BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Top fi eld testimony to Emir Sword INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-8, 24 COMMENT 22, 23 meet’s rising REGION 9 BUSINESS 1-9, 13-16 Ooredoo net profi t rises 20,763.05 10,952.66 54.06 ARAB WORLD 9, 10 CLASSIFIED 10-12 +20.05 +18.97 +0.66 INTERNATIONAL 11-21 SPORTS 1-12 4% to QR2.2bn in 2016 stature +0.10% +0.17% _+1.24% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

THURSDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10373 February 23, 2017 Jumada I 26, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir honours envoy Traffi c jams cost In brief nation QR6bn in QATAR | Weather Thundershowers and strong winds expected Thundershowers are expected in parts of the country today along 2016, says report with strong winds, the Qatar Met department has said. The weather By Joseph Varghese October was the most congested cations. Masarak represents a key ena- off ice has also issued a warning for Staff Reporter month of 2016 with a travel time in- bler for major ITS, smart city, and road thundery rain, windy conditions dex (which indicates the increase in safety projects in Qatar.” and high seas in off shore areas. The travel time due to congestion) of 1.75 QTR takes into consideration a wind speed may go up to 25 knots here was an estimated economic throughout the day. The highest con- number of key globally accepted met- in both inshore and off shore areas impact of QR5.6bn to QR6.6bn gestion period was around 7am with an rics to report on the severity, time, and during thundershowers, with the Tfrom traffi c congestion in Qa- average congestion index of 36%. locations of traffi c congestion in Qatar. sea level rising to 8ft. Last night, the tar during 2016, which translated into Sundays had the highest travel time In order to gauge traffi c conditions for department tweeted that light rain a loss of about 0.9-1.0% of the GDP, index of 2.14 in the morning peak hours 2016 in a scientifi c, methodical and ac- had been observed in the southern HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday met at the Emiri Diwan the second annual Qatar Traffi c Report and Thursdays had the lowest travel curate way, the QTR used the concept areas and the cloud cover was off ice with Jordan’s ambassador Zahi Mohammed al-Samadi on the occasion of (QTR) said yesterday. time index of 1.97. Moreover, conges- of Masarak Congestion Index (which expected to increase over the next the expiry of the envoy’s tenure in Qatar. During the meeting, the Emir honoured The impact has been calculated tion behaviour has started to spread indicates the average reduction in few hours. Besides, the intensity of the outgoing ambassador with the Decoration of Al Wajbah in recognition of his based on the fact that the average more geographically to suburban areas speed due to congestion) and the Travel rain would also increase today, it eff orts in enhancing ties between Qatar and Jordan, and wished him success in number of extra hours spent in traffi c due to urban expansion. Time Index to assess the level of road observed. Meanwhile, a minimum his future assignments and relations between the countries further progress and congestion went up to 109 hours per Abu-Dayya said that QTR 2016 congestion. temperature of 14C is likely in Al prosperity. The ambassador expressed thanks and appreciation to the Emir and commuter in 2016 from 102 hours in provides the only comprehensive, The key fi ndings and the detailed Khor, Mesaieed, Wakrah and Abu the state’s off icials for their co-operation. Page 2 2015. The economic cost for lost pro- scientific and data-centric update analytics provided by the QTR can be Samra today, while in Doha it will be ductivity due to congestion in 2015 was about the status of traffic congestion of signifi cant value to national entities 17C. The maximum will range from about QR5.2bn to QR6bn. in Qatar. and private enterprises in Qatar, espe- 18C to 20C. Yesterday, a minimum The QTR is prepared by Qatar Mo- “QMIC has also developed and de- cially those active in the areas of trans- temperature of 10C was recorded bility Innovations Centre (QMIC), the ployed the only advanced traveller in- portation, road safety, smart cities, and in Abu Samra and 14C in Doha. The fi rst independent innovations centre in formation system, Masarak, in Qatar urban planning. The QTR is one of the maximum ranged from 17C to 22C. Qatar sees sharp rise the region and located at the Qatar Sci- with a comprehensive state-of-the-art key outputs of the Masarak system, ence and Technology Park. data collection network combined with fully developed and deployed by QMIC. QATAR | Tourism The key fi ndings of the report were necessary intelligence and user appli- Page 2 Spring holidays see presented by QMIC executive director in tourism revenue and CEO Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya in the rush of visitors presence of key national partners as New roads improve traffi c fl ow During the recent Spring holidays, pending by foreign tourists in in 2010 to QR8,418 in 2015, it added. well as senior offi cials of other organi- as many as 658,093 people passed Qatar went up from QR10.2bn in Meanwhile, the report observed sations. Although the overall congestion for to keep improving or stay fl at on a through Abu Samra land border S2010 to QR24bn in 2015, a new that tourism’s contribution to the real General Directorate of Traffi c direc- 2016 was slightly worse than 2015, year-year basis as more road projects post, it was announced yesterday. report issued yesterday by the Minis- Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose tor general Brig Mohamed Saad al- congestion levels in the second half are completed. “It is quite positive that Festivities and entertainment try of Economy and Commerce (MEC) from 3.3% in 2011 to 5.4% in 2015, Kharji, Minister of Transport’s adviser of 2016 were better than those of 2015. traffi c congestion is lesser in the second programmes in Qatar during the reveals. while for nominal GDP (at current Brig Mohamed al-Malki, and QMIC There is considerable reduction in traffi c half, compared to 2015. This shows that Spring season saw many GCC The spurt in income was driven by prices) it increased from 3.5% in 2011 chairman Abdulla Zaid al-Talib were congestion in the second half of 2016 the completion of the road networks citizens and residents visiting an increase in the number of foreign to around 6.9% in 2015. among those present. which could be attributed to completion is helping to ease the congestion to a the country through the post. tourists and growing expenditure on The report discussed the direct im- According to Abu-Dayya, the QMIC of more road works. Several road great level. Moreover, several leading Major Jamal Shahin al-Mannai, goods and services off ered across dif- pact of tourism on the country due to fi ndings are based on analysing more projects were completed by Ashghal in cities even in some highly developed vice-president of the Permanent ferent sectors, according to the ana- spending on hotels, restaurants and than 1.4bn data records collected the middle of 2016 which started to have countries also have almost the same Committee for the Management of lytical report on the role of tourism transportation in addition to other through its advanced traveller infor- a positive impact on traffi c fl ow. QMIC levels of traffi c congestion,” said, Dr Abu Samra Border Port, said while in supporting the country’s economic related services. Tourism also has an mation system, Masarak, across the says that traffi c behaviour is expected Abu-Dayya. 326,686 people entered the country development. indirect impact that positively infl u- major road segments in Qatar. through Abu Samra between Noting that the tourism sector has ences diff erent services and supplies, January 10 and February 5, a total of emerged as one of the pillars of eco- it notes. In addition, there is an in- 331,407 individuals left the country nomic diversifi cation in the country, duced impact from the spending. through the land border post. the report says local tourism spend- The added value achieved through ing – by Qataris and expatriates – has spending from tourism, foreign and also increased over the past few years, local, amounted to QR21.1bn in 2011, going up from QR7.2bn in 2011 to which rose to QR41.3bn in 2015. This QR11.6bn in 2015. entailed 39% direct impact, 46% in- In total, the income from tourism direct impact and 15% induced im- stood at QR36bn in 2015. pact. The number of foreign tourists went Further stressing the vital role up from 1.7mn in 2010 to 2.9mn in of tourism in supporting economic 2015, translating to an annual growth growth, the report said the sec- of 11%. In particular, visitors from the tor contributed to about 27% of real Arab and GCC countries accounted economic growth in 2012, directly or for around 57% of the total number of indirectly, and the same ranged from tourists due to cultural and heritage 12% to 14% in the last three years. similarities, the report observed. Meanwhile, the report said pre- Besides, average spending by for- liminary estimates indicate that for- eign tourists on diff erent goods and eign tourism contributed around 11% services, including services of the na- of the achieved real economic growth Adnan Abu-Dayya, Brig Mohamed Saad al-Kharji, Abdulla Zaid al-Talib, Brig Mohamed al-Malki and another off icial from the tional airline, increased from QR2,471 over the past fi ve years. General Directorate of Traff ic at the event to launch QTR 2016. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam Qatari-Turkish joint venture to build Al Thumama Stadium

joint venture of Qatari construc- responsible for delivering the stadiums On being awarded the contract as the is the fi rst consulting offi ce in Qatar tion giant AlJaber Engineer- and infrastructure required for the World lead partner of the JV, Osama Hadid, set up in 1966. AEB has been awarded Aing Company (JEC) and leading Cup, quoted him as saying. CEO of AlJaber Engineering Company, many local and international awards Turkish fi rm Tekfen Construction has Al-Thawadi expressed confi dence said: “Being a Qatari company we are for refl ecting the Qatari and Islamic been awarded the contract for building that the joint venture of AlJaber En- proud to build such a strategically im- identity in its modern designs.” the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha for gineering Company and Tekfen Con- portant venue for this historic tour- Construction began in Al Thumama the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Supreme struction, one of the leading construc- nament. We will ensure delivery of a in mid-2016, with TiME Qatar as the Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) tion companies in Turkey, “will deliver stadium that makes the residents of Al project managers. Most recently level- announced yesterday. an outstanding, legacy-oriented sta- Thumama and the wider Doha com- ling and grading works were completed Arab Engineering Bureau (AEB), the dium for a historic tournament.” munity proud when it opens its doors by Boom Construction. The stadium oldest architectural and engineering The stadium is located in an area of for the tournament in 2022.” design will be launched this year itself. consulting fi rm in Qatar, was confi rmed 515,400sqm that already comprises Levent Kafkasli, president of Tekfen In 2016, main works were awarded in 2015 as the Design & Construc- four outdoor training pitches and offi ce Construction, said: “Turkey already for the construction of Al Rayyan Sta- tion Supervision Consultant for the facilities currently used by the Qatar has strong relations with Qatar and we dium, Qatar Foundation Stadium, 40,000-seater stadium. Football Association Technical Com- are honoured to further strengthen this Lusail Stadium, Khalifa International Al Thumama is the seventh stadium mittee. The stadium will have a reduced relationship by joining hands with our Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor for which the main construction con- capacity of 20,000 seats in its post- Qatari joint venture partner, AlJaber City and Al Wakrah Stadium. Ras Abu tract has been awarded. The venue, tournament legacy mode as part of the Engineering Company.” Aboud Stadium will award the main located just minutes from Hamad In- SC’s modular stadium legacy plans. Ibrahim M Jaidah, AEB’s GCEO and contract in the second quarter of 2017. ternational Airport and in the centre Off icials sign the contractor agreement for Al Thumama Stadium as al-Thawadi, Hilal al-Kuwari, Technical Deliv- chief architect, said: “This achieve- All contracts on the stadium in Al of the urban development of Doha, is architect Jaidah and others look on. ery Offi ce chairman at the SC, said the ment for a local company shows the Thumama incorporate the SC’s Work- scheduled for completion by 2020 and awarding of the contract represents benefi ts that hosting the World Cup has ers’ Welfare Standards. Contractual will host FIFA World Cup matches up to mama is located in one of the most rap- one of the capital’s central sporting are- another important project milestone, created for local companies to take part enforcement of these standards and the quarter-fi nal stage. idly developing areas of Doha. nas, but will also serve the local commu- coming at a signifi cant time as Qatar in a tournament that will be viewed by a rigorous four-tier auditing system SC Secretary General Hassan al- “Once ready, the stadium and its sur- nity as a central community destination,” and the SC move beyond the half-way millions, for the fi rst time in the Mid- guarantees international best practice Thawadi said the stadium in Al Thu- rounding precinct will not only become a statement from SC, the organisation point in its World Cup journey. dle East. The Arab Engineering Bureau on the stadium. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, February 23, 2017 QATAR

Emir honours Turkish ambassador Kuwait National Day celebration OFFICIAL

Emir endorses Cabinet decisions

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani endorsed the following Cabinet decisions yesterday: 1. Cabinet decisions No 7, No 8, No 9 and No 10 of 2017, expropriating certain real estate for the public benefit. 2.Cabinet decision No 11 of 2017 extending the leases of building premises and parts thereof that are used for non-residential purposes. 3. Cabinet decision No 12 of 2017 on the applicability of the provisions of Law No. (24) of 2002 on retirement and pensions for Qatari employees at Deco HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met Turkey’s outgoing ambassador to Qatar Ahmet company. Demirok at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. The Emir bestowed on the ambassador the Decoration of Al HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin The decisions shall be Wajbah in recognition of his eff orts in enhancing relations between Qatar and Turkey, and wished Zaid al-Mahmoud and Kuwait’s ambassador Hafeez Mohamed al-Ajmi jointly cut a cake yesterday implemented and come into him success in his future assignments and relations between Qatar and Turkey further progress. in Doha at the 56th anniversary of National Day and the 26th anniversary of the liberation of the force as of 15/2/2017, and is to be The ambassador thanked HH the Emir and the State’s off icials for their co-operation. State of Kuwait as other dignitaries look on. published in the off icial gazette. Instrument of ratification

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Shop Qatar off ers a new Hamad al-Thani issued yesterday an instrument of ratification approving a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the ‘Suburbs too platform for entrepreneurs exchange of experiences and co-operation in legal and judicial aff airs between the Ministry of By Joey Aguilar Justice of Qatar and the Ministry Staff Reporter of Justice and Law of Colombia, signed in Bogota on 27/7/2016. experience atar Tourism Author- Qatar-Chad ity (QTA) opened a new ties reviewed Qgateway for local entre- preneurs to develop and show- case their products, as well as Minister of Foreign Aff airs, develop indigenous industries, African Integration and through events and festivals such International Co-operation of traffi c snarls’ as Shop Qatar, senior offi cials of Chad Hissein Brahim Taha met Qatar Chamber and Qatar Devel- Qatar’s ambassador to Chad By Joseph Varghese to Al Waab Intersection, Al Bus- lay in minute per km driven that opment Bank (QDB) have said. Hamad bin Abdulhadi al-Hajri in Staff reporter tan Street during the morning a driver would experience in the In a statement, Qatar Cham- N’djamena yesterday. peak hours. journey. ber director-general Saleh During the meeting, they During the evening peak ETT of 0.5min/km means a al-Sharqi said Shop Qatar’s discussed bilateral relations nlike the previous year, hours, the most congested ar- delay of fi ve minutes for a trip support for young Qatari en- Saleh al-Sharqi. Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa. and ways of enhancing them, in the annual Qatar Traffi c eas were Environment Round- of 10km. This metric is used to trepreneurs off ered a platform addition to matters of common UReport (QTR) 2016 has about Duhail Intersection, Al compute the average number of to feature and highlight their organisational mission of de- Qatar’s outdoor activities. interest. revealed that some suburban ar- Khafji Street; to Television hours wasted because of road products, in addition to giving veloping Qatari small and Bedaya Centre general man- eas also experienced traffi c con- Roundabout, Ahmed Bin Ali congestion per commuter. incentives to new entrepre- medium-sized enterprises ager Reem al-Sowaidi said Envoy meets gestion due to road works and Street; Al Sadd Intersection- The total cost of road con- neurs to enter the retail sector. (SMEs) through facilitating they supported the festival by fast urbanisation. Olympic Roundabout, Jawaan gestion would also include At least 42 small businesses their access to local, regional participating through ‘Bazar French off icial The report released by the Qa- Street; to Al Waab Intersec- other factors like environmen- took part in the festival, designed and global markets,” he noted. Maqtoora,’ which allotted tem- tar Mobility Innovations Centre tion, Al Bustan Street and tal, health, and societal impacts to showcase locally-made goods at Such opportunity, al-Khalifa porary shops aimed at support- Secretary-General of the French (QMIC) yesterday also pointed Lejbailat Intersection-Tele- which would be considered for 30 pop-up shops and to help en- pointed out, played an impor- ing local talents and local small Ministry of Foreign Aff airs out that while the traffi c conges- vision Roundabout, Al Jamiaa future issues of the report. trepreneurs gain exposure to visi- tant role in empowering them startup businesses. Christian Masset met Qatar’s tion in the country has gone up Street. QMIC officials pointed out tors and residents in the country. and their businesses further. According to QTA chief tour- ambassador to France Khalid in 2016, compared to 2015, there The key congestion indicators that QTR can help national QDB chief executive offi cer The festival also featured ism development offi cer Hassan bin Rashid al-Mansouri in Paris has been a reduction in the sec- entities like Ministry of Trans- Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa fi ve SMEs under The Bedaya al-Ibrahim, festivals and events yesterday. ond half of 2016 compared to the “Wakrah is one of the top port and Communications, said such festivals provided an Centre for Entrepreneurship are a key component of Qatar’s Talks during the meeting dealt same period in 2015. congested places as per Ministry of Interior, Ashghal, opportunity for Qatari entre- and Career Development (Be- urban and family entertainment with bilateral relations and means Notably, Wakrah has recorded our fi ndings for 2016. This Ministry of Municipality and preneurs to showcase a diverse daya Centre). The shops served portfolio, “which the country of enhancing them, in addition to a high congestion due to rapid is due to the large scale Environment and others in sev- range of local products to con- some snacks and delicacies to has taken great strides in devel- a number of issues of common urbanisation in the whole area. road works in the area. eral projects related to traffic sumers across the country. a large number of families who oping in line with the Qatar Na- interest. “Wakrah is one of the top con- Additionally, more people studies, urban planning, pub- “Our co-operation with trooped to the Doha Corniche tional Tourism Sector Strategy gested places as per our fi ndings are moving into Wakrah” lic transportation and parking QTA is in line with our larger and Hotel Park as part of Shop and the needs of our visitors.” Real estate for 2016. This is due to the large planning, network perform- scale road works in the area. used in the 2016 QTR are Ma- ance monitoring. transactions Additionally, more people are sarak Congestion Index (MCI), The traffic data is collect- Doha peace accord promotes sport development in Darfur moving into Wakrah,” said Dr Travel Time Index (TTI) and ed through QMIC’s Masarak Real estate transactions in Qatar Adnan Abu-Dayya, the execu- ExcessTravel Time Index (TTI). platform with a suite of inte- Sudanese State Minister of new social peace phase, the stadia and sports institutions during the week ending February tive director and CEO of QMIC. MCI, a barometer to measure the grated services in the areas of Youth and Sports Dr Hussein Sudanese Minister told Qatar in Darfur, which currently host 6 were worth QR743.065932mn, The report also has identifi ed overall congestion, ranges from Intelligent Transport, Smart Mohamed Hamdi yesterday News Agency (QNA). regional and internal events in a off icial data showed yesterday. fi ve spots with high conges- 0% to 100%. MCI of 30% means Logistics/Telematics Manage- stressed that the Doha Peace In this context, Dr Hamdi pointed move aimed at developing sport The weekly bulletin released tion in the morning and evening an average speed reduction of ment, and Road Safety. Masa- Agreement laid down basic out to the model villages in Sudan. by the real estate registration hours. 30% compared to the free fl ow rak collects real-time traffic structures for promoting sports established by Qatar in all The Sudanese Ministry of Youth department at the Ministry of They are Al Sadd Intersec- speed. data from three sources: fixed in Darfur, which has witnessed Darfur’s federal states, which and Sports is preparing a national Justice said that the types of real tion-Olympic Roundabout, TTI measures the ratio of Bluetooth-based traffic sens- an unprecedented development have allocated large areas for sports strategy, which not only estate traded ranged from plots Jawaan Street; Mushaireb In- travel time as compared to the ing network deployed in Qatar, reflected in a new lifestyle in the sports infrastructure and youth takes advantage of the Doha of land, houses to villas and multi- terchange, B Ring Road; Onaiza free-fl ow travel time during telematics (GPS) devices in region. facilities off ering promising Peace Agreement’s success purpose buildings. The majority Intersection-Lekhway Intersec- peak-hours on weekdays. TTI fleets, and crowdsourced data The Doha Peace Agreement opportunities for creativity of but also Qatar’s regional and of the trading took place in Umm tion, Al Markhiya Street; Umm of 1.5 means an increase of the though QMIC’s iTraffic mobile presents a milestone which youth and sports. international expertise and Salal, Al Khor, Al Thukhaira, Doha, Ghuwalina Intersection-Sharg travel time by 50%. app. paved the way for a full recovery The Doha Peace Agreement also experience in order to develop Al Rayyan, Al Da’ayen and Al Intersection, C-Ring Road and ETT provides the average de- from the war and entering a led to the rehabilitation of sports youth and sports sector in Sudan. Wakrah. Al Million launches ‘Zero Accident, Zero Violation’ drive

l Million Taxi, in associa- exerting “maximum eff orts” to remaining cautious for others’ tion with the General Di- make the roads safer and the mistakes, importance of fol- Arectorate of Traffi c under public has to co-operate and lowing the stipulated speed the Ministry of Interior (MoI), support the activities, eff orts limit and maintaining space has launched a traffi c safety and initiatives of the depart- between two vehicles, different awareness campaign under the ment for “ensuring safety on our types of radars and cameras, title ‘Zero Accident, Zero Viola- roads”, he stressed. tailgating, dangers of using the tion’. Lt al-Anzi urged the session’s mobile phone while driving and As part of the campaign’s fi rst participants to share the infor- yellow box were also covered phase, a safety training session mation they received during the during the training. on common traffi c mistakes was training with other drivers of the Abdul Kader Mydeen, Al Mil- held for around 275 new driv- company and advised to derive lion Group managing director, ers from Nepal, Sri Lanka and maximum benefi t from the ses- said through the campaign, the Kenya. The four-hour training sion. company aim to minimise the session covered various impor- The training covered subjects number of traffi c accidents as tant subjects that would help such as minor accidents, how well as violations caused by its the drivers be more vigilant on to stop a vehicle if a tyre bursts drivers to zero within one year roads, according to a press state- while driving, risks of running a from the date of launching the ment from the MoI. red signal, importance of wear- campaign. Inaugurating the campaign, ing a seat belt, adherence to a He also promised that the traffi c awareness offi cer from safe speed when approaching a company will recognise the driv- the Traffi c Awareness and Me- roundabout or signal, weight of ers who achieve the targets of the dia Department under the Gen- a passenger during collision ac- initiative. eral Directorate of Traffi c, Lt cidents and fi ne and punishment Traffi c investigation offi cer Lt Abdul Wahid Ghareeb al-Anzi, for overtaking from the right or Mohamed al-Mutawa and of- said traffi c safety was not the driving the vehicle on the hard fi cials from Al Million Services responsibility of the Traffi c De- shoulder. Trading and Contracting – in- partment alone, but a joint re- Sensors at traffic signals, cluding commercial manager sponsibility of the department risks of driving vehicles in Abdul Ajees and assistant gen- and the public – whether they the fast track, fine for driv- eral manager (taxi division) Joby are motorists, passengers or pe- ing heavy vehicles in the fast Mathew Thomas – also attend- destrians. or middle track, driving tech- ed the inaugural session of the As part of the campaign’s first phase, a safety training session on common traff ic mistakes was held in the Traff ic Department auditorium for The Traffi c Department is niques beside heavy vehicles, campaign. around 275 new drivers of Al Million Taxi. Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 3 QATAR UDC chief hails PM’s plan Nepal leaders praise Qatar’s to boost private sector treatment of expat labour QNA Kathmandu nited Development estate developers, indicates the Company (UDC) chair- great importance attached by Uman Turki bin Mohamed the government to the pivotal epal’s President Bidhya al-Khater praised new initiatives role of the private sector in eco- Devi Bhandari yester- announced by HE the Prime nomic growth and sustainable Nday expressed gratitude Minister and Interior Minister development. to Qatar for hosting Nepalese Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin “Such actions and opportuni- labourers and praised the good Khalifa al-Thani, at his meeting ties for private investment, will treatment which they enjoy in last Sunday with representatives clearly contribute to increasing the public and private sectors. of the private and government the share of the private sector Nepalese Prime Minis- sectors, aimed at boosting pri- in the gross domestic product, ter Pushpa Kamal Dahal also vate sector investment and eco- by providing a suitable environ- praised the level of treatment nomic growth. ment to diversify the economy enjoyed by the Nepalese com- “The strategic decisions ex- and attract more local and for- munity in Qatar, hailing the empting The Pearl-Qatar from eign investments,” he said. procedures being implemented the procedures of issuing licens- “The licensing privileges ex- by the Qatari authorities to im- es, will inevitably support with tended to The Pearl not only serve prove the conditions of foreign bringing development works Turki bin Mohamed al-Khater Ibrahim Jassim al-Othman to strengthen the partnership with workers. up to speed, while reassuring the public sector but also help raise large contractors and develop- The new measures will also UDC CEO and president Ib- the quality of services off ered on Nepal’s president ers of the Island’s investment positively contribute to attract- rahim Jassim al-Othman stated the Island, as more local, regional expressed gratitude to qualities, and stimulating effi - ing foreign investment into that the exemption and licensing and international investments are Qatar for hosting the cient and timely completion of Qatar, and lead to accelerating privileges extended to the man- expected in the real estate and com- Nepalese labourers construction works through in- project delivery and improving agement of The Pearl-Qatar, to mercial fi elds which are presently creasing the proportion of local project quality by contractors issue construction, completion witnessing growing demand,” al- The remarks came during the investments in The Pearl during and developers operating on The of construction, electricity and Othman added. Nepalese leaders’ meeting with the next phase,” al-Khater said. Pearl, he explained. civil defence permits for real The Prime Minister had an- HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz nounced that The Pearl-Qatar and al-Kuwari, Adviser at the Emiri HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, Adviser at the Emiri Diwan Lusail projects would be exempted Diwan and Qatar’s candidate for and Qatar’s candidate for the post of United Nations Educational, from the procedures of issuing the post of United Nations Edu- Scientific and Cultural (Unesco) director-general with Nepal’s licenses and that their manage- cational, Scientifi c and Cultural President Bidhya Devi Bhandari in Kathmandu yesterday. ments will be provided with the (Unesco) director-general in authority to grant special licenses Kathmandu yesterday. petence and experience to lead of Nepal Prakash Sharan Ma- in the fi elds of construction, com- During her meeting with HE the UN organisation. hat, who praised the relations pletion of construction, electric- al-Kuwari President Dr al-Kuwari expressed his between the two countries, ity and civil defence for real estate Bhandari reaffi rmed her sup- gratitude to the president of stressing his country’s support developers. port for Qatar’s candidate for Nepal for her support, stressing for the Qatari candidate which In this context, the Ministry of the post of director general of the importance of enhancing would pave the way for a great- Municipality and Environment Unesco and praised the deep co-operation for the restora- er co-operation between the along with the Qatar General relations between Qatar and tion of Unesco to face of the two countries for the success of Electricity and Water Corpora- Nepal, and expressed her keen- challenges and serve its goals. Unesco. tion (Kahramaa), Civil Defence ness to visit Qatar. He hailed the constructive During his several days visit and other relevant agencies – She stressed that Nepal’s role of the Nepalese communi- to Nepal, HE al-Kuwari also have been directed to fi nalise support for the Qatari can- ty in Qatar and their contribu- held a meeting with Education an agreement with the man- didate as Unesco’s director- tion to the country’s develop- Minister Dhaniram Paudel. Al- agements of the two projects general is an expression of ment process. Kuwari briefed the minister on whereby The Pearl-Qatar and appreciation for the distinct Nepalese Prime Minister his vision for the advancement Lusail will assume full respon- co-operation between the two Pushpa Kamal Dahal also af- of Unesco to meet challenges, sibility before the State in case countries in support of nomi- fi rmed Nepal’s support for the shedding light on the pivotal of a breach – by the developing nations in international organi- Qatari candidate, praising the role of education in counter- companies – of the standards sations, and in appreciation for depth of relations between the terrorism. and conditions stipulated in the the excellent bilateral relations, two countries in various fi elds. The meeting was attended agreement and the approved ur- and in recognition of the Qatari HE Dr al-Kuwari also met by Qatar’s ambassador to Nepal The Pearl-Qatar aerial view. ban plan. candidate’s high level of com- the Minister for Foreign Aff airs Yousef bin Mohamed al-Hail. Gulf Times 4 Thursday, February 23, 2017 QATAR

Temporary diversion in Wajba area temporary diversion will be in place QIIB opens branch from tomorrow for approximately A600m stretch between Old and New Wajba interchanges on the Dukhan Highway. Traffi c through the section is expected to resume after two months when work of the Dukhan Highway Central expressway at Mall of Qatar is completed. During the diversion, road users travel- IIB chairman and ling towards Doha on the Dukhan Highway managing direc- will be transferred onto the opposite side Qtor Sheikh Dr Kha- of the road for 600m before rejoining the lid bin Thani bin Abdullah existing roadway (as shown on the map). al-Thani inaugurated the The Public Works Authority – Ashghal bank’s newest bank branch will reduce the number of lanes from three at the Mall of Qatar. to two for the length of the road change. Besides several board Ashghal has requested all road users to members, QIIB chief ex- abide by the speed limit, which has been ecutive offi cer Abdulbasit reduced from 80kph to 50kph for the Ahmad al-Shaibei attended length of the diversion, and follow newly the ceremony. implemented traffi c road signs to ensure Sheikh Dr Khalid their safety. stressed the importance of the new branch provid- ing “high quality services” to customers and meeting customer expectations. The new QIIB branch is on the ground fl oor of the Mall of Qatar, which is one Sheikh Dr Khalid inaugurating QIIB’s branch at Mall of Qatar yesterday. of the leading shopping destinations in the region. ping centers such as the QIIB said, “The open- City Center and Doha Fes- ing of the Mall of Qatar tival City, which goes in line branch is of great impor- with the bank’s geographic tance for customers given expansion plan in accord- the bouquet of marketing ance with the customers` options available including requirements, and the keen- integrated banking services ness of meeting their needs, off ered by the branch.” conveniently and easily.” Al-Shaibei said, “At QIIB, The CEO added: we are proud to achieve “Through these expansion signifi cantly in terms of plans, we are responding our branch restructuring to the market needs and plan in line with our ever competition. These are key expanding customer base. elements towards improv- Al-Shaibei speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event. “As you know, our presence ing the performance of the in one of the most important banking sector and promote “We were also keen to de- our customers save their shopping centres in our coun- innovation, particularly sign the branch in a distinct valuable time and ease their try, and in the region in gen- in Shariah-based Islamic pattern that refl ects contem- eff orts. Through such alter- eral, is vital to us as well as our banking, which of late, has porary architecture, inspired nate channels, we can also customers, who can take ad- been witnessing a huge de- by Islamic art, as is the case provide the most effi cient vantage of this facility in the mand from customers.” with all our new branches.” and secure banking services Mall of Qatar and do various Al-Shaibei said the QIIB “In parallel to open- to our customers.” banking transactions. branch at the Mall of Qa- ing new branches, we are The QIIB branch at the “The new branch is cer- tar would off er “excellent” further developing and Mall of Qatar operates Sat- tainly a quality addition to banking experience to its enhancing the alternate urday through Thursday, our network of branches that customers. To achieve this, channels such as ATMs, call in two shifts from 9am to has now reached 20. We are the bank has selected a centre, mobile and phone 2:30pm and from 3:30pm also planning to open new “highly experienced and banking, and Internet bank- to 9pm. On Fridays, it will branches at major shop- professional team.” ing services. This will help function from 4pm to 9pm.

Gulf Times 6 Thursday, February 23, 2017 QATAR QIB opens new branch at Awqaf tower in West Bay New services to Yanbu and Tabuk in Saudi Arabia will begin on May 9 and June 19, respectively. atar Islamic Bank (QIB) customers and highlights our will be also relocating some ex- the ministry and QIB have been has announced the of- commitment to be there for our isting branches to more conven- collaborating from 1992.” Qfi cial opening of a new customers wherever they are,” ient locations in order to enable He added: “We are pleased and Qatar Airways to branch at the Ministry of En- said D Anand, general manager, easier access to our products and appreciate QIB’s contributions dowment and Islamic Aff airs Personal Banking Group, QIB. services for all our existing and to the community and the Islam- (Awqaf) tower in West Bay dur- He added: “The new branch new customers.” ic banking industry. We welcome ing the offi cial inauguration at- is a refl ection of our strong re- Ali Almurham al-Marri, fi - them and look forward to their tended by senior offi cials from lationship with the Ministry of nance department manager at eff orts to bringing added value to begin Yanbu and Awqaf and QIB. Endowments and Islamic Aff airs Awqaf, said: “We commend the our place. We wish them success The new branch is located on and its employees, who now have step taken by Qatar Islamic Bank in their endeavors.” the ground fl oor, providing easy easy and time-effi cient access to open a new branch at the Min- With the opening of the new access to banking services for to our comprehensive Shariah- istry of Endowment and Islamic branch, QIB’s network increased Awqaf employees and all visi- compliant services. Aff airs tower. The bank’s move to 28 branches and is comple- Tabuk fl ights soon tors. The branch is open Sunday “As part of our commitment into the tower compliments the mented by more than 170 ATMs, through Thursday from 7:30am to be closer to our customers, we services we off er to our visi- state-of-the-art banking sys- to 1pm. are going to open a number of tors and provides an easy access tems, and electronic channels atar Airways has con- dle East, Europe and the dah. The airline has added Riy- Customers will be able to branches in new malls and popu- to our employees who already provide a seamless customer fi rmed the start of new Americas. adh, Dammam, Madinah, Gas- open bank accounts, apply for lar destinations across Qatar. We bank with QIB, especially since experience on a 24/7 basis. Qservices to Yanbu and “Passengers from Yanbu and sim, Ta’if, Al Hofuf and Abha fi nancing and credit cards, and Tabuk in Saudi Arabia from Tabuk will now be able to travel to its portfolio of destinations, consult on all Islamic bank- May 9 and June 19, respective- seamlessly through our state- all non-stop to and from Doha, ing products and services with ly, with three fl ights a week to of-the-art Doha hub, Hamad with connections to Qatar Air- specialised and experienced each destination. International Airport, to popu- ways’ destinations worldwide. QIB staff . The additional destina- lar cities in our expanding net- Qatar Airways currently In keeping with QIB’s vi- tions take Qatar Airways’ total work such as Auckland, Boston operates 158 weekly fl ights to sion of off ering its customers network connectivity within and Skopje.” eight key cities in Saudi Ara- a smooth banking experience, the kingdom to 10 destina- The launch of the new desti- bia. The addition of Yanbu and the new branch is designed with tions, connecting travellers nations also provides passen- Tabuk will increase the number customer convenience in mind, from Saudi Arabia to more than gers travelling to Saudi Arabia of weekly fl ights to Saudi Ara- QIB said. 150 worldwide destinations from international markets bia to 164 non-stop fl ights. The open-plan layout is through Hamad International with the convenience of ad- The fl ight schedules are as enhanced with QIB’s latest Airport in Doha, the airline has ditional gateways within the follows: Doha-Yanbu (Tues- branch design, which is cur- said in a statement. kingdom, he added. day, Thursday and Saturday) rently implemented across all Qatar Airways Group chief The airline will fl y the A320 - QR 1216 departing Doha at key branches. The new de- executive Akbar al-Baker aircraft direct to and from 12.55pm and arriving in Yanbu sign’s philosophy molds to- said, “We have been stead- Yanbu and Tabuk on a three- at 3.35pm, and QR 1217 depart- gether a palette of natural tones ily growing our presence and fl ights-a-week schedule, fea- ing Yanbu at 4.35pm and ar- for a modern interpretation services to Saudi Arabia for turing a two-class cabin con- riving in Doha at 7pm; Doha- of the traditional Islamic val- the past 20 years; Yanbu and fi guration with 12 seats in First Tabuk (Monday, Wednesday ues of purity, simplicity and Tabuk as our ninth and 10th Class and 132 in Economy, the and Friday) - QR1220 departing transparency. destinations in the kingdom statement notes. Doha at 12.35pm and arriving in “Opening a new branch is will bring additional fl ight Qatar Airways began opera- Tabuk at 3.20pm, and QR1221 always an exciting time since options for passengers con- tions to Saudi Arabia in 1997 departing Tabuk at 4.20pm and it brings us even closer to our QIB off icials at the newly-opened branch. necting from Asia, the Mid- with non-stop fl ights to Jed- arriving in Doha at 7pm. Range Rover Velar set for global debut on March 1

he fourth member Refi ned for every occa- of the Range Rover sion, for every terrain, Ve- Tfamily, Range Rover lar uses unique sustainable Velar, will be unveiled glo- materials and advanced en- bally on March 1, Alfardan gineering to continue Land Premier Motors announced Rover’s drive to go Above in Doha yesterday. and Beyond. The new addition to the The origin of the Velar Range Rover family fi lls the name (pronounced vel-ar) space between the Range dates back to the fi rst Range Rover Evoque and the Rover prototypes of the Range Rover Sport. sixties: the pioneers of the Elegant simplicity, a vis- luxury SUV landscape. ually reductive approach When development en- and pioneering consumer gineers needed to hide the technology are the hall- true identity of the 26 pre- marks of the new Range production Range Rovers, Rover Velar. they chose the name Ve- Land Rover chief design lar, derived from the Latin offi cer, Gerry McGovern, velare meaning to veil or said: “We call the Velar the cover. A tease image of Range Rover Velar. avant garde Range Rover. Full details of the It brings a new dimension Range Rover Velar will be true ‘breadth of capability’ Range Rover Evoque each of glamour, modernity and announced on 1 March. across the model range. defi nes the world’s SUV elegance to the brand. The Since 1948 Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Dis- sectors, with 80% of this Range Rover Velar changes has been manufacturing au- covery Sport, Range Rover model range exported to everything.” thentic 4x4s that represent Sport, Range Rover and over 170 countries. Importance of academic-industry collaborative research outlined

amad Bin Khalifa Univer- nerstone of a diversifi ed economy. The sity (HBKU) brought together workshop was designed to promote Hmembers of local academia the development of an ecosystem and industry professionals recently for where academics, researchers, and a workshop that explored the impor- professionals in Qatar can engage with tance of close collaboration between each other and create frameworks that those undertaking academic research promote increased collaboration. We at universities and applied research in have been greatly encouraged by the the commercial world. level of enthusiasm and engagement “Accelerating Innovation at Univer- shown at this event by people from sities and Partnering with Industry” across the private and public sectors.” was led by Dr Ikhlaq Sidhu, a member The interactive workshop was at- of HBKU’s board of trustees and the Dr Ikhlaq Sidhu speaking at the workshop. tended by representatives of leading chief scientist and founding director industry in Qatar, HBKU’s partner in- of the University of California Ber- connected to ideas beyond the walls stitutions and research funding bod- keley’s Sutardja Centre for Entrepre- of their own institutions, they are ies, in addition to leadership, faculty, neurship and Technology. inspired to come up with next-gen- scientists, and students from HBKU Dr Sidhu has extensive experience eration products that can potentially itself. With a focus on research that in the fi elds of information systems, change the business landscape. In- spurs innovation at the intersection strategic data analytics, and mobile novation gets accelerated when those of academia and industry, some of computing. He has successfully reg- involved in the process build connec- the topics covered in the workshop istered over 60 US patents and has re- tions with others that are not tradi- included a look at where good ideas ceived global recognition for his con- tionally seen as collaborators in their come from, intellectual property, and tributions to the study of innovation. fi eld.” how to develop ideas for successful Stressing the power of collabora- Dr Ahmad M Hasnah, president, new ventures that produce outcomes tion, he said, “When innovators are HBKU, said, “Innovation is the cor- that meet industrial needs.

Gulf Times 8 Thursday, February 23, 2017 QATAR

QIC introduces motor CRA keeps pace claims with WhatsApp

IC Insured, the retail arm of lead- port, then call 8000 742 or send a WhatsApp ing insurer QIC, has announced the message to 50000742 to register the motor Fahad Mohamed al-Suwaidi ... going digital. with telecom Qlaunch of a new service – reporting claim. “All that’s left then is to drop the car at motor claims directly through the call centre the assigned workshop for repair,” the state- tive ways to serve our customers in a better or via WhatsApp. ment noted. way to make things easy and convenient. Now, QIC Insured policyholders can call QIC Insured can also arrange for the nec- The new service off ers customers the ease 8000 742 or send a WhatsApp message to essary police reports to make the process of fi ling motor claims directly without hav- requirements 50000742 to fi le a motor claim after an ac- “even simpler”. For this, customers need to ing to deal with unnecessary delays caused cident. The business hours for QIC Insured’s provide the police report reference number by navigating heavy traffi c to go a branch or call centre and WhatsApp service are from and “the rest will be handled by QIC In- waiting in a line to fi le a claim. he Communications Reg- 2016, and registrations of all lates the communications sector 7am until 10pm, Saturday to Thursday, ac- sured’s customer service,” the statement “With the launch of this new service, QIC ulatory Authority (CRA) “.qa” and other related domain and ensures the effi cient man- cording to a press statement. adds. Speaking at the launch of the new has once again established its distinctive role Thas made considerable names grew by 5.20% which in- agement and usage of new and The following steps are to be followed for service, senior claims manager (Motor) Fa- and presence in the marketplace and we’re progress in management and al- dicates steady growth. Qatar has existing mobile sites’ coverage. registering claims: report the accident to had Mohamed al-Suwaidi said: “At QIC, hopeful that our customers’ journey through location of scarce resources like the provision of several exten- In 2016, CRA saw a 114% in- the traffi c department and get the police re- we’re continuously striving to fi nd innova- the claims process remains hassle-free.” numbering, and domain names sions for .qa to choose from de- crease in requests for approvals in 2016, it was announced yes- pending on the identity, intent for the construction of new mo- terday. and purpose of the domain name. bile sites (92 in 2016 compared Throughout the year, CRA al- The data indicates that these do- to 43 in 2015). Of these 92 sites, located 100,000 mobile numbers main extensions are serving the 74 applications were approved to service providers, registered Qatari market and community and sent to the relevant govern- UCA inks deal with Hertz for Neon cars 2,981 new Qatari domains, and well, CRA will continue to make ment entities for fi nal approval approved 74 requests for mobile eff orts to increase uptake of Qa- and 18 applications were rejected sites. CRA also supported the tari Domains. – for a range of reasons, the most nited Cars Almana development of telecom infra- CRA is responsible for alloca- common being the availability (UCA) has announced structure and network readiness Mohamed Ali al-Mannai of nearby ‘on-air’ sites within Usigning a deal with by handling 9,700 requests for 500m of the requested new loca- Hertz Qatar for the sale of 30 infrastructure projects. tion of national numbering re- tion. all-new Dodge Neon 2017 cars. “As the data refl ects, CRA sources and uses a sophisticated Q-PRO system is an online The new Dodge Neon, a fi ve- played a central and active role Numbering Management System ‘road opening’ permit system, door sedan, comes with a 1.6L in ensuring the effi cient man- (NMS) that enhances its capabil- operated and designed by Ash- E-torQ Evo I-4 engine and agement of national resources as ity to monitor the assignment of ghal to reduce the paper-based 6-speed automatic transmis- well as continuously monitoring mobile and fi xed line numbers. system for permissions. Through sion, 17-in Diamond cut alloy and enabling growth of diverse As of December 31, 2016, a the system, CRA handled 8,900 wheels and a range of driver- areas in the communications total of 8mn mobile and 1.45mn no-objection-requests in 2016, assisted technology. sector in the state of Qatar,” said fi xed line numbers have been the majority of which were proc- Exceptional in-car con- president Mohamed Ali al-Man- allocated. In 2016, a total of essed within two working days. nectivity includes a 7-in tab- nai. 100,000 new mobile numbers CRA also handled 800 appli- let style infotainment system, “CRA’s role is an enabler of were allocated to service provid- cations on Qatar Online Design with HD Color Capacitive technological innovations and ers, 30,272 mobile numbers were Review System (Q-DRS) which touchscreen, SMS reader, USB United Cars Almana has signed a deal with Hertz Qatar. the provision of advanced serv- ported under mobile number has been operational from March ports, i-Pod support and Blue- ices, and we encourage individu- portability, and 5,943 were re- 2016. Most of the applications tooth. tani, UCA general manager. Sanaa Ouahmane, general stone to further diversify our als and businesses to adopt dis- turned. were proceeded within a period “Following the hugely suc- “We are extremely happy to be manager of Hertz-Almana Rent fl eet for our customers who will tinctly Qatari domains and other In 2017, CRA intends to intro- of 10 or less working days. Q- cessful launch of the all-new partnering with Hertz Qatar A Car said, “Hertz Qatar is glad enjoy both elegance and safety. digital platforms,” he explained. duce a Fixed Numbering Port- DRS system provides single en- Dodge Neon in Qatar, United and we are confi dent that our to work along with United Cars I believe that we made the right Of the total of 22,210 Qatari ability which will increase com- vironment for planning and util- Cars Almana is delighted to client will be more than happy Almana and we are very excit- trade-off s, our organisations Domains registered so far, the petition in the market and give ity service entities to collaborate, announce this deal with one of with the quality of the vehicle ed to have the All New Dodge always recognises the team Qatar Domains Registry (QDR) consumers more choice. review and approve the design of the leading car hire companies and the service provided by our Neon in our fl eet collection. culture that acknowledges ef- registered 2,981 new ones in CRA also monitors and regu- any infrastructure projects. in Qatar,” said Gurdeep Mul- aftersales team.” The partnership is a mile- forts and accomplishments”.

Malabar Gold hosts festival of earrings Jumbo deals QICDRC makes Malabar Gold & Diamonds, ‘one of the big five jewellery retailers globally,’ has key appointments announced a ‘Studs & Drops Festival’ from today at their outlets in Qatar, the UAE, he Qatar International Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia Court and Dispute and Singapore. TResolution Centre “The main attraction of (QICDRC) has held its an- the festival, running until nual general meeting (AGM) April 8, 2017, is an extensive in Doha and appointed a new collection of gold and judge to the QFC Regulatory diamond earrings from Tribunal. over 20 countries,” it was Lord Phillips of Worth explained in a statement Matravers, president of yesterday. MGD ‘Studs & Drops Festival’ begins today. the QICDRC and Sir David “The stunning collection Keene, chairman of the QFC Mubarak Saad al-Hajri ... of earrings, designed and Diamonds also showcases from the branded jewellery Regulatory Tribunal, wel- wider role. handcrafted by skilled an incredible collection segment that includes Era comed the other members of artisans from around of unique designs in gold — Uncut Diamond Jewellery, Jumbo Electronics’ ongoing Scratch & Win promotion for customers connecting to the QICDRC judiciary to the arrival of Judge al-Hajri in the world, range from and diamond jewellery Ethnix — Handcrafted Ooredoo mobile broadband or Shahry pack 100 has become popular. Few weeks into AGM, including QICDRC the role of general legal coun- lightweight, daily wear to from Italy, Turkey, Bahrain Designer Jewellery, Mine — the promo and customers have won a LG 65” Ultra HD TV, Lenovo A2020 smartphones CEO Faisal al-Sahouti, and sel. Judge al-Hajri graduated party wear in traditional as and India to suit the tastes Diamonds Unlimited, Precia- and other gifts. The promo is running until March 20 or until the stock of coupons last Christopher Grout, registrar. from Qatar University with a well as international designs and budget of its diff erent Gem Jewellery Divine — at Jumbo Electronics showrooms located in Doha city, Al Khor and Mesaieed. The agenda for the meeting bachelor’s degree in Law. He to suit every occasion. customers. Indian Heritage Jewellery & included the caseload and also holds a Master’s degree “In addition, Malabar Gold & “Customers can also choose Starlet — Kids Jewellery.” plans for 2017 and matters from the University of Glas- relating to the general ad- gow, Scotland. ministration of the QICDRC. As a judge of the Qatar A swearing-in ceremony Court of First Instance, his took place for Justice Gopal secondment to the QICDRC Subramanium, who is the is “further illustrative of latest judge to be appointed the strong relationship be- to the QFC Regulatory Tri- tween the Supreme Judici- bunal. Justice Subramanium, ary Council and the QICDRC a senior advocate, is a former and its commitment to fa- solicitor-general of India. cilitate the development of Meanwhile, Mubarak Saad QICDRC’s role”. al-Hajri, a judge in the Court Also, the new appoint- of First Instance, was ap- ment shows the respective pointed to act as a general commitment of QICDRC to legal counsel to the Qatar the development of young International Court (QIC), in Qatari legal professionals. addition to his original du- The CEO added, “These ties at the Supreme Judiciary appointments, and our Council. In this role, Judge very productive AGM, are al-Hajri will give legal advice both tangible evidence of to the judges, registrar and our progress and steps to- Qatar International Court ward the establishment of CEO on issues and topics QICDRC as a world-leading relevant to QIC, as well as forum for the resolution of judicial and legal procedures. international civil and com- Al-Sahouti welcomed the mercial disputes.” Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 9 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Tehran ready to give US strong response Senior Yemeni general

Reuters rockets, artillery, tanks and Dubai helicopters, weeks after Trump warned that he had put Tehran “on notice” over he United States the missile launch. should expect a “The message of these killed in missile attack T“strong slap in the exercises... for world arro- face” if it underestimates gance is not to do anything Reuters Iran’s defensive capabili- stupid,” said Pakpour, quot- Aden ties, a commander of the ed by the semi-offi cial news elite Revolutionary Guards agency Tasnim. said yesterday, as Tehran “Everyone could see to- he second-in-command of concluded war games. day what power we have on Yemen army was killed yes- Since taking offi ce last the ground.” Tterday when a missile fi red month, US President Don- The Guards said they by the Houthi movement hit an ald Trump has pledged to test-fi red “advanced rock- army camp, a military source said, get tough with Iran, warning ets” and used drones in the the most senior Yemeni offi cer the Islamic Republic after its three-day exercises which killed in the country’s civil war. ballistic missile test on Jan were held in central and 29 that it was playing with eastern Iran. fi re and all US options were As tensions also mount- $10bn Saudi aid for on the table. ed with Israel, a military reconstruction: Hadi “The enemy should not analyst at Tasnim said that be mistaken in its assess- Hezbollah could use Iranian Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Man- ments, and it will receive a made Fateh 110 missiles to sour Hadi said yesterday that Saudi strong slap in the face if it attack the Israeli nuclear re- Arabia has earmarked $10bn in aid does make such a mistake,” actor at Dimona from inside for the reconstruction of provinces said General Mohamed Pa- Lebanon. retaken from Houthi rebels. kpour, head of the Guards’ Hezbollah leader Sayyed Riyadh has made no off icial an- ground forces, quoted by Hassan Nasrallah said last nouncement on the aid. the Guards’ website Sepah- Thursday that his group, Hadi said the oil-rich neighbour- news. which played a major role in ing kingdom had allocated $10bn Yesterday, the Revolu- ending Israel’s occupation “for the reconstruction of liberated tionary Guards concluded of Lebanon, could strike Di- provinces, including $2bn as a three days of exercises with mona. deposit in the central bank to shore up the (Yemeni) riyal”, the Saba news agency reported. DIALOGUE The president, speaking in the Iran team in Saudi for Haj talks government’s temporary southern capital of Aden, called on his Iran has sent a delegation to Saudi Arabia for talks on Iranians government to focus on power, attending Haj, state television reported yesterday, after Tehran water, roads, health and education boycotted the pilgrimage last year. in retaken areas. Relations between the two regional powers worsened after hun- File photo shows Yemeni Army deputy chief of staff Major General Ahmed Saif al-Yafei (right) speaking to soldiers from inside a vehicle at the port of the dreds of people, many of them Iranians, died in a crush at the western Yemeni coastal town of Mokha. 2015 pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Reza Salehi Amiri, Iran’s Islamic Major General Ahmed Saif al- guidance and culture minister, told state television that Tehran Yafei was killed outside the stra- recognised government, backed the general’s family, told Reuters. in which Yafei was travelling on tails on the other casualties. was seeking guarantees to ensure the “dignity and safety” of tegic the Red Sea coast city of Al- by a coalition, has been trying Hadi’s presidential office said the outskirts of Al-Mokha. Hadi supporters, backed by the pilgrims before it agrees for the resumption of its participa- Mokha, which the army captured to re-take the country from the in a statement carried by the Aden al-Ghad said that the Gulf troops, captured Al-Mokha tion in the pilgrimage, which starts this year in late August. The from the Houthis last month. Houthis for nearly two years. government-run news agency bodies of several officers who last month after weeks of heavy delegation — including off icials of Iran’s Haj and Pilgrimage Several other military person- The war has killed more than that Yafei died “while carrying died in the attack along with fighting around the small but Organisation and representatives of Supreme Leader Ayatollah nel, including a colonel, also died 10,000 people. out his heroic role of liberating Yafei have arrived at a hospital strategic port city that had once Ali Khamenei — left for Saudi Arabia late on Tuesday at the in the attack, according to the “(Yafei) was killed along with the remainder of the Al-Mokha in the southern Yemeni city of served as a main port for export- invitation of Saudi off icials, the television said. online Arabic-language Aden al- several others when the missile district” from the Houthis. Aden, where Hadi’s government ing coffee. Ghad newspaper. hit the camp near Al-Mokha city It gave no further details. is based. Al-Mokha lies close to the Bab President Abd-Rabbu Man- early this morning,” the military The Houthi-run news agency It identified one of them as a al-Mandab strait through which sour Hadi’s internationally- source, who is also a member of said its fighters targeted a vehicle colonel but gave no further de- much of the world’s oil passes.

TENSION 20 arrested as govt approves military trial of civilians

Bahraini police have arrested 20 people in a crackdown on some villages, as legislators approved a constitutional amend- ment that could see civilians tried in military courts in the kingdom. The lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of a constitutional amendment which drops a clause restricting military trials to off ences committed by members of the army, police or other security branches. Under the amendment to Article 105, which also needs approval in Bahrain’s appointed upper house, civilians charged with “damaging public interest” or with terrorism — broadly defined — could now face trial in a military court. Bahraini authorities have made sweeping use of counter-terrorism legislation in past weeks. Between February 9 and February 19, police arrested 20 resi- dents of some villages, aged between 20 and 65 and including four women, in what the government described as a crackdown on “terror cells”.

CONFLICT Rapes, killings still blight Darfur: UN A senior UN rights off icial said yesterday that rape and inter-communal killings are still taking place in Sudan’s war-scarred region of Darfur where implementation of rule of law remains weak. Sudanese off icials insist that conflict in Darfur has ended, and in January then US president Barack Obama eased sanc- tions against Khartoum citing a marked reduction of military activity in the country’s con- flict areas. But a UN human rights expert on Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, who toured parts of Darfur last week, said that violent inci- dents are continuing despite a calm overall situation. “Incidents of banditry, armed robbery, assault, killing, rape... inter-communal clashes over farmland...remain major con- cerns,” Nononsi told reporters in Khartoum. He said inter- communal violence had now become a major feature of the conflict in Darfur. “The situation has been exac- erbated by overall impunity, a weak rule of law and justice institutions,” he said. From January 27 to February 18, nine rapes were reported in a displaced persons’ camp at Sortoni in Darfur, Nononsi said, adding many other cases went unreported due to fear. War in Darfur erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels mounted an insurgency against the government of President Omar al-Bashir complaining of economic and political marginalisation. Gulf Times 10 Thursday, February 23, 2017 ARAB WORLD

FUNERAL NEGOTIATION CURBS UNREST OFFBEAT Thousands mourn convict Al-Azhar in Cairo Israel blocks EU lawmakers’ Christian father, son killed Parliament takes closer in 1993 WTC bomb attack dialogue with Vatican attempt for Gaza entry in extremist hotbed look at staff ers’ skirts

Thousands of mourners gathered in a small Representatives of Sunni Islam’s prestigious Al- Five European parliamentarians said yesterday that Two Coptic Christians, a father and his son, were Israel’s parliament will retain a contentious dress Egyptian town yesterday for the funeral of the Azhar institution and from the Vatican held talks in Israeli authorities had prevented them from entering found murdered yesterday in Egypt’s North Sinai, code banning short skirts, but will make its cleric known as “the blind sheikh” who was con- Cairo yesterday following up on a rapprochement the Gaza Strip. “The refusal of access to Gaza by a stronghold of the Islamic State militant group, enforcement and sanctions against off enders victed of conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade launched in 2016. Their meeting focused on the the Israeli authorities to the European Parliament police and medics said. They said the son was gradual, a committee of MPs and parliamentary Center bombing in New York. Omar Abdel- role of the Cairo-based institution and the Vatican on arbitrary grounds is unacceptable,” Cypriot found having apparently been burnt alive while staff ruled. The decision on Tuesday came after Rahman, who was also convicted of planning a “in countering fanaticism, extremism and violence”, MEP Neoklis Sylikiotis said in a statement. Similar the father, a man in his 60s, had been riddled with staff ers had demonstrated in December when col- broader “war of urban terrorism” in the United Al-Azhar said in a statement. “Dialogue must prevail delegations of European lawmakers have been bullets.Their bodies were discovered at dawn be- leagues who wore skirts deemed too short were States, died on Saturday in a North Carolina between men to dissipate...diff erences, and religion barred from entering the Palestinian coastal enclave hind a school in the provincial capital of El-Arish. barred from entering the building. The staff ers prison aged 78. Movements across the conserv- is capable of overcoming discord with tolerance,” since 2011, the statement added, though a team led The Islamic State group, which has mostly tar- said that security guards at Israel’s parliament, the ative spectrum from the Muslim Brotherhood Mahmoud Zaqzouq of Al-Azhar said in an opening by the head of the European Parliament’s budget geted Egypt’s security forces since the army over- Knesset, had started to strictly enforce rules on to Al Qaeda attended, including several leaders address. The Vatican delegation was led by Jean- committee was allowed to visit once.“What is there threw Egypt’s conservative president Mohamed the length of skirts without giving a reason. The from Egypt’s Islamic Group, which renounced Louis Tauran, a French cardinal who heads a Pontifi- to hide from us?” it said, condemning what it called Mursi in 2013, warned on Sunday it would set its committee was subsequently formed to examine violence in 1997. cal Council for Interreligious Dialogue. “systematic” entry bans. sights on the country’s Christian minority. the issue. Only 100 militants ‘remain Russia asks Syria to halt in IS-held battleground’ bombing AFP Istanbul urkey said yesterday fewer during talks than 100 militants were Tstill holed up in the fl ash- point Islamic-State Syrian town AFP into the main rebel delegation. of Al-Bab, as rebel commanders Geneva Asked about the precise predicted its capture was immi- composition of the opposition nent. camp, de Mistura said only The fi ght for Al-Bab has seen ussia has called on Syr- that he would provide more the bloodiest clashes of Ankara’s ian President Bashar al- details today. half-year campaign inside the RAssad to stop his bomb- The ground — both in terri- confl ict-torn country and its ing campaign while peace tory and diplomatically — has capture would be one of the most talks take place this week, but shifted since the last UN-spon- signifi cant reverses for Islamic a political breakthrough on the sored talks broke up in April State in Syria. six-year war remains unlikely, 2016, and the rebels are in a sig- Speaking to NTV television, the UN’s envoy said yesterday. nifi cantly weaker position. Defence Minister Fikri Isik said Staff an de Mistura’s com- The army has recaptured the half of the town of Al-Bab was in ments came on the eve of a rebel bastion of eastern Aleppo the hands of Turkish troops and new round of talks in Geneva and the United States, once allied pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, between negotiators from staunchly opposed to Assad, after the government repeatedly Syria’s regime and the opposi- has said it is reassessing every said it was “largely under con- tion after a 10-month hiatus. aspect of its Syria policy under trol”. Persistent violence and President Donald Trump. “We estimate there are less deadlock over the country’s But the toughest issues re- than 100” IS fi ghters left in Al- political future, notably that main similar to a year ago. Bab, Isik told NTV. “But they are of Assad, remain major hur- The opposition quit the last very dangerous people. Some are dles. round in protest at escalat- snipers, some are potential sui- “Russia announced to eve- ing bloodshed and yesterday cide bombers.” ryone...and to myself that they warned that ceasefi re violations He said the operation to sur- have formally asked the Syrian were once again a problem. round Al-Bab was “over” with government to silence their Failures “in consolidating the troops now moving from dis- own skies during the talks,” de ceasefi re” was a clear obstacle trict-to-district to “clean up” Mistura told reporters. to dialogue, said HNC adviser the town. But just hours after rival Yehya Aridi. “Until this clean-up inside is delegations arrived for the re- The latest truce was brokered completed, it’s impossible to say sumption of the UN-brokered in late December by opposition that our work is over,” he added. Opposition fighters backing Turkish troops gather on a road as smoke billows following an air strike on an Islamic State (IS) group position, in the negotiations, there seemed supporter Turkey and regime- Rebel commanders on the Syrian town of Al-Bab. limited ground for progress on backer Russia ahead of separate ground said reporters in Syria making peace. negotiations that also involved their forces were facing fi erce that taking over the entire town August, Turkey has been focus- regional co-ordinator for the last week while US Senator John “Am I expecting a break- Iran in Kazakhstan. resistance, with IS using snipers will take us long.” ing on Al-Bab as the last bastion Syria crisis. The statement ex- McCain discussed Raqa with on through? No, I am not ex- The deal has reduced vio- and laying roadside bombs. An AFP TV reporter saw the of IS extremists in Aleppo prov- pressed concern over the pos- Monday with President Recep pecting a breakthrough,” de lence but fi ghting fl ared again “We control more than 60% pro-Ankara rebels, protect- ince. sibility of street fi ghting inside Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Mistura said, noting that this week including a govern- of Al-Bab and we will continue ed with just light fl ak jackets, But the battle for the town Al-Bab as the battle reaches an “We have the opportunity, we “momentum” toward further ment bombing campaign on until all the town is captured,” combing through the ruins on has been fi erce, with most of the endgame “which could place ci- have the power to do this,” presi- talks was likely the best that rebel territory around Damas- Saif Abu Bakr, commander of the the outskirts of the city on foot 69 Turkish soldiers killed in the vilians in the area at heightened dential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin can be hoped for. cus. Al-Hamza rebel group said.”We and in pick-ups, sometimes Syria campaign dying there. risk of death and injury.” told reporters. But Turkey is in- The government delegation The HNC charged that As- will win the battle at any cost... opening fi re towards the mili- The resident and regional UN Turkey has repeatedly said sistent that any Raqa operation is headed by Syria’s UN am- sad was trying to send “a bloody in the next days, God willing.” tants. humanitarian co-ordinators for after Al-Bab it wants to move must not involve Kurdish militia, bassador Bashar al-Jaafari and message” before the talks He could not say how many But Rami Abdel Rahman, head Syria said in a joint statement onto the de-facto militant capi- who until now have been the main the main opposition High Ne- resume. militants were left inside Al-Bab of the Syrian Observatory for that the United Nations was tal of Raqa to the west and has allies of the United States on the gotiations Committee (HNC) A bitter dispute over Assad’s but said they were “in a state of Human Rights, said in Beirut “deeply concerned” over the fate expressed enthusiasm for a joint ground in the fi ght against IS. is led by cardiologist Nasr al- fate also continues to divide the collapse”. that Turkish troops and allied of some 5,000 civilians trapped operation with partners includ- Isik said the new administration Hariri and lawyer Mohamed camps. Mohamed al-Jassem, of the rebels controlled only 25% of in and around Al-Bab. ing the United States to capture of US President Donald Trump Sabra. The HNC has insisted he rebel group Jabha Shamiya, add- Al-Bab, with some 700 mili- “The confl ict in Al-Bab has the city. “was listening more attentively” There has been speculation must leave offi ce as part of any ed: “We have taken over most of tants still fi ghting there. put civilians, many of whom are Turkish chief of staff Hu- to Turkey than the previous team that other opposition groups deal, while Damascus has said the neighbourhoods of Al-Bab, Since launching its unprec- women and children, in grave lusi Akar held talks with his US of his predecessor Barack Obama with a more favourable view of the president’s future is not thank God, and I do not think edented incursion into Syria in jeopardy,” said Kevin Kennedy, counterpart Joseph Dunford on this. Assad would be incorporated open for negotiation.

UN concerned over new West Bank Civilians start fl eeing homes after demolition plans The United Nations raised concerns yesterday over newly west Mosul off ensive begins announced demolition plans in a Palestinian Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank that Reuters threaten dozens of buildings South of Mosul, Iraq including a primary school. Israeli off icials have over the past week issued dozens of few hundred civilians have demolition orders threatening fl ed their homes in the out- “nearly every structure” in a part Askirts of western Mosul, the of the village of Khan al-Ahmar, fi rst reported displacement since a the UN said. The United Nations US-backed off ensive on the mili- humanitarian co-ordinator for tants’ remaining stronghold there the Palestinian territories, Robert began at the weekend. Piper, visited the village where A Reuters correspondent saw the primary school is among 140 about 200 women and children be- structures at risk of demolition. ing transported on buses by fed- “Khan al-Ahmar is one of the eral police yesterday to the town of most vulnerable communities Hammam al-Alil, some in the West Bank struggling to 20km south of Mosul, where maintain a minimum standard of camps have been set up. living in the face of intense pres- They said they had fl ed heavy sure from the Israeli authorities to bombardment in two villages near move,” he said in a statement. Mosul’s airport, which is now in the A woman, who just fled a village controlled by Islamic State militants, holds her “This is unacceptable and it must crosshairs of Iraqi forces and could daughter as she stands in front of a bus before heading to the camp at stop.” Israel says the buildings become a close support base for the Hammam Ali, south of Mosul, Iraq yesterday. were built without permits. The push deeper into the city. UN says such permits are all but The federal police and elite Interior be displaced from western Mosul 2014. Islamic State is essentially impossible to obtain for Palestin- Ministry units known as Rapid Re- where residents are already suff ering under siege in western Mosul after ians. sponse have made quick progress to- food and fuel shortages and many being driven out of districts east “In the past days construction ter- wards western Mosul in a sweep from markets have closed, according to of the Tigris river in 100 days of mination warrants were served the south through hilly desert terrain the United Nations. heavy fighting that ended a month to illegal buildings in Khan Al since fi ghting resumed on Sunday. Western Mosul contains the old ago. Ahmar,” Israel’s defence ministry They have been advancing so far city centre, with its ancient souqs, About 160,000 civilians have body responsible for the Palestin- in sparsely populated areas, but the government administration build- been displaced from the Mosul ian territories said. fi ghting is expected to get tougher as ings and the mosque from which area since the start of the battle in “The enforcement will take they enter the city itself and the risk Islamic State leader Abu Bakr October, UN officials say. place in co-ordination with state to roughly 750,000 civilians there al-Baghdadi proclaimed his self- Many more people have re- directives and required legal will rise. styled caliphate over parts of Syria mained in their homes despite the certifications.” Up to 400,000 people could and Iraq after rapid advances in violence. Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 11 AFRICA Somali president says SA top court blocks bid to no quick fi x for woes pull out of ICC AFP “Your problems were created during majo’s administration, a car bomb at a Mogadishu twenty years of confl ict and droughts. busy market on Sunday killed 39 people. Reuters try’s human rights-based for- A solution will need more than another The president has off ered a $100,000 Johannesburg eign policy which Zuma and his twenty years,” he said. reward for information on who carried cronies have tried so hard to de- omalia’s new President Mohamed Farmajo said he would focus on “the out the attack, attributed to Shebaab, or part from,” DA spokesman James Abdullahi Mohamed yesterday basic essential problems” but that his on potential strikes. outh Africa’s High Court Selfe said. Ssought to downplay high expecta- work would have to be carried on by fu- “Shebaab killed about 900 innocent yesterday blocked the “Clearly Zuma and his ANC tions of his new administration at his in- ture governments. Somalis, most of them children, women Sgovernment’s attempt to have absolutely no respect for auguration, saying it would take decades President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and elderly, during attacks and blasts withdraw from the International the constitution.” to fi x the nation’s many problems. Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi last year...I am telling you that killing a Criminal Court (ICC), the latest Masutha said the ruling “Our government is facing so many and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemar- Mohamed listens to a speech at his number of people and destroying prop- blow to scandal-plagued Presi- amounted to a delay that would challenges and even though I will be do- iam Desalegn, as well as delegations from inauguration in Mogadishu yesterday. erty will not deter Somalis,” Farmajo dent Jacob Zuma from an assertive not stop the government’s bid ing my best, I also want to make clear for Kuwait and Egypt, attended the ceremony. said. post-apartheid judicial system. to leave an institution that some the Somali public that due to limited re- Farmajo said that insecurity along with He said the long list of things that In his speech he reached out to Justice Minister Michael Mas- African governments feel un- sources regarding economy and forces of a cycle of droughts which have parts of needed to be accomplished included youths who are fighting alongside ex- utha said the government would fairly targets Africans and which security, what we could do is going to be Somalia at risk of famine were the main “completion of the reconciliation among tremists, suggesting the government press ahead with withdrawing Pretoria said was at odds with its limited,” he said. challenges facing his administration. Somali clans, improving law and order would offer them alternatives to a life from the Hague-based tribunal, diplomatic immunity laws. The president, widely known by his The Shebaab was forced out of the cap- and the justice system (and) regaining of of violence. noting that the ruling was based “The intention to withdraw nickname Farmajo, offi cially took offi ce ital by African Union troops in 2011 but the confi dence by the Somali public to “Somalia is united today and we are largely on procedure — that the still stands, as this is a policy de- last week, but his inauguration was held the extremists still control parts of the their government.” telling the misguided Somali youngsters decision to pull out did not pass cision of the executive,” he told yesterday in the presence of several re- countryside and carry out attacks against He said he would focus on rebuild- to abstain from detonating themselves fi rst through parliament. Reuters. gional leaders. government, military and civilian targets, ing an army capable of serving a country into their people and not to destroy the The ICC, which was launched Pretoria announced its inten- The ceremony took place in the highly seemingly at will, in Mogadishu and re- whose security is still largely assured by property of their country.” in July 2002 and has 124 member tion to leave in 2015 after the ICC secured airport zone to avoid an attack gional towns. 20,000 regional troops with the African “We are ready to welcome those mis- states, is the fi rst legal body with criticised it for disregarding an by the Al Qaeda linked Shebaab group, “With my leadership, I promise Soma- Union’s AMISOM peacekeeping force, guided youths with open hands and to permanent international jurisdic- order to arrest Sudanese Presi- which has threatened a “vicious war” lia will regain its respect and integrity,” which plans to withdraw in 2018. provide them with incentives to start up tion to prosecute genocide, crimes dent Omar Hassan al-Bashir, against the new government. Farmajo said. In a sign of the challenges facing Far- their business,” he said. against humanity and war crimes. accused of genocide and war Pretoria notifi ed the United crimes. Bashir has denied the ac- Nations of its intent to with- cusations. draw in October, starting a year- Since taking offi ce in 2009, long divorce period that would Zuma, 74, has been plagued by ac- have made South Africa the fi rst cusations of corruption, which he Millions risk starvation in Nigeria, Lake Chad region: UN country to quit the court in Oc- has repeatedly denied, while sen- tober this year. ior ANC offi cials have backed him. However, High Court Judge But near record unemploy- Reuters needs to address deepening food insecu- He also expressed concerns the coming season, I dread to think how severe the Phineas Mojapelo told the gov- ment has exacerbated discontent Oslo rity in the region this year. rainy season could harm vulnerable peo- crisis could get,” he said. ernment to tear up its withdrawal with his government. “They are living on the edge, barely ple. “Hungry people without shelter die Some 10.7mn people in northeastern Ni- notice, saying it was “unconsti- The ICC has had to fi ght off getting by on one meal a day,” Toby Lan- when it rains,” he said. geria and around Lake Chad — roughly two tutional and invalid” because it allegations of pursuing a neo- ore than 7mn people risk starva- zer, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Lanzer said the humanitarian response in every three people — need humanitarian had not passed through parlia- colonial agenda in Africa, where tion in Nigeria’s insurgency-hit the Sahel, told Reuters. “My biggest con- needed to go beyond food aid and include aid, according to the United Nations. ment. most of its investigations have Mnortheastern region and around cern today is starvation.” seeds, tools and fi shing nets. Boko Haram militants have killed about The opposition Democratic been based. Lake Chad, a senior UN offi cial said yes- Earlier this week the United Nations Lanzer said he hoped a total $500mn will 15,000 people and forced more than 2mn Alliance (DA), which brought the Three African states — South terday ahead of a new funding appeal. said 1.4mn children were at risk of “im- have been pledged by the end of February, from their homes, and still launch deadly court application, said the ruling Africa, Gambia and Burundi — Famine has been ongoing since last minent death” in famines in Nigeria, including this week’s funding round. attacks despite having been pushed out was a reminder of South Africa’s last year signalled their intention year in parts of Nigeria where the govern- South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. Lanzer, who has also worked in South of the vast swathes of territory they con- departure under Zuma from the to quit the ICC. ment is fi ghting a seven-year long Boko Lanzer said he was worried the Boko Sudan, Darfur and Chechnya, said it was trolled in 2014. international idealism that typi- Gambia’s President Adama Haram insurgency. Haram insurgency would deter farmers diffi cult to estimate how many people Lanzer cautioned that failure to ad- fi ed its foreign policy under Nel- Barrow, elected in December, An international donor conference in from planting their crops after missing would die from hunger in the next few dress the deteriorating situation could son Mandela. said earlier this month that the Oslo tomorrow will aim to raise a chunk the last three planting seasons, and that months. encourage more Africans to try and fl ee “This is a victory for the rule tiny West African nation would of the $1.5bn the United Nations says it the number of lives at risk could increase. “If we were to lose another planting to Europe. of law and indeed for our coun- remain in the ICC. Gulf Times 12 Thursday, February 23, 2017 AMERICAS Canada PM: Anti-Trump protest will not halt illegal border crossings

Agencies Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement, Ottawa which requires it to turn back refugees if they make asylum claims at Canadian border cross- ings with the United States. anada will continue to accept asy- Refugee advocates have argued this drives lum seekers crossing illegally from the asylum seekers to cross illegally at isolated lo- CUnited States but will ensure security cations, risking their lives in frigid weather. measures are taken to keep Canadians safe, Ca- Amnesty International and other groups are nadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on pressuring the Canadian government to aban- Tuesday. don the agreement, arguing the United States is The number of would-be refugees crossing not safe for refugees. Demonstrators protest President Donald Trump’s proposed policies on combating crime in Chicago. Eight people were arrested during the into Canada at isolated and unguarded border Canadian police said on Monday they had protest including several members of the clergy. crossings has increased in recent weeks amid bolstered their presence at the Quebec border fears that US President Donald Trump will and that border authorities had created a tem- crack down on illegal immigrants, and photos porary refugee centre to process the asylum of smiling Canadian police greeting the mi- seekers. grants have gone viral. The number of people making refugee claims Opposition Conservatives want Trudeau’s at Quebec-US border crossings more than centre-left Liberal government to stem the doubled from 2015 to 2016. fl ow of asylum seekers from the United States Last month, 452 people made claims in Que- because of security fears and a lack of resources bec compared with 137 in January 2016. Top court backs Texas death to deal with them. The infl ux is straining resources in the west- “One of the reasons why Canada remains an ern prairie province of Manitoba and in Que- open country is Canadians trust our immigra- bec, where taxis drop asylum seekers off metres tion system and the integrity of our borders and away from the Quebec-US border, the Canada the help we provide people who are looking for Border Services Agency (CBSA) said. row inmate in race case safety,” Trudeau told parliament. The right-leaning Conservative opposition “We will continue to strike that balance be- have called on Canadian authorities to hand Reuters Buck was convicted of fatally small part of the proceeding. likely than white defendants to be tween a rigorous system and accepting people illegal immigrants over to US authorities, but Washington shooting his former girlfriend “Some toxins are deadly in sentenced to die, and argue that who need help.” Hussen said Canada can honour its refugee while her young children watched, small doses,” Roberts wrote. racial bias endures in the Ameri- Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen also agreement with the United States while helping as well as another man, during a Roberts said the lower court’s can criminal justice system and in said Canada would continue to honour the asylum seekers who enter the country illegally. he US Supreme Court yes- 1995 argument in Houston. refusal to allow Buck to challenge death penalty cases in particular. terday ruled in favour of A police offi cer testifi ed that af- his sentence was “a disturbing Buck was seeking reversal of a Ta convicted murderer in ter being detained Buck laughed departure from a basic premise of 2015 ruling by the New Orleans- Texas who is seeking to avoid ex- and said, “The (expletive) got what our criminal justice system: Our based 5th US Circuit Court of Ap- ecution after his own trial lawyer she deserved.” law punishes people for what they peals denying his request for an called an expert witness who tes- Clinical psychologist Walter do, not who they are.” appeal. tifi ed the man was more apt to be Quijano, testifying as a defence “Dispensing punishment on the Texas in 2002 allowed six other Dakota pipeline dangerous in the future because he witness on the likelihood of Buck basis of an immutable character- death row inmates convicted in is black. committing future off ences, said istic fl atly contravenes this guid- trials in which Quijano had given The court ruled 6-2 that death black and Hispanic people are ing principle,” Roberts added. similar testimony to get new sen- row inmate Duane Buck, 53, more likely to be dangerous be- Conservative justices Clarence tencing hearings but objected in should get a shot at a new sen- cause they are “over-represented” Thomas, the court’s only black Buck’s case. protesters prepare tence in a state that has executed among violent off enders. member, and Samuel Alito dis- All six of the prisoners were more people than any other since Writing for the court, conserva- sented. again sentenced to death. capital punishment was reinstated tive Chief Justice John Roberts said Death penalty opponents have The offi ce of the Texas Attor- in the United States four decades the testimony was clearly preju- pointed to statistics that show ney General was not immediately for a showdown ago. dicial to Buck, even if it was only a black defendants to be far more available for comment.

By Terray Sylvester, Reuters Despite the deadline, some (protesters) to get the cul- Cannon Ball, North Dakota will remain, camp leaders said turally sensitive items out so on Tuesday. when they bulldoze and clean Flooding forces hundreds from homes in San Jose “Everybody plans to be in out the camp they aren’t deal- emonstrators near the camp tomorrow up until the ing with any of those things,” site of the Dakota Ac- 2 o’clock mark. Then people said Maxine Herr, a spokes- AFP to higher ground, Vossbrink said, on Tuesday, the National Weather Dcess pipeline braced will make their individual de- woman for the Morton Coun- Los Angeles adding that the stream was con- Service said. yesterday for a showdown cisions about what their level ty Sheriff ’s Department. tinuing to rise. Meteorologists said the storms with authorities as protest of commitment is,” Chase Iron Just days after taking of- At a news conference earlier were spawned by an “atmospheric leaders said at least some Eyes, a member of the Stand- fi ce in January, Trump, a Re- urky, waist-high fl ood- in the day, Mayor Sam Liccardo river” bringing moisture from the would defy a deadline to ing Rock Sioux Tribe, said by publican, signed an executive waters swamped neigh- acknowledged that municipal of- Pacifi c Ocean. abandon the camp they have telephone. “Some will get ar- order clearing the way for the Mbourhoods along a fi cials should have moved more Last week a string of storms occupied for months to halt rested.” $3.8bn pipeline to proceed. rain-swollen creek in the north- quickly in evacuating the Rock triggered a crisis near the Lake the project. Protesters and law enforce- A judge denied a request ern California city of San Jose on Springs area. Oroville Dam about 160km north- Native Americans and en- ment have clashed multiple earlier this month by two Tuesday, prompting authorities Flood waters flow around partially “As I sit here today and I look out east of San Francisco, where dam- vironmental activists have times and hundreds have been tribes seeking to halt con- to issue evacuation orders or advi- submerged vehicles at William at a neighbourhood that’s complete- age to two spillways prompted an said the multi-billion-dollar arrested since demonstrations struction, which resumed. sories for more than 1,000 homes, Street Park, near Coyote Creek in ly inundated with water...there’s no evacuation of more than 100,000 pipeline threatens the wa- began in August. The tribes are seeking an city offi cials said. San Jose. question in my mind there was a fail- people downstream. ter resources and sacred land The Standing Rock Sioux injunction to order the Army The state’s third-largest city, a ure of some kind,” he said. California is slowly recovering of the Standing Rock Sioux asked protesters to depart Corps to withdraw the ease- hub of the high-tech Silicon Val- About 300 homes were or- City offi cials had no reports of from fi ve years of drought thanks Tribe, but President Donald from the site in December as ment. ley corridor south of San Fran- dered evacuated in low-lying Rock injuries, deaths or people missing, to several months of unusually wet Trump has quickly pushed for they continued to fi ght the Burgum, a Republican, has cisco, has about 1mn residents and Springs, and city offi cials urged said Vossbrink, who estimated at weather. the completion of the pipeline pipeline in court, but some warned that spring fl oods declared an emergency as Coyote residents of roughly 200 dwellings least 300 homes were damaged by At least 8cm of rain fell in many since taking offi ce last month. 300 demonstrators have re- pose a threat to the remaining Creek overfl owed its banks from in the Williams Street neighbour- fl ooding. areas, though some received far Governor Doug Burgum mained. protesters as well as the wa- days of heavy showers. hood downstream to leave their The San Jose Fire Depart- more, such as the sparsely popu- and the US Army Corps of Law enforcement offi cials ters of the Missouri River. The trash-strewn fl oodwa- homes, city spokesman David ment advised a decontamination lated Big Sur region and outside Engineers set a deadline of were urging people to leave Over 200 dumpsters of de- ters inundated whole city blocks, Vossbrink said. cleansing for those immersed in the city of Santa Rosa, which got Wednesday afternoon for the camp ahead of yesterday’s bris has been removed from submerging parked cars and lap- After dark, fi re department fl oodwaters to get rid of hazardous more than 20cm, the weather of- demonstrators to leave the deadline and remove anything the site since cleanup eff orts ping at the walls of apartments crews began going door to door pollutants. fi cials said. Oceti Sakowin camp, located that could be damaged during began last month, said Mike and townhouses, as fi refi ghters in advising residents of three creek- The latest series of downpours The next heavy storm is expect- on Army Corps land in Can- cleanup eff orts. Nowatzki, a spokesman for infl atable boats ferried stranded side mobile home parks, consist- that swept northern California ed to hit northern California this non Ball, North Dakota. “We really would like them the governor. residents to dry ground. ing of about 600 trailers, to move on Sunday and Monday weakened weekend, they added.

SpaceX cargo ship fails to link up with space station Boston Symphony plans paceX yesterday aborted a planned ren- dezvous between an unmanned Dragon Scargo ship and the International Space additions to summer home Station because of a GPS problem. “Dragon is in good health and will make AFP a performance space, a lecture another rendezvous attempt with the @ New York hall and a dining area meant to Space_ Station Thursday morning,” the pri- encourage interaction between vate company said on Twitter. musicians and visitors. The cargo ship is packed with more than he Boston Symphony Or- The complex, which will open 2,267kg of food, gear and science experi- chestra’s summer home in the summer of 2019, will be ments for the six astronauts living on the Tof Tanglewood, one of the climate-controlled and available orbiting space station. premier outdoor venues in clas- for rental in the off season. It was taken into space Sunday aboard a sical music, will undergo a ma- The performance area will ac- Falcon rocket that took off from Cape Ca- jor expansion that will include a commodate an audience of up to naveral in Florida. year-round building. 200 people. The Dragon spacecraft was to have cou- Nestled in the Berkshire hills of “Our investment in its future is pled with the ISS before dawn yesterday. western Massachusetts, the rus- essential as we continue to expand But when the cargo ship was making its tic 212-hectare estate has been Tanglewood’s many wonderful fi nal approach toward the space station, the the orchestra’s base each summer off erings,” music director Andris berthing was aborted because of a problem since 1937, off ering tranquillity for Nelsons said in a statement. with GPS hardware, Nasa said. student musicians and a weekend Managing director Mark Volpe The spacecraft was 1.2km from the space destination for cultured travellers. said the orchestra is also design- station when the abort was called. In a $30mn expansion an- ing a new Tanglewood Learning This is the 10th such resupply mission for nounced late on Tuesday, the or- Institute which will aim to bring SpaceX, which along with Orbital ATK has a chestra plans to build four inter- newcomers to the retreat through multi-year contract with Nasa to send sup- connected buildings that include educational programming. plies to the International Space Station. Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

ACCIDENT DISEASE APATHY SCANDAL MILITANCY Bus collides with car in S Korea confirms H5N8 bird Singapore child care centre Vietnam execs face death China off ers anti-terror New Zealand, many hurt flu outbreak at duck farm refutes abuse allegations for embezzlement charges awards in Xinjiang

Several people were injured after a bus carrying South Korea has confirmed an outbreak of A child care centre in Singapore denied allega- Vietnam yesterday sentenced two executives China has created a 100mn yuan ($14.5mn) fund tourists collided with a car and crashed down a the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus at a tions of ill-treating its wards by feeding them from its scandal-hit shipping industry to death for for “anti-terrorism” awards in a violence-wracked bank near Akaroa in New Zealand. Police say two duck farm in a southwestern county, its first rotten food and letting them sleep on the floor. embezzlement, off icial media reported, the latest part of the country, as the government steps up people have serious injuries while more than 20 such incident in 15 days, the farm ministry said Photos, including one of a child covered in faeces punishment meted out for the spectacular col- a campaign targeting unrest. The government other people suff ered moderate to minor injuries yesterday. Asia’s fourth largest economy has sleeping in a cot, were distributed via messaging lapse of a state-run firm that triggered pledges to of Hotan in Xinjiang will give prizes of up to 5mn in the accident, which happened on the Banks culled a record number of more than 33mn farm app Wechat. Sam’s Early Learning Centre said restructure the economy. The executives, Giang yuan ($730,000) to those who expose terrorist Peninsula in the South Island yesterday afternoon. birds, or nearly a fifth of its poultry population, that it believes the photos were posted by an Kim Dat and Tran Van Liem, were the former plots or “struggle, kill, wound, or subdue rioters”, Senior Sergeant Vaughn Lapslie said the bus was in the battle to contain its worst-ever outbreak ex-employee. The photos “do not represent an business manager and director-general of the the Hotan Daily newspaper reported. Those who carrying 32 people, most of them tourists from a of bird flu since November last year. This week’s accurate picture” centre’s director Samia El-Ibiary troubled shipbuilder Vinashinlines. The firm is a share information will receive “absolute confiden- cruise ship anchored in Akaroa Harbour, police case was reported in Haenam county, more than said. Responding to allegations that the centre subsidiary of Vinashin, a shipping behemoth that tiality” and will be rewarded according to their role said, “We do not have details on the nationalities 390km southwest of the capital, Seoul. It follows threw away milk powder because teachers forgot nearly folded in 2010 under billions of dollars in wounding rioters or “killing (them) in battle”. of those who were on the bus,” he added. Cruise the discovery of the same type of virus at a farm to feed the children, El-Ibiary said the powder had of debt in a scandal that rocked the communist Inside information on plots to attack crowded ship Celebrity Solstice was scheduled to dock in in the southwestern region on February 6. About spilt onto the kitchen counter and was thrown country’s elite and sparked government vows to places, party buildings, government off icers can Akaroa Harbour yesterday. 23,000 ducks on the farm have been culled. away for hygiene reasons. clean up graft in its sprawling state-run sector. lead to rewards of 3 to 5mn yuan.

UN-backed court drops case against N Korea diplomat wanted Khmer Rouge cadre

AFP historical links between gov- over Kim killing: Malaysia Phnom Penh ernment members and the brutal communist regime. Youk Chhang, director of AFP that she needed to wash her hands.” UN-backed court yes- the Documentation Center of Kuala Lumpur Khalid said Vietnamese suspect terday dismissed a Cambodia, which researches Doan Thi Huong, 28, and Indone- Acase against a former the Khmer Rouge atrocities, sian Siti Aishah, 25, had been trained Khmer Rouge cadre charged said he was dismayed by the etectives probing the assas- to swab the man’s face, practising in with crimes against humanity, decision. “It is diffi cult to sination of Kim Jong-un’s Kuala Lumpur before the assault at highlighting the diffi culties of swallow but we must accept Dhalf-brother want to question the airport. bringing lower level members the decision with the under- a North Korean diplomat, Malaysia’s Aishah wiped a toxic substance in of the brutal regime to justice. standing that the judges have top policeman said yesterday. Inves- his face fi rst, followed by Huong, the The Khmer Rouge disman- followed the rules and the evi- tigators have put fi ve North Koreans national police chief said. The Indo- tled modern society in Cam- dence,” he told AFP. in the frame for last week’s brazen nesian’s Malaysian boyfriend, who bodia in their quest for an “In reality, it shouldn’t just killing of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala was arrested in the fi rst days of the agrarian Marxist utopia, kill- be those who commit crimes Lumpur International Airport and probe, has been released, he added. ing up to 2mn people. Only a against millions of people who have said they are seeking three more Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur handful of senior leaders have should be charged as a respon- for questioning. have locked horns over the investiga- been jailed by the special court sible person,” he added, saying They include the embassy’s second tion, with North Korea’s envoy yes- set up to deliver justice to the lower level members respon- secretary, Hyon Kwang-song, as well terday calling for Malaysia to release regime’s victims. sible for fewer deaths should as a North Korean airline employee the two women and the North Korean But a string of recent cases still be in the dock. But some called Kim Uk-il, Khalid Abu Bakar citizen from police custody. had raised hopes of new con- survivors welcomed the de- told reporters. “They should immediately release victions in a country where cision, weary that new trials “We have written to the ambas- the innocent females from Vietnam thousands of regime offi - would hinder the country’s sador to allow us to interview both and Indonesia as well as a DPRK citi- cials have never paid for their ability to move on. of them. We hope that the Korean zen,” ambassador Kang Chol said in crimes. embassy will co-operate with us and a statement which repeated allega- Mid-ranking cadre Im The decision illustrates allow us to interview them quickly. If tions that South Korea had infl u- Chaem, a former district of- both the limits of the not, we will compel them to come to enced the probe. fi cial, was among four Khmer court’s powers as well us,” he said. The women must have been framed Rouge members facing pros- as the Cambodian Jong-nam died on February 13 af- as they would have died if they had ecution for charges including government’s public ter being attacked as he waited for a carried the poison in their hands, the genocide, crimes against hu- unease over pursuing plane to Macau. ambassador claimed. He did not ad- manity and war crimes. fresh trials Leaked CCTV footage from the dress news that police were seeking Prosecutors and survivors airport shows the chubby 45-year- to question an embassy offi cial. accused her of being a key “I don’t want this Khmer old being approached by two women, The diplomatic row erupted af- player in overseeing regime Rouge trial to go too far. Oth- one of whom grabs him from behind ter North Korea objected to an au- policies that led to the deaths erwise, we need to prosecute and appears to shove a cloth in his topsy of Jong-nam’s body and in- of tens of thousands. But yes- all Khmer Rouge members,” face. sisted that his remains be returned to terday two judges — a Cam- Chum Mey, one of a handful Moments later Jong-nam is seen Pyongyang. bodian and a German national survivors from Khmer Rouge’s seeking help from airport staff , who Malaysia rejected the request, — threw out the prosecution notorious Tuol Sleng prison, direct him to a clinic, where he ap- saying the remains must stay in against her, ruling the court told AFP. parently slumped in a chair. Malay- the morgue until a family member did not have the remit to pur- Prosecutors and civil parties sian police say he suff ered a seizure identifi es them and submits a DNA sue lower level cadres. are allowed to appeal against and died before he reached hospital, sample. No next-of-kin have come “Im Chaem is not subject the decision. seemingly from the eff ects of a toxin. forward, police chief Khalid said, to the (tribunal’s) personal Khmer Rouge leader Pol Seoul has said from the start that adding rumours that Jong-Nam’s son jurisdiction, which means she Pot died in 1998 without ever Pyongyang was behind the murder, Kim Han-sol was in Malaysia were was neither a senior leader facing justice and the vast citing a “standing order” from Jong- not true. nor otherwise one of the most majority of regime cadres re- un to kill his elder sibling, and a failed First born Jong-nam was once responsible offi cials of the sponsible for one the twenti- assassination bid in 2012. thought to be the natural successor Khmer Rouge regime,” the eth century’s worst genocides Asked whether the fi ve North Ko- to his father, the then-North Korean court said in a statement. remain free. But the court has rean suspects had masterminded the leader Kim Jong-Il. But after Jong- The decision illustrates seen some success. attack, Khalid said he believed they il’s death in 2011 the succession went both the limits of the court’s “Brother Number Two” were “heavily involved” in the mur- instead to Kim Jong-un, a child of a powers as well as the Cambo- Nuon Chea, 90, and ex-head der. Four of the men fl ed the country later marriage. Some analysts have dian government’s public un- of state Khieu Samphan, 85, on the day of the killing and returned said Jong-nam was a marked man ease over pursuing fresh trials. were the fi rst top leaders to to Pyongyang, he said, while one re- since he criticised the regime in 2011 Strongman Prime Minister be sentenced to life in jail for mains in custody in Malaysia. The to a Japanese journalist, while oth- Hun Sen — himself a former crime against humanity from police chief dismissed claims the two ers said the killing could have been Khmer Rouge cadre before he a regime responsible for the women had believed the attack was a ordered over reports he was readying defected — has repeatedly hit deaths of up to 2mn Cambodi- made-for-TV prank. to defect. out at the prospect of further ans from 1975-1979. “Of course they knew” it was a Reports of purges and executions prosecutions, warning they The pair are also currently poison attack, Khalid said. “I think have emerged from the current re- could ignite civil unrest. undergoing a second trial for you have seen the video, right? The gime as the young leader tries to Nguyen Thi Vy, mother-in-law of Doan Thi Huong, a suspect involved in the assassination of Critics say Hun Sen is wor- genocide of ethnic Vietnamese lady was moving away with her strengthen his grip on power in the Kim Jong-un’s half-brother, looks at handouts and published photographs of the four arrested ried new cases might shine an and Muslim minorities, forced hands towards the bathroom. She face of international pressure over suspects including Huong at Huong’s family home in Nghia Hung district, northern province of uncomfortable spotlight on marriage and rape. was very aware that it was toxic and his nuclear and missile programmes. Nam Dinh, Vietnam.

Australia failing on multiple human Netanyahu, Turnbull blast UN resolution on settlements rights fronts, says Amnesty Reuters proved in the fi nal weeks of Sydney Barack Obama’s administra- tion, which broke with a long Aboriginal children are 24 times more tradition of shielding Israel likely to be detained than non-indig- ustralian Prime Minister diplomatically and chose not to enous Australian children, Amnesty Malcolm Turnbull of- wield its veto power. “Australia International said yesterday in a report Afered a staunch defence has been courageously willing accusing Canberra of complacency of Israel yesterday, criticising to puncture UN hypocrisy more amid a raft of rights abuses. the United Nations and vow- than once,” Netanyahu said. From indigenous justice to off shore ing never to support “one-sided “The UN is capable of many refugee processing and Canberra’s resolutions” calling for an end absurdities and I think it’s im- silence on the Trump administra- to Israeli settlement building on portant that you have straight- tion’s promotion of waterboarding, occupied land. forward and clear-eyed coun- the international rights group called Turnbull welcomed Benjamin tries like Australia that often on Australia to step up its eff orts to Netanyahu as the fi rst Israeli bring it back to earth,” he said defend human rights at home and prime minister to visit Australia after meeting Turnbull. abroad. and reiterated Australia’s sup- Israel has long pursued a pol- “Our government can’t be saying one port for a two-state solution to icy of constructing Jewish set- thing on the one hand and commit to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. tlements on territory it captured some human rights agendas such as However, he also made it clear in a 1967 war with its neigh- global abolition of the death penalty, Australia would not support any bours including the West Bank, while carrying out policies of deliber- resolutions such as the one ap- Gaza and East Jerusalem. Most ate abuse and staying shamefully proved by the United Nations countries view such activity in silent in the face of atrocities on the Security Council in December the West Bank and East Jerusa- other,” said Claire Mallinson, national calling for an end to Israeli set- lem as illegal and an obstacle to director at Amnesty International tlement building. peace but Israel disagrees, citing Australia. “My government will not a biblical connection to the land. The report condemns the justice support one-sided resolutions Washington’s ambassador to system’s treatment of Aborigines, who criticising Israel of the kind re- the United Nations has said the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (left) walks with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull upon their arrival at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia. make up about 3% of the total popula- cently adopted by the UN Secu- United States still supports a tion of 24mn, and are among the most rity Council and we deplore the two-state solution to the con- the international community’s week, stunned the international negotiations between them,” have security control of the ter- disadvantaged Australians. Indigenous boycott campaigns designed to fl ict, although new US President policy for a settlement between community. “We support an Turnbull told reporters in Syd- ritories. adults are incarcerated at a rate of 15 delegitimise the Jewish state,” Donald Trump has also said he Israel and the Palestinians but outcome which has two states ney. While in Australia, Netan- times that of non-Aboriginal adults, Turnbull wrote in an editorial in is open to new ways to achieve Trump’s apparent loosening of where Israelis, the Israeli peo- Netanyahu said any solution yahu is scheduled to sign agree- Amnesty said, while at least five Abo- The Australian newspaper. peace. The two-state solution that main tenet, at a joint news ple, the Palestinian people live would need Palestine to recog- ments fostering closer economic riginal people died while in custody in The UN resolution was ap- has long been the bedrock of conference with Netanyahu last side-by-side as a result of direct nise Israel, which would also and defence co-operation. the past year. Gulf Times 14 Thursday, February 23, 2017 BRITAIN

LEGAL SOCIETY POLITICS LAW AND ORDER ENVIRONMENT UK’s appeal court cuts jail Princess Diana’s dresses Kenny set to address calls Ex-head of counter-terror Soft drinks firm to set up term for Libor trader go on display in London to quit amid scandal to take over as police chief bottle return scheme

A former Barclays trader had his jail term for Gowns worn by Princess Diana for everything Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is expected Cressida Dick will be the next commissioner of Coca-Cola has announced it supports testing conspiring to rig global Libor rates cut by one year from meeting diplomats to dancing with movie to respond to calls for his resignation as Fine the Metropolitan police, it has been announced. a deposit return service for drinks cans and to five-and-a-half years by the Court of Appeal in stars feature in an exhibition celebrating the Gael party leader amid growing criticism of It will be the first time in the history of the Met bottles, in a major coup for environment and London yesterday. Jay Merchant, a former New fashion of one of Britain’s favourite royals, which his role in a smear campaign against a police that it has been led by a woman. Dick, 56, now anti-waste campaigners. Executives told an York-based derivatives trader, was convicted by opens in London this week. The collection of 25 whistleblower. Kenny has come under pressure works at the foreign off ice and was formerly event in Edinburgh on Tuesday evening they a jury last year in the third case brought to trial dresses will be displayed from Friday for the rest to step down after admitting to giving false head of counter-terrorism. The choice was made agreed with campaigners who were pressing by the Serious Fraud Off ice (SFO). Merchant is the of the year in Kensington Palace, where she lived information to the Dail, the Irish parliament, yesterday after candidates who had applied the Scottish government to set up a bottle- second person to have a Libor-related sentence for over 15 years. The exhibition coincides with about the whistleblower. Speculation has for the role of Britain’s top police off icer were return pilot scheme to cut waste and pollution. reduced. Tom Hayes, a former UBS and Citigroup the 20th anniversary of her death. It features an mounted that he could outline his plans to interviewed by a panel that included the home They told the event that the company had been derivatives trader, had his initial 14-year sentence ink-blue velvet gown worn by Diana when she step down when he speaks at a meeting of the secretary, Amber Rudd, and London’s Labour examining the merits of a bottle and can deposit cut to 11 years on appeal in 2015. Hayes, the first danced with actor John Travolta at the White parliamentary group of the centre-right party, mayor, Sadiq Khan. The home secretary made the scheme, where consumers pay a small surcharge person convicted worldwide by a jury of Libor- House in 1985, as well as her “Elvis” dress — which runs a minority government. But the final decision but under the law had to take into of about 10p per item, which is repaid when rigging off ences, launched a last-ditch attempt in high-collared and encrusted with pearls. The Irish Independent said finance minister Michael account the views of the London mayor. Dick’s an empty can or bottle is returned to a retailer. January to overturn his conviction by lodging an collection also shows Diana’s “understanding Noonan, a close ally of Kenny, had suggested rise to the top comes despite the controversy in The company had previously resisted a deposit appeal with the Criminal Cases Review Commission of how to deploy fashion as a diplomatic tool”, that Kenny would not “set out a firm timeline” for the 2005 operation that saw an innocent man, return scheme, which is used in countries such (CCRC), which looks at miscarriages of justice. organisers said. stepping down. Jean Charles de Menezes shot dead by police. as Canada, Sweden, Australia and Norway. Court backs Catherine visits children’s health facility £18,600 threshold for spouses

Guardian News relief to the home offi ce. London It was estimated in 2015 that the £18,600 threshold excludes 41% of the British upreme court justic- working population, including es have unanimously 55% of women, from bring- Sbacked Theresa May’s ing a foreign spouse to live in “particularly harsh” £18,600 Britain. minimum income rule for The threshold rises to British citizens to bring non- £22,400 if there is one or more European spouses into Britain non-European-born child in that campaigners say has led the family. to tens of thousands of families The income of the non-Eu- being separated. ropean partner does not count But the supreme court rul- towards the threshold. ing does acknowledge that the The ruling testing the legal- rule has caused hardship for ity of the family visa rules cov- thousands, and criticises the ered several linked cases. lack of focus on the treatment Two of them, Abdul Majid of children and the ability of and Shabana Javed, involve Home Offi ce staff to consider British nationals married to alternative assets when they Pakistanis; a third, known as assess the earning ability of the MM, is a Lebanese refugee. British spouse. A nephew of MM, known as Lord Carnwath said he and AF, is also an appellant, as well his fellow judges had held “that as SS, a refugee from the Dem- the minimum income thresh- ocratic Republic of the Congo. old is accepted in principle” The ruling is a blow to cam- but he added that the home paigners who say the rule has offi ce’s rules and instructions meant British families have failed to take full account of faced a choice of separation or their legal duties in respect living in exile. to the children involved or to They have highlighted the allow alternative sources of plight of up to 15,000 British funding to be considered. children who have grown up as Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R), is hugged by Ypapanti Galimatakis-Rees (2R) on a visit to MIST, a child and adolescent mental health project of the charity The justices ruled that cur- “Skype kids” to keep in contact Action for Children in Torfaen, south Wales. rent home offi ce guidance is with one of their parents since defective and unlawful un- the rule was introduced. til it is amended to give more The supreme court justices weight to the interests of the acknowledge in their judge- children involved. ment that the £18,600 rule This could give limited hope “causes hardship to many to some of the separated fami- thousands of couples, includ- lies with children but the four ing some who are in no way families who brought the ap- to blame for the situation in peal will not fi nd out whether which they fi nd themselves” they can live together in Britain but add that “does not mean Blair fl ays daily over until their cases are reconsid- that it is incompatible” with ered. article 8 of the European con- The £18,600 minimum in- vention on human rights on come threshold for British the right to family life. citizens to bring non-Europe- The supreme court also an Economic Area spouses to agreed that the income rule has live with them in the UK was “a particularly harsh eff ect” on drive to release rebel introduced by May when she British citizens who have lived was home secretary in 2012 as and worked abroad, have mar- Blair has criticised The Mail release from Guantanamo Bay. to 2007, said: “The fact is that intelligence which could, in turn, mandant in 2002 “on the as- part of her drive to reduce net ried or formed stable relation- for campaigning to get Harith “It is correct that Jamal al- this was always a very diffi cult literally have led to the death of sessment that the detainee was migration below 100,000 and ships there and now cannot released Harith was released from Guan- situation where any government British agents.” not affi liated with Al Qaeda or a the ruling will come as a major return home to Britain. tanamo Bay at the request of the would have to balance proper Harith was taken to Guan- Taliban leader”. But he was kept Guardian News British government in 2004,” he concern for civil liberties with tanamo Bay after being found in in captivity because it was de- London said.”This followed a massive desire to protect our security, a prison in Afghanistan early in cided he had been involved in a media and parliamentary cam- and we were likely to be attacked 2002, where he had been placed terrorist attack against the US, paign, led by the Daily Mail, the whatever course we took. The after being intercepted by the despite the fact he had not been ony Blair has denied that very paper that is now supposed- reason it did take a long time for Taliban, who believed him to be a questioned about such an attack. Probe into benefi ts a Labour government ly so outraged at his release, and their release was precisely the British spy. Harith’s wife told Channel 4 Tpaid compensation to the strongly supported by the then anxiety over their true affi lia- According to his sister, Maxine News the following year that she former Guantanamo Bay detain- Conservative opposition.” tions.” Fiddler, he initially believed the had pursued him to Syria with system over delays ee who went on to blow himself The former prime minister He added: “Those who de- Americans to be his “saviours”. her children in a failed attempt to up in Iraq, singled out a headline entitled manded their release should not However, they imprisoned him persuade him to come home. in a strongly worded state- “Still think he wasn’t a danger, be allowed to get away with now after coming to the conclusion Raff aello Pantucci, director Guardian News Landlords have also criti- ment in which he accused the Mr Blair? Fury at Labour govern- telling us that it is a scandal that that he had tried to join the Is- of international security stud- London cised the system, with private Daily Mail of hypocritical cov- ment’s £1mn compensation for it happened.” lamic fundamentalist group. ies at Rusi, said: “This is a guy landlords warning that they erage over the Manchester-born innocent Brit.” Former Labour home secretary He was fi nally released in who fi rst converted in the early will not let to universal credit rebel’s death. “The Mail headline shortly af- Jack Straw said it was not only 2004 after lobbying by the then 90s, gets on a radical path in the Ps have launched an claimants because of the high The former prime minister said ter he was released after months the left and civil liberties groups home secretary David Blunkett, late 90s, gets caught up in Gitmo offi cial inquiry into risk of rent arrears and prob- that compensation — thought to of their campaigning was Free- that were calling for the release of who said that none of the people [Guantanamo], comes out of Git- Muniversal credit amid lems navigating byzantine of- amount to £1m — was paid out dom at last for Guantanamo detainees from Guantanamo Bay whose release from Guantanamo mo, and it’s not clear what he did growing concerns that design fi cial bureaucracy. under the Conservative-led coa- Britons’. They then quoted with in the early 2000s, the Daily Mail he had secured “will actually after that. fl aws in the new benefi ts sys- Surveys by housing asso- lition government in 2010 — and approval various human rights and others on the right were very be a threat to the security of the “Then almost 20 years later tem are leaving thousands of ciations have found that up to criticised the tabloid for blaming activists saying, ‘Clearly by outspoken too. British people”. Lord Carlile, the the he decides to take the ulti- low-income claimants facing nine in 10 tenants on universal him and Labour instead. what’s happened they’re not bad “At the time the Daily Mail former independent reviewer of mate choice. That’s intriguing eviction and reliant on food credit either run up rent arrears “He was not paid compensa- guys, they are entirely innocent’.” was demanding their release. It terrorism legislation, told the to me. It shows how these ideas banks. or increase the level of pre- tion by my government,” Blair Harith, 50, is said by Islamic is very convenient for journalists Today programme he believed never leave you. It’s a very deep- The Commons work and existing arrears because so few said.” The compensation was State to have carried out the sui- and commentators and for the Harith was paid off to avoid dis- set ideology.” pensions committee said it are equipped to cope with long agreed in 2010 by the Conserva- cide attack on coalition forces public to fl ip on this...[but] we closing sensitive national secu- The Foreign and Common- was compelled to launch a full waits without income. tive government.” near Mosul on Monday. had to make best decision at the rity material in court. wealth Offi ce said: “The UK has investigation after mounting Frank Field MP, chair of the The Daily Mail front-page A British former Guantanamo time which I think we did.” “It should have never been advised for some time against evidence that built-in pay- work and pensions commit- story was the death of Jamal al- Bay detainee, Manchester-born But Straw said that although paid on the merits,” he said. all travel to Syria, and against all ment delays and administrative tee said: “Huge delays in peo- Harith — who changed his name Harith was paid the £1mn in it was a Tory government who “There was absolutely no merit travel to large parts of Iraq. As blockages were creating severe ple receiving payments from from Ronald Fiddler after con- compensation by the UK gov- agreed the compensation deal in paying him a penny because all UK consular services are sus- problems for claimants and universal credit have resulted verting to Islam in his 20s but ernment after his release in 2004 in 2010, he accepted a Labour plainly he was a terrorist and he pended in Syria and greatly lim- landlords. in claimants falling into debt most recently went by the nom de from the US-operated military government may have taken the was a potentially dangerous ter- ited in Iraq, it is extremely diffi - A Guardian investigation this and rent arrears, caused health guerre Abu-Zakariya al-Britani prison. In 2014, 10 years after he same decision.” The diffi culty at rorist. cult to confi rm the whereabouts month found widespread evi- problems and led to many hav- — in which Blair’s government returned to the UK, he left for that time was that there was no Hariths Guantanamo fi le and status of British nationals in dence that thousands of ten- ing to rely on food banks.” was singled out for “intense lob- Syria to join Isis. mechanism by which the evi- shows he was taken to the camp these areas.” ants on universal credit were The inquiry will ratchet up bying” for his release. Fiddler was reportedly award- dence against these people who because he was “expected to have A spokeswoman for Greater running up rent arrears and the pressure on the Depart- Blair hit out at the Daily ed compensation after claiming were suing the British govern- knowledge of Taliban treatment Manchester police said: “In line debts because they could not ment for Work and Pensions to Mail’s “utter hypocrisy”, point- that British agents knew he was ment for complicity could be of prisoners and interrogation with national policy we don’t manage the minimum 42-day review the design of universal ing out that the newspaper led being mistreated at Guantanamo. taken into court without the risk tactics”. His release was recom- comment on people who are be- wait for a fi rst payment. credit. a media campaign for Harith’s Blair, who was PM from 1997 of us disclosing really sensitive mended by Guantanamo’s com- lieved to have travelled to Syria.” Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 15 EUROPE

TAKE-OFF NOT ON A PIZZA DIVIDED NAZI SYMBOL Russia launches space Iceland leader pooh-poohs Cyprus reunification talks ‘Work will set you free’ freighter after crash pineapple-topped pizza stalled over 1950 vote gate returned to Dachau

Russia yesterday successfully launched Despite his distaste for pineapple-topped pizza, Cyprus reunification talks were in disarray yesterday An iron gate with the infamous slogan “Arbeit an unmanned spacecraft taking food and Iceland’s President Gudni Johannesson has no after reports the Turkish Cypriot side would not macht frei” (“Work will set you free”), stolen from equipment to the International Space Station plans to ban it, admitting he doesn’t have the join this week’s meeting in an escalating row the former Nazi concentration camp of Dachau after the previous such ship crashed to Earth powers to pull the Hawaiian. The pineapple that opened old wounds over past Greek Cypriot in Germany two years ago, was returned to the shortly after launch in December. A Soyuz polemic erupted last week when a high school ambitions to unite with Greece. Talks between site yesterday. The theft of the 100kg gate was rocket carrying the Progress cargo ship lifted student in the northern town of Akureyri asked Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and reported in November 2014, sparking uproar, with off on schedule at 05:58 GMT from Baikonur Johannesson what he thought of putting Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci were abruptly German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling the cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russian space the tropical treat on top of a pizza — with the interrupted last week over a decision taken by Greek crime “appalling”. It was recovered outside Bergen agency Roscosmos said. After around nine president admitting he hated it and would ban Cypriot lawmakers to honour the 1950 “enosis” in southwestern Norway last December following minutes, the Progress ship “separated normally” it if he could. His remarks caused a stir on social referendum seeking union with Greece. Enosis, as a an anonymous tip-off . At a ceremony marking the Bavaria’s minister of education and cultural from the third stage of the Soyuz rocket and media over the merits of the Hawaiian, a ham- notion, was abandoned by Greek Cypriots decades return of the gate, the president of the International aff airs Ludwig Spaenle stands next to the set off on a two-day trip to the ISS, Roscosmos and-pineapple pizza, prompting a presidential ago, but the decision to commemorate the date in Dachau Committee, Jean-Michel Thomas, urged original iron gate with the slogan “Arbeit macht said. It is due to dock with the orbiting station post on Facebook to clarify his position. “I like schools touched a raw nerve with Turkish Cypriots investigators to press on with the probe into the frei” (work will set you free) at the former Nazi tomorrow at 0834 GMT. pineapples, just not on pizza,” he wrote. who say that ambition was the source of division. theft. No arrests have been made so far. concentration camp in Dachau. Rejecting austerity Leak sparks security scare for Wilders AFP lar daily tabloid De Telegraaf The Hague reported. It was not immediately clear whether the agent was directly security scare over the involved in Wilders’ personal safety of outspoken far- protection. Aright Dutch MP Geert But Wilders, who was last Wilders emerged yesterday just year convicted by a Dutch three weeks before an election, court of discrimination, said after a police agent was ar- in a tweet: “If I cannot blindly rested for leaking information trust the (team) that has to about him to a Moroccan gang. protect me I can’t function. Wilders, who has courted “It’s unacceptable!” controversy with his hardline Dutch police chief Erik anti-Islam, anti-immigrant Akkerboom told news radio stance and his incendiary in- station BNR: “What we know sults against Moroccans and up to now, is that (Wilders’) Turks, has long been under 24- safety was not in question.” hour police protection. “This man did not belong to But tensions are escalating the so-called ‘inner circle’ but ahead of the March 15 election he did have important informa- A pensioner attends an anti-austerity rally in Athens, called by the communist-aff iliated workers union, on Tuesday night. Greece agreed to discuss new bailout reforms in a in which the MP’s Freedom tion and we don’t want to take bid to break a deadlock with its EU-IMF creditors that has sparked new fears that the country will crash out of the eurozone. Party is running neck-and- any risks,” Akkerboom said. neck with the Liberals of Prime The Netherlands is no Minister Mark Rutte. stranger to political violence, On Saturday, Wilders upped even though the small country the tone at the launch of his of just 17mn people has largely offi cial campaign, denouncing gained a reputation for toler- “a lot of Moroccan scum who ance. make the streets unsafe”. Flamboyant far-right leader Wilders yesterday would not Pim Fortuyn was assassinated divulge details about the secu- just nine days before Dutch rity issue, but said on Twitter: elections in 2002, shocking the Turkey lifts military ban “It’s a serious matter and for- country to the core. tunately it’s being taken seri- Just two years later in No- ously by the cabinet too.” vember 2004, fi lmmaker Theo National police spokesman van Gogh was murdered by a Dennis Janus confi rmed to AFP radical. that an agent had been arrested Wilders, 53, has vowed in his on Monday suspected of “vio- party’s one-page manifesto on Islamic headscarf lating offi cial secrets”. that if elected he would ban the “The police together with sale of Qur’ans, close mosques AFP cover their faces. The reform will come in July, blamed on followers of US-based The military was until now seen as the the public prosecution service and Islamic schools, shut Istanbul into force once it is published in the offi - Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen. last holdout on the issue, although civil- are currently investigating,” Dutch borders and ban Muslim cial gazette. Turkey lifted a ban on the wearing of the ians employed by the armed forces have Janus said, but declined to give migrants. It will also apply to female cadets, but it Muslim headscarf on university campuses been able to wear the hijab since 2016. further information. Some 12.9mn voters are eli- urkey will lift a historic ban on fe- was not immediately clear if it applies to in 2010. There had been signs that the landmark Citing high-level police gible to cast ballots on March male offi cers wearing the Islamic women on combat missions. It allowed female students to wear the reform was in the offi ng when press re- sources, the NRC daily re- 15, and although Wilders has Theadscarf in the offi cially secular The ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and headscarf in state institutions from 2013 ports said that a woman, Merve Gurbuz, ported that an agent had long dominated the polls, a country’s armed forces, state media said Development Party (AKP), co-founded and in high school in 2014. was undergoing training that could make handed over information fresh survey showed yesterday. yesterday. by Erdogan, has long pressed for the re- Female MPs meanwhile began to wear her Turkey’s fi rst hijab-wearing fi ghter about Wilders’ movements to Rutte’s Liberal VVD had sig- The military was the fi nal Turkish in- moval of restrictions on women wearing headscarves in parliament from October pilot. a Moroccan-Dutch criminal nifi cantly narrowed the gap. stitution where women were prohibited the headscarf. 2013 when four female AKP lawmakers In a sight of the sensitivity of the issue, organisation. The Peilingwijzer survey from wearing the headscarf, after reforms Speaking to Turkish reporters at his wore the hijab in a session, in contrast to Turkish media seized heavily on recent re- The leak was serious enough showed Wilders’ Freedom by the Islamic-rooted government under offi ces in Ankara, Prime Minister Binali the scenes in 1999 when a headscarf- ports that US actress Lindsay Lohan was to trigger talks between Party (PVV) would garner 24 to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that has Yildirim said he believed the removal of wearing MP from the now defunct Virtue asked to take off her headscarf at London’s Wilders and his political foe 28 seats in the 150-seat lower allowed its wearing in education, politics the ban was “very positive”, pro-govern- Party was heckled out of the chamber. Heathrow Airport. Rutte, who also refused to house of parliament. and the police. ment daily Yeni Safak said. And in the latest key reform before the Erdogan’s critics have long accused comment to reporters after- Rutte’s VVD would capture The move, ordered by the defence min- The military has traditionally been seen army’s move, Turkey in August allowed the president of eating away at the secu- wards. between 23 to 27 seats, said istry, applies to female offi cers working in as the strongest bastion of secular Turkey policewomen to wear the headscarf as part lar pillars of modern Turkey as set up by The unnamed agent is part the survey, an aggregate of six the general staff and command headquar- and had been traditionally hostile to any of their uniform. its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk when of the so-called “Iris team”, a diff erent political polls in the ters and branches, the state-run Anadolu perceived Islamisation of state institu- At the time of the controversy over lift- he established the Turkish republic in police squad which carries out country. news agency said. tions. ing the ban in the police forces, pro-gov- 1923. preliminary sweeps of public The margin of error was now Women may wear the headscarf under- But its political power has ebbed after ernment media pointed out that several The government rejects the suggestions, spaces before appearances by so small that the two parties neath their cap or beret so long as it is the the government increased control over the Western states had already granted female saying it allows freedom of worship for all politicians such as Wilders or were virtually equal, public same colour as their uniform and does not armed forces since the failed military coup offi cers permission to wear the garment. Turkish citizens whatever their beliefs. the Dutch royal family, popu- newscaster NOS said.

French artist is entombed in rock for a week Wild boars roam Czech forests,

AFP His reading material is certainly not some of them are radioactive Paris light. He has packed the Polish philosopher Zygmunt Bauman’s classic text Liquid Mo- dernity and a new novel by French author Reuters sium 137 that eventually drifted meat, which is popular in the French artist was entombed yester- Celine Minard, Le Grand Jeu (The Great Prague down on the Sumava mountains. Czech Republic. day inside a 12-tonne boulder for a Game), about a women who cuts herself Now the boars are eating the It often shows up on restaurant Aweek, saying: “I think I can take it.” off from modern life in a hi-tech mountain mushrooms, and ingesting the menus in goulash, a thick stew of With the world’s press looking on, the refuge. he Czech Republic has an Caesium 137 along with them. meat, sauce and dumplings. two halves of the limestone rock were Poincheval is no stranger to bizarre and unusual problem this win- That’s making their meat ra- Any boar that ends up as gou- closed on Abraham Poincheval by work- hair-raising performances. Tter with its wild boar meat, dioactive, Jiri Drapal at the State lash ought to be safe. men in a Paris modern art museum. He once spent a fortnight inside a stuff ed a local delicacy. Veterinary Administration told Every wild animal hunted, not The 44-year-old had hollowed out a hole French artist Abraham Poincheval bear eating worms and beetles, was buried The boars are radioactive. Reuters. “It is more or less a sea- only boars, must be inspected in the rock just big enough for him to sit, performs ‘Pierre’ (Stone) at the Palais de under a rock for eight days and navigated Actually, it’s not the boars sonal issue,” Drapal said. before its meat can get to cus- with a niche to hold supplies of water, soup Tokyo in Paris yesterday. France’s Rhone river inside a giant plastic themselves, but what they’re But it’s a long season. tomers. and dried meat. corked bottle. eating. The half life of Caesium 137 Radioactive meat is banned If he survives the ordeal, the artist will artist said. “One of the big challenges will He has crossed the Alps in a barrel and A cold and snowy winter is is 30 years — that is, it takes 30 from circulation, Drapal said. then attempt to hatch a dozen eggs by sit- be to hold onto reality.” last year spent a week on top of a 20m pole forcing them to feed on false years for the radioactivity of the That’s the good news. ting on them for weeks on end. The artist has spent months mentally outside a Paris train station like the stylite truffl es, an underground mush- isotope to fall to half its original The bad news is that 614 ani- Just before he stepped inside the rock at and physically preparing himself for the saints of the early Christian church. room common in the Sumava value. mals were inspected from 2014 the Palais de Tokyo museum, Poincheval practicalities of life inside the rock, where He has also played at being a human mountain region shared by Then another 30 to fall to half to 2016, and 47% were above the told AFP that claustrophobia was the least he will sit up with his arms outstretched. mole, and crossed France on foot in a Czechs, Austrians, Germans — again, and so on. limit. of his worries. “We are already locked into Holes have been bored for air and cables straight line with a friend. and wild boars. The boars could be glowing for The semi-good news is that our own bodies,” he said. for a heart monitor and an emergency video Poincheval said his new performance, The mushrooms can absorb quite a while. even meat from radioactive ani- Instead he was more anxious about stop- link. which he calls “Stone”, was “a voyage high levels of the radioactive iso- “We can expect to fi nd (af- mals would be a health hazard ping his mind running riot during his con- His only other comforts are a cushion through geological time” where he would tope Caesium 137. fected) food for a number of years only in large doses, Drapal said. fi nement. “We did a little test yesterday and a couple of books “for helping to pass become the “beating heart” of the rock. And three decades ago the nu- from now,” Drapal said. You would have to eat it sev- and it was absolutely incredible. It felt like the time, although I don’t think I will be “Rocks are a living repository of time,” he clear catastrophe at Chernobyl And that could cause some eral times a week for couple of like I was being carried off on a raft,” the able to read all the time”. added. released a fair amount of Cae- problems with the supply of boar months, to get sick, he said. Gulf Times 16 Thursday, February 23, 2017 INDIA

POLITICS PLAN TRAGEDY CRIME LAW AND ORDER Varun Gandhi attacks own India, Bahrain eye ending Child dies after falling Woman alleges Rs120mn worth of government’s record scheme for migrant maids into boiling water gang rape in moving car heroin seized in Delhi

In a fierce attack on his own party’s government, India and Bahrain are considering scrapping In a horrific incident, a five-year old girl died A case has been registered against three men The Delhi Police claimed to have busted a BJP MP Varun Gandhi said that in the last two a financial guarantee scheme used to protect after she fell into a vessel of boiling water at after a married woman accused them of gang- syndicate of international drug suppliers years, over 50,000 debt-ridden farmers had migrant maids who are not paid by their her school when the mid-day meal was being rape in a moving car, Delhi Police said yesterday. and arrested two gang members with 3kg of committed suicide while nothing had been done employers. There are more than 300,000 cooked, police in Patna, Bihar, said yesterday. The crime occurred when the woman, a resident high-grade heroin valued at Rs120mn in the about business tycoon Vijay Mallya who had fled Indian migrant workers in Bahrain, according Subham Kumari was seriously injured after of Burari in north Delhi, was going to her relative’s international market. Police said the gang had been with a Rs100bn unpaid loan. “In the last two years, to the Indian embassy in Manama. Most are the accident at Bhitiharwa Ashram in West house in Timarpur area around 1pm on Sunday, bringing heroin from Myanmar and supplying to over 50,000 depressed farmers had committed men employed as construction workers, Champaran district on Tuesday, a police a police off icer said. The woman said she was various states. “Nitin Gupta and Hefizuddin were suicide over small amounts while statistics only say gardeners and drivers. There are also about official said. “Her family admitted her to a walking through Yamuna Biodiversity Park when arrested from a hotel at Mahipalpur in south Delhi the figure is 7,000 per year. Mallya fled the country 15,000 women working as maids. Bahrain’s hospital in a critical condition. However, the accused Nadeem, Nasim and Arun, all resident of during a raid on information that a gang of drug with a Rs100bn loan outstanding and nothing has Labour Market Regulatory Authority said in a child succumbed to her injuries yesterday,” Bakhtawarpur, met her and off ered to drop her by suppliers was staying in the hotel,” a police off icer been done about him,” he said at a programme at blog published earlier this month that the two the police spokesperson added. Her family has car at Jagatpur. “The woman said she was gang- said. Nitin Gupta, 30, a resident of Uttam Nagar, a private college in Indore yesterday. Gandhi also countries are studying a proposal to cancel the blamed the school principal and the cook at raped by the three men inside the moving car. and Hefizuddin, 27, hailing from Manipur, had been attacked the Modi government over the declining scheme, which gives financial aid to migrant the school for negligence and has demanded They later dumped her in a field at Hiranki on the supplying drugs to drug dealers in Delhi and the income of farmers and the state of health services. maids, but did not give further details. action against them. Delhi-Haryana border,” the off icer said. National Capital Region. Sasikala ‘to Cityscape seek transfer to Chennai jail next week’

IANS after the Supreme Court refused to Bengaluru give her more time. “We are hoping the authorities will consider her request for bet- IADMK (All India Anna ter amenities like a cot, mattress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhag- table fan and attached bathroom Aam) general secretary V K so that she can take care of her Sasikala has come to terms with health till she gets transferred to prison life but hopes to get bet- the Central Jail in Chennai,” said ter facilities in view of her age and Pugazhendi. weak health, a party leader said Admitting that there was legal yesterday. provision for a convict to seek “Chinamma (Sasikala) is fi ne transfer to another jail, Karnataka though weak. Her sugar level and director general of prisons, H L BP (blood pressure) are normal. Satyanarayana Rao, said the jail She is adjusting to prison life. She superintendent could consider has applied for better facilities. such a request on health or hu- We hope she gets them,” the AI- manitarian grounds. ADMK’s Karnataka unit secretary, “We can consider at our dis- V Pugazhendi, said. cretion if a request is made by A mahout rides an elephant through traff ic in New Delhi. Elephants and camels are often seen among traff ic as they travel along roads to participate in religious the convict and the application ceremonies and marriages in the capital. is within the process of law,” Rao said. Asked about Sasikala’s fi rst week in prison, Rao said there was no change in the rules for her and she was being treated like other women inmates as per the jail “Chinamma (Sasikala) manual. is fi ne though weak. Her “No special treatment or privi- sugar level and BP (blood leges are given to Sasikala or Ela- pressure) are normal. She is varasi. They both are in adjacent No headway seen in talks adjusting to prison life” cells. Relatives or guests are al- lowed to meet only twice a week The 59-year-old returned to the between 10am and 5pm,” Rao Central Jail on the city’s south- said. ern outskirts a week ago to serve a Pugazhendi said Sasikala would four-year sentence upheld by the apply for transfer to the Central Supreme Court after she was held Jail in Chennai after discussing with China on NSG, Azhar guilty of corruption in a two-dec- the issue with Tamil Nadu Chief ade-old wealth case. Minister E P Palaniswami and her IANS co-chairing the fi rst India-China them the rationale for that appli- add Azhar to the list of interna- membership but they had their A trial court had fi rst held her lawyers early next week. Beijing Strategic Dialogue here along cation and pointed out that this tional terrorists, adding to the view of procedures and processes guilty in September 2014 in Ben- “Palaniswami and three cabi- with Chinese Vice Foreign Minis- was really being pursued by other three rejections in 2016 to the In- and these were somewhat diff er- galuru. net ministers are likely to meet ter Zhang Yesui, also made India’s countries, not by India alone,” dian proposal. ent from where we are at the mo- “Does she have a choice but to Chinamma next week. Her law- he government yesterday concerns known over the yawn- Jaishankar said. China maintains there is not ment and where we think most of serve the jail term as ordered by yers are also expected to come raised its concerns with ing trade defi cit. “The fact that other countries enough evidence against the Pa- the group is at the moment,” he the Supreme Court?” asked Pu- from Chennai with them,” added TChina over its continu- Briefi ng reporters after at- were pressing for this applica- kistani and the issue was between said. gazhendi. “As Sasikala had spent Pugazhendi. ing opposition to a terror ban on tending the dialogue, Jaishankar tion showed there was broad in- India and Pakistan, which should Beijing opposes New Delhi’s three weeks along with Amma (J Meanwhile declining to pass Jaish-e-Mohamed chief Masood said he had conveyed that ban- ternational support for this and be resolved mutually. inclusion into the elite bloc which Jayalalithaa) in the same jail over any interim order to put on Azhar and on stymieing New ning Azhar, mastermind of the concerns about Masood Azhar’s On New Delhi’s bid for mem- regulates global nuclear trade, two years ago (September-Octo- hold or annul the trust vote Delhi’s membership to the Nu- Pathankot and Uri attacks, was activities,” he added. bership of the elite Nuclear Sup- citing India’s non-signatory sta- ber 2014), she is familiar with the won by Palaniswami in the as- clear Suppliers Group (NSG) – not just New Delhi’s concern but However, Jaishankar did not pliers Group, Jaishankar said tus to the Nuclear Non-Prolifer- harsh conditions in the women’s sembly, the Madras High court but the talks did not appear to was also the demand of the inter- off er what Beijing had to say on China’s “view of procedures and ation Treaty for the membership. cell,” she added. yesterday adjourned till Febru- have made much headway. national community. the issue. processes” were diff erent. China’s argument is if India Sasikala and her co-convict sis- ary 27 the case fi led by Dravida The issues have become the “On the issue of the 1267 com- India raised the topic of the “On the NSG issue the Chinese can be let in why not Pakistan, ter-in-law Elavarasi and nephew Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) latest irritants in bilateral ties. mittee sanctions on Masood Jaish chief after China recently side underlined that they were which also is not signatory to the V K Sudhakaran returned to the jail leader M K Stalin. Foreign secretary S Jaishankar, Azhar, we again explained to blocked a proposal by the US to open to India’s application for NPT. Judicial system needs Naidu hits the gym Many hurt as student groups clash in Delhi major changes: President IANS inside the college as the All In- New Delhi dia Students Association (AISA) activists alleged ABVP members IANS He said in his entire period to latest changes in the global surrounded them and didn’t allow New Delhi as the president, the Allahabad scenario. lashes broke out between the march. High Court which is the largest in “Our aim should not only be to two student groups out- “We were attacked and the po- the country had less than 50% of hold up in the changing global or- Cside the Ramjas College lice did nothing. Our students resident Pranab Mukher- its sanctioned posts of 180 judges der but we should have our voice here yesterday, leaving many in- were bleeding. They hurled bricks jee yesterday said the ju- fi lled. too. And it will happen when we jured as police rounded up dozens at us,” tweeted Shehla Rashid, who Pdicial system established “If this situation of the high- become powerful and our poli- of protesters, a day after the Akhil was also invited for the two-day decades ago require major er judiciary is so bad, one can cies, rules and behaviour is in ac- Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad seminar and was at Ramjas during changes. imagine the conditions of the cordance with the expectation of (ABVP) forced the suspension of the clashes. Speaking after receiving the lower judiciary. State and Union the world. We will have to bring an event to be addressed by Jawa- She alleged the ABVP activists, fi rst copy of a book: Judicial Re- governments should work hand about faster changes to overcome harlal Nehru University (JNU) stu- with the help of police, “unleashed forms – Recent Global Trends in hand to address the shortage the challenges,” Modi said dent Umar Khalid. brutal violence on our peaceful from Prime Minister Narendra of basic infrastructure such as The prime minister also said Khalid had been jailed last year march”. Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan courtrooms and essential fa- it would have been good if Chief for sedition. The ABVP, however, denied re- after its formal release, Mukher- cilities for judges,” he said. Justice of India, J S Khehar, had At least a dozen students and sorting to violence or forcing the jee pointed out that no reform is Modi meanwhile said the law continued to hold the position a teacher were wounded after a college to cancel the invite to Kha- possible without adequate infra- universities should have talent for some more time (beyond group demonstrated against the lid and Rashid. structure. which takes into account fast- his tenure) since the latter took ABVP – the Rashtriya Swayamse- “There was no violence. The “Our judicial system estab- paced technological changes speedy decisions. vak Sangh (RSS) student wing that ABVP always promotes discus- lished decades ago require major and works towards laws that can Khehar, who was also present dominates the students union at sion. But you need to maintain changes. Reform is a continu- stand the test of time. at the event meanwhile said the Delhi University. decorum...The college students ous process. It cannot be stop “Our law universities should top court will function within its Some of the students tried and teachers didn’t want Khalid,” and go. Every system develops have that kind of talent to look limits. to march to the nearby Maurice ABVP leader Abhishek Verma clogs. There is need for constant at all the issues at hand and then Assuring that the top court Nagar Police Station but were said. change,” Mukherjee said. work,” he said after releasing the will not venture into others’ do- stopped by a group of ABVP stu- Those wounded in the clashes “It is high time for everyone to book. main, he said: “Sometimes it is Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing dents. Police blocked the road included English department not just think but also act on ju- Modi said India need to bring not a pleasant experience to have & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information from Patel Chest to the police teacher Prasanta Chakravarty, dicial reforms.” about faster changes to have its an order set aside or altered or & Broadcasting, M Venkaiah Naidu, visits the station with barricades amid slo- who was admitted to Hindu Rao The president pointed out that voice heard in the changing glo- changed or modifi ed; but for that gymnasium at the ministry of urban development, in gan shouting by the two warring hospital with minor injuries. Also no reform is possible without ad- bal order as it has a golden op- we assure you we will keep within New Delhi yesterday. groups. admitted to the hospital were three equate infrastructure. portunity to fill the vacuum due our boundary.” Some students were locked students. Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 17 INDIA

TRAGEDY CRIME PEOPLE EVENT LAW AND ORDER Six workers die Indian nurse Andhra doctor rescued Kerala assembly Former BJP politician in Hyderabad fire stabbed in Kuwait in Libya after 18 months anniversary plans outlined booked for rape

At least six workers were killed and one missing An Indian nurse from Kottayam, Kerala, was stabbed A doctor from Eluru in Andhra Pradesh who had Several programmes, including speeches by Former Delhi BJP MLA Vijay Jolly has been after a fire broke out in an air cooler manufactur- in Kuwait City and is under treatment at the Far- been kidnapped by Islamic State militants in Libya leading national politicians and revamping of the booked for rape after a woman alleged that he ing factory in Hyderabad yesterday morning, waniya Hospital in Kuwait. External Aff airs Minister in 2015 has been rescued and is being brought Assembly museum and library, are on the anvil drugged and assaulted her, Gurugram police said police said. There were seven workers in the Sushma Swaraj, tweeting about the incident, said back to India, the government said. The doctor’s as part of the ongoing celebrations of 60 years yesterday. The woman, a resident of south Delhi, Attapur area Aveone Air Cooler unit at the time the government has taken up the issue of security family in India is overjoyed at news of his rescue. of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Assembly told police she was drugged and sexually as- of the fire, a police off icial said. Six bodies were re- of Indians in Kuwait at the highest level. “Our em- The information was tweeted by External Aff airs Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan made the disclosure saulted in Gurugram earlier this month when she covered and search was on for the missing man, bassy has taken up the matter at the highest level Minister Sushma Swaraj. “We have rescued Dr. while announcing the commencement of the visited it with Jolly. She said she had known Jolly the off icial added. The victims were from Bihar in Kuwait to ensure safety and security of Indian Ramamurthy Kosanam in Libya. Dr Kosanam has budget session of the Assembly which begins for some three years and the incident happened and Chhattisgarh. Four of them were identified nationals there,” she said. “I was informed about the suff ered a bullet injury. We are bringing him to with the customary Kerala Governor P Sathasi- on February 10. Jolly, who was the Bharatiya Ja- as Saddam, Ayub, Shahrukh and Irfan. The owner stabbing of Gopika Shajikumar an Indian national India shortly. With this, we have rescued all the six vam’s address today. “The fourth session of the nata Party MLA from Saket in 2003-08, has been had locked the factory from outside, making it from Kottayam. I asked for an immediate report and Indians abducted there. I appreciate the good work 14th Kerala Assembly will be spread over 15 days booked. Jolly had earlier alleged that he was be- diff icult for the workers to escape, the off icial said. we have complete details of the unfortunate inci- done by our mission there.” Ramamurthy was and the budget for 2016-17 will be presented by ing blackmailed by the woman and her husband. Four fire tenders were pressed into service to dent,” Swaraj tweeted. Gopika works at the Al-Jahra working as a physician in the Ibn-e-Sina Hospital Finance Minister Thomas Issac on March 3,” the Police had registered a case of extortion against douse the flames. Hospital there. at Sirte. speaker said. the couple nearly 10 days back.

Wait for water Polluting industries I have no role get court ultimatum in actress IANS New Delhi

he Supreme Court yester- day directed all industrial Tunits situated in severely assault case: polluted areas across the country to install primary effl uent treat- ment plants (PETP) within three months, failing which they will be shut down. The court said that the power distributing companies would superstar disconnect the power supply to companies failing to installs PETP By Ashraf Padanna On allegations that the son of a of the crime,” Thomas claimed. within three months. Thiruvananthapuram top leader of his Communist Par- He also alleged that the police The power supply and distri- ty of India (Marxist) had a role in had breached the 2015 medico- bution companies “shall honour” the abduction and sexual assault legal protocol on treating such forthwith the requests for discon- alayalam superstar on the 30-year-old, Vijayan said: cases and the attacker got more nection from the state pollution Dileep yesterday dis- “some people think they have a than a day to complete legal pro- control boards, it said, adding that Mmissed rumours fuelled licence to say anything.” ceedings for anticipatory bail be- the defaulting units will be al- by online news portals that the fore fl eeing the next night. lowed to resume operations only police had questioned him in “They allowed him to escape when they install these plants. connection with the brutal as- even after they identifi ed him The court said the industrial sault of a leading actress in a and traced his mobile location units that have been “disabled moving car. downtown Gandhi Nagar in my to carry on the industrial activ- Dileep termed the rumours presence,” said Thomas who was ity” would be allowed to resume as wild speculation. He also instrumental in encouraging the only after they have installed the condemned the circulation of a actor to report the crime to po- PETPA of the required capacity photograph with his fans. It was lice. and clearance from the state pol- claimed that one of the men in “Nobody from the police or Giving credence to claims lution control boards, which will the picture was the main suspect any other agency has come that it was not the first such prioritise the critical polluting in- in the case, Pulsar Suni. to my house to question incident of filming the assault dustries. “Nobody from the police or me and the news being and later blackmailing the vic- In a series of directions, the any other agency has come to spreading in my name is tim, Manikandan, Suni’s ac- court asked state pollution control my house to question me and false” complice who allegedly filmed boards to take criminal and civil the news being spreading in my the attack, reportedly told po- action against defaulters. name is false. My name has been The police, however, seem to lice he had heard Suni tell the The court said its directions dragged into this only to create be groping in the dark even after victim before leaving: “I’ll call and the timeline it has set for the more controversies,” the actor fi ve days since the crime. you in the morning.” CETP would also be applicable for claimed. Earlier, Congress legislator P Suni, a driver whom fi lm units setting up of the sewage treatment “I think the police should name T Thomas demanded to know used to hire, has worked as a plants to deal with domestic and the actor if anyone is linked to the why the chief minister has personal driver for Mukesh, the other wastage. crime and the media should re- been avoiding journalists and actor-turned-legislator. It also directed the municipal port rather than speculate about communicating only through “Everyone has seen how the corporations and other local bod- such news. Justice to the victim is the social media. “Is to avoid CPI-M mouthpiece, Kairali TV, ies to put up advertisements to what all of us want, he said” uncomfortable questions,” he has been trying to portray the in- ask these industrial units to in- Meanwhile Kerala Chief Min- wondered. cident. They sought to make out stall treatment plants within three ister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday Thomas had helped the actor that the star had some relations months. voiced confi dence that Suni will lodge a police complaint soon af- with the criminal,” Thomas said. The court then said that the be arrested soon. ter the incident and was instru- “Their motive has been in next step would be setting up of Vijayan, who has been avoiding mental in detaining her driver doubt from the very beginning. the central effl uent treatment the media since his controversial whom the police claim played a They even gagged the police of- plants (CETP). remarks shaming the victim, crucial role in crime. fi cers. The entire state has been Noting the submission by sen- came out defending the police “Initially, Vijayan tried to left hanging its head in shame ior counsel Vijay Panjwani, coun- after the opposition claimed he make light of the attack describ- for letting the criminal escape,” sel for the Central Pollution Con- was shielding the attacker. ing it as an isolated one,” he said. he said. trol Board (CPCB), that the CETP “The police acted swiftly af- “I suspect the police helped the Opposition leader Ramesh takes two years to be set up, the ter the incident. Yes, the kingpin criminal escape. The state police Chennithala claimed “the police court sanctioned three years for is still at large. They police are chief was alerted at 11pm. But have captured only those who setting it up, noting that fi nances Local residents queue up to collect drinking water from a municipal corporation water tanker confi dent of capturing him and when I met the actor and talked had seen or heard of the crime. for CETP are available under a in Ahmedabad yesterday. feel they will do it soon,” he told to the city police commissioner The real criminals are walking central government scheme. reporters here yesterday. an hour later they were unaware free.”

Film promo Tension in Hyderabad ATM dispenses fake after police stop rally notes, culprits identifi ed IANS that the state government fulfi ll Hyderabad its promise of providing 100,000 jobs. IANS The offi cer put the number of the T-Point at Tigri in Sangam The police had denied the rally New Delhi fake notes dispensed by the ATM Vihar but all the four Rs2,000 ension prevailed in parts organisers permission, fearing at three. notes turned out to be fake. of the twin cities of Hy- violence. Asked why no arrest had been After informing the ATM Tderabad and Secundera- Tension prevailed at Osma- State Bank of India ATM made so far, Singh said: “The guard posted there, he made an bad yesterday as police arrested nia University campus as police here dispensed fake case is still a matter of investiga- offi cial complaint to the police scores of students and their stopped students from taking out ARs2,000 notes, and police tion. The moment everything is which sent a sub-inspector to leaders to foil a rally of unem- a rally. The protesters stoned po- said yesterday they had identi- done, arrests shall take place.” the ATM. ployed youths. lice and the latter used force to fi ed the culprits. The sub-inspector withdrew Sporadic incidents of violence disperse them. Some arrests were The incident was reported in “Technically, yes. ATMs another 2,000 rupee note from were reported from Osmania made. A student tried to immolate south Delhi where the ATM dis- are not equipped to read the ATM which too turned out to University, Nizam College, Se- himself near Osmania University pensed fake notes on February the security features of be a similar fake. cunderabad PG College and some Arts College. He was detained. 6, with “Children Bank of India” notes. Only the size needs A case of cheating and related other educational institutions as A sub-inspector of police was printed in place of Reserve Bank to be the same” off ences has been fi led against students staged protests to con- injured when students pelted of India, according to charge- unknown persons under Sec- demn the arrest of Telangana Joint stones at Nizam College in the sheet fi led by police. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind tions 489-b, 489-e and 420 of Action Committee (TJAC) con- heart of the city. The notes also had numerous Kejriwal yesterday slammed the Indian Penal Code, the police venor M Kodandaram and other Leaders of the Congress, Left glaring discrepancies includ- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. leaders and activists across Telan- parties and Aam Aadmi Party and ing the words “Churan lable”, a for the fake currency. Experts say it is possible for gana. Demanding their release, the activists of student groups affi li- “PK” logo and “000000” serial “A prime minister who can’t an ATM to dispense even a sim- students took out rallies, shouting ated to the opposition parties were number. even print notes properly; how ple sheet of paper if its size is the anti-government slogans. among those arrested at more than It also read “Guaranteed by the can he run the country? He has same as the currency notes. Defying prohibitory orders, a dozen places in the city. Children’s Government” printed reduced the whole nation into a “Technically, yes. ATMs are leaders and activists of TJAC, Students and leaders of vari- in place of “Guaranteed by the laughing stock,” the Aam Aadmi not equipped to read the secu- opposition parties and student ous groups tried to lay siege to Central Government”. Party leader tweeted. rity features of notes. Only the groups tried to march towards Kamatipura police station in Se- Additional deputy commis- Rohit, a customer care execu- size needs to be the same,” K Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram and cunderabad, where Kodandaram sioner of police Rajiv Ranjan tive who got the notes, reported Srinivas, managing director BTI Indra Park. and his supporters were detained. Singh said the vendor who sup- the matter to police. Payments, an RBI-licensed firm Actors Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan promote their TJAC had decided to go ahead As a precaution, the police ar- plied the cash to the ATM and In his complaint, Rohit said that operates cash dispens- upcoming film Badrinath Ke Dulhania at India Gate, in with its rally from Sundaraiah rested the TJAC leader from his the persons who inserted the fake he tried to withdraw Rs8,000 at ers not owned and managed by New Delhi yesterday. Vignana Kendram to Indra Park house early yesterday and shifted notes had been identifi ed. around 7.45pm from the ATM at banks. in the heart of the city to demand him to the police station. Gulf Times 18 Thursday, February 23, 2017 LATIN AMERICA Coca farmers in fresh riot over curbs in Bolivia President Morales is a former with 148 arrests, the deputy In- coca grower and union leader terior minister, Jose Luis Qui- roga, told reporters. AFP “Police were investigating La Paz each one to determine the level of responsibility for the public disturbance,” he said. oca farmers clashed with Carlos Aparicio, the deputy police yesterday in the minister of public safety, said Bolivian coca growers from Los Yungas region confront riot police agents within a tear gas cloud, during a protest against a bill that caps legal Csecond straight day of vi- the protesting coca growers coca crops extensions in La Paz. olent protests in La Paz against a “burned police installations, Morales government bill to limit a fi refi ghting unit” and had to produce as much coca as local country and around the world. Bolivia had 20,2000 coca- Chapare was circulating ille- legal areas of cultivation. threatened to blow up a gas sta- demand warrants. Under the proposed law, the growing hectares and was the gally. Tuesday’s violence forced Angry farmers threw dyna- tion. Coca is a traditional crop, with legal cultivation area for the world’s third-largest producer authorities to delay a meeting mite, fi reworks and rocks at po- Morales, a former union lead- Bolivians for generations using country’s two main coca-grow- after Colombia and Peru. between three ministers and the lice in an attempt to regain posi- er of coca growers, is serving a the leaf to fi ght fatigue, reduce ing regions would be capped at But a 2013 fi nancial study coca farmers that had been in- tions lost late Monday in a clash third term as Bolivia’s fi rst in- altitude sickness in the Andean 13,000 hectares for the Los Yun- by the European Union found tended to defuse tensions. at access points to the Palacio digenous president. mountain country and divine gas region and 7,000 hectares in that only 14,705 hectares were One of the would-be partici- Quemado, the seat of govern- hundreds of coca growers for His government’s bill would the future in indigenous rituals. the Chapare region, where Mo- needed to satisfy local Bolivian pants, Minister of Government ment and residence of President four hours, fi ring tear gas to dis- cap the legal area for coca culti- Chemically processed, coca rales used to grow coca. demand. Carlos Romero, said that “the Evo Morales. perse the crowd. vation to 20,000 hectares. becomes the addictive stimulant According to the United Na- In addition, the UN warned wave of violent attacks against Anti-riot police agents fought The violence Tuesday ended The farmers want to be able cocaine, an illegal drug in the tions in its latest report, in 2015 that 94% of the coca grown in institutions is raising concern”. Chile to President’s US court split on shooting of Mexican teen pull out AFP liberals pending confi rmation ment, but because the victim allowing Hernandez’s relatives Washington of President Donald Trump’s was a Mexican national, and to sue could unleash a torrent of nominee Neil Gorsuch — ap- died in Mexican territory, the lawsuits over actions taken by troops court pick peared fi rmly divided. US courts have said so far that Americans outside the country. he US supreme court gave Hernandez was shot dead they have no jurisdiction over Representing the family on a sympathetic hearing on June 7, 2010. He and three the matter. Tuesday, attorney Bob Hilliard in Haiti TTuesday to relatives of a friends had been playing in the Speaking to AFP at her argued that “this tragic case is Mexican boy shot on the bor- dry riverbed of the Rio Grande small home in Ciudad Juarez, one of the simplest extraterrito- confi rmed der with the United States, but that separates the Mexican city the boy’s mother Guadalupe rial cases this Court will ever have AFP appeared split on whether they of Ciudad Juarez from its Texan Guereca said she wants just one in front of it for fi ve reasons”. Santiago could sue the American border neighbor El Paso. thing: “Justice.” “First, all of the conduct of patrol agent who killed him. The youths were racing up “I am fi ghting for my son but the domestic police offi cer hap- The thorny cross-border case the concrete embankment to also for other people who have pened inside the United States. hile will begin with- in Brazil lands before the supreme court touch the barbed-wire fence on suff ered in similar cases,” said Second, it was a civilian do- drawing its peace- with bilateral tensions running the US side of the border, and the 59-year-old. mestic police offi cer. Third, it Ckeepers from the UN high over President Donald racing back down, when Her- According to the fam- was a civilian plaintiff , not an mission to Haiti on April 15, Reuters Critics say he should recuse Trump’s call for a border wall to nandez was shot in the head by ily’s lawyers, US border patrol enemy combatant. Fourth, it ending 13 years of participa- Brasilia himself in any cases that come keep out Mexican migrants. border patrol agent Jesus Mesa. agents have fatally shot at least was one of the most fundamen- tion in the force, the Latin before the supreme court, given At issue before the eight Mesa later recounted that eight Mexicans between 2006 tal rights, the right to life. Fifth, American country’s acting his extremely close ties to the black-robed justices is whether Hernandez and his friends had and 2016 in cross-border inci- the government of Mexico sup- defence minister said in a re- razil’s senate yeterday con- people who may be put on trial the family of 15-year-old Ser- refused to obey his order to stop dents. ports the claim.” port yesterday. fi rmed President Michel before the court. gio Hernandez Guereca has the the game and had thrown rocks Supported by the Mexican The unmarked border runs President Michelle Bache- BTemer’s justice minister Moraes was ambiguous when constitutional right to sue the at him. According to the teen’s government, as well as by Am- through the middle of the Rio let had announced the deci- to fi ll a vacancy on the supreme asked about possible changes to agent who killed him in Ameri- family, he was unarmed and nesty International, the boy’s Grande culvert, whose banks sion to withdraw last Sep- court, a controversial appoint- a law that states Brazil’s federal can courts. presented no danger. family succeeded in taking its are concreted up and topped tember, but acting Defence ment due to the number of cabi- congress, members of the ex- And on that question, the US federal law protects citi- case to the Supreme Court. with two fences — one on the Minister Marcos Robledo net ministers and ruling party ecutive branch and thousands of court — which is evenly split zens against disproportionate The US federal government is Mexican side and one on the confi rmed the date in an in- leaders facing corruption allega- other offi cials can only be tried by between conservatives and use of force by law enforce- backing Mesa, concerned that American. terview with El Mercurio tions. the Supreme Court. newspaper. Alexandre Moraes, a 49-year- The court is so slow in dealing “The government has de- old lawyer, law professor and with its case overload, critics say, cided it’s time to conclude the former public security secre- that the so-called “privileged fo- participation of military per- tary of Sao Paulo state, vowed to rum” is tantamount to impunity. Sunset in del Mar sonnel in the UN Stabilization remain “absolutely impartial” At Tuesday’s 10-hour hearing Mission in Haiti (MINUS- when judging any corruption on his nomination, Moraes de- TAH), beginning April 15,” he cases involving his former cabi- nied reports in local media that told the newspaper. There are net colleagues or Temer himself. he plagiarised a Spanish jurist in 394 Chilean troops still based Moraes was approved on a 55- one of his law books, including in the Caribbean country and to-13 vote. passages that were nearly identi- most will leave by April 30. Leftist senators slammed his cal. A group of about 40 soldiers appointment as a move to protect He also refuted claims from will stay on until June, to or- Temer’s government from the some senators during his confi r- ganise the withdrawal of ma- sprawling “Car Wash” kickback mation process that his law fi rm terials accumulated over the investigation that threatens to in Sao Paulo defended a trans- 13 years. Chile was one of the implicate a large swath of Brazil’s portation fi rm linked to Brazil’s fi rst countries to respond to political establishment. largest drug gang, the First Com- the UN call for blue helmets to Six members of Temer’s cabi- mand of the Capital, known as help keep the peace in Haiti . net as well as the president him- the PCC. self have been named in plea bar- The claims have also been re- gain testimony by defendants in ported in local media. OAS chief denied Brazil’s biggest corruption scan- Moraes would take the seat left dal, and many of the ministers by Justice Teori Zavascki, who visa to visit Cuba could end up on trial before the died in a small plane crash last supreme court. month. Cuban authorities have denied a Moraes declined to say if he Zavascki handled the cases of visa to the head of the Organization would recuse himself if the su- politicians involved in the “Car of American States, Luis Almagro, preme court eventually judges Wash” probe and was widely re- to travel to the communist-ruled a case involving allegedly illegal spected for his work on the highly island to receive a prize from a campaign funding of the success- politicized investigations. dissident organisation, he said ful 2014 presidential campaign But his case load was taken yesterday. Almagro had been ticket, when Temer was the vice over by another of the 11 justices, invited to receive a prize named president to the now-impeached so Moraes would not take them A beach at sunset in Valeria del Mar, Argentina. for dissident Oswaldo Paya, who President Dilma Rousseff . over. died in 2012 in a car crash under mysterious circumstances. “My request for a visa for the off icial OAS passport was denied by the Cuban consulate in Washington,” Almagro said in a letter to Paya’s Brazil has no Plan B for pensions reform proposal, says minister daughter Rosa Maria, who organised the ceremony to confer the prize. Reuters “In principle we don’t have a plan B. entry point for the new pension sys- sidered one of the world’s most generous whether or not to cut it for 2019 when a Almagro said he was informed by Brasilia We are not working with other alterna- tem. pension systems. decision is due in June. He said the gov- Cuban consular authorities that tives because this plan was very well The government plans to include all Meirelles also kept a hard stance on ernment would seek to anchor expecta- he would be denied a visa even thought out,” Meirelles said. “This pro- male workers under 50 years of age in the Rio de Janeiro, which is negotiating a fi s- tions without “necessarily demanding a if he travelled on his Uruguayan he Brazilian government sees no posal is the solution and any changes to new program, with transition rules for cal bailout deal with the government. bigger eff ort from the central bank.” diplomatic passport. The Cubans alternative to its pension reform it will distort the plan.” those older. The threshold for women is The minister said the state would not Central bank chief Ilan Goldfajn last conveyed to a representative Tproposal and any changes would The pension reform to reduce costly 45 years of age. receive additional loans until Congress month said Brazil’s infl ation target should of Almagro that they regarded distort a plan needed for the recovery retirement benefi ts is at the heart of Workers unions and some lawmakers passed a bill demanding Rio to freeze gradually fall from the current 4.5% in the the motive of his visit an of Latin America’s biggest economy, Fi- Meirelles’ austerity drive to plug a wid- from President Michel Temer’s alliance wage hikes and take other austerity long run to more normal levels seen in “unacceptable provocation”, and nance Minister Henrique Meirelles said. ening budget defi cit and pull the econ- in Congress have demanded changes to measures to shore up its fi nances. other major emerging economies. expressed “astonishment” at the In an interview with Reuters, Meirelles omy out of its worst recession in more the unpopular reform that the govern- Asked about growing market expec- Most analysts in a Reuters poll fore- OAS’s involvement in what they said the government would not negotiate than a century. ment expects to approve later this year. tations of a possible reduction in Bra- cast that process would start in 2019 as deemed anti-Cuban activities, changes to its proposed minimum retire- Meirelles added that the govern- Brazil does not currently have a mini- zil’s infl ation target, Meirelles said the infl ation expectations have fallen more he said. ment age of 65. ment was not open to changing the mum age for retirement in what is con- government would carefully analyse rapidly than expected. Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 19 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Pakistan Army launches Afghan border closed down new anti-terror off ensive after attacks Agencies Islamabad Internews year 2013-14 which declined Islamabad to Rs126.337bn in fi scal year 2014-15. n its continuing fi ght against There was some decrease in terrorism, the Pakistan Army n the wake of continuous these two years. Iyesterday launched “Opera- terrorist attacks in dif- However, the exports no- tion Radd-ul-Fasaad” — which Iferent parts of the coun- sedived to Rs89.597bn during roughly translates to “Operation try, Pakistan has closed down the last fi nancial 201516. to eliminate discord” — across its bordering entry and exit Some further analysis of the country, the military said. points with neighbouring Af- trade data shows that Paki- The operation aims at in- ghanistan at Torkham and stan’s exports to Afghanistan discriminately eliminating the Chaman stations, resulting through Torkham border de- “residual/latent threat of ter- in signifi cant decline in trade clined by registering nega- rorism”, consolidating the gains under Afghan Transit Trade tive 10.08% growth in fi rst made in other military opera- (ATT). six months (July-Dec) period tions, and further ensuring the After handing over list of of the current fi scal year as it security of Pakistan’s borders, a 76 suspects of Taliban terror- stood at Rs38.409bn in fi rst statement issued by Inter-Serv- ists involved in unwarranted half of FY 2016-17 against ices Public Relations said. activities by Army’s General Rs42.714bn in the same period Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Head-quarters (GHQ) to Af- of the last fi nancial year. Navy, Civil Armed Forces and ghan authorities, Pakistan’s The exports from Pakistan other security and law enforcing Army launched an operation had declined by registering agencies will actively participate against militants’ camps in- negative growth of 39.20% in in and “intimately support” the side Afghanistan, which is lo- July-Dec period of fi nancial armed forces’ eff orts to elimi- cated at around 4 to 5km away year 2015-16 as total value of nate the menace of terrorism from Torkham border station, exports stood at Rs42.714bn from the country, the statement posing threat for the uninter- against Rs63.168bn in the added. rupted trade activities so the same period of the fi scal year “The eff ort entails conduct border was closed down and 2014-15. of Broad Spectrum Security/ bilateral trade halted in the af- Trade has been consistently Counter-Terrorism (CT) opera- termath of Sehwan attack. on the decline and its com- tions by Rangers in Punjab, con- One top offi cial posted at plete halt has been causing tinuation of ongoing operations Torkham Station said yes- negative impact for Kabul as across the country, and focus on terday that Pakistan was left the prices of essential items more eff ective border security with no other option but to go such as fl our, sugar and other management,” the ISPR said. ahead with border manage- essential items have registered “Countrywide de-weaponi- Pakistani Rangers personnel keep guard while patrolling on the streets in Islamabad. ment system with Afghanistan increase manifold inside Af- sation and explosive control are as blame and counter blame ghanistan. additional cardinals of the eff ort. ing more than 100 lives. shrine of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz civilians. The attack was claimed by had happened right outside the were going on for backing dif- Now Pakistani authorities Pursuance of National Action Punjab had requested the Qalandar in Sehwan. The attack Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP). gates of Punjab’s Provincial As- ferent terrorist groups against are making all-out eff orts to Plan will be the hallmark of this federal government to deploy claimed the lives of at least 88 The same day, a suicide sembly. each after a terror incident in devise a mechanism related to operation,” it added. over 2,000 Rangers personnel people and injured more than bomber rammed his motorcycle The attack was claimed by the either country. border management system The announcement followed in the province, who would be 300 when a suicide bomber into a vehicle carrying judges in Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Security offi - With no solution in sight acceptable to both the coun- a meeting between Army chief given policing powers to con- targeted devotees during the Peshawar’s Hayatabad Phase 5 cials inspecting the area after the through establishing joint tries and taking such steps Qamar Javed Bajwa, the corps duct intelligence-based opera- evening dhamaal. area, killing the driver and injur- suicide attack at the shrine. and co-ordinated eff orts, the aimed at nipping terrorism in commanders of Punjab, the Di- tions (IBOs) against militants, On Feb 16, an explosive device ing its four other occupants. The On the same day, two person- forces are busy destroying ter- the bud, once and for all. rector General of Pakistan Rang- wherever required and with full had targeted an Army convoy in attack was claimed by the TTP nel of Balochistan’s bomb dis- rorists camps alongside the Afghan authorities, Pa- ers Punjab, and the heads of in- authority. the Awaran area of Balochistan, too. posal squad were killed as they bordering areas located inside kistani offi cial sources said, telligence agencies. Pakistan seems to be experi- killing three soldiers. On Feb 13, a suicide bomber attempted to defuse an explosive Afghanistan. established contacts after Pakistan has been hit by encing a fresh resurgence in ter- On Feb 15, a suicide bomber struck had struck a protest on Lahore’s device planted under the Sariab Now the trade has become the latest situation at border a series of suicide bomb at- ror attacks. in Mohmand, killing three person- Charing Cross interchange, kill- Road bridge in Quetta, the pro- the major victim but lives of areas and it was hoped that tacks in recent days, claim- The worst attack was at the nel of the Khasadar force and five ing 13 and injuring 85. The attack vincial capital. people are more precious than some kind of solution would trade and commerce activi- be found to ease out lingering ties. tension within next few days. Pakistan’s exports to Af- But all depends upon evolv- ghanistan through Torkham ing joint strategy as sooner border station had been con- will be the better for both sides Dostum’s bodyguards Pak TV channel in hot water over fi lm sistently on the decline for otherwise the blame game will last three-and-half years as continue posing threat of ter- total value of exports stood at rorism for both sides on long co-operate in abuse case DPA that could go up to Rs10mn with viewers asking for ac- Rs127.761bn during fi nancial term basis. Islamabad ($100,000). The watchdog tion. also asked if the produc- It did not say how many Reuters Interior ministry spokesman tion was backed by “foreign complaints were received. HC seeks govt response on Saeed’s detention Kabul Sediq Sediqqi said that seven akistan’s state media funding,” which is unusual as “We are currently preparing bodyguards were being ques- watchdog has warned a such dramas are locally pro- our response to PEMRA,” Faisal A division bench of the a day after the JuD chief and tioned by offi cials of the attorney Pprivate TV channel for duced. Zakir from Hum TV said. Lahore High Court yesterday his four aides moved the odyguards of Afghan Vice- general’s offi ce. airing a fi lm on the roman- On January 29, Hum TV He said that the content of issued notice to the Punjab LHC, challenging their house President Rashid Dostum Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uz- tic relationship between two broadcast for the fi rst time a every drama is examined and Home Department on a arrests and being added to Bwho are wanted over allega- bek warlord with decades of expe- women, saying it was against fi lm about two women in a ro- that they would explain their petition challenging the the Fourth Schedule of the tions of torture and abuse of one rience in Afghanistan’s turbulent the “social, ethical and societal mantic relationship. point of view to the regulatory detention of Lashkar-e-Taiba Anti-Terrorism Act. of their boss’s political rivals have politics, faces accusations that he norms of the country.” The film Chewing Gum — authority. founder Hafiz Saeed. The JuD also challenged the turned themselves in to authori- ordered members of his personal The Pakistan Electronic which quickly became con- Last year, the channel — Headed by Justice Sardar Interior Ministry putting the ties after weeks of refusing to co- militia to seize and detain Ahmad Media Regulatory Author- troversial by drawing public which started transmission Mohamed Shamim, the names of 37 of its leaders on operate, offi cials said yesterday. Ishchi, a former ally. ity (PEMRA) issued the no- ire and a warning from the in January 2005 — was is- court’s division bench, the Exit Control List (ECL). The move comes after days of He has denied the accusa- tice on Monday to entertain- media watchdog — is a love sued a notice over the dra- while directing the Home Saeed’s detention came rising tensions within President tions. ment channel Hum TV, which story in which famous TV ma series Udaari which was Department to submit following Interior Minister Ashraf Ghani’s fragile national Ishchi says he was subjected is owned by Hum Network actresses Sania Saeed and about another taboo topic its response by March 7, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s unit government. to days of severe beatings and Limited, and demanded an Farah Shah play the lead — incest. sought material against the remarks that the government Armed troops blocked streets sexual abuse, prompting de- explanation by the following roles. Hum TV responded to that petitioners to justify their was taking steps to fulfil its around Dostum’s Kabul resi- mands from Western allies of the Monday. PEMRA said it had received notice and the series contin- detention. international obligations dence to try to force him to hand government for an investigation Violation of PEMRA laws numerous complaints after ued to be aired without pen- The court’s notice was issued regarding JuD. the men over. and trial. is punishable with a fine Chewing Gum was broadcast, alty. Kabul to set stiff penalties for subculture of boy slaves

AFP (bacha bazi) in the new penal MPs that say they will never let As Afghanistan’s confl ict es- Kabul code,” Nader Nadery, a sen- a bacha bazi law pass in parlia- calates, critics have said there ior adviser to President Ashraf ment,” said Soraya Sobhrang appears to be no will to act Ghani, said. from the Afghanistan Independ- against abusive security offi cials fghanistan is set to lay out “The code is expected to be ent Human Rights Commission. who are seen as the lesser of two stringent penalties for adopted any time this month. “This is a battle to save 21st cen- evils in the fi ght against insur- A“bacha bazi” — slavery This is going to be a signifi cant tury slaves.” gent groups. and abuse of boys — for the fi rst step towards stopping this ugly The penal code is likely to be Western offi cials have private- time, offi cials say, in a landmark practice.” passed by presidential decree ly conceded to AFP that some move against the deeply en- A draft of the chapter seen by during the ongoing parliamen- Afghan commanders accused of trenched practice. AFP, titled “Driving children tary recess. bacha bazi are “too strategic to AFP revealed last year how towards moral corruption”, also But Sobhrang worries that be removed” from their posts. the Taliban were exploiting ram- states that bacha bazi victims some lawmakers may try to wa- But growing public scrutiny pant bacha bazi in police ranks cannot be prosecuted, a signifi - ter it down when it is later sub- of the practice, once shrouded to mount deadly insider attacks, cant caveat in a nation where sex jected to a parliamentary review. in shame and silence, is forc- exposing a hidden epidemic of assault victims often face pun- Afghanistan has a poor record ing authorities to act in some kidnapping of young boys for ishment. of enforcing similar provisions, areas. institutionalised abuse and slav- Afghanistan’s criminal law including a law to eliminate vio- Earlier this month, the gov- ery. previously only prohibited ped- lence against women and an- ernment sacked Shah Mirza The revelations intensifi ed erasty and sex outside of mar- other to ban the recruitment of Panjsheri, police chief of the longstanding demands by cam- riage, which rights campaigners child soldiers, especially when volatile Dasht-e-Archi district paigners for Kabul to enact an said did not suffi ciently address the perpetrators are powerful. in northern Kunduz province, incisive legal provision to curb the problem of bacha bazi. “Explicit criminalisation in after a video of his “bacha bazi bacha bazi — literally “boy play” “This chapter clearly defi nes law of the heinous practice of party” surfaced on social me- — which has seen a striking re- bacha bazi as a crime, leaving bacha bazi is commendable, but dia. surgence in post-Taliban Af- no room for ambiguity,” Ghani’s implementation of laws in Af- “He was kidnapping young, ghanistan. legal adviser Nasrullah Stanek- This file photo taken on October 6, 2016, shows Bashir, a relative of a “bacha bazi” victim, a teenage boy, ghanistan has been question- beautiful boys and forcing them A raft of punishments will zai said, waving printed copies during an interview with AFP in Lashkar Gah of Helmand province. able,” the All Survivors Project, to dance in bacha bazi gather- now be listed in Afghanistan’s of the revised penal code in his a global fact-fi nding eff ort into ings,” a Kunduz government revised penal code — from up to hand. The young boys, sometimes — keen on revenge and easy prey ists pushed for years for special sexual violence against males in spokesman told AFP. seven years in jail for sexual as- Aside from police command- dressed eff eminately with make- for recruitment — to infi ltrate legislation on bacha bazi, with confl ict zones, said. “When we heard about this sault to capital punishment for ers, warlords, politicians and up and bells on their feet, can be security ranks and mount crip- scant hope of getting it through “How is the government plan- we dismissed him immediately,” “aggravated cases” such as vio- other members of the Afghan used as dancers at private par- pling insider attacks on police in parliament as they suspect the ning to monitor, investigate and he said, adding that he was the lating more than one boy. elite often keep “bachas” as a ties. southern Afghanistan. practice is prevalent among law- hold accountable those respon- fi rst high-ranking police offi cial “There is an entire chapter symbol of authority and affl u- AFP’s investigation found that The insurgents deny the claim. makers themselves. sible for abusing boys under this in Kunduz to be sacked for this on criminalising the practice ence. the Taliban were using the boys Before the penal code, activ- “I have received calls from new legal provision?” practice. Gulf Times 20 Thursday, February 23, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Prayer rally Minister doubtful of China dispute resolution ‘during our lifetime’

Reuters interests”. His remarks came Manila a day after he chaired a meet- ing of Southeast Asian for- eign ministers, who expressed he foreign minister of “grave concern” over China the Philippines ex- putting weapons systems on Tpressed doubt yesterday some of its manmade islands that a maritime sovereignty in the South China Sea. dispute with China could be China is close to completing resolved “during our lifetime”, almost two dozen structures so it was better to set it aside, on those islets that appear engage Beijing and avoid an designed to house long-range armed confrontation. surface-to-air missiles, two In a defence of President US offi cials told Reuters. Rodrigo Duterte’s decision It was not clear whether not to push China to abide by the Southeast Asian countries an international arbitration were aware of that develop- ruling that went in Manila’s ment when they met on Tues- favour last year, Foreign Secre- day in Boracay. tary Perfecto Yasay said there Asked at his hearing if the was an impasse that neither Philippines owned the dis- side could break, so it was bet- puted islands it claims, Yasay ter to maximise benefi ts from said that would have “no legal Beijing instead. basis”. During questioning by sen- He said the last year’s ar- ators at his confi rmation hear- bitration award in The Hague ing, Yasay said China’s stance ruled on what features fell and strategic objectives in the within the Philippines’ exclu- South China Sea meant a reso- sive economic zone, but made lution was unlikely. no decision on sovereignty. “I do not believe person- “Even as they have ruled in ally...that this will be resolved our favour overwhelmingly, soon, I believe that maybe this territory continues to perhaps it will not be resolved be international waters,” he A Catholic devotee and her grandchild lights a candle beside a mock chalk figure representing an extra-judicial killing victim during a prayer rally condemning the during our lifetime, but the said. government’s War on Drugs in Manila yesterday. More than 6,000 people have died, seven months after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered an unprecedented crime war on option is not war, that we en- “We have to prove it (own- drugs that has drawn global criticism but enjoys popularity in the mainly Catholic nation. gage ourselves forcibly to as- ership) in the appropriate in- sert our claims,” Yasay said. ternational tribunal.” “I am not saying this in cat- However, he said the 12 egorical terms...but now, as nautical mile territorial sea you ask me this question, on of the Philippines was not in the basis of what I know and dispute and in the event of on the basis of pronounce- an encroachment by China, ments that have been made, I there would be a forceful de- am not as optimistic.” fence, and support from the Duterte has turned Phil- US military as guaranteed in Duterte allies seek to block ippine foreign policy upside a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty down by making overtures to- with Washington. wards rival China to attract its “That will be the action trade, tourists and infrastruc- where we will have to make sure ture investment. Yasay said we will be asserting ourselves, the new approach was to capi- defending ourselves, even using testimony of ex-policeman talise on a “convergence of our force if necessary,” he said.

Reuters Panelo, said the allegations were sting operations. Most of the Manila a “continuing fabrication” and rest are under investigation “another false narration”. and activists believe many were A prominent critic of Duterte, extra-judicial killings. Govt chides Amnesty for hilippine senators allied Senator Antonio Trillanes, has Philippine boxing champion calling president’s agenda ‘toxic’ with President Rodrigo called for Lascanas to give tes- Manny Pacquiao, also a senator PDuterte sought yester- timony to a Senate inquiry, but and a Duterte ally, said allowing The Philippines yesterday re- criminals and drugs dealers. day to block a retired policeman Duterte’s allies rejected that. Lascanas to testify again would jected Amnesty International’s He has shown no qualms from testifying that Duterte had “This is not the proper fo- set a precedent that “a witness labelling of its president as about hurling insults at once operated a “death squad”, rum for this man who has lied,” can just lie and just change his among world leaders with a world leaders. dismissing the former police- Senator Richard Gordon told testimony”. “toxic agenda”, and accused In a statement accompany- man as a liar. the assembly. But some opposition mem- the general secretary of the ing Amnesty’s annual world- The retired policeman, Arturo “No one should be allowed to bers disagreed. human rights group of ar- wide report, its secretary Lascanas, told a news confer- trifle with the senate insofar as Senator Grace Poe said Las- rogant lecturing. general, Salil Shetty, said ence on Monday he had been a the truth in concerned.” canas’ allegations were “seri- President Rodrigo Duterte “divisive fear-mongering” had ringleader of a death squad run The Senate committee on ous” and the senate must be enjoyed high public approval become a dangerous force by Duterte when he was mayor justice, which Gordon heads, given the “opportunity to test ratings and had shown will- in the world, and leaders of the southern city of Davao. last year found no proof that his credibility.” ingness to listen and adapt like Duterte, US President His confession contradicted a Davao death squad existed Senator Paolo Benigno Aqui- himself, his spokesman said, Donald Trump, and Turkey’s testimony he had given to a or that killings that had taken no, a cousin of former Presi- adding that his trademark Recep Tayyip Erdogan were Senate inquiry last year, dur- place when Duterte was mayor, dent Benigno Aquino, said in a fiery speeches were far from “wielding a toxic agenda that ing which he said no such death and since he became president television interview that Las- the poisonous rhetoric he hounds, scapegoats and de- squad existed. in June, were state sponsored. canas had risked his life and was accused of. humanises entire groups of But on Monday, Lascanas said Human rights groups have freedom to go public with his “He does listen and he’s not people”. Abella said Duterte the death squad started operat- documented about 1,400 sus- story, so it was the legislature’s just frothing at the mouth, stood for tolerance and mu- ing when Duterte became mayor picious killings in Davao while duty to hear what he had to say. there is a genuine source tual respect, and Shetty had of Davao in 1988, and members Duterte was mayor and critics Lascanas’ allegations are of anger and it’s not toxic,” missed the mark with his got cash and orders from Duterte say the war on drugs he un- similar to some made by a presidential spokesman, “lecture” and was arrogant to kill criminals. leashed when he became presi- self-confessed hit man, Edgar Ernesto Abella, said in a to dismiss the president’s Duterte has not commented dent has the same hallmarks. Matobato, to a Senate investi- television interview. popularity among his people. on the allegations though he has More than 7,700 people have gation last year about killings Duterte has gained a “He was speaking from a denied similar accusations in the been killed since June, about in Davao. reputation for his volatility, moral high horse,” Abella Former police off icer Arthur Lascanas (centre) is escorted by security past. 2,500 in what police say are Duterte dismissed Matoba- profanity and threats to kill said. personnel after a press conference at the Senate in Manila on Monday. His legal counsel, Salvador shootouts during raids and to’s allegations. Social security pension hikes Education agency imposes to be released next month moratorium on fi eld trips By Catherine S Valente pensioners eff ective January ary credits is being shared by Manila Times 2017, has been approved,” Me- the employer (7.37%) and the dialdea’s memo read. employee (3.63%). The pension By Neil Alcober valiches, Quezon City) were on Memorandum Order (CMO) No. whether current policies ad- The additional benefi t will increase was among Duterte’s Manila Times their way to an educational tour 17, Series of 2012. equately protect students.” he Social Security Sys- cover future SSS pensioners. promises during the 2016 pres- as part of their National Service “Educational tours and fi eld The commission has directed tem (SSS) is set to release In a statement, the SSS said idential campaign. Training Programme in a resort trips are regulated under CHED Bestlink to submit an incident re- TP7bn worth of pension the projected additional benefi t SSS originally proposed a he Commission on Higher in Tanay when the bus they were Memorandum Order No. 17 port on the matter. CHED Chair- increases for more than 2mn expenditures for the fi rst year P2,000 pension hike but gov- Education (CHED) has riding lost control and rammed which requires the education person Patricia Licuanan said that retirees next month following of implementation of the pen- ernment economic manag- Timposed a moratorium on into an electric post near Mag- tour/fi eld is essential to enhance while schools were allowed to con- President Rodrigo Duterte’s sion hike would hit P32bn. The ers opposed it, saying it would fi eld trips and educational tours netic Hill at Peligrino Farm in the curriculum of the course. duct fi eld trips and education tours approval of the hike, which will SSS has been releasing P7.4bn bloat the liabilities of the pen- in all private and public col- Sitio Bayukan, Barangay Sam- It also needs prior consulta- as part of curriculum enhancement, be retroactive to January 2017. in regular benefi ts per month sion fund and cut its actuarial leges and universities following paloc. tion with students when there school offi cials should ensure the Executive Secretary Salvador since January 2017. life by 10 years if not accompa- the bus accident in Tanay, Rizal “While it is true that fi eld trips are additional costs involved as safety of their students.“The secu- Medialdea issued a memoran- Almost 2.2mn SSS pension- nied by higher contributions. province that killed more than a are essential to give students the well as that the information is rity and safety of students should dum on February 22 containing ers are expected to benefi t from Budget Secretary Benjamin dozen students. opportunity to see and explore included in the Student Hand- be of utmost importance to higher the approval of the P1,000 hike the hike. The number of pen- Diokno, Socioeconomic Plan- During the en banc meet- new things, enhance their learn- book and discussed during the education institutions in the con- in monthly pensions, the ini- sioners is expected to increase ning Secretary Ernesto Pernia ing on Tuesday, CHED offi cials ing experience in a natural set- student orientation and that risk duct of educational tours or fi eld tial half of the P2,000 increase by about 150,000 annually. and Finance Secretary Carlos agreed to impose a moratorium ting, and provide for interest- assessment procedures are dis- trips,” she said in a statement. promised by the president dur- The pension increase will be Dominguez had warned that a in all higher education institu- driven and hands-on training, cussed with parents,” he said. “CHED will study if its pre- ing the 2016 election campaign. accompanied by a hike in the P2,000 pension increase would tions. the safety of the students on The tragedy, de Vera said, will scribed policies and guidelines “Upon representations made contribution rate of SSS mem- hike SSS liabilities to P5.9tn Commissioner Prospero De fi eld trips must be ensured at all serve as a “reminder that we were met,” she added. by SSS, and subject to existing bers to 12.5% of their salaries from P3.5tn. Vera called for the moratorium times by school authorities,” de must be very strict in regulating Licuanan said the commission laws, rules, and regulations, from 11% starting May 2017. The Associated Labour Un- while the accident is being in- Vera said. the use of public transportation will create a fact-fi nding team to please be informed that the The increase will range from ions-Trade Union Congress of vestigated. He noted that the conduct of for school sponsored trips. We investigate the Tanay incident and P1,000 increase in benefi ts of P15 to P740. the Philippines yesterday said Initial police investigation educational tours and fi eld trips must also determine if higher determine if Bestlink commit- qualifi ed SSS retirees, survi- The current SSS contribu- the president’s move would ben- said the students from Bestlink among higher education insti- education institutions comply ted violations and what sanctions vors, and permanently disabled tion rate of 11% of monthly sal- efi t pensioners and the economy. College of the Philippines in No- tutions is governed by CHED with requirements of safety and should be imposed on the school. Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 21 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Lanka to increase Top brands to boycott damages for elephant Dhaka garment summit attacks The pullout decision by or jailed for participating in Dutch clothing brand C&A “H&M believes that at- Last week union leaders International rights group IANS H&M, C&A, Tchibo and wage strikes, the companies said, “C&A together with other tending the Dhaka Apparel said the workers were “liv- Clean Clothes Campaign Colombo Inditex follows strikes said yesterday. apparel brands, including H&M Summit would create con- ing in constant fear of being welcomed the brands’ de- in December when tens H&M, C&A, Tchibo and In- and Inditex decided not to par- fusion and send the wrong arrested as the police hunt cision to withdraw partici- of thousands of garment ditex which owns Zara – all top ticipate in the BGMEA Dhaka signals regarding our com- those who were involved in pation and said it would be ri Lanka’s cabinet yester- workers staged mass clients of Bangladesh’s $30bn Apparel Summit.” mitment to freedom of asso- the strikes”. “a major embarrassment” day approved to grant a protests demanding a three- garment industry – have pulled “We strongly encourage ciation and that the ongoing The summit is hosted by the for the government and the Shigher compensation to fold hike in pay out of the Dhaka Apparel Sum- the Government of Bang- situation must be peacefully Bangladesh Garment Manufac- organisers. victims of wild elephant attacks mit, the signature annual event ladesh to take immediate resolved,” spokesman Iñigo turers and Exporters Associa- CCC spokeswoman Mir- in the island country. AFP in the global textile hub, sched- steps to ensure the protec- Sáenz Maestre said. tion (BGMEA), an industry body jam van Heugten said, “Un- Cabinet spokesperson Gay- Dhaka uled for Saturday. tion of the workers’ rights, The strike, which lasted for that represents the country’s less all detainees are released, antha Karunathilleke said The move follows strikes in with special attention to the a little over two weeks, was 4,500 clothing factories, and unsubstantiated charges are compensations would be paid December when tens of thou- legitimate representatives of squashed, with some 1,600 em- features Prime Minister Sheikh dropped, and other acts of for damages caused by wild eading fashion brands sands of garment workers in the workers who have been ployees sacked and 34 arrested, Hasina as its keynote speaker. intimidation and harassment elephant attacks on individu- including H&M and Zara the industrial town of Ashualia arrested,” C&A spokesman while cases alleging burglary, BGMEA president Siddiqur of trade unions are stopped... als and properties, Xinhua Lwill boycott a key indus- staged mass protests demand- Thorsten Rolfes said. arson, vandalism and extor- Rahman said that they “did not (the brands) cannot credibly reported. try conference in Bangladesh ing a three-fold hike in pay, A spokesman for Swedish ap- tion, among other charges, were get any communication from participate in a summit on Following a proposal by Wild- in support of garment workers which can run as low as $68 a parel giant H&M confi rmed the fi led against more than 1,500 any brand not attending the “sustainable growth” of the life Minister Gamini Jayawick- who have been sacked, hunted month. boycott. workers. summit”. industry.” rama Perera, the government decided to increase the compen- sation paid for human deaths and permanent disabilities from the current Rs200,000 (estimated Honing skills $1,200) to Rs500,000 ($3,300), Karunathilleke said. Protesters Several persons are killed in Sri Lanka each year in wild elephant attacks while those living in dry zones, especially in the south, have their properties damaged in clash with such tusker attacks. During the past 12 years, an estimated 1,464 elephants have been killed, while 672 persons have lost their lives in elephant cops in Nepal attacks. Toll in boat capsize anti-govt climbs to 13

The deaths in a boat capsize in Sri Lanka has risen to 13 after shutdown rescuers yesterday recovered two more bodies. The boat, which capsized in the DPA shari Raj Ghimire, a senior seas off Kalutara on Sunday, Kathmandu police offi cer, said. was ferrying passengers to a Two protesters clashed wedding, Xinhua news agency with police while they tried reported. nti-government pro- to wave black fl ags at a former The navy said the overloaded testers clashed with deputy prime minister visiting boat had not followed safety Apolice in several towns a south-eastern town, a local regulations. across southern Nepal and police offi cer said. At least 32 passengers have been attacked a municipal build- Suman said the two were rescued since Sunday. ing yesterday as they forced a seriously injured and were be- The government has said it shutdown in the region over ing treated in hospital. would pay compensation to the local elections. An alliance of nine opposi- families of those who perished in Shops, schools and factories tion parties in Nepal yesterday the disaster and to those injured. were closed and public trans- decided to obstruct the con- The fisheries ministry has port remained off the streets stitution amendment bill that imposed a new regulation, in the country’s southern fl at- seeks to address the demands Members of Nepalese army demonstrate their rescue skills during the rehearsal for the upcoming Army Day celebration at Tundhikhel banning fishing boats from land bordering India in a shut- of agitating Madhesi parties in in Kathmandu yesterday. being used to transport down called by an alliance of the parliament, a media report passengers. seven regional parties domi- said. nated by ethnic Madhesis who A meeting of the opposition live in the region. parties, led by the CPN-UML, The Madhesis have protest- held in Kathmandu decided to ed against the government, obstruct the House proceed- which announced Monday ings if the government tries Panel planned that polls would be held on to push the amendment bill through, Rastriya Janamukti Lanka commission May 14 for more than 700 local bodies, the fi rst local elections Party Loktantrik- lawmaker to tackle abuse in 20 years. Shiva Lal Thapa said. Delayed for years because of The opposition, however, civil war and political infi ght- said they will allow the pro- of women ceedings to run if other issues questions central bank ing, the elections are warrant- ed under the constitution that such as election bill and im- was promulgated in Septem- peachment motion were dis- AFP ber 2015. cussed in the parliament. Colombo But the protesters have re- The meeting also decided to hold further talks with ruling chief over bond sale fused to participate in the polls and are demanding amend- parties and United Democratic ri Lanka will set up a special panel to ments to the constitution. Madhesi Front on the disputed tackle widespread sexual abuse and Reuters “We are happy the way the central sidiary of a company owned by the Manish Suman, a leader of issues including the amend- Sexploitation of women including thou- Colombo bank is cooperating on this investiga- son-in-law of the former central the protesting group, said ral- ment bill. sands of war widows, the government said tion and we believe the truth will be bank governor, Mahendran, in what lies and meetings were organ- The government has tabled yesterday. revealed.” has been criticised as a confl ict of ised across dozens of towns the constitution amendment The establishment of a new National Sri Lankan commission in- Less than two months after he interest. and cities in the region. bill in the parliament in order Commission on Women comes amid warn- vestigating irregularities in ousted Mahinda Rajapakse in 2015, Mahendran, appointed by Prime “Tens of thousands have to address the demands of the ings that women from the Tamil minority Agovernment bond sales ques- President Sirisena’s administration Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe, and participated in the rallies. agitating Madhesi parties, that face widespread sexual exploitation by offi - tioned the new head of the country’s faced criticism over a February 2016 his son-in-law, Arjun Aloysius, deny They have blocked roads and mainly include re-demarca- cials in their own community as well as from central bank yesterday, as the govern- bond auction that forced government wrongdoing. chanted slogans against the tion of provincial boundary the military. ment’s anti-corruption policy came borrowing costs up by 2 percentage Coomaraswamy earlier this month government,” he said. and citizenship issues. The commission will have powers of prosecu- under scrutiny. points. told reporters the central bank has The Madhesis say the The Madhesi parties have tion, said the government in a statement. The commission questioned In- The auction originally intended taken some action against Perpetual constitution discriminates relaunched agitation to op- Sri Lanka’s former president Chandrika Ku- drajith Coomaraswamy on the al- to sell 1bn rupees ($7mn) of 30-year Treasuries after preliminary investi- against them by limiting their pose the local body election maratunga said last week that women faced leged irregularities in the issuance of bonds. It eventually grew to more gations, but he declined to elaborate representation in state insti- announced by the election sexual abuse from local offi cials, with those treasury bonds. It will also investigate than 10 times that amount, to meet on the actions taken. tutions. commission on Monday. widowed during the 37-year confl ict particu- a controversial bond sale under his government borrowing needs. Offi cials at the Perpetual Treasur- They have long called for Madhesis, mostly of In- larly at risk. predecessor, Arjuna Mahendran, in More than half of the issue was ies have denied any wrongdoing in the the redrawing of provincial dian-origin, launched a six- Many have struggled in the war’s aftermath to February 2015. sold to Perpetual Treasuries, a sub- past. boundaries to ensure greater month-long agitation from obtain identity papers and birth certifi cates which Coomaraswamy, who was ap- representation for their com- September 2015 to February are essential to obtain government handouts and pointed by President Maithripala munity. last year in which more than other aid. Sirisena on July 4 after Mahendran’s “Some 60 protesters 50 people were killed. Prosecutions of military personnel or offi cials tenure ended, was questioned for marched in Rajbiraj. Some of The agitation had also crip- for sex crimes are rare in Sri Lanka, although four nearly three hours by the commis- them hurled stones at a mu- pled the landlocked country’s soldiers were jailed for 25 years for the gang-rape sion, according to a witness at the nicipality building and dam- economy as supplies from In- of a young Tamil mother in 2010, a year after the commission offi ce. aged its glass windows,” Ke- dia were blocked. war ended. Sirisena appointed the commission after opposition lawmakers demand- ed an independent inquiry, charging Bangladesh Supreme Court allows transmission of Indian channels that the controversial bond sale has lost the state more than $1bn be- The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday with the passing of the order, lawyers stop broadcast of three Indian channels cause of rising borrowing costs in the upheld the High Court (HC) verdict that said. in Bangladesh territory. past two years. The central bank has cancelled the writ petition demanding The SC also ordered filing a regular Lawyer Syeda Shaheen Ara Laily filed dismissed the opposition’s claims. ban on broadcast of three Indian appeal, writ petitioner lawyer Aklas the petition with the HC with clippings Civic organisations that back channels in Bangladesh territory. Uddin Bhuiyan said. of a news items published in diff erent Sirisena have demanded the president Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed On February 20, a petition was filed national dailies in which a Bangladeshi ensure an independent investigation. the order saying ‘no order’ upon a with the SC demanding suspension of girl committed suicide on July in 2014 “We have a big hope on this com- petition demanding suspension of the the HC order that cancelled a petition after failing to purchase a dress of mission,” said Keerthi Tennakoon, an HC order. demanding stopping of transmission of Pakhi, a character of a Bengali drama advisor to Anti-Corruption Forum There is no bar to continuing the three Indian channels. serial titled Bojhe Na Se Bojhe Na (he/ (ACF), a local body which has high- transmission of three Indian channels The HC on January 29 cancelled the she doesn’t understand), aired on lighted many irregular deals under - Star Jalsha, Star Plus and Zee Bangla, writ petition demanding directives to Indian channel Star Jalsha. Sirisena. Indrajith Coomaraswamy ... facing opposition charge Gulf Times 45 22 Thursday, February 23, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko Investing Asia’s savings

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar within the region [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) The Asian region has been carry trade that took root after the invested in Asia and 72.4% invested in approach is magnifi ed by US President Fax 44350474 2008 fi nancial crisis. North America, Europe, and Oceania. Donald Trump’s “America fi rst” credo, made hostage to volatility As Hyun Shin and other economists Even Central and Latin America which is almost certain to translate in capital fl ows, exchange at the Bank for International received one-third more Japanese into protectionist policies. Settlements have argued, low portfolio investment than Asia. Such policies will push Asian rates, and interest rates developed-country interest rates and This preference for investing investment further into the dollar a weak dollar drove fi nancial markets, outside Asia is shared by the region’s trap, because Asian savings will be By Andrew Sheng and Xiao Geng led by the New York and London hubs, other major savers – namely, China, used to chase speculative dollar- GULF TIMES to borrow money in low-interest- Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, denominated assets outside the Hong Kong rate currencies and invest in higher- and Singapore – even though returns region, instead of to meet Asia’s own interest-rate currencies. within Asia are generally higher than needs. or more than three decades, This fi nancial game has had a far- elsewhere. To be sure, in the longer term, Asia has experienced faster reaching impact. As a result, the region has been China’s “one belt, one road” initiative, economic growth than any While the conventional view is that made hostage to volatility in capital together with the internationalisation Sports events Fother region. trade imbalances drive exchange rates fl ows, exchange rates, and interest of the renminbi, will help to weaken As it has developed, Asia has been and capital fl ows, fi nancial accounting rates. the dollar’s grip on Asia. exporting its savings, through a in Japan, for example, tells a diff erent The problem is that, two decades But that remains a distant prospect. trade surplus with the United States, story. after the Asian fi nancial crisis, In the meantime, the central banks in Qatar should and re-importing them, in the form From 2010 to 2015, the cumulative there has been little progress in of leading Asian surplus economies of direct and portfolio investment external surplus accounted for just institutionalising Asian fi nancial (particularly China and Japan) need to via New York and London – a 44% of the net change in Japan’s intermediaries that will channel work with other major central banks process that has created severe, investment position. savings to high-return projects within (especially the European Central Bank be spaced out though largely overlooked, financial Financial-account transactions the region. and the Bank of England) to change tensions. caused 32% of that change, while In India, for example, the top ten how excess savings in high-growth At the end of 2015, the combined net valuation changes relating to exchange investment banks are from the US and regions are used. It’s high time the various sports bodies in Qatar asset position of China, Hong Kong, and interest rates accounted for the Europe. The goal should be to ensure came together to devise a proper sports calendar that Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan rest. The situation is not much diff erent that savings in surplus countries – would ease the troubles of the organisers, sports fans amounted to $7.3tn – almost exactly Japan’s persistent current-account in Hong Kong and Singapore. including, say, Germany, which has a equivalent to the net international surpluses should have strengthened Even in China, where local larger current-account surplus than as well as the media. investment liability of the US. its net international asset positions. investment institutions are growing China and Japan – are used wisely, to Often important international tournaments are And this imbalance is not likely to But, thanks to the appreciation of rapidly, the ability to channel funds help sustain growth throughout the clumped together in the same week causing logistical go away any time soon. foreign holdings of Japanese equities, to the high-return real sector remains world economy. problems, besides leading to lesser turnout of In fact, the US’s net liabilities have the country’s net international asset limited. Trump’s plan to put America fi rst grown lately – to $7.8tn at the end of position actually deteriorated, from Now that US and European banks may sound straightforward. spectators at venues because they have to choose September 2016 – owing largely to its a peak of $3.8tn at the end of 2012 to – driven by capital and regulatory But it fails to recognise that, if the between two or three events. continuing current-account defi cit $2.8tn at the end of 2015. constraints, as well as the prospects emerging economies falter, everyone A case in point is this week when the prestigious and stronger exchange-rate eff ects. As Bank of Japan economists point of higher US interest rates and a will lose. HH The Emir’s Sword horse racing and show jumping Why don’t Asian countries invest out, Japanese holdings of foreign strengthening dollar – are beginning With Trump seemingly unwilling to their savings within their own region? assets are less profi table than foreign to move away from Asia, the pressure rethink his approach, it is up to Asia festival, the FIM Motocross World Championship and An obvious reason is that the US holdings of Japanese assets. to remedy the situation is stronger and its international partners to gird the Seamaster World Tour Platinum Qatar Open table dominates global fi nance, particularly What Japan should be doing is than ever. themselves – and the entire global tennis are being held. in the capital and currency markets. investing more in high-growth Asia. But, instead of supporting Asian economy. – Project Syndicate These of course are in addition to several local In a 2005 paper, Pierre-Olivier At the end of 2015, only 10.1% of fi nancial institutions’ capacity to take Gourinchas and Hélène Rey argued ¥574.8tn ($4.8tn) in gross outward over the intermediation of the region’s zAndrew Sheng is Distinguished Fellow tournaments, including the Qatar Stars League which that the US, once the world’s banker, investment remained in Asia, with savings, Asian fi nancial regulators of the Asia Global Institute at the is now at a crucial stage. had become its venture capitalist, 70% going to North America, Europe, are focused on adopting the new University of Hong Kong and a member Fans keen on watching the multi-million dollar races investing internationally, especially and Oceania. global fi nancial regulatory standards of the UNEP Advisory Council on on Saturday at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club in Asia, instead of just borrowing and The composition of Japan’s being pushed by their American and Sustainable Finance. lending. portfolio investments, which European counterparts – standards zXiao Geng, President of the Hong as well as the thrilling motocross action at the Losail But that doesn’t mean that Asian comprised 73.6% of the country’s total that American and European Kong Institution for International International Circuit will have to pick one of the two. countries are better off investing in outward investment at the end of 2015, politicians are threatening to unwind. Finance, is a professor at the University Even though the horse races are scheduled for the the West – not least because of the is even more uneven, with only 3.5% The imperative to change this of Hong Kong. afternoon and the motocross late in the night, many fans, especially those planning a family outing, would prefer to watch only one. For many it could be a painful choice. The vast distance between venues also can be off -putting for some. Had these events been spread out over a two weekends, organisers could have expected larger crowds. Foreign media are often critical of sparse spectator participation at sporting events in Qatar and it goes without saying that the authorities need to look at this aspect with utmost urgency and sincerity. Afridi’s retirement So Shahid Afridi has announced his retirement from international cricket, hopefully for the fi nal time, bringing the curtains down on a chequered career. Starting off as a 17-year-old, Afridi had an almost immediate impact on cricket fans across the world when he belted a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka in 1996 in only his second ODI match. It was a brutal exhibition of strokemaking from the teenager against an opposition that included legendary bowlers like Mutthiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. He hit 11 sixes during the innings and the century Bringing science down to earth record stood for 17 years before New Zealander Corey Anderson bettered it in 2003, albeit by just one ball. Afridi enjoyed playing to the gallery. Fans demanded By Eric Scerri structure – on which all of the above- his theory of the structure of the everyone at least accepts the utility of New York named scientists worked – haven’t hydrogen atom. some science. sixes from him, and he tried his best to oblige, often heard of them either. From that, quantum mechanics Very few people so doubt the losing his wicket in the process and causing his team After all, the feature linking these and all the technological applications fi ndings of aeronautics, for example, distress. Fans lived and died with every shot he made s scientists, we tend to tell men is that, broadly speaking, they based on it – including lasers and that they won’t board an airplane. as chants of “Boom Boom Afridi” pierced the air. our story via breakthroughs, didn’t always know what they were semiconductors – would follow. But a signifi cant portion of the paradigm shifts that doing. Something similar happened with general public still fi nds science baffl ing. A measure of his cult following can be gauged from shake the foundations of In some cases, much of what they each of the other unknown scientists What is incomprehensible is the fact that several hundred fans left the stadium A knowledge and remake everyone’s published turned out to be incorrect. on my list. regarded as questionable; what is after he was dismissed for 54 off 28 balls in Sharjah in understanding of how the world And yet each of them proposed one Their haphazard, often pedestrian puzzling can be dismissed. the Pakistan Super League on Sunday. They had come works. or two key ideas in their lifetimes that work still provided keys to, for It doesn’t help that science It’s a tale of high-fl ying, singular were picked up by others, modifi ed example, how the elements in the represents our deepest and most to see only one man. The rest hardly mattered. brilliance, of Einsteins and Darwins, of and tested, and eventually led to major periodic table should be ordered reliable knowledge of the world and Afridi was also a controversial fi gure and had to be pure genius. breakthroughs. (Van den Broek) and the “octet rule” yet is also provisional – what we know disciplined several times. He was caught chewing a Such a narrative of exceptionalism In the 1910s, the English that explains much of chemical is constantly being adjusted, tested. cricket ball during a match, and also caused off ence in isn’t entirely wrong, but it’s wrong mathematical physicist John bonding (Abegg). When the whole In this too, however, science isn’t enough to help skew the way society Nicholson published a number of of the history of atomic theory is unusual. Pakistan when he suggested that women should stick thinks about science and to sow doubt articles in which he proposed that understood, it’s clear that the missing Like life itself, it progresses by trial to their household chores like cooking. about its fi ndings. several proto-elements (his term) links turned up by these “regular and error. But nobody can deny that he is a legend, especially It puts us and our work too far out existed in outer space and were people” scientists, and the details and It depends on humans simply trying in limited overs cricket. After all, there are not many of the reach of too many people, and the basis of our familiar terrestrial even the dead ends they accumulated, things out, even if its practitioners earns us epithets like “elitist” and elements. are every bit as important as the don’t always want to admit it. players with more than 8,000 runs and 395 wickets “arrogant.” Their presence in a number of insights of a star such as Bohr. Science is what we know to the best against their names in ODI cricket. The truth about science is much celestial bodies, he claimed, enabled This view of science casts a dim of our human abilities. more prosaic. him for the fi rst time to do successful light on priority disputes – the intense Such as: Vaccinations don’t Detailed case studies on the history calculations on the light reaching us battles over who was or should be cause autism; GMO corn is as safe of chemistry and physics show that from the Orion nebula and the solar considered fi rst to a discovery – which as every other crop that has been To Advertise the role of genius in advancing those corona. happens even among otherwise genetically modifi ed by other means fi elds – and even the role of rationality At fi rst his fi ndings seemed to hold perfectly modest scientists. for thousands of years; and Earth is [email protected] – is overstated. up, but it soon became clear that the It helps explain why multiple warming past dangerous levels. Display Rather than a hyper-intellectual, calculations were incorrect or the researchers arrive at the same The process that resulted in these Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 alien activity practised by a remote result of numerological speculations. conclusion so often: Science is a fi ndings isn’t incomprehensible, priesthood, science is hit and miss, the Nevertheless in the course of his cumulative, incremental, collective remote or elitist. Classified ever-changing product of less-than- work Nicholson also proposed that eff ort. Even the rarefi ed fi eld of atomic Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 brilliant people, just like every other the angular momentum of electrons Fierce competition among theory is built on human error human activity. circulating around a nucleus should individuals is inevitable, and it may and serendipity, on non-geniuses Subscription Have you ever heard of John be “quantised,” meaning that it could serve to develop better science in the randomly groping around. [email protected] Nicholson, Anton Van den Broek, only occur with specifi c defi nite short run, but overall, even heroic The better science communicates Richard Abegg, Charles Bury, John values. individual achievements are simply this notion, along with its Main Smith, Edmund Stoner and This notion would set Danish not as important as the ever-evolving fundamental ordinariness, the better 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Charles Janet? Don’t worry, chances physicist (and, ultimately, Nobel whole. its chances of being heard, understood are many experts in the fi eld of atomic Prize winner) Niels Bohr off on In these doubting days, almost and valued. – Tribune News Service Gulf Times Thursday, February 23, 2017 23 COMMENT Old questions haunt Syria talks

While a ceasefi re exists The government delegation will be led by Syria’s UN ambassador Bashar there has been little Ja’afari, while the main opposition movement on the issues delegation will be headed by Nasr al-Hariri, a 40-year-old cardiologist that dogged previous from the southern province of Deraa, rounds of talks where the fi rst major demonstrations against Assad began in 2011. Outside powers Russia and Iran, By Tom Miles and which back Assad, and Turkey and John Irish/ Reuters the United States, which support his Geneva opponents, will have no direct role in the talks. A question mark hangs over the hen Syria peace talks position of US President Donald restart in Geneva today Trump, whose public comments after 10 months in the have signalled he is more concerned Wdeep-freeze, familiar with fi ghting Islamic State than with disagreements are likely to resurface, removing Assad. despite massive changes in the He appears to have withdrawn from military and political context. the US-Russian co-leadership that President Bashar al-Assad’s military drove Syria diplomacy in the past. advances, with Russian and Iranian “Where are the United States? I help, have transformed the battlefi eld can’t tell you, because I don’t know,” since the last UN talks broke up de Mistura said last week. without progress in April 2016. “One thing I’m missing at the The political context is similarly moment in order to have a clear unrecognisable, with new leadership equation is a clear US strategy.” in Washington and the United Nations Stronger contacts between Russia, and tentative co-ordination between Turkey and Iran brought Syrian Turkey, Russia and Iran. negotiators to talks in Kazakhstan in But while a ceasefi re exists, at least January and this month, and briefl y nominally, across most of Syria, there stirred hope of fresh impetus. has been little movement on the issues But those talks, which some that dogged previous rounds of talks. People walk past trucks with satellite dish on the eve of resumption of peace talks on Syria, yesterday at the United Nations off ices in Geneva. Rival negotiators arrived diplomats said might lead to a united The confl ict that began with street in Geneva yesterday for UN-brokered talks aimed at ending Syria’s six-year conflict. front against designated terrorist protests six years ago has evolved into groups, ended in disarray. a complex multi-sided war that has option of pressing home its advantage Anas al-Abdah, head of the Some opposition fi gures, Western stop terrorism, so go with Bashar.’” New UN Secretary-General killed hundreds of thousands of people on the ground if it doesn’t get its way opposition Syrian National Coalition, and Arab diplomats fear that if Assad The opposition says Assad is Antonio Guterres has played down and created the world’s worst refugee at the negotiating table. said: “We are fully committed to the stays in power, the violence will responsible for hundreds of thousands expectations of a breakthrough. crisis. “The opposition should understand Geneva talks and prepared to discuss a simmer for ever. of deaths. “Peace is only possible when The opposition will press for that there are new realities on the political solution and transition. A leak of a Russian-drafted His government blames the rebels none of the parties to the conflict prisoner releases, the lifting of ground in Syria and international We cannot address the profound constitution suggests he could for the bloodshed. think they can win. I’m not sure we government sieges, and above all for a changes – it’s not like it was in 2011,” security threats while Assad remains continue for several seven-year terms. Western diplomats said De Mistura are yet there in Syria,” he said on political transition leading to the end said pro-Assad Syrian parliamentarian in power.” “He will be a magnet for terrorism,” was hopeful of bringing the opposing Saturday. of Assad’s rule. Sharif Shehadeh. UN mediator Staff an de Mistura one Western diplomat said. Syrian factions face to face – unlike “I’m afraid that some might The government side is expected “The circumstances, the summed up his mood as “determined.” “It’s obvious and logical but it’s last year, when he was forced to still think, and I think it’s a total to stick with its view that the entire (battlefi eld) has changed, the political He wants to focus on reforming so diffi cult to sell as an idea, because shuttle between them in “proximity illusion, that they might win that armed opposition are terrorists. situation has changed, so they need to the governance of Syria, introducing people are so desperate for peace. talks” that proved to be fruitless. war, so I’m not optimistic about And with Assad militarily stronger go with a mindset of participation, not a new constitution, and holding People are saying: ‘Why do you But it was unclear whether this the short-term solution for the than he has been for years, it has the exclusion.” elections under UN supervision. support terrorism? The priority is to would be possible. Syria crisis.” Weather report Three-day forecast

Making sense of ‘Trump-speak’ TODAY High: 20 C In Trumpglish, “very dumb” Dishonest media: Any media person even when I say things that make no Low : 17 C By Rex Huppke Inshore: Expected thundery rain at Washington translates to “I’m frustrated because or outlet reporting news that makes sense, like: “The leaks are real. The places associated with strong wind. you’re asking something I don’t want Trump look bad. news is fake.” to answer.”) Honest reporter: Sean Hannity. Sad: Factual. f you watched President Donald The rough Trumpglish-to- Fine-tuned machine: Complete and Lies: Truth. FRIDAY Trump’s most recent news English translation of “The leaks are utter Dumpster fi re. I’m sorry: (Defi nition not available High: 22 C conference, you may have absolutely real. The news is fake” is: The biggest Electoral College win as these words have never been Low: 16 C Ireached a point midway through “The leaks are absolutely real, which since Ronald Reagan: My margin spoken.) P Cloudy when you thought: “That’s strange, I sucks. The news is also real, but I’m of victory ranked 46th out of 58 US Russians: Pals. don’t recall buying a one-way ticket to not going to admit it ever, ever, ever, presidential elections. Putin: Best. Crazytown.” ever.” The failing New York Times: The Leaks: Bad if they involve Trump, SATURDAY Don’t be alarmed. Having majored in Trumpglish newspaper that has seen subscriptions good if they involve anyone else. High: 22 C That’s a perfectly normal reaction, at Trump University, I’m happy soar since Trump was elected Inner City: The mysterious place Low: 14 C as most Americans are what I call to help my fellow citizens adapt president. where Trump believes all black people P Cloudy “Trump-illiterate.” They hear words to this new and wildly predictable I am the least anti-Semitic person live. coming out of the president’s mouth language. that you’ve ever seen in your entire A great wall: A pipe dream. but have no clue what those words Here, then, is a list of commonly life: I am a 70-year-old man who I’ll be in Melbourne, Fla., fi ve Fishermen’s forecast o’clock on Saturday and I heard – just actually mean. used Trumpglish words and phrases doesn’t understand what anti- OFFSHORE DOHA For example, during his news followed by their English translation. Semitism means, and I have curried heard that the crowds are massive that Wind: NW-NE 05-15/25 KT conference last Thursday, Trump Bad: Generally means “good,” favour with white nationalists who want to be there: I’m a transparently Waves: 2-4/8 Feet talked about leaks coming from the particularly when applied to know exactly what anti-Semitism fragile man who was not hugged INSHORE DOHA Wind: NE 05-15/25 KT intelligence community, saying, “The something good that Trump considers means. enough as a child, and I desperately Waves: 1-3/4 Feet leaks are absolutely real. The news is bad. I am the least racist person: I am need to believe that I am loved and fake.” Good: Not good at all. a 70-year-old man who doesn’t powerful. Around the region Saying that a thing is real but Trumpglish synonyms of this word understand what racism means, and We’re doing very well: This is Weather Weather reports about that thing are fake might include “the best,” “the greatest,” I’ve been using this line my entire life hard and everything’s falling apart, today Max/min tomorrow Max/min seem like a logical fallacy. “spectacular,” “amazing” and “so because it makes me feel better about please impeach me so I can go back to Abu Dhabi Sunny 24/19 P Cloudy 26/20 It’s not, and Trump would call you amazing.” myself. television. Baghdad Sunny 20/05 Sunny 22/06 Dubai very dumb for thinking such a thing. Fake news: Real news that makes Real Americans: People who voted Thank you: I hate you. – Tribune M Sunny 26/19 P Cloudy 27/21 Kuwait City Showers 17/10 Sunny 21/10 (That wouldn’t be an insult. Trump look bad. for me and believe everything I say, News Service Manama P Cloudy 19/14 M Sunny 20/14 Muscat Sunny 26/21 Sunny 27/22 Riyadh P Cloudy 23/09 P Cloudy 18/08 Tehran P Cloudy 11/-1 Sunny 12/02 Live issues Eff ects of ‘fasting-mimicking’ diet

By Marilynn Larkin kidney disorders that may be aff ected Reuters Health by the very low glucose and protein content of the diet, or if you have nut or soy allergies. ollowing a diet that mimics What’s more, it “should never be fasting may reduce risk factors combined with glucose-lowering for disease in generally healthy drugs, such as metformin or insulin,” Fpeople, according to a small according to Antoun. study. Registered dietitian Ashlea Braun Dr Min Wei of UCLA’s Longevity of the Ohio State University Wexner Institute and colleagues tested the Medical Centre in Columbus pointed Around the world eff ects of the fasting-mimicking diet out that researchers compared Weather Weather on various risk factors for diabetes, the fasting-mimicking diet to today Max/min tomorrow Max/min heart disease, cancer or other participants’ usual diet. “Therefore, Athens Sunny 19/08 Sunny 18/10 conditions. we don’t yet know how this diet stands Beirut Sunny 18/11 M Sunny 18/11 Sunny 32/26 The diet (FMD; brand name ProLon) with FMD, but mainly for those who who want to optimise their health and up against long-standing approaches Bangkok 34/27 S T Storms Berlin Rain 09/03 Rain& Snow 04/-2 is low in calories, sugars and protein were already at risk. well-being, by overweight or obese already shown to be benefi cial, such as Cairo P Cloudy 22/10 Sunny 24/11 but high in unsaturated fats. Side eff ects were mild, including individuals who want to manage their the Mediterranean or DASH Diet.” Cape Town Sunny 34/18 Sunny 26/18 Forty-eight study participants ate fatigue, weakness and headaches. weight in an easy and healthy way, and “It’s not clear if (FMD) enables Colombo P Cloudy 32/23 P Cloudy 32/24 normally for three months while 52 ate Wei and Dr Valter Longo of the by people who have abnormal levels of individuals to consistently meet all Dhaka P Cloudy 30/18 Sunny 30/16 Hong Kong Cloudy 19/16 Cloudy 16/14 FMD for fi ve days each month and ate University of California, San Diego, biomarkers for ageing and age-related micronutrient requirements,” she told Istanbul Sunny 16/08 Sunny 16/10 normally the rest of the time. said in an interview published in the conditions.” Reuters Health by e-mail.“It’s also not Jakarta S T Storms 32/24 T Storms 31/24 After three months, the groups journal that while “the great majority” That said, Antoun acknowledged known how this type of restrictive diet Karachi Sunny 31/17 Sunny 32/18 switched regimens. of participants had one or more risk that if you have common conditions aff ects muscle mass in the long term, London Showers 11/02 P Cloudy 09/04 Manila P Cloudy S T Storms 32/24 Although all participants were factors for diseases such as diabetes, associated with overweight and obesity and what impact this has on various 33/23 Moscow S Showers 01/-1 Rain& Snow 03/-4 considered healthy, some had high heart disease or cancer, “FDA trials such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease indicators of health.” New Delhi Sunny 26/13 Sunny 27/13 blood pressure, low levels of “good” will be necessary to demonstrate and cancer, you should not use FMD “Although there is some evidence New York P Cloudy 18/12 P Cloudy 18/11 cholesterol, and other risk factors. whether periodic FMD is eff ective in without a doctor’s approval. showing these type of restrictive Paris Showers 11/04 P Cloudy 09/01 A total of 71 people completed the disease prevention and treatment.” The product also should not be used diets can help ‘jump start’ people Sao Paulo S T Storms 31/21 S T Storms 31/20 Seoul P Cloudy 03/-8 M Sunny 04/-3 study, which was published in Science Dr Joseph Antoun, CEO of L-Nutra, by children under 18 or pregnant or considering lifestyle changes, more Singapore T Storms 32/24 T Storms 32/24 Translational Medicine. Inc, which produces FMD, told nursing women. research is defi nitely needed before Sydney Cloudy 29/19 P Cloudy 25/20 Body mass index, blood pressure, Reuters Health by e-mail that FMD And it’s not for you if you have this is recommended for individuals,” Tokyo Rain 17/09 Clear 12/05 blood sugar and cholesterol improved “is intended for use by individuals certain metabolic diseases, liver or Braun concluded. Gulf Times 24 Thursday, February 23, 2017 QATAR Regional pearl market poised Fifty One East will showcase unique watch and jewellery pieces at the DJWE. for growth Fifty One East to showcase By Ramesh Mathew that we procure from across the Staff Reporter world for making ornaments, especially necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and beads require no he market for ornaments further introduction among the never-seen-before pieces made from pearls in Qa- local clientele,” said Schwarz Ttar and rest of the region while adding that this could is bound to grow steadily if the be possible only because of the ifty One East, Qatar’s hibition-goers an insight to the wristwatch, a purse made of white gold, yellow diamonds, trend among the Gulf citizens is awareness created by Alfardan. prominent department milestones from its history with twelve articulated panels and a diamonds and rutilated quartz. any indication, said a regional Schoff el has displayed a large Fstore, is contributing to a photographic gallery that cap- lipstick holder in pierced pink Fifty One East will comple- representative of Schoff el, a collection of ornaments made a distinct central exhibition on tures many of the company’s gold. ment their display pavilion with widely acclaimed business house of pearls from diff erent desti- display at the ongoing Doha fi rsts. The central exhibition will a retrospective photo gallery, from Germany, specialising in nations, especially South Sea Jewellery and Watches Exhi- Fifty One East’s selection for also include the exclusive ‘Con- taking visitors on a journey of the pearl sector. around Australia, China, Japan’s bition at Doha Exhibition and the DJWE’s central exhibition stellation du Lion’ necklace the signifi cant moments in the “Schoff el, which is set to com- Schwartz holding a necklace Akoya and Tahiti Black pearls Convention Centre. includes a unique display of from Chanel’s Sous le Signe company’s history such as when plete 100 years in 2021, has been made of South Sea pearls at his from French Polynesia. Besides showing unique ar- archive pieces from Boucheron du Lion collection, which rep- Qatar’s fi rst department store in doing business in Qatar since company’s booth at Alfardan “Ornaments made from Tahiti chive pieces from Boucheron shown for the fi rst time outside resents a stunning tribute to 1949, Modern Home (the previ- the start of Doha Jewellery and pavilion. PICTURE: Thajudheen pearls is of good demand among and an exclusive necklace from of Paris dating from 1902-1954. the lion, the sign of Gabrielle ous brand name of Fifty One Watches Exhibition (DJWE) in Qatari women,” Schwartz said. Chanel, two of the most re- Such pieces include exquisite Chanel that became an emblem East), was established. It also 2004,” company representative name that comes to one’s mind “This growing interest of the lo- spected jewellery designers gold and diamond brooches, for the maison. marks other momentous occa- Gregor Schwartz told Gulf Times. when it comes to pearls is that of cals makes us very hopeful of do- since the 19th century, Fifty powder case with a mirror in- ‘Constellation du Lion’ is a sions such as bringing the fi rst The Schoff el booth is within the Alfardan,” he said. ing more business here in coming One East is also set to give ex- side, a square yellow gold lady spectacular necklace laden with Rolex to Qatar in 1951. Alfardan pavilion. Schwartz has no doubt that years.” “We are here because of glo- there are not too many jewellers According to this trader, the bally well-known pearl collectors elsewhere with such enormous best pearl ornaments are those as Hussain Alfardan, who has no collections of pearls as Alfardan. made from uncultured and unre- parallels in the industry. The fi rst “The unrefi ned and raw pearls fi ned natural pearls. Boucheron unveils 26 Vendome collection

By Peter Alagos an ode to nature, an end- Argentique, and Damier Business Reporter less source of inspiration Cabochon) explores this for Boucheron since the other facet of the Maison. Maison’s foundation in With parents who were Vacheron Constantin is a he 26 Vendome col- 1858. both drapers, Frédéric lection by jewellery The artisans rose to Boucheron’s childhood Ticon Boucheron the challenge of a radiant was infused with memo- took centrestage among lily with a jonquil heart ries of all kinds of fabric preferred watch for locals 51 East’s luxurious brands (‘Lys Radiant’), the wheat and materials. during the ongoing Doha of summer (‘Blé d’été’), In Porté Couture, the Jewellery and Watches feathers transforming into realms of haute couture By Ramesh Mathew Exhibition. distant birds (‘Plume de and high-jewellery come Plume de paon earrings. Staff Reporter Inspired by the address paon’), and wild animals together and fuse into of Maison Boucherron, as a symbol of freedom one. 26 Vendome pays tribute (‘Animaux de collection’). A mantle of light (Cape atar is one of the best to Paris’s most prestig- Boucheron has always de Lumière), a ripple of markets for premium ious square, Place Ven- been an ardent admirer diamonds (Plissé Dia- Qand luxury limited edi- dome, and features three of abstraction, whether mants), and a graphic tion timepieces across the chapters – ‘Nature Tri- in geometrical perfection ribbon made of emeralds world, said a top watch indus- omphante’, ‘Architecture or the pure lines of Art and rubies (Ruban graph- try professional yesterday on Inspirée’ and ‘Porté Cou- Deco. Architecture In- ique) – an array of pieces the sidelines of the Doha Jew- ture’. spirée (Hôtel Particulier, to wear like precious gar- ellery and Watches Exhibition Nature Triomphante is Vendôme Chromatique et ments. Nara the deer ring. 26 Vendome ring. (DJWE). Vacheron Constantin’s re- gional brand director (Middle East and Indian subcontinent), Alexander Schmiedt, said the urge to possess unique luxury Napoleon descendant DeWitt back at DJWE watches is growing in Qatar and the trend continues among the young generation as well. By Ramesh Mathew man hours, if one takes into ac- While acknowledging the Staff Reporter count the time devoted by the strides made by his company fi ve professionals who perfect- in the last fi ve decades since it ed it. began doing business in Qatar, ount Jerome Napoleon DeWitt says watchmaking is Schmiedt said their association DeWitt is not only from becoming more and more chal- with a loyal client as Alfardan Cthe fi fth generation of lenging as the makers are fi nd- Jewellery has made their watch- Alexander Schmiedt speaks at a presentation of his brand as Ali Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte ing it increasingly diffi cult to es a most sought-after luxuri- Alfardan looks on. PICTURE: Thajudheen but also one of the most reputa- get the “right personnel” for ous item at several affl uent Qa- ble watchmakers from Switzer- each department. “Unlike in tari homes. considered the ultimate in their eron models at diff erent periods land taking part in the ongoing other industries, in watchmak- The Vacheron Constantin of- respective segments. The hand- between 1827 and 2017. Doha Jewellery and Watches ing professionals handle only fi cial said Qatar was perhaps the timed pieces, he said, has more Even 70 years before that Exhibition (DJWE). one area each of its manufac- fi rst place in the region where than 500 independent hand- Vacheron was into the mak- DeWitt, a regular at the expo, turing,” he said. their company started selling made components and exten- ing of timepieces, he said while has brought an array of luxury Usually a person’s urge to limited edition timepieces and sive researches were carried out adding that utmost perfection single and limited edition ex- possess a unique watch, he said, each year there has been a grow- for years before the company was put into the work of every quisite time pieces, which have is motivated by his or her pas- ing demand for their watches in began their making. watch that the company is mak- taken anywhere between fi ve sion. the local market. Schmeidt also recollected ing. and 18 months for completion. DeWitt displays his Imperilia Academia watch at his booth within “For instance, on seeing a Yesterday the watchmaker their company’s track record Later, Alfardan Jewellery One of the watches, named Alfardan pavilion. PICTURE: Thajudheen unique watch in my booth, a recalled the uninterrupted in making pocket watches and president Ali Alfardan thanked Imperial Academia, is report- local collector took an instan- 262-year-old history of their perpetual calendars in the last the Swiss watchmaker for their edly modelled on the dash board too many complications and als worked more than 15 months taneous decision to possess it company and their Sonnerie two centuries and also remem- continuous trust in his compa- of a Ferrari car. The QR1.6mn nearly 1,000 components. to fi nish the watch. For cleaning at the price I asked for,” added and Astronomy models are bered the strides made by Vach- ny all along. hand-timed piece consists of DeWitt says fi ve profession- alone, it took more than 7,000 DeWitt. Chanel features high-jewellery pieces from its ‘1932’ collection

By Joey Aguilar lery at Chanel. “You have here Staff Reporter fi ne jewellery, the feather, but more creative for daily use, and the Coco Crush, it is a big collec- hanel is showcasing its tion for us now that we are adding high-jewellery pieces from new items you will see this year,” Cits ‘1932’ collection, as well she added. as other unique collections, at the The comet and star, two em- Doha Jewellery and Watches Ex- blematic elements of high jewel- hibition (DJWE). lery at Chanel, are masterfully “The one and only jewellery reinterpreted. “Chanel used to collection created by Gabriel always say that it should be easy Chanel in 1932 was Bijoux de Dia- to wear, so they are all installed mants, and for the occasion of its in a way where it goes with the 80th anniversary, she created an movement of the body,” said 80-piece collection called ‘1932’, Daneshvar, while showing one of here you can see some of the piec- Chanel’s 1932-inspired necklace. es,” Chanel’s corporate public re- Chanel is also highlighting its lations manager Helen Daneshvar Lion collection, a 32-karat yel- told Gulf Times. low diamond that serves as the She said such exceptional brand’s heritage, which is not pieces are inspired by symbols for sale, according to Daneshvar. and motifs such as comets, stars, “That is actually 34-karat but suns, fringes, fountains, ribbons they cut it down because of 1932, Chanel’s Bracelet Midnight FD. and feathers, which all form the it is a symbol for the high jewel- stylistic vocabulary of Chanel. lery,” she stressed. interpretation of the Premiere bly linked to the creations of the Chanel symbols. “You can see the The feather, Daneshvar noted, The company also features watch, is more masculine because House. Camelia, last year we introduced was dear to Chanel and these Premiere, one of the fi rst watches Chanel was more comfortable be- On brooches, rings, necklaces, the fi rst in-house movement, kinds of motifs keep coming back created by Chanel 30 years ago. ing a bit masculine, cutting her earrings, pendants or embroi- and the fi rst watch dedicated for in her collection as it clearly dis- The complicated but exceptional hair short and wearing pants, dered on watch dials by the Les- men,” the PR manager while add- plays the full scope of the creativ- piece is limited to only 12 pieces. she added. Camelia, Chanel’s fa- age workshop, the Camellia opens ing, “Once in a while we introduce ity and know-how of high jewel- The Premiere Boy, another vourite fl ower, remains inextrica- the way to the fascinating world of secret watches.” One of Chanel’s Premiere watches.