BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Queiroz all praise for Qatar Trump expresses optimism for China deal published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 11049 December 31, 2018 Rabia II 24, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief Amir receives Pakistan PM’s message Amir’s visits bolster ties

QATAR | Weather Scattered rain likely today There is a chance of scattered rain today in Qatar, at times likely to be thundery in the north, the Met department said yesterday. The maximum temperature of 24C is expected in Mesaieed and Wakrah, followed by 23C in Doha, Al Khor and Abu Samra, and 22C in Ruwais and Dukhan. The minimum temperature of 16C is forecast in Al Khor, followed by 17C in Mesaieed and Wakrah, 18C in Dukhan and Abu Samra, and 20C in Doha and Ruwais.

ASIA | Election Bangladesh’s Hasina set for landslide win Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was heading for a landslide win in a general election yesterday that was marred by opposition claims of vote-rigging and violence between rival supporters that killed at least 17 people. Hasina’s ruling Awami League party easily crossed the 151 seats required His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday received a verbal message from Pakistan Prime Minister to form a majority government, Imran Khan dealing with relations between Qatar and Pakistan and the ways to develop them. His Highness the Deputy Amir according to local TV station Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani received the message during a meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Channel 24, which is compiling Qureshi at the Amiri Diwan. results from around the country. As See also Page 3 midnight approached, the Awami League and its allies had won 191 seats - some by tens of thousands of votes - while the opposition coalition had only five, the channel said. Page 7 Qatar fi scal position Mahaseel shopping AMERICA | Policy Graham to urge Trump to rethink Syria pullout festival starts today A senior Republican senator strengthens on oil, said yesterday that he would he third edition of the Ma- Qatari farms and the best varieties of be meeting with US President haseel shopping festival opens local dates. Donald Trump to urge him to Ttoday at the southern seaside The festival also off ers several enter- reconsider his plan to withdraw of the Cultural Village Foundation – tainment and awareness activities for all US troops from Syria and many gas revenues: report Katara. children and adults to enhance their from Afghanistan. “If we leave The market festival, which runs un- experience and to educate them on the (Syria) now, the Kurds will get til January 5, will be open from 9am to best practices while shopping. The ac- slaughtered,” Lindsey Graham said By Pratap John crease in central bank reserves.” It noted the “outfl ow of external fi - 9pm. A total of 22 Qatari farms, plant tivities will also include workshops on on ABC’s This Week, referring to Chief Business Reporter Recently, S&P affirmed Qatar’s nancing” for Qatari banks, primarily nurseries and six major national com- plantation and fl owers arrangement, in the Kurdish troops allied with US sovereign credit ratings at ‘AA- non-resident deposits and inter-bank panies specialised in producing and addition to some essential agricultural forces in Syria. “I’m going to ask /A-1+’. The strength of Qatar’s mac- placements - an impact of the block- selling sheep meat, poultry, eggs, dairy knowledge. the president to do something that he risk of capital outfl ows in- roeconomic resilience was the basis ade - was “off set by liquidity injec- products and natural juices will off er Mahaseel serves as a good market- President Obama would never do: duced by the regional blockade for the recent “stable outlook” on tions” from the Qatar Central Bank their fresh produce to visitors. ing platform for local farms, which of- reconsider.” He did not say when Ton Qatar has largely subsided the economy provided by interna- and repatriation into the domestic The market features Qatari farms fer reasonable prices for their produce. the two would be meeting. Page 6 with the “recovery of foreign reserves tional ratings agency. banking sector of about $40bn in the selling various types of fresh fruits The festival has proved to be immense- and the return to a current-account Meanwhile, EIU noted that “liquid- public sector, mostly the QIA assets and vegetables, fl owers and ornamen- ly popular among Qatar residents in its ASEAN | Calamity surplus” in 2018, according to the ity injections” from the QIA and “ac- previously held abroad. tal plants and local companies off ering two earlier editions with huge numbers Economist Intelligence Unit. cess” to international capital markets EIU said Qatar’s economic diversi- food products related to livestock, in of visitors thronging Katara for buying Landslides, fl ooding Moreover, reserves at the Qatar (albeit at rising premiums) will keep fi cation investment projects will sus- addition to natural honey produced by fresh, local goods. kill 56 in Philippines Investment Authority (QIA, the sov- domestic lenders “solvent” in 2019- tain robust growth until 2030, before Fifty-six people have been killed in ereign wealth fund) are suffi cient to 20. slowing thereafter. There remains landslides and floods caused by a maintain the currency peg to the dol- And the country’s banking sector potential for bursts of high growth if tropical depression that brought lar for several years, meaning that a risk rating is supported by “strong further gas export projects, beyond heavy rains over the eastern “devaluation remains a distant pros- liquidity positions” stemming from those planned for the mid-2020s, are Philippines, police and civil defence pect,” the EIU said in an overview. the rise in oil prices.Qatar’s banking approved by the government. off icials said yesterday. Eleven Qatar’s fi scal position (which is now sector remains “resilient and healthy” “Diversifi cation and the expansion people were still missing, while in a surplus) is also strengthening, be- with credit continuing to fl ow, ample of the services sector, funded by the more than 22,000 were displaced cause of an increase in oil and gas rev- liquidity and asset quality and profi t- state’s hydrocarbons wealth, will also by the landslides and floods in six enue, although spending on subsidies ability robust, S&P said while affi rm- provide opportunities for growth. provinces that bore the brunt of and wages will remain a “constraint ing the country’s sovereign ratings. The population will continue to in- the rains, the regional civil defence on the rating”. The ratings agency noted it does not crease, largely through immigration, off ice said. Fifty of the victims were In terms of the sovereign risk rating, expect the banks to need additional to 3.8mn in 2050. As a result, growth killed in five provinces in the region EIU said it “is supported by an increase government support, and non-resi- in real GDP per head will be much of Bicol, mostly due to landslides, in hydrocarbons export revenue in re- dent deposits have gradually returned slower than growth in real GDP,” EIU The market features Qatari farms selling various types of fresh fruits and vegetables, the off ice said. Page 13 cent months and a commensurate in- to the banking system. said. flowers and ornamental plants and local companies off ering food products. Al-Haydos says Qatar can put up best-ever show in Asian Cup

By Anil John under Spanish coach Felix Sanchez, 2000 and 2011– but al-Haydos reck- al-Haydos, who has played about 115 Sports Editor who combines positivity with a strict ons the time has now come to go even matches for the national team, added. regimen that has turned the team into GT Exclusive further. The wins over Switzerland and oth- a determined and focused unit. “I think we can go beyond the er teams, he said, have only encour- assan al-Haydos is gung-ho In recent friendlies, Qatar shocked quarter-finals in the UAE. We have aged the team. about Qatar chances in the the world’s eighth-ranked team Swit- gyzstan in two pre-Asian Cup friend- very talented players and an excel- “There is no pressure on us (be- HAFC Asian Cup beginning zerland 1-0 besides playing out a 2-2 lies. They have another friendly, lent coach who has been with team cause of raised expectations). In fact in the UAE on January 5, saying the against Iceland, who had beaten Eng- against Iran, lined up for today. for one-and-a-half years,” al-Haydos the recent results have only motivated players have the ability to ensure the land to reach the quarter-finals of the Qatar’s performance at the con- told the Gulf Times in an exclusive in- us. We are satisfied with our prepara- nation’s best-ever show in the conti- 2016 UEFA European Championship tinental level, however, has been terview. tions. We hope to continue with our nental showpiece. before going down to France. patchy. In nine appearances in the “On top of that we have a very sup- strong performance in the Asian Cup. The Qatar captain’s confidence Over the past few days in Doha, Qa- Asian Cup so far, Qatar have reached portive national federation who are in We feel comfortable, we enjoy the stems from a series of positive results tar have also beaten Jordan and Kyr- Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos: confident the quarter-finals only twice – in sync with the team’s requirements,” game.” To Page 2 Gulf Times 2 Monday, December 31, 2018 QATAR

PM meets Pakistan’s foreign minister Farewell ceremony for Moroccan envoy

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khallifa al-Thani met Pakistan’s Minister of Foreign Aff airs Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his accompanying delegation yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, in addition to a number of regional and international issues of common concern. Meanwhile, HE the Deputy Prime HE the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry, Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, yesterday held Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held a separate meeting with the visiting Minister of a farewell ceremony in honour of outgoing Moroccan ambassador to Qatar, Nabil Zniber, in Doha. Foreign Aff airs of Pakistan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in Doha yesterday. They discussed ways to further develop bilateral relations and Heads of diplomatic missions and bureaus accredited to Qatar attended the ceremony, which was the latest situation in the region, especially in Afghanistan. held at the Diplomatic Club.

Official QSRSN organises sign Interior ministry signs language workshop Labour ministry, Qatar Chamber for employees of Sidra review relations e-link pact with SJC The Qatar Chamber’s (QC) QNA bin Abdullah al-Thani stressed Chairman, HE Sheikh Khalifa Doha that the training course is part of bin Jassim al-Thani, met HE QNA and the technical adviser at the He said the fi rst phase of the agreement comes as an exten- the co-operation between Qatar Yousef bin Mohamed al- Doha offi ce of the chairman of the Su- agreement covers three areas of sion to the previous steps which Foundation and other institu- Othman Fakhroo, Minister of preme Judicial Council Dr Hassan exchanging electronic informa- began in 2016. It aims to develop atar Foundation For tions operating in the State and Administrative Development, Mohamed al-Mohannadi. tion. electronic work in exchanging Rehabilitation of Spe- its various disciplines. It aims Labour and Social Aff airs he Information Systems Al-Haremi said the aim of He added that under the sec- information between both par- Qcial Needs (QSRSN) is at empowering members of the (MADLSA), at the Chamber’s Department at the Min- the agreement is to regulate the ond phase of the agreement, the ties, to achieve the Qatar Na- organising a comprehensive community to better communi- venue yesterday. Tistry of Interior (MoI) and electronic link between both ministry will work or extending tional Vision 2030. specialised course in sign lan- cate with persons with disabili- The meeting reviewed enhancing the Supreme Judiciary Coun- parties to achieve speed and ac- the council with personal in- He added that the electronic guage for medical terms for ties in general and the hearing co-operation between the cil (SJC) signed a co-operation curacy in exchanging informa- formation and data on vehicles, link between the departments employees of Sidra and Sidra impairment in particular, which Chamber and the ministry, as agreement at the council’s head- tion and completing it between whereas the council would ex- of both entities will work on Medical and Research Centre, achieves their integration into well as the activation of their joint quarters on regulating the elec- the relevant sections of both tend the ministry with the court processing judicial transactions a medical education centre society and enables them to ob- committee and holding regular tronic link between both parties. parties. orders related to the ministry’s between the parties related to and biomedical research cen- tain their services equally, prais- meetings to address all issues The agreement was signed by The agreement also works on work which confi rms data ac- achieving justice to all members tre that has been formed as an ing the excellent co-operation facing the private sector. Director of Information Systems promoting the idea of a paper- curacy and upgrades the level of of society and to reach the stage initiative of Qatar Foundation. between QSRSN and Sidra to HE Yousef bin Mohamed al- Department at General Informa- less ministry which has been services provided to the public. of integration in the electronic The three-week course in- serve persons with disabilities Othman Fakhroo reaff irmed tion Systems Department Briga- adopted in many of the minis- For his part, Dr Hassan Mo- exchange of information be- cludes training in the names of and society in general. the ministry’s keenness on dier Ibrahim Mohamed al-Haremi try’s dealings. hamed al-Mohannadi said the tween the two parties. departments, diseases, medi- Professor Naji Zakarneh, the meeting with the Chamber and cines and medical and adminis- hearing impairment adviser to businessmen to know their trative procedures in hospitals, QSRSN and the workshop pre- views. as well as formation of sen- senter, noted that the training tences and simulation of sign programme is designed to en- Chief of Amiri language for the hearing im- able participants to commu- Guard meets UK’s Al-Haydos says Qatar can put up best-ever show paired with intensive practical nicate well with persons with training. Course participants hearing impairment. defence attache From Page 1 eration for Qatar getting an in- Qatar will be taking on Leba- Korea are also strong and Saudi are accredited as translators for The participants will receive vite to the Copa America which non in their fi rst match in the Arabia, of course, have won the sign language at Sidra in order intensive practical training in The Amiri Guard Commander, The 28-year-old Al Sadd star is one of the toughest tourna- Asian Cup on January 9, and al- Asian Cup three times. to facilitate the interaction and sign language from gestures Major General Hazza bin Khalil added that Qatari players have an ments in the world. Haydos feels an opening win is “But we are also determined. communication with the hear- and intimations through the al-Shahwani met UK’s Defense extra responsibility to do well be- “Then we have the World Cup important in any competition. Our preparations have been ing impaired persons and en- body language and the identi- Attache to Qatar, Colonel (Pilot) cause the country will be hosting coming up in four years. These Qatar, who are in Group E, also good. It would be great to win able them to access all the serv- fi cation of medical and health Simon Blake, on the occasion the FIFA World Cup in 2022 tournaments are part of our have North Korea and Saudi Ara- three points in the fi rst match ices provided for Sidra patients terminology with applied of assuming his duties in Doha. “It’s a very important year for preparations for the FIFA World bia for company. against Lebanon, and then take easily. training to become qualifi ed at During the meeting, they us as we are competing in the Cup. The Copa America, espe- “I think it’s a very diffi cult on other teams as the tourna- HE the Chairman of Qatar the end of the course on excel- exchanged views on topics of Asian Cup as well as the Copa cially, is a very big, competitive group. For example, Lebanon ment progresses. Society for Rehabilitation of lent communication with the common interest in military America. I have to thank the fed- tournament.” are a very improved team. North “There is plenty to play for.” Special Needs, Sheikh Thani hearing impaired persons. areas. 2019 will see a refresh of Jumbo Electronics brand identity

umbo Electronics, one of the retail shopping experience for interactive TV’s, minibar refrig- and installation and mainte- leading business groups in our customers in the months to erators, safes and built-in appli- nance of fi re and safety systems. JQatar off ering a diverse range come with some initiatives in the ances to the hospitality segment. Currently, the division is look- of products and services across digital space and some in the tra- It is also working closely with ing forward to completing the its various business verticals, ditional brick and mortar shops.” many retail malls, government installation of CCTV cameras, has unveiled its 2019 business C V Rappai, director and CEO, and education institutions in access control systems, public strategy, it was announced yes- Video Home & Electronic Cen- deploying advanced digital sig- address systems, containment terday. tre, Jumbo Electronics, said, nage solutions. for structure cabling and chilled Jumbo’s business is spread “The year 2018 has shown us Jumbo’s Built-in Kitchen So- water piping including HVAC across consumer electronics and that unless companies evolve lutions business that it began in ducting for an upcoming major durables retailing, wholesale, and innovate they will not be 2018 also has a dedicated experi- educational institution in the telecom services, B2B, MEP and able to sustain in the future. We ence zone at its Airport road and country. after sales service. With over 13 are also changing the shopping City Center Doha showrooms Jumbo is providing a com- retail outlets, over 100 chan- experience for our customers by with plans to open specialised prehensive guest room manage- nel partners and many more providing them with additional stores shortly. It is currently ment system for an international customers in public and private avenues to shop online for our meeting customer requirements fi ve-star hotel chain and also sector, it has developed a formi- products using just their mo- by providing solutions from integrating CCTV and access dable sales network over the last bile phones. With the booming leading brands like Rational, control systems with the Build- four decades. projects in the country our com- Arosa Mobilia, Allmilmo and ing Integration System at a major Jumbo’s plans include expan- pany is geared up to complete the Muhendisler. city development project. sion of its current retail opera- supply and installation of prod- With brands like LG, Kyocera In preparation for the FIFA tions with the addition of new ucts in the B2B & MEP segment” and Brother, Jumbo provides of- 2022 World Cup, Jumbo through stores and launching of an online Some of the key focus areas fi ce automation and document its association with Bosch can shopping portal dedicated to IT, under its various verticals for management solutions with provide CCTV advanced security mobiles, electronics and appli- 2019 are as follows: LG, its lead- products such as printers and camera solutions with Artifi cial ances. It has also brought in the ing brand continues to grow Jumbo Electronics vice-chairman and managing director Sajed Jassim Mohamed Sulaiman hands over associated software, monitors Intelligence capabilities. These world leader in air purifi cation from strength to strength and the 2019 Business Strategy document to director and CEO C V Rappai as COO Rohit Pandit looks on. and projectors. In the healthcare CCTV camera solutions provide solutions, Blueair to Qatar ear- will maintain its focus on its Sig- sector it has launched medical intelligent and/or essential vid- lier this year. nature range and premium prod- marketing activities across other with quick hassle free delivery an- at all its branches from January refrigerators from Dometic, an eo analytics for a business like The year 2019 will also see ucts which include the OLED TV, markets in the Middle East. ywhere in the country. 2019. Ooredoo customers will be ideal solution for storing heat- counting, queuing, crowding a signifi cant refresh of Jumbo InstaView Refrigerator, Twin- Jumbo’s retail business is set Jumbo, a premium dealer for able to access all the services they sensitive medicines safely at a and enforcing health and safety Electronics brand identity in Wash Washing Machine, Invert- to be strengthened in the year Ooredoo, will open a co-branded need at any Jumbo outlet includ- temperature between 2C and 8C. regulations like blocked emer- the market as it continues to er AC’s, OLED Digital Signage to come with the opening of shop in shop at its Barwa Village ing sending money home to over Jumbo has also ventured into gency exits, no-parking zones grow and expand; the new iden- and Hotel Interactive TVs. new outlets, one at Palms Mall retail outlet. Customers will be 200 countries worldwide. the commercial lighting space and intrusion detection. tity will help it be relevant in an Jumbo’s own electronic and in Rayyan and the other at Doha able to avail of all services typi- In the B2B segment, Jumbo providing design, products and Jumbo’s MEP division has evolving market in the years to appliances brand ‘Oscar’ has ex- Souq in Al Nasser. While these cally available at any Ooredoo has been steadily making sig- solutions from leading brands partnered with many reputable come. panded its range to include a va- showrooms will replace the old- outlet. Jumbo will also begin nifi cant strides in catering to the like ElMark, Gecem, Vestel and global brands including Bosch for Sajed Jassim Mohamed Su- riety of kitchen appliances and er showrooms in the same area, managing the Ooredoo branch at various needs of government, GE Lighting. CCTV, access control systems, laiman, vice-chairman and home entertainment products it marks a shift in the company’s Medina Centrale in The Pearl as semi government and diff erent Jumbo ElectroMech (MEP arm public address systems, intrusion managing director, Video Home over the past fi ve years. Current- direction from standalone stores its third franchise store. private companies. It is current- of Jumbo Electronics) has been systems, conference room sys- & Electronic Centre, Jumbo ly the number one cooking range to showrooms within malls. Jumbo Electronics is also a ly on path to supplying a range of one of the fastest growing divi- tems; Siemens for fi re alarm and Electronics, said, “The Jumbo brand in Qatar, Oscar’s products Jumbo will soon be launching an major Nojoom earning and re- built-in and free standing appli- sions of the company provid- fi re suppression; Cisco for rout- in 2019 will be diff erent from are sourced from factories in the online shopping portal providing demption centre and is part of all ances to various real estate com- ing ELV (Extra Low Voltage) and ers, switches, voice conferencing, the Jumbo of the past, but it will Far East, Turkey, and Italy with a variety of products from lead- promotions under this rewards plexes comprising of over 400 commercial air conditioning so- wireless, network storage sys- still retain its essence of deliver- R&D facilities focusing on inno- ing brands to the doorstep of the programme. Apart from the new Villas and over 650 apartments. lutions in the country. It is a gov- tems; Belden Cables for all types ing outstanding quality products vation and quality. Oscar, a Qa- customer. The site will be uniquely Ooredoo outlets, Jumbo Elec- Apart from the residential ernment approved company for of passive components; Actron and service to the people of Qa- tari brand with registered trade- tailored for the Qatar market pro- tronics will soon begin off ering segment, Jumbo is also one of video surveillance systems de- for parking management systems tar. We will be re-innovating the marks will diversify its sales and viding multiple payment options Ooredoo Mobile Money Service the leading suppliers of hotel sign, installation, maintenance and many more. Gulf Times Monday, December 31, 2018 3 QATAR HMC Physiotherapy Division sees rising number of patients pwards of 100,000 and 120,000 pa- tients were received at the ortho- Upaedic division of Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Outpatient Physi- otherapy Department during 2017 and 2018 respectively, it was announced yesterday. The Physiotherapy Department, which provides treatments to individuals with mobility challenges, impairments, and dis- abilities, aged from 14 to 70 years, saw more than 12,000 new patients at its Outpatient Physiotherapy Clinics in 2017 and over 15,000 in 2018. Providing postoperative and post-traumatic physiotherapy man- agement, the department off ers specialised care to individuals with orthopaedic, neu- rosurgical, and spine disorders, including patients recovering from surgery or trauma. The goal of physiotherapy is to help patients regain maximum self-suff iciency and function. “Physiotherapy is a form of physical therapy that uses exercise and equipment day-to-day activities, work-related, or re- with a number of conditions, including and helps allow people to restore or improve sulting from an automobile accident such chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, their body’s functioning abilities,” Noora as breaks, sprains, and back and neck pain. carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff tears, Essa al-Mudehka, chief physiotherapist Physiotherapy is also used in the treatment and sports-related injuries. “Physiotherapy and head of the Physiotherapy Department, of more serious medical conditions, such as can also be eff ective for treating neurologi- said. “It is a specialty that treats injury, dis- arthritis, muscular dystrophy, neurological cal conditions such as stroke, spinal cord ease, and disorders through physical move- disorders, and heart and stroke rehabilita- injuries, Parkinson’s disease, multiple scle- ment such as exercise, manual therapy, and tion,” she said. rosis, vestibular dysfunction, and traumatic physical manipulation, versus medication HMC’s orthopaedic physical therapy spe- brain injuries. and surgery,” she explained. cialists are highly trained health profession- “Patients with burns, and who have According to al-Mudehka, physiother- als who provide high-quality treatment, the wounds and diabetic ulcers, can also benefi t apy and physical therapy are used to treat offi cial pointed out. “Our aim is to improve from physiotherapy and physical therapy,” diff erent parts of the body for a variety of a person’s quality of life by using a variety she added. HMC’s Physiotherapy Depart- reasons. Physiotherapy has become an es- of treatments to alleviate pain and restore ment operates across multiple sites, provid- sential part of the rehabilitation process function or, in the case of permanent in- ing care to patients at all HMC facilities. The for patients recovering from an accident jury or disease, to lessen the eff ects of any ultimate goal of physiotherapy is to help pa- or illness. “Physiotherapy can be used to dysfunction. “Physiotherapy has been ef- tients regain maximum self-suffi ciency and treat injuries, whether they are from sports, fectively used to successfully treat patients function. Gold winner Doha Bank names winners of 9th Al Dana Draw 2018

oha Bank has announced the winners of its 9th DAl Dana savings scheme draw of the year. The draw took place recently at The Pearl, and was attended by VIP invitees and members of Doha Bank’s senior management. J K Joseph was the lucky win- ner of this month’s top prize of QR1,000,000, while F S Aboudeya won the second big- gest prize of QR100,000. Other lucky winners included M M Shahin, N AH Al-Mozin and A M Bashraheel, who each took home QR5,000 in the la- dies, senior citizens and young savers draws respectively. As many as 40 additional Doha One of the lucky winners of Al Dana savings scheme. Bank customers were announced The raffle draw winner of ‘Win up to 2 Kilos of gold & up to 100% cash back’ campaign by Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Bijini as winners of the QR2,000 and their trust in our services. ers benefi t from immediate pre- Haridas receiving the prize 100gm gold from deputy branch head Yahiya Gafoor in the presence of other officials of Malabar monthly draw prize. Y Bilal won Our campaign has witnessed approved loans of up to 90% of Gold & Diamonds at Barwa Village. 1,000,000 Doha Miles as part of great success and we look for- the initial amount deposited, a the Al Dana draw. ward to our upcoming draws free international debit card, and Meanwhile, fi ve lucky attend- and to celebrating more winners online, SMS and mobile banking ees were announced winners of throughout this campaign.” services. ICBF hosts free medical camp for workers two ‘Flik Cinema’ tickets each, “We look forward to holding Customers can also enjoy the through a raffl e draw held for the the fi nal draws for the mega prize convenience of managing their More than 800 workers ben- according to a statement issued ers throughout the camp, Gowda, IDC president Dr Joyal, attending audience, as part of the of QR2mn and the quarterly mil- utility bill payments through efited from the 36th free medi- yesterday. spearheaded by ICBF medical vice president Dr Biju Gafoor, Al Dana draw event. Doha Bank lionaire prizes,” he added. their Al Dana accounts, transfer- cal camp hosted by the Indian A team of dedicated doctors co-ordinator Nivedita Ketkar Farook from Wellcare Pharmacy, CEO Dr R Seetharaman said, Al Dana is one of Qatar’s “most ring funds between multiple ac- Community Benevolent Forum from Indian Doctors Club (IDC) and supported by managing Yoga in Doha director Jose, key “Congratulations to the win- popular” fi nancial products and counts and to third parties, and (ICBF), a charitable organisation and other medical entities in committee member Sanjeev supporters Joe Coutinho and his ners of our 9th Al Dana savings off ers the country’s biggest prize sending money overseas at the under the aegis of the Indian Qatar, comprising general physi- Sharma who strived to ensure wife, ICBF committee members scheme draw for this year. pool, including a newly intro- most competitive exchange rates. embassy, in association with cians, specialists in orthopae- workers attendance in large and community leaders. At Doha Bank, it gives us duced mega-prize of QR2mn. Customers can open an Al the Ministry of Public Health dic, cardiology, dermatology numbers. The ambassador also addressed great pleasure to see the posi- “Customers also have the oppor- Dana or Current Account by on December 21 at the Medical and oral hygiene extended The medical camp was inaugu- the workers and their general tive impact it has on our cus- tunity to participate in quarterly visiting their nearest Doha Bank Commission Department, Abu their services to the workers. rated by Indian Ambassador P concerns, and assured them all tomers when we engage with millionaire draws and monthly branch, completing the online Hamour. Paramedical services were also Kumaran in the presence of ICBF possible assistance from the em- them through such programmes, draws with a range of exciting application form, or sending an The event was aimed at provid- available from qualified nurses co-ordinating off icer and second bassy and ICBF. Joint secretary which are created as a means of prizes.” SMS to ‘92610’ with the keyword ing free medical assistance to from HMC and other medical secretary (Labour and Com- Sameer Moosa proposed a vote rewarding them for their loyalty Al Dana savings account hold- ‘DANA’. workers/ labourers from various clinics. munity Welfare), Dr Mohamed of thanks. The volunteers includ- labour camps and companies in Wellcare group provided free Aleem, Abdul Rahim al-Mushiri ed ICBF members, students and Doha and Industrial Area. The pharmaceutical support and from the Medical Commission, members of Viqayaa and Singh beneficiaries included domestic free medicines. The ‘Yoga in ICBF president Devis Eduku- Sewa Group, the statement and industrial workers of at Doha’ group conducted yoga lathur, vice president P N Babura- added. least six diff erent nationalities, sessions for all the work- jan, general secretary Mahesh

The draw took place recently at The Pearl, and was attended by VIP invitees and members of Doha Bank’s senior management. J K Joseph was the lucky winner of this month’s top prize of QR1,000,000, while F S Indian Ambassador P Kumaran inaugurating the free medical camp in the presence of off icials from the Medical Commission and the ICBF. Aboudeya won the second biggest prize of QR100,000. Gulf Times 4 Monday, December 31, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD/AFRICA

POLITICS Iraq hints at bigger US fl ag fl ies in Manbij role in Syria after Houthis’ redeployment must US withdrawal despite pullout notice Iraq’s prime minister said yester- day that top security off icials from Baghdad had met Syrian President respect Stockholm deal: UN AFP situation has become tense Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, and Manbij since we heard about their de- hinted at a bigger Iraqi role fighting cision to withdraw,” said Mo- Islamic State militants as US troops Reuters hamed Ahmad, a 28-year-old withdraw from Syria. “This issue has Dubai he Stars and Stripes shop owner. a lot of complications,” Adel Abdul fl uttered above four US Yesterday, men and women Madhi told reporters, referring to US Tarmoured vehicles driv- milled between stalls at a near- President Donald Trump’s surprise he United Nations wel- ing through drizzle in the Syr- by vegetable market, wearing announcement this month that he comed yesterday any re- ian city of Manbij yesterday, coats to keep out the rain. will withdraw US forces from Iraq’s Tdeployment of Yemen’s each visibly carrying an armed A woman clutched a toddler neighbour. “If any negative develop- Houthi forces away from the soldier on lookout duty. on her hip, while another ap- ment takes place in Syria it will port city of Hodeidah, but said The US patrol inside the peared to be carrying a baby aff ect us. We have a 600km border this should be independently strategic city near the Turkish swaddled in a thick blanket. with Syria and Daesh (Islamic State) verifi ed to ensure it is in line border comes despite President “The presence of the US-led is there,” Abdul Mahdi said. with the Stockholm ceasefi re Donald Trump’s shock an- coalition is a strength for Man- The premier said the Iraqi delega- agreement. nouncement this month that he bij,” Ahmad said. tion had visited Damascus to “gain On Saturday, the movement is pulling American troops out In a war that has killed more the initiative, not just deal with the said it had started to leave the of the war-torn country. than 360,000 people, the Da- consequences” of any future Islamic port of the Red Sea city as part Almost eight years into Syr- mascus regime — long on the State (IS) activity emboldened by of a UN-sponsored ceasefi re ia’s civil war, a Kurdish-led al- back foot — has wrested back the US withdrawal. signed in Sweden this month liance called the Syrian Demo- control of almost two-thirds Iraqi news websites said the with the Saudi-backed govern- cratic Forces (SDF) controls a of the country since Moscow visit took place on Saturday. Abdul ment. large swathe of territory in the intervened in its favour in 2015. Mahdi said Iraq sought to move The group said its fi ghters country’s northeast, including Damascus now has its eye on beyond its current arrangement were withdrawing as speci- Manbij. regaining oil-rich areas held by with Syria. fi ed in the agreement, handing The unexpected US pull- the SDF. control to local units of Yemeni out announcement left Syria’s Trump has said he will pull coastguards who were in charge Kurds scrambling to fi nd a new all 2,000 troops from Syria, TRIAL of protecting ports before the Members of the Yemeni pro-government forces gather at the eastern entrance of the port city of ally in the Damascus regime, as declaring that Washington had 15 suspects brought war. These will be under UN su- Hodeidah, yesterday. they feared losing US support achieved its objective of victo- pervision. would leave them exposed to ry over the Islamic State group. before judge over But the Saudi-led military only be credible if all parties coastal road between Hodei- a meeting with the Houthis at a long-threatened Turkish as- The militants have lost near- hiker murders coalition, which intervened in and the United Nations are able dah and the Houthi-held capi- the port of Hodeidah on Satur- sault. ly all their territory, although Yemen in 2015 to restore Presi- to observe and verify that it is in tal, Sanaa.However, it said in day. But inside Manbij yester- thousands of its fi ghters are A Morocco prosecutor yesterday dent Abd-Rabu Mansour Hadi, line with the Stockholm Agree- yesterday’s statement that the Houthi spokesmen day, American troops did not thought to remain in Syria. presented to an anti-terror judge dismissed the move as it fears ment,” the United Nations said opening did not take place. could not be reached im- appear to have left yet, an The SDF has been a key 15 people suspected of links to that the coastguards may re- in a statement. Retired Dutch general Patrick mediately for a comment. AFP correspondent said, and player in the US-led coalition the murder of two Scandinavian main loyal to the Houthi-con- The United Nations said on Cammaert, the head of a UN The international community residents were relieved to have against IS, but Ankara consid- women in the Atlas Mountains, trolled Sanaa government after Friday both parties had agreed advance team charged with has been trying for months to spotted at least two US patrols. ers its leading faction — the Rabat’s attorney general said. the withdrawal. to begin opening humanitarian monitoring the ceasefi re, “ex- avert an all-out government as- “The Americans’ presence Kurdish People’s Protection The prosecution asked that the “Any redeployment would corridors, starting with the key pressed his disappointment” in sault on Hodeidah. is reassuring for people, as the Units (YPG) — to be “terrorists”. suspects be investigated for “setting up a gang to prepare and commit terrorist acts”, “premedi- tated attacks on life” and “advocat- ing for terrorism”, the attorney general said. Seven other detainees will be referred to the prosecution. Bashir tells police to rein in force against protesters Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Nor- wegian Maren Ueland were found AFP anti-government demonstrators as the ernment. Rights group Amnesty Inter- we want the police to do that by using is facing an acute foreign exchange crisis dead at an isolated hiking spot Khartoum UN called for a probe into deaths during national says 37 people have died. less force,” Bashir, dressed in a blue po- and soaring infl ation despite Washing- south of Marrakesh on December the violent protests. Yesterday, Bashir met top police of- lice uniform, said. ton lifting an economic embargo in Oc- 17. The two women were beheaded, At least 19 people have been killed fi cers in Khartoum and instructed them Protesters have rallied after the gov- tober 2017. Infl ation is running at 70% authorities have said. Moroccan udan’s President Omar al-Bashir since December 19 during protests to refrain from using excessive force ernment raised the price of a loaf of and the Sudanese pound has plunged in authorities have arrested some 20 yesterday told police to abstain sparked by Khartoum’s decision to hike against demonstrators. bread from one Sudanese pound to three value, while shortages of bread and fuel people over their alleged links to Sfrom using excessive force against the price of bread, according to the gov- “We want to maintain security and (from about two to six US cents). Sudan have regularly hit several cities. the double homicide. Delays blight Congo’s presidential vote as opposition cries foul

Reuters Kinshasa

ong queues, broken-down ma- chines and torrential rain in Lthe capital disrupted voting in Democratic Republic of Congo’s long- anticipated presidential poll yesterday, as the opposition alleged widespread irregularities. Polling stations remained open after the scheduled 5pm closing time as long queues of people were still waiting to cast their ballots after many stations opened hours later than promised. While voting was mostly peaceful Voters queue outside a polling centre before casting their ballots in Kinshasa, across the country, there were inci- Democratic Republic of Congo, yesterday. dents of violence.At a polling station in South Kivu province in eastern Congo, (CENCO) said electronic voting ma- well”. Ballot-counting was scheduled a police offi cer shot and killed a young chines, criticised by the opposition as to start once polls closed. man after a dispute over alleged vot- vulnerable to fraud, had malfunctioned The elections were also for repre- ing fraud. The surrounding crowd then in at least 544 of 12,300 polling places sentatives for the national and pro- beat the offi cer to death, a witness and it monitored around the country. vincial assemblies. Despite repeated a local politician said. Elections are a Congo is about 40% Catholic and delays to the contest, which was origi- rare event in Congo, which has been Pope Francis off ered prayers for the nally meant to take place in 2016, dip- plagued by authoritarian rule, assas- country in a weekly address at the lomats and poll observers have said sinations, coups and civil wars since Vatican. “I hope everyone works to authorities were ill-prepared, raising independence from Belgium in 1960. maintain a peaceful climate that al- fears of a repeat of the violence that If President Joseph Kabila, in power lows regular and peaceful elections,” followed elections in 2006 and 2011. since his father’s assassination in 2001, he said. Some voters complained they Kabila’s agreement to stick to con- steps down after the vote it will be the could not fi nd their names on the rolls, stitutional term limits should rep- country’s fi rst ever democratic transi- and fl ooded streets in Kinshasa pre- resent progress for the mineral-rich tion. Kabila voted early in the morning vented others from reaching their poll- country. But he could continue to ex- in Kinshasa at the same school as the ing stations. ercise infl uence from the sidelines and candidate he is backing, former interior Vital Kamerhe, the campaign direc- has not ruled out running again for minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, tor for Felix Tshisekedi, one of the two president in 2023. whom the latest opinion polls showed leading opposition candidates in the In Beni, dozens of voters lined up trailing two opposition candidates. race, said he had received reports of yesterday morning to write their “My only concern is that we have fraud in Shadary’s favour. choices on sheets of paper, residents this very heavy rain and probably voter In the western city of Inongo, said. In the central city of Kananga, turnout might be low, but hopefully Kamerhe said, the head of a polling the head of a polling place was beaten the skies will clear, and the voters will place was found voting several times up by voters who suspected him of try- turn out in numbers,” Kabila, wearing a for Shadary and three machines there ing to cheat when he moved a broken- dark blue suit, told reporters. were converting votes for Tshisekedi down voting machine from the room, At three opposition strongholds, in into votes for Shadary. two local activists said. the east and west of the country, there Reuters could not independently The most recent poll released by was no casting of ballots at all after confi rm the allegations, and the na- New York University’s Congo Research authorities cancelled the vote, citing tional electoral commission (CENI) Group on Friday showed former Exx- health risks from an ongoing Ebola said in a tweet that in Inongo and sev- onMobil manager and opposition law- outbreak and ethnic unrest. eral other cities, “voting operations maker Martin Fayulu leading the race The Catholic bishops conference are underway and everything is going on 47%.

French, Niger troops kill insurgents

Reuters said yesterday. The air raid and ground assault took place Paris near Tongo Tongo, a village close to the border with Mali and some 175 kilometres north of Niamey. Tongo Tongo was where, in October 2017, militants killed rench and Niger troops killed around 15 militants in a four US soldiers and four local soldiers in an ambush on their joint air and ground operation in south west Niger on joint patrol. Militants in Niger are part of a regional insurgency FDec 27, France’s armed forces and defence ministry in the poor, sparsely populated deserts of West Africa’s Sahel.

Gulf Times 6 Monday, December 31, 2018 AMERICA Overseas cyber-attack hits US newspapers

DPA available, including the motive. “News and all of our regular fea- arounds so we can get pages out. tions because the Sun-Sentinel also Los Angeles The source identifi ed the attack- tures are available online.” It’s all in production. We need the prints those newspapers. er only as a “foreign entity”. The Times said the problem was plates to start the presses. That’s The Sun Sentinel told readers All papers within the Times’s fi rst detected on Friday. the bottleneck.” Robidoux said. that they would receive their Sat- cyber-attack that appears former parent company, Tribune Technology teams made signifi - “We apologise to our customers urday issue along with their Sun- to have originated from Publishing, experienced glitches cant progress in fi xing it, but were for this inconvenience. Thank you day papers. Aoutside the United States with the production of papers. unable to clear all systems before for your patience and support as The Orlando Sentinel subscrib- caused major printing and delivery Tribune Publishing sold the press time. we respond to this ongoing matter,” ers received their papers on time, disruptions at several newspapers Times and the San Diego Union- Director of distribution Joe Ro- the Times said in a statement. according to a Tribune Publishing across the country on Saturday, in- Tribune to Los Angeles business- bidoux said he expects the majority It is unclear whether the com- executive. cluding the Los Angeles Times, ac- man Dr Patrick Soon-shiong in of Los Angeles Times subscribers pany has been in contact with law The Ventura County Star, owned cording to a source with knowledge June, but the companies continue will receive their paper, although enforcement regarding the sus- by Gannett Company Incorporat- of the situation. to share various systems, including delivery will be late. pected attack. ed, said it was also aff ected. The attack led to distribution software. A Federal Bureau of Investiga- “Usually when someone tries delays in the Saturday edition of “Every market across the com- Those who did not receive tion (FBI) spokeswoman was not to disrupt a signifi cant digital re- the Times, the San Diego Union- pany was impacted,” said Marisa their Saturday papers would immediately aware if the incident source like a newspaper, you’re Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, the Kollias, spokeswoman for Tribune get it with their Sunday had been reported to her agency. looking at an experienced and so- Baltimore Sun and several other Publishing. edition The problem caused widespread phisticated hacker,” said Pam Dix- major newspapers that operate on She declined to provide specifi cs issues for Sun-Sentinel readers in on, executive director of the World a shared production platform. on the disruptions, but the com- For print subscribers that did not South Florida, one of Tribune Pub- Privacy Forum, a nonprofi t public It also stymied distribution of pany properties include the Chi- receive their paper, they will re- lishing’s major markets. interest research group. the West Coast editions of the Wall cago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, ceive the paper with their regularly The paper told readers that it Malware has, over time, become Street Journal and the New York the Annapolis Capital-Gazette, the scheduled delivery of the Sunday had been “crippled this weekend more sophisticated and co-ordi- Times, which are all printed at the Hartford Courant, the New York edition. by a computer virus that shut down nated, involving more planning by Los Angeles Times’ Olympic print- Daily News, the Orlando Sentinel, The attack seemed to have be- production and hampered phone networks of hackers who infi ltrate ing plant in downtown Los Ange- and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sen- gun late on Thursday night and by lines”, according to a story on its a system over time, she said. les. tinel. Friday had spread to crucial areas website. “Modern malware is all about “We believe the intention of the Tribune Publishing said in a needed to publish the paper. The problem caused widespread the long game,” Dixon said. attack was to disable infrastruc- statement on Saturday that “the The computer problem shut confusion, the paper noted, be- “It’s serious attacks, not small ture, more specifi cally servers, personal data of our subscribers, down a number of crucial software cause subscribers who called the stuff anymore. When people think as opposed to looking to steal in- online users, and advertising cli- systems that store news stories, newspaper’s offi ces on Saturday of malware, the impression may formation,” said the source, who ents has not been compromised. photographs and administrative morning were “told, incorrectly, be, ‘It’s a little program that runs spoke on the condition of anonym- “We apologise for any incon- information, and made it diffi cult that the numbers were not in serv- on my computer’,” Dixon said. ity because he was not authorised venience and thank our readers to create the plates used to print ice”. Today, “malware can root into to comment publicly. and advertising partners for their the papers at the Times’ downtown New York Times and Palm Beach the deepest systems and disrupt No other details about the ori- patience as we investigate the situ- plant. Post readers in South Florida also very signifi cant aspects of those gin of the attack were immediately ation. “We are trying to do work- failed to receive their Saturday edi- systems”. Senator to seek Trump rethink on Syria pullout

Reuters “I want to fi ght the war in the enemy’s Washington backyard, not ours,” Graham said in an in- terview on CNN’s State of the Union show. Graham praised Trump, who visited US senior Republican senator said he troops in Iraq last week, for announcing would try to persuade US President that a US force would remain there. ADonald Trump at a White House But he said that IS, while holding only lunch this weekend to reconsider his order slivers of territory, remained a potent threat for a total US military pullout from Syria in northeastern Syria. and leave some US troops there. “That’s why we need to keep some of our Senator Lindsey Graham warned that re- troops there,” he said. moving all US forces would hurt US securi- The Pentagon says it is considering plans Kelly (right) has undercut the idea of a border wall in an interview yesterday that jars with ty by allowing Islamic State (IS) to rebuild, for a “deliberate and controlled withdraw- Trump’s tough rhetoric on immigration. betraying US-backed Kurdish fi ghters bat- al”. tling remnants of the militant group, also Graham, an infl uential lawmaker on na- known as ISIS, and enhancing Iran’s ability tional security policy who sits on the Sen- to threaten Israel. ate Armed Services Committee, is an ally of The South Carolina Republican said he Trump, although he has opposed some of White House chief voices would ask Trump “to sit down with his his foreign policy decisions. generals and reconsider how to do this. US commanders planning the US with- Slow this down. Make sure we get it right. drawal are recommending that YPG fi ght- Make sure ISIS never comes back. Don’t ers battling IS be allowed to keep US-sup- ‘compassion’ for migrants turn Syria over to the Iranians.” plied weapons, according to US offi cials.

AFP Migrants from Central America say they Washington want to reach the US to escape poverty and gang violence. Trump has threatened to end aid to Gua- utgoing White House chief John Kel- temala, Honduras and El Salvador, despite ly said he had “nothing but compas- a State Department announcement on De- Osion” for undocumented migrants cember 18 that the US was ready to off er crossing into the US and undercut the idea $4.5bn in investment in Central America of a border wall, in an interview published and southern Mexico, and that the admin- yesterday that jarred with President Donald istration was requesting an additional Trump’s rhetoric on immigration. $180mn in assistance to the region. Speaking as a partial government shut- On Saturday Trump blamed opposition down entered a ninth day due to an impasse Democrats “and their pathetic immigration over Trump’s demands for funding of a wall policies” for the deaths of two Guatemalan at the US-Mexico border, Kelly told the children who crossed the border illegally Los Angeles Times: “To be honest, it’s not a with relatives who were taken into custody wall.” by US Border Patrol. “The president still says ‘wall’. Often- In further comments departing with the times frankly, he’ll say ‘barrier’ or ‘fencing’, stance taken by his boss, Kelly said that the now he’s tended toward steel slats,” Kelly way to halt illegal immigration was to “stop said. US demand for drugs, and expand economic “But we left a solid concrete wall early on opportunity” in Central America. in the administration, when we asked peo- Kevin McAleenan, the commissioner of ple what they needed and where they need- US Customs and Border Protection, said on ed it,” he added. ABC’s This Week that investment in Central A former Marine general who led the mil- America is one element of a “multi-faceted itary command responsible for Latin Amer- problem” that also requires funding border ica, Kelly was Trump’s Homeland Security security. secretary before becoming White House He called for a “sober-minded non-par- chief of staff in July last year. tisan look at our immigration laws” as part His relationship with the president re- of the solution to an upsurge in family and portedly deteriorated however and he is to child arrivals. be replaced at the end of the year by Mick The opposition Democrats are refusing Mulvaney, the current budget director. to provide $5bn for Trump’s border wall “Illegal immigrants, overwhelmingly, are project and the president insists he will not not bad people,” Kelly told the LA Times, fully fund the government unless he gets the adding that many had been manipulated by money. traffi ckers. “I have nothing but compassion Kellyanne Conway, a close Trump ad- for them, the young kids.” viser, said on Fox News Sunday that whether The remarks were in sharp contrast to the the border barrier is a “wall” or not is “a silly rhetoric of the president who regularly ap- semantic argument”, adding that the presi- peals to his overwhelmingly white political dent had already compromised, since he base by taking a hard line on immigration. had originally asked for $25bn. Trump has spoken of an “invasion” of Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jef- migrants and complained of “many gang fries agreed on ABC’s This Week that immi- members and some very bad people” among gration reform and enhanced border secu- a thousands-strong caravan of immigrants rity were needed. that traveled to the US in October. “But we are not willing to pay $2.5bn or Building a “wall” along the 2,000-mile $5bn, and wasting taxpayer dollars on a ran- (3,200km) US-Mexico frontier was a central som note because Donald Trump decided plank of his 2016 election campaign, and he that he was going to shut down the govern- has tweeted about it almost 100 times this ment and hold the American people hos- year alone. tage,” he added. Gulf Times Monday, December 31, 2018 7 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Early results show big win for Hasina in Bangladesh poll The general election was marred by clashes between rival supporters leading to death of 14 people while the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, right, flashes the victory symbol after casting her vote, as her daughter opposition alleges rigged Saima Wazed Hossain, left, and her sister Sheikh Rehana look on at a polling station in Dhaka yesterday. voting. election for me and I want a suit- Bashkhali, when they fi red on op- election while the United Na- AFP able candidate for my country,” position supporters who stormed tions called for greater eff orts to Dhaka 98-year-old Abdus Salam said at a polling booth, killing one. make the vote fair. a Dhaka polling station. In a separate incident a man Seventeen opposition candi- However voters in provincial was shot by police after he tried dates were arrested over what they angladesh Prime Minister areas reported intimidation. Ati- to steal a ballot box. claim are trumped-up charges Sheikh Hasina appeared ar Rahman said he was beaten by Hasina needs 151 seats to con- while another 17 were disqualifi ed Bheaded for a landslide ruling party activists in the cen- trol parliament but experts say a from running by courts, which win in a general election yester- tral district of Narayanganj. victory would be sullied by ac- Hasina’s opponents say are gov- day that was marred by clashes “They told me not to bother, cusations that she hamstrung ernment controlled. between rival supporters that ‘We’ll cast your vote on your be- opponents. The Bangladeshi leadership killed 14 people and opposition half’,” he said. The opposition says more than has alternated between Hasina claims of rigged voting. The opposition said the unrest 15,000 of its activists were detained and Zia, allies-turned-foes, over Early results showed Hasina’s was stirred up to deter voters, during the campaign, crushing its the last three decades. Awami League racing into a clear and presiding offi cers reported a ability to mobilise support. Hasina rejects accusations lead, quickly securing 61 seats low turnout across the country. Human Rights Watch and oth- of authoritarianism but ana- against one for the opposition Yesterday’s deaths brought to er international groups said the lysts say she feared young voters – some by tens of thousands of 18 the offi cial police toll for elec- crackdown created a climate of fear would support the BNP. votes – according to Channel 24, tion violence since the ballot was which could prevent opposition Hasina was gifted victory in which is compiling results from announced on November 8. supporters from casting ballots. the 2014 election when the BNP around the country. Police said they acted “in self- The United States raised con- boycotted the vote claiming it The alliance of parties run- Voters wait in line outside a polling station while security police off icials watch over in Dhaka yesterday. defence” in the southern town of cerns about the credibility of the was not free and fair. ning against Hasina branded the election “farcical” and urged the and the main opposition Bang- thoritarianism and crippling the the boat,” Alal said, referring to TV station shut, seven journalists assaulted on election day country’s election commission ladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) opposition – including arch-rival the Awami League symbol. to void the results. supporters, police said, while and BNP leader Khaleda Zia who is Bangladesh election commis- A leading Bangladesh news channel due to the blackout,” he Seven journalists said they were “We are demanding that a fresh three men were shot by police serving 17 years in prison on graft sion spokesman S M Asaduzza- channel was taken off the air said. The channel’s output can attacked by pro-government activists election is held under a neutral who said they were protecting charges – to cling on to power. man said the body had “received and seven journalists were still be viewed online. in separate scuff les, in which a government as early as possible,” polling booths. The BNP-led opposition alli- a few allegations of irregulari- assaulted as the country The broadcaster, which is number of them were injured and Kamal Hossain, who heads the An auxiliary police member ance yesterday accused Hasina’s ties” and was investigating. voted for a new government owned by Jamuna Group – their equipment vandalised. coalition, told reporters. was also killed by armed oppo- party of using stuff ed ballot box- Authorities shut down high yesterday amid allegations of a one of Bangladesh’s biggest Journalists, including two from Deadly violence and bitter sition activists, according to of- es and other illegal means to fi x speed Internet services during media crackdown. conglomerates, which also runs AFP, were also prevented from rivalry that marred the elec- fi cials. the result, which is to be offi cially polling “to prevent the spread of The private Jamuna TV said the a newspaper – is known for its taking images at some polling tion campaign spilled over into Hasina, 71, has been lauded announced today. rumours” that could trigger unrest. action was taken late Saturday. independent coverage. centres by pro-government voting day, even as authorities for boosting economic growth in BNP spokesman Syed Moazzem Voting in the capital Dhaka “Cable operators took Jamuna Salma Islam, a member of the activists. imposed tight security with the poor South Asian nation dur- Hossain Alal told reporters there was largely peaceful as convoys TV off air without giving us any family that owns the group, Award-winning photographer 600,000 troops, police and ing her decade in power and for were “irregularities” in 221 of the of soldiers and paramilitary explanation,” Fahim Ahmed, the stood in yesterday’s election Shahidul Alam, who was other security forces deployed welcoming Rohingya refugees 300 seats contested. forces were on the streets where station’s chief news editor, said. as an independent candidate released from prison last month, across the country. fl eeing a military crackdown in “Voters are not allowed to en- most traffi c was banned. “We are still transmitting. But no against an influential ruling was also injured in a scuff le Ten people were killed in neighbouring Myanmar. ter booths. Especially women “I have never missed voting in one in Bangladesh can see our party businessman. outside a polling centre. (AFP) clashes between Awami League But critics accuse her of au- voters are being forced to vote for my life. This is probably the last North Korean China issues blizzard warning as cold snap bites Bali’s hina issued a blizzard alert as volcano temperatures around the coun- Ctry plunged yesterday, shut- leader vows ting down train lines, bus routes and spews ash grounding some fl ights. The National Meteorological Cen- tre issued a code blue alert, with heavy in fresh snowstorms closing in on regions in the more summits eastern and southern provinces of Zhe- jiang, Jiangxi, Anhui and Hunan. eruption Freezing temperatures and heavy snow saw high-speed lines linking southern Hunan province to the man- AFP with South ufacturing hubs of Guangzhou and Jakarta Shenzhen suspended. Bus services in Hunan’s capital city Changsha were AFP Moon welcomed the lat- suspended due to a snowstorm. volcano on the Indone- Seoul est message, saying Kim In nearby Hubei province metro work- sian holiday island of Bali had also expressed “active ers woke before dawn to battle against Aerupted yesterday, belch- intention to carry out agree- the snow to keep the underground rail ing ash high into the air and orth Korean leader ments” made in his previous network open, while fl ights from the cit- over nearby villages as offi cials Kim Jong-un vowed summits with the US and the ies of Changsha and Wuhan were halted warned tourists to keep clear of Nto meet South’s South, without elaborating yesterday morning, though were able to the area. President Moon Jae-in “fre- further. resume later in the day. Mount Agung has been erupt- quently” next year to discuss “I welcome chairman Kim’s According to the national observato- ing periodically since it rum- denuclearisation of the pe- intention to solve together the ry, the cold snap is expected to hit many bled back to life in 2017, when it ninsula in a rare letter sent issue of denuclearisation ... parts of the country today as well before grounded hundreds of fl ights and to Seoul, Moon’s offi ce said by meeting frequently even easing after the new year. The blue alert left 120,000 visitors stranded. yesterday. next year,” Moon said in a is the fi rst rung on China’s four-tier col- A man and a child walk at the snow-covered Shanshan wetland in Wuhan, Hubei province of China Yesterday morning, the vol- The leader of the isolated statement. our-coded weather warning system. yesterday. cano – which is about 70km North met with Moon three The two neighbours techni- (44 miles) from the tourist hub times this year – twice at cally remain at war after the of Kuta – sent ash skywards as the border truce village of 1950-53 Korean War ended it erupted for about three min- Panmunjom and once in the with a ceasefi re instead of a China probe readies to land utes, according to the country’s North’s capital Pyongyang peace treaty. on dark side of the moon volcanology centre. – as a reconciliatory push Moon – a dovish former Heatwave bakes Australia “Residents near Mount Agung gathered pace. human rights lawyer – has A Chinese space probe is Xinhua said that the probe as well as climbers and tourists During Moon’s visit to advocated dialogue to push moving into position to land had entered an elliptical lunar should not carry out any activity Pyongyang in September, Kim the impoverished but nu- for seventh straight day on the dark side of the moon orbit at 08.55 Beijing time, in the danger zone or within four- promised to pay a return visit clear-armed North toward for the first time, the off icial which brought it at its closest kilometre radius from the crater,” to the South’s capital Seoul denuclearisation. Reuters ing the heat to continue after a Xinhua news agency reported point just 15km away from the centre said in a statement. “at an earliest date,” sparking Cross-border ties improved Sydney brief New Year’s Eve respite. yesterday, a mission seen the surface of the moon. The On December 22, an eruption speculation he may visit by markedly in 2018 as Kim made “Over the coming days the heat as an important step as the Chang’e-4 first entered a lunar from Anak Krakatoa triggered a the end of this year. a series of reconciliatory ges- will contract inland but will build country looks to push forward orbit on December 12. tsunami which hit the western But the much-anticipated tures – including a historic even people have drowned again from mid-week on Wednes- its space programme. The tasks of the Chang’e-4 tip of the neighbouring island of trip has not yet materialised, summit with US President as a heatwave grips Aus- day,” said Jonathan How, a fore- The probe, the Chang’e-4, include astronomical Java and southern Sumatra, kill- which left the young ruler Donald Trump in June in Stralia, sending big crowds caster at the Bureau of Meteorology. entered a planned orbit observation, surveying the ing at least 426 and leaving more feeling “much regret,” accord- Singapore. to the beach to cool down, while The bureau’s “extreme heat- yesterday “to prepare for moon’s terrain, landform than 7,000 injured. ing to Kim’s letter sent to mark But progress in pushing the a tropical depression in the far wave” warning included Aus- the first-ever soft landing on and mineral composition, In the latest eruption, several the end of the year, Moon’s North to give up its atomic north threatens to turn into a cy- tralia’s most populous city, Syd- the far side of the moon”, and measuring the neutron villages on Bali were covered in a spokesman said. arsenal has stalled as Wash- clone by New Year’s Day. ney, but sea-side cities including the news agency said, citing radiation and neutral atoms to thin layer of ash but no smoke or The North’s leader “ex- ington and Pyongyang accuse Five of the deaths were in the Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne the China National Space study the environment on the lava was detected coming from pressed a strong determi- each other of dragging their southeastern state of Victoria be- were cooled by sea breezes. Administration. It didn’t say far side of the moon. the crater and no evacuation has nation to visit Seoul while feet and acting in bad faith. tween Christmas Eve and Satur- For the four-fi fths of Australia’s when the landing would occur. China aims to catch up with been ordered. watching future situa- Critics say North Korea has day. A South Korean drowned on 25mn people who live on the coast, The moon is tidally locked to Russia and the United States to The volcanology centre also tion,” Kim Eui-kyeom told made no concrete commit- Christmas Day while snorkelling summer’s heat typically sends Earth, rotating at the same become a major space power warned residents near rivers in reporters. ments and is unlikely to sur- in a lake in the eastern state of New them out to laze on the beach. rate that it orbits our planet, so by 2030. It is planning to launch the area to be on alert for cold lava Kim Jong-un also “ex- render its nuclear weapons, South Wales while another man But for those who live in the the far side – or the “dark side” construction of its own manned fl ows – a type of mudfl ow that pressed an intention to meet while Washington’s policy of died in surf on the Sunshine Coast arid centre there is little respite. – is never visible from Earth. space station next year. can form from rock and ash in the with Moon frequently in maintaining pressure through in the eastern state of Queensland. At the Kulgera Road House, Previous spacecraft have seen However, while China has rainy season and which is often a 2019” to pursue peace and isolation and sanctions has Temperatures have soared over near the centre of Australia where the far side of the moon, but insisted its ambitions are prelude to the blazing orange lava “solve the issue of denuclear- left Pyongyang seething. 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) from the nearest town has a population none has landed on it. purely peaceful, the US defence of popular imagination. ising the peninsula together,” Trump said last week that Western Australia down through of just 15, the temperature was so China launched the Chang’e-4 department has accused it In June, dozens of fl ights were the spokesman said. he was “looking forward” to the sparsely populated central high the petrol pumps seized up. probe earlier this month, carried of pursuing activities aimed cancelled after Agung erupted The offi cial did not elabo- his second summit with Kim, desert into the populous eastern “It’s so hot the fuel doesn’t by a Long March-3B rocket. It at preventing other nations and shot a fresh plume of smoke rate on how the letter was which the US says may take seaboard states for seven days, fl ow,” said Shelley Safran, the includes a lander and a rover to from using space-based assets and ash more than 1,000m delivered. place early next year. with the weather bureau predict- acting manager, by telephone. explore the surface of the moon. during a crisis. (Reuters) (3,300ft) into the sky. Gulf Times 8 Monday, December 31, 2018 BRITAIN/IRELAND 8,000 care home beds vanish in just three years

Daily Mail for support as the population bed blocking because the NHS is Quality Commission has fallen by to close in part because councils off er less and less to care homes tion of their unnecessary green London ages. often unable to discharge people 8,636 in three years, fi gures un- cannot aff ord to place people in to provide care – and that’s seen paper. In another alarming sign of to a place in a care home. This covered by Labour show. them. over 1,000 homes leave the sec- “At the last election Labour England’s deepening social care means thousands of elderly peo- At the end of 2014 there were Labour social care spokesman tor. pledged an additional £8bn to he number of care home crisis, there has also been a 6% ple are left stuck in hospital un- more than 468,000 places, Barbara Keeley said: “Short- ‘Surging demand for social ease the pressure facing the resi- beds available for vulnera- decline in the number of residen- necessarily. but now there are fewer than sighted cuts by the Conservative care from our growing ageing dential care home sector and to Tble pensioners has plunged tial and nursing homes operating Others are left in their own 460,000. The net number of care government have dangerously population, many with demen- lift access to care for all vulner- by 8,000 in just three years, fi g- in England since 2014. It means houses with insuffi cient home home locations registered with destabilised our residential care tia, means we need more care able older adults and young disa- ures reveal. there are nearly 1,500 fewer op- help cover when they would ben- the Care Quality Commission has home sector at a time when it has not less but the Tories continue bled adults who need it.” The fall- This represents a fall of 2% in erators to choose from. efi t from a place in a care home. fallen by 1,430 over the same pe- never been needed more. Tory to kick the vital issue of social ing number of care home places the total number of beds – de- The shortage of places is exac- The net number of care home riod to just over 16,100. cuts to local government budgets care funding into the long grass comes despite the fact that de- spite rapidly increasing demand erbating the problem of hospital beds registered with the Care Care homes are being forced of 40% mean councils are able to by continuing to delay publica- mand for care is rising. Viewings triple Hare coursing as homebuyers break records on bargain hunt

Daily Mail bathrooms were also desired for London the master bedroom. The most popular areas looked at were the south east of England record number of house- – within easy reach of London. hunters logged on to the Estate agency Hamptons In- AInternet in search of a ternational says people are set- new home on Boxing Day. It was ting themselves a typical budget the busiest day of the year for of £400,000 to live within an online property searches with hour of the capital. more than 2mn people trawling Top searches include Chelms- through dozens of web pages. ford in Essex, Tunbridge Wells in Property website Rightmove Kent and Reading in Berkshire. says some 40mn individual Bath and North East Somerset homes were viewed throughout are also popular with searchers the day compared to 38mn a year on a similar budget. Those look- ago. This Boxing Day fi gure is a ing at London usually need at least three-fold increase on a typical £474,000 – with areas such as day’s viewing. Dalston in East London and Brent- Rival property website Zoo- ford in south west London popular A greyhound chases a hare during a hare coursing meeting in Abbeyfeale, Ireland. pla revealed the peak period for searches for aff ordable homes. property surfi ng was 9pm – after Increasing numbers of people the rest of the family had settled are looking at other parts of the down on the sofa to watch John country – either to be closer to Malkovich play Hercule Poirot in their family or to fi nd something a BBC TV Christmas special. more aff ordable. The main driving force be- According to data collector hind the surge in online viewings Hometrack, popular sought-after seems to have been a desire for locations that off er keen prices extra space – a wish maybe per- include Manchester, Liverpool, petuated by the claustrophobia Cardiff and Newcastle. The aver- UK, France pledge drive caused by in-laws and partners age cost of a home that property staying over the festive season. surfers look at in these areas is Unlike previous years, proper- £169,000, £120,000, £210,000 ty websites have found that peo- and £131,000 respectively. Bish- ple are no longer just dreaming of op’s Stortford in Hertfordshire is a luxury city pad or period-fea- a prime example of a location that to tackle people smuggling tured rural retreat. Instead they was looked at by post-Christmas want a practical modern proper- house hunters. It ticks all the box- Guardian News and Media family holiday in South Africa they had agreed to “strengthen “There’s no question that with security treaty, and the possi- ty that needs little maintenance. es – a half-hour commute from London to take direct control of the situ- our actions to combat Channel Brexit, and also with the ap- bility of working with the local Most want to escape cities, in- London and good state schools. ation, which the government crossings undertaken by cer- proach of the meaningful vote people on the ground about this cluding the capital, and live in a Town estate agent Mullucks declared a major incident on tain irregular migrants on small in January, people are being are fast diminishing.” commuter town that off ers more Wells reopened its branch the he Home Secretary, Sajid Friday, although Home Offi ce boats, at peril of their lives”. whipped up about migration is- The offi cial Vote Leave cam- space for their money. A three- day after Boxing Day – with a Javid, and his French sources said there was no clear Castaner told Javid that sues, because the government paign used the risk of a sharp bedroom house is the most pop- fi ve-fold increase in visitors as a Tcounterpart have pledged evidence of a sudden sharp in- French authorities had disman- thinks this is the best way of increase in legal migration as an ular search criteria – followed result of earlier website search- to step up joint eff orts to tackle crease in the number of arrivals tled a people-smuggling gang frightening people to vote for argument during the 2016 ref- by a two-bedroom apartment es. Director Daniel Galati says: cross-Channel people smug- via the Channel. operating in the area on Decem- their deal. erendum. Nigel Farage’s Leave. for those looking to get on to the “New-builds are now surpris- gling, as Labour accused the Javid and the French Interior ber 19. “It’s the Farage technique: EU also pointed to the unrelated housing ladder. Experts believe ingly popular – it is all about life- Tories of whipping up concern Minister, Christophe Castaner, Javid will chair a meeting ‘hordes’ of people trying to en- increase in refugees and asylum continued concern over Brexit style and making the most of free about the issue. are expected to launch a joint today that will bring together ter the country. You frighten seekers as a reason to quit the means many buyers are tighten- time. People want to maximise Six Iranian men were found on action plan later this week. It senior offi cials from the Border people about that.” bloc. ing their belts – and that even their leisure time rather than a beach near Deal in Kent yester- will include more patrols in the Force, the national crime agency Abbott said Brexit, and par- The Defence Secretary, Gavin with the huge jump in Internet spending free moments – and day morning with a small boat, area, enhanced intelligence- and other authorities. ticularly a no-deal Brexit, Williamson, off ered to deploy property searches, most are driv- cash – doing up old properties.” the Home Offi ce confi rmed, sharing aimed at breaking up The shadow home secretary, would make it harder to co-op- the navy to deal with the small en more by wishful thinking than He points out that a modern bringing the number who have the gangs involved, and an in- Diane Abbott, said it was right to erate on tackling the underlying boats trying to cross the Chan- a genuine desire to buy. property not only off ers savings made the perilous crossing since formation campaign to raise increase co-operation with the issues. “We need to work much nel at the weekend, telling the Key words tapped into proper- on maintenance bills but also on Christmas Day to almost 100. awareness about the risks of the French authorities, because vul- more closely with the authori- Sunday Telegraph: “We have ty search engines on Boxing Day heating costs. A more effi cient They were handed over to be crossing. nerable migrants were at risk in ties on the ground in northern not had any requests as yet, but included ‘garage’, ‘parking’ and Energy Performance Certifi cate processed by immigration offi c- The pair had what the Home one of the world’s busiest ship- France. if the Home Offi ce is in need of ‘detached’ – while kitchens with rating from a new-build over a ers after receiving a medical as- Offi ce said was a signifi cant and ping lanes. “But of course Brexit makes armed forces support then our expensive island worktops were drafty home can knock £500 off sessment, the Home Offi ce said. productive phone call yester- She also accused the govern- that harder, not easier. We’re navy, air force and army stand the new ‘luxury extra’. En-suite annual heating bills. Javid fl ew back early from a day, after which Castaner said ment of exploiting the issue. going towards Brexit without a ready to assist.” Police chief ‘certain’ drone UK ‘must get its act fl own at Gatwick Airport together over Brexit’ Guardian News and Media beginning January 14, following London a week of debate in the Com- Guardian News and Media throughout the period the air- had been “completely exposed” mons. London port was closed.” after being named in the media Earlier this month the prime He said the offi cer who sug- and having their home searched. he UK has been told to minister pulled a planned vote gested otherwise “was trying “I am really sorry for what he “get its act together” by when it became clear the gov- he head of Sussex police to describe an investigative ap- (Gait) went through but the rea- TJean-Claude Juncker in ernment was likely to suff er a has said he is absolutely proach, that asks: ‘How can we son we held him was so that we the run-up to the delayed House heavy defeat. Tcertain a drone was fl own prove the presence of the drone could dispel everything in the of Commons vote on Theresa After the move, May prom- over Gatwick airport, admitting in the fi rst place?’” fi rst instance. What might have May’s Brexit deal. ised to secure “legal and politi- that contradictory statements He was then asked whether been worse as an experience from The European commission cal” assurances that the back- from other offi cers at his force that uncertainty “amplifi ed the him would be to be released un- president said the EU cannot be stop — which would keep the “amplifi ed the chaos” caused by chaos” surrounding the incident. der investigation,” York said. expected to resolve the prob- UK in a customs union with the the incident. “Certainly that was amplifi ed at Sussex police held Gait, 47, and lems that continue to make it EU to avoid a hard Irish bor- Giles York, the Sussex police the time, but we have been able Kirk, 54, for 36 hours of question- likely that the British govern- der — would only be temporary, chief constable, also defended to corroborate 115 reports (since ing over the chaos at Gatwick, ment will suff er a heavy defeat. should it need to be triggered. the decision to arrest a couple then), 92 of them are from cred- but a phone call to Gait’s em- “I fi nd it entirely unreason- The backstop would come who were detained for 36 hours ible people,” he said. ployer would have provided an able for parts of the British pub- into force at the end of the tran- before being released without “Of course, we will have alibi. York said. “It’s never quite lic to believe that it is for the sition period, during which the charge, and apologised for the launched our own Sussex police that simple when you are in the EU alone to propose a solution UK eff ectively remains a mem- distress caused to them. drones at the time with a view to middle of something … that may for all future British problems”, ber state but without a deci- Sussex police were criticised investigate, with a view to engage, bear on the hypothesis that there Juncker said in a wide-ranging sion-making role, unless an al- for their handling of a suspected with a view to survey the area look- is only one person involved if you interview with the German ternative arrangement has been drone operation that brought the ing for the drone, so there could be think one simple phone call to one newspaper Welt am Sonntag. agreed. UK’s second-largest airport to a some level of confusion there.” single alibi is able to dispel such a “My appeal is this: get your act However, the EU’s 27 leaders standstill when detective chief York was also asked about the complex investigation.” Military together and then tell us what it off ered May little hope of any superintendent Jason Tingley arrest of Paul Gait and Elaine technology had been deployed at is you want. Our proposed solu- signifi cant sweetener to the deal said there may never had been Kirk, who were released without the airport, York said, although tions have been on the table for at a summit earlier this month. any drones. charge. The couple have said they he did not say whether the system months.” Juncker’s comments will be a York told BBC Radio 4’s To- felt “completely violated” by the should have been in place ear- May is set to put her deal, in- fresh blow to Downing Street’s day programme: “I am abso- way they were treated, adding lier. “I am grateful to ministers for cluding the contentious Irish hopes of a game-changing last- lutely certain a drone was fl ying that their privacy and identity support throughout,” he said. Jean-Claude Juncker: ‘Our solutions been on the table for months’ backstop, to MPs in the week minute concession. Gulf Times Monday, December 31, 2018 9 EUROPE

Belgium to appeal order to bring Moscow is ready for IS families home

Reuters terrorist attacks here. I think Brussels we have to assess the risks and not just willingly accept them.” dialogue, says Putin Both women were convicted elgium will appeal in absentia of being members Reuters and only summit in Helsinki in Putin also sent New Year against a judge’s order of Islamic State, and each sen- Moscow July. greetings to other world lead- Bforcing it to repatriate tenced to fi ve years in jail by an “Vladimir Putin stressed that ers, including Prime Ministers two Belgian women convict- Antwerp court in March. the (Russia-United States) rela- Theresa May of Britain and Shin- ed of being Islamic State (IS) Hundreds of European citi- ussian President Vladimir tions are the most important fac- zo Abe of Japan, as well as Chi- militants and their six children zens, many of them babies, Putin told his US coun- tor for providing strategic stabil- nese President Xi Jinping. from Syria, the migration min- are being held by US-backed Rterpart Donald Trump in ity and international security,” Putin wished “well-being and ister said yesterday. Kurdish militias in three camps a New Year letter yesterday that a Kremlin statement said. “He prosperity to the British people”, A judge said on Wednesday since Islamic State was ousted Moscow is ready for dialogue on confi rmed that Russia is open the Kremlin said. that Belgium had to bring back from almost all its territory a “wide-ranging agenda”, the for dialogue with the USA on the Russia’s embassy in London Tatiana Wielandt, 26, Bouchra last year, according to Kurdish Kremlin said following a series most wide-ranging agenda.” said on Friday that Moscow and Abouallal, 25, and the children sources. of failed attempts to hold a new Moscow has said that one of London had agreed to return they had with militants, from European nations have been summit. the key issues it wanted to dis- some staff to their respective em- the Al Hol camp where they wrestling with how to handle At the end of November, cuss with the United States is bassies after they expelled doz- were being held in a Kurdish- suspected militants and their Trump abruptly cancelled a Washington’s plans to withdraw ens of diplomats early this year. dominated part of Syria. families seeking to return from planned meeting with Putin on from a Cold War era nuclear arms Britain expelled 23 Russian Maggie De Block, the minis- combat zones in Iraq and Syria. the sidelines of a G20 summit in pact. diplomats over accusations the ter in charge of migration pol- France is working to bring Argentina, citing tensions about Russian Foreign Minister Ser- Kremlin was behind a nerve toxin icy, told broadcaster VTM that back children held by Syrian Russian forces opening fi re on gei Lavrov was quoted as saying Putin has stressed that the (Russia-United States) relations are the attack in March on former dou- a distinction had to be made Kurdish forces, but will leave Ukrainian navy boats and then that now it is up to the United most important factor for providing strategic stability and ble agent Sergei Skripal and his between the mothers and the their mothers to be prosecuted seizing them. States whether to hold a new international security. daughter in the English city of children. by local authorities, French of- Trump and Putin also failed meeting in 2019. Salisbury. “The children have not cho- fi cials have said. to hold a full-fl edged meeting in “The issue should be ad- for it,” Tass news agency quoted tin pledged continuation of aid Russia, which has denied any sen to be born in such circum- Paris is concerned that if Paris on the sidelines of the cen- dressed to Washington. Both our Lavrov as saying in televised re- to the Syrian government and involvement in the poisoning, stances ... four of the six are these minors are left in Syria, tenary commemoration of the president and his representatives marks. people in the “fi ght against ter- sent home the same number of Belgian children, they have they could eventually also be- Armistice. have said that we are ready for the In a separate letter to Syrian rorism, in defence of state sov- British embassy workers in re- grandparents here, one child is come militants. The two leaders held their one talks when Washington is ready President Bashar al-Assad, Pu- ereignty and territorial integrity”. taliation. reportedly very ill. The Kurds say it is not their “We are responsible for see- job to prosecute or hold them ing what we can do,” she told indefi nitely, leaving the women VTM. and children in legal limbo. She did not specify what the The judge said on Wednes- country might do about the day that Belgium must organ- New CDU leader more popular than Merkel: poll other two children. ise the travel within 40 days “The mothers, that’s a dif- after being notifi ed of the de- ferent story. They have been cision or pay a daily penalty of Reuters convicted here. They have €5,000 ($5,718) for each child, Berlin contributed to the planning of up to a maximum €1mn.

nnegret Kramp-Karren- Two NGO rescue vessels carrying 47 bauer, the new leader Aof Germany’s Christian migrants stranded in Mediterranean Democrats, heads into 2019 more popular than Chancellor Angela Another two migrant rescue ships run by German non- Merkel, who supported her rise governmental organisations were stranded in the Mediterranean to the top of their party, an opin- this weekend with no country willing to take them in, leading to ion poll showed yesterday. demands for action. The survey by pollster Em- The Sea-Watch 3, run by NGO Sea-Watch, has been stranded on nid for weekly newspaper Bild the Mediterranean for over a week with more than 30 migrants on am Sonntag showed 45% of 507 board. voters surveyed wanted Kramp- Another ship from the NGO Sea-Eye picked up a further 17 people Karrenbauer to play a leading role who had been stranded on a fishing boat on Saturday. among Germany’s top politicians Both ships are searching for a safe port. in the coming year, ahead of Mer- Kramp-Karrenbauer: polled 45% to Merkel’s 40%. Merkel: stepped down as CDU chief in October. Sea-Watch posted on Twitter that it was time for “the German kel on 40%. government to take responsibility”. Kramp-Karrenbauer, the con- those surveyed wanted Merz to CDU that the party is eager to this legislative period in 2021, as that she was “bitterly disap- A spokesman for the group, Ruben Neugebauer, said that the Sea- tinuity candidate favoured by the have as much impact as possible heal ahead of four regional elec- she would like, with 38% want- pointed” by the coalition, which Watch 3 was flying under a Dutch flag and was currently just south party elite, won a tight victory in 2019. tions next year. ing her to go early and 18% un- formed in March, but that it had of Malta. over the more conservative Frie- Merz, who returned from a Merkel, German chancellor for decided. performed better in the last two He also said that the situation on board was stable, but that drich Merz in a run-off vote ear- decade in the political wilderness the last 13 years, decided in Octo- Merkel’s fate partly depends months. changing weather conditions next week meant the ship needed to lier this month to decide the new to seek the CDU leadership, has ber to step down as party leader on her coalition partner, the cen- She also sounded positive find a port soon. leader of the Christian Demo- said he is ready to go back into after the CDU haemorrhaged tre-left Social Democrats (SPD), when asked about working with “We absolutely need a solution in this year,” he said. cratic Union (CDU). politics full time and could even support in another regional vote. whose leaders are under pressure Kramp-Karrenbauer. There is disagreement in the European Union over who should The victory put her in pole po- serve as a minister. A separate survey, by pollster from some in their ranks to pull “In the new generation, we can assume responsibility for migrants rescued at sea, and Malta and sition to succeed Merkel as chan- His narrow loss to Kramp- YouGov, showed 43% of those out of the government and re- concentrate on the essentials and Italy have closed their ports to non-governmental organisation cellor. Karrenbauer, Merkel’s protégé, questioned wanted Merkel to re- build in opposition. do good work,” Nahles told news- (NGO) rescue vessels. The Emnid poll showed 33% of highlighted deep divisions in the main chancellor until the end of SPD leader Andrea Nahles said paper Welt am Sonntag.

Wurst news Sunset Sacked Macron bodyguard defends as museum his usage of diplomatic passports closes door Reuters under scrutiny over his recent con- a former insider by using them or in Paris sultancy work and unauthorised use his work as a consultant. of diplomatic passports. “Maybe I was wrong to use these DPA The original Benalla scandal be- passports,” Benalla said, in a tel- Berlin mmanuel Macron’s former se- came a major headache for Macron ephone conversation from overseas curity aide, who was sacked af- just over a year into his tenure, after according to the JDD. “But I want to Eter his violent conduct fuelled a the president was criticised for acting make it clear that I only did it for my erlin has lost a food-focused tour- political scandal, acknowledged yes- too slowly in dealing with a member own ease, to facilitate my passage ist attraction: the German Curry terday that he was still travelling on a of his inner circle. through airports.” BSausage Museum near Checkpoint diplomatic passport, in an aff air that Benalla said in an interview with The French presidency has sought Charlie has closed its doors for the last has rattled the French presidency. France’s Journal du Dimanche (JDD) to distance itself from the former time. After he was fi red when a video yesterday that he would return the bodyguard, and the government said The museum has closed permanently, emerged of his beating a May Day diplomatic passports in the coming it had formally requested the pass- a sign reads on the main entrance, on its protester, Alexandre Benalla returned days, and rejected that he was some- ports be returned on at least two oc- Facebook page and also on its website. to the spotlight in France this week, how trying to profi t from his status as casions. The phone number of the operator, Edutainement International GmbH, went unanswered when DPA attempted to call. The interactive museum, furnished with dollops of tomato sauce and a sau- sage sofa, opened in mid-2009 in its lo- cation in the city’s central Mitte district. The museum attributed the invention of the now ubiquitous snack of sausage with curry sauce, known in German as Currywurst, to the Berlin-based food kiosk owner Herta Heuwer on Septem- ber 4, 1949. At that time, she mixed a sauce made from tomato puree, Worcester sauce, curry powder and other spices and poured it over a fried and chopped sau- sage. Hamburg and the industrial Ruhr area also lay claim to the invention of the Currywurst. Perhaps the true story of all the in- ventions is that the snack was a German post-war phenomenon, a reaction to the food culture of the US occupiers, who liked to eat hot dogs and ketchup. With or without a museum, Berlin- ers will continue to scoff 70mn curried sausages per year, while the country as a whole puts away 800mn. In the meantime, Berliners argue People are silhouetted as the sun sets over Grunewald lake in Berlin, heatedly over the best snack bar in the Germany. capital off ering the speciality. Gulf Times 10 Monday, December 31, 2018 INDIA

REACTION LAW AND ORDER BIZZARE CONTROVERSY WEATHER PM remarks on Karnataka Police arrest 11 for Ghazipur Murder best way to settle Farmer bows to collector Unusual cold disrupts loan waiver slammed constable’s killing disputes, students told for power connection normal life in Agra

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks The Uttar Pradesh Police yesterday said that A top off icial at a state-run university urged his Madhya Pradesh Co-operatives Minister Govind With the mercury dipping to 1.7 degrees Celsius, against the farm loan waiver scheme of Karnataka it has arrested 11 people in the killing of a head students to “murder” fellow students if confronted Singh yesterday took a grim view of an episode normal life remains badly aff ected in Agra. In government unfortunate, Chief Minister H D constable by a violent mob on Saturday. “We have instead of complaining to him, amid a wave of in which a farmer in Shivpuri had to bow his view of the severe cold, district authorities Kumaraswamy yesterday reeled out figures to arrested 11 people for the death of head constable violence being reported from across the state head at the feet of the district collector to get an have revised school timings. Schools will now defend it. “Modi’s remarks on our loan waiver is Suresh Pratap Singh Vats,” Ghazipur assistant where the school is based. “If you’re a student of electricity connection under the chief minister’s start at 9.30am instead of 8.30am. “Extreme incorrect and unfortunate,” said Kumaraswamy. superintendent of police Chandra P Shukla said. this university, never come crying to me,” said Krishak Anudan Yojana. The farmer, Ajit Jatav, cold conditions during morning and evening Modi had on Friday said the state’s loan waiver He said the police have named 32 known and over Raja Ram Yadav, vice-chancellor of Purvanchal from Shivpuri had deposited the money over four hours force people to rush back home and scheme was a cruel joke on farmers. “The farmers 100 unknown persons in the case. Condoling Vats’ University, in a speech. “If you ever get into a fight, months for a power connection to a transformer stay indoors,” said a shopkeeper of Johri Bazar want attention. But those in power in Karnataka death, director general of police O P Singh tweeted, beat them, if possible murder them, we’ll take care he had installed. Unable to get the connection, the Bankey Lal. However, owing to the holiday are steeped in arrogance. The common man “So far 19 accused in three cases have been of it later,” Yadav added. Yadav was speaking at a farmer went to district collector Anugrah P bowing season, the tourist rush continues to remain wants development, but those in power want only arrested, which include 11 in the case of murder. ” college event in Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar to her and placing his head at the collector’s feet in high with over 50,000 visiting the Taj Mahal development of a dynasty. People want corruption- Vats, a head constable posted at the Karimuddin Pradesh is notorious for communal tensions and a gesture of helplessness. The video of the incident on Saturday. Voluntary groups are distributing free development, but the state government wants Police Station, died after he sustained head injury crime, and has been plagued by incidents of mob went viral, forcing the administration to provide blankets, woollens and eatables to the development-free corruption,” Modi said by the stone pelting mob of the Nishad party. violence in recent weeks. him power connection for his 5HP pump yesterday. homeless, Gupta added. Modi urges Protest at Punjab poll irregularities nation to seek ‘loftier goals’ in new year

IANS Modi said the country’s self- New Delhi defence mechanism got further reinforced and that it was during this year that India successfully rime Minister Narendra accomplished the nuclear triad, Modi yesterday asked the which means India is now armed Ppeople to seek “loftier with nuclear capabilities in sea, goals” with “renewed zeal” in land and sky. the coming year as he recalled He said the Swachcha Bharat the various strides India made Scheme and sanitation cover- in 2018. age have been rapidly advancing Delivering his last ‘Mann Ki towards crossing the 95% mark Baat’ address of 2018, which was and dedicated the success to the the 51st edition of the monthly people. radio programme, the prime He also listed opening of In- minister summed up the year’s dia’s fi rst multi-modal terminal Supporters of the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party block road traff ic in Naushera village on the outskirts of Amritsar yesterday. The party was protesting achievements in the fi eld of on the Ganga river in Varanasi against the Punjab government and police over clashes and incidents of firing and booth capturing at over a dozen places as panchayat elections were held in economy, social sector, solar en- and Sikkim’s fi rst airport as ma- 13,276 panchayats across Punjab yesterday. ergy, climate change, sports and jor achievements. others, saying it could happen The prime minister also men- because of the collective eff orts tioned that India clinched a of the people. large number of medals in Asian “Whether it is the life of a Games and performed very well person, life of a nation, or the in Para Asian Games and cricket lifespan of a society, inspiration too. is the basis of progress,” Modi He said this year the country said, appealing for renewed zeal will celebrate the 150th birth an- and loftier goals to “change one- niversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. Congress, BJP trade blows self and the country too.” Asserting that the country has “South African President taken strides in the area of pov- Cyril Ramaphosa is going to erty alleviation at a record pace, grace the Republic Day celebra- the prime minister said the na- tions as chief guest. Mahatma tion has also seen unprecedented Gandhi and South Africa shared an unbreakable bond,” he said over chopper case inquiry improvement in the “ease of do- ing business” rankings and not- remembering former South Af- ed that world institutions have rica president Nelson Mandela. Agencies Congress ally, said the Bharatiya ernment’s hidden agenda, he “The people, who make hue Congress of giving a “cover fi re” acknowledged India’s growth. Modi also called on people New Delhi Janata Party (BJP) government added. Yadav said the Modi and cry for inquiries into all to Michel and trying to protect Listing the achievements of to give importance to positive at the centre was indulging in government should tell the peo- economic matters, are now him. the government in 2018, he said: news and make positivity “viral” “cheap politics” and had extra- ple what has it done for them working in the rescue of a for- Earlier, the Congress alleged “This year saw the launch of the instead of dwelling on negative pposition leader Sharad dited Christian Michel to divert since 2014. eign national who is involved the Modi government was the world’s biggest health insurance news. Yadav yesterday said the people’s attention from the Earlier the Bharatiya Janata in corruption. Your (Congress’) benefactor and supporter of scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat’; in The prime minister referred to Othe Narendra Modi Rafale deal and other issues. Party accused the Congress of anxiety is evident,” Trivedi AugustaWestland, the helicop- honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai certain news and opinion web- government’s only agenda was Opposition parties have al- giving a political colour to the said, pointing towards a slip of ter manufacturing company Patel, India witnessed the un- sites like thebetterindia.com, and to defame one family and por- leged corruption in the pur- investigation process involving paper being passed by Michel involved in VVIP chopper deal, veiling of the tallest statue in the yourstory.com, which, he said, tray that the country made no chase of Rafale aircraft from Michel and said that the anxi- to his lawyer Joseph in the ED and said it was trying to sup- world, ‘Statue of Unity’; electric- write about “inspiring lives” and progress after independence. France, a charge rejected by the ety of the opposition party is custody which referred to a set press the truth by hiding behind ity reached each and every village are “infusing more sensitivity into Yadav’s remark comes after government. evident with its behaviour in of questions related to Sonia the enforcement directorate. of the country; the ease of doing society” through their stories. the ED told a Delhi court hear- “I have no hesitation in say- the case. Gandhi. The ED on Saturday brought business in India improved no- “Can we join hands in one ing the AgustaWestland VVIP ing that the ruling party is play- Talking to reporters BJP Condemning the Congress in the name of ‘Mrs Gandhi’ and tably; on the 75th anniversary of endeavour?.. Let us share such chopper case that middleman ing cheap politics by pressuring spokesperson Sudhanshu for giving the questioning of ‘big man R’, an apparent refer- Azad Hind government, a Tricol- websites among ourselves. Let’s Christian Michel was misusing investigation agencies to name Trivedi sought to know from the Michel by investigative agen- ence to Sonia Gandhi and her our was unfurled at Delhi’s Red come together to make positiv- legal access by passing chits to Congress leaders in the alleged Congress that why all the for- cies a “political colour”, he said: son Rahul Gandhi, in a special Fort for the fi rst time, and the ity viral. Spreading negativity is his advocates asking them how misdeed in the AgustaWestland eign nationals accused in cor- “Let it be examined, everything court when it got a seven-day highest United Nations Environ- fairly easy. But some really good to tackle questions on Congress case,” Yadav said. ruption cases in India had links would be clear in the Agus- extension of custody of British ment Award ‘Champions of the work is being done around us in leader Sonia Gandhi. People are not so foolish. with the “fi rst family” of the taWestland case.” national Christian Michel, the Earth’ was conferred on India.” our society,” he said. In a statement, Yadav, now a They can see through the gov- opposition party. The BJP leader accused the alleged middleman in the deal.

Kite fest preparation Acclaimed fi lmmaker Kerala govt’s ‘Women’s Mrinal Sen dies aged 95 Wall’ event ridiculed IANS “Later Vijayan’s government Thiruvananthapuram fi led an affi davit in the Kerala IANS of the medium, that made the Adhuri Kahani (An Unfi nished High Court stating that the Kolkata world look up in wonder and re- Story, 1971), Calcutta 71 (1972), event was being organised with spect at their creations. Chorus (1974), Mrigayaa (in he CPI-M’s move to a budget of Rs500mn which was Born on May 14, 1923, at Hindi - The Royal Hunt, 1976), form a Women’s Wall, drawn from the state’s Women egendary fi lmmaker Mri- Faridpur (now in Bangladesh), Oka Oori Katha (in Telugu - The Tfrom Kasargode to and Children department, while nal Sen famed for his Sen made his fi rst Bengali fi lm Outsiders, 1977), Ek Din Pratidin Thiruvananthapuram tomor- outside court, in public meet- Lability to put searching Rat Bhore (The Dawn) in 1953, (And Quiet Rolls the Dawn, 1979), row, to uphold renaissance ings, he claims not a single ru- questions before the society – but it was his second directorial Akaler Sandhane (In Search of values and gender equality in pee of the government is being especially the middle class, died eff ort Neel Akasher Niche (Under Famine, 1980), Chalchitra (The society is a bundle of contra- used,” Chennithala said. at his south Kolkata residence the Blue Sky) that received ac- Kaleidoscope, 1981), Kharij (The dictions, the Congress party He added that the fi rst yesterday following old age claim in the country for its lyri- Case Is Closed, 1982), Khandhar claimed yesterday. meeting called by Vijayan for complications, family sources cism and humane qualities. (The Ruins, 1983), Genesis (1986), Opposition leader Ramesh the event was attended by said. Sen followed it up with Ek Din Achanak (Suddenly, One Chennithala told report- several Hindu organisations. Sen, 95, a widower, is survived Baishey Shravan (Wedding Day), Day, 1989). ers that right from day one, “They claim that this event by his son Kunal. that earned him plaudits from His last fi lm Aamaar Bhuvan when the programme was an- is being held to uphold ren- Sen, who was ailing for a long the critics beyond Indian shores. (This, My Land) was in 2002. nounced by Chief Minister aissance values and gender time, died at his Bhowanipore In 1969, Sen worked on a small Widely feted, Sen received Pinarayi Vijayan, it has been equality in society but what he home around 10am after a car- budget provided by the central the Padma Bhushan in 1981, the mired in contradictions. fails to understand is that the diac arrest, his family physician government to direct Bhuvan Dadasaheb Phalke – the high- “Even as Vijayan said that renaissance movement in the said. Shome (Mr. Shome) – a fi lm re- est award in Indian cinema – in the Women’s Wall was planned state was a joint one where all His demise brings the cur- garded as an important mile- 2005, the French government’s in response to the reaction communities took part. tains down on one of the most stone in the new cinema fi lm Commandeur de l’ordre des against the Supreme Court Pointing out another con- glorious chapters of fi lmmaking movement in India. Arts et letters (Commander of verdict allowing women of tradiction Chennithala noted in India, where Sen and late di- A lifelong Leftist, who, how- the Order of Arts and Letters) in all ages into the Ayyappa “Vijayan says the Wall is being rectors Satyajit Ray and Ritwik ever, never took the membership 2001, and Order of Friendship temple at Sabarimala, State formed to give confi dence and Ghatak are revered for giving of any Communist party in India, from the Russian government in Devaswom (temple) Minis- security to women. However, birth to the parallel (or new) cin- Sen has left behind a rich reper- the same year. ter Kadakampally Surendran since Vijayan assumed offi ce ema movement in the country. toire of 27 feature fi lms, 14 shorts He was a member of the Rajya Workers prepare strings coated with powdered glass used and CPI-M state secretary in 2016 , women have faced the The trio gave a new direction and four documentaries during a Sabha from 1997 to 2003, and for flying kites ahead of ‘Uttarayan’ festival, in Ahmedabad Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the worst ever attacks. Therefore to the idea of fi lmmaking in In- career spanning six decades. president of the International yesterday. ’Uttarayan’ or the Kite Festival is celebrated in Women’s Wall was not con- it is ironic that Vijayan talks of dia, displaying spontaneity, aes- Among his other acclaimed Federation of the Film Societies Gujarat and elsewhere in India on January 14 every year. nected to the Sabarimala is- giving confi dence to women,” thetic sense and deep knowledge fi lms are Interview (1971), Ek for some time. sue,” Chennithala pointed out. Chennithala said. Gulf Times Monday, December 31, 2018 11 LATIN AMERICA

Goodbye 2018

A woman looks at cardboard dolls representing Venezuelan migrants fleeing to other South American countries, ahead of the “burning of the old year” tradition in San Cristobal, Tachira state, Venezuela. The “burning of the old year” is a New Year’s Eve tradition that dates back 47 years. This year the themes are runaway inflation, (right) the lack of fuel and the migration of Venezuelans fleeing the economic and political crisis.

Colombia condemns Brazil will move embassy plot to kill president

AFP Nicolas Maduro, who begins a Bogota new term on January 10, after being re-elected in polls that were boycotted by the opposi- olombia’s foreign tion and branded a fraud by the to Jerusalem: Netanyahu minister condemned international community. Can alleged plot to kill Maduro, for his part, has said AFP President Ivan Duque and said the future government of Bra- Rio de Janeiro three Venezuelan citizens had zil under President-elect Jair been detained in possession of Bolsonaro, Colombia and the “weapons of war.” United States are all involved razil will defi nitely move “For several months there in plotting a coup in Venezuela its embassy in Israel to have been intelligence probes and want to assassinate him. BJerusalem, with only the into possible attacks against Duque’s government has date of the transfer to be decid- the life of the president,” Carlos said it would not support a mil- ed, Israeli Prime Minister Ben- Holmes Trujillo said in a video itary intervention in Venezuela, jamin Netanyahu reportedly said on the ministry’s social media with which it shares a 2,200km yesterday during a visit to Rio accounts. He added that three (1,350 miles) border. de Janeiro. “It’s not a question Venezuelans in possession of Washington, on the other of ‘if’ but of ‘when’,” Netanyahu “weapons of war” had been hand, has indicated “all op- told members of Rio’s Jewish captured in connection with tions are on the table” for deal- community, according to multi- such plots, without going into ing with Venezuela’s socialist ple Brazilian media. Jair Bolsonaro further details. In a separate leader. Right-winger Duque He said Brazil’s president- statement, Trujillo said that took offi ce in August promis- elect Jair Bolsonaro assured him the threats came from “internal ing to diplomatically isolate of the move in a meeting on Fri- and external actors.” the Venezuelan regime, which day. The issue of the embassy The announcements come he calls a “dictatorship,” and has been hovering over Netan- amid tensions between Bo- to get tough on his country’s yahu’s visit to Brazil, the fi rst- gota and Caracas, following drug traffi ckers and remaining ever by an Israeli prime minis- the mutual expulsion of offi - guerilla groups. Colombia is ter. He arrived on Friday to hold cials from both nations and the the main host country for Ven- talks with far-right Bolsonaro, presence earlier this month of ezuelan migrants who have fl ed who is to be sworn-in in a cere- Russian long-range bombers their country’s economic crisis, mony in Brasilia tomorrow, with in Venezuela. President Duque the worst in its history. Netanyahu among the foreign has called upon the “countries According to the UN, about dignitaries attending. that defend democracy” to not 2.3mn people left Venezuela Bolsonaro said in early No- recognise the government of since 2015. vember he intended to follow the lead of US President Donald Army soldiers take part in security preparations for the January 1 inauguration ceremony of Brazilian Trump in moving his country’s Benjamin Netanyahu president-elect Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia, yesterday. Face of Colombian coff ee Sanchez dead embassy from Tel Aviv to Jeru- salem. But then he backtracked, Palestinian state. But Israel as- this year the US embassy was relations with all countries. however. Nor did they post any- Carlos Sanchez, the face of Colombian coff ee for decades, and of saying “it hasn’t been decided serts all of Jerusalem is its capi- established in Jerusalem. Gua- In their talks, Bolsonaro and thing on it on their Twitter ac- Colombia’s answer to Starbucks, has died in Medellin. He was 83. yet.” tal and is keen to see embassies temala followed suit two days Netanyahu talked up their bud- counts, despite Bolsonaro in “Carlos Sanchez has left us, after proudly embodying the Juan Brazil’s important meat pro- move there to bolster that claim. later. ding “brotherhood” which they particular being a fervent social Valdez character around the world most of his life,” Colombian ducers are worried that an em- Most countries, however, back Bolsonaro has said he wants said would boost military, eco- media user. Coff ee Federation chief Roberto Velez said on Twitter. Along with bassy move could see threaten Israeli-Palestinian negotiations closer ties with the US and Is- nomic, technological and agri- Netanyahu had told reporters his mule Conchita, Sanchez portrayed in global ad campaigns the $1bn in exports to Arab to settle Jerusalem’s status as rael, breaking with decades cultural co-operation. as he fl ew in to Rio that he was from 1969 to 2006 the coff ee farmer with a thick mustache and a countries. Those countries, and part of a wider peace deal. of centre-left policies which Neither man raised the em- going to raise the embassy topic traditional hat, eventually becoming a symbol of the well-known Palestinians, view east Jeru- Trump broke with that con- sought to position Brazil as a bassy issue when they spoke to as a priority when he met Bol- Colombian premium coff ee brand. Juan Valdez now counts more salem as the capital of a future sensus a year ago, and in May Latin American power nurturing journalists shortly afterwards, sonaro. than 200 stores in more than 22 countries around the world.

In Caracas, macaws’ 60 years on, Miami’s Cubans have brought Caribbean fl air bold colour show AFP and Havana equals surrendering skyscrapers. However, despite Miami – a view simmering among most that fl air it’s still distinctly of Miami’s Cuban community American. “The city’s welcome cannot be missed older set. As the years went by, Latinisation is counterbalanced nderpinning Miami, the diaspora grew and southern by the forces of an America Florida, is 60 years of Florida was irrevocably altered: which has always encouraged AFP Regardless, Caracas is not UCastroism in Cuba: The Cuban sandwiches became a renovation and change,” Mau- Caracas their natural habitat; macaws island’s diaspora has trans- permanent fi xture, coff ee was rice Ferre, six-time Miami may- are at home in the wild in se- formed the city into a tower- known as “colada” or “cafecito,” or, wrote in the book’s prologue. cluded jungle areas of southern ing skyline, where smells of and English was relegated from Caught in the middle of the olourful wild macaws fl y- Venezuela, some on the border fried “croquetas” and sounds of its spot as default language. cultural crossover are the com- ing through Caracas skies with Brazil. In the capital, these Spanish fi ll the air. It’s a common local joke that munity’s children and grand- Care a bright sight to be- large- and sharp-beaked species Roughly 230 miles (370km) Miami is the only foreign city children. Giancarlo Sopo, 35, is hold. Striking and mostly docile, live incongruously from terrace apart, Havana and Miami were Americans can visit without a the son of a 2506 Brigade vet- they settle on balconies in search to TV antenna, from roof to ledge already closely connected by passport. According to the US eran. He was born at the “peak” of food. But that very closeness is to palm tree, from which they set trade and tourism at the turn of census, 67% of Miami’s popula- of the mass exodus of Cubans in not always what’s best for them. out on noisy individual and fl ock the 20th century. tion was Hispanic in 2017 – with the 1980s. The birds’ plumage is a pal- fl ights. But 1959 and the triumph of more than half of those Cuban- At the time, popular culture ette that runs from reds, blues The Ara araurana, with blue Fidel Castro’s revolution saw Americans. recorded the booming Cuban and greens to yellows or oranges. and yellow plumage, is the most an end to that – and the Cuban The community holds ma- infl uence in Miami in the form With every sunrise and sunset common parrot in the city. You diaspora was born. The fi rst jor clout. Business leader Jorge of hits such as Gloria Estefan’s they start their zigzagging fl ight can also spot Ara chloropter- Cuban exiles to leave the island Mas’s support, for example, has “Conga” and the fi lm “Scarface” between palm trees and residen- us (red and green), Ara macao in the 1960s are now around 80 Picture of dispatches and an Underwood typewriter used by proved key to a divisive stadium with Al Pacino. tial towers. (yellow, blue and red) and Ara years old. They once dreamed AFP correspondent Jean Huteau in the first days of the Cuban project from soccer star David Years later, once Cuban- If the scene sounds like a severus, with reddish and blue of liberating their country – but Revolution. On January 1, Cuba will mark the 60th anniversary Beckham having even a chance American relations had tempo- dream for nature lovers, behind brushstrokes. “It all gives you now live between frustration of the Communist Revolution that brought the late enigmatic of success. “Cubans turned rarily thawed in 2014, Sopo vis- the proliferation of these birds in mixed feelings. On the one hand, and nostalgia, having spent dec- leader Fidel Castro to power. parts of sub-tropical Miami into ited Havana – and found he was a city with high noise, pollution it is nice to see them approach ades conspiring over dominoes a city with tropical fl air, a Carib- more American than he thought. and human hustle, is wildlife houses and welcome them nicely on the porches of their pastel- 1961. “Those of us who had left CIA support mid-operation, in bean-like ciudad alegre,” wrote “The more I interact with young traffi cking and the introduction with food; but on the other hand, coloured homes. Cuba at that time wanted to re- an attempt to keep America’s historian Anthony Maingot in Cubans, the more I realise that of exotic species, biologist Diego it is worrying that they do not “We were losing everything turn to bring democracy and involvement under wraps. his 2015 book Miami: a Cultural culturally, we have diff erences,” Diaz tells AFP. It’s unknown how fi nd the food they need in na- our family had worked for for freedom to the Cuban people “Almost all of us were cap- History. the communications strategist they arrived in this city of 6mn ture,” Diaz explains. years. We couldn’t accept it,” again,” said Lopez, now presi- tured,” said Lopez. Prison, tor- And when superstar Cuban- told AFP. people. But many experts think He says that it’s actually best said 78-year-old Johnny Lopez dent of the Bay of Pigs Veterans ture and exile followed. American singer Celia Cruz died For example, his wife — born they were introduced by animal to avoid direct contact with these de la Cruz, a member of the 2506 Association. But their greatest Cubans like Lopez have an- in 2003, tens of thousands of and raised in Cuba — doesn’t traffi ckers or that they could es- animals “because they end up Brigade, a group of CIA-spon- enemy was John F Kennedy, the ti-Castro sentiment coursing people paid their respects to her think anything of a guest show- cape from captivity in homes or being a kind of pets, dependent sored Cuban exiles who tried former US president who “be- through their veins. To them, at Freedom Tower, a monument ing up unannounced. But Sopo? zoos. on human beings.” to invade Cuba’s Bay of Pigs in trayed” them by withdrawing detente between Washington to the exiles among downtown’s He could never get used to that. Gulf Times 12 Monday, December 31, 2018 PAKISTAN

20,000 workers booked for abetting PTI revving up drive in power theft

Internews The committee was further Islamabad informed that a comprehen- sive plan is being prepared by the power division and elec- to oust Sindh govt he Senate Standing tricity distribution compa- Committee on Power nies to reduce the incidence of Internews Iftikhar Durrani, said after the eral government is trying to play Thas been informed that power theft. Islamabad “damning evidence” against the its role in the “number games” in cases against around 20,000 When members of the com- Sindh Chief Minister Shah in the the Sindh Assembly. employees belonging to several mittee asked why electricity JIT report, the Pakistan Peoples About the possibility of impo- electricity distribution com- for up to 12 hours was being he ruling Pakistan Te- Party (PPP) should consider re- sition of the Governor’s Rule in panies had been fi led for abet- provided to feeders with high hreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has placing him. the province, he said: “Democ- ting in power theft. number of cases of power Tstarted holding intra-par- Speaking with a group of me- racy has a due process, and so has The committee, chaired by theft, the offi cials concerned ty meetings and contacting allied dia persons here, Durrani said accountability. The PPP should Senator Fida Mohamed, was informed the committee that parties to bring about a change in that the province needs a better itself think how to go about it.” also informed by special secre- policy decisions were made by the Sindh government, following chief minister, as the incumbent “It is just like comparing ap- tary of power division, Hassan the federal cabinet, but when references to Sindh Chief Min- would be distracted by having ples with oranges,” he said when Nasir Jami, that delays were members of the committee ister Murad Ali Shah in the joint to deal with the fallout of all the this reporter sought his com- being faced by the power di- pressed for details, it was re- investigation team (JIT) report on things mentioned in the JIT re- ments on the PPP leadership’s vision in taking action against vealed by the offi cials that the money laundering and fake bank port. demand that the names of cer- these employees because of power division had failed to accounts. The JIT report said that Shah tain PTI ministers and leaders be slow action by distribution forward the summary to the Federal Minister for Informa- had facilitated the Zardari Group placed on the Exit Control List. companies. federal cabinet in this regard. tion and Broadcasting Fawad and the Omni Group as fi nance About the letter written to The committee was in- The committee directed the Chaudhry discussed the latest minister and then as chief min- the Minister of State for Interior Prime Minister Khan is said to have sent Information Minister formed that Rs150mn had power division to forward the political situation in the province ister. Shahryar Afridi calling for plac- Chaudhry to Sindh to suss out the situation in the province. been recovered from electric- summary to the Cabinet Com- with Governor Imran Ismail. “The Sindh government was ing names of the PTI ministers ity defaulters over the past six mittee on Energy, that elec- According to media reports, used to carry out money laun- and Prime Minister Imran Khan (MQM) did not attend. through negotiations. months. tricity supply should be lim- Prime Minister Imran Khan had dering. It has been clearly men- on the ECL, Durrani said that it Moreover, the PTI’s Haleem He said that corruption charg- Offi cials of distribution ited to only two hours a day to sent Chaudhry to Sindh to take tioned in the JIT report,” Durrani is quite strange that a minister of Adil Sheikh, who was elected as es against Zardari are bigger than companies told the committee areas where high theft feeders the party’s provincial leadership said. state is being asked to place name a member of Sindh Assembly those faced by the PML-N su- of their problems in carrying are located. and allies into confi dence on the He expressed ignorance about of a federal minister of the same from PS-99 (Karachi East-I), has premo Nawaz Sharif. out instructions of the power Senator Noman Wazir de- current political situation. some media reports that Prime ministry on the ECL. claimed that following the pos- Ahmed claimed that a forward division. manded that plans being pre- However, there is no formal Minister Khan is sending Infor- “This shows their nervous- sible arrest of PPP co-chairman block is emerging in the PML-N, Senior offi cials of the La- pared to reduce electricity word from the federal govern- mation Minister Chaudhry to ness, and I can say that they are Asif Ali Zardari, the party might adding that the Sharif family had hore Electric Supply Company theft should be realistic and fi - ment or the minister himself Sindh. following the PML-N script or split into many factions. been looting the country for 10 (Lesco) said that a case had nancially viable for consumers. about his proposed visit to Sindh. “It is not in my knowledge,” he modus operandi,” he said, recall- He disclosed that the party’s years. been fi led against a local steel The committee was in- The minister was not available remarked. ing how Pakistan Muslim League 20 MPAs are in contact with him Criticising the National As- mill owner for electricity theft formed that the Peshawar for comments. “I have no information about – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif for their possible shift to the PTI. sembly speaker’s decision per- of over Rs110mn. Electric Supply Company Meanwhile, Special Assist- this,” he again said when asked Abbasi had fi led a case against Meanwhile, Sindh Governor taining to Public Accounts Com- However, even after the (Pesco) had been granted per- ant to Prime Minister on Media, about indications that the fed- Imran Khan. Ismail vowed that the PTI would mittee head Shehbaz Sharif, the vacation of the Lahore High mission to conduct a survey To a question about the Na- continue to support the account- minister said that he “will bring Court (LHC) stay order, taken for laying 3,000km of smart Prime minister calls Sindh PPP lawmaker tional Finance Commission ability process and rule of the the thieves to justice”. by the owner of the steel mill, cables, while smart cables and (NFC) and its share for the erst- law. Meanwhile, responding to the the Punjab police were still digital meters were also being Prime Minister Imran Khan has called Sindh lawmaker Ali Gohar Mehar while Federally Administered He rejected the impression developments, Adviser to the reluctant to take action and installed in Lesco and the Is- of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to discuss the political dynamics of Tribal Areas (Fata), Durrani said that protests or a “constitutional Sindh Chief Minister on Infor- arrest the owners of the steel lamabad Electric Supply Com- the province, as reports of change of leadership on the floor of the house the government is not going af- war” could aff ect the account- mation, Murtaza Wahab, said mills. pany (Iesco). continue to make the rounds. ter the 18th Amendment, but ability process. that the friends and allies of the A spokesperson of the Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) all political parties had agreed Speaking to the media in Su- ruling PTI are making ignorant said that the premier expressed his reservations over the current political on giving 3% from the divis- kkur, he said, “I am not aware comments. situation in the province. ible pool to the former Fata fol- of the imposition of Governor’s Responding to a statement by The prime minister has also accepted Mehar’s invitation to visit Sindh in lowing its merger with Khyber Rule in Sindh.” the PTI’s Naqvi, he said that en- the coming days. Pakhtunkhwa, and all the four He said public representatives forcement of Governor’s Rule in Chief justice seeks Meanwhile, it appears that the telephone call with Prime Minister Imran provinces have to comply with should work eff ectively to imple- the province would be an uncon- has raised Mehar’s political capital, as high-level party leaders immedi- that agreement. ment better policies for the gen- stitutional step. ately arrived in Ghotki to meet the local leader. Meanwhile, the PTI’s Leader of eral public. “The PTI does not have any Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, State Interior Minister Shehryar Afridi, and Opposition in the Sindh Assem- Federal Minister for Railways agenda and its claim of bringing report on theft of Sindh member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Haleem Adil Sheikh have bly, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, has Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has also an in-house change is hilarious met Mehar to discuss the current political situation. chaired a consultative meeting ruled out the possibility of Gov- in view of its 31 seats in the as- “We will give good news to the people of Sindh soon, we are in contact with the Grand Democratic Alli- ernor’s Rule in Sindh, and de- sembly.” with the PPP members,” Sheikh said in a brief conversation with journal- ance leaders in Karachi to bring a manded that Chief Minister Shah Wahab slammed the PTI fur- water resources ists. “There will definitely be a block in the PPP.” “vote of no confi dence” against resign. ther, stating that anyone who Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry is expected to reach Chief Minister Shah. Speaking with journalists in disagreed with the party will lose Karachi today to meet allies and like-minded leaders in a bid to extract The alliance’s members of the Islamabad, he said the democrat- their membership. Internews maximum support from the lawmakers to outnumber PPP representa- Provincial Assembly (MPAs) also ic setup would not be wrapped up “We will set up a tent for Islamabad tives in the provincial assembly. attended the meeting, while the in the province, adding the pro- anyone who surrounds the CM Muttahida Qaumi Movement vincial issues would be resolved House,” he added. hief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, while hear- Cing a petition alleging that water is being stolen from PPP wants PM, eight others put on travel ban list the River Ravi and Abasia Link Canal by India, has ordered the Punjab Irrigation Department Internews the main opposition parties – is ior KP minister Atif Khan, senior “Signifi cantly, the ECL deci- “The fact that many names in secretary Syed Ali Murtaza to Islamabad believed to be a tit-for-tat re- Punjab minister Aleem Khan, and sion by the cabinet was made the list of 172 persons didn’t even submit a report on the matter sponse to the recent placement Jehangir Khan Tareen of the PTI. within hours of the meeting of contain full details also shows the by January 4. Nisar: Cases should be of 172 accused of the fake bank The letter sent to Afridi by the Central Executive Commit- hurried, knee-jerk reaction to the “Why is India stealing our registered against those who he Pakistan Peoples Party accounts case, including party’s the PPP secretary general said: tee (CEC) of the PPP in Naudero, PPP CEC meeting,” it added. water?” Nisar demanded, as- steal water in Pakistan. (PPP) has demanded the chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zard- “More names will follow.” Sindh, on the eve of 11th martyr- The letter said a new element serting: “We will not let India Tplacing of the names of ari, co-chairman Asif Ali Zard- “If names have to be placed dom anniversary of Shaheed Mo- in the ECL policy seemed to have steal Pakistan’s water.” Murtaza replied that water nine senior Pakistan Tehreek- ari, Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur, on the ECL merely on the basis htarma Benazir Bhutto. been introduced. He added that the court is not being stolen by India, to e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and allied Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) The CEC has “denounced po- “Under it, people may be would “not allow water to be which the chief justice ordered parties, including Prime Minister Shah, former chief minister Qaim reports, the same principle will litical vendetta in the garb of ac- placed on the ECL merely on the stolen from poor farmers from that an operation be conducted Imran Khan, on the Exit Control Ali Shah, provincial minister An- have to be applied uniformly and countability, demanded uniform basis of a one-sided prosecution the Abasia Link Canal”. by the Irrigation Department List (ECL). war Siyal, and real estate tycoon without discrimination,” the let- accountability of all paid out of narrative, without even a formal He explained that steal- and police against those who In a letter to Minister of State Malik Riaz, on the ECL. ter said. national exchequer, and also took reference or court case and with- ing water from them is “syn- steal water. for Interior Shehryar Khan Afri- The eight leaders besides Prime It further said: “The informa- some important decisions to re- out taking into account defence onymous with sucking their “We will not let anyone be di, PPP secretary general Farhat- Minister Khan whose names the tion minister announced on De- spond to current political chal- plea.” blood”. exploited. Cases should be reg- ullah Babar said that either in- PPP wants to see on the ECL are cember 27 placing the names of lenges”, the letter added. Therefore, the PPP secretary The chief justice asked if the istered against those who steal vestigations had been initiated federal ministers Pervez Khat- the PPP leaders on the Exit Con- It said that placing the PPP general said in the letter, the par- Punjab government is aware of water in Pakistan,” Nisar said, against the nine leaders in cor- tak, Fehmida Mirza, Khalid Maq- trol List. The cabinet had decided leaders’ names on the ECL im- ty expects and demands that the the alleged theft from the Ravi adding that Murtaza should ruption cases, or references had bool Siddiqui, and Zubaida Jalal, to place all 172 individuals named mediately after the CEC meeting names of Prime Minister Khan river, and if so, what steps had tell those in power that this is been fi led against them. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief in a JIT report (on the fake ac- exposed political motivation be- and eight others should also be been taken to remedy the situ- a warning from the country’s This move by the PPP – one of Minister Mehmood Khan, sen- counts) on the ECL.” hind the decision. placed on the ECL. ation. top judge.

UAF top amongst Pakistan’s universities in ‘green’ rankings All in a day’s work The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), the The criteria for the ranking of universities includes Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, campus setting, infrastructure, energy and climate and the Pir Meher Ali Shah Arid University of change, waste, water, transportation and education. Rawalpindi have been declared as the top three The University of Agriculture Faisalabad was ranked universities in the country according to a ranking at 241 in the rankings (out of 719 institutions), while developed by Indonesia-based UI GreenMetric World Mehran University was at 294, and Arid University Universities. at 302.

Licences of pilots with bogus degrees suspended

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has suspended the Supreme Court against pilots and cabin crew licences of pilots and cabin crew members having members possessing fake degrees and certificates. fake academic credentials. He also issued directives to suspend the licences of The directives were issued by CAA director general all those pilots and cabin crew members who had Hassan Baig in view of the proceedings of the not yet submitted their degrees and certificates.

PM approves launch of private airline from Sialkot

Prime Minister Imran Khan has granted approval The airline is to be launched through co-operation for the launch of a new private airline from Sialkot with local traders and businessmen. International Airport. Jillani said the airline would be operational next year. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth The business community in Sialkot, after establishing Aff airs Usman Dar, AirSial chairman Fazal Jillani and the international airport in the export hub, had other members of the local business community met decided in 2009 to launch the airline to provide a the prime minister and Minister for Privatisation and cheaper travelling facility to the region’s traders Aviation Mohamed Mian Soomro in Sialkot, Dar said. along domestic and international routes.

Pakistan Post launches mobile application

Pakistan Post launched a mobile application to features including “track and trace”, “register facilitate its customers over the weekend at ECO complaint”, “postal services”, “tariff ”, “post codes”, Pakistani gypsies weave handmade baskets in their makeshift tent on the outskirts of Lahore. Postal Staff College. The mobile application has “locate post off ice”, and “contact us”. Gulf Times Monday, December 31, 2018 13 PHILIPPINES Go supports eff orts to promote fi lm industry

Manila Times industry, which is currently Manila facing stiff competition not only from foreign movies screened locally but also from ormer Special Assistant legal and illegal online stream- to the President (SAP) ing platforms. FChristopher Lawrence Go also said in a previous “Bong” Go expressed his sup- interview that pirates and un- port for the Philippine movie scrupulous businesses have industry and announced his preyed on the “fruits of sweat, intention of encouraging more love, and labour,” of local fi lm fi lm festivals to be staged to industry. promote quality Filipino fi lms. He added that if elected: “I At the 2018 Metro Manila will push for strategies to crack Film Festival (MMFF) Gabi ng down on these illegal busi- Parangal (Awards Night) held nesses and to strengthen the at Solaire Resort and Casino’s campaign against piracy.” People wade through a flooded street in the town of Baao in Camarines Sur province, yesterday. The Theatre in Paranaque City, Recalling the heyday of the Go said that holding similar Philippine cinema that in- fi lm festivals multiple times spired and entertained entire a year can encourage movie- generations of Filipinos, Go makers to create more quality said there is no doubt in the fi lms to cater to diff erent audi- capability of the local fi lm in- ences. dustry to create stories with The former SAP and 2019 depth and value and at par Landslides, fl ooding leave 56 senatorial candidate men- with foreign production, given tioned in the past that he proper support and protec- wants to craft measures to tion. help ensure the continued vi- “We need to amplify the ability of the local television quality of Philippine cinema, and movie industry. especially to our youth. If we dead in eastern Philippines He stated that for decades, are to uniquely identify our- the Philippine television and selves as Filipinos, we need DPA movie industries had been more Filipino-made films,” Manila providing not only entertain- Go said. ment to people but also em- The senatorial aspirant ployment and business oppor- was in attendance at the 2018 ifty-six people have been tunities to numerous sectors MMFF Gabi ng Parangal as a killed in landslides and as well. member juror. Ffl oods caused by a tropical He also stressed that movies In his interview, Bong Go depression that brought heavy are an eff ective way to promote assured the public that in ad- rains over the eastern Philip- Filipino culture and values to dressing the needs of various pines, police and civil defence the youth. sectors such as the Philippine offi cials said yesterday. Go added that he is cur- movie industry as well as Eleven people were still miss- rently discussing with vari- other national issues, he can ing, while more than 22,000 ous luminaries in the industry, be counted on to serve the were displaced by the landslides some of whom he considers people through his experi- and fl oods in six provinces that his friends, to share ideas and ence and dedication in public bore the brunt of the rains, the craft ways to strengthen the service. regional civil defence offi ce said. Fifty of the victims were killed in fi ve provinces in the region of Bicol, mostly due to landslides, Arroyo’s message focuses on ‘kindness, unity’ the offi ce said. Six people drowned or were Kindness, unity, and forgiveness are three things that Speaker buried in landslides in two prov- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wished Filipinos would aspire for as inces in the nearby region of 2018 draws to a close, Manila Times reported. In her New Year’s Eastern Visayas, police said. message yesterday, Arroyo urged the public to be thankful for Some areas aff ected by the the blessings that they have received and expressed hope for landslides have not been reached “a peaceful and prosperous Philippines.” “Let us not build fences by rescue and emergency teams, A destroyed house is seen after a tropical depression descended upon Daet, Camarines Norte, yesterday, in this still image taken from a video but spread kindness and compassion. Let us not sow division said Edgar Posadas, spokesman obtained from social media. but unity, not hate but forgiveness,” said Arroyo, a representative for the national disaster risk re- of Pampanga 2nd District. “May this new year bring us endless duction offi ce.“The sad story is area after making landfall over still stranded in various sea- the north-east monsoon. The causing floods, landslides and opportunities to fulfil our dreams and be a true blessing to oth- the death toll is increasing,” he the province of Eastern Samar ports in eastern and central bad weather would also affect other accidents. ers,” she said. Arroyo on Friday was acquitted by the Pasay City told reporters. “Our teams are on Saturday, but brought in provinces. Manila and other parts of the One of the strongest in recent Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 112 of the charge of electoral still responding, and this could heavy rains in the days before. The weather bureau said country, which could dampen memory, Typhoon Haiyan, hit sabotage over allegations that she cheated in the 2007 senato- still go up...Clearing opera- Dozens of domestic flights eastern and central provinces usually rowdy New Year’s Eve the country in November 2013, rial elections when she was then president. The case stemmed tions are still ongoing.” have been cancelled due to bad would continue to experi- celebrations. killing more than 6,300 people from the testimony of Norie Unas, then provincial administrator The tropical depression weather since Thursday, while ence rains due to the low pres- Each year the Philippines is and displacing more than 4mn of Ampatuan, Maguindanao. weakened into a low pressure nearly 4,000 passengers were sure area and a cold front and hit by an average of 20 cyclones others.

Most Filipinos believe ‘giving Call to emulate Rizal’s patriotism better than receiving’: survey with support for fi ght against graft By Ralph Villanueva Manila Times By Ralph Villanueva Manila Times ajority of Filipinos still fi nd it better to resident Rodrigo Duterte Mgive than to receive, a skipped rites to commem- Social Weather Stations (SWS) Porate the 122nd anniversa- survey has shown. ry of the martyrdom of Rizal Day The SWS survey, conducted in Davao City yesterday. from December 16 to 19, found However, in his speech that that 74% of Filipinos aged 18 was read by his daughter, Davao and above said it is better to City Mayor Sara Duterte, the give than to receive Christmas president called on Filipinos to gifts, while 22% said receiving emulate Rizal’s patriotism by is better than giving. “supporting the government’s The 74% figure is seven development agenda and our points lower than the record- campaign against corruption, high 81% last year. criminality and illegal drugs.” According to the survey, the Duterte’s former special as- huge dip in the rating could sistant, Christopher Lawrence be tied largely to the 16-point “Bong” Go, said the chief execu- decline in the Visayas region, tive did not attend the Rizal Day which received a record-low rites because he was advised to 67% this year, compared to rest. the record-high 83% last year. An advisory from Malacanang It also fell by eight points in last week said Duterte would Balance Luzon at 76%, from A woman picks a toy for her young son in Divisoria, Manila. commemorate the event at Rizal the record-high 84% last year. Park in his hometown. The monument of national hero, Dr Jose Rizal at the plaza in Baranggay Real, Calamba City in Laguna province. The figure in Metro Ma- to the figure last year. It now time-high 78%. The figure In his speech read by his nila barely moved this year at received a record-low 77% also fell in all age groups, ex- daughter, Duterte urged Fili- compassion. And it is by having plight of our countrymen,” he macy to education and hard work 84%, from 85% last year. this year in classes A, B and C, cept those in the 25-34 years pinos to take part in nation- genuine concern for our kaba- added. as the means to improve one’s lot Three percent of Filipinos compared to the record-high age-group. A total of 1,440 building and contribute to the bayans (fellowmen) that we can The president also called on in life,” Duterte said. “May Riz- in Mindanao, however, said 95% last year. adults were surveyed. advancement of the country. truly show the goodness of our everyone to dedicate their skills al’s courage and patriotic fervour the opposite, after garnering The number fell by six The SWS survey had sam- He said that to develop one’s character, just like our national and talents to serve the country, inspire us all to develop compas- a record-high 72% rating from points in class D, at a record- pling error margins of + or self for the benefi t of all would be hero,” Duterte said. “just like Rizal did.” sion for our fellowmen, as well as last year’s 69%. low 75% this year, compared - 2.6% for national percent- a “foundation of a truly free and “Let our love of country, gen- “We need to free ourselves foster a greater desire to always Those who said it is “better to the record-high 81% last ages, and + or -5% each for progressive country.” uine service for others – which from the shackles of poverty, think of the common good so to give” also fell in all socio- year. It also fell by six points Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, “Intelligence must indeed are innately Filipino – fuel our criminality and corruption. And that we may be able to progress economic classes compared in class E at 72%, from an all- Visayas and Mindanao. always go hand in hand with desire to aid in addressing the we can only do so if we give pri- as a people and as a nation.” Gulf Times 14 Monday, December 31, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ‘Friends of Modi’ in the US Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar all set for re-election drive [email protected] 44350478 (News), By Alexandra Ulmer Friends of the BJP has some 4,000 ushering in policies that will turn India, states and their own hometowns, given Clarksburg, Maryland members, although its president already the world’s fastest-growing they can campaign in the local language 44466404 (Sport), Krishna Reddy estimates the broader large economy, into a powerhouse. and have a good grasp of community 44466636 (Home delivery) network includes up to 300,000 But identity politics also help explain issues. n a chilly Sunday morning in supporters. BJP success overseas. Devesh Kapur, a political scientist 44350474 this quiet American suburb, Many cannot travel home to vote, so US-based supporters often have at John Hopkins University who facebook.com/gulftimes IT consultant Madhu Bellam ardent BJP backers are channelling their roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak has written two books on Indian- Oscoured a spreadsheet with energy into phone campaigns and a Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist group Americans, said calls from the United twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar contact details for over 1,500 Indian blitz of social media messages to people that is the ideological parent of the BJP. States are unlikely to change voters’ voters. in India. Also helping Modi, who governed the minds but they could help rally support. He punched numbers into his phone To be sure, this kind of campaigning western state of Gujarat from 2001 to “My impression is that their eff ect and rang his hometown of Hyderabad, a may only have a modest impact on the 2014, is the large Gujarati community in is at the margin, and more on turnout tech hub in southern India about 8,800 nearly 900mn voters in India, where the United States. rather than changing voting preferences GULF TIMES miles away. hot-button issues centre on a lack of Modi moved to the federal per se,” said Kapur. Bellam emigrated to the United jobs for young people and distress in government after winning the general Amid the buzz around the BJP States around two decades ago, and heartland farming states because of low election in 2014 with a thumping abroad, the Congress party, which ruled then renounced his Indian passport to crop prices. majority, when he was widely India for most of its post-independence became an American in 2011. Vijay Chauthaiwale, the head of the supported by the Indian diaspora era after 1947, is trying to drum up Qatar’s fi ght against He now runs his own tech BJP’s foreign aff airs cell, said Modi overseas. support from the diaspora, too. consultancy. supporters in 20 countries will be Although he remains popular and is During a tour of the United States last But the 47 year-old, convinced that helping out in the campaign. largely expected to win another fi ve- year, Congress president Rahul Gandhi the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Besides the United States, these year term, the 2019 election will likely praised emigres as the “backbone” of tobacco, obesity to Janata Party (BJP) will unlock India’s include Britain, Canada, Australia and be tougher, with some voters feeling India. economic potential, is part of an army parts of Africa, where there are large let down by his campaign promise of For the 2019 election, members are of activists seeking to propel Prime Indian communities. “development for all.” asked to support Congress on social Minister Narendra Modi to a second But Indian-Americans, who number But there is no indication that media and speak to friends and family see progress in 2019 term in next year’s general election, due around four mn, have perhaps the most the enthusiasm of Modi’s overseas back home — but not to call voters, said to be held by May. infl uence. supporters has waned. Sam Pitroda, the chairman of the Indian “I am requesting you to vote As one of the most educated and From his sofa in Maryland, Bellam Overseas Congress Department. Indications are that 2019 is expected to break new for BJP and spread the word in the prosperous minorities in the United was trying to woo voters ahead of local “I am not going to force you. I am grounds in Qatar’s fi ght against tobacco and obesity, two constituency,” Bellam says in his phone States, the community is admired in elections this month, in which the BJP not going to tell you: ‘I’m great and major public health scourges. The Ministry of Finance calls to people in India whose numbers India — an asset the BJP has seized on. lost control of three major heartland successful, listen to me.’... were provided to him by the party. “They are shocked to be getting a call states to the opposition Congress party. How can I tell some poor little farmer recently announced the selective tax on certain health- He then extols Modi’s policies, from the United States,” Bellam said of But he and other Modi supporters that I am successful?” said Pitroda, who damaging goods from January 1. It is proposed to levy a including his fl agship “Make in India” the people he phones. “We call some already have their sights set on the was an adviser to then Prime Minister 100% tax on tobacco and its products and energy drinks, plan. rural people too. They look at us as very general election. Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s and now lives and a 50% tax on sugary drinks. A quantum spurt in the Bellam and fellow BJP supporters successful people, so that’s the good US supporters will likely make in Chicago. also lobby their own networks in India, thing for us to convince them. They around 500,000 calls next year, “All you can tell them is: Do you prices should go a long way in curbing the consumption calling acquaintances, cousins and old think that we speak the truth.” according to Reddy, the president of the believe in freedom? Do you believe in of these health hazards. schoolmates with the same message. US-based BJP supporters said they group. inclusion? Then the Congress party is The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has also The US chapter of the Overseas back Modi because they believe he is Members will target India’s biggest the party you want to vote for.” launched a campaign to raise awareness about Law Number 10 of 2016 on the control of tobacco and its derivatives. The law prohibits smoking in closed public spaces and in cars carrying minors, and can lead to a fi ne of up to QR3,000. The campaign aims to encourage residents to adhere by the tobacco control laws, and to emphasise the penalties for any violations of these laws to business, and promotes the Tobacco Violations Hotline Number (50302001), where the public can call the Tobacco Inspection Team to report violations of the Tobacco Law. Director of Public Health, Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, said, “Smoking is a signifi cant public health concern in Qatar, therefore it is vital that we increase our eff orts to combat tobacco use. The National Health Strategy 2018-2022 sets a target of reducing the prevalence of smoking, and achieving this includes enforcement of our law on tobacco control; which is not only designed to reduce tobacco More action is consumption in needed to save Qatar, but also to protect non- non-smokers and smokers, such inspire smokers to as children, who are exposed to quit harmful second- hand smoke. The Ministry of Public Health is working with its partners to reduce tobacco consumption in Qatar by 30% by 2022 Madhu Bellam, a member of the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), calls potential voters in Hyderabad, India, from his home in Clarksburg, Maryland, US, December 2, 2018. and identifi ed it as a national target within the National Health Strategy 2018-2022. Shops that allow indoor tobacco use or the sale of tobacco products to minors can face steep fi nes and up to three months’ closure. The law also prohibits advertising or promotions of tobacco products, the use of Sweika The centre left and globalisation and other chewing tobacco products, and bans the sales of electronic cigarettes. The authorities should also was to adopt the centre right’s agenda was announced that his government form of tax and regulatory arbitrage. ensure that indoor smoking in offi ces is controlled as it By Kemal Dervi and Caroline Conroy Washington, DC and pursue labour-market, tax, and would increase the tax on diesel fuel, Unmanaged globalisation encourages endangers the health of even non-smokers who are forced investment policies that would “adapt” middle- and working-class commuters capital and high-income earners to to be passive smokers. Yet another hazard is smoking France to “capitalist” globalisation. took to the streets. With polls showing fl ock to low-tax jurisdictions, depriving opular uprisings across France Somewhat surprisingly, this is the route that around 70% of the French support governments of the revenues needed in open places, especially at the entrances of malls and are threatening to shatter the he initially chose, quickly becoming the Yellow Vest protesters, Macron was to maintain social-security systems. shopping centres. Smokers hang around the entrances hope that so many had placed the darling of the business-oriented forced to retreat. Fortunately, the G20 has begun to and have their nicotine fi x as smoking is prohibited Pin French President Emmanuel international press. Was there a full-fledged centre-left recognise this as a problem. But much inside. But non-smokers are forced to inhale the smoke as Macron after his election in May 2017. The other avenue would have alternative that Macron could have more work needs to be done to adapt they pass by. With his party, La République En required Macron to build on a pre- pursued instead? The short answer is tax, health-care, and education systems Marche !, having secured an absolute existing but vague conception of no. Reformers concerned primarily to a global economy in which tech Head of Health Promotion and Non-Communicable parliamentary majority, Macron left-wing internationalism. In practice, with income and wealth inequality, giants are developing new forms of Diseases at MoPH, Dr Kholood al-Mutawa had recently promised to pursue diffi cult reforms that would mean pursuing policies to environmental sustainability, and monopoly power. stressed that second-hand smoke is a major health risk in not just in France, but also within the help the middle class, while updating democracy are still trying to figure These eff orts will require a lot of new particular to children and young people being exposed to it. European Union. But now he is facing an obsolete centre-left programme to out what a left-wing approach to thinking. For their part, centre-left the biggest crisis of his presidency. account for the eff ects of disruptive globalisation should look like. Unlike leaders must start exploring ideas for “Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals and Revitalisation of the EU has long technologies and business models. As neoliberalism, which is clear in its radical and innovative new governance it is important people are protected from the harms of depended on a strong French leader the economist Dani Rodrik has long policy prescriptions, a centre-left platforms at both the national and second hand smoke. Everyone has the right to live in a capable of overhauling the country’s argued, more globalisation requires approach must offer an entirely international levels. They could do smoke-free environment away from the harms caused economy. Before the proposed fuel a larger state, in order to compensate new social contract to address the worse than to read the historian Yuval tax that brought the Yellow Vests into those displaced by free trade, capital- effects of technological disruption, Noah Hariri’s new book, 21 Lessons by tobacco and by discouraging smoking in public we can the streets last month, Macron had account liberalisation, and so forth. deepening globalisation, and climate for the 21st Century, which off ers a work towards this goal of a healthier nation,” she said. So managed to overcome opposition to Without compensation, there is no change. blueprint for addressing collective more action is needed to save non-smokers and inspire a series of labour-market reforms. guarantee that globalisation will More to the point, the left must challenges like climate change and smokers to quit. Though politically diffi cult, the reforms maintain broad public acceptance. understand that it cannot win this battle nuclear proliferation. were necessary to bring the budget This is not to say France can do by focusing on domestic policymaking The world is undergoing a defi cit below 3% of GDP, in accordance without centre-right reforms. The alone. Technological innovations and technological revolution that has the with EU rules, and modernise France’s budget absolutely does matter, and the global networks that facilitate potential to benefi t us all. But much will To Advertise generous social-security system in the reducing defi cits will always require their diff usion cannot be reversed or depend on whether there is leadership face of disruptive new technologies. unpopular spending cuts and tax unravelled; at best, they can be slowed to manage the coming disruptions. The [email protected] As I (Dervi ) argued in May, the increases. Likewise, the French labour down. But those who resist change will alternative is to risk updated versions Display traditional centre right and centre left market tends to benefi t insiders, thus end up less competitive in the economy of the twentieth century’s political are too deeply embedded in European making it harder for everyone else to of the future. The only real choice, then, catastrophes and world wars. Either 44466621 44418811 political life to be erased by an upstart fi nd a job. And the state-owned rail is to move ahead, but also with social- way, Macron is a bellwether, because political movement like Macron’s. So, system was in desperate need of an welfare reforms to protect every citizen what happens in France will not stay in Classified for Macron to retain his popularity, overhaul. In his fi rst year and a half in and to compensate the losers. Suffi cient France. – Project Syndicate 44466609 44418811 he must co-operate with or somehow offi ce, Macron started to tackle these resources must also be available to subsume either the centre right or the problems, and managed to deliver a facilitate learning and new careers. zKemal Dervi , former Minister of Subscription centre left. budget in line with EU defi cit rules. Needless to say, a new centre-left Economic Aff airs of Turkey and former In the fi rst round of the 2017 The problem is that in pursuing social contract will require substantial Administrator for the United Nations [email protected] presidential election, two-thirds of these reforms, Macron abandoned his public resources, wisely deployed, often Development Program (UNDP), is Senior France’s centre-left electorate voted for core centre-left constituency. Step by by local governments. At the same time, Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Macron. Still, he had two avenues open step, his reforms seemed consistently governments will have to cooperate to Caroline Conroy is a senior research © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved to him when he took offi ce. The fi rst to benefi t the rich. And so, when it prevent international blackmail in the analyst at the Brookings Institution. Gulf Times Monday, December 31, 2018 15 COMMENT ‘America First’ will strengthen Chinese hardliners

By Andrew Sheng and Xiao Geng to the fi rst signifi cant external shock Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Hong Kong with a prominent national-security Zemin, and Hu Jintao. This means dimension that China has faced in the consolidating Party leadership, last 40 years. contrary to America’s wishes, in arlier this month, at a The risk today is that the increasingly order to maintain a pragmatic, conference to commemorate hardline “America First” approach flexible, and strategic approach the 40th anniversary of taken by the US will strengthen to managing systemic risks and EChina’s “reform and opening China’s own hardliners, who will push addressing internal concerns and up,” President Xi Jinping underscored to emphasise national security over external threats. the tension between the continuation continued reform and opening up. As Domestically, China’s government of that process and the imperative Pascal Lamy, a former World Trade will aim to support development that of protecting national security. Xi Organisation director-general, put it, “a emphasises boosting productivity and recognised that “China cannot develop more aggressive US can create a more thus delivering innovative, coordinated, itself in isolation from the world, aggressive China in a chain reaction that green, open, and inclusive growth. and the world needs China for global would be bad for all.” Such a strategy will include continued prosperity.” Yet he also emphasised Such a chain reaction would include experimentation and adjustment, that “no one is in a position to dictate a negative downward spiral in global particularly when it comes to developing to the Chinese people what should or trade and investment dynamics. Rising eff ective institutions that can provide should not be done.” trade tensions are already increasing public goods in a transparent and There is no doubt that the world – the chances of a synchronised global accountable way. On the international and especially the United States – has recession, with slower growth in front, Xi plans to maintain a responsible lately been trying hard to pressure the US, China, and Europe in 2019. foreign policy aimed at inclusive global China to make changes. US President Meanwhile, resistance to China’s Belt development and resisting hegemony by Donald Trump’s trade war – which he and Road Initiative – which has also any single actor. justifi es in national-security terms – is been demonised by some Chinese In short, Xi will uphold China’s the most potent example. But earlier national-security hawks – could tried-and-tested, deeply pragmatic this month – on the same night Xi and choke off one of the world’s few approach to modernisation. Like so Trump struck a 90-day trade truce sources of fi nance for much-needed many of his predecessors, but unlike – Meng Wanzhou, the chief fi nancial infrastructure and public goods, many in the West, Xi understands offi cer of the Chinese tech giant particularly in developing countries. that there is no simple, one-time Huawei, was arrested in Canada at the China now faces a dilemma. In solution to the challenges ahead. behest of the US. order to minimise its vulnerability As he put it at the 40th anniversary While the reason for Meng’s arrest to external hostility, the authorities conference, “We must resolutely has not been clarifi ed by the US Justice may need to rethink some elements of reform what should and can be Department, it appears to relate to US their domestic reform agenda. From changed, we must resolutely not suspicions that Huawei has violated a national security (and public goods) reform what shouldn’t and can’t be American sanctions against Iran. But perspective, maintaining a strong state changed.” it also likely refl ects the technological sector, emphasising debt fi nancing, China seems ready for realistic dimension of the escalating economic and strengthening CPC leadership reforms. Is America ready for a and geopolitical competition between make more sense. But, in order to pragmatic deal? – Project Syndicate the US and China. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial off icer of the Chinese tech giant Huawei, who was arrested in Canada at the behest of the US. ensure quality growth, the country In any case, the possibility of must continue working to boost private zAndrew Sheng is Distinguished unexpected restrictions or sanctions ahead. After all, the country has been average annual GDP growth foreign-exchange reserves. business, expand equity fi nancing, Fellow of the Asia Global Institute at on businesses or individuals, imposed endured serious internal and external of 9.5% (compared to a 2.9% global As Xi emphasised in his recent and advance decentralisation, thereby the University of Hong Kong and a in the name of national security, shocks almost every decade over the average) since 1978, which raised speech, this success refl ects the spurring competition, innovation, and member of the UNEP Advisory Council sharply increases the risks faced last 40 years: the Cultural Revolution China’s share of global GDP from hard work of the Chinese people, job creation. on Sustainable Finance. Xiao Geng, by Chinese, American, and other in the 1970s; high domestic infl ation 1.8% to 18.2% and lifted 740 million the innovative practices of Chinese Xi hopes to balance these President of the Hong Kong Institution businesses. This sends a chilling signal in the 1980s; the Asian fi nancial crisis people out of poverty. China now businesses, and the leadership of imperatives by doubling down on for International Finance, is a professor to fi nancial markets, which have been of the 1990s; and the 2008 global ranks second in the world in terms the Communist Party of China. China’s growth model with Chinese at Peking University HSBC Business plumbing multiyear lows all month. fi nancial crisis. of GDP, consumption, and foreign Yet it is this centralised, one-party characteristics, incorporating lessons School and at the University of Hong There is good reason to hope that In fact, China turned these crises direct investment, and first for system of governance that the US is from Chinese philosophy and history, Kong’s Faculty of Business and China can weather the challenges into opportunities. The result has manufacturing, trade in goods, and trying to change, in what amounts as well as from his predecessors: Economics. Nature vs Infrastructure Three-day forecast the true value of nature, and make noted, if these aerial water pumps are 15.5mn miles of new paved roads, TODAY By Maxwell Gomera Maximum Temperature : 230c Cambridge environmental ethics and cost-benefi t permanently turned off , an area that enough to circle the Earth more analyses part of every project. accounts for 70% of South America’s than 600 times. More than 90% of Minimum Temperature : 200c At the moment, this is not gross national product would be this fresh pavement will be laid in TUESDAY n November 2017, scientists happening; most infrastructure is turned into desert. developing countries, which already Maximum Temperature : 240c working in Sumatra, Indonesia, planned and constructed on the basis Of course, identifying critical face huge environmental pressure. Minimum Temperature : 180c made an exciting announcement: of market assessments that fail to natural capital is challenging, In the Amazon region, for example, WEDNESDAY they had discovered a new species account for nature. As a result, the especially at smaller scales. While there are nearly 53,000 mining Maximum Temperature : 240c I Minimum Temperature : 200c of orangutan, bringing to seven the world is facing a growing crisis: the many can agree on the importance of leases encompassing 21% of the weakening of ecosystem services – protecting the Amazon, it is harder to basin’s land mass. In Guinea, a World number of great ape species globally. Fisherman's forecast But one year later, the only home such as clean water, fl ood defence, demonstrate the value of preserving Bank-supported dam is reportedly of the 800 wild Tapanuli orangutans and bee pollination – that protect orangutans in Indonesia. But, over threatening a key chimpanzee WARNING time, loss of the Tapanuli orangutan’s sanctuary. And in Tanzania, the Inshore : Expected poor visibility is being cleared for a $1.6bn dam and biodiversity and form the foundation at southwest area at hydroelectric power plant. Although on which human welfare depends. habitat would profoundly change the government has approved a dam and first/thundery rain at the project will contribute less than 1% To change the status quo, we must composition of the rainforest and hydroelectric plant in the Selous Game north. of the country’s planned generating make an ethical choice not to expose disrupt its ecological services. At the Reserve, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Offshore : Expected thundery rain associated with strong capacity, scientists say it will lead to critical habitats and “natural capital” same time, the elimination of a species With human needs increasing as wind and high seas to the extinction of this rare species. to greater danger – regardless of of great ape – our closest kin – would populations and incomes grow, there the north This raises, once again, a key question: the possible economic returns. Just erase an opportunity to understand are legitimate reasons to build more WEATHER Inshore : Misty to foggy at what is nature worth? as most of the world has rejected better our own evolution and genetics. infrastructure. But if current trends southwest area at first, Indonesia is not alone in making the use of slave or child labour, the In the developed world, some continue, short-term interests will partly cloudy to cloudy environmentally detrimental trade- permanent destruction of nature must governments and businesses are strip away the natural assets on which at times. Offshore : Partly cloudy to cloudy off s. The 21st century will be a period be repudiated. making the ethical choice by applying all life depends. To plan for smart at times. of unprecedented infrastructure Some economists have recognised the “precautionary principle” to development, governments and WIND expansion, and a staggering $90tn this by building environmental costs growth. Adopted in 1992 as part of the business must recognise nature’s role Inshore : Northeasterly-Easterly 03-13/22 KT will be spent over the next 15 years to into their arguments; the Amazon Rio Declaration on Environment and in supporting economic activity and Offshrore : Northeasterly-South- build or replace dams, power plants, rainforest is a case in point. There, Development, the principle embodies ensuring ecological and human health. easterly 03-13/25 KT and other facilities. In fact, more deforestation has reduced the the conclusion that it is wiser – After all, we do not – and cannot – live Visibility : 4-8/2 KM infrastructure will be built over the production of vapour clouds that are and ultimately cheaper – to avoid in a world where nature has no value. – Offshore : 1-3/8 FT Project Syndicate next decade and a half than currently essential to transporting rain across environmental degradation in the fi rst Around the region exists. Naturally, habitats will be South America. The drought that place. Weather disrupted in the process. parched São Paulo between 2014 and The real challenge is to instill this zMaxwell Gomera, a 2018 Aspen Weather tomorrow Max/min And yet, environmentally reckless 2017 is believed to have been caused, ethos in developing economies, where New Voices fellow, is Director of today Max/min Sunny 17/08 growth is not preordained; it is at least in part, by the absence of the bulk of future infrastructure the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Baghdad Sunny 17/07 M Sunny 18/13 possible to make smart, sustainable these “fl ying rivers.” As the Brazilian spending will occur. Consider highway Services Branch at the United Nations Kuwait CityRain 18/11 Sunny 23/17 choices. To do so, we must recognise climate scientist Antonio Nobre has development. By 2050, there will be Environment Programme. Manama S T Storms 24/17 Muscat Sunny 27/19 Sunny 26/20 Tehran Sunny 11/01 M Sunny 11/01 Live issues To lower BP, exercise may be as good as medication

By Linda Carroll high blood pressure or with elevated mmHg or higher – they found exercise it and perhaps try exercise,” he said. Reuters Health blood pressure that put them at risk achieved results comparable to “Initially they would use exercise of hypertension, and 197 trials in medication: a drop of 8.96 mmHg, on along with medications. Hopefully similar groups that tested the eff ect of average. if the exercise brought blood or people with high blood exercise. They also included data from One of the study’s limitations pressure down sufficiently they Around the world pressure, starting an exercise past analyses that combined data from is that some participants in the could be weaned off some of their Weather Weather regimen may lower blood these kinds of trials. exercise trials were also on blood medications.” today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Fpressure by as much as taking All told, Naci’s team had data for pressure medication, the authors There is, however, a caveat to that Athens Rain 11/07 Rain 09/06 medication would, a large analysis 10,461 volunteers in exercise trials and note in the British Journal of Sports message. “There is less of a blood Beirut Showers 16/13 M Sunny 19/13 suggests. 29,281 in medication trials. Medicine. pressure lowering eff ect in people Bangkok P Cloudy 29/21 P Cloudy 30/21 Researchers combined data from None of the trials directly Naci and her colleagues also point who are older,” Stewart explained. Berlin Cloudy 06/05 Showers 07/02 nearly 400 randomised trials that compared the eff ects of medication out that they examined the eff ects of “It’s about half the magnitude of the Cairo Sunny 21/09 M Sunny 19/10 assessed the eff ects of blood pressure to exercise. “We need direct head- diff erent types of exercise, including change this analysis is showing.” Cape Town Sunny 27/17 M Sunny 23/16 drugs or of exercise on blood pressure. to-head randomised controlled cardio and strength training, as well Part of the problem in people 55 and Colombo M Sunny 31/23 M Sunny 31/22 They found that overall, each lowered trials comparing exercise and as diff erent intensities, and found that older is that the arteries get stiff er with Dhaka Sunny 26/13 Sunny 26/13 blood pressure by nearly 9 mmHg antihypertensive drugs to fully answer all types of exercise, and even low- age. “And that doesn’t seem to get Hong Kong Cloudy 13/09 M Cloudy 16/11 (millimetres of mercury) in patients this question,” Naci said in an email. intensity activity, may off er a benefi t. reversed much with exercise,” he said. Istanbul M Sunny 08/03 P Cloudy 08/05 with hypertension. When looking at all participants, The results warrant “renewed “My guess is that a lot of people who Jakarta S T Storms 31/24 T Storm 31/25 “Exercise seems to achieve similar including those with normal, attention” to identifying eff ective are older and have hypertension will Karachi Sunny 27/13 Sunny 26/16 reductions in systolic blood pressure elevated and high blood pressure, strategies for promoting exercise, they probably be on some combination of London P Cloudy 11/06 M Sunny 11/02 as commonly used antihypertensive the researchers found medications conclude. exercise and blood pressure lowering Manila S T Storms 29/24 S T Storms 29/24 drugs among people with high blood to be more eff ective than exercise at The idea that exercise might be medications.” Moscow Snow -3/-7 Cloudy -5/-7 pressure,” said the study’s lead lowering systolic blood pressure – the as good as medication at lowering While exercise may not provide the New Delhi Fog 22/06 Fog 22/08 author Huseyin Naci, a health policy “top” number in a blood pressure blood pressure isn’t new, said Kerry same “bang for the buck” in terms New York Rain 08/07 P Cloudy 14/03 researcher at the London School of reading, which indicates the pressure Stewart of Johns Hopkins Medicine in of lowering blood pressure in older Paris Cloudy 09/06 Cloudy 09/03 Economics and Political Science in on blood vessel walls when the heart Baltimore, Maryland. people, plenty of other benefi ts accrue Sao Paulo M Sunny 31/19 S Showers 31/21 the UK. pumps. “The advantage of another study to those who exercise, Stewart said, Seoul M Sunny -1/-12 Sunny -1/-12 Naci and colleagues looked at But when the team focused just like this one is that it puts the including weight loss, lipid lowering Singapore T Storm 31/26 S T Storms 31/26 194 randomised controlled trials on the higher-risk group with information out to the public, so and loss of visceral belly fat. “And Sydney P Cloudy 29/21 P Cloudy 29/21 that tested the impact of anti- hypertension – defi ned in the study maybe more physicians and patients those benefi ts are tied to overall Tokyo Clear 09/02 Clear 09/01 hypertensive drugs in people with as systolic blood pressure of 140 with hypertension will take notice of cardiovascular health,” Stewart said. Gulf Times 16 Monday, December 31, 2018 QATAR QM introduces Four Pakistan ships set to teachers and students to dock at Hamad Port today its projects our Pakistan Navy ships will dock at Hamad Port atar Museums (QM), sion stressed the importance Ffrom today to January 3 in under the patron- of collaboration between QM a display of goodwill and deep Qage of Chairperson, and the educational sector, friendly relations with Qatar, the HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint highlighting QM’s commit- embassy announced yesterday. Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, ment to develop a thriving The task group comprising hosted a meeting with teach- cultural sector by inspiring a ships PNS Khaibar, PNS Ma- ers at the Fire Station as part of new generation of creators and dadgar, PNS Rah Naward and its eff orts to make its cultural producers. PMSS Zhob are visiting Qatar resources available to teachers Commenting on the event, with an aim to enhance maritime and students in Qatar. Haya al-Jabor, senior pro- collaboration between the two The event was a chance for grammes educational spe- navies, according to a statement. PNS Madadgar QM to introduce schools to its cialist stated: “Students in Besides regular participation projects and initiatives as well schools are getting their in- of Pakistan Navy ships in Dim- as get their perspectives on how spiration and being encour- dex Exhibition, this visit marks to better integrate museum aged by their teachers who the largest number of Pakistani PNS Khaibar collections with the national should have access to the best vessels visiting Qatar at any one educational curriculum. resources. It is therefore vi- given time. Organised by QM’s Depart- tal that we work closely with The port call by Pakistani ment of Education and hosted teachers and educators to ships is a testimony of growing in co-operation with the Min- provide learners with access security and defence relation- istry of Education and Higher to our museums and collec- ship between Qatar and Paki- Education, the interactive tions, thus encouraging them stan, it was explained. event saw teachers asked to to explore the world around PNS Khaibar derives its name review lesson plans developed them and express themselves from a famous battle in 629 AD by QM and share their feed- in creative ways. The session during which the seemingly PMSS Zhob back. The session also saw was very productive and we invincible fortress of Khaibar teachers work with a set of are pleased to head into 2019 was overcome by Muslims. PNS yard & Engineering Works, was ployed to impart professional, artworks and artefacts from with a fresh set of ideas and Khaibar (Ex-HMS Arrow) is the commissioned in Pakistan Navy educational and physical train- QM to develop lesson plans perspectives.” fourth of eight Type-21 Ama- on July 19, 2011. ing to offi cers and men of the Pa- incorporating the objects and The four-hour long discus- zon class frigates and acquired The 1,600 tonnes twin screw kistan Navy. The fi rst-ever Tall fi nding new ways of brining sion generated several sug- by Pakistan Navy from the UK in utility ship is designed for multi- Ship of PN provides a unique op- PNS Rah Naward QM’s vast resources into the gestions from teachers on early 1990s. purpose roles and operations at portunity for understanding the classroom. how schools can foster close Since its induction in Pakistan high seas and has been optimised essence of teamwork, leadership, The ship, launched on December and excellent maneuverability. The highly engaging discus- collaboration with QM. Navy Fleet, it has undergone for provision of logistic support and enhanced self -esteem. 5, 2017, was commissioned in Pa- The vessel has an overall length major qualitative modifi cations to coastal stations, replenish- Sail training provides an un- kistan Maritime Security Agency 68.5m, beam of 11m and can in weaponry and sensors. Due to ment of surface ships at anchor/ conventional yet an extremely on August 9, 2018. achieve maximum speed of 27 its unique capabilities, the ship adrift/at harbour and towing op- eff ective way of building many PMSS Zhob, one of the lead knots. is capable of undertaking a va- erations. The ship is character- useful skills which can prove ships of Hingol Class MPVs 6HT The offi cers and men of the riety of naval operations across ised by excellent maneuverabil- highly benefi cial ashore and at (600 tonnes MPV), has been op- visiting task group will hold pro- the entire spectrum of naval ity, spacious layout and adequate sea. The ship is making a pow- timised for maritime policing, fessional discussions and inter- warfare. Bollard Pull capacity. Since com- erful contribution in shaping EEZ patrolling and SAR roles, actions with their counterparts PNS Madadgar, meaning ‘lo- missioning, it has participated in professional acumen of naval enabling quick response, op- from Qatar Navy on subjects of gistic support provider’, is a numerous national and interna- offi cers and men. timum presence and reduced mutual interest. The visit will small tanker cum utility ship tional exercises. PMSS Zhob, named after a turnaround times. strengthen the mutual desire of (STUS), with an overall length PNS Rah Naward (Ex-Prince river in Balochistan province, is The ship is fi tted with four promoting peace and security 47.20m, beam of 11m and can William) was commissioned on a maritime patrol vessel (MPV), high speed diesel engines, driv- in the region besides enhancing achieve a maximum of 15 knots. September 23, 2010 at Hull, UK. indigenously built at Karachi ing four shafts enabling it to maritime co-operation between The ship, built at Karachi Ship- Ever since, the ship has been de- Shipyard & Engineering Works. ensure sustained high speeds the two seafaring nations. School teachers at an interactive session at the Fire Station. MoI holds workshop on its services to companies

he Unifi ed Services located across the country. Department of the Though these centres TMinistry of Interior function between 6am (MoI), in collaboration with and 6pm, the slot between Public Relations Department, 1pm and 6pm is dedicated organised a workshop on the for services only related to services to companies. companies. Representatives of sev- First Lt Nasser Saad al- eral companies operating Kaabi, head of Mesaieed in the country attended the Services Centre, explained workshop. about the services for com- Speaking on the occa- panies and those available sion, First Lt Mohamed on Metrash2. Saeed al-Kaabi said the de- He stressed that the PROs partment under the General of companies should utilise Directorate of Passports has the e-services available on been working to enhance Metrash2 or E-system as a number of services ren- the MoI is moving towards dered by the MoI through paperless electronic system First Lt Mohamed Saeed al-Kaabi and First Lt Nasser Saad 16 unifi ed services centres completely. al-Kaabi briefing representatives of companies. Al Bawasil Diabetes Camp begins

he 19th Al Bawasil Diabe- tes Camp, organised by Qatar TDiabetes Association (QDA), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), kicked off yesterday morning. The event is being held under the patronage of HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, chairman of Al Shaqab, a member of QF. The fi ve-day camp will run until January 3 at Guest Services at Al Maji- lis Al Janoub – Student Housing Com- plex in Education City. It has brought together 50 children – between the ages of seven and 11 – from 12 diabetes associations from various countries across the region, including Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Palestine, Iran, Jordan, Tunisia, and Fifty children from 12 diabetes associations from various countries across the Morocco. region attending the camp. Commenting on the event, Dr Ab- dulla al-Hamaq, executive director, control their diabetes, topics that will sion 2030, contributing to the Human QDA, said: “Al Bawasil camp is an be covered include blood glucose mon- and Social Pillars specifi cally. Oryx excellent opportunity for children to itoring, recognition and management GTL aims to support the health sector learn about type 1 diabetes, outside of of hypo-/hyperglycemia and ketosis, and to help create a healthier future a hospital. As part of the programme, insulin types and administration tech- through collaboration with key stake- the participants are taught how to do niques, and the importance of adopt- holders.” a blood glucose test, how to use spe- ing healthy lifestyles. The sessions also A specialised medical team is super- cifi c equipment such as a glucometer, aim to encourage participants to share vising the activities, including resident glucose strips, and insulin, how to eat their experiences with one another. physicians, nurses, dieticians, and fi ve well, and how to recognise symptoms Oryx GTL, a long-standing support- administrative committees, includ- of hypoglycemia.” er of QDA, is a sponsor of this year’s ing individuals who have diabetes and The camp features a series of fun edition. Mohamed al-Enazi, chief ad- have previously attended the camps. and educational workshops, some of ministration offi cer, said, “This initia- The fi rst Al Bawasil Diabetes Camp which have been organised in col- tive falls under the Oryx GTL corporate was held in January 1999. The annual laboration with QF Recreation Centre. social responsibility strategy, which is event has become one of the most im- Designed to help teach children how to aligned with the Qatar National Vi- portant diabetes camps in the region.