BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 8 Djokovic wins in Shanghai to close on No. 1 2nd ‘Made at Home’ expo supports more Qatari products Nadal published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10972 October 15, 2018 Safar 6, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Noor Al Rayyan wins Senior Mares Championship gold Qatar seeks In brief release of

QATAR | Offi cial four citizens Amir condoles with President Trump His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the held in Saudi Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser QNA nationals who have held for a long time. bin Khalifa al-Thani sent yesterday London He described the Saudi authori- cables to US President Donald ties’ actions against Qatari nationals Trump expressing their sincere as shameful and inhumane which will condolences on the victims of the E the Chairman of the Nation- leave psychological eff ects on future Hurricane Michael, which hit the al Human Rights Committee generations. coast of Florida, wishing the injured H(NHRC) Dr Ali bin Smaikh al- So far, neither the NHRC nor the a speedy recovery. Marri demanded the Saudi authorities families of the detained Qatari nation- to immediately reveal the whereabouts als can know their whereabouts or even of the four Qatari nationals, victims of communicate with them or know their Amir off ers condolences enforced disappearance and arbitrary fate, he said. to Nigerian president detention, and held the Saudis fully re- The NHRC chairman praised the His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim sponsible for their safety. international organisations’ co-oper- bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness The NHRC chairman called for ation with the National Human Rights the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah Noor Al Rayyan, owned by Sheikh Meshal bin Essa bin Thamir al-Thani’s Elalya Stud, won the Senior Mares Championship sending a UN fact-fi nding mission to Committee, urging them to exert more bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the gold at the 6th Straight Egyptian World Championship Arabian Horse Show in Milan, Italy, yesterday. On Day One of the event know the Qatari nationals’ fate. Three pressure the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prime Minister and Minister of on Saturday, the Al Rayyan Farm-bred mare had topped Class 3B for Senior Mares with a score of 94.3 to confirm her place Qataris are victims of enforced disap- to seek the Qatari nationals’ release be- Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser in yesterday’s championship round. Yesterday, the daughter of Ashhal Al Rayyan and Ansata Nefer Isis impressed the judges pearance and another citizen has been fore it is too late. bin Khalifa al-Thani sent yesterday enough to win gold in the Senior Mares Championship with 20 points. Last month, the mare was adjudged Best in Show arbitrarily detained. Their fate remains He noted that the NHRC provided cables of condolences to Nigerian – Female at the Egyptian Event Europe in Dusseldorf, Germany. Noor Al Rayyan also has class victories at the 2014 Qatar unknown since they were arbitrarily all international organisations and the President Muhammadu Buhari on National Arabian Horse Show and the Qatar International Horse Show to her credit. Elalya Stud was established in 2000 and and unfairly detained by the Saudi au- United Nations with the information the victims of the explosion of an oil has been actively involved with the Straight Egyptian Arabian horse in Qatar. thorities. and data about the Qatari nationals, pipeline in the Abia State, southern He also urged the Working Group and that the committee is in constant Nigeria, wishing the wounded a on Arbitrary Detention and the Work- contact with the Working Group on speedy recovery. ing Group on Enforced Disappearance Arbitrary Detention and the Working to undertake a joint fi eld visit to Saudi Group on Enforced Disappearance. Arabia to know the situation of the Qa- He renewed calls to the international QATAR | Phone call tari nationals detained there. organisations and the international PM congratulates US Navy aircraft carrier In press statements during his visit community to compel Saudi Arabia to Iraqi counterpart to the United Kingdom, Dr al-Marri respect international law and reveal the underlined that the NHRC has “serious fate of the four Qatari citizens and re- HE the Prime Minister and Minister concerns” about the fate of the Qatari lease them immediately. of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Essex arrives at Doha Port Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani held yesterday a phone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul- he Directorate of Defence persons of the total of 3,000 aboard est class of ships in the US Navy. The Mahdi. During the phone call, HE Communication at the Minis- the warship. The Marine Fighter At- Wasp-class is a class of Landing Heli- the Prime Minister congratulated Ttry of Defence announced the tack Squadron 211 of the reconnais- copter Dock (LHD) amphibious as- UK, France and Germany Abdul-Mahdi on his mandate to form arrival of the US Navy aircraft carrier sance squadron is the fi rst US Naval sault ships operated by the US Navy. a new government, wishing him Essex (LHD-2) at Doha Port yesterday Force and Marines equipped with the The USS Essex was built at Pascagou- success, and the Iraqi people further in a predefi ned visit, the offi cial Qatar F-35B Lightning II, the most advanced la, Mississippi, and commissioned on call for Khashoggi probe progress and prosperity. They also News Agency (QNA) reported. fi fth-generation fi ghter to arrive the October 17, 1992. reviewed bilateral relations and The visit of the US Navy amphibi- region for the fi rst time. At 844ft long and 44,000-tons full ways to develop and strengthen ous assault ship USS Essex, the larg- The USS Essex was welcomed by load, the USS Essex’s primary mission AFP Khashoggi, a Washington Post con- them in various fields. est American Naval vessel ever to visit a number of Qatar Armed Forces of- is to conduct prompt, sustained opera- London tributor, vanished after entering the Qatar, comes within the joint military fi cers and the US embassy charge tions at sea, primarily as the centrepiece Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October QATAR | Reaction co-operation between Qatar and the d’aff aires William Grant, QNA added. and fl agship of the Amphibious Ready 2 to obtain offi cial documents for his US to combat terrorism and extrem- In a statement, Grant said: “The Group. Designed to be versatile, the ritain, France and Germany in- upcoming marriage. Bombings in southern ism. visit of the USS Essex, an incredible USS Essex can simultaneously employ sisted yesterday that “light must “Defending freedom of expression and Somalia condemned The visit also reaffi rms the US com- helicopters, vertical/short takeoff and Bbe shed” on the whereabouts a free press and ensuring the protection Qatar has strongly condemned the mitment to regional security, protect A file photo of the USS Essex (LHD 2). landing jet aircraft, and landing craft of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as they of journalists are key priorities for Ger- two explosions which took place freedoms, ensure the fl ow of business air cushioned, as well as conventional called for a credible investigation into many, the United Kingdom and France,” in the town of Baidoa in southern activity in the region and the sur- display of naval technology, in Qatar is landing craft and assault vehicles in his disappearance. the ministers said in a statement issued Somalia, causing deaths and injuries. rounding navigation routes, as well as another example of the importance of various combinations. The ship’s ex- In a joint statement, Britain’s Foreign by the Foreign Offi ce in London. In a statement yesterday, the express friendship and deepen bilat- the US and Qatar’s strategic partner- tensive medical facilities consist of six Minister Jeremy Hunt, his French coun- “In this spirit, light must be shed on Ministry of Foreign Aff airs reiterated eral partnerships. ship and demonstrates the expansion medical operating rooms, four dental terpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and Ger- the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi,” Qatar’s firm stance rejecting The USS Essex carries the members of the military co-operation between operating rooms, medical laboratories many’s Heiko Maas said whoever was it said, indicating all three countries were violence and terrorism regardless of of the US Navy’s 13th reconnaissance our two countries.” and hospital facilities capable of caring responsible for the Saudi journalist’s dis- treating the matter “with the utmost se- their motives and reasons. squadron, consisting of nearly 1,600 The USS Essex is among the larg- for 600 patients. appearance must be held to account. riousness”. To Page 15 Ooredoo to launch advanced Renowned Qatari theatre fi bre technology in Lusail actor Abdulaziz Jassim dies

o celebrate the recent announce- cially deploy AX routers. amous Qatari actor Abdulaziz while defending their political, eco- ment that Ooredoo fi bre is now Nighthawk AX12 off ers Gigabit In- Jassim died in Bangkok, Thai- nomic and social rights. Tavailable across all new homes ternet up to 6Gbps Wi-Fi speeds and Fland, yesterday after suff ering He wrote and acted in ‘Deira Ezz’ in Lusail, Ooredoo has announced that WPA3, the latest Wi-Fi security stand- from illness. (Home of Glory) in November 2017, it will roll out fi rst-in-class fi bre home ard designed for enhanced security in He was 61. his last play, with a group of actors devices to Lusail to ensure Qatar’s fi rst public and private networks. An ultra- Jassim was one of the pillars of Qa- from Qatari theatre. smart city is fully-connected. fast 2.2GHz quad-core processor en- tari and Gulf theatre. He began acting The play, staged at Qatar National To accommodate Lusail City’s sures speed and performance for more in 1977 with Al Sadd theatre and then Theatre and directed by Saad al-Bur- groundbreaking smart city plans, Wi-Fi devices and high-speed applica- joined forces with Ghanem al-Sulaiti Abdulaziz Jassim shid, was an artistic response to the Ooredoo will provide a Netgear Orbi tions. to develop a comedy duet, which per- unjust blockade imposed on Qatar by Hub device that uses the latest tech- Furthermore, Ooredoo is partnering formed successfully for many years, According to both fans and arts Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and nology in terms of Tri-Band Wi-Fi and Ooredoo is planning to introduce with Netgear to bring AX Wi-Fi based the offi cial Qatar News Agency re- critics, the actor’s death would cre- Egypt since June 5, 2017. provides Wi-Fi coverage of up to 200sq Netgear Nighthawk AX12, a 12-stream Orbi to customers in the future. Orbi ported. ate a big void in the Gulf artistic The play was lauded by the pub- m to all Ooredoo fi bre customers in Lu- Wi-Fi router. AX will support bandwidth-hungry Jassim had a very successful career scene as his works have touched the lic and won the hearts of both sail. applications, such as 4K video stream- that spanned Qatari theatre, radio and hearts of millions of people across citizens and residents through its Ooredoo is planning to introduce Fi technology to its customers. This ing to multiple devices simultaneously, television. He also participated in many the region. He also addressed the characters, which made a strong Netgear Nighthawk AX12, a 12-stream makes Ooredoo the first service pro- and will accommodate to hard-core Gulf productions, which have been en- everyday issues faced by the peo- impact at Qatar National Theatre. Wi-Fi router based on 802.11ax Wi- vider in the Emea region to commer- gamers. To Page 8 graved in the memory of the audience. ple, particularly the middle classes, To Page 8 Gulf Times 2 Monday, October 15, 2018 QATAR Minister: self-suffi ciency Qatar reaffi rms support for in dates reaches 87% UN’s objectives QNA Doha QNA ed the decision made by the New York highest international judicial body on the negative impact he fi rst local dates exhi- the blockade had on Qatari bition organised by the atar unequivocally citizens, He noted that the Tagricultural sector of the rejects policies that court’s order required the UAE Ministry of Municipality and Qcontradict with the to enable the reunifi cation of Environment opened here yes- principles and purposes of Qatari-UAE mixed families, terday evening. the United Nations and vio- Qatari students to complete A number of farms and local late its Charter, and supports their studies in the UAE, and companies are participating in all eff orts that contribute to to allow access to judicial the exhibition, which is being strengthening the UN’s role services in the UAE. held in the western square of and objectives, Second Sec- Sheikh Mohamed bin Ha- Souq Waqif. retary of the Permanent Del- mad al-Thani said that it is There are 910 active farms egation of Qatar to the United regrettable that the world is in the country, most of them Nations HE Sheikh Mohamed witnessing a trend of ignor- growing and producing diff erent bin Hamad al-Thani has said. ing the provisions of the UN types of dates. There are more Addressing the sixth (Legal) Charter and international law, than 500,000 palm trees in the committee of the United Na- including attempts to impose farms. tions 73rd General Assembly dictatorial policies, interfere The total cultivated area of on the report of the special in internal aff airs and under- date palms in Qatar is estimated committee on the charter of mine the sovereignty of states at 2,350 hectares, while the to- the United Nations and on under pretexts and claims that tal production of dates reached strengthening the role of the are out of touch with the UN about 30,000 tonnes last year. organisation on Saturday at system. He added that such HE the Minister of Municipal- the UN headquarters in New behaviour was a severe viola- ity and Environment Mohamed York, Sheikh Mohamed bin tion of the UN Charter and bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi told Hamad al-Thani praised the the provisions of international reporters after the opening of eff ort of the committee, say- law, adding that it is also a the exhibition that the Qatar has ing Qatar supports the pro- serious threat to the interna- achieved 87% self-suffi ciency posals that aim to enhance the tional order. in dates, adding that the exhibi- work of the UN. These trends and policies tion would encourage farmers to He highlighted the role Qatar contribute to creating an un- market their produce. plays to settle confl icts peace- stable environment, and help The minister noted that the fully in co-operation with the terrorist organisations move exhibition is an initiative that UN. freely to achieve their objec- was launched in accordance with Sheikh Mohamed bin Ha- tives, taking advantage of the the directives of His Highness mad al-Thani expressed Qa- absence of regional and in- the Amir in support of farmers, tar’s pride and its appreciation ternational co-ordination re- and expressed the hope that the HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi and other dignitaries at the first local dates festival, in at the wide-ranging support it sulting from these illegal poli- exhibition would be an interna- Doha yesterday. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam is getting at the international cies, he said highlighting the tional event at its next session level in countering the chal- international community’s involving the countries of the the Ministry to encourage local production of dates and to have will contribute signifi cantly to charge for farmers and even in lenges it is facing. rejection of these policies and region and the world. farms and support the Qatari them carefully packaged. motivating farmers to establish houses. Referring to the order is- measures on numerous occa- For his part, Sheikh Dr Faleh products to reach self-suffi cien- He expected a high turnout dates-related industries. The exhibition refl ects the sued by the International sions, and noting that a coun- bin Nasser al-Thani, Assistant cy. from the public at the exhibition He added that the Ministry government’s interest in sup- Criminal Justice (ICJ) to grant try or a group of countries Undersecretary for Agriculture He pointed out that the ex- which runs daily from 10am to is keen to combat all pests that porting and encouraging local Qatar’s request for provisional could sometimes impose their and Fisheries Aff airs at the Min- hibition showcases a number of 9pm until October 22. harm palm trees, and that it has production as well as helping measures against the United jurisdiction on the targeted istry of Municipality and Envi- varieties of high quality dates, Yousuf al-Khulaifi , Director of a project to combat palm wee- owners of farms and those inter- Arab Emirates (UAE), for its country in a clear violation of ronment, said that the exhibi- and a large number of farms the Department of Agricultural vil, and provides the detection, ested in planting dates and up- discriminatory treatment of the principles of sovereignty tion comes within the eff orts of have been keen to develop their Aff airs, said that the exhibition treatment and control free of grading their varieties. Qatari citizens, he highlight- and equality.

QU among top 500 MME announces start of winter camping season in World University QNA Al Mafj ar, Ras Alnouf, Al Aturi- Doha yah, Al Suna, Gharb Al Rayes. The registration will continue until the camps in each group are Rankings 2019 he winter camping sea- booked. son 2018-2019 will begin At the press conference, a Ton November 1 and will number of officials from the atar University (QU) has pride in how QU is continu- continue until April 15, at sev- Ministry of Municipality and maintained its posi- ously improving on the interna- eral locations across the country, Environment, the Ministry of Qtion among the top 500 tional scene. With a new strat- the Ministry of Municipality and Interior and Qatar Tourism Au- universities in the world in the egy launched this year, we have Environment (MME) has an- thority talked about the prepa- recent Times Higher Education positioned the University as a nounced. rations and the measures taken, (THE) World University Rank- powerhouse of intellectual and The registration for the camp- the comprehensive and varied ings 2019. academic achievement, without ing will start today and continue media plan in this regard, the QU has been ranked in the losing sight of the pastoral and until December 31. electronic booking of the camp range of 401-500 most highly nurturing care of our students During a press conference and how to pay the insurance ranked universities for 2019. In and colleagues. We look forward yesterday, the ministry’s as- amount of QR10,000, in addi- this edition, QU continues to be to strengthening the role of Qa- sistant undersecretary for en- tion to the rules and conditions ranked Number One in the In- tar University in the interna- vironment affairs Ahmed Mo- of camping this season and a ternational Outlook indicator in tional scene.” hamed al-Sada reviewed the review of the security and the the overall Times Higher Educa- THE Rankings editor Phil Baty rules and conditions to be fol- safety instructions to be fol- tion World University Rankings said: “It is great to see Qatar re- lowed for the camping season, lowed, in order to ensure a per- list for the fourth time in a row. taining its status as the world including security and safety fect camping season, safe and This achievement consoli- number-one university for “in- instructions, in co-ordination enjoyable for all. dates QU’s recent results in ternational outlook” in the 2019 with relevant State organs. The Minister of Municipality rankings as the institution has World University Rankings. Qa- He stressed the ministry’s The assistant undersecretary for environment aff airs of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and Environment had issued a been ranked #332 in the QS tar as a nation has been under keenness to ensure the success Ahmed Mohamed al-Sada at the press conference yesterday. decision in August 2017 to form World University Rankings 2019 serious geo-political pressure of the season and the preserva- a Committee for Organising and #36 in the QS Top 50 under regionally, so it is positive to see tion of the Qatari environment. ment and the protection of its He noted that a total of ya, Al Zubara, Sealine, Dukhan, Camping Activities under the 50 ranking among the best young its fl agship university remains He noted that the past years resources. 2,360 inland and beach camps Al Sarriya, Zekreet, Buruq, Al- chairmanship of the Assistant universities in the world. resilient, and focused on the witnessed a significant de- Al-Sada said that applica- are available in all areas of the Naqyan, Al Kharrara, Asherij, Undersecretary for Environment THE World University Rank- positive power of international- crease in the number of vio- tions can be submitted to the country for this year, an in- Umm Al Maa. Aff airs. ings are the only global perform- ism in global higher education. lations and warnings, as well government service centres crease of 30 camps from last Tuesday for Ras Matbakh, Among other things, the com- ance tables that judge research- Indeed, such is Qatar Univer- as a growth in the wildlife distributed in diff erent regions year. Aradh, Al Reem Reserve, Al mittee is responsible for deter- intensive universities across all sity’s commitment to interna- and the marine environment, of the country. Electronic ap- He explained that to facilitate Marrona, Fuwayrit, Al Mazrouh, mining the locations of camp- their core missions: teaching, re- tionalisation, it is hosting THE’s which indicates the citizen’s plications can be submitted the online registration, this proc- Umm Alafaei, Al Hasham, Abu ing, setting the general and search, citation, industry income Emerging Economies Summit in awareness and co-operation through the offi cial website of ess has been divided according to Dhalouf, Al Zubara, Al Udeid, special conditions for camping, and international outlook. QU 2019 – bringing together uni- with the ministry and their the ministry (www.mme.gov. regions over three days. while Wednesday for Rawdat and studying the problems and president Dr Hassan al-Der- versity leaders from across fi ve understanding of the princi- qa) and the ministry’s mobile Monday will be for the north- Rashed, Rawdat Aisha, Al Khor, obstacles referred to the com- ham said, “We have enormous continents.” ple of preserving the environ- phone app “Oun”. ern areas, such as Al Ghashami- Al Waab, Emkitanh, Al Ghariya, mittee on camping activity. Qatar University signs MoU with Highfi eld Qualifi cations

atar University and will sit for an international comprehensive food systems in Highfi eld Qualifi cations exam that provides an ap- the world. The main objectives Qhave signed a memoran- proved award (certificate) in of the strategy clearly identify dum of understanding to deliver food safety upon successful the need for highly qualifi ed certifi ed training sessions on completion. calibres who need to be pre- food safety and security to the Professor Dr Egon Toft, pared through proper education former’s students, in addition vice-president for Medical and and training.” to health practitioners and food Health Sciences and dean of Professor Dr Asma al-Thani, sector stakeholders throughout College of Medicine, stated, dean of the College of Health Qatar. “Qatar needs to ensure that the Sciences stated, “The MoU is As part of the ongoing ac- food produced and manufac- part of the mission to support the tivities and eff orts of College of tured locally as well as the food professional development of the Health Sciences, the programme imported, is safe for consump- existing food inspectors, health aims to enhance the capacity tion. Qatar National Vision inspectors, food safety officers and develop skills and profes- 2030 and the National Health working in both the public and sionalism of specialists in food Strategy consider food safety as private sector. Here the impor- sanitation. a fundamental and integral part tance of safe food for the well- There are four different lev- of Qatar’s on-going eff orts to being of the citizens of Qatar is els and after each one trainees have one of the safest and most re-emphasised.” Qatar University signs MoU with Highfield Qualifications. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 3 QATAR

Attorney-General meets Austrian envoy IOM delegation visits Doha

HE the Attorney-General. Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri. holding talks with Austrian ambassador to Qatar, Willy Kempel, and the vice-chair of Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi holding the EU Delegation to the Gulf countries, in Doha yesterday. During the meeting, they exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, and talks with a delegation from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), currently visiting ways to strengthen co-operation in the fight against corruption. The meeting also discussed mechanisms and ways to combat terrorism Qatar. The meeting discussed ways of promoting co-operation between Qatar and the IOM, as well of all kinds. as issues of mutual concern. Public Prosecution launches QC initiative

QNA ment of these amounts to the sation of the settlement proce- individuals working in Qatar to Doha treasury of the Public Pros- dures, lifting of the travel ban participate in such valuable ini- ecution, the Execution of Judg- on the convicted person, and the tiatives. ments will immediately issue prosecution treasury will pay the Chief Executive Officer of he Public Prosecution orders to stop the implementa- money to the victims, both par- QC, Yousef Ahmed al-Kuwari, announced yesterday an tion of the penalties imposed, ties or individuals. expressed happiness with the Tinitiative launched by Qa- finalise the settlement pro- Chief Prosecutor for Execu- continuous and constructive tar Charity (QC) to settle some cedures and handing over the tion of Judgments in the Pub- co-operation between QC and debtors’ cases (cheques without amounts owed. lic Prosecution, Turki Rashid Public Prosecution, especially balance), through paying these Hadi Misfer al-Hajri pointed al-Muhannadi, said that the in the area of alleviation the amounts and depositing them in out that the Execution of Judg- prosecution in such cases pro- burden of the debtors, stress- the treasury of the Public Prose- ments will receive the amounts vides the donors with all the ing that domestic work is one cution to fi nalise the settlement allocated from QC for the debt- data of the convicted persons of the most important pillars procedures and then release the ors according to specifi c crite- regardless of the nationality or of QC and the foundations of debtors. ria and will be paid by specifi c the amount owed and that the its work. At a press conference held mechanisms. donor is the one who chooses He pointed out that the yesterday to announce this ini- He stressed that the role of the cases according to the mecha- number has not been determined tiative, the fi rst general lawyer prosecution is limited to the ac- nisms in force. so far, as well as the amount al- Hadi Misfer al-Hajri explained tivation and implementation of Al-Muhannadi praised the located, especially that there are that the selection of these cases the provisions of the law, adding close co-operation between the a lot of individuals and institu- comes in accordance with spe- that immediately after the pay- Public Prosecution and QC and tions who continuously donate cifi c criteria set by QC, including ment of the owned amount, the the humanitarian role QC plays to the debtors. social and fi nancial research. prosecution will order to stop inside and outside Qatar. He added that QC launched a He added that after the pay- the penalty imposed, the fi nali- He called on organisations and similar initiative last Ramadan. Off icials of the Public Prosecution and Qatar Charity at the press conference yesterday. Gulf Times 4 Monday, October 15, 2018 QATAR WISH CEO speaks at Nakilat supports business forum event

he Qatar-British Busi- ness Forum (QBBF), Tas part of its ongoing networking opportunities for QRCS initiatives its members, held a breakfast event recently in Doha. akilat has donated infor- tablishing the pillars of social QBBF invited Sultana Afd- mation technology (IT) responsibility in the country, hal, CEO of World Innovation Nequipment to Qatar Red which is in line with the com- Summit for Health (WISH), Crescent Society (QRCS), the pany’s sustainable initiatives to speak at the event. Titled company said in a statement. and values. Youssef Abdullah ‘Innovation in Healthcare: A The contribution is part of the al-Sada, executive director of WISH Perspective’, Afdhal gave “ongoing commitment to sup- QRCS, appreciated Nakilat’s an informative and interesting porting the various initiatives contribution. “We are grateful to history of the summit, as well driven by QRCS, to support the Nakilat for sharing their exper- as the economic benefi ts of charitable services the company tise with us and for their contin- investing in health. provides as one of the leading insti- ued support towards QRCS. This QBBF chairman Emad tutions in the fi eld of humanitarian is not the fi rst time that Nakilat Turkman said, “It was great and charitable work”. has proactively contributed to having Sultana Afdhal ad- Nakilat chief administration such initiatives, having already dressing our members. Some- Sultana Afdhal Emad Turkman offi cer Rashid al-Marri said: made a donation earlier this times the business communi- “With this contribution, Nakilat year. Their recent contributions ty gets so wrapped up around tion on healthcare issues can campaigns into Qatar, make aims to empower the commu- clearly show their commitment Nakilat and Qatar Red Crescent Society off icials. their day-to-day businesses increase attendance at schools Qatar relevant but also make nities through technology and to make a diff erence in local that they lose their sight on and the workplace, leading to us relevant to the rest of the supporting Qatar Red Crescent and international communities benefi ts of automation func- lars outlined within Qatar Na- what is going on behind the higher productivity. world,” said Afdhal. “For the Society initiatives towards ena- through humanitarian eff orts, tions, towards enabling better tional Vision 2030. The compa- scenes and major initiatives Innovation was also dis- fi rst time, we’re actually go- bling better services towards as part of their corporate social services towards improving the ny remains committed to giving like WISH, which works tire- cussed, in terms of best buys – ing to do WISH in other ar- improving the social develop- responsibility (CSR).” social development, awareness back to the community through lessly to improve healthcare cost-eff ective health solutions eas. We’re talking to WHO and ment, awareness and educa- Earlier in the year, Nakilat and educational initiatives. its various outreach programmes and health awareness in the that are feasible and culturally we’re going to do a mini-con- tional initiatives.” had engaged QRCS to present on “Nakilat continues to develop outlined within its CSR pillars needed countries. acceptable – as well the most ference in an African country In addition, al-Marri stressed Enterprise Resource Planning partnerships with a wide range of community, health, educa- The talk touched on impor- suitable solutions for future and then a seminar in Oxford that QRCS plays a vital role as (ERP) business process manage- of Qatari institutions in support tion and environment,” the tant community aspects, such health problems. University and we’re also look- one of the active partners in es- ment software, outline its vast of sustainable development pil- statement adds. as how educating the popula- “I’m trying to bring global ing at Columbia University.”

MG distributor to take part in Qatar Motor Show Auto Class Cars, the authorised Auto Class Cars recently celebrated Motor, which was featured on the distributor of MG in Qatar, has the relaunch of MG in Qatar. 2017 Forbes Fortune 500 list for NBK to display Mercedes-Benz models at motor show announced its participation in The launch of the iconic British the 13th consecutive year, ranking Qatar Motor Show 2018 that will automotive brand came hot on the #41 overall and seventh among all asser Bin Khaled (NBK) the iconic Mercedes-Maybach which appeals to all. As a brand take place at Doha Exhibition and heels of the initial new partnership global automakers – its highest Automobiles, the dis- S-Class 650. name, Nasser Bin Khaled Au- Convention Centre from October agreement that was signed by SAIC ever ranking, the statement notes. Ntributor of Mercedes- Qatar Motor Show is the most tomobiles is deeply associated 17 to 21. Motor and Auto Class. Auto Class Cars is a subsidiary of Benz in Qatar, is showcasing important motoring event in the with a history of premium quali- The MG pavilion will showcase a MG is a British-born car maker NBK Holding and the authorised wide range of Mercedes-Benz Middle East for car lovers and ty service and market leadership. wide range of MG vehicles, giving that was established in 1924 distributor of MG and Maxus, both cars in the Qatar Motor Show trade professionals. The exhibi- The company promises to not visitors an opportunity to have and is globally renowned for part of SAIC Motor. NBK Holding 2018 taking place from October tion has become a regular date only meet customer expecta- a closer look at the distinctive its historic models, awards and is one of the leading family 17 to 21 at the Doha Exhibition in the calendar and off ers one of tions, but to exceed them. Es- features of the cars. achievements. The brand recently businesses in Qatar. Established and Convention Centre (DECC). the best informative platforms tablished in 1957, Nasser Bin The range of models at the MG launched two new models in the in the 1950s, NBK widened NBK Automobiles’ luxuri- about car manufacturing. Khaled Automobiles is Qatar’s pavilion will include the RX5, GS, Middle East, the MG RX5 and MG its umbrella of businesses to ous pavilion will welcome visi- NBK Automobiles will amaze Nasser Bin Khaled Automo- exclusive distributor of three ZS and MG 360, along with the ZS, and is set to introduce further include several new companies tors and car enthusiasts to have the audience with the unveil- biles has built its success by es- of the world’s most respected, new MG 6 that will be launched models later this year. MG is with various operations and closer look at various models of ing of three top new cars on the tablishing solid, longstanding iconic brands: Mercedes-Benz, for the first time in Qatar, benefiting from heavy investment partnered with key multinational SUVs, sporty cars, coupes, and opening day – the sporty CLS relationships with its customers, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes- according to a press statement. from its parent company, SAIC organisations. the famous luxury sedan cars. 53 AMG, the SUV GLE 450, and and its wide product off ering Maybach. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 5 QATAR Exhibition of Palestinian novelist’s works opens at Katara today atara – the Cultural Village There, Kanafani obtained his second- In Umm Sa’ad (1969), Kanafani will organise an exhibition ary certifi cate in 1952 and enrolled in creates the portrait of a mother who Kfeaturing the life and works the Department of Arabic literature in encourages her son to take up arms of renowned Arab novelist Ghassan the University of Damascus. as a resistance knowing well that it Kanafani during the Katara Festival of In 1955, he moved to Kuwait where would eventually led to his death. Arabic Novels, scheduled from today his literary career fl ourished. He The exhibition will also show- until Thursday. served as editor in one of the news- case critical studies on the novels of The exhibition at Building 18 (Gal- papers in Kuwait, writing under the Kanafani and his novels that were lery 1) will showcase 32 works intro- name “Abul Izz.” converted into fi lms, dramas and TV ducing the life and literary journey of In 1962, Kanafani’s novel, Men in productions. Kanafani, the Palestinian revolution- the Sun (Rijal fi -a-shams), consid- Alongside the exhibition, a seminar ary novelist, from his birth in Acre, in ered to be one of the most admired on Kanafani will be held with par- April 1936 until his assassination by works in modern Arabic fi ction, was ticipation of Dr Khaled al-Huroub, Israeli intelligence agencies in Beirut published to great critical acclaim. Palestinian writer and academician, on July 8, 1972. Return to Haifa (A’id lla Hayfa) Qassim Houl, Iraqi fi lm producer The exhibition will shed light on his which came out in 1970 is the story of and a friend of Kanafani, Jordanian life in exile, as his family fi rst moved a Palestinian couple living in the Pal- novelist Samiha Khrais and Pales- to Lebanon when he was 12 years old estinian town of Ramallah which was tinian writer and academic Dr Rami and then to Syria, where they settled. occupied in the Six-Day war. Abu Shihab.

An architect’s impression of the Sherborne Qatar Girls’ School. Sherborne Qatar Girls’ School to open in 2020

herborne Qatar has “The 2017 BSO Inspec- grammes with Sherborne Sherborne Qatar can choose announced the launch tion noted that the school Girls’ School in the UK. from 21 AS and A Levels, Sof the Sherborne Qa- has “a skilled, passionate and “Sherborne School UK including Business Stud- tar Girls’ School which will genuinely supportive teach- has a strong educational ies, Government and Poli- open, in a new building at Al ing staff ” and, “the pupils belief that, for many pu- tics and Media Studies, as Ebb, in 2020, according to a are courteous and enthusias- pils, single sex education well as the more traditional statement yesterday. tic learners … and are proud between the ages of 14 and subjects such as English, “The school will have the to be members of the school 17 is advantageous, with a mathematics and science same ethos, values and cur- community.” The 2018 QNSA return to co-educational and there are plans to ex- riculum as the other Sher- report noted, “Strength in education for A Levels. This tend this range. Pupils can borne Qatar schools and, the quality of the education- is the educational philoso- also study for a BTech Level except for some members of al leadership, teaching and phy behind the girls’ school. 2 in Business Studies. Many the Arabic department, the learning, development and “The school will open recent pupils have success- all-female staff will be Brit- care for learners.” for girls in Years 7 to 9 and fully moved on to a range of ish trained and qualifi ed,” it “Girls at Sherborne Qatar Years 10 and 11 will open in top universities around the was explained. Senior School have always 2021 and 2022 for the girls to world.” “Sherborne Qatar is now participated with consid- study IGCSE courses. They Sherborne Qatar is ac- entering its 10th year in erable success in all school will then move to study for A cepting expressions of in- Doha and has established events. They will continue Levels at the existing Senior terest for the girls’ school an enviable reputation with to have these opportuni- School, where the exclusive and these can be lodged both the Qatari and expat ties at the girls’ school and Michael French Sixth Form with the registrar, or communities for quality, all they will also be able to par- Centre is to be built. through the website www. round British education. ticipate in exchange pro- “Currently, pupils at sherborneqatar.org Gulf Times 6 Monday, October 15, 2018 QATAR

Subaru Legacy, Outback and Impreza models recalled Sidra Medicine becomes referral The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in collaboration with Mannai Trading Co, has announced the recall of Subaru Legacy, Outback and Impreza models of 2010-2014 because centre for bladder treatment extended engine cranking time or engine stall may happen due to By Joseph Varghese in the Middle East to off er such knowledge and skills with their the faulty connection of the fuel Staff Reporter a surgery,” Dr Pippi Salle, divi- communities.” pump connector. sion chief of Urology at Sidra Dr Salle, one of the world’s few The MEC said the recall campaign Medicine, told Gulf Times. experts who specialise in treating Dr Pippi Salle comes within the framework of idra Medicine, a high- Working at Sidra Medicine urinary incontinence, is the crea- its ongoing eff orts to protect tech healthcare initiative for the last four years, Dr Pippi tor of the Salle Procedure (Pippi the entire bladder and urethra consumers and ensure that Sof Qatar Foundation, has is in the process of building ex- Salle Procedure) which involves are exposed. This is one of the automobile dealers follow up on been recognised as a referral pertise in paediatric urology in bladder neck reconstruction malformations that we have vehicles’ defects and repair them. centre for bladder exstrophy by Qatar and the region. and urethral lengthening using specialised at Sidra Medicine,” The MEC said that it will co- the American Bladder Exstro- “We plan to launch a spe- anterior bladder wall fl ap. The he noted. ordinate with the dealer to follow phy Association, disclosed an cialised centre here at Sidra pioneering procedure corrects According to the physician, up on the maintenance and repair offi cial. Medicine,” said Dr Salle. “The urinary incontinence in children the whole surgery is very ex- works and will communicate with “Bladder Exstrophy is an ex- centre will not only eliminate with neurogenic bladder– facili- tensive and complex. “We have customers to ensure that the tremely rare malformation and the need for patients in Qatar tating the bladder emptying us- done four cases in Qatar and we necessary repairs are carried out. aff ects one in 30,000 children, and the region to travel abroad ing catheters. are also receiving patients from The MEC has urged all customers with boys being aff ected twice for treatment, but will also act “I deal with severe malfor- outside the country including to report any violations to its more than girls. The aff ected as a medical education hub, mations aff ecting children in patients from the gulf neigh- Consumer Protection and Anti- children have malformed lower where Arabic speaking physi- the kidney, bladder and genital bours. The surgery is gener- Commercial Fraud Department abdomens that have to be fi xed cians can be trained to perform areas. Some malformations are ally done on newborns. In some through the following channels: through a surgery. As part of its this complex procedure. At the very serious in nature causing cases, however, the surgery is Call centre: 16001, e-mail: info@ mission to set new standards in moment, we are training two all kinds of blocks in various also performed in older children mec.gov.qa, Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, healthcare in Qatar and the re- doctors from Sudan and Iraq urology organs. Some of the as they have been waiting for Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC gion, Sidra Medicine is one of and our hope is that they can go most severe cases of malforma- long time for specialised care,” mobile app for Android and IOS: Dr Salle examines a child with the malformation. the few institutions of its kind back and share their acquired tion is bladder exstrophy where explained Dr Salle. MEC_Qatar

MEC recalls Ferrari 458, F12 Berlinetta, FF and California models

he Ministry of Econ- eff orts to protect consum- omy and Commerce ers and ensure that auto- T(MEC), in collabora- mobile dealers follow up on tion with Alfardan Sports vehicles’ defects and repair Motors, has announced the them. recall of Ferrari 458, F12 The MEC said that it will Berlinetta, FF and California co-ordinate with the dealer models of 2009-2012 over to follow up on the main- failure to deploy passenger tenance and repair works airbag. and will communicate with The MEC said the recall customers to ensure that campaign comes within the the necessary repairs are framework of its ongoing carried out. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 7 QATAR Ritz-Carlton Doha on expansion spree

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

fter hosting ‘the fi rst big Indian wedding in Qa- Atar’ last March, welcom- ing more than 1,000 guests from around the world, The Ritz- Carlton Doha is now expanding its off erings to entice more peo- ple who want to tie the knot with The event was held under the WHO theme ‘Young people and mental health in a changing world’. grandeur, general manager Erden Kendigelen has said. Erden Kendigelen. “We have been working dili- gently to attract guests from for such off erings are part of the emerging markets such as Russia, hotel’s preparations for the 2022 Ukraine, China, Turkey as well FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which is CNA-Q marks World as strengthen our position in the expected to receive a large number Indian market, among others,” he of foreign visitors. Kendigelen told Gulf Times recently. said the hotel already received The fi ve-star property, owned new bookings for two Indian by Katara Hospitality, is now fo- weddings in the fi rst quarter of Mental Health Day cusing on the second phase of its 2019 and the trend is expecting to re-imagination project with the continue further. opening of international restau- “All our ladies and gentlemen ollege of the North There were also tools avail- ning a new job. For many young rant brands after the successful worked so hard to make the fi rst Atlantic-Qatar’s coun- able that creatively encouraged people, these are very exciting completion of its 374 Rooms and Indian wedding in Doha very suc- Cselling team promoted students to put their mobile beginnings. However, they can Suites, Ritz-Spa, Club Lounge cessful, which automatically pro- World Mental Health Day on phones away and participate in also be times of stress and anxi- and the recent opening of its lux- moted Qatar as the new destina- campus recently with a focus real conversation at the meal ety. In some cases, if not recog- ury private beach. tion for big Indian weddings,” he on the importance of awareness table. nised and managed, these feel- These also include STK, the stressed. The Ritz-Carlton Doha. and prevention of mental health “Students need to know that ings can lead to mental health modern steakhouse boasting ex- “We are grateful to have con- issues in young people. there are ways they can look af- issues. quisite food, impeccable service fi rmed more Indian weddings Kendigelen lauded the various looking for ‘an authentic and new The event was held under the ter their mental health by get- According to dean Howard, and a high-energy atmosphere in next year but the most important initiatives of Qatar Tourism Au- destination’ for their wedding. World Health Organisation’s ting enough sleep and exercise, a great deal of focus has to be a stylish lounge setting, B-Lounge for us is to promote Doha as a new thority (QTA) and Qatar Airways Doha, he added, has become a theme ‘Young people and men- spending quality time with on building mental resilience by Buddha Bar where theatrical destination for similar events as in attracting visitors from around popular destination and will con- tal health in a changing world’, family and friends, and manag- in students, ensuring they have international Asian fusion cuisine we move forward,” he said. the world to come to Doha, and tinue to attract more visitors with to create awareness about men- ing their stress,” said Kathleen the tools and life skills to weath- and the legendary music sound- Like Indians, he expressed for continuously supporting the its unique and diverse tourism tal illness and the impact of Howard, dean of Student Aff airs er life’s diffi culties and adapt to track become a dramatic show optimism that other huge mar- hospitality sector. products and services, particu- mental health issues on general at CNA-Q. change. for the senses, and Sel & Miel, the kets such as Turkish, Chinese The visa-free entry to Qatar for larly those being off ered by hotels. health and well-being. “They can also be part of a “Prevention begins with be- authentic French Brasserie with a and Russians will fi nd Qatar a over 80 nationalities, including “Our performance and guest Many students participated support network of peers and ing aware of and understand- modern twist embracing “la joie unique and ideal destination for Indians, created a positive im- experience as well both make a with a number of interactive they can tap into parents’ and ing the early warning signs and de vivre” philosophy. weddings. He cited Turkey as an pact on the hospitality sector, he huge diff erence on the image of learning tools, including post- teachers’ know-how for sup- symptoms of mental illness. With these openings scheduled example saying that its proxim- stressed. Doha as we have seen a good ex- ers and emoji hand stickers that port.” Parents and teachers can help by the end of the year, Kendige- ity and large population, besides Kendigelen noted a signifi cant ample in front of us from the fi rst enabled them to share how they Adolescence and the early students cope and support len noted that The Ritz-Carlton its excellent relations with Qa- increase in the number of hotel Indian wedding hosted at The would help a fellow student who years of adulthood are a time can be provided in schools and Doha will become the new cu- tar, makes it an excellent source guests from Europe and other re- Ritz-Carlton Doha, which opened needed support, and also how of life when many changes oc- other community settings, as it linary destination in town. He market for weddings, leisure, and gions who are visiting Qatar for a great opportunity for the other they might ask for help if they cur, for example, starting col- is here at CNA-Q,” added dean added that the expansion plans business travellers. various purposes, including those hotels,” Kendigelen pointed out. needed it. lege, getting married or begin- Howard. Anniversary promotions at Safari Mall from today

afari Group has an- laptops of various brands, nounced the launch printers, tablets, projectors, Sof special promotions digital and SLR cameras, from today as part of its etc, are being showcased as eighth anniversary celebra- part of the promotion. Also, tions. there will be discounts on Besides the promotions, TV, refrigerator, washing the leading hypermar- machine, etc. ket group is also off ering a Another promotion, cookery show to mark the which allows customers to occasion. win 10kg gold, was intro- The ‘Safari Flavour 2018’ duced at all Safari outlets Food Festival in the Safari September 10. A total of fi ve Bakery & Hot Food division draws will be held during is the main attraction of the the promotion and 2kg gold anniversary celebrations, biriyani, thalppakitt chicken these dishes at discounted will be given away in each the group has said in a state- dum biriyani, alappuzha prices, the statement notes. draw. There will be four ment. Customers will have chemmeen curry, butter The cookery show will be winners per draw. the opportunity to enjoy a bread, marble cake, mothi- held in the Safari Mall food The fi rst-prize winner wide variety of food as more chur laddu, kothu porota, court, Abu Hamour, led by will get 1kg gold, while the than 75 types of dishes will vattelappam, mutton momo, TV anchor Lekshmi Nair on second-, third- and fourth- be showcased covering In- murg rezala, seekh kebab, October 20, 6pm. prize winners will receive dian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, arabic chicken kebab, mut- Safari has organised the 500gm, 300gm and 200gm Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Ar- ton kabsa, chicken majboos, Digital Spark Promotion to gold, respectively. abic, Filipino, Chinese cui- mutton chops, mixed fried add colour to the celebra- Customers will get a raffl e sines, etc. rice, mutton fried rice, creme tions. coupon for every purchase The items on off er in- caramel, chilly prawns fry, There will be discounts worth QR50, which will en- clude mutton malabari, hong kong fried rice, chilly on home appliances, digital able them to take part in the chettinadu chicken curry, beef, singapore chicken fried items, electronics, accesso- draw to decide the winners. beef vinthalu, hyderabadi rice, mutton peshawari and ries etc. All types of compu- The fi rst draw will be held at chicken dum biriyani, sindhi dal fry’. Customers can enjoy ter and mobile accessories, Safari Mall on October 29.

Gold Line works

Track works are now concentrated in the Gold Line section of Doha Metro, Qatar Rail has said in a tweet. At the Ras Bu Abboud stabling yard, crews are installing third rail components alongside the railway tracks. Gulf Times 8 Monday, October 15, 2018 QATAR

Chance of Human error ‘causes rain later this week

here is a chance of rain, 85% of road accidents’ which may turn thun- Tdery at times, in some bout 85% of the road traf- IRU Academy’s associate direc- areas as cloudy conditions are fi c accidents in Qatar have tor Patrick Philip said Qatar has expected to intensify gradually Abeen attributed to human shown remarkable commitment in the country on October 17 and error, according to presentations to the objectives of sustainable 18, the Qatar Met department made by subject experts at the re- development and has many good tweeted yesterday. cent ‘Conference on road traffi c ac- achievements to its credit in the The weather offi ce has also cidents and necessity of enhancing area of traffi c safety. said the season locally known as safety of drivers and passengers’ MoTC’s Road Assets Depart- Wasmi will begin today and last hosted by Mowasalat. ment manager Hamad Issa, and for 52 days. The season is named The two-day conference held some speakers from the UK, Europe, so because it is marked by rainfall under the patronage of HE the Oman, Kuwait, Jordan and also from that helps in the growth of some Minister of Transport and Com- Qatar also spoke on a host of issues local plants, such as Helianthe- munications, Jassim Seif Ahmed having bearing on traffi c safety. mum and Geranium, according al-Sulaiti, was organised in asso- While thanking HE al-Sulaiti for to a report. ciation of the International Road his patronage to the conference, Rainfall at the beginning of the Transport Union (IRU), the Na- Mowasalat MD and CEO Khalid Wasmi season is usually an indi- tional Traffi c Safety Committee Nasser al-Hail lauded the other cator of a good rainy season, ac- and the Ministry of Interior’s Traf- departments, agencies, institu- cording to the report. fi c Department. Mowasalat’s Nasser bin Mohamed al-Malki honouring National Traff ic tions and stakeholders for making The Met department’s cli- Reiterating their company’s Safety Committee’s Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah al-Malki at the the annual event a good experience mate records show that the commitment to the highest lev- conference. for the participants. maximum temperature in Doha els of traffi c safety and service, Karwa Driving School-Mow- decreases gradually to below Mowasalat chairman Nasser bin establishment of a global level road Qatar is one of the leaders in asalat manager Robert Makondo 35C during this season, while Mohamed al-Malki said the trans- infrastructure, better land trans- terms of traffi c safety, said al- recalled the achievements of their the minimum drops to about portation system is the main vehi- port system and enacting eff ective Kharji while adding that the es- school over the years and said how 20C. Overall, mild tempera- cle for attracting new investments traffi c safety laws. tablishment of the National Traffi c they contributed to the strength- tures are experienced during and accelerating the country’s eco- Director General of the General Safety Bureau is one of the major ening of the security and safety of the day and relatively cooler nomic growth and social develop- Directorate of Traffi c Major Gen- initiatives of their directorate. roads in the country. conditions prevail at night, es- ment. eral Mohamed Saad al-Kharji said Secretary general of the National The event also had the participa- pecially under the influence of Director of Land Transport Li- as part of the second phase of the Traffi c Safety Committee Brigadier tion of offi cials from The Ministry northwesterly winds. censing Department of the Ministry National Strategy for Traffi c Safety Mohamed Abdulla al-Malki said of Municipality and Environment, The report also cautions that of Transport and Communications (2018-22) ambitious plans are be- the national strategy on reducing Qatar University, Woqod, Hamad fl u and other seasonal diseases (MoTC) Sheikh Naif Abdulrah- ing worked out at the urban plan- accidents has helped reduce the Medical Corp, Qatar Civil Aviation are common during this tran- man al-Thani highlighted that road ning level to reduce traffi c conges- mortality rate from road accidents Authority, Qatar Rail, Qatar Petro- sitional period. As a result, ex- safety can be improved through the tion by 5% per year until 2022. to 5.4 per 100,000 residents. leum and Qatar Scientifi c Club. perts recommend taking fl u vac- cination, staying at home for 24 hours after recovery from fever and washing hands regularly. Also, people – particularly the elderly, children and pregnant Ooredoo to launch advanced fi bre technology women – should avoid contact with those who are ailing. Meanwhile, the maximum From Page 1 the life-changing speeds Ooredoo Internet service for Lusail’s com- beIN full package subscription for temperature expected today is fi bre off ers and make the most out mercial customers to provide them anyone subscribing to the 30Mbps 36C in Al Khor and Abu Samra, Ooredoo COO Yousuf Ab- of the new technology on off er.” unparalleled Wi-Fi speeds and cov- or above fi bre home plans that of- followed by 35C in Doha and dulla al-Kubaisi said: “Ooredoo “Netgear is excited to part- erage throughout the premises.” fer live and exclusive sports chan- Dukhan, and 34C in Wakrah and fi bre will play a key part in con- ner with Ooredoo to off er the Ooredoo’s fi bre home plans were nels, as well as kids and lifestyle Mesaieed, and 33C in Ruwais. necting residents and visitors to best-in-class and most advanced designed to cater to the increasing channels, and the latest movies. Yesterday, the maximum tem- smart technology, as well as en- 12-Stream AX Wi-Fi router,” said bandwidth speed and entertain- The Orbi Wi-Fi hub is priced at QR35 perature was 38C in Abu Samra, sure world-class entertainment is David Henry, SVP Connected ment needs of Ooredoo custom- per month for 24 months and is avail- while in Doha it was 35C. available in all homes in Lusail. Home Products at Netgear. ers and include a free Ooredoo tv able on all new fibre broadband plans “We’re off ering the latest Orbi “The next generation AX Wi-Fi subscription, free Starz Play ac- across Qatar. Customers can upgrade Hub technology to Lusail to en- technology complements Ooredoo’s cess, which off ers more than 6,500 their speeds at any time by visiting the Speaker of Advisory able everyone in the area to enjoy high performance Gigabit Fibre hours of content, and an inclusive Ooredoo App or any Ooredoo Shop. Council meets IPU secretary-general

HE the Speaker of the Advisory Leading Qatari actor Abdulaziz Jassim dies Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud met the Secretary-General of the Inter- From Page 1 comic as well as the good and the over Jassim’s death. Through in Qatar and the GCC region Parliamentary Union (IPU) Martin bad. Besides acting in TV, radio posts on Twitter, they stressed throughout his professional ca- Chungong, on the sidelines of Jassim started his career in and theatrical works, he also pro- that he was a pioneer and cham- reer while being always sincere to the related meetings of the 139th the 1970s in collaboration with duced and authored some works pioned theatre in the region and his country. General Assembly of the Inter- al-Sulaiti and presented a good for these. his death is a great loss for the Lights were switched off at Qa- Parliamentary Union in Geneva number of works as an actor, while He also took part in the musi- artistic movement not only in tar National Theatre last evening yesterday. also featuring in radio dramas. He cal drama, ‘Kulluna Al Kuwait (We the country but the entire GCC as a mark of respect to Jassim. During the meeting, they laid special emphasis on issues are all Kuwait)’, which was staged region. Gulf Times expresses condo- discussed the relations between of interest to the common peo- to express solidarity with Kuwait In a statement, the Ministry lence over the death of the re- the Advisory Council and the ple, which directly impacted their during the Iraqi invasion in 1990. of Culture and Sports said Jas- nowned actor, noting that his Inter-Parliamentary Union and lives. Meanwhile, a number of digni- sim’s death constitutes a major works will have a lasting impact on means of developing them, in Jassim excelled in playing di- taries and eminent personalities loss for the Qatari and Gulf arts. the artistic scene of the country as addition to the important topics verse characters, including the expressed grief and condolences He enriched the arts movement well as the region. listed on the agenda.

Ehsan Centre staff and Qatar Rangers Bikers pose for a commemorative photo during the event on Friday. Ehsan Centre seeks to raise awareness of its services he Centre for Empowerment and barak bin Abdulaziz al-Khalifa, CEO, Ehsan Elderly Care (Ehsan) organised an Centre and Khalid Abullah, head of Aware- Tawareness campaign at the Cultural ness Department among others. Village Foundation Katara on Friday along The event drew the attention of many of with Qatar Rangers Bikers team. the visitors of Katara who were informed of The campaign aims to raise awareness of the great services the centre provides for the services Ehsan Centre provides for the the elderly to assist them in their lives and elderly in the community, available for all empower them to become eff ective in the the old people living in Qatar. society. Hundreds of bikers gathered at the Ehsan Ashraf Qaddoumi from Qatar Rangers headquarters at the D Ring Road and went in Bikers team said that it was not the only a parade carrying the logo of Ehsan Centre awareness campaign in co-operation with all the way to Katara where they stopped to Ehsan Centre, but there will be many oth- distribute brochures and booklets explain- ers in diff erent parts of the country. ing all about the services of Ehsan Centre. “We are going next to Al Khor where The campaign at Katara was attended by there is a branch for the centre and to Al offi cials from Ehsan Centre including Mu- Shamal and Dukhan as well,” he added. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 9 AFRICA Ramaphosa promises to accelerate land reform

AFP ernment had been too slow to tackle the issue. Empangeni, South Africa “Any failure on our part to reverse the in- justices of our past...will result in social in- stability and economic decline in our country. resident President Cyril Ramaphosa This we cannot aff ord,” he told the KwaMk- yesterday symbolically handed back wanazi community. Pland to a community of black South Af- “As government, we concede that much ricans who were forcibly removed from it un- more could have been done since 1994 to ac- der apartheid and promised to accelerate land celerate land reform. reform. “This government is resolute in our com- President Yoweri Museveni (centre) visiting the flood-ravaged village of Wanjenwa in eastern Uganda yesterday. “We are making history and celebrating the mitment to returning the land in an orderly return of your land today. We are righting the and lawful manner. We shall not allow illegal historic injustice and returning the land to its land occupations.” rightful owners,” he said during a ceremony at The policy is designed to redistribute land Empangeni in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal. to poor black people to tackle severe inequal- Museveni visits site of deadly Uganda landslide Land reform has become a hot topic in ity 24 years after the end of apartheid, but it South Africa after Ramaphosa vowed that the has attracted sharp criticism. country’s constitution would be changed to Land reform is set to be among the fi ercest AFP “Who allowed them to build a market here?” “We can confi rm that 43 people have lost explicitly allow for the expropriation of land political battlegrounds at elections next year, Bududa, Uganda he asked offi cials. their lives but we are continuing to search for without compensation. when Ramaphosa will try to revive fading “Building on the fl ood plain of the river is very others,” he said. Ramaphosa, who took part in a traditional support for the ANC, which has ruled since dangerous. Local government have failed to im- In March 2010, at least 100 people were killed Zulu dance at the ceremony, said yesterday’s the end of apartheid in 1994. ganda’s President Yoweri Museveni yes- plement regulations,” Museveni told journalists. in the same mountainous region, which lies on return of around 4,500 hectares would be the Ramaphosa has vowed reforms will be terday visited eastern Bududa after 43 After touring the site of devastation Museveni the border between Uganda and Kenya and is a fi rst of a number of land claims “that we aim within the law and not threaten stability, Upeople died when a landslide caused a is set to address a crowd of several hundred resi- high-risk area for landslides. to unlock over the next few months”. but many landowners and investors remain river to burst its banks, sending water and boul- dents, local dignitaries and Red Cross volun- Questioned about delays to a resettlement And he acknowledged criticism that the gov- alarmed by the policy. ders cascading downhill. teers in Bukalasi village where many casualties program which was initially announced in Wearing military uniform and carrying a cleft were taken for treatment at the health centre. 2010, Rugunda blamed “minor administrative stick Museveni looked across the Sume river Over 850 people were displaced in the disas- issues”. Red Cross appeals for lives of abducted health workers at the remains of Wanjenwa village which was ter, caused by heavy rains. Although there may be “delays here and there wrecked by a torrent of rocks carried down river Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda yesterday they do not change the principle that these peo- he Red Cross yesterday appealed to the third, Alice Loksha, worked for the UN by Thursday’s deluge. updated a previous death toll by one person. ple must be resettled,” he added. Nigeria to secure the release of two ab- children’s organisation Unicef. There was no Tducted health workers, as a deadline set news of the trio until last month. by Boko Haram to kill them approached. Then the ICRC said it had received footage The International Committee of the Red of Khorsa’s execution from the IS-supported Cross (ICRC) spoke out a month after another Boko Haram faction — Islamic State West Af- hostage kidnapped with them was executed rica Province (ISWAP). In the footage, ISWAP Somalia twin suicide bombings toll rises to 20 by the extremists. threatened to kill the other two health workers “A deadline that could result in the killing if their demands were not met. Reuters A spokesman for the group said it had target- Yesterday, a year to the day on which sus- of another health care worker is less than 24 “The ICRC asks all those involved with this Mogadishu ed the restaurants because they were frequented pected Shebaab bombings killed more than 500 hours away,” said an ICRC statement. case to avoid a repeat of that devastating out- by government troops. people in Mogadishu, a Somali military court “Speed and urgency are critical,” it added. come,” said Mamadou Sow, ICRC’s head of The attacks followed a US air strike on Friday carried out the execution of a man convicted of The three female health workers were kid- operations in the Lake Chad region. he number of people killed in twin suicide against Shebaab militants in Haradere, a district being involved in the attacks. napped on March 1, in the remote northeast- The ICRC called on ISWAP to show “mer- bomb attacks on two restaurants in So- in Galmudug region. “The Somali military court executed today ern town of Rann following an attack by IS- cy” and not to kill two health workers who Tmalia’s southern city of Baidoa has risen Shebaab wants to topple Somalia’s Western- Hasan Aden Isak who was a Shebaab member affi liated Boko Haram faction. were “doing nothing but helping the commu- to 20 and another 40 people were injured, a local backed central government and impose its own and accused of being behind the October bomb- The raid killed three other health workers nities in northeast Nigeria”. hospital offi cial said yesterday. rule based on a strict interpretation of Shariah. ing,” the court’s deputy prosecutor Mumin Hus- and eight Nigerian soldiers. “Hauwa and Alice are medical workers who Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in “We received 20 dead people and about 40 sein Abdullahi told state-run Radio Mogadishu. Two of the kidnapped women, Hauwa chose to work and help vulnerable communi- restaurants in Baidoa on Saturday evening. others injured from the twin blasts of yester- Shebaab never claimed responsibility for the Liman and Saifura Khorsa, worked for the ties in Rann, an area heavily aff ected by vio- Islamist militant group Shebaab claimed re- day,” Abdifatah Hashi, the general manager of attacks which were the deadliest since the group Geneva-based humanitarian charity while lence,” Sow said. sponsibility for the attack. Baidoa city hospital told reporters yesterday. began its insurgency in 2007.

Congolese fl ood home, Angola denies brutal ‘crackdown’

Reuters In interviews with Reuters, more jointly killed more than a dozen sai’s provincial director of the who entered from Angola in recent Luanda than 20 Congolese migrants who people,” said Victor Tshambapoko, Congolese border agency (DGM) days said the authorities there had crossed the border between Octo- 28, who worked as a diamond dig- told Reuters that he believed there given them an October 15 deadline ber 4-12 described violence, loot- ger in the region. had been “serious violations of to leave. Border guard offi cials said ongolese migrants and of- ing and forced displacement by Reuters could not independent- human rights” during the Angolan the Angolan operation began on fi cials said dozens of people Angolan security forces as well as a ly verify the accusations. operation. October 1. Cwere killed this month in local tribe called the Tshokwe. Angolan Police Commissioner “I am worried about the situa- A Reuters reporter in the Con- neighbouring Angola in a crack- The worse of the violence, they Antonio Bernardo, spokesman for tion,” he said. golese border town of Kamako saw down on artisanal diamond min- said, occurred in the town of Lu- the operation, denied there had “Congolese people have been thousands of people making their ing, an accusation Angolan secu- capa, located some 100km south been rights abuses by security expelled in degrading conditions. way on foot and in trucks along rity forces strongly denied. of the border with DRC in the heart forces, and said the only fatality he They have been molested, beaten the red dirt road to Tshikapa, the Angola, the world’s fi fth largest of the diamond-rich Lunda Norte knew of was in a traffi c accident. and killed, especially in Lucapa, by provincial capital of Kasai located diamond producer, has launched province. “We have no record of any burn- the Angolan military police.” some 50km to the north. an operation in recent weeks to Angolan security forces stormed ing of homes, much less reprisals Angolan President Joao Louren- Exhausted men and women clear tens of thousands of people the town, according to 15 witness- and or assaults on anyone,” he told co is trying to boost investments in rested by the side of the road, involved in digging for precious es, killing dozens of people, burn- Reuters. his country and wean it off a heavy washed in a river or picked fruit stones in the northeast of the ing down homes, looting property “Angola and its government ap- reliance on oil exports. from giant mango trees to feed country in order to attract more and forcing people to leave. peals to the common sense of the Reforming the diamond indus- themselves on a journey that lasts private investment. Some of those people were le- international community to realise try is part of that drive, and “Op- up to a week. Many of them are from neigh- gally residing in Angola, the wit- that there is no underlying xeno- eration Transparency” in Lunda Many carried household be- bouring Democratic Republic of nesses added. phobia, but only the legitimate Norte aims to reduce diamond longings on their head, including Congo (DRC), and hundreds of thou- “There was a lot of violence in normalising of the socio-econom- smuggling and raise more revenues plastic chairs, mattresses, animals sands of people have poured over the Lucapa. The military was shoot- ic life of the country and national for state coff ers from the lucrative and even ovens. Some said they border into the Kasai region, border ing at us while Tshowke were kill- security.” sector. also had diamonds in their posses- guards there told Reuters. ing people with machetes. They Amadhou Kabaseke Taty, Ka- Several Congolese migrants sion. Gulf Times 10 Monday, October 15, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD Syria buff er deal hangs in Jordan, Syria say border to reopen

Reuters yesterday for a three-day visit. balance ahead of deadline The two countries have previ- Amman/Beirut ously said they want to reopen AFP AFP’s request for comment on their frontier. Beirut the shelling. he border crossing be- As Syrian President Bashar The lion’s share of Idlib is tween Jordan and Syria al-Assad has taken more terri- held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Twill offi cially reopen to- tory inside Syria, normal inter- Russian-Turkish deal (HTS), an alliance led by former day after being closed for three nal traffi c has resumed between to set up a buff er zone Al Qaeda members, as well as years, the two countries said most big cities, easing the move- Aaround Syria’s last major more hardline militants like yesterday, though it will not be ment of goods and people and rebel bastion hung by a thread Hurras al-Deen and Ansar al- open to normal traffi c immedi- bringing an economic boost in yesterday, as militants showed Islam. ately. government-held areas. no sign of withdrawing hours Those fi ghters also control The Syrian government re- Technical teams from Syria before a deadline. more than two-thirds of the took the area around the border and Jordan met on the Jordanian The accord also provides for planned buff er zone and are crossing at Nassib in July during side yesterday and agreed on the the clearance of heavy weapons supposed to withdraw by today. a weeks-long Russian-backed fi nal arrangements to open the from a U-shaped zone around Hurras al-Deen has publicly off ensive to drive rebels from crossing from Oct 15, said Jorda- the northwestern region of rejected the agreement, al- their stronghold in southwest nian government spokeswoman Idlib, but a monitor said rebels though it apparently withdrew Syria. Jumana Ghunaimat. late Saturday fi red mortar shells its heavy arms from the area last The closure of the Nassib However, although the cross- from it. week. crossing in 2015 cut a crucial ing will be offi cially opened to- The deal agreed last month HTS, widely considered the transit route for hundreds of day, it will not open to normal between regime ally Russia most powerful force in Idlib, has trucks a day transporting goods traffi c just yet, said Nael Husami, and rebel backer Turkey is only not publicly commented on the between Turkey and the Gulf, head of the Amman chamber of the latest in a string of truces accord but also quietly abided and Lebanon and the Gulf, in industry. throughout Syria’s seven-year by its fi rst deadline and re-sta- multi-billion dollar annual Syrian state television also war, which has killed more than tioned heavy arms elsewhere. trade. cited Interior Minister Moham- 360,000 and displaced mil- Persuading these militant Since then, Syria’s only nor- ed al-Shaar as saying the border lions. factions to implement the deal’s mally operating frontier crossing crossing and roads leading to it It calls for setting up horse- second half would be much has been with Lebanon, which were being renovated. shoe-shaped buff er zone more challenging, observers itself has no other functioning Opening the border will also around the Idlib region that say. borders. be important for Lebanon, which would be free of heavy arms by In a recent report for the The frontier with Turkey is relies on Syria for overland con- October 10 and of “radical fi ght- Turkey-based Omran Center, still closed into Syrian gov- nections to all other countries ers”. But with just hours to go expert Nawar Oliver described ernment-held areas, and open because its only other frontier is yesterday, the Syrian Observa- HTS’s approval as the deal’s ul- only into territory controlled by with Israel, with which it has no tory for Human Rights monitor timate “test”. rebels. ties. and an AFP correspondent in “If HTS acts as a spoiler to Near Syria’s border with Iraq, In July, Lebanese caretaker Idlib said there was still no sign the agreement on the ground, a US military has closed the main economy minister Raed Khoury that they had left so far. this will probably lead to one Damascus-Baghdad highway, said it was vital for Lebanese ex- And deadly mortar rounds of two scenarios: either Turkey though there is a smaller cross- porters to be able once again to fi red late Saturday from the Syrian rebel-fighters from the National Liberation Front (NLF) man a position at the frontline facing and the NLF launch military ac- ing at Albu Kamal further east send produce overland through planned buff er zone, according regime areas in the southern countryside of Aleppo, yesterday. tion against HTS, or Russia will that is presently open only for Syria to the wider region. to the Britain-based monitor, seize the opportunity with the government or military traffi c. Lebanese exports fell by 35% appeared to indicate the fi rst of the deal, with Turkish of- shelling had been hitting the ons, which were supposed to be support of the regime and its al- Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim after the Syrian confl ict began, part of the deal was not fully fi cials, armed factions and the planned buff er for days, but the pulled out from the area”. And lies to enter Idlib,” he said. al-Jaafari arrived in Damascus Khoury said. implemented. Britain-based Observatory re- deal does not require govern- an AFP correspondent in west- “The ramifi cations of that “In a few hours, the buff er porting that the area was free of ment forces to withdraw any of ern Aleppo reported mortar fi re move could be vast,” he added. zone is supposed to enter into heavy-duty weaponry. their weapons. in the area after several days of Syrian President Bashar al- force, but the deal has not yet But the shells which Saturday Yesterday evening, regime quiet. Assad and other top govern- been implemented,” said Rami hit an army position in Hama shelling hit an area in the west The Observatory said it was ment offi cials have warned that Abdel Rahman, the head of the province appear to have violat- of the planned buff er zone, in unclear which groups fi red the the Idlib deal was only a “tem- 15 killed after strikes Britain-based Observatory. ed the accord. the northwest of Hama prov- mortars late Saturday, as both porary” measure. Late Saturday, “heavy mor- “This is the fi rst clear viola- ince, Abdel Rahman said. the Turkish-backed National On Friday, residents around tar shells” were fi red from the tion of the deal since the heavy Syrian pro-regime daily Al- Liberation Front and rival fac- Idlib received warning messag- on minibuses in planned buff er area into regime weapons were withdrawn. This Watan also reported rebel shell- tions were present in the area. es on their mobile phones from territory, killing two soldiers, area is supposed to be clear of ing, saying yesterday that west- The NLF — which holds just the Syrian army. the Observatory said. heavy weapons, including mor- ern parts of Aleppo province under half of the Idlib region “Get away from the fi ghters. Hodeidah province: UN Rebels and militants had re- tar shells,” Abdel Rahman said. were being hit with “rocket fi re and has welcomed the accord — Their fate is sealed and near,” portedly fulfi lled the fi rst part He said intermittent regime and shelling with heavy weap- did not immediately respond to one said. AFP to support President Abd-Rabbu Sanaa Mansour Hadi’s government af- ter the Houthis ousted it from the capital Sanaa and swathes of t least 15 civilians were the country’s north. Israel nod King Abdullah pledges fi ght against corruption killed in attacks on mini- The coalition has used air Abuses in Yemen’s embat- power to oust the rebels from tled Hodeidah province, a UN much of the country’s south, for 31 AFP Amman secured a $723mn agency said yesterday, as Houthi but the Houthis have held onto Amman loan from the International rebels blamed air strikes by the Sanaa and the key Red Sea port Monetary Fund, but the re- Saudi-led coalition. of Hodeidah. settler sultant economic reforms led The Offi ce for the Co-ordina- Following the collapse of ordan’s King Abdullah II to price hikes. The king on tion of Humanitarian Aff airs did United Nations-backed talks yesterday vowed authori- Sunday acknowledged “dis- not specify the type of strikes in September, the coalition an- homes Jties would crack down on satisfaction with the way cur- Saturday in the Jabal Ras district, nounced it was relaunching an corruption in the country, fol- rent challenges are being ad- but Yemeni rebels said they were assault on Hodeidah city and its lowing mass protests against dressed”. air raids by the coalition fi ghting Red Sea port. in Hebron graft and price rises earlier this “The process of develop- alongside the government. The fi ghting has since eased year. ment in Jordan, as in other The coalition’s spokesman, and the coalition has focused its “All Jordanians have an countries, has been marred by contacted by AFP, had no imme- raids on the city limits and other AFP equal right to justice, and cor- some mistakes and challenges, diate comment. parts of the surrounding prov- Jerusalem ruption will not be left unad- which we must learn from, re- The UN agency said at least ince. dressed to become a chronic solve, and prevent from reoc- 20 more civilians were injured, Coalition air strikes last week social illness,” the king said in curring, so that we may move in what Lisa Grande, the world killed 79 Houthi rebel fi ghters srael’s government yesterday a speech to mark the opening forward,” he said. body’s humanitarian co-ordi- and seven civilians in Hodei- approved the construction of of parliament in Amman. Abdullah put the current nator for Yemen, termed “a hor- dah province. The coalition has I31 settler homes in Hebron, “I hereby affi rm that the Jordan’s King Abdullah arrives for the opening of the third situation down to “a weaken- rifi c incident”.The Norwegian drawn heavy UN criticism for the fi rst such green light for the state’s institutions are well ca- ordinary session of the 18th Parliament in Amman, yesterday. ing (of) public trust in govern- Refugee Council condemned “an the high civilian death toll from fl ashpoint West Bank city since pable of uprooting corruption ment institutions, as well as an unacceptable pattern of attacks its campaign in Yemen. 2002, a cabinet minister said. and holding to account those price rises and austerity meas- income tax bill. atmosphere of scepticism”. on civilian women, men and Yemen’s war has left almost Construction permits were who dare to encroach on pub- ures. With a lack of natural re- Stability in Jordan is seen as children by parties to the con- 10,000 people dead, mostly ci- agreed in October last year but lic funds,” he added. The week of mass dem- sources to boost state coff ers, fundamental to the region and fl ict who profess concern for the vilians, since the coalition inter- needed the government’s ap- Thousands of Jordanians hit onstrations forced the prime Jordan relies heavily on foreign in the wake of protests Amman interests and welfare of Yemeni vened in 2015, and sparked what proval, according to the Peace the streets at the start of June minister’s resignation and the aid and faces an unemploy- was off ered a $2.5bn aid pack- people”.Saudi Arabia and its al- the UN has labelled the world’s Now NGO which monitors set- to protest against corruption, withdrawal of a controversial ment rate of 18.5%. In 2016, age from three Gulf backers. lies intervened in Yemen in 2015 worst humanitarian crisis. tlement construction in occu- pied territory. “For the first time in more than 20 years, Hebron will have a new Jewish neighbourhood where a military camp once In Yarmouk, a pigeon keeper and his Libya uncovers 35 more stood,” Defence Minister Av- igdor Lieberman said after the weekly cabinet meeting. bodies at mass grave He said in a statement that pet held out through years of war the project will comprise 31 settler homes and two kinder- AFP “The prosecutor’s offi ce told gartens. Reuters camp in the Syrian capital. Tripoli us that it was diffi cult to identify “It is an important step in Yarmouk, Syria “I thought I’d stay here alone, the bodies therefore it will take the global activity which we are keep an eye on the family prop- time and DNA tests,” Amial said. carrying out to reinforce set- erty, and hoped things would mergency workers yester- When the municipal coun- tlements in Judea and Samar- he Yarmouk district in be resolved within days. But day uncovered another 35 cil fi rst announced the discov- ia,” added Lieberman referring Damascus has switched seven years passed, God kept Ebodies at a mass grave near ery of the site on Wednesday, to the occupied West Bank. Thands many times in me patient.” Abu Nimr, who is Libya’s Sirte, authorities said, the spokesman said the bodies Hebron is a flashpoint re- Syria’s war: from rebels, to Is- originally Palestinian, owned taking to 110 the total number of were believed to be Islamic State flecting the deep tensions that lamic State militants, and back a shop selling sweets like bak- remains retrieved from the site. group members, although there run between Palestinians and to government forces. lawa before the confl ict. At the The municipal council in the was no confi rmation. Israelis. But Abu Nimr did not budge. onset, he stored food from the former militant stronghold of IS militants overran Sirte Hebron is home to around He has remained in his fam- empty houses of his relatives. Sirte initially said 75 bodies had in June 2015 and were ousted 200,000 Palestinians, with ily home with his dog through As supplies dwindled, he often been found in an agricultural by forces loyal to Libya’s UN- about 800 settlers living un- bombs, siege, and fi erce battles slept hungry. “I took a decision area some 15 kilometres west of backed government in Decem- der Israeli army protection in for more than seven years, rais- seven years ago that weapons Abu Nimr, 36, smokes a cigarette as he sits on a sofa along a the city. ber 2016, after an eight-month several heavily fortified com- ing pigeons on his roof even as are not my thing. Bloodshed is damaged street in Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus. Yesterday, council spokesman battle. The group has since pounds in the heart of the city. people fl ed in droves. not easy,” he said. Mohamed al-Amial said in total pulled back to desert outposts, The Hebron units are to be Since the army clawed back Abu Nimr, 36, did odd jobs The violence has turned his only 16 people were left in his “110 bodies were uncovered in although it is still able to launch built on Shuhada Street, once a the enclave around fi ve months over the years and spent time neighbourhood into a ghost neighbourhood. the mass grave” by the Libyan deadly attacks. bustling shopping street lead- ago, he has helped clear heaps with his dog Balo.”He was my town, with twisted metal and But he refused to leave.”The Red Crescent in the Al-Daheir It claimed responsibility for a ing to a holy site where the of rubble from the streets and friend through the siege, and I collapsed walls still blocking people fl ed? The warplanes area.“Personal possessions and suicide attack last month on the Biblical Abraham is believed to repair abandoned houses. relied on him to guard the house some streets. dropped bombs? The militants mobile phones were found next Tripoli headquarters of Libya’s have been buried. “My siblings and I lived in this when I went out.” Others are closed off with entered? It doesn’t matter.” to the bodies,” he added. National Oil Corporation that The street is now largely building. They’re all married. When the fi ghting got too signs warning of landmines. Now, Abu Nimr wants to The fi rst remains found at the killed two staff ers, as well as an closed off to Palestinians who They left so their kids could go close, he would hide in the fur- By the time the last battle bring life back to Yarmouk and site, also removed by the Red assault in May on the country’s have repeatedly demanded that to school,” Abu Nimr told Reu- thest room with a hammer in came this year, after scores of hopes people will be able to Crescent, are to undergo DNA electoral commission in which it be reopened to traffic. ters in the Yarmouk Palestinian case he had to dig himself out. residents had escaped or died, return soon. testing by Libyan authorities. 14 people died. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 11 AMERICA Trump calls Mattis ‘sort of a Democrat’,

says he ‘may leave’ Brandy Jessen helps recover belongings from her mother’s house damaged by Hur- ricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Florida. Reuters/AFP ward that portrayed Mattis privately He is also seen as less hawkish on John Kelly, the White House chief of Washington disparaging Trump to associates. Iran than Secretary of State Mike staff and also a retired four-star gen- Mattis has strongly denied making Pompeo and White House National eral, is reported to have lost infl uence any such remarks. Security Adviser John Bolton. with the mercurial president. S President Donald Trump Trump had been deferential to- Mattis has a dim view of jour- Mattis has been careful to avoid Hopes fade in search for more said he is unsure whether De- ward Mattis, saying on September 5 nalism about inside-the-beltway public confl ict with Trump, but has Ufense Secretary James Mat- his defence chief would remain in his politics in Washington, using the nonetheless performed in ways that tis is planning to step down from his job. word “fiction” to describe Wood- contrast sharply with his boss, em- Hurricane Michael survivors post, but told CBS’ 60 Minutes in a Mattis is not political by nature, ward’s book and similar reporting phatically defending the US com- pre-taped interview that the retired and previously made no secret of about closed-door conversations mitment to its Nato allies and calling general might and that he regards the fact that he was not looking to among US national security lead- out Russia. By Rod Nickel, Reuters door-to-door in coastal communities in Mattis as “sort of a Democrat.” become secretary of defence — or ers. Earlier this month, as Nato an- Mexico Beach, Florida Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. “It could be that he is” planning to even return to Washington — when Asked about the reports speculat- nounced its biggest military exercis- Search and rescue volunteers have al- depart, Trump said, according to an Trump was elected. ing about his departure, Mattis said es since the Cold War, Mattis reas- ready located hundreds of people reported excerpt of a transcript released yes- The retired Marine general had on September 18: “It’s like most of sured allies of America’s “iron-clad” he hunt for missing people in the missing last week. terday before the show airs. stepped down from the military in those kinds of things in this town. commitment to the 69-year-old al- aftermath of Hurricane Michael On Saturday, rescue crews heard cries “I think he’s sort of a Democrat, 2013 and taken a job at Stanford Uni- Somebody cooks up a headline. They liance. Tyesterday morning turned into a for help and crowbarred into a mobile if you want to know the truth. But versity. then call to a normally chatty class of The US, he told reporters in Paris, search for the dead, as hope of fi nding home crumpled by the storm in Panama General Mattis is a good guy. We He told his Senate confi rmation people. They fi nd a couple of other is “keenly aware of the dangers close more people alive fades in the Florida City, freeing a mother and daughter, both get along very well. He may leave. hearing last year he was “enjoying things to put in. They add the ru- to your home.” Panhandle, US offi cials said. diabetics who had been trapped in a closet I mean, at some point, everybody a full life west of the Rockies” when mours...Next thing you know, you’ve While Bolton and Pompeo also “We’re going into recovery mode, un- without insulin for two days and were on leaves. Everybody. People leave. the call came about the position. got a story.” have taken a hard line on Russia, fortunately,” said Fire Chief Alex Baird of the verge of diabetic shock, rescuers said. That’s Washington.” Asked last month about reports Trump’s comments come as he Trump has often expressed a desire Panama City, one of the coastal Florida A lack of food and water is among the This marks the fi rst time that the he may be leaving, Mattis said: “I eyes another cabinet shakeup. for better relations with Russia’s communities clobbered by the hurricane most pressing issues for people reeling Republican president has publicly wouldn’t take it seriously at all.” Last week, his ambassador to the President Vladimir Putin. that made landfall Wednesday as a Cate- from the storm, said one volunteer who said anything negative about Mattis, Western offi cials privately extol United Nations, Nikki Haley, an- In the 60 Minutes interview, gory 4 storm, packing more than 140mph had been working in the Panama City who last month told reporters not to Mattis, whose standing among Nato nounced her resignation, eff ective at Trump alluded to upcoming changes winds and deadly storm surges. area. take seriously reports that he may be allies has risen as they become in- the end of the year. in his cabinet. “At sunrise, we’ll start again on our Rescue teams, hampered by power and leaving. creasingly bewildered by Trump’s She gave no reason for the surprise “I’m changing things around. And search,” Baird said. “We hope that we’ll telephone outages, used cadaver dogs, Asked about Trump’s remarks, policies on trade and Iran and diso- move, but observers have noted that I’m entitled to. I have people now on fi nd more (survivors), but it’s more and drones and heavy equipment to hunt for Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob riented by his outreach to Russian the ascension of Bolton as national standby that will be phenomenal. more doubtful.” people in the rubble. Manning said in a brief statement: President Vladimir Putin. security adviser and Pompeo as sec- They’ll come into the administra- President Donald Trump is expected to More than 1,700 search and rescue “Secretary Mattis is laser-focused One factor thought to have dark- retary of state have shifted the power tion, they’ll be phenomenal,” Trump visit both Florida and Georgia this week to workers were deployed, including seven on doing his job — ensuring the US ened Mattis’ prospects is this year’s dynamics on Trump’s national secu- said. inspect the damage, and the White House swift-water rescue teams and nearly military remains the most lethal arrival in the White House of Mira rity team. “I think we have a great cabinet. said late on Saturday the president was 300 ambulances, Florida Governor Rick force on the planet.” Ricardel, who now has the powerful The generals who once dominated There are some people that I’m not fully committed to helping state and local Scott’s offi ce said. Mattis’ future has become a focus post of deputy national security ad- security policy increasingly have ap- happy with. I have some people that agencies with the recovery. Electricity and phone service were be- of media speculation, particularly viser and is believed to dislike Mattis, peared to be on the outs with Trump. I’m not thrilled with. And I have The death toll of the storm reached at ing slowly restored, but it could be weeks after last month’s release of a book current and former offi cials have told Lieutenant General H R McMaster other people that I’m beyond thrilled least 18 Saturday night and is expected before power is restored to the most dam- by Watergate reporter Bob Wood- Reuters. was replaced by Bolton in April, while with,” he said. to rise in the US Southeast as rescuers go aged areas.

Record number of Native American women running in midterm elections

No Native American woman has ever served running for Congress as a Democrat. Seven governor in Oklahoma, which is home to the Native Americans have a voice to represent 4 dead in shootings at in the US House of Representatives. But a trio Native American men are also running in the only two Native American congressmen cur- their views and values.” of female candidates running in New Mexico 2018 midterm elections — the total of 10 is rently serving — Tom Cole and Markwayne “I am always happy to see Native Ameri- and Kansas are looking to erase that statistic. double the number of indigenous candidates Mullin, both Republicans. Throughout US cans running for off ice, whether they are toddler’s birthday party Two are Democrats. The third is a staunch who ran in 2016. history, more than a dozen Native American Democrats or Republicans,” Cole told AFP. supporter of President Donald Trump. On November 6, all 435 seats in the House and men have been elected to Congress. “They make a valuable contribution to Reuters But all three hope to make a diff erence on a third of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs. Haaland says Trump certainly helped public debate and the legislative process.” Austin Capitol Hill — and do their tribes proud. The polls are seen as a key litmus test halfway drive her into a political career. His colleague Mullin is running against “I’m a woman, a woman of colour. That through Trump’s first term in the Oval Off ice. But Christine Marie Sierra, a professor a fellow member of the Cherokee Nation, seems to be who we need in off ice right now The increase in the number of Native emerita of political science at the University Democrat Jason Nichols. our men were killed when a fi ght between two families to really push the issues that we care about,” American candidates is not only in the Con- of New Mexico, says the explanation for the Nichols has charged that Mullin is a Native turned into a shootout at the birthday party for a one-year- Deb Haaland, who is running in New Mexico, gressional races — more are also vying for record number of Native American candi- American “in name only,” and is out of touch Fold in Texas, state offi cials said. told AFP in an interview. seats in local and state legislatures, as well as dates is a bit more complicated. with indigenous communities. Gunfi re broke out on Saturday evening in the small town of Taft, The 57-year-old single mother also says governorships. “It’s a longer story. It is a story that has “We deserve better,” Nichols told AFP, north of Corpus Christi. she wants to be a “strong voice” for Native Mark Trahant, the editor-in-chief of Indian been happening frankly since the 1990s with accusing Mullin of “callousness toward our In addition to the four killed, a man was taken by helicopter to Americans, other minorities and the poor. Country Today, a specialised digital news more women running for off ice and more environment, access to healthcare, protec- a Corpus Christi hospital, Sgt Nathan Brandley of the Texas De- Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pue- platform, says that 100 candidates are seek- women getting elected,” especially women tion for women who have been the victims of partment of Public Safety told reporters yesterday. blo tribe in New Mexico. So is Yvette Herrell, ing off ice nationwide on all levels of govern- of colour, Sierra told AFP. domestic violence” — all key issues for Native Police were seeking two men in connection with the shoot- who is running in a diff erent district — and is ment, including 52 women. Traditionally, voter turnout among Native Americans. ing, Brandley said late on Saturday, adding that the Depart- a dyed-in-the-wool Republican. Both figures are a record. Americans is lower than average — five to 14 Haaland says she is ready to be “a voice ment of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers were leading the inves- The two women have little in common, For Trahant, Trump was certainly a percentage points lower. So in order to get on the other side of the aisle” from Cole and tigation. beyond their ethnic background. motivating factor in leading more Native elected, an indigenous candidate needs to Mullin, while working with them on issues Calls and an e-mail to the department seeking further details Haaland supports abortion rights, Herrell Americans to try their luck at the polls. appeal to a wider audience. that matter to their communities — a list she were not immediately returned yesterday. is against them; Haaland supports immigra- “It certainly was the inspiration for people For Sierra, “women of colour in particular says is topped by land, water and federal The four men were found dead at the house where the birthday tion reform that would provide so-called to say this time, ‘I’m actually going to run and are very good candidates.” “They can relate resources. party took place, Brandley said. ‘Dreamers’ with a path to citizenship, while not just talk about it’.” to voters as women, as racial minorities, as “With more indigenous people in off ice, He gave no motive for the shootings other than to say there was Herrell wants to boost border security. Paulette Jordan and Andria Tupola are working class, as mothers,” she explained. we can make progress for all indigenous an altercation between members of two families. In Kansas, Sharice Davids — a lawyer hoping to win the governor’s mansions in Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Na- communities and to remind the United On June 30 in Idaho, nine people were wounded at a 3-year- and former mixed martial arts fighter who Idaho and Hawaii, respectively. tion who is expected to win re-election in States that we are still here and our identity old’s birthday party by a man who went on a stabbing spree. Media is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation — is Among the men, Kevin Stitt is running for Oklahoma, said it is “critically important that is valid,” she said in a recent tweet. reported that the child later died. Thousands march against Trump’s ‘anti-woman agenda’

By Nova Safo, AFP dozens of community groups and politi- cal rancour generated by the partisan fi ght Chicago cians set up booths to reach new voters and over Kavanaugh’s confi rmation despite encourage political involvement. sexual assault allegations and powerful tes- “We wanted to lead into the midterms and timony against him by his accuser Christine housands of people made their dis- encourage women to get out and vote,” Jes- Blasey Ford. dain for President Donald Trump sica Scheller, head of Women’s March Chi- All but one Senate Republican voted to Theard Saturday at a rally and march cago, which organised the event, told AFP. confi rm Kavanaugh to a lifetime appoint- in Chicago aimed at galvanising support The loud crowd of thousands of men, ment on the Supreme Court. for Democrats in the upcoming November women and even children, marched through All but one Democrat voted against. midterm elections. downtown Chicago chanting “Vote them Anti-Trump marches were scheduled lat- A giant ‘Baby Trump’ fl ew over the crowd. out!” er this month in other states, including the Trump was depicted as ‘El Diablo’ on a Some were encouraged to head to early Republican strongholds of Texas, Georgia high-fl ying fl ag. voting locations nearby to cast ballots. and South Carolina. Demonstrators waved ‘Vote Blue’ banners Iyahna Wilson, a 19-year-old volunteer “It is infuriating to women to watch that — the message was unmistakable. who assisted in the march, voted for the fi rst display that we watched in that Senate Angered by the bitter fi ght over new US time — motivated by racial justice issues committee hearing, and to see that that man Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and gender rights. was still confi rmed,” Scheller said. and what they called the “anti-woman “I never really thought that my vote was “Women are angry. And we’re starting to agenda” of the Trump administration and going to make a change,” Wilson told AFP feel comfortable being angry.” the Republican Party, women — and men — moments after she exited a downtown poll- Republicans currently hold the White descended on the Windy City’s picturesque ing location, raising her hands up in cel- House and both chambers of Congress, but Grant Park. ebration. many in the party fear anti-Trump voters The ‘March to the Polls’ event — which It is that mindset that organisers were will overwhelm the president’s supporters began in the downtown park and wrapped fi ghting to change with an event they spe- in the elections, pushing the House — at up after a two-blocks-long crowd marched cifi cally aimed to take place in the runup to least — over to the Democrats. to the centre of the business district — came the midterm election. Most states allow early voting by mail-in just as voter registration deadlines neared in “I would like women to take charge of the ballot or at a limited number of polling sta- most states and early voting ramped up in midterms,” protester Sarah Sieracki told tions, giving those unable to show up on more than a dozen states including Illinois. AFP. Election Day a chance to vote. Hillary Clinton appeared in a video mes- The 23-year-old from the nearby Repub- Chicago organisers insisted their event sage played on a giant screen, encouraging lican-dominated state of Indiana was the did not favour any one party, even though people to register to vote. type of voter organisers were hoping to en- funding came largely from trade unions and “Imagine being able to hold this adminis- courage to get involved. Democrat-aligned groups. tration accountable,” Clinton said, echoing “Women need to vote. They need to get Previous women’s protests have included the general sentiment that the election is a out,” said Sieracki. “We need to rally the plenty of anti-Trump rhetoric. barometer of Trump’s popularity. young millennials and the people coming Protests in January shut down streets in People hold signs during a rally in Chicago on Saturday to inspire voter turnout ahead of midterm polls in the Saturday’s demonstration included a up, turning 18 (years old).” dozens of American cities. In Chicago, hun- United States. street festival-like ‘Voter Village’ where The Chicago rally symbolised the politi- dreds of thousands marched. Gulf Times 12 Monday, October 15, 2018 ASIA Protests as Maldives court Embattled Bangladesh reviews election challenge opposition Hundreds of opposition supporters queue up outside the Supreme Court demanding resignation of forges new the defeated president

Reuters/AFP Male alliance undreds of Maldiv- ians protested yesterday AFP Ahmed told reporters. Hdemanding the arrest Dhaka Analysts said the alliance of defeated President Abdulla with secular parties would Yameen as its top court began to boost BNP ahead of the gen- hear a petition challenging the angladesh’s main op- eral election, for which the outcome of last’s month election position party has date has not yet been set, but in the island nation. Bforged an alliance is likely to be held in December The tourist archipelago has with centrist parties, with or January. been in political turmoil since an 82-year-old former for- “The alliance has given BNP February, when a state of emer- eign minister emerging as a wider umbrella with moder- gency was imposed by Yameen, the main leader ahead of ate parties,” Ataur Rahman, a whose critics have accused him upcoming elections. former professor of political of running Maldives with an iron The Bangladesh Nationalist science at Rutgers University, fi st, jailing political opponents Party (BNP) is hoping the alli- said. and Supreme Court judges. ance will help it boost support “It will help overcome some “This is our right. They Maldives opposition supporters protest demanding the arrest of defeated President Abdulla Yameen as the Supreme Court began to hear a and move on after a series of of the setbacks it suff ered re- can’t change it. They can’t play petition challenging the outcome of last’s month election in Male yesterday. setbacks – including its leader cently following the court ver- around with the votes,” Abidha Khaleda Zia being jailed for dicts against its leaders and Afeef, a 55-year old protester Last week however, Yameen’s domestic media reports of a has become important as China not free and fair – on Saturday graft in February and its exiled crackdown of its activists. The told Reuters. “Yameen has to go.” lawyers approached the Su- complaint to police by the com- and India compete for infl uence warned it would react if Yameen, acting leader, her son, being alliance may enjoy wider sup- Yameen initially conceded de- preme Court, saying supporters pany that printed the ballots. The in the region. 59, does not go quietly. sentenced last week. ports from the civil society, feat last month after an offi cial had complained about rigging complaint alleged Yameen’s par- China is engaged in building “The US is concerned by trou- The Jatiya Oikya Front professionals and journalists,” count showed joint opposition of votes and fraudulent ballot ty attempted to bribe its workers up the islands’ infrastructure bling actions by outgoing presi- (“United National Front”) was he said. leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih papers. to give false statements backing as part of its Belt and Road Ini- dent Yameen that threaten to formally announced in the He said the Hossain-led alli- had won the election by a margin Four members of the Elec- Yameen’s challenge. tiative (BRI) to boost trade and undermine the will of the Maldi- Bangladesh capital Saturday ance could emulate Malaysia’s of 16.8% in a surprise result. tion Commission have fl ed Yameen’s party called the transport links across Asia. vian people,” State Department after months of negotiations example and rally behind an The Maldives Election Com- the island nation, due to al- complaint “ludicrous”, saying it The Supreme Court adjourned spokesman Robert Palladino said among opposition parties. experienced political fi gure to mission said the vote was leged intimidation and threats, was a tactic to divert attention yesterday after proceedings that on Twitter. Kamal Hossain, a former pose a formidable challenge to free and fair, with turnout of Reuters reported on Saturday. from the court case. lasted several hours, and will He added that Washing- foreign minister and an emi- Hasina and her Awami League. 89.2%. And the opposition has Yameen’s party has dismissed The country of some 400,000 resume today. ton “will consider appropriate nent lawyer who drafted the “But everything will depend been trying to secure a smooth the allegations. people is popular with tourists, The United States – which like measures against anyone who secular constitution just af- on how they mobilise sup- transition of power, due on The allegations from com- and being located near key ship- the European Union threatened undermines a peaceful transfer ter independence in 1971, has port from the grassroots and November 17. mission offi cials follow some ping lanes in the Indian Ocean it sanctions if the elections were of power in #Maldives”. emerged as the main leader. how they sustain their unity “There is no alternative to in the next couple of months,” free and fair election,” Hos- he said. sain told a press briefi ng late The exiled acting head of Saturday. the BNP, Tarique Rahman, the The new alliance issued a eldest son of Zia, was last week Junta chief seven-point list of demands sentenced to life in prison over including the dissolution of a 2004 grenade attack on cur- parliament and the holding of rent Prime Minister Sheikh installs ally free and fair polls organised by Hasina. an interim government. Bikalpadhara, an opposi- “The launch of the Jatiya tion party, opted out of the as mayor Oikya Front will go down in alliance, saying it wants BNP history as a turning point,” to sever all ties with the coun- senior BNP leader and try’s largest Islamist party of Pattaya former law minister Moudud Jamaat-e-Islami.

hailand’s junta leader has appointed the scion of a Tnotorious political clan to run the country’s money-spin- ning city of Pattaya, as he woos Cambodia allies ahead of an anticipated run in next year’s elections. With its beaches, myriad hotels and raucous nightlife, Pattaya is a lucrative tourist hub and the heart resumes of Thailand’s tourism industry. Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who leads the ruling junta, booted out the current mayor of the free- wheeling resort and installed search with Sonthaya Khunpluem to the in- fl uential post, an announcement in the Royal Gazette said. Pattaya also serves as the ad- ministrative centre of the multi- US for war billion-dollar Eastern Economic Volunteers and friends carry the dead bodies of Korean and Nepali climbers recovered from Mount Gurja after being airlifted to Teaching Corridor (EEC), the country’s Hospital in Kathmandu yesterday. biggest ever investment project. “It is necessary to have a high potential, experienced, and remains competent Pattaya city admin- istrator in order to benefi t and support the activities in the Reuters “As we have discussed be- Nepal rescuers retrieve EEC,” the Royal Gazette an- Phnom Penh fore, and at your personal re- nouncement said explaining the quest, as well as that made by sudden change. other US organisations, my Sonthaya is the frontman for ambodia has agreed to government, in the same com- an independent political party resume a search eff ort passionate spirit, agreed to bodies of nine climbers in Chonburi - one of the three Cwith the United States resume this important POW/ provinces covered by the EEC. for the remains of Americans MIA fi eld mission, regardless The Khunpluems are led by killed in the Vietnam War, the (of) the United States visa re- AFP climbers off ,” said rescuer Suraj “There needs be an investi- A sixth South Korean climber patriarch Somchai, dubbed the foreign ministry said yester- striction in place,” Hun Sen Kathmandu Paudyal who reached the site gation ... my hope is that more was staying at a village lower in “godfather of the East” of Thai- day, after suspending the pro- wrote. yesterday. information will come to light the valley when the storm hit, land, a shadowy, powerful busi- gram a year ago as tension rose The US embassy in the The remote camp at around over the next day or two as the after being forced to a lower al- nessman with vast land and con- between the two countries. Cambodian capital of Phnom he bodies of nine climb- 3,500m was located next to a remains are collected and ana- titude by health problems. struction interests. Prime Minister Hun Sen Penh declined to comment. ers killed on Nepal’s gully that acted as a funnel for lysed,” said Dan Richards of Glo- Only 30 people have ever He was jailed in 2013 for mur- suspended the POW/MIA Hun Sen has said that TMount Gurja were re- the mass of snow, ice and rocks bal Rescue, a US-based emer- reached the summit of Mount der and corruption convictions programme when Washing- the remains of half of the trieved yesterday as rescuers brought down by the avalanche gency assistance group that Gurja with the last successful after a decade on the run, but ton stopped issuing some vi- 80 American soldiers who tried to piece together what led creating a powerful kickback of helped with the retrieval eff ort. ascent recorded in 1996, ac- freed late last year by Prayut’s sas after Cambodia refused to went missing in Cambodia to the freak accident, the dead- wind that decimated the team. The alarm was raised only cording to the Himalayan Da- government on health grounds. accept citizens deported from during the war in neigh- liest to hit the Himalayan na- “The terrain is very chal- on Saturday morning when the tabase. His family was formerly the United States following bouring Vietnam have been tion’s mountaineering industry lenging and it was a diffi cult team had not been in contact The freak accident is the aligned to the Shinawatras - the their convictions for crimes found. in recent years. process to retrieve the bodies,” for over 24 hours, said Wang- deadliest incident to hit Nepal’s political dynasty who have won there. Even after it ended in 1975, Rescuers found the bodies said Poudyal. chu Sherpa of Trekking Camp mountaineering industry since all Thai national elections since Foreign aff airs ministry the Vietnam War remains an of the South Korean climbing It took a helicopter several Nepal, who organised the ex- 18 people were killed at Mount 2001 - but whose party was top- spokesman Ket Sophann said emotive issue in Cambodia. expedition scattered across the trips to bring the bodies - fi ve pedition. Everest’s base camp in 2015 pled by a 2014 coup. Hun Sen had off ered to resume Hun Sen’s ruling party base camp amid the broken re- South Koreans and four Nepa- A helicopter was sent to in- in an avalanche triggered by a Prayut toppled that Shinawatra- co-operation in a letter on won all 125 parliamentary mains of their tents and equip- lis - down from the camp in the vestigate and spotted the bod- powerful earthquake. led civilian administration, accus- Friday to US Senator Doug seats in a July election the ment. Dhaulagiri mountain range of ies, but strong winds prevented The previous year, 16 Sher- ing the family of graft and toxifying Ericksen and Representative United Nations and Western The team had injuries, in- Nepal’s Annapurna region. the rescue team from retrieving pas were killed on Everest when Thai politics with populist policies Vincent Buys. countries have described as cluding head wounds and bro- They arrived in the capital the dead. an avalanche swept through the and crony-government. “The letter talks to this it- fl awed after the main op- ken bones, consistent with Kathmandu late afternoon yes- The expedition was led by Khumbu Icefall during the busy The promotion of a Khun- self, especially the words: it is position Cambodia National being hit by strong winds, terday by chopper. experienced South Korean spring climbing season. pluem to the Pattaya mayoralty the refl ection of our deep em- Rescue Party (CNRP) was but rescuers say it most likely The accident is believed mountaineer Kim Chang-ho, Then in October that year, points to a “deal” between the pathy with the families,” Ket dissolved over accusations caused by the powerful down- to have happened either late who has climbed the world’s 14 a blizzard killed more than 40 clan and junta, according to Paul Sophann said. of plotting to topple the blast from an avalanche, not a Thursday or Friday, but there highest mountains without us- tourists and their guides in the Chambers, an expert on Thai Hun Sen said the search government. storm. are no surviving witnesses. ing supplemental oxygen. Annapurna region, a disaster politics at Naresuan University. program, which had run for Hun Sen has accused “It seems that seracs (glacial Relatives and friends broke The team had been on 7,193m that was largely blamed on poor It gives the ruling junta “po- 30 years until being suspend- the United States of plot- ice) and snow fell from high on down in tears as the bodies were (23,599ft) Mount Gurja since weather forecasting and lack- litical and economic power in ed last year, would resume ting treason with opposi- the mountain and the strong carried out from the choppers early October, hoping to scale lustre safety standards in Ne- eastern Thailand” in exchange even though the visa curbs tion leader Kem Sokha, gusts of winds from that hit after they landed outside a hos- the rarely climbed mountain via pal’s poorly regulated trekking for political support at the next had “unjustly sanctioned” an accusation rejected by the campsite, throwing the pital in Kathmandu. a new route. industry. election, Chambers said. (AFP) Cambodia. Washington. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Military review

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reviews Self-Defence Force soldiers during the military review at the Ground Self-Defence Force’s Asaka training ground in Asaka, Saitama prefecture, Japan.

Proposed artifi cial islands for World Bank off ers HK housing sparks protests

AFP ronment — especially marine vironment, that’s it,” said ac- Hong Kong life — with many also express- countant Wong. Chan and ing frustration over the lack of Wong only provided their sur- public say in the plans. names. City offi cials are pro- $1bn for Indonesia housands took to the There is no offi cial fi gure for moting the future metropolis streets in Hong Kong how much the islands will cost, of Lantau, which is linked to the Tyesterday to protest a but some campaigners have mainland with a mega-bridge, government plan to build new put the fi gure at HK$800bn as a gateway to the world and to housing on artifi cial islands, (US$102bn). neighbouring Chinese cities. claiming the “white elephant” Protesters chanted “We Hong Kong’s international project will damage the envi- don’t want white elephants!” airport — also partially built rebuilding eff orts ronment and line the pockets of in yesterday’s march, joined by on reclaimed land — is located developers. children holding up their own just off Lantau. This is not the AFP The government’s propos- illustrations of Lantau’s fa- fi rst time a mega infrastruc- Nusa Dua, Indonesia al to reclaim 1,700 hectares mous Chinese white dolphins ture project has sparked out- (4,200 acres) of land around – whose numbers have plunged cry in the city. Hong Kong’s Hong Kong’s largest outlying due to recent construction and new high-speed rail link to the he World Bank yesterday island, Lantau, has been touted reclamations, according to en- mainland and the soon-to-be- announced funding of up as a solution to the pressing vironmentalists. opened bridge connecting the Tto $1bn in loans for Indone- housing shortage in the city — “There are many ways to fi nd city with Macau and Zhuhai sia after it was rocked by a string notorious for being one of the land in Hong Kong, but (the au- have also proven divisive. of recent disasters, including a least aff ordable markets on the thorities) don’t want to cross Supporters say the multi- deadly earthquake-tsunami that planet. the property developers,” said billion-dollar projects will killed thousands. City leader Carrie Lam said 52-year-old Chan, referring to boost business, while others CEO Kristalina Georgieva un- new residential units on the the government’s reluctance to claim they are politically driv- veiled the funds at Indonesian proposed artifi cial islands could take back the vast land banks en and costly white elephants holiday island Bali, where the accommodate 1.1mn people in held by developers. aimed at blurring the bounda- Bank and the International Mon- the coming years, and pledged For some, the project should ries between Hong Kong and etary Fund have been holding to reserve 70% of them for pub- be rejected for its environ- mainland China as Beijing their annual meetings. lic housing. But critics say the mental impact alone. “This tightens its grip over the semi- A 7.5-magnitude quake and a massive projects are too costly shouldn’t be controversial. autonomous city. resulting tsunami tore through and will also destroy the envi- Once you’ve destroyed the en- Palu city on Sulawesi island on September 28, killing more than 2,000 people and leaving thou- sands more missing, presumed dead. Rescue teams scoured the wreckage for a fortnight before A woman visits an area hit by the tsunami on the coastline in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. calling off the search for the dead, acknowledging as many as 5,000 disaster hits fewer people are af- for stalling the fl ow of relief sup- mark for a certain project, this is missing people might never be fected, fewer lives are lost, and plies. The shallow 7.5-magnitude something that can be used by the found. there is less damage.” Nearly tremor was more powerful than a government to support (people) Georgieva said the funds be- 90,000 people were displaced by series of quakes this summer that during this uncertain time,” she ing made available by the Bank in the quake in Palu, forcing them killed more than 550 people on the said. the form of loans could be used into evacuation centres across the Indonesian island of Lombok and The funding was particularly for reconstruction but were also rubble-strewn city. Offi cials said neighbouring Sumbawa. important in the current econom- intended to help Indonesia build it could be two years before all the Indonesia has been hit by a ic climate, she said, “with much “resilience”, so it would be better homeless are found permanent string of other deadly quakes, higher interest rates, tightening of prepared in the face of future dis- accommodation. including a devastating 9.1-mag- liquidity, (it is) a much harder en- asters. Aid groups say a dearth of nitude tremor that struck off the vironment for us to get fi nancing “Disasters will continue to hit clean drinking water and medi- coast of Sumatra in December from outside”. Indonesia is one of and with climate change there cal supplies remains a very real 2004, killing 220,000 throughout the most disaster-prone nations will be more,” said Georgieva, concern for 200,000 people in the region, including 168,000 in on earth. who visited Palu earlier this week. urgent need. Donations have Indonesia. It lies on the Pacifi c “Ring of “The best memorial we can build begun pouring into the coastal Indonesian Finance Minister Fire”, where tectonic plates collide for the victims of disaster is to city of 350,000 after a slow start Sri Mulyani Indrawati welcomed and many of the world’s volcanic Protesters mock Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam as they demonstrate against a large-scale land build better, so next time when a which saw Indonesia criticised the pledge. “This is not one ear- eruptions and earthquakes occur. reclamation to build artificial islands in Hong Kong, China.

Australian woman suff ers punctured lung Japan to pledge tax hike in kangaroo attack New Zealand activists raise

A woman suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs to address debt mountain and other internal injuries after a kangaroo she was thousands for Palestinians feeding attacked her in north-east Australia, it was reported yesterday. Linda Smith, 64, was feeding AFP zo Abe will announce system — pension and around 30 kangaroos and wallabies in Toowoomba, Tokyo the sales tax hike at a national health insurance, Queensland with her husband late Saturday when a after Israel Lorde fi ne cabinet meeting today, among others — is “the two-metre tall animal attacked her husband Jim and the mass circulation Yo- biggest challenge” ahead pinned him to the ground. apan will announce a miuri Shimbun and Jiji and pledged to tackle the “I went outside to try and help him and took a DPA Instead, the duo turned to a of responsibility”. “Israel has sales tax hike in 2019 Press both reported. The issue. broom and a piece of bread, but he knocked the Wellington crowdfunding website which chosen to make an example of Jafter repeated delays, increase — originally IMF chief Christine broom out of my hand then attacked me,” she told by yesterday had raised over us.” The lawsuit, fi led in Janu- reports said yesterday, in planned for October Lagarde warned earlier the national broadcaster ABC. “I got him off Jim and $15,000. “We would like to re- ary, is the fi rst ruling to cite a an eff ort to address the 2015 — has been pushed this month that the chal- Jim got up and I managed to grab a piece of wood wo New Zealand activ- direct the support extended to controversial 2011 Israeli anti- nation’s huge public debt. back twice due to fears lenges facing the country to defend myself with that. ists have raised thou- us back to Palestinians in need boycott law that allows civil The world’s third-larg- it could derail the fragile will “only grow as Japan’s Then my son came out to try and help me and hit Tsands of dollars for of mental health support,” action against entities who call est economy has one of economy. population continues to him over the head with a shovel.” mental health in Gaza after Sachs and Abu-Shanab wrote for a boycott of the state. the highest debt-to-GDP Tokyo’s last tax rise in age and shrink,” noting Despite their placid appearance, kangaroos can be an Israeli court ordered them on the Give A Little website, “Playing in Tel Aviv will be ratios among rich na- April 2014 was blamed for that both the size of the fierce fighters, rearing up on their tails and raking to pay damages for writing adding that the money would seen as giving support to the tions. Much of it is held pushing Japan into a brief economy and the popula- the stomachs of opponents with their back feet an open letter that convinced go to the Gaza Mental Health policies of the Israeli govern- domestically at low inter- recession. tion are on track to shrink which have big claws. singer Lorde to cancel her show Foundation. ment, even if you make no est rates, allowing Japan This time, Abe is con- by a quarter over the next They can box with their short front paws and have in Tel Aviv. “Emotional distress is a lived comment on the political situ- to avoid a Greek-style fi dent that with new 40 years. been known to inflict injuries. Wildlife officers warn Jewish-New Zealander Jus- reality for Palestinians in Gaza, ation,” the activists wrote in cash crunch. Critics say government subsidies A loss of confi dence in people not to approach wild kangaroos, particularly tine Sachs and Palestinian- where over half of children suf- their letter to Lorde in Decem- that raising the tariff from launched alongside, he Tokyo’s ability to pay its big males. New Zealander Nadia Abu- fer PTSD as a result of Israeli ber. The singer responded on eight to 10% is crucial to can avoid a sharp drop debts could send interest Despite her injuries Smith, who has been caring for Shanab on Friday rejected military attacks,” the activ- Twitter, saying the concerns fi nance snowballing so- in consumer spending rates soaring and increase wildlife for 15 years, said it was an “act of nature” and the legal action which or- ists wrote. Abu-Shanab told had been “Noted!” cial security expenditure that hit the economy af- the risk of a bankruptcy. did not want the animal harmed. dered them to pay NZ$12,400 NZ Radio that the pair were Days later, the 21-year-old — especially medical fees ter the 2014 hike, the re- Ratings agencies have She said it was breeding time and males could be (US$7,800) for causing mental not prepared for the amount New Zealander cancelled the — in the rapidly ageing ports said. Abe recently previously cut Japan’s aggressive. On top of that, kangaroos are struggling harm to three Israeli teenagers of international attention they performance which was due to society. said that reforming the credit standing over its to survive in the severe drought that is affecting who had purchased tickets to would receive. She said the pair conclude her Melodrama world Prime Minister Shin- country’s social security debt levels. large swathes of Australia and can fight over food. the concert. had been “struck with a sense tour. Gulf Times 14 Monday, October 15, 2018 BRITAIN UK, EU envoys hold surprise

Brexit meeting May: faces what one newspaper cartoon dubbed ‘hell week’. AFP/DPA Ireland backstop, it was jointly ter Theresa May prepares to face after media reports that the fi - toms union ... we are not going to Conservative eurosceptic law- that enables Britain to become Brussels agreed that face-to-face talks what one newspaper cartoon nal “backstop” arrangement will see Northern Ireland carved off .” maker Nadine Dorries agreed an economic powerhouse in the were necessary ahead of this dubbed “hell week”. have no legal ending date. Health Secretary Matt Han- that Davis’s intervention was decades to come,” Patel said. week’s October European Coun- Tomorrow she will discuss the The EU’s suggestion would see cock told BBC television that “signifi cant”. Eurosceptic Anne-Marie U chief negotiator Michel cil,” said a spokeswoman for Irish border issue with her cabi- Northern Ireland remain aligned any customs backstop would be “His position has always been, Trevelyan wrote a similar article Barnier and Britain’s Brexit Raab’s ministry. net, amid speculation that fur- with Brussels’ rules, thus varying “time limited”, but did not say change the policy, not the PM,” for yesterday’s Telegraph, argu- Eminister scrambled to hold A senior British government ther ministers could resign if the from the rest of the UK. whether an expiry date would be Dorries tweeted. “Getting May ing that May’s plan would leave talks yesterday ahead of a crunch source played down reports that prime minister ploughs on with The proff ered plans have in- written into the deal. out and him becoming an interim Britain “in a permanent tempo- summit this week as time runs a deal had already been done. her proposals. furiated the pro-Brexit hard core Raab’s predecessor, David leader may be the only way to de- rary customs union” over which out on striking a divorce deal. “It’s very much in the EU’s in- She then goes to Brussels, of May’s centre-right Conserva- Davis, who resigned in July to op- liver Brexit and FTA [a free-trade London has “no control of the Barnier and Dominic Raab terests to make it look like there is where the border between the tive Party – not to mention her pose May’s “Chequers” plan for agreement].” escape mechanism”. held surprise talks in Brussels, as a deal,” the source said, because it UK’s Northern Ireland and the Northern Irish allies in the Dem- Brexit, led the way with a call for The Sunday Times said up to The Observer, the Guard- London insisted that the nego- would then leave Britain looking Irish Republic remains a sticking ocratic Unionist Party (DUP). her cabinet to reject the plan. 44 lawmakers had sent letters ian’s Sunday newspaper, quoted tiations were far from reaching a “like we are the ones being in- point in the Brexit talks. The minority Conservative “The government’s strategy demanding a confi dence vote in leaked government e-mails as conclusion. transigent”. Neither London, Dublin nor government relies on the DUP, has three fundamental fl aws, May to the Conservatives’ infl u- saying that DUP leader Arlene With Britain set to leave the There are still some “big is- Brussels wants to see checks Northern Ireland’s biggest party, all of which are surfacing as we ential 1922 Committee, which Foster, who held talks with EU of- bloc at the end of March, Euro- sues” to be resolved and “Do- imposed on the border – but the for a thin majority in parliament, approach the endgame,” Davis must trigger a leadership contest fi cials last week, was “ready for a pean Commission head Jean- minic has gone out there to try to problem persists of fi nding a way The DUP are staunchly pro- wrote in the Sunday Times, ahead if at least 48 lawmakers request no-deal scenario, which she now Claude Juncker is demanding resolve the outstanding issues”. to square that aim with May’s de- UK, pro-Brexit, and fi ercely op- of an expected cabinet meeting one. believed was the likeliest one”. “substantial progress” this week, In Brussels, diplomatic sourc- sire to leave the European single posed to any moves that could tomorrow. Another Conservative law- British offi cials said Foster had specifi cally on the vexed issue of es told AFP that member states’ market and the customs union. put distance between Northern He said May made “an unwise maker, Priti Patel, wrote in the called her meeting with Barnier the UK’s border with the Repub- ambassadors to the EU had been Britain has proposed stick- Ireland and the British mainland. decision in December to accept popular tabloid the Sun, asking “hostile and diffi cult”, the news- lic of Ireland, an EU member. called for an urgent meeting at ing with EU customs rules after They have threatened to vote the EU’s language on dealing with May: “What part of ‘We voted to paper reported. With a breakthrough still 6:30pm (1630 GMT). Brexit as a fallback option to keep down the British government’s the Northern Ireland border”. leave the customs union’ don’t Some diplomats in Brus- seemingly elusive, Raab went to “They are going to take stock,” the border open, until a wider budget if May gives way to Brus- Infl uential Conservative law- you get, prime minister?” sels have suggested the leaders Brussels for talks with Barnier to one source said, but currently the trade deal is agreed that avoids sels. maker Steve Baker, deputy chair “Now is the time for the gov- could talk through the night on get a head start on Wednesday’s British “do not seem ready yet” the need for frontier checks. Conservative Party vice- of the party’s European Research ernment to honour the refer- Wednesday and approve the out- summit. to sign off on an agreement. May says that this will only be chairman James Cleverly told Sky Group of some 60 lawmakers, endum mandate and the Con- lines of an agreement while they “With several big issues still to Yesterday’s fl urry of activity temporary, but her spokeswoman News television: “We are not go- tweeted that Davis had written a servative manifesto by seeking are still in the Belgian capital for resolve, including the Northern comes as British Prime Minis- was forced to clarify the point ing to stay indefi nitely in a cus- “great article”. a free-trade deal with the EU broader talks on Thursday. Hawking predicted Thousands fl eeing domestic violence race of ‘superhumans’

By Sarah Marsh put up in squalid housing: lawyers Guardian News & Media Lack of social housing and A Haringey council spokes- March, the then home secretary, he late physicist and au- poor council decisions failing woman said: “Concerns about Amber Rudd, and the justice thor Professor Stephen vulnerable in England, say the initial property were raised secretary, David Gauke, said in a THawking has sparked lawyers early this year, including issues joint statement. “We are deter- controversy by suggesting with mice. mined to ensure victims feel safe a new race of superhumans By Sarah Marsh and “Homes for Haringey arranged and supported, both to seek help could develop from wealthy Hannah Mays for the resident to be moved to and to rebuild their lives.” people choosing to edit their Hawking: Some people won’t Guardian News & Media alternative temporary accom- The fi ndings of the consulta- own and their children’s DNA. be able to resist the modation as a priority. tion, which closed in May, have Hawking, the author of A temptation to improve human “The resident has now moved yet to be made public. Brief History of Time, who died characteristics. housands of vulnerable into new accommodation and A person who has become in March, made the fi nal pre- survivors of domestic vio- minor repairs were carried out to homeless as a result of domes- dictions in a collection of arti- Hawking suggests that Tlence in England are be- the property this week.” tic violence must be classed by cles and essays. breakthroughs in genetics will ing housed in dirty and unsuit- Another survivor of domestic the council as in priority need of The scientist presents the make it attractive for people able accommodation, including violence said that she was housed housing and, under law, placed in possibility that genetic en- to try to improve themselves, dwellings overrun with mice and in a property where the toilet accommodation that is suitable. gineering could create a new raising issues for “unimproved mould, holes in the fl oor and no leaked into her bedroom. However, the housing lawyer species of superhuman that humans”. electricity. “It took three months to fi x,” Jane Pritchard said women often could destroy the rest of hu- “Once such superhumans Housing lawyers and charities she said. not knowing their rights and did manity. appear, there will be signifi cant said a lack of social housing and The woman, who has anxiety not challenge poor decisions. The essays, published in the political problems with un- poor council decisions meant and depression, said: “We should “Sometimes victims of abuse Sunday Times, were written in improved humans, who won’t women were increasingly being be treated like humans, not like tolerate bad accommodation preparation for a book that will be able to compete,” he wrote. put in temporary accommoda- animals … They sent me to see a because they don’t want to be be published tomorrow. “Presumably, they will die out, tion that was not fi t for purpose, place in a very scary area … I had moved far away from the area “I am sure that during this or become unimportant. putting them at risk of returning The Guardian was shown around one woman’s house in north a door in my bedroom without a they are from,” she said, adding century people will discover “Instead, there will be a race to the perpetrators of abuse. London, which was infested with mice. window and I couldn’t open the that when they do go up against how to modify both intel- of self-designing beings who “This is a widespread problem, door to get some fresh air.” local authorities about the mat- ligence and instincts such as are improving at an ever-in- it’s more of an issue in larger cit- north London that was infested her, but she said the property had Bernardi said that the benefi ts ter, they were often successful. aggression,” he wrote. “Laws creasing rate.” ies but is aff ecting people across with mice. no electricity and that outside cap and local housing allowances Bernardi said it was up to will probably be passed against The comments refer to tech- the UK. Thousands of women are There were holes in the prop- was an abandoned car with rub- was resulting in women being councils to decide what “suit- genetic engineering with hu- niques such as Crispr-Cas9, a likely to be aff ected … It’s truly erty, which was allocated to her bish in it. housed in inappropriate proper- able” means. mans. DNA-editing system that was awful and horrifi c and it’s some- by Haringey council, as well as “My daughter got an ear in- ties. Pritchard said providing safe “But some people won’t be invented six years ago, allow- thing we are coming across more problems with damp and mould. fection in the old property, when “The higher the private market and suitable housing at the point able to resist the temptation ing scientists to modify harm- and more,” said Derek Bernardi, The 36-year-old fl ed domestic she was six months, and I think it rents go, local housing allowanc- of crisis is essential because it to improve human character- ful genes or add new ones. a solicitor-advocate at the Cam- violence with her two children was because of the mouse drop- es are frozen and there are fewer “could be the only time in life for istics, such as memory, resist- London’s Great Ormond den Law Centre in north London. and has been in the unsuitable pings, they have nibbled through landlords willing to off er proper- them to escape”. ance to disease and length of Street hospital for children has “The problem is driven by a property for two years. the cupboards and my children’s ties at lower rates. The ones who Bernardi said poor housing in- life.” used gene-editing to treat chil- lack of social housing and af- Homes for Haringey, the coun- books,” she said. “It has been a do are the ones who are not able creased the likelihood of return- In Brief Answers to the Big dren with an otherwise incur- fordable housing in general,” he cil’s arms-length management nightmare.” to get market rate as the property ing to the perpetrator. Questions, Hawking’s fi nal able form of leukaemia. added. organisation, said it initially did However, she was relieved to tends to be in a bad condition,” he Women’s Aid said a survey thoughts on the universe’s big- However, questions have Bernardi said at least a couple not realise she was a survivor of leave the place she has been for said. of some of the most vulnerable gest questions, the physicist been raised about whether of people a week came to his law abuse when it fi rst met her. two years. The domestic violence bill women it has supported, who suggests that wealthy people parents would risk using such fi rm to talk about housing disre- She said she did disclose this to Her son struggled to sleep at aims to give local councils greater were unable to access a refuge would soon be able to choose techniques for fear the en- pair. Homes for Haringey before en- that property because of mice powers to protect and support immediately, found 12% were to edit their own and their chil- hancements would have side- The Guardian was shown tering the property. running around in the roof above, survivors. forced to sleep rough before get- dren’s genetic make-up. eff ects. around one woman’s house in The council has just rehoused she added. Launching a consultation in ting in touch. ‘Local welfare’ schemes in England on brink of collapse, says report

By Patrick Butler The demise of local welfare “Local authority welfare partment for Work and Pensions Local welfare provision re- versial as most councils refuse rather than sinking deeper into Guardian News & Media would put tens of thousands of schemes are increasingly thread- (DWP) helplines for help are rou- placed the discretionary social to give cash payments to clients poverty. vulnerable people at increased bare, leaving families in many tinely directed to local welfare fund, which in its fi nal year spent in crisis, choosing instead to of- “A lifeline in times of emer- risk of hunger, debt and destitu- areas with nowhere to turn for schemes in their areas if they do £240mn in crisis loans and com- fer supermarket food vouchers or gency is a vital part of a compas- he system of “local wel- tion, the charity said. help,” said the bishop of Man- not qualify for offi cial advance munity care grants. refer them to food banks. sionate society, but it has been fare” schemes set up less The system was designed to chester, David Walker. “It cannot loans or hardship funds. It was devolved to councils In one case, Isle of Wight withdrawn in many places and Tthan fi ve years ago to pro- help people on low incomes be right for central and local gov- Church leaders and anti-pov- with DWP funding in 2013 but council off ered a 62-year-old neglected almost everywhere.” vide emergency help to England’s deal with unexpected hardship, ernment to abdicate responsibil- erty charities called on ministers that cash was stopped in 2015, homeless woman a voucher to A government spokesperson poorest families, often to help such as a lack of money caused ity for people in crisis when they to make local welfare provision a with councils left to decide buy a tent. said: “One million people have them cope with delays and sanc- by benefi t payment problems, need our help most.” legal duty for top-tier councils, whether to keep the schemes go- Only two English councils – been lifted out of absolute pov- tions to their benefi ts, is on the or domestic crises such broken In many areas the most com- and to provide ring-fenced fund- ing. Islington in north London and erty since 2010 and household verge of collapse, say poverty boilers, house fi res and fl ooding. mon reason for an application ing to protect crisis services. Huge budget pressures faced North Tyneside in the northeast incomes have never been higher. campaigners. Huge cuts to council budgets for crisis support is delays or The 153 councils that respond- by councils mean even authori- – had higher local welfare budget “For families that need extra A survey of more than 150 have left the system, which re- sanctions to benefi ts, with some ed to the survey collectively re- ties that have protected local cash totals year compared with support, we’re spending £90bn a council-run schemes by Church placed the old social fund, strug- councils noting that the fi ve- duced spending on local welfare welfare in the past are proposing 2013, by 12% and 4% respec- year on working-age benefi ts. Action on Poverty found that gling to survive. week minimum wait for a fi rst by an average 72% between 2013- drastic cuts. tively. “Local authorities are respon- nearly 25% had been shut since Provision is so uneven that universal credit payment is an 14 and 2017-18. West Sussex county council Niall Cooper, the director of sible for using their funds to best 2013, while a further quarter have thousands of people cannot ac- emerging factor in rising de- Together they spent £46mn on recently unveiled plans for an Church Action on Poverty, said: meet the needs of their residents, reduced spending by 85% . cess emergency help from the mand. local welfare last year, compared 80% reduction in its £800,000 “The purpose of the social fund and over the next two years we More are expected to close in state, Church Action on Poverty Universal credit claimants fac- with a national budget of £172mn crisis fund from next April. was that people could stay afl oat are providing them with £90.7bn the next few months. said. ing hardship who contact De- in 2013-14. Local welfare has been contro- and hopefully ride out a crisis, to do so.” Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 15 EUROPE

Khashoggi’s fi ancée says those responsible for UK, France and Germany disappearance must be held fully accountable call for ‘credible probe’ By Haroon Siddique tions are true, and Jamal has been Guardian News & Media murdered by the errand boys of (Saudi Crown Prince) Mohamed From Page 1 Arabia,” he said. said Salman affi rmed his coun- bin Salman, he is already a mar- “There needs to be a cred- “If, as they say, this terri- try’s “solid” relations with he fi ancée of Jamal tyr. ible investigation to establish ble murder didn’t happen then Turkey in the phone call with Khashoggi has said that “His loss is not just mine but the truth about what happened, where is Jamal Khashoggi? Erdogan. Tshe will only consider ac- that of every person with a con- and — if relevant — to identify That is what the world wants to The king phoned Erdogan “to cepting Donald Trump’s invita- science and moral compass. those bearing responsibility for know. thank the president for wel- tion to the White House if the US “If we have already lost Jamal, the disappearance of Jamal “If they have got nothing to coming the kingdom’s proposal president is prepared to make a then condemnation is not Khashoggi, and ensure that hide then they will, and should, to form a joint working group “genuine contribution” to inves- enough. they are held to account. co-operate.” to discuss the disappearance of tigating the Saudi critic’s disap- “The people who took him While expressing support Turkish President Recep Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi.” pearance. from us, irrespective of their for joint Saudi-Turkish eff orts Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi King Salman emphasised the im- Hatice Cengiz said that if her political positions, must be held to look into his disappearance, Salman yesterday discussed the portance of the Turkey-Saudi husband-to-be, who has not accountable and punished to the they said the Saudi government case of Khashoggi in their fi rst relationship and said no-one been seen since he entered the full extent of the law. must provide “a complete and telephone talks on the contro- should be able to “undermine Saudi consulate in Istanbul on “In recent days, I saw reports detailed response”, indicating versy, both sides said. the strength of this relation- October 2, had been murdered, about President Trump wanting that such a message had been Erdogan and Salman dis- ship,” it added. the perpetrators’ status must not to invite me to the White House. conveyed “directly” to Riyadh. cussed “the issue of shed- Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia protect them. “If he makes a genuine con- Turkish offi cials say they ding light on the case of Jamal warned yesterday it would re- Trump said that he had invited tribution to the eff orts to reveal believe Khashoggi was killed Khashoggi” and also empha- taliate against any sanctions Cengiz to the White House at the what happened inside the Saudi inside the Saudi mission and sised the “importance of creat- imposed on the kingdom over same time as vowing severe pun- consulate in Istanbul that day, I lurid claims suggesting he was ing a joint working group within the disappearance of Khashog- ishment if the Saudi regime was will consider accepting his invi- tortured and even dismembered the framework of the investiga- gi, as the Riyadh stock market found to be involved. tation.” have been leaked to the media. tion,” said a Turkish presiden- plunged on growing investor There have been doubts, Cengiz said that she still wakes Cengiz: described Khashoggi as a patriot who loved his country. Following the statement, tial source, who asked not to be jitters. however, about how far the US up every morning hoping to hear Hunt spoke to media at the named. From tech tycoons to me- president is willing to go, given from Khashoggi; however, the si- dent because she believed he was entered the consulate herself. foreign secretary’s Chevening Ankara had previously said a dia giants, a host of Western his administration’s deep ties to lence from Riyadh fi lls her with working for the good of Saudi “His voice and his ideas will country residence, and chal- working group would be set up companies are now distanc- Riyadh. dread. Arabia. reverberate, from Turkey to Sau- lenged Riyadh to explain what in line with a Saudi proposal. ing themselves from the Gulf Writing in the New York Times, She described her fi ancé as a She said had she known it di Arabia and across the world,” happened to Khashoggi. But few details have emerged state, imperilling Crown Prince on Saturday, Khashoggi’s birth- patriot who loved his country would be the last time she would she wrote. “Oppression never “The country that can help us over how this will function. Mohamed bin Salman’s much- day, Cengiz said: “If the allega- and rejected the label of dissi- see Khashoggi, she would have lasts forever.” get to the bottom of this is Saudi The Saudi foreign ministry hyped economic reform drive.

Minister: Dutch in ‘cyber-war’ Merkel’s Bavarian allies with the Russians humbled in historic poll AFP Reuters doubled their share of the vote The Hague Berlin/Munich to 18.3%, attracted support from more liberal CSU voters and from those who traditionally he Netherlands is in a hancellor Angela Mer- vote for the left-leaning Social “cyber-war” with Rus- kel’s Bavarian allies have Democrats (SPD), who won just Tsia, Defence Minister Ank Csuff ered their worst elec- 9.7%. Bijleveld told Dutch television tion result since 1950, bleeding “The political earthquake was yesterday, speaking in the wake votes to the far-right in a setback in Bavaria, but the aftershocks of an alleged hacking attempt by that immediately raised tensions will be felt in Berlin ... talk will four Russians in The Hague. within Germany’s crisis-prone increase ever more about the “What happened is really national government. end of the Merkel era,” said Fred dangerous,” Bijleveld told Dutch The Christian Social Union Kempe, president of the Wash- broadcaster NPO, referring to (CSU) won 35.6% of the vote ington-based Atlantic Council Seehofer: not ruling out the incident, which happened in yesterday, preliminary results think tank. resigning over the election April outside the headquarters showed, losing its absolute ma- Without naming Merkel, SPD result. of the Organisation for the Pro- jority for only the second time leader Andrea Nahles said that hibition of Chemical Weapons since 1962 – an outcome sure to the “poor performance” of the the Greens and the AfD ben- (OPCW). stoke infi ghting in the conserva- federal government in Berlin was efi ted the most, with their clear Asked if the current situation tive party, already a diffi cult one of the reasons for her party’s stances on immigration,” Weigl between the two countries could partner for Merkel in Berlin. weak showing in Bavaria. said. “For the CSU, this strategy be described as “cyber-war”, she “Of course today is not an “It’s clear that something has backfi red.” replied: “Yes, that is the case.” easy day for the CSU. We did not to change,” she said. Asked if he would resign as On October 4, the defence achieve a good result,” Bavarian CSU leader Horst Seehofer CSU leader, Seehofer told ZDF ministry announced it had ex- premier Markus Soeder told a has been a thorn in Merkel’s side broadcaster that he was not rul- pelled four GRU military intel- gathering of his party. since her 2015 decision to open ing this out, but there are many Grim CSU supporters are seen after the first exit polls were announced on public television at the ligence agents. “We accept the result with Germany’s borders to more than reasons for the party’s weak re- Bavarian regional government building in Munich. Offi cials said that the men humility,” he said, adding that 1mn migrants, gradually shifting sult which now had to be ana- entered the country on Russian the CSU nonetheless wanted his party to the right in an ulti- lysed prudently. ened further since an incon- al congress in December, when guments over immigration and a diplomatic passports on April 10 to form a stable government as mately futile eff ort to counter The AfD won 10.9% of the clusive national election forced Merkel will seek re-election as scandal over Germany’s former and were caught on April 13 with soon as possible. the rise of the AfD. vote, the preliminary results them into a coalition in March party chairwoman – a bid sen- domestic spymaster, while sim- a car full of electronic equip- The result, which saw the Michael Weigl, political sci- showed. with the Social Democrats. ior conservatives have backed mering rows over phasing out ment in the Marriott Hotel next pro-immigration Greens come entist at the University of Pas- The Free Voters, a protest par- The Bavarian election is fol- despite the parliamentary party polluting diesel cars and wheth- to the OPCW headquarters. second and the far-right Alter- sau, said that personal attacks ty that is the CSU’s most likely lowed in two weeks by another ousting her ally, Volker Kauder, er to lower taxes for the rich Russia has vehemently denied native for Germany (AfD) enter on Merkel by Seehofer – who coalition party, won 11.6%. test for Merkel’s conservative as leader last month. threaten to boil over. the accusations. the state assembly for the fi rst is the federal interior minis- The CSU has ruled out an alli- alliance: her CDU is likely to re- Before the Bavarian vote, “Now all eyes are on the next Foreign Minister Sergei Lav- time, means the CSU will need ter – and his hard-line rhetoric ance with the AfD. main the largest party but lose Merkel urged her CDU and CSU state election in Hesse,” said rov insisted last week that the to form a coalition – a humili- against asylum-seekers, were to Divisions between Merkel’s votes in an election in the west- allies to end their infi ghting. Kempe, at the Atlantic Council. incident was a “misunderstand- ation for a party used to ruling blame for the CSU’s weak result. Christian Democratic Union ern state of Hesse, home to the Her fourth and probably fi nal “If things go badly there, the ing” and that the Russians had alone. “This created a political cli- (CDU) and the CSU – conserva- fi nancial centre of Frankfurt. government has already come calls for Merkel to step down will been on a routine visit. The Greens, who more than mate of polarisation from which tive sister parties – have wid- The CDU then holds its annu- close to collapsing twice, in ar- increase.” However, yesterday Bijleveld said: “People try to interfere in various ways in our life all the time, to infl uence our democ- Nationalists march racy.” through Kyiv “We have to shake off the na- Book fair prize winners say not Thousands at book ivety in this domain and take Ukrainian nationalists and measures”, which was why they right-wing extremists marched had taken the decision to make fair on open day through the streets of the the incident public, she added. every opinion deserves respect capital Kyiv yesterday to mark Following these incidents, the the foundation of the Ukrainian defence ministry had beefed up DPA Insurgent Army 76 years ago. its budget for cyber-warfare, she DPA While society needed a national Frankfurt Authorities said 6,000 police said. “We are investing more in Frankfurt memory, it was no longer possible off icers were deployed at the intelligence services to be able to link up seamlessly to “old fan- march, but it had remained to see what is going on and take tasies of pride and national great- ens of thousands of readers visited the Frankfurt peaceful as of the early evening. measures if necessary.” ot every opinion deserves ness,” they said. Book Fair on Saturday, the fi rst day the largest fair Police said there were thousands The North Atlantic Treaty the same respect, with Memory was also a mirror for Tfor the publishing industry was open to the public. of participants, though they did Organisation (Nato) is also con- Nthose undermining free- self-recognition, repentance and The crowds meant traffi c through halls and escalators not initially give a firmer estimate. sidering a Dutch off er to use its dom of expression deserving none, change. often ground to a standstill and a 50m-long queue formed Many of the marchers had “cyber-soldiers”, she added. the winners of the German book Turning to the debate on mi- at a signing for best-selling Irish author Cecelia Ahern. covered their faces or were in The alleged attempt to hack trade’s Peace Prize said as they gration that has upended German Hundreds of Harry Potter fans also gathered to cele- uniform. into the OPCW network came as received the prestigious award in politics and lay at the centre of the brate the 20th anniversary of his fi rst appearance in print, The march has taken place the organisation was investigat- Frankfurt yesterday. Chemnitz protests, they said the many sporting his trademark lightning-shaped scar and annually since 2014 on Defender ing the fatal poisoning of former “In democracy, thought can- main question was not “whether glasses. of Ukraine Day, which became a Russian spy Sergei Skripal in not be delegated and handed over or not we cope with integration, However, an attempt launched by JK Rowling’s German national holiday in 2015. London. to experts, performers or dema- but rather how we cope with it”. publisher Carlsen Verlag to beat the world record for most Britain has blamed Rus- gogues,” the cultural specialists The Peace Prize of the Ger- people dressed as Potter – currently held by Australia sia for the attack, which took Aleida and Jan Assmann said in the man Book Trade, which is worth with 997 – failed, with around 100 too few people turn- place in March in the southern city’s historic St Paul’s Church. €25,000 ($29,500), is one of the ing up. Plane crashes English city of Salisbury and Aleida Assmann, a 71-year-old The Assmanns at the award country’s most important cultural A talk with popular US romance writer Anna Todd was into crowd also claimed the life of Skripal’s literary scholar, made a name for ceremony of the Peace Prize awards, honouring writers, phi- cancelled after she was harassed by several men at a hotel daughter, Yulia. herself with her studies on the of the German Book Trade losophers and scientists from Ger- on Friday evening. Several people died when a Moscow has denied any in- culture of remembrance, while (Friedenspreis des Deutschen many and abroad since 1950. The writer said she was harassed “for hours”, and com- Cessna plane crashed into a volvement. her 80-year-old husband Jan, an Buchhandels) in Frankfurt. The council awarding the prize plained that the incident was not taken seriously by Ger- crowd in the western German The OPCW was also inves- Egyptologist, has initiated inter- described the work of the Ass- man police and that they did not want to see a video she state of Hesse yesterday, police tigating a suspected chemical national debates on the cultural a killing in late August tended to manns as “of great signifi cance for made of the men. said. weapons attack in the Syrian and religious confl icts of our time. paralyse democracy, the couple contemporary debates and in par- “They also told me they would take my cellphone if I Several more people were injured city of Douma, which western The kind of street protests seen said. ticular for peaceful coexistence in didn’t delete the video from Twitter,” Todd wrote on the in the incident that happened sources say was carried out by during racially motivated clashes Democracy depended on argu- the world”. social media platform, adding that “I can’t sign at [the around 3.45pm (1345 GMT) in the forces of the Russian-backed on the streets of the eastern Ger- ment, rather than confl ict, they Canadian writer Margaret At- Frankfurt Book Fair] if these men aren’t removed”. Rhoen region near the town of Syrian government. man city of Chemnitz following told an audience of around 1,000. wood received the award last year. The book fair opened on Tuesday and ended yesterday. Fulda, police said. Gulf Times 16 Monday, October 15, 2018 EUROPE

Swedish centre-right 22 die as migrant truck abandons fi rst bid to crashes in west Turkey form govt AFP The truck had been hired for AFP Istanbul four days. Stockholm Among the dead were two babies, two children and a preg- wenty-two people, in- nant woman, it said. he leader of Sweden’s cluding children, died The driver was expected to be centre-right Moderates Tyesterday when a truck arrested after leaving hospital, Tparty said yesterday that carrying migrants reportedly Anadolu reported, saying re- he had failed a fi rst chance to heading for EU member Greece gional prosecutors had opened form a coalition government plunged off the highway into a an investigation. after last month’s general elec- waterway in western Turkey. DHA said that the vehicle was tion left the country in a state of The vehicle was travelling on a headed for the coast of the Iz- political deadlock Ulf Kristers- highway near Izmir airport when mir region, from where the mi- son’s Moderates party is part of a it fl ipped over and fell into the grants were to have tried to reach centre-right bloc called Alliance channel several metres below, Greece’s Samos island. which received marginally fewer state-run Anadolu news agency Found in the truck with the votes on September 9 than the said. migrants were several infl atable previous governing centre-left The nationality of the mi- dinghies. coalition. grants was not immediately Samos is just a few kilometres Both blocs have struggled to clear, but 22 people died in the north of Turkey’s Dilek penin- form a majority after refusing to crash and another 13 others were sula that juts out from the Izmir make a deal with the anti-im- hurt, the agency said, hiking an region. migration Sweden Democrats, a earlier toll of 19 dead. Turkey is a key transit point party which was linked for years Turkish television pictures for migrants from troubled to far-right groups. showed the wreckage of the ve- countries in the Middle East, Kristersson’s announcement hicle upside-down in the river Asia and Africa seeking a new came after some allies criticised channel, reduced to burned-out life in Europe. his suggestion to build a minor- metal by the impact of the crash A million migrants crossed ity government with the centre- with corpses strewn alongside from Turkey into Greece in 2015, right Christian Democrats party, it. mostly by boats, in a crisis which but not other members of Alli- Rescue workers later used a forced a deal between Ankara ance. crane to lift it on to the road, and the EU to stem the fl ow of “I have tried all the other op- with images showing the ve- people. tions to form a government and hicle’s back end was simply an Numbers have fallen since it hasn’t succeeded,” Kristersson open container into which the but people are still undertaking told a news conference in Stock- migrants had been crammed. what is a highly perilous journey holm. The DHA news agency said and the fl ow has ticked up this Police forensic experts examine the wreckage of the truck in Izmir. Kristersson’s failure to form that the driver, a 35-year-old year from 2017. a government comes after out- Turkish national, had survived, According to UN fi gures, more province, after their boat cap- smugglers who demand hun- survived, Anadolu said. migrants caught up in the truck going Prime Minister Stefan telling police he had swerved to than 24,500 migrants have ar- sized. dreds and sometimes thousands They had demanded a fee of accident. Lofven was ousted in a vote of no avoid an oncoming white vehi- rived in Greece by sea so far this Twenty-six others are still of dollars per person to sort out $1,500 from each migrant. Eleven people also died on in confi dence last month. cle. year, with 118 people losing their offi cially listed as missing after the logistics. The Hurriyet daily said inves- northern Greece on Saturday Lofven’s Social Democrats The man had a standard “B” lives via this route. that accident, according to Ana- After the disaster off Kara- tigators were now looking into when a car thought to be car- party – which largely dominated licence to drive a car and not the Last week, eight migrants dolu. burun, four suspected smug- whether the same smuggling rying migrants crashed head- Swedish elections for decades – required papers to drive a vehicle were found drowned off the Ka- The trips of migrants towards glers were arrested following network behind the Karaburun on with a truck and burst into had governed for four years in a of that size, it said. raburun district, also in Izmir Greece are often organised by evidence given by an Iraqi who disaster was also linked to the fl ames. coalition with the Greens, and was supported in parliament by the Left Party. The September election fo- cused on the state of housing, healthcare and welfare services, Storm Leslie smashes into Portugal in particular due to pressures from immigration following the 2015 migrant crisis. AFP rooted, cars and houses dam- the worst storm to hit the re- ermen at sea to return to the The parliament’s speaker An- Lisbon aged and local fl ooding reported. gion in more than 150 years, but nearest port. dreas Norlen – who has four Aveiro, Viseu and Porto in the it weakened to a post-tropical The beach resort of Figueira chances of tasking a candidate to north also suff ered damage with storm before reaching the Por- da Foz, near Coimbra, saw a form a government which par- iolent storms hit Portugal rescue services reporting a total tuguese coastline. peak gust of 176kph (109mph), liament will accept – now has to early yesterday, leaving of 2,500 incidents. “The greatest danger has France’s La Chaine Meteo re- fi nd a new candidate. Vhundreds of thousands The civil defence services passed,” Costa said. “The north ported. He said that he would hold a of people without power be- said 324,000 people were left and centre were the worst af- “I have never seen anything new round of discussions with fore carrying heavy rain on into without electricity while more fected.” like it,” one witness told SIC tel- party leaders today, making it Spain, authorities said. than 60 people had to leave More than two dozen fl ights evision. likely for Lofven to get the next Leslie, which was a category their damaged homes and fl ee to were cancelled in or out of Lis- Only fi ve hurricanes have ever chance. one hurricane but weakened to safety. bon. arrived in this region of the At- If all four attempts fail then a post-tropical storm as it made Power was being restored At Mealhada, in Aveiro dis- lantic Ocean, and it had been Sweden will head to another landfall late on Saturday, left 28 across the north and centre of trict, the roof blew off an indoor feared Leslie could turn out to be election. people with minor injuries, civil the country during the morning. sports stadium putting an end to the most powerful storm to hit “The way I see it there are defence commander Luis Belo Leslie was dubbed a “zombie” the European fi nal of the wom- Portugal since 1842. only two options. Either a party Costa told reporters. hurricane as it fi rst formed on en’s roller hockey competition. Over the past 176 years, only is willing to talk to us (to form a The region around the capi- September 23, only to meander Portuguese authorities had Hurricane Vince has made land- government) or we will head for tal Lisbon and the centre of the through the Atlantic Ocean for urged those living by the coast fall on the Iberian peninsula, another election,” Sweden Dem- country at Coimbra and Leiria weeks before making landfall. to batten down the hatches and hitting southern Spain in 2005, A road is closed after trees fell during the post-tropical storm Leslie ocrats leader Jimmie Akesson were worst hit with trees up- There were fears it could be stay indoors, while telling fi sh- according to weather records. in Portugal’s Figueira da Foz. told TT news agency.

Luxembourg’s Greens seen Salvini defends move Humanitarians see rise in gaining in polls The Greens have seen their support rise significantly climate-related disasters in Luxembourg, partial parliamentary election results against ‘model’ town showed yesterday, while the AFP warned drastic action was than today will become food opposition conservatives (CSV) Geneva needed to prevent Earth from insecure. have emerged as the largest Reuters hurtling towards an unbearable “And if it is a four-degree party. Rome rise in temperature. warmer world ... we’re looking The environmentalists, who were he number of climate- The Intergovernmental Panel beyond one billion more,” he in a three-party coalition in the related disasters around for Climate Change (IPCC) said said, adding that this “is a very, previous government, gained five eputy Prime Minister Tthe world is growing the globe’s surface has already very strong argument for early percentage points on their last Matteo Salvini has de- rapidly, humanitarians have warmed one degree Celsius (1.8 and decisive climate action”. election performance to win the Dfended his decision to warned, urging more eff orts to degrees Fahrenheit) – enough Sy meanwhile said humani- support of 15% of voters, results move hundreds of migrants prepare and build resilience to to lift oceans and unleash a cre- tarians had already seen a dra- showed after 25% of the ballots out of a southern Italian town looming changes on a warming scendo of deadly storms, fl oods matic increase in climate and had been counted. widely seen as a model of suc- planet. and droughts – and is on track weather-related crises. Claude Wiseler’s Christian Social cessful integration as opposi- Climate shocks are already toward an unlivable 3°C or 4°C “In the 1970s, we used to be People’s Party (CSV) also gained tion groups accused him of rac- driving displacement, caus- rise. dealing with 80 to 100 severe five points to 28%, making them ism. ing many to go hungry and are Gernot Laganda, who heads weather-related shocks and the largest group in the new Riace, a small town in Ca- Salvini: We cannot tolerate irregularities in the use of public sparking or exacerbating con- the World Food Programme hazards” each year, he said, chamber of deputies. labria, Italy’s southern toe, has money, even under the excuse of spending it for migrants. fl icts around the globe, human- (WFP)’s climate and disaster contrasting that to last year, The other two ruling parties been in the spotlight since its itarian workers said, cautioning risk reduction division, point- when the number was around saw their support drop: the mayor, Domenico Lucano, was said Salvini, whose party’s sup- dwindling local population. that the situation is quickly de- ed out that climate shocks are 400 – “four times more”. Socialist Workers’ Party dropped arrested this month for alleged- port has surged on the back of More than 300 citizens of teriorating. already “signifi cant drivers of While acknowledging that five points to 15.7%, while the ly favouring illegal immigration, his tough line against illegal im- Riace’s 2,000 inhabitants are “With climate change, the displacement”, forcing 22.5mn climate-related shocks would Democratic Party of Prime sparking protests by residents migration. immigrants, according to depu- shocks and hazards are multi- people to leave their homes likely keep climbing, Sy empha- Minister Xavier Bettel lost two and pro-migrant groups. The decision was met with a ty mayor Giuseppe Gervasi. plying,” Elhadj As Sy, secretary each year. sised that it was not inevitable points to reach 16%. Salvini, leader of the right- barrage of criticism on Sunday Over the years the town has general of the International Speaking to journalists in that such shocks and hazards Protest parties saw significant wing League, celebrated the from the leftist opposition and welcomed hundreds more but Federation of Red Cross and Geneva, he also decried the “in- should “become a disaster”. rises: the Pirate Party gained arrest, and this weekend an- pro-migrant activists. many have moved on to other Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), creasingly distractive interplay “We need to be better pre- five points to reach 8%, while nounced that Riace’s mainly “We have to say with force European countries, he said. told AFP in an interview. between confl ict and climate pared with early warning and the eurosceptic Alternative African migrants would be that the action undertaken by Lucano, who has been mayor Speaking on the sidelines disasters”. with early alert,” he said, also Democratic Reform Party (ADR) moved out and spread around Salvini against the Riace model since 2002, was listed by For- of a conference in Geneva on He pointed out that the stressing the importance for saw a rise of 3.4 points to 10%. the country. is a vile act,” said Nicola Zin- tune magazine as one of the the impact of climate change world’s 10 most confl ict-af- IFRC of continuously hav- Polling stations in the second He said that the decision was garetti, president of the central world’s top 50 leaders in 2016. on humanitarian situations fected countries, including Syr- ing volunteers on the ground smallest European Union country necessary to end abuses in the Lazio region, who is bidding for Salvini said that there would around the globe, he cautioned ia, Yemen and the Democratic in aff ected communities to closed their doors at 2pm (1200 use of funds that previous gov- leadership of the centre-left be no turning back and ac- that such “shocks” were “get- Republic of the Congo, are also help them to adapt to climate GMT) yesterday. ernments had made available Democratic Party (PD). cused the PD of hypocrisy, say- ting more frequent and more impacted by extreme weather change. There were 257,000 people to the town for its projects to Riace’s integration eff orts ing the investigation into the severe.” events, creating what has been The organisation counts eligible to vote for the 60 house and integrate migrants. have won prizes and drawn in- misuse of funds in Riace had Friday’s conference was described as a “pressure-cook- some 70mn volunteers around members of the chamber of “We cannot tolerate ir- ternational acclaim for opening been launched by Marco Min- aimed at unpacking the hu- er” eff ect. the world, so when climate- deputies. regularities in the use of public the town’s doors to thousands niti, interior minister under the manitarian implications of the Laganda pointed to projec- linked shocks and hazards hit, Luxembourg has a population of money, even under the excuse of refugees, integrating them previous, PD-led government fi ndings in a landmark UN cli- tions that if the planet warms they “fi nd us already there”, he around 600,000, of which 48% of spending it for migrants,” into society and revitalising a in 2017. mate report this week, which just 2°C, 189mn more people said. are not nationals. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 17 INDIA Charges wild and false: Akbar z Minister mum on quitting, vows to sue accusers

Agencies had “sexually harassed and mo- New Delhi lested” her. “This is my story. My last six months as a journalist at Asian inister of State for Ex- Age, the newspaper he edited, ternal Aff airs M J Akbar were pure hell with repeated Myesterday dismissed physical advances,” she wrote. sexual harassment allegations Akbar claimed that Wahab’s made against him by several account was “an eff ort to dam- women, mostly journalists, and age my reputation.” ducked calls for his resignation “The only offi ce where I as the country’s fl edgling #Me- worked with her was that of The Too movement gathers pace. Asian Age. A part of the editorial Akbar, a veteran newspaper team then worked out of a small editor before joining politics, hall,” it said. issued a two-page rejoinder “It is utterly bizarre to believe in which he said allegations of that anything could have hap- sexual misconduct when he was pened in that tiny space, and, a journalist were “without evi- moreover, that no one else in that dence”. vicinity would come to know,” “Allegations of misconduct Akbar added. made against me are false and The minister also questioned fabricated. These false, baseless the account of journalist Priya and wild allegations have caused Ramani, who was the fi rst to irreparable damage to my repu- publicly accuse him of inappro- tation,” Akbar said in a state- priate behaviour. ment. Akbar said: “Ramani began “Accusation without evidence this campaign a year ago with a has become a viral fever among magazine article. She did not, some sections. Whatever be the however, name me as she knew case, now that I have returned, it was an incorrect story. When my lawyers will look into these asked recently why she had (claims),” the statement added. not named me, she replied, in a Akbar, who has just returned Tweet: ‘Never named him be- from a trip to Africa, also vowed cause he didn’t ‘do’ anything.’ to take legal action against the “If I didn’t do anything, where accusers. and what is the story? There’s While there have been specu- no story. But a sea of innuendo, lations that he may resign upon speculation and abusive diatribe his arrival, Akbar gave no indica- has been built around something Minister of State for External Aff airs M J Akbar walks inside his residence in New Delhi yesterday. tion of his stepping down nor was that never happened. Some are there a word from the govern- total, unsubstantiated hearsay; with him as a teenage intern. en, action should be taken against This is the time to fi ght back, accusations are judged and re- for harassment claims against its ment or the ruling Bharatiya Ja- others confi rm, on the record, A founding editor of The Tel- such an individual. If person- appalled,” Congress spokesman jected by the accused itself. The director and co-star to be “strin- nata Party on whether he would that I didn’t do anything,” he egraph daily and Sunday maga- alities like Akbar are found guilty, Sanjay Jha twitted. party supports the cause of brave gently” investigated. continue in the government. said. zine, Akbar joined politics in action should be taken against AAP spokesman Saurabh women coming naming and Star Akshay Kumar said he “Why has this storm risen “Shutapa Paul states, ‘the man 1989 and became a Congress MP. them,” Athawale told reporters in Bharadwaj said Akbar’s decision shaming the sexual predators,” had requested that the making of a few months before a general never laid a hand on me’. He joined the BJP ahead of the Pune while calling for the allega- not to quit was expected. he added. Housefull 4 be stopped following election? Is there an agenda? You “‘Shuma Raha says, I must 2014 Lok Sabha polls. tions to be investigated. “Akbar comes from a party India’s belated #MeToo move- allegations against director Sajid be the judge,” said the 67-year- clarify, however, that he didn’t A Rajya Sabha MP from Mad- The Congress and Delhi’s rul- where Kuldeep Singh Sengar is ment has made headlines over Khan and actor Nana Patekar. old Akbar. actually ‘do’ anything’. One hya Pradesh, he was inducted ing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) still part of the BJP despite be- the last few days with women Accusations that Patekar be- Akbar went on to question woman, Anju Bharti, went to the into Prime Minister Narendra fl ayed Akbar for his brazenness. ing accused of raping a young sharing powerful accounts of haved inappropriately with ac- some of his accusers in the re- absurd extent of claiming I was Modi’s government in July 2016. “Akbar calls the sexual alle- girl and getting her father killed,” alleged harassment by several tress Tanushree Dutta on a fi lm joinder. partying in a swimming pool. I While the government has gations a political conspiracy. It said Bharadwaj referring to the powerful men including a minis- set 10 years ago sparked India’s Journalist Ghazala Wahab do not know how to swim.” not offi cially responded, federal adds insult to injury and humili- legislator from Uttar Pradesh, ter, Bollywood fi lmmakers, news #MeToo movement. wrote a long #MeToo post for Earlier this week Huff Post In- minister Ramdas Athawale said ation. Let this be a tipping point the main accused in the 2017 Un- editors and comedians. Three women, an actress, an online news website The Wire dia shared another account by a Akbar should resign if the allega- moment for the #MeToo move- nao gang rape and murder case. On Friday, the production of assistant director and a journal- earlier in the week, accusing Ak- woman who was allegedly har- tions against him were true. ment. Don’t be intimidated. This “AAP believes this is purely a Bollywood blockbuster was ist took to Twitter on Thursday to bar of harassment and saying he assed by Akbar while working “If someone is insulting wom- is the time to rise even further. Modi brand of politics, where all halted after the fi lm’s lead called accuse Khan of sexual harassment. Women fi lmmakers not to work with proven off enders

IANS Shinde, Kiran Rao, Konkona Sen in complete solidarity with the stand to not work with proven of- names like Alok Nath, Rajat Ka- and co-starred Patekar, to cancel world came together to express Mumbai Sharma, Meghna Guizar, Nandita women who have come forward fenders. We urge all our peers in poor, Subhash Ghai, Vikas Bahl, the shoot until “further investi- that sexual harassment, abuse Das, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti, with honest accounts of harass- the industry to do the same.” Subhash Kapoor, Kailash Kher gation”, and Hrithik Roshan too and assault must not be toler- Ruchi Narain, Shonali Bose and ment and assault. Our respect and The #MeToo movement in and Sajid Khan. urged the producers of Bahl’s Su- ated, and that it was time for the t least 11 women fi lmmak- Zoya Akhtar are among the fi lm- admiration to them as their cour- India sparked when actress Ever since the names came per 30 to take a hard stand. “deafening silence” to be broken. ers yesterday came to- makers who have taken the stand, age has started a revolution of wel- Tanushree Dutta renewed al- out, leading actor Aamir Khan As a fallout of the movement, A note from the Carnatic music Agether to support the rag- according to a note circulated by come change,” the note said. legations against veteran ac- stepped out of a project which Sajid Khan has been replaced as community was shared on social ing #MeToo movement in India, them on social media. “We are here to spread aware- tor Nana Patekar in an incident was to be directed by Subhash Housefull 4 director by Farhad media by celebrated vocalist T M saying they have taken a stand to “As women and fi lmmakers, ness to help create a safe and dating back to 2008. Since then, Kapoor. Akshay Kumar asked the Samji. Also yesterday, over 200 Krishna. It featured the names of not work with proven off enders. we come together to support the equal atmosphere for all in the a number of women have come producers of Housefull 4, which members of the Carnatic mu- all artistes who have lent support Alankrita Shrivastava, Gauri #MeToolndia movement. We are workplace. We have also taken a forward with complaints against was being directed by Sajid Khan sic community from across the to the #MeToo movement.

Judge’s wife dies, Goa legislator quits son ‘brain dead’ after attack by party over fi sh row security guard

IANS preservative used to preserve malin in fish being sold in Goa Panaji cadavers. during a raid. IANS “I would like to state that if The BJP-led coalition gov- Gurugram fi ghting for justice for an up- ernment, of which Goa Forward oa Forward vice presi- right offi cer who is mentally is a part, has been on the back- dent Trajano D’Mello tortured is anti-party activity, foot ever since, after several of he wife of a judge who was shot by her Gresigned from the party I would prefer to fi ght for the its ministers were accused of al- husband’s security guard has died while after accusing the Bharatiya Ja- injustice meted out to an offi cer legedly protecting fi sh-traders Ttheir teenager son is “brain dead”, doc- nata Party-led government of who has alerted and saved the who were allegedly importing tors said yesterday. But police said the boy too brazenly backing the fi sh mafi a trusting Goan from the deadly formalin-laced fi sh consign- was dead. in the state, adding to the state’s cancerous poisoning of our ments into Goa from Andhra Ritu, 38, the wife of Additional District and political turbulence. brethren,” D’Mello said in his Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kar- Sessions Judge Krishan Kant, died overnight Even as the ruling coalition in Facebook post yesterday. nataka. due to excessive bleeding, while the 18-year- Goa battles to stay afl oat amid D’Mello was referring to the D’Mello, who had been served old son Dhruv was “brain dead”, a spokesper- Chief Minister Manohar Par- targeting of the whistleblower – a show cause notice by Goa For- son for Medanta hospital said. rikar’s prolonged illness, a past Food and Drugs Administration ward for his criticism of the Dhruv, who was shot in the head, “is on ghost of a formalin-in-fi sh offi cial Iva Fernandes – who party last week, also questioned critical life support and is brain dead”, the of- controversy continues to dog exposed the formalin-use scan- the party leadership about its fi cial said. the government, especially the dal and has now complained to silence against the harassment Sub-Inspector Jitender Singh had earlier BJP ally Goa Forward. the Human Rights Commission of Fernandes. told IANS that the teenager also succumbed to Yesterday, D’Mello resigned claiming harassment by her “If Goa Forward, which forms injuries. from the party, claiming that seniors after she conducted a one-fourth of the state cabinet The wife and son were seriously wounded the government was backing raid in July. with its three ministers, cannot after being shot from close range by Mahipal the fi sh mafi a which uses for- The controversy involv- insist on a crackdown on those Singh, a Haryana police constable hailing malin to preserve fi sh sold in the ing the use of formalin in fish who poison fi sh consumed by from Bhungarka village in Mahindargarh state’s fi sh markets. erupted in July this year when the people of Goa, then who who was posted with the judge for nearly Formalin is a carcinogenic Fernandes found traces of for- can,” D’Mello asked. two years.

Air India Express plane may have overshot runway before takeoff : off icials

A Dubai-bound Air India Express The airport off icials also said that somewhere towards the end of the during takeoff in Trichy, damaging the Boeing plane involved in an incident the accident investigation team was runway.” wall as well as the plane’s undercar- seems to have overshot the normal expected to reach today. Trichy airport runway is about 8,200ft riage. takeoff point as tyre marks have been Speaking to IANS on the condi- long. “The aircraft hit the airport’s instru- found between the end of the runway tion of anonymity, an official said: On the morning October 12, the ment landing systems (ILS) and then and the compound wall of the Trichy “Tyre marks were found between flight with 136 people on board had a the compound wall,” Trichy Airport airport in Tamil Nadu, off icials said the normal takeoff point and the miraculous escape when the aircraft’s director K Gunasekaran had told IANS yesterday. compound wall. The plane took off wheels scraped the airport’s outer wall on Friday. Gulf Times 18 Monday, October 15, 2018 INDIA

AMMA must look into issues raised by actresses: minister

IANS hanlal, has handled the case year by women drawn from ference that the WCC, led by things were not clean in the “I wish to clarify that the said night in fear. No sexual or phys- Thiruvananthapuram involving the kidnapping of an various sectors of the film in- actress Revathy, alleged that Malayalam film industry. She incident happened 25-26 years ical assault actually happened,” actress. dustry to fight for their cause, AMMA has not supported the said she was shocked to see a back and not one-and-a-half- said Revathy. The Kerala government will after they found that AMMA victim, while Dileep has got all 17-year-old young girl knock- years back as some are project- Meanwhile, a lawyer has Kerala minister yester- step in if the need arises, Minis- was not protecting their inter- the backing. ing at her door and complain- ing it to be.” filed a petition at a police sta- day urged the Associa- ter for Law, Cinema and Culture ests. Others who took part in- ing about the way she was ex- She said someone repeatedly tion in Kochi against Revathy A tion of Malayalam Movie A K Balan said in Thiruvanan- Senior actor Dileep is ac- cluded Rima Kallingal, Remya ploited. knocked at her door asking her for withholding the informa- Artists (AMMA) to look into thapuram. cused of being the mastermind Nambisan and Geetu Mohan- But yesterday, Revathy issued to open and when she did she tion and not reporting to the grievances raised by actresses. “Now that the WCC has in the kidnapping of the ac- das, who had earlier quit from a statement clearing her stance found a stranger. “I asked her authorities. The Women’s Collective raised issues, in all fairness, tress last year. Dileep was in AMMA to protest against the about her comments made dur- to come inside the room and Following the WCC press in Cinema (WCC) has raised AMMA should look into it and jail for 85 days and is now out way the actress’ kidnapping is- ing the press conference about locked the door. She was scared conference on Saturday concerns over how the organi- sort it out,” said Balan. on bail. sue was handled by AMMA. incident which took place years and I was also equally scared evening, their Facebook page sation, led by superstar Mo- The WCC was formed last It was at a lengthy press con- On Saturday, Revathy said ago. and both of us waited out that has come under cyberattack.

Sikkim to get ‘100% organic state’ UN award at Rome event

IANS expansion, cultural aspects as New Delhi well as health, education, ru- ral development and sustain- able tourism. The policy imple- he “100% organic state” mented a phase out of chemical Sikkim, the fi rst in the fertilisers and pesticides, and Tworld, will get the “Oscar achieved a total ban on sale and for best policies” at a UN cer- use of chemical pesticides in emony in Rome and it bolsters the state. eff orts to attain the Sustainable The transition has benefit- Development Goals, an Indian ed more than 66,000 farm- MP said yesterday. ing families, the WFC says in a Sikkim beat out 51 other statement. nominees from 25 countries for The Sikkim tourism sector has the Future Policy Award 2018 – benefi ted greatly from the state’s the world’s best laws and poli- transition to 100% organic: the cies promoting agro-ecology number of tourists increased by – which will be presented dur- over 50% between 2014 and 2017. ing the World Food Week at the As such, Sikkim sets an excel- headquarters of the Food and lent example of how other Indian Agriculture Organisation (FAO) states and countries worldwide today. can successfully upscale agro- Chief Minister Pawan Kumar ecology. Chamling and Sikkim Demo- cratic Front MP Prem Das Rai “The leadership under are in Rome to attend the award- Chief Minister Pawan giving ceremony, besides Indian Chamling has to be WhatsApp-Reliance Jio representatives perform in a street play during a drive by the two companies to educate users, on the outskirts of Kolkata. ambassador Reenat Sandhu. lauded. Farsightedness “We are pleased to know that and huge political a Himalayan state of India has will has been the been awarded this year’s Future underpinning of this Policies Award in agro-ecology,” policy” Rai told IANS. “The leadership under Chief The Sikkim chief minister Minister Pawan Chamling has and environmentalist Vandana to be lauded. Farsightedness Shiva, together with the women WhatsApp hits road with and huge political will has been of Himalaya, have jointly an- the underpinning of this policy. nounced a commitment for a It’s even more important to un- Himalaya that is entirely organic derstand the magnitude of the and biodiverse, aimed at spread- policy in both its simplicity and ing the model that Sikkim has wide-ranging implications for built over 15 years, which has human development and cli- shown how a 100% organic ag- skits to battle fake news mate change mitigation,” Rai ricultural model, based on the said. principles of agro-ecology and By Sankalp Phartiyal/ Reuters and religious prejudices run The campaign is not entirely matter said the costs were most- has demanded the company do “It bolsters eff orts to attain the local circular economy, is not Jaipur deep. altruistic. ly being paid by WhatsApp. more, including working out Sustainable Development Goals. only possible but also advanta- “Our society is better than It is being run in conjunction WhatsApp’s eff orts to bat- how to trace the origin of “sin- Hence Sikkim and India need to geous. theirs and that’s why you should with Reliance Jio, the fast-grow- tle fake news in India include a ister” messages. be proud of this great moment,” The agro-ecological model is n a hot morning in the hate them,” says one, citing one ing telecom carrier controlled by limit on forwarded messages in But WhatsApp says it will not he added. able to give life to a virtuous cycle tourist city of Jaipur, an example of an incendiary text cir- billionaire Mukesh Ambani that a market where more users pass take such steps, which would This year’s award is co-organ- among farmers, environment, Oopen truck painted in the culating on WhatsApp in India. recently made WhatsApp avail- around messages, photographs require it to weaken encryption ised by the FAO, the World Fu- territory and community as well signature lime-green colours “If you are truly one of us, able on its $20 JioPhone. and videos than any other. and other privacy protections. ture Council (WFC) and IFOAM as the basis of joint commitment of Facebook’s WhatsApp mes- spread this message.” Instructions on how to install It has launched newspaper It is not clear how much the – Organics International. aimed at the global transition saging service pulls into a dusty Such texts, pictures and vid- and use the app on the JioPhone, and radio campaigns and tied public information campaigns Brazil, Denmark and Quito towards poison-free agriculture lane, where fi ve men spill out eos aim to sow discord, warns which has connected tens of up with Delhi-based non-profi t will change people’s behaviour. shared the silver award. food and farming by 2050, says and begin to perform a skit. another, as the viewers in the millions of low-income Indians Digital Empowerment Founda- But in Jaipur, at least some of Gold prize winner Sikkim non-governmental organisa- The event is part of a major capital of Rajasthan are then to the Internet for the fi rst time, tion to develop a digital literacy the messages seem to be getting is the fi rst organic state in the tion Navdanya, which has a pri- grassroots eff ort by WhatsApp told how to identify forwarded are also a part of the 10-city curriculum for India. through. world, says the WFC. mary membership of more than to battle fake news, which has messages and use WhatsApp re- roadshow. The company is also training “I learnt how to quit a What- All of its farmland is certi- 650,000 farmer families in 17 triggered numerous lynchings in sponsibly. Hundreds of people from police and law enforcement offi - sApp group created by stran- fi ed organic. At the same time, Indian states. a country where 200mn people The drive follows intense gov- WhatsApp and Jio are helping cials to use WhatsApp in helping gers,” said Bhawani Singh Sikkim’s approach reaches be- Prime Minister Narendra Modi use the service, more than any- ernment pressure for both Face- drive the campaign, with some them do their jobs. Rathore, a 35-year-old teacher, yond organic production and has on January 19, 2016 declared Sik- where else in the world. book and WhatsApp to fi ght fake WhatsApp employees hav- “Our goal is to drive one of who began using the service just proven truly transformational kim as the fi rst organic state in The actors soon draw a crowd news and rumour-mongering ing fl own in from California, a the largest co-ordinated public months ago and attended. “And for the state and its citizens. the country, saying it will soon as the play unveils how spread- that have led to more than 30 WhatsApp spokeswoman said, education eff orts on misinfor- I also learned how to identify a Embedded in its design are become the harbinger of organic ing misinformation online can deaths in about 70 lynching at- adding that the company did not mation to date anywhere in the forwarded message and to not socioeconomic aspects such farming not only in India but stir up mob violence, especially tempts since January 2017, data reveal fi nancial details. world,” WhatsApp said. send it ahead without checking as consumption and market around the world. in the countryside, where caste portal IndiaSpend says. A source familiar with the India’s technology minister its accuracy,” he told Reuters.

Minister hopes for a miracle Ready for celebrations Army offi cers among for cancer-stricken Parrikar 7 given life sentence

IANS Jagadish Bhuyan said that nine IANS back at the AIIMS and nursed a special flight and headed Guwahati youths were picked up by the Panaji himself back to health instead of straight to his private resi- army from different areas of returning to the state. dence, near Panaji, where a Tinsukia district on February Speaking to the media ahead government-operated ambu- Summary General Court 18, 1994 on suspicion that they oa’s Power Minister of Parrikar’s arrival, federal Min- lance and a medical crew were Martial (SGCM) of the In- were involved in the killing of a Nilesh Cabral yester- ister of State for AYUSH Shripad kept on a stand-by. Adian army has convicted top tea garden executive. G day said he hoped for Naik said: “I have got the news. I Parrikar was admitted to the seven personnel, including a Ma- The soldiers killed fi ve of them a miracle for Chief Minister still cannot believe it. I met him AIIMS on September 15. The jor General, in a 24-year-old fake in a fake encounter, branding Manohar Parrikar, who has day before yesterday. His health former defence minister has been encounter case, sentencing them them as militants a few days after been battling cancer for sev- has improved over the last 15 days in and out of hospitals in Goa, to life in prison. the incident. The other four were eral months. but I feel he should stay there for Mumbai, New York and Delhi for Sources in an army unit based in released. “We only hope that he recovers a few days more”. the last seven months. Dibrugarh said yesterday that Ma- Bhuyan had fi led a habeas corpus fast, a miracle happens and that Naik also said that it was im- On Friday, Parrikar held a jor General A K Lal, Colonel Tho- petition in the Gauhati High Court he leads us in the future. That is perative that Parrikar take ad- meeting of his cabinet min- mas Mathew, Colonel R S Sibiren, on February 22 the same year, seek- all we ask (for),” Cabral told re- equate rest as part of his healing isters and senior members Captain Dilip Singh, Captain Jag- ing the whereabouts of the youths. porters here, soon after Parrikar process. of the Bharatiya Janata Party deo Singh, Naik Albindar Singh The court asked the army to pro- returned from New Delhi, where “After he returns, I will meet state executive committee at and Naik Shivendar Singh have duce the nine All Assam Students he was undergoing treatment for and speak to him. He must have AIIMS. been awarded life imprisonment Union leaders at the nearest police advanced pancreatic cancer at returned (to Goa) because the The Congress has been de- Traditional drummers perform outside a railway station for their involvement in a fake en- station. The army produced fi ve the All India Institute of Medical last chemotherapy must have manding Parrikar’s resignation as they wait to be hired to perform during Durga Puja counter case in Assam’s Tinsukia bodies at the Dholla Police Station. Sciences. been administered. He can take on account of his prolonged ill- celebrations, in Kolkata yesterday. The five-day festival district in 1994. The court martial process be- However, another minister future treatment in Goa.” ness and his absence from of- marks the triumph of good over evil. Former Assam minister and gan on July 16 this year and con- said Parrikar should have stayed Parrikar arrived in Goa by fice. Bharatiya Janata Party leader cluded on July 27. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 19 LATIN AMERICA Migrant group Indigenous protest treks north to the US from Honduras

By Gustavo Palencia, Reuters unemployed teacher who walked with her nine-year-old San Pedro Sula, Honduras son and carried a two-year-old daughter. Some 1,300 people joined the so-called “March of the Migrant,” planning to walk from San Pedro Sula in ore than 1,000 people, including families and northern Honduras through Guatemala and into Mexico, women carrying babies, set off from Honduras organiser Bartolo Fuentes said. Once in Mexico, they Mtowards the United States on Saturday, days af- plan to request refugee status to remain in the country or ter the United States urged Honduras’ president to halt a visa to pass through to the US border, he said. mass migration. Recent attempts at group crossings In April, media attention on a similar group of mi- from Central America to the United States have tested grants, dubbed a “caravan,” prompted Trump to press US President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” stance for tougher border security and demand such groups be A Chilean Mapuche demonstrates in support of the Mapuche resistance in Santiago yesterday. The Mapuches are Chile’s on illegal immigration, as people fleeing violence and refused entry. Most in the caravan said they were fl ee- largest indigenous group. poverty defy threats of deportation. ing death threats, extortion and violence from powerful “I believe we’ll get to the United States. There’s no street gangs. More than 64% of Honduran households work in Honduras, and you live in fear that they’re going live in poverty, and San Pedro Sula has one of the world’s to kill you or your children,” said Fanny Barahona, 35, an highest murder rates. “There is no work and so much violence that you can get killed walking down the street,” said Javier Solis, 25, who said he has not found work in a year and wants to enter the United States. On a previous attempt, he was Martyr priest, now Saint Romero, deported to Honduras upon reaching Mexico. US Vice President Mike Pence met with the presidents of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador in Washington challenged power in El Salvador last week and told them the United States would be will- ing to help with economic development and investment if they did more to tackle migration, corruption and gang By Nelson Renteria, Reuters That earned him animosity from both coff ee-growing town in Honduras, the violence. San Salvador sides ahead of a civil war that lasted until second of eight brothers. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said 1992, leaving some 75,000 people dead As a boy, he apprenticed as a carpenter US funding was declining, and he called on the United and sending thousands of Salvadorans before entering the seminary and study- States to reunite migrant children with their parents af- n 1980, a day after urging El Sal- fl eeing to the United States. ing theology in Rome. ter Washington’s policy of separating families trying to vador’s military to halt a string In 1980, at a church altar, he found a In 1943, he returned to El Salvador as a Hondurans walk towards the US from San Pedro Sula, cross the US-Mexican border put Honduras under “huge Iof abuses that would inflame a bomb meant to take his life. parish priest until becoming Archbishop 180km north from Tegucigalpa, on Saturday. pressure.” 12-year civil war in the impoverished “Persecution is necessary in the of San Salvador in 1977. country, Salvadoran Archbishop Os- Church. Do you know why? Because the The military’s killing, kidnapping and car Romero was shot dead while lead- truth is always persecuted,” he said at the arrests of priests who supported work- ing mass. time. ers’ rights turned him into a staunch His homilies had blasted the US- Two weeks later, undeterred by death critic of the regime. backed military dictatorship while voic- threats, the man distinguished by his The Vatican said the miracle cement- ing solidarity with the poor, making him bushy eyebrows and thick glasses spoke ing his sainthood was the 2015 survival Scientists turn coff ee waste a Latin American human rights icon. directly to soldiers. of Cecilia Flores, whose husband prayed Yesterday at the Vatican, he became a “I beg you, I beseech you, I order you to Romero when she was close to death in Roman Catholic saint. in the name of God: stop the repression,” pregnancy. Romero was considered for canoni- he said. “Doctors told my husband...only a sation decades ago, but his nomination The following day, a sniper killed the miracle will save your wife,” Flores said. into electricity in Colombia stalled on concerns that he was overly 62-year-old as he delivered mass at a After her husband began praying, she political. hospital chapel in the capital. instantly recovered and gave birth to a By Adam Vaughan Surrey developed a fuel cell that uses its life on a remote Colombian cof- His reputation rebounded in 2015, The main suspect is a former soldier. healthy son, she added. Guardian News and Media microbes instead of chemicals like fee farm and now, thanks to UK- when Pope Francis, a fellow Latin Amer- Romero’s murder was one of the most Salvadoran Cardinal Jose Gregorio a fuel cell in a hydrogen car, which government funded research, those ican committed to defending the poor, shocking of the long confl ict between a Rosa said Romero’s sainthood will serve eat the waste matter and generate a farms now have grounds to double declared him a martyr who had been series of US-backed governments and as an example for religious leaders as cientists have turned cof- small amount of energy. up as producers of both coff ee beans killed for hatred of the faith. leftist rebels in which right-wing and well as the faithful. fee waste into electricity for Dr Claudio Avignone Rossa, a and electricity,” she said. Romero critiqued the military govern- military death squads killed thousands. “It’s the greatest thing a human being Sthe fi rst time, in research that systems microbiologist at the uni- The microbes that convert the ment and armed leftist groups alike. Romero was born in 1917 in a small can achieve, an incredible joy,” he said. could help farmers and curb pollu- versity, said: “You’re not going to coff ee waste were of the sort that oc- tion in the developing world. light up London with these things, cur in sludge from wastewater treat- The coff ee industry generates a but you’re going to put a light where ment plants, but Avignone Rossa Fujimori upset over daughter’s arrest, asks feuding kids to get along huge amount of liquid waste during there was none. said they could also be found on Co- the process of turning the raw mate- “The farmer will be getting a lit- lombian farms. ormer Peruvian president Alberto Keiko Fujimori, 43, was detained earli- audio message from his hospital bed sent rial of the tree — the coff ee cherries tle bit of energy coming from the “Supply is not a problem,” he Fujimori on Saturday criticised er this week in connection with a sweep- to AFP and other media outlets along — into the 9.5mn tons of coff ee the waste they are throwing away. So added. Fthe arrest of his daughter Keiko for ing graft scandal involving Brazilian with a photo of himself. world produces each year. the environment will be cleaner. The microbial fuel cells made by alleged money laundering and pleaded construction giant Odebrecht. He also asked authorities to ensure Wastewater is generated by farms The fi nances of the farm will be im- the researchers are roughly the size with his feuding children, who are bat- Prosecutors are looking into contribu- “due process” for his daughter. during the washing of coff ee seeds, proved.” of a fi zzy drink can. tling to lead the biggest party in Con- tions to her unsuccessful 2011 presiden- Keiko Fujimori is the leader of Peru’s or beans, and during the water- While coff ee waste has been used While the lab versions were made gress, to join forces. tial campaign. Popular Force party. Her brother leads a intensive process of making instant as biofuel before, and compacted to of Perspex and stainless steel and “I have never felt greater pain in my She denies all wrongdoing. rival faction. They could face off in the coff ee. be sold as “biologs” to be burned, cost £300-£500, the team also pro- life than I did seeing my daughter de- The elder Fujimori, who had served 12 2021 presidential election. But now a UK-funded pro- the project is believed to be the fi rst duced ones for less than £2 using tained and hauled off to prison,” the years in prison — nearly half the 25-year Alberto Fujimori, a Peruvian of Japa- gramme, working with Colombian to produce electricity from such materials like ceramics and dispos- 80-year-old Fujimori said from a Lima sentence — before being pardoned in nese descent, remains popular despite researchers, has proven that it can waste. able plastic boxes. medical clinic where he has been held December last year, asked Keiko and her ruling the country with an iron fi st be- not only remove the contaminants Claire Perry, energy minister, Avignone Rossa said he was wait- since October 3, when Peru’s Supreme younger brother Kenji to be “more united tween 1990 and 2000, and his subse- from the water but make electricity hailed the work as an example of the ing on responses from funding agen- Court revoked his pardon for crimes than ever.” quent conviction. That popularity has in the process. UK’s expertise in the green economy. cies for money to build a prototype against humanity. The former president “I give her all my love and support allowed his children to fl ourish in poli- A team led by the University of “Your morning latte could start in the fi eld in Colombia. suff ers heart problems. during this diffi cult time,” he said in an tics. Bolsonaro fomenting violence, says Brazil vote rival

By Paula Ramon, AFP Haddad is pushing for tele- government had fallen short in But he also pointed to Bol- Sao Paulo vised debates that his rival has so this area, especially in combating sonaro’s very thin record of being far avoided, initially because of a organised crime. involved in passing laws despite wound Bolsonaro suff ered when Bolsonaro was singularly nearly three decades in Congress, razil’s far-right presi- a lone assailant stabbed him unsuited to fi ghting violence, saying: “He rails against things. dential candidate Jair while campaigning last month. Haddad said, pointing to a cam- But what he proposes has no BBolsonaro is “fomenting In the fi rst round of the elec- paign moment when the far- consistency whatsoever.” violence” and is a danger to de- tion last Sunday, Bolsonaro easily right candidate feigned shooting Haddad declared: “That per- mocracy, his leftist rival Fernan- dominated, winning 46% of the up the Workers Party. son is leader in the polls, but he do Haddad told AFP on Saturday. vote to Haddad’s 29%. “How can a person preaching will lose.” Haddad, trailing in the polls A subsequent Datafolha survey intolerance off er security to any- Lula, he said, was “very hap- ahead of an October 28 run- suggested Bolsonaro, a former one?” he asked. py” at Haddad’s performance so off , argued against Bolsonaro’s paratrooper running on an anti- Haddad also pushed back far in the elections, especially as pledge to ease gun laws for citi- crime, anti-corruption platform, against a public perception high- he had been a late replacement zens to combat rampant insecu- had 58% voter support going lighted by Bolsonaro that the for the ex-president in Septem- rity and highlighted contentious into the run-off , against 42% for Workers Party, in power from ber, after a court ruled Lula to be remarks Bolsonaro has made. Haddad. 2003 to 2016, was corrupt — a ineligible to run again. “My adversary foments vio- In his interview with AFP in view confi rmed by the incarcera- Haddad also tackled attempts lence, including a culture of Sao Paulo, Haddad homed in on tion of its icon, former president by Bolsonaro’s campaign to claim rape,” Haddad said, recalling an the frontrunner’s message that Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for cor- the Workers Party was the same episode when Bolsonaro told a has resonated most with Brazil- ruption. as the Socialist regime running congresswoman she didn’t “de- ians: Bolsonaro’s law-and-order His party had made “errors,” neighbouring Venezuela, in crisis serve” to be raped by him. pledges that include making he admitted. under President Nicolas Maduro. He stressed he believed Bra- it easier for citizens to defend “Our government didn’t brush The Workers Party’s run in zil was seeing the biggest peril themselves with fi rearms, boost- anything under the carpet. Obvi- government in Brazil “didn’t since returning to democracy ing the police force, and lowering ously, what people saw outside the look anything like what is hap- three decades ago, saying: “In the age of criminal responsibility carpet wasn’t pretty but that was pening in Venezuela,” he said, my opinion, the big threat to the Fernando Haddad, presidential candidate of Brazil’s leftist Workers’ Party, speaks during a meeting with to 16. combated with legislation we ap- adding that his party “was born continent is Bolsonaro.” cultural groups of the periphery in Sao Paulo. “Arming the population will proved and...all organs of the state in the challenge to all authori- The charges were made as vio- resolve nothing. It’s the state that will be strengthened in our new tarian regimes on the left and lent incidents linked to the election stabbed to death in a bar for re- Haddad, a former mayor of Sao who admires US President Donald has to implement public safety,” government,” Haddad said. “I share right — unlike Bolsonaro whose occurred in various parts of Brazil. portedly yelling support for Paulo, is fi ghting to close a big Trump and is nostalgic for Brazil’s he said. the same view as society that cor- roots are in the military dicta- Early this week, a man was Haddad’s Workers Party. gap between him and Bolsonaro, 1964-1985 military dictatorship. He added that the outgoing ruption is something intolerable.” torship.” Gulf Times 20 Monday, October 15, 2018 PAKISTAN

NA speaker orders Shehbaz’s presence Minister Umar rejects in assembly session

Internews Sharifs meet Shehbaz Islamabad at NAB offi ce in Lahore The Sharif family, including talk of rift with Imran he Speaker of the Na- former premier Nawaz Sharif, tional Assembly (NA), met Shehbaz Sharif at the Na- Internews When asked whether he has TAsad Qaiser, has passed tional Accountability Bureau Karachi met with the prime minister orders for detained Opposition (NAB) off ice in Lahore this since his return from Bali, he Leader Shehbaz Sharif to be weekend, for the second time said no, but there has been ample produced in the National As- since his arrest. ederal Finance Minister contact via messaging services. sembly on October 17 to attend The meeting that lasted for over Asad Umar has strongly “We interact 10 times a day” the legislative body’s session. an hour saw Sharif, Hamza She- Fdenied reports about a pos- Umar said, “and the contact is Letters have been written hbaz, Nusrat Shehbaz, and other sible rift between him and Prime constant.” to the Punjab chief secretary, family members meet Shehbaz. Minister Imran Khan. “He knew Pakistan was go- the National Accountability This is the second meeting with Speaking to media on return- ing to land up with the IMF all Bureau (NAB) chairman, and Shehbaz since his arrest on ing from Bali, Indonesia, where along,” the minister said. “He other offi cials concerned. October 5. The first meeting took he submitted a formal request knew the writing was on the wall, The letters have been re- place on October 7. for balance of payments support and most likely we will land up ceived by the departments from the International Monetary with the IMF.” concerned. Fund (IMF) – the fi nance minis- Umar said that the video clips Sharif is likely to be fl own the National Assembly will ter said: “I heard these reports on being shown on TV where Khan to Islamabad from Lahore on remain in session for three or the way back from Bali.” was heard saying that the coun- Tuesday evening to attend more days, although it is the He added that these reports try should not go to the IMF are Umar: had three meetings with IMF off icials while Khan: knew Pakistan would have to turn to the the proceedings at 11am on speaker’s prerogative to pro- are false and those media outlets at least four-years-old. in Bali. IMF. Wednesday. rogue the session. that have run this report, as per “There was only one day where Well-placed parliamentary The sources also said no his information, will be deleting Imran Khan said during a rally sion to approach the IMF for bal- adding that the other two meet- Value Added Tax” either, but re- sources have revealed that formal information had been the content from their website. that we will not go to the IMF and ance of support in Bali. ings were of the same duration. duction of the losses of the state- Asad Qaiser had turned down given to the Speaker’s Secre- The next IMF mission will I messaged him right away after “I had three meetings with the He emphasised that whatever owned enterprises is a key part of a request of his predecessor tariat by the government about visit Pakistan on November 7 that speech,” he said. IMF,” he said. “The fi rst one was agreement Pakistan eventually the envisaged reforms. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to facili- Prime Minister Imran Khan’s and consultations will continue Khan was sure all along that with Jaff ar Mojarrad. The second has with the IMF must be built The minister added that this is tate Shehbaz’s participation participation in the upcoming for another 10 days, the minister Pakistan will go to the IMF dur- was with Jihad Azhour, and then around structural reforms. what the government team com- in a meeting of parliamentary session. said. ing the campaign, the fi nance fi nally with (IMF chief) Christine When asked what exactly the municated as a priority. group of opposition mem- Members of the Pakistan When asked about the size of minister stressed. Lagarde and David Lipton. So structural reforms might consist “This is our priority” he un- bers at the Parliament House, Muslim League – Nawaz the facility Pakistan will be ask- Umar said that the govern- there were multiple meetings.” of, Umar said that privatisation is derlined, “what they will ask for scheduled for tomorrow. (PML-N) and Sharif will speak ing for, Umar said that decision ment communicated nothing “The Lagarde meeting lasted not on the menu and that “there as their priority, we will wait to The speaker had contended on the occasion, where the lat- has not yet been made. more than an in-principle deci- about half an hour,” Umar said, has been no discussion about any see once we meet.” that his jurisdiction was lim- ter will give an account of the ited to Shehbaz’s production in circumstances in which he was the assembly session. arrested by the NAB. It has been learnt that a Five members of the Mut- formal letter expressing the tahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) speaker’s refusal to accept this and seven other groups, in- demand will be dispatched to cluding independents, have Security personnel keeping out of Sadiq today. indicated that they would par- The sources pointed out that ticipate in the discussion. by-election vote counting process Empowering women Internews Islamabad boost GDP ‘by 10%’ he Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took Internews omy recover and eventually Tsteps to prevent security Karachi fl ourish. personnel deployed in and out- Bano, a businesswoman side polling stations for by-elec- herself, added that Pakistani tions being held across the coun- ederation of Pakistan women had no direct role in try yesterday from meddling in Chambers of Commerce exports. the counting process. Fand Industry (FPCCI) Even Bangladesh has better A code of conduct issued for vice-president Saeeda Bano female representation in ex- the security personnel from Pa- has stated that if women re- ports than Pakistan, at 5-10%. kistan Army, Pakistan Rangers, ceive as many opportunities as According to McKinsey Glo- Frontier Corps, Frontier Con- the country’s male population, bal Institute (MGI) research, stabulary, Levies forces, police the gross domestic product $28tn or 26% could be added and other security agencies con- (GDP) will rise by at least 10%. to the annual global GDP in tains a long list of do’s and don’ts. The FPCCI, spearheaded by 2025 if women play a role in la- A security personnel would Bano, has signed a memoran- bour markets identical to that ensure a peaceful environment dum of understanding (MoU) of men’s. at polling stations for the ballot with the Jinnah University for “The long-term objective counting process, unless mal- Women (JUW) in a bid to es- of this MoU is to empower practice in the process is identi- tablish industry-academia women entrepreneurs and fi ed. linkages for the advancement nurture female leaders,” Bano “In that case, he shall inform of academic research to pro- said. “This can be achieved by his offi cer in-charge through the mote industrial development increasing the number of girl fastest means available, who in Women voters line up outside a polling station in Lahore during the by-election yesterday. in the country with focus on students interested in technol- turn shall inform Returning Of- empowering women. ogy, innovation, digitalisation, fi cer or Secretary Election Com- ing and counting at polling sta- to facilitate voters and ensure The security personnel have 45 (Result of the Count) and “The purpose of this initia- entrepreneurship and leader- mission of Pakistan for action tions till receipt of record in the that they are properly queued. been asked to acquaint them- tabulated result has been taken tive is to conduct joint research ship.” against the Presiding Offi cer,” offi ces of returning cers.offi Elderly, transgender persons, selves with the fact that one and sent through Result Trans- using equipment and facili- “We will hopefully be do- reads the code of conduct. According to the code of con- pregnant women, women with polling agent of each contest- mission System (RTS) to Elec- ties of one another to develop ing as much as we can for the The security personnel have duct, the security personnel are infants and disabled voters are ing candidate is by law allowed tion Commission and Returning a better understanding and cause, but the government been asked not to arrest any per- required to remain impartial given priority. to perform his/her duty at each Offi cer by respective Presiding subsequently evaluate as well should also come forward and son inside the polling station un- throughout the election process The personnel of the army and polling booth; however, only one Offi cers. as create opportunities,” Bano do some concrete work in this less explicitly instructed by the in general and during the voting civil armed forces (deployed in- polling agent of each candidate In case, due to any technical said. regard,” she added. presiding offi cer. process in particular. side and outside) a polling station will be allowed by the presiding reason, the RTS is not function- The FPCCI will off er JUW Bano argued that women The code of conduct requires They will not act in favour of while performing their duties are offi cer to observe counting proc- ing, the Presiding Offi cers shall students internships and as- should be trained properly for them to perform their duties or against any party or candidate to fi rst report to the presiding ess and tabulation of results, and not wait at the polling station sist them in industry-based an extended period for partici- in accordance with the law and in any manner whatsoever and offi cer any irregularity or mal- be aware of the fact that polling and shall move to the offi ce of the research projects including pation in the economy. “A few within the confi nes of the man- render their fullest co-operation practice they observe inside or agent of each candidate who ob- Returning Offi cer immediately startups. days of workshops won’t help date assigned to Pakistan Army to the presiding offi cer for main- outside of polling station and act served the counting process is, along with polling record. She added that the cham- much.” and civil armed forces to assist tenance of order and for ensur- according to the instructions is- by law, allowed to take copy of The security personnel have ber would continue to ink such She added that she didn’t the ECP in the conduct of free, ing un-interrupted voting at the sued by him in that regard. Form-45 (Result of the Count) been instructed to allow accred- MoUs with other universities, think men are to blame for fair and transparent be-elec- polling station. In case the presiding offi cer and Form-46 (Ballot Paper Ac- ited observers and media persons like the Karachi University, the women’s plight in the coun- tions, by providing secure envi- They have been asked to check does not act to prevent the com- count) from the presiding offi cer. to enter a polling station for a Dow University, the Greenwich try’s economy, but it had been ronment for maintenance of law each voter before he or she enters mission of any reported irregu- Similarly an observer, if any, brief duration. University, and others, to pro- women themselves. and order, providing security to the premises of a polling sta- larity or malpractice, the security who is present at the time of Media persons will be allowed vide opportunities for fresh “What I have seen is that presiding offi cers during trans- tion to ensure that no person can personnel will immediately bring counting, may also receive the along with cameras for making graduates to explore ideas, women don’t support other portation of polling bags from bring with himself/herself any the matter to the notice of their copies of the forms from the pre- footage of the voting process or startups and look at the larger women who climb the success the offi ces of returning cersoffi weapon/explosive or undesirable designated offi cer-in-charge, siding offi cer. counting process; however, they picture of the economy. ladder,” she lamented. “They to polling stations and providing item, including mobile phones, who in turn will inform the re- While performing duties in- will not be allowed to take foot- The FPCCI offi cial stressed criticise when they should security, during transportation which could sabotage the polling turning offi cer or the ECP sec- side the polling station they will age of the screened-off compart- that Pakistan is in dire need have been supporting the of election material, to presiding process. retary to take action against the be required to co-ordinate in a ment to maintain the secrecy of of empowering women as it women walking up the path of offi cers after completion of poll- The security personnel are also presiding offi cer. manner that snapshot of Form- ballot. would help the fl agging econ- success.” Judge from Lahore likely to be appointed to lead Islamabad high court

Internews likely successor of Justice Kasi. pointed as the chief justice after from Harvard Law School, Cam- Besides Justice Minallah, there lawyers of the federal capital, pointment of the IHC chief jus- Islamabad However, his sudden removal the retirement of the incumbent. bridge, Massachusetts, US, are three other judges in the IHC: held an emergency meeting last tice from provinces. on the recommendation of the Justice Minallah was appoint- where she was named London H Justices Aamer Farooq, Mohsin week to discuss the issue re- The members of the council Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) ed the IHC judge in June 2014 and Gammon Fellow 1998-1999 for Akhtar Kayani, and Miangul lated to the appointment of the have renewed the demand. he judicial bureaucracy is has created a vacuum in the IHC. is considered one of the fi nest outstanding merit. Hassan Aurangzeb. IHC chief justice and two other Gillani said that the IBC also considering transferring a Though the next judge in terms judges of the superior judiciary. She became the LHC judge on According to the Islamabad judges. demanded that the vacant posi- Tjudge of the Lahore High of seniority, Justice Athar Minal- In the last few years, he has March 27, 2012, and is currently High Court Act 2010, the sanc- According to IBC member tions should be fi lled by appoint- Court (LHC) to lead Islamabad lah, has become the senior pu- authored landmark judgments on No 13th in the seniority list. tioned strength of its judges is Syed Wajid Ali Gillani, the coun- ing suitable lawyers from the High Court (IHC) as the post of isne judge of the IHC, the legal in matters related to civil litiga- Justice Shahid Karim was ap- seven. cil resolved that the JCP would be Islamabad Bar Association, and its chief justice falls vacant next fraternity is unsure whether the tion, including real estate, crimi- pointed on November 7, 2014, After the removal of Siddiqui, asked not to appoint any judge in case a lawyer from a province month. Judicial Commission of Pakistan nal cases, and environment and and is No 31st in the seniority list the court has fi ve judges. from the LHC or any other court is appointed as a judge, someone IHC Chief Justice Mohamed (JCP, which appoints Supreme missing persons. of the LHC. Since IHC Chief Justice Kasi as the chief justice of the IHC, from the legal fraternity of Is- Anwar Khan Kasi, who has been and High Court judges) would Sources privy to the judicial Lawyers’ representatives said is reaching the age of superan- as it would send a message that lamabad may also be appointed exonerated in four references, is appoint him, or a judge from an- bureaucracy said LHC’s Justice that they would request that nuation on November 27, there Justice Siddiqui was removed in to the high court of that province. retiring on November 27. other court may be transferred to Ayesha A Malik and Justice Sha- Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) would be three vacant positions order to elevate a judge from an- IHC Bar Association president Being the senior puisne judge, the IHC as its new chief. hid Karim were being considered Saqib Nisar appoint the senior of judges in the IHC. other province to the IHC. Javed Akbar Shah said that he has deposed Justice Shaukat Aziz Traditionally, the senior pu- for the top post of the IHC. most judge of the IHC as its chief The Islamabad Bar Council He said the IBC last year had also moved a resolution on the Siddiqui would have been the isne judge of a high court is ap- Justice Malik has done LLM justice. (IBC), the regulatory body of the passed a resolution against ap- appointment of judges. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 21 PHILIPPINES

Govt to Annual procession Go pledges infrastructure suspend projects in Butuan oil tax hike Manila Times “We want the free medical Manila services for all to be accessible right away. That’s why we are to cool doing all we can to open, espe- pecial Assistant to the cially to the poor, senior citizens, President (SAP) Christo- and persons with disabilities, the infl ation Spher Lawrence “Bong” Go Malasakit Center,” Go said. gave assurances that the gov- The Malasakit Center is a one- ernment will give priority to stop shop programme of Presi- Reuters infrastructure and agriculture dent Rodrigo Duterte to hasten Manila projects in Butuan to push for the delivery of medical services the development of the city. and give poor patients access to “There’s a plan to start the free medicines. he Philippines said yes- Mindanao Railway Project that A fast lane prioritising the terday it would suspend connects Butuan and Tagum to senior citizens and persons with Tthe implementation of a the rest of Mindanao, and this is disabilities (PWDs) is also avail- further increase in excise tax on one of the priorities of the Du- able. fuel products, set to take eff ect terte administration. Second, Under the programme, pa- in January 2019, to stem rising the free Wifi project in Butuan tients are given fi nancial and infl ation expectations. that targets 127 areas,” Go said. medical assistance by the Phil- Infl ation in one of Asia’s “There’s also a loan for farm- ippine Charity Sweepstakes Of- fastest-growing economies has ers and fi shermen, which we call fi ce, the Philippine Amusement been rising since January, due to Production Loan Easy Access. and Games Corporation, De- higher taxes, costlier food and There are other projects lined partment of Health, and the De- fuel and a weak peso, causing a up under the Build, Build, Build partment of Social Welfare and decline in President Rodrigo Du- programme,” he added. Development (DSWD). terte’s popularity. Devotees participate on the annual procession of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary La Naval de Manila on a street in Manila, Go launched the 13th Malasa- Pooled together, the assist- The Department of Finance yesterday. The first procession was celebrated on Oct 8, 1646 in Manila to mark the naval victory of the Spanish and Filipino kit Center in the city to give poor ance from these agencies can (DOF) expects foregone revenues Catholic forces against the invading Dutch fleet. patients easier access to fi nan- greatly reduce the patient’s of up to 40bn pesos ($740mn) a cial and medical assistance. medical bill. year from the suspension. That amount is part of the crucial funding for Duterte’s $180bn “Build, Build, Build” programme, which aims to up- grade the country’s infrastruc- ture. Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Army warns on communists’ (TRAIN) law, the excise tax on fuel products is to be gradu- ally increased between 2018 and 2020, with the fi rst hike imple- mented in January and the sec- ond to take eff ect on Jan 1 next recruitment in schools, colleges year. The law allows for the suspen- By Dempsey Reyes are idealistic, vulnerable to rad- have proven their passion and Nueva Ecija. “Their family had nists have conducted recruit- Normal University. Most of the sion of the second hike if the av- Manila Times icalism and easy to train.” courage in a number of demon- no idea what they were doing,” ment activities. These include mentioned schools have denied erage price of Dubai crude, based Hapin urged parents to be strations and rallies, they will the offi cial said. the University of the Philippines the allegations, saying they were on Mean of Platts Singapore, more vigilant and monitor their then be immersed in a commu- The latest victim, Hapin said, in Diliman and Manila, Polytech- not aware of any recruitment ac- reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel he Philippine Army yes- children’s whereabouts. She nity where they get their fi rst was Gerald Salonga, a psychol- nic University of the Philippines, tivity in their campuses. from October to December 2018. terday warned that the said parents should be “con- exposure with the armed group ogy student in UP Clark, who Ateneo de Manila University, De The military had said students “The president is making an TCommunist Party of the stantly informed about the ac- of the NPA,” Hapin added. The was killed in an encounter with La Salle University, University of are being recruited by the CPP early announcement of the tem- Philippines (CPP) and its armed tivities of their children even 7th ID said a number of students government troops in Aurora Santo Tomas, Adamson Univer- and the NPA for the alleged “Red porary suspension of the January wing, the New People’s Army when inside their schools and who joined the CPP’s “immer- province in September this year. sity, Far Eastern University, Eulo- October” plot whose aim was to 2019 oil excise increase” ahead (NPA), have intensifi ed their re- campuses.” sion activities” in provinces Maj. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr, gio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute remove President Rodrigo Du- of the trigger, the Department of cruitment activities in schools “The NPA recruitment proc- have been killed. Hapin cited the 7th ID commander, said these of Science and Technology, Emil- terte from offi ce. Finance said in a statement. and universities. ess normally starts with select- cases of John Paul Calica, a stu- students “should have had a io Aguinaldo College, University The CPP had denied the alle- “Today’s price and multiple Lt Catherine Hapin, spokes- ing prospective student mem- dent of the Asian Institute for bright future and become pro- of the East Recto and Caloocan gations. estimates of crude prices over woman of the seventh Infan- bers who are smart, idealistic Computer Studies, and Guiller ductive members of the society campuses, San Beda University, Last week, Defence Secretary the next two months show that try Division (ID), said the two and passionate about a cause,” Martin Cadano of the Univer- had they not been infl uenced Lyceum of the Philippines Uni- Delfi n Lorenzana said the CPP the average price will stay above groups have stepped up their she said in a statement. sity of the Philippines in Clark, and recruited by the NPA.” versity, University of Makati, abandoned its “Red October” the $80 threshold,” it said. activities to lure students to join “An invitation to join rallies who died in an encounter with The military earlier identifi ed University of Caloocan City, Uni- plot after it was “exposed” by the The government expects the the movement because “they would come next. After they troops last year in Carranglan, several schools where commu- versity of Manila and Philippine military. tax hike suspension to help tame infl ation, which quickened to 6.7% in September, the fastest in nearly a decade and marking the seventh straight month the rate stayed outside the 2-4% target Bill requires car buyers to reveal proof of parking space this year. Higher infl ation and expecta- tions that it will remain elevated By Bernadette E Tamayo The senator said the Senate has tion Office (LTO), the number of reg- “after the bill received full support now putting the responsibility on the in the last quarter prompted the Manila Times started ironing out details of Senate istered motor vehicles from 2015 until from different civil society and gov- car owners,” Gatchalian said. Under central bank to tighten monetary Bill (SB) 201 or the Proof-of-Parking 2017 had reached 10,410,814. ernment representatives.” SB 201, individuals and businesses policy by hiking key interest Space Act. There are an estimated new 1,000 He added that the proposed meas- based within Metro Manila would rates. equiring prospective vehicle “If you buy cars, you have to make registrants each day, 600 of whom are ure, which he authored, is “quite rel- only be allowed to purchase vehi- The central bank, which has owners to present proof that they sure that you have a parking space for owners of newly-purchased vehicles. evant at this time, since this will in- cles after execution of an affidavit two more policy meetings this Rhave a parking space will help your own vehicle,” Gatchalian said Gatchalian said the Senate Com- still a culture of responsible vehicle confirming that they have acquired, year, expects infl ation to re- ease traffi c congestion in the country, during a recent public hearing of SB mittee on Trade, Commerce and En- ownership among Filipinos.” either through purchase or lease, a turn to within its 2-4% target according to Senator Sherwin Gatchal- 201. trepreneurship has formed a techni- “The concept really here is respon- parking space for the vehicle sought next year. ian. According to the Land Transporta- cal working group to study SB 201 sibility when you buy vehicles. We are to be purchased. Filipinos deeply divided on Duterte’s drug war

AFP The International Criminal Manila Court has launched a prelimi- nary examination into the kill- ings, while rights groups say Du- ailed drug user Bitoy Paras terte may be overseeing a crime perks up when describing his against humanity. Jsupport for Philippine Presi- Meanwhile, Duterte hammers dent Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly the menace posed by drugs in war on narcotics, an unlikely fan near daily speeches in which he of a campaign that has left Fili- has described addicts as “not pinos deeply confl icted. human”.Analysts say the presi- “Duterte talks tough, saying dent uses clear and repeated he will get rid of addicts...I am messaging in an eff ort to but- happy he’s doing that,” he said tress backing for his campaign. at Manila’s main jail, which is “The way (the message) is de- packed with drug suspects. livered is that there is a very big “But I feel uneasy about the threat, so fi rst there’s the pro- killings,” said the 22-year-old duction of massive fear,” said rickshaw driver, whose real Ateneo de Manila University name cannot be used due to psychology professor Cristina prison policy. Montiel. Paras’ seemingly paradoxical “Then (comes) the salvifi c backing echoes that of millions message that this programme or of Filipinos, who polls say sup- this leader is here to save you,” port the crackdown but not the she added.”That’s how popular thousands of slayings that are support is produced.” central to it. As the campaign continues, Duterte’s drug war — his sig- A recent photo shows Katherine Bautista (left), 37, and Emily Soriano, 49, former supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, holding pictures in Manila of their sons who they said the death toll is well over Am- nature initiative — helped bring were killed in police drug war operations. Right: This photo taken on August 13, 2018, shows inmates standing next to a portrait of President Duterte inside the city jail in Manila. nesty International’s count of him to power in mid-2016, 3,240 people killed during the promising to rid society of nar- condemned crackdown is the ing a blind eye (to the killing) Bautista supported the crack- position to the killings is the fear of illegal drugs?”, David added, nine years of martial law rule un- cotics by any means necessary. will of the people. but they’re really worried about down until her stepson John Jez- a loved could be slain just by be- saying the lethal methods were der dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Since then, police say they But those same polls show the drug problem,” said Steven reel David was shot dead in what ing in the wrong place, not nec- what prompted questions. the country’s darkest chapter have killed 4,854 alleged drug near unanimous agreement — Rood, a fellow-in-residence at police said was an anti-drug op- essarily because of involvement There has been broader con- since World War II. users or dealers in self-defence, 96 % — among the nation in op- pollster SWS. eration even as she insisted her in drugs. demnation of the crackdown, at Duterte recently addressed while rights groups estimate the position to the killing, saying the “It has been a problem for a son was not a drug user. “People feel very afraid that home and abroad. the thorny issue of the killings, true toll is at least triple that. suspects should be taken alive. long time and fi nally the presi- “I was even saying that the their families or their relatives Rare protests were held in the delivering what critics called a According to the latest survey Experts say Duterte’s cam- dent of the Philippines is doing tears of families (of those killed) might be placed in a situation Philippines last year following clear admission they are suspect. by pollster SWS, the campaign paign has tapped into genuine something about it,” he added, seemed fake. But when it hap- where they could be the targets,” the deaths of teenagers, while “What are my sins? Did I steal still has the backing of 78% of popular outrage over disorder, describing how many Filipinos pened to us, I felt the pain they said Randy David, a sociologist outrage over alleged abuses has money? Even just one peso? Did Filipinos, a fi gure undented in crime and dysfunction in a de- view the narcotics issue. were feeling,” Bautista said. and newspaper columnist in prompted Duterte to twice re- I prosecute somebody I sent to over a year. veloping nation with millions of But for the family of Duterte “If it doesn’t happen to your Manila. move police from the frontlines jail?” he asked in a September Drug war proponents regu- poor people and a turbulent po- voter Katherine Bautista, that family, you won’t wake up to the “But how can you possibly of the campaign — only to rein- speech. larly point to these statistics as litical past. belief was suddenly turned on its truth,” she added. disagree or not lend support for state them, and promise to par- “My only sin is extrajudicial proof that the internationally- “It’s not like they’re turn- head by tragedy last year. A signifi cant strand in the op- a campaign to rid this country don offi cers convicted of murder. killings.” Gulf Times 22 Monday, October 15, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Fasting regimens can ‘eliminate’ need for diabetic medication

A new Canadian study, which suggests that occasional fasting may help control type 2 diabetes, could serve as a simple yet eff ective tool for the millions aff ected by the condition across the world. The findings were published on October 9 in the journal BMJ Case Reports. This small trial showed that 24-hour fasting regimens can signifi cantly reverse or eliminate the need for diabetic medication, the study authors said. Doctors at Scarborough Hospital, Ontario, put three male patients, aged between 40 and 67, on the diet. Reporting on Trump and Prior to starting intermittent fasting, the patients were injecting at least 70 units of insulin daily, and all had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The participants also attended a six-hour nutritional training programme before starting the diet, where they were informed on how to manage their chronic Putin amid war on truth condition through diet and a healthy lifestyle. Subsequently, two of the men fasted on alternate days By Luke Harding Putin, Trump and other One possible answer, I think, When the Panama Papers were for a full 24 hours, while the third fasted three days a London unscrupulous people have declared is good method. As a foreign published in 2016, they had an war on critical thinking. For Lenin, correspondent, I believed in seeing enormous impact. The then British week. On fast days, they were allowed to drink very low truth was subordinate to class for myself: travelling to the frontline prime minister David Cameron nearly calorie drinks (tea/coff ee, water or broth) and to eat retired spy and his daughter struggle. Putin has taken this of a war, or driving to the scene of a resigned. one very low calorie meal in the evening. All three were are found slumped on a park relativist idea and weaponised it. natural disaster. The prime ministers of Iceland able to stop their insulin injections within a month of bench in Salisbury. Someone Russian state TV channels spew out We need to talk to all sides. If the and Pakistan did quit, with the latter starting their fasting schedule. For one man, this took A tried to kill them. The poison endless conspiracy theories, which facts change, so should our reporting. eventually ending up in jail. is novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. are amplified by professional trolls Fixed ideas are unhelpful. There were protests in Argentina, only fi ve days. Two were able to stop taking all their Six months later British Prime and shared online. The web – a once The truth – so best as we can Malta, Brazil. At Westminster, the other diabetes drugs, while the third stopped three of Minister Theresa May says the would- empowering force – has become a establish it – does exist. Where first meaningful steps were taken four diabetes drugs, the study authors reported. be assassins are officers with Russian playground for disinformation and possible we should uncover it. to make Britain’s offshore former The trio lost between military intelligence. They travelled malign messaging. The work of journalists is under colonies more transparent. 10% and 18% of their to the UK as “Alexander Petrov” and And, as the historian Timothy attack as never before. Our best The investigation revealed a Diabetes among “Ruslan Boshirov”. Snyder argues, post-truth is pre- response is to develop a spirit of bitter truth: that the secret offshore body weight and Not true, says Moscow. fascism. Without a basic consensus solidarity. industry is not a minor part of our adults has risen reduced their blood Last month the two men appeared about facts, science, law and But interrogating complex issues economic system. sugar levels, which on RT, the Kremlin’s external parliamentary politics get corroded. is sometimes best done as part Rather, it is the system. from 4.7% in 1980 may help lower the propaganda channel. They denied Our democracy becomes degraded. of a global team. I’ve been lucky The rich and multinational having anything to do with the Climate change? A hoax! Collusion? to have been involved in many corporations exited from tax a long to 8.5% in 2014 risk of future diabetes bungled attempted murder of Sergei Fake news! Russian hacking of the US groundbreaking investigations. time ago, leaving the rest of us to pick complications, and Yulia Skripal. Yes, they visited presidential election? It could have They include the leak of State up the slack. according to the Salisbury twice. But they came in been anybody! Department cables; Edward This sense of fundamental study. “The use of a therapeutic fasting regimen for March to see the city’s wonderful Trump’s account of the world is Snowden’s revelations of mass US-UK economic unfairness explains in part cathedral and turned back the first false and self-serving. And successful. surveillance, for which the Guardian why millions voted for Trump – and treatment of [type 2 diabetes] is virtually unheard of,” time because of heavy ‘slush’ … His Republican supporters live jointly won a Pulitzer prize; and the Brexit. said Dr Jason Fung and colleagues, who conducted The investigative website Bellingcat in their own separate knowledge Panama and Paradise Papers. At a time when politics seems the trial. Because this was an observational study that has revealed the pair’s real identities. universe, fed and affirmed by Fox Plus stories on Trump’s Russian to be failing, the Guardian is more included just three patients, it’s impossible to draw “Boshirov” is Anatoliy Chepiga, News and conservative talk radio. connections and the links between the determined than ever to hold power to a GRU colonel. “Petrov”, we learned They believe the president is a Russian ambassador in London and account. fi rm conclusions about the use of fasting to treat type 2 this week, is Alexander Mishkin, a victim of a deep-state plot. Arron Banks. Paradoxically, this feels to me like a diabetes, the researchers noted. trained GRU medical doctor. Both are There is divide in thinking – an We have worked on many of these golden age for journalism. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either decorated heroes of Russia. epistemological barrier that creates projects with talented reporters The answer to onslaughts from when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin As for the slush, Mishkin comes hostile tribes, a them and an us. from around the world. Nearly 400 Trump and co is to carry on – to tell or when the body cannot eff ectively use the insulin it from a remote snow-covered village in All of this presents an enormous journalists co-operated on the true stories, compellingly and well. the frozen Arkhangelsk region. challenge for journalism. How should Panama Papers. Most of all we need our readers. Please produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood Which version to believe? States reporters respond to this assault on We swapped information – we support our work in dark times, and sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a have always lied about their activities. truth? How do we avoid what you called this “radical sharing” – help light us the way. – Guardian common eff ect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time So, it must be said, have (some) might call “versionland” – where and pooled discoveries and tips. News and Media leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, Western politicians. rival “versions” are accorded the Remarkably we managed to keep But we are now living in an age same status, even if one of them is our year-long investigation secret: Luke Harding is the author of especially the nerves and blood vessels. According where malign individuals and wrong? How do we hold a civilised no mean feat given the gossipy Collusion: How Russia Helped Donald to the World Health Organisation statistics, in 2014, authoritarian nations such as Russia conversation? proclivities of most hacks. Trump Win the White House. 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes. In are able to spray around lies on a 2015, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6mn deaths and global scale, using the firehose power of Facebook and Twitter. in 2012 high blood glucose was the cause of another You don’t have to believe the two 2.2mn deaths. The number of people with diabetes has Russians. risen from 108mn in 1980 to 422mn in 2014. The global Vladimir Putin’s aim isn’t to prevalence of diabetes among adults over 18 years of age persuade the world community that has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014. the pair are hapless tourists – though this line works to some degree at The researchers explain that while bariatric surgery home. Putin’s ultimate goal is to (a gastric band) is eff ective, it comes with risks, and confuse. although drugs can help manage symptoms, they’re As RT’s boss Margarita Simonyan unable to stop the disease in its tracks. While the study once put it, there is no such thing as truth, only “narrative”. provides hope for those with the chronic condition, the As the Guardian’s Moscow researchers stress the fact that the study only included correspondent, I watched as the three men, and therefore further research needs to be Russian government perfected these conducted to determine whether all-day fasting can techniques for a domestic audience. treat type 2 diabetes. Over the past decade, the Kremlin has rolled out the same methods abroad. It is part of a wider attempt to reshape the world to Russia’s To Advertise advantage. Other leaders are using the same authoritarian handbook. [email protected] We see rightwing populists trying Display to create a sovereign version of “reality”. 44466621 44418811 Think of Donald Trump and his claim – easily disproven by photos Classified – that his inauguration crowds were 44466609 44418811 “bigger than Obama’s”. Or Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s loyal Subscription aide, who told NBC that the president would not answer questions under [email protected] oath posed by Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor investigating collusion. © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved “Truth is not truth,” Giuliani said. Journalist Luke Harding (centre standing) speaking with colleagues in the Guardian off ice. Gulf Times Monday, October 15, 2018 23 COMMENT Use of C-sections growing at alarming rate

By Nicola Davis and Ciara Long midwives the time to sit and discuss a caesarean births. Granada said women London woman’s options for the birth of her who want a natural birth in a private baby. It is very important that women clinic “are charged an extra cost, or have make their decisions based on the best to pay the whole cost of the birth”. he use of caesarean sections available evidence.” César Eduardo Fernandes, president to deliver babies has reached “In Brazil, there’s a belief that normal of the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology epidemic proportions, say childbirth is something the poor do”. and Obstetrics Associations, said social Texperts, with the procedure More than half of all births in Brazil are and cultural factors also infl uence growing in use at an “alarming” rate. via caesarean section, according to the women’s choices when it comes to While caesarean sections can be a latest data from the Lancet. Although natural birth versus caesarean sections. crucial intervention for the safety of natural births are more common in “In Brazil, there’s a belief that natural the mother and child, for example if public hospitals than in private clinics, childbirth is something the poor do,” the baby is showing distress or if the about 55% of women in Brazil give birth he said. “Those who have the economic mother is bleeding before birth, experts via caesarean section. capacity choose caesareans.” say the procedure would account for “It’s quite worrying,” said Silvana In private clinics, which often assign about 10-15% of births if only used when Granada, one of the lead childbirth each patient a doctor to accompany their medically necessary. researchers at Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz entire pregnancy, the convenience of But in a new series of studies and Foundation (Fiocruz). According to a one-hour caesarean birth compared commentaries published in the Lancet, Granada, as many as 70% of women fi rst to a long natural labour could also a team of researchers have revealed that say they want a natural birth. But this infl uence practices. Granada said the in many countries caesarean sections Globally the proportion of caesarean sections is excessive. “reverses” as they reach the end of their majority of caesarean sections in Brazil are rising rapidly, accounting for more pregnancies, with the majority voicing are scheduled in advance rather than than 21% of births globally in 2015, up pregnancies in women who had not with and she is using [a caesarean] as a confi dence in undertaking assisted preference for caesarean sections. when a woman goes into labour, and from just over 12% at the turn of the previously had a caesarean section to one way of getting control back,” she said. natural deliveries and breech deliveries,” Granada said a nationwide study by are normally set to take place during millennium. in 20 for women who have had three or Sandall said time constraints and the experts warn. Fiocruz in 2012 found that women often working hours during the week. In the UK, the fi gure stands at just more. staffi ng problems mean women do While research is lacking on the best made this choice out of fear of pain or Legal risks for obstetricians are over 26%, but in some countries more The authors add there is also a risk not always receive the support they way to tackle overuse of caesarean because they believed caesarean births also a factor, according to Fernandes. than half of births involve the procedure: of blood clots in the mother’s legs, need, but that medics should provide sections, experts recommend improved were safer. Until very recently, medical “Obstetricians are the most sued doctors in the Dominican Republic over 58% of problems from the anaesthetic, and information and off er possible ways to support for women and audits of labour practices in Brazil have done little in our country, after plastic surgeons,” babies are delivered this way, while in infection among those opting for a mitigate fears around natural birth. caesarean use, and stress the importance to change this belief. he said. Egypt the fi gure is 63% when looking caesarean section, while in the baby “It is our job to provide as accurate of midwives. Up until a decade ago episiotomies Brazil is taking steps to tackle its high just at births in institutional settings. there is a greater risk of problems information as we can … it is not our job The team add that while globally – surgical cuts made during childbirth – caesarean rate. In July 2016, the federal Experts say more needs to be done to around the development of the immune to tell women what to do,” she added. the proportion of caesarean sections is were used for every single natural birth. government passed a resolution that raise awareness among women, their system and autoimmune disorders. The The new research suggests the global excessive, use of the procedure varies The procedure is much less common advised caesarean sections should only families and medical professionals of procedure also aff ects the makeup of the rise in caesarean sections is down to from country to country, with greater now. be planned for high-risk pregnancies, the potential risks of caesarean sections baby’s gut microbiome, and increases more women giving birth in medical use in wealthier regions. By contrast, Other practices known to increase and only after the 39th week. Data has when not needed for medical reasons. their risk of obesity and asthma. institutions such as hospitals, combined 47 of the 169 countries studied by the pain are still common among births, yet to be collected to show the eff ect “For the mother, for her future The authors note that the risks are with increased use of the procedures researchers have levels of caesarean however, such as use of the drug of this on caesarean rates in Brazil, but pregnancy there is an increased risk of generally small and depend on where in there. section use below what is considered oxytocin, which can speed up labour but researchers and practitioners believe preterm birth, ruptured uterus and the the world the operation is taking place. More specifi cally, the reports suggest medically necessary: in west and is also known to increase discomfort. they are decreasing. placenta embedding in the wrong part of They also admit there has been little factors that may play a role include central Africa the fi gure is just over 4%, The study also found that doctors still Fiocruz’s most recent studies, the the uterus, which means she is at risk of research into the psychological eff ects women’s fear of labour pain and the suggesting some women and babies are often bind women to their beds and results of which were collected in 2016 postpartum haemorrhage and needing of opting to have a caesarean section idea that a caesarean is safer. For missing out on life-saving care. forbid them from walking around, or and are still being analysed, show an a hysterectomy,” said Jane Sandall, compared with natural delivery. obstetricians, fear of being sued – which Caesareans are also more common in leave them without food or drink during improvement from past childbirth professor of social science and women’s While Sandall said there is not one is more likely for natural deliveries some countries for wealthier women and labour. practices. Granada said the number of health at King’s College London and a rate or target to aim for, she said it is – greater fi nancial reward and even in the private sector. Another factor is the divide between caesarean births has reduced. co-author of one of the studies. important to listen to why women elect juggling work schedules might mean Mandy Forrester of the Royal College public and private maternity units, “It’s getting better,” she said. “But Some of the risks increase the more to have the procedure. they are more likely to agree to a request of Midwives said it was “crucial that where practices may diff er substantially. we still have a lot to improve to have caesarean sections a woman has: “For many women it is about fear of for the procedure, or suggest it. women are aware of the potential Women of a lower social class were more more adequate deliveries, where the according to one study referred to by birth, or something has happened to “In many settings, young complications of having a caesarean likely to give birth in a public unit, and woman is the protagonist rather than the team, the need for a hysterectomy her in her previous care where she was obstetricians have become experts in section in the short and long term. To health insurance plans used for private the healthcare professional.” – Guardian increased from one in 25,000 treated in a way that she wasn’t happy [caesarean sections], but are losing ensure this happens we need to give maternity hospitals often only cover News and Media

Taylor Swift fi nds her (political) voice Three-day forecast TODAY Maximum Temperature : 350c Minimum Temperature : 280c By Tricia Bishop who imagined her an Aryan Goddess – The Baltimore Sun lost their mind over the statements. TUESDAY “What I used to love about Taylor Maximum Temperature : 350c Swift is she stayed away from politics. Minimum Temperature : 280c udos to singer Taylor Swift for She was all about music, all about, WEDNESDAY getting political and urging you know, female empowerment,” Maximum Temperature : 340c young people to vote during her Charlie Kirk, founder of the campus Minimum Temperature : 280c “artist of the year” acceptance conservative group Turning Point USA, K Fisherman's forecast speech at the 2018 American Music whined on “Fox & Friends” this week, Awards and in an earlier Instagram post. questioning whether the mega star and Her words are credited with prompting highly successful businesswoman was WARNING thousands between the ages of 18 and 24 even capable of writing the post. Inshore : Nil to register online at vote.org. “I wish you would not have done this,” Offshore : Nil While the rest of the Americans don’t he added, as if she were watching. “Stay WEATHER have the same kind of sway as Swift away from politics.” Inshore : Hot daytime with some – with her 112mn Instagram viewers, A few days earlier, as The Daily Beast local clouds. 84mn Twitter followers and 69mn points out, he was on the same show Offshore : Misty at times with some clouds. Facebook fans – the people should take singing the praises of singer Kanye a page from her playbook and hound the Taylor Swift West, which whom Swift has famously WIND millennial and 18-and-up gen Z folks to feuded, for being a courageous, black Inshore : Southeasterly-South- westerly 05-15 KT do the same. After all, this is their world colour. But back to Swift. On Instagram a huge splash, both because of her conservative willing to support the Offshrore : Mainly Southwesterly now, and if they don’t speak up, large last Sunday, the singer endorsed two popularity and her earlier reluctance to president. “What I love about Kanye 05-15 KT portions of it will likely be under water Tennessee Democrats along with basic share her personal views. She famously West is that he has been blazing this by the time they reach middle age. decency. avoided talking politics in her younger trial, saying it’s OK to think freely,” Kirk Visibility : 4-8 KM That’s according to a sobering report “I always have and always will cast days, saying at 18 she wouldn’t reveal gushed. Hmmm, so which is it, Charlie: Offshore : 2-4 FT released this week from a United Nations my vote based on which candidate her political views, because music was Should all singers shut up and stick to panel detailing dire results – rising will protect and fi ght for the human her forte, and at 22 that she didn’t want entertainment – or just the women ones? sea levels, massive food shortages, rights. I believe we all deserve in this to infl uence the votes of others because, Around the region coral reef die-off s – as early as 2040 if country,” she wrote. “I believe in the she said, “I don’t think that I know And is what she said really so Weather people don’t do something signifi cant fi ght for LGBTQ rights, and that any enough yet in life.” shocking? Take away the Dem Weather tomorrow Max/min about climate change now. Of course form of discrimination based on sexual She has spoken out on topics she’s endorsements, and she simply urged today Max/min P Cloudy 37/24 that’s only terrifying for those of orientation or gender is WRONG. I feels strongly about before, however – others to get involved, to pay attention, Baghdad P Cloudy 38/24 Sunny 37/25 who believe in science, which, as we believe that the systemic racism we including sexual harassment and assault, to make informed decisions and to make Kuwait City Sunny 37/24 Sunny 36/28 know, doesn’t include US President still see in this country towards people gun violence and music streaming sure their voices are heard. Manama Sunny 36/28 P Cloudy 31/27 Donald Trump. When asked about the of colour is terrifying, sickening and services that are unfair to artists. “Please, please educate yourself on Muscat Cloudy 31/27 S Showers 21/13 report, he expressed skepticism over prevalent.” And now, on the horizon of 29, she’s the candidates running in your state Tehran S Showers 24/14 the credentials of the 91 scientists, She followed her post up a few days apparently ready to take on politics. and vote based on who most closely representing 40 countries, who wrote it. later at the AMAs by pointing out that Swift’s Instagram post has been liked represents your values,” she wrote on Or, as he said “drew it.” the awards there were given out based on more than 2mn times since Sunday, Instagram. “For a lot of us, we may never “It was given to me, and I want to look votes by the public – as are the positions and at least four of her albums have fi nd a candidate or party with whom we at who drew, you know, which group up for grabs in the midterm election coincidentally begun to move back up agree 100% on every issue, but we have drew it,” he told reporters, giving us a November 6. “Get out and vote, and I the sales charts. But some conservatives to vote anyway.” clue as to how information is generally love you guys,” she said. who had co-opted her for their cause – We should all be able to support that. presented to him: in pictures, likely Combined, the comments made like the right-wing white supremacists – Tribune News Service Live issues Around the world Weather Weather Asthma during pregnancy tied to depression risk today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens P Cloudy 22/16 P Cloudy 23/15 By Shereen Lehman author Lucie Blais, a researcher at the women with asthma had a depression women with asthma were still 58% Beirut P Cloudy 27/23 S T Storms 26/22 Reuters Health Universite de Montreal. diagnosis compared to 1% of women more likely than those without asthma Bangkok S T Storms 32/27 S T Storms 33/27 “Women with asthma should without asthma. And at one year, to experience postpartum depression. Berlin M Sunny 23/09 Sunny 22/09 be aware of the increased risk of about 6% of women with asthma had It’s not clear why having asthma Cairo Sunny 30/19 P Cloudy 30/19 omen who have asthma postpartum depression and discuss postpartum depression compared to during pregnancy would increase Cape Town P Cloudy 18/13 P Cloudy 19/12 during their pregnancies quickly with their physician if they about 3% of women without asthma. the risk of postpartum depression, Colombo P Cloudy 29/24 S T Storms 30/24 are more likely to feel depressed or elaborate a strategy The researchers also considered the authors note. However, it might Dhaka P Cloudy 32/23 M Sunny 33/22 Wexperience postpartum to minimise the risk before delivery,” other health conditions and be due to increased feelings of Hong Kong M Cloudy 26/22 Showers 24/21 depression after delivery, a large Blais told Reuters Health in an e-mail. demographic information and found anxiety or stress among women Istanbul Cloudy 21/16 P Cloudy 22/16 Canadian study suggests. To assess the risk, Blais and her that women with asthma were more with asthma. Inflammation might Jakarta S T Storms 33/26 S T Storms 34/25 Physicians should watch for signs colleagues compared the health likely to be under age 25, to live in also play a role. Karachi P Cloudy 36/25 P Cloudy 34/24 of depression in their pregnant histories of more than 35,000 urban areas and to have chronic “Asthma and depression might London Showers 17/12 M Cloudy 18/13 patients with asthma so treatment pregnant women with asthma and diseases or pregnancy-related share infl ammatory processes and/ Manila T Storm 32/26 T Storm 32/26 and coping strategies can start early, almost 200,000 women without disorders. or the diffi culty to deal with a chronic Moscow Sunny 19/06 P Cloudy 17/06 the authors write in The Journal of asthma who delivered babies in In addition, the rates of preterm disease while becoming a mother New Delhi Sunny 33/21 P Cloudy 33/21 Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Quebec between 1998 and 2009. birth, caesarean delivery, low birth with several associated tasks and New York Rain 21/09 M Sunny 15/09 Practice. In the year after delivery, rates of weight, poor fetal growth, or a responsibilities,” Blais said. Paris M Sunny 25/14 Sunny 24/13 “We knew asthma in general postpartum depression were roughly congenital malformation at delivery About one in every seven new Sao Paulo S Showers 23/17 Cloudy 23/18 (outside of pregnancy) is associated double among women with asthma. were greater among women with mothers experiences postpartum Seoul P Cloudy 21/06 M Sunny 18/04 with an increased risk of depression, At one month postpartum, 0.8% of asthma. depression, according to the American Singapore S T Storms 30/26 T Storm 29/26 so we suspected that asthma during women with asthma were depressed, After taking these factors into Psychological Association, and for Sydney Showers 19/15 S Showers 20/16 pregnancy could increase the risk of compared to 0.4% of women without account, including history of about half, it may be their fi rst episode Tokyo Cloudy 19/16 Cloudy 22/16 postpartum depression,” said lead asthma. At three months, about 2% of depression, the authors calculated that of depression. Gulf Times 24 Monday, October 15, 2018 QATAR

HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani interacts with some of the guests and students. HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani along with other off icials, listens to a presentation. Sheikha Hind attends inaugural ‘Experience CMU-Q’ event

n the presence of HE Sheikha The event was also attended institution that, wherever we are oritises knowledge, innovation, workshops relating to CMU-Q’s I want to apply to CMU-Q. This is a prestigious university and Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, by HE Dr Hessa Sultan al-Jaber, in the world, has strong ties to and entrepreneurism. I hope the degree programmes in biological is a great opportunity to get to one of the best in the fi elds it Ivice chairperson and CEO of chairperson of The Qatar Satel- the local community. It is essen- young people here today will sciences, business administra- know the university and to meet teaches. The workshop was very Qatar Foundation, Carnegie Mel- lite Company, Es’hailSat, and tial for us at CMU-Q to engage study and build their careers so tion, computer science, and in- new people and share our expe- useful because it allowed me to lon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) Sultan bin Rashid al-Khater, un- with the young people of Qatar, they will one day contribute to formation systems. riences.” High school student interact with other students and welcomed nearly 200 high school dersecretary, Ministry of Econo- to show them the possibilities of this shared vision.” About her participation at the Ali bin Khalid al-Thani said, exchange ideas. It concentrated students to its campus recently my and Commerce. careers in science, technology, The students in attendance workshop, high school student “I came here because I want to on the art of negotiation, and the for the new Experience CMU-Q Michael Trick, dean of CMU- and business, and inspire them were encouraged to participate Aisha Mohammed Alhajri said, study business administration best ways to use it in achieving pre-college workshop. Q, said,“Carnegie Mellon is an to learn more. This nation pri- in a series of problem-solving “I wanted to participate because at CMU-Q next year. CMU-Q your goals.” Four new signalled intersections open on Wholesale

Market Street Abdulla al-Nuami shghal has completed the Project engineer Abdullah al- including the Wholesale Mar- Hasa Street. Ashghal has ex- conversion of four signal- Nuaimi said new openings would ket, which attracts thousands panded the number of lanes in Acontrolled intersections provide alternatives to the driv- of people daily and is receiving Al Sidr Intersection to seven on the Wholesale Market Inter- ers away from the streets where hundreds of trucks, which lead lanes heading north and six section and opened them to traf- the construction is taking place. to severe traffi c congestion in the lanes heading south, including fi c. The Wholesale Market Round- area. three lanes to turn left. While the The development is part of about, which consists of three The intersection also provides number of lanes was increased to the upgrade plan of the street, lanes, was upgraded into a sig- easy access to Thursday/Friday six lanes in the eastern and west- and included works on Whole- nal-controlled intersection with Market and the surrounding resi- ern directions, including three sale Market Intersection, Al seven lanes on the Wholesale dential areas such as Ain Khaled, lanes turning to the left. Mashatil Intersection, Wadi Al Market Street in the north and Bu Hamour and Al Waab. Bu Hamour Roundabout was Ghadeeriyat Street Intersection south directions, including two Al Mashatil Roundabout, upgraded into a signal-controlled with Bu Hamour Street and Al left turns and one right turn. The which intersects with Haloul intersection in which it intersects Sidr Street. number of lanes heading west Street and Al Rihab Street was with Wadi Al Ghadeeriyat Street. These openings are meant to was increased to six from two, upgraded into a signal-control- Ashghal expanded the number of facilitate smooth fl ow of traffi c including three left turns while led intersection. Ashghal ex- lanes to four lanes instead of two in the densely populated areas the number of lanes heading east panded the number of lanes to in the directions heading east and of Bu Hamour and Al Wa’ab. The was increased to four instead of three lanes instead of one lane west, with a single lane to the upgrade of the Wholesale Mar- two including two left turns. in both directions heading north left, while the number of lanes ket Street project includes the These expansions increase the and south. While the two lanes heading north was increased to conversion of four roundabouts, capacity of this vital intersec- in both eastern and western di- two lanes instead of one. increasing the number of lanes tion which connects the traffi c rections were upgraded into fi ve The new improvements will at the junctions and construct- coming from Mesaimeer Road, lanes instead of two, including increase the intersection’s traffi c ing service roads along with the Haloul Street, Al Zubara Street, two left turns. capacity, which will signifi cantly main road, which contributes to Wholesale Market Street, Salwa Al Sidr Roundabout was up- improve the movement of vehi- increasing the traffi c capacity Road and Al Sidr Street. The graded into a signal-controlled cles in the heart of Al Waab area, thus enhancing both safety and Wholesale Market Intersection intersection, which intersects which has many educational and traffi c fl ow. will serve many vital facilities, with Al Sidr Street and Snay Bu health facilities. The newly opened signalled Wholesale Market Intersection. WCM-Q research probes link between diabetes, breast cancer

esearchers at Weill Cor- managing diabetes and treating WCM-Q, said, “A vast amount own structures, uncontrolled nell Medicine-Qatar cancer using a combination of of research has been published cell proliferation, and inhibition R(WCM-Q) have explored anti-diabetic and anti-cancer about type 2 diabetes and breast of a process called apoptosis, a the links between type 2 diabetes drugs is likely to be more eff ec- cancer separately, but not so normal form of programmed cell and breast cancer in a new paper tive in the treatment of diabe- much in regard to the links be- death that is a key part of cel- published in Cancer Treatment tes-associated cancers. tween the two. lular development and renewal. Reviews, a leading scientifi c The World Health Organisa- Therefore, we decided to Inhibition of apoptosis in breast journal. tion estimates that the number bring research into both diseases cancer cells serves to initiate or The researchers, led by Dr Di- of people with type 2 diabetes together in one review to im- promote the growth of breast etrich Busselberg, carried out a worldwide rose from 108mn in prove our understanding of their tumours. comprehensive review of a range 1980 to 422mn in 2014. interactions. We believe this re- Dr Samson Mathews Samuel, of more than 200 existing dia- The condition is characterised view indicates there is indeed the fi rst author of the new re- betes and breast cancer studies, by the body becoming resistant a direct link between diabetes view, said: “With diabetes a concluding that women with to the eff ects of insulin, a hor- and increased breast cancer ‘metabolic reprogramming’ diabetes not only appear to have mone produced by the beta-cells risk, its progression, metastasis takes place, changing the way an increased risk of develop- of the pancreas that keeps blood and relapse.” The study explains the cell functions as it attempts ing breast cancer, but also that glucose levels under control. that as diabetes progresses the to cope with the abnormal levels diabetes supports breast cancer While it is well known that high body’s metabolism undergoes of lipids, insulin and glucose in progression and can negatively blood glucose can cause damage fundamental changes, with ele- circulation. impact the eff ectiveness of anti- to the heart, nerves, kidneys and vated levels of lipids, insulin and This reprogramming alters cancer therapies. eyes, the link between diabetes glucose in the blood. the very intricate processes of Sharon Varghese, Elizabeth Varghese, Dr Samson Mathews Samuel and Dr Dietrich Busselberg The paper, entitled ‘Chal- and cancer, although evident, is These metabolic changes in cell signalling in normal breast lenges and perspectives in the less well understood. turn disrupt and alter the nor- cells, and this disruption of nor- gression and aggressiveness of cell function and makes cancer specialist Elizabeth Varghese treatment of diabetes associated Dr Busselberg, professor of mal functions of cells, causing mal cellular function can con- breast cancer. In straightforward more likely.” The study was also and research specialist Sharon breast cancer’, also inferred that physiology and biophysics at damage to the DNA and the cell’s tribute to the incidence, pro- terms, diabetes disrupts normal worked on by senior research Varghese, both of WCM-Q.