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MONDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10062 April 18, 2016 Rajab 11, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir receives participants of Doha meeting Qatar seeks EU help In brief on release of hostages

SYRIA | Conflict in Iraq Opposition threatens to quit peace talks QNA Fighting in Aleppo killed at least Brussels 22 civilians as the opposition delegation yesterday threatened to quit Syria peace talks in he head of Qatar’s Mission to the Geneva if there is no progress European Union, Sheikh Ali bin on a political transition. The TJassim al-Thani, has called on opposition High Negotiations the European Union (EU) to help secure Committee (HNC) said the the release of the two Qatari nationals indirect negotiations could kidnapped in Iraq. collapse if Syria’s regime refuses The Qatari nationals entered the Iraqi to compromise on political and territory with a permit from Iraq’s inte- humanitarian issues. “We might rior ministry in co-ordination with the suspend (our participation in) the Iraqi embassy in Doha, Sheikh Ali said. talks if things carry on this way, Speaking at the annual meeting of and then there will be no prospect HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday received ministers participating in the second oil producing countries meeting in Doha. The meeting at the the GCC-EU committee of political for any political solution,” HNC Emiri Diwan was attended by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. dialogue experts, which was held in member Abdulhakim Bashar told Brussels, Sheikh Ali called on the Euro- AFP. Page 10 pean Community to urge the Iraqi gov- ernment to take measures to ensure the safety of Qatari detainees and secure LIBYA | Vote their release as soon as possible. UN urges backing He affi rmed that Qatar rejected such terrorist acts which constituted for unity govt a breach of the international law and The United Nations’ Libya envoy Oil producers to continue a violation of human rights, calling on urged lawmakers to back a unity the European Union to co-operate with government as he landed in the Qatari authorities on this due to the Tripoli yesterday on the eve of a close relations between the two sides. crucial confidence vote. Libya’s He also renewed Qatar’s keenness to parliament is set to vote today fi nd a political solution to the Syrian on the UN-backed government discussions on freeze deal crisis in accordance with the Geneva of national accord, in a bid to end Conference I. years of chaos in the North African Eighteen Opec member countries up the prices of crude oil, which ear- He noted that Qatar had never hesi- nation. “It is always with open and major producers from lier this year fell to their lowest levels tated a moment to provide all neces- arms that I arrive in #Tripoli. Thank outside the group met in Doha since 2004. sary assistance to Syrian refugees to you to all Libyans: you make me yesterday to discuss a possible Qatar, which holds the rotating ease their suff ering and had allotted for feel at home,” Martin Kobler said freeze in oil production at presidency of Opec, had invited oil this purpose more than $1.2bn since on Twitter after landing in a UN January’s levels producers both inside and outside the crisis broke out in 2011. aircraft. Page 9 the Opec group to take part, saying He referred to Qatar’s initiative, en- DPA that the time had come “to restore titled Educate A Child, which allowed Doha balance to the market and health to more than 600,000 Syrian children to LATIN AMERICA | Disaster the global economy”. return to schools, pointing out that by Earthquake kills Although the low oil price has been the end of 2016 the number would in- op oil producers yester- a boon for many importing nations, crease to 1mn children. scores in Ecuador day delayed an agreement to it is causing economic and budgetary In addition, Qatar had provided 100 The death toll from Ecuador’s Tfreeze the crude output levels problems for exporting countries. scholarships for Syrian refugees to en- biggest earthquake in decades to shore up low prices, saying they From above $100 in mid-2014, oil roll in Sorbonne University in France, soared to at least 235 yesterday needed “more time for further con- prices dropped to 13-year lows of allocated $2,300,000 for education in as rescuers using tractors and sultations”. around $27 in February due to a sup- refugee areas in partnership with the bare hands hunted desperately The decision followed marathon ply glut, though they have since re- Unicef and allocated two schools for for survivors in shattered coastal talks in Doha from which Opec bounded to about $40. Syrian children. towns. The 7.8 magnitude quake member Iran stayed away. Iran had initially said its Opec rep- Sheikh Ali reaffi rmed Qatar’s rejec- struck off the Pacific coast on HE the Minister of Energy and resentative would participate in the tion of all forms of violence and ex- Saturday and was felt around the Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Doha talks but yesterday Oil Minis- tremism as well as its explicit condem- Andean nation of 16mn people, al-Sada said at a press conference HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada addressing ter Bijan Zanganeh announced Te- nation of terrorist acts, wherever they causing panic as far away as that participants in the meeting had a news conference in Doha yesterday. hran would send no delegation at all. are, and the state’s commitment at all the highland capital Quito and agreed on the need for more time for Russia’s oil minister Alexander levels to combat such criminal acts collapsing buildings and roads in a discussion. the group met in Doha yesterday to a boost in production will help it Novak yesterday said the country within the international mechanisms, swath of western towns. Page 22 “The general conclusion was that discuss a possible freeze in oil pro- recover from the impact of inter- was not closing the door on a global especially since terrorism had become we need more time to consult among duction at January’s levels. national sanctions lifted after last deal to freeze output levels although a serious global phenomenon which ourselves in Opec and non-Opec But the meeting started several year’s deal on its nuclear programme. he was disappointed that no decision required all eff orts to curb it. EUROPE | Referendum producers,” he said hours behind schedule due to what Failure to clinch the freeze deal had been taken. Italians vote The minister added that Opec the Qatari news television Al Jazeera can weaken prospects for recovery Novak said he had travelled to members would meet in Vienna in called “divergence in views”. of oil prices that have fallen by up to Doha, expecting all sides to sign the on oil and gas June to consider a possible freeze. Sources said that Saudi Arabia de- 70% since their peak in mid-2014, deal instead of debating it. When Italians yesterday voted in a “The freeze could be more eff ec- manded that any cap deal must be some observers say. asked whether Russia would freeze Plane hits suspected referendum on oil and gas drilling tive defi nitely if major producers, be it binding to all producers. However, al-Sada said that the oil output levels, he said the govern- concessions after a debate fuelled from Opec members like Iran and oth- Tehran has said it had no plans to market was improving. ment was not meant to regulate the drone on landing by anger over a government ers, as well as non-Opec members, are sign the plan on freezing oil output. Yesterday’s meeting in Doha fol- output of private producers. corruption scandal and freighted included in the freeze,” he said. Iran, which according to Opec data lows a February agreement by Qatar, Opec said its members pumped AFP with risk for Prime Minister Eighteen Opec member countries currently produces between 2.8mn Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela 32.25mn bpd in March, up from an London Matteo Renzi. Page 18 and major producers from outside and 3.5mn barrels a day, is hoping to push for the freeze in a bid to shore average of 31.85mn bpd in 2015.

British Airways (BA) plane yes- terday struck an object believed Ato be a drone as it was coming in for landing at Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, police said. Smart clinic aims to combat diabetes in Qatar An investigation had been launched into the incident which follows a string of near misses involving drones. By Joseph Varghese “By the end of March, more than tered at Wakra Hospital are invited The plane, an Airbus A320 with 132 Staff Reporter 3,000 people had been invited for for diabetic screening at the clinic. passengers and fi ve crew on board, was screening and nearly 1,000 screened They will be seen by doctors, nurses, on its fi nal descent into Heathrow’s for diabetes. Of those, 123 were iden- health educators and nutritionists Terminal Five when it was struck. smart clinic for diabetes, tifi ed as pre-diabetic, and 20 were and provided health education.” “A pilot on an inbound fl ight into implemented for Qataris in diagnosed with diabetes,” said Dr Dr Abdulmalik noted that the pa- Heathrow Airport from Geneva report- A collaboration with the help Mariam Ali Abdulmalik, managing tients would be attended by both the ed to police that he believed a drone had of healthcare providers in the state director, PHCC. primary and secondary healthcare struck the aircraft,” a spokeswoman for through the recommendation of “The smart clinic for diabetes, is providers through the multidiscipli- London’s Metropolitan Police said. the World Innovation Summit for run with the participation of HMC nary teams. “The fl ight landed at Heathrow Ter- Health (WISH), has been success- and provides integrated healthcare “This will give them a comprehen- minal Five safely. It transpired that ful with over 9,800 registrations for facilities. It employs accountable sive idea about their physical health as an object, believed to be a drone, had testing. care practices to improve the health well as how they can care about them- struck the front of the aircraft”. The clinic, opened in January as a and well being of Qataris through selves. The overall aim of the project A BA spokesman said the plane had pilot programme at Al Wakra Health the delivery of high-quality, effi cient has been successfully achieved and its been examined after landing and was Centre of the Primary Health Care care for those suff ering from or are at results will be reviewed regularly over cleared to operate its next fl ight. Corporation (PHCC) with the sup- risk of developing diabetes. Using a The staff at the smart clinic for diabetes. the coming months.” The UK Airprox Board, an air safety port of the Al Wakra Hospital, off ers combination of data analytics and a “Once the pilot phase of the pro- agency, said last month there were 23 integrated care through a specialised risk-based screening, the programme smart clinic for voluntary diabetes ly detection of diabetes as well as gramme is completed, it will be taken near-misses between drones and air- team that includes a physician, nurse, identifi es those with known diabetes screening. other risk factors associated with to other health centres too, maybe craft in the six months between April health educator and dietitian. risk factors and invites them to the “The programme aims for ear- diabetes. Patients who are regis- next year,” she added. and October last year. Gulf Times 2 Monday, April 18, 2016 QATAR

Message from Venezuelan president Emir meets US Centcom chief In brief

Qatar leaders condole Japan quake victims

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani have sent cables of condolences to Emperor Akihito of Japan condoling the victims of the earthquake which struck the country, wishing the injured quick recovery. HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani, and HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani also sent cables of condolences to HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has received a written message from President of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met the Commander of the US Central Command Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, pertaining to bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them. The General Joseph Leonard Votel and his accompanying delegation at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. Talks Abe. message was handed over by the Vice-President for Political Aff airs and Foreign Minister of dealt with ties between Qatar and the US and means of boosting them. They also exchanged views Venezuela Dr Delsey Rodriguez. on regional and international issues of common concern. Qatar sends condolences to Ecuador president

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Deputy Al-Kuwari in Tunisia Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to attend international Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Rotana opens its Khalifa al-Thani have sent cables to President of Ecuador Rafael symposium on peace Correa condoling the victims of the earthquake that hit the country and left many people QNA in the region: violence, terror- dead and injured, wishing quick Tunis ism, migration, illegal drug traf- recovery for the injured. 4th hotel in Doha fi cking and arms smuggling. The symposium is part of Justice Minister otana is opening today Doha, further increasing its keys launched in the past year. ing, ‘c.taste’, an all-day dining E the Adviser at the Emiri contribution to the global eff ort Centro Capital Doha, its in the city to nearly 2,000. “With the current launch, the restaurant off ering buff ets for Diwan and the State of to cultivate peace and dialogue to attend GCC Rfourth hotel in the city. The opening of Centro Capital total number of hotels managed breakfast, lunch and dinner; HQatar’s candidate to the and security in the Middle East meeting in Riyadh The new property, 20 minutes Doha is the second collaboration by Rotana has gone up to 101, ‘c.mondo,’ a bar designed to Post of the Director-General of and North Africa (Mena) region, away from the Hamad Interna- between Al Malki group and Ro- where 56 of them are fully oper- provide a number of informal the United Nations Educational, the Sahel and sub-Saharan Af- tional Airport, off ers 229 rooms tana following Sedra Residences ating and 45 are under construc- zones for business gatherings Scientifi c and Cultural Organi- rica, and to further enhance the HE the Minister of Justice and studios, ‘in contemporary at the Pearl-Qatar, according to tion,” Rotana Hotel Management and entertainment; and ‘c.deli’, sation (Unesco) Dr Hamad bin Tunisian experience in peaceful Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr al- and stylish setting.’ Al Malki group chairman Ali Ib- Corporation chairman Nasser an innovative 24-hour take- Abdulaziz al-Kuwari arrived dialogue and democratic reform. Mohannadi will chair Qatar’s “The hotel is characterised rahim Abdullah al-Malki. al-Nowais said. away dining concept that al- yesterday in the Tunisian city of Items on the agenda will delegation in the extraordinary by distinct accommodation in a “By introducing this new life- He added that Rotana cur- lows guests to enjoy great food Sousse to take part in an interna- feature Maghreb and Euro- meeting of GCC justice ministers, modern environment, designed style hotel brand, it proved its rently employs around 14,000 and drinks in addition to the tional symposium on promoting pean countries and the geos- set to take place today in Riyadh. primarily for business travel- distinctiveness in the UAE and it employees and this number will purchase of any items they may peace and dialogue values, due to trategic changes in the Sahel The meeting will discuss draft lers who seek chic accommoda- is time to introduce this unique- reach 29,000 once works on all need during their stay for their kick off today. region: various approaches; resolutions and follow up on tion at aff ordable prices,” Rotana ness in Qatar,” he said. under construction hotels are convenience. The two-day symposium is peace challenges in the region: the implementation of the ones president and CEO Omer Kad- Al-Malki added that the de- completed. Some of the special features organised by the Tunisian Edu- violence, terrorism, migration, made during the 27th meeting of douri said. mand for hotel rooms, particu- The new hotel in Doha will fea- include the design, as well as cation Ministry in co-operation drug and arms traffi cking; re- GCC justice ministers, which was The opening of the new hotel larly in the four-star hotels cat- ture amenities customised to the functionality of each piece of with the Islamic Educational, gional co-operation in all its hosted by Doha. has increased Rotana’s inven- egory, has increased in the past business traveller’s needs, includ- furniture, innovatively styled Scientifi c and Cultural Organi- dimensions to establish peace The ministers will also discuss tory in Doha to more than 1,229 fi ve years. ing two meeting rooms, a gymna- bathrooms, and strategic place- sation (ISESCO), and the Arab in the Euro-Mediterranean the mechanism of establishing an rooms. Rotana also plans to open Rotana has been working sium and a swimming pool. ment of room lighting and League Educational, Cultural area, the Sahel and Sub-Sa- Economic Judicial Authority, in two additional brands in 2017 hard to be a major player in the In addition, several din- controls including the latest and Scientifi c Organization haran Africa; democratisation the context of the vision of King and 2018: the Plaza Rayhaan global tourism sector, espe- ing options are available to suit technology and in-room enter- (ALECSO). and political dialogue: a stra- Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud Doha and Downtown Arjaan cially with several hotels being the needs of all guests includ- tainment options. Dr al-Kuwari will deliver a tegic choice for peace; eff orts of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the speech on the symposium topic of international and regional Two Holly Mosques. during the fi rst session which organisations towards pro- will be chaired by President of moting values of peace and Souq Waqif Malta Marie Louise Coleiro Pre- dialogue across the world; and ca. He will also chair a session the Tunisian experience in celebrations on the symposium’s second day promoting peace and dialogue conclude today dealing with challenges to peace values. The Souq Waqif special events celebrations that opened two weeks ago will conclude here today. The organisers conducted a variety of recreational events, Al Markhiya Gallery music, games and contests during the fortnight-long celebrations. Games for children to host art exhibition included swings, airplane, crazy fire, crazy frog, dragon and family train. The event organisers QNA The participating artists will handed over 10,000 gifts to Doha showcase a large collection of children comprising a bag with artworks that address the ideas interesting games that had the of identity, homeland, women, logo of the festival. The Souq l Markhiya Gallery is or- traditions and modern arts. Each Waqif Art Centre organised a ganising tomorrow an art artist will exhibit seven works number of art events which Aexhibition that brings to- of various contemporary art brought together 30 Qatari and gether the works of Qatari artists schools. The gallery said that or- resident artists who showcased Masoud al-Bloushi, Mubarak ganising such exhibitions aims at their paintings, carvings and al-Malik and Lulwa at Katara Art highlighting the aesthetics of arts ceramic works of scenery from Rotana and Al Malki group senior off icials announce the opening of Centro Capital Doha yesterday. Centre. and creativity by Qatari artists. Qatar’s local environment. QRCS holds course for relief workers in Syria

QNA The two-day course was at- Doha tended by 20 trainees from QRCS and Syrian NGOs working in Gaziantep, Turkey. atar Red Crescent Soci- These courses are part of ety (QRCS) has organised QRCS’s eff orts to support the Qthe 2nd course to build Syrian people in their protract- the capacity of relief workers in- ed calamity, whether in terms volved in Syria in the fi eld of hu- of relief (food/nonfood aid, man rights in the International medicines, blankets, tarpaulins, Humanitarian Law (IHL) and ambulances, rehabilitation of Islamic Shariah. camps hit by fi re or snow), de- The course was attended by 18 velopment (building clay hous- trainees, with some further 180 es, establishing and operating benefi ciaries who will receive health centres, providing fuel the information of the course for civil defense vehicles, open- through the participants them- ing humanitarian corridors, se- selves. curing water trucks in residen- The four-day course was held tial neighbourhoods, installing at the headquarters of Afaq water networks and heaters at Academy, a subsidiary of the camps), or humanitarian diplo- Swiss Geneva Call. macy and advocacy (organising Conducted by four specialist and participating in conferences lecturers, the course gave useful Course participants with QRCS off icials. and events to raise awareness information on IHL, the Inter- among the international com- national Human Rights Law, and participation and course mate- of recommendations, including to hold such courses on IHL and to be held via videoconferencing warriors in Islam. munity about the serious hu- their link with the teachings of rial were shared with the par- (1) the call for a military code of Islamic tenets related to armed to inform the military in Syria This is the second course co- manitarian conditions of Syr- Islamic Law. ticipants. ethics to outline the major prin- confl ict. about the values and rules of held by QRCS and Afaq Acad- ians inside their own country It also involved documenta- In view of the signifi cant is- ciples, norms, and provisions of From the feedback of the par- armed confl ict, as well as issu- emy to promote IHL and Islamic and in neighbouring countries ries and presentations to en- sues discussed in the course, the IHL from an Islamic perspective, ticipants, it was obvious that ing publications that urge bel- Law knowledge among the relief like Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, hance learning. Certifi cates of participants came up with a set (2) the importance of continuing there is a need for similar course ligerents to observe the ethics of workers in Syria. and Iraqi Kurdistan. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 3 QATAR

Qatar-US defence ties discussed FM invited to Saud al-Faisal conference Doha to host UN forum

QNA Doha

oha will host the First UN Asia Regional Forum Don Business and Human Rights on 19-20 April. During the Forum, companies, governments, NGOs, workers and community representatives will discuss key business and human rights issues in Asia. The Asia Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights is HE the Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah met the Commander HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has received an invitation to being convened by the United of United States Central Command General Joseph Leonard Votel in Doha yesterday. Talks dealt attend the International Conference on the late Prince Saud al-Faisal, which is organised by King Nations Working Group on Busi- with bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in addition to the military co-operation and Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies from 24-26 April in Riyadh. The invitation was handed ness and Human Rights with the other regional security issues. by Prince Saud bin Turki al-Faisal during his meeting with the Foreign Minister yesterday. support of the Offi ce of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Director of Human Rights De- partment at the Foreign Minis- try, HE Sheikh Khalid bin Jassim al-Thani said in a press state- Ooredoo launches ment yesterday that the UN Asia Regional Forum is an opportu- CAS outlines plans at nity to accelerate and expand the awareness and implement the Video Clips mobile Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Asia. Over two days, participants will discuss the outstanding is- advisory board meeting portal service sues and prioritise the required action at the local level by states atar University College the Advancement of Sciences; Regarding CAS future plan to and businesses in order to pro- of Arts & Sciences (QU- Professor Anoush Ehtesha- establish a food security or fo- oredoo has announced public relations at Ooredoo, tect human rights in the busi- QCAS) needs to decide on mi, director of the Al-Sabah rensic science degree, Dr Leete the launch of its new- said: “Ooredoo Video Clips is ness sector, he said. possible interdisciplinary de- Programme and joint direc- suggested combining these into Oest service, the Oore- our latest entertainment serv- Various workshops on a sub- grees options such as, Food Se- tor of the ESRC Centre for the a degree in Security and Human doo Video Clips mobile portal, ice, and one we believe will be regional level will be held to fo- curity, Criminology & Forensic Advanced Study of the Arab Development as its broader scope as it expands its entertainment extremely popular with smart- cus on specifi c rights. Sciences, and Sustainable De- World in the School of Govern- could encompass food security, off erings for Qatar’s growing phone users across the country. velopment, dean Dr Eiman Mus- ment and international aff airs cyber security, and public security. online population. Using our Supernet network, tafawi has said. special adviser to the Islamic Professor Ehteshami suggest- Ooredoo Video Clips, which people can enjoy unlimited ac- MEC service for Addressing the QU-CAS ad- Criminal Justice Project in the ed a degree with a harder (cyber, has been designed to enable cess to over 3.6mn minutes of visory board meeting for the Centre for Criminal Law & Jus- forensics) and softer (food, hu- Qatar’s smartphone users to content.” hearing impaired academic year 2015-2016, she tice; Dr Richard Leete, adviser man) track. watch videos online and on the Video Clips is brought to welcomed the new members in to the Minister of Develop- Dr al-Sulaiti stressed the im- go, off ers subscribers the ability Ooredoo customers via a part- The Ministry of Economy and addition to the continuing ones ment, Planning and Statistics; portance of off ering degrees that to access unlimited video clips nership between Ooredoo and Commerce (MEC) has launched from last year. and Dr Mohamed al-Sulaiti, are attractive to students and on a daily basis, the company Vuclip, a leading premium the sign language translation Those who attended the research director, ExxonMobil also do not limit their employ- said in a statement yesterday. video-on-demand service for service of the consumer meeting included Sheikh Research Qatar. Dr Eiman Mustafawi ability. Once subscribed, customers emerging markets. protection law for the services of Saoud bin Abdulrahman al- Sheikh Saoud al-Thani said Dr al-Mohannadi noted that will be able to watch as many Other entertainment con- the people with hearing disability. Thani, president of Qatar Bas- that CAS should study the mar- ences, and Sustainable Devel- the fi eld of food security is broad videos as they like on their mo- tent from Ooredoo includes MEC has put the law in sign ketball Federation; Dr Hassan ket and the Qatar National Vi- opment, Dr Leete noted that the enough to allow for many spe- biles, with the portal off ering Ooredoo tv, Qatar’s new next- language on a CD that has been al-Mohannadi, director of the sion to off er new majors that will UN Global Goals that have been cialisations. Hence, its gradu- more than 1.7mn videos across generation entertainment distributed to the public and the Diplomatic Institute, Qatar be mutually benefi cial to stu- recently passed have over 70 tar- ates could work in a multitude of genres such as sports, action, service and a one-stop-shop entities concerned. In addition, Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, dents, society, the university. gets under the umbrella of sus- sectors. Bollywood, Pinoy, shows and for apps, gaming, movies, it was published on the various Said al-Muhannadi, senior ad- Saleh encouraged the college tainable development, owing to The dean confi rmed that dif- more. streaming and more. social media channels of MEC visor to the president and CEO, to open majors in areas of need its importance. ferent public and private sectors Subscriptions cost QR2 per “Delivered in truly stunning to reach out to the maximum Qatar Petroleum; Youssif A such as geology. He stressed the Dr Bousquet encouraged in- have welcomed the proposal of day on a recurring daily sub- 4K defi nition, and powered by number in the targeted category. Saleh, general manager, Qatar importance of having local grad- creased collaboration with the the establishment of the BSc in scription to the catalogue of Android and Huawei, Ooredoo The video is available on MEC Shell Research & Technology uates in such fi elds so employers private and public sectors as Food Security and they promised over 25 languages. off ers the most technological- YouTube at MEC_Qatar. Centre; Professor Gilles Bous- don’t have to look for candidates this provide the college with to provide students with schol- To subscribe, customers can ly advanced TV subscription quet, senior special advisor for abroad. important information that will arship opportunities. send the keyword ‘SUB1’ to service in the region to keep Chevrolet Aveo International Strategies for the On CAS’ potential plan for infl uence CAS degree off erings Regarding CAS future re- 92202. To unsubscribe, they you entertained,” the state- president of the University of future expansion with possible and curriculum in order to meet search strategy, Dr Mustafawi can send the keyword ‘UNSUB’ ment added. models recalled Wisconsin System; Professor interdisciplinary degrees op- the needs of these sectors by proposed the theme “Energy, to 92202. For more information, cus- Adnan Shihab-Eldin, director tions including, Food Security, providing the graduates of to- Environmental Science/Climate Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari, tomers can visit an Ooredoo The Ministry of Economy and general, Kuwait Foundation for Criminology & Forensic Sci- morrow. Change, and Sustainability”. director of community and shop or log onto Ooredoo.qa Commerce, in collaboration with Jaidah Automotive, has announced the recall of Chevrolet Aveo 2015 models to check the parking brake bracket underbody. The MEC said the recall campaign Environment Intersection on Al Khafj i Street opens for traffi c comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that car nvironment Intersection from three to four lanes. dealers follow up on vehicles’ on Al Khafj i Street was The fi rst and second phases of defects and repair them. Eopened for traffi c yester- the project were completed, and The MEC will co-ordinate with day after being converted from a they included converting Al Hazm the dealer to follow up on roundabout to a signal-control- and Al Jelaiha roundabouts to sig- the maintenance and repair led intersection. nal-controlled intersections. works and communicate with The remaining sidewalk pave- Al Khafj i Street Development customers to ensure that the ment works are expected to be project is part of a series of vital necessary repairs are carried out. completed next month. The projects implemented by Ash- The MEC has urged all customers opening of the Environment In- ghal to improve and enhance to report any violations to its tersection comes as part of the the network of local roads and Consumer Protection and Anti- works on Al Khafj i Street De- expressways, and enhance the Commercial Fraud Department velopment Project. This is the traffi c safety across the country. through the following channels: third phase of the project which The works include converting Hotline: 16001, e-mail: info@mec. includes converting Environ- roundabouts to signal-controlled gov.qa, Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, ment Roundabout to a signal- intersections, installing Intelligent Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC controlled intersection and the Transportation Systems, street mobile app for Android and IOS: expansion of Al Khafj i Street lighting, and pedestrians’ paths. Al Khafji Street which was opened for traff ic yesterday after the installation of the new traff ic signals. MEC_Qatar

15-year jail term for Customs foils bid to smuggle 11 kilos of marijuana possessing illegal drug he General Authority of Customs (GAC) has foiled Doha Criminal Court has in hashish in collaboration with Tan attempt to smuggle sentenced a man to 15 others. 11kg of the illicit drug marijuana Ayears in jail and a fi ne of Accordingly, legal procedures through Hamad International QR400,000 for illicit drug pos- were taken to search his house Airport (HIA). session for trade and personal and vehicles. The GAC inspector in charge consumption. Police dogs were able to spot a doubted the luggage of an Asian Local Arabic daily Arrayah re- total of 24kg of hashish hidden in traveller coming to Doha, so he ported yesterday that the Drug various parts of the defendant’s ordered a full search of his bags. Prevention Department of the house. A blood test of the defend- The search uncovered the mari- Ministry of Interior had received ant proved he was a drug abuser. juana hidden within bulky pack- information from a secret source He also admitted to possessing ages of dried red chillies. The that the defendant was trading the illicit drug. bags were seized and the neces- sary procedures taken to refer the traveller and the seized illicit Woman fined for beating schoolkids drugs to the security authorities concerned. GAC president Ahmed bin Ali A woman has been fined a sum two other children attacking him. al-Muhannadi thanked the GAC of QR5,000 by a Doha Criminal Though the duo fled towards the inspector who managed to spot Court for beating two school playground, the woman caught the smuggler and honoured him children, who were quarrelling and beat them up. The mothers for his alertness on duty. He also with her son. of the attacked children filed a pointed out that GAC has an ef- Local Arabic daily Arrayah complaint against the woman, fective training programme to reported yesterday that one day accompanied by a medical report raise the effi ciency of its inspec- when the woman went to collect of the injuries sustained by the tors and enhance their work ex- GAC president Ahmed bin Ali al-Muhannadi with the GAC inspector who made the Marijuana was concealed in packets of dried her son from the school, she saw boys in the attack. perience and performance. marijuana seizure and another off icial. red chillies. Gulf Times 4 Monday, April 18, 2016 QATAR

Prof the Lord Ara Darzi, centre, speaking at a midterm summit of WISH as other off icials look on. PICTURE: Jayan Orma WISH presents research and fi ndings preview

By Joseph Varghese president, Institute of Med- and global partnerships. created a new project which Staff Reporter icine of the National Acad- Egbert Schillings, CEO, allows people to come in emy of Sciences, discussed WISH, said WISH continu- with new ideas to utilise all the activities at the event. ally works towards building that information developed he World Innovation Prof the Lord Ara Darzi a community of health lead- through Qatar Genome Summit for Health described the midterm ers for whom their subject project.” T(WISH), a global ini- summit as an opportunity matter is a calling rather The chairs of WISH Fo- tiative of Qatar Foundation to convene the global com- than an industry. rums took part in group for Education, Science and munity around healthcare “By supporting the local workshops and open dis- Community Development issues that really matter. healthcare leadership com- cussions as part of the fi nal (QF), yesterday presented a “This year we are focus- munity, as we did with the phase of their year-long preview of its research and ing on topics that resonate Al Wakrah clinic, among research initiatives. Their fi ndings, including a smart around the world and here other projects over the last fi nal reports will be made clinic to fi ght diabetes in in Qatar as we continue to two years – the WISH pro- public at the 2016 sum- Qatar, as part of its midterm create evidence-based re- gramme is directly contrib- mit, that will take place on summit. search that off ers policy- uting to the success of Qa- November 29 and 30. Prof the Lord Ara Darzi, makers practical solutions tar’s exceptional healthcare The evidence-based re- executive chair, WISH; Dr to create change.” sector.” search will highlight and Mariam Ali Abdulmalik, Al-Qahtani said that According to Dsau, the put forth policy recom- managing director, Primary WISH is not only deliver- Qatar Genome Project is mendations on seven key Health Care Corporation; ing tangible benefi ts to the one of the boldest in the topics: Accountable Care, Fahad Saad al-Qahtani, people of Qatar, but, in- world. “Working with Qatar Autism, Behavioural In- president, community de- ternationally, it is raising Biobank, we are sequencing sights, Cardiovascular Dis- velopment, QF; Dr Mark the nation’s profi le in in- the genomes. Many samples ease, Economic Benefi ts of McClellan, director, Robert fl uential health policy cir- have been sequenced and Investing in Health, Healthy J Margolis Centre for Health cles through its research, we are in for some excit- Populations, and Precision Policy; and Dr Victor Dsau, ongoing programmes, ing results. Last month, we Medicine. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 5 QATAR Students display skills in NU-Q study looks at digital obstacle course contest health tools for ome 28 Qatari students from schools across the Scountry navigated their drones through an obstacle Qatari youth course to show off the aspects of engineering and science they learned last week at the Engi- hether young peo- neering Heroes Drone Camp in ple care about their Education City. Whealth and pay atten- HE the Minister of Energy and tion to public health campaigns Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh is at the heart of a study being al-Sada attended the fi nal day of carried out by Northwestern Engineering Heroes to watch the University in Qatar (NU-Q) in students navigate through the collaboration with other re- obstacle course competition. searchers in Qatar and the US. Engineering Heroes is an aca- The health communication demic outreach initiative that study, “Qatari adolescents: Dr Klaus Schoenbach, associate teaches the principles of avia- How do they use digital tech- dean for research, NU-Q. tion, programming and power nologies for health informa- electronics as students are im- tion and health monitoring?”, searcher at Qatar University’s mersed in drone technology and HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada with students and off icials. which received a $300,000 Social and Economic Survey its diverse applications. grant from the Qatar National Research Institute where she Maersk Oil Qatar is the exclu- The student teams were re- ing Leaders partnership, which Research Fund in March, ex- is an assistant professor, and sive sponsor and industry partner quired to fl y their drones through delivers strategic educational amines how Qatari youth aged Dr Paul Amuna, who heads the for Engineering Heroes, which an obstacle course that included outreach programmes to mo- 13 to 18 years acquire and eval- research section of Qatar’s Pri- was organised by Texas A&M a model of the Zubarah Fort and a tivate young Qataris to choose uate information about health mary Health Care Corporation University at Qatar (Tamuq). Maersk Oil Qatar platform in the educational pathways for ca- issues of all kinds. and will serve as consultant. Throughout the week, fac- Arabian Gulf — and to land their reers in fi elds related to STEM, The study probes into what “We are evaluating the chan- ulty, staff and researchers from drones safely after particular according to a statement. is known about young people’s nels adolescents use to fi nd an- Tamuq and Hamad Bin Khalifa tasks were completed. Lewis Affl eck, managing di- specifi c health concerns and swers for their health concerns University led students through The winning teams were cho- rector of Maersk Oil Qatar, said: conditions, as well as how they in order to fi nd what works best. exercises and design challenges sen according to their perform- “It’s been a privilege to host use technology to acquire and We hope that information will to prepare them for the fi nal ance in the obstacle course and some of Qatar’s brightest eighth share such information. improve the options available challenge, the drone obstacle their application of program- and ninth grade students at the Aimed at discovering how to them,” said Dr Schoenbach, course competition, in which ming skills developed over the Engineering Heroes Drones future public information cam- who will lead the research team. the students applied what they course of the week. competition. paigns can better reach youth Qatar’s youth are subject to learned to simulated real-world Dr Hassan S Bazzi, assist- “Initiatives like this play a big beyond typical media sources some of the highest rates of problems that drones can solve. ant dean for research and ex- role in inspiring the younger gen- and school settings, the study obesity risk in the world. In An added challenge for the ecutive director of develop- eration of students to explore is being carried out by Dr Klaus addition, they are exposed to students was learning to pro- ment, engagement and outreach STEM disciplines and develop the Schoenbach, NU-Q’s associate shisha smoking and environ- gramme and navigate in three at Tamuq, said the programme necessary skills to become Qatar’s Students from schools across Qatar navigated their drones through dean for research, an interna- mental restrictions such as dimensions - not just forward demonstrated the diverse ap- future technical workforce.” an obstacle course at the event. tionally known media research- extreme weather conditions. and backward, and right and left, plications for engineering and As part of the Engineering er; and Dr Ellen Wartella, an “The threshold for physical but also up and down - using science in Qatar’s pursuit of a Heroes Drone Camp, students General Khalid Ahmad al-Ku- and development manager at expert on children’s media and activity is much higher in this cameras mounted on the drones. knowledge-based economy. also had the opportunity to pre- wari encouraged the students to Tamuq, said encouraging Qa- health, who is a Sheikh Hamad part of the world than in most The seven teams, each con- Engineering Heroes is one of view drone technology recently study hard to attain the knowl- tar’s best and brightest young Bin Khalifa Al-Thani professor countries, so we’re trying to taining four or fi ve students, the many STEM (science, tech- adopted by Qatar’s military forc- edge needed to support technol- minds to study STEM disciplines of communication, psychology communicate the best ways to were coached by offi cers from nology, engineering and math) es during an exclusive presenta- ogy for Qatar’s national defence, was critical to building the hu- and education at NU’s Evan- educate and train using digital the Reconnaissance and Surveil- programmes put together by tion earlier in the week by offi c- saying that engineering is a man capacity required to drive ston, Illinois campus in the US. sources,” Dr Schoenbach said. lance Centre of the Qatar Armed Tamuq and Maersk Oil Qatar ers from the Reconnaissance and calling for Qatar. the country towards the goals of They are joined by Dr Salma The research project will be Forces. through their Dhia: Engineer- Surveillance Centre. Jowaher al-Marri, outreach Qatar National Vision 2030. Mawfek Khaled, a survey re- completed in 2017. Gulf Times 6 Monday, April 18, 2016 QATAR

Al Khaliji enhances Internet banking QU students in Indonesia

l Khalij Commer- lifted design that is sleeker cial Bank (Al Khaliji) and user-friendly, as well Ahas announced the as a range of handy new fea- release of a new Internet tures, including widgets, to banking experience. see currency rates, SMS and on volunteer mission This comes as part of its e-mail reminders, and QSE mission to off er a full range prices, among others,” the each Out to Asia (Rota) has of banking products and statement said. co-ordinated an interna- services for its clients, the The bank further noted Rtional volunteer trip, spon- bank said in a statement. that payments have been sored by HSBC, for 20 Qatar Uni- “In its newest release, made “smarter and easier, versity (QU) students to Indonesia Al Khaliji’s Internet bank- including support for fu- as part of its ongoing eff orts to ing service puts over 60 ture-dated payments, while provide underprivileged youth in enhancements, tweaks and navigation now gives users Asia with access to quality educa- new functions at the fi n- more freedom and fl ex- tion. gertips of clients who pre- ibility with a range of new The Rota-QU volunteers facili- fer the speed, ease of use options and quick links, in tated workshops for 200 students and security of our Internet addition to the ability to set from grade 1 – 6 at a school in the banking,” the bank said. up SMS account alerts for village of Bayat, in Yogyakarta The Internet banking balances, open deposits, as province. Workshop topics fo- interface now features “an well as an OTP-by-email cused on sport for education, all-new home page with feature for clients who computer literacy, cultural ex- net position summary and don’t have access to their change, Arabic language, and en- quick previews, a face- registered phones.” vironmental awareness. The programme aimed to ex- pand the knowledge and skills of local students, while giving vol- unteers the opportunity to devel- op their own life skills, witnessing fi rst-hand the conditions faced by youth in rural Indonesia. Mohamed Abdulla al-Saleh, Rota national programmes direc- tor, said: “Education is key to al- leviating poverty and empowering youth in disadvantaged communi- QU students at one of the teaching sessions in a school in Indonesia. ties. Our ongoing initiatives across Asia allow for eff ective knowledge enthusiastic to pursue education transfer, making a positive impact despite their limited resources in the lives of youth and their wid- and humble tools. We have to be er communities.” extremely thankful for what we Abdullah Alyafei, associate vice have. Those who want to succeed president for Student Life and have to rely on themselves and Services at Qatar University, said: not on the available means and “Volunteering and community resources. We came to learn and service abroad is an eye-opening have learned a lot.” experience for students. It gives “We believe that education is them the chance to contribute to key to prosperity as it off ers peo- the lives of others in less fortunate ple the chance to develop their areas. Additionally, it is a great skills, realise their potential and way to promote understanding make a meaningful contribution and cultural exchange between the to society. This partnership with two countries.” Rota was the perfect opportunity Mohammed al-Shoraim, a QU for HSBC to positively impact the volunteer, said: “In this trip, we lives of the children of Bayat,” said have learned a lot from the stu- Abdul Hakeem Mostafawi, CEO of dents who are intensely eager and HSBC Qatar. The volunteers try their hand in rice cultivation.

Strong Golden moment winds likely today

trong winds and high seas are ex- Spected in off shore areas today, the Qatar Met department has said. The wind speed in The first Qatari winner of ‘Safari Win 6kg Gold Promotion’ receiving his prize from these places may go up Safari Group director/general manager Zainul Abideen as another off icial looks on. to 25 knots and slightly dusty conditions are also likely, according to the weather report. The sea level, mean- while, may rise to 9ft. The forecast for in- shore areas says it will be relatively hot during the day and slight dust is also expected in some places at times. The wind speed in these areas may reach 18 knots by the af- ternoon. The minimum and maximum temperatures in the country today are expected to be 21C and 34C, respectively, with the forecast for Doha be- ing 24C and 34C.

QC to hold workshop atar Chamber is conducting today Qa workshop on the development of business effi ciency and human rights. The exercise is in co-operation with the International Organisa- tion of Employers and the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights. QNB is a main sponsor. Several company rep- resentatives, those con- cerned with human rights, business and cor- porate social responsi- bility are set to take part. The workshop is aimed at spreading the culture of respecting human rights at workplaces, besides promoting proper health and safety practices. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 7 QATAR

Barwa Bank names winners of seventh Industrial Area roads Thara’a prize draw

arwa Bank has announced gible for a number of periodic the winners of the seventh draws for cash prizes. Bround of draw for Thara’a, Totalling QR3,000,000, in dire need of repair its Shariah-compliant savings Thara’a cash rewards are distrib- account, at the bank’s headquar- uted on both a monthly and bian- By Ramesh Mathew ters. nual basis to customers holding a Staff Reporter Salem Saeed M A Almarri and minimum balance of QR10,000. Fakhria Esmaeil Mahmoudi each On a monthly basis, there are won a cash prize of QR50,000. seven winners per draw for the number of streets at the Also, a cash prize worth cash prize of QR5,000, as well Doha Industrial Area, QR25,000 was awarded to as four winners per draw for the Aparticularly those on the Nashwa Osman Ali Omer, Abdu- cash prize of QR10,000. eastern side, remain fl ooded lasees Chevidikkunnan Koyamu, Additionally, twice a year, following the rains on Thursday Ali Hassan Y H al-Ansari, and there are four winners per draw evening and the early hours of Alawi Abdulkadir Aljuneid. for the QR25,000 cash prize, two Friday. The draw’s seventh round was winners per draw for QR50,000, The rains, accompanied by conducted under the supervision and one winner per draw for the severe winds, caused damage of a representative of the quali- grand prize of QR1,000,000. to many buildings across Qatar, tative licence and market control A total of 102 winners are to be especially on the southwestern department at the Ministry of rewarded with cash prizes total- side of Doha. Economy and Commerce. ling up to QR3,000,000. As a result of the fl ooding Thara’a off ers account holders Customers can learn about the in Industrial Area, vehicular the chance to benefi t from cash Thara’a savings account by visit- movement through the streets rewards of up to QR1,000,000. ing Barwa Bank’s website, www. has become extremely diffi cult Based on several criteria, barwabank.com, or by calling the and risky. Thara’a account holders are eli- contact centre at 800 8555. The already-dilapidated, pot- holed roads, where there has been little in the way of repair or maintenance in recent years, now sport craters. A large number of warehouses of foodstuff s suppliers are locat- ed on the streets on the eastern side. One of the flooded roads on the eastern side of the Doha Industrial Most of the streets also house Area. a large number of workers ac- commodations. Only a few streets in the Doha which is apparently happy with Residents of many of those Industrial Area have good roads the present conditions of the residential camps are fi nding even though there has been a re- roads here are the garage op- it increasingly diffi cult to ven- markable rise in the number of erators who are getting a large Two of the four ture out onto the streets due to trailers coming to the area,” said number of repairing works on QR25,000 cash fl ooding in the area. a warehouse manager, who says account of the break down of the prize winners Some of the operators of the it is time proper maintenance vehicles in the area. in the seventh warehouses told Gulf Times work is carried out on most of Earlier, there were only pot- draw for Barwa yesterday that they have been the streets fl anked by warehous- holes on the roads. Bank’s Thara’a unable to move their vehicles es of foodstuff s companies. However, the absence of re- savings through the area because of the Signifi cantly, it is understood pairs has turned them into cra- account. fl ooding. that a number of large trucks ters over the years. “It is very risky to operate ve- coming to the area are from There has also been alarming hicles, especially goods-laden abroad. growth of weeds and bushes in Movement through this street has become a nightmare after trailers, through the area now. Perhaps the only segment the middle of some of the roads. Thursday’s rains. Gulf Times 8 Monday, April 18, 2016 REGION Warring sides ‘optimistic’ over Yemen peace talks

Reuters we will give everything we can seize territory and opened a path Kuwait to alleviate the suff ering of the for Islamic State militants to gain people,” Foreign Minister Ab- a foothold. del Malek al-Mekhlafi , from the A partial naval blockade im- Pro-government forces sit on a heavily armoured vehicle in Sanaa yesterday. Yemen’s nearly week-long ceasefire has been violated numerous emen’s warring parties are Saudi-backed government now posed by the Arab coalition has times with fighting that has been unabated in Nahm, northeast of rebel-held Sanaa. sending conciliatory sig- based in Aden, told state news caused food shortages and prices Ynals ahead of UN-backed agency Saba. for necessities to skyrocket in talks starting today, in a rare sign Mohamed Abdul-Salam, the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest of mutual willingness to end a spokesman for the Houthi move- country. year-old confl ict that has caused ment which controls the capital The Houthis agreed with Saudi one of the world’s worst humani- Sanaa and which Gulf Arab states Arabia to reduce attacks on the tarian crises. say is allied to Iran, appeared kingdom in exchange for a halt US sends nine Yemeni men A deal may help defuse ten- conciliatory in an interview with to Saudi-led air strikes on Sanaa, sions between Iran and Saudi Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai on and the two sides carried out a Arabia, who are allied to oppos- Saturday. prisoner exchange. ing sides in Yemen. “There should be a consensus “This represents the best op- Air strikes and heavy com- authority during a defi nite tran- portunity to end the war since it from Guantanamo to Saudi bat persist in many parts of the sitional phase to decide every started - real progress has been country, while armed forces who political dispute,” he was quoted made,” said Adam Baron, a visit- could yet play a spoiling role as saying. “Iran does not have any ing fellow at the European Coun- Reuters Arab allies, marked the latest shipped out of the Guantan- strike in 2007. His legal team loom throughout Yemen’s tan- role in our sovereign decisions cil on Foreign Relations. Washington step in his fi nal push to close the amo Bay prison since Obama said he was down to 74lb, losing gled political scene. and we are not tools in anyone’s The fate of Ali Abdullah Saleh, controversial detention centre rolled out his plan in February about half of his body weight. Police said they foiled two car hands.” Yemen’s president of 33 years who at the US naval base in Cuba aimed at shutting the facility. Ba Odah’s lawyer, Omar Fa- bomb attacks in the southern In a further sign of goodwill, he was ousted by “Arab Spring” pro- he US on Saturday trans- before he leaves offi ce in Janu- But he faces stiff opposition rah, said the US government port of Aden yesterday. In one said on his Facebook page that his tests in 2012 and who has formed ferred nine Yemeni men ary 2017. from many Republican law- had “played Russian roulette” case a policeman died when a car group had received 30 prisoners an alliance with the Houthis, re- Tto Saudi Arabia from the The Saudis agreed, after makers as well as some fellow with his client’s life and that his exploded after police opened fi re from the government side. mains unclear and could compli- US military prison at Guan- lengthy negotiations that at Democrats. transfer “ends one of the most on it rushing at a checkpoint at Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab cate transition plans. tanamo, including an inmate one point involved Obama and There are now 80 prisoners at appalling chapters in Guantan- high speed. allies joined the war on March 26 While Saleh’s party will take who had been on a hunger Saudi King Salman, to take Guantanamo, most held with- amo’s sordid history.” But the recent rhetoric of the of last year to back Yemen’s gov- part in the talks, the former lead- strike since 2007, under a long- the nine Yemenis for resettle- out charge or trial for more than His case was a source of legal main combatants has been unu- ernment after it was pushed into er has refused to depart Yemen’s sought diplomatic deal between ment and put them through a a decade, drawing international wrangling between the US De- sually mild. exile by the Houthis. political scene. Washington and Riyadh, US of- government-run rehabilitation condemnation. partment of Justice and his law- “We are ready for a political UN talks in June and Decem- “There are a slew of potential fi cials said. programme that seeks to reinte- The most prominent of the yers, who had unsuccessfully transition which excludes no one ber failed to end the war that has spoilers. The past year has seen The transfer, which took grate militants into society, the transfers was Tariq Ba Odah, a sought his release on humani- ... The world now looks to the killed about 6,200 people, about a proliferation of warlords whose place just days before President offi cials said. 37-year-old Yemeni whom the tarian and medical grounds, and Kuwait consultations as a land- half of them civilians. The war power is tied to the confl ict con- Barack Obama’s visit to Saudi The group announced by military had been force-feeding also created divisions within mark of peace for Yemenis, and has allowed Al Qaeda fi ghters to tinuing,” added Baron. Arabia for a summit of Gulf the Pentagon was the largest daily since he went on a hunger the Obama administration.

Iran shows off S-300 defence system

Reuters took part in an air display. S-300s to Iran in 2010 un- Iran has two armies, a reg- Dubai “The power of our armed der pressure from the West. ular one which operates as a forces is not aimed at any of President Vladimir Putin national defensive force, and our neighbours ... Its pur- lifted the ban in April 2015, the Islamic Revolutionary ran showed off parts of pose is to defend Islamic after an interim agreement Guard Corps that was cre- its new Russian S-300 Iran and act as an active that paved the way for July’s ated after the revolution to Imissile defence system deterrent,” Rouhani was full nuclear deal with Iran protect the Islamic Republic during National Army Day quoted as saying by the that ended international against both internal and ex- yesterday. state news agency IRNA, in sanctions. ternal adversaries. Every year, Iran’s armed a speech at the Army Day Since then, Iran has upset The army has the big- forces hold parades across ceremony. the US by carrying out four gest ground force in Iran and the country to mark Army Russia delivered the fi rst ballistic missile tests, which IRGC is in control of growing Day. In a ceremony in Te- part of the S-300 missile the US and its European al- arsenal of ballistic missiles. hran, broadcast live on state defence system to Iran last lies said were in defi ance of In its fi rst overseas op- television, trucks carrying week, one of the most ad- the UN resolution adopted eration since the revolution, the missiles drove past a po- vanced systems of its kind in July. the regular army said ear- dium where President Has- that can engage multiple Rouhani said that dur- lier this month that it had san Rouhani and military aircraft and ballistic mis- ing the nuclear talks Ira- deployed some of its spe- commanders were stand- siles around 150km (90 nian negotiators also aimed cial forces and commandos ing. Soldiers also marched miles) away. to maintain and boost the to Syria to help President passed the podium and Russia has said it can- country’s military capabili- Bashar al-Assad in the civil fi ghter jets and bombers celled a contract to deliver ties. war there.

First Air France fl ight in 8 years lands in Tehran

DPA waved from the cockpit as Tehran the plane taxied down the runway at Tehran Imam Khomeini International n Air France pas- Airport. senger jet landed in Air France had oper- ATehran for the fi rst ated the Paris-Tehran route time in eight years yester- since 1946 but suspended day, in a sign of Iran’s in- it 2008 after Iran was tar- creasing reintegration into geted with international the global economy after sanctions due to its nuclear last year’s landmark nu- programme. clear deal. Relations between Iran The Airbus A330’s fi ve- and the West have thawed hour journey from Paris since Tehran agreed to was the fi rst of Air France’s curb its nuclear activities three new weekly services in return for the removal of between the two capitals. sanctions that have crip- Iranian and French fl ags pled its economy.

GCC Islamic aff airs ministers meet

The third meeting of the eff orts to bolster the GCC GCC ministers of Awqaf joint action, and co- and Islamic aff airs was held operation in Awqaf and yesterday in Riyadh. It was Islamic aff airs. chaired by Saudi Minister of They also stressed the Islamic Aff airs, Endowments role of ministries of Awqaf Call and Guidance Saleh bin and Islamic aff airs in the Abdul Aziz Aal Ash-Shaikh. GCC for defending Islam In their statements to the against media campaigns meeting, the ministers that distort the religion, its called for exerting further values and teachings. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 9 ARAB WORLD New Libyan unity govt asserts itself ahead of vote

AFP Their arrival comes a day be- ministries from today, in the lat- of Representatives in order for forcing the recognised parlia- in the capital under naval escort traffi ckers exploiting the coun- Tripoli fore the recognised parliament est step to assert its authority it to serve the Libyan people,” ment to fl ee to the remote east, on March 30. try’s turmoil. votes on the UN-backed Govern- over the confl ict-torn country. Maiteeq said. where it is based in Tobruk. The UN envoy will be in To- The fi rst clashes since Sarraj’s ment of National Accord (GNA), “More than six ministries This, he said, would “endorse Sarraj’s government was bruk today to encourage the rec- arrival broke out several hours he UN said its staff had supported by the international are ready, of which three will be the GNA in order to save the formed under a UN-backed pow- ognised government and parlia- after the ministers’ visit, but had returned to Tripoli and community in a bid to end years handed over administratively to- Libyan people from all the prob- er-sharing deal agreed in De- ment to back the latest moves. subsided by early yesterday. TLibya’s unity government of chaos in the North African na- morrow,” he said. lems”. cember and supported by some There has been a fl urry of dip- Gunfi re and small explosions vowed further steps to assert its tion. The deputy premier said the The legislature’s endorsement lawmakers from both sides. lomatic trips to back the unity were heard overnight as two armed authority yesterday, on the eve of “The UN staff will be in Tripoli GNA would begin running the would be a key step for the unity The unity cabinet has been government, including a visit groups clashed in the Hay el-An- a crucial confi dence vote. fi ve days a week... I am not visit- ministries of social aff airs, youth government of prime minister- steadily winning support from on Saturday by French Foreign dalous district north of the capital, UN envoy Martin Kobler said ing Tripoli any more, I am work- and sports, and housing and designate Fayez al-Sarraj, which local offi cials and state institu- Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and an upmarket area housing embas- his staff were back after leaving ing out of Tripoli,” Kobler said public works from today, regard- has been working to assert its tions, though the head of the his German counterpart Frank- sies and home to many politicians, amid violence in mid-2014, three at a joint news conference with less of the results of the vote of authority in the war-torn nation. Tripoli-based administration, Walter Steinmeier. an AFP correspondent said. years after Libya descended into Ahmed Maiteeq, deputy head of confi dence. Libya has had two rival admin- Khalifa Ghweil, has refused to World powers see the GNA as No information was imme- chaos following the Nato-backed a UN-backed unity government. “The legislative authorities istrations since mid-2014 when a recognise its authority. a crucial partner in tackling mili- diately available on the cause or uprising that killed dictator Maiteeq, meanwhile, said the must quickly give the GNA its militia alliance took over Tripoli, Kobler visited Tripoli shortly tants behind a string of deadly extent of the clashes or whether Muammar Gaddafi . GNA would take control of three legitimacy through the House setting up its own authority and after Sarraj’s government arrived attacks in Libya, as well as human there had been any casualties. Hollande inks economic deals during Egypt visit

AFP teria” of human rights should not destroy state institutions. Today Cairo be applied to struggling coun- accusations are made against tries such as Egypt, and should the police to bring down the po- include rights to “better educa- lice, then against judges to bring rench President Francois tion and better housing”. down the judiciary,” Sisi said. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi welcomes French President Francois Hollande upon his arrival in Cairo yesterday. Hollande sealed several Hollande said respecting hu- Meanwhile, militants have Feconomic deals with his man rights was not an obstacle to staged an insurgency based in the Egyptian counterpart Abdel fi ghting militants, who have con- Sinai Peninsula that has killed Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo yester- ducted large scale attacks in both hundreds of soldiers and police- day during a visit dogged by al- France and Egypt. men. legations of rights abuses in the “Human rights are not a con- The Islamic State group’s North African country. straint but also a way to fi ght Egypt affi liate has also claimed French president visits Syrian Hollande had touched down in against terrorism,” he said. responsibility for bombing a Cairo to a lavish welcome, pull- When a reporter brought up plane carrying Russian holiday- ing up at the historic Al-Qubbah the case of Italian student Giulio makers over Sinai last October, palace fl anked by a cavalry guard Regeni, whose body was found killing all 224 people on board. refugee children in Lebanon and to a 21-gun salute. bearing torture marks in Cairo Sisi, who won a presidential He and Sisi later oversaw the in February, Sisi said there was a election in 2014, has manoeu- signing of several memorandums plot by an “evil force”. vred his country into being a cor- AFP Hollande told reporters after thinking of you a lot,” Hollande country over the next three years. of understanding, including a “Let me say we are being con- nerstone in the fi ght against IS, Beirut spending nearly an hour in the told them. He will travel to Jordan tomor- 1.2bn euro deal to expand the fronted by an evil force that is which a US-led coalition is bat- Al-Dalhamiyah camp. He met with the UN refugee row. metro line in Cairo. trying to shake Egypt, and give a tling in Iraq and Syria. “They (Syrian children) don’t agency’s Lebanon representative In Cairo, Hollande is expected Later at a news conference, false impression of what is hap- IS has taken over the city of rench President Francois want violence. They want to Mireille Girard, who said diffi cult to discuss with President Abdel both leaders veered into the pening in Egypt,” he said. Sirte in neighbouring Libya, more Hollande met with Syrian learn and go home, join their living conditions were forcing Fattah al-Sisi both the political question of rights abuses un- Italian offi cials have voiced than fi ve years after French-led Frefugee children in eastern families, their country,” he said. young Syrian children into child crisis in Egypt’s western neigh- der Sisi, who activists accuse of suspicion that the PhD student air strikes helped rebels there de- Lebanon yesterday before head- About 15 Syrian schoolchildren labour. bour Libya and the Israeli-Pales- crushing dissent. was killed by security services, feat dictator Muammar Gaddafi ’s ing to Egypt as part of a four-day greeted the French president as Lebanon, home to 4mn peo- tinian confl ict. Turning to Hollande, Sisi said and Rome has recalled its ambas- regime. regional tour. he entered the large commu- ple, hosts more than 1mn Syrian His visit to Jordan will take him the French president had brought sador from Cairo to protest the For France, Egypt has also be- The French leader travelled to nal tent used as their makeshift refugees. France hosts more than to the Prince Hassan air base, up the issue during their meet- pace of Egypt’s investigation into come a key market, especially for an informal settlement in Leba- school. 10,000. 100km (60 miles) northeast of ing. his death. military hardware. non’s Bekaa valley that is home to They recited a poem in Arabic Hollande landed in Beirut on Amman. “The region we live in, Presi- Egypt denies he was killed by Egypt was the fi rst country to some 600 Syrian refugees, most- and gave Hollande pictures they Saturday for meetings with Leb- French aircraft taking part in the dent Hollande, is very turbulent,” the police. buy French Rafale warplanes, and ly women and children. had drawn. anese offi cials and announced US-led coalition battling the Is- said Sisi. “I want to say what is hap- also purchased two Mistral heli- “I just visited a camp the likes “You will be the messengers 100mn euros ($113mn) in assist- lamic State militant group in Iraq He added that “European cri- pening in Egypt is an attempt to copter carrier ships. of which are all over Lebanon,” of peace... France’s children are ance to the small Mediterranean and Syria are stationed at the base.

Israel will never leave Golan, says Netanyahu

DPA In 1967, Israel captured Tel Aviv from Syria part of the rocky plateau that also borders Lebanon and Jor- srael will never return the dan. It annexed the terri- Golan Heights to Syria, tory in 1981, in a move that IPrime Minister Benjamin was not internationally Netanyahu said yesterday, recognised. as the Israeli cabinet held The fi ve-year-old war in its fi rst-ever meeting in the Syria has frequently spilled strategic border region. over into the disputed area. “I chose to hold this fes- The Israeli military says tive cabinet meeting on the it has launched several op- Golan Heights in order to erations into the Syrian- deliver a clear message: The controlled side to prevent Golan Heights will forever the transfer of weapons from remain in Israel’s hands,” Syria to Lebanon by fi ght- Netanyahu said. ers with the Shia Hezbollah “The time has come for movement. the international com- At the symbolic meet- munity to fi nally recognise ing, Netanyahu said Israel’s that the Golan Heights will nearly fi ve-decade presence remain under Israel’s sov- has enhanced “peace” for ereignty permanently,” the the 50,000 people who live prime minister said. in the Golan.

Libyans arrest 200 migrants

Libyan authorities said in eastern Tripoli’s Al-Hashan yesterday they had arrested district and netted several 203 African migrants in Tripoli dozen people, an AFP who were preparing to make journalist said. a perilous sea crossing to Armed and masked Europe. members of the authorities An alleged people smuggler in bullet-proof vests was also detained. rounded up the migrants An early morning raid by and put them on vehicles forces battling clandestine to be driven to a detention migration targeted a house centre. Gulf Times 10 Monday, April 18, 2016 ARAB WORLD ‘No compromise’ on Assad ouster

AFP despite a fragile ceasefi re. “There’s a clear escalation. mously, said the talks were nearly in the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Is- Geneva The Syrian Observatory for This was the bloodiest incident at “an impasse”. lam) rebel group. Human Rights said the number in Aleppo and its province” since “The negotiations have nearly “Strike them at their necks of civilians killed in fl ashpoint the ceasefi re began, Observatory reached an impasse with the in- (kill them). Strike them every- ighting in Aleppo killed at Aleppo city was one of the high- head Rami Abdel Rahman said. transigent regime’s refusal to where.” least 22 civilians as the op- est single tolls since the truce be- “This escalation directly negotiate the fate of Assad in the A fellow opposition fi gure said Fposition delegation threat- gan on February 27. threatens the truce.” Geneva talks,” the member said. Alloush’s hawkish statement did ened yesterday to quit Syria The truce has seen violence The HNC has questioned the This has remained the main not represent the HNC’s posi- peace talks in Geneva if there is drop across parts of Syria, in- regime’s commitment to a po- sticking point in peace talks, with tion. no progress on a political transi- cluding the northern city, but litical solution to Syria’s five- Syria’s opposition clinging onto Alloush himself later said tion. renewed clashes there in the past year war, particularly in the its call for Assad’s ouster since that he had been calling on rebel The opposition High Negotia- 24 hours have seriously strained wake of the renewed violence in the confl ict began in 2011. groups to defend themselves tions Committee said the indi- the truce, the Observatory said. Aleppo. But the regime has ruled out against regime truce violations. rect negotiations could collapse At least six civilians were killed “The humanitarian situation is his departure, calling his fate “a The peace plan outlined by if Syria’s regime refuses to com- and eight wounded in regime continually deteriorating, the is- red line”. UN envoy Staff an de Mistura and promise on political and human- air strikes on rebel-held eastern sue of the detainees has not seen “There can be no compromise backed by world powers envi- itarian issues. parts of the city on Saturday. any progress, the ceasefi re has on the issue of Bashar al-Assad... sions a political transition, a new “We might suspend (our par- And a barrage of rockets and almost collapsed, and now there For us, it’s a closed book - you constitution, and presidential ticipation in) the talks if things sniper fi re by opposition groups is an attack on Aleppo from three cannot trade an entire people for and parliamentary elections by carry on this way, and then there onto government-controlled sides,” Bashar said in Switzer- one man,” opposition chief nego- September 2017. will be no prospect for any politi- western districts killed 16 civil- land. tiator Mohamed Alloush said in But Syria’s government hosted cal solution,” HNC member Ab- ians, including 10 children and “Given these factors, we are Geneva. its own regularly-scheduled par- dulhakim Bashar said. two women. reviewing everything, and we Earlier, Alloush called for re- liamentary elections last week The opposition’s chief ne- Rebel groups fi red more rock- will continue our meetings today newed attacks on regime forces, only in government-held areas, gotiator also said there could ets at western areas of Aleppo (Sunday) so that tomorrow we despite the shaky truce. which Assad’s ruling Baath party be “no compromise” on Bashar city late Sunday, but there was no can decide what to do.” “Don’t trust the regime and easily won. al-Assad’s ouster, and called for immediate information on new A second member of the HNC don’t wait for their pity,” tweeted The opposition denounced the Civil defence members look for survivors after an airstrike on the renewed attacks on regime forces casualties. delegation, speaking anony- Alloush, a leading political fi gure election as a “farce”. rebel-held Old Aleppo, Syria on Saturday.

Jordan’s King Abdullah welcomes Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Royal Palace in Amman yesterday. Jordan king meets Singapore’s PM

QNA arch reaffirmed the im- Amman portance of continued efforts being made by both governments to ex- ordanian King Abdul- plore further opportu- lah II met in Amman nities for economic co- Jyesterday with Sin- operation. gaporean Prime Minister Meanwhile, Singapore’s Lee Hsein Loong who is prime minister affi rmed on a visit to Jordan. his country’s keenness During the meeting, to strengthen ties with King Abdullah expressed Jordan and to take co- Jordan’s aspiration for operation into advanced strengthening and ex- levels to serve their joint panding relations with interests”, particularly in Singapore, especially in economic and investment the economic and invest- domains, according to the ment areas. offi cial Jordanian Petra The Jordanian mon- news agency.

Hundreds rally in support of Sadr

Reuters Abadi has said the tur- Baghdad moil could threaten the campaign against Islamic State militants who still undreds rallied in control swathes of terri- central Baghdad in tory in the north and west, Hsupport of pow- including the city of Mosul. erful Shia cleric Moqtada Iraq, a major Opec ex- al-Sadr who has threat- porter which sits on one ened to call mass protests of the world’s largest oil if the prime minister fails to reserves, ranks 161th out name a new cabinet to fi ght of 168 countries on Trans- corruption by tomorrow. parency International’s People in Tahrir Square Corruption Perceptions yesterday said many more Index. would join them if Prime Corruption became a Minister Haider al-Abadi major issue after oil prices did not select a govern- collapsed in 2014, shrink- ment mainly made up of ing the state budget at a technical experts to tackle time when it needed ad- what they see as wide- ditional income to pay for spread graft and misman- war on the militant group. agement. Abadi’s initial cabi- “Yes, yes to Iraq; no, no net line-up, presented on to corruption,” they chant- March 31, was made up of ed, carrying Iraqi fl ags. independent professionals “We are demonstrat- who he hoped could free ing on our own initiative their ministries from the in support of Sayyid Mo- grip of dominant politi- qtada,” said a man sitting cal groups that have built in one of a number of tents their infl uence and wealth set up to shield protesters on a system of patronage from the blazing sun. put in place since the over- Delays in naming a new throw of Saddam Hussein government, and political in 2003. and sectarian wrangling Parliament has already over who should be in it, postponed the vote on have paralysed politics in Abadi’s government over- Iraq. haul three times. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 11 AFRICA

ACCIDENT CUSTODY DEATHS ROADBLOCK INCIDENT MOURNED ANC supporters killed after UN and US condemn 4 mistaken for Shebaab, Malians pay tribute to bus overturns on return trip Gambia crackdown shot dead by AU troops celebrated photographer

At least 11 people were killed and 59 more The UN yesterday condemned a The African Union peacekeeping mission in Hundreds of mourners gathered in the Malian injured when a bus transporting African government crackdown in Gambia that it Somalia (AMISOM) apologised yesterday for capital over the weekend to pay their final National Congress (ANC) supporters from said had led to the death of three opposition accidentally killing four civilians on Saturday after respects to the late photographer Malick Sidibe, an election rally in Port Elizabeth overturned party members who were arrested during soldiers mistook them for Shebaab fighters when who won international acclaim with his vibrant yesterday, South African emergency services protests on Thursday. In a statement echoed they failed to stop at a roadblock. The incident black-and-white images which captured daily said. The bus rolled off the N1 highway between by the US state department, UN Secretary happened in the area of Buulo Mareer in the Lower life in his native country. The send-off for Sidibe, Ventersburg and Winsburg in the Free State, General Ban Ki-moon expressed “dismay” at Shebelle region, 80km south of Mogadishu. “A whose coff in was draped in the national flag, took trapping passengers underneath the vehicle, reports that a leading member of the United speeding vehicle approached the roadblock and place on a football pitch in Bamako, with soldiers ER24 paramedics said in a statement. The cause Democratic Party (UDP), Solo Sandeng, and failed to adhere to repeated warnings to stop. giving the iconic artist full honours. Young Malian of the accident is not yet known. “The ANC has two other party members had died while in Assuming the car to be a vehicle borne improvised photographers in attendance expressed their learnt with sadness of a fatal accident in the Free custody. Ban Ki-moon called for a “prompt, explosive device, the troops opened fire resulting sadness at the loss of a mentor. After the 80-year- State where a bus carrying comrades returning thorough and independent investigation into in the death of four occupants of the vehicle,” old’s death was announced Friday, France’s Men carry the body of late photographer Malick from the ANC manifesto rally in Port Elizabeth the circumstances that led to their death while said a statement issued by AMISOM. “AMISOM Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay hailed him as Sidibe during the funeral ceremony in Bamako overturned,” the party said in a statement. under state custody”. profoundly regrets the loss of civilian lives.” “the father of African photography”. on Saturday.

4 Burundi villagers Boko Haram splinter shot dead by raiders Reuters terday the gunmen had attacked Nairobi two villages in Mugamba district, 60 kilometres southeast of Bu- jumbura, and killed four people. nknown gunmen killed four Another source told Reuters people on Saturday night that “some of the attackers were Uin two villages southeast of wearing military uniforms with group leader nabbed Burundi’s capital Bujumbura. hoods on (their) heads”. The killings were the latest in a Nijimbere said all four people AFP With power in Nigeria dependent on individ- series of violent incidents which killed were likely targeted be- Maiduguri uals and patronage networks, including among have rattled the small central Af- cause they were members of the the insurgents, the rebels could “break down to rican nation since a political dis- ruling CNDD-FDD party. desperate bandits fi ghting each other”, he sug- pute erupted a year ago. Late on Saturday a grenade igeria’s security services have gested. Tit-for-tat attacks between was also thrown at a fuel reserve hailed the arrest of the leader But equally the opposite could happen and President Pierre Nkurunziza’s facility in Burundi’s second larg- Nof the Boko Haram splinter remaining fi ghters could rally around another security forces and his oppo- est town, Gitenga, although the group Ansaru, Khalid al-Barnawi, say- charismatic rebel leader, he added. nents have been escalating since blast caused no damage, accord- ing it will lead to them to other senior There was confusion last month when Boko he announced a disputed bid for ing to a regional government of- Islamist commanders. Haram leader Abubakar Shekau indicated in a a third term in April 2015. fi cial, Anicet Manirambona. “The arrest of Barnawi is a huge suc- video that his time in charge of the Islamic State More than 400 people have Three armed groups, including cess and will have a profound eff ect on group affi liate was running out. been killed in the ensuing vio- one led by offi cers that attempted counter-terrorism operations in Ni- Yet the following week, another video which lence, according to estimates by a coup in May 2015, have launched geria and beyond,” one security source did not feature Shekau maintained he was still the UN and rights groups. armed rebellions against the gov- told AFP. in charge, and dismissed any suggestion of sur- Nkurunziza’s opponents said ernment, offi cials say. “He is a known transnational terror- render. a third term violated Burundi’s None have claimed responsi- ist and the backbone of all Al Qaeda af- The DSS said Barnawi would soon be in court constitution and a peace pact bility for Saturday’s attacks. fi liate groups in West Africa.” “to face his charges after investigation is com- that ended the country’s 1993- Burundi has accused neigh- Barnawi, designated a global terror- pleted”. Due process is seen as vital, given that 2005 civil war. bouring Rwanda of supporting ist by the US since 2012, was detained Boko Haram became a more deadly force after A constitutional court ruling, the anti-Nkurunziza rebels and on April 1 with three others in the Kogi the death in custody of its original leader Mo- however, said Nkurunziza could there are concerns the violence state capital, Lokoja, and found with hamed Yusuf in 2009. extend his rule. could convulse the entire Great four Thuraya satellite phones. “The last thing they (the authorities) want Citing that ruling, the gov- Lakes region, still haunted by The phones “provided several leads” to do is to make him (Barnawi) a ‘martyr’ that ernment organised an election Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. to “high-profi le Boko Haram and An- A December 24, 2012, file photo of a video released by the radical Islamist group could play into Boko Haram’s hands, which which the president won in July. Rwanda and Burundi both saru elements” in the capital, Abuja, Ansaru. is something they exploit very well,” said St- Etienne Nijimbere, a local gov- have ethnic Hutu majorities and Lokoja and the central city of Jos, said Pierre. ernment offi cial, told Reuters yes- Tutsi minorities. another source. will have on operations on the ground. Haram-affi liated groups have made to “This has been our biggest break- Boko Haram has been pegged back AQIM in the last few months, and Kha- through against terrorism in Nigeria by an aggressive fi ghtback from the lid al-Barnawi was a huge part of that,” ever,” said a third. Nigerian military since January last he said. “We still have other high-ranking year, losing territory and its capacity to “His arrest will aff ect the dynamic terrorists on our radar based on the in- mount conventional attacks. of the discussions between AQIM and formation gathered from the phones of President Muhammadu Buhari has those he represented” at a time when Barnawi and his three comrades. We will gone so far as to say the militants were the Nigerian militants were reaching rope them in at the right time,” he added. “technically” defeated, even if suicide out to jihadists further afi eld. Barnawi is certainly a major prize for and bomb attacks have continued in Ansaru, which is more ideologically Nigerian intelligence, the Department of northeast Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger. aligned to Al Qaeda, is believed to have State Services (DSS), which called him “a Yan St-Pierre, from the Modern been formed as a result of disapproval trained terrorist commander” who also Security Consulting group, however, at Boko Haram’s indiscriminate target- recruited for Al Qaeda affi liates. said Barnawi, who trained in Sudan, ing of civilians. He is accused of masterminding a Afghanistan and with Al Qaeda in the Andrew Walker, author of ‘Eat the string of kidnappings of Westerners Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Algeria, Heart of the Infi del’: The Harrowing of between 2011 and 2013. was “infl uential”. Nigeria and the Rise of Boko Haram, “This arrest is a major milestone in But he was “only one” part of a dis- said shifting dynamics between the the counter-terrorism fi ght,” the DSS parate organisation. groups made the arrest’s impact un- said in a statement on April 9, with an His arrest “should not change much certain. accompanying mugshot of Barnawi. in terms of Ansaru’s terrorist activities”, “However, I think that any removal But while security analysts agree he St-Pierre said, as the group has not car- of key powerful charismatic fi gures is the most high-profi le capture since ried out many operations since 2013. from this situation will have the po- the start of the Islamist insurgency in “Where things could change howev- tential to scatter the remaining fi ghters 2009, it remains unclear what eff ect it er is in the recent openings some Boko and supporters,” he said.

Mali makes third arrest in Ivory Coast beach attack

uthorities in Mali have arrested a Athird man be- lieved to be linked to last month’s deadly Al Qaeda attack on a beach resort in neighbouring Ivory Coast, military offi cials said yesterday. Gunmen shot swim- mers and sunbathers be- fore storming hotels in the town of Grand Bas- sam, killing 19 people 40km from the commer- cial capital, Abidjan, on March 13. One source said Alou Doumbia was arrested late on Saturday in the Malian capital of Bamako and suspected of driving the gunmen from Mali to Ivory Coast. A second police source confi rmed the arrest but was unable to provide further detail. Saturday’s arrest was the third reported in Mali linked to the Grand Bas- sam attacks, that were claimed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamist group’s North African branch.. Eleven Ivorians, in- cluding three special forces’ soldiers, died in the attack. Four French citizens were killed and other foreign victims in- cluded citizens of Germa- ny, Lebanon, Macedonia and Nigeria. Gulf Times 12 Monday, April 18, 2016 AMERICAS Top varsity cop ‘urged aggressive traffi c stops’

Reuters Cincinnati

he former chief of the University of Cincinnati Tpolice force encouraged aggressive use of traffi c stops Former University of Cincinnati to look for guns and drugs, ac- police off icer Ray Tensing cording to a report by a consult- enters court in 2014. ant reviewing the department after a white offi cer shot and by UCPD offi cers during the killed an unarmed black man chief’s tenure. during a traffi c stop last year. “It was clear that Chief Former University of Cincin- Goodrich embraced the ag- nati police chief Jason Goodrich, gressive use of such stops as who resigned in February amid part of his policing philoso- an internal review, pushed the phy,” Exiger added. department’s offi cers to make Exiger found traffi c stops and Immigrants and community leaders rally in front of the US supreme court to mark the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration. more traffi c stops, according to traffi c citations increased by al- the report by consulting fi rm most 400% after Goodrich took Exiger released this week. over as chief in November 2014. Goodrich and the depart- It said traffi c stops prior to ment’s No 2 offi cial, major Tim Goodrich’s arrival averaged Thornton, who also resigned, about 86 a month but then hit said they were unaware of the about 271 a month. In the two reason for the surge in traffi c months before DuBose’s death, stops, the review said. stops and citations were at all- Licence issue could hit Goodrich and Thornton time average highs of 412 and could not immediately be 392, respectively. reached for comment. “The public has a right to The offi cers’ resignations know when offi cers abuse the came during the review of an public trust as well as the ram- off -campus traffi c stop last ifi cations of that abuse,” Cook July 19 during which former County sheriff Thomas Dart US immigration case offi cer Raymond Tensing shot said in a statement. “Transpar- and killed Samuel DuBose. ency is critical to ensuring law Experts feel Texas’ case is Beardall, also a University of Texas Law the United States, will substantially bur- licences and eliminate the harm claimed Tensing claimed he was be- enforcement accountability.” extremely weak School professor, said the claims Texas den driver licence resources without addi- by the state. ing dragged by DuBose’s car The video release comes as makes of harm are tenuous. tional funding and support,” Texas stated If the justices agree that Texas has during an attempted escape but the third-biggest US city’s po- Reuters “It has been regarded by almost all legal in the document. standing to bring the case, they then would Tensing’s body camera footage lice department faces a federal Austin, Texas scholars as a very thin basis for claiming The state said that for each additional consider whether deferred-deportation as well as an investigation con- investigation and racism accu- the kind of irreparable harm that would 1,750 people seeking driver’s licences, it policies that were part of Obama’s actions cluded the car was barely mov- sations over the death of black support a temporary injunction, or the would have to hire roughly two full-time violated rule-making requirements in a ing, if at all, when Tensing fi red. teenager Laquan McDonald. ne of the pivotal issues in the kind of serious harm that would support employees to process them. federal law called the Administrative Pro- A grand jury later indicted Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel closely watched battle over presi- standing,” Beardall said. That number does not match the fi gure cedure Act. Under that law, federal agen- Tensing for murder. He pleaded fi red his police commissioner Odent Barack Obama’s executive If the supreme court fi nds that Texas in this fi scal year’s state budget, which said cies typically must issue a general notice of not guilty and is free on $1mn in 2015 after protests following action on immigration to be argued before lacked a suffi cient “injury” to sue, the case the average number of driver’s licences a proposed rule and give interested parties bond. His trial is scheduled to the release of a video showing a the US supreme court today is the rather ends there and Obama wins. and records produced by a single full-time a chance to comment. Obama administra- begin October 24. Chicago police offi cer shooting banal subject of the money Texas pays for In a fi ling with the supreme court, Texas employee is 2,638 annually, a fi gure triple tion lawyers say the deferred deportation Police use of lethal force, McDonald 16 times. driver’s licences. contends that processing driver’s licences the effi ciency of the state’s claim to the practices are not binding rules subject to especially by white offi cers The McDonald video was To bring the case and have legal stand- for immigrants shielded from deportation Supreme Court. the Act. Rather, they characterise these against unarmed African- released more than a year af- ing, the state of Texas, the lead plaintiff in under Obama’s action would cost the state Texas said in its supreme court fi ling policies as an outgrowth of the US depart- Americans and other minori- ter the October 2014 shooting, the case, must show that it has been hurt more than $103mn in additional funds to that to process applications from the im- ment of homeland security’s discretion in ties, has been the focus of pro- sparking a round of protests in some way. In its fi ling, Texas argues process as many as 520,000 people seek- migrants who fall under the terms of the determining deportation priorities. The tests and the killing of DuBose late last year. that it would take a hefty fi nancial hit for ing licences. executive action, it has to make additional administration contends that the home- also fuelled demonstrations. The Cook County jail videos processing driver’s licences for immigrants The $103mn fi gure is nearly triple what checks. It also said the average costs of land security secretary should be able to An independent report on document six cases on which in the country illegally whose deportation the state of 27mn people currently budgets those checks is about 75 cents an appli- focus his department’s limited resources DuBose’s shooting released the Sheriff ’s Merit Board made would be deferred under Obama’s execu- annually for all driver’s licence services in- cant. on deporting serious criminals and secur- last September called it “en- rulings. The board is a civil- tive action. cluding tasks such as administering about When the court takes up the challenge, ing the border. tirely preventable”. Robin En- ian body that makes the fi nal The Texas attorney general’s offi ce said 4.9mn driver’s examinations and mailing the eight justices face a series of legal A fi nal possible question for the justices gel, the university’s vice presi- judgment whenever the sher- Obama’s action “would cause a spike in approximately 6.3mn driver’s licences and questions beginning with whether Texas is whether the deferred deportation vio- dent for safety and reform, said iff ’s offi ce recommends fi rings driver’s license applications, thus making identifi cation cards. and the other state challengers even have lates a dictate of the US constitution that on Friday that traffi c stops can or long-term suspensions for those licenses much more costly to issue”. In its explanation of costs contained in grounds to bring the case. presidents must “take care” to “faithfully be an eff ective policing tool but offi cers. Earlier this year, Dart But the numbers cited by Texas in its a 400-page appendix to the high court, Texas subsidises the cost of processing execute” the nation’s laws. Texas and the only when used with proper posted rulings from the merit claim far exceed what the state currently Texas said the additional immigrants it ex- driver’s licences and contends Obama’s other states that brought the lawsuit say oversight and data review. board on the sheriff ’s website. pays annually for all its driver’s licence pects to seek driver’s licences would force actions would cost it millions of dol- Obama, in taking executive action that by- Exiger said Goodrich and The videos were posted at services. it to hire new staff , expand offi ce space and lars. The Obama administration rejects passed Congress, crossed that line because Thornton were untruthful http://www.cookcountysheriff . “It is kind of dry, legal stuff , but it is of bolster technology. that basis for standing to fi le suit, assert- Congress is in charge of deciding who is a with both Exiger and the uni- org/meritboard_decisions.html. great consequence,” said Bill Beardall, ex- “The added customer base that may be ing that any such costs are “incidental” lawful or unlawful immigrant. The Obama versity administration, “mis- Cook County recently paid ecutive director of the Equal Justice Cent- created by the president’s executive ac- and could be avoided by the state. Obama administration says it was faithfully ex- representing their knowledge more than $10mn to install er in Texas, which provides legal help for tion, assuming an applicant will be able to administration lawyers say Texas could ecuting the authority to determine priori- as to signifi cant increased use more than 2,400 cameras low-income families and immigrants. demonstrate they are authorised to be in eliminate the subsidies for these driver’s ties under immigration law. of off -campus traffi c stops throughout its jail complex.

Seattle remains likely that of murdered woman Two Canadians dead

Reuters John Charlton, 37, has been charged in likely connected to Lyne’s murder, po- drop off their three girls at her suburban Renton in Ecuador quake Seattle the fi rst degree murder of Ingrid Lyne, a lice said in an online media release. home and couldn’t locate her, police said.In- 40-year-old nurse and mother of three Friends told police Lyne and Charlton vestigators, who searched Lyne’s house, found girls. Lyne’s head, arm, and leg were had met online and had been seeing each swabs of blood and a 15-inch pruning saw in the Agencies ways along the Pacifi c Coast of uman remains discovered in discovered on April 9 wrapped in plastic other about a month when she disap- bathroom. Ottawa the South American country. Seattle likely belong to a woman and tossed in the recycling container of peared on April 8 after the pair attended In an interview with detectives, Charlton ac- The quake was centred Hwho was murdered and dismem- a Seattle home. a Seattle Mariners baseball game. knowledged he went to the baseball game with about 170km northwest of the bered after going on a date last week with More remains were discovered by She was reported missing the next Lyne and the two returned to her home, accord- ederal offi cials say two capital, Quito. a man she met online, police said. sanitation workers on Friday and are morning after her ex-husband tried to ing to the documents. Canadians are among at President Rafael Correa has He said he was too drunk to remember much Fleast 233 people killed by declared a national emergency of what happened next and that Lyne eventu- an earthquake in Ecuador. and some 10,000 armed forc- ally drove him to Seattle, according to the docu- Global Aff airs Canada says es have been deployed to the ments. consular offi cials are in contact earthquake region in addition Detectives noted cuts on Charlton’s forehead, with the families of the two to 4,600 national police. according to the document, though he denied Canadians, who have not been Global Aff airs Canada has having any injuries. named. asked friends and relatives of His attorney has said no forensic evidence The 7.8-magnitude earth- those known to be travelling in links him to the crime. quake is the strongest to hit Ecuador to contact their emer- Charlton is being held on $2mn bail and is due Ecuador since 1979, levelling gency response centre.-Cour- to be arraigned on April 27. buildings and buckling high- tesy yahoo.com

Firefi ghter survives deadly shooting

Reuters other volunteers with the department County police said on Facebook. Maryland sustained less serious injuries while When no one answered the door, seeking cover in the shootings. They the fi refi ghters began forcing their way were released from the hospital on into the house, Prince George’s Coun- Maryland volunteer fi refi ghter Saturday. ty fi re and emergency medical services critically wounded by gun- John Ulmschneider, a 37-year-old department said. Afi re that killed a colleague was fi refi ghter and medic, died as a result Several shots were fi red from inside struck four times, but is expected to of his injuries at a hospital late on Fri- the home, striking both fi refi ghters. A survive, Prince George’s County au- day, the local fi re department said in a family member of the occupant was thorities said on Saturday. statement. also struck, but sustained non-life- Kevin Swain, 19, a volunteer fi re- The fi refi ghters were responding to a threatening injuries. fi ghter in Morningside, Maryland, call on Friday to check on the well-be- The shooter surrendered and was remains hospitalised in serious but ing of a man whose relatives had been taken into police custody, authorities stable condition after surgery. Two unable to reach him, Prince George’s said. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 13 AMERICAS Attempts at suicide rise in Canada community

Reuters ments sent healthcare workers Toronto to the community in response to the state of emergency. Canadian legislators held a ive children tried to take special parliamentary session their own lives Friday Tuesday night to address the Fevening in a Canadian suicide attempts. aboriginal community, its Charlie Angus, a member chief said, following other at- of parliament whose electoral tempted suicides after he had district includes Attawapiskat, declared a state of emergency said the attempts on Friday are over repeated such incidents. the result of growing despair in Chief Bruce Shisheesh of the the area due to neglect by the Attawapiskat First Nation in federal government. the province of Ontario con- “We have to get away from fi rmed the news in a telephone our government attitude that Bernie Sanders greets people as he walks through Brooklyn Bridge Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York yesterday. conversation on Saturday. they can sit and wait and wait,” He said “a few” people tried he said in an interview. taking their own lives in the Attawapiskat has declared community of 2,000 in the fi ve states of emergency since days before Friday, though he 2006. It previously sounded declined to go into specifi c the alarm over fl ooding and numbers. sewage issues, poor drinking Those incidents are in ad- water and a housing crisis. dition to the dozen or so teen- The problems plaguing abo- agers who attempted suicide riginals gained prominence Sanders’ criticism yesterday. in January when a gunman The attempts came after killed four people in La Loche, Attawapiskat declared a state Saskatchewan. An aboriginal of emergency last Saturday, teenager was charged in the in response to 11 of its mem- shootings. bers attempting suicide in one Shisheesh said federal and weekend and 28 trying to do so provincial governments need in March. to immediately address the of Israel splits Jews Shisheesh declined to go community’s infrastructure into the details of the cases, issues and increase mental Sanders broke with tradition by to treat the Palestinian people with re- Democrat Sharon Goldtzvik, 29, told he is already 10 steps behind,” she told citing privacy. health support. rebuff ing AIPAC spect and dignity,” Sanders said. AFP she was “really excited” to see a presi- AFP. Canada’s 1.4mn aboriginals Local police and Health Sanders, who is the only Jewish presi- dential candidate bring up the issue of Pal- “You don’t play your hand before you have higher levels of poverty Canada, the lead federal agen- AFP dential hopeful this year, has lived in Is- estinian dignity. get to the table and you don’t play your and a lower life expectancy cy in tackling the suicide at- Washington rael. She founded and runs Uprise, a com- hand before you get to a national election.” than other Canadians. Health tempts, could not be reached In other countries the remarks would munications fi rm which works with non- Sanders’ suspension of his Jewish out- minister Jane Philpott has said immediately for comment. have been considered run of the mill, said profi t groups and focuses on human rights reach director for referring to Netanyahu the suicide rates among abo- Angus and Canada’s Indig- hen Bernie Sanders called Is- Daniel Sieradski, national organiser of the and the Middle East. Goldtzvik has lived in vulgar terms also signals a lack of expe- riginal youth were at least 10 enous and Northern Aff airs rael’s response in the 2014 Gaza group “Jews for Bernie” which has 8,000 in Israel, is married to an Israeli, and de- rience or suggests he is not informed, Ross times higher than for the gen- Minister Carolyn Bennett said Wwar disproportionate and urged supporters on Facebook. scribes Sanders as “a breath of fresh air”. said. eral population of young peo- in a joint statement on Friday America to be more balanced on the Is- “But because the discourse in American “I’m under 30. People in my cohort were Sanders was the only the candidate who ple. they would visit the commu- raeli-Palestinian confl ict, he smashed a Jewish politics has been pulled so far to the not willing to accept (that) there is only declined to speak at the AIPAC event in Regional and federal govern- nity. presidential campaign taboo. right in the last couple of decades, Bernie one way to support Israel, so I do think Washington on March 21. He also told the His remarks at the April 14 Democratic is being made to sound like some anti-Is- that he represents the views of many, New York Daily News -- mistakenly -- debate ahead of New York’s decisive pri- rael extremist.” many Jews and a growing number of Jews.” that he thought more than 10,000 civil- Woman ‘jumped’ fences at tiger exhibit mary on Tuesday amounted to unprec- During the last contested Democratic According to a Pew Research Center ians were killed in Gaza in 2014. edented criticism of Israel and promotion New York primary in 1992, it might have poll, 35% of Democrats thought Israel had Howard Graubard, a New York lawyer Toronto Zoo off icials are investigating after a video surfaced that of Palestinian rights from a canvassing US been political suicide, The New York Times gone too far in its response during the 2014 active in Democratic politics in the state, shows a woman jumping over the first of two fences that separate presidential candidate. wrote. Gaza. does not expect Sanders to suff er much zoo-goers from Sumatran tigers. It appears the woman hopped the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netan- Sieradski disagreed. “I don’t think it’s Sanders has “at least opened up the dis- at the ballot box “because he was going to barrier to retrieve a hat. The video, which was posted to YouTube yahu “is not right all of the time”, said the political suicide,” he told AFP. “But it defi - course so the conversation can shift in the lose anyway”. on Saturday, shows a tiger pacing back and forth — clearly agitated, Vermont senator. “We cannot continue to nitely didn’t help him among people who Democratic Party, and that’s a big deal”, It won’t alienate his progressive Jewish a zoo representative said — on the other side of the interior fence. be one-sided.” have hard-line views on Israel.” said Sieradski. supporters, but his criticism of Israel gives Zoo representative Jennifer Tracey said that because of the interior He criticised Democratic frontrunner He said Jewish Americans make up 20% Polls show that Sanders trails Clinton Orthodox and right-wing Zionist Demo- barrier, the woman wasn’t in any danger from the tiger, but that she Hillary Clinton for not saying that she of the New York electorate. The majority 40-60% among Jewish Democrats in New crats, who feel little enthusiasm for Clin- could have otherwise injured herself. “At no time would she have would do more to promote Palestinian of them are Democrats, meaning that air- York City, and 13 points behind his oppo- ton, a reason to get out and vote. come into contact with the tiger,” Tracey said. “She easily could rights when she addressed the powerful tight support for Israel has long been con- nent on a state-wide average. “They’re nominal Democrats and need a have broken an ankle from jumping over.” In the video, someone right-wing American Israel Public Aff airs sidered a campaign must. Documentary fi lmmaker Gaylen Ross is motivator,” Graubard said. can be heard saying, “She jumped in front of it like a moron!” Committee (AIPAC) lobby in Washington But Sanders’ words refl ect changing at- voting for Clinton and believes she is the “People are being emailed, fl iers will be “You’re a bad example for everyone else’s kids,” someone else told in March. titudes among Jewish voters, particularly candidate best able to negotiate a two- going up this weekend, there will be phone the woman. This isn’t the first time the zoo’s Sumatran tigers have “If we are ever going to bring peace to Millennials who grew up seeing Israel as state solution. banks, and the message about Bernie and made the news: in 2011, one of the rare tigers was mauled to death that region, which has seen so much ha- a strong state and for whom the horrors of “Frankly if that’s the kind of language Israel is going out to pull those people out by her mate According to the zoo’s website, there are only about tred and so much war, we are going to have the Holocaust are more removed. that he comes to a negotiating table with to vote.” 350 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

Helicopter crashes on tracks, delays Amtrak train services

Reuters Baltimore

helicopter that was inspecting power lines crashed on rail tracks near Baltimore/Washington Inter- Anational Airport on Saturday, sparking a brush fi re and delaying Amtrak train service along a major passenger route, offi cials said. The crash, which injured three on board, resulted in de- lays to Amtrak service between Baltimore and Washington, DC, according to the railroad’s statements and social media posts. An Amtrak spokeswoman said that by mid-afternoon all service had resumed between the two cities. Airline op- erations were not aff ected, airport spokeswoman Whitney Kidd said. The helicopter was fl ying at low altitude around a power line when it crashed a mile north of the Maryland airport, near Amtrak’s BWI Station, the Federal Aviation Adminis- tration and Anne Arundel County police said. The helicopter was destroyed in the crash and the three people hurt were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, said Ariel Jackson, a lieutenant at the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. No one else was hurt, the FAA and police said. The crew of the helicopter, which was operated by a private contractor, was inspecting transmission lines for Baltimore Gas and Electric, a division of Exelon Company [EXCGC.UL], said BGE spokesman Justin Mulcahy. The crash, which was reported just before 1pm on the ma- jor passenger train corridor linking Washington and other northeastern cities, sparked a fi re in the wooded area where the helicopter came down, but fi refi ghters extinguished the blaze, Maryland State Police said in a statement. Police said the cause of the crash was under investiga- tion by federal transportation authorities. Gulf Times 14 Monday, April 18, 2016 ASEAN

Ex-cop nabbed over illegal 83 political prisoners weapons trade get pardon in Myanmar Agencies AFP before after learning of their re- Tak Yangon lease, he said. Others seen released in lo- cal media reports included Htin former police offi cer on yanmar President Htin Lin Oo, a writer and former NLD the run for illegal posses- Kyaw pardoned 83 po- information offi cer, and Htin Asion of war weapons was Mlitical prisoners on the Kyaw, a well-known democracy arrested in Wang Chao district country’s traditional New Year activist who shares the presi- yesterday morning after return- yesterday, a spokesman from his dent’s name and spent more ing home from Songkran cel- offi ce said, as the fl edgling civil- than a decade in and out of the ebrations. ian-led administration seeks to country’s notorious prisons. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Seksan cast off the shackles of nearly “The release is welcome, but Konkaew, 43, was caught while half a century of military rule. the NLD needs to release more resting in a house in Wang Chao. The new government, steered political prisoners as soon as A combined team of police and by veteran democracy activist possible” said Bo Kyi from the soldiers burst into the house at Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent Assistance Association for 6.30am, Bangkok Post reported. its fi rst weeks in power free- Political Prisoners (AAPP), a The former Tak police offi cer ing scores of political activists watchdog group that tracks in- was wanted on a warrant issued prosecuted under the country’s formation about the country’s by the 310th military circle on former military leaders. prisoners of conscience. March 6 this year for illegal pos- “All of the 83 prisoners that There are still dozens of po- session of war weapons and car- the president gave amnesty to litical prisoners and hundreds rying them in public areas with- today are political prisoners of others facing trial, he said. out permission. and prisoners concerned with In a New Year speech yester- A motorcycle he used to es- political cases,” Zaw Htay, the day, President Htin Kyaw - an cape arrest was seized. The sus- deputy director of the presi- ally and close friend of Suu Kyi pect was handed over to Mae Sot dent’s offi ce, told AFP. - stressed his administration’s police station for legal action. A presidential pardon pub- determination to free all politi- Maj Gen Padung Yingpaibun- lished yesterday morning said cal activists facing prosecution. suk, commander of the 310th the amnesty was granted to Suu Kyi is banned from the military circle, said the military “make people feel happy and presidency by a junta-era char- had closely worked with police peaceful, and (promote) na- ter but is guiding her party’s to track down the suspect as the tional reconciliation during the government through her seats case aff ected national security. New Year”. in the cabinet and a newly- Earlier, a combined team of The former junta’s routine fashioned role as state counsel- police and soldiers gave chase to jailing of dissidents was one of Freed political prisoner Htin Kyaw (right) -— no relation to Myanmar’s president with the same name — and who was sentenced to 10 years in prison lor. a white pickup truck with a Tak many repressive policies that at Insein Prison is reunited with his wife Than Than Maw (left) and son Aung Kyaw Htin at a guest house in Yangon yesterday, following his release. The novice administration is licence plate which sped past a se- garnered support for the de- carrying the hopes of millions curity checkpoint. mocracy struggle led by Suu ing the dark junta days, oversaw of political detainees, but over- terday were fi ve journalists “We have been looking for- of voters hungry for greater The offi cers later found the Kyi and her National League for her government’s fi rst amnesty saw the detention of scores handed 10-year sentences in ward to hearing good news from freedoms and economic rejuve- pickup truck, which was parked Democracy (NLD), which swept push earlier this month, when more. 2014 over a report accusing the this new government,” Yarzar nation after decades of military in front of a house in Mae Sot dis- historic polls in November. authorities dropped charges Local media aired joyful reun- military of producing chemical Oo, one of the reporters from strangulation. trict. However, the driver fl ed.A The party is stacked with ex- against nearly 200 political ac- ion scenes as released prisoners weapons - which the govern- Unity Weekly News, said by But many challenges lie search uncovered 10 M16 rifl es, political prisoners who were tivists ahead of the New Year left jails across the country, car- ment denied. phone after his release from Pa- ahead, including a deeply fl awed more than 3,000 rounds of M16 jailed for their activism under holiday. rying small bags of belongings The journalists’ sentence, kokku Prison in Magway region. legal system, the military’s con- ammunition, 11 rounds of M79 the former military regime. The former quasi-civilian and joining loved ones in song which was later reduced to sev- The group was greeted with tinuing clout, high poverty rates ammunition, one AK rifl e and Suu Kyi, who spent some 15 government that replaced junta outside the prison gates. en years, was slammed by rights fl owers by their relatives, who and civil wars in several ethnic other munitions on the pickup. years under house arrest dur- rule in 2011 also freed hundreds Among those pardoned yes- groups as “outrageously harsh”. gathered at the prison the night minority states.

Protest against land reclamation

ONE SMOKER.

Activists hold banners as they stand on reclaimed land during a protest againtst land reclamation in Jakarta Bay, TWO PATIENTS. Indonesia yesterday. The banners read, “Sealed by Fisherman” and “Jakarta Reject Reclamation”.

Singapore must ‘focus on own role’ over forest fi res

Agencies told Foresthints.news in a report posted online last Saturday. TOBACCO KILLS Jakarta According to the report, details of which The Straits Times could not reach the Environment and Forestry Min- istry in Jakarta to verify, Siti was referring to comments ndonesia has taken substantial steps to prevent a repeat made by her Singaporean counterpart at a forum in Singa- of the forest and land fi res that caused last year’s haze pore last Friday. Icrisis, and Singapore should just focus on its own role in Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Ma- the transboundary issue instead of concerning itself with sagos Zulkifl i had said in his speech at the third Singapore what its neighbour is doing. Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources that his govern- That is the view of Indonesian Environment and For- ment applauded Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s latest estry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar as reported by an envi- move to push through a moratorium on new concessions for ronmental news website over the weekend, Straits Times oil palm plantations and land for mining activities, in a bid reported. to protect the environment. “We have been consistent in sticking to our part of the Masagos also said he welcomed the president’s appoint- bargain, especially by attempting to prevent the recurrence ment of Nazir Foead, a former director of WWF-Indonesia, of land and forest fi res and by consistently enforcing the law. to helm the new Peatland Restoration Agency. A key aim of So, my question is – what has the Singaporean government the agency, set up by President Joko, is to restore about 2mn done? I feel that they should focus on their own role,” Siti ha of peatlands in seven provinces by 2020.

Homemade bombs found in Malaysia

DPA Bomb-making equipment, includ- safely detonated at a nearby quarry. Kuala Lumpur ing a coal powder and several pipes Aside from the bombs, police offi c- and wires, were also seized during a ers also seized illegal drugs in the unit, raid on the 17th fl oor of the block in he added. olice yesterday found fi ve home- Damansara Perdana in Petaling Jaya, Police have remained on heightened made bombs in a condominium according to police chief Mohamed alert throughout Malaysia following Punit in the outskirts of the Ma- Zani Che Din. January bombings in the Indonesian Issued in Public Interest by GULF TIMES laysian capital, forcing the evacuation Two suspects escaped, Mohamed capital Jakarta that killed several peo- of about 200 residents, an offi cial said. Zani said, adding the bombs were ple. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

LEGAL NOW ‘FINAL STAGES’ WANTED DOG DAYS ‘ACTUAL’ CONDITIONS ‘Pastafarians’ tie knot in North Korea preparing for Hong Kong extradites Depp, Heard Down Under China upgrades drills for first recognised wedding fresh nuclear test : reports double murder suspect to face terrier tangle South China Sea fleets

Donned in eye-patches and a spaghetti bridal A surge in activity at North Korea’s atomic test A Chinese national arrested in Hong Kong for Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp and his actress China’s South China Sea fleets have conducted headdress, two New Zealanders have celebrated site suggests preparations for a fifth nuclear test allegedly murdering his two teenage nephews wife Amber Heard have landed on the Australian training drills with upgraded methods the first legally recognised ‘Pastafarian’ marriage are in their final stages, possibly before a key in the US has been extradited back to the Gold Coast ahead of a trial to determine whether that resemble actual combat conditions to on board a pirate ship, in a milestone of recognition political event in early May, South Korean media US, city police said yesterday. Shi Deyun, 44, Heard illegally brought two pet dogs into the increase the fleets’ combat effectiveness, for the bizarre global ‘religion’. The Church of the reported yesterday. The frequency of vehicle, was detained at Hong Kong’s international country, local media reported yesterday. The according to an article published by the PLA Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose stated beliefs workforce and equipment movements at the airport in January after arriving on a flight couple were believed to have been aboard a Daily yesterday. Begun on April 7, the drills are in a god made of spaghetti, have amassed Punggye-ri site have “increased two to threefold,” from Los Angeles. He is accused of murdering private jet that touched down at Coolangatta include new methods such as training within followers around the world. “We decided to do a since last month, Yonhap news agency said, citing his nephews, aged 15 and 16. “Wanted for two Airport yesterday morning, broadcaster ABC an electromagnetic environment. Previously, pirate wedding mainly because it shows respect to multiple government sources. Off icials believe cases of murder...(he) was extradited to the and The Courier Mail newspaper reported. The the fleets have also conducted all-weather the Pastafarian faith. Pastafariansm believes that the trucks seen moving in and out of the complex US of America from Hong Kong on April 15,” early flight meant there were no media photos drills, beyond visibility range training and low- all humans are descendants of pirates,” groom are likely carrying nuclear technicians. “If they a police spokesman told AFP in an emailed and “it is not known where they are staying,” altitude, high-speed exercises to hammer their Toby Ricketts said alongside bride Marianna Fenn. are signs of nuclear test preparations, it seems statement. Media reports said Shi was heading ABC reported. The four-day trial is set to begin pilots into shape, the article said. The article Followers who revere pirates insist that they are not the preparations are in the final stages,” Yonhap to mainland China when he was arrested on tomorrow in Southport in the north-eastern state did not specifically say where in the South a spoof church and that their beliefs are genuine. quoted one government source as saying. January 24, but he has denied fleeing. of Queensland. Depp may be called as a witness. China Sea the drills took place. Japan rescuers search rubble Reuters Quakes are common in Ja- Electronics giant Sony Corp Tokyo pan, part of the seismically ac- said its Kumamoto image sensors tive “Ring of Fire” which sweeps plant would remain suspended. from the South Pacifi c islands, up One of the company’s major cus- apanese rescue teams yester- through Indonesia, Japan, across tomers for the sensors is Apple. day scoured the splintered re- to Alaska and down the west Meanwhile, Honda said produc- Jmains of buildings destroyed coast of the US and Central and tion at its motorcycle plant in by a series of deadly earthquakes South America. southern Japan would remain in southern Japan as time ran out At the other end of the ring suspended through Friday. for fi nding survivors and as ma- this weekend, Ecuador’s biggest Suga said the government may jor Japanese manufacturers face earthquake in decades killed at seek a supplementary budget to production losses from supply least 77 people, caused devasta- cover the cost of the quakes. chain disruptions. tion in coastal towns and left an “We will do all that we can,” A 7.3 magnitude tremor struck unknown number trapped in ru- Kyodo News quoted Suga as tell- early on Saturday, killing at least 32 ins. ing a press briefi ng. people, injuring about a thousand A 6.1 magnitude quake also All commercial fl ights to the and causing widespread damage to struck southeast of the Pacifi c damaged Kumamoto airport houses, roads and bridges, with at island nation of Tonga, with no were cancelled and Japan’s bullet least one mountain highway sev- immediate reports of damage. train to the region suspended. ered in two, concrete tumbling into Three nuclear plants in the Expressways are closed in wide the valley below. southern Japanese region were areas because of landslides and In the village of Minamiaso, 11 unaff ected by the second quake, cracks in road surfaces, hinder- people were “out of contact”, said but the Nuclear Regulation Au- ing eff orts to get supplies of wa- public broadcaster NHK. thority said it will hold an ex- ter and food to survivors. Rescuers pulled 10 students traordinary meeting today to dis- Overnight, rescuers digging out of a collapsed university cuss the disaster. with their bare hands dragged apartment in the same settle- A massive 9 magnitude quake some elderly survivors, still in ment on Saturday. and tsunami in northern Japan their pyjamas, out of the rubble “In Minamiaso, where the in March 2011 caused the worst and onto makeshift stretchers damage is concentrated, there nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in made of tatami mats. may still be people trapped un- 1986, shutting down the nuclear Prime Minister Shinzo Abe der collapsed buildings, so we are industry for safety checks and said he would boost the number focusing our attention and rescue sending radiation spewing across of troops helping to 25,000 and and search eff orts in this area,” the countryside. The fi rst reactor had accepted a U.S off er of help chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide to restart was Kyushu Electric’s with air transportation. Policemen search for missing people in a damaged neighbourhood of Mashiki town in Kumamoto prefecture. Suga told reporters. Sendai No. 1, which is at one of Heavy rains fuelled worries of It was the second major quake the plants in the region hit on more landslides and with hun- cover damaged roofs, but many Troops set up tents for evacu- The epicentre of Saturday’s bardment and fi re in its four cen- to hit Kumamoto province on the Saturday. dreds of aftershocks and fears of homes were simply deserted. ees and water trucks were being quake was near the city of Ku- turies of existence. island of Kyushu in just over 24 Nearly 20,000 people were more quakes, thousands spent Around 62,700 households sent to the area while television mamoto and measured at a shal- The USGS, a science organisa- hours. killed in the 2011 tsunami. the night in evacuation centres. were without electricity, water footage showed people stranded low depth of 10 km (six miles), tion that provides information The fi rst, late on Thursday, The Kumamoto region is an “It’s full in there. There’s not a supplies had been disrupted to after the fall of a bridge being res- the US Geological Survey (USGS) on ecosystems and the environ- killed nine people. important manufacturing hub. inch to sleep or even walk about more than 300,000 homes and cued by helicopters. said. The shallower a quake, the ment, estimated there was a 72% Of more than 470 quakes hit- Toyota Motor Corp said it in there. It’s impossible in there,” some areas had lost their gas Police said 32 people had been more likely it is to cause damage. likelihood of economic damage ting Kyushu since Thursday, would suspend production at a resident of Mashiki town said supply, said NHK. confi rmed dead in Saturday’s The city’s 400-year-old Ku- exceeding $10bn, adding that it 78 have been at least a four on plants across Japan after the outside an evacuation centre. More than 110,000 people have quake. The government said mamoto Castle was badly dam- was too early to be specifi c. Ma- Japan’s intensity scale, strong quakes disrupted its supply Firefi ghters handed out tar- been evacuated from the Ku- about 190 of the injured were in a aged, with its walls breached jor insurers are yet to release es- enough to shake buildings. chain. paulins to residents so they could mamoto area, said Kyodo. serious condition. after having withstood bom- timates.

Australians killed in Vietnam War to be brought home

AFP Canberra

ustralian soldiers killed in the Vietnam War and bur- ied in Malaysia and Singapore will be brought home in AJune with a full military ceremony, it was announced yesterday. Thirty-fi ve soldiers who died in the confl ict lie in Malay- sia’s Terendak Cemetery, which sits inside a large, operational military base, and one other in Kranji War Cemetery in Sin- gapore. In May last year, then Australian prime minister Tony Ab- bott off ered repatriation to the families and more than 30 of them have accepted the off er. “The homecoming of their family member will be a very moving and emotional time, and their right to privacy, grief and refl ection has been central in the government’s plan- ning,” said Australia’s Veterans’ Aff airs Minister Dan Tehan in a statement. For families who decided not to take up the off er, their rela- tives’ graves will be maintained in perpetuity as is the stand- ard for all Australian war dead in cemeteries around the world, the government said. Royal Australian Air Force planes will fl y the remains back to a military base outside Sydney on June 2 where they will be received in a formal ceremony, followed by a private memorial service for their families. Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia president Ken Members of the Hong Kong Cabin Crew Federation protest at the Hong Kong International Airport. Foster said the families and the veterans community had been asking for the bodies to be reinterred for some time. “It was the family members who started putting pressure and raising all sorts of questions about, ‘Is there some way we can have these veterans brought home?’,” he told the Austral- Protesters accuse Hong Kong leader of breaching safety rules ian Broadcasting Corporation. Foster added that the move would enable not just family but those who fought alongside the fallen to pay their respects. AFP Protesters - including cabin bag was delivered to the 23-year- They ended the three-hour check and aviation safety was not “A lot of the veterans would not be in the situation where Hong Kong crew, pilots and activists - staged old. C Y Leung has admitted making demonstration by marching aff ected by the incident. they could go to Malaysia and visit the graves,” he said. a sit-in at Chek Lap Kok airport’s a call but denied pressuring staff . around the busy airport terminal As with previous leaders since “Now the families will have the choice of where they’re arrival hall, alleging special treat- Protesters alleged that Leung mis- as curious travellers recorded the 1997 Leung was picked by an reinterred and the local veteran community within Australia ore than 1,000 people ment for Leung’s family. used his power and said the incident scene with smartphones. electoral committee dominated will be able to visit those graves whenever they want.” staged a protest yester- They said they were annoyed by could jeopardise aviation safety. Hong Kong was handed over by by pro-Beijing elites. Since then, Australian soldiers killed in World Wars I and II and the Mday at Hong Kong airport an apparent special arrangement “We are strongly against privi- Britain to China in 1997 under a he has faced several controversies. Korean War were buried near to where they fell but around over an alleged breach of aviation which helped 23-year-old Leung leges. We are stressed and an- “One country, two systems” ar- In 2012 he was embroiled in a the time of the Vietnam engagement this policy changed and safety rules involving the baggage Chung-yan after she acciden- noyed. We cannot stay silent,” rangement which guarantees its row stemming from illegal struc- bodies were usually brought home. of the city leader’s daughter. tally left her hand baggage at the Carol Ng, of the Hong Kong Cabin freedoms for 50 years. But there are tures at his luxury home. Almost 60,000 Australian military personnel fought along- It was the latest controversy to check-in counter last month. Crew Federation, one of the pro- fears such freedoms are being erod- In 2014 the former surveyor side the US in Vietnam, with 521 losing their lives. Of these, all hit Beijing-backed Chief Execu- Airport staff brought it to her in test organisers, told AFP. ed due to the increasing behind- was accused of taking a $7mn but the 36 in Malaysia and Singapore were returned home. tive Leung Chun-ying since he the restricted zone. Slogan-shouting protesters the-scenes infl uence of Beijing. payment from an Australian com- Australia became one of the fi rst Western countries to es- took offi ce in 2012 in the semi-au- Local media have reported that held banners reading “No com- A government spokesman said pany arising from his business tablish diplomatic ties with Hanoi in 1973, and has become a tonomous Chinese city. His pop- the chief executive made a phone promise on professionalism” and the bag of Leung’s daughter had before he became the city’s leader. substantial aid donor and business partner of the communist ularity ratings are currently low. call to relevant offi cers before the “The sky with 100% safety”. undergone a thorough security He has denied any wrongdoing. nation. Gulf Times 16 Monday, April 18, 2016 BRITAIN

LAW AND ORDER CONTROVERSY DECISION CRIME COMMENT Police bail one of five New claims about minister ‘Eyesore’ road signs to be Man charged with killing Broadband speed adverts linked to terror attacks dismissed as ‘tittle-tattle’ axed to save money: govt as woman found stabbed misleading, say MPs

The police have bailed one of five people Embarrassing claims about the private life of Councils are to be given new powers to strip away A man has been charged with the murder of a Broadband speed advertising is misleading and arrested last week on suspicion of preparing John Whittingdale have been branded “tittle- “eyesore” road signs in a bid to save cash and woman found stabbed to death less than six must be reformed, a cross party group of MPs has acts of terrorism, West Midlands Police in tattle” by people close to the Cabinet minister. make Britain’s streets more pleasing on the eye, minutes after police received an emergency call said. Customers should be able to leave contracts central England said yesterday. The police Former topless model Stephanie Hudson the government has announced. Signs warning from a woman in distress. Off icers were dispatched and be given compensation if they have been arrested five people last week as part of an claimed the culture secretary had breached of permit-parking zones and cycle lanes could to the property on Gosford Way, Felixstowe, Suff olk, misled by service providers, according to the investigation which a security source said security protocols while they were a relationship. be among those removed under measures to at 10.30pm on Wednesday after receiving the British Infrastructure Group. It also criticised the was linked to the attacks in Paris and Brussels. Whittingdale showed her confidential papers at be introduced on Friday by Transport Secretary 999 call. On arrival just over five minutes later way Advertising Standards Authority guidelines Four were arrested in Birmingham and one his constituency home and also photographed Patrick McLoughlin. Repeater speed limit signs they found a woman in her 60s who had suff ered mean only one in 10 broadband users need to at London’s Gatwick Airport. West Midlands Cabinet Ministers at a private meeting in could also be axed under changes McLoughlin said serious injuries. Paramedics were called to the be able to obtain the fastest advertised speed. Police said in a statement that four people, Chequers before secretly texting the image could save local authorities £30mn over the next scene, although the woman, who has not been Grant Shapps, who set up the group, told BBC three women and one man, were still being to her, she claimed in the Mail on Sunday. But four years and stop drivers being “distracted”. The named, was pronounced dead. A Home Off ice post- Radio 4’s Today programme: “It seems to us that’s questioned after securing warrants of further sources insisted that Hudson “never had access” department for transport says the number of road mortem found the woman had died of a single stab extraordinary.” The former Conservative party detention, while a 59-year-old man had been to government documents and said the Tory MP signs in England has almost doubled from 2.45mn wound. Shaun Ryan, 61, also of Gosford Way, has chairman said tougher laws would be needed if bailed “with strict conditions”. was entitled to a private life. in 1993 to an estimated 4.57mn in 2013. been charged with murder. Internet service providers and the ASA failed to act.

Roman villa discovered by chance New Scotland in Wiltshire

Agencies independence London

n “elaborate and extraor- dinarily well-preserved” ARoman villa has been discovered by chance by a home vote sought in owner laying electric cables in his garden. The villa was found after rug designer Luke Irwin unearthed a high-quality Roman mosaic at his Wiltshire farmhouse while laying cables so that his children could case of Brexit play table tennis in an old barn. He called in archaeological Agencies out giving Scotland another paigner, told Sky News that experts and an eight-day dig by London independence vote and that a no changes to border arrange- Historic England and Salisbury situation in which Scots voted ments would be needed. I be- Museum revealed the home of a to stay in the EU but a major- lieve that the land border with wealthy family living in luxury in cotland should have the ity of all Britons voted to leave Ireland can remain as free- what could be one of the largest right to hold a new refer- could be a trigger. flowing after a Brexit vote as it such villas in the country. Sendum on independence According to polls, Scots are is today,” she said. Finds include oysters which if the country is taken out of more likely to vote to stay in “There is no reason why we were artifi cially cultivated and the European Union “against the European Union than other have to change the border ar- then carried live from the coast our will”, the leader of the Britons, and with voters almost rangements in the event of a in barrels of salt water, indicating Scottish National Party (SNP) evenly split on the EU mem- Brexit because they have been how rich the family were. said yesterday. bership referendum, it is un- broadly consistent in the 100 The dig also turned up coins, Facing a British referendum clear which campaign will win. years since the creation of Ire- brooches, bones of wild animals on whether to stay in the Euro- Meanwhile Northern Ireland land as a separate state. which had been hunted and a Ro- pean Union on June 23, Nicola Secretary Theresa Villiers has “It’s in the interest of both man well, while the experts iden- Sturgeon used her party’s insisted border arrangements countries to keep an open bor- tifi ed a Roman child’s coffi n which manifesto before the election between Ireland and the UK der and there’s no reason for had been holding geraniums by for the Scottish parliament would not change if the public that to change if the people of Irwin’s kitchen. next month to make clear that votes to leave the EU. this country were to exercise The villa - which is being she wanted another independ- She dismissed claims that their freedom to vote to leave compared to the Roman home at ence vote in Scotland. Brexit would prove negative for the EU.” Chedworth, Gloucestershire, in There should be such a ref- trade between the countries - The border concerns came size and wealth - was built some- erendum, she said, “if there is and even harm the peace proc- as Work and Pensions Secre- time between 175AD and 220AD clear and sustained evidence ess - as “scaremongering”. tary Stephen Crabb warned and was repeatedly re-modelled that independence has become Villiers told Sky News’ Mur- that families would face “dis- up to the mid 4th century AD. the preferred option of a ma- naghan show that leaving the astrous” consequences if the The dig also revealed occupa- jority of the Scottish people”. EU would not alter the free UK left the EU. tion of the site dating back to a “Or if there is a significant flow of “goods and people” Crabb, who replaced Out pre-Roman roundhouse. and material change in the over the only land border with campaigner Iain Duncan Smith And archaeologists found evi- circumstances that prevailed the UK. in the Cabinet in March, pre- dence of fi fth-century pottery in 2014, such as Scotland be- She offered reassure after dicts there would be factory and timber structures within the ing taken out of the EU against Ireland’s former prime min- closures, an exodus of busi- partly ruined villa, suggesting the our will,” Sturgeon, who leads ister, Bertie Ahern, voiced nesses and job losses. presence of a Romano-British Scotland’s devolved govern- strong concerns over the con- He said Brexit would cause family who did not have the re- ment, said in a statement. sequences of an Out vote. “economic rupture”. sources to live in the house but Scots voted 55%-45% He said it would be “regres- Writing in The Sunday Tel- remained at the site. against independence in sive” and “negative in every egraph, Crabb warned: “Lost Of his discovery, Irwin said: “I a referendum in 2014, but way”. jobs and livelihoods take an was overwhelmed by the realisa- Sturgeon’s party then won a Ahern said: “We’d be the enormous, indelible toll on tion that someone’s lived on this sweeping victory in a British only place that has a land bor- families and communities. site for 2,000 years. election in May, taking all but der with Britain - of course No one should be complacent “You look out at an empty three of Scotland’s 59 seats in others would exploit and ex- about the potential conse- fi eld from your front door, and the Westminster parliament. pose it. They’d have to check quences for working people yet 1,500 years ago there was the The party is expected to be people.” and their families if Britain biggest house, possibly, in all of returned to power in the May Ahern went on: “From a votes to exit the EU. This is not Britain.” Dr David Roberts, His- election in Scotland. trade point of view it would be a theoretical debate.” toric England archaeologist, said Scottish nationalists have a customs border - it’s regres- It is the first official week- the fi nd was very signifi cant for a A campaigner with the “Britain Stronger In Europe” hands out leaflets in Brixton, south London, told Prime Minister David sive, negative.” end of campaigning ahead of number of reasons. yesterday calling for a remain vote in the upcoming EU referendum. Cameron that he cannot rule But Villiers, a Brexit cam- the referendum on June 23.

Barker honoured GP appointment waiting Man charged with times crisis revealed cricketer’s murder Guardian News and Media of the men who robbed and shot London St John. A fi ngerprint analysis is About 14.2mn patients had into choosing general practice as Labour released the fi gures at expected to determine whether to wait a week or did not get a career. the start of a week of campaign- the second suspect’s prints an appointment at all the last Labour, which conducted the ing on the NHS ahead of the local ne of the two men ar- matched those recovered from time they tried to see their research, said constituents have elections. rested over the kill- the car St John was driving when doctor in 2015 desperately sought their help to A Tory health spokesman said: Oing of a young British he was robbed. get a GP appointment. The reve- “We are putting an extra £220mn cricketer in Trinidad has been St John grew up in Kenning- Guardian News and Media lation in December that patients into the new GP contract, and we charged with his murder. ton, south London – close to the London were having to queue in the dark will be saying more about im- Adrian St John, 22, was shot in Oval cricket ground – and de- from 6.30am outside their sur- proving GP services very soon.” an apparent robbery in San Juan, veloped a passion for the sport. gery in Surrey helped to highlight The NHS is looking to recruit Trinidad, last Sunday night. He He captained the Chris Gayle he number of people hav- the problem. doctors from India in an attempt was picking up a male relative of cricket academy, which opened ing to wait at least a week to tackle the shortage of GPs. two female passengers when all in 2013 to “improve access to Tto see their GP rose by The NHS is looking to Health Education England, the three were robbed of their cash good quality education, train- 500,000 last year, offi cial fi gures recruit doctors from India NHS’s training and recruitment and mobile phones. ing and employment for at-risk show. in an attempt to tackle the agency, has signed a memoran- St John was allegedly told to young people in Jamaica and the About 14.2mn patients had shortage of GPs dum of understanding with the drive away, but as he was doing UK”. to wait a week or did not get an Apollo Hospitals chain in India so one of the men fi red a single Following St John’s death, appointment at all the last time The party blamed the new fi g- about lending clinical staff be- shot that hit him in the head, the Gayle, the West Indies cricketer, they tried to see their doctor in ures on a £250mn real-terms cut in tween them. Trinidad and Tobago Guardian tweeted: “Such sad news to hear. 2015, compared with 13.8mn GP funding since David Cameron GPs’ leaders said the India reported. He was taken to hospi- My condolences to his family & the year before, research from became prime minister. It says initiative amounted to ministers’ tal but died while being treated. friends. Adrian St John was the the House of Commons library spending fell from £176 a head in admission of failure to develop Maldon Pascall, 24, was charged captain of the academy.” found. 2009-10 to £165 in 2014-15. enough homegrown staff , and on Friday night with St John’s St John joined the Oxted and Many of the 9,770 GP surger- The shadow health secretary, that it cast doubt on their pledge murder and is due to appear in Limpsfi eld cricket club in Sur- ies are struggling to cope with a Heidi Alexander, said: “Millions to increase the number of GPs by court today. The suspect was rey for the 2015 season and growing and ageing population more are struggling to see their 5,000 by 2020. picked out at an identifi cation played 18 games for the fi rst and as pressures have risen, the doctor and cuts to funding mean The Royal College of GPs has parade on Thursday, according team. The club chairman, Phil number of GPs has not kept pace, this is likely to get worse. Cam- said that doctors from outside TV presenter Sue Barker poses with her Off icer of the Most to the report. Trayner, said: “He was fun lov- with an increasing number opt- eron talks about a seven-day the EU could not be parachuted Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal, after it Trinidad police said Pascall ing, friendly, cricket-mad and ing for early retirement. That NHS, but he is failing to deliver into the NHS without fi rst un- was presented to her during an Investiture ceremony at was held after he went to a po- always had a kind word for his has coincided with a failure to fi ve-day services and patient dergoing proper training and an Windsor Castle in Windsor. lice station to give a statement fellow club members. His com- attract enough graduate medics care is suff ering.” assessment. and his description matched one mitment was clear for all to see.” Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 17 BRITAIN/IRELAND Siblings taking up too many school places: Netmums chief

London Evening Standard classes are almost entirely made Thousands of London chil- to make much of a diff erence. It’s rules so that siblings still get pri- have lived in since before they ment area. I have spent many London up of the brothers and sisters of dren are expected to miss out on a big issue that needs a big plan.” ority for a place but only if their had children. evenings trying to work out how children already at the school. their preferred schools because In most areas children with families still live somewhere in She said: “We decided to stay many metres we are from the In some cases children with competition is so fi erce in the siblings at a school get priority the catchment area. living there because we had al- school. Your child’s education is chool “sibling rules” should no siblings are only able to get a capital. for a place even if their family has O’Leary lives in Balham and ways fallen safely within the the most precious thing and it is be relaxed because so few place if they live within feet of the O’Leary said the number of subsequently moved out of the her four-year-old son Atticus catchment area. We could have out of your control if you are the Sother children are able to school gate. free schools opening is nowhere area. starts school in September. She moved to a bigger home but we parents of an eldest child. get into oversubscribed reception Her comments come ahead of near enough to address the de- It means in some cases chil- also has a two-year-old daughter extended our fl at and committed “It seems horrible to pit chil- classes, the head of a parenting primary school off er day today mand for school places in Lon- dren who live next door to a pri- Florence. to the area. But this year we found dren against each other. I don’t website said. when children across the country don. mary school but do not have sib- She wants her son to go to the out that 30 of the 60 places are like the idea of any child being Anne-Marie O’Leary, editor- will fi nd out which school they She said: “One little free lings there cannot get in. school that is 300 metres away likely to be taken by siblings. deemed as more important than in-chief of Netmums, said some will go to in September. school here and there is not going O’Leary suggested relaxing the from the fl at she and her husband “That will shrink the catch- another.” Residents angry Mud Madness challenge over TV show’s Dorset beach hut competition

Guardian News and Media beach huts would not impact upon London these features. A spokesperson for Natural England said: “Whilst we’re com- hey are a traditional em- fortable with the idea of the devel- blem of the British seaside opment going ahead, we’re still in Tbut plans to build innova- quite early stages of discussions tive beach huts designed by view- with the council.” ers of George Clarke’s Amazing Matt Reeks, community and Spaces on an unspoilt stretch of open spaces manager for the Dorset coastline have infuriated council, said the “phenomenal” local people. beach huts were “the beginning of Twelve winners of a competi- a journey”. tion run by the Channel 4 pro- “This is a really exciting new gramme will be given £8,000 way of improving our assets,” he each by the local council to build said. “It’s an opportunity to do their huts at Highcliff e, despite something a little bit out of the the fragile cliff s being designated ordinary.” a site of special scientifi c interest The huts will be available for Competitors take part in the Mud Madness off -road challenge event at Foymore Lodge, Portadown in Northern Ireland yesterday. Competitors take on two laps of a (SSSI). overnight stays – raising further muddy 4.5km course strewn with obstacles. Residents accused Christchurch local concerns about sanitation. borough council of being “star- Reeks said the huts would be situ- struck” and have launched a peti- ated close to public toilets. tion against “a ruinous use of a rare “We’re being creative, we’re be- natural beach”. ing innovative and we’re getting 12 “Just to get some publicity for bespoke beach huts for £100,000. a TV programme that is here to- It doesn’t get any better than that,” day, gone tomorrow, we’re getting he said. “It’s a win-win situation.” our cliff -top ruined,” said High- The council will have the fi nal cliff e resident Josephine Pollen. say in approving the designs, and “The council have been absolutely Reeks said the winning huts would 14-year-olds charged blinded by the fact that we are go- be scrutinised by structural en- ing to be on telly.” gineers to ensure they won’t “fall The competition is open to over”. anyone, and the huts will be built Claims that councillors were this summer and rented out by the starstruck were “ridiculous”, council to holidaymakers. said Reeks. “If George Clarke and “They are supposed to be beach Channel 4 weren’t involved we’d with Spalding murders huts but they will be halfway up be paying £50,000 for a hut, not the cliff . We could end up with £8,000. Two million viewers of Agencies Lincoln Magistrates’ Court to- One resident living close to Green, wrote on his Facebook wards, who is the father of Katie Barbie-pink or Darth Vader huts,” George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces London day. Edwards, a dinner lady, said she page: “My babe has gone but you and her two sisters, said: “The said Pollen. “I feel very sad that are going to hear about Highcliff e. Detective chief inspector last saw her on Tuesday. The will always in my heart forever loved ones around us will keep the wild coastline is going to be Where else can we get marketing Martin Holvey, of the East Mid- neighbour, who declined to be and ever and ever. us strong every step of the way.” destroyed – there is not a lot left like that?” wo 14-year-olds have lands Special Operations Unit, named, said: “She was a lovely “The lady meant the world Superintendent Paul Tim- and people like this particular area Will Daws, managing director been charged with mur- said post-mortem examina- lady, very friendly and I knew to me she was my rock. Katie so mins said the deaths had gener- because it’s so natural.” of Plum Pictures, which makes Tder after a woman and her tions had not yet taken place her quite well. She was quite young lots of good times in front ated a great deal of local concern The huts will not require plan- the programme, promised “abso- daughter were found dead at a to determine the cause of their well-known because she worked of us been taken away r.i.p.” and upset. ning permission under “permitted lutely no Darth Vaders and no pink house in Lincolnshire. deaths. at a primary school and what has Friends and family have “I would like to make clear development” rules which allow Wendy house huts at all”. The bodies were found at He added: “I still need to happened is just unbelievable. placed fl owers and a teddy bear that this type of crime is ex- garden sheds but the council does “When the huts are up there an address in Dawson Avenue, speak to anyone with any infor- Katie was lovely too, but very on the lawn in front of the house, tremely rare. Indeed, we believe require the permission of watch- proudly on the cliff it should bring Spalding on Friday. mation that might be relevant quiet.” as forensic experts continued to this is a completely isolated inci- dog Natural England for construc- joy to people in the area,” he said. Police believe they are school from Dawson Avenue from Relatives of the victims paid examine the property. dent,” he said. tion on an SSSI. “We’re not looking to impose very meals assistant Elizabeth Ed- around noon on April 13 to noon tribute on social media sites - Edwards’ eldest daugh- “There is still a lot of police Development would not nor- modern designs on an unwelcom- wards, 49 and her 13-year-old on April 15. with a teenage friend of Katie ter Mary said: “I love you both activity in the area and extra of- mally be permitted if the cliff s ing public. It’s a beautiful part of daughter Katie although formal “If you saw or heard anything describing her as being “like a so. Still in shock, can’t believe fi cers in the neighbourhood and were protected for fl ora or ground- the country and hopefully our in- identifi cation has yet to take that you thought was suspicious sister” and Edwards as a second they’re gone. I love them so I would encourage anyone who nesting birds, but Highcliff e is an volvement will lead to a lot of posi- place. or unusual I’d encourage you to mother. much. I need my mum.” has any concerns to please talk SSSI for its geological value and tive publicity for the area.” Both youths are due before get in touch as soon as possible.” Edwards’s partner, Graham Her ex-partner, Peter Ed- to our offi cers.” ‘Air force’ to fi ne drivers Sunny day Man dies of gunshot wounds in Belfast who leave engines idling Guardian News and Media with information regarding this London heinous crime.” Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly blamed London Evening Standard our new air force, who will lead Hoskin, its director for local an “armed gang” for the murder London the charge in spreading the government, said: “Turning off new father has died from – a common euphemism for one positive message on air quality your engine when stationary gunshot wounds in north of the dissident republican terror across the borough.” may sound like common sense ABelfast, the Police Serv- groups. new “air force” is to be The council is seeking to cre- but you would be surprised at ice of Northern Ireland has con- “This killing has shocked the deployed in London to ate a low emission neighbour- just how many drivers leave fi rmed. local community in north Belfast. Astop hundreds of drivers hood in Marylebone where four their vehicles running while Michael McGibbon, 33, who This is the second such killing car- leaving their engines idling and of the traffi c wardens would parked. was married with a young family, ried out in this area in the last six spewing out toxic fumes. operate. Scientists have put the “In partnership with West- died in hospital after being found months by an armed gang which is Two traffi c wardens will be death toll in London from nitro- minster city council, we are wounded in the republican Ardoy- clearly at war with the local com- tasked mainly with reducing gen dioxide and tiny particulate working hard to reduce engine ne district of the city. He was shot munity.,” he said. engine idling and raising aware- pollution at more than 9,000 a idling which will signifi cantly three times in the leg in an alley- The centrist Alliance party con- ness about air quality. year. improve air quality, help the way at Butler Place near Elmfi eld demned those behind the killing. They will be able to issue £20 environment and reduce noise Street at about 10.05pm on Friday, Nuala McAllister, a council- on-the-spot fi nes if drivers Traffi c will be able to issue pollution. This makes fi nancial police said. lor, said: “There can never be refuse to turn off their engines £20 on-the-spot fi nes if sense for drivers too. The re- Offi cers revealed the victim any excuse for carrying out such when parked. If the pilot project drivers refuse to turn sponse so far has been great.” had refused to leave his home on a heinous act and I utterly con- in Westminster is successful, off their engines when Westminster is bidding to be Thursday evening after two armed demn the thugs behind it. Thanks four more traffi c wardens will parked one of two boroughs to receive and masked men arrived at the to them, there is now a man lying join the pollution-busting team £1mn funding from the Greater house and ordered him to come dead and a family plunged into using electric mopeds and bikes Westminster introduced the London Authority and Trans- outside. mourning. to get around. £20 fi xed penalty notices for port for London to set up the The armed men then told Mc- “Violent attacks and murder “For a greener healthier city, engine idling last May. Traffi c low emission neighbourhood in Gibbon they would be back, ac- have no place in our society. This we need to work with drivers wardens have approached more Marylebone. cording to police offi cer John was a brutal crime and those be- and encourage them to turn than 1,500 drivers on this issue One of the proposed meas- McVea. The senior PSNI (Police hind it need taken off our streets. their engines off when station- since then but have not yet is- ures is to trial a number of resi- Service of Northern Ireland) of- Our entire community must unite ary,” said Heather Acton, West- sued a fi ne as most people turn dential parking bays only for fi cer said the killing “had all the against those who seek to drag us minster city council’s cabinet off their engine. electric cars. Under the plan, hallmarks of paramilitary murder”. back to the bloody days of the past. member for parking and sus- The traffi c wardens are em- a small number of residents Two women enjoy a picnic under a tree in blossom on a PSNI commander inspector “I would urge anyone with any tainability. ployed through parking en- would contract to share an elec- sunny day in Regent’s Park in London yesterday. James Murphy said: “We are keen information at all to contact police “That is why we’ve created forcement fi rm NSL. Mark tric charging parking bay. to hear from witnesses or anyone immediately.” Gulf Times 18 Monday, April 18, 2016 EUROPE Italians head to vote Renzi has spoken against Reuters hopes people will not take part It would be a blow to Renzi if vironment, as well as the impact This file photo taken on April 6 Rome in. substantial numbers did turn on their tourist industries. shows a worker at Italy’s Eni Gas For the ballot to be valid, more out, suggesting that voters were Italy imports around 90% of platform PCW-C in the Adriatic than 50% of the Italian elector- ready to snub him just weeks be- its energy needs and succes- sea. taly went to the polls yes- ate must vote but Renzi has urged fore major local elections. sive governments have looked to terday in a referendum on people to stay away, saying that But opinion polls have indi- boost domestic production to re- sil fuels takes Italy further away Ioff shore oil and gas drilling the referendum is unnecessary cated that a quorum will not be duce dependence on foreign sup- from its renewable energy and rights, a vote which Prime Min- and might end up hurting the reached. pliers such as Russia’s Gazprom. carbon targets. ister Matteo Renzi has said he economy. The referendum focuses on There are 69 exploration con- Gas production from off shore whether Italy should stop re- cessions in Italian waters, most fi elds inside the 12-mile area cur- newing off shore drilling licences of them gas, the industry minis- rently accounts for around 3% within 12 miles (20km) of the try says. of Italian consumption while oil coast. Of these, 44 fall within the 12- output in the area makes up just New drilling concessions are mile range, most of them run by 1%. no longer being handed out, but Italy’s Eni. While the short-term impact the government says that old If the referendum succeeds, of a “Yes” vote would be minimal agreements should be kept in these 44 fi elds will be shut when it would have long-term impli- play. their concessions expire, even if cations, as by 2027 the off shore Voting runs from 7am (0500 they are still workable. fi elds could account for more GMT) to 11pm (2100 GMT). “This not a political refer- than 20% of Italy’s oil and gas At 10 GMT, midday in Italy, the endum, but concerns 11,000 production, Alessandro Pozzi, an turnout was 8.36%, according to workers, their future and Italy’s analyst at Mediobanca, said. Assessors wait for citizens yesterday in a polling station in Rome. the ministry for internal aff airs. energy supply chain,” Renzi told The referendum comes at an The ballot was proposed by a reporters on Friday. awkward time for Renzi. Opponents are seeking to use While the prime minister has number of regional assemblies, Environmental watchdog An infl uence-peddling case the scandal to bring voters out played down the drilling refer- most of them run by Renzi’s own Legambiente and other green centred on the country’s main to test the government’s mettle endum, he has said he will resign centre-left Democratic Party, groups say that domestic oil and landlocked oil producing area ahead of June local elections, in if he loses another referendum Renzi: This not a political referendum, but concerns 11,000 workers, which object to drilling platforms gas production is minimal and triggered the resignation of the which Renzi’s party risks losing slated for October on constitu- their future and Italy’s energy supply chain. because of worries about the en- that a continued focus on fos- industry minister two weeks ago. control of several cities. tional reform. Pope Francis ‘gave us a new life’: refugees AfD party vows to By Laure Brumont, AFP Wafa said she and her husband, Many of them are Syrians, Rome who are from the Damascus sub- fl eeing the horrors of war. urb of Zamalka, had opted to cut Arrivals in Greece have drasti- pursue ties with the past. cally fallen over the past weeks yrian refugees taken in by “But we know we took the after Turkey agreed to take back Pope Francis following his right decision,” she said. all people who have been denied bans on Svisit to the Greek island After their stay on Lesbos, asylum in return for billions in of Lesbos hailed the Pontiff as which seemed interminable, EU cash and other concessions. a “saviour” for off ering them a “Francis gave us a new life”, she Human rights groups have as- Muslim new life. said. sailed the arrangement. In a hugely symbolic move Ramy, a 51-year-old teacher In an emotional address to seen as a lesson in solidarity for from the eastern Islamic State- worshippers who gathered for his ‘symbols’ Europe, Francis, who is himself occupied city of Deir Ezzor, fl ed weekly Angelus prayers in Saint the son of Italian migrants in Syria with his wife Suhila and Peter’s Square, Pope Francis re- Argentina, on Saturday took 12 three children – sons Rashid, 18 counted his visit to the migrant Reuters Syrians from three families – all and Abdelmajid, 16, and seven- centre in Lesbos, accompanied Berlin Muslims – home with him from year-old daughter Al Quds – af- by Ecumenical Patriarch Bar- Lesbos to the Vatican. ter their home was destroyed in tholomew and Archbishop Ier- “All refugees are children of the war. onymos of Athens. he anti-immigration Al- God,” the 79-year-old Pope said “We discuss a lot and fi nd it “I saw such suff ering,” he said, ternative for Germany on the fl ight back to Rome refer- hard to imagine what life will be visibly moved. T(AfD) said yesterday that ring to their religion, adding that like in the future: we don’t know The Roman Catholic leader Islam is not compatible with the though his gesture was “a drop in whether we will start over in Eu- then went on to tell of one partic- German constitution and vowed the ocean” he hoped “the ocean rope or whether, one day, we will ular case, “that of a young man, to press for bans on minarets and will never be the same again”. be able to return to a Syria free who was not even 40”. burqas at its party congress in In an interview published yes- of war and violence,” he told La “I met him yesterday with his two weeks’ time. terday with the Italian daily La Stampa. “We are grateful to the two sons. He was Muslim and The AfD punished Chancel- Stampa, the families, who spent This picture taken on Saturday shows Pope Francis greeting people gathered to welcome him at the port Pope, we will prove ourselves told me he had married a Chris- lor Angela Merkel’s conservative their fi rst night in Rome at a of Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos. He later left for the Vatican with 12 Syrian refugees. worthy of this opportunity and tian, (and that) they loved and Christian Democrats in three Catholic charity, expressed their the gift he gave us.” respected each other.” regional elections last month, gratitude. trail to Europe, piling into a rub- trap, a prison,” he explained. daughter Masa and six-year-old The three families, who had But the woman fell victim to profi ting from popular angst “We saw friends and relatives ber dinghy that set out from the Hasan described the Pope as son Omar, described the “con- initially set their sights on reach- Islamist radicals, he said. about how Germany can cope die in the rubble, we fl ed Syria Turkish coast for Greece. “our saviour” for whisking them stant bombardments” in recent ing Germany or another Euro- “She had her throat slit by ter- with an infl ux of migrants, more because we no longer had any “But it was overloaded,” said off the island, where thousands months around their home. pean country, are now expected rorists because she would not re- than a million of whom arrived hope,” said Hasan, an engineer Hasan, recalling the pitch black of migrants risk being sent back “Since then (my son) has bare- to seek asylum in Italy. nounce Christ and abandon her last year. from Damascus, who arrived of the sea at night and the waves to Turkey under a new EU-Tur- ly spoken ... he is locked in an More than 1.1mn people have faith,” said Francis, calling her a “Islam is in itself a political with his wife Nour and two- rocking the vessel. key deportation deal. impenetrable silence,” she said. crossed clandestinely from Tur- “martyr”. ideology that is not compat- year-old son. “In Lesbos, we understood Wafa, who was also on the pa- “Even today, he wakes up every key to Greece since the start of As for her grieving spouse, he ible with the constitution,” AfD After fl eeing to Turkey, Hasan that we were stuck in a place that pal fl ight from Lesbos with her night crying and we cannot get 2015, with hundreds drowning en said sorrowfully, “this man was deputy leader Beatrix von Storch and his family joined the migrant we could not leave, (we were) in a husband Osama, eight-year-old him to play with his sister.” route. crying so much”. told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. “We are in favour of a ban on minarets, on muezzins and a ban on full veils,” added Storch, who UN: Child refugees in Europe need is a member of the European Parliament. Merkel’s conservatives have better protection from traffi ckers also called for an eff ective ban on the burqa, saying the full body covering worn by some Muslim By Magdalena Mis, Reuters place with guardianship, with and thousands of children are women should not be worn in London child protection offi cers who are simply unaccounted for and the public. able to determine where (chil- most horrifying thing of all is we But they have not said Islam dren’s) best interests are and how just have no idea where they are is incompatible with Germany’s urope’s refugee crisis has to reunify them with family ... or what’s happening to them,” constitution. created a “huge business otherwise they will abscond and Unicef deputy executive direc- The AfD’s rise, which has co- Eopportunity” for human be preyed upon.” tor Lily Caprani told the briefi ng. incided with strong gains by traffi ckers, and governments More than one million peo- “It’s that complete absence of other European anti-immigrant should widen the legal routes ple fl eeing confl ict poured into information that should terrify parties including the National of entry to protect refugee chil- Europe, mainly through Greece, us the most.” Front in France, has punctured dren, the UN children’s agency last year. Crowe said that although not the centrist consensus around (Unicef) said this week. The European Union is imple- all children who were unac- which the mainstream parties The number of children on the menting an accord under which counted for were necessarily be- have formed alliances in Ger- move in Europe has been rising all new arrivals in Greece will be ing exploited by human traffi ck- many. and children now account for sent back to Turkey if they do not ers, Europe should strengthen Last month, the party grabbed more than one-third of all refu- meet asylum criteria. child protection systems and 24% of the vote in the state of gees and migrants – compared In 2015, 95,000 children who widen legal routes such as family Saxony-Anhalt, surpassing even with just one in 10 in June 2015 sought asylum in Europe were not reunifi cation. the Social Democrats (SPD), – and many are travelling alone, accompanied by an adult, Crowe She said that as the migrant Merkel’s coalition partner in according to Unicef fi gures. said, adding that this vastly un- route to Europe through the Bal- Berlin. “We know that (child protec- derestimated the number who kan countries seemed to be shut, The AfD, founded in 2013, also tion and monitoring systems) arrived as many children avoided people would fi nd alternative and performed strongly in two other are well over-stretched and registering with the authorities more dangerous routes. states. overwhelmed and they need to from fear of being detained. “That’s why we are saying The party’s rise has been con- be strengthened,” Sarah Crowe, Unregistered children were there has to be a safe and legal troversial. Unicef’s global spokeswoman not covered by any child protec- alternative,” Crowe said, adding: Vice-Chancellor Sigmar on the European refugee and mi- tion services and so were most “We’re ... calling for alterna- Gabriel, a Social Democrat, has grant crisis, told a media briefi ng vulnerable to violence, abuse tives such as humanitarian visas, said that Germany’s far-right, in London. and exploitation, according to scholarship grants that can be led by the AfD party, is using “They need to make sure that Unicef. seen as ways in ... especially for A man holds a child aloft at the makeshift migrant and refugee camp near the Greek village of Idomeni on language similar to that of Hit- they’ve got a proper system in “We know that thousands young people.” the border with Macedonia. ler’s Nazis. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 19 EUROPE Most Germans oppose Merkel on prosecution of comedian: survey

Reuters lished yesterday showed. foreign leaders but leaves it to the newspaper found that 66% of failed to protect free speech. recognise that too,” SPD Secre- by prosecutors for mocking Er- Berlin Merkel announced her deci- government to decide whether to those questioned opposed Mer- Her centre-left Social Demo- tary General Katarina Barley told dogan. sion on Friday after Erdogan authorise prosecutors to pursue kel’s decision to allow prosecu- crat (SPD) coalition partners, the Bild am Sonntag. The comedian said before re- demanded that Germany press such cases. tors to pursue the case. who had wanted the Turkish re- Under the EU’s deal with Tur- citing the poem that he was in- wo-thirds of Germans op- charges against Jan Boehmer- This put Merkel in an awkward Only 22% said she was right, quest to be rejected, urged her key, Ankara will help manage the tentionally going beyond what pose Chancellor Angela mann after he recited a sexually position as she has been the driv- with 12% undecided. to champion freedom of opinion refugee crisis and be rewarded German law allowed. TMerkel’s decision to al- crude satirical poem about the ing force behind a European Un- Emnid polled 500 people on and of the media on the trip to with fi nancial aid, visa-free trav- The broadcaster said the cult low prosecutors to pursue a case Turkish leader on German public ion deal with Turkey to stem the Friday afternoon. Turkey this week. el and progress in its EU mem- comedian is taking a break from against a German comedian who broadcaster ZDF on March 31. fl ow of refugees into Europe. Merkel’s decision had already “Without these basic liberties, bership negotiations. producing his programme until mocked Turkey’s President Re- A section of the German crimi- Yesterday’s survey by pollster divided her ruling coalition and democracy is not conceivable – ZDF has said it will help Boeh- May 12. He is reportedly under cep Tayyip Erdogan, a poll pub- nal code prohibits insults against Emnid for the Bild am Sonntag prompted accusations that she the Turkish government must mermann fi ght any case brought police protection. Thousands in Brussels rally against terrorism AFP Brussels

Bellot: to be sworn in today. round 7,000 people in Brussels marched yester- Aday against Islamic mili- tant violence, nearly a month after suicide blasts on Europe’s Belgium institutional capital left 32 dead and several hundred injured, po- lice said. names A group of around 6,000 peo- ple left the Gare du Nord railway station in Paris and teamed up new in central Brussels with around 1,000 marchers who started off from Molenbeek, the rundown transport Brussels district that has gained Representatives of diff erent religious and cultural communities take an unwelcome reputation as a part in the peaceful march in Brussels. Islamic militant haven. minister The rally – “A march against ror”, the main group of marchers ed, “Daesh, off you go, Brussels terror and hatred” – was organ- was led by families of the vic- isn’t for you!” referring to the ised by civil groups, who had tims, followed by representa- Islamic State (IS) group, which is AFP hoped for a turnout of 15,000. tives from the various religious also known by the acronyms of Brussels “When our fellow citizens, communities. ISIL or ISIS. defenceless civilians, are cut A dozen members of an asso- Thirty-two people were killed down in a cowardly attack, all ciation for inter-religious dia- in the three March 22 bomb at- A girl lays a flower on a street memorial during a rally in Brussels called ‘The march against the fear, he Belgian government citizens should stand up to ex- logue carried a banner marked tacks, which targeted Zaventem Tous Ensemble, Samen Een, All Together’ in memory for the victims of bomb attacks in Brussels metro has appointed a new press their disgust and soli- “Together in peace”, adorned airport and a subway train near and Brussels international airport of Zaventem. Ttransport minister in a re- darity,” said Hassan Bousetta, with drawings of doves. the European Union (EU) insti- shuffl e sparked by allegations of a local councillor in the city of A Muslim group carried a tutions in central Brussels. On Saturday, Interior Minis- eration last month to arrest a Underneath is a cancer that is lax security at Brussels airport, Liege, who helped organise the placard reading, “Love is my re- The violence tore at Belgium’s ter Jan Jambon – who has been suspect in connection with the much more diffi cult to treat. We one of two targets hit by suicide march, told AFP. “It is a mo- ligion and my faith”. social fabric, already weakened criticised for his handling of se- deadly attacks in Paris last No- can do it, but it won’t be over- bombers last month. ment of refl ection, a message of A fi re truck, its beacons fl ash- along linguistic lines between curity – said that a “signifi cant vember. night,” he said. The new minister is Francois compassion for the victims and ing, symbolised the role of francophones and Dutch- section of the Muslim popula- “They threw stones and bot- The march, an initiative Bellot, 62, who replaces Jacque- a moment when citizens come emergency services after the speaking Flemings, and stirred tion danced” when the attacks tles at police and press during gathering more than 100 as- line Galant, whose resignation together.” attack, fi re service spokesman anguished debate about the took place. the arrest of Salah Abdeslam. sociations, was initially to have on Friday made her the fi rst po- Bearing a banner marked, in Pierre Meyes said. emergence of militants among Jambon also accused Mus- This is the real problem. Terror- taken place on March 27, but was litical casualty of the attacks. French and Flemish, “#allto- In the group that left Molen- the country’s Muslim under- lim residents of Molenbeek of ists we can pick up, remove from scrapped at the authorities’ be- Bellot will meet King Philippe gether against hatred and ter- beek, a group of children chant- class. attacking police during an op- society. But they are just a boil. hest for security reasons. today to take his oath of offi ce, the Belgian royal palace said in a statement. Galant quit in a blaze of an- ger, blaming “well-orchestrated theatrics” and a “media cru- Thousands march in Spain for return of ETA prisoners sade” by political enemies for forcing her out. The media had reported that AFP trying to resurrect the out- the European Union (EU) repeat- Bilbao lawed Basque separatist party edly warned of security fl aws at Batasuna. Zaventem airport. Otegi, who is credited with A top ministerial offi cial also housands of people helping end violence in the quit, accusing her of incompe- marched in Bilbao in northern Spanish region, has tence and “Gestapo-like” be- Tnorthern Spain yes- said that he aims to become the haviour. terday calling for the return next leader of Spain’s Basque Bellot, like Galant, is a franco- of prisoners from the armed Country which will hold re- phone liberal – one of the many Basque separatist group ETA gional elections at the end of streams in Belgian politics, being held outside the region. the year. whose landscape is fractured Former ETA prisoners for the He declined to speak to re- along linguistic as well as politi- fi rst time led the march in the porters at the march. cal lines. Basque region’s most populous The protest was called by a The country has had a string city. group of former ETA prisoners. of ministers over the past half Past marches have been led ETA is blamed for more than dozen years. by family members of the con- 800 killings in its campaign The present coalition govern- victs, who are dispersed across of bombings and shootings to ment took offi ce in October 2014 dozens of prisons in Spain and create an independent Basque after nearly fi ve months of hag- neighbouring France. homeland in northern Spain gling following elections. The demonstrators, many and southwestern France. A low-profi le lawmaker in the of them waving red, white and The group’s last deadly at- national parliament and mayor green Basque fl ags, chanted tack in Spain was in August of the town of Rochefort, in the “prisoners to their home” as 2009. French-speaking region of Wal- they made their way through In October 2011, it declared a lonia, Bellot is a civil engineer by the streets under an overcast “defi nitive end to armed activ- training and specialist in railway sky to city hall where letters ity” but it has yet to formally transport, according to his Re- from three ETA prisoners were disband or disarm as the Span- form Movement party. read out. ish and French governments In a fi rst response to his ap- Among those who took part demand. pointment, Bellot promised in the march was veteran sepa- The group wants negotia- to restore “serenity, calm and ratist leader Arnaldo Otegi, tions on several issues, includ- trust,” with the top priority of 57, who was released from jail ing the fate of around 400 ETA bringing operations at Zaventem in March after serving a six- prisoners, before it fully de- back to normal. People march in Bilbao behind a banner reading ‘Amnesty. Prisoners and Exiles Home’ in support of ETA prisoners and exiles. and-a-half year sentence for commissions its armed wing.

Hunt for masked man after Sikh temple blast Cocaine paste hidden in furniture

DPA ing the scene and is wanted by been seen in the vicinity of the the Sikh community in Essen, AFP warehouses, offi cers said in a ple to Spain they would hide the Essen, Germany police. temple. which is the largest in the state Madrid statement. drugs inside the furniture that A police spokesman said it They were subsequently re- of North Rhine-Westphalia. They gave no estimate for the was supposedly part of their was fortunate that only a few leased. An estimated 15,000 Sikhs street value of the drug, say- home during their stay in Peru,” olice in the western Ger- people were in the room at the The building was badly dam- live in Germany. panish police have seized ing only that it would be enough the police statement said. man city of Essen were time of the blast, and investiga- aged and windows were shat- Essen Mayor Thomas Kufen, 210kg (460 pounds) of co- paste to make about one tonne of “The person would return to Pyesterday searching for a tors said there was no evidence tered. who met with Indian Consul Scaine paste hidden in fur- cocaine. Spain by plane and the furniture masked man after an explosion of terrorism. Two people suff ered minor General Raveesh Kumar yes- niture that was imported from The drugs ring is suspected of was shipped by sea in contain- at a Sikh temple left three peo- The motive for the attack re- injuries, while the 60-year-old terday morning, said: “Our free Peru, arresting 13 people during recruiting impoverished individ- ers that were sent to diff erent ple injured. mained unclear. priest who married the couple society guarantees freedom of the operation, they said yester- uals who were sent to Peru where storage facilities in Barcelona About 200 guests were at the More than 20 offi cers were was in hospital. religion. Any form of violence is day. they lived for several months at from where they would be picked temple for a wedding on Satur- part of the investigation, the The Sikh temple and the totally unacceptable.” The paste, which is used as the the group’s expense while pre- up by members of the criminal day when an explosive device spokesman said yesterday. home of a community leader The monotheistic Sikh reli- basis for making cocaine, was tending to work before returning group,” it added. went off in the prayer room. Three men in a black SUV were placed under police pro- gion was founded in India in the found inside furniture that was to Spain. Spain seized over 22 tonnes of The suspect, a masked man were detained shortly after the tection. 15th century as a reaction to the shipped to the port of Barcelona “When the organisation cocaine in 2015, a 43% increase about 1.8m tall, was seen fl ee- blast, police said, as they had There are 200 members of rigid strictures of Hinduism. and transferred to several nearby planned the return of these peo- on the previous year. Gulf Times 20 Monday, April 18, 2016 INDIA

Tamil Nadu Roundup Goa to develop rivers to boost tourism By Umaima Shafiq IANS ing to Chief Minister Laxmi- tiny state of Goa also has fl owing “The rest can be extended by increasing the connect between that instead of moaning about Panaji kant Parsekar, is not to bank too water-bodies. Apart from the dredging. Waterways and tour- shipping industry stakeholders whether the state or the central Lawyer says much on funding from the state main rivers, the Mandovi, Zuari, ist attractions are two important in the private sector and govern- government would foot the bill or central governments, but in- Chapora, Sal and the Kushwati, points to remember. A tourist ment representatives. for development of water fronts compensation oa, famous for its beach- stead scout for the right inves- several smaller rivers criss-cross who lands at Dabolim (interna- “We should use our rivers as and waterways, eff orts should be for school fire es, is now seeking to tap tors who can bring in the money the state, especially in the hin- tional airport) should be able to waterways and further reduce taken to fi nd the right investors Grivers for their ability to and the technical knowhow to terland areas, which do not pos- head for Panaji or Calangute by the pressure on our roads. And for the project. victims ‘paltry’ attract tourists as well as share execute such projects. sess a healthy tourism profi le. a boat instead of by road alone. Goa being a touristic destina- “We want investors to invest and shoulder the burden of “The government will give Government records sug- This will be an added attraction tion it could be a major attrac- and once we have the invest- The Madras High Court last transportation and commuting priority to waterways and we gest that the state has water- for a tourist coming to Goa,” tion. We could also build river ment, we could have job creation week ordered the Tamil Nadu within the state. can develop waterfronts like the ways which are around 650km in Parsekar said. jetties in coastal villages and the and diversify tourism in the hin- government to pay Rs500,000 With the Bharatiya Janata Chapora river. From Chapora to length. According to Parsekar, an The chief minister returned hinterland so that the pressure terland from the coast,” Parsekar each as compensation to the Party-led coalition government Colvale, we can develop some additional 250km can be also uti- earlier this week from a three- created by tourism can be spread said. families of 94 children who died looking to start water parks points (of tourist interest),” lised, through adequate dredging day Maritime Summit organised across Goa and not just along the Goa attracts nearly 4mn tour- in the July 16, 2004 school fire tourism and river-based trans- Parsekar said. and deepening of the navigation by the federal shipping ministry beaches,” Parsekar said. ists every year, about half a mil- tragedy in Kumbakonam. port systems, the onus, accord- Known for its beaches, the channels of the rivers. in Mumbai that was aimed at The chief minister also said lion of whom are foreigners. The victims’ lawyer Tamilarasan protested that the amount was paltry because the court had spent nearly Rs20mn for legal proceedings. He said the Rs600,000 recommended for three children who suff ered third degree burns was insuff icient considering their mental and physical agony. He vowed to re- 3rd phase of appeal the case to get Rs2mn for each family. The fire began in the kitchen of Sri Krishna School and soon spread to the three floors of the congested building during school hours. Many children West Bengal were crushed to death or charred in the following stampede. The tragedy sparked global concern and forced the Indian government to revise infrastructure norms for private schools. polls sees over Two AIADMK activists die in heat wave 80% turnout Two activists of the All India AnnaDravida Munnetra Trinamool leader courts fresh Birbhum 73.59,” said the EC of- being videographed in the pres- Kazhagam fainted and died due controversy by entering a fi cial. ence of central security forces to sunstroke while attending a voting booth sporting the There were allegations of false and a local magistrate. rally of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa party symbol on his shirt voting in the presence of the The EC move came after op- at Virudhachalam in coastal presiding offi cer in a booth in position parties and civil society Cuddalore district on April 11. IANS Malda’s English Bazar. Following members demanded his arrest to Tamil Nadu is facing an extreme Kolkata a complaint lodged by the Com- create an atmosphere conducive heat wave with temperatures munist Party of India (Marxist), to holding of free and fair polls. ranging from 38-41 degree Celsius the offi cer was removed. As many as 2,909 polling sta- in many districts. mid allegations of spo- At Dumrut in Birbhum’s tions were earmarked as vulner- Eyewitnesses said that about radic violence and voter Bolpur constituency, three peo- able and special arrangements 100,000 people waited for an Aintimidation, over 80% ple were arrested following a made for them by the poll panel, hour in the scorching heat and the of about 10.2mn voters exercised clash between the Trinamool which also identifi ed 3,827 peo- venue lacked medical facilities, their right to franchise across 56 Congress and Bharatiya Janata ple as trouble-mongers and over shades, drinking water, fans and constituencies in the third phase Party workers. 16,000 as vulnerable voters in coolants and other necessities. of elections to the West Bengal In the district’s Rampurhat, a the 56 constituencies. The incident sparked outrage assembly yesterday. section of residents reportedly In the 2011 assembly polls in from AIADMK’s rivals and forced “At 3pm, the overall poll- boycotted the polls citing failure these constituencies, then allies the Election Commission to step ing percentage was 70.82%,” an of the state government to pro- Trinamool and the Congress won up campaigning norms and crowd Election Commission offi cial vide basic electricity services. 18 seats each, the Left Front 15, control rules. said. In Nanoor, Trinamool activ- Gorkha Janmukti Morcha 3 and Meanwhile the AIADMK has Long queues of voters were ists allegedly assaulted a polling independents won 2 seats. launched android apps for election seen outside most polling booths agent of the CPM. This time, the Trinamool is campaign. When users fill in their despite the sweltering heat and The BJP’s star candidate Locket contesting 55 seats, the BJP 53, address, they can access district, humidity. Chatterjee, contesting from May- the Congress 23, Left Front 34, constituency, ward number, booth There are about 10.2mn reg- ureshwar, said the civic police and the GJM 3. number and their personal data, istered voters, 383 candidates, were seen with central forces in- In Darjeeling district’s Sil- besides the AIADMK’s welfare work including 33 women, and 13,645 side a booth in the constituency. iguri, former Indian football in their district. polling stations. A clash reportedly broke out captain and Trinamool nominee Five of the constituencies are between Trinamool and CPM Baichung Bhutia is pitted against in Alipurduar district, seven in workers outside a booth in Malda, former state minister and CPM Church plans Jalpaiguri, nine in North Dina- in which two people were injured. heavyweight Asok Bhattacharya. anniversary jpur, six each in Darjeeling and Meanwhile, despite the Elec- Also grabbing attention is Su- South Dinajpur and 12 in Malda tion Commission’s constant japur in Malda district where programmes districts. surveillance, the Trinamool’s Abu Naser Khan Choudhury, The only south Bengal district Birbhum chief and strongman Trinamool candidate and brother St John’s Church in the going to the polls in the third Anubrata Mondal courted fresh of late Congress stalwart A B A cantonment area of Tiruchi phase is Birbhum. Of its 11 con- controversy as he cast his vote Ghani Khan Choudhury, is con- celebrated 200 years on April stituencies, seven - Dubrajpur, by entering a booth sporting the testing against his nephew Isha 14 (Tamil New Year day) by Suri, Nalhati, Rampurhat, Sain- party symbol on his shirt. Khan Choudhury, representing launching a year-long schedule of thia, Hansan and Murarai - have While the EC has sought a re- the Congress. congregational programmes. been classifi ed as aff ected by port about the incident, Mondal So far, voters in 49 of the total The church was built by the leftwing extremism and polling claimed it was an “inadvertent” 294 constituencies have exer- British East India Company in these areas ended two hours act, but refused to apologise. cised their right to franchise on in1816 chiefly for the benefit of earlier than elsewhere at 4pm. Mondal, who has been served a two dates - April 4 and 11. British contingents posted in the “Polling percentage at 3pm in notice by the EC for his contro- West Bengal is having a stag- cantonment. Several soldiers, Alipurduar was 73.65, Jalpaiguri versial remarks against opposi- gered election over seven phases. martyrs and Bishop Heber, the recorded 67.93, Darjeeling 66.73, tion leaders, is under constant Polling for the remaining phases third bishop of Calcutta, are Former football captain and Trinamool Congress candidate Baichung Bhutia comes out of a polling North Dinajpur 70.37, South Di- surveillance till the end of the will be held on April 21, 25, 30 and buried there. booth after casting his vote during the third phase of assembly election, in Siliguri yesterday. najpur 74.78, Malda 68.67 and poll process with his movements May 5. The church is today governed by the Tiruchi-Thanjavur diocese of the Church of South India (CSI) and has been consecrated thrice. The church features imported stained glass panels, louvered wooden doors, and gothic Kerala vote to be a defi ning moment for top leaders architecture and teakwood pews. The culmination service is IANS manem Rajasekheran, former chief ministerial seat again if the planned for Easter Sunday in 2017. Thiruvananthapuram central minister O Rajagopal and Congress-led United Democratic former state party president and Front upsets Kerala’s electoral convener of the elections V Mu- history and regains power. 105-year-old he upcoming assembly raleedharan. And if that does not happen, it herbarium elections in Kerala will be The joker in the pack is Vela- could be the last hurrah for this Tof crucial signifi cance for pally Natesan, the popular Hindu 72 year old; he could well sign being digitised 10 top political leaders, though Ezhava leader and supremo of the off in style by completing his not all running for offi ce, and are recently formed Bharath Dharma golden jubilee as a legislator, as The 105-year-old Fischer likely to be the swansong of a few. Jana Sena (BDJS) which is part of no one seems to believe he won’t Herbarium at the Institute of The 10 include three each the BJP-led National Democratic get elected to the 14th Kerala as- Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding from the Congress, Commu- Alliance (NDA). sembly. in Coimbatore is being digitised in nist Party of India (Marxist) and While seven of the 10 leaders Equally challenging is what’s phases for easier online use. the Bharatiya Janata Party, each are contesting the election, Sud- in store for Vijayan, who last year Fischer Herbarium located at R of which leads a larger political heeran, Balakrishnan and Nate- stepped down as the CPM state S Puram was established in 1911 front. san are not. secretary after close to two dec- by British off icer Cecil Ernest From the Congress, there are Achuthanandan, who at 92 is ades of running the party. Claude Fischer who brought in Chief Minister Oommen Chan- at the very fag end of his career, This could well be his last plant specimens from several dy, state party president V M continues to be a crowd puller chance of getting power. forest divisions in South India. Sudheeran and Home Minister and a much sought after cam- For Rashtriya Swayamsevak Today it has about 6,000 Ramesh Chennithala - for whom paigner for the opposition Left Sangh (RSS) strongman Rajas- specimens that can be accessed the May 16 vote would be a defi n- Democratic Front (LDF). ekheran, it was a surprise selec- at www.frcherbarium.org whose ing moment. Should the LDF come to pow- tion to the top post in the party. Former cricketer S Sreesanth, the BJP’s candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, and his wife Bhuvaneshwari digitisation is being done by K H From the CPM, there are er, which is likely given Kerala’s If the ‘lotus’ blooms in Kerala, he Kumari, are seen with members of the Travancore royalty at Kowdiar palace during an election campaign. Hussain of the Kerala Forest and former chief minister V S electoral history, this battle- is in line for more glory and if it Research institute. Achuthanandan, politburo hardened veteran might seek at does not happen, his post itself Alternatively, the count- his career, among the 10 leaders. he has got two more years for his “The herbarium is visited by member Pinarayi Vijayan and least a year in offi ce. could be in for a change. ing of votes would determine But if the Congress is in for a tenure to end. taxonomists and botanists. So, state party secretary Kodiyeri If the LDF fails to make it to For Natesan, who until the if Natesan’s presence helped long-term hibernation in Kerala, Last but not the least, all eyes when they discover a unique Balakrishnan. offi ce, it’s anyone’s guess as to 2014 Lok Sabha polls maintained either of the traditional UDF/ so is he. would be on Rajagopal. If he species they have to physically From the BJP, which hopes what Achuthanandan’s place in equidistance from all political LDF fronts. For Sudheeran, a loss could wins, good for him. visit to cross verify, which can now this time to open its account Kerala’s politics is going to be. formations, it could be rise to be Chennithala has age on his well be curtains for him. If not, will the BJP give him the be done with the image and data in the Kerala assembly, there On the other hand, Chandy a signifi cant force in the state’s side. So the outcome of this elec- Balakrishnan, on the other post of governor that has been available online,” Hussain said. are state party president Kum- is almost certain to be in the politics. tion will have the least impact on hand, is also on safe ground as eluding him for quite a while now? Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 21 INDIA 20mn-year old fossilised tree saved in Himachal Pradesh

IANS tion of a four-lane Parwanoo- fossil forest for in-site conserva- fossilisation in which dissolved Earlier, a 25mn year-old fos- the fi rst fossilised preserved leaves Himalayan region was under the Kumarhatti, Himachal Pradesh Shimla highway at Raboon tion, meaning the conservation minerals replace organic matter. sil of a 5ft-tall and 3ft-wide tree in 1864. Kasauli was once inhab- ocean,” the geologist said. village, some 50km from Chan- of an archaeological asset in its The saved fossil tree is 12ft tall was discovered a few years ago at ited by a large number of apes, Arya said the presence of fos- digarh, geologist-entrepreneur original location. and 1m wide. Jagjitnagar near Kasauli. The fos- tigers, elephants, hippos, giraff es, sils of Garcinia and Gluta and 20mn-year old fossilised Ritesh Arya said. Arya claimed that the dis- “It’s believed that the fossil sil, which was standing on a rock, crocodiles and land tortoises. other species show that the tree, discovered on the He said numerous fl ora and covered fossils dated back to might be more than 100ft tall,” was conserved as it was located According to Arya, the dis- Himalayas had not evolved dur- Aoutskirts of Himachal fauna fossils have been dis- paleofl ooding that was related to Arya, who holds a Guinness Book on a private land and the owner covery of fossils in the Kasauli ing those times and were young- Pradesh’s Kumarhatti town, was covered in Kasauli, Barog, global warming and glacial melt, of World Record for discovering took the initiative to preserve it. region indicated that the area er than 20mn years. saved from destruction, a geolo- Kumarhatti, Dharampur and resulting in fl oods. groundwater at an altitude of Arya said the Kasauli hills are supported fl ora and fauna that He said declaring Kasauli and gist said yesterday. Subathu areas, located in the The fl ooding uprooted trees 11,000ft in Ladakh, added. geologically about 16 to 23mn was native to coastal regions its nearby hills as geo-heritage The tree fossil discovered in Shivaliks, in Solan district. The and buried them under sand He said this was the second years old and have been associated of Malaysia, the Andaman and site would boost tourism and 2013 was about to be destroyed entire area, Arya said, should be along the river channels, lead- fossilised tree in the region that with Irish geologist Henry Ben- Nicobar Islands and Indonesia. help improve the knowledge of last week during the construc- preserved by declaring it as geo- ing to petrifi cation - a process of was saved from destruction. edict Medlicott, who discovered “This clearly indicated that the evolution of the Himalayas. ‘Citizenship for Hindus from Pakistan to be made easier’

IANS The feedback can be sent to New Delhi the foreigners’ cell of the federal home ministry. It is further proposed that he government yesterday the fees for registration as citi- announced that it propos- zen of India for nationals of Tes to simplify procedures Pakistan belonging to minority for grant of Indian citizenship to communities be reduced from minority Hindus from Pakistan. Rs5,000 (under registration) and The proposal also envisages al- Rs15,000 (under naturalisation) lowing “minority communities to a uniform fee of Rs100 each of Pakistan staying in India on at the time of application and at a Long Term Visa” to buy prop- the time of grant of certifi cate of erty, open bank accounts and ob- registration or naturalisation. tain permanent account number “There are reports that a (PAN) and Aadhaar number, a number of Bangladeshi and Pa- home ministry offi cial said here. kistani nationals belonging to According to the proposal, the minority communities in those collectors or district magistrates countries, such as Hindus, of 18 districts will be empowered Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis Supporters of Patel Patidar clash with police at Mehsana, some 70km from Ahmedabad yesterday. for two years to grant citizenship and Buddhists, have been com- to such people at heavily reduced pelled to seek shelter in India due fees. to religious persecution or fear The districts are Raipur of religious persecution,” the of- (Chhattisgarh), Ahmedabad, fi cial said. Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Kutch and Many of these people enter Patan (Gujarat), Bhopal and In- India either without any valid dore (Madhya Pradesh), Nag- travel document or with one pur, Mumbai, Pune and Thane whose validity has expired. Protests by Patels turn (Maharashtra), West Delhi and The government decided in South Delhi (National Capital September 2015 “on humanitar- Territory), Jodhpur, Jaisalmer ian considerations” to exempt and Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Luc- Bangladeshi and Pakistani na- know (Uttar Pradesh). tionals belonging to minority Having reviewed “the hard- communities, who entered India ships being faced by the minority on or before December 31, 2014, violent, hundreds held communities in Pakistan staying to stay in the country even after in India on Long Term Visa”, the the expiry of their travel docu- Security forces deployed tain cities of Saurashtra region, Chief Minister Anandiben Pa- Bhavnagar-Talaja highway in not lathicharge. Patel along government also plans to allow ments. in Gujarat’s Mehsana town, sources said. tel said in south Gujarat’s Valsad Saurashtra region. with his supporters was also such people to open bank ac- The exact number of minority Internet suspended Police and paramilitary forces town: “Our government is for About 200 state transport taken into preventive custody. counts and obtain PAN and Aad- refugees from Pakistan, Bang- were deployed in all north Gu- the people and not for agitators.” buses were diverted from sensi- The SPG has given a call for haar number, the offi cial said. ladesh and Afghanistan living in IANS jarat towns, besides Ahmeda- Speaking to Gujarati TV tive routes as a precaution and a shutdown in Gujarat today in “These are only at a proposal India is not known. Rough offi - Ahmedabad bad and Surat, which are known channels, the state’s ruling drivers were instructed to take protest against the police ac- stage,” the offi cial said and sought cial estimates suggest there could strongholds of the pro-quota Bharatiya Janata Party presi- the buses to the nearest police tion. public comments and sugges- be about 200,000 such people, Patels. dent Vijay Rupani asked the stations. The SPG is a pro-quota group tions on the measures proposed. mostly Hindus and Sikhs. curfew was imposed More than 1,000 protesters people as well as the police to In Ahmedabad city also, like the Patidar Anamat An- and the Border Security from the Patel community in exercise restraint. some buses run by AMTS were dolan Samiti of Hardik Patel, AForce (BSF) deployed in Mehsana and over 500 in Surat The protesters attacked the diverted from Patel-dominated which has been protesting for Priyanka demands apology from TOI Mehsana town in Gujarat yes- were taken into preventive cus- camp offi ce of Minister of State pockets while civic authorities over eight months for reserva- terday after protests by mem- tody as large crowds gathered for Home Rajnikant Patel. A were holding a meeting to de- tion for the Patels in govern- Congress president Sonia have done to the patently false bers of the pro-reservation near the district jails in both warehouse of the Food Corpo- cide on discontinuing several ment jobs and educational Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka and malicious captioned news Patidars (Patels) community places in defi ance of prohibitory ration of India and a state gov- routes in the city. institutions under the Other Gandhi Vadra yesterday served article,” the notice said. Vadra turned violent, leading to arson orders. ernment building were set on Police burst over two dozen Backward Class category. a legal notice to leading daily on Saturday said the rent for her and clashes with police. Surat Police Commissioner fi re in Mehsana. tear gas shells and used water Sunday’s ‘jail bharo’ (fi ll jail) Times of India demanding government accommodation Authorities suspended Inter- Ashish Bhatia told local TV The Patel mobs also torched a cannons as well as rubber bul- programme was in support an “unqualified apology” was the “same as others in her net services and mobile phone channels that most of those Sub Divisional Magistrate’s ve- lets to disperse the crowds. of the demand for the release for its report on her off icial category” and she was asked to applications till today morn- detained were from the Patel- hicle and a state transport bus. Sardar Patel Group (SPG) of the jailed Patel leaders and accommodation. “My client calls occupy the premises “on security ing in Mehsana and other north dominated Varachha area. Two buses of Ahmedabad convener Lalji Patel sustained withdrawal of cases against upon your esteemed publication grounds”. The newspaper report Gujarat towns after the violence Asserting that trouble-mak- Municipal Transport Service head injuries as his supporters them. to tender an unqualified apology said she wrote to the government to prevent the spread of incen- ers would not be spared, Bhatia (AMTS) were attacked with pelted policemen with stones. The SPG earlier announced and publish the contents of this in May 2002 that Rs53,421 diary information. said: “This city belongs to all stones in Patidar-dominated Gujarat TV channels reported its second round of agitation letter in its entirety with the same was “too high” an amount and Similar action is likely to be and those creating mischief will Ghatlodia area of Ahmedabad. police as saying that Patel was if its demands were not met by prominence and display as you “beyond her paying capacity.” taken in Ahmedabad and cer- be dealt with strictly.” A group of Patels blocked the hurt in the stone-throwing and April 17.

Election rally Temple festival goes ahead Army chief assesses despite security concerns Kashmir situation IANS mours that a soldier molested Jammu a college girl in Handwara of By Ashraf Padanna lam are still battling for life in Some 3,000 security person- the border district. Gulf Times Correspondent hospitals and the state is yet to nel, including federal forces, Meanwhile there were no Thiruvananthapuram recover from the shock. were deployed at the venue to rmy chief General Dal- restrictions in Srinagar city as However, like in previ- control the crowd. bir Singh yesterday the situation limped back to ous years, thousands of peo- Unlike in the past, they did not Avisited Jammu and normal. he famed Kerala tem- ple, including foreign tourists, allow people to come near some Kashmir where he met senior However, as a precaution- ple festival of Thrissur thronged Thrissur, known as 30 caparisoned elephants lined commanders amid fresh bouts ary measure, restrictions TPooram, the biggest of Kerala’s cultural capital, to enjoy up for the Kudamattam or ex- of violence in the state that continued in Handwara and its kind with a mass percussion the colourful festival, which will change of parasols between the have left fi ve people dead. Kupwara towns, the authori- ensemble, fi reworks and parade culminate early today morning two leading sides, a key feature Army spokesman Colonel ties said. of elephants, began yesterday, with a massive display of fi re- of the event which also is under S D Goswami said Singh met Despite restrictions in parts exactly a week after the state’s works. attack from animal rights activ- commanders of 14, 15 and 16 of Srinagar city on Satur- worst temple tragedy that killed Chief Minister Oommen ists. Corps at Northern Command day, there was a perceptible 114 people and maimed many. Chandy held an extraordinary In all, 90 elephants are pa- headquarters at Udhampur improvement in the situa- The 36-hour festival started meeting with the festival offi - raded at the festival despite ob- near here “to take stock of the tion over the last three days with the arrival of deities from cials, following protests against jections from the forest depart- situation” in the state follow- as skeletal transport serv- eight small temples in proces- restrictions, and assured them ment. ing deaths of civilians in al- ices operated and some shops sion in front of Vadakkumnath- of all safety and security steps to Animal rights activists said leged fi ring by soldiers in north opened. an temple for the annual ritual organise Pooram “without los- the authorities did not allow Kashmir’s Kupwara district. District magistrate of Kup- amid tight security under strict ing the essence of its tradition, an inspection team authorised The general arrived on a wara, Kumar Rajiv Rajan said guidelines from the Kerala High beauty and culture.” by the Animal Welfare Board day-long visit to the state. restrictions would remain in Court. Earlier, the high court allowed of India (AWBI) despite a high The Kashmir Valley has been force in Kupwara and Hand- The festival was held amid a low-decibel fi reworks show at court HC order against pa- on the boil since Tuesday after wara towns because of tension calls for moderation as many of night during the Pooram festi- rading unfit elephants, which Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wave their the death of at least fi ve civil- in the district. the injured in last week’s blaze val, exempting it from the ban posed a huge threat as the party’s flags as they wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ians in clashes with security Separatist leaders also did and explosion during the Puttin- imposed in the wake of Kollam pachyderms often run amok to address an election campaign rally in Kolkata yesterday. forces. not call for any shutdown or gal Devi Temple festival in Kol- temple tragedy. during the parade. The trouble began after ru- protests yesterday. Gulf Times 22 Monday, April 18, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

PEOPLE PAYMENT TRAGEDY CONTROVERSY DECISION Venezuela clears part dues Five dead ‘from drugs’ at Mexico minister sorry for Inquiry on missing owed to Uruguay farmers Argentina music festival torture caught on video students cancelled

Venezuela has paid $30mn of over $100mn in debt Five young people died and five others were in Mexico’s defence minister has apologised for the Experts from the Inter-American Commission on it owes Uruguayan dairy farmers, the Uruguay critical condition after apparently taking drugs torture of a 22-year-old woman by members of Human Rights (IACHR) were forced to end their government said. In July, Venezuelan President at an international electronic music festival in the military after a recording of the torture was investigation into the abduction and presumed Nicolas Maduro sealed a multi-million-dollar food the Argentine capital, emergency responders broadcast on Mexican television. “It is necessary murder of 43 students in Mexico, its head said. The import deal with his Uruguayan counterpart to said. Autopsies will be needed to determine the that we show publicly our indignation for this Mexican government did not extend the group’s combat shortages ahead of Venezuela’s legislative substance involved, said Alberto Crescenti, head regrettable act,” General Salvador Cienfuegos mandate, IACHR chief James Cavallaro explained. elections. But instead of paying the $267mn of the emergency healthcare system, which said, according to a statement issued by the The 43 students from a teacher-training college as agreed, Maduro’s government deposited was summoned to the Time Warp music festival military. Speaking before about 30,000 Mexican in the town of Ayotzinapa in the state of Guerrero Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro greets in November under a fifth of that amount. “An in Buenos Aires. The partygoers were mostly soldiers, he asked Mexicans for forgiveness, went missing in the city of Iguala on September supporters outside an health centre during an important payment from Venezuela has arrived, between the ages of 21 and 25, Crescenti said. which is a very unusual gesture in the country. 26, 2014. The remains of only one of the students event to commemorate the 13th anniversary of of around $30mn, which will pay what is owed to “The youths lost consciousness and rapidly went The statement was broadcast live for all military have been identified by DNA tests so far. The the “Barrio Adentro” health programme, next small dairy producers” and also go towards paying into a coma,” he said. Those in hospitals were personnel. The video of the woman being victims’ relatives have demanded that the IACHR to his wife and deputy of Venezuela’s United what is owed to dairy-products exporter Conaprole, in critical condition and had high temperatures, tortured was broadcast two days ago by the investigators’ mandate be extended, as they no Socialist Party (PSUV) Cilia Flores, in Caracas. said Uruguayan government off icial Enzo Benech. indicating severe poisoning, Crescenti said. television station Teleformula. longer trust the state authorities. Twice punished, town copes with death, disaster

AFP fi ghter picked through the mar- Abdon Calderon ket ruin, looking for a way to re- trieve the body of a man pinned under the mound of rubble and irst came the fl ood and twisted steel. then the “long, long” “They’ve already taken the Fearthquake, a shaking so body of one poor little man out hard the two-storey, covered of there,” she said. market came down in a heap in When the earthquake struck, this small town in western Ec- Nelly said she rushed into the uador. streets and saw that the market Dazed residents had begun had collapsed. the week in fl ood waters up to “How can I not cry,” she their chests, and ended it Satur- sobbed. “There was a person day evening with a devastating trapped who screamed for help, 7.8-magnitude quake. but then the screaming stopped. “It’s only been a week and na- Oh, it was terrible.” ture has punished us so badly,” Firefi ghters said when they said Nelly, a 73-year-old who arrived, the building had already declined to give her last name. been fl attened. “Two shakes and At least 233 people were killed everything came down, all at across Ecuador, the government once. We’ve found two victims A building in Portoviejo lies destroyed after the 7.8-magnitude quake. said. so far,” said Alberto Santana, one In Abdon Calderon, 180kms of the fi refi ghters on the scene. south of the epicentre, at least One of the victims was two people were killed in the col- 51-year-old Francisco Mendoza, lapse of the town market. known by his nickname Pan- “On Monday, water fl ooded cho, who had a stand outside the the town. There wasn’t a house market on weekends. His father, that wasn’t submerged. The wa- 73-year-old Colon Mendoza, ter was up to our chests in the said his son had just gone inside Ecuador quake kills 233, main avenue,” Nelly said. the market to use the bathroom Then on Saturday, she said, when the quake struck. “This the market came down “like a earthquake was unlike any I’ve house of cards.” felt before. It was stronger, the Too fearful to stay indoors, house shook so much it scared she had spent the night in the me, it was a tremendous rattle.” streets. Now she found herself “The earthquake was long, devastates coastal zone standing outside the fl attened long,” he said. market, hugging herself to keep Choking back tears, he looked Reuters can be rebuilt, but lives cannot Local TV station Televicen- $600mn in credit from multi- reports of casualties in the city. warm as she tearfully recounted to the ground and said, “Now Manta, Ecuador be recovered, and that’s what tro broadcast images from Ped- lateral lenders was immediately The government called it the the town’s double misfortune. what’s going to happen to Pan- hurts the most.” ernales showing locals using a activated for the emergency, the worst quake in the country since A short distance away a fi re- cho’s widow and two orphans?” More than 1,500 people were small tractor to remove rubble government said. 1979. In that disaster, 600 peo- he death toll from Ecua- injured, authorities said. and also searching with their Ramon Solorzano, 46, a car ple were killed and 20,000 in- dor’s biggest earthquake Coastal areas nearest the quake hands for people buried under- parts merchant in the coastal jured, according to the US Geo- Tin decades soared to at were worst aff ected, especially neath. city of Manta, headed away from logical Survey. least 233 yesterday as rescuers Pedernales, a rustic tourist spot Women cried after a corpse built-up areas with his fam- In international aid, Venezue- using tractors and bare hands with beaches and palm trees, was pulled out. Locals said chil- ily. Photos from Manta showed la, Chile and Mexico were send- hunted desperately for survivors which appeared largely fl attened. dren were trapped. Red Cross workers arriving, po- ing personnel and supplies, the in shattered coastal towns. “There are people trapped in One man begged for help: lice hunting through debris, a Correa government said. The 7.8 magnitude quake various places, and we are start- “Pedernales is destroyed.” smashed sculpture and badly A tsunami warning was lifted struck off the Pacifi c coast on ing rescue operations,” Vice Many people spent the night damaged buildings. on Saturday night, but coastal Saturday and was felt around the President Jorge Glas said yester- on the streets. “Most people are out in the residents were urged to seek Andean nation of 16mn people, day morning before boarding a In Guayaquil, Ecuador’s larg- streets with backpacks on, higher ground in case tides rise. causing panic as far away as the plane to the area. est city, rubble lay in the streets heading for higher ground,” “At fi rst it (the quake) was highland capital Quito and col- A state of emergency was de- and a bridge fell on top of a car. Solorzano said, speaking in a light, but it lasted a long time lapsing buildings and roads in a clared in six provinces. “It was horrible, it was as if it trembling voice on a WhatsApp and got stronger,” said Maria Jar- swathe of western towns. Authorities said there had was going to collapse like card- phone call. “The streets are amillo, 36, a resident of Guayaq- President Rafael Correa, rush- been 163 aftershocks, mainly in board,” said Galo Valle, 56, who cracked. The power is out and uil, describing windows break- ing home from a trip to Italy, said the Pedernales area. was guarding a building in the phones are down.” ing and pieces falling off roofs. the number of fatalities jumped A photo on social media pur- city where windows fell out and Parts of Quito were without “I was on the seventh fl oor yesterday to 233. porting to be the entrance to Ped- parts of walls broke. power or phone service for sev- and the light went off in the “The immediate priority is to ernales showed a torn-up road About 13,500 security force eral hours, but the city govern- whole sector, and we evacuated. rescue people from the rubble,” with a crushed car in the middle personnel were mobilised to ment said those services had People were very anxious in the People rest in a park after an earthquake in the city of Guayaquil. he said via Twitter. “Everything and people standing behind. keep order around Ecuador, and been restored and there were no street. ... We left barefoot.” Castro proposes age No water for millions despite Chile rains limit for Cuba leaders AFP agency declared a red alert for Santiago the city of more than 7mn people due to dirty water. Heavy rains Reuters perhaps because some members constitutional amendment and in the Andean foothills since Fri- Havana were disappointed with the idea. a referendum to codify this and our million people in San- day triggered landslides into the “So serious! What silence is other reforms. tiago were without tap wa- Maipo and Mapocho rivers. caused by this subject. Don’t think Castro proposed that 60 years Fter yesterday after unusually Santiago mayor Claudio Or- uture top leaders of Cuba’s that just because you can’t be in be fi xed as the age limit for en- heavy rain pounding central Chile rego said late Saturday that the Communist party should the leadership of the country you tering the party’s central com- triggered landslides that fouled cuts aff ect 4mn people, 1mn more Fretire at 70 to make way for can’t do anything,” Castro said, mittee and up to 70 years as the the city’s water supply and forced than announced hours earlier. younger blood, President Raul suggesting the elderly continue maximum age to perform duties the closure of the world’s biggest Tap water production was Castro said, suggesting older as party activists and spend more in the party leadership, say- copper mine, offi cials said. down to 35% of normal levels, members hoping for promotion time with their grandchildren. ing the new rules would have The heavy rain fl ooded parts said Eugenio Rodriguez, corpo- to the top table could play with Before the congress, the cur- a knock-on eff ect of bringing of the massive El Teniente mine, rate manager of the Aguas Andi- their grandchildren instead. rent party leadership faced younger leaders up through the leading the state-owned copper nas water company. Cuba’s current leaders in- some discontent among younger ranks more quickly. company Codelco to halt opera- Municipal authorities acti- clude several septuagenarian or members critical of the slow de- “Somebody who is 65 or 70 is tions there for at least three days. vated an emergency plan that in- octogenarian veterans of Fidel livery on promised economic re- useful for important activities, The mine, located in the foot- cludes accessing 45 backup wa- Castro’s 1959 revolution. There forms in the past fi ve years and a but not the activities of an im- hills of the Andes 150kms south ter sources and mobilising more is a growing urgency for them to lack of transparency. portant leader,” he said. of Santiago, is being closed to than 60 water trucks. make succession plans to keep Fidel Castro, who turns 90 in The party is today due to vote let engineers and crews clean Thousands on Saturday the party alive once they are gone. August, retired in 2008 after a seri- for a new leadership, and is ex- up landslides and divert streams fl ocked to stores to stock up on Raul Castro himself is 84 and ous illness and his younger brother pected to re-elect Castro and the that have “caused damage” to bottled water, and supermarket after his planned retirement took over, introducing a limit of party number two Jose Ramon machinery, Codelco said. shelves were quickly left bare. from government in two years two fi ve-year terms for leaders. Machado Ventura, 85. Presum- Temporarily closing El In the O’Higgins region the country is likely to be led That limit has yet to be tested. ably the new rules would not Teniente, which has more than 90kms south of Santiago, the by somebody with a diff erent The proposed new rules would apply to them because they are 3,000kms of galleries, will result swollen Tinguiririca River left surname for the fi rst time since aff ect new entrants into the already within the leadership. in the loss of production of some one person missing and about his brother overthrew a pro-US leadership, but Castro added Castro said the same age rules A street is flooded due to the overflowing Mapocho river during 5,000 tonnes of copper, the com- 100 homes damaged. government nearly 60 years ago. that there would be no sudden should be applied to other state heavy rains in Santiago yesterday. Four million people in Santiago pany said. Chile is the world’s Rain was expected to continue His comments during a two change. The limits would be in- bodies and the government. He were without tap water yesterday after unusually heavy rain top copper producer, producing throughout the weekend, lead- hour speech at the Communist troduced in time for the next reiterated that he would step pounding central Chile triggered landslides that fouled the city’s about one-third of global output. ing Aguas Andinas to say that “it Party’s twice-per-decade con- party congress in 2021. down as president of the nation water supply and forced the closure of the world’s biggest copper In the capital Santiago, the is not possible yet to estimate the gress were met with silence, He said there should then be a in 2018. mine, off icials said. national emergency response time that service will be restored.” Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Money being sent home by non-resident Pakistan slowing down

Internews says the latest edition of ‘Migra- dollar may be playing a role, the to around 4% a year in 2016-17. cil countries due to continuing versus 3.2% in 2014. Aside from this one-off event, Islamabad tion and Development - Trends report says. weakness in the price of oil. The average cost of sending average remittance costs are less and Outlook’ published last week. According to the report, the A major downside risk to Also, the continued widening $200 to regional countries in the than 3pc in the fi ve next lowest- The report says in the fourth growth rate of remittances to this forecast is the potential of black market premia and im- fourth quarter of 2015 was 5.4%, cost corridors, but around 10% he World Bank says that quarter of 2015, year-on-year developing countries continues for a decline in outward position of capital controls could down from 5.9% recorded in the or more in the fi ve highest-cost the growth of remittances growth remittances to Pakistan to slow down largely due to eco- remittances from Gulf limit formal remittance infl ows fourth quarter of 2014 and the low- corridors. T– money being sent home from Saudi Arabia and the UAE nomic weaknesses in the major Co-operation Council in some countries. est rate among developing regions. Higher costs in the latter group by non-resident Pakistanis – were 11.7% and 11.6%, respective- remittance-sending countries countries due to continuing Remittances to India, the re- Remittance service opera- may be due partly to low volumes, slowed down by 3.9% in 2015. ly, a signifi cant deceleration from particularly weak oil prices and weakness in the price of oil” gion’s largest economy and the tors in the UAE waived fees for lack of competition in the remit- The growth of remittances in 17.5% and 42.0% in the fi rst quarter. currencies in many remittance- world’s largest remittance recip- remittances to Nepal for a pe- tance markets in some sending or 2015 slowed from 16.7% to 12.8% Also, depreciation of major source countries. A major downside risk to this ient, decreased by 2.1% in 2015, riod following the earthquake, receiving countries, high regula- for Pakistan followed by 8% in sending country currencies like However, the report expects forecast is the potential for a whereas remittances to Nepal leading to the corridor having tory burdens and policy rigidities 2014 to 2.5% for Bangladesh and euro, Canadian dollar and the that the remittances to develop- decline in outward remittances rose dramatically in response to the lowest average cost (0.2%) that limit competition in some from 9.6% to -0.5% for Sri Lanka, Australian dollar vis-à-vis US ing countries are expected to rise from Gulf Co-operation Coun- the earthquake, by 20.9% in 2015 in the fourth quarter of 2015. market segments. Heavy fi ghting Devastation continues in Kunduz city Off icials say dozens of aimed at cutting off Chardara to city hospitals over the past Taliban killed, attacks driven district on the southwest out- three days, which have been put back ; Insurgents try to cut skirts of the city, which insur- under heavy strain by the de- road from district to city gents used as a base in last year’s struction of the hospital run by centre ; Battles underline attack, with several checkpoints aid group Medecins Sans Fron- UN concern over fighting in targeted, Kunduz police chief tieres in a US air strike last year. urban areas Qasim Jangalbagh said. The heavy fi ghting around “They wanted to cut the road Afghanistan’s fi fth-biggest city Reuters which connects the district to underlines the concern high- Kunduz, Afghanistan Kunduz city to stop us sending lighted in the United Nations’ reinforcements,” he said. latest report on civilian casual- In addition, he said a major ties, which pointed to a sharp rise fghan forces fought back a attack was driven back at Charkh in the number of children killed A Pakistani Kashmiri resident sits on cracks following landslides in Danna village, some 48km from Muzaff arabad, the capital of renewed series of attacks Ab, to the east of Kunduz, as Tal- or injured as a consequence of Pakistani part of Kashmir on Saturday. Hundreds of people have been shifting to safer places as their houses have been destroyed Aon Kunduz, killing dozens iban forces sought to stretch the combat in built-up areas. as large areas started moving downward due to massive landslides. Pakistan last week ended the search for 23 people buried by a of Taliban fi ghters, offi cials said city’s defences. The fall of Kunduz last year landslide in the north, after heavy rains that authorities said killed 117 people. yesterday as insurgent forces followed months of attacks that stepped up their bid to retake the “They wanted to cut the began in the spring. The attacks northern city that they captured road which connects weakened security forces before briefl y last year. the district to Kunduz Taliban fi ghters seized the city POLITICS The attack on Kunduz, in- city to stop us sending centre at the end of September, Punjab marriage volving hundreds of insurgent reinforcements” holding it for two weeks before fi ghters, has intensifi ed just days pulling out. Afghan child casualties soar as functions bill after the Taliban announced the Casualty estimates provided However, offi cials have made a start of their annual spring of- by Afghan offi cials varied slight- major eff ort this year to reassure challenged fensive, aimed at driving out the ly, with Kunduz police saying 49 residents that there would be no urban warfare escalates: UN Western-backed government in Taliban fi ghters had been killed repeat of last year’s demoralizing Pakistan’s Punjab Marriage Func- Kabul. and another 61 wounded, while collapse, which prompted thou- tions Bill, placing restrictions on The Taliban’s brief capture the defence ministry said 38 sands to fl ee to city. AFP ualties were children,” said Bell control of Kunduz, the north- indoor ceremonies, passed by of Kunduz last year underlined were killed and 13 wounded over Although heavy fi ghting con- Kabul in the report. eastern provincial capital they the provincial assembly last year both their growing strength and the past 24 hours. tinued over the winter months briefl y captured last year. has been challenged in Lahore the lack of readiness of Afghan A police spokesman said four in Afghanistan, notably in the “Increased fi ghting in The militants have intensi- High Court. Petitioner Advocate security forces fi ghting largely members of the security forces southern province of Helmand, hild casualties have populated areas continues fi ed their insurgency since the Syed Ali Gilani said on Friday that on their own since the Nato-led were killed and 11 wounded. the approach of warmer weather soared in Afghanistan to kill and injure women end of Nato’s combat mission restrictions cannot be imposed international coalition ended its Kunduz public health director is likely to bring an increase in Cthis year as the Taliban and children at higher in 2014, launching brazen at- on indoor marriage functions as combat operation in 2014. Saad Mukhtar said six dead and operations in the north of the stepped up attacks in urban rates that the general tacks on urban areas that saw every citizen has a right to organ- Attacks overnight appeared 107 wounded had been brought country as snow clears. areas, the United Nations said population” last year become the bloodiest ise events inside his house, The yesterday, branding the fi gures for civilians on record. Nation reported. The petitioner “appalling”. “If the fi ghting persists near In the fi rst three months of urged the court to stop the law US judge says terrorism convict can’t be deported to Pakistan Between January and March, schools, playgrounds, homes 2016, 600 civilians were killed from being implemented. The 161 children were killed and and clinics, and parties con- and 1,343 were injured, the bill, moved by Law Minister Rana A Maryland man believed to be the youngest Khalid pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and 449 others injured — a 29 per- tinue to use explosive weapons report said. The number of Sanaullah, prohibits ostentatious person ever convicted of US terrorism charges cooperated with the FBI more than 20 times, cent increase from a year earlier in those areas... these appalling deaths fell 13% from a year ago, wedding celebrations. Accord- may not be deported to Pakistan because he would teaching US agents how to combat online jihadists, — the UN’s mission in Afghani- numbers of children killed and while the number of injuries ing to the bill, any street, road or likely face torture there by government off icials, an records show. But when his five-year sentence stan said in a report. maimed will continue. rose by 11%. a place other than the building American judge has ruled. concluded late last year, US off icials sought to Danielle Bell, the mission’s “Increased fi ghting in popu- The Taliban were responsible where the event is being held, Mohamed H. Khalid, who legally moved from deport him to Pakistan, a move his lawyers said human rights director, said lated areas continues to kill and for six out of every 10 casual- shall not be decorated while or- Pakistan with his family to suburban Baltimore as would likely subject him to torture. women and children have suf- injure women and children at ties, according to the UN’s re- ganising a marriage. The bill states a young teenager, was arrested in 2011 at age 17 as “This is a huge victory - immigration judges do fered the most as the insurgents higher rates than the general port. that a marriage ceremony should part of the failed “Jihad Jane” conspiracy to murder this in 1% of the cases when someone argues they have launched more bomb at- population.” Last year, there were 11,002 be concluded before 10pm. A a Swedish artist who had blasphemed the Prophet will be tortured if sent home,” said Khalid’s lawyer, tacks in populated areas. The fi gures come days after civilian casualties, including person organising the marriage Muhammad. Wayne Sachs of Philadelphia. “In the fi rst quarter of 2016, the Taliban launched its spring 3,545 deaths, according to UN shall not serve or allow anyone almost one third of civilian cas- off ensive by trying to retake fi gures released in February. to serve meals except for one dish. Anyone breaching the law will face imprisonment for a one month and fine above Rs.50,000 Family tree or more than Rs2mn. Don’t target Hindus, HEALTHCARE All set for new says Pakistani daily health scheme for Quetta IANS ferior’ continues, thanks to the Islamabad likes of such people who in dis- Pakistan’s Ministry of National guise of their ‘funny content’ Health Services (NHS) has final- keep this hatred alive.” ised all arrangements to launch Pakistani commentator The commentator pointed out the Prime Minister’s National has hit out at a private that all hell breaks loose when Health Programme (PMNHP) in ATV channel for using Donald Trump passes his hateful Quetta. Under the programme “extemely off ensive and de- remarks towards Muslims. 76,000 families will get free of rogatory remarks” targeting “Before whining about a cost medical treatment. The the Hindu minority. racist sitting miles away in the scheme will be launched by the A commentary published US, have some self-refl ection: end of the month or in the first in The Nation pointed out What we have been doing to week of May and Prime Min- that the audience roared with the very people of our own ister Nawaz Sharif will himself laughter when the performer, country, the people who have inaugurate the programme. The while apparently trying to be been living in this land for programme was launched by the funny, used the word “dog” to thousands of years, long before prime minister on December 31 describe Hindus. Muslims arrived. last year for Islamabad, describ- “I am surprised how this was “Many might not know this ing it as the first step in turning allowed to go on air keeping but a part of our land, which Pakistan into a welfare state. in mind there are millions of today is part of ‘Islamic Re- The scheme will be expanded to Hindus living in Pakistan,” the public of Pakistan’, is the birth- all parts of Punjab, Balochistan, commentator said. place of Hinduism. Pakistan-administered Kashmir, “Unfortunately, from text “Publicly insulting follow- Gilgit-Baltistan and the Federally books to talk shows to common ers of that religion in the same Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). people, this culture of consid- country is extremely disre- People of Sindh and Khyber ering Hindus ‘impure’ or ‘in- spectful to say the least.” Pakhtunkhwa will not benefit from the initiative because their govern- ments have declined to become Mauritius president arrives in Pakistan part of the federal government’s programme. President of Mauritius Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim arrived A family gets Rs50,000 for the in Pakistan yesterday on a four-day visit for talks on bilateral issues. treatment which begins as soon According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the two sides will explore the as a patient is hospitalised under Pakistani children play on a tree in Islamabad yesterday. possibilities of strengthening existing bilateral ties in various fields of the programme. It includes all common interest, with particular focus on economic and trade. kinds of diseases. Gulf Times 24 Monday, April 18, 2016 PHILIPPINES Robredo seeks passage of Bangsamoro bill to check terror groups

By Jeff erson Antiporda ers and sisters’ grievances reaches our shores, our gov- & Llanesca T Panti and reflects their aspirations ernment should act swiftly. Manila Times is passed, it would mean to But we should not wait for them that we are not listening that to happen and move to to them, and so they will be pass a law that would address errorist groups will drawn to extremists like the the concerns not only of the continue to thrive if the ISIS,” Robredo said, referring Muslims, but also of Chris- Tproposed Bangsamoro to the Islamic State in Iraq and tians and indigenous people, Basic Law is not passed, Lib- Syria. in Mindanao,” Robredo said. eral Party (LP) vice presiden- The proposed law will create “It would be tougher to tial candidate Leni Robredo a Bangsamoro Region, which fight extremism if we will just said yesterday. will replace the Autonomous react and not take a preventive Robredo made the state- Region of Muslim Mindanao. action,” she added. ment during the Harapan Congress, however, failed to Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Bise, a debate organised by pass the measure because of Escudero vowed that he and ABS-CBN, when asked what the killing of 44 police com- Sen. Grace Poe will work to advice she will give to the sit- mandos by the Moro Islamic eradicate poverty, which he ting president. Liberation Front (MILF) in called “public enemy number “This is something we have Mamasapano, Maguindanao, 1.” long feared. Until a law that in January 2015. “We will slay hunger not addresses our Muslim broth- “In the event that ISIS the hungry, kill poverty, not the poor, because by doing that we will be able to lead the country toward genuine progress,” Escudero said. Escudero dodged an at- tack by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on his supposed failure to participate in anti- corruption hearings of the Senate. Cayetano was asked by one of the panelists about his weakness, but instead of Rodrigo Duterte: courting controversy answering directly, the sena- tor praised himself as the only candidate who is will- ing to engage in a fight when it comes to corruption un- like Escudero who he alleged has done nothing against the corrupt. Escudero dismissed Cayetano’s allegation. Duterte attacked He said he authored two laws that seek to prevent a repeat of atrocities of mar- tial law: Republic Act 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act, passed in 2009, and RA 10353 or the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary over rape remarks Disappearance Act, passed in 2012. The leading Philippine The woman, who was minis- constitution cannot seek a sec- “I was very angry when I “I was the primary author presidential candidate, who tering in a prison in Davao in the ond term, is supporting another spoke.” Duterte refused to and sponsor of the law that promises mass killings of southern Philippines, was raped candidate, his former interior apologise for his remarks, in- required the compensation suspected criminals if elected and killed during a riot by in- secretary Mar Roxas who trails sisting: “This is how men talk.” of human rights victims,” next month, appears in a mates in 1989. Duterte in opinion surveys. One Filipino remarked on Leni Robredo: call for preventive action Escudero added. video uploaded on YouTube Duterte was the city’s mayor Rival presidential candidate Twitter: “I broke down after making the remarks about a at the time. Duterte made con- Vice President Jejomar Binay watching Duterte on Aussie female Australian missionary troversial remarks watched by a called Duterte’s remarks “simply rape. I can’t fathom how his crowd of laughing supporters at revolting”. followers can laugh at it.” AFP the campaign rally. “You are a crazy maniac who Women’s group Gabriela Illegal drugs worth 200,000 pesos seized Manila Duterte, who boasts of the ex- doesn’t respect women and also attacked the remarks, tra-judicial killings of suspects doesn’t deserve to be president,” saying rape or any other by vigilantes during his time in Binay told Duterte in a state- form of sexual abuse was not Manila Times pect claimed to be currently employed as an eading Philippine presi- Davao, is leading in the run-up ment. “something to be trivialised Cagayan De Oro City Administrative Assistant II with the Depart- dential candidate Rodrigo to the May 9 election, accord- Another candidate Senator in a joke”, especially by some- ment of Education (DepEd) in Malaybalay City, LDuterte, whose campaign ing to the latest opinion survey Grace Poe, who is just behind one seeking the presidency. Bukidnon. promises a ruthless war on on April 3. His rivals, women’s Duterte in the surveys, said his Many Filipinos have em- government employee was arrested Fri- Villanueva said that the suspect yielded crime, was condemned yester- groups and commentators on comment was “distasteful and braced Duterte for his vulgar- day after a buy bust operation by op- about 40 grams of ‘shabu’ with an estimated day after a video surfaced of him social media quickly denounced unacceptable, and refl ects his ity-laced speeches, his boasts Aeratives of the Philippine Drug Enforce- street value of P200,000. He said that the il- apparently joking about a mur- his remarks but Duterte denied disrespect for women”. of sexual conquests and his ment Agency (PDEA) in Bukidnon. legal drug was contained in seven sachets of dered Australian rape victim. any levity. In a response also uploaded promised war on crime. Wilkins Villanueva, PDEA regional director heat sealed plastic. Aside from the illegal drug, Duterte, who promises mass President Benigno Aquino’s on YouTube, Duterte insisted Even when he used an ex- in Northern Mindanao, identifi ed the suspect the PDEA operatives also seized from the sus- killings of suspected criminals spokesman Herminio Coloma he had just been recounting the pletive against Pope Francis, as Romeo Flores, of Poblacion Malaybalay City, pect a green Kawasaki KLX 150L with no plate if elected next month, appears said the comments show “lack events of 1989 and was not mak- in a speech last November, Bukidnon. number, the buy-bust money and assorted in a video uploaded on YouTube of fi tness for the presidency” ing a joke about them. his followers in the devoutly During the initial investigation, the sus- drug paraphernalia. making the remarks about the and his “utter lack of respect for “It was not a joke. I said it in a Catholic nation quickly for- female Australian missionary. women”. Aquino, who under the narrative,” he said. gave him. Plan to promote Cagayan Philippines haven of cyber criminals ‘due to social media’ as cruise ship destination information and identities. By Kristyn Nika M Lazo terprise and consumer threats Manila Times and fueling the growth of online Of the stolen information, a Manila Times crime. number of companies chose not Santa Ana, Cagayan “Advanced criminal attack to report the number of records he Philippines is a favour- groups now echo the skill sets lost. ite of cyber criminals be- of nation-state attackers. They “The increasing number of mong the many regions in the Phil- Tcause of its high exposure have extensive resources and companies choosing to hold back ippines, Cagayan Valley is getting to social media and weak cyber highly-skilled technical staff critical details after a breach is a Anoticed as a major tourist destina- security. that operate with such effi cien- disturbing trend. Transparency tion. A report released by the global cy that they maintain normal is critical to security. By hiding Palaui Island, the Callao Cave system cybersecurity giant Symantec business hours and even take the full impact of an attack, it and Batanes province are becoming popular Corp showed that the Philip- the weekends and holidays off ,” becomes more diffi cult to assess destinations for travellers, but the Cagayan pines ranked 20th worldwide Sparks said. the risk and improve your secu- Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) is ram- and third in the Asia-Pacifi c re- “We are even seeing low-level rity posture to prevent future at- ping up its marketing activities to attract gion for social media scams and criminal attackers create call tacks,” Sparks said. more foreign tourists to the region. seventh in the Asia-Pacifi c for centre operations to increase the Symantec also reported that Foe one, a CEZA delegation recently at- ransomware attacks, with an av- impact of their scams,” he added. there is an emergence of ran- tended the Cruise Shipping Asia Confer- The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) is eyeing cruise ships to visit Port Irene soon. erage of 17 attacks per day. According to the Symantec somware in 2015, with a 35% ence in Hong Kong. Peter Sparks, Symantec sen- report, professional cyber at- growth in a more damaging vari- “We have also joined three airline in- or 63% more than the 91,984 recorded in to discuss signifi cant agenda on culture and ior director for Cyber Security tackers usually target “zero-day ant of crypto-ransomware at- dustry conferences, the Routes Asia 2015 2014. Chinese and American tourists made up tourism that included defi ning and pre- Services in the Asia-Pacifi c and vulnerabilities,” or the holes in tacks. conference in Kunming, China, the World the majority of foreign tourists visiting the re- serving Cagayan heritage and culture, pro- Japan, said the Philippines is software unknown to the seller, Ransomware are softwares in- Routes 2015 Conference in Durban, South gion followed by travellers from Japan, Korea, moting sustainable tourism development in more exposed to cyber attacks and use them to their own ad- tended to break into a computer Africa, and a couple of weeks ago, the Taiwan, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, Region 2 and fostering partnerships in de- because it is one of the fastest vantage. system, restrict all kinds of ac- Routes Asia 2016 at the SMX Convention India and Germany who also fl ocked to the velopment, among others. nations to adopt technology and Last year, the zero-day vul- cess and demand a ransom from Centre in Manila, where we put up our own fi ne beaches in Santa Ana town and the Cal- Tourism offi cials said arrivals in the Ca- the Internet. nerabilities discovered have the user to remove the system booth to showcase Cagayan’s tourism sites,” lao Caves in Penablanca town, both located in gayan Economic Zone and Freeport have Symantec’s Internet Security more than doubled, to a record restrictions. said CEZA Chief Executive Offi cer and Ad- Cagayan province. also been steadily rising and benefi ting the Threat Report (ISTR) Volume of 54, which is 125% higher than The Philippines ranks 40th ministrator Jose Mari Ponce. In March, the CEZA, in partnership with local community through its tourism pro- 21, which covers attacks in 2015, a year before. globally for ransomware attacks, He added that Port Irene here will soon the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Region grammes boosted by infrastructure devel- revealed that cyber criminals Malwares, on the other hand, with an average of 17 attacks per become a cruise ship destination and that 2 and Cagayan Provincial Tourism Offi ce, opments inside the zone as well as tourism adopted “best practices” and increased to 430mn new vari- day. Royal Caribbean has already visited Santa conducted the First Cagayan Culture and developments outside the zone, on a na- established professional busi- ants in 2015, which proves that Symantec advised businesses Ana. Ponce said CEZA is waiting for feed- Tourism Summit in Tuguegarao City with tional and international scale. nesses in order to increase the cyber criminals look for new to partner with organisations or back from the cruise ship company on the some 150 participants from various groups, Ponce said because Cagayan Valley is get- effi ciency of their attacks against avenues to overwhelm defences companies with advance threat setting up of an explorer type cruise. such as tourism stakeholders – hotel and ting more tourists, there is a need for tour enterprises and consumers. and enter corporate networks. and adversary intelligence solu- Talks for more fl ights going to Cagayan are restaurant owners, tour operators, boat and operators to develop new tour packages to The report said these “pro- The data also showed that tions to fool-proof systems, as also being pushed. service providers, as well as other local gov- suit all sorts of tourists, from the day trip- fessional cyber criminals” rule 191mn records were stolen in a well as conduct continuous edu- In 2015, the Cagayan Freeport attracted ernment units and agencies of Cagayan. pers, to scuba divers, to war tourism buff s the entire ecosystem of attack- single incident last year, com- cation and training to combat 150,000 tourists, both local and international Ponce said the occasion became a venue and many other tourists. ers, extending the reach of en- promising 429mn in personal cyber threats. Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Thousands Court rejects Khaleda’s hospitalised as heat wave sweeps plea, defers hearing Bangladesh Agencies Dhaka By Mizan Rahman should be careful about this Dhaka situation,” assistant surgeon Dhaka court yesterday of Kadamtola Union health rejected two petitions of complex in Pirojpur district Dr Aformer Bangladesh prime housands of people Sakil Sarwar said. minister BNP chairperson Kha- with heat wave syn- Eminent pediatric Dr M R leda Zia who appeared before it Tdromes have been ad- Khan said children are very in a graft case which accuses her mitted in the International sensitive to this hot and hu- of embezzling over $400,000 Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease mid weather as “they get de- from a trust, saying there is Research (ICDDR) and oth- hydrated quickly and germs “no ground” to re-examine the er major health facilities in multiply in their bodies easily investigating offi cer. Dhaka. during heat waves”. The Third Special Judge’s Doctors said yesterday that “Babies and children have Court deferred 70-year-old op- despite their preparedness to relatively low body weight, as position leader Zia’s hearing and treat people with diarrhoeal compared to adults that make fi xed April 25 to hear her state- syndromes, dehydration or them more vulnerable to the ment over graft charges brought fever due to hot weather in fl uid loss or dehydration that against her in the Zia Charita- March and April, the hos- occurs when more fl uid is ble Trust case which accuses pital is seeing large turn-up lost from the body compared her of embezzling 31.5mn taka due to protracted hot weather to the volume they consume ($400,000). conditions. … this causes an imbalance The court was scheduled to “Since the start of March, of minerals in their bodies,” record her deposition yesterday, we (ICDDRB) alone so far Khan said. but the Bangladesh Nationalist admitted more than 19,000 He said excessive weather Party (BNP) chief Zia’s lawyers people, most of them being like heat wave also generally petitioned for a fresh testimo- children,” hospital director exposes people of diff erent ny of the investigating offi cer, Dr Azharul Islam Khan told ages to viral infections caus- which the court turned down. newsmen. ing a lot of irritation, running The BNP chairperson’s coun- The state-run facility for nose, fever, breathing prob- sel then appealed for a fresh children Shishu Hospital in lems with cough fi lling the cross-examination of the inves- Dhaka also reported high rate breathing passage. tigating offi cer, which was also of admission in the past sev- They called upon people and dismissed. The court rejected the eral weeks because of the heat particularly children to drink petition on re-examining the in- wave exposing minor chil- plenty of water, lemonade, vestigating offi cer as it found “no dren to severe health risks in green coconut water for keep- ground”, The Daily Star reported. Khaleda Zia, centre, walking as she left after a court appearance in Dhaka yesterday. particular. ing fl uid balance in the body There was a heated argument “Parents are taking their as meteorological department between the prosecution and the time former prime minister Zia. pleaded not guilty while Haris regime accused her of contract- party coalition government. small children with problems warned that the current heat defence when Judge Abu Ahmed In 2013, the trial began after the Chowhdury is absconding. ing out an “unqualifi ed” com- Zia and the co-accused were like high fever, cough and di- wave might continue for next Jamadar deferred recording Zia’s court indicted the four. In February, Zia was ordered pany called GATCO the task indicted in the case in Septem- arrhoea as the hot weather several days despite slight fall statement and fi xed April 25 to On March 31, the court had to appear before a court to face of handling containers at the ber 2007 under a massive anti- made them sick,” hospital di- of mercury. hear it. then fi xed April 7 to hear Zia’s trial in a separate $1.85mn graft country’s main southeastern graft campaign which was being rector Dr Manzoor Hussain According to a Met Offi ce In 2010, the Anti-Corruption statement, but it was deferred case over contracting out cargo seaport of Chittagong and In- spearheaded by the then interim said. bulletin, northwestern and Commission (ACC) had fi led the as the BNP chief pleaded for handling work to a company in land Container Depot in Dhaka government, installed with cru- In villages, quick change western regions were exposed case against Zia and four others. more time. Two others accused exchange of kickbacks. allegedly in exchange of kick- cial military support on Jan 11, of temperature is making to more heat wave as they re- In 2012, charges were pressed in the case - Ziaul Islam Munna The case fi led in 2007 during backs during the 2001-2006 2007 proclamation of the state of children sick. corded the highest 38.3 degree against four, including the two- and Monirul Islam Khan - have the military-installed caretaker tenure of her BNP- led four emergency. “The parents and adults in Rajshahi. Lankan Nepalese female Tamils look for climbers blaze trails federal solution for their gender

AFP Some are now planning new she signed up for a local moun- Agencies Kathmandu summits during Nepal’s spring taineering course, where she Jaff na climbing season, which started was one of only two women in a this month. class of dozens of men. hen a deadly ava- “Sherpa men train their Sherpa Akita soon won a ri Lanka’s main Tamil par- lanche hit Mount sons to climb, not their daugh- scholarship to train in the ty TNA is seeking a fed- WEverest a year ago, ters, they are expected to stay French Alps before returning to Seral solution to resolve the Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, home,” mountaineering expert climb Everest. She also joined long-pending issue of political one of the few Nepali women Elizabeth Hawley said. two Sherpa women and togeth- independence for the country’s with expertise in climbing the “These female climbers are er they became the fi rst female minority community. world’s highest peaks, headed certainly breaking tradition, team to summit K2, the world’s This was conveyed by the main straight there to help. which takes some courage.” second-highest mountain, Mountaineer Pema Diki Sherpa looking at boots in a mountaineering equipment shop in Kathmandu. opposition leader and Tamil Na- A gifted mountaineer who In the year since Nepal’s mas- in 2014. tional Alliance leader (TNA) R had summited Everest by the sive earthquake, which trig- But her toughest test came have faced a long wait for their The mother-of-three is now came the fi rst all-female expe- Sampanthan in Jaff na yesterday age of 22, she is part of a new gered avalanches and landslides when the 7.8-magnitude quake turn in the mountaineering preparing a comeback - 16 dition to summit the highest to TNA representatives. generation of Sherpa women that killed almost 9,000 people, ripped through her country on spotlight, they are making up for years after she fi rst scaled Ev- mountains on all seven conti- Commenting on the talks, who are climbing peaks that they have also led rescue and April 25. it by snatching world records. erest - determined to summit nents, they still need to pay back the TNA northern provincial have traditionally only been relief eff orts. Sherpa Akita lost a friend in In 2012, Chhurim Sherpa be- the mountain twice in a single a 10mn rupee ($95,000) loan. councilor M K Shvajilingam said scaled by their men. “Everyone told me to stay the subsequent Everest ava- came the fi rst woman to scale season. Like others, the 28-year-old Sampanthan had briefed them “People think mountaineering behind, they said Everest base lanche, her Kathmandu home Everest twice in one week, while Eventually, she wants to beat has temporarily set aside her on the party’s approach to the is a man’s job, but I think we need camp is gone, but I had to go,” suff ered damage, and the sight 42-year-old Lhakpa Sherpa the record held by male climber climbing ambitions and fi nan- constitutional reform coming up more women in the mountains,” said Sherpa Akita, who was of thousands of Nepalis hud- holds a record for the most Ev- Apa Sherpa of 21 total summits. cial concerns and thrown her- at national level. the 31-year-old said. in a nearby village when the dling under tarps for shelter erest summits by a woman, Despite such feats, wom- self into relief work in Nepal, The government headed by Generations of men from Ne- disaster hit. broke her heart. with six. en say they continue to face monitoring aid distribution in President Maithripala Sirisena pal’s famed Sherpa community Raised in the Himalayan town She spent the next few The daughter of a yak herder, an uphill battle in a male- devastated Dolakha district. and Prime Minister Ranil Wick- have climbed the Himalayas, of Lukla, known as the gateway months raising funds and trav- Lhakpa Sherpa worked as a por- dominated industry, includ- “People had no food, nowhere remesinghe has already launched while their wives and daugh- to Everest, she had long wanted elling to remote villages to de- ter and kitchen hand on trek- ing securing funding for their to live, no access to roads be- a process to formulate a new ters have traditionally kept the to climb the mountain, inspired liver emergency supplies and king and mountaineering ex- expeditions. cause of landslides. It was very constitution for the country home fi res burning. by the late Pasang Lhamu Sher- help run medical camps. peditions when she was young, They have made 33 attempts sad,” she said. replacing the 1978 statute. But in a sign of changing pa — the fi rst Nepali woman to National Geographic maga- before climbing solo. to scale Everest, compared to But they plan to return to Shivajilingam said Sampan- times, a string of Sherpa wom- summit the peak in 1993. zine named her 2016’s “Adven- “I felt free up there, I found or- 2,923 bids by Sherpa men, ac- the peaks, if not this climbing than said the current govern- en are now breaking records After her parents died, leav- turer of the Year” for her eff orts, dinary life much more diffi cult,” cording to the authoritative season, then the next. “Once ment could be more responsive themselves, not only on 8,848m ing her orphaned at 15, she the fi rst Nepali woman to win she said, referring to a years-long Himalayan Database. you begin climbing, you can’t to a federal arrangement and (29,029ft) high Everest but worked on trekking expedi- the accolade. violent relationship that saw her More than a year after Pema stop. The mountains are an therefore, the TNA local politi- other dangerous peaks. tions to earn money. In 2004, Although Sherpa women eventually retire from climbing. Diki Sherpa and her team be- addiction,” Sherpa Akita said. cians must not act indiff erently at this stage. “He said they are looking for a federal solution within an un- divided Sri Lanka based on the merger of the north and eastern provinces,” Shivajilingam said. Youth train to become eco-guides for Sundarbans He said if the government did not acceded to a federal solution, inter- By Mizan Rahman Civil Aviation and Tourism guides and professional tour tourist groups in the Sunda- ers in proper tourism-friendly said currently the BTB is work- national pressure must be brought Dhaka Minister Rashed Khan Menon operators there. “ rbans, the visitors will be en- way,” he said. ing to upgrade the modules of to bear upon it by the Tamils. said yesterday. He said on one hand, the couraged to practise responsi- The minister said he will hold the training curriculum to make The Tamil demand for a feder- The state-run Bangladesh eco-guides will ensure bio- ble tourism during their stay in meetings with Forest and Envi- the eco-guide building process al solution dates back to the days angladesh has at long last Tourism Board (BTB) in co-op- diversity conservation in the deep forest,” he said. ronment Ministry soon to up- more eff ective. when Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, started training youths eration with Bengal Tours, one forest, they will create em- Noting the importance of grade the existing Sundarbans “We will seek applications came to be granted independence Bof the Sundarbans region of the largest tour operators in ployment opportunities for the Sundarbans as Unesco Tourism Policy for support- from interested educated local by the British in 1948. as eco-guides for ensuring re- the Sundarbans, imparted a 10- the local educated youths on world heritage site, Me- ing the tour operators to con- youths to become eco-guides Later, the campaign was ex- sponsible tourism in the world’s day infi eld eco-guide training to the other. non said the United Nations duct responsible tourism in the through publishing advertise- tended to a separate state de- largest mangrove forest. 20 local youths including four The minister has already World Tourism Organisation region. ment in the newspapers soon,” mand when the LTTE fought a “We would like to pick many females last week. urged the forest depart- (UNWTO) put special em- During the 10-day training, he said. decades old war with the gov- educated and enthusiastic The minister said, “Practice ment to refer eco-guides to phasis on this world largest academic lessons were im- The BTB chief said they will ernment to carve out a separate youth from areas adjacent to the of eco-tourism is a must in the the tour operators when they mangrove forest. parted in three days, aware- provide eco-guide training to Tamil homeland. Sundarbans to make them eco- Sundarbans. The number of give entry permission to any “We received a proposal from ness campaign in two days the interested candidates phase With the defeat of the LTTE in guides so that they can conserve both local and foreign tour- tourist group. the UNWTO to present the and in field training for five by phase to adequate number of 2009, the Tamil leadership has unique nature and wildlife of ists is increasing in the Sun- “If the tour operators hire world’s largest mangrove forest days. eco-guides from four districts adopted a softer approach to give the mangrove forest through darbans day by day but we an eco-guide along with for- Sundarbans, a Unesco heritage, Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Ka- - Khulna, Satkhira, Bagherhat up on the separatist demand. ensuring responsible tourism,” have scarcity of eco tourist est guards whenever they bring to international holidaymak- bir, chief executive offi cer, BTB, and Barguna. Gulf Times 26 Monday, April 18, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed Middle East’s incessant Production Editor: C P Ravindran

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar wars must come to an end [email protected] If all the material and schools, hospitals and factories were post-war care of soldiers are added place in the region had a shocking Telephone 44350478 (news), razed to the ground. to the direct costs of war, the fi gures “Opportunity Cost”. In other words, 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) resources of the Middle The most technologically advanced reach incredible heights. if all the material and resources of the Fax 44350474 East wasted on wars had armies of the world employed their A report published by the World Middle East wasted on wars had been most powerful war machines upon Bank in 2016 revealed that 87mn used for the welfare of Muslims and been used for the welfare these lands. American F-22 and Muslims were directly aff ected by the the development of their countries, a of Muslims and the F-15’s, Russian MIG-29 and SU-24 civil wars in four diff erent countries. profi t of $12tn would have been made. war planes, American Nimitz class As a consequence of these civil wars, This is the true cost of the confl icts development of their and Russian TAVKR class aircraft 80% of the population of Yemen that have been going on for 25 year countries, a profi t of $12tn carriers, Tomahawk and Cruise now lives below the poverty line, since the fi rst Gulf War. GULF TIMES missiles, Russian S-400 missile 21.5mn people in Syria are in need of Actually calculating the costs of would have been made systems, state-of-the-art tanks, light humanitarian aid. And 12mn people wars fi nancially is a great shame in infantry weapons, heavy machine living in Iraq and Libya are counting itself. Every bomb that hits a city By Harun Yahya guns, bomber aircraft, mustard gases, on foreign aid for their survival. means children and women are about Istanbul chemical weapons all had a helping to be martyred. Every bullet that fi nds Study underlines hand in carrying out the most horrible A World Bank report its target means leaving little souls massacres these lands had ever seen. fatherless, motherless and hungry out ince the These multi-billion dollar killing reveals that 87mn in the streets. second machines escalated the economic cost Every massacre, every invasion link between sleep half of of the wars to astronomical amounts. Muslims have been stands for the millions of lives that Sthe 20th Specifi cally, the fi rst period of the 21st will be wasted in pursuit of revenge. century, the century will go down in history as a directly aff ected by The people who lost their lives and are Middle East has dark period during which trillions of confi ned to clutches, who had to leave and good health been trapped in a vicious cycle of war, dollars were wasted on war. the civil wars in four their homes behind and immigrated the likes of which it had never seen at In a state of panic caused by the towards the unknown and who wait any point in history. September 11th terrorist attacks, diff erent countries for their death in the refugee camps Arab-Israeli conflicts, the Iran- the US administration fi rst invaded and, constitute the greatest cost of the A good night’s sleep is one of the vital factors to Iraq war, the civil wars of Jordan, Afghanistan, which was followed by These wars also hold the futures war in the Middle East. maintain good health. A good night’s sleep may even Libya, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, the invasion of Iraq, under the guise of of the Muslims in the region hostage. It is impossible to justify and pay the Egyptian revolutions, Shia- “war on rerror”. To convince the public The Lebanese economy was only able back the cost of such bloodshed, keep colds and other infections at bay, according to a Sunni conflicts and the minority of the necessity of Iraq, the US vice to mend the devastation wrought by sorrow and diffi culty. These ceaseless new study. genocides have all engulfed and president at the time, Dick Chaney, the civil war that lasted 20 years. It is wars in the Middle East have to come The odds that someone who sleeps fi ve or fewer inflamed the oldest regions known claimed that the cost of the operation impossible to even give an estimated to an end. Otherwise, with every hours a night had caught a cold in the past month on the earth. would not exceed $100bn. Today, time for Syria and Iraq. passing day, the world will become an More than 10mn Muslims perished many studies estimate the cost of the An India-based think tank named even more dangerous place. were 28% higher than for folks who regularly get more in these seemingly endless wars operations of Afghanistan and Iraq Strategic Foresight Group pointed out shuteye, the study found, as reported by www.upi.com while millions of others were left for the American public to be $6tn. an important matter while estimating zHarun Yahya may be followed And for other infections -including fl u, ear permanently disabled and millennia- When the indirect expenses such as the cost of the confl icts in the at @Harun_Yahya old cities were destroyed. Mosques, the interest of the war debts and the Middle East. The wars that had taken and www.harunyahya.com infections and pneumonia - short sleepers had more than 80% higher odds of having an infection in the past month compared to those sleeping seven or eight hours. “People who sleep fi ve or fewer hours on average are at substantially increased risk for both colds whether head or chest or other infections, compared to people who sleep seven to eight hours on average,” said study researcher Aric Prather, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, San Francisco. The fi ndings were published as a letter April 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine, a peer-reviewed medical journal published twice a month by the American Medical Association. The researchers found that people who have sleep disorders or those who have ever told their physician that they have sleep troubles had about “The data 30% higher odds of suggest that having had a cold in the previous month. The sleep may odds of infection in the be altering past month for people with sleep disorders the immune were more than function in some doubled. Experts cannot say way” for sure why lack of sleep helps increase susceptibility to infections. However, Prather said, it is known that T-cells, a type of white blood cells that fi ght off infection, do not work as well when one is sleep-deprived. The new study builds on Prather’s previous work, in which he exposed people to a cold virus and found there was a link between sleep duration and the risk of Residents looking for survivors amidst the rubble after an airstrike on the opposition-held Old Aleppo. catching a cold. The latest research echoes some fi ndings of previous studies, according to Sheldon Cohen, professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, in UN’s global justice referee, the ICJ, turns 70 Pittsburgh. Cohen has previously studied sleep habits and susceptibility to colds. “We found that seven the Hague Institute for Global Justice Britain sued Albania after two while Thailand said it accepted and hours is about the breaking point,” he said. “People By Jan Hennop AFP/The Hague think-tank. destroyers hit sea mines laid during withdrew its troops. who got less than seven hours were at greater risk, It has “also served, albeit to a the war in the Corfu channel near the The ICJ has also played a major role basically.” limited extent, as an instrument eponymous Mediterranean island, in hearing cases on global nuclear rom ruling on nuclear testing to protect human rights, but also killing 45 sailors. testing. When many studies are examined, “the consistency to bitter border disputes or jurisprudence to meet challenges such In its fi rst judgement, the ICJ Recently the tiny Marshall Islands across studies really does suggest that sleep is playing whether whales can be hunted as threats to the environment”, Matta held Albania responsible for the - scene of US-led atomic tests - sued a role (in susceptibility to colds),” Cohen said, while Fin Antarctica, the UN’s highest told AFP. explosions, but also ruled that Britain the world’s major nuclear powers tribunal the International Court of violated Tirana’s sovereignty when it aiming to shine a new spotlight on the adding that “the data suggest that sleep may be Justice (ICJ) is celebrating 70 years of subsequently embarked on a mine- nuclear threat. The case is ongoing. altering the immune function in some way,” with far-reaching global decision-making. “The ICJ has helped clearing operation. In what was seen as a suffi cient sleep helping it. But after seven decades the settle international Albania was ordered to pay London major symbolic victory for People can become better sleepers, Prather said. respected court remains hamstrung £843,947 in compensation - some environmentalists, the ICJ ruled in in any bid to intervene in the 21st disputes involving £29mn ($40mn) in today’s money. 2014 that Japan’s annual whale hunt Getting up at the same time every day is a start, he century’s most pressing confl icts so Many of some 200 decisions handed in the Antarctic was a commercial said. “Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet and far, analysts say. territorial issues, down by the ICJ since then were born activity disguised as science, after dark,” he advised. “Have a wind-down period (before The ICJ can only rule in disputes out of bilateral tensions which the Australia brought a case against when both the countries involved diplomatic relations, tribunal has helped resolve. Tokyo. going to sleep).” have accepted its jurisdiction, thereby One of the ICJ’s biggest Last month, however, activists placing confl icts such as the fi ght by hostage-taking and achievements “is the number of accused Japan of an “empty response” pro-Russian separatists in eastern confl icts that have been avoided after Tokyo resumed its Antarctic Ukraine beyond its reach. economic rights” thanks to the court”, the court’s deputy chase, killing 333 whales. A special sitting of the court will be Because of jurisdictional issues president, Somalian judge Abdulqawi “There certainly would be more To Advertise held on Wednesday in the presence however “in some ways, the court is Ahmed Yusuf said recently. festering, long-term disputes between of UN chief Ban Ki-moon to mark the arguably best suited to low-level or “I think this is something this court states,” had it not been for the ICJ, said [email protected] 70th anniversary of its opening in the moderate confl icts - these are the ones can be proud of,” added ICJ president, Leiden University’s Rose. Display imposing Peace Palace in The Hague. that more frequently come before French judge Ronny Abraham during a “It would of course be great to see Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Set up in 1946 after World War II, it”, said Cecily Rose, assistant law rare meeting with reporters. more disputes about critical ongoing the ICJ’s 15-judge bench, elected for a professor at Leiden University. They cited the example of a long- confl icts submitted to... third parties Classified term of nine years, is seen as the fi nal Also, unlike its younger relative the standing spat between Cambodia and like the ICJ. But the states have to Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 word in rows between states and an International Criminal Court, the ICJ Thailand over access to the ancient consent to this in some way,” she said. impartial arbiter when quarrels erupt does not rule on criminal cases arising temple of Preah Vihear. Olivier Ribbelink, senior researcher Subscription between neighbours. out of confl icts. In 2013, the court ruled that most at the respected Hague-based Asser [email protected] “The ICJ has helped settle Back in 1947 when judges steeped of the area around the fl ashpoint Institute, said: “States respect the international disputes involving themselves in the fi rst case to be site on the Thai border belonged to court’s rulings because they have territorial issues, diplomatic relations, brought to the ICJ, the horrors and Cambodia, ordering Thai security confi dence in the ICJ’s impartiality 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved hostage-taking and economic rights,” devastation of World War II were still forces to leave. and its carefully-considered said Aaron Matta, senior researcher at uppermost in many people’s minds. Cambodia welcomed the ruling, judgements.” Gulf Times Monday, April 18, 2016 27 COMMENT Cervantes: The man behind the myth

More than 300 events — During that time, he went to prison exhibitions, plays, readings, for what may have been debt-related reasons, and some believe he could conferences — are taking have started dreaming up Don Quixote place in Spain over the year then. When the novel was fi nally to mark his death published in 1605, it was an overnight success. By Marianne Barriaux The years after saw Cervantes move AFP/Madrid to Madrid and devote his time to writing - including the second part of Don Quixote - before dying of illness e is best known for in 1616, a relatively poor man who Don Quixote, but the probably never expected to leave such eventful life of Spain’s a lasting literary legacy. Hrevered author Miguel de Don Quixote has become one of Cervantes was just as intriguing as any the world’s most translated works, adventures of the delusional wanna- perhaps only surpassed by some be knight of his famous novel. religious texts. Cervantes - whose death on April Its tale of a man who fancies himself 22, 1616 will be commemorated in as a knight and set outs to rid the Spain this week just as Britain marks world of its ills has been universally the passing of Shakespeare 400 years praised. ago - survived a sea battle, capture Cervantes’ portrayal of a hero as by pirates, fi ve years of captivity in vulnerable and imperfect as any other Algiers and stints in prison. In Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes’ human being was revolutionary, and “What gives such power to portrayal of a hero as vulnerable and inspired authors from Jane Austen Cervantes’ literature is that he imperfect as any other human being and Fyodor Dostoyevsky to Gustave lived his life so intensely,” says was revolutionary. Flaubert and Mark Twain. photographer Jose Manuel Navia, who, More than 300 events - exhibitions, for a Madrid exhibition, travelled to order raised money for the ransom and plays, readings, conferences - are sites where the author once set foot. he returned to Spain, where he tried taking place in Spain over the year to Many questions surround the life of unsuccessfully to get offi cial postings mark his death. the soldier-turned-captive-turned- in return for his services as a soldier. On Saturday, Spain’s royals and tax-collector, whose writings largely Then in 1584, Cervantes had a Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will took a back bench until he achieved Many questions surround the life of Miguel de Cervantes whose writings largely took a back bench until he achieved daughter - his only off spring - with go to Alcala de Henares to attend the overnight success with Don Quixote in overnight success with Don Quixote in his late fifties. one woman before marrying another prize-giving ceremony for the annual his late fi fties. who was nearly 20 years his junior. Miguel de Cervantes award, which Using offi cial archives, scant But a few years later in 1569, between decks in an area that serves and Cervantes was taken to Algiers He settled with her in a tiny village honours the lifetime achievement of witness accounts and autobiographical Cervantes moved to Rome for reasons as a sick bay... affl icted by sea sickness - a bustling city administered by the in the central region of Castilla-la- a writer. prefaces to his books, academics have that remain unclear, and may have had and malaria,” writes biographer Jean Ottoman Turks. Mancha, where Don Quixote would And for Javier Rodriguez Palacios, for decades tried to decipher the myth to do with his involvement in a duel Canavaggio of the day of the battle. He remained there for fi ve years later be based. mayor of Alcala de Henares, the of the man known as the father of the that forced him to escape. But Cervantes still went on deck to despite several attempts to escape, During that time he wrote his fi rst author is still hugely relevant today. modern novel. In Italy, he enlisted as a soldier and fi ght, ending up shot in the chest and waiting to be freed in exchange for a novel La Galatea, without much “You describe his life to a 16-year- Born in 1547 in Alcala de Henares fought in the 1571 Battle of Lepanto in the left hand, which he would never ransom. success. old guy... and he will start to realise near Madrid, his family struggled that saw more than 200 galleys of an again be able to use. One of these attempts saw him Finally in 1587, he got an offi cial that what is happening now in some fi nancially. alliance of Christian powers confront After recovering from his wounds, and others hole up in a cavern east of posting that saw him on the move places - unemployment, youth having They settled in Madrid when the an Ottoman Empire fl eet in the seas off Cervantes continued to participate in Algiers for fi ve months, waiting for again, criss-crossing southern Spain to go abroad, occasional confl ict future superstar author was close Greece. military campaigns until deciding to a ship dispatched by his brother that for the next decade requisitioning between those of Spanish origin to 20, and he wrote his fi rst known “Trembling with fever, he lies in return to Spain in 1575. never arrived. wheat and oil for authorities and then and those who aren’t - Cervantes poetry there. a rickety old bed infested with lice But his ship was captured by pirates Eventually, his family and a religious collecting taxes. experienced this too,” he says. 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TODAY Allegation was blocking India-Nepal trade points to some sort of blockade unoffi cially to the elements surprisingly clean, High: 34 C highlight their dissent. However, during sanctioned by New Delhi. The a refreshing change from the dust- Low : 24 C based on facts the entire period of their agitation, blockade had severely aff ected my laden aftermath that car owners have Strong wind and high seas Nepal’s eastern trade point Kakarbhitta- country, especially since it came in to contend with. I wonder if this Dear Sir, Panitanki (connecting to India’s wake of the devastating earthquake particular downpour has left the local Naxalbari area in West Bengal) had in April 2015. For this state of aff airs, car-wash industry hanging dry. TUESDAY I respect the sentiment of the writer remained completely peaceful. Despite I blame not only India’s government High: 32 C of the letter “Baseless allegation” (Gulf this, except for a few trucks carrying but also my country’s government and AK Low: 24 C Times, April 10) and completely agree vegetables and fruits, no essential goods some of its political leaders who work (Full name and e-mail address Sunny with his statement that India has always were allowed to enter Nepal from India for their own personal benefi ts or of supplied) stood by Nepal. At the same time, I through this border point. Please note their parties rather than for the nation would like to take this opportunity that this is one of the major trade points and its citizens. WEDNESDAY to clear some of the apparent of Nepal and India through which a Before I conclude, I would like to Please send us High: 32 C misunderstandings of the writer. wide range of essential goods and fuel stress once again that my criticisms Low: 24 C 1) In my earlier letter, “Regretful enters Nepal every day under normal were not against any individual or your letters M Sunny comments” (Gulf Times, April 7), in circumstances. country but against the bad politics which I had written about India’s Hundreds of containers and trucks which is being exploited by many of By e-mail “undeclared blockade” on Nepal carrying essential supplies, including our corrupt leaders in the name of [email protected] Fishermen’s forecast Fax 44350474 during the fourth quarter of the last medicines and earthquake relief innocent people. OFFSHORE DOHA year, the allegation I made was based materials, had got stranded on the Or Post Wind: W-NW 07-17 KT on facts. It did not spring from reports Indian side of the border (Panitanki/ Ramesh Dhakal Letters to the Editor Waves: 6-9 Feet that I had read in newspapers or views Naxalbari) for weeks after the [email protected] Gulf Times INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-N 05-15/18 KT expressed in some books. I reached the agitation over the new Constitution P O Box 2888 Waves: 2-3/4 Feet conclusion from what I had witnessed broke out. Welcome Doha, Qatar as well as experienced while I was Now it is for the writer of the letter, Around the region in Nepal, my home country, during “Baseless allegation” to conclude whether showers All letters, which are subject to Weather Weather October-November 2015. it was an unoffi cial blockade or one that editing, should have the name today Max/min tomorrow Max/min 2) After the promulgation of the had the backing of Indian authorities. of the writer, address and Abu Dhabi Cloudy 31/22 Sunny 32/21 new Constitution, it is true that there Being a citizen of Nepal and hailing Dear Sir, Baghdad Sunny 32/16 Sunny 32/16 phone number. The writer’s Dubai had been a lot of tension in Nepal. It from the eastern side of the country, Cloudy 29/23 Sunny 30/23 name and address may be Kuwait City Sunny 34/21 Sunny 34/21 is also true that some members of a I have witnessed many incidents to I noticed that Thursday night’s rains withheld by request. Manama Sunny 29/23 Sunny 29/23 disappointed community had started support my argument that there was left parked cars that were exposed Muscat P Cloudy 34/26 Sunny 34/25 Riyadh Sunny 33/19 S Showers 31/21 Tehran S Showers 15/10 P Cloudy 18/09 Live issues The fi ne art of doing nothing will help reverse burnout

By Judi Light Hopson, Emma H minutes just taking in the view. nurse we’ll call Evelyn. “But now, at Hopson and Ted Hagen zStart giving something back to 56, I can’t fi nd the energy to do my Tribune News Service yourself. Would you enjoy reading laundry or clean my house at all. I a magazine centred on one of your worry about my six grandkids, the hobbies? Or, would you enjoy taking a upcoming presidential election, you- o you feel guilty and highly drive in the country? name-it. I am so tense, others can feel uncomfortable when you do z Try to obtain “closure” on it. I went for a massage at the spa, and absolutely nothing? Maybe past problems. Maybe one of your I was so tense, I think I crippled the Dyou fi dget and squirm, businesses failed, or perhaps you’ve massage therapist’s hands!” looking for your smartphone to scan come out of a bad relationship or Think of your brain as a computer Around the world for incoming text messages. Or, do you marriage. Staying busy is a way to that needs to defrag. A busy mind Weather Weather itch to check your e-mail? avoid dealing with these issues. Get is scattered. It burns energy to keep today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Learning to relax is not that with someone you trust and talk out worrying about 20 things on 20 Athens Sunny 29/18 M Sunny 29/18 simple. Most of us stay so busy, this kind of pain. This way, you can diff erent tracks. Beirut Sunny 24/18 Sunny 28/21 Sunny 36/29 pushing our stressful emotions to relax more readily. “I knew I was cooling my burnout Bangkok 36/29 M Sunny Berlin M Sunny 13/07 P Cloudy 13/04 the background, that working on “I literally drain myself with when I caught up my messy house by Cairo Sunny 33/16 Sunny 34/17 our relaxation techniques will create compulsive busyness and making noon one Saturday,” says a friend of Cape Town P Cloudy 29/18 S Showers 24/16 anxiety at first! to-do lists,” says a pharmacist we’ll ours we’ll call Janice. “I had rested a Colombo S T Storms 33/26 S T Storms 33/26 “When I started taking 30 minutes call Alex. “I only work 40 hours a lot the prior week, and I got up at 7am Dhaka P Cloudy 34/28 S T Storms 38/28 Hong Kong S T Storms 26/20 Cloudy 24/21 a day to sit in my recliner, I actually week, but I’ve killed three marriages! on this particular Saturday and sailed Istanbul Sunny 25/16 P Cloudy 26/14 felt worse in the beginning!” says a I cannot relax and just enjoy being through my chores. Once I took a Jakarta T Storms 33/26 T Storms 32/26 banking executive we’ll call Ralph. “All alive.” shower, I felt like taking a long walk. I Karachi P Cloudy 32/24 P Cloudy 34/23 of my fears, problems and personal Alex says he was raised to keep busy was really surprised when I didn’t feel London M Cloudy 14/06 P Cloudy 16/05 P Cloudy M Sunny 36/26 issues started jumping into my brain.” and work hard. When he gets home tired when I went to bed that night. I Manila 36/26 Moscow Cloudy 17/04 Cloudy 14/04 Those of us who feel heavy and takes more and more energy to keep up from work, he has real trouble kicking slept like a baby.” New Delhi S Showers 39/24 P Cloudy 40/24 bogged down are suff ering from our lifestyles. We never feel energised. back to relax. He does admit, however, New York M Sunny 26/14 M Sunny 21/08 emotional burnout, most likely. We’ve These tips can help you back away that he “drags through life” and feels zJudi Light Hopson is the executive Paris Sunny 14/04 M Sunny 17/07 worked, planned, fretted, stayed up from overall burnout: overwhelmed. director of the stress management Sao Paulo M Sunny 33/20 Sunny 33/20 Seoul S Showers 17/05 M Sunny 19/06 late, and gotten up early so long, our zPractice doing absolutely nothing “When I was a young newly-wed website USA Wellness Cafe at www. Singapore S T Storms 34/27 S T Storms 34/27 mental health is crying out for some in small increments. Take actual at 28, I could get up at six, go to work, usawellnesscafe.com. Emma Hopson Sydney S T Storms 21/14 P Cloudy 23/14 relief. breaks from work throughout the day. clean and cook, and fi nd time to watch is an author and a nurse educator. Ted Tokyo Clear 23/14 Clear 21/13 Being in a burnout stage means it Or, sit on your patio at home for 20 a movie three nights a week,” says a Hagen is a family psychologist. Gulf Times 28 Monday, April 18, 2016 QATAR

A laser cut artwork, based on medical scans of a human face at the exhibition. Another artwork. Exhibition explores connect between art and medicine tudents of Virginia Common- exist between art and medicine, as each discipline solves problems, de- wealth University in Qatar part of a research project conducted velops expertise and utilises creativ- S(VCUQatar) and Weill Cornell by Dr Alan Weber, associate pro- ity, analysis, synthesis and evaluation Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) present- fessor of English at WCM-Q; Rhys to create new knowledge. ed their original artworks at a new Himsworth, director of Painting and Dr Weber said: “Clearly, art and exhibition exploring the intersection Printmaking at VCUQatar; Amy An- medicine are very diff erent disci- between art and medicine, which dres, interim director of Libraries plines involving very diff erent modes opened at the Hamad Bin Khalifa and assistant professor at VCUQa- of learning, so the students have to University Student Centre recently tar; and Dr Stephen Scott, associate move outside of their comfort zones The month-long exhibition show- dean for Student Aff airs at WCM-Q. and think creatively to develop ways cases a collection of works created by Himsworth curated the exhibition to communicate and work produc- six students from each college, utilis- and an exhibition catalogue and a tively with one another.” ing a range of materials, methods and documentary fi lm about the project The researchers have documented media, from laser-cut works based on will be published shortly. the interactions between the students medical scans, to photographs that Through an ‘Art and Medicine’ through photography, videography examine the landscape as a meta- Learning Laboratory set up by the and ethnographic-based research phor for neurological conditions, researchers, the project aimed to de- methodologies. and kinetic sculptures that question velop innovative, interdisciplinary The research project is the product our perception of what is mental and pedagogies that will provide art stu- of collaboration and support from what is physical. dents with new understandings, ma- WCM-Q, VCUQatar, Hamad Medi- The artworks and the exhibition terials and tools to further develop cal Corporation, Qatar Science and are the result of a semester-long col- their artistic practice. Technology Park, HBKU Student laboration between VCUQatar and The Learning Laboratory consisted Centre, Qatar Robotics Institute of WCM-Q that sought to explore the of a series of workshops, seminars Development and the Qatar Robotic many direct and abstract links that and lectures that investigated how Surgery Centre. Some of the art collections. Ooredoo, Fortinet in joint LuLu Exchange branch security services showcase

oredoo and Fortinet which is designed to combat associated with business e-mail, relocates to Al Khor Mall recently hosted a spe- advanced attacks from the net- according to a statement. Ocial event for compa- work’s core to the end user’s Ooredoo currently off ers some uLu Exchange Company nies from some of Qatar’s key device. In addition, experts of the most advanced security has relocated their Al industries to showcase their demonstrated the FortiGate solutions in the region and is LKhor branch to a more portfolio of security services platform, which combines the investing in growing its security conveniently accessible loca- and products. most advanced threat intelli- portfolio as part of its vision to tion at Al Khor Mall. Fortinet is a global leader in gence from FortiGuard Labs and become the leading integrated The new branch was inaugu- high-performance cyber-se- the FortiOS operating system to ICT provider in Qatar, the state- rated by Adeeb Ahamed, direc- curity solutions. provide consistently top-rated ment added. tor, LuLu Exchange Company, The event included a series security, deeper visibility and The company currently of- in the presence of other digni- of presentations on the range of superior performance. fers a host of next-generation taries and offi cials of LuLu Ex- cyber threats facing companies Ooredoo also used the event as security services designed to change Company. today, and the solutions and an opportunity to demonstrate protect Qatar’s businesses, in- The Al Khor branch reloca- services that can protect data its Cloud E-mail Security Serv- cluding Out of Country Disas- tion comes with the company’s and prevent breaches. ice, a comprehensive and cost- ter Recovery, Cloud Security, strategy to reinforce its growing Solutions included Fortinet’s eff ective way to protect Qatar’s Cloud E-mail Security Solutions presence in local markets while Advanced Threat Protection, businesses against all threats among others. reaching out to its wide range of customers and providing easy and convenient access to its wide range of services. Ahamed cutting a ribbon to inaugurate the new branch of LuLu Exchange Company at Al Khor Mall. “We have a signifi cant number of customers who are based strategic banking arrangements fi ciency with an aim to provide lect countries, is a testimony of around the area and our branch with leading banks around the smoother, faster, and more reli- the organisation’s commitment now is situated in a location that world and has also tied up with able services to its customers. towards promoting innovation is easily reachable,” Ahamed said. the best fi nancial institutions “Services like instant credit to that delights customers,” the LuLu Exchange Company has backed with technological pro- designated bank accounts in se- offi cial added.

Health Ministry holds workshop on eye tests for students

The Ministry of Public Health (MPH) has conducted a training workshop for nurses and other health practitioners working at local independent schools on how to check the eyesight of students. The workshop was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Primary Health Care Corporation. More than 70 male and female nurses attended. Participants at the event.