BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Gymnastics tournament: world puts its Foreign trade shows confi dence ‘remarkable’ growth in 2017, says minister in Qatar published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10953 September 26, 2018 Moharram 16, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir: During the siege Qatar has been In brief able to consolidate its role as an active

QATAR | Diplomacy partner regionally and internationally FM meets offi cials on O sidelines of UN Amir addresses 73rd UN General Assembly General Assembly O Blockade made Qatar stronger, growth unabated HE the Deputy Prime Minister and O No Mideast peace without solution to Palestinian issue Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh O Qatar rejects terrorism in all forms; fight against Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al- Thani met separately yesterday terrorism among the priorities of Qatar’s policy with Deputy Prime Minister for O Qatar joins UN plan to fight cholera in Yemen Judicial Reform and Minister of O The bloodshed and tyranny in Syria have to end Foreign Aff airs of Bulgaria Ekaterina Zaharieva, Minister for Foreign Aff airs of Pakistan Makhdoom QNA human security and human develop- Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister New York ment. “This has strengthened the Qa- for Foreign Aff airs of Albania tari people’s faith in their potentials, Ditmir Bushati, and Minister of values and principles, and cemented Foreign Aff airs and International atar has emerged a stronger na- cohesion of their unity.” Co-operation of Somalia Ahmed tion in spite of the unjust siege Advocating the necessity of peaceful Isse Awad. The meetings were held Qimposed on it more than a year settlement of disputes, he said Qatar on the sidelines of the UN General ago and the country has maintained its is open to all the appreciated eff orts of Assembly in New York. Discussions leading rankings in global indicators, brotherly and friendly nations to end during the meetings dealt with especially in the areas of human secu- the crisis “through an unconditional relations between the State of Qatar rity and development, His Highness dialogue based on mutual respect for and these countries, and ways to the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- the sovereignty of nations”. boost them, as well as a number of Thani yesterday said. The Amir said it is not reasonable regional and international issues of Participating in the General Debate that diff erences in views about han- common concern. of the 73rd Session of the United Na- dling some regional issues lead to para- tions General Assembly in New York, lysing the eff ectiveness of an important QATAR | Infrastructure the Amir said since the blockade, many regional organisation such as the Gulf facts have been revealed about a pre-ar- Co-operation Council (GCC). “The Ashghal showcases ranged campaign of incitement against blockade on Qatar has harmed the rep- latest technologies Qatar beside the insinuation and fabri- utation of the GCC countries, and the The Public Works Authority cations used to create the Gulf crisis. ensuing paralysis has refl ected nega- Ashghal participated as a strategic He said the tively on the Coun- project management partner in international cils’ aspired role to- the first edition of “Big 5 Qatar”, community has Full text of speech wards regional and an International Building & recognised the global issues. Construction Show being held falsity of the al- Pages 22, 23 “We hope that we in Doha. Ashghal presented the legations that will all transform latest technologies used in the had been propa- the Council’s cur- construction sector. Engineer Amal gated “against my country to justify the rent plight into an opportunity for re- al-Mulla gave a presentation about premeditated measures taken under forming it and putting forward binding Ashghal initiative. Page 2 the pretext of these invented and un- mechanisms to resolve the diff erences true allegations, in a fl agrant violation among its states through intra-dia- QATAR | Social change of the international law and the basis of logue, to avoid any similar recurrence relations between nations, and the val- in the future. It is not sensible for our SC announces plans for ues and norms of our peoples”. Arab region to remain a hostage to some global refugee initiative The Amir said despite all the meas- marginal diff erences, which are fabri- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani addressing the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday. Supreme Committee for Delivery ures taken to infl ict harm on Qatar’s cated in our case, and which consume & Legacy (SC) secretary-general security and stability, and create hard- eff orts and energies and waste funds cal process initiated outside the UN territories, particularly the inhumane join us in supporting this vital eff ort.” Hassan al-Thawadi has announced ships for its people in addition to the exceeding what we need to allocate to has resulted in further stalemate and conditions in the Gaza Strip. “We re- On the Libyan crisis, the Amir said re- that the SC is working with the economic warfare launched to hinder the just causes that are supposed to be complexity. “Now we are witnessing affi rm the importance of negotiations cent developments have put the security International Rescue Committee its development process, yet the period agreed upon by us.” attempts to liquidate the Palestinian and the resumption of their tracks, but of the country and its territorial integri- (IRC) and FIFA to launch an that followed the unjust siege has wit- The Amir said the world faces seri- cause through the liquidation of issues that will require commitment to the ty at stake. “We reiterate our support for international initiative aimed at nessed the strengthening of the status ous security, political and economic relating to the permanent solution such resolutions of international legitima- the Skhirat agreement signed in Decem- supporting refugees and displaced of Qatar and consolidation of its role as threats and challenges that do not re- as Jerusalem, refugees, sovereignty and cy, foremost of which is the two-state ber 2015 and all its outcomes.” people around the world. The an active partner in the regional and in- spect national borders of countries and borders.” solution, and the Arab peace initia- The Amir appreciated the eff orts of announcement was made during ternational arenas. put to the test the United Nations as a It was necessary to solve the dispute tive, on the basis of East Jerusalem as the government to restore stability and al-Thawadi’s participation in a panel He said Qatar’s economy continued framework for collective security. in accordance with principles such as the capital of the Palestinian State, on achieve national reconciliation in Iraq discussion at the 2018 Concordia its growth as a proof of its vigour and With regard to the Palestinian cause, the right to self-determination and in- 1967-borders. Moreover, there can be by collaboration of all political parties Annual Summit in New York City. consistency. Qatar has also maintained the Amir said only a little progress has admissibility of annexation of territo- no solution to the Arab-Israeli confl ict and all components of Iraqi commu- Page 24 its advanced and leading rankings vis- been made on the lingering issues of ries of others by force, he said. without a just and lasting solution to nity and “we value the successes and a-vis the countries of the region in glo- the Middle East. The Amir pointed out the deteriora- the Palestinian cause.” sacrifi ces of the Iraqi people in the fi ght UN | Diplomacy bal indicators, especially in the areas of Sheikh Tamim said the politi- tion of the situations in the Palestinian The Amir reiterated Qatar’s material against terrorism and extremism in all and political support to the brotherly its forms”. Trump, Rouhani Palestinian people. Highlighting the threat poised by exchange threats Referring to Syria, Sheikh Tamim terrorism, the Amir said there is con- US President Donald Trump said after the elapse of more than seven sensus that terrorism has become one and Iranian President Hassan years, the international community of the most outstanding challenges Rouhani exchanged taunts at the is still unable to fi nd a solution to the facing the world. He said Qatar rejects United Nations General Assembly exacerbating crisis. He warned that if all forms and shapes of terrorism any- yesterday with Trump vowing left unresolved, the crimes of geno- where in the world, regardless of the more sanctions against Tehran cide, mass displacement and wholesale reasons and pretexts. and Rouhani suggesting his death in prisons under torture could “The fi ght against terrorism is among American counterpart suff ers from a become a common practice that the the priorities of the State of Qatar’s pol- “weakness of intellect.” Trump used international community can get ac- icy at the national, regional and interna- his annual address to the United customed to. tional levels. We have developed legisla- Nations to attack Iran. Page 11 Regarding the Yemeni issue, the Amir tive and institutional systems, fulfi lled said Qatar is keen on the unity, inde- international obligations related to the EUROPE | Army pendence and territorial integrity of fi ght against terrorism and its fi nancing, that country. “We call upon all the Yem- and participated in all relevant interna- Police chief arrested in eni parties to national reconciliation to tional and regional eff orts. weapons theft scandal end the confl ict on the basis of the Se- “In our view, there are necessary The head of Portugal’s military curity Council Resolution 2216, the Gulf prerequisites to make the war on ter- police (PJM), Luis Vieira, has been Co-operation Council Initiative and the rorism achieve its goal and not to turn arrested over a scandal involving the outcomes of the National Dialogue.” into a self-contained goal: theft of weapons from a barracks. The Amir also appealed the interna- 1. International cooperation in com- Arrest warrants have also been tional community to help the brotherly bating violence resulting from extrem- issued for three other members of Yemeni people who are facing a grave ism and violence directed against civil- the PJM, as well as three members humanitarian situation, and to facili- ians to terrorise them and to damage of the police unit the Republican tate free access for humanitarian as- civilian facilities for political ends. National Guard (GNR) and a sistance to all areas in the country. These phenomena must be addressed civilian. The theft of the weapons “On this occasion, I announce Qa- fi rmly and rigorously. came to light in June 2017. Anti- tar’s agreement with the United Na- 2. Unifying the standards of fi ghting tank grenades, tear-gas canisters, tions to fi ght cholera in Yemen by sup- terrorism so as its defi nition does not explosives and ammunition porting projects related to combating selectively depend on the religious or disappeared from a store in the now the causes of the disease and to halt its ethnic identity of the perpetrator. closed military facility in Tancos. spread. We call upon other countries to To Page 6 Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 QATAR Amir meets US council president Ministry working on new secondary school curricula E the Minister of Edu- to bear the resulting changes. cation and Higher Ed- He said that the teacher must Hucation Dr Mohamed be trained enough to fully un- Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi derstand the new curriculum has praised the attention and and its requirements, add- priority attached by the state ing that the students and their to education and educational parents should also help in im- process, pointing out that edu- proving the curriculum, which cation has the biggest share of the ministry relies heavily on the state budget. to make a quantum leap in the The minister also stressed level of students. He pointed that the ministry pays great at- out that students, their parents tention to students’ life skills and teachers are taking respon- and works to improve them, sibility in achieving this great His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met in New York with US Council on including self-reliance skills, national goal. Foreign Relations president Richard N Haass and vice chairman of the Council’s board of directors independent thinking, fi nancial On the role of the private Blair Eff ron. The meeting dealt with friendly relations and strategic co-operation between Qatar and analysis, decision-making and sector in supporting Qatar’s the United States. The two sides also exchanged views on a number of regional and international entrepreneurial projects, refer- eff orts to develop the educa- developments. The meeting was attended by a number of members of the off icial delegation ring to what Qatar and Qatar tional system, the minister said accompanying His Highness the Amir. Banking Studies and Business that the state encourages the Administration and secondary private sector and helps it to technical school are doing in invest in education, including this regard. HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed free services, land and schools, Speaking to Qatar News Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi as well as tuition fees, train- Agency (QNA) at a ceremony ing programmes and all other held yesterday by INJAZ Qatar and is now in the process of fi - ments of the new curriculum, educational requirements. School test IWED 2018 begins today to honour education partners nalising the secondary school adding it is normal if there are He said that the private sector and volunteers, the minister curricula for the coming year, observations about the curric- is a key partner in terms of in- pointed out that all these bod- pointing out that the new cur- ulum. Every modifi ed curricu- vestment in education, point- schedules he 11th edition of Inter- companies in Qatar, Kuwait, ies have long, distinguished ricula focused on identity, val- lum needs a lot of revision, and ing out that the number of stu- national Wedding Exhi- Turkey, Lebanon, Italy, Oman, and pioneering experience in ues and skills of the 21 century, we welcome all the construc- dents in private schools is twice Tbition & Fashion Show India, and China. the said fi elds, and are support- as well as on improving both tive observations about the that of public schools, add- issued Doha (IWED) 2018, being or- The exhibition, which brings ing the ministry in providing learning requirements and the curriculum, he said, adding we ing that the number of private ganised by Qatar Expo, starts together experts in the fi elds of expertise and environment to level of cultural development. have a hotline and social net- schools exceeds the number he student assessment today and last until September cosmetics, jewellery, photogra- develop students’ skills. He added we tried to come work platforms to receive any of public schools, while many offi ce of the Ministry of 30 at the Doha Exhibition and phy, and fl oral decoration, high- Regarding feedback on the out with new curriculum, fo- feedback. Qatari students study in private TEducation and Higher Convention Center. lights the daily fashion shows of newly launched curricula for cusing on self-learning and The minister said that the schools. He pointed out that the Education issued the mid- The exhibition provides all stylish and distinctive wedding this academic year, Dr al-Ham- building the personality and new curricula require a quali- ministry concerned about the term exams for the academic wedding supplies, with the par- dresses, as well as other designs, madi stated that the ministry competency of the good citizen tative shift in thought, cul- quality of these schools, as they year 2018/2019 for day school ticipation of 100 exhibitors rep- and off ers activities and shows, has completed the new elemen- so that the student can become ture and behaviour from both must achieve the ministry’s ed- students for grades 1 to 11. resenting the most important including traditional wedding tary and preparatory school an active participant in the teachers and students, and that ucational goals as is the case for The mid-term exams will be- international and local fashion activities. (QNA) curricula for this academic year classroom and in all require- they should all be responsible public schools. (QNA) gin on October 28 and will end on November 4 for all classes, ex- cept grades 10 and 11, whose tests will continue until November 6. UN calls Qatar Parachute drill in Ashghal strategic partner Umm al-Shakhout from Oct 30 a pioneer in The Ministry of Defence of Big 5 Qatar exhibition has announced that the Skydive Qatar Centre will shghal is participat- modernisation of carry out parachute jump ing as a strategic project drills in Umm al-Shakhout Amanagement partner area, from 6am to 4pm, in the inaugural “Big 5 Qatar”, from October 30 to an international building and statistical system November 1. construction expo, which con- The Directorate of Moral cludes today at the Doha Exhi- E the Minister of De- discussing priority actions Guidance at the Ministry of bition and Convention Center. velopment Planning and measures with partners to Defence called on those who Ashghal is presenting the Hand Statistics (MDPS) improve accurate and reliable frequently visit the area to latest technologies in the con- Dr Saleh Mohamed Salem al- statistics to support the moni- take precautions for their own struction sector, according to a Nabit said that the UN statis- toring of national and interna- safety. statement issued yesterday. tics division has chosen Qatar tional development goals, in Amal al-Mulla, from the as a pioneering country in addition to highlighting several Technical Offi ce, made a pres- statistical modernisation and priority issues that contribute Kuwait Speaker entation about the “Construc- transformation. to make a quantum leap in the tion Excellence” initiative, In a speech delivered on be- offi cial statistical system such meets Qatari which she described as the half of the MDPS Minister by as the process of communica- ambassador legacy of creating a better in- assistant undersecretary for tion with users, which aimed dustry, and working more col- statistics Sultan Ali al-Kuwari at building an excellent repu- The Speaker of Kuwaiti National laboratively to improve con- HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi at Ashghal’s to open the second workshop tation for the statistical sys- Assembly Marzouq Ali al-Ghanim struction and project delivery. pavilion at ‘Big 5 Qatar’ exhibition. about modernisation of the tem as a provider of data and met with Qatar ambassador to “Adopting lean methods in statistical system in the state, indicators to decision-makers, Kuwait Bandar bin Mohammed construction, health and safety, cling, and Building Information Qatar exhibition as a platform of workshops presented by ex- the minister said that the converting data and statistics al-Attiyah. During the meeting, construction waste recycling Modelling,” she said. for thousands of stakeholders perts in the construction in- workshop, which is an imple- into specifi c information used they discussed bilateral relations are examples of the commit- Ashghal is exhibiting its vital to invest in the construction dustry on the new trends, tools, mentation of the recommen- for development planning, em- between the two brotherly ment already made to meet the programmes including models sector and explore future op- applications and techniques dations of the UN Statistical phasising innovation in many countries and means of the Qatar National Vision 2030, of some of the mega infrastruc- portunities in Qatar’s infra- used in architecture and interi- Commission, seeks to iden- statistical areas, data collec- developing them, in addition to utilising latest technology in ture projects. structure development. or design across infrastructure tify priorities for transforma- tion and processing, statistical matters of common concern. Project Management, recy- Ashghal considers the Big 5 The event features a series and building sectors. tion in the national statistical products and provision to users system in partnership with and new data sources. various stakeholders. He said the results of the He pointed out that the proc- second workshop on the mod- ess of updating the statistical ernisation of offi cial statistics system includes many aspects will contribute to deepen the related to modernising data col- understanding of the proc- ‘Construction sector leads in using lection process, co-operation ess of updating the national with partners and the acquisition statistical system, and its im- of knowledge as well as learn- portance in supporting the ing from the best international implementation of the goals of lessons in this regard. the Sustainable Development technology for sustainable cities’ “The modernisation proc- Agenda 2030, the National ess requires constant research Development Strategy 2018- on new sources of data such as 2022, and the population pol- xperts speaking at “Big 5 “Tech, digital, and BIM all said: “Evolving urban ways of records, quality and delivery icy of Qatar 2017-2022 along Qatar” free CPD (Continu- have important contributions to life through the use of innovative to users. The modernisation creating a signifi cant shift in Eing Professional Develop- make, to improve productivity, technologies is at the centre of also includes the preparation the offi cial statistics system. ment) certifi ed courses have noted and also disrupt the current de- sustainable cities. The process of standards, guidelines and The workshop will address that Qatar’s construction sector is livery model through innovation starts by defi ning goals around innovation in technology and many important topics related leading in adopting technologies to deliver superior performance.” the quality of life and growth in methods, in addition to de- to the experiences of European for sustainable cities. With experience across many a green city, focusing on health, veloping new methods of data countries in updating their Big 5 Qatar, which concludes leading projects in the country, mobility, energy, smart citizens, collection and accurate iden- statistical systems by identify- today at the Doha Exhibition and including Hamad International and smart learning.” tifi cation of their strategic ing how to integrate, manage Convention Center, gathered over Airport, Tornado Tower, Sidra Speaking at Women in Con- pathways regarding the need and benefi t from the huge data 240 exhibitors from 21 countries, Medical Research Centre, Lusail struction Seminar series today, of investors and businessmen in offi cial statistics. It will also and hosted 40 free-to-attend Car Parks, Doha Oasis, and Doha Omeima Ismaiel, founder of to data,” he said. highlight preparations for the education workshops, and live- Metro, Youssef A Wazni, senior The Architects Hub, shares her He stressed the importance of implementation of population, product demonstrations. sales manager at Thyssenkrupp positive outlook on the con- building eff ective partnerships housing and establishment Roberto Molinos, a professor Elevator Qatar, said: “In Qatar, struction industry in Qatar: “As with ministries and government census 2020, and the process at Instituto De Empresa in Spain, clients are early adopters of in- an architect and through some bodies, private sector, universi- of communication using of- said: “Technology in buildings is Participants listen to a workshop at Big 5 Qatar. novative technologies, always of the projects on which I have ties and research centres, civil fi cial statistics and advocacy crucial to enable the sustainable looking for increasingly effi cient worked, I am always inspired by society organisations and the for its importance and support management of a city. Great op- Amal Yousuf al-Mulla, Qual- ples of the commitment already and sustainable solutions to the willingness to embrace nov- public to achieve the required in order to present a proposal portunities arise by adopting ity and Sustainability Engineer made to meet the Qatar National apply to their projects.” el experiences and innovative progress in updating a statisti- for the formulation of a strat- these technologies in the con- Technical Offi ce at Ashghal, Vision 2030 utilising the latest Dr Hossam Samir Ibrahim, technologies. With such an open cal system and enabling it to egy for the continuity of sta- struction industry, and we see added: “Adopting lean methods technology in project manage- senior Urban and Regional Plan- mind set, Qatar is surely a good produce and use the necessary tistical products and services that Qatar is extremely keen in in construction, health and safe- ment, recycling, and BIM (Build- ning Expert for the Ministry of place for trade fairs and business data in decision-making. in the Ministry of Development doing so.” ty, waste recycling are exam- ing Information Modeling). Municipality and Environment, networking.” The workshop focuses on Planning and Statistics. (QNA) Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 3 QATAR

Joint committee for rainwater holds first meeting

The Joint Committee for Combating Rainwater Emergencies and Risks has held its first meeting to discuss Talks underway preparations for the rainy season through co-ordination between the authorities concerned. Safar al-Shafi, chairman of the committee, said the necessary arrangements were reviewed at the meeting and discussions were held with all for greenhouse entities involved in the committee, including municipalities, the De- partment of Mechanical Equipment at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), the MME project: envoy said in a statement. The prepara- tions include the development of plans and programmes, identifying By Peter Alagos sites where rainwater may accumu- Business Reporter late, deployment of field teams and addressing requirements such as tanks, pumps among items. efore long, Qatar could start growing any type of vegetable all year round and small Bfruits such as strawberries, as talks are nearing the fi nal stages for the setting up of a 100-hectare greenhouse in the country, Spanish ambassador Ignacio Escobar has said. With the technology supplied by Spanish joint Designers eye projects in cinematography fi eld venture AgriQatar, produce from the greenhouse project “is aff ordable, making it a profi table ven- ture,” Escobar told Gulf Times on the sidelines of Spanish ambassador Ignacio Escobar By Joey Aguilar fi rst Week of the Italian Cinema “Big 5 Qatar”, which concludes today at the Doha Staff Reporter in the World, is aimed at pro- Exhibition and Convention Center. nalising the implementation of a €200mn joint moting “Made in Italy” quality “We’re trying to get the fi nishing touches for investment fund. fi lm production abroad. the greenhouse project, which is a very impor- This month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro wo movie set designers “Italy is one of the famous tant venture for both Qatar and Spain. A Spanish Sanchez and HE the Deputy Prime Minister and from Italy have expressed countries recognised for its cre- company has set up a very good deal and we’re Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Ttheir keenness to collabo- ative art, design and fi lms. We just waiting for the fi nal touches before the con- Abdulrahman al-Thani held a meeting in Spain rate with fi lmmakers in Qatar in are pleased to host this event to tract could be signed, hopefully in the next few and signed a joint declaration for the develop- the fi eld of cinematography. promote the Italian fi lm indus- weeks,” Escobar said. ment of joint investment projects. Alida Cappellini and Giovanni try and to build bridges between “With this project, which uses hydroponics, “The two countries have agreed to estab- Licheri delivered a talk during a cultures and communities,” Qatar can also export the produce in the future. lish an institutional framework for collabo- conference on Sunday at the Bin Alida Cappellini (4th, left) and Giovanni Licheri (3rd, right) with Italian Msheireb Museums director The project comes from the Ministry of Munici- ration and cooperation that will be imple- Jelmood House, organised by the ambassador Pasquale Salzano (4th, right), Dr Cherif Amor (3rd, left), Hafez Ali said in a statement. pality and Environment (MME). Through a bid- mented, on the Spanish side, by Compania Italian embassy in Qatar, in co-op- Qatari businessman Farhan al-Sayed (2nd left), representatives from “This cultural destination will ding process, two Qatari companies were chosen Espanola de Financiacion del Desarrollo (Cofi des), eration with at Msheireb Museums. Qatari cultural institutions, dignitaries and diplomats. always serve as a forum to raise and one of them selected the Spanish team,” the and on the Qatari side, by the Qatar Investment The event, which also marked awareness of high-quality ex- ambassador added. Authority (QIA). the fi rst edition in Qatar of “Fare and Qatar could implement com- the Italian fi lmmaking in- periences from across the world, Escobar stressed that the project, under the “Both entities will work on the establish- Cinema (“Making Films”) – The mon projects in the fi eld of cine- dustry, enhance the inter- and to enhance the image of Qa- auspices of the Ministry of Municipality and En- ment of a joint investment venture to carry out Italian Movie Industry,” aims to matography,” the statement said. ests of the public and engage tar as the land of civilisations vironment, assures Qatar “100% self-suffi cien- projects in regions of mutual interest, with spe- promote the ingenuity and creativ- Italian ambassador Pasquale qualifi ed industry operators,” that is open to all cultures and cy” in specifi c vegetables throughout the year. cial emphasis on Latin America,” Cofi des said on ity of Italian movie set designers. Salzano noted that Italy has a the envoy stressed. backgrounds,” Ali noted. “It would take about a year to get the project its website. In a statement to Gulf Times, great tradition of quality cin- On the occasion of the fi rst Dr Cherif Amor, chair and running, so as soon as the contract is signed, “Qatar is very much interested in Latin Cappellini and Licheri lauded ema and its contemporary fi lm edition of Fare Cinema, Salzano professor of design at the Vir- you could see the fi rst production coming out America, and Spain is the national gateway “the extraordinary path Qatar is production is supported by the said they decided to focus on the ginia Commonwealth Univer- of the line within about a year, he said, add- there because of the language and culture, and following in cultural fi elds, and Italian Institutions as an integral important role played by movie sity School of the Arts in Qa- ing that Qatar could also export the produce the presence of many Spanish companies,” the in the fi eld of cinematography.” part of the promotion of ‘Brand set designers in Italy. tar, stressed the importance of in the future. ambassador said, adding that “Spain will likely “We found a vibrant environ- Italy’ throughout the world. The programme, launched by training young future movie set Aside from the food sector, Escobar said import LNG from Qatar” as more Spanish pri- ment, interested in knowing fur- “Fare Cinema in Qatar has the Italian Ministry of Foreign designers on the impact of be- Spain is also focused on building materials and vate companies are planning to use it locally or ther about the Italian fi lmmaking the purpose to let our Qa- Aff airs and International Coop- havioural sciences and lighting other products. He said Qatar and Spain are fi - to resell it.” industry. Our hope is that Italy tari friends know more about eration in the framework of the on creating set design. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 QATAR QFC, MADLSA, ILO seek to Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority joins enhance human resource skills FRATEL Regulators Network

he Qatar Financial Centre ith its recent con- (QFC), the Ministry of Ad- fi rmation in the Tministrative Development, WRéseau Franco- Labour and Social Aff airs (MADLSA) phone de la Régulation des and the International Labour Or- Télécommunications (FRA- ganisation (ILO) will collaborate on TEL), the Communications a series of capacity-building work- Regulatory Authority (CRA) shops on subjects from the world of is now among more than work for private sector professionals 40 global postal and tel- and government offi cials. ecommunication regulators Representatives of the MADLSA, joining hands to discuss in- QFC and ILO signed an agreement novative approaches to regu- for the programme, which would lation, regulatory trends and involve a series of workshops and best practices. Al-Mannai and Bile ... joining forces events until 2022, at a ceremony in Joining FRATEL is part of Doha yesterday. CRA’s wider strategic ap- we can exchange insights and only member from the Gulf The initiative forms part of the proach to foster dialogue experience, and improve our region so they will bring us technical co-operation framework with key international stake- co-operation with leading a unique and important per- between ILO and MADLSA. holders and industry leaders regulators from around the spective.” said Diemeleou Training will be carried out by in the ICT and postal sectors. world. Bile, president of FRATEL. the ILO’s International Training CRA intends to leverage Membership of organisa- FRATEL aims to establish Centre (ILO-ITC), which has over from these partnerships and tions such as FRATEL will and strengthen collaboration 50 years’ experience in providing discussions to implement ensure that we continue to and exchanges between its training and services to govern- eff ective regulatory instru- have a deeper understand- members. ments, employers and workers re- ments, regulations and poli- ing of the dynamics of our The network’s mission is lating to decent work and sustain- cies in Qatar. industry. to promote the exchange of able development, according to a FRATEL’s main objective “In turn, this will help information, to contribute, press statement. Off icials at the signing of the agreement. is to provide a platform for us ensuring that the proper as far as possible, to train- Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, CEO regulators to share innova- regulation and infrastruc- ing eff orts, co-ordination of the QFC Authority, said: “QFC sources and workplace issues. al-Nuaimi, said: “This programme problem-solving models and vari- tive approaches to regula- ture is in place to sustain the and technical co-operation is committed to ensuring high em- Areas of focus will include nego- forms an important part of our col- ous negotiation techniques. tion, and identify regulatory development of Qatar’s tele- among its members, as well ployment standards and supports tiation skills, occupational safety laboration with the ILO in Qatar. It Houtan Homayounpour, head of trends and best practices to coms and postal sectors. Ul- as to contribute to the study its members in this regard. We are, and health (OSH), labour inspec- provides an excellent opportunity the ILO’s Project Offi ce for Qatar, the benefi t of all members. timately, consumers experi- of any question relating to therefore, honoured to collaborate tion, workplace relations and staff for labour inspectors to learn inter- highlighted the importance of the FRATEL facilitates the co- ence will improve through the regulation of telecom- with both the ILO and Ministry development. national best practices while shar- initiative. “It is important to build ordination and co-operation the ubiquitous availability of munications. of Administrative Development, Participants will also include ing experiences with counterparts a culture of workplace co-opera- of its members. Member- smart, innovative and high- The Co-ordinating Com- Labour and Social Aff airs to boost employment standards offi cers, HR from the private sector.” tion that prevents disputes (from) ship of FRATEL will also give quality services,” said Mo- mittee is responsible for cre- the capacity of staff working in this managers, OSH managers, compli- The partnership will kick off arising, yet if they do arise to also CRA access to leading sector hamed Ali al-Mannai, CRA ating all FRATEL members important fi eld.” ance managers as well as labour in- with a three-day workshop on ne- know how to handle them fairly events, databases, academic president. proposals for the implemen- Training carried out under the spectors from the MADLSA. gotiation skills in Doha from Octo- and eff ectively. This series of train- research and training pro- “I am delighted to wel- tation of the network’s annu- agreement will build the capacity Speaking at the signing ceremo- ber 1-3. ing programmes will build skills grammes. come CRA to FRATEL, Qatar al action plan and President of key personnel within the QFC, ny, HE the Minister of Adminis- During the event, participants within institutions, which will ul- “In a sector growing and has one of the most advanced of FRATEL changes every QFC member companies as well as trative Development, Labour and will learn about and practise ap- timately benefi t the government, changing as rapidly as com- telecom infrastructures in year with members taking the MADLSA relating to human re- Social Aff airs, Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali proaches to dispute resolution, employers and workers alike.” munications, it is crucial that the Mena region and is our turns to lead.

Q-CERT wraps up training on two key Qeeri opens doors to its fourth air cybersecurity topics he Ministry of Transport and quality monitoring station Communications’ (MoTC) Qa- Ttar Computer Emergency Re- sponse Team (Q-CERT) has wrapped ollowing its research mission to help tackle up two training courses covering key Qatar’s grand challenges in the fi elds of ener- cybersecurity topics within the scope Fgy, water security and environment, the Qatar of the National Information Assurance Environment and Energy Research Institute (Qeeri), Policy (NIA) and digital forensics. one of Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s three national The NIA Policy is the national infor- research institutes, recently commissioned its fourth mation security policy for the state of permanent air quality monitoring station (AQMS) at Qatar and it is mandatory for govern- the American School of Doha. ment entities and critical industries The stations continuously measure the concen- across the country. tration of pollutants in the air, including gases (such It helps organisations implement as ozone, nitrogen oxides, methane), particulate an information security management matter as well as meteorological parameters (such system and build a cybersecurity cul- as temperature, wind speed, direction) in high time ture within the business, thereby im- resolution. proving their cybersecurity maturity. In eff ect, the AQM stations forge co-operative The fi rst course held earlier this bonds between Qeeri’s researchers and national Qeeri’s fourth air quality monitoring station. month hosted 15 consultancy fi rms at stakeholders by collecting reliable data that help the Q-CERT offi ces where they learned quantify the impact of poor air quality on environ- the contribution of long-range transport of polluted about the NIA Policy, which they must ment, energy and health systems in the country. air masses into Qatar. As such, it forms the basis for put into place and follow when execut- Qeeri’s executive director, Dr Marc Vermeersch, the development of sustainable methodologies for ing information technology projects said: “We are committed towards providing a bet- future adaptations to climate change,” said Moham- with government entities across the ter understanding of Qatar’s air quality, including ed Ayoub, Air Quality and Climate Change Research country. its primary causes and impact. This information Portfolio lead at Qeeri. Q-CERT also organised a training can help provide valuable information to the local “The fi rst AQMS was commissioned in 2014 and course on ‘Advanced Digital Forensics, community and guide best-practice development by the end of the year, we plan to establish a total of Incident Response & Threat Hunting’, in the health and safety sectors. Consequently, we six stations across the greater Doha area. Currently, in association with the SANS Institute. have established a close working relationship with four AQM stations are operational in Sheehaniyah, The weeklong event hosted mem- a number of private and governmental stakeholders Qatar Foundation, Soudan, and Wakrah. The AQM bers of computer emergency response from across various industries to join forces on this stations at Hamad Medical City and Al-Thumama teams from Tunisia, Sudan, and Mo- nationally signifi cant initiative.” are under commissioning,” he added. rocco. Qeeri’s growing Air Quality and Climate Change The location of each station was carefully selected It was also attended by cybersecu- Research activities are designed to support the sys- based on siting studies that account for population rity professionals and specialists from tematic development and evaluation of national distribution, prevalent wind direction, land use (res- several Qatari government entities. policies, strategies and technologies aimed at miti- idential, commercial, traffi c, other) and future infra- Participants learnt about the tech- gating the negative impacts of poor air quality as well structure development plans. niques and principles for digital fo- as adapting to climate change. The Qatar Foundation “super site” was estab- rensics and the spectrum of available “The monitoring network gives us a clearer un- lished on the roof of the HBKU Research Complex; it computer forensics tools. derstanding of the underlying causes of Qatar’s air will house the upcoming Aerosol Chemical Specia- The course also tackled core foren- quality, including the sources and types of pollut- tion Monitor along with other high fi delity measure- sics procedures and writing forensics ants, the mechanisms that induce episodic days and ments. reports.

Ferrari recalled

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in collaboration with Alfardan Sports Motors, has an- nounced the recall of Ferrari 488 GTB model of 2017 over incorrect NQS readings. The MEC said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that automo- bile dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them. The MEC said that it will co-ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out. The MEC has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Com- mercial Fraud Department through the following channels: Call centre: 16001, e-mail: [email protected]. qa, Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 5 QATAR

Minister attends CMC session

HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment, Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, yesterday took part in the 59th regular meeting of the Central Municipal Council (CMC), where he discussed with members the demands of people in their constituencies and the relevant plans. Regular sessions of the council resumed yesterday after the summer break. The minister stressed that the relationship between the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) and the council is one of co-operation and integration and the MME is keen to make every eff ort to meet the aspirations of the people. CMC chairman Mohamed Hammoud al-Shafi and vice-chairman Hamad Lahdan al-Mohannadi welcomed the minister and thanked him for his active and positive co-operation with the council in responding to the demands and needs of the people regarding various municipal aff airs. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 QATAR

More Qatari women in QU inaugurates its social media: survey By Joseph Varghese liberal arts at NU-Q while Ever- Staff Reporter ette E Dennis, dean of the univer- sity welcomed the gathering. According to Allagui, the ore Qatari women survey refl ects on the way so- than men are using cial media enables women’s Msocial media pro- active social participation and new academic year ductively, said a professor at empowerment in Qatar. Northwestern University in The survey shows “the most he new academic year at Qatar Uni- Qatar (NU-Q) yesterday. striking fi nding in the data is in versity (QU) was inaugurated with “Women are producing more the use of the Internet for po- Tpresident Dr Hassan al-Derham content on social media than litical infl uence”. highlighting in his annual convocation men; more Qatar women per- “More Qatari women than address the vision for the future and the ceive the Internet as a tool for men (39% vs 32%) fi nd the In- most important achievements of the past political infl uence, and more ternet to be a tool for political year. Qatar women use the Internet infl uence. Similarly, more Qa- The event was attended by QU leader- for career-building than men, tari women than men (43% vs ship, deans, heads of departments, pro- as we found out in a recent 39%) think that by using the gramme directors, faculty members, staff , survey by NU-Q,” said Ilhem Internet, public offi cials will students, and alumni. Allagui associate professor in care more about what people Al-Derham also honoured QU members residence at NU-Q’s journal- think,” the survey found. in various categories. ism and strategic communica- “The number of Qatari wom- He said: “During the 41 years since its tion programme. en who think that the Internet inception, the university interacted with Allagui was speaking at a should be regulated dropped to its community and contributed to the de- panel discussion on Rise of 40% in 2017, down from 58% in velopment of Qatar with its academic and Internet in the Middle East at 2013, indicating their advocacy research expertise. NU-Q, as part of its 10th an- for more media freedom and “QU will keep developing based on the niversary celebrations. less government control. needs of the community ... to support The panellists included Jef- “This comes at a time when the road to achieve Qatar National Vision frey Cole, director of the World women are appointed to the 2030.” Internet Project; Justin Martin, advisory council for the fi rst “Our university is the largest in Qa- associate professor in resi- time in Qatari history, giving tar, with more than 20,000 students and dence at NU-Q; Banu Akdeni- them a voice in political deci- 40,000 alumni. It houses the largest cam- zli, associate professor of com- sion-making. pus in the country,” al-Derham stated. munication at NU-Q; and Amy “Online education is anoth- “This is why QU must meet the aspirations Kristen Sanders, associate pro- er empowering tool that seems of the diverse community in Qatar. fessor in residence at NU-Q. to be gaining favour among “For that, during the past year, QU’s new The discussion was moderated women in Qatar,” points out strategic plan, which covers the period Dr Hassan al-Derham addressing QU community during the convocation. by Kahled al-Hroub, professor of the survey. from 2018 to 2022, has been launched to complement the achievements and devel- 75 in 2017 to 35 in the 2018 rankings. opment and to begin the process of trans- “In the academic year 2017-2018, QU formation.” has received 80 research projects funded by “Our mission, our new vision and our Qatar National Research Fund,” al-Derham core values have inspired us to shape the said. Amir stresses laws to ensure cyber security direction of the new strategy and build on “We have research partnerships with 332 a comprehensive and rigorous strategic local and international institutions. The analysis to provide the best level of educa- university has also succeeded in increas- From Page 1 Qatar believes that educating world, His Highness the Amir said late dealing with these issues and tion to our students, encourage them to rely ing the number of research papers by 422% youth and their comprehensive modern life has become inconceiv- control their risks internationally. on their talents and inspire them to realise between 2010-2017, and the university re- 3. Addressing its roots and causes participation represents the fi rst able without information and dig- “Qatar and other countries have their potential,” al-Derham noted. searchers were able to publish more than and researching in the political, so- line of defence for the collective se- ital technology and digital means of suff ered from digital piracy and Qatar University has made a signifi cant 1,400 research papers and registered six cial and cultural backgrounds that curity system and an important fac- communication. digital espionage, and that has advancement in the international ranking: patents in 2017,” he added. contribute to its breeding, and work- tor in fi ghting terrorism and build- “However, a series of events re- prompted us to strongly emphasise it has been ranked 332 in the QS World Uni- Al-Derham distributed awards in various ing earnestly to achieve just settle- ing peace and stability, he said. cently experienced by several coun- this issue and to be willing to work versity Rankings 2019, a 17-position jump categories, such as: ments of lingering issues that feed “Human development and the tries reminded us that new needs with United Nations organisations from its 2018 performance. Outstanding Teaching Award – Dr the feelings of anger and frustration. protection and promotion of human have emerged that were previously to regulate it legally. We propose It is among the top three ranked univer- Husam Aldamen and Dr Lukman Thalib; 4. Avoid giving partisan connota- rights are in the forefront of the pri- unknown, such as the freedom of convening an international confer- sities in the Arab region. Distinguished Service Contributions tion to the term terrorism through tai- orities of the State of Qatar which access, and the need to protect the ence to examine ways to have this Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a British for Faculty Members – Dr Nabil Ghantous loring it to fi t into the narrow interests pursues its eff orts at the legislative private sphere of citizens from the matter regulated by international company specialising in education. and Dr Abdelsalam Gomaa Abdelsalam; of some nations by using it to justify and institutional levels to imple- risk of hacking. It also alerted us to law. We express our readiness to The university also improved in the “QS Merit Award – Dr Sumaya al-Maa- tyranny and repression of political op- ment its National Vision 2030 that the cyber security of nations. These host this conference.” Top 50 Under 50” ranking by one position deed; ponents, which aff ects the credibility emphasises human development.” are cross-border issues because of His Highness the Amir left New on its 2018 performance, and by 13 posi- Media Award – Dr Nayef al-Shamari of combating terrorism and harms the Stressing the importance of ef- the nature of the technology itself. York yesterday after attending the tions on its 2016-2017 performance. and Dr Majed al-Ansari; international eff orts exerted thereof. fective rules to regulate the cyber Accordingly, it is necessary to regu- UN General Assembly. The university has made a huge im- Employee of the Year Award – Maha provement in the Times Higher Educa- al-Thani and Maha al-Dafa; and tion Emerging Economies University Young Alumnus Award – Jassim al- Rankings, by advancing its position from Namaa and Subah al-Kuwari. Qatar calls for measures for Mideast denuclearisation

QNA ternational organisations in Vienna cession to the NPT as a non-nuclear development during the recent pe- Changes to MoI service centres Vienna HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani, state, as progressing on that subject riod through the issuance of Law before the annual General Confer- would have positive consequences No.(3) of 2018, which includes the ence of the International Atomic for the 2020 Review Conference. National System for the accounting s part of streamlining the function- have been cancelled, according to a tweet he State of Qatar affi rmed Energy Agency (IAEA). His Excel- HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani and control of nuclear materials, ing of the Unifi ed Service Centres yesterday. that the total elimination of lency regretted that the resolution stressed that the repeated failure of which was enacted on 12/4/2018. Aof the Ministry of Interior (MoI) ac- In addition, the evening shift at Al Shee- Tnuclear weapons is the only of 1995 NPT Review Conference the conference, as what happened at This law is concerned with the cording to their geographical distribution, haniyah and Hamad Medical Corporation absolute guarantee that such weap- (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation the 2015 Review Conference, would inventory of nuclear facilities and the units at Old Al Wakrah and Ras Laff an services centres has been cancelled. ons should not be used or threat- of Nuclear Weapons) in the Middle harm the credibility of the NPT and materials and the issuance and ened its use, calling for eff ective East on the denuclearisation of the the non-proliferation mechanism as withdrawal of licenses for the prac- nuclear disarmament measures, region had not been implemented a whole. With regard to security and tice of national institutions to deal in accordance with international and called for sincere eff orts to im- nuclear safety policies, he said that with nuclear materials. The law also treaties, and a specifi c practical plement that resolution and to fi nd Qatar was committed to the imple- criminalises acts that contravene mechanism for the Middle East to a practical mechanism that would mentation of the Agency’s standards Qatar’s nuclear obligations. be cleared of nuclear weapons. follow a timetable for the establish- for such policies, the fi ght against The law also defi nes the National This came in Qatar’s statement ment of a region free of nuclear and terrorism and the illicit traffi cking in Committee for the Prohibition of delivered by Qatar’s ambassador to other weapons of mass destruction nuclear material. Weapons as a regulatory body re- Austria and Permanent Represent- in the Middle East, the fi nal out- He pointed out that the State of sponsible for implementing the said ative to the United Nations and in- come of which would be Israel’s ac- Qatar has witnessed an important law in the State of Qatar. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 7 QATAR

Fashion festival to showcase top brands at Mall of Qatar

all of Qatar (MoQ), the nation’s and fashion focused activities, which all Marta Bevin at her Stylist Booth. on stage and gives them the opportu- premier destination for shop- conclude on October 6. A make-up tutorial booth will also be nity to shop straight out of the catwalk” Mping, dining, and entertain- The catwalk will feature shoppers’ fa- available for all to enjoy free make-up MoQ CEO Stuart Elder said. ment, is hosting its second Fall/Winter vourite brands, showcasing new season sessions and tips using the latest prod- The participating brands of the first Fashion Festival beginning tomorrow trends available for anyone to update ucts and colours from MAC, Deben- weekend shows running until October (September 27). their wardrobe at MoQ. hams, Pari Gallery and more. Visitors 6 include Victoria’s Secret Sport, Reiss, Some 44 shows dedicated to women’s, Shoppers will have the opportunity can also see various clothing displays H&M, Sacoor Brothers and Next. MoQ men’s and children’s fall/winter collec- to learn more about their body shape, throughout the mall. welcomes its visitors to enjoy and get tions will be supported with captivat- understand which colours are best for “The Fall/Winter Fashion Festival will inspired by the exquisite styles of their ing entertainment acts on the Ooredoo them, as well as getting fall/winter style help our style-loving guests to see what favourite brands during its Fall/Winter stage, along with a variety of interactive and trend advice from popular stylist their favourite brands have in store, live Fashion Festival. MoQ’s first Fashion Festival was a success. Vodafone Qatar, SC TEDxBirlaPublicSchool discuss tech vision for to be held on Friday

he second edition of TEDxBirlaPublicSchool will be website at 3pm on the day. Once the TED organisation has held on Friday afternoon at the Basant Kumar Birla offi cially approved of the talks, they will be available for 2022 FIFA World Cup TAuditorium, Birla Public School, it has been an- public viewing on the offi cial TED YouTube channel. nounced. Birla Public School principal AP Sharma is the primary The inaugural TEDx event at Birla Public School took organiser, while vice-principal George Edison is the chief odafone Qatar’s senior leaders place in 2014. This was the fi rst ever TEDx to be hosted by co-ordinator. Saadiya Rafi q, Rutaj Dash and Varad Angadi, visited the Supreme Committee any school in Qatar. all grade 12 students, are the lead organiser, co-organiser Vfor Legacy and Delivery’s (SC) In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a pro- and curator, respectively. A team of 50 volunteers from the ‘Legacy Pavilion’ at the Al Bidda Tower gramme of local, self-organised events that bring people to- school will assist various committees. and discussed areas of mutual interest gether to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED TED is a nonprofi t organisation devoted to “Ideas worth and potential collaboration, it was an- Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discus- Spreading”. Started as a four-day conference in California nounced. sion and connection. These local, self-organised events are 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with Led by Vodafone Qatar CEO Sheikh branded TEDx, where x is an independently organised TED multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences in- Hamad Abdulla Jassim al-Thani, along event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for vite the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 with COO Diego Camberos and chief the TEDx programme, but individual TEDx events are self- minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, human resource offi cer Khames al- organised, subject to certain rules and regulations. free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Naimi, the delegation were received by The school said in a press statement that its “vision of Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nan- the SC’s tournament aff airs assistant moulding and nurturing global citizens fi nds a perfect dan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal secretary general Nasser al-Khater to thinking lab in the TEDx platform to inspire and motivate Khan and Daniel Kahneman. the pavilion – an interactive sporting them to strive towards inventing new ideas, new ways of The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in and World Cup museum. thinking and doing, to serve the world in a better manner as Vancouver, British Columbia. TED’s media initiatives in- In a press statement, Vodafone Qa- they soon join the adult world”. clude TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; TED tar said the team was given an overview As in the 2014 school endeavour, the current edition, also Translators, which provides subtitles and interactive tran- of the tournament’s key features, in- initiated by students, is a “refl ection of their organisational scripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; cluding its compact nature, along with and public relations skills besides their ability to take up the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED has established The other interactive exhibits, highlighting new challenges” in spite of the academic load, the state- Audacious Project that takes a collaborative approach to the passion for football in Qatar and ment noted. It also serves in developing a well-rounded and funding ideas with the potential to create change at thrill- the region and the tournament’s im- holistic personality. ing scale; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in pressive legacy plans. The event will be a typical academic and intellectual hosting local, self-organised TED-style events around the The visit is the latest in an ongo- gathering where a spectrum of speakers will cover a volley world, and the TED Fellows programme, helping world- ing programme organised by the SC of new ideas for the analytical and critical engagement of changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the to build excitement ahead of the 2022 Vodafone Qatar’s senior leaders, led by its CEO, Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim the audience. impact of their remarkable projects and activities. FIFA World Cup Qatar by engaging the al-Thani, visited SC’s Legacy Pavilion recently. The TEDxBirlaPublicSchool show will be posted on the One can follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ country’s biggest and most important offi cial TEDx YouTube channel. Those who wish to watch TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ organisations and highlighting poten- technology will play in 2022 and the tions in a unique setting,” he noted. the programme live may log on to TEDxBirlaPublicSchool TED tial opportunities for partnership. transformative potential of communi- Vodafone Qatar is ideally placed During the visit, the Vodafone Qatar cations technology such as 5G and IoT to support the SC by building on the delegation also highlighted the com- innovations for major events like the progress and momentum achieved to pany’s expertise in a range of fi elds, FIFA World Cup.” date in terms of its network infrastruc- including the Internet of Things and “In doing so, we are building on a ture. smart stadia. track record of success as technol- The business recently announced “In an increasingly digital world, ogy partner to the SC. Most recently, the switching on of its fi rst live 5G football enthusiasts have diff erent ex- together we welcomed more than network in a bid to build Gigabit Qa- pectations of what makes an engaging 70,000 fans at the Ali Bin Hamad Al tar – a nation where people will enjoy fan experience,” said Sheikh Hamad Attiyah Arena during the 2018 FIFA ultra-fast connection speeds crossing Abdulla. “As a digital-fi rst company, World Cup, enabling them to enjoy all one gigabit per second on the move, at we understand very well the role that the action and high-speed connec- home and at work.

CNA-Q takes part in Cudos conference

ollege of the North Atlantic- tive director, Qatar Diabetes Associa- Qatar’s (CNA-Q) Advanced tion, Qatar. “The three days were fi lled CDiploma on Diabetes Education with world renowned scientists who was featured recently in the exhibi- presented their research and fi ndings tion for delegates at an international to advance our understanding of the conference on diabetes hosted by Sidra disease, education, practise, and treat- Medicine. ment. The conference was very inspir- Over three days, hundreds of experts ing,” said CNA-Q’s dean of Health Sci- in diabetes from leading health organi- ences Dr Andrea Smilski, who attended sations around the world attended the a number of conference sessions. Cudos Conference. As the only insti- CNA-Q’s advanced diploma on dia- tution to off er an advanced diploma in betes education trains healthcare pro- diabetes education in Qatar, CNA-Q fessionals to help patients understand was an educational partner at the con- CNA-Q participates in Cudos 2018 their diagnosis and treatment, as well ference. conference. as empower them to develop eff ective The college hosted an information self-care behaviours. Diabetes educa- booth, and the School of Health Sci- Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad bin tors play a vital role in supporting peo- ences educators attended lectures and J al-Thani, director of Public Health ple living with diabetes to manage their workshops. Department, Ministry of Public Health condition and achieve optimal health Conference delegates included and Dr Abdullah al-Hamaq, execu- outcomes.

Malabar Gold’s bangle Samsung Galaxy Note9 festival from today at Ooredoo outlets ue to popular sor for lightning fast alabar Gold & Diamonds (MGD), one of the largest jew- demand, Oore- downloads and up- ellery retailers globally with a network of over 225 outlets Ddoo has an- loads on the Ooredoo Macross nine countries, has announced a Bangle Festival nounced a new stock Supernet. from today, according to a statement. of the new Samsung The device also has All Malabar Galaxy Note9 device enhanced face rec- Gold & Dia- in selected Ooredoo ognition, iris scanner monds outlets Shops, as well as via and fingerprint scan- in Qatar will be the eShop. ner to make accessing participating The Note9 device the phone quick, con- in the festi- has been designed to venient and secure. val which runs offer Samsung’s most Prices start from until October powerful battery yet, QR3,599 and devices 20 featuring a the largest Samsung come in midnight splendid col- infinity display ever, a black, lavender purple lection of ban- cutting-edge proces- or ocean blue. gles in gold, diamonds and precious gems. More than 250 exquisite designs from 20 countries including Italy, Singapore, Turkey, Malaysia, and Qatar are being showcased. The magnifi cent designs in bangles is displayed across various brands presented at Malabar Gold & Dia- monds’ namely Ethnix – Handcrafted Designer Jewellery, Era – Un- cut Diamond Jewellery, Mine – Diamonds Unlimited, Divine – In- dian Heritage Jewellery, Precia – Gem Jewellery and Starlet – Kids jewellery. In addition to the collection of bangles in 22k gold, an as- sortment of bangles in 18K gold is also available. Customers also get a chance to exchange 22K gold jewellery with the new collection of bangles, by paying only the making charge without any deduction in gold rate. The new Samsung Galaxy Note9.

Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 9 AFRICA/REGION/ARAB WORLD

CONCERN HEALTH POLITICS RECOGNITION POLICY Sudan reports outbreak Cholera death toll climbs Mbeki slams ANC over South Sudan doctor SA relaxes visa rules to of Chikungunya disease to 45 in Zimbabwe land redistribution plan wins UN refugee prize attract investors, tourists

More than 11,000 people in Sudan’s eastern state of At least 45 people have been killed by cholera Former South African president Thabo Mbeki A South Sudanese doctor who runs an over- South Africa yesterday announced visa reforms Kassala have been infected over the past month by in Zimbabwe in the past three weeks, the World yesterday accused the ruling ANC of abandoning its crowded hospital with a dimly-lit surgical theatre aimed at luring investment and tourists to help Chikungunya, a debilitating mosquito-borne viral dis- Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday, multiracial principles and becoming a “black party” and no regular supply of general anaesthetics lift the continent’s most advanced economy ease, but no deaths have been reported, a Sudanese describing the strain as “multi-drug resistant”. It due to its new land redistribution policy. Current yesterday won the UN refugee agency’s prestig- out of recession. Home Aff airs Minister Malusi off icial said yesterday. Chikungunya is spread by two said that an oral vaccine campaign was due to President Cyril Ramaphosa has said South Africa’s ious Nansen award. Evan Atar Adaha’s Maban Gigaba unveiled a raft of regulations allowing mosquito species and can cause severe symptoms, begin shortly with 450,000 people targeted in constitution will be changed to explicitly allow for the hospital in the South Sudanese town of Bunj frequent visitors and foreign business travellers which develop three to seven days after a person is bit- the worst-aff ected suburbs of the capital Harare. expropriation of land without compensation so as serves more than 144,000 refugees from Blue to have long-term multiple-entry visas of up to 10 ten by an infected mosquito, include high fever, head- About 500,000 doses were due to arrive in the to redistribute land to black people to tackle severe Nile state in neighbouring Sudan, UNHCR said. years. The rules will take eff ect from next month. ache, muscle pain, back pain and rash. “So far off icial country today for Zimbabwe’s first oral vaccine inequality 24 years after the end of apartheid. Mbeki The hospital’s X-ray machine is broken, but Atar “Changes to our visa architecture have the po- statistics say that about 11,000 people were infected campaign to combat the disease. “A cumulative said the African National Congress, which led the and his team perform nearly 60 surgeries per tential to boost tourism and make business travel and there haven’t been any cases of death because of total of 6,428 suspected cases, 45 deaths, and 96 fight against white-minority rule in South Africa, had week in a room with just one light, with staff using more conducive,” Gigaba told reporters. “We are the Chikungunya fever,” said Magzoub Abou Moussa, a confirmed cases have been reported,” a report by “stood for the freedom of all humanity, black and “ketamine injections and spinal epidurals” instead simplifying visa requirements for countries such spokesman for the Kassala state administration. WHO and the health ministry said. white.” of general anaesthesia, the agency said. as China and India.” WHO concerned Turkey sends about Ebola ‘perfect reinforcements storm’ in Congo Reuters Alliance of Democratic Forces, cerned in the run up to elec- Geneva most dramatically an attack tions, projected for December, that killed 21 in the city of Beni, that that exploitation... will where WHO’s operation is gather momentum and make it he World Health Organi- based. very diffi cult to root out the last sation (WHO) said yes- The city has declared a “ville cases of Ebola.” Tterday an Ebola outbreak morte”, a period of mourning Some people were fl ee- to Syria’s Idlib in northeastern Democratic until at least Friday, obliging ing into the forest to escape Republic of Congo could wors- WHO to suspend its opera- Ebola follow-up treatment AFP en rapidly because of attacks tions. and checks, sometimes mov- Saraqib by armed groups, community Overnight on Monday, uni- ing hundreds of kilometres, he resistance and the geographic dentifi ed assailants entered said. spread of the disease. the town of Oicha, about 20km There was one such case to urkey beefed up its mili- At least 100 people have died north of Beni, burned houses, the south of Beni, and another tary positions in Syria’s in the outbreak, out of 150 cases killed one man and kidnapped to the north, close to the river- Trebel bastion of Idlib yes- in North Kivu and Ituri prov- 14 children and one woman, banks of Lake Albert. terday as the clock ticked down inces. according to two local offi cials. Both were inaccessible for on a mid-October deadline to “We are now extremely con- Oicha has two confi rmed security reasons. remove militants from the area. cerned that several factors may cases of the virus and one Neighbouring Uganda was Further complicating Turkey’s be coming together over the probable case. now facing an “imminent task, a war monitor said hun- next weeks and months to cre- On Monday, 80% of Ebola threat”, and social media posts dreds of members of the Islamic ate a potential perfect storm,” contacts — people at risk of de- were confl ating Ebola with State group were transferred by the WHO’s head of emergency veloping the disease and so re- criticism of the DRC govern- the regime to the northwestern response, Peter Salama, told a quiring monitoring — and three ment and the United Nations region from eastern Syria. news conference in Geneva. suspected cases in and around and “a range of conspiracy the- Russia, the government’s The response is at a criti- Beni could not be reached for ories”, which could put health- main ally, and Turkey, the rebels’ cal juncture and, although the disease monitoring. workers at risk. top sponsor, agreed last week in weekly number of new cases Pockets of “reluctance, re- “We will not yet consider the Sochi on a plan meant to avert a has fallen from about 40 to fusal and resistance” to accept need to evacuate but we are de- large-scale regime off ensive on about 10 in the past few weeks Ebola vaccination were gener- veloping a range of contingency Idlib. and more than 11,700 people ating many of the new cases, plans to see where our staff are The country’s last major rebel have been vaccinated, major Salama said. best located,” he said. stronghold is home to around obstacles remain ahead, Sala- “We also see a very con- “If WHO and its partners 3mn people, and the United ma said. cerning trend. That resistance, had to leave North Kivu...we Nations had warned an assault Attacks by armed opposi- driven by quite natural fear of would have grave concerns could have sparked a humanitar- tion groups have increased in this terrifying disease, is start- that this outbreak would not be ian disaster on a scale yet unseen severity and frequency, espe- ing to be exploited by local able to be well controlled in the in the seven-year confl ict. Syrians arrive at the Abu Duhur crossing on the eastern edge of Idlib province yesterday, as they cross cially those attributed to the politicians, and we’re very con- coming weeks or months.” The deal reached in the Rus- from rebel-held areas to regime-held areas. sian resort puts the onus on Turkey, which is now expected Around 35 military vehicles than half of the rebel zone, while he said. Observers have already to get militants to hand over travelled south down the main NLF fi ghters hold sway over said Turkey’s task was almost their heavy weapons and vacate highway near the town of Sara- most of the rest. impossible and that the presence a U-shaped demilitarised zone qib after midnight. The Syrian Observatory for of IS, over which it has very lim- World Bank warns on Gaza economy around Idlib. The convoy was accompanied Human Rights said the Turkish ited sway, would further muddy Turkey already has 12 mili- by pro-Ankara rebels of the Na- convoy headed to an “observa- the waters. tary “observation points” dotted tional Liberation Front (NLF), tion point” in the north of Hama Tore Hamming, a Copenha- QNA Marina Wes, the World Bank’s director for the across the province, and yester- who control part of the enclave province. gen-based academic specialised Washington region. Wes said the increasingly dire economic day an AFP correspondent saw on the Turkish border. On Monday, the Observatory in the study of militant groups, situation in Gaza “has reached a critical point”. a convoy of reinforcements af- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), said the government had trans- said the IS transfer could spark “Increased frustration is feeding into the in- ter they crossed the border into an alliance led by Syria’s former ferred hundreds of rival IS mili- clashes between rival factions he World Bank warned yesterday of the creased tensions which have already started Idlib. Al Qaeda affi liate, controls more tants to the area. inside Idlib. deteriorating economic situations in Pal- spilling over into unrest and set back the human The head of the Britain-based Beyond exacerbating diff er- Testine with Gaza Strip entering a stage of development of the region’s large youth popula- monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, ences among its foes, he said the economic collapse. tion,” she added. said they were brought from an regime may have sought to create In its report that will be presented to the inter- In the report, the World Bank called upon Is- area where IS still holds a few a justifi cation for a full-blown national donor group for Palestinians, known as rael to lift restrictions on trade and movement pockets near the Iraqi border in Russian-backed off ensive. the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, at its meeting in of goods and people to help improve Gaza’s Deir Ezzor province. “It is easier to convince in- New York tomorrow on the sidelines of the UN economy, and urges development of “legitimate “Regime forces transported ternational players to accept an General Assembly, the World Bank warned that institutions to govern Gaza in a transparent and more than 400 IS fi ghters late off ensive if you can say there are Gaza Strip’s economy is in “free fall,” citing vari- effi cient manner”. It said that while the situation Sunday from the desert near the substantial numbers of IS fi ght- ous factors, starting with Israel’s decade-long in not as dire currently, past consumption driven town of Albu Kamal,” he said. ers,” Hamming said. blockade against the blockade, for the precarious growth is faltering, and the economy is expected They arrived in the eastern The confl ict in Syria has killed downturn. to slow considerably in the coming period. countryside of Idlib at dawn on more than 360,000 people since According to the report, Gaza’s economy con- According to the report, the economic deterio- Monday, near areas where other 2011. President Bashar al-As- tracted by 6% in the fi rst quarter of 2018. ration in both Gaza and West Bank can no longer militant groups are present, he sad’s regime has ousted opposi- It said unemployment is now over 50%, and be counteracted by foreign aid, which has been in said. Abdel Rahman said the tion fi ghters and militants from over 70% among Gaza’s youth. The World Bank steady decline, nor by the private sector which transfer came after days of nego- large parts of Syria since Russia also cited budget cuts and a reduction in in- remains confi ned by restrictions on movement, tiations and as the Syrian army intervened militarily by its side ternational aid to the Palestinians, particularly access to primary materials and trade. with allied Iranian forces threat- in 2015. from the United States, which led to a drying up Moreover, the deterioration in the fi scal situ- ened an operation against IS. After regime troops started of liquidity, with aid fl ows no longer enough to ation leaves the Palestinian Authority with little “An agreement was reached massing troops around Idlib stimulate growth. scope to provide relief. Russian soldiers pass out aid to Syrians crossing from rebel-held with IS fi ghters in one of their last month, the United Nations “A combination of war, isolation, and internal With donor funding declining and a full year areas to regime-held areas, at the Abu Duhur crossing on the pockets in the desert south of sounded the alarm over a possi- rivalries has left Gaza in a crippling economic defi cit of $1.24bn, the fi nancing gap is projected eastern edge of Idlib province. Albu Kamal to evacuate them,” ble “bloodbath”. state and exacerbated the human distress,” said at $600mn.

Iran claims ‘separatists’ behind attack

AFP ministry said in a statement. This version was bol- ates,” Khamenei was quot- Tehran “The terrorists’ hideout stered when a movement ed as saying by his official was found and 22 people in- called “Ahwaz National website. volved (in the attack) were Resistance”, a separatist Iranian authorities have ran yesterday identi- arrested,” it said, adding that group, claimed responsi- accused the United States, fi ed the perpetrators of a explosives were seized along bility shortly after the as- Israel, Saudi Arabia and Ideadly attack on a mili- with military and communi- sault. But the Islamic State United Arab Emirates tary parade as “separatists”, cations equipment. group (IS) was also quick (UAE) of being behind the announcing a series of ar- The attack targeted a pa- to claim responsibility and Ahvaz attack. rests and appearing to tie rade in Khuzestan province later posted a video of men Both Riyadh and Abu the Islamic State group to commemorating the 1980- it said were the attackers. Dhabi denied any involve- the bloodshed. 1988 Iran-Iraq war. Iran’s supreme leader, ment. Saudi Arabia “com- The intelligence minis- The border region, which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on pletely rejects the deplor- try published photos of the has a large ethnic Arab Monday linked the attack- able false accusations by fi ve men it said carried out community, was a major ers to Iraq and Syria, where Iranian officials regarding the assault Saturday in the battleground of the con- IS once had major strong- the kingdom’s support for southwestern city of Ahvaz flict and saw ethnic unrest holds. the incidents that occurred that killed 24 people includ- in 2005 and 2011. “This cowardly act was in Iran,” a Saudi foreign ing a four-year-old child Iranian officials initially the work of those very in- ministry official said yes- and other civilians. blamed Arab separatists, dividuals who are rescued terday. “The fi ve members of a who they claimed were be- by the Americans when- The UAE’s minister of terrorist squad affi liated to hind previous unrest, for ever they are in trouble in state for foreign affairs, separatist groups supported the latest attack, saying Iraq and Syria and who are Anwar Gargash, has also by Arab reactionary coun- they were backed by allies funded by the Saudis and dismissed Iran’s accusa- tries were identifi ed,” the of the United States. the (United) Arab Emir- tion as “baseless”. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 AMERICA Trump calls Kavanaugh allegations a ‘con game’

Reuters ing about. We’re talking about an Washington allegation of sexual assault. I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone,” Kavanaugh said in the interview, resident Donald Trump, sitting alongside his wife. fi ghting to shore up his nom- “I’m a good person,” Kavanaugh Pination of Brett Kavanaugh added. to the US Supreme Court in a di- Trump gave this assessment of vided US Senate, yesterday called Kavanaugh’s Fox News interview: sexual misconduct allegations “He was so truthful.” against the judge “a con game be- The Kavanaugh confirmation ing played by the Democrats.” fight comes just weeks before Trump’s comments to report- November 6 congressional elec- ers at the United Nations repre- tions in which Democrats are sented an escalation of his rheto- trying to take control of Con- ric on behalf of the conservative gress from Republicans, against federal appeals court judge whose a backdrop of the #MeToo move- nomination to a lifetime post on ment fighting sexual harassment the high court has been imperilled and assault. by allegations dating to the 1980s Some Democratic senators run- brought by two women. ning for re-election in states where The president’s remarks came Trump is popular have not yet an- a day after Kavanaugh sought to nounced their intentions. bolster his chances of confi rma- Senate Democratic leader Chuck tion in the Senate with a high-risk Schumer called on McConnell to interview on Fox News in which he apologise to Ford “for labelling her denied all the allegations against allegations a ‘smear job,’” adding, him. “I challenge you, Leader McCon- Senate Majority Leader Mitch nell, if you are so convinced this is McConnell reiterated that the a smear campaign, you’ll have no chamber will hold a confi rmation problem with an FBI investigation vote in the aftermath of a Judici- to prove your case.” ary Committee hearing set for to- Kavanaugh’s confi rmation morrow in which Kavanaugh and would fi rm up conservative control a woman who has accused him of of the Supreme Court and advance sexual assault will testify. Trump’s goal of moving the high Senator John Thune, a member court and the broader federal judi- of Republican leadership, told re- ciary to the right. porters the Senate debate on Ka- Capitol Police arrest protesters demonstrating against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Asked whether Ramirez should vanaugh could begin as soon as Kavanaugh in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. also be allowed to testify, Trump Friday or Saturday, with a confi r- said, “The second accuser has mation vote possible next week. gaps. And she said she was totally may hinge on the votes of a handful In an interview with Fox News nothing.” Kavanaugh has denied the alle- inebriated, and she was all messed of moderate Republican senators aired on Monday night, Kavanaugh “The American people know gations by Christine Blasey Ford, a up, and she doesn’t know it was who have not yet announced their said he “never sexually assault- that sexual misconduct is gravely university professor who accused him, but it might have been him.” intentions. These include Senators ed anyone,” has “always treated serious. They expect this to be him of sexual assault in 1982 when “Oh, gee, let’s not make him Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and women with dignity and respect” treated seriously and addressed both were high school students in a Supreme Court judge because Jeff Flake. and “did not have sexual inter- promptly,” McConnell said in a Maryland, and Deborah Ramirez, of that? This is a con game being A comment yesterday by course or anything close to sexual speech on the Senate fl oor. who accused him of sexual mis- played by the Democrats,” Trump Murkowski to CNN could be an intercourse in high school or for “The American people also in- conduct during the 1983-84 aca- added. ominous sign for Kavanaugh. many years thereafter.” sist that vague, unsubstantiated demic year at Yale University. Kavanaugh and his Republican Republican leaders and Trump Regarding alcohol, he said he and uncorroborated allegations Trump said yesterday Ford’s al- allies have framed the allegations have rejected Democratic demands never drank so much that he could of 30-plus-year-old misconduct legation was 36 years old “and no- as part of a “smear campaign” by for the FBI to investigate the alle- not remember what happened the where all the supposed witnesses body ever heard about it.” Democrats who have opposed his gations. night before. either totally deny it or can’t con- Of Ramirez’s allegation, Trump nomination from the beginning. But Murkowski, asked about an “I think all of us have probably fi rm it is nowhere near grounds to said, “And now a new charge Republicans hold a slim 51-49 FBI investigation, said, “It would done things we look back on in nullify someone’s career or de- comes up. And she says, ‘Well it Senate majority, meaning Ka- sure clear up all the questions, high school and regret or cringe a stroy their good name,” McConnell might not be him.’ And there were vanaugh’s confi rmation prospects wouldn’t it?” bit, but that’s not what we’re talk- added.

South Carolina evacuates residents as waterways continue to rise

Authorities yesterday urged thousands of peo- in up to 3m of floodwaters in the next few days than 1mn tons of ash from its two ash ponds at to erect temporary dams on either side of US ple to leave their homes in Georgetown, South as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun the site in the past few years, the utility said. Highway 17, the main coastal route through Carolina, area as water dumped by Hurricane their banks, the National Weather Service said, The potential flood zone encompasses some the area, and National Guard engineers were Florence surged down rivers, threatening to adding that the deluge threatened to cut off 3,500 homes in Georgetown, 60km south of installing a floating bridge at Georgetown in bring devastating floods and disrupt a toxic highways and isolate communities. Myrtle Beach, and the coastal resort commu- case the highway is washed out at the river. coal ash pond. By yesterday afternoon, the Waccamaw Riv- nity of Pawleys Island where as many as 8,000 In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said Water levels were still rising yesterday, emer- er, which already was well above flood stage, people live, Georgetown County spokeswoman on Monday that seven rivers in the southeast gency off icials said, long after the hurricane was expected to inundate a coal ash pond in Jackie Broach-Akers said. part of the state were at major flood stages and made landfall on the US Atlantic coast on Sep- Conway, South Carolina, that holds more than Authorities were sending warnings to resi- three others at moderate flood stages. tember 14 and killed 46 people in three states. 200,000 tons of toxic ash, according to Santee dents in harm’s way with recorded telephone The storm dumped 75cm to 100cm of rain The National Weather Service said flooding Cooper, South Carolina’s state-owned electric messages and home visits. on Wilmington, North Carolina, alone after from Florence likely would persist in coastal and water utility. The county opened two emergency shelters making landfall nearby on September 14. parts of the Carolinas for days. The Waccamaw is forecast to crest tomor- on Monday, and hotels outside the flood zone The storm moved northwest before turn- “If the flood map...shows you are in an af- row at 22ft in Conway and at 21.2ft tomorrow in in nearby Myrtle Beach were off ering discounts ing back east and becoming a post-tropical fected area, you need to leave,” Georgetown Georgetown, a representative with the South to evacuees. cyclone over West Virginia three days later. County Sheriff Lane Cribb said. “Your property Carolina Emergency Management Division Public schools will be closed until further Insured losses from Hurricane Florence will can be replaced, but your life can’t.” said yesterday. notice, Broach-Akers said. range from $2.8bn to $5bn, RMS, a risk model- Parts of Georgetown could be submerged The Santee Cooper utility removed more State transportation crews were working ling and analytics firm, said on Monday.

Judge orders federal protection restored to Yellowstone grizzlies

By Laura Zuckerman, Reuters bears’ numbers had rebounded and Wildlife Service had failed to Pinedale, Wyoming enough in recent decades that apply the best available science, as federal safeguards were no longer required under the law, in evalu- necessary. ating continued threats to grizzly federal judge on Monday The de-listing, welcomed by populations, including limitations ordered Endangered Spe- big-game hunters and cattlemen, in its genetic diversity. Acies Act protections re- had applied to about 700 Yellow- The judge pointed to two stud- stored to grizzlies in and around stone-area grizzlies in Wyoming, ies cited by the agency that he said Yellowstone National Park, halting Idaho and Montana. actually contradicted the govern- plans for the fi rst licensed trophy Environmentalists countered ment’s own conclusions that the hunts of the bears in the region in that treating those bears sepa- Yellowstone grizzlies could remain more than 40 years. rately from other grizzly popula- genetically self-suffi cient. US District Judge Dana Chris- tions in Montana and elsewhere in In his 47-page opinion, Chris- tensen in Missoula, Montana, the Lower 48 states was biologi- tensen called the agency’s reason- sided with environmentalists and cally unsound and illegal under the ing “illogical.” native American groups by over- Endangered Species Act, and the The judge’s ruling makes per- ruling the US Fish and Wildlife judge agreed. manent a court order barring Wy- Service decision to strip the griz- Grizzlies, which are slow to re- oming and Idaho from going ahead zlies of their status as a threatened produce, number fewer than 2,000 with plans to open grizzly hunting species. bears across the Lower 48. seasons allowing as many as 23 A grizzly bear roams through the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National The outcome caps one of the That is far below an historic bears in the two states to be shot Park in Wyoming. most high-profi le legal battles high of 100,000 before widespread and killed for sport outside of Yel- over the Endangered Species Act shooting, poisoning and trapping lowstone park. Ranchers, who make up a pow- grizzly confl icts as a practical or in many years, rivalling previous reduced the bears’ population to The season had been set to begin erful political constituency in philosophical matter,” he wrote. disputes surrounding the gray wolf just several hundred by 1975, when on September 1. Western states, have strongly ad- Instead, it turned strictly on his and northern spotted owl. they were placed under federal US law prohibits hunting alto- vocated de-listing grizzlies, argu- determination that the Fish and The ruling came as the Trump protection. gether inside the park, and Mon- ing the bears’ growing numbers Wildlife Service had exceeded its administration is seeking to re- Environmentalists have said tana had decided against a grizzly pose a threat to humans and live- authority. write Endangered Species Act that while grizzlies have made a hunt, citing its concerns about stock. The agency said it stood by its regulations that scientists say comeback, their recovery could long-term recovery of a bear pop- Agitation for state management de-listing action, adding the was would erode wildlife protection falter without continued federal ulation that is arguably one of the of the bears also came from hunt- reviewing the ruling and “consid- for the benefi t of commercial in- safeguards. most celebrated and photographed ers, who highly prize them as tro- ering next steps.” terests. They point to, among other in the world. phy animals. Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, a The Trump administration’s things, alterations in the bears’ Native American tribes, which The judge said he discounted staunch critic of the Endangered Spe- decision in June of last year to “de- food supply from climate change revere the grizzly as sacred, sought such factors. cies Act, said he was “disappointed” list” the grizzly, formally proposed and human threats posed by reinstatement of its threatened “This case is not about the eth- by Monday’s decision, citing $50mn in 2016 during the Obama era, was poachers and road traffi c. status as essential to protecting ics of hunting and it is not about he said his state had spent on grizzly based on agency fi ndings that the Christensen found that the Fish their religious practices. solving human- or livestock- management over the past 15 years. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 11 UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY At UN, Trump seeks to isolate Iran, praises Kim

By Carole Landry, AFP United Nations Rouhani slams Washington’s resident Donald Trump ‘hostile policy’ yesterday called for Iran’s Pisolation while welcoming Iranian President Hassan Rouhani another former adversary, North yesterday criticised Washington Korea, in from the cold in an una- for its hostile policy toward his bashedly boastful speech to the country and said the US approach United Nations General Assembly was doomed to failure. which provoked laughter from fel- Rouhani, in a speech to the low leaders. United Nation General Assembly, Hours before Iranian President said the United States had waged Hassan Rouhani was due to speak “economic war” against Iran by from the same rostrum, Trump de- reimposing unilateral sanctions, nounced the regime in Tehran for which were lifted under the coun- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the sowing “chaos, death and destruc- try’s 2015 multinational nuclear United Nations General Assembly yesterday. tion” as he defended his decision to deal in return for Tehran curbing ditch an internationally brokered its nuclear work. nuclear deal four months ago. “The United States policy vis-a- But after stunning the global vis the Islamic Republic of Iran has body with his bellicose language been wrong from the beginning, Turkey cannot on North Korea a year ago, includ- and its approach of resisting the ing a threat to “totally destroy” wishes of the Iranian people as Kim Jong-un’s state, Trump in- manifested in numerous elections remain silent over stead praised his one-time arch en- is doomed to failure,” Rouhani said. emy for his “courage” as he hailed “The economic war that the progress in fragile peace eff orts United States has initiated under use of sanctions as with Pyongyang. the rubric of new sanctions not only Since Trump came to power, targets the Iranian people but also promising that the world’s most entails harmful repercussions for the weapons: Erdogan powerful country would follow people of other countries, and that an “America First” foreign poli- war has caused a disruption in the cy, there have been growing fears US President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN state of global trade,” Rouhani said. By Parisa Hafezi, Reuters about the US commitment to mul- headquarters in New York. “What Iran says is clear: no United Nations tilateral institutions such as the war, no sanctions, no threats, no United Nations. tration in the history of our coun- tions to isolate Iran’s regime as long and multilateralism” on dealing bullying; just acting according Trump robustly attacked the try,” Trump was met with laughter, as its aggression continues.” with Iran, crediting the 2015 accord to the law and the fulfilment of urkish President Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that “globalist” view of the world and highly unusual in the solemn Gen- In a sign of how some allies are with curbing Tehran’s nuclear pro- obligations.” his country could not remain silent over the use of vowed that “America will never eral Assembly. unwilling to automatically follow gramme. Rouhani said Iran had no Tsanctions as weapons while it is in a bitter standoff apologise for protecting its citizens.” “I didn’t expect that reaction, Trump’s lead, the fi ve remaining While he praised China’s intention of succumbing to the US with the United States over the fate of an American evan- He said that the UN-backed In- but that’s okay,” Trump responded. parties to the Iran nuclear agree- President Xi Jinping for his role pressure. gelical Christian pastor detained by Ankara. ternational Criminal Court has “no But the most closely watched ment — Britain, China, France, in the North Korea peace proc- “The United States’ understand- The United States has called for the release of pastor An- jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no passage of his speech came when Germany and Russia — announced ess, Trump had harsh words for ing of international relations is drew Brunson, who was moved to house arrest in July after authority” and said that his ad- he turned to Iran. on Monday plans to keep business Beijing amid a growing trade war, authoritarian...Its understanding of being detained for 21 months. If found guilty, he could be ministration — which has recently “We cannot allow a regime that ties alive with Iran, staring down saying the commercial imbalance power, not of legal and legitimate jailed for up to 35 years. He denies the charges. choked off aid to the Palestinians — chants ‘Death to America’ and that Washington’s move to impose with the Asian power “cannot be authority, is reflected in bullying Turkey says the United States should respect the legal would only support “our friends” threatens Israel with annihilation, sanctions. tolerated”. and imposition,” Rouhani said. “No process for the pastor, whose trial in Turkey on terrorism in the future. to possess the means to deliver And French President Em- He also criticised Opec, the glo- state and nation can be brought to charges has infuriated US President Donald Trump. Boasting that his team “has a nuclear warhead to any city on manuel Macron used his speech bal oil organisation that includes the negotiating table by force.” “None of us can remain silent to the arbitrary cancel- achieved more than any adminis- Earth,” Trump said. “We ask all na- at the assembly to urge “dialogue both US allies and foes. lation of commercial agreements and the use of economic sanctions as weapons,” Erdogan said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. In August, Trump authorised a doubling of duties on aluminium and steel imported from Turkey. Turkey responded in kind, raising tariff s on US cars, al- Macron counters Trump with plea for deeper global co-operation cohol and tobacco imports. The Trump administration has also imposed sanctions on two top offi cials in Erdogan’s cabinet as part of its ef- DPA taking offi ce last year, defending China, Russia and European to take eff ective action on global But in policy terms, he has been forts to pressure Turkey into freeing Brunson. United Nations agreements on Iran’s nuclear pro- powers are seeking to maintain the warming should be countered with unable to win Trump over on cli- “Today, some countries are persistently trying to create gramme and the environment that deal, which imposes strict limits on clear commitments and an “ambi- mate change and Iran. chaos. We are in favour of solving our problems through Trump has pulled out of. Iran’s nuclear programme intended tious” On some other topics, however, conducting a constructive dialogue on equal terms,” Er- rench President Emmanuel Unilateralism leads “directly to to prevent it developing nuclear new pact on the global environ- such as the fi ght against terror- dogan said. Macron took to the podium isolation and confl ict...to the det- weapons in return for lifting inter- ment to be signed in 2020, he said. ism and the confl ict in Syria, Paris However, the Turkish lira fi rmed slightly yesterday as Fat the United Nations General riment of everyone, even in the national sanctions. “Let us no longer sign trade and Washington remain closely investors weighed up the prospect of an improvement in Assembly yesterday for a counter- end those who thought they were On climate change, Macron cast agreements with powers who do aligned. Turkey-US ties after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blast against the isolationist poli- strongest,” Macron declared. down an even clearer challenge to not respect the Paris accords,” Ma- Macron suggested that global said he expected talks this week over Brunson’s fate. tics of US President Donald Trump. And, he added, “the law of the Trump, saying that no new trade cron suggested. action was also needed to combat Erdogan’s communication adviser Fahrettin Altun post- The old state-based world order jungle does not protect any peo- deals should be signed with coun- Centrist liberal Macron has had “the deep causes of (the world’s) ed on Twitter a picture of Erdogan and Trump shaking was failing and a new multilat- ple against any threat whatsoever, tries that don’t respect the Paris an ambiguous relationship with the imbalances,” citing “profound in- hands and smiling at the United Nations. eral approach was needed to deal whether chemical or nuclear.” agreement on limiting climate nationalist US leader. equalities that have taken root” Ankara and Washington are also at odds over diverging with critical issues such as climate “We know that Iran was already change. He wooed Trump last year with along with a “hyper-concentration interests in Syria, where Washington supports Kurdish change and inequality, Macron ar- on the path to a military nuclear ca- “Even those who contest the re- an invitation to the Bastille Day pa- of wealth.” rebels whom Turkey regards as terrorists. gued. pacity. What stopped it? The Vien- ality” of climate change “are suf- rade in Paris and dinner in the Eiff el “For me today, this is the heart of “Those who equip terrorists with tens of thousands of Speaking shortly after the US na accord of 2015,” Macron argued, fering its consequences like every- Tower, and was repaid in April with our problem,” he said, arguing that trucks and thousands of cargo planes loaded with arms for leader, he took aim at several of speaking of the deal that Trump one else,” he told the assembly. the fi rst state visit to Washington these phenomena had led to a re- the sake of their tactical interests will most defi nitely feel Trump’s keynote policy shifts since pulled out of. Arguments that it is too late under Trump. birth of radical nationalism. sorrow in the future,” Erdogan said.

Guterres warns of ‘chaotic’ world order at General Assembly Red fl ags raised as global pact to

AFP improve the world hits third year United Nations

By Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters ACP Secretary-General Gomes, sign- N Secretary-General Antonio United Nations ing a deal with the International Fund for Guterres yesterday opened Agricultural Development to work on more Uthe world’s largest diplomat- grassroots projects, said the fi ght against ic gathering with a stark warning of any countries will fail to end hun- hunger, migration, climate change and growing chaos and confusion as the ger, educate all children or off er youth unemployment had to be ramped up. rules-based global order comes un- Mbetter lives to stem migration by Representing 79 nations, he stressed the der threat of breaking down. 2030 without major world eff orts to achieve need to support “women and youth, in par- Addressing the opening session of a set of global goals that marked their third ticular, along the agricultural value chains”. the UN General Assembly, Guterres anniversary yesterday, experts said. The calls come one year before the fi rst said trust in the rules-based global or- A report by aid group, the International heads of state level SDG summit to track der and among states was “at a break- Rescue Committee (IRC), and UK think tank progress on the global goals. ing point” and international coopera- Overseas Development Institute (ODI) said So far 46 countries have presented their tion was becoming more diffi cult. 82% of fragile and confl ict-aff ected nations voluntary national reviews on progress to a “Today, world order is increas- were off track for the goals agreed at a star- high level UN forum which highlighted that ingly chaotic. Power relations are studded event in 2015. while “positive progress is being made, it is less clear,” Guterres told the 193-na- While the head of the African, Caribbean not at suffi cient speed to achieve the goals tion assembly. “Universal values are and Pacifi c Group of States (ACP), Patrick by 2030”. being eroded. Democratic principles Gomes, stressed the need to off er a brighter “We must do much more in all constitu- are under siege.” future to young people as an alternative to encies, at all levels everywhere, to deliver for Guterres did not single out a migration. people and planet,” Amina Mohamed, UN country for criticism, but there are United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa The 193 UN member states had agreed on Deputy Secretary-General, said in a state- fears among UN diplomats that the Garces stand for a moment of silence for former secretary general Kofi Annan during the 73rd session of the September 25, 2015, to a lofty 15-year agenda ment. world is being carved up into spheres United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York. of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The IRC and ODI report said 152mn peo- of infl uence and a return to great with 169 targets aimed at helping everyone ple across 26 crises now need humanitarian power rivalry. may increase,” warned Guterres. Guterres acknowledged that peace Guterres zeroed in on climate live healthier, more prosperous lives on a aid to survive, with a rising trend of people US President Donald Trump’s ad- The human rights agenda is losing eff orts were failing and that respect change as an urgent priority, warn- cleaner planet. being forced from their homes and a dou- ministration has made clear its dis- ground and “authoritarianism is on for international humanitarian ing that if no concrete action is tak- But IRC chief executive David Miliband bling in the number of violent confl icts since trust of international treaties, hav- the rise,” he said. norms was unravelling. en in the next two years to reduce warned that not enough was being done to 2000. ing scrapped the Iran nuclear deal, Guterres urged world leaders to “There is outrage at our inability greenhouse gas emissions, the world meet these targets, calling for action as more The report found 82% of the 58 nations the Paris climate agreement and cut renew their commitment to a rules- to end the wars in Syria, Yemen and risks facing runaway climate change. than 150 world leaders gathered in New York ranked as fragile and confl ict-aff ected were funding to the United Nations. based order, with the United Nations elsewhere”, he said. “Climate change is moving faster for the annual United Nations General As- not on track to meet targets related to basic UN diplomats say the US stance has at its centre to confront “massive, “The Rohingya people remain ex- than we are — and its speed has pro- sembly. needs or lacked the data to assess progress. emboldened Russia and China to push existential threats to people and iled, traumatised and in misery, still voked a sonic boom SOS across our “Governments are in retreat from the “Three years into the SDGs it is shocking their view of the global order in which planet.” yearning for safety and justice.” world,” he said. global goal ambitions so NGOs and the cor- that just four of the 58 fragile and confl ict- human rights take a second seat to de- “There is no way forward but col- The two-state solution to the About 130 world leaders are at- porate sector need to step up,” Miliband, aff ected countries are on track to end hun- velopment and sovereignty rights. lective, common-sense action for Israeli-Palestinian confl ict has be- tending this year’s annual session former British foreign secretary, said at a ger,” Elizabeth Stuart, head of the Growth, “Today, with shifts in the balance the common good,” he said. come “more and more distant” while including Trump and Iranian leader private event. “It is not an excuse that these Poverty and Inequality Programme at ODI, of power, the risk of confrontation Drawing a list of global problems, the nuclear threat “has not eased”. Hassan Rouhani. crises are complicated.” said in a statement. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 ASIA

British US accuses Myanmar army of retiree, Thai wife murdered ‘planned’ Rohingya atrocities in north Reuters offi cials said was the subject of scale of the military’s opera- ducted, tied up with ropes previously known as Burma, only gone as far as labeling the Washington fi erce internal debate that de- tions indicate they were well- and raped for three days. They where Buddhism is the main crackdown “ethnic cleansing,” layed the report’s rollout for planned and coordinated.” were left “half dead,” he said, religion, has denied accusations could have legal implications Thailand nearly a month. Survivors described in har- according to the report. of ethnic cleansing and says of committing Washington to US government inves- The report, which was rowing detail what they had Human rights groups and its actions were part of a fi ght stronger punitive measures tigation has found that fi rst reported by Reuters, witnessed, including soldiers Rohingya activists have put the against terrorism. against Myanmar. This has AFP AMyanmar’s military resulted from more than killing infants and small chil- death toll in the thousands from US Senior State Department made some in the Trump ad- Bangkok waged a “well-planned and co- a thousand interviews of dren, the shooting of unarmed the crackdown, which followed offi cials said the objective of the ministration wary of issuing ordinated” campaign of mass Rohingya men and women men, and victims buried alive or attacks by Rohingya insurgents investigation was not to deter- such an assessment. killings, gang rapes and other in refugee camps in neigh- thrown into pits of mass graves. on security forces in Rakhine mine genocide but to “docu- The International Criminal he bodies of a wealthy atrocities against the South- bouring Bangladesh, where They told of widespread sexual State in August 2017. ment the facts” on the atroci- Court last week said it had be- British retiree and his Thai east Asian nation’s Rohingya almost 700,000 Rohing- assault by Myanmar’s mili- The results of the US investi- ties to guide US policy aimed gun an examination of whether Twife were found buried on Muslim minority. yas have fl ed after a mili- tary of Rohingya women, often gation were released in low-key at holding the perpetrators ac- the alleged forced deportations their own property yesterday The US State Department re- tary campaign last year in carried out in public. fashion – posted on the State countable. The report, however, of Rohingyas could constitute a week after an alleged con- port, which was released late on Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Myanmar government Department’s website – nearly proposes no new steps. war crimes or crimes against tract killing that implicated the Monday, could be used to justify “The survey reveals that the spokesman Zaw Htay declined a month after UN investigators One of the offi cials, speaking humanity. woman’s brother, police said. further US sanctions or other recent violence in northern to comment when reached yes- issued their own report accus- on condition of anonymity, said Asked whether the new US Alan Hogg was shot while his punitive measures against My- Rakhine State was extreme, terday and said he was unable to ing Myanmar’s military of act- it would be up to US Secretary of fi ndings could be used to bol- wife Nhot Suddaen was bludg- anmar authorities, US offi cials large-scale, widespread, and answer questions by telephone. ing with “genocidal intent” State Mike Pompeo whether to ster such international pros- eoned to death with a hammer told Reuters. seemingly geared toward both Calls to military spokesman and calling for the country’s make such a “legal” designation ecution, the State Department at their villa in the northern But it stopped short of de- terrorising the population and Major General Tun Tun Nyi commander-in-chief and fi ve in the future and did not rule offi cial said no decision had province of Phrae by men paid scribing the crackdown as driving out the Rohingya resi- were unanswered. generals to be prosecuted under out the possibility. been made on seeking “judi- 50,000 baht ($1,540). genocide or crimes against hu- dents,” according to the 20- One witness described four international law. A declaration of genocide by cial accountability” over the Their bodies were discov- manity, an issue that other US page report. “The scope and Rohingya girls who were ab- The military in Myanmar, the US government, which has Rohingya crisis. ered yesterday morning in graves 2m deep (6ft) on their own land, Colonel Manas Kerdsukho, police commander in Phrae, said. Bird-singing competition Three suspects have been ar- rested, including Nhot’s elder Vietnam jails brother Varut Rattanasajjakit, the alleged mastermind accused of paying the killers. “The motive for the killings was a long-running internal activist over family confl ict, feuds and prop- erty,” Manas said. He added that prime suspect Varut was arrested later yester- day and one of the alleged ac- anti-govt posts complices told authorities he helped carry out the murder. Varut denies all allegations. British media reports de- scribed Hogg, 64, as a million- on Facebook aire from Edinburgh who moved to Thailand several years ago and built the luxury three-story Reuters state” and called for people home in Phrae province, which Hanoi to protest, they said on their included a swimming pool, website. summer house and cattle yard. Reuters could not trace con- The couple’s daughter Robyn court in Vietnam has tact details for Quang’s lawyer fl ew to Thailand from the UK jailed an activist for to seek comment. over the weekend to assist the Atwo years and three Facebook has a direct chan- search. months on accusations of nel for Vietnam’s information A Thai television station abusing democracy rights fol- ministry to request the block- showed footage of an excavator lowing anti-government posts ing or removal of accounts, digging up mounds of dirt in a on social media site Facebook, content or posts deemed to search for the bodies. authorities said. violate the law. Many activ- A spokesperson for Brit- Despite sweeping economic ists have complained about ain’s foreign offi ce said staff reform and increasing open- growing blocking of content was “providing support” ness to social change, Vi- this year. Birds sit in their cages during a bird-singing competition in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat yesterday. Over 1,600 birds for the family of the victims etnam’s ruling Communist Not all the ministry’s re- from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore took part in the annual contest. and is in contact with local Party retains tight media cen- quests are met, however, and authorities. sorship and does not tolerate acting information minis- criticism. ter Nguyen Manh Hung this A district court found Doan month proposed to set up a Khanh Vinh Quang, 42, guilty working group to improve of “abusing democratic and communications between the freedom rights” to infringe government and Facebook. Lanka ready to welcome toppled Maldives president the interests of the state, in- Police said Quang also re- dividuals and organisations, ceived two fl ags of the US- police in Can Tho City said on backed Republic of Vietnam, AFP of opponents of Yameen since he leader, was sentenced to 13 years drifted closer to China, borrowing pressure, Yameen conceded de- Monday. the former state in the coun- Colombo became president in 2013. in jail after narrowly losing the heavily from New Delhi’s regional feat and pledged to allow a peace- Quang’s actions “seriously try’s southern half until the In a phone call on Monday, 2013 elections to Yameen. rival to invest in infrastructure. ful transition when he formally aff ected the political security Vietnam War ended in 1975, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil He fl ed to London where he Declaring victory, Solih de- steps down on November 17. and social order and safety”, from another Facebook user he defeated strongman Wickremesinghe “informed sought refuge and now lives in manded Yameen immediately re- Rights group Amnesty Inter- the police said in a statement, living overseas and agreed to of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen that he is welcome in Sri Lanka. lease all political prisoners in the national called yesterday on So- adding that he had admitted hang them. TYameen, is welcome in Colombo at any time,” the pre- Sunday’s election was held country. A Maldivian court freed lih to “break with the repression to having written and shared They added that Quang use neighbouring Sri Lanka, Colom- mier’s offi ce said. with all key opposition leaders fi ve of them on Monday night. and human rights violations of posts insulting the Party and Facebook to urge people to bo said yesterday, two days after Wickremesinghe made the behind bars or in exile, leaving Many more are still in jail, the past and chart a fresh course the country since 2015. turn out for street demonstra- his surprise defeat in presidential call after hosting Yameen’s arch the little-known Mohamed Solih including Yameen’s estranged where human rights are at the He was arrested in early tions against a controversial elections. rival and former Maldives presi- to challenge Yameen. half-brother and former presi- heart” of government policy. September as authorities draft law to develop economic Sri Lanka has long been a ha- dent Mohamed Nasheed at a In a major upset, Solih won dent Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, The European Union, which had found his Facebook posts zones against which thou- ven for dissidents from the near- luncheon meeting on Monday. with 58% of the vote. 80, who is expected to be earlier threatened sanctions, said “distort the guidelines and sands had protested in several by Maldives over years of political Nasheed, the atoll nation’s Solih’s victory was greeted released shortly. Monday that it would “continue to policies of the party and the cities in June. upheaval, including for hundreds fi rst democratically elected warmly by India as Yameen had Under intense international closely review the situation”. Police in Maldives destroy Online gambling ring statues deemed off ensive busted in Vietnam

AFP several men tearing a statue off a plinth. AFP ple and three others turned But the communist govern- Colombo “I was extremely shocked and heartbroken to Hanoi themselves in. The investiga- ment said last year it would learn that my sculptures have been destroyed tion is still ongoing to see if ease restrictions on sports by the Maldivian authorities at the Coralarium, anyone else is involved,” the betting and allow some Viet- olice armed with pickaxes and power despite continued consultations and dialogue,” ietnamese police have police source said from the namese to gamble in casinos tools have destroyed a modern art- deCaires Taylor said in a statement. broken up an online central province of Quang on a pilot basis, though the Pwork by a celebrated British sculptor “The Coralarium was conceived to connect Vgambling ring worth Nam. new rules have yet to come in the Maldives, after the outgoing president humans to the environment and a nurturing almost $26mn and arrested Several houses were raided into eff ect. in the tourist haven declared the installation space for marine life to thrive. Nothing else! 10 people along with confi s- across multiple cities and po- Major fi rms, both foreign off ensive to Islam. “The Maldives is still beautiful, with a warm cating guns and cash, offi cials lice confi scated two rifl es, and local, are eager to break Abdulla Yameen in July ordered the sculp- and friendly population, but it was a sad day said yesterday, the latest big $20,000 in cash and several into the potentially lucrative tures demolished but his ruling was not acted for art and sad day for the environment.” bust in a country where illicit cars and mobile phones, ac- market in a country of 93mn upon until Friday, on the eve of a presidential The import of statues is prohibited in the betting fl ourishes despite cording to the Quang Nam pro- where underground betting election which he lost to a liberal candidate. Maldives. Even depictions of the Buddha are tough laws. vincial police’s offi cial website. is widespread – even among A series of statues by Jason deCaires Taylor banned despite a long legacy of Buddhism in The ringleaders ran several The suspects also illegally offi cials. were placed inside a semi-submerged metal the islands before Islam came to dominate websites for sports betting and off ered high-interest loans and Police are now investigating cube in July at a resort in the Maldives, an ar- An axe-wielding policeman hacks down a statue the archipelago. other forms of gambling which could be hired to collect debts a massive illegal betting ring chipelago of 340,000 Sunni Muslims popular in an underwater gallery in the Maldives. Despite the edict, huge cutouts of Yameen had attracted hundreds of on- using force, according to state worth $422mn in the country’s with tourists. towered over the capital Male in the lead-up line punters since July, accord- media. biggest-ever gambling bust in- Islam, the offi cial religion in the Maldives, It is unclear why the sculptures were not to Sunday’s poll, which he lost after fi ve years ing to a local police source and Most gambling is illegal in volving more than 100 people, bans the depiction of idols, and the work raised from the waters until Friday, just two of strongman rule marked by a regression state media. Vietnam, a one-party state including current and former provoked some criticism from clerics even days before Yameen was turfed out of offi ce. from democracy. The network spanned several where running online bet- offi cials. though the statues have no religious symbols Police were photographed chipping away Many of these cardboard posters depict- provinces in central and south- ting rings carries a maxi- The online betting ring was or meaning. at the works with pickaxes and using power ing the ousted leader were torn down after he ern Vietnam and was headed mum jail term of 10 years allegedly run by the very offi - Yameen said in July that “signifi cant public tools to remove them from the large and suff ered a shock defeat to opposition candi- by a 37-year-old identifi ed as and only foreigners are le- cials tasked with policing on- sentiment” against the artwork known as ‘Cor- ornate cage housing them. date Mohamed Solih, an act of defi ance un- Huynh Quoc Viet. gally allowed to bet at local line gambling at the ministry of alarium’ had guided his decision to destroy it. A video posted by state media showed thinkable under his iron-fi sted leadership. “We arrested seven peo- casinos. public security. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA US military sale approval to Taiwan draws China’s ire

Reuters its territory, is an irritant in the tagon’s Defense Security Coop- States to withdraw the planned tions toward Taiwan, which is vour of China, which could prob- posed sale is required to maintain Washington relations between the world’s eration Agency said in a state- sale and stop military contacts equipped with mostly US-made ably overwhelm the island unless Taiwan’s “defensive and aerial two largest economies. Taiwan ment issued yesterday. Chinese with Taiwan, to avoid serious weaponry and wants Washington US forces came quickly to its aid. fl eet,” and would not alter the would still need to fi nalise details Foreign Ministry spokesman harm to both Sino-US co-oper- to sell it more advanced equip- The $330mn request cov- military balance in the region. he US State Department of the sale with US companies. Geng Shuang said that US arms ation in major areas, and peace ment, including new fi ghter jets. ers spare parts for “F-16, C-130, China has never renounced the has approved the sale to “This proposed sale will con- sales to Taiwan were a serious and stability in the Taiwan strait, In a statement yesterday, Tai- F-5, Indigenous Defense Fighter use of force to bring what it sees TTaiwan of spare parts for tribute to the foreign policy and breech of international law and Geng added. wan’s Presidential Offi ce thanked (IDF), all other aircraft systems as a wayward province under its F-16 fi ghter planes and other national security of the United harmed Chinese sovereignty and China’s Defense Ministry, in the United States for its support and subsystems, and other re- control. Chinese President Xi military aircraft worth up to States by helping to improve the security interests. a separate statement, also con- and said the island would con- lated elements of logistics and Jinping told US Defense Secre- $330mn, prompting China to security and defensive capability China strongly opposes the demned the planned sale, adding tinue to “stay in close commu- programme support,” the Penta- tary Jim Mattis during a visit to warn yesterday that the move of the recipient, which has been planned arms sales and has al- that the Chinese military had a nication and co-operation” with gon said, adding that it notifi ed Beijing in June that Beijing was jeopardised Sino-US co-opera- and continues to be an impor- ready lodged “stern representa- “fi rm and unshakable” resolve to Washington for issues including Congress of the possible sale. committed to peace, but could tion. tant force for political stability, tions” with the United States, protect the country’s sovereignty security. Military experts said the Lockheed Martin Corp makes the not give up “even one inch” of US military sales to self-ruled military balance, and economic he told a daily news briefi ng in and territorial integrity. China is balance of power between Tai- F-16. territory that the country’s an- Taiwan, which China claims as progress in the region,” the Pen- Beijing. China urges the United deeply suspicious of US inten- wan and China has shifted in fa- The Pentagon said the pro- cestors had left behind. Najib’s wife to be questioned by

An aerial picture of the rock band Boomerang performing on top of a silo at the Wilmar International anti-graft agency refinery in Bitung, North Sulawesi.

Reuters Kuala Lumpur Greenpeace ‘occupies’ Indonesia

osmah Mansor, the wife of palm oil plant with rock band former Malaysian prime Rminister Najib Razak, was summoned yesterday for AFP questioning by the anti-graft Jakarta agency in its multi-billion dollar corruption probe at state fund 1MDB. reenpeace activists yes- It was the second time Ros- terday scaled storage mah, 66, has been called in by Gtanks at an Indonesian the Malaysian Anti-Corruption palm oil refi nery along with a Commission (MACC) since the popular rock band which played shock defeat of Najib in the May pro-environment songs, pro- general election. testing against a commodity Rosmah was fi rst questioned found in everything from soap in June in connection with the to biscuits. investigation, which is looking The green group said 30 into allegations of corruption activists — including several and misappropriation in state foreigners— and Indonesian Greenpeace Southeast Asia Executive Director Yeb Sano (right) and fund 1Malaysia Development metal group Boomerang had activists painting “Stop Deforestation Now” onto the hull of a palm oil Berhad (1MDB). been “occupying” the site on tanker at the Wilmar International refinery in Bitung, North Sulawesi. Her husband has pleaded Sulawesi island to draw at- not guilty to charges of money tention to widespread envi- moving, according to the on its way to factories and su- laundering, abuse of power and ronmental destruction caused group. permarkets all over the world,” criminal breach of trust. The In this file picture, Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian PM Najib Razak, leaves the Malaysian Anti- by clearing forest for palmoil Meanwhile, Boomerang — Greenpeace said. Wilmar de- former fi rst lady was served with Corruption Commission headquarters after giving a statement in Putrajaya, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. plantations. which got its start in the mid- scribed the protest as “not a notice yesterday afternoon to They painted “Dirty” in large 90s and whose new music only a criminal act of trespass- appear before MACC the next more charges could be brought more than 1,200 pairs of shoes bags, 423 watches and 12,000 letters and dropped a banner focuses on conservation — per- ing and vandalism but a safety day, her lawyer K Kumaraendran against individuals over 1MDB. when her husband Ferdinand pieces of jewellery. Najib has that read “Drop Dirty Palm Oil formed at the top of the refi n- risk to the activists as well as said, adding that she was asked When asked if Rosmah could Marcos was ousted as president said most of the seized items Now” on storage tanks owned ery tanks. Wilmar staff ”. to assist with investigations un- face charges, he said: “I’m not of the Philippines in 1986. were gifts given to his wife and by Singapore-listed Wilmar Greenpeace has accused Sin- “We urge Greenpeace to der the anti-money laundering denying that.” Najib and Rosmah have both daughter and had nothing to do International, the world’s big- gapore-listed Wilmar of still adopt a collaborative mind- act. Rosmah’s penchant for de- been barred from leaving the with 1MDB. gest palm oil trader which sup- being linked to deforestation set and work with the palm oil A source familiar with the in- signer handbags, watches and country since the former’s elec- The US2 Department of Jus- plies major brands including in Indonesia — the world’s big- industry to take genuine and vestigation said Rosmah would jewellery raised eyebrows in Ma- tion defeat, and their home and tice has alleged more than Colgate, Nestle and Unilever, gest palm oil exporter— despite positive action,” it said in a be questioned in connection laysia, with opponents asking other properties linked to them $4.5bn was misappropriated Greenpeace said, adding the committing fi ve years ago to statement. with the 1MDB probe. how she was able to aff ord the have been searched by the police from 1MDB and that about protest ended after 12 hours. stop logging the archipelago’s Last week Indonesia’s After fi ling fresh charges luxury items on her husband’s as part of the 1MDB investiga- $680mn ended up in Najib’s One group of activists also vast tracts of jungle. president signed a three-year against Najib last week, Azam government salary. tions. personal bank account. climbed the anchor chain of “This refi nery is loaded with moratorium on all new palm oil Baki, the deputy commissioner She has drawn comparisons to The haul seized from the Najib has denied any wrong- a tanker transporting palm Wilmar’s dirty palm oil and plantation development in the of the anti-graft agency, said Imelda Marcos, who left behind properties included 567 hand- doing. oil and are preventing it from if we weren’t here it would be country.

New Zealander jailed for killing Over the moon hundreds of eagles in Australia A New Zealander living in Aus- tralia has been sentenced to two weeks in jail and fined A$2,500 (US $1,800) after he admitted to poisoning more than 400 wedge- tailed eagles in eastern Victoria. The farm worker, Murray James Silvester, 59, pleaded guilty last week to the killing of up to 420 birds between October 2016 and April 2018 at three remote proper- ties in East Gippsland. He was sentenced by Sale Mag- istrates Court yesterday, local media reported. Wedge-tailed eagles are a pro- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern kisses her baby Neve before speaking at the Nelson tected species in Australia. Mandela Peace Summit during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, US. They are the biggest bird of prey in the country and have some- times become a nuisance for many farmers because they prey on newborn lambs. A plane flies in front of a full moon in Sydney yesterday. New Zealand PM brings baby to UN Silvester told the court he poi- soned the birds, at the direction of his employer, to increase the AFP The premier was photo- day who walked into a meeting lambs’ chances of survival, accord- Malaysia govt to review Australia rare earths plant United Nations graphed kissing and bouncing room in the middle of a nappy ing to Australian broadcaster ABC. up and down daughter Neve change. State environment department’s An ardent critic of an Australian in 2012. The miner hopes the the site in Kuantan in Pahang in the main assembly hall next Great yarn for her 21st,” he prosecutor Chrisanthi Paganis rare earths plant in Malaysia $720-mn plant can reduce Chi- state, and whether it had met ew Zealand’s prime to partner Clarke Gayford, at a wrote. Ardern became prime told the court three diff erent said yesterday she will head nese dominance in the market regulatory requirements when minister, who shot plenary meeting known as the minister in October just three chemicals were used to kill the a government review into the for rare earths, which are used it was set up. “We are worried Nto international fame Nelson Mandela Peace Sum- months after taking charge eagles. The substances were in- controversial site after her in everything from missiles to about the plant’s radioactive for giving birth while in of- mit, which she also addressed. of the Labour Party as it lan- jected into the necks of lambs put political alliance took power at mobile phones. waste management,” she told fi ce, turned heads yesterday by Gayford, who is a television guished in the polls. She re- out for the eagles to prey upon. landmark elections. Shares of Malaysia’s political opposi- AFP. bringing her three-month-old fishing show host and who turned to work last month after One of the substances caused the Australian miner Lynas have tion had long been against “We want to open all the files daughter into the UN assembly plans to be the main caregiver a six-week maternity leave. eagles to die within 30 minutes been hit since reports emerged the plant, and the review and see if all the conditions for hall. for their daughter, tweeted a She had already announced of feeding on the sheep and lamb that MP Fuziah Salleh had comes after they unexpect- setting up the plant, issuance Jacinda Ardern, 38, is only picture of the infant’s UN dip- that they would travel as a fam- carcasses, the court was told. The been picked to probe the plant, edly ousted the coalition of of the temporary operating the second world leader to ever lomatic photo ID that classi- ily to the United Nations in sentencing makes Silvester the which has long been opposed Najib Razak at the polls in May. licence and the permanent give birth while in the offi ce. fied her as “New Zealand first New York, where she will ad- first person to be jailed for destroy- by green groups over concerns Fuziah, a deputy minister in operating licence, have been The fi rst was the late Benazir baby”. dress the General Assembly. ing protected wildlife in Victoria. it produces dangerous radioac- the prime minister’s depart- complied with,” she added. The Bhutto, who was prime min- “I wish I could have captured Earlier on Monday, she spoke He will be sent back home to New tive waste. ment, confirmed that she will politician has long campaigned ister of Pakistan when her the startled look on a Japanese at the launch of the annual Zealand a month after the jail The factory began processing chair a 10-member commit- against the plant, which is in daughter was born in 1990. delegation inside UN yester- “Climate Week” event. term ends. rare earths sent from Australia tee to examine operations at her constituency. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 BRITAIN Labour pledges to expand free childcare programme

Guardian News and Media a million children, claiming the matters most in the earliest years education’s own research shows “We’ve got to give all our chil- He will also set out plans to these proposals is certainly the London existing “patchy” support on of- of life. It is a crucial time to open that less than 25% of families dren the very, very best start in establish a national pay scale to right one – additional support fer is holding back too many fam- up children’s life chances. Driv- earning under £20,000 are us- life … Giving children a chance in raise standards of care by creat- for parents, a greater emphasis ilies and not reaching the least ing up standards of childcare ing their 30-hour free enti- life means they achieve more, and ing a graduate-led workforce, on supporting and valuing the abour will extend the gov- well-off . will make that vital diff erence for tlement, compared with 58% do you know what? When chil- improving skill levels of staff . early years workforce, and a focus ernment’s 30 hours of free Families on the lowest incomes millions of our children.” of families earning more than dren achieve more, we achieve The childcare system would on raising and maintaining qual- Lchildcare programme to would also be eligible for addi- Since January, families where £45,000. Only 40% of two- more.” be simplified for parents with ity across the sector. the parents of all two-, three- tional subsidised hours on top both parents are working more year-olds qualify. Corbyn will also pledge to in- the launch of a national child- “But, as always, the devil is and four-year-olds as the party of the 30 hours, which would be than 16 hours a week but earning “If a two-year-old doesn’t crease average early years fund- care online access portal, which in the detail and we would need moves a step closer to providing free for them and cost no more under £100,000 each have quali- get a place in nursery then that ing rates to help the many child- would replace the existing com- to see a lot more detail on how universal support for all families than £4 per hour for those on the fi ed for the 30-hour scheme, two-year-old is likely to have a care providers that are struggling plicated mix of vouchers and these proposals have been indi- with young children. highest incomes. which expanded the number of smaller vocabulary than other – some have even closed – as credits. vidually costed to feel reassured Jeremy Corbyn will today In his keynote speech to La- free hours for three- and four- children, less social awareness, a result of the 30-hour policy, Neil Leitch, chief executive that this plan is indeed sustain- announce that the expanded bour conference, Corbyn is ex- year-olds from 15 a week. probably achieve less in primary which they argue is not properly of the Pre-school Learning Al- able – or even possible – in the scheme would benefi t more than pected to say: “Opportunity However, the department for school,” Corbyn said yesterday. funded. liance, said: “The direction of long term.” Plan for female Labour party co-deputy leader shelved set to vote

Guardian News and Media London against May’s abour has unexpectedly shelved plans to create a Lsecond, female, deputy leader, a policy backed by the current deputy leader, Tom Watson. The party’s ruling national Brexit deal executive committee had voted in favour of the change at its Reuters He repeated Labour’s argu- would hurt the country by op- pre-conference meeting. The Liverpool ment that if parliament rejects posing any deal “regardless of move had historically been May’s Chequers deal, named af- how good it is for the UK,” ac- backed by the party’s left, as a ter the prime minister’s country cusing the party of being ready way of limiting Watson’s influ- ritain’s opposition Labour residence where she hashed out to “accept any deal Europe gives, ence after the Labour veteran Party is set to vote against a plan with her ministers, the regardless of how bad it is”. was partially blamed for the Bany deal Prime Minister party would press for a general “That’s not in the national in- campaign against Corbyn in Theresa May clinches with the election. terest. What we’re doing is in the 2016. European Union and is open to a “But if we need to break the national interest.” However, at the meeting of second referendum with the op- impasse our options must in- But with May’s plan for main- the NEC, Watson unexpect- tion of staying in the bloc, Brexit clude campaigning for a public taining close ties with the EU for edly backed the move. That spokesman Keir Starmer said vote and nobody is ruling out ‘re- trade in goods facing opposition in turn had sparked fears yesterday. main’ as an option,” he said to a from her own lawmakers, she that a pro-referendum fe- With just over six months un- prolonged standing ovation in a is aware of the crucial role La- male candidate would stand til Britain leaves the EU, May has packed conference hall. bour could play in getting a deal as a way of piling fresh pres- yet to reach a deal on the terms of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn through parliament. sure on the leadership over the divorce, and her plan for fu- backed his Brexit spokesman, May has a working majority the issue. ture trade ties has been rebuff ed but declined to say which way he of just 13 in the 650-seat parlia- The rule change to create a by both the EU and many in her would vote in a possible second ment and a former junior min- second deputy post was sub- own Conservative Party. referendum because “it depends ister said this month as many as mitted by Wirral West constit- May says she will press on with what the question is”. “We will 80 of her own lawmakers were uency Labour party. her proposals, and branded La- challenge this government. If prepared to vote against a Brexit But, during the debate and bour’s intention to vote against they don’t meet our six tests, we deal based on the Chequers plan. vote yesterday morning at La- any agreement that falls short will vote against it, and then we But like her Conservatives and bour conference in Liverpool, of its demands as “not in the na- will take it from there,” he said in much of the country, Labour is the local party unexpectedly tional interest”. a television interview. split over how to leave the bloc, withdrew its motion, mean- Labour has listed six tests it An internal EU document seen with veteran eurosceptic Corbyn ing the change could not be would apply to any Brexit deal, by Reuters yesterday reiterated under pressure from many mem- made. including a strong future rela- the bloc’s rejection of Chequers, bers to move to a more pro-EU Wirral West delegate Angela tionship with the EU that deliv- saying it would “give the UK an position. Marincowitz-Skillen said there ers the same benefi ts Britain has unfair competitive advantage”, Brendan Chilton, general sec- had been “disturbing reports as a member of the bloc’s single but it welcomed her proposal of retary of Brexit campaigning that those who want to divide market and customs union. a free-trade are” as “the start- group Labour Leave, accused our party … want to use this as Starmer said May was on ing point”. As for a possible new Starmer of launching a leader- a way to do it”, she said. course to fail these tests. referendum, EU offi cials have ship bid. “This is a betrayal of the “Making an election for a He called for an election to al- voiced their doubts. very highest order. It is a betrayal new deputy leader about Brex- low a Labour government to steer “That does not sound like a so- not only of the millions of Labour it, about a new centre party or Britain’s departure from the EU, lution to anything. The fi rst ref- voters, but of our 2017 manifes- whatever project to sow disu- the biggest shift in the country’s erendum is still keeping us busy. to,” he said, referring to the par- nity. I want to say to those peo- foreign and trade policy in dec- And will they want to have a third ty’s campaign at last year’s elec- ple, members are sick of this ades. one in another two years?” asked tion in which it won more votes sectarian game.” “If Theresa May brings back a a senior EU diplomat in Brussels. than expected. She said she wanted “change deal that does not meet our tests “It’s more about power struggles Labour’s conference passed for a united party” but said - and that looks increasingly in Britain than about managing the motion with a show of hands she would remit the motion to likely - Labour will vote against Brexit seriously.” yesterday to keep a second Brex- allow the NEC to look at the her deal,” he told Labour mem- May, speaking to reporters on it referendum as an option if election of both positions for Labour party Brexit secretary Keir Starmer addresses delegates on the third day of the party bers at the party’s conference in her way to the UN General As- May fails to get her Brexit plan deputy leader. conference in Liverpool yesterday. the northern city of Liverpool. sembly in New York, said Labour through parliament. No-deal Brexit better than May to hold talks on current EU off er: premier Brexit with Trump Reuters from Trump could boost May’s London struggle to win over critics who Reuters to the type of deal the EU is cur- bour Party’s Brexit plans were say her exit plan is unworkable, New York rently offering on future trade, not in the national interest af- and soothe financial markets which Britain believes will split ter Labour’s Brexit policy chief rime Minister Theresa which expect severe disruption England, Wales and Scotland said the party was likely to vote May will today discuss if she is unable to get a Brexit rime Minister Theresa May from Northern Ireland by in- against any deal she reaches with PBrexit and a bilateral trade deal. yesterday signalled that sisting Northern Ireland adhere the European Union. deal with US President Donald During a visit to Britain ear- Pshe would prefer a ‘no- to different customs rules. Even if May is able to secure a Trump on the sidelines of the lier this year Trump said the two deal’ Brexit to the off er currently Her position also eff ectively deal on Brexit with Brussels, it is United Nations General Assem- countries could secure a “great” put forward by the European Un- rules out alternative Brexit pro- far from certain she will be able bly in New York, amid increas- post-Brexit trade deal, lavishing ion, stressing that Britain needs posals put forward by rebel eu- to get the terms approved by par- ing uncertainty over Britain’s EU praise on May and contradicting to see counter-proposals from rosceptic members of her own liament. exit plans. his own earlier withering assess- the EU to move Brexit negotia- party, which are based on a wide- In addition to Labour lawmak- “She will be discussing a post- ment of her exit strategy. tions forward. ranging free trade agreement ers, many in her own party also Brexit trade deal amongst a range The UN meeting is likely to be May last week issued an angry similar to that agreed between disagree with her exit plans. of subjects also including chemi- dominated by Trump touting his edict to Brussels when a sum- the EU and Canada. If she loses a vote, May has said cal weapons and foreign aff airs,” drive to protect US sovereignty, mit of EU leaders which had Speaking to reporters on her Britain will leave the EU without a senior UK offi cial said. which has some world leaders been billed as a chance to gener- way to New York to attend the a deal. “When they meet they often worried over America’s commit- ate momentum towards a deal in United Nations General As- But, in the likely chaos around discuss Brexit negotiations and ment to the multilateralism that October or November ended in sembly, May said she welcomed a parliamentary defeat she could they both have a strong commit- has governed the United Nations a blunt dismissal of British pro- comments from European Coun- also face a leadership challenge, ment to securing a strong UK-US since World War II. posals. cil president Donald Tusk that calls for a new national election, free trade agreement once we’ve May will also use her two-day “I’ve always said no deal is the bloc still wanted to strike a and even a second Brexit refer- left (the European Union).” trip to New York to warn against better than a bad deal,” May deal, but added that the onus was endum. “I still do believe that A trade deal with the US is seen allowing the use of chemical told reporters. “I think a bad still on the EU to break the dead- we can get a good deal... at that as an important way to help off - weapons to become normalised, deal would be a deal that broke lock on Chequers. point all members of parliament set the economic impact of leav- citing the use of a nerve agent up the United Kingdom,” May “If they have concerns, they will have a clear choice,” she ing the EU in March next year. in Britain earlier this year and said when asked whether a no- need to detail those concerns said. “They’ll have to recognise, May’s government has long chemical attacks in Syria. deal Brexit was better than one to us and if they have counter- looking at their vote, that what touted the freedom to strike such “The red lines around the use similar to the existing Canada- proposals, let’s hear the counter we’re doing is delivering on the deals independently of the EU of chemical weapons are be- EU trade deal. proposals and then we can dis- vote of the referendum, deliv- as the main economic benefi t of ing eroded,” she said ahead of Her spokesman said later that cuss those,” she said. ering on the vote of the British Brexit. a meeting of the UN Security May was specifically referring May said the opposition La- people.” Theresa May: Labour’s Brexit plans not in national interest Any supportive comments Council today. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 15

BRITAIN

PEOPLE CORPORATE CRIME LAW AND ORDER HEALTH Boxer Saunders charged Uber launches 24-hour Knife-waving pensioner Woman’s body Risk of mixing drugs, herbal with misconduct support hotline held after wife found dead found at house remedies highlighted

Billy Joe Saunders has been charged with Uber yesterday launched a 24/7 telephone A pensioner was being questioned by police A man has been arrested in hospital on suspicion More than a million over-65s may suff er misconduct by the British Boxing Board of support line for its users in Britain, in the latest on suspicion of murder after his wife was of murder after a woman’s body was found at a dangerous side-eff ects because they Control after the emergence of video footage change the taxi app has made to meet the found stabbed to death at their home in house in west London. Scotland Yard said off icers are taking herbal remedies and dietary in which he appears to off er a woman drugs. demands of regulators. Uber won a probationary Norfolk. Michael Hubbard, 81, was seen were called following concerns for the welfare supplements alongside drugs prescribed by Images filmed from inside the WBO world licence to operate in London in June after it brandishing a knife at his house while his of a missing woman. The body of the woman in their GP, a study has found. Some ‘hazardous’ middleweight champion’s car show him modified its business model to ease strained wife Frances lay slumped in the doorway, her early thirties was then found in a property combinations can increase the risk of speaking to a woman through the passenger relations with Transport for London, which had according to neighbours. The OAP, who is in Hayes. Later the same day a 26-year-old man, bleeding, raise blood sugar levels or stop window – Saunders off ers £150-worth of drugs. previously stripped the company of its right more than 6ft tall, is understood to have who is known to the victim, was arrested at a medications from working eff ectively, warned He then asks her to punch a passerby, which to function in the capital. “Our 24/7 phone line dementia and was cared for by 76-year-old west London hospital. His condition is not life- scientists. They stressed that statins, diabetes she does, before the boxer drives off . The British is the latest in a series of improvements we’re Frances at their sheltered housing bungalow threatening. The property on Whittington Avenue drugs and stomach acid pills can interact Boxing Board of Control will hold a hearing to making for both passengers and drivers,” said in the village of Brooke, near Norwich. A was cordoned off as detectives examined the negatively with popular health supplements. investigate the incident, for which Saunders has the firm’s general manager Tom Elvidge. “This eyewitness said Hubbard had to be subdued scene and forensic experts investigated how long Natural remedies such as St John’s wort and apologised. The general secretary Robert Smith follows the new app we’ve introduced for with a Taser by police. The couple, who have the body had been in the house. A post-mortem dietary supplements including omega-3 fish has confirmed that there could be wide-ranging drivers, as well as sickness, injury, maternity and two children, celebrated their 50th wedding examination was held yesterday to establish how oil and calcium tablets are taken by millions of sanctions if the charge is upheld. paternity protections.” anniversary in March this year. the woman died. Britons for their supposed health benefits. Police demands Markle’s first solo royal engagement for rape victims’ data spark privacy fears

Daily Mail cases that there is any such thing London as a Staff ord statement and a re- quirement for these records. “The huge diff erences in the olice are demanding almost records that are demanded shows unfettered access to highly the utter irrelevance of much of Ppersonal records and data this material. Merseyside police from rape victims before pressing and the Met in particular should ahead with their cases, the Guard- go back to the rule book. That re- ian revealed. quires that only reasonable lines In some areas, complainants of investigation are pursued and are being asked to disclose health, anything found that may under- school and college records, coun- mine the prosecution or support selling notes and all data from the defence is disclosed. their electronic devices, docu- “There’s no excuse for a trawl ments obtained under freedom of through everything in their life for information requests show. something the defence can throw In London, the Metropolitan at the victim in court to dent their police request access to social confi dence or question their repu- media, web browsing activity and tation. A criminal case is about content, instant messages, loca- what happened not whether the tion data, e-mails, deleted data, complainant qualifi es for saint- images, videos, audio fi les, apps, hood.” Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, arrives at the opening of ‘Oceania’ at the Royal Academy of Arts in London yesterday. It’s the first time the Duchess of Sussex, 37, contacts, documents, MMS and Police and the CPS have come has represented the royal family without her husband Prince Harry or his grandmother The Queen by her side. SMS messages – which can be under increasing pressure to ex- kept for up to 100 years. The infor- amine vast amounts of data fol- mation provided can then be dis- lowing several high-profi le rape closed to the Crown Prosecution trials that collapsed after the late Service and the defence. disclosure of compromising ma- But in other parts of the UK no terial. But there are concerns the such information is required from requests for wide-ranging records complainants. The postcode lot- could breach victims’ privacy and tery revealed by the documents result in unequal access to justice. has raised fears among campaign- Assistant commissioner Martin ers that victims will be put off go- Hewitt, the NPCC lead for adult Life expectancy progress ing to the police by the intrusion sexual off ences, said current prac- into their lives. tice around the disclosure of digital The national police lead on material raised serious questions sexual off ences has said forces are around proportionality and priva- “massively struggling” to cope cy. “Is something the complainant with the volume of digital data said to a friend prior to even meet- stalls for fi rst time: study available in rape trials. ing the defendant relevant? There A Guardian investigation has are some real questions we collec- Guardian News and Media secretary, announced that the with males in Northern Ireland pectancy to bottom of the league. resulted in an increasing pro- found access to victims’ records in tively have to answer about how far London green paper on the long-awaited seeing a similar fall. There is a real human cost behind portion, and number, of people rape cases, often granted through we should be going.” reform of care and support of Sophie Sanders, of the ONS these statistics and we urgently reaching 90 years over time. documents known as Staff ord Hewitt called for a new system older people in England had been Centre for Ageing and Demogra- need to understand more about The number of centenarians statements, varies widely from where all parties – police, prose- rowth in life expectancy delayed again until the autumn. phy, said the fi gures represented why this is happening.” in the UK was slightly lower in one po lice force to another. In cution and defence – would set the in the UK has come to a The paper and a review of fund- “the lowest improvements in life He added: “The government 2017 than it was in 2016 – down Merseyside, police can request parameters of digital investigation Ghalt, and in some areas ing and reform, originally sched- expectancy since the start of the needs to conduct urgent research to 14,430 from 14,510. This cor- access to educational notes, coun- as soon after an allegation is made decreased, fi gures show. uled to be published last year, is series in 1980 to 1982”. into these worrying trends. If responds with low numbers of selling notes and social services as possible. The statistics represent the due for implementation in 2020. “This slowing in improve- other countries can ride out births during World War I. records, and to speak to a counsel- “For me the principle (of dis- lowest improvement in life ex- A girl born in England between ments is refl ected in the chances the economic storms and con- The number of centenarians lor or teacher; in Gwent, no such closure) is right, but if you think pectancy since records began and 2015 and 2017 is expected to live of surviving to age 90 years from tinue to drive up life expectancy, is expected to decrease further information is requested. about when the legislation was puts the UK behind other leading until 82.9 years old, which is no birth, which has also seen virtu- there is no reason why the UK in 2018 before increasing again Campaigners say victims are written, no one even had pagers. economies. change on the previous fi gure ally no improvement since 2012 should not be able to do so.” But from 2019, in line with the pat- regularly advised that prosecu- There is no conceivable way legis- Public health experts have for 2014 to 2016, according to to 2014,” she added. while growth in life expectancy tern shown 10 years earlier for tions will not be brought if they do lators could have imagined that in blamed care failings and cuts to the Offi ce for National Statistics Sir Steve Webb, a former Lib- at age 90 has stalled, as have the those aged 90 years and over. not grant access to their personal 2018 we would be carrying a phone social services, while charities (ONS). The fi gure for baby boys eral Democrat pensions min- chances of surviving from birth Jane Ashcroft, the chief execu- data. with thousands of photographs, or described the fi ndings as “deeply born in England in 2015 to 2017 is ister and director of policy at to age 90, the number of people tive of Anchor, England’s largest Vera Baird, the Association of tens of thousands of messages … depressing” and called for extra also unchanged, at 79.2 years. Royal London, said: “The UK aged 90 and over is still increas- not-for-profi t provider of care Police and Crime Commission- The police are absolutely massively investment into Britain’s care But for males and females in has slumped from being one of ing. This is because of previous and housing for older people, said ers (APCC) victims lead, said: “It struggling to cope. No one can cope system. The revelation comes af- Scotland and Wales, life expect- the strongest performers when improvements in mortality going the fi gures strengthened calls for a is only in rape and sexual assault with it, it’s simply not possible.” ter Jeremy Hunt, then the health ancy has declined by 0.1 years, it comes to improving life ex- back many decades, which have dedicated minister for old people.

Whale in Thames Police release pair held in Man told to rip down missing student probe prize-winning home Daily Mail ter too, but we’ve had to put it London on hold because it could all be Guardian News and Media Thomas’s disappearance. This Jones had been due to attend destroyed.” London remains a missing person in- his fi rst lecture for his primary After the building was un- quiry. education course on Monday. n architect has been told veiled, some residents and coun- “I would like to thank the pub- His friend Harley Hethering- to demolish his multi- cillors complained that it was olice have released two lic of Worcester for their support ton, 18, who was beginning the Aaward-winning home be- “ugly”. The Friends of Clerken- men they had arrested on and concern, the community re- same course, said he had seen cause offi cials claim it does not well Green called for it to be fl at- Psuspicion of murdering an sponse has been exceptional. We him in the Velvet nightclub just match plans he originally sub- tened and it was nominated for 18-year-old student who went continue to actively search the before he went missing. mitted. the Carbuncle Cup, the prize run missing during freshers’ week area and I would reiterate that “He seemed absolutely fi ne. Amin Taha, 47, has been or- by magazine Building Design for and are continuing to search for anyone with any information He was behaving normally and dered to tear down 15 Clerken- worst building of the year. the teenager. should contact the police as soon didn’t seemed intoxicated at all. well Close, a six-storey prop- Then, in June last year, Isling- Police and fi re and rescue as possible.” Jones was last seen He was his usual bubbly self, erty where he lives with his ton council served Taha with an divers have been searching the in the early hours of September looking forward to starting uni,” family. The £4.65mn building, enforcement notice, claiming River Severn in Worcester close 19. he said. unveiled in 2016, has won two the materials, design and height to where Thomas Jones is be- He is thought to have crossed “Tom phoned his mum and awards from the Royal Institute of the building were not in keep- lieved to have disappeared last the Sabrina footbridge before then his new fl atmate to tell him of British Architects (RIBA) and ing with the plans. week. walking on to the footpath along he was two minutes away from been hailed an “architectural Taha said offi cials were con- On Monday evening West the top of the fl ood defences on home before he disappeared. No- triumph”. cerned he had used stone rather Mercia police said two 20-year- Hylton Road towards the village body can quite understand how But Islington council says the than brick for the facade. He in- old men they had arrested had of Hallow just before 3.50am. it’s happened. He was quite close fi nished structure does not re- sists that element of the design co-operated fully and were no Members of the public have to getting home safe and had told fl ect what was proposed in the was approved by planners, but longer being treated as suspects. been asked to stay away from people he was fi ne right up until initial planning application in that the paperwork was lost. Detective inspector James the area while divers and offi cers the point he went missing.” 2012. The council issued a second Bayliss said: “The investigation conduct a search. Jones’s aunt Jackie Rogers A beluga whale breeches near a buoy on the River Thames Taha, who is fi ghting the en- enforcement notice in February into the disappearance of Tho- Police said Jones’s family had said: “He’s a little-ish lad, but near Gravesend east of London, yesterday. The whale was forcement notice, said: “It’s our which says the building’s “de- mas remains a priority and we been made aware of the updates big in personality. To go miss- hundreds of miles from its normal Arctic habitat, family home, it’s my offi ce. My sign and location” is “harming are keeping an open mind as to and they were being supported ing is totally out of character for naturalists said. parents should be retiring and the character and appearance of the circumstances surrounding by specially trained offi cers. him.” coming to live here and my sis- the local area”. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 EUROPE Swedish parliament ousts PM in confi dence vote

AFP that Sweden’s fragmented politi- den Democrats would give the which could take weeks. that does not give us any infl u- Stockholm cal landscape, the slow decline Alliance the majority it needs, After his ouster, Lofven issued ence,” party leader Jimmie Akes- of social democracy and the rise but since that option is unthink- a stark warning to the Alliance son warned. of political extremes had pushed able for two Alliance parties – the about cooperating with the Swe- Since it has ruled out the far- weden’s centre-right op- the traditionally stable and con- Liberals and the Centre – Kris- den Democrats. right, the Alliance has instead position and the far-right sensus-oriented country into tersson has so far refused to go “If the Alliance chooses to invited the Social Democrats to a Sousted Prime Minister “unknown territory”. down that route. govern as the smaller bloc they cross-bloc co-operation. Stefan Lofven in a vote of no- Parliament wrote a “new page Lofven’s left-wing bloc holds will be totally dependent on the While Lofven himself has been confi dence yesterday, as the left in Sweden’s political history” 144 parliamentary seats, just one Sweden Democrats,” he said. a fervent champion of cross-bloc and right blocs wrangle over who by voting out a prime minister more than the Alliance. “The Sweden Democrats were politics, he has rejected any So- can form a new government after without an alternative ready to The Sweden Democrats have founded by neo-Nazi members cial Democratic support for an neither won a majority in Sep- govern, wrote the country’s other 62 seats. of the Swedish white supremacy Alliance minority government. tember 9 elections. main newspaper, Svenska Dagb- The left-wing bloc is made up movement. The Social Democrats are the Lofven’s departure was widely ladet. of the Social Democrats and the “They have repeatedly been country’s biggest party and will anticipated. The speaker of parliament, Greens, who have ruled together found to have ties to racist and “never be a support party”, he re- Since election night, the head Andreas Norlen, will begin talks with the informal support of the neo-Nazi organisations. iterated yesterday. of the four-party centre-right tomorrow with the leaders of the ex-communist Left Party since “All eyes are now on the Al- Lofven has meanwhile courted Alliance, Ulf Kristersson, has in- Lofven: will remain as caretaker premier. eight parties represented in par- 2014. liance’s big election promise to the Centre and Liberal parties. sisted he intends to try to form a liament to determine who is best The Social Democrats posted the Swedish people that it would If the Alliance fails to form a government. over Swedish politics in exchange Kristersson told parliament mo- placed to form the next govern- their worst election result in never govern with the support of government, they could possibly With neither bloc able to build for support in parliament. ments before the confi dence vote ment. more than a century, but remain the Sweden Democrats.” switch to Lofven’s side, observ- a majority, the far-right, anti- But neither the left nor right yesterday. Norlen, a member of Kris- Sweden’s biggest party, far ahead The Sweden Democrats said ers say. immigration Sweden Democrats, has been willing to negotiate with A total of 204 of 349 mem- tersson’s conservative Moderate of Kristersson’s Moderates and yesterday that it was ready “to The speaker of parliament has who won almost 18% of votes in the Sweden Democrats. bers of parliament voted against Party, is widely expected to task the Sweden Democrats. negotiate, co-operate, and talk four attempts to designate a par- the election and are the coun- “Sweden needs a new govern- Lofven, while 142 voted in favour. Kristersson with the job. Lofven will stay on as prime with all parties”. ty leader to build a government. try’s third-biggest party, have ment that has broad political The Dagens Nyheter newspa- But the road ahead is tricky. minister in a caretaker role un- “But we will bring down any After that, new elections have demanded to be given infl uence support to undertake reforms,” per said in an editorial yesterday A collaboration with the Swe- til a new government is in place, attempt to form a government to be called.

Dad of child saved by ‘Spider-man’ gets jail sentence The father of a four-year-old child saved from a Paris apartment balcony by a migrant who scaled Deal struck in Europe’s the building was convicted on Monday of neglecting his parental duties, his lawyer told DPA. Footage of Mamadou Gassama, who hauled himself up four storeys to save the child dangling from the balcony railing, went latest row over migrants viral around the globe in May. The child’s father, who is AFP The NGO had said that the UNHCR, has warned that the 37, received a three-month Valletta Aquarius – the last civilian res- death rate during Mediterranean suspended sentence, his defence cue boat in the Mediterranean crossings has soared. lawyer Romain Ruiz told DPA. – was heading for Marseille, “its At least 1,730 people have died The father admitted that he had he 58 migrants aboard only option” after Italy’s popu- trying to make the treacherous gone out to do some shopping, the Aquarius rescue ship list government refused access crossing in fl imsy boats this year, leaving the child alone, according Twill be taken to Malta and to its ports. according to the International to a courtroom report by France from there to France, Germany, But the French government Organisation for Migration. Bleu radio. Portugal, and Spain, after a deal had signalled that it was reluc- The Aquarius has become a Gassama, a young Malian who was reached to defuse the latest tant to welcome the vessel, say- symbol of bitter divisions in Eu- was living in France illegally at row over the fate of people res- ing it should dock at the nearest rope over how to share responsi- the time, was dubbed the Paris cued in the Mediterranean. safe port to its current location bility for the hundreds of thou- “Spider-man” after his feat. The migrants will “disembark near confl ict-torn Libya. sands of people arriving by boat President Emmanuel Macron in international waters”, Prime Malta’s announcement came since 2015. received him in the Elysee Palace Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted after talks with the French gov- French President Emmanuel and promised him that he would from the UN General Assembly ernment, Muscat said. Macron has clashed with the get residency papers. in New York. The Aquarius will then head Italian government over its He has since joined the Paris fire They will be taken to Malta to Marseille “to rectify its state- blocking of rescue ships, accus- brigade as a volunteer and earlier and “immediately redistribut- less position”, the government ing it of “cynicism and irrespon- this month received French ed” to the four countries, a gov- said, after Panama announced sibility”. nationality. ernment spokesman said, amid a on Saturday it would revoke the He faced criticism at home brewing crisis over their fate. boat’s fl ag registration following for not off ering safe haven to “The operation will take place an Italian complaint. the Aquarius after it fi rst be- Huge blaze in as soon as logistically possible,” A similar crisis was defused came stranded in June, although the spokesman said of the mi- in August when fi ve diff erent France eventually off ered asy- Italy’s Tuscany grants rescued off the coast of countries took in migrants the lum to about 80 of the rescued Libya by the ship run by charity Aquarius had picked up during A handout photo released on Monday by SOS Mediterranee shows migrants resting after being rescued migrants. Hundreds of people were SOS Mediterranee. the treacherous Mediterranean last week by the Aquarius rescue ship, run by non-governmental organisations ‘SOS Mediterranee’ and Yesterday his aide blasted ordered out of their homes and The Aquarius passengers in- crossing. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors without Borders) in the search and rescue zone off the coast of Rome for blocking a new per- Pisa airport was shut yesterday clude 17 women and 18 minors The Aquarius was at the heart Libya, in the Mediterranean Sea. manent solution to manage the following a huge fire which swept and are exhausted and in psy- of a blazing diplomatic row in docking and distribution of mi- wooded hills in Italy’s central chological distress, the NGO June when it became stranded after missions in recent months. ister Matteo Salvini has vowed to has had enough of migrants ar- grants rescued by charity boats. Tuscany region. said. with more than 600 migrants Under a previous deal reached block the Aquarius permanently riving by boat, with more than “It’s not moving forward be- Off icials believe the blaze, which France will take 18 while Ger- onboard following a refusal by in August, 141 migrants onboard from his country’s ports, accus- 700,000 landing on its shores cause those who criticise the started late on Monday, was many and Spain will each wel- Italy and Malta to take it in. the Aquarius were distributed ing it of off ering a “taxi service” since 2013. lack of French or European soli- started deliberately on Monte come 15, a French government It has since been repeatedly among France, Germany, Lux- for migrants from Libya to Eu- The numbers have dropped darity, starting with Italy, don’t Mario, which lies between the source told AFP. turned away by Italy and been embourg, Portugal, and Spain. rope. sharply since their peak in 2015, want a permanent, durable Tuscan art cities of Pisa and Portugal will take 10. forced to stop in Malta and Spain Italy’s far-right Interior Min- His government says that Italy but the UN’s refugee agency, the mechanism,” the aide said. Lucca. Local authorities said some 700 people were told to leave their homes as a precaution in the towns of Calci and Vicopisano, while schools in the area were all shut. Weakened Merkel sees ally lose party vote There were no immediate reports of injuries or of damage to properties. Reuters shaped the 2008 eurozone cri- he told the Stuttgarter Nach- Left: Brinkhaus addresses a press conference after the Berlin sis, the 2015 refugee crisis, and richten daily. parliamentary group elected him as new leader. the continent’s reaction to the An instinctive centrist, Mer- Ex-French PM sets United States’ unilateral turn kel has often seemed most com- Below: Merkel with Kauder. erman Chancellor An- under Donald Trump, congratu- fortable working with parties eyes on Barcelona gela Merkel suff ered an lated Brinkhaus in a terse state- well to her left, including the Gunexpected blow to her ment. Social Democrats (SPD), with Former French prime minister authority yesterday when her “I hoped Kauder could remain whom she currently governs, or Manuel Valls said yesterday conservatives cast out long- group leader because I worked the Greens. that he would run for mayor standing ally Volker Kauder as well with him. But Brinkhaus got That has often run against the of Barcelona, the first time a head of the parliamentary party, the most votes. I congratulated instincts of her own Bundestag high-profile European politician refl ecting rising discontent with him and off ered him good co- deputies, and it was Kauder’s has entered a major election her 13-year-old leadership. operation,” she told reporters. job, as a link between party lead- in another country and a risky The upset, described various- Though Brinkhaus, 50, scored ership and increasingly restive political bid for him. ly as a “political thunderbolt” a relatively narrow 125-112 vic- lawmakers, to soothe and cajole Valls was born in Barcelona in and “the beginning of the end tory over Kauder, 69, in the con- them into backing the chancel- 1962 to a Catalan father and of the Merkel era” by opposition servative group – comprising lor. Swiss-Italian mother but raised in leaders, was widely taken as a Merkel’s Christian Democrats “I am very pleased by the re- France. sign that lawmakers want more (CDU) and Bavaria’s Christian sult of the vote, we have a lot say in shaping the policies of her Social Union (CSU), the upset of work to do,” said Brinkhaus, fourth and fi nal government. was a clear sign of lawmakers’ adding that he had great respect The victory of Ralph growing disenchantment with for Kauder’s achievements. Brinkhaus, a deputy leader of Merkel’s ruling style. Kauder’s toppling comes af- the conservative group in the While Merkel has said this ter a turbulent few weeks during Austrian minister defends press freedom Bundestag (lower house), marks will be her last term, newspa- which coalition partners rowed a turning point since Kauder had pers were unanimous in seeing over the fate of the head of Ger- accompanied Merkel, serving in the upset as marking the end of many’s security service, who AFP in view of the sensitive material It also named the Falter week- Social Democrats (SPOe) calling eff ect as her parliamentary right the era. had questioned reports of far- Vienna that our department handles.” ly, which has carried out several for Kickl’s resignation. hand, throughout her 13 years in “Lame duck” was the head- right attacks on migrants. “Any restriction of press free- investigations about the inner The interior ministry defend- offi ce. line over the conservative Merkel’s decision to let more dom is completely unthinkable,” workings of the interior ministry ed the contents of the leaked “You could call it Merkel- Frankfurter Allgemeine’s front- than 1mn refugees into Germany ustria’s far-right interior the statement said. in recent months. maile-, but insisted that it did Daemmerung (Twilight),” said page leader. at the height of the 2015 migrant minister, Herbert Kickl, Kickl’s response came after The e-mail also suggested not originate from Kickl himself, Alexander Gauland, leader of And while many conserva- crisis was applauded by many to Ainsisted yesterday that the dailies Der Standard and that police highlight the nation- but from his press spokesman, the far-right Alternative for tives insisted the move should her left, but many of her fellow press freedom is “inviolable” as Kurier published an e-mail from ality and immigration status of Christoph Poelzl. Germany (AfD), which entered not be seen as being directed conservatives were uneasy, fear- he tried to defuse a storm after his ministry which appeared to suspects in public statements Austrian Chancellor Sebas- the Bundestag for the fi rst time against Merkel, Armin Schus- ing a backlash that would boost his ministry appeared to ask po- instruct the press departments about criminal cases. tian Kurz, currently attending after last year’s election and now ter, a conservative lawmaker, the far right. lice to limit co-operation with of regional police forces to “lim- The Kurier wrote in an edito- the sidelines of the UN General ranks second in polls. “It’s a fur- was less circumspect, saying Brinkhaus announced his the media. it communication with these rial: “Our democracy should not Assembly in New York, had also ther step towards the end of the she should start planning for a candidacy a few weeks ago, “Freedom of the press is in- media to the minimum legal re- die in darkness because a minis- said that attempt to “limit press Merkel government, which I be- handover. surprising many commenta- violable and a substantial pillar quirement”. ter feels too weak to withstand freedom is unacceptable”. lieve will end far sooner than we “I expect the chancellor to tell tors who viewed the move as of a democratic society,” Kickl The e-mail – which the min- criticism and is clearly unsuit- “Shutting out or boycotting can imagine today.” us she envisages a transition” to something of a challenge to one said in a statement. “A trust- istry had already confi rmed as able for this sensitive position.” specifi c media shouldn’t hap- Merkel, whose stewardship a fresh conservative chancellor of Merkel’s closest allies, but he ful relationship with the media authentic – explicitly named Opposition parties were also pen in Austria,” Austrian media of Europe’s largest economy candidate at the 2020 elections, was widely expected to lose. is important to me, particularly Der Standard and Kurier. up in arms, with members of the reported Kurz as saying. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 17 INDIA Present Rafale deal better than previous one: IAF offi cial

IANS mounting multi-pronged attack There is nothing like Rs30,000 requirements. It has been found tions continued for “almost 14 Reacting to Nambiar’s re- the basis of the demands and ap- New Delhi on the government by the Con- crore to any one party. Dassault the most technically capable as months”. marks, Congress spokesman provals from the IAF,” he added. gress, which on Monday asked alone has off sets to the tune of well as commercially viable from “We believe we met all the di- Randeep Singh Surjewala said: He also emphasised that un- the Central Vigilance Commis- over Rs6,500 crore. Nothing our point of view. That is how it rections of our leadership – that “We (the Congress) will never like the BJP, the Congress did not he Indian Air Force said sion (CVC) to fi le an FIR and more than that.” has been selected.” was to get a better price, better get involved in any controversy put itself “above the IAF” while yesterday the deal for 36 seize documents pertaining to “We have evaluated all the air- Asked about a French media maintenance terms, better de- with the security forces which fi nalising the contract. TRafale aircraft signed by the deal. craft available to us in the past,” report that there was a push by livery schedule and better per- are supreme for us. However, the He claimed that the contract Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s After the Air Marshal’s re- Nambiar, who recently fl ew the the Indian government to in- formance logistic package.” BJP is using the security forces of 126 jet aircraft was done by the government was “much better” marks, the Congress accused Rafale in France, told reporters clude Anil Ambani’s Reliance Asked about his experience of for politics. It should not drag Congress after the same number than the one negotiated earlier the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party here. Defence in the deal, Nambiar fl ying the Rafale, he said: “It was an them into politics.” was demanded by the IAF. for 126 planes, adding that “peo- (BJP) of dragging the defence “All in all, it was a very good said: “The commercial negotia- opportunity to...look at...the new “The duty of the defence forc- Surjewala also questioned the ple are misinformed” about the forces into politics. deal, much better than what was tions were headed by the Deputy capabilities on off er for the Indian es is to protect the nation. The delivery date of the fi ghter jets, issue. Asked about the row over the obtained in 2008,” the Deputy Chief of Air Staff and he was re- Air Force. I think the aircraft is Congress did the deal on the ba- saying that despite it being an The remarks by Deputy Chief off set partners chosen by Das- Chief of Air Staff said. sponsible for completing the ne- shaping up quite well... quite satis- sis of requirements and the cri- emergency purchase, the dates of Air Staff , Air Marshal R Nam- sault Aviation, Nambiar said: “I “We have looked at six plat- gotiations.” fi ed with the performance of all the teria put forth by the Indian Air of delivery of the fi ghter jets is biar came in the backdrop of a believe people are misinformed. forms and Rafale has met all our The offi cial said the negotia- systems on the aircraft.” Force. The tender was done on set for 2022. Parliament must BJP protests against Rahul ban candidates facing criminal charges: court

IANS become the supreme power”, it New Delhi said. The court called for “substan- tial eff orts” to prohibit people he Supreme Court yester- with criminal antecedents so day declined to disqualify that they do not even “conceive Tcandidates against crimi- of the idea of entering into poli- nal charges have been fi led but tics” and should be “kept at bay”. urged parliament to enact a law It said: “We are sure, the law to address the malaise of crimi- making wing of the democracy nals entering legislatures. of this country will take it upon At the same time, the court itself to cure the malignancy. asked political parties to post on We say so as such a malignancy their websites and also widely is not incurable. It only depends publicise in the media, both print upon the time and stage when and electronic, full details of the one starts treating it. criminal charges against the can- “It is one thing to take cover un- didates plan to fi eld in elections. der the presumption of innocence Bharatiya Janata Party workers protest against Congress president Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Amethi, his parliament constituency in Uttar Pradesh, yesterday. A fi ve-judge Constitution of the accused but it is equally im- Bench headed by Chief Jus- perative that persons who enter tice Dipak Misra also said that public life and participate in law the law on criminals entering making should be above any kind politics should also address fake of serious criminal allegation,” the cases being instituted against court told parliament. political opponents. Under the criminal law, an ac- The court said that the time cused person is presumed to be had come for parliament to en- innocent till convicted by a court. act a law to “cleanse the polluted Holding that “informed WhatsApp says working stream of politics” by prohibit- choice” is the cornerstone to ing people with criminal ante- have a “pure and strong de- cedents in the political system. mocracy”, the court said: “The “The nation eagerly waits for complete information about such legislation ... and the soon- the criminal antecedents of the er the better, before it becomes candidates forms the bedrock of fatal to democracy.” wise decision-making and in- with Jio to curb fake news The court asked that the can- formed choice by the citizens.” didate as well as the political par- Issuing a slew of directions Reuters Ambani, India’s richest man, dices, often based on caste and some steps to quell the rise of ately respond to an e-mail seek- ty concerned “shall issue a dec- to the political parties and pro- Mumbai launched the JioPhone last religion, and cut-price mobile fake news. ing comment. laration in the widely circulated spective candidates, the court year at a refundable deposit of data can aggravate the so-called It has launched print and ra- With more than 200mn us- newspapers in the locality about directed that the candidate con- Rs1,500 ($20.60). The device fake news problem. dio ad campaigns to educate us- ers, India is a key market for the antecedents of the candidate testing elections “shall state, in acebook’s WhatsApp is is Internet enabled but didn’t Such regions are a key market ers and introduced new features WhatsApp but one where it has and also give wide publicity in the bold letters”, about the criminal working closely with Reli- initially allow the use of What- for cheap devices such as the on the app including limiting had to delay the offi cial launch electronic media.” cases pending against him/her Fance Jio to spread aware- sApp or have several popular JioPhone. message forwards as well as of its payments services due to “When we say wide publicity, in the form provided by the Elec- ness of false messages, weeks smartphone features. More than 30 people have the labelling of forwarded mes- the country’s push on data lo- we mean that the same shall be tion Commission at the time of after the Indian telecoms op- All new users of the JioPhone died this year in mob violence sages. calisation. done at least thrice after fi ling fi ling nomination papers. erator opened up the messag- get educational material that triggered by vitriolic messages It has also partnered with WhatsApp is currently look- of the nomination papers,” said The court directed that a can- ing service to tens of millions tells them about spotting a for- on social media and What- Digital Empowerment Founda- ing for an India chief and a poli- the bench, also comprising Jus- didate contesting election on the of customers using its cheap warded WhatsApp message and sApp, according to unofficial tion (DEF), a New Delhi-based cy head for the country. tice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Jus- ticket of a political party would Internet-enabled phone. encourages them to share mes- estimates, and police have non-profi t organisation, to It last month appointed a tice A M Khanwilkar, Justice D Y inform the party about the crimi- Jio this month gave its more sages thoughtfully, WhatsApp previously told Reuters that spread digital literacy in India’s grievance offi cer for Indian us- Chandrachud and Justice Indu nal cases pending against him/ than 25mn JioPhone customers, spokesman Carl Woog told minorities have been targeted towns and cities. ers at its Menlo Park, California Malhotra. her and that party “shall be obli- many of them fi rst-time Inter- Reuters. in some remote and rural re- DEF will host a workshop in headquarters, like other global The Constitution Bench said gated to put up on its website” in- net users, access to WhatsApp “We are working closely with gions. the eastern city of Ranchi this tech fi rms whose grievance of- the society had a “legitimate formation on criminal anteced- at a time when the messaging Jio to continue our education That has prompted New Del- week, WhatsApp’s Woog said. fi cers sit outside of India. expectation to be governed by ents of the candidate fi elded by it. service is battling false and in- campaign for WhatsApp users,” hi to call on WhatsApp to take WhatsApp also plans to ex- India has, however, said it will proper constitutional govern- “We have issued the said di- cendiary texts and videos circu- Woog said. immediate action to “end this pand its outreach programme to toughen up its laws including ance. The country feels agonised rections with immense anguish,” lating on its platform. In India’s smaller towns and menace”. existing JioPhone users. pushing US tech giants to have when money and muscle power the court said. Reliance chairman Mukesh villages, deep-seated preju- WhatsApp has already taken Reliance Jio did not immedi- their grievance offi cers in India.

Hundreds protest against Air passenger mistakes deaths of sewer cleaners exit door for toilet AFP “He said that the confu- Agencies still happening,” Santosh, a daily- tled discrimination ranging from Mumbai sion happened because he had New Delhi wage labourer from Delhi who segregation and ostracism to boarded a fl ight for the fi rst came to show solidarity, said. violence. “The problem is apa- time in his life,” Mohamed Sa- “There can’t be more orphans thy, clear government apathy. passenger sparked nowar Khan told the newspa- he relatives of thousands because of this. There can’t be And behind that apathy is In- panic in mid-air when per. of people who died clean- more children who lose their dia’s caste system,” Swaraj India Ahe tried to open a plane GoAir said the passenger Ting sewers protested in parents, more wives who lose leader Yogendra Yadav said. door, apparently mistaking it was handed over to the au- New Delhi yesterday, aiming to their husbands, more sisters One of the demands raised for the toilet, the airline and thorities for further investi- stop the practice of workers en- who lose their brothers. It has to at the protest was the need for reports said. gation after the plane arrived tering underground conduits to stop,” he said. mechanisation in sanitation work. The man was travelling on a safely at its destination. unclog drains and remove waste “Nowadays the government “We’ve all heard of Rafale GoAir fl ight from New Delhi to A spokesperson for the with their bare hands. says so much about ‘Swachh planes and bullet trains. But how Patna on Saturday when he at- airline added that the man Hundreds of protesters shout- Bharat’ – but it doesn’t have a many of us have heard of the ma- tempted to open the aircraft’s wouldn’t have succeeded in ed slogans accusing the govern- word to say about manual scav- chines that clean sewers? Do we rear exit, the carrier said. opening the door anyway due ment of delaying compensation engers. We are not asking them even know what they’re called?” “A co-passenger raised the to air pressure in the cabin. for sewer deaths, while others for money! We are asking for ba- Nikhil Dey of the Mazdoor Kisan alarm and he was intercepted India’s aviation market has waved banners saying they came sic human rights.” About 1,800 Shakti Sangathan said. by the crew,” GoAir said in a witnessed a six-fold increase as Prime Minister Narendra Modi sewers cleaners have asphyxiated “This shows you the Modi gov- statement yesterday. in passenger numbers over pushes his “Swachh Bharat,” or to death in the last decade, says ernment’s focus – where they’re Media reports said he was a the past decade as a growing “Clean India”, programme. the Safai Karamchari Andolan putting their time and their fi rst-time fl ier in his late 20s. middle class take advantage of “I lost my only son,” said Sa- (SKA), a group that is campaign- money. They have money for When fellow passengers better connectivity and cheap roj, a mother among the protest- ing to eliminate the practice. technology that will kill people asked him what he was doing he fl ights, with many taking to the ers, who hails from the northern Most of the roughly 160,000 and displace people, but not for told them he “needed to use the skies for the fi rst time. city of Ludhiana in Punjab. workers involved in cleaning hu- technology that could regularly washroom urgently and kept The incident comes almost “He went into the sewers and man waste are women, it added. save sewer workers’ lives. What tugging at the exit door”, The a week after a cockpit mix-up never came out. How long will In 1993, India outlawed what kind of government is this?” Telegraph newspaper quoted an left more than 30 passengers these deaths continue?” it calls “manual scavenging”, a Puranmal from Rajasthan’s airport offi cial as saying. on a Jet Airways plane bleeding One placard read, “Eleven practice that includes the bare- Karauli district said he, and sev- “Pandemonium prevailed from their ears and noses after workers died in the sewers in seven handed cleaning of dry latrines, eral other men in his families, amid all this and he was re- the crew reportedly forgot to days. ‘Swachh Bharat’ for whom?” mostly by women and Dalits. have been working as manual Family members of sanitation workers attend a protest against the strained and fi nally handed fl ick a switch regulating cabin “It’s a grave injustice that this is For centuries, Dalits have bat- scavengers for decades. rising deaths of people cleaning sewers, in New Delhi yesterday. over to us. air pressure. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 INDIA

PEOPLE TRAGEDY JUDICIARY SOCIETY INVESTIGATION Renowned commentator Woman dies as son takes Court wants area around Woman protests over Plea challenging bail not Jasdev Singh dead hours to make health card Taj declared as heritage torture by husband maintainable: Tharoor

Renowned commentator Jasdev Singh, whose An elderly woman suff ering from diarrhoea died The Supreme Court yesterday asked Uttar A woman staged a protest outside the Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the Delhi High mesmerising voice captivated millions, died in in Jamshedpur yesterday as doctors asked her Pradesh government to consider declaring residence of her in-laws in Ghaziabad Court yesterday that an appeal for cancelling New Delhi yesterday after battling a prolonged son to bring the newly-launched Ayushman card, certain portions of the area surrounding the yesterday after she alleged her rich his anticipatory bail is not maintainable as illness. He was 87. Singh, who covered nine a part of the government’s flagship healthcare Taj Mahal as heritage. The Uttar Pradesh husband and family tortured her as they the petitioner has no locus standi. Tharoor’s editions of the Olympic Games from Helsinki plan. Bhaktu Rabidas, son of 80-year-old Reeta government told the court that it “would be wanted her to bear a male child. Police lawyer Vikas Pahwa told Justice R K Gauba (1968) to Melbourne (2000), is survived by his Devi, took his mother for treatment at MGM diff icult to declare entire Agra as a heritage found Monika Jain seated with some that the plea is not maintainable because wife, a son and a daughter, a family member Hospital in Jamshedpur on Monday. Rabidas said city”, adding that the Ahmedabad-based Centre neighbours outside the Kavi Nagar house of law has granted right to the accused to seek said. A much sought after commentator on he was asked by the doctors to first bring the for Environmental Planning and Technology was her in-laws demanding justice. The woman anticipatory bail apprehending arrest and that All India Radio and Doordarshan, Singh also Ayushman card. It took around six hours for him assisting it on declaring areas surrounding the said she married Gaurav Jain, said to be a the sessions court has power to deal with it. reported from six Asian Games and an equal to get the card made. When he reached back to Taj Mahal as heritage. A bench of Justice Madan garment exporter, in October 2008 and Pahwa said the apprehension of arrest “proved” number of hockey World Cups. He also gave be with his mother, he found she was already B Lokur, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice gave birth to a girl. After that, she said, she right when police opposed the anticipatory running commentary on the Republic Day dead. The Ayushman Bharat-Jan Arogya scheme Deepak Gupta gave time till November 15 to the conceived several times but every time bail plea before the sessions court. The court parades for 48 years from 1963. Sports Minister was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Uttar Pradesh government to submit a detailed her husband forced her to abort the child was hearing advocate Deepak Anand’s plea Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore tweeted: “It is on Sunday. “The patient should be treated first. If document for protection and preservation of saying he only wanted a male child. “He has for cancelling the anticipatory bail granted by with deep sadness that I note the demise of the woman has died due to anyone’s negligence, the Taj Mahal. On August 28, the top court had been forcing me to produce a male child a sessions court on July 5 to Tharoor, accused Jasdev Singh, one of our finest commentators. then action would be taken,” MGM Deputy said that “if Taj Mahal goes, you will not get a which is not in my hands,” the distraught of abetting the suicide of his wife Sunanda His demise is truly the end of an era.” Superintendent Dr Nakul Chaudhary said. second chance.” woman told the police. Pushkar. Congress is conspiring to topple me, says Modi IANS cide who will be the country’s gress had not done any in- Bhopal prime minister? After losing trospection even after its power, you have lost your bal- shattering defeat in the 2014 ance.” Lok Sabha elections because mid a raging row over Modi said that there should of the “arrogance” that the Rafale, Prime Minister have been something left in the prime minister’s post was re- ANarendra Modi yester- grand old party “but nothing is served for the “family”. Vehicles pass by a road where trees were uprooted following rains, in Bengaluru yesterday. day accused the Congress of left there. The Now Congress “This alliance is due to the throwing muck and indulging has become a burden. And sav- fear of defeat. It is not for the in a campaign of slander and ing the country from the Con- betterment of the country. lies against him and of trying gress is the democratic duty of “They have had so much ar- to form an “international alli- the people.” rogance that they would not ance” to oust him. He said it was time for the have gone to smaller parties Many areas fl ooded, trees He also slammed the main opposition to change itself. for alliances. But such is the opposition party saying it has “I came to politics in 2001. condition that they have to beg become so weak that it has to Before that I was a working for alliances now. If they would beg small parties to forge alli- for the Sangh (RSS). But since have done some introspection, ance in the coming elections. then you used all your power to then this condition of going uprooted in Bengaluru rain “What has happened to the abuse me. You left no stone un- and hugging, getting photo- 125-year-old Congress? We turned to defame me. But the graphs clicked with leaders of up to 20.6cm, according to the to an active south west monsoon, downpours in the last few days have decided to fi ght elections more you threw muck on me, parties, and begging for alli- IANS on the issue of development, the lotus blossomed more and ance would not have come. Bengaluru Karnataka State Natural Disaster according to India Meteorologi- due to which the water level in Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). cal Department (IMD) Bengaluru the rivers has increased. but they want to fi ght the elec- more. And the people have re- “If destruction is written in The rains, which have been director C S Patil. The warning level mark of the tion by breaking the society. jected your claims repeatedly. their fate, then there is no need eavy rains have fl ooded lashing the city since Sunday, “Due to the active south-west Yamuna is 204m and the danger They want to capture power “The more muck they (Con- for us to cry.” several places of Ben- have also fl ooded underbridges monsoon and air circulation over level mark is 204.83m. through mischief. They want gress) throw, more lotuses will The prime minister said the Hgaluru, inundating roads and roads, disrupting traffi c. south interior districts, Ben- Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu to use a handful of people to bloom, in every booth, every country was taking its place on and homes in low-lying areas The downpour has been in- galuru will continue to see heavy Prakash has called an emergency spread falsehood and storm of block, every village, every city global platforms. “The world and uprooting hundreds of trees, tense over the past two days in rains for the next four days,” Patil meeting to decide the steps to lies to capture power,” he said, and every corner of the coun- is accepting India’s iron will. I an offi cial said yesterday. the southern and south-western said. deal with exigencies. without referring directly to try.” have come to tell you that elec- “In the past two days, over 300 suburbs of the city, where the “...BBMP offi cials are on high “The water level of river Ya- the Rafale jets deal on which The prime minister’s sting- tions are ahead and don’t worry trees have been uprooted due to basements of several apartment alert and people residing in low- muna at Delhi Railway Bridge at the Congress has raised several ing attack comes in the wake of as our mantra of winning elec- heavy rain in Bengaluru,” Deputy buildings have been fl ooded. lying areas should be cautious. 11am was 205.12m,” a Flood and questions. Congress president Rahul Gan- tion is with us. We don’t fi ght Chief Minister G Parameshwara After the overnight rain on #BengaluruRains,” tweeted Chief Control Department offi cial said. “Best wishes for their new dhi’s sharp off ensive against election with money and mus- tweeted. Monday, the Bellandur lakes, the Minister H D Kumaraswamy. “The water is showing a ris- path. But we are following the Modi, calling him a thief over cle power. But we win elections “To clear this (uprooted trees) largest in Bengaluru, was seen Heavy rain was also witnessed ing trend and is expected to go path of strong organisation,” the Rafale fi ghter deal after with people’s power.” and prevent inundation of low- covered in a toxic foam. Similar across the neighbouring districts up as Delhi is witnessing rains Modi said, addressing the ‘Kar- former French president Fran- Accusing the Congress of lying areas, BBMP (city’s civic froth had led to the lake catching including Ramanagara, Tumaku- and more water is being released yakarta Mahakumbh’ in poll- cois Hollande’s comment that doing vote-bank politics, Modi authority) has deployed zone- fi re on several occasions earlier. ru and Chamarajanagar. every hour from the barrage,” he bound Madhya Pradesh. the Indian government had said they did not support the wise teams that are working on a Civic offi cials, who have been Meanwhile, the Yamuna river added. The prime minister said the pushed a private fi rm as the cause of triple talaq. war footing to restore normalcy clearing the uprooted trees in Delhi is fl owing above the The water discharged from Congress was not succeeding off set partner for Dassault Avi- “Triple talaq is not accepted in the city,” added Parameshwara, across the city, have been receiv- danger level following the re- Hathnikund barrage, which pro- in getting allies and even if they ation. in many Islamic countries. But who also holds the Bengaluru ing distress calls from residents lease of water from Haryana’s vides drinking water to the na- Modi echoed his ministers due to their vote bank politics Development portfolio. in the low-lying areas about Hathnikund barrage in the wake tional capital, normally takes 72 get one, “I don’t see them suc- The city has received an aver- over-fl owing storm water drains of heavy rains and fl ash fl oods in hours to reach, he said. ceeding”. and party leaders to allege that here, even though their leader age rainfall of 6.3cm across the and fl ooded basements. parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Delhi witnessed the worst-ev- “So they are trying to forge Gandhi was conspiring with is a woman (Sonia Gandhi), suburbs, with certain areas re- The rains could continue Pradesh and Punjab. er fl oods in 1978 when the river’s an alliance internationally. Pakistan to topple him. they remained silent on the is- ceiving a maximum rainfall of across the city over the week due These states have witnessed level touched a record 207.49m. Now will a foreign country de- He alleged that the Con- sue of supporting it.” SC verdict on validity of Mukesh Ambani tops the list of billionaires

Aadhaar likely today Rs55.60 to Rs68.40 during the IANS Mumbai period. IANS The central government has However, Justice Chandrachud The cumulative wealth of New Delhi issued 139 notifi cations, practi- had qualifi ed the collection of these 831 individuals fea- cally touching every aspect of the data with legitimate state inter- ndia added 601 new billion- tured in the latest list stands citizen’s day-to-day life, making est and said: “But, the data which aires since 2014, with Reli- at $719bn, or one-quarter of he Supreme Court will Aadhaar linking mandatory. the state has collected has to be Iance Industries Ltd chair- the Indian GDP of $2,848bn as likely pronounce its ver- A nine-judge constitution utilised for legitimate purposes man Mukesh Ambani topping per the IMF’s April 2018 esti- Tdict today on a batch of bench had in August 2017 held of the state and ought not to be the ‘Barclays Hurun India Rich mates. After Ambani comes S P petitions challenging the con- that the right to privacy was a utilised unauthorisedly for ex- List-2018’ for the seventh con- Hinduja and family of Hinduja stitutional validity of Aadhaar on fundamentals right. traneous purposes. This will en- secutive year with an estimated Group with estimated wealth of grounds of it being violative of This ruling is likely to impact sure that the legitimate concerns wealth of Rs3.71tn. Rs1.59tn, Arcelor-Mittal’s L N the fundamental right to privacy. the Aadhaar verdict. of the state are duly safeguarded As per the report, in 2014, Mittal and family at Rs1.14tn in Besides the validity of Aad- While holding that the right while, at the same time, protect- there were 230 billionaires or the top bracket. haar, the verdict on challenge to to privacy was a fundamental ing privacy concerns.” multi-billionaires, which shot Following them are: Wipro’s the tabling of Aadhaar as a mon- right, Justice Chandrachud in These were the grounds that up to 831 in the 2018 in the BHI Azim Premji at Rs961bn, Sun ey bill will also be important as it his August 2017 judgment had were argued by the government Rich List. Pharmaceuticals Ltd’s Dilip will have a bearing on the powers said: “Apart from national secu- in defence of Aadhaar before the In 2012, the fi gure was a Shanghvi at Rs897bn, Kotak of the Lok Sabha speaker. rity, the state may have justifi able constitution bench. modest 59 billionaires, which Mahindra Bank’s Uday Kotak A fi ve-judge constitution reasons for the collection and Speaking on data protection in climbed to 141 in 2013. But af- at Rs786bn, Serum Institute bench comprising Chief Justice storage of data. In a social welfare the August 2017 judgment Justice ter notching 230 billionaires in of India’s Cyrus Poonawalla Dipak Misra, Justices A K Sikri, A state, the government embarks Chandrachud had said: “Informa- 2014, the list has grown phe- at Rs730bn, Adani Group’s M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud upon programmes which provide tional privacy is a facet of the right nomenally with 296 (2015), 339 Gautam Adani and family at and Ashok Bhushan had reserved benefi ts to impoverished and to privacy. The dangers to privacy (2016), 617 (2017) and now 831 Rs712bn and Shapoorji Pal- the verdict after hearing the pe- marginalised sections of society.” in an age of information can origi- billionaires in 2018. lonji Mistry’s Cyrus P Mistry at titions for over 38 days starting He had said: “There is a vital nate not only from the state but Similarly, the number of dol- Rs694bn. January 17 this year. state interest in ensuring that from non-state actors as well.” lar billionaires in India in the Five of the Top 10 belong to Besides the constitutional va- scarce public resources are not In the course of the Aadhaar past seven years at the prevail- Maharashtra, one each from lidity of Aadhaar, the other issue dissipated by the diversion of hearing, the constitution bench ing exchange rates has shot up Gujarat and Karnataka, two are is the scope and width of its ap- resources to persons who do not had described data as a “goldmine from 59 (2012) to 141 (2018) as London-based and one is in plicability. qualify as recipients.” of commercial information.” Ambani: worth Rs3.71tn the dollar’s value grew from Monaco, as per the rich list. Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 19 LATIN AMERICA

TRAGEDY LAW AND ORDER TREND DECISION PEOPLE Nicaragua orders arrest Haddad gaining ground on Chile unveils investment Doctor for notorious of opposition leader Bolsonaro in Brazil: poll for indigenous region Chile sect avoids jail

A Managua judge issued an arrest warrant for Leftist candidate Fernando Haddad is gaining Chilean President Sebastian Pinera announced A former doctor for the infamous Colonia opposition leader Felix Maradiaga, accused by ground in Brazil’s presidential election campaign, a plan worth $24mn aimed at ending a lengthy Dignidad sect in Chile, Hartmutt Hopp, will not the Nicaraguan government of financing violent with a poll showing that he would beat right-wing conflict between the state and the country’s go to jail after a German court said he was not protests that have rocked the impoverished frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro in a second round indigenous population in the south. The punishable under German law. The decision Central American nation. The government runoff . Bolsonaro remains out in front with 28%, investment joins a list of past eff orts to resolve of the Dusseldorf court is final and cannot be of President Daniel Ortega has alleged that but Haddad — with 22% — has closed the gap by the Mapuche conflict that mainly stems from appealed. Hopp was sentenced in Chile in 2011 to Maradiaga financed the protests and trained three points in the last week, according to the a dispute over ancestral lands. Pinera’s centre- five years in jail for child sexual abuse. Before his protesters through a think tank he heads, the Ibope poll. The key diff erence from a September 18 right government has promised to prioritise sentence came into force, he flew to Germany. Institute of Strategic Studies and Public Policies. survey by the same pollsters is that Haddad would improving relations with the Mapuche. The As he was extradited back to Chile, the Chilean Relatives and friends take part in the funeral “My conscience is clean. I’ve always been guided emerge clear winner should the election go to a programme aims to increase indigenous authorities asked that he serve his sentence in service of high school student Matt Andres by justice, non-violence and integrity. Today I second round. The previous poll showed them tied representation in the government and accelerate Germany. Hopp was said to have been the right- Romero, who died during a protest against have more moral conviction than ever before,” at 40%. Haddad has seen his popularity soar since the creation of a ministry of indigenous people. hand man of Colonia Dignidad founder Paul Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s Maradiaga wrote on Twitter. Maradiaga is he was off icially named by the Workers’ Party as Housing subsidies and a dozen new hospitals for Schaefer. Schaefer was sentenced in 2006 to 20 government, in Managua, Nicaragua. currently not in Nicaragua. replacement candidate for Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. the Araucania region are also part of the plan. years in jail and died in 2010 in prison.

National strike US imposes cripples Argentina sanctions Reuters Buenos Aires

hops across Argentina were shuttered and the streets in Sthe capital, Buenos Aires, on Maduro’s were quiet yesterday after the country’s largest union called a 24-hour strike to protest Presi- dent Mauricio Macri’s handling of the economy, which has been racked by runaway infl ation. Argentina’s main agricultural top allies port of Rosario was closed by the strike, as were public trans- Reuters are increasingly diffi cult to obtain. The White House last year port services and private freight New York/Caracas That has fuelled an exodus responded to a similar request shippers, unions said. of Venezuelans to nearby Latin by saying such a meeting would Financial markets were open American countries, where bor- happen when the country re- as normal but traders said vol- he United States imposed ders are now overwhelmed by turned to democracy. The Trump umes were small. The strikers new sanctions on Ven- Venezuelan migrants. administration has levied several are demanding the government Tezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he is victim of rounds of sanctions against Ma- compensate for infl ation expect- Maduro’s wife and several top an “economic war” led by US- duro’s government since 2017. ed to top 40% this year, driven allies yesterday as US President backed adversaries. Sanctions such as those pub- by a 50% slide in the value of the Donald Trump urged members He denies limiting political lished yesterday bar American peso currency against the dollar. of the United Nations to support freedoms, insisting opposition citizens and companies from any The peso tumbled further yes- a “restoration of democracy” in leaders have plotted assassi- dealings with the individuals in terday after the head of Argen- the once-prosperous nation. nation attempts and sought to question, which blocks them from tina’s central bank, in offi ce for The measure sanctioned six overthrow him through violent holding bank accounts or con- just three months, unexpectedly offi cials in Maduro’s “inner cir- street protests. tracting services from US fi rms. resigned, citing personal reasons. cle,” including Vice President He yesterday said Trump’s “More personal sanctions can “These are humiliating times for Delcy Rodriguez and Defence comments were an apology for maybe deprive top Venezuelan our country. It’s the people who are Minister Vladimir Padrino, America’s history of colonialism offi cials from some ill-gotten saying ‘enough,’” said Hugo Moy- and “blocked” a $20mn private in the region and off ered words of gains but this will hardly desta- ano, secretary general of the CGT, jet identifi ed as belonging to a support for the sanctioned offi cials bilise the regime,” said Raul Gal- Argentina’s largest union confed- front-man of a top offi cial. who joined him during an event legos, associate director of con- eration, which led the strike. The move adds pressure to a broadcast over state television. sultancy Control Risks. A statement from the treasury government already widely crit- “I’m surrounded by sanc- A broader set of fi nancial ministry said the strike would icised for economic collapse and tioned (offi cials),” he said. sanctions created last year bar result in 31.6bn pesos ($800mn) undermining democracy. “Thank you, Donald Trump, for American investors from acquir- in lost economic output, around But it does not materially surrounding me with dignity.” ing newly issued debt, eff ectively 0.2% of the country’s gross do- change Washington’s eff orts to Maduro nonetheless said he locking the country out of credit mestic product. Argentina is pressure Socialist Party stal- hoped to arrange a face-to-face markets and further fuelling the the world’s biggest exporter of warts who have shown no will- meeting with Trump. country’s cash-fl ow problems. soymeal livestock feed and soy- ingness to hand over power or oil, as well as a major supplier of negotiate a transition. Chile, Colombia, Mexico ‘had role in drone attack’ raw soybeans, corn and wheat. “Today, socialism has bank- “There is zero activity at the rupted the oil-rich nation and Venezuela’s socialist President man, identified as Henryberth port. Neither loading nor unload- driven its people into abject pov- Nicolas Maduro accused the Rivas, who said in a televised ing of cargoes,” said Guillermo erty,” Trump said in remarks to the right-wing governments of Chile, broadcast that he participated Wade, head of Argentina’s Cam- United Nations General Assembly. Colombia and Mexico of helping in the drone attack against the era for Port and Maritime Activi- “We ask the nations gath- “terrorists” who tried to kill him president. Rivas said in the video ties (CAPyM). Teachers and public ered here to join us in calling for during a drone attack in early he was instructed by a fellow sector workers joined the trans- the restoration of democracy in August. The three countries plotter after the attack to seek port unions in the strike, which Venezuela.” refuted Venezuela’s accusations refuge at the Chilean embassy in some unions started on Monday. Under Maduro, Venezuela has that they were linked to the Caracas, from where he was told A severe drought this year limited the powers of the oppo- attack, which used drones he would be smuggled to the helped to unexpectedly tip Ar- sition-run legislature, jailed op- carrying explosives during a Mexican embassy, then to the gentina — Latin America’s third- position politicians and created military parade, in the latest Colombian embassy, and finally largest economy — into reces- a parallel congress with unlim- spat between diplomatically over the border to Colombia. sion, shaking investors’ faith in ited powers. isolated Caracas and Latin However, the Chilean embassy the ability of Macri’s govern- Infl ation is running at America. Maduro showed a was closed and the plan fell ment to service its foreign debt Members of the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA), try to prevent demonstrators from blocking the 200,000% and basic foods and video of a young Venezuelan through, Rivas said. next year. Pueyrredon bridge in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires during a strike yesterday. medicine, like rice or antibiotics,

Support for Correa Venezuela kicks off new Extreme fl oods ‘rising fuel payment system on Amazon River’ Thomson Reuters Foundation more frequent in the past two Tepic, Mexico to three decades, but the rise in Reuters smugglers are the most active, in insignifi cant increases that fl ooding stood out, he noted. Caracas though drivers at the time said were quickly overtaken by in- In a paper published in the the system was not function- fl ation. evere fl ooding on the Am- journal Science Advances, re- ing. Many Venezuelans Reuters azon has increased amid searchers from institutions in- enezuela’s new digital Gas station employees and spoke to said they were con- Schanging weather pat- cluding Britain’s University of fuel payment system drivers that Reuters spoke to fused about what the new terns, and is harming the health Leeds said severe fl ooding had Vgot off to a slow start on Monday said the system was prices will be and called the and incomes of people living aff ected the Amazon basin near- as most drivers paid with cash not fully operational. card a mechanism to with- along the world’s biggest river, ly every year from 2009 to 2015. and only a handful of gas sta- “Right now payments hold benefits and services scientists said. They linked the increase in tions were equipped with the aren’t being made with the from those who oppose Ma- Analysing more than 100 years fl ooding to a combination of system that President Nico- system, it’s only to show how duro. of records measuring Amazon warmer temperatures over the las Maduro says will limit fuel it works,” said an employee “To me this system is gar- River levels in the port of Man- Atlantic Ocean and cooler tem- smuggling. of a gas station in Caracas, bage,” said Mercedes Fernan- aus in Brazil, they found extreme peratures over the Pacifi c. The new system entails Ven- who asked not to be identi- dez, 41, a systems engineer. fl oods that occurred roughly Known as the Walker circu- ezuelans applying for and using fied. “This is a test phase, it’s “We don’t even know how once every 20 years in the fi rst lation, this eff ect infl uences a state-backed digital identi- a month-long test.” much it’s going to cost, or how part of last century are now hap- tropical weather patterns, and fi cation document to pay for The information ministry we’re going to pay.” pening about every four years. can partly be attributed to shifts fuel, with the government pro- did not immediately reply to a Fernandez shortly thereafter “There are catastrophic eff ects in wind belts caused by global viding gas stations with wire- request for comment. fi lled her tank and paid for the on the lives of the people as the warming, the study said. less devices that will read the Maduro has said gasoline fuel with a bank note worth drinking water gets fl ooded, and With temperatures in the At- card. prices will rise to international 0.01 bolivars, currently the the houses get completely de- lantic expected to rise more than Leftist Maduro has said the levels by October, but has pro- smallest denomination of legal stroyed,” said Jonathan Barichiv- in the Pacifi c, fl ood risks on the system will limit the cross- vided no details on what the tender. ich, environmental scientist at Amazon River will persist, the border trading of gas, which is prices would be. The combination of fi xed the Universidad Austral de Chile. scientists predicted. so heavily subsidised that driv- The issue has been politically fuel prices and annual infl ation “Our fi ndings unravel the ulti- “We think that it’s going to ers often do not even bother delicate since a 1989 auster- now topping 200,000% has mate causes of the recent inten- continue for at least a decade,” paying for it. ity package that included a fuel made gasoline so cheap as to be Supporters of former Ecuador president Rafael Correa sifi cation — wet season getting said Barichivich, formerly a Uni- Last week, he said the new price hike triggered rioting that eff ectively free. protest outside the National Court of Justice in Quito wetter, and dry season getting versity of Leeds research fellow. payment system would roll left thousands dead. For the amount it costs to yesterday. A criminal court in Ecuador resumed a hearing to drier — of the water cycle of the The paper also noted that de- out on Monday. That followed Maduro’s previous plans to buy one kilo of cheese, a driv- decide whether to call Correa to trial over the kidnapping of largest hydrological basin of the forestation and construction of a pilot earlier this month raise gasoline prices have either er could fi ll their tank 20,000 opposition lawmaker Fernando Balda in Colombia. planet,” he said. hydro-power plants could play a in border states, where fuel been abandoned or resulted times. Droughts have also become role in water-level changes. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 PAKISTAN

PTI stance over govt Bid to put water, power offi cials raises body directly under PM eyebrows Internews sial project and divided the na- by IRSA vice-chairman Khan Pakistan raises issue of India’s water treaty violation with World Bank Internews Islamabad tion. that the study had been com- Islamabad Indus River System Author- pleted in 2005 and its fi ndings Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has raised and 1,000MW respectively, meaning that New Delhi ity (IRSA) vice-chairman Raqib were being implemented. the issue of India’s violation of the Indus Water Treaty will be able to control the flow of water from river ith water shortage Khan said that the IRSA tech- The report could be provided with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. Chenab. n an apparent contradiction, estimated at 50% for nical committee would meet to to the senior senator, Khan said, Qureshi met Kim yesterday on the sidelines of the Both the projects constitute a violation of the Indus Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Wthe Rabi (spring crop fi nalise projections for water and reported that total water United Nations General Assembly session. Water Treaty 1960. I(PTI) functionaries appre- sowing) season beginning on availability for the Rabi season, storage in reservoirs currently According to a Foreign Off ice statement, the minister The treaty allotted the waters of three eastern rivers ciated public offi cials and civil October 1, a parliamentary panel but preliminary estimates indi- stood at 7.860 million acres feet spoke of New Delhi’s construction of water reservoirs – Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej – exclusively to India while the servants who defi ed the orders was informed about a move to cated the water shortage could (MAF, a unit of water volume) during the meeting. waters of western rivers – Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum of the government to crack down bring the Water and Power De- be up to 50%. against last year’s 10.04 MAF on The foreign minister said that the water issue should – were allotted to Pakistan. against their sit-in outside par- velopment Authority (Wapda) Senator Muzaff ar Shah from this date, and a 10-year average not be politicised and be dealt as a humanitarian However, India has some rights on the western liament in 2014, but after com- under the direct control of the Sindh said it is a very serious of 11.38 MAF. issue. rivers, which include unrestricted rights to develop ing to power they are issuing prime minister to cut through matter that farmers faced more The committee directed that India’s planned hydropower projects at Lower Kalnai hydroelectric power within the specified parameters warnings to offi cials who defi ed red tape. than 35% water shortage in the the minutes of IRSA’s technical and Pakal Dul will have installed capacities of 48MW of the design. what they had four years earlier At a meeting of the Senate outgoing Kharif (autumn crop and advisory committee be pro- described as “illegal orders”. Standing Committee on Water sowing) season, with the up- vided to the senate panel so that During the violent sit-in Resources led by Shamim Af- coming Rabi season expected to farmers could be advised ac- accord was signed, there were current process of construct- daily updates on water issues. against the previous govern- ridi, senators from Baluchistan be worse. cordingly about the crop sowing. 105 MAF in the system, and allo- ing Diamer-Bhasha dam should He said Kachhi canal was ment, the PTI had applauded expressed dissatisfaction over Shah, who was a signatory to During the current Kharif cations were made for 114 MAF, continue, and donations should completed in 2008, but its senior police offi cers for defying the 1991 Water Apportionment the 1991 Water Accord as chief season, Punjab faced 20% wa- based on premise that a dam be kept in a separate account. 72,000 cusecs (fl ow equal to one the “illegal orders” of the then- Accord, and demanded a fresh minister of Sindh, expressed ter shortage, Sindh 17%, Balu- would be constructed soon. Wapda chairman Muzammil cubic foot per second) of water Pakistan Muslim League – Na- accord and monetary compen- concern that a study to quantify chistan 44%, and Khyber Pa- Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini Hussain said that he had pro- could never be delivered to in- waz (PML-N) government of sation for utilisation of its water water requirements downstream khtunkhwa 33%. said the water accord and all posed to the prime minister to tended barren land because the Nawaz Sharif. share by other provinces since of Kotri city for environmen- The total water shortage for water projects were focused to- bring Wapda under his supervi- Baluchistan government neither They showered praise on Sen- 1991. tal protection had not yet been Kharif crops was 21%. wards the canal irrigation sys- sion, and that the authority be developed irrigation infrastruc- ior Superintendent of Police The committee expressed completed even after 27 years. Senator Usman Kakar from tem without taking into account made answerable to the people ture nor allowed Wapda to link (SSP) Mohammad Ali Nekokara concern over the fundraising He said that the study was Baluchistan alleged that the wa- the water problems of arid zones of Pakistan through parliament. the Kachhi canal with Kirthar after he was dismissed for not drive for Diamer-Bhasha and promised in the 1991 accord and ter accord was not based on ac- across the country, while thou- He said that Pakistan’s second and Pat-Feeder. obeying the orders of superiors Mohmand dams, saying that the it was wrongly given an impres- tual data, and that his province sands of people in Baluchistan president Ayub Khan used to As a result, only 10,000 cusecs to use force against protesters Kalabagh dam was unnecessar- sion that huge water quantities had serious reservations over its had been forced to migrate due call the Wapda chairman in the of water could be delivered, and besieging parliament. ily being dragged into the debate were going down the sea. implementation. to water shortage. morning and the project director in the process, Kachhi canal also The former Islamabad SSP even though it was a controver- Shah was, however, reminded He said that the year the water Senator Sabir Shah said the of Tarbela dam in the evening for suff ered damage. was eventually reinstated in 2017, after Sharif accepted his appeal. Also during the 126-day pro- test in 2014, the PTI had appre- ciated the gesture by Islamabad Arrest Ajoka Theatre to hold festival in memory of founder Inspector General of Police (IGP) Aftab Cheema for refusing to use force against the protesters. order for Internews Gauhar’s popular plays – Kala Apart from that, the three- Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2003 by After assuming power, the PTI Lahore Maida Bhes, Lo Phir Basant day theatre festival will feature the Pakistan government in offi cials are now warning bu- Ayee and Bullah – that high- a dance tribute by renowned recognition of her services and reaucrats against making public journalist lighted social evils will be pre- choreographer Wahab Shah, contribution to the fi eld of cul- complaints against politicians. ahore-based performing sented. which will be followed by a ture and performing arts. The PTI functionaries have arts group Ajoka Theatre The three plays not only pictorial exhibition of Gauhar’s In 2006, she became the fi rst taken issue with the deputy DPA Lwill be holding its fi rst proved her directorial genius many works throughout her Pakistani to be honoured with commissioners of Chakwal and Islamabad theatre festival dedicated to its but are also considered fi ne ex- career. the prestigious Prince Claus Rajanpur, who had publicly founder and artistic director, amples of socially meaningful, Gauhar is credited with hav- Award for her leadership of complained about political in- Madeeha Gohar, who died ear- high-quality entertainment. ing directed over three dozen Ajoka. terference by local PTI members ights groups and unions lier this year. The event will include a doc- plays in her 34-year-long ca- Some of her famous plays of the National Assembly, saying for media workers have Titled “Madeeha Gauhar umentary on Gauhar’s journey: reer that have been performed include Kabeera Khara Bazaar that such conduct will not be ac- Rdenounced a court order Theatre Festival”, the event will she and her husband, Shahid nationally and internationally, Mai, Kaun Banega Badshah, cepted. for the arrest of a journalist for a be held from September 27 to Nadeem, laid the foundation including in India, Bangladesh, Kaun Hai Yeh Gustakh, Mera The PTI members have said story critical of the military. September 29 at Alhamra Hall, for Ajoka Theatre and devoted the UK, the US, Egypt, and Rang De Basanti Chola, She- that instead of making pub- A court in the province of Madeeha Gauhar: passed away Lahore. their lives to objective and Iran. har-e-Afsos, and Dekh Tama- lic complaints, the bureaucrats Punjab issued three arrest war- earlier this year. During the festival, three of message-oriented theatre. Gauhar was awarded the sha Chalta Ban. should follow their chain of rants on Monday for Cyril Al- command, or else they would meida, a correspondent at Dawn face disciplinary action. English-language newspaper, The PTI top cadres insist and ordered authorities to bring that they had not changed their him before judges on October 8. stance after assuming power. Almeida faces treason charges Singer on UN women peacekeepers list Rather, they said, they are for an interview with former making it clear that the bureauc- prime minister Nawaz Sharif in racy must be independent and May during which the ex-pre- Internews been using her star power to against women and girls,” states and respect ourselves fi rst, and professional. mier indicated the army’s sup- Islamabad champion women’s rights. UN Women Pakistan’s offi cial stand up for ourselves,” she said. They said that a mechanism port for some militant groups. Being an advocate of so- Twitter handle. “She believes Mustehsan has also been has been laid down for civil serv- Sharif – removed by the Su- cial causes, including women’s in speaking up for oneself and quite vocal about issues such as ants, as well as members of the preme Court last year on corrup- omina Mustehsan be- rights, cyber bullying and men- never letting love be the excuse battling depression. National Assembly (MNAs), how tion charges emanating from the came a singing sensa- tal health awareness, Musteh- for justifying violence.” She was featured in BBC’s list to fi le complaints and grievances 2016 Panama Papers leaks – has Mtion after making her san, on International Day of According to the singer, abuse of 100 inspirational and innova- under a chain of command. been called to appear in court. debut at Coke Studio 9 with Peace, joined the list of United is never okay and that it can tive women for 2017. The civil servants will report His predecessor Shahid Afreen Afreen, that featured her Nations’ women peacekeepers never be justifi ed. Earlier this year, Mustehsan any wrongdoing to their superi- Khaqan Abbasi has also been alongside Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali to end violence against women. “Being a woman, I pledge to also made it to Forbes’ ‘30 un- ors, while the MNAs will com- asked to appear. Khan. “Momina Mustehsan lends never let ‘love’ be an excuse for der 30’ Asia list for her fi ght for Momina Mustehsan: an plain to their respective chief Yesterday the independent Since then, the singer has her voice for ending violence it. We as women, need to love women’s rights. advocate of social causes. ministers, who would subse- Human Rights Commission of quently take up the matter with Pakistan called Almeida’s arrest chief secretaries or IGPs. order regrettable, saying that the They said that a complaint- journalist was being hounded for receiving cell would be estab- doing his job. Two Pakistani women on Facebook leadership project lished and a Web portal be devel- The journalist tweeted over- oped to log all public complaints night that a warrant for his ar- against civil servants. rest has been issued and his Internews lected from more than 6,000 en-oriented businesses a safe They said that over the last 40 name was placed on a list of in- Islamabad applicants from around the platform to start and scale their years, the civil service had de- dividuals who cannot fl y out of world for the event. businesses. clined steadily due to political the country. Ahmed started Soul Sisters Facebook announced the ini- interference. Pakistan Federal Union of oing the country proud, Pakistan, an online safe space tiative in February, which aims They said that the deputy Journalists called the order an- two Pakistani women for Pakistani women to high- to empower leaders who are commissioners should have not other attack on the freedom Dhave been selected by light their issues and seek le- building communities around written to the Election Com- of media and vowed to protest Facebook for its fi rst Commu- gal, fi nancial and psychological the world. mission of Pakistan and the Su- against the move. nity Leadership Programme. help, while Patel founded the The selected participants will preme Court to complain about #IStandWithCyril was trend- Kanwal Ahmed and Nadia Sheops, Pakistan’s fi rst online be trained and funded by Face- the local MNAs. ing on Twitter yesterday with Patel, who created Facebook marketplace for women, pro- book, with each to receive up Instead, the deputy commis- politicians and colleagues criti- pages for women, are among viding home-based women, fe- to $50,000 to be used for their Nadia Patel: founded the Kanwal Ahmed: started Soul sioners should have referred the cising the order. the 115 community leaders se- male entrepreneurs and wom- community initiative. Sheops Sisters Pakistan matter to Punjab chief secretary. Pakistanis lobby to free wives trapped in Xinjiang

By Christian Shepherd and Mirza Imran Baig, 40, who Reuters could not immedi- fed the expectations of many since April 2017, told Reuters by Philip Wen, Reuters trades between his home city ately reach the ambassador, for him to deliver on promises telephone. Beijing of Lahore and Urumqui, the Masood Khalid, to seek com- to create jobs, build an Islamic He said he had confi rmed de- Xinjiang regional capital, said ment. welfare state, and restore the tails of 38 cases but believes that his wife was detained in a “re- Beijing says it faces a serious country’s image abroad. there are more than 300 simi- akistani businessmen education” camp in her native threat from religious militants Mian Shahid Ilyas, a busi- lar cases of Pakistani husbands whose wives and children Bachu county for two months in and separatists in Xinjiang and nessman in Lahore who has been whose wives and children, most Pare trapped in China’s res- May and June 2017 and had been has rejected accusations of mis- collecting details of cases and of them Uighurs, had been stuck tive Xinjiang are travelling to unable to leave her hometown treatment. seeking government support, in Xinjiang for more than a year, Beijing to lobby their embassy, since her release. Asked about the Pakistani said he is optimistic that the new in camps or confi ned to homes. in hopes that the south Asian His wife, Mailikemu Maimati, businessmen yesterday, Geng government would help. The handful of businessmen, nation’s new government will 33, and their four-year-old son, Shuang, a spokesman for the Pakistan’s foreign ministry in including Baig, are travelling pressure its ally for their release. who are both Chinese nationals, Chinese foreign ministry, told Islamabad did not reply to ques- to China in groups of twos and Beijing has faced an outcry are unable to get their passports a regular news briefi ng that he tions from Reuters on the Ui- threes, to avoid raising suspi- from activists, some govern- back from Chinese authorities, was not aware of the situation. ghur spouses. cion, parking themselves at the ments and UN human rights he told Reuters outside the Paki- Muslim majority nations have “Many people get married like embassy to make their case, he experts over mass detentions stan embassy in Beijing. mostly remained silent over the us. It’s no problem. But in 2017 said. and strict surveillance of the “My ambassador says, ‘Wait, situation in Xinjiang. they started to seal everything “This is China’s big mistake,” mostly Muslim Uighur minority, wait, wait, one day, two days.’ Last month’s election of off in Xinjiang,” Ilyas, who said said Ilyas. “Before, people did Mirza Imran Baig shows a picture of him and his wife Mailikemu Maimati and other Muslim groups, in the Okay, I wait,” Baig said late yes- cricketing legend Imran Khan his Chinese Uighur wife, a citi- not know how they treated Mus- as he sits outside the Pakistani embassy in Beijing. western region. terday after his meeting. as Pakistan’s prime minister has zen of China, had been detained lims. Now, everyone knows.” Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 21 PHILIPPINES

Poll shows Police arrest lawmaker biggest ratings slump for fi ercely critical of Duterte president AFP Manila Reuters Manila Philippine lawmaker fi ercely critical of Presi- Adent Rodrigo Duterte’s hilippine leader Rodrigo drug war was arrested yester- Duterte suff ered the big- day on charges for which he Pgest ratings slump of his had been granted amnesty, a presidency in the third quarter, move condemned by watchdogs an independent pollster said as persecution of the govern- yesterday, amid signs of public ment’s opponents. unease about rising infl ation and Senator Antonio Trillanes the cost of staple foodgrain rice. was taken into custody and then Duterte’s approval rating, a posted bail in Manila shortly measure of his performance, after a court-issued warrant dropped 13 points to 75% in a forced him from the Senate survey of 1,800 voting-age Filipi- building, where he has been nos conducted by Pulse Asia this holed up for weeks to avoid ar- month.His trust rating, which rest. gauges sentiment about his per- Trillanes is the second sena- sonality, fell 15 points to 72%. tor critical of Duterte’s drug war A similar poll in June had scored to be detained. him at 88% and 87% respectively. Leila de Lima has been be- Presidential spokesman Harry hind bars since February 2017 Roque said Duterte, who has been on charges which she says were in offi ce since June 2016, was un- concocted to silence her. perturbed by ratings and was fo- Duterte earlier this month cused on doing his job. voided an amnesty granted “We are not aff ected by it be- eight years ago to the senator, cause the president will do his best a former navy offi cer, for his to discharge his duties,” Roque told role in two coup attempts in the a regular news briefi ng.”I believe mid-2000s. that’s still a very good approval “They twisted the law so rating.” Roque said rising infl ation our democracy and institu- could have caused the drop in the tions failed,” Trillanes told ratings because higher prices for reporters.”This (case) has noth- rice, have negated the administra- ing to do with anything except tion’s gains in other areas. for the vengeance of Duterte The survey was conducted in and his underlings.” the fi rst week of September, when Duterte issued a decree ear- Senator Antonio Trillanes is surrounded by journalists as he posts bail at a police station after being arrested in Manila, yesterday. offi cial data showed annual infl a- lier this month ordering Tril- tion at 6.4% in August, the highest lanes’ arrest on the grounds military rebellions. government is still seeking his where lawmakers have a certain repeatedly accused the presi- and coup d’etat charges for be- in nearly a decade. It came amid that he had not completed the “The arrest...is part of the arrest on another charge, stem- amount of protection against dent of being a mass murderer ing among military offi cers who calls to abolish the grains import requirements of fi ling an offi cial persecution of critics of the Du- ming from a separate coup at- arrest. and holding secret bank ac- rose up against then-president agency and in a week when a graft application for amnesty and ad- terte administration, the latest tempt, which does not carry Along with De Lima, Tril- counts. Gloria Arroyo over alleged cor- complaint was made against its mitting guilt. in the relentless campaign to bail. The Philippines’ creaking lanes is Duterte’s loudest critic, Last year Trillanes also had ruption and mismanagement. chief, who has since resigned. The case has prompted con- silence those who dared to chal- legal system is notoriously slow telling AFP last year: “This man the president’s eldest son Paolo He led scores of junior offi c- Another pollster, Social Weath- cern in the Philippines. lenge the president’s murderous and defendants can remain be- is a sociopath and he has the brought before a Senate inquiry ers in taking over part of Ma- er Stations, released results this Critics have questioned ‘drug war’,” said Carlos Conde hind bars for years before they mindset of a hitman.” to face allegations that he was nila’s Makati business district month of a second-quarter poll whether presidents have the of Human Rights Watch Philip- get their day in court. Trillanes last year appealed involved in drug traffi cking, in 2003 and seizing a luxury that showed trust in Duterte had power to undo amnesties, a re- pines. After being released yes- to the International Criminal which the younger Duterte de- Manila hotel in 2007 along with dropped to its lowest level during peatedly used tool in a nation Bigger legal trouble could terday, Trillanes returned to Court to investigate killings in nied. several armed followers as they his presidency, although he main- plagued by insurgencies and await Trillanes because the the safe haven of the Senate, Duterte’s war on drugs and has Trillanes had faced rebellion demanded Arroyo’s resignation. tained a rating of “very good”. Rescue Quezon City jail personnel, Govt approval for operations more rice imports called off for inmates undergo drug tests By Catherine S Valente agricultural products.” AO 13 Manila Times will also streamline procedures and requirements in the accredi- 20 missing Manila Times tation of importers and mini- Manila resident Rodrigo Duterte mise the processing time of ap- has signed an administra- plications for importation, and in landslide Ptive order (AO) removing exempt traders that are already nmates and personnel of non-tariff barriers and stream- accredited. the Quezon City jail were lining procedures on the impor- The order seeks to facilitate DPA Itested for drugs yester- tation of rice and other agricul- the importation of certain ag- Manila day as part of President Rod- tural products in a bid to curb riculture products beyond their rigo Duterte’s ongoing war on infl ation. authorised minimum access vol- drugs. The president cited the “ur- ume, and liberalise the issuance hilippine authorities have The Bureau of Jail Manage- gent need” to tame the prices of of permits and accreditation of called off rescue opera- ment and Penology (BJMP), basic agricultural commodities traders who want to import rice. Ptions for 20 people still Philippine Drug Enforcement in signing AO 13 on September The AO authorises the NFA missing after a landslide killed at Agency (PDEA), and the city 21. Council to approve additional least 62 people in the country’s government conducted the “Non-tariff barriers and cer- rice importation beyond the north. tests initially on 914 inmates tain administrative constraints, minimum access volume com- The landslide in the village and 159 jail personnel. procedures and fees unduly add mitment, which refers to the of Ucab in Itogon town in the The Quezon City jail has to the costs of importation and amount of imports allowed to northern province Benguet, 198 4,751 inmates. Superin- limit supply, which in turn, push enter the country with lower kilometres north of the capital tendent Ermilito Moral, jail up the prices of agricultural tariff s. Manila, was the deadliest among warden, stressed the impor- commodities to the detriment Meanwhile, the Department dozens of landslides triggered tance of having “both the of Filipino consumers, especially of Agriculture (DA) was or- by Typhoon Mangkhut which detainees and the city jail the poor,” Duterte said. dered to issue the certificate of struck on September 15. officials comply with PDEA. AO 13 also seeks “to ensure the necessity to allow the impor- Itogon mayor Victorio Pal- “Conducting a regular availability of basic necessities tation of fish to augment the angdan said emergency work- drug test programme here and prime commodities at rea- 17,000 metric tonnes of fish ers have shifted from search and in Quezon City jail will let sonable prices at all times with- imports distributed in markets. rescue operations to retrieval. everyone know that the out denying legitimate business, The Bureau of Customs was “We’re now on retrieval op- president is very firm on his a fair return on investment.” directed to prioritise the un- erations. There are still 20 miss- programme about his war The administrative order loading and release of agricul- ing, who are yet to be retrieved. against drugs,” Moral told mandates the National Food Au- tural imports. They’re now presumed dead,” he Manila Times. thority (NFA) and Sugar Regu- Duterte has authorised the said. Detainees and police of- Inmates queue to participate in a drug test at the Quezon City jail in suburban Manila, yesterday. latory Administration, in co- formation of a “surveillance” Police have recovered 62 bod- ficials who test positive for ordination with the Department team composed of the DTI, ies after the landslide struck an illegal drug use will be sent be removed from their posi- firmation, the personnel may said. The tests started at 9am of Trade and Industry (DTI), to NFA, National Bureau of In- old mining site in Ucab, burying to the Quezon City Drug tions. also be subjected to adminis- with 10 PDEA representatives “undertake immediate meas- vestigation and Philippine two bunkhouses and a two-sto- Treatment and Rehabilita- “If a personnel turns out to trative cases and will be asked present during the activity. ures to remove administrative National Police to monitor im- rey offi ce of a Protestant church tion Center or “Tahanan”. be an illegal drug user, he or to undergo rehabilitation The results may be released constraints and other non-tariff portation and distribution of where residents had sought ref- Officials will automatically she will be subjected for con- sessions in ‘Tahanan’,” M o r a l in October, Moral said. barriers on the importation of agricultural products. uge. A total of 102 people were killed in landslides, floods and other accidents caused by the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines so far this year. A separate landslide in the Housing loan for typhoon-hit residents launched village of Tinaan in Naga City in the central province of Cebu, which occurred days after By Catherine S Valente the HDMF, popularly known other requirements needed,” he begins on the fourth month fol- loan application; and resides P300,000 to P500,000 were Mangkhut blew out of the Phil- Manila Times as Pag-IBIG (Pagtutulungan added. lowing the check date. Loans in an area declared by the Of- lowered from 10% to 7%, and ippines, killed another 56 peo- sa kinabukasan: Ikaw, Bangko, According to the Pag-IBIG may be fi led within 90 days fice of the President or the 12% to 11.5% for loans of over ple, police said. Industriya at Gobyerno) Fund, Fund, qualifi ed members can from the government declara- local Sanggunian (Councils) P500,000 to P2mn. More than 30 were still miss- he Home Development would provide housing loans borrow up to 80% of their total tion of a state of calamity. concerned as under a state of Under the new rates, ing in Tinaan and rescue op- Mutual Fund (HDMF) has worth P150,000 to those aff ect- accumulated contribution value For a member to be quali- calamity. The Pag-IBIG Fund monthly amortisation for erations were still ongoing, ac- Topened a calamity loan ed by the typhoon. subject to terms and conditions. fied, he or she must be or have board of trustees adopted re- loans of P300,000 will be re- cording to local officials. programme to Filipinos aff ected “You just need to bring to the The calamity loan interest rate made at least 24 monthly sav- cently a resolution reducing duced to P1,700 from P2,400 Each year the Philippines is by Typhoon “Ompong,” Mala- Pag-IBIG offi ce, the picture of is 5.95% per annum. ings; is an active member with the interest rates of loan pack- while those who secured hit by an average of 20 cyclones canang has announced. your house and its title for the The loan is amortised over at least five monthly savings ages from 9% to 6% for loans P500,000 loan, will now shell which cause floods, landslides In a news conference, Palace annotation of your loan, which 24 months, with a grace period for the last six months as of up to P300,000. out P3,300 down, from the and other accidents. spokesman Harry Roque Jr said is up to P150,000. There are no of three months. Paying period month prior to the date of Interest rates for loans over previous P4,400 a month. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Dirty money: Europe needs to clean up its banking mess

European banks, for sure, have a problem with dirty His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaking during the General Debate of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York money. yesterday. Denmark is coming to grips with its role in one of Europe’s worst dirty money sagas. Danske Bank has admitted that about $234bn flowed through a tiny unit in Estonia between 2007 and 2015 mostly in “suspicious” transactions. Danske CEO Thomas Borgen has resigned and several employees have been reported to the police. Criminal 'Blockade on Qatar has investigations are ongoing and the government says Danske may face a $630mn fine. The European commission has described the money- laundering case at Denmark’s largest bank as “the biggest scandal” in Europe. The sheer scale of the scandal has put the Danish harmed GCC reputation' government’s AAA credit grade at risk, according to S&P Global Ratings. And worried Danish politicians last week quickly agreed on a package of much stricter laws to fight His Highness the Amir participates in General Debate of 73rd UN General Assembly money laundering. Deutsche Bank has been ordered to improve its controls opportunity for reforming it and putting to prevent money laundering and the financing of QNA New York forward binding mechanisms to resolve terrorism by Germany’s markets regulator. the diff erences among its states through The BaFin instructed Deutsche Bank to “take appropriate intra-dialogue, to avoid any similar internal safeguards and comply with general due diligence is Highness the Amir Sheikh recurrence in the future. obligations” under German law. It also appointed a Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani It is not sensible for our Arab region monitor to assess the bank’s efforts, the first time BaFin participated in the General to remain a hostage to some marginal diff erences, which are fabricated in our has taken such action against a bank in relation to money HDebate of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, held yesterday case, and which consume eff orts and laundering. in New York, in the presence of heads energies and waste funds exceeding what Deutsche Bank had of state and government, heads of we need to allocate to the just causes that About $234bn acknowledged in August delegations and governmental and non- are supposed to be agreed upon by us. that its anti-money governmental organisations. Madam President, fl owed through laundering processes His Highness the Amir gave the Only a little progress has been made on remained inefficient following speech during the General the lingering issues of the Middle East, Danske Bank’s Debate of the 73rd Session of the United especially the Palestinian cause, which is more than a year after Nations General Assembly: the last vestiges of a colonial past in our unit in Estonia it was fined almost In the Name of God, The Most world. $700mn for helping Merciful, the Most Compassionate The political process, which began in “suspicious” wealthy Russians Your Excellency the President of the twenty fi ve years ago, presented an move money out of the General Assembly, example of a departure from the United transactions country. Your Excellency the Secretary-General Nations terms of reference to frameworks Banks in Denmark, of the United Nations, outside the UN — some had perceived Ladies and Gentlemen, that as the best and fastest way in settling the Netherlands, Latvia and Malta have all been linked At the outset, I am pleased to extend and fi nding solutions to it — supported by to criminal inflows from countries including Russia and congratulations to Mrs Maria Fernanda the Arab states in line with respecting the North Korea. Espinosa Garces on assuming the Palestinian decision, but that has resulted The US Treasury Department found out that ABLV, a presidency of the 73rd Session of the in further stalemate and complexity. Latvian lender, was involved in “institutionalised money General Assembly, wishing her success. Now we are witnessing attempts to laundering,” prompting EU authorities to withdraw I express also our appreciation to liquidate the Palestinian cause through its banking licence. A report by the European Banking His Excellency Mr Miroslav Lajcak for the liquidation of issues relating to the his valuable eff orts in managing the permanent solution such as Jerusalem, Authority (EBA) concluded that the Maltese regulator had aff airs of the 72nd Session of the General refugees, sovereignty and borders. “failed to conduct an effective supervision” of Pilatus Assembly. Just national issues cant be solved by Bank. I avail also myself of this opportunity being subjected to the balance of power EU banks can set up branches across the union on to commend the relentless eff orts of the between the occupier and the occupied, preferential terms thanks to its so-called passporting Secretary-General Mr Antonio Guterres, but can only be solved in accordance system. EU banking is intrinsically cross-border, to promote the role of the United Nations with principles such as the right to strengthening the case for more centralised supervision. and realise its lofty goals. self-determination and inadmissibility From this platform I extend my sincere of annexation of territories of others by The EU has moved to centralise banking supervision, but condolence to the family of Kofi Annan force, which have become part of the money laundering has remained a national responsibility. and to the United Nations Organisation international legitimacy. The European Commission has unveiled new plans to on the passing away of the former The deterioration of the situations in crack down on money laundering. But instead of setting Secretary-General, who was one of the the Palestinian territories, particularly up a new unified agency and equipping it to do the job, most prominent of those who carried the inhumane conditions in the Gaza Strip, the suff ocating siege it reels Europe plans to keep relying on national authorities, some the banner of this organisation in the His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaking at the UN under, and the continued construction of which are seen not up to the task. service of international co-operation, General Assembly in New York yesterday. development and peace among peoples. of settlements in the occupied Brussels wants to give new powers to the EBA, so that the Madam President, Jerusalem and the West Bank, portend agency can tell national supervisors to investigate cases The world faces serious security, Ladies and Gentlemen, its advanced and leading rankings vis-a- grave consequences and lay a historic and consider possible sanctions. This is a step in the right political and economic threats and More than a year after the illegal vis the countries of the region in global responsibility on the Security Council. direction. challenges that do not respect national blockade imposed on the State of Qatar, indicators, especially in the areas of We reaffi rm the importance of The London-based EBA, however, is primarily borders of countries and put to the test many facts were revealed about a pre- human security and human development. negotiations and the resumption of their responsible for designing stress tests and overseeing the United Nations as a framework for arranged campaign of incitement against This has strengthened the Qatari tracks, but that will require commitment prudential rules. Some aspects of money laundering fall collective security. it, beside the insinuation and fabrications people’s faith in their potentials, values to the resolutions of international If the international community wants used to create the crisis. and principles, and cemented cohesion of legitimacy, foremost of which is the under its review, but it currently has just two officials to achieve global security and stability, it In the meantime, the international their unity. two-state solution, and the Arab peace assigned to the task. The EU wants to add 10 more. should go beyond managing crises and community recognised the falseness of Believing in the soundness of our legal initiative, on the basis of East Jerusalem Most important, the EU wants domestic regulators to seek comprehensive and just solutions to the allegations that had been propagated position, and in the necessity of peaceful as the capital of the Palestinian State, on stay in charge. It would have been better to harmonise the them in accordance with the provisions against my country to justify the settlement of disputes, and in dialogue 1967-borders. rules, create a new agency, and give it lead responsibility of international law and resolutions of premeditated measures taken under the as the best way to resolve crises, we have Moreover, there can be no solution to for cleaning up the dirt in Europe’s banking sector. international legitimacy, away from pretext of these invented and untrue been, and still are, positively responsive the Arab-Israeli confl ict without a just selectivity, double standards and policy of allegations, in a fl agrant violation of to all the appreciated eff orts of brotherly and lasting solution to the Palestinian imposing a fait accompli by force. the international law and the basis of and friendly nations to end this crisis cause. We abide by this position, which is To Advertise We realise and appreciate the great relations between nations, and the values through an unconditional dialogue based consistent with international legitimacy importance of the existence of a and norms of our peoples. on mutual respect for the sovereignty of and dictated on us by the human [email protected] comprehensive international reference Despite all the measures taken to infl ict nations. conscience. But Israel rejects this just Display refl ected in a legitimate international harm on Qatar’s security and stability, In fact, it is not reasonable that settlement. order in which the rule of law prevails. and create hardships for its people diff erences in views about handling some The State of Qatar will spare no eff ort 44466621 44418811 It has become necessary to expedite in addition to the economic warfare regional issues lead to paralysing the to provide various forms of material the reforms required for the United launched to hinder its development eff ectiveness of an important regional and political support to the brotherly Classified Nations organisations to shoulder their process, yet the period that followed organisation such as the Gulf Co- Palestinian people and to continue to 44466609 44418811 responsibilities to achieve the noble goals the unjust siege has witnessed the operation Council. work with all the international actors of the organisation and to respond to the strengthening of the status of the State The blockade on Qatar has harmed the in the Middle East peace process to Subscription ambitions and aspirations of peoples to of Qatar and consolidation of its role reputation of the GCC countries, and the clear the diffi culties that obstruct the achieve peace to enable them to realise as an active partner in the regional ensuing paralysis has refl ected negatively resumption of the peace negotiations, in [email protected] sustainable justice, which is the theme and international arenas, and Qatar’s on the councils’ aspired role towards accordance with the terms of reference chosen for discussion at this session economy continued its growth as a proof regional and global issues. and resolutions of international by Her Excellency the President of the of its vigour and consistency. We hope that we will all transform legitimacy. © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved General Assembly. The State of Qatar has also maintained the council’s current plight into an To Page 23 Gulf Times Wednesday, September 26, 2018 23 COMMENT 'Blockade on Qatar has harmed GCC reputation'

From Page 22 outcomes of the National Dialogue. levels to implement its National Madam President, After the elapse of From this platform, I appeal to active Vision 2030 that emphasises human more than seven years, the international states in the international community development. community is still unable to fi nd a to help the brotherly Yemeni people to I refer here that this month the State solution to the exacerbating Syrian overcome these conditions, which we of Qatar has acceded to the International crisis with all its aspects and dangerous hope would end soon and to work for Covenant on Civil and Political Rights consequences. taking all measures to address the grave and the International Covenant on In addition to the tragedies humanitarian situation and to facilitate Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. experienced by the Syrian people, they free access for humanitarian assistance The State of Qatar has recently are worried and frustrated that the to all areas in Yemen. promulgated a law regulating the issue crimes of genocide, mass displacement On this occasion, I announce Qatar’s of political asylum in the country to and wholesale death in prisons under agreement with the United Nations to follow suit the developed countries, torture could become a common practice fi ght cholera in Yemen by supporting and another law granting the right to that the international community can projects related to combating the causes permanent residence in the State under get accustomed to. of the disease and to halt its spread. conditions prescribed by law. The failure to deter the Syrian regime We call upon other countries to join us It has also decided to invite several from committing crimes through the in supporting this vital eff ort. international human rights organisations war waged against its people on the one As for the Libyan crisis, which has to establish regional offi ces for them. hand, and not to be held accountable recently witnessed developments Madam President, after committing them on the other that place the security of this country No one doubts the utmost importance hand, would render the provisions of and its territorial integrity at stake, of the development of information and international law and the human rights we look forward to restoring security digital technology and digital means of law devoid of any meaning. and stability despite the enormous communication, etc. This will have serious consequences challenges facing the Libyan brothers. The economy and day to day life have on the prevailing values in our world We note that foreign intervention His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani leading Qatar’s delegation at the UN General Assembly in New become inconceivable without them. by raising the existing ceiling for using in Libyan aff airs further complicates York yesterday. However, a series of events recently violence to suppress the aspirations of the crisis and prevents reaching a experienced by several countries peoples and trampling on the rights of national consensus sought by the Libyan reconstruction and development, and to prerequisites to make the war on aff ects the credibility of combating reminded us that new needs have citizens and people in our region. brothers, and contradicts the Security assist every eff ort seeking to ensure its terrorism achieve its goal and not to turn terrorism and harms the international emerged that were previously unknown, We are facing a humanitarian, moral Councils resolutions. unity and sovereignty and to enhance its into a self-contained goal: eff orts exerted thereof. such as the freedom of access, and the and legal catastrophe that obligates the We reiterate our support for the security and stability. 1. International co-operation in In this context, the State of Qatar need to protect the private sphere of international community to speed up Skhirat agreement signed in December Madam President, combating violence resulting from believes that educating youth and their citizens from the risk of hacking. reaching a political solution that stems 2015 and all its outcomes. There is consensus that terrorism has extremism and violence directed against comprehensive participation represents It also alerted us to the cyber security the Syrians bloodshed, fulfi ls their We call upon all Libyan brothers to become one of the most outstanding civilians to terrorise them and to damage the fi rst line of defence for the collective of nations. aspirations for justice and freedom, uphold the national interest and abide challenges facing the world because of civilian facilities for political ends. security system and an important factor These are cross-border issues because maintains Syria’s unity and sovereignty by dialogue without excluding any of the the real threat it poses to international These phenomena must be addressed in fi ghting terrorism and building peace of the nature of the technology itself. and achieves security and stability in components of the Libyan community, peace and security. fi rmly and rigorously. and stability. Accordingly, it is necessary to regulate Syria and the region in accordance with to reach a comprehensive political We affi rm the fi rm position of the 2. Unifying the standards of fi ghting Thus, we have committed ourselves to dealing with these issues and control the Geneva-1 Communique and relevant settlement that preserves Libya’s State of Qatar in rejecting all forms and terrorism so as its defi nition does not educating 10mn children and providing their risks internationally. Security Council resolutions. sovereignty and territorial integrity and shapes of terrorism anywhere in the selectively depend on the religious or economic empowerment to half a Qatar and other countries have We emphasise the necessity to abide realise the aspirations of its people for world, regardless of the reasons and ethnic identity of the perpetrator. million young people in our region and suff ered from digital piracy and digital by the International Humanitarian Law security and stability. pretexts. 3. Addressing its roots and causes and in collaboration with the United Nations espionage, and that has prompted us to protect civilians. In brotherly Iraq, we once again The fi ght against terrorism is among researching in the political, social and we carried out projects to promote to strongly emphasise this issue and to Regarding the Yemeni issue, we express our appreciation of the eff orts of the priorities of the State of Qatar’s cultural backgrounds that contribute employment opportunities for young be willing to work with United Nations confi rm the fi rm position of the State the Iraqi Government to restore stability policy at the national, regional and to its breeding, and working earnestly people through capacity-building and organisations to regulate it legally. of Qatar, which is keen on the unity, and achieve national reconciliation by international levels. to achieve just settlements of lingering the launching of programmes to prevent We propose convening an independence and territorial integrity of collaboration of all political parties and We have developed legislative issues that feed the feelings of anger and violent extremism. international conference to examine Yemen. all components of Iraqi community and and institutional systems, fulfi lled frustration. Ladies and Gentlemen, ways to have this matter regulated by We call upon all the Yemeni parties we value the successes and sacrifi ces international obligations related to 4. Avoid giving partisan connotation Human development and the international law. to the national reconciliation to end of the Iraqi people in the fi ght against the fi ght against terrorism and its to the term terrorism through tailoring protection and promotion of human We express our readiness to host this the confl ict on the basis of the Security terrorism and extremism in all its forms. fi nancing, and participated in all relevant it to fi t into the narrow interests of some rights are in the forefront of the priorities conference. Council Resolution 2216, the Gulf Co- We reaffi rm our keenness to support international and regional eff orts. nations by using it to justify tyranny and of the State of Qatar which pursues its Thank you, and may the peace and operation Council Initiative and the the brotherly Iraq in the process of In our view, there are necessary repression of political opponents, which eff orts at the legislative and institutional blessings of Allah be upon you.

Three-day forecast Europe’s critical election TODAY Maximum Temperature : 420c Minimum Temperature : 320c By Ana Palacio European integration – and, indeed, past, often citing a laundry list of (military, economic, demographic) is Madrid to European values – has been gaining accomplishments; but their version increasingly necessary to have any room THURSDAY traction and cohesion. comes across as technical and bloodless. for manoeuvre. Maximum Temperature : 370c These forces include Fidesz in Hungary, In order to convince a sceptical And it means convincing citizens that Minimum Temperature : 290c iscussions about Europe-wide the Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland, public that Europe’s strength lies in co- the EU, as a community of nations, off ers FRIDAY elections are invariably infused Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland, operation, European leaders need to focus the best chance to strengthen economic Maximum Temperature : 380c with expectations of dramatic the Swedish Democrats, the League in on the future. resilience, foster innovation, and preserve Minimum Temperature : 300c change that rarely, if ever, are Italy, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally They cannot simply rely on past Europe’s cultures. D Fisherman's forecast met. (formerly the National Front) in France, successes. Macron has become the poster child for But the upcoming European and Geert Wilders’ Dutch Freedom Party. We have peace and prosperity and no this approach. WARNING more data roaming charges, but what’s Too often, however, his is a lone voice; Parliament election in May 2019 may Opposition to the EU is not new; nor Inshore : Nil break the mould, as it could determine are nationalist parties. next? his fellow defenders of Europe nod quietly Offshore : Expected strong wind the outcome of an ongoing struggle But these parties have deepened their “More unity” is not an adequate in agreement, but are unwilling to take and high sea at north at between two visions for Europe’s future: co-operation with one another since answer, even if some treat it as one. political risks of their own. first progress towards greater openness and the last European elections in 2014, In general, abstract and lofty visions In the months leading up to the May WEATHER interconnectedness or a reversion to particularly on the issue of migration. are not good enough to compete with the election, all who believe in a European Inshore : Hot daytime, relatively divisive and blinkered nationalism. In August, Hungarian Prime Minister simple and potent message espoused by approach to European problems must humid by night Offshore : Fine Previous European Parliament Viktor Orbán and Italian Interior Minister nationalists. step up. elections have been preceded by promises Matteo Salvini held a “summit” where This does not, however, mean that The campaign is just beginning, so WIND that the vote would mean something to they called for a united front against Europe’s defenders should attempt there is still time to change the narrative Inshore : Northwesterly-North- easterly 05-15 KT the electorate. French President Emmanuel Macron’s to hijack the nationalists’ vocabulary and put Europe on a path towards greater Offshrore : Northwesterly 05-15/22 But, whatever structural and pro-integration vision of Europe. to serve a pro-European agenda, as infl uence and increased prosperity. KT institutional changes have occurred, Beyond the clear irony of the far right’s European Commission President Jean- But the window of opportunity is Visibility : 4-8 KM from increasing the body’s powers internationalism, this unifi cation of Claude Juncker did when he called for closing fast. Unless those who understand to introducing new campaigning nationalist parties into a Europe-wide “European sovereignty” – whatever the value of the EU wake up soon and Offshore : 2-4/7 FT procedures, the results have remained force is highly dangerous – not least that is – in his recent state of the union respond eff ectively to their increasingly lacklustre. because these forces have coalesced address. unifi ed nationalist adversaries, it will be Pro-European leaders cannot forge a too late. With voters unconvinced that around a clear, forceful, and, for many, Around the region European Parliament elections have compelling message. new way forward by making themselves Europe faces a stark choice: Will its Weather any concrete impact, domestic political To face the challenges of the future, look more like nationalists; on the nation-states move forward together, Weather tomorrow Max/min calculations dominate, with citizens they declare, Europe must return to a contrary, they must show just how building strength upon strength, or will today Max/min Sunny 42/23 using their votes – when they bother to less uncertain time, when sovereign diff erent they are. they take separate paths, each leading to Baghdad Sunny 42/23 Sunny 43/28 vote at all – to send signals to national countries’ closed borders kept foreigners This means combining ideals mediocrity? Believe it or not, the outcome Kuwait City Sunny 43/27 Sunny 38/29 parties and punish incumbents. out. with tangible proposals for Europe’s of the upcoming election really does Manama Sunny 40/30 Sunny 32/27 In fact, even as the European The nostalgia on which these leaders development. matter. Muscat Sunny 35/28 Sunny 29/18 Parliament has gained more authority, successfully campaign cannot serve as a It means showing why the EU is the For Europe, the stakes could not be Tehran Sunny 30/18 voter turnout in European elections has basis for policy, because the world they most viable and appealing vehicle to take higher. – Project Syndicate steadily decreased since 1979, reaching a describe never existed. Europe into an ever-more prosperous low of 42.5% in 2014. But those who recognise the far- future. Ana Palacio, a former Spanish foreign But this year, the election really does reaching benefi ts of an open and forward- It means proving that the EU is better minister and former Senior Vice President matter. looking EU are struggling to make their equipped than individual states to address of the World Bank, is a member of the An increasingly organised coalition case in a persuasive way. contemporary challenges, particularly in Spanish Council of State and a visiting of nationalist forces that are hostile to They, too, are focusing on the a world in which a critical mass of power lecturer at Georgetown University.

Live issues Around the world Weather Weather Excess pounds can lead to leaky bladder today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens Cloudy 21/16 Cloudy 21/18 Beirut M Sunny 28/24 Sunny 28/24 By Linda Carroll/ Reuters signifi cant impact on women’s well- Studies were included only if the of urology, medical education and Bangkok M Sunny 34/27 P Cloudy 34/27 London being,” concluded the research team, average age of the women was under gynaecology at Northwestern Berlin P Cloudy 18/12 P Cloudy 22/11 led by Tayla Lamerton of the School of 55. University’s Feinberg School of Cairo P Cloudy 34/23 Sunny 33/23 Movement and Nutrition Sciences at Ultimately the researchers selected Medicine in Chicago. Cape Town S Showers 15/12 Cloudy 16/12 oung and middle-aged the University of Queensland. eight of the studies to include in a “Stress incontinence occurs when Colombo S T Storm 29/25 P Cloudy 29/25 women who are overweight “Negative health outcomes larger reanalysis. there is increased pressure on the Dhaka T Storms 33/27 T Storm 32/27 or obese may be more likely associated with urinary incontinence By combining the data from all abdomen and you leak urine after Hong Kong P Cloudy 28/24 S Showers 28/23 Yto develop a leaky bladder, include physical discomfort, odour eight, they were able to come up with sneezing or coughing.” Istanbul Showers 19/16 S Showers 18/16 researchers say. and embarrassment.” stronger fi ndings than any single study Stress incontinence can develop Jakarta M Sunny 34/24 P Cloudy 34/25 Australian researchers found that That fallout can, in turn, aff ect could provide. when women are pregnant or when Karachi P Cloudy 32/26 M Sunny 31/26 obese women were twice as likely “physical activity, sleep and personal After looking at incontinence they are overweight because both “put London P Cloudy 17/07 Sunny 21/08 as those at normal weight to leak relationships,” the researchers wrote. overall, the researchers checked to so much more stress on the hammock Manila S T Storms 32/26 T Storms 31/26 urine, according to a paper in Obesity To determine the impact of obesity see if there was any diff erence in the of muscles and connective tissue at Moscow Showers 09/02 M Sunny 12/06 Reviews. on urine leakage, Lamerton and eff ects of weight on two diff erent the bottom of the pelvis that holds the New Delhi P Cloudy 30/23 Sunny 34/23 The eff ect was smaller among her colleagues scoured the medical types: urge incontinence and stress bladder and uterus in place,” Kielb, New York T Storms 23/21 S T Storms 27/17 women who were overweight but not literature for studies with information incontinence. who was not affi liated with the new Paris Sunny 17/04 Sunny 21/07 obese. on incontinence and weight. There wasn’t. research, told Reuters Health. Sao Paulo Sunny 32/19 P Cloudy 32/19 These women were 35% more They settled on 14 studies that Urge incontinence, or overactive “Overactive bladder is thought to Seoul Sunny 24/12 M Sunny 24/12 likely to be incontinent compared to contained data on 47,293 women from bladder, occurs when “the bladder be caused more by metabolic changes Singapore I T Storms 31/25 S T Storms 31/26 normal-weight women. eight countries: Australia, France, squeezes and pushes urine out when (that come with being overweight or Sydney P Cloudy 16/09 Showers 16/08 While urine leakage may not the US, Denmark, England, Scotland, you’re not asking it to,” explained Dr obese). But nobody understands what Tokyo Rain 22/21 Cloudy 21/17 severely impact health, “it can have Wales and the Netherlands. Stephanie Kielb, an associate professor causes it exactly.” Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, September 26, 2018 QATAR Fifty One East opens new Bosch showroom in Lagoona Mall

By Peter Alagos strengthen a legacy of excel- what they are looking for in our Business Reporter lence that we have nurtured over Lagoona Mall store.” the years in Qatar with our part- Bosch Home Appliances is the ner Bosch. largest home appliances manu- ifty One East has recently “I would like to take this op- facturer in Europe. Bosch’s opened Bosch’s dedicat- portunity to thank once again Dr product portfolio spans the en- Fed store at Lagoona Mall Karsten Ottenberg, BSH Haus- tire spectrum of modern house- where customers could explore gerate GmbH’s chairman of the hold appliances that includes a wide range of products by Eu- board of management and chief everything from stoves, ovens, rope’s leading home appliances executive offi cer, for the award extractor hoods, dishwashers, brand. we received back in March this washers, dryers, refrigerators, The store’s opening ceremony year, acknowledging Fifty One and freezers to small appliances was attended by German am- East’s outstanding perform- like vacuum cleaners, coff ee bassador Hans-Udo Muzel, Fif- ance. machines, electric kettles and ty One East chairman and man- “Moving forward, our focus irons. This makes Bosch the only aging director Bader Abdullah will remain on delivering high- full-range provider of home ap- al-Darwish, Darwish Holding quality products that match our pliances. vice-chairman Saoud Abdullah ethos to provide the best to our In 2014, Bosch opened its al-Darwish, BSH T-MEA-CIS customers.” dedicated store along Salwa region head Norbert Klein, and Alonso added: “The launch of Road to meet the increasing de- BSH Home Appliances FZE CEO our new store builds upon the mand of the people of Qatar on Tomas Alonso, as well as guests success of our partnership with reliable and trustworthy home and VIP clients. one of Qatar’s leading distribu- appliances. Bader Abdullah al-Darwish tors. We have confi dence that The new store in Lagoona said, “We are proud to open the Bosch appliances deliver the Mall reiterates the strong col- new Bosch store in Lagoona highest quality and energy ef- laboration between the two Mall. Fifty One East has been fi ciency to discerning custom- entities and provides shoppers providing unparalleled service ers who are looking for quality with easy access to the wide Fifty One East chairman and managing director Bader Abdullah al-Darwish is joined by German ambassador Hans-Udo Muzel, Darwish Holding to its loyal clientele for almost of design and product integrity, range of products that meet vice-chairman Saoud Abdullah al-Darwish, BSH T-MEA-CIS region head Norbert Klein, and BSH Home Appliances FZE CEO Tomas Alonso 70 years, and we continue to and that our customers will fi nd their daily needs. during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Bosch’s new showroom at Lagoona Mall. PICTURE: Jayan Orma 116 students graduate China founding day celebrated from Shafallah Centre

By Ayman Adly Staff Reporter

hafallah Centre for Persons with Disability celebrated Syesterday the graduation of the 2nd batch of its students in accordance with the highest in- ternational standards. In all, 116 The Chinese embassy in Doha celebrated the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People’s students graduated. Republic of China at a reception in Doha yesterday evening. The event was hosted by Chinese The ceremony was attended by ambassador to Qatar Li Chen. HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al- Qatar Foundation for Social Work Sada, HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti and Ministry (QFSW) chairperson Munira bint of Foreign Aff airs protocol director Ibrahim Fakhro attended the event alongside other senior Nasser al-Misnad, CEO and act- government off icials, a number of diplomats and members of the Chinese community in Qatar. ing executive director Amal bint Abdulatif al-Mannai, a number of other dignitaries, and the parents of graduates. Qatar attends meet for road safety legislators Amal al-Mannai pointed out that Shafallah Centre is always Qatar is participating with a topics, including the regional launch a regional network working to develop its services Munira bint Nasser al-Misnad and Amal bint Abdulatif al-Mannai with some of the graduates yesterday. delegation from the Ministry perspective on road safety, the of parliamentary legislators and support in line with the most PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed of Interior in the consultative global context of road safety in the field of road safety sophisticated trends in the fi eld meeting on the forum for road policies, and others. and agree on its governance globally through highly trained their jobs. This includes 23 gradu- Shafallah enjoys immense sup- mense satisfaction about the safety legislators, which began This meeting is an important structure and future actions and qualifi ed specialists. The de- ates of the new batch. Al-Mannai port from the government and its services of the Centre in integrat- yesterday in the Jordanian platform for transforming required. partment for occupational train- pointed out that the centre cur- services are provided for students ing people with disabilities in the capital of Amman and lasts for regional and global public It also aims at taking the ing helps the students to integrate rently has 649 students. Shafallah from diff erent nationalities. He society by improving their skills, three days. health commitments into participants’ vision regarding into the future work environment is active in communicating with pointed out that the relationship and helping them lead a better Participants at the meeting, national legislative and policy the development of a and fi nd suitable jobs in the public the parents of children with dis- between students and the Centre life. During the ceremony some of organised by the World Health frameworks in the context of proposed regional framework or private sector. abilities to educate them through goes beyond graduation as it con- the graduates talked about their Organisation (WHO), discussed a safe-system approach and to accelerate actions towards Shafallah has already managed various workshops and awareness tinues to off er support for them experiences and their success in a number of researches supporting countries’ efforts achieving global goals in to get 118 of its graduate students forums. throughout their professional life. their new jobs . Al-Misnad and al- by international experts in to address the problem of road safety with a focus hired by various entities in the Abdulaziz al-Muhannadi, a Dr Ayyish al-Qahtani, father Mannai honoured the graduates health, transport and interior road traffic deaths. on adolescents and young country and helped them settle in spokesman, pointed out that of a graduate, expressed his im- and presented their certifi cates. sectors that address important The meeting also seeks to people. — QNA WISE hosts New York forum SC secretary-general announces on global education funding plans for global refugee initiative he World Innovation Sum- sustainable development – is met ods of education fi nancing. “The mit for Education (WISE), by 2030, WISE believes that con- roundtable discussions organised upreme Committee for Tan initiative of Qatar necting the right stakeholders is by WISE enabled conversations Delivery & Legacy (SC) Foundation (QF), has held a series pivotal to generating productive to take place on new and better Ssecretary-general Has- of New York-based roundtables outcomes in this area. ways of fi nancing education, with san al-Thawadi has announced and workshops with education According to a report by the the objective of achieving SDG that the SC is working with the stakeholders, with the aim of ac- Education Commission, the av- 4,” said Zineb Mouhyi, Policy and International Rescue Commit- celerating progress towards the erage annual expenditure on Partnership Development offi cer, tee (IRC) and FIFA to launch an fourth UN Sustainable Develop- education for low- and middle- WISE. international initiative aimed ment Goal for Education (SDG 4). income countries is $1.3tn, which “Hosting these discussions at supporting refugees and dis- The discussions took place in the represents only a third of funding in New York City, a day ahead of placed people around the world. build-up to WISE@NY, a forum required to achieve SDG 4. WISE@NY, enabled a wide range The announcement was made held by WISE in New York City as The organisations involved in of global expertise and insight during al-Thawadi’s participa- part of the UN Global Goals Week, the New York discussions hosted to be applied to this issue, with tion in a panel discussion at the which saw over 350 innovators, by WISE included the Education the aim of identifying poten- 2018 Concordia Annual Summit education experts and thought- Outcomes Fund, the Internation- tial solutions and pathways for in New York City, US. leaders gather to discuss key topics al Education Funders Group, and progress, and helping to ensure A delegation from the SC, led and challenges facing education on members of the Global Partner- that children around the world by al-Thawadi, has taken part a worldwide scale. ship for Education. have access to the quality educa- in the summit held on the side- With funding being a major Funders who participated in tion which improves their lives, lines of the 73rd session of the element of ensuring that SDG the roundtables and workshops strengthens their societies, and United Nations General Assem- 4 – which refl ects that qual- helped to lead discussions about equips them with the tools to in- bly, www.sc.qa reports. Along ity education is the foundation of increasing and improving meth- novate,” added the offi cial. with al-Thawadi, the panel discussion on the role of mega- Hassan al-Thawadi with David Miliband and Matthew Swift during the panel discussion. sporting events in facilitating sustainable development fea- the tournament as a platform and FIFA. We hope to announce hopes for the SC to engage mil- tured David Miliband, president to launch several legacy pro- the details of the initiative and lions of fans on all fi ve conti- and CEO of the IRC and former grammes, including Genera- the various activities it will un- nents as partners in resolving the UK Secretary of State for Foreign tion Amazing, which works on dertake soon.” issues facing refugees and dis- and Commonwealth Aff airs. developing leadership and life Miliband reiterated the im- placed people around the world. During the discussion, which skills among youth in vulnerable portant platform the 2022 FIFA Al-Thawadi also highlighted, was moderated by the co- communities in countries, in- World Cup in Qatar can provide during the discussion, other founder, chairman and CEO of cluding Pakistan, Nepal, Jordan, in shedding light on important ways in which the 2022 FIFA Concordia, Matthew Swift, al- Lebanon and others. More than social issues, including those World Cup has helped facilitate Thawadi highlighted how the 250,000 participants have ben- facing the millions of refugees positive social development, in- 2022 FIFA World Cup is helping efi ted from the programme since and displaced people around cluding the reforms witnessed accelerate positive social change its launch. the world. He added that such by Qatar’s labour market. in Qatar and around the world. “Building on this strong foun- mega-events provide an un- Alongside al-Thawadi, this “Qatar has always recognised dation we have built in facilitat- precedented opportunity to year’s speakers at the Concor- the ability of the FIFA World Cup ing sustainable social develop- support resolving humanitarian dia Annual Summit include and the power of football in fa- ment, we are on course to launch issues, and help facilitate access President of Brazil Michel Te- cilitating positive development, an international initiative aimed to basic rights for people in areas mer, President of Colombia Ivan which is why we bid to host the at supporting refugees and dis- including education, healthcare Duque Márquez and CEO of the The New York discussions organised by WISE saw public and private sector stakeholders share strategies tournament,” the SC secretary- placed people around the world, and training. World Bank Kristalina Geor- for financing education. general said. “We have utilised in collaboration with the IRC Miliband also expressed his gieva.