BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Saudi’s Al Ahli meet Gharafa INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-7, 24 COMMENT 22, 23 in Doha REGION 8 BUSINESS 1-11, 18-20 24,535.00 8,730.06 61.25 ARAB WORLD 8 CLASSIFIED 12-17 Blockade impact on IQ -85.00 +76.74 +0.26 INTERNATIONAL 9-21 SPORTS 1-8 today -0.35% +0.89% +0.43% operations ‘negligible’ Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10748 March 5, 2018 Jumada II 17, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief

QATAR | Offi cial Emir to visit Belgium and Bulgaria His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will leave today for Belgium on an off icial visit, followed by a state visit to Bulgaria. During the visits, the Emir will hold talks with leaders and senior off icials of the two countries on Qatar’s relations of friendship and co-operation with Belgium and Bulgaria, and ways to boost them, besides a number of issues of mutual interest. A number His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attending the 11th edition of the Education Excellence Day ceremony yesterday. The ceremony was attended among others by HE the Prime Minister and of co-operation agreements and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi and other off icials. Right: His Highness the Emir memorandums of understanding will honouring one of the winners. be signed in various fields. The Emir will be accompanied by an off icial delegation as well as businessmen.

QATAR | Military Minister opens Meqdam Camp’s health centre HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Qatar’s march of excellence Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah inaugurated yesterday the health centre of Meqdam Camp. The zEmir patronises Education Excellence Day ceremony inauguration was attended by acting commander of medical services of the Armed Forces Major-General QNA of the diplomatic missions accredited of young cadres equipped with knowl- attention to educational achievement needs of development and responds Nasser Mohamed Saad al-Kaabi, a Doha to Qatar, senior education offi cials, edge and skills and capable of meet- in various disciplines, self-reliance and to the demands of the age and its rapid number of ranking state off icials, parents of the outstanding students ing the requirements of the beloved fi ghting dependency. changes is the way to build national guests of the country, and a number and guests. homeland and its aspirations for more On behalf of the honoured, excel- capacities and achieve the goals of de- of ranking off icers at the Armed is Highness the Emir Sheikh Speaking on the occasion, HE the progress and prosperity. lence award winner in the PhD cat- velopment, in order to enable the State Forces. The centre has a number of Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani Minister of Education and Higher HE the Education Minister said that egory, Dr Ali Saleh al-Menhali, ex- keep pace with the advanced coun- specialised clinics including internal Hpatronised the 11th edition of Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed the award winners and their predeces- pressed gratitude and appreciation to tries. medicine, nutrition, ophthalmology the Education Excellence Day ceremo- Ali al-Hammadi underlined that His sors represent an added value to the the wise leadership for the opportu- A fi lm about the march of excellence and ENT, dermatology, orthopaedic, ny which took place at Doha Sheraton Highness the Emir’s patronage of the national capacities in various fi elds, nities, academic options and human for the outstanding winners of the 2018 physiotherapy, family medicine, and Hotel yesterday morning. ceremony and honouring of the win- stressing that they must shoulder potentials, and for the establishment award in various categories and their dentistry. There is also a radiology The ceremony was attended by HE ners of the Education Excellence Day the responsibility for participating in of a school environment that is in- future aspirations to serve their coun- department, a lab, a pharmacy, and an the Prime Minister and Interior Min- award carries many meanings and in- implementing the directives of His cubating and supportive of scientific try was displayed during the ceremony. emergency department. ister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin dications that refl ect His Highness’s Highness the Emir, meeting the re- excellence. His Highness the Emir then hon- Khalifa al-Thani, a number of their ex- great attention to the education system quirements for opening the economy Al-Menhali underlined that high- oured the winners of the Education Ex- EUROPE | Politics cellencies Sheikhs and ministers, heads and its outputs, and to the preparation to initiatives and investment, paying quality education that meets the cellence Day award. Page 2 Merkel seals 4th term with SDP backing Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday FM meets US Secretary of State’s envoys vowed to work with the Social Democrats for the “good of Germany” Ghouta faces worst as as the centre-left party agreed to join her new coalition, but the veteran leader will go into her fourth term with weaker cards than before. Two regime vows to fi ght on in three of the SPD’s rank and file voting in a crunch referendum backed Agencies Ghouta want to escape the embrace of a new partnership with Merkel’s Damascus terrorism. The operation must con- conservatives, heralding an end to the tinue,” Assad told journalists in remarks political stalemate that has plagued broadcast on state television. Europe’s biggest economy since urning a deaf year to mount- Regime backer Russia last week an- September’s inconclusive elections. ing international calls to end the nounced daily fi ve-hour “humanitarian Page 15 Tbloodshed and defying the re- pauses” in Eastern Ghouta. But while cently passed UN ceasefi re resolution, the air campaign has eased, fi ghting has QATAR | Arts Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yes- intensifi ed on the ground. terday said his forces must push on with Assad said civilians would still have QM to host Chinese their campaign to retake the besieged “the possibility” to evacuate the en- artist Weiwei’s show enclave of Eastern Ghouta from rebels. clave, while denying there was any con- Qatar Museums (QM) will present Assad’s forces have seized over a tradiction between a truce and ongoing an exhibition of recent works by the quarter of the enclave on Damascus’s fi ghting. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, at the Garage eastern edges after two weeks of devas- His remarks came as the Syrian Ob- Gallery in the Fire Station from March tating bombardment, according to a war servatory for Human Rights said regime 15 to June 1. The exhibition features monitor. forces had advanced to within 3km of one of Ai Weiwei’s most prominent As the United States, Britain and Ghouta’s main town, Douma, after re- and poignant projects highlighting the France stepped up pressure on Damas- taking “more than 25%” of the enclave. plight of refugees, Laundromat (2016). HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met yesterday with envoys cus and Moscow to call off the assault, The advance on the back of 15 days of His show in Doha highlights Qatar’s of US Secretary of State, General (retired) Anthony Zinni, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Gulf Aff airs Tim the United Nations said it plans to de- air strikes, artillery fi re and rocket at- development as a creative and artistic Lenderking, during their off icial visit to Qatar. During the meeting, they discussed the Gulf crisis, the Kuwaiti mediation eff orts and liver much-needed humanitarian aid to tacks that are reported to have killed over hub that encourages dialogue through all illegal measures taken by the siege countries against Qatar. The meeting was attended by HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad Eastern Ghouta’s residents. 650 civilians, sent hundreds into fl ight to artistic expression. Page 24 al-Thani, Secretary of His Highness the Emir for Investment Aff airs. “The majority (of people) in Eastern western parts of the enclave. Page 8 A culinary feast at Qatar’s food festival from March 15

By Joey Aguilar as the Live Cooking Theatre, featuring strates Qatar’s message of welcoming tract a large number of festival-goers, “We are pleased to see that the fes- rate services offi cer Salem Ghanem al- Staff Reporter internationally renowned chefs who the world, both to its residents and vis- especially coff ee lovers, who will ex- tival paved the way for innovative Kubaisi said. will be preparing an array of dishes for itors,” QTA’s chief marketing and pro- perience the bean’s rich aromas and initiatives in the space of festivals As Qatar hosts a unique mix of cul- visitors to enjoy. motion offi cer Rashed al-Qurese told a fl avours. and events,” she stressed, adding that tures, the event will also see nine em- wide range of culinary off er- Michellin Star chef Wolfgang Puck, press conference. As Qatar’s food value chain rapidly QIFF continues to grow in terms of the bassies in Doha “inviting visitors to ings from around the world will who has been preparing the post-Os- “Off ering authentic family friendly develops, the annual festival will also number of participants (by 36%) and savour the fl avours of East and West.” Aagain take centre stage at the cars feast for 24 years, along with US experiences through festivals such as shed a spotlight on the role of local total area covered in this edition. These include the US, South Africa, Vi- ninth Qatar International Food Festival MasterChef Christine Ha, Qatar’s very QIFF continues to be an important pil- farms, farmers’ markets and Qatari- QIFF, the country’s longest-running etnam, Philippines, Turkey, Lebanon, (QIFF) from March 15 to 25. own Aisha al-Tamimi, Kuwaiti cook lar of the Next Chapter of the National owned food and beverage entrepre- food festival, promises to be a bigger Mexico, India and Ethiopia. As many as 177 stalls, food trucks Fawaz al-Omaim, Indian celebrity chef Tourism Sector Strategy 2030,” he noted. neurs “in bringing food from gate to celebration of Qatar’s cultural diversity Organisers said QIFF 2018 brings back and trolleys are to be featured across an Ajay Chopra, and Lebanese celebrity Apart from various culinary delights, plate.” and home-grown talent through an ar- the Health Zone, which encourages and 80,000sq m area at the Hotel Park, it chef Ramzi Choueiri, will share tips QIFF 2018 will also highlight locally- “For QTA, it is very important that ray of food and entertainment this year. promotes healthy eating habits, as well was announced yesterday. and tricks with a special food theme for owned coff ee shops, which have be- entrepreneurs and small and medium “The festival has become a beacon as free fi tness classes, a variety of live The 11-day event, organised by Qatar each day between 6pm and 10.30pm. come contemporary symbols of cul- entrepreneurs are engaged in provid- for Qatar’s growing hospitality indus- performances and cultural shows, fi re- Tourism Authority (QTA) in partner- “As an international food festival tural and social exchange, according to ing visitors with a uniquely Qatari ex- try and we are honoured to partner works displays, a mini zoo, sports class- ship with Katara Hospitality, will bring that celebrates a host of cultures from organisers. perience,” QTA’s festivals and tourism with QTA for the third consecutive es, ‘QIFF Menu,’ charity work, and other back “festival favourites” this year such all corners of the globe, QIFF demon- The Coff ee Zone is expected to at- events director Mashal Shahbik said. year,” Katara Hospitality’s chief corpo- fun-fi lled activities. Page 6 Gulf Times 2 Monday, March 5, 2018 QATAR

Qatar celebrates Education Excellence Day atar celebrated the 11th Education Excellence QDay by honouring 64 winners in the nine diff erent categories of the awards. The categories include master’s level, bachelor’s level, secondary level, outstanding student award for primary and preparatory levels, award for distinguished teach- ers and outstanding school and scientifi c research awards. The award was launched in 2006 with six categories, where three additional categories were added over the years, ending with an excellence award for master’s degree holders added in this edition. The award aims to deepen the understanding of excellence and innovation through adopt- ing global standards, to imple- ment quality programmes and to achieve the comprehensiveness of individual and institutional eff orts to improve the practical educational results in Qatar. excellence and supportive of it, The award also aims to honour this is confi rmed by the diversity those educationally outstanding of students, graduates, military and celebrate them, to encourage offi cers, academics, researchers, all individuals and institutions schools and teaching staff . to develop their performance, Excellence comes as part of Emir meets award winners to promote the positive direc- the wide educational choices tions towards knowledge and provided by the state to its citi- His Highness the Emir Sheikh order to serve their country and scientifi c research. zens, which proves the interest Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani community. It also aims to inspire the spirit the wise leadership gives to their met with the winners of the For their part, the winners of innovation in students, re- citizens. This achieves human 11th Education Excellence Day expressed their thanks to His searchers and educational insti- development as the most im- award yesterday at the Sheraton Highness the Emir for honouring tutions, to stimulate the spirit of portant pillar in Qatar National Doha Hotel. At the outset of them, stressing that meeting His competition between individu- Vision 2030. the meeting, His Highness the Highness the Emir is the main als and educational institutions In addition, the award has a Emir expressed his delight at motive to continue the journey of in the fi eld of scientifi c excel- great impact in spreading the meeting them to celebrate and success and serving the country. lence and to direct the individual culture of innovation and excel- encourage their achievement. The meeting was attended by HE and institutional energies to- lence in the Qatari society and He also urged the winners to the Prime Minister and Minister wards educational excellence in encourages students to exert continue excellence, successes of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin the fi elds that achieve the devel- more eff ort for academic excel- and to depend on themselves in Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. opmental directives of the state. lence and outstanding academic individuals as a national wealth In its 11th edition, the award achievement. to be nurtured through these contributed in making excel- The award is a result of ex- awards and develop their skills in lence a strategic and cultural role erted eff orts from the fam- their areas of excellence. Invest- in the Qatari society, which is ily, school and community and ing in the privileged is a neces- what the state sought to achieve works as a great encouragement sary option to support the over- through establishing an educa- for other candidates to partici- all development of the country. tion system that complies with pate in future editions and earn The Education Excellence Day the highest standards of global the honour to shake the hands has become an important and educational systems and the re- of His Highness the Emir Sheikh prominent milestone in Qatar’s quirements of the current time. Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, education path, through global The state is building the lat- especially that education ex- standards that aim to improve est technologies, educational cellence is the state’s project the practical educational results and research programmes in which aims to achieve its na- in the country. the curricula and evaluation tional vision through identify- The increasing interest in the and training, which contributed ing strong prospects to spon- Education Excellence award and to the development of the ca- sor it and to benefi t from their the broad and growing participa- pabilities of students, helping services in serving the state’s tion witnessed in every edition, them discover their creative po- developmental directives. proves that Qatar focuses on hu- tential, and enhancing the skills There is no doubt that Qatar’s man as a main pillar in develop- of scientifi c research in various care for its talented and distin- ing the society, and in achieving disciplines. guished youth, achieves the na- its national vision. It also shows The distinguished individuals tional ambition, as excellence that investing in the Qatari peo- in Qatar who are celebrated an- and the excellent are valuable ple through quality education, is nually, represent an added value treasures that must be preserved a strategic choice to enrich the to the national Qatari compe- and their capabilities must be country as a conscious and dis- tencies in diff erent fi elds, which developed. The award also re- tinct society, armed with science make Qatar an incubator for veals talented and distinguished and knowledge. (QNA)

NHRC launches campaign on right to Offi cials hail honouring education today Qatar Committee for Alliance of The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) is set to launch Civilisations launches award today a campaign on the right to education. The campaign, which he Qatar Committee for tee for the Alliance of Civi- ing skills, instill the concepts of outstanding students will run through this month, aims the Alliance of Civilisa- lisations and Qatar National and contents of the Alliance to disseminate the culture of rights Ttions, in co-operation Commission for Education, of Civilisations, as well as and duties of students in the field of with Qatar National Commis- Culture and Science,” he said. encouraging students to pro- ducation Excellence pursuit of economic, scien- the country and contribute to education, among school students, sion for Education, Culture Al-Hammadi said the Alli- vide the best research in vari- Day is an important tifi c and social development its advancement and progress,” parents and educational staff . and Science, launched the Al- ance enjoys special attention ous areas, as well as honour Eevent in Qatar as dis- in the country. he added. Abdullah al-Mahmoud, director, public liance of Civilisations Award from Qatar as it has been in- the distinguished secondary tinguished and outstand- He hailed the expansion of Fawzia Abdulaziz al- relations and media unit at NHRC, said during an event at the Minis- corporated in Qatar National school students in Qatar. ing students are honoured in education excellence fi eld for Khater, assistant undersec- that the campaign comes within the try of Foreign Aff airs yesterday Vision 2030, which empha- He said the award will be various fi elds of education on making more contributions in retary for educational af- committee’s eff orts and its keenness in Doha. sises the support for dialogue presented for the year 2019 this day, said HE the Minis- scientifi c research and improv- fairs, said that the winners of to disseminate the culture of human Foreign Ministry Secretary of civilisations and coexist- to educational institutions ter of Municipality and En- ing academic standards. “The this year’s Education Excel- rights in various segments of society, in General and vice president ence between diff erent reli- that implement outstanding vironment Mohammed bin expansion will increase patents lence Award have achieved accordance with international laws and of the committee Dr Ahmed gions and cultures. programmes, activities and Abdullah al-Rumaihi. and launch ideas and initiatives many aspects of excellence conventions, especially the Convention bin Hassan al-Hammadi He said the Qatar Commit- projects that promote a cul- “It encourages those who that contribute to the scientifi c and creativity, which proves on the Rights of the Child. said the award comes in line tee for the Alliance of Civili- ture of dialogue and respect have been honoured to con- progress witnessed by the state that they follow sound path In a statement, al-Mahmoud with Qatar National Vision sations aims to promote the for others, and those that in- tinue to excel,” he said, adding at all levels.” towards success that Qatar presented the campaign’s idea, 2030 and Qatar’s Second Na- role of Qatar in highlighting stil the spirit of coexistence that excellence has become Dr Ibrahim al-Nuaimi, un- aspires to achieve. objectives, programme and the tional Development Strategy the contribution of the Is- between the people of Qatar, a culture in the Qatari soci- dersecretary at the Ministry of “The Education Excellence involvement of parents in it. (2017-2022), in addition to lamic civilisation and other including citizens and expats. ety as individuals and institu- Education and Higher Educa- Award is not only an award “Through the campaign, the Qatar’s plan for Civilisations’ civilisations, in addition to On her part, Qatar National tions each in their fi eld seek to tion, said excellence has be- for an academic achievement, committee seeks to inculcate the Alliance (2017-2022). promoting dialogue, resolv- Commission for Education, achieve excellence. come a major part of the educa- but an award that proves that concept of the rights and duties of He said that the award cov- ing disputes, confi rming the Culture and Science Secretary In a statement, HE the tional system in Qatar, pointing excellence should be accom- students in education, to educate ers all programmes, activi- values of forgiveness, peace, General Dr Hamda al-Sulaiti Minister of Municipality and to the high appreciation given panied by strong will, con- them on the importance of their rights ties and diff erent projects in exchanging expertise be- said there are several schools Environment said that the to the award in Qatar in order to tinuous accuracy and serious- in society and school, develop their four priority areas of Alliance tween peoples on bases right- affi liated with the Alliance of celebration of distinguished achieve its vision and improve ness in implementation,” she basic knowledge on the concept of of Civilisations: education, eousness, justice and equality Civilisations Award, which are Qataris is in line with the children education. added. human rights and duties and urge youth, migration, media, in- in order to achieve noble goals part of the commission’s pro- goals of Qatar National Vision “Qatar granted an appropri- Al-Khater added that the them to adopt Islamic morals when cluding the launch of encour- for humanity. grammes to promote dialogue in which human development ate environment for excellence award has gone through several dealing with other members of aging awards for researchers The offi cial said the award among civilisations. “Since is a pillar and seeks to create in all fi elds, which has made stages since its inception 11 year society in addition to establishing the and students. “The award is which will be given this year 2016, many projects and train- a society based on science, this goal an area of honest ago, making a great diff erence values of compassion and tolerance in the result of co-operation to distinguished research, ing workshops have been knowledge and continuous competition required to serve in each stage. (QNA) dealing with others,” he said. (QNA) between the Qatar Commit- aims to develop youths’ writ- completed,” she added.(QNA) Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 3 QATAR

Dr Hassan al-Malki, Dr Essa Abuhelaiqa, Dr Mohamed Mahmood T A al-Kadi and Sheikha Lina bint Nasser at the press conference yesterday. PICTURE: Jayan Orma 250 new dialysis cases every year: HMC offi cial

By Joseph Varghese for kidney disorders.” on peritoneal dialysis. At cation materials. Dietitians Staff Reporter “Screening patients present we are doing a study and nephrology educators with diabetes and high among the Qatari popula- will also be available to blood pressure, introduc- tion to know about the prev- provide advice and answer bout 250 new dialy- ing preventive measures alence of kidney disorders. questions. There will be a sis cases are reported and educate people about As much as 70% of chronic walkathon on March 9 from Aeach year in Qatar, the key role kidneys play kidney diseases are due to 3pm to 6pm at the Doha a Hamad Medical Corpo- are the major ways to pre- diabetes and hypertension,” Corniche. ration (HMC) offi cial said vent kidney diseases,” said added Dr al-Malki. From March 11 to 13, yesterday. Dr al-Malki. There will be a number HMC will also host various “People at the risk of de- He was speaking ad- of activities at the primary awareness activities at se- veloping a kidney disorder dressing a press conference health centres and hospitals lect primary health centres need to undergo an annual to announce the details of as well as a walkathon and a and secondary schools, as screening. The risk of de- the programmes arranged symposium over this week well as at Qatar Univer- veloping chronic kidney by HMC to celebrate World as part of World Kidney Day. sity, University of Calgary diseases is at least as high in Kidney Day, marked on the From today until March in Qatar, and Weill Cornell women as in men and may second Thursday of March 8, health awareness booths Medicine-Qatar. even be higher,” explained every year. Nephrology con- will be set up at the main “World Kidney Day is an Dr Hassan al-Malki, head of sultants Dr Essa Abuhelaiqa entrances of Hamad Gen- important occasion to raise the nephrology department and Dr Mohamed Mah- eral, Women’s, Al Wakrah awareness about the kid- at HMC. mood T A al-Kadi, as well as and Al Khor hospitals. The ney. We create awareness He pointed out that eight Nasser Bin Khaled al-Thani booths will be staff ed by about the prevalence, be- to 10% of people are suff er- Charitable Foundation dep- clinical teams from HMC haviour and risk factors. We ing from a number of kidney uty chairman Sheikha Lina and will provide patients, mark this day by organising diseases in the country. “Di- bint Nasser were present. visitors, and other members many events to raise aware- abetes and high blood pres- “We have 650 patients of the public with informa- ness about kidney,” added sure are the big risk factors on haemodialysis and 250 tion leafl ets and health edu- Dr al-Malki. Gulf Times 4 Monday, March 5, 2018 QATAR Aspetar, Al Emadi Hospital honoured for patient safety

inistry of Public Health (MoPH) has honoured As- Mpetar, the orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, and Al Ema- di Hospital for passing the assessment of the Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative (PSFHI). A tool to measure the level of patient safety in the hos- pitals, PSFHI was developed by the World Health Organisation’s Regional Offi ce for the Eastern Mediterranean. Huda al-Katheeri, acting director, HealthCare Quality and Patient Safety Department at the Ministry of Public Health, presented certifi cates of ap- preciation and trophies to Mohamed A tent being put up at Aspire Park for the 2nd Aspire International Kite Festival. Khalifa al-Suwaidi, director-general of Aspetar Hospital and CEO of Aspire 23 teams take part in Aspire Kite Fest Zone Foundation, and to Dr Mohamed Abdullah al-Emadi, chairman and Mohamed Khalifa al-Suwaidi, director-general of Aspetar Hospital, receiving the founder of Al Emadi Hospital. award. Aspire Zone see 23 international Mexico, New Zealand, design to delivery a statement from AZF. Al-Katheeri explained that the Foundation (AZF) is teams participating. Netherlands, Pakistan, and build, the event “This year’s festival MoPH aims to achieve the highest putting the finishing In addition to Philippines, Spain, has been managed provides yet further international standards for the safety touches to the 2nd Qatar, countries Singapore, Sweden, to the very highest evidence of AZF’s and quality of healthcare services Aspire International participating this Switzerland, Thailand, international ability to execute delivered to the population of Qatar. Kite Festival, which year include Austria, the UK and the US. standards by AZF’s the best sports and “Our vision is to lead the health- begins tomorrow. Australia, Canada, Participating teams vastly experienced entertainment events care quality and patient safety ini- Following the success China, France, are due to arrive in and multidisciplinary for members of the tiative in Qatar and provide support of last year, the four- Germany, Hungary, Doha today (Monday). events management local community in to all healthcare organisations in their day annual event will Indonesia, Italy, Japan, From inception and experts, according to Qatar,” AZF added. quest to provide safe and high quality services to all patients, all the time,” the offi cial stated. Al-Suwaidi recalled that since opening its doors in 2007, Aspetar has placed patient safety and quality improvement at the top of its agenda. WCM-Q provides Qatari “The achievement is a recognition of the hard work and commitment that Dr Mohamed Abdullah al-Emadi, chairman and founder of Al Emadi Hospital, Aspetar and Aspire Zone Foundation receiving the award. staff have put into reaching this mile- stone. The evidence is very clear that protocols result in better patient out- to ensure an integrated healthcare students chance to work having a well-structured safety pro- comes and patient satisfaction.” system that provides high-quality gramme and a body of staff commit- Dr al-Emadi stressed the impor- healthcare services according to the ted to following strict patient safety tance of the ongoing role of the MoPH best international standards. with world-class scientists

atari high school the world’s leading research portunity to learn new skills Dr Khaled Machaca, as- and college students journals. and take the fi rst step to- sociate dean for research at Qwith a passion for Yassir Hussain, assistant wards a career as scientists.” WCM-Q, said the intern- science are invited to apply director of research train- WCM-Q’s Research In- ships off ered valuable work for an internship at Weill ing and outreach, said the ternship for National High experience. “Qatar aims to Cornell Medicine – Qatar internships are a great op- School Students is off ered diversify its economy away (WCM-Q), a leading bio- portunity for young people as a two-week or four-week from a dependence on hy- medical research institu- considering a career in the programme that earns par- drocarbons towards a sus- tion. sciences: “The training pro- ticipants 50 to 100 volun- tainable, knowledge-based WCM-Q launched its grammes off er students the teer hours. economy. biomedical research pro- chance to learn key research The Research Internship The country is fast- gramme in 2009, focusing skills and to work alongside for National College Stu- becoming a scientifi c and on diseases prevalent in the professional scientists to dents runs for either four educational hub in the re- Arabian Gulf like diabetes tackle major real-life issues or eight weeks and teaches gion and Weill Cornell is and obesity. of high signifi cance. both laboratory skills and contributing signifi cantly to Since then it has gone WCM-Q is part of Cor- research management skills. these eff orts in the biomedi- from strength to strength, nell University, an Ivy Both internships are part cal sciences, by sharing our with its researchers pub- League school, and for Qa- of the Biomedical Research expertise and creating the lishing more than 800 sci- tari nationals these intern- Training Programs for Qa- next generation of physi- entifi c papers in some of ships are a wonderful op- taris. cians and researchers.”

Yamaha recalls ATV – Raptor90 motorcycles for brake pad material

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in collaboration with Al Badi Trading & Contracting Co, has announced the recall of Yamaha Motorcycle ATV – Raptor90 models of 2016-2017 because the brake pad contains banned asbestos material that is detrimental to the environment. The MEC said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that automobile 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-Commercial Fraud Department through the following channels: Call centre: 16001, e-mail: info@ mec.gov.qa, Twitter: @ MEC_Qatar, Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 5 QATAR

Koleilat (second right) with Wang during the agreement signing at the UnionPay head off ice in Shanghai recently. Qatar Airways and UnionPay expand their partnership

atar Airways is extending its was signed at the UnionPay head offi ce acceptance rate in the airline industry, partnership with international in Shanghai recently, represented by off ering better card-using experienc- Qbank card network Union- Marwan Koleilat, Qatar Airways sen- es to UnionPay cardholders outside Pay to an additional 31 countries and ior vice president (Asia Pacifi c), and mainland China. The co-branded card regions, providing a “convenient” Larry Wang, UnionPay International to be issued will enhance the benefi ts payment option for more passengers vice president. we provide for our cardholders in the around the world when booking tick- “We always seek to ensure that aviation industry, and will enhance ets on the airline’s website. our passengers’ journey is smooth UnionPay’s value proposition and Customers in countries including and seamless, from the moment they boost our overseas expansion,” Wang Qatar, Kuwait, India, Oman, Switzer- book their tickets until the point at said. land, Canada, Brazil and South Africa, which they reach their fi nal destina- With about 90mn cards issued among others, will be able to take ad- tion. The expansion of our agreement outside mainland China, UnionPay vantage of UnionPay’s secure payment with UnionPay will provide even more is off ering payment convenience to a option when booking tickets on the customers the opportunity to use Un- growing number of global customers. airline’s website to more than 150 des- ionPay as their preferred payment op- Now, UnionPay is accepted at more tinations on Qatar Airways’ extensive tion when booking their tickets online, than 10mn online merchants based in global network. ensuring a convenient and hassle-free more than 200 countries and regions Under the expanded agreement, booking experience,” Koleilat said. outside mainland China. Qatar Airways and UnionPay will em- “As more and more travellers prefer It is particularly convenient to make bark upon greater collaboration for to go on free-and-independent trav- travel reservations with UnionPay various sales and marketing initia- els, UnionPay International contin- cards online. Today, passengers are tives. Both parties will also look at cre- ues to deepen our partnerships with able to use UnionPay cards to purchase ating a new and exclusive co-branded international airlines, to provide safe fl ight tickets at the offi cial website of card that will provide UnionPay cus- and smooth online fl ight ticket pur- more than 40 international airlines. In tomers exclusive benefi ts on selected chase service to our global customers. 2017, online fl ight ticket transaction products by Qatar Airways. Our expanded agreement with Qatar volume of UnionPay grew by 140% The expansion of the agreement Airways will increase UnionPay card year-on-year. Gulf Times 6 Monday, March 5, 2018 QATAR

Deputy PM hosts Guinea defence minister Foreign Ministry official meets British envoy

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs, Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, yesterday met the Defence Minister of the Republic of Guinea, Dr Mohamed Diani, and his accompanying delegation, currently visiting the State of Qatar. They discussed relations between the two friendly countries in the defence and military Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi met yesterday with the United fields and means of enhancing and developing them. The meeting was attended by a number of senior armed Kingdom ambassador to Qatar, Ajay Sharma. During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations and ways forces off icers. of developing them, in addition to matters of common concern. Jazeera Media Network meet begins today QTA’s festivals and tourism events director Mashal Shahbik, chief marketing and promotion off icer Rashed al-Qurese and Katara Hospitality’s chief corporate services off icer Salem Ghanem al-Kubaisi address a press conference yesterday about QIFF 2018. PICTURE: Thajudeen hinkers, experts, professionals and parture points for follow-up sessions cov- Range of attractions to complement QIFF 2018 culinary delights industry leaders will gather today at ering the same topics, but broken down into Tthe Marsa Malaz Kempinski for the parallel workshops on Technology, Work- Qatar International Food Festival pants bringing the best of culinary maa al-Bahar (Kuwaiti celebrity chef), of QR49 (cafes and restaurants) and second annual Al Jazeera Media Network fl ow, and Content, in order to ensure broad (QIFF) has grown since its first edi- experiences at prices not exceeding Damien Leroux (executive chef at QR99 (hotels). (AJMN) Future of Media Leaders’ Summit. subjects can be converted into actionable tion in 2010 to become one of the Q40 per dish, six food trucks, mini IDAM), Murat Bozok (Turkish celebrity Select five-star restaurants across The fi rst event, in 2017, established the detail. most-anticipated events in Qatar’s zoo, Torba — Qatar Foundation’s chef), Nino Logarta (celebrity Filipino Doha are off ering residents and summit as a platform for thought leadership On the technology side, speakers and del- growing calendar of annual festivals farmers market, off ering farm-to-table TV chef), Ramzi Choueiri (Lebanese visitors a unique opportunity to join and a source of the latest industry innova- egates such as Yousef Khalidi, CVP at Micro- and events. experiences, fireworks from 8pm (ex- celebrity chef), Sulaiman al-Qassar internationally-acclaimed chefs for tions. soft; Ken Morse, CTO at Cisco; Jeff Rosica, This year’s edition will take place cept festival opening day), Kids’ Zone (Kuwaiti celebrity TV chef) and an interactive cooking and tasting In 2018, under the headline Media and CEO of Avid; and Alfonso De Gaetano, di- March 15-25 at the Hotel Park. cinema, free group fitness classes and Masharu Morimoto (US Iron Chef). experience. Cloud — Limitless Possibilities, Al Jazeera is rector of Global Partnerships for Emerging It opens at 4pm and runs until underground parking with more than The festivities will extend to more Spaces limited to 10- 20 persons once again bringing together leaders of the Markets, Google will be participating. 12midnight on weekdays (Saturday to 2,500 slots. than 60 restaurants and cafes around per class; bookings can be made world’s most signifi cant technology compa- The media present will include Ali Shah, Wednesday) and from 4pm to 1am on The international celebrity chefs Qatar for the ‘QIFF Menu,’ off ering through the restaurants’/ hotels’ nies and media institutions to discuss press- head of Emerging Technologies and Mor- weekends (Thursday and Friday). coming to QIFF include Anna Olson special food groupings of at least reservation platforms. Fee is between ing, complex issues which the industry must wen Williams, head of Newsgathering Op- QIFF 2018 features 16 hotel partici- (pastry chef on Food Network), As- three menu items at a pre-set price QR500 and QR1,000. prioritise and understand. erations, both at the BBC, Fox Network’s The two-day summit aims to debate, in- general manager Richard Friedel, and Chris form, and discuss the latest technological Johns, chief engineer, Broadcast Strategy at developments. Sky UK and Tim Richards, chairman of the It will examine how these developments International Broadcasting Convention, will are changing human behaviour, how the be among other senior delegates taking part media industry can work with suppliers and at the summit. Met department forecasts warmer days ahead innovators to pioneer new techniques for Dr Mostefa Souag, acting director gen- content creation and distribution, and how eral of Al Jazeera Media Network, said: “Our the technology industry can respond to new priority is to continue to report the truth to emperatures in the coun- the average minimum is 17.3C. direction to southerly, it adds. day, followed by moderate daytime challenges in uncharted territory. our audience, and to do that eff ectively we try are expected to increase The report points out that “main- Climate records also show that temperature and scattered clouds. Keynote speakers will address topics in- must harness the latest technologies. Over Tgradually in the coming days, ly settled weather is expected in the the highest temperature ever re- Off shore, it will be hazy to misty cluding Media and Cloud, Cyber Security two days, we will pool the world’s media and the Qatar Met department has said. country in the coming days” along corded in Doha during March was in some places and clouds are also and Manipulated Content, Artifi cial Intelli- technological expertise, explore the limitless In a report yesterday, the with a gradual increase in the mer- 39C in 1998. expected. gence, Automation, TV+ and the Augment- possibilities ahead of us, and collaboratively weather office said the average cury level. The temperatures are ex- Meanwhile, today’s forecast says The temperature in Doha is ex- ed Newsroom. shape the industry’s future. It is a future that maximum temperature in Doha in pected to reach the early 30C levels hazy to misty conditions are likely in pected to range from 19-29C today; These keynote speeches will be the de- has never been closer.” the month of March is 27.3C and in some areas due to a shift in wind some places in the early hours of the yesterday, it was 17-29C.

Katara’s Senyar tourney in April

atara — the Cultural Village Foundation has an- nounced that it will hold, for the seventh consecu- Ktive year, the Senyar championship on April 4-21 as part of its strategy to preserve the country’s marine herit- age. The festival comprises fi shing and pearl diving con- tests with valuable prizes for the winners. Registration for the championship started on February 20 and will run until March 20. Katara general manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulai- ti said the 7th edition of the festival is expected to attract a large number of visitors. “This year’s edition will include four tournaments which are pearl diving, Senyar, Haddaq and Laff ah,” Dr al- Sulaiti said. He stressed that the festival this year will feature a di- verse range of activities for enthusiasts and visitors as well. The championship aims to revive ancestral heritage while highlighting the traditions, customs and values as- sociated with Qatar’s marine life, Dr al-Sulaiti said. Katara beach manager and chairman of Senyar festi- val organising committee Khalid al-Hitmi said the Sen- yar family tournament is open for all families, but should bring their own boat to participate. “The Senyar family tournament will be held on April 6 at the shores of Doha Corniche from 1pm, setting off from Katara beach until 6pm where they will return to Katara beach again to award the winners” al-Hitmi said. The pearl diving tournament will be held on April 4 in the old traditional methods of the ancestors in a bid to preserve Qatar’s heritage, he added. Team members for the pearl diving shall be between 8 and12 people and the top 10 teams will be nominated for the “Laff ah” tournament. The “Haddaq” tournament will start on April 12 and will run for three days while the fi nal tournament of “Laf- fah” will take place from April 18 to 21. “This year, two children are allowed on board and par- ticipate in the tournaments but must be accompanied by a close relative,” al-Hitmi said. This year’s Senyar Festival 2018 will be unique under a new theme, featuring more traditional activities based on Qatari marine heritage. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 7 QATAR

24 Doha Metro trains delivered until January: Qatar Rail

Twenty-four of the 75 Doha Metro trains have been delivered as of January, Qatar Rail informed through a tweet yesterday. “Static and dynamic testing of the trains continue,” it added.

CNA-Q invites public to attend open house

QU, QatarDebate ollege of the North Atlantic – Qatar (CNA-Q) has invited Cfuture students, parents, in- dustry representatives, and any other interested parties to attend an open house on Wednesday. Center in pact to aid “The open house will showcase our incredible campus and the expe- riential learning methods in action,” said college registrar Shawna Garrett. “During the open house, the annual CNA-Q Skills Competition will be youth initiatives running where spectators can expe- rience the applied learning that the atar University (QU) has signed College is known for,” the offi cial ex- a memorandum of understand- plained. Qing (MoU) with QatarDebate Students will participate in 50 skills Center (QD) to strengthen collabora- competitions tailored to their area of tion in heightening youth’s compe- study in Business Studies, Engineer- tencies in the art of debate through ing Technology, Health Sciences, equipping them with the best skills and Information Technology, Academic CNA-Q invites public to ‘test drive’ the campus. high-quality technologies. Studies or the Technician Certifi cate The MoU was signed by QU direc- Programme. Additionally, post-secondary stu- fessions. “As the leading provider of tor of Student Services & Activities Each competition is designed to al- dents from other institutions in Qatar Technical and Vocational Education Abdulla al-Yafei and QD Community low students to demonstrate the skills are joining the Health Sciences com- and Training in Qatar, experiential Engagement manager Jamal Jassim al- they have learned in their programme petitions as practice scenarios where and applied learning is at the root Baker in the presence of offi cials from in practical scenarios they will en- healthcare professionals have to work of what we do. By hosting our an- both institutions. counter in the Qatari workforce. together in an allied setting. nual on-campus Skills Competition, Under the terms of the MoU, the As in past years, over 200 high The CNA-Q Annual Skills Compe- we are reinforcing the importance of university will provide logistical as- school students will join the competi- tition is modelled from WorldSkills, skilled trades and vocational learning sistance to ensure the success of the tions, as a way to expose youth to their which is a global competition with a for achieving economic growth and workshops and training sessions that many vocational and technical learn- mandate to raise the profi le and rec- personal success,” said Dr Ken Ma- QD will off er on the QU campus. ing options at the College. ognition of skilled trades and pro- cLeod, president of CNA-Q. The institution will also contrib- ute to facilitating the students’ par- ticipation in training camps and local and international championships and public debates, as well as the hosting of Universities Debate Championship Abdulla al-Yafei and Jamal Jassim al-Baker signing the MoU. and Qatar Universities Debate League in Arabic and English, according to a Center, as well as Arabic and English- ward QU’s ongoing support to youth press statement. language training and specialised ses- initiatives.” QD will contribute to providing sions to QU members. Al-Baker added, “Since its incep- qualifi ed trainers to give specialised Commenting on the MoU, al-Yafei tion in 2008, QatarDebate Center has workshops and training, as well as said: “We are pleased to partner with built a strong relationship with Qatar counselling and supervision to the QatarDebate Center through this University. In this regard, QatarDe- members of QU Debate Club. memorandum of understanding. As bate Center provided Qatar Univer- Additionally, QD will assist QU Qatar’s national fi rst university, QU at- sity’s members with opportunities to in the selection and training of stu- tracts the highest number of youth as it heighten their skills through training dents to prepare them to represent the serves more than 20,000 students. Our provided by the centre’s trainers and university in international debating collaboration with QatarDebate Center referees. This memorandum of under- championships. has contributed to many achievements standing will serve to strengthen the Besides, the centre will also pro- and successful results. Through such relationship between both institutions vide an Arabic-language training pro- partnerships, we will continue in our and contribute to the development of gramme on debates to the members of eff orts to support youth activities, youth intellectual and communication QU Arabic for Non-Native Speakers events and programmes to drive for- capacities.”

HBKU’s colloquium was attended by students, staff, faculty, guests as well as members of the public. HBKU seminar discusses law and digital culture

o-organised by the College of up new avenues to study social and po- Institute’s social computing research Law and Public Policy (CLPP) litical phenomena; and methods for im- director Dr Ingmar Weber and ADGS Cand the College of Humanities proving the collection of big data. Prof general manager Christophe Billiottete. and Social Sciences (CHSS), Hamad Clinton Francis, dean of CLPP, said, As a notable provider of legal educa- Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) recently “Through in-depth discussions, we tion, both on a national and regional held a novel colloquium entitled, ‘Dig- were able to capitalise on valuable per- scale, HBKU’s CLPP off ers training to ital Humanities, Big Data, and the Law.’ spectives off ered by the experts in at- students from a variety of disciplines. The two-hour event primarily ad- tendance, as well as benefi t from com- Professors ensure that students under- dressed the multiple uses of big data pelling views on emerging trends and stand the diverse legal systems that in- and computation techniques within hu- their accompanying challenges.” form Qatari law and that govern com- manities, public policy making, and the The discussion was attended by sev- plex events and transactions. In order law. The topic is a diverse and growing eral key guests, many of whom con- to foster growth within the educational fi eld of research that brings technologi- tributed to the session as they shared system and provide broad opportuni- cal tools and computing methodologies their relevant insight and expertise. ties, the College has also developed to the study of humanities. Key speakers included CHSS faculty executive training for government and In broader terms, the colloquium dis- member Dr Salvino Salvaggio, Siemens corporate leaders. CLPP off ers a Juris cussed the way in which Middle Eastern Qatar general counsel Martin Schulz, Doctor programme, which is the fi rst culture is being defi ned and driven by CHSS assistant professor Dr Wajdi Za- graduate law degree of its kind in the digital culture; how big data has opened ghouani, Qatar Computing Research Mena region. Gulf Times 8 Monday, March 5, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Rescue teams recover black boxes at site of Iran Thousands fl ee as govt forces plane crash

Rescue teams have recovered the black boxes of a plane that crashed last month in the mountains of southwestern Iran advance in eastern Ghouta leaving 66 people dead, off icial media reported yesterday. Reuters had recovered control of farm- not enter eastern Ghouta as had “The box that recorded flight Beirut/Geneva land and towns. been planned yesterday, citing a parameters and the one with The Observatory said the ter- lack of permission. conversations in the cockpit ritory captured so far by the Syr- Russia has called for daily, have been handed over to judi- housands of civilians ian army was mostly farmland fi ve-hour humanitarian cease- cial authorities,” Reza Jafarzadeh, have fl ed advances by and the big towns of eastern fi res to allow for aid deliveries the public relations director of TSyrian government forc- Ghouta were still in rebel hands. and evacuations of civilians and Iran’s civil aviation organisation, es in eastern Ghouta in the last With no sign of meaningful wounded. told off icial news agency IRNA. two days, a war monitor and Western pressure to halt the of- No aid has been delivered, Jafarzadeh said the two black a resident said, as Damascus fensive, eastern Ghouta appears however, and the US State De- boxes of the Aseman Airlines makes rapid gains against the on course to meet the same fate partment has called the Russian ATR-72 were found on Saturday last major rebel enclave near the as other rebel areas retaken by plan a “joke”. The Russian mili- by rescue teams, who had re- capital. Assad, such as eastern Aleppo, tary said militants had imposed sumed search operations in the Government forces need to which he recovered using simi- a curfew to prevent civilians Zagros mountains on Friday after advance just a few more kilome- lar tactics in 2016. from leaving through a humani- bad weather forced them to halt tres further to split the enclave Rebels eventually withdrew tarian corridor during the truce, eff orts for nearly a week. in two, said a commander in the from eastern Aleppo in a negoti- Interfax news agency reported. They were to be handed over to alliance that backs President ated deal with the government, Rebel offi cials have consist- investigators seeking to deter- Bashar al-Assad. leaving to opposition-held ter- ently denied stopping civilians mine the cause of the accident. The Syrian Observatory for ritory near the Turkish border. from leaving. The aircraft, on a domestic flight Human Rights said govern- UN regional humanitarian Moumtzis also expressed out of Tehran, went down in a ment forces had seized around co-ordinator Panos Moumtzis concern about the situation in snowstorm on February 18 and a quarter of eastern Ghouta in said violence has escalated in Afrin, a Kurdish region under crashed at a height of about a ground assault that began on eastern Ghouta and mortars Turkish assault since January, 4,000 metres (13,000 feet). Feb. fi red into Damascus had killed saying there were “disturbing There have been no reported 27, building on a ferocious air and injured scores of civilians. reports” of civilian deaths and survivors from the plane’s 66 and artillery bombardment that “Instead of a much-needed injuries and restrictions on ci- passengers and crew. has killed hundreds. reprieve, we continue to see vilian movement. One of the main insurgent Syrians flee their homes with their belongings in the town of Beit Sawa in Syria’s besieged eastern more fi ghting, more death, and Turkish forces, supported by groups in eastern Ghouta, Jaish Ghouta region yesterday, following reported air strikes. more disturbing reports of hun- Syrian rebel groups, seized the al-Islam, said the “scorched ger and hospitals being bombed. town of Rajo on Saturday, and CONFLICT earth policy” had forced rebels rebellious areas with military It says shelling and air strikes said civilians were fl eeing to This collective punishment Turkey’s prime minister said Arms exporters to retreat and regroup, but support from Russia and Iran. have killed 659 people in eastern the town of Douma. “There are of civilians is simply unaccept- they were advancing towards vowed to recover lost territory. The multi-sided Syrian war, Ghouta since Feb 18, making the about three and a bit kilometres able,” Moumtzis said in a state- Afrin city “step by step”. The must answer for A UN humanitarian offi cial which has killed hundreds of off ensive one of the deadliest of (to go) and they will cut (eastern ment. Observatory said Turkish forces Yemen ‘war crimes’ said 400,000 people in eastern thousands of people since 2011, the war, while rebel shelling of Ghouta) in two,” the command- The United Nations later is- had advanced to within 12km of Ghouta were being subjected to has escalated on several fronts Damascus has killed 27. er told Reuters. sued a statement saying it had Afrin. Countries selling weapons to Saudi unacceptable “collective pun- this year, as the collapse of Is- Orient TV, which supports The White Helmets rescue received approval for a 46-truck Turkey’s army said yesterday Arabia and its allies must answer ishment”, which is illegal under lamic State has given way to the opposition, said advances service in eastern Ghouta post- convoy to the Ghouta town of it captured seven settlements for “war crimes” being committed the Geneva Conventions. other confl icts between Syrian by pro-Assad forces had trig- ed footage on its Facebook page Douma today, carrying health including the town of Sheikh in Yemen, Iran’s President Hassan The offi cial called for the and international parties. gered large-scale displace- showing rescue workers carry- and nutrition supplies, and food Hadid. Rouhani told his French counterpart implementation of a 30-day Turkey, backed by allied mili- ment. ing away on a stretcher a man for 27,500 people. Turkish forces have taken in a phone call yesterday. “In Yemen ceasefi re demanded by the UN tias, has gained ground in recent One resident estimated that they said had been wounded in A second trip was planned for control of the roads from Rajo we are witnessing war crimes and Security Council a week ago. days against the Kurdish YPG thousands of people were on the an air strike in Douma. Thursday. and Jandaris to Afrin, it also said countries that provide weapons US President Donald Trump militia in an off ensive it is wag- move and seeking shelter in ar- Gunfi re was audible during a “Our teams on the ground are in a statement. for Saudi Arabia and the coalition and German Chancellor Angela ing in northwestern Syria. eas further from the frontlines. broadcast by a Syrian state tele- ready to do all that is needed to Turkey has rejected Western must be answerable in this regard,” Merkel called on Thursday for The UK-based Observatory, The Observatory estimat- vision journalist from a position make this happen,” said Ali al- calls for it to suspend the Af- said Rouhani in the phone call with its immediate implementation. which reports on the war using ed that between 300 to 400 he said had been captured by the Za’tari, the UN resident and hu- rin assault in line with the UN President Emmanuel Macron. The With the war entering its what it describes as a wide range families, which is likely several advancing forces. manitarian co-ordinator, who ceasefi re, which does not apply call came just hours before French eighth year, capturing the east- of on-the-ground sources, said thousand people, had fl ed ar- The Syrian army said it had will lead the convoy. Earlier, a to Islamic State, Al Qaeda and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian ern Ghouta area would be a ma- the advances threaten to encir- eas seized by government forces been attacking rebel positions UN offi cial in Syria told Reuters groups associated with it, or was due to arrive in Tehran for talks jor victory for Assad, who has cle Afrin city, where 1mn people since Saturday. for the last two days in response a humanitarian convoy carry- other groups deemed terrorists with top off icials, including Rouhani. steadily recovered control of are estimated to live. The pro-Assad commander to the shelling of Damascus and ing life-saving supplies would by the Security Council. Skate park puts smile on faces of refugee kids Nature close-up

AFP for relocation to the United world, and that you have to try Amman States, Canada or Britain. a second and third time to suc- Salima Issa, a 26-year-old ceed,” he explained. housewife, sits on a patch of “Life is like that and we all air fl ying in the wind grass with her two-year-old learn from our mistakes,” said Manar, Amniya and son, who is busy nibbling on the 32-year-old Jordanian. HFarida hurtle down the crackers. He said around 140 boys and slopes of “7Hills Skate Park” in She watches as her son Mo- girls take free classes every the Jordanian capital Amman hamed, four, and eight-year- week, mostly run by foreign where refugee children come to old daughter Amniya cruise by volunteers. play. on their skateboards. Jordan hosts refugees from The 650-square-metre con- Issa too fl ed Darfur, where more than 40 countries, in- crete space was built in De- the confl ict that broke out in cluding over 650,000 people cember 2014 by skateboard 2003 has killed hundreds of from Syria, according to the enthusiasts from around the thousands and displaced mil- UNHCR. world. lions of others. Yussef Khaled, 14, who lost The money was raised dur- The skatepark’s name was his father in Somalia’s war, ar- ing a fundraising campaign by inspired by the topography of rived six years ago with his a German NGO and a local as- Amman, a city built on seven mother and sister, and does not sociation that off ers free classes hills. miss an opportunity to come to for the children of refugees “This park has become a the skate park. from countries such as Syria, Refugee children skate at the “7Hills Skate Park” in Amman, that breath of fresh air for young “There are not many places Iraq or Sudan. was constructed in 2014 by passionate skateboarding volunteers refugees from Sudan, Somalia, to have fun in Amman, and even Mohamed Duma, a 40-year- from all over the world thanks to an initiative launched by a Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Pales- if there were, we wouldn’t have old Sudanese man who fl ed the German NGO and a local Jordanian association. tine,” said Mohamed Zakaria, the money to go anyway,” said war in Darfur, looks on with one of the park managers. the teenager. pride and a touch of apprehen- “We come here every Mon- play and have fun for free,” said Skateboarding “is a diffi - “This place makes me for- sion as his two daughters, aged day. Life in Jordan is very ex- Duma. He has applied with the cult sport, which allows you to get that I’m a refugee,” he said, four and eight, learn to ride a pensive, it’s the only place United Nations High Commis- gain self-confi dence and learn showing off his latest trick on A bee pollinates a flower at a park in Kuwait City, yesterday. skateboard with their trainer. where I can take my girls to sioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that falling is not the end of the the skateboard.

UNREST Four soldiers, 10 Former aide of Netanyahu militants killed in Sinai campaign released, put under house arrest Egypt’s military said yesterday four soldiers and 10 militants were killed in a military opera- AFP over alleged misuse of public funds. tion in Sinai against Islamic State Tel Aviv Police are not divulging details of the group militants. The deaths raise probe but Israeli media said that police military casualties to at least 16 and Securities Authority investigators dead, along with more than 100 former aide to Israeli Prime on Friday carried out a carefully or- militants, since the start of the Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chestrated simultaneous interrogation operation on February 9, accord- Aand a top businessman were re- of six suspects at diff erent locations to ing to previous army tolls. The leased and put under house arrest yes- prevent them coordinating their testi- army launched the campaign terday after 14 days in custody over sus- monies. after Egyptian President Abdel picions of fraud involving the premier, Top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in police said. said while Netanyahu was being ques- elections for his second term this Tel Aviv magistrates court released tioned for fi ve hours at his offi cial Jeru- month, gave them a three month Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to salem residence, Sara was being grilled deadline to crush IS in Sinai. the Netanyahu family, and Shaul Elo- at national fraud squad headquarters Sisi issued his ultimatum in vitch, the controlling shareholder of near Tel Aviv. November after suspected Islamic telecoms group Bezeq, after complex Elsewhere in the same police build- State gunmen massacred more questioning of the two men, Netanya- ing, it said, Hefetz and Elovitch were than 300 worshippers in a Sinai hu, his wife and other suspects. under interrogation, along with Elo- mosque associated with Sufis. Police suspect Elovitch’s business vitch’s wife Iris and a former senior IS in Sinai has been among the was given regulatory breaks in return communications ministry offi cial, group’s most resilient aff iliates, for Netanyahu receiving positive cover- whose name is subject to a court gag or- killing hundreds of soldiers, police- age on Walla!, a news website he owns. der. All were placed in separate rooms, men and civilians in Sinai and else- Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a it said. where in Egypt. It has killed scores messenger between Netanyahu, Bezeq “Detectives who were sitting in a of Christians in church bombings and Walla! offi cials. forward command post continually re- and shootings, and bombed a He is also suspected of trying to bribe ceived updates in real time from the six Russian airliner carrying tourists a retired judge to block a probe into the separate interrogations and steered the from an Egyptian resort in 2015, prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, complex operation,” the paper added. killing all 224 people on board. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 9 AFRICA S Africa traces Flood fun! deadly listeria to processed meat, issues recall

Reuters Inquiries were ongoing at a second facil- Johannesburg ity run by Enterprise Foods to establish if it too had contributed. Listeriosis, the infection caused by the outh Africans were yesterday told bacteria, causes fl u-like symptoms, nau- not to consume ready-to-eat proc- sea, diarrhoea and infection of the blood Sessed meat as the government iden- and brain. tifi ed the source of a listeria outbreak that It poses a higher risk for newborns, the has killed 180 people as a cold meat prod- elderly, pregnant women and people with uct made by the country’s biggest con- weak immunity. sumer foods group. The outbreak has caused 180 fatalities The meat, known as “polony”, made by and 948 reported cases since January 2017. Tiger Brands unit Enterprise Food and by Tiger Brands spokeswoman Nevashnee RCL Foods, would be recalled from stores, Naicker said: “We are all extremely con- Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said. cerned by listeriosis — we all want to fi nd “We advise members of the public to the source or sources of listeriosis, togeth- avoid all processed meat products that are er with the government.” sold as ready-to-eat,” Motsoaledi said, RCL Foods chief legal offi cer Stephen adding that, due to the risk of cross-con- Heath said the company was recalling its tamination, all such foods were a potential polony products even though test results health hazard. were still pending. “We can now conclude scientifi cally “RCL Foods is sharing all results from that the source of the present outbreak is its testing, both internally and externally, A man drives a motorbike on a flooded street after heavy rain in the Kibera slum of Nairobi. the Enterprise Food production facility with the relevant authorities,” Heath said. located in Polokwane,” Motsoaledi told a “We will continue to take every precau- briefi ng at the offi ces of the National Insti- tion to safeguard our products as well as tute of Communicable Diseases. our consumers.” Tiger Brands said it was cooperating South African supermarket operator with authorities and RCL Foods said it Pick n Pay said it had withdrawn the prod- would suspend all production of its Rain- ucts from its shelves. “All fridges and food bow Polony brand. preparation areas in our stores will now be Motsoaledi said although RCL Foods re-cleaned to prevent any cross-contami- had not been identifi ed as a source of the nation. Recalled meat is being isolated and outbreak, a facility owned by the fi rm was will be safely destroyed,” spokeswoman Koroma defends record, under investigation. Tamra Capstick-Dale said in a statement. presidential candidate Malema launches AFP of Kambia that Samura Kamara, the porters waving red fl ags and cov- “All of it is intelligence driven. Kambia, Sierra Leone candidate of the ruling All Peoples ered top to toe in the red sun icon of The police who are in charge of the Congress (APC), would not act as the APC, Koroma looked at ease as security of people during elections “his master’s voice”, adding: “He is his last day in power approaches. have already been informed that ierra Leone’s outgoing leader defi nitely going to be himself.” “I’m campaigning so that our people have intentions of moving in bid for presidency has defended the presidential The president is staying on as APC party will remain in power to with machetes and others to disrupt Scandidate widely seen as his party chairman after stepping aside, continue the good work we have the process,” he said. handpicked successor on amid ac- leading to accusations he wants to started,” Koroma told the small After watching the rally, Muha- AFP cusations of personal interference, retain control of the APC from be- crowd, arguing against the infl uence madu Tuiay, 18, wouldn’t confi rm Johannesburg and hit out at opponents of an elec- hind the scenes via his former for- of social media and for continuity of who his vote would go to, but said tion day vehicle ban. eign minister. his road building programme. he wanted to improve the poor state The West African nation goes to Koroma also defended his record, Sierra Leone’s president also ad- of education in the country, where adical South African opposition the polls on Wednesday to choose a admitting he was “not saying we dressed concerns by rights groups half the population is illiterate and leader Julius Malema yesterday replacement for Ernest Bai Koroma, got it all right” with an economy that a ban on all vehicles without many are forced into work from Rlaunched his campaign to be elected who is stepping down after 10 years hit by the twin blows of Ebola and a government pass on voting day childhood. president in 2019 by aggressively distanc- as president, along with a new par- slumped commodity prices, but could disenfranchise large swathes “We are suff ering,” he told AFP. ing his party from a one-time coalition liament. also tarred by successive corruption of the population reliant on public “(It’s) the lack of teachers and the partner. Koroma told AFP at a rally over allegations. and private transport to reach poll- money we are paying for school fees The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) the weekend in the western town Surrounded by hundreds of sup- ing stations. is too much,” he said. leader used a speech at a packed arena in Johannesburg to confi rm that he would seek to unseat the mayor of Port Elizabeth whose administration his party propped- up since 2016 elections. The mayor of the south coast city, Athol Trollip, is a member of the Democratic Al- liance (DA) party which has governed Port Elizabeth as well as Johannesburg and Pre- toria with the support of Malema’s EFF. South African opposition party Economic But since the resignation last month of Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema president Jacob Zuma, long the target of talks to the press in Cape Town. Malema’s ire, the EFF has switched its at- tentions to the main opposition DA, ac- ANC’s recent resolution to seek to expe- cusing it of being a racist party that pro- dite the process of redistributing land to motes the interests of whites. “rightful owners” that is widely under- “All white people who are voting DA, stood to mean transferring land owned who are angry with what we are going to by whites to economically disadvantaged do in PE...all of you can go to hell, we don’t blacks. care about you. We don’t care about white “We want to give land to our people, it is feelings,” he said to loud applause and going to happen, it will happen in our life- cheering. time, whether they like it or not. The land “We don’t hate white people, we just will be returned,” he said. love black people.” “We are not going to listen to any Brit- Malema has sought to rebuild ties with ain, we are not going to listen to European the ruling African National Congress Parliament, we are not going to listen to (ANC) since President Cyril Ramaphosa UN — we are going to listen to the people succeeded Zuma last month. of South Africa,” Malema added. “Ramaphosa must do the right thing. He was referring to a letter sent last week We don’t care about him being a billion- by right-wing British Ukip MEP Janice At- aire, we want him to do the right thing,” kinson to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Malema. calling on London to “step in” over the is- Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when sue of land redistribution in South Africa. he was expelled from the ANC along with Malema also announced a voter regis- a number of allies, and the party now has tration drive for EFF supporters. the third largest number of MPs in the Na- “All fi ghters in all branches must be reg- tional Assembly. istered to vote. If you are not registered, In his speech, Malema welcomed the then you are a criminal.” Supporters of Sierra Leone’s All People’s Congress presidential candidate Samura Kamara hold a campaign poster during a rally in Kambia. Zambia taps climate fund to battle worsening drought

By Charles Mkoka, Reuters Programme (UNDP), the UN farming more resilient and diver- Zambia, like many of its south- Eric Chipeta, an energy and told the Thomson Reuters Foun- agricultural practices to chang- Lilongwe Food and Agriculture Organiza- sifi ed and give them better access ern African neighbours, is strug- environmental analyst in Zam- dation. ing climate conditions”, Chola tion (FAO) and the World Food to markets, said Simon Pollock, a gling with strengthening climate bia for UNDP, said the eff ort Zambia has seen increasingly Chabala, Zambia’s permanent Programme to help shore up food spokesman for the Green Climate impacts in the face of already would, for instance, provide unpredictable weather, including secretary for National Develop- ambian farmers facing security and keep farmers from Fund (GCF), in an e-mail inter- widespread poverty. Zambian farmers with insurance drought this year that hit at the ment Planning, said in a press more extreme weather slipping into poverty. view. According to the 2016 UNDP that issues automatic payouts time when maize — the country’s statement. Zare set to get better early The UN agencies had already “In addition, this intervention Human Development Report, when certain rainfall or tem- staple crop — began putting out Chipeta said that the increas- warning and weather informa- raised $125mn toward the eff ort, is specifi cally designed to cre- about 60% of the country’s peo- perature thresholds are passed, tassels, Chipeta said. ing frequency and intensity of tion to help them cope, as part of which aims to help fi ght poverty ate economic opportunities for ple live below the poverty line, and crops are presumed dead or Drought at that point can cut extreme weather already has se- a new grant from the Green Cli- among about 940,000 farmers women,” Pollock told the Thom- more than 40% of those in ex- damaged. harvests signifi cantly, experts verely aff ected Zambian farmers. mate Fund. hit by extreme weather in Zam- son Reuters Foundation. treme poverty. “The initiative will go a long say. The GCF-backed initiative will In a funding round announced bia, according to Janet Rogan, The project targets 16 particu- The report says 70% of Zam- way to strengthen the capac- In many areas of Zambia, be rolled out with support from this week, the international a UNDP representative in the larly climate-vulnerable prov- bians rely on agriculture for a living, ity of farmers to plan for climate “there is a high rate of poverty, national institutions such as climate fund approved $32mn country. inces in the country, where wors- and agriculture, forestry and fi sh- risks (and) provide the opportu- meaning eff orts to end hunger Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture toward a broader eff ort by the The eff ort aims to help farmers ening droughts and fl ooding have ing contribute 24% of the country’s nity for weather index insurance and poverty are at risk if we don’t and the Zambia Meteorological United Nations Development plan for climate risks, make their been a problem. Gross Domestic Product. even in times of poor rains,” he take immediate action to adapt Department, Chipeta said. Gulf Times 10 Monday, March 5, 2018 AMERICAS

‘Dreamers’ deadline to come and go with no action by US Congress

By Michael Mathes, AFP ing nearly 700,000 young im- yond March 5, activists and law- from the only country they have has been unable to gain suffi cient Washington migrants who signed up for the makers warn that extra time is known.” support within their Republican Deferred Action for Childhood not what focuses the mind in Congress had every opportu- Party to pass. Arrivals (DACA) program in po- Washington. nity to legislate a fi x, but the fate Meanwhile, immigration is all ongress will hit an initial tential legal limbo, and a Con- “When we have a deadline... of Dreamers has proved too divi- but sidelined. deadline today for resolv- gress red-faced over its monu- we get really serious about it,” sive for lawmakers to resolve. A recent deadly school shoot- Cing the fate of “Dreamers,” mental failure. number two Senate Democrat Last month, Democrats es- ing has put the issue of gun con- with nothing to show for months The court system has given a Dick Durbin told National Pub- sentially forced a brief govern- trol front and centre on Capitol of negotiations over nearly 2mn temporary reprieve. lic Radio. “And now we don’t ment shutdown over the issue, Hill, and lawmakers must thrash immigrants who arrived in the US Two federal judges ruled that have that deadline in the same demanding that the Senate’s Re- out a federal spending deal. illegally as children. the Trump administration can- way we did before the court de- publican leaders set aside time to Immigration activists warn When President Donald not immediately begin deporting cision.” debate immigration. time could be running out, espe- Trump last September scrapped DACA recipients after March 5 Members of the Congressional They agreed, but despite one cially if an appeals court ends the a program that shielded large while courts weigh legal chal- Hispanic Caucus wrote Home- week of fl oor debate last month, earlier judges’ injunctions with numbers of young arrivals from lenges over ending the program, land Security Secretary Kirstjen the Senate failed to pass any of no protections locked in place. deportation, he gave lawmakers and that the immigrants can be- Nielsen seeking her assurance a series of proposals addressing “This is why we need Congress six months to craft a solution. gin applying for renewals under that agents will not target DACA Dreamers. to pass a clean Dream Act that They bickered. the court order. recipients whose status has Among them was a Trump- will protect us without crimi- Young immigrants and activ- Trump recently sought to get lapsed. backed plan that would provide a Carolina Guerra, centre-right, who hasn’t seen her family in years, nalizing our families,” tweeted ists launched fi ery protests. that order overturned by the “Unfortunately, President pathway to citizenship for 1.8mn makes a phone call with Marco Antonio, at an event to reunite DACA recipient Eliana Fernan- Trump himself relentlessly Supreme Court, but the justices Trump has repeatedly demon- Dreamers, in exchange for bil- immigrants with their families from Mexico, in Los Angeles, on dez, referring to a longstanding thrust himself into the thorny declined to intervene, meaning it strated that he does not truly lions of dollars in border security Saturday. legislative proposal that would debate, tweeting about Demo- could take months before appeals want to solve this DACA crisis,” funding and dramatic curtail- grant permanent residency to crats “blowing the one great op- courts determine how offi cials they wrote last week. ment of legal immigration. lation this week that provides Conservatives in the House of Dreamers. portunity they have” to forge a can proceed. “Given this posture, it is criti- Instead, the Senate could punt. a three-year DACA extension Representatives have introduced With partisanship roiling Cap- deal. While the courts give DACA cal that DHS ensure that DACA A bipartisan pair of senators along with three years of boosted their own, more hardline legis- itol Hill, that appeared increas- No deal ever came, leav- recipients breathing room be- recipients are not deported introduced bare-bones legis- border security funding. lation addressing DACA, but it ingly unlikely.

Cities, scientists unite on climate change

By Sebastien Malo, Reuters The panel of scientists’ growing expected to grow to 66% by 2050, The push to reinforce ties be- US Northeast interest in cities mirrors fl edgling according to the UN. tween scientists and local govern- Edmonton, Canada recognition among global leaders The decision by the IPCC to pay ments comes at a pivotal time as that breakneck urbanisation must special attention to cities was long many cities prepare to invest in new limate scientists and city be steered on a path toward reduc- overdue, Miller said in a telephone infrastructure, said Henry David planners are to start chart- ing planet-warming greenhouse interview. “It would have been Venema of the International Insti- Cing a global roadmap on gases, said Miller. helpful to have this kind of science tute for Sustainable Development. how cities can best battle climate The stakes are high: cities ac- ten years ago,” said Miller, who Many countries “urgently” need still grapples change, when they gather today at a count for an estimated 75% of car- was mayor of Toronto from 2003 to replace roads, railways and other UN-backed summit in Edmonton. bon emissions, according to UN to 2010. “But the good news from urban structures reaching the end The three day gathering marks fi gures. Under the Paris climate my perspective is that city lead- of their lifespan, and some cities the fi rst time cities rather than na- agreement, nearly 200 countries ership is both acknowledged and need to build brand new infrastruc- tions are off ered a seat at the table agreed to curb planet-warming welcomed now.” ture to cope with people migrating of the Intergovernmental Panel on emissions enough to keep the US President Donald Trump’s to urban areas, said Venema. Climate Change (IPCC), the UN’s rise in global temperatures to well opposition to the Paris accord has “City offi cials need to build in with fl oods top scientifi c authority on global below two degrees Celsius (3.6 lent momentum to initiatives by climate-resilient concepts as they warming, organisers say. Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial local authorities waging their own plan for this cycle of critical infra- “What this will do...is signifi - times, ideally to 1.5 degrees. war against climate change, said structure investment,” Venema, cantly advance the science that But without unprecedented Aseem Prakash, founding director who is director of planning at the mayors and city governments action temperatures could rise of the University of Washington’s think tank’s Prairie Climate Cen- need on which to base their ac- above 1.5 degrees, according to a Center for Environmental Politics. tre in Winnipeg, Canada, told the tions,” said David Miller, North draft report by the IPCC seen by Trump announced last year he was Thomson Reuters Foundation. and outages America’s director for the C40 Reuters earlier this year. pulling his country, the world’s sec- The IPCC summit is expected to Cities network, one of the organ- About 50% of the world’s pop- ond biggest emitter of heat-trap- draw 750 delegates from about 80 Reuters setts, Rhode Island, and Long Island, NY. isers of the summit. ulation live in urban areas, a fi gure ping carbon dioxide, out of the deal. countries. Princeton, NJ “We’re defi nitely not out of the woods yet,” said meteorologist David Roth at the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center in College ore than 1.5mn customers remained Park, Maryland. without power throughout the east- Falling trees killed seven people — includ- Mern United States early yesterday and ing two boys who died when trees struck their At joke-fi lled dinner, Trump suggests meet with N Korea communities on the New England coast faced homes — in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, more fl ooding two days after a powerful storm Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia, ac- snapped trees, downed wires and killed at least cording to local media and police. Reuters high-level delegation of South Korean offi cials nine people. Two others died in the storm, according to Washington will travel to North Korea today to discuss im- The remnants of the storm, known as a media reports, including a 41-year-old man in proving relations on the peninsula and possible nor’easter, lingered yesterday with fl ood Andover, New Jersey, who came in contact with talks between Washington and Pyongyang. watches and wind advisories in eff ect until 1pm power lines. n the midst of a joke-fi lled monologue at After the two-day visit to North Korea, in northeastern United States even as it moved Private forecasting service AccuWeather said a dinner with journalists, President Don- the special envoys will travel to the United hundreds of miles out to sea, hampering eff orts the storm dumped as much as 46cm of snow on Iald Trump suggested on Saturday that the States to brief offi cials on their discussions in to restore power. parts of New York state and Pennsylvania. United States will be meeting with North Korea Pyongyang, South Korea’s presidential Blue The governors of both Massachusetts and The Massachusetts town of East Bridgewater but has told Pyongyang it must fi rst “denuke.” House said. New York declared a state of emergency on Sat- received nearly 15cm of rain, the NWS said. “Now we are talking and they, by the way, Trump’s remarks on North Korea came to- urday afternoon, following similar announce- The storm also snarled transportation from called up a couple of days ago. They said that ward the end of a 30-minute speech in his fi rst ments by the governors of Virginia and Mary- the Middle Atlantic into New England, with ‘we would like to talk.’ And I said ‘So would we, press dinner since taking offi ce 13 months ago. land on Friday. more than a quarter of fl ights into and out of but you have to denuke, you have to denuke,’” President Donald Trump salutes on his return Gridiron Club members don wigs and cos- The moves give those states access to federal New York’s three major airports and Boston’s Trump told attendees at the annual Gridiron to the White House in Washington from Palm tumes to perform satirical skits skewering the resources. airport cancelled on Friday, tracking service Club dinner. Beach, Florida, on Saturday. president and Washington political class, a The storm carried hurricane-force winds in FlightAware.com reported. “We will be meeting and we’ll see if anything tradition dating back to 1885. excess of 145kph, sending seawater churning The problems carried over into Saturday, positive happens,” he added. is concerned, that’s his problem, not mine,” Presidents typically deliver a humorous into streets in Boston and nearby shore towns — with hundreds of fl ights cancelled into and out It was unclear if Trump was joking or if for- Trump said. speech at the event and do not disclose new the second time the area has been fl ooded this of New York and Boston, according to the web- mal US-North Korea talks were imminent. If a meeting were to come together, it would policy initiatives. year. site. “I won’t rule out direct talks with Kim Jong- be the fi rst between the Trump administration Trump rattled off a series of jokes that got The National Weather Service (NWS) said One fl ight landing at Washington’s Dulles In- un. I just won’t,” he said, referring to North and Pyongyang, which are in a standoff over plenty of laughs, skewering members of his that while winds had weakened yesterday and ternational Airport on Friday experienced tur- Korea’s leader. North’s development of nuclear weapons ca- own Cabinet like Treasury Secretary Steve most of the rain and snow has moved off shore, bulence so rough that most passengers became Trump did, however, make a joke at his own pable of hitting the United States. Mnuchin and Attorney General Jeff Sessions fl ooding and extreme high tides could still af- sick and the pilots were on the verge of becom- expense. Trump’s remarks came shortly before South and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were fect the coastal areas from Maine, Massachu- ing ill, the Federal Aviation Administration said. “As far as the risk of dealing with a madman Korea’s presidency announced yesterday that a all present in the Washington hotel ballroom.

Fearing mass shootings, some schools turn to armoured equipment

By Cyril Julien, AFP armoured devices, sold both to fi gures but says that since the teachers carry guns, as suggested Berlin, United States American police departments Parkland shooting, “sales have by President Donald Trump. and the US Army. been skyrocketing.” Tull, who is set to retire at the Shocked by the 2012 massacre Prices range from $75 for a end of the school year, admits he inda Bragg wrote a “quote at Sandy Hook Elementary School backpack insert to $1,000 for a is “not too crazy” about the idea of the day” on the small in Newtown, Connecticut, where whiteboard capable of stopping of arming teachers. Lwhiteboard in her class- a young shooter killed 26 people rounds from an assault rifl e. “At the same time, I’m not to- room, a teaching aid that can — including 20 six- and seven- “It’s a last, last resort for per- tally opposed to it if it were done double as a bullet-resistant year-old children — Hardwire’s sonal protection,” Tunis said. in the right way...I don’t turn shield in the event of a school boss, George Tunis, saw a way to At Worcester Prep, with 500 every idea away.” shooting. help out while moving into a new students from kindergarten Bragg, for her part, is resolute- The tablets, made of poly- market: classrooms. through 12th grade, adminis- ly opposed. ethylene fi bre and weighing just When a shooter entered a high trators, teachers and students’ “I personally don’t want to 1.5kg, have been in the class- school in Parkland, Florida on parents say they are fans of the shoot a gun,” she said. rooms of Worcester Preparatory February 14 and began fi ring his whiteboards. “I am not a very big person. I School in historic Berlin, Mary- assault rifl e, the school’s assist- “Whiteboards have given our am 45kg, so someone could easily land since 2013. ant football coach, Aaron Feis, teachers a real comfort,” said overtake me” and take her gun. Berlin, which features a popu- was among the fi rst of the 17 vic- Barry Tull, 72, who is in his 33rd “It would cause more harm than lation of 5,000 and is located just tims to be gunned down as he at- year as Worcester’s headmaster. good.” miles from some popular Atlan- tempted to protect students from Though some teachers were Spraul suggested she might tic beaches, calls itself “Ameri- the gunfi re. initially “not at ease” with the support a carefully organised ca’s coolest small town.” Tunis said he believes his com- idea, “as they trained to use this plan to arm some teachers. The prep school’s whiteboards, pany’s shield “would have made a as one more piece of security, “How extreme do we have to measuring some 50cm and 45cm, diff erence.” they got very comfortable,” he get?” she asked thoughtfully, be- look like those used in many In addition to the protective said. fore adding, “Never say never.” classroom around the country. whiteboards, Hardwire makes Many Berlin residents support “That would be wonderful if But with handles screwed to armoured clip boards, tablets and the whiteboards. teachers knew how to have self- their backs, they are designed to notebooks. “It’s a good start,” said Jessica defence,” Spraul said. “But don’t allow a teacher like Bragg to pro- It also makes hardened inserts, Collins, 34, a local police offi cer. just hand out pistols!” tect herself from an assailant’s the size of a notebook, that can be “They’re taking very good pro- But to Tunis, the Hard- bullets. placed in a student’s backpack. tective measures.” wire chairman, putting guns in The whiteboards are pro- The company equips schools And Gretchen Spraul, mother schools would be “nuts.” duced not far from Berlin by a in Maryland, Minnesota and Del- of a fi rst grader, called it “a huge “Just imagine, I’m a teacher, I small company, Hardwire, which aware, and exports outside the comfort level for all the parents.” shot at a shooter, miss him and George Tunis, CEO of Hardwire, demonstrates the use of his bulletproof backpack inserts at his factory has become a world leader in country as well. Some in this rural town also hit a student. What’s your men- in Pocomoke City, Maryland. bullet-resistant equipment and It refuses to reveal its revenue say they would favour having tal state? What do you do now?” Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 11 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Fears of rising PNG death toll Australia checks if listeria-contaminated rockmelons were exported after region’s ‘worst quake in Reuters whose rockmelons, also called declined to name possible export all government departments domestic or export markets,” she up to six weeks to appear. The Sydney cantaloupes, had been contami- destinations, or if any had been contacted refused to name the said. State health offi cials have fl u-like symptoms can lead to century’ nated with listeria, is an exporter recalled, while the investigation company that is the focus of the confi rmed they began investigat- nausea, diarrhoea, infection of of produce. was underway. health scare. ing the listeria outbreak on Feb- the blood stream and brain. Local communities are ustralian authorities The Department of Agricul- Australian rockmelons with an But, Dianne Fullelove, indus- ruary 19. The bacteria is found in soil, struggling to cope with said yesterday they were ture and Water Resources told export value of about $20mn per try development manager for Listeriosis does not cause ill- water and vegetation and can the aftermath of a major Achecking whether rock- Reuters via e-mail that it was year go to Singapore, Hong Kong, the Australian Melon Associa- ness in many people but it can re- contaminate food anywhere dur- earthquake that hit Papua melons had been exported from investigating whether any rock- New Zealand, the United Arab tion, told Reuters by text mes- sult in serious sickness and death ing the production process from New Guinea’s remote a farm where fruit contaminated melons, also called cantaloupes, Emirates and Brunei, the Aus- sage that the grower had issued in those with weakened immune harvesting to serving. highlands almost a week with listeria has been found to had been exported. tralian Melon Industry says in a a trade-level recall, meaning that systems. Foods that can pose a risk of ago, reports said yesterday, have killed three elderly people “Australia will be issuing no- report on its website. its produce should not be on sale Health authorities assured listeriosis include pre-cut mel- amid fears of a rising death and caused illness in at least 12 tifi cations in line with interna- The suspect cantaloupes anywhere, either inside or out- the public that all contaminated ons, cold salads, raw seafood and toll. The highlands in the others. tional obligations when aff ected were found to have been farmed side the country. rockmelons were removed from smoked salmon, unpasteurised Pacific nation’s interior about New South Wales Food Au- countries are identifi ed,” the at Nericon in the eastern state “There is none of the produce Australian supermarket shelves. milk products, sprouted seeds 600km north-west of Port thority said that the company department said in the e-mail. It of New South Wales, however, from the implicated farm now in Listeriosis symptoms can take and raw mushrooms. Moresby were struck by a 7.5-magnitude tremor last week, and also shaken by a series of strong aftershocks Tasmanian Liberals returned to office in subsequent days. The government has declared a Australia’s state of Tasmania more Tasmanians, for Tasmania’s state of emergency and sent Former deputy PM Joyce airs has returned the conservative unemployment rate to be the relief workers to the Southern Tasmanian Liberals to off ice with second lowest of any state in Highlands, Western, Enga a clear majority in an election the country, and for Tasmanian and Hela provinces, which fought largely on jobs and poker businesses to be the most confi- have been hit by downed machines. The southern state, dent of any state in the country. communications, landslides paternity doubts after scandal an island the size of Sri Lanka To have got our budget back and sinkholes, and toppled with a population of 519,000, from deficits into surpluses,” homes and buildings. “This went to the polls on Saturday. Hodgman said in the speech. was the biggest earthquake AFP National Party – which rules all of the conception period, but The Liberals had held 15 seats Opposition leader Rebecca in a hundred years (in the Sydney alongside Turnbull’s Liberals in said he would not get a paternity in Tasmania’s 25-seat House of White of Tasmanian Labor said highlands) and it spread a governing coalition – and his test. The baby boy is due in April, Assembly going into Saturday’s the state-wide swing back to 150km across the fault resignation appeared to end the according to Joyce. “It’s mine, election and secured the 13 Labor had put the Liberal gov- line,” humanitarian duty n aff air that led to the saga for the embattled govern- on the record, there it is,” he told seats they needed for majority ernment on notice that they had off icer Darian Clark of the resignation of Australia’s ment. The coalition has a wafer- Fairfax. “And can I say, even if it government. That was despite to make decisions to benefit the Australian High Commission Adeputy prime minister thin parliamentary majority and wasn’t, I wouldn’t care, I’d still the opposition Tasmanian Labor people “and not somebody’s rich (embassy) said in a statement took a bizarre twist yesterday af- has been hit in recent months by go through this, I’d still love him.” party picking up an extra three mate”. She criticised the gaming on Saturday. “A number of ter he questioned the paternity a series of controversies that has The Daily Telegraph reporter seats after campaigning strongly industry’s relationship with the urban settlements, as well as of the baby carried by his partner shaken its grip on power. who revealed the aff air said on against poker machines which it Liberals, saying their election villages, have been aff ected, and former aide. But the issue fl ared up again Twitter yesterday that Joyce’s had vowed to remove from pubs campaign was the “most well- many in the form of landslides Barnaby Joyce quit and moved when Joyce – who left his wife of claims that his offi ce was not and clubs by 2023. Premier Will resourced” in Tasmania’s election and landslips, which means to the back benches last month 24 years for the former adviser – asked about paternity were un- Hodgman of the Tasmanian Lib- history. that roads have been cut after his aff air with the young- told Fairfax Media in an interview true. The aff air sparked a rift be- erals had set a target to reduce “It should not be the case that off , water contaminated, er ex-staff er made headlines published late Saturday that the tween the Liberal and National Tasmania’s unemployment rate you can buy a seat in the Tasma- power knocked out and other for weeks and raised questions identity of the biological father parties, with Turnbull criticis- to the lowest in the country by nian parliament.” A controversy widespread eff ects for the about whether he had breached was “a grey area”. He claimed ing Joyce’s behaviour and voic- 2022 if re-elected. In his victory over gun laws in Tasmania erupt- local people.” Numerous ministerial rules. The scandal led Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, which ing sympathy for his wife, four speech to the tally room late on ed on the eve of the election, communities have yet to Prime Minister Malcolm Turn- broke the story of the aff air in daughters and Campion. Even Barnaby Joyce Saturday night he said Tasmani- after the contents of a Liberal be reached by aid workers bull to impose a ban on relation- early February, had “never even though Joyce – who was re- ans had voted for “no change”. Party member of parliament’s and it was not known how ship between ministers and their asked if it was Joyce’s bundle”. placed by Nationals MP Michael he worked with Campion were “I’m so proud of what we have letter to firearms owners promis- badly they were aff ected, staff , in an overhaul of the cabi- Joyce believes he and the McCormack in both roles – has under scrutiny in Senate (upper done to kick-start an economy ing to relax restrictions became seismologist Mathew net code of conduct. former aide, 33-year-old Vikki stepped down, his expenses dur- house) hearings last week. and to create jobs for 10,000 widely known. Moihoi of PNG’s Geophysical Joyce was the leader of the Campion, were apart for almost ing and after the period when Observatory told AFP. Moon to send special envoys to North today

AFP security. He chose fi ve senior of- before a thaw in the run-up to Seoul fi cials — including national se- the Winter Olympics. Moon, curity advisor Chung Eui-yong who advocates dialogue with the and spy chief Suh Hoon — to visit North’s nuclear-armed regime, outh Korean President Pyongyang, Moon’s spokesman said last week that Washington Moon Jae-in will send a said. Suh is a veteran in dealings needs to “lower the threshold for Steam of special envoys — with the North. He is known to talks” with Pyongyang. including Seoul’s spy chief — have been deeply involved in But the US has ruled out any to the North today to push for negotiations to arrange two pre- possibility of talks before the talks between Washington and vious inter-Korean summits in North takes steps towards denu- Pyongyang on nuclear weapons. 2000 and 2007. clearisation, and imposed what The delegation, announced by “The special delegates will Trump hailed as the “toughest Moon’s offi ce yesterday, is the have extensive discussions over ever” sanctions on Kim’s regime latest chapter in a remarkable Ol- issues including creating condi- late last month. ympics-driven detente between tions for North-US talks to de- On Saturday, a foreign min- the two Koreas. nuclearise the Korean peninsula istry spokesman in Pyongyang An intense rapprochement and improving inter-Korea ties,” called on the US drop any pre- saw the two foes march togeth- Yoon Young-chan told reporters. conditions for talks. “The US is er at the South’s Pyeongchang The 10-member group — fi ve taking preposterous action by Kim Jong-un Winter Olympics that ended top delegates and fi ve support- continuing to trumpet an insist- February 25, with the North’s ing offi cials — would fl y to the ence that it will not have dialogue But the South Korean presi- could at least discuss ways to leader Kim Jong-un sending his North’s capital Pyongyang today unless a right condition is met,” dent responded by stressing the stop the North from conducting sister as a special envoy to the afternoon and return to Seoul to- the unnamed spokesman was importance of having the right any more ICBM tests,” he said. event. Kim Yo-jong’s appearance morrow, Yoon said. quoted as saying by the state-run “conditions” for talks, suggest- Pyongyang’s weapons tests, at the Games’ opening ceremony Other members include Suh’s KCNA news agency. ing a step towards denuclearisa- which demonstrated rapid made global headlines, marking deputy at the National Intel- The North has stressed that it tion demanded by Washington. progress in the country’s missile the fi rst visit to the South by a ligence Service as well as Chun Moon Jae-in had no intention of abandoning The Pyongyang trip by his rep- technology, alarmed the US and member of the Kim family since Hae-sung, the vice minister of its nuclear arsenal, hailed by Kim resentatives may be a fi rst step prompted calls by some in Wash- the end of the Korean war. Seoul’s unifi cation ministry, the talks to offi cials in Washing- claims its inter-continental as a “treasured sword of justice” towards creating such condi- ington to launch pre-emptive at- Moon has sought to use the which handles cross-border af- ton, Yoon added. ballistic missiles (ICBMs) can to protect his nation from poten- tions, said Cheong Seong-chang, tacks on the North. Pyeongchang Games to open fairs. Last year, the isolated and im- now hit the US mainland. The tial invasion by the US. Kim Yo- an analyst at the Sejong Institute “They can start from there... dialogue between Washington They will meet with “high- poverished North staged its most North’s leader Kim and US Presi- jong, during her visit last month, think tank, said in a statement. in a bid to eventually discuss po- and Pyongyang in the hopes of level North Korean offi cials” dur- powerful nuclear test and test- dent Donald Trump also traded extended her brother’s invitation “You can’t expect them to pro- tential suspension of the North’s easing a nuclear standoff that ing the two-day trip, and then fl y fi red several missiles in defi ance threats of war and personal in- for Moon to visit Pyongyang for a duce any major agreement with nuclear and missile activities in has heightened fears over global to the US to explain the result of of UN sanctions. Pyongyang sults, sending tensions soaring summit. this trip alone, but maybe they the future,” Cheong said. China downplays lifting of presidential term limit

AFP lic on February 25 in a report by ences, refl ect new achievements Beijing the offi cial Xinhua news agency. and lay out new guidelines to re- The announcement sparked a main relevant,” Zhang said. rare bout of public criticism, “Revising the constitution is hina sought yesterday to prompting censors to work fu- certainly a big event in the coun- downplay the Commu- riously to stamp out dissenting try’s political life and it is also a Cnist Party’s move to scrap posts on social media. major legislative activity that presidential term limits, a deci- Xi has consolidated power will have wide-ranging impli- sion that could pave the way for since taking offi ce as party chief cations.” US President Donald Xi Jinping to remain president in 2012 but the move to lift presi- Trump had his own views on Xi’s for life. The National People’s dential term limits surprised power play on Saturday, accord- Congress (NPC), China’s par- even the most experienced Chi- ing to audio from a closed-door liament, will vote on March 11 na watchers. China’s late para- Florida fundraiser at his Mar-a- on constitutional amendments mount leader Deng Xiaoping Lago resort published by news which include the scrapping of a championed a system of “col- outlet CNN. “He’s now presi- rule limiting the top leader to two Xi Jingping lective” leadership to prevent a dent for life,” the 71-year-old US fi ve-year terms. return of the chaotic years un- president said, eliciting chuckles NPC spokesman Zhang Yesui “It is conducive to uphold the Zhang revealed that the par- der Mao Zedong’s one-man rule from the crowd of Republican told a news conference that the authority of the Central Com- ty’s Central Committee proposed from 1949 to his death in 1976. donors. “And look, he was able to move will merely align the presi- mittee of the party with comrade the constitutional amendments, The presidential term limits were do that. I think it’s great.” dency with the titles of Commu- Xi Jinping at the core and also which include adding Xi’s epon- engraved in the state constitu- He garnered even more laughs nist Party general secretary and to unify leadership,” Zhang said ymous political guidelines to the tion in 1982. “The constitution when he quipped: “Maybe we’ll A member of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) stands guard Military Commission chairman, on the eve of the opening of the country’s charter, in January. But must adapt to the changing cir- have to give that a shot some in front of a portrait of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong at the which do not have term limits. NPC’s annual session. the decision was fi rst made pub- cumstances, include new experi- day.” Tiananmen in Beijing, China, yesterday. Gulf Times 12 Monday, March 5, 2018 BRITAIN Loophole used to cut aff ordable housing in rural England

Guardian News and Media id, to announce a tightening of the of England than would have been ability assessments to argue that planning policy framework. the young families and workers “Cornwall missed out on 232 London rules in a speech he is to deliver if local rules had been followed to meeting set ratios of aff ordable Polly Neate, Shelter’s chief which they need to be sustain- aff ordable homes where viabil- today on how to change planning the letter. homes would cut their profi ts to executive, said: “With this new able.” ity assessments were submitted rules to tackle the housing crisis. Now, with the CPRE, the below 20%, at which point they research we can see for the fi rst One area covered by the study so that these sites will deliver evelopers are managing While developers are required charity has carried out studies have the legal ability under cur- time the true scale of our hous- is the south-west, where high just 26% aff ordable housing to dodge building tens by local authorities to provide a highlighting the same problem rent law to negotiate to reduce ing crisis – it’s not just blighting housing demand from people when they would have delivered Dof thousands of aff ord- proportion of aff ordable homes in rural areas where prices are how many they are required to cities but our towns and villages, seeking to buy second homes and 40% if local policy had been fol- able homes in rural areas where – often about 30% – in any new often high but wages low, mean- build. too. Developers are using this le- people looking for a place to re- lowed,” the Shelter/CPRE report they are most needed because development, many use “vi- ing local residents and workers The two organisations say that gal loophole to overpower local tire results in homes often selling says. of a legal loophole in planning ability assessments” to negotiate fi nd themselves priced out of the developers often deliberate over communities and are refusing to at more than nine times average “In one example, a land pro- laws, according to research by the down the number by arguing that market. paying for land on which to build build the aff ordable homes they earnings for the area. moter succeeded in eliminating homeless charity Shelter and the the requirement would adversely Looking at eight rural councils in the knowledge that they can need.” The report says that despite aff ordable homes from a Redruth Campaign to Protect Rural Eng- aff ect their profi t margins. over one year, the analysis shows use the system to at least recoup Crispin Truman, the CPRE’s this huge aff ordability gap de- scheme on the grounds it was not land (CPRE). Last year Shelter conducted that half the aff ordable homes the extra cost by driving down chief executive, said: “CPRE is velopers have still been able to fi nancially viable, reducing the The fi ndings of a hard-hitting research showing that the use of which councils were required to the amount of aff ordable homes calling for urgent action from the exploit the loophole to cut the quota from 40% of the develop- report by the two organisations viability assessments in 11 local build were lost when viability as- they are required to build. government to close the loop- number of aff ordable homes that ment to zero – before going on to will place added pressure on the authorities across England con- sessments were used by develop- Shelter and the CPRE have hole to increase the delivery of would have been built if they advertise the land as an attractive Housing, Communities and Local tributed to 79% fewer aff ordable ers. called for urgent action by Javid aff ordable housing, otherwise had stuck to the local authority development opportunity with a Government Secretary, Sajid Jav- homes being built in urban areas Developers were using vi- as part of a rewrite of the national rural communities risk losing policy. guide price of £1.3mn.”

Women march in Charities London for gender equality slam ‘open

Guardian News and Media London season’ on housands of people joined a march in central London Tcalling for gender equality and to celebrate the 100th an- niversary of women getting the vote. The event, organised by the street people charity Care, was the sixth an- nual #March4Women, which is Guardian News and Media A spokesperson said plans to nonsense”, adding: “In terms of held each year on or near Inter- London expand the number of wardens begging we know that the real- national Women’s Day on March were being worked on. ity is that there are people not 8. Jon Sparkes, chief executive of in genuine need. That’s hor- Organisers promised an “up- harities have expressed Crisis, the national charity for rendous and it’s wrong but we lifting and inspiring” march, concern about an “open homeless people, said: “There shouldn’t penalise people who which aimed to shine a spotlight Cseason” on homeless peo- seems to have been a bit of an are in need.” on the inequality women and ple following tough language by open season with people trying One problem was a lack of girls face worldwide. police and political fi gures and to adopt approaches which are consistency by councils taking Politicians from diff erent par- vigilante threats to “fake home- somehow seeking to ‘other’ peo- diff erent approaches, he said, ties, as well as groups represent- less”. ple on the street, for example by while praising the emphasis on ing all religions stood shoulder to Those working on the frontline referring to ‘aggressive begging’ tackling homelessness by the shoulder as they marched on the suggested that rough sleepers or ‘clearing the streets’ and so new mayor of the West Midlands, same historic route taken by the and others might be facing a cold on. Andy Street. suff ragettes last century. climate in a broader sense even Hodge added: “The reality is Banners reading “Let’s fi nish as a major operation swung into “The reality is that that we are dealing with human what the suff ragettes started” action to shelter homeless peo- we are dealing with beings who are on the streets for and “Close the pay gap” were ple amid heavy snow and falling human beings who are many diff erent, complex reasons, held aloft during the rally in Tra- temperatures. on the streets for many but I do wonder if we are increas- falgar Square, which followed At least one homeless man has diff erent, complex ingly living in a society which the march. Speeches were made died during the freezing weather: reasons, but I do wonder now thinks it’s OK for some by the London Mayor, Sadiq he was found dead on Tuesday in if we are increasingly people to think the way they do. Khan, and activists Bianca Jag- his tent in the snow in Retford, living in a society which There’s also the growth of the ger, Helen Pankhurst, Shola Nottinghamshire. now thinks it’s OK for right-wing media which pushes Mos-Shogbamimu and Faeeza Police in Cambridgeshire some people to think the a certain narrative.” Vaid, with a video address by the claimed last week that every sin- way they do” Rick Henderson, chief execu- singer Annie Lennox. gle “homeless” beggar in Ely was tive of Homeless Link, said the Sandi Toksvig, the broadcaster making “substantial amounts of “It’s important to say that not charity had also been worried and co-founder of the Women’s money” and that the city had no all homeless people are begging about reports of hostile respons- Equality party, also appeared. genuine rough sleepers. and not all people begging are es from councils and commu- Ahead of the march she said: There was also an outcry over homeless. But there are people nity groups to the rising levels “We’ve been marching for 100 a campaign launched by a busi- who are doing both and frankly of people sleeping rough. “This years. Now’s the time to put our nessman in Torquay, Devon, in if someone has got to the point approach is both unsympathetic foot down.” which volunteers photographed in their life where they are beg- and unhelpful, as it does nothing Leading the march was Pan- people and put up posters warn- ging then there is an issue to be to solve the root causes of home- khurst, the great-granddaughter ing “fake homeless” people that concerned about and dealt with lessness or other complex sup- of suff ragette Emmeline Pan- they would be “cross-refer- rather than looking at aggressive port needs.” khurst, who said “right across enced”. ways of removing people.” In Torquay, Chris Pannell, the board in every sphere there’s Separately, the leader of Sparkes suggested that recent of the Torbay homeless charity work to be done” to ensure gen- Windsor council – who sparked developments needed to be seen Friends of Factory Row, linked der equality. uproar over his call for rough in the context of legal instru- the campaign there to what he She said there was a “great sleepers to be cleared from the ments given to local authorities described as more widespread energy” and that “day after day town before the royal wedding under the Localism Act to tackle open expressions of prejudice to- after day there’s a media story in May – said on Twitter on rough sleeping in particular ways wards rough sleepers. saying we are not going to toler- Thursday that there would be a and that this may have led in part “If we begin to blame beggars ate this any more”. major investment next month in to some statements. “A lot of that and rough sleepers for the ills of Khan donned a “deeds not community wardens to focus on also has to do with the fact that our community – and seaside words” sash and said he was a anti-social behaviour across the people in positions of power are resorts who rely on visitors are “proud feminist”. He said there borough. looking for shortcuts.” particularly sensitive to this is- were too few women in parlia- The council had earlier in the Barrie Hodge, of the Birming- sue – then there can be an under- ment and boardrooms across the month withdrawn plans to fi ne ham-based homeless charity St class that is easily dehumanised country, adding that a 50% gen- rough sleepers £100 as part of a Basils, described the comments and becomes more likely to be der balance should be a fl oor to Protesters hold placards as they demonstrate during the March4Women event in central London strategy enforced by wardens. of police in Ely as “absolute targeted,” he said. aim towards, not a ceiling. yesterday. Topshop’s Green seeks ‘truce’ with MP

Guardian News and Media BHS with a £571mn black hole in its shop and Miss Selfridge, and is also in London pension scheme in April 2016. The defi cit. Arcadia has highlighted plans comment was the latest in a long-run- agreed last year to double its pension ning dispute between the two men. contributions to £50mn a year. ir Philip Green, the Topshop In his latest letter to Field, Green owner, has written to MP Frank “Why don’t we call a truce. You wrote that “if the company is sold, SField calling for a “truce” in their say it is not personal, it could there are pension obligations and there long-running public spat over the col- not be more personal. Go and is a process that they will need to ad- lapse of the BHS retail chain. tackle Carillion or someone here to should that arise”. He also said Writing in a letter to the chair of the else. I think 18 months later the pensions regulator was satisfi ed House of Commons work and pen- everyone is bored with this that processes are in place to protect sions select committee at the end of story” funds were Arcadia sold. last month, leaked to the Mail on Sun- Green has been forced to deny Ar- day, the retail tycoon told Field it was Green, who sold the chain for £1 cadia is up for sale in recent weeks, time to “avoid another public spat, to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell after leaks to the Sunday Times sug- that you so enjoy”. a year before the retailer shut down, gested he asked HSBC to help him fi nd “Why don’t we call a truce. You say agreed to pay £363mn in cash to res- a buyer. it is not personal, it could not be more cue the BHS pension scheme. He has His spokesman said yesterday that personal. Go and tackle Carillion or threatened Field with legal action af- neither Green or his wife, who is the someone else. I think 18 months later ter the politician claimed to have seen principal shareholder of the company, everyone is bored with this story,” he leaked details of the offi cial investiga- had ever “met formally with HSBC re- wrote. tion into the BHS crisis. garding disposal of Topshop, Topman, Last month, Field, the chair of the Field has also since pursued assur- or any part of the Arcadia Group, nor Commons work and pensions com- ances from Green over the health of the have they ever instructed the bank to mittee, said he thought Green had “got pension scheme at his Arcadia Group, fi nd a buyer for all or part of the busi- away with murder” over the failure of which includes fashion outlets Top- ness”. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 13 BRITAIN/IRELAND Drug-related mental health admissions to hospitals soar

Guardian News and Media people for what the NHS calls intoxication due to drugs, and health service’s statistical arm, from 232 in 2006-07 to 1,397 reational drug use fi gures much is the NHS’s inability to deal London “drug-related mental and be- symptoms of both dependence shows that in 2016-17 hospitals in 2016-17. Numbers were also among over-65s, so we must with this – for example, in rela- havioural disorders” than they and withdrawal from them, in England admitted 82,135 peo- up among those aged 75 and assume that these are prob- tion to the amount of time a GP did 10 years ago. as well as psychotic disorders ple of all ages for these types of over, from 183 to 559 – a rise of ably psychiatric drugs of some can spend with any one patient,” oaring numbers of chil- The statistics record damag- and amnesia caused by taking problems. That was 115% more 205%. description. That would chime added Shapiro. dren, young people and ing changes to people’s mental them. than the 38,170 they treated as Harry Shapiro, director of with the signifi cant rise in the The number of under-16s Spensioners in England are states as a result of taking il- The numbers also include inpatients for such episodes in DrugWise, a drugs information number of prescriptions for has almost doubled, from 402 being taken to hospital after suf- licit drugs, such as cannabis and people who are delirious or ex- 2006-07. charity, said the rises could be antidepressants and also the to 799, over the past decade. fering serious mental disorders cocaine, and also from the use hibiting other signs of harmful The biggest rise has been due to growing numbers of older continuing large-scale prescrib- And there has also been a sharp as a result of taking drugs, NHS of painkillers, alcohol and sol- eff ects of drug taking. among people in the decade people taking prescribed drugs ing of tranquillisers. rise among those aged 16 to 24. fi gures reveal. vents. The latest data on people after retirement. The number to combat loneliness and de- “In the ageing population Numbers in that age group have Hospitals are treating more Victims have needed urgent treated because of drug mis- of 65- to 74-year-olds has pression. there is much loneliness, isola- increased from 6,983 to 12,369 – than double the number of medical attention for acute use, issued by NHS Digital, the soared by 502% over that time, “It’s most unlikely that rec- tion and depression, and there a rise of 77%. May rules out City fi rms ‘passporting’ after Brexit

Guardian News and Media a hard border between North- London ern Ireland and Ireland, and we’re working to that,” she said. “We’ve got proposals as to how heresa May has said that we can achieve that, now we’re signing up to “passport- going to be able to sit down and Ting” for the City of Lon- talk with others about how we do don after Brexit would leave the that.” UK as “just a rule-taker”, insist- Her comments came as sourc- ing that fi nancial services will es admitted there were suspi- instead be covered through a free cions that the leak had originat- trade deal. ed from Downing Street or the In an interview broadcast yes- Treasury, despite a strong denial terday morning, the prime min- from Barwell. They also said the ister also rebuff ed the suggestion prime minister had blocked that the foreign secretary had Johnson’s plea to publish the full raised the spectre of a hard bor- document to place the argument der between Northern Ireland in context. and the Republic in an internal In the BBC interview, May de- government report. fended her government’s push for “No. Boris is absolutely clear a customs agreement with the EU, that there won’t be a hard bor- after she confi rmed that a customs Prime Minister Theresa May talks to Andrew Marr for the Marr Show on BBC television in London. der,” she told the BBC’s Andrew union was fully ruled out. Marr, amid reports of tensions The government has proposed between Johnson and Downing either a customs partnership or Street over claims that May’s a technological solution, which chief of staff , Gavin Barwell, May claimed would prevent 80% leaked the document. of checks on small companies. In comments recorded on Fri- But Simon Coveney, the day after her major speech on tánaiste, Ireland’s deputy prime Brexit at Mansion House, the minister, told Marr he was “not Trump told of ‘concern’ prime minister admitted that the sure that the European Un- system that allows banks regulated ion will be able to support” the in Britain to “passport” into other plan. He said it would be worried EU countries was off the table. about protecting the integrity of But she sought to reassure the single market. companies that an alternative “While of course we will ex- system would be set up. “My plore and look at all of the pro- over US trade tariff plans message to them is that what posed British solutions, they are we’re looking to develop is a re- essentially a starting point in ne- Guardian News and Media “The prime minister raised The European Commission to sell there. Big trade imbal- speech, the prime minister ad- lationship that means that they gotiations as opposed to an end London our deep concern at the presi- president, Jean Claude Juncker, ance!” mitted the current system that can stay here in the UK as part of point,” he said. dent’s forthcoming announce- responded to the decisions on May delivered her speech on allows banks regulated in Britain the City of London, that they will On ITV’s Peston on Sunday, ment on steel and aluminium steel and aluminium by saying Brexit amid the tensions, with to operate freely into other EU be continuing to provide their Scottish First Minister Nicola heresa May has called tariff s, noting that multilateral Europe was ready to forcefully a focus on the benefi ts of free countries was off the table. services across the European Sturgeon said that May should be Donald Trump to raise action was the only way to re- target US imports such as Har- trade. But she sought to reassure Union,” she said. given credit for “injecting some TBritain’s “deep concern” solve the problem of global over- ley-Davidson motorbikes and Her call to President Trump companies that an alternative May was then asked about the realism” into the debate by ad- over US plans to impose tariff s of capacity in all parties’ interests,” Levi’s jeans. came after she made clear that system would be set up. “My controversial leaked document mitting in her speech on Friday 25% on imports of steel and 10% said a Downing Street spokes- On Saturday, Trump hit back, signing up to “passporting” for message to them is that what in which the foreign secretary that the UK would be worse off on aluminium. woman. saying: “If the EU wants to the City of London after Brexit we’re looking to develop is a re- said it would be “wrong to see after Brexit. The prime minister called Trump’s protectionism has further increase their already would leave the UK as “just a lationship that means that they the task as maintaining ‘no bor- But Sturgeon said May could the president yesterday after been communicated through massive tariff s and barriers on rule-taker”, insisting that fi - can stay here in the UK as part der’ on the island of Ireland” solve many of these problems by world stock markets tumbled Twitter, where he claimed that US companies doing business nancial services would instead of the City of London, that they and said even with a hard border remaining inside the single mar- in the face of a threatened trade his country was losing billions there, we will simply apply a tax be covered through a free trade will be continuing to provide 95% of goods could pass without ket and customs union. “Time is war with China, and escalating of dollars on trade, adding that on their cars which freely pour deal. their services across the Euro- checks. running out. The clock is tick- tensions between the US and “trade wars are good, and easy into the US. They make it im- In comments recorded on pean Union,” she told BBC One’s “He’s clear that there won’t be ing,” she added. EU. to win”. possible for our cars (and more) Friday after her Mansion House Andrew Marr Show.

OBE for musician Number of illegal raves in Race row hits ‘Star Mum’ contest

London doubles in a year week, as “irresponsible” and Guardian News and Media London “narrow minded”. Guardian News and Media been Plastic People, Cable, and looking for something a little The clothing brand later apol- London Dance Tunnel in London, The bit transgressive. I think it’s in- ogised for the “huge mistake”. Arches in Glasgow, and Sankeys nate in teenagers and people in row has erupted over re- It said in statement: “We ad- in Manchester. their early twenties to want to tail giant Next and Hello! mit we made a huge mistake he number of illegal raves The rising cost of drinks could do stuff their not supposed to do. AMagazine’s choice to al- when reviewing the suggested in London has soared, po- also be putting revellers off And even though raves are ille- low an all-white celebrity panel Star Mums judging panel from Tlice fi gures reveal, with a nightclubs. Going to a pub is be- gal, most of them don’t do much to judge their “Star Mum” con- Hello! They assure us that many steep decline in the number of coming an unaff ordable luxury, harm apart from giving a few test. ethnicities will be represented at nightclubs in the capital one of according to a report published people a poor night’s sleep.” The high street chain and ce- the awards itself. the key causes. in September by consumer rights He added: “In an ideal world, lebrity magazine faced a furi- “We would hate for this mis- The number of unlicensed raves group Camra, publisher of the there would be lots of places for ous backlash on social media for understanding to overshadow in London, often held in ware- Good Pub Guide. night clubs to open that don’t choosing only “slim, white and what is an extremely empower- houses or abandoned buildings, DJ and author Bill Brewster, disturb the neighbours but we middle class” celebrities to judge ing means to celebrate all mums, has nearly doubled since 2016. who was one of the fi rst resident live in a fl awed world and it’s be- the contest. from all races and backgrounds. Plans for 133 unlicensed raves DJs at legendary nightclub Fab- coming harder to throw parties in Made in Chelsea’s Binky Fel- We sincerely hope you can ac- were identifi ed by the Metro- ric, said that it was not surpris- city centres.” stead, former Girls Aloud singer cept our apologies for failing politan police in 2017, up from 70 ing that illegal raves are becom- In the last three years, police Kimberley Walsh, BBC news- here.” the previous year, according to ing more popular. have introduced new processes reader Kate Silverton and Izzy The fi fth judge of the com- fi gures obtained by a freedom of The gentrifi cation of inner cit- for tackling the planned but un- Judd, wife of McFly drummer petition, parent blogger Anna information request carried out ies is making it “tougher for night licensed music events and have Harry, were those chosen to Whitehouse, known as Mother by the Sunday Telegraph. clubs to open or continue exist- begun using covert tactics to try nominate inspirational parents. Pukka, apologised to her 150,000 One explanation for the rise is ing” because of complaints about to stay one step ahead of organ- After Next shared an image of Instagram followers for not call- the rapid decline in the number the noise and the night clubs that isers. the panellists online on Saturday, ing out the “lack of diversity”. of traditional venues, with more have stayed open are forced to DCI John Oldham, the head of furious commenters hit out with In response to complaints, than half of all London clubs charge clubbers more in order to crime at the Met’s public order one saying: “you basically have Hello! Magazine told the Mail on shutting down between 2005 and stay open because of increasing command, said: “Using covert to be white, thin and able-bodied Sunday: “The HELLO! Star Mum 2015, according to the Association rent, he said. tactics, we try and understand to be a star mum? What a narrow Awards were created to celebrate of Licensed Multiple Retailers Brewster said this is putting who the organiser is and where Musician Marc Almond poses with his medal after view of motherhood.” diversity in motherhood. The (ALMR). Since 2015, the number young people off going to night- they live. We’ve woken up to being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Another commenter branded awards will recognise women of licensed hospitality premises clubs and leading them to look the problem and put out a much Empire (OBE) following an investiture ceremony at the choice of panellists for the from all walks of life and back- has dropped by 3% across the UK. for alternative places to party. higher intelligence requirement Buckingham Palace in London. contest, which was launched grounds who have given so self- Among the casualties have “A lot of young people are to identify these things.” ahead of Mothering Sunday next lessly to their families.” Gulf Times 14 Monday, March 5, 2018 EUROPE

Austrian far-right Italians vote in election comes distant marked by populism second AFP in polls Rome

Reuters talians voted yesterday in Vienna one of the country’s most Iuncertain elections ever, marked by a far-right and pop- ustria’s far-right Free- ulist surge, anti-immigration dom Party (FPOe) came tub-thumping and a leading role Aa distant second as the for comeback king Silvio Berlus- province of Carinthia voted yes- coni. terday, the third regional elec- The last polls carried out in tion this year in which it has mid-February suggested that failed to match its performance a right-wing coalition led by in October’s parliamentary elec- Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza tion. Italia (Go Italy) party will pick up Carinthia, a southern prov- the most votes – roughly 37%. ince that borders Italy and Slov- The 81-year-old media mo- enia, was the stronghold of the gul’s four-party group is bol- late FPOe leader Joerg Haider, stered by two resurgent far-right who died in a car crash a decade forces – the League and Brothers ago. of Italy – which have capitalised It is also the only province on fears over the hundreds of where the FPOe came fi rst in Oc- thousands of migrants who have tober’s parliamentary election, arrived by boat from Libya since with 32% of the vote. 2013. The party came third nation- Immigration was thrust into Nuns queue to vote yesterday at a polling station in Rome. ally and went into coalition with heart of the election campaign Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s by the brutal killing of a teen- paign while spooking fi nancial nario could be a grand coalition barber Mirko Canali told AFP conservatives. aged recovering drug addict markets. between the PD and Forza Italia after casting his vote in Rome. With nearly all votes for Car- blamed on Nigerian immigrants. Salvini has said that he should – a prospect that would reassure He said he knew many other inthia’s regional parliament The killing prompted a racist be nominated prime minister if investors but risks spreading young people who, fed up with counted, a projection by poll- “revenge” gun rampage by com- his party comes ahead of Berlus- more cynicism and emboldening high youth unemployment, had ster SORA for broadcaster ORF mitted fascist Luca Traini, who coni’s and their coalition wins a populists and the far-right. decided to support the M5S. showed Governor Peter Kaiser’s shot and wounded six Africans. majority. Early indications suggest that “They’re pissed off , can’t bear Social Democrats in fi rst place The right-wing have prom- However, despite the big gains the campaign has not ignited (PD leader Matteo) Renzi any- with 47.8%, 11 points higher ised to expel “600,000 illegals”, enjoyed by the far-right, polls passions, with interior minis- more and maybe they’re right,” than fi ve years ago. with League leader Matteo Sal- indicate that the likeliest result try fi gures putting nationwide Canali said. The FPOe gained six points, vini, whose campaign slogans is a stalemate between the M5S, turnout at 19.4% as of 1300 The M5S is hoping to tap into securing 22.9%, well short of its include “Italians fi rst”, repeat- Berlusconi holds his ballot as he prepares to cast his vote at a Berlusconi’s coalition and the GMT, above the 14.9% from the that anger and grab enough target of “clearly above 25%”. edly referring to “out of control polling station in in Milan. centre-left grouping led by the same point in 2013, when how- votes to at least steal a march on “Of course you always hope immigration” ruling Democratic Party (PD). ever the country voted over two Berlusconi’s group, with whom for a bit more,” the FPOe’s leader The surge in right-wing and “The Italian people have gone Parliament President Antonio The M5S follows the right- days. the M5S is running neck and in Carinthia, Gernot Darmann, populist parties has drawn com- farther, in a shorter period of Tajani as his prime ministerial wing on 28%, while the centre- The turnout fi gures are in line neck in southern Italy. told ORF, congratulating Kaiser. parisons to Britain’s vote to leave time, than the British did for nominee. left are lagging behind on 27% with the constitutional reform “I voted Communist and I was The national coalition gov- the European Union and the rise Brexit and the Americans did for The billionaire tycoon was and risk being relegated to the referendum in December 2016, disappointed, I voted for PD for ernment has been in place for of US President Donald Trump. Trump,” said Bannon, who was ambushed as he cast his vote in opposition. when overall 65.5% of the nation many years, and now I’m fed less than three months, during Former White House adviser in Rome yesterday. Milan by a topless woman from However, under a new elec- voted. up with them,” said pensioner which it has faced opposition to Steve Bannon – the man helped Berlusconi, a three-time the Femen activist group who toral law being tried out for the A similar fi nal total for this Francesco. its plans to keep allowing smok- Trump ride a populist wave to prime minister, has returned to had “Berlusconi, you have ex- fi rst time, any grouping would election would put turnout at “We need a really radical ing in bars and restaurants. power – told the Italian press the limelight despite a politi- pired” scrawled across her torso. need at least 40% of the vote to the lowest levels for a general change, let’s give these young A petition for a ban has been that a hook-up between the cal career overshadowed by sex Berlusconi faces opposition command an overall majority of election since World War II. people a chance,” he added, signed by more than 460,000 anti-establishment Five-Star scandals and legal woes. from his ambitious coalition seats in both chambers of parlia- “This election campaign has speaking to AFP in the south- people, an embarrassment for Movement (M5S) and the anti- Barred from holding offi ce be- partner Salvini, whose anti- ment. been pretty squalid, including ern town of Pomigliano d’Arco, the FPOe, which has champi- immigration League was “the cause of a tax fraud conviction, immigration and euro-sceptic If no party wins an overall ma- from the Democratic Party (PD), where M5S leader Luigi Di Maio oned the idea of direct democ- ultimate dream”. he has put forward European rhetoric has fi red up the cam- jority, analysts say that one sce- who I voted for,” 24-year-old is standing. racy. Party members have also been embroiled in anti-Semitism scandals involving their student fraternities. Kurz’s conservative People’s Slovak president urges government Party came third with 15.3% while the Greens fell well short of the 5% needed to stay in the local parliament, with 3.1%, the shake-up in wake of journalist killing projection showed. Those two parties are cur- rently in coalition locally with Reuters President Andrej Kiska lacks Kiska said in a live televised Party, Andrej Danko, said after- the Social Democrats. Bratislava formal powers to trigger the fall address that Slovakia faced a wards that he was ready for dia- “I am very, very happy about of the government but his com- “crisis of trust”. logue. this great result,” Kaiser said. ments could add to public pres- “I will start talks with politi- Junior coalition Most-Hid He later said that he would in- lovakia’s president said sure on it. cal leaders on how they imagine (Bridge) party gave the interior vite all three other parliamentary yesterday that he would On Friday, thousands of peo- the future ... and how to renew minister until March 12 to resign parties to hold coalition talks and Sseek talks with parties and ple marched in the Slovak capi- the trust of people in their own or it may consider withdrawing said all tie-ups were possible. urged changes in government or tal Bratislava and other cities for state,” he said. its support for the government. Austria’s provinces do not early elections to renew public Kuciak, 27, who had been look- He then advocated “an exten- If Fico resigns, the govern- collect taxes directly but receive trust following the murder of an ing into suspected mafi a links sive and essential” remake of the ment also falls. a cut of the national fi scal take investigative journalist that has among Italian businessmen in government or a snap election. Kiska would then task the and have a large say in policy shaken the nation. eastern Slovakia before he was Fico said that any government outgoing prime minister to areas including healthcare and The murder of Jan Kuciak has found shot dead with his fi ancee changes must be agreed by coa- rule until a new government is education. rattled Prime Minister Robert Martina Kusnirova last week- lition partners. formed. Kaiser is now likely to remain Fico’s three-party government end. “The constitution sees no role Early elections can be trig- People light candles in memory of slain journalist Kuciak in front of governor, keeping the Social and led to public anger about One of the men named in Ku- for president in this process,” he gered with the support of three the Slovak embassy in Budapest. Democrats’ tally at three of Aus- corruption in Slovakia, which is ciak’s last report had past links said. “Our goal is the investiga- fi fths of lawmakers. tria’s nine provincial leaders. a member of the European Un- to people who subsequently tion of this brutal act. We won’t The government can also ask trigger a no-confi dence motion, tigation, releasing partial names Yesterday’s vote follows pro- ion. worked for Fico’s offi ce. dance on the graves of two young for a confi dence vote in parlia- for which an absolute majority – that matched subjects who Ku- vincial election in Tyrol on Feb- Fico was quick to reject any The report was published people, unlike opposition, media ment, where a simple major- at least 76 votes in the 150-seat ciak referred to in his fi nal arti- ruary 25 and in Lower Austria on shake-up, saying that it would posthumously and probed po- and, now, the president.” ity among present lawmakers parliament – are needed. cle. January 28, in which the FPOe undermine the result of elec- tential abuse of EU subsidies and The leader of junior govern- would suffi ce. Slovak police detained seven Those detained were released polled less than in the October 15 tions in 2016. other fraud. ment member Slovak National Thirty lawmakers can also people on Thursday in its inves- over the weekend. national election.

German equality czar pens France’s Le Pen faces gender neutral anthem expanded EU funding investigation: report Reuters land, and substitute “coura- “Why don’t we make our na- Berlin geously with heart and hand” tional anthem ... gender sensi- for “brotherly with heart and tive,” Rose-Moehring wrote. “It AFP for parliamentary assistants to hand”, she wrote. wouldn’t hurt, would it? And it Paris pay staff for party work in France. ermany’s equality czar The proposal surfaced hours fi ts with the new federal min- The Journal du Dimanche wants to remove words before Germany’s centre-left istry for interior, construction newspaper said that the two Glike “fatherland” and Social Democrats (SPD) an- and homeland.” udges are investigating French judges looking into the “brotherly” from the country’s nounced that 66% of its mem- Rose-Moehring, who suc- whether French far-right suspected EU funding scandal national anthem, following bers backed a re-run of the coa- cessfully sued her own ministry Jleader Marine Le Pen and her now think it may have been car- Le Pen: faces up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to Canada and Austria in adopting lition with Chancellor Angela in 2012 after three top ministry party illegally took more EU par- ried out from July 2009 into 2012. €375,000. gender neutral phrases. Merkel’s conservatives that has posts were given to male can- liament money to pay for France- That would mean nearly €7mn Kristin Rose-Moehring, ruled Germany since 2013 (see didates without consulting her, based staff than previously ($8.6mn) was potentially mis- tranged father Jean-Marie Le Pen northern France, on March 10 equality commissioner since lead report on page 15). triggered scornful reactions on thought, a report said yesterday. used, up from a previous esti- – being investigated over salaries and 11. 2001, made the proposal to The SPD is slated to retain Twitter. If confi rmed, the claims could mate of some €5mn. paid to around 40 parliamentary She will propose changing the strike male-specifi c references the family ministry in the new “Completely over the top, cast a pall over the National Front Le Pen was charged last June assistants. party’s name in a bid to break from the anthem in a letter to government, while Horst See- and not even an April Fool’s (FN) congress next weekend with breach of trust over the If tried and convicted, she with its past association with staff at Germany’s family min- hofer, leader of the CSU Bavar- joke,” tweeted a branch of the aimed at recasting the party’s salaries paid to her chief of staff faces up to three years imprison- overt racism and anti-Semitism. istry ahead of International ian conservatives, will head an far-right Alternative for Ger- image after a series of setbacks Catherine Griset and her body- ment and a fi ne of up to €375,000, Last week she was charged over Women’s Day, German media expanded interior ministry that many party in the southern since Le Pen lost to Emmanuel guard Thierry Legier, and for though it is unlikely she would posting on Twitter gruesome im- reported yesterday. will also focus on “Heimat” or state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Macron in last year’s presidential complicity in breach of trust as receive a custodial sentence. ages of purported atrocities by Germany should replace homeland. Another said: “If that hap- race. FN leader. Le Pen is running unopposed Islamic State (IS) extremists just “Vaterland”, or fatherland, Rose-Moehring said her pro- pens, I want to change (the The party is suspected of using She is one of 17 National Front for a third term as the National a few weeks after the Paris terror with “Heimatland”, or home- posal suits the times. phrase) ‘mother tongue’ too.” money from Brussels earmarked lawmakers – along with her es- Front leader at a congress in Lille, attacks in November 2015. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 15 EUROPE

Protest in name of Spanish unity

Thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona yesterday in the name of Spanish unity, protesting Catalan separatism. Local police estimated that at Social Democrats sign least 15,000 people took part in the demonstrations, according to newspaper El Pais. The rally was the first event organised by the “Tabarnia” group, which criticises the Catalan independence movement using humour and satire. up to new Merkel govt The Spanish central government intervened after an Reuters independence referendum on Berlin October 1, dissolving the regional parliament and calling fresh regional elections. ermany’s Social Demo- In the elections held on crats (SPD) decisively December 21, separatist parties Gbacked another coali- again won a majority in the tion with Chancellor Angela Spanish region. Merkel’s conservatives yester- The name Tabarnia is based on day, clearing the way for a new the first letter of the two cities in government in Europe’s largest which the separatists didn’t get a economy after months of politi- majority of votes in the October cal uncertainty. referendum: Tarragona and Two-thirds of the member- Barcelona. ship voted “yes” to the deal in The satirical movement has a ballot – a wider margin than recently grown in popularity. many had expected – meaning Merkel could be sworn in for a Merkel: I look forward to working with the SPD again for the good of fourth term as early as the mid- our country. Russia: Extended dle of the month in a repeat of the grand coalition that has gov- through the fi nancial crisis and disastrous election showing. sanctions ‘illegal’ erned since 2013. debt crisis, but her authority “I’m happy it worked out this “I think it’s good for our coun- was dented by her 2015 decision way,” Andrea Nahles, the SPD’s The Kremlin has insisted that US try that this period of uncertain- to open Germany’s borders to likely next leader, told Reuters. sanctions against Russia were ty is over,” German President migrants, resulting in an infl ux Scholz declined to comment “illegal”, after President Donald Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, of more than a 1mn people. on reports that he would be fi - Trump signed an executive order adding that he would propose That cost her party dearly in nance minister, saying only that to extend measures put in place today Merkel’s election as chan- last year’s election, which saw the SPD would appoint three during the Ukraine crisis. cellor to the lower house of par- the anti-immigration Alterna- men and three women to the Olaf Scholz, interim leader of “We have never been the initiator liament. tive for Germany (AfD) party en- federal cabinet. Germany’s Social Democrats of these sanctions, we consider The president’s role in Ger- ter parliament for the fi rst time. As part of the price for its sup- (SPD), is seen on a screen as he them illegal and harmful not many is largely ceremonial, with Acting SPD leader Olaf Scholz port, the SPD will take the helm speaks after the the result of just to the people of our two the real power residing with announced the result to activ- at key ministries, including the the party members’ referendum countries but the whole world,” Merkel. ists lining the balconies around fi nance ministry. was announced during a press Russian presidential press The challenges are piling up the atrium of the party’s Berlin The outcome means the far- conference at the SPD spokesman Dmitry Peskov for the 63-year-old Merkel, headquarters early yesterday. right AfD will be the largest par- headquarters in Berlin. said on Saturday, Interfax news who has been acting chancel- “We now have clarity: the SPD liamentary opposition party. agency reported. lor for more than fi ve months will join the next German gov- In a tweet, they labelled the The party, already one of Eu- Washington imposed sanctions since an inconclusive election, ernment,” Scholz said. SPD’s decision a catastrophe for rope’s largest, has seen tens of on Moscow following Russia’s with the European Union look- The party had initially Germany, promising fi erce op- thousands of new members join 2014 annexation of the Crimean ing for leadership on economic planned to go into opposition position to the government. this year. peninsula and Moscow’s backing and security issues and France after its worst election result Kevin Kuehnert, head of the Turnout in the poll was over of rebels in eastern Ukraine. seeking a partner for President since Germany became a federal SPD’s youth wing, said he was 78%. As well as the Ukraine crisis, Emmanuel Macron’s ambitious republic in 1949. disappointed but that the “Ju- German business greeted with Russia and the US have clashed EU reform plans. Merkel took to her party’s sos” (youth wing) would keep up relief the news that Germany over the conflict in Syria and Macron hailed the develop- Twitter feed to congratulate the their criticism, signalling that, would get a government after its accusations that Moscow ment as “good news for Europe”. SPD. after bringing in a fl ood of new longest-ever post-election in- interfered in the US election in A statement from his offi ce “I look forward to working members, they would be a thorn terregnum. Nahles: I’m happy it worked out this way. 2016. added: “France and Germany with the SPD again for the good in the leadership’s side. “While the US is starting a will work together on new ini- of our country,” she said. “Criticism of the grand coali- trade war and China is challeng- The SPD was forced to re- With her conservatives, tiatives in the coming weeks to The SPD ballot pitted the tion remains. The SPD needs to ing our industrial leadership, we visit its original plan to go into they thrashed out a coalition bring the European project for- leadership of the centre-left be more like it has been in recent have been unnecessarily self- opposition after the failure of agreement which SPD leaders Four die in Poland ward.” party against the radical youth weeks and less like it has been in absorbed,” engineering trade Merkel’s initial attempt to form hailed for its commitments to building collapse In power since 2005, Mer- wing, which wanted the SPD to recent years – the Jusos will en- union VDMA’s managing direc- a coalition with two smaller po- strengthening the EU and giving kel steered the European bloc rebuild in opposition after its sure this,” he tweeted. tor Thilo Brodtmann said. litical parties. them key government roles. Four people died and about 20 were injured in an apartment building collapse in Poznan, western Poland, most likely to have been caused by a gas explosion, state-run news agency Ukraine PAP said yesterday. The explosion yesterday morning destroyed four of 18 says gas apartments in the building, PAP said, quoting a local fire brigade representative. shortage The prosecutor’s off ice said an investigation should start today. “Looking at the degree of covered destruction of this building, it was initially assumed that it could have been a gas explosion, but AFP we do not have certainty yet. For Kyiv now, our activities are focused on the rescue operation,” a state A child is seen taking part in a rally in Skopje organised by the ‘We fire service spokesman told are Macedonia’ movement to protest the name change demanded kraine said yesterday broadcaster TVN24. by Greece. that it had resolved its Many households in Poland use Ugas shortage problem gas for cooking or heating water. caused by the refusal of Russia’s Gazprom to restart deliveries of natural gas. 1.3 tonnes of drugs Macedonians rally “We have a sharp increase in gas supplies from the EU, from seized off Crete Poland, Slovakia and Hungary,” Ukrainian President Petro Poro- Greece’s coast guard seized against name deal Participants shout slogans during a rally in Skopje organised by the ‘We are Macedonia’ movement to shenko posted on Twitter. “The about 1.3 tonnes of processed protest the name change demanded by Greece. entire shortage is completely cannabis, hidden aboard a covered.” foreign flagged fishing vessel Reuters ment gathered under the statue to solve a decades-old dispute ernment and the main op- Macedonia (FYROM). Poroshenko underlined that intercepted off the southern Skopje of Hellenic ruler Alexander the that has hampered Skopje’s position nationalist VMRO- Last month, Zaev said Mac- Ukraine had a stable gas supply island of Crete, it said yesterday. Great in Skopje’s main square. ambition to join the North At- DPMNE party of betraying the edonia is looking at four op- and has “enough gas in storage The drug bust was the result of a “We are here because ques- lantic Treaty Organisation national interest. tions to settle the dispute with facilities, its own gas and im- three-day operation. housands of fl ag-waving tions about the name, the iden- (Nato) and the European Union. Greece objects to the coun- Greece that would include a ports”. Greek authorities had been protesters in the Mac- tity, the constitution (and) lan- Protesters demanded that try’s use of the name Mac- geographical “qualifi er” to en- New tensions between Mos- informed by French customs that Tedonian capital yes- guage are issues over which we the government of Prime Min- edonia, arguing that it implies sure there is a diff erentiation in cow and Kyiv fl ared on Thursday a suspect ship was sailing to the terday chanted “We are Mac- must adopt a (strong) position,” ister Zoran Zaev halt talks with territorial claims over its own the two names. after Russia’s Gazprom said it southeast of the island, possibly edonians” at a rally to protest Evica Stojanova-Kamberova, Greece over the name dispute. northern region of the same Media reports showed par- would not restart gas supplies to carrying illegal cargo. a possible change to the name one of rally organisers told the They also want a resolution name. allel rallies staged by Mac- Ukraine, leading Ukrainian state The operation involved four coast of the former Yugoslav repub- crowd. to the United Nations demand- After it split from the former edonians abroad in other cit- provider Naftogaz to accuse it guard patrol vessels and two lic to comply with a demand by The small republic and its ing the country’s recognition Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia ies including Washington and of violating contractual agree- planes, one belonging to Frontex Greece. southern neighbour Greece under its constitutional name was admitted into the United Sydney, Australia, where Greek ments. – the European border and coast The protesters organised by have agreed to step up UN- Macedonia. Nations in 1993 under the name fl ag and Zaev’s photo were set Record high consumption guard agency. the “We are Macedonia” move- brokered negotiations this year They also accused the gov- Former Yugoslav Republic of ablaze. amid days of freezing tempera- tures had led to a shortage of around 10mn cu metres of gas a day. Ukraine on Friday urged schools to close and factories to Swiss send strong signal in favour of public broadcasting cut production and asked citi- zens to chip in by lowering their home thermostats to save on gas. DPA ical liberals had backed the plan ing would guarantee SRF’s inde- “I think we got such a clear re- operation with private media. dum plan had also warned that “You are incredible, thank Geneva to scrap viewer fees and govern- pendence. sult because these promises and “This is not an end for us, but the SRF, as a politically-neutral you,” Naftogaz tweeted yester- ment subsidies for Swiss Radio SVP politicians have also crit- compromises were made during it is a beginning,” he said on the broadcaster, would be open to day. and Television (SRF), as well as icised the broadcaster for veer- the campaign,” said SVP parlia- outcome of the vote. outside infl uences if it had to “Briefl y: everything is ok wiss voters have strongly for small regional broadcasters. ing to the left. mentarian Natalie Rickli. “But to make reforms, you rely on advertising revenue. now,” the statement said. “We rejected a plan to end pub- The idea was rejected by Despite the rejection, the ref- The referendum initiators said have to survive,” he added, ex- The Swiss vote has attracted have gas. Educational institu- Slic funding for radio and 71.6% of voters, and it failed to erendum has triggered a broad that they will keep pressure on pressing satisfaction that the the attention of other European tions are waiting for children on television, but the referendum win a majority in any of Switzer- public debate about the SRF’s the SRF. fees have not been scrapped. countries where far-right or Monday.” yesterday has put pressure for land’s 26 regions, according to role and business model. The broadcaster’s director Most of the other Swiss par- populist parties have been fuel- The latest fl are-up in tensions reform on the national broad- the fi nal count. During the referendum cam- general, Gilles Marchand, said ties opposed the referendum ling similar debates. between Moscow and Kyiv came caster. The backers said that the SRF paign, the broadcaster an- that he does not only plan ef- plan, arguing that public broad- In Germany, Austria and Den- after an arbitration court in The right-wing populist has grown too wasteful and too nounced a cost-cutting pro- fi ciency measures, but also a casting would cease unless mark, many movements seek to Sweden ordered Gazprom to pay Swiss People’s Party (SVP) – dependent on the state under gramme, while the government stronger focus on public service viewers and taxpayers continue scrap compulsory viewer fees $2.56bn (€2.08bn) to Naftogaz the country’s strongest political the current system, and that has lowered the annual fees that programming such as news and to fi nance it. and have accused broadcasters for “failure to deliver the agreed movement – and the young rad- advertising-funded broadcast- viewers have to pay. cultures, as well as better co- Opponents of the referen- of biased programming. transit gas volumes”. Gulf Times 16 Monday, March 5, 2018 INDIA

Tamil Nadu Roundup Students face caste bias in Himachal schools By Umaima Shafiq IANS from the higher castes. Social activist Kuldeep Verma for People in Need (PAPN) in Senior Secondary School at bars discrimination on the basis Shimla The latest instance of segregat- said caste-based discrimination Sirmaur. Chikhar Satlai, one of the re- of caste. Supermarket ing Dalit students in a government during the serving of the mid- He said students belonging to motest schools located some But sociologists believe the school in Kullu district during day meal is common in the state, the higher castes are told by their 50km from the state capital practice persists in the state as the chains owner aste discrimination con- a live telecast of Prime Minister more prominent in the extremely parents not to mingle with those Shimla, said they are educating most marginalised communities, arrested for tinues to leave a bad taste Narendra Modi’s programme has backward trans-Giri areas of belonging to the lower castes and the students about caste dis- including Dalits, are often barred Camong students savour- hogged the headlines. Sirmaur district, and calls for to sit separately in schools. crimination laws. from public places in villages like alleged fraud ing their midday meals in almost But, social activists claim, that dignity for the lower-caste com- Locals in the trans-Giri areas, “We are sensitising our stu- temples and water taps. Often every rural government school of was not a stray incident. munity. mainly farmers cultivating ginger dents so that they change their students in schools across the The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Himachal Pradesh, a state where They say centuries-old caste- “You can visit any govern- on small landholdings, have been behaviour and attitudes, but at state refuse to eat the midday meal last week arrested Subramanian, the literacy rate is at a high of based attitudes persist in almost ment school in the trans-Giri fi ghting for decades to get the times we face strong resistance because it was cooked by a Dalit. the founder of market retailer 82.8%. every rural school despite India area and you will find separate status of a Scheduled Tribe. from village elders,” Thakur said. Noted Shimla-based writer S chain Subiksha Trading Services Lower caste students face so- banning discrimination in 1955. queues for Dalit students dur- Himachal Pradesh has a popu- As per the guidelines of state R Harnot, who sought the state Limited for allegedly defrauding cial discrimination in all school The midday meal is a nationwide ing the midday meal. Even the lation of over 6.8mn as per the education authorities, each stu- high court’s intervention to end Rs7.9bn from a consortium activities, including partak- school programme of the Indian head cook employed for pre- Census for 2011, of which one- dent is asked to sit according to caste discrimination at a promi- of banks in Chennai over two ing the midday meal. Even the government to improve the nu- paring the meals is not from a fourth is Dalits. his roll number during all school nent Hindu temple near Bilaspur decades. cooks employed in 15,000-plus tritional status of school-age lower caste,” said Verma, who Ashwani Kumar Thakur, activities, Thakur said. town, said the caste system is Subramanian founded Subiksha government schools are largely children. runs the NGO People’s Action principal of the Government Article 15 of the Constitution deeply entrenched in the state. in 1997 in Chennai and soon opened 1,500 stores across India employing around 15,000 people, selling medicines, groceries and perishables at discounted prices. Protest against Syria war It was also listed on stock exchanges and posted multi- million rupee turnovers. However from 2008, complaints started coming of salary delays, defaulted Death of 106 bank dues and siphoning off of loans from HSBC and Standard Chartered banks. In 2009, Subramanian’s loan restructuring also failed though business conglomerate Wipro bought 10% of the company’s leopards in stock for Rs2.5bn through ICICI ventures. When Wipro complained of dud stock, senior off icials of both Subiksha and ICICI resigned. Based on this, the Registrar of Companies began a probe. They discovered that Subramanian two months had financially interlinked eight shell companies with Subiksha so that it posted virtual growth, but remained legally immune. The ED has seized Subramanian’s assets and eff orts are on to settle Rs1.5bn owed to depositors. The sparks alarm ED is also interrogating Subiksha’s auditors and further arrests are anticipated. IANS ble market in China where it can Two of them died in rescue op- New Delhi fetch around Rs5mn - sometimes erations or treatments, and one even more. due to electrocution - and one Student, lab A poacher in India sells it to a was shot dead by a policeman in assistant die of staggering 106 leopards procurer for about Rs300,000- Uttar Pradesh. burn injuries have died in the fi rst two 400,000. It reaches a trader Beside this, four leopards were Amonths of this year in for- in Nepal or other neighbour- rescued from smugglers in Gu- est areas across the country - a ing countries where it is sold for jarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ma- Two burn victims died in separate number that conservationists Rs800,000-1mn. The traders in harashtra and Uttar Pradesh, the incidents last week. and offi cials said was alarmingly Nepal and other countries then WPSI said. In Madurai, Chitra Devi, 14, who high for the “vulnerable” feline smuggle the animal hide to China “The number is unusually was allegedly set on fire by a species in India. - notoriously considered the hub high. We don’t see such a large- 22-year-old man over unrequited According to the Wildlife Pro- of wildlife blackmarketing. By scale of killing or mortality in love, died at the government tection Society of India (WPSI), the time it reaches the fi nal trad- such a small span of time. It’s a hospital after 10 days of distress. which compiled the data, the er in China, an animal hide can bad start in terms of wildlife con- The accused Balamurugan maximum number of deaths was fetch Rs4mn-5mn, experts say. servation,” Tito Joseph, a pro- who has been arrested, poured due to poaching as evident from The WPSI said there are 10 gramme manager at the WPSI, kerosene over her and set her the seizures of leopard hides and possible general causes for leop- said. on fire while she was returning other body parts. Only 12 of the ard deaths. Of the 106 leopard Y V Jhala, a senior scientist at from school. Her mother, who big cats died of natural causes. deaths so far this year, 36 were the Worldlife Institute of India was crossing in an auto-rickshaw Uttarakhand tops the list with without clarity on what caused (WII), said the number could nearby, spotted her and took her 24 leopard deaths, followed by the deaths. actually be higher because the to hospital. Maharashtra (18) and Rajashtan There were 23 cases of seizure available fi gure is what could be In a second incident, Yamuna, (11). The incidents of mortality of hides, skulls and claws. But in detected or reported. a lab assistant in Chennai, who were reported from 18 states. such cases, it is usually not known According to the Dehradun- suff ered 50% degree burns According to offi cial records, a if the animal died of a natural based WII, there are at least when her employer Raja poured total of 431 leopards died in 2017. cause or it was killed for its parts 9,000 leopards across 17 states spirit over her chest, died at These included 159 incidents and then the body left behind. where tigers are also found. Madipakkam. Yamuna’s husband of poaching. Some 450 big cats However, there were 18 cases However, the actual leopard told police that Raja had blamed died in 2016 and 127 of them were of clear poaching. The clarity population is unknown as no as- his wife for business losses. found poached. on such deaths comes because sessment is done in other states Leopards have been targeted there are clear signs of gunshot like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, by poachers for their expen- wounds or trap marks or poison Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir Medical student sive hides and other body parts. found on an animal’s body. where incidents of leopard sight- commits suicide However, habitat loss, especially The WPSI said eight leopards ing are random. due to farming, has posed a new died in road or train accidents in The Indian leopard is listed in Chandigarh threat to the animals. January and February this year; as “vulnerable” on the Interna- According to experts involved fi ve were killed by villagers; seven tional Union for Conservation of Krishna Prasad, a 24-year-old in tracking illegal wildlife trade, of fi ghting with other leopards; Nature’s Red List. It is protected postgraduate medical student an animal skin changes several fi ve were killed by tigers or other under Schedule I of the Wildlife from Tamil Nadu, committed hands before it reaches a possi- animals. Protection Act, 1972. suicide in his hostel room at the Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Activists hold placards and roses during a protest against the ongoing conflict in Syria, in New Chandigarh last week. Delhi yesterday. More than 340,000 people have been killed across Syria since its civil war Dense fog hits Kolkata Prasad hung himself from a ceiling started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. fan. Classmates immediately took him to hospital where he was declared dead. Prasad, son of a temple priest from coastal Rameshwaram district, did not leave a suicide note. However his social media Ruling party behind political posts and friends suggest that he was depressed over his studies and not knowing Hindi. killings in Kerala, says NGO Jayalalithaa By Ashraf Padanna var started carving out space tivist Siddharth Dave were the statue to Thiruvananthapuram in Communist bastions. Such other members. killings peak when the CPM Soni said many of the sur- be replaced is in power and all probes be- vivors of political attacks and New Delhi-based non- come farcical,” the report says. their family members feared for A statue of late chief minister governmental organisa- “The failure of law and order their lives and were reluctant to Jayaram Jayalalithaa unveiled Ation has found Kerala’s enforcing agencies has proved seek justice. at the party headquarters in ruling Communist Party of In- to heighten the gravity of the “The state has to maintain Chennai for her 70th birthday on dia (Marxist) responsible for a issue.” law and order and take all req- February 24 will soon be replaced spate of political killings. It also explains the part uisite steps to control and curb after complaints that it did not A fact-fi nding mission of Call played by “the political party all types of criminal activities,” resemble her. for Justice headed by former in power or otherwise” in plan- it said. The life-size bronze statue sculpted chief justice B C Patel blames ning attacks, lethargy on the “The people, killed and in- by B S V Prasad of Andhra Pradesh the failure of law-enforcing part of the police to maintain jured were active in politics, showed Jayalalithaa’s sari-clad agencies for the worsening sit- law and order and shoddy in- and were not criminals and not figure with hands raised in the uation in the state. vestigation. engaged in any unlawful activ- All India Anna Dravida Munnetra A report submitted by the The panel prepared the re- ity yet why they were killed.” Kazhagam’s victory sign. NGO to Kerala Governor P port after interacting with vic- It points out that a primary However party cadres and fans Sathasivam on Saturday says tims and their family members, school teacher taking a class were unhappy. Some said the the battle between the ruling former Gujarat High Court was brutally murdered and a statue looked more like Chief party and Hindu nationalist judge Suresh Soni, who was former CPM worker was killed Minister Edappadi Palaniswami’s groups including Prime Minis- part of the team, told reporters merely because he formed an- wife Radha, others felt it ter Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya here. other party. resembled Jayalalithaa’s close Janata Party, led to most of the T D Dogra, former director of “Many other incidents as al- aide V K Sasikala or minister killings. the All India Institute of Medi- leged lead us to believe that the Valarmathi Jabaraj. “Killings and counter-kill- cal Sciences; B Gopakumar Pil- incidents could not have taken The sculptor hurt by the brickbats ings have become the order of lai, deputy advocate general of place unless powerful persons People walk as dense fog envelopes Kolkata, plunging West Bengal’s capital city into near darkness has off ered to replace the statue the day in (the northern district Chhattisgarh High Court; aca- support people indulging in at dawn yesterday. for free. of) Kannur since Sangh Pari- demic Prabha Kumari; and ac- crimes,” the report said. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 17 INDIA

PEOPLE OBITUARY POLITICS ENTERTAINMENT POLITICS I am perfectly healthy: Disability rights activist Shivraj favours Soundarya condemns Kanam re-elected Kerala chief minister Javed Abidi dies at 53 simultaneous polls piracy of 2.0 teaser CPI Kerala secretary

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Disability rights activist Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Tamil superstar Rajinikanth’s younger daughter Kanam Rajendran was yesterday unanimously who underwent a medical checkup at Javed Abidi died in New Delhi Chouhan yesterday said he favoured simultaneous Soundarya yesterday condemned the leak of elected for a second three-year term as the Kerala Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, returned to yesterday after succumbing elections and added his government would the 2.0 teaser and called it a “heartless act”. secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI). Thiruvananthapuram yesterday and said he was to chest infection. He was 53. form a committee to discuss it. Headed by state The teaser of Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and The 67-year-old veteran trade union leader is a perfectly healthy. “This was a routine checkup Abidi had been ailing for the Parliamentary Aff airs Minister Narottam Mishra, Amy Jackson-starrer film was leaked on social former two-time legislator. Rajendran first became that I have been undergoing for the past 15 past few weeks, a friend said. the committee will talk to all the political parties, media yesterday morning. The video went viral the secretary at the Kottayam state conference in years and contrary to a section which is against “Javed was having a breathing voters and other people on the issue and then soon after it surfaced online. Soundarya took 2015, and yesterday he was given another term. me and give wrong news, I am perfectly healthy problem for the past few weeks due to smog submit a comprehensive report to the government. to Twitter to express her disappointment and There is a section in the party which is opposed and I have no health issues,” Vijayan told and bad weather. He got a chest infection five “In our country, elections are always taking anger. “Leaking content online before the off icial to Rajendran and is headed by former Kerala reporters at the airport. He was accompanied days back,” she said. Abidi was the director of the place in some or the other part. Because of this, release should not be tolerated or encouraged! minister and former Rajya Sabha member K E by his wife Kamala. The chief minister was National Centre for Promotion of Employment for development work gets hampered,” Chouhan said This is a heartless act ignoring hard work, eff orts Ismail. They tried to put up a candidate against discharged yesterday evening. Eyebrows were Disabled People (NCPEDP). He was also the Global in Bhopal. “That is why Prime Minister Narendra and sentiments of the makers for a few seconds Rajendran but failed after former Kerala minister raised when TV channels flashed the news that Chair of Disabled People International (DPI), a world Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind have talked of excitement! Be ashamed, stop piracy, stop and senior legislator C Divakaran withdrew from Vijayan was hospitalised on March 2. body with special consultative status to the UN. about holding all the elections simultaneously. misusing digital medium,” she wrote. the contest after initially agreeing to it. BJP begins process of taking charge in Tripura

IANS Jamatia, who died on Friday. Agartala “I have not been selected as chief ministerial candidate of the BJP yet. I met Manik Da and day after the Tripura as- sought his blessings. He is much sembly election results senior to me and an experienced Awere declared, eff orts man,” Deb told reporters. were on to form the fi rst Bharati- The BJP-IPFT coalition swept ya Janata Party-led government the February 18 polls, whose re- in one of India’s last Communist sults were declared on Saturday, strongholds yesterday. winning 43 of the 59 seats for “The BJP parliamentary board which elections were held. appointed union ministers Nitin The BJP secured 35 seats in the Gadkari and Jual Oram as cen- 60-member assembly while the tral observers. They are likely to IPFT, a tribal-based party, won meet the newly-elected MLAs eight. on Tuesday to ascertain their “BJP leaders will try to accom- views on government formation modate women, tribal, schedule and to elect legislature group caste and youth leaders in its Outgoing Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar (left) meets Governor Tathagata Roy ahead of submitting his resignation at the Raj Bhavan in Agartala yesterday. leader,” BJP Tripura unit presi- ministry. Regional representa- dent Biplab Kumar Deb told re- tion will also be kept in mind,” a porters in Agartala. BJP leader said. “The BJP ministry in Tripura Earlier yesterday, Chief Min- would likely to assume offi ce ister Manik Sarkar tendered his within this week. Prime Minister resignation to Governor Tath- Narendra Modi, party president agata Roy, who asked him to Amit Shah and many central continue in offi ce till his succes- leaders are likely to be present sor takes over. during the swearing-in cere- “I have submitted my resigna- NPP set to form next mony. The date will be fi nalised tion to the governor and he asked after getting the prime minister’s me to continue in offi ce until the schedule,” he said. new chief minister takes charge,” Deb refused to name the prob- Sarkar told reporters. able chief ministerial candidate The CPM alleged that at least of the BJP. two people including a woman “The party will decide every- were killed and around 300 in- thing,” he added. jured in attacks by rival party govt in Meghalaya According to the BJP leader, a workers at more than a hundred combined meeting of the newly- places across Tripura since Sat- Congress fails to muster ple’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) to keep the Congress at bay,” said Sarma said Conrad will be to form a non-Congress govern- elected legislators of the BJP and urday after the declaration of the support despite emerging as and an Independents legislator, Sarma, who has been camping in the next chief minister and that ment,” Rijiju said. its ally – the Indigenous People’s poll results. largest party taking the combined strength of the state since Saturday. there will be no deputy chief zMeghalaya has 66% ‘crore- Front of Tripura (IPFT) – will “BJP workers armed with the alliance to 34. “It will be a government of the minister in the new government. pati’ legislators, or 39 out of 59 also be held tomorrow to discuss sticks, sharp weapons and crude Agencies This leaves the ruling Con- regional political parties to be On the other hand, outgo- elected MLAs in the state leg- the government formation. bombs attacked many CPM par- Guwahati gress, despite retaining 21 seats, led by the NPP. The BJP has two ing Meghalaya Chief Minister islative assembly having indi- Many BJP leaders in the state ty offi ces, houses belonging to lagging in the numbers game. legislators and our party has also Mukul Sangma also met the gov- vidual wealth of over Rs10mn, a said that Deb is the most fa- Left party supporters and small Assam Health Minister and decided to extend support to the ernor and said his party should report said yesterday. voured leader for the post of shops in more than 100 places he National People’s convener of the BJP-led alliance NPP. We are there to facilitate and be invited to form the next gov- According to a report by the chief minister. across Tripura,” CPM leader Party (NPP) yesterday North East Democratic Alliance we are doing that to ensure that ernment as it is the single largest Meghalaya Election Watch Deb, who defeated the Com- Haripada Das alleged. Tmet Meghalaya Governor (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma there is a non-Congress govern- party. (MEW) and the Association for munist Party of India (Marx- “A woman and a youth were Ganga Prasad and staked claim said a delegation comprising ment in Meghalaya,” said Sarma. The chief minister, however, Democratic Reforms (ADR), ist nominee Amal Chakraborty killed in Jirania areas of west- to form the next government in the legislators of NPP, UDP, BJP, Following the meeting with failed to produce letters of sup- seven MLAs did not declare their in Banamalipur by a margin of ern Tripura and around 300 in- the northeastern state. HSPDP and UDF met the gover- Prasad, NPP leader Conrad port from any other party. sources of income. 9,549 votes, won the electoral jured throughout the state after The swearing-in ceremony nor at the Raj Bhavan and told Sangma said that his party was Earlier in the day, BJP leader Only one, Bendic R Marak battle in his maiden attempt. the rival party workers attacked is likely to take place tomorrow, him they had the required num- committed to the development and federal Minister of State from the state’s second largest Deb earlier met Sarkar and them,” Das said. news agency ANI reported. bers to form the next state gov- of the state and its people. for Home Kiren Rijiju met UDP National People’s Party, has de- took his blessings. “Many of the injured were ad- The NPP, which got 19 seats ernment. “Running a coalition gov- president Donkupar Roy to dis- clared criminal cases registered Deb, 48, met the 69-year-old mitted to hospital.” on its own, has the backing of six “The mandate in Meghalaya ernment is never easy but I am cuss the formation of a non- against him, which include one CPM leader at the party’s state In Canning, West Bengal, the United Democratic Party (UDP) is against the Congress. The role confi dent that the MLAs who Congress government under the for criminal trespass, one for headquarters, where the BJP lead- BJP said its epoch-making win in legislators, four People’s Demo- of the BJP is just a facilitator. We are with us are very committed leadership of the NPP. voluntarily causing hurt and the er went to pay his last respects to Tripura will bring about a simi- cratic Front (PDF) MLAs, two are facilitating the regional par- to the state and people, and will “We are not a big player here. third one for acts done by several Fisheries and Co-operative De- lar change in West Bengal in the each from the Bharatiya Janata ties in Meghalaya to unite and work towards development of We have come to express our persons in furtherance of com- partment Minister Khagendra near future. Party (BJP) and Hill State Peo- form a government in the state the state,” he said. support to the regional parties mon intention.

Mauritius vows action in PNB case Karti, Indrani grilled by In connection with the alleged Rs126bn fraud at the state- run Punjab National Bank (PNB), which also involves CBI inside Mumbai jail overseas branches, Mauritius has promised regulatory action against individuals or IANS Shortly after landing in Mum- ting the FIPB clearance in 2007 entities found to be linked with Mumbai bai, the CBI team whisked Karti in which it received around Rs- “fraudulent practices”. to the jail around 11am and con- 3bn funds from abroad. Taking cognizance of media fronted him with Indrani after She also said that Karti had reports about the PNB fraud he Central Bureau of which they were questioned for met her in a hotel in New Delhi by accused jewelers Nirav Investigation, moving nearly four hours. and allegedly demanded $1mn Modi and his uncle Mehul Tahead in the INX Media Nobody was permitted in- for the FIPB clearances. Choksi, the Financial Services alleged bribery case, yesterday side the interrogation venue Following the revelations, Commission (FSC) of Mauritius brought Karti Chidambaram, and nothing is known of what Karti was arrested from Chennai said in a statement that it is in son of former fi nance minister transpired, according to offi cial airport on February 28 when he constant communication on the P Chidambaram, face-to-face sources. arrived from London and sent to matter “with its international with murder accused Indrani The CBI has charged Karti CBI custody till March 6. counterparts under existing Mukerjea, in a Mumbai jail. with using his father’s clout to The Enforcement Directo- exchange of information A special CBI team brought get a Foreign Investment Pro- rate has also registered a money agreements.” the 46-year- Karti Chidambar- motion Board (FIPB) clearance laundering case. “The FSC will take necessary am from New Delhi to Mumbai for INX Media, then owned by The CBI and the ED had car- regulatory action against any in the morning and took him to the Mukerjeas. ried out a series of searches at the of its licensee/approved Officer/ the Byculla Women’s Jail, where Indrani spilled the beans on homes and offi ces owned by the Management Company found Indrani Mukerjea is lodged. the deal involving Karti while Chidambarams. Karti was ques- to be linked with any illegal, The wife of former media ty- recording her statement before a tioned several times by the ED. harmful and/or fraudulent coon Peter Mukerjea, Indrani is magistrate in New Delhi on Feb- Chidambaram and his son practices that may cause any accused of killing Sheena Bora, ruary 17, including that he had have denied the allegations, call- prejudice to the good repute of her daughter from a previous allegedly taken bribes from her. ing it a case of “political ven- Mauritius,” it said. husband. The couple is in cus- Among other things, she al- detta” and cite an inquiry by the “The FSC is assessing the tody in connection with Sheena leged that Karti received Rs35mn Serious Frauds Offi ce ordered by reported information and is Bora’s sensational murder in in kickbacks from INX Media, Chidambaram against the INX closely monitoring the matter in 2012. now renamed 9X Media, for get- group. Karti Chidambaram gestures as he leaves after being questioned at Mumbai’s Byculla jail yesterday. collaboration”, it added. Gulf Times 18 Monday, March 5, 2018 LATIN AMERICA Mexico to off er fi rst-ever shale blocks in Sept auction

Reuters regulator, launched a call for bids posits as well as shale formations The blocks are believed to requires large amounts of water The September auction will tions and supervises the contracts. Mexico City for its fi rst shale tender includ- that may lie above or below. mostly contain natural gas. that arid northern Mexico lacks. be the fourth for 2018, the fi nal If successful, the approxi- ing nine contractual areas that “The auction’s winners will have Shale production will also Mexico’s total prospective year of President Enrique Pena mately 90 contracts could be will be awarded on September 5. the right to explore and carry out carry a set of challenges. shale resources have been esti- Nieto’s six-year term. worth more than $150bn over exico will auction de- The blocks are in Mexico’s activities at any depth, through- Mexico is racked by gangland mated at some 60bn barrels of Shallow water blocks will be their lifetime, according to en- velopment rights to Burgos Basin, in the northwest- out the column, involving shale violence in states where the shale oil equivalent. on off er later this month and then ergy ministry estimates. Mshale blocks in Septem- ern border state of Tamaulipas, formations as well as conventional lies, and it also lacks infrastruc- The shale potential is even conventional onshore areas in July. The energy reform ended ber, marking the fi rst time the where state-owned oil company sand formations,” said Zepeda. ture from pipelines to weight- larger than the country’s deep- Since a landmark energy reform Pemex’s nearly 80 years of mo- country has off ered private oil Pemex has drilled some 20 ex- The nine blocks contain an bearing roads suffi cient to handle water resources in its territorial was enacted in 2013-2014, Mex- nopoly control over the sector companies the chance to devel- ploratory wells in the past. estimated 1.16bn barrels of oil intensive shale projects. waters in the Gulf, where Royal ico has conducted eight oil and and paved the way for the auc- op the resource, which has been CNH president Juan Carlos equivalent (boe), plus another Additionally, the hydraulic Dutch Shell is set to be the big- gas auctions, awarding some 90 tions, ending a long-standing booming in the US for years. Zepeda said companies that win 53mn boe of conventional oil and fracturing used by the industry gest producer in the years ahead contracts covering onshore and constitutional prohibition on The National Hydrocarbons development rights will be able to gas resources, according to en- to break up shale deposits and after winning the most blocks at off shore acreage, according the private companies operating Commission (CNH), Mexico’s oil tap conventional oil and gas de- ergy ministry data. get oil and gas to fl ow out also a January auction. CNH, which conducts the auc- fi elds on their own. Falcon cuts Peace initiative divisive fi gure in Venezuela polls

AFP opted by the government, and Caracas thus his candidacy will probably discourage turnout,” said Grais- Targow. enri Falcon, the main The retired army offi cer set opponent to unpopular about mending fences with the HPresident Nicolas Ma- rest of the opposition immedi- duro in Venezuela’s presidential ately after declaring his candi- election, is in the unusual posi- dacy, calling on Friday for talks tion of being unloved by both and urging them to understand Maduro’s ruling socialists and “that the enemy is not Falcon — the main opposition alike. who is the one next to you — but Falcon, 56, rejected calls from the one opposite you.” the opposition Democratic Unity He said the opposition’s woes Roundtable (MUD) this weekend were self-infl icted, pointing to in- to join their boycott of the May fi ghting that has stolen momen- 20 election, insisting his victory tum from the four main parties in would end Venezuela’s diplo- the coalition, even at a time when matic isolation. Maduro is deeply unpopular. “Once we change this govern- Two key leaders, Henrique ment, rest assured that we will Capriles and Leopoldo Lopez, be recognised by the interna- have been banned from running. tional community and we will “We are going to unite under a Venezuelan and Colombian citizens participate in a rally called “Abrazaton” (hugging event) as part of the ‘Uniting Peoples for Peace’, an initiative. The event was rescue relations with our allies,” single slogan, to save Venezuela. held in San Antonio del Tachira, Venezuela, on the border with Norte de Santander province, Colombia. he told reporters. We will win to overcome a sit- But analysts say the main uation of generalised hunger to problem for Falcon, a 56-year revive the economy,” he pledged old former mayor and state gov- in a speech carried on state tel- ernor who defected from the rul- evision last week. ing socialists in 2010, is that he is He referred to Maduro as “the seen as a traitor by both the op- hunger candidate” — a reference position and the government. to his disastrous management of “Falcon has generally shown the economy that has brought a predisposition to play by the about a crippling recession government’s rules and has been marked by widespread food and Peru army ‘to protect oil one of the fi ercest advocates of medicine shortages. electoral participation,” said Risa Falcon has previously fought a Grais-Targow of Eurasia Group. presidential campaign, though not That has fl own in the face of as a candidate. He was Capriles’ the four main opposition parties election manager when he nar- who make up the MUD, who dis- rowly lost to Maduro in 2013. miss the election as a farce and “Where is the use in not vot- pipeline from vandals’ Falcon as a Maduro puppet. ing?” The elections are on the 20th. “Without a doubt, the gov- What happens on the 21st? What’s Reuters The attacks in a remote Am- 14 attacks, and 5,600 barrels behind the subsequent spate of help indigenous residents fi nd ernment needs Falcon, it needs the plan?” he asked of those parties Lima azonian region over the past spilled because of corrosion or vandalism. steady work, Petroperu has been a relatively well-known fi gure to boycotting the election. two years have made investors operative failures, data from The pipeline was cut open hiring them to clear paths to the participate,” Venezuela analyst Opinion polls show support nervous at a time when Peru, a environmental regulator OEFA again by suspected vandals on pipeline so Petroperu can better Andres Canizales said. for Falcon running at 24%, with eru plans to declare the relatively small oil producer, is showed. Tuesday, spilling 40 barrels maintain it, Alva Hart said. “He is playing a risky game, Maduro at 18%. Falcon said he country’s sole oil pipe- seeking to shore up slumping “We’re exhausting all of our from a pipeline section inop- “We’re rebuilding relations trying to form a political centre is confi dent of victory, pointing Pline a “strategic asset” output, said Beatriz Alva Hart, eff orts to maintain the integrity erative since last month over with communities,” Alva Hart distinct from Chavism and the to polls showing that 70% of the so the military can protect it a Petroperu manager for rela- of our pipeline,” Alva Hart said issues with crude quality, Alva said. radical opposition,” he said. population wants to vote in an from a string of vandalism at- tions with communities near in an interview. Hart said. Indigenous leaders have re- As a former leading light of oil-rich though impoverished tacks, the pipeline’s operator, the pipeline. “The pipeline will soon be “We’re no longer going to peatedly called for Petroperu Chavism, the brand of populist country where support for the state-owned Petroperu and a The 1,106km pipeline trans- qualifi ed as infrastructure hire those kinds of companies, and authorities to do more to leftist ideology left behind by government is dwindling. Cabinet spokesman told Reu- ports crude from jungle oil that’s a strategic asset for the because it creates a sort of per- stop the spills and mitigate im- former president Hugo Chavez “Even if in theory he could ters. blocks tapped by Frontera En- Peruvian state,” allowing the verse incentive,” said Alva Hart, pacts on communities that rely and championed by Maduro, beat Maduro as the lesser of The spokesman said the ergy Corporation and Perenco military and not just the police explaining one way Petroperu on local land, water and wildlife Falcon is a divisive fi gure within two evils in a competitive con- centre-right government of Pe- to Petroperu’s refi nery on the to protect it. hoped to discourage more at- for survival. the opposition who is tarnished test, the government is likely to ruvian President Pedro Pablo Pacifi c coast. Petroperu suspects local tacks. Alva Hart said 14 investiga- by his socialist past. heavily manipulate the election, Kuczynski will ask Congress to Since the start of 2016, businesses hired to clean up oil Petroperu will use companies tions into the attacks have been “Falcon is perceived by many as they have in the past,” said approve the move “in coming some 11,100 barrels of oil have from two corrosion-induced and workers outside the Amazo- opened by public prosecutors opposition voters as being co- Grais-Targow. days.” spilled from the pipeline in ruptures in early 2016 have been nian region instead, she said. To with no arrests made.

El Salvador polls Guatemala seeks US help China demand lifts to combat drug traffi cking Cuban cigar sales Reuters last year outpaced the luxury Havana goods market, which expanded Reuters against drugs and that we’re do- naval offi cers said the force was 5%, according to consultancy Port of San Jose, Guatemala ing it with the resources we have operating with boats that were Bain & Co. He put sales growth and with the aid we receive from not big enough and not always surge in sales of Cuba’s down to several good tobacco the diff erent agencies of the US,” fast enough to catch the drug legendary cigars in Chi- harvests and new products. uatemala has appealed to he said. traffi ckers. Ana helped manufacturer The Habanos executive said the US for more equip- They said the traffi ckers were Habanos S. A.’s global rev- the outlook was also positive, Gment and training to The ministers said more travelling thousands of miles enue rise 12% to hit a record of given solid demand and “excel- tackle drug traffi cking as US am- helicopters, boats, vehicles from Colombia and had started around $500mn last year, the lent” climatic conditions. Hur- bassador to the United Nations and communication using hard-to-detect semi-sub- company said. ricane Irma, which wrought Nikki Haley visited the Central equipment were needed marine-like boats. Habanos S.A., a 50-50 joint havoc throughout much of American country to see how ef- to boost the eff ectiveness The offi cials said the special venture between the Cuban Cuba last year, left the western, fective their eff orts have been. of the operations by the forces boats sometimes have to state and Britain’s Imperial prime tobacco-growing state of Stemming a fl ow of drugs and 131-member special force travel hundreds of miles out to Brands, said sales in China, its Pinar del Rio mostly unscathed. migrants into the US has become sea and end up running out of third export market after Spain Cigars are one of the top ex- a key focus for President Don- Asturias and Ralda took Haley fuel. They have to rely on fuel and France, jumped 33% in ports for the Cuban economy, ald Trump, who wants to build to a Guatemalan Naval Special from the interdicted vessel to get value in 2017. which is otherwise struggling a wall on the country’s southern Forces base on the country’s Pa- home or sometimes fl oat until “Without doubt, there is with decreasing aid from key ally border and has called for a halt to cifi c coast on Thursday to hear they are rescued. potential for China to become Venezuela, a cash crunch and aid for countries failing to stop about the maritime interdiction “We need a logistics ves- the biggest market at a global a pushback against market re- traffi cking. operations carried out by the sel that can allow us to be more level,” Habanos vice president forms. However, the Caribbean While Trump’s remarks came Guatemalan forces, usually act- successful operationally,” one of development Jose María island cannot sell its signature ex- after a US offi cial told him co- ing on US intelligence tips. Guatemalan offi cial told Haley Lopez said after the company’s port to the biggest market world- caine was mainly coming from Both ministers said more as they toured the special forces annual news conference, while wide for cigars, the US, due to the Colombia and Peru via Mexico helicopters, boats, vehicles and base, before being taken out on puffi ng on a smoke. decades-old US trade embargo. and Central America, Guate- communication equipment were one of the boats provided several The Cuban monopoly cigar Improved US-Cuba rela- mala’s Governance Minister En- needed to boost the eff ective- years ago by the US. company’s hand-rolled cigars, tions under former US presi- rique Antonio Degenhart Astu- ness of the operations by the Haley also visited Honduras which include brands such as dent Barack Obama stoked a rias said: “We know they are not 131-member special force, which during her four-day trip to Cen- Cohiba, Montecristo and Par- boom in international travel to talking about us.” seized more than 10,000 pack- tral America and was to brief A man casts his vote during the municipal and parliamentary tagas, are considered by many Cuba and boosted cigar sales Defence Minister Luis Ralda ages of cocaine last year valued Trump about their eff orts to elections at a polling station in San Salvador, El Salvador, as the best in the world. on the island, with American agreed. “He knows that we’re at nearly $140mn. fi ght drug and migrant traffi ck- yesterday. Lopez said that growth in visitors able to take home as giving a pretty strong fi ght However, senior Guatemalan ing and corruption. global sales of Cuban cigars many cigars as they wanted. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 19 PAKISTAN PML-N gains Senate control Internews The Muttahida Qaumi Move- shows 33 PML-N-backed can- dependent candidates who won Farogh Naseem, who supports Hussain Shah’s contacts with the winners, while the PkMAP Islamabad ment (MQM) was the biggest didates, 20 PPP candidates, 15 the general seats from Punjab are the Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui-led two MQM factions and the Pak and the NP clinched two seats loser as it could bag only one independent candidates, 12 PTI Dr Asif Kirmani, Musadik Malik, faction of the MQM, was the only Sarzameen Party also worked to each, and the JUI-F took one seat despite having 37 seats in candidates, fi ve candidates of Haroon Akhtar Khan, Rana Mah- candidate of the party to emerge save his party’s elimination from seat. s the ruling Pakistan the Sindh Assembly and a last- MQM, PkMAP and NP each, four mood ul Hassan, Shaheen Khalid victorious in a vote recount. the upper house as he bagged one Those who won against the Muslim League – Nawaz minute agreement between its candidates of JUI-F, two can- Butt, and Rana Maqbool Ahmad. The PPP clinched 10 seats – seat. general seats are Sardar Shafi q A(PML-N) won the ex- two factions led by Dr Farooq didates of JI, and one candidate Zubair Gul was president of fi ve general seats, two reserved In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Tareen and Abida Umar (Pk- pected 15 seats in Senate elec- Sattar and Khalid Maqbool Sid- from each of the PML-F, Awami the PML-N’s UK chapter and had seats for technocrats and two for PTI secured fi ve seats, while MAP), Tahir Bijenjo and Akram tions this weekend after having diqui. National Party (ANP) and Balu- surrendered his UK nationality to women, and one for non-Mus- PPP- and PML-N-backed can- Dashti (NP), Maulana Faiz Mu- suff ered a major setback in Balu- According to unoffi cial re- chistan National Party – Men- contest the polls. lims – to take its total strength to didates won two seats each, and hammad (JUI-F), and independ- chistan, the Pakistan Peoples sults, 15 candidates backed by the gal (BNP-M) in the house of 104 Former fi nance minister Ishaq 20 against the expectation of 17. JI and JUI-F one seat each. ent candidates Anwarul Haq Party (PPP) pulled off a surprise PML-N, 12 Pakistan Peoples Par- members. Dar and sitting federal minister Successful PPP candidates on The PTI candidates are Faisal Kakar, Ahmad Khan, Kauda Ba- win on 12 seats, which with the ty, 10 independent, six PTI, two The parties which have for communications Haji Abdul general seats from Sindh are sit- Hayat, Muhammad Ayub Af- bar, Sadiq Sanjrani, Naseeb Ullah likely support of independent candidates of the Jamiat Ulema- lost representation in the up- Karim won the two technocrat ting chairman of Senate Raza ridi, Fida Muhammad, Azam Bazei, and Sana Jamali. candidates may further allow it i-Islam-F (JUI-F), one each from per house are Pakistan Muslim seats from the province, Prime Rabbani, Maula Bux Chandio, Swati (technocrat) and Mehar The results of Federally Ad- to consolidate its position in the the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami League – Quaid-e-Azam (PML- Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s Mohammad Ali Shah Jamote, Taj Roghni (woman); the PPP ministered Tribal Areas (Fata) upper house. Party (PkMAP) and National Q) and BNP-Awami. sister Saadia Abbasi and sitting Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and Dr candidates are Bahramand Khan Senate seats were the fi rst to Candidates backed by the Party (NP), and one candidate In Punjab, the ruling party senator Nuzhat Sadiq (due to Sikander Menghro. and Rubina Khalid (woman); the come out. PML-N won 11 out of total 12 each from the Muttahida Qaumi candidates shouted foul when retire on March 11) clinched the Rukhsana Zuberi and Dr PML-N-backed candidates are As many as 25 candidates con- seats from Punjab where the rul- Movement (MQM), Jamaat-i- Zubair Gul lost on a seat that was two seats reserved for women, Sikandar Mandhro won the tech- Pir Sabir Shah and Dilawar Khan; tested for the four Senate seats ing party, despite enjoying ma- Islami (JI), and Pakistan Muslim bagged by the PTI’s candidate while Kamran Michael, another nocrat seats while Anwar Lal Talha Mehmood won for the JUI- from Fata. jority, lost one seat to Pakistan League – Functional (PML-F) re- Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar outgoing senator, won the seat Dean won the seat for minorities. F; and, Mushtaq Khan won for The four candidates who won Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) organiser turned successful on the 52 of the despite having poor representa- reserved for non-Muslims. Quratulain Marri and Krishna the JI. the Senate election from Fata ac- Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar 104 Senate seats. tion of his party in the provincial The election results for 12 Sen- Kohli won the election for the re- In Baluchistan, six independ- cording to unoffi cial results, are amid allegations of horse-trad- The overall strength of each assembly. ate seats from Sindh surprised served seats for women. ent candidates with unclear po- Shamim Afridi, Hidayatullah, ing. party following the election The six PML-N-backed in- many. PML- F candidate Muzzafar litical affi liation were amongst Hilal-ur-Rehman, and Mirza. First PPP wins two seats in KP female Dalit province from nowhere senator Internews backed by the PML-N. was backed by the PTI, failed to and could not succeed as its sole Peshawar The PPP’s Bahramand Khan secure a seat reserved for tech- candidate, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Tangi was elected on a general nocrats. lost the election on a seat re- elected seat while the party’s Rubina Maulana Sami, who is the head served for women. he Pakistan Peoples Party Khalid was declared winner on a of his own faction of the JUI, The party had withdrawn its (PPP) surprisingly won seat reserved for women. bagged only four votes. candidate, Haji Ghufran, on a AFP Tone general Senate seat The PPP has total six MPAs in PTI chairman Imran Khan had general seat. Islamabad and one seat reserved for women the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa As- claimed before the Senate elec- The QWP has 10 members in in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) sembly, but MPA Ziaullah Afridi tions that his party would win six the assembly. province despite having only six who has been expelled from PTI seats in addition to the victory of Talha Mehmood of the JUI-F akistan elected its fi rst fe- members in the provincial as- has joined it. Maulana Sami who contested the has won a general seat. male senator from the low- sembly of 124 members. Tangi is an old guard and a die- election as an independent can- Another candidate of the par- Pest Dalit caste in weekend According to unoffi cial results hard worker of the PPP. didate. ty, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, polls which also saw the ruling issued yesterday, out of the seven Contrary to its expectation of The voting pattern shows that lost the election. party strengthen its hand ahead general seats from the province, winning six of 11 seats from the at least 11 PTI MPAs have not Interestingly, the JUI-F and of a general election in the Mus- three were won by the Pakistan province, the PTI won fi ve seats, voted for their party’s candi- PPP had entered into an electoral lim-majority country. In this picture taken on Saturday, opposition candidate Krishna Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and one including two seats reserved for dates. arrangement, but the former The surprise victory of op- Kumari Kohli is seen leaving the Sindh province assembly in Karachi each by the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), women and technocrats. Pir Sabir Shah, former chief with 15 MPAs could win only a position candidate Krishna Ku- after the Senate election. PPP and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam The PTI’s candidates who have minister of the province, who single seat. mari Kohli in the Senate elec- (JUI-F) headed by Maulana Fa- won general seats are Muham- was backed by the PML-N, has A total of 122 MPAs exercised tion stirred a wave of optimism ous candidate said yesterday. around 2% of the country’s zlur Rehman, and an independ- mad Ayub Afridi and Fida Mu- been declared winner on a gen- their right to vote. on social media, as Pakistanis “Kudos to PPP for electing 200mn people. ent candidate who was backed by hammad. eral seat. One seat in the provincial as- celebrated the rare success for #KrishnaKohli ... our parliament Members of parliament and of Pakistan Muslim League – Na- The party’s candidates who Another independent candi- sembly is vacant due to the dis- a woman from a marginalised should have representatives of provincial assemblies voted on waz (PML-N). have won seats reserved for date, Dilawar Khan, who was also qualifi cation of the PTI’s Abdul community at the bottom of the all religions, classes & genders Saturday to fi ll half the seats in Out of the four seats reserved women and technocrats are KP backed by the PML-N, won a seat Munim, whereas for another Hindu caste hierarchy. in pursuit of true democracy,” the Senate, or upper house, be- for women and technocrats from Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Dr reserved for technocrats. seat, which is reserved for mi- “I feel proud, I am thankful to tweeted rights activist Jibran Na- fore elections due this summer the province, two were won by Meher Taj Roghani and Azam The Qaumi Watan Party norities, MPA-elect Baldev Ku- Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that sir. for the lower house of parlia- the PTI and one each by the PPP Swati, respectively. (QWP) despite striking a deal mar has not taken the oath of they nominated me,” the victori- Pakistan’s Hindus make up ment. and an independent candidate Maulana Sami ul Haq, who with the PTI, suff ered a setback offi ce.

76% of funds for tribal E-libraries established in Punjab province’s 20 districts regions not utilised Internews data centre to provide online ac- to general public for networking, Multan, Muzaff argarh, Nar- security system has been in- Lahore cess to full text e-books, e-jour- exchange of views, open access rowal, Okara, Rahim Yar Khan, stalled in each library for protec- nals, e-theses, online reference to free online resources and lim- Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Sargodha, tion of pilferage of resources. Internews utilising funds is near impos- collections, Nobel laureate col- ited access to members for sub- Sheikhupura, Toba Tek Singh, In each library are around Peshawar sible as ground work comes to he Punjab Information lections, documentaries, simu- scribed resources, engage youth and Vehari. 3,000 high-quality print books, a grinding halt during the holy Technology Board (PITB) lated videos and other local and and players into healthy. Each library comprises an au- and documentaries and maga- month. Tand Youth Aff airs, Sports, international resources. The library would facilitate ditorium with 50 user seating zines have been provided in air- ith Pakistan’s Fed- Documents from the Fata Archaeology and Tourism De- A union catalogue of libraries visually impaired, deaf and per- arrangements and multimedia conditioned environment with erally Administered Secretariat revealed that partment (YASAT) have estab- in Punjab has also been devel- sons with physical disabilities. facility, e-Rozgar rooms with 16 access to central digital library WTribal Areas (Fata) it managed to secure only lished e-libraries in 20 districts oped to facilitate sharing of re- These libraries have been es- computers, e-learn facility, dig- resources. reforms on the back foot as po- Rs4.2bn in the fi rst quarter and of Punjab. sources across Punjab. tablished at the districts of At- ital library access room with 10 Access is free to citizens: there litical parties prepare for the Rs4bn in second. A central digital library has These libraries are focused to tock, Bahawalpur, Bhakhar, Dera computers, fi ve tables and beau- is no membership fee, and the forthcoming general elections, It is pertinent to note that been established at the Punjab inculcate e-reading and e-learn- Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujran- tiful work stations. libraries are open seven days in the abysmal state of the devel- the amount for the second Information Technology Board ing culture, to provide avenues wala, Gujrat, Lahore, Mianwali, Electromagnetic-based library two shifts. opment budget of the region quarter of the fi scal year, i.e. stares authorities in the eye – October to December 2017, was as the fate of around 76% of the secured on January 4, 2018, one More rain spells budget hangs in the balance. month after the period lapsed. The Fata Secretariat’s fi - At present, funds worth Crocodile festival likely this month nance department put the An- Rs8.5bn for the third quarter Devotees (right) take part in Dhamal, or sacred dance, yesterday at nual Development Programme i.e. January to March 2018, are the Sufi shrine of Hasan-al-Maroof Sultan Manghopir, on the outskirts Three to four rain spells of short (ADP) for fi scal year 2017-18 yet to be secured from the fed- of Karachi, during the Sheedi Mela, or crocodiles festival. Meanwhile, duration are expected over upper at Rs24.5bn, out of which only eral government. caretaker Khalifa Sajad (below) feeds a crocodile with sweets yesterday parts of the country along with Rs5.8bn have been utilised in The offi cial further said that at the shrine. thunderstorm, gusty winds and eight months – giving the sec- the funds were supposed to be high risk of hailstorm this month. retariat only four month to use secured by the second week of The Met off ice has predicted Rs18.7bn. January. that the upper parts, including The lacklustre performance But with no activity on that Potohar region central and of the Fata Secretariat made it account, there is a distant northern Punjab, Federally highly unlikely that the funds chance of the fourth instalment Administered Tribal Areas, being earmarked for ADP can of Rs8.5bn would be obtained, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), be utilised. let alone utilised by June 2018 Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir An offi cial of the Fata Secre- when the ADP will expire. are expected to receive slightly tariat echoed the same senti- An offi cial within the sec- above normal precipitation with ment as he said, on condition of retariat blamed the fi nance snowfall over the hilly areas of KP, anonymity, that the chances of department for failing to issue GB and Kashmir. employing the entire amount funds on time, alleging that the However, the lower half of the were bleak. department intentionally de- country may receive below He pointed out that as Ra- lays release of funds for under- normal to normal rainfall during madan is around the corner, the-table transactions. the month, which may aggravate moderate drought like conditions over southwest Baluchistan and Motorbike ambulance goes on trial Tharparker. As the country faced less rain Punjab Emergency Service, Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi has started its in the previous months the Met motorbike-ambulance service on a trial basis, which would formally off ice has further cautioned that be launched on March 15. the rainfall in March is not likely Rawalpindi District Emergency Off icer (DEO) Dr Abdul Rehman said to improve the water level in that 100 motorbikes have been provided to Rescue Rawalpindi for major reservoirs of the country. the service. The Met off ice said that there is He said that the service has been started on a probationary basis no chance of La Nina or El Nino and gives a quick response to the victims of emergencies from developments as the global several key points. weather pattern is normal. Rehman said two motorbike ambulances would be stationed at The current spell of rainfall was every key point, from where the rescuers would rush to the spot in set to end on Sunday evening case of an emergency and provide first aid to the victims. but the partly cloudy days ahead He said an inauguration ceremony for the new rescue service would would trigger the onset of spring be held in Rawalpindi in mid-March and preparations are being as well as the spread of pollen finalised. grains. Gulf Times 20 Monday, March 5, 2018 PHILIPPINES Cooling off Several senators oppose 60-day Boracay island shutdown

Manila Times At the Senate hearing on Boracay, Aklan Friday, Villanueva said that while he acknowledged the serious environmental prob- hile agreeing to the lem faced by the island, he need to rehabili- insisted that shutting it down Wtate Boracay, some was not a solution. senators are opposed to the He said what was needed proposal of the Department was strict enforcement of of Interior and Local Govern- existing environmental and ment (DILG) to shut down the building laws and serious world-renowned resort for six crackdown on violators. months because this will dis- Sen. Sonny Angara, in a place thousands of workers on separate statement, called on the island. government to ensure that Senator Cynthia Villar, who employment assistance would chairs the Committee on En- be provided to workers who vironment and Natural Re- would be aff ected should the sources, said the move would planned closure of Boracay also punish those establish- businesses push through. ment owners and residents “While we fully support the who have been complying immediate rehabilitation of with the law. Boracay, we can’t turn a blind If there are closures that eye to the possible displace- should be implemented, it ment of thousands of work- should be done directly on ers. Libu-libong pamilya ang those who have not been com- maaapektuhan nito,” Angara plying with government laws said. because they are causing the Labour groups in Western degradation of Boracay. Visayas have expressed appre- “I am okay to close down hension that almost 19,000 those establishments that formal and informal workers People take a dip in the flowing waters of Wawa Dam in Rodriguez, Rizal province, yesterday. are not complying with the could lose their jobs with the law but closing the entire proposed business closure. island will also punish those The lawmaker called on who are complying,” Villar stakeholders to take advan- said. tage of the Green Jobs Law The DILG is proposing that that provided incentives with a state of calamity be declared the creation of jobs that would in Boracay for six months, contribute substantially to the including a two-month com- preservation and restoration mercial shutdown, to speed up of the environment and natu- Army slams human rights rehabilitation and clean-up ral resources. eff orts in the Island. Green jobs, under Republic Sen. Joel Villanueva is also Act (RA) 10771, refer to em- not in favour of the proposal ployment that helps “protect as it will aff ect the livelihood ecosystems and biodiversity, of more than 17,000 workers and minimise or altogether group over ‘torture’ claim and those who belong in the avoid generation of all forms informal sector. of waste and pollution.” Manila Times “The issue can be considered tortured. On Dec 6, 2017, the surrender would be tortured, Special Partisan Unit members, Davao City as black propaganda to deviate two were allegedly brought to a citing the increasing number of and some alleged drug person- people and to further threaten mountainous area in Compost- NPA members and supporters alities. Court convicts former mayor for malversation NPA members who want to go ela Valley and were thrown to a who have surrendered to the “This has gained the sup- he Philippine Army’s 71st back to the folds of the law be- pit where soldiers tried to burn government. port and respect from the civil- The Sandiganbayan’s Special that he did not consent to the Infantry battalion has de- cause it creates an impression them alive. The military reported that ian community. They are able to Third Division sentenced to up withdrawal of the fund the Tbunked the allegation of that surrenderers are mistreat- “The 71st IB troopers are as of March this year, a total of build a school building in Mara- to seven years imprisonment, court found his defences “in- a militant human rights group ed and abused,” Ducusin said. professional and disciplined, 418 NPA members and support- gusan, the water system in Maco, former Mayor Dionisio Torres suff icient.” It said Torres does that two individuals who were In a press statement released committed to respect human ers voluntarily surrendered to and distributed school supplies, of Noveleta, Cavite in a mal- not dispute that he entered suspected members of the New by Karapatan on March 2, 2018, rights and adhere in Interna- the battalion. The former rebels bags and chairs within Compos- versation case involving P1mn into the subject memorandum People’s Army (NPA) were tor- it claimed that January Mensis, tional Humanitarian Law and were set to attend the Technical tela Valley and Davao del Norte,” the municipality received as of agreement without any tured and burned. 22 and alias “Jerry,” 17, were it would be a privilege for us to Education and Skills Develop- the commander said. soft loan from the Off ice of authorisation from the Sang- Lt Col. Esteveyn Ducusin, reportedly abducted on Nov be investigated to expose the ment Authority’s (Tesda) live- “All of these accomplishments the President in 2002, Manila guniang Bayan and admitted commander of the Army’s 28, 2017 and were “falsely ac- truth,” Ducusin said. lihood training programmes, have paved way for anti-govern- Times reported. Torres, who that after receiving the check 71st battalion, said no trooper cused” as thieves by the Phil- He said the 71st IB welcomed which are projects aimed at ment groups to attempt to de- is now the town’s vice mayor, for the OTOP-P1M Programme would do such heinous acts as ippine National Police (PNP) in any legitimate investigation to helping them reintegrate into stroy the mission of Philippine was also fined P1mn. He has funds, he turned it over to these were contrary to the man- Tagum City. prove its innocence on the is- society. Army especially 71st IB who are filed a motion for reconsid- Teresita Vales, municipal treas- date of the military to serve and After being cleared, Ka- sue. On March 2, there were 15 performing their duties and re- eration. In convicting Torres, urer. OTOP-P1M refers to the protect the people, adding that rapatan claimed that the two Ducusin said Karapatan personalities who were appre- sponsibilities in attaining peace the decision said in part that One Town, One Product, One state troops strictly adhere to were turned over to the 71st IB, wanted to make an impression hended within the area and sent and order for the progress of the while the accused claimed Million Programme. the Anti-Torture Law of 2009. brought to the camp and were that communist rebels who to jail, including bomb makers, community,” Ducusin said. Comelec summons Malacanang appeals to parents Aquino, former aides

Manila Times gramme on April 4, 2016, which not to shun essential vaccines Manila fell within the 45-day election ban on government projects ahead of the May 2016 election. By Catherine S Valente parents for their children to he Commission on Elec- The Dengvaxia shots were Manila Times undergo vaccinations against tions (Comelec) Law De- given to more than 830,000 dengue, measles, pneumonia Tpartment has summoned school children before the mass and other related preventable former President Benigno Aqui- immunisation programme was alacanang has ap- diseases to save lives. no and two former Cabinet sec- suspended in November last pealed to the public “To parents, bring your chil- retaries to an investigation into year, after manufacturer Sa- Mnot to let the contro- dren to health centres for vacci- an alleged election off ence in- nofi Pasteur’s admission that it versy over Sanofi Pasteur’s con- nation. Bring back your trust to volving the purchase of the anti- might increase the risk of den- troversial Dengvaxia dengue our programme,” he said. dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia. gue to patients who did not have vaccine stop them from get- “To health workers, don’t The Comelec issued a subpoe- a previous history of the dengue ting their children vaccinated stop and as much as possible na against former Budget Secre- virus. against other diseases. woo the parents for them to tary Florencio Abad and former Also named in the complaint In an interview, Palace co-operate, because we will be Health Secretary Janet Garin for were several Department of spokesman Harry Roque Jr re- facing diffi culties just in case them to appear in a preliminary Health offi cials: Undersecretar- iterated that not all vaccines are an outbreak occurs. We will be hearing on March 15. ies Carol Tanio, Gerardo Bayugo, harmful and that parents should lacking hospitals and physi- During the hearing, the re- Lilibeth David, Mario Villaverde; not place their children at risk cians if this happens because spondents will be required to Assistant Secretaries Lyndon by depriving them of protection of the Dengvaxia scare,” Duque submit a counter-affi davit Lee Suy and Nestor Santiago; against other diseases. said. He said measles is a vac- against the complaint fi led Directors Laureano Cruz, Joyce “What the government sus- Relatives of children inoculated with Dengvaxia amplify their call for the prosecution of off icials behind cine-preventable disease. against them by the Volunteers Ducusin, Julius Lecciones, Mar pended was the Dengvaxia vac- the controversial anti-dengue vaccination programme during a rally at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. Asked by Manila Times how Against Crime and Corruption Wynn Bello; Directors IV Leonila cine. All other vaccines that the Dengvaxia mess was hurt- (VACC). Gorgolon, Rio Magpantay, Ariel have been in use for a long time after Sanofi ’s admission that gramme in good faith. Duterte suff ering a setback temporarily ing the DoH and aff ecting the The three were accused of Valencia; and ex-undersecretar- will continue,” Roque said. Dengvaxia could lead to more said he would have done the because of the Dengvaxia mess. sustainable development goals committing election off ences, ies Nemesio Gako, Vicente Be- “Our appeal to all mothers, severe symptoms if given to same thing, provided there was He said about 5mn people of the government, Duque said: when they implemented the lizario Jr, Kenneth Hartigan-Go fathers, please continue to let those who have not had the a vaccine available that could might succumb to illnesses es- “The Dengvaxia is ‘a class of its dengue immunisation pro- and Dr Yolanda Oliveros. your children be vaccinated be- mosquito-borne disease before. help Filipinos fi ght the deadly pecially the children if they did own.’ This is the fi rst incident in cause all existing vaccines have It demanded a full refund but disease. not undergo vaccination. the history of the Department been used for a long time. If was rejected by Sanofi . The gov- In Legazpi City, Health Sec- “Next to water, vaccination of Health when we have mass CRIME you stop taking vaccines, there ernment is planning to sue the retary Francisco Duque said the is very important as it curbs vaccination using for the fi rst Fisherman detained over stabbing incidents could be more risk to the health French pharmaceutical giant. Dengvaxia controversy was the diseases and saves lives. Health time a new vaccine.” of your children,” he added. The Public Attorney’s Of- saddest chapter in the history of and education is a driver of de- “But we’re not helpless Charges were filed against a fisherman who went berserk by stabbing Procured in 2016, Dengvax- fi ce had claimed its forensics the country’s public health sys- velopment. That’s why we are somehow; we withstood the Mayor Arnold del Ferio-Celeste of this town and his brother, a municipal ia was administered to about experts found a pattern in the tem, but vowed to rise above the urging and praying to win back test of time as we are now able councillor, and their sister, after his arrest on Saturday, Manila Times re- 837,000 people under a nation- deaths of at least 18 children challenges to win back the trust the trust and confi dence of the to level up our response to ported. Chief Insp. Joseph Mark Sibayan, chief of police, said Domingo Celi al immunisation programme, who received Dengvaxia during and confi dence of Filipinos in people for them to believe in Dengvaxia. But if you look at of Barangay Luciente barged into the Celeste compound at about 5pm mostly public school students the Aquino administration. government’s vaccination pro- the vaccination programme,” the statistics, the Dengvaxia on Saturday armed with a knife and challenged George Celeste for a fist in areas where dengue was re- President Rodrigo Duterte grammes. the country’s top health offi cial vaccine is 66% eff ective and fight. George, a person with disability, is the incumbent town councillor and portedly prevalent. earlier said he believed the Duque admitted in a news said. the case fatality ratio over the brother of the mayor. Celi also threatened to kill Margaret Celeste, sister of The Department of Health previous administration im- briefi ng at the Bicol Regional Duque also told health au- number of those vaccinated the off icials, who tried to pacify him. The mayor also arrived to pacify the (DoH) last year halted its den- plemented the controversial Training and Teaching Hospital thorities and personnel on the with anti-dengue is less than suspect who became wild and stabbed the mayor several times. gue vaccination programme dengue immunisation pro- that the Health department was ground to continue to woo the 10%,” the Health chief said. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 21 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Three more Hasina terms writer’s held for attack on writer attackers fanatics Reuters/AFP extremists blamed for attacks on Dhaka secular and atheist writers in the By Mizan Rahman 24-25, swooped on Iqbal on last four years. Dhaka Saturday while he was deliver- Suspected Islamist radicals ing his speech on the closing angladeshi police arrested have killed around a dozen such day of a two-day celebration three men yesterday as writers and bloggers, including angladesh Prime Minister programme, ‘Robofi ght,’ of the Bthey investigate a knife at- an American atheist blogger of Sheikh Hasina yesterday Electrical and Electronic En- tack on Zafar Iqbal, a popular au- Bangladeshi origin. Btermed ‘fanatics’ the at- gineering (EEE) department at thor and professor of computer Police have blamed homeg- tackers of writer Zafar Iqbal and Mukta Mancha. science and engineering. rown Islamist extremist group urged all to keep their children The prime minister said, “We Police said the arrests were Ansarullah Bangla Team - also away from militancy, terrorism want to make the country free in connection with background known as Ansar Al Islam and and drug abuse. from militancy, terrorism and checks on suspected assailant linked to Al Qaeda in the Indian “Those who are commit- drug abuse.” Faizur Rahman. He was detained Subcontinent - for most of the ting these crimes are fanatics She mentioned that those who at the scene after the attack on attacks. ... we earlier decided not to al- commit such incidents like the Iqbal at a university in the city of Bangladesh’s government has low terrorism and militancy in one done to Iqbal are fanatics. Sylhet on Saturday. provided security for top secu- the country, we’re conducting “They think by killing a person Police said that Rahman, 25, lar writers and activists since drives against drug abuse as they will go to heaven ... they’ll identifi ed as a student at an Is- Islamist extremists named them well,” she said while presenting never be able to reach the heaven lamic school, had said he at- in several lists of targets. Bangabandhu Fellowship, Na- ... they’ll suff er in the hell.” tacked the writer as he was an Iqbal, 64, is a bestselling au- tional Science and Technology The prime minister said the enemy of Islam. thor and celebrity speaker who (NST) Fellowship and research country’s children must be kept Rahman is receiving treat- regularly appears at campuses donations to students and away from drugs, terrorism and ment in a hospital as he was at- nationwide. The US-trained researchers. militancy. “These three social tacked by students at the scene professor teaches at a state She said the government menaces are just destroying before the university authori- university in Sylhet. wants the peaceful atmosphere children.” ties, with the help of police, took In recent years Iqbal had sup- to prevail in all educational Turning to science and tech- him into custody. ported the execution of top Is- institutions of the country. nology, the prime minister said Iqbal, a respected writer and lamist party leaders - key oppo- “Yesterday, an unwanted inci- these are ever changing and academic popular with children nents of Hasina - for their part in dent took place at Shahjalal Uni- her government has attached for his science fi ction, was fl own war crimes in the early 1970s. versity of Science and Technol- utmost importance to educa- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presenting the Bangabandhu Fellowship award to a researcher as others to a military hospital in Dhaka Bangladesh has been waging ogy campus where Dr Zafar Iqbal tion, research and scientifi c and look on, in Dhaka yesterday. for treatment on Saturday night. a war against extremists in the came under [knife] attack. I asked technological studies. He is now out of danger wake of numerous attacks by the Air Force to bring him to Dha- She said the government has science and food production. the Awamin League government The prime minister said Bang- and will recover in a few days, radical groups in recent years. ka and admit him to the Com- already given importance to Hasina said a country cannot after taking offi ce in 1996, allo- ladesh is now stepping into the said Munshi Mujibur, a senior In July 2016 militants stormed bined Military Hospital for his studies on bio-technological progress without its develop- cated funds to conduct scientifi c atomic era, fulfi lling its long- consultant at the hospital. a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 better treatment. His condition science, medical science, envi- ment in the area of science and research and studies, which had cherished dream. In this area, the Police said Rahman, whose fa- hostages, including 18 foreign- is stable now,” she said. ronmental science, engineering technology. To promote the sci- remained completely suspended country needs huge people with ther was a teacher at an Islamic ers, in an assault claimed by the A young man, aged around and applied science, physical entifi c studies and researches, during the post-1975 period. particular skills, she said. seminary, may have had links to Islamic State group. BNP announces fresh protest Lanka festival to demand release of Zia

By Mizan Rahman countrywide leafl et distribu- hardened criminals are kept. ernment gradually reduce the Dhaka tion on March 1 demanding On the other hand, the BNP political space. Zia’s release. leader said, those involved in Referring to a recent global sur- After the jailing of Zia, the plundering public money from vey report where Bangladesh was ajor opposition Bang- party observed diff erent peace- diff erent banks have been kept put at 102 among 113 countries of ladesh Nationalist ful programmes, including with various facilities at the newly the world in context to adherence MParty (BNP) yesterday leafl et distribution, country- built Keraniganj Central Jail. to the rule of law, Chowdhury said announced a two-day country- wide demonstration, human- “The politicians are being it has a co-relation with the jailing wide fresh programme, includ- chain formation, sit-in, token subjected to such brutal attitude of Zia on ‘false documents’ and ing formation of human chain hunger-strike, protest proces- of the current government. We sending Chief Justice S K Sinha on in the capital Dhaka, demand- sion in fi ve phases, demanding strongly condemn it,” he added. force retirement. ing its chairperson Khaleda her release. Rizvi demanded the govern- He said BNP needs not to go to Zia’s release from jail. On February 8, BNP chair- ment immediately release their foreigners with complaints as the As part of the programme, the person Zia was sent to jail after party’s all arrested leaders and UN and other organisations are BNP will form a human chain for a special court sentenced her activists. aware of the condition of the rule an hour tomorrow and stage a sit- to fi ve years’ rigorous impris- Senior BNP leader Amir of law, human rights and freedom in for another hour on Thursday, onment in the Zia Orphanage Chowdhury alleged that of speech in Bangladesh. BNP senior leader Ruhul Rizvi Trust graft case. government was gradually The BNP leader said all the told reporters yesterday. Rizvi alleged that BNP’s ‘squeezing’ political space so foreign delegations visiting the “We’ll form human chains leaders and activists are being that BNP could not join the country are talking about a neu- across the country from 11am to tortured after taking them on next general election. tral, credible and participatory 12 noon on Tuesday while stage remand. “Thousands of BNP “They (government) are election. “They’re speaking about sit-in on Thursday at the same leaders and activists have been shrinking the political space. giving the opposition political time demanding the uncondi- kept in jail ahead of the next They’ll create a situation where space and allowing holding rallies tional release of our chairperson polls. They’re being oppressed BNP won’t be able to partici- and ensuring political rights.” Khaleda Zia,” he said. in the name of remand.” pate in the election and real- He urged the government to Rizvi said they will later an- He said that party senior joint ise people’s voting and other pay heed to the foreigners’ ad- Sri Lankan traditional Kandyan dancers perform during a procession in Colombo during the Navam nounce the name of the venue secretary general Syed Alal has rights,” he said. vice, and come to the path of Perahera Festival. Some 30 elephants, most of them from central Sri Lanka, along with thousands of to observe the two programmes been kept in solitary confi ne- Speaking at a discussion, the democracy, shunning its des- traditional drummers, dancers, and monks gathered in the capital to participate in the city’s biggest in the capital. ment at Kashimpur High Secu- BNP leader said that three state potic attitude, in the interest of two-day annual Buddhist procession. BNP’s last programme was rity Central Jail where usually organs are helping the gov- the country and its people. Soon, trekking trail for Tamil asylum seeker deported diff erently-abled people

IANS limitations that remain vastly by Australia faces ‘harassment’ Kathmandu undeserved owing to inaccessi- ble travel and tourism facilities and services. By Ben Doherty, GNS Shantaruban rights lawyer who is rep- “The culture of reprisal in Australian government. he fi rst accessible trekking He said the conference will try Colombo was handcuffed resenting Shantaruban, the security forces runs deep. But he says he was unable to trail designed specifi cally and convey a message that Nepal and forcibly said security offi cials had Returned Tamils, particu- properly present his claim for Tfor people with mobility is accessible to all people, re- removed from come from Point Pedro na- larly those associated with protection because he was ini- diffi culties is scheduled to be in- gardless of disabilities, physical he Tamil asylum seeker Australia last val camp in Jaff na and re- the LTTE, face dangers that tially fearful to declare his asso- augurated in Nepal’s tourist hub limitations, or age. forcibly deported from week, after five peatedly asked questions he have been well-documented ciation with the LTTE, fearing of Pokhara, on March 30. Pankaj Pradhananga, one TAustralia last week is at years during had already faced in earlier by the UN and human rights reprisal. The 1.3km trail will facilitate of the organisers, said annu- liberty in Sri Lanka, but facing which he said he interrogations. groups.” Shantaruban’s case drew trekking for people with dis- ally an estimated 1bn tourists ongoing harassment and in- was not allowed “His wife is distraught. She is The UN’s special rappor- particular attention from the abilities as Nepal makes strides travel around the world, 10% of timidation from security forces, to properly wondering whether it is safe to teur Ben Emmerson visited Sri United Nations. to attract a substantial portion whom live with some form of human rights advocates have present his return home,” Ratnavale said. Lanka last year and reported In October last year the UN of untapped accessible market, disability. reported. claim for asylum Shantaruban, who goes by that torture “remains en- committee against torture reports The Kathmandu Post. Generally, tourists with dis- Shantaruban was hand- one name, arrived in Australia demic and routine” for people issued an interim measure The inauguration will take abilities rely on word-of-mouth cuff ed and forcibly removed Jaff na where he has family by boat in 2012. He is a former suspected of association with request to Australia, asking place during a three-day inter- publicity, and tend to stay longer from Australia last week, af- connections. member of the Liberation Ti- the Tigers. it to “refrain from returning national conference on acces- than the average length of stay. If ter fi ve years during which He has twice been visited gers of Tamil Eelam – the Tamil After Shantaruban’s arrival [Shantaruban] to... Sri Lanka sible adventure to be organised people with disabilities are told he said he was not allowed to by state security offi cers at Tigers – the separatist group in Australia, he was released to while his complaint is under from March 29 at the lake city, that the tourist destination is properly present his claim for the house where he is stay- whose members have faced per- live in the community, but was consideration”. It later with- the organisers have said. friendly to them, they have the asylum. ing. On the fi rst visit, of- sistent post-war persecution in re-detained in 2015. drew its request after sub- US-based International De- tendency and eagerness to visit He was detained upon ar- fi cers checked through his Sri Lanka. He fl ed Sri Lanka fearing re- missions from the Australian velopment Institute is organis- that place. rival at Bandaranaike airport phone and queried his ac- “This is a clear attempt percussions from government government. ing the conference, expecting 50 According to Lonely Planet, in Colombo last Thursday and tivities during the Sri Lankan at intimidation and harass- security forces for his involve- The Australian government international and 75 domestic the world’s largest travel guide questioned by members of Sri civil war which ended nine ment,” said Aran Mylvagan- ment with the LTTE, a separa- maintains it does not remove participants. publisher, 50% of people with Lanka’s criminal investigation years ago. am, a spokesman for the Tamil tist army that fought a brutal, from the country people re- Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) disabilities would travel more if department for more than four On the second visit, the se- Refugee Council said, adding and ultimately unsuccessful, quiring protection and does not chief executive offi cer Deepak suitable facilities were available hours. curity offi cers took the details that Shantaruban’s situation 26-year war for independ- return any person to danger. Joshi said the conference is the to them wherever they travelled. Since being released he of Shantaruban’s wife and his was entirely predictable and ence until 2009, when it was The Sri Lankan government fi rst of its kind in Nepal, and will Studies show that around 88% has not felt safe to return children, including the school highlighted a “callous indif- defeated. has consistently denied mis- be looking to promote accessible of people with a disability take a home, but has been living in they attend. ference” by the Australian His claim for refugee sta- treatment of returning Tamils is holidays for people with physical holiday each year. a coastal village northeast of K S Ratnavale, a human government. tus was rejected by the occurring. Gulf Times 22 Monday, March 5, 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 Big-nose selfi es pose a big public health issue

In an age where a considerable portion of the global population is addicted to taking and sharing selfi es on social media, researchers say that many such individuals are erroneously inspired to go under the knife to make their nose smaller. The reason is that selfi es taken in close proximity makes the nose look big. Researchers at Rutgers and Stanford universities say you are not imagining the eff ect and have developed a mathematical Weakened Merkel has her work model to explain how smartphones act as “portable funhouse mirrors.” Billions of selfi es are taken every day without people realising the distorting eff ects of the camera’s close cut out to make coalition last proximity. It possibly leads many to develop a skewed self-image of themselves. Boris Paskhover, an assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s Weakened Merkel faces in offi ce, from 2005-2009, and from in opposition, only agreeing to talks on Spahn, 37, wants to make the AfD Department of Otolaryngology who specialises in facial tightrope act 2013 until now. a return to its loveless marriage with “superfl uous” by winning back voters plastic and reconstructive surgery, is often shown selfi es The SPD said yesterday its members Merkel after her negotiations with two on the right. He is also widely seen as had voted by a two-thirds majority in smaller parties collapsed in November, ambitious, with an eye on succeeding by patients requesting surgery to explain why they want favour of a coalition deal struck last plunging Germany into political Merkel, though he says he supports her to make their noses smaller. By Paul Carrel Berlin month. uncertainty. as chancellor for the full parliamentary A mathematical model shows that the average selfi e, But the two blocs’ weak To stop the SPD from bolting, Merkel period. taken about 12 inches performances in last September’s must deliver on those points in the Illustrating his lukewarm support from the face, makes ermany’s Social Democrats election, when they both suffered coalition deal that are most dear to the for the new tie-up with the SPD, he “Young adults are (SPD) have bought Chancellor their worst results since Germany Social Democrats: healthcare reform, described the coalition agreement the nasal base appear Angela Merkel time with their became a republic in 1949, mean the and investment in education to meet this week as “no furious fi rework of constantly taking about 30% wider and Gvote to join her conservatives latest incarnation of their awkward the challenges of the digital age. innovation”. the nasal tip 7% wider in another coalition, but she risks losing alliance promises to be the most Like French President Emmanuel Josef Joffe, publisher-editor selfi es to post to than if the photograph her long grip on power if she fails to fractious yet. Macron, who is pushing for “a Europe of weekly Die Zeit, questioned had been taken at 5ft, balance the awkward allies’ confl icting “Despite the pretty solid majority (in that protects”, the SPD wants to whether Merkel would last out the social media” demands. the SPD ballot), this is not a long-term promote economic stability and social full parliamentary term to 2021, “or a standard portrait Merkel’s conservatives — her or permanent set up,” said Guntram convergence through the European whether she will be forced to hand distance. The Rutgers-Stanford model has been Christian Democrats (CDU) and Wolff , director of the Bruegel think project. over leadership to a younger CDU published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. “Young adults their Bavarian Christian Social tank.”The SPD is very fragile, and the Kevin Kuehnert, head of the SPD’s generation in two years.” are constantly taking selfi es to post to social media and Union (CSU) allies — and the SPD CDU is also fragile.” Jusos youth wing who campaigned “Those who want to get rid of Merkel are both still bruised after suffering The inclusion in the coalition deal of for a ‘No’ vote, is ready to call out any will try pull the party to right in order think those images are representative of how they really from the rise of the far-right a clause that envisages a review of the delay in implementing the hard- to recapture those voters who have look, which can have an impact on their emotional Alternative for Germany (AfD) in new government’s progress after two won coalition deal, which envisages defected to the nationalist, anti- state,” Paskhover said in a news release. “I want them to last year’s election. years is widely seen as giving the SPD eurozone reforms in partnership with immigrant AfD,” he said. realise that when they take a selfi e they are in essence Arch conservatives want to move an exit should it want one, and has also France. Merkel has already sought to head right to counter the AfD, which profi ted fuelled a debate about the post-Merkel “Criticism of the grand coalition off challengers by appointing close ally looking into a portable funhouse mirror.” from Merkel’s 2015 decision to open era. remains,” he tweeted after the ballot Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to take In an attempt to fi nd a better way to explain to German borders to over 1mn migrants. “If the Social Democrats continue result. “The SPD needs to be more like it over as CDU secretary-general, heeding patients why selfi es are not a good way to assess their The SPD, by contrast, wants to allay to fall in the polls, then the point will has been in recent weeks and less like it calls from within the party to inject new nose size, Paskhover worked with Ohad Fried, a research people’s insecurities with spending on come at some stage when they say ‘we has been in recent years — the Jusos will blood and groom a successor. fellow at Stanford University’s Department of Computer welfare and education. must get out of the government’,” said ensure this.” Merkel also wants to serve a full, “Merkel needs to appease a weakened Nils Diederich, professor at the Free To her right, Merkel, 63, also faces fourth term, rather than yield before her Science, to develop a mathematical model that shows and insecure SPD without alienating University in Berlin. pressures from her own camp. time is up. nasal distortion created by photos taken at close range. her own CDU/CSU too much,” said One opinion poll published last Her weakness on the refugee issue Asked last month if she saw Kramp- The model, based on the average head and facial feature Carsten Nickel, managing director at month showed the AfD surpassing the has forced the chancellor to name Jens Karrenbauer as a possible successor, measurements obtained from a selection of racially consultancy Teneo Intelligence. SPD for the fi rst time in a national poll Spahn, her biggest critic within the Merkel dodged the question, replying: Merkel has shared power with the to become the second-strongest party. conservative bloc, as health minister in “We have our hands full managing the and ethnically diverse participants, determined the SPD in two of her previous three terms The SPD initially vowed to rebuild the new government. business of the day.” – Reuters magnitude of the distortive eff ect by presenting the face as a collection of parallel planes perpendicular to the main camera axis. It calculated the changes to the ratio between the nose’s breadth and the width between the two cheekbones at various camera distances. The extent of selfi es driving people’s self-image is a public health issue, Paskhover said. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, 55% of surgeons say prospective patients are seeking cosmetic procedures to improve their selfi es. Within its fi rst year of existence, Google Photos saw more than 25bn selfi es uploaded onto its servers, according to Anil Sabharwal, vice president of Google Photos. To put that into perspective, there are about 8bn people living on the entire planet. In 2017, there were about 17.5mn cosmetic surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the US, a 2% increase from 2016 and a 200% increase from 2000, according to a report released last Thursday by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Of these procedures, 218,924 were nose-reshaping cosmetic surgeries. So, the moral of the story is not to believe what is seen in selfi es, at least regarding the size of one’s nose.

To Advertise [email protected] Display 44466621 44418811 Classified 44466609 44418811 Subscription [email protected] This file photo taken on November 30, 2005 shows Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) giving her first speech to parliament as German Chancellor at the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) in Berlin. Long dubbed the “Queen of Europe”, Germany’s veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel emerges as the bruised survivor of her deepest crisis to govern for what many expect will be her final term. After 12 years at the helm of Europe’s top economy, the pastor’s daughter often called the world’s © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved most powerful woman goes on to live another day after post-war Germany’s longest stretch of coalition haggling. Gulf Times Monday, March 5, 2018 23 COMMENT Crypto hawks and doves

By Howard Davies December, “As Keynes has taught returned to fi rst principles, seeking to London us, ‘the market can remain irrational defi ne money and then to understand longer than you can remain solvent.’ the extent to which digital currencies There is only one thing left to do: sit qualify. The three criteria, he reminds few days ago, President on the river bank and see Bitcoin’s us, are that a currency acts as a unit of Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela body pass by one day.” account, a common means of payment, announced that his Russia, unsurprisingly, takes a and a store of value. Agovernment had launched a similar view. Elvira Nabiullina, the Few, if any, goods are priced in new state-sponsored cryptocurrency governor of Russia’s central bank, Bitcoin, it is very rarely used in called the petro. He claimed that declared in December that “we don’t transactions, and the costs of doing $735mn worth of the new currency had legalise pyramid schemes,” and “we so are prohibitive. As for being a already been sold, though observers are totally opposed to private money, store of value, cryptocurrencies’ are sceptical, unless state entities have no matter if it is in physical or virtual price volatility makes them, so far, been obliged to buy them. Even they form.” a highly risky investment. “While will fi nd it hard to do so, however, as The doves are numerous, however. cryptocurrencies may pretend to be the technology platform on which the The Bank of Canada has noted that currencies,” Carstens concludes, “they petro will be traded has not yet been the distributed-ledger technology fail the basic textbook defi nitions.” confi rmed. underpinning Bitcoin could make Moreover, without “institutional International demand for the the fi nancial system more effi cient, backup, which is best provided by petro will not be helped by recent and it is examining whether it should a central bank,” new crypto assets pronouncements from Warren at some appropriate point issue endanger trust in the fundamental Buff ett and Charlie Munger, the its own digital currency for retail value and nature of money. So Carstens “sages of Omaha” who still control transactions. The Bank of England is has positioned himself fi rmly in the Berkshire Hathaway. Speaking of similarly intrigued by the possibilities, hawk colony. cryptocurrencies in general, Buff ett dismissing concerns that digital Carstens throws in an environmental was scathing. “I can say almost with currencies currently pose a risk to objection, too, for good measure: certainty that they will come to a bad fi nancial stability, and noting that the electricity used in the process of end,” he declared in January, while the underlying technology “may mining Bitcoin is equivalent to the noting for good measure that he would have many other uses across the daily consumption of Singapore. be glad to buy put options on every one fi nancial system, and may be a useful Unlike Singaporeans, who have the of them. Munger is, if anything, even platform to power a central bank right to be air-conditioned in their more hostile, characterising Bitcoin digital currency.” Both banks are humid climate, that level of energy in particular as “totally asinine” and a actively researching the subject, and consumption for Bitcoin mining is both “noxious poison.” Not much room for their views might best be described as “socially wasteful and environmentally doubt there. Maoist, in the “let a hundred fl owers bad.” They are, of course, looking at bloom” sense. Is Carstens right to be so hostile, or Bitcoin as potential investments. So it was brave of Agustin will he, in a few years’ time, be seen The public authorities have slightly Carstens, the new general manager as a kind of monetary King Canute, diff erent concerns. Market regulators of the Bank for International sitting in Basel on a well-upholstered are interested in protecting investors, Settlements, the central banks’ central banker’s throne, ordering the and have begun to issue warnings. central bank, to choose the topic digital tide to retreat? It is too early Although these warnings have been President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela has announced that his government had launched a new state-sponsored cryptocur- of Bitcoin for one of his first major to say. I suspect the petro will fail, sotto voce so far, I expect regulators rency called the petro. speeches. Could Carstens, the but I doubt if we have heard the last will raise the volume soon, as the price former long-time governor of of digital currencies, or distributed gyrations continue. They should also usurp their role as monopoly Interestingly, a number of diff erent the People’s Bank of China shut the Bank of Mexico, find a happy ledgers, despite the fatwas issued by be worried about the opportunities suppliers of money? Are there serious answers to these questions are Bitcoin exchanges and clamped down medium between the hawks and the likes of China, Russia, and the created for money launderers, and for implications for fi nancial stability if emerging, and central banks are on Initial Coin Offerings. Using a the doves, between the controlling sages of Omaha. – Project Syndicate trade in illicit drugs. central banks lose control of the levers dividing into hawks and doves. turn of phrase too vivid for Western Chinese and the complaisant But central banks have a broader which infl uence purchasing power in At the hawkish end of the central bankers, Pan Gongsheng, Canadians? zHoward Davies is Chairman of the set of concerns. Will cryptocurrencies the economy? spectrum sit the Chinese. Last year, a PBoC Deputy Governor, said in To frame his argument, Carstens Royal Bank of Scotland.

Making the business case for gender equality Three-day forecast

TODAY and the United Nations Development embodies the business case for gender Maximum Temperature : 290c By Achim Steiner and Minimum Temperature : 190c Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Programme (UNDP), in partnership equality. More than 1,700 CEOs New York with the ILO and UN Women – will have endorsed the principles, while TUESDAY highlight the importance of gender nearly 300 companies in 61 countries Maximum Temperature : 290c equality in the private sector. have used the initiative’s free gender Minimum Temperature : 190c round the world, gender One solution that will be on the gap analysis tool to help managers WEDNESDAY bias is attracting renewed agenda is the UNDP-supported implement them in the workplace. Maximum Temperature : 310c attention. Through protest Gender Equality Seal programme, To be sure, global meetings, Minimum Temperature : 190c marches and viral social- a unique initiative that certifi es certifi cation systems, and free A Fisherman's forecast media campaigns, women everywhere companies that have eliminated pay software are only part of the solution. are demanding an end to sexual gaps, increased the number of women Women still bear disproportionate WARNING harassment, abuse, femicide, and in decision-making positions, and domestic burdens, and pressures Inshore : Nil inequality. worked to end sexual harassment on stemming from social and cultural Offshore : Nil But, as successful as the #MeToo the job. norms often rob them of the chance WEATHER and #TimesUp movements have Today, these UNDP-certifi ed to attend school, start businesses, or Inshore : Hazy to misty at places at first becomes been in raising public awareness, the companies are leading the way in participate in public life. Moreover, moderate temperatue struggle for parity is far from over. an economic and a moral imperative. building a more balanced global women who do have paying jobs daytime with scattered Empowering women and girls is key to A 2015 report by the McKinsey Global workforce. For example, Chile’s outside the home are on the wrong clouds. WIND achieving all 17 of the United Nations Institute found that if women and state-owned copper mining company, side of a gender wage gap that averages Inshore : Mainly Southwesterly- Sustainable Development Goals by men played an “identical role in labour Codelco, is increasing its ranks of 23%, suggesting that equality is not Southeasterly 03-12 KT 2030. At the moment, however, gender markets,” $28tn would be added to female employees – and boosting only about opportunity. Offshrore : Mainly Southwesterly- southeasterly at 03-12 bias remains a signifi cant obstacle to the global economy by 2025. These productivity in the process. Similarly, Businesses, communities, and KT, Reaches to 15 KT at global progress, and it is particularly global gains would be in addition to Costa Rica’s Banco Nacional has families must work together to level times. acute in the workplace. the benefi ts for individual companies. promoted dozens of women into the playing fi eld. Fortunately, the cost Visibility : 4-8 KM/3KM or less at managerial roles; the bank is now of doing nothing is too high for any places at first. Today, only 5% of S&P 500 Firms with greater gender equality SEA STATE companies are led by women, are more innovative, generous, and a leading regional provider of business – and economies as a whole – Offshore : 2 - 4 FT according to Catalyst, a non-profi t profi table. But, at the current rate of financing to female entrepreneurs. to bear, which is why we are optimistic CEO watchdog. That dismal fi gure female empowerment, it would take And in Canada, Scotiabank has used that eliminating gender bias at work is possible. When companies make is all the more remarkable when one nearly 220 years to close the gender a female mentorship programme Around the region considers that 73% of global fi rms gap. The world cannot aff ord to wait to become one of the industry’s female empowerment central to Weather allegedly have equal-opportunity that long; we need a new approach. most gender-balanced companies. their business strategies, growth and Weather tomorrow Max/min policies in place, according to a To help chart a path for companies Our hope is that many more firms equality can be mutually reinforcing today Max/min P Cloudy 29/15 survey by the International Labour to hire, retain, and promote female will strive for gender equality to leave no one behind. – Project Baghdad Sunny 28/15 Sunny 27/16 Organisation (ILO). Moreover, while employees, we are joining more certification, possibly even by Syndicate Kuwait City M Sunny 28/17 Sunny 28/19 research shows a clear link between than 400 global business leaders signalling their intent this week. Manama Sunny 27/18 Sunny 26/20 a company’s gender balance and its and government representatives in Another initiative to be discussed zAchim Steiner is Administrator Muscat Sunny 26/19 M Sunny 20/09 fi nancial health, women occupy fewer Santiago, Chile, this week for the is the Women’s Empowerment of the United Nations Development Tehran P Cloudy 19/08 than 20% of governing board seats in Fourth Global Forum on Business for Principles, a set of operating Programme. Phumzile Mlambo- the world’s largest companies. Gender Equality. The gathering – guidelines developed by UN Women Ngcuka is Executive Director of UN Addressing such defi ciencies is both organised by the Chilean government and the UN Global Compact that Women. Live issues Put worry in time slots to control stress Around the world By Judi Light Hopson, Emma Most of us have multiple issues that during her son’s divorce. keep a notebook and try to review one Weather Weather H. Hopson and Ted Hagen weigh on our minds. She also wondered how her problem at a time.” today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Tribune News Service To fi x the stress, it pays to set some son would keep himself together Her friends suggested she ask her Athens P Cloudy 20/12 M Sunny 19/13 parameters around dealing with such emotionally. boss for Wednesday afternoons off , Beirut Sunny 22/19 Cloudy 24/16 pain. Pam told us she sat down every so she could schedule her parents’ Bangkok S T Storms 34/27 M Sunny 34/27 re you walking around in Here are some tips: night after dinner for a week to think doctors’ appointments on Wednesday Berlin Cloudy 08/-3 Rain 04/-1 a daze about worry you zLive 24 hours at a time. through a plan. afternoons only, if possible. Cairo Sunny 32/20 Sunny 31/17 can’t fi x? You might worry This helps you prevent overloading “I fi gured out I could drive my Pam’s sister has agreed to help out Cape Town Cloudy 25/18 Cloudy 24/17 Amorning, noon and night. your anxiety levels. grandkids to some of their activities,” when needed as well. Colombo M Sunny 31/25 P Cloudy 30/24 Worry can feel like a dead weight in Try to fi gure out what steps you Pam says.”I do that now, and I keep the Pam’s teenage nieces, who are old Dhaka M Sunny 34/21 Sunny 33/18 your heart or your stomach. will take each day vs. worrying about kids on weekends for a few hours. My enough to drive, have started taking Hong Kong Cloudy 21/19 P Cloudy 21/18 You can’t talk it away, ignore it or tomorrow too much. son says this really helps him.” turns helping Pam shop and clean Istanbul Cloudy 09/07 Showers 14/11 wave a magic wand to fi x it. zPut worry into a 30-minute time Pam met with a couple of her for her elderly parents on Saturday Jakarta T Storm 32/25 T Storm 32/25 You might have money problems, frame each day. friends to devise steps to help her mornings. Karachi P Cloudy 34/18 Sunny 33/18 health problems, or relationship Think of it as a half-hour to devise parents. “I work full time, so I “To make my juggling work, I hire London Cloudy 11/04 P Cloudy 11/02 problems. solutions. worried about taking them to doctors’ my nieces to clean my house one day Manila M Sunny 35/25 M Sunny 35/26 Or, you might be struggling with And, try your best to avoid worrying appointments and helping them cook each month,” Pam told us. Moscow Cloudy -7/-19 P Cloudy -9/-17 something complex that’s taking over fi rst thing in the morning or last thing and clean,” Pam says. “I try to fi ne-tune my plan New Delhi Sunny 28/14 Sunny 28/15 your life. at night. To keep her worry time focused, regularly,” says Pam. “But, I don’t New York P Cloudy 08/01 M Sunny 07/02 “I thought I had a pretty good life,” zCome up with small steps. Pam started meeting with her two best allow myself to worry all through the Paris P Cloudy 13/03 M Cloudy 12/04 says a friend of ours we’ll call Pam. “I Break down your solutions into friends on Sunday afternoons. day. Sao Paulo S T Storms 29/20 S Showers 29/20 did until my adult son got a divorce doable tasks, such as phone calls you She has used them as a sounding I wait until I can sit down and Seoul Rain 09/-4 Sunny 10/-2 and my elderly parents both developed can make or small favours you can board for the past several weeks. focus. A few times I’ve sneaked off Singapore S T Storms 32/25 S T Storms 32/26 health problems. For a couple of solicit from someone. Pam says she makes it a point to stay to the library to think, or I’ll sit in a Sydney S Showers 22/18 S Showers 23/19 weeks, I felt nothing but pressure Our friend Pam, for example, was upbeat. “I don’t want to drag down my restaurant alone and make notes. I’m Tokyo Cloudy 17/12 Cloudy 13/06 inside my head.” worried about her grandchildren good friends,” she points out. “So, I still stressed, but not overly stressed.” Gulf Times 24 Monday, March 5, 2018 QATAR Ai Weiwei’s fi rst exhibition in the Gulf to open in Doha

Fire Station’s Garage Gallery to be filled with thousands of garments gathered from refugee camps Ai Weiwei eading contemporary Chi- nese artist Ai Weiwei will Lhold his fi rst exhibition in the Gulf region from March 15 to June 1 at the Fire Station’s Garage Gallery, Qatar Museums (QM) has announced. The exhi- bition will feature Weiwei’s re- cent works and one of his most prominent and poignant projects highlighting the plight of refu- gees, Laundromat (2016), a QM release explained. The artist’s show in Doha highlights Qatar’s development as a creative and artistic hub that encourages dialogue through ar- tistic expression. Laundromat also refl ects the determination of QM and its chairperson HE Sheikha Al Ma- Laundromat brings together thousands of articles of clothing yassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al- collected from a makeshift refugee camp in Idomeni. Thani to bring the world’s lead- ing contemporary artists to the Demonstrations; and Tyre (2016), on these conditions. This is a country aimed at inspiring future a traditional symbol of safety situation many people refuse to generations of artistic talent and turned on its head by being craft- see, or try to distort or ignore,” engage the local community, ed from marble and representing Ai Weiwei added. “Many wilfully as well as off er a regional plat- the struggle faced by refugees believe this isn’t taking place. form to some of the world’s most crossing the Mediterranean Sea. When you see so many children unique and powerful voices. “I decided to follow the refugees’ out of school – 263mn children The exhibition follows Ai Wei- Laundromat displays meticulously arranged shoes, left behind by the refugees. path”, Ai Weiwei said. “I went to worldwide – you can’t easily pre- wei’s fi rst visit to Qatar in April the Idomeni refugee camp. It had dict what our future holds.” 2017 when he discussed his life bringing international artists to Weiwei’s continuing engagement behind. Laundromat displays Refugees 1.12-09.08.2016 – a become a bottleneck when the Ai Weiwei is renowned for and work at a packed public event Qatar and exchanging ideas with with the global refugee crisis, carefully hung clothes and me- wallpaper which consists of a fl ow of refugees entering Europe making strong aesthetic state- at the Museum of Islamic Art, artists from Qatar and the region, this monumental work brings ticulously arranged shoes, each of selection of images taken by Ai was completely shut off .” ments that resonate with timely and met with young artists at the we are able to encourage creative together thousands of articles of which have been washed, hung to Weiwei on his iPhone during the “Before, refugees would phenomena across today’s geo- Fire Station. sparks amongst a young gen- clothing collected from a make- dry, steamed, sorted and organ- fi lming of his documentary fea- travel through Idomeni on the political world. “It is a real privilege to wel- eration in the Middle East,” he shift refugee camp in Idomeni – a ised. In all, 2,046 items of clothing ture Human Flow. so-called Balkan route to reach From architecture to instal- come Ai Weiwei to Doha for his added. “We have seen time and small village in northern Greece are displayed alongside personal Alongside Laundromat, other Europe. Once the Macedonian lations, social media to docu- fi rst show in the Gulf. again how bringing such fi gures and offi cial border crossing to mementos and photographs. projects by the artist will be ex- government closed the border, mentaries, the artist uses a wide And as home to our commu- to Qatar fi res the imagination the former Yugoslav Republic of Laundromat also features the hibited in the Fire Station, includ- the camp swelled to over 15,000 range of mediums as expressions nity of artists in residence, the amongst our talented young art- Macedonia. fi lm Idomeni (2016) which cap- ing Stacked Porcelain Vases as a refugees,” he noted. of new ways for his audiences to Fire Station is the ideal venue,” ists, supporting the country in The camp was shut down in tures the everyday conditions of Pillar (2016), which represents six “I started to take many photo- examine society and its values. Fire Station Artist in Residence originating art, culture and her- May 2016 and the refugees that the refugees up to the moment themes of the refugee condition graphs, to try to record the mo- He was born in Beijing in 1957 Programme director Khalifa al- itage experiences from within,” had been living there were evacu- when the camp was evacuated; — War, Ruins, Journey, Cross- ment. The harsh reality can act and currently resides and works Obaidly said. “We hope that by al-Obaidly noted. Refl ecting Ai ated, leaving their possessions and 17,062 Photos Relating to ing the Sea, Refugee Camps, and as evidence and make us refl ect in Berlin.