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WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11240 July 10, 2019 Dhul Qa’dah 7, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

US, Qatar commit to advance high-level strategic co-operation

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with US President Donald His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US President Donald Trump attending the working lunch at the White House yesterday. Trump meeting at the White House yesterday. O Amir meets US President at the White House O Several agreements and MoUs signed in the fields of trade, investment and defence O Trump highlights role of Al Udeid Air Base

QNA world, hailing Qatar’s large invest- the desire to multiply this fi gure for his planes and Gulfstream Aviation. Washington ments in the United States and the huge confi dence in the US economy. They also witnessed the signing of an agreements which will be signed later The Amir extended an invitation to agreement in the fi eld of air defence to in the day in the fi elds of trade, invest- the US president to visit Qatar and Al provide Qatar with multiple additional is Highness the Amir Sheikh ment and defence. Udeid Air Base. systems of air defence. Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani Trump highlighted the role of Al President Trump thanked the Amir The signing ceremony was attended Hand the President of the United Udeid Air Base and its strategic impor- for the invitation, and praised the by members of the offi cial delegation States of America Donald Trump dis- tance in the Middle East, terming it as achievements made by Qatar at Al accompanying the Amir. On the US cussed the strong bilateral strategic co- one of the biggest military bases in the Udeid Air Base and its important stra- side, it was attended by a number of operation between the two countries world. tegic location in the Middle East. ministers and senior offi cials. and ways of promoting and enhancing For his part, the Amir thanked the His Highness the Amir and President His Highness the Amir attended a them in various fi elds. US president for the hospitality, and af- Trump also witnessed the signing of working lunch hosted by President The meeting, which was held at the fi rmed the strength of the relations be- agreements and memorandums of un- Trump at the White House. White House yesterday, also discussed tween the two countries, pointing out derstanding (MoUs) between the two During the luncheon banquet, the the most important developments re- to the agreements and memorandums countries, at the White House yester- Amir and the US president discussed gionally and internationally. of understanding which will be signed day. the strong bilateral strategic relations At the outset of the meeting, the US in the framework of the economic part- The two leaders witnessed the sign- and means of developing them in all president welcomed the Amir, prais- nership between Qatar and the United ing of an agreement between Qatar fi elds. ing the strong and excellent relations States. Petroleum and Chevron Phillips for The banquet was attended by mem- between the two friendly countries, The Amir noted in his statement the the development of an international bers of the offi cial delegation accompa- and his personal relationship with His current large investments in the United petrochemical complex in the Gulf nying the Amir. Highness the Amir. States, especially in infrastructure. Coast of the United States, and agree- From the US side, the banquet was The US president underlined that Sheikh Tamim explained that the vol- ments between Qatar Airways and attended by US Vice-President Mike the Amir is a real leader who is highly ume of trade exchange between the two General Electric (GE) and Boeing for Pence and a number of senior offi cials. respected in an important part of the countries now exceeds $185bn, noting the purchase of fi ve Boeing 777 cargo To Page 2 Also Pages 2, 3

Intra-Afghan peace talks successful: envoy

he Minister of Foreign Aff airs’ closing of the conference yesterday, political future of Afghanistan.” Dr al-Qahtani expressed the hope that Special Envoy for Counterter- stressed that Qatar values these joint “We are very pleased today to reach a this event would mark the beginning of Trorism and Mediation in Con- eff orts noting, “More than 60 Afghans joint statement as a fi rst step to peace and a meaningful process leading to a com- fl ict Resolution, Dr Mutlaq bin Majid representing all segments of Afghan we thank them for their support for the prehensive and sustainable peace in Af- al-Qahtani, has announced the suc- society, including women, the Taliban ongoing talks in Qatar which they consider ghanistan. He expressed his thanks to all cess of the two-day Afghan peace talks and representatives of the govern- important and positive in ending the con- Afghan participants for the constructive held in Doha under the auspices of Qa- ment, met in their personal capacity fl ict in Afghanistan,” he added. spirit in this dialogue and for all those tar and Germany. for the fi rst time to discuss ways to He stressed that what has been who contributed to the success of this The Intra-Afghan Peace Talks, end the confl ict in Afghanistan and reached today may be only a fi rst step conference and its sponsors. launched on Monday, and brought achieve peace, where they dealt over to fi nd an understanding between the He concluded by stressing that Qa- together many Afghan personalities two days with a wide range of issues confl icting parties, noting the agree- tar will remain a force of peace, love representing many diff erent parties in of common concern including the ment of all on the importance and the and co-operation with the peoples, the His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US President Donald Afghanistan, in the context of eff orts rights of women and minorities, the need to build on them and continue ef- Afghan people and the international Trump witness the signing of agreements between Qatar and the US at the White to support the peace process there. ceasefi re, the release of prisoners, the forts, saying: “The journey of a thou- community to achieve peace in Af- House yesterday. Dr al-Qahtani, in his speech at the withdrawal of foreign forces and the sand miles begins with a step.” ghanistan. To Page 4 Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 QATAR Qatar and US open new chapter in bilateral ties

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US President Donald Trump shaking hands at the White House yesterday. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday. Commitment to advance strategic co-operation From Page 1 ing an increasingly close stra- tegic and defence relationship Gulf Times Bureau adds: The focused on countering threats United States and Qatar yes- to our security, peace,and terday committed to further prosperity. advancing the high-level stra- “Together, we applaud the tegic co-operation between the significant advances made two countries. by our two countries across a A joint statement from the range of commercial and de- President of the United States fence opportunities, and we Donald J Trump and His High- reiterate the importance of ness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin continued co-operation.” Hamad al-Thani said the United The statement said the two States and Qatar share a history leaders seek to conclude other of friendship based on common arrangements “necessary to eff orts and mutual respect. realising this common vision “For decades, the bonds for enhanced economic, politi- between our great nations cal, and defence co-operation His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US President Donald Trump witnessing the signing of agreements between Qatar and the US at the White House have strengthened, reinforc- between our nations”. yesterday. US and Qatar are partners, allies and friends: Amir zAmir, US president attend dinner banquet hosted by US Treasury Secretary zTrump calls Amir ‘a friend for a long time’ and a great ally zTrump praises Qatari investments that create jobs in the US

QNA Washington

is Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- Hmad al-Thani and US President Donald Trump at- tended a dinner banquet hosted by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in honour of the Amir and the delegation accompany- ing him. The banquet, held at the headquarters of the US Treasury in Washington, DC on Monday, was attended by Acting US Sec- retary of Defence Dr Mark Esper, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Transporta- tion Elaine Chao, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Managing Director and Chairwoman of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde, Ivanka Trump and Senior Adviser to the US President Jared Kushner. It was also attended by a His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US number of current and former President Donald Trump pose for a picture at the dinner banquet. members of Congress, and a number of American politicians, peaceful and secure world. es in oil and gas to make both businessmen and economists. We continue our mutual countries top energy exporters. Welcoming His Highness the commitment to remain closely Our partnerships also keep Amir and the accompanying invested in both military and growing in many non-energy delegation, the Treasury Secre- security alliance, as we are ex- sectors, one being the exciting tary noted that the Amir’s visits panding Al Udeid Air Base to ac- back-to-back World Cups: Qa- to the US underscored the depth His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaking during the dinner banquet held in his honour by US Treasury Secretary commodate US troops and their tar in 2022 and the US in 2026. of the bilateral co-operation Steven Mnuchin. It was attended by US President Donald Trump and other dignitaries. families. We are also partnering This year, our mutual eco- between the two friendly coun- with charities here like the Bob nomic partnership is estimated tries. He also welcomed the US haven’t seen in a long while. and all of the other things you’re speech during the dinner ban- based economies with an em- Woodruff Foundation to support at $185bn, a number which we president, members of the gov- Trump added: “This is a great investing in. And I view it diff er- quet: phasis on education, openness, veterans. both intend to grow. This has ernment and business leaders. room. Many friends. And every- ently; I view it as jobs. Because President Trump, Friends. It is and opportunity for all. And our political co-opera- already created more than half a Addressing the gathering, body I know and recognise just for me, it’s jobs. And today, we a great honour to join you again Unfortunately, there are some tion in the wider region creates million American jobs. Trump praised the friendship from reading about you and your set a new record for jobs. We’re in Washington, DC. Thank you in my region who do not share stability, so that economic de- And in Qatar, America is the with the Amir and said he was great successes.” setting it almost on a daily ba- for your continued hospitality. our beliefs. In today’s world, at velopment can fl ourish. number 1 source of imports. You looking forward to meeting him “Tamim, you’ve been a friend sis.” And a personal thank you to Sec- times alliances have to be made Together, our two countries should all be happy to hear that at the White House the next day. of mine for a long time, before I His Highness the Amir retary Mnuchin for hosting this with necessary partners, and continue to seek more investment the there is a trade defi cit be- Trump said the meeting will did this presidential thing, and thanked President Trump and dinner tonight. certain allies are not actually opportunities to further enhance tween our countries that favours be positive, and that the talks we feel very comfortable with the treasury secretary, stress- My visit this week will reaf- friends. our common prosperity. the US. will include many areas of trade each other,” Trump said. ing that the strategic relations fi rm the ideals we share, and But with the United States and Qatar is one of the fastest We are looking forward to the and military. Highlighting Qa- “Investments that you make between the two countries have tonight we are here to celebrate Qatar, we are partners, allies, growing economies in the Mid- continued partnership, alliance tari investments in his country, in the United States – one of the witnessed great progress recent- this strong economic partner- and friends. dle East, and American compa- and friendship of our two na- the president said the Amir has largest in the world – but the ly through bilateral strategic dia- ship. Qatar and the US are working nies are a treasured part of Qa- tions, and to the health, prosper- been a great ally and helped in investments that you make are logues between the two friendly Our nations share a commit- together to eradicate terrorism tar’s success and development. ity and happiness of the people establishing a magnifi cent mili- very much appreciated. And I countries. ment to human capital, working and its fi nancing, wherever it We have a long history of ex- of the United States of America tary installation, which people know the planes you’re buying The following is the Amir’s to create resilient, knowledge- may take root, to ensure a more changing expertise and resourc- and Qatar. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 3 QATAR

Amir meets US national security adviser

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Acting United States Secretary of Defence Mark T Esper at the off icial reception ceremony accorded to the Amir.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met the US National Security Adviser John Bolton, and the accompanying delegation, at his residence in Washington, DC, yesterday. They reviewed the strategic bilateral relations between Qatar and the US, as well as important regional and international developments, especially the situation in Libya, Syria and Sudan. The meeting was Amir and US defence attended by the members of the off icial delegation accompanying the Amir. secretary discuss ways Amir meets US energy secretary

to bolster military ties His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani QNA American military presence. He by the hospitality of the Qa- be hosted by the United States. met the US Secretary of Washington, DC added that Qatar’s readiness to tari people. The meeting discussed the Energy Rick Perry and the host the US forces for a long time For his part, the Amir said that strategic co-operation between accompanying delegation, at symbolises the close ties be- the two countries have strong the two countries and means of his residence in Washington, is Highness the Amir tween the two countries, stress- strategic relations and will work developing them, particularly DC yesterday. During the Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- ing the importance of these together to reduce tension in the in the defence, military and se- meeting, they reviewed the Hmad al-Thani and Acting forces to support stability in the region, which has been experi- curity fi elds, and also discussed strategic relations between United States Secretary of De- Middle East, and praised the ef- encing diffi cult periods for sev- regional and international de- Qatar and the US, especially fense Mark T Esper held a meet- forts of Qatar in easing the cur- eral years. velopments, especially the joint in the fields of energy and ing at the US Department of De- rent tension. The Amir said that if all work eff orts of the two countries to investment. fence on Monday evening. As for Qatar’s continued closely together, it will help ease establish peace and stability in Esper welcomed the Amir and preparations for hosting the the escalation of the region’s is- the region. praised the relations between 2022 FIFA World Cup, the US sues. The meeting was attended by Qatar and the United States, acting secretary of defence The Amir also expressed his a number of members of the of- saying they are stronger than congratulated the Amir on thanks for being hosted at the fi cial delegation accompanying ever before. this great sporting event, de- Ministry of Defence, expressing the Amir. He commended the strate- scribing Doha as a wonderful his aspiration for the 2022 FIFA Upon his arrival at the Penta- gic role played by the Al Udeid city and affirming that the World Cup and also for the next gon, the Amir was accorded an Air Base and the support for the world will be very impressed tournament in 2026 which will offi cial reception. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 QATAR

EU hails results of Afghan peace talks Intra-Afghan peace talks QNA “To this aim, the EU is Brussels working with the Afghan government and all other interlocutors to ensure that he EU expressed its peace negotiations are in- satisfaction over the clusive and respectful of the Toutcome of the Intra- wish of Afghans to live in a successful, says envoy Afghan Dialogue that con- peaceful, secure and pros- cluded in Doha yesterday, perous country, where rights From Page 1 races and Islamic sovereignty, as saying it marks an impor- are upheld and vulnerable well as the importance of achiev- tant step towards achieving groups protected,” it added. For his part, German envoy for ing social and political justice, the peace in Afghanistan. The spokesperson also Afghanistan and Pakistan Markus establishment of national unity Maja Kocijancic, spokes- praised the meeting, which Potzel stressed that the success of and the territorial sovereignty to person for Foreign Aff airs and brought together a number the conference is the fi rst step to which all Afghans are committed. Security Policy/European of Afghans, including politi- end the violence in Afghanistan. The participants in the Intra- Neighbourhood Policy and cians representing all major He expressed his happiness at the Afghan dialogue stressed in their Enlargement Negotiations, political strands, Taliban and agreement of the parties partici- joint fi nal communique the im- said in a statement that the civil activists, in their per- pating in the conference to issue a portance of preventing Afghani- European Union will continue sonal capacity, to pave the joint fi nal statement as an output stan from entering into other to support, politically and fi - way for formal negotiations. document of this Intra-Afghan wars and that the Afghan peace nancially, an Afghan-led and She stressed the EU’s conference. dialogue is important and deci- Afghan-owned peace process welcoming of the results of The German envoy praised the sive among the diff erent sectors that preserves and builds on the meeting which was held constructive participation of all of society. They stressed the need Dr Mutlaq bin Majid al-Qahtani and German envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Markus Potzel along with the political, economic and amid ongoing US-Taliban parties in the conference. for the international community other delegates. PICTURES: Thajudheen social achievements of the talks, expressing hope that He hoped that the success of to respect Afghan values. They people of Afghanistan since will be the start of an inclu- the Afghan Peace Conference also stressed that in order to reach vironment for peace in Afghani- agreed on a road map for peace ing on the Organisation of Islamic 2001. sive peace process. would serve as a good start- eff ective Afghan negotiations, a stan, emphasise the security of based on the following conditions: Co-operation (OIC), United Na- ing point for a comprehensive number of points must be adhered Afghanistan from wars and their Establishing the Islamic system tions, the Security Council, the solution to the peace process, to, notably that the parties of the consequences, and the need for all of the state for the implementa- European Union (EU) and neigh- encouraging all participants to crisis must avoid threats, retalia- parties to take into account these tion of comprehensive peace, and bouring countries to support the seek to meet again and continue tion and verbal warfare, and give measures, including the uncondi- the peace process began with the peace conferences held in Moscow dialogue to promote and deepen priority to the language of dia- tional release of prisoners, the eld- completion of all these items, and Doha. bilateral relations in order to pro- logue during offi cial meetings and erly, the disabled, and patients and monitor and follow up the imple- At the conclusion of the joint duce results that would benefi t not to fuel confl ict and that the ensure the security of public facili- mentation of the peace agreement, fi nal communique, participants of the Afghan people. participants in the Afghan Peace ties such as hospitals and markets, reform all vital institutions that the Afghan Peace Conference ex- The joint communique in- Conference support the ongoing educational institutions such as benefi t the Afghan people, support pressed their thanks and apprecia- cluded several important points, peace talks in Doha and empha- schools, universities and populat- post-peace donor countries based tion for the joint eff orts of the State most notably the agreement of all sise that the eff ective and positive ed areas, emphasising the respect on cooperation and new relations, of Qatar and Germany to work for the participants in the conference outcome of the negotiations will and protection of the dignity and and ensure that neighbouring and the success of the Afghan Peace that the achievement of sustain- be fruitful and in the interest of property of the Afghan people and regional countries do not interfere Conference. They also expressed able peace in Afghanistan will be Afghanistan. protecting the rights of women in in Afghan aff airs. the hope that all parties concerned achieved only through compre- The participants also agreed all political, social, economic, ed- The participants also agreed would continue to support them hensive Afghan negotiations, and in the joint fi nal communique on ucational and cultural aff airs. to accept the recent resolution of in the interests of Afghanistan and that Afghanistan is a unifi ed and the importance of taking steps The participants in the Afghan the Afghan dialogue held on 5 and its people in the context of a real homogeneous Islamic state of all that would create a reliable en- Peace Conference in Doha also 6 February 2019 in Moscow, call- peace that all wish. (QNA)

The delegates at the peace talks. The delegates also included all segments of Afghan society. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 5 QATAR

Mercedes-Benz, Volvo models recalled The Ministry of Commerce Also, in co-operation with MoCI’s continuous eff orts and Industry (MoCI), in co- Doha Marketing Services to protect consumers and CAF mulling action against operation with Nasser Bin Co (Domasco), dealer of ensure that car dealers Khaled Automobiles, dealer Volvo in Qatar, the ministry follow up on vehicle defects of Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, has announced a recall of and repairs. has announced a recall the Volvo XC90 model of The MoCI has urged of Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2016 over the possibility all customers to report illegal broadcast of matches models of 2017-2018 due of a faulty hose that could violations to its Consumer to the trunk lid lock not cause a coolant leak. Protection and Anti- meeting manufacturer The recall campaigns come Commercial Fraud By Anthony Harwood threaten the ambitions of valorisa- specifications. within the framework of the Department. London Correspondent tion, infl uence and development of African football and CAF. “Therefore, CAF urges beoutQ occer bosses are considering to put an end to these piracy acts. legal action after all 36 group CAF also intends, in compliance Smatches of the Africa Cup of with its statutory missions, to join Nations were illegally broadcast on steps taken by the main rights hold- a Saudi Arabian pirate channel. ers harmed (including FIFA, UEFA, The Confederation Africaine de AFC, Liga, Premier League and Football (CAF) issued a hard-hitting Budesliga) and to take all necessary statement saying it would be joining measures and actions against enti- forces with FIFA, UEFA, the Premier ties that commit, or are complicit League, La Liga and Serie A to combat in the commission of, these piracy the rogue channel, called beoutQ. acts, including proceedings”. CAF spoke out as the tournament The 32nd Africa Cup of Nations reached the quarter-fi nals stage and A screen grab from one of the matches broadcast by the pirate beoutQ kicked off on June 21, with the fi nal there was no sign of a let-up in the channel. due to be played on July 19. illegal transmission on beoutQ via As the host nation, Egypt’s Time the Riyadh-based satellite, Arabsat. tar, under which the sale of beIN’s rest of the world, leading to the BBC Sport Channel is allowed to broad- Qatar-based beIN Sports owns decoder boxes were banned in the and SKY to call on the European cast the tournament for free on ter- exclusive rights to show the month- desert kingdom. Union to intervene. restrial TV but channels in other long tournament across the Middle During that time the crown jew- CAF said it had witnessed a “new countries throughout the world East and North Africa (Mena) els of sport – from the FIFA World major hacking operation” and Ar- have to pay for television rights. region. Cup to the Premier League, Formula absat had “refused to obey requests CAF said the spread of Saudi However, Saudi Arabia has been One and Wimbledon – have been il- for taking down the illegal piracy throughout the world was pirating the Doha-based channel legally broadcast, something beIN transmissions.” “causing severe damage to the on an industrial scale for nearly two Sports has been powerless to stop. A statement said: “CAF strongly rights of CAF and all rights granted years ever since it launched a dip- The piracy has also spread from condemns the acts of piracy com- by contracts to its offi cial broadcast lomatic and trade boycott of Qa- the Middle East to Europe and the mitted by beoutQ that directly partners.”

Ashghal announces partial expansion of Shuail bin Abdulla Al Attiya Street The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) yesterday Grand Hypermarket. announced the completion of the partial z Traff ic coming from Shuail bin Abdulla Al Attiya expansion of Shuail bin Abdulla Al Attiya Street Street (from the direction of Al Kharaitiyat Medical in the Al Kharatiyat area from one to two lanes in Centre) and heading towards the each direction with a new service road on the side roundabout known as Al Kharaitiyat Roundabout of the street. will have to turn left at the roundabout to Al According to a release issued by Ashghal, the Kharaitiyat Street and then turn right to the entrance of Grand Hypermarket will be closed and alternative road. diverted to an alternative road from today in order z Traff ic on Shuail bin Abdulla Al Attiya Street, to to complete infrastructural works on the street. the east of Al Kharaitiyat Street, will have to make The closure will last for a period of one year and a U-turn and then use the alternative road from Al is to be implemented in co-ordination with the Kharaitiyat Street. General Directorate of Traff ic. The traff ic change is aimed at allowing the During this period, road users can reach Grand completion of infrastructural works on Hypermarket in the following manner. Shuail bin Abdulla Al Attiya Street as part of z Traff ic coming from the street parallel to Al the Roads and Infrastructure Development Shamal Road and heading to Grand Hypermarket Project in Al Kharaitiyat and Izghawa - Phase 1, have to turn left to Shuail bin Abdulla Al Attiya Package 3, and in line with Ashghal’s eff orts to Ashghal will install road signs advising motorists of Street and then turn right towards Al Kharaitiyat rehabilitate existing roads and establish new the traff ic shift, and has requested all road users to Street, before turning right to the alternative road and permanent roads in the area, the statement abide by the speed limit and follow the road signs to reach the new entrance behind notes. to ensure their safety. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 QATAR

Al-Hammadi meets UNAOC delegates Al-Muraikhi meets UNAOC delegation

HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al- Hammadi met yesterday the UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) delegation, currently visiting Qatar. The delegation includes participants from Europe and North America. The meeting dealt with the foreign policy of Qatar, the developments in the region and the development witnessed by the state under the blockade. Below: A delegation from the UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) Fellowship visited Qatar National Library, Silatech Foundation and the Museum of Islamic Art. The delegation’s visit from July 5-10 comes as part of the fellowship’s 2019 programme themed “The Role of Women in Peacemaking and Conflict Prevention”.

HE UN secretary-general’s humanitarian envoy Dr Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Muraikhi met yesterday a UNAOC Fellowship delegation visiting Qatar, with participants from Europe and North America. During the meeting, they reviewed the strategy of the secretary-general’s humanitarian envoy, his role and the main initiatives found in the strategy. In addition, they reviewed existing partnerships with diff erent entities. Qatar voices satisfaction with Sudan agreement

QNA Geneva

atar expressed yesterday its sat- Qisfaction with the agreement reached by the Transitional Military Council and the Alliance for Freedom and Change in the brotherly Republic of Sudan regarding the formation of the sovereign council and Ambassador Ali Khalfan the establishment of a civil al-Mansouri at the meeting. government. Qatar also expressed of the progress made with hope that the agreement regards to opening a Qatari will achieve the aspirations offi ce for human rights in of the Sudanese people Sudan, stressing the impor- and their just demands for tance of the establishment freedom, peace and justice, of this offi ce as stipulated stressing their fi rm posi- in Council resolution 39/22. tion in support of the unity, He explained that given stability and sovereignty of the challenges facing Sudan Sudan. at this delicate stage in its This came in the speech history, the establishment delivered by Qatar’s Perma- of such an offi ce would play nent Representative to the an important role in im- UN and other international proving the human rights organisations in Geneva situation, which would in- ambassador Ali Khalfan al- clude technical assistance Mansouri during the en- and capacity-building, hanced interactive dialogue which in turn will refl ect on on Sudan under agenda item stability, social peace, jus- 10 of the 41st session of the tice and the consolidation Human Rights Council. of the rule of law. Qatar welcomed the in- The ambassador stressed teractive dialogue on Su- that Qatar reaffi rms its dan, expressing hope that commitment to promot- it would contribute to the ing and protecting human promotion and protec- rights in the Sudan, based tion of human rights in the on its fi rm conviction that country. the brotherly Sudanese Ambassador al-Man- people deserve sustainable souri said that the Qatari peace, stability and devel- delegation had taken note opment.

AG attends ILC meeting

The UN International Law Commission (ILC) re- sumed yesterday its 71st session in Geneva, with HE the Attorney-General Ali bin Fetais al-Marri partici- pating in his capacity as member of the commission. The ILC first reviewed its agenda and discussed a number of topics on it. The ILC will discuss a number of important topics over the next few weeks. Some of these topics are wars against humanity and protecting the environment during armed conflict, as well as the general principles in international law. The ILC will also discuss a number of administra- tive matters related to its programmes, procedures, documents, and cooperation mechanisms, as well as the date of its future meetings. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 7 QATAR

Grading system for Traffi c authority launches trainers on the cards

By Shafeeq Alingal unifi ed training system Staff Reporter „ Initiative to help bring out ble, using the DTS app on his/her sensors and cameras fi xed in the ‘well-trained drivers’ mobile phone or an iPad given by cars. he newly-launched Driv- „ New system to ensure the driving school. The DTS will have a full da- ing Training System ‘impartiality and For practical tests, smart test tabase for each car used in the T(DTS) will help the Gen- transparency in tests and vehicles with sensors will be training so that the Traffi c Di- eral Directorate of Traffi c ensure results’ used, while the parking test track rectorate can monitor its licence high-quality training at driving „ No off icer in car during tests at driving schools will also be permit, insurance and validity to schools as well as transparency to help ‘ease learners’ stress’ equipped with sensors to provide use for training. in the entire process of learning „ Theory curriculum to be test results electronically, offi - The system is equipped with how to drive and obtaining a li- available in 18 languages cials explained. all details of the trainers and will cence, a top offi cial has said. The inaugural ceremony was also monitor the high rate of fail- The directorate is also set to he Ministry of Interior attended by assistant Public Se- ure of any specifi c trainer, which introduce a grading system for (MoI), represented by the curity director Major-General means that person may need fur- trainers based on the quality of TGeneral Directorate of Abdullah Mohamed al-Suwaidi, ther qualifi cation and training as their training, according to Traf- Traffi c, launched a unifi ed Driv- Traffi c director-general Major- a driving instructor. fi c director-general Major-Gen- ing Training System (DTS) and General Mohamed Saad al- “The learner can access the eral Mohamed Saad al-Kharji. Monitoring Centre at the Traffi c Kharji, National Traffi c Safety DTS by downloading its app on “The system helps the depart- headquarters in Madinat Khalifa Committee secretary Brigadier Off icials at the Monitoring Centre of the Traff ic Directorate headquarters in Madinat Khalifa yesterday. his/her mobile device, or they ment monitor driving schools in yesterday. Mohamed Abdullah al-Malki, can get an iPad from the driving the country in the training stage The Traffi c Directorate also Engineering and Traffi c Safety enabling learners from diff erent by watching the test screens on in overall traffi c safety on roads. school,” he said. along with the theoretical and launched an automated 24-hour Department director Brigadier educational and linguistic back- the DTS dashboard. He said the Traffi c Directo- Lieutenant-Colonel al-Marri practical testing phases. call centre service yesterday. Mohamed Abdul Rahim Marafi h, grounds to understand the les- Major-General al-Kharji rate also launched an automated said the learners would be able to “Also, trainers will be graded Considered a “fi rst-of-its- and the directors of various MoI sons easily. stressed that the DTS and its 24-hour call centre service – know about their training sched- as per their teaching and the kind” initiative in the region, the departments. Learners can express their ob- monitoring system is the fi rst of 2344444 – yesterday. ule, the status of the trainer, the performance of their learners. DTS and its monitoring system While addressing the cer- servations about the trainer and its kind in the region. The head of the drivers’ licens- replacement if the trainer is on “This will compel driving will function under the super- emony, Major-General al-Kharji the training process through the Brigadier al-Malki praised the ing section, Lieutenant-Colonel leave, and so on. schools to improve their stand- vision of the Licensing Depart- hoped that the new system would DTS application installed on the DTS, saying that the monitoring Salem Fahd al-Marri, said the Learners can register com- ards in terms of training,” he told ment at the General Directorate contribute to bringing out well- learners’ mobile phones, Major- of drivers training electronically DTS will ensure that trainees are plaints or comment about the Gulf Times on the sidelines of of Traffi c. trained drivers, thanks to the General al-Kharji said, stressing away from traditional methods is given 45 minutes of classes and trainer using the DTS, which will the launch of DTS and opening It will improve training stand- electronic system that is free that the training hours will be an “unparalleled development”. they “benefi t from its full share”. be looked into and solved within of the Monitoring Centre at the ards in driving schools and, in from human intervention. strictly scrutinised and that any He also noted that with only This will be monitored through 48 hours. Traffi c headquarters in Madinat turn, help reduce road accidents, This will ensure impartiality delay in training will be moni- the driver in the car, without Khalifa yesterday. the MoI has said in a statement. and transparency in tests and re- tored through the operations having a police offi cer next to He said trainees are free to ex- Also, the presence of only the sults, he stressed. room in the licensing depart- him/her, will ease the stress of press their observations about driver in the car, without having “The decline in the number of ment. learners during tests. the trainer and submit com- a police offi cer next to him/her, road accidents and fatalities in This will ensure that the The assistant director of the plaints about the training proc- is expected to “ease the stress of the recent period is not a coinci- trainee gets proper and adequate Traffi c Awareness Department, ess through the DTS app. learners during tests”. dence, but the result of such ef- training, thereby enabling a high Lieutenant-Colonel Jaber Mo- Complaints will be received The DTS is a “comprehensive forts from all partners involved in level of driving skills on the road. hamed Odeiba, said the DTS and by the directorate and necessary digital system that covers the the traffi c process,” he observed. He also pointed to the trans- the monitoring system would re- action will be initiated. registration process, training, He said the DTS will facilitate parency of tests, due to non- duce human errors in the evalu- Major-General al-Khariji not- tests and obtaining the licence”, diff erent stages of the train- intervention by humans, noting ation of tests, and make things ed that driving school cars will according to the offi cial Qatar ing process, from registration at that the results will not be aff ect- clear to all, through the imaging be completely upgraded and the News Agency (QNA). the driving school to obtaining a ed by fl uctuations in the personal process while the trainee will be DTS will be enabled in these cars Under the new system, a train- driver’s licence. mood of the examine. convinced of the results. by the end of this year. ee can take the theoretical test It will off er the theoretical Besides, the learner can know It will also push driving Trainers and driving schools in a language of his/her choice, curriculum in 18 languages with his/her results immediately and schools to improve the training A car equipped with the new system on display at the Traff ic will be given training in accord- from among 18 languages availa- text, audio and video contents, will be able to identify the errors process, which will be refl ected headquarters in Madinat Khalifa. ance with the new system. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 QATAR

Qatar catches cricket fever with Doha Workers Cricket Cup 2019

QSports brings the Cup is a T-12 tournament with 16 will expand to include more thrill of the game teams playing in four groups. teams in the future,” he said. Each team will play minimum The cricket tournament is part to Doha with the three group matches with eight of the biggest SiQ programme tournament that teams reaching in the playoff s. curated by QNTC and its 30+ concludes on July 26 The matches will be played on partners from public and private Thursday, Friday and Saturday at sectors for residents and visitors s the ICC Cricket World 5.30pm and 7.20pm, with the fi - of Qatar to enjoy the season’s fun Cup nears its conclusion nal match and awards ceremony and festivities to the fullest. Ain the UK, fans in Qatar taking place on July 26. The programme enlists a wide can catch live action at the Doha The winning team will range of activities for people of all Workers Cricket Cup 2019 un- win a cash prize of QR15,000 ages, interests and backgrounds. til July 26 at the MIC Cricket with medals and the tourna- These include family-friendly Ground in Mesaieed. ment trophy and there are over entertainment shows, music The T-12 tournament is part of QR20,000 worth of cash prizes concerts and comedy perform- the ‘Summer in Qatar’ (SiQ) ac- Action from the Doha Workers Cricket Cup 2019. and trophies for players of dif- The Doha Workers Cricket Cup is a T-12 tournament with 16 teams ances by top international artists, tivities organised by QSports and ferent categories throughout the playing in four groups. summer camps for children and Qatar National Tourism Council through the competitions at Vir- “Promising live action right tournament. youth, thrilling outdoor experi- (QNTC). tuocity as well as a cricket cup, here, the Doha Workers Cricket “The Doha Workers Cricket QNTC,” QSports vice chairman enjoy a professional tournament ences and sporting tournaments, “Qatar recognises the power through which we pay tribute to Cup 2019 is part of a packed cal- Cup 2019 is a unique tourna- Ghanim al-Mohannadi said in a with the highest standards, the in addition to exciting travel, of sport to bring people togeth- the Qatar-India Year of Culture,” endar of events this SiQ,” she ment in Qatar. In its second edi- press statement. Cricket Cup features total prize hospitality and retail promotions er, and we have ensured that Mashal Shahbik from QNTC said added. tion, this is the fi rst year it is be- “Targeting labourers at com- money in excess of QR40,000. running between June 4 and Au- this summer features e-sports in a press statement. The Doha Workers Cricket ing supported and sponsored by panies around the country to We hope that the tournament gust 16.

Youth forum continues MammaCare certifi cation for The Doha Islamic Youth Forum discussions continued yesterday for the third day, HMC breastfeeding specialist with a main session on the theme ‘Youth and Social r Mohamed Ilyas Khan, breastfeeding skills to give our patients the best possible care Media’. The forum, which is specialist, Obstetrics and Gynaecol- and health outcome,” said Dr Khan. hosted by the State of Qatar Dogy Department at Hamad Medical He says it is essential for women to take in co-operation with the Corporation’s (HMC) Al Khor Hospital, has responsibility for their own breast health Islamic Co-operation Youth been certifi ed as a MammaCare specialist by and to be diligent about not only getting reg- Forum (ICYF) brings together the US-based MammaCare Foundation. ular breast exams but also conducting their nearly 90 young people Dr Khan is thought to be the fi rst specialist own self-exams. representing 56 countries of in Qatar to hold the international certifi cation, “One of the barriers to doing a breast the Islamic world, including considered the gold standard for performing self-exam is that many women do not 20 young people from Qatar. and teaching clinical breast examinations. have the confidence, or knowledge, to tell The forum, which concludes “The training and technology provided the difference between normal breast tis- tomorrow, aims at creating to Dr Khan will enable him to make an even sue and changes that may require medical a space for young people to greater contribution to women’s health attention. As a certified breast specialist, express themselves and their throughout Qatar and the region,” said Dr I am able to train healthcare providers on views on a number of issues H S Pennypacker, president of the Mam- how to find lumps in the breast through that capture their attention. maCare Corp. clinical breast examinations. I believe this The main session yesterday MammaCare began in 1974 as a research new certification will help strengthen Al included a paper presented project endorsed by the US National Cancer Khor Hospital’s already strong relation- by Khawla Murtadawi on the Institute. The original research goal was to de- ship with the National Center for Cancer new media and its impact on velop a training programme to teach eff ective Care and Research, the Qatar Cancer Soci- cultural transformation. The and thorough ways of examining breast tissue ety, and the Primary Health Care Corpora- paper discussed how the term as part of a larger strategy to support the early tion,” added Dr Khan. “new media” emerged as an detection of small breast cancer tumours. As a graduate of the MammaCare Special- important and controversial Dr Khan said the training he received ist Course, Dr Khan is now qualifi ed to serve player in the fundamental will help him empower patients to perform as a breast health educator and to instruct changes that swept through breast self-exams and to be their own health healthcare professionals and patients. the Arab and Islamic region, advocate. In addition to being a certifi ed Mam- explaining that governments “Early detection of breast cancer leads to maCare specialist, Dr Khan is an Interna- and commercial organisations better treatment outcomes. Mammograms tional Board Certifi ed Lactation Consultant, alike were beginning to take are an important resource for our patients, but an accreditation he has held since 2001. into account the potential of clinical breast exams are crucial to help detect He is also certifi ed as a Self-Breast Exami- the new media platforms. The tumours or breast tissue changes in between nation Trainer and he holds a Level1 Clinical activities today also included mammogram screenings. The MammaCare Breast Examination certifi cation from the US- three training workshops on certifi cation has provided me with additional based National Consortium of Breast Centers. the impact of social media on community responsibility and how to promote positive societal cause or behaviour; social media in cultural practices; and youth and the safe use of social media. — QNA

Fewer building permits were issued in June

By Santhosh V Perumal building permits issued in mits issued in Qatar in June the municipalities where by government build- Business Reporter June this year, mainly owing this year, said the statistics the number of building ings 26% (12 permits) and to the summer season and revealed by the Planning permits issued were 125 mosques 15% (seven per- Eid holidays, according to and Statistics Authority permits or 27% of the to- mits). atar witnessed a the offi cial statistics. (PSA). tal issued permits, Doha Qatar witnessed a total sharp double-digit Al Rayyan and Doha to- On a geographical ba- 107 (23%), Al Wakrah 78 of 277 building comple- Qmonth-on-month gether constituted 50% of sis, the PSA found that (17%), Al Daayen 68 (15%), tion certifi cates issued in decline in the number of the total 463 building per- Al Rayyan remained atop Umm Slal 36 (8%), Al Khor May, of which 182 was for Dr Khan with his certificate. 24 (5%), Al Shahaniya 19 residential buildings, 14 for (4%), and Al Shamal 6 non-residential and 81 for (1%). additions. On a month-on-month Total building comple- basis, total number of per- tion certifi cate issued wit- mits issued in the country nessed 26% decline with witnessed a 30% fall in June Al Shamal registering 75% 2019 with Al Shahaniya plunge, Doha (52%), Al registering 51% plunge, Al Shahaniya (44%), Al Rayy- Rayyan (32%), Al Daay- an (21%), Al Daayen (18%), en (30%) and Al Wakrah Al Wakrah (15%) and Umm (28%). Slal (4%); while Al Khor The building permits reported 55% surge in the data is of particular im- review period. portance as it is consid- Of the 182 residential ered an indicator for the buildings completion cer- performance of the con- tifi cates issued, as many as struction sector which in 120 were for villas, 47 for turn occupies a significant dwellings of housing loans, position in the national 14 for apartments and one economy. for others. In terms of type of per- During June, Al Rayy- mits issued, data indicates an issued as many as 100 that the new building building completion cer- permits (residential and tifi cates or 36% of the to- non-residential) consti- tal, Al Daayen 45 (16%), tuted 55% (253 permits) of Doha 42 (15%), Al Wakrah the total building permits 40 (14%), Umm Slal 1212 issued in June this year, (8%), Al Khor 17 (6%), Al while additions consti- Shahaniya 9 (3%) and Al tuted 44% (202 permits), Shamal 2 (1%). and fencing 2% (eight per- Of the 120 villas com- mits). pletion certificates issued, Of the new residential as many as 34 were in Al buildings permits, PSA Daayen, 32 in Al Rayyan, found that villa permits 16 in Doha, 13 in Al Wak- topped the list, accounting rah, 12 each in Umm Slal for 69% (143 permits) of all and Al Khor and one in Al new residential buildings Shamal. permits, dwellings of hous- Of the 47 dwellings of ing loans 19% (39 permits) housing loans comple- and apartments 10% (20 tion certifi cates issued, Al permits). Rayyan received as many as Commercial buildings 22 certifi cates, followed by were found to be in the Al Wakrah (15), Al Daayen forefront of non-residen- (5), Umm Slal (2) and Doha, tial buildings permits with Al Khor and Al Shahaniya 43% (20 permits), followed (one each). Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 9 QATAR

Nasser Bin Khaled Tires Services off ers wide range of Michelin products

asser Bin Khaled (NBK) nologically superior, according offi cer – Auto at Nasser Bin Kha- drivers and the vehicles at the tection to reduce carbon emis- Tires Services, the au- to a press statement. led Group, said: “Tires are one of same time.” sions and consumption, through Nthorised distributor of Tire products, services and the important factors for cars’ Michelin Tires has a long his- supplying sustainable and du- Michelin, BFGoodrich and Tigar other car services, including safety and performance. Miche- tory for more than 125 years in rable tires that help reduce fuel Tyres in Qatar, provides a wide oil, batteries and quick serv- lin is a leading company that al- manufacturing high-quality consumption and generate less range of tire products and serv- ices, are provided at all Tyre- ways improve the performance tires. At its state-of-the-art wastes. ices from Michelin, one of the plus service centres. Michelin of tires according to the needs research centre, Michelin con- Nasser Bin Khaled Tires Serv- most well-known and reliable products offer sustainable so- and conditions of each market, ducts continuous researches to ices provides Michelin prod- tire brands worldwide. lutions for commercial as well taking into consideration the meet the demands of the rapidly ucts and services through its NBK Tires Services has been as passenger transport, which weather conditions and the us- changing needs of automotive. Tyreplus centres at three main the offi cial importer of Michelin fully meet all customers’ needs, age of the vehicles. We, at NBK, Michelin also relies on its train- locations: Salwa Road in Doha, tires for over 35 years in Qatar. both in providing higher per- are glad to enhance our rela- ing centre to train its technicians Gharafa and Wakrah, to help Together with Michelin, NBK formance as well as ensuring tionship with the leading brand on the most advanced methods customers have easy access to Tires Services has been able to safety on the road, the state- Michelin to supply the Qatari for fi xing tires. the centres. The three centres provide automotive users in Qa- ment noted. market with high-quality tires The company adopts high open from Saturday to Thursday, NBK Tires Services has been the off icial importer of Michelin tires for tar with products that are tech- Ihab El Feky, chief operations and contribute to the safety of standards of environment pro- 8am until 11pm. over 35 years in Qatar. Sennheiser’s GSP 500 headset Vodafone Qatar ‘perfect for gamers’ in Qatar

s the gaming season has just balancing excellent clarity with an en- started, Fifty One East and hanced low frequency response that expands GigaNet ASennheiser have invited fanat- adds excitement to the gaming audio. ics to gear up with GSP 500, “a favour- Specially positioned speakers within ite choice for gamers with its fascinat- the ear cups channel the sound di- ing sound and unprecedented level of rectly into the ears to ensure the best quality”. possible spatial representation and The headset delivers “high-fi delity awareness of the gaming environ- fi bre network sound with incredible spatiality for a ment. truly immersive gaming experience”, The GSP 500 headset features a according to a press statement. The Sennheiser GSP 500. range of enhancements to ensure supe- The GSP 500 headset is available at rior comfort. Its advanced, 2-axis metal FNAC in Lagoona Mall and Doha Fes- it, while its incredibly realistic, natu- hinge system gives even more freedom tival City, iSpace in Lagoona Mall and ral sound places you at the heart of the of movement and improves the fi t for rollout in West Bay Al Maha Center, Modern Home in Al action. With improved ergonomics, a wider range of face shapes by pivot- Maha Center on Salwa Road as well microphone performance and except ing smoothly to conform just as well to odafone Qatar has expanded the rollout of its GigaNet as other major electronics retailers in exceptional durability, the GSP 500 narrow or broad jawlines. The GSP 500 fi bre network in West Bay, with more than 55 com- Qatar. Sennheiser off ers both gamers ensures a brilliantly enjoyable gaming is also easier to customise to suit diff er- Vmercial and residential towers now connected. and sci-fi cosplayers a good-sounding experience,” the statement explained. ent head sizes, thanks to an innovative Thousands of businesses, hotels and government insti- and tight-fi tting headset with frills. The headset open acoustics and ad- adjustable contact pressure mechanism tutions operate out of the commercial district of West Bay. Gamers in Qatar will completely get vanced ergonomics ensure superior integrated into the headband. This can Vodafone Qatar’s fi bre enables a large suite of business serv- immersed in their game with GSP 500 wearing comfort, while the robust de- be adjusted to ensure the headset feels ices, including high-speed Corporate Internet, Security where everything fades into the back- sign includes 2-axis metal hinge sys- perfectly snug and secure without ever services, Broadband and Fixed Voice solutions. ground and the world of the game be- tem and an adjustable headband for a feeling too tight. Vodafone Qatar has started delivering a full suite of serv- comes reality. For those chasing this custom fi t, as well as a noise-cancel- The GSP 500 is multi-platform ices to the hospitality sector in West Bay, including IPTV ultimate thrill, Sennheiser has created ling broadcast quality mic for crystal- compatible for gaming with PC, Mac content, international connectivity to global offi ces, and in- the GSP 500. clear communication. as well as consoles featuring a 3.5mm room connectivity through high speed Wi-Fi. “The hottest addition to the audio The GSP 500 features an improved jack input. Use with lower-powered Moreover, Vodafone Qatar’s fi bre network enables West specialist’s acclaimed gaming range, open speaker system designed and devices is improved thanks to a re- Bay’s offi ce workers to communicate using fi xed voice lines, the open acoustic headset is so com- manufactured by Sennheiser that de- duced impedance acoustic system tailored to their needs, with capacity ranging from one to fortable that you barely feel wearing livers a natural sound performance, that makes it easier to game on the go. thousands of fi xed voice numbers in the same premises. Vodafone Qatar supports the country’s booming SME and Soho sector with the market’s best value broadband packs, helping them to stay confi dently connected via high Inter- net speeds, landlines, and free tools to build and host their company website. The fi bre network also benefi ts the hundreds of residents living in West Bay, who can enjoy ‘GigaHome’, Vodafone’s home Internet solution. Vodafone GigaHome covers homes of every size with guaranteed Wi-Fi in every room using a Vodafone Qatar is rapidly progressing towards complete- state-of-the-art Giga- Wi-Fi Hub, which provides high- ly covering the heart of Qatar’s commercial centre with its speed Internet. state-of-the-art high-speed fi bre that will help the vast Additionally, customers can enjoy free landline local calls number of organisations operating there to optimise, auto- and free lifestyle off ers, including the Vodafone Entertainer mate, and innovate. and Wavo by OSN that provide great family entertainment Customers can learn more about Vodafone’s fi xed services with an array of live channels from around the world, award- at www.vodafone.qa winning TV shows and on-demand movies.

Safari promo draw winners receive vehicle keys

The key handover ceremony for winners of the first lucky draw of the Safari ‘Win 15 Toyota Fortuner 2019 Cars’ promotion was held at Safari Mall, Abu Hamour, yesterday. Safari Group director/general manager Zainul Abideen, along with other members of the Safari management, handed over the keys to the three winners - Asan Lebbe Mohamed Rifas (coupon No 0605726), Vinod Kadayil (coupon No 0540783) and Toymath Adhikari (coupon No 0303899).

Doha Bank off ers savings for ‘Mastercard LuLu’ co-branded credit cardholders

oha Bank has announced that spends at “We are pleased to introduce this it is welcoming the summer by LuLu Hy- exciting value-added benefit for Dlaunching an exclusive cam- permar- Mastercard LuLu co-branded paign for Mastercard LuLu co-branded kets will credit cardholders, which offers cardholders. receive up outstanding rewards on interna- To reward its customers who use their to 5% sav- tional spending. card to pay for cross-border purchases, ings, all in “By giving our customers the Doha Bank will off er cardholders 5% the form chance to enjoy their travels with- savings in the form of LuLu points, the of LuLu out compromising on their savings bank has said in a statement. points. goals, we are expanding our serv- Going hand in hand with the bank’s Cardholders will have the luxury ices in line with their needs, while eff orts to provide its loyal customers of redeeming their points in all LuLu providing tangible day-to-day sav- with attractive rewards to keep their Hypermarket branches spread across ings. With many more launches up- lifestyle benefi ts going, the new, excit- Qatar. All cross-border purchases coming in the pipeline, Doha Bank ing campaign, which runs from July 5 are included, with e-commerce and will continue offering new products until December 31, enables travellers point-of-sale (PoS) purchases be- to enhance our customers’ banking who spend over $500 outside Qatar to ing eligible for up to a maximum of experience.” receive 5% of the value of each transac- 10,000 LuLu points worth QR500 in To apply for a card, customers tion as LuLu points. savings rewards per month. can visit their nearest branch, call This off er also includes international Commenting on the new loy- 44456000 or go to dohabank.qa/ spends below $500, which will re- alty scheme, Chief Retail Bank- personal/cards/apply-for-credit- ceive 1% savings. Domestic spends and ing officer Braik al-Marri said: cards. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD QRCS off ers water, sanitation services to displaced in Iraq

QNA clude provision of drinking water, tional organisations, local de- of reservoirs, collecting waste Doha maintenance of sewage plants and partments and camp adminis- and withdrawing heavy water improvements in hygiene. trations. periodically, within the regular This has contributed to allevi- The statement pointed out health awareness campaigns he Qatar Red Crescent So- ating the suff ering of those dis- that activities were carried out for the displaced. ciety (QRCS) mission in placed by armed confl ict. in this regard for maintenance Other important services TIraq, in partnership with In a statement issued yester- of water distribution points related to the difficulty of liv- the United Nations Children’s day, QRCS said that the project and sewage network and for ing inside the camp, and the Fund (Unicef), continues to pro- covers more than 52,500 ben- the launch of awareness pro- involvement of the displaced in vide water and sanitation serv- eficiaries for drinking water grammes on water pollution, monitoring and management ices in Iraqi IDP camps in Al Jadah through the operation of a diseases and the need for hand of water distribution, waste area, south of Mosul, through hu- mobile water treatment plant, washing and water purifica- collection and withdrawal of The QRCS mission in Iraq, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), has provided manitarian interventions that in- in co-operation with interna- tion, in addition to washing heavy water. water and sanitation services. Mozilla blocks UAE bid to become Internet security guardian

Reuters The UAE embassy in Washington and Mozilla “against sovereign nations deemed Washington DarkMatter did not respond to a request for not worthy of operating their own national comment yesterday. certifi cates.” Selena Deckelmann, Mozilla’s senior di- In 2017, DarkMatter applied on behalf of irefox browser maker Mozilla is block- rector of engineering, said the reports from the UAE government for certifi cate author- ing the United Arab Emirates’ govern- Reuters, as well as the New York Times and ity. The company also applied to Mozilla to Fment from serving as one of its Internet the Intercept, had made the browser compa- become a commercial certifi er in its own security gatekeepers, citing Reuters reports ny fear that DarkMatter would use the role of right. Following Reuters reports earlier this A boy displaced from the eastern Yemeni district of Durahemi pours water drawn from a well into jerry on a UAE cyber espionage programme. Internet security gatekeeper to launch sur- year, Mozilla executives began to fear that cans near the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, yesterday. Mozilla said in a statement yesterday it was veillance eff orts. DarkMatter could use the authority to spy on rejecting the UAE’s bid to become a globally Mozilla concluded “that placing our trust users, a Mozilla executive said in the com- recognised Internet security watchdog, em- in DarkMatter and disregarding credible evi- pany’s public online forum. powered to certify the safety of websites for dence would put both the web and users at Mozilla executives said rejecting an ap- Firefox users. risk,” Deckelmann told Reuters. plicant on the basis of media reports was un- Houthis seek full withdrawal Mozilla said it made the decision because Websites seeking designation as safe by precedented. cybersecurity fi rm DarkMatter would have Internet browsers have to be certifi ed by an In past cases, Mozilla primarily relied on administered the gatekeeper role and it had outside organisation, which will confi rm technical evidence to determine certifi ca- been linked by Reuters and other reports to a their identity and vouch for their security. tion authority. In Mozilla’s public discussion of Saudi-led military coalition state-run hacking programme. The certifying organisation also helps se- boards, DarkMatter executives and some se- Reuters reported in January that Abu cure the connection between an approved curity experts warned that relying on news Dhabi-based DarkMatter provided staff for a website and its users, promising traffi c will articles to decide who can become a certifi - AFP of the country, a senior UAE of- in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, secret hacking operation, codenamed Project not be intercepted. cate authority would permanently taint the Dubai fi cial, who requested anonym- have been in custody for at least Raven, on behalf of an Emirati intelligence But if a surveillance group gained that process with bias. ity, told reporters. the past year, the source said. agency. The unit was largely comprised of authority, it could certify fake websites im- Mozilla’s stated concerns showed “a hid- “It is very much to do with “The criminal court today former US intelligence offi cials who con- personating banks or email services, allow- den organisational animus that is fatal to the emeni rebels yesterday moving from what I would call (Tuesday) issued a verdict con- ducted off ensive cyber operations for the ing hackers to intercept user data, security idea of ‘due process’ and ‘fundamental fair- called for the full with- a military-fi rst strategy to a demning 30 people to death on UAE government. experts say. ness,’” Benjamin Gabriel, general counsel for Ydrawal of the Saudi-led peace-fi rst strategy, and this is charges of spying for the ag- Former Raven operatives told Reuters that Organisations that want to obtain certify- DarkMatter, wrote in the online forum. military coalition after the I think what we are doing.” gression countries,” the source many DarkMatter executives were unaware ing authority must apply to browser makers In May, a DarkMatter executive said the UAE, a key part of that coali- The offi cial however reiter- said, adding that the other six of the secretive programme, which operated like Mozilla and Microsoft. company would move its certifi cate business tion, said it had begun reducing ated UAE’s commitment to the were acquitted. from a converted Abu Dhabi mansion away Most of the certifying organisations are to a new entity called DigitalTrust. its deployment. Yemeni government and the He said the men were con- from DarkMatter’s headquarters. independent, private companies. That company would be controlled by a “We call on the aggressors Saudi-led coalition, saying Abu victed of supplying the coali- The programme’s operations included Browsers like Firefox allow websites to ob- fi rm called DM Investments, which is owned to withdraw from Yemen, as Dhabi discussed redeployment tion with information on loca- hacking into the Internet accounts of human tain certifi cation from any approved author- by DarkMatter founder Faisal al-Bannai. the Republic of Yemen rejects with its Saudi partner “exten- tions for air strikes. rights activists, journalists and offi cials from ity anywhere in the world. “This ownership structure does not as- aggression, siege and air em- sively”. Yemen’s rebels — who Amnesty International con- rival governments, Reuters found. But many countries, including China, the sure me that these companies have the abil- bargo,” tweeted Mohamed Ali have faced persistent coali- demned the verdicts, saying DarkMatter has denied being connected to United States and Germany also have gov- ity to operate independently, regardless of al-Huthi, head of the rebels’ tion bombing since March 2015 they had targeted “political op- off ensive hacking operations, saying the re- ernment-approved organisations in the role. their names and legal structure,” said Wayne Higher Revolutionary Com- that has exacted a heavy civil- position fi gures” in “sham tri- ports of its involvement were based on “false, DarkMatter executives have argued that Thayer, Mozilla’s certifi cation authority pro- mittee and an infl uential politi- ian death toll — have stepped als”. defamatory, and unsubstantiated state- rejection of the UAE bid to become a certi- gramme manager, in his announcement yes- cal fi gure. up missile and drone attacks Among those condemned ments.” fying body would be a “dystopian” policy by terday. “Withdrawing from Yemen across the Saudi border in re- to death was Yussef al-Bawab, is the ideal decision that must cent weeks. a 45-year-old father of fi ve be taken at this time,” he added. At least one person has been and linguistics professor, who The coalition intervened in killed and 56 wounded in Saudi had been “arbitrarily arrested Yemen in March 2015 to back Arabia in three such Houthi at- in late 2016”, it said in a state- Human Rights Watch slams UAE for detaining activists beyond jail terms the internationally-recognised tacks since June 12, according ment. government against the Houthi to Saudi authorities. “Since the Houthi de facto The United Arab Emirates is holding HRW said. Rights group have previ- One of the detainees, Osama behind bars at Al-Razeen prison, rebels, but the UAE announced Meanwhile, a court run by authorities assumed control of five activists in prison after they ously criticised the UAE for unfair al-Najjar, was sentenced to three located around 120 kilometres on Monday that it was rede- Yemen’s Houthi rebels yester- the justice system in 2015, they completed their sentences between trials and torture allegations by years in prison in 2014 after using south of the capital Abu Dhabi in ploying and reducing its troop day sentenced 30 academics, have progressively utilised the one and three years ago, Human political prisoners. Twitter to campaign for the release the middle of the desert. presence in the country. trade unionists and preachers Sanaa-based SCC (Specialised Rights Watch said yesterday. The five men — sentenced for of his father, saying he was tortured Al-Islah was set up in 1974 as a char- “We do have troop levels that to death for allegedly spying for Criminal Court) to target per- The five were given three or five “joining a secret organisation” — in prison. ity organisation. The crackdown are down for reasons that are the Saudi-led coalition, a judi- sons they deem to be oppo- years in jail on state security are activists with alleged links to The father was among 68 people began in the mid-1990s, as the strategic in (the Red Sea port cial source said. nents or even just critics,” said charges in 2014 and 2016 “following Al-Islah, a political movement which jailed in 2013 on charges of plotting group was dissolved in the emirate city of) Hodeidah and reasons The men, among 36 defend- Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty’s Mid- what appear to be unfair trials,” the UAE has banned. a coup. All five activists remain of Dubai. that are tactical” in other parts ants tried by the criminal court dle East research director.

DIPLOMACY Europe urges Iran to stick to N-deal European powers urged Iran yesterday to reverse its move to increase UN rights expert wants US Saudi prince’s sister uranium enrichment, as a French envoy arrived in Tehran to boost eff orts to save a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. The accord between Iran and world pow- ers promised sanctions relief, economic benefits and an end to international action over Khashoggi killing faces French trial isolation of the Islamic republic in return for stringent curbs on its nuclear programme. But Tehran says it has lost patience with perceived inaction by European countries more than a year after President Donald Trump pulled AFP Khashoggi, a Washington AFP The princess, who denies the the United States out of the agreement. The European parties to the deal London Post contributor, was killed Paris allegations and was not present along with the EU’s diplomatic chief yesterday called on Tehran to reverse last October by Saudi agents in court, allegedly suspected breaches of the agreement. “It must act accordingly by reversing these while at Saudi Arabia’s con- Eid of planning to sell the photo activities and returning to full JCPoA compliance without delay,” said a state- he United Nations hu- sulate in Istanbul to obtain sister of the crown prince of her apartment on the Avenue ment from the European Union and foreign ministers of France, Germany man rights expert paperwork. of Saudi Arabia went on Foch, long a favourite destina- and Britain. Twho conducted an His dismembered body has Atrial yesterday in a French tion for foreign millionaires in independent probe into the not been found. court over the alleged beating of western Paris. murder of dissident Saudi Callamard launched her a workman who was carrying out Eid, who was also not present CONFLICT journalist Jamal Khashoggi investigation in January and repairs in her ultra-luxury Paris in court, has said he was tied up UN envoy arrives in Damascus for new talks yesterday urged the US to act last month released an 101- apartment. and ordered to kiss the feet of on her damning fi ndings. page report that found “cred- Hassa bint Salman is a daugh- the princess, who is thought to The UN special envoy for Syria arrived in Damascus yesterday to press Agnes Callamard, a UN United Nations (UN) special ible evidence” linking Saudi ter of King Salman and a sister be in her 40s. fresh talks on forming a constitutional committee to revive a stalling special rapporteur who con- rapporteur on extrajudicial, Crown Prince Mohammed bin of powerful crown prince Mo- He claimed he was was then peace process to end the eight-year war. “Pleased to be back in Damas- cluded that Khashoggi’s death summary or arbitrary Salman to the murder and an hamed bin Salman who is known beaten up and had his tools cus,” Geir Pedersen, a seasoned Norwegian diplomat and the fourth UN at the Saudi consulate in Is- executions Agnes Callamard attempted cover up. by his initial “MbS” and is seen confiscated during an ordeal ambassador to seek an end to the civil war, wrote on Twitter. His visit, tanbul in October was “an ex- speaks in London, yesterday. It said further investigation by many analysts as the de-facto that lasted several hours. comes as the regime and their Russian ally have been carrying out dead- trajudicial execution” by the and fi nancial sanctions were leader of the kingdom. In an account given to the Le ly bombardment of the militant-run region of Idlib in northwest Syria. Gulf kingdom, criticised the Callamard said. warranted. The rapporteur She stands accused of order- Point news magazine in France, United States over its inac- The UN rapporteur on noted she had received no co- ing her bodyguard Rani Saidi, the workman reported that the tion. extrajudicial, summary or operation from Riyadh and who is also charged, to beat up princess shouted “’Kill him, UNREST “(It) has the jurisdiction arbitrary executions said minimal help from the United the workman Ashraf Eid after he the dog, he doesn’t deserve to Internet on mobile services restored in Sudan or at least the interest to take Washington could act “either States.“The US was not at was seen taking a photo inside live.” action,” she told a London through an FBI investigation the top of the co-operation her home in September 2016. The bodyguard Saidi, who Mobile Internet services were restored across Sudan yesterday follow- conference hosted by human (or) a civil law investigation... chain,” Callamard said. Eid, who worked in the luxury accompanies the princess on ing a court order, weeks after the ruling generals imposed a blockade rights groups on the killing of (or) the declassifi cation of Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s apartment block, had been called her travels in Europe and the in the wake of a brutal crackdown on protesters. Demonstrators were the Saudi-born US resident. CIA and other materials”. Turkish fi ancee, appeared in to repair a damaged basin and United States, was the only one violently dispersed on June 3 by men in military fatigues, who stormed a “Silence is not an option. “All of those things I be- alongside Callamard at the told investigators he needed the of the three main protagonists weeks-long protest camp outside army headquarters in Khartoum where Speaking up is required but lieve can be done and should London event and echoed her pictures taken with his phone to present for the first hearing, Sudanese had camped to demand that the generals step down. not enough. We have to act,” be done.” call for justice. carry out the work. surrounded by his family. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 11 AFRICA

Nigeria parliament on lockdown after protesters clash with police

Reuters/AFP (IMN), told Reuters that police The assembly remained on witness said. “The guy shot was Abuja fi red the shots, killing two pro- lockdown as of late afternoon. only injured and he was quickly testers, after they peacefully tried In a statement, the police force rushed to the National Assembly to enter the assembly building. said they had “used minimum clinic along with the guy whose igeria’s National Assem- IMN, a group that represents force to disperse the unruly pro- rifl e was seized because he sus- bly was on lockdown yes- Nigeria’s minority Shias, has testers.” tained some bruising in the head Nterday after shots were protested regularly outside the Witnesses said police used as a result of the attack,” the wit- fi red outside during clashes be- National Assembly, calling for tear gas against the protesters, ness said. tween police and a group of Shia the release of their leader, Ibra- and smoke could be seen coming Security forces responded by protesters. Both sides blamed the him Zakzaky, who has been in from the area. fi ring at the protesters, wound- other for the shooting. detention since 2015. Witnesses told AFP that pro- ing some of them, witnesses said. In a statement, police said two Nigerian security forces have testers seized a rifl e from a police An AFP journalist saw traces offi cers were shot and wounded killed some 400 members of offi cer manning the main en- of blood on the road leading to in the legs, and six other offi cers the group in response to largely trance to the assembly, located in the assembly and cars with their were injured by individuals using peaceful protests since 2015, ac- the country’s institutional capi- windscreens smashed by fl eeing clubs and stones. cording to human rights groups. tal Abuja. demonstrators. But Abdullahi Mohamed Musa, Police said they had arrested “They seized the rifl e from one The National Assembly hur- Firefighters aim their hose at a burning car following clashes outside the Nigerian National Assembly in a protester and member of the 40 protesters during yesterday’s of them and shot another po- riedly suspended its plenary ses- Abuja yesterday. Islamic Movement of Nigeria incident. liceman standing close by,” one sion due to the violence. MP arrested on Trash talk! treason charges in Zimbabwe

By Fanuel Jongwe, AFP Harare Public workers reject

imbabwe lawmaker Job Sikhala, vice-chairman of $21mn pay rise: union Zthe opposition MDC par- Zimbabwe’s government yester- He said the full Apex Council, ty, was yesterday arrested and day off ered its workers Z$180mn of 17 unions, would meet today charged with treason for alleg- (US$21mn) in additional pay for in the capital Harare to decide its edly saying he wanted to oust the the July-December period, which next step. president. unions rejected as inadequate Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube Sikhala was “formally charged in the face of soaring inflation, a on Monday had told business with attempting to overthrow public sector union off icial said. leaders that President Emmer- the government unconstitution- The amount, to be shared by son Mnangagwa’s government Eva Mokoena drags a sack filled up of waste, dumped by a garbage truck at the Palm Springs landfill on the outskirts of ally,” his lawyer Obey Shava told 309,000 civil servants, would see was ready to raise civil servants’ Johannesburg. A report commissioned by the Department of Environmental Aff airs estimated that there are 62,147 informal recyclers AFP, saying his client denied the each receiving only an additional pay for the second time in three in South Africa, of whom about 25,467 operate at kerbside as trolley-pushers, with the remainder operating at landfill sites. Their charges. Z$97 (US$11.28) a month, Thomas months, citing inflation. contribute saves municipalities in the country up to 750mn rand ($53mn) in landfill airspace each year, according to research by the Some Zimbabweans hoped the Muzondo, deputy chairman of Zimbabweans are angry as Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. fall of long-time autocrat Robert public sector union Apex Council year-on-year inflation of around Mugabe in 2017 would usher in a said after a meeting with negotia- 100% has eaten the value of their more tolerant climate as President tors. wages and savings, recalling the Emmerson Mnangagwa sought to That amount will buy less than horrors of hyperinflation in 2008. attract foreign investment. 20 litres of petrol at the pump The southern African nation is But government critics have station. grappling with a severe shortage been frequently targeted by the “We totally rejected that off er of US dollars, fuel, bread, and Magufuli dismisses concerns police and security forces as the so they (government negotiators) medicines, plus lengthy daily country’s economy tips into cri- will go back to their principals for power cuts, which have forced sis. further consultations,” Muzondo businesses to use expensive Sikhala, an outspoken sen- told Reuters. diesel generators. ior offi cial in the Movement for over dam in nature park Democratic Change party, alleg- edly said in a speech at a rally on month and charged with sub- decades of repression, interna- Saturday that the party would version on their arrival from the tional isolation and economic AFP dam, which Magufuli has made ant to dissent — defended Tan- 39% of urban population have unseat Mnangagwa before the Maldives, where police allege decline under Mugabe. Nairobi a centrepiece of his presidency zania’s environmental record, access to electricity in Tanzania, next election. they attended a workshop on The MDC said Sikhala’s re- since being elected in 2015. saying roughly one-third of the according to UN fi gures. “We are going to overthrow how to topple the government. marks had been misconstrued He said by providing energy country was protected land. Magufuli has insisted the dam him (Mnangagwa) before 2023 After protests in January trig- and that the party pursued only anzanian President John to Tanzanians living near the “I am very surprised by those would not only meet national — that is not a joke,” Sikhala was gered by a doubling of fuel pric- peaceful and democratic means Magufuli yesterday reserve — a haven for elephants, who say we don’t like the envi- electricity needs, it would also quoted as saying. es, Mnangagwa warned that the to solve Zimbabwe’s “national Tdownplayed fears that a black rhinoceroses, cheetahs ronment,” he said. provide surplus power to export He faces a maximum 20 years authorities would target rights crisis”. hydro-electric dam planned for and giraff es — the dam would His environment minister, to neighbouring countries. in prison if convicted of treason. groups deemed to be anti-gov- Offi cial infl ation is at nearly a fabled nature reserve would deter local communities from Hamisi Kigwangalla, went fur- But Unesco has repeatedly The ZANU-PF government ernment. 100% — the highest since hyper- aff ect the environment, despite felling trees for cheap fuel. ther, attacking conservationists called for the scheme to be reacted furiously to Sikhala’s The authorities blamed the infl ation forced the government Unesco expressing “grave con- “I want to reassure everyone, who have criticised the project. scrapped, saying it is “incom- remarks, with spokesman Nick protests on the MDC party and to abandon the Zimbabwe dollar cern” over the scheme. this project in fact aims to pro- “Tanzania has no lessons to patible” with the site’s World Mangwana describing the speech non-governmental organisations in 2009 — while supplies of es- The 2,100MW scheme will mote the environment,” Magu- learn from any individual or Heritage status, which it earned as an “insurgent rant”. that they said were backed by sentials such as bread, medicine straddle the Rufi ji River in fuli said at the inauguration of a country on wildlife protection,” for being one of the largest re- The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Western nations. and petrol regularly run short. the Selous Game Reserve, a new national park in Tanzania’s he said. maining wildernesses in Africa. Human Rights (ZLHR) group said Zimbabwe’s police and army Power cuts often last 19 hours 50,000sq km protected area northwest. “Also, it just a small “We have been protecting In 2014, elephant poaching that Sikhala was 21st person to be have often used brutal force, a day, and the government has which was designated a Unesco part of the reserve, just 3% of these wild animals for genera- caused Unesco to place the re- arrested and charged with trea- including live ammunition, to banned the use of the trusted US World Heritage Site in 1982. the total area.” tions and generations. These serve on its list of World Herit- son since January. crush dissent. dollar and other foreign curren- Tanzania awarded a $3bn Magufuli — who has been ac- activists should be ashamed of age in Danger. Seven rights campaigners were Mnangagwa had promised a cies that functioned as legal ten- contract to two Egyptian fi rms cused of riding roughshod over themselves.” Mining and lack of funding arrested at Harare airport last fresh start for Zimbabwe after der for the last 10 years. in December to construct the due process and being intoler- Just 2% of rural people and are other major problems. Malawi’s albino busker ready for the world stage

By Jack McBrams, AFP Chigwandali’s music stands “He is using the arts for advo- simply titled Lazarus, which pre- Lilongwe out on its own — energetic with cacy, which is a powerful tool be- miered at the Tribeca Film Festi- sharp vocals that catch every- cause it touches people’s hearts, val in New York in April. one’s attention as they walk by. so he is really doing something “A powerful voice of a new ike scores of other buskers, Hugo, the Swedish producer, important here,” she said. generation in Malawi,” Madonna Lazarus Chigwandali plies was so impressed by the video “People like Lazarus comple- wrote beneath a picture of the Lthe streets of Malawi’s capi- clip that he tracked down the ment people like myself who re- pair on social media when they tal Lilongwe hoping for a few coins Malawian busker and off ered to port and help build policy.” performed together in Malawi. from appreciative passers-by. record his music. And Malawi, one of the world’s As well as Madonna, Chig- But Chigwandali is not your “A few golden times in life poorest and most aid-dependent wandali hopes to emulate Salif usual street musician. He is an something blows you away in such countries, has experienced a Keita, the Malian afro-pop star albino, releasing a professional an amazing way you just cry and surge in violent attacks on people singer who also has albinoism. album, and the star of a docu- laugh and shake your head,” Hugo with albinoism. Now preparing for his album mentary produced by Madonna. said later on social media. “(It was) In a report last year, Amnesty In- launch, he has released a promo- Albinos are often targeted in one of the coolest and most emo- ternational said that since Novem- tional track Ndife Alendo (“We are brutal attacks in Malawi and tional moments of my life.” ber 2014 there had been 148 crimes strangers”) which has been played other southern African countries Chigwandali still busks oc- reported against people with albi- on several BBC radio stations. because they have white skin due casionally to provide for his wife noism, with at least 21 deaths. “My message is reaching the to a hereditary condition that and three sons — two of them For Chigwandali, he says his whole world now,” he said. causes lack of pigmentation. albinos — though he hopes the “recent status as a famous musi- “But there’s also been really Killings, abductions and grue- blossoming projects he is in- cian has made it diffi cult for me amazing support from Malawi some dismembering of body volved with will soon bring in a to be a target because I am more radio and TV — I want people parts for witchcraft are all real regular income. prominent. So, now I go to the in my home country to hear this dangers. He wears a wide-brimmed village without the fear of being music and appreciate it. Despite the risks, Chigwanda- hat to keep off the sunlight that abducted.” “This has all been a roller- li, 39, has been out in front of the causes painful damage to his Originally from the town of coaster ride for me, these things public for years playing his up- Malawi musician Lazarus Chigwandali performs in Lilongwe’s Area 3 Market. sensitive, heavily-freckled skin, Dedza in central Malawi, Chig- don’t happen in real life normal- beat tunes on a homemade banjo and a traditional handmade shirt wandali moved to Lilongwe after ly. I don’t know what to expect. and a drum that he hits with a producer Johan Hugo, who asked ment, suspicion and the threat of to watch a football match with my with a matching pair of trousers. his much-loved younger brother But I trust that people want the pedal operated by his right foot. him to record an album. physical attack. younger brother (also an albino), Ikponswa Ero, the UN’s chief died of skin cancer in 2006. best for me. His big break came just last Chigwandali, who sings in the “Growing up, people didn’t others would jostle us. The al- expert on albinoism, told AFP Superstar singer Madonna met “I hope my music gives a voice year when a tourist took a video local Chichewa language, draws want us being close to them be- bum talks about the plight of per- that Chigwandali was playing a him during a visit to Malawi last to people with albinoism, so they of him on a cellphone and the on his tough upbringing for his cause of our skin,” he told AFP. sons with albinoism. How people unique role in tackling prejudice year, and took an executive pro- understand they’re as worthy as footage was seen by Swedish music, telling of constant harass- “People would leave when I went should not stigmatise others.” against albinos. ducer credit in the documentary, any other human being.” Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 AMERICAS

California expanding early quake detection and warning system

By Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters portunity that’s in front of us,” brought renewed awareness to a quake would receive the most not activated for either of the Arba said. said. Los Angeles said Ryan Arba, chief of seismic development of the state’s early advance warning. Ridgecrest earthquakes because Southern California’s Metro- Offi cials hope to have other fi re hazards under the governor’s Of- warning system for earthquakes. In a best-case scenario, a rup- the projected intensity of shaking link commuter rail system halted stations take similar precautions. fi ce of Emergency Services (OES). Japan developed the world’s ture of the San Andreas Fault near for Los Angeles County was be- service after Friday’s 7.1 earth- In hospitals, an early warn- alifornia offi cials are Emergency management offi cials most advanced earthquake early California’s border with Mexico low required thresholds, the US quake in Ridgecrest, but orders ing system would allow doctors spending more than have said they intend to have warning system after the 1995 would be far enough away from Geological Survey said. to stop the trains only went out performing surgery to pause be- C$40mn on an earthquake the statewide warning system in Kobe earthquake. It relies on Los Angeles to give the nation’s Offi cials plan to eventually by radio when shaking was felt by fore shaking begins to prevent early warning system that in ad- place by mid-2021 to serve Cali- more than 4,000 sensors and is second-largest city 60 seconds expand the system statewide offi cials at the operations centre any harm to their patients, and dition to alerting the public could fornia’s roughly 40mn residents. based on the same principles of of warning before ground motion and to tie it into the operations in Pomona, east of Los Ange- in tall buildings elevators could also be used to automatically halt In a jolt that grabbed the at- physics that California is using to from the quake actually arrives, of medical facilities, emergency les, Metrolink spokesman Scott be equipped to automatically trains and open fi re station doors tention of seismically jaded build its system. Arba said. responders, power companies, Johnson said. descend to the ground fl oor, ac- moments before a major tremor Californians, Friday’s magnitude Like in Japan, the California Communities very close to a hazardous materials manage- The Metrolink board has voted cording to OES. actually strikes. 7.1 temblor ruptured gas lines network is designed to detect the quake’s origin would receive lit- ment, mass transit and other to spend $4.9mn in state funds to University of California at Los California Governor Gavin and sparked numerous fi res in fast-moving seismic P-waves tle or no warning. workplaces to minimise damage eventually automate the halting Angeles engineering professor Newsom announced after a mag- Ridgecrest, a remote town of that are unleashed by earth- Offi cials in Los Angeles and injuries, according to OES. of its trains via the quake detec- John Wallace said the potential nitude 7.1 quake shook South- fewer than 30,000 people in the quakes and can reach a sensor County in January introduced Already, the Bay Area Rapid tion and warning system, John- uses of the early warning system ern California on Friday that the Mojave Desert, about 200km before the ground starts moving a ‘ShakeAlertLA’ mobile phone Transit system in and around San son said. are widespread and have not all state has already installed 70% of northeast of Los Angeles. in a given area. application that can transmit an Francisco has connected the early Two fi re stations in the Silicon been mapped out. the 1,115 early detection sensors it It came one day after a 6.4 Many animals are able to feel early warning to residents who detection network to its rail serv- Valley community of Menlo Park “Once you provide the system, needs to have the system in place quake in the same area. P-waves, according to the US have installed the app, giving ice to automatically slow down in Northern California are like- you’d be surprised how many statewide. The back-to-back quakes Geological Survey (USGS). them extra seconds to take cover its trains, and hopefully reduce wise connected to seismic sen- ways people will fi nd to use it to “I think the whole state’s on ended a period of relative seismic In general, communities far- before a major quake hits. the risk of a derailment, if a ma- sors so that detection of a large their benefi t,” he said. notice right now about the op- calm in Southern California and thest away from the epicentre of The ‘ShakeAlertLA’ app was jor earthquake is about to strike, quake raises their doors, Arba Trudeau regains momentum in election race after scandal A water rescue vessel heads to a car in flood waters on Clara Barton Parkway near Washington, DC, on Monday, in By Steve Scherer, Reuters Liberals after the SNC-Lavalin scandal this image obtained from social media. Ottawa created a signifi cant amount of discon- tent.” The shift in favour of the Liberals also anada’s Liberal Prime Minister coincided with an offi cial visit to Ottawa Justin Trudeau is regaining mo- by US Vice President Mike Pence at the Washington DC hit by torrential rain, fl ooding Cmentum after a damaging political end of May, Nanos said. scandal and could win a general election During the visit, Trudeau raised his scheduled for October, a Nanos Research concern about women’s rights and “the AFP on roads near major landmarks like The White House was not spared poll showed yesterday. new anti-choice laws being passed in a Washington the Washington Monument, and either: Footage posted by several The Liberals would win 34.6% of the number of American states” with Pence, some motorists standing on the correspondents and outlets showed vote if the election were held today com- a social conservative and opponent of roofs of their cars as the fl oodwa- puddles forming in one of its base- pared with 30.4% for the Conservatives of abortion. orrential rain lashed Wash- ters rose. ments. Andrew Scheer, the survey showed. The The Pence visit also gave Trudeau an ington DC and surrounding One such video showed water Emergency services said they re- left-leaning New Democratic Party would opportunity to tout the successful ne- Tareas on Monday, fl ooding gushing down through a hole in the ceived dozens of calls from citizens take 17.9% and the Greens 8.8%, it said. gotiation of a new North American trade many neighbourhoods and hob- roof of a Washington metro station. seeking help. Under Canada’s electoral system, a agreement that ended uncertainty sur- bling electricity and transportation The main power vault of the Na- Despite the widespread fl ooding, party needs to win around 39% of the rounding commerce with the United networks. tional Archives building — which no deaths were reported. vote to gain a majority in the House of States, the destination for 75% of Cana- The National Weather Service is- houses some of the most important The rainfall and fl oodwaters sub- Commons. da’s export goods. sued a Flash Flood Warning as the documents in American history — sided later in the day, as damage as- The Nanos poll, should current num- Unpopular budget cuts by Ontario storm hit, drowning roads and forc- was fl ooded, cutting power as the sessments began in the District of bers hold, suggests the Liberals would Trudeau ... bouncing back premier Doug Ford, an ally of Scheer’s, ing closures of many major arteries. streets around it were submerged. Columbia — where Washington is only be able to form a minority govern- is another factor in the Liberal rebound, Airports and rail networks were “The building’s fl ood walls de- located — and neighbouring parts ment, leaving Trudeau reliant on other But the momentum began to shift back Nanos said. also hit, causing delays. ployed and worked,” the institution of Virginia and Maryland. parties to push through legislation. to Trudeau in June, pollster Nik Nanos Ontario is Canada’s most populous The American capital’s Ronald said in a statement. Hundreds of customers were af- The Liberals had lost their lead over the said in a phone interview. province. Reagan airport received 83mm of “The Declaration of Independ- fected by power outages because of Conservatives in March in a prior Nanos “It’s women voters almost exclusively “We’ve seen the Conservatives slide in rainfall in just one hour, the NWS ence, Constitution, and Bill of the rainfall, according to a live map opinion poll, amid a scandal over alleged who have been driving the positive trend the province of Ontario,” he said. added in a tweet. Rights — along with all of the per- on the website of local utility Pepco. interference in a corporate corruption case for the Liberals in the past six to eight The latest polling by Nanos was com- Dramatic footage aired on local manently valuable records stored “Stay clear of downed power involving SNC-Lavalin Group Inc that led weeks,” Nanos said. pleted on July 5 and carries a margin of er- TV stations and posted on social in the building — are safe and not in lines and always assume they are to the resignation of two cabinet members. “Women voters are drifting back to the ror of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. media showed vehicles submerged any danger.” energised,” it said in a tweet.

Billionaire Steyer enters Democratic White House race 23 states urge Trump to drop

Reuters primary fi eld remains after the party’s Steyer said he spent $120mn on the vehicle fuel-effi ciency freeze New York fi rst debate June 27-28. 2018 elections, investing heavily in His candidacy also comes with sig- youth turnout, which he called an un- nifi cant challenges, such as cobbling tapped source of Democratic support. By David Shepardson, Reuters able to face standards that rise so high illionaire Tom Steyer, who has together a staff from a smaller pool of He also spent more than $90mn Washington that only a handful of electric cars can previously fl irted with running strategists and meeting the more rigid during the 2016 elections, when he achieve them.” Bfor the White House, said yes- requirements for subsequent debates backed Democratic presidential nomi- The group again said it was “urging terday he will now seek the Democratic in September. nee Hillary Clinton. early two dozen US state gov- the federal government and states to nomination. Steyer amassed a fortune estimat- Early opinion polls showed Steyer, ernors, including those of fi nd a middle ground that raises stand- Steyer, 62, painted himself as a po- ed by Forbes magazine at $1.6bn af- an environmentalist and philanthro- NCalifornia and New York, yes- ards year over year while aligning with litical outsider and blasted corporate ter founding investment fi rm Farallon pist based in San Francisco, trailing terday urged the Trump administra- market demand.” money in US politics, in a statement Capital Management in the mid-1980s other Democrats in name recognition tion to abandon a proposal to freeze The fi nal regulation faces a mul- and an online video released yesterday. and serving as a partner at San Francisco and support. fuel-effi ciency standards at 2020 lev- ti-year legal battle that could leave He said other Democrats had good private equity fi rm Hellman & Friedman. Steyer’s campaign will focus on re- els through 2026. automakers in limbo about future ideas but “we won’t be able to get any Steyer had said in January he was ducing corporate infl uence on poli- The list of 23 states and Puerto emissions and fuel-effi ciency require- of those done until we end the hostile passing on a 2020 run to focus on ef- Steyer ... White House ambitions tics and addressing climate change. Rico includes key 2020 election bat- ments. corporate takeover of our democracy.” forts to impeach Trump and get Dem- He will kick off his White House bid tlegrounds such as Pennsylvania and The Trump administration plan Steyer joins a fi eld of two dozen ocrats elected to the US Congress. profi t he formed in 2013, has poured mil- with events in the early-voting state Wisconsin. aims to roll back emission standards Democrats seeking to deny Trump a Steyer has been a force in Democrat- lions into elections, focusing on climate of South Carolina; the swing state of In August 2018, the administration set by former president Barack Obama. second term. But his late entry under- ic fundraising over the past decade. change, immigration and access to af- Ohio; and primary delegate-rich Cali- proposed freezing fuel effi ciency re- The Obama-era rules called for a scores how wide open the Democratic NextGen America, a political non- fordable healthcare, among other issues. fornia, according to his campaign. quirements and stripping California of fl eetwide fuel-effi ciency average of the right to set its own vehicle-emis- 46.7 miles per gallon by 2026, com- sions rules. pared with 37 mpg under the Trump The governors, representing 52% administration’s preferred option. of the US population and 57% of the Last month, 17 major automakers Ross Perot, billionaire who sought presidency, dead at 89 economy, said they want “continu- urged a compromise “midway” be- ous, meaningful annual reductions in tween the Obama-era standards that Ross Perot, the eccentric and iconic self- Perot delivered a shockingly strong boosted his credibility among viewers. Perot’s first campaign caused a rift greenhouse gas emissions and crite- require annual decreases of about 5% made billionaire and computer industry performance as an independent in the When Bush asked what experience between him and the Bush family, but ria pollutants while saving consumers in emissions and the Trump adminis- giant whose two runs for president as 1992 presidential race, capturing 19% of Perot had to run the country, the retort yesterday, George W Bush, the 43rd presi- money,” and that they “support pre- tration’s proposal. an independent candidate shook up the vote and syphoning off conserva- from Perot — who spent $63mn of his dent, hailed him as an American icon. serving state authority to protect our Reuters reported in April that offi - American politics, died yesterday at the tive support, helping seal Democrat Bill own money on the race — was a corker. “Texas and America have lost a strong residents from vehicle pollution.” cials expect the fi nal rule will include a age of 89, his family said. Clinton’s victory over incumbent George “I don’t have any experience in run- patriot,” Bush said in a statement. Environmental Protection Agency small increase in yearly fuel-effi ciency “A true American patriot and a man of H W Bush. ning up a $4tn debt,” Perot fired back. “Ross Perot epitomised the entrepre- chief Andrew Wheeler had told re- requirements. rare vision, principle and deep compas- No other independent or third-party “I don’t have any experience in neurial spirit and the American creed.” porters on Monday the agency “will be Senator Tom Carper, a Democrat, sion, he touched the lives of countless candidate has won such a large slice gridlock government where nobody Ross Perot was born in Texarkana in coming out later this summer with our said since the White House had shown people through his unwavering support of the vote since the Democratic and takes responsibility for anything and 1930, during the Great Depression. (fuel effi ciency) standards, which will no interest in new talks that “auto- of the military and veterans and through Republican parties began dominating everybody blames everybody else...but After graduating from the US Naval also further reduce CO2.” makers should make clear that they his charitable endeavours,” they added. presidential politics in the mid-19th I do have a lot of experience in getting Academy and spending four years in the The Alliance of Automobile Manu- will not support this rollback by work- The trailblazing Texas tycoon, technol- century, and he foretold the impact that things done.” military, Perot worked for IBM, selling facturers, a trade group representing ing directly with California and these ogy pioneer and philanthropist died at strong, focused third-party campaigns Four years later Perot ran again, as computers in Texas. General Motors Co, Volkswagen AG, 23 states.” his Dallas home, after what the Dallas could have on a White House race. leader of the Reform Party. He later founded Electronic Data Toyota Motor Corp and others, said Automakers and government offi - Morning News described as a five-month His appearance alongside Clinton But he did not fare as well, and Clinton Systems in the 1960s and became a titan yesterday: “It is untenable to face a cials say they do not expect EPA and battle with leukaemia. and Bush on the debate stage sharply was re-elected. of the US technology industry. marketplace with diff erent standards the Transportation Department to fi - in diff erent states, but it is also unten- nalise the rules before September. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 13 ASIA Lanka police Thailand leader orders chief, ex-offi cial freed on bail end to military rule in Easter Reuters who were elected in a March 24 “The military keeping the Bangkok vote that his opponents said was power to detain people is signifi - rigged against them. cant,” Yingcheep Atchanont, a Prayut’s order yesterday, program manager at iLaw, a Thai attacks case hai junta chief Prayut which he said would be the jun- legal monitoring group, told Reu- Chan-o-cha yesterday ta’s last, ended restrictions on ters. “This maintains the climate Tordered an end to mili- the media and transferred civil- of fear.” Reuters claimed by the militant group tary rule before his new civilian ian cases from military to civil- Deputy Prime Minister Wis- Colombo Islamic State. The bombings government is sworn in, but kept ian courts. sanu Krea-ngam said that some took place despite repeated the power to let security forces “I won’t be using Article 44 of the junta orders would remain warnings from Indian intel- carry out searches and arrests any more,” Prayut told reporters because they are necessary, but ri Lanka’s police chief ligence that an attack was unchallenged. at Government House in Bang- that parliament could change and former defence sec- imminent. Since Prayut took power in a kok. “These orders did not cause them. Sretary were released on President Maithripala 2014 coup, his junta has issued problems, they were done to fi x The coalition backing Prayut, bail yesterday, a week after Sirisena has accused Fernando more than 500 orders under the problems.” which consists of 19 parties, has they were arrested over al- and Jayasundara of failing to so-called Article 44 - dubbed But the government said some a small majority in Thailand’s legations that they failed to act on an April 4 intelligence the “Dictator’s Law” by detrac- orders introduced under the lower house of parliament. prevent the Easter Day bomb report about possible attacks. tors - that allowed him to bypass junta would continue: For exam- The military government has attacks that killed more than The suicide bombers struck on Thailand’s laws. ple, giving the army and police been gradually relaxing political 250 people. April 21. He is due to become a civil- the freedom to search, summon, restrictions since last year. Pray- Colombo magistrates’ court Jayasundara, the fi rst ian prime minister after be- and detain people for seven days ut said that his new government granted their release and will serving police chief to be ing picked by junta-appointed as long as it is in the name of will be in place by the middle of In this file photo, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha smiles be- hear the case on July 22, Anuja arrested, told a parliamen- senators and the lawmakers national security. this month. fore speaking to the media at Government House in Bangkok. Premaratne, who is represent- tary committee last month ing both the accused, said. that the president had asked The Criminal Investigation him to take the blame for Department last week arrest- the bombings and resign, ed Inspector General of Police promising him a diplomatic Pujith Jayasundara and former posting in return. Vietnam arrests tycoon for graft secretary to the Ministry of Jayasundara refused to quit Former UN Defence Hemasiri Fernando and was later asked to go on while they were both receiv- compulsory leave, with his DPA state-owned property that led renting of land as well as il- ing treatment in hospital. The deputy standing in for him. Hanoi to losses or squander,” the Vn- legal real estate develop- two were remanded in custody Fernando, who resigned express news site wrote. ment on land allocated for a day later. as defence secretary, told the offi cial jailed The company’s current chief agricultural use. Attorney General Dappula committee that Sirisena had he former president of executive, Le Tan Hung, was ar- Hung and Thuy are also ac- de Livera had ordered their given instructions to keep a Vietnamese state- rested on Saturday on the same cused of illegally signing off on arrest last week and urged the political rival Prime Minister Towned agriculture charges. overseas trip expenses for em- acting police chief to bring Ranil Wickremesinghe out of business has been arrested in Hung, 56, is the younger ployees worth $556,000. charges against the two, in- all security council meetings for child abuse Ho Chi Minh City for corrup- brother of Le Thanh Hai, the If convicted, they face up to 20 cluding for “crimes against where sources have said the tion related to the use of state former Ho Chi Minh City Com- years’ imprisonment. humanity”. warnings were discussed. The land, state media reported munist Party chief and the city’s Vietnam has seen a cor- Jayasundara and Fernando defence secretary reports to yesterday. de-facto mayor. ruption crackdown in the denied the allegations when the president, who heads the Van Trong Dung, the Sagri’s former chief account- past two years under the they appeared before a parlia- Defence Ministry. in Nepal 52-year-old ex-president of ant, Nguyen Thi Thuy, was also leadership of Communist mentary committee investi- Sirisena has not publicly the Saigon Agriculture Cor- arrested on Monday. Party General Secretary gating the attacks on churches addressed the accusations poration (Sagri), was detained All three men are ac- Nguyen Phu Trong. and luxury hotels. but said after the testimo- AFP house where police detained on Monday and is expected to cused of intentional fi nan- Major players in state-owned They are the fi rst two state nies last month that he would Kathmandu Dalglish, investigators said. face charges of “violations in cial wrongdoing at the fi rm, enterprises, including oil execu- offi cials to be arrested for fail- not accept the committee’s Dalglish denied the charges, the management and use of including misconduct in the tives, have been convicted. ing to prevent the attacks, conclusions. and his lawyer could not be former UN offi cial has reached for comment. been jailed for sexu- The aid worker, who in Aally abusing children in 2016 was awarded the Order Nepal, offi cials said yesterday, of Canada - the country’s Walk on broken bridge following a trial underscoring second-highest civilian hon- Lanka the country’s growing appeal our - made his name as a hu- for foreign paedophiles. manitarian worker advocat- Peter John Dalglish, 62, ing for street children, child acquittal from Canada, a former high- labourers and those aff ected profi le humanitarian worker, by war. was sentenced on Monday He co-founded Street Kids of 13 in to terms of nine and seven International in the 1980s years in two cases after being which merged with Save the convicted last month. Children. murder Thakur Trital, a district In the last decade, Dal- court offi cial, said that Dal- glish held key positions in UN glish had been sentenced agencies, including a chief for case fl ayed for nine years for abusing UN Habitat in Afghanistan a 12-year-old boy and sev- in 2015. IANS en years jail for molesting In Nepal, Dalglish was New York another 14-year-old. an advisor in a child pro- “The judge is yet to de- gramme for the International cide whether he should serve Labour Organization in the uman Rights Watch and a total 16 years in jail or be early 2000s. Amnesty Internation- released after nine years. In Weak law enforcement has Hal have criticised a Sri most cases of a similar nature, made Nepal notorious for Lankan magistrate’s acquittal sentences get overlapped but sexual predators, with sev- of all 13 defendants in the ex- it is upon the judge to decide,” eral arrests and convictions in ecution of fi ve Tamil students in Trital said. recent years. 2006 in the northeastern town of Dalglish has also been told to In 2015 a Canadian orphan- Trincomalee. pay compensation of 500,000 age volunteer, Ernest MacIn- On July 3, the magistrate ac- Nepali rupees ($4,550) to each tosh, 71, was sentenced to sev- quitted 12 members of the police of the victims. en years in prison for sexually Special Task Force (STF) and a Dalglish was arrested in abusing a disabled 15-year-old police offi cer due to a “lack of April last year in Kavrepal- boy, while in 2010 French evidence”. anchowk district, near Kath- charity worker Jean-Jacques The global notoriety of the mandu, by Nepal’s Central Haye was convicted of raping Pedestrians cross a broken bailey bridge in Sylhet. While heavy vehicle movements have usually been restricted on this bridge, it “Trinco Five” killings had made Bureau of Investigation. 10 children at a Kathmandu collapsed when a truck loaded with cement bags tried to cross it. it a test case for the commitment The two boys were at the orphanage. of successive Sri Lankan govern- ments to ensure accountability for grave crimes carried out dur- Landslide kills two ing the three-decade-long civil war, Human Rights Watch and in Bangladesh Amnesty International said. At least two people have been “Sri Lankan authorities have killed in a rain-triggered landslide Bangladesh intensifi es eff orts to stop proven unable to obtain justice as a monsoon left parts of south- for the murders of fi ve young eastern Bangladesh submerged, people and the resulting cov- off icials said. er-up despite the considerable A four-year old child and a evidence available,” said Human 25-year-old woman died after traffi cking of Rohingya amid US ak fl Rights Watch. their thatched houses were “The failure to convict anyone buried under mud from an in this emblematic case after 13 adjacent hill in Chandraghona, Thomson Reuters Foundation Myanmar since an army-led “Proposed anti-traffi cking happy” with the TIP report unlicensed brokers in rural years demonstrates the need for a said Mamunir Rashid, chief Dhaka off ensive in 2017 now live in measures included - which found Bangladesh’s areas and campaigners say court with international partici- administrator of Rangamati Kutupalong - the world’s larg- setting up a centre for anti-traffi cking eff orts had not exploitation is rife. pation that can properly protect district. est refugee camp - and other law enforcers within improved - and that it should However, Siddique said that victims and witnesses,” it added. Local government off icial angladesh is striving to settlements in Bangladesh’s the refugee camps, and have considered how the gov- many Bangladeshi migrants On January 2, 2006, amid New Anawarul Islam Chowdhury said stop Rohingya refugees beach town of Cox’s Bazar. building a fence and ernment had been compelled who go abroad understand Year celebrations at Trincomalee rescuers dug the bodies out of Bfrom being traffi cked but Authorities in Bangladesh watchtowers to protect to focus on the humanitarian that they are doing so illegally beach, Sri Lankan security forces the mud and debris. the crackdown will “take some rescued at least 250 Rohingya the Rohingya” needs of the Rohingya. and should be regarded as ir- shot and killed the fi ve students and He said the victims stayed at time”, an offi cial said after the from human traffi ckers be- “We rescued 70,000 Ro- regular migrants rather than seriously wounded two others. their hillside homes, ignoring United States criticised the tween January and June this small area,” he said. “A few of hingya (found) outside the traffi cking victims. The government quickly a warning issued by the local South Asian nation in its an- year, who promise better lives them will defi nitely try to fool camps and sent them back. “There is craziness among claimed, without evidence, that administration. nual report on nations’ eff orts abroad in countries such as the others. Yes, there are cases We ... prevented many of them Bangladeshis to go outside and the youths killed were Tamil Bangladesh’s meteorological to tackle traffi cking. Malaysia with no signs that the of genuine human traffi cking from being traffi cked to other the brokers take advantage of Tiger insurgents. department recorded 170mm The US State Department’s refugees will be able to return and sexual abuse. We have re- countries,” Siddique added. this,” he said. “The acquittals in the ‘Trinco of rainfall in Rangamati district annual Traffi cking in Persons home soon. ports about the hotels where The US report also said Bang- “Many of them know that Five’ case mean that the gov- in the last 24 hours through (TIP) report last month found Abu Bakar Siddique, an of- these take place.” ladesh had failed to tackle illegal they are going abroad illegally. ernment’s obligation to bring to yesterday morning. Bangladesh had not investigat- fi cial with the Ministry of “We are aware of most of recruitment agents, which left They are aware of the risks ... justice those responsible for the Television footage showed major ed dozens of potential crimes Home Aff airs, said proposed the incidents and we are work- workers seeking jobs abroad but they still go.” murders remains,” said Amnesty thoroughfares in the south- of forced labour and human anti-traffi cking measures in- ing hard to solve them. This is vulnerable to traffi cking. Bangladesh is placed on the International. eastern port city of Chattogram traffi cking against the Ro- cluded setting up a centre for something new and it will take A record number of Bang- Tier 2 Watch List of the TIP The prosecution of the case under knee-to-waist-deep waters, hingya living in refugee camps law enforcers within the refu- some time,” Siddique, who ladeshis secured jobs over- report, and next year faces be- had long been marred by seri- causing havoc for commuters. in the country. gee camps, and building a fence leads the interior ministry’s seas in 2017 - at least 1mn - as ing moved up to Tier 2 or down ous threats against the survivors Deaths from mudslides during About 900,000 Muslim Ro- and watchtowers to protect the anti-traffi cking work, told the the country relies heavily on to the lowest rank of Tier 3, and witnesses which forced them the monsoon are common in hingya who have fl ed neigh- Rohingya. Thomson Reuters Foundation. foreign remittances, but the which can trigger economic and their family members to fl ee Bangladesh. (DPA) bouring Buddhist-dominated “There are 1.1mn people in a Siddique said he was “un- system depends mainly on sanctions. Sri Lanka. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Hong Kong leader says extradition bill ‘dead’

AFP Hong Kong

ong Kong’s embat- tled leader yesterday Hsaid a China extradi- tion bill that sparked unprec- edented political unrest “is dead” – but protesters immedi- Chief Executive Carrie Lam holds a press conference at the government ately dismissed her comments, headquarters in Hong Kong yesterday. threatening more mass rallies. The international fi nance hub sure to appoint an independent reporters in Beijing when asked has been plunged into its worst judge as head of a public com- about Lam’s latest statement. crisis in recent history by a mission of inquiry into the police Over the weekend, Beijing’s month of marches and sporadic response to the protests. ambassador to London said the violent confrontations between But she rejected those calls extradition bill was needed to police and pockets of hardcore again yesterday, backing an ex- “plug loopholes”, fuelling fears it protesters. isting police complaints body to still wants the legislation to pass. The rallies were sparked by investigate claims of excessive The protests are also part of a a draft law that would have al- force. longer battle for the soul of Hong lowed extraditions to mainland The anti-extradition move- Kong between those who see full China, but they have morphed ment has united an unlikely integration with the autocratic into a wider movement calling cross-section of Hong Kong so- mainland as an inevitability for democratic reforms and a ciety, including major business, and others wishing to preserve halt to sliding freedoms in the legal bodies as well as religious the city’s unique freedoms and semi-autonomous territory. leaders, activists and journalists. culture. In a city unaccustomed to Protesters are becoming in- Under the 1997 handover deal such upheaval, police have creasingly creative – chat forums with the British, China promised fi red tear gas and rubber bul- Notes against the proposed extradition bill are seen at Tai Po, in the northern part of the New Territories of Hong Kong, yesterday. and encrypted messenger apps to allow Hong Kong to keep key lets while the parliament has are buzzing with calls for the liberties such as its independent been trashed by protesters – bill is dead,” Lam said. islative programme’ until July tests in coming days. deep-seated problems in Hong mass withdrawal of funds from judiciary and rights like freedom as Beijing’s authority faces its But she once against refused to next year.” With calls mounting for her Kong society,” she said. the Bank of China this Saturday of speech. most serious challenge since buckle to demands to completely Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy resignation, Lam has made few Analyst Dixon Sing said her to “stress test” the organisation’s But many say that 50-year Hong Kong was handed back to withdraw the bill from the legis- lawmaker added: “A person can- public appearances in recent words would do little to defang liquidity. deal is already being reneged on, China in 1997. lative agenda, provoking outcry not be resurrected. But then an weeks. the protest movement. Beijing has thrown its full sup- citing the disappearance into Yesterday, the city’s chief ex- from the anti-government camp. object can always be remade... But yesterday she resurfaced, “Trust in the government has port behind Lam, calling on po- mainland custody of dissident ecutive Carrie Lam admitted Lam’s words about the bill are and it boils down to our complete agreeing to meet student pro- sunk to such a record level that lice to pursue anyone involved booksellers, the disqualifi cation her administration’s attempt to “another ridiculous lie” tweet- lack of trust and confi dence (in testers and adding that she rec- if there’s not a clear fulfi lment of in the parliament storming and of prominent politicians and introduce the bill was a “com- ed leading democracy activist the government). ognised the swirling economic, the (key) demands, the majority other clashes. the jailing of democracy protest plete failure”, saying that her Joshua Wong, who was recently The Civil Human Rights political and social challenges of the Hong Kong public will still “The central government ex- leaders. government would not seek to released from jail for his role in Front – which has organised facing the city. be very sceptical of the govern- pressed support, respect and Authorities have also resisted reactivate it in parliament. protests in 2014. some of the mass rallies – said “I come to the conclusion that ment’s sincerity,” he said. understanding,” foreign ministry calls for the city’s leader to be “There is no such plan. The “The bill still exists in the ‘leg- it would announce fresh pro- there are some fundamental and Lam has been under pres- spokesman Geng Shuang told directly elected by the people. Xi tells offi cials not Indonesia to send 210 tonnes 4 foreigners to be lazy and ‘spend detained whole day eating’ of waste back to Australia for militant Reuters cited Xi as saying. AFP Australian company Ocean- Beijing “Be brave to handle heavy Jakarta ic Multitrading sent the waste links in burdens, crack hard nuts and to Indonesia with help from handle hot potatoes,” he added. Indonesian fi rm PT. MDI, Chinese off icials must not use “Don’t be muddle-headed ndonesia said yesterday it authorities said. Malaysia the fight against corruption off icials who are politically would send more than 210 China’s decision in 2018 to as an excuse to sit around apathetic and do things half- Itonnes of garbage back to ban imports of foreign plastic Reuters and do nothing, idling their heartedly; don’t be lazy off icials Australia, as Southeast Asian waste threw global recycling Kuala Lumpur time away and “spending the who spend the whole day nations push back against into chaos, leaving developed whole day eating”, President Xi eating and idle their time away.” serving as dumping grounds nations struggling to fi nd Jinping told a meeting of senior Xi has vowed to target both for foreign trash. places to send their waste. alaysia has detained Communist Party leaders “tigers” and “flies”, referring The eight containers seized Huge quantities of rubbish four foreigners, in- yesterday. to elite off icials and ordinary in Surabaya city should have have since been redirected to Mcluding two ethnic Ro- Since Xi began his war on bureaucrats in his corruption contained only waste paper, Southeast Asia, but opposi- hingya from Myanmar, on suspi- graft after assuming power battle. but authorities also found tion to handling exported cion of being involved in militant in late 2012, the party and The campaign has led to hazardous material and trash is growing in the region. groups, police said yesterday. government have repeatedly the jailing or punishment of household trash including Indonesia announced last Malaysia is home to tens of scolded off icials who think thousands of off icials and also plastic bottles and packaging, week it was sending back 49 thousands of Rohingya Muslims, they can avoid punishment by brought down dozens of senior used diapers, electronic waste containers full of waste to France who have for years arrived in the trying to keep a low profile by party and military off icials, and cans, a spokesman for the and other developed nations. Southeast Asian nation from not doing their jobs or making including Zhou Yongkang, the East Java customs agency said. In May, neighbouring Malay- Myanmar or Bangladesh seeking decisions. much feared former domestic Following the inspection the sia announced it was shipping A custom off icer shows waste paper imported from Australia at asylum. Xi told the meeting that it was security chief. Indonesian environment minis- 450 tonnes of imported plastic Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, East Java province, yesterday. More than 700,000 Rohingya important to “correctly handle The anti-corruption eff ort has try recommended “the items be waste back to its sources, in- refugees fl ed western Myanmar the relationship between being not only focused on issues like re-exported,” the agency said in cluding Australia, Bangladesh, between the two countries. Around 300mn tonnes of for Bangladesh, UN agencies clean and being responsible”, the bribery and using public money a separate statement Monday. Canada, China, Japan, Saudi Global concern over plas- plastic are produced every say, after insurgents attacked off icial Xinhua news agency said. to fund lavish lifestyles. It has “This is done to protect the Arabia and the United States. tic pollution has been spurred year, according to the World- Myanmar security forces in Au- “You absolutely cannot view also taken aim at those whose public and Indonesian envi- The Philippines, mean- by shocking images of waste- wide Fund for Nature (WWF), gust 2017, triggering a sweeping anti-corruption as an excuse political loyalty is found lacking ronment, especially in East while, returned about 69 clogged rivers in Southeast with much of it ending up in army-led crackdown. to not accept responsibility or who express doubt in public Java, from B3 waste,” it added, containers of rubbish back to Asia and accounts of dead sea landfi lls or polluting the seas, Both of the Rohingya suspects or to do nothing,” Xinhua about party policies. referring to hazardous and Canada last month, putting creatures found with kilos of in what has become a growing were detained for providing sup- toxic materials. an end to a diplomatic row refuse in their stomachs. international crisis. port to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the in- surgent group said to be behind the 2017 attacks, Malaysia’s In- spector General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said in a statement. Australian student expelled China urges US to cancel One of the suspects, a 41-year-old construction work- er, had also issued a death threat against Bangladesh Prime Min- from N Korea denies spying arms sale to Taiwan ister Sheikh Hasina in a video uploaded on social media, Abdul AFP Abrams tanks, 250 Stinger country’s internal aff airs. Hamid said. AFP The tweets were the fi rst com- From the capital, Sigley organ- Beijing portable anti-aircraft missiles, “China urges the US to Other suspects detained in- Seoul ments addressing the incident ised tours to the country and ran related equipment and support ... immediately cancel the cluded a 54-year-old Philippine from Sigley, who speaks fl uent a number of social media sites at an estimated cost of just over planned arms sale and stop national with alleged ties to Abu Korean and had been one of just which posted a stream of apoliti- hina demanded yes- $2.2bn, according to the US De- military relations with Taipei Sayyaf, a militant organisation n Australian student who a handful of Westerners living cal content about life in one of the terday that the United fence Security Co-operation to avoid damaging Sino-US aligned with the Islamic State. was expelled from North and studying in North Korea. world’s most secretive nations. CStates “immediately Agency (DSCA). relations and harming peace The man is also suspected of AKorea denied yesterday His disappearance, which His blog posts focused on cancel” a potential sale of The proposed sale “will and stability in the Taiwan being involved in kidnapping that he had been spying on the prompted deep concern about everyday Pyongyang – from the $2.2bn in arms to self-ruled contribute to the modernisa- Strait,” he said. activities in the waters of Sabah authoritarian state while he lived his fate, came just days before city’s dining scene to North Ko- Taiwan, including battle tion of the recipient’s main Taiwan has been ruled sep- state, south of the Philippines, there. a G20 summit and a landmark rean app reviews – and he mar- tanks and anti-aircraft mis- battle tank fl eet”, improve its arately from China since the Abdul Hamid said. Alek Sigley, 29, was released meeting between President ried his Japanese wife there last siles, adding fuel to tensions air defence system and “sup- end of a civil war in 1949, but The fourth suspect was a last week after being detained Donald Trump and North Ko- year. between the two powers. port the foreign policy and Beijing considers it a part of 24-year-old Indian national who for several days, with Pyongyang rean leader Kim Jong-un. He also wrote columns for It would be the fi rst big- national security of the Unit- its territory to be retaken – by had allegedly acted as a facilita- later accusing him of promoting After he was released and fl ew specialist website NK News, ticket US military sale to the ed States by helping to im- force if necessary. tor to a senior member of Bab- propaganda against the country to Japan, North Korean state me- which North Korean state media democratically-governed is- prove the security and defen- China has signifi cantly bar Khalsa International (BKI), a online. dia published a report saying the called an anti-regime news out- land in decades, and comes as sive capability (of Taiwan),” stepped up diplomatic and Sikh separatist group. “The allegation that I am a country had deported the stu- let in its report on Saturday. ties between Washington and DSCA said. military pressure on Taipei The suspect, a lift main- spy is (pretty obviously) false,” dent for spying. NK News has released a state- Beijing are already strained by It would not alter the “ba- since the election in 2016 tenance worker, is accused he wrote on Twitter, adding that “I may never again walk the ment denying the accusations, their trade war. sic military balance in the re- of President Tsai Ing-wen, of transferring 7,600 ringgit he was “well both mentally and streets of Pyongyang, a city that which the student said he stood by. China has lodged formal gion,” the agency added, and whose Democratic Progres- ($1,835) to fund BKI’s activities physically”. holds a very special place in my He said the “only material” he complaints through dip- Congress has been notifi ed. sive Party refuses to acknowl- in Southeast Asia, Abdul Hamid “I am still very interested in heart,” Sigley, who speaks fl uent gave to the news site and other lomatic channels express- US lawmakers have 30 days to edge that the island is part of said. North Korea and want to contin- Korean, tweeted yesterday. outlets was what was published. ing “strong dissatisfaction object to the sale but are un- “One China”. Malaysia has been on high ue academic research and other “I may never again see my His case was complicated by and resolute opposition” to likely to do so. It has staged military ex- alert since gunmen allied with work related to the country. But teachers and my partners in the Australia’s lack of diplomatic the move, foreign ministry Geng said the proposed ercises near the island, and Islamic State carried out a series I currently have no plans to visit travel industry, whom I’ve come representation in North Korea, spokesman Geng Shuang said deal “seriously violates the steadily reduced the already of attacks in Jakarta, the capital the country again, at least in the to consider close friends. But with the Swedish envoy helping at a regular press briefi ng. one-China principle” and small number of nations that of neighbouring Indonesia, in short term,” he wrote. that’s life.” to negotiate his release. The deal includes 108 M1A2T “grossly interferes” in the recognise Taiwan. January 2016. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 15

BRITAIN

Universal credit scam ‘leaves claimants up to £1,500 poorer’

Guardian News and Media DWP staff , to make bogus online their universal credit claim has the year. Money is pouring out of secretary, Peter Schofi eld, de- November, and ministers prom- If someone off ers you a low-cost London applications for universal credit. opened and they must repay the the public purse like lottery jack- manding to know the extent of the ised in May to “look into it as a loan from the government they Once the claim is established advance loan. pots.” scam, what plans the department matter of urgency”, it is not yet may be trying to steal your iden- the scammers can apply for, and According to a BBC report, The report comes a fortnight has to tackle it, and what protec- clear what changes the DWP has tity. Treat your personal informa- ens of millions of pounds take a cut of, an advance loan of contributors to an internal DWP after the National Audit Offi ce tions are in place for victims. made to the universal credit sys- tion for benefi ts in the same way have reportedly been sto- hundreds of pounds routinely staff forum estimate the losses so (NAO) revealed that benefi t fraud “Even when the department is tem to counter it. you would for your bank. And if Tlen by fraudsters as a result off ered to new claimants to get far could amount to as much as was at its highest level for a dec- informed that a claim for universal A statement by the DWP min- you think you’ve been targeted, we of a universal credit scam that them through the minimum fi ve- £20mn, with hundreds of bogus ade, driven mainly by universal credit was fraudulent and made ister Peta Buscombe said fraud in urge you to report it urgently.” Ad- has left aff ected claimants up to week wait for a fi rst payment. claims every day for advance loans credit. Although ministers hoped without the claimant’s knowledge the benefi t system remained low vance loans were introduced by the £1,500 out of pocket. In other cases in which claim- of up to £1,500. The DWP said it universal credit would reduce or consent, it seems that claimants and staff were working hard to DWP after it emerged huge num- The department for work and ants’ details are obtained with- questioned the fi gures, but could fraud by £1.3bn by 2025, the NAO are being prevented from return- identify and tackle any instances bers of universal credit claimants pensions (DWP) is under to pres- out consent, the fi rst the claim- not say if it had diff erent estimates. found it would instead increase it ing to their legacy benefi ts – even and to bring fraudsters to justice. were forced to use food banks and sure to explain what it intends ant becomes aware of the scam One forum message said: “To by £1.3bn by the same date. if they are worse off on universal So far one person has received a run up rent arrears because they to do to counter a scam in which is when they receive a letter from say there is a risk around UC Frank Field, the chair of the credit,” the letter says. conviction for this type of fraud. did not have enough money to see criminals obtain claimants’ per- the DWP telling them their exist- (universal credit) advances is work and pensions committee, has Although the scam has been She added: “We’re encouraging them through the fi ve-week wait sonal details, often by posing as ing benefi ts have been cancelled, possibly the understatement of written to the DWP permanent known about since at least last people to listen to their instincts. for payment. Carl Sargeant ‘shellshocked’ after sacking, inquest hears

Guardian News and Media “I’ve been binned.” Sargeant Cardiff informed his wife allegations of inappropriate behaviour to women had been made against he widow of Carl him but had “no idea” of the Sargeant has told an in- details. Tquest that he felt “de- She said: “He was quiet. stroyed” after being sacked as Carl’s not a quiet person. You a Welsh government minister could feel this had come as a and suspended from the Labour terrible shock to him. He had party amid allegations of inap- no information, nothing. He propriate sexual behaviour to was desperate for informa- women. tion. No support was offered to Bernie Sargeant told the court him. He was devastated. He was her husband and his family were shellshocked.” left without any support and not Bernie and the couple’s chil- knowing the detail of the allega- dren, Jack and Lucy, drove to Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Stephen Barclay attends a meeting with European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday. tions made against him. Cardiff, where Sargeant had a She said Sargeant was deeply flat. She said: “Though he was a upset when the then first min- big man he looked small. There ister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, was something vastly different referred to the claims against about him. We as a family went him in a television interview as into the bedroom. He had got “incidents” rather than allega- back into bed and kept pulling tions and said he was “broken” the covers over him. He looked Labour would back Remain by his suspension from Labour. ashen. He had no colour in Bernie said on the weekend him. He said he felt he’d let us after he was dismissed Sargeant down. I’ve never seen this type stayed in bed, hiding beneath of Carl.” the covers. On the day before By this time he had been sus- his death, he was shocked to pended by the Labour party and in new Brexit vote: Corbyn be doorstepped by a television on “numerous occasions” he reporter at the family home in tried to get in touch with the par- Guardian News and Media event of a general election in the tect the economy and jobs.” relationship and protection of bour would argue for in a gen- Connah’s Quay, north Wales. ty without success. “That was London near future, or whether Labour The trade unions published a environmental regulations and eral election on Brexit. He said: Calling for changes to be one of the things that broke him,” could enter such a contest saying statement on Monday that sug- rights at work. We continue to “We will decide very quickly made to the way prominent said Bernie. it would still go ahead with leav- gested Labour should seek to ne- believe this is a sensible alterna- at the start of that campaign politicians are supported af- “He was a proud member of eremy Corbyn has sought to ing the European Union. gotiate its own, better Brexit deal tive that could bring the country exactly what our position will ter being sacked, she said: “My the Labour party.” draw a line under Labour’s But he made clear that if a ref- and then put that to the people, together,” Corbyn said. be.” Pressed on whether La- children have lost their dad. Over the weekend she asked him JBrexit travails by announc- erendum was called on the Brexit but declined to specify how the With Labour under intense bour was now a party of Leave Lessons have got to be learned. if he had done what he had been ac- ing a “settled” policy of backing deal negotiated by the incoming party would campaign in the pressure from more overtly pro- or Remain, Corbyn said: “We I believe we should have had cused of. “He said: ‘No.’ I still be- Remain in any referendum called Conservative prime minister – event of that happening. Remain parties, including the will give people the choice on some support. We were out of lieve he hasn’t done anything.” on a Conservative deal. or on whether to go ahead with Corbyn acknowledged the is- Liberal Democrats, the party had this. That is something which our league here.” On Monday, November 6, The Labour leader has been a no-deal Brexit – Labour would sue of Brexit had “been divisive already shifted since the Euro- is surely very important. We Bernie told the inquest in Bernie Sargeant was shocked under intense pressure to shift support Remain. in our communities and some- pean elections towards urging respect the result of the ref- Ruthin, north Wales, that her when her husband heard that to an overtly anti-Brexit stance, Corbyn wrote: “Whoever be- times in our party too”. He de- the Conservatives to put their erendum. We’ve been through husband heard on November 2, the first minister had given an but has insisted on consulting comes the new prime minister fended Labour’s position over deal to a public vote. But Corbyn this whole long parliamentary 2017, that there was going to be interview in which he referred the party’s stakeholders in re- should have the confi dence to put the past three years, saying it had previously stopped short of process over the past three a reshuffle. He said: “It’s hap- to “incidents” rather than “al- cent weeks, including the trade their deal, or no-deal, back to the had been right to respect the re- saying Labour would campaign years and we’ve made it very pening.” She thought it strange legations” when talking about unions. people in a public vote. In those sult of the 2016 referendum. for Remain in the event of a ref- clear we will do everything we as reshuffles typically take accusations against him. She In a statement e-mailed to circumstances, I want to make it “Labour set out a compromise erendum being called. can to take no-deal off the ta- place at the start of the week. said he changed a “strange col- party members yesterday, Cor- clear that Labour would campaign plan to try to bring the country In an interview with the BBC ble or stop a damaging deal of Next lunchtime he rang her our” and added: “He saw that byn made no reference to what for Remain against either no-deal together based around a customs yesterday, he said there was the sort Hunt and Johnson are from Cardiff and told her: as very significant.” stance Labour would take in the or a Tory deal that does not pro- union, a strong single market no decision yet as to what La- proposing.”

Site visit Author Cowell new 500 suspected slaves children’s laureate

Guardian News and Media Cowell told the audience at locked up last year Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London London that she had “two super- Thomson Reuters Foundation country while their claim was be- while being held in 2018, the data simple key messages” as laure- London ing considered and that a victim’s showed. ow to Train Your Dragon ate: “Point number one: books status was considered when de- In all, 2,726 people were rec- author and illustrator and reading are magic. Point ciding their immigration case. ognised as likely slavery victims HCressida Cowell has been number two: this magic must be ore than 500 suspected “Detention is an important in 2017 — the most recent offi cial named the new Waterstones made urgently available to abso- slavery victims were part of the immigration system — data available — suggesting up to children’s laureate, and has lutely everyone.” Mheld in immigration but it must be fair, dignifi ed and a fi fth had been held under im- promised she will use her two- “The telly is glorious, book- detention centres by authorities protect the most vulnerable,” a migration rules at some point, year incumbency to make the shops are closing, libraries are last year, according to offi cial spokeswoman said. said the authors. magic of books “urgently avail- closing, librarians are disap- data released yesterday that ex- “We have made signifi cant Charities providing support in able to absolutely everyone”. pearing, review space is shrink- perts said showed survivors were improvements to our approach detention centres report that vul- Following 10 previous lau- ing, parents are knackered, the being treated as criminals rather in recent years, but remain com- nerable people often lack adequate reates, from Quentin Blake to, kids are on the Nintendo Switch than victims. mitted to going further.” access to healthcare, mental health most recently, Lauren Child, ... Everywhere you look, it’s Immigration offi cials were People who are recognised as support and legal services, the re- Cowell’s stories about the ad- impossible and getting more failing to adequately support likely victims of modern slavery port said, putting slavery victims ventures of timid Viking Hic- impossible by the minute,” she those escaping slavery and risked are entitled to a package of sup- at risk of further harm. cup and his dragon Toothless, said. “My favourite kind of adding to their trauma by lock- port including housing, counsel- The Home Offi ce said 479 have sold more than 11mn books problem. Luckily, anyone who ing them up, found a report from ling and some living costs while people were already in detention around the world. They have also has read my books will know After Exploitation, which used their case is assessed under the when they were offi cially recog- been adapted into a popular fi lm that I love a quest. A quest is Freedom of Information requests National Referral Mechanism nised as probable slavery vic- series by DreamWorks. idealistic: there are impossible- to obtain the data. (NRM) scheme. tims, and nearly 90% were then As she was presented with seeming obstacles and many “All too often victims of traf- However, victims of traffi cking released within a week. the laureate medal by Child people will tell you not to both- fi cking are perceived as immi- do not have any automatic enti- The data showed offi cials had yesterday, Cowell unveiled her er trying. A quest is also practi- gration off enders rather than tlement to remain in Britain and either allowed known potential “children’s laureate charter”: a cal – in order to make progress victims,” said Pierre Makhlouf, they can be detained in some cir- victims to be detained or had “giant to-do list” that she will there must be action.” assistant director at charity Bail cumstances in order to carry out failed to recognise the signs of use throughout her tenure. The Cowell said she had witnessed for Immigration Detainees, in re- their removal. traffi cking, the report said. charter lays out 10 points, as- a discrepancy in the distribu- sponse to the report. A total of 507 people were It called for anyone who was Conservative Party leadership candidate Boris Johnson serting that every child has read- tion of resources while touring The Home Offi ce said no one recognised as probable slavery referred to the NRM to be auto- visits the site of the expansion of Terminal Two at ing rights – from having access schools around the UK, particu- who said they had been traffi cked victims under the NRM either matically released from deten- Manchester Airport, in north-west England yesterday. to trained librarians and book- larly in libraries, which will be would be required to leave the before they were fi rst detained or tion. sellers to reading for pleasure. her fi rst focus as laureate. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 EUROPE

French legislators France plans to impose pass law against ecotax on plane tickets online hate AFP the European Union in busi- Shares in Air France fell has become a symbol of the fi ght ernment that introduced a ticket French President Emmanuel speech Paris ness class, €3 outside the EU in sharply, down almost 4% to against climate change. tax has been able to demonstrate Macron is seeking to cast him- economy class and a maximum trade at €8.54. The industry has been under that such tax reduced CO2 emis- self a champion of the fi ght €18 for fl ights outside the Eu- Its German competitor fi re over its carbon emissions, sions”. against climate change and en- AFP rance has announced that ropean Union in business class, Lufthansa also traded lower which at 285g of CO2 emit- The industry is already sub- suring that the 2015 Paris accord Paris it would impose new taxes she added. with its shares falling 2.50% to ted per kilometre travelled by a ject to the EU carbon emissions on fi ghting global warming is Fon plane tickets of up to The new measure is expected €14.80. passenger far exceed all other trading system and, from 2020, respected. €18 per fl ight, joining other EU to bring in some €180mn a year Air France slammed the modes of transport. to a new global mechanism He went into this month’s G20 rench lawmakers have states seeking to limit the envi- which will be invested in greener measure, which it said would Road transportation follows called the Carbon Off setting and summit in Japan declaring that passed a landmark law to ronmental impact of air travel. transport infrastructure, nota- “strongly penalise its competi- at 158 and rail travel is at 14, ac- Reduction Scheme for Interna- climate change was a “red line” Ffi ght online hate speech The government said that the bly rail, she said. tiveness” at a time when it need- cording to European Environ- tional Aviation (CORSIA). and emerged with a statement which will oblige social media funds from tickets for fl ights “France is committed to the ed to invest, notably in renewing ment Agency fi gures. Andrew Murphy, aviation ex- from 19 of its members endors- networks to remove off ending originating in France would be taxation of air transport but its fl eet, to reduce its carbon “The sector is under consid- pert with the NGO Transport ing the Paris agreement – but content in 24 hours and create used to create less-polluting there is an urgency here,” she footprint. erable pressure,” Alexandre de & Environment (T&E) in Brus- without the United States after a new button to enable users to transport options as concerns said. A similar tax was introduced Juniac, the chief executive of the sels which presses for cleaner President Donald Trump pulled fl ag abuse. grow about carbon emissions It will only be applied on out- in Sweden in April 2018, which International Air Transport As- transport, said that the tax was out of the agreement in 2017. Members of the National As- from planes. going fl ights and not those fl ying imposed an added charge of up sociation (IATA), admitted at a far from unique in Europe with The French president is aware sembly lower house of parlia- The move, which will take ef- into the country, Borne added. to €40 on every ticket in a bid to meeting of the industry body in similar measures in Britain, that he needs to tread carefully ment voted by 434 in favour to 33 fect from 2020, will see a tax of Flights to the French Medi- lessen the impact of air travel on June. Germany, Norway, Italy, as well on climate issues after rising against to adopt the law, which is €1.50 ($1.70) imposed on econ- terranean island of Corsica and the climate. So-called ecotaxes have met as Sweden. fuel taxes – which were aimed modelled on German legislation omy-class tickets on internal also the French overseas de- Sweden has seen the devel- with heavy criticism from the “I don’t think that because to help France meet its Paris that came into force last year. fl ights and those within Europe, partments – which are hugely opment of a movement called IATA. there is a €18 tax it will deter climate accord goals – helped Sixty-nine members of par- Transport Minister Elisabeth dependent on air links for their “fl ight shaming” (fl ygskam) The global body argues that anyone from fl ying,” he told AFP. spark the “yellow vest” street liament (MPs) abstained. Borne said. existence – will be exempt, she spearheaded by 16-year-old the eff ectiveness of such taxes “It will have some minor impact protests against his government Sites that fail to comply with It will rise to €9 for within said. schoolgirl Greta Thunberg who is “doubtful” and said “no gov- on demand.” last year. the law by not removing “obvi- ously hateful” content risk fi nes of up to €1.25mn ($1.4mn). Search engines such as Google will also have to delete such con- tent within 24 hours. Two hurt The upper-house Senate will now examine the legislation af- ter the summer holidays and in third could suggest amendments. A series of tech giants, includ- ing Facebook and YouTube, an- bull-run nounced crackdowns on hateful and violent content in recent months. of San Governments accused online platforms of not doing enough to stamp out hate speech in a Fermin Paris summit in May after a gun- man broadcast his attack on two New Zealand mosques live on festival Facebook via a head-mounted camera. The footage was shared mil- AFP lions of times despite eff orts to Pamplona remove it. Laetitia Avia, an MP who drafted the bill, wrote on Twitter alf-tonne fi ghting bulls that online hate speech was “a knocked over thrill- public health issue” which “the Hseekers yesterday in a vast majority of French people fast, adrenaline-fuelled chase have seen or experienced”. through the winding streets of “We must ensure the safety Pamplona in northern Spain A reveller is tossed by a wild and protection of people online, that sent an American and a cow in the bull ring yesterday especially the most vulnerable,” Briton to hospital. after the third running of the she told parliament. There were no gorings but a bulls at the San Fermin festival Avia said last week she suff ers 49-year-old British man frac- in Pamplona. so many racist insults on Twitter tured his ankle, requiring sur- that she once thought an abuse- gery, and a 42-year-old man Left: A paramedic attends to a free day was due to a technical from Chicago suff ered a head man who was injured yesterday problem. injury in a fall although he was during the third bull run of the Digital Aff airs Minister Cedric expected to be discharged from San Fermin festival. O said that “protecting French hospital later, regional health of- citizens, online and offl ine, is the fi cials said. state’s top priority”. Six bulls and six steers that Social media companies have keep the herd together, charged a responsibility to “set up mod- through the narrow, cobbled eration systems which are up to streets of the city, clearing a path the job”, he added. through a sea of hundreds of However, critics have said runners who are mostly dressed that the law places far too much in white with red handkerchiefs power in the platforms’ hands by around their necks in the third making them arbiters of online bull run of the famed San Fermin speech. festival. Social media giant Facebook The bulls from the Jose Es- has questioned whether the 24- colar Gil ranch in the central hour window to remove hateful province of Avila completed the content is realistic, saying that 848.6m (928-yard) course from many “questionable” posts re- a holding pen to the city bull quire careful analysis and tricky ring in two minutes and 13 sec- legal assessment. onds, the fastest run so far in this Lawmakers debated long into year’s festival. the night last week in order to They were killed in bullfi ghts try to agree on what constitutes later in the day. “obviously hateful” messages or Some people sought safety by videos. crowding close to the walls of the They agreed to include con- winding route but others dared tent condoning crimes against to touch the rear of the bulls or A man sets up wooden planks to protect his store yesterday before the start of the third bull run of the Cabezudos (large head puppets) take part yesterday in the parade humanity. to race a few steps in front of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. of ‘Gigantes and Cabezudos’ (Giants and Large Head Puppets). However, amendments seek- sharp horns. ing to integrate specifi c refer- Two Americans and a Span- All three remain in hospital. and enjoy the festival’s mix of killed in the bull runs since a 27-year-old Spaniard in the and was immortalised in Nobel ences to anti-Zionism and hate iard were on Sunday gored in People from around the world round-the-clock parties, reli- records started in 1911. neck, heart and lungs. Prize-winning author Ernest against the state of Israel were the fi rst run, which is usually the fl ock to the city of 200,000 gious processions and concerts. The most recent death took The nine-day fi esta, which Hemingway’s 1926 novel The rejected and did not make the most crowded of the festival. residents to test their bravery Sixteen people have been place in 2009 when a bull gored dates back to mediaeval times Sun Also Rises, ends on July 14. fi nal text. Deforestation + climate change = dead-end for wildlife

By Marlowe Hood, AFP between 2000 and 2012 led to an average, be exposed by 2070 to an loss of shallow-water coral reefs, larly sensitive to temperature at red-handed howler monkeys, to forest loss and fragmentation, Paris area larger than India losing the environment 2.7° Celsius (4.8° which anchor a quarter of marine change,” Senior said. “Most are jaguars and giant otters. which has created islands of pri- capacity to protect species from Fahrenheit) hotter than during life. found nowhere else on Earth, Amphibians – already be- mary forest hemmed in by palm the eff ects of climate change,” the second half of the 20th cen- A single degree of warming and make up a huge proportion of sieged globally by mysterious oil plantations, biofuel crops, limate change combined lead author Rebecca Senior, a tury, the study found. since the industrial revolution global biodiversity.” pathogens – are especially vul- cattle ranches and the soya bean with galloping tropi- professor at the University of Even under a best-case sce- has already boosted the frequen- Scores of studies have shown nerable to climate change. crops that are used to feed live- Ccal deforestation is cut- Sheffi eld, told AFP. “Not only nario in which humanity caps cy and intensity of heatwaves, how rising temperatures have “They are highly specialised to stock. ting off wildlife from life-saving does forest loss remove habitat global warming at 2C – an in- droughts and tropical storms. forced fauna and fl ora to adapt particular habitats, can’t move An area of tropical forest fi ve cooler climes, heightening the directly, it also makes it harder creasingly unlikely prospect – Animal and plant species have their behaviour in ways that cur- very far, and are very sensitive times the size of England – some risk of extinction, researchers for species to move.” species in tropical regions would always moved up or down moun- tail their ability to collect food, to overheating and drying out,” 600,000sq km (230,000sq have said. The lack of escape routes still see a jump of 0.8C by that tains, towards or away from the reproduce or both. Senior pointed out. “This is an- miles) – has been destroyed since Less than two-fi fths of for- to cooler habitats means that date. poles, or into cooler or warmer Some 550 species – more than other nail in their coffi n.” 2014, according to Global For- ests across Latin America, Asia warming “will likely result in The 2015 Paris climate treaty waters when faced with shifts in half already threatened with ex- Higher temperatures force est Watch, a research unit at the and Africa currently allow for national and global extinction of enjoins nations to hold warming climate. tinction – are listed as vulner- some tropical hummingbirds to University of Maryland. animals and plants to avoid po- vulnerable species,” she added. to “well below” 2C. But rarely has climate change able to droughts and temperature seek shade rather than to for- The new study, however, is the tentially intolerable increases in At current rates of climate Last year, the UN climate sci- been so rapid, and never has it extremes on the International age, thus testing their capacity to fi rst to investigate the interaction temperature, they reported in the change, animals and plants mov- ence panel concluded that even been combined with extreme Union for the Conservation of adapt. between tropical habitat loss and journal Nature Climate Change. ing to the least heat-ravaged this threshold would not pre- habitat fragmentation. Nature Red List. Other research has document- climate change on a global scale “The loss of tropical forests spots accessible today would, on vent severe impacts, such as the “Tropical species are particu- They include mammals such ed species decline and loss due over more than a decade. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 17 EUROPE

Sea-Watch to pool donations Italy shutters Europe’s with other rescuers biggest migrant centre DPA AFP Movement came to power in opened, I thought it wasn’t a Rome Mineo, Italy June last year, it housed 2,500. good thing,” he said. “It wasn’t Since then Salvini, who is a reception centre built on inte- also deputy prime minister, has gration but on numbers.” he German aid organisa- hat was once Europe’s declared war on charity rescue Mastrilli, a 25-year-old law tion Sea-Watch wants to biggest migrant re- vessels, barring them entry to student, is a supporter of Luigi Tpool donations collected Wception centre, in Italian ports. di Maio’s anti-establishment for the captain of one of its res- Mineo in Sicily, offi cially closed Thousands of migrants nev- 5-Star Movement, which is in cue ships, Carola Rackete, who is yesterday in the presence of its ertheless continue to arrive by a ruling coalition with Salvini’s facing criminal charges in Italy, biggest critic, far-right Interior other means or are rescued at sea League for the last 13 months. with others involved in saving Minister Matteo Salvini. by the Italian authorities. “There were more than 4,000 migrants stranded at sea. “We’re saving quite a bit of Psychologist Massimiliano people from 85 diff erent eth- “A committee has been money, we’re working to fi nd Terrasi stood amid the arid nicities, while Mineo has around formed because we want to use new jobs for the centre’s ex- countryside outside the cen- 5,000 inhabitants,” he said. the money as eff ectively as pos- workers, but Sicily, Catania and tre where he worked since 2011, He called for a Europe-wide sible for rescues at sea, not only Mineo cannot base their future disappointed about what could solution to migration, and sug- for Sea-Watch, but we want to on immigration,” he said as he have been. gested that “many migrants look together at where it is most shut the centre. “Hopes were high when the would like to stay in their own needed,” spokesman Ruben Salvini said that the future is centre fi rst opened and we grew countries”, if they could. Neugebauer told DPA yesterday. “in smaller and more controlled professionally,” he told AFP-TV. The centre’s 400 small yellow The committee includes rep- centres”, after the fi nal inhabit- “Well managed, it could have and pink houses lie in tidy rows, resentatives of aid organisations ants were removed last week to been an asset for the area and a reminder of the time when US and the Seebruecke (Bridge over be sent to another centre in Ca- for people’s mutual understand- families from the neighbouring the Sea) network, which works to labria. ing,” he lamented, voicing anger base at Sigonella called it home. rescue migrants in the Mediter- About 50 former workers at at the abrupt end to his years of But the US military gave up ranean. the centre and unionists pro- work, fi nal wages still unpaid. its lease in 2010, and the arrival Part of the donations will be tested ahead of Salvini’s arrival, In the beginning, care and hy- of the reception centre and mi- used to pay for the legal costs for handing a protest banner read- giene conditions were decent, he grants made Sicilians in the area Rackete, who has been greeted ing “today we celebrate the fu- said. both worried and jealous. with a wave of solidarity after neral of Mineo”. But things started to deterio- The migrants were notably her arrest in Italy when she ig- The reception centre, a former rate when the population went prepared to work for €10 or €20 nored a government ban and housing complex for the US mil- over 3,000. ($11-$22) a day during the orange brought her ship, the Sea-Watch itary that resembles an Ameri- “If you look at how the centre harvest, angering locals who 3, with dozens of rescued mi- can suburb, is now guarded by was in the end, it’s a good thing could not work for so little. Salvini looks at a pile of garbage during his tour of the migrant centre in Mineo, southern Sicily. grants on board into the port of Italian troops blocking access that it closed. But if you think However, the centre also em- Lampedusa island. under a roasting Sicilian sun. what it could have been, it’s a ployed 400 locals, and Mineo’s rable epilogue of a big illusion, Mineo’s former mayor and the dies that accompanied each new A call by German television At its peak in 2014, Mineo pity,” he said. current mayor, Giuseppe Mis- in a region starved of jobs,” said centre’s former director. arrival. presenters Jan Boehmermann housed more than 4,100 people. Local resident Sergio Mastrilli tretta, has threatened to resign if Sicily’s conservative regional Allegations include prefer- In January, police broke up a and Klaas Heufer alone has Its population then steadily was more critical as he drank a the state does not help with the president Nello Musumeci. ential awarding of contracts, Nigerian organised crime drug raised almost €1mn ($1.12mn). dropped and when anti-migrant beer on a Mineo bar terrace. post-migrant transition. Several judicial probes are and the exaggeration of migrant dealing group based within the Rackete, 31, who comes from Salvini and the populist 5-Star “When the centre fi rst “Mineo’s closure is the inexo- underway, implicating notably numbers to attract state subsi- centre, and a prostitution ring. the northern German state of Lower Saxony, has been freed, but is under investigation and still faces the prospect of a trial in Italy. She has decided not to leave Malta lets in 44 migrants from Alan Kurdi rescue ship Italy before her next hearing, which is scheduled for July 18. “She is free and can go where AFP Yesterday an Italian customs rescues, which means shipwreck she wants,” Neugebauer said. Valletta vessel separately brought 47 victims spend days or weeks at The hearing had been sched- rescued migrants into Sicily’s sea while countries try to agree uled for this week, but was post- Pozzallo port, Italian media re- where they should go. poned. orty-four migrants, in- ported. The Alan Kurdi, which had It was not clear if Rackete cluding women and chil- The migrants had been head- been banned from entering Mal- planned to attend the hearing. Fdren, plucked from their ed to Lampedusa, an Italian is- tese and Italian waters, is the stricken vessel in the Mediter- land between Sicily and Libya, third rescue vessel in a week to ranean arrived in Malta yester- but there was no space for them make headlines. Turkey stopped day after charity boat Alan Kurdi there as hundreds of migrants Some 41 people were fi nally handed the shipwreck victims continue to arrive by their own allowed to step off migrant res- 777 migrants from over to the Maltese coastguard means or are rescued by author- cue charity Mediterranea’s Ital- crossing border on the high-seas. ities. ian-fl agged Alex, which arrived Malta agreed to take in those Salvini has vowed to close at the port on Saturday in an Turkish gendarmerie have rescued by the boat operated by Italian ports to charity rescue overnight operation that saw the intercepted 777 migrants German charity Sea-Eye and ships, which he accuses of help- ship seized by authorities. attempting to cross the border sent a vessel to pick them up. ing people smugglers. The boat’s captain Tommaso from Turkey and reach the “The group, which includes Interior ministry fi gures Stella is being investigated for European Union over the past four women and three chil- showed that 395 migrants have allegedly aiding illegal immigra- two days, according to state news dren, was brought to land by the arrived in Italy since the end of tion. agency Anadolu. armed forces of Malta, which June. Salvini last month issued a The migrants were caught in transferred the migrants in in- Italian media reported that decree that would impose fi nes Edirne province, which borders ternational waters,” a Maltese this year barely one in 10 mi- of up to €50,000 ($57,000) for Greece and Bulgaria. government source told AFP. grants and asylum-seekers has the captain, owner and operator The migrants are from countries “We’re going to process them.” been brought into Italy by char- of a vessel “entering Italian ter- including Somalia, Morocco, There was no mention of a ity vessels – the vast majority ritorial waters without authori- Afghanistan, Syria, Algeria, deal to send them on to other arrived by other means. sation”. and Bangladesh, according to European Union countries, Salvini said on Monday he Authorities on Lampedusa Anadolu. given that they were rescued in wanted to deploy military ves- in late June seized a rescue ship They are being held at the local Malta’s search and rescue area. sels to stop migrant vessels ar- belonging to German aid group migration off ice, Anadolu said. The Alan Kurdi last week res- A migrant child transferred from the German rescue ship Alan Kurdi is helped with his life jacket after riving. Sea-Watch, which had forced People trying to flee the civil cued 65 shipwrecked migrants disembarking from a Malta armed forces vessel upon arriving in Marsamxett Harbour, Valletta. Half of the migrants landed its way into port with dozens war in Syria, as well as conflict attempting the perilous jour- in Pozzallo are Tunisian, Italian of rescued migrants on board, in Afghanistan, often try to pass ney from North Africa, handing The rescued migrants said The rescued children are aged Sea-Eye spokeswoman Carlotta media reported. and arrested its captain, Carola through Turkey to reach EU them over to Malta after Italy’s they had left Zuwara in Libya 15 months, three years and fi ve Weibl. Salvini has written to the Tu- Rackete. countries. hardline Interior Minister Mat- early on Saturday. years. The 65 migrants the Alan Kur- nisian authorities urging a new Libya, which has been wracked Under a 2016 deal struck with teo Salvini closed his country’s Maltese authorities asked a The people come from Syria, di handed over to Maltese au- bilateral deal on handling mi- by chaos since the 2011 uprising the EU, Ankara agreed to prevent ports to the vessel. nearby freighter to co-ordinate Libya, Pakistan, Bangladesh, thorities on Sunday have already grants, including using ferries to that killed dictator Muammar migrants passing through its Sea-Eye said it was alerted to the rescue of their wooden boat. and Guinea, it said. been sent on to other European repatriate them. Gaddafi , has long been a major territory to Europe, in exchange the latest migrants off the Liby- The freighter asked the Alan “A 15-month-old baby should Union countries, as they were Italy and Malta have repeat- transit route for migrants, espe- for financial aid for refugees in an coast by Tunisian fi shermen Kurdi to take the migrants on never have to be in such a life- not rescued in the area of Malta’s edly criticised Europe’s “case- cially from sub-Saharan Africa, Turkey. and a civilian search plane. board. threatening situation,” said responsibility. by-case” approach to migrant desperate to reach Europe. Greek 51-member conservative government sworn in

AFP Tsipras presided over austerity and his team during the election exited in August 2018 but has jobs and “bring prosperity” to Athens policies under Greece’s third in- campaign. committed to delivering on until Greece. ternational bailout as it struggled The day after Sunday’s elec- 2022. Mitsotakis had telephone talks in the global fi nancial crisis. tion victory, Eurogroup chief Also, still owing billions of eu- with several European leaders reece’s new conservative The US-educated Mitsotakis Mario Centeno urged the new ros in bailout loans, Greece re- yesterday, including German government was sworn faces a hefty challenge as he takes Greek government to stick to mains under ‘post-programme Chancellor Angela Merkel who Gin yesterday, a day after over from Tsipras, who imposed reforms and strict public spend- surveillance’ by its creditors. invited him to Berlin nest month, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitso- austerity measures required un- ing commitments, which were Perceived as a reformer, and according to the Greek presi- takis took offi ce vowing to turn der a bailout to keep Greece in the agreed with its eurozone credi- close to the business world, Mit- dent’s team. the page on a decade of economic eurozone. tors during a punishing decade of sotakis told the French weekly As is the tradition in Greece, crisis. Unemployment eased during bailouts. L’Obs that he believes Greece will his fi rst foreign trip will be to Cy- The 51 members of the new his term but remains high at 18%. “We must keep our commit- provide a “pleasant surprise” to prus later this month. government swore the oath of The country’s debt level stands ments, this is the only way I know its fellow eurozone members in The new government of 51 offi ce on the Bible in a ceremony at more than 180% of output. to gain credibility,” Centeno told the years to come. members includes 21 techno- led by the Archbishop of Athens The debt load is forecast to reporters in Brussels on the day Promising that parliament will crats. Ieronymos, in line with Greek fall to 168% of GDP this year, but Mitsotakis was sworn in on a work all summer, he said his gov- Mitsotakis took charge of New tradition. The newly-appointed members of the government are sworn in only through the belt-tightening promise to ease up on austerity ernment would put an empha- Democracy three years ago. That further underlined the during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Athens. brought in under Tsipras’s Syriza mandated by the eurozone. sis on the digital economy and Following the election, his break with the term of defeated party, policies which Mitsotakis’s The heart of the challenge is “computerise the Greek state”. party will have a majority of 158 leftist prime minister Alexis Among those sworn into gov- burden on households and busi- New Democracy party says are the promise made by Greece to Joseph Daul, head of the Eu- seats in the 300-member parlia- Tsipras, an atheist, who had tak- ernment yesterday was Finance nesses”. stifl ing growth. the eurozone to deliver a budget ropean parliament’s biggest po- ment. en the oath in a civil ceremony in Minister Christos Staikouras, 45, “There are questions which “We don’t ask for a grace peri- primary surplus of 3.5% for the litical grouping, the centre-right New Democracy was last in 2015. who will have a key role in Mitso- remain unresolved, but we will be od, we ask to be judged rigorously next several years – an extremely European People’s Party (EPP), power in 2014, in coalition with Mitsotakis, a pro-business takis’s pro-growth reforms. working hard to reduce the un- on the basis of the results of our high bar of fi scal rectitude. said that the New Democracy the Greek socialists. conservative, has vowed to ditch Staïkouras stressed the need certainties, to attract investors, policies,” Mitsotakis said. The spending target is a cor- government, with its pragmatic Syriza’s parliamentary pres- Tsipras’s proposals to separate “to boost growth, attract in- to create jobs,” the 45-year-old Reducing tax levels was one of nerstone of the third bailout programme of reforms and in- ence will shrink from 144 seats church and state. vestment while reducing the tax economist assured. the main promises of Mitsotakis programme that Greece formally vestments, would help create to 86. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 INDIA

OUTBREAK MOTORING UTILITIES INVESTIGATION CRIME Six children die of NCP protests steep parking Kerala set to Interpol issues notice for Girl critical after jilted suspected AES in Gaya penalties in Mumbai impose power cuts missing German tourist lover slits her throat

Six children in Bihar’s Gaya district are suspected The Nationalist Congress Party lodged a protest A day after the hike in electricity tariff was Even as the Kerala Police continues its search for A jilted lover slit the throat of his girlfriend and to have died of Acute Encephalitis (AES) in a against the new parking penalties by the Brihan- announced, Kerala Power Minister M M Mani a missing German woman tourist, the Interpol attempted suicide with the same knife in Hydera- week, an off icial said yesterday. Of the 23 children mumbai Municipal Corporation. As per the new yesterday said that with the monsoons failing, has issued a ‘yellow notice’, it was announced bad yesterday, police said. The 20-year-old girl admitted to the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medi- parking rules which came into eff ect from July 7, there is no other way but to impose power cuts in in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday. The woman was battling for life in a hospital while the attacker cal College and Hospital (ANMCH) from July 2 till vehicles parked in no-parking zones would attract the state. “In 10 days, the state will have to witness has been missing since March state police chief is out of danger. The incident occurred in a lodge date, six have died, a health off icer said in Gaya. fines ranging from Rs5,000 to a maximum of power cuts. The details are being worked out and Loknath Behra said. According to police, the at Chaitanyapuri on the city outskirts. Police sus- ANMCH superintendent V K Prasad said the Rs15,000. This has been made applicable to all the cuts could extend from 30 minutes to an hour German consulate informed the state police of pect that Venkatesh and Manasvi, both undergo- deaths were suspected to have been caused by vehicles illegally parked within a 500 metre radius every day. We have no other option, as after the the 31-year-old woman disappearance after her ing coaching for a competitive exam, had met at AES. Four children suspected to be suff ering from of the 26 authorised public parking lots and 20 first 40 days of the monsoon, there has been a mother in Germany lodged a missing complaint. the lodge to resolve some diff erences and during AES were in critical condition, Prasad said. More designated BESTS depots in the city. The penalty shortage of 46% in rains and hence most dams Liza Weisse had arrived in the capital on March 7, an altercation, he attacked her with the knife. The than 160 children died from AES in Muzaff arpur comprises the actual fine for illegal parking and in the state have started to dry up,” Mani said. On and she was to head to the ashram of Amrith- girl, hailing from Meerpet near Hyderabad, sus- and surrounding districts of Bihar last month. the towing charges, which comes to a whopping Monday, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory ananda Mayi near Kollam. But the police probe tained a deep cut on her throat. She was admitted Most of the dead children were under the age of Rs5,000-Rs8,300 for two-wheelers and Rs15,000- Commission decided to hike the tariff by around revealed that she did not arrive there and was last to a private hospital, where her condition is stated seven years. Rs23,250 for heavy vehicles. 11%. seen leaving the airport on a two-wheeler. to be critical. Matondkar’s ‘leaked’ letter fuels feud in Congress

IANS contested as Congress candidate Mumbai from Mumbai north in the recent Lok Sabha polls, yesterday said that “it was extremely unfor- May 16 letter by Bolly- tunate that a confi dential letter wood actress-turned- containing privileged commu- Apolitician Urmila Ma- nication should be made public”. tondkar, now allegedly leaked to “I have addressed the letter at the media, has exposed a sim- the behest of the Mumbai (Con- mering feud in the faction-rid- gress) president with the sole den Mumbai Congress and led intention to bring about better- to its top leaders attacking each ment in the party. It is extremely other publicly here yesterday. signifi cant to note and I wish “After making a multilingual to highlight that this letter was appeal to the workers not to quar- written way before the elections rel against each other, the ‘young results or even the exit polls, thus dynast’ has planted this news to showing only my integrity, sin- ‘stabilise’ the party. The letter was cerity and commitment to party written to him on May 16 and was interest,” she said in a statement. leaked to media on Monday. Has In her letter, the actress had he learned all this from his ‘men- reportedly pointed fi ngers at two tor’ (Arun) Jaitley?” former Mum- of Nirupam’s aides - Sandesh bai Congress president Sanjay Kondvilkar and Bhushan Patil - Activists of the youth wing of the Congress party shout slogans during a protest in New Delhi yesterday against what they say are attempts by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to Nirupam said in a sarcastic tweet, accusing them of “total lack of topple the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka. ostensibly directed at party col- co-ordination, honesty and ef- league Milind Deora. fi ciency, ensuring a disastrous outcome” in the elections. She charged Kondvilkar of calling up her family demanding money for the campaign, advis- ing them to ask Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel for funds, besides the party failing to mobilise grassroots Karnataka CM may have workers, lack of local level co- “This letter was written ordination and not providing her way before the elections resources for canvassing. results or even the exit Seeking disciplinary action polls, thus showing only against the Patil-Kondvilkar my integrity, sincerity duo, Matondkar also appealed to prove majority on July 17 and commitment to party for organisational level changes interest” to improve the party’s prospects IANS have quit over the last few days. their action did not fall under the back, yesterday skipped the Minister Rajnath Singh rejected in future elections. Bengaluru/New Delhi With suspended lawmaker purview of the anti-defection party’s legislature meeting in the charge, saying it was an in- Deora’s reaction was charac- A senior party leader, not wish- R Roshan Baig quitting, the law. Bengaluru, which was attend- ternal problem of the Congress teristically cool as he sought to ing to be identifi ed, said it was number of Congress lawmakers The legislators have been given ed by only 60 of the 78 party which they were unable to han- downplay the issue, saying “the “strange” that the letter should he 13-month-old H D who have resigned has gone up time till July 21 to re-submit their MLAs. dle. Congress party has seen many have been “leaked” immediately Kumaraswamy govern- to 12. Three JD-S MLAs also re- resignations and explain reasons At least 10 of the rebel Con- The ruling JD-S-Congress upheavals and shall overcome after Deora’s resignation and his Tment, which remained signed. for quitting, he said. gress MLAs have been camp- coalition, with the support of this one too”. recommendation for a three- on the edge, could be asked to Besides them, one legislator Congress MLA Ramalinga ing in Mumbai since July 6 one MLA each of the BSP and “Some unpleasant and unwar- member panel for the Mumbai prove its majority in the As- of regional party KPJP and an Reddy, who has tendered his after they submitted their res- the KPJP and one Independent, ranted commentary from certain Congress, which has been criti- sembly on July 17 by Speaker K Independent, have also quit as resignation, is said to be the ignations to the secretary of has 118 MLAs in the 225-mem- quarters should be ignored and cised by many, including Nirupam. R Ramesh Kumar who yesterday ministers and withdrawn their key among the rebels and his the Speaker in his absence and ber Assembly, just five more not countered,” urged Deora, The Mumbai Congress has refused to accept resignations support to the Kumaraswamy daughter Soumya Reddy, also meeting Governor Vajubhai than the required majority who abruptly quit as Mumbai been ridden with factionalism of all the 13 Congress and JD-S government. a Congress legislator, met UPA Vala at the Raj Bhavan. mark. The opposition BJP has party unit chief on Sunday, bare- since nearly four decades, even legislators. The speaker, however, refused chairperson Sonia Gandhi in As the Congress resorted to a 105 MLAs. ly four months after his appoint- during the tenures of two former The woes of the ruling coali- to accept the resignations of the Delhi yesterday, according to fi re-fi ght to save its government, The Speaker yesterday asked ment to the prestigious post. Union ministers - Gurudas Ka- tion increased as one more Con- Congress and JD-S members, sources. it raked up the matter of resigna- all the MLAs, who have tendered Trapped in the sudden cross- mat and Murli Deora - besides gress legislator tendered his res- saying eight of them were not in Meanwhile, the rebel Con- tions in Parliament, accusing the their resignations, to meet him fi re over her “leaked” letter, Ma- the so-called north-Indian lobby ignation, taking to 17 the number the prescribed format and fi ve gress MLAs, who resigned from BJP of being behind it to destabi- personally to clarify on their res- tondkar, who had unsuccessfully versus people from the state. of legislators of the combine who others needed to explain why their Assembly seats three days lise the ruling coalition. Defence ignation letters. Contract put out to kill Punjab protest ‘Dosa king’ begins me, Hazare tells court jail term for murder AFP and the judges ordered the tycoon New Delhi to “surrender immediately”. He IANS Hazare claimed that before to my offi ce, off ered me a blank later gave himself up at the Madras Mumbai lodging the complaint, he had cheque and asked me to write High Court in Chennai, arriving also informed the prime min- any fi gure, for which I lodged a he trailblazing founder of in an ambulance with an oxygen ister and the Maharashtra chief separate complaint,” Hazare told a global restaurant chain mask strapped to his face. ocial activist Kisan Baburao minister about the risk to his life, the special court. Tsurrendered to a court Saravana Bhawan owes its suc- Hazare, popularly known as but no action was initiated since After objections by the de- yesterday after losing a last- cess to catering to Indians and SAnna Hazare, told a special Patil was a relative of Nationalist fence lawyers that these issues ditch bid to avoid a life sentence the large diaspora abroad with Central Bureau of Investigation Congress Party (NCP) president were not related to the murder for murdering a love rival. the winning formula of aff ordable court here yesterday that a con- Sharad Pawar. case, Hazare said under cross- P Rajagopal rose from rags south Indian delicacies like dosa, tract has been handed out to elim- Hazare said that in protest examination that he had no to riches to create the Saravana deep-fried vadas and idlis. inate him for speaking out against against the threats, he had re- knowledge about the Nimbalkar Bhawan chain which has more But Rajagopal’s world came the corruption in the Terna Sugar turned his Padma Shri and Vrik- killing case except what he had than 80 eateries in India and crashing down when he made up Factory in Osmanabad. sha Mitra honours, which he fol- learnt through media reports. around the world, from Leicester his mind to pursue the daughter Deposing as a prosecution wit- lowed up by going on a hunger A prominent Congress leader, Square to Lexington Avenue via of one of his legions of adoring ness in the ongoing murder trial of strike after which the govern- Nimbalkar and his driver Samad Singapore, Sydney and Stock- employees, believing that she Congress leader Pawan Raje Nim- ment appointed a commission Qazi were gunned down by two holm. would bring him even greater balkar before special judge Anand of enquiry headed by a retired motorcycle-borne assailants He had been battling for 15 success. Yavalkar, Hazare said that after Supreme Court judge. near Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai years to avoid prison since being “He was obsessed with her,” D he learnt about the death threats Later, one of the accused in on June 3, 2006. convicted over the killing of the Suresh Kumar, a Chennai-based through the media, he had lodged the case had given a statement in Initially, the case was investi- husband of a woman he wanted journalist said. The woman, then a complaint with the Parner police which he had given details about gated by the Maharashtra Police to make his third wife, reportedly in her 20s, was already married station in Ahmednagar. the conspiracy to eliminate the but later the Bombay High Court on the advice of his astrologer. and rejected Rajagopal’s advances. Former minister and NCP social worker. Hazare, 82, had transferred it to the Central Bu- The 71-year-old, dubbed the He targeted the woman leader Padamsinh Patil, a prime exposed alleged corruption in the reau of Investigation (CBI). ‘dosa king’ after the famous with threats and blackmail but accused in the sensational 2006 Terna Sugar Factory, which sup- Patil, 80, a former state min- South Indian food staple, was when they failed the business- killing of his cousin Nimbalkar, is posedly angered Patil. ister who had to quit after he was Members of Punjab Roadways Punbus Contractual Workers’ meant to have reported to prison man hired a gunman to kill the linked to the Osmanabad-based “Patil threatened me with dire indicted by the Justice P B Samant Union shout slogans and block traff ic during a protest on Sunday but made a fi nal plea woman’s husband. One attempt sugar factory and is currently consequences and pressured me Commission, was named among against Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to demand on medical grounds. was unsuccessful, but the man’s president of the Terna Public to withdraw my complaints on the prime accused in the case and regularisation and salary raise in Amritsar yesterday. The Supreme Court in New body was later found in a forest Charitable Trust. the matter. Once his men came was present in court yesterday. Delhi turned him down yesterday in Tamil Nadu. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 19

LATIN AMERICA

CRIME PENALISED DECISION CONTROVERSY ECONOMY Mass grave with 11 bodies Alstom among 11 firms Temporary work permit for Mexico questions Vuitton Chile cuts forecast for found in El Salvador fined $140mn in Brazil Venezuelans in Colombia for using traditional pattern 2019 GDP growth to 3.2%

A mass grave with a total of 11 bodies has been Brazil’s competition watchdog fined Alstom, Colombia is preparing a temporary work The Mexican government has questioned Louis Chile expects its economy to grow 3.2% in 2019, discovered in El Salvador, state prosecutors Bombardier and nine other companies 535mn permit for undocumented Venezuelans, part Vuitton’s use of a traditional Mexican pattern down from a previous estimate of 3.5% in April, revealed. The bodies found east of the capital reais (around $140mn) for illegally colluding on of an eff ort to reduce off -the-books jobs that in the design of a chair, less than a month after the country’s finance minister said yesterday, San Salvador were thought to be those of victims tenders for building metro lines and suburban often pay less than the minimum wage while it sent a similar letter to another prominent amid slumping copper prices and a fall in global of the gang MS-13 who disappeared in 2017 and trains. The companies belonged to a “cartel” depriving state programmes of revenues, a fashion house. The culture ministry said in the commerce. Finance Minister Felipe Larrain told 2018. A total of 128 members were taken into that distorted at least 26 tenders between government off icial said. Colombia has been letter dated July 5 that it was “surprised” to find a Chilean senate commission he expected the custody. The search for missing persons in the 1999 and 2013 in four Brazilian states, the the top destination for Venezuelans fleeing one chair in the Dolls by Raw Edges collection average copper price for 2019 to be $2.85 per area around Ilopango, a few kilometres east of administrative council for economic defence their country’s economic crisis in recent years, by the Paris-based fashion house featured the pound, down sharply from a previous estimate the capital, continued. Teams also expected to (CADE) said. Their objective was to “divide the putting pressure on its public health, education designs of Mexican artists in Hidalgo. “We feel of $3 per pound. Copper exports from Chile, discover the remains of four police off icers who market, fix prices, adjust conditions, advantages and welfare systems while fuelling concerns obliged to ask, in a respectful manner, if for the world’s top producer of the red metal, can disappeared in 2016, the newspaper La Prensa and modes of participation of companies in the about impacts on wages. “We cannot permit the elaboration of the chair mentioned you account for as much as 15% of the nation’s Grafica reported. Attorney general Raul Melara tenders,” CADE said. Fines for the 11 companies, that the migrants’ main asset is that they are sought and, in this case, worked together with GDP. “We all had higher hopes when the year told journalists that the new administration of which also included Spain’s CAF and Japan’s cheaper to hire informally,” Colombia’s deputy the community and its artists,” the letter said. A started...but to grow at 3% would be a great President Nayib Bukele has made the search for Mitsui, totalled 515.6mn reais plus 19.5mn reais labour minister, Andres Felipe Uribe, told representative for the French fashion house did accomplishment for our economy this year,” missing persons a priority. for 42 managers. journalists. not immediately comment. Larrain said. Mexico steps up Maduro meets Indian guru raids on trucks smuggling migrants to US

Reuters The migrants from Guatemala, Mexico City Honduras, El Salvador, Nicara- gua and Ecuador — 21 of whom were minors — are now in the exican offi cials have custody of the INM, the security captured more than ministry said, adding they will M200 migrants hidden in be returned to their home coun- trucks over the past two days, in- tries. cluding dozens spotted by a large The truck, its driver and X-ray scanner huddled in secret 225,000 Mexican pesos ($12,000) compartments, as the country in cash found in the vehicle are steps up a crackdown under US now in police custody and will pressure. be subject to investigation, the Footage of the X-ray shows a ministry added. ghost-like truck fi lled with the Mexico’s Foreign Minister brightened silhouettes of the mi- Marcelo Ebrard said the attorney grants — some sitting and others general has about 11 open inves- lying down — along two levels of tigations into migrant smugglers. the crowded compartments. “It is our strategic objective An additional 228 hidden mi- to end the impunity for human grants were found in a routine traffi ckers,” Ebrard said at a news search of a soft drink transporta- conference tion truck in the southern state Meanwhile the National of Chiapas on Monday, Mexico’s Human Rights Commission security ministry said in a state- (CNDH) said Mexico’s newly ment. created National Guard has de- Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro greets Indian guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar during their meeting at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela. The apprehensions come tained US-bound migrants and weeks after the appointment of the government should make hard-charging former prisons public the rules governing their chief Francisco Garduno as the power to curb immigration. new head of Mexico’s immigra- The National Guard is a security tion authority, the National Mi- force created by President Andres gration Institute (INM). Under Manuel Lopez Obrador to bring Garduno, the agency has made a down record homicide rates. But number of high-profi le captures now it has been tasked with pa- Mexican fi nance minister of migrants smuggled in com- trolling the border to placate mercial vehicles. Trump. The weekend Garduno took “Publishing the protocols and offi ce, INM found 800 people in co-ordination rules under which four trucks in the eastern state of the National Guard operates in Veracruz. support of immigration authori- quits over policy diff erences Mexico’s stepped-up eff orts to ties, particularly regarding the stop record fl ows of mainly Gua- procedures for detaining persons Reuters to quit by such policy disagree- moted Deputy Finance Minister “However, these convictions dres Manuel Lopez Obrador on temalans, Hondurans and El Sal- with an illegal immigration sta- Mexico City ments. Arturo Herrera to the top job. did not resonate during my ten- economic, security, immigration vadorans reaching the US follow tus, is desirable,” CNDH presi- The resignation of Mexico’s Herrera is well known to in- ure in this administration,” Ur- and infrastructure projects gen- a June 7 deal under which Mexico dent Luis Raul Gonzalez said in fi nance minister is “an unex- vestors and seen as a competent zua said. erate uncertainty and worry.” averted tariff s threatened by US a speech. exican Finance Min- pected and negative develop- economic manager. He also criticised the ap- Urzua assumed the role of fi - President Donald Trump with a “If such protocols and rules ister Carlos Urzua re- ment,” Goldman Sachs wrote Investors have worried about pointment of offi cials who “did nance minister in December, promise to use security forces to don’t exist, establishing and Msigned yesterday citing in a note to investors yesterday, Lopez Obrador’s policy direction not have knowledge” of public when Lopez Obrador assumed intercept more undocumented publishing them is an urgent diff erences over economic is- adding that the move hinted at since he cancelled a major air- fi nance policy. the Mexican presidency. Prior migrants. matter.” sues and becoming the highest “signifi cant policy and inter- port project before taking offi ce, Mexico’s economic growth to that, Urzua was an econom- In another video of the X-ray- The Mexican government level Cabinet member yet to quit personal frictions” in the gov- and the government has clashed stalled in the fi rst quarter, ris- ics professor at the University of assisted detention released by did not immediately respond to President Andres Manuel Lopez ernment. with businesses on a number of ing just 0.1% compared to the Wisconsin and ran Mexico City’s Mexican authorities, an offi cial a request for comment on the Obrador’s government. Finance Minister Urzua is a occasions. year-earlier period, according to fi nances in the early 2000s, approached the cargo vehicle at speech. “Diff erences on economic is- moderate and widely respected Urzua cited “extremism” as a FactSet data. when Lopez Obrador was its night to open the door to one of While some 21,000 National sues, there were many. Some of fi gure. reason he felt forced to quit. “Uncertainty reigns across mayor. the crates. Guard troops, nearly a third of them happened because in this The move dealt a blow to Mex- “I’m convinced that eco- the country,” said Coparmex, a Urzua, a preacher of fi scal Sobs emerged from the oth- their total ranks, have been de- administration public policy de- ican President Andres Manuel nomic policies should always be business group in Mexico, last discipline, helped lower Mexico erwise-quiet container while he ployed to Mexico’s northern and cisions were made without suf- Lopez Obrador, who named a evidence-based, careful of their week. “One year after winning City’s debt growth rate to 3.3% identifi ed himself as a police of- southern borders on immigra- fi cient foundation,” Urzua wrote well-regarded deputy minister potential impacts and free of ex- the elections and seven months at the turn of the century. Under fi cer and asked if migrants were tion duties, their rules of engage- in a scathing letter posted on to replace him. tremism, either from the right or after beginning his mandate, the previous administration, the in good health. ment are still unclear. Twitter. Urzua said he felt forced Lopez Obrador quickly pro- the left. the strategies of President An- city’s debt grew by 19% Brazil frost hits coff ee Anti-Morales strike Argentina ex-president de la Rua dies aged 81 and sugarcane areas an economy that was becoming Reuters Buenos Aires increasingly mired in debt and Reuters Coff ee co-operative Minasul, Sul, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, dogged by growing discontent Sao Paulo in top producer Minas Gerais in central Brazil, were also af- over high unemployment. Then state, said frosts hit mostly low- fected. ernando de la Rua, who led the September 11, 2001 attacks on lying areas and mountaintops. “For coff ee, it seems that Argentina through a debil- the World Trade Centre and the rosts were reported in sev- “We are still evaluating, but it young fi elds suff ered the most, Fitating economic depres- Pentagon, and turmoil roiled glo- eral agricultural areas in seems clear that there will be and the higher parts of adult sion that eventually led to the bal fi nancial markets. FBrazil over the weekend, some impact to production,” trees,” said Ludmila Camparotto, country’s record sovereign debt Argentina and its dollar-pegged including coff ee and sugarcane Minasul President Jose Marcos an agrometeorologist at Rural default, died yesterday after fall- peso currency were battered, and production regions, and co-op- Magalhaes told Reuters. Clima. ing ill with heart problems. He De la Rua’s lack of charisma creat- eratives and companies expected A better assessment for coff ee She said coff ee farmers might was 81 years old. ed a sense of government inaction. some impact as they assessed the and sugar cane fi elds will prob- cut the top of plants to elimi- Argentina’s current president By late 2001 Argentina’s economy situation. ably take a few days. nate burned parts, preserving the Mauricio Macri sent condolences was crumbling and Argentines Cane, coff ee, late-planted Brazil is in the middle of cof- lower part of trees in hopes of re- on social media, saying De la Rua’s clamoured for the president to winter corn and wheat are the fee harvesting, and any impact covery for the next crop. service deserved the “recognition quit and staged a run on banks as most vulnerable crops in Brazil’s would be felt only in next year’s “Late-planted corn in of all Argentines.” they tried to obtain safe-haven US south and southeast regions, crop. Parana, crops planted around De la Rua won election in 1999 dollars. where frosts were reported as Traders were expecting a March, could have problems,” with a reputation for being dull Protests intensifi ed with a re- the country was hit by the most record crop in 2020, when the Camparotto said, referring to that appealed to Argentines weary jection of politicians under the intense polar air mass so far this country returns to the on-year in fi elds still in the reproductive of the tabloid personal life of his rallying cry “away with them all.” year. the biennial arabica cycle. stage. fl amboyant predecessor, Carlos On December 20, de la Rua heeded Sugar companies and coff ee But it is unclear now whether Numerous pictures of frost- Menem, who was losing control their demand, fl eeing the presi- co-operatives sent agronomists production could surpass the hit crops were posted on social of the economy by the end of his dential palace in downtown Bue- to the fi elds for a better evalu- 2018 record near 62mn 60-kg media. second term. nos Aires in a military helicopter. ation. Sugar and ethanol maker (132lb) bags. “But you have to be careful But de la Rua was forced to leave The son of a judge and longtime Sao Martinho SA said that 12,000 Rural Clima, a weather servic- with that; it is hard to assess if offi ce before completing his fi rst supporter of the centrist Radical hectares of its cane fi elds were hit es company serving farmers and all images are recent, and if frosts term as the economy spiralled out Civic Union (UCR) party, de la Rua by frosts. co-operatives, said frosts were were widespread or only local- Residents block a road during a strike against Bolivian of control and Argentines pro- taught criminal law at the Uni- However, it said it expects stronger in the south, in corn and ised,” said Vanusia Nogueira, President Evo Morales’ candidacy for re-election in Santa tested. versity of Buenos Aires after the eventual losses to production to cane areas in Parana, but farms head of Brazil’s BSCA specialty Cruz yesterday. He initially enjoyed strong ap- March 1976 coup that suspended be minor. in states such as Mato Grosso do coff ee association. proval ratings, but he inherited Congress. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 PAKISTAN

PML-N possesses PM Khan steers clear of ‘multiple videos’ video leak controversy of judge Internews Court’s acting Chief Justice controversy, leaders of his rul- and that she would make public Internews Islamabad Aamer Farooq and reportedly ing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf these tapes later. Islamabad briefed him on the alleged video (PTI) party had been demanding Special Assistant to the Prime tape. forensic audit of the video tape. Minister on Accountability Ak- rime Minister Imran Khan Communications Minister On Sunday, Judge Malik issued bar said that the government ccountability Court Judge has decided to steer clear Murad Saeed and Special As- a press release denying the con- had after a discussion decided Arshad Malik has been Pof the video leak contro- sistant to the Prime Minister on tent of the video and demanded that either the Supreme Court Asecretly fi lmed multi- versy involving accountability Accountability Shahzad Akbar action against those involved in or the Islamabad High Court ple times talking about Nawaz court judge Arshad Malik, who confi rmed at a joint press con- making what he called “false, should take action on the video Sharif’s case, it has been learnt. had reportedly told a close aide ference that the government fake and concocted” video tape. leak. Pakistan Muslim League – to Nawaz Sharif that he had been wanted an investigation into the The judge had on December “The government wants its Nawaz (PML-N) sources said “blackmailed and pressured” to video leak, under the Supreme 4, 2018 convicted Sharif in the investigation, but on the orders that the videos, secretly fi lmed, convict the former prime min- Court or the Islamabad High Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption of the judiciary,” he added. do not belong to Nasir Butt (who ister. Court. reference, but acquitted him in He claimed that more cases was seen sitting next to the judge The video tape purportedly Prime Minister Khan chaired Flagship Investments reference. of corruption would be opened in the video shown by PML-N shows Judge Malik telling Nasir a meeting of his spokesmen and PML-N vice-president Mar- against members of the Sharif vice-president Maryam Nawaz Butt that he was “blackmailed media advisers and decided that yam Nawaz – Sharif’s daughter family in the days to come. on Saturday) alone. and coerced” into convicting the government should not in- Prime Minister Khan: The judiciary should order a forensic audit of – meanwhile said on a private “Very soon [we] will expose It is alleged that the judge had Sharif despite having no evi- tervene in the video tape contro- the video tape, and whatever decision the judiciary will take in this TV talk show that she had infor- that how Sharifs were involved also interacted with a few other dence against the former prime versy because if investigations regard, the government will fully facilitate it. mation that the government had in obtaining kickbacks and persons, who also made vid- minister. are carried out by the govern- already got conducted a forensic commissions in mega national eos of the alleged confession and Meanwhile, Pakistan Mus- ment, the opposition would to the government. “All conspiracy to make in- audit of the video tape and de- projects,” Akbar added. some other really explosive dis- lim League – Nawaz (PML-N) never accept it and exploit it for “The judiciary should order a stitutions controversial will be termined that it was not fake. He claimed that a couple of closures by the judge. vice-president Maryam Nawaz political gain. forensic audit of the video tape, foiled,” he added. “Imran Khan sahib has taken days ago Leader of the Opposi- The most recently-fi lmed claimed that the authorities had An insider revealed that the and whatever decision the judi- The prime minister said that another U-turn by deciding that tion in the National Assembly video of the judge, meeting an already conducted a forensic au- Prime Minister Khan is of the ciary will take in this regard, the despite the PML-N having a his- the government will not inter- Shehbaz Sharif had visited the important person associated dit of the video tape, and after view that video tape scandal government will fully facilitate tory of threatening and attack- fere in it, after he got to know National Accountability Bureau with the PML-N and the Sharif being told that it is authentic, must be investigated but on the it,” Khan was quoted as saying. ing the judiciary, investigations that the video tape was ‘genuine’ (NAB) offi ce in connection with family, too place almost a month the prime minister decided not initiative of the superior judici- He said the government would into the accountability of its and not ‘fake’,” she said. investigations into his cases, back. to interfere in the matter. ary and not by the government. not allow anyone to attack the leaders would continue. Maryam disclosed that she where he threatened offi cials The sources said that it was In another development, He said that the judiciary is country’s prestige and state in- Interestingly, before Khan’s had another video tape and with dire consequences if they fi lmed outside Pakistan during Judge Malik met Islamabad High independent and not answerable stitutions. decision to stay away from the three audio tapes of Judge Malik, did not close his cases. the judge’s recent foreign visit. The sources said that the Sharif family has all these videos and has so far released only parts in which the judge allegedly in- All in a day’s work teracted with Butt. These sources claim that the Speaker cancels all most explosive material, which Maryam Nawaz also vaguely re- ferred to in her last press confer- ence, is part of the video fi lmed in Pakistan but it is other than committee meetings those covering the judge’s sit- tings with Nasir Butt. In one of these videos, the Ac- Internews Industries and Production Sajid will be dysfunctional,” she said. countability Court judge alleg- Islamabad Turi. Marri said that the PPP knows edly named one of the top con- Zardari attended the meeting the real reasons behind this stitutional offi ce holders, now of the standing committee on move, saying that it is linked retired, and an equally important n a major move, National As- production order, and after the with the issuance of production person still holding an esteemed sembly Speaker Asad Qaisar meeting held a press conference orders. position in a state institution. Ihas cancelled all the meetings at the cafeteria of the Parliament “The speaker seems helpless It is said that in that video of standing committees and sub- House. before the undemocratic atti- Judge Malik was allegedly giving committees, and directed that all Zardari and senior Pakistan tudes,” she said. a detailed account of how he was meetings shall only be held dur- Muslim League – Nawaz (PML- She warned that the opposi- pressured into handing down a ing parliament sessions. N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafi que tion will not quietly accept this, verdict against Sharif. According to offi cial an- – who is also under arrest – were and will resist such kind of un- He allegedly named those who nouncement from the National each members of the fi ve stand- democratic attitude. pressured him to do so. Assembly Secretariat, Qaisar ing committees. Opposition members are cur- On Saturday, Maryam Nawaz issued this directive in view of Reacting to the directive, the rently heading 13 National As- Sharif played an explosive video the ongoing austerity campaign Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) sembly committees. before the media, purportedly adopted by the National Assem- legislator Shazia Marri called it More than 20 committee showing Judge Malik telling Butt bly. an eff ort to run the parliament meetings that had been fi xed for that he was blackmailed and co- However, presumably, the di- undemocratically. this week have been cancelled. erced into convicting Sharif de- rective was issued by the speaker She said that the standing The participation of arrested spite that there was no evidence to avoid issuance of production committees are a key part of par- opposition lawmakers was ex- against him. orders for high-profi le legisla- liament, and that these commit- pected in those committee meet- The judge was shown telling tors who are under detention, tees work throughout the year. ings. Butt that “they have in posses- including former president Asif “The National Assembly has According to the parliamen- sion secret material against eve- Ali Zardari, whose production 130 working days, and if the tary calendar, the National As- rybody”. orders were issued by the chair- standing committees are not al- sembly session will be called on “They called me and showed man of Standing Committee on lowed to work, the parliament July 26. me a video. After watching it, I had no choice but to act upon what they said.” Judge Malik has since termed the video as shown by Maryam Nawaz as fabricated and false, Ex-PM Sharif rejects prison and said it was made by twisting his conversations on diff erent occasions. He also demanded legal action food, goes on hunger strike against those behind the move. Judge Malik has admitted that he had a long acquaintance Opposition Leader Shehbaz luxuries except those provided with Butt, a close aide to former Sharif protests over brother for under the law. premier Nawaz Sharif, as both not being allowed to have Yesterday PML-N president hailed from Rawalpindi. home-cooked food and Opposition Leader in Na- The judge said the video was tional Assembly Shehbaz Sharif an attempt to malign him, his Internews warned that if anything hap- family and the judiciary. Lahore pened to Nawaz Sharif, Prime The judge said a number of Minister Imran Khan would be times during the trial of Sharif responsible. and other members of Sharif ormer prime minister and “This is the level of inhuman- A technician ascends while other workers paint a power transmission tower in Karachi yester- family, he was off ered bribe and Pakistan Muslim League – ity which the government is day. threatened with consequences if FNawaz (PML-N) supremo showing by banning homemade he refused to co-operate. Nawaz Sharif has reportedly food for Nawaz,” Shehbaz said. begun a hunger strike after the “This shows the level of Im- authorities in Kot Lakhpat Jail ran Khan’s intelligence,” he said, banned homemade food for him. adding: “If anything happens to According to daughter Mar- Sharif: has refused to eat the jail Nawaz, Imran Khan will be re- yam Nawaz, Sharif has refused food since learning that jail au- sponsible.” Resurgence of polio with 41 cases reported to eat the jail food since learning thorities refused to deliver food According to Shehbaz, his that jail authorities had refused brought for him by employees of brother is a heart patient and to deliver food brought for him by the Sharif family. needs homemade food to control DPA cause of “parental refusal”. programme has helped Pakistan viral fake video purported to employees of the Sharif family. his health. “The government is Islamabad Some parents refuse permis- to control the spread of the dis- show schoolchildren falling ill Maryam said in her tweet that had no trust in jail food, fearing doing injustice by depriving him sion to administer the vaccine, ease. after they were given the vac- she would not only move the La- that it could be tainted. of it.” fearing it might make their chil- The number of aff ected chil- cine. hore High Court but also wage a The jail authorities however “Nawaz is a three-time elected akistan will launch an dren sterile or cause other com- dren came down to 12 in 2018, Atta said his department got sit-in protest outside the jail if said that they feared homemade prime minister of this country … emergency anti-polio plications. compared to 304 in 2014. an assurance from social media the ban on homemade food for food was detrimental to Sharif’s this attitude towards him is in- Pvaccination campaign af- “A vaccination campaign in 12 Militants have killed hun- platforms that anti-polio con- Nawaz Sharif is not lifted within health. humane. Nawaz should immedi- ter the total number of aff ected districts of the country, where dreds of health workers and tent would be blocked. 24 hours. They also said that he is a con- ately be provided home-cooked children rose to 41 in the current new cases have been reported, police offi cials guarding them The disease that can cripple She said that the Sharif family vict, and thus not be allowed meals,” he added. year, an offi cial said. will be launched from July 15 to because they claim the vaccines kids for life spread in the moun- Four new cases of the crip- 18,” said Babar bin Atta, head are intended to make Muslim tainous northwest near the Af- pling disease were reported this of Pakistan’s anti-polio pro- children sterile. ghan border, which remained Zardari predicts PTI government’s fall by December week in Baluchistan and Khyber gramme. In April, a vaccination cam- under the control of religious Pakhtunkhwa provinces be- The UN-funded vaccination paign ran into trouble when a militants for several years. Former president Asif Ali Zardari has said that the tradition. If this goes on, they (government) will pay government of Imran Khan has limited time left as it the price for weakening parliament,” he added. will be gone within four to five months. Zardari said that the opposition parties would not Hammad Azhar elevated to post of federal minister for revenue “The future belongs to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and fight amongst themselves as the “reward for our Maryam Nawaz,” said the Pakistan Peoples Party weakness is Imran”. Former minister of state for revenue As per the notification dated July 8, President will cease to hold the portfolio of adviser to (PPP) co-chairman while talking to journalists at the To a question whether action being taken against Hammad Azhar has been elevated to Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to Azhar the prime minister on revenue. parliament cafeteria. political figures could be termed a mini martial law, the post of federal minister for revenue, for his new post yesterday. He remains the adviser to the prime minister “Not issuing production orders is against parliament Zardari said: “I will call it civil martial law.” according to a notification. With Azhar’s promotion, Dr Hafeez Shaikh on finance and economic aff airs, however. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 21 PHILIPPINES Calls for justice, intervention as drug war’s youngest known victim buried

Reuters Rodriguez

ne by one, a mother and her children splash holy Owater over a white coffi n barely a metre long. On the dirt fl oor beneath it lies a pair of tiny pink slippers. This is a pauper’s funeral mass in the Philippines for three-year-old Myca Ulpina, one of the most re- cent — and the youngest known — victims of a war on drugs that has become so deadly and murky it is almost impossible to track how many have been killed. Ulpina was what police called “collateral damage”, an unin- tended death among some 6,600 people whom police say they have killed in shootouts dur- ing President Rodrigo Duterte three-year crackdown. Filipino activists say tens of thousands are being killed as police terrorise poor communi- ties, using cursory drug “watch lists” to identify suspected users or dealers, and executing many Relatives and friends of three-year old Myca Ulpina hold banners calling for justice during her funeral in Relatives of victims of extra-judicial killings arrange portraits of their relatives during a memorial mass at of them under the guise of sting Rizal province, yesterday. the Philippine Human Rights Commission off ice in Manila, yesterday. operations. Police and the government to protect you...Sorry that you “stop the attacks against the and cited Duterte’s approval rat- Rosa, a senator and former top family slept. pina’s mother fought to contain reject that as lies and say those were born at a time when the poor”.In a yard outside strewn ing, which hit a record high last commander of Duterte’s drug Her daughter was killed by a her anger as a woman police killed were armed and resisted poor are targeted and killings are with trash, old clothes and bro- month, as evidence of resound- war, described the child’s death stray bullet and wasn’t used as a offi cer approached, shook her arrest, including the toddler’s rampant. Sorry if they’re saying ken furniture, a group of police ing public backing for his anti- as collateral damage, and used shield, she said. hand and off ered condolences. father, Renato, whom they said you’re collateral damage.” carrying assault rifl es stood drugs campaign. an expletive. He has since has Yesterday, scores of people “My daughter is not collateral used his daughter as a human The service was held out- guard. Foreign governments are be- apologised. joined a 3-km funeral proces- damage,” she said, as she left the shield in a June 29 incident in side a relative’s home under a Ulpina’s killing comes as the ing “misled by false news and Accounts of what happened sion behind a white hearse, the cemetery. Rizal province, near Manila. small tarpaulin roof propped 47-member United Nations Hu- untruthful narratives”, according vary. back of which had a picture of Flavie Villanueva, a former “I can’t count how many up by bamboo poles, with just man Rights Council prepares to to Duterte’s spokesman, while Police said operatives had the child wearing a shirt with the drug user-turned-priest who masses I’ve held for victims three rows of fi ve plastic chairs vote this week on a resolution the Dangerous Drugs Board, tried to buy drugs from Ulpina’s word “Pulis” (police). A priest delivered the mass, said he wel- of the war on drugs, but one separated by an aisle of trodden that calls for a UN investigation the country’s narcotics control father, who pulled a gun on them and funeral workers carried the comed calls for a UN investiga- thing I’ve discovered is none of earth. into the drugs war, heeding pleas body, yesterday said facts were and killed one of their offi cers small casket up some steps and tion, because Duterte and the them fought back,” priest Noel About 60 people crammed from activists and lawyers for being distorted “to present a while using the child as shield. pushed it into a prepared space police were acting “like Gods”. Gatchailan said at the mass into the space, mostly stand- the international community to morbid picture of the anti-drug Ulpina’s mother, who has atop a concrete structure of “It’s a new normal,” he yesterday, his eyes welling with ing, among them activists, fam- intervene to stop the bloodshed. campaign”.The child’s death had asked not to be identifi ed by hundreds of graves built in col- said, referring to Dela Rosa’s tears. ily and friends wearing T-shirts The Philippines has dismissed generated little media attention name, said police burst into her umns fi ve-high. remarks.”My question is, when “Sorry Myca, for I wasn’t able that said “Justice for Myca”, and the resolution as interference until Friday, when Ronald dela home without a warrant as her Wearing dark sunglasses, Ul- is enough, enough?” Japanese Amal Clooney to join legal Duterte warns on held over possibility of coup illegal team of journalist Ressa By Catherine S Valente president their frustration and Manila Times possible action if things get worse. library AFP Ressa said yesterday she “Otherwise, the president Manila faced at least 11 cases which resident Rodrigo Duterte would not talk about that if required her to post bail eight has warned the public he had no information. He has AFP times and pay a bond to travel Pthat the military could information, very reliable,” he Manila rominent rights lawyer overseas. mount a coup d’etat because added. Amal Clooney says she “Rappler should not have problems on corruption, ille- Panelo, who is also Duterte’s Pwill join the legal team to face tactics of harassment, gal drugs, terrorism and rebel- chief legal counsel, said the man who ran an illegal defending Philippine journal- intimidation. We are trying to lion persist. president might impose Mar- online manga comic li- ist Maria Ressa, whose news fi nd the best way forward to The president said the mili- tial Law, declare a revolution- Abrary read by around site has repeatedly clashed with make sure our rights are pro- tary was getting restless, and ary government, or use other 100mn people each month has President Rodrigo Duterte. tected,” Ressa said. called on lawmakers to work to emergency powers to eliminate been arrested in Manila, Philip- Ressa, who was named a Time Responding to the an- change the constitution. the country’s problems. pine authorities said yesterday. Magazine “Person of the Year” nouncement, Duterte’s spokes- “The premise is that un- “He could do many things. Romi Hoshino, 28, managed in 2018 for her journalism, faces man said Clooney could not der the constitution, the AFP He can impose Martial Law; “Manga Mura” (Manga village), several criminal charges along practise law in the Philippines (Armed Forces of the Philip- declare a revolutionary gov- which shut down on its own in with her website Rappler, in but added he was “excited” to pines) is the protector of the ernment; he can use other April last year as Japan launched a what press freedom advocates debate with the lawyer whom people. So, if the military knew emergency powers. There are manhunt for the website’s founder have branded an act of “perse- he described as “beautiful”. of these many irregularities many,” he told reporters. for massive violation of copyright. cution”. “Attorney Amal is misin- and corruption, they will re- “The constitution is a living About 100mn people each “Maria Ressa is a coura- formed. Maybe when we see act,” Palace spokesman Salva- instrument, it’s dynamic. I don’t month used the popular pirate geous journalist who is being each other, I can, to use the dor Panelo said, explaining the think the framers of the Consti- website, which made around persecuted for reporting the Maria Ressa: boost for legal team word of the president, educate president’s statement. tution chained the head of the 60,000 manga — Japanese graph- news and standing up to human her,” Salvador Panelo told re- Panelo said the military state from performing his duty, ic novels or comics — available to rights abuses,” Clooney said counsel to Ressa and co-ordi- enforcing the law as cases pile porters. could seize power once offi - which is to serve and to protect the public for free immediately af- in a statement issued Monday nate with attorneys in Manila, up against the website, which Clooney, appointed special cials of the Armed Forces had the people by placing provisions ter publication. by London’s Doughty Street the statement said. frequently publishes reports envoy for media freedom by the grown tired of irregularities in there in derogation of that obli- Manga publishers lost about Chambers, where she works. Ressa was arrested twice this critical of the president’s deadly British government, also de- government. gation. So, he has plenty of op- 320bn yen ($2.94bn) in potential “We will pursue all available year and has accused Duterte of anti-drug crackdown. fended two Reuters journalists “I think it’s a fair warning tions,” he added. revenues over a six-month period legal remedies to vindicate her using prosecutions against her “I am delighted that Amal jailed for more than 16 months to all. If they get angry, they Duterte, in a speech during to February 2018 alone, Japan’s rights and defend press free- — including ongoing cases of Clooney and her team will be in Myanmar and freed in May. might stage a coup. That’s why the oath-taking of newly-ap- Content Overseas Distribution dom and the rule of law in the alleged tax evasion and libel — representing me at the inter- Clooney’s taking on Ressa’s he said, ‘If you want to stage pointed government offi cials Association said. Philippines,” added the British- to silence critics and intimidate national level to challenge the case will increase international a coup, do not bring military in Malacanang on Monday, “It’s an enormous amount and Lebanese lawyer. the press. violations of my rights and attention on the journalist and tanks, just talk to me and we’ll said he told incoming leaders Manga Mura was a very big issue Clooney will work with a Duterte has branded Rappler those of the media organisation her website, which have re- have coff ee’,” he added. of the House of Representa- for manga editors,” an offi cial from team of international lawyers a “fake news outlet” and his I represent,” Ressa said in the ceived a series of global awards Panelo said military offi - tives to revise the the anti-piracy group said. based in the US and Britain as government insists it is simply statement. from press freedom advocates. cials could have relayed to the constitution. Cayetano and Velasco to share speaker’s tenure

By Catherine S Valente majority floor leader,” Duterte obliged to the request of the Velasco as its candidate for Manila Times said in his speech during the three candidates, who to their speaker. Sara and Paolo, mean- oath-taking ceremony in Ma- credit agree to respect the while, formed the “Duterte lacanang. choice of PRRD (President Ro- Coalition” in the House with t’s final: The House of Rep- “I tried to distance myself drigo Roa Duterte),” Panelo said eight other Davaoeño lawmak- resentatives will have two from the… But apparently I in a statement. ers to support Davao Rep. Isid- Ispeakers in the 18th Con- said it’s time that I talk. So, “It’s Alan Cayetano as the ro Ungab’s bid for speakership. gress — Alan Peter Cayetano that’s the set-up,” he added. speaker in the first 15 months, In his speech on Monday, and Lord Allan Velasco. The announcement came then the next 21 months, the Duterte urged the incoming President Rodrigo Duterte after the three candidates speaker will be Lord Allan Ve- House leaders to push for a has said Cayetano and Velasco “sought the assistance and lasco, with Martin Romualdez change in the Constitution. would share the speaker’s term help of the president to settle as the majority floor leader,” “We have to change the Con- of office, ending the bitter row the conflict among them,” ac- he added. Cayetano ran as Du- stitution whether federal or that had festered for weeks. cording to Palace spokesman terte’s vice presidential bet in whatnot. ‘If you want to change Leyte Rep. Martin Romual- Salvador Panelo. 2016. Over the weekend, Davao the Constitution, do it now.’ dez, another contender to the “Since the election of the City Mayor Sara Duterte-Car- I’m still here and I can tell the House top post, will be the ma- speaker has resulted in a bit- pio and Davao Rep. Paolo Du- military, ‘The military is get- jority leader. ter and fractious rivalry that terte met with the three candi- ting fidgety,” he added. “So, your speaker will be threatens the breakup of po- dates in Davao City. Members of the House of Alan Peter Cayetano. He shares litical allies, the president, to The president’s party, Par- Representatives and the Senate the term with Lord Velasco. save the unity of the alliance tido Demokratiko Pilipino- are set to elect their leaders on And Romualdez will be the and avert its fragmentation, Lakas ng Bayan, earlier chose July 22, 2019. Alan Cayetano and Allan Velasco. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka 10- 07 -2019 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 From boomerangs to A-bombs? Australia debates nuclear arms

Australia’s military strategists are cautiously debating whether the country needs to consider developing its own nuclear deterrent. For a long time, the country’s defence forces had relatively little to worry about. A century-old alliance with the United States brought bankable security guarantees, while mineral exports to China ensured 28 recession-free years at home. But Donald Trump’s stand on alliances and Xi Jinping’s quest for primacy in the Pacifi c have put both pillars of Australian security in doubt. “Far from being in a strategic backwater, Australia is very much now a state in the front line,” said Malcolm Davis, a military planner who has long called for a rethink in Australia’s defence. In Japan, whale-watching So far the response from Canberra has been cautious: trying to preserve the alliance with the United States while trading with the world’s rising economic power. But Hugh White — former adviser to prime ministers, and a doyen of Canberra military analysts — believes it is time to get off the fence. overshadows hunting Amid arcane discussions about strategic autonomy, interests and capabilities, his book How to Defend Australia, published this month, carrying groceries or towels, heading for said that subsidies were unlikely, but below 5,000 this year. has ignited a fi restorm of debate with one simple question: “What By Elaine Lies Rausu, Japan a public bath. that the government should be careful Hasegawa, a fourth-generation about nuclear weapons?” Barely 300 people are directly not to let the industry founder. fi sherman, began his tour boat business White — a professor of strategic studies at the Australian National involved with whaling around Japan, About 5.1bn yen ($47.31mn) was in 2006. University — does not advocate for or against nuclear weapons, but eople packed the decks of the and though the government maintains budgeted for whaling in 2019. Though the fi rst few years were a says the question is becoming unavoidable. Japanese whale-watching boat, whale meat is an important part of food “If we pull away our hands too soon, a struggle, he is now happy with his Citing “big strategic shifts screaming in joy as a pod of culture, the amount consumed annually lot of companies will fail,” he added. choice as Rausu’s reputation grows “The strategic in Asia” he argues that “it is Porcas put on a show: splashing has fallen to only 0.1 % of total meat The goal of selling whale throughout globally. tails at each other, rolling over, and consumption. Japan may be impractical, said Joji On a recent weekday, customers no longer clear that nuclear leaping out of the water. Yet Japan, under Prime Minister Morishita, Japan’s former IWC packed the parking lot at a wharf lined costs of forgoing weapons would never make In Kushiro, just 160km south of Shinzo Abe — himself from a whaling commissioner. with squid-fi shing boats, waiting to sense” to Australian defence. Rausu, where the four dozen people district — left the International Whaling “The alternative is to just limit the board Hasegawa’s boat and those of nuclear weapons “The strategic costs of laughed and cheered, boats were setting Commission (IWC) and returned to supply of whale meat to some of the three other companies. in the new Asia forgoing nuclear weapons in off on Japan’s fi rst commercial whale commercial whaling on July 1. major places in Japan that have a good Hasegawa’s customers came from all the new Asia could be much hunt in 31 years. Whaling advocates, such as tradition of whale eating,” Morishita over Japan and several foreign countries. greater than they have been Killed that day were two minke Yoshifumi Kai, head of the Japan Small- said, adding that the meat is diffi cult to “Today there were more (whale) could be much whales, which the boats in Rausu also type Whaling Association, celebrated thaw and cook. jumps than usual; it was fantastic,” said until now.” search for glimpses of — a situation the hunt. In areas for which whaling is a Kiyoko Ogi, a 47-year-old Tokyo bus greater than they Developing even limited that whale-watching boat captain “We endured for 31 years, but now tradition, this niche market could driver who’s been whale-watching in deterrence would carry Masato Hasegawa confessed had him it’s all worth it,” he said in Kushiro on promote tourism, which Abe has made a Rausu three times. “I’m really opposed have been until enormous economic, political, worried. Monday night after the fi rst minkes pillar of his economic plan. to commercial whaling; seeing whales now” diplomatic and social “They won’t come into this area — were brought in to be butchered. “Whale eating in a sense is ideal — it’s close is so exciting.” cost — requiring Australia it’s a national park — or there’d be big “They’ll be whaling for a week here, we diff erent, it’s well-known, and for better Whale hunting was never big in to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and provoking trouble,” the 57-year-old former pollock may have more.” or worse, it’s very famous,” Morishita Rausu, and though Hasegawa said there fi sherman said.” And the whales we Everybody acknowledges that said. “Taking advantage of this IWC once was “trouble” with people hunting neighbours. saw today, the sperm whales and orcas, rebuilding demand could be tough after withdrawal, I think there are business small Baird’s beaked whales nearby, But the vast nation-continent may be extremely diffi cult to defend aren’t things they hunt.” decades of whale being a pricey, hard- chances that are viable.” those fi shermen now stay far from the alone with a limited population and conventional weapons. “But we also watch minkes,” he to-fi nd food. For Rausu, on Hokkaido’s remote tours and will tell him where to fi nd White argues that without a cast iron guarantee from Washington, added. “If they take a lot in the (nearby) Consumption was widespread after Shiretoko Peninsula, the viable business orcas and sperm whales. even the mere threat of a nuclear attack from China could “force us Sea of Okhotsk, we could well see a World War Two, when an impoverished is whale watching. But he’s dubious about whether to capitulate in a conventional war.” change, and that would be too bad for Japan needed cheap protein, but fell off Foxes run through the streets of the demand for whale meat will ever pick The discussion is not completely out of the blue. whale watching.” after the early 1960s as other meat grew city’s downtown, which clings to a up. Whale-watching is a growing cheaper. narrow strip of land below mountains Restaurants and hotels in Rausu avoid White reports that for decades Australian planners had quietly business around Japan, with popular “Japan has so much to eat now that and faces the Nemuro Strait. serving it. considered nuclearisation and worked on assessments of how long spots from the southern Okinawa food is thrown out, so we don’t expect Summer often brings thick fog, while “We get a lot of kids in summer weapons would take to develop. islands up to Rausu, a fi shing village on demand for whale will rise that fast,” winter storms can leave waist-high vacations. If you tell them on the boat But until now Canberra always decided that the price was too high, the island of Hokkaido, so far north that said Kazuo Yamamura, president of the drifts. that ‘this is the whale we ate last night,’ the risks were low and Washington had its back. it’s closer to Russia than to Tokyo. Japan Whaling Association. Though fi shing was long Rausu’s they’d cry,” he said. But Trump’s capricious temperament means half a century of The number of whale watchers “But looking to the future, if you economic backbone, the industry has “If they serve whale, nobody policy could change with a single tweet. around Japan has more than doubled don’t eat whale, you forget that it’s a taken a hit from declining fi sh stocks, from overseas will come, especially between 1998 and 2015, the latest year food,” he said. “If you eat it in school which locals blame on Russian trawlers Europeans,” he added. “Given that the Meanwhile the threat outlook has changed. for which national data is available. lunches, you’ll remember that, you’ll and falling prices. national government is trying to woo Historical documents show defence analysts did not believe One company in Okinawa had 18,000 remember that it’s good.” The population has dropped by overseas tourists so much, its thinking Australia would be targeted even in a serious nuclear confl agration customers between January and March Pro-whaling lawmaker Kiyoshi Ejima several hundred annually, slipping (on whaling) seems a bit wrong.” between the United States and the Soviet Union. this year. Bumping up against China seems much more likely. In Rausu, 33,451 people packed And two regions inside Australia’s sphere of interest have become tour boats last year for whale and bird geopolitical hotspots — the South China Sea and the South Pacifi c. watching, up 2,000 from 2017 and more than 9,000 higher than 2016. Australian warships and aircraft routinely patrol through the South Many stay in local hotels, eat in local China Sea, much of which is claimed by Beijing. restaurants, and buy local products such Prime Minister Scott Morrison has launched a diplomatic “step- as sea urchins and seaweed. up” in the South Pacifi c — hoping to re-engage in a region that “Of the tourist boat business, increasingly draws Beijing’s attention. 65% is whale watching,” said Ikuyo Critics have described White’s ideas as unaff ordable, unrealistic Wakabayashi, executive director of the and unnecessary. Shiretoko Rausu Tourism Association, who says the numbers grow “To put it mildly, the bipartisan political consensus on Australian substantially each year. defence policy is nowhere near White’s position,” Sam Roggeveen of “You don’t just see one type of the Lowy Institute said in a review of White’s book. whale here, you see lots of them,” Nonetheless, the fact that White’s ideas are being taken she said. “Whale-watching is a huge seriously speaks to a growing concern about Australia’s place in tourist resource for Rausu and this will the world. continue, I hope.” Wakabayashi was drawn to Rausu by whale-watching; a native of the western To Advertise city of Osaka, she fell in love with the area after three trips there to see orcas. [email protected] “I thought this was an incredible Display place,” she said. “Winters are tough, but it’s so beautiful.” 44466621 44418811 Hasegawa, who says he has a waiting list of customers in high season, has Classified ordered a second boat. 44466609 44418811 “Right now, the lifestyle we have is good,” Hasegawa said. “Better than it Subscription would have been with fi shing.” The fi ve whaling vessels moored [email protected] at Kushiro port on Sunday, the night before the hunt resumed, were well- used and well-maintained. © 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Crew members came and went, A staff on a whale watching tour boat explains about whales to tourists on the boat in the sea near Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan, July 1. Gulf Times Wednesday, July 10, 2019 23 COMMENT The ECB needs to explain itself

By Stefan Gerlach requires the members of the Zurich governing council to be singing from the same song sheet. They need a shared understanding of inland’s central bank governor, Europe’s long-term goals and the Olli Rehn, has reiterated his call strengths and weaknesses of various for the European Central Bank policy instruments. And, in order to Fto conduct a long-overdue strengthen accountability and support review of its policy framework. smart decision-making, they need to The upcoming change of leadership be able to spell out the details of their at the institution – with Christine monetary-policy strategies in ways Lagarde, the International Monetary that the public can understand. Fund’s managing director since As it stands, such clarity is at times 2011, likely to succeed Mario Draghi hard to fi nd, even when it comes as president – off ers an important to some of the most fundamental opportunity to heed that call. elements of the ECB’s policy strategy. When the ECB was established 20 Price stability – the ECB’s primary years ago, central banks were generally objective – is currently expressed as not too clear about the details of their “infl ation below, but close to, 2%.” policy frameworks. At that time, some Does 1% infl ation meet that condition, ambiguity may have been helpful, or is it too low, demanding more because of the fl exibility it off ered monetary-policy accommodation? when the ECB started operating. Diff erent members of the ECB’s Furthermore, it allowed central governing council may well have bankers with diff erent experiences and diff erent answers to this question, and perspectives to agree on a framework, thus support diff erent policies. even though they may not have agreed The same goes for the questions on its precise details. of whether the ECB’s infl ation target But the world has changed is symmetric – with the authorities considerably since then, and the public intervening as vigorously when infl ation is now demanding far more clarity. is too low as they do when infl ation How can the ECB off er that, 16 years is too high – and whether infl ation after the last review of its monetary- should be measured over time or at a policy framework? given moment. If, over some period, the Since that review, conducted in infl ation rate ranges from 0% to 4%, but 2003, the global fi nancial crisis, and averages to “below, but close to, 2%,” has the ensuing European debt crisis, the objective been achieved? A euro sign sculpture stands illuminated in front of the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. prompted the ECB to adopt a plethora The answer has major policy of new policy instruments. implications. If infl ation is measured symmetric; 1% infl ation is too low; and issued by eurozone member states on ago, and OMT has never actually been Rehn demands would provide the These crisis measures – which have over time, the ECB could accept, or the infl ation rate should be measured secondary sovereign-bond markets used. Is the governing council still needed answers – and put the ECB on been deeply unpopular, particularly in perhaps even aim for, a somewhat over the “medium term.” But it is not – is also generating signifi cant committed to it? Or have the events much sounder footing for a new era of Germany – can be justifi ed only to the higher infl ation rate in the medium clear whether this view is broadly uncertainty. – and council membership changes leadership. – Project Syndicate extent that they have been eff ective, term, to compensate for the excessively shared within the ECB’s governing OMT, Draghi’s chosen tool for – of the last few years rendered that and this must be evaluated. Moreover, low infl ation of recent years. If the council. fulfi lling his 2012 vow to do “whatever commitment obsolete? z Stefan Gerlach is Chief Economist as Rehn, who sits on the ECB’s public came to believe that a period of Infl ation targeting is hardly the only it takes to preserve the euro,” was With public debt in Greece and at EFG Bank in Zurich and a former governing council, has noted, long-run above-target infl ation was likely, the area where ambiguity is hampering controversial from the moment it Italy still far too high, the eurozone deputy governor of the Central Bank of structural trends – such as population expected real interest rate would fall, eff ective policymaking and leaving was announced, with Bundesbank still at risk of slipping into a recession Ireland. He is also a former Executive ageing, lower long-term interest giving a jolt to the economy. market participants wondering what to President Jens Weidmann – one of that would signifi cantly worsen both Director and Chief Economist of the rates, and climate change – must be Of course, Draghi has established expect. The ECB’s outright monetary Lagarde’s main rivals for the ECB countries’ fi scal positions, and Italian Hong Kong Monetary Authority and considered. in speeches and press conferences transactions (OMT) scheme – whereby presidency – arguing fi ercely against politics as volatile as ever, it would Secretary to the Committee on the The eff ectiveness of ECB policy that, in his view, the infl ation target is the ECB promises to purchase bonds it in public. But that was seven years pay to know. A review of the kind Global Financial System at the BIS.

Glacial melting in Antarctica may become irreversible Three-day forecast TODAY coastal fl ooding and storm surges. Maximum Temperature : 450c By Adam Morton Minimum Temperature : 350c Environment editor The researchers found a precise estimate of how much ice the glacier THURSDAY would shed in the next 50 to 800 years Maximum Temperature : 440c ntarctica faces a tipping was not possible due to unpredictable Minimum Temperature : 320c point where glacial melting climate fl uctuations and data FRIDAY will accelerate and become limitations. However, 500 simulations Maximum Temperature : 430c Airreversible even if global of diff erent scenarios pointed to it losing Minimum Temperature : 320c stability. This increased uncertainty heating eases, research suggests. Fisherman's forecast A Nasa-funded study found about future sea level rise but made the instability in the Thwaites glacier worst-case scenarios more likely. WARNING meant there would probably come a A complete loss of the West Antarctic Inshore : Nil point when it was impossible to stop ice sheet would be expected to increase Offshore : Expected Strong wind it fl owing into the sea and triggering global sea levels by about fi ve metres and high sea till late a 50cm sea level rise. Other Antarctic (16ft), causing coastal cities around the night WEATHER glaciers were likely to be similarly world to become submerged. Inshore : Hot daytime with slight unstable. A separate study last week in the dust at some places at Recent research found the rate of same journal found the expanse of sea times and some clouds ice loss from fi ve Antarctic glaciers ice around Antarctica had suff ered a Offshore : Slight dust with some had doubled in six years and was fi ve An aerial view of Thwaites glacier, which shows growth of gaps between the ice “precipitous” fall since 2014. Satellite clouds times faster than in the 1990s. Ice loss and bedrock. PICTURE: Nasa/OIB/Jeremy Harbeck data showed Antarctica lost as much WIND Inshore : Northwesterly-North- is spreading from the coast into the sea ice in four years as the Arctic lost easterly 07-17/22 KT continent’s interior, with a reduction Alex Robel, an assistant professor at Helene Seroussi, a jet propulsion in 34 years. of more than 100 metres in thickness the US Georgia Institute of Technology laboratory scientist at Nasa, said: Unlike the melting of ice sheets on Offshrore : Northwesterly 12-22/30 at some sites. and the study’s leader, said if “It could happen in the next 200 to land, sea ice melting does not raise KT The Thwaites glacier, part of the instability was triggered, the ice sheet 600 years. It depends on the bedrock sea levels but the loss of the refl ective Visibility : 4-8 KM West Antarctic ice sheet, is believed could be lost in the space of 150 years, topography under the ice, and we white ice leads to more of the sun’s to pose the greatest risk for rapid even if temperatures stopped rising. don’t know it in great detail yet.” heat being absorbed in the ocean, Offshore : 4-7/9 FT future sea level rise. Research recently “It will keep going by itself and that’s Antarctica has nearly eight times increasing the pace of heating. Around the region published in the Proceedings of the the worry,” he said. more land-based ice than Greenland Antarctic sea ice had been gradually Weather National Academy of Sciences journal Modelling simulations suggested and 50 times more than all mountain increasing during 40 years of Weather tomorrow Max/min found it was likely to succumb to extensive ice loss would start in 600 glaciers combined. The Thwaites measurement and reached a record today Max/min Sunny 47/28 instability linked to the retreat of its years but the researchers said it could glacier alone contains enough ice to maximum in 2014, before falling Baghdad Sunny 46/29 Sunny 46/33 grounding line on the seabed that occur sooner depending on the pace increase global sea levels by about markedly. The cause of the abrupt Kuwait CitySunny 46/33 Sunny 42/33 would lead to it shedding ice faster of global heating and nature of the 50cm. Sea level rise linked to warming turnaround has not been established. Manama Sunny 41/33 Sunny 36/32 than previously expected. instability. has already been linked with increased – Guardian News & Media Muscat Sunny 37/32 Tehran P Cloudy 37/25 M Sunny 38/27

Live issues Childhood vaccines: Tough questions, straight answers

o vaccines cause autism? Is Any vaccine can cause side eff ects. is greatest. That makes early vaccina- it OK to skip certain vac- Usually, these side eff ects are minor tion – sometimes beginning shortly Around the world cines? Get the facts on these – a low-grade fever, fussiness and after birth – essential. If you postpone Weather Weather Dand other common ques- soreness at the injection site. Some vaccines until a child is older, it might today Max/min tomorrow Max/min tions. vaccines cause a temporary headache, be too late. Athens Sunny 38/25 P Cloudy 29/22 Childhood vaccines protect children fatigue or loss of appetite. Rarely, a IS IT OK TO PICK AND CHOOSE Beirut Sunny 29/26 Sunny 30/27 from a variety of serious or potentially child might experience a severe al- VACCINES? Bangkok M Cloudy 33/26 M Cloudy 34/27 fatal diseases, including diphtheria, lergic reaction or a neurological side In general, skipping vaccines isn’t Berlin P Cloudy 22/12 P Cloudy 25/15 measles, mumps, rubella, polio, teta- eff ect, such as a seizure. Although a good idea. This can leave your child Cairo Sunny 40/25 Sunny 41/26 nus, whooping cough (pertussis) and these rare side eff ects are a concern, vulnerable to potentially serious dis- Cape Town P Cloudy 18/11 P Cloudy 17/12 others. If these diseases seem uncom- the risk of a vaccine causing serious eases that could otherwise be avoided. Colombo T Storm 30/26 M Cloudy 31/26 mon – or even unheard of – it’s usually harm or death is extremely small. The And consider this: For some children Dhaka T Storm 31/27 T Storm 30/26 because these vaccines are doing their natural Haemophilus infl uenzae type benefi ts of getting a vaccine are much – including those who can’t receive Hong Kong T Storm 28/26 T Storm 29/27 job. Still, you might wonder about b (Hib) infection could result in per- greater than the possible side eff ects certain vaccines for medical reasons Istanbul P Cloudy 29/21 Rain 23/18 the benefi ts and risks of childhood manent brain damage or even death. for almost all children. (such as cancer therapy) – the only Jakarta Sunny 33/23 Sunny 33/23 vaccines. Here are straight answers to Vaccination can help prevent these Of course, vaccines aren’t given protection from vaccine-preventable Karachi P Cloudy 33/29 P Cloudy 33/29 common questions about childhood diseases and their potentially serious to children who have known aller- diseases is the immunity of the people London Showers 24/15 M Cloudy 24/16 vaccines. complications. gies to specifi c vaccine components. around them. If immunisation rates Manila S T Storms 33/27 S T Storms 34/27 IS NATURAL IMMUNITY BETTER DO VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM? Likewise, if your child develops a life- drop, vaccine-preventable diseases Moscow Showers 19/12 Rain 17/11 THAN VACCINATION? Vaccines do not cause autism. De- threatening reaction to a particular might once again become common New Delhi M Cloudy 36/28 P Cloudy 37/28 A natural infection might provide spite much controversy on the topic, vaccine, further doses of that vaccine threats. New York P Cloudy 32/23 S T Storms 29/24 better immunity than vaccination – researchers haven’t found a connec- won’t be given. If you have reservations about par- Paris M Sunny 28/19 P Cloudy 28/17 but there are serious risks. For exam- tion between autism and childhood WHY ARE VACCINES GIVEN SO ticular vaccines, discuss your concerns Sao Paulo P Cloudy 22/09 M Sunny 23/09 ple, a natural chickenpox (varicella) vaccines. In fact, the original study EARLY? with your child’s doctor. If your child Seoul Rain 28/20 Rain 24/18 infection could lead to pneumonia. that ignited the debate years ago has The diseases that childhood vac- falls behind the standard vaccines Singapore P Cloudy 31/27 M Sunny 31/27 A natural polio infection could cause been retracted. cines are meant to prevent are most schedule, ask the doctor about catch- Sydney Sunny 17/08 Sunny 18/09 permanent paralysis. A natural mumps ARE VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS likely to occur when a child is very up immunisations. – Mayo Clinic Tokyo Cloudy 25/18 Cloudy 25/19 infection could lead to deafness. A DANGEROUS? young and the risk of complications News Network Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 QATAR Turkish minister visits Qatar pavilion Wakrah Municipality conducts inspections

l Wakrah Municipal- being unfi t for human con- ity’s health control sumption. Asection conducted Further, the director of Al 420 inspection tours last Wakrah Municipality issued month at various food estab- two administrative decisions lishments there. to shut down a cafeteria and a The inspection campaign restaurant for keeping food- resulted in the issuance of stuff unfi t for consumption seven violations of Law No there. 8 of 1990 on the regulation In another development, of human food control, the the MME’s Environmen- Ministry of Municipality and tal Protection and Wildlife Environment (MME) said in a Department has carried statement. out a clean-up campaign Six of these cases were re- at Rawdat Simaisma in co- solved through reconciliation operation with ministry’s after the violators paid the General Cleanliness De- The Qatar pavilion at the ongoing 2019 International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing, China, hosted on Sunday stipulated fi nes. partment. Turkish Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan. She toured the various sections of the pavilion during the visit. Also, one violation report During the campaign, was referred to the security warning and instruction department concerned for signs were put up at the site necessary legal procedures, in addition to planting more the statement noted. than 500 wild trees and In addition, some 435kg of maintaining the green cover Marking Argentina Independence Day foodstuff was destroyed for there, the statement added. Food safety off icials conduct an inspection.

Abandoned vehicles removed from Shamal

l Shamal Municipality’s general control section Ahas carried out a cam- paign to remove abandoned vehicles and equipment in co-operation with the pub- lic services department and the security authorities con- cerned. Seventeen abandoned vehi- cles and equipment were re- moved over two consecutive days of the campaign, the Min- istry of Municipality and Envi- ronment said in a statement. In addition, 143 abandoned vehicles were removed by their owners after the municipality The Torch Doha and Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel were lit up in the colours of Argentina’s had pasted warning stickers on national flag yesterday evening to mark the Independence Day of Argentina, which falls on July 9. such vehicles a few days ear- lier, the statement noted.