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SUNDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10817 May 13, 2018 Sha’baan 27, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

FM meets Ethiopian minister All Islamic

QATAR | Visit President of Somalia arrives in Doha today nations hit by Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo will arrive in Doha today for an off icial visit to Qatar. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will meet GCC crisis: him tomorrow at the Amiri Diwan to discuss bilateral relations and prospects for their development in addition to a number of issues of common concern. Turkish FM QATAR | Diplomacy Amir sends message QNA The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Ankara crisis, which is now in its eleventh month, to Sudanese president was triggered when Saudi Arabia, the His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and bin Hamad al-Thani sent yesterday urkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with a written message to Sudanese Cavusoglu yesterday said that Qatar on June 5, 2017, accusing Doha of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Tthe impact of the GCC crisis was supporting “terrorism”. Qatar rejected pertaining to bilateral relations not limited to the fi ve countries con- the allegations as “baseless”. and means to support and develop HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani yesterday met with cerned, but it aff ects and disturbs all There has been global acceptance them. Qatar’s ambassador to Sudan, the visiting Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu. The meeting dealt with bilateral relations and means to develop and the Arab and Islamic countries as well. and appreciation for Kuwait’s eff orts Rashid bin Abdulrahman al-Nuaimi, support them, besides topics of mutual interest. Addressing the Forum for Arab Journal- to mediate the crisis. Kuwait has main- delivered the message in Khartoum ists in Istanbul, the Turkish foreign minis- tained that the Gulf crisis has to be re- during a meeting with Sudan’s ter discussed the position of his country on solved at the earliest because not doing Acting Foreign Minister Mohamed some of the current Arab issues. so would be destructive to the region. Abdalla Idris. Anadolu Agency (AA) said he praised The offi cial Kuwaiti news agency KUNA the great eff orts made by the Amir of recently quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Quest Gala raises QR1mn for EAA Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al- Khaled al-Jarallah as saying: “Everybody Jaber al-Sabah to resolve the Gulf cri- realises the longer this division the deeper sis, pointing out to the great role played the wound will be in the Gulf body.” he annual Quest Gala 2018 din- ported by a number of official spon- Above All Foundation to support their by Kuwait to bring peace and stability Istanbul is hosting 60 journalists ner has raised QR1,070,000 sors, including Alfardan Group, Ani- programmes that support children’s in the region. from 18 Arab countries as part of the Tthrough a public auction of 11 ma Gallery, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, right to learn, where children around He called for resolving crises through six-day-long Istanbul Forum for Arab valued art pieces by some of Qatar’s Busatti Milano, Commercial Bank of the world lack access to basic primary consultation between all parties in- Journalists. leading philanthropists, art collectors Qatar, Qatar Airways, Gulf Colours, education. All proceeds from the din- volved, pointing out mistakes made Organised by the Istanbul Mu- and high-profi le artists, who attended AlBahie Auction house, among oth- ner will be going towards Rohingya ref- against the backdrop of the Gulf crisis, nicipality for the fi rst time, the Fo- the ceremony. ers. ugee children education in Bangladesh such as applying pressure on other coun- rum paved the way for participants to The event held on May 10 at the Now on its third, the Gala, was aimed and, to Educate Girls project in India. tries to force them to take a certain posi- having fruitful discussions with their Marsa Malaz Kempinski was sup- at raising funds for the Education To Page 28 tion, putting them in a diffi cult situation. Turkish counterparts.

Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 3 QATAR

HE the Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces Major General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem inaugurated yester- day the new headquarters of the Off ice of the Military Attache of Qatar in Rome. Chief of Staff inaugurates Qatar military attache’s HQ in Rome

QNA General of the Carabinieri Rome/Doha Force, Giovanni Nistri, and his accompanying delega- tion, who is currently visit- E the Chief of Staff ing Doha. of the Qatar Armed They discussed bilateral HForces Major General relations in fi elds of joint (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen interest between Qatar and al-Ghanem inaugurated yes- Italy, and how to advance terday the new headquarters them. of the Offi ce of the Military The meeting also dis- Attache of Qatar in Italian cussed the possibility of capital Rome. benefi ting from these rela- The Chief of Staff said tions in the development of that the new headquarters the military police and en- will contribute to strength- hancing the eff orts exerted ening relations between Military Police Commander Staff Major General Mohamed between the two friendly the two countries and en- Messhi al-Ahbabi meeting the Commanding General of the countries in the defence and hance the operational ex- Carabinieri Force, Giovanni Nistri, in Doha yesterday. military fi elds in line with change between the armed the strength of the relation- forces of the two sides in stability in the region. Major General Mohamed ship between the leadership combating terrorism and Meanwhile, the Military Messhi al-Ahbabi yesterday of the two countries at all extremism and achieving Police Commander Staff met with the Commanding levels.

Gulf Times 8 Sunday, May 13, 2018 QATAR

Labour Minister stresses right of employment for people with disabilities

E the Minister of Ad- of His Highness the Amir Sheikh sional Day for the Employment al-Thani, the Ministry has pro- rights of persons with disabili- co-operation and coordination than 2% of all jobs in govern- ministrative Develop- Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, of Persons with Disabilities, the vided adequate training for per- ties from taking up employment, with government agencies to ment agencies in accordance Hment, Labour and Social spares no eff ort to promote all Minister said that on the direc- sons with disabilities to enable and that employment helps implement Law No 2 of 2004, with the abilities and qualifi ca- Aff airs, Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali the rights of persons with dis- tives of HE the Prime Minister them to work. them to integrate into society, which stipulates in Article 5, the tions of persons with disabili- al-Nuaimi, has stressed that the abilities. and Minister of Interior Sheikh The Minister stressed that achieve their independence . employment of persons with ties, and work to overcome the State under the wise leadership On the occasion of the Profes- Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa disability does not prevent the The Ministry seeks through disabilities at a rate of not less obstacles in this regard. – QNA

HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani and Darwish bin Ismail bin Ali al-Bulushi signing the MoU. Qatar and Oman sign MoU on consumer protection

atar and Oman have policies, in accordance signed a memo- with applicable legisla- Qrandum of under- tion in both countries, the standing (MoU) to promote Ministry of Economy and co-operation in the fi eld of Commerce has said in a consumer protection. statement. HE the Minister of Econ- The MoU aims to fa- omy and Commerce Sheikh cilitate co-operation Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mo- through the development hamed al-Thani and Oman’s of a mechanism to pro- Minister Responsible for Fi- mote consumer aware- nancial Aff airs Darwish bin ness, safeguard consumer Ismail bin Ali al-Bulushi, rights, control fluctuations signed the MoU on the side- and abnormal increases in lines of the meetings of the prices and establish coping Omani-Qatari Joint Com- mechanisms. mittee held in Doha on May Based on the MoU, each 9 and 10. party shall conduct inspec- The memorandum of tions in his country, no- understanding aims to ex- tify the other party of any tend legal and technical violations by suppliers, and co-operation in consum- compel suppliers to recall er-related fields, particu- or withdraw defective goods larly consumer protection from markets. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 9 QATAR

Armed Forces conclude Command-Post Exercise

The Armed Forces concluded the Command-Post Exercise (CPX) conducted by Major General Abdullah bin Jassim, in the presence of Commander of the Amiri Land Forces Major General Mohamed bin Ali al-Ghanim. The exercise aims to train the brigade’s leaders at all levels in various military manoeuvres, both tactical and administrative. On the sidelines of the exercise, Major General Mohamed bin Ali al-Ghanim met with Commanding General at US Central Command Major General Michael Garrett who visited the exercise and expressed his admiration at the level of advancement of weapons, mechanisms, equipment and command and control systems of Major General Abdullah bin Jassim. The two sides also stressed that they will increase joint exercises between the two countries in the future. Karwa Motors receives new plant layout, design

n official delegation from Karwa Motors and Semac AOman recently received the general layout and final process design of the new Karwa Motors plant, at an event held in Suzhou, China. The handover ceremony was at- tended by Jassim al-Khayat and Salim al-Waheibi, board members of Karwa Motors, Huang Shuping, managing director of Higer Bus Company, Liu Shixin, general man- ager of MMI Planning Institute IX Ltd, and Solomon Moses, general manager of local consultant Semac Oman. Karwa Motors LLC is a joint stra- tegic collaboration between Qatar and Oman, represented by Mow- asalat, Qatar’s national transport provider (owing 70% of Karwa Mo- tors’ shares), and Oman Investment Fund, which is a sovereign wealth fund in Oman (owning the remain- ing 30% shares). The groundbreaking ceremony of the project was held on November 30, 2017 during which the offi cial Off icials of the organisations concerned at the handover ceremony. website of Karwa Motors was also launched. The project has made “rapid design consultant. for a production capacity of 1,000 The two parties will invest about progress in the last few months”, The greenfi eld project will come buses a year, utilising 220,000sq m $90mn in the fi rst phase of the including the appointment of all up on a 500,000sq m site located of land, which can increase to up to project, which has the ability to be- major stakeholders, namely the not far from a world-scale multi- 3,000 buses per annum in a phased come an automotive-based manu- Chinese Higer Bus Company as purpose port currently being de- expansion based on market demand. facturing cluster in Duqm over technology partner, MMI Design veloped at Duqm, which will be the The “state-of-the-art facility” the long term, according to a press Institute as process design con- “fi rst of its kind” in Oman. will be initially equipped for assem- statement. sultant and Semac Oman as civil The plant is initially planned bly of buses and coaches.

Ministry launches 2nd package of environmental standards for infrastructure projects

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment announced yesterday the launch of the second package of environ- mental standards for infrastructure projects prepared jointly with the State’s development partners. The ministry organised a technical workshop to present and discuss environmental standards for infrastructure projects in the presence of 116 participants from the min- istry’s departments and other relevant ministries, various governmental bodies and private environmental consulting firms working in the field of infrastructure projects. Commenting on the occasion, Director of the Environmen- tal Assessment Department at the ministry Yusuf Ibrahim al-Hamar said that the department has launched the criteria of oil and gas projects before and today it meets with development partners to present the amendments and update the standards of the executive regulations issued by Decree No 4 of 2005 for the Protection of Environment Law No 30 of the year 2002. He noted that Qatar has witnessed over the past 15 years remarkable economic growth in various fields, the implementation of a large number of mega development projects such as Hamad International Airport, Hamad Port, Lusail and Pearl-Qatar development, economic zones development, resort resorts, recreational complexes and service projects such as sewage treatment plants, desalination plants, Walid power and cooling areas. He also pointed out that the Environmental Assessment Department receives annually more than 1,250 applications for environmental permits for infrastructure projects, of which around 20% is to study environmental impact as- sessment. – QNA Qatar welcomes elections in Iraq

Qatar welcomed yesterday Iraq’s holding of the first parlia- mentary elections after defeating terrorist organisations. The Ministry of Foreign Aff airs said in a statement yester- day that Qatar fully supports the democratic experiment in Iraq and believes that such elections would promote recon- ciliation, stability and civil peace, in addition to consolidat- ing the foundations of the State’s institutions in Iraq and upholding the rule of law. The statement reiterated Qatar’s full support of all eff orts to ensure Iraq’s unity and sover- eignty, enhance security and stability by having all political parties and components of Iraqi society join forces. The statement expressed Qatar’s aspiration that the elec- tion results will help realise the ambitions of the people of Iraq of further progress and prosperity.– QNA Gulf Times 10 Sunday, May 13, 2018 QATAR

Aspetar launches new Rawdat Rashed Road Healthy Ramadan drive spetar, Qatar’s orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, Ahas announced the launch of the new Healthy Ramadan campaign. The campaign seeks to increase fully open to traffi c awareness of the importance of adopting an active and healthy life- he Public Works Authority (Ash- style during the holy month, promot- ghal) has announced the com- ing physical activity among commu- Tpletion of Phase 3 of the Rawdat nity members in Qatar, professionals Rashed Road Development Project, and recreational athletes alike, Asp- Abdullah Saeed al-Mohannadi which is aimed at providing a “safe, etar has said in a statement. highly developed road” to link Salwa Running throughout Ramadan, paign will also shed light on the latest Road with Dukhan Highway. these topics will be shared via Asp- research fi ndings from its health ex- The road is now fully open to traffi c, etar’s offi cial social media channels. perts who have spent years studying the authority has said in a statement. To encourage viewers to take on an the eff ects of fasting on sports per- Ahmed al-Obaidly, head of the increased interactive role, there will formance and athlete health overall. Southern Areas Section in Ashghal’s be short videos that will be posted The campaign comes at a par- Roads Projects Department, said Phase across all Aspetar social media chan- ticularly signifi cant time for Muslim 3 of the project involved the construc- nels, including Instagram and Fa- athletes around the world, particu- tion of a 14km-long road, extending cebook’s Story feature as well as the larly footballers undergoing intensive north from the end of Phase 2 at the hospital’s offi cial YouTube channel. training in preparation for the 2018 new roundabout located north of Raw- Following each episode, the audi- FIFA World Cup in Russia and the dat Rashed village, up to Lebsayyer In- ence will be asked specifi c questions UEFA Champions League fi nal. terchange on Dukhan Highway. Phase 3 of the Rawdat Rashed Road Development Project has that they can answer via the Story fea- They include the likes of Egyptian The road includes three lanes in each An infographic on the project. been completed. ture and discover the correct answers. Liverpool FC striker Mohamed Salah, direction and has been constructed “in The episodes will be presented by whose performance is likely to be a accordance with the highest engineering construction of 3.6km of surface water pendicularly to Salwa Road (north started in November 2017, will link Abdullah Saeed al-Mohannadi, act- deciding factor in whether his team standards”, Ashghal has stressed. In ad- lines, an emergency fl ooding pond, in side), bypassing the Rawdat Rashed Rawdat Rashed Road with the existing ing director of the Exercise Is Medi- wins or loses, as well as other athletes dition, a 3km-long road with two lanes addition to new substations. area to Dukhan Highway, which con- bridge at the intersection with Salwa cine Department, who will off er playing in the ranks of Tunisia, Mo- in each direction has been built, heading The third phase of the Rawdat tributes to diverting traffi c away from Road, where a new bridge will be con- healthy tips on nutrition, physical ac- rocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, eastwards to an existing road that ulti- Rashed Road Development Project the residential areas of Rawdat Rashed. structed parallel to the existing one for tivity, sleeping cycles, oral health and Senegal and Iran who will all be head- mately leads to the Al Sheehaniya area. was implemented by a JV consisting The project also improves road ca- enhanced traffi c capacity. psychological aspects of fasting. ing to Russia for this summer’s FIFA Al-Obaidly noted that this phase of Boom Construction Company and pacity by increasing the number of The road will also be connected to The tips have been prepared by a World Cup, according to Aspetar. included the provision of street light- Lotus Trading and Contracting Co, at a lanes and allocating the right lane for the existing bridge at the intersec- team of experts, including Dr Mah- The Stories and video series will be ing systems, safety barriers, road signs, total cost of QR384.5mn. heavy trucks, thereby enhancing traffi c tion with Dukhan Highway (Exit No moud al-Khateeb, sports dietitian; available through Aspetar’s YouTube, pavements and all other services and Phase 3 is part of the main project safety. The project will also link current 42 – Lebsayyer Interchange) and a new Prof Karim Chamari, scientifi c re- Facebook, Twitter and Instagram utilities, which include 29km of water aimed to develop Rawdat Rashed Road and future developments with key ar- bridge will be constructed to accom- searcher; Karim Khalladi, clinical and channels. lines, 31km of electric cables, 100km of with a total length of 33km and three eas in Qatar. modate the expected traffi c fl ow. sports psychologist; and Dr Moham- The campaign follows the success telecommunications lines and intelli- lanes in each direction, according to In October 2016, Ashghal opened This phase is scheduled for comple- ed al-Saey, consultant in oral surgery of Aspetar’s innovative awareness gent transport systems. Ashghal. phases 1 and 2 of the project cover- tion in the last quarter of 2019, Ashghal and director of Sports Dentistry. initiatives such as Ask the Doctor and The scope of work also involved the Rawdat Rashed Road extends per- ing a length of 20km. Phase 4, which has said. Aspetar’s Healthy Ramadan cam- Beat the Heat, the statement adds. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 11 QATAR QU makes a huge leap in university rankings QU is placed 35th in THE included in the ranking”, the uni- sities in emerging economies. partnerships with industry.” emerging economies versity has said in a statement. More weight is given, for exam- “I thank the entire QU com- university rankings 2018 The THE Emerging Economies ple, to a university’s industry links munity for their contribution to- University Rankings include only and international outlook. wards this proud achievement,” atar University (QU) has institutions from the 50 countries QU president Dr Hassan al- al-Derham said. “We will continue “made a huge improve- classifi ed as emerging econo- Derham said: “This achievement our focus to pursuing academic Qment” in the Times Higher mies (advanced and secondary) or proves that the economic improve- and research excellence, always Education (THE) Emerging Econo- “frontier economies” by the Fi- Dr Hassan al-Derham: This ment in Qatar is infl uencing edu- cognisant of our responsibility to mies University Rankings, advanc- nancial Times Stock Exchange. achievement proves that the cation positively and was not af- address local needs while striving ing its position from 75 in 2017 to 35 “Hence, QU’s place in this rank- economic improvement in Qatar fected by the blockade.” towards international standards of in 2018. ing of the best research-led uni- is influencing education posi- “It also highlights the univer- success.” QU is also ranked second in the versities in the developing world tively and was not aff ected by the sity’s continuous advancement THE editorial director (global Arab world in the rankings, which is a signifi cant achievement,” the blockade. in its international and regional rankings) Phil Baty said: “A fan- were announced by the THE on statement notes. standing as it achieved 75th place tastic achievement for QU to make May 9. The rankings use the same 13 knowledge transfer and interna- in 2017 and 90th place in 2016,” such a great leap up the new THE The inclusion of QU in the THE rigorous performance indicators as tional outlook. he added. “This is an indication of Emerging Economies University Emerging Economies University the THE World University Rank- However, the methodology has the organisation’s vision to be at Rankings. A world-leading inter- Rankings is a “signifi cant achieve- ings, examining each university’s been carefully recalibrated to bet- the forefront of the leading institu- national outlook has supported big ment, meaning it is one of the top strengths against all of its core ter refl ect the characteristics and tions through its quality education, improvements in research infl u- 378 institutions in the 42 countries missions – teaching, research, development priorities of univer- world-class research and strong ence. Congratulations.”

WISH CEO promotes nursing worldwide Afdhal with Princess Muna. Ambassador Pasquale Salzano: Qatar’s wise leadership has shown a remarkable ability to eff ectively manage The meeting addressed the im- International Council of Nurses, is a regional crisis orld Innovation Summit for portance of promoting nursing in the three-year campaign which is aimed Health (WISH) chief ex- Mena region and globally, and preced- at improving the perception of nurses, Wecutive Sultana Afdhal met ed a launch announcement of Nursing enhancing their infl uence, and max- Princess Muna al-Hussein of Jordan Now Jordan by Princess Muna, which imising their contribution to ensure recently during a health policy forum follows the announcement in March of everyone everywhere has access to Italy welcomes held in Amman, titled “Investing in Nursing Now Qatar. healthcare. the Nursing Workforce”. Nursing Now, which was inaugu- Princess Muna, who is the mother of Also in attendance was Profes- rated in London and Geneva in Febru- King Abdullah II of Jordan, is the WHO ILO offi ce in Doha, sor Rowaida al-Maaitah, chair of the ary 2018 and is supported by the World patron for nursing and midwifery in health policy forum. Health Organisation (WHO) and the the Eastern Mediterranean Region. says ambassador

By Peter Alagos Business Reporter

taly has welcomed the recent opening of the Interna- tional Labour Organisation (ILO) offi ce in Doha, which, Iaccording to ambassador Pasquale Salzano, falls within the “ambitious reform path” instituted by Qatar to im- prove local recruitment and employment conditions. Speaking at Italy’s celebration of its National Day held recently in Doha, Salzano said that the opening of the ILO project offi ce demonstrates Qatar’s “strong commitment to co-operate closely with foreign partners in line with in- ternational standards”. “The co-operation between Italy and Qatar does not oc- cur only on a bilateral level, but also persists in multilateral fora and international organisations, especially within the United Nations (UN) system,” Salzano said in his speech. Similarly, the Italian ambassador to Qatar said that Italy “is pleased” to share with Qatar this year’s chairmanship of the Group of Friends on the Responsibility to Protect at the UN. He said that this advocates “stronger protection of pop- ulations at risk of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity”. On the “great potential” of co-operation between Qatar and Italy, Salzano said the political dialogue between the two countries “is currently stronger than ever”. He said that in less than eight months, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and four Italian ministers have visited Qatar. In the same period, Italy’s ministers of foreign aff airs and defence have made a second visit to Qatar, he said. “Our bilateral trade reached €2.3bn in 2017, increasing 9% from the previous year,” Salzano said. “The presence of Italian companies in Qatar is stronger, spread in all the key sectors. Also, thanks to the excellent work of the Italian Trade Agency and Italian Chamber of Commerce, Qatar’s investments in Italy have also signifi - cantly increased,” he added. “Figures are important, however, the most eff ective criterion to measure the depth of our friendship is that of demonstrating the ability to stand together in success and in challenging times, as good friends do,” Salzano empha- sised. The ambassador stressed that Qatar has recently over- come “many hurdles”, saying its people have “proudly demonstrated” how the country is united. “Qatar’s wise leadership has shown a remarkable ability to eff ectively manage regional crisis, both on an economic and a social level,” he said. Salzano noted that Qatar’s policies of trade diversifi - cation and development of domestic manufacturing are opening up to more bilateral co-operation and opportuni- ties in all fi elds. “Infrastructure is developing at fast-pace and many Italian companies are involved in carrying out project of the stadiums, Metro lines and hospitals that will cater to the multitude of visitors expected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “We are particularly proud to remark that Anas, the leading Italian company in road development, has been se- lected by Ashghal as quality controller for all road projects in Qatar, and that an Italian consortium was chosen to de- sign the new food storage facilities at Hamad Port,” Salzano said. He added: “Defence is more and more a key area where institutional dialogue and co-operation takes place. “On the occasion of the signifi cant Italian participation at Dimdex 2018, the Italian defence minister and chief of staff of the Italian navy visited Doha. “Shortly after, the Italian and Qatari chiefs of staff of armed forces met to discuss ongoing and new programmes for the training of hundreds of Qatari navy and air force of- fi cers in Italy. “We are delighted to share our expertise and experience in this fi eld.” Gulf Times 12 Sunday, May 13, 2018 QATAR WISE forum in Accra stresses

crucial role HMC’s Department of Social Services was acknowledged for its work in assisting expatriate patients, during the ministry’s fifth annual Labour and Worker Conference. of education HMC gets recognition over he World Innovation Sum- teaching 21st century skills, funding, During the WISE 2017 summit, mit for Education (WISE), in partnership accountability and re- President Akufo-Addo underscored Tpartnership with the offi ce of gional collaboration to tackle devel- the importance of education to support for expat patients the President of Ghana Nana Addo opment challenges. achieve prosperity, saying: “Educa- Dankwa Akufo-Addo, recently held WISE is an initiative of Qatar Foun- tion creates social mobility and it’s the WISE@Accra, a forum to engage edu- dation. Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of hope of every parent that their chil- he Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour cation stakeholders from across Af- WISE, said: “With almost half of the dren may have access to education to and Social Aff airs (MADLSA) recently recognised Ha- rica. world’s youth living in Africa, the in- alleviate them from poverty and off er Tmad Medical Corporation (HMC) for its eff orts in sup- The one-day forum, which took ternational community stands to ben- an opportunity of an improved quality porting expatriate labourers and labour groups in the coun- place in Ghana’s capital, Accra, was efi t from empowering the leaders and of life.” try. held under the theme ‘Unlocking the change-makers of tomorrow.” Dr Patrick Awuah, founder and During the ministry’s fi fth annual Labour and Worker World’s Potential: Leading and Inno- The forum also served to highlight president of Ashesi University and Conference, held in Doha on May 1, HMC’s Department of vating for Quality Education in Africa’. the engagement of WISE with Afri- the 2017 WISE Prize Laureate, re-im- Social Services was acknowledged for its work assisting ex- The event explored a number of can policy-makers, thought leaders, agined the future of higher education patriate patients, particularly road, construction and clean- topics, including quality education, business leaders, entrepreneurs and during his keynote address: “The work ing workers, who have been injured or have become ill and ethical leadership, teacher training, educators. that we do as educators is to make the require medical treatment. world a more hopeful place for gen- The success of a hotline established between HMC and erations to come.” the ministry to assist patients was highlighted, as was the Ashesi University is empowering role HMC’s Department of Social Services plays in support- Ghanaian youth by equipping them ing expatriate labourers through communicating with their with entrepreneurship, ethics and employers, government organisations and local charities to leadership skills to build the future of resolve fi nancial issues, the corporation said in a statement. the continent. Hayfa al-Hajri, acting executive director of HMC’s De- By showcasing education enter- partment of Social Services, thanked HE the Minister of Ad- prises and projects from its glo- ministrative Development, Labour and Social Aff airs Dr Issa bal programmes – the WISE Prize, Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi for recognising her department’s Awards and the WISE Accelerator work. and are waiting to return to their home country. – WISE@Accra demonstrated the She commended the MADLSA for its focus on collabo- The facility, located in Al Thumama, can accommodate up positive role innovation plays in en- rating with local companies, non-profi t organisations and to 12 guests at a time and is staff ed 24 hours a day, seven days hancing access to education and im- government organisations to support expatriate labourers a week by a charge nurse and patient care attendants. proving learning outcomes, a press working in the country. Additionally, plans are under way to open a new general statement noted. The conference was attended by representatives from a hospital in the Industrial Area and two new hospitals in Me- Participating projects from the number of government institutions, ministries, local com- saieed and Ras Laff an. These facilities will enhance health WISE Accelerator initiative were panies and human rights organisations. services and cater to populations located in diff erent regions present at the forum, including Kepler, In support of the expatriate labourer community, last year of the country, delivering more integrated care at the local Make Ghanaian Girls Great and Green HMC opened Bayt Aman, a care facility for discharged pa- level while helping to alleviate the pressure on hospitals in Shoots, a South African initiative that tients who are in the fi nal stages of recovery following illness Doha, the statement added. improves the quality of mathematics education through ICT. The direc- tor of Green Shoots, Jo Besford, said: “The urgency to deliver quality edu- cation for all is driving an ‘innovation explosion’ in Africa.” CNA-Q’s top students honoured The mentorship, network and vis- ibility provided by the WISE Accel- erator has had a signifi cant impact on GreenShoots, recently featured by the at Oryx GTL-sponsored gala Blended Learning Universe, an initia- WISE engaged education stakeholders from across Africa during its WISE@ tive of the Clayton Christensen Insti- Accra forum. tute. he best and brightest graduat- be further education or into the work- extracurricular activities and volun- ing students from College of the force. The education that our students teerism. TNorth Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) received during their time at CNA-Q The President’s Medal for Academic were honoured at the Oryx GTL Presi- has been rooted in applied, experiential Excellence has been awarded since the dent’s Medal for Academic Excellence learning. No doubt the highly qualifi ed College’s inception, however it became gala in Doha recently. and technically competent young men a gala event fi ve years ago when Oryx Medals were presented to 28 stu- and women you see before you today GTL became the offi cial sponsor. dents who received the highest marks are the future leaders of Qatar!” The sponsorship forms part of the in their individual programmes of all In addition to the President’s Med- company’s corporate social responsi- graduating students. Of those hon- als, Oryx GTL presented four Dis- bility programme, which aims to pro- oured, 18 achieved a perfect 4.0 grade tinguished Graduate Awards to one mote and celebrate excellence in edu- point average. student from each of the College’s aca- cation. CNA-Q president Dr Ken MacLeod demic schools – Business Studies, En- The guest speaker for the event, Mo- said, “These students can be justifi - gineering Technology, Health Sciences hamed al-Enazi, chief administrative ably proud of their achievements. They and Information Technology. The stu- offi cer at Oryx GTL, said: “It is your re- have worked hard, and are now ready dents were nominated by their dean for sponsibility to contribute to society by to move forward in the next stage of achieving exemplary academic stand- reinvesting the extraordinary skills and their lives with confi dence, whether it ing and commitment to campus life, talents which we are here to celebrate.”

President’s Medal winners with off icials.

Gulf Times 14 Sunday, May 13, 2018 QATAR NBK unveils special off er on Mercedes-Benz cars

asser Bin Khaled (NBK) a 20% advanced payment plus one of the most recognisable and refi nement because it of- Automobiles has the monthly instalment,” the luxury models on the market. fers owners both exceptional Nlaunched a special off er statement notes. It represents the exemplary so- performance and the ability on a wide range of Mercedes- Sheikh Faleh bin Nawaf al- phistication, precision and per- to put power to the pavement. The off er includes Mercedes-Benz cars of the classes A, E, GLE and S. Benz cars in celebration of the Thani, Operations director – formance that have come to be The vehicle also guarantees the holy month of Ramadan. Auto at Nasser Bin Khaled Hold- expected from Mercedes-Benz. smoothest ride and the most su- the new generation of Mercedes- markets where it was presented. dling, outstanding spaciousness The off er “allows customers to ing, said: “Nasser Bin Khaled The S-Class is a symbol of Ger- perb steering on the roads today. Benz sport cars. It’s the ideal The new GLE blends tradi- and high levels of active and pas- buy their dream Mercedes-Benz Automobiles is proud to launch man engineering, impeccable The E-Class is the core of the automobile for young bold driv- tion and modernity, with classic sive safety with driver assistance car for an aff ordable monthly this off er celebrating the holy craftsmanship and attention to Mercedes-Benz brand, and in ers and the vehicle is the per- SUV elements meeting modern systems. The GLE is equipped payment for 24 months”, NBK month of Ramadan. This is an- detail in styling. the past has repeatedly redefi ned fect companion in everyday life Mercedes-Benz design. The dis- with the nine-speed 9G-TRON- Automobiles – the authorised other off er in a series of off ers Beautifully designed, the the standards in the executive- as it off ers its occupants even tinctive appearance of the GLE IC automatic transmission as general distributor of Mercedes- to share the Qatari community lushly constructed roomy inte- class segment. Now it carries more comfort than before while is enhanced by the stylistic fea- standard. The DYNAMIC SE- Benz in Qatar – has said in a their special occasions, and pro- rior showcases Mercedes-Benz’s this tradition into the future remaining as dynamic as ever. tures typical of all generations LECT handling control system statement. vide them with fl exible deals commitment to both elegance with a wealth of top-class in- With its elegant and sporty de- of Mercedes-Benz SUVs. The lets one personalise drive set- Valid until June 30, the of- that fi t their budget. On this pre- and comfort and makes an ideal novations that take safety, stress sign, high safety standards, the GLE blends tradition and mo- tings to suit his/her driving fer includes Mercedes-Benz cious occasion, we would like to vehicle for discerning auto en- relief and comfort to a new level. car is a symbol of power and dernity with a luxurious interior style, while the ACTIVE CURVE cars of the classes A, E, GLE extend our congratulations to all thusiasts seeking luxury. One It is without doubt the most in- luxury. The new generation ambience and a sportier exterior SYSTEM provides better driv- and S. “Customers can now people, Qataris and expatriates, look at the S-Class and auto- telligent sedan in the executive is a vibrant car for a sophisti- design. ing comfort both when corner- drive away in their own vehicle and wish them a blessed month.” mobile connoisseurs will admire class. cated urban lifestyle. The A- The new GLE is equipped with ing and on straights as well as with the new deal when paying The iconic S-Class sedan is that it goes beyond opulence The A-Class is the pride of Class has won accolades in the best on-road and off -road han- expanded off -road capabilities. Doha Bank celebrates employees’ achievements for March

oha Bank recently hosted ing Mohamed Hammad, who the Main branch bagged the tinuous growth and success of its Employee Recogni- won the Best Customer Serv- Best Branch – Retail Liabilities Doha Bank. I would like to thank Dtion Award ceremony for ice Employee Award; Riyas award. personally and, on behalf of all March 2018. Thajudeen as Most Commit- The Best Cross Functional of Doha Bank’s senior manage- Qatar Charity and LuLu Group off icials mark the signing of the agreement. The monthly event ac- ted Staff ; and Heena Afroz, Team award was given to the ment, all our winners this month knowledges the outstanding who was named Best Personal QETF project team com- for their dedication in making achievements of the bank’s staff Finance Executive. The Best prising Dharnendra Koth- our organisation a fi nancial in- members from various depart- Recovery Eff ort Award went ari, Hesham Kalla, Suhas stitution of choice in Qatar and ments and disciplines identi- to Ramez Said and Mohamed Rogiye, Dheeraj Ahluwalia, internationally. Doha Bank will fi ed based on their performance Alhajri. Hany el-Shafei and Jacob keep honouring our outstand- QC, LuLu Group and contribution towards the The team awards for Best Dermelkonian. ing employees and continue to organisation. Department and Best Branch “I’m very proud to celebrate be an attractive place to work This month’s ceremony saw went to the Credit Risk Evalu- once again the achievements of and build a rewarding ca- 14 awards being given to Doha ation team and Doha Festival our staff members. Each one of reer,” said Doha Bank CEO Dr R sign agreement for Bank staff members, includ- City branch, respectively, while them, contributed to the con- Seetharaman. Ramadan initiative

atar Charity (QC) has tarian mission, especially in support and assist the groups signed a co-operation the holy month of Ramadan. that deserve assistance, by Qand partnership agree- QC is always striving to open signing this agreement. ment with LuLu Hypermar- the horizons of co-operation Mohamed Althaf, direc- ket Group for the Shop and with various public and pri- tor of LuLu Group Interna- Donate Ramadan 2018 initia- vate sector institutions so that tional, said: “LuLu is looking tive to contribute to charitable it can achieve its mission in forward to be an important projects. various aspects and reach the player in social responsibil- Through this agreement, the largest number of target groups ity programmes held in co- two sides will exchange experi- around the world.” operation with Qatar Charity, ences, co-operate and co-ordi- Al-Kuwari stressed that QC based on the values and tradi- nate programmes and projects is “always keen to strengthen tions of our society. that will be of common interest co-operation with various “Within the context of to the Qatari community, ac- institutions, including those these social programmes, Qa- Doha Bank off icials with the outstanding employees feted during the bank’s recognition awards for March 2018. cording to a statement. working in the marketing sec- tar Charity had previously QC will launch a promo- tor and commercial complexes, signed two co-operation and tional and marketing campaign to reach as many donors as partnership agreements with while LuLu Group will enable possible. LuLu hypermarket, the fi rst Qatar Charity to have a special He pointed out that this one allowing customers to do- identity for their charity cards trend has achieved tangible nate riyal and dirham fractions and products during Ramadan, success, helping hundreds when paying the purchase bill Haj and any other season as of needy people in Qatar and at LuLu hypermarkets, for agreed upon by the two sides. abroad with support from LuLu charitable projects within and JRE records QR80mn in Qatar Charity CEO Yousif Hypermarket. outside Qatar as well as for the bin Ahmed al-Kuwari said, Al-Kuwari praised the role poor and needy, and the second “Qatar Charity is very pleased played by LuLu Hypermarket is to sell charity cards through to have signed this agreement Group in the Qatari society and all LuLu branches to contrib- with LuLu Hypermarket Group its keenness to contribute to ute to charity in an easy way for because it serves the humani- the welfare of this society and shoppers.” sales at Cityscape Qatar

ust Real Estate (JRE) record- ed sales worth QR80mn at Jthe conclusion of the seventh edition of Cityscape Qatar, it was Fendi Timepieces at Blue Salon announced yesterday. The company celebrated its success at Cityscape by hosting presents Run Away collection a special gathering at the state- of-the-art JRE sales centre in Al Shoumoukh Tower for those endi Timepieces at Blue who registered on site for resi- Salon is presenting the dential and commercial property FRun Away watch collec- at Cityscape Qatar. tion. The guests during the gath- “Infused with the energy ering, which included JRE of the new F is Fendi logo, the clients and leading social me- ‘Run Away’ watch collection dia infl uencers, were given has a streamlined yet sophis- an in-depth overview of the ticated design, featuring a JRE portfolio, including the playful interplay of strong ge- award-winning new com- ometries and soft lines on the mercial tower, THE e18hteen, case,” a press statement noted. which promotes work-life Described as elegant with a balance through its new busi- modern twist, the Run Away ness-home concept. watch design is linear yet fl u- At Cityscape Qatar, JRE id – revealing the fun side of showcased properties from its the Roman Maison’s F is Fendi enriched portfolio, including logo, named F en Folie by Karl Baywalk Tower, THE e18hteen, Lagerfeld because of its up- and other properties. JRE also side-down position. off ered anyone who signed up The refi ned round case deli- for a unit in THE e18hteen an cately integrates the F insert, entry for a draw to win a brand- placed on the top of the sap- new Bentley Flying Spur. JRE’s phire crystal. The engraved 360sqm pavilion attracted logo also appears on the crown Run Away stainless steel. Run Away two-tone. huge crowds, and the success Scale model of one of JRE’s major projects. and on the case back, echoing of the show still echoes with the overall design. tures a minute track, indexes with a genuine calfskin leath- the team following up on solid tude to HE the Prime Minister “We are witnessing a tran- “As leaders in service excel- From the stainless steel to as hour markers and dauphine er strap with tone-on-tone business leads from Cityscape and Interior Minister Sheikh Ab- scending interest in the real es- lence, this event was a great the two-tone or gold-coloured hands and it’s distinguished by stitching on both sides. “Bold Qatar. dullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- tate segment thanks to a series opportunity to thank our loyal stainless steel versions, the a unique depth eff ect. Its off - yet classic, the Run Away is the “The 7th edition of Cityscape Thani for overseeing the opening of policy-driven decisions that clients and show we are with Run Away collection explores centred look highlights the let- new signature watch collection Qatar was further proof that the ceremony at Cityscape Qatar and increased the appetite of inves- them every step of the way as the versatility of the F is Fendi ter F, giving a bold attitude to that celebrates the Fendi DNA real estate segment in the State for visiting our pavilion,” said tors and stakeholders in fetching JRE continues to off er aff ordable logo. the timepiece. in an elegant yet unexpected of Qatar remains solid, and I JRE chairman, engineer Nasser new opportunities in the State of luxury and unique investment The watch’s curved dial fea- The watch is complemented way,” the statement adds. would like to extend my grati- al-Ansari. Qatar. opportunities,” he added. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 15 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Europe should do Israel closes Gaza border more to stop Syria crossing after violence war: Merkel

Reuters Reuters Gaza Assisi, Italy

srael closed a main border urope needs to do more to crossing with the Gaza Strip end the war in Syria, Ger- Iand destroyed a Hamas tun- Eman Chancellor Angela nel yesterday, a day after renewed Merkel said yesterday as she re- violence between Palestinian ceived a peace award from Fran- protesters and Israeli forces on ciscan monks in the birthplace of the edge of the coastal enclave. St Francis. Dozens of Palestinian dem- Merkel was given the Fran- onstrators had broken into the ciscan order’s “Lamp of Peace,” Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom joining previous recipients such terminal, the main conduit for as former Polish president Lech goods in and out of the territory, Walesa, the Dalai Lama, the late on Friday. Israeli president Shimon Peres They set alight a pipeline that and Colombian president Juan delivers gas from Israel, torched Manuel Santos. a conveyor belt and damaged a In an acceptance speech in the fuel pipe. basilica, its walls lined with fres- “The crossing will remain coes by the 13th century master closed until the damage caused Giotto, Merkel called Syria “one by the riots are repaired and will of the biggest humanitarian reopen in accordance with a sit- tragedies of our time” and said uation assessment,” the Israeli politicians had to work harder to military said. end it. “This confl ict has become It will be opened for humani- a confl ict of regional interests, a tarian cases only in the mean- Rouba (left) and Wassim (right), children of 40-year-old Palestinian confl ict of religions … and that’s time, it said. Demonstrators protest in support of the Palestinian cause, yesterday in Rome to mark the 70 years Jaber Abu Mustafa, are embraced by their uncle as they mourn why today’s award reminds me Later yesterday, Israeli war since the Palestinian “Nakba” of 1948. during his funeral in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, yesterday. and many other European lead- planes destroyed an under- ers that we should be more in- ground attack tunnel near the several cross-border tunnels Shalom took place during a campments in the coming days. Committee said it was surprised creation of Israel in 1948. volved in solving this confl ict,” border that was being built by in recent months. Palestinian weekly mass protest in which It was unclear to some Gaza by the “non-deliberate and un- They take place at a time of she said. The Syrian Observatory Hamas, the group that controls gunmen used tunnels to blind- thousands of Palestinians gath- residents why the demonstra- fortunate incident” at Kerem growing frustration over the for Human Rights, a British- Gaza, to help fi ghters cross into side Israeli forces during the ered along the Israel-Gaza bor- tors chose to attack the termi- Shalom and called on Palestin- prospects for an independent based war monitor, says more Israel, the military said. 2014 Gaza war. der. Palestinian health offi cials nal. ians to preserve the crossings. Palestinian state. than half a million people have The tunnel had reached just EMBASSY TO OPEN said a man and a teenager were “I cannot fi nd one good rea- Gaza is run by Hamas. Citing Peace talks between Israel been killed in the Syrian war a few meters from the border, More than 2mn people are killed by Israeli fi re on Friday. son for what happened, what security concerns, Israel main- and the Palestinians have been since it erupted seven years ago. adjacent to Israeli communities, packed into the narrow Gaza The Israeli military said the is the wisdom behind this?” tains tight control over its land stalled for several years and Is- About 85% of the dead were ci- the military said. Strip, where poverty and unem- crowd had grown violent and said one gas station owner, who and sea borders. raeli settlements in the occu- vilians killed by the forces of the “It was approximately one ployment rates are high. that troops were defending the asked not to be identifi ed. The border protests are build- pied territories have expanded. Syrian government and its allies, kilometre long. It was dug over a Kerem Shalom is one of three border. “Some petrol stations have ing to a climax on May 15, the US President Donald Trump’s according to the Observatory. number of months and we have main Gaza border crossings More than 40 Palestin- storage for maybe a day or day Palestinians call the “Na- decision last year to recognise Speaking of the confl ict in been following it for a number with Israel and Egypt, but it is ians have been killed during two, so the crisis will begin by kba” or “Catastrophe”, marking disputed Jerusalem as Israel’s eastern Ukraine, Merkel said of weeks,” spokesman where most goods pass through six weeks of protests and tens Monday or Tuesday should the the displacement of hundreds capital and move the US em- “Those who thought that the Lt Col Jonathan Conricus daily. of thousands of Gazans are crossing remained closed,” he of thousands of Palestinians bassy there further fuelled Pal- end of the Cold War would bring said. Israel says it has destroyed The incursion into Kerem expected at tented border en- said. The Palestinian National in the confl ict surrounding the estinian anger. peace to Europe were wrong”.

ANGER Protests in Cairo over Khamenei’s call to metro fare rises Iran foreign minister sets Dozens of Egyptians have pro- develop sciences tested at Cairo metro stations in a rare display of public discon- tent as the government tightens Reuters lamic nation must once again spending and pushes austerity reach heights of science and off on tour to save N-deal Dubai measures, according to posts civilisation so that the en- on social media. The govern- emies of Islam and the Ameri- Reuters its goals — namely being pro- that we can fully benefi t from panies’ investments in Iran on ment raised the price of tickets ranian Supreme Leader cans cannot order around the Dubai tected from sanctions against the (nuclear accord..., the deal Friday, seeking to keep the nu- on Cairo’s loss-making metro on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei heads of Islamic countries,” key sectors of its economy would remain,” he said. clear deal with Tehran alive af- Friday, more than tripling some Iyesterday called for unity Khamenei told a meeting con- such as oil — in co-operation Zarif is due to leave for Bei- ter Washington pulled out and fares and setting off a wave of among Muslims and eff orts tributions to sciences. ran’s foreign minister em- with other countries that have jing on Saturday and will later threatened to impose sanctions angry reaction on social media. towards scientifi c advance- Iran frequently calls for Is- barked on a tour of world signed up to the agreement. travel to Russia. He will then on European companies. Posts showed people demand- ment, saying this would make lamic unity to help Tehran Ipowers yesterday, state me- go to Brussels to meet coun- Germany and France have ing it rescind the decision, it impossible for “enemies” in its confrontation with its dia reported, in what is seen as a “Iran has asked the terparts from Germany, Britain signifi cant trade links with with some jumping over ticket such as the United States to arch-foe, the United States. last-ditch eff ort to save Tehran’s European Union and and France “about the fate of Iran and remain committed to barriers, apparently refusing to dominate Islamic countries. Washington on Tuesday nuclear deal after Washington’s particularly Germany, the nuclear deal”, Iranian state the nuclear agreement, as does pay the new fares. “We will not “Today, every movement pulled out of a nuclear deal withdrawal from the accord. France and Britain to television said. Britain, and the three countries’ move, we will not move,” a small that leads to mutual under- with Iran, a move accompa- President Donald Trump announce as soon as “Iran has asked the European foreign ministers plan to meet crowd chanted at Dar el-Salam standing of Islamic groups and nied by the threat of penalties pulled the United States out of possible their stand...” Union and particularly Germany, on Tuesday to discuss it. That station in south Cairo as police- sects is a good thing, and this against any foreign fi rms do- the deal on Tuesday, raising the France and Britain to announce is part of a fl urry of diplomatic men looked on. Interior Ministry gathering is an example of the ing business in Iran. risk of confl ict in the Middle President Hassan Rouhani as soon as possible their stand on activity following Trump’s uni- and metro off icials could not be movement for the unifi cation Tehran denies seeking East, upsetting European allies said he had asked Foreign Min- how Iran’s interests can be ful- lateral withdrawal from what reached for comment.It was not of the Islamic nation,” said atomic weapons and says and casting uncertainty over ister Mohamed Javad Zarif to fi lled and guaranteed under the he called “a horrible, one-sided possible to verify the authentic- Khamenei in remarks carried its nuclear programme is for global oil supplies. negotiate with European coun- nuclear agreement after Amer- deal”, a move accompanied by ity of the recordings. Even small by his offi cial website. peaceful uses in areas includ- Iran said it would remain tries, China and Russia in the ica’s withdrawal,” the TV report the threat of penalties against protests have been rare in Egypt “The scientifi c movement ing electricity, agriculture and committed to the deal without coming weeks.”If at the end of said. Europe’s largest economies any foreign fi rms doing busi- since the army ousted presi- must accelerate and the Is- medicine. Washington if Tehran achieved this short period we conclude lobbied to protect their com- ness in Iran. dent Mohamed Mursi, in 2013 following protests against his rule. A law passed in 2013 forbids demonstrations not approved by the Interior Ministry.

LEGAL Iraq holds fi rst nationwide election since IS defeat Two spies among three sentenced to AFP ish push for independence. tarianism and losing territory Baghdad But competition from within to IS, but draws support from death in Yemen his community, the majority hardliners. group dominating Iraqi politics, “I wish for all to go to the bal- A court in Yemen’s rebel-held raq voted yesterday in its will likely splinter the vote and lot boxes to make their choice,” capital sentenced three people fi rst parliamentary elec- spell lengthy horse-trading to Maliki said after casting his to death yesterday, including Ition since declaring victory form any government. “Iraq ballot, demanding authorities two for spying for Saudi Arabia, over the Islamic State group, is strong and unifi ed after de- stop “attempts at falsifi cation a news agency controlled by with growing tensions between feating terror,” Abadi said after through the pressuring of vot- the insurgents said. Two men neighbouring Iran and the Unit- voting.”The elections will de- ers”. were sentenced by the criminal ed States threatening a power termine Iraq’s future.” Hadi al-Ameri — a contender court in Sanaa for “providing struggle. Whoever emerges as premier who led Iran-backed paramili- information to a foreign state and Turnout appeared weak as will face the mammoth task of tary units that fought IS along- co-operating with aggressor state polling stations closed across rebuilding a country left shat- side Baghdad’s troops — called Saudi Arabia between 2015 and the country after 11 hours of tered by the battle against IS — for “change” as he seeks to turn 2016,” the Saba agency reported. voting that took place under with donors already pledging battlefi eld wins into political A third man was sentenced for tight security given the ongoing $30bn (25bn euros). gains. belonging to Al Qaeda, Saba said. threat posed by the militants. More than 2mn people re- Political forces in the Kurd- The press agency did not specify There were no major incidents main internally displaced and ish community — often seen as whether the three convicts were reported across the country, with IS — which has threatened the kingmakers — are also in disar- present in court or if they were the only fl areup coming when, a An Iraqi man prepares to vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in the Sadr city polls — is still able to launch ray after a September vote for tried in absentia. The Houthi local offi cial said, shelling killed district of Baghdad, yesterday. deadly attacks. independence spectacularly rebels have controlled Sanaa and a policeman and wounded fi ve Overall, just under 7,000 backfi red. large swathes of the north and others in eastern Iraq. years since the US-led ouster of vent those who have control- queued up to make their choice candidates are standing and The Kurds look set to lose west of Yemen since 2014. The poll comes with tensions Saddam Hussein, there is scep- led the nation since 2003 from as they look to recover from ji- Iraq’s complex system means some of their clout on the na- The insurgents are fighting forces surging between key powers ticism about a political system staying in power”. hadist rule.“I am voting for se- no single bloc is likely to get tional stage after Baghdad un- loyal to an internationally recog- Iran and the United States af- dominated by an elite seen as While voting stations in the curity and the economy to sta- anything near a majority in the leashed a battery of sanctions nised government, which since ter Washington pulled out of mired in corruption and sec- capital were sparsely attended, bilise and for a better future,” 329-seat parliament. and seized back disputed oil- March 2015 have been bolstered a landmark 2015 nuclear deal, tarianism. in some part of the country said labourer Ali Fahmi, 26. Abadi — a consensus fi gure rich regions.Putting on a brave by a military coalition led by Saudi sparking fears of a destabilising At a polling station in the there seemed greater interest in Prime Minister Haider al- who has balanced the US and face, the prime minister of au- Arabia. The conflict has claimed power struggle in Iraq. Baghdad district of Karrada, the vote. Abadi — who took offi ce as IS Iran — is facing two leading tonomous Kurdistan, Nechir- 10,000 lives, wounded more Roughly 24.5mn voters face a 74-year-old voter Sami Wadi In the former IS bastion of rampaged across Iraq in 2014 challengers to his Victory Alli- van Barzani, insisted the politi- than 54,000 and provoked what fragmented political landscape appealed for change “to save the Mosul — still partly in ruins — is angling for a new term, ance with closer ties to Tehran. cal process would not succeed the UN describes as the “worst fi ve months after IS was ousted. country”. from the months-long fi ght claiming credit for defeating the Ex-premier Nuri al-Maliki is “without Kurdish participa- humanitarian crisis in the world.” More than 15 blood-sodden He called on Iraqis “to pre- to oust the group — residents militants and seeing off a Kurd- widely reviled for stirring sec- tion”. Gulf Times 16 Sunday, May 13, 2018 AFRICA

WHO chief heads to Armed raiders kill 26 DR Congo over latest outbreak of Ebola

AFP cases is signifi cant. We are very Mbandaka, DR Congo concerned and we are planning ahead of Burundi vote for all scenarios, including the worst case scenario,” he said. AFP he head of the World DRC health ministry Ebola re- Nairobi Health Organization was sponders have been dispatched Tdue in DR Congo yester- to the aff ected area with a joint day to aid preparations for “all WHO and Unicef team following. n armed group has killed 26 people scenarios” in combating the lat- “We are about to go to Bikoro in northwest Burundi, the secu- est Ebola outbreak. after this stop at (regional capi- Arity minister said yesterday, days “WHO director general Dr Te- tal) Mbandaka where we began ahead of a constitutional referendum that dros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is on the deployment of mobile labs to could see President Pierre Nkurunziza his way to the Democratic Re- start analyses” of suspect cases,” rule until 2034. public of the Congo to assess the Eugene Kabambi, leading the Alain Guillaume Bunyoni said that the needs of the response fi rst-hand. WHO communications team in attackers were “terrorists” from neigh- We are preparing for all scenari- DR Congo, told AFP yesterday, bouring Democratic Republic of Congo. os,” the UN health agency said in adding his team hoped to obtain “The terrorists coming from and re- a statement. results swiftly. turning to Congo shot and burned — 26 The outbreak in the region He said Health Minister Oly dead and seven wounded,” the minister northeast of Kinshasa near the Ilunga had alerted local people to said in a statement. border with the Republic of Congo the ongoing risk. The attack came as tensions rise days has so far killed 18 people around The WHO has made $1mn ahead of a constitutional referendum on the town of Bikoro in Equateur available to stop the virus spread- May 17 which could allow Nkurunziza to province, according to the WHO. ing, judging that risk was “high,” stay in power for 16 more years. WHO’s head of emergency re- a representative of the UN’s hu- The government has in recent weeks sponse Peter Salama said Friday manitarian aff airs agency OCHA deployed soldiers to border areas after getting aid to the aff ected area told reporters on Friday. accusing exiled opposition groups of was “extremely challenging” DR Congo has endured nine seeking to disrupt the vote. given its remoteness and lack of known outbreaks of Ebola since Witnesses told AFP of an hours-long infrastructure. 1976, when the deadly viral dis- orgy of violence that began around 10pm “We know the number of sus- ease was fi rst identifi ed in then on Friday in a village in Cibitoke province pected, probable and confi rmed Zaire by a Belgian-led team. bordering Congo and Rwanda. They said a group, armed with guns and knives, killed dozens of people and also set fi re to buildings. “These criminals went house to house and committed real carnage,” said a lo- Madagascar lifts curbs on cal offi cial speaking on condition of ano- Burundi’s minister of public security Alain Guillaume Bunyoni (centre) and other off icials visit Ruhagarika village where 26 people nymity. were killed by the armed group in northwestern Burundi bordering with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday night. He said he was “horrifi ed” by the vio- opposition candidates lence. Nkurunziza, 54, has ruled the tiny cen- pected opponents of the referendum in a Burundi’s exiled opposition, gathered “Some of the victims were stabbed, tral African nation since 2005. bid to ensure Nkurunziza’s victory. in an alliance called CNARED, has called others were shot, there is even a whole His run for a controversial third term in The vote is taking place in tightly- for a boycott of the referendum, which it Reuters because of a criminal conviction family that was burned alive in their 2015 triggered a deep political crisis that controlled conditions, and parties which describes as the “death knell” to a 2000 Antananarivo imposed while he was in exile af- home.” has seen 1,200 people killed and 400,000 advise electors to abstain — rather than agreement that helped end a bloody civil ter the coup. The perpetrators and their motive are fl ee their homes. cast a Yes or No ballot — risk up to three war. His supporters said that provi- not yet known but local residents said The violence and abuses are being in- years’ jail. No president can govern Burundi for adagascar’s president sion was intended to prevent him the attackers crossed into DR Congo after vestigated by the International Criminal Earlier this month Burundi’s press more than 10 years under the 2000 Aru- has approved a new from returning to power in the carrying out the raid. Court (ICC) while a vicious press crack- regulator suspended broadcasts by the sha peace accords, which helped to end a Melection law lifting a election, which is due later this “For now, these criminals have not down has seen the majority of independ- BBC and Voice of America (VOA) and 1993-2006 confl ict that killed more than provision that would have pre- year on a date that has yet to be been identifi ed, but an investigation is ent journalists leave the country. warned other radio stations, including 300,000 people. vented the main opposition can- announced. underway to determine their identity,” In a report last month Human Rights Radio France International (RFI), against But if the amendment is approved, didate from standing for offi ce, The High Court overturned said a police offi cer, who did not want to Watch accused Burundi’s government spreading “tendentious and misleading” Nkurunziza would be entitled to stand for which had provoked a political the rule that would have pre- be named. of killing, beating and intimidating sus- information. two more seven-year terms from 2020. crisis and deadly street demon- vented him from standing, and strations. also removed provisions that had Supporters of opposition poli- restricted media access. tician Marc Ravalomanana, who Candidates will be permitted served as president from 2002 to receive money from abroad, Gory search until he was toppled in a 2009 as long as it does not come from Congo forces hunt for coup, have demanded the scrap- foreign governments. ping of election rules they said Ravalomanana has teamed up were drawn up to stop him from in opposition with the man who kidnapped Britons running. succeeded him, Andy Rajoelina. The High Court ruled last At an opposition march last week that the rules were uncon- month against the laws, police Reuters Britain’s Foreign Of- stitutional. fi red teargas at demonstrators Beni fi ce said on Friday it was in “Organic laws (on elections) and two people later died from contact with the Congolese were promulgated today on the their injuries. authorities following an in- basis of the decisions and opin- Madagascar is one of the ongolese soldiers and cident involving two British ions of the High Constitutional world’s poorest countries, de- park rangers have nationals and its staff were Court,” President Hery Rajaon- spite reserves of nickel, cobalt, Claunched an operation providing support to their arimampianina’s offi ce said in a gold, uranium and other miner- to locate two British tourists families. statement late on Friday. als. kidnapped in the country’s Eastern Congo has been Ravalomanana had been The 2009 coup scared off for- volatile eastern borderlands, the scene of successive barred from standing for offi ce eign investors. an army spokesman said. waves of violence over the Unidentifi ed armed men past two and a half decades ambushed the group on Fri- and was at the epicentre of day north of Goma, the capi- two wars between 1996 and Congo jails opposition figures for 20 years tal of Democratic Republic 2003 that killed millions, of Congo’s North Kivu prov- mainly through hunger and court in Congo Republic and several co-defendants of ince, inside Virunga National disease. sentenced ex-army chief amassing arms as far back as 2005 Park. Rebel groups and militias Aand opposition presiden- in the aim of overthrowing Sassou One park ranger was killed still control large swathes of tial candidate Jean-Marie Michel Nguesso’s government. during the incident in Afri- the territory. Mokoko to 20 years in prison late The co-accused received the ca’s oldest national park and More than 175 rangers have on Friday on charges of violating same prison sentence. three other people, including died protecting Virunga Na- state security and illegal posses- They now have three days to the British citizens, were ab- tional Park, which is located sion of weapons. appeal the verdict. ducted. in the rugged mountains and Mokoko, a power broker in the Mokoko declined to speak “With Virunga National volcanic plains adjacent to Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers patrol and inspect mud and debris in search of bodies of victims former French colony’s 1990s in his own defence during the Park being within our zone neighbouring Rwanda and after a dam burst its banks, sending muddy waters raging through homes and killing at least 45 civil war, fi nished third to long- trial, which opened last Mon- of action, we have joined the Uganda. people in Subukia, Nakuru county. Kenya’s top prosecutor has ordered a probe into the collapse of serving President Denis Sassou day, claiming that having been park rangers for search op- It has nevertheless at- the dam on the night of May 10, as questions mount over the quality of construction of the private Nguesso in a March 2016 elec- awarded the honour of Com- erations for the people taken tracted a growing number of reservoir on a vast farming estate. Since March 2018, the floods have destroyed road networks, tion that was criticised by oppo- mander of the Congolese Order hostages,” Major Guillaume visitors keen to visit its en- in some cases the military has stepped in to airlift residents from submerged houses, and at least sition parties and foreign powers of Merit he benefi ted from im- Kaiko Ndjike, the army’s dangered mountain gorillas 21,000 acres of farmland have been submerged in water with an estimated 20,000 animals killed, for irregularities. munity from prosecution. The spokesman in North Kivu, and the active Nyiragongo the Red Cross said last week. He was arrested in June 2016. state prosecutor called Mokoko’s said yesterday. volcano. Prosecutors accused of Mokoko silence an admission of guilt. Sierra Leone mudslide survivors live in fear of fresh disaster

By Nicky Milne, Reuters could bring disaster — and where slide was a man-made disaster to the landslide,” he said. he told the Thomson Reuters sandwiched between the sea and he said. “What you’re doing in Freetown many fear it could happen again and warn of worse to come if ur- Emergency workers in Free- Foundation. the mountains, compounded the the United States or England is as heavy rains become more se- gent action is not taken. town pulled the bodies of about “The stark reality is that we diffi culty of accommodating an coming to aff ect us. Maybe in vere due to climate change. “I think what we saw is just 500 victims from the mud but stopped planning for decades; expanding population. August we used to get 30 inches adiatu Koroma only nar- “Who would live in an area that the beginning,” said Bala Amar- hundreds more are still missing. planning has never been a prior- “Freetown is a city of just over (76cm) of rain; because of climate rowly escaped the mud- is disaster prone if they knew and asekaren, a conservationist who The fi nal death toll, estimated ity. 1mn people living on 357sq km of change, now we’re getting maybe Kslide that engulfed her valued their life?” she told the founded Tacugama Chimpanzee at 1,000, may never be known. “Unfortunately, the govern- land,” she said in an email inter- 300 inches.” home in Sierra Leone’s ram- Thomson Reuters Foundation in Sanctuary in the hills above Free- Another 3,000 people were ment is not in a position to ef- view. “A lack of urban planning, In the city’s low-lying Congo shackle capital last August, kill- a camp for homeless victims of town in 1995. made homeless in the city, which fectively manage development inadequate housing and poor Town slum, where small shacks ing an estimated 1,000 people in the disaster. “We had no idea, we “I am very, very scared. I know is buckling under the weight of a control.” sanitation is negatively impact- are crammed haphazardly to- one of the worst fl ooding-related have no choice.” this area well and there are many growing population. Abdul Karim Marah, Freetown ing the living conditions, health gether and a lack of proper sew- disasters to hit Africa in living Originally built for 400,000 areas that are even more vulnera- A fi fth of the population now City Council’s development and outcomes and employment pros- erage systems means a strong memory. residents, Freetown has mush- ble than the place that collapsed.” lives in slum conditions with no planning offi cer, said structural pects of many of Freetown’s resi- stench fi lls the air, community Koroma had already left for roomed since Sierra Leone won Amarasekaren said the forest- sewerage or basic services, ac- plans for the city had been drawn dents.” leader Idrissa Kargbo said fl oods work when tonnes of mud and independence from Britain in ed slopes that surround Freetown cording to the United Nations, up but never implemented. Freetown has been plagued by were a regular hazard. rocks crashed down onto her 1961, and is now home to an es- once provided natural protection while 60% live on less than $1.25 “We have so many documents heavy rains and fl ooding yearly Nowadays, the rainy season poor community in the shadow timated 2mn people. for the city, but have now been a day. which could inform whomever since 2008, and was still reel- tends to be briefer but more in- of Freetown’s Mount Sugar Loaf, People fl ocked to the city dur- denuded for largely illegal con- Alaphajoh Cham, deputy di- is interested in bringing about ing from an Ebola epidemic that tense, bringing greater risk of killing her sister and her newborn ing the decade-long civil war struction. rector of policy and planning at decency and change in regards to killed 4,000 people when the fl ooding, he said as he pointed to baby. that ended in 2002 and the ram- “The forest plays a huge role the land ministry, said unplanned the problems of environmental mudslide struck. the damp stains at head height on Like many in the poor West pant, unplanned construction in terms of protecting our water construction was a legacy of the challenges in Freetown,” he said. Conservationist Amar- the wall. African nation, she had no choice that followed led to destruction ways, protecting the slopes, and war-era infl ux of people to the “It’s a question of putting asekaren believes climate change “My worries are that it hap- but to live in a place where experts of the forests that off ered vital if you start destroying that eco- capital. them into practice.” is also taking its toll on a city that pened in 2015, and 2016, and had long warned that deforesta- protection against mudslides. system you’re basically inviting “Urbanisation is good if you New Mayor Yvonne Aki Saw- suff ers heavy rains every year. again in 2017,” he said. “Maybe tion and rampant construction Many experts believe the mud- problems such as those that led are able to manage it very well,” yerr said Freetown’s location, “Climate change is global,” 2018 will be the worst.” Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 17 AMERICAS

EXPLORATION ART AUCTION INVESTIGATION CREDIBILITY AT STAKE DISCORD Mini-chopper to Mars is Rockefeller collection sold UN asks Nicaragua to let it Pope to be blunt with Chile Guatemala tells Venezuela, Nasa’s next dream for record $832mn probe protest deaths bishops on abuse cover-up Sweden to remove envoys

The US space agency said Friday it plans to In what was billed as the “sale of the century,” The United Nations human rights off ice has asked Pope Francis wants Chile’s bishops to owe up Guatemala is on the threshold of an international launch the first-ever helicopter to Mars in 2020, the art collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, Nicaragua to let it enter the country to gather to the “devastating wounds” inflicted on the row after demanding Sweden and Venezuela a miniature, unmanned drone-like chopper comprising 1,500 pieces, sold at auction for a evidence about the deaths of dozens of students in Church’s credibility by a cover-up of clergy sexual remove their ambassadors, whom it accuses that could boost our understanding of the Red record-breaking $832.5mn, Christie’s said Friday. protests, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina abuse, serving notice that his coming meetings of meddling in domestic aff airs, experts and Planet. Known simply as ‘The Mars Helicopter’, The figure eclipsed the previous record held by the Shamdasani has said. “We are concerned at the with them will be blunt. The pope’s unequivocal analysts said Friday. The Central American the device weighs less than 1.8kg, and its main collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge volatile situation in Nicaragua, where, according stand was made clear in a stern Vatican country on Thursday said Swedish envoy Anders body section, or fuselage, is about the size of which sold for $484mn in 2009. Coming after to information from credible sources, to date at statement yesterday, ahead of a visit next week Kompass and Venezuelan envoy Elena Salcedo a softball. It will be attached to the belly pan of the extraordinary $450mn sale last November least 47 people — the majority of them students, as by Chilean bishops who Francis summoned for had to go, to be replaced by new ambassadors. the Mars 2020 rover, a wheeled robot that aims of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’, also at well as two police off icers and a journalist — have an explanation of why he was misinformed about Guatemala’s Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel to determine the habitability of the Martian Christie’s, there had been some speculation that been killed in connection with protests that began the extent of the scandal. The statement said said Kompass had to be withdrawn because environment, search for signs of ancient life, and the billion dollar threshold could be crossed by this in mid-April,” she said. After a violent crackdown the pope believed there was a need “to deeply he described Guatemala as having a “corrupt assess natural resources and hazards for future sale. Organised over 10 days, including online sales, by police, thousands of demonstrators took to the examine the causes and consequences, as well as society.” Salcedo was alleged to have links to human explorers. Mars 2020 is to arrive on the it nonetheless broke numerous records, testament streets of Managua to demand the resignation of the mechanisms, that in some cases led to cover- a Guatemalan rural organisation opposed to surface of Mars expected in February 2021. to the rude health of the global art market. President Daniel Ortega. ups and grave omissions regarding the victims”. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. ‘Rock bottom’: Diplomacy at work Anti-McCain comments spark uproar

By Michael Mathes, AFP with lawmakers demanding an apol- Her father is “all about character Washington ogy from President Donald Trump. and bipartisanship and something “People have wondered when de- greater than yourself,” Meghan Mc- cency would hit rock bottom with Cain said, before adding a stinging amily and congressional col- this administration. It happened message to the critics: “Nobody’s leagues pushed back on Friday yesterday,” said Democratic former going to remember you.” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Canada’s Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland speak to the media ahead of a bilateral Fagainst attacks on cancer- vice president Joe Biden, who served Members of Congress rallied meeting at the State Department in Washington on Friday. stricken John McCain, including one with McCain for decades in the Sen- behind their ailing, war-hero col- by a White House aide who report- ate. league. edly said the senator’s opposition to “Given this White House’s trail “I am left speechless and with a a presidential nominee did not mat- of disrespect toward John and oth- sense of horror about the insensi- ter because “he’s dying anyway.” ers, this staff er is not the exception tive, crass and cruel remarks by a Amid rising bipartisan fury, the to the rule; she is the epitome of it.” White House aide refl ecting the White House declined to apologize, Trump’s press secretary off ered administration’s position on a he- or to acknowledge that the com- no contrition when asked about the roic American’s courageous fi ght,” Protected immigrants need path ments attributed by US media to fl ap. House Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee White House communications aide “I’m not going to validate a leak, wrote. Kelly Sadler were even made. one way or the other, out of an in- Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a Sadler’s apparent remark came ternal staff meeting,” Sarah Sand- Republican and former US Air Force to citizenship, says Trump aide after McCain announced his oppo- ers told reporters on Friday, as she pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, blast- sition to CIA director nominee Gina insisted that Trump’s pugnacious ed Sadler. Haspel over her role in Bush-era en- style does not set guidelines for “What was said yesterday goes Reuters status and to expel tens of thousands of midterm election after previous biparti- hanced interrogation techniques. White House discourse. beyond the pale; it’s a moral fail- Washington protected immigrants. san eff orts failed. CNN quoted a White House of- “There is not a tone set here,” ing and unacceptable,” Kinzinger Earlier this month, the Department Their plan, however, is aimed at so- fi cial as saying Sadler, speaking Sanders said. “We have a respect for tweeted. of Homeland Security said it would end called “Dreamers,” immigrants brought Thursday at a staff meeting, meant all Americans.” Over at Fox Business, program mmigrants from Honduras, Haiti, El protections for 57,000 Hondurans in to the United States illegally as children, the comment as a joke but that it Sanders also confi rmed that Sa- host Charles Payne issued a per- Salvador and other countries who January 2020, leaving them vulnerable to and border security issues. fl opped. dler remained in her job. sonal apology to McCain and his Iwere given protected status to live in deportation. Kelly said that while most illegal im- Another extraordinary attack Meghan McCain, a conservative family, saying he did not initially the United States should have a path to Around 200,000 Salvadorans, 59,000 migrants “are not bad people...they’re against McCain by a fellow mili- commentator on ABC’s popular hear McInerney’s comment as the citizenship, White House Chief of Staff Haitians and 5,300 Nicaraguans will lose also not people that would easily assimi- tary veteran and commentator morning talk show The View, deliv- network’s control room was speak- John Kelly told National Public Radio on their status in 2019. late” into modern American society. also stunned much of Washington, ered an eloquent defence of her fa- ing into his earpiece. Friday. Protections have also ended for 9,000 “They’re overwhelmingly rural peo- when retired US Air Force lieuten- ther, who is battling brain cancer at “I regret I did not catch this re- Kelly said many of those with tempo- Nepalese immigrants and certain immi- ple,” he told NPR. “They don’t speak ant general Thomas McInerney said home in Arizona. mark, as it should have been chal- rary protected status, or TPS, resulting grants from Liberia. English...They don’t integrate well. They he knows torture works because Her family, she said on the show, is lenged,” Payne said. from natural disasters or confl ict have Trump has pursued his crackdown don’t have skills.” it made McCain spill sensitive in- “really strong” and “there’s so much “As a proud military veteran and lived in the United States for decades, on legal and illegal immigration since Questions were raised about Nielsen’s formation to his captors during his more love and prayer and amazing son of a Vietnam Vet these words and that Congress should act. becoming president, promising to tenure after the New York Times reported years as a prisoner of war in Viet- energy being generated towards us neither refl ect my or the network’s “We should fold all of the TPS people strengthen the nation’s borders and to that she had considered resigning af- nam. than anything negative at all.” feelings about Senator McCain, or that have been here for a considerable build a wall along the US-Mexico border. ter Trump criticised her at a meeting on “The fact is, with John McCain, it She also had pointed words for the his remarkable service and sacrifi ce period of time and fi nd a way for them to Critics, citing the nation’s history of Wednesday for what he said was her fail- worked on John. That’s why they call White House. to this country.” be on a path to citizenship,” Kelly, one of immigration, say Trump’s policies are ure to secure US borders. him Songbird John,” McInerney said “I don’t understand what kind Trump, for his part, once mocked President Donald Trump’s top aides, said hostile to vulnerable people who work in A DHS spokesman denied the story. Thursday on Fox Business Network. of environment you’re working in McCain’s war service, saying dur- in an interview. the fast food, hospitality, child care and Fox News Channel, however, quoted The attacks, remarkable for their when that would be acceptable and ing the presidential campaign that The Trump administration, under US agriculture sectors, often for low wages. Kelly as saying in an interview on Friday bluntness, triggered swift reaction then you can come to work the next “I like people that weren’t cap- Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Some US lawmakers want immigra- that he called Nielsen after the meeting from across the political spectrum, day and still have a job,” she said. tured.” Nielsen, has moved to revoke this special tion legislation before the November urging her not to quit. Hawaii braces for worse lava fl ows from erupting volcano

Reuters In addition, Kilauea, one of the stayed to care for their dogs and Pahoa, Hawaii world’s most active volcanoes, chickens. threatens to begin a series of explo- He went back for her on Thursday, sive eruptions within days or weeks fearing she and the animals would ore destructive lava fl ows that could form huge clouds of vol- be dead. could soon hit Hawaii’s Big canic smog, or vog, and hurl boul- One of the dogs was having trou- MIsland as the Kilauea vol- ders as big as small cars. ble moving but his wife was still cano erupts, posing a greater threat Geologists expect new lava out- alive. than oozing magma that has so far breaks in or around the hard-hit He set his chickens free. destroyed dozens of homes and Leilani Estates area in the south- “The gas fumes were just too forced thousands to evacuate, sci- eastern Puna district, about 32km much,” he said, sitting at a baseball entists said. south of Hilo, where 27 homes have diamond with his dogs tied beside As a lava lake at Kilauea’s summit been destroyed and all 1,900 resi- him. drains inside the volcano, magma is dents have been evacuated. While locals contend with lava running underground. Local residents got a text mes- and gas on the ground, explosions It could burst to the surface as sage alert at 11am on Friday warn- at Kilauea’s summit some 40km to large, fast-moving and intensely hot ing them they could have little or the west were dusting communi- lava fl ows and produce higher lev- no time to evacuate in the event of ties with ash that irritated eyes and els of toxic gases, Hawaiian Volcano future eruptions. breathing. Observatory scientist-in-charge “We are telling people to plan for South of Leilani Estates, in the Tina Neal said. the worst. They should have a Plan Kalapana-Seaview neighbourhood, “What will take a turn for the A, a Plan B and a Plan C,” said Roann residents are on high alert as the air worse in terms of hazard is if hot- Okomura, a county offi cial who is quality is low and there are very few ter, fresher magma makes it to the helping run one of the shelters set ways out of the area if an evacuation surface, and that could be what is up for evacuees. is ordered. coming,” Neal told a conference call Ron Peters, 59, knew it was time to “There are some pretty level- on Friday. “Once a new batch of hot- leave his home in the Opihikao com- headed, balanced people here who ter, gassier magma makes it to the munity, 4km from Leilani Estates, are trying to lead normal lives. But surface we might see larger, higher when fruit trees and other vegeta- we also don’t want to be stupid,” eruption rates.” tion began to die in the rotten-egg- said Cindy Hartman, 68, who lives Fifteen large cracks or fi ssures smelling clouds of sulphur-dioxide in the Kalapana-Seaview neigh- have opened on the eastern fl ank of gas. bourhood. Kilauea since the volcano erupted “When you start seeing ferns go Volcanic smog may be blowing eight days ago. brown overnight, it’s like, ‘Wow, I hundreds of miles from Kilauea, The volcanic vents have oozed gotta get out of here,’” said Peters, with people on the streets of state relatively cool, sluggish magma left sitting at a Red Cross evacuation capital Honolulu, around 340km over from a similar event in 1955. centre at a sports centre in nearby northwest on the island of Oahu, Fresher magma could now emerge Pahoa. complaining it was “very voggy” on An ash plume rises from the Overlook Vent in Halema’uma’u crater in Hawaii. behind it. His wife refused to leave and Friday. Gulf Times 18 Sunday, May 13, 2018 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA North Korea to destroy nuclear site ahead of US summit

AFP up and their entrances com- Korea and others, and Trump Seoul pletely blocked, Pyongyang’s last year threatened the North foreign ministry said, accord- with “fi re and fury”. ing to the offi cial KCNA news But since the Pyeongchang orth Korea will destroy agency. All observation facilities Games, Pyongyang and Wash- its nuclear test site later and research institutes would be ington have agreed to the un- Nthis month, ahead of a removed, along with guards, it precedented Singapore meeting, summit with the United States, said, “and the surrounding area and Kim has twice visited China it said yesterday, blowing up its of the test ground be completely to meet President Xi Jinping, af- tunnels in front of invited for- closed”. ter not paying respects in the six eign media. Reporters from China, Russia, years since he inherited power People place flowers at a memorial as they pay respects for victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in Beichuan, in China’s southwestern The display at Punggye-ri, in the United States, Britain and from his father. Sichuan province, yesterday. the northwest of the country, South Korea would be allowed to Kim and South Korean Presi- will be another step in leader cover the event on site to show it dent Moon Jae-in affi rmed their Kim Jong-un’s charm off ensive, “in a transparent manner”. commitment to the goal of “re- with a ceremony scheduled be- Limits on foreign journalists alising, through complete denu- tween May 23-25. were due to space constraints, it clearisation, a nuclear-free Ko- Dialogue brokered by Seoul said, as the site was in an “unin- rean Peninsula” at a summit in has seen US-North Korea rela- habited deep mountain area”. the Demilitarised Zone that di- China marks anniversary tions go from trading personal Analysts said the move was vides their countries last month. insults and threats of war last positive but limited in its scope. But the phrase is a diplomatic year to a summit between Kim It was “not bad, but a cost- euphemism open to interpreta- and President Donald Trump free signal”, tweeted MIT po- tion on both sides. due in Singapore on June 12. litical science professor Vipin Pyongyang has long wanted of devastating earthquake But sceptics warn that Narang. to see an end to the US military Pyongyang has yet to make any Given the stage it had already presence in and nuclear umbrella AFP was no national moment of si- few dare to continue. capital Chengdu. The standard public commitment to give up its reached, Pyongyang “may feel over the South, but it invaded its Beijing lence. The disaster inspired a gen- of living has improved substan- arsenal, which includes missiles like they don’t need to test any- neighbour in 1950 and is the only President Xi Jinping sent a eration of journalists and activ- tially for many survivors, who capable of reaching the United thing for a while”, he said. one of the two Koreas to possess letter to a conference on earth- ists, catapulting artist Ai Wei- have benefi ted from tourists States. Jeff rey Lewis, of the Middle- nuclear weapons. hina marked the 10th quakes convened in honour of wei — who organised a probe fl ooding into the region to see Washington is seeking the bury Institute for International This week the North released anniversary yesterday the disaster, the offi cial Xinhua into the school collapses — to a the ruins. “complete, verifi able and irre- Studies, expected that the North three Korean-Americans it had Cof a massive earthquake news service reported. new level of international fame. Even so, for many, the scars versible denuclearisation” of the “will sanitise the site before let- detained into the care of Secre- that killed tens of thousands In the text, he pledged the Huge donations to relief run deep. The earthquake “has North and stresses that verifi ca- ting anyone see it”. tary of State Mike Pompeo, who in southwest Sichuan province country would “enhance its funds at the time popularised shown how hard it can be for tion will be key. Yesterday’s announcement was making his second trip to and left scars on the nation that disaster prevention capabili- the idea of private giving, in- people to get over the psycho- Punggye-ri has hosted all six is the latest move in a rapid se- Pyongyang in two months. have yet to fully heal. ties” and improve scientifi c un- spiring the creation of a host of logical aftershocks” of a dis- of the North’s nuclear tests, the quence of events on the Korean Trump also withdrew the More than 87,000, includ- derstanding of such events. new charitable organisations. aster, the state-owned China latest and by far the most power- peninsula triggered by the Win- United States from a nuclear ing 5,335 school pupils, were The article did not mention And as the country united Daily wrote in an editorial. ful in September last year, which ter Olympics in the South. pact with Iran, raising questions left dead or missing when a condolences. in the face of the tragedy, it — “Less than 10 % of those who Pyongyang said was an H-bomb. Tensions had been mounting over whether Pyongyang would 7.9-magnitude quake struck Si- Outrage erupted after it along with the 2008 Summer suff ered psychological prob- Kim has declared the devel- for years as Pyongyang’s nuclear trust Washington’s promises. chuan on the afternoon of May emerged 7,000 schools were Olympics — helped to crys- lems...have sought counsel- opment of the North’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile Pompeo Friday promised the 12, 2008 — a tragedy that trig- badly damaged by the quake, tallise a new sense of national ling,” it said. force complete and that it had no programmes saw it subjected to US would work to rebuild North gered both raw anguish and na- triggering accusations of shod- identity. But while grieving families further need for the site. multiple rounds of increasingly Korea’s sanctions-hit economy tional pride over the response. dy construction, corner-cut- But authorities quickly suppress their trauma, China’s The latest measures will see strict sanctions by the UN Secu- if it agreed to surrender its nu- A remembrance was due to ting and possible corruption, moved to tamp down the new ruling Communist party has the tunnels of the test site blown rity Council, the US, EU, South clear arsenal. take place at a collapsed school especially as many other build- spirit of openness, arresting used the earthquake as a propa- in the town of Yingxiu, one of ings nearby held fi rm. critics and journalists alike. ganda opportunity. the worst-hit areas. They became known as “tofu Ai Weiwei was beaten by po- Editorials on the disaster But there was no live broad- schools” in China, likening lice and held in detention for fi lled state media yesterday, Japan MP under fire for saying single women a state burden cast. their structural instability to months. with commentators opining on Instead, state broadcaster the soft bean curd dish. He has since left the country. how the region’s rehabilitation A Japanese lawmaker has come under fire after won’t increase by just making such remarks.” Ear- CCTV chose to focus on live A decade on, the government And a plethora of scandals showed the strength of China saying women should have several children or lier this week Kato reportedly told a group of LDP images showing newly recon- has still never released an of- tainted the new enthusiasm for and the party. risk becoming a burden on the state. Kanji Kato, a members: “I ask bridal couples to bear and raise structed schools and apartment fi cial investigation into the ac- giving, with the Red Cross in A story on Xinhua explained 72-year-old MP in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling more than three children for sure.” blocks while largely eliding any cusations. particular caught up in a huge how Xi’s leadership helped the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said newlyweds Kato also said he often told young women that reference to the injured or dead, Even now campaigners and row over misdirected funds. province rebuild itself after the should raise at least three children. The minister in if they do not get married and have no off spring, some of whom still lay beneath parents are seeking answers Today, the cities and villages disaster — despite the fact he charge of women’s empowerment yesterday lashed they will end up in a care home run with the taxes the new buildings. on how the quake destroyed so that were destroyed have most- took offi ce more than four years out at his remarks. “It was a terrible gaff e,” Seiko of other people’s children. Kato later retracted The quake hit at 2:28pm. many schools when it struck ly been reconstructed, after the after it occurred. Noda, who is also internal aff airs minister and a sen- his remarks. Rapidly-greying Japan has one of But as the clock ticked past during afternoon classes. government poured billions Earlier this year, when Xi ior member of the LDP, said in a speech, according the world’s lowest birth rates and authorities are three yesterday, the country’s The government has re- into the recovery eff ort. visited the ruins of Yichuan, he to local media. Giving birth was diff erent to making trying out several policies to encourage people to leaders gave no major speeches, sponded by silencing them: de- New roads, power lines, and called for them to be used as an products, she said, adding: “The number of children have more children. no grand ceremonies honouring taining, arresting and harassing communications link the once- “important patriotic education the dead were held and there those who spoke out until only a remote areas to the provincial base”. Malaysia’s Najib hit with travel ban Probe continues over murder-suicide AFP among social media users who Kuala Lumpur accused the defeated leader of seeking to fl ee, and the immi- AFP Miles, 61, was found outside, Po- gration department swiftly an- Sydney lice Commissioner Chris Dawson alaysia’s former leader nounced both he and his wife told reporters. Three fi rearms li- Najib Razak was hit Rosmah Mansor – unpopular censed to Peter Miles were also Mwith a travel ban yes- because of her spendthrift ways hree generations of a sin- found, he said. Confi rming sug- terday as speculation mounted – were banned from leaving gle family were identifi ed gestions of a murder-suicide, he was about to fl ee the coun- Malaysia. Tyesterday as the victims Dawson added: “I wish to strongly try following his shock election Mahathir confi rmed he had of Australia’s worst mass shoot- emphasise that police do not be- loss, in a possible bid to avoid issued the order to stop the pair ing in 22 years, a murder-suicide lieve any other person is involved prosecution over a multi-bil- leaving. which left seven people dead. in these crimes.Police are not lion-dollar scandal. “It is true that I prevented They included Katrina Miles, searching for any other suspects.” An angry crowd had gath- Najib from leaving the coun- 35, and her four children — three Dawson said it was too early ered at a Kuala Lumpur airport, try...he and his wife,” he told a boys and a girl aged eight to 13 — to confi rm which member of the shouting at vehicles and seeking press conference. who were found Friday in a shed family was the shooter, saying to stop them entering, after a When asked if the restrictions on a rural property near the Mar- more forensic work was needed. purported fl ight itinerary leaked on Najib were due to 1MDB, Ma- garet River wine region in West- He would only say police were online showed Najib and his un- hathir said: “There are a lot of ern Australia, police said. alerted to the shootings by a popular wife were planning to Malaysia’s newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed attends a news conference in Menara complaints against (Najib) all of Miles’ mother Cynda Miles, 58, phone call from a “male person” head to Indonesia. Yayasan Selangor, Petaling Jaya, yesterday. which have to be investigated... was found in the main house at at the property, who was appar- The Barisan Nasional (BN) we fi nd that some of the com- the property and her father Peter ently the killer. coalition’s defeat in the elec- war Ibrahim — a former nemesis Speculation had been mount- jet to Jakarta spread like wildfi re plaints are valid. tion at the hands of an alliance turned ally of Mahathir — in a ing that Najib might try to fl ee online, Najib insisted in social “We have to act quickly be- led by Najib’s one-time mentor move that could pave the way the country as Mahathir has media posts he was only plan- cause we don’t want to be sad- ELECTION Mahathir Mohamed amounted for him to become premier. pledged to investigate the 1MDB ning a “short break” overseas to dled with a problem of extradi- East Timor votes after tense campaign to a political earthquake, which Senior members of his party controversy if he won power. rest after the election and would tion from other countries.” toppled an increasingly author- said he was expected to be freed As an image of the leaked be back next week. Earlier, as dozens of people East Timor headed to the polls yesterday after a tension-filled campaign that itarian regime that had ruled the on Tuesday. manifest for a fl ight on a private But anger quickly mounted descended on the airport in a bid has focused on boosting development and diversifying the impoverished country for six decades. to stop Najib and Rosmah leav- young country’s oil-dependent economy. It will be the second general At 92, Mahathir is the world’s ing, riot police were stationed by election in less than a year after a months-long political impasse saw the oldest state leader. Police raid apartments linked to ousted PM’s family the gate of the airport where it 65-member parliament dissolved in January. Some 784,000 people are regis- The former autocrat previ- was believed Najib would enter. tered to vote across 13 municipalities and voters turned out early to cast their ously served as prime minister Police yesterday raided a deluxe Kuala Lumpur a government vehicle had delivered dozens of As a white van with heav- ballot.”I am proud because today I have made my choice. I choose Fretilin for over two decades and was a apartment block at which relatives of ousted Prime boxes made to carry designer handbags and other ily tinted windows attempted to because it has a good programme to move the country forward,” voter Leni BN stalwart. Minister Najib Razak had been staying as they items to the apartment for Najib’s wife, Rosmah pass by, the crowd surrounded Fernandes said. Political parties on the tiny half-island nation of 1.2mn people But he came out of retirement searched for sensitive documents the new govern- Mansor. Public disgust over alleged corruption the vehicle and it was only al- made their final pitch to voters this week, wrapping up a fractious campaign. and defected to the opposition ment fears may be taken out of the country, two was widely seen as one of the reasons behind the lowed to pass after they con- Violent clashes broke out last weekend between supporters of the Fretilin in a bid to unseat Najib over al- senior police off icers said. unexpected defeat of Najib’s long-ruling Barisan fi rmed Najib was not inside. party and backers of the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction legations that huge sums were The swoop came as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, Nasional coalition in Wednesday’s general election. After being hit with the travel (CNRT) led by former president and independence hero Xanana Gusmao. looted from sovereign wealth Mahathir Mohamad, said he had stopped his Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing. A ban, Najib later announced he Despite a relatively peaceful election in July, some analysts have warned the fund 1MDB, which Najib set up predecessor from leaving the country because of spokesman for Najib could not be immediately was stepping down as chairman charged political environment could lead to unrest this time around. “There and oversaw. suspected wrongdoing in connection with a multi- reached for comment. Reuters was unable to reach of BN and president of its main are concerns given the vitriol that has accompanied the campaigning, that Since the opposition victory, billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB. Najib himself, his wife, or other family members party, the United Malays Na- once the results are known one of the two main groups is going to be very Malaysia’s king has agreed to Police said they were acting after a complaint that and close associates yesterday night. tional Organisation (UMNO), disappointed and there may be trouble,” Damien Kingsbury, co-ordinator of pardon jailed top politician An- following the historic loss. the Australia Timor-Leste Election Observer Mission, said. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 19 BRITAIN/IRELAND Former minister calls for inquiry into rendition case

Malcolm Rifkind says Boudchar to apologise for the those matters relevant to nation- ings public: “That’s exactly why had the right to decide on its own intelligence and security “appalling” treatment they had al security where he can’t speak the intelligence and security authority whether to carry out committee should investigate received. openly. committee [is] there.” such an investigation. role of Labour ministers in After the statement, Straw “What is not known is the “They are senior parliamen- During the 2011 Libyan revo- 2004 rendition of Libyan conceded publicly for the fi rst extent to which the then prime tarians. They are the only peo- lution, documents also came to time that he had authorised some minister and other ministers ple outside the government who light revealing the MI6’s role in By Nadia Khomami of the MI6’s actions, despite pre- were party to what MI6 was do- have the right, absolute right, to the rendition of a second Libyan Guardian News & Media viously telling MPs that allega- ing. see all the highly classifi ed infor- opposition fi gure, Sami al-Saadi, tions of his involvement in rendi- “And we know that Mr Blair mation and therefore would be who was kidnapped along with tion were conspiracy theories. took a very strong personal inter- able to come to a judgment,” he his wife and four young children. he former foreign secre- Rifkind, a former chairman est in Libya.” said. Straw has said that he would be tary Malcolm Rifkind has of the ISC who served in vari- Belhaj and Boudchar fought a “They could quite easily come happy to give evidence to the ISC, Tcalled for a parliamentary ous cabinet roles under Margaret protracted legal battle over their to the judgment either that min- stating that he sought to act at inquiry into the rendition of the Thatcher and John Major, told claim that they were kidnapped isters, in their view, did not know, all times in a manner consistent Libyan dissident Abdel Hakim Rifkind: I think it’s absolutely vital and in the public interest that the BBC: “I think it’s absolutely and returned to Gaddafi ’s regime or were not involved, or that with his legal duties while foreign Belhaj. the role of the prime minister and ministers at the time in this aff air vital and in the public interest in a move linked to Blair’s infa- ministers were ... right up to their secretary. Rifkind said the intelligence should become better understood. that the role of the prime min- mous “deal in the desert” with necks, as it were. But that would be done be- and security committee (ISC), ister and ministers at the time in the Libyan leader. “There will be no reason of hind closed doors, and MPs have the panel of MPs and peers that Belhaj and his wife Fatima week announced that it had this aff air should become better They said that, following three national security why either the called for Straw to give evidence provides oversight of the UK’s Boudchar were fl own from Bang- reached a “full and fi nal” settle- understood. years of evading Gaddafi ’s agents involvement of the prime min- before parliament about his role intelligence agencies, was best kok to Tropoli in an operation in- ment with the couple over the “Tony Blair was prime minis- after fl eeing Libya, they were ister, or ministers, or their non- in the kidnap and mistreatment placed to investigate the roles of volving the MI6, the US Central incident. ter. He has been uncharacteristi- seized in Malaysia and sent to involvement, should not be, not of the two families. the then prime minister, Tony Intelligence Agency (CIA), and The attorney general, Jeremy cally silent, so far as I am aware Thailand for rendition as a result only investigated, but the results Human rights groups, mean- Blair, his foreign secretary, Jack Muammar Gaddafi ’s intelligence Wright, told the House of Com- not a word has he said. of a tip-off from UK intelligence. announced to parliament and to while, say there needs to be a Straw, and other government services. mons that Prime Minister There- “Jack Straw said he would love Rifkind said that the ISC would the wider public.” broader inquiry, independent of ministers in the 2004 rendition. The British government this sa May had written to Belhaj and to give evidence to the ISC on be able to make 95% of its fi nd- He added that the committee government.

Activists rally ahead Thousands march in of abortion vote AFP Dublin

housands gathered in Dublin yesterday for the Tfi nal major pro-life rally London for ‘new deal’ ahead of Ireland’s referendum on whether it should liberalise Government must change rights and freedoms to organise “You can’t hand out bumper its tight abortion laws. course or face strikes, unions together to improve their lives,” dividends to shareholders and Under the banner of “Love say at London’s biggest march he said. cut workers’ wages. You can’t fi ll Both Vote No”, people crowd- in years Union members and cam- your boots in the boardroom and ed into the capital’s Merrion paigners from across the United tell workers to tighten their belts, Square, site of the houses of Reuters/Guardian News Kingdom travelled to the capital and you can’t build world class parliament. and Media for the demonstration, which companies on the back of sec- Demonstrators held up plac- London was organised by the Trades Un- ond class rights. The greed has to ards reading “Compassion for ion Congress (TUC). stop.” both” showing a mother and It said that a decade on from “It’s taking wages longer to re- baby, “No abortion on de- he government faced calls the fi nancial crisis, real wages cover from this crash than from mand” and “Also your niece, A demonstrator at the for a major change of di- were still worth £24 a week less the Great Depression and Second your friend, your grandchild”. ‘Pro-Life’ rally yesterday in the Trection on public services, than they were in 2008 and were World War,” she added. Others read: “Where there centre of Dublin. pay and jobs yesterday as tens not expected to return to pre- The general secretary of the is life, there is hope”, “There’s of thousands of people marched crash levels until 2025. Communication Workers Un- always a better answer than Speakers said the existing through central London to de- At that point, real wages in the ion, Dave Ward, said: “This is the abortion”, “Voice for the voice- legislation had spared thou- mand a “new deal”. UK will have been in decline for start of a serious challenge for a less”, “My heartbeat started at sands of lives. Jeremy Corbyn won huge ap- 17 years, during which time the new deal for all workers.” 22 days”, and “Repeal kills. Vote The crowd heard from a stu- plause from the crowds in Hyde average worker will have lost out “The world of work has be- No”. dent who said his own life had Park when he pledged that the on about £18,500 in real earn- come a pressurised environment, All generations were repre- been saved by Ireland’s cur- next Labour government would ings, it said. based on a fl exible labour market sented in the crowd. rent abortion laws, and a young create a ministry to guarantee The general secretary of the and bogus self-employment,” he Some held balloons in an “8” mother who decided to keep workers’ rights. Public and Commercial Services said. shape, recalling that the vote is her baby after a crisis preg- The Labour leader accused the union, Mark Serwotka, warned of Prime Minister Theresa May’s on repealing the Irish constitu- nancy. Conservatives of cutting public a strike ballot among civil serv- A man sells badges during a demonstration in central London government says that it has tion’s eighth amendment. Bernadette Goulding, who spending while protecting those ants in support of demands for organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), calling for a ‘new boosted the pay of the lowest Voters decide on May 25 runs a support group for wom- who dodge taxes. a 5% pay rise: “Our members in deal’ for working people. workers, increased employment whether to remove the 1983 en who have gone through with “This demonstration today is the civil service have had enough and has invested in skills and constitutional restriction on an abortion – often in neigh- about workers rights, it is about of the pay freeze and cuts to jobs. contracts and more funding for biggest demonstration in years. training. abortion – a highly-sensitive bouring Britain – and later re- collective endeavour but above If the government will not give the National Health Service, and The TUC’s general secretary, “Thanks to the hard work of issue in a traditionally devoutly gretted it, said there was no fo- all, it’s a declaration that we’re them what they deserve, we will other public services. Frances O’Grady, said: “There is the British people, our economy Catholic country. cus for grief and little support around to campaign as long as it strike.” Workers involved in current a new mood in the country. Peo- is at a turning point with infl a- Love Both Vote No spokes- to help women through their takes, to bring about that social Frontline workers including disputes, including those at res- ple have been very patient but tion falling, unemployment at a woman Cora Sherlock told loss, RTE reported. justice and that decency in soci- nurses, ambulance crews, postal taurant chains TGI Fridays and they are now demanding a new 40-year low and debt due to start the rally that the government “For every abortion there’s a ety,” Corbyn told the rally. workers, teachers, and cleaners McDonald’s and at rail compa- deal for decent jobs, fair wages, its fi rst sustained fall in a genera- would unveil a family doctors- man who is deeply wounded in “We will give workers more marched to call for a higher mini- nies over the role of train guards, to fund public services and for tion,” a spokesman for the Treas- led abortion service that would his heart,” she added. power, by strengthening their mum wage, a ban on zero-hours also took part in what was the strong trade unions. ury said. eventually lead to unrestricted According to the latest opin- access to abortion. ion poll by Kantar Millward “Genuine healthcare is Brown for the Sunday Inde- about saving lives, not ending pendent newspaper, some 45% them,” she said. are in favour of changing the Priests and nuns were abortion law while 34% back Scrap healthcare fees for non-EU staff in NHS, say nurses present but there were few re- the status quo, with 18% un- ligious messages. decided.

Charge of £200, aff ecting tens pected to generate £220mn a There are nearly 25,000 nurses day: these people keep the NHS countries.” of thousands and splitting up year. from outside the EU working in running,” added Davies, who will Jonathan Ashworth, the shad- families, is set to double The RCN highlighted the case the NHS in England, including highlight the RCN’s call at its an- ow health secretary, said: “This is of Evaline Omondi, a Kenyan 17,448 of Asian origin – mainly nual conference in Belfast today. yet more evidence of how There- By Denis Campbell nurse working in Luton, whose Filipino or Indian – and 6,889 “They are the very last people sa May’s ‘hostile environment’ is ‘Time travellers’ Guardian News & Media children had to return to her from Africa. who should ever be sent upfront damaging patient care. homeland because the surcharge That is more than the 21,000 invoices for healthcare. “It makes no sense at all that proved too costly. nurses from EU countries. “The government must not under this government’s immi- welcome at Hawking on-EU migrants work- She was told to pay £3,600 to Anyone from outside the EEA put Spanish, Portuguese or Ital- gration rules nurses and other ing in the NHS should be ensure that she, her partner and coming to live in Britain for six ian colleagues through the same NHS workers are eff ectively hav- Nexempt from health sur- four children could receive NHS months or more to work, study or after Brexit.” ing to pay to come and work here memorial service charges to help tackle the health care free at the point of use dur- spend time with relatives has to However, Caroline Nokes, the from overseas.” service’s staffi ng crisis, nurses’ ing her three-year stint working pay the surcharge. immigration minister, left open The Home Offi ce said: “The leaders are urging ministers. in the NHS. Ministers say that it represents the possibility that new EU mi- government fully recognises the AFP noticed the quirk that allows Nurses from outside the Eu- “The introduction of the sur- migrants’ “fair contribution to grants arriving in Britain after contribution that international London people born more than 20 years ropean Economic Area should no charge fee was an awful mo- [fi nancing the NHS’s] long-term Brexit might have to pay the sur- professionals make to the UK and into the future to apply. longer have to pay the £200-a- ment,” Omondi said. “The fees sustainability”. charge in a parliamentary answer to our health service. “Professor Hawking once year surcharge now levied on all had to be paid immediately, so Janet Davies, the chief execu- earlier this month. “The surcharge off ers access he public ballot for tick- threw a party for time travel- such migrants, as well as their we had to take out loans to cover tive of the RCN, said that after Defending the decision to to health care services that are ets to Professor Stephen lers, to see if any would turn up spouses and children, according them, which still aff ect my family the Windrush scandal “it is double the surcharge in February, far more comprehensive and at a THawking’s thanksgiv- if he posted the invite after the to the Royal College of Nursing to this day. shameful that families are be- Nokes said: much lower cost than many other ing service opened yesterday party,” he wrote. “None did, (RCN). “But on top of the visa charges, ing torn apart by this policy too “It is only right that peo- countries. – with visitors from the future but it seems perfect that the The charge, introduced in and childcare costs, we could not – uprooting children from their ple who come to the UK should “The income generated goes welcome to apply. memorial website allows peo- 2015, is due to rise to £400 later meet the cost and my children family, friends and school”. contribute to the running of the directly to NHS services, helping The theoretical physicist ple born in the future to attend this year to raise more money had to move back to Kenya. She also urged ministers to rule NHS. The surcharge off ers access to protect and sustain our world- died on March 14 at the age of the service. Look out for time for the National Health Service “A family who came together is out the surcharge being extended to healthcare services that are class healthcare system for eve- 76. travellers at the abbey.” (NHS). now in pieces, scattered all over to EU nurses after Brexit. far more comprehensive and at a ryone who uses it.” His ashes are being interred Potential applicants – from The increased charges are ex- the place.” “I say to the government to- much lower cost than many other on June 15 at London’s West- the future or otherwise – are minster Abbey, by the graves forewarned not to apply if of fellow scientifi c giants Isaac they cannot arrange their own Newton and Charles Darwin. transport and any necessary The world-renowned cos- visas. mologist’s three children Rob- The service is set to be at- US Anglican leader to give address at royal wedding ert, Lucy and Tim are off ering tended by Hawking’s family, up to 1,000 free tickets to the friends and colleagues. public through a ballot system, Propelled to stardom by his AFP The Most Reverend Michael is the key to life and happiness,” 85mn Anglicans, will offi ciate Communion led by Welby and run by the Stephen Hawking 1988 book A Brief History of London Bruce Curry, the primate of the said Curry. “And so we celebrate over the marriage vows. counted 1.9mn active baptised Foundation. Time, an unlikely worldwide Episcopal Church, will deliver and pray for them today.” Curry became the 27th pre- members in 2015. Applicants need to give their bestseller, Hawking’s genius the address during the ceremony Kensington Palace previously siding bishop and primate of the It caused a rift within the birth date – but eagle-eyed and wit won over fans from far he head of the Anglican at St George’s Chapel in Windsor announced that David Conner, Episcopal Church in November Communion in 2003 when it or- fans of the man who dedicated beyond the rarefi ed world of church in the United States Castle, west of London, on May the Dean of Windsor, will con- 2015. dained the openly gay Gene Rob- his life’s work to unravelling astrophysics. Twill give the main speech 19. duct the wedding service. Aged 65 and from Chicago, he inson as a bishop. the mysteries of the universe Westminster Abbey will also at the wedding of Britain’s Prince “The love that has brought Justin Welby, the Archbishop is the fi rst African-American to In 2012, it became the biggest spotted that it can be any day be open to the public free of Harry and his US fi ancée Meghan and will bind Prince Harry and of Canterbury who is the spir- serve in that capacity. faith group in the United States up to December 31, 2038. charge after the service so peo- Markle, Kensington Palace an- Ms Meghan Markle together has itual head of the Church of Eng- The Episcopal Church is a to approve a provisional rite for London travel blogger Ian- ple can pay their respects at his nounced yesterday. its source and origin in God, and land and the leader of the world’s member of the global Anglican blessing same-sex unions. Visits was among those who grave. Gulf Times 20 Sunday, May 13, 2018 EUROPE Italian tribunal lifts ban on Berlusconi

Reuters ally the League to form a govern- “Finally fi ve years of injustice knew he could not be prime min- stalemate, and with fresh elec- fact Berlusconi is now free to run Rome ment without him in the wake of has come to end,” Berlusconi’s ister. tions looking increasingly likely, might make him less amenable to a disappointing election result. Forza Italia party said in a state- The centre-right emerged as Berlusconi on Wednesday fi nally a League M5S government and Berlusconi was convicted of ment. “Berlusconi can once again the single largest force at the gave his blessing to the League could work to make life diffi cult n Italian tribunal has lifted tax fraud in 2013, triggering his be a candidate.” March vote, while the anti-es- to seek a coalition deal without for it in parliament, should it take a ban on veteran centre- expulsion from the upper house Berlusconi campaigned ac- tablishment 5-Star Movement Forza Italia. offi ce. Aright leader Silvio Berlus- of parliament and a bar on hold- tively ahead of a March 4 national (M5S) emerged as the biggest in- Negotiations between the The billionaire media tycoon Berlusconi: convicted of tax coni from holding public offi ce, ing any elected position for six election even though he was not a dividual party. League and M5S are continuing, was written off after he quit as fraud in 2013. meaning he could run to be prime years. candidate. Neither side won enough seats with President Sergio Matta- prime minister in 2011 amid a minister in the next national However, in a decision made But Forza Italia did not per- to govern alone and eff orts to put rella giving them until tomorrow, sex scandal involving his “bunga Last year he appealed to the election. public yesterday, a court in the form as well as he had expected, together a coalition were com- Monday, to strike an accord. bunga” parties, while Italian European Court of Human Rights However, the decision might northern city of Milan which slipping behind the League to plicated by M5S’s refusal to work Both parties say that if they fail bond yields surged to unsustain- to overturn the ban on holding have come just too late for the oversees the application of sen- lose its top spot in the centre- with Forza Italia, saying that Ber- to agree terms, the only solution able levels at the height of the eu- public offi ce. 81-year-old four-time prime tences ruled that the bar could right bloc. lusconi symbolised political cor- would be a revote, perhaps in July. rozone debt crisis. A verdict is still awaited but minister, who only three days ago be lifted a year early because of Berlusconi blamed the poor ruption in Italy. A political source, who de- However, he has fought hard to the Milan ruling makes it irrel- gave his blessing to his political “good conduct”. showing on the fact that voters After more than nine weeks of clined to be named, said that the remain politically relevant. evant.

Two dead in Paris Female stars fi ght back knife attack

Reuters with protest at Cannes Paris AFP the Palais des Festivals to mark cannes the obstacles they face in trying ne person was killed in a to reach the top. knife attack in Paris yes- “The stairs of our industry Oterday and the assailant ollywood stars including must be accessible to all. Let’s was shot dead by police, a police Cate Blanchett, Kris- climb,” Blanchett declared, with source said. Hten Stewart, and Salma some of the rally’s participants French Interior Minister Ger- Hayek called yesterday for equal visibly moved. ard Collomb confi rmed there pay in the cinema industry and The Australian actress also had been an attack in Paris and beyond in a historic red carpet heads the female-majority jury said there were victims, without protest at the Cannes fi lm fes- that will decide the festival’s top giving any details. tival. prize. The attacker had been over- Eighty-two actresses, fi lm- Several protesters including powered by police, he said. makers and producers marched Stewart made a strong fashion The Paris prefecture had ear- arm and arm to demand equal- statement by donning suits and lier said a person had carried out ity and “a safe workplace”, sev- tuxedos, in a show of defi ance to a knife attack in the second ar- en months after the world was Cannes’ red-carpet dress code rondissement – or district – of shaken by the #MeToo move- which is often denounced as the French capital. ment and the fall of mogul Har- sexist. Paris’ opera and landmark vey Weinstein. Women have been stopped retail stores are located in that The ranks included a battal- from entering premieres in the area. ion of Oscar winners from Helen past for not wearing high heels. The police source said some Mirren and Marion Cotillard to Producer and activist Melissa seven people had been injured. US blockbuster directors Ava Silverstein of Women and Holly- BFM TV said two were in a DuVernay and Patty Jenkins who wood hailed the event as a “mas- critical condition. made Wonder Woman. sive milestone towards change”. A judicial source said authori- “We demand that our work- “An honour to share the car- ties were looking into whether places are diverse and equitable pet with @Ava (DuVernay) and the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s so they can best refl ect the world all the other women who are offi ce should be handling the in which we live,” said Blanchett pushing for more opportunities case. in a statement read out with the for women,” she said in a tweet France has been on high alert legendary 89-year-old French after the march. as a series of attacks commis- director Agnes Varda. The protest took place ahead sioned or inspired by Islamic Blanchett, a double Oscar of the premiere of Girls of the State have hit the country over winner, said they wanted “a Sun by Eva Husson, one of only the past three years in which world that allows all of us in three women out of 21 direc- dozens of people have been front and behind the camera to tors in the running for the Palme killed. thrive shoulder to shoulder with d’Or. our male colleagues”. The fi lm is the story of the Filmmakers, actresses and producers raise their arms after the Australian actress and president of the jury Cate Blanchett read a statement With Cannes under fi re for its Kurdish Yazidi all-female Sun on the steps of the red carpet in protest of the lack of female filmmakers honoured throughout the history of the Cannes film festival, at the dearth of women directors, the Brigade who are fi ghting Islamic screening of Girls of The Sun (Les Filles Du Soleil). world’s top fi lm festival hoped to State militants in Syria and Iraq, fend off some of the ercefi criti- where thousands of women were In response, the festival set up Cannes for once again failing to out Weinstein, Blanchett co- lywood’s fi rst big budget all- Greece, cism with the march. kept as slaves. an anti-harassment hotline this invite more female directors. founded the “Time’s Up” move- female blockbuster with a cast The number of protesters was The protest comes at the fi rst year. “There are many women on ment to support abuse victims. including Penelope Cruz and highly symbolic as it represented Cannes festival since the cinema The number has already re- the jury but I wish there were Her comments echo those of Lupita Nyong’o. Macedonia the 82 fi lms by female directors industry was engulfed by the ceived “several calls” since the more in competition,” the Aus- actress Jessica Chastain who Only 7% of Hollywood block- who have competed for the top spiralling sex abuse allegations festival’s launch on May 9, said tralian-born star told French ra- served on the jury last year and busters were directed by women Palme d’Or prize since 1946 – a against Weinstein. French Equality Minister Mar- dio earlier this week. lambasted Cannes for its “dis- in 2016. in race to number dwarfed by the nearly Cannes was the scene of sev- lene Schiappa. The 48-year-old has emerged turbing” depiction of women. France has the best ratio 1,700 male contenders. eral of the disgraced Hollywood Cannes “must be a safe space as a key fi gure in Hollywood’s Chastain caused a stir on among the major fi lm-produc- The star-studded group mogul’s alleged attacks on ac- for women”, she stressed. fi ght against sexual misconduct. Thursday when she revealed ing countries with 23% of fi lms resolve stopped halfway up the stairs to tresses. Blanchett has criticised One of the fi rst women to call that she planned to make Hol- directed by women. name row

Reuters Millions tune into Eurovision fi nale Sounion, Greece

DPA formance when the music shut off the record setter for the most he foreign ministers of Lisbon suddenly, though it turned out it wins, in third place to win. Greece and Macedo- was only so she could call on fans The Irish song caused a stir Tnia held “hardworking to sing along with her. when a Chinese broadcaster re- and intense” talks yesterday to illions of fans tuned in This year’s entries are nearly as fused to air Ryan O’Shaughnessy’s bridge their diff erences in a dec- yesterday to root for diverse as the artists themselves, performance during the semi- ades-old dispute over the name Mtheir favourite singers as with everything from pop to op- fi nal, which featured two men of the former Yugoslav Republic the fi nal round of the Eurovision era, and electro to hard rock. holding hands, prompting the that has complicated its hopes Song Contest in Lisbon, pitting Hours before the contest was European Broadcasting Union to of joining the EU and the North 26 countries against one another, set to begin, betting odds put withdraw rights for the fi nal from Atlantic Treaty Organisation kicked off . singers from Cyprus and Israel as China’s Mango TV. (Nato). Ana Moura and Mariza, both the most likely winners among Eurovision fan-nation Austral- The row began in earnest in well-known Portuguese fado the 26. ia is once again among the fi nal- 1991, when Macedonia broke singers, were the opening act, Cyprus fi nalist Eleni Foureira ists, although the betting odds at away peacefully from former while Ukrainian singer Melovin is hoping to win over audiences home are against Jessica Mauboy Yugoslavia, declaring its inde- was the fi rst contestant, singing with plenty of pyrotechnics and a despite buzz around the singer, pendence under the name Re- Under The Ladder. sparkling catsuit in her pop dance who has toured with Beyonce. public of Macedonia. Italy is set to be the fi nal act number Fuego, while Israel’s girl- The competition is taking place Greece, which has its own later in the night. power song Toy from singer Netta in Lisbon this year after Portugal’s region called Macedonia, has Ukraine’s Melovin performs Under the Ladder during the Grand Final of Eurovision Song Contest Slovenia’s Lea Sirk prompted a is another top favourite to win. 2017 win with Salvador Sobral’s asked its neighbour to change 2018 at the Altice Arena hall in Lisbon. mild panic during her upbeat per- Bookies have also put Ireland, Amar Pelos Dois love ballad. its name, as well as what it says are “irredentist” references de- noting territorial ambitions in Skopje’s national constitution, which Greece says must be taken out. Catalan secessionists fail to elect new regional leader, again The two countries decided last year to renew their eff orts to try to reach a settlement well Reuters mont, needed 68 votes to be vote yesterday, will meet today won early elections called by the tions, following a standoff dur- Torra also reiterated his open- before the summer. Barcelona elected but obtained only 66. to decide how it will vote in the central government. ing which separatist politicians ness to dialogue with Madrid, as Both sides see 2018 as a year of However, Torra could still second round. Madrid invoked special pow- put forward candidates who well as calling on the EU to over- opportunity. be elected in a second round of Backing unilateral independ- ers to take direct control of were blocked by the courts for see negotiations. Greek Prime Minister Alexis atalan pro-independence voting to be held tomorrow in ence over the negotiated exit Catalonia in October after the being either abroad or in jail, The Spanish government said Tsipras hopes to resolve the parties failed yesterday which only a simple majority in favoured by larger separatist region declared independence. among them Puigdemont. Torra’s speech was “confronta- matter to gain more political lev- Cfor a fourth time to elect the 135-seat regional parliament parties, the CUP has previously The wealthy, populous region Addressing the Catalan par- tional”. erage in Europe. a regional leader, 10 days before is needed, provided the far-left broken ranks with the pro-inde- has been administered by the liament yesterday, Torra, a “Any illegality will be cor- Meanwhile, Macedonia’s the deadline to form a govern- CUP party can be persuaded not pendence block. central government ever since. staunch supporter of secession, rected and any violation of our Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who ment or hold a new election. to vote against his candidacy. Catalonia has been in political Catalan lawmakers must pick vowed to work towards a Catalan constitutional framework will be came to power a year ago, wants Quim Torra, a close ally of The CUP, whose four par- limbo since December last year a leader to form a government republic and referred to Puigde- responded to,” it said in a state- to accelerate his country’s ac- former leader Carles Puigde- liamentarians abstained in the when pro-independence parties by May 22 to avert further elec- mont as the legitimate leader. ment. cession to Nato and the EU. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 21 INDIA

ACCIDENT UPGRADE QUESTIONED POLITICS WEATHER 10 killed in tempo-truck Chandigarh airport to NIA quizzes 24 Bangladesh No objection to central Embassy files complaint crash in Maharashtra remain shut till May 31 youths detained in Tripura forces for bypoll: Amarinder on behalf of worker

At least 10 revellers of a marriage party The Chandigarh International Airport was yesterday Off icials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh proceeding from Latur to Nanded were killed closed for all air traff ic until May 31 to carry out are interrogating 24 Bangladeshi youths, arrested yesterday welcomed the suggestion for and 13 others injured when their tempo crashed runway expansion and repairs, off icials said here. “No in Agartala on Thursday, reportedly before they deployment of central para-military forces into a truck in Nanded yesterday, an off icial civil and military flights will operate from Chandigarh could return to their country, a senior police off icer for the Shahkot assembly by-election. In said. According to Nanded Police Control off icial from May 12 to May 31,” a Chandigarh International said yesterday evening. “A two-member NIA team a statement in Chandigarh yesterday, he Bhagwan Ade, the accident took place around Airport Ltd (Chial) spokesman said. The 20-day from Guwahati is interrogating since Friday the 24 said that deployment of central forces 9.30am when the tempo on Latur-Mukhed road closure would aff ect over 100,000 passengers, Bangladeshi youths lodged in three diff erent police would deprive the Opposition, particularly rammed into an empty sewage tanker speeding especially during the summer vacation season. This stations in Agartala,” Tripura Police Mobile Task the Shiromani Akali Dal, of the chance to from the opposite direction. The injured victims, is the second phase of runway repair. It involves Force (MTF) Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhijit accuse the state government of interference. all hailing from Latur’s Ausa, have been rushed improvements and extension of runway ends from Chaudhuri told IANS in Agartala. A local court “I have no objection to the EC (Election to hospitals, said Ade. Eff orts were underway to the existing 9,000ft to 10,400ft. The expansion sent the intruders to seven-day police custody on Commission) deploying paramilitary forces identify the bodies. At least eight of the victims would enable operation of wide-bodied aircraft that Friday. The MTF personnel on Thursday arrested to ensure peace during the bypoll, as died instantaneously in the crash, while two others will help air carriers to connect Chandigarh with the 24 Bangladeshi youths as they reached the demanded by the Akalis. I welcome any such Cyclists make their way under the rain in succumbed to their injuries during treatment. destinations in Europe, the US and Australia. Agartala Railway Station from outside the state. move,” Amarinder said. Amritsar yesterday.

Two killed in High-voltage Karnataka Maharashtra group clashes; battle ends, millions vote cop critical IANS IANS A total of 1.54mn voters, aged 18-19, Aurangabad Bengaluru have registered for the fi rst time. The highest number of voters (603,000) are in Bengaluru South and t least two persons were killed high-stake battle for the Kar- the lowest (170,000) at Sringeri in and more than 40 injured, in- nataka Assembly ended yes- Chikkamagaluru district. Acluding 10 policemen, when Aterday evening, with over 35mn Polling was held in 58,008 sta- clashes broke out between two groups voting in an election crucial for the tions in 30 districts, with 600 of them in this famed Maharashtra tourist ruling Congress as well as the BJP and dubbed ‘pink booths’, overseen by town, an offi cial said. the JD-S. women personnel. Minister of State for Home Deepak Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Over 150,000 lakh security person- Kesarkar said that the violence erupted he was “very very confi dent” that the nel were deployed. late on Friday following a trivial lo- Congress would retain power in the only The vote count will take place on cal issue which angered the people in major southern state it now rules even May 15. some areas. as offi cials said about 70% of the over In all, 2,654 candidates are in the “Due to rumours which circulated 50.6mn electorate had voted till 6pm. fray, including 219 women. like wildfi re on social media, it quickly Voting was peaceful by and large bar- A total of 222 are from the Congress fl ared up and spread,” Kesarkar told ring a few incidents of some non-func- and BJP each, 201 from JD-S, 1,155 In- IANS. tional EVMs, missing voter names and dependents and 800 from other na- In the fi nal tally, the minister said procedural delays, an offi cial told IANS. tional, regional and fringe parties. two persons have lost their lives, in- All three main contenders for power About 450 contestants are in the cluding one in an arson incident and — Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party battle from Bengaluru. another in the plastic bullets fi ring by (BJP) and the the Janata Dal-Secular Siddaramaiah is contesting from the police. (JD-S) — claimed they would win Chamundeshwari at Mysuru and Bad- “Three Assistant Commissioners of hands down. ami in Bagalkot district. Police and around 10 policemen, be- Voting in Chikkaballapur and Ra- BJP’s Lok Sabha member from Bal- sides more than 30 civilians have also managara districts witnessed a record lari B R Sriramaulu, contesting from been injured. One ACP’s condition is 76% polling, while the average polling two seats including Badami and Mo- serious and he will be operated on lat- across Bengaluru was 48% till 5.30pm. lakamuru (reserved) seat in Chitra- er,” Kesarkar added. The BJP’s chief ministerial face B S durga district, yesterday worshipped a The full-scale rioting resulted in Yeddyurappa was among the fi rst to cow and visited temples before voting. heavy stone-pelting and torching of vote at Shikaripura in Shivamogga dis- JD-S state president and former vehicles and shops in the aff ected areas trict. Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy shows his forefinger marked with phosphorus ink after casting his vote in chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is in even as local police forces rushed to the He has claimed that the BJP will se- Bengaluru yesterday. the fray from Ramanagara and Chan- areas around 10.30pm on Friday. cure 140-150 seats and that he will in- napatna seats in the old Mysuru re- The authorities snapped Internet vite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to JD-S chief and former prime min- to get a majority,” Deve Gowda told re- lowing the death of BJP contestant B N gion. and social media networks in the city his swearing in. ister H D Deve Gowda, his wife Chen- porters. Vijaya Kumar. Yeddyurappa is contesting from as a precaution late on Friday to pre- Siddaramaiah ridiculed him after namma and second son H D Revanna Polling in Bengaluru’s Raja In all, voting was conducted in 26 of Shikaripura in Shivamogga district in vent rumour-mongering. voting yesterday, saying the BJP leader cast their votes in their hometown Rajeshwari Nagar segment has been the 28 constituencies in the city. Malnad region. Attempting to control the rampag- was “mentally disturbed” and that the Holenarsipura in Hassan district. postponed to May 28 following the Karnataka has over 50.6mn elector- Siddaramaiah has fi elded his son ing mobs, police resorted to caning, Congress was sure of bagging more “We expect a possibility of forming discovery of voter ID cards and can- ate, including 26mn men and 25mn Yatindra from his hometown Varuna in lobbing teargas shells and fring plas- than 120 seats. the government as we have done well celled in the city’s Jayanagar seat fol- women. Mysuru district. tic bullets and imposed prohibitory orders, banning assembly for four or more persons. However, Kesarkar denied allega- tions that police may have played a Mum’s the word! partisan role in the whole aff air and Outrage over police said they managed to bring the situa- tion under control very soon. Aurangabad Police Commissioner inaction in abuse of Milind Bharambe said there were two rounds of violence, one Friday evening followed by another yesterday, but minor in Kerala “now the situation is under control”. “It was a small issue...It escalat- ed due to rumours and the tensions By Ashraf Padanna “Instead of booking the spread...Some anti-social elements Thiruvananthapuram rapist the deputy superin- indulged in setting ablaze shops and tendent of police (DySP) and vehicles in the locality,” Bharambe told the station house offi cer were the media. olice in Kerala have conspiring to save him,” said The worst-hit areas were Shahganj, booked a middle-aged Opposition leader Ramesh Nawabpura, Rajabazaar and Angribaug Pman for molesting a Chennithala. which continued to remain calm but small girl in a cinema follow- “They should also be booked tense even 24 hours later. ing widespread outrage after a under relevant rules of the Local eyewitness accounts said over television expose. child rights protection law,” three dozen shops mostly belonging to Reports said a cinema owner the former home minister said small businessmen, were reduced to handed footage of a man mo- in a statement. ashes and many private vehicles and at lesting a child that its surveil- Several public intellectuals, last two police vans were also torched. lance camera captured to the including poet Sugathaku- The state government deployed units Childline, a counselling serv- mari, also came out strongly of the State Reserve Police Force, Indian ice for children in distress, on against the police inaction. Reserve Battalion from the city, besides April 25. Police had in the fi rst two rushing forces from neighbouring Beed The Childline passed it to months of this year alone and Jalna to maintain peace. the police for action the next booked 459 men under the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis day, but they tried to hush it up Protection of Children from School students make posters of mothers on the eve of Mother’s Day in Bikaner yesterday. has been apprised of the matter while instead until television chan- Sexual Off ences (Pocso) Act, Kesarkar rushed to Aurangabad to take nels aired the visuals yester- but the conviction rates are stock of the situation along with Au- day. abysmally low. rangabad Collector Uday Chaudhari, The police launched a man- The State Crime Records Bharambe and other offi cials. hunt for Moideen Kutty, a Bureau data shows seven chil- The offi cials have appealed to the businessman in Thrithala town dren face sexual off ences every people of the city to remain calm and in Palakkad since they fl ashed day in India’s most literate Kerala custody death: Congress insists not get misled by rumour-mongers. the shocking incident and the state. Attacking the ruling Bharatiya Ja- opposition leaders protested. Over 5,000 child victims of nata Party-Shiv Sena, Leader of Op- However, reports said he sexual off ences are awaiting government action was inadequate position in Assembly Radhakrishna disappeared from his shop as justice — 2611 cases recorded Vikhe-Patil said: “Fadnavis should soon as the news appeared on last year and 2122 in 2016. own up moral responsibility for fail- TV. Activists say even in the de- IANS into custody on April 7 and charged them cide who all should be arrested for barging ing to prevent the riots and submit his The clippings show a woman cided cases, the conviction rate Thiruvananthapuram with abetment to suicide and rioting. into the house of Vasudevan. resignation.” entering the theatre in Edappal is as low as 17%. Subsequently, Sreejith was taken to a No sooner had she made this statement, “It is a clear failure of the police de- in Malappuram district with They cite the absence of hospital where he died on April 9. reports came that a local CPI leader near partment and since the past four years, the 10-year-old girl, appar- special courts for their trial he Kerala Congress said yesterday The Congress-led opposition was up in Sreejith’s home was called in by the police the Home Department is handled by ently her daughter. and delay in getting forensic the mere arrest of some police of- arms over the youth’s death, alleging that probe team, questioned and his statement Fadnavis. He has proved to be ineff ec- Soon, the businessman ar- reports as reasons. Tfi cers and suspension of Ernakulam the government and Chief Minister Pi- taken. tive in maintaining law and order with rived in a car and sat between Currently, Pocso cases go to Superintendent of Police (Rural) A V narayi Vijayan, who also holds the Home Chennithala said that the role of CPI-M incidents reported daily from all over them. special courts for women and George over the custodial death of a portfolio, were shielding George. leaders in Kochi must also be probed. the state and must quit,” he demanded. He continued to assault children. 26-year-old youth is not adequate. “Things are now clear that George was George had been in news previously, as Hitting out at the law enforcers for throughout the fi lm, for more Despite the strict law, many Earlier, a sub-inspector and three oth- being shielded by Vijayan and the CPI-M, he was involved in the arrest of PDP leader “a complete failure of the intelligence than two hours, reports said. cases still go unreported as ers were arrested in connection with the as he was acting on behalf of a section of Abdul Nasir Maudany a few years back, department,” Leader of Opposition in The woman sat quietly as parents are unwilling to regis- death of Sreejith in police custody, while the party leaders. So, just his suspension probed the actress kidnap case, which led Council Dhananjay Munde demanded the man continued to assault ter a case and people continue George was put under suspension on Fri- won’t do, he should be charged with mur- to the arrest of superstar Dileep and a few a judicial probe into the riots and com- the child. incestuous activities. day. der,” Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chen- other high profi le cases. pensation for the victims. The television channel that “We have directed the law It all began with 56-year-old Vasudevan nithala told reporters here. Meanwhile, according to informed Meanwhile, All India Majlis-E-Itte- showed the visuals said they enforcement agencies to act hanging himself after being threatened by Sreejith’s mother told the media yester- sources, state police chief Loknath Be- hadul Muslimeen President Asaduddin were forced to do it since the tough on these cases,” Social a group of men at his house in early April. day that the conspiracy to arrest Sreejith hra has submitted the report of the police Owaisi appealed to Fadnavis to take police continued to sit on the Justice Minister K K Shylaja A special police squad took Sreejith, was hatched at the behest of a local CPI-M probe team led by Inspector General of strong action against the miscreants complaint. said. father of a two-year-old, and nine others leader and that a meeting was held to de- Police S Sreejith to Vijayan. indulging in the rioting. Gulf Times 22 Sunday, May 13, 2018 PAKISTAN

ECP challenges court decision on recruitment ban The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has challenged in the Supreme Court the verdict US diplomat prevented passed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) a day earlier to lift the ban it had imposed on recruitments in government institutions. A high court bench presided over by Justice Amir Farooq announced the verdict while a from leaving Pakistan hearing a case referred by the Supreme Court. Reuters diplomats in the country in re- shelters the Taliban’s leaders, which the US attache’s vehi- to a notifi cation sent to the US was prevented from leaving yes- The bench declared the ECP’s Islamabad sponse to Washington’s similar and US President Donald Trump cle hit a motorcycle, killing the embassy on Friday and obtained terday. April 11 notification as null and restrictions on Pakistani em- has cut off military aid in an ef- 22-year-old rider, both papers by Reuters. “We are in regular commu- void. bassy diplomats. fort to pressure Pakistan. reported. The new US rules require dip- nication with our Pakistani On April 24, the apex court akistani authorities have A spokesman for the US em- The latest blow to relations As a result, a US Air Force lomats to obtain permission to counterparts. We do not discuss had given the IHC one week barred a US diplomat in- bassy in Islamabad declined to came yesterday when Pakistani C130 fl own in to Pakistan’s Nur travel more than 40km (25 miles) details of diplomatic conversa- to decide whether the ECP’s Pvolved in a fatal traffi c ac- comment on either develop- authorities banned a US military Khan air base outside Islamabad from their stations, the local tions,” the spokeswoman said. decision of banning recruitments cident from leaving the country, ment in the uneasy alliance with attache from leaving as planned, was forced to leave without him Dawn newspaper reported. US-Pakistani relations have in government institutions was forcing an American military Pakistan. Pakistan’s The Nation and Ex- on Friday, Geo TV and the two A spokeswoman for the US deteriorated signifi cantly since legal. aircraft fl own in for his depar- The country is a crucial link press Tribune newspapers re- newspapers reported. State Department has confi rmed the beginning of the year, when A day earlier, Chief Justice of ture to leave without him, local to supplying American troops ported. Separately, Pakistan’s foreign the new restrictions on its em- Trump abruptly announced in a Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had media reported yesterday. fi ghting the Taliban in neigh- A day earlier, an Islamabad ministry said it would apply ployees in Pakistan but declined tweet a cut-off of military aid, taken suo motu notice of the The move came a day after bouring Afghanistan. court had ruled that his diplo- travel restrictions to all US dip- further comment on them and which he said treated the United Commission’s order to stop hiring Pakistan said it would restrict However, Washington has matic immunity may not apply lomatic staff similar to those ap- said there was no immediate States with “nothing but lies and at all federal, provincial and the movements of all American long believed that it actually in the April 7 traffi c accident in plied by Washington, according comment on the diplomat who deceit” for 15 years. local government departments to ensure transparency in the upcoming general elections. The ECP had also placed a ban on new development schemes and the transfer of funds from one Father, Facebook blocks media post ‘based on local law’ project to another. An order passed by the ECP also sought to immediately brother Internews is usually taken after requests then interior minister Chaud- halt activity in all development Islamabad from state institutions under hry Nisar had threatened to schemes approved on or after non-transparent agreements completely ban the social net- April 1, excluding gas and water confess – a fact that the media and hu- work if it did not act to remove supply schemes as well as ocial media giant Face- man rights organisations have all blasphemous content on its construction and road carpeting. book blocked for Pakistan criticised in the past. platform. The ECP in its petition filed with to ‘honour Susers a 2017 post by lo- Facebook did not clarify Facebook’s blockage of the apex court has relied on cal media Dawn.com, linking what law the Dawn.com post Dawn.com’s post for Pakistan the judgment of the Supreme to a story on veteran politician had violated, nor did it specify users does not seem to have Court in the Workers Party case killing’ Javed Hashmi criticising the where the request had origi- been triggered by concerns over – which held that the ECP has the judiciary. nated from. blasphemy however. authority to take pre-emptive “Due to legal restrictions in Under fi re for privacy con- The story dealt with a politi- measures for countering corrupt of Italian your country, we’ve limited ac- cerns, hate speech and its role cian engaging with an emergent practices. cess to your post on Facebook,” in “infl uencing” the American theme in Pakistan’s politics: ju- the platform shared in an auto- elections, this form of censor- dicial activism. Internews mated message. ship under directions by gov- As criticism of what some Human rights Islamabad The post is still accessible via ernments is nothing new for see as an “over-active judici- VPN in the country. Facebook. ary” heats up, the higher courts project launched The social media company The platform, with more have started taking up more t was her father who stran- shared that it has made the than 1.9bn users across the high-profi le contempt cases Federal Minister for Human gled Sana Cheema, a content unavailable “based globe, has controversially re- than ever. Rights Mumtaz Ahmed Tarar has I27-year-old Italian woman The automated message from Facebook. on local law” in an action that stricted access to content. One former senator, Nehal said that collaborative eff orts are of Pakistani descent, to death The website’s censorship Hashmi, was recently handed needed to ensure protection of with a piece of cloth, whereas Websites, social media pages depicting Imran Khan as deity blocked policies also led to many user a prison term after being found human rights at every level. her brother overpowered her on accounts being blocked or de- to have violated prevalent con- He was speaking at the the upper fl oor of their house on A parliamentary panel of Pakistan was told “The court order through the competent court as leted in 2016 for posts criticis- tempt laws. orientation session of the project April 18, the suspects confessed, yesterday that most websites and pages on social required by Facebook authority has been obtained ing India following the killing Likewise, a man in Multan titled “Equal Rights for All according to police. media which contained a picture depicting Pakistan and forwarded to Facebook authorities. of Kashmir’s young “freedom has been handed an 18-year (ERFA)”, organised by his ministry A police offi cer privy to the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan as Lord Shiva, “Moreover, action against the alleged Facebook fi ghter” Burhan Wani. prison sentence for throwing a in collaboration with the Society investigation into the case said have been blocked. profile/page will be taken after receiving of IP (ad- According to a transparency shoe at a judge. of Sustainable Development that Sana’s brother Adnan During a meeting of a sub-committee of the Stand- dress) and subscriber details from the Facebook report issued by Facebook, the Meanwhile, television chan- (SSD). Cheema was distressed and re- ing Committee on Government Assurances, which authority, USA,” reads the FIA working paper, which Pakistani government sent nels have been told to tune out The pilot phase of the project is gretted his act of helping his fa- was chaired by MNA (member of the National was presented before the committee. 1,050 requests for data to Face- politicians’ speeches if they being implemented in selected ther in his sister’s murder. Assembly) Dr Fouzia Hameed, Federal Investigation The document mentions the name of the Facebook book between January and June veer towards contempt, and the Union Councils of Islamabad: However, the father, Ghulam Agency (FIA) off icials said that the Pakistan Telecom- page on which the post was first shared and the 2017, compared to only 719 dur- broadcast media regulator has Khanna Dak, Sector G 7/1, Sector Mustafa Cheema, had denied munication Authority (PTA) identified 17 websites investigating agency said the post and related com- ing the same period in the pre- found itself in the cross hairs of G 7/2, Sector G 8/1, Sector G 8/2, the police claim of his confes- which contained the picture and blocked most of ments have since been removed from the profile. ceding year. the higher courts for not doing and Jhangi Syedan. sion during his brief interaction them. The investigating agency said that the user seems to It also said that 177 pieces of enough. Through this project, the ministry with the media after the district The issue was referred to the sub-committee by the have been using a proxy and that the real IP (Inter- content were restricted from With the Cambridge Analyt- aims to create awareness and police offi cer’s news conference main committee on the complaint of MNAs Ramesh net protocol) address could not be identified. viewership in the country on ica scandal still looming large, sensitise the general public on on Wednesday. Lal and Lal Chand Malhi. MNA Hameed said that the FIA should resolve the requests forwarded by the Pa- Facebook had said regarding human rights, specifically that of The suspects were handed Both the lawmakers attended the sub-committee’s issue in a week. kistan Telecommunication Au- elections in Pakistan that it women, children, and minorities. over to Kunjah police on two- meeting and expressed satisfaction over the She said that depicting anyone as Lord Shiva is thority (PTA) and the Federal would take steps to “curb out- The main objective is to ensure day physical remand ordered by progress made in the case. religious terrorism: “FIRs (first information reports) Investigation Agency (FIA) for side election interference”. that all vulnerable and excluded a local court on Thursday after The committee was told that after getting court should be registered against those involved.” violating “local laws prohibit- However, with its current groups of the society enjoy their autopsy and forensic reports orders – as required in order to get user data from MNA Lal said that Lord Shiva is a Hindu god and to ing blasphemy and condemna- censorship policy in place, re- rights. confi rmed that Sana was as- Facebook management, the FIA forwarded a re- show him as a politician is blasphemy. tion of the country’s independ- moval of content through non- Tarar said the protection phyxiated. quest to the social media site for information on the He expressed satisfaction over the progress made ence”. transparent mechanisms – as of human rights is vital for The police produced the sus- users who shared the picture in question. by the PTA and the FIA in the case so far. Facebook had also found it- in the removal of Dawn.com’s sustainable development, peace pects in the court of area magis- Facebook management had earlier refused the FIA’s “Two users have been identified and they are not self directly in the line of fi re post – may cut users off from and prosperity, and called for trate Lubna Sagheer and sought request for user details, saying that they will not Pakistani. The facts will be clearer after a response is last year when an Islamabad information that is vital to eff orts by government, civil the physical remand for the pur- entertain the request without formal legal process. received from Facebook,” he added. High Court (IHC) judge, Jus- making informed voting deci- society, legislature and judiciary, pose of investigation. tice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, and sions. academia and media. The court accepted the police request. A case had already been lodged with the police under section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against three suspects, the Toxic water concerns in region infamous for deformities third being Sana’s paternal uncle Mazhar Iqbal Cheema, on the report of Sub Inspector Waqar By Masroor Gilani, AFP Right: In this picture taken on February 25, residents the area for the provincial gov- putes the fi ndings, arguing that Gujjar of Kunjah police. Kot Assadullah, Pakistan Basharat Ali (left) and Naveed show their deformed ernment. the sample size was too small, Following the confession of legs. Arsenic, he said, can cause but agrees there is an arsenic Sana’s father and brother, the vomiting, diarrhoea and stom- problem. police released Mazhar. asharat Ali was 15 when Below: In this picture taken on February 25, ach problems, while also aff ect- “We have done tests on up to The report issued by the Pun- his legs began to falter, a residents fill their cans and bottles with drinking ing the liver, lungs, kidneys and 60,000 samples from Lahore to jab Forensic Science Agency Bcondition doctors have water from a filtration plant donated by the Junaid eventually the entire gastroin- lower Sindh under a study being (PFSA) revealed that the victim’s blamed on polluted water in a Jamshed foundation in Kot Assadullah. testinal tract. carried out since 1999 and have voice box was swollen and the Pakistani region infamous for Polluted water could also re- found arsenic at many places,” right cornua of her hyoid bone the deformities that affl ict many sult in neuropathy – a nerve said Lubna Bukhari, head of wa- (in the neck) had been dislo- of its people. dysfunction that can lead to ter quality for the PCRWR. cated. Too weak to carry his own deformity-causing numbness or It also says that water moni- The forensic report did not schoolbag, he was taken to hos- weakness in the limbs. toring projects carried out since mention any signs of poisoning pital, where doctors said water Dr Akhtar said most of the 2012 show that between 69% or drugging. laden with toxic levels of ar- patients he saw were suff er- and 85% of Pakistan’s total wa- The police authorities said senic, fl uoride, minerals and ing from neuropathy, primarily ter is contaminated or otherwise that section 311 of the PPC (pun- various metals was to blame. caused by “contaminated water, unfi t for human consumption. ishment after waiver or com- “It was a big blow to me as by the toxins of the factories in “We even found arsenic in pounding of the right of qisas) I had to quit my studies to get the area” – though he added bottled water,” said Bukhari. had now been added to the case treatment,” Ali told AFP on the that some cases could be caused The problem is given extra and investigation report would rooftop of his house some 45km by genetics, without giving a urgency by Pakistan’s looming soon be submitted in the trial (28 miles) from Lahore, the capi- breakdown. water scarcity crisis, with the court. tal of Pakistan’s largest province Arsenic – typically found in country on track to become the An Italian newspaper, Gior- Punjab. groundwater contaminated by most water-stressed country in nale di Brescia, had fi rst reported From there Ali’s view takes in untreated industrial, municipal the region by 2040, according to that Sana Cheema’s death was some of the plastic, chemical, and agricultural waste – in par- the UN. an “honour” killing. pharmaceutical and wire manu- to make several visits. formed,” he laments. rying cans and bottles were ticular is a source of increased But there is no national strat- Her friends claimed that Sana facturing factories nearby. New wells have been dug Ali, now 32, remains frail, his queueing at a new solar-pow- concern. egy for cleaning up what water had wanted to marry someone in They are widely blamed for since, but they only provide teeth yellowed and decaying. ered water fi ltration plant paid A study conducted by Swiss there is and much less for con- Italy, against the wishes of her contaminating the water local more water polluted with ar- His is permanently disabled, for by a charity. expert Joel Podgorski using serving it, with environmental family. residents have to drink. senic. with one leg shorter than the A government-funded fi ltered 1,200 groundwater samples matters left in the hands of pro- The news reports had said that According to the Lahore Meanwhile, Ali and other other, and has diffi culty walking. water plant is also currently un- throughout Pakistan, said that vincial authorities. Sana’s parents had been pres- Chamber of Commerce and In- residents of the area have paid a His village Kot Assadullah der construction, but residents up to 60mn people were at risk Twenty years have already suring her to marry someone in dustry, 90% of factories in and heavy price, with activists say- and neighbouring Kalalanwala, say neither will be enough. of arsenic poisoning. passed since deformities started the family in the days leading to around the city dump their un- ing that 200 other children have to which it is joined, now have a Punjab offi cials declined The study, published last year, appearing in Kalalanwala, and her murder. treated waste in open pits or suff ered bone and dental de- reputation. AFP’s repeated requests for identifi ed high concentrations little change has taken place. According to Italian media, discharge untreated water in formities since 2000. “People from other villages comment. of arsenic along the Indus River There, a 25-year-old labourer Sana wanted to marry a man streams. “Now these children are can recognise us and say ‘You are Chemicals and toxins includ- and its tributaries, with “hot named Naveed said his legs be- from Brescia who, like her, was Local media fi rst reported on grown men and women, but they from Kalalanwala’,” said 26-year ing arsenic have been found in spots” around the populated ar- came deformed when he was a second-generation immigrant the problems in Ali’s village well remain hidden in their houses. old Muhammad Mukhtiar, who the village’s drinking water and eas of Lahore and the southern three years old. with Italian citizenship. over a decade ago, prompting They are not getting any mar- tends a shop in the village. are causing the deformities, said city of Hyderabad. “I don’t have any hope as we Sana had arrived in Pakistan in teams from Lahore’s govern- riage proposals because people When AFP visited recently Dr Khalid Jamil Akhtar, a private The Pakistan Council of Re- are poor and nobody listens to January this year. ment hospital and water offi cials say that their bones are de- men, women and children car- clinician who has been visiting search in Water (PCRWR) dis- us,” Naveed said. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 23 PHILIPPINES PhilHealth Sacked chief justice faces scrutiny to appeal her ouster over insurance AFP collection Manila

By Mary Gleefer F Jalea dited in 2015, involves five he ousted top judge of the Manila Times regional offices. These re- Philippines will appeal gional offices are those in Tagainst the decision to the National Capital Region sack her, after she battled with hile the Philippine (Metro Manila)-Central with President Rodrigo Duterte over Health Insurance Corp unreconciled contributions of his deadly drug war, her spokes- W(PhilHealth) is in hot P1,884,398,890; Region VII man said yesterday. water for alleged irregularities with P1,022,383,477; Region Maria Lourdes Sereno’s col- in its top offi cial’s expenses, it is IV-A with P962,286,920; Re- leagues voted on Friday to re- also being questioned for an al- gion III-A with P418,304,005; move her as Supreme Court legedly “unreconciled” P4.6bn and Region X with P357,980,591, chief justice in an unprecedent- insurance collection from its the report stated. ed decision that has sparked a members. From these areas, a total legal fi restorm. In a formal sector collection- of 627,814 receipts validated “She will fi le MR (motion of contribution report obtained and counted by banks and reconsideration),” her spokes- by Manila Times, an amount of agents make up the unrecorded man Carlo Cruz said in a mes- P4,645,353,883 was noted un- P4.6bn. The Times has been sage to AFP without elaborat- der the “contribution transac- reaching out to PhilHealth for ing. Duterte had openly called tions in the PhilHealth Member additional documents sup- for Sereno’s removal from the Accounts Information System porting the report but still has court, calling her an “enemy” (PMAIS) that is not in the treas- not received data from Phil- after they clashed over his ury database.” Health as of this writing. Ac- bloody war on drugs and alleged The report, dated June 22, cording to Israel Pargas, Phil- abuse of power. 2017, was prepared by the agen- Health acting spokesman and Sereno’s expulsion came due cy’s committee on reconciliation senior vice president for health to a petition by the chief gov- composed of the Member Man- finance policy sector, no one ernment lawyer — a Duterte agement Group, the Health In- shall initially take the blame appointee — who argued that surance Collection Data Assess- on the issue until the matter is she was not qualifi ed for her ment Management Committee fully investigated. position and accused her of not and the Internal Legal Group. “We cannot exactly pinpoint fi ling statements of assets and “These are unposted, un- yet because we need to inves- liabilities in previous years — reconciled records in the col- tigate. Even now, we are still accusations she categorically lection… I would not call them looking at the matter further denied. unaccounted because if the con- to find out how this started and Legal experts, including other tributions are not here yet, we how this really happened,” Par- Supreme Court judges, have ar- will ask the collectors from the gas said. “Be it known that we gued that Sereno’s sacking is a Supporters take a selfie with ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in front of the court building in Manila on Friday. regions about it,” PhilHealth’s will continue to correct it. The violation of the constitution, chief fi nance executive Gregorio people who may have com- which says a justice can only be when the Court commits sep- justices will have a change of Other Duterte critics have Duterte has faced global criti- Rulloda told Manila Times. mitted any wrongdoing will removed through impeachment puku (ritual suicide) – without mind”. also been ousted, punished or cism for human rights abuses When asked what could have definitely face a corresponding in Congress. honour”. Sereno, who has urged her threatened, including Sena- particularly related to his bloody led to the unreconciled contri- course of action,” he said. In opinions released yester- Pacifi co Agabin, an expert in supporters to “fi ght for justice tor Leila de Lima who has been campaign against illegal drugs butions, Rulloda clarifi ed that Celestina de la Serna, the day, dissenting judge Marvic constitutional law at the Uni- and demand accountability”, jailed, the Commission on Hu- which police say has claimed these may have resulted from agency’s president, did not di- Leonen called the move “a legal versity of the Philippines Col- is the latest high-profi le critic man Rights and an anti-cor- the lives of around 4,200 sus- “over-the-counter or offl ine rectly comment on the matter abomination” while fellow jus- lege of Law, said Sereno’s appeal of Duterte to be targeted after ruption prosecutor who inves- pects in nearly two years. transactions that were not re- but reiterated that those under tice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa was unlikely to succeed, saying: speaking out against the presi- tigated allegations that Duterte Rights groups allege the actu- corded in the database.” the Finance department are ini- said, “this case marks the time “I don’t think any one of the dent. has hidden wealth. al number is three times higher. The amount, originally au- tially liable on the issue.

Call to repeal law to Duterte govt suff ers big drop in ratings: survey raise taxes on fuel By Ralph Villanueva According to the SWS survey, Visayas region at +57, however. eff orts on helping the poor ing the country’s territorial Manila Times 69% of adult Filipinos were sat- Classes ABC maintained their (+68), reconstructing Marawi rights (+36) and defending Phil- isfi ed with the current admin- “very good” rating at +56, al- City (+63), building and main- ippine sovereignty in the South By Llanesca T Panti The lawmakers said the Train istration, 11% were dissatisfi ed though this is a 12-point swing tenance of public works (+62), China Sea or West Philippine Sea Manila Times law that was implemented in he Rodrigo Duterte ad- and 18% were undecided. from last quarter’s mark. promoting the welfare of over- (+34) received good marks. January this year jacked up the ministration suff ered a The net satisfaction rating of seas Filipino workers (+59), The government’s eff orts on prices of petroleum products, Tmassive 12-point drop in the administration in the presi- The SWS survey was fi ghting terrorism (+58) and ensuring that no family will bill that seeks to repeal rice, chicken, pork and beef. its net satisfaction rating in the dent’s native region of Mind- conducted using protecting human rights (+54) ever be hungry (+22) received a the Tax Reform, Accel- “Some 15.2mn families who fi rst quarter of 2018, the latest anao dropped by 15 points, good face-to-face interviews received “very good” marks. “moderate” mark, while fi ght- Aeration and Inclusion earn minimum wages or below survey from the Social Weather for an “excellent” grade, stand- of 1,200 adults Its ways on eradicating graft ing infl ation received a “neu- (Train) law that increased taxes belong to the informal sector Stations (SWS) showed. ing at +72 from last quarter’s and corruption (+46), ensuring tral” mark at +6. on fuel and sugar-sweetened who are already exempted from According to the survey done record-high +87. The same happened in class an effi cient public transporta- The SWS survey was con- beverages has been fi led at the paying income taxes will not on March 23-27, the admin- It also suff ered a 13-point dip E, which garnered a +54 mark tion system (+41), telling the ducted using face-to-face in- House of Representatives. benefi t from income tax cuts. istration received a +58-net in Metro Manila, netting a “very from December’s +66 rating. truth to the people (+41), recon- terviews of 1,200 adults (18 House Bill 7653 was fi led by But these poor families are actu- satisfaction rating, for a “very good” +58 rating from Decem- The rating from Class D, or ciling with rebels (+41), fulfi lling years old and above) nation- Makabayan bloc lawmakers ally shouldering the higher cost good” grade. ber’s record-high +71 “excel- the masses, fell to “very good” commitments in international wide: 300 each in Metro Ma- Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, of goods and services as a result In the last quarter of 2017, the lent” grade. (+58) from December’s “excel- treaties (+40), fi ghting crimes nila, Balance Luzon, Visayas Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Bro- of the Train law,” the Makabayan administration garnered a +70- It stayed “very good” in Bal- lent” rating of +71. (+40), having good relations and Mindanao. sas of Gabriela, Antonio Tinio group said in its explanatory net satisfaction rating, an “ex- ance Luzon at +50 in March The net satisfaction rating with the United Nations and It had sampling error margins and France Castro of Alliance note, referring to the law’s pro- cellent” grade. 2018, although down by 17 of the National Administration other important international of + or - 3% for national per- of Concerned Teachers, Ariel vision that exempts those earn- It exceeded the record +66 points from the record-high on helping victims of disasters organisations (+37), reconciling centages and + or - 6% each for Casilao of Anakpawis and Sarah ing P250,000 a year and below set by President Rodrigo Du- +67 in December 2017. (+75) was excellent . with communist rebels (+37), Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Elago of Kabataan. from paying income taxes. terte’s predecessor. It stayed “very good” in the The Duterte administration’s foreign relations (+36), defend- Visayas and Mindanao. Comelec warns candidates against vote-buying

By William Depasupil Parreno also assured all he added. Asked if it is consid- Manila Times election tellers and other elec- ered an election off ence, El- tion workers of their hono- nas explained that it would be raria, saying that everything forwarded to the Comelec Law he Commission on Elec- has already been co-ordinated Department for further study tions (Comelec) strongly with the Budget department and investigation and thereafter Twarned local politicians and they would be paid on charges would be fi led if the evi- and candidates in the com- time, while those in far flung dence warrants. ing Barangay and Sangguniang areas would be paid in cash in DILG Assistant Secretary Kabataan (SK) elections against advance. Jonathan Malaya said that as vote-buying and other election- “Based on the election simu- per instruction by OIC Secre- related off ences. lation we conducted, the biggest tary Eduardo Ano to PNP chief, Acting Comelec chairman Al challenge is voter confusion,” Director General Oscar Albay- Parreno also assured on Friday Parenno said, adding that voters alde, all PNP units were di- that the poll body, in co-ordina- in the 18-30 years old bracket of- rected to intensify foot patrol in tion with the Department of the ten interchanged the candidates the Barangay and increase their Interior and Local Government for the Barangay and SK elec- presence to deter incidents of (DILG), the Philippine National tions. vote buying. Police (PNP), the Armed Forces “That is why we asked our According to Malaya, the PNP of the Philippines (AFP) and the Election Information Division to is instructed to take proactive National Youth Commission conduct an electoral education steps in preventing vote buying (NYC), were more than ready for campaign,” he added. Director in the face of reports over alleged tomorrow’s synchronised village Teopisto Elnas Jr, head, Project vote buying occurring in some and youth polls. Management Offi ce, Barangay part of the country. “We are ready in all aspect of and SK Elections 2018, advised “If there is a report of alleged our preparations,” said Parreno those in the 18-30 bracket to be vote buying, the PNP must in- in a media briefi ng, adding that extra careful so that their vote vestigate immediately since it is delivery of election materials, would be counted. an elections off ence. We call on except for some minor things, Also part of the prepara- the PNP to be on the look out for were already in place. tion, Elnas added, was the Filipinos display placards during the last day of election campaigning, at Barangay Pineda, Pasig, Metro Manila yesterday, to elect 42,000 any incident of vote buying and He added that deployment assurance from Meralco and village leaders nationwide during elections tomorrow. ensure that the culpable parties of some 500,000 public school other power supply providers are arrested and charged,” Ma- teachers who would act as elec- of continuous supply of elec- they may carry their cellphones On reports about vote buy- dates to withdraw their candi- incidents were still being vali- laya added. tion tellers on election day has tricity three days before the or any other electronic gadg- ing, Elnas said the Comelec dacies. He said that the report dated. He also reminded PNP per- also been determined already, elections, on election day, and ets in polling places but warned Command Centre has not yet just came from one region, in- “We are monitoring them and sonnel to be impartial and non- and as well as that of PNP and three days after. them against taking pictures of received reports of some local volving a governor and a con- we will take the corresponding partisan as deputies of Comelec AFP personnel. He also reminded voters that their ballots. politicians asking some candi- gressman, but stressed that the actions based on the report,” during the election period. Gulf Times 24 Sunday, May 13, 2018 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Sirisena visits Bangladesh launches Iran for oil its fi rst satellite trade deals AFP world leaders scramble to IANS/AFP Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak Hasina also praised Russia for In November 2015, Bangladesh drifting into the inky blackness Colombo salvage a key nuclear deal Dhaka at the Kennedy Space Centre in renting its orbital slot to Bang- signed a 19.51b taka ($248m) deal of space, as cheers and screams with Iran after President the US. ladesh. with French fi rm Thales Alenia erupted at SpaceX headquarters Donald Trump withdrew The launch was telecast live in Experts said that the country’s Space for the satellite project. in Hawthorne, California. ri Lanka’s President the United States from the angladesh launched its Bangladesh, with experts saying fi rst geostationary communica- The Bangladeshi government “Successful deployment of Maithripala Sirisena left accord. fi rst satellite, “Banga- it will serve as a milestone in the tion satellite will give extra pace also purchased a 119.1 east lon- Bangabandhu Satellite-1 to ge- Son a two-day visit to Iran Sri Lanka, an oil import- Bbandhu-1”, yesterday, be- telecommunication sector. to the digitisation process. It will gitude orbital slot from Russia- ostationary transfer orbit,” yesterday to improve trade re- er, turned to Saudi Arabia coming the 57th nation in the “The satellite will be a great help expand internet and tel- based Intersputnik for 15 years SpaceX said on Twitter. lations and secure investment and Oman for crude during world and fourth in South Asia addition to our information ecommunication services in re- for $28mn. The launch was postponed from the Islamic republic, his the height of international after India, Pakistan and Sri technology heralding our en- mote and rugged areas which still The satellite will off er video at the last minute on Thursday, offi ce said. sanctions against Iran. Lanka to own a satellite. try into the Satellite Club of the remained beyond the coverage. and communications coverage when an automatic abort switch Sirisena will hold talks Before the sanctions regime, A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket world,” said Bangladeshi Prime Once the satellite becomes over Bangladesh and its territo- was triggered, but SpaceX said it with his Iranian counter- Iran had been a key buyer of lifted the communication satel- Minister Sheikh Hasina in a active at its orbital slot, it will be rial waters in the Bay of Bengal, was just a glitch and the space- part Hassan Rouhani on Sri Lankan tea, the island’s lite, named after the Bangladesh message. reportedly controlled from three as well as in India, Nepal, Bhu- craft remained in good health. strengthening co-operation main export. Sri Lanka’s only founder, early yesterday morn- “The Bangabandhu Satellite-1 stations in the US, Italy and tan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, The rocket is built to re-fl y up in the energy sector and will oil refi nery is geared to handle ing from Cape Canaveral in Flor- will certainly bring revolution- South Korea for about a month. and Indonesia. to 10 times with minimal refur- also seek Iranian invest- Iranian light crude. ida, bdnews24.com reported. ary changes in our broadcast Finally, the satellite will be con- “The satellite will also provide bishment, SpaceX chief execu- ment, according to an Iran pledged $450mn for an It was successfully deployed and telecommunications sec- trolled and maintained from broadband connectivity to rural tive offi cer Elon Musk told re- offi cial statement. irrigation project in Sri Lanka at Bangladesh’s specifi ed or- tor. With this launching, we’ve ground stations in Bangladesh. areas throughout the country,” porters ahead of the launch. The two leaders will sign in 2008, but the funds were bit slot “within 36 minutes” of hoisted the Bangladesh fl ag in In September 2016, Bangla- launching company SpaceX said “We expect there would be a memorandum of un- delayed due to the sanctions. the launch and two ground sta- the space... entered a new era.” desh signed a 14bn taka ($180mn) in a statement, noting that the literally no action taken between derstanding on “further Sirisena’s offi ce said he will tions in Bangladesh received She thanked the satellite loan agreement with Hong Kong mission is expected to last at fl ights, so just like aircraft,” strengthening the economic also attend a special invest- test signals from it, said State building and launching com- and Shanghai Banking Corpora- least 15 years. Musk said, describing the many and trade ties between the ment and trade forum organ- Minister for Information and pany, the US and the French tion (HSBC) to fi nance the coun- About a half hour after launch, years of eff ort that went into the two countries”. ised by the Iran Chamber of Communication Technology governments for their support. try’s fi rst-ever satellite. live images showed the satellite rocket as “crazy hard.” The visit comes as Commerce. India, Nepal agree Open ride to boost trade and connectivity ties

IANS heights by strengthening on- cal discussion on additional Kathmandu going cooperation in diverse air entry routes to Nepal by spheres as well as expanding respective technical teams.” partnership for socio-econom- The joint statement assumes n what can be seen as a se- ic development on the basis of signifi cance given that there was ries of steps to mend their the principles of equality, mu- a chill in India-Nepal ties dur- Ities, India and Nepal yes- tual trust, respect and mutual ing Oli’s earlier stint as prime terday agreed to boost trade benefi t.” minister between October 2015 and economic links, connec- Oli, while expressing con- and August 2016 when a border tivity via air, land and water, cern over Nepal’s growing trade blockade blamed on New Delhi people-to-people ties, with defi cit with India, stated that crippled Nepal’s economy. Indian Prime Minister Naren- measures to address this defi cit Highlighting the deep rooted dra Modi declaring that his need to be taken. ties between India and Nepal, country will work like a sher- “In this context, the two Modi said that the Himalayan pa in the Himalayan nation’s prime ministers welcomed the nation was a top priority for In- development endeavours. outcome of the recently held dia’s Neighbourhood First Pol- This handout photo taken and released by the Asian Tour shows Bangladeshi passengers riding atop a train near the 14th hole pictured A joint statement, issued a inter-governmental commit- icy. He also complimented Ne- during the AB Bank Bangladesh Open at the Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka. day after Indian Prime Modi tee meeting on trade, transit pal for its commitment towards and his Nepali counterpart K and cooperation to control un- democracy and success. P Sharma Oli held extensive authorised trade to jointly ini- Modi also inaugurated the bilateral discussions, said the tiate a comprehensive review Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service, two leaders agreed to maintain of the bilateral treaty of trade, a 900MW hydropower project the momentum generated by and to consider amendments and announced Rs1bn aid to Oli’s visit to India in April, his to the treaty of transit and re- develop Janakpur city. fi rst foreign visit after assum- lated agreements with a view to Apart from Oli, the Indian further facilitating Nepal’s ac- Special courts to hear graft ing offi ce in February, by taking leaders also held discussions eff ective measures for the im- cess to the Indian market, en- with Nepal President Bidhya plementation of all the agree- hancing overall bilateral trade, Devi Bhandari and other gov- ments and understandings and facilitating Nepal’s transit ernment offi cials to better bi- reached in the past. trade,” the statement said. lateral ties after which he said: Both leaders also “under- cases of Rajapakse-era “They also agreed that ef- “All misunderstandings with fective implementation of the lined the catalytic role of con- Nepal are over.” bilateral initiatives in agricul- nectivity in stimulating eco- Earlier yesterday, Modi also AFP power in 2015 promising to pressure is involved, she added. several multi-billion dollar projects. ture, railway linkages and in- nomic growth and promoting met leaders of opposition par- Colombo stamp out corruption. Sirisena came to power three Rajapakse’s chief aide Lalith land waterways development, movement of people”. ties, starting with former prime Parliament voted 119-52 to years ago pledging to punish Weeratunga has already been as agreed upon by the two sides “They agreed to take fur- minister Sher Bahadur Deuba create high courts to take up members of the former admin- convicted of misappropriat- during the recent visit of Prime ther steps to enhance the eco- and other members of the ri Lanka’s parliament white collar crimes and reduce istration accused of stealing vast ing $4 million and sentenced to Minister Oli to India, would nomic and physical connectiv- Nepali Congress. has voted to set up spe- the backlog of cases. sums during Rajapakse’s decade three years in prison. have transformational impact ity by air, land, and water,” the He exchanged views on Scial courts to try multi- “The new courts will reduce in power. Two of the former president’s in these areas,” it stated. statement said. strengthening bilateral ties billion dollar graft cases under pressure on the criminal justice Rajapakse loyalists in the three sons have been charged “While reviewing the close “Recognising the vibrant with former prime minister former president Mahinda system and help speed up hear- 225-member parliament voted with money-laundering and and multifaceted relations people to people contacts and and chairman of the Com- Rajapakse. ings,” Justice Minister Thalatha against the bill. other relatives face corruption between the two countries at friendly bilateral ties, the two munist Party of Nepal (Maoist The move aims to accelerate Atukorale said. Sirisena has said up to half of allegations. diff erent levels, the two prime prime ministers directed the Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal. several high-profi le cases fol- The choice of which cases will all public procurement contracts Rajapakse, who is not under ministers reiterated their re- respective offi cials to expand This was the Indian leader’s lowing criticism over the slow be taken up by the new courts under the Rajapakse adminis- investigation, denies any wrong- solve to work together to take cooperation in civil aviation third offi cial visit to Nepal after pace of justice since President will be made by the chief jus- tration were corrupt, and his doing and accuses his successor bilateral relations to newer sector, including early techni- assuming offi ce in 2014. Maithripala Sirisena came to tice to ensure that no political government has renegotiated of a witch hunt. Sherpa eyes record-breaking 22nd Everest climb

By Deepak Adhikari, DPA climber Apa Sherpa, who quit climbing sponsible for helping the company’s 15 of my team members return from a from $5,500 to $11,000 and making it Kathmandu Everest after his 21st ascent in 2011. foreign clients reach the summit of the successful summit,” he said. mandatory for climbers to hire guides. Phurba Tashi, who recently climbed 8,848m peak. The father of two teenagers said he But for Kami Rita, these changes are the 8,156m peak of Manaslu in Nepal, “He oversees a group of 20 Sher- doesn’t want his children to follow his still not enough. eople climb Everest for diff erent has said he has no plans to summit pas. He will lead the team in setting up path. “Our government hasn’t done reasons. Everest again. camps above base camp and manage “I don’t want them to work on the much for us. We are famous around P Some, having accomplished Kami Rita, the veteran guide, left for logistics,” he said. mountain. They will be better off pur- the world. Many foreigners know similar feats of endurance, like running Everest last month. Kami Rita is considered one of the suing their career in other areas after us, but our government doesn’t care a marathon, want to push their limits Before fl ying to Lukla, the tiny air- strongest and most reliable guides their study,” he said. about us,” he said. to the extreme. strip that serves as a gateway to Ever- on Everest, said Ang Tshering Sher- It’s a sentiment shared by many He recalled how the government Others just want to add Everest to est, he made a crucial move in his two- pa, former president of the Nepal Sherpa climbers and guides, par- failed to provide support to Ang Rita their resumes. decade career as a guide. Mountaineering Association. ticularly after tragedies on Everest in Sherpa, nicknamed “Snow Leopard,” Then there’s Kami Rita Sherpa, a He quit his long-time employer Al- But Kami Rita, who grew up in recent years. who climbed Everest a record 10 times 47-year-old mountain guide, who is pine Ascents International, a Seattle- Thame, a village in the shadow of Ev- Sixteen Sherpas were killed in 2014 without supplemental oxygen, when set to break his own record on Everest Kami Rita Sherpa based commercial guiding company, erest, and started his career as a trek- when an avalanche hit Khumbu Icefall, he was hospitalised in Kathmandu af- sometime later this month by summit- and joined Seven Summits Treks, one king porter in 1992, is not resting on his the most dangerous part of the route ter a brain haemorrhage a year ago. ing it for a 22nd time. live in the shadow of some of the of a dozen Nepalese-run companies laurels. on Everest. Before leaving for Everest this sea- Three people, all of them members world’s tallest mountains in eastern that regularly operate on the world’s “I still want to climb Everest two or Over half of the 18 people killed in son, Kami Rita signed a contract to of the Sherpa community indigenous Nepal. highest peak. three [more] times. Then I will set up the earthquake-triggered avalanche in serve as a brand ambassador for a to the Nepalese Himalayas, currently The famed mountain people, who Tashi Sherpa, managing director my own guiding company,” he said. 2015 on Everest base camp were local cement company. share the record for the most summits work as porters, guides and manag- of the company, said he wanted Kami The intrepid climber, who spends guides and porters, including Sherpas. Photos of him and local per- on Everest. ers and can earn between $5,000 Rita because he was one of the most his spare time at base camp playing The disasters highlighted the risks sonalities including an ultra-run- Apa Sherpa, Phurba Tashi Sherpa and and 10,000 in one season, form experienced guides on Everest. cards or training younger Sherpas, said Sherpas face on the mountain and ner named Mira Rai were fea- Kami Rita Sherpa have each climbed it a the backbone of Nepal’s climbing “We cannot calculate his experience that every spring climbing season he prompted the government, which tured in the company’s advert in record 21 times. industry. in terms of money. Perhaps it’s worth worries about whether his clients will charges a foreign climber $11,000 for a Nepalese newspapers last month. Sherpas, ethnic Tibetans who mi- In 2013, when Phurba Tashi scaled millions of dollars,” he said. reach the summit. climbing permit on Everest, to reform He has also been rewarded with trips grated to Nepal about 600 years ago, Everest, he tied the record of legendary Tashi said Kami Rita would be re- “I am the happiest person after all the sector by increasing insurance abroad from his clients. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 25 COMMENT China and the future of democracy

By Barry Eichengreen of a heavily-indebted corporation, London revelations of hidden problems in Chinese fi nancial institutions, a spike in global energy prices, or a serious ill China soon be the geopolitical event – could bring world’s leading economic growth tumbling down. The opening and geopolitical power? of China’s fi nancial markets heightens WHas it achieved this the economy’s exposure to volatile status already, as some suppose? And capital fl ows and increases the scope if the answer to either question is yes, for capital fl ight. And China, close as what are the global implications for the it is to North Korea, is not in a good future of democracy? geopolitical neighbourhood. The indicators of China’s rise are In short, stuff happens, and if clear. China is poised to overtake the Chinese leaders do not manage the United States in terms of aggregate fallout well when it does, the public GDP within two decades, although could turn against them. How the forecasting precisely when depends regime responds in that case will tell on what one assumes about the the tale. And it could be a tale – can growth rates of the two economies you say “Tiananmen Square”? – that and the exchange rate used to convert no government wants to reprise at renminbi into dollars. China is already home. the world’s leading trading economy, China, clearly, is emerging as a and its push to internationalise the world power, even more quickly than renminbi has resulted in a growing it otherwise would, to the extent that share of that trade being settled in its the US is coming to be seen as an own currency, potentially challenging unreliable partner concerned only the dollar’s position as the leading with advancing its own interests – at global currency. the expense, if necessary, of other Moreover, China is pumping foreign countries. But the belief that China investment into economies across will continue growing at mid-single- Africa and South Asia, obtaining digit rates for an extended period military bases and other geostrategic violates the fi rst rule of forecasting: assets in return from its heavily don’t extrapolate the present into indebted commercial partners. Its President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. the future. At some point, China Belt and Road Initiative is further will hit bumps in the road, and there fuelling China’s outward investment of Western democracy in favour of apt to note that decisions are costly key point. Democracy may be messy, popular uprising, like the Solidarity is no guarantee that its leaders will and deepening its economic links centralised administrative control. to reach and diffi cult to sustain in but it contains a built-in course- movement in Poland, or a revolt of admit their failures and adjust policy with countries across the Eurasian The attractions are even more democratic systems. Both the process correction mechanism. When policy the nomenklatura, such as in the accordingly. landmass. alluring against the backdrop of the and results are unreliable. China’s goes awry, the incumbents responsible Soviet Union, can force the issue. But At that point, the Chinese model of And then there is China’s soft Trump administration’s incoherent approach, which has delivered the for the mistake can be, and often are, this typically happens only when an strong political control will appear less power: its school programmes, cultural approach to governing, the British goods for two generations now, has voted out of offi ce, to be replaced, in extended political and policy stalemate alluring to other countries, especially exchanges, museum exhibitions, and Tories’ shambolic eff orts to manage more going for it, especially from the principle at least, by more competent must be broken – and it often comes at if the regime clamps down hard on civil Unesco projects. Brexit, and Italy’s inability to form a perspective of poor countries where rivals. a high cost in terms of public violence society. Democracy, then, may have a This growing geostrategic government, to cite just three examples sustained growth is the priority. An authoritarian regime has no such and loss of life. future after all. – Project Syndicate infl uence, rising soft power and, of democratic disarray. This makes it inevitable, it is said, automatic adjustment mechanism. Moreover, the idea that China’s above all, continued economic By contrast, the more power, that more countries will emulate Autocratic leaders will not give up leaders will continue to avoid serious zBarry Eichengreen is a professor at the success suggest that other countries prosperity, and stability China Chinese governance. And this power easily, and may choose, in their policy errors indefi nitely, and that their University of California, Berkeley. His will see China as a model to emulate. projects, the greater the appeal of its observation casts grave doubt on the wisdom, to double down on failed capacity as crisis managers will never latest book is The Populist Temptation: They will be attracted to its political authoritarian model. Observers in future of democracy. policies. There is no orderly way of be tested is, quite simply, fanciful. Any Economic Grievance and Political model, which eschews the chaos emerging and developing countries are But this confi dent forecast misses a compelling them to do otherwise. A one of a number of shocks – the failure Reaction in the Modern Era.

The ABCs of NCD care Three-day forecast TODAY Maximum Temperature : 400c Minimum Temperature : 310c By Amy Israel require us to rethink investments the problem is that many people with features have also made life easier Geneva in global health systems. At the NCDs are managing their diseases for providers. Before the mobile MONDAY same time that we prepare for outside the hospital setting. Most inventory-management system was Maximum Temperature : 340c the emergence of Disease X, we of the country’s diabetes specialists introduced, 44% of pharmacies Minimum Temperature : 280c he World Health Organisation must also strengthen the kind of are concentrated in referral centres. routinely ran out of key medicines; TUESDAY recently began sounding the supportive healthcare systems that Yet roughly 30mn Mexicans have now, just 15% of pharmacies do. Maximum Temperature : 350c alarm about a deadly new help patients live full, healthy lives. access only to primary-care clinics The expansion of the Casalud Minimum Temperature : 280c pathogen called Disease X. In To that end, healthcare providers, operated by the Seguro Popular, system in recent years attests to its T Fisherman's forecast fact, Disease X does not actually exist, non-governmental organisations, Mexico’s public health system for success. Initially launched in 2009 in at least not yet. Rather, it is part of a governments, and businesses in some people without health insurance. This clinics across seven Mexican states, by WARNING clever public-awareness campaign of the highest-risk countries are implies a signifi cant gap in diabetes 2015, it had been extended to clinics in Inshore : Expected strong wind at by the WHO to prepare people and collaborating to develop innovative management for a large portion of the 20 states, serving 1.3mn patients per places and poor visibility governments for the threat posed by approaches to combat NCDs. population. year. Now, the Mexican government Offshore : Expected strong wind and new infectious diseases. One promising initiative is Casalud That is where Casalud comes in. To has incorporated it into its national high sea

The emergence of dangerous new (a portmanteau of the Spanish words fi ll the gap in care, Casalud introduced strategy to combat obesity and WEATHER infectious diseases is not a matter of if, for “house” and “health”). Created by a programme of integrated mobile diabetes. Inshore : Hot with sctd clouds & but when. As the WHO announcement the Carlos Slim Foundation with the devices and continuing education to The WHO should be commended slight dust to blowing dust at places makes clear, we urgently need to backing of the Mexican government empower primary-care providers – for raising awareness about the threat develop stronger, more responsive and evaluation support from Eli including nurses and clinical workers of new infectious diseases. But we WIND public health systems to confront Lilly and company, Casalud uses a – to be more proactive in screening should also remember that global Inshore : Northwesterly-Northerly 10-18/22 KT future epidemics. multi-pronged approach to improve for diabetes. The programme’s use of health security is about more than Offshrore : Southeasterly-Northwester- But while outbreaks of infectious detection, diagnosis, and treatment mobile technology allows healthcare protecting people from the latest ly 13-23/27 KT illnesses such as Ebola, fl u, Zika, of Type 2 diabetes. It also works workers (and others) to measure blood bug. It means accompanying patients SARS, and – hypothetically – Disease to prevent the disease by raising sugar and other vital indices as part of along the full continuum of care, to Visibility : 04-8/ 3 KM X tend to capture headlines, most awareness of key risk factors such as a regular checkup. ensure that they live long, healthy, and SEA STATE global health practitioners understand excess weight. Casalud also created an online productive lives. Offshore : 4-6 FT, Rises to 8 FT at that noncommunicable diseases Diabetes poses an especially grave information management system to To do that, we will need to times. co-ordinate patient care and referrals, strengthen current health systems, (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, threat to Mexico, where urbanisation Around the region and cancer pose an even greater threat and other social changes are pushing and to manage the supply of necessary educate and empower frontline Weather to health and economic stability. people toward more sedentary medicines. Most important, Casalud healthcare workers, and maximise Weather tomorrow Max/min According to the World Obesity lifestyles and triggering a surge in planners, understanding that primary- cost-saving technologies. We have today Max/min P Cloudy 31/20 Federation, obesity-related NCDs obesity-related diseases. If current care providers in clinics have only already seen the high returns of this Baghdad Sunny 31/19 Sunny 34/25 could cost the world as much as $1.2tn trends continue, the number of people a small window to educate patients approach in Mexico. Now it is time Kuwait City Sunny 36/25 Sunny 34/27 per year by 2025. That will have a living with diabetes in Mexico is on improving their own quality of to bring it to the rest of the world. – Manama Sunny 33/27 Sunny 38/32 profoundly destabilising eff ect on expected to increase from 11.5mn to care, introduced mobile technologies Project Syndicate Muscat Sunny 42/33 S Showers 23/13 low- and middle-income countries, 16mn – over 10% of the population – to enable ongoing monitoring and Tehran M Sunny 24/15 and it could derail eff orts to achieve between 2016 and 2035. patient-provider communication zAmy Israel is Global Health Thought global health security. One of the main challenges Mexican between visits. Leadership and Policy Director for Eli Avoiding such an outcome will healthcare providers face in tackling The programme’s technological Lilly. Live issues

Be aware of vitamin B-12 Around the world Weather Weather By Barbara Quinn genetic material (DNA) to hormones supplements or fortifi ed foods such as today Max/min tomorrow Max/min The Monterey County Herald and other proteins. Perhaps most cereals and nutritional yeasts. People Athens M Sunny 25/17 Sunny 28/17 notable is B-12’s role in our nervous with pernicious anaemia or other Beirut P Cloudy 23/19 P Cloudy 23/18 system – all the pathways that help us disorders that prevent them from Bangkok P Cloudy 33/27 S T Storms 33/27 ome things never change. My to think, move and speak. A defi ciency absorbing vitamin B-12 in the stomach Berlin Sunny 26/14 M Sunny 24/12 daughters still think I drive of vitamin B-12 can cause the brain to may need to rely on regular injections Cairo Sunny 30/18 Sunny 31/18 too slowly. Yet some things malfunction and lead to dementia, for of this important nutrient directly into Cape Town Sunny 18/13 Sunny 19/11 Sdo change, especially in the example. the blood stream. Colombo T Storms 31/26 T Storms 30/26 fi eld of nutrition. For example, we Vitamin B-12 (also known as How much vitamin B-12 we need Dhaka S T Storms 31/23 T Storms 28/23 used to think that defi ciencies of cobalamin because it contains the in a day may also be changing. Hong Kong P Cloudy 27/23 P Cloudy 27/24 vitamin B-12 were rare except among mineral cobalt) also helps keep New evidence suggests the current Istanbul Sunny 19/12 M Sunny 22/14 strict vegetarians or people with an our homocysteine levels in check. recommendation may be too low to Jakarta P Cloudy 34/26 S T Storms 34/26 autoimmune disease called pernicious High amounts of homocysteine are accomplish all its vital functions. Karachi Sunny 36/27 Sunny 37/27 anaemia. associated with infl ammation that can In the meantime, here is a hint London S Showers 18/11 S Showers 19/11 New evidence now indicates that lead to heart disease. when talking to your doc about testing Manila S T Storms 36/27 S T Storms 36/27 if you’re on this list, you may be at B-12 needs a well-functioning gut to For most of us, the most reliable your vitamin B-12 levels. Blood Moscow M Sunny 23/12 Sunny 26/12 risk for a B-12 defi ciency: 50 years or be absorbed), take anti-acid medicines sources of B-12 are animal foods tests for vitamin B-12 may not tell New Delhi S T Storms 40/27 S T Storms 39/27 older (we can lose the ability to absorb or aspirin, ibuprofen or similar types including fi sh, poultry, meat, eggs, the whole story, according to recent New York Cloudy 14/12 Cloudy 22/16 vitamin B-12 as we age), vegetarian of pain relievers (some meds can milk, cheese, and yoghurt. Just 3 research. According to the US National Paris S Showers 15/11 Showers 18/12 or vegan (B-12 is not found in plant reduce the eff ectiveness of stomach ounces of cooked clams, for example, Institutes of Health, additional Sao Paulo Cloudy 22/17 Cloudy 25/17 foods), take metformin (a diabetes acids to digest and absorb B-12). provides more than a thousand times laboratory tests which include Seoul P Cloudy 22/10 Sunny 26/13 medication that can reduce the body’s Although it is only required in micro our recommended intake of vitamin homocysteine and methylmalonic acid Singapore S T Storms 32/26 S T Storms 31/26 ability to absorb B-12), have any type amounts, vitamin B-12 is vital to the B-12, according to the USDA Nutrient values may also be needed to reliably Sydney Rain 17/14 Cloudy 18/11 of intestinal disorder or stomach formation of healthy red blood cells Database. detect low levels of vitamin B-12. – Tokyo Cloudy 23/17 Clear 27/16 surgery such as gastric bypass (vitamin and it helps build everything from Other reliable sources include B-12 Tribune News Service Gulf Times 26 Sunday, May 13, 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 Time for utmost vigil as Ebola is back in DRC There’s a worrying new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where two cases of the highly contagious disease were recently confi rmed by the World Health Organisation at Bikoro, a health zone in the country’s northwest Équateur province. According to reports, no one knows when or how the outbreak started, but the WHO suspects that since April 4, a total of 34 people are thought to be infected with Ebola (though only two of them are confi rmed so far), including Trump’s Iran decision ends as many as 18 deaths. Three of the deaths reportedly involved healthcare workers. Health offi cials suspect that the high case fatality rate means there may be more Ebola cases already out there in DRC and some places in the central sub-Saharan era in US-Europe ties Africa, and that this outbreak could have been simmering, undetected for some time. By John Lloyd Eisenhower forced British, French again quickly routing his army, but this and decide whether to raise tariff s on All nine countries that neighbour DRC have been alerted Reuters and Israeli troops to end the invasion time deposing and executing him. imported steel. over the possible spread of Ebola – and international aid launched into Egypt for fear that its This meant the invaders were in He also is forcing Canada and Mexico teams have been fl own into the country to help. new leader would nationalise the Suez charge in Baghdad as the country to rewrite the North American Free oes Europe still have a Canal; France and the UK, two former descended into civil war. Trade Agreement — or he will leave it. This would be the ninth known Ebola outbreak to strike partner, a big brother across imperial powers, were duly humbled. The war in Iraq divided the allies, And all this before he meets with DRC, including one that involved fi ve confi rmed cases last the water? One which can be France’s General Charles de Gaulle, especially in Europe, but the demons it North Korea’s Kim Jong-un in year. Da scold, a nag, an annoyance, president from 1959 to 1969, held unloosed, though bitterly controversial, Singapore next month to persuade him Ebola virus disease, which most commonly aff ects a puzzle — but which has always been his country aloof from Nato and remained containable within the ambit to renounce his nuclear weapons. people and nonhuman primates such as monkeys, gorillas there for it? A partner that is also a maintained an independent military of Western alliances and produced little Trump was cold, even dismissive, protector, with a military and security and diplomatic posture, demanding the lasting diplomatic damage. toward Europe after coming to power. and chimpanzees, is caused by one of fi ve Ebola viruses. On network of unrivalled power and reach? removal of all American personnel from And though the invasion has been He had to be cajoled into supporting average, about 50% of people who become ill with Ebola Is the United States still that partner? French soil. blamed for sparking off the present Nato by British Prime Minister Theresa die. That’s been the question of anxious, When De Gaulle made that demand dangerous escalation of tension in May. The current vaccine against Ebola is said to be angry commentators all over Europe to then President Lyndon Johnson, the the region, it did not presage a radical His fi rst meeting with Chancellor experimental and not a licensed product. since President Donald Trump latter is said to have asked whether that shift in a Western policy based on an Angela Merkel of Germany was cool announced on Tuesday he would cease included those US soldiers buried there. endless eff ort to damp down hostilities, to the point of insulting, as he initially According to Peter Salama, deputy director-general of to support the nuclear agreement with But the countries were on the same to remain allied to Israel and to ignored her outstretched hand. emergency preparedness Iran signed by China, the European side, in the end. seek markets for Western products, He expressed support for far-right This would be and response at the Union, France, Germany, Russia and the The Cold War was a disciplining including armaments. French presidential candidate Marine WHO, its use also comes United Kingdom as well as the United force to keep the Europeans in order; Trump’s decision this week is of a Le Pen. the ninth known with many challenges, States. the European centre-left parties diff erent order. Last month, he feted Emmanuel as the vaccine needs to Edward Luce in the Financial Times agreed with those on the right that Paying no heed to the pleas from Macron, fl attering and even kissing him Ebola outbreak to put it bluntly: “History may recall it Communism was a menace which his European allies, and in the face before going on to dismiss the French be stored long-term at as the day the US abandoned its belief must be kept in check by the massive of the united opposition of all other president’s pleas not to withdraw from strike DRC temperatures between in allies… For the fi rst time in decades, deployment of weaponry and troops signatories, he has set out to reshape the Iran deal. minus 60 and minus the US is acting without a European that only the United States could the Middle East. But the renouncing of the Iran deal 80C (minus 76 to minus 112F). partner.” France’s Le Monde says provide. Basing his approach on an Israel takes scorn to another level. that Trump is obsessed with undoing When the Cold War ended with the convinced that Iran is at the root of all This is not just America First, but “This is a highly complex sophisticated operation in one everything achieved by his predecessor collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, terrorist evil, and a Saudi Arabia of the America Alone. of the most diffi cult terrains on Earth,” Salama said. and that Trump’s “absurd” decision the “West” — which includes eastern same mind, he wishes to isolate Iran and It’s a posture which portends Toward that eff ort, WHO released $1mn from its will have a “devastating eff ect” on the outposts like Japan, South Korea, destroy its leadership — hoping that its turbulence, or even war in the Middle emergency fund to launch a rapid response to the outbreak. Middle East. Australia and New Zealand — rejoiced people will replace the present leaders East; a Europe no longer able to believe “The estimated budget for the international response is Franco Venturini in Italy’s Corriere as one, and looked forward to an era of with pro-Western fi gures. that the West can present a united della Sera wrote of a White House that peace, collaboration with old enemies, a And, for good measure, trashing the front; and a United States losing the $18mn for a three-month operation,” the WHO said at the has “opened a wound hard to heal.” On focus on the problems of environment, agreement his reviled predecessor, store of trust and aff ection on which weekend. Germany’s Deutsche Welle channel, poverty and crime. Barack Obama, was instrumental in it has been able, even in disputatious Medical experts say the virus is transmitted to people security analyst Markus Kaim noted They were mostly on same side in achieving. times, to count. from wild animals and spreads in the human population that German, French and British Middle East too. He’s expanding that hardline no- Sad! through human-to-human transmission, either through companies would be harmed by the An invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990 consultation-with-allies approach to direct contact with bodily fl uids such as blood or sanctions as well. was squashed, largely by the United other areas too. zJohn Lloyd co-founded the Reuters The United States and Europe have States; 12 years later, as Iraqi president Later this month he is expected to Institute for the Study of Journalism secretions, organs, sweat, urine, tears, semen, or contact had other diff erences, which in their Saddam Hussein continued to fl out UN announce the formal opening of the at the University of Oxford, where he with materials that are contaminated with these liquids. time were termed crises. sanctions, an American-British alliance US embassy in Jerusalem, in spite of is senior research fellow. The opinions The Ebola virus, also known as Ebola haemorrhagic In 1956, US President Dwight spearheaded the war against him — the controversy over the city’s status, expressed here are his own. fever, has an incubation period of two to 21 days, meaning symptoms can take up to three weeks to appear from the time of infection. There is no single treatment for the Ebola virus. Rather, patients’ symptoms are addressed. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care, with intravenous fl uids to re-hydrate them. Controlling an outbreak of the virus, which has the potential of becoming a pandemic, depends entirely on surveillance and the isolation of cases. Therefore, vigilance has to be raised at airports, seaports and at all entry points for screening passengers from the aff ected region. With WHO confi rming the Ebola outbreak, countries around the world need to take immediate precautions to prevent any spread of the highly fatal disease.

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FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House after signing a proclamation declaring his intention to withdraw the United States from © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, May 8, 2018. Gulf Times Sunday, May 13, 2018 27 QATAR Sahtak Awalan names winners Dana Alfardan’s album reaches of Project: Greenhouse initiative No. 4 in UK chart he winning schools with the launch of the Khayr in this year’s Project: Qatarna brand, which not only TGreenhouse compe- promotes healthy eating but also Auburn Jam Records has tition, an initiative of Weill raises awareness of the impor- released the concept Cornell Medicine - Qatar’s tance of self-suffi ciency and food album of major new (WCM-Q) Sahtak Awalan – security.” musical Broken Wings, Your Health First campaign, Project: Greenhouse is sup- an autobiographical tale have been announced. ported by Sahtak Awalan’s of tragic love based on This year, the school judged strategic partners, Qatar Foun- Lebanese-born poet Kahlil to have produced the most dation, the Ministry of Public Gibran’s 1912 masterpiece. impressive crop of fresh fruit, Health, Ministry of Education The show is written by West vegetables and herbs was & Higher Education, Minis- End star Nadim Naaman Audio Education Complex try of Environment & Munici- (The Phantom of the Opera) was an international best- for Girls. Second place was pality, Occidental Petroleum, and Dana Alfardan, one of seller, remains the third awarded to Seoud Bin Abdul- ExxonMobil and the Supreme the Middle East’s leading best-selling poet of all time, Rehman Elementary School Committee for Delivery & contemporary composers, behind Shakespeare and for Boys, while Um Salal Mo- Legacy. and with orchestrations by Laozi. The events in Broken hammed Elementary School Project: Greenhouse recently Joe Davison. Wings “highlight key social for Girls came third. expanded its scale and scope The album release was issues of the time - the Project: Greenhouse has with a new initiative called marked with a celebration fight for gender equality, provided greenhouses, soil, Khayr Qatarna, which is pro- and performance at the the freedom to love who seeds and plant pots to more moting food security and self- Lebanese embassy in we love, tradition versus than 130 schools across Qatar suffi ciency in Qatar and has in- London recently, and it modernity, wealth versus to help students learn about stalled three large-scale, hi-tech reached No 4 in the iTunes happiness, immigration the environment, sustainabil- climate-controlled greenhouses Fatima al-Obaidly presents Grade 5 students Amina Ayman, Shaheeda Mohamed and Aisha Khalid of soundtrack chart. and the importance of ity, food security, agriculture at chosen schools. These green- Audio Education Complex for Girls with their trophy. The concept album cast is ‘home’ - yet these themes and the benefi ts of eating a houses are being used to grow headed by Rob Houchen are increasingly relevant healthy diet. Students have fruit and vegetables that the (Les Misérables, Titanic) today, over a century later”, a responded with enthusiasm, ministry concerned will then and Hiba Elchikhe (Princess statement notes. planting seeds and tending distribute through local super- Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin) Broken Wings: The Original their crops diligently to pro- markets under the Khayr Qatarna as teenage protagonists Concept Album is now duce bumper yields of cucum- brand. Students will continue to Gibran and Selma, with available for download via bers, tomatoes, aubergines, be involved and will be able to visit composer Nadim Naaman all major online retailers, zucchini, capsicum, cilantro, the greenhouses, learning more (Raoul in the West End’s including iTunes, AmazonMP3 parsley and more. about food production and eco- The Phantom of The Opera) and GooglePlay. Physical That hard work was rewarded nomics. Proceeds from the sale of as Gibran’s older self, the CD copies, complete with when WCM-Q representatives, the produce will be reinvested to show’s narrator. photographs of the workshop joined by Fatima al-Obaidly expand the scheme further. Adam Linstead (Les and recording cast, as well from the Ministry of Education Al-Obaidly said, “We greatly Misérables, Cats) plays as concept art by designer & Higher Education, visited appreciate our partnership with Selma’s father, with Nadeem Claudio Rosas, can be ordered the winning schools to present Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, Crowe (School of Rock) as for worldwide delivery students with trophies in which has built greenhouses in Gibran’s friend Karim, and from http://brokenwings. recognition of their success. Qatari schools to educate stu- Soophia Foroughi (Lady auburnjam.co.uk Nesreen al-Rifai, chief com- dents about the healthy living of the Lake, Spamalot) as Broken Wings will premiere munications offi cer at WCM-Q, and the importance of self- Mother. The album also as a semi-staged production said: “We are very happy to rec- suffi ciency and food security. features Gillian Budd, with a nine-piece orchestra, ognise the hard work and success School is the best place to shape Joseph Claus, Siubhan directed by Bronagh Lagan of all of the children taking part students’ habits and behaviours, Harrison, James Hume, and produced by Ali Matar, at in Project: Greenhouse – they so the greenhouse initiative has Irvine Iqbal, Nikita Johal, the Theatre Royal Haymarket have made us so proud. Their helped raise awareness. In ad- Sami Lamine, Leo Miles and from August 1 to 4, where enthusiasm is what has made dition, the students have begun Lauren James Ray. CDs will be available to Project: Greenhouse such a suc- growing fresh produce at home Writer Gibran, whose purchase. The cast is to be cess and has given us the op- and have replaced fast food with seminal work The Prophet announced. portunity to expand the scheme healthy meals.” Students of Seoud Bin AbdulRehman Elementary School for Boys with their trophy. Temperature soars to 45C

oha and other parts of the to below 3km in some areas. Condi- the Hamad International Airport area country experienced a huge tions were also not suitable for marine at 45C (up by 10C from Friday’s 35C), Djump in the mercury level, with activities as strong winds and high seas Al Khor at 45C (up by 9C from Friday’s the maximum temperature reaching were reported from off shore areas. 36C), Turayna at 45C (up by 7C from 45C, and dusty conditions yesterday. The Met department re-issued an Friday’s 38C) and the Qatar University Today, the Qatar Met department has advisory, prepared in co-ordination area at 44C (up by 8C from Friday’s issued a warning for strong winds in some with the Ministry of Public Health, on 37C), among others, according to the places along with poor visibility and dust. the safety precautions to follow during weather charts. Windy conditions and high seas are dusty conditions. Today, the maximum temperature likely in off shore areas, too. Meanwhile, the maximum tempera- is expected to be 40C in Doha, Wakrah On Friday, the Met department had ture went up by 8C in the Doha airport and Mesaieed. said a “noticeable rise in temperature” area yesterday - 45C - as compared The forecast says it will be hot and scat- was expected on Saturday with the to Friday, when it recorded a high of tered clouds are likely along with slight to maximum expected to reach the early- 37C. Elsewhere, Abu Hamour and Abu blowing dust in some places. Dusty condi- to-mid-40C levels in most areas “due Samra recorded the highest tempera- tions are expected off shore as well. to the eff ect of southerly dust-raising ture yesterday at 46C. This marked an The wind speed (northwesterly- fresh to strong winds”, advising people increase of 8C for Abu Hamour from northerly) will be 10-18 knots, going to avoid exposure to direct sunlight. Friday’s 38C and 5C for Abu Samra up to 22 knots in some areas. South- In line with this forecast, diff erent from Friday’s 41C. easterly winds will prevail in the parts of the country experienced hot Other places with high temperatures early hours off shore, which will be- conditions yesterday with southerly yesterday include Wakrah at 45C (up come northwesterly later blowing at fresh to strong winds causing blowing by 12C from Friday’s 33C), Mesaieed a speed of 13-23 knots and reaching a dust and low visibility, which dropped at 45C (up by 11C from Friday’s 34C), high of 27 knots.

Motorists caught in dust in Doha yesterday. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam University fair at ABP highlights education opportunities for pupils nder the umbrella Education City (ABP-EC) universities all over the university fairs yearly to en- of Pre-University to meet with perspective world. It’s not only about sure that students studying UEducation at Qatar students and inform them location, but also about the at the ABP are never short Foundation, the Academic about the educational op- best ‘fi t’ for their comfort of options and educational Bridge Programme’s (ABP) portunities they provide. level, study methods and opportunities, according to counselling team organised The event held on the lifestyle choices. Majors a press statement. a university fair inviting 21 ABP-EC campus was open of study, programmes and The All-Qatar University universities from around to the public, apart from career discovery are just a Fair was held on January 16 the world. ABP students, school coun- small part of opening up the and was also open to the Universities from places sellors, high school stu- next phase of exploration public. In addition, stu- such as the US, Hong Kong, dents and their parents. for students to learn and dents at the ABP constantly Germany and Switzerland, Jacqueline Nottingham, grow.” take advantage of university off ering diff erent majors, ABP counsellor, said: “Stu- The Academic Bridge fairs and visits organised visited the LAS building in dents should learn about Program organises many specifi cally for them. Gulf Times 28 Sunday, May 13, 2018 QATAR

Quest Gala charity event raises over QR1mn for EAA Foundation

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Omniah Omar Alfardan said that organising the event was aimed at improving the conditions of underprivileged children, who are unable to get decent education due to barriers such as poverty, confl ict and natural disasters, through the Education Above All Foundation. She noted that the gala auction refl ected the ability of young people like her to make a positive impact in the world. She added: “Holding this event for Education Above All is part of our moral and social values towards education’s role in building future generations who will lead and cre- Omar Alfardan and other participants at the charity gala dinner. Omniah Omar Alfardan addressing the gathering at the event. ate a more secure future for humanity. We are keen to see the signifi cant outcome of these eff orts and fulfi l its mis- sion inspired by the vision of our wise leadership, which considers education as among its top priorities. Our goal is to set an example for the coming generations to take the same footsteps and create real opportunities for improv- ing the lives of children by equipping them with proper knowledge. We renew our commitment to support Edu- cation Above All and its projects, this year through the Rohingya and Educate Girls projects, to ensure that every child has access to quality education as the cornerstone in achieving the desired change we hope to see in many communities around the world.” In 2017, the gala event successfully solicited QR1,030,000 and featured unique and rare art pieces, including paintings, sculptures, abayas, watches, photo- One of the valued items auctioned at the event. graphs and jewellery designed by Omniah Omar Alfardan.

One of the items auctioned at the event. Guests and patrons at the gala dinner The auction in progress.