BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Federer wins record 8th INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-6, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 Qatar’s banks have REGION 6 BUSINESS 1-7, 7-8 Wimbledon 21,595.00 9,343.57 46.54 ARAB WORLD 6, 7 CLASSIFIED 14-16 lowest non-performing +86.00 -126.36 +0.46 INTERNATIONAL 8-17 SPORTS 1-8 crown +0.40% -1.33% +1.00% loans in GCC, Mena Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10517 July 17, 2017 Shawwal 23, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir meets CEO of Mitsui Group Qatar to build In brief QR1.6bn food

QATAR | Diplomacy facilities at Foreign Minister meets UN offi cial HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani Hamad Port met the United Nations Special Co- ordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, in Doha „Food storage and includes bulk storage silos, including yesterday. Talks during the meeting processing plants infrastructure and conveyance equip- dealt with the latest developments in ment, as well as structures for handling, the Middle East, especially in Palestine. will be built on a processing, packaging, reloading and The Foreign Minister stressed that 530,000sq m area transport. Qatar will continue to play its positive The facilities will operate as a fully- role in the quest for peace in the By Peter Alagos functional standalone terminal, while His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday met with the Chief Executive Off icer of Mitsui Group, Tatsuo region. Business Reporter 500m of Hamad Port’s wharf will be Yasunaga, who called on the Emir to greet him on the occasion of his visit to Qatar. The meeting, at the Emir’s off ice at Al Bahr dedicated for the berthing and dis- Palace, reviewed aspects of co-operation and means of enhancing them. charging of the ships, the minister said. QATAR | Reaction atar will build QR1.6bn food HE al-Sulaiti said German, Italian Baghdad bombing storage and processing facilities and Swiss companies like German Ipro, condemned Qat Hamad Port capable of sup- Global Port, Buhler, German BIA and plying stockpile for three main com- C M Bernardini will be involved in the Qatar has expressed its strong modities – rice, sugar, and edible oils, project. condemnation over the bombing that for 3mn people for two and a half years, Al Jaber Engineering CEO Osama De-escalation must for took place in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, it was announced yesterday. Hadid told Gulf Times that companies killing and injuring a number of people. HE the Minister of Transport and from the three countries have already In a statement yesterday, the Ministry Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al- submitted their proposals for the supply of Foreign Aff airs reiterated Qatar’s Sulaiti made the announcement after of equipment and machinery. firm stance rejecting violence and a signing ceremony between the New “Naturally, the client wants the best terrorism regardless of their motives Port Project (NPP) Steering Committee quality and we would also want to pro- talks to begin: France and whatever the causes and motives and Al Jaber Engineering (JEC), the main vide high-quality projects so, we will be are. The statement extended Qatar’s contractor and designer of the Strategic co-operating with the best names in the „French FM holds talks mander in chief of the UAE’s armed “France does not want to substitute condolences to the families of the Food Security Facilities Project. fi elds of food processing and food stor- with Kuwait, UAE leaders forces. the mediator,” Le Drian said in Saudi Ara- victims and the Government and HE al-Sulaiti said the facilities will age,” Hadid pointed out. Abu Dhabi was the last step in a tour bia on Saturday. “It wants to be a facilita- people of Iraq, wishing the injured be built on a 530,000sq m area adjacent HE al-Sulaiti said the project will be Agencies of four Gulf nations that began on Sat- tor by joining eff orts of other countries.” speedy recovery. to Hamad Port, adding that the project handed over to the Ministry of Economy Kuwait/Abu Dhabi urday and also took Le Drian to Qatar, Le Drian’s visit comes after a four- consists of specialised facilities for the and Commerce once completed, signal- Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. day mediation mission by US Secretary processing, manufacturing and refi ning ling the start of Phase 2, which will in- Earlier yesterday, the French foreign of State Rex Tillerson ended on Thurs- BUSINESS | Trade of rice, raw sugar and edible oils, which volve private sector companies. Page 20 rench Foreign Minister Jean-Yves minister held talks in Kuwait City with day with no announcement of progress Talks on Qatar-Oman “will be available for local, regional and Le Drian called for a “de-esca- senior offi cials in a bid to bolster the towards defusing mounting tensions in investment scopes global use”. Projects going as planned Flation” in the row between Qatar emirate’s attempts to mediate in the the Gulf. He noted that Phase 1 of the project is and four Arab countries, as he held talks Gulf crisis. Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed Qatari businessmen discussed expected to be completed in 26 months. HE the Minister of Transport and Com- in the UAE and Kuwait, a mediator in the Le Drian met with the Emir Sheikh sanctions on Doha on June 5, including yesterday with their visiting Omani Speaking to reporters on the sidelines munications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti crisis. Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, and closing its only land border and denying counterparts investment opportunities of the event, New Port Project executive said that all the projects in the country are “It would be preferable if the parties Kuwait’s foreign minister, state news Qatar access to their airspace . in the Qatari market and means of director Maisar Jamil el-Qutami said proceeding at a good pace as planned could engage in a process of de-escala- agency KUNA said, for talks on a re- The four Arab states accuse Qatar of enhancing trade relations between the the facility will have a daily capacity of and will not stop as a result of the siege tion, one that is indispensable so that gional rift which has seen Saudi Arabia, ties to Iran and of funding Islamist ex- two sides. Qatar Chamber has hosted 300 metric tonnes of rice, 300mt of raw imposed on Qatar. negotiations can take place in a con- the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain sever all ties tremist groups. Qatar has repeatedly a delegation among the Omani trade sugar and 200mt of edible oils. Speaking on the sidelines of the signing of structive atmosphere,” Le Drian said in with Qatar. denied the accusations. groups, which met with Qatar Chamber “The project has the fl exibility to add a contract for designing and constructing Abu Dhabi. The French foreign minister has sup- The Gulf crisis is the worst to hit the Vice-President Mohamed bin Ahmed other commodities, and it is capable of food security facilities and warehouses He held talks with Abu Dhabi Crown ported Kuwait as a mediator in the cri- region since the establishment of the bin Tawar. Business Page 1 producing animal feeds and food stocks at Hamad Port, the minister said under Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed sis, which he said should be resolved “by Gulf Co-operation Council in 1981. from rice and sugar byproduct,” said the siege lifestyle has not changed and al-Nahayan, who is also deputy com- the Gulf countries themselves”. Pages 2, 20 el-Qutami, who added that the facility everything is going on as usual because AMERICA | Poll could spare 30% of its production for of the eff orts made by the government Trump is losing export. at all levels. public support HE al-Sulaiti said the project also Public support for President Donald Aqsa offi cials reject new Israeli measures Trump is dropping, a poll showed yesterday, as he faces multiple QNA Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after radio station, saying “it is a dangerous setbacks over his stalled agenda Bethlehem it had been closed following a deadly and unprecedented move to impose and eff orts to repeal and replace shooting attack inside the compound control over Al-Aqsa mosque.” Obamacare. Nearly six months since he that left two Israeli border policemen When Israeli authorities attempted took off ice, Trump is facing a declining s Israeli offi cials moved to killed and three Palestinian assailants to reopen the mosque at 12:30pm be- approval rating that has dropped from “gradually reopen” the Al-Aqsa shot dead on Friday. fore afternoon prayers, Waqf offi cials 42% in April to 36%, according to a AMosque compound in occupied After discussions with “top secu- refused to pass through the metal de- Washington Post-ABC News poll of East Jerusalem for afternoon prayers rity leadership,” Netanyahu announced tectors. 1,001 adults. Similarly, his disapproval yesterday after three days of closure, additional security measures at the Israeli occupation authorities took rating has jumped five points to 58%. offi cials from the Islamic Endowment holy site, including the installation of control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque after A total of 48% of respondents said (Waqf) that runs the holy site refused the metal detectors as well as security the 1967 war, expanding their ambi- they “disapprove strongly” of the New Port Project executive director Maisar Jamil el-Qutami and Al Jaber to pass through new metal detectors cameras outside the compound, Ma’an tious schemes to Judaise Jerusalem, president’s performance in off ice. Engineering CEO Osama Hadid sign the agreement during a ceremony held at the that were installed at the compound’s reported. demolish the Al-Aqsa Mosque and es- And 48% also see American global MoTC headquarters yesterday. Looking on are HE the Minister of Transport and entrances, according to Ma’an News Earlier yesterday, director of Al- tablish the alleged temple and by in- leadership weakening since Trump Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, Swiss ambassador Etienne Thevoz, Agency. Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani creasing their settlement expansion’s entered the White House, while 27 % German ambassador Hans-Udo Muzel, and Italian ambassador Pasquale Salzano. The attempt to reopen the compound voiced his disapproval of the measures activity surrounding the city of Jerusa- said it is stronger. PICTURE: Nasar T K came upon an order from Israeli Prime while speaking to the Voice of Palestine lem from all directions. First phase of Orbital Highway opens for traffi c

By Ramesh Mathew ing two exclusive lanes for trucks, would Speaking at the opening, HE al-Sulai- three lanes each on either side of the Staff Reporter be completely ready by the last quarter ti said the movement of goods between highway between Hamad Port and the of 2018. Hamad Port and diff erent places until Al Industrial Area, fi ve-lanes each on ei- The opening took place at a location Shamal Road will improve considerably ther side between Rayyan and Umm Slal raffi c movement between Ha- west of the Rayyan stadium. when work on the remaining stretches and three lanes on either side between mad Port and Al Khor and further The project features 21 interchanges, along the route is completed. Umm Slal and Lusail are now ready for Tnorth got a boost yesterday when which provide connectivity to places The Ashghal authorities said the traffi c movement. the fi rst phase of the Orbital Highway such as Mesaieed, Wakrah, Rayyan, work was progressing at a fast pace and Meanwhile, HE al-Rumaihi said the and Truck Route was formally opened. Sheehaniya, Umm Slal and Al Khor be- yesterday three stretches, which to- highway would provide easy access to Some 125km of the total 195km is now sides off ering a number of links to Doha gether account for 69km, were formally and a direct link between a number of partially open, according to the Public city and places in the Industrial Area. opened. These are an 18km stretch be- major residential, commercial and in- Works Authority (Ashghal). When the vital four-phase project was tween Hamad Port and the Industrial dustrial areas in both the northern and At the opening ceremony attended by fi rst announced in 2014, it was informed Area (which includes the Wukair by- southern areas. HE the Minister of Transport and Com- that it would cost about QR18.5bn. pass), a 33km stretch between Rayyan Ashghal president Saad bin Ahmed munications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Su- The highway, when completed next (west of Al Rayyan Stadium on Dukhan al-Muhannadi, Orbital Highway project laiti and HE the Minister of Municipality year, is expected to provide conges- Road) and Umm Slal (on Shamal Road) director Badr al-Darwish and Ashghal HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, HE and Environment Mohamed bin Abdul- tion-free vehicular movement between and an 18km stretch between Umm Slal director for Roads and Infrastructural the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi and lah al-Rumaihi, it was announced that the southern and northern sides of the and Lusail. Aff airs Yousef al-Emadi also spoke at other dignitaries at the opening of the Orbital Highway and Truck Route yesterday. the seven-lane-a-side highway, featur- country. Of the stretches opened yesterday, the ceremony. Page 2 PICTURE: Jayan Orma Gulf Times 2 Monday, July 17, 2017 QATAR

Solidarity with Emir Expert: Qatar should join Rome Statute

oby Kidman, an expert der the international law the in international law measure was illegal and they Ton war crimes, human were purely punitive. rights, terrorism and extra- He said that the next legal step dition, said on Saturday that that must be taken by Qatar dur- there was no legal basis for the ing the crisis was to join Rome blockade imposed on Qatar by Statute system and the Interna- Saudi Arabia and three other tional Criminal Court as a mean Arab states and for the list of to protect itself. demands presented by these Kidman said that the legal countries. consequences might be stark Speaking to the Qatari daily and the situation might end in Al-Sharq, Kidman said that un- the UN Security Council.

London cabbies back Qatar

HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, senior London’s famed black-cab drivers are backing Qatar against Public Works Authority (Ashghal) off icials and other dignitaries stand in front of a ‘Tamim Al Majd’ mural, put up in support of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain Hamad al-Thani, during the inauguration of the Orbital Highway and Truck Route yesterday. Those present on the occasion included Supreme Committee for Delivery & and Egypt. The taxis are carrying the wraparound pro-Qatar Legacy secretary-general Hassan Abdullah al-Thawadi, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) president Dr Saad bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi, Ashghal assistant president Abdullah message “Lift the Blockade Against the People of Qatar” on Hamad al-Attiyah, as well as a number of senior off icials from the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ashghal and the their bodywork. A report said more than 200 London taxis are General Directorate of Traff ic at the Ministry of Interior. PICTURE: Jayan Orma displaying the message. 56km of roads linking Hamad Blockade fails to dent Port with other areas opened infrastructure projects ublic Works Authority (Ashghal) president Saad zQatar has close co- bout 56km of roads link- flowing connection between Pbin Ahmed al-Muhannadi operation with material ing Hamad Port to dif- Hamad Port, Hamad Inter- has stressed that the ongoing providers in a number of Aferent parts of Doha and national Airport and Salwa infrastructure projects in Qa- countries such as China, the Industrial Area have been Road. tar have not been aff ected by India, Turkey, Kuwait opened so far this year, accord- In April, nearly 37km of the the challenges arising from the and Oman, and they are ing to the Public Works Author- New Orbital Highway and Truck economic blockade imposed on providing equipment for ity (Ashghal). Route was opened. Qatar. most of the infrastructure Last month, there was a par- The opened areas included a He made the observation while projects tial opening of a 14km section 29km linking road from the in- speaking on the sidelines of the zThe expressway of the Orbital Highway from tersection of the Orbital High- opening of the Orbital Highway network being Hamad Port, connecting it with way with F-Ring Road, up to yesterday in western Rayyan. implemented by Ashghal Doha via G-Ring Road and the the intersection of the Orbital “Besides sourcing construc- would facilitate access to Industrial Area. Highway with Dukhan Highway tion materials from a number of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Four lanes were opened in the through Salwa Road. alternative destinations, a large stadiums in Qatar direction from Hamad Port to- The opened section includes number of our contractors are zThe Orbital Highway wards the Industrial Area and 8km of Mesaieed Road, extend- also using locally produced ma- is directly connected to works are going on to complete ing from the south of Al Wakrah terials for their projects,” he said Hamad Port; it will help the opposite lanes, which will to Hamad Port. when asked about the impact of enhance goods movement open shortly. It also serves a wide range of the blockade, if any, on the on- directly from the port to Al It is hoped that Hamad Port economic and agricultural ac- going projects. Shamal Road Road will provide road users tivities as the Logistics Village “We have close co-operation with a direct, shorter route as an and a large number of farms are with material providers in a alternative to the Al Kharara/Al located along the route. number of countries such as the Orbital Highway is directly Wakrah roads. It is expected to The new 8km section of Me- China, India, Turkey, Kuwait connected to Hamad Port, and shorten travel time by more than saieed Road will enhance traf- and Oman, and they are provid- the opening will help enhance 15%. fi c fl ow and facilitate access for ing equipment for most of the goods movement directly from The new road extends those travelling from Doha and infrastructure projects in Qatar. the port to Al Shamal Road. from Mesaieed Road, passing Al Wakrah to Hamad Port and Hence, project works are contin- HE the Minister of Munici- through G-Ring Road, up to the the southern areas. uing as per the plan,” he added. pality and Environment Mo- East Industrial Street through In February, a 5km road that The top Ashghal offi cial also hamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi the recently opened under- links Hamad Port with the Or- said a number of new manu- stressed that the Orbital High- pass at the East Street 33 In- bital Highway was opened. The facturing facilities to produce way provides easy access to and terchange (formerly Al Watan road will enhance truck move- materials for construction ac- direct link between residential, Roundabout). ment between the port and many tivities are expected to start commercial and industrial areas It will also establish a free- areas, including Doha. functioning over the next few in the north and south of Qatar. years, and this would augment Meanwhile, Supreme Com- the availability of materials in mittee for Delivery & Legacy the local market. secretary-general Hassan al- Expressing confi dence that Thawadi stressed that the ex- owing to its importance in pro- that the seven-lane-a-side high- opened last month were com- the completed stretches of the pressway network being im- viding a direct link between way would ensure fl awless move- pleted ahead of their schedule. Orbital Highway would enhance plemented by Ashghal would Hamad Port and G-Ring Road, ment for nearly 6,000 light vehi- The importance of the open- connectivity across the coun- facilitate access to the 2022 FIFA the Industrial Area, Salwa Road, cles an hour when it is completed. ing, said Attiya, is in providing try without any traffi c conges- World Cup stadiums in Qatar. Dukhan Highway and Al Shamal On the highway, fi ve lanes on free-fl owing traffi c movement tion, the Ashghal chief said the The Orbital Highway will pro- Road, before reaching Lusail City each side are for the movement for trucks going to and from movement of heavy vehicles vide direct access to a number of and Al Khor and further north. of vehicles other than trucks. Hamad Port and Al Khor and to places such as Al Shamal, Al stadiums, including Al Rayyan, It is expected that at least When fully completed, at least further north and the road will Khor, Umm Slal and Mesaieed Al Khor and Lusail. 2,500 trucks could use the Orbital 12,000 vehicles could eff ectively reduce travel time to about 50% would improve considerably in It was also informed at yester- Highway daily between the north move towards one side, it was in- when it is completed as it is go- the coming months. day’s opening that Ashghal had and south, especially for trans- formed. ing through locations far away HE the Minister of Transport accelerated the pace of imple- portation purposed between Ha- Later, Abdullah al-Attiya, as- from crowded areas of the city and Communications Jassim mentation in order to complete mad Port and the northern areas. sistant president of Ashghal, in- and its immediate surround- A section of the road opened yesterday. Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti noted that the project ahead of schedule Ashghal offi cials also informed formed some parts of the phase ings. Emiri Naval Forces hold joint exercise with British navy

he Qatari Emiri Naval communications, artillery and methods and simulate missile Forces began a joint na- naval missile communications launch from warships. Tval exercise with British delivery along with a number Meanwhile, the Emiri Na- Royal Navy forces in Qatar’s ter- of other naval operational ex- vy’s Special Joint Forces Group ritorial waters yesterday. ercises. also held exercises with the The Ministry of Defence’s The directorate explained UK’s Royal Navy in the territo- moral guidance directorate said that a number of Qatari rial waters Qatar. the exercise is being conducted Armed Forces’ state-of-the- The exercise included spe- in two phases. art boats and naval equip- cial training for ship protec- The fi rst will focus on train- ment and those of their Brit- tion during docking, clearance ing and lecturers at Hamad Port ish counterpart will be used in of mines, military and inspec- on fi refi ghting, an inventory of the exercise, including Barzan tion operations, manoeuvres the damage, maritime commu- missile boat, Damsa missile and a large number of other nications, special ship protec- boat and British minesweeper naval operational exercises, as tion exercises during docking Middleton. well as training on intrusions, and lectures on marine surface The goal of the two-day exer- sea manoeuvres and refuelling warfare. cise is to exchange experiences at sea. The second phase includes among participating forces, de- The exercise comes at the Emiri Naval Forces and British Royal Navy forces conducting joint exercise in Qatar’s territorial waters. practical exercises on mine- velop and standardise maritime request of the British Royal sweeping operations to clear concepts, train Qatari and Brit- Navy forces in accordance tween the two sides within fence co-operation between efforts to combat terrorism maintain security and stability the marine channel, maritime ish crews on various support with prior agreements be- the framework of bilateral de- Qatar and Britain to support and smuggling operations and in the region. Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 3 QATAR Conservation of wild plant Over 21,000 liquor bottles, 17kg marijuana seized

he General Authority of Customs (GAC) seized Ta large quantity of pro- hibited items during Ramadan, including thousands of liquor bottles and several kilograms of marijuana and chewing tobacco. Customs offi cers at Hamad Port and Hamad International Airport (HIA) managed to foil attempts to smuggle into the country 21,616 bottles of liquor, over 19 tonnes of chewing to- The Ministry of Municipality and Environment, represented by the Agricultural Research bacco and 17kg of the illicit drug, Department, has collected and conserved about 20 Acacia tortilis (samar) seeds from various field marijuana, according to a press sites in Qatar using the latest methods. This comes as part of the implementation of the national statement by the GAC. project for the inventory, collection and conservation of wild plants in Qatar. In a statement, the At Hamad Port, Customs of- Agricultural Research Department explained that the plant seeds collected undergo technical fi cers seized a total of more than processes within the Genetic Bank, including, for example, registration of inputs, giving them a 19 tonnes of chewing tobacco in serial national number that is internationally recognised, drying and cleaning seed samples, as three separate operations. The well as sterilising them at low temperatures to get rid of insect eggs that feed their larvae on the tobacco was found hidden inside seeds. Acacia tortilis, often called the ‘umbrella thorn’ for its distinctive spreading crown, is one of consignments of wooden doors the most widespread trees in desert environments. and electronics. The seizures amounted to 12 tonnes, 6 tonnes and 1.16 tonnes. After on-duty offi cers found the contents of a consignment of wooden doors suspicious, a thorough scan was conducted Ministry issues education and it revealed some 12 tonnes of GAC president Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Jamal honoured the Customs employees who helped seize the chewing tobacco hidden inside prohibited items and foiled the smuggling attempts. the doors, stacked in small bags. Similarly, tobacco was found in detected the contraband inside statistics booklet for 2015-16 two other consignments of loud- the luggage and handbags of speakers and electronics, hidden three travellers using the same and packed in the same way. method. The marijuana was he country had 245 private evening education, private and that the number of independent Meanwhile, thousands of liq- hidden in their personal be- schools with 172,892 stu- special needs education. The schools increased from 230 to uor bottles were seized at Ha- longings and folded inside car- Tdents and 189 independ- fi gures also include data cover- 292, or 12%. mad Port when the Customs of- bon paper. ent schools with 107,986 stu- ing the number of schools, stu- Meanwhile, the budget of fi cers in charge decided to carry Ahmed bin Abdullah al- dents, according to the Annual dents, teachers, staff and classes, the Ministry of Education and out a thorough search of a con- Jamal, GAC president, honoured Education Statistics Booklet is- the average number of students Higher Education for 2015- 2016 signment of olive oil. While the the seven Customs employees sued by the Ministry of Educa- in each class and school, and amounted to over QR6.75bn, cartons carried labels of olive who helped seize the prohibited tion and Higher Education for other facts. with more than QR567.8mn oil, the search revealed that they items and foiled the smuggling the year 2015-2016. There was an average of 24 spent on salaries and wages. actually contained some 21,616 attempts. He also thanked all the The booklet includes fi gures students per class in private The booklet aims to provide liquor bottles. Customs offi cers and employees and key statistical indicators on the schools and 25 in independent decision-makers, policymak- The liquor bottles were of the whose alertness and eff orts have education process that embraces schools. Also, the independ- ers and researchers with ac- same size and weight as the olive helped in detecting and foiling various schooling stages, including ent schools had 14,552 teachers curate educational statistics to oil the cartons were meant to be various smuggling attempts in pre-school, primary, preparatory while the private ones had 10,110 help them in scheduling pro- carrying. recent times. and secondary education. teachers, the booklet reveals. grammes, arranging plans and In another development, Al-Jamal stressed that GAC The statistics are classifi ed When comparing the fi gures putting in place policies and 17kg of marijuana was seized at offi cers are highly trained and according to the type of edu- for the 2015-2016 school year educational strategies based on HIA in three different opera- capable, and are able to carry out cation: public, independent, with 2016-2017, it is revealed scientifi c grounds. tions. Customs officers there their tasks and duties eff ectively. Some of the seized items. Gulf Times 4 Monday, July 17, 2017 QATAR

Qataris exempt from Moldova visa n offi cial source from the Ministry visa from any EU or Schengen area countries. Heart Hospital hosts cardiac of Foreign Aff airs’ Consular Aff airs This would allow the Qatari citizens to ADepartment has said that the Parlia- stay for a total of 90 calendar days during a ment of the Republic of Moldova has adopt- total period of 180 days. ed a law that exempts citizens of the State of If they exceed the 90-calendar day period, Qatar from visa requirements from entering citizens will have to obtain a long-stay visa. rehabilitation symposium Moldova, if they have a residence or a valid - QNA amad Medical Corporation’s from leading local and international physical inactivity for people with tor of Cardiac Rehabilitation, said: (HMC) Heart Hospital re- cardiology experts with the aim of heart problems as well as risk as- “This symposium brought together Hcently welcomed delegates helping patients who have had a sessment in the prevention of car- renowned experts in the fi eld of to its cardiac rehabilitation sympo- heart attack or have heart disease to diovascular disease. heart health to provide clinicians sium, providing them with the op- make the best possible recovery. Health promotion also featured with the best possible tools and portunity to learn about the latest The symposium hosted speakers strongly in the symposium’s agenda the most up-to-date knowledge to medical advances in the rehabilita- from the academic and clinical fi eld, with speakers providing useful tips for help patients reach their full recov- tion and treatment of patients with including associate professor Dr patients diagnosed with heart disease ery potential. I would like to thank heart disease. Ahmed Awaisu and assistant pro- or recovering from a heart attack. everyone who shared their time and The symposium was marked by fessor Dr Karam Adawi from Qatar Specifi c lifestyle changes aimed at knowledge to support such an im- an opening speech delivered by Dr University, senior consultant car- reducing health risks and improving portant symposium and I would also Hajar Ahmed Hajar al-Binali, con- diologist Dr Mohamed Alhashemi patients’ quality of life, including like to thank Dr Hajar Ahmed Hajar sultant, Cardiovascular Diseases. from the Heart Hospital, and con- fi tness and diet advice for cardiac al-Binali for his kind support.” The event was attended by phy- sultant cardiologist Dr Maria-Kar- rehabilitation, were discussed. For more information about heart sicians, allied health professionals, men Adamuz from Aspetar. Topics of discussion also included health and to learn about the signs nurses and other clinicians. Topics discussed included car- living safely after a heart attack as and symptoms of a heart attack, one Participants were able to share diac rehabilitation and its provision well as returning to work. can visit: http://www.hamad.qa/ ideas and listen to presentations in Qatar, the health implications of Dr Alhashemi, who is also direc- hearthealth.

More contracts of Bustan road Diversion on F-Ring Road from today later this year he Public Works Au- traffi c diversion on thority (Ashghal) will F-Ring Road will be Taward two more ten- A in place from today ders for the construction of to enable the construction the Al Bustan road project of a bridge linking F-Ring later this year, a senior Ash- Road with the Al Wakrah ghal offi cial said yesterday. Bypass. The Al Bustan road will The detour, carried out by run parallel to February the Public Works Authority 22 Street, which currently (Ashghal) in co-ordination stretches from The Mall sig- with the General Directorate nal and the Immigration fl y- of Traffi c, will last until the over, where it joins Shamal last quarter of next year. Expressway. The new road During the realignment is expected to have tunnels period, road users on F-Ring and interchanges as part of Road heading for Hamad In- its construction at diff erent ternational Airport will be points along the more than able to use a parallel route 12km route. with three lanes instead of Ashghal offi cials said four for a short distance of as part of the Bustan road approximately 1,850m. project, two contracts were Ashghal has said the tendered earlier this year speed limit will be reduced and the other two projects to 80kph in place of 100kph. would be tendered in the It has requested all road coming months. Queries users to obey the new speed found that the new road limit and follow the new sig- would have four lanes each nage for their safety. A map released by Ashghal of the new road closure and diversions on F-Ring road. in both directions. Ooredoo to off er new 10.5-inch iPad Pro

oredoo has announced it will The advanced Retina display is Ap- off er the all-new 10.5-inch ple’s brightest iPad display yet and fea- OiPad Pro, featuring the world’s tures anti-refl ective coating. “most advanced display with ProMo- “True Tone dynamically adjusts the tion technology and incredible per- white balance of the display to match formance with the new A10X Fusion the light around you for a more natural chip”. and accurate viewing experience and a The new 10.5-inch model reduces wide colour gamut enables iPad Pro to the borders by nearly 40% to fi t into deliver digital cinema-standard col- “an incredibly compact package that ours,” the statement explains. still weighs just one pound”. Combined The new 64-bit A10X Fusion chip with powerful new iPad features in iOS provides performance that is faster 11 coming this fall, like the new Files than most PC laptops shipping today. app, customisable Dock, improved A six-core CPU and 12-core GPU de- multitasking and deeper integration of liver 30% faster CPU performance Apple Pencil, iPad Pro gives users the and 40% faster graphics performance ability to be even more productive and than the industry-leading A9X chip, creative, according to a press state- while delivering all-day battery life. ment. iPad Pro features the same advanced Customers can order and fi nd out front- and back-facing cameras as about pricing options for the 10.5-inch iPhone 7, including a 12-megapixel iPad Pro now at Ooredoo shops. camera with optical image stabilisa- iPad Pro’s redesigned Retina display The new iPad Pro tion and a 7megapixel FaceTime HD features ProMotion, a new technology camera, as well as a four-speaker au- that delivers refresh rates up to 120Hz even more fl uid and natural drawing. dio system. for fl uid scrolling, greater responsive- ProMotion also improves display Support for LTE Advanced and ness and smoother motion content. quality and reduces power consump- 802.11ac Wi-Fi, along with an embed- With ProMotion, Apple Pencil is tion by automatically adjusting the ded Apple SIM make it easier to stay even more responsive with an indus- display refresh rate to match the move- connected when travelling in more try-best, 20-millisecond latency for ment of the content. than 180 countries and regions.

Asian Town raffl e winners announced

bn Ajayan Projects has announced the winners of the second raffl e draw for Asian Town Shop- Iping Festival 2017. The second draw was held yesterday, with Sown Kumar Kelancherry Vengalavan winning a Skoda Rapid (2016 model) in the raffl e. Joga Singh, Mohamed Irshad, Ram Saran, Sar- ath Sivanandan, Shahajan, Politha Sampath and Raj Rai also received TV, mobile phone, home the- atre and blenders as prizes. Many of these Asian expatriates are working and residing in the Industrial Area, according to a press statement from Ibn Ajayan Projects. The Asian Town Shopping Festival is a three- month-long festival that features raffl e draw priz- es such as three cars, six LG LED TVs, six mobile phones, six Philips blenders and six Philips home theatre systems. The winner of the third raffl e draw will get a Seat Toledo car. Ibn Ajayan Projects is holding the shopping fes- tival in Asian Town for the second time. This year, customers who make purchases worth a minimum of QR50 from any of the offi cial participating shops in Plaza Mall and the Cricket Stadium Complex can avail of coupons for the raf- A Ministry of Economy and Commerce representative at the fl e draw. announcement of the draw winner along with an official. Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 5 QATAR

Food checks Doha-Manila business class net violators joint inspec- Ation campaign targeting the service woos new patrons sale of food- stuff without By Joey Aguilar licences was Staff Reporter recently con- ducted in the Umm Birka lag carrier Philippine Airlines Area of Al Khor (PAL) yesterday launched its and Al Tha- Fbusiness class service between khira Munici- Doha and Manila, providing passen- pality. gers with more options and several The cam- Some of suspect amenities on board its reconfi gured paign was con- food for which the A330-300 aircraft. ducted by the trader was fined. “We have made signifi cant strides municipality’s in developing the fl ight between Doha Health Control Section in co-operation and Manila since we launched it on with the Farm Inspection Section in the March 29 last year,” PAL-Qatar area Livestock Wealth Department, Minis- manager Marvin Aranzanso said in a try of Municipality and Environment. statement. “This product enhance- The initiative resulted in the detec- ment will help promote the leisure tion of violations at two supermarkets. travel to the Philippines.” One of these was found selling ex- “The Philippines has so many beau- pired dairy products while the other tiful destinations to off er and Philip- displayed meat products without the pine Airlines can fl y you to these des- place-of-origin label. tinations with a warm caring service Both outlets were issued violation that is distinctly Filipino,” he added. reports in accordance with Law No 8 PAL offi cials also decided to scrap for 1990 regarding human food control. the stop-over in Abu Dhabi and mount PAL’s reconfigured A330-300 features 18 business class seats. PAL’s business class seats can be converted into fully flat beds. The campaign was part of the munic- non-stop fl ights to the Philippines four ipality’s eff orts to ensure the safety of times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, check-in baggage allowance of two and other amenities. in-seat power supply and USB ports. try players for continuously providing food to ensure the health of consumers. Friday and Sunday) starting March 16 pieces (each not exceeding 32kg), PAL’s free wireless entertainment The aircraft for these PAL fl ight new travel products and services to the this year, according to Aranzanso. more fl exible ticket conditions, dedi- allows passengers to stream in-fl ight have been reconfi gured with business Qatar market, aimed at supporting the Flight PR684 leaves Manila at cated check-in counters, priority bag- movies, TV shows, music and maga- class (18 seats), premium economy and programmes and projects of the Phil- Zakat Fund collects 1.20pm and arrives in Doha at 6pm. gage and higher fl ight mileage accrual zines using their personal devices economy. ippine government. Then, fl ight PR685 leaves Doha at 8pm (double miles promo for members through the app ‘myPAL’player. Business class seats can be convert- PAL is now the only commercial QR144mn in 2 months and arrives in Manila at 9.15am the of the ‘Mabuhay Miles mileage pro- Passengers can also get in touch ed into fully fl at beds, giving passen- airline of the Philippines fl ying direct following day. gramme’). with their loved ones while on board gers direct aisle access. service between Manila and Doha after akat Fund at the Ministry of En- Some of the amenities for busi- Business class passengers can also with MyPAL Wi-Fi. Philippine ambassador Alan L Tim- Cebu Pacifi c Air scrapped all its fl ights dowment and Islamic Aff airs ness class include lounge access, free avail of the free use of iPad on board Personal devices can be charged at bayan lauded PAL and tourism indus- to Doha. Z(Awqaf) collected QR144,215,305 from the zakat of 5,304 expatriates and Qataris in the country during the holy month of Ramadan and the month of Sha’aban. In a statement, the Fund said some Air India Express to launch four services from Kochi to Doha 95% of the amount is spent on chari- table projects and for aid within the country, while the remaining is used ow-cost carrier Air In- In the fi rst stage, the airline tember 15, The New Indian Ex- With four more services scale up its operations to Qatar, Sundar was quoted as saying. for various charitable projects and aid dia Express has decided will launch three direct fl ight press has reported. being added, there will be 11 The Economic Times adds. Air India Express has already for the benefi t of poor people in diff er- Lto start four services services to Doha from Kochi, At present, Air India Express fl ights to Doha from Kerala and “We have rescheduled our op- enhanced operations to Qatar by ent Muslim countries, especially those from Kochi to Doha from next in the southern Indian state of operates 14 fl ights per week be- a total of 18 fl ights from the erations to Qatar and are intro- off ering additional fl ights from suff ering from crises and disasters, month, according to Indian Kerala, from August 15 and one tween India and Doha, of which country in a week. ducing new fl ights to Doha in the June 24 to address the increase through diff erent Qatari charitable or- media reports. more will be launched by Sep- seven connect Kerala to Doha. The airline is planning to next two months,” CEO K Shyam in demand due to the blockade. ganisations. Gulf Times 6 Monday, July 17, 2017 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD Qatar Airways donates Vodafone to train girls books to NY City kids in coding atar Airways has an- Airways’ cabin crew attended nounced that it is dis- the event in Brooklyn on Friday, odafone, in recogni- week training programme. Qtributing 10,000 books where they distributed the books tion of World Youth Vodafone will be partnering to New York City children. and read to 100 children, sharing VSkills Day 2017, has with schools across its mar- This comes as part of Qatar their experiences living abroad announced plans to provide kets, while girls whose schools Airways’ “commitment to the as well as the value of education teenage girls across 26 coun- are not involved can register local communities in which it and travel. tries, including 14 to 18-year- their interest at https://eu3. serves” and in honour of the The cabin crew also stayed in old girls in Qatar, with coding advorto.com/VodafoneGrads/ 10th anniversary of serving the New York to celebrate Qatar Air- training. Brochure/WorkExperience. US, the Doha-based carrier has ways’ sponsorship of the NYC In what is described as the aspx. The course will run said in a statement. Formula E ePrix on July 15 and 16 largest international, in-per- across Vodafone’s markets The books are part of the ‘Qa- – once again linking education, son global coding programme from July until October this tar Airways Summer Reading technology, and community of its kind, Vodafone will part- year. Programme’ with First Book, outreach, the statement noted. ner with Code First: Girls, Coding is becoming one a nonprofi t social enterprise The initiative aligns with Qa- which runs coding courses for of the most in-demand skills that provides new, high-quality tar Airways’ ongoing commit- women and girls, to provide across industries as an in- books and resources to children ment to children’s education a fi ve-day coding workshops creasing number of businesses in need. through the ‘Educate a Child’ for teenage girls across its geo- now rely on computer code. Qatar Airways Group chief programme. graphical footprint in Europe, Half of all programming open- executive Akbar al-Baker said: Qatar Airways continues to India, the Middle East, South ings are in industries outside “Qatar Airways is pleased to support the communities in Africa and Australasia. of technology, such as fi nance, partner with First Book, and to which it serves via programmes In Qatar, girls will gain healthcare and manufacturing support children and families designed to inspire a love for ex- places on the free coding pro- while recent research found in New York through the ‘Qatar ploration through reading and gramme starting in October. that coding has become a core Airways Summer Reading Pro- travel. Earlier this year, the United skill that bolsters a candidate’s gramme’. We value our shared Last month, Qatar Airways Nations Educations, Scientifi c chances of commanding a high vision with First Book in encour- announced it has renewed its and Cultural Organisation ex- salary. aging bright futures for commu- partnership with the Education pressed concern that “female In its National Vision 2030, nities in need, specifi cally sup- Above All Foundation’s pro- participation is falling in a fi eld Qatar has detailed goals to porting their children. gramme, Educate A Child (EAC), that is expanding globally”. move from reliance on hydro- “As a global airline, we recog- for the third consecutive year. Men still dominate the carbon resources to a knowl- nise that it is our responsibility Since 2014, Qatar Airways has number of Science, Technol- edge-based economy; at the as a global corporate citizen to Qatar Airways’ cabin crew attended the event in Brooklyn, distributing books and reading to 100 children. worked hand-in-hand with EAC ogy, Engineering and Math- heart of these plans are the assist the communities in which to raise more than $2.6mn for ematics (STEM) graduates STEM fi elds. we serve. In providing the nec- aims to put books and educa- holidays. Since the organisa- tar Airways for their generous the programme. in most countries. In 2014, However, there is a shortage essary educational resources to tional resources into the hands tion’s founding in 1992, First donation of 10,000 books to Additionally, last year 500 around 22% of UK graduates of trained Qatari citizens in children and students to help of children from low-income Book has distributed more than underserved students in New students each received their fi rst in science, mathematics and critical STEM fi elds, according them succeed, we hope to ignite families as well as address the 160mn books and educational York,” said Kyle Zimmer, presi- book for the summer, courtesy computing were women. to Vodafone. a life-long interest in exploring; issue of ‘summer slide’, where resources to programmes and dent and CEO of First Book. of Qatar Airways and the Atlanta The gap was wider in Ger- Ian Gray, CEO of Vodafone both through the joy of reading students’ education lags due to schools serving children from To launch the initiative and Public Schools, to kick-start the many (19.3%), France (21.5%) Qatar, said: “In recent years, and travelling.” the lack of educational engage- low-income families. further reach out to the New ‘School’s Out, Reading Is In!’ and Switzerland (14.7%). In there has been signifi cant The First Book partnership ment over the summer school “We are so grateful to Qa- York City community, Qatar programme. 2015, around 19% of female progress in closing the global students in Qatar were STEM gender gap in various aspects graduates. STEM fi elds also of society. However, in many have fewer women on boards countries, the gap is widening than any other sectors. in STEM careers.” Vodafone’s coding course “Vodafone’s coding pro- with Code First: Girls has gramme with Code First: Girls QM gets ready for ‘Skate Girls of Kabul’ expo been created to be suitable is designed to give girls an for all girls of ages 14 to 18, interest in a sector currently irrespective of their skills. It more popular with boys, help- nly a few more days are will provide basic knowledge ing widen their opportunities left before Qatar Muse- of computer languages and and increase their future ca- Oums (QM) launches “one development programmes reer choices. We are very ex- of the most anticipated exhibi- including html, CSS, GitHub cited to bring the programme tions of the year”, Skate Girls of and Bootstrap, enabling the to Qatar in support of Qatar Kabul. students to develop a web- National Vision 2030,” the Preparations are under way for site by the end of the one- CEO added. the exhibition, which will fea- ture works from award-winning photographer Jessica Fulford- Dobson, QM has said in a state-

here is a thing made by incredible women who never got the recognition they deserved gg h ment. It will present her series of g g gg h striking portraits, which tell the j eee fg h j ee extraordinary story of Afghan fg h 1815-1852 1917-1996 1922-2012 1924-2011 1900-1986 b.1934 girls who took up skateboarding, ADA JOAN FRANCES JEAN IDA RHODES LOIS HAIBT thanks to Skateistan, an award- LOVELACE CLARKE SPENCE BARTIK +HUFRGLQJZDVXVHGWR +HUFRGLQJKHOSHG 7KHÀUVW¶FRPSXWHU· ::FRGHFUDFNHUZKR 3URJUDPPHGWKHÀUVWJHQHUDO EXLOGPRGHUQSD\UROO EXLOGHOHFWURQLF winning international nonprofi t guidance of QM’s chairperson, the colourful and free-fl owing SURJUDPPHU VDYHGPLOOLRQV SXUSRVHFRPSXWHU V\VWHPV VWRFNH[FKDQJHV organisation empowering youth HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Ha- spirit of these young girls, of- gg h gg h and children through skate- mad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the fering a new perspective on the g g g g gg h gg h j ee j ee boarding and education in Af- exhibition, which was viewed by skateboarding culture. fg h j ee fg h ghanistan, Cambodia and South more than 74,000 visitors dur- The exhibition will be held at 1906-1992 1921-2005 1910-2008 b. 1918 b.1936 b.1939 Africa. ing its two-week run at London’s the QM Gallery Katara from July GRACE MARY DOROTHY KATHERINE MARGARET BARBARA Preparations are under way for the exhibition. Held under the visionary Saatchi Gallery, will bring to life 20 to October 21. HOPPER JACKSON VAUGHAN JOHNSON HAMILTON LISKOV

CASUALTY Cooling off Yemen troops killed in suspected militant attack

Five Yemeni soldiers were killed and three wounded yesterday when gunmen suspected of ties to Al Qaeda opened fire on a mili- tary checkpoint, an army source said. The source said the gunmen managed to escape after the attack on the checkpoint in the northeast of Shabwa province, a southern stronghold of Yemen’s powerful Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Yesterday’s attack is the latest in a string of suspected AQAP shootings tar- geting military checkpoints and outposts in Yemen. AQAP, seen by the United States as the global terror network’s most dangerous branch, has exploited years of deadly conflict between Yemen’s government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence, especially in Shabwa.

Palestinian boys cool off near a communal water tank at Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City yesterday, as the power supply in the enclave is down to as little as two hours a day. POLITICS Libya PM calls for elections in March

The head of Libya’s UN-backed unity government has an- Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian nounced a new political roadmap for his violence-wracked country, with presidential and parlia- AFP them,” a statement from the Israeli lightly wounded and arrested, the mentary elections to be held in Jerusalem army read. “In response to the im- statement from the military read. March 2018. The Government of mediate threat forces fi red towards On Saturday, a gunman targeted National Accord has been strug- the fi ghter resulting in his death.” a vehicle near an Israeli settlement gling to assert its authority since sraeli soldiers and police on an Palestinian security forces and north of Ramallah and wounded a it began work in Tripoli in March arrest mission in the town of family identifi ed the suspect as foreign national of Palestinian de- 2016, with a rival administration INabi Salah in the occupied West 34-year-old Amar Tirawi from Kafr scent who is residing in a Palestin- based in the remote east refus- Bank shot dead a Palestinian who Ein, a town near Nabi Salah in the ian village. ing to recognise it. “Presidential attempted to open fi re at them early central West Bank. In a separate incident, gunshots and parliamentary elections will yesterday, the army said. Offi cials had earlier given another hit a military post near Nabi Salah. be organised in March 2018,” “The forces encountered the sus- name for the suspect. The army said Tirawi was behind GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj said in pect, who attempted to open fi re at Another Palestinian suspect was both incidents. a speech on television. Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 7 ARAB WORLD

UNREST Nine militants killed in Sinai

Security forces have killed nine Macron chides Netanyahu on militants in the Sinai Peninsula and also destroyed 15 vehicles transport- ing weapons into Egypt across its western border, the military said in statements yesterday. The “extrem- ists” were killed in two separate incidents in the middle Sinai, but the settlements, urges new talks military did not say when they took place. Both involved the air force AFP demanding a halt to the Jewish Netanyahu was a vocal op- and “law enforcement forces”. Paris outposts. ponent of the deal, which saw The military said a planned “hostile Earlier yesterday, Macron and sanctions against Iran eased in act” was foiled after “a highly dan- Netanyahu underscored their return for curbs on its nuclear gerous terrorist” group was discov- rench President Em- two countries’ longstanding programme. ered and tracked, and six militants manuel Macron told friendship as they marked the The French presidency said were killed in a mountainous area. FIsrael’s visiting Prime 75th anniversary of a notorious yesterday’s meeting would be In a separate incident, three “highly Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 1942 roundup of 13,000 Jews to an occasion to “signal our lack dangerous” extremists were killed yesterday that Paris opposes Is- be sent to Nazi death camps. of complacency towards Iran”. and another was arrested. rael’s expansion of settlements Netanyahu was the fi rst Is- Since taking offi ce, Macron has A four-wheel-drive vehicle and five in occupied Palestinian territo- raeli prime minister to attend drawn praise for his balanced caches containing “large amounts ry as he urged fresh Middle East a Vel d’Hiv commemoration, but fi rm handling of encounters of explosives and ammunition” were peace talks. and he said the invitation was with world leaders such as US destroyed, the military added. On Stressing that international a “very, very strong gesture”. President Donald Trump and Egypt’s western border with Libya, law should be “respected by Macron addressed Netanyahu his Russian opposite number warplanes have attacked and de- all”, Macron said: “I am think- as “dear Bibi” and called “anti- Vladimir Putin. stroyed 15 four-wheel-drive vehicles ing here of (Israel’s) continued Zionism” a new form of anti- Macron rolled out the red carrying weapons, ammunition and building” in occupied Palestin- Semitism. carpet for Trump on Friday contraband over the past 24 hours. ian territory. Netanyahu’s presence at when he was guest of honour for Israelis and Palestinians the event drew fi re from some France’s Bastille Day festivities. should be able “to live side by French President Emmanuel Macron reacts during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister groups, notably the Union of The French leader criticised CURBS side within secure and recog- Benjamin Netanyahu at the Elysee Palace in Paris, yesterday. French Jews for Peace, which Trump over his renunciation of Cairo orders closure nised borders with Jerusalem accused the Israeli government the Paris climate accord, but he of research firm as the capital”, Macron said af- mediation in the spring of 2014. tinian leader Mahmoud Abbas dented level since the beginning of “usurping the memory of the stressed their close co-opera- ter his fi rst offi cial talks with Macron, elected in May, ap- on Wednesday, when he said he of the year,” he said in his fi rst victims of Nazism to make peo- tion against the Islamic State Egypt’s Manpower Ministry ordered Netanyahu. pears to be following the proac- backed a two-state solution and public remarks on the confl ict ple believe that Israel represents group in Syria and Iraq. the closure of leading market “I hope everything will be tive line taken by his Socialist opposed Israeli settlements. since taking offi ce. all the world’s Jews”. Similarly with Putin, whom research firm Ipsos’s business in the done for negotiations to move predecessor Francois Hollande, “France has always con- The United Nations report- During their talks afterwards, Macron hosted at the sumptu- country, citing workplace health and forward,” he said. whose eff orts to mobilise the demned the continuation of ed in June that Israel had an- Macron assured Netanyahu of ous Versailles palace in May, safety violations, a ministry decree Talks between Israel and international community on the settlement building, which is nounced a substantial increase his “vigilance” regarding the the French leader stood fi rm on dated June 20 showed. The decree the Palestinians have been at a peace process angered Israel. illegal under international law in settlements in the past three 2015 nuclear accord reached by French opposition to Russia’s was made public by local media late standstill since the failure of US The French leader met Pales- and has reached an unprece- months despite a UN resolution Western powers with Iran. annexation of Ukraine in 2014. on Saturday. The spokesman con- firmed its authenticity to Reuters. He said local authorities had not yet carried out the order. “As of June 20, 2017, Ipsos Egypt for Consulting Services is to be shut down com- pletely for not carrying out a natural Syria war has killed more than 330,000: monitor disasters assessment and not mak- ing a contingency plan to protect the building and employees in case of AFP tory for Human Rights said it has docu- 15, 2017. A total of 18,243 children and porters have been killed in Syria since 58,000 militants, namely from the a disaster,” stated the decree. Ipsos, Beirut mented the deaths of 331,765 people 11,427 women were among the civil- the conflict began. Of those, it said Islamic State group and Al Qaeda’s a global market research firm head- across Syria since the confl ict erupted ians killed, the Observatory said. 61,808 were soldiers and 1,408 were former Syria affiliate, were killed, quartered in France, conducts audi- in mid-March 2011 with anti-govern- The figures were the latest pro- members of the Lebanese movement said the Observatory, noting that ence research on Egyptian television ore than 330,000 people have ment protests. vided by the Observatory since March Hezbollah. the figure also includes foreign ex- networks and provides the results to been killed in the Syrian con- Included in the overall death toll when it said 320,000 people, includ- Also killed in Syria since the con- tremists. The conflict broke out with advertisers. Egypt’s Interior Ministry Mfl ict since it started six years are 99,617 civilians, Observatory ing 96,000 civilians, had been killed. flict erupted were 57,000 rebels, in- peaceful anti-government protests last year warned citizens against ago, around a third of them civilians, a head Rami Abdel Rahman said, add- In its latest report, the Observa- cluding from the US-backed Syrian but quickly turned into a fully fledged taking part in surveys conducted by monitor said yesterday. ing that the figures were for the pe- tory said a total of 116,774 members Democratic Forces, an Arab-Kurd- war involving a multitude of local, re- foreign media organisations, saying it The Britain-based Syrian Observa- riod between March 15, 2011 and July of the regime forces or regime sup- ish alliance. In addition, more than gional and foreign powers. was a threat to national security. Gulf Times 8 Monday, July 17, 2017 AFRICA Urban canvas Kidnapped US journalist found safe and sound

AFP A former Belgian colony, Bunia the DR Congo is a vast coun- try rich in minerals and timber but wracked by decades of war US journalist kid- and poverty. The east of the napped by a militia country is especially troubled. Agroup in the Demo- It has been gripped by more cratic Republic of Congo was than 20 years of armed confl ict found safe and sound early among domestic and foreign yesterday, a senior offi cial groups, fuelled by struggle for said, as another source said control of lucrative resources fi ve people had been killed in as well as ethnic and property clashes. disputes. “The American journalist The Mai-Mai Simba are Lisa Dupuy was found safe and self-described “self-defence” sound at around 3am yester- militia groups drawn from the day” by government troops, Nande, Hunde and Kobo com- Pacifi que Keta, vice governor munities as well as rivals from of Ituri province, said. the Nyaturu, who represent The troops were deployed ethnic Hutus. Many of these after Dupuy and 11 wardens groups were armed during the working for the Okapi Wildlife DR Congo’s second war — a Reserve (RFO) — a vast con- confl ict that ran from 1998- servation park in northeastern 2003 — to fi ght incursion by DR Congo — were abducted on Rwandan or Ugandan com- Friday by the Mai-Mai Simba batants, and have never been militia group. disarmed. “The outcome of the mili- The RFO, a World Herit- tary operation has not yet been age site, covers nearly 14,000 established, because the army square kilometres, protecting In this photograph taken on July 10, people gather beside pillars of Falomo Intersection Bridge with graff iti by Polly Alakija in Lagos. The Lagos State government through is still at work,” Keta said. much of the Ituri forest near the ministry of tourism, arts and culture has commissioned various talented visual artists to revamp aesthetically the landscape of the city, turning metropolitan Lagos into Separately, a senior offi cial the borders with South Sudan an urban canvas with decoratives, street art, murals and sculptures with a view to beautify and showcase the the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria’s commercial capital. with the Congolese Institute and Uganda. for the Conservation of Nature The park is notably home (ICCN), speaking on condition to the okapi, an endangered of anonymity, confi rmed that zebra-like species that is a the journalist was safe. cousin of the giraff e. “However, four of our war- Some 5,000 okapis live dens and a civilian who was here, a sixth of the total popu- working as a tracker were lation of 30,000 estimated to killed in clashes,” the offi cial be in the wild. said. The reserve has 101 record- Congo votes for parliament “The army also killed ban- ed mammal species 376 types dits, but I don’t know how of bird as well as the Ituri and many.” Epulu waterfalls.

RALLY with opposition calling foul Thousands protest Mauritania referendum

AFP Henri Bouka, head of the Na- it, amid deadly violence notably issa, were arrested and jailed in paratrooper, served as presi- Several thousand Mauritanians took to the streets Saturday to protest Brazzaville tional Election Commission in the Pool region neighbouring June 2016 and in January “for dent from 1979 to 1992, return- a controversial constitutional referendum due on August 5, according (CNEI), said that “for the mo- the capital Brazzaville. threatening the internal security ing to power in 1997 following a to AFP journalists at the demonstration organised by an opposition ment all is going well” but that The 73-year-old president’s of the state”. civil war. He won two successive coalition. The “No” coalition is drawn from a broad political spectrum oters went to the polls in voter turnout so far was low. PCT is running 128 candidates Django Cissoko, head of a terms in elections in 2002 and including conservatives and anti-slavery activists in the conservative legislative elections in “We hope that as the day goes for the 151 seats available, while 50-strong African Union ob- 2009, both of which were dis- west African nation, all of whom oppose measures including abolishing Vthe oil-rich Republic of on we will see a greater number several independents have close server mission, said on Friday puted by opposition parties. the senate and changing the national flag. Saturday’s march was fol- Congo yesterday, the fi rst since of voters,” he added. ties to the party. that “campaigning has been car- Congo has substantial depos- lowed by a rally where speakers denounced President Mohamed Ould a violence-marred presidential However, an incident was re- The main parliamentary op- ried out normally.” its of oil, timber and diamonds, Abdel Aziz for what was termed a “coup d’etat against the constitution.” poll last year which returned ported in the northern town of position group, the Pan-African But UPADS spokesman Dan- but oil production remains its Jemil Ould Mansour, head of the Islamic Tewassoul party spearheading Denis Sassou Nguesso to power. Kelle where opposition protest- Union for Social Democracy iel Tsoumou Ngouaka said the most important economic sec- the movement against the vote, described the protest’s turnout as “giv- The fi rst round of polling to ers briefl y took away the ballot (UPADS), has put forward 43 ruling party had the upper tor, and it is the fourth biggest ing the result in advance.” Senators rejected the abolition of their own elect National Assembly mem- boxes, a local resident who gave candidates, compared to 31 run hand.”It’s a one-way campaign producer in sub-Saharan Africa. chamber in March, apparently to the government’s surprise as a major- bers as well as local councils is his name only as Antoine said by by the UDH-Yuki group of Guy- because the PCT has controlled Dwindling reserves and civil ity are from the ruling party, prompting Aziz to call the referendum. taking place with the opposition phone. Brice Parfait Kolelas, who came all the state media, leaving no wars that have ravaged the econ- calling foul, accusing the ruling “The ballot boxes have been second in the presidentials last space for others,” he said. omy has slowed growth. Congolese Labour Party (PCT) returned after a lot of negotia- year. “The PCT drew on public Almost half the population of TRAGEDY of giving its candidates an unfair tion,” he said, adding that one But an opposition coalition funds for the campaign of its 4.5mn people still lives in pover- Eight killed in Senegal stampede advantage. protester was beaten up by po- has said it will only take part candidates and its allies. It’s un- ty, according to World Bank data. Electoral offi cials said vot- lice but that his injuries were not under certain circumstances, acceptable,” added Christophe No date has been given for the At least eight people were killed on Saturday in a stampede in a ing was nevertheless proceed- life-threatening. including “the end of the crisis Moukoueke, spokesman for a offi cial announcement of elec- soccer stadium in the Senegalese capital Dakar during a match ing calmly although some poll- Sassou Nguesso returned to in Pool and the release of all po- collective of opposition parties tions results. between two local teams, the sports minister said. A fight broke out ing stations opened more than offi ce in March 2016 after a con- litical prisoners”. Two leaders of which has called for a boycott of The second round of the leg- between fans of rivals US Ouakam and Stade de Mbour and police a hour late because of a delay in stitutional referendum ended a the coalition, Jean-Marie Michel Sunday’s polls. islative polls will be held on July fired tear gas to break it up. The resulting confusion triggered the receiving voting materials. two-term presidential term lim- Mokoko and Andre Okombi Sal- Sassou Nguesso, a former 30. stampede, Sports Minister Matar Ba told Reuters by telephone. Lesotho’s economic woes create generation of migrants

AFP “In Lesotho there are no jobs, “Despite earning rand, at the Maseru there is no money, that is why end of the day, I am no diff erent many people sacrifi ce the com- from someone who is working fort of their home life to work in in Lesotho,” he said. The African n a cottage in rural Lesotho, South Africa,” he said. Centre for Migration and Socie- Tisetso Litheko lays out six Litheko left his village, Ha ty, based at Johannesburg’s Wits Ifull passports packed with Abia, when he was 22 years old, University, said statistics show immigration stamps showing his initially sneaking illegally across that remittances — transfers constant movement across the the border to toil on farms in of money by migrants to their border to neighbouring South nearby Ladybrand as a seasonal home country — make up to 30% Africa. worker. of Lesotho’s economy. The 31-year-old former “Before I had a passport, I “Lesotho with its weak GDP shepherd is one of more than used to go over the mountains remains dependent on South Af- 400,000 Lesotho nationals who before sunrise to avoid being de- rica through remittances — and live for much of the year in South tected, and come back at night.” an economy that relies largely on Africa, forced by decades of a Now employed as a mine se- remittances is... politically and lack of work in the small moun- curity guard, Litheko often economically weak as a result,” tain kingdom to seek a livelihood works 24-hour shifts patrolling said researcher Zaheera Jinnah. elsewhere. the boundaries of a gold mine With long queues of goods “Moving to South Africa was in Carletonville, a gritty mining trucks waiting to be cleared, the something I could not avoid. I district south west of Johannes- two 24-hour border posts bear had very few options here in Le- burg. witness to the hectic to-and-fro sotho,” Litheko said. He saves the bulk of his between South Africa and Le- The flood of migrants from weekly 550 rand ($41) wage and sotho. Lesotho — a country the size sends it home at the end of each “The operation of the border of Belgium that is encircled month to his wife and three has made travel easy, but you by South Africa — goes back children. still have to get your passport to the discovery of gold in Jo- The sum may appear mea- stamped,” said Litheko, calling hannesburg in the 1880s, when gre, but it goes a long way in for passport controls between thousands of men from Le- a country where 56.2% of the People and vehicles move to cross the Lesotho and South Africa border at the Maseru bridge border post. the two countries to be scrapped. sotho were recruited to work in 2mn population lives in extreme Faced with the fl ow of immi- mines. poverty. has exposed desperate Lesotho zens cross the border daily, not Lesotho to exports goods to the services clog pavements, creat- grants, South Africa in February Litheko says his father and The World Bank puts Le- job seekers to exploitation and just to work but also to shop or US duty free. ing a vibrant informal sector. 2016 launched a special docu- grandfather spent most of their sotho jobless rate between 24 cheap labour. attend school. Even if that has provided some Because the local loti cur- mentation process. lives as mineworkers in Johan- and 28%. The red tape of South “Getting a South African per- The government is the larg- relief, it has failed to signifi cant- rency is pegged to the South The programme, which came nesburg, the fi rst in a long line Africa’s immigration system, mit is harder than getting a job,” est employer, after the textile ly dent the high unemployment Africa rand, Litheko points out to an end at the end of 2016, at- of male members of the family where offi cials frequently have said Litheko. industry, which benefi ts from rate. that migrant workers do not tracted over 127,000 applicants, who were forced to migrate for a reputation for demanding Lesotho is enclosed by South the African Growth and Oppor- In the capital Maseru, stalls benefi t from fl uctuations in the with the permits valid until end work. bribes and causing long delays, Africa, and thousands of its citi- tunity Act (AGOA) that allows selling a wide mix of goods and exchange rate. of 2019. Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 9 AMERICAS

SHOOTINGS INNOVATION HOT, DRY WEATHER FORCE FARE LEGAL Chicago hit by a rash of gun New electric glove turns Canada fires drive more Star Wars hotel coming to Hawaii gets till tomorrow violence, 10 killed sign language into SMS people out of their homes Disney theme parks on travel ban motion

An anti-violence activist and a 9-year-old were US scientists have unveiled an electric glove Thousands of people fled their homes in western An immersive Star Wars hotel, a new Ratatouille The Supreme Court has given Hawaii until among 10 people who were fatally shot in that can convert sign language to text messages Canada over the weekend as strong winds fanned attraction and the first ever Mickey Mouse ride are tomorrow to respond to the White House’s Chicago over the weekend, the latest in a rash of to enhance deaf people to communicate with forest fires that have ravaged British Columbia just some of the high-profile features revealed on motion to block a ruling exempting grand- killings that has shaken the third-largest US city others. The device, developed at the University province for more than a week. The inferno’s Saturday are coming soon to Walt Disney theme parents of people living in the US from the and raised questions about how to staunch the of California in San Diego, converts 26 characters progress prompted authorities to take new parks. Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will president’s travel ban, the court’s public bloodshed. All told, more than 40 people were from sign language to text displayed on a emergency measures, ordering the evacuation of house the hotel where guests can live out a multi- information office said on Saturday. In a shot in Chicago from Friday to yesterday morning, smartphone or computer. The innovative device 24,000 people in the region including the town of day adventure within the intergalactic universe court filing Friday, the Trump administra- including Willie Cooper, 58, who ran a South Side consists of a sports glove which has been fitted Williams Lake which is home to some 11,000 people, of the Star Wars film franchise, parks and resorts tion requested the highest bench overturn community centre, according to police. No arrests with nine stretchable sensors positioned over reported public broadcaster CBC. Some 60% of chairman Bob Chapek told attendees gathered at Thursday’s decision by a Hawaii federal had been made. Cooper was gunned down on the knuckles. When a user bends his fingers or aff ected residents have already left their homes. Disney’s annual D23 fan convention in Southern judge, which limited the reach of the execu- Saturday afternoon by the occupants of a dark- thumb to sign a letter, the sensors stretch, which Authorities estimate that around 17,000 people had California. Two new Star Wars themed lands coming tive order temporarily barring refugees and coloured car that had stopped as the activist causes an electrical signal to be produced. These already evacuated before the latest orders as wild to Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Orlando, other travellers from six predominantly walked near the nonprofit where he worked, law signals are then processed by software to figure fires sparked by hot dry weather prompted a state Florida, will be called Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Muslim countries. US Judge Derrick Watson enforcement and local media said. out the configuration of the hand. of emergency to be declared on July 7. The lands will include a Millennium Falcon ride. in Hawaii ruled that exclusion was unfair.

Some Republicans Trump back on off ensive still have concerns on healthcare bill

Reuters over Junior’s Russia links Washington

AFP ight to 10 Republican US senators have Washington serious concerns about Republican Ehealthcare legislation to dismantle and replace Obamacare, moderate Republi- S President Donald Trump, can Senator Susan Collins, who opposes the fresh from a political holi- bill, said yesterday. Uday in Paris, went back on The Senate, which is delaying its consid- the off ensive yesterday as a new poll eration of the bill while Arizona Republican showed his popularity dropping amid Senator John McCain recuperates from sur- doubts about Russian meddling and gery to remove a blood clot, will take it up deepening frustrations over stalled as soon as all senators are available, Senator health-care legislation and other is- John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republi- sues. can senator, said. In a tweet early yesterday, Trump McCain’s absence cast doubt on whether used some of his toughest language the Senate would be able to pass legislation against a favoured target, the press. to dismantle and replace the Aff ordable Care “With all of its phony unnamed Act, Democratic former president Barack sources & highly slanted & even Obama’s signature legislative achievement, fraudulent reporting, #Fake News is commonly known as Obamacare. DISTORTING DEMOCRACY in our Collins is one of two Republican senators country!” it read. who have already said that they would not At the same time, Trump sent one even vote to open debate on the latest ver- of his private lawyers, Jay Sekulow, sion of the bill released on Thursday, mean- onto no fewer than fi ve Sunday talk ing one more defection from the Republican shows to argue that there was nothing ranks could kill it. illegal about son Donald Trump Jr’s Republicans control the Senate by a 52-48 meeting last year with a Russian at- margin. With the Democrats solidly opposed torney following a promise of damag- to the legislation, the Republicans can only ing information on Democratic rival pass the bill if all their other members back Hillary Clinton. “What took place at it and if the Republican vice president casts the meeting...is not a violation of any his tie-breaking vote in favour. law, statute or code,” Sekulow told an While Collins said that she did not know NBC interviewer. if the legislation would ultimately pass, she He also repeated an earlier assur- said as many as 10 Republicans have doubts ance that Trump is not the subject of about it. “There are about eight to 10 Repub- any current investigation over Rus- lican senators who have serious concerns sian meddling in the US election. about this bill,” Collins told CNN’s State The concerted pushback came as of the Union program, faulting the bill for a Washington Post-ABC News poll its major cuts to the Medicaid government near the six-month point in Trump’s Two Muslim women join an anti-Trump protest organised by Refuse Fascism LA at the site of Trump’s star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood on Saturday. health insurance program for the poor. administration showed him facing Similar protests and demonstrations also took place in cities across the country, including New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Atlanta. “I don’t know whether it will pass, but I do signifi cantly declining approval rat- know this, we should not be making funda- ings, down from 42% in April to 36% And 48% said they saw American and possible collusion between chamber’s Republican leader, Mitch back into the intensifying storm over mental changes in a vital safety net program yesterday. Similarly, the president’s global leadership weakening since Trump aides and Moscow divided McConnell, said Saturday. his campaign’s contacts with Russia. that’s been on the books for 50 years — the disapproval rating has jumped fi ve Trump entered the White House, sharply along partisan lines, with The repeal eff ort is opposed by all As refl ected in the poll, even some Medicaid programme — without having a points to 58%, according to the sur- while 27% said it is stronger. Democrats far more likely than Re- Democrats, and the absence of a sin- erstwhile supporters seem to be trou- single hearing to evaluate what the conse- vey of 1,001 adults. That would seem to show mixed publicans to believe that Russia at- gle Republican vote — McCain’s — bled by the Russia contacts of Trump’s quences are going to be,” she added. Trump responded to the survey in results, at best, from a series of high- tempted to meddle and that Trump could doom it. son and advisers, and by the adminis- The bill unwinds Obamacare’s Med- a tweet, saying: “The ABC/Wash- profi le foreign visits by Trump, includ- advisers tried to aid in those eff orts. Trump had seemed to revel in his tration’s shifting explanations. icaid expansion over three years, from ington Post Poll, even though almost ing a trip to Saudi Arabia and to a G20 The new survey also showed that brief Parisian respite from all the talk Shepard Smith, an anchor on Fox, a 2021 to 2024. But it goes beyond repeal- 40% is not bad at this time, was meeting in Germany, where he met Republicans’ legislative struggles of Russia and healthcare. network that has often been in lock- ing Obamacare by imposing drastic cuts to just about the most inaccurate poll with Russian President Vladimir Putin. may be weighing on Trump’s popu- He and President Emmanuel Ma- step with the administration, accused Medicaid that deepen in 2025. around election time!” Trump’s Bastille day visit to Paris larity. cron reviewed a pomp-fi lled Bastille the administration of “mind-bog- McCain, who plans to stay in Arizona Nearly half of respondents — 48% came a day after the poll ended. Twice as many people preferred Day military parade and dined in a gling deception.” this week after a procedure to remove a 5cm — said they “disapprove strongly” of Two-thirds of respondents said the Obamacare health programme as posh restaurant on the Eiff el Tower. Democrats, meantime, expressed blood clot from above his left eye, has ex- the president’s performance in offi ce, they do not trust Trump, or trust him favoured Republican plans to replace The US president then spent two astonishment when top Trump aide pressed concern about the healthcare bill a low level never reached by ex-pres- only somewhat, in negotiating with it, the survey found. days playing maitre d’ to professional Kellyanne Conway seemed to suggest but has not said how he would vote. idents Bill Clinton or Barack Obama, foreign leaders. Of those, 48% said The US Senate will “defer” its work female golfers taking part in a tourna- a very high bar for proof of collusion. “We need Senator McCain in more ways both Democrats, and reached only they do not trust Trump “at all” in on repealing Obamacare for a week as ment at his Bedminster course in New The standard, she said Friday, should than one. As soon as we have a full contingent once by George W Bush, during his talks with Putin. senior lawmaker John McCain recov- Jersey. be proof of “hard evidence of system- of senators we will have that vote,” Cornyn, of second term. Opinions over Russian meddling ers from surgery for a blood clot, the But his return brings him straight ic, sustained, furtive collusion.” Texas, told NBC’s Meet the Press programme. Venezuelans hold unoffi cial plebiscite to defy Maduro

Reuters from their cars and waving fl ags. to escape the Opec nation’s in- elections to be organised by the Caracas “We want this government creasingly dire economy. elections council. of Nicolas (Maduro) out. We’re Venezuelans were casting bal- “We are not going to let the tired of not seeing solutions, lots from Madrid to Miami. Venezuelan right wing impose enezuela’s opposition there are people dying of hun- The opposition is hoping mil- themselves and harm the peo- yesterday held an unof- ger,” said Mercedes Guerrero de lions turn out and promises re- ple,” said Socialist Party Vice Vfi cial referendum to in- Ramirez, an 80-year-old former sults will be available by today President Diosdado Cabello dur- crease pressure on President hospital worker, who was fi rst morning. ing a Saturday rally for the con- Nicolas Maduro as he seeks to in line at the polling station at But they face major obstacles. stitutional assembly. create a legislative superbody 5.30am in the border city of San They do not have access to tra- The vote comes against the that his adversaries call the con- Cristobal. ditional electoral infrastructure backdrop of near daily anti-gov- solidation of a dictatorship. But the vote does not appear for the hastily convened plebi- ernment protests. The symbolic poll, which also to augur a short-term change of scite, and the elections council Masked youths with stones, asked voters if they want early government or a solution to the — which the opposition calls a Molotov cocktails and homemade elections, is intended to further country’s political stalemate. pawn of Maduro — is simultane- mortars have battled riot forces dent Maduro’s legitimacy amid Maduro, 54, said the plebiscite ously holding a test-run for the using tear gas, water cannons and a crippling economic crisis and is illegal and meaningless. July 30 vote. rubber bullets since April. months of anti-government pro- Instead, the leftist leader is Also, state telecommunica- The unrest has resulted in fa- tests that have led to around 100 campaigning for an offi cial July tions regulator Conatel has or- talities among both demonstra- deaths. 30 vote for the new assembly, dered radio and TV stations not tors and security forces, mostly The opposition has cast the which will be able to rewrite the to use the word “plebiscite” on from gunshots, as well as hun- vote, which took place at some constitution and dissolve state air and has told them to pull op- dreds of arrests and thousands of 2,000 centres around the coun- institutions. position ads for the vote, accord- injuries. try, as an act of civil disobedience The two elections this month ing to Venezuela’s main organi- Maduro has repeatedly refused to be followed by “zero hour,” a are a show of force from each sation of media workers. to recognise the authority of the possible reference to a national side.Both the government and State TV showed nothing but National Assembly since the op- strike or other escalated actions opposition are eff ectively boy- the simulation of the government’s position won control of it in a against Maduro. cotting the other, hoping to legit- July 30th vote through the day. 2015 landslide election, which his Queues formed early at impro- imise themselves in the polarised A high opposition turnout critics call evidence he is eroding vised polling stations at theatres environment. People chant slogans against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro near a polling station during an would refl ect widespread nation- democratic institutions in order and roundabouts in the oil-rich “The constituent assembly is unofficial plebiscite in Caracas yesterday. al dissatisfaction with Maduro to retain power. nation of 30mn as Venezuelans crazy. Maduro wants more pow- and bolster the campaign to re- The former union organiser furious over food shortages and er, more money, and to drive us a child because of the economic ing constitution, and if they want are seeking creative ways to vote move him, while low attendance says the country is victim of an rampant infl ation sought to make crazy,” said garage employee Ma- crisis. elections before Maduro’s term in the plebiscite without being would give the ruling Socialist “economic war” and that op- their voices heard. olis Coronado, 26, after voting in Voters yesterday were being in offi ce ends in 2018. noticed. Party a boost for the constitu- position protests are an eff ort to But the atmosphere was festive a poor district of Caracas, adding asked if they reject the constitu- Some public employees, un- The vote also includes partici- tional assembly. overthrow him with US conniv- under the Caribbean sun, with that she was only eating cheap tional assembly, if they want the der government pressure not to pation by swelling ranks of Ven- Government offi cials say the ance, which the United States people blasting music, honking starches and had put off having armed forces to defend the exist- participate in opposition events, ezuelans who have moved abroad plebiscite violates laws requiring has denied. Gulf Times 10 Monday, July 17, 2017 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

SUMMER TREAT DEADLY FIRE JUSTICE CENSORED SAFETY FIRST Arson suspected, 22 dead MH17 perpetrators may be Telegram in Indonesia to 49 tourists stuck on China in China housing blaze tried in absentia: Australia shut some public channels island by typhoon rescued

At least 22 people were killed when a two- The perpetrators who brought down Malaysia Encrypted messaging service Telegram will shut Forty-nine tourists stranded on an island off the storey residential building in China’s eastern Airlines Flight MH17 in July 2014, killing all 298 down “terrorist-related” public channels, its founder coast of China’s southern Guangdong province Jiangsu province caught fire yesterday, aboard, may be tried in absentia, Australian said yesterday after Indonesia’s government have been picked up and taken to safety as the official Xinhua news agency cited local Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said yesterday. blocked access to the platform citing security Typhoon Talas approaches, authorities said authorities as saying. The fire broke out before Most of those on board the Boeing 777 were concerns. On Friday, Indonesian authorities blocked yesterday. The tourists belonged to four camping dawn at the building in the town of Yushan Dutch, but others came from 17 countries, all access to Telegram, saying it had several forums groups that had been stranded on Nanpeng in Changshu city, Xinhua said. Three were including 38 Australians. It was shot down that were “full of radical and terrorist propaganda”. island some 35km east of Yangjiang city on the injured. The blaze has since been put out, and by a Russian-made Buk missile over eastern Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging app, mainland, the Ministry of Transport said in a local police said they had arrested a suspect Ukrainian territory held by pro-Russia said in on Telegram that there had been a statement. The island is normally uninhabited. for alleged arson. An investigation into the separatists, the Dutch Safety Board concluded “miscommunication” with Indonesian authorities, as All of the tourists were yesterday transferred A beluga whale sprays water towards visitors cause was under way and disaster-relief teams in 2015. Late in June, the Netherlands said he was not aware of a request by the government safely to a ship and a helicopter. China’s national during a summer attraction at the Hakkeijima have been set up to offer legal and mental suspects in the case would be tried in a Dutch to take down certain channels. “Telegram is heavily observatory yesterday renewed a blue alert for Sea Paradise aquarium in the Yokohama support for the families and relatives of the court, and under Dutch law. Bishop said “every encrypted and privacy-oriented, but we’re no friends Typhoon Talas, expected to hit the southern suburb of Tokyo. victims, Xinhua said. legal avenue” was being pursued. of terrorists,” Durov said on his Telegram channel. island province of Hainan and Beibu Gulf. Manus refugees remain struck in diplomatic limbo

AFP before agreeing to go ahead with the pro- Pence and others, that the agreement will Sydney posal. be adhered to,” Bishop told the Austral- US Department of Homeland Security ian Broadcasting Corporation. “And the offi cials had been assessing the asylum- (refugee cap) quota will roll over again on he abrupt departure of American seekers at Nauru as part of the arrange- October 1.” offi cials from an Australian Pacifi c ment when they abruptly left the island The situation is particularly acute on Tisland refugee camp has fanned on Friday and Saturday, Refugee Action Manus, with the camp set to close by Oc- fears among asylum-seekers that plans to Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said, days tober after a PNG Supreme Court ruling resettle them in the US may not go ahead, after the US passed its annual 50,000-ref- declared that holding people there was un- an activist group said yesterday. ugee intake cap. constitutional. Canberra sends asylum-seekers who “They’ve (the DHS offi cials) given the Australian Immigration Minister Peter try to enter Australia by boat to camps on people on Nauru no indication that they Dutton has said those on Manus would not Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Is- are coming back,” Rintoul told AFP. be moved to Australia and instead relo- land, but the conditions there have been About 200 refugees on Nauru have un- cated to third countries such as the US and criticised by refugee advocates and medi- dergone interviews and medical check- Cambodia or resettled in PNG. A farmer rides on the back of wooden ploughs tied to a pair of racing buff aloes during the annual rice plant- cal professionals. ups, while on Manus, some 70 had been “News like this makes us feel dead. It de- ing festival in Chonburi yesterday. The Australian government struck a deal through a similar process, Rintoul said. fuses the spark of hope that we try to hold with Washington under former president “People are becoming increasingly on to,” Manus refugee detainee Imran Mo- Barack Obama to resettle some of those doubtful that there is any deal”, he added. hamed, from Myanmar, said in a statement refugees in the US. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop yesterday via Australia’s Human Rights But doubts over the arrangement have said yesterday she was confi dent the deal Law Centre. persisted after President Donald Trump was still in place, adding that the “matter More than 800 men are being held on Thai farmers race their this year reportedly lambasted his Austral- is progressing as we expected”. Manus, and 370 men, women and children ian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull during a “We have been given assurances by are detained on Nauru, according to Aus- phone call and attacked it as a “dumb deal”, President Trump and Vice-President tralian immigration data ending May 31. water buff alo to glory

AFP plough thundered down a fl ooded seen their importance diminish. Thai gang behind family massacre arrested Chonburi, Thailand fi eld as human drivers attached by Local offi cial Samart Suksa- a rope desperately tried to keep up wang said the festival was about behind their charging beasts. reminding youngsters of the cru- AFP bullet passed through her ear and was able fi ts, rumours had swirled in the Thai press anguidly ploughing fl ooded “To win, the buff alo and the cial role beloved bovines played Bangkok to give vital clues. that the killers might be from the military. paddy-fi elds, Thailand’s buf- racer need to pass the fi nishing for farmers in what is one of the “There were seven people at the crime But Chaktip yesterday downplayed that Lfaloes don’t usually strike line together,” explained Jai In- world’s great rice growing nations. scene,” national police chief Chaktip Chai- theory, saying the attackers were local people as the quickest of beasts. dramaporn, a wizened 73-year- “I want to preserve it so that hai police said yesterday they have jinda told reporters yesterday, saying all men, some of whom worked as security But farmers in eastern Thailand old buff alo owner. “If the racer the new generation can see that in arrested all those who took part in had now been apprehended and confessed guards. yesterday showed off their fastest falls, then he’s disqualifi ed.” the old days, to do rice farming we Tthe brutal mass slaying of a family in to involvement. The killings have dominated local press bovines in a unique, muddy speed Many racers found themselves used buff alo to plough and rake the the country’s south last week, a massacre He said investigators believed the kill- coverage this week and caused widespread test. faceplanting into the mud, spark- rice fi elds,” he told AFP. that caused widespread revulsion. ing was sparked by a land dispute between public horror. Photos taken by medical The race is the highlight of an ing cheers and laughter from the Locals say the idea to race buf- Detectives say a gang of seven men the village chief and a local business fi gure, workers showed two bodies slumped on annual rice planting festival in crowds. faloes began generations back as wearing camoufl age outfi ts entered a vil- nicknamed “Bang Fad”, who was also ap- a blood-splattered children’s bed, with a Chonburi, two hours east of the But for those who stayed at- a way to blow off steam after the lage chief’s house in the southern province prehended. teddy bear thrown to one side. capital Bangkok, where a small tached and won, glory awaited. arduous ploughing season. of Krabi last Monday, casually executing Chaktip said Bang Fad was involved in Firearm ownership is common in Thai- group of local farmers try to keep For centuries, Thais relied on Now racing buff aloes are specif- him and seven other members of his family, the murder, adding the other members of land and the country has one of the highest the tradition alive even if most of water buffalo to plough their ically bred for the sport, taught to including three children, with single shots the gang had been hired for just 1,000 baht gun-related homicide rates in Asia. their fi elds are now ploughed by rice paddies, provide transpor- obey the commands and whistles to the head. ($30) and likely did not know that a mas- But while petty arguments and disputes tractor. tation and even defend villages of their owners. The most suc- Three others were shot but survived, in- sacre was about to take place. frequently turn deadly, mass killings on Throughout the day pairs of during war, but with mecha- cessful can sell for up to 300,000 cluding a woman who played dead after the Because the gang wore camoufl age out- this scale are rare. buff aloes attached to a wooden nised farming the animals have baht ($8,800).

Coal plan sparks ire as Myanmar struggles to keep lights on Xiaobo widow’s fate

By Shoon Naing and Yimou Lee, government has yet to reveal details. worries her friends Reuters Several energy offi cials said the share Yangon of coal and gas could be increased at the expense of hydro. AFP and pained. She looked like the “International investors would like Beijing world’s saddest person,” said Hu pposition to a planned $3bn to see more clarity on energy policy. It Jia, a Beijing-based activist and coal-fi red power plant in east- is presently very diffi cult to say exactly close friend. Oern Myanmar is highlighting the what Myanmar’s energy plans are,” said riends of the late Nobel “If I could see her, I would challenges facing Aung San Suu Kyi’s Jeremy Mullins, researcher at Yangon- laureate Liu Xiaobo wor- comfort her and off er her a government in crafting a coherent energy based consulting fi rm Frontier Myanmar. Fried yesterday about the shoulder to cry on,” Hu told AFP. policy in one of Asia’s poorest and most Kayin’s energy minister, Soe Hla- fate of his widow with no signs Liu Xiaobo was a veteran of the electricity-starved countries. ing, told Reuters that the government that authorities have freed her 1989 Tiananmen Square protests With only a third of the country’s would go ahead with the project if there after the dissident’s sea burial. and was detained in 2008 after 60mn people connected to the grid and was “enough public support.” He did not Close friends lost touch with co-writing Charter 08, a petition major cities experiencing blackouts, elaborate. the poet Liu Xia after her hus- calling for democratic reforms. fi nding investors is tough for Myanmar Residents and environmentalists say band died on Thursday of liver Following his terminal can- and it is now looking at options, from coal the risks the plant in Kayin could pose to cancer aged 61 while he was in cer diagnosis, the democracy to deep-sea gas, to boost its power sup- the environment and the livelihoods of police custody at a hospital in the advocate requested to receive ply. local people are not being properly inves- northeastern city of Shenyang. treatment abroad — a wish that Myanmar has reserves of natural gas, A woman sells fruit at a stall lit with battery powered lamps in Dala township, outside tigated. At her building in Beijing, a uni- friends believe was in reality for but most existing off shore production is Yangon. A feasibility study on the environmen- formed security guard sat in front his wife’s sake. exported under agreements struck during tal and social impact will be ready later of the elevator yesterday night and But the authorities refused to the junta era, while new blocks will not Suu Kyi, who has made job creation one projects will go ahead. The former qua- this year before the fi nal decision from a plainclothes man, who refused let him go. come on stream for some years. of her top priorities. si-civilian government led by President the energy ministry, local authorities to identify himself, ushered AFP Although Liu Xia stayed out of Coal would be one of the quickest ways Foreign direct investment has fallen Thein Sein had to stall more than 10 coal said. journalists away after they rang politics, she has been under po- to ramp up power generation but, as pro- 30% from the previous year to $6.6bn projects across the country due to oppo- Thailand-based TTCL Public Com- her apartment number. lice watch without charges since tests against the proposed 1,280 mega- in 2016/17 due to sluggish progress on sition on environmental grounds. pany Ltd, developer of the project, said it The United States and Eu- shortly after her husband was watts (MW) project in the eastern Kayin retooling the economy after decades of Some western experts advising the would build a high-effi ciency low-emis- ropean Union have called on awarded the Nobel Peace Prize state show, the option is unpopular in military rule. government also oppose the solution, ar- sions station with advanced “clean coal” President Xi Jinping’s Commu- in 2010. Myanmar. Myanmar aims a more than fourfold guing that importing coal — which is not technology to mitigate environmental nist government to free Liu Xia, Her apartment was the only More than 100 activist groups across increase in its electricity generation of abundant in Myanmar — would mean an impact. who has been under house arrest one in a row of buildings that the country have signed a joint statement over 23,500 MW by 2030 to meet rising outfl ow of dollars from a country with Coal currently generates just 1% of since 2010, and let her go abroad. had a security guard in the small calling for the project to be cancelled and demand, a target experts said will be dif- tiny reserves of hard currency. Myanmar’s electricity. The authorities released imag- lobby. The plainclothes man took urging the government to look at renew- fi cult to achieve — particularly, they say, Offi cials have previously said they were Win Htein, one of the top leaders from es of the grieving wife at a private photos of the AFP reporters’ able energy instead. if policy remains confused. looking to increase the share of hydro Suu Kyi’s National League for Democra- funeral on Saturday, and later on press cards. He claimed her name “They are worried about their land and The Kayin state project, which is still power in the country’s energy mix. cy, said alternatives such as hydropower a boat with relatives as they low- was not listed and when pressed, water, which would be aff ected by the awaiting approval from the authorities, Most of its 49 planned hydropower would take time and coal was ideal for the ered an urn containing her hus- he said: “The resident doesn’t coal-fi red plant,” said Kayin-based ac- is among the 11 planned coal-fi red plants projects have stalled, however, amid country’s urgent energy demand. band’s ashes into the sea off the want to see you.” tivist Nan Myint Aung, referring to resi- in Myanmar and, by itself, would increase a lengthy dispute with China over the “If we have to choose between the di- coastal city of Dalian. AFP could not confi rm if she dents in the area who mostly depend on the country’s current electricity produc- building of the Myitsone mega dam. lemma of coal and the development of the “We are very worried. We had returned from northeast agriculture. tion by 25%, offi cial data shows. An electricity master plan has been country, we prioritise the development,” saw from authorities’ photos China. The lights on her fl oor Attracting investment is crucial for But it is uncertain how many of those under review since last year, but the he said. of the funeral that she is weak were out. Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 11 BRITAIN

ENTERTAINMENT DECISION OFFBEAT HEALTHCARE LITERATURE BBC names first Tougher sentences for Woman ‘steals’ cycle Hospitals raise pay Jane Austen to star in female Doctor Who acid attacks pledged back from thief to attract doctors Bank of England exhibition

The lead role in sci-fi A government minister yesterday vowed A woman in London “stole” her stolen bicycle back Hospital bosses are having to off er thousands of Jane Austen is not just the heroine of the new television series Doctor Who to strengthen legislation to allow tougher from a thief who advertised it for sale on Facebook. pounds in incentives to try to attract consultants. £10 note, to be unveiled tomorrow on the will be played by a woman sentences for people convicted of acid attacks, According to a Telegraph report, cyclist Jenni The North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust is 200th anniversary of her death, but also the for the first time in its more after a spate of attacks that left many victims Morton-Humphreys had posted a picture of her looking for six paediatricians to work in Carlisle and star of an exhibition on the literary connections than 50-year history, the BBC severely disfigured. “We have seen a worrying stolen cycle on Facebook. Her fellow cyclist found Whitehaven. An online job advert off ers applicants of the Bank of England. “Jane Austen’s novels said yesterday. After much increase in reports of attacks with acid or the same cycle on display on Facebook. Morton- up to 10% more than their basic salary – which are not taken up with chit-chat about bonnets speculation over the role, BBC similar substances as off ensive weapons,” Home Humphreys then planned to buy the cycle from the ranges from £76,761 to £103,490 – for four years. in carriages, as some people who haven’t read said 35-year-old actress Jodie Secretary Amber Rudd wrote in The Sunday vendor. She requested the police to accompany Attempts to attract staff to the area have “proved them think. She was very well aware of the Whittaker, who starred in the Times. “This is a crime that changes how people and arrest the culprit, but this was declined. She challenging” in the past two years, the trust said. value of money, and it is a major theme in her award-winning television crime drama series look and feel, sometimes for the rest of their then approached the vendor. “I pretended to be “National workforce shortages mean specialists work,” the exhibition’s curator, Jenni Adam, Broadchurch, will play the 13th Doctor. Whittaker lives,” Rudd said. “The law in this area is already interested and said the saddle was too high and are in high demand across the country and are said. The exhibition, which opens at the bank’s said it was “completely overwhelming” to be strong, with acid attackers facing up to a life asked if I could test it out.” Shen then took a test often attracted to larger centres,” it said. Director museum on July 19, features many other taking on the role and she wanted to tell fans of sentence in certain cases. But we can and will ride and just pedalled away. To add to her joy, the of human resources Christine Brereton said many writers either preoccupied with money or the series “not to be scared” by her gender. improve our response.” cycle’s minor repairs were fixed by the thief. trusts were “struggling” to recruit paediatricians. connected to the bank.

Education cuts opposed Sentence review Cabinet split extended to more terror off ences over Brexit

Guardian News and Media London issue, admits he legal scheme under which anyone can ask for Tconvicted criminals to be given tougher sentences is to be extended to cover more terrorist off ences. An order will be laid before Hammond MPs this week allowing those found guilty of encouraging ter- Agencies Hammond said the majority of But May has struggled to assert rorism, sharing terrorist propa- London his colleagues now recognised this her authority since the election, ganda and related off ences to be was “the right and sensible way to and weeks of media briefi ngs sug- brought back to court to have go”. gest rivals are positioning them- their punishment reassessed. inance Minister Philip “Five weeks ago the idea of a selves to replace her. The Unduly Lenient Sentence Hammond yesterday said transition period was quite a new Hammond insisted he was not (ULS) procedure – which allows FBritain will take responsibil- concept, I think now you would part of this. victims and the public to query ity for the money it owes the EU fi nd that pretty much everybody “I think on many fronts it would sentences handed out by judges after leaving the bloc, as he ac- around the cabinet table accepts be helpful if my colleagues — all of – will now also include crimes knowledged the cabinet was split that there will be some kind of us — focused on the job in hand. such as membership of banned over Brexit. transition,” Hammond told BBC This government is facing a tick- organisations and taking part in “We are a country that always TV. ing clock over the Brexit negotia- weapons training. honours its obligations. If there is “I think you’ll fi nd the cabinet tions,” he said. The scheme permits anyone to any amount that is due when it’s rallying around a position that Brexit minister David Davis ask the attorney general to review been properly quantifi ed and au- maximises our negotiating lever- heads to Brussels today for a fi rst a sentence. Where the senior law dited, of course we’ll deal with it,” age and gets the best possible deal full round of talks, with EU of- offi cer deems it appropriate, the he told the BBC. for Britain.” fi cials hoping the British gov- case can be referred to the court “We’re not a country that walks But he acknowledged that min- ernment, yet to set out detailed of appeal for reconsideration. away from its debts.” isters were divided on other ele- proposals on several major issues, The most serious terror of- Hammond brushed off remarks ments of Brexit, after the week- begins to show more urgency fences, as well as crimes such by Foreign Minister Boris Johnson end newspapers were fi lled with about doing a deal before Britain as murder and rape, are already that the EU could “go whistle” for reports of in-fi ghting — including leaves the bloc in 2019. covered by the scheme. its money, saying this was a direct potentially damaging briefi ngs Hammond said the government The latest additions, which reference to claims that Britain against him over public sector pay. needed to provide as much clarity come into force three weeks after may be asked to pay up to 100bn “Some of the noise is gener- as possible, as soon as possible, being placed before parliament, euros ($112bn). ated by people who are not happy to restore business and consumer cover 19 off ences including sup- He described this fi gure, con- with the agenda which I, over the confi dence and keep the economy porting extremist organisations, fi rmed by EU offi cials but never last few weeks, have tried to ad- moving. encouraging acts of terror or fail- publicly announced, as “ridicu- vance of ensuring that we achieve “It is absolutely clear that busi- ing to disclose information about lous”. a Brexit which is focused on pro- nesses, where they have discre- a terrorist attack. Justice Min- Hammond confi rmed that tecting our economy,” he said. tion over investment, where they ister, Dominic Raab, said: “We Britain’s fi nancial settlement Trade Minister Liam Fox, who can hold off , are doing so...they want the most robust sentences would be top of the agenda when favours making a clean break with are waiting for more clarity about for any terrorist crimes and for the Brexit negotiations, which the bloc, said he did not have a what the future relationship with victims to have every opportu- started last month, resume in problem with a transition period Europe will look like,” he said. nity to see justice delivered. Brussels today. as long as it was for a limited dura- Former party leader Ian Duncan “Our action will reinforce our He also said the Cabinet was tion and gave Britain the freedom Smith told the BBC that there was focus on deterring people who coming closer to an agreement on to negotiate its own trade deals. no appetite among Conservative help radicalise terrorists, and the need for some kind of transi- Since the June 8 election, when lawmakers for a leadership con- punishing those who wilfully tional arrangement when Britain the ruling Conservatives lost their test and said his colleagues should turn a blind eye to terrorist ac- leaves the EU, which could last a majority in parliament, Ham- “shut up” and “let everyone else tivity.” “couple of years”. mond has been increasingly out- get on with the business of gov- Plans to extend the scheme Hammond has repeatedly spoken about the need to retain erning”. were fi rst announced at the Con- talked about the need for a tran- economic ties with the EU. Gus O’Donnell, Britain’s former servative party conference last sitional deal, saying such an ar- Before the vote, Prime Minister top public offi cial, told the Ob- year. In 2015, the attorney general rangement would see Britain Theresa May had made clear that server newspaper that the chances referred 136 cases to the court of replicate as much as possible the her priority was cutting immigra- of a smooth Brexit were at risk of appeal, with the court increasing Protestors march against education cuts in London yesterday. existing arrangements in order to tion, a major issue in last year’s being derailed by squabbling min- the sentences of 102 off enders. minimise the impact on business. referendum vote to quit the bloc. isters. Tycoon fi ned for misuse Harry wins privacy case of disabled parking badge against Mail Online Guardian News and Media and that Prince Harry was una- London ware he was being photographed. London Evening Standard Phillies, admitted he was “em- to. But I’m putting my hands up Mail Online has been ordered London barrassed” by the conviction but — it was a really stupid thing that to publish Ipso’s ruling on the top insisted it had not been his inten- I did. Whatever amount the fi ne rince Harry’s privacy was fi fth of its homepage and for the tion to trick the council. was I would have paid it.” breached by the Mail Online ruling to remain on the homepage businessman has been He said: “If I’m driving a car A spokesman for Greenwich Ppublishing photographs of for 24 hours. The watchdog fi ned for parking his like that, I can aff ord to pay a council said: “Investigators spot- him wearing swimming shorts initially said Mail Online could A£180,000 Lamborghini on parking ticket. Why would I need ted the distinctive red car with per- on a private beach in Jamaica, the publish the ruling anywhere on a yellow line — using a blue disa- to use a disabled badge to park sonalised number plate and a civil Independent Press Standards Or- its homepage, but this changed bled badge his mother found in outside?” enforcement offi cer was about to ganisation has ruled. after Prince Harry “suggested” the street. Zinnureyin said he had dis- issue a penalty charge notice when The prince complained to Ipso, to Ipso that it should consider Tamer Zinnureyin, 40, ini- played the badge in his wind- the 40-year-old stepped out of his the press watchdog, that the im- making the publication place it as tially denied that he was the screen in December last year restaurant and placed a blue badge ages had been taken “surrepti- one of the top three articles on its owner of the red supercar when because “the person who lost it on the dashboard. tiously” using a long lens camera homepage, given the original ar- he was confronted by traffi c war- must be from around here”. “When investigators asked to while he was not on offi cial duties ticle had appeared at the top. dens outside his grocery store in He added: “Imagine fi nding a inspect the badge, Zinnureyin and abroad for a wedding with his In its ruling, which upheld Greenwich. wallet on the fl oor and going to denied that it was his car before girlfriend, Meghan Markle. Prince Harry’s complaint about a He then hid inside the cafe he hand it in and being accused of rushing into the restaurant next Mail Online ran the photo- breach of privacy, Ipso said: “The owns next door and refused to theft? I wish I had just chucked it door and refusing to come out graphs of the prince in March complainant had been photo- come out until police arrived, the in the bin. Sometimes doing good and surrender the badge. under the headline “Time to cool graphed during his leisure time on council said. is a bad thing.” The Lamborghini, “Police were called and al- off ! Happy (and hunky) Prince a private beach at a private resort. Zinnureyin later told inves- which the businessman said was though they could not fi nd Zin- Harry enjoys a dip in the ocean as Indeed, the article itself stated tigators his mother found the bought last year, has a personal- nureyin, family members passed he and Meghan relax on the beach that the complainant was staying badge the previous day and he ised licence plate. over the car keys and the blue in Jamaica after his ‘wingman’s’ at a private resort. had put it on the dashboard in an Zinnureyin said: “The licence badge was confi scated. sun-drenched wedding”. “While other guests may have attempt to catch the attention of plate has my name but the car “ Zinnureyin attended an in- An Ipso committee ruled that been present at the time, the its rightful owner. belongs to my dad. People shout terview under caution where he it was unacceptable to publish complainant was not carrying He was fi ned £440 and ordered at me when I’m driving it, but I’m denied stealing the badge. He the photos of the prince with- out offi cial duties, and he was to pay costs of £268 with a £44 not harming anyone. They don’t said that his mother had found it out any public interest and that unaware that he was being photo- victim surcharge after pleading even know me but they judge me outside the restaurant and gave it it represented “a signifi cant and graphed by the photographer who guilty to misusing the badge. because of what car I drive.” to him, with his intention being unjustifi ed intrusion”. It said the was positioned between 700 and Zinnureyin, who owns Vil- He added: “I could have got in to return it. However, he admit- photograph had been taken from 800 yards away, and had used a lage Food and Wine and the cafe the car and driven off if I wanted ted misusing the badge.” Harry: legal victory between 700 and 800 yards away long lens camera.” Gulf Times 12 Monday, July 17, 2017 EUROPE Turkey and Battle ace Berlin urged to settle air base row

Reuters seekers and granting German Brussels lawmakers access to the sol- diers at Konya air base because both issues were completely ato’s Secretary General unrelated, she added. has urged the Turkish Turkish authorities de- Nand German foreign tained the editor of a regional ministers to resolve their dif- newspaper over a column she ferences over visits to Turkish wrote criticising the govern- air bases, part of a wider row ment for exaggerating the im- between the two allies. portance of last year’s coup at- Germany has refused to ex- tempt, the newspaper said. tradite asylum seekers Turkey Yeliz Koray, editor of the says were involved in a coup Kocaeli Koz newspaper in the attempt last year, Berlin is de- northwestern province of Iz- manding the release of a Turk- mit, was detained at her home ish-German journalist, and late on Saturday, the newspa- Ankara has refused to let Ger- per said. man lawmakers visit soldiers at “Certain groups were both- two air bases. ered by the piece and made Ko- German soldiers contribute ray a target. to a Nato air surveillance mis- They wanted to lynch Koray sion at Konya, 250km south of for her writing, which is part of the Turkish capital Ankara, and the right of freedom of expres- its troops stationed at another sion,” the newspaper said on its air base, in Incirlik, have al- website yesterday. ready been moved to Jordan. In a column entitled I’ll Eat Nato said Jens Stoltenberg Your Epic, Koray criticised the had called Sigmar Gabriel and government for what she said Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday to was an overemphasis on the ask them to settle the dispute. events of July 15 last year, say- American Gregory Marshall, 71-years-old, gets out of a French made 2 CV (Citroen) automobile modified to look like an American army vehicle at the old railway station “We hope that Germany and ing it paled in signifi cance next in Dracy-Saint-Loup, central France. Turkey are able to fi nd a mutu- to World War I and major bat- ally acceptable date for a visit,” tles in Turkish history. a Nato spokesman said. She said the government Germany’s armed forces are had not done enough to expose under parliamentary control what happened on the night, and Berlin says the lawmakers when rogue soldiers comman- must have access to its soldiers. deered tanks and planes in an German Chancellor Angela attempt to topple Erdogan. Merkel insisted in a television Some 250 people were killed, interview yesterday that Ger- many of them unarmed civil- man lawmakers should be al- ians. Merkel intends to stay lowed to visit the Bundeswehr No one was immediately soldiers at the Nato air base in available for comment at the Konya. paper or at the local prosecu- “This whole issue is un- tor’s offi ce. fortunate, very unfortunate,” Hundreds of thousands of Merkel told public broadcaster Turks rallied to mark the an- ARD, adding that more talks niversary of last year’s failed around for next 4yrs were needed to fi nd a solution, coup in an outpouring of mass also with the help of Nato. support for President Tayyip DPA the need for investment in such things ing its massive trade surplus — the amount we have at the moment” because of such On whether Ankara had Erdogan that lay bare the di- Berlin as digitalisation, Merkel claimed that the its exports outweigh its imports. problems, Merkel complained. asked Berlin to extradite asy- visions of a society riven by main problem was not lack of funds but Countries like France or the United She reiterated a commitment to spend lum seekers in exchange for widespread purges. the long planning process. States argue that while Germany is hap- one-third of budget surpluses on invest- granting lawmakers access to In the aftermath of the ngela Merkel says she intends to Germany should be legally bound to py to rake in cash from selling its goods ments in the next parliament. the air base, Merkel said she putsch, some 150,000 people continue her leadership of Ger- invest in infrastructure, the centre-left abroad, it fails to help other economies by Schulz, a former president of the Euro- was not aware of any such a re- have been sacked or suspended Amany for the coming years as chan- challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in spending at home to contribute to eco- pean Parliament has a formidable oppo- quest. from jobs in the civil service cellor in an interview that aired yesterday September elections said yesterday. nomic growth. nent in Merkel. “If this was the case..., we and private sector and more on German television as the campaign for Cash-rich Germany is also facing pres- French President Emmanuel Macron She has regained a commanding lead in would reject this entirely,” than 50,000 were detained for September’s parliamentary elections be- sure from its trading partners to spend said in an interview published Thursday opinion polls after Schulz enjoyed a brief Merkel said. alleged links to the putsch, in- gins. more to cut its massive trade surplus, and that Germany had to move on investment. surge that took the SPD within touching There could be no nego- cluding local members of rights “No one can say what life will bring, the issue is feeding into the looming bal- And The Economist magazine labelled distance of the Chancellor earlier this year. tiations with Ankara about the groups such as Amnesty Inter- but I certainly intend to continue for four lot race. trade surpluses “the German problem” on German Chancellor Angela Merkel said extradition of Turkish asylum national. years,” Merkel said in response to a ques- Berlin “must use its money to improve its latest cover. yesterday she stood by her decision to hold tion concerning voters’ expectations for public infrastructure according to binding It accused the country of saving too a G20 summit in Hamburg even after it her being able to fulfi l her vision for Ger- rules” Social Democratic Party (SPD) can- much and spending too little alongside an was marred by street protests that turned many. didate Martin Schulz said at a campaign image of the imposing German eagle — its violent. Rollercoaster cars crash at In the interview by broadcaster ARD, event in the German capital. wings incorporating a graph of trade sta- “Things happened that were unaccept- Spanish park, 33 hurt the incumbent chancellor spoke about the Schulz did not call for the lifting of tistics. able. I don’t shirk my responsibility,” Mer- domestic issues of refugees and invest- the “debt brake” built into the German “The state can’t create any illegal defi - kel told ARD public television. ment as well as relations with Turkey and constitution at Merkel’s behest in 2009, cits — and that’s right,” Schulz said yes- The chancellor sought to defuse a po- Thirty-three people suff ered minor injuries yesterday in a collision the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which sets legal limits on defi cits in federal terday. litical row over the gathering, when an- between two trains on a rollercoaster at one of Spain’s oldest (Nato). Ever moderate, the German leader and regional budgets. But the SPD argues that increasing in- archist mobs battled riot police, torched theme parks, emergency services said. The accident at the Parque was unafraid to back down on positions Berlin has booked budget surpluses in vestment is a matter of “intergenerational cars and looted shops even as world lead- de Atracciones in Madrid happened as one train that had just she believed in. recent years and reduced its debt levels fairness”, slotting it into a 10-point pro- ers talked trade and climate and enjoyed a completed the loop failed to stop, hitting the back of another Despite friction with her conservative under fi nance minister Wolfgang Schaeu- gramme alongside improving social justice Beethoven concert. train that was about to leave the station, an emergency services Bavarian sister party, the Christian So- ble. and a stronger European Union. Local lawmakers from her centre-right spokesman said. Of the 33 people who were injured, 27 were taken cial Union (CSU), Merkel, who leads the Merkel insisted her conservative-led The plan would oblige the state to spend Christian Democratic Union have blamed to hospital for evaluation, an emergency services spokesman said. Christian Democratic Union (CDU), re- governments had “achieved a balanced on high-speed internet connections, Hamburg mayor Olaf Scholz for failing to The injuries were mainly bruising and shock, he added. jected limiting the number of refugees that budgets and massively increased invest- transport links, renewable energy and organise suffi cient police protection. The rollercoaster, the Tren de la Mina or “Mine Train”, reaches a would be allowed to enter the country. ments at the same time” in an interview education, especially in the country’s eco- And others have attacked Merkel herself height of 17.5m and travels 450m through waterfalls at a maximum “As far as an upper limit is concerned, with ARD public television later Sunday. nomically weakest regions. for her choice of Germany’s second city as speed of 55 kilometres (35 miles) per hour, according to the theme my position is clear: I will not accept it,” “We already fi x [investments] in many Rather than increasing the amount of the venue. park’s website. she said, saying that numbers could be areas in our medium-term spending cash available for investment, Merkel told “The federal government was the host,” It is the first family rollercoaster in Spain to incorporate the use of reduced by controls and taking action to plans,” she said. ARD, it was more important to speed up Merkel said. “It was clear that it had to virtual reality glasses, according to the website. Police and park staff prevent the situations that cause people to German public spending is a hot topic at planning processes and reduce the number take place in a big city, and I was pleased are investigating the cause of the accident. fl ee one country for another. home and abroad. of avenues for legal challenges to con- that Olaf Scholz agreed...I’ve made it clear The Parque de Atracciones, opened in 1969, is spread out over 20 While agreeing with her centre-left op- Trading partners have called on the gov- struction projects. to the Hamburg CDU that I think they’re hectares in the Casa de Campo, the Spanish capital’s largest park. ponent for chancellor, Martin Schulz, on ernment to invest more as a way of reduc- “We are unable to spend the money wrong” to criticise him.

Rally against court reforms in Poland

AFP from Civic Platform (PO) and Ryszard Petru from the Mod- Warsaw ern party, were at the rally and said they would join forces to fi ght against the reforms. Earlier this week Poland’s parliament adopted a bill that aving Polish and EU fl ags and chanting democ- gives the minister of justice the power to name the chief jus- racy slogans, several thousand people rallied in tices of the EU member’s common courts. WWarsaw yesterday to protest against controversial Lawmakers also passed a second bill that states from now new court reforms they see as a threat to judicial independ- on the parliament — which is controlled by the conserva- ence. tive PiS party — will choose the members of the National Police said around 4,500 people attended the demon- Council of the Judiciary (KRS), whose role is to protect the stration in front of the Polish parliament, which this week independence of courts. passed legislation that critics say gives the ruling Law and The PiS also tabled a separate bill in parliament on Justice (PiS) party power over the courts. Thursday that would subjugate the Supreme Court — Poles chanted “we will defend democracy” at the dem- which supervises lower courts — to executive power, in a onstration organised by the KOD pro-democracy move- move the opposition slammed as “the announcement of ment, which is critical of the governing conservatives’ a coup”. policies on courts as well as other areas such as media Under the proposed bill, the current Supreme Court and education. justices will be forced to retire, with the exception of “This whole set of (judicial) bills is a scandal,” said pro- those named by the justice minister, who would also be tester Agnieszka Janczarska, a 39-year-old lawyer in War- responsible for selecting candidates to succeed the re- saw. tired judges. The PiS-led government has already run “It’s a destruction of the fundamental principles of a afoul of the European Commission and critics at home democratic state, namely the separation of powers,” she told for implementing reforms of the Constitutional Court, AFP. whose main role is to check that laws comply with the The two main opposition leaders, Grzegorz Schetyna constitution. Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 13 INDIA

DISCLOSURE OBITUARY CRIME TRAGEDY POLITICS 39 abducted Indians could Ex-Sikkim chief minister Child abused and Five men electrocuted in Rebel NPF legislators be in Badush jail: minister Bhandari dies aged 77 pierced with needles Madhya Pradesh village meet Nagaland governor

External Aff airs Minister Sushma Swaraj Former Sikkim chief minister Nar Bahadur A three-year-old girl child, who was admitted Five people were electrocuted yesterday in a Rebel Naga People’s Front (NPF) and Independent yesterday said that 39 Indians, who went Bhandari died at a hospital in New Delhi yesterday to SSKM hospital in Kolkata on Saturday with village in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, police legislators, who are seeking the removal of Chief missing in Iraq in 2014, could be in a prison in following a cardiac arrest, a state government several needle injuries and a broken arm, could said. Sub-divisional police off icer Shradha Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu, have met Nagaland Badush and more clarity will emerge once the off icial said. He was 77. Bhandari is survived by his not be operated yesterday as she was still in Joshi said the accident occurred when a Governor P B Acharya and asked him to uphold area is cleared of fighting. The minister told wife, a former parliamentarian, two daughters, trauma, a hospital source said. The girl, a resident farmer, Dayaram Lodhi, along with his servant the Constitution. Led by former chief minister T family members of the men, who had been and a son. He was the founder-leader of the Sikkim of West Bengal’s Purulia district, was brought to Chhote Lal climbed down a well in his fields R Zeliang and lone Nagaland Lok Sabha member, abducted by the Islamic State from Mosul, about Sangram Parishad party. Bhandari was in power the hospital in a critical condition on Saturday in village Raghunathpur in Maksudangarh Neiphiu Rio, 43 legislators – 36 NPF legislators and information received by Minister of State for in the state between 1979 and 1994 and the first evening, after she was allegedly physically area to remove an electric motor but came in seven Independents, met Acharya and apprised External Aff airs, V K Singh, who had gone to Iraq. Gorkha politician to lead an Indian state. The and sexually abused by an elderly person, who contact with a live wire. Their cries for help him of the present political imbroglio. Zeliang Sushma Swaraj said that soon after the Iraqi body of Bhandari, one of the longest serving chief employs her mother as a maidservant. “There are attracted Lodhi’s neighbours Rambabu, Dheeraj and his group of legislators drove to Raj Bhavan prime minister announced that Mosul had been ministers in the country, will be taken to the All as many as seven needles forced into the child’s and Jagmohan, who too went inside the well a day after the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High liberated from the IS, she asked Singh to go to India Institute of Medical Sciences for embalming body. The needles could not be taken out as it to rescue the men. However, all five were Court stayed, till July 17, the floor test for Liezietsu. Erbil and personally find out where the missing and later to Sikkim House. Bhandari was born on may cause further damage to her body. She is electrocuted. Police said the five bodies have Zeliang had last Sunday written to the governor Indians were and how they can be rescued. October 5, 1940, in Malbasey village in west Sikkim. kept under observation,” the hospital source said. been sent for post-mortem. staking claim to form the new government. Kerala nursing students forced into service as strike persists

By Ashraf Padanna at major private hospitals to deal Thiruvananthapuram with the strike. They will pro- vide security to vehicles carrying nursing students to hospitals. n an unprecedented move, The collector has also ordered Kerala’s leftist government has the principals of medical col- Itaken strong measures in deal- leges to guide the students and ing with the striking nurses in the fi le a report on their deploy- northern district of Kannur. ment each day. Sources said the District collector Mir Moham- government was going tough on ed Ali has issued an order giving the strikers as the rival Congress powers to the police under Section party is supporting them. of 144 of the Criminal Procedure The INA strike will go Code – usually clamped in situa- statewide as planned from today. tions of extreme mob violence. “The government is playing with Ali has ordered eight nurs- the lives of people by leaving ing colleges in the district, two their care to untrained students,” run by the southern state’s rul- UNA president Jasminsha said. ing Communist Party of India The nurses say politicians are (Marxist), to suspend classes and worried over the emergence of deploy students at 10 hospitals independent unions who are where nurses are on strike for taking up their cause and gaining more than a fortnight in a dis- a foothold in an area which till pute over low pay. now have been monopolised by Police personnel and locals carry injured and dead from the site of a bus accident in Ramban district, about 140km from Jammu yesterday. The students deployed to these political parties. private hospitals will get an allow- The nurses are demanding a ance of Rs150 ($2.33) for a day’s minimum pay of Rs20,000 as job. Those who refuse will face ac- fi xed by a panel appointed by the tion, including termination. Supreme Court last year. “The absence of nurses from The Kerala High Court, how- their posts will severely aff ect the ever, asked the government to healthcare service delivery in the invoke the Essential Services Act district,” the order issued yester- to deal with the strike. 16 dead, 26 injured as day stated. “It has been reported With the state’s garbage man- that major hospitals are operating agement in crisis, thousands of at less than 50% of their capacity people have been infected with and are forced to direct their pa- deadly diseases like dengue. tients to government hospitals.” Though the INA has units The Indian Nurses Associa- only in 39 hospitals, the UNA is tion is on strike here. The United spread across Kerala and in other bus plunges in gorge Nurses Association, the largest states. Both the unions have re- body of nurses, have deferred jected the Rs17,200 minimum Agencies Nichnala near Banihal town on who helped to take out the in- and former chief minister Omar This is the second tragedy to their indefi nite strike planned pay off er put forth by authorities Jammu the Jammu-Srinagar highway. jured pilgrims from the wreck- Abdullah expressed grief over hit the Amarnath pilgrimage from today following high at the last talks and have called “Sixteen pilgrims were killed age site. Army helicopters fl ew the accident. since militants ambushed a bus court-initiated mediation talks for an indefi nite strike. on the spot while 26 others have the injured to Jammu city. Modi said: “Extremely pained on July 10, killing eight people. scheduled for Wednesday. With the government taking a ixteen Amarnath pilgrims been injured,” a police offi cer by the loss of lives of the Amar- The tragedy came as another “The government hospitals are tough stance, many fear chances were killed and 26 seri- said. “Sixteen pilgrims were nath pilgrims... My thoughts victim died yesterday from in- currently functioning at a level of the fever epidemic toll rising. Sously injured when the “The injured have been air- killed on the spot while 19 are with the families of the de- juries sustained in the bus am- considerably higher than their Hospitals yesterday maintained bus in which they were trav- lifted to the Government Medi- others have been injured. ceased. I pray that those injured bush by militants. sanctioned one,” the order states. they were ready to accept the sala- elling plunged into a gorge in cal College Super Speciality The injured have been recover soon.” “One woman who was in- “The healthcare infrastructure in ry structure the government fi xes. Jammu and Kashmir’s Banihal Hospital in Jammu,” the offi cer airlift ed to the Government Rajnath Singh said he spoke jured in the July 10 attack suc- the district is already stretched “We should declare war on district yesterday, authorities said. Eight passengers sustained Medical College Super to Mehbooba Mufti regarding cumbed to her injuries in hospi- under the burden of waterborne dengue, press retired doctors said. minor injuries. Speciality Hospital in the accident. She apprised him tal,” S P Vaid, the state’s director diseases after the onset of mon- and nurses into service, distrib- The Jammu and Kashmir The spokesman said the bus Jammu” about the rescue operations. general of police, said. soon and the crippling of services ute mosquito nets and engage State Road Transport Corpo- carried 43 people including the “My heart goes out to the Her death takes the toll from is putting lives of patients at grave NGOs and local authorities,” ration bus was on its way from driver. Prime Minister Narendra families of the Amarnath pil- the attack to eight, with seven risk,” the district collector added. said Congress leader Dr Shashi Jammu to the Kashmir Val- Army, police and paramilitary Modi, Home Minister Rajnath grims who lost their loved ones women and one man killed in The district administration Tharoor. “Dengue must be de- ley when the driver reportedly forces launched a rescue opera- Singh, Jammu and Kashmir in the bus accident. My prayers the late-night assault. Most of has also deployed police forces clared a public health disaster.” lost control over the vehicle at tion which was joined by locals, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti are with the injured,” he added. the victims were from Gujarat. Bollywood superstars Kerala police unfazed by Dileep PR eff orts dazzle at IIFA awards IANS Seven times legislator (inde- Thiruvananthapuram pendent) P C George has claimed that the charges against the su- AFP Udta Punjab, a gritty crime ence of nearly 800mn people. perstar have been fabricated. East Rutherford drama spotlighting the huge Held in a diff erent city over- he Kerala Police say they “Dileep has been trapped by a problem of drug abuse among seas each year to showcase what are not worried about the powerful group and when I am in young people in Punjab, scooped is the most prolifi c fi lm industry Tso-called PR eff orts for the state capital to cast my vote ndia’s biggest Bollywood Shahid Kapoor best actor and in the world and the soft power Malayalam superstar Dileep, in the presidential polls, I will stars led a triumphant cel- Alia Bhatt best actress in a lead- of India, the 2017 event comes who was arrested in connection give a letter to Kerala Chief Min- Iebration of dance, music ing role. with Indian fi lm on the up in with the abduction and molesta- ister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking a and fashion at the International The movie angered politicians North America. tion of a popular actress. Central Bureau of Investigation Indian Film Academy (IIFA) in the state and the fi lmmakers From a Donald Trump imper- Since Friday, local and on- probe into the case,” George said. awards on Saturday, cheered by took the censor board to court sonator named Ronald Grump, line media have reported about a Late Saturday, Dileep’s bail thousands of ecstatic fans just over a number of cuts it tried to to a closing song and dance rou- leading PR agency being appoint- plea was rejected by the trial outside New York. make. The trio of serious-mind- tine from Bollywood bad boy ed for damage control to protect court at Angamaly near Kochi. The fi ve-hour show at an ed fi lms winning major awards Salman Khan, which had love- the actor’s sagging image. He will today fi le a fresh bail American football stadium in was rounded out by Aniruddha struck women screaming in de- The agency is believed to be application at the Kerala High New Jersey, where the glitter- Roy Chowdhury taking home the light, and signature Bollywood very active on social media, try- Court. ing Manhattan skyline was vis- award for best director for Pink, formation numbers with eye- ing to save his image from fur- The fi lm star was arrested on ible from the parking lot, was a about sexual violence against popping costumes galore, it was ther deterioration. Monday night, and on Tuesday riot of colour, glitz and stunning women. a festive night. Inspector general of police he was remanded in 14-day judi- dance routines. The culmination of a three- Thousands of delighted fans, Manoj Abraham said if there were cial custody. Best picture went to Neerja, a day celebration of Indian cin- dressed to the nines in evening any PR eff orts being carried out The police had earlier arrested thriller based on the true story ema, the 18th edition of the gowns, cocktail dresses, saris by some individuals as claimed, the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, of a purser who helped save the awards ceremony was held just and jewel-encrusted shalwar there was nothing illegal in it. and his accomplices a week af- lives of more than 350 passen- outside New York at the Ameri- kameez, shrieked with de- “Carrying out PR activities for ter the assault on the actress on gers when Libyan-backed hi- can football MetLife Stadium in light, declared love for stars and an individual is legally acceptable. February 17. jackers stormed Pan Am Flight East Rutherford, New Jersey. laughed at the jokes of funny The problem arises if there is any The police decided to arrest 73 in Karachi in 1986. The awards, which some have men hosts, actor Saif Ali Khan violation of cyber rules and regu- Dileep based on 19 pieces of The hijackers killed the purser likened to the Oscars of Bol- and producer-director Karan lations. The Kerala Police Cyber- evidence that they were able to and she posthumously became lywood, is India’s biggest me- Johar. dome is not looking into this PR gather in connection with the the youngest person to receive dia event and one of the world’s The ceremony honoured dou- Actor Salman Khan performs on stage during 18th International exercise,” Abraham revealed. abduction of the actress when India’s highest civilian award for most-watched annual enter- ble-Oscar winner movie com- Indian Film Academy Festival at the MetLife Stadium in East The Cyberdome is a Kerala she was travelling from Thrissur bravery. tainment shows, with an audi- poser A R Rahman. Rutherford, New Jersey. Police watchdog. to Kochi by road. Gulf Times 14 Monday, July 17, 2017 INDIA

CONTROVERSY CLOSE CALL TRAGEDY OPINION CRIME DMK chief Stalin comes Passengers safe as jet hits Father alleges foul play Kashmiris ‘caught between Married woman killed to Kamal Haasan’s support guiding lights at airport as boy dies of chest pain two maximalist positions’ over dowry demand

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Stalin International low-cost carrier Air India Express The father of a 13-year-old boy, who died of severe Blaming the Centre for the unrest in Jammu A woman was allegedly strangulated to death yesterday came to the support of actor Kamal yesterday said all 186 passengers on-board chest pain, suspects foul play in his son’s death, the and Kashmir, senior Congress leader and at her in-laws’ house over a dowry demand Haasan, condemning Tamil Nadu ministers for its Dubai-Mangaluru flight were safe after Delhi police said. Vishal, a class V student of a school former Union finance minister P Chidambaram in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, their utterances against him. Stalin said Kamal the aircraft in hit runway guiding lights in Rohini, was taken to hospital late Saturday after yesterday said the people of the valley are police said yesterday. “The woman, married to Haasan had only said what the people of Tamil while landing at Mangaluru airport. “All 186 he complained of chest pain. “He was referred to caught between the two maximalist positions. Habibur Sahaji, a resident of Ashok Nagar, was Nadu feels about the All India Anna Dravida passengers are safe. The incident occurred Safdarjung hospital but died on way to hospital,” “The people of the Kashmir Valley are caught taken to Barasat Hospital on Saturday evening Munnetra Kazhagam government. The actor early yesterday morning,” an AI official a police off icial said. His father Rambabu said that between the two maximalist positions...The where doctors declared her dead,” said an had earlier reportedly said there is corruption said. According to the official, an enquiry when Vishal returned from school, he was “ tense central government has taken a maximalist officer from Ashok Nagar police station. “The in Tamil Nadu government departments. In has been initiated after the flight IX 814 hit and terrified”. “But he did not tell us anything all position that has aggravated the problem. woman’s family members complained that response, Municipal Administration Minister S “some guiding lights” of the runway after day and went to sleep after having dinner. Around Just as the militants have taken a maximalist she was killed by her husband and in-laws in a P Velumani challenged Kamal Haasan to prove landing at Mangaluru airport damaging them. 2am he complained of chest pain. When he was position that has to be rejected out of hand,” dispute over dowry,” he said. Police said there existence of corruption in the government, and “The aircraft has not suffered any damage. being taken to Ambedkar hospital, he told his Chidambaram tweeted. “The casualties are the were no external injury marks on the woman’s also asked the actor if he was ready to share the According to the initial report, the aircraft did mother that he was beaten by three boys during people of Jammu and Kashmir and the future of body apart from some strangulation marks on details of taxes paid by him for his films. not skid,” the official said. school hours,” he said. the state,” he added. her throat.

Sonia seeks conscience vote in PM demands presidential, VP elections states crack

IANS New Delhi

ongress president So- down on cow nia Gandhi yesterday Cattacked the Narendra Modi government, saying the country cannot be hostage to those “who wish to impose upon it a narrow-minded, divisive and communal vision” as she called vigilantes for conscience vote in the presi- dential and vice-presidential IANS been killed in cow-related vio- there is a law to protect the cow elections. Addressing a meeting New Delhi lence since 2010. According to and the violation of law is not an here of several opposition parties an analysis of IndiaSpend, a data alternative.” on the eve of the presidential poll, journalism initiative, out of 63 The opposition has vowed she said the election represents “a rime Minister Narendra cases of mob lynching recorded to raise the issue in Parliament, clash of ideas” and “a confl ict of Modi yesterday urged state since 2010, 61 took place after seeking answers from the gov- disparate values” and the battle Pgovernments to act tough Modi took power. ernment on what it was doing to should be fought hard. against “anti-social elements” Twenty-four of the 28 people end the violence. Opposition’s presiden- who break law and sought oppo- killed in the attacks were Mus- Without mentioning India’s tial candidate Meira Kumar sition support to tackle the “is- lims. In the fi rst half of 2017, there military standoff with China, the and vice-presidential candi- sue of communal violence in the were 20 cow or beef-related at- prime minister asserted that all date Gopalkrishna Gandhi were name of cow protection”. tacks in India. political parties stood united to present at the meeting. The vice- “Some anti-social elements Modi sought opposition sup- ensure the “nation’s safety and presidential election will take have incited violence in the port in curbing the violence that security after such concerns were place on August 5. Both the elec- name of cow protection. Those “has an impact on the image of raised by many leaders on recent tions take place through secret engaged in disturbing the har- the nation”. developments”. ballot and electors are not bound mony in the country are trying He “urged all parties to extend He said the government was by any whip. Sonia Gandhi said to take advantage of the situa- their support to the government “fully committed to maintain that presence of MPs from many tion,” Modi said at an all-party in fi ghting corruption and the is- peace in Jammu and Kashmir parties confi rmed that the fi ght meeting ahead of Parliament’s sue of communal violence in the and to wipe out the anti-na- for an inclusive, tolerant and plu- monsoon session that begins name of cow protection”, another tional elements from the state” ralistic India is being truly waged. today. statement from the ministry of and reiterated that the path laid Alluding to the ruling BJP-led He asked state governments to parliamentary aff airs said. down by former prime minister National Democratic Alliance “deal sternly against such anti- “All political parties should Atal Bihari Vajpayee was being having an edge in presidential and social elements”, according to an condemn strongly this vandal- pursued. vice-presidential elections, she offi cial statement quoting the ism in the name of cow protec- Modi also asked the opposi- appealed for conscience vote. prime minister from his address tion.” tion to support the government “In these contests, the numbers to fl oor leaders of parties in the “Cow is revered as the mother in conducting business in both may be against us. But the battle Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha in in our country. Public senti- the Houses “without disruption”. must be fought and fought hard. Parliament House. ments are attached with the cow. The monsoon session ends on We cannot and must not let India “Maintaining law and order is However, people must know that August 11. be hostage to those who wish to the responsibility of state gov- impose upon it a narrow-minded, ernments and wherever these Congress to raise China, Kashmir issues divisive and communal vision. incidents are taking place, the “This election represents a state governments must deal Ahead of Parliament’s monsoon and we will raise it in Parliament,” clash of ideas, a confl ict of dispa- fi rmly with it. The state govern- session that begins today, the Azad told reporters. Prime Minis- rate values. The election demands ments must also see to it that in Congress yesterday said it would ter Narendra Modi also attended a vote of conscience to preserve the name of cow protection some seek answers from the govern- the meet which was boycotted the India that the Mahatma and people are settling personal ri- ment over an ongoing border by the Trinamool Congress. Azad that illustrious generation of free- valry.” stand-off with China, the worsen- said security situation was at its dom fi ghters, joined by thousands Attacks on people accused of ing situation in Kashmir and mob “worst” in Kashmir where the upon thousands of ordinary men beef eating or slaughtering cows lynching incidents in the name of government has closed all the and women, fought for,” she said. have raised concerns as the tar- cow. Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader doors for talks to end the current Stressing that parliamentarians gets of such violence have been of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, logjam. “All the roads for talks must have confi dence in the val- minorities and Dalits. said the situation on the border have been closed by the govern- ues they believe in, she said: “We Modi had spoken against cow with China in the Sikkim sector ment. Even ventilator is not open. must stand more aware than ever vigilantes earlier as well. But that is very tense. “This situation has There is political suff ocation in for who we are, what we fought for had little impact on curbing the been created by China. It is a Kashmir,” the Congress leader in our independence struggle and UPA presidential candidate Meira Kumar and Congress leader Manmohan Singh attend a meeting in New violent incidents. matter of the country’s security said. what future we want for ourselves”. Delhi yesterday. An estimated 30 people have

Angry passengers Lalu, Nitish urged to Centre’s help sought to resolve coalition crisis end Tripura blockade IANS Another senior RJD leader and Patna former MP Shivanand Tiwari has appealed to Nitish Kumar to IANS talk to the IPFT leaders. The chief positive assurance about their de- end the crisis. “I appeal to Nit- Agartala minister said the Left Front gov- mand. ashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ish Kumar with folded hands to ernment has, on a number of oc- IPFT general secretary Mevar leaders have requested solve the crisis and save Grand casions, made it clear that there is Kumar Jamatia and youth wing RBihar Chief Minister Nit- Alliance from splitting,” he said, ripura Chief Minister Manik no question of division of the state, president Dhananjoy Tripura have ish Kumar and coalition partner adding that the Bharatiya Janata Sarkar yesterday said Un- and the assembly has passed a been camping in New Delhi since Lalu Prasad to solve the crisis in Party (BJP) has been trying hard Tion Home Minister Rajnath unanimous resolution against the Thursday. They are expected to the ruling coalition, but the rul- to break the alliance. Singh had assured him that the IPFT’s demand for a separate state. meet Union Minister of State for ing Janata Dal (United) yester- According to sources in JD-U central government would look Home Kiren Rijiju today. day claimed “everything was all and RJD, leaders from both par- after the issue of the ongoing road “The state government has “The IPFT leaders told our of- right”. ties will now attack the BJP rath- and rail blockade by tribal party earlier on three occasions fi cials that they would decide the “Coalitions may see tensions er than each other. IPFT to push for their demand for appealed to the IPFT to future course of action after their and pressures but everything is Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar a separate state. withdraw its blockade” meeting with central representa- all right in the Grand Alliance,” yesterday evening did not say However, the Indigenous People’s tives,” said Sarkar, who also holds said Janata Dal-United spokes- a word about Tejashwi Yadav, Front of Tripura (IPFT) refused to “The state government has ear- the home portfolio. person Neeraj Kumar. while addressing his party leg- withdraw its week-long blockade. lier on three occasions appealed to The IPFT has been agitat- Without naming Nitish Ku- islators and senior party leaders “I have apprised the union home the IPFT to withdraw its blockade. ing since 2009 for a separate mar, who is also JD-U president, at his official residence here, minister about the blockade of the I hope the IPFT leaders call off state carved out by upgrading the he said that the able leadership said party state president Vash- state’s main lifeline, National High- their stir after realising the hard- Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous had managed to resolve the cri- isht Narain Singh. way-8, and lone railway line by the ship to the people,” he said. District Council (TTAADC) areas. sis that erupted after the Central “Nitish Kumar hardly spoken IPFT. Rajnath Singh assured me the Earlier yesterday, chief secretary They have stepped up their Bureau of Investigation (CBI) about Tejashwi Yadav and ongo- issue will be looked into. Sanjeev Ranjan and director gen- agitations during the past three fi led a corruption case against ing crisis in the ruling alliance... “I have also told the home min- eral of police Akhil Kumar Shukla, years aiming to put pressure on the Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi he only discussed issues related ister that due to the blockade of along with other leaders, talked to Communist Party of India-Marx- Yadav – the younger son of RJD to the presidential polls on July the arterial national highway and a delegation of IPFT and requested ist-led government before the chief Lalu Prasad. 17,” a JD-U legislator said. solitary railway line, people of the them to withdraw the blockade. February 2018 Assembly elections. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Similarly, Lalu Prasad too did state are facing serious problems in However, the IPFT leaders, led TTAADC constitutes two- Passengers shout slogans during a protest yesterday at and former Union Minister Ra- not mention anything about the getting essentials and other basic by party president Narenda Chan- thirds of Tripura’s 10,491sq the Manawala railway station, about 12km from Amritsar. gunath Jha had said: “Lalu and crisis while addressing his party items from outside the state,” said dra Debbarma, asserted that they km area and has nearly a third The passengers were protesting against the railway Nitish Kumar should sit to- legislators and senior party lead- Sarkar at a press conference, add- would carry on their agitation till (12,16,465) of the state’s 3.7mn administration over the regular delay in trains. gether, talk to each other to end ers at his offi cial residence here ing he requested Rajnath Singh to the central government gave a population. the crisis.” yesterday evening. Gulf Times Monday, July 17 , 2017 15 PAKISTAN Four Pakistani soldiers killed JIT calls for in Indian shelling in Kashmir

Reuters reopening 15 Muzaff arabad our Pakistani soldiers were killed yesterday Fwhen their army vehicle was struck by Indian shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) that separates parts of cases against Kashmir held by both countries, the Pakistani military said. India’s ministry of defence Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh Ka- lia said he had no knowledge of the incident. India and Pakistan have been Nawaz Sharif in confrontation for decades across the LoC. zPanama Papers case said it was up to the apex court The old ceasefi re line runs involves Nawaz Sharif’s to decide whether to continue through a region that both family assets hearing by itself or refer the case countries claim in full but rule zNext hearing scheduled for to a trial court. in part. today “I am not sure about what the Growing exchanges of fi re in Supreme Court decides. It is ful- past months have frayed a 2003 Well wishers stand by the bed of a civilian injured during cross border firing at the Neelum District Agencies ly empowered to hear the case by truce. Hospital in Athmuqam, Pakistan, yesterday. Islamabad itself or it can even refer it to any “Indian troops targeted an accountability or trial court,” he army vehicle moving along military said in a statement. maining three, the military said. Pakistan’s military said it said. LoC...The vehicle fell into One body has been recovered In November a civilian bus had responded to the ceasefi re he Joint Investigation Salman Akram Raja, Advocate the river and four soldiers from the Neelum River and a was hit by Indian fi ring in the violation by fi ring at Indian sol- Team (JIT) which probed Supreme Court, said the three have drowned,” Pakistan’s search is underway for the re- same region, killing 12 people. diers. Tthe Panama Papers case judges of the Implementation against Nawaz Sharif’s family Bench will decide the case. They assets has recommended reo- can dispose of the case, they can pening 15 cases against the Paki- send a reference, they can pass stani Prime Minister, the media an order, or they can refer the reported yesterday. case to the chief justice for fur- More rains Pakistan launches military Of these 15 cases, three were Nawaz Sharif ther action, he said. registered during the 1994 and He said a bench of the SC 2011 tenures of the Pakistan them for contemptuous content. could pass any order. expected operation against Islamic State People’s Party (PPP) and 12 dur- The next hearing is scheduled He said the Implementation ing President Pervez Mushar- for today. Bench was a fully-fl edged bench raf’s regime, soon after he top- As the country awaits the re- of the SC; therefore, it can pass next week Reuters tory through the Rajgal valley,” Pakistani Taliban militants. pled the Sharif government in sult of Joint Investigation Team’s any order and decide the case in Islamabad Ghafoor said, referring to a val- Fighting had subsided in the October 1999 military coup, report on the assets of Prime hand. ley surrounded by mountains FATA in recent years and many reports Dawn News. Minister Sharif’s family after Senior Advocate Supreme Internews reaching up to 14,000 feet. internally displaced people The case regarding the Sharif it has been furnished with the Court Akram Sheikh said the Islamabad akistan’s military has He said that the “Khyber 4” have been sent back to villages family’s four London apart- Supreme Court Implementation chief Justice of Pakistan had launched a major opera- operation, which would in- reduced to rubble due to mili- ments was also among the inves- Bench, senior legal minds diff er formed the Implementation Ption in its volatile tribal clude the Pakistan air force, tary operations against the Is- tigations started by the National on the procedure to be adopted Bench based on the judgment espite revealing the areas to stop the Islamic State would focus on the border areas lamists over the past 15 years. Accountability Bureau (NAB) in next. of 20th April and in all those weakening of the making inroads into areas bor- inside the Khyber Agency area, “Once this operation is com- December 1999. Some are of view that the Im- cases where commissions were Dcurrent rain- caus- dering Afghanistan, the mili- which is part of FATA. pleted, we will fi rst secure the In its April 20 verdict, the plementation Bench will exam- formed, the report of the com- ing weather system in up- tary’s spokesman said yesterday. international border on our Supreme Court asked the JIT to ine the JIT report, issue notices mission was presented to the per parts of Pakistan, the Pakistan has long denied “This operation was side and eliminate the hideouts investigate the money trail for to the parties and decide the court and all the parties were is- Met Offi ce has forecast Islamic State has a foothold necessary because Daesh of various terrorist groups,” the London fl ats, Dawn News case, while a few say the report sued notices and the report was more downpours in Punjab, inside the nuclear-armed na- is getting established Ghafoor added. reported. is for the satisfaction of judges always subject to cross- exami- Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad tion despite a series of attacks there and we have to stop Islamic State has had more The JIT noted “that these (15) only and they can decide on their nation. Jammu and Kashmir and claimed by the group over the the infl uence of Daesh success in neighbouring Af- cases have also been quashed own after the report comes be- He said the JIT report could Gilgit-Baltistan in the next past two years, including a spreading into Pakistani ghanistan, where it controls without conducting a proper tri- fore them. be sent to the chief justice four days. bombing in the northern town territory through the small chunks of land, but has al and without giving evidence a Some senior lawyers and le- who will decide which bench It, however, warned of of Parachinar last month that Rajgal valley” also faced tough resistance chance to come on record”. The gal minds are of view that the should hear the case and in his landslides in some areas. killed 75. from the U.S.-backed govern- probe team also recommended Implementation Bench will opinion the case could not go “The present weather Military spokesman Lieu- Ghafoor said across the Khy- ment in Kabul and local Afghan the NAB be complete its inves- send the JIT report to the chief to the same 5-member bench system in Punjab, Khyber- tenant General Asif Gha- ber border there are safe havens Taliban militants. tigation into the London proper- justice who will refer it back of the SC because two among Pakhtunkhwa and Azad foor said Islamic State — also for multiple “terrorist” organi- Pakistan is seeking support ties. to the five-member bench of them had already opined on Jammu and Kashmir has known as Daesh — was growing sations that are linked to recent from Afghanistan to control On July 10, a three-judge the Panama case to decide the the case; therefore, either a weakened but more mon- in strength inside Afghanistan, attacks in Pakistan, including the border but Ghafoor made it bench of the Supreme Court be- matter. new bench or a larger bench soon rains have been pre- prompting Pakistan to launch the Parachinar assault. clear that it will not allow “for- gan examining a report submit- A few also hold that the CJ can would be formed, as it was dicted in upper parts of an operation in Federally Ad- Northwestern Pakistan’s eign boots on the ground” in its ted by the JIT over the money constitute a new bench once the entirely up to the CJ to decide. the country, including ministered Tribal Areas (FATA). ethnic Pashtun lands are territory. laundering allegations. JIT report comes to him or the Akram Sheikh said it was the upper Punjab, KP, Gilgit- “This operation was neces- awash with weapons and the Pakistan’s military began The bench, after examination matter is referred to him. jurisdiction of the chief justice Baltistan and Azad Jammu sary because Daesh is getting area remains the most volatile building a fence along the of the report, asked for tran- Talking about the next process to refer the matter to either the and Kashmir, between Sun- established there and we have region in the country despite 2,611-km border with Afghani- scripts of all speeches made in of the case after the JIT report, same three judges, or form a new day and Wednesday,” Irfan to stop the infl uence of Daesh the military’s success in driv- stan in May as part of its secu- the last 60 days by Sharif’s party eminent lawyer and constitu- bench to decide the fate of the Virk, deputy director at spreading into Pakistani terri- ing out many Al Qaeda and rity programme. leaders, presumably to examine tional expert Abid Hassan Manto JIT report. the PMD National Weather Forecasting Centre, Islam- abad, said. Afghan forces retake area in south lost to Taliban The weatherman, how- ever, said the moderate-to- Afghan forces have retaken control of a district Afghan Defence Ministry, told the media during heavy rainfall could generate centre in Afghanistan’s embattled southern a press conference televised live. Radmanish landslides in the vulnerable Facebook dismisses govt Helmand province on Sunday after it fell to Taliban said the clearance operation was still ongoing in areas of the country’s upper militants in October, off icials said. the northern and southern parts of Nawa while parts. The joint operation, which kicked off on Saturday Afghan forces cleared the district centre of mines He also said widespread morning to drive the Taliban out of Nawa, killed and homemade bombs. Razia Baluch, a provincial rains were likely to fall in request over cell phone link and wounded dozens of Taliban militants, council member from Helmand, confirmed the southern parts of the coun- Mohamed Radmanish, a spokesman for the retake. try from Sunday to Tues- day. Internews ed that Facebook sync users’ misuse of social media plat- Islamabad accounts with mobile phone forms. numbers. Facebook, which has over However, according to the 33mn users in Pakistan, was he social media net- MoIT offi cial, Facebook main- banned by the government Summer cool-off working site Facebook tained that the policy for creat- after a page called for users Thas termed Pakistan’s ing new accounts would remain to post drawings of the Holy request to link all accounts unchanged. Prophet Muhammad (peace to individual phone numbers But the social media giant be upon him), which was of- “improbable”. did respond positively to Pa- fensive to Muslims around the “Pakistan had suggested that kistan’s request to block blas- world, surfaced on the web- Facebook accounts be linked phemous content and other site. with users’ mobile phone num- hate material posted by users. Quoting Facebook Spokes- bers. person Christine Chen, Voice However, the management “It was an important and of America reported yester- of Facebook believed it was constructive meeting day that “Facebook has de- more feasible to sync accounts in which we raised our clined Pakistan’s request to with e-mail addresses,” a sen- concerns over the recent link opening of Facebook new ior offi cial from the Ministry court cases and made account to users’ cellphone of Information Technology it clear we apply a strict number.” (MoIT) said yesterday. legal process to any The Facebook spokesper- The offi cial explained that government request son told VOA via e-mail, “We the purpose of the request — for data or content can confi rm that Pakistani of- turned down by Facebook was restrictions” fi cials requested that we link to help the government deal the opening of a new Facebook with fake accounts, which were “Facebook assured us they account with [an] Internet often used to spread hate mate- would look into the govern- user’s mobile phone number rial in cyberspace. ment’s concerns on a priority to address the problem of fake He explained that the con- basis after assessing the situa- accounts. We declined that re- cept was the same that was tion,” the offi cial said. quest.” employed by other messaging Last week, Vice-President of The spokesperson said that applications, such as What- Facebook Joel Kaplan had met Facebook was concerned about sApp. Interior Minister Chaudhry government cases against some “A WhatsApp account only Nisar Ali Khan to discuss ways Facebook users in Pakistan that becomes operational when a to remove hateful, provocative were currently in court. user enters a four-digit code to and blasphemous content from “It was an important and verify the authenticity of the the social media website. constructive meeting in which phone number entered by the A spokesperson for the we raised our concerns over the user,” the offi cial said. minister — who has been rail- recent court cases and made On Wednesday, MoIT Sec- ing against the misuse of so- it clear we apply a strict legal retary Rizwan Bashir had cial media for the past several process to any government told the National Assembly months — said that this was request for data or content re- Standing Committee on In- the first time a senior Face- strictions,” Chen said regard- An Afghan boy jumps into water on a hilltop in Kabul, Afghanistan, on a hot summer afternoon. formation Technology that book official had visited Pa- ing Kaplan’s meeting with the the government had suggest- kistan to discuss the issue of minister. Gulf Times 16 Monday, July 17, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Duterte launches Corruption watchdog new tirade against church vows to oust Morales By Catherine S Valente Manila Times By Dempsey Reyes shown another sense of selec- budsman by Wednesday to ask Manila Times tive justice that’s why we dare, for the reversal of the decision she either resign or we will to drop the charge of reckless resident Rodrigo Duterte proceed with the impeachment imprudence resulting in multi- is not yet over with his ti- he war of words between complaint that our lawyers have ple homicide. Prades against the Catholic anti-corruption watch- been preparing for a long time,” If the ombudsman sits on church. Tdogs is not yet over. Jimenez said. the VACC’s motion, the group In his speech at the 11th Am- The Volunteers Against He claimed the impeachment will bring the case to the “fi nal bassadors’ Tour Philippine re- Crime and Corruption (VACC) complaint against Morales had bastion” of the justice system ception in Davao City on Friday maintained on Saturday its “gained enough support” from in the Philippines, the Supreme night, Duterte again lambasted commitment to impeach Om- several lawmakers in the House Court, Topacio said. priests and bishops in the Phil- budsman Conchita Carpio- of Representatives. “We are doing our best be- ippines by accusing them of Morales despite the indictment In January this year, the cause we owe the families of the womanising and other excesses. of former president Benigno VACC announced that it would victims but our situation is just He even encouraged his au- Aquino on graft and usurpation fi le an impeachment complaint hard because we have an om- dience composed of Filipino- Duterte: critical view of authority, in connection with against Morales for her “failure” budsman who is protecting her American delegates to read the the deaths of 44 Special Action to hold Aquino accountable for political patron and boss (which book Altar of Secrets by the late There will be no abuses in gov- Force (SAF) commandos dur- Oplan Exodus. is Aquino),” he said. journalist Aries Rufo, published ernment,” Duterte said. ing the botched Mamasapano The VACC claimed to have “We have to work within the in 2013. “If I have committed a wrong counter-terror operation in obtained the support of 20 (justice) system but we have the The book tackled corruption, before your eyes, your estima- 2015. members of the House, and that Supreme Court, which is the sexual abuses and other contro- tion, that’s your problem. I have During a forum in Quezon the lawmakers were afraid the fi nal bastion of justice in this versies that rocked the Philip- my problems to solve. If you City, VACC chairman Dante Conchita Carpio-Morales: under scrutiny ombudsman might get back at country. If Ombudsman Mo- pine Catholic Church. think that you are the guardians Jimenez said his group felt the them. rales will stand with her opinion “Have you read the ‘Altar of of all the souls of this universe, ombudsman only downgraded Philippine National Police ordered the fi ling of charges For Jimenez, the ombuds- that there is no homicide case, Secrets’? There’s a book, Altar of go ahead. But do it in the proper the charges against Aquino, (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and against Aquino, pointing out man’s order to file graft and we will raise this before the Su- Secrets. I don’t want to talk any- way,” he added. and that the dismissed com- retired SAF director Getulio that he knowingly allowed usurpation of powers against preme Court,” he added. more. It’s online. Read it, tomor- Malacanang has said Duterte plaint of reckless imprudence Napenas Jr before the Offi ce of Purisima to direct the Mama- Aquino would be “enough” Topacio also slammed Mo- row you’re no longer Catholic, was not “anti-Catholic” but was resulting in multiple homicide the Ombudsman in July 2016. sapano operation despite the to persuade other members rales as regards the usurpation believe me,” Duterte said. merely dispirited at the “adver- would have been a stronger The VACC’s legal team, latter’s preventive suspension of Congress to push for her of authority charge, noting that Church offi cials have been sarial” response of the Catholic case against the former presi- headed by Ferdinand Topa- over an anomalous courier ouster. Aquino had the highest posi- vocal in condemning the extra- church to his deadly anti-drug dent. cio, stands as the lawyer of the deal. “I believe that this heinous tion at that time “and no one judicial killings linked to the ad- war. “This is an orchestrated de- 44 SAF troopers killed in ac- Purisima was suspended in decision of this Ombudsman can usurp his powers since he ministration’s crackdown on the “I’m giving an opinion that sign to eventually whitewash tion during the Mamasapano December 2014, a month before Morales can help us in (rous- was the president of the Re- narcotics trade. what the president is really ex- and scrap the case against bloodbath. Oplan Exodus was conducted ing) the consciences of our law- public.” According to Duterte, he and pecting is not an adversarial ap- former president Aquino. Morales fi led charges of graft in Mamasapano, Maguindanao makers, mostly coming from “So it is very clear, the om- Catholic clergy have the same proach. The president is quite That is how we, our lawyers and usurpation of offi cial func- to go after Malaysian terrorist the House of Representatives budsman does not want a hom- weakness for women. open to listening to other opin- in the VACC, see this as well as tions against Purisima and Zulkifl i bin Hir alias Marwan, because, come on, we cannot icide (case against Aquino)… But unlike Church leaders, the ions but perhaps, it seemed the feelings of the (families of Napenas before the Sandigan- who was also killed during the bring back the 44 lives (lost),” it’s like if there were 44 killed president claimed he is not cor- to him that the comment was the) victims,” Jimenez told re- bayan in January, but excluded botched operation. But Jimen- he said. in a bus crash incident and you rupt. coming from a (morally upright porters. Aquino from the names of re- ez’s group branded the om- Jimenez said his group, along would fi le a driving-without- “This I can promise you. Even organisation), even though we The anti-crime watchdog spondents. budsman’s decision as another with the SAF 44’s kin, would license case against the driver. if I’m uncouth, sometimes out- all have shortcomings,” Palace fi led the reckless imprudence On Friday, a turn of events show of “selective justice.” fi le a motion for reconsideration That’s how I would describe this right vulgarity…I can guarantee spokesman Ernesto Abella said case against Aquino, former occurred as the Ombudsman “Ombudsman Morales has before the Offi ce of the Om- situation,” he said. you. There will be no corruption. in a radio interview in January. Labour group hopes for Crowning glory abolition of contract jobs

By William Depasupil wages, joblessness and under- It said short-term endo (end Manila Times employment with fi ve years of contract) or contractualised left in his term. workers, numbering 25 to 30mn We want to know (his) plan working in hotels, restaurants, rassroots workers re- on how to make economic malls, factories and plantations main hopeful that Pres- growth benefi t workers who nationwide are hopeful that the Gident Rodrigo Duterte helped built that wealth and president would come up with will address their concerns in how he intends to accomplish an Executive Order (EO) that his coming second State-of- them,” ALU spokesman Alan outlaws the temporary work the-Nation Address, particu- Tanjusay said. arrangement. larly their long demand for the The ALU-TUCP is the big- In his May 1 Labour Day abolition of work contractuali- gest workers’ organisation in speech, Duterte asked workers sation. the country registered with the for time on his campaign prom- Taking the cudgels for the Department of Labour and Em- ise to abolish job contractuali- estimated 25 to 30mn contrac- ployment.Although majority sation, asking the Nagkaisa la- tual workers, the group Associ- of its members come from the bour coalition group to draft for ated Labour Unions-Trade Un- banking, manufacturing, serv- him to sign an EO that obliges ion Congress of the Philippines ices and agricultural sectors, it direct-hiring, does away with (ALU-TUCP), in a statement also has members in the public labour contractors and co-op- over the weekend, called on the sector and the informal-econ- eratives. president to address the issues omy sector. “The rich are getting richer of unemployment and under- According to the group, while the poor are getting poor- employment, and the falling there are close to 12mn un- er because workers’ wages and buying power of the existing employed and underemployed benefi ts are inadequate. There daily minimum wage. individuals while the purchas- are no new decent jobs created “The Duterte one-year hon- ing power of the daily pay fell and if there are jobs, they carry eymoon period with the peo- from 24% to 27% in highly ur- no security of tenure and skills ple is over. It is now time for banised Metro Manila and in and jobs are mismatched. There (From left) Miss Philippines Fire 2017 Nellza Mortola Bautista, Miss Philippines Air 2017 Kim De Guzman, Miss Philippines Earth 2017 action. Grassroots workers and 16 other regions nationwide is no trickle-down eff ect. There Karen Ibasco, Miss Philippines Water 2017 Jessice Marasigan and Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism 2017 Vanessa Mae Castillo pose their families want to know in view of a 3.4% infl ation rate is no genuine progress because onstage during the coronation night in Pasay City, on Saturday. A total of 40 candidates vied for the crown, to represent the from the president the Duterte announced by the government of these inequalities,” Tanjusay country in the 2017 Miss Earth beauty pageant. roadmap to address falling in March this year. said.

Three inmates killed after jailbreak

AFP Manila

hree inmates were killed yesterday and another Twas wounded after escap- ing from jail in a southern Phil- ippine island that is the strong- hold of militants, police said. The casualties were among 14 prisoners who escaped from a police station jail in war-torn Jolo, authorities said. Jolo is a base of the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group and some of the inmates were linked to the militants, according to provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Mario Buyuc- An armoured truck is positioned in front of a police station in Jolo, Sulu on the southern island of Mindanao. can. “They cut the bars of the jail The injured inmate was recap- and inadequately guarded. inmates from two jails there. and jumped from the second tured while soldiers and police- In the country’s biggest jail- The incident triggered an on- fl oor to the roof of the munici- men were chasing the remaining break, more than 150 inmates going US-backed military of- pal hall building next door. Our 10 escapees. escaped a prison in the south- fensive involving air strikes and troops responded and the in- The jail had a total of 32 in- ern Philippines in January af- artillery barrages to fl ush out the mates were killed and wounded mates mostly facing drug charg- ter about a hundred gunmen militants. in hot pursuit operations,” Buy- es, Buyuccan added. stormed the facility. Buyuccan said there was no uccan said. The Philippines frequently In May, militants waving black connection between yesterday’s “Some inmates are associated has mass escapes from pris- fl ags of the Islamic State group jailbreak and the fi ghting in Ma- with the membership of the Abu ons which are usually over- went on a rampage in the south- rawi, which had killed more than Soldiers inspect a passenger vehicle at a checkpoint in Jolo, Sulu on the southern island of Mindanao yesterday. Sayyaf.” crowded, poorly maintained ern city of Marawi and freed 100 500 people. Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 17 BANGLADESH Suspected militants surrender

DPA that lasted almost half a day. Dhaka The militants responded with gunshots and explosives. At around 12pm, one sus- our suspected militants pected militant came out from have surrendered to Bang- the house and surrendered. The Fladesh’s elite Rapid Action rest came out and surrendered Battalion (RAB) during an oper- within the course of the next ation targeting a suspected den hour, the RAB reported. of militants on the outskirts of Khan said initial investiga- Dhaka, offi cials said yesterday. tions showed the men had links Mufti Mahmud Khan, direc- to a new faction of the main- tor of the RAB’s legal and media stream Jamaatul Mujaheedin wing, told journalists that the Bangladesh, an Islamic State- four suspects were the only res- inspired group in Bangladesh idents of the building, which is behind an attack on a Dhaka in Ashulia, the hub of the coun- cafe last year that left 18 for- try’s ready-made garments in- eigners dead. dustry. He said, based on tips, a Bangladesh’s government RAB team surrounded the house denies an Islamic State pres- around 1am (1900 GMT Satur- ence in the country, despite the day) yesterday, cordoned off the group’s statements that it is ac- Bangladesh Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel detain a suspected Islamist extremist after he surrendered in Ashulia, some 25kms from Dhaka yesterday. Four suspected house and started operations tive there. Islamist extremists surrendered after a night-long standoff with Bangladeshi police in which they detonated explosives and opened fire outside the capital Dhaka.

Hasina rules Khaleda to speak on out food crisis

By Mizan Rahman Hasina laid emphasis on Dhaka integrated eff orts to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 of the rime Minister Sheikh United Nations and asked the framework for govt Hasina yesterday said agriculture ministry to remove Ppeople will not suff er hunger, ensure food security, from any food crisis as there develop nutrition and create is enough foodgrains in the a sustainable agriculture sys- country. tem. “We’re hearing the footfall Hasina said her government of another fl ood. Some crops has allocated 120mn taka for during elections have already got damaged in research and development of fl ashfl ood but we’ve enough agriculture. By Mizan Rahman resolve the ‘crisis’ over the election-time cedure and the role of the EC during polls, and Secretary of the EC Secretariat Mo- stock and we’re importing During its second term in Dhaka government. through talks immediately. hamed Abdullha were present in the meet- more,” she said. 2009, the cabinet at its fi rst “An election-time supportive govern- About the CEC’s comment that the ing held at the auditorium of EC head- The prime minister was meeting reorganised fertiliser ment is a must for holding a neutral and commission announced the roadmap to quarters at Agargaon. speaking while distributing distribution system and re- angladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) fair election, and a dialogue on the matter hold the next polls without any sort of in- The CEC said the commission would the medals of Bangabandhu duced the prices of fertilisers standing committee member and a is also very crucial right now. fl uence from any quarter, the BNP leader take legal action if it faces any obstruc- National Agriculture Award thrice. Btop aide of the party chief Khandak- So, the crisis (over the election-time said, though the EC’s intention looks good, tion to work fairly after declaration of polls 1421 and 1422 at Osmani Me- Besides, the farmers are now er Mosharraf Hossain on Saturday said government) won’t be over with the Elec- the country’s situation is not conducive to schedule. “The EC has no rights to inter- morial Auditorium in the capi- being encouraged to use com- their chairperson Khaleda Zia will present tion Commission’s roadmap,” he said. holding the polls without the government fere in any government activities before tal. post fertilisers to maintain the a framework on the election-time gov- The BNP leader further said, “There interference. the announcement of (polls) schedule... It Citing offi cial data, she said, fertility of land and announced ernment after she returns home from the must have a road to election. But, we’ve “Even, now we’re not allowed to hold a would work according to the laws and rules there are about 10.6mn metric National Compost Agriculture United Kingdom. so far not seen the road for the polls. We rally.Our senior leaders who went to see after declaration of schedule,” he added. tonnes of foodgrains in stock Policy 2016, she said. “Our chairperson is going to London for need the road first, and map will follow our chairperson off (at Shahjalal Airport “We are optimistic that we can hold the in the country, including the Hasina said her government her treatment. She’ll return home soon on it.” Saturday) were forced to stand on the road. next elections in a free and fair manner ones in public silos and private is supporting the establish- completion of her treatment, and place the Fakhrul was talking to journalists at So, we need to examine whether there is under the present government,” the CEC mills and farmers’ levels. ment of agro-based industries framework of the election-time support- BNP’s Nayapaltan central offi ce giving any election environment in the country,” added. “Above all, we’re importing in the country. “We can earn ive government,” he said. their party’s reaction to the roadmap for Fakhrul observed. According to the roadmap, the EC will more foodgrains to make the foreign currency exporting Mosharraf was talking to reporters in the next polls announced by the EC earlier Earlier at a press conference at the same hold dialogue with civil society members stock stronger; we’re import- surplus agro-products after front of Shahjalal Airport before Khaleda’s in the day. venue, BNP senior joint secretary general on July 31, Huda said, adding the EC will ing foods from various coun- fulfi lling the domestic de- departure for London. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that the CEC has sit with journalists in August and with 40 tries spending cash,” Hasina mand.” Khaleda fl ew to London by an Emirates KM Nurul Huda unveiled a booklet of EC’s made the roadmap alone without involv- registered political parties in August and said. The prime minister men- Airlines fl ight at about 7.35pm to receive roadmap for the next general election. ing the other commissioners.” September. The EC will also hold talks Besides, she said, the gov- tioned the use of pesticides medical treatment and spend time with As per the roadmap, the commission will According to EC rules, the roadmap with the election observer organisations, ernment has reduced the im- has come down signifi cantly her family members there. start dialogue with political parties and should be prepared by all the commission- woman leaders and election experts in Oc- port duty on food grain import as emphasis is being given on Mosharraf said they will conduct a other stakeholders on July 31 next. ers but the CEC did it alone.” tober. from 28% to 10%. Describ- integrated pest management mass-contact programmes to elicit public The Election Commission has a con- Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) “It’s not only about government infl u- ing various steps taken by her programme. Crop zoning support in favour of the government for- stitutional obligation to complete the KM Nurul Huda said the Commission has ence, but also about any political party and government for developing maps have been introduced to mula after it is presented before the na- next parliamentary elections by January not closed the option of using Electronic local and international agencies...we’ll be the agricultural sector, Hasi- select crops as per the nature tion. 28, 2019 as the 10th parliament went into Voting Machines (EVM) in the next parlia- able to keep it free from any infl uence,” he na urged the private sector to of soil, climate and areas.” He said their chairperson’s London tour its fi rst session on January 2014. But, it is mentary election. said. supplement the government She said the government is is personal one, and she will stay at her planning to arrange the polls in late De- “We have not closed the door on using The CEC also hinted that the Election eff orts to expedite the pace of working to enhance the capa- eldest son Tarique Rahman’s residence cember 2018. EVM in polls. If the government co-oper- Commission has little scope to ensure a agriculture development. bility of agro-scientists and there. Fakhrul said their party will come up ates with us, it’s possible to use EVM in the level-playing fi eld for all political parties She underscored the need fi eldworkers who are working Mosharraf alleged that though many with a formal reaction to the EC’s roadmap next polls after talks with the political par- before the announcement of schedule for for concerted eff orts for hard to bring in a basic change senior BNP leaders came to see Khaleda in consultation with their party chairper- ties,” he said while unveiling the Election the next national election. packaging and preservation in the country’s agriculture off , police did not allow them to go to the son Khaleda Zia, now in London, and other Commission’s (EC) roadmap for the next “It’s not a matter of us rather of the gov- of farm products alongside system. VIP terminal of the airport. senior leaders since it is a very sensitive is- (11th) parliamentary election at a function ernment which will oversee which politi- boosting agricultural pro- Laying emphasis on chang- Meanwhile, BNP secretary general Mir- sue. in Dhaka. cal parties can hold meetings and bring out duction. The prime minister ing food habit to improve nu- za Fakhrul Islam yesterday said the Elec- He said it is now necessary to set- Election Commissioners Begum Kab- processions on the streets or not. We’re called upon all to protect the trition, the prime minister said tion Commission’s (EC’s) roadmap for the tle some issues, including the nature of ita Khanom, Mahabub Talukderm Rafi qul now thinking about only the election and marshy land and water bodies crop diversifi cation is a must next parliamentary elections will not help election-time government, election pro- Islam and Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury how it can be made credible,” he said. across the country. in this regard.

Charges against cricketer in Trump on the menu Activist gets bail in dowry case A Dhaka court yesterday defamation case framed charges against Bangladesh national team cricketer Arafat Sunny in a By Mizan Rahman duo with the court on May 31. dowry case filed by Nasrin Dhaka According to the case state- Sultana, who claimed to be ment, Imran and Sanatan chant- his wife. Dhaka Metropolitan ed defamatory slogans against Magistrate Jakir Hossain Dhaka court yesterday Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on passed the order and also granted permanent bail to May 27 over the removal of the issued a warrant for the arrest AGanajagaran Manch (Peo- statue of Lady Justice from the of Sunny cancelling his bail. ple’s Uprising Platform) spokes- Supreme Court premises. Besides, the court fixed person Imran H Sarkar and cul- On May 26, the Supreme Court September 24 for starting trial tural activist Sanatan Ullash in authorities removed the statue, in the case. a defamation case fi led for their made by sculptor Mrinal Haque. Earlier, the court fixed Sunday derogatory remarks about Prime Ganajagaran Manch was set up for charge-framing hearing. Minister Sheikh Hasina. to press for capital punishment However, Sunny could not Dhaka Metropolitan Magis- to 1971 war criminals. appear before the court as trate SM Masud Zaman passed Meanwhile, the car of Gana- he has been suff ering from the bail order after Imran and jagaran Manch spokesperson chikunguniya, said his lawyer Sanatan surrendered before the Imran H Sarkar came under egg Jewel Ahmed. court and fi led a bail petition attack on Sunday while he was On April 5, the court granted through their lawyer Jibanan- leaving Dhaka court after hearing ad-interim bail to the cricketer. anda Chandra Joyonta. in a case fi led for his derogatory Nasrin Sultana filed the case On May 31, the same court remarks about Prime Minister against Sunny and his mother asked them to appear before it on Sheikh Hasina. with the court on charge July 16 to explain their stance. A group of men threw eggs of demanding 2mn taka on Golam Rabbani, a leader towards his car at the court January 23. of the ruling Awami League’s premises. She filed another case Bangladeshi customers browse the menu at the Trump Cafe in Dhaka. A cafe in Dhaka named after Donald Trump has been luring student front Bangladesh The attackers chanted slogans under the Information and Bangladeshis undeterred by his controversial politics and more interested in snapping selfies with a life-size cutout of the US Chhatra League filed the in favour of Awami League at Communication Technology president. The cafe was opened in January by a self-professed Trump fan. defamation case against the that time, said witnesses. act. Gulf Times 18 Monday, July 17, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief: Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko The health costs of

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] environmental change Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) The health implications manage structurally, and even harder to Fax 44350474 sell politically. In certain cases, they will of human-induced put the planet’s welfare above national environmental change are interests. But leaders in emerging markets, as elsewhere, need to recognise largely being overlooked, that there is no other option. Years of while future generations’ unbridled growth, and the misguided assumption that natural systems GULF TIMES quality of life is being would continue giving, no matter how extensively they were exploited, has mortgaged for economic brought us to this point. gain There is good news, however. Rigorous environmental stewardship Climate change By Shaukat Aziz is compatible with economic growth, Oxford social progress, and political stability. This is true for even the poorest countries that pursue environmentally caused mega ice n recent years, the world has sound policies that promote become increasingly preoccupied healthy, non-destructive models of with the catastrophic potential development. Iof global warming and other Shortsighted decisions, like that chunk to break off ? human-induced environmental taken by the Trump administration changes, and rightly so. But one of Climate change has serious implications for human health on the planet. to withdraw the US from the the most serious risks has been all but Paris climate agreement, have the Ever since a trillion-tonne iceberg broke away from ignored: the threat to human health. stability of natural systems. The Repairing the Earth’s natural potential to move the world in the Antarctica last week, there has been much debate To be sure, concerns about what contamination of roughly half of systems, and restoring the health other direction. We must not let that about whether it’s related to climate change or not. a rise in global temperatures above the world’s fresh water supply, the of the planet’s most vulnerable happen. The agreement’s remaining pre-industrial levels could mean for disappearance of more than 1.4mn sq populations, is possible. But success signatories must work collectively While some say no and attribute it to diff erent factors, the planet are entirely justifi ed. And miles (2.3mn sq km) of forests since will require radical changes in to solve the world’s environmental others believe it is eventually linked to climate change many are understandably perturbed 2000, solid waste mismanagement, environmental, economic, and social challenges, paying close attention and its impact on Earth. that the world’s poorest suff er and widespread species loss, habitat policies. to the health costs of inaction. The For the record, an iceberg the size of Delaware in disproportionately, while the United destruction, and overfi shing are Countries that developed early, current trajectory cannot be corrected States, the planet’s second-largest destroying the very resources we need before the advent of modern unless all countries accept that US broke off an Antarctic ice shelf. Named the A68, it emitter of carbon dioxide, seems to be to survive. environmental science, can rightly economic growth and environmental represents more than 12% of the Larsen C ice shelf, a shirking its responsibilities. Humans are changing the natural claim they knew no better. It wasn’t stewardship can coexist. sliver on the Antarctic Peninsula. But the health implications of environment so dramatically, and to until scientists pointed out the Global forums, like the G20 and Antarctica is surrounded by ice shelves, fl oating human-induced environmental our own detriment, that scientists carcinogenic impact of asbestos, for the United Nations, can serve as extensions of glaciers that exist over land. These change are largely being overlooked, believe we have entered a new example, or the neurological eff ects key conduits for the promotion while future generations’ quality of geologic epoch – the “Anthropocene” of pumping water through lead pipes, of sustainable development. In extensions break away at times and it’s a natural life is being mortgaged for economic – which began around 1950 and is that laws and regulations were enacted particular, strategies to promote process. Last week’s event produced an iceberg gain. Nowhere are these implications characterised by unprecedented to address these problems. health and well-being must be 2,200sq miles in extent, while a larger portion of more visible than in the emerging planetary pollution. But today, countries cannot hide better integrated into local, state, Larsen C had broken off in 1986. markets of Africa, Asia, the Americas, The Emerging Markets Symposium behind scientifi c ignorance. Even and international environmental and Europe. at the University of Oxford’s Green developing countries must reconcile policymaking. As scientists try to fi gure what made the chunk to Rapid growth and rising Templeton College recently concluded economic ambitions with full (or Make no mistake: determined break off , much speculation is already under way. “I incomes have led to unprecedented that these changes have serious at least, partial) knowledge of the opponents will question the science think we’re all scratching our heads as to just what improvements in nutrition, education, implications for human health, environmental consequences of and criticise those who claim that combination of changes in the ice, air and ocean caused and social mobility. Over the last 35 especially in developing economies. growth. Leaders everywhere must human health is being jeopardised by years, countries such as Brazil, China, Up to a quarter of the world’s disease be prepared to advocate changes in environmental disregard. But to these this,” said Ted Scambos, senior research scientist at India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, burden is associated with human- attitudes, lifestyles, and development critics I pose a question of my own: the National Snow and Ice Data Centre, as reported South Africa, and Turkey have all caused environmental factors, the strategies. And they must place a “Are you willing to risk being wrong?” on WGN-TV. A central theme of the ongoing debate is made extraordinary gains in human symposium found. Children under greater emphasis on development – Project Syndicate whether it can be attributed to global climate change. development. fi ve years old are at the greatest risk goals that protect the environment One researcher said no one can be certain what But this progress has often been of suff ering a disease caused by poor and public health. zShaukat Aziz was prime minister of These adjustments will be hard to Pakistan from 2004 to 2007. caused iceberg A68 to break off , or at least yet; it’s pursued with little regard for the environmental stewardship. far too cold in the Antarctic winter to fl y in a crack research team. “We may have to wait until November, when the southern hemisphere waxes toward summer and it becomes safe to fl y airplanes over Antarctica again,” Martin O’Leary, a glaciologist with Swansea University and the Antarctic research programme Project Midas, was quoted as saying in Business Insider. Some scientists say this particular calving won’t raise sea levels, since the ice was already fl oating in the water – the eff ect is similar to why melting ice cubes in a drink don’t Scientists call it overfl ow a glass. They call it ‘natural event’, ‘natural event’, for ice shelves have been cracking off huge for ice shelves icebergs for eons. have been But others feel this perspective is akin cracking off huge to looking at the situation “through a icebergs for eons microscope” instead of acknowledging the bigger picture of human-driven global warming and climate change. “To me, it’s an unequivocal signature of the impact of climate change Scientists believe we have entered a new geologic epoch – the “Anthropocene” – which began around 1950 and is characterised by unprecedented planetary pollution. on Larsen C,” Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine, told CNN. “This is not a natural cycle. This is the response of the system to a warmer climate from the top and from the bottom. Nothing else can cause Finding and funding the best ways to fi ght terror this.” Rignot said colleagues who say otherwise are burying their heads “in the ice”. By Robin Simcox worth, re-evaluations took place prioritised over feel-good community Foundation, which aimed to “counter Similarly, Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the The Heritage Foundation based on these groups’ track record projects. For example, one grant that bigotry and create peace through the of eff ectiveness and potential for was completely cut was for Music in media.” US National Centre for Atmospheric Research, said delivering results. The outcome of Common, which says it “empowers This apparent shift away from a “They’re looking at it through a microscope” rather ost Americans can agree these deliberations was recently diverse cultures and faiths to discover community-led approach is close to than seeing macro trends, including the fact that on at least one thing: revealed when the DHS approved common ground through collaborative heresy for some CVE professionals, oceans around Antarctica are warming, helping thin They want the threat from $10mn worth of grants to 26 songwriting, multimedia and both in the US and in Europe. the ice. Mterrorism to diminish. organisations to carry out CVE work. performance.” Worthy aims, perhaps, Yet we do not really know that a How to achieve that, however, is much Homeland Security stated this yet it is hard to argue they should be “community-led” response is better, The diff erence in opinion stems partly from a more contentious. Case in point: the “will advance America’s capacity taxpayer-funded, and harder still to or reduces trust in government, perceived lack of data. Some scientists say they don’t federal government’s Countering to counter terrorist recruitment argue that it will make America safer because conceptually it is so hard to have the super-long-term datasets they would need to Violent Extremism, or CVE, and radicalisation in the United from terrorism. measure satisfactorily CVE’s effi cacy. prove that man-made warming aff ected this particular programme. States through community-driven Another group Homeland Security And without those satisfactory George Selim, the director of the solutions.” In this, the DHS was is now choosing not to back is the metrics, the temptation will be for ice sheet. Offi ce of Community Partnerships, employing CVE language very familiar Muslim Public Aff airs Council, or governments across the world to just At the same time, they can’t dismiss global has described CVE as, “the fi rst to the Obama team. MPAC. This was perhaps the most keep chucking money at the problem warming’s contribution, either. federal assistance programme However, when the grants are controversial of the original DHS and hope or presume it is doing some devoted exclusively to providing local examined, it appears Secretary grants. good. communities with the resources to John Kelly is trying to re-calibrate MPAC statements are often critical For now, however, Homeland counter violent extremism in the CVE away from a community- of US counterterrorism eff orts, which Security appears to have adopted a To Advertise homeland ... to support new and driven approach and towards the council has sought to cast as a war more hardheaded approach to CVE existing community-based eff orts to law enforcement. Boston Police on Islam itself. – and made at least some headway in [email protected] counter violent extremist recruitment Foundation, the City of Houston That some of the groups the DHS bringing greater accountability to its Display and radicalisation to violence.” Offi ce of Public Safety & Homeland chose to fi nancially back were slightly spending. – Tribune News Service Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 This sums up the Obama Security, Denver Police Department diff erent was also not always DHS’s administration’s preference for and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police choice. Of the 31 identifi ed by the zRobin Simcox is the Margaret Classified local, community-led initiatives to Department had their budgets Obama administration, four dropped Thatcher Fellow in the Davis Institute Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 CVE. In the last days of the Obama increased. Hennepin County Sheriff ’s out, seemingly unwilling to work for National Security and Foreign administration, the Department Offi ce (Twin Cities area) and Alameda alongside the Trump administration. Policy at The Heritage Foundation, Subscription of Homeland Security announced County Sheriff ’s Offi ce (San Francisco This included Ka Joog, whose 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE, [email protected] $10mn worth of CVE grants for 31 area) were not included in the Obama- ambition is to “create a better world Washington, D.C., 20002; Website: organisations that refl ected this era grants but now are getting almost by providing community-based, www.heritage.org Information about preference. an extra million dollars between them. culturally specifi c programmes and Heritage’s funding may be found at 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Yet with the Trump administration Furthermore, those who could off er services to Somali youth and their http://www.heritage.org/about/ seemingly more sceptical of CVE’s greater accountability were apparently family,” and Unity Productions reports.cfm Gulf Times Monday, July 17, 2017 19 COMMENT Austrian far right’s views have entered govt zMain parties moved towards far right to erode its support zFar right has good chance of entering coalition z Parliamentary election due on Oct 15

Reuters The OVP and its 30-year-old the FPO itself remains, it has found Vienna leader, Foreign Minister Sebastian new acceptance within the political Kurz, have taken the lead in opinion establishment. polls. The centre-left SPO has opened the ven if Austria’s far-right party Kurz has focused on immigration door to forming a national coalition fails to enter government after and integration since taking over with the far right, lifting a self- Oct 15 elections, its views on as party leader in May, calling for imposed ban of 30 years. Eimmigration already have. migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Parties rarely obtain a majority The anti-Islam Freedom Party’s to be taken to Africa rather than in Austria’s proportional electoral (FPO) popularity reached new heights Europe. system, and almost always need during Europe’s migration crisis in His positions and language are a coalition partner to form a 2015 when it denounced the centrist sometimes so close to the FPO’s that government. government’s decision to throw the far right party has accused him of The SPO and OVP have governed open Austria’s borders to hundreds plagiarism. together for most of the past 70 years of thousands of refugees and other When Kurz said last month that but they are now at loggerheads, migrants. he wanted to do away with Muslim making them less likely to join forces It ran fi rst in opinion polls for more kindergartens, which he and the FPO again. than a year, with support of more than describe as breeding grounds for “The (FPO’s) chances of joining the 30%, and its candidate came close “parallel societies” at odds with the government as a junior partner are to winning last year’s presidential rest of Austria, the FPO said it had the highest they’ve been in more than election. been making the same demand for 10 years, but the chances of coming Now the party has slipped to second years, and Kurz lacked the “will and fi rst and securing the chancellor’s job or third while the Social Democrats courage” to carry it out. are very, very slim,” political analyst and conservative People’s Party (OVP) Chancellor Kern’s Social Democrats Thomas Hofer said. — the two parties in government, (SPO) have opposed Kurz on that “For months now the party has which have dominated post-war issue, but Kern put forward a plan seen its ideas implemented and now politics — have moved towards the far on Wednesday to “take back control they face a dilemma because if they right’s positions. of migration” and cut arrivals from go further and become more extreme Most of the migrants and refugees Africa sharply by 2020. they could lose voters.” carried on to Germany in 2015 but He also oversaw a law-and-order With parties like the FPO having 90,000, or more than 1% of Austria’s drive this year that included a ban on made electoral gains across Europe, population, stayed and sought asylum. Muslim face-covering veils. the diplomatic fallout from it The two centrist parties have since Kern’s emphasis has, however, entering government is likely to be promised to make sure this never been more on employment and the more limited than in 2000, when happens again. economy. its alliance with the OVP prompted “Both government parties are He has pushed for measures that the European Union to impose something like FPO light,” political would favour local workers over sanctions. analyst Anton Pelinka said. “They foreign rivals, including a tax break And there is no sign that Austrian are not exactly the same as the FPO FILE PHOTO: Austria’s Chancellor Christian Kern addresses a news conference in Vienna, Austria, April 5, 2017. for fi rms that fi ll newly created posts foreign policy, towards Italy or other but the crossover has become very with people registered as unemployed neighbours, will become any less fluid.” Concerned about another infl ux, soldiers and four armoured vehicles example of how Austria’s two centrist in Austria. assertive. A spat with Italy on July 4 about Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter were available to secure the border if parties are trying to beat the far right While Kern’s approach is more “There are now strong populist control of their shared border has Doskozil said he was preparing to take needed. at its own game. targeted than the sort of national parties in France, Germany, the highlighted the shift. action if they headed towards Austria. Italy reacted furiously, summoning “The Social Democrats and the OVP preference the far right calls for, it Netherlands,” a senior SPO offi cial In the past month Italy has asked In an interview with Austria’s top- Austria’s ambassador to Rome before are in a kind of race to see who can is testing the limits of freedom of said on condition of anonymity. “It’s other EU countries to help it cope selling tabloid, he said he expected Doskozil and Chancellor Christian take issues away from the Freedom movement under European Union no longer a phenomenon that only with a surge in the number of migrants border controls at the Brenner Pass, a Kern, both Social Democrats, backed Party,” Pelinka said. “They are hurting law, and the measure has yet to be aff ects Austria. reaching its Mediterranean shores gateway for Italy to northern Europe, away from the comments. the Freedom Party with this. Precisely approved by Brussels. We can deal with them more from Africa. “very soon”. The article added that 750 But the remarks are the latest because of this, it has fallen in the polls.” Even though some stigma around confi dently.” Weather report Brexit threatens UK’s place at the N-table Three-day forecast TODAY High: 42 C By Ian Chapman end of 2018, employing more than 1,000 highly skilled scientists and Low : 34 C London Inshore:Hazy to misty at places at engineers. It is imperative that we first becomes hot daytime with scattered clouds and relatively rapidly fi nd a solution for a continued humid night. n the south of France, the largest relationship with Euratom. scientifi c experiment mankind The UK government has made a TUESDAY has ever embarked upon is rising number of supportive statements High: 42 C Iout of the ground. This facility, about retaining our excellence in Low: 34 C the Iter project, will demonstrate fusion research and development, as P Cloudy nuclear fusion power on a commercial well as a fi rm commitment to continue scale, involving the European Union, paying the UK’s fair share of Jet costs US, Japan, South Korea, China, Russia beyond 2018. This is very welcome, WEDNESDAY and India. Fusion is the process that and off ers some reassurance to my High: 41 C powers the sun and the stars, and staff , which includes some of the Low: 34 C bringing it to Earth has long been a brightest minds in the world, but a M Sunny staple of science fi ction fantasies. more comprehensive and complete It is an energy source that, instead solution is still required. The existing of burning fossil fuels, uses water; Euratom R&D programme comes to Fishermen’s forecast an end in 18 months and the European it produces no long-lived waste and OFFSHORE DOHA can operate alongside solar, wind and commission is already formulating the Wind: NW-SW 03-12 KT other renewables to power the world The Iter nuclear fusion project under construction in the south of France in future programme. Waves: 1-3 Feet to a carbon-free future. Iter will be October last year. Photograph: Iter One of the options available is INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 05-15/19 KT operational within a decade and will an association agreement with Waves: 1-2 Feet represent a huge step towards fusion, make it difficult for one nation to go designing and exporting fusion power Euratom, a bespoke arrangement revolutionising the way we generate it alone. stations. However, both the operation where the UK could remain inside Around the region electricity in the middle part of this Currently, the UK Atomic Energy of Jet and the UK’s participation in Euratom with certain conditions Weather Weather century. Authority (UKAEA), operates the Iter are a result of UK’s membership of and constraints. Both Switzerland today Max/min tomorrow Max/min For decades, the UK has led the world’s largest fusion experiment, the Euratom treaty, an agreement on and Ukraine have such associate Abu Dhabi M Sunny 42/34 Sunny 41/34 world in addressing this grand Joint European Torus (Jet), on behalf European nuclear co-operation that status having negotiated mutually Baghdad Sunny 49/34 Sunny 49/33 Dubai challenge. The fusion (or sticking of Europe. In so doing, Britain has dates back to 1957. On 29 March, the benefi cial, but very diff erent, deals. P Cloudy 43/34 Sunny 42/34 Kuwait City Sunny 49/33 Sunny 44/32 together) of types of hydrogen to acquired unique capabilities in UK government declared an intention Whichever route government takes, it Manama Sunny 42/33 Sunny 41/33 release energy requires the fuel critical areas for fusion – robotic to leave Euratom at the same time as is vital that we negotiate a quick and Muscat P Cloudy 36/31 M Sunny 33/29 to be heated to temperatures 10 maintenance, material testing and fuel leaving the European Union. seamless solution for a strong future Riyadh M Sunny 46/31 M Sunny 46/31 times that of the sun. The harsh handling to name just a few – enabling For the UK, a pioneer of fusion relationship with Euratom, giving us Tehran M Sunny 36/25 Sunny 36/24 conditions required for fusion are a the country to help UK industry to win research and development since the every chance to preserve and build on challenge for even the most robust of contracts on Iter totalling more than 1950s, it would be the worst possible the UK’s leading role in this world- materials. International partnership £450mn already (which could rise to time to take a back seat in the race changing technology. - Guardian has always been crucial to overcome more than £1bn). to develop this transformative News & Media these challenges; the complexity of In the longer term, the UK’s nuclear technology. Currently, we have the science and engineering and the industry together with UKAEA is a contract from the European zProfessor Ian Chapman is CEO of the cost of building large test reactors well positioned to be a world leader in commission to operate Jet until the UK Atomic Energy Authority Live issues Want to be more creative? Schedule a break

By Oliver Burkeman point of a schedule isn’t to adhere to fixation” sets in – when we’re no were unable to see they were in a Around the world New York it religiously; it’s so you won’t have longer thinking freshly, but instead rigid mindset, just as a fi sh can’t see Weather Weather to decide what to do when you next retreading old paths. Wait until it water, and many psychological states today Max/min tomorrow Max/min find yourself with a choice in the feels as if you’re no longer being seem to work the same way. Take Athens T Storms 27/21 P Cloudy 29/21 recent Columbia University matter. In fact, a schedule is arguably creative, and you’ll probably wait anger: in the very moment that you Beirut Sunny 29/26 Sunny 31/27 T Storms 31/26 study makes the case that more important if your life is full of until some time after you’ve already feel utterly furious about something Bangkok 29/26 T Storms Berlin P Cloudy 21/11 M Sunny 24/12 you’ll be more creative unpredictable events that require gone stale. minor – someone jumping the Cairo Sunny 40/27 Sunny 41/26 at work – and perhaps immediate attention, because you’ll “Participants who didn’t step away queue, say – your disproportionate Cape Town P Cloudy 14/08 P Cloudy 16/09 A Colombo T Storms 30/27 T Storms 30/26 more refreshed in your soul – if you feel too scattered, in those moments from a task at regular intervals were rage feels proportionate. Loneliness schedule your breaks, rather than when the crises subside, to choose more likely to write ‘new’ ideas that makes people want to retreat from Dhaka S T Storms 33/27 P Cloudy 34/27 Hong Kong T Storms 31/28 T Storms 30/28 stopping whenever you feel like it. wisely. Forget carpe diem. I say carpe were very similar to the last one they socialising, when the opposite would Istanbul Cloudy 26/21 T Storms 24/21 Regular readers may recognise a horarium: seize your schedule. had written,” the authors explained help. When you’re demotivated, Jakarta P Cloudy 32/25 M Cloudy 31/25 theme that’s dear to me: scheduling In the new study (which I found in Harvard Business Review. So, you can’t see that doing whatever Karachi Cloudy 31/27 S T Storms 31/27 your life is almost always a good via the Science Of Us blog), people “if you’re hesitant to break away you’re avoiding is the route to feeling London P Cloudy 25/16 P Cloudy 25/19 Manila S T Storms S T Storms 33/25 idea, while spontaneity is overrated, were asked to complete a variety because you feel that you’re on a roll, motivated. And so on. The trick is not 33/25 Moscow P Cloudy 21/12 P Cloudy 22/12 and anyone who takes pride in being of problem-solving and idea- be mindful that it might be a false blindly to trust your own thoughts New Delhi S T Storms 34/28 S T Storms 34/28 “a really spontaneous person” is generating tasks; some switched impression”. It’s notable, too, that the and feelings, but learn to second- New York P Cloudy 28/23 P Cloudy 29/23 someone to avoid. (Though that between them on a whim, while “break” in each case merely involved guess them. A plan can be one way to Paris P Cloudy 29/19 M Sunny 34/22 won’t be an issue: they’ll never others followed a timetable. The switching tasks. A change, it seems, do that, because it’s a guide to action Sao Paulo M Sunny 26/11 Showers 12/09 Seoul T Storms 29/24 P Cloudy 31/24 stick to any social plans you make.) scheduled switchers did better really is as good as a rest – so long as that doesn’t rely on what you feel like Singapore P Cloudy 31/26 M Cloudy 30/26 I stand by this, even in the presence across the board. The researchers you do it on schedule. doing. Which is why – not to bang on Sydney P Cloudy 19/09 Sunny 21/09 of the ultimate schedule-disrupter, argue that this is because we find There’s a broader point here. From about this – schedules are a good idea. Tokyo Clear 36/27 Clear 32/24 a six-month-old baby – because the it hard to tell when “cognitive inside their rigid mindset, participants – Guardian News and Media Gulf Times 20 Monday, July 17, 2017 QATAR Lebanese ‘Tamim Al Majd’ at QP hold rally to condemn Qatar siege

QNA There were other signs that Beirut expressed gratitude to the State of Qatar for helping Syrian refu- gees in Lebanon. ozens of people in Leba- Mohamed al-Haysan said in a non held a pause soli- speech that the day was one for Ddarity with the State of loyalty and gratitude, one that Qatar in the capital, to condemn they made to acknowledge what what the country is being sub- the State of Qatar’s government jected to from a number of GCC and people gave to help Syrian countries. refugees. The participants in the pause He added that the State of Qa- called for lifting the siege off the tar provided aid to people dis- State of Qatar, highlighting its placed by a vicious war. distinguished role in the Arab He added that Qatar was there and Islamic world. for the Lebanese people during They also highlighted the diffi cult times, providing them job opportunities it provides to with job opportunities in mas- Qatar Petroleum (QP) yesterday unveiled a ‘Tamim Al Majd’ mural at its headquarters in Doha to “demonstrate the support of its management and staff for Qatar and many Lebanese. sive projects and in turn they are the leadership of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and to express the unity of its family in the face of the unjust siege against the country, its They lifted the Qatari and now standing by Doha. people and residents”. Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, president and CEO of QP, his executive team and employees from different nationalities signed the mural, writing Lebanese fl ags, as well as plac- He expressed his hope that the messages expressing unequivocal support for Qatar and His Highness the Emir. ards that highlighted Qatar’s hu- siege against the State of Qatar manitarian eff orts in aiding Syr- will be lifted. ian refugees in Lebanon. He added that today’s pause They also lifted other placards refl ected Arab and Islamic senti- that call on the siege countries ment, stressing that the State of to retract their positions and re- Qatar gave a lot to the Arab and establish cohesion and brother- Islamic worlds with no return hood. and so the siege must be lifted. Qatar is making ‘great strides’ in food security

By Peter Alagos gic stockpile for food security and giving HE the Minister said the project is Business Reporter it a very important place on the country’s also part of the Ministry of Transport strategies and plans and at the top of its and Communications’ eff orts to encour- priorities. age Qatari private sector’s contribution atar’s transport minister has said It also springs from the close follow-up to transport projects “to harness the ex- the country has “remarkably” from HE the Prime Minister and Minister pertise and applied technology, as well as Qmanaged to handle its strategic of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin achieving the vision of His Highness the stockpile for food security and expanded Khalifa al-Thani,” he stressed. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani”. food-related investments in several coun- Located inside Hamad Port, the facility Al Jaber Group of Companies chair- tries over the past few years. will provide a stockpile for 3mn people for man Mohamed Sultan al-Jaber said: “We Speaking at the signing ceremony for two and a half years for the following com- are thankful to the Ministry of Transport the QR1.6bn Strategic Food Security Facil- modities: rice, raw sugar, and cooking oils, and Communications and the New Port ities Project between the New Port Project said HE al-Sulaiti, who is also chairman of Project Steering Committee for trusting (NPP) Steering Committee and Al Jaber HE Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti. the NPP Steering Committee. Al Jaber Engineering with the design and Engineering yesterday, HE the Minister PICTURE: Nasar T K “Such an expansion would help Qatar construction of the Strategic Food Secu- of Transport and Communications Jassim preserve its consumptive market over the rity Facilities Project. Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti said Qatar “views bassador Etienne Thevoz, German ambas- coming years regardless of the circum- “Being a Qatari company, we are proud food security as an integral part of its na- sador Hans-Udo Muzel, and Italian am- stances it encounters…the project will be to have been chosen for this strategic tional security”. bassador Pasquale Salzano. constructed in accordance with best inter- project for the state of Qatar. The contract was signed by NPP execu- “This new project springs from the wis- national practices and standards and pro- Al Jaber Group of Companies shall pro- tive director Maisar Jamil el-Qutami and dom and insightful vision of His High- vide a high capacity for storage, packaging, vide full support to the project team to en- Al Jaber Engineering CEO Osama Hadid in ness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad conveyance and handling by utilising lat- sure high standards of quality and delivery the presence of HE al-Sulaiti, Swiss am- al-Thani on the importance of the strate- est technologies,” HE al-Sulaiti said. on time.” Qatar’s economic prospects look strong, says British Chamber

ollowing the severing of diplomatic has not yet had any signifi cant impact ments are now arriving on a regular basis,” courage you to renew contact with your ties with Qatar by many of its re- on their UK-Qatar business,” the British the statement said. key customers and partners and make Fgional neighbours, most notably by Chamber said in a release. “The British Chamber of Commerce early plans to visit the market. For those Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Qatar gov- “The primary impact has been the need Qatar (BCCQ) remains confi dent that the UK businesses based in UAE, Bahrain Qatar resident Rehan Quereshi (left) and his friend Duncan Goga ernment has reacted promptly to stabilise to reroute cargo (both fl ights and ship- long-term economic prospects for Qatar and Saudi Arabia or who trade with Qatar hoisted Qatar’s flag atop Mt Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, the economy and ensure commercial and ping) via Oman and Kuwait. The Qatar look exceedingly strong. While it is hard through partners and agents based there on Friday to express solidarity with the country against its illegal trade relations remain undamaged, The authorities have moved swiftly to agree to say how quickly and amicably the dis- we would urge you to contact the British blockade by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. The Indian British Chamber of Commerce Qatar has new measures to strengthen the trade and pute will be resolved, attractive business Chamber to discuss how best to approach national, who is head of product planning at Qatar Chemical & said. shipping links with the Omani ports of So- opportunities in all sectors remain for UK the market in the light of the current trade Petrochemical Marketing & Distribution Company - Muntajat, “The government has also stated that it har and Salalah and similarly to reinforce businesses to expand trade with Qatar. embargo. reached the 5,642m summit after a climb of eight days braving intends to continue its current infrastruc- air links with Kuwait, Muscat and other “In the eyes of the business community “The British Chamber would like to en- treacherous weather. “Qatar is home to me probably more than ture and development programme on the hubs in the wider region. That net eff ect in Qatar the breakdown in relations has courage those who have inquiries about the India is. I have been living in Qatar for 29 years and it baff les me this same timetable as before. The general re- has inevitably meant small delays to cargo not aff ected commercial and economic af- current commercial market in Qatar to con- beautiful country has been singled out for causing unrest in the action from the market is that it remains shipments and increased transportation fairs unduly. For those UK companies with tact us. We are happy to provide further in- Middle East. Hope this eff ort and message reaches wide and far to business-as-usual. Many British compa- costs. But overall, the impact has not been existing business in Qatar or immediate formation and advice to UK businesses keen create awareness...” Quereshi said in his Facebook post. nies have reported that the trade embargo as dramatic as initially feared and ship- prospects, the British Chamber would en- to trade in Qatar,” British Chamber added. Patriotic makeover for Doha Bank Tower

oha Bank has adorned its and an expression of our loyalty to workspaces and customer-facing corporate headquarters our beloved country,” said Sheikh areas, including elevator screens, Dbuilding in West Bay – the Fahad bin Mohamed bin Jabor al- ATM screens, and desktop and tel- Doha Bank Tower – with a new Thani, chairman, Doha Bank. ephone backgrounds. branding depicting the iconic Sheikh Abdul Rehman bin Mo- “By etching the (‘Tamim Al ‘Tamim Al Majd’ artwork. hamed bin Jabor al-Thani, man- Majd’) image on a range of brand This comes as the bank stands aging director of Doha Bank, said: collaterals to broaden its reach and in solidarity with the nation and in “The spirit of togetherness and amplify its message, Doha Bank re- support of His Highness the Emir unity as demonstrated by the na- affi rms that we stand fi rmly behind Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani tion’s people over the last few our leader,” said Dr R Seetharaman, as the country passes through a weeks makes us even prouder of CEO of Doha Bank. crucial time in its history, it has Qatar and its wise leadership.” Ahmed Ali Alhanzab, head of said in a statement. In addition to draping the exteri- Administration at Doha Bank, “‘Tamim Al Majd’ is a refl ec- or of the tower in the monochrome added: “The branding and par- tion of the collective mood of the image, Doha Bank has added a ticipation in ‘Tamim Al Majd’ is nation, and Doha Bank is proud to wall of appreciation in front of nothing but a patriotic duty, aimed join thousands of citizens and resi- its headquarters. The ‘Tamim Al at engaging all employees and cus- dents in using this eloquent image Majd’ branding will be strategically tomers to support this nationwide as a symbol of Qatari resilience placed across the bank’s internal campaign.” Doha Bank officials in front of the mural.