QATAR | Page 2 SPORT | Page 12 Coe admits tough road ahead for INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2, 3, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 athletics REGION 3 BUSINESS 1 – 6, 8 – 12 16,022.53 8,584.01 31.54 ARAB WORLD 3, 4 CLASSIFIED 7, 8 12 new public gardens +139.85 -105.36 +2.01 INTERNATIONAL 5 – 17 SPORTS 1 – 12 +0.88% -1.21% +6.81% set to open this year Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

SATURDAY Vol. XXXVI No. 9976 January 23, 2016 Rabia II 13, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Qatar beat North Korea

In brief Qatar Airways

EUROPE | Tragedy Dozens drown as targets new migrant boat sinks Forty-five people drowned when three refugee boats sank yesterday off Greece, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel obtained a pledge from Turkey to “do everything” to stop record numbers of migrants investments heading to Europe. Despite wintry conditions, thousands of people fleeing We are looking at many airlines, ceremony at the Bahrain International war and misery are still embarking says Qatar Airways chief executive Air Show, reports the offi cial Qatar on the dangerous journey across the off icer Akbar al-Baker News Agency (QNA). Mediterranean to seek a better life The aircraft was inaugurated by Qa- in Europe. In a stark illustration of Bloomberg tar’s Minister of Transportation, HE the high cost of the voyage, Greek Dubai Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti and al- and Turkish coastguards recovered Baker. the bodies of 45 migrants - including Al-Baker said: “We are delighted to 20 children - whose boats capsized atar Airways chief executive reveal the Gulfstream G650ER here at on their way to Greece, off icials said offi cer Akbar al-Baker said he the Bahrain International Airshow. It yesterday. Page 11 Qintends to make more invest- is with enormous pride that we wel- ments in other airlines this year as the come the industry’s most advanced Gulf carrier seeks opportunities to ex- business jet into our fl eet. REGION | Capture pand. “We look forward to off ering our Dubai police “We are looking at many airlines,”al- valued and discerning customers the catch lion cub Baker said in an interview at the Bah- opportunity to experience this new- rain Air Show, declining to identify generation aircraft, the next time they Police and animal handlers in Dubai potential targets. fl y with Qatar Executive.” have captured a lion cub which “Either they will be successful air- It was the first time the jet has been appears to have escaped from a lines or they will be airlines where we showcased to the public since it was private home, off icials said yesterday. Qatar’s Akram Afif celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal against North see there is high potential and that Al-Baker addressing a news conference handed over to Qatar Executive by The lion was spotted on the streets Korea in their AFC U23 Championship quarter-final match at the Sheikh Jassim potential is not being properly exer- at the Bahrain Air Show yesterday. Gulfstream at its headquarters in Sa- of Al Barsha quarter on Thursday bin Hamad Stadium in Al Sadd yesterday. Qatar won 2-1 in extra time and will take cised.” stand this rigorous climate condi- vannah in December last year. This evening. Experts were quickly called on the winners of the match between South Korea and Jordan in the semi-finals. The state-owned airline bought a tions,” al-Baker said, adding that it aircraft is the first of an order by Qa- in to help the police and they brought PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil. See also Sport Pages 1 and 2 10% stake in British Airways’ parent will be several more months before tar Executive for up to 30 business the animal to the local zoo. Police IAG last year, and adding more invest- Qatar Air gets its fi rst A320neo. jets, including its all-new G500 and were investigating the assumed owner ments would bring it closer to a strat- “It’s extremely important for us to G600, for which the airline is the glo- and how the four-month-old lion was egy pursued by Etihad Airways, the take delivery of this airplane because bal launch customer. imported into the country. Abu Dhabi fl ag carrier that’s snapped we’re short of capacity.” As the world’s largest and fastest ci- up equity holdings in carriers from Air vilian aircraft, the Gulfstream G650ER ASIA | Tension In a bid to off set the impact, Qatar Berlin to Air Seychelles. Air will add ultra-long haul routes is one of the most sought-after busi- North Korea detains Ministers see Airlines in the Gulf have used their with new fl ights to Chile’s capital ness jets thanks to its phenomenal visiting US student favourable geographic position at Santiago and Auckland in New Zea- range, industry-leading cabin tech- the crossroads of global fl ight paths, nology and unparalleled cabin com- North Korea has detained a US land using Boeing 777-LR aircraft. The building giant transfer hubs that con- fort. university student, the third Western airline will also deploy Airbus A350s nect passengers between Asia and The Qatar Executive G650ER air- citizen known to be held in the isolated chance for Gulf on more routes this year, including Europe and the US with just one stop- craft can fl y non-stop from the Middle state, for committing a “hostile act” Phuket, Marrakesh and Lisbon, al- over in the Gulf. East to North America or from des- and wanting to “destroy the country’s Baker said. At the same time, the airlines face tinations in Asia to Africa – farther, unity”, it said yesterday. Otto Frederick Meanwhile, Qatar Executive, Qatar potential limitations to their growth Warmbier, 21, of the University of economic reforms Airways’ corporate jet division, has faster than any other jet of its kind – Virginia, was in North Korea for a five- plans as the US and some European revealed its new Gulfstream G650ER and is perfectly suited for those whose carriers seeks to rein in their expan- and offi cially welcomed the aircraft travel needs include fl ying halfway day New Year trip and was detained at AFP “We saw an opportunity to have peo- sion. Al-Baker has talked about form- into the fl eet with a ribbon-cutting around the globe. Pyongyang airport on January 2 ahead Davos ple do the right thing, which is to pay of a flight back to China, said Gareth the right cost of energy,” said Emirati ing a splinter group within the One- world alliance. Johnson of Young Pioneer Tours, which Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei. CEO rejects consolidation in Gulf region organised the visit. Page 8 he sharp drop in the price of “We need to rethink about major Qatar Air had previously said it was oil, the lifeblood of Gulf econo- reforms that make our budgets inde- considering an investment in Royal Air The CEO of Qatar Airways said he was agree with consolidation, always done mies, is an opportunity to end pendent from oil revenues,” he added. Maroc and had expressed interest in not in favour of regional consolidation, to extract capacity and jack up prices,” PAKISTAN | Order T subsidies and introduce reforms in the After liberalising fuel prices in June, increasing its IAG stake after making rejecting any need for the Gulf region al-Baker said during a panel at the Court lift s ban on energy-rich region, ministers said yes- Mazrouei said the UAE is looking into the initial investment. to join in the trend for mergers which Bahrain Airshow yesterday, pointing to hunting of rare bird terday. lifting subsidies on other products and The Gulf carrier was scheduled has raised airline profitability elsewhere US carriers as an example. “With low prices... it is the right services, including on electricity. to take delivery of the fi rst Airbus in the world, reports Reuters. In Europe, there has already been Pakistan’s Supreme Court yesterday time” to cut subsidies on oil products, “That’s not healthy,” he said, speak- A320neo by the end of last year but In other aviation markets, like the US, some consolidation, with the five lifted a ban on the hunting of the Kuwait’s Finance Minister Anas al- ing of gas sold to electricity providers at has faced delays due to shortcomings the number of airlines has shrunk as largest airline groups now controlling houbara bustard, reversing its previous Saleh said at the World Economic Fo- subsidised rates, stressing the need to of the engines, al-Baker said, citing is- carriers have consolidated, helping around half of the journeys made by order to stop the bird being killed. In rum in Davos, Switzerland. “apply international prices”. sues with performance in the region’s them become more profitable, so air passengers in the region. August, a three-judge panel of the In a panel on the future of economic The head of Bahrain’s Economic De- high temperatures. much so that US airlines now account Al-Baker also took a swipe at legacy court imposed a ban on killing the reform in the Arab world, Saleh - also velopment Board, Khalid al-Rumaihi, Deutsche Lufthansa, in the mean- for more than half of global earnings in European carriers, saying they were houbara bustard which is considered Kuwait’s acting oil minister - said that went further, describing the sharp drop time, became the fi rst carrier to re- the airline industry. But Qatar Airways disadvantaged by their own inef- endangered by over-hunting. It is record low oil prices would make the in oil revenues as a “blessing in dis- ceive the Airbus plane, taking delivery CEO Akbar al-Baker said consolidation ficiencies, not by the growth of Gulf prized as a game bird by visiting lifting of subsidies on fuel products guise,” because it provides an “oppor- this week. could be bad for consumers. “I don’t carriers. wealthy Arabs. Page 15 easier on consumers. tunity for reforms”. “We need an engine that will with- Thorough revamping must for Industrial Area roads

ost of the streets on the east- streets,” a resident of one of the ac- ern side of Doha Industrial commodations of the area said. MArea, which have not seen When it is raining, the entire area re- maintenance for several years, are full mains inaccessible as most streets are of potholes and require a thorough re- marooned and muddy environs make pair. life extremely diffi cult, for the resi- “It is extremely diffi cult to drive dents. through these streets,” a regular visitor The waterlogging of many streets for to the location told Gulf Times. As there several weeks after rains has led to ex- are hardly any motorable stretches treme growth of the common reed and on streets 36 to 43, motorists have no other vegetation, the best example be- option but to use the “service” areas, ing Street 42, hindering traffi c. which are not much better. Though works are expected to start The “roundabouts” on Al Manajer in some of the streets as part of the Street have been in a highly dilapidat- infrastructure development to be un- ed state for long. Large “craters” have dertaken in the area, no one knows replaced the roundabouts and motor- for sure when would they eventually ists unfamiliar with the area end up start. in trouble after their vehicles fall into Reeds and other vegetation have grown along the Street 42 of the Industrial Area. The delay is not only causing undue them. One of the “trenches” that replaced a roundabout on Street 37. PICTURES: Jayan Orma hardships to the inmates of the accom- These streets are used daily by heavy modations but also to those numerous trailers and trucks carrying goods from food suppliers in addition to construc- the deplorable conditions of the streets, frequently getting stuck in the “craters”. the area get good business as many distribution vehicles operating to and and to the warehouses of most of Doha’s tion vehicles and equipment. Owing to there have been reports of such vehicles “The automobile workshops in heavy vehicles get damaged on these from the area. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, January 23, 2016 QATAR WISH to hold 12 new public gardens ‘behavioural insights’ forum set to open this year in November he World Innovation Sum- David Halpern, chief ex- s many as 60 new public gardens mit for Health (WISH), a ecutive of the Behavioural will be opened across the country Tglobal initiative of Qatar Insights Team and board di- Aduring 2016-2017, a senior offi cial Foundation for Education, Sci- rector, and chair of the forum, at the Ministry of Municipality and Urban ence and Community Develop- said, “Behavioural factors Planning (MMUP) has said. ment (QF), announced that a ‘be- such as diet, smoking, and ac- “The focus will be on the areas that havioural insights’ forum will be cidents now account for the have few gardens and parks. The aim is to held during its conference slated majority of healthy years of increase the green areas around the coun- be held in November. life lost. Within medical prac- try and the public recreation places,” said The behavioural insights fo- tice, behavioural factors also Khalid Ahmed al-Sindi, head, projects rum will present groundbreak- loom large in the transmission section at the public gardens department, ing, evidence-based research of infectious disease, medical MMUP. showing how citizen’s health adherence, and clinical errors. A total of 12 public gardens are sched- can be maintained and im- Yet these behavioural factors uled to be opened this year. During the fi ve proved through better under- have received comparatively year plan (2010-2015) a total of 40 new standing and application of the little attention, and the be- public gardens were opened around the latest evidence on the factors havioural models within the country, the offi cial added. which infl uence behaviour, led medical community remain Al-Sindi pointed out that the depart- by a UK government-owned surprisingly undeveloped.” ment has started to implement the theme social purpose company, The The report will also present park concept in its gardens, where every Behavioural Insights Team. a shortlist of the interventions garden will have a general shape of a snail, Using a broad defi nition of that have the most potential, a painting brush or a leaf, while adequate health, the report will cover while stressing the impor- play area and games will be planned in three main areas: quality of life tance of continually testing harmony. and wellbeing, public health, new ideas and adapting to the “The department is set to introduce and delivery of healthcare. It results they generate. water games in two of the new 12 gardens will further demonstrate how Egbert Schillings, CEO, as an experiment with special focus on behavioural insights can be ap- WISH, said: “As with previ- maintaining family privacy,” the offi cial plied at the macro level of high- ous summits, WISH seeks to revealed. level policies and system de- present pioneering and com- The closure that takes place at some sign, as well as at the micro level prehensive scientifi c research parks is often meant for introducing more of experimentation, to achieve that provides answers to some improvements and enhancing safety and incremental improvements for of the toughest questions fac- security requirements, he added. A view of Al Khor Park. the benefi t of societies. ing the healthcare sector today. QBRI’s outreach campaign Poor visibility expected aims to improve healthcare

atar Biomedical Re- the research being conducted search Institute (QBRI), on its causes, prevention, and Qa national research in- treatment. To raise awareness stitute of Hamad Bin Khalifa about self-examinations and on University (HBKU), organised a research in the fi eld, QBRI or- series of awareness campaigns, ganised a series of public events focusing on breast cancer re- and lectures in HBKU, Qatar search, brain and diabetes. University, and Villaggio mall. QBRI’s community out- QBRI launched a diabetes reach programmes help bridge campaign around the World the gap between the scientifi c Diabetes Day. In collaboration Poor visibility due to fog is expected today in the early hours. Fog had reduced visibility across the community and the public, in- with the Qatar Diabetes Asso- country early in the morning from Tuesday to Thursday and late in the evening on Wednesday and spiring greater academic inter- ciation, QBRI scientists from its Thursday. More than 100 road traff ic accidents occurred on Tuesday morning across Qatar, as a est in biomedical science and Diabetes and Obesity Research result of the low visibility. The expected maximum temperature today is 24C at Mesaieed, Wakrah, encouraging individuals to be Centre discussed causes and Abu Samra and in Doha, followed by 23C at Al Khor, 22C at Ruwais and 19C at Dukhan. The conscious of their health. The treatments for the disease at a minimum temperature of 14C is expected at Mesaieed, Wakrah and Abu Samra, followed by 15C in institute organised a breast public event. QBRI scientists Doha and Al Khor, and 16C at Dukhan and Al Khor. A group of expatriate workers are seen walking cancer awareness campaign also shared their insights about in fog on Thursday evening at Wukair, a Doha suburb. PICTURE: Jayan Orma in October, a diabetes aware- the most promising research ness campaign in November discoveries and clinical trials and a number of youth-focused being conducted on the ways in events around brain awareness which stem cells may be used to in December. treat diabetes patients. Dr Hilal Lashuel, executive QBRI in collaboration with director, QBRI, commented: the International Brain Or- “Our community outreach and ganisation and local institu- Biomedical students awareness campaigns repre- tions, organised a number of sent essential elements of our youth-focused activities for strategy to engage the public Brain Awareness Week. The as partners in our eff orts to im- primary objectives of these prove healthcare through the activities were to share the ex- citement around the subject of of QU present theses development of new approach for prevention, early detection brain research and to encour- and targeted and personalised age young students to pursue ight biomedical sciences entists from QU Biomedical Re- Cells in vitro”, “Transcriptional treatment for diseases that af- future careers in science and masters students from search Centre (BRC) and Sidra. changes of Mycoplasma Con- fect the Qatari population.” brain research. Events ranged Ethe Department of Health The judging panel included tamination in gene expression Among Qatari women, breast from a pre-school event, to a Sciences (DHS) at Qatar Univer- DHS members and those from studies, Identifying the con- cancer diagnosis is projected Brain Talk competition encour- sity College of Arts and Sciences external institutions such as Weill tribution of Toll Like Recep- to increase 60% over the next aging 10-12 years old to create a (QU-CAS) have presented their Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM- tors in Pathogenesis of Diabetic six years, necessitating more 10-minute movie to discuss the Thesis I projects for the fall se- Q), Hamad Medical Corpora- Retinopathy in Human Microv- Children take part in an activity during Brain Awareness Week. awareness of the disease and parts of the brain. mester. tion (HMC), Supreme Council of ascular Retial Endothelial Cells The students - Attiyah Ra- Health (SCH), and Qatar Biomed- in vitro”, “Screening novel mo- madan Saif, Eman al-Azwani, ical Research Institute (QBRI). lecular targets of metformin in Fadheela Dad Bakhsh, Lubna Dr Asma al-Thani, DHS head breast cancer by proteomic ap- Zidan, Maria Khalid Smatti, Re- and BRC director, said: “This proach”, “Seroprevalence and ham Awni al-Kahlout, Shaymaa gives students the opportunity Phylogenetic Genotyping of Salaheddine Dib, and Yasmin to gain feedback from their peers Epstein Barr Virus among Blood Walid Abuaqel - each gave a and interact with experts in the Donors in Qatar”, “Seropreva- Ashghal holds safety awareness 25-minute oral presentation to fi eld. It is their moment to show lence of Anti-Mers-CoV anti- a panel of judges on the progress the range of their research skills bodies among high and low risk of their projects. This was fol- and their ability to communicate population groups in Qatar”, “In lowed by a fi ve-minute question their scientifi c work to various Depth Characterization of Mes- training for construction sector and answer with the audience audiences.” enchymal Stem Cells derived comprising around 20 under- Topics included “Eff ect of microvesicles by quantitative graduate and graduate students endoplasmic reticulum stress Proteomics”, and “Investigating uality and safety de- the training and develop- sion of the Qatar Construction months, the authority imple- from the Biomedical Sciences mediated by hyperglycemia in the validity and signifi cance of partment of the Public ment section of the human Specifi cations related to the mented a training plan which Programme, biomedical sci- barrier function in Human Mi- variant cells by next generation QWorks Authority (Ash- resources department. industry requirements, stand- featured 8 sessions about the ences faculty, and research sci- crovascular Retinal Endothelial sequencing”. ghal) organised training cours- The fi rst lecture of the train- ards and management sys- Qatar Construction Specifi - es to raise awareness about ing course included a general tems of safety and accidents cations 2010 (The previous the safety procedures in the explanation and defi nition of prevention. version). construction sector. the Qatar Construction Speci- The training courses also aim Ashghal held the workshops The courses were held to fi cations 2014. It was fol- to guarantee the application of with the intention of informing enhance public’s knowledge lowed by another lecture on these specifi cations in the best its projects managers and en- and application of the require- how to evaluate the occupa- way possible and in all of the gineers of all requirements and ments and standards of the oc- tional health and safety plan in work sites of the authority’s standards approved by these cupational health and safety projects and how safety manag- projects. specifi cations. plan, approved by the upgrad- ers and supervisors can assess The importance of the oc- Certifi cates were given to ed version of the Qatar Con- contractors. cupational health and safety participants who passed the struction Specifi cations (QCS First Safety engineer Ehab plan lies in being one of the tests, and the last set of cer- 2014), according to an Ashghal Saleh made the fi rst presen- key elements for the preven- tifi cates was distributed in No- statement. tation while the second was tion and minimising acci- vember. The certifi cates were The training workshops are by Safety Specialist Yasser dents at workplaces. There- distributed to 77 participants held once a week in the pres- Berzan. fore, the evaluation and for the training courses held in ence of project managers and The Ashghal is keen to hold approval of the plan must be May and June last year. engineers from Ashghal. The such training courses to spe- done on a scientific and ob- Soon, certifi cates will be participants are nominated cialists in the fi eld of health jectives basis in order to serve distributed to 68 participants by various departments, sec- and safety of projects for mak- its purpose. who attended the training tions, and projects and are ing them aware of the amend- Ashghal began such work- courses held in October and held in collaboration with ments in the upgraded ver- shops in 2010. During the past November last year. The panel of judges at the event. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 3 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD Japan govt lifts Iran sanctions after N-deal With the lifting of the covering trade deals involving oil refi ner Hellenic Petroleum has sanctions, Japanese Iran. Japanese business will also agreed to buy crude oil from the insurance companies will be be able make new investments in National Iranian Oil Company able to issue policies covering Iran’s oil and gas sector. (NIOC), the fi rst European refi ner trade deals involving Iran An investment agreement be- to restart trade relations with Iran tween Tehran and Tokyo is ex- after the lifting of international Reuters pected to be signed soon. Japanese sanctions. Tokyo companies are already lining up Hellenic Petroleum was a ma- to resume business ties with Iran, jor buyer of Iranian crude, which with Suzuki Motor Corporation accounted for about 20% of the apan yesterday lifted sanctions on Thursday saying it was con- southeast European country’s Qatar’s ambassador to Turkey, Salem bin Mubarak al-Shafi,right, shaking hands with a senior official after signing the participation on Iran, falling in line with ma- sidering returning to the Iranian annual crude oil imports before agreement. Jjor world powers after the UN market. sanctions were imposed on Te- atomic energy agency confi rmed The International Atomic En- hran in 2011. last weekend that Tehran had fully ergy Agency (IAEA) ruled on The agreement came after taken steps to curb its disputed January 16, that Iran had abided Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister Amir nuclear programme. by an agreement last year with six Hossein Zamaninia and his Greek Iran emerged from years of eco- world powers to curtail its nuclear counterpart Panos Skourletis met in Athens yestreday. Qatar set to take part nomic isolation when the US and programme, triggering the end of other countries lifted crippling sanctions. The two ministers also attend- sanctions against the Islamic re- The US and other countries for- ed talks between executives from public. mally lifted banking, steel, ship- Hellenic Petroleum and NIOC. Tens of billions of dollars worth ping and other sanctions on Iran, Under the deal, the refi ner will start buying oil from Iran imme- in Expo 2016 Antalya of Iranian assets are now unfrozen a major oil producer that has been and global companies that have virtually shut out of international diately and will settle its multimn been barred from doing business markets for the past fi ve years. euro outstanding debt to NIOC, QNA ceremony that was attended by He said the national agenda begin on April 23 and run until there will be able to exploit a mar- Iran has always denied its nu- Hellenic Petroleum said in a Ankara a number of Turkish offi cials, aspired to establish Qatar as October 2016. It will have four ket hungry for everything from clear programme was aimed at bourse fi ling. Hellenic Petroleum al-Shafi addressed the audience one of the leading world coun- sub-themes, including history, automobiles to airplane parts. obtaining an atomic bomb. is estimated to owe Iran around and expressed his gratitude and tries in sustainability and green bio-diversity, sustainability “Japan would like to strengthen Washington still maintains $550-600mn for oil it bought be- atar’s ambassador to appreciation to the government building, especially at the cur- and green cities. It is expected our co-operative relationship separate, less comprehensive fore the sanctions but was unable Turkey, Salem bin Mu- and people of Turkey. rent phase when it has launched to attract 8mn visitors from all with Iran further and contribute sanctions on Iran over its missile to pay when the international em- Qbarak al-Shafi , in his The ambassador said that a massive infrastructure pro- over the world. to the peace and stability of the programme. bargo was imposed. capacity as a general commis- Qatar was glad to take part in gramme related to the 2022 The exposition is planned Middle East through our tradi- That has left some companies “The deal was achieved after sioner of Qatar’s pavilion at the Antalya event, praising the World Cup. to be set up in a huge fi eld, tional friendly relationship with cautious, with Japanese oil refi n- consecutive meetings in Athens Expo 2016 Antalya about fl ow- “fraternal ties” between Qatar He expressed hope that Qa- which will include an Expo Iran,” chief cabinet secretary ers telling Reuters last week they and Tehran,” Hellenic Petroleum ers and children, yesterday and Turkey. tar would help in conveying the tower symbolising Hadrian’s Yoshihide Suga said as he made will keep using special govern- said. “The deal is benefi cial for signed Qatar’s participation He added that Qatar’s par- concept of green life and sus- Gate, Turkey’s fi rst agriculture the announcement at a regular ment insurance to ship Iranian both sides.” agreement in the event, while ticipation would refl ect the tainability through the Expo and biodiversity museum, a press conference. oil because of uncertainty over After meeting Zamininia, Sk- the expo’s general commis- country’s culture and history 2016 Antalya onto the whole congress centre, two amphi- With the lifting of the sanc- whether US insurers can provide ourletis told Reuters Iran believed sioner Erdogan Kok signed on as well as its eff orts to promote world. theatres, an artifi cial island tions, Japanese insurance compa- coverage. Greece could be a conduit for re- behalf of the Turkish side. sustainability in line with Qatar Expo 2016 Antalya, titled for children and a science and nies will be able to issue policies Meanwhile, Greece’s biggest entering Europe’s oil market. At the outset of the signing National Vision 2030. “Flowers and Children,” will technology centre. Xi starts Yemen loyalists accuse Tehran visit rebels of seizing journalists

AFP hind the kidnapping of the three holding,” he said. The Houthis AFP Aden men. overran Sanaa more than a Tehran Their car was found aban- year ago, forcing Hadi’s gov- doned near the central Hurriya ernment to flee the capital for emen’s loyalist militia square, an area under the con- second city Aden and then to hinese President Xi Jin- yesterday accused rebels trol of loyalists, it said. Riyadh. ping arrived in Tehran Yof responsibility for the The city of Taez is held by loy- Hadi loyalists backed by a Cyesterday on the third kidnapping of two Al Jazeera alists of Yemen’s international- Saudi-led coalition have fought leg of a Middle East tour aimed journalists and their driver who ly-recognised government, but back and for weeks been trying at boosting economic ties with went missing in the fl ashpoint it has been besieged by Iran- to retake Taez province and pave the region. central city of Taez. backed rebels for months. the way towards the rebel-held State news agency Irna said Al Jazeera correspondent The New York-based Com- capital. Xi, accompanied by three dep- Hamdi al-Bokari, his colleague mittee to Protect Journalists Meanwhile, air strikes have uty premiers and six ministers Abdulaziz al-Sabri and driver (CPJ) yesterday called for the killed six people, including as well as a high-ranking busi- Munir al-Subaie have been immediate release of Bokari and an ambulance driver working ness delegation, was greeted at missing since Monday night. his companions. for Doctors Without Borders Tehran airport by Iranian For- The Doha-based news chan- “Security in Yemen has rap- (MSF), and wounded 40 others, eign Minister Mohamed Javad nel has said Bokari, who was idly deteriorated in the past the relief agency said. Zarif. covering the confl ict between year, making it one of the most The strikes hit the villages of The president, who has al- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his rebels and forces loyal to Presi- dangerous places in the world to Dhahyan, Baqim and Jawf on ready visited Egypt and Saudi arrival at Mehrabad airport in Tehran yesterday. dent Abd-Rabbu Mansour work as a journalist,” said CPJ’s Thursday afternoon in north- Arabia, will meet today with Hadi, had apparently been kid- Sherif Mansour. ern Yemen’s Saada province, his Iranian counterpart Has- according to local media. was worth $52bn in 2014. 16 accords including a strate- napped. “We call on all parties to said MSF spokeswoman Malak san Rouhani and the Islamic Beijing is Tehran’s top cus- Iranian Deputy Foreign gic co-operation agreement The Popular Resistance mi- cease targeting journalists and Shaher. republic’s supreme leader, tomer for oil exports and trade Minister Ebrahim Rahimpour are to be signed during Xi’s litia charged that Shia Houthi to free immediately all mem- The area is a stronghold of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khamenei, between the two countries has told state television that visit. rebels and their allies were be- bers of the media that they are Houthi rebels. Syria opposition rules out talks before end to Russian air raids

Reuters said he was still aiming “at rolling political and armed opponents, One of the biggest rebel factions Muslim told Reuters that the Beirut out the talks” on January 25, and including rebel factions fi ghting in the HNC, Jaysh al-Islam, said Syrian Kurds must be represent- would be “assessing progress over Damascus in western Syria. the opposition was facing “many ed at peace talks or they will fail. the weekend”. The west is the main theatre of pressures” to make concessions He also accused Jaysh al-Islam he Syrian opposition has Russia said the talks could be the war between rebels and Da- but credited Saudi Arabia, Turkey of fostering the “same mental- ruled out even indirect ne- delayed until January 27 or 28 be- mascus, whose military position and Qatar for helping it to “over- ity” as Al Qaeda and Islamic Tgotiations with Damascus cause of the disagreement over has been bolstered since Septem- come these pressures”. State. before steps including a halt to who would represent the opposi- ber by Russian warplanes and Ira- The lead negotiator picked by “If there are some parties that Russian air strikes, contradicting tion. nian ground forces. the HNC for the hoped-for ne- are eff ective in this Syria issue US Secretary of State John Kerry’s George Sabra, a senior opposi- Russian warplanes continued gotiations is a Jaysh al-Islam who are not at the table, it will be insistence that talks will begin tion offi cial, said the obstacles to to bomb many parts of western member, another potential com- the same as what happened in Ge- next week. the talks were still there, reiter- and northern Syria yesterday, par- plication facing the talks because neva 2,” Muslim, co-chair of the With the fi ve-year-old Syr- ating demands for the lifting of ticularly Latakia province, where Russia claims it is a terrorist Kurdish Democratic Union Party ian war showing no signs of end- blockades on populated areas and the government is pressing an of- group. (PYD) told Reuters, referring to ing, it looks increasingly uncer- the release of detainees, measures fensive against rebels, the Syrian The HNC has said it will not failed negotiations in 2014. tain that peace talks will begin as set out in a December 18 Security Observatory for Human Rights join any negotiations if a third Jaysh al-Islam last year backed planned on January 25 in Geneva, Council resolution that endorsed reported. party attends, rejecting Russia’s away from hardline rhetoric heard partly because of a dispute over the peace process. Pro-government forces cap- bid to expand the opposition dele- from it earlier in the confl ict, say- the composition of the opposition “There must be a halt to the tured a dam 10km from the town gation to include the Kurdish PYD ing Syrians should be free to pick delegation. bombardment of civilians by Rus- of Salma, seized last week in and others. their form of government and Peace eff orts face huge under- sian planes, and sieges of block- one of the most signifi cant gains The Kurds control vast areas of Alawites were part of the Syrian lying challenges, among them aded areas must be lifted,” said since Russia intervened. “They’ve northern and northeastern Syria nation. disagreements over President Sabra, who was this week named tightened their stranglehold on where they have set up an autono- The Kremlin yesterday reject- Bashar al-Assad’s future and ten- as a senior member of the opposi- (rebel) fi ghters in the Latakia mous administration which they ed a report that an envoy for Pu- sions between Saudi Arabia and tion delegation to any talks. “The countryside,” Observatory direc- say should be a model for settling tin asked Assad to step down last Iran. Russia yesterday denied a re- form of the talks does not concern tor Rami Abdulrahman said. the Syrian confl ict. year, Tass news agency reported. port that President Vladimir Putin us, but the conditions must be ap- Later in the day they had re- The opposition accuses the The Financial Times had earlier had asked Assad to step down last propriate for the negotiations,” he captured another fi ve villages, all Kurds of co-operating with Da- reported that the head of Rus- year. told Reuters. strategically located in hills over- mascus, a charge they deny. One sian military intelligence agency The Syrian government has Sabra’s opposition council, the looking insurgent positions, he opposition offi cial said on Thurs- travelled to Damascus at the end A girl carrying a baby inspects damage at a site hit by what said it is ready to take part in the High Negotiations Committee said, describing it as a “strategic day the Kurds should attend on of last year to ask Assad to step activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in Geneva talks on time. The offi ce (HNC), was formed in Saudi Ara- advance” towards the Turkish the government side. down only to be angrily rebuff ed. the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, in this January of UN envoy Staff an de Mistura bia last month. It groups Assad’s border. Syrian Kurdish leader Saleh Page 4 10, 2016 file photo. Gulf Times 4 Saturday, January 23, 2016 ARAB WORLD Jordan under pressure over stranded Syrian refugees

Reuters town in the desert east of Homs that Russia entered the crisis there was a zone far from any inhabited area in Hadalat, Jordan the Syrian government and its allies are much bigger infl ow of refugees and Putin ‘asked Assad to step aside’ either Syria or Jordan, is a three-kilo- trying to recapture. wounded,” Brigadier General Saber al- metre stretch of berms built a decade “I fl ed for safety with my children Mahayreh, commander of Jordan’s Bor- Russian President Vladimir Putin sent an envoy to Damascus late last year to ago to combat smuggling. The rest of yrian refugees who have trekked from the raids,” he told Reuters dur- der Guard, told reporters on the visit. ask Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to “step aside,” the Financial Times reported the border is heavily guarded by pa- across the desert fl eeing expand- ing a media visit to the area organised Part of the US-led coalition that is yesterday. The newspaper said Putin sent Colonel-General Igor Sergun, director trols and drones. The refugees, most Sing Russian air strikes are receiv- by the Jordanian army. “I don’t under- bombing Syria, Jordan has long been of Russia’s military intelligence agency, to make the request “just weeks before of them families, women and children, ing a less-than-warm welcome in Jor- stand why they have to shell markets praised for helping refugees and been (Sergun’s) death on January 3.” Sergun bore a message to Assad, saying the walked for days and now inhabit the dan, which is keeping them penned up and homes and kill innocent people.” a big benefi ciary of foreign aid as a Kremlin “believed it was time for him to step aside,” it said. The Syrian leader area between two berms - technically miles from anywhere on the grounds Human Rights Watch (HRW) pub- result. But it is now drawing criticism “angrily refused” Sergun’s request, the newspaper said, citing two “senior West- part of Jordan - devoid of water, vege- some of them may be militants. lished satellite imagery of the areas from Western allies as well as the UN ern intelligence off icials” who provided details of the mission. It said Moscow’s tation or shade, housed in tents woven Some 17,000 Syrians are now last June showing hundreds of people High Commissioner for Refugees and proposal involved “a choreographed transition of power that would maintain the from blankets and cloth. stranded in a de facto no-man’s land at already crowded at the border. It said other aid agencies for over the situa- Alawite regime but open the door to realistic negotiations with moderate rebels.” Relief workers who declined to be the only crossing where Jordan still re- those let in were then forcibly deported tion at Hadalat. If confirmed, the move would reflect a shift by Putin, who has publicly backed identifi ed due to the sensitivities of the ceives refugees, in sparsely populated back to Syria. The UNHCR in December said Jor- al-Assad, a member of the ruling Alawite sect, and insisted that he must be part situation said there have been reports desert where the borders of Syria, Jor- But the situation has become much dan should accept the refugees and of any political solution in Syria. of fatalities due to the conditions, dan and Iraq meet some 330km north- worse since Russia started air strikes on move them on to established camps without giving details. When report- east of Amman. Sept. 30 in its eff ort to support Presi- closer to the capital, Amman. US Pres- ers visited the area, a border guard was Abu Talaat Nejm, among a handful dent Bashar al-Assad, at fi rst concen- ident Barack Obama raised the issue tered Syrian refugees, is resisting and portant thing,” Jordanian government beseeching an elderly Syrian woman of refugees allowed in last week, said trated on the north and since December with King Abdullah last year. says it believes that Islamic State mili- spokesman Mohamed al-Momani told to be patient as she jostled with others he fl ed with his wife and four children expanded toward Islamic State-held ar- But Jordan, which has already ac- tants may have infi ltrated their ranks. reporters. trying to get through the barrier that from Islamic State-held Qaryatain, a eas in central and eastern Syria. “When cepted more than 600,000 UN regis- “Security for me is the most im- The crossing at Hadalat, a military would bring her into Jordan proper.

Nato ‘discussing’ IS claims killing police use of Awacs in militant operations

AFP ditional support. “This in- in Cairo apartment raid Brussels cluded a letter to Nato — of which all member countries AFP are (also) members of the Cairo ato member states are coalition — to begin the dis- discussing a request cussion on ways in which it Nto use the alliance’s might contribute,” one US n Egyptian affi liate of the Awacs air surveillance aircraft official said. militant Islamic State (IS) in the battle against the Islam- The official declined to Agroup claimed yesterday ic State (IS) group, an offi cial give details about what that the killing of six people, includ- said yesterday. might involve, saying the ing three policemen, in a bomb An Awacs commitment letters were “part of an on- blast during a Cairo apartment would mark a departure going global dialogue about raid. for Nato which up to now how to increase our fight Thursday’s explosion in the has had no direct role in against IS.” capital’s Al-Haram district, combating IS but is in- Diplomatic sources said near the pyramids, came as po- creasingly concerned by the an agreement could involve lice raided a fl at suspected to be threat it poses on its south- Nato deploying its Awacs a militant hideout and tried to ern flank. aircraft to the US to free up defuse an explosive device, the “We can confirm there has planes Washington could interior ministry said on its Fa- been a request for concrete then use for strikes by the cebook page. support from Nato to the anti-IS coalition. It said two unknown indi- anti-ISIL effort in the form “There would be no di- viduals were among those killed, of Nato Awacs surveillance rect Nato role in the anti-IS and blamed the banned Muslim planes,” a Nato official said, coalition,” the source said, Brotherhood movement of oust- when asked about reports describing the discussions as ed president Mohamed Mursi for Washington had raised the “cautious.” the blast. issue. ISIL is an alternative “There will be no Nato However, an Egyptian af- name for the IS group. Awacs planes over Iraq or fi liate of the Islamic State group “This request is under dis- Syria,” the source added. yesterday said it lured the offi c- cussion by allies,” the official Nato has few military as- ers to the apartment, which was said, without identifying sets of its own, providing the “rigged with bombs”. which country had submit- umbrella command struc- “When the infi dels entered, ted it. ture for the 28 allies, but in the bomb-rigged house was “Any decision would be in the 1980s they agreed to es- blown up,” the Islamic State line with the Wales summit tablish an Awacs (Airborne Egypt group said in a statement declaration which indicates Warning and Control Sys- posted on some websites. Damaged cars are seen at the scene of a bomb blast in Giza, Egypt. Nato’s readiness to support tem) unit to counter the then The interior ministry said a the bilateral efforts of allies,” Soviet threat. group of Muslim Brotherhood since the army ousted Mursi in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Militants say their attacks are ceeded Hosni Mubarak, who the official said, referring to The Awacs unit comprises members had used the apart- July 2013. The neighbourhood It also houses several hotels in retaliation for a brutal gov- was driven from power after an a 2014 meeting of alliance more than 20 planes capable ment to manufacture explo- is known to house many Mursi used by tourists visiting Cairo ernment crackdown targeting 18-day popular uprising. On leaders. of monitoring activity, prin- sives. sympathisers and has been the because of its proximity to the Mursi’s supporters that has left Monday, Egypt marks the fi fth US officials said Defence cipally in the air but also on Thirteen other people were scene of clashes between his world-famous pyramids. hundreds dead and thousands anniversary of the anti-Mubar- Secretary Ashton Carter the ground, within a radius wounded in the blast, it added. supporters and security forces Militants have regularly at- imprisoned. ak revolt, and Sisi has warned had recently sent letters to of some 400km to warn of Al-Haram has witnessed in the aftermath of his ouster tacked policemen and soldiers Mursi was Egypt’s fi rst freely against any form of demonstra- all members in the US-led threats and co-ordinate a re- several attacks and gunfights by then army chief and now since the army toppled Mursi. elected president and suc- tion on that day. anti-IS coalition seeking ad- sponse. France pledges 1bn euros Unrest tests ‘Arab Spring’ assistance in next fi ve years success story Tunisia AFP week over unemployment and poverty, leading Paris to the announcement of a nighttime curfew ear- lier yesterday, although Essid said the situation had Reuters transition in a region where the been “brought under control”. Kasserine, Tunisia gun has often beats out the bal- rance will provide 1bn euros ($1.1bn) to Tu- Essid however decided to cut short his visit and lot box. nisia over the next fi ve years as part of an return home. Hollande and Essid also discussed the But political progress has not Feconomic support package, the French presi- common threat from jihadist terrorism. Tunisia has n December 17, 2010, a been matched by economic ad- dency said yesterday. faced multiple attacks in recent months. young, desperate Tu- vances. Unemployment stood “A major aspect of the plan aims to help poor “Tunisia, like France, is threatened and has been Onisian vendor named at 15.3% in 2015, up from 12% in regions and young people, putting the focus on seriously aff ected by terrorism, because it made a Mohamed Bouazizi set him- 2010, due to weak growth and employment,” said the offi ce of French President choice for democracy,” said Hollande’s offi ce. self ablaze in a suicide protest lower investment. Francois Hollande following a meeting with Tuni- “The president underlined that France is ready to over unemployment and police University graduates com- sian Prime Minister Habib Essid in Paris. reinforce its cooperation in the fi ght against terror- abuse that spread revolt across prise one-third of jobless Tu- “Five years after the revolution, Tunisia has suc- ism.” the Arab world. nisians after student numbers ceeded in its democratic transition but remains French Prime Minister Manuel Valls will visit Five years on, Ridha increased. Mohamed Bouazizi confronted by major economic, social and security Tunisia by the end of the year, the statement added, Yahyaoui, another young Tuni- was a graduate who had to sell challenges,” Hollande’s offi ce said. as part of ongoing eff orts to strengthen ties. sian, has killed himself in frus- Unemployed graduates shout slogans during a demonstration to fruit and vegetables to survive. Essid warned for his part that joblessness could One of the fi rst concrete proposals in France’s aid tration after being refused a job, demand the government provide them with job opportunities, on Those conditions are part of not be eradicated overnight, saying: “We don’t package is a 60mn euro project to build a hospital in infl aming protests through the Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis, Tunisia yesterday. why even middle-class, edu- have a magic wand.” Protests have broken out this Tunisia’s central Gafsa region. same impoverished towns that cated Tunisians sometimes fall once brought down the regime south of the country and shows nomic opportunities they say prey to militant recruiters seek- of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. no signs of weakening — pro- have failed to materialise. ing fi ghters for their ranks in TENSION If Tunisia was hailed as the testers have stormed police sta- “I thought the revolution Syria, Iraq and now Libya. More Fires still raging at major Libyan oil terminal after attack success story of the Arab Spring tions and local government of- would give us hope to fi nd work than 3,000 Tunisians are be- revolts for its democratic fi ces and killed one policeman. with dignity,” said Haamza lieved to be fi ghting in militant Fires at oil storage tanks in the almost five years after the upris- per day. They were processing progress, it has also become an Tunis has been mostly calm, Hizi, 28, an unemployed man groups in Iraq and Syria. major Libyan terminal of Ras ing that overthrew Muammar about half of that before both example of the dangers in fail- but sporadic rioting hit two in Kasserine. “I never thought “Ridha killed himself because Lanuf were still raging yesterday Gaddafi. Rival governments were closed amid fighting in ing to tackle economic malaise, poor districts on Thursday I would repeat the same de- he lost hope,” said Yahyaoui’s more than 24 hours after an at- backed by armed factions in December 2014. At least seven alienation and frustrations of night. mands as fi ve years ago. The old father Hathmane, clutching a tack by Islamic State militants, a Tripoli and the east have battled storage tanks had already been North African youth. Yesterday, the government regime has robbed our dreams.” photograph of his son. firefighting official said. for power and a share of the damaged by fires earlier this In Kasserine, the impover- declared a nationwide curfew Tunisia managed mostly to “I have lost my son, but I Mustafa Moussi said fires were country’s oil wealth. Islamic State month. After Thursday’s attack, ished central city where this from 8pm to 5am to cope with escape the kind of violent af- warn the authorities, my son burning at five of the terminal’s militants have taken advantage a spokesman for the National week’s protests began, more the unrest. At least 19 people ter-shocks seen in other “Arab will be the new Bouazizi and his 13 storage tanks, one of which of a security vacuum to establish Oil Corporation (NOC) said up disaff ected young men have were arrested in the capital Spring” countries that toppled death with create more protests was close to collapse. themselves in the city of Sirte, to 3mn barrels of oil could now threatened to kill themselves. overnight, a security offi cial long-standing leaders in Egypt, for work and dignity.” “Even with the best efforts of the about 200km along the coast be lost. Libya’s oil production Two were injured after trying to said. Yemen and Libya, which are Sidi Bouzaid and Kasser- firefighters we are expecting the to the west of Ras Lanuf and the has dropped to under 400,000 throw themselves off the roof of Chanting “Work, Freedom, still struggling to fi nd stability. ine were the fi rst cities to rise worst in the coming hours,” he nearby terminal of Es Sider. barrels per day, less than a the local government building Dignity”, protesters have been Its young democracy brought up against Ben Ali in the 2011 told Reuters. “The scale of the This month they have staged quarter of a 2011 high of 1.6mn in fi ts of anger over the lack of quick to evoke the 2011 “Jas- a new constitution, a political revolt. Unemployment in the disaster will increase further.” several attacks against the ports, bpd, though some oil fields and jobs. mine Revolution” and echo compromise between secular olive and fruit farming region Libya remains plagued by which have a combined export terminals have been relatively The unrest has quickly spread demands over its promises of and Islamist parties and free bordering Algeria is almost violence and political turmoil capacity of 600,000 barrels sheltered from the chaos. to other towns in the north and political freedom and the eco- elections praised as a model for double the national average. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 5 AFRICA Ivory Coast army chief urged Burkina coup leader to take action

Failed coup soldiers raid Burkina Faso arms depot Reuters of the latest recording, obtained ry out something good.” extend his 27-year rule. Ouagadougou by Reuters yesterday. Last September’s brief coup He now lives in exile in neigh- Members of Burkina Faso’s disbanded presi- ing off with an unknown quantity of weapons. Ivorian authorities were not im- by the elite Presidential Security bouring Ivory Coast. dential guard, a pillar of former president Blaise One of the sources said one attacker was a former mediately available to comment. Regiment (RSP) temporarily de- The two nations, once part of Compaore’s deposed regime, raided an armoury RSP soldier who had served as a guard at the vory Coast’s army chief en- Recorded at a time when loyal- railed Burkina Faso’s transition to the same French colony share a on the outskirts of the capital overnight, the army armoury. couraged a coup leader in ist troops were turning the tables democratic rule after president history of close, often fraught, said yesterday. The RSP was disarmed and disbanded last year af- Ineighbouring Burkina Faso against the putsch, a voice al- Blaise Compaore was ousted in economic and political ties. Coming less than a week after Al Qaeda fight- ter Compaore’s spy chief General Gilbert Diendere during his failed bid to seize power legedly belonging to Ivory Coast late 2014. Soro and his New Forces rebels ers killed 30 people in a restaurant and hotel in used them to mount an unsuccessful coup against last year, according to a recording military chief of staff General Sou- It failed after a week when loy- controlled northern Ivory Coast Ouagadougou popular with foreigners, the assault a transitional government just weeks before elec- of a conversation in the hands of maila Bakayoko asks coup leader alist regular army troops marched for eight years following a 2002 further exposes the security challenges facing tions aimed at restoring democratic rule. Burkina Faso judicial authorities. General Gilbert Diendere for an into the capital Ouagadougou and civil war and were accused by new President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. September’s coup was thwarted by street protest- The recording’s emergence update of the situation. Diendere, Compaore’s former spy then-Ivorian President Laurent There were no casualties during the raid, which ers and support from the army, which attacked the comes after Burkina Faso is- “The situation is a bit diffi cult,” chief, was arrested. Gbagbo’s allies of receiving sup- took place around 3am yesterday and targeted the plotters’ barracks. sued an arrest warrant for Ivory Diendere responds. “Among the A judicial source involved in the port from Compaore. Burkina Faso Yimdi armoury, the army said in a statement. At least 11 people were killed and 271 were injured Coast’s parliament speaker Guil- offi cers there is some hesitation. cases against Diendere, Soro and denied the allegation. “The perpetrators of this attempt were identified in the demonstrations. laume Soro for alleged links to the I’m not saying I’m all alone. But former foreign minister Djibril General Bakayoko was the mili- as being hold-out elements from the ex-RSP (Presi- The polls were delayed but voters eventually coup, further straining relations many are very hesitant for their Bassole said the recording was in- tary chief of staff of the rebels. dential Security Regiment),” the statement said. elected Kabore as the West African gold and between the two West African future.” cluded in evidence fi les. The New Forces played a crucial “They made off with some weapons after tying up cotton producer’s first new leader in nearly three neighbours. Later, Bakayoko urges Diendere A second judicial source added role in Ivory Coast’s 2011 civil war, some of the men who were manning the depot. decades. Burkina Faso authorities is- to go on the off ensive or risk seeing that authorities had obtained a backing President Alassane Ouat- One soldier has been injured,” an army source said. Diendere has been charged with crimes including sued the warrant against Soro for the coup fail. total of three gigabytes of digital tara’s claim to leadership after The army said it was in control of the site and had treason. crimes including complicity in “They’re going to pin it all on recordings. Gbagbo refused to recognise his stepped up security there. But it gave no more Compaore was driven from power and forced to treason last week on the basis of you. You have to know that. Po- Compaore was driven from election defeat. details about the raid. flee Burkina Faso in October 2014 after a popular another recorded phone conver- litically, they are going to say ‘You power and forced to fl ee Burkina Burkina Faso’s RSP, a pillar of Two military sources said gunmen overpowered uprising following his attempt to alter the constitu- sation. have the highest rank. You are the Faso in October 2014 after a popu- Compaore’s regime, was disarmed and tied up the security detail on duty before mak- tion to extend his 27-year rule. Two Burkina Faso judicial offi - general,” Bakayoko says. “You are lar uprising following his attempt and disbanded following last cials vouched for the authenticity constrained to take action. So car- to alter the constitution in order to year’s coup attempt.

UN: More needed for Boko Shebaab kill at least 19 Haram kidnap in attack on restaurant victims AFP Mogadishu

AFP Abuja omalia’s Shebaab militants killed around 20 people Swhen fi ve gunmen deto- N human rights experts nated a bomb before storming a have urged Nigeria to in- popular seaside restaurant in the Ucrease its eff orts to help capital Mogadishu, police and women and children after they witnesses said yesterday. have been freed from captivity “They killed nearly 20 people, by Boko Haram in the country’s including women and children,” confl ict-riven northeast. Somali police offi cer Mohamed After a fi ve-day visit to the Abdirahman said, describing it region, three special rappor- as a “barbaric and brutal attack teurs said there was an “urgent against innocent civilians”. and pressing need for eff ective The Lido beach area in Mogad- A soldier walks past wrecked cars in front of the Lido seafood measures to address stigma, os- ishu is busy with restaurants, restaurant yesterday. tracism and rejection of women including upmarket establish- and children” as a result of their ments popular with business gunmen were also killed, and to the restaurant when the gun- captivity. people and diaspora Somalis one captured. men attacked, and said that Boko Haram has used the kid- who have returned home to the “The mujahedeen fi ghters some of those killed were hit by nap of women and young girls city. targeted the Lido Beach,” the an explosion as they tried to fl ee. as well as the forced conscrip- After a huge explosion, gun- militants said on the group’s Ra- “The gunmen entered the tion of men and boys as a tactic men burst into the restaurant on dio Andalus, calling it a “major popular Lido Sea Food Restau- throughout the confl ict, which is Thursday evening as diners were operation against the enemy of rant from the back door and now in its seventh year. sitting down for their evening Allah”. started shooting ... a few min- A man cries next to bodies on the Lido beach yesterday following an overnight attack on a beachfront The most high-profi le abduc- meal at the start of Somalia’s Security Minister Abdirazak utes later there was a heavy ex- restaurant in Mogadishu. tion was of more than 200 girls weekend. Omar Mohamed told reporters plosion at the front gate while from their school in the north- “The fact that they have cho- that four of the attackers were people were trying to escape,” “There is a big mess here and ing to overthrow the interna- more than 100 Kenyan soldiers eastern town of Chibok in April sen this location during a week- shot dead by security forces. Halane said. “There was confu- many people died, I saw the dead tionally-backed government in based at the mission were killed 2014, which caused global out- end night shows how merciless The minister added that one sion, everybody started panick- bodies of 19 people who were Mogadishu, carry out regular at- and others captured. rage. the Shebaab militants are,” Ab- gunman was captured when se- ing, and some of them ran to- killed during the attack,” said tacks in the capital. Kenya has so far declined to But human rights groups dirahman added. curity forces entered the build- wards the gunmen and they were Hussein Ali, who saw the bodies Last week the insurgents say how many of its soldiers have said thousands of others “They wanted to kill more ci- ing to end the attack. shot dead, I was lucky to escape.” being carried out of the damaged stormed a Kenyan army base in were killed, injured or remain have been seized in recent years, vilians – but the security forces Survivors described the gun- Another witness described building. “Some of the people southwest Somalia, in the lat- missing. forced into marriage with Islam- rescued most of the people.” men spraying those in the res- how some of those killed had died in the explosion while fl ee- est incident of an AU Mission in Yesterday Kenyan President ist fi ghters and subject to physi- The Al Qaeda-linked She- taurant with automatic weap- died in the large blast, while oth- ing and others were shot dead up Somalia (AMISOM) base being Uhuru Kenyatta visited wound- cal and psychological abuse. baab claimed responsibility for ons. ers were shot dead at point blank close.” overrun by the militants. ed soldiers recovering in hospital A Nigerian military fi ght-back the attack, in which four of their Abdirahman Halane was close range. The Shebaab, who are fi ght- A Shebaab statement said that in the capital Nairobi. throughout last year saw hun- dreds of victims freed from cap- tivity and given trauma coun- Two mass graves found in eastern Congo selling at camps for displaced Zanzibar vote persons. Two mass graves containing dozens of bodies have been found in set for March 20 But despite their experi- Wave of kidnappings, violence eastern Congo, a local human rights activist said yesterday, adding that ence, there are fears they will they appeared to belong to people who had been kidnapped by one of Tanzania’s semi-autonomous be shunned when they return to the armed groups operating in the region. Zanzibar region will hold a re-run their homes in the conservative, hampering Congo aid delivery The mass graves were discovered in Buleusa village in North Kivu of its disputed general election mainly Muslim region. province. on March 20, its electoral body “Eff orts at community cohe- One of them contained 36 bodies belonging to young people from announced yesterday, despite sion, peace-building and rec- Reuters lation and exploit the region’s out 188 countries on the UN Buleusa and five other villages, Georges Katsongo said. opposition calls for the poll to be onciliation must start now and Kinshasa rich mineral deposits. Human Development Index, is They had been abducted a few days earlier by the Democratic Forces scrapped on the grounds it might accelerate as people begin to re- The latest in a string of for- heavily dependent on aid from for the Liberation of Rwanda, according to the human rights activist. spark violence. turn from displacement,” the UN eign-backed insurrections, the non-governmental organisa- The Hutu group from Rwanda opposes Tutsi influence in Congo. A previous ballot on October team said in a statement. spike in kidnappings M23, was defeated by Congo- tions and UN agencies. Katsongo said the number and identity of the bodies in the other mass 25 was annulled on grounds of Access to a “just and eff ective and general insecurity lese and UN forces in late 2013 The OCHA estimates 7.5mn grave was not yet known. fraud. remedy” in the courts was also Ain eastern Democratic but smaller armed groups and Congolese will require humani- Tanzania has been one of “paramount to their recovery Republic of the Congo’s volatile criminal gangs have since pro- tarian assistance this year. Africa’s most politically stable and reintegration”, the state- North Kivu province in recent liferated. The declaration comes two within days but MSF said that kidnappings appeared to be nations but Zanzibar has been ment said. months has made delivering “Kidnappings of aid work- days after French medical char- its demands for new security carried out by former and cur- a hotbed of opposition to The three experts, who spe- life-saving humanitarian aid ers and civilians and attacks on ity Medecins Sans Frontieres assurances from offi cials in the rent members of armed groups, central government, with strong cialise in child welfare issues, a “Herculean task”, the United convoys have increased, often (MSF) announced the suspen- region were not met. some of whom quit govern- secessionist and Islamist voices. contemporary slavery and Nations said yesterday. forcing organisations to delay sion of its activities in the town The Mweso facility treated ment-run demobilisation Votes on the islands are usually healthcare, said they recognised The Congo’s east has been the delivery of aid and other es- of Mweso in North Kivu’s Ma- over 176,000 patients in 2015. camps. closely fought and often Nigeria’s eff orts to fi nd and free plagued by instability since re- sential operations or suspend sisi territory. At least 175 people were kid- Almost all of the hostages, disputed. those abducted. gional wars between 1996 and activities entirely,” the UN Of- Unidentifi ed assailants at- napped for ransom in eastern who included humanitarian The Zanzibar Electoral But they said that “the lack of 2003 killed millions, most from fi ce for the Co-ordination of tacked one of its convoys and Congo last year, according to a workers, UN employees and lo- Commission said it would hold information on the steps taken to hunger and disease. Humanitarian Aff airs (OCHA) abducted two staff members report last month by New York- cal residents, were released af- presidential, legislative and local fi nd abducted persons, including Dozens of armed groups con- said in statement. last month. based Human Rights Watch. ter ransoms were paid, the re- government elections on the the Chibok girls, and document tinue to prey on the local popu- The Congo, which ranks 176 The hostages were freed The group said many of the port added. same day. cases of kidnappings and abduc- “There will be no campaign tions remains a source of major rallies ... the same candidates concern”. who were picked in the previous Other measures required in- polls will stand in this election,” cluded rebuilding education and commissions chairman Jecha healthcare facilities in an area 1,175 rhinos killed by poachers in South Africa last year Salim Jecha said. where schools have been used President Ali Mohamed Shein of as camps for the displaced and the ruling CCM party stood in the hospitals bombed or set on fi re. AFP Fewer than 100 rhinos were as in human nails, but it is sold rhino poaching crisis is spread- unabated” but she hailed the previous polls against his main Nigerian President Muham- Pretoria poached in 2008, since when in powdered form as a supposed ing.” toll of 1,175 as a major success. challenger, Seif Sharrif Hamad of madu Buhari last month said numbers have rocketed. A cure for cancer and other dis- Traffi c said poaching in “We are very pleased to an- the main opposition Civic United that Boko Haram had been record 1,215 were killed in 2014. eases. neighbouring Zimbabwe and nounce that for the fi rst time for Front (CUF) party. “technically” defeated as a re- early 1,200 rhinos were The slaughter has been driv- “These numbers are hardly Namibia had increased – mean- a decade the poaching situation There were other presidential sult of the counter-insurgency, killed by poachers in en by demand for their horn in cause for celebration or com- ing last year was the worst for has stabilised,” she told report- candidates from smaller parties, despite continued suicide and NSouth Africa last year, countries such as China and placency,” said Sabri Zain, rhino killed across Africa for ers in Pretoria. “This is very but elections in Zanzibar have bomb attacks. offi cials said on Thursday, a Vietnam, where they are prized director of policy at Traffi c, decades. good news and very good cause always been a tight two-horse At least 17,000 people have slight decrease on 2014, but for their purported medicinal the wildlife trade monitoring South African Environmental for optimism.” race between CUF and CCM, been killed since 2009 and more another year of carnage fuelled properties. group, adding: “The fi gures Aff airs Minister Edna Molewa Molewa said 317 poachers which has ruled mainland than 2.6mn made homeless by by Asian-led demand for their The horn is composed mainly remain unacceptably high, and admitted that the “onslaught had been arrested in 2015, up Tanzania for more than five the fi ghting. horn. of keratin, the same component continent-wide the scale of the against our rhino has continued from 258 in 2014. decades. Gulf Times 6 Saturday, January 23, 2016 AMERICAS US conservatives launch ‘dump Trump’ broadside

AFP leading voice of the American ing Trump, the frontrunner in appeared to take the move in Poll: Voters don’t think candidates would make good presidents Washington right founded by the late com- the race for the Republican presi- stride. mentator William F Buckley. dential nomination. “We expected this was com- Most US voters are sceptical that any of the top candi- would be a good or great president and 64% of Demo- “Trump is a philosophically Calling him “astoundingly ing. Small price to pay for speak- dates would make a good president, a poll released on crats calling former state secretary Clinton a good or onservatives shaken by unmoored political opportun- ignorant”, a “charlatan”, a “glib ing the truth about The Donald,” Wednesday showed. great president. the rise of Donald Trump ist who would trash the broad egomaniac” and plain “crazy”, he wrote yesterday in a blog post. More than half of those surveyed think Republican Views of other candidates are more divided, with Cappealed to Republicans conservative ideological con- the conservatives expressed Former Florida governor Jeb front runner Donald Trump would make a poor or ter- Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republicans Ted Cruz yesterday not to support his sensus within the GOP in favour revulsion at the prospect of a Bush, who trails his rival Trump rible president, while 44% say the same of Democrat and Marco Rubio drawing roughly similar amounts presidential candidacy, uniting of a free-fl oating populism with President Trump – and what he considerably in the polls, warned Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a Pew Research claiming they would be good or great versus poor or in a full-blown attack from the strong-man overtones,” it said in might do to the nation and to the the RNC was wrong to punish Centre survey. terrible. pages of an infl uential conserva- a lead editorial. Republican brand. such a “cherished conservative Some 35% of those surveyed think Clinton would make The first votes in the state-by-state primary process to tive magazine. The publication followed up With just over one week to mouthpiece” as the Review. a good or great president, and 31% say the same of choose the candidate of each party will be cast in the “Against Trump,” declared the with essays by 22 conservative go before the fi rst presidential “They’re just telling the truth,” Trump. Iowa caucuses on February 1. cover of the National Review, a fi gures who took turns denounc- nominating vote in Iowa, their Bush told Fox about the criti- Both were viewed more positively by members of their The Republican and Democratic nominees will face views also refl ected the panic cisms of Trump. own party, with 56% of Republicans saying that Trump each other in November 8 elections. that Trump has set off within a Contributors to the magazine’s Republican establishment deeply did not hold back in trashing at odds with the celebrity bil- Trump. tive, destructive political rheto- stitution, history, law, political of fi ery tweets condemning the lionaire real estate mogul’s angry, “This is a crisis for conserva- ric,” he said. philosophy, nuclear strategy, di- “failing” publication. populist message. tism,” said talk show host and In an introduction, Review edi- plomacy, defence, economics be- “The late, great William F But the magazine’s broadside author Glenn Beck in one of the tors warned that Trump “wob- yond real estate, or even, despite Buckley would be ashamed of nonetheless triggered an angry essays. bled all over the lot” politically, his low-level-mafi oso comport- what had happened to his prize, response from the Republican “Trump beguiles us, defi es the at times embracing abortion ment, how ordinary people live,” the dying National Review!” National Committee (RNC), politically correct media, and rights, gun control and a univer- Helprin wrote. Trump posted on Twitter late which disinvited the National bullies anyone who points out sal healthcare system. Several contributors blasted Thursday as the magazine was Review from being a partner of that the emperor has no clothes,” Having held views so contrary Trump for his xenophobia, and rolled out online. the party’s February 25 candidate wrote David McIntosh, president to the Republican platform shows particularly his call for a ban on The feature follows a similar debate. of the Club for Growth. he cannot be trusted to carry the Muslims entering the United move on the left by prominent “Debate partners can’t have a Edwin Meese, who served in conservative mantle, they said. States. actors like Harry Belafonte, intel- predisposition towards or against president Ronald Reagan’s ad- The accusers also drilled into Trump has “made racial and lectuals including Noam Chom- any candidate,” RNC spokesman ministration, upbraided Trump Trump’s policy choices, with religious scapegoating so central sky, and other celebrities who Sean Spicer said, confi rming that for vilifying rivals with personal novelist Mark Helprin off ering to his campaign”, warned David have joined a “Stop Hate Dump the magazine is no longer a de- attacks. a comprehensive takedown in a Boaz, vice-president of the Cato Trump” campaign denouncing Trump: The late, great William F Buckley would be ashamed of what bate partner. “Our people need positive, single sentence. Institute. the real estate mogul as a threat had happened to his prize, the dying National Review! Review publisher Jack Fowler unifying leadership, not nega- “He doesn’t know the Con- Trump shot back in a series to America.

Fans of Celine Dion Blizzard bears down mourn her husband AFP dressed all in black and often Montreal seen wiping away tears. After waiting up to fi ve hours in the cold to get in, Dion’s fans housands of people were upon exiting the church were expected at the funeral rewarded with a memorial card Tof Canadian pop super- with a black and white photo on Washington, DC star Celine Dion’s husband and of Angelil, and a note on the longtime manager Rene Angelil back reassuring them that Dion Reuters at Montreal’s Notre Dame Ba- would eventually return to the Washington silica. stage, after a short pause in her The funeral mass is to be tel- Las Vegas shows to grieve. evised live across Canada and “I understood that my career powerful storm barrel- streamed worldwide for the was somehow his masterpiece, led toward Washington, singer’s fans around the world. his song, his symphony to ADC, and much of the East Dion kept vigil over her hus- himself. The idea that it could Coast yesterday, threatening to band for seven hours on Thurs- remain unfi nished would have bury the region under as much to day as fans and well-wishers pained terribly. I understood 30” (76cm) of snow after blasting waited hours in line to view his that if he ever left us, I should Arkansas, Tennessee and Ken- casket and off er the grieving continue without him, for tucky with a wintry mix. singer words of sympathy. him,” the message said. The National Weather Service Twenty-six years Dion’s Born in Montreal to Leba- (NWS) said the storm had the senior, Angelil died January nese-Syrian immigrant par- potential to cripple a broad swath 14 at the couple’s home in Las ents, Angelil began his showbiz of the Northeast, with about 2’ Vegas after a long struggle with career as a member of a band (61cm) of snow due to hit the throat cancer. He was 73. playing yeye – French 60s mu- Baltimore and Washington metro After selling more than sic – called the Baronets. areas from afternoon yesterday. 220mn albums worldwide, the After it broke up, Angelil Western suburbs could get couple had settled in Las Vegas turned to managing the ca- even more snow. where Dion signed a lucrative reers of other entertainers, “I want to be very clear with contract to sing night at The and signed one of the biggest everybody. This is a major Colosseum. names in Quebec music, Gi- storm,” Washington Mayor Mu- She is to return to the stage nette Reno, but the arrange- riel Bowser said as the nation’s on February 23. ment ended abruptly in 1981. capital braced for what could Family, friends, senior poli- Reno was expected at the fu- turn out to be one of the worst ticians and entertainers and neral. storms in its history. “This has Dion’s fans were expected Just then, another opportu- life-and-death implications and to turn out for the funeral at nity arose. all the residents of the District the massive basilica where 21 At age 12, Dion had recorded of Columbia should treat it that years earlier the couple had ex- a demo tape with her mother way.” changed wedding vows. and sent it to Angelil. Given the extraordinary con- The archbishop of Montreal He was so struck by her voice ditions expected, Washington Christian Lepine was to pre- that he signed her to an exclu- has been preparing all week for side over the funeral at the im- sive management contract the type of blizzard that Bowser posing Notre-Dame Basilica in – mortgaging his house to fi - said the Washington has not seen the heart of the city’s historic nance her debut album. in 90 years. district. “I’d never heard anything AccuWeather senior meteor- Shelves in the produce section at a supermarket start to empty ahead of an expected blizzard in Washington, DC. The government of Quebec like it. For me, it was the most ologist Alex Sosnowski said that province off ered to hold a “na- beautiful voice in the world,” he the storm taking aim at Washing- Jersey suburbs starting early to- southeastern Pennsylvania and late yesterday through tomorrow. today, most of them at airports in tional” funeral – akin to a state would recall in interviews. ton could bring one of the biggest day. northern Virginia will get the District of Columbia offi cials, North Carolina and Washington, funeral – for Angelil. Provin- The businessman set out to snowfalls on record, eclipsing the Snow accumulation could heaviest snow.” who expected to be dealing with according to FlightAware.com. cial fl ags across the province make Dion the biggest singer in “Snowmageddon” storm of 2010 reach 12” (30cm) in the region, Across the Southeast, govern- the storm’s aftermath for a week, Philadelphia’s airport said it were lowered to half-mast. the world. that dropped 17.8” (45.2cm). forecasters said. Southeastern ment offi ces, schools and univer- said everyone except emergen- would cancel all fl ights scheduled Several singers and compos- In 1994, when she was 26 The largest snowstorm re- Pennsylvania, including Phila- sities were shuttered. cy workers should stay off the for today. ers who had worked with An- and he was twice her age, the corded in Washington was the delphia, was expecting 10” to 16” Millions of residents in the streets. Residents along New Jersey’s gelil arrived at the church early couple married in an extrava- 1922 Knickerbocker storm, which (25 to 42cm) of snow. storm’s path scrambled to pre- Marisa Kritikson, 27, nursing coastline were preparing for po- in the morning to off er their gant wedding ceremony that buried the city under 28” (71cm). Governors of Arkansas and pare, picking stores clean of bot- student at George Washington tential fl ooding during high tides condolences to Dion, including was televised live in Canada, Weather forecasters were Tennessee ordered state offi ces tled water, food and supplies. University in Washington, feared today and tomorrow. Luc Plamondon, Garou, Vero- and splashed all over glossy looking for storm to hit the capi- closed yesterday as the storm Federal employees in the that she might be unable to get In the beach community of nique Dicaire, as well as former magazines. tal between 1pm and 3pm yes- pushed across their states and Washington area were told yes- out of her basement apartment. Ocean City, emergency manage- hockey players and poker stars. Rene Angelil leaves behind terday and last until late today, Kentucky. terday that their offi ces would “I think it’s going to be a night- ment offi cials warned of fore- Already, a line had formed their three children, Rene- bringing up to 2’ to 2.5’ (61 to It dropped 5” (13cm) of snow close at noon to allow them to mare, the rates of snow we’re casts calling for the highest fl ood outside the basilica the night Charles (15), and twins Nelson 76cm) over 36 hours and winds in Arkansas and a wintry mess of get home safely before the snow talking about,” she said. “I think levels since Superstorm Sandy before, with hundreds coming and Eddy (fi ve), and three other of 30 to 50mph (48 to 80kph), the snow, sleet and freezing rain in begins piling up in the afternoon. we’re going to be incapacitated brought heavy damage in 2012. to pay their respects, and to get children from two previous mayor said. parts of Tennessee and Kentucky, Public schools were cancelled. through next week.” High winds and a full moon a glimpse of their idol, Dion, marriages. “It will be wet, heavy snow,” Petersen said. The Washington Metropolitan The Virginia National Guard could combine to create a tide of she said. “It’s expanding and coming Area Transit Authority, which planned to bring in up to 300 nearly 8’ (2.4m) in Atlantic City, Farther north, a blizzard watch east,” he said. “It will continue includes the second-busiest US troops to assist in operations. offi cials said, still shy of the 10’ was issued for New York City and to grow as it crosses the mid- subway system, took the rare step Airlines have cancelled more (3m) that Sandy caused in Ocean parts of its Long Island and New Atlantic states, where Maryland, of suspending operations from than 5,000 fl ights yesterday and City.

US strips accreditation of Russian honorary consuls

AFP there are additional eff orts to im- against employees of Russian Moscow against US interests. erations, including its embassy, Washington pede our diplomatic and consu- diplomatic missions, and not “This action is being taken in consulates general or its cultural lar activities in Russia,” spokes- only in the United States”. response to continued Russian centre in Washington.” man Mark Toner warned. “The decision on the honor- interference with our diplomatic The American Centre in Mos- ashington has stripped Russia’s foreign ministry ex- ary consuls continues the Barack and consular operations in Rus- cow was closed in September last fi ve Russian honor- pressed outrage at the move Obama administration’s policy sia, including, but not limited to, year after acting for 22 years as a Wary consuls of their against the consuls – US nation- aimed at curbing ties with our widespread harassment of our library and a cultural and meet- accreditation in response to the als who represent Moscow in country,” she alleged. personnel, as well as the forced ing space for Russians and US harassment of its own staff in California, Florida, Minnesota, The State Department said closure of the American Cen- expats. Russia, the State Department Puerto Rico and Utah. formal diplomatic relations tre in Moscow and 28 Ameri- Honorary consuls are not dip- said yesterday. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharo- would not be hurt by Washing- can Spaces throughout Russia,” lomats, but are accredited to rep- A man takes a photograph of a large screen showing a photo of “We are prepared to take fur- va accused US “security servic- ton’s tit-for-tat move, which it Toner said. “This does not aff ect resent a government and its citi- the late Angelil as hundreds wait in line outside Montreal’s ther appropriate measures if es” of carrying out “provocations said followed similar action by Russia’s formal diplomatic op- zens abroad. Notre-Dame Basilica to pay their respects. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 7 ASEAN

Activist jailed for Facebook post

A court in Myanmar has sentenced a political activist to six months in jail, accused of posting a photo on Facebook that mocked Myanmar frees prisoners the military. Khun Ja Lee was arrested in October at his home in Yangon, and charged with defamation under Myanmar’s Telecommunications Law for allegedly sharing a photo of a man dressed in traditional Kachin before power transfer longyi stepping on an image of army chief General Min Aung Reuters Zaw Htay, a director at the Hlaing. Yangon president’s office, said on Khun Ja Lee, a peace activist his Facebook page that 102 from restive Kachin state, was prisoners would be freed. denied bail despite appeals on the yanmar began releas- It was unclear how many grounds of deteriorating health ing the first of about had already been freed and since he was detained. M100 prisoners yes- whether all of them were po- Several others have been terday, many of them political litical prisoners. Zaw Htay arrested and charged since last detainees, days before a par- also said that 77 death sen- year for allegedly defaming liament dominated by democ- tences would be reduced to life leaders including the army chief, racy champion Aung San Suu imprisonments. President Thein Sein, and Aung Kyi’s party sits for the first Phillip Blackwood, a New San Suu Kyi, whose party won a time after an election win in Zealand citizen jailed in Yan- decisive victory in elections in November. gon’s notorious Insein prison in November. The freeing of some political March for two and a half years prisoners by the outgoing ad- for insulting religion, was also ministration of President Thein due to be freed, according to his Sein comes after US Assist- family. ant Secretary of State Antony He had used a psychedelic Blinken urged Myanmar to free image of Buddha wearing head- Thailand all political prisoners during a phones to promote a party at a visit on Monday. Yangon bar in a case that threw The amnesty gives a last- a spotlight on the country’s urged to minute boost to the legacy of hardline Buddhist national- Thein Sein, whose semi-civil- ists who championed the harsh ian government in 2011 replaced sentencing. drop case a junta that had run Myanmar “We’ve been told he will for 49 years, ushering in a se- be released within the next ries of political and economic few days or it could be up to a against reforms. week,” said Angela Blackwood, “There were 52 political pris- the prisoner’s mother, when oners among those released to- contacted by phone. Released political prisoners shout for the release of other political prisoners in front of Insein prison in Yangon yesterday. students day,” said Bo Kyi, joint secretary It was unclear whether two of political prisoner watchdog Myanmar citizens jailed along ades of military rule was a key or on trial for simply exercis- Khum Jaa Lee, arrested in Octo- “The military is sending a Assistance Association for with Blackwood would be factor behind Western sanc- ing their right to freely express ber for a Facebook post deemed very clear message that whoever DPA Political Prisoners (AAPP). released. tions. themselves,” the U.S. Embassy insulting to the military, was tries to touch or criticise them, Bangkok According to Bo Kyi, this Myanmar’s incarceration “While we recognise this as an in Yangon said in a statement, sentenced to six months in jail they will seriously take action,” leaves 77 political prisoners of more than 2,000 journal- important step, we remain con- calling for their release. at a court in Yangon. With time said May Sabe Phyu, his wife behind bars and 408 awaiting ists, activists, politicians and cerned that there are still many As others were walking free served, he will be eligible for and a prominent women’s rights he United Nations called trial. even comedians during dec- individuals who remain jailed yesterday, NGO worker Patrick release in April. activist. on Thai authorities yes- Tterday to drop all charges against 11 student activists ar- rested for violating a ban on po- litical gatherings. “The right to peaceful assem- bly and freedom of expression and Vietnam minister says party must opinion are fundamental rights and should never be regarded as a serious criminal off ence,” the UN Offi ce of the High Commission reform, or face opportunity loss for Human Rights said. Thailand is currently ruled by a military junta. Gatherings Reuters to “Doi Moi”, or “renovation”, investment and mergers and Tan Dung had been omitted. of fi ve people or more in public Hanoi the term used in Vietnam to acquisitions, and economic Some experts believe Dung’s spaces for political reasons are describe the opening up of its growth of 6.7 percent, the surprise exclusion may not outlawed. economy in the 1980s. fastest in fi ve years, helped completely rule him out of lead- The 11 activists were stopped ietnam must urgently “Over the past fi ve years, by new legislation geared to- ership of the secretive party. en route to a planned protest site reform its political we have actively renovated wards attracting fi rms that in- Dung has been widely cred- in December at a $28mn park Vsystem to continue its our economic institutions and clude Panasonic, Toshiba and ited with steering reforms of built by the army that is plagued Laos’ Vice President Bounnhang Vorachit casts his ballot during economic growth and liberali- have achieved certain fruitful Samsung, which has at least late, including Vietnam’s pur- with corruption allegations. Ar- the Communist Party Congress in Vientiane. sation and bolster the private and positive results, but reno- $12bn pledged in Vietnam. suit of free trade deals with rest warrants were issued later. sector to win back public trust vation in politics has barely The tone of the speech by Vinh, its biggest markets through Four of them were arrested in the ruling party, the coun- been done,” Vinh told the who is expected to retire soon, pacts with the European Un- Wednesday evening - including try’s investment minister said Communist Party’s fi ve-yearly diff ered from that on Thursday ion, top investor South Korea one who was snatched from a yesterday. congress. of party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, and the U.S.-led Trans-Pacifi c Bangkok street and bundled into Bui Quang Vinh said the “This is a prerequisite and who gave a more modest recap of Partnership. a car. They appeared in a mili- Laos chooses past three years had seen “life- the most important factor for the economy but also called for a Vinh said Vietnam’s fo- tary court Thursday and were changing” moves away from the next renovation period. strong reform push. cus should be strengthen- released pending a later hearing. central planning towards a Doing this well, the party will Trong is among nomina- ing private domestic fi rms to The junta took power in a May market economy, but Vietnam regain trust of the people by tions endorsed by the outgo- integrate into the global economy. coup after months of political needed eff ective leadership setting itself as a renovat- ing central committee for key “To achieve our desire of violence. new leaders as and a party that was more effi - ing example and by eff ective leadership posts to be decided heading to a prosperous, crea- It has been criticised for sup- cient and supportive of private leadership.” during the congress, according tive, fair and democratic Vi- pressing freedom of the press and fi rms. His comments come after to several party sources, who etnam, our only choice is to public criticism, with dissidents top bosses exit Vinh referred several times a year that saw record foreign said Prime Minister Nguyen reform,” he said. facing arrest and military trial. Tight security in Bali Laos ble prime minister, according Reuters to Martin Stuart-Fox, a Laos EU to decide on Thai seafood ban expert and retired professor of the University of Queens- AFP ban could cost them up to $1bn reliance on forced labour by aos’s Communist land. Bangkok a year in lost exports. migrant workers. Party chose veteran The prime minister and An EU team has spent the A task force set up after the LBounnhang Vorachit to cabinet posts are expected last week assessing Thailand’s “yellow card” warning said the be its new leader yesterday to be announced later in the hailand is waiting to hear recent reforms but declined to country had introduced new fi sh- and elected a new 11-member year. if it has dodged a poten- comment on their fi ndings, cit- eries laws beefi ng up law enforce- politburo at the end of a fi ve- “The most signifi cant pro- Ttially crippling European ing the sensitivity of the issue. ment, expanding monitoring sys- yearly congress that saw the motion has been Madame Union ban on seafood exports, “Human traffi cking is an issue tems, and assisting fi shermen, exits of several high-profi le Pany,” Stuart-Fox said, adding after auditors yesterday wrapped they are really concerned about,” including traffi cking victims. politicians. she was now “a very powerful up a probe into illegal fi shing. Thai Deputy Prime Minister But the effi cacy of the leg- Bounnhang, the current fi gure”. Last year, the EU hit Thailand Prawit Wongsuwan told report- islation has been threatened vice president, won the lead- He said major policy chang- with a “yellow card,” warning ers after his fi nal meeting with by resistance from small-scale Indonesia police stand in front of the monument dedicated ership vote and fi ve new faces es from the new leadership it faced an outright ban un- the EU team yesterday. fi shermen, who say part of the to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing in the tourist district joined the elite politburo as were unlikely. less the military government Thailand is the world’s third decree favours large trawlers. of Kuta near Denpasar on resort island of Bali yesterday. outgoing party chief and pres- Laos has close political ties took action on illegal fi shing largest exporter of seafood, “This law is extremely une- Security has been increased after four civilians and four ident, Choummaly Sayasone, to communist Vietnam and and slave labour in the multi- a status that environmental qual,” said Sama-ae Jehmudor, militants were killed in a bomb and gun attack in Jakarta on Prime Minister Thongsing mirrors its political system. billion dollar seafood industry. groups say is achieved through 62, the president of a fi shermen January 14 which was claimed by the Islamic State group. Thammavong and two deputy Both countries are holding Thai offi cials have said the rampant overfi shing and heavy association. premiers made way. their fi ve-yearly congresses The selection of this week. Bounnhang, 78, was antici- Communist neighbour pated by experts, who see a China has been vying ag- continuation of a status quo gressively for influence on in which power is tightly con- Laos, however, providing Phoney rice data threatens Indonesia’s food supply trolled by the party while pur- scholarships, aid, loans and suing strong economic expan- infrastructure investment to sion, which has averaged 7.8 a fledgling $12bn economy worry about. The number rig- Only last month, supply said, referring to Indonesia’s gion’s leading exporter, Thai- percent since 2011. 862 times smaller than its Reuters ging, critics say, fl ies in the face shortages forced the govern- endemic corruption. land, to slash its rice output Bounnhang is now one of own. Jakarta of food self-suffi ciency targets ment to hurriedly import rice Dwi Andreas Santosa, a pro- forecast. Indonesia is the the last remaining members Growth in Laos has been that Joko Widodo has been ag- from Thailand and Vietnam to fessor at the Bogor Institute of world’s third-largest producer. of the revolutionary genera- driven by investment, mining gressively pursuing since taking avoid a surge in prices, which in Agriculture, said his research Santosa said he interviewed tion in the higher echelons of and sales abroad of most its ndonesian agriculture of- offi ce in 2014. the past has sparked civil unrest showed the government’s fi gures farmers in 61 Indonesian re- a party that has run Laos for growing hydropower output, fi cials routinely infl ate rice “These numbers are so ex- and contributed to the downfall for rice output in 2015 were 17- gions and found that output four decades. He topped the largely to Thailand. This has Iharvest data to present a aggerated,” said a senior gov- of Suharto. 19% higher than estimates from had actually fallen: in 67% of list of a new 77-member cen- boosted incomes and access rosy picture to the government ernment offi cial, who declined Warehouses should be bulging the US Department of Agricul- the area surveyed, he found an tral committee announced to electricity, telecoms and and keep farm subsidies fl ow- to be named because of the with tens of millions of tonnes ture (USDA). USDA numbers average drop of 20% from 2014. yesterday. healthcare for its mostly rural ing, but their latest phoney sensitivity of the issue. “We’re of rice, if harvest data is to be are considered to be the global “Production data can’t be Second on the list and re- population of 6.8mn. numbers could lead to a severe scrambling right now to build believed, but every January of- benchmark for crop forecasts. trusted,” he said. “Our food elected to the politburo was Foreign media were not shortage of the staple in coming stocks in case there’s a failed fi cials reset the numbers to zero The government estimated policies are in disarray because National Assembly chair- permitted to cover the con- months, offi cials say. harvest in February and March.” and the stock just evaporates a 7% year-on-year rise in pro- of disarray in the data.” woman and former central gress. A senior foreign min- If the data had been correct, Another government of- from the books, an offi cial said. duction last year, shrugging The USDA estimated Indo- bank governor Pany Yathotu, istry press offi cial said there Indonesia would be awash with fi cial, who works on agricul- “There’s actually some very off a crop-damaging dryness nesia’s 2014/15 rice harvest at suggesting her rise in the was insuffi cient time to invite rice supplies and the country’s ture issues, confi rmed that the real vested interests behind linked to the El Nino weather 35.56mn tonnes, down 2% from party hierarchy to be a possi- international media. president would have less to numbers are rigged. some of these distortions,” he pattern that prompted the re- the previous year. Gulf Times 8 Saturday, January 23, 2016 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Getting ready for Lunar New Year celebrations North Korea arrests US student for ‘hostile act’

AFP Seoul Park seeks fi ve-party talks on nuclear programme South Korean President Park Geun-hye called yesterday for a meet- orth Korea said yester- ing of five countries, excluding North Korea, to discuss the North’s day it had arrested a US nuclear programme alongside long-stalled “six-party talks” that include Shoppers with overcoats walk down the stairs at a shopping centre decorated for the upcoming Lunar New Year in Hong Kong Nstudent who, under or- Pyongyang. Park’s comments came amid a flurry of diplomatic yesterday. Hong Kong Observatory has said that temperatures will fall to around six degrees Celsius or below in the urban areas ders from Washington, had en- exchanges involving Washington and Beijing as the international com- in a couple of days. gaged in an unspecifi ed “hostile munity seeks to impose fresh sanctions on North Korea for its fourth act” after entering the country nuclear test on Jan. 6. “In the past, six-party talks had usefulness as a on a tourist visa. framework to resolve North Korean nuclear issues via dialogue,” Park The detention comes at a sen- said in remarks at the presidential Blue House. “But even if the talks sitive time, with the US taking a open but don’t help de-nuclearise North Korea, the question of being leading role in eff orts to secure eff ective will be brought up,” she said. China, Pyongyang’s main ally, tough international sanctions on has been calling for a resumption of so-called six-party talks among North Korea over its latest nu- the two Koreas, China, the US, Japan and Russia aimed at curbing UN investigator criticises clear test. North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Pyongyang has a history of us- Hong Lei said talks were still the best way to resolve the problem and ing foreign detainees as bargain- that the six-party talks process should resume as soon as possible. ing chips to extract concessions and high-profi le visits to secure Pyongyang over rights their release. “We hope his release can be with hard labour on sedition The student, identifi ed as secured as soon as possible,” the charges. Otto Frederick Warmbier from tour group said, adding that it During a recent interview that Reuters political pressure to exhort the for crimes against humanity. to kidnapping 13 Japanese citi- the University of Virginia, had was assisting the US State De- the pastor, Hyeon Soo Lim, gave Geneva DPRK (Democratic People’s Only the 15-member Secu- zens to help train spies. Five ab- entered North Korea as a tour- partment in the aff air. to CNN in Pyongyang, the North Republic of Korea) to improve rity Council can refer the situ- ductees and their families later ist “for the purpose of bring- State Department spokesman presented another ethnic Korean human rights, it is also now ation in North Korea to the ICC, returned to Japan. ing down the foundation of its John Kirby, citing “privacy con- prisoner, whom they said was a orth Korea’s leaders imperative to pursue crimi- but diplomats say China, North But Darusman has said North single-minded unity at the tacit siderations,” declined to com- US citizen arrested for spying in should face trial for nal responsibility of the DPRK Korea’s main benefactor, would Korean agents abducted hun- connivance of the US govern- ment beyond acknowledging the October Ncrimes against human- leadership,” said Marzuki Da- likely veto such a move. dreds more foreign nationals ment and under its manipula- reports of Warmbier’s arrest and The term “hostile act” is a ity as there has been no im- rusman, the UN special rappor- In February last year, North between the 1960s and 1990s tion,” the North’s offi cial KCNA stressing that the welfare of US catch-all accusation that has provement in human rights teur on human rights in North Korea’s ambassador to the UN and Japan’s national police news agency said. citizens was always a top prior- been levelled at numerous de- since a UN report detailed Korea, in a statement yesterday. said his country was not con- agency is looking into 881 pos- He was detained “while per- ity. tained foreigners in the past Nazi-style atrocities there two His comments came as the cerned about the threat because sible abduction cases blamed petrating a hostile act against The US has no diplomatic — covering a range of possible years ago, a UN investigator isolated state said it had de- it was not guilty of any crime. on North Korea over the years. the DPRK”, it added, using the or consular relations with the charges from espionage to illicit said yesterday. tained a US university student Darusman, a co-author of “I am disappointed that there offi cial acronym for North Ko- North, and the Swedish Embassy missionary work. The 2014 UN report conclud- for committing a “hostile act” the 2014 report, was speaking at has been no concrete progress rea. in Pyongyang provides limited The fact that Warmbier is ac- ed that North Korean security and wanting to “destroy the the end of a trip to Tokyo, hav- since Japan and the DPRK China-based Young Pioneer consular services to US citizens cused of acting under US direc- chiefs and possibly leader Kim country’s unity”. ing been repeatedly refused ac- signed a bilateral agreement Tours, which organises regular detained there. tion, would suggest he faces a Jong Un should face interna- The 2014 report prompted the cess to North Korea. During his almost two years ago to work trips to North Korea, said Warm- Warmbier becomes the third spying charge. The latest arrest tional justice for ordering sys- UN General Assembly to urge the fi ve days in Japan, he met fam- towards a resolution of this is- bier had been a member of a New North American detained in comes months after the North tematic torture, starvation and UN Security Council to consider ily members of people allegedly sue,” Darusman said, adding Year tour and was arrested when North Korea, which last month released another male student — killings. referring North Korea to the abducted by North Korea. progress would help to build the group was set to return to sentenced a 60-year-old Cana- a South Korean studying at New “In addition to continuing International Criminal Court Pyongyang admitted in 2002 trust and goodwill. Beijing on January 2. dian pastor to life imprisonment York University.

ENVIRONMENT Dolphin activist China jails Xinjiang ordered to leave Pop star Carey engaged to Japan: supporters democracy activist US animal rights activist Ric O’Barry, who featured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove about AFP created ethnic tensions and Australian casino tycoon dolphin slaughter in a Japanese Beijing that police violence often goes town, has been ordered to leave Ja- unreported. pan, his supporters said yesterday. China tightly limits domes- AFP O’Barry, 76, has been detained by hina has jailed an activ- tic media from publishing in- Sydney immigration authorities at Tokyo’s ist in its volatile north- formation about Xinjiang, and Narita International Airport since Cwestern Xinjiang region foreign journalists are regu- Monday after he was denied entry for 19 years over online posts larly obstructed while report- S pop star Mariah Carey and Aus- to the country on a tourist visa. criticising the ruling Commu- ing there. tralian casino tycoon James Packer “Immigration off icers have also nist Party and for giving in- The 15-year sentence for Uare engaged to be married, according issued an order of departure,” his terviews to foreign media, his “inciting subversion” - the to friends who said yesterday they were over supporters said on his website. lawyer said yesterday. maximum possible for the the moon for the lovebirds. But he has refused to leave, vowing A court in the regional charge - was “about some The couple has been dating for several to fight the deportation order, ac- capital Urumqi found Zhang postings (Zhang) made on- months and celebrated New Year’s Eve at cording to the website. The Tokyo Haitao guilty of “incitement line... they were about govern- billionaire Packer’s Crown Casino in Mel- Immigration Bureau said it cannot to subvert state power” and ment policies, mainly in Xin- bourne, where the singer took to the stage comment on individual cases, citing “illegally providing intelli- jiang,” Li said. to perform before an intimate audience that privacy rules. The Cove, which won gence overseas”, his lawyer Li “The postings advocated included Packer’s mother. the Academy Award in 2010, drew Dunyong said. democracy, and opposed dic- “I’m so excited to be in Melbourne with worldwide attention to the annual China regularly jails dis- tatorship,” he added. “The James for New Year’s Eve,” the husky- dolphin hunt in the small Japanese sidents who have spoken out things he did don’t constitute voiced songstress reportedly said at the fete. town of Taiji. O’Barry’s latest deten- against the Communist Party, a crime”. A close friend of the couple confi rmed the File photo shows US singer Mariah Carey (left) looking at co-chairman of Melco Crown tion is not his first in Japan. but observers said the sentence Zhang received an addi- upcoming nuptials to AFP and saying she Entertainment, James Packer, as they stand on the red carpet ahead of the opening In September he was arrested near handed down on Sunday was tional four year sentence on was “over the moon that James has found ceremony of the Studio City casino resort in Macau. Taiji on the eve of the start of the unusually harsh. a charge of “illegally provid- such happiness with Mariah”. controversial six-month dolphin Xinjiang, home to the main- ing information to outsiders”, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that E News entertainment website described around 45 but whose date of birth is a mat- hunt, for allegedly failing to carry ly Muslim Uighur minority, Li said, adding: “He provided Packer proposed to his girlfriend in New her engagement ring as “breathtaking” ter of dispute, is best known for smash pop his passport after being stopped has in recent years seen a se- information to foreign media York on Thursday. and said the rock weighed in at a whopping hits “Hero,” We Belong Together and Some- by police. curity crackdown prompted by about events in Xinjiang”. Sources close to the Packer family said 35 carats. Carey, famous for her fi ve-octave day. clashes in the region that have Maya Wang, a China re- “the family is overjoyed that they have range, was previously married to rap art- Packer, 48, has three children from his killed hundreds. searcher at Human Rights found each other”, the newspaper reported. ist and actor Nick Cannon with whom she marriage to his second wife, Erica Baxter. DEFENCE China says it faces a terror- Watch, said: “It’s quite unu- “Mariah has made James a very happy had fraternal twins. Her fi ve-year union to The tycoon runs a worldwide gambling Beijing denies ist threat, while rights groups sual to have that maximum man, she is a very special person and the legendary music producer Tony Mottola empire Crown, one of Australia’s largest say restrictions on Islam have sentence”. family wholeheartedly approves,” it added. ended in divorce in 1998. The singer who is entertainment groups. stealing US jet designs China said yesterday that it was New Zealand fl ock blocks car chase suspects “fictitious” to claim it was involved in stealing blueprints for a US war- Abe, Putin agree to meet as island row rumbles on Sheep, it seems, are more high-speed chase and even plane, after Canadian media said than just prolific figures on managed to elude capture two Chinese soldiers were co-con- the New Zealand landscape, when road spikes deflated spirators in a scheme to obtain US AFP lands in the Kuril chain, known as gering tensions have hampered Group of Seven (G7) advanced they also have a role in law one of their car tyres. military secrets. Canada’s Globe and Tokyo the Northern Territories in Japan. trade ties for decades. countries, which comprise Brit- enforcement. The chase started when Mail reported this week, citing court In a phone call, Abe and Pu- At a news conference earlier ain, Canada, France, Germany, A flock of sheep managed the car was pulled over for documents, that the two soldiers tin agreed a visit will take place this month, Abe renewed his call Italy, Japan and the US. to stop a car-load of fugitives speeding and not having were part of a hacking conspiracy rime Minister Shinzo Abe at an “appropriate time,” Japan’s for progress on the elusive World It formerly included Russia who had led police on a licence plates. The driver took allegedly carried out by a Chinese and Russian President foreign ministry said in a state- War II peace treaty, stressing under a G8 confi guration, but 90-minute chase through off at speed and refused to person living in Canada named Su PVladimir Putin agreed ment, though it did not specifi - that the territorial issue “cannot Moscow was evicted following Central Otago in the South stop despite several police Bin to get blueprints for F-35s and yesterday to arrange a visit to cally mention the island dispute be resolved without exchanges the annexation of Crimea from Island yesterday. cars joining the chase, the other US jets. The US Department Moscow by the Japanese leader, - the key impediment to better between the leaders,” referring Ukraine. The leaders’ phone The sheep, who belonged to spokesman said. of Justice charged Su in 2014 with despite a long-running deadlock relations. Putin could also visit to himself and Putin. call comes as Russia is accused a local police off icer, were be- But when confronted by the hacking into the computer systems over a decades-long territorial Japan after Abe’s trip to Russia, Despite a lack of progress on of propping up Syrian Presi- ing moved along a road to a flock of sheep on a road near of Boeing and other companies. dispute. the ministry added. the territorial row, the Japa- dent Bashar al-Assad, and is at new grazing block when they the resort town of Queens- “Chinese government organisations Japan-Russia relations have Over the years leaders of both nese leader said in an interview odds with Western powers who found themselves recruited town, they stopped and their and the military oppose and have been hampered by the territorial countries have met several times this week that Moscow’s help is say Moscow is indiscriminate- as police deputies. time on the lam came to never participated in any form of row that dates back to the end of to discuss the row, but Russia needed to resolve crises in the ly bombing Syrian opposition A police spokesman said the an abrupt end. All four were Internet hacking activity,” Chinese World War II when Soviet troops and Japan have never offi cially Middle East. forces fi ghting the Islamic State fugitives had led police on a arrested. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong seized the four southernmost is- reached an agreement, and lin- Abe, the current chair of the group. Lei told a daily news briefing. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 9 BRITAIN

LEGAL OFFBEAT CRIME DISCOVERY ENTERTAINMENT Paedophile killer’s Home Off ice staff fail Teen admits stabbing Shipwreck identified Corbyn the musical jail sentence doubled their own ‘langauge’ test two people to death as German submarine to open in London

A woman jailed for three-and-a-half years for The Home Off ice was left red-faced after unveiling A teenager from Colchester, Essex, has admitted A mystery shipwreck discovered more than A musical satirising the leader of the Labour fatally stabbing a convicted paedophile has new English tests for migrants - but misspelling to killing two people. James Attfield, 33, was three years ago off the coast of Britain has party, Jeremy Corbyn, is set to open in London in had her sentence more than doubled. Appeal the word “language” in its announcement. Prime stabbed more than 100 times in Colchester on been identified as a German submarine from April, writers Bobby Friedman and Rupert Myers judges upped the “unduly lenient” prison term Minister Cameron on Monday launched a £20mn March 29, 2014. Three months later, Saudi student World War I, the wind farm company that found announced. Asked to describe the plot of Corbyn given to Sarah Sands, 33, of east London, to language fund to help women. He also said women Nahid Almanea, 31, was stabbed 16 times. She was the boat said. The company, ScottishPower The Musical: The Motorcycle Diaries, Myers told seven-and-a-half years. Sands carried out the from non-EU countries who fail to pass an English walking along the Salary Brook Trail towards the Renewables, discovered the vessel at a depth the BBC: “Basically, Corbyn faces an imminent killing within weeks of hearing that neighbour, language test after two-and-a-half years in the University of Essex on the morning of June 17, of about 30 metres in September 2012 in the nuclear crisis with Russia, and the secret of Michael Pleasted, 77, had been released on country could face deportation. A Home Off ice 2014. The two deaths sparked fears a killer was North Sea about 90kms off England’s east coast. unlocking this lies in his past.” The show also pokes bail ahead of his trial. He had been accused of press release giving details of the move spoke randomly striking in the town. The teenager was Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables’ fun at a relationship Corbyn reportedly had with sexually assaulting young boys. In November of a “new English langauge test” and had to be arrested after being found with a lock knife on May project director for the East Anglia One wind Diane Abbott, now his international development 2014 she went to his flat in Canning Town, east corrected. Asked if Cameron was disappointed by 26 last year. During a hearing at the Old Bailey, he farm, said the scanning team mapping the floor spokeswoman, which led to them taking a London, to confront him about the allegations, the mistake, his spokeswoman said: “All of us are denied two counts of murder. But he admitted two of the sea was expecting to see wrecks, “but motorcycling holiday through East Germany in the armed with a knife. She stabbed him eight open to mistakes at times. The primer is pretty alternative counts of manslaughter by reason of such a discovery was quite a surprise and has 1970s. Corbyn himself is expected to be invited to a times and he bled to death. confident his team speaks English competently.” diminished responsibility. been extremely interesting.” performance of the show.

Cycle scheme extension Speed trap nets £100,000 a month in city

London Evening Standard telling them what is happening.” London Barrie Segal, who runs the parking tickets website Appeal- Now.com, said: “I hate speeders ew average-speed cam- and if this scheme reduces road eras are raking in almost deaths that is very welcome — N£100,000 per month but if it’s done cynically to raise from drivers on one of the capi- funds I would be rather con- tal’s busiest roads. cerned.” The “cheat-proof” traps were A Freedom of Information placed at 32 sites on an 11-mile request by the Standard to the stretch of the A40 in west Lon- Metropolitan Police revealed don. that 1,303 “notices of intended They are catching almost prosecution” were issued be- 1,000 motorists a month, the tween October 26 and December Standard revealed, and there are 30, including the 958 in Novem- plans to widen the scheme — de- ber. spite angry claims that the cam- Drivers were clocked at up to eras are simply a Treasury “cash 90mph. The A40 has 40mph cow” and that the public was not and 50mph speed limits. The el- Jessica Ennis-Hill, Santander brand ambassador and Olympic gold medallist, launches the extension of Santander Cycles – London’s flagship cycle hire scheme – to adequately informed in advance. evated Westway section between Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Newham. The champion decathlete and poster girl for British Athletics rode on two wheels alongside London’s Cycling Commissioner The devices were activated North Wharf Road and Bramley Andrew Gilligan at an event to mark the extension of the scheme brought in under London mayor Boris Johnson. at the end of October between Road attracted most fi nes — 305 the Polish War Memorial and over the fi rst two months. Av- the Westway fl yover. Previously erage-speed cameras were in- “fi xed-spot” cameras were in troduced in London on the A13 use at seven sites. By measur- in 2010 and halved road deaths ing average rates of travel, the or serious injuries in the subse- new system prevents speeders quent 18 months. evading detection by braking as TfL said a similar eff ect on the they approach a camera. A total A40 would prevent 31 deaths of 958 off enders were caught in or serious injuries over the next the fi rst month after the devices three years. Cameron’s chances of went live. The mayor wants to halve the Speeders are fi ned £100 and road casualty rate by 2020. A to- given at least three penalty tal of 127 people died and 2,040 points on their licence, depend- were seriously injured by Lon- ing on how fast they are clocked. don crashes in 2014, the lowest Transport for London said the numbers on record. TfL’s head cameras — which it is extending of strategy and outcome plan- EU deal bleak: Howard to the A2, A316 and A406 North ning, Lilli Matson, said: “These Circular Road later this year — 1,303 offences show just how London Evening Standard that a deal was slipping behind Cameron’s proposal for a four- that the founding fathers had of are major reforms. He accused would cut deaths and serious important average-speed cam- London schedule by insisting he was in year ban on EU migrants claiming Europe. Yes, that is in very grave Brussels of “dictating” rules and injuries. eras are for the safety of all road “no hurry” to get one signed up in-work benefi ts in the UK has danger. That’s why you need bor- said: “I sort of feel certain we But it faced accusations of users and highlight how many at a summit next month. become the main sticking point der guards, border controls on should come out.” failing to give suffi cient warning drivers are taking unnecessary ormer Conservative lead- Asked on BBC Radio 4 how he in talks, although Germany’s An- the external borders of the Euro- The intervention by one of of the cameras’ presence amid risks. er Lord Howard yester- would vote, Lord Howard said he gela Merkel has said she believes pean Union.” Britain’s best-loved actors was a suspicions they are a revenue- “By upgrading the safety cam- Fday poured cold water on would decide after seeing what a deal can be struck. In an interview at the World boost for Leave campaigners who raiser for the Treasury, which re- eras on the A40 — and with those David Cameron’s chances of se- Cameron brought home from France’s premier Manuel Economic Forum in Davos, have struggled to attract celeb- ceives proceeds from fi nes. planned later this year on the curing major reforms in Europe, the talks: “I have always wanted Valls yesterday warned the Switzerland, Valls made clear rity backers. London Assembly member A406, A316 and A2 — we are en- saying it was “not looking very the United Kingdom to remain in massive infl ux of migrants from he thought Merkel had been The star of Zulu and The Ital- Murad Qureshi, who raised con- suring London stays at the fore- likely”. a genuinely reformed European Syria and Iraq was putting the wrong to say her country would ian Job began an interview on the cerns with Mayor Boris John- front of road safety innovation.” Howard said he would vote for Union. It is not looking very like- future of the European Union welcome so many refugees...”A BBC’s Today programme by say- son when the cameras were fi rst Average-speed cameras will an exit from the European Union ly, I have to say, that we are going in “grave danger”. He said Euro- message that says ‘Come, you ing: “I don’t know what to vote proposed, told the Standard: “It go live on the North Circu- unless Cameron achieved “genu- to see a genuinely-reformed Eu- pean societies could be “totally will be welcome’ provokes ma- for — both are scary.” does appear to be a cash-cow for lar between Hanger Lane and ine” reforms in his negotiations ropean Union.” destabilised” unless tighter jor shifts of population. If you But he then lashed out at the the authorities — and done with- Bounds Green Road and on the with other leaders. He added: “I have great respect controls were put up at the EU’s say anything in Europe today, EU machine. “You’ve now got in out much public notifi cation. A316 between the M3 and Hog- His comments fuelled hopes and admiration for the prime external borders to keep un- a few seconds later it is on the Europe a sort of government by “It’s not obvious the change arth roundabout in “early sum- among Leave campaigners that minister. He may surprise us.” founded refugees out. smartphones of people in refugee proxy of everybody who has now has been made at all. I’ve no mer”, then on the A2 from the the peer, a popular fi gure with But Lord Howard said he had “It could disappear, of course camps near Libya.” got carried away and I think un- problem about getting drivers to Blackwall tunnel to the Black Tories, would play a major part “a lot of sympathy” with those — the European project, not Eu- Meanwhile actor Sir Michael less there’s some extremely sig- kill their speed but this has been Prince interchange in “late in the in-out referendum battle. urging an exit unless there was rope itself, not our values, but Caine yesterday backed quitting nifi cant changes we should get done behind their backs without September”. They come after Cameron hinted signifi cant reform. the concept we have of Europe, the European Union unless there out,” he said. Page 18

In the Spotlight Putin must be punished Calais migrants for spy killing: media arrive after ruling AFP an emotional reunion with his London older brother at the train station, AFP situation in Ukraine and the table, we should be increasing said he was grateful for the legal London downing of Malaysia Airlines pressure on its backers, such as eff orts to bring him to Britain. flight MH17 there in 2014. Russia and Iran, not soft-soap- our Syrian migrants has “I feel so thankful because The government announced ing them,” Lucas added. arrived in Britain from I would never have imagined ritish newspapers yester- no fresh sanctions over the The Guardian’s editorial Fthe so-called “Jungle” I would be reunited with my day welcomed an inquiry’s Litvinenko killing, instead said nothing comparable to migrant camp in Calais after a brother,” said the teenager, who Bfi nding that Russian Pres- summoning Russia’s ambas- Litvinenko’s murder had hap- landmark court ruling which cannot be identifi ed for le- ident Vladimir Putin “probably sador to London and imposing pened in London since 1978, could see more crossing the gal reasons. “I want to thank approved” the killing of ex-spy asset freezes on the two chief when Bulgarian dissident Channel. the lawyers who went that ex- Alexander Litvinenko, labelling suspects, Andrei Lugovoi and Georgi Markov was killed with Family members greeted tra mile to reunite me and my Putin a “thug”. Dmitri Kovtun. a ricin-tipped umbrella on a them as they arrived by train at brother. I feel so thankful.” Litvinenko died of radiation The Times’s editorial called bridge over the River Thames. the St Pancras station in central Ahmed, 26, an older brother poisoning in 2006 after drink- these measures “predictable “The report’s credibility is London, where a crowd of about of one of the boys who would ing tea laced with radioactive formalities that will have little not in doubt,” it said. “Stronger 100 demonstrators stood with not give his real name to protect polonium at a London hotel. impact”. measures, and at a European yellow balloons and banners his sibling, said he fl ed the Syr- The judge-led inquiry into It added: “It is not enough level, are now required.” reading “refugees welcome”. ian civil war and had not seen his what happened published its for the government to express But the Independent’s col- It came after judges on a Brit- brother in two years. long-awaited findings yester- its ‘profound displeasure’ and umnist Mary Dejevsky ques- ish immigration tribunal or- “He is the youngest in my day. freeze UK assets of two sus- tioned why the inquiry had dered the interior ministry to family and I haven’t seen him in Many newspapers insisted pects who probably do not have heard some parts of the evi- allow the four to enter Britain a long time,” Ahmed said ahead that Prime Minister David any.” dence in secret - a move at- while their asylum claims are of his brother’s arrival. Cameron’s government must “It’s Just Cowardly Folly To tributed by officials to national considered. The three teenagers “It is hard to describe how go further in punishing Rus- Appease This Thug” was the security concerns. and a 26-year old with mental happy I felt when I heard the sia over the Litvinenko killing, headline on a Daily Mail col- She added: “So bad are UK- health problems had been living court’s ruling. It was really, re- despite ministers’ hopes that umn by Edward Lucas. Russian relations overall - and US actor Stanley Tucci (right) poses for photographers ahead in the sprawling Calais camp for ally amazing. It was everything I Putin could help bring an end This said it was “a cata- such is the UK interest in im- of the UK premiere of the film Spotlight in central London. over two months. was waiting for.” to the conflict in Syria. strophically mistaken ap- proving them, because of Rus- Nominated for ‘Best Picture’ at the Oscars, the investigative Lawyers argued conditions The tribunal judges cited Eu- Relations between Brit- proach” for Britain to hold back sia’s mediating role with Iran journalism drama Spotlight, about the newspaper team that there were “intolerable” and ropean Union legislation, under ain and Russia were already in on firmer action in the hope and Syria - that I would hazard uncovered a widespread child sex scandal in the Catholic that their cases should be han- which those who have a relative deep freeze before the inquiry’s Russia could help over Syria. there is a strong probability... Church in Boston, won the awards for Best Picture and Best dled in Britain due to bureau- living legally in another European findings were published, over “If we want to bring the As- that bilateral relations will not Acting Ensemble at the Critics’ Choice Awards on January 17 cratic delays. country have a legal entitlement a series of issues including the sad regime to the negotiating actually become much worse.” One 17-year-old, who had to apply to seek asylum there. Gulf Times 10 Saturday, January 23, 2016 EUROPE

Croatia MPs meet Spain’s Podemos moots on new premier

AFP new govt with Socialists Zagreb AFP said if they would try to form a to abstain from voting. which Sanchez fi ercely opposes. terday, capping off a series of such a move would also respect Madrid government with the Socialists. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez But Podemos, which did well meetings with the leaders of “procedures”. roatia’s parliament met Last month’s general election has rejected the PP’s advances in Catalonia, appears to have political parties that won rep- Several PP lawmakers have yesterday to vote on a new produced a hung parliament and instead wants to form a left- softened its position on the issue resentation in parliament before in recent days tried to convince Ccabinet led by a political he leader of Spain’s anti- with no easy way of forming a wing alliance of “progressive in recent days, saying it wants he nominates one of them to Rajoy not to not submit him- novice, who has warned “diffi - austerity party Podemos ruling coalition majority. forces” that includes Podemos to focus on economic and social form a government. self to a vote of confi dence to cult decisions” lie ahead as the Thas proposed forming a A future government must and its allies who have 65 seats issues rather then the Catalan The royal palace has not said avoid a humiliating defeat, a PP EU’s newest member struggles government with the Socialists, win a vote of confi dence in the along with the United Left with question. when the king will announce his lawmaker who asked to remain with meagre economic growth making a left-wing governing assembly before taking offi ce. two seats. The head of the United Left, choice. anonymous told AFP. and a record refugee infl ux. alliance more likely after last Acting Prime Minister Mari- Sanchez welcomed the Po- Alberto Garzon, accept the While the monarch has tra- Iglesias said a left-wing gov- More than two months after a month’s inconclusive election. ano Rajoy’s conservative Popu- demos proposal but said the two proposal and said he hoped ne- ditionally invited the party with ernment would adopt measures general election failed to produce Pablo Iglesias told reporters lar Party (PP) won the most seats parties needed to fi rst reach an gotiations could begin as soon the most seats to form a govern- within the fi rst 100 days to pre- an outright winner, Tihomir that he had informed King Felipe (119) but fell well short of an ab- agreement on a programme. as possible so there was a left- ment, he can opt for an alliance vent evictions of homeowners Oreskovic, a non-partisan phar- VI of “our desire to form a gov- solute majority in the 350-seat “Podemos and Socialist vot- wing “government of change” of other parties if he feels they struggling to pay their mort- maceutical executive, was set ernment of change with the So- parliament. ers would not understand if we as in neighbouring Portugal and can deliver a more stable option. gages and do more to help the to be approved as prime minis- cialists and the United Left”. Rajoy has called for a “grand did not reach an agreement,” he Greece. Parliament has two months long-term unemployed whose ter after laying out his plans to Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez coalition” of the PP, the Social- told a news conference after he A left-wing coalition govern- from the fi rst confi dence vote benefi ts have run out. deputies. should lead the government ists who came in second place met with the king. ment would still need the sup- to approve a new government He also said a left-wing gov- His primary tasks include with the Podemos leader himself winning 89 seats, and new The formation of a left-wing port of tiny Catalan and Basque before fresh elections are trig- ernment would honour Spain’s curbing public debt that has as deputy, said Iglesias. centre-right party Ciudadanos coalition government has been nationalist parties to survive a gered. debt but “reduce the defi cit at reached 90% of gross domes- Podemos, a close ally of which took 40 seats. complicated by Podemos’ back- confi dence vote in the event that Sanchez said the PP should a slower rhythm” and would tic product (GDP), and attract- Greece’s ruling Syriza which So far no party has expressed ing for an independence refer- Ciudadanos decided to vote for get the fi rst chance at forming adopt measures to fi ght corrup- ing investors to the country as it came third in a general election any intention of voting for Rajoy, endum in the wealthy north- the PP. a government because it won tion and reform the justice and emerges from six years of reces- on December 20, had so far not with only Ciudadanos off ering eastern region of Catalonia, The king met Rajoy later yes- the most seats in December and electoral system. sion. Oreskovic will also have to grapple with the continued in- fl ux of refugees, who are travel- ling through the Balkans from Greece in bitterly cold winter Thousands rally in Chechen weather on their way to western Europe. “I am ready to take over the challenges ... we should be ready capital to back ally of Putin to make diffi cult decisions,” Oreskovic told the parliament in Zagreb. Reuters Chechen rebel turned Kremlin Kadyrov has denied involve- Since mid-September more Grozny/Moscow ally, has made a series of strong- ment. than 600,000 migrants have ly-worded verbal tirades against Thousands of Chechens took passed through Croatia, and the liberal opposition in recent to the central square of Grozny, Zagreb has repeatedly said they housands of people gath- weeks, calling them “enemies of the Chechen capital, yesterday would be allowed to enter as long ered in the capital of the people”, a Stalin-era phrase to voice support for Kadyrov and as neighbouring Slovenia and TChechnya yesterday to some of Putin’s rivals see as an back his campaign against Pu- other Western countries keep voice support for the region’s implicit death threat. tin’s opponents. accepting them. pro-Kremlin leader Ramzan He also said some opposition “Some people are trying to use Oreskovic said they would Kadyrov who has become locked fi gures should be locked up in the country’s complex economic continue to consult with region- in an increasingly strident war of psychiatric hospitals, recalling situation for their own dirty al partners and the EU on the is- words with Vladimir Putin’s po- an infamous Soviet practice of agenda to destabilise things,” sue, but he stressed: “The main litical opponents. silencing dissent. Magomed Daudov, the speaker Tens of thousands of people gather in central Grozny for a mass state-sponsored demonstration message is that we will protect Documents leaked online Human rights activists and of the Chechen parliament, told yesterday in support of strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov. State media said more than 1mn people Croatia’s interest.” beforehand suggested the au- liberal politicians have con- the crowd. “These people are turned up. The off icial population of Chechnya is 1.37mn. The 49-year-old was nomi- thorities had made attendance demned Kadyrov, with some traitors.” nated for the post by the main at the rally compulsory for those calling the strongman “Russia’s Daudov earlier this month Ruslan, a Grozny resident and He declined to give his sur- State media said the rally had conservative Croatian Demo- working in the state sector, in- shame”. posted a picture on the Internet a government employee, said name. attracted more than 1mn people. cratic Union (HDZ) and the cluding for teachers, though the The Kremlin has given him of Kadyrov restraining an enor- that he had been coerced into Many in the crowd carried A Reuters reporter said thou- small pro-reformist party Most authorities said the rally was a broad support. mous dog called “Tarzan”, hint- attending. portraits of Kadyrov and Putin sands were present. (“Bridge”), who formed a coali- genuine outpouring of support The row has erupted ahead of ing the animal could be set on “I came today because going as well as Russian and Chechen The offi cial population of tion after weeks of post-election for Kadyrov. the fi rst anniversary of the mur- the liberal opposition. to meetings, in our leadership’s fl ags. Chechnya is 1.37mn. horse-trading. Two attendees told Reuters der of opposition leader Boris Other speakers spoke of “a opinion, is part of our job,” he One giant poster declared that The crowd, who regularly, Raised in Canada, Oresko- that they had been forced to turn Nemtsov next month. fi fth column” inside Russia and told Reuters. “I was obliged to Kadyrov was “a servant of the broke out into cries of “Allahu vic has spent just a few years in up. Police have charged a group of of pro-Western groups plotting turn up. I’m sick of carrying out almighty and of the people and Akbar”, fi nished the event by re- Croatia. Kadyrov, 39, a former Chechen men with that killing. to collapse the country. other people’s will.” Putin’s foot soldier”. peatedly chanting “Ramzan”. While some are sceptical of his knowledge of the country, he appears to have been chosen for his business expertise and lack of political allegiances. Announcing his 23-member Tajikistan Russians break door at museum cabinet line-up on Thursday – calling it “Tim’s team” – he described it as a “good combina- MPs back amid rush to visit exhibition tion of people from both private and public sectors”. The best-known fi gures in- president AFP “Yesterday the entrance door people bypass the queue, cit- clude experienced diplomat Moscow was damaged,” spokeswoman ing “serious problems at the Miro Kovac, from the HDZ, as Anna Kotlyar told AFP. “This entrance”. foreign minister, and Zdravko for life exhibition broke all records “Please dress warmly and Maric, a former top execu- top Russian museum with over 400,000 visitors” keep calm,” the Tretyakov wrote tive with food retailer Agrokor, struggled to control since it opened in October. on its Facebook page as daytime Croatia’s biggest private fi rm, AFP Arecord crowds yester- Culture Minister Vladimir temperatures on Friday stood who is set to take over the fi - Dushanbe day as thousands rushed to see Medinsky also intervened yes- around -10° Celsius (14° Fahr- nance portfolio. a 19th-century art exhibition, terday, saying that the museum enheit) with falling snow. HDZ leader Tomislav Ka- queuing for hours in the snow would stay open “until the last Serov, who died in 1911, was People queue yesterday to visit the exhibition by Russian artist ramarko and Most leader Bozo ajikistan’s parliament and even breaking a door. visitor”, instead of shutting its a successful portrait painter Valentin Serov at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Petrov are both set to become has backed changing the The exhibition of paintings doors at 8pm. whose work is still hugely pop- vice-premiers. Tconstitution to allow the by Valentin Serov, renowned for Yesterday afternoon visitors ular in Russia even if it is little aristocrats including the last Monday, possibly fuelling the If approved, as expected, by former Soviet country’s long- his society portraits, broke at- told AFP they had waited for known in the West. tsar Nicolas II. show’s success. the 151-seat parliament, Oresko- serving president Emomali Ra- tendance records at Moscow’s three hours and forty minutes His most iconic work Girl Many of his paintings are In recent years exhibitions of vic will become Croatia’s fi rst khmon to run for offi ce an infi - Tretyakov Gallery, with visitors to get in to the gallery. with Peaches depicts a young on permanent display at the Western artists including Sal- premier not to hail from one of nite number of times. queueing outside in freezing The Tretyakov said it had girl sitting at a table bathed in Tretyakov. vador Dali and Caravaggio have its two main political power bas- The 63-year-old president temperatures to see the show been forced to halt sales of summer sun. President Vladimir Pu- prompted enormous queues in es – the HDZ and the centre-left has led the impoverished Central before it closes tomorrow. online tickets, which had let He painted various Russian tin visited the exhibition on Moscow. Social Democrats. Asian country since 1992. Yesterday the lower house backed amendments saying “Rakhmon can stand for presi- dent an unlimited number of times”, said lawmaker Makhma- dali Vatanzoda. Sarkozy draws presidential The amendments now have to be approved by the constitu- tional court and put to a national referendum. Tajikistan last year awarded election spotlight with book Rakhmon the title of “Leader of the Nation”, reinforcing his bur- geoning personality cult. Reuters “President Bling-Bling” nick- “My character has always led says in the book he should have “According to the Tajik con- Paris name he earned after the luxury me to be frank,” Sarkozy writes moved faster to shake up the stitution, a person can stand for boat trip address what were seen in the book. “But with age and economy and would now roll president twice for seven-year as key factors in his 2012 election experience, I have learnt to cali- back laws such as the one im- terms. However this does not icolas Sarkozy said that defeat to Socialist Francois Hol- brate that frankness.” posing a legal work week of 35 President Hollande with Sarkozy after their meeting yesterday at apply to the Leader of the Na- his “frankness” and lande. Opinion polls have shown hours. the Elysee Palace in Paris. Sarkozy has taken yet another step tion,” argued Vatanzoda, one of N“free spirit” had led him “It was undeniably a bad call. over the past two weeks that a Abolishing France’s wealth tax towards a second presidential re-election bid with the publication the authors of the amendments. to make errors during his 2007- I’m still wondering today how I majority of French do not want should be another priority, to- of a book La France pour la vie (France for life), in which he admits Rakhmon won a seven-year 2012 term as French president, could make such a mistake,” he Sarkozy back in offi ce and rival gether with a 10% cut in income some errors during his time in power and sketches a few ideas of term in a one-sided election in in a book unveiled yesterday that said of the break on the luxury Alain Juppe is more popular than tax and ensuring that profi t tax what he would propose now. 2013. is key to his bid for re-election in boat. he is as a conservative candidate on corporations was no higher in He is eligible to serve another 2017. It took him, he refl ected, too for the 2017 presidential elec- France than the European aver- to avoid “getting submerged”. ings. He denies any wrongdoing. term after that following consti- It was a mistake telling a hos- long to “tame his character” and tion. age, he says. “No work contract, no entry While he devotes little of the tutional reforms. The next elec- tile bystander at a farm fair “Get act as a president. The fi rst hurdle towards the Sarkozy also says in the book on (French) territory,” he writes. 260 pages to his rivals in the tion will be in 2020. lost, you jerk”, and it was another While Sarkozy has not public- election is a conservative pri- that despite his misgivings In the book he complains conservative primary, Sarkozy In 2003 he had overseen an- error to have celebrated his 2007 ly stated that he will be a candi- mary contest in November. about a law that the Socialists about getting bad press and says criticises Hollande throughout. other hastily-arranged con- election win on a French ty- date in 2017, the carefully timed Outlining the broad lines of a introduced to legalise same-sex he has been unfairly targeted by “I know how good he is at ma- stitutional referendum which, coon’s yacht, he said in the book release of the book, which also policy programme, the 60-year- marriages, he would not seek to judges. nipulating and setting up traps,” through various technicalities, headlined France for life. sketches out policy proposals, old who won power shortly repeal the legislation. A string of judicial investiga- he says of Hollande. “He doesn’t allowed him to keep the post un- The mea culpa on his abrasive was widely seen as the opening before a global fi nancial crisis He said that France needed to tions into his election campaign like making decisions. His world til 2020. style and eff orts to counter the salvo of a campaign. and sharp economic downturn better control migration in order fi nancing have also hurt his rat- is one of friendly ambiguity.” Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 11 EUROPE Hungary and Slovenia urge fencing off of Greece

AFP Both countries criticised “We should take a man’s stance tion” if the EU failed to fi nd a so- “If we aren’t able to fi nd an ef- With most crossing the Medi- Greek border and imposed strict- Brdo Castle, Slovenia Greece – the asylum-seekers’ and say we expect a fence to be lution for the migrant crisis be- fi cient solution for Greece (on its terranean from Turkey to Greece, er entry controls. fi rst entry point into the bloc built on the Macedonian and fore the fl ow picked up again with southern sea borders), we need they then travel overland through Hungary’s response to the after crossing from Turkey – for Bulgarian border with Greece the onset of spring and warmer to do something immediately Macedonia and Serbia to reach migrant infl ux was to seal off its ungary and Slovenia failing to protect its sea borders. and stop the migrant wave,” said weather. where that could be eff ective EU countries. southern borders with barbed have urged the erection “Just complaining that Greece Orban. “We have no time, we can’t (on the Macedonian border with Very few try to enter the bloc wire to migrants in autumn last Hof a fence along Greece’s is not protecting its borders isn’t The two leaders held talks yes- wait until the spring. Millions of Greece),” Cerar said. via Greece’s frontier with EU year. northern border, eff ectively seal- enough,” Hungary’s right-wing terday at Brdo Castle, some 20km people are waiting on the borders More than 1mn migrants and member Bulgaria. This diverted the fl ow to Slov- ing off the EU’s passport-free Prime Minister Viktor Orban (12.5 miles) northwest of the cap- to enter the EU as migrants, and refugees made the perilous jour- With the crisis showing no enia, a tiny state of 2mn people, Schengen area to migrants seek- said at a joint news conference ital, Ljubljana. that fi gure will increase to tens of ney by sea to Europe in 2015, the signs of abating, Macedonia has which is now a key transit coun- ing to enter the bloc via the west- with Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar warned that Europe millions,” the centrist Slovenian majority fl eeing violence in Syria, already fenced off several kilo- try for migrants heading for Aus- ern Balkans. Cerar. faced “confl icts and disintegra- leader said. Iraq and Afghanistan. metres along its 250km (155 mile) tria and Germany. More than 2,500 45 drown in boat sinking unsafe AFP Athens life vests orty-fi ve people drowned when three refugee boats meant for Fsank yesterday off Greece, as Turkey pledged to “do every- thing” to stop record numbers of migrants migrants heading to Europe. Despite wintry conditions, thousands of people fl eeing war seized and misery are still embarking on the dangerous sea journey to seek a better life in Europe. AFP In a stark illustration of the Istanbul high cost of the voyage, Greek and Turkish coastguards recov- ered the bodies of 45 migrants urkish police have seized – including 20 children – whose more than 2,500 unsafe boats capsized on their way to Tlife jackets destined for Greece, offi cials said yesterday. migrants wanting to cross the Greek rescuers pulled 74 peo- Aegean Sea to Greece, in the lat- ple to safety after two boats ran est crackdown on businesses into trouble off the Aegean is- exploiting refugees in western lands of Farmakonisi and Ka- Above: An Iraqi girl cries Turkey, reports said yesterday. lolimnos in the early hours. moments after arriving on a Police raided 120 underground But the toll could rise as rescu- dinghy with other refugees and workshops and companies ers were still scouring the waters migrants on a beach on the in eight cities in western and for people missing from the boat Greek island of Lesbos, southern Turkey, including Is- that capsized off Kalolimnos. yesterday. tanbul, and seized the substand- Of the survivors, “most are in a ard life vests as well as wet suits, state of shock. There were fami- Left: A woman asylum-seeker diving masks and helmets, Ana- lies on board and in some cases from Iran holds flowers in her tolia news agency said. only the father survived”, UN- hands in front of a refugee camp The products were destroyed CHR offi cial Marco Procaccini during a demonstration by by the police, it added. told AFP. German women against violence Earlier this month, police have Charity Doctors without Bor- Despite deteriorating weather, an agreement to “do everything in Cologne, western Germany confi scated over 1,200 unsafe ders (MSF in its French acro- the Greek islands were witness- to reduce the number of refu- yesterday. life jackets destined for use by nym), which is providing psy- ing a surge with more than 3,000 gees” crossing into the EU. migrants trying to reach Greece chological care to survivors of the people arriving daily in the last In exchange, Ankara can count Right: A migrant waits at a by sea, in a raid on an under- Kalolimnos shipwreck, described 48 hours, it said. on German support in easing by registration camp in southern ground workshop that used Syr- the horror on its Twitter ac- Europe has been battling to re- October European Union visa re- Serbian town of Presevo ian underage labour in Izmir, a count, saying that “one man lost solve its biggest migration crisis quirements for Turkish citizens. yesterday after crossing the city on the Aegean coast. his pregnant wife and two kids, a since World War II, but member Merkel also won praise from Macedonian border. The news of the latest seizure 17-year-old lost his brother, an states are split on what action Davutoglu for her leadership in comes after Greek and Turkish entire family was swallowed by needs to be taken. the refugee crisis, who said: “Mrs ness and political elite, US Sec- fi nancing for aid towards the rising in Turkey, after an increas- coastguards on Friday recov- the sea”. Meanwhile, UN fi gures showed Merkel has taken a historic step retary of State John Kerry also 2.2mn Syrian refugees that Tur- ing number of journalists were ered the bodies of 45 migrants Separately, the Turkish coast- 149 people perished or are feared in the conscience of humanity.” made a call for a 30% hike in in- key is hosting. arrested for insulting or criticis- – including 20 children – whose guard found the bodies of three dead in their sea journey to Eu- Merkel has so far resisted de- ternational aid for refugees. Turkey has a special relation- ing top government offi cials. boats capsized on their way to children yesterday after a third rope in January alone. mands for a refugee quota, after However, Merkel is well aware ship with Germany as the EU’s US Vice-President Joe Biden, Greece. boat sank near the seaside resort “These deaths highlight both nearly 1.1mn asylum seekers ar- of the pivotal role played by Tur- biggest economy is not only on a visit to Istanbul, strongly AFP correspondents who re- of Didim, the Dogan news agency the heartlessness and the futility rived in Germany in 2015. key, which shares a border with home to around 3mn people with criticised Turkey for failing to set ported on the wave of migrants reported. of the growing chorus demand- She has instead promised a war-torn Syria and is also the Turkish roots, but is also its big- the right “example” on freedom heading from Turkey to Greece The UN refugee agency said ing greater restrictions on refu- “tangible reduction” in new ar- main launchpad to Europe for gest trading partner. of expression. have seen a booming trade in life smugglers were off ering desper- gee access to Europe,” said John rivals, and is counting on inter- many of the migrants. Merkel said she raised thorny Turkey is also waging an all- jackets in Turkish resorts for sale ate migrants discounts to lure Dalhuisen, Amnesty Interna- national eff orts to deliver. Under a November deal with topics with Davutoglu such as out off ensive against the sepa- at suspiciously low prices. them out. tional’s Europe and Central Asia The German leader secured the EU, Ankara had already media independence and the sit- ratist Kurdistan Workers’ Party The life jackets, many of which “Newly arriving refugees told programme director. some backing from US President agreed to reduce the number of uation of the Kurds, but she said (PKK), with military operations are simply stuff ed with syn- UNHCR that the smuggling rates Germany and Turkey have Barack Obama, who in a phone migrants coming through, but these issues were “very strongly backed by curfews aimed at thetic materials with no buoy- had halved in recent days. This emerged as crucial players in the call late on Thursday pledged to between 2,000 and 3,000 people outweighed” by common con- fl ushing out rebels from several ancy, have proved of little use discount acts as a grim entice- crisis, and German Chancel- contribute “substantially” at a are still arriving daily in Greece cerns including the refugee crisis southeastern urban centres. to migrants whose bodies have ment to take extraordinary risks lor Angela Merkel, who hosted Syria donors’ conference in Feb- from Turkey. and the battle against the Islamic But Kurdish activists say doz- washed up on Turkish beaches given worsening weather,” the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu ruary. EU member states are mean- State group. ens of civilians have died as a re- after their boats sank while on agency said. for talks, said both sides signed At the Davos summit of busi- while still squabbling over the Worries over press freedom are sult of excessive force. their way to Greece. Five children injured in bomb blast Belgium charges 11th at Turkey school blamed on PKK Paris attack suspect Reuters of our babies were martyred,” he Diyarbakir told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul. AFP J must appear within fi ve days the French border, and a fl at in Turkey, the United States and Brussels before a court which will decide Brussels. ive children were hurt yes- the European Union all classify whether he should remain in Four suspects remain at large, terday when an explosive the PKK as a terrorist organisa- custody. including Salah Abdeslam who Fripped through a school- tion. Belgian judge has The suspect, who was born in allegedly drove suicide bomb- yard in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish The attack occurred before the charged an 11th person 1986, was arrested Wednesday, ers to the French national sta- southeast, a region gripped by children entered their classrooms Awith terrorism-related a day before police carrying out dium outside Paris, as well as violence between militants and to collect their report cards on off ences over the Paris attacks, another raid in Molenbeek de- Mohamed Abrini, suspected state security forces for months, the last day of the semester, of- two days after the suspect was tained Mustafa E, a Moroccan of having helped scout out the security sources said. fi cials said. arrested in a raid in Brussels. national who was born in 1981. attack sites. Both are from Mo- The sources blamed the attack Selahattin Demirtas, head of The man identifi ed as Zakaria Mustafa E was arrested and lenbeek. on the armed Kurdistan Work- parliament’s Peoples’ Democrat- J “has been charged with terror- released on Thursday, the state- Prosecutors said Belgian na- ers Party (PKK), saying mem- ic Party (HDP), called the attack ist murders and participation ment said. tional Ayoub Bazarouj, 22, who bers tossed an explosive into the an “atrocity”. in the activities of a terrorist No weapons or explosives was arrested December 30 dur- yard of the middle school in the “It is an atrocity to bomb a group”, the prosecutor’s offi ce were found in the raids in Mo- ing a raid on a house in Molen- Baglar district of Diyarbakir, the school garden with little children Schoolchildren stand behind police tape as Turkish police inspect the said in a statement. lenbeek, an area dubbed a hot- beek, was released yesterday, region’s biggest city. in it. But we are in an environ- area following an explosion in the playground of the school in the Sur The Belgian national, who bed of jihadists which has seen making him the second among There were no immediate ment where is no will to reveal district in Diyarbakir city. was arrested in the troubled im- a string of police raids since the the 11 charged to be released claims of responsibility. those responsible for any crime,” migrant neighbourhood of Mo- Paris attacks. while still facing charges. Turkish authorities have been Demirtas, whose party is accused trenches and built barricades to services and food, water and lenbeek on Wednesday, is being French President Francois The cases against the two do battling PKK militants in cities of links with the PKK, told re- keep police at bay. power supplies. kept in police custody, it added. Hollande has said the Paris at- not appear to be strong. and towns in the mainly Kurd- porters in Ankara. Deputy Prime Minister Lutfi Yesterday police detained Ten other people have been tacks were decided in Syria but Federal prosecutors’ spokes- ish southeast since July last year, A few miles from the school Elvan said that operations were Leyla Imret, Cizre’s 29-year-old charged in Belgium under the prepared and organised in Bel- man Eric Van Der Sypt said Ba- after a 2-1/2-year ceasefi re col- in Sur district, two soldiers were nearly complete in Silopi. mayor, after a prosecutor ac- investigation into the attacks gium. zarouj, who has two extremist lapsed. wounded in a rocket attack, se- “Hopefully this cleansing op- cused her of terrorist propaganda that killed 130 people and The Islamic State group has brothers and a sister who left More than 150 civilians have curity sources said. eration will soon fi nish in Cizre in connection with an interview wounded hundreds more in the claimed responsibility for the for Syria, remains charged with died, rights groups say, in the Also, a special forces police of- and Sur as well,” he added. “We she gave. French capital on November 13. attacks. “terrorist murder” and involve- worst violence the southeast has fi cer was killed in Cizre, a town will continue our struggle until The interior ministry banned The prosecutors declined to Last week Belgium said it ment in the activities of a ter- seen in two decades. further east bordering Syria, in members of the terrorist organi- her from offi ce in September. deny or confi rm Belgian media had identifi ed three safe houses rorist group. Turkish President Recep Tayy- clashes with PKK militants, they sation are wiped out.” Imret is among two dozen reports that Zakaria J is con- used by key suspects including Bazarouj was arrested after ip Erdogan said that the PKK was said. Rights group Amnesty In- mayors of southeastern towns sidered close to Abdelhamid Abaaoud. alluding to Salah Abdeslam, a behind the attack, saying it was Sur, Cizre and the town of Si- ternational said in a report on held since the confl ict reignited. Abaaoud, the presumed mas- The premises include a fl at in fugitive from the Paris attacks, the “peak” of the group’s assaults lopi have been under a round- Thursday that up to 200,000 The PKK took up arms against termind of the attacks who was Charleroi, a town south of the during telephone conversations against public buildings, includ- the-clock curfew since Decem- people were at risk in the region the Turkish state in 1984, and killed in a French police raid capital Brussels where a major but these were just “jokes”, ing hospitals and mosques. ber during security operations due to police and military op- more than 40,000 people have days after the massacre. airport is located, a house in Bazarouj’s lawyer Yannick De “Our only comfort is that none against militants who have dug erations, cut off from emergency died in the insurgency. Under Belgian law, Zakaria the rural village of Auvelais near Vlamynck said. Gulf Times 12 Saturday, January 23, 2016 INDIA

ACCIDENT LAW AND ORDER PEOPLE LAW AND ORDER CRIME Two bomb-makers 14 arrested across Woman who threw Kerala claims credit for No terror link in cab driver’s killed in explosion country in terror probe ink at Kejriwal gets bail cracking arms training case murder: Himachal Police

An improvised bomb exploded in the Birbhum Five suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) A New Delhi court yesterday granted bail The Kerala government said it deserved part of The Himachal Pradesh Police yesterday ruled district of West Bengal yesterday killing two were arrested and nine others detained by the to a woman who threw ink at Delhi Chief the credit for the fast disposal of the Narath arms out the possibility of a terror angle to the murder people who had been making explosives in National Investigation Agency in co-operation Minister Arvind Kejriwal at a public gathering training case in which an NIA court sentenced of a car driver hired by three people for travel to a cow shed, a senior police official said. “Two with state police agencies across India, a home in the capital on Sunday. Additional sessions 21 people. “This case was first dealt with by our Pathankot in Punjab. A police off icer said there people were killed when the bomb they were ministry off icial said yesterday. Informed judge Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal granted bail police. Later, it was taken up by the NIA,” Kerala could be a drug angle to the crime. However, the making exploded near their home at Khairasol sources said all the raids were conducted on to Bhawna Arora from the Aam Aadmi Party’s Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said. He police said an alert had been sounded in the hill early yesterday,” police inspector general Anuj tip-off s that the IS sympathisers were planning breakaway group in Punjab, and said that said the conviction by the National Investigation state after driver Vijay Kumar’s murder. His body Sharma said. “A police contingent has rushed bomb attacks in several cities on the Republic no purpose will be served by keeping her Agency court in Kochi was an illustration of how was found near a bridge on January 20, three days to the spot. We are investigating the incident.” Day. Huge quantities of arms and ammunition in custody. The court asked her to furnish a the Kerala government was doing its job. The after he went missing. “Our investigations have not The episode comes amid tightened nationwide were seized from the rented house of two of personal bond of Rs100,000 and a surety of case pertained to a secret arms training camp shown any terror link so far to the murder. We are security ahead of the annual Republic Day the suspects in Bengaluru, an off icial said. The like amount. Arora was arrested on Monday that was organised by activists of the Popular on the job to identify and trace the three accused on Tuesday. Sharma said the tin roof of the arrested men are accused of encouraging the after she threw ink at Kejriwal alleging a “CNG Front of India (PFI) at Narath in Kannur district and recover the vehicle,” a police off icer said The shed was blown away by the impact of the youth to join the IS. The arrested men are in the scam” in the AAP government. She, however, on April 23, 2013. Police raided the camp and Delhi Police had earlier yesterday issued an alert explosion. 25-30 age group, an off icial disclosed. missed hitting her target. took 21 PFI activists into custody. after the taxi driver was found dead in Himachal.

University protesters Prime minister seek vice chancellor’s resignation pays emotional

IANS Hyderabad tribute over here was no letup in pro- tests by students at the THyderabad University, demanding ouster of Vice Chan- cellor P Appa Rao over the sui- cide of a Dalit research scholar. scholar suicide The revocation of suspen- sion of four Dalit students by IANS Delhi Chief Minister Arvind istry decided to constitute a ju- the executive council of the cen- Lucknow Kejriwal had earlier yesterday de- dicial commission to review the tral university failed to pacify manded Modi speak on the sui- entire sequence of events and the the students, who say that their cide before paying homage to Ba- circumstances; and to establish prime demand is the resignation rime Minister Narendra basaheb Ambedkar in Lucknow. the facts and correctives in the of the vice chancellor and action Modi yesterday broke his Kejriwal also exhorted the context of the university,” an of- against him, two central minis- Psilence on the suicide of Hy- prime minister to meet the pro- fi cial statement said. ters and others responsible for derabad University Dalit scholar, testing students of the univer- “The commission will submit the suicide of Rohith Vemula. Rohith Vemula, saying he was sity. its report within three months,” The Joint Action Committee deeply saddened by the tragedy. Kejriwal on Thursday sought it added. Union Human Re- (JAC) for social justice, an um- In his speech at the 6th con- the dismissal of central ministers sources Development Minister brella organisation of 14 student vocation of the Babasaheb Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dat- Smriti Irani yesterday also spoke groups, continued the protest for Bhimrao Ambedkar University in tatreya as well as the vice chan- to Vemula’s mother over phone the fi fth consecutive day, ignor- Lucknow, he choked and paused cellor of Hyderabad University and extended her condolences. ing the appeal by the vice chan- while referring to the scholar’s over the incident. The ministry, according to the cellor to return to classes and help death last Sunday, triggering Meanwhile, the union human statement, also took a few other normalcy return to the campus. protests across the country. resource development ministry decisions to address the issues Meanwhile, the indefi nite “I am not going into the rea- yesterday decided to set up a ju- faced by the students from dis- strike by seven JAC members en- sons, politics of the issue, but I dicial commission to probe the advantaged social, economic tered its third day. The four sus- empathise with the family who circumstances which led to Ve- and educational backgrounds in pended students also continued has lost so much,” he said as tears mula’s suicide. higher educational institutions their sit-in at ‘veligonda’ (Dalit welled up in his eyes. The commission will and to prevent such incidents ghetto), a small makeshift tent, The prime minister said that submit its report in three in future. where they had been demon- at a time when the entire nation months. The ministry took The Hyderabad Univer- strating since early this month to looks up to the youth for inspi- the decision based on the sity yesterday announced an protest their suspension by the ration and strength, a news like fi ndings and observa- Rs800,000 ex gratia as- university authorities over an al- this brings sadness. tions of a fact-fi nding sistance for Vemula’s leged clash with a leader of Akhil He told youngsters not to take committee consti- family. Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad such drastic steps. tuted to conduct an A demand draft (ABVP). Vemula had hanged himself to inquiry. The two for the amount Rohith, a PhD student, com- death on the campus on Sunday. panels submitted will be hand- mitted suicide by hanging him- He and fi ve other Dalit students their reports to ed over to self in his friend’s hostel room were suspended by the univer- the ministry. Rohith’s on January 17, triggering protests sity on charges of assaulting an “Based on its mother Ra- at the campus and also in other ABVP leader. observations and dhika, a university universities in diff erent parts of The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi fi ndings, the min- statement said here. the country to demand action Parishad (ABVP) is the student against those involved in sus- wing of the RSS and is allied to PM’s remarks disappointing: Congress pension of the students and sub- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). jecting them to social boycott. Earlier at the event, two stu- The Congress yesterday said that concrete action needs As many as 13 faculty mem- dents raised slogans against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s to be taken to do justice to bers belonging to scheduled prime minister as Union Home remarks on the suicide of the memory of Vemula. “We castes and scheduled tribes have Minister Rajnath Singh con- Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula want to humbly tell the prime also resigned from their admin- cluded his speech and Modi rose have “deeply disappointed” minister that mere crocodile istrative roles to protest Union to address the gathering. the country as he did not tears will not return Vemula Human Resource Development As they shouted that the kill- announce action against union or do justice to him. For doing Minister Smriti Irani’s statement ers of Vemula were still alive ministers Smriti Irani and justice, for eroding anti-Dalit that a Dalit professor headed the and raised slogans like “go back Bandaru Dattatreya. Congress mindset of ABVP, BJP, concrete sub-committee of executive Modi”, police offi cials whisked spokesperson Randeep action will have to be taken,” council which suspended the NSUI activists stage a demonstration against Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani in them away and the prime minis- Surjewala told reporters Surjewala said. fi ve students. New Delhi yesterday. ter began his speech. French envoy downplays Cold day in Delhi Premier’s silence on letter threat to Hollande Sarabhai death fl ayed IANS As an activist, Mallika Sara- IANS “There is nothing at the mo- But hopeful does not mean we Ahmedabad bhai continuously attacked the New Delhi ment that leads us to believe it have certitude. Work is being then Gujarat chief minister Modi is a ‘real threat’. It may be just conducted with a lot of energy,” for the 2002 communal riots in another excited sentiment,” the French ambassador to India haratnatyam exponent the state. rench ambassador to Richier said. said. Mrinalini Sarabhai’s Mrinalini Sarabhai was a India Francois Richier “It is not a specifi c threat. Asked if an inter-govern- Bdaughter Mallika has criti- Padma Bhushan awardee. She Fyesterday said there was It’s a specifi c paper that claim mental agreement is expected cised Prime Minister Narendra founded the Darpana Academy no evidence to suggest that a to be (sent) on behalf of a terror to be signed during Hollande’s Modi for not paying homage to of Performing Arts, an institute threat letter warning President organisation. I cannot say there visit on the deal, he said: “In her mother who died on Thurs- for imparting training in dance, Francois Hollande against his is a threat here. It may simply any case, there will be an in- day, even as President Pranab drama, music and puppetry. India visit was real. be the kind of paper we receive ter-governmental agreement Mukherjee said “her tireless ef- As a tribute to the illustrious Bengaluru Police on Thurs- regularly from people who just because it is a government-to- forts to spread Indian classical danseuse, Mukherjee said the day said a case was registered want to create media attention. government negotiation. Eve- dance around the world will be void created by her demise “will after the French consulate in This is why these papers are rything will be within this IGA always remembered”. be diffi cult to fi ll”. Bengaluru handed over a letter leaked,” he added. and its annexure. I can confi rm Mallika Sarabhai took to Face- “Demise of Mrinalini Sarab- allegedly conveying Al Qaeda’s Richier said he could not this because this is no surprise.” book to ask why Modi, who be- hai leaves a void in the world of warning to the French presi- comment on the outcome of Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar longs to Gujarat, had not both- creativity and performing arts dent not to participate in the the ongoing talks on the Rafale Singh Bhadauria is heading ered to condole the death of her which will be diffi cult to fi ll,” he Republic Day celebrations as fi ghter plane deal with India, the price negotiations for the 97-year-old mother. tweeted. chief guest. Hollande will par- and added it was a “complex Indian side. The fi nal contract “My dear prime minister. You “Mrinalini Sarabhai left an in- ticipate in the Republic Day pa- negotiation”. for the 36 aircraft, including hate my politics and I hate yours, delible mark on Indian classical rade in Delhi on January 26. “Discussions are taking its missile system and others, that has nothing to do with what dance as an eminent danseuse, “It’s sad the letter has been place at present. I cannot say for which an agreement was Mrinalini Sarabhai did to pro- choreographer and teacher. leaked. We’re looking into the what the outcome will be. It is arrived at during Modi’s visit, mote the culture of this country Dance was Mrinalini Sarabhai’s issue even though we are ac- a complex negotiation indeed. is expected to cost around Rs- to the world over 60 years. She life, passion and existence,” he customed to receiving leaf- I don’t know what is going to 600bn. blazed a trailer for our culture in added. lets like this one. Nothing new happen,” Richier told the media The ambassador said: “There the world,” Mallika Sarabhai said. She “believed that the power of to us...we receive a plenty of here on the issue of the multi- is no commercial contract in “That her death sees no word dance, music, arts and literature them. Generally, these seek to billion dollar warplane deal the Rafale deal. It is an issue from you shows your mentality. must be experienced by the com- create disorder or attract media that was fi nalised during Prime between the French and the However much you hate me, as mon man... Her tireless eff orts attention. They never prove to Minister Narendra Modi’s visit Indian government. There is A man takes his son to school wrapped in a shawl on a cold our prime minister it behove you to spread Indian classical dance be true,” the French ambassa- to Paris in April last year. no private contract involved in foggy morning in New Delhi yesterday. to recognise her contribution. around the world will be always dor told reporters here. “Of course, I am hopeful. this deal.” You have not. Shame on you.” remembered”, Mukherjee said. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 13 INDIA

REPORT DECISION INTERNET OBITUARY UNEMPLOYMENT Sunanda Pushkar died of 100 files related to Netaji Mumbai Central railway Tabla maestro Ghosh MBAs, post-graduates Alprax overdose: AIIMS to be released today station off ers free Wi-Fi dies in Kolkata aged 80 apply for sweeper posts

Sunanda Pushkar died of poisoning caused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today release Western Railway’s Mumbai Central terminus Legendary tabla player Shankar Ghosh died at a More than 19,000 people have applied for anxiety drug Alprax, the final report by AIIMS digital copies of 100 files related to Netaji Subhas yesterday earned the distinction of being the Kolkata hospital yesterday after being critically ill 114 positions as sweepers in Amroha, Uttar medical board said. All India Institute of Medical Chandra Bose following the government’s decision first railway station in India to off er free high- for over a month, family sources said. Ghosh, 80, Pradesh, with many candidates being post- Sciences experts added there could be chances to declassify files on the freedom fighter. The files, speed Wi-Fi to the public. The facility - courtesy leaves behind his wife, Hindustani classical vocalist graduates and MBAs, officials said yesterday. of an injectable poison, in view of certain marks digitised and given “preliminary conservation Google and RailTel, the telecom wing of Indian of Patiala gharana, Sanjukta Ghosh, and his famed High levels of unemployment in the country on Sunanda’s body. The report - submitted to treatment” by the National Archives of India, will Railways - was launched by Railway Minister percussionist son Bickram Ghosh. The exponent of have driven even some well-trained people to the Delhi police earlier this month - said the FBI be released on the birth anniversary of Netaji. The Suresh Prabhu. He said plans were afoot to the Farrukhabad gharana of Hindustani classical seek any kind of job, with the sweepers’ job had confirmed the presence of lidocaine (used culture ministry said the National Archives plans bring online 100 railway stations, including music had undergone an angioplasty following considered among the lowest professions in to relieve itching, burning and pain due to skin to release digital copies of 25 declassified files on those at Allahabad, Patna, Jaipur and Ranchi, by heart complications in mid-December, but his India. “Of some 6,000 applications we have inflammation) in her body. The final report came Netaji every month. It said Modi told members of 2016-end. The Wi-Fi service is part of the ‘Digital condition deteriorated soon after. A recipient of seen so far, many are graduates in arts and after the Delhi Police received the viscera report in Netaji’s extended family in October last year that India’ initiative of the union government and was the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in sciences, post-graduates, even engineering November 2015 from the FBI, where it was sent to the government would declassify the files. The first announced in September 2015 by Prime Minister 1999-2000, Ghosh had taken forward the concept graduates and MBAs,” said Amroha municipal determine the kind of poison that killed Pushkar - lot of 33 files were declassified and handed over to Narendra Modi during his visit to the Google of tabla ensembles -- large number of tabla players superintendent Faiz Alam. “It shows the levels the wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. the National Archives on December 4, 2015. headquarters in Mountain View in the US. showcasing their talent together. of unemployment,” he said. Poor labourers Republic Day celebration rehearsal paying price for cheap car boom

Reuters rising to $80bn from $11bn. Faridabad As the sector expands, some of the work is sub-contracted out to small factories operating on n a dingy factory in the paper-thin margins, where poor sprawling industrial hub of contract workers often have lit- IManesar in northern In- tle or no access to safety equip- dia, a plastic moulding ma- ment or health benefi ts, industry chine malfunctioned, mangling experts say. Visheshwar Prasad Singh’s right “Undoubtedly, the workforce hand as he made parts for a sup- of suppliers, especially at the plier to the country’s major au- bottom of the chain, are paying tomakers. for the growth in the auto indus- Singh was one of thousands try,” said Puneet Gupta, associate of poor labourers, many tempo- director at consultant IHS Auto- rary, who toil for 12 hours a day motive. But with more focus on making auto parts for as little as quality and with India becoming $3-a-day to feed India’s cheap an export hub working condi- car boom. tions would improve, he added. “I had no training to use the Car makers say they conduct machine and was asked to oper- audits at their main suppliers, ate it one day,” said the 51-year- but it is not possible to check all old, who made parts for Ranee the smaller companies that may Polymers, supplying to Honda be outsourced work. Female civil defence personnel march during the full-dress rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in Kolkata, yesterday. India celebrates its annual Republic Day Motor Co and Yamaha Motor Co. A Maruti spokesman said the on January 26. Doctors reattached his hand, company conducts safety and but after 14 months and three quality audits at its 400 direct operations it remains near- suppliers and shares best shop- paralysed. The plant manager at fl oor practices, including those Ranee Polymers said the compa- related to safety and working ny did not allow workers to op- conditions. Ford India and Hy- erate machines without proper undai, which manufacture cars training. There were only one to in Tamil Nadu, far from the two accidents a year at the plant, Manesar hub, did not respond to which employs 250 people, R K an e-mail seeking comment. Rana said. A report by non-profi t organi- Modi ‘planning’ Cabinet Honda Cars India, which sations Agrasar and Safe in India sources from Ranee, was not on safeguarding workers in the aware of the accident as it did auto hub of Gurgaon and Mane- not occur when making parts for sar, outside Delhi, said most ac- the company, a spokeswoman cidents occurred due to lack of said, adding that audits of inci- training and safety inspections recast to boost govt image dents impacting safety or sup- and poor machine maintenance. plies were conducted. The region - some 50km south Reuters The ruling Bharatiya Janata ing the Modi message to inter- veteran corporate lawyer and has turned around state-run Honda Motorcycle and Scoot- of the capital and home to top New Delhi Party (BJP) faces a crucial elec- national investors, may move keep the strategically important Coal India, tackled chronic er India said a spokesman was car maker Maruti Suzuki along tion test in Uttar Pradesh in to defence after he delivers his portfolio in trusted hands. power shortages and backed re- not available to comment. India with hundreds of small facto- 2017 that it probably needs to annual budget in late February, It would also open the way for newable sources of energy. Yamaha Motor did not respond. ries - employs 80,000 workers, rime Minister Narendra win if it wants to hold on to sources said. power and coal minister Piyush Those are key wins for Modi, Car makers such as Maruti but there are only about 35 to 40 Modi may look to press power nationally in 2019. Jaitley, 63, has failed to push Goyal to take the fi nance port- whose provision of 24/7 elec- Suzuki India and Hyundai Motor inspectors in total to monitor all Pthe reset button on his “Modi needs to identify new through a major tax reform and folio, while underperformers tricity as chief minister of Gu- see huge growth in India, set to industries in the area. leadership this spring to re- talent and bring changes in his critics have faulted his steward- in other minor posts may be jarat state helped him become become the world’s third-largest A senior offi cial in the state invigorate stalled economic government. It will be too late if ship over India’s $2tn economy, weeded out. A federal minister prime minister. “Goyal is doing auto market by 2020 as millions labour department said inspec- reforms and appease critics, he fails to do it now,” said veter- which is growing fast but not and two BJP offi cials said Goyal, a fi ne job - he has brought a lot buy their fi rst new car. Price tags tions happened once a year, or eyeing a mix of tried and tested an newspaper editor and com- creating enough jobs to employ 51, was being groomed for his of energy to the coal and power can be as low as $3,000 for a new when a worker reported an acci- allies and fresh blood, senior mentator Shekhar Gupta. an expanding workforce. next big role, and a white paper sector,” said Rajiv Kumar, senior Tata Motors Nano mini-car. dent - the leading cause of which government sources said. With an eye on Uttar Pradesh, A spokesman for Modi de- on banking was recently shared fellow at the Centre for Policy The country is also becoming was violations of safety rules The government has overseen Modi looks set to keep Amit clined to comment on the move with him to seek his inputs. A Research in New Delhi. a low-cost export hub for global such as having sensors or guards rapid economic growth but failed Shah on as BJP president, the and an offi cial in Jaitley’s offi ce Goyal aide denied all knowledge “But I’m not sure he can do jus- car makers such as General Mo- on machines, he said. on tax and land reforms, and the sources said, extending his clos- said he had no knowledge of a of an impending promotion. tice to the complex fi nance port- tors and Ford Motor. Every year, more than 1,000 euphoria that met Modi’s 2014 est aide and election campaign possible reshuffl e. Goyal is a good communi- folio,” he said. “Goyal, with his Consultant McKinsey esti- workers in the auto hub, most election triumph has given way manager’s tenure by three years Moving Jaitley to defence, cator and has often travelled micro orientation, might struggle mates India’s auto parts sec- below 23 years of age, are injured to investor disillusionment; In- when it expires at the weekend. a post he also held in the early abroad with Modi, but lacks po- to get to grips with multi-dimen- tor will grow fi ve-fold to about seriously and lose their liveli- dian stocks have erased all of their But Finance Minister Arun months of the Modi govern- litical and electoral experience. sional and serious macroeco- $200bn by 2026, with exports hoods, the report said. gains since he won power. Jaitley, responsible for deliver- ment, could better suit the The ex-investment banker nomic issues facing the country.”

Film promo Chandy assures help Rajasthan in fi nancial to slain leader’s wife mess: Congress leader IANS people, of whom three were mid- Kozhikode dle-level leaders of the Commu- nist Party of India-Marxist, in IANS completed two years as state The BJP government’s per- connection with the case. Jaipur Congress president on Thurs- formance, he contended, could he widow of a communist The court discharged 24 oth- day, claimed. be gauged from declining vote leader in Kerala, who was ers who included present CPI-M “Today, the state government share in every successive elec- Tmurdered in 2012, yester- Kozhikode district secretary P he Bharatiya Janata Party is on the brink of a fi nancial tions. “The BJP polled 56% in day said she has been promised Mohanan, whose wife K K Lathi- (BJP) government in Ra- breakdown. It is having to extend the Lok Sabha elections and in help by Chief Minister Oommen ka is a party legislator. Tjasthan is facing a debt overdraft limits to pay govern- local body elections now their Chandy in initiating a Central Rema has long been de- crisis because of its fi nancial ment salaries. The irony is that vote share is 47%. The Congress Bureau of Investigation (CBI) manding a CBI probe into the mismanagement and its func- the BJP claims that it has lifted polled 30% share in Lok Sabha probe into the conspiracy behind conspiracy angle and has al- tioning has led to severe stress Rajasthan out of BIMARU state polls and our vote share in local the killing. ready approached the central on the agrarian sector, a senior category. If that is the case, then body election was 45%. So the “He has assured me that all government’s department of functionary of the opposition why is the government coff ers vote share diff erence is hardly steps that the state government personnel and training with her Congress claimed. empty?” he asked. anything now,” he said. needs to take for initiating a request. “The Vasundhara Raje gov- BIMARU is the epithet used in Pilot said there was a feedback CBI probe in the case would be A CBI investigation into ernment spent two years criti- the past to denote economically across the state that the ruling taken. We are happy with his re- Chandrasekheran’s murder cising the previous Congress weak states like Bihar, Madhya BJP “has lost credibility and faith sponse,” said Rema, the widow would spell fresh trouble for the government, but this time there Pradesh, Rajasthan and (erst- of the people.” Pilot said he had of T P Chandrasekheran who was CPI-M which is facing the heat is fi nancial mismanagement. while) Uttar Pradesh. toured over 130,000kms in the hacked to death on May 4, 2012, from the investigating agency on There is absolutely no roadmap Pilot added that the BJP-alli- state in the last two years with as he was returning home on account of another murder case of getting the agrarian economy ance ruled central government an aim to boost morale of the his motorcycle in his hometown in Kannur district. back on track,” Sachin Pilot, was giving a “stepmotherly party workers which was shaken near here. On Thursday, the CBI named state president of the Congress, treatment” to Rajasthan. after the party suff ered one of its Rema was speaking to report- senior CPI-M leader P Jayara- said in an interview here. He said that the state govern- worst defeats in both the assem- ers after meeting Chandy. jan as the 25th accused in the “The government is shutting ment was not getting money for bly and Lok Sabha polls. Chandrasekharan was a CPI- September 2014 murder of RSS down social welfare schemes of farmers’ relief while Madhya “It is often said that those who M (Communist Party of India- (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) the previous government, pri- Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gu- sweat in peace time don’t bleed Marxist) leader but left the party worker Kathirur Manoj and his vatising everything and putting jarat had, adding that Rajasthan in war. I don’t think we should in 2009 to form a splinter party arrest is likely anytime now. up a facade of ‘Resurgent Rajas- was suff ering because of diff er- wait for elections to get the party Actress Sunny Leone attends an event with her husband called the Revolutionary Marxist Soon after his anticipatory than’, where they claim lakhs of ences between the Chief Minis- machinery geared up. You have Daniel Weber during the promotion of her forthcoming Party. bail was rejected early this week, crores of investments is com- ter Vasundhara Raje and Prime to travel. You have to interact, film Mastizaade in New Delhi yesterday A court in January 2014 sen- Jayarajan got himself admitted to ing into the state,” Pilot, 37, who Minister Narendra Modi. talk and connect to people”. tenced to life imprisonment 11 a hospital. Gulf Times 14 Saturday, January 23, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

DECISION CONTROVERSY LAW AND ORDER HEARING CO-OPERATION Haiti presidential vote Sweden, Ecuador at odds Mexico speeding eff orts to Colombian drug kingpin Guatemala ratifies free tomorrow despite protests over Assange interrogation ensure ‘Chapo’ extradited pleads guilty in US trade pact with Honduras

Haitian President Michel Martelly said a runoff Sweden’s prosecution authority said Ecuador The Mexican government is speeding up For the third time in 15 months, a Colombian drug Guatemala has ratified a pact with Honduras that election to choose the impoverished Caribbean had refused its request to let a Swedish efforts to extradite notorious drug boss kingpin pleaded guilty to US charges that he will allow free movement of goods and people nation’s next leader will take place tomorrow prosecutor question WikiLeaks founder Julian Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the US after his conspired to manufacture and distribute hundreds between the Central American neighbours with despite opposition protests, in a sign that talks Assange over a rape allegation, because recapture earlier this month, President Enrique of tonnes of cocaine annually that he traff icked the aim of boosting trade. Lawmakers adopted the to postpone the vote had failed. Opposition Quito wanted an Ecuadoran prosecutor to do Pena Nieto said yesterday. Guzman was caught throughout the world. The plea in Manhattan agreement, which was signed in February 2015 and candidate Jude Celestin has vowed to boycott the the questioning. Quito said in a letter sent to in early January after six months on the run federal court clears the way for sentencing Daniel passed several months ago by Honduras. It takes election over fraud allegations in the first round, the prosecution agency that an Ecuadoran following a spectacular prison break through Barrera, who authorities say was one of the most eff ect in May. The two countries are among the held in October, although he has not formally prosecutor would interrogate Assange if the a tunnel in his cell floor, embarrassing Pena prolific drug traff ickers of the last two decades poorest in Central America. Their populations total withdrawn. Celestin came second behind ruling Swedish prosecutor provided a list of questions. Nieto and his government. “The order the before his capture in Venezuela in 2012 following nearly 30mn, and many citizens try to emigrate party candidate Jovenel Moise in the October 25 Chief prosecutor Marianne Ny said her off ice attorney general’s office has is to speed up its years in hiding. Barrera, also known as “Loco” to the US to escape gang violence and corruption. round. Martelly said a small group of people were was “now considering whether this aff ects the work to ensure this highly dangerous criminal (Crazy), was extradited from Colombia in July 2013 Guatemala’s Congress said on Twitter that the deal trying to destroy the democratic process, and that possibility of carrying out the investigation.” She is extradited as soon as possible,” Pena Nieto to face three indictments filed in federal courts “facilitates the process of deep integration for the he had ordered the police to make sure citizens said her off ice would consider whether to submit said Guzman’s lawyers are working to block his in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Miami, and pleaded free movement of goods and people between the could cast their vote without intimidation. a new request to Ecuadoran authorities. extradition. guilty in 2014 in the New York cases. republics of Guatemala and Honduras.” Latam citizens panic as birth defects linked to Zika virus rise

AFP Scientists from Brazil’s Fiocruz Brasilia Institute and Parana Catholic University published a study of a case that showed the virus had ith the sting of a mos- passed from an infected woman quito bite and a fever, to her baby through the placenta. Wmany pregnant women Goes says she feels uninformed may not know that they caught about how to protect herself the Zika virus - until it strikes against Zika. their unborn child. “I can’t decide by myself to take But thousands of cases of birth anything until the doctor tells me defects linked to the disease over to because it could be dangerous.” recent months are now sow- But across the vast region of ing alarm in the US and in Latin Latin America, citizens and offi - America. cials have taken a variety of meas- Babies have been born with ab- ures in response to the scare. normally smaller heads, a condi- The price of mosquito repellent tion doctors call microcephaly, has risen in Brazil. which often causes brain damage. In the Peruvian capital Lima, The scare has struck hardest in authorities disinfected a big cem- Brazil, which hosts the summer etery for fear that Zika-bearing Olympic Games in August. mosquitos were breeding in the It is one of 14 Latin American fl ower pots. and Caribbean countries that the In Colombia the government People line up to buy basic food and household items outside a supermarket in Caracas, Venezuela. US has warned pregnant women simply advised couples to avoid not to visit because of the Zika pregnancy until at least June. risk. El Salvador, which has reported “I am very afraid,” said Jacinta more than 5,500 cases, said avoid Silva Goes, a 39-year-old clean- getting pregnant until 2017. ing lady in Sao Paulo who is ex- Originating in East Africa, Zika pecting her third child. landed in Latin America last year “For the moment I am not us- and has spread across virtually Opposition rejects Maduro’s ing mosquito repellent because the whole region via Aedes ae- the doctor has not told me to. He gypti, a species of mosquito, says has not spoken to me about Zika,” the Panamerican Health Organi- she said. sation. Zika used to be thought just a It says Zika is present in 18 poor relation of dengue, another countries in the region. There is mosquito-borne virus. no overall fi gure for the number of ‘economic emergency’ order The World Health Organisation cases detected. (WHO) says it is transmitted by With its high number of micro- Reuters infl ation this year. his mentor Hugo Chavez in 2013, With Venezuelans sick of are jittery about the possibility of the same mosquito that spreads cephaly cases, Brazil is the coun- Caracas “With this government’s poli- lost control of the National As- soaring prices and long lines for a default, particularly at the back dengue, chikungunya and yellow try by far the worst aff ected. It is cies, we have no possibility (of sembly in a December election scarce products at supermarkets end of the year, when the heavi- fever. followed by Colombia, which has resolving the crisis),” Jose Guer- due to voter ire over the econom- and pharmacies, Maduro blames est payments are due. But the WHO this week noted a reported 13,531 cases and is pre- enezuela’s opposition ra, who heads the opposition- ic crisis. The opposition coali- an “economic war” by his foes, The IMF said “longstanding surge in cases of microcephaly in dicting up to 700,000 this year. yesterday said it would led congressional commission tion has vowed to fi nd a legal way as well as the oil collapse. policy distortions and fi scal im- Brazil, the country most aff ected Zika has also been reported in Vnot approve President examining Maduro’s decree, to remove him, via resignation or Venezuela depends on crude balances” were combining with by the current epidemic. the US: three cases were detected Nicolas Maduro’s “economic told local TV. “It cannot be ap- a referendum, by mid-2016. for 96% of hard currency rev- the oil drop to create an expected It stressed that “the causal in Florida in people who had re- emergency” decree in congress proved.” Oil and economic ministers enues, but its oil barrel has 18% fall in output over 2015 and link between Zika infection and cently traveled to Latin America. as it did not off er solutions for Maduro’s decree, issued a were summoned to the assembly plunged to $24 - the lowest in 2016 - the third-sharpest in the microcephaly has not yet been And the federal Centers for the Opec nation’s increasingly week ago, would give the social- on Thursday to discuss the de- more than 12 years - compared world. proven,” though the rise in cases Disease Control and Prevention disastrous recession. ist government wider powers to cree, but pulled out due to a dis- with an average of $44 in 2015 “Prices continue to spiral out is striking. (CDC) said that a newborn in Underlying the grave situation control the budget, companies pute over media access. “They and $88 in 2014. Imports have of control, and we expect infl a- In the past year there were Hawaii, was found to have brain in Venezuela - where the oil price and currency. fear showing their face to Ven- plummeted, leading to short- tion to rise to 720% this year, 3,530 cases of microcephaly re- damage linked to Zika. plunge has compounded dys- But the opposition says he al- ezuelans,” Guerra said, adding ages, but the state has honoured from a world-high infl ation of ported, compared to a yearly av- The baby was born to a woman functional policies - the Inter- ready has suffi cient powers and that the opposition would take debt payments. about 275% in 2015,” it added in erage of 163 over the four preced- who had been living in Brazil early national Monetary Fund forecast insists he the real problem. legal actions to compel the min- With about $10bn in foreign estimates at the high end of pre- ing years. in her pregnancy. an 8% drop in GDP and 720% The president, who succeeded isters to appear. debt due during 2016, markets dictions. Macri seeks pragmatic Smothered by smoke Court orders closure of Vale’s iron ore port relationship with US Reuters for port operations and that the Rio de Janeiro closure will not have an immediate impact on its operations. Reuters Asked if he was concerned by goods it wants included. More Police have said activities at Davos, Switzerland the presidential bid of US Sena- recently they have been snagged Brazilian federal court has Vale’s iron ore dock and coal dock tor Marco Rubio, who has in the over when each side makes its ordered the suspension of have resulted in iron ore and coal past opposed World Bank loans proposals. Aactivities at Vale SA’s Port dust polluting the surrounding rgentina’s President, to Argentina over the country’s “We have spoken about the of Tubarao until pollution con- water and air and contributing to Mauricio Macri, yester- unpaid debt, Macri said: “Ru- need to exchange proposals at cerns are fi xed, halting the world’s pollution in other areas, including Aday said he had told US bio’s position is related to past the same time in the fi rst quarter largest iron ore exporter’s ability to nearby beaches. Vice President Joe Biden that his relations with the US.” of this year,” Macri said. “I am ship more than a third of its out- Judge Marcus Vinicius Figue- recently installed government Flanking Macri, Finance Min- optimistic we can move in this put. iredo de Oliveira Costa said in his was ready to build a “pragmatic, ister Alfonso Prat-Gay said he and direction.” The ruling by the court in Vi- ruling the suspension would re- intelligent” relationship with Argentina’s central bank governor Macri admitted that talks with toria, Brazil was made as part of main in eff ect until Vale and Arce- Washington. had met with the International US creditors in a long-running a police investigation at the giant lorMittal fi x the pollution prob- Relations between Argen- Monetary Fund’s head Christine legal battle over unpaid debts man-made port. It comes as Vale lems. tina and the US soured under Lagarde to discuss an Article 4 re- had not made much progress, al- comes under increasing pressure The judge said that failure to the South American country’s view of Argentina this year. though he hoped to reach a set- over its environmental record af- obey the closure order would re- former leader, Cristina Fern- Prat-Gay said the government tlement early this year. ter a dam burst at a Brazilian mine sult in a daily fi ne equal to 2/30ths andez, who frequently railed would publish all the required “We want to reach a settle- run by its Samarco joint venture in of Vale and ArcelorMittal’s against what she called bullying economic data to enable a review. ment, fi nd a fair agreement,” October, killing at least 17 people. monthly revenue. by greedy capitalist powers in her The last such review took place Macri said, adding he hoped to The court order paralysed im- ArcelorMittal said the operation fi ght against US creditors. in 2006, during the presidency of reach a deal “this year, early this ports and exports at one of the of the port was Vale’s responsibil- “We are ready to build a prag- Nestor Kirchner, Fernandez’s late year”. world’s most important iron ore ity. It also handles coal imports for matic, intelligent and productive husband. Macri said the biggest sticking terminals. Its docks loaded 82.5mn other steelmakers in Brazil’s inte- relationship among our coun- Macri, who took offi ce on De- point in the discussions was the tonnes of iron ore destined for rior, who receive the coal by rail. tries,” Macri told a news confer- cember 10, also said that both he issue of penalties on Argentina’s A fire-fighting vehicle arrives next to a fire at the Santa steelmakers around the world in Vale said in a statement that it ence at the World Economic Fo- and Brazilian President Dilma defaulted bonds. Marta garbage dump at Talagante town, southeast of the fi rst nine months of 2015, Vale will take all judicial measures nec- rum in Davos. Rousseff wanted free trade ne- “We don’t want to discuss Santiago city. Residents in Chile’s capital of Santiago said. essary to guarantee the re-opening “We are ready to work together gotiations between regional bloc capital, we want to discuss pen- woke up to a cloud of fetid smoke after sections of a In addition to iron ore, Tubarao of the port. It said the closure will against climate change, drug Mercosur and the European Un- alties which are really high. In city garbage dump caught fire. Authorities at the waste handles coal imports and steel ex- have serious economic impact on traffi cking, terrorism and cor- ion to advance. some cases penalties arrive to disposal site said that while only some sections caught ports for the Brazilian unit of Arce- Espirito Santo state, where Tu- ruption,” added Macri, who was The talks have languished for 80% and in case of one bond fire, winds spread the smoke, thereby aff ecting all city lorMittal SA , the world’s largest barao is located, and on Minas elected last November on a cen- years, in part because Argentina capital is 10 cents and penalties residents. steelmaker. ArcelorMittal said in a Gerais, the state where iron ore ex- tre-right platform. has dragged its heels over which are 90%,” the president said. statement that Vale is responsible ported at Tubarao is mined. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 15 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN School evacuated as attack

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rumours trigger panic Measures AFP shows terrifi ed parents shout- Islamabad ing and kicking at the school’s main iron gate. Authorities later against evacuated the school and closed akistani authorities evac- it down. uated a girls’ school yes- On Thursday, one day after terrorism Pterday when hundreds of the attack, authorities carried terrifi ed parents rushed to save out a mock drill at a univer- their daughters after rumours sity in Punjab that saw a similar yielding of an attack, highlighting frayed panic among students who did nerves days after gunmen not realise it was fake. stormed a university killing 21 The incidents underscored results: people. feelings of insecurity two days The incident in central after heavily armed gunmen Punjab province came as stormed the campus in north- Sharif the Taliban faction behind western Charsadda town on Wednesday’s massacre at the Wednesday, killing 21 people in Bacha Khan university in the an attack that had chilling ech- IANS country’s northwest vowed oes of a 2014 assault on a school Davos/Islamabad to target schools across in nearby Peshawar. Pakistan. Security forces were still de- Police said rumours of an at- ployed in Charsadda Friday, akistan is the best place tack at the Tandlianwala girls’ while in Peshawar, two police- to invest in given its geo- high school in Faisalabad had men were shot dead at a check- Pgraphical location and spread swiftly, sending teachers point by unknown gunmen. lands full of natural resources, and students racing for safety. The Taliban faction that has said Prime Minister Nawaz Shar- “The panic increased after claimed responsibility for both if yesterday. a security guard fi red shots in those attacks issued a video “Measures against terrorism the air as students and teachers message Friday vowing to tar- This still image taken from a video released by a faction within the Pakistani Taliban yesterday shows their leader Khalifa Umar Mansoor, have yielded positive results, were running to the main gate,” get schools throughout the centre, with militants delivering a statement from an undisclosed location. resulting in improvement in law Mehar Fazal Abbas, a senior country. and order and internal situation police offi cial, said. The video shows the fac- that produce these people”. dead—most of them children— brigadier Saad Khan said this week. stan were given permission to of the country,” the premier said Another police offi cial in tion’s head Khalifa Umar Man- “We will continue to attack in Pakistan’s deadliest ever Defence and security analyst carry fi rearms in the classroom while addressing the business Tandlianwala confi rmed the in- soor calling schools “nurser- schools, colleges and universities extremist assault. Talat Masood agreed. after the Peshawar massacre. community in Davos, Switzer- cident and said that some girls ies” for people who challenge across Pakistan,” he said. Analysts have said the ex- “They are looking for soft tar- One of those who died in land. had phoned their parents for Allah’s law. Another commander con- tremists are targeting schools gets and it is simply impossible Wednesday’s attack was an as- “Pakistan has been experi- help as the rumour spread. Flanked by armed ex- fi rmed the release of the video. because the killing of young to provide security to the soft sistant chemistry professor encing economic stability in the Hundreds of parents raced tremists wearing masks, he Mansoor issued a similar vid- people “brings a lot of pain, targets, especially those near who had turned and fi red on the country as economic develop- to the school to protect their said that instead of target- eo in the wake of the Peshawar despondency and hope- the border (with Afghanistan),” gunmen with his own pistol as ment is linked with peace and children, he added. ing professional soldiers, attack on December 16, 2014, lessness”, Peshawar-based he said. his terrifi ed students raced for security.” Video footage seen by AFP “we will target the nurseries which left more than 150 people senior analyst and retired Teachers in northwest Paki- cover. Sharif said the country’s cur- rent GDP growth rate of 4.2% would cross the 5% rate, Radio Pakistan reported. The premier further said that the government believes in transparency in the policies of Court lifts ban on hunting rare bird governance, and Pakistan is on Afghanistan its way to self-reliability. Reuters worth hundreds of thousands “Pakistan is a confi dent and Islamabad of dollars, to hunt the bustard. secure country,” he maintained. Some believe the bird’s meat is an aphrodisiac. arrests eight akistan’s Supreme Court The government last year Hepatitis-C lifted a ban on hunting a asked the court to review the Prare bird yesterday, af- ban because it was damag- claims 80,000 ter the government argued it ing Pakistan’s relations with lives every year hurt relations with Gulf states Gulf states, key investors in members of whose wealthy hunters tradi- the country. It argued that Pakistan’s Minister of State for tionally travel to Pakistan to sustainable hunting of the National Health Services Saira pursue the endangered species bustard was the best means of Afzal Tarar told the National with falcons. conservation. Assembly (the lower house) The court ruling overturns The International Union for yesterday that there were terror group a ban introduced last year on Conservation of Nature lists about 8mn cases suff ering from hunting the houbara bustard, the bustard as a vulnerable spe- Hepatitis-C in the country and Reuters television network, because it pending new hearings of peti- cies with a global population of about 80,000 die each year due Kabul was producing propaganda for tions by both the government between 50,000 and 100,000. to liver disease. the US military and its allies. and conservationists. Con- It has almost vanished on the In reply to a question during The Taliban openly threat- servationists say the bird is at Arabian peninsula. question hour in the National fghan forces have ar- ened to target the station af- risk of extinction if hunting Last year Pakistani wild- Assembly, the minister said at rested eight members ter it reported allegations of continues. life offi cials fi ned an Arab and present only Shifa International Aof the feared Haqqani summary executions, rape and Wealthy Arabs used to be seized two of his prized falcons Hospital, Islamabad, has the militant network who they say kidnappings by Taliban fi ght- granted special licences to after he was discovered hunting facility of liver transplant. carried out a suicide attack ers during the battle for the travel to Pakistan, with falcons the bird without a permit. A houbara bustard is at a zoo in Lahore. She said the government is this week on journalists work- northern city of Kunduz last negotiating with the Shifa ing for the country’s most- year. International Hospital on a watched television channel. Tolo, which created Af- package for liver transplant under The Haqqani network, ghanistan’s fi rst 24-hour news Prime Minister’s National Health which mainly operates out channel, has won a reputation Programme. of Pakistan’s border areas, is for fast and credible reporting. Pakistan has 110-130 nukes: report She pointed out that a liver blamed for some of the deadli- During their fi ve years in transplant facility will be est and most sophisticated at- power, the Taliban banned established in the country in tacks on US and Afghan troops television to stop people view- Internews heads, although it could have between Pakistan and India, to improve its nuclear security and cooperation with Bahrain adding in Afghanistan. ing what they derided as vul- Islamabad more. which also continues to expand to prevent further proliferation the federal government with The National Directorate for gar, immoral and anti-Islamic Islamabad is producing fi s- its nuclear arsenal. of nuclear-related technologies the help of WHO is providing Security (NDS), Afghanistan’s material sile material, adding to related The CRS is the independent and materials, it said. technical support to the intelligence agency, said in a The Haqqani network tech- akistan’s nuclear war- production facilities, deploying research wing of the US Con- A number of important ini- provinces of the treatment of statement those arrested were nically falls under the com- heads estimated to be additional nuclear weapons, and gress, which prepares periodic tiatives, such as strengthened Hepatitis. behind the attack that killed mand of the Taliban, although Pbetween 110 and 130 are new types of delivery vehicles,” reports by eminent experts on export control laws, improved To a question, she said at present seven journalists in Kabul. U.S. offi cials believe they can aimed at deterring Indian ag- Congressional Research Service a wide range of issues so as to personnel security, and inter- polio vaccination campaign The journalists died when act independently. gression, says a latest Congres- (CRS) said in its latest report. help lawmakers take informed national nuclear security co- is being carried out to every returning home after a day’s The group’s leader Sirajud- sional report. In its 28-page report, the CRS decisions. operation programmes, have nook and corner of the country. work when their company din Haqqani was appointed The Indian media has re- noted that Pakistan’s nuclear Reports of CRS are not con- improved Pakistan’s nuclear “International standard for the minibus was rammed by a car as the deputy to the Taliban’s ported, quoting Washington arsenal is widely regarded as sidered as an offi cial view of the security, the CRS said. storage of vaccines has been driven by a suicide bomber in new leader last year. sources, that the report also designed to dissuade India from US Congress. “Pakistan has in “However, instability in Pa- adopted and these have been ISO evening rush hour traffi c. The Haqqanis have been expressed concern that Islam- taking military action against it, recent years taken a number of kistan has called the extent and certified,” she said. NDS said the arrests were blamed for some of the most abad’s “full spectrum deter- but Islamabad’s expansion of its steps to increase international durability of these reforms into Answering a question, Minister made in a district in the south- spectacular attacks against rence” doctrine had increased nuclear arsenal, development confi dence in the security of its question. of State for Interior Muhammad east Kabul and no further de- American targets in Afghani- the risk of a nuclear confl ict of new types of nuclear weap- nuclear arsenal,” said the CRS Some observers fear radical Balighur Rehman on behalf of tails were given. stan, a raid on Kabul’s top ho- between the two South Asian ons and adoption of a doctrine report authored by Paul K Kerr takeover of the Pakistani gov- Minister for Religious Aff airs The Taliban claimed re- tel, an assassination attempt neighbours. called “full spectrum deter- and Mary Beth Nikitin. ernment or diversion of mate- informed the House that the sponsibility for the bombing on then-President Hamid “Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal rence” have led some observers Moreover, Pakistani and US of- rial or technology by person- government is considering and said they targeted Tolo TV, Karzai and a suicide bombing probably consists of approxi- to express concern about an in- fi cials argue that since 2004 Islam- nel within Pakistan’s nuclear reducing the Haj package this Afghanistan’s largest private at the Indian Embassy. mately 110-130 nuclear war- creased risk of nuclear confl ict abad had taken a number of steps complex,” the CRS said. year. Passport home delivery service gets cold response Internews TCS counter for guidance. (NBP) simultaneously in Karachi might acknowledge the service ports should have contacted the would be successful for those fi ces in fi ve major cities, claim- Lahore Such a counter could not and Lahore around a week ago. for convenience later. Pakistan Postal department for who had to travel long distances ing their staff was receiving a be set up at the second busi- The service was launched in “I have been contacted by the this service, adding he would to reach the offi ce. good response in Islamabad and est passport offi ce in the city on Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Pe- TCS staff for availing home de- collect the passport himself as “I cannot aff ord to pay Peshawar. ot more than 22 appli- Abbot Road despite a week or so shawar last month where, pass- livery service, but I refused be- misplacement or wrong delivery Rs1,000 extra against four pass- He said as the project was cants opted for the newly having passed since the service port offi cials say, the response cause I only trust Pakistan Postal could cause inconvenience and ports so I shall prefer to collect launched recently, TCS was Nintroduced home deliv- was launched. was poor as well. Service, which is more reliable delay in travel. passports myself,” said Ashraf going to deploy trained staff ery service at the Garden Town Not more than 25 applicants A couple of applicants spoke and secure than a private courier Another applicant, Tehzeebul Khan, another applicant. at passport offi ces and NBP passport offi ce in Pakistan’s had availed the facility at GTPO to expressed reservations over service,” said Ashraf Ali of Wap- Hassan from Nishtar Colony, A few applicants, who paid branches for collection of charg- eastern city of Lahore, it was on Wednesday. the home delivery service, saying da Town who visited the Garden said he would prefer collect- Rs250 for the home delivery, es and passport delivery to ap- learnt yesterday. The TCS had launched ma- Rs250 per passport was too high. Town passport offi ce along with ing the passport from the offi ce were of the view that this facility plicants’ residences. Around 840 applicants vis- chine readable passport home A source at the Garden Town his daughter to apply for a new himself as he lived nearby. “I would save time and travel cost. He said within a week the ited the offi ce for a new passport delivery project in collaboration offi ce said the delivery service passport. have to travel abroad soon so I Arif Ansari, public relations trained staff would be deput- and/or renewal yesterday out of with the federal government and had drawn not more than 2pc He said the Directorate Gen- cannot take a risk.” head at TCS, said their counters ed with proper guidance and which only 22 approached the the National Bank of Pakistan applicants a day. He said people eral of Immigration and Pass- He, however, said the service had been set up at passport of- awareness. Gulf Times 16 Saturday, January 23, 2016 PHILIPPINES China warning Blaze displaces more than 400 families against second trip to Spratlys The Filipino protesters Chinese Foreign Ministry we landed on Pagasa (Thitu) plan in April to spend a spokesman Hong Lei repeated island,” said Vera Joy Ban-eg, month on all the islands that China had “indisputable spokeswoman for the Kalayaan in the Spratlys that are sovereignty” over the Spratlys. Atin Ito (Freedom This is Ours) occupied by the Philippines “The Philippines’ occupa- group. tion and illegal seizure of the “In April, we will make an- Reuters islands is against the law and other voyage to our islands. Beijing without effect,” Hong told a This time, we will spend a daily briefing in Beijing. month to visit all the islands we “The Philippines should in- occupy in the Spratlys. We are hina’s Foreign Ministry crease restraint on itself and encouraging all patriotic Filipi- urged the Philippines relevant parties, and should not nos to join us and fight for our Cyesterday to exercise complicate matters,” he said. territory.” “restraint” over “relevant par- China claims almost the en- The protesters said Filipino ties”, after Filipino protesters tire energy-rich South China fishermen could no longer said they planned a second trip Sea, where about $5tn worth of use their traditional fishing to contested islands in the South ship-borne trade passes each grounds because of the threat China Sea. year. Brunei, Malaysia, the posed by large Chinese coast The Filipino protesters plan Philippines, Taiwan and Viet- guard ships which were driving in April to spend a month on nam also have claims. them away. all the islands in the Spratlys Meanwhile, last week Bei- They criticise the Philip- that are occupied by the Philip- jing allowed in its first group of pine government for not doing pines. tourists, most of them family anything to stop Chinese fish- In December, about 50 Fili- of soldiers stationed on man- ermen from harvesting giant pino protesters, mostly stu- made Fiery Cross in the Spratly clams and collecting fish with dents, made a three-day boat Islands, as it began test flights dynamite and cyanide fishing. trip to Thitu, one of nine out- on the 3,000-metre runway. “China has established firm A resident walks amongst debris of destroyed houses after a fire razed a residential area in Manila yesterday. Almost 300 houses crops or islands occupied by “China is now doing what we and effective control of the were destroyed, aff ecting more than 400 families according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). the Philippines. actually did last month when South China Sea,” Ban-eg said. Grand parade to highlight arrival of Miss Universe

will again make courtesy calls By Christina Alpad PhilPost set to launch commemorative stamp Manila Times to the offi ces of city mayors and The Philippine Postal (PhilPost) Off ice hopes to launch a commemo- to the House of Representatives rative stamp in honour of 2015 Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach in Quezon City. Makati City has his is one parade that took by April. The announcement was made recently by Enrique Tagle, the prepared a huge assembly for the decades in the making. agency’s Off ice Marketing Management and Support Services head, beauty queen. Makati Mayor Kid T It will certainly trigger who said the PhilPost board agreed to issue the special edition stamp Peña said residents and employ- traffi c gridlocks, but since the soon after Wurtzbach won the crown in Las Vegas in December 2015. ees are eager to see Wurtzbach in country has not produced a Miss Tagle added that no one in the eight-member board objected to the the fl esh. Universe for more than four dec- proposal for a Pia stamp and are all eager to honour the 26-year-old “Makati is very proud of Miss ades, motorists and commuters beauty who had brought the country its most recent victory. Wurtzbach for reclaiming the should perhaps just bear the in- According to Tagle, the process of securing permission from Bb. Miss Universe crown for the convenience. Pilipinas Charities Inc for the selection and printing of the Wurtzbach Philippines after 42 long years. A grand parade from Makati stamp is ongoing. Once issued, Wurtzbach will soon join the PhilPost She has inspired millions of peo- City to Quezon City will be the roster of “living legends” given the rare privilege of being featured ple around the world, including highlight of the homecoming in a postage stamp.She will also be the third Miss Universe Filipina the people of Makati, with her of Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the titleholder next to Gloria Diaz and Maria Margarita Moran to appear in indomitable spirit and extraor- reigning Miss Universe. what is sure to be a collector’s item among philatelists in the country. dinary determination to realise Binibining Pilipinas Charities her dream,” Peña added. Inc (BPCI) confi rmed that Wur- On January 27, Wurtzbach will tzbach will arrive today. be used by presidents. On Mon- ment Authority (MMDA) ad- attend to other offi cial duties. She will hold a brief news con- day (Jan 25), Wurtzbach will vised motorists to brace for To cap the beauty queen’s ference at the airport and will make a courtesy call in Malaca- heavy traffi c in areas where the schedule of activities, the BPCI attend to several personal ap- nang and the Senate. parade will pass, include V Sotto, will stage the Miss Universe pearances the following day. After her Senate visit, she will Jalandoni and Bukaneg streets; Homecoming Special at Smart Airport offi cials said Wurtz- ride a carosa for her grand home- Roxas Boulevard; Padre Burgos; Araneta Coliseum where Wurtz- bach will be treated like a queen coming parade that will start at N Lopez; A Villegas to Taft Av- bach is expected to make the vic- upon her arrival because she has 2pm at the Cultural Centre of the enue; Quirino, Buendia, Ayala tory walk, which many believed been allowed to use the Presi- Philippines. The parade will pass avenues and Edsa. was taken from her because of dential Lounge of the Ninoy through major streets of Manila, The MMDA said it will release pageant host Steve Harvey’s in- File photo shows Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, who was crowned Miss Universe 2015 at Planet Aquino International Airport Makati City and Quezon City. alternate routes later for motor- famous blunder. This event will Hollywood Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas. (NAIA) Terminal 2 that can only The Metro Manila Develop- ists. On Tuesday, Wurtzbach be open to the public.

Inept social security agency offi cials ‘should quit’ Efforts continue over

By Jeff erson Antiporda seen this in other departments where the nod for Bangsamoro bill Manila Times people running very large organisations within the government are incompetent. They are not fi t for the job and it is the Manila Times resorted to aggressive lobbying enator Ferdinand Marcos Jr has public who suff er,” he added. Manila with legislators to press for the called on offi cials of the Social Se- High compensation given to SSS of- approval of the bill.“We are al- Scurity System (SSS) to step down fi cials, according to Marcos, is irregular, ways ready to provide our sup- because of their failure to properly man- given their dismal performance. roponents of the Bang- port and technical assistance in age funds. In the meantime, the senator said he samoro Basic Law (BBL) defence of and in explaining the He also called on Malacanang to ap- believes that it is best for the executive Phave declared that they contents of the BBL in its origi- point capable people to the agency and and the legislative to get together and will not give up on the measure nal form,” he pointed out. to stop using government positions as a try to forge a win-win solution for SSS despite challenges it faces in Cagayan de Oro City lawmak- reward to its political allies. members, particularly those who rely Congress, hoping that it could be er and ad hoc committee on the Marcos said offi cials running the SSS mostly on their pension for their daily passed on January 27 or anytime BBL Chairman Rufus Rodriguez should resign because they are not do- expenses.Marcos is one of the co-au- before lawmakers go on their also yesterday said the House ing a good job in terms of managing thors of a resolution expressing the sense election break. had set the voting on the bill on the funds of the agency that come from of the Senate that it is standing by its po- In a statement released yes- January 27. monthly contributions of employees and sition to pass the bill increasing the pen- terday by the Offi ce of the Presi- “We have set the voting on workers in the private sector. sion of retired SSS members. dential Adviser on the Peace Wednesday. As long as we have “I think we should replace them with The resolution was authored by Sen. Process (OPAPP), Al Julkipli, a quorum, the voting will push people who are better in managing Francis Escudero. a member of the government through,” Rodriguez said. funds,” the senator added. Escudero said Congress can override panel’s legal team, said the gov- During a multisectoral meet- He noted that these offi cials invested the veto of President Benigno Aquino ernment and the Moro Islamic ing in the provincial capitol of SSS funds in assets that are not earning. of the proposed P2,000 pension hike if Liberation Front (MILF) remain Lanao del Sur in Marawi City also “Again those are private funds that re- lawmakers who voted to pass the bill will resolute in pursuing the Bang- yesterday, Julkipli maintained ally should be managed better. I think the stick to their position. samoro peace process. that the BBL could still be passed government should recognise (that it is) “I heard that members of the House of “Even if we experience dif- by Congress despite limited time not allowed to use the funds based on its Representatives voted unanimously for fi cult challenges in pursuing remaining before it adjourns liking, it is not the funds of the govern- the passage of the proposed pension in- the passage of the BBL, both for the election campaign.“We ment,” Marcos said. crease, and 15 senators voted to pass the parties… will pursue this peace continue to trust the wisdom of He added that inability of the SSS to proposed bill last year. process,” Julkipli said. Congress in passing the BBL into grant the proposed P2,000 pension in- I do not see why we can’t override the “No one is giving up. Both law before it adjourns,” he said. crease clearly indicates the failure of its veto,” he explained. parties are still working toward “We also continue to urge eve- offi cials to manage the funds properly. The Senate and the House of Repre- achieving the objectives of the rybody to continue supporting These offi cials, Marcos said, were ap- sentatives need to get two-thirds vote to peace process, which is to pass the peace process, to not give up, pointed not because they know how to override the veto of the president. a meaningful BBL that will ad- to lobby with our congressmen run and manage pension funds but be- But since the measure originated from dress the two main problems of in support of the BBL. We have cause they are allied with the adminis- House of Representatives, the move to keeping security and improv- to be able to make our voices be tration. override the veto must also emanate from ing governance in Mindanao,” heard directly from the people,” “We’ve seen this not only in SSS, we’ve the House before the Senate can act on it. Ferdinand Marcos Jr: seeking eff iciency he added.Julkipli said they have Julkipli added. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 17 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Migration unavoidable Nepal probes police shooting reality: top UN offi cial of protesters AFP Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. “They represent the world of Dhaka The refugees, fl eeing ongoing yesterday, a world of confl ict and DPA, IANS of Nepal (YAN), the militant persecution in Myanmar—which not a world of consensus. They Kathmandu youth wing of Oli’s CPN-UML Naypyidaw denies—have been represent a world which creates [Communist Party of Nepal ass cross-border mi- living in Bangladeshi camps or division rather than harmony,” (Unifi ed Marxist-Leninist)]. gration is an “unavoid- jungle hideouts, some for gen- he said. epal began investigat- Prime Minister Oli, who Mable reality” and it is erations, often without access to “Humanity demands respon- ing yesterday the fa- is also CPN-UML chairman, “impossible to stop” the fl ow of basic food or shelter. sibility and care for those who Ntal shooting of three was scheduled to address the refugees in need of sanctuary, The forum in Dhaka takes need sanctuary.” protesters by police in the programme but cancelled it the United Nations’ top offi cial place as Europe is facing its big- The European Union’s pass- southern region. later, sensing the mood of the in charge of migration said dur- gest migration crisis since World port-free Schengen area has come The incident occurred on protesters. ing a visit to Bangladesh. War II, with more than a million under huge strain from the mi- Thursday when police broke A government-sponsored Peter Sutherland, the UN’s asylum seekers arriving in Ger- grant infl ux, with wealthier coun- up a clash between a regional amendment to the less-than- special representative for migra- many alone in 2015 - triggering a Peter Sutherland during a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister tries including Denmark and Swe- ethnic political party and four-month-old statute is, tion, said the world needed to fi erce backlash. Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Dhaka. den introducing border controls the youth wing of the ruling meanwhile, slated to come accept millions of people fl eeing “We must fi nd ways to be living to deal with the fl ow of people. Communist party. up for discussion and vot- confl icts in Syria and elsewhere together. Today (migration) is an can erect fences and stop migra- ropean landing point of Greece, Czech President Milos Zeman The ethnic Madheshi of ing today- but observers see and fi nd ways to live together. unavoidable reality, we are living tion are living in Cloud Cuckoo although many die making the in December called the wave an the southern plains have been little chance of it fi nding ap- Sutherland is visiting Bang- in the era of globalisation,” Suth- Land,” he said. journey. “organised invasion” while US agitating for a constitution- proval among the aggrieved ladesh for the Global Forum erland said in the Bangladeshi Turkey is currently hosting Sutherland criticised world presidential candidate Donald al amendment to give them Madhesis. on Migration and Develop- capital late on Thursday. 2.2mn Syrian refugees, while leaders who stoke xenophobia for Trump has said Muslims should more autonomy in their home The government and the ment in Dhaka where he said “It is impossible to stop. Those between 2,000 and 3,000 peo- political gain and link refugees be barred from entering the region. Madhesi Morcha leaders have he would discuss the plight of who believe in some way that we ple arrive daily in the main Eu- with a heightened terror threat. United States. India has also restricted so far held more than a score trade with landlocked Nepal, of meetings in Kathmandu ostensibly over security con- aimed at fi nding a solution to cerns, causing severe shortages the prolonged agitation — but of goods, particularly fuel. without success. Retirement shower Since early morning yes- Morcha leaders have af- Lanka bans terday, incensed Madhesi ac- fi rmed that they were not tivists forced markets to shut ready to accept the amend- down and indulged in arson ing bill unless their rightful foreigner besides clashing with the po- concerns were addressed. lice in several parts of the Terai “This government cannot as the protest assumed a form address the demands of in- kidney more violent than earlier. digenous Janajati and Madhesi The Madhesis have been people,” said Upendra Yadav, protesting against the perpet- chairman of Sanghiya Sa- transplants uation of this very discrimina- majbadi Forum-Nepal. “The tion in the new constitution, major parties need to show adopted on September 20 last fl exibility and seriousness.” after organ year. “The major three parties are Pressing for a more repre- just doing drama in the name sentative constitution, the of negotiations... the govern- racket tip Madhesi protesters are de- ment is ignoring the demands manding, among other things, raised by Madhesis despite our a redrawing of the bounda- having presented the demands AFP ries of the provinces in Ne- to the government in writ- Colombo pal as proposed in the new ten and oral forms time and constitution — promulgated again,” said Mahanta Thakur, on September 20 last year; who leads the Terai Madhes ri Lanka has banned kid- and representation in parlia- Loktantrik Party. ney transplants for for- ment on the basis of popula- “I don’t know how many Seign nationals follow- tion. Signifi cantly, the Nepal times we will have to say that ing reports of an organised Terai has almost 51% of the the bottom-line demand of organ harvesting racket involv- The last Airbus A340 aircraft celebrating its retirement by receiving a shower at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake country’s population and yet the Madhesi Morcha is de- ing patients and donors from near Colombo. SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka’s national airline carrier, bid goodbye to the last of its Airbus A340 aircraft recently gets only one-third of seats in marcation of states... we need neighbouring India. after more than two decades in service. SriLankan Airlines was the first Asian airline to operate the four-engine A340 aircraft which Parliament. two federal states in the Terai Health Minister Rajitha Se- has carried many foreign dignitaries. The national carrier has inducted a new fleet of seven sophisticated A330-300 aircrafts with The Madhesis also seek pro- region from Jhapa till Kan- naratne said he ordered the higher technology and better facilities. portional representation in chapur, but this government immediate halt after Indian government jobs and restora- acts like it knows nothing police warned Sri Lankan au- tion of rights granted to them about it,” Thakur said. thorities that some patients from in the interim constitution of Nepal’s Terai region stretch- India had paid donors for organs 2007 which the new charter es from the Mechi river in the and had the transplants car- has snatched away. east to the Mahakali river in ried out at private hospitals in With Thursday’s three the west and comprises Mad- Colombo. Crackdown on traders for money laundering deaths in police fi ring, the hes in its eastern part and the “We decided to stop all trans- toll in the agitation has risen tribal-dominated Tharuhat in plants involving foreigners un- to 59, including 11 police per- the western region. It has tra- til we get to the bottom of this,” Reuters a further onebn taka, a senior “After the GFI report, we are workshop for senior offi cials on sonnel, and the chances of an ditionally suff ered immense the minister told reporters in the Dhaka offi cial said. more cautious to prevent such fi ghting such crime. immediate political solution discrimination from the Kath- capital. The crackdown came after a illegal movement of money, Mohammad Nojibur Rah- receded farther. mandu-centric ruling elite “I have asked for details report by Global Financial In- goods and humans,” he said. man, chairman of the National Several parts of the Terai that predominantly comprises from our (police) criminal in- angladesh’s customs in- telligence (GFI), a US-based The country’s Money Laun- Board of Revenue (NBR), called saw protests and demonstra- the Brahmins (Bahuns) and vestigation department about telligence authority said group researching illegal money dering Prevention Act was money laundering “a global, tions by the protesters with Chhetris of the Nepal hills. this.” Byesterday it had brought transfers, estimated a total of amended last year to allow the extensive and complicated reports coming in of clashes One of the major agitation He said the local police had smuggling charges against at $9.6bn was lost in 2013 through customs department to inves- problem” with criminals apply- with the police at places. demands is for the formation been told of six Sri Lankan doc- least a dozen large trading com- money laundering linked to tigate and prosecute allega- ing the most modern technol- There were no immediate of two provinces in the Nepali tors who had transplanted kid- panies after a report said over trade. tions of money laundering, he ogy and techniques to smuggle reports of casualty, if any. Terai — the Madhes extend- neys allegedly “bought” from $9bn had been illegally moved “That is a signifi cant amount added. illegal funds. Tension fl ared up in the ing from the Mechi river in Indian donors in violation of lo- abroad in 2013. for the country, almost one- The GFI report said 85% of “So we have to adopt more southern Nepali town of Birat- the east to the Narayani river cal laws. It has also confi scated from third of Bangladesh’s national money laundering in Bang- modern techniques to stop nagar, bordering India, after in mid-western Nepal and “According to our law, organs them about 2.0bn taka ($26mn) budget,” said Moinul Khan, di- ladesh takes place through those and the aim of this work- Morcha cadres attempted to Tharuhat pradesh from the cannot be bought or sold,” the and 300 shipping containers rector general of the Customs fraudulent invoices in trade, shop is to equip (senior offi cials) disturb a programme organ- Narayani to the Mahakali river minister said. with contents valued at over Intelligence Directorate. Khan added after a two-day with this spirit,” Rahman said. ised by the Youth Association in the west. “If any Sri Lankan doctor had carried out a procedure involv- ing a bought organ, we will make sure that such person is struck off the medical list.” Leopard injures man Local media reports had claimed that four local hospi- 14 men deported tals had been arranging trans- plants for Indian kidney pa- tients with organs from their home country. The minister said the health from Singapore are ministry had begun an investi- gation at the private hospitals to fi nd out how many procedures had been carried out on for- eign nationals and the relation- militants: police ship between the donor and the patient. Reuters no evidence of links to Al Qae- tion they will respond,” Sarder Dhaka da and Islamic State, but that said. 14 of the men were members Bangladesh has suff ered 102 Indian of a banned group blamed for a wave of Islamist militant fishermen angladeshi police attacks on fi ve secular blog- violence in recent months, released will charge 14 men gers, including a publisher, including a series of bomb Bwith membership of a last year. attacks on the mosques of banned group after Singapore “They are linked with minority Muslim sects and More than 100 Indian fishermen deported them for suspected banned Islamist militant Hindu temples. arrested by Sri Lankan authorities militant links last year, a senior group Ansarullah Bangla Islamic State militants for illegally poaching in its waters police offi cial has said. Team (ABT),” police spokes- claimed the killings of a Japa- have been handed over to the The case comes amid man Maruf Hussain Sarder nese citizen, an Italian aid Indian Coast Guard, the navy said rising concerns over the said on Thursday. worker and a policeman. yesterday. growth of Islamist militancy Of the other men, one re- The government has denied The 102 boarded Coast Guard in the South Asian nation, mains in prison in Singapore that Islamic State has a pres- Ships “Durgavati” and “Amaya” which saw a string of deadly and the other 12 have been ence in the country of 160mn north of Kankasanthurei in attacks on secular writers, released in Bangladesh after people and blamed the attacks northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, minorities and foreigners they were deported. on home-grown Islamist Xinhua news agency reported. last year. Sarder said the 12 remained militants. The Sri Lanka Navy often arrests The suspects were among under observation and had Last month six people were Indian fishermen for violating the a batch of 27 construction promised to cooperate with wounded in a bombing at a international maritime boundary workers that Singapore ac- police. mosque inside a naval base in and entering the island nation’s cused of having links to Is- “We will keep vigilant the port city of Chittagong, waters. lamist groups including Al watch on them. All 12 gave us the fi rst militant attack on a A tranquilised wild leopard is carried out from a house where it was trapped after injuring a person India and Sri Lanka are divided by Qaeda and Islamic State. a written commitment that mosque used by the country’s at Kritipur in Kathmandu yesterday. a narrow strip of sea. Police said they had found whenever we ask them a ques- Sunni majority. Gulf Times 18 Saturday, January 23, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed UK prime minister facing Production Editor: C P Ravindran

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar a European predicament [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), A decision to leave the Far worse, it could lead to the The prime minister’s predicament is 2005. When the Conservatives came 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) EU would fall like a dissolution of the UK. The Scottish that his political strength depends on to power in 2010, many doubted that Fax 44350474 National Party has threatened to hold his ability to stretch the Conservative he would serve a full term as Prime sledgehammer on the a second independence referendum if Party’s blanket over its uneasy Minister. And even Cameron himself British economy and greatly British voters decide to leave the EU. bedfellows of fl ag-waving nationalists did not expect to win an outright This, the SNP’s leaders argue, and free-market fundamentalists; but majority in last year’s general election. diminish its international would allow an independent Scotland the European question pits one side But there is no guarantee that his stature to remain part of Europe, even as against the other. winning streak will continue. The news England, Wales, and Northern Ireland For capital and big business, from Europe has been unrelentingly GULF TIMES set out on their own. EU membership is an economic grim, and it could ultimately sway By Mark Leonard Were this to happen, the imperative, off ering access to 500mn the result of the referendum. The London dismemberment of the UK would consumers and reserves of cheap, refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and make Cameron’s legacy the worst of qualifi ed labour. For nationalists, the lingering eff ects of the global any prime minister in British history. it is a threat, undermining British economic crisis are all providing fuel US set for fi rst he European question is That might seem like a high bar, given sovereignty and control over the for simmering nativist sentiment. the grim reaper of British that the title is usually associated with country’s borders. Worries over migration and the politics – dividing parties, Neville Chamberlain, who famously Cameron’s call for a referendum, spectacle of a divided, dysfunctional Tdebilitating governments, tried to appease Adolf Hitler. fi rst issued when he was in opposition, Europe have benefi ted xenophobes and big test of 2016 and destroying careers. But never was an attempt to appease both extremists across the continent. before have the stakes surrounding the sides, allowing each to stick to their And terrorist attacks, by their question been so high. Cameron has an principles while promising to give very nature, are intended to provoke Prime Minister David Cameron’s voters the fi nal say. The trouble began irrational backlashes (as evidenced by presidential race decision to hold a referendum impressive track when he became prime minister and a recent referendum in Denmark, in – perhaps as early as June – on was forced to pick a side. which voters unexpectedly rejected the United Kingdom’s continued record of exceeding Fortunately for Cameron, he has a a proposal to modify the country’s After months of a tumultuous campaign featuring membership in the European Union lot going in his favour. The facts are opt-outs from certain EU home-aff airs outsiders who have upended the US political system, could bring down his government, expectations clear: the UK’s economy, security, and regulations). voters will fi nally have their say in Iowa - the fi rst test of destroy his political party and literally international stature all benefi t from Cameron’s allies say he has only tear his country apart. But while the stakes were certainly EU membership. two modes of operation: complacency the 2016 presidential race. Cameron is doing all he can to higher in Chamberlain’s case, at least And broadly, the business community, and panic. So far, he has faced his The extraordinary performance of outspoken billionaire renegotiate the terms of membership his polices could be reversed before trade unions, parliament, the media, and referendum challenge calmly. But real estate tycoon Donald Trump, Democratic socialist in order to persuade voters to choose to they destroyed the country (and even a plurality of the British public all that is likely to change as the vote remain in the EU. But referendums are Winston Churchill did just that). favor remaining in the EU. approaches and the risk grows that he Bernie Sanders and anti-Washington fi rebrand Ted notoriously unpredictable. And there is If Cameron loses both the EU and Meanwhile, opponents of EU will be remembered as the leader who, Cruz in the polls and on the campaign trail has stunned no reason to believe that the storms of Scottish referendums, his successors membership have yet to make the case to paraphrase Churchill, was given the chattering class and energised voters infuriated by populism blowing across the continent will not be able to put the EU or the UK for a credible alternative. a choice between his party and his will not make landfall in the UK. back together again. Moreover, Cameron has an country, chose his party, and ended up business as usual in the US capital. A decision to leave the EU would As Cameron fi ghts to save his party impressive track record of exceeding losing both. - Project Syndicate The result from the Iowa caucus on February 1 may well fall like a sledgehammer on the British and his country, a line from Oscar expectations. Few predicted he would certify what many Americans have known for months: economy and greatly diminish its Wilde resonates: “For each man kills take control of his party when he zMark Leonard is director of the international stature. the thing he loves.” launched his leadership campaign in European Council on Foreign Relations. political outsiders have landed like an earthquake. They have disrupted the traditional paths to power and heaped tremendous pressure on establishment candidates like Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton and Republican hopeful Jeb Bush. Populist Trump and ultra-conservative Cruz are topping the broad Republican fi eld, taking their battle down to the wire in Iowa, where a victory would provide a massive psychological boost heading into the next votes, in New Hampshire on February 9 and then in South Carolina on February 20. At least so far, they are leaving traditional party candidates like Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Ohio Governor John Kasich - all of whom tout their substantial experience - fl oundering in their wake. If anger is the dominant theme of 2016, no one has tapped into it better than Trump. His attacks on President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, opposition to immigration and If anger is the savage take-downs of dominant theme his Republican rivals - he called Bush, the of 2016, no one son and brother of two has tapped into presidents, a “sad sack” it better than on Thursday - have riled up supporters. Trump His call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States caused a global fi restorm, but it did not dent his standing atop the US polls. Whether Trump can convert voter frustration into success in Iowa, where voters must brave winter weather and participate in a cumbersome voting process, is his real Prime Minister David Cameron: if Cameron loses both the EU and Scottish referendums, his successors will not be able to put the EU or the UK back together again. test. On the Democratic side, frontrunner Clinton must be eyeing the Sanders challenge and wondering if she is facing a repeat of 2008, when she was upended in Iowa by a little- known Obama, who went on to win the nomination and Girls’ education is key to alleviate poverty the presidency. decade in many developing countries. Although expenditures on Educated girls can develop essential Clinton said she has worked hard to draw contrasts with By Dr Cesar Chelala New York In spite of that poor children are education have increased over the life skills, including self-confi dence, the more grass-roots Sanders, who is calling for nothing still less likely to attend school or be past few decades in many countries, the ability to participate eff ectively less than a “political revolution” in America. enrolled in school and more likely to unless these resources are specifi cally in society, and the capacity to better nequality and unequal access repeat grades than those who come addressed to those most vulnerable, protect themselves from HIV/Aids and The pair have disagreements on guns, taxes and to education holds millions of from wealthier families. they will tend to increase disparities sexual exploitation. healthcare. Former secretary of state Clinton has girls and women back across the There is widespread agreement rather than decrease them. In addition, several studies have sharpened her attacks on her main rival, insisting she has Iworld. While the “gender gap” in that primary school education should Disparities in attaining education shown that educated women not education has narrowed over the past become universal early this century, have been attributed to ineff ective only have fewer children but also the stronger experience and judgment to be commander- decade, girls are still at a disadvantage, but the diff erences in educational school systems. Governments tend have better economic prospects in-chief. particularly in getting access to high attendance and attainment according to spend less on public primary and themselves. Girls’ education not only And while Clinton supporters may have expected their school education. to economic status show that the poor high school education - the type of empowers them, but also is considered And women still constitute are less likely to achieve this goal than schooling that tends to benefi t the the best investment in a country’s candidate to waltz to the nomination in her bid to become two-thirds of the world’s illiterate those better off economically. poor most - during economic crises. development. the nation’s fi rst female president, Sanders is gearing up population. Wars, civil confl icts, economic Several factors indicate that special This gender gap is generally wider at disruptions and epidemics alter attention must be paid to the poor. for a protracted battle. higher levels of schooling. According services and aff ect school attendance. Poor women are more likely to die In Iowa, for candidates in both parties, it may come to some estimates, women in South Women still All these problems are likely to have a during pregnancy or at childbirth. down to who has the best ground operation and is best able Asia, for example, have only half as constitute two-thirds greater eff ect on the poor. Increased expenditures on education to get supporters out of the house and into the caucuses. many years of education as men, and Elimination of gender bias in for the poorer sections of society female enrollment rates at the high- of the world’s illiterate education is particularly important yields better returns in productivity, school level are two-thirds that of when the level of education of parents income and economic growth. To Advertise males. population is linked to their children’s educational In contrast, inequality in the Within countries, gender disparity attainment. distribution of education has held [email protected] is greater among the poor, and in some Several studies have shown that down economic growth and per capita Display countries the disparity continues There are several reasons to explain educating mothers is more important income in many countries. among the poor even after they have this gap. It is harder for poor children than educating fathers to increase the Taking measures to alleviate poverty Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 disappeared among the wealthier to have easy access to schools, because chances of their children’s success. has become an urgent global priority. Classified sectors of the population. schools tend to be concentrated in In addition, a great deal of evidence And one of the best ways to reduce To be a girl from a poor family thus cities and areas where only better- shows the benefi ts of women’s poverty is to increase the educational Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 becomes a double disadvantage. In off families live. Physical availability schooling not only for their children’s level of the poor, particularly the girls Subscription addition, gender bias - approaches to of schools, though, is not the most to attain education, but also for their among them. [email protected] teaching and the degree of attention critical factor in most developing health, nutrition and survival. from teachers - puts girls at a further countries. Immunisation rates among children zDr Cesar Chelala is an international disadvantage. It is important to consider not only of educated mothers, for example, public health consultant and a winner 2014 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Overall access to basic education national averages, but also how poor have been consistently higher than of an Overseas Press Club of America has risen markedly over the past girls in rural areas are faring. those of uneducated mothers. award. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2016 19 COMMENT From child slavery to freedom We must demand that our new barriers to further progress on is employed by his or her “family” – education. no matter how vile the conditions of leaders fulfi l their promise Specifi cally, the changes to the their servitude. of ensuring that every Child Labour Act would allow children The impact – not just on individual under the age of 14 to help their children, but also on the future of child’s life is free from families in “non-hazardous” family our society – will be devastating. On exploitation, enriched by enterprises or the entertainment behalf of India’s children, we call upon industry. This may sound innocuous, our parliament to do the right thing education but it fails to acknowledge a stark and and reject the proposed amendments undisputable reality: Work for “family to the Child Labour Act. By Kailash Satyarthi enterprises” can be as brutal as any Beyond India, the imperative to New Delhi other kind. And the list of “hazardous” protect children is just as strong. If occupations is far from complete. we are to realise the future promised Before being rescued by my in the SDGs, surely we must do t is a blot on the face of humanity organisation, Bachpan Bachao everything in our power to protect that we have yet to eradicate Andolan, eight-year-old Arpita was the fundamental human rights of slavery – of children, no less. Not forced to work 16-18 hour days in the every person, especially the most Ionly does child slavery persist; home of her uncle as domestic “help.” vulnerable. the number of child slaves, 5.5mn, When we rescued her, we had to break That is why governments worldwide has remained constant in the last two down the door. It was the dead of must deepen their commitment to decades. They are bought and sold winter, and she was barely clothed pursuing child-friendly policies like animals, sometimes for less than a and severely malnourished, covered in and investing in the protection and pack of cigarettes. wounds, and cowering under a rag on education of their young people. Add to their number the 168mn her uncle’s balcony. My colleagues and I have humbly child labourers, 59mn out-of-school Likewise, when we rescued ten- done our part over the years, rescuing children, and 15mn girls under 15 who year-old Mohsin and eight-year-old more than 84,000 children from are forced to marry every year, and the Aslam in 2007 from a sweatshop – despicable conditions. situation is beyond unacceptable. owned by their uncle – where they It has not been enough to end the Eighteen years ago, the Global made children’s clothing for one of blight of child slavery, but to those March Against Child Labour world’s largest garment retailers, they children and their families, it has spearheaded a global movement to were starving. The jobs performed by meant everything. bring child labour and child slavery Arpita, Mohsin, and Aslam would not Still, far too many children remain to the attention of global leaders. be considered “hazardous” under the enslaved, missing out not just on their Thanks to the invaluable contribution amended act. childhood, but also on the chance for a of fellow activists, workers, educators, In a recent analysis, we found happy, healthy and prosperous future. and businesses, the campaign was a that one-fi fth of the children under It is time for the world to stand up and resounding success, leading to the age 14 rescued by Bachpan Bachao lend its voice to those whose cannot. adoption of the International Labour Andolan were working in family We must demand that our leaders Organisation’s Worst Forms of Child enterprises. More than 40% of the fulfi l their promise of ensuring Labour Convention. aims to “eradicate forced labour, end the agenda’s overarching goal of National Education Policy and rescued children were performing that every child’s life is free from Clearly, however, there is much modern slavery and human traffi cking, achieving inclusive and sustainable the Child Labour (Prohibition and hazardous jobs – for example, working exploitation, enriched by education, work left to do. That is why the Global and secure the prohibition and prosperity. Regulation) Act – are heading in in roadside restaurants (dhabas) or and full of promise. Our generation March Against Child Labour worked so elimination of the worst forms of child And the responsibility does not lie opposite directions. manufacturing garments, leather can and should be the one that hard – collecting 550,000 signatures labour”. only with governments; businesses, On the one hand, a new education goods, cosmetics, or electronics – that ends child slavery forever. - Project on a petition – to push world leaders But now it is time to back that civil society, and individual citizens policy has the potential to address would be allowed under the amended Syndicate to include strong language against promise – one of 169 targets – with must all contribute, not least by child labour as a barrier to education act. child slavery in the Sustainable concerted action. pressuring their leaders to make a and, more broadly, to improve the life There are millions of enslaved zKailash Satyarthi, a Nobel Peace Development Goals (SDGs), which will After all, if child labour, slavery, change. prospects of millions of marginalised Arpitas, Mohsins and Aslams. But Prize laureate, is honorary president of guide global development eff orts for human traffi cking, and violence Consider the situation in India, and deprived children. On the other if the proposed amendments are the Global March Against Child Labour the next 15 years. against children continue, we where impending revisions to two hand, the proposed amendments to adopted, we will not be able to rescue a and the founder of Bachpan Bachao Among the SDG targets is one that will have failed to accomplish major development policies – the the Child Labour Act would erect single child under 14 years of age who Andolan.

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TODAY Employer must bear recruitment expenses High: 24 C Low : 15 C Hazy with some clouds As per Articles 82 of the A: According to Article 373 of Commercial Company Law, a joint business and I wish to wind up the Labour Law, the worker shall Penal laws, whoever intentionally venture company is an unincorporated company. accesses, directly or indirectly, entity, hence not required to follow IT, Doha SUNDAY not be entitled to any paid another person’s processing system the same commercial registration High: 26 C sick leave during their fi rst or destroys or modifi es the data or requirements as other categories of A: A company may be dissolved under Low :18 C means of processing and transfer business. Article (291) of the law of the Qatar Sunny three months of employment of data shall be punished with Regarding fi ling of case in its behalf, Commercial Companies, Law No11 of imprisonment for a term of not less the joint venture entity has no legal 2015 on various reasons. The reasons MONDAY By Nizar Kochery than one year and not exceeding personality. A third party is required to include expiry of the objects for which High: 28 C Doha three years and a fi ne of not less enforce claims against the joint venture the company has been incorporated, than QR10,000 and not more than partners rather than against the joint or where realization of such objects Low : 18 C QR50,000. venture entity. become impossible. Sunny QUESTION: We work with a Expiry of the duration fi xed in the construction company in Doha. incorporation documents; destruction The company is terminating Legal status of of all or most of the company’s Fishermen’s forecast Company property, rendering the investment of staff without any reason. 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Also, they by a specifi c majority; merger of the Weather Weather sick leave for employees working venture company fi le a case in its have not invested in the fi rm. company into another; issuance of today Max/min tomorrow Max/min with a private company? behalf? The company’s computer card a judicial judgement dissolving the Abu Dhabi M Sunny 25/13 Sunny 28/14 PK, Doha RMS, Doha does not have my name and I am company and declaring it bankrupt are Baghdad S Showers 21/08 Sunny 19/07 Dubai M Sunny 23/16 Sunny not a signatory. Currently I am the other reasons. 26/16 Kuwait City P Cloudy 22/16 M Sunny 22/14 ANSWER: The employee shall be A: A joint venture company is formed facing diffi culties in running the Manama P Cloudy 23/17 Sunny 24/17 entitled for gratuity, payment against by two or more natural or legal company. The local partners delay Muscat Sunny 26/18 Sunny 28/19 prorate annual leave and repatriation persons, and its objectives and terms signing papers and they do not zPlease send your questions by Riyadh M Sunny 26/14 Sunny 28/15 travel benefi ts. Moreover, all the are governed exclusively by the joint attend calls on emergencies. It’s e-mail to: [email protected] Tehran Showers 13/06 P Cloudy 16/06 recruitment expenses should be borne venture agreement. According to the very hard to continue with the (Mobile: 55813105) by the employer. The employer does not have the right to charge the worker any amount to LEGAL SYSTEM IN QATAR cover such expenses. File a complaint with the Labour Department, According to Article 679, if there progress of the proceedings, revenues, submitting all related correspondence are number of receivers, they shall expenses and status of legal actions and the department will then summon act collectively and shall be jointly related thereto. The supervisor shall the company to settle it amicably. responsible for their administration. not receive remuneration for his work. The dispute may be referred to the The adjudicator may divide the work The adjudicator may, ex proprio motu competent court if not settled. between the receiver or entrust one of or at the request of the creditors or the As per Articles 82 of the Labour Law, them with specific work. In such case Public Prosecutor order the dismissal the worker shall not be entitled to any the receiver shall be responsible only of the bankruptcy. The supervisor paid sick leave during their fi rst three for the work assigned thereto. The shall only be liable for his gross error. months of employment. receivers may authorise each other as As per Article 687, the adjudicator If the worker has completed more agents to perform of duties assigned to shall, in addition to the powers than three months even during the them. The receiver shall not engage a assigned by special provisions, probation period in the continuous third party to act on their behalf unless supervise the administration of the service of the employer and falls ill, he he obtains leave of the court. The bankruptcy, expedite the proceedings shall be entitled to sick leave. receiver and the person acting on his and take the necessary measures to Subject to approval of the sickness behalf shall be jointly responsible. safeguard the assets of the bankruptcy. by the medical practitioner approved The receiver shall record in The adjudicator shall summon the Around the world by the employer, such leave shall be special ledger day by day all matters shall have the eff ect of suspending the creditors in the cases specifi ed in the Weather Weather calculated as: the fi rst two weeks with relating to the administration of work. The adjudicator shall decide on law and shall preside over such the today Max/min tomorrow Max/min full pay; the next four weeks, with half the bankruptcy. The pages of such the objection within fi ve days of the meetings. The adjudicator may, at any Athens P Cloudy 07/02 P Cloudy 08/02 pay; and any subsequent periods are ledger shall be numbered and shall be date of submission thereof. time, summon the bankrupt or his Beirut Showers 16/11 Rain 12/07 P Cloudy P Cloudy 29/19 heirs or customers or employees or any Bangkok 34/22 without pay. signed and sealed by the adjudicator. The adjudicator shall appoint one Berlin Snow 04/01 Fog 03/01 The adjudicator and the supervisor or more supervisors from amongst other person to hear their statements Cairo P Cloudy 19/08 Cloudy 13/08 appointed from among the creditors the group of creditors. Neither the on matters related to the bankruptcy. Cape Town Sunny 31/19 P Cloudy 25/18 Prying may examine such ledger at any time supervisor nor the representative Decisions issued by the adjudicator Colombo S T Storms 33/24 S T Storms 32/24 and the bankrupt may also examine of a legal person appointed as a shall be fi led with the court registry on Dhaka Sunny 24/12 Sunny 24/12 colleague Hong Kong Showers 09/05 Cloudy 07/03 such ledger with special permission supervisor may be a husband or wife the day following the issue and shall be Istanbul P Cloudy 02/-1 P Cloudy 02/-2 Q: One of the colleagues, without from the court. The remuneration of of the bankrupt or relation by blood or notified to the persons concerned by a Jakarta T Storms 29/24 T Storms 30/24 my permission, has accessed the receiver and his expenses shall marriage to the fourth degree. registered letter with acknowledgment Karachi Sunny 27/13 Sunny 28/13 my computer system. I have be determined by a decision of the According to Article 685, the of receipt. If the law permits, appeal London P Cloudy 13/07 Cloudy 13/09 Manila M Sunny 33/23 P Cloudy 30/22 complained against him to the adjudicator after he submits a report supervisor shall, in addition to the may be made against decisions issued Moscow Cloudy -11/-18 Cloudy -15/-19 management and they have on his administration. powers assigned by special provisions, by the adjudicator or the decision is New Delhi Sunny 19/07 Sunny 19/06 warned him over it. But I still As per Article 682, the bankrupt examine the balance sheet and report such that it exceeds the jurisdiction. New York Snow -1/-4 P Cloudy 03/-6 fi nd him accessing other offi ce and the supervisor appointed from submitted by the receiver with the The permitted appeal shall be fi led Paris Fog 06/03 Fog 10/04 P Cloudy Showers 29/18 computers without permission . amongst the creditors may object assistance of the adjudicator in with the court within ten days of the Sao Paulo 27/15 Seoul Sunny -7/-14 Sunny -3/-8 If I fi le a case against him for such before the adjudicator against the supervising the work of the receiver. date of notifi cation. The court may Singapore T Storms 33/27 T Storms 32/26 illegal access, what will be the actions of its administrator before The supervisor may seek clarification order a cessation of execution of the Sydney P Cloudy 26/19 P Cloudy 25/19 punishment? such acts are completed. The objection from the receiver concerning the appeal pending adjudication. Tokyo ClearSnow&Rain 0 6 /0 1 Cloudy 09/00 DF, Doha Gulf Times 20 Saturday, January 23, 2016 QATAR

Dressed in a unique costume, a stilt walker welcomes visitors. Right: Male performers take centre stage for the sword dance as part of their cultural performance. PICTURES: Shemeer Rasheed Traditional shows wow audience at Souq Waqif festival opening

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

variety of cultural and entertainment shows for Aall ages highlighted the opening of the annual 15-day Souq Waqif Spring Festival yes- terday. Traditional performances on stage by male Qataris and an all- female musical parade started at 3.30pm, enthralling a large number of spectators, including foreign tourists. Using a variety of musical in- struments, including drums, local performers serenaded the crowd with Arab songs and dances. “Though I do not understand Arabic, I am very much im- pressed and fascinated by Arab music and dances,” said a tourist from Sweden who regularly vis- its his friend in Doha during the winter. He also regularly visits the Souq Waqif Art Centre (zone 4) which hosts a number of art ac- tivities, forums and workshops. This year, the Centre features Spring Flowers Ceramic and De- coupage workshops, Murals Line – Spring Poems, Ebru Art (wa- ter painting), Revere Glass Art, Spring Festival Artists Forum and Desert Rose carving work- shop for 15 days from 4.30pm to An all-female musical parade wow the crowd. Right: An entertainment show engages children on stage. 9.30pm daily. For entertainment shows, the Parade and Fine Arts Park (open Intermutants shows at zone 1 Fountain Circus — takes place at The Alchemist’s Letter, Tuurn- Visitors, especially families while its playground attracted fi rst week (until February 5) of theatre) are being held at the while Spring Garden, The Cy- zone 1 (near Al Bidda Hotel and gait and Ruin at the Souq Waqif and their children, were fasci- many children. the festivity features Harlequin Souq Waqif park. Some of the bers, Circus Parade, Candy Pa- Al Rayyan TV) daily at 4.30pm Dome from 4pm to 8pm. nated by colourfully-dressed Commuters are advised to use stilts, Lights, LED Stilt Walkers shows run from 4.30pm to 10pm rade, The Plantman and Fine for the fi rst performance and There are also some side ac- mascots and stilt walkers roam- designated parking areas (North, and Toy Bridge shows at Souq with regular intervals. Arts Park shows are also ex- 7.30pm for the second. tivities and attractions at the ing around the souq and park. Al Shuyoukh Mosque, Fanar and Alley (zone 2) while Stilt But- The second week (from Janu- pected to attract hundreds of Children can also watch event such as snakes and a mon- A coff ee shop at the park has Mid City) including the park’s terfl ies, The Pigeons, Jumping ary 29) will showcase Bloopies, visitors. some of the short (24-minute) key, a number of young horses, also started serving snacks and underground parking. Valet Acrobats, Harlequin, Nature 80’s boy’s, Stilt Walkers and The The main show — The Giant animated fi lms such as Pangea, camels and pony rides. drinks such as karak and coff ee, parking is also available.

Female performers in colourful dress during the ‘The Lights Show.’ The Souq Waqif Park hosts a number of activities including the ‘Stilt Butterflies Show.’ Right : The Jumping Acrobats Show was a big hit.