It was not Arbitration last year ruled ent “disconnect” on the pub- “The Duterte administra- the Chinese government, from July 1 to December 31, 2013 prohibits the designation of stated if police operatives found that the Philippines has sov- lic view and Duterte’s foreign tion can pursue its claim in which gave us some advan- with a salary of P16,000 per those holding non-career po- drugs during the raid on Thursday. ereignty to areas within the policy direction. the West Philippine Sea while tage,” he added. month. sitions as offi cers who control Aquino also identifi ed the other country’s 200-nautical mile “Foreign policy has to be still improving the country’s “The president has said that It said that the parties at- or supervise regular and career arrested suspect as Jose Diwa, 45, exclusive economic zone, a democratic. It has to refl ect economic partnership with he’s not giving up our claims tested in the contract that Karl personnel in the hiring local gov- chief of the general services offi ce major political victory against the sentiment of the people,” Beijing,” Manhit said, noting in the EEZ Exclusive Eco- “is not related up to the fourth ernment unit. also in Morong, No 2 in the police China. However, President he said in a forum in Makati that the two are not mutually nomic Zone (EEZ) according degree of consanguinity or af- “Their acts of concealing anti-illegal drug campaign. Con- Rodrigo Duterte had said he is City. exclusive. to United Nations Convention finity with the hiring author- such relationship and mak- fi scated from Diwa were several willing to set aside the deci- De Castro said the govern- “In the medium term, we on the Law of the Sea (UN- ity.” ing of a false statement in the sachets of shabu and ammunition sion in a bid to establish bet- ment has to consider public need to make peace and foster CLOS). It just so happened In their defence, the Bayrons contract constitutes a deliber- for a caliber 9mm pistol. ter political and economic ties opinion in deciding what for- a new era of engagement with that the Chinese government said “the position of project ate violation of the standard of Meanwhile, an unidentifi ed with Beijing. eign policy to pursue. China. One that is based on has reclaimed three of the is- manager is a non-plantilla and behaviour expected of govern- suspected drug dealer was killed Twelve percent of those Duterte has made it clear mutual respect and the rule of lands there and they also have non-career position in the city ment officials and employees, during a shootout with police in polled were ambivalent (may that he wants an “independ- international law,” he added. a presence in Scarborough,” he government and that Karl’s pri- to state the truth,” the decision Aliaga also on Thursday. agree or disagree), three per- ent” foreign policy that is Malacanang however main- added. mary function is to act as head of said. Fears increase over rogue police on rampage

AFP Group confi rmed critics’ fears about police chief Oscar Albayalde said on Manila rogue offi cers taking advantage of the Friday at least eight policemen sus- drug war. The businessman, Jee Ick- pected to be in the video were relieved joo, was abducted from his home in of their duties pending a probe. hilippine police allegedly ab- October last year then brought to the Three more policemen in Manila ducting, framing, extorting and national police headquarters where he charged with robbery and extortion Pmurdering people have raised was strangled to death in a car close to were this week merely ordered to be fears of rogue cops going on the ram- the police chief’s residence, according transferred to a new region instead of page under the cover of President Ro- to an offi cial investigation. suspended or sacked. drigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, critics His wife paid the kidnappers a ran- Even before the recent revelations, and some of his supporters say. som of 5mn pesos ($100,000), only one high-profi le case was the killing of Revelations last week a South Kore- becoming aware this month that he a town mayor inside his own jail cell. an businessman was strangled to death had been murdered on the day of his The National Bureau of Investiga- inside the national police headquarters abduction. The killing in the police tion found that police shot dead mayor after being kidnapped by anti-drugs headquarters, offi cially named Came Rolando Espinosa after Duterte named offi cers looking to extort money from Crame, has led critics to dub it “Camp him as being involved in the illegal drug his wife have led to multiple other Crime”. trade. However Duterte said he would scandals being uncovered. Police off icer Ricky Sta. Isabel, who allegedly abducted South Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo, testifies during the Senate hearing. Right: Soon after the case was made public, not allow the accused police to go to They have fuelled concerns that the A recent photo shows Choi Kyung-jin (left), wife of late South Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo, who was murdered allegedly by authorities revealed that other police- prison. “Because I am the president police force, already widely perceived suspected policemen, talking to Marissa Morquicho, the house helper of her husband, at the start of Senate hearing in Manila. men robbed and extorted money from and the police are under me, I will be- as one of the nation’s most corrupt three South Korean golfers in Decem- lieve them,” he said in December. institutions, cannot be trusted to pros- policemen are carried away hearing 4,000 others have died in unexplained that vow, saying he would be “happy ber last year. The police leadership has insisted ecute Duterte’s drug war. him say he has signed their pardon and circumstances. to slaughter” 3mn drug addicts to save Senator Lacson aired CCTV footage rogue offi cers have been around long “It is hard for the all out war on il- they will believe that.” Often bodies are left on streets with the Philippines from becoming a narco at the inquiry of what he said were po- before the drug war began, and that legal drugs to succeed because we have Duterte has repeatedly promised to signs branding them drug addicts or state. His campaign has proved popu- licemen beating up people in an offi ce there are only a few of them. a problem with members of the police shield police from prosecution if they traffi ckers. lar for many Filipinos hoping to see a in October last year and pointing guns But critics think otherwise. force taking advantage,” Senator Pan- are charged with killing drug suspects The crackdown is fulfi lling a cam- quick solution to the intractable prob- at them before planting bags of crystal “Tokhang for ransom is the direct fi lo Lacson, an ex-national police chief as part of the crackdown, known lo- paign pledge that underpinned Du- lem of crime. methamphetamine in their drawers. result of an anti-drug campaign that and member of Duterte’s ruling coali- cally as Tokhang. terte’s election win last year — that But an admission by the national Lacson said the operation was a fake has shunned human rights and the rule tion, said this week. Police have reported killing more he would eradicate drugs in society by police chief last week that a South drug raid to extort money from the of law and encouraged extra-judicial “They know the president is mad at than 2,500 people they have accused killing tens of thousands of people. Korean businessman was murdered business, which netted the police the killings,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said drugs, very passionate and ordinary of being drug suspects, while nearly As president he has expanded on by members of his Anti-Illegal Drugs equivalent of $180,000.Metro Manila on Friday. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Bangladesh political parties asked to submit Hasina lashes out at fi ve names for EC

By Mizan Rahman DU Professor Abul Quasem Dhaka Fazlul Huq, lawyer Sultana Kamal and former inspector general of police Nurul Huda. Rampal protesters he search committee President Hamid on formed by President Wednesday formed a six- By Mizan Rahman raising objection about Rampal Sundarbans from helicopters... TAbdul Hamid for re- member search committee, Dhaka power plant from the capital and they could see the distance if constituting the next Election headed by Supreme Court carrying out campaign across they launch the march towards Commission (EC) of Bangla- judge Justice Syed Mahmud the world against the plant. the Sundarbans from Rampal,” desh yesterday asked the 31 Hossain, for reconstituting angladesh Prime Minister “They are conducting cam- she said. political parties to propose fi ve the new EC. Sheikh Hasina yesterday paign by sitting in the capital... She said the government had names by Tuesday. Offi cials familiar with the Bonce again came down they never visited Rampal in taken steps to plant half a million The search committee re- meeting said the search com- heavily on protesters campaign- their life,” she said. new trees in the Sundarbans. Of quested the political parties to mittee would hand over a list ing against the Rampal power Hasina said the government them, 500,000 trees have al- submit the names to the ad- of 10 persons to President Ha- plant, saying that they never had taken all kinds of measures ready been planted there, she ditional secretary of the Cabi- mid within 10 working days. visited the site to ascertain its to protect the Sundarbans and said, adding that the dredging net Division, cabinet secretary Later the president will impact on the Sundarbans, the the surrounding areas as well as of Ghashiakhali canal has been Shafi ul Alam told reporters after then appoint the chief elec- world’s biggest mangrove forest. to protect the habitat and biodi- completed. the fi rst meeting of the com- tion commissioner (CEC) and Defending the construction versity of that region. The prime minister urged the mittee at the Supreme Court other election commissioners of the power plant, she said the Explaining the preventive engineers to be vocal and create Judges’ Lounge yesterday. from those names. power plant is being set up in measures, she said coal will be awareness among the people of The search committee Supreme Court judge Justice Rampal, not in the Sundarbans. transported to the power plant Sheikh Hasina: “So there is no possibility of any damage to the all strata against militancy and members will also discuss the Syed Mahmud Hossain chaired “The plant is being built site from deep sea in covered Sundarbans.” terrorism. matter with 12 eminent citi- the meeting, joined by the rest around 14kms away from the barges, while covered and low- “All will have to remain alert zens on Monday, he said. fi ve members – Justice Obaidul outer boundary of the Sunda- sound engines will be used in were constructed there. The land “So the anti-power plant so that our children don’t step The 12 citizens are former Hassan, Mohammad Sadiq, rbans and about 70kms away the barges and therefore, “there of the area has become more fer- campaigners should go to Ram- into the suicidal path... their High Court judge Abdur Masud Ahmed, Syed Manzoorul from the world heritage site. is no possibility of environment tile and more rice is being pro- pal and know how far Sundrar- life is valuable and their merit is Rashid, Professor Serajul Is- Islam and Shireen Akhter. So there is no possibility of any pollution”. duced there, she said. bans is from there... they would needed for the country. All will lam Chowdhury of Dhaka Uni- The tenure of current EC, damage to the Sundarbans,” she Referring to the construction The prime minister said there be able to know the distance of have to extend co-operation so versity (DU), DU former vice headed by Kazi Rakib Uddin said. of Barapukuria coal-fi red power were no roads to go to Rampal the world’s largest mangrove they groom up themselves as chancellors – Azad Chowd- Ahmad, will end on February 8. The prime minister was ad- plant in Dinajpur, Hasina said when the present government forest from Rampal if they start good human beings,” she said. hury and S M A Fayez, former The search committee dressing the inaugural ceremony her government had started set- launched the construction work marching towards it,” she said. Hasina said the militancy and chief election commissioner will recommend two names of the 57th National Convention ting up coal-fi red power plants of the Rampal power plant. The The prime minister said the terrorism are not only a problem Shamsul Huda, former elec- against each post, including of the Institution of Engineers, in Barapukuria in 2000. people used to go there through protesters carrying out propa- of Bangladesh, it’s a global prob- tion commissioners – Sahul at least a woman, to the presi- Bangladesh (IEB) in Chittagong. She said there was no negative river routes. But roads and bridg- ganda against the plant saw the lem. “It’s very unfortunate and Hossain and M Sakhawat Hus- dent within 10 working days She said when her government impact on the densely populated es are being built there gradually area from helicopters. “But it’s painful that meritorious stu- sain, local government expert for appointing the chief elec- is working for the country and and green area of Barapukuria after commencement of the work not possible to ascertain the dis- dents get engaged in these social Prof Tofail Ahmed, Sujon sec- tion commissioner and other the people, the protesters are though two sub-critical plants of the power plant, she said. tance between Rampal and the vices,” she said. retary Badiul Alam Majumder, commissioners.

Rail hero dies Posing for camera Will oppose saving a mother new charter: and daughter Rajapakse Agencies Colombo AFP from the track,” Zaman said. Dhaka “He died on the spot. It’s shocking for us to lose a col- ormer Sri Lankan strong- league like this but Mia has set man Mahinda Rajapakse Bangladesh railway an example of gallantry and Fhas accused President employee was hit and true heroism,” he said. Maithripala Sirisena of trying to Akilled by a train after The father of eight was appease the minority Tamil com- saving a mother and daughter only a few months away from munity by promising devolution from being run over, an offi cial his retirement, local media of power, saying he will oppose said yesterday. reported. the “fraudulent” new constitu- Railroad maintenance Last month a 50-year-old tion, a media report said. worker Badal Mia, 58, was railway lineman also risked his “What did they say (the Sirise- on duty in the capital Dhaka life by dragging a man off the na government); they said pow- on Friday when he noticed a track a moment before a train ers of the presidency will be re- woman and fi ve-year-old girl approached. He was rewarded duced and parliament would be trying to cross the track as an by the authorities. strengthened,” the former presi- inter-city train approached Fatal railway accidents are dent, whose nearly a decade- them at full speed, division- common in the south Asian long rule was ended by Sirisena, al railway manager Arif-uz country where some 40 per- said while addressing a public Zaman said. cent of around 2,500 rail rally in Colombo on Friday. “Mia jumped and pushed crossings are unmanned. A Sri Lankan woman poses for camera during a trip to Colombo Port City Development Project at the project site in Colombo. The “We will oppose this fraudu- them away from the track, he In the last six years at least Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Co-operation organised a visit for a group of Sri Lankans to the project site, the lent new constitution,” Ra- managed to save both of them. 152 people were killed in rail- largest investment undertaken by China. japakse said, adding that the But he was run over by the way accidents, offi cial fi gures large gathering at his rally was train as he tried to jump away show. an indication that people did not want a new constitution. “The motive of the new con- stitution is to appease the Tamil minority in their quest for politi- cal independence,” he said Referring to the military defeat Cross-country matrimonies Man with 28 of LTTE in 2009, Rajapakse said, “We have to safeguard our victory”. He said the Sirisena govern- ment through the new consti- marriages tution would betray his victory gaining popularity in Nepal over Tamil separatism. The government aims to re- place the existing 1978 consti- IANS Indra Tuladhar, the uncle of ting of such an auspicious oc- The bride’s uncle, Tuladhar, jailed after ‘25th tution with a new one while ac- Kathmandu the bride, told Xinhua, “Puja casion and carrying a gentle said, “The bride doesn’t un- commodating Tamil demand has been raised in a middle- smile on her lips, Puja said after derstand the Chinese language for devolution of power to their class family although has had the function, “I am so happy for whereas the groom knows only regions. agh, a Nepalese month to overcome a lot of struggles. this new beginning.” a few Nepalese words. They wife’ fi les case Reports from six sub-com- as per the lunar cal- Guyun Fei is a brother of my Both Puja and Guyun Fei might communicate in sign mittees comprising members Mendar, is regarded as business partner. We felt that have suff ered through diffi cult language initially before getting from all political parties are to an auspicious time for wed- they could be a good match for phases in the past as they were used to each other’s language.” Agencies wife and a daughter with his be referred to the main steering dings and thousands of peo- each other and could have a both victims of the devastating Sharing an open border with Dhaka 24th wife. committee. No draft of the new ple throughout the country, happy life together, and so we earthquake of 2015. India, cross-border marriages She said after their marriage, constitution was agreed. having found their perfect made the decision for them to Puja’s house was destroyed in are common in the bordering Yasin cited work as an excuse to According to analysts, Ra- match, tie the knot in this win- marry.” the deadly disaster while Guy- towns in southern plains of the 45-year-old man in often stay away from home. At japakse’s joint opposition, in ter month (in the Gregorian They got married as per both un Fei, who was working as an country. The trend is widely Bangladesh accused of one point, he began to assault their greater political plan to calendar it corresponds with the ethnic Newari tradition engineer in the dry port at the termed as “roti-beti relation” Asecretly marrying 28 her physically while demanding upset the current unity govern- January/February). and traditional Chinese culture Nepal-China border in Tato- in both Nepal and India. times has been arrested and dowry, the report said. ment, appears to whip up the One of the more unique of amid the presence of around 50 pani (Zhangmu Port), sustained In regards to China, Nepal’s sent to jail over dowry harass- “Then without inform- Sinhala majority sentiments these weddings was held in people from both the bride and a severe injury to his leg after northern neighbour, cross- ment complaint fi led by his ing me, he married a girl from against the new constitution. Kathmandu recently and to the groom’s sides. Representatives being hit by a rock. border marriages are steadily 25th wife, a media report said. Matibhanga area of Rajapur Earlier this month, Tamil par- surprise of some, the occasion from the Chinese embassy in The dry port has not been gaining popularity. Yasin Byapari was arrested by Sadar Upazila. But the girl di- ty Tamil National Alliance said it was not only a cross-cultural Nepal also witnessed the mar- in operation since then due to However, recently concerns the police from his 27th wife’s vorced Yasin after she discov- will not be a part of the ongoing marriage between two young- riage ceremony. which Guyun Fei has been liv- have been raised about Nepalese home at Taltali area of Barguna ered his exploits,” she alleged. constitution-making process sters but also a cross-country Puja lives with her father and ing with his brother’s family women being traffi cked to China district. A court sent him to jail “Then in 2015, he married a and will quit if the government marriage. her step-mother in Bungmati in Kathmandu and assisting in and Korea through marriage bu- in the dowry case fi led by his Chittagong-based girl from Taltali. abandons the idea of fi nding a While this was not the fi rst after her mother left the fam- their construction business. reaus and fake arrangements. ’25th wife’ Shiuli Akhter Tania, But he did not take her to his house political solution to the Tamil is- time that a cross-country mar- ily a few years back. Her father Dressed in a smart navy blue To prevent human traffi ck- bdnews24.com reported. and went on to marry a garment sue and more devolution is not riage has been conducted in the drives a private vehicle for a suit, he said, “I would like to ing, Nepalese authorities have Tania said she married Yasin worker from Khulna,” she said. considered. Himalayan country, for many it living. work in Nepal for few years be- set up some standard rules for in 2011 and after the birth of a Although Tania provided The new constitution will became even more spectacular Since she failed the School fore moving back to homeland such cross-country marriages, daughter, she discovered she the name and address of her replace the current executive and as it was a Nepalese lady Leaving Certifi cate (SLC) ex- with my wife.” including the need of police re- was not the only wife of her husband, police have not been president-headed constitution and a Chinese man who were amination, she decided to take Many of the relatives who at- ports and letters from the home husband. In fact, she was “his able to corroborate the claims. adopted in 1978. tying the knot together. a break from education for a tended the marriage ceremony ministry and Chinese embassy 25th wife”, the report said. Tania fi led the case with the The government expects the The marriage between while and coupled with the expressed their happiness in Kathmandu. After she came to know Khulna chief judicial magistrate, new constitution to address the 19-year-old Puja Tuladhar, an daily burdens of dealing with about the cross-cultural mar- Since the number of mar- this, she managed to trace the implicating Yasin in a dowry demand of Tamil minorities for inhabitant of Bungmati in La- the family’s crisis, she decided riage, which they said would riages among youngsters is names and addresses of 17 of case on September 29 last year, a political recognition. litpur and 25-year-old Guyun to enjoy nuptial bliss with the also enhance the broader cul- gradually increasing, many be- her husband’s spouses. senior police offi cer said. With the defeat of the Tamil Fei from Hebei Province in Chi- Chinese gentleman after being tural bonds between the people lieve that cross-country mar- She claimed Yasin has two In her complaint, Tania ac- Tigers in 2009, the Tamil groups na was made possible through impressed by his behaviour. of two nations. However, some riages boost bilateral social and daughters with his second cused Yasin of suppressing have opted for maximum devo- their relatives and other well- Dressed in a traditional red mentioned that the language cultural relations between the wife, one son with his third information and marrying 28 lution as opposed to LTTE’s goal wishers. saree, modelling jewellery fi t- barrier might be an obstacle. two friendly neighbours. wife, one son with his seventh times, he said. of a separate Tamil homeland. Gulf Times 26 Sunday, January 29, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko Trump’s order: Muslim

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] ban by another name? Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) The action is cruel and an immediate 90-day suspension of in “alignment with our national are certain to raise expenditures Fax 44350474 callous, espouses positions issuing visas to people from select interest.” enormously. countries, which currently are Iraq, In other words, the wholesale But the real expense of this order contrary to the professed Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and barring of some of the most are the human costs. This act of values of the United States Somalia. The list could be expanded. marginalised people on the planet will xenophobia masquerading as policy But do you notice anything peculiar now be seen by the rest of the world as is premised on twin ideas. The fi rst is about this particular group of nations? a primary American value. To all my that terrorism correlates with foreign- Moustafa Bayoumi It can’t be that nationals of all those fellow Americans, I ask: are you okay born individuals. This is demonstrably GULF TIMES countries have committed acts of with that? not true; just look at Dylann Roof, for London terrorism in the United States, because On its face, Trump’s executive order example. The second is that Muslims they haven’t. is based on national origin but dig must demonstrate to the government onald Trump is now But it is true that six of the seven a little deeper and it becomes clear that we’re not terrorists, that we officially gunning for countries are currently being that the ban is really about religion. are, in other words, guilty until we the Muslims. On Friday, bombed by the United States, and One section of the order allows the can prove our innocence. This not Trump tall tales: that most of these countries have government to make exceptions to only reverses the fundamentals of Dhe signed an executive order titled Protecting the Nation also suffered invasions or overthrows its own refugee injunction “when the American jurisprudence, but is deeply from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into by the US. person is a religious minority in his off ensive to the core. the United States. The order is country or nationality facing religious The United States already gains First crowd size, nothing short of a Muslim ban by persecution.” What used to qualify for signifi cantly from the Muslims in the another name. It is cruel and callous, The US will soon refugee status was each individual’s country. Muslim Americans constitute espouses positions contrary to begin collecting dire humanitarian need to escape 1-2% of the population, but about 5% the professed values of the United deadly oppression of any sort. Now, the doctors in the United States are now voter fraud States, and will certainly produce biometric data from it’s being non-Muslim among the Muslim, as one illustration. Yet when more problems than it purports to Muslims. a government enshrines prejudice solve. In other words, it’s exactly like all travellers on exit And if you think this executive into law, we must brace for a rise in There is no charitable way to spin US President Donald Trump. order doesn’t apply to you because bigotry on the part of the people as Donald Trump’s reckless claim that millions of I cannot tell you how livid these making airport you’re not Muslim, you’d be mistaken. well. Meanwhile, the talented Muslims undocumented voters cost him the popular vote in the scant pages of bureaucratic language The US will soon begin collecting from around the world will simply make me. In them, Trump is returning lines even more biometric data from all travellers on go elsewhere, and America will lose 2016 election. Either he’s delusional or he’s the sorest the country to the dark days of exit (not only on entry, as is currently again. winner in American history. excluding masses of people on the interminable the case), making airport lines even Trump’s Executive Order claims Trump won the Electoral College with 304 votes; basis of our national prejudices. It’s more interminable. The order also that “the United States should not Hillary Clinton won 2,864,974 more popular votes as if we’ve reverted to the late 19th What happens after this first requires in-person interviews for admit those who engage in acts of century when laws were passed to 90-day period is anyone’s guess. everyone seeking a non-immigrant bigotry or hatred,” including those than he did. The only evidence of election rigging has bar Chinese entry to the United We do know, however, that Trump visa, which will be incredibly time- who perpetrate “forms of violence pointed to Russians, who, according to US intelligence, States, but this time the action is by has directed the government to consuming. against women, or the persecution of hacked Democrats’ e-mails to help Trump get elected. executive fi at and trained on Muslims. stop admitting any refugee into the Immigration experts are telling those who practice religions diff erent Yet since late November, Trump has been chipping Not incidentally, the case law for United States for 120 days, and the Muslim visa-seekers to expect from their own.” Fair enough. Chinese Exclusion also established total number of refugees resettled ideological litmus-test questions But, what if such a person learned away at the integrity of the nation’s electoral system the legal authority for the National in the United States will fall from when interviewed. Does the Trump those heinous lessons while he was by insisting he would have won both if, as he tweeted Security Entry-Exist Registration 110,000 in 2016 to 50,000 in 2017. administration not realise that already in the United States? And then, “you deduct the millions of people who voted System (Nseers), the US government’s It’s worse for Syrians. Not a single people could simply lie – sorry, what if such a person ran for offi ce? illegally” in blue states such as California. previous incarnation of a Muslim Syrian refugee will be admitted offer alternative facts – when And what if such a person became registry. We’re never far away from to the US until Trump himself, in asked ideological questions? The the president of the United States? There is no evidence of any such large-scale voter our demons. royal fashion, determines that the revisions enacted by this order How do we protect America then? – fraud. Trump’s own legal team said as much during Friday’s executive order initiates Refugee Admissions Program is are mindless and bureaucratic and Guardian News & Media post-election recounts. Trump produced zero proof when he was asked to put up or shut up by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, among others. He has been contradicted by leading Republicans from Sen. Lindsey Graham to House Speaker Paul Ryan. Yet he repeated the false claim again on Monday, telling congressional leaders that Clinton had benefi ted from as many as 5mn undocumented votes. When Democrats protested, the president reportedly repeated an anecdote from a German golf pro whose friend had once been turned away from the polls while Latinos got provisional ballots. On Tuesday, Border wall Trump’s increasingly compromised press and refugee secretary, Sean Spicer, ban, is policy by cited studies that he said would back up prejudice, gossip Trump’s “longstanding belief” in massive voter and ‘alternative fraud, but did not. fact’ On Wednesday, Trump called for “a major investigation into voter fraud, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and even, those registered to vote who are US President Donald Trump signs an executive order he said would impose tighter vetting to prevent foreign terrorists from entering the United States at the Pentagon dead (and many for a long time).” Actually, multiple in Washington, on Friday. registration isn’t illegal, only multiple voting. But news organisations soon produced public records showing Trump’s daughter Tiff any, chief strategist Steve Bannon and Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin all fell into Trump’s multiple registration Dark days for children dragnet. This is ceasing to be amusing. Trump’s investigation, like his border wall and draconian refugee ban, is By Anthony Lake and Isabella Lovin by working through a co-ordinated harness innovation to expand our humanitarian and development policy by prejudice, gossip and “alternative fact.” New York/Stockholm humanitarian-response system capacity to reach children who are cut efforts; but in today’s unpredictable that includes Unicef – is alleviating off from assistance in besieged areas or environment, more flexible, long- “If President Trump has evidence of voter fraud suff ering whenever and wherever it communities controlled by extremists. term funding is critical. at the scale he’s alleging, he should please bring it he year 2016 will probably be can. But the quantity and complexity We should be exploring every option, “Core” funding, as it is known, forward,” Padilla said. But so far the only fraud seems remembered for military and of cascading crises are testing such as using drones to airdrop food enables the UN and nongovernmental to be coming from the Oval Offi ce. In less than a week, political events, but it should that system as never before. New and medical supplies, and developing organisations both to react more Trump has gone from small lies about his inaugural Talso go down in history as one challenges, such as extremism, are mobile apps to monitor needs and quickly in emergencies and to plan of the worst years for children since increasing the risks to children, and track supplies on the ground, and to more strategically. Such funding crowd to big ones like this, which could cost taxpayers, World War II. making it more diffi cult and dangerous keep aid workers safer. While there allows us to provide life-saving help pave the way for voter suppression and harm Images of dead, injured, and to reach them. Meanwhile, armed will never be a substitute for safe, when people need it most, rather than innocents. distraught young children fi lled the groups are increasingly targeting unimpeded humanitarian access, we having to wait for countries to respond media on an almost daily basis: a small schools, hospitals, and homes, and need to explore every avenue to reach to specifi c humanitarian appeals. This Federal investigations of voter fraud are rare. A fi ve- boy sitting stunned and bleeding after compounding innocent people’s children in danger. is especially important for addressing year probe initiated by Republican President George his home was bombed; small bodies suff ering. More broadly, we must do a the “forgotten” crises that the media W Bush’s administration turned up no evidence being lifted out of rubble; and small Political solutions to these confl icts better job of coordinating among may have missed. of voter fraud and ended in resignations and more graves on the Mediterranean shoreline are the surest way to stop the suff ering governments and organisations to Sweden has long been a proponent investigations for the Department of Justice which that mark the deaths of unknown and bring an end to such savage provide short-term and long-term of such fl exible support for UN children. violations of human rights. But, relief more efficiently, and to make organisations, because it improves enforces federal voting rights laws. These images are powerful and barring that ideal outcome, we need to every dollar count. With chronic results. For this reason, Sweden’s “Republicans have used claims of widespread voter uncomfortable. And yet they cannot strengthen the current humanitarian crises proliferating, we should be government recently decided to fraud to discriminate and restrict access to the ballot capture the magnitude of children’s system’s capacity to reach the children maximising synergies between double its 2016 contribution to box for years,” said Democratic US Representative suff ering. More than 240mn children at greatest risk. humanitarian and development Unicef’s core funds. Now that the are living in confl ict zones – from the More than 70 years ago, world initiatives, because the two go world is working together on a new James Clyburn of South Carolina. killing fi elds of Syria, Yemen, Iraq, leaders addressed the unprecedented hand in hand. How we respond in global development agenda, we hope and northern Nigeria, to less well- humanitarian crisis following World emergencies lays a foundation for this practice will spread and inspire documented but horror-stricken War II by creating new institutions to future growth and stability, and other governments to move more To Advertise areas of Somalia, South Sudan, bring immediate assistance to those how we invest in development can toward high-quality funding for and Afghanistan. And of the 50mn in need. These new global entities laid help build resilience against future humanitarian relief and sustainable [email protected] children who live outside their own the foundation for a future based on emergencies. development. Display countries or have been internally cooperation, dialogue, and results, Lastly, we need to change how We must protect the rights, lives, Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 displaced, more than half have been rather than confl ict, disaster, and ruin. governments calibrate the critical and futures of the world’s most forcibly uprooted, and are facing new That was a turning point in world aid that they provide to meet vulnerable children. To the extent that Classified threats to their lives and well-being. history; we have now arrived at fluctuating needs. In recent years, we do that, we will help to determine Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 Millions of children are another one. We need to summon as appeals for aid have escalated, our common future as well. Project undernourished and out of school; the same spirit of solidarity and countries undergoing domestic Syndicate Subscription millions have witnessed unspeakable creativity today that inspired previous austerity have increasingly had to [email protected] brutality; and millions are threatened generations, not by founding new justify their foreign-aid outlays. zAnthony Lake is Executive Director with exploitation, abuse, and worse. institutions, but by fi nding new ways Many donors have earmarked their of Unicef. Isabella Lovin is Minister This is not rhetoric; it is reality. of responding to the hard realities of aid funds for specific purposes. for International Development Co- 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved The United Nations – with support our own time. To be sure, such funds will always operation and Deputy Prime Minster of from countries such as Sweden, and For starters, we urgently need to be an indispensable tool in both Sweden. Gulf Times Sunday, January 29, 2017 27 COMMENT Yearning for leadership, new order

Successive governments remarks to a female staff er of the governments at the head-of-state have done little to engage ESPNCricinfo – the game’s pre- level. Short of that engagement, eminent website portal – Chappell it is hard to imagine international in diplomacy at the highest suggested to Cricket Australia not cricket resuming in Pakistan in the level for the resumption of to send out invites to Pakistan in the near future. future. His choice of description for The lack of leadership is apparent, international cricket at home the tourists was actually harsher, if and it would seem, has taken into its colourful: “Somebody’s got to give cold embrace the once redoubtable By Kamran Rehmat them a kick...”. Misbah, too. It is a measure of how Doha The comments unleashed a storm bare the cupboard has been that with two sets of views back home; one, Shaharyar M Khan, the 83-year- about how unbecoming and rich it old PCB chairman, who is also a overning a country of about was for the former Australian captain distinguished former diplomat, 200mn is no mean feat. A to suggest this when the current had only recently, again, requested country of diverse people, Australian team itself had been clean Misbah, pushing 43, to carry on until a Gplaces and things, not to say swept against an underwhelming Sri successor is found. issues, can test the best. Lankan team in the Pearl Island and Misbah, of course, has served with But if there is a meaner task in the has a decidedly, poor record in the great distinction, both on and off land than this, it is probably leading subcontinent (besides losing to South the field and helmed, over six years the Pakistan cricket team. To begin Africa at home just recently); and, of toil, one of the finest redemption with, cricket is not just a sport or two, his remarks were well-meaning, stories in the world of sport by a pastime in this Southeast Asian coming from an admirer of Pakistan’s restoring Pakistan’s pride and nation; it is, not by any great stretch of legendary cricketers and teams such honour following the 2010 match- imagination, perhaps, second only to as Imran Khan’s World Cup winning fixing saga. faith in the scheme of things Pakistani. squad of 1992. But as with all stories that come Well, almost! In fact, so telling was Chappell’s to an end, Misbah will do himself a Certainly, the fortunes of the apparent chutzpah, it provoked the favour by pulling Pakistan cricket national team are treated virtually gentlemanly Misbah-ul-Haq, the out of misery yet again – this time by as their own by inveterate fans. current under-the-weather Pakistan leaving with grace, not hanging on. True to the adage, a victory pretty captain, to make his displeasure public “National interests” are not always much resounds like those proverbial in an article published on a premier served by replaying notions of “boy- thousand fathers to the teeming Australian cricket website. It could on-the-burning-deck”. millions; conversely, a defeat fetches be argued, with reasonable logic, that Chappell may have been harsh in that orphan script. Misbah had a point – not necessarily reading the riot act, but the series But unlike other cricket countries, in reminding Chappell about the of reversals on the twin tour of where loss of form is rarely treated shoe being on the other foot when New Zealand and Australia have as loss of face, in Pakistan, fans can Australia tours the subcontinent, but driven home the eternal truth in a unforgivingly seek heads. Yes, a high about the hard-knuckle reality facing KEEPER OF HOPE: Sarfraz Ahmed is ideally suited to usher Pakistan into a new era as the country looks for leadership change. sportsman’s life: There’s a time to stake cricket reversal can often lead Pakistan cricket since it became a serve and a time to move on. The time to career-ending consequences, victim of terrorism in 2009, resulting Test tour Down Under was in 2009- incumbent led by Prime Minister tried and failed to convince member has similarly come for ODI captain especially for the captain. in international cricket grinding to a 10) then how are we going to improve? Nawaz Sharif – a known cricket buff countries of the International Cricket Azhar Ali to accept the writing on the Pakistan cricket has arrived at one halt at home. The next time we will go there, there who follows the team’s progress – Council – save for a cash-starved wall. such crossroads again, and this time, Responding to Chappell’s might be 8-9 new faces and just two has done precious little to retrieve Zimbabwe team that breezed through As for Pakistan, it can do no better it is accentuated because not only did suggestion to Cricket Australia about or three players that were part of the lost ground by not engaging in any a costly short trip in 2015 – to play in than to respond to the call of the new the national team, which is supposed not sending the invite to Pakistan, previous tour.” meaningful diplomacy at the highest Pakistan. wave and install Sarfraz Ahmed, the to fetch laurels and keep the crescent- Misbah countered: “If the Asian teams While it is true that Pakistan cricket level. Back in 2009 Sri Lanka bold wicketkeeper batsman, as the and-star fl ag fl ying high, failed do no travel to Australia then how are has suff ered immeasurably owing to The argument that Pakistan Cricket defied tremendous pressure national captain across all formats. A expectations, but copped a roasting they going to improve? I think there’s the refusal by international teams Board (PCB) – the prime minister from a regional country to tour country of millions of passionate fans from Australian great Ian Chappell been a gap between the teams because to tour the country, citing security is its patron-in-chief – is the only Pakistan; the Test series, it is deserves no less. that was deemed a national aff ront! we hardly tour. If we tour Australia concerns, the fact is that successive authorised body entrusted with the worth noting, was arranged with In what appeared to be casual only every seven years (our previous governments; notably, including the task does not cut ice. The PCB has the understanding of the two zThe writer is Community Editor Weather report Rainforests may be gone in 100 years Three-day forecast TODAY High: 25 C weather everywhere from the US Congo DRC together put forward mechanism called Redd (reduced Low : 20 C Guardian News and Media Expected strong wind and high seas London Midwest, to Europe and China. targets that could protect over 50mn emissions from deforestation and by afternoon. The consensus of the world’s hectares of forest over the next 15 forest degradation) has been initiated atmospheric scientists is that years, an area the size of Spain. that involves rich countries paying f you want to see the world’s about 12% of all man-made climate Indonesia, the world’s sixth largest countries to protect forests and the MONDAY climate changing, fly over a emissions – nearly as much as the carbon emitter, promised to cut its carbon stored within them. Tropical High: 21 C tropical country. Thirty years world’s 1.2bn cars and lorries – now emissions by 29% by ending illegal and sub-tropical countries could Low: 12 C Iago, a wide belt of rainforest comes from deforestation, mostly deforestation and restoring 12mn receive both public and private Sunny circled the earth, covering much in tropical areas. Conserving forests hectares of forested land. Ecuador funding if they succeed in reducing of Latin America, south-east Asia is critical; the carbon locked up in said that it planned to restore 500,000 their emissions from deforestation. and Africa. Today, it is being rapidly Democratic Republic of the Congo’s hectares of forest land by 2017 and But this is deeply controversial TUESDAY replaced by great swathes of palm 150mn hectares of forests are nearly then increase that amount by 100,000 as global schemes are prone to High: 22 C oil trees and rubber plantations, three times the world’s global annual hectares a year. Honduras committed corruption, diffi cult to implement and Low: 17 C land cleared for cattle grazing, soya emissions. to plant or restore 1m hectares of hard to measure. Sunny farming, expanding cities, dams and And as the forests come down, forest by 2030. If there is money to protect forests, logging. the people who live in or around If countries stick to their pledges will it go to big companies as subsidy, People have been deforesting the them and depend on them become and let damaged forests recover, or lead to evictions of people and Fishermen’s forecast annual global greenhouse gas human rights abuses? tropics for thousands of years for impoverished. Without the forests, OFFSHORE DOHA timber and farming, but now, nothing people migrate to cities, or move to emissions could be reduced by as There must be safeguards, but Wind: NE-NW 15-25 KT less than the physical transformation richer countries in search of work. The much as 24 to 30% – an enormous Germany, Norway and the UK have Waves: 6-8 Feet of the Earth is taking place. Every year world’s rainforests not only provide step. together promised up to $1bn a year INSHORE DOHA Wind: N-NW 10-20/25 KT about 18mn hectares of forest – an food, energy security, incomes and The science and economics needed for Redd schemes until 2020. The Waves: 2-4 Feet area the size of England and Wales – is medicinal plants for 300mn people, to stem deforestation are in place, but World Bank plans to contribute a felled. In just 40 years, possibly 1bn but are home to the richest wildlife in there is one huge caveat: countries similar amount to work with African Around the region hectares, the equivalent of Europe, has the world. with tropical forests are some of countries. A further fund is intended Weather Weather gone. Half the world’s rainforests have So, what to do? The positive news is the poorest in the world, desperate to benefit indigenous and other today Max/min tomorrow Max/min been razed in a century, and the latest that all countries formally pledged at to develop and use their natural forest communities which have been Abu Dhabi Sunny 27/19 Sunny 22/16 satellite analysis shows that in the last the Paris climate summit in December resources to grow their economies. the traditional protectors of the Baghdad Sunny 12/01 Sunny 12/02 Dubai 15 years new hotspots have emerged 2015 to reduce emissions and keep Their pledges to stop or reduce forest. Sunny 28/19 Sunny 24/14 Kuwait City Sunny 18/06 Sunny 16/08 from Cambodia to Liberia. At current global temperature rises to well below deforestation are mostly conditional Until Paris, stopping tropical Manama P Cloudy 21/14 Sunny 18/12 rates, they will vanish altogether in 2C; and in so doing they recognised on rich countries fi nancially and deforestation was at best unlikely Muscat Sunny 27/19 Sunny 26/19 100 years. that this would not be possible technically helping them achieve this and probably impossible. It remains Riyadh Sunny 21/06 Sunny 18/09 As fast as the trees go, the chance without stopping or at least reducing – and the onus on reducing emissions very difficult, but a political and Tehran P Cloudy 03/-5 Sunny 04/-2 of slowing or reversing climate tropical deforestation. is on these rich countries which have financial mechanism has now been change becomes slimmer. Tropical The 50 or more developing historically caused most climate created to incentivise countries, deforestation causes carbon dioxide, countries who share the world’s change. companies and communities to do so the main greenhouse gas, to linger tropical forests all recognised their Rich countries pledged at Paris at a fraction of the cost of reducing in the atmosphere and trap solar contribution and promised to crack to raise $100bn a year to help poor comparable emissions in the US or radiation. This raises temperatures down on illegal forestry, replant trees countries reduce their emissions. Europe. Protecting the forests now and leads to climate change: and restore degraded forest lands. Some of that money should go to depends on rich governments not deforestation in Latin America, Asia Some countries were highly tropical forest protection. ducking their responsibilities and and Africa can aff ect rainfall and ambitious. China, Brazil, Bolivia and In addition, a new UN-backed playing their part. Live issues Does depression boost the risk of cancer death?

Around the world AFP out that a statistical link does not Participants were monitored for an one’s lifestyle, people who described Weather Weather Paris necessarily signify a cause-and- average of nearly a decade. themselves as depressed were nearly today Max/min tomorrow Max/min eff ect relationship between mood and More than 4,300 died of cancer. twice as likely to dies of colon cancer, Athens M Cloudy 10/04 Cloudy 10/04 cancer. The team sifted through raw data on and more than twice of likely to Beirut Sunny 12/03 M Sunny 14/09 Sunny P Cloudy 34/22 eople who are frequently But the fi ndings add to growing psychological distress levels, lifestyle succumb to pancreas or oesophagal Bangkok 33/22 Berlin M Sunny 06/-1 Showers 03/01 depressed or anxious may evidence that mental and physical habits and cancer incidence. cancer. Cairo P Cloudy 17/07 M Sunny 18/08 run a higher risk of dying health do not function on separate They searched in particular for The rate for leukaemia was even Cape Town Sunny 23/16 P Cloudy 22/15 from certain types of cancer, planes, and that one can infl uence the evidence of links between stress and higher. Colombo S T Storms 31/24 S T Storms 31/23 P Dhaka Sunny 27/15 Sunny 27/15 researchers said yesterday. other, they said. cancers related to hormonal changes The team could not discount that Hong Kong S Showers 22/20 S Showers 23/17 Medical records of more than Earlier research, for example, or lifestyle. depression may be a result, rather than Istanbul P Cloudy 05/01 Cloudy 05/00 160,000 adults in England and showed that chronic depression and Depression is known to disrupt the cause, of cancer. Jakarta T Storms 29/24 T Storms 29/24 Wales showed that those describing anxiety may help trigger heart disease hormonal balance to the extent “Distress might be a consequence Karachi Sunny 27/13 Sunny 26/16 themselves as psychologically and stroke. of boosting natural cortisone of the early stages of the malignancy London Rain 09/07 Cloudy 11/09 Manila Rain T Storms 30/24 distressed were more likely to But attempts to discern similar links concentrations and inhibiting DNA rather than a potential predictor,” they 28/23 Moscow M Cloudy -9/-17 Sunny -11/-17 succumb to cancer, especially of the between states of mind and cancer repair mechanisms, both of which noted. New Delhi P Cloudy 22/10 Sunny 23/10 colon, prostate and pancreas. have yielded mixed results. weaken cancer defences. If someone is sick, in other words, New York M Sunny 07/-2 P Cloudy 04/-3 Leukaemia and cancer of the To fi nd out more, a quartet of It is also well established that even if unaware they have cancer, the Paris Cloudy 07/05 Showers 09/08 oesophagus, or food pipe, were also researchers led by David Batty of people who are down in the dumps symptoms are likely to dampen their Sao Paulo T Storms 27/19 T Storms 27/19 Seoul Snow 03/-7 Sunny -3/-13 more elevated among this group, they University College London examined are more likely to smoke, drink and spirits. Singapore T Storms 30/24 T Storms 31/24 wrote in the BMJ medical journal. raw data from 16 long-term studies, become obese – all associated with a More research is needed to confi rm Sydney M Sunny 27/21 M Sunny 36/27 The researchers were cautious covering 163,363 people aged 16 and higher cancer risk. the link, and tease out the causal Tokyo Clear 14/04 Cloudy 19/05 in their conclusions, pointing over. The team found that regardless of connections, said Batty. Gulf Times 28 Sunday, January 29, 2017 QATAR Maserati launches new Quattroporte

By Joe Koraith at their Pearl-Qatar showroom. It has a sportier nose accentuated round View Camera. Besides, it Doha “The car is the fl agship not by the vertical chrome slats in the has an Air Quality Sensor that only for our brand but is also a grille. New mirrors, side skirts and calculates pollution levels on the representation of exclusivity of rear bumper all add up to give the outside and prevents the toxins t has been more than 50 years the Italian design, of the sporti- Quattroporte a refreshed look. from entering the cabin. Hussain Alfardan, chairman of Alfardan Group, Omar Alfardan, president and CEO of Alfardan Group, and since Maserati introduced ness of our engines and of the On the inside, a new 8.4-inch The biggest tweak, however, other off icials pose with the new Maserati Quattroporte. Ithe Quattroporte at the 1963 luxurious interiors that we can infotainment system now greets is the introduction of a new trim Turin Motor Show. The excit- off er to our customers,” Luca the occupant, one that is com- strategy by Maserati. The Quattro- upholstery that uses a patented Titano rims and red brake calli- anything like that before and till ing concept of putting a race Delfi no, Maserati sales director patible with both Apple CarPlay porte can now lean towards pure silk fabric. pers along with other tweaks that today our Quattroporte drives engine into a sedan has turned Mena region, told Gulf Times and Android Auto. There’s a luxury or pure sport, depending on Those opting for the GranS- add to the sportiness. with a Ferrari-produced engine. into a successful product for the during the unveiling. new rotary control in the central the customer’s inclination. port trim will be able to enjoy “The Quattroporte was born A legacy that now continues Italian marquee and the latest The sixth-generation Quat- console. Also, this Maserati now The GranLusso is for those the sport steering wheel, which when Maserati decided to put the with the new model,” said Charly iteration of Maserati’s fl agship troporte has undergone a host of comes with more driver assist seeking luxury. Apart from styl- comes in carbon fi bre or full engine of a race car into a four- Dagher, general manager, Ma- vehicle has now been unveiled in changes that promises to make it features such as Forward Col- ing tweaks, one can now opt for leather coupled with aluminium door – ‘quattro porte’ – salon serati Qatar at Alfardan Sports Qatar by Alfardan Sports Motors even more attractive to its clientele. lision Warning and a new Sur- the Ermenegildo Zegna Edition shift paddles. They also get 21” car in 1963. Nobody had done Motors. QR810,000 given away in cash prizes as Shop Qatar marks third week

hop Qatar’s third raffl e draw has been held, pro- Sviding QR810,000 worth of cash prizes to lucky shoppers. More than 49,000 vouchers were entered into the draw, rep- resenting more than QR9.8mn of spending over the seven-day period from January 20 to 26 of Shop Qatar, the Qatar Tour- ism Authority (QTA) said in a statement. Visitors and residents have a fi nal chance to win by shopping or dining at participating res- taurants and outlets in any of the The raff le draw in progress. The crowd enjoying a performance by children. festival’s 10 retail partners. The last draw, to be held on February Emirati singing sensation and lished by Al Jazeera Children’s myriad of events to choose from, Guerlain. The demonstration can Gate Mall on February 1 (11am Kyakuwa, Eufronio Mabazza, Mo- 7, will include a mega draw for a “Goodwill Ambassador At Large” Channel, performed clas- whether they are searching for be attended free of charge and and 6pm), February 2 (11 am and hamed Ammouroh and Mohamed jackpot prize of QR1mn. Dr Hussain al-Jassmi serenaded sics from a repertoire of Ara- fashion, music, theatre or out- the opportunity for one-on-one 6pm) and February 3 (4pm). Basheer, QR30,000 – Thenmoyh, Meanwhile, visitors and resi- fans at a soiree held at Qatar Na- bic, English and French pieces, door entertainment for the whole consultations will be available The winners of the third raffl e Mohamed Irfan, Mostafa Abdurr- dents enjoyed the third weekend tional Convention Centre, head- which included popular songs by family, the statement notes. afterwards. draw are as follows: QR300,000 rahman and Fathma Abdullah of Shop Qatar, which provided lined by rising Qatari star Dana Lebanese diva Fairouz. The upcoming events in- The hour-long demos will take – Mohamed Noureddine Afi fi , al-Mohannadi, and QR10,000 both ticketed and free concerts Alfardan. In its fi nal week, Shop Qatar clude live make-up tutorial with place at the Guerlain counter QR100,000 – Janette Merca- – Deepek, Yohanes Arnianto, for music lovers, QTA said. Siwar, a youth choir estab- will off er visitors and residents a beauty and luxury experts from in the Salam showroom at The do, QR50,000 – Binu TV, Faisal Sabariraja and Nabil Hanna.

Participants at the third edition of The Color Run. A group of expatriates during The Color Run. Over 7,000 join Color Run in Health First campaign

he Color Run, presented Thousands of participants, music, unique photo opportuni- the success of our campaign, dem- by Sahtak Awalan: Your young and old, veterans and ties and massive colour throws. onstrating once again Doha’s com- THealth First, concluded fi rst-time Color Runners Each Color Runner also received mitment to lead a healthier and its third edition in Doha yester- walked, jogged and skipped their a limited-edition Tropicolor happier lifestyle. This third edition day at Qatar National Conven- way through the 5km course as race shirt, embroidered head- of The Color Run has witnessed tion Centre (QNCC). they got bathed in Tropicolor band, fun temporary tattoos and unprecedented fun and excite- More than 7,200 Color Runners powder at each of the fi ve Color tropical fl ower lei. ment and has marked an extraor- completed the ‘Happiest 5K on the Zones. The new theme – the Nesreen al-Rifai, chief commu- dinary celebration where the local planet’ and got coated from head- Tropicolor World Tour – includ- nications offi cer for Weill Cornell community had one goal in com- to-toe in a tropical array of colours ed an explosive Tropicolor Zone, Medicine-Qatar, which runs the mon – getting healthy and active each kilometre of the course until palm trees, bright colours, and Your Health First campaign, said: and appreciating doing so in a fun the fi nish line. This edition of The island-style music. “We were thrilled to see so many environment!” Color Run presented by Sahtak Also featured were Rainbow people in Doha participating in A portion of the proceeds is Awalan: Your Health First brought Beach and the Finish Festival, a the Qatar edition of The Color Run being donated to Educate a Child a new theme to Doha through its larger-than-life celebration at presented by Sahtak Awalan: Your by The Color Run with $1 of eve- Participants walked, jogged and skipped their way through the 5km course as they got bathed in Tropicolor Tropicolor World Tour. the interactive island, featuring, Health First. This is testament to ry entry donated to the charity. powder at each of the five Color Zones.