BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Thai stars spearhead Asian challenge INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-13, 32 COMMENT 30, 31 REGION 14 BUSINESS 1–10, 14-16 at CB Qatar QIB profi t jumps 10.3% 19,798.91 10,880.15 51.22 ARAB WORLD 15 CLASSIFIED 11-13 -27.86 -47.68 -1.26 INTERNATIONAL 16-29 SPORTS 1–12 to QR2.15bn in 2016 Masters -0.14% -0.44% -2.40% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

THURSDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10338 January 19, 2017 Rabia II 21, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir meets humanitarian work team New trauma, In brief emergency QATAR | Offi cial National strategy’s fi rst phase of preparation The Administrative Control and facility to Transparency Authority has started the first phase of the preparation of the national strategy for the promotion of transparency and integrity, as part of its commitment to implementing the terms of open in 2019 reference assigned to it and contributing to the achievement of HMC has embarked on a major the Qatar National Vision 2030. In a expansion drive with several press statement issued yesterday, HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday met at his Emiri Diwan off ice with HE Sheikh Dr Abdulaziz bin facilities to be opened from this year the Authority explained that the Abdulrahman al-Thani, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation Humanitarian Funds; strategy focuses on co-operation Dr Abdullah Matouq al-Matouq, adviser to the Emir of Kuwait and board chairman of the International Islamic Charitable he new trauma and emergency and co-ordination with all concerned Organisation; HE Dr Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Muraikhi, the UN Secretary General’s envoy for humanitarian aff airs; and the facility with 226 patient sta- parties in the State in a way that accompanying delegation who called upon the Emir to greet him on the occasion of their visit to the country to participate Ttions, being built in front of the it reflects their visions and takes in the UN initiative to honour leaders of humanitarian work. The meeting reviewed issues of mutual interest. GCC Secretary existing Emergency Department at Ha- advantage of the best international General Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani attended the meeting. mad General Hospital, will be opened experiences and practices. in 2019, Hamad Medical Corporation Artist’s impression of the under- (HMC) announced yesterday. construction Trauma and Emergency HMC has embarked on a major ex- building at Hamad General Hospital. EUROPE | Calamity pansion drive with several facilities to Earthquake nightmare be opened from this year. These include nifi cantly in recent years, resulting in Women’s Wellness and Research Cent- increasing numbers of patients relying returns to haunt Italy er, Ambulatory Care Center and Qatar on our trauma and emergency serv- Italy was hit by four earthquakes Obama: chances waning Rehabilitation Institute to be opened in ices,” said Hamad al-Khalifa, HMC’s in four hours yesterday, killing one the coming months. HMC had recently chief of healthcare facilities. and bringing terror to snowbound opened the new Communicable Dis- “The new facility represents a sub- mountain areas still recovering from eases Center. stantial investment in the provision of last year’s series of deadly tremors. The new trauma and emergency fa- leading edge, best practice emergency for two-state peace deal care and reinforces HMC’s commit- The quakes, all measuring more cility will lead to a signifi cant expansion than five magnitude, struck close of services in Qatar, as it is expected to ment to providing the people of Qatar to Amatrice, the mountain town Agencies more than quadruple the existing de- with high quality, world class facilities devastated by an August earthquake Washington partment’s space, providing greater and healthcare.” that left nearly 300 people dead. capacity to care for patients presenting The Emergency Department at Ha- The body of one victim was found with a range of illnesses and injuries mad General Hospital is described one under the debris of a building in resident Barack Obama said yes- with a focus on life-threatening medical of the busiest in the world, with over a the town of Castel Castagna, in the terday he was worried that the conditions. million patient visits last year. In recent province of Teramo. Page 22 Pprospects for a two-state solu- The new facility will be arranged years, the Department has witnessed a tion to the Israeli-Palestinian confl ict over four fl oors and accommodate 226 steady increase in the number of pa- were waning because of growing Is- patient stations. A full range of diag- tients treated, including paediatric WORLD | Weather raeli settlement of the West Bank. nostic and treatment facilities will be emergency cases. 2016 was warmest Obama told a news conference that provided with enhanced operational “The new Trauma and Emergency his administration did not block a re- links to adjoining buildings for effi cient building will be one of the largest dedi- yet, UN confi rms cent UN transfer of patients, including a direct cated emergency care facilities in the Last year was Earth’s warmest on resolution on Israeli settlement ac- link to the new operating theatre facil- region and a world class emergency record, according to data compiled tivity because it felt a two-state solu- ity and the Trauma Intensive Care Unit centre that will further enhance the by the UN, confirming US findings tion was the only option for peace. at Hamad General Hospital. quality of care we provide to our pa- that heat records were broken for a “The goal of the resolution was to Public drop-off s will be located on tients,” added al-Khalifa. third year in 2016. The study by the simply say that the growth of the set- the ground fl oor level and ambulance The construction of the new build- World Meteorological Organisation tlements are creating a reality on the drop-off facilities on the upper lev- ing is being completed in collaboration found that average temperatures ground that increasingly will make el. A dedicated ambulance ramp will with Ashghal, the Public Works Au- were about 1.1C (1.98F) above the a two-state solution impossible,” US President Barack Obama pauses during his last press conference at the White separate public and emergency traffi c thority. The overall built up area of the pre-industrial period, and about Obama told the news conference, his House in Washington yesterday. movement and ensure rapid transfer of facility is about 29,000sq m, making it 0.07C above the record set in 2015. last as president. “It was important for patients. one of the largest dedicated emergency Page 30 us to send a signal, a wakeup call that sia to have a constructive relationship, because of politics would merit me “Qatar’s population has grown sig- care facilities in the region. this moment may be passing.” but Russia’s return to an “adversarial speaking out.” He warned his successor Donald spirit” under President Vladimir Putin “There’s a diff erence between that Qatar’s fi rst liver transplant from a living donor Trump against any “sudden, unilat- made that diffi cult. normal functioning of politics and eral moves” on the Israeli-Palestinian “I think that it is in America’s in- certain issues or certain moments The organ transplant team at Hamad Dr Yousef al-Maslamani, medical director confl ict, in an apparent reference to terest, in the world’s interest, that we where I think our core values may be at Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Hamad of Hamad General Hospital and head of his plan to move the US embassy from have a constructive relationship with stake,” Obama said. General Hospital has successfully the Organ Transplant Committee, said: Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Russia,” Obama said. He defended his decision to com- performed Qatar’s fi rst ever liver “The procedure consisted of the partial “The president-elect will have his He said he would take a break from mute the sentence of transgender transplant from a living donor, it was resection of the donor’s liver, which own policy,” Obama said. politics upon leaving offi ce, but would army private Chelsea Manning, who announced yesterday. The latest took eight hours to complete, and the “But obviously it’s a volatile envi- not hesitate to speak up if America’s was jailed for 35 years for handing transplant, which took place in removal of the recipient’s liver, which ronment. What we have seen in the “core values” are questioned, citing classifi ed US documents to WikiLe- November, makes the total number of failed because of cirrhosis. Implanting past is when some unilateral moves are concerns about discrimination and aks. liver transplants 17 since the start of the the donated portion of the liver in the made that speak to some of the core freedom of the press. Obama pardoned 64 people and transplant programme at HMC. recipient’s body took 12 hours to complete. issues and sensitivities of either side, In a veiled warning to his successor commuted the sentences of 209 others Each year, between 20 and 25 patients This successful transplant procedure also that can be explosive.” Trump, Obama also said systematic – including Manning, who will now be are added to the waiting list for organ saw the participation of a team of visiting Obama said it is in the world’s in- discrimination or any eff ort to “round released in May – in one of his last acts transplantation in Qatar. Korean organ transplant surgeons.” Page 7 terest for the United States and Rus- up” immigrant youths “arbitrarily or in offi ce. Page 17 QDB to ‘identify’ new tourism opportunities for SMEs

By Joey Aguilar year with QTA,” he stressed. “This preneurs, participating in the month- have exceeded QR1bn in terms of guar- Staff Reporter is part of the theme that we are try- long Shop Qatar festival, which will run antees, we supported more than 500 ing to create by identifying the gaps until February 7, it is learnt. entrepreneurs and SMEs,” noted the that exist within the tourism market “This provides access for Qatari CEO, who also expects this programme atar Development Bank (QDB) and then converting these gaps into SMEs to sell (their products) directly to grow bigger and provide access to is seeking to identify new op- opportunities for the local industries to the market, and get feedback from funding for entrepreneurs. Qportunities within the tour- and SMEs.” shoppers,” al-Khalifa explained. “Then He added that Al Fikra competition ism sector that further benefi ts small The two institutions forged a part- it gives shoppers access to authentic in 2016 had seen fi ve Qatari entrepre- and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the nership in 2014 to launch an initiative Qatari products that are produced by neurs bagging the awards for coming country. aimed at bringing business opportuni- Qatari entrepreneurs.” up with innovative ideas. “We will do it As part of this, QDB is planning to ties to Qatari SMEs in the tourism sec- He said they will also continue to again this year.” “reassess” its previous study done in tor. expand their programmes such as Al QDB will also continue conducting 2015 with Qatar Tourism Authority QDB and QTA previously identifi ed Dhameen, an indirect loan facility es- workshops through its various arms (QTA), which had identifi ed some 32 six fast-track projects to bridge the tablished by QDB to guarantee com- and partners such as the Bedaya Cen- opportunities for SMEs and other Qa- gap in the market: luxury dhow din- mercial bank loans to private sector tre and Qatar Business and Incubation tari entrepreneurs, according to QDB ing cruise, luxury coach, 4x4 leasing companies, and Al Fikra competition, Centre, among others. CEO Abdulaziz N al-Khalifa. company, MICE (meetings, incentives, a joint initiative to educate entrepre- “We believe fi rmly in QDB that we The senior QDB offi cial joined a conferences and events), ticketing and neurs, encourage putting up new com- have to work with partners. Hence, this number of senior QTA offi cials in visit- mobile information centres, and SME panies, and foster a culture of entrepre- strong partnership we have with QTA ing some of the pop-up shops located cottage markets. neurship in Qatar. provides Qatari entrepreneurs access at the Mall of Qatar yesterday. QDB and QTA are also supporting QDB and QTA off icials visit some of the pop-up shops at the Mall of Qatar yesterday. “We are continuing our advancement to the market right away,” al-Khalifa “We want to reassess it again this pop-up shops, owned by Qatari entre- PICTURE: Joey Aguilar within the Al Dhameen programme, we added. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, January 19, 2017 QATAR

Emir meets Turkish delegation

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met Rifat Hisarciklioglu, president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges in Turkey and vice-president of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres), and his accompanying delegation at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. The Tuirkish off icials were in Qatar to participate in the second Qatar Chamber SME Conference. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between Qatar and Turkey in the economy and investment sectors. Cabinet hails outcome of Mideast peace conference

QNA United States to lift some of The Cabinet also ap- ard specifi cations and the Doha the economic sanctions that proved a draft decision by amendment of a number of were imposed on Sudan, the minister of economy Gulf technical regulations. saying that such a decision and commerce to issue the Additionally, the Cabinet he weekly Cabinet would support the peace executive regulations of reviewed a draft law on the meeting, presided process and development in Law No17 of 2013 on the or- amendment of some provi- Tover by HE the Prime the country and alleviate the ganisations of exhibitions. sions of Law No 8 of 2012 on Minister Sheikh Abdul- suff ering of the Sudanese The draft regulation in- Qatar Financial Markets Au- lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa people, expressing hope that cluded provisions on the thority (QFMA) and the au- al-Thani, reviewed the out- the US sanctions on Sudan types of licences and condi- thority’s views in this regard. come of the international will be completely lifted. tions of granting them; the It reviewed a letter by the conference on Middle East The Cabinet then re- types, number and period of minister of development peace, which was recently viewed topics on the meet- exhibitions; the postpone- planning and statistics, held in Paris. ing’s agenda, approving a ment and location of exhi- who is also the chairman of After the meeting, HE the draft decision by the min- bitions; the classifi cation of the Permanent Population Deputy Prime Minister and ister of economy and com- licensees; the commitments Committee, on the docu- Minister of State for Cabinet merce to issue executive of licensees; and relinquish- ment of Qatar’s new popu- Aff airs, Ahmed bin Abdul- regulations of Law No 6 of ing, transferring, suspend- lation policy 2017-2022. lah al-Mahmoud, said the 2012 on tourism regulation. ing and revoking the licence. The session also reviewed Cabinet welcomed the con- The draft regulations In addition, the Cabinet a letter by the minister of ference’s closing statement feature provisions related endorsed a proposal by the municipality and environ- that constitutes a proper to the conditions and pro- ministry of transport and ment regarding a draft deci- foundation for a just settle- cedures of the licensing of communications on Qatar’s sion by the minister to de- ment, stressing Qatar’s fi rm hospitality and tourism fa- contribution to sponsoring termine the prices of leasing stance on the Palestinian is- cilities as well as tourism fi ve candidates on a fi ve- government lands. sue and the Palestinian peo- activities; the commitments year full scholarship in the The Cabinet also re- ple’s right to establish their of the licensee; relinquish- fi eld of civil aviation. viewed a letter by the min- independent state based on ing, transferring and revok- The session approved ister of economy and com- the 1967 borders with Jeru- ing the licence; the classi- draft decisions by the min- merce on Qatar Tourism salem as its capital. fi cation of hospitality and ister of municipality and Authority’s plan to partici- The Cabinet also wel- tourism facilities; and the environment on Qatar pate in a number of global comed the decision of the tourist guides. adopting the Gulf stand- tourism exhibitions in 2017.

Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2016 7 QATAR HMC performs Qatar’s fi rst liver transplant from a living donor he organ transplant team at Hamad Medical Cor- Tporation’s (HMC) Hamad General Hospital has success- fully performed Qatar’s fi rst ever liver transplant from a living do- nor, it was announced yesterday. The latest transplant, which took place in November, makes the total number of liver trans- plants to 17 since the com- mencement of the transplant programme at HMC. Each year, between 20 and 25 patients are added to the waiting list for organ transplantation in Qatar. Dr Yousef al-Maslamani, medical director of Hamad Gen- eral Hospital and head of the Or- gan Transplant Committee, said the latest transplant was planned and performed by HMC’s highly qualifi ed team of liver transplant surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and technicians. “The procedure consisted of the partial resection of the donor’s liver, which took eight hours to complete, and the removal of the recipient’s liver, which failed be- cause of cirrhosis. Implanting the donated por- HMC’s team of surgeons who performed the transplant. tion of the liver in the recipient’s body took 12 hours to complete. awaiting a lifesaving transplant,” and being between the ages of Khalaf. doctors started with the required Zaid,” he added. This successful transplant added Dr al-Maslamani. 18 and 45 and free from chronic The organ recipient, 58-year- preoperative tests with the hope procedure also saw the partici- Dr Hatem Khalaf, senior con- diseases. old Ashraf Zaid, expressed grati- of fi nding a donor in my house- pation of a team of visiting Ko- sultant and clinical lead, HMC’s “In the case of the recent tude to the leadership of Qatar hold. rean organ transplant surgeons. HPB and Liver Transplant Serv- transplant, the right lobe of and HMC for the exceptional “Unfortunately, organ dona- “There are future plans to in- ices, who led the local transplant the donor’s liver, totalling 65% care provided to him. tion by my son was not possible crease liver transplants in Qatar team, pointed out that there are of the liver mass, was resected Zaid recalled he was diag- due to blood-type incompatibil- from live and brain-dead donors. certain criteria that both a donor and implanted in the recipient’s nosed with liver cirrhosis in 2014 ity so I went back home to Egypt HMC’s Qatar Centre for Organ and recipient should meet before body, following the removal of and immediately provided with in search of a possible donor. Transplantation and the Qatar a procedure can be done. the cirrhosis-ridden liver. The the necessary treatment. While in Egypt, I received a call Organ Donation Centre (Hiba) “The criteria for the donor in- donor recovered and was dis- “In 2016, I developed a liver from Hamad General Hospital are relentless in their eff orts to clude motivation to donate the charged from hospital one week tumour and needed to undergo advising that a donor was found encourage new organ donors organ for altruistic reasons, ver- after the procedure. The recipi- chemotherapy. However, my and I had to return to Doha. to enrol in the donor registry, ifi cation of the relation of donor ent remained under the care of healthcare team concluded that Upon arrival in Doha, I was sur- with the ultimate goal of help- to the recipient, compatibility HMC for two weeks and was a liver transplant was the only prised to fi nd out that the donor ing patients who are currently of blood type with the recipient then discharged,” explained Dr way to save my life. Therefore, was my nephew, Usama Taher Organ recipient and the donor with Dr Yousef al-Maslamani. Gulf Times 8 Thursday, January 19, 2017 QATAR

Education Minister meets Unesco official Nicaragua leader HE Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi, the Minister of Education and Higher Education and President of Qatar National Commission for supports Qatar’s Education, Culture and Science, yesterday met Stanley Mutumba Simataa, president of the 38th General Conference of United Nations Unesco candidate Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). They discussed the agenda of the Unesco, including the QNA keenness on education, cul- election of the director general post. Managua ture and sciences, as well HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, as its eagerness to serve the adviser at the Emiri Diwan, is Qatar’s global community in vital candidate for Unesco chief’s post. HE Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, with Nicaraguan President Daniel resident of Nicara- sectors. Ortega in Managua. gua Daniel Ortega The president praised Pmet HE Hamad bin HE al-Kuwari’s qualifica- Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, Ad- tion to handle the post, viser at the Emiri Diwan noting that his visit to and Qatar’s candidate for the Caribbean and Lat- the post of director gen- in American countries eral of the United Nations shows his appreciation of Educational, Scientific the region. and Cultural Organisation Dr al-Kuwari, in turn, (Unesco). thanked the president for During the meeting, Qa- the support and trust. tar’s candidate conveyed Mohamed El Ashtar, the greetings of HH the Nicaragua’s minister for Emir Sheikh Tamim bin the Middle East, Africa and Hamad al-Thani to the Arab aff airs, attended the Nicaraguan president and meeting along with Laure- his wishes of more progress ano Ortega, the Nicaraguan and prosperity to the Nica- government’s investment raguan people. adviser. The Nicaraguan presi- HE Dr al-Kuwari had dent reciprocated the Emir’s met El Ashtar earlier greetings and wishes. and discussed bilat- During the meeting, Dr eral relations between al-Kuwari presented his vi- Qatar and Nicaragua sion for the Unesco and the as well as the Qatari Nicaraguan president ex- candidate’s vision for pressed his appreciation for Unesco, with the min- Qatar, stressing his coun- ister wishing the Qatari try’s support for the Qatari candidate success in candidate. his mission and hoping He highlighted Qatar’s to co-operate with him role with Unesco and its in the future.

Ministry holds seminar on issue of divorce in Qatar

QNA paring a document on the Doha Muslim family, inspired by the Holy Qur’an and Sun- nah. he Ministry of Cul- Another recommenda- ture and Sports held tion was to hold sessions on Tyesterday a seminar the rights and responsibili- on the issue of divorce in ties in a marriage, for those Qatar, with a host of experts who are about to do so. from many fi elds taking A total of four sessions part. were held yesterday. The The seminar was organ- first offered statistics by ised by the ministry’s youth the Ministry of Develop- aff airs department and ment Planning and Statis- saw experts in education, tics that showed the rise health, law, Islamic and so- in the number of cases of cial studies take part in the divorce since 2000 to 2015. discussion. The second session saw a The seminar focused on host of experts give their the reasons, the implica- views on how to tackle the tions and the best ways to issue. The third session encounter the issue. was on the role of the me- After discussions that dia in raising awareness on lasted more than six hours, the importance of having a the experts agreed that up- strong family. dating educational curricula The final session re- to focus on the importance viewed a study on the ties of family was one of the key between having a strong solutions. family and mental well- They also suggested pre- ness.

Gulf Times 10 Thursday, January 19, 2017 QATAR

Minister opens Al-Wakra Celebration Hall complex

HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi opened yesterday Al-Wakra Celebration Hall complex. This is the third such complex, of which the Private Engineering Off ice has supervised the design and implementation. The design reflects Qatari heritage while incorporating modern elements. HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has instructed to set up such complexes of halls to help Qatari youths by reducing marriage expenses. PICTURES: Jayan Orma

Education City mosque to host weekend activities

amad Bin Khalifa mosque is very symbolic; University’s College people gather not just to Hof Islamic Stud- perform prayers, but also to ies will host ‘The Beacon of seek knowledge as well as Knowledge and Light’ event strengthen relationships. on Friday and Saturday at “This event epitomises the Education City Mosque. how Qatar Foundation is Open to the public, the ac- working to engage the wider tivities, which will run from community through its di- 1pm to 9pm daily, include a verse eco-system of learn- live demonstration on how ing.” to make smoothies from Other activities on off er fruits mentioned in the Holy include exploring the fl ora Qur’an and Sunnah, a story- and fauna mentioned in the telling session for children, Holy Qur’an and Hadith, and a calligraphy art station. watching a movie under the Islamic scholar and lec- night sky, taking photos of turer, Dr Omar Abdelkafy, the indoor waterfalls, and will give the Khutba, as well walking through the gar- as hold a Q&A session before dens. the activities commence. The Education City Fahad Saad al-Qahtani, Mosque is open to the pub- president, Community De- lic. The facility has the ca- velopment, Qatar Founda- pacity to host 1,800 people tion for Education, Science and holds a lecture every and Community Devel- Friday, with translations for opment, pointed out that non-Arabic speaking mem- in an Islamic society, the bers of the community.

Standards body clears over 43,000 imported consignments

he Qatar General ment rejected and barred the Organisation for entry of 869 consignments TStandards and Me- of imported goods. These trology (QS)’s quality de- included consignments of partment released 43,636 cosmetics, electrical appli- imported consignments, ances, toys, tyres, iron, auto- which complied with the mobile spare parts, bitumen approved technical regula- (60/70) and others. tions and Qatari standards, In a statement, the or- in 2016. ganisation stressed that The consignments in- it is keen to allow into the cluded iron, building bricks, country high-quality goods bitumen (60/70 specifi ca- that are compliant with ap- tion), gabbro, electrical ap- proved Qatari specifi cations pliances, home appliances, and standards, and prevent cosmetics, tyres, toys and the entry of counterfeited, automobile spare parts. bad or defective goods of any Meanwhile, the depart- type.

Malaysia ties reviewed

HE the Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi met the Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. They reviewed bilateral relations between Qatar and Malaysia and means of developing them in addition to issues of mutual interest. HE al-Muraikhi also held talks with Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) special envoy to Myanmar. The meeting discussed the plight of Rohingyas in Myanmar. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 11 QATAR More Qatari entrepreneurs and startups eye Shop Qatar boost

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

ore Qatari entrepreneurs and startups are expected to showcase their products at Shop Qatar festival, a sen- Mior offi cial at Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has said. “Around 60 entrepreneurs will rotate at various participating malls throughout the month-long event,” QTA’s chief tourism development offi cer Hassan al-Ibrahim said yesterday. “One of our main objectives in this festival, besides further enhancing the shopping off ering in the country, is to support Qatari entrepreneurs, startups specifi cally,” he stressed. Shop Qatar also provides various opportunities for entre- preneurs to promote their products, network with others, and get feedback from the market, according to QTA. Pop-up shops are located across fi ve of the participating malls: Ten at Mall of Qatar, fi ve each at Ezdan, Landmark, The Gate, and Lagoona malls. QTA selects entrepreneurs for these festivals based on their performance on previous participations. It also uses data bases shared by its partners such as Qa- tar Development Bank, Bedaya Centre, and Qatar Business Incubation Centre. “Defi nitely we are going to assess their performance even in the malls and hopefully invite them in future festivals as well,” al-Ibrahim noted. While many of the pop-up shops focus on apparel, chil- dren’s fashion, abayas, jewellery, and accessories, others sell art, furniture, and chocolates.

‘Kiddie stuff ’ on display at a pop-up shop. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar

The senior QTA offi cial hopes pop-up this week and the coming weeks, we are ex- shops will be retained and become a per- pecting a regional drive because of the fes- manent feature of the festival in the next tival,” al-Ibrahim said. editions. About the entertainment shows, he not- “We will assess our key performance in- ed that ticket sales continue to rise as well, dicators, numbers, and performance of the including the Doha Comedy Festival. entrepreneurs here, and defi nitely it will be “We are encouraging people to enjoy this a feature in the shopping festival that we opportunity to have fun in these concerts,” have,” he added. he added. Shop Qatar also partnered with Virginia According to QTA, visitors can avail Commonwealth University – Qatar, an in- a range of accommodation off ers at Qa- stitution dedicated to art and design, aimed tar’s globally-recognised hotels and hotel at providing a platform for their students apartments when booking through Expe- and graduates to showcase their work. dia.com. With the onset of vacations in the neigh- Qatar Airways, Shop Qatar’s travel part- bouring GCC countries, QTA expects the ner, is off ering ‘carefully designed ightfl number of shoppers and visitors (domestic packages’ for GCC travellers to encourage and foreign) at the festival to rise further in them “to turn their stop-over into a shop- the coming days. over” with up to 25% discount on air fares “We are expecting large numbers to come and double Qmiles. Gulf Times 12 Thursday, January 19, 2017 QATAR

Jewellers ‘positive’ on 2017 gold demand

By Peter Alagos endeavour is to generate 15% of Business Reporter our overall revenues from this segment. We do not deal in bul- lion sales per se and only cater emand for gold jewel- to customers who are looking to lery in Qatar is expected buy jewellery for adornment for Dto show an upward trend everyday wear or for special oc- this year as major jewellery out- casions,” he said. lets here forecast a “positive Since launching operations in year” for sales, according to in- Qatar last year, Kalyanaraman dustry sources. said the company’s focus is to QU president Dr Hassan al-Derham, US ambassador Dana Shell Smith and other dignitaries attend the opening session of of the conference yesterday. PICTURE: Nasar T K Despite sluggish retail activ- grow its business in Qatar by 3% ity in the past fi nancial year, to 5% annually “as we are cur- there are “positive” indications rently in the investment mode in of a “stronger appetite” for gold this market.” jewellery in Qatar this year, par- Asked about Kalyan Jewellers’ ticularly during the fi rst quarter, plans for Qatar in 2017, he said: said Malabar Gold & Diamonds “We expect to grow our business regional head Santhosh TV. by 3% to 5% for our seven show- “The overall market condi- rooms in Qatar. English language teaching tion is improving. However, in In a short span of time we have the last fi nancial year prior to the been able to establish a strong Diwali festival in 2016, demand footprint and these seven show- for gold jewellery was down by rooms allow us the fl exibility to around 35% but after the festi- rapidly scale up our operations val, consumer appetite started to in Qatar. conference begins at QU pick up and one of the factors for “The brand has resonated ex- this was price of gold jewellery,” tremely well with the local com- atar University Foundation Pro- guage-Qatar Association. Over 350 re- able challenge for language learners as well Language president Marjorie Rosenberg Santhosh told Gulf Times. munities and this vindicates our gramme (QU-FP) is organising searchers, practitioners and scholars from as a real pedagogic problem for teachers. and TESOL International Association In a recent statement, Malabar decision to open seven show- Qand hosting the 2nd annual In- Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Featured speaker, Dr Sufi an Abu- president Dudely Reynolds. Gold & Diamonds offi cials said rooms on a single day for our ternational Conference and Exhibition on Arabia, UAE, and the UK are attending. Rmaileh, gave a presentation on “Criti- There is also an exhibition featuring 20 the current price of gold jewel- foray into Qatar. English Language Teaching. Attending the opening ceremony were cal thinking classroom experience”. He booths presented by exhibitors from QU lery “is ideal for buyers.” We are further expanding our The two-day event which opened yes- QU president Dr Hassan al-Derham, US discussed the dimensions of learning and and other organisations. Shamlai Ahamed MP, man- product portfolio, including terday has brought together language ambassador Dana Shell Smith, and QU their connection to critical thinking, de- Dr al-Derham said QU has always aging director – International launching Arabic themed collec- practitioners and experts to network and Foundation Programme and Core Cur- fi ning and citing the rationale for critical strived to promote innovative education Operations at Malabar Gold & tions.” share their research and teaching experi- riculum director Dr Maha al-Hendawi as thinking and metacognition use. and research towards fulfi lling its vision Diamonds, said: “Data from our On the current market senti- ences on a wide range of topics related to well as QU leaders, faculty, staff and stu- He also stressed the importance of pro- “to be regionally recognised for distinc- own sales across the network ment for gold jewellery in Qatar, English language teaching and learning. dents. moting critical thinking in the classroom, tive excellence in education and research, shows that we have acquired Kalyanaraman added: “Qatar has Themed “Promoting Innovation in The programme agenda included a and suggested strategies and techniques as an institution of choice for students more customers last year – who a long tradition of jewellery. English Language Teaching and Learning, plenary session on “Meaningful face-to- to help train students to use critical and scholars and a catalyst for the sus- purchased from us for the fi rst It is also one of the most so- The Future Landscape”, the conference is face communication” presented by Peter thinking properly. tainable socio-economic development of time – that compensated for the phisticated markets for luxury organised in collaboration with the Min- Grundy. The event featured the screening of two Qatar. It is in this spirit that QU annually lower average purchase transac- products in the GCC and need- istry of Education and Higher Education He gave examples of real talk, and dem- video messages by International Associa- hosts several international conferences to tion value.” less to say off ers great potential and Teachers of English as a Foreign Lan- onstrated that this poses a very consider- tion of Teachers of English as a Foreign fulfi l this vision.” T S Kalyanaraman, chairman for branded jewellery players like and managing director at Kalyan Kalyan. Jewellers, said gold jewellery ac- We are committed to this mar- Q-Post offers counts for nearly 90% of the com- ket and hope to make a signifi - pany’s overall business in Qatar. cant net contribution to the local free money “We have also seen traction economy and help position Qatar transfers Vodafore Qatar for diamond jewellery and our as a hub for lifestyle jewellery.” Qatar Postal Services Company (Q-Post) has treasure hunts launched a free Interna- tional Financial Service money transfer to several promote digital countries, including the Philippines, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, and awareness Bangladesh, it was an- nounced in a statement yesterday. odafone Qatar is organising ‘Treasure The facility is available Hunts’ in two major malls in Doha as free of cost until the end Vpart of the initiative to help parents keep of February. Q-Post said their children safe in the digital world. the initiative is in the The activity, also aimed at encouraging par- context of launching new ents to speak with their children about such is- services with the lowest sues, will take place at Gulf Mall from today to cost to serve maximum March 21 and at Hyatt Plaza Mall from January number of customers. Qatar residents participating in Vodafone Qatar’s Treasure Hunt activity last year. 26 to March 28 from 3pm to 10pm. Treasure Hunts will involve a number of puzzles about the digital world that parents need to solve, in collaboration with their chil- dren, to win prizes. Vodafone Qatar’s initiative comes under the banner of AmanTech, its aid programme TS Kalyanaraman ... positive sentiment for online child safety. Launched in May 2014, AmanTech, which stands for “safe tech world”, aims to promote digital literacy Sharaf DG opening was cancelled due to among parents and improve children’s digital safety. safety concerns, clarifies Mall of Qatar “We aim to empower parents and to help them equip their children with the right tools he Mall of Qatar (MoQ) tors, employees and tenants is a and understanding to navigate the digital world management has clarifi ed top priority. Sharaf DG will di- safely and to take full advantage of its benefi ts,” Tthat the opening promo- rectly communicate any further Vodafone Qatar’s corporate social responsibil- tion of Sharaf DG was cancelled updates, and we apologise for ity head Dana Haidan said. yesterday for safety and security any inconvenience this may have Vodafone’s fi rst Treasure Hunt, held at reasons. caused,” the MoQ statement Ezdan Mall followed by Dahl El Hammam Park “The overwhelming number of added. last year, saw thousands of families participat- visitors to the store (Sharaf DG) Hundreds of people had con- ing. exceeded the number of people verged on MoQ yesterday morn- This year, AmanTech will continue to reach permitted by guidelines and was, ing, attracted by the special out to parents and children aged between the as such, deemed unsafe,” MoQ off ers publicised by Sharaf DG ages of 5 to 17. explained in a statement. for the opening of their outlet. The programme will adopt a three-pronged “The opening promotion of But, it is learnt that as the crowd approach focusing on awareness, education Sharaf DG was cancelled in line swelled beyond a reasonable size and technical support. This will entail ongoing with our commitment to up- the authorities concerned ad- school parental workshops, an online source holding international best prac- vised ‘to cancel the opening’. for information and tips for parents (www.vo- tice regulations when it comes to Announcements to the eff ect dafone.qa/AmanTECH), online magazines, in safety,” MoQ stressed. were made through MoQ’s pub- addition to digital parenting guide available “At Mall of Qatar, the safety lic address system and the people online. and security of our valued visi- were requested to disperse. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 13 QATAR Research sheds new light on brain disorder

study by researchers at causes the disorder is expressed in The study was carried out by extended family, would take part Weill Cornell Medicine- a recessive manner, both parents Dr Alice Abdel Aleem (WCM- in research to examine the ge- AQatar (WCM-Q) has re- have to have the same recessive Q’s assistant research professor netic cause. vealed the genetic cause of a gene for some of their children to of neuroscience), along with Blood samples were taken neurological disorder and the be aff ected. Dr Elizabeth Ross (the Nathan E from two branches of the family implications it has for marriage. Since genes are inherited, it Cumming professor of neurology and DNA, RNA and protein were The research examined the ge- is much more likely that people and neuroscience, and chair of extracted. The data was then an- netics behind cerebellar ataxia, a within an extended family carry the Neuroscience Graduate Pro- alysed by the study research team congenital malformation of the the same genes. Therefore, a gramme at WCM in New York); and the WCM-Q Bioinformatics brain whereby the total volume consanguineous marriage within Dr Mahmoud Fawzy Elsaid (sen- Core. After looking at the entire of the cerebellum is diminished. a family who carry the mutated ior consultant paediatric neurol- genome, a rare variation in the This can result in the suff erer recessive gene is much more ogist from Hamad General Hos- DNA sequence of non-protein having problems walking, poor likely to lead to cerebellar ataxia pital) and Dr Tawfeg Ben-Omran coding ribonucleic acid called co-ordination and a tendency to in the children of that marriage. (senior consultant at Hamad RNU12 was found. This RNU12 be a ‘late developer’ as a child. Investigators from WCM-Q, General Hospital). variant was associated with af- However, because cerebellar WCM in New York and Hamad Dr Abdel Aleem said that the fected family members, follow- The research team that conducted the study. ataxia is often an inherited disease, Medical Corporation have now study was launched after a young ing the inheritance pattern ex- it could have major implications discovered an unusual recessive woman visited her clinician with pected of a recessive gene. fi nding, since most disease-as- Dr Abdel Aleem said the important it is to conduct re- for the consanguineous marriages mutation that leads to cerebellar symptoms of cerebellar ataxia. Laboratory investigations sociated mutations identifi ed to study will open a new window search on all parts of the genome that are common in Qatar, WCM- ataxia.Their results were recently Her brother was also found to confi rmed that the variant im- date involve the small fraction for screening for cerebellar – both protein-coding and non- Q said in a statement yesterday. published in the ‘Annals of Neu- have the disorder and the re- pacts the expression and func- of the genome that encodes pro- ataxia. coding – when looking for causes When the mutated gene that rology.’ searchers asked if they, and their tion of RNU12. This is an exciting teins. “It also shows geneticists how of disease.” Bahrain legal team briefed on Qatar’s judicial system

he Qatar Interna- Nasser al-Khulaifi , judge of tional Court and Dis- the court of appeal – Su- Tpute Resolution Cen- preme Judiciary Council, tre (QICDRC) has welcomed Qatar. a judicial delegation from Al-Sahouti empha- Bahrain. sised the importance of Faisal al-Sahouti, CEO of exchanging expertise be- QICDRC, briefed the del- tween both countries in egation on the nature of the order to assist in the de- QICDRC, its jurisdiction velopment of the legal and and its procedures. judicial infrastructure, This was followed by a which will ultimately lead discussion on common is- to the more effective deliv- sues regarding judicial mat- ery of access to the courts ters and, in particular, the and justice. operation of courts. Following the discussion, The delegation included the delegation toured the Abdulla Yacoub, judge of QICDRC’s facilities, visit- the court of cassation; Ab- ing the courtroom and ADR dulla al-Ashraf, judge of centre. The delegation was the high civil court of ap- given a brief explanation of peal; Ali al-Dahrani, judge some of the court’s proce- of the high civil court of dures, including the pos- appeal; Mousa al-Mousa, sibility of appeal against a judge of the high civil court judgment and how any ap- of appeal; and Mohamed peal request shall be passed al-Shareef, director of le- to a chamber of appeal to gal excellence in the GCC see if the request is legiti- Council. Also present was mate or not.

The delegation was welcomed by Faisal al-Sahouti, CEO of QICDRC.

Nissan Maxima 2016 model recalled

he Ministry of Econ- ordinate with the dealer to omy and Commerce follow up on the mainte- T(MEC), in collabora- nance and repair works and tion with Saleh Al Hamad communicate with custom- Al Mana Company, has an- ers to ensure that the neces- nounced the recall of Nissan sary repairs are carried out. Maxima model year 2016 The MEC has urged all over a potential defect in the customers to report any Electronic Control Module violations to its Consumer of the rear O2 sensor. Protection and Anti-Com- The MEC said the recall mercial Fraud Depart- campaign comes within the ment through the following framework of its ongoing channels: Hotline: 16001, eff orts to protect consumers e-mail: [email protected], and ensure that car dealers Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, In- follow up on vehicle defects stagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC and repairs. mobile app for Android and The ministry will co- IOS: MEC_Qatar

‘Community house’ on Jan 29 The monthly community house at the Indian embassy will be held on January 29 between 3pm and 4pm to address any urgent consular and labour related issues of Indian nationals. Ambassador P Kumaran along with other embassy off icials will meet aggrieved expatriates at the community house. Gulf Times 14 Thursday, January 19, 2017 REGION/ARAB WORLD UN: Cholera kills 11 in war-ravaged Yemen

AFP deaths associated with cholera and Acute Aden Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) have been reg- istered, it said, adding that the “epidemic curve shows a declining trend of incidenc- he death toll of a cholera outbreak in es” from December 18-24. war-torn and impoverished Yemen It said the decline was thanks to the Thas reached 11, out of 180 confi rmed response of organisations involved and cases, a UN-led action group said yester- preventive intervention by Yemeni health day. authorities and partners. The southern Suspected cases reached 15,658 as of city of Aden had the highest confirmed January 11, it said in a joint report by a cholera cases with 37, while the rebel- health ministry task force, the World held capital Sanaa had 20. Health care Health Organisation, UN children’s fund has dramatically deteriorated in Yemen Unicef and UN Offi ce for the Co-ordina- due to the escalating conflict since March tion of Humanitarian Aff airs. A total of 99 2015.

DIPLOMACY Iran minister seeks co-operation with Saudi

Iran and Saudi Arabia should be able to work together to help end conflicts in Syria and Yemen, after successfully co-operating over Lebanon last year, Iran’s foreign minister said. “I do not see any reason why Iran and Saudi Arabia should have hostile policies towards each other. We can in fact work together to put an end to miserable conditions of the people in Syria and Yemen and Bahrain and elsewhere in the region,” Mohamed Javad Zarif told the World Economic Forum. People inspect a site hit by air strikes at a parking garage in the rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria yesterday. Russia, Turkey team up for air strike in Syria

Reuters Moscow

ussia said its war planes had joined forces with Turkish Rjets for the fi rst time yester- day to target Islamic State mili- tants holding the town of al-Bab in northern Syria, evidence of increas- ingly close co-operation between Moscow and Ankara. Russia and Turkey are the main organisers of a new round of Syrian peace talks due to take place in Ka- zakhstan on Jan. 23 and have set aside their diff er- ences over the political fate of Pres- ident Bashar al-Assad to try to forge a wider Syria deal. Moscow backs Assad, while An- kara has diluted its demands for the Syrian leader to urgently step down. Lieutenant-General Sergei Rud- Syrian Civil Defence volunteers, also known as the White Helmets, rescue children from a damaged building following skoi, a senior Russian Defence Min- a reported air strike that targeted the Idlib bus station yesterday. istry offi cial, said that nine Russian jets and eight Turkish war planes ident Tayyip Erdogan wants Turk- civilian population could be mas- large amount of explosives has been had together struck targets in al- ish-backed rebels to capture al-Bab sacred if Islamic State took Deir al- brought into the Palmyra area and Bab, which is located around 40km to prevent Kurdish militias from do- Zor, he said. that the terrorists plan on destroy- northeast of Aleppo. ing so. Rudskoi said the joint mission Russian jets were also backing a ing the city’s world-class historical “Today the Russian and Turkish had been conducted in agreement Syrian army off ensive near the town legacy,” he said. air forces are conducting their fi rst with the Syrian government. of Palmyra, said Rudskoi, who add- Signifi cant numbers of Islamic joint air operation to strike Islamic He said the Russian air force was ed that Islamic State militants were State militants fl eeing the US-led State in the suburbs of al-Bab,” Rud- also providing air support to Syrian planning to blow up more of the an- coalition off ensive against Mosul in skoi said. “The assessment of the government troops trying to fi ght cient city’s historical monuments. neighbouring Iraq were streaming initial results...showed the strikes off an Islamic State assault around “We have received information, into Syria “almost unobstructed,” were highly eff ective.” Turkish Pres- the town of Deir al-Zor. The town’s confi rmed by several sources, that a Rudskoi said.

Conservative group to skip peace talks

Reuters The talks come in the Beirut context of a ceasefi re declared by Russia and Turkey at the end of last ne of Syria’s strong- month that has reduced, est rebel factions, but not ended, fi ghting Othe conservative between pro-government Ahrar al-Sham group, said forces and rebels that be- yesterday it will not attend gan almost six years ago. peace talks to be held in Ka- Ahrar al-Sham said its zakhstan on Jan 23. stance was in reaction to Several other leading continued military activ- rebel groups decided on ity by the Syrian army and Monday that they would Russian air strikes, and was be at the talks, which will aimed at preventing new di- be attended by the govern- visions between those rebels ment of Syrian President who supported, and those Bashar al-Assad and are who opposed, the talks. backed by Russia and Tur- Russia has waged an air key. Ahrar al-Sham said in a campaign in support of statement posted on social Assad since October 2015 media that although it was and the Syrian president is not going, it would support also backed on the battle- the rebel groups that did fi eld by Iran and other mi- plan to attend if they could litias from Lebanon, Iraq achieve a benefi cial result. and Afghanistan.

JUSTICE Court jails three on terror charges

A UAE court yesterday sentenced three people to up to five years in prison after convicting them of belonging to a “terrorist organisation,” state media said. The Abu Dhabi-based Federal Supreme Court handed two Emiratis jail terms ranging from one to five years, the off icial news agency WAM said. A third defendant from an unnamed Arab country was sentenced to three years, after which he will be deported, it said, without giving details of the organisation to which they were alleged to belong. News website 24.ae said the trio formed a “terror cell for al-Nusra Front,” the former Syrian aff iliate of Al Qaeda that renamed itself Fateh al-Sham Front last year. The United Arab Emirates is a member of the US-led coalition that has been bombing IS militants in Iraq and Syria since September 2014. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 15 ARAB WORLD

Police shoot dead man over car attack

AFP Umm al-Heiran, Israel

olice said that offi cers shot dead an Israeli Arab who Pthey allege tried to ram them with his car during a pro- test against home demolitions in southern Israel yesterday. Residents of the Bedouin vil- lage of Umm al-Heiran, in the Negev desert, however, said that the driver was simply heading to the scene to talk with authorities in an attempt to halt the demoli- tions. Israeli Arab MP Ayman Odeh was also injured in the head by police during the confrontation, a parliamentary aide who was with him said. A police statement said that the man killed, a local resident, was active in the Israeli Islamic Movement and may have been infl uenced by the Islamic State Members of the Iraqi special forces Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) celebrate in their military base in the town of Bartalla yesterday after a top Iraqi commander announced that have they fully retaken east Mosul from organisation — a claim residents the Islamic State (IS) group. strongly denied. Umm al-Heiran village activ- ist Raed Abu al-Qiyan named the dead man as Yacoub Abu al- Qiyan, a member of his Bedouin clan, and denied he was seeking to harm police. “The Israeli narrative is a lie. Iraq forces chief says mission He was a revered school teacher,” he said. “He has no relations with the Islamic Movement.” “He was in his car and they shot at him from everywhere.” Police said offi cers were in- jured during the early morning accomplished in east Mosul incident, without providing fur- ther details. Reuters being realised,” he said in a in the south. Army units ad- A later statement confi rmed Bartella, Iraq statement.“Work is under way vanced into the northeastern that the alleged attacker was now to liberate what remains neighbourhoods of Qadiya dead. of the forests and palaces 2 and al-Arabi, the military “As a result of the incident lite Iraqi forces have oust- (along the eastern bank) and statement said. there were riots that took place ed Islamic State insur- few areas” where IS was still Abadi said late on Tues- in the area that police respond- Egents from all districts of holed up. day that IS had been severely ed to.” eastern Mosul they were tasked Bridges across the Tigris, weakened in the Mosul cam- The lawmaker injured heads with recapturing, their com- which bisects Mosul from paign, and that the military the Joint List, a coalition of manding offi cer said yesterday, north to south, have been hit had begun “moving” against mainly Arab parties and the bringing almost all of the city’s by US-led warplanes to pre- it in western Mosul, without third-largest bloc in parlia- eastern half back under govern- vent IS reinforcements joining elaborating. ment. ment control. the fighting in eastern neigh- Residents reached by phone “They attacked the MP and Lieutenant-General Talib bourhoods, and more recently said air strikes against Islamic other people — demonstra- Shaghati said the Counter Ter- by the militants trying to block State deep inside western Mo- tors — with stun grenades, tear rorism Services (CTS), who a future westward advance by sul had increased in recent gas directly in people’s faces,” have spearheaded the three- the military. days.More than a dozen mis- Odeh’s aide, Anan Maalouf, month-old off ensive against Is- If the US-backed campaign sile strikes in the Yarmouk dis- told Israeli army radio. lamic State (IS) in the northern is successful it would probably trict targeted weapons depots “There was no car-ramming Iraqi city, had taken the eastern spell the end of the Iraqi side and workshops the militants attack here. There were no bank of the Tigris river. of the militant group’s self- used to make explosives, and clashes here between the dem- Regular army troops were styled caliphate, which also also destroyed two car bombs onstrators and police.” still fi ghting the ultra-hardline extends well into neighbouring stored there, according to one Israeli authorities regu- militants in northeast Mosul, Syria, that it declared during a resident. larly carry out demolitions however, according to a military lightning offensive in 2014. Some raids had killed or of Bedouin homes they deem statement. Iraqi traders push carts on a street in eastern Mosul’s al-Zahraa neighbourhood yesterday. The Iraqi army, special forc- wounded civilians, including to have been built illegally. A few parts of the bank fur- es and elite police units have in the Mosul al-Jadida neigh- However, building permits are ther north had yet to be fully in the nearby town of Bartella. Officers have previously Iraqi Prime Minister Haid- operated in tandem to capture bourhood and an industrial nearly impossible to obtain, ac- taken. He said that recapturing said that the more densely er al-Abadi said victory was different areas of eastern Mo- zone, residents said. cording to residents and activ- “Today we celebrate...the Mosul’s western half, which populated west bank of the near. “The promise of final sul. The army is mostly de- Reuters could not independ- ists, who say Jewish Israelis are liberation of the eastern bank in the militants still fully control, Tigris could pose additional liberation and total victory ployed in the north, the CTS in ently verify the witness given preferential treatment. Mosul,” Shaghati told reporters would be an easier task. military challenges. in Mosul has come close to the east, and the federal police accounts. Islamic museum damaged in Retired football star bombing reopens in Egypt placed on terror list

AFP Reuters Cairo Cairo

gyptian President Abdel Fattah al- gypt has added one of the country’s most Sisi reopened the Museum of Is- renowned athletes, retired football star Elamic Art in Cairo yesterday, three EMohamed Aboutrika, to a terrorism list for years after a car bombing partially de- alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. stroyed the building. Fans expressed shock and called the govern- The museum, which boasts about ment move an “injustice” against the former 100,000 relics including a sword said to midfi elder who led the country’s national team have belonged to the Prophet Muham- for roughly a decade and is widely considered to mad, holds one of the largest Islamic civi- be the most celebrated athlete of his generation lisation collections in the world. in Egypt. The museum in central Cairo had Egypt has listed the Brotherhood as a terrorist been partially destroyed after a massive organisation and jailed thousands of its support- car bomb went off outside nearby police ers since the military removed president Moham- Mohamed Aboutrika headquarters in January 2014, in an at- ed Mursi from offi ce in July 2013. tack claimed by Egyptian militants. Aboutrika has denied supporting the Broth- quiet Cairo’s chaotic streets during big matches. The blast damaged 179 relics in- erhood, which maintains that it is peaceful, but “I was shocked when I turned on the TV and cluding glass lanterns from the era was seen as supporting the former president’s saw the news. My children were devastated,” said of the Mamluks, that directly ruled election campaign in 2012. He later had his assets Mona Mohamed, an Ahly Sporting Club employ- Egypt from the 13th to the 16th cen- frozen by a committee established to seize and ee. turies. manage Brotherhood properties and funds. Egypt is facing an increasingly violent insur- Antiquities Minister Khaled el- The 38-year-old racked up a bevy of awards gency in Northern Sinai, where the country’s Enany said 160 relics have been re- and honours locally and internationally. most active militant group has pledged allegiance stored, at the reopening ceremony at- Outside his former sporting club, Al Ahly, in to Islamic State. tended by Sisi and aired on television. the posh Cairo neighbourhood of Zemalak, fans Cairo and other cities have also suff ered at- Three new exhibit rooms have been voiced disbelief. tacks. built, with the museum now showing “It’s an injustice. Is this what Aboutrika de- The terrorism list designation means the 4,400 relics, from more than 1,450 serves for everything that he’s done for this former player will be banned from travel and before the bombing, he said. country? To have this happen to him? And by placed on a watch list for three years, state news- Several countries have funded the the way, his popularity is higher than that of the paper Al-Ahram said. restoration, including the United Arab president,” said 62-year-old Yosry Abdel Hamid. More than 1,500 other individuals were also Emirates which contributed about A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency yesterday shows Egyptian President Abdel Aboutrika is a towering sports fi gure in the placed on the terrorism list, it added. $8mn, and the United Nations cultural Fattah al-Sisi attending the reopening of the Museum of Islamic Art in the capital Cairo, following the Arab world and its most populous country, where Aboutrika is currently in Gabon as a commen- organisation Unesco. restoration of the museum that was damaged in a bomb explosion. football is a national pastime with the ability to tator for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Gulf Times 16 Thursday, January 19, 2017 AFRICA

Dozens killed in 70 die in Mali suicide hit Reuters Gao, Mali

t least 35 people were killed and dozens injured yesterday when a suicide bomber Adetonated a vehicle packed with explosives botched inside a military camp in Mali’s northern city of Gao, the worst militant attack in years in the Sa- haran West African nation. A Reuters reporter who arrived at the camp soon after the blast, which occurred as hundreds of soldiers assembled at around 9am, said he saw dozens of bodies lying on the ground alongside the wounded. Nigeria Ambulances rushed to the scene and heli- Republican guards deploy outside the military school of Zambakro, near Yamoussoukro. copters circled overhead as President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared three days of national mourning. “It’s terrible,” Gao resident Kader Touré said. “The attack happened while they were having an assembly. Angry gendarmes shut “I’ve just left the hospital where there were air strike bodies ripped to pieces and wounded piled up.” State media put the death toll at 35 al- AFP the government in Abuja should pro- though Radhia Achouri, a spokeswoman for the Maiduguri vide “prompt, adequate and eff ective 13,000-strong United Nations MINUSMA peace- compensation” to victims and their Ivory Coast main port keeping force, said it could rise as high as 50, with families. as many wounded. he death toll from a botched air “Even if there is no evidence of “A vehicle smashed through the entrance of strike on Boko Haram fi ghters a wilful attack on the camp, which Reuters capital Abidjan yesterday morn- ard Donwahi said the government the camp, running over those who were in the Tin northeast Nigeria rose yes- would be a war crime, the camp was Abidjan ing. was already in contact with those way, before blowing up just as 600 men were as- terday to 70 as aid agencies indicated bombed indiscriminately, violating A customs offi cial said they involved. sembling,” she said. “The priority is getting the more could die without urgent treat- international humanitarian law,” she took up positions at entrances to “We are going to regain control wounded out to treatment centres.” ment. added. aramilitary gendarmes fi r- the port — one of the two main of this army so it will truly be at The camp was home to government soldiers Nigeria called Tuesday’s incident at “Victims should not be denied re- ing in the air yesterday export points for cocoa shipped the service of the nation,” he told and members of various rival armed groups which a camp for displaced people in Rann a dress merely because the government Psealed off access to Ivory from the world’s leading producer reporters. are jointly patrolling Mali’s restive desert north in mistake and blamed the “fog of war”, decided the bombing was accidental.” Coast’s main port, forcing com- — bringing activity to a standstill. Ivory Coast’s army was cobbled line with a UN-brokered peace accord. sparking strong condemnation from Accidental bombings have occurred panies including cocoa exporters “We’ve closed the factory and together in the wake of a 2011 civil A French-led military intervention in 2013 aid agencies working in the crisis-hit before in the confl ict and senior mili- to close down, as weeks of unrest the warehouses to secure the co- war from rebel and loyalist fac- drove back Islamist militants, including Al Qae- region. tary commanders called the latest “a in the security forces showed no coa,” an employee at a cocoa ex- tions. da-linked groups, that had seized northern Mali The International Committee of mistake” yet maintained humanitar- signs of easing. port fi rm said. It remains riven with divisions a year earlier. the Red Cross (ICRC), which lost six ian workers were not targeted directly. President Alassane Ouattara, He asked not to be named as he and parallel chains of command. However, Islamist militants still operate in the members of its Nigerian affi liate, Major General Lucky Irabor, who who is also facing a wave of pub- was not authorised to speak to the Soldiers — mainly ex-rebels — region and insecurity is aggravated by tensions said: “It is estimated that 70 people heads the counter-insurgency op- lic sector strikes, ordered his de- media. “We asked our personnel stormed out of their barracks and between local rebel groups and pro-government have been killed and more than 100 eration, said the air force jet had been fence minister and military chiefs to go home.” seized Bouake on January 6, and militias. wounded.” told to target insurgents in the fl ash- to hold urgent talks with members Separately, guards in Bouake, the mutiny quickly spread, forc- French interior minister Bruno Le Roux de- ICRC surgeon Laurent Singa, part point Kala-Balge area but hit Rann of the security forces about their the West African nation’s second ing the government to capitulate scribed the blast as a “major and highly symbolic of a team dispatched to Rann shortly instead. grievances in a bid to quell the in- largest city, also fi red their weap- to the mutineers’ demands. attack” in an area visited only days ago by Presi- after the bombing, described the The aid workers were distributing stability. ons in front of the main prison to The government started mak- dent Francois Hollande. conditions for post-operative care as food at the military-run camp hous- Ivory Coast has emerged from a try to pressure the government ing promised bonus payments Gao is a dusty town of 50,000 people on the “not adequate”. ing tens of thousands of people. 2002-2011 political crisis and civil into paying them more money, a to disgruntled soldiers this week banks of the Niger river. “All the patients must be evacuated Local and international aid agen- war as one of the world’s fastest- local member of parliament said. in line with an agreement to end Underscoring the dangers of trying to bring to (the Borno state capital) Maiduguri cies have until recently been unable to growing economies but the vio- After a cabinet meeting yes- the mutiny that began earlier this stability to the southern reaches of the Sahel, the as soon as possible,” he added in a get to Rann because of bad roads and lence, which began with an army terday, government spokesman month, although the payments offi ces of the UN peacekeeping mission in Gao statement. insecurity in the remote region near mutiny nearly two weeks ago, has Bruno Kone said: “The President have angered rival factions and were fl attened by a truck bomb in December. Nine patients were said to be in a the border with Cameroon around hit its image as a post-confl ict of the Republic...asks all soldiers, triggered copycat demands. The MINUSMA mission has staff from 123 na- critical condition and were evacuated Lake Chad. success story. gendarmes, police, customs of- Soldiers in other segments of tions, costs $1bn a year and is the United Nations’ to Maiduguri on Tuesday. The military announced last month The gendarmes — a police force fi cers, forestry service agents and the military revolted in the capi- most dangerous deployment, with more than 100 Forty-six of the 90 that remain it has ousted Boko Haram from its under the authority of the defence prison guards to facilitate the re- tal, Yamoussoukro, on Tuesday, casualties before yesterday’s blast. were said to be “severely injured”. camps in Sambisa Forest, in southern ministry — poured out of their turn of calm.” leading to clashes in which at least In addition, France maintains a 4,000-strong They needed to be transferred “as Borno, sending fi ghters north. base at the port in the commercial Defence Minister Alain-Rich- two soldiers were killed. parallel peacekeeping operation, “Barkhane” and a matter of urgency”, the ICRC said, Nigeria’s military has announced the European Union has 580 instructors training adding: “Patients are attended to in an investigation into what happened. the Malian army. an open-air space in a precarious en- The Daily Trust newspaper re- vironment.” ported that clearly marked ICRC Public hospitals and doctors in the tents were bombed, without quoting city have been put on standby to re- sources. Shebaab execute Ugandan soldier ceive the wounded but there were al- It said none of its staff was injured ready reports that some casualty de- or killed but disclosed that three em- Lightning kills 6 partments were overwhelmed. ployees of a Cameroonian fi rm it hired Reuters the country’s capital Mogadishu on a base at Janaale, about 90km Aid agencies assisting the hundreds to provide water and sanitation serv- Mogadishu and many other former strong- south of Mogadishu. of thousands of people in northeast ices lost their lives. holds in the Horn of Africa nation. He said his message was di- at funeral wake Nigeria in dire need of food, shelter, One aid worker told AFP colleagues But Shebaab is still able to carry rected at other Ugandan soldiers clean water and healthcare expressed were “stunned” at what happened omalia’s Islamist She- out deadly bombings and mount planning to embark on the “same shock and dismay at the bombing. and suggested civilians were likely baab militia has executed a devastating assaults on AU and journey that brought me here to AFP The UN High Commissioner for to have been caught up in previous SUgandan soldier captured Somali national army bases. Somalia.” Harare Refugees, Filippo Grandi, called it “a bombing raids in the remote region. more than a year ago, according Shebaab holds an unknown The soldier’s death was not truly catastrophic event”, calling for a “I’m sure it (the bombing in Rann) to a video released online by the number of Kenyan and Ugandan shown but after he fi nished speak- full investigation to take place to pre- is an accident but why would they (the militants and confi rmed by their soldiers as hostages. ing, the video cut to another image ightning killed six people at a funeral wake vent any repeat. Nigerian military) bomb a place that spokesman. The video is entitled “So they and the sound of gunfi re was heard. in Zimbabwe as they sheltered under a tree Jean-Clement Cabrol, the director they’re guarding?” the aid worker said Henry Obbo, Uganda’s deputy may take heed, the fi nal message Shebaab’s military operations Lto escape torrential rain, police said yester- of operations for the medical charity on condition of anonymity. military spokesman, told Reuters from the Ugandan POW” and spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu day. Heavy rains have deluged Zimbabwe in recent MSF, which earlier gave a death toll of Ties have been strained between they were not aware of the video showed a soldier previously iden- Musab, told Reuters by phone that days, causing fl oods and killing people who at- 52 and 120 injured, called the attack humanitarian agencies and the Ni- posted late on Tuesday. tifi ed as Massasa M Y speaking. he had been executed. tempted to cross rivers that had burst their banks. “shocking and unacceptable”. gerian authorities, who have accused The Ugandan military has pre- “To those who are prepar- In a previous video released in The lightning struck the mourners Sunday in The secretary-general of the Nor- some aid organisations of exaggerat- viously confi rmed that the cap- ing to come here, sit down and September last year, Massasa said Binga in northwest Zimbabwe, near the border wegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, ing the food crisis triggered by the in- tive, who has appeared in another think deeply...then ask yourselves about 40 to 50 of his colleagues had with Zambia. said: “Displacement camps are sup- surgency. video, was their soldier. whether you will return home been killed in the Janaale attack. “The victims were part of the gathering attend- posed to be safe havens for people In December, Save the Children Ugandan soldiers form a large safely,” the soldier said, according He pleaded with the Ugandan ing a funeral wake when heavy rains pounded the fl eeing war and confl ict. said 4.7mn people in the northeast part of the 22,000-strong Af- to an accompanying translation of government to try to secure his area,” said police spokeswoman Charity Charamba. “It cannot become the new normal needed food assistance and some rican Union (AU) peacekeeping his remarks, which were in Swahili. release. “They sought shelter under a tree and were struck that ‘accidental’ attacks on camps 400,000 children were at imminent force that defends Somalia’s weak “What awaits you here is Countries in the African Union by a bolt of lightning, killing them instantly.” sheltering the innocent are allowed risk of starvation. Western-backed government death.” force, such as Uganda, Burundi, Several others were injured and taken to hos- to happen again and again in confl ict The presidency called some of the against the Islamist insurgents. The soldier, wearing a military Ethiopia and Kenya, typically do pital, Charamba said. “Members of the public zones.” claims “hyperbolic” while the Borno The AU force has been battling uniform with Ugandan insignia, not release the numbers of those should also install lightning conductors at their Human Rights Watch’s senior Ni- state governor recently accused some Shebaab for nearly a decade and says Shebaab captured him in killed, injured or captured in So- homes so that lightning bolts are easily conducted geria researcher Mausi Segun said aid agencies of profi ting from the crisis. has pushed the militants out of September 2015 during an attack malia. to the ground,” she said. Jammeh clings on to power as tourists fl ee Gambia

AFP the inauguration’s head organ- and felt tour company Thomas The Dutch travel fi rm TUI A source told AFP that patients Banjul iser who said he had spoken with Cook should have kept them bet- Nederland told AFP Tuesday it at Banjul’s Edward Francis Small Barrow twice on Tuesday. ter informed. would repatriate “about 800” Teaching Hospital, which sits Gomez said that plans for the “We didn’t know anything clients. opposite Jammeh’s seat of power, ambian President Yahya transfer of power in a huge sta- until we came down for break- Some tourists were unfazed by were removed for security rea- Jammeh looked deter- dium outside the capital Banjul fast,” Brian Souch said, sitting in the news as the state of emergen- sons. Only those in intensive care Gmined yesterday to cling were now cancelled, but added shorts and sleeveless T-shirt in cy, however, as their countries remained. to power as his mandate came “there will be a big celebration” the lobby of a hotel in the Kololi have not issued travel alerts. Fatou Sarr, a resident of to an end, while tourists packed despite the state of emergency. tourist strip. “We have over two weeks left the fi shing community of Old onto planes in an exodus sparked In Washington, the US State A return visitor for the last six and we are staying,” said Mariann Jeshwang, said: “Only a few shops by a state of emergency. Department urged Jammeh to years, Souch came back for “the Lundvall, who fl ew into Banjul to had bread this morning and they Jammeh said Tuesday the “peacefully hand over power” to weather, the people, the beach- escape Finland’s freezing winter. ran out of stock very early. If this emergency was necessary due Barrow, but a military option is es,” and was disappointed to be “If the Finnish government stalemate drags on for a week or to interference of foreign pow- becoming more likely by the hour. put on a hastily scheduled extra decides we go, then we go,” she two, the country will run out.” ers in the West African country’s A source at Nigeria’s military fl ight organised by the package added, but with a pained face Citizens continue to pack their December 1 election, which the HQ told AFP a deployment to holiday fi rm. added “the climate in Helsinki... bags and stream out of Gambia — president of 22 years lost to op- Senegal, whose territory sur- Thomas Cook said in a state- it is so cold now!” a small, narrow enclave of Sen- ponent Adama Barrow. rounds The Gambia, would hap- ment yesterday a programme of The panic caused by the state egal except for its coast — by road Barrow, who is currently shel- A travel representative helps tourists prepare to leave the Gambia pen “very soon”. additional fl ights into Banjul air- of emergency could prove devas- and ferry heading for Senegal, tering in neighbouring Senegal, in Banjul yesterday. Under the Gambian constitu- port would bring home the 1,000 tating for the country’s economy, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, tak- maintains his inauguration will tion a state of emergency lasts package holidaymakers it has which experts say relies on tour- ing as many possessions as they go ahead today on Gambian soil, on special fl ights yesterday alone. (ECOWAS) has repeatedly urged up to 90 days if the national as- in The Gambia, followed by up ism for up to 20% of the econo- could carry. putting the country on a collision “It’s because of the uncertain- Jammeh to respect the outcome sembly confi rms it — which the 2,500 more at the “earliest pos- my. “My two children and I are course. ty and the likelihood an ECOWAS of the vote and step aside, a call legislature did late Tuesday. sible fl ight availability”. Gambians were taking precau- staying with my aunt. We don’t Jammeh’s declaration im- standby force will have to be de- backed by the UN Security Coun- Brian and Yvonne Souch, a Holidaymakers were told that tions and stocking up on food and know what will happen tomor- mediately triggered travel advi- ployed,” a diplomatic source told cil, African Union and others. couple from Witney in south- Thomas Cook fl ights would stop supplies in the few shops that row,” said a 50-year-old woman sory warnings by Britain and the AFP. The exact location of the in- ern England, told AFP they were completely in a few days time, remained open in districts near who recently took shelter in Sen- Netherlands, with around 1,000 The 15-nation Economic Com- auguration was “in the hands of unaware of the potential risk of leaving them at risk of being the capital, with roads quiet and egal, adding that she hoped to re- British tourists expected to leave munity Of West African States ECOWAS,” said James Gomez, fl ying to the country 10 days ago stranded. street hawkers notably absent. turn home soon. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 17 AMERICAS Obama shortens sentence of Chelsea Manning

Reuters Assange to accept extradition if terials about national security. Manning, formerly known as The offi cial said Obama’s de- executive director of Amnesty Iran’s nuclear programme. Cart- Washington Manning was freed. “Chelsea Manning’s treachery US Army Private First Class Bra- cision was rooted in Manning’s International USA. wright denied being the source of Manning has been a focus of a put American lives at risk and ex- dley Manning, was born male but sentence being longer than sen- Obama also pardoned retired the leak. worldwide debate on government posed some of our nation’s most revealed after being convicted of tences given to others who had US Marine Corps General James Obama weighed Cartwright’s resident Barack Obama secrecy since she provided more sensitive secrets,” Ryan said. espionage that she identifi es as a committed comparable crimes. Cartwright who pleaded guilty service along with his motive on Tuesday shortened the than 700,000 documents, vide- Manning was working as an woman. “The president’s decision to in October to making false state- when making the decision, the Pprison sentence of Chelsea os, diplomatic cabl serve 3es and intelligence analyst in Baghdad The White House said her sen- grant clemency and off er com- ments to the FBI during an inves- White House offi cial said, not- Manning, the former US military battlefi eld accounts to WikiLeaks in 2010 when she gave WikiLe- tence would end on May 17 this mutation to Chelsea Manning tigation into leaks of classifi ed ing Cartwright had not divulged intelligence analyst who was re- — a leak for which she was sen- aks a trove of diplomatic cables year. was not infl uenced in any way by information. material that the journalist was sponsible for a 2010 leak of clas- tenced to5 years in prison. and battlefi eld accounts that Manning, who twice tried public comments from Assange The aggressive prosecution not already aware of, and that sifi ed materials to anti-secrecy Obama, in one of his fi nal acts included a 2007 gunsight video to kill herself last year and has or the WikiLeaks organisation,” of Cartwright, who last served his conversations were focused group WikiLeaks, the biggest before leaving offi ce, reduced her of a US Apache helicopter fi ring struggled to cope as a transgen- a White House offi cial said on a as vice chairman of the Joint on preventing the publication of such breach in US history. sentence to seven years, angering at suspected insurgents in Iraq, der woman in the Fort Leaven- conference call with reporters. Chiefs of Staff , sent shockwaves material that could hurt national A White House offi cial said some Republicans. killing a dozen people including worth, Kansas, men’s military Civil rights groups praised the through the Pentagon. security. there was no connection between “This is just outrageous,” two Reuters news staff . prison, accepted responsibility move, calling it overdue. He lied during questioning by “It’s clear in this case...that Manning’s commutation and re- House of Representatives Speak- Republican Senator Tom Cotton for leaking the material — a fac- “Chelsea Manning exposed the FBI over a book written by General Cartwright’s motive newed US government concern er Paul Ryan said in a statement. said the leak endangered troops, tor that fed into Obama’s deci- serious abuses, and as a result a New York Times reporter that was diff erent than most people about WikiLeaks’ actions during Ryan, a Republican, said the intelligence offi cers, diplomats and sion, a White House offi cial told her own human rights have been exposed a malicious compu- who are facing charges of leaking last year’s presidential election, decision was a “dangerous prec- allies. “We ought not treat a traitor reporters, speaking on condition violated by the US government ter software program known as classifi ed information to a jour- or a promise by founder Julian edent” for those who leak ma- like a martyr,” Cotton said. of anonymity. for years,” said Margaret Huang, “Stuxnet” designed to disrupt nalist,” the offi cial said.

Trump sued over Democrats rip Trump pick sexual assault denial

Reuters Los Angeles

ne of about a dozen for Education Secretary women who previ- Oously accused Presi- Reuters dent-elect Donald Trump of Washington making unwanted sexual ad- vances fi led a lawsuit against him in New York on Tuesday, emocrats sliced holes in alleging he had made false billionaire Betsy DeVos’ and defamatory statements Dcredentials to be the next about her in rejecting the ac- US Education Secretary at a con- cusation, causing her emo- fi rmation hearing on Tuesday, tional and economic harm. raising doubts whether Presi- The lawsuit fi led by Sum- dent-elect Donald Trump’s pick mer Zervos, a one-time will win approval in the full Sen- contestant on Trump’s re- ate. ality television show The The nomination of DeVos to Apprentice,is focused on head an agency that sets policy a stream of denials Trump for younger children and univer- aimed at her and other wom- Summer Zervos attends a press sities and also administers a col- en accusers last October, just conference in Los Angeles on lege fi nancial aid program of $1tn weeks before the November Tuesday. has outraged Democrats who 8 presidential election, when believe the Michigan Republican Zervos and others came forward to accuse the then-candidate of wants to dismantle public educa- making unwanted sexual advances. tion. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks called the allegations “ab- Teachers unions, a major con- surd.” stituency for the party, roundly “More of the same from Gloria Allred,” said Hicks, referring to oppose DeVos, a philanthropist Zervos’ high-profi le attorney. “There is no truth to this absurd and investor. story.” “Do you think if you were not At the time the women made their allegations, Trump, a Re- a multi-billionaire, if your family publican, who went on to win the election and who takes offi ce had not made hundreds of mil- tomorrow, adamantly denied all the accusations in posts on lions of dollars in contributions Twitter, statements, interviews and comments at rallies. to the Republican party, that you He suggested at one rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Oc- would be sitting here today?” tober 14 that the accusers were fabricating their stories for pub- asked Independent Bernie Sand- licity or to damage his campaign. ers of Vermont, who recently ran With regard to Zervos specifi cally, Trump told the rally in to be the Democrats’ presidential Charlotte just hours after she made her allegations that it was nominee. “not hard to fi nd a small handful of people willing to make false Democratic Senators have smears for personal fame, who knows maybe for fi nancial rea- made their opposition clear in re- sons, political purposes,” according to the lawsuit. cent days in letters, speeches and “Mr Trump’s false, defamatory statements about Ms Zervos most notably at the hearing. — that, among other things, she made up her descriptions of Mr The Education Committee Trump’s misconduct as a hoax, and that she is creating a ‘phony’ will likely approve sending her story just so that she can be famous — have been deeply detri- name to the full chamber when it A group of women gather at Knitty City in New York to make their pink Pussyhats in preparation for protests for women’s rights following the mental to Ms Zervos’s reputation, honour and dignity,” the law- votes in an executive session next election of Donald Trump. suit stated. Tuesday. At a news conference in Los Angeles announcing the lawsuit Then, Democrats could at- debate over measuring student colleges and fair access for stu- public education and gut invest- Democrats called foul, saying on Tuesday, Zervos said she wanted Trump to apologise. tempt to block the nomination on achievement by profi ciency or by dents with disabilities, only say- ments in public schools,” said that because DeVos has not fi n- “Since Mr Trump has not issued a retraction as I requested, he the Senate fl oor. growth. ing she would review the policies. Washington’s Patty Murray, the ished requisite ethics paperwork has therefore left me with no alternative other than to sue him in Because nominations other Connecticut’s Chris Murphy Generally, Democrats pressed committee’s senior Democrat. they are in the dark on issues and order to vindicate my reputation,” Zervos said. than those for the Supreme Court was dismayed when DeVos did on how DeVos will manage her DeVos scrambled to reassure need more time. Her lawsuit said she was seeking “all possible remedies,” in- only require a simple majority not condemn guns in schools. investments and companies in them she supports taxpayer- Alexander said the Offi ce of cluding the apology and retraction, from Trump. vote, they will not be able to use a Elizabeth Warren of Massa- the education sector, including backed education. Government Ethics will produce Allred, who also represents a number of women who have ac- fi libuster and would have to con- chusetts, an advocate of tough an on-line charter school, while She also said she will work by tomorrow a letter outlining cused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, raised the pos- vince Republicans to join them in fi nancial regulation, asked serving as the most powerful to give parents choices in the resolutions for her potential con- sibility at the news conference that Trump might be required to voting against the nomination. whether DeVos or her children public fi gure in the area. schools their children attend, fl icts of interest. give a deposition in the case. Former senator Joe Lieberman, had attended public schools, bor- They also asked repeatedly if treat all students equally and re- Committee Republicans uni- The lawsuit said Trump kissed Zervos without her consent at Democrats’ candidate for vice rowed student loans or received she intended to divert money to spect states’ decisions on educa- versally backed DeVos, applaud- his offi ce in New York in December 2007 and later at a hotel in president in 2000, gave DeVos federal fi nancial help known as charter schools that operate in- tion. ing her support of vouchers that Beverly Hills, California, kissed her, touched her inappropriately a laudatory introduction at the Pell grants. dependently of school districts The hearing, which was de- families may use to pay for private and tried to get her to lie on a bed during a meeting about a pos- hearing, but other party mem- “You have no experience with and are frequently run by corpo- layed from last week over miss- education and of charter schools. sible job. bers were wide-ranging in their fi nancial aid,” Warren summed rations and if she would under- ing fi nancial disclosures, began at They praised her history with She and the other women came forward after a video from criticism. up when DeVos answered “no.” mine public schools. 5pm (EST). The Potter’s House, which pro- 2005 surfaced showing Trump boasting of making unwanted Minnesota’s Al Franken ex- Many were dismayed DeVos “I have major concerns with Committee chairman Lamar Al- vides “Christ-centered” educa- advances toward women — a video that he later apologised for pressed surprise DeVos was un- would not pledge to carry out how you have spent your career exander only allotted each member tion, and spoke of her dedication but said was simply “locker room talk” and was not his actual familiar with a hot education rules on sexual assault, for-profi t and fortune fi ghting to privatize fi ve minutes for questions. to literacy. behaviour.

Bush Sr hospitalised with breathing problems Canada PM to promote ex-commander

Reuters 1992. Reuters Trudeau’s top priority. porter with years of US experience, Houston A naval pilot during World War II, Ottawa Canada sends 75% of its exports has good connections in Washing- Bush became an occasional skydiver af- to the United States and could suf- ton. ter leaving the presidency and marked fer badly if Trump follows through Canadian diplomats and Trudeau ormer president George H W his 90th birthday with a jump out of a anadian Prime Minister Jus- on promises to renegotiate the aides have been trying to persuade Bush has been in a Houston hos- helicopter. tin Trudeau will shuffl e his North American Free Trade Agree- the incoming Trump team that both Fpital since Saturday after he ex- He has used a wheelchair in his later Cteam in preparation for the ment or impose an import tax. nations would suff er from major perienced shortness of breath, a family years and was hospitalised twice in 2014, Trump administration, promot- A second source said Leslie changes to the trading relationship. spokesman said yesterday. once for seven weeks with pneumonia ing a former army commander who would also be made a member of “There are millions of Canadian Bush, who at 92 is the nation’s old- and again for breathing diffi culties. knows top US military offi cials, two the special cabinet committee on jobs that depend on the US market, est living ex-president, has “responded In July 2015, he broke a bone in his sources familiar with the matter Canada-US relations. but there are also millions of Amer- very well to treatments” at the Houston neck in a fall at the family home in said on Tuesday. Leslie, who has the rank of lieu- ican jobs that depend on smooth Methodist Hospital, spokesman Jim Maine. Chief whip Andrew Leslie, who tenant general, headed the Cana- integration and fl ow back and forth McGrath said in an email to Reuters. Bush’s public appearances have been helps oversee members of the ruling dian army from 2006 to 2010. across the border of goods and “Doctors and everyone are very rare since he entered his 90s. Liberal Party in the House of Com- The Globe and Mail, which fi rst services,” said Trudeau. pleased, and we hope to have him out Sitting in his wheelchair, wearing a mons, will be made parliamentary reported the appointment, said Le- “We are very confi dent...we are soon,” McGrath wrote. brace on his neck and clad in a Hou- secretary to new Foreign Minis- slie knew Trump’s national security going to be able to fi nd common Bush is the father of former president ston Astros jersey, he tossed out the fi rst ter Chrystia Freeland — Trudeau’s adviser, Michael Flynn, a former ground to ensure that both of our George W Bush and former Florida gov- pitch at the team’s playoff game against point person on the US fi le. army lieutenant-general, and re- economies prosper,” he told a tele- ernor Jeb Bush, who sought the 2016 the Kansas City Royals in October 2015. “He has extensive military expe- tired Marine General James Mat- vised news conference in Frederic- Republican presidential nomination. In 2016, he marked the 75th anniver- rience and has worked a great deal tis, the nominee for US secretary of ton, New Brunswick. The elder Bush, a Republican like his sary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor with senior US commanders,” said defence. As part of the planned shuffl e, sons, was vice president during Ronald by attending a ceremony at his library at one source, requesting anonymity Trudeau last week announced Trudeau will name Deputy Chief of Reagan’s two White House terms before Texas A&M University, where Bob Dole, because the news had not yet been Freeland as foreign minister, with Staff Jeremy Broadhurst — one of being elected president in 1988. He lost the former Republican senator from made offi cial. additional responsibility for NAF- his closest aides — to be Freeland’s his re-election bid to Bill Clinton, then Kansas, received an award for public Good security relations with US TA and ties with the United States. new chief of staff , said one of the George H W Bush ... age woes the Democratic governor of Arkansas, in service. President-elect Donald Trump is Freeland, a former business re- sources. Gulf Times 18 Thursday, January 19, 2017 ASEAN Indonesia can do business with ‘pragmatic’ Trump: minister

Reuters Barack Obama’s “ideological” – Pandjaitan plays an important In the most expansive assess- ture of the Indonesian and US the outgoing US administration Trump’s pledge in December Jakarta foreign policy had intensifi ed dif- role in formulating foreign poli- ment of Trump from a senior economies and Trump’s vow to had unintended consequences. 2015 for a “total and complete ferences between countries. cy, including in the South China Indonesian government mem- wipe out Islamic State, which has “Under President Barack Obama, shutdown” of Muslim immigra- “President Trump is a prag- Sea, where China and the United ber, Pandjaitan said the New inspired at least eight militant America’s ideological desire to tion, which caused outrage in In- ndonesia, the country with matist who is likely to adopt a State are vying for infl uence. York real estate mogul’s business plots in Indonesia in the past 18 remould the world, including Eu- donesia and other Muslim coun- the world’s biggest Muslim non-ideological and non-con- His comments come after background would enable him to months. Like Trump, Widodo rope, in America’s image helped tries. Trump later softened the Ipopulation, can do business frontational approach to a diverse China has reacted negatively to strike deals with countries with- was an outsider who had been la- precipitate the crisis in Ukraine policy to only suspending immi- with a “pragmatic” US presi- political world,” Pandjaitan said comments from Trump and some out judging the “colour of their belled a “populist”, he added. that ended with Russia annexing gration from countries compro- dent-elect Donald Trump, a sen- in an opinion piece published in of his Cabinet appointees about political skin”. “That word is a loaded term Crimea. mised by terrorism. ior minister close to President Singapore’s Straits Times news- Taiwan, US adherence to the “What matters is what they used by the liberal intelligentsia Its pivot to the Asia-Pacifi c Indonesia has close rela- Joko Widodo said yesterday. paper. “one-China” policy and China’s bring to the table,” he wrote. to describe those who have had concluded with China ignoring tions with the United States and Co-ordinating Minister for As well as being close to occupation of islands and shoals Pandjaitan said this approach the audacity to rise to power out- international law in the South many Indonesians think highly Maritime Aff airs Luhut Pand- Widodo – the two were business in disputed waters in the South would benefi t Indonesia, as side its gilded, guarded gates.” China Sea.” of Obama, who spent part of his jaitan said outgoing President partners before entering politics China Sea. would the complementary na- Pandjaitan said the policies of Pandjaitan did not refer to childhood in the capital, Jakarta. OIC seeks UN role to end Rohingya confl ict

Reuters meeting in December, and that Visitors take photos of sun bears at a zoo in Bandung. Kuala Lumpur UN intervention would only end up facing “unwanted resistance Anger at skeletal sun bears in Indonesian zoo from local people”. he United Nations should “So that’s why the interna- Animal rights activists whatever they wanted – they intervene in Myanmar’s tional community should have yesterday demanded the were throwing in junk food.” TRakhine state to stop a positive approach and under- closure of an Indonesian zoo Scorpion investigators first further escalation of violence stand widely our country’s con- after skeletal sun bears were raised the alarm after visits in against Rohingya Muslims and fl ict situation,” said Zaw Htay, pictured begging for food from 2016. During a follow-up visit avoid another genocide like in a spokesman for the offi ce of visitors and eating their own this month, they found there Cambodia and Rwanda, said Myanmar President Htin Kyaw. dung. were still “dirty enclosures” and the Organisation of Islamic About 56,000 Rohingyas now The bears at the zoo in the city bears “looking hungry”, the Co-operation’s special envoy to live in Muslim-majority Malay- of Bandung were shown waving group said. Myanmar. sia having fl ed previous unrest their arms in the air inside An online petition set up by The confl ict which has left in Myanmar. their enclosure – with their ribs Scorpion protesting the bears’ at least 86 dead and an esti- Malaysia, which is Southeast visible through their fur – as treatment has gathered over mated 66,000 people fl eeing Asia’s third-largest economy, people hurled food at them. 3,000 signatures, and the group into Bangladesh since it started broke the tradition of non-in- In one video, a bear defecates has also staged protests calling on October 9, 2016, is no longer tervention by members of the in the enclosure and then for the zoo’s closure. an internal issue but of inter- Association of Southeast Asian eats its own faeces. Many of However Bandung zoo national concern, said Syed Nations (Asean) by speaking out Indonesia’s zoos are poorly spokesman Sudaryo, who like Hamid Albar, Organisation of on the confl ict, calling on the maintained and there are many Indonesians goes by one Islamic Co-operation (OIC) 10-member bloc to co-ordinate regular reports of animals dying name, denied the bears had Special Envoy to Myanmar. humanitarian aid and investi- in captivity. Bandung zoo came been badly treated or were Syed Hamid said the OIC gate alleged atrocities commit- under fire last year after the malnourished. should seek UN intervention. ted against the ethnic group. death of a critically endangered “We give them food daily, twice His comments come ahead of a Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Anifah Aman speaks at a news conference on the eve of the OIC meeting Zaw Htay criticised Malaysia Sumatran elephant. a day,” he said. “That means the special OIC meeting called by to discuss the Rohingya crisis in Kuala Lumpur. for its outspoken position on The Scorpion Wildlife Trade management has done its duty.” Malaysia tomorrow to discuss the confl ict, saying the country Monitoring Group, which shot Indonesia’s most notorious measures to deal with the con- lessons from the past, for us to state on October 9. The govern- rity posts near Myanmar’s bor- should manage “its own politi- videos of the bears last year, zoo, in the city of Surabaya, has fl ict aff ecting the Rohingya mi- learn from and see what we can ment of predominantly Bud- der with Bangladesh that killed cal crisis” and “avoid encourag- said it now wanted the zoo been dubbed the “death zoo” nority, who are predominantly do,” he said. The OIC represents dhist Myanmar, led by Nobel nine police offi cers. The Myan- ing extremism and violence” in closed down. “The bears ate as hundreds of animals have Muslim. 57 states and acts as the collec- Peace Prize winner Aung San mar government has said that Myanmar. their own dung, this happened perished there in recent years. “We don’t want to see anoth- tive voice of the Muslim world. Suu Kyi, has denied the ac- militants with overseas Islamist “Our new government is because they are very, very The sun bear, also known as er genocide like in Cambodia or Refugees, residents and hu- cusations, saying many of the links were responsible. working seriously and carefully hungry,” Gunung Gea, director the honey bear due its love Rwanda,” Syed Hamid said in an man rights groups say Myan- reports are fabricated, and it in- A Myanmar government on the situation in Rakhine. We of the Indonesian group, told of honey, is the smallest of interview ahead of the meeting mar soldiers have committed sists the strife in Rakhine state, spokesman said it will not at- are working on a very compli- AFP. “The enclosure of the the bear species and inhabits in Kuala Lumpur. summary executions, raped where many Rohingyas live, is tend the OIC meet as it is not an cated and tough problem with bears was dirty, and visitors Southeast Asian tropical forests “The international com- Rohingya women and burned an internal matter. Islamic country, but that it had this internal confl ict, so we were free to give them and swamps. munity just observed, and how homes since military operations The military operations were already made its actions clear need time to prevent it happen- many people died? We have started in the north of Rakhine in response to attacks on secu- to Asean members at their last ing again,” Zaw Htay said. Charity ride East Timor to hold elections in March

AFP Dili, East Timor

ast Timor will hold a presidential election on March 20, an offi cial said yesterday, and Nobel Peace laureate Jose Ram- Eos-Horta may try to make a comeback as head of state. It will be the third presidential vote in the tiny half-island na- tion since it won independence in 2002 following a brutal, 24- year occupation by neighbouring Indonesia. “The president ... issued a decree Tuesday which stated that the fi rst round of the presidential election will be held on March 20,” Nelyo Isaac Sarmento, state secretary for social information, said. Ramos-Horta, who lived in exile during the years of occu- pation and was East Timor’s voice on the international stage, was a major fi gure in the country’s politics for a decade after inde- pendence serving as both prime minister and president. He lost his post as president in 2012 elections and vowed to step back from politics, but analysts say he is considering run- ning in the March polls for the largely ceremonial post. However his likely rival Francisco Guterres — a former guerrilla fi ghter known by his nom de guerre “Lu Olo” — is seen as a stronger candidate. Up to six candidates are expected to compete in the fi rst round in March, said Sarmento, although none has offi cially declared their candidacy. No candidate is expected to win the required 50% of the vote on March 20, meaning a run-off will likely be held on April 20. Incumbent President Taur Matan Ruak is not expected to stand. “Ruak has said he will not stand again as president and is very widely expected to run for parliament, with the intention of be- coming prime minister,” said Damien Kingsbury, an East Timor expert at Australia’s Deakin University.Nearly 750,000 Timorese A Malaysian clown travels onboard a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) train during a fund-raising event for children with cancer in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. More than a dozen are registered voters, Sarmento said. clowns travelled by the LRT train to the KL Sentral station during the event organised by Cancer Associates and Kindred Network (CAKNE), a support group for children with cancer in partnership with Malaysia’s Rapid KL public transportation company. Czech man wanted for spreading HIV held A Czech fugitive wanted in holiday nation went viral on his homeland for knowingly Thai social media this week. spreading HIV to multiple “Thai police will contact victims has been arrested Czech Interpol once he has Cambodian women rescued from sex slavery in Japan on a Thai resort island after been prosecuted for local living in the country for violations,” Thai Interpol more than a year, police said said, adding he was arrested AFP an offi cial said yesterday. The forced the victims to have sex bassy in Japan. Japanese authori- tion for women from Southeast yesterday. for illegally overstaying his Phnom Penh women, who are in their 20s, with guests at the restaurant and ties in Gunma prefecture, west of Asia seeking higher wages who Zdenek Pfeifer, 49, was visa. were lured to work at the res- did not pay them salaries,” the Tokyo, were then alerted. often fi nd themselves forced into detained at his apartment Czech media reports said taurant in central Honshu island statement said. Six of the women are now sex work or indentured labour. on the island of Phuket Zdenek fled the country even Cambodian women November with promise of high Cambodian foreign ministry staying at the Cambodian em- Last August the Philippines on Tuesday evening, Thai in June 2015 after he was have been rescued from a wages by a Japanese owner who spokesman Chum Sounry told bassy in Tokyo awaiting repa- warned its citizens against ille- Interpol said in a statement. charged with deliberately Srestaurant in Japan where arranged visas and airfares for AFP the women were rescued triation while the seventh victim gally travelling to Japan in search His arrest came after infecting more than a dozen they were allegedly forced into the them, the Cambodian foreign in mid-December after a victim was sent home late last month for of work, saying they often risked reports warning of his partners with HIV, including sex work after a victim made a ministry said in a statement. wrote a plea for help on the Face- health reasons. being traffi cked for sex or forced presence in the popular a minor. desperate Facebook plea for help, “But (he) threatened and book page of the Cambodian em- Japan has long been a destina- labour. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 19 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Samsung chief questioned in arrest warrant hearing

Reuters representing Lee struck a at the prosecutor’s offi ce in court ordered Lee to be held false testimony. NPS chair- Seoul positive tone, saying the le- Seoul. at the Seoul Detention Cen- man Moon Hyung-pyo was gal team had argued its case He has denied wrongdo- tre, a half-hour drive away, arrested in December after suffi ciently. “We are con- ing. while it reviews the warrant acknowledging ordering it South Korean judge fi dent the court will make Park, 64, was impeached request. to support the controversial questioned Samsung a wise decision,” attorney last month by parliament The special prosecutor $8bn merger in 2015 of the A Group leader Jay Y Song Wu-cheol told report- over the infl uence-peddling has accused Lee of paying two Samsung Group affi li- Lee behind closed doors yes- ers. scandal, a decision that if bribes totalling 43bn won ates while heading the health terday to decide whether he The special prosecutor’s upheld by the Constitutional (US $36.70mn) to organisa- ministry, which oversees the should be arrested over his offi ce on Monday said it Court will see her become tions linked to Choi Soon- NPS. alleged role in a corruption would seek a warrant to ar- the country’s fi rst democrat- sil, a friend of the president The special prosecu- scandal that led parliament rest the third-generation ically-elected leader forced who is at the centre of the tor’s offi ce has said it did to impeach President Park leader of the country’s larg- from offi ce early. scandal, to secure the 2015 not seek arrest warrants for Geun-hye. est conglomerate on suspi- Park, who remains in of- merger of two affi liates and three other Samsung Group Lee, 48, in dark overcoat cion of bribery, embezzle- fi ce but stripped of her pow- cement his control of the executives that also under- and purple necktie, did not ment and perjury. ers while the court decides family business. went questioning, in order answer questions from re- Lee, who has been the de her fate, has denied wrong- Earlier this week, the spe- to minimise the impact on porters as he left the Seoul facto leader of South Korea’s doing. cial prosecutor indicted the Samsung business. Central District Court after biggest conglomerate since The judge may not an- chairman of the National The group’s fl agship, the nearly four-hour hearing his father Lee Kun-hee was nounce his decision on the Pension Service (NPS), the Samsung Electronics, is the and headed by car to a deten- incapacitated by a 2014 heart arrest warrant for Lee until world’s third-largest pen- world’s biggest maker of Samsung Group chief Jay Y Lee (centre) leaves for a waiting facility after attending a court tion centre to await his fate. attack, was questioned last after midnight, a court of- sion fund, on charges of smartphones, fl atscreen TVs hearing on whether he will be issued with an arrest warrant at the Seoul Central District Court One of the fi ve attorneys week for 22 straight hours fi cial said on Tuesday. The abuse of power and giving and memory chips. in Seoul yesterday. Hong Kong leader slams independence movement China urges US to

AFP committee. Currently that committee – which is Hong Kong largely made up of special interest groups skewed towards Beijing – selects the leader with no pub- lic vote. keep Taiwan out of ong Kong’s unpopular pro-Beijing leader The Beijing-backed reform plan was dismissed Leung Chun-ying faced protests yester- as “fake democracy” by opponents and voted Hday as he spoke out against the city’s in- down in the legislature by pro-democracy law- dependence movement in his fi nal policy address. makers. Leung will step down in July after a four-year Amnesty International Hong Kong last week term marked by anti-Beijing rallies as fears grow said human rights were at their worst since Trump inauguration that Chinese authorities are squeezing Hong the city was handed back to China by Britain in Kong’s freedoms. 1997, in the wake of the disappearance of fi ve city Frustration at lack of political reform has booksellers known for publishing salacious titles Reuters including a Taiwan national se- in or damage China-US ties.”“We democratic Taiwan has shown no sparked movements seeking self-determination about Chinese leaders, and interference by Bei- Beijing curity adviser and some law- again urge the relevant side in the interest in wanting to be run by or even independence for the semi-autonomous jing in a range of areas, from media to education. makers, will attend tomorrow’s United States not to allow the Beijing. city, angering Chinese authorities. As he strug- The government has also been accused of a inauguration, Taiwan’s Foreign Taiwan authority to send a so- China is deeply suspicious of gled to start his speech due to heckling, some witch hunt after two pro-independence lawmak- he United States should Ministry said this week. called delegation to the United Taiwan’s Tsai, whom it suspects pro-democracy lawmakers held up signs depict- ers were forced to give up their seats last year. not allow a delegation It is typical for Taiwan to send States to attend the presiden- of wanting to push for the is- ing Leung as a monkey and calling him a “liar”. Four more pro-democracy legislators face a judi- Tfrom Taiwan to attend US a delegation to US presidential tial inauguration and not have land’s formal independence, a “As we benefit from the opportunities cial review into whether they should be disquali- president-elect Donald Trump’s inaugurations. any form of offi cial contact with red line for China. brought by the development of our country fi ed. inauguration, China’s Foreign A spokesman for Taiwan Pres- Taiwan,” Hua told a regular news Tsai, who visited the US this and the national policies in our favour, we must However, Leung said the city still enjoyed a Ministry said yesterday, raising ident Tsai Ing-wen’s offi ce said briefi ng. month while travelling to and clearly recognise that Hong Kong is an inalien- high degree of autonomy and pledged his govern- a new bone of contention in Bei- no meetings were scheduled with “China’s position has already from Central America, says she able part of our country,” Leung said in the an- ment would “uphold Hong Kong’s core values, jing’s relations with the incom- the new Trump administration accurately and unmistakably wants to maintain peace with nual address. including human rights, liberty, democracy, the ing government. while the delegation was there been given to the US administra- China. “This is both a legal fact and an internation- rule of law and integrity”. Trump broke with decades of for the event. tion and Trump’s team.” The administration of Presi- ally recognised political reality, leaving no room Leung framed the city’s economic strategy precedent last month by tak- China considers Taiwan a China’s ambassador to the dent Barack Obama has repeat- whatsoever for Hong Kong to become independ- within Beijing’s latest fi ve-year plan and its One ing a congratulatory telephone breakaway province, with no United States, Cui Tiankai, will edly reinforced the US com- ent or separate from the motherland in any man- Belt, One Road initiative, which calls for con- call from Taiwan President Tsai right to have any kind of diplo- attend the inauguration on its mitment to the “one China” ner,” he added. structing vast rail and infrastructure links con- Ing-wen, and he has also said the matic relations with other coun- behalf, she added. Defeated Na- policy, under which Washington Residents must “safeguard national sover- necting Chinese exporters to markets across “One China” policy was up for tries. Chinese Foreign Ministry tionalist forces fl ed to Taiwan in acknowledges China’s position eignty, security and territorial integrity”, said Eurasia. Around 100 protesters gathered outside negotiation, a position Beijing spokeswoman Hua Chunying 1949 after losing a civil war with of sovereignty over Taiwan, since Leung, who did not mention any plans for kick- the legislature, protesting over pension funds and strongly rejected. said China was opposed to Tai- the Communists. Trump’s call with the Taiwanese starting democratic reform in his speech, af- workers’ rights. A Taiwan delegation, led by wan using any excuse to send China has never renounced leader. ter a controversial Beijing-backed package was Wealth inequality and perceived cosiness be- former premier and ex-ruling people to the United States to the use of force to bring Taiwan Trump is to be sworn into of- shelved following massive protests in 2014. tween politicians and the business elite is driv- party leader Yu Shyi-kun, and “engage in activities to interfere under its control, and proudly fi ce tomorrow. Joseph Cheng, a political scientist and pro-de- ing discontent. Leung promised 460,000 new mocracy activist, criticised Leung for sidestep- housing units in the next decade and a rise in the ping “basic issues” including his “political sup- minimum wage. However he rejected the idea of a pression of the opposition”. universal state pension. Answering reporters’ questions, Leung said his The city’s election committee will choose a Basi, world’s oldest captive panda, turns 37 government had worked hard to push political new leader for Hong Kong in March, with Leung’s reform and that a minority had resisted. He said tough deputy Carrie Lam tipped to be Beijing’s people must accept Beijing’s roadmap, which favourite. Critics fear she will be another hard- declared the public could vote for its leader, but liner, but Lam said Monday she wanted to heal only after nominees were vetted by an election divisions in society.

Caroline Kennedy steps down as US ambassador to Japan

Caroline Kennedy yesterday regularly visited the northeast, top-selling Yomiuri newspaper stepped down as US ambas- which was devastated by the published yesterday. sador to Japan, the embassy 2011 quake-tsunami disaster. “To be able to be at both of said, ending a three-year tenure She also participated in memo- those events during my ambas- for the rookie envoy who was rial ceremonies in Hiroshima and sadorship, I feel so incredibly welcomed into the job with Nagasaki, the targets of the US fortunate and privileged.” movie-star fanfare. atomic bombing in the final days Kennedy also witnessed tense The sole surviving child of as- of World War II. negotiations over moving a ma- sassinated US president John Last year, Kennedy joined Presi- jor US military base in Okinawa, F Kennedy took up the post in dent Obama on an historic visit which hosts more than half of November 2013 as her boss, to Hiroshima, the first serving US the approximately 47,000 Ameri- Barack Obama, focused on Asia president to do so. can military personnel stationed in the face of a rising China and Japanese Prime Minister in Japan. unpredictable North Korea. Shinzo Abe, accompanied by Despite the two countries’ close Despite being wartime enemies, Obama, visited Pearl Harbor relationship, the presence of US the US and Japan are close allies in December, opening a new troops has led to diplomatic flare- and thousands lined the streets diplomatic chapter for the two ups. The popular diplomat raised of Tokyo to catch a glimpse former enemies -- 75 years after eyebrows in 2014 when she of Kennedy when she arrived Japan’s surprise attack that led to expressed concerns on social to start the job. The event was America’s entrance into the war. media about what she called the broadcast live on television. “I think that both the president’s “inhumaneness” of a Japanese Kennedy’s replacement has not visit to Hiroshima and the prime village’s traditional dolphin hunt. yet been appointed by incom- minister’s visit to Pearl Harbor Japan’s whaling and dolphin ing US leader Donald Trump. A really show how far our two hunting is a sore point in rela- Basi, the oldest giant panda living in captivity, celebrated her 37th birthday yesterday wearing a crown and getting a special birthday first-time envoy, Kennedy, 59, countries have come together,” tions with many Western nations cake. Tourists eagerly snapped photos as Basi, whose age is equivalent to 140 human years, slurped a soup of maize flour and eggs from had a high profile in Japan and she said in an interview with the including the United States. a cake-shaped bowl at the Fuzhou Giant Panda Research Centre in southern China. The panda can only be fed liquids and a small amount of bamboo leaves.

Australia says MH370 search could resume in future

Reuters Kuala Lumpur with 239 people A recommendation from in- sia, Australia and China to stop Sydney on board. vestigators last month to look looking. “I don’t rule out a future un- to the north of the 120,000 sq Flight MH370 lost contact derwater search by any stretch,” km area that has been the focus over the Gulf of Thailand in the ustralia said yesterday it Australian Transport Minister of search eff orts was rejected by early hours of March 8, 2014. was not ruling out a fu- Darren Chester told reporters in Australia and Malaysia as too im- Subsequent analysis of radar Ature underwater search Melbourne, a day after Australia, precise. and satellite contacts suggested for a missing Malaysia Airlines Malaysia and China called off the Chester said cost had not been someone on board may have de- passenger jet as families of those search in the southern Indian the determining factor to halt the liberately switched off the plane’s on board criticised the decision Ocean. search, but he said restarting it transponder before diverting it to suspend the hunt after three The search cost about would require “credible new in- thousands of kilometres out over fruitless years. A$200mn (US $150mn), mostly formation which leads to a spe- the Indian Ocean. The location of Flight MH370 paid by Malaysia, and had al- cifi c location.” Since the crash, there have has become one of the world’s ready been extended twice. But Prime Minister Malcolm been competing theories over greatest aviation mysteries since the three countries involved have Turnbull yesterday expressed whether the plane was hijacked US First Lady Michelle Obama (third right), US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy (second right) the plane, a Boeing 777, disap- been reluctant to keep looking “deep regret” that the plane had and whether it was under the and her son Jack Schlossberg (right) watching a student perform a Noh play during a visit to the peared in 2014 en route to Beijing without new evidence about the not been found, but reaffi rmed control of anyone when it fi nally Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, in this 2015 photo. from the Malaysian capital of plane’s fi nal resting place. the agreement between Malay- ran out of fuel. Gulf Times 20 Thursday, January 19, 2017 BRITAIN

ECONOMY POLLUTION APPEAL ACCIDENT PEOPLE Labour market shows Mayor warns London Family twice hit by cancer Boys hurt by ‘flaming I was bullied in school, says signs of slowing of toxic air surge to raise cash for hospital jelly baby’ experiment actress Anya Taylor-Joy

The labour market showed signs of slowing in Mayor Sadiq Khan yesterday put London on toxic A mother and daughter who both battled cancer A school is being sued after a chemistry Model and actress Anya Taylor-Joy says she was November as the number of people in work air alert for at least two days. City Hall sent out yesterday appealed for cash to help the hospital experiment called the “flaming jelly baby” so badly bullied at her west London school that declined and wage growth slowed for the first warnings that air pollution could rise to “moderate” which “saved their lives”. Teacher Helen Lewis, went wrong and injured two boys. They were she fled to New York as a teenager to escape. The time since August. The number of people in in 17 boroughs and the City. It is set to hit a “high” 49, and Ciara, 17, were diagnosed and treated at hurt during the demonstration by a teacher at rising star, now 20, was born in Miami then lived in employment fell by 9,000 to 31.8mn while peak in Westminster and the Square Mile today the Royal Marsden in Chelsea. Helen, who had Richmond Park Academy. Onlookers said the Argentina until she was six. She said she struggled month-on-month wage growth, including before reducing to “moderate” in these two radiotherapy for breast cancer there, went into experiment resulted in hot sugar shooting out of a to be accepted after moving to Britain. “When I was bonuses, dropped from 2.9% to 2.8%. Analysts areas tomorrow. Khan said: “London’s dirty air is remission in April 2015. A year on, “sporty, musical test tube and into the crowd. One witness said the younger I didn’t really feel like I fit in anywhere,” said the figures showed that a return to near a public health emergency.” The department for and academic” Ciara was diagnosed with acute mother of one of the children hurt claimed that her she said. “I was too English to be Argentine, too 3% wage growth in the months after the Brexit environment suggested the pollution episode myeloid leukaemia. Ciara had chemotherapy son would be “scarred for life”. She said the teacher Argentine to be English, too American to be vote appeared to have been short lived. John could last until at least Sunday. Off icial health before receiving a stem cell transplant last year. wore protective gloves and a face shield as he lit anything.” The star, who went to Hill House prep Philpott, director of thejobseconomist.org, said advice says the elderly and adults and children Helen has signed up for the 14-mile Marsden a test tube of chemicals and added a jelly baby. school in Knightsbridge and Queen’s Gate School employment figures also revealed tumbling with lung problems and adults with heart problems March to raise money for the Royal Marsden “Flames spat out straight into the crowd. A plume in South Kensington, said she had “a tough time” in levels of self-employment, part-time working and who experience symptoms should consider Cancer Charity, with Ciara, who is recovering, of thick black smoke hovered above us. A fellow the classroom. “The kids just didn’t understand me employment of temporary workers. reducing strenuous physical activity. joining for part of the way. prospective student was burned on the forehead.” and I was badly bullied,” she said.

May’s plan to demean Hard Brexit UK, claims Corbyn could rip AFP London

rime Minister Theresa May was yesterday ac- P cused by opposition Britain apart, lawmakers of pursuing a “bar- gain basement Brexit” follow- ing her threat to undercut the EU economically if it did not get a new trade deal. In angry exchanges in the House of Commons, the day warns Khan after May set out her nego- tiating objectives on Brexit, London Evening Standard “And if we continue on this by Morgan Stanley yesterday opposition Labour leader Jer- London path — towards a ‘hard Brexit’ he said: “A ‘hard Brexit’ would emy Corbyn said she “demeans — we risk having to explain to fu- cut Europe off from its only herself and her office and our ture generations why we know- truly global financial centre. country’s standing” by making adiq Khan yesterday ingly put their economy, their This would be bad news for Eu- such threats. launched a blistering at- prosperity and their place on the rope as well as Britain. So a hard He urged the Conserva- Stack on Theresa May’s world stage in such peril.” Brexit really would be a lose- tive leader to “stop her threat plans for Brexit, warning that The mayor accused the prime lose situation. Tell your politi- of a bargain basement Brexit, her tough stance could “rip minister of “brushing away” cal leaders that a ‘hard Brexit’ a low-paid tax haven on the Britain apart”. the importance of securing deal is not in the best interests shores of Europe” — saying it London’s mayor claimed the privileged access to the single of your company. This won’t could hurt Britain more than prime minister’s “hard Brexit” market which would be “criti- be easy. But I’m confident that the rest of the bloc. strategy was to paper over splits cal” for London to flourish. despite the prime minister’s The party has accused some in the Conservative Party and In a speech at Davos, he said: rhetoric, there is still a sensible in May’s government of us- said it was not in the country’s “Securing privileged access to deal to be done.” ing Brexit to turn Britain into best interests. the single market must be the top Khan insisted that London a low-waged, low-skilled In a keynote speech at the priority for the negotiations. It’s would remain Europe’s leading economy with low corpora- global economic summit in critical for London. Nothing else business hub after Brexit and tion taxes and light-touch Davos, he warned that without will do. It can’t be brushed aside, would remain open to interna- regulation. access to the EU trading bloc as it was yesterday. tional talent, trade and invest- In her speech on Tuesday, many businesses in the capital “The benefits of Britain re- ment — but warned that the May confi rmed Britain would be could struggle to survive. taining privileged access are UK is not the only EU country leaving Europe’s single market Downing Street announced real and tangible. Having ac- where communities felt left be- when it exits the EU following that May will meet fi nancial sec- cess to the single market would hind or sidelined as they faced last year’s referendum vote, and tor leaders today for a round-ta- mean the difference between job losses, lower wages and would seek a free trade deal with ble discussion in the Swiss town businesses thriving and grow- growing inequalities. the other 27 member states. on the City’s concerns. ing or struggling to survive.” “Many people who voted to She hinted that if EU leaders Brexit Secretary David Davis However, there remain doubts leave the EU did so because sought to punish Britain, Lon- revealed that transition periods over whether London would be of unease about the change don may respond by slashing designed to let firms adjust to able to strike its own Brexit deal, they’ve experienced in recent tax rates to attract companies the split with Europe will last as the government has already decades,” he said. “This eco- and investors, changing “the no longer than two years, end- poured cold water on Scotland’s nomic and social divide is not basis of Britain’s economic ing in about 2021. bid to do the same. unique to Britain. We see it in model”. Khan’s intervention came after The mayor urged European the growing strength of pop- Corbyn told the BBC’s News- May warned Brussels in a major businesses leaders to press their ulism. Without a concerted re- night programme: “We do not speech — setting out her Brexit governments for a workable sponse it will spread further. want to go in the direction of a vision for the fi rst time — that Brexit deal during his 24-hour “My warning is this. If many race-to-the bottom competi- she would walk away from talks if visit to Switzerland — warn- of your countries held an EU tion where we lower corporate the UK is off ered a bad deal. ing that a hard Brexit would be a referendum tomorrow, it could rates of taxation because doing She confirmed that Britain “lose-lose” for the whole of the go the same way as ours. This is that would obviously hit gov- would leave the single market, EU. an existential threat to the EU — ernment income. hinted at a cap on European He was expected to meet one we must combat together. “If we model ourselves on Union migrants and said the fi- heads of government includ- “A crucial task for us now is the Cayman Islands or the Brit- nal Brexit deal would be put to a ing Erna Solberg, the prime to take pro-active steps to build ish Virgin Islands or tax havens vote in Parliament. minister of Norway — which is stronger, more integrated com- around the world then where is But writing in the Standard, a member of the single market munities and ensure everyone the money going to be for edu- Khan declared: “A hard-line but not of the EU — as well as benefi ts from our globalised cation, for health, for housing approach to Brexit may hold the the chief executives of Siemens, economy. The alternative is di- — all the things that matter in Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in central London yesterday before attending the Conservative Party together but Hitachi and Mastercard. vision, protectionism and isola- people’s lives?” he said. weekly Prime Minister’s Question’s (PMQs) at the House of Commons. it could rip Britain apart. In a keynote speech hosted tionism.” Johnson warns over Supreme Court to issue ‘punishment beatings’ ruling on January 24 AFP partners.” May said on Tuesday New Delhi that Britain would look to strike a new customs agreement with the AFP lawmakers. It was the first time involve a change in domestic EU, which accounted for 44% of London all 11 judges have sat together to law. ritain’s foreign minister the country’s exports in 2015. hear an appeal. Attorney general Jeremy yesterday warned against But French President Francois The appeal came after a High Wright, the government’s chief BWorld War II-style “pun- Hollande has consistently said he Supreme Court will Court ruling in November that legal adviser, countered that the ishment beatings” after France Britain would not be granted bet- rule on Tuesday on said the government did not government had authority over indicated it would not accept ter trading terms outside the single Twhether or not Prime have the executive power alone foreign affairs, including the improved conditions for the UK market. Minister Theresa May has to to invoke Article 50 of the EU’s right to withdraw from treaties, outside the single market. Yesterday, Johnson said Brit- seek parliamentary approval Lisbon Treaty, formally starting under so-called “royal preroga- Boris Johnson said it would not ain’s decision to exit the single to trigger Brexit, the court said exit talks. tive powers”. be in anyone’s interest to penalise market did not mean it wanted to yesterday. The decision enraged Brexit MPs in December agreed not Britain for exiting the European stop having access to EU coun- “Judgment in these cases supporters with some newspa- to delay May’s plans to begin Union, comparing proposed trade tries. “We should be working to- will be delivered at 9.30am pers accusing judges of thwart- the EU exit talks by the end of tariff s to punishments meted out gether. It seems absolutely incred- (0930GMT) on January 24, ing the will of the 52% who March in return for more details to escaped prisoners in World War ible to me that in the 21st century, 2017,” the court said on its voted “Leave” in the June 23 on her Brexit negotiating de- II movies. the European Union...should be website, following the govern- referendum. mands, which she outlined in a His comments came a day af- seriously contemplating the in- ment’s appeal against a previ- The lead claimant in the case, keynote speech on Tuesday. ter Prime Minister Theresa May troduction of tariff s or whatever ous ruling. investment fund manager Gina May announced for the first confi rmed Britain would leave Eu- to administer punishment to UK,” The judgment will be handed Miller, says she has received time that Britain will leave Eu- rope’s single market and warned he said. “And don’t forget, these down in the largest courtroom death threats and boycotts rope’s single market in order to the EU against imposing harsh things cut both ways. After all, the of the court’s grand headquar- against her business. control EU immigration. terms on its divorce from the bloc. Germans, as is well known, export ters opposite parliament in cen- She told AFP in an interview The Conservative leader also “I think that if Hollande wants one-fi fth of their motor manufac- tral London. last year that she did not want said lawmakers would get a vote to administer punishment beat- turing output.” Britain has made All 11 Supreme Court judges to “subvert” the result of the on any final Brexit agreement ings to anybody who chooses to clear its desire to boost trade with convened in December to hear referendum, adding: “This is negotiated with Brussels. escape, rather in manner of some India, the world’s fastest-growing four days of arguments on be- not about whether we should The government is facing sort of World War II movie, than major economy. half the government and the stay or leave — this is actually other Brexit legal fights includ- I don’t think that is the way for- “I think time is fast upon us that claimants, who say May cannot about how we leave.” ing a challenge over whether ward,” he told delegates at a po- we need to turbo charge this rela- begin Britain’s departure from Her legal team successfully parliament must also approve litical conference in New Delhi, tionship with a new free trade deal the European Union without argued that parliament had to Britain’s departure from the Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attends the Brexit debate in India. “I think it’s actually not in such as we would shortly be able to first getting the go-ahead from approve Article 50 as it would European Economic Area. the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. the interest of our friends and our do,” Johnson said. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 21 BRITAIN

Teen terror suspect hailed Jo Cox’s killer as a hero, court hears

Guardian News and Media ford, who cannot be named for was found in his bedroom desk, meeting in Birstall, West York- Jameson said: “The text of He said: “The defendant’s that the defendant’s teachers London legal reasons, was described as the court heard. The defend- shire, the defendant described the post is signifi cant, say the political views were so extreme considered him “bright and a white supremacist who har- ant, who sat in the dock at Leeds Mair as a hero who had “butch- crown, as not only was the de- that he celebrated the murder articulate” and said he would boured dangerous racist ideolo- crown court fl anked by a secu- ered a race traitor”. fendant celebrating the death of of a democratically elected MP, always dress smartly, some- teenage neo-Nazi ac- gies and wanted to start urban rity guard, denied a charge of Jameson said: “The night of Jo Cox, he was rallying others to, presumably because she had times in a business suit. He cused of making a pipe- guerrilla warfare. preparing a terrorist act and an the killing (the defendant) posted in his words, ‘butcher the race voted to remain in the EU. In the did not socialise with other Abomb in preparation for a The teenager, who idolised alternative count of making a on Facebook a picture of Thomas traitors’.” defendant’s view this was race students, however, and would terrorist act celebrated the mur- the IRA and Adolf Hitler, alleg- pipe bomb. Mair along with this post: ‘Tom- Jameson said that a week later treachery.” often sit alone in class. But in der of Jo Cox on the day she died, edly made the explosive using The prosecutor, Barnaby my Mair is a HERO. There’s one the defendant posted a link to an The judge, Justice Goss, re- the months leading up to his calling her a race traitor and sparklers before boasting about Jameson, told the court that on less race traitor in Britain thanks article on the Daily Stormer web- minded the court that Cox’s arrest his attendance at college branding her murderer a hero, a it to his followers on Snapchat. June 16 last year, when Tho- to this man.’” In another post site entitled Brexit: Jo Cox’s Death murder happened before the EU dropped off dramatically and court heard. The Snapchat messages were mas Mair murdered Cox as she later the same night, he described was Not a Tragedy and the World referendum. despite letters to his parents he The 17-year-old from Brad- shared with police. The bomb emerged from a constituency Mair an “absolute legend”. is a Better Place Without Her. Jameson earlier told the jury did not return. Public sector Freight train arrives from China pay poised to fall, says TUC

Guardian News and Media guards face losing more than London £2,500 in real terms by 2020. For ambulance drivers, who earn signifi cantly below the urses, teachers and average UK wage, the fi gure is fi refi ghters’ pay will more than £1,800, the analysis Ndrop by thousands of found using the retail prices pounds in real terms by the index (RPI) measure of infl a- end of the decade unless the tion, which hit 2.5% in Decem- government softens its stance ber. on public sector salaries, the Using the UK’s main con- TUC has said in a new analy- sumer prices index (CPI) sis. measure of infl ation, real-term The trades union organi- pay losses were still about sation calculated that mid- £1,000 or more by 2020 for the wives, teachers and social workers covered in the analy- workers will see their real sis. pay, which accounts for the The TUC projections about impact of inflation, drop by further real-terms losses is more than £3,000 by 2020 the latest blow to the 5.4mn if the government sticks to people working in the public plans to limit salary increases sector, who account for al- A freight train transporting containers laden with goods from China, arrives at DB Cargo’s London Eurohub rail freight depot in Barking, east London, yesterday after to 1% a year. most one in fi ve workers in the travelling from Yiwu in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. The 12,000kms journey took 18 days to cover. The journey demonstrates Beijing’s desire to strengthen Publishing its fi ndings a day UK. The average public sector its commercial links to western Europe by reviving the ancient Silk Road, which was used to transport precious merchandise to Europe. after offi cial fi gures showed salary was already more than UK infl ation had jumped to £1,000 lower in real terms 1.6% in December, the TUC than in 2010, the TUC analy- said living costs were set to rise sis said. further as a weak pound raised It noted that many public the price of the UK’s imports sector workers were struggling and that the pay of key public to get by on their salaries and sector workers would fail to were relying on other forms of keep pace. income either by accumulat- The TUC general secretary, ing debt, seeking agency work Frances O’Grady, said the gov- or employment outside of the Disabled man wins legal ernment would struggle to fi ll sector. public sector jobs if it stuck O’Grady called for a shakeup to its cap on public sector pay in the setting of public sector rises at a time of rising infl a- pay to move away from a blan- tion and growing strain on ket national limit. “It’s time for workers such as paramedics ministers to give public em- and nurses. ployers the freedom to negoti- fi ght over bus access “Everyone in the UK has ate with unions for pay in their bills to pay, and it’s only fair sectors,” she said. London Evening Standard asking for a wheelchair spot to a connecting train and a planned He added that if there were to re-evaluate their policies. that wages should at least keep Responding to the analy- London be vacated was not enough, and lunch with his parents. an alternative place for the non- Paulley, of Wetherby in West up with rising living costs. sis, the government said the “unreasonable” passengers who He sued bus operator First- disabled passenger to move, “I Yorkshire, was initially awarded Workers in the public sector pay restraint was helping to will not budge should be pres- Group for breaching the Equality cannot see why a driver should £5,500 damages at Leeds Coun- are already feeling the squeeze, protect jobs and it pointed to tubborn bus passengers sured into doing so. They also Act 2010 by not making “rea- not be expected to rephrase any ty Court. That was overturned and it seems like there’s worse analysis from the fi scal watch- who refuse to get of the said Parliament should consider sonable adjustments” for wheel- polite request as a requirement. by the Court of Appeal, which to come,” O’Grady said. dog, the Offi ce for Budget Re- Sway for a wheelchair user revisiting equality laws. chair users who want to travel. “And, if that does not work found there should be a balance “Government pay re- sponsibility. can be “shamed” into moving It follows a legal case brought Delivering the court’s ruling and especially if the bus is between the needs of wheelchair strictions hurt staff in over- “The government has had by the driver bringing the jour- by disability activist Doug Paul- yesterday, Lord Neuberger said: ahead of schedule, why the users and other vulnerable pas- stretched public services, and to make diffi cult decisions on ney to a halt, the top court ruled ley, who was left at a bus stop “Where the driver concludes driver should not be expect- sengers, including parents with make it even harder to recruit public sector pay to maintain yesterday. in 2012 after a mother with a that the non-wheelchair user’s ed to consider whether there buggies. good people. Particularly at a fi scal discipline and protect In a victory for disability cam- sleeping baby refused to move refusal (to move) is unreason- was any reason why the bus The Supreme Court backed time of crisis in the NHS, we jobs. The OBR has forecast that paigners, the Supreme Court her buggy from a wheelchair able, it seems to me it would be should not stop for a few min- Paulley, but agreed there might need to be recruiting the best the current pay policy will pro- decided bus companies should space. unjustifi able for a bus operating utes, with a view to pressuris- be some circumstances where a people for the job.” tect approximately 200,000 do more to protect the rights of She said her buggy did not company to have a policy which ing or shaming the recalci- passenger could refuse to move. The TUC estimates that jobs,” said a Treasury spokes- wheelchair users. collapse and Paulley was forced does not require some further trant non-wheelchair user to It also refused to reinstate the nurses, fi refi ghters and border man. The judges said a driver simply to wait for the next bus, missing step of the bus driver.” move.” Bus firms will now have damages he was awarded. Woman killed, one hurt Trump waxwork Full rail service next week, vows Southern in ‘hit-and-run’ incident London Evening Standard days will now be operational London much later. From Tuesday the Gatwick Ex- London Evening Standard when they were hit. and I heard a loud bang. When press will return to a service every London The car allegedly drove off I came out there were ambu- outhern Rail’s hundreds of 15 minutes. From 10pm until mid- without stopping but was in- lances and police cars every- thousands of long-suff er- night there will be a half-hourly tercepted by police shortly af- where and a woman was laying Sing passengers were yester- service between Victoria and the woman of 26 died af- terwards. A man aged 39 has on the ground across the road. day promised the return of a full airport only, to allow for Network ter being mown down been arrested for causing death It was very chaotic. train service — but not until next Rail engineering work. A by an alleged hit-and- by dangerous driving. “The saddest thing is that week. The Southern dispute is over run driver who ploughed into the number 423, the only bus The fi rm’s announcement the implementation of driver- pedestrians near a primary “It’s an absolute tragedy, they could have got, was only came after train drivers’ union only trains, where the guard does school. everyone round here a few moments down the road. Aslef suspended three days of not operate the doors. The unions Another woman, also in her uses that bus stop every Only a few moments later and strikes next week to allow new say this is unsafe, a claim dis- twenties, was left with life- day to take their children they would have been on the peace talks to take place. Aslef missed by the rail industry. changing injuries from the to school. It could’ve been bus alive.” also called off a drivers’ overtime Southern said: “Inevitably there crash involving a black Range anyone of us waiting Resident Shannon Rescorla, ban, although that came too late will be disruption next Monday Rover car at about 9.30am on there” 17, said: “An offi cer came to the to prevent further widespread but the good news is that due to Tuesday. house and said the driver had disruption yesterday. the changes we’ve now fully rolled Witnesses described scenes Resident Geoff rey Smith, 63, hit them while they were cross- Southern said it will not be out we can run more services on of “total carnage” after the said: “The car came through ing the road, then drove on fur- able to run a full timetable be- more routes serving more passen- incident in Green Lane, near the bus stop sign and a lamp- ther down the road and pulled fore Tuesday because the RMT gers. Ultimately we’ll have fewer a bus stop and just 200 yards post before hitting them. It was over due to the shock at what union, angry at not being part of cancellations and delays. from the gates of Beavers total carnage. Police were hold- had happened.” yesterday’s peace talks, is going “Next Monday 200 extra trains Community primary school in ing up a sheet as the paramed- Another neighbour added: ahead with a train guards’ strike will run and several routes will Hounslow. ics worked on both of them. I “It’s an absolute tragedy, eve- on Monday. have their fi rst service on an RMT The road was busy with par- thought they were both dead ryone round here uses that bus The fi rm, however, expected strike day. The RMT should stop ents on the school run when as they weren’t moving, it was stop every day to take their to run 70% of its trains — 10% the strikes and get back round the the driver of the Range Rover horrible. Seconds later the Air children to school. It could’ve more of the timetable than during table with us.” was said to have veered into Ambulance landed in the fi eld been anyone of us waiting previous guards’ walkouts — that Aslef leader Mick Whelan said: the opposite lane, mounted opposite and loaded one of the there.” A woman poses for a “selfie” with a waxwork model of US day. “We believe the best way to re- the pavement and smashed poor women into it.” A Met Police spokeswoman president-elect Donald Trump, during a photocall to promote Four coastal routes that had no solve the dispute at Southern is into a bus stop. Johnson Akinola, 57, who said the Serious Collision In- its unveiling at Madame Tussaud’s in central London trains during previous strikes will for all parties to engage in mean- Some residents said the vic- lives opposite the scene, said: vestigation Unit is carrying out yesterday. now have a service and routes that ingful talks aimed at fi nding an tims were waiting for a bus “I was sitting in my front room enquiries. formerly fi nished early on strike agreed way forward.” Gulf Times 22 Thursday, January 19, 2017 EUROPE Dutch PM’s party Italy quake nightmare closing gap with far-right, say polls

AFP The gap between the two The Hague parties appears to have shrunk returns in deep winter from nine to 11 seats, to six to seven seats now. AFP wo months before Peilingwijzer combines polls Montereale Dutch elections the from respected polling organi- Tpolls are narrowing sations Ipsos, I&O Research, with the Liberal party of Prime Kantar Public, Peil.nl and De arthquakes brought an icy Minister Mark Rutte catching Stemming/Een Vandaag. chill of terror to snow- up with MP Geert Wilders’ Wilders saw his popular- Ebound central Italy yester- far-right party, an aggregated ity shoot up in December after day as four powerful shocks re- survey showed yesterday. being convicted for discrimi- verberated through an area still Peilingwijzer – which com- nation over comments he recovering from deadly tremors bines a number of polls in The made about Moroccans living last year. Netherlands to get an average in The Netherlands, cash- The quakes, all measuring tally – showed Wilders’ Free- ing in on anti-EU sentiments more than 5 magnitude, struck dom Party would still emerge and fears about immigration in the space of four hours in the largest group in parlia- – particularly from Muslim an area close to Amatrice, the ment, if elections were held countries. mountain town devastated by yesterday. He was further boosted by an August earthquake that left But the PVV has dropped the annual debate here over nearly 300 people dead. to between 29-33 seats in the Black Pete, the jolly folklore There were no reports of cas- 150-seat lower house, com- blackface character who ac- ualties yesterday but there were pared to 31-37 seats at the last companies Saint Nicholas in fears for isolated residents of aggregated prediction in mid- early December bringing gifts remote hamlets cut off by heavy December. to children. snowfall as night fell. Meanwhile, Rutte’s pro- Dutch public newscaster More than 130,000 homes capitalist People’s Party for NOS said there was no news were without electricity. Freedom and Democracy in the media in January about Fears for the trapped inten- (VVD) would garner 23-27 either topic, which could sifi ed after a mother and child seats, up from 22-26 in De- explain why the PVV’s poll were dragged from the ruins of cember, Peilingwijzer said. number have dropped. a collapsed country cottage near Teramo in the Abruzzo region. Both were suff ering from hy- pothermia and had to be heli- coptered to hospital, emergency services said. Italian Carabinieri vehicles wait in the snow of a central street of Aringo near Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, yesterday. Romanian president Shortly before dusk, Nello Patrizi, a farmer in Montereale, Centre (EMSC) and 5.4 by Italy’s been badly damaged by the fi rst thing bad. That’s what I have a 6.9 magnitude one struck near south of Amatrice, was out with INGV. Both monitors noted the of the earthquakes which struck been asking since yesterday. Naples in southern Italy in 1980, blocks draft graft law his dog checking on his cows in third, minutes later, at 5.3, and the mountainous centre of the We have got up to two metres of leaving 3,000 people dead. the deep snow. one of more than 100 major af- country between August and snow and now another earth- Italy has long been accus- “It was an apocalyptic shock. tershocks was measured at 5.1 October last year. quake. What can I say? I have no tomed to dealing with earth- AFP not rush the project through... We were petrifi ed,” the 63-year- at 2.30pm. Most of those who died in that words.” quakes and the Amatrice disas- Bucharest but submit it for public consul- old said. The Italian Red Cross said it 6.0 magnitude quake were in Stefano Petrucci, mayor of ter led to questions as to why so tation, as is the law,” Klaus Io- “The fi rst one was bad had received reports of building Amatrice, a beauty spot which nearby Accumoli, described the many buildings had not been up- hannis told ministers. enough, the others seemed even collapses in unreachable hamlets was packed with holiday mak- situation as “dramatic.” graded to ensure they could resist omania’s president yes- “I am sure that we all want to stronger. You had the impres- near Amatrice. ers at the height of the summer “The roads are unpassable be- tremors. terday held up a series of reinforce the rule of law, which sion everything was collapsing, The tremors were felt power- season. cause of the snow and we have Much of the country’s land Rcontroversial legal changes means respecting the rules.” people were screaming. It was a fully across the Abruzzo, Lazio Two further quakes rattled the hardly any trucks available to mass and some of its surrounding that would have protected corrupt The bill sought to decrimi- terrible thing. and Marche regions and clearly region in October, with the most clear them, some of them are waters are prone to seismic ac- politicians in the graft-tainted nalise certain off ences and “With all the snow there was in Rome, over 100km (60 miles) powerful measuring 6.5 magnitude. broken down. We can’t fi ght a tivity with the highest risk con- country from prosecution. redefi ne what constitutes an this morning, people could away. The latest quake came in the war with bows and arrows.” centrated along its mountainous The move came as the Social abuse of power. not get out of their houses. I Residents of the city of Aquila, wake of 36 hours of continuous As a result of last year’s quakes, central spine. Democrat leader Liviu Drag- The draft changes also in- thought ‘all we need now is an where over 300 people died in a snowfall in Amatrice. many residents have been evacu- Italy straddles the Eurasian and nea, whose PSD party won last cluded a new pardon law to earthquake’ and here it is.” 2009 earthquake, rushed into the Avalanche warnings were is- ated to temporary accommoda- African tectonic plates, making it month’s parliamentary elec- help ease pressure on Roma- The fi rst shock struck at 10:25 snow-covered streets in scenes sued across a region that has a tion outside the earthquake- vulnerable when they move. tions, prepares to go on trial nia’s overcrowded prisons. am (0925 GMT). of panic but the mayor said there number of ski resorts and a high- prone zone. The national civil The worst disaster of the 20th for alleged abuse of power. The justice minister had Monitors put its strength at had been no building collapses est peak, Gran Sasso, at 2,912m protection agency is still housing century was in 1908 when an Observers say the proposed le- hoped to pass the proposals by between 5.1 and 5.3 magnitude. there. (9,554ft). some 10,000 people as a result of estimated 95,000 died in tidal gal amendment may have enabled emergency decree yesterday’s A second, 50 minutes later, was In Amatrice, the belltower Amatrice mayor Sergio Pirozzi 2016’s quakes. waves following a quake in the Dragnea to escape the charges. cabinet meeting, which would measured at 5.7 by the European of the 15th Century Church of cursed his town’s bad luck. The last of them, on October sea between mainland Italy and “Prime Minister Sorin Grin- have seen them enter into Mediterranean Seismological Sant’Agostino crumbled. It had “I don’t know if we did some- 30, was the most powerful since Sicily. deanu has committed himself to eff ect immediately. Outrage over AfD Thief walks call to end Nazi guilt away

AFP “We need nothing less than a ing a “hate incitement speech” after heist Berlin 180-degree shift in the politics – which is illegal in Germany of remembrance,” he said in the – that called for history to be re- leading member of Ger- remarks on Tuesday to chants of written. worth man right-wing popu- “Germany, Germany”. Chairwoman of the Greens Alist party AfD sparked an Instead of introducing young- party Simone Peter said the outcry yesterday by criticising er generations to home-grown comments were “unspeakable” $16mn the Holocaust memorial in Ber- “internationally-acclaimed and demanded an apology from lin and calling for the country to philosophers, musicians and the AfD to Jews. stop atoning for its Nazi past. ingenious inventors ... German Germany’s Central Council of Reuters Bjoern Hoecke’s comments history has been made lousy and Jews also lashed out, accusing Paris also exposed a damaging split in ridiculous,” he complained, win- the politician of trampling on six the anti-immigration party, just ning a standing ovation from the million Jewish Holocaust victims Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. months before Germany heads to crowd. murdered by the Nazis. robber brandishing a pis- the polls. “There is no moral responsibil- “The AfD has shown its real brance culture into question is Gauland defended the politician, anti-euro party, but has since tol and a grenade stole “Up to now, our state of mind ity to make yourself disappear,” face with these anti-Semitic outrageous and dangerous”. telling national news agency DPA morphed into an anti-immigration Adiamonds worth 15mn is still one of a totally defeated said Hoecke, who was a high and extremely hostile words,” The case also exposed a rift that Hoecke had “in no manner outfi t railing against Chancel- euros ($16mn) yesterday in the people... We Germans, our peo- school sports and history teacher, said the council’s chairman Josef within the party. criticised the remembrance of lor Angela Merkel’s liberal refugee French Riviera town of Cannes ple, are the only people in the adding that Germany should in- Schuster, adding that he “never AfD co-leader Frauke Petry the Holocaust”. policy that brought some 890,000 and calmly escaped on foot, a re- world who have planted a monu- stead “build up a positive rela- thought that 70 years after the told Young Freedom weekly In a post on Facebook yester- refugees to Germany in 2015 alone. gional prosecutor said. ment of shame in the heart of tionship with our history”. Holocaust, a politician in Ger- that the episode showed that day, Hoecke also insisted that he The party, which disputes The man in his 30s, his face the capital,” Hoecke told party The comments were met with many could say such things”. “Hoecke has become a burden had been misinterpreted and that the place of Islam in Germany, uncovered except for a pair of faithful including youth mem- an instant uproar, with Social Council of Europe chief Thor- on the party with his go-it-alone he “described the Holocaust... as is polling nationwide at around sunglasses, entered a luxury bers, according to a video of the Democrat vice chief Ralf Steg- bjorn Jagland also weighed in, attitude and constant sniping”. a shame for our people”. 12 to 15 percent ahead of general jewellery shop on the city’s speech circulated online. ner accusing Hoecke of mak- saying that “calling our remem- But deputy chief Alexander The AfD had started out as an elections. famed Croisette waterfront promenade and initially passed himself off as a customer. “He asked to see diamond or- naments on behalf of a sponsor. The saleswoman was suspicious and gave him a catalogue,” the Merkel to face German voters on Sept 24 prosecutor said. He then pulled out a 7.65-cal- ibre automatic pistol and a AFP will be her toughest yet due to gration Alternative for Germany to capitalise on it,” Guellner said pean radical parties, will host a The Greens, who have been grenade and ordered the two Berlin opposition to her liberal asylum (AfD), which has railed against in a statement. meeting of far-right leaders in mentioned as potential partners saleswomen to open the dis- policy. Merkel’s decision to let in more “It is actually losing support the western city of Koblenz on in government for Merkel after play cases, the prosecutor said. Merkel, 62, is nevertheless the than 1mn asylum seekers since while the CDU/CSU and the SPD Saturday. the election, on Monday chose The investigators did not know erman Chancellor An- clear frontrunner in the race and 2015, lost one percentage point are stabilising.” Leaders expected to attend in- two members of their pragmatist whether the grenade was real. gela Merkel’s government enjoys solid popularity in Eu- compared to last week to reach The AfD, born as a euroscep- clude Marine Le Pen, the presi- wing, Cem Ozdemir and Katrin One of the guards, who was Gyesterday set September rope’s top economy. 11%. tic party in 2013, has attempted dential candidate for France’s Goering-Eckardt, to lead the nearby, was forced to lie down. 24 as the date for a general elec- A poll released Wednesday The head of the Forsa opinion to harness public unease with National Front; Harald Vilimsky party into the general election. Nobody was injured during the tion, as she seeks a fourth term showed her conservative Chris- research institute which con- migration and asylum and, due of Austria’s nationalist FPOe Both have praised Merkel’s hold-up, which lasted about facing populist headwinds over a tian Union bloc (CDU/CSU) as ducted the poll, Manfred Guell- to its relative strength, threatens party; and Dutch MP Geert stance on refugees. eight minutes, a source close to record migrant infl ux. the strongest political force in ner, said a jihadist attack on a to scramble the potentially com- Wilders of the anti-Islam Free- However, Merkel has faced the investigation said. The decision, adopted by the country with 38 percent. Berlin Christmas market last plicated arithmetic of coalition dom Party (PVV). blowback from within her It is not the fi rst time that Merkel’s right-left coalition It was followed in distant month that killed 12 people and building after the election. The Forsa poll, conducted own conservative bloc, with the Croisette has been hit by cabinet, must still be formally second by the Social Democrats was committed by a rejected It hopes to become the fi rst January 9 to 13 among a repre- the Christian Social Union an audacious robbery. In July approved by President Joachim (SPD), the current junior part- asylum seeker had failed to boost populist party to gain seats in the sentative sample of 2,053 eligi- in the southern state of Ba- 2013, a man stole 103mn euros Gauck. ners in Merkel’s “grand coali- support for the AfD. Bundestag lower house of par- ble voters, showed the ecologist varia agitating for an upper of jewels from a temporary ex- But the announcement fi res tion” government, which polled “Although the security debate liament in post-war Germany. Greens and the far-left Linke limit on new asylum seekers hibition at the Hotel Carlton. the starting gun for an election at 21%. after the Berlin terror attack is The AfD, seeking to gain mo- each at nine percent and the pro- – a bid Merkel has repeatedly Neither he nor the jewels have campaign that Merkel has said The right-wing anti-immi- running high, the AfD is unable mentum from a surge of Euro- business Free Democrats at 6%. rejected. been found. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 23 EUROPE Istanbul attacker says was directed by IS Reuters “I came to Taksim on New “They were very mysterious,” the supermarket nearby said the police offi cers to try to thwart Istanbul Year’s Eve but the security said a neighbour living on the Iraqi man who was detained with attacks after a year of bombings Edward Snowden measures were intense. It wasn’t same fl oor who gave her name Masharipov used to shop there. by Islamic State and Kurdish possible to carry out the attack,” as Hulya. “We rarely heard that Masharipov had shot his way militants. n Uzbek gunman who he was quoted as saying. door being opened or shut. They into the exclusive nightclub Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin killed 39 people in Istan- “I was given instructions to never put their trash out. There and opened fi re on New Year’s said on Tuesday that Masharipov Abul’s Reina nightclub on search for a new target in the area. were hardly ever any shoes revellers with an automatic had admitted his guilt and that New Year’s Day told police he I toured the (Bosphorus) shore at outside their door.” rifl e, throwing stun grenades his fi ngerprints matched those Russia lets had changed his target at the last around 10pm in a cab,” he said. A security guard at the en- to allow himself to reload, and at the scene. minute to avoid heavy security “Reina looked suitable for the trance of the gated apartment shooting the wounded on the Sahin described him as well- and acted on direct orders from attack. There didn’t seem to be complex where Masharipov ground. educated and able to speak four Islamic State in Syria, a newspa- many security measures.” was captured said it had been Islamic State claimed respon- languages, and said he had re- per said yesterday. Hurriyet did not say how it under police surveillance since sibility the next day, saying the ceived training in Afghanistan. Snowden The gunman, named had obtained the testimony and last week. “They said they were attack was revenge for Turkish Hulya said all the occupants on Tuesday as Abdulgadir Reuters was not immediately looking for someone. A police military involvement in Syria. of the apartment had seemed Masharipov, had initially been able to verify the report. vehicle waited across the en- Turkish troops entered Syria normal. told to attack the area around Masharipov was caught on trance all night long,” he said. last August to push Islamic State “We were never suspicious. the central Taksim square and Monday in Esenyurt, a suburb The guard said he never saw away from the border and halt My husband said he used to stay for two said his instructions came from of Istanbul, along with an Iraqi Masharipov. Kurdish militia advances. speak to the Iraqi man. They Raqqa, Islamic State’s strong- man and three women from “I heard he always used the Like many cities around the chatted about the rent, just like hold in Syria, the newspaper Africa, one of them from Egypt. back door and had only been world on New Year’s Eve, Istan- normal people would do,” she Hurriyet cited him as saying in To his neighbours, he was here for the past three or four bul had taken additional secu- said. “How could we possibly police testimony. almost a ghost. days,” he said. An employee at rity measures, deploying 25,000 have known?” more years

AFP eign Ministry spokeswoman Moscow Maria Zakharova wrote on her Out in the cold Facebook page. His lawyer, Anatoly Power outage ussian authorities have Kucherena, could not be extended US intelli- reached on Wednesday morn- Rgence leaker Edward ing to confi rm Zakharova’s Snowden’s Russian residency statement. permit by two years, the for- Snowden has been liv- in Ukraine was eign ministry said yesterday. ing in exile in Russia since The former National Secu- 2013, where he ended up after rity Agency contractor shook spending weeks in the transit the American intelligence es- area of Moscow’s Shereme- tablishment to its core in 2013 tyevo airport. a cyber attack with a series of devastating He was initially granted leaks on mass surveillance in permission to stay in Russia the US and around the world. for one year amid the rapid Reuters The comments make no The announcement came as deterioration in Moscow’s re- Kiev/Milan mention of which individual, outgoing US President Barack lations with Washington. group or country may have Obama commuted the sen- The revelations from the been behind the attack. tence of army private Chelsea documents he leaked sparked power blackout in “It was an intentional cyber Manning, who was sentenced a massive row over the data Ukraine’s capital Kiev incident not meant to be on to 35 years in prison for hand- sweeps conducted by the Alast month was caused a large scale... they actually ing classifi ed US documents to United States domestically by a cyber attack and investi- attacked more but couldn’t WikiLeaks. and in allied nations, includ- gators are trying to trace other achieve all their goals,” said Snowden was not on ing of their leaders. potentially infected comput- Marina Krotofi l, lead cyber- Obama’s list of commutations Snowden welcomed the ac- ers and establish the source of security researcher at Hon- or pardons. tion on Manning’s sentence, the breach, utility Ukrenergo eywell, who assisted in the Migrants wait in line to receive plates of free food during a snowfall outside a derelict customs ware- “Snowden’s residence per- writing on Twitter: “Let it be said yesterday. investigation. house in Belgrade, Serbia, yesterday. mit has just been extended said here in earnest, with good When the lights went out in In December 2015, a fi rst- by two years,” Russian For- heart: Thanks, Obama.” northern Kiev on December of-its-kind cyber attack cut 17-18, power supplier Ukren- the lights to 225,000 people in ergo suspected a cyber attack western Ukraine, with hackers and hired investigators to help also sabotaging power distri- it determine the cause follow- bution equipment, complicat- ing a series of breaches across ing attempts to restore power. Ukraine. Ukrainian security services ‘Three-parent’ baby born Extradition Preliminary fi ndings in- blamed that attack on Russia. dicate that workstations and In the latest attack, hack- Supervisory Control and Data ers are thought to have hid- AFP The clinic said in a statement Zukin said he hopes the percent of these suff er embryo of child Acquisition (SCADA) systems, den in Ukrenergo’s IT net- Kiev that the 34-year-old mother pronuclear transfer technique arrest. linked to the 330 kilowatt work undetected for six gave birth to a healthy boy on could help other women “So I think approximately sub-station “North”, were in- months, acquiring privi- January 5 after trying for a baby whose embryos stop devel- 10-20 thousand women per abuse fl uenced by external sources leges to access systems and baby boy has been born for more than 15 years and un- oping at a very early stage of year could be potential candi- outside normal parameters, fi gure out their workings, in Ukraine to an infertile dergoing several failed rounds development during cycles of dates for using this method,” Ukrenergo said in comments before taking methodical Acouple after the fi rst ever of IVF. IVF. Zukin said. suspect emailed to Reuters. steps to take the power of- use of a new technique using This became possible af- The boy is considered to Experts urged caution over “The analysis of the impact fl ine, Krotofi l said. the DNA of three parents, the ter the woman’s eggs were be the second “three-par- using the method as a fertility of symptoms on the initial “The team involved had head of a Kiev fertility clinic fertilised with her partner’s ent” baby after a similar baby treatment, however, stressing approved data of these systems indicates quite a few people working in said yesterday. sperm, but then their nuclei was born in Mexico in 2016 that it was intended for those a premeditated and multi-lev- it, with very serious tools and The boy was conceived us- were transferred to a do- after the use of a diff erent at very high risk of passing on el invasion,” Ukrenergo said. an engineer who understands ing DNA from his mother and nor’s egg which had previ- technique. serious genetic disease. AFP Law enforcement offi cials the power infrastructure,” she father but also from an egg ously been stripped of its own Zukin said the pronuclear “Caution and safety as- Agen and cyber experts are still said. donor in a technique called nucleus. transfer method could be used sessment is urged before working to compile a chronol- The attacks against pronuclear transfer, said As a result of the procedure, to help women who suff er from widespread use of this tech- ogy of events, draw up a list of Ukraine’s power grid are Valeriy Zukin, director of the the egg was almost entirely a rare condition called embryo nology,” said Yacoub Khalaf, court in southwest France compromised accounts, and widely seen by experts as Nadiya private fertility clinic made up of genetic material arrest. director of the Assisted Con- yesterday gave the go- determine the penetration the fi rst examples of hackers in Kiev. from the couple, plus a very Zukin estimated that annu- ception Unit at Guy’s and St Aahead for the extradition point, while tracing comput- shutting off critical energy “It is the fi rst delivery (using) small amount (some 0.15 per- ally some two million women Thomas’ Hospital in London, of a suspected paedophile who ers potentially infected with systems supplying heat and pronuclear transfer all over the cent) of the female donor’s across the world try to have a quoted by the Science Media is one of Britain’s most wanted malware in sleep mode, it said. light to millions of homes. world,” Zukin said. DNA. baby using IVF and around 1 Centre website. fugitives. Stephen Carruthers, 43, was arrested by police on January 8 after he was in- volved in a car accident. He was found to have been living in France for a year under a Serbia and Kosovo declare war of words false identity. Carruthers was arrested in Ambleside in northwest England AFP forces of Belgrade’s late strong- ed to protect Serbs from possi- gent Kosovo Liberation Army in March 2014 and detectives Pristina man Slobodan Milosevic. ble killings,” Serbian President (KLA), Haradinaj has been re- found a computer containing Kosovo’s sovereignty has Tomislav Nikolic told reporters leased on bail but cannot leave more than 5,300 photographs since been recognised by more on Saturday. France while an extradition re- of children of a sexual nature, propagandist train, a ris- than 100 countries, but not by Speaking to Western diplo- quest from Belgrade is exam- including some showing sexual ing wall and the ghosts of Serbia and its traditional ally mats the following day, Kos- ined, which could take months. acts. Athe late 1990s confl ict: Russia. ovo’s Foreign Minister Enver He has twice before been He was released on bail but Serbia and Kosovo are engaged The train, decorated inside Hoxhaj said that Belgrade’s ac- tried and acquitted by the Inter- fl ed Britain. in a disturbing war of symbols with Serbian Orthodox religious tions towards Kosovo “show national Criminal Tribunal for Carruthers was named on and words, unprecedented in imagery, supposedly represent- that Serbia wants to ignite new the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at the British National Crime recent years. ed the freedom of movement of confl icts”. The Hague. Agency’s (NCA) list of runa- “Kosovo is Serbia” said a Serb people – a crucial point in a Belgrade and Pristina both Relations have further deteri- ways believed to be hiding message in 20 languages on normalisation process between aspire to join the European Un- orated in the town of Mitrovica abroad. the side of a train, painted in the two sides that began back in ion, and EU-brokered talks be- in northern Kosovo, where Serb A local station worker looking on at the main railway station in The appeals court in the town the colours of the Serbian fl ag, 2011. tween the two sides since 2011 authorities have started erect- Belgrade. of Agen said his extradition to which left Belgrade on Saturday, Serbian Prime Minister Ale- have led to greater freedom of ing a concrete wall on the banks Britain, on a European arrest destined for northern Kosovo. ksandar Vucic eventually halted movement and goods and im- of the Ibar river. would not be built,” he warned. bia aimed at ending the war, and warrant which was issued a year The move was lambasted as a the train before it crossed the proved police cooperation. The wall’s construction, by a Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Popov said the ruling SNS party ago, could proceed. “deliberate provocation” by Ko- border but he also upped the But nearly 20 years after the bridge that divides the town’s Mustafa said that the issue of wanted to anticipate voters’ “The court orders the suspect sovo’s President Hashim Thaci, pressure, saying he took the de- Kosovo war in which 13,000 Serb-dominated north and the wall “will be settled in ac- criticisms over how they have to be handed over to English au- who suggested it was part of a cision to “avoid a confl ict and people were killed, progress has largely ethnic Albanian south, cordance with the law”. handled Kosovo and relations thorities and that he be remand- plan to annex the Serb-popu- save lives” based on fears the stalled. has angered Pristina, which Serbian political analyst Ale- with Europe. ed in custody until that time,” lated north of his country. train would be attacked. The disputes are accumu- says it is cementing the town’s ksandar Popov said the renewed Belul Beqaj, a political sci- the court’s chief judge Thierry “Serbia counts on the assist- He accused the Kosovo gov- lating: Kosovo’s citizens were divisions and must be knocked tensions could be explained by ences professor in Kosovo, said Perriquet said. ance of Russia,” said Thaci. ernment of sending police units outraged at the January 4 arrest down. domestic politics, with Serbia Belgrade’s leaders had a habit Asked if he had any objections, A former Serbian province to the north to “provoke a wide- in France of former premier Ra- But the mayor of North entering a campaigning period of trying to distract voters from Carruthers replied: “No.” with a predominantly ethnic ranging confl ict”, alleging plans mush Haradinaj on suspicion of Mitrovica, Goran Rakic, says the ahead of presidential elections internal problems by focusing His lawyer said the procedure Albanian population, Kosovo to blow up the tracks that were war crimes, owing to an inter- wall is simply practical and will in April. on Kosovo ahead of elections. could take around 10 days. unilaterally declared independ- denied by Pristina. national arrest warrant issued protect pedestrians from traffi c. Kosovo remains a sensi- “It is a dangerous game with The court was told Carruthers ence in 2008, a decade after its “We do not want war, but we by Belgrade. It is not up to Pristina to de- tive issue 18 years after a Nato fi re that cannot be fully control- faces up to 10 years in prison in Albanian insurgents fought the will even send the army if need- A former head of the insur- cide “what would and what bombing campaign against Ser- led,” he warned. Britain if found guilty. Gulf Times 24 Thursday, January 19, 2017 INDIA

RESERACH HEALTHCARE SECURITY MUSIC PEOPLE MIT team in India KIMS Hospitals doubles Flipkart launches app to Mumbai concert marks Tributes paid to NTR on to study urbanisation capacity at Kondapur facility safeguard delivery staff Tyagaraja’s anniversary 21st death anniversary

A team of students and faculty from the KIMS Hospitals, a leading healthcare provider For the safety of their field executives or Singers and musicians playing veenas, gatams, Rich tributes were paid to Telugu Desam Party Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are on in South India, has doubled its capacity to 200 ‘Wishmasters’, e-commerce platform Flipkart mrudangams, violins and other instruments, (TDP) founder and former Andhra Pradesh a tour of India to critically study urbanisation in the beds at Kondapur, the fast growing information yesterday launched ‘Project Nanjunda’ that enables rendered the Panchratna Kritis (Five Gems), chief minister N T Rama Rao on his 21st death developing world in collaboration with the Indian technology corridor of Hyderabad. The hospital them to raise an alarm in an emergency. The project composed by the legendary Carnatic music anniversary yesterday. NTR’s sons N Harikrishna, Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, a statement has invested around Rs1bn till now both for setting has been named after Wishmaster Nanjunda exponent Saint Tyagaraja to mark his 170th N Balakrishna, grandsons Junior NTR, Kalyanram said yesterday. IIT Kharagpur is geared to bolster up and expanding the facility. With this expansion, Swamy, who was found murdered in Vijayanagar death anniversary in Mumbai. Born in Thiruvarur and other family members and leaders of professional partnerships, expand study abroad the total capacity of KIMS Hospitals in Telangana in Bengaluru recently. The Wishmasters’ mobile in the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom, Kakarla TDP paid floral tributes at NTR Ghat on the programmes and initiate research collaborations and Andhra Pradesh has increased to 2,100 beds, phones will be equipped with an app that features Tyagabrahmam was one of the greatest and most banks of Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad. The with selected universities in the US, the statement the corporate healthcare group said in a statement an SOS button called “Nanjunda”. During an prolific composers of Carnatic music, including late leader’s second wife Lakshmi Parvathi, said. “With this vision, the School of Architecture yesterday. The facility is fully equipped to emergency, a field executive can trigger an SOS by the noteworthy Panchratna Kritis. The music daughter Bhuwaneswari, wife of Andhra Pradesh and Planning, MIT and Department of Architecture provide top quality services including cardiology, pressing the “Nanjunda” button which sends SMS concert on Tuesday night saw over 2,000 Carnatic Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and her and Regional Planning, IIT Kharagpur have come orthopaedics, gastroenterology, nephrology, and e-mail notifications, alerting the hub-in-charge music lovers gathered in the Shanmukhananda daughter-in-law Brahmini also visited NTR Ghat together to collaborate for the India Practicum oncology, anaesthesiology, accident and and nearest field executives. It requires only mobile Hall swaying and singing to the tunes of the great to pay tributes. Balakrishna, a leading Telugu programme,” the statement added. The broad emergency care, endocrinology and diabetology network connectivity to operate this feature, thus music giant in ragas like Sri, Nattai, Gowlai, Arabji actor and TDP legislator, garlanded NTR’s statue objective of the programme is to “critically study and neurological sciences. The facility also off ers making it eff ective in virtually any place within India, and Varali. Tyagaraja’s compositions are rich in at Rasoolpura junction and launched a rally urbanisation in the current developing world”. diagnostic services besides wellness clinic. the company said. devotional and philosophical content. which concluded at NTR Ghat.

Global action needed to tackle terror: Court clears Jaishankar IANS Bollywood New Delhi

alling terrorism the most serious threat to global se- Ccurity, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar yesterday asked for a serious global response to it. actor in illegal “Terrorism remains the most pervasive and serious challenge to international security. Developing a serious global response is of the highest priority, yet hard to do,” Jaishankar said while delivering the theme address at the Second fi rearms case Raisina Dialogue, India’s fl agship geo-political conference. Salman thanks his fans after could not prove that Khan pos- case. He and his family must be “WMD (weapons of mass de- verdict sessed and used fi re arms with really relieved.” struction) security will be a contin- expired licence. He added: “Salman is a great uing concern, especially as terrorist Agencies Prosecution counsel B SBhati guy. He has a brilliant career. groups strike deeper roots,” he said. Jodhpur said they would appeal the verdict Now, it is time for him to get “And there is a lack of purpose after studying the 102-page order. married and have children.” in confronting global challenges The actor still faces a fourth Actor Ronit Roy said he was like terrorism, though some im- court yesterday acquitted case on charges of poaching happy for Khan. Actor Rahul Dev, portant exceptions should be ac- Bollywood superstar Sal- black bucks. a former contestant of Bigg Boss knowledged.” Aman Khan of using unli- Khan, known for playing a 10 which Khan hosts said: “I have Speaking about India’s ties with censed fi rearms to kill protected tough guy in Hindi fi lms, had faith in the judicial system and an the US, the foreign secretary said: wildlife almost two decades ago. accused the state forest depart- acquittal signifi es he is innocent. “Our ties with the US have been Khan, 51, has now been ac- ment of framing him in the case. It puts to rest any sense of doubt steadily growing and today cover quitted in three out of four cases Shortly after yesterday’s ver- in eyes of the public.” vast areas of collaboration. We fi led against him for hunting rare dict, Khan thanked his fans for Mumbai-based restaurant established early contact with the black bucks, a native species of their “support and good wishes” Bhaijaanz Restaurant, named af- Trump transition team and see a antelope, while shooting the on Twitter where he has 21.1mn ter the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor, strong convergence of interests movie Hum Saath Saath Hain in followers. announced a 50% discount on and concerns. the northwestern state of Rajas- But Khan’s acquittal didn’t food yesterday. “With Russia,” Jaishankar said, than in 1998. make everyone happy. The actor is one of Bollywood’s “India’s relationship has actually Sporting dark sunglasses, “Salman Khan teaches us that biggest draws and has starred in grown very substantially in the Khan was in court to hear the you can pass the buck when it more than 100 fi lms and televi- last two years, as has the bonding verdict as hundreds of police de- comes to killing blackbucks if sion shows. between our leaders. An improve- ployed outside tried to keep the you have lots of bucks,” said one Last year his movie Sultan, in ment in US-Russia ties is there- crowds of fans under control. Twitter user. which he played an ageing wres- fore not against Indian interests.” He was accompanied to the “Salman Khan, the ‘Tees Maar tler, smashed Bollywood’s box The India-China relation has court by his sister Alvira Khan. Khan’ of laws and court cases. offi ce records. broadened recently but it has been “He was charged under two Shame,” posted another. But Khan is no stranger to overshadowed by diff erences over sections of the Arms Act and he One more read: “There are controversy and in 2015 he was political issues, Jaishankar said. has been cleared in both,” Hasti- millions who know that Salman cleared in another long-running “But it is important for the two mal Saraswat, a defence lawyer, Khan is guilty in both cases. Your case of killing a homeless man in countries not to lose sight of the told reporters outside the court voice has no value if it is against a hit-and-run crash. strategic nature of their engage- in Jodhpur. power and money. How sad!” That decision is now be- ment, or falter in their conviction “He was acquitted due to lack Hailing the court decision, ac- ing challenged in the Supreme that their rise can be mutually of conclusive evidence.” tor Alok Nath, who played Khan’s Court. supportive. We will continue to While pronouncing the ac- onscreen father in Hum Saath Indian courts can often take invest more energy into this ac- Bollywood actor Salman Khan walks with off icials as he leaves after a court appearance in Jodhpur quittal, magistrate Dalpat Singh Saath Hain, said: “It is a happy years – and sometimes decades count in 2017,” he added. yesterday. Rajpurohit said the prosecution ending to a long, stretched-out – to pronounce verdicts. Jio plans to launch gadgets and apps to digitise lifestyle

IANS lifestyle and we are working hard tion, Jio has made a scanbox For this, Jio has a device, Switch- is installing Wi-Fi in 1mn public the car even when it is kilometres sourcing the device from abroad. Mumbai towards it,” said one offi cial at to facilitate preliminary docu- NWalk, to transfer up to 1 GB data places across the country for its away. But it is in talks with the vendors the Jio Experience Centre – often mentation. This scanning proc- in 45 seconds from one device subscribers that will reduce call It not only promises to reduce to set up manufacturing hubs in called the birthplace for Jio’s dig- ess (provided to its retailers) has to another without storing any drops. It is also testing voice- chances of theft, it can also help India as part of its Make in India n this fast-moving age, how ital drive. helped reduce activation time data. It works for both Android over-Wi-Fi so that while travel- prevent it from bad handling by promotion plans. about a car controlled by a From SIM activation, Metro from four-fi ve hours to three-four and iOS. ling abroad, any Jio SIM in a Wi- others. This dongle is compatible The defi nition of entertainment Imobile app or a TV that can tickets to connected cars, Jio is minutes, offi cials claim. To connect as many as 32 de- Fi zone can call any mobile or a with all cars manufactured after is changing fast. To keep pace with store programmes and movies of trying to give a digital touch to At present, Jio is experiencing vices at one go, Jio has come up landline. 2013, the offi cials said. that, Jio is planning to launch Ji- the last seven days? All these will every aspect of life. The Jio Expe- 600,000 activations per day on with a portable Wi-Fi router, Next comes Jio Car Connect – While sitting in the offi ce, one oTV, JioCinema and JioMusic. soon be possible in India, coming rience Centre in Reliance Corpo- average. JioFi. Priced at Rs1,999, this 4G a dongle with Jio SIM and an app can turn on the engine of the The company plans to change out of Reliance Jio’s stable as part rate Park on the Thane-Belapur Changing a mobile phone is hotspot pocket router helps in in the mobile to convert a simple car with the help of the app and a normal TV into a smart one of its ‘digital lifestyle’ mission. road reveals many gadgets and generally an irritant as transfer- seamless video streaming and car into a smart one. The dongle switch on the air-conditioner on through its JioTV applications. Is Jio only about 4G connectiv- apps to completely digitise life- ring contact details, photos and viewing. needs to be inserted into the on- a hot summer day. The company “TV viewing can wait for you, you ity? Its offi cials beg to diff er. “We styles in the coming days. data is often cumbersome, be- Syncing itself with the gov- board diagnostic port of a car and plans to soon launch this prod- don’t need to run around for it,” want people to adapt to the digital Staring with its SIM connec- sides the fear of data loss or theft. ernment’s Digital India drive, Jio the app will reveal all activities of uct in the market. At present, it is another company offi cial said.

Stunt ride Telangana to pressure central Court defers order govt for 12% Muslim quota: CM on Aircel-Maxis case IANS The court will also pronounce IANS He told the state assembly that Schedule, which has laws that New Delhi its order on the bail plea of Daya- Hyderabad Telangana will follow Tamil Nadu cannot be challenged in courts. nidhi Maran, his brother Kala- model to provide 12% quota to Rao tried to set aside doubts nithi and others on the next date Muslims. He clarifi ed that the expressed by some opposition New Delhi court yester- of hearing. elangana will soon unveil a quota will not be on the basis of legislators on whether the gov- day deferred its order on The CBI has charge-sheeted legislation to provide 12% religion but on socio-economic ernment can fulfi ll its promise. Aframing of charges in the the Marans, their Chennai- Treservations to Muslims backwardness. He said the Telangana legislation Aircel-Maxis deal case against based Sun Direct TV network, and bring pressure on the central Rao said reservations to Mus- will be on the lines of a legislation former telecom minister Daya- Malaysian businessman T A government to include the law in lims in proportion to their popu- formulated by Tamil Nadu in 1994, nidhi Maran and others as the Ananda Krishnan, his aide Au- the Constitution’s 9th schedule lation in the state will take the to- which took the overall quota in that documents were old, dusty and gustus Ralph Marshall and the as was done in the case of Tamil tal quota in the state to over 50%, state to 69% and it was included in complex in nature. two accused fi rms – Maxis Nadu, Chief Minister K Chan- the upper limit prescribed by the 9th Schedule of the Constitution. Special Judge O P Saini, who Communications Berhad and drasekhar Rao said yesterday. Supreme Court, thus requiring a “When Tamil Nadu can do it, was scheduled to deliver his or- Astro All Asia Networks, both of Reiterating his commitment constitutional amendment. why not Telangana? We will be der yesterday, the charges will be Malaysia. to provide quota to Muslims in He said a bill will be passed in providing quota in our state. We framed on January 24. The charge-sheet alleged that proportion to their population, the budget session of the assem- need this because the social com- Stunt performers ride a motorcycle and a car on the walls On August 29, 2014, the Cen- Dayanidhi Maran used his infl u- Rao said if the central govern- bly and the legislation will be sent position of Telangana is such that of the ‘Well of Death’ at the Magh Mela fair in Allahabad tral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ence to help Krishnan buy Aircel ment refuses, the state would to the central government with the weaker sections constitute yesterday. fi led a charge-sheet along with by coercing its owner Sivasanka- launch a legal battle. a request to include it in the 9th 85% of the population,” he said. documents in 15 boxes. ran to part with his stake. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 25 INDIA More child workers freed as crackdown continues

Reuters from the poor states of Bihar, only too willing to send their as month-long special drives by In 2015, the International and sharp eyes as they deftly currently staying at a shelter Hyderabad West Bengal and Assam, said children for work, which works the police and child rights chari- Labour Organisation (ILO) put stick small glittering stones home and will be sent back to offi cials who are part of “Op- well for the traffi ckers.” ties twice a year, have brought the number of Indian child on bangles made of lac that are their families in their home eration Smile”, a national move- Earlier this month, around the numbers down. workers aged between five and popular with tourists around states. early 200 child workers, ment to tackle child labour and 200 children, most of them aged “Over 2,000 children have 17 at 5.7mn, out of 168mn glo- the historical monument of Last year, more than 200 chil- some as young as eight, missing children. under 14, were freed from a brick been rescued from Hyderabad bally. Charminar. dren aged 6 to 14 were rescued Nwere rescued from ban- “We are investigating the nex- kiln about 40km from Hydera- alone since 2015 and the num- More than half work in agri- “Most of the children rescued from the bangle factories of Hy- gle factories in Hyderabad over us between the employers and the bad, capital of Telangana state. bers in each drive have gradu- culture and over a quarter work were from the Old City where derabad. the last week, as part of a crack- traffi ckers,” said Swathi Lakra, Activists said Telangana and ally been declining,” Mohamed in the manufacturing sector, the most bangle factories are lo- Local media reported that down that will continue until the additional commissioner of po- Andhra Pradesh had become Imtiaz Raheem, Hyderabad dis- ILO said. cated. We also found children children complained of respi- end of the month, police said. lice in Hyderabad, who is moni- hubs for child labour and child trict’s child protection offi cer, In Hyderabad, the bangle working in furniture shops and ratory illnesses as they worked Most children rescued were toring the rescue operations. traffi cking. told the Thomson Reuters Foun- factories prefer to use chil- hotels,” Lakra said. long hours in a small windowless aged between 8 and 14 and came “In many cases, parents are But the rescues, carried out dation. dren for their nimble fingers The rescued children are room. Congress demands resignation of RBI chief

IANS Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes, an- New Delhi nounced on November 8, has deeply hurt the national income and GDP. he Congress Party yester- Similar protests were held in day held protests outside several cities, helmed by sen- Tthe offi ces of the Reserve ior Congress leaders. Apart from Bank of India in many cities Mumbai and Delhi the party lead- against “the poor implementa- ers held protests in Bengaluru and tion” of demonetisation and de- Chennai, and also in cities in Bihar, manded the resignation of cen- Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Odisha tral bank Governor Urjit Patel. and West Bengal, among others. In Mumbai, several Congress Hundreds of Congress pro- Protesters gather at Marina Beach in Chennai against the ban on Jallikattu yesterday. leaders were detained from out- testers in Delhi denounced de- side Chhatrapati Shivaji Termi- monetisation and the govern- nus, after they were denied per- ment’s role in the “destruction mission to hold protests outside of the RBI’s autonomy”. the RBI headquarters. The agitators vented their an- “We have submitted a memo- ger against the Bharatiya Janata randum at the RBI’s headquar- Party-led government for “ex- ters in Mumbai. We demand res- propriation of power” from the toration of the RBI’s autonomy,” central bank and termed the note Protests over Jallikattu Congress leader Randeep Singh ban as ‘carpet bombing’ on the Surjewala told reporters. country’s economy. In a memorandum submitted The Delhi protest rally was led to governor, deputy governors by senior party leaders Anand and Central Board of Directors Sharma and Ajay Maken. The of the RBI, the Congress alleged demonstration was part of a call for that the central bank’s autonomy country-wide protests made on ban spread across TN and statutory powers have been Tuesday by the opposition party. subjugated and compromised. In Gujarat senior Congress Tamil film stars leader at the protest site. Jallilkatu last year after a plea by police for allegedly organis- action fi lm C3, lashed out at Peta. “Responsibility lies at the leaders Shankar Singh Vaghela voice support for the The protesters in Chennai, by animal rights groups which ing local Jallikatu contests in Actor G V Prakash, singer- doorsteps of RBI governor for and former federal home minister demonstrators who began gathering on Tues- have long argued that the event defi ance of the court ban. lyricist Arunraja Kamaraj and this erosion of credibility. The Sushil Kumar Shinde were de- day night, say they will camp – held every year in diff erent Police say the protests have re- fi lmmaker Karthik Subbaraj RBI governor must forthwith re- tained by police when they took Agencies out until the authorities an- parts of Tamil Nadu – is cruel. mained peaceful so far but have also joined the supporters on sign taking responsibility for the to the road to voice their anger Chennai nounce that the event will be Unlike in traditional Spanish spread to large parts of the state. Marina Beach on Tuesday. ‘demonetisation mess’ as also against the central government. allowed in future. bullfi ghting, the animals are let Several popular Tamil fi lm While Prakash and Arunraja permitting the Modi govern- In Nagpur, protesting Con- The support for the protest- loose into open fi elds and young stars have voiced their support are observing silent protest at ment to encroach upon the ju- gress activists were attacked rotests over a ban on a bull- ers is growing with students of men then compete to subdue for the demonstrators as has In- Marina Beach Karthik is leading risdiction of the RBI, rendering with canes by police. taming festival, which has SRM University in Chennai an- them bare-handed. dia’s leading spin bowler Ravi- the crowd in Madurai. it as a mouthpiece of the govern- The protesters, led by former Pbeen blighted by allega- nouncing their decision to hold Critics say organisers lace the chandran Ashwin. Thousands of youth who be- ment,” the memorandum said. Maharashtra chief minister tions that the beasts are doped demonstrations outside their bulls’ feed with liquor to make “The law was not created to gan their protest in Alanganal- “Indian National Congress Prithviraj Chavan and party with liquor and then taunted institution. them less steady on their feet rob people of their tradition lur on Monday and they were has created and nurtured the in- leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, with chilli powder, spread across Similarly, protests have been and chuck chilli powder into and rights but to protect it. Jal- taken into custody by police. stitution of RBI over decades,” it raised anti-government slogans Tamil Nadu yesterday. gaining strength at several oth- their faces to throw them into likattu is every Tamilian’s iden- Angered by the arrests, vil- said, and demanded that “RBI’s and laid siege to the RBI offi ce. Demonstrators, mostly stu- er places in the state. Lawyers a sudden frenzy as they are re- tity. Those who are protesting lagers in Alanganallur came out autonomy as India’s fi nancial When some protesters tried dents, thronged the busy Ma- in Namakkal district have an- leased from a holding pen. against the ban on Jallikattu on the streets. regulator be restored forthwith”. to barge into the RBI building by rina Beach area in Chennai to nounced boycott of courts. The rights group Peta has re- are united by the feeling that Opposition and ruling parties In Delhi, addressing jour- knocking down barricades, po- demand the lifting of the ban on The demonstration began leased footage it says shows bull they are Tamilians but not out in the state have also criticised nalists, senior Congress leader lice tried to stop them but failed. the traditional Jallikattu event after the news of the arrest of farmers doping their animals of compulsion or political pres- the ban and want Prime Min- Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “If I Even as the Odisha gov- which is held during the winter Jallikattu protesters in Alanga- ahead of the event. sure. I bow down to each and ister Narendra Modi’s govern- see the RBI governor anywhere I ernment has started the consul- harvest festival of Pongal. nallur town of Madurai district. But organisers of the festi- everyone of them,” leading actor ment to have it overturned. won’t be able to recognise him as tation process for preparing the “We are protesting against Despite police disconnect- val insist the animals suff er no Vijay said in a video message. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam he is hardly visible in newspapers budget for the fi scal year 2017-18 the ban and demand that it ing the power supply at Marina harm and Jallilkatu is an estab- “I’d be really happy if those leader M K Stalin urged Chief or on TV. The RBI’s autonomy is beginning April 1, the impact of should be immediately lifted. Beach, the protest continued lished part of Tamil culture. arrested are released immedi- Minister O Panneerselvam to lost; it has now become a rubber demonetisation on revenues and We are here in support of pre- with mobile phone lights in the Tensions have been escalat- ately,” he said. meet the protesters and take stamp of the government.” slowed economic activities are serving the culture of Tamils,” night. ing for the last week after hun- Actor Suriya, in between his immediate action for holding He said the demonetisation of likely to make the task diffi cult. said Selva Kumar, a student The Supreme Court outlawed dreds of people were detained promotional tour for his Tamil the sport. Amarinder and Sidhu fi le N D Tiwari, son join nominations for elections BJP; family ‘shocked’ IANS minister and held key portfoli- New Delhi os like external aff airs, fi nance, IANS procession after fi ling his nomi- Sidhu was elected MP from industry and parliamentary Chandigarh nation at Malout town, 280km the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in aff airs. from here. 2004, 2007 (by-election) and eteran political leader Besides thrice serving as “I have vowed to wipe Badal 2009 on a Bharatiya Janata Party Narayan Dutt Tiwari chief minister of undivided unjab Congress president from Punjab’s political scene and (BJP) ticket. Vyesterday quit the Con- Uttar Pradesh, Tiwari headed Amarinder Singh yester- have come to Lambi to teach him Elections to the 117 assembly gress after over half a cen- the fi rst Congress government Pday fi led his nomination a lesson for life,” Amarinder said. seats in Punjab will be held on tury of association to join the in Uttarakhand after it was papers for the Lambi assembly Lambi is the traditional seat of February 4. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) carved out in 2000. constituency in Muktsar dis- senior Badal since 1997. Meanwhile, 405 candidates along with his son Rohit Shek- Tiwari was the governor of trict, taking the political battle “We will set an example for from various political parties as har yesterday. Andhra Pradesh from 2007 right into the home turf of Chief all future chief ministers to en- well as Independents have fi led The two were inducted into until 2009 when he quit af- Minister and Shiromani Akali sure that they do not abuse their their nomination papers for the the party at the home of BJP ter a sex scandal. Complaints Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal. power to victimise the people February 4 assembly elections in president Amit Shah. were fi led seeking his pros- Former MP and cricketer- the way Badal had done. Neither Goa, a senior offi cial said. The move comes ahead of ecution but Tiwari dismissed turned-politician Navjot Singh Parkash Singh Badal nor his kin Additional Chief Electoral assembly elections in Uttar the charges as a political con- Sidhu, who joined the Congress would be spared for their wrong Offi cer N Navti said 211 forms Pradesh and Uttarakhand. spiracy. Party on Sunday, fi led his nomi- doings and for bringing Punjab were received by various re- With Tiwari being a Brah- A year earlier, Tiwari was nation papers for the Amritsar to such a pathetic situation,” turning offi cers across the state min the move is expected to embroiled in another contro- East assembly seat. Amarinder said. on the last day of fi ling of nomi- benefi t the BJP. versy when Rohit Shekhar fi led “I promise to cook Parkash In Amritsar, Sidhu fi led his nations. While the Congress dubbed a paternity suit against him, Singh Badal’s goose in his own nomination papers as a Congress He said poll offi cials will now the move a measure of the claiming the veteran politician backyard. I will not rest till candidate for the Amritsar East scrutinise the papers over the “political desperation” of the was his biological father. then,” said Amarinder, who has assembly seat. next few days. BJP, Tiwari’s family expressed The intense legal battle led entered the fray for the biggest The seat was earlier repre- The last date for withdrawal of disappointment and shock to a court-ordered DNA test, political battle in Punjab of two sented in the Punjab assembly by candidature is January 21. and alleged the decision was the results of which estab- top leaders contesting against his wife Navjot Kaur. “After January 21, we will get “forced” on him. lished Tiwari as Rohit’s biolog- each other. “My fi ght is for the betterment a fi nal picture of how many can- Tiwari, 91, the only one to ical father and Ujjwala Sharma Launching what he has de- of Punjab. Captain Amarinder didates will actually participate have been the chief minister as his biological mother. scribed as the `grandfather of Singh is leading our campaign. I in the next step of the election Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu speaks to reporters after filing of both Uttar Pradesh and Ut- In 2014, Tiwari formally all battles’, Amarinder led a big am his soldier,” Sidhu said. process,” he said. his nomination papers in Amritsar yesterday. tarakhand, was also a cabinet married Ujjwala Sharma. Gulf Times 26 Thursday, January 19, 2017 LATIN AMERICA Africa migrants brave Latam jungle trek for US dream

Thomson Reuters Foundation rea had badly swollen fi ngers, a persecution. Hassan had paid a in Mexico’s city of Tapachula. migrants fl eeing poverty and cording to Mexican government migration, including a pledge to Tapachula, Mexico sign of severe dehydration. human smuggler $1,000 to guide “What’s happening in the gang violence every year, and fi gures. This infl ux is expected build a wall along the US-Mexi- “We all thought we were going him overland through Central Mediterranean is that it’s be- who have been using the well- to continue this year, Walls said. co border to keep out illegal im- to die,” Hassan, a Somali, said as America to reach Mexico in the coming more and more hazard- trodden route for decades. Mexico has also seen a tide of migrants. sing a stone, Ahmed Ali he recalled last month’s journey. hope of crossing into the US. ous and diffi cult to take that Immigration offi cials fi rst no- Haitians coming through as they With few diplomatic ties with Hassan scraped away at “We were not treated with He is lucky not to have suff o- route,” Walls said. ticed African migrants arriving in seek a better life in the US. Thou- African nations, it is diffi cult for Uthe side of the container dignity,” said the 24-year-old cated. In October, immigration “Through Latin America Mexico in 2013, when around six sands of Haitians who had lived in the Mexican authorities to de- truck until he made a small hole, university student, who declined offi cials in Mexico’s Veracruz coming all the way up to Mexico trickled in a day, mainly through Brazil are leaving because of the port illegal migrants from Africa and putting his parched mouth to give his real name. state found four migrants dead and then on to the US has be- Tapachula along Mexico’s south- country’s economic recession. home. As a result, many African to it, gasped for air. As Europe tightens its borders in a truck that smugglers had come another route,” she said. ern border with Guatemala. Experts also say the surge migrants are given a temporary The overcrowded truck car- to stem the infl ux of refugees and abandoned. Many migrants from Africa fl y Hundreds now turn up every north refl ects a push by migrants transit permit, giving them 20 rying nearly 100 migrants, migrants crossing the Mediter- The routes to Europe have be- to Ecuador and Brazil where few day. Last year between 150 to to reach the US and reunite with days to leave Mexico. In prac- many from Africa, took turns to ranean Sea to Europe, Hassan is come more diffi cult, said Clau- visa restrictions allow an easy 700 African migrants arrived per relatives before US president- tice this allows them to continue breathe in pockets of dry air as part of a growing surge of people dette Walls, head of the fi eld point of entry into the Americas. day at Tapachula — with a total elect Donald Trump takes offi ce. their journey towards the US the truck rattled through rural from African nations seeking new offi ce for the International Or- They join the hundreds of of 19,000 migrants arriving from During his campaign, Trump border without being detained Nicaragua. One man from Erit- routes to fl ee poverty, war and ganisation for Migration (IOM) thousands of Central American Africa and Haiti in 2016 — ac- took a hardline position on im- by immigration offi cials. Four dead in new shooting in Cancun

AFP Interior Minister Miguel An- Cancun, Mexico gel Osorio Chong ordered the deployment of federal police reinforcements to back local au- exico’s Mayan Riviera thorities. was rocked by a second The US consulate in Merida Mshooting in two days, issued a security message urging leaving a total of nine people Americans to “follow local au- dead in a major tourist destina- thorities’ warnings and consult tion that had avoided the vio- with their hotels before leaving lence plaguing other regions. the premises.” Three gunmen and a police Mexican television showed offi cer died as the Quintana Roo footage in which intense gunfi re state prosecutor’s offi ce in Can- could be heard. Soldiers and po- cun came under fi re in broad day- lice guarded the prosecutor’s of- light and police shot back, gover- fi ce after the shooting. nor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez said. State attorney general Miguel Five other assailants were de- Angel Pech was not in the build- tained, Gonzalez said. ing at the time, the spokes- The gunfi ght caused panic in woman for the mayor’s offi ce the Caribbean coast city, a day said, adding that the city hall after three foreigners and two was evacuated as a precaution- A student is escorted away to safety after the shooting at the Colegio Americano del Noreste in Monterrey, Mexico. Mexicans died in a shooting at an ary measure. electronic music festival in the Sandra Ramirez, a 33-year- nearby seaside resort of Playa del old maid who lives seven streets Carmen. away from the prosecutor’s of- While it was not known fi ce, said she could hear the gun- whether the two shootings were fi re and “explosions” woke her linked, the back-to-back attacks up from her nap. broke the peace in a spot beloved “I went out later and police by American, Canadian and Eu- were reviewing every car that ‘Depressed’ student opens ropean tourists that has been was going by,” Ramirez said. spared from the sort of drug- In the past, she said, “things related violence affl icting other have happened, a dead person parts of Mexico. has appeared here or there, but The clash took place seven never something like this.” kilometres away from the hotel Several stores were closed and fi re at American school area. Local media said authori- the streets were deserted, she ties set up three checkpoints said. Reuters Americano del Noreste with a Fasci said one 15-year-old fi rm the authenticity of the im- Mexico has been largely near the tourist zone. A store manager at the Plaza Mexico City gun and started shooting, leav- student was shot in the arm, ages. spared the phenomenon of The motive for the attack was Las Americas shopping centre, ing three of the victims and and two 14-year-olds were shot A receptionist at the school school shootings that has hit not immediately known. located at the start of the hotel himself gravely injured. and injured. said she had no additional in- the US. In one of the few pre- “The only thing that (the zone, said on condition of ano- teenage student suf- “In the video, you can see There were no details on the formation on the shooting. vious incidents, a 13-year-old shootings) reveal is that we nymity that shots were heard fering from depression the minor take out the gun, nationalities of the victims. The school website says it of- student shot a 12-year-old are going in the right direction inside the mall and that people Aopened fi re at an Ameri- shoot the teacher and then He said the shooter was be- fers bilingual education for stu- classmate at a Mexico City and we won’t lower our guard,” tried to hide in the shops. can school in northern Mexico another child,” Fasci told lo- ing treated for depression and dents from preschool through school in 2004, seriously Gonzalez said. “The soldiers came, cordoned yesterday, injuring three stu- cal television. “He is there for had brought a.22 calibre fi rearm ninth grade. wounding her. State security chief Rodolfo off the area and began to evacu- dents and a teacher then shoot- a while, pointing at other stu- from home. It was unclear how the stu- At the height of Mexico’s drug del Angel said in a video mes- ate people. They told us that the ing himself in the chin in what dents, and a few minutes later Oscar Aboytes, spokesman dent got the gun into the school. war between 2008 and 2011, sage on Twitter that authorities shots were part of the chase” state offi cials called an unprec- he opens fire. We have no mo- for emergency services in Nuevo Mexico once had a pro- schools in northern Mexico activated “code red” after the against the assailants, the man- edented attack that was caught tive yet.” Leon, said all of the wounded gramme that checked book had considered a much greater shooting — a security protocol ager said. on video. Television footage showed were rushed to hospital. Pho- bags at school entrances, but threat the possibility that stray combining state and federal po- Meanwhile, authorities were Local media had earlier re- ambulances and police outside tos widely distributed on social in many places it has fallen into bullets from drug gang gun bat- lice and the army. investigating the motive behind ported three people were killed. the private bilingual school, media showed three people ly- disuse. tles outside schools might enter “At the moment the state is Monday’s pre-dawn shooting at Aldo Fasci, security spokes- which includes pre-school, ing on the fl oor of a classroom “There was a reason why classrooms. peaceful, the citizens can remain the Blue Parrot club during the man for the northern state of elementary and high school with pools of blood around their book bags were checked. I think Some schools conducted calm, Cancun is doing well at BPM music festival in Playa del Nuevo Leon, said the 15-year- classes, located south of the in- heads. we are going to have to start do- “duck and cover” drills to com- this moment,” Angel said. Carmen, 68kms to the south. old student entered the Colegio dustrial city of Monterrey. Reuters was not able to con- ing it again,” Fasci said. bat that possibility.

Venezuela protest US, Cuba complete deals Farc infi ghting as Trump era set to begin leaves one dead AFP After more than fi ve decades Bogota of territorial and ideological Reuters force Communist-run Cuba to The policy had long been crit- confl ict with the government, Havana change by isolating it, Demo- icised by the Cuban government. the Farc is due to start disarming cratic President Barack Obama John Kavulich, president of olombia’s Farc rebels in the coming weeks under UN agreed with Cuban President the US-Cuba Trade and Eco- yesterday said one per- supervision. he Obama administra- Raul Castro in December 2014 nomic Council which has fol- Cson was believed killed in The Colombian confl ict grew tion and Cuba contin- to work to normalise relations. lowed business ties between fi ghting last week between their out of a crushed peasant upris- Tued to sign co-opera- Since then the two coun- the two countries for two dec- forces and renegade members ing in the 1960s. It has killed tion agreements, scrambling tries have restored diplomatic ades, noted that while there opposed to a historic peace deal more than 260,000 people and to complete negotiations on a relations and Obama has taken had been a large array of recent with the government. left 60,000 missing. range of issues with just days to a number of steps to increase agreements and memoran- The violence threatens to dis- It has drawn in not only the go until Donald Trump is sworn travel and trade with Cuba. dums of understanding, none rupt delicate eff orts by leaders army and the Farc, but other in as US president, potentially Trump, a Republican who were binding treaties. of the communist rebels and the leftist rebel groups, drug gangs bringing a chill to relations. will be sworn in tomorrow, has “The commercial, economic government to push through a and right-wing paramilitary An agreement to co-operate threatened to end the detente and political bilateral relation- peace accord to end a nearly 53- units. on air and maritime search and if Cuba does not make further ship between the US and Cuba year confl ict. Last October, voters rejected rescue in the Florida Straits was political and other concessions, remains tentative, fragile, and Commanders of the Farc’s the peace deal after opponents signed yesterday in Havana, although he has not specifi ed immensely subject to the im- Southern Bloc said in a statement condemned the concessions and another setting territo- what these should be. pact of winds from the north the violence erupted on January made to the Farc. rial limits in contested Gulf of The prospect of a fresh chill and winds from the south,” Ka- 10 near the southern central town The deal allows the Farc to Mexico waters was scheduled has prompted both govern- vulich said. of San Vicente del Caguan. transform into a political party. for signing today, according to ments to wrap up negotiations The Trump transition team “There was an armed confron- The opposition campaign com- diplomatic sources. on fi ve agreements since the has included fi ve Cuban- tation between units of this bloc plained that Santos granted the A third agreement on health November election, including Americans who are vocal oppo- and a squad led by Alexander rebels seats in Congress, saying protocols for dealing with is- one on fi ghting international nents of detente and who have Mojoso, who resolved to abandon he should have jailed them for sues such as bird fl u was sched- crime and another on prevent- close ties to Cuban-American our ranks on the grounds that he war crimes instead. uled for signing yesterday, but ing and containing oil spills. lawmakers calling for a return disagrees with the current peace Santos, who won the Nobel postponed for later this week. The Obama administration to eff orts to isolate Cuba. agreement between President Peace Prize fi ve days after the It would be the last of 22 ac- last week ended a 21-year-old A number of Trump appoint- The president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Julio Juan Manuel Santos’ government referendum defeat, sent his ne- cords that have been concluded special arrangement by which ees, including his national se- Borges (centre) along with opposition deputies arrive at the and the Farc,” it said. gotiators to work out a revised in the last 18 months. all Cubans arriving in the US, in- curity advisor, Michael Flynn, headquarters of the Organisation of American States (OAS) “In the clash, one member of deal with the Farc. The second Seeking to reverse more cluding without visas, were en- have expressed opposition to during a protest in Caracas yesterday. Mojoso’s group is said to have time around, he had it ratifi ed in than 50 years of US eff orts to titled to stay and seek residency. the eff ort to normalise relations. been killed.” Congress. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 27 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Heavy fog in Lahore Pakistani forces kill new leader of LeJ group

Agencies operation Zarb-e-Azb in Paki- tation explained the impact of Islamabad stan’s northwest tribal region of militancy on socio-economic North Waziristan Agency against dynamics of Fata. militants has cost $1.9bn. He said it was high time to akistani counter-ter- Speaking at the ‘2nd National ‘open’ tribal areas. rorism forces killed the Conference on the Economic The offi cer said security situ- Pnew leader of the banned Currents and Opportunities for ation in Fata had deteriorated sectarian Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Economic Development in Fata’ after 9/11 attacks. militant group, along with three at the University of Peshawar He said during a survey, 60% more militants, in an operation yesterday, Maria Saifuddin Ef- people of Fata had found to be in the eastern province of Pun- fendi, who teaches at the Na- insisting that their region was jab, authorities said yesterday. tional Defence University of Is- at peace before the Twin Towers The killings come 18 months lamabad, said the Pakistan Army terrorist attacks. after police gunned down long- was able to recovered tons of ex- Shah said it had since become time Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) plosives. a central point for drug smug- leader Malik Ishaq in a separate “Security forces shut down gling and illegal arms trade encounter. bomb factories and eliminated bringing billions of dollars to the Pakistani men ride on a horsecart during heavy fog in Lahore yesterday. Among the four militants over 500 terrorists with an ex- region. killed on Tuesday night was penditure of $1.9bn,” she said. He recommended two- Asif Chotoo, also known by the The analyst proposed that lo- pronged strategy for the region: name Rizwan, who was named cal people be involved rather involve local people in develop- LeJ chief after Ishaq’s death, au- than non-locals and foreigners ment and give the maximum op- thorities said. to ensure the successful peace portunities to locals and indus- “He was now heading building in Fata. tries. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi,” the Coun- The Pakistan Army had stated Dr Noor Shah Jehan, who Islamabad not to free doctor ter Terrorism Department of that over 3,000 terrorists were teaches international relations Punjab said in a statement. killed in the off ensive that was at the University of Peshawar, The extremist Sunni Muslim launched in June 2014. spoke on the economic devel- LeJ has claimed responsibility The Cell for Fata Studies, Uni- opment in Fata from the per- for the deaths of hundreds of ci- versity of Peshawar, arranged spective of Pakistan’s foreign who helped US fi nd bin Laden vilians, mostly minority Shas. the event. policy. The four suspects were killed In the opening remarks, Vice- He said the local Taliban had in a shootout in Sheikhupura Chancellor of University of Pe- been used as a non-state actor Reuters Minister Zahid Hamid as telling then charged with murder, re- Last May, Pakistan’s foreign city, about 40km northwest of shawar Dr Mohamed Rasul Jan by Pakistan for advancing for- Islamabad the upper house, in response to lating to the death of a patient ministry angrily criticised US the Punjab capital of Lahore, by said Fata was a national issue, eign policy goals towards India- a lawmaker’s query about re- eight years earlier. president-elect Donald Trump counter-terrorism forces acting whose decision must be taken occupied Kashmir and Afghani- ports of a possible release. He remains in jail awaiting for saying he could get Pakistan on a tip that the group was plan- quickly to safeguard the well- stan. jailed Pakistani doctor “Afridi worked against the trial. to free Afridi “within two min- ning an attack in Lahore. being of local population and Shah said inequalities in the believed to have helped law and our national interest, Many Pakistanis were infuri- utes”. “Big chapters of terrorism, national interest. region were in part due to the Athe CIA hunt down Al and the Pakistan government ated by the US raid to grab bin Pakistan joined the US war on target killings have been closed He said peace in Pakistan was Dubai phenomenon, smuggling Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has repeatedly been telling the Laden in the military garrison militancy after the September today,” the statement added.” only possible if there was peace of goods and maintenance of the will be neither released nor United States that under our town of Abbottabad, just a two- 11, 2001, attacks on the United These terrorists were merciless in its neighbours, especially Af- Malik system. handed to the United States, law he committed a crime and hour drive from Islamabad, the States. killing machines.” ghanistan. He suggested that policymak- Pakistan’s law minister has told was facing the law.” capital. But US officials often de- Meanwhile, a security analyst Senior police offi cer Syed ers move from geo-politics to legislators, media reported yes- In 2012, Afridi was sentenced Pakistani offi cials describe scribe Islamabad as an unreli- has disclosed that the military Akhtar Ali Shah in his presen- geo-economics in Fata. terday. to 33 years in prison after being bin Laden’s long presence in able partner that has sheltered Dr Shakil Afridi, hailed as convicted of being a member Abbottabad as a security lapse the Afghan Taliban leadership a hero by US offi cials, was ar- of militant group Lashkar-e- and reject any suggestion that and demand tougher action rested after US forces killed bin Islam. members of the military or in- against militant groups based Laden in May 2011 in a secret That conviction was over- telligence services were com- along its border with Afghani- raid in a northern Pakistani turned in 2013, but Afridi was plicit in hiding him. stan. Pakistan to repay $500mn loan to China town that plunged relations between the uneasy strategic partners to a new low. Trump ‘will not be unfriendly towards Pakistan’ IANS situation at that time and placed The Finance Minister has al- Pakistan has accused the Islamabad with the State Bank of Pakistan. ready obtained approval of the doctor of running a fake vac- The Trump administration, which assumes power Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and Since then the deposit was Prime Minister for the repay- cination campaign in which he tomorrow, has no plans to “unfriend” Pakistan their wives, will be among the audience who will rolled over annually, with the ment of the said loan and has di- collected DNA samples to help but its relations with India will be even closer hear Tarar recite Surah-i-Fateha for Trump. akistani Finance Minister latest maturity date set at 23rd rected the State Bank of Pakistan the US Central Intelligence than those of the Obama administration, says “I chose the first Surah of the Holy Qur’an Senator Mohamed Ishaq January, 2017,” Xinhua news to make payment of $500mn to Agency (CIA) confi rm bin Lad- Sajid Tarar, a prominent Pakistani supporter of because it is the beginning of a new presidency, PDar has directed the State agency cited a statement by the SAFE China on January 23. en’s identity. President-elect Donald Trump. and I hope and pray that the next four years bring Bank of Pakistan to repay a loan of ministry yesterday. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Afridi was arrested soon after Tarar, who spoke at the Republican National peace and prosperity to all,” Tarar said. $500mn to the Chinese State Ad- “Instead of yet another roll has formally expressed his deep the bin Laden raid and charged Convention in July and prayed for Trump’s Hillary Clinton, Trump’s main opponent in the ministration of Foreign Exchange over for a year, it has been de- appreciation to his Chinese coun- with having ties to militant Is- victory, will also address the prayer breakfast for 2016 election, has confirmed that she would (SAFE), upon its maturity on Jan- cided to repay the loan, in view terpart and government of China lamists, which he denied. the new president. The ceremony will be held at attend the inaugural ceremonies. uary 23, the Finance Ministry said. of the strong macroeconomic for the critical support provided “The law is taking its course Washington’s National Cathedral on Jan 21, a day Tarar said he was a “committed American and “The loan in the form of a de- performance and stable foreign through the SAFE deposit for sta- and Afridi is having full oppor- after Trump takes oath as the 45th president of the a committed Pakistani” and wanted to “do posit was taken in January 2009, exchange reserves position of bilising the current account since tunity of a fair trial,” the Daily United States. Former US presidents Jimmy Carter, something to improve US-Pakistan relations”. due to the weak current account the country,” it said. 2009, the statement said. Times newspaper quoted Law Afghanistan’s fi rst female orchestra to perform in Davos

AFP Life is hard in the capital city, the young Shia Hazara girl with Kabul jobs are scarce, but “it is better high cheekbones knows how to than being dead”, Negina said, obtain focus and silence among recalling what her uncle prom- the excited young troops. n the face of death threats ised her: “Wherever I see you, “Being Afghan and living and accusations they are dis- I’ll kill you. You are a shame for here is every minute dangerous Ihonouring their families by us.” for your life: you don’t know daring to perform, the women Negina’s goal is to win a schol- where will be the next blast, and of Afghanistan’s fi rst all-female arship “to study outside of the when...will it be here?” she re- orchestra are charting a new country, and study, and study”. calls. destiny for themselves through Then, she says, she will return For musicians, she says, re- music. to her country and and become membering the Taliban regime, The group is set to be cata- the conductor of the National the danger is even worse. pulted onto the world stage with Orchestra. But far from giving up, Zari- a performance at the World Eco- Fifteen years after the end fa, whose mother never got the nomic Forum in Davos. of Taliban regime, gender par- chance to go to school, believes Zohra, an ensemble of 35 ity remains a distant dream in that it is up to her generation to young musicians aged 13 to 20, Afghanistan despite claims of reverse mentalities. some orphans or from poor fam- progress. “Now it’s up to my generation ilies, will be performing before According to a National Bu- to try to do something for my 3,000 CEOs and heads of state reau of Statistics survey con- country, but it will take at least during a session today and at the ducted in 2016, just 19% of all one generation to change,” she closing concert on Friday. Afghan women had attended said. Led by Negina Khpalwak, school. “I wish to apply to Yale Uni- who will be celebrating her 20th Of women and girls under versity, my fi rst choice, or to birthday on the return fl ight the age of 25, only 36% of those Harvard, or Stanford. I will study from Europe, the girls have over- surveyed said they had been to and make a good personality for come death threats and discrim- school. myself and then I will come back ination in this deeply conserva- “If you don’t stand up you will as a positive person,” she vows. tive war-torn country to play have no future,” Negina said. “I “Do you think Michelle together. want to pave the way for other Obama will be in Davos?” she With their hair hastily knot- girls.” asks suddenly. “I have been lis- ted, eyes focused on their instru- Music has off ered Zohra’s girls tening to all her speeches: when ments, the musicians performed the chance of another life. I hear her speaking, I feel proud in unison under Khpalwak’s ba- Among the now adept players to be a woman. I love Michelle ton earlier this month at one of 19-year-old Afghan Negina Khpalwak (left), the first female orchestra conductor in Afghanistan, conducts her musicians during a rehearsal at of the violin, piano and tradi- Obama.” their last rehearsals in Kabul be- The Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul. tional instruments of Afghani- For Dr Sarmast, who wants fore the concert. stan, some were once street to promote “a better side of the “She is Afghanistan’s fi rst Sarmast understands the segregated conservative soci- to speak about music school,” ‘If you let Negina leave to mu- working children. country than the Kalashnikov, female conductor,” Dr Ahmad risk facing women in Af- ety. Negina said. “For them, women sic school, you won’t be my son At 18, violinist Zarifa Adiba rockets and suicide attacks”, Sarmast, the musicologist who ghanistan who pursue music Zohra, he says, is “very sym- are to stay at home and clean up.” anymore.’” has already performed at Carn- these girls are Afghanistan’s best founded Afghanistan’s National – which was banned during bolic” for Afghanistan. Her parents, she said, stood Since then, her family has left egie Hall in New York. ambassadors. Institute of Music (Anim) and the Taliban’s repressive 1996- “It’s so hard for Afghan girls. against her entire family to al- their native Kunar province in In Davos, she will also conduct “We hope to change the per- the Zohra orchestra, said proud- 2001 rule and is still frowned Some fathers do not even let low her to attend music lessons. eastern Afghanistan, and moved four pieces as the second con- ception of Afghanistan abroad,” ly of Khpalwak. upon in the tightly gender- their daughters go to school, not “My grandmother told my dad: to Kabul. ductor of the orchestra, where he said. Gulf Times 28 Thursday, January 19, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Govt cancels permits of four more mining projects in green drive

Reuters deepens a months-long crack- are set to be released on Jan 31. as it would be located on a wa- response from the headquarters mental harm, warning shortly mines with 20 more at risk. Manila down on the resources sector. The four revoked ECCs in- tershed. in Norway. after taking offi ce in June last The clampdown stoked worries The Southeast Asian nation clude one for Norwegian fi rm In- “Everyone there, the politi- Lopez, a committed environ- year that the country could sur- about supply of nickel from the has been reviewing hundreds of tex Resources’ proposed $2.5bn cians, the church, the academe, mentalist, in December can- vive without a mining industry. Philippines last year, helping he Philippines has can- environmental compliance cer- nickel mine on Mindoro island in they vehemently did not want celled the ECCs of three nickel The three other ECCs can- spur a 14-percent rally in glo- celled the environmen- tifi cates (ECCs) including those the central Philippines. mining there,” she said. mines as part of the clampdown. celled yesterday were for a gold bal prices. Ttal permits for four more granted to mines. Environment and Natural Re- A member of staff at Intex’s Firebrand Philippine Presi- mine, a coal producer and an The Philippines’ nickel ore mining projects, including one That is separate from an envi- sources Secretary Regina Lopez Manila offi ce declined to make dent Rodrigo Duterte has backed iron and copper project. shipments to top market Chi- planned nickel venture, as the ronmental audit of the country’s told a media briefi ng the project immediate comment, saying the Lopez’s aggressive campaign A separate mining audit has na dropped 11.6 % to 28.8mn world’s top nickel ore supplier 41 operating mines whose results would damage the environment branch was waiting for an offi cial against mines causing environ- led to the suspension of 10 tonnes in January-November.

Cops face charges Beauties in town of murdering South Korean businessman

AFP spokesman. He said another Manila two offi cers who went with him to the house, as well as their superior, were under in- hilippine police kid- vestigation. napped and murdered a All four accused offi cers PSouth Korean business- were from the Anti-Illegal man, then led his wife to be- Drugs Group based at national lieve he was alive for months police headquarters in Manila, to extort money from her, au- according to Carlos. thorities said yesterday. He said a retired police of- The killing is the latest in fi cer was also believed to be a long series of criminal acts involved but had fl ed to Cana- by the Philippine police force, da, and that there were South regarded as one of the nation’s Korean accomplices. most corrupt institutions, and Carlos did not elaborate on has fuelled concerns about its the identities or actions of the role enforcing President Ro- South Korean suspects. drigo Duterte’s deadly crime Santa Isabel and his two col- war. leagues went to Ji’s house on Miss Universe contestants wave to the crowd while onboard a float during their arrival and parade in Baguio city, north of Manila yesterday. Pictured are (from left): Sari The man disappeared from the pretext of a drug raid, ac- Nakazawa, Miss Japan, Christina Waage, Miss Norway, Muneka Joy Cruz Taisipic, Miss Guam, Siera Bearchell, Miss Canada and Carolyn Carter, Miss US Virgin Islands. his home in the northern city cording to Carlos. of Angeles in October last The abductors demanded year, and his wife initially from Ji’s wife a ransom of 8mn paid a ransom of 5mn pesos pesos on October 30, 12 days ($100,000), national police after he was killed, accord- spokesman Dionardo Carlos ing to the Philippine Daily In- said. quirer newspaper, which fi rst However, the man was reported the news. strangled to death and burned It said that she paid 5mn to ashes in a crematorium on pesos ($100,000), but the kid- the day he was abducted, the nappers then demanded an- ‘Declaring martial law’ South Korean foreign ministry other 4.5mn pesos and contin- said, citing a Philippine gov- ued to say he was alive. ernment report. The case has drawn criti- The crematorium was cism from some lawmakers owned by a former police of- and media in the Philippines fi cer, the foreign ministry said. as an example of corrupt po- The South Korean govern- licemen expanding their ille- would be conditional ment identifi ed the man only gal activities after being given by his surname of Ji and said freedoms by Duterte to pros- Reuters basis?’, you son of a b****, it’s Legal issues aside, Duterte’s he was in his 50s. ecute his war on drugs. Manila Duterte accuses bishops of hypocrisy none of your business. Just comments offer little clar- Philippine media said he was Duterte has encouraged po- shut up, all of you.” ity about why he is discussing a businessman who had been lice to kill drug traffi ckers and Philippine President Rodrigo drug. Duterte, who has previ- The constitution states mar- martial law at a time when his living in the Philippines since addicts, and vowed to shield hilippine President Rod- Duterte yesterday taunted the ously boasted about keeping tial law can only be declared in approval ratings are high, po- 2008 and had been working for them from prosecution. rigo Duterte yesterday ap- country’s Catholic priests and multiple mistresses, also sought the event of invasion or rebel- litical opposition is muted, and a manpower company. Nearly 6,000 people have Ppeared to rule out declar- bishops to take highly addictive to discredit Church leaders by lion, when public safety re- the government is touting suc- South Korean Foreign Min- died in Duterte’s drug war ing martial law, but said he could crystal methamphetamine, as accusing them of violating their quires it. Congress can revoke a cess in its crackdown on drugs. ister Yun Byung-Se demand- since he took offi ce in the mid- do so if he wished, and anyone he accused them of “hypocrisy” own vows of celibacy. “We’re president’s declaration, as can Presidential Communica- ed answers after receiving a dle of last year. questioning his justifi cation for criticising his deadly drug the same, with two, three wives. the Supreme Court, but there is tions Secretary Martin Anda- phone call from Philippine Carlos insisted to AFP the should “shut up” and stay out of war. Duterte said that while par- Don’t get me started — all the no scenario in the constitution nar on Sunday criticised media Foreign Secretary Perfecto abduction of Ji was not related his business. ish priests around the country hypocrisy,” said Duterte, 71. outlining which of the two in- for reporting Duterte’s state- Yasay to inform him of the to Duterte’s drug war, saying The former prosecutor has were well aware of the extent of Duterte also accused the coun- stitutions would prevail should ments on martial law and for murder. the problem of kidnappings threatened several times to in- the illegal drug problem, their try’s Church leaders of plotting to they disagree. headlines that “sow panic and “Minister Yun, expressing for ransom by corrupt police voke military rule to help his leaders who had been railing “suppress” the public exhibition “Who decides now? Supreme confusion”. He called that “the grave shock over the implica- had existed for a long time. war on drugs and said he had about “extrajudicial killings” of an unspecified film that he said Court says ‘no’, Congress says height of journalistic irrespon- tion of Philippine police of- “It turned out it was an old the power to declare martial were clueless. “The (critical) tackled the subject of “homosexu- ‘yes’, who decides? The sitting sibility”. The presidential pal- fi cers in the case, asked that modus operandi where bad law, even though narcotics did priests should take shabu to ality of priests”. “I’m telling them, president — me,” he said. ace press corps hit back yester- the Philippine government cops claim there is a drug raid not meet conditions required understand. I recommend one ‘Why stop it? When you expose “For me, it is not found in the day urging the government to get to the bottom of the case and turn it into a kidnap for by the constitution. The mer- or two of the bishops take it the frailties of your faithful, you constitution, it is not written stop chiding journalists. and bring those responsible ransom,” Carlos said. curial leader has been criti- also,” Duterte said, using the are free to shout in the pulpit,” there. But if I feel as a presi- “We are disturbed and ap- to justice,” a foreign ministry At least 167 policemen are cised by opponents for acting local term for crystal meth, he said.”But you exempt your- dent that I have to preserve my palled by the propensity of the spokesman said. under investigation for being in an authoritarian way and the country’s most-used illegal selves.What is this?’” country, I will declare martial officials of this administration Ricky Santa Isabel, one of involved in various money- for showing willingness to cir- law.” He also said the military to blame the media whenever the offi cers accused of going making rackets, some of them cumvent the constitution. felt the security climate did not the inflammatory statements to Ji’s house and abducting under the cover of the drug Some have ridiculed him for martial law. “I will not declare noise,” he said in a speech yes- warrant martial law.”The mili- of the president stir contro- him, surrendered this week, war, Metro Manila police chief his contradicting remarks on martial law, and if I declare terday. tary is correct, there is no com- versy or draw flak,” the media according to Carlos, the police Oscar Albayalde told reporters. whether he intends to pursue martial law, I will not make “And if you ask ‘what is the pelling reason really.” group said in a statement. Church begins to speak out on drug killings

AFP signs at the crime scenes accus- won the May elections by 6.6mn of condolence to the bereaved emphasise they have not given Manila ing their victims of being drug votes, a chance to implement his families because I also need to up on Duterte and they are not dealers or addicts. Duterte has programmes and make the Phil- be assured even a bit that things campaigning against his rule, made no apologies for the kill- ippines a safer place. will get better and not become just the killings. eople going to mass at ings, saying he would be happy They had also hoped to infl u- worse.” “Prayer can move mountains. one of the most famous to “slaughter” 3mn drug addicts ence him quietly, holding a series In a Christmas message, We believe that Duterte can still Pchurches in the Philippine to stop the Philippines from de- of private meetings with Duterte Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, change his position, so we need capital over Christmas were met scending into a Latin American- and one of his top aides, ac- the country’s highest-ranking to pray,” Fajardo said. by a disturbing sight: poster- style narco state. cording to Manila priest Atilano Church offi cial, lamented Fili- What impact the Church size pictures of Filipinos dying in While Duterte’s crackdown Fajardo, who is now helping pinos losing their sense of “hos- campaign against the killings pools of blood. has been condemned by hu- to lead the Church’s campaign pitality”, in what was seen as a will have on government policy The shock Baclaran church man rights activists and some against the killings. criticism of the killings. remains uncertain. exhibit was part of a campaign Western governments for alleg- Meanwhile, some priests and “Why is there room for de- But it is taking heart from a by one of the nation’s oldest and edly unleashing a wave of extra- bishops, like ordinary people, stroying lives but minute space fresh survey showing eight in 10 most powerful institutions to judicial killings, the president were too scared to speak out, ac- for saving them?” Tagle said. Filipinos now fear they or their stop the killings under President has retained huge support from cording to Secillano. Some churches around the friends could be next to be killed. Rodrigo Duterte’s war against Filipinos hoping his strongman “Not too many churches and Philippines have since put up “When you speak to people on drugs, which has claimed about A recent photo shows Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines style will fi x crime, corruption people are actually keen on banners denouncing extrajudi- the ground, there is a lot of fear... 6,000 thousand lives. (CBCP) spokesman Father Jerome Secillano gesturing during an and other intractable problems. speaking up against these kill- cial killings, while priests have many people, especially the ur- “The Church right now is interview at a church in Blumentrit in Manila. With such support and also ings because of fear,” he said. helped to organise relatives of ban poor, feel that anybody can asserting its infl uence, that’s because of various intimidation To start the pushback, Arch- the slain into a watchdog group be tagged and killed,” Manila why in the coming months the terte presidency to succeed, but Duterte was elected in a land- tactics, few politicians or other bishop Socrates Villegas, presi- called Network Against Killings bishop Broderick Pabillo said. Church will be at the forefront would be remiss in its moral ob- slide last year, after vowing on infl uential people have spoken dent of the bishops conference, in the Philippines. Visitors at the Baclaran photo in leading against extrajudicial ligation to protect life by keeping the campaign trail to eradicate out. issued a pastoral letter to his Over the coming weeks, the exhibit who agreed to speak to killings,” said Jerome Secillano, quiet, according to Secillano. illegal drugs in society by killing For months the Church, which fl ock in October. Church also plans to train wid- AFP were generally hesitant to public aff airs chief for the Cath- “(The drug war) is not any tens of thousands of people. played a leading role in the oust- “I am ashamed of the things I ows and other female relatives criticise the government but said olic Bishops Conference of the more in accord with the legal Police have reported killing er of dictator Ferdinand Marcos read about the Philippines in the of men killed in mainly slum they had seen enough. Philippines. processes, and the moral norms 2,250 drug suspects since Du- and corrupt president Joseph international media and more communities to document the “What is happening is hor- The Catholic Church, count- are being violated and so now is terte assumed offi ce, with 3,710 Estrada, also held its tongue. ashamed of what I hear from our deaths so they can bring criminal rible. They should not be kill- ing eight out of every 10 Filipinos the time for the Church to speak others murdered by unknown Church leaders said they leaders,” Villegas said then. charges against police. ing defenceless people,” said among its fl ock, wants the Du- up,” he said. suspects who at times have left wanted to give Duterte, who “I can no longer give a word Church leaders take pains to churchgoer Gina Loranza, 48. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 29 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Nepal invites Hasina: Saarc as regional Indian Army forum very much eff ective chief to By Mizan Rahman ing of the World Economic as well as connectivity and the training to the youths to turn visit in Dhaka Forum (WEF) at the Congress people-to-people contact. the huge manpower into human Centre at Davos of Switzerland, “We have been working on resources. foreign ministry sources said in rooting out poverty,” she said, On the climate change issue, February angladesh Prime Min- Dhaka yesterday. mentioning the initiatives for Hasina said her government has ister Sheikh Hasina has Sri Lankan Prime Minister establishing BBIN, BCIM-EC constituted Climate Change Bruled out the notion of Ranil Wickremesinghe, Indian and BIMSTEC forums. Trust Fund worth $400mn to IANS the South Asian Association for Minister of Commerce and In- She said the BCIM-EC forum combat climate change. “We Kathmandu Regional Cooperation (Saarc) dustry Nirmala Sitharaman, is being set up to integrate Chi- have also undertaken 134 ac- losing its utility, saying that the representatives and civil society na in the South Asian region on tion plans for mitigation and regional grouping is ‘very much members from diff erent Saarc larger scale, while Safta is being adaptation of climate change,” epal has extended an alive’. countries joined the interactive strengthened for boosting trade she said. invitation to new In- “Saarc has not been ineff ec- session. and commerce. She urged the developed Ndian Army chief General tive. The eight-nation regional Last year, India and Bang- The prime minister also said countries responsible for cli- Bipin Rawat to visit the coun- body is very much alive and I ladesh refused to take part in an initiative has been taken to mate change to come forward try in February, a Nepal Army think it has an opportunity to Islamabad summit which led launch Saarc Satellite on the or- to the assistance of climate vul- spokesperson has said. do more work for changing the to its postponement triggering bit for development of telecom- nerable nations. A cabinet meeting recently ap- lot of the people of South Asian fears over the very existence of munications in the region. Replying to a question that proved issuance of an invitation region,” she said. the association. While talking about the US whether there would be any Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaking at the World for the new Indian Army chief She added: “There is a need Describing again poverty threat of withdrawal of their impact on environment due Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland. to Nepal which would possibly for regional cooperation for so- as the main enemy of the re- investment after the election of to construction of coal-based the fi rst foreign visit by General cioeconomic development of gion, the prime minister said: new US government, the prime power plants in Bangladesh, 24,000 megawatt electricity has taken initiatives for gen- Rawat after assuming offi ce on the people of the region.” “Our main emphasis should minister said in the present glo- the prime minister said high would be needed to turn Bang- erating electricity through re- December 31. The Bangladesh prime min- be how we could eradicate bal context, it’s not an easy task and modern technology is being ladesh into a middle income newable energy and setting up Nepal Army spokesperson Brig ister was speaking at an inter- poverty.” to shift investment from one used in building the coal-based country by 2021. “To generate nuclear power plants. Gen Tara Bahadur Karki said the active session on “Harnessing To eradicate poverty, she country to another location. power plants to keep pollution such volume of electricity, we “Besides, we have to increase proposed visit of General Rawat Regional Cooperation in South said, Saarc countries will have In this connection, she said at the lowest level. will have to use coal,” she added. use of coal for boosting power has been approved recently and Asia” in the 47th Annual Meet- to boost trade and commerce her government is providing The prime minister said Hasina said the government production,” she said. the itinerary of his visit would be made public soon. The visit will come at a time when Nepal and China are hold- ing their fi rst-ever military Interpol conference exercise in Nepal. The proposed military drill be- Minister rules out tween Nepal and China, with the aim of counter-terrorism and disaster management, has raised eyebrows in strategic circle in New Delhi due to traditionally cut in fuel prices close military and strategic ties between Nepal and India. During the visit, as per estab- By Mizan Rahman Minister A M A Muhith’s ear- He also said still the BPC’s lished practice, General Rawat Dhaka lier assurance saying that a outstanding payment with will be conferred with the rank downward adjustment in the the government is about of honorary General of the Nepal petroleum price will be made 170bn taka which was given Army by President Bidhya Devi angladesh has decided in January. to the state-own enterprise in Bhandari. not to cut fuel price Clarifying the latest stance, the past as a support. A special function will be or- Bright now as it is on the Hamid said his ministry had Hamid said the government ganised at the President’s Offi ce uptrend in the global market. written to the government’s is making profi t from diesel and for the function where General “There will be no fuel price policymaking level to reduce octane sale though it is negligi- Rawat, a Gurkha Regiment of- adjustment right now as the the fuel price. But, the govern- ble in diesel, but it looks huge fi cer of the Indian Army, will be price is going up in the global ment has taken the decision due to its enormous quantity. honoured for his “commendable market. The World Bank has not to reduce the price due to At the contract sign- military prowess and immeasur- also made a forecast about its the latest global market trend. ing ceremony, the minister able contribution to fostering In- uptrend in the coming days,” On the global market, crude said Technip will do a front- dia’s long standing and friendly State Minister for Power and petroleum was selling $52.76 end engineering design fi rst ties with Nepal”. Energy Nasrul Hamid told re- per barrel yesterday from ear- for the ERL unit-2 under a Nepal and India have a long- porters in Dhaka yesterday. lier below $50 last week. contract worth $46.47mn. established tradition of confer- Hamid was speaking af- Defending the government’s Indian company Engineers ring the rank of honorary general ter a deal was signed between decision, Hamid said the fuel India Ltd (EIL) was appointed on each other’s army chiefs. Bangladesh Petroleum Corpo- price will not be adjusted as the as contractor for the project. During his visit, Genera Ra- Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal addresses the inaugural session of International ration (BPC) and France-based desired benefi t of the measure The new ERL unit will have wat will hold meetings with his Criminal Police Organisation’s (Interpol) 23rd Asian Regional Conference in Kathmandu yes- Technip for designing a new will not go to the common peo- production the capacity of 3mn counterpart, General Rajendra terday. Interpol’s Asian Regional Conference opened yesterday, bringing together senior law unit of state-owned Eastern ple. “Earlier, we had adjusted metric tonnes per annum while Chhetri, Prime Minister Pushpa enforcement off icers to unite regional eff orts in providing a more eff ective global response Refi nery Limited (ERL). fuel price. But, transport fare the capacity of fi rst unit, built Kamal Dahal and Defence Min- to combat terrorism and organised crime. The minister’s remark was not reduced and people by the same company in 1986, ister Bal Krishna Khand, among came in contrast to Finance didn’t get the benefi t.” is 1.5mn metric tonnes. others. Lankans prepare to deal with looming drought

Thomson Reuters Foundation Those include everything had only one period of ex- fected paddy rice production in tologist at the Department of The committee includes term power supply agreements Colombo from allowing communities to ceptionally high rainfall, with the last growing season. Accord- Agriculture. high ranking offi cials repre- with private companies to meet take only drinking water from some areas receiving over ing to the Disaster Management The lack of water is likely both senting agriculture, power, any further drop in hydropower drying reservoirs to removing 300mm (11 inches) of rain in Centre (DMC), only around to hurt agriculture and cut into disaster management, fi nance production capacity. ith rainfall in many ar- taxes on imported rice and look- three days, leading to fl ooding 300,000 hectares out of a pos- supplies of vital hydropower. and meteorology and has been The inter-ministerial com- eas just a third of that ing for alternatives to hydro- and landslides. sible 800,000 were cultivated, Already, as a result of drought, meeting every two weeks, with mittee is expected to launch a Wlast year and many power to maintain the national Apart from that, rain was less largely because of a lack of irri- the country is getting 80% of its meetings expected to become national power and water con- water reservoirs far below nor- electric grid. than normal almost all year. “We gation water. electricity from coal and oil and weekly from the middle of servation programme as well. mal levels, Sri Lankans have be- “The change came about have a rainfall defi cit and it is Reservoirs that will provide only 11% from hydropower. January on. The committee has recom- gun holding traditional ceremo- because we were able to pre- likely to stay that way until the water for the next growing sea- Normally, at this time of year, In an eff ort to stabilise rice mended that water use from nies to invoke rain – some with dict the onset of the drought next monsoon” in June and July, son, which starts in March, the country would get at least prices in the market the gov- national reservoirs be strictly the participation of President well in advance and with de- Chandrapala said. need to be at least half fi lled by 40% of its electricity from hy- ernment removed all taxes on monitored, something that has Maithripala Sirisena. tailed information,” said La- According to the Meteoro- that time to support a normal dropower, according to the elec- rice imports on January 7. Rice not be done in the past. Wa- But this time, national of- lith Chandrapala, the head logical Department, in some harvest. But DMC offi cials and tricity board. imports are expected rise in the ter from some of the reservoirs fi cials are also doing some- of Sri Lanka’s Meteorological districts rainfall has been 30 to Chandrapala said the country’s To deal with the coming next two months as available already has been limited for thing new to prepare for what Department. 40% of normal levels. Some of main reservoirs were currently problems, Sri Lanka has set up local stocks dwindle. drinking purposes only. many fear could be the worst The country has had clear these districts are also among less than a third full. a cross-ministry committee to According to Ranjith Siya- “This time we are taking some drought in decades: Develop- signs since last October that the country’s largest agriculture “It nothing like I have ever come up with an action plan, said mbalapitiya, minister of power precautions. Hopefully they will ing plans, in advance, to deal drought was coming, offi cials producers. seen before,” said Ranjith Pu- Minister of Disaster Management and energy, the government is help us ease the worst impact” of with it. say. During 2016, Sri Lanka The lack of rainfall severely af- nyawardena, an agro-clima- Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. also prepared to enter into short the drought, Chandrapala said.

Lanka cabinet rejects proposal to Tourist attraction amend British-era penal code

AFP aratne said the cabinet had re- tional Human Rights Action Colombo fused to endorse a provision in Plan included a provision to re- a proposed human rights plan move “discrimination based on that would have undermined sexual orientation”. ri Lanka’s cabinet has re- the code. “People could interpret this jected a proposal to end “There was a provision re- (rights plan) in their favour,” Sdiscrimination based on ferring to the sexual orientation the minister said, adding that sexual orientation because it of individuals and we clearly the government did not want could legitimise homosexual- said it was not acceptable,” to create “social problems” by ity, which is illegal on the is- said Senaratne, who is also the inviting a challenge to the law. land, a government minister government spokesman. Following intense cam- said Wednesday. “The government is against paigning by a gay rights group Sri Lanka’s 1883 penal code, homosexuality, but we will not in 1995, the then govern- a legacy of its British colo- prosecute anyone for practis- ment agreed to review the pe- nial rulers, makes sex between ing it,” the minister said, add- nal code that prohibited sex men punishable by 12 years in ing that the island’s conserva- between men. jail, although the law is rarely tive Buddhist clergy was also But rather than repeal the Foreign tourists feed a tame elephant looked after by a mahout or caretaker in Colombo yesterday. Tourists have flocked back to Sri Lanka’s enforced. opposed to the provision. law, they expanded it to include shores since a bloody civil war ended in 2009. Health Minister Rajitha Sen- He said the proposed Na- women. Gulf Times 30 Thursday, January 19, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko World temperatures hit

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar record high in 2016 [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) Temperatures spiked to new Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland “The main contributor to warming ice extent was approximately 3.92mn Fax 44350474 national highs in parts of confi rmed the US fi ndings, and noted over the last 150 years is human sq miles (10.2mn sq km), the smallest that atmospheric concentrations of infl uence on climate from increasing annual average in the record, NOAA India, Kuwait and Iran, while both carbon dioxide and methane greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” said. sea ice melted faster than reached record levels. he said. “In the Antarctic, annual Antarctic “2016 was an extreme year for Piers Forster, director of the sea ice extent was the second smallest ever in the fragile Arctic the global climate and stands out Priestley International Center for on record, behind 1986, at 4.31mn as the hottest year on record,” said Climate at the University of Leeds, square miles,” it said. GULF TIMES Petteri Taalas, the agency’s secretary agreed. “Both the November and AFP Miami general. “Even if you remove the extra December 2016 extents were record Each of the fi rst eight months of the warming due to El Nino, 2016 was the small.” year “had record high temperatures warmest year ever recorded,” Forster Unusually hot years wreak havoc on ast year, the Earth for their respective months,” NOAA said. the planet by increasing heavy rainfall sweltered under the hottest said. “2017 will likely be cooler. However, in some parts of the world while Bilic the man temperatures in modern times The main reason for the rise is unless we have a major volcanic leading to drought in others, damaging Lfor the third year in a row, US the burning of fossil fuels like oil eruption, I expect the record to be crops. scientists said yesterday, raising new and gas, which send carbon dioxide, broken again within a few years.” Fish and birds must migrate concerns about the quickening pace of methane and other pollutants All of North America was the farther than ever to fi nd suitable for all seasons climate change. known as greenhouse gasses into the warmest since records began in 1910, temperatures. Temperatures spiked to new atmosphere and warm the planet. breaking that region’s last record set Diseases can spread faster in the national highs in parts of India, Kuwait The mounting toll of in 1998. warming oceans, sickening marine life and Iran, while sea ice melted faster industrialisation on the Earth’s natural Europe and Asia each saw their and killing corals. than ever in the fragile Arctic, said the balance is increasingly apparent in the third hottest years on record, while Glaciers and polar ice caps melt, at West Ham report by the National Oceanic and record books. Australia marked its fourth warmest leading to sea level rise that will Atmospheric Administration. “Since the start of the 21st century, year since records began more than a eventually swallow many of the Taking a global average of the land the annual global temperature record century ago. globe’s coastal communities, home to Slaven Bilic has only been manager at West Ham and sea surface temperatures for the has been broken fi ve times (2005, Unusual spikes in temperature some 1bn people. United for a season and a half but already has entire year, NOAA found the data for 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016),” said were seen in Phalodi, India, which Experts say the only solution is to “2016 was the highest since record NOAA. reached 124F (51C) on May 19 – reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, experienced the full gamut of emotions associated keeping began in 1880,” said the Another factor has been the Pacifi c marking India’s hottest temperature in favour of Earth-friendly renewable with the mercurial London club. announcement. Ocean warming trend of El Nino, ever. energy such as wind and solar. There were the heady highs last season when his The global average temperature last which experts say exacerbates the Dehloran, Iran hit 127F (53C) on July “Climate change is one of the year was 1.69F (0.94C) above the 20th planet’s already rising warmth. 22, a new national record. great challenges of the twenty fi rst eye-catching side pushed for a top-four fi nish in the century average, and 0.07 degrees El Nino comes and goes. The latest Meanwhile, Mitribah, Kuwait hit an century and shows no signs of slowing Premier League, the tearful farewell to a cherished old F (0.04 C) warmer than in 2015, the episode became particularly strong all-time high of 129F (54C) on July 21, down,” said Mark Maslin, professor stadium, the uncomfortable transition to a new one, last record-setting year, according to in 2015, and subsided about halfway which may be the highest temperature of climatology at University College NOAA. through 2016. But El Nino was ever recorded in all of Asia, NOAA London. and for a while this season the pressure of a horrid run A separate analysis by the US space responsible for just a small fraction of said. “The decarbonisation of the global of results that put his job in peril. agency Nasa also found that 2016 was last year’s warmth, according to Peter Planet-wide, the heat led to more economy is the ultimate goal to the hottest on record. Stott, acting director of Britain’s Met melting at the poles. prevent the worst eff ects of climate Through all of it the deep-thinking former Croatia The World Meteorological Offi ce Hadley Center. In the Arctic, average annual sea change.” international, who endeared himself to Irons fans during a brief but whole-hearted playing career at Upton Park in the mid 1990s, has cultivated his reputation for impassioned straight-talking. The depth of his knowledge was apparent when working as a pundit for ITV during the European Championships — earning rave reviews for his cliche- free analysis. This season, with crowd violence marring some home fi xtures, a lengthy injury list and his team’s confi dence shredded by defeats such as the 5-1 home thrashing by Arsenal in December, Bilic found himself under attack from every direction. He pulled no punches after the Arsenal defeat, accusing his players of lacking intensity in training — an admission that could have lost him the dressing room and ultimately his The depth of his job. Instead, West Ham’s knowledge was season has turned apparent when around. They drew their next game 2-2 at working as a Liverpool and won four pundit for ITV of the next six to move into the more tranquil waters of mid-table having been sucked towards the relegation battle. Bilic knows only too well that things are never that simple at West Ham and even as his injury-plagued striker Andy Carroll was marking yet another return This week, Obama leaves off ice, eight years older and greyer, his idealism no doubt tempered by the harsher realities of politics. with a spectacular volley against Crystal Palace on Saturday, storm clouds were massing. France playmaker Dimiti Payet, a cult hero with the Obama let us in; Trump is anyone’s guess fans after his extraordinary displays last season, was not in the team having decided he wanted to leave the By Rekha Basu their student loans, and she still premiums to double, according to the It’s not hard to see the parallel club. Tribune News Service shopped at Target. Congressional Budget Offi ce. appeals of Obama and Trump to He made decisions, he said, after His record on immigration has masses of Americans uncertain about True to his style, Bilic did not hide behind manager surrounding himself with bright been less successful. Back then, he their futures. Both come across as speak. early 10 years ago, Barack minds on all sides of an issue and advocated a pathway to citizenship successful, confi dent leaders who Obama sat down with hearing them all before taking action. for 12mn undocumented immigrants, are outside of the political elite and “We have said we don’t want to sell our best players a group of Des Moines Questioned on a memo his noting, “I’m not particularly are willing to take bold steps. Bernie but Payet does not want to play for us,” Bilic said NRegister writers and campaign had slipped to reporters impressed with raids on plants that Sanders came across that way, too. bluntly. editors to pitch his credentials for the criticising rival Hillary Clinton the grab a handful of undocumented As for Hillary Clinton, no matter how Democratic nomination for president. support she had garnered from an workers and send them home.” A progressive her platform may have “But until he changes his attitude he is out of the It was June 18, 2007, and Obama was Indian-American businessman mere four months after Obama’s been, she could never surmount the team and he’s not going to train with us.” a fi rst-term US senator from Illinois. – it called her “the senator from swearing in, Postville, Iowa, was establishment label. West Ham’s fans, never slow in venting their spleen, His demeanour was youthful, and Punjab,” attempting to link her to the rocked by a massive immigration raid The question now is, for all the his closely cropped hair was black, outsourcing of jobs to India – Obama on the Agriprocessors meatpacking intemperate pronouncements, what predictably turned on the French maestro whose both underscoring his relative lack called the memo “stupid and caustic.” plant, leading to the apprehension of will we get in a President Trump? How future could be decided in the coming days. of experience. But it was another He said it didn’t refl ect his views. But 389 workers. The raid cost Postville does a people-powered presidency More signifi cantly, however, it was the 48-year-old prominent feature he mocked in he became refl ective about negative nearly a fi fth of its population. In fact, give way to a go-it-alone one, in himself when introduced to Register campaigning. “I’m not so naive as to under Obama, more immigrants were which no one else is trusted but family, Bilic’s name they sang loudest and will probably do so cartoonist Brian Duff y: His ears. “Oh believe I can win without being rough deported than under any previous who are elevated to top positions again at Middlesbrough this weekend. no,” he said, shaking his head in jest. and tumble,” he said. But he also said it president. of power. Russian infi ltration in While Payet’s fl ashes of genius will be sorely missed, “Ohhhh no.” was his job to make sure the campaign The Register editorial board elections is tolerated, even invited, It was an endearing moment, one built the sort of culture he would want endorsed Clinton in the 2008 Iowa and every slight provokes a showdown it is Bilic they identify with and trust as the man to of many I’ve experienced over the in the White House. caucuses, but I backed Obama, citing on Twitter. How much do we really take the club to the next level having steered them to 25 years I’ve been attending Register Reading back over my notes from his momentum. “It was as if no one know about his personality? Does endorsement interviews. George W that interview, I’m struck both by could quite believe this youthful but he have a sense of humour? Does seventh last season. Bush showed the same quality eight all he got done and by how much we commanding man, who spoke their he show aff ection to his children years earlier, “instantly disarm(ing) took for granted in those days about language and echoed their dreams, and grandchildren? Is he capable of a bunch of old sceptics,” as I wrote. how a White House culture should be. might actually run America,” I wrote. laughing at himself? Who or what To Advertise “He was funny and familiar, a man On healthcare, for example, Obama This week, Obama leaves offi ce, inspires him beyond his business who didn’t take himself too seriously, spoke of the need for reforms in which eight years older and greyer, his dealings? What does he struggle with [email protected] was confi dent enough to be self- “insurers and drug companies should idealism no doubt tempered by internally? All I know is that in my 25 Display deprecating and to respond good- have a seat at the table but not be able the harsher realities of politics. He years of meeting candidates for the Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 naturedly to challenges.” to buy a chair.” hadn’t anticipated how vigorously Register, I have never felt I knew less That day, Obama emphasised that Despite a rocky roll out, the Congressional Republicans would about an incoming president. That has Classified he’d bring good judgment to the Aff ordable Care Act is law, helping resist him, even openly wishing for been deliberate on Trump’s part, by Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 table and avoid miscues like Bush’s ensure no one can be turned down him to fail. He didn’t predict how categorically shutting the press out. invasion of Iraq. He framed a vision over a pre-existing condition. But an his name and race would be used to The pessimist in me says this Subscription of an America of equal opportunity incoming president and a Republican- undermine him. But whatever his bodes badly for what’s to come. The [email protected] and upward mobility, respected for its controlled Congress are fi xing to get miscalculations, Obama never lost optimist says he can only surprise us values and ideals, not just its military rid of it, threatening to strip 18mn his oratory and ability to inspire, his for the better. The activist says it’s might. He emphasised how much he people of their insurance within a year, diplomatic skills or his abiding belief really not about him; it’s about us as 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved was like most Americans; he and his increase the number of the uninsured in the power of people to drive needed citizens demanding the government wife Michelle had not long ago repaid by 32mn in 10 years, and cause change. we deserve. Gulf Times Thursday, January 19, 2017 31 COMMENT Connectivity and today’s refugee

For refugees, connectivity governments will not: give refugees a can lend their technological expertise, chance to rebuild their lives. global reach, and spending power is not a luxury, but a Connectivity means, at the most to help ensure access to aff ordable lifeline – one that has fundamental level, being able to phones and computers, inexpensive remain in contact with family data plans, and training in digital become all the more members left behind, some of whom literacy. important at a time when may still be at risk of violence or Success on these fronts will require persecution. Connectivity also using microwave links, satellite dishes, sentiment in many host provides access to important and unused television spectrum, drones, countries is turning up-to-date information about new and balloons to improve wireless threats, such as disease outbreaks Internet access and capabilities in against them or the spread of confl ict, or the locations containing many refugees. availability of necessities like food and Because the vast majority of today’s By Filippo Grandi water, clothing, shelter, and health refugees are in developing countries, Geneva care. improved connectivity would carry In the longer term, connectivity can far-reaching benefi ts for the host support online education and training communities. hey were fresh off the boat, that equips refugees for the workforce. In 2014, my colleagues the group of refugees I met It can help them fi nd employment, encountered a young Syrian man this time last year. They had and link them with legal or other called Hany, who had fled the city Tfl ed their homes in Syria, crucial services. And it can enable of Homs with his family and found travelled halfway across Turkey, and them to communicate more easily refuge in a camp in Lebanon’s placed their lives in the hands of a with organisations like the United Bekaa Valley. A poet, rapper, and gang of people smugglers promising Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), photographer, Hany was such a force to get them to Europe. Despite all that telling us what they need most, what of nature that it took my colleagues they had endured, one of them told we’re getting right, and where we need a while to realize he had a serious me, upon landing on the Greek island to make changes. eye condition and could see only a of Lesbos, that they had panicked In a world of unlimited data, there few inches in front of his face. His only once during that perilous voyage: is little stopping us from providing mobile phone was utterly essential. when their mobile phone signal refugees with this lifesaving It enabled him to learn English, take disappeared. connectivity. If we are smart about his first photographs, and call for That signal, however weak, had how we design digital aid systems, we help when he needed it. That same been the refugees’ only link to the will have the opportunity to broaden phone rang one day with the news outside world. When it vanished our partnerships to hundreds, if not that the city of Regina, Canada, was – when they truly had no way to thousands, of organisations worldwide to be his new home. As he put it, “my contact family, friends, or anyone that are willing to help refugees. phone is my little world.” who could help them – they were Realising this potential requires For refugees like Hany, staying gripped by a sense of isolation and overcoming two key challenges. First, connected is not only a matter of fear more intense than they had ever we must fi gure out how to improve survival; it also provides a route to experienced. It is a feeling no one connectivity for refugees today. self-reliance and independence, should have to endure ever again. Second, we must position ourselves boosting their own wellbeing and For most people in the industrialised Migrants charge their cellphones at the Keleti railway station in Budapest. to use technology more eff ectively enabling them to contribute to the world – and everyone at this year’s tomorrow. communities that host them. Last World Economic Forum Annual contact with one another. Information refugee households have no phone at lifeline – one that has become all Overcoming these challenges year, the World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos – connectivity is a fl ows so freely and relentlessly, in fact, all. Though 90% of refugees located the more important at a time when will require, fi rst and foremost, launched a program called Internet fact of life. We have mobile phones, that we tend to worry more about in urban environments live in places sentiment in many host countries that governments improve access, For All. We must ensure that tablets, and computers, all linked overload than scarcity. with 2G or 3G coverage, about a fi fth is turning against them (even as including by investing in the “All” includes refugees. – Project to superfast – and accelerating – For refugees, life is very diff erent. of those living in rural areas have no plenty of grassroots movements and necessary digital infrastructure. Syndicate broadband networks. Add to that an Globally, refugees are 50% less likely connectivity at all. communities remain eager to help). It will also require contributions ever-increasing number of social- than the general population to have an This is a big deal. For refugees, In some cases, technology can do from the private sector, particularly zFilippo Grandi is the United Nations media platforms, and we are always in Internet-enabled phone, and 29% of connectivity is not a luxury, but a what hostile politicians and reluctant telecommunications providers, which High Commissioner for Refugees. Letters Weather report Three-day forecast No more school President-elect Donald Trump’s who bring success and glory not only shortage of experienced pilots, ATC TODAY inaugural, Oishika Neogi, 17, will to themselves but also to their parents, (air traffi c control) personnel and High: 23 C fee hike, please also attend a fi ve-day US Presidential nation and alma mater. other technical staff . Low : 17 C Hazy to misty at places at first inauguration Leadership Summit. K Mahalingam It’s high time the Government of becomes mild daytime and partly Dear Sir, Neogi is pursuing her graduation from Via e-mail India carried out a comprehensive safety cloudy at times. the reputable Symbiosis National audit of its civil aviation industry. Better The news of a proposal to hike University, Pune. training to pilots and ATC personnel FRIDAY school fees for the academic year The reason for my excitement Indian aviation can reduce such incidents in future and High: 25 C 2017-18, put forward by 120 private is that I am an alumnus of needs safety audit make air travel safer. Low: 17 C schools in Qatar to the Ministry of Symbiosis, where I studied Business Sunny Education, is worrisome. Parents, Management after my schooling at Ramesh G Jethwani especially in the low-income group, MES School, Qatar. My happiness Dear Sir, Bengaluru, India are already reeling from high school knows no bounds when I learn that SATURDAY fees, a result of several hikes in the my alma mater continues to produce The incidences of commercial High: 24 C past. This is of particular concern to great achievers and I wish this trend aircraft running into near-misses Please send us Low: 19 C parents with more children. to continue. and skidding off runways should P Cloudy I hope the Supreme Education The Kolkata-born Oishika got this have raised alarm bells in India. The your letters Council (SEC) will look closely into rare opportunity after winning a near-disaster at Delhi Airport last the issue and will also weigh in the contest at the Global Young Leaders month when two aircraft belonging to By e-mail Fishermen’s forecast [email protected] concerns of parents before arriving at Conference (GYLC) in the US in June Indigo and Spice Jet came face to face OFFSHORE DOHA a decision. 2015, and following her excellent on the runway is an eye-opener. The Fax 44350474 Wind: NE-SE 5-15 KT performance at the Harvard Model potential disaster was averted just in Or Post Waves: 1-3/4 Feet A concerned parent United Nations competition in the nick of time. Similarly an aircraft INSHORE DOHA Letters to the Editor Wind: SE 3-12 KT Name and address supplied Hyderabad. skidded off the runway at Goa airport, Gulf Times Waves: 1-2 Feet Among the other invitees expected causing minor injuries to passengers. P O Box 2888 for the Trump inaugural are the These incidences bring to fore the fact Doha, Qatar Around the region Trump’s inaugural: world’s youngest Nobel Peace laureate, that India has to give urgent attention Weather Weather proud of Pune girl Pakistani education activist Malala towards upgrading air safety. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Yousafzai and prominent students India has seen a massive aviation All letters, which are subject Abu Dhabi P Cloudy 23/17 P Cloudy 26/17 from all over the world. boom in the last decade, when new to editing, should have the Baghdad Sunny 18/06 P Cloudy 18/06 name of the writer, address Dubai P Cloudy 26/18 P Cloudy 27/18 Dear Sir, Young expatriates in Qatar can green fi eld airports were developed, Kuwait City and phone number. The P Cloudy 19/12 P Cloudy 21/10 learn how to aim high and achieve new airlines started operating and Manama P Cloudy 23/16 M Sunny 24/17 The news item “Thane girl to goals from the youth in their home Gulf carriers began daily operations to writer’s name and address Muscat P Cloudy 26/19 P Cloudy 26/19 attend Trump’s inaugural” has made countries. Parents too can encourage and from airports in diff erent parts of may be withheld by request. Riyadh P Cloudy 26/13 Sunny 24/11 me proud. Besides attending the US their wards to emulate such achievers, India. This boom has led to a crippling Tehran Sunny 11/01 M Sunny 10/01 Live issues Racial bias confi rmed in a heartbeat: study

By Mariette Le Roux/AFP object such as a wallet or mobile particular study is that they also Paris phone. become embodied in our physiology.” The volunteers were asked to Inspired by the racial nature of “shoot” the individuals they believed many police shootings in the United single heartbeat can cause to be armed by pressing a computer States, the team hoped their work a person to make a decision key. could make a practical diff erence. based on racial bias, said When the image was fl ashed during One theoretical option would be Aan unusual study into the a heartbeat, participants were about to strengthen the relative role of the crucial organ’s infl uence on snap 10% more likely to perceive the object so-called “thinking” part of the brain, Around the world human judgement. as a gun when held by a black person, the prefrontal cortex, to override and Weather Weather White and Asian study participants the study found. suppress automatic fear activation. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min whose heart rhythms were monitored “The signals that come from the “Typically in our culture and Athens P Cloudy 12/06 P Cloudy 11/03 were more likely to perceive an heart to the brain seem to be strong civilisation we tend to do that through Beirut M Sunny 17/10 P Cloudy 17/11 Bangkok P Cloudy 33/23 P Cloudy 33/23 unarmed black man as threatening enough to change our perceptions,” education – this is one of the main Berlin F Rain -1/-1 S Showers 02/01 when shown his picture during said fellow author Manos Tsakiris aims of education to make us more Cairo P Cloudy 21/09 P Cloudy 21/09 a heartbeat than between beats, Between beats, the signals are of the Royal Holloway University of considerate (of) others, to make us Cape Town Cloudy 22/16 P Cloudy 22/16 researchers in Britain said. silent. London. less biased towards other people,” said Colombo M Sunny 32/24 P Cloudy 33/24 Sunny 28/14 The fi nding may be useful in Also known from previous research “In some cases they dominate our Tsakiris. Dhaka 28/15 P Cloudy Hong Kong P Cloudy 21/15 P Cloudy 19/14 designing ways to tackle the high is that racial bias often leads to perceptions to the extent that we More drastically, medical brain Istanbul S Showers 08/04 Showers 06/02 number of police shootings of harmless objects being mistaken for misperceive things that we see in front stimulation could be considered. Jakarta S T Storms 31/24 S T Storms 32/25 unarmed black people in the United weapons in the hands of black people, of us,” he told journalists ahead of the According to Garfi nkel, other Karachi Cloudy 22/12 Cloudy 21/13 States, said the team. including by police who have been study’s publication. studies have shown that people who London P Cloudy 07/01 P Cloudy 07/03 Manila P Cloudy 31/22 P Cloudy 31/23 “We can use it to think about ways to known to shoot as a result. The scientists cautioned that the understand the automatic processes Moscow S Showers -4/-4 S Showers 01/-8 target this heart-brain communication Not known was whether the heart risk of false threat perception may be of the human body – such as a New Delhi Sunny 21/07 M Sunny 21/08 to reduce the tragedies caused by racial may infl uence the head when it comes exacerbated in a tense situation with a heartbeat’s impact on fear or thinking New York M Sunny 11/02 Rain 08/05 bias,” study co-author Sarah Garfi nkel to perceiving threat. faster, stronger heartbeat. – are better able to control them. Paris Sunny 03/-4 Sunny 05/-6 Sao Paulo T Storms T Storms 24/19 of the Brighton and Sussex Medical It does, says the new study “We all know that to a very large “So if we can train people to be 24/19 Seoul M Cloudy 04/-4 S Showers -1/-11 School said. published in Nature Communications. extent social stereotypes and racial more aware of their heart beating then Singapore T Storms 32/24 T Storms 33/24 Scientists already knew that each Participants were shown pictures stereotypes seem to be embedded in they can counteract the negative and Sydney Cloudy 22/20 S T Storms 30/20 heartbeat fi res a powerful signal to the depicting either black or white men our culture,” said Tsakiris. infl uential eff ects that these signals Tokyo Cloudy 10/02 Rain 06/01 brain. holding either a gun or a harmless “What we are showing with this may have,” she said. Gulf Times 32 Thursday, January 19, 2017 QATAR Katara set to stage Winter Festival atara’s esplanade will host the fourth “The launch of the Winter Festival will co- edition of the Winter Festival from incide with the inauguration of the Arabian KJanuary 22 to 26, the organisers have Oud Festival, a new initiative at Katara. To be announced. conducted on the festival’s sidelines, the Ara- The festival will include workshops, tra- bian Oud Festival will entail an exhibition that ditional shows, games and performances, will display Arabian scents, explaining the allowing residents of Qatar to make the specifi c history, literature, folklore and tradi- most of the prevailing pleasant weather, ac- tion associated with oud fragrances.” cording to a press statement from Katara. Further, al-Tamimi said the Winter Festi- Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general val will be hosted in collaboration with vari- manager of Katara-the Cultural Village Foun- ous ministries and organisations in Qatar, dation, said: “The Winter Festival at Katara including the Ministry of Municipality and off ers a diverse array of events, a blend of Environment and the Childhood Cultural educational programmes and entertaining Centre. “Al-Gannas Association will partici- performances that are guaranteed to enthral pate with an interactive exhibition and work- Katara’s visitors. Aside from these, numerous shop on falconry and Saluki. In addition, Ka- workshops and activities devoted to children tara Souq will host a display of local antiques will allow them to experience exciting mo- and traditional food,” he added. ments, along with their families and friends. Bin Muftah Medical Centre will present an In addition, holding the Winter Festival this informative evening on preventing illnesses time of the year coincides with the schools’ commonly associated with the onset of win- spring break, providing children with an “op- ter. An added attraction will be the presence portunity to invest their free time in activi- of famous Qatari blogger Vegas, who will be ties that are both meaningful and useful,” he there at the venue to entertain visitors with noted. his interpretation of the Winter Festival. Abdulrahman al-Tamimi, head of the or- Besides, the organisers of Al-Galayel ganising committee of Winter Festival, said: Championship will host an exhibition dis- “The fourth edition of the festival, coupled playing collectables and equipment from all with the serenely beautiful setting of Katara, previous championships. will off er an atmosphere for people from all Visitors to the festival will receive gifts do- walks of life to relax and enjoy the ambiance.” nated by various institutes in Qatar. A picture from a previous edition of the Winter Festival at Katara. Free screenings of #DariQatar

he crowd-sourced fi lm nation. The open-air screen- eo footage of more than 250 initiative by Doha Film ing follows the fi lm’s success- hours. TInstitute (DFI) and Qa- ful world premiere and public From introducing viewers tar Tourism Authority (QTA), screenings at Novo Cinemas at to Qatar through visual stories #DariQatar, will screen at the The Pearl-Qatar in December. of its tradition and heritage to Museum of Islamic Art Park as #DariQatar received more highlighting the Islamic herit- part of the ‘Cinema Under the than 10,000 submissions from age and culture, #DariQatar Stars’ initiative. over 200 enthusiasts, repre- will take viewers to modern Two consecutive open air senting 22 nationalities. Qatar, and incorporates per- screenings will take place free Among the top contributors sonal stories of people who call for everyone on Saturday from are 17 Qatari nationals, who Qatar home. 7pm to 8pm, proving the com- joined others in submitting #DariQatar is presented by munity another opportunity to video clips of the nation, cov- DFI and QTA with the support watch an inspirational work. ering six broad themes: hope, of platinum partners: Occi- The fi lm will feature person- diversity, tradition, family, dental Petroleum Corpora- al stories that give insights into friendship and uniquely Qatar. tion and United Development the diversity of Qatar and serve The fi nal cut of #DariQa- Company, the developer of Contributors and off icials at the world premiere of #DariQatar. as honest portraits of life in the tar is created from over vid- The Pearl-Qatar.