BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 12 Dettori rides Al Shaqab’s INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2 – 8, 28 COMMENT 26, 27 Qatar Airways Cargo set REGION 9, 10 BUSINESS 1 – 7, 12 – 16 Galileo to 17,647.60 9,756.38 48.34 ARAB WORLD 11 CLASSIFIED 8 – 12 to become a major player -84.88 +52.02 -0.54 INTERNATIONAL 12 – 25 SPORTS 1 – 12 -0.48% +0.54% -1.10% in three new markets gold in Ascot Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10120 June 15, 2016 Ramadan 10, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir hosts banquet Qatar’s telecom In brief

REGION | Politics market revenue Court suspends opposition group A Bahraini court yesterday ordered the suspension of the main Shia opposition group Al-Wefaq and closed down its off ices. The justice crosses QR10bn ministry said it had filed a request HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday hosted an Iftar banquet to dissolve Al-Wefaq, which it for senior off icers of the armed forces and Interior Ministry on the occasion of holy According to CRA, customers are expected to benefi t fi xed in particular, said “works within a political, month of Ramadan, at Al Wajbah Palace. The reception was attended by HH Sheikh benefiting from wide-ranging and to reproduce some of the steady religious and foreign framework”, Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir’s special representative, and HE the Prime protection eff orts, including a growth in mobile. The intent is to state news agency BNA reported. Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. dispute resolution mechanism, a gradually remove, where possible, “In view of the incitement to Page 2 new advertising code of conduct, intrusive regulation at the retail level sectarianism and the sectarian and a mobile app that allows to encourage service providers to de- lineup we currently see in Bahraini dissatisfied consumers to send velop better services and innovative society... these decisions and instant comments and feedback products, it said. rulings have become necessary,” to CRA directly “I am pleased to inform all stake- state news agency BNA quoted holders about CRA’s achievements Information Minister Ali al-Rumaihi riven by rising population, Qa- and progress since it was established as telling the Abu Dhabi-based Sky tar’s telecom market earned in 2014,” said CRA president Moham- News Arabia TV. Page 10 Dtotal revenue in excess of Mohamed Ali al-Mannai: CRA president ed Ali al-Mannai while releasing the QR10bn in 2015, Communications report. Regulatory Authority (CRA)’s inau- feedback to CRA directly. “I would like to extend our grati- AFRICA | Crime gural annual report shows. While a great deal of work has been tude and thanks to HH the Emir Pistorius ‘must pay’, Mobile revenue continued to pro- done in the area of consumer rights, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani vide the “greatest proportion” of rev- CRA is continuing to strengthen the for his strong leadership. CRA is also says victim’s father enue and growth in the market. codes and frameworks that will pro- grateful for the support and co-op- Reeva Steenkamp’s father broke The total market revenue registered tect consumers in the future. eration it receives from all ministries down in court yesterday as he told in Qatar in 2014 was QR9.45bn, the A robust regulatory and legal and government bodies as it carries a dramatic sentencing hearing that report said. framework that supports the devel- out its mandate,” said al-Mannai. Oscar Pistorius must “pay for his “Both Ooredoo and Vodafone Qa- opment of the sector continues to be “As the report outlines, the hall- crime” of murdering his daughter tar invested in their networks with put in place. A recently-developed marks of Qatar’s regulatory frame- three years ago. Page 12 the launch of LTE/LTE+ networks in competition policy framework is work will remain predictability and 2014–15,” CRA said. aimed at creating a certain and sta- clarity, ensuring that Qatar continu- “Competition in mobile has devel- ble environment in which market ally enhances its rich landscape of RAMADAN THOUGHT oped, although competition in fi xed participants understand under what services. We will continue to analyse Whoever does not give up has yet to fully emerge, which will im- circumstances CRA will undertake the state of competition in the tel- forged speech and evil actions, pact the future growth of that sector. investigations into anti-competitive ecommunications market and de- Allah is not in need of his leaving Qatar condemns Fibre broadband connection speeds behaviour - targeted at segments that termine where further measures are his food and drink (i.e. fasting is reach up to 100 Mbps. Qatar has one pose challenges in the delivery of ef- needed to develop communications not accepted). [Al-Bukhari] of the highest mobile SIM penetration fective competition and good out- services, including in the fi xed mar- rates in the world, and competition comes for consumers. ket,” he added. Prayer times attack in Paris suburb has brought signifi cant uptake in mo- A quality of service (QoS) frame- CRA, established by virtue of Emiri Fajr....3.14 Zuhr....11.34 Asr....2.57 bile data services,” it said. work is being developed so that the Decree (42) in 2014, regulates the Maghrib.....6.28 Isha.....7.58 QNA, Reuters dos stormed the house and killed the According to CRA, consumers are performance obligations of networks communications & information tech- Doha, Paris attacker. benefi ting from wide-ranging protec- and service providers are clear. Terms nology and postal sectors, and access Fasting times Born in France of Moroccan origin, tion eff orts, including a dispute reso- and conditions for access to and/or to digital media. CRA uses its regula- Iftar today ...... 6.28pm Abballa was jailed in 2013 for helping lution mechanism, a new advertising sharing of civil infrastructure have tory powers mandated by the Emiri Suhoor tomorrow ...... 3.14am atar yesterday strongly con- militants go to Pakistan and had been code of conduct, the Consumer Pro- been put in place. decree to protect consumer rights, demned an attack which took under security service surveillance, in- tection Policy (CPP), and a mobile app In addition, CRA is focusing on ensure competition, manage the res- Qplace in a Paris suburb, caus- cluding wiretaps, at the time of the at- - Arsel - that allows dissatisfi ed con- regulation in wholesale markets to olution of disputes and manage the ing the death of a police offi cer and his tack, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins sumers to send instant comments and decrease retail regulation, which is electromagnetic spectrum. wife. said. In a statement, the Ministry of For- The attacker told police negotia- eign Aff airs said “these criminal acts tors during the siege he had answered contradict all human values and prin- an appeal by Iraq-based Islamic State ciples and aim to undermine peace and chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “to kill in- security”, stressing “the need for con- fi dels at home with their families”, Mo- Iceland fi ght back to claim Portugal draw certed international eff orts to face this lins told a news conference. phenomenon”. Police found a bloodied knife at the The statement reiterated Qatar’s scene along with a list of other poten- DPA could grudge them their moment of appearing on the big stage for the fi rst fi rm stance of “rejecting violence and tial targets including rap musicians, St Etienne glory. time and captain Aron Gunnarsson set terrorism in all their manifestations journalists and police offi cers, the Portugal controlled the vast major- the tone inside 30 seconds by tackling and forms and whatever their source”. prosecutor said. ity of proceedings but had only the Ronaldo and staring out the prone On Monday night, a Frenchman The killings came as France, which ristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal one strike to show for their eff orts. forward. who pledged allegiance to the militant has been under a state of emergency were stunned by tournament Ronaldo, who matched Luis Figo’s Moments later Iceland missed their Islamic State group stabbed a police since Islamic State gunmen and bomb- Cdebutants Iceland yesterday Portuguese record tally of 127 caps, best chance of the game when Sig- commander to death outside his home ers killed 130 people in Paris last No- as a second-half equaliser from Bir- had chances to mark the occasion urdsson cut inside full-back Vieirinha and killed his partner, who also worked vember, was on high security alert kir Bjarnason earned the minnows an with a goal but miskicked and headed only to be denied by a smart double for the police, in an attack the French for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, unlikely 1-1 draw in Euro 2016 Group weakly on his best opportunities. save from keeper Rui Patricio. government denounced as “an abject which began last Friday. F. The sides sit second and third in the Iceland were giving everything to act of terrorism”. In a video posted on social networks, Bjarnason’s crisp volley fi ve min- table after Hungary defeated 10-man match their technically superior op- Larossi Abballa, 25, also took the Abballa linked the attack to the soccer utes after the break cancelled out Na- Austria 2-0 earlier yesterday. ponents but, unable to retain posses- couple’s three-year-old son hostage in championship, saying: “The Euros will ni’s 31st minute opener and, though In the next matches on Saturday, sion, eventually fell back to defend the attack. be a graveyard.” it came thoroughly against the run of Iceland face Hungary and Portugal deep in their own half. The boy was found unharmed but in The video had been removed from play, only the Portuguese fans in St take on Austria. With Portugal dominating, chances a state of shock after police comman- Facebook yesterday. Page 18 Etienne’s Stade Geoff roy Guichard Iceland did not look overawed at were inevitable. Sport Pages 1, 2 Qatar Red Crescent Society fulfi ls wishes of 60 ill children

atar Red Crescent Society eff ective way to help them recover and We are willing to work with any part- (QRCS) yesterday held a cer- withstand their health challenges.” ners for the best interest of society as a Qemony to celebrate its “This Is He noted that “This Is My Wish” was whole,” al-Bouainain added. My Wish” programme, which fulfi ls the launched in 2007 as a psychological During the ceremony, children re- wishes of ill children treated at hospi- support programme for ill children. ceived gifts while some mothers were tals. “The initiative is being held annu- honoured for patiently taking care of Attended by a large number of fami- ally during Ramadan which has a far- their ill children despite diffi culties. lies and partners, this year’s celebration reaching implications, making small Organisers also held fun-fi lled games presented gifts to 60 children with dif- dreams of young patients come true,” to entertain the children. ferent health problems. al-Naimi added. QRCS is a humanitarian charitable The Hamad Medical Corporation Hamad General Hospital’s execu- organisation that aims to assist and (HMC), Qatar Institute for Speech and tive director for Community Aff airs empower vulnerable individuals and Hearing and Tamakun Comprehensive and Patient Engagement, Maitha S al- communities without partiality or dis- School selected the benefi ciaries. Bouainain, lauded QRCS’ programme, crimination. The ceremony opened with recita- saying such activities spread happiness A member of the International Red tion of some parts of the Qur’an fol- among children and their families. Cross and Red Crescent Movement, lowed by QRCS director-general Fahad “May they be rewarded well for their QRCS operates locally and internation- bin Mohamed al-Naimi’s welcoming of QRCS director-general Fahad bin Mohamed al-Naimi distributing gifts to ill children. hospitality,” she said. ally and has ongoing international relief the attendees. “We at HMC are open to everyone and development projects in a number He wished them quick recovery and parents to their ill children. major departments working to serve the able,” he said.“Supporting patients is a under our community partnership of countries throughout the Middle showed appreciation of the support of “Social development is one of QRCS’s Qatari society by helping the vulner- main concern for the department as an strategy. East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 QATAR

Emir hosts Iftar banquet for officers of armed forces, Interior Ministry officials

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani hosted an Iftar banquet in honour of senior off icers of the Armed Forces and Interior Ministry at Al Wajbah Palace on the occasion of holy month of Ramadan. The function was attended by HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Special representative of HH the Emir and sons of HH the Father Emir. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani was also present at the function. Major hypermarkets assure Sport shops struggle to ample stocks for Ramadan increase sales By Peter Alagos as part of its Ramadan campaign, Business Reporter is in close contact with its sup- pliers to keep up with customer By Joey Aguilar The only items which are in demand, a spokesperson said. Staff Reporter demand are equipment used s Ramadan-related pro- “We have been working for water sports such as kay- motions and discount round-the-clock with both our aking, mainly paddle boards, Aoff ers continue to push local and overseas suppliers to number of sport shops and jerseys. demand, there is ample supply ensure that we meet the ex- in Doha failed to meet “Most of the customers are of consumer goods during the pected hike in demand from our Atheir target sales over Europeans, who love water holy month, an offi cial of a lead- customers during Ramadan. We the fi rst few days of Ramadan, sports especially during sum- ing hypermarket has said. also have and advanced system describing it as an all-time low mer,” he added. Krishna Kumar R, general in place - supported by a soft- compared to the same period A supervisor in one of the manager of LuLu Hypermarket ware system, logistics, and re- in previous years, it is learnt. sport shops in Doha told along D-Ring Road, told Gulf sources - that streamlines our Speaking to Gulf Times, a Gulf Times that a huge frac- Times that the company “is delivery operations as well as source from one of the leading tion of their sales before and well-prepared” for customer manages the backup stock in our sport shops in the country said the first few days of Ram- needs as he assured that stocks warehouses for replenishment their daily sales was down by adan came from expatriates are suffi cient, especially for purposes,” the spokesperson ex- nearly 50% at the start of this who took their vacation this sought-after products during plained. month. month. Ramadan. “Locally, we have hundreds of “Our minimum daily sales Some of these items are diff erent suppliers from where in previous years during this mainly basketball and running “We have been working we source most of our goods, Fruits and vegetables are among sought after goods during Ramadan. PICTURE: Ram Chand time of the year was around shoes, as well as clothing (jer- round-the-clock with both in addition to our own private QR100,000, but this year, it seys), which are cheaper com- our local and overseas label products that are locally hardly reached QR60,000,” pared with the prices in their suppliers to ensure that and internationally-produced, he stressed. “Today (Monday), respective home countries. we meet the expected enabling us to off er our custom- we only had QR59,000.” A number of Asian expatri- hike in demand from ers the best quality at aff ordable He noted that the demand ates such as Filipinos prefer to our customers during prices. for almost all items at every buy basketball shoes as gifts Ramadan” “Moreover, Al Meera is collab- branch had slowed down, for their children back home. orating with overseas suppliers including indoor equip- However, the supervisor A few days prior to the start to import the best items for con- ment such as treadmills, gym admitted that they had to in- of Ramadan, throngs of shop- sumers during the holy month equipment, and cross trainers, tensify their promotional of- pers trooped to grocery stores from countries such as Turkey, among others. fers to meet their sales targets and hypermarkets to stockpile Thailand, Vietnam, the US, and Sales of such items are usu- this month. supplies and other provisions the UK, among others. ally high in many stores in the Besides increasing compe- needed for the holy month. Asked if Al Meera will observe country even before the on- tition, he said many residents Aside from LuLu, other stores extended operating hours during set of summer, according to in the country have opened have off ered various off ers and the holy month, the spokesper- the source. But this year, sport accounts on online portals to discounts for the celebration of son said: “Al Meera is constantly shops recorded “very low sales”. buy sport items they want. Ramadan. Similarly, the Minis- striving to provide consumers While footfall in Ramadan “In most cases, customers try of Economy and Commerce with the best shopping experi- is high especially at night, the really wait for big sales off ered has put a price cap on more than ence while catering to their every source said many people visit by shops to save more money 400 consumer products to mark need, as part of our mission and the shop to scout for items except those who love to own the holy month under the theme values. This Ramadan, we will they plan to buy in the future new models or items,” he noted. “Aqal Min Al Wajeb,” which spare no eff ort to make our cus- or on payday. In addition, many outdoor means “the least we can do” in tomers’ shopping experience an Some shops benefi t from and indoor sport activities Arabic. unforgettable one. Al Meera’s their promotional off erings and events organised by some Al Meera Consumer Goods Ramadan timing is available on this Ramadan but total sales groups have slowed down this Company, which off ered 1,437 our website and social media Various Ramadan-related promos and discounts are off ered at many hypermarkets across Qatar. remained very low compared summer, according to the su- consumer products at cost price platforms.” PICTURE: Ram Chand with in previous Ramadans. pervisor.

Real estate transactions cross QR513mn Qatar reaffi rms support to rights council

QNA Land Registry Department of plots of land, houses, fl ats, stores, Doha the Ministry of Justice during a residential complex and a pal- QNA sentative of Qatar to the United gence of new forms of chal- in the human rights situation the period June 5 to 9 reached ace. The sales were distributed at Geneva Nations and other international lenges today, such as in- in many countries.” QR513,100,820. the municipalities of Doha, Umm organisations offi ce at Geneva creasing frequency of armed He noted that this Council he total trading value According to the weekly bulle- Salal, Al Khor, Al Dhakira, Al at the 32nd session of the Hu- confl icts, acts of terrorism and today is demanded more than in real estate sales con- tin issued by the Department, the Rayyan, Al Dhaayen, Al Wakrah, atar has reaffi rmed its man Rights Council, entitled extremism, violence and dis- ever to redouble its eff orts to Ttracts registered with the real estate sales included empty Al Shamal and Al Shahaniya. keenness to co-operate “The high-level panel discus- crimination and the accompa- implement the goals for which Qwith the various Hu- sion on the tenth anniversary of nying violations posed an un- it was established, stressing man Rights Council mecha- the Human Rights Council.” precedented challenge for the that to succeed in this task, the nisms to enable it to carry out Al-Henzab said, “The crea- Council to respond to these de- Council should enhance the its mandate with transparency, tion of this Council a decade velopments and keep pace with abilities and potential of mov- FM meets Tunisian counterpart objectivity, independence and ago was a historic turning point new developments, especially ing away from politicisation, integrity. in the international commu- in light of the division and the selectivity and double stand- This came in Qatar’s speech nity’s eff orts to improve the absence of international will, ards, and to tend to adhere to delivered yesterday by am- situation of human rights and which disabled many other the principles of transparency, bassador Faisal bin Abdullah fundamental freedoms.” United Nations mechanisms objectivity and professional- al-Henzab, Permanent Repre- He added that “the emer- and contributed to the decline ism.

Al-Sissi hails Qatar’s eff orts in Darfur peace process

QNA of the Doha peace agreement. Al-Sissi made the remarks Amin Hassan Omar and mem- Geneva Al-Sissi said that Qatar had during a meeting of the High bers of the committee of the exerted a strenuous eff ort with Committee for Peace in Darfur peace process partners. patience and perseverance, fac- held on Monday in Khartoum, During the meeting, the arfur Regional Authority ing all the circumstances sur- led by Sudanese President Committee offi cially an- HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met the Tunisian Minister of (DRA) President Al-Tija- rounding Darfur and overcome Omar al-Bashir and in the pres- nounced the supervision of Foreign Aff airs in Doha on Monday. They reviewed bilateral relations between Qatar and Tunisia Dni al-Sissi has hailed the the obstacles in the implemen- ence of First Vice-President President al-Bashir on the and means of developing them, in addition to exchanging views on issues of common concern. “great role” played by Qatar in tation of the Doha peace agree- Lt Col Bakri Hassan Saleh, al- completion of the Doha peace the successful implementation ment. Sissi, Darfur Peace Offi ce chief agreement. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 3 QATAR Ministry urges people to discourage begging

he Ministry of Interior make some money, the MoI ob- authorised charity organisa- (MoI) has reminded served. tions in the country provide T people not to fall prey It urged citizens and resi- financial and material aid to to the tactics of those in- dents not to fall prey to the tac- needy people while preserving volved in the illegal practice tics employed by such people to their dignity. of begging during Ramadan gain sympathy, such as showing “We appeal to all citizens and and report such cases to the “aff ected body parts”, and other residents to give their donations authorities. methods of deception. to authorised charity organisa- The ministry said in a post on tions, which will distribute (the its Facebook page yesterday that “We appeal to all citizens same) to deserving and needy “begging is a social evil” whose and residents to give their people and join us in the fi ght incidence goes up in the holy donations to authorised against this undesirable social month of Ramadan. charity organisations, habit,” the ministry added. Some people could be seen which will distribute (the People can report cas- standing in front of mosques and same) to deserving and es of begging by calling shopping malls, and on densely needy people and join us 2347444/33618627. populated roads, with the aim in the fi ght against this Recently, the Criminal Inves- of exploiting the spirit of charity undesirable social habit” tigation Department at the MoI that prevails during Ramadan, it revealed plans to deploy police noted. The MoI also stressed that patrolling teams across Qatar in These people resort to begging while those begging try to make a bid to crack down on beggars as they see it as an easy way to money through illegal ways, during Ramadan.

HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani (third right) and other dignitaries at the forum. Strong winds, high of 43 Doha forum discusses degrees forecast for today

trong winds are again Today, the wind speed may go places at times. impact of Islam on trade expected in some places up to 25 knots in some inshore The forecast for inshore S today along with poor areas at times before decreasing areas also says it will be hot visibility due to blowing dust, by night. during the day, while offshore he 3rd edition of the The participating intellectu- Dr Tariq al-Suwaidan, Islamic tices in trade and the need the Qatar Met department has areas are likely to see slight ‘Trade in Islam’ forum als talked about issues such as scholar Sheikh Ahmed al- to encourage young people said. The mercury level reached dust. Twas held on Monday the considerable impact of Is- Buainain, Kuwaiti intellectual Dr to adopt a spirit of initia- Off shore areas, too, are likely a high of 41C in the Doha The sea level is expected to evening in the presence of HE lam on the concept of trade and Mohamed al-Awadi, and other tive and creation. Besides, to see strong winds and high seas airport, Abu Hamour, go up to 8ft before dropping the Minister of Economy and business, and the principles they highlighted the need to until this evening, according to Wakrah and Messaied by night. Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin and regulations determined in The participating support small and midsize the weather report. areas yesterday, followed The mercury level reached a Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani. Islam for trade. Other topics of intellectuals talked enterprises and help young With wind and dust blowing by 40C in the Qatar high of 41C in the Doha airport, The event was jointly organ- discussion included the trader about issues such as the people to put their ideas and across the country for the past University, Al Khor and Abu Hamour, Wakrah and Mes- ised by the Ministry of Econ- between egoism and humani- considerable impact of innovations into practice. few days, including yesterday, Sheehaniya areas, among saied areas yesterday, followed omy and Commerce (MEC) tarianism, the ethics of a Muslim Islam on the concept of Eid Charity chairman Sheikh the Met department yesterday others by 40C in the Qatar University, and Eid Charity for the third trader, trade initiatives that had trade and business” Dr Mohamed bin Eid al-Thani, reminded people of the safety Al Khor and Sheehaniya areas, consecutive year with the par- changed the course of history, Qatar Chamber vice chairman precautions to follow in such In off shore areas, it will reach a among others. ticipation of eminent Islamic and trade initiatives of young businessmen. Mohamed Ahmed bin Tuwar, conditions. The list of dos and high of 25 knots and come down Today, the maximum tem- scholars and clergymen. It was people. Most scholars stressed other senior businessmen and don’ts has been prepared in co- by night. perature is expected to be 43C also a part of MEC’s Ramadan The participants included Ku- the need to enhance ethi- other dignitaries attended the ordination with the Ministry of Visibility, meanwhile, will in Doha, Mesaieed and Wakrah, initiatives. waiti businessman and scholar cal and humanitarian prac- forum. Public Health. drop to 3km or less in some and 42C in Al Khor. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 QATAR Fish market may take ‘over a week to recover’

By Ramesh Mathew Staff Reporter

he growing demand for meat, especially mutton, has hit sales Tat the fi sh market, industry sources have said. Some of the major suppliers and stall owners said the fi sh market has to wait for at least one more week to recover as this has been the usual trend during previous Ramadan seasons as well. Enquiries with traders found that most of the favoured varieties other than hamour were available for prices lower than the corresponding period last month. There is adequate supply of fish in the market despite windy conditions but While hamour continued to be ex- there has been a steep fall in the overall demand. A view of the Central Market. pensive even yesterday at QR70/kg PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam and above, chenad (king fi sh) was sold for QR25/kg. The prices of varieties uted to a steep fall in its catch, accord- less demand for fi sh in general over such as safi (Doha), Sultan Ibrahim and ing to the industry sources. the fortnight. jesh, among others, have fallen sharply “Fish prices are expected to in- Similar feedback came from hyper- since the beginning of the holy month, crease in the second half of Ramadan,” markets as well. There is adequate supply it is learnt. said Ismail, a veteran trader. Accord- in the local market notwithstanding the Mackerel is a bit expensive as its ing to him, most of the major hotels windy conditions over the last few days. prices ranged above QR10/kg at retail and large-scale buyers had reduced The windy spell is expected to continue outlets yesterday. This could be attrib- their purchase and hence there was today, according to the forecast.

Redeem Nojoom points for Iftar, Suhoor meals with Ooredoo

oredoo has announced a special for a Suhoor meal for one. Once the community members experience the promotion to bring families and SMS voucher is received, members can joy of Ramadan.” Ofriends together during Ram- visit customer service at each of the Nojoom members can log into their adan as part of the company’s #Closer- hotels to collect their Iftar and Suhoor Nojoom account via the Ooredoo website Connection campaign. meal vouchers. or the Ooredoo App to redeem points. With the new promotion, Nojoom Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari, director Ooredoo has launched a series of members can use their points to treat of community and public relations at special off ers and several community loved ones to Iftar and Suhoor meals at Ooredoo, said: “Ramadan is the most and charity events that will take place participating Nojoom partners, includ- sacred month of the Islamic calendar across the country throughout the ing The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, The Torch, and not only a time for fasting and month of Ramadan. Hilton and La Cigale. reflection, but also the time for shar- Customers can follow Ooredoo’s Ra- Redemptions can be made starting ing and giving. Thanks to this Nojoom madan campaign via the Ooredoo Fa- at 7,300 Nojoom points for an Iftar offer, families will be able to break cebook and Twitter pages or follow the meal for one and 6,250 Nojoom points their fast together, and our diverse hashtag #CloserConnection

Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 QATAR

Mosafer wins Gold Achiever award Mosafer Travel and Tourism, one of Qatar’s leading tourism companies, bagged the Gold Achiever award for the second consecutive year at the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market. It was adjudged the top ‘Room Booking Agent’ from Qatar. The “Online Vertical” of Mosafer has been winning coveted awards since its inception in 2012 being the market leader on innovation. It is the only online portal which has a booking ‘on hold’ facility. While booking air tickets online, customers can hold it for a certain period before making any payment. The mobile application of Gomosafer is one of the most downloaded among online travel agencies in the Middle East. Mosafer is part of the Abu Issa Holding Group chaired by Ashraf Abu Issa. Photo shows Mosafer off icials receiving the Gold Achiever award. Fasting can benefi t health, says expert

verindulging in food when en or fi sh and low fat products.” wholewheat bread and lean protein breaking a fast during the holy Daniel also recommended looking such as eggs, grilled chicken breast or Omonth of Ramadan can lead to for low fat recipes for favourite dishes low fat white cheese, dried beans or weight gain, a Hamad Medical Corpo- and experimenting when cooking by lentils. People can also include low fat ration (HMC) expert has cautioned. substituting high fat ingredients with or skimmed dairy products such as yo- “Fasting, if done responsibly, can lower fat alternatives. gurt, laban or milk and a cup of fresh benefi t your health,” said Charina “Look out for recipes with lots of vegetables and fruit to make their meal Daniel, clinical dietetics co-ordinator fruits and vegetables which are deli- healthier and more nutritious. at HMC. cious but low in calories.You can also “Plan to drink enough water when “It has been proven that reduced include dishes prepared by baking, permitted during Ramadan to pre- food intake is one of the most eff ective grilling, steaming or stewing and avoid vent dehydration. Water plays a role in factors in improving health and lon- foods that are deep fried.” weight loss and maintenance because gevity. Fasting in Ramadan allows our When planning for Iftar, Daniel said it helps to get rid of toxins and reduces body to use stored fats and glycogen people should start with a light meal hunger. Most of all, the key to avoiding thereby promoting weight and body such as dates, laban or hot soup. Food weight gain during Ramadan is mod- fat loss.” for Iftar should include healthy options eration,” she said. Daniel explained: “You should know such as wholegrain starches, brown rice Qatar’s Supreme Committee for in advance the foods you plan to pre- or potatoes, brown pasta, lean meat, Healthcare Communications in the pare for your Iftar and Suhoor meals. fi sh or poultry, and raw or cooked veg- Ministry of Public Health in collabo- Foods should be healthy, balanced etables.She suggested people should ration with HMC and the Primary and nutritious and include foods that substitute desserts with fruit. Health Care Corporation has launched are rich in complex carbohydrates and Daniel highlighted that for Suhoor, a website, www.hamad.qa/ramadan- fi bre such as whole grains, fruit and people should consume complex car- health, dedicated to helping the people vegetables as well as lean meat, chick- bohydrates such as brown bread or stay healthy during Ramadan. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 7 QATAR Ooredoo gifts bring cheer to patients at kidney centre team of Ooredoo volun- by the group, Ooredoo said in a acute and chronic kidney dis- teers visited the Fahad statement. ease. ABin Jassim Kidney Centre Ooredoo has a long history of The visit was the fi rst in a yesterday as part of the #Closer- supporting kidney patients in series of “random acts of kind- Connection Ramadan campaign Qatar, and in 2010 donated the ness” supported by Ooredoo to by the company. Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Cen- hospitals, homes for the elderly, Patients undergoing dialysis tre to Hamad Medical Corpora- and children’s centres. and treatment at the centre were tion (HMC) to provide dialysis Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari, di- surprised with gift bags brought facilities for people suffering rector, Community and Pub- lic Relations at Ooredoo, said: “Ooredoo has supported the A demonstration takes place during Huawei’s regional cloud roadshow. Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Centre for many years and we are always happy to show our support for the doctors, nurses and patients, as well as shine a light on the amazing work the staff do year Huawei roadshow demonstrates round.” The kidney centre off ers a modern and spacious area for patients, with 80 stations and 20 benefi ts of cloud technology private rooms. Ooredoo’s del- egation was received by a team of nurses, senior staff and patients uawei, a leading glo- tar, the United Arab Emirates, based ICT portfolio which in- tive vice president and head of from the Fahad Bin Jassim Kid- bal ICT solutions pro- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman cludes ‘FusionSphere’ Cloud marketing and solution sales of ney Centre. Hvider, has wrapped up and Pakistan. OS, Cloud Management, Cloud Huawei Middle East. During the holy month, Oore- its annual regional ICT road- Stretching over 11 cities, the Desktop, 4K Storage Solution, “In building a better con- doo’s Alrabaa will be seen at var- show, collaborating with rep- roadshow involved 16 telecom Multiple Server & Storage so- nected Qatar, and in line with ious events and locations around resentatives from regional operators, more than 90 re- lution, Virtual Data Centre and Qatar National Vision 2030, it the country with surprises and governments and the private nowned enterprises, and hosted Data Centre Facility solutions. is Huawei’s aim to help make entertainment for all. Custom- sector to demonstrate the ben- a total of more than 2,500 par- “Societies across the globe ICT simpler and business more ers can follow Ooredoo’s Ram- efi ts of new advancements in ticipants from the ICT domain. are entering a new era of digi- agile. We are also committed to adan campaign via Ooredoo’s cloud technology. Under the theme ‘Open tisation, changing the way making more contributions to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter The Huawei Cloud IT Road Roads to Cloud,’ Huawei ex- that organisations deliver on- the country’s eff orts with our Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari, director, Community and Public Relations at page and the hashtag #Closer- Show ran from August 2015 to perts off ered live real world demand services to the pub- complete portfolio of new ICT Ooredoo, visits a patient at Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Centre. Connection. May 2016, stopping across Qa- demonstrations of its cloud- lic,” said Sun Xiaofeng, execu- technologies solutions.” Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 QATAR Restriction on outdoor work from today

eople working out- and erring employers will ing for instructions from doors across Qatar face fi nes. The rise in the the Ministry, some of Pwill get some relief number of labour inspec- the contractors have al- from today for about 75 tors since 2014 is gener- ready reduced the morn- days as the summer mid- ally seen as an attempt to ing work hours. In some day work restrictions reduce the violations on of the sites work gets over come into eff ect. construction sites. More before 11am. The restrictions will be than 150 labour inspec- As an alternative so- in place until August-end tors were recruited in 2014 lution, some of the con- as temperatures are ex- alone. struction companies pected to rise in the com- There is a general feeling have moved all their out- ing days, it is understood. among workers that works door works to start only No outdoor works are al- starting in the morning after sunset. A man- lowed on construction should be stopped latest by ager working on a school sites between 11.30am and 10am, as temperatures be- project in Al Hilal area, 3pm, as per a Ministry of come unbearable by then. said, “It is being done to Labour order. On Saturday, the peak protect our workers from The project provides a flexible learning system. There will be constant temperature was 48C. the scorching heat dur- monitoring of violations Even without wait- ing the day.” Rota changing lives of children in Pakistan each Out To Asia (Rota), a there has been a marked improve- member of Qatar Foundation ment in academic performance. Rfor Education, Science and Additionally, there has been a sub- Community Development, in col- stantial improvement in teaching laboration with the Commonwealth methodology, with local teach- of Learning (COL), is transforming ers now delivering their classroom the lives of students and teachers lessons in a more engaging and living in the remote Swat region of innovative way. Pakistan through its mobile learning Irfan Udin, one of the teachers services project. trained to use the Aptus system, Providing access to electronic said: “Before we had the tab- learning materials, Aptus system, lets I would only be able to read a designed by COL, consists of a chapter from a book before ask- server that enables students and ing questions. With the tablet I teachers to access educational re- still read to students, but they sources on chargeable tablet de- can watch a video relating to the vices, which can be used on a local book, which gives them an over- server without having to connect to all better understanding of what the Internet. we are reading and learning in the Since the start of the project, classroom.” the unique education initiative has “It is remarkable to see the edu- been successfully implemented in cational transformation of students Grade 8, 9 and 10 classrooms across and teachers who now have access the Swat region, providing students to the mobile learning aids. The Ap- with a fl exible learning system that tus system off ers students the op- The project includes drills and practice exercises, tutorials, and project and includes drills and practice exer- portunity to learn in an innovative problem-solving sessions. cises, tutorials, and project and way and also improve their technol- problem-solving based learning ogy literacy by using digital learning for the technological era we are impact of the project, which not opportunities. platforms,” said Essa al-Mannai, living in,” al-Mannai added. only supports learning on a local Mohamed Ally, senior researcher executive director, Rota. Prof Asha Kanwar, president and scale, but also contributes to global at Athabasca University in Canada, “Results from the recent study CEO, COL, said: “The Aptus system sustainable development eff orts.” along with local researcher Raff at to evaluate the eff ectiveness of the is a wonderful example of how in- COL is an intergovernmental Khaqan, recently conducted a study mobile learning services have re- novative ICT combined with strong organisation created by Common- to determine the eff ectiveness of vealed there has been a tremendous educational materials can increase wealth Heads of Government to the mobile learning intervention progress in academic performance. more equitable access to learning. encourage the development and and obtain feedback from students The Aptus system has been proven As an organisation with exper- sharing of open learning/distance and teachers. to improve students’ ICT skills, tise in open and distance learning, education knowledge, resources Results from the study revealed which, in turn, better prepares them COL is pleased to see the benefi cial and technologies. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 9 RAMADAN/REGION Setting Ramadan goals

By Abdullah Khan himself or herself spiritu- Power cuts and ally, Allah expedites the at- tainment of that spiritual nother sense of goal. precedence for set- Realistic: This is not a Ating goals for Ram- synonym for “easy.” Realis- adan should come from the tic, in this case, means “do- fact that Allah Almighty able.” To be realistic, a goal violence hit has made certain things ob- must represent an objective ligatory for Muslims while toward which you are both encouraging them toward willing and able to work. other levels of worship (Su- One way to know if your nan and Nawaafi l, that is, goal is realistic is to deter- the desirable and the ad- mine if you have accom- ditional). Some Muslims plished anything similar in south Yemen focus more on the later (like the past. Also, ask yourself the Taraweeh prayers) to the what conditions would Reuters forced Saleh to step down, southern meeting with city offi cials that the fl ag neglect of the obligation have to exist to achieve this Aden separatists now want full independence. of the former South Yemen was fl ying (like the fi ve daily prayers). goal. Their demands gained momentum over state buildings instead of the na- It is important to fulfi l the Timely: Binding a goal after Iran-allied Houthi forces invaded tional colours. obligation, before attempt- to a time - frame will give eprived of sleep by tempera- the capital Sanaa in 2014 and forced The Yemeni government, which con- ing to practise the Sunan a sense of urgency in at- tures of over 40C (104F), Azal President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to trols only parts of the country outside and Nawaafi l. taining it. Learning to re- DMohamed was among dozens of fl ee to Aden in February last year. areas of northern Yemen held by the When setting goals for cite the Qur’an “someday” young men burning tyres last month to That precipitated a civil war that has Houthis and its Saleh ally, acknowledges Ramadan, then, remem- won’t work. It is important protest against persistent power cuts in sucked a Saudi-led coalition into the it has few sources of revenue to bring ber to set smart (sensible, to identify by what date Aden, a port city that was the capital of crisis, in which thousands of air strikes about major change. measurable, attainable, re- you will learn to recite the south Yemen. had been launched against the Houthis. Offi cials promised some relief follow- alistic, timely) goals: Qur’an. This due date will Over the past 14 months, Aden’s 1mn The fi ghting - which has killed more ing a deal with the United Arab Emirates Specifi c: A specifi c goal not only motivate you to inhabitants have endured war and gang than 6,400 people and displaced 2.5mn - a main member of the Saudi-led coa- has a much greater chance work to reach that goal but violence. - has also allowed Al Qaeda to consoli- lition that has shouldered much recon- of being accomplished than also help you to determine The collapse of even basic public date its presence in the country. struction in Aden - to supply spare parts a general goal. To set a spe- if you have fulfi lled your services has fuelled demands for the The confl ict has hit access to basic for the power plants and fuel supplies, cifi c goal you must answer goal or not. And, of course, restoration of the southern state that supplies like food, fuel and medicine according to the state-run Saba news the six “W” questions: a goal of this magnitude merged with northern Yemen in 1990. amid the coalition’s near-blockade on agency. Who: Who is involved? should be broken up into “We want the world, our neighbours, ports. But residents say Aden still receives (remember, you are a Mus- smaller smart goals, to en- to help us win back our old state,” said Having played a key role in facing the about six hours of power every day, with lim, a servant of Allah) sure advancement and as- Azal, a 20-year-old student.”The south Houthi off ensive on southern Yemen, the main power stations in the Khor What: What do I want to sessment. joined this union voluntarily and we separatists now control most levers of Maksar and al-Mansoura districts out of accomplish? (for Ramadan The Prophet, sallallaahu don’t want to be part of it any more.” power in Aden, where Hadi’s govern- service while the third one in al-Hiswah - attain Taqwa; in life - seek ‘alaihi wa sallam, and his South Yemen united with the north ment is currently based. produces a quarter of its original capac- the pleasure of Allah) Companions, may Allah be after a brief 1986 war. “The current situation shows the fail- ity. When: Establish a time- pleased with them, used to The collapse of south Yemen’s fi nan- ure of the state to make any movement The power shortages have hit water frame prepare for Ramadan well cial patron, the Soviet Union, around the towards providing even basic services,” supplies, hospitals and factories. Where: Identify a loca- before start the month. One same time encouraged the unifi cation said Khaled Murshed, a 40 year old em- Car owners often queue for three or tion (work, home, etc.) way of doing so is to identi- process. ployee at a state company. four days to fi ll up, while bottled gas is so How: Identify require- fy and formalise goals for it It was never a happy marriage: Presi- “This reinforces the demands of re- scarce many people use fi rewood. ments and constraints (if now, if you haven’t already. dent Ali Abdullah Saleh’s north Yemen gaining the southern state.” Local hospitals say that at least nine the goal is to memorise For goals not only help us dominated from the start and when the “Aden lives its worst days,” said Azal, elderly patients died in recent weeks due certain parts of the Qur’an prioritise our life but also south tried to break away four years af- while the government of enjoys “air- to the power cuts, and hospital manag- then the requirement is to enable us to undergo the ter unifi cation, Saleh’s army quickly conditioned accommodation in Saudi ers say more are at risk due to a shortage know proper Tajweed. If requisite purifi cation of crushed the separatists, cementing Arabia.” of oxygen supplies. so, one constraint that one month of Ramadan. Allah. To succumb to this intention. This, in turn, Sanaa’s rule and Aden’s decline, feeding Stung by growing criticism, Hadi’s The only oxygen-producing plant is may face is the amount of Attainable: You can at- whispering is to forget that assists us in becoming fo- southern resentment. government rebased to Aden earlier this at a standstill due to lack of fuel. Qur’an one can memorise tain most any goal you set our Lord, Allah, Most High, cused in and with our lives. The current southern separatist month promising to get down to busi- “People are dying from the lack of depending on their fl uency when you plan your steps is all forgiving and Most Thus goals are an integral movement grew out of a 2007 campaign ness on improving living conditions in electricity,” said Umm Alaa Aleiwah, a in reciting Qur’an) wisely and establish a time- Merciful. part of having a plan, a pur- demanding fi nancial benefi ts for army the city. mother of 10 children.”You should re- Why: Specifi c reasons, frame that allows you to Allah states in a Sacred pose, for our life. offi cers and civil servants. But residents poked fun at the gov- sign (Hadi) and leave it to others. May purpose or benefi ts of ac- carry out those steps. Goals Hadith: “I am as My servant Heed this last point Emboldened by 2011 anti-govern- ernment, after reports that Prime Min- the Lord of the world grace us with those complishing the goal that may have seemed thinks I am. I am with him well, for a life without a ment Arab Spring protests that had ister Ahmed bin Daghr protested at a who can fi x the country.” Measurable: Establish far away and out of reach when he makes mention of plan is a plan for certain concrete criteria for meas- eventually move closer and Me. If he makes mention of failure. We ask Allah to di- uring progress toward the become attainable not be- Me to himself, I make men- rect us toward those goals attainment of your goals. cause your goals shrink, but tion of him to Myself. And if that will help us earn His To determine if your goal because you grow and ex- he makes mention of Me in pleasure, for, indeed, that is measurable, ask ques- pand to match them. an assembly, I make men- is the ultimate goal that tions like How much? How A believer is susceptible tion of him in an assembly He Almighty has com- many? How will I know to falling into the fallacy of better than it. And if he manded all of us to seek in when it is accomplished? considering him - or herself draws near to Me an arm’s this fleeting life. Hence, a measurable, spir- unworthy of a certain level length, I draw near to him Article source: http:// itual goal for Ramadan can of spirituality because of a fathom’s length. And if he www.islamweb.net/ be, say: I will perform all past sins committed. This comes to Me walking, I go to emainpage/ the Sunnah prayers before is an old device of Satan, to him at speed.” [Al-Bukhari and after each obligatory weigh us down and cause us and Muslim] Therefore, as prayer everyday during the to despond of the mercy of the servant of Allah exerts Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 REGION Bahrain cracks down on opposition bloc

AFP The bloc’s chief, Shia cleric move against Al-Wefaq was part in 2014 for tweets deemed in- Dubai Ali Salman, is currently serving a of a drive to “combat extrem- sulting to the authorities before nine-year jail term for inciting vio- ism...and protect society”. his release on health grounds. lence after a court last month more In October 2014, the admin- Rajab heads the Bahrain Cen- ahrain suspended all ac- than doubled his original sentence. istrative court banned Al-Wefaq tre for Human Rights and has led tivities by the main Shia Salman’s arrest in Decem- for three months for violating the anti-government marches. Bopposition group yester- ber 2014 sparked protests in the law on associations. He previously served two years day as part of a crackdown in the country. Political parties are banned in jail for taking part in unau- kingdom that has raised concerns Yesterday’s ruling followed a in Bahrain, as in other Gulf Arab thorised protests. in Washington. justice ministry request for Al- sates, so Al-Wefaq has the status Washington, which had called A court suspended the Al-We- Wefaq to be dissolved for alleged of an association. for Rajab’s release during previ- faq group pending a verdict on illegal activity. The Washington-based group ous detentions, complained di- dissolving it altogether, the jus- The bloc was accused of of- Human Rights First in a state- rectly to the government again tice ministry said, accusing the fering a haven for “terrorism, ment yesterday called Al-We- on Monday. bloc of breaking the law. radicalisation, and violence” and faq’s suspension “part of an “We’re deeply concerned,” The decision came a day after opening the way for “foreign in- alarming new crackdown by the State Department spokesman security forces rearrested hu- terference” in the kingdom’s af- government, designed to elimi- Mark Toner said.”We do not at man rights activist Nabeel Rajab, fairs, the ministry said. nate all remaining opposition in this point know what charges drawing a complaint from the This was a reference to Iran, the country”. have been levelled against him.” United States. which Bahrain accuses of fo- After activist Rajab was taken “We don’t believe anyone The court also ordered Al-We- menting unrest on its soil by back into custody, his lawyer said should be put in prison or pros- faq offi ces closed and its funds backing the Shia opposition. on Twitter yesterday his case has ecuted for engaging in peaceful frozen, said a justice ministry Al-Wefaq will be unable to op- been referred to the public pros- expression or assembly.” statement published by the offi - erate until a verdict is issued on ecution service. Rajab’s rearrest comes a week cial Bahrain News Agency (BNA). dissolving it, BNA reported. Rajab is being held for one after another opposition ac- Al-Wefaq draws most of its A judicial source said that a week pending investigation on tivist, Zeinab al-Khawaja, fl ed support from the Shia communi- court will convene on October 6 charges of “spreading false infor- the country following her re- The headquarters of Bahrain’s main opposition party Al-Wefaq in Bilad Al Qadeem, west of Manama. A ty in the kingdom across the Gulf to investigate the case. mation”, Mohamed al-Jishi said. lease from jail on “humanitarian Bahraini court ordered the suspension of the main opposition group Al-Wefaq and closed down its off ices from Iran. The justice ministry said its The 51-year-old was detained grounds”. yesterday. Khamenei warns US candidates over nuclear deal

AFP ton of not actively promot- Tehran ing relations between Iran and international business, especially banks. ran’s supreme leader “The other party had to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lift sanctions but has not Ihas warned candidates done so. The question of in the US presidential elec- banking has not been regu- tion against questioning the lated...we are unable to re- Islamic republic’s nuclear cover oil revenues and other deal with world powers, his capital we have in other offi cial website reported countries,” Khamenei said. yesterday. “The Americans are not “We do not violate the applying a large part of their nuclear accord...candidates commitments as we have in the American presiden- done,” he said. tial election are threatening Iran complains that major to tear up the nuclear deal. If international banks, par- they do so, we will burn it,” ticularly in Europe, are re- he told visiting dignitaries. luctant to do business with it Republican candidate for fear of US punitive meas- Donald Trump has called the ures. nuclear agreement “cata- Foreign Minister Moham- strophic”. ed Javad Zarif, at the Oslo In March, Trump said that Forum in Norway where he if elected his fi rst foreign is due to meet US Secretary policy priority would be to of State John Kerry today, dismantle the deal and what urged Washington to lift he said was Tehran’s global “psychological” barriers to “terror” network. Iran doing business. The nuclear agreement “I think that while on signed in July last year be- paper the US has lifted all tween Iran and the P5+1 sanctions, the psychologi- group - the US, Russia, cal aftermath associated China, France, Britain and with many years of sanc- Germany - came into force tions remains, and I think in January. the US should play a more Under it, Iran has limited active role to remove them,” its nuclear programme in ex- he said. change for a lifting of many Zarif said he would raise international sanctions. the issue when he met Kerry Tehran accuses Washing- today.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with President Hasan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, and former judiciary chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi attending a meeting with Iranian senior off icials in Tehran.

Saudi king slams Orlando shooting

AFP norms and conventions.” Riyadh The Islamic State group, which has also claimed at- tacks within Saudi Arabia, he Custodian of the said gunman Omar Mateen Two Holy Mosques acted as one of its “soldiers” TKing Salman of Saudi in Orlando’s rampage. Arabia has condemned the But FBI chief James Comey killing of 49 people at a gay said there was no indication nightclub in Florida, offi cial of a plot directed from out- media said yesterday. side the United States. “We received with great In his message, Salman regret the news of the armed stressed “the importance of terrorist attack in Florida and the concerted eff orts of the the resulting casualties and international community to victims,” Salman said in a respond to all acts of violence message of condolence to US and terrorism”. President Barack Obama. His son, the Deputy Crown “We condemn and de- Prince Mohamed bin Salman nounce this disgraceful crim- who is currently on an offi cial inal act which is not accepted visit to the United States, also by religion or international sent condolences. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 11 ARAB WORLD Egypt acquits 51 who attempted protests over islands

DPA the prosecution before a higher Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, then head The protests, centred around the handover agreement, and for billions of dollars of Saudi aid tors to fi ve years in jail over the Cairo court. of the armed forces, ousted Is- the Journalists Syndicate two journalists all now behind and fi nancing to Egypt since the April 25 protests. The protests on April 25 lamist president Mohamed Mur- building in central Cairo, were bars. ouster of Mursi. The 47 defendants in the case against the handover of the Red si in 2013. among the largest non-Islam- The Egyptian government An administrative court is who were held in custody ap- Cairo appeals court yes- Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafi r Authorities were roiled by ist demonstrations against says that technical work by ex- due to rule on June 21 in a case pealed and their sentences were terday acquitted 51 people to Saudi Arabia were largely demonstrations on April 15 al-Sisi’s administration in two perts from both countries estab- taken by rights lawyers who ar- reduced to a 100,000 Egyptian Awho were handed two- foiled by a heavy police deploy- against the handover of the is- years. lished that the islands of Tiran gue that the agreement under pounds ($11,258) fi ne each. year sentences last month for at- ment and a campaign of arrests lands, which had been quietly The controversy has led to a and Sanafi r were in fact Saudi which the islands will be trans- The total amount of 4.7mn tempting protests without a per- in preceding days. announced during a visit to Cai- renewed crackdown on dissent, territory. ferred to Saudi Arabia is uncon- pounds for those fi nes was col- mit against the handover of two Protests have been all but ro by Custodian of the Two Holy with prominent rights lawyer However, opposition activists stitutional. lected by activists within 10 Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. banned in Egypt under a law Mosques King Salman of Saudi Malek Adly, members of a per- accused the authorities of “sell- On May 15, another court sen- days, local news site Mada Masr The verdict can be appealed by passed months after President Arabia. formance group who satirised ing” the islands in compensation tenced 101 alleged demonstra- reported. UN approves crackdown on Libya arms smuggling

Reuters/AFP year told the Security Council Pro-government troops - a United Nations/Tripoli that Libya needed help from an mix of militias and army units - international maritime force to have taken control of Sirte’s port halt the fl ow of weapons in and and airport. An Iraqi woman, who fled the ongoing fighting between government forces and Islamic State (IS) group militants in the Fallujah area, he United Nations Se- out of the country. But their advance slowed stands with her suitcase at a camp for displaced people in Amriyat al-Fallujah yesterday. curity Council yesterday The fall of Gaddafi in 2011 at the end of last week as they Tunanimously authorised a sparked chaos with two compet- reached central and northern crackdown on arms smuggling in ing governments backed by mili- parts of the city where IS fi ghters the high seas off Libya by allow- tias scrambling for control of the are holed up in residential areas. ing the inspections of vessels for oil producing country. “This morning at dawn our illicit weapons. A power vacuum has allowed forces repelled a new attack by Islamic State in which it at- UN: 43,000 Iraqis have The European Union proposed Islamic State militants to gain a the council resolution to expand foothold. tempted to capture the port,” its naval operation in the Medi- A UN-backed unity govern- Reda Issa, a spokesman for the terranean, which the 15-member ment formed earlier this year unity government’s forces, said Security Council authorised in is seen by western states as the yesterday. Later the GNA forces said they fl ed Fallujah amid siege October to seize and dispose of best hope for uniting Libya’s boats operated by human traf- many political factions. lost two fi ghters and 14 wounded fi ckers. Libya’s government is allowed in clashes with IS in Sirte, which DPA ing the city was “still full of 643 missing after being sub- The city, in the Anbar prov- The council resolution ex- to import arms with approval of they claimed to have advanced Cairo risks and extremely unsafe.” jected to torture. ince some 50km west of Bagh- pressed concern that “arms and the Security Council’s sanctions on. “Thousands” of civilians re- Members of one family from dad, is a long-standing strong- related materiel are being used by committee. The fi ghting has left 140 pro- main trapped inside the city, near Fallujah have said that 17 hold of Islamic State. terrorist groups operating in Lib- Meanwhile, the head of Lib- GNA fi ghters dead and 500 in- ore than 43,000 peo- with gunmen reportedly pre- young men and boys from their Iraqi forces are also engaged ya, including ISIL (Islamic State).” ya’s unity government yesterday jured, according to medical of- ple have fl ed the west- venting some fl eeing the area, family group were shot dead by in an off ensive in the north near French ambassador Francois urged Libyans to rally behind the fi cials. Mern Iraqi city of Fal- the Norwegian Refugee Council militiamen in police uniform the city of Mosul, although an- Delattre told reporters ahead of battle against militants in Sirte. Established in Tripoli more lujah since government forces said. after giving themselves up. alysts say they are unlikely to be the vote that the resolution has Pro-government forces are than two months ago, Libya’s launched an off ensive to recap- Allegations that powerful Prime Minister Haider al- in a position to attempt to take “the potential to be a game- fi ghting to oust the Islamic State unity government has been ture it from the Islamic State pro-government Shia militias Abadi last week vowed that Mosul itself for some time. changer,” since a large quantity group from Sirte, whose fall struggling to unify violence- militants in mid-May, a UN have in some cases tortured those responsible for the al- The IOM reported that while of arms is smuggled via ship off would be a major setback for the ridden Libya and exert its control agency said yesterday. and killed civilians fleeing the leged abuses would be punished civilians continued to fl ee Fal- the coast of Libya. extremists who have also lost over the entire North African Over 10,000 of those fl eeing Sunni-populated city have in accordance with the law. lujah, almost 70,000 other Libya UN envoy Martin Kobler territory in Syria and Iraq. country. the city left between Saturday sparked an angry response in Civilians fl eeing Fallujah have displaced people had returned told the Security Council last Diplomats hope the Security Its task is complicated by the and Monday, the International Iraq. said they were being exposed to home in May, including 33,000 week that Libya was awash with Council move will shore up the presence of a parallel govern- Organisation for Migration On Monday Suhaib al-Rawi, artillery fi re during the danger- returning to parts of Anbar re- arms - 20mn pieces of weapon- UN-backed administration led ment operating out of eastern (IOM) said. the governor of Anbar province ous journey between govern- captured by government forces. ry in the North African state of by prime minister-designate Libya, backed by local militias A humanitarian group active which includes Fallujah, said ment and Islamic State lines. Some 3.3mn people are still 6mn people. Fayez al-Sarraj, who yesterday and units of the national army in the area meanwhile warned that the militias had killed at Al-Abadi announced the of- displaced in Iraq, the agency “These weapons do not fall said advances by pro-govern- loyal to a controversial general, that the journey for those fl ee- least 49 civilians, with another fensive on Fallujah on May 22. said. from the sky, but come increas- ment fi ghters in Sirte should be Khalifa Haftar. ingly through illegal shipments a model for “a national initiative Haftar refuses to recognise the by sea and by land. The arms fuel to fi ght terrorism”. GNA, and considers its forces Gaza desalination plant to be operational in autumn the confl ict. These shipments Forces allied with his Govern- “militias outside the law”. must end if there is any serious ment of National Accord have “We are following the battle in Gaza’s largest desalination plant while the damage could become Strip draw from groundwater, living in Rafah and Khan hope of bringing peace to Libya,” been fi ghting since mid-May to Sirte...we are watching, and we will be operational in the autumn irreversible by 2020. not from the sea. Yunis (in southern Gaza) will he said. oust IS from Sirte, 450km east of will see what happens,” Colonel as the Palestinian enclave tries In response, the European Tests on the desalination plant have access to fresh drinking The UN Security Council im- the capital Tripoli. Ahmad al-Mesmari, a spokes- to avert a potential humanitarian Union and the UN children’s in Deir el-Balah will be carried water” through the project, EU posed an arms embargo on Libya “We bless the victories of our man for forces loyal to Haftar, crisis over a lack of drinkable agency, Unicef, have financed out in the summer, with the aim Enlargement Commissioner in 2011 when former leader Mua- sons on the front lines...in the said. water, off icials said yesterday. construction of a desalination of producing 6,000 cu m of Johannes Hahn said yesterday. mmar Gaddafi ’s forces cracked fi ght to liberate Sirte and cleanse Haftar’s forces have been A 2012 UN report warned that plant in the south of the enclave drinking water per day. “Nearly 95% of the water down on pro-democracy pro- it” of IS, he said in a televised fi ghting Islamist and militants over-extraction of groundwater of 1.9mn people, including That amount would be doubled resources in Gaza are testers. statement released on the Face- - including IS - for two years in from the Gaza Strip’s sole aquifer around a million children. over the course of three years. considered unfit for human UN sanctions monitors last book page of the GNA. Benghazi, 350km east of Sirte. could make it unusable by 2016, Most water plants in the Gaza Eventually, “150,000 Palestinians consumption,” he said. Teen’s amputated hand a cruel reminder of IS rule

AFP Sitting in his modest home Bashar was kept locked up - “When he came to me with his Al-Hol, Syria among the hamlet’s low concrete with only half-hour excursions hand amputated I went crazy.” houses, Bashar says that after in a courtyard - for 40 days. Since IS left Al-Hol, the area the accusation he was detained Finally his captors told him he has slowly returned to life. S-backed fi ghters chased by the militants. would be going home. Inside a tiny convenience the Islamic State group “They hit me so hard that I They handcuff ed him, covered store, Bashar waits as a young Uout of his village last confessed - even though I nev- his eyes and put him in a car. boy scoops a ball of bright pink year, but Syrian teenager Bashar er stole it,” says the youth, his The blindfold was not re- ice cream out of a freezer. Qassem’s missing hand is a con- thick black hair slicked back moved until he was placed on a Cone in his left hand, Bashar stant reminder of their cruel and a faint moustache on his chair, sitting at a table surround- eats the frozen treat as he rule. upper lip. ed by an unfamiliar crowd. strolls down the street with his A Kurdish-Arab alliance He was taken to a jail in Sha- “When I saw all these people brother. backed by US air strikes recap- dadi, a town some 80km south- around me, I thought they would In areas freed from IS, many tured Bashar’s village of Al-Hol, east of Al-Hol. behead me. teenagers have returned to near the border with Iraq, from Bashar was held there with They laughed as if this was studying the national curricu- the militants in November. several others, some, he says, no something normal,” Bashar says. lum that was banned under the When the militants fl ed, they older than 10. Under IS’s interpretation of militants. left the bright-eyed 16-year- Two of these boys had been Islamic law, the punishment for Some even get excited about old behind, cradling a stump detained for smuggling tobacco theft is amputation of the right high school fi nals. wrapped in white cloth instead because smoking was forbidden hand. But Bashar isn’t one of them. of a right hand. by IS, Bashar says. “I refused to give them “I don’t know how to write It all started when “one of “They took them and whipped my hand but they hit me and with my left hand. What’s the the Daesh guys accused me them in front of everybody, then drugged me,” he says. “When I point?” he asks. of stealing a mobile phone,” fi ned them before releasing woke up I was in the hospital and The teenager is also not en- Bashar says, using an Arabic them.” my hand was missing.” thusiastic about returning to acronym for IS. When an investigator came Back home, Bashar’s mother work to support his single moth- The militants declared a to question a woman in an ad- could not believe what had hap- er and three of his siblings. “caliphate” across parts of Syria joining cell, “they locked us all pened. “Before I used to work in and Iraq in 2014, implementing up - closing even the tiny win- “For two or three days I was vegetable, fish or poultry their extreme version of Islamic dow in the door so we couldn’t in complete disbelief,” she says, shops. But I can’t work without law in areas they controlled and see”. her slim face weathered by years a hand. committing widespread atroci- “We could hear her screaming Syrian teenager Bashar Qassem adjusts the bandage on amputated arm as his sits in his house in the of sun and grey hair bound in a “I’m not a whole man. I wish ties. outside.” northeastern town of Al-Hol in Syria’s Hasakeh province. black scarf. they’d cut my head off instead.” Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 AFRICA

Nigerian oil rebels set conditions 8 Kenyan politicians face for peace talks

AFP The NDA wants a fairer Lagos distribution of oil revenue for local people in the detention over ‘hate speech’ delta, most of whom live Nigerian militant in poverty despite the vast Reuters recordings or speeches on the in- group has said it wealth created by crude Nairobi ternet, worrying many who fear Amay commit to since the 1950s. renewed violence in the August peace talks with the gov- It is also demanding the 2017 race. ernment over sabotaging withdrawal from the re- Kenyan court ordered po- Police took the eight to court af- oil infrastructure, in- gion of oil majors includ- lice yesterday to detain ter they were alerted to remarks by dicating it could review ing Shell, Chevron and Aeight pro-government and four pro-government politicians its policy of “not taking Eni, whose facilities have opposition politicians for investi- and four from the opposition. The lives”. been targeted alongside gation over alleged “hate speech”, police said the remarks were “said The Niger Delta Aveng- those of Nigeria’s state- fl agging growing tensions more to be laced with ethnic hatred, ers set out its conditions run oil company. than a year before elections and vilifi cation and border on incite- for dialogue, which was The NDA has said its after weeks of deadly protests. ment.” fi rst proposed by Nigeria’s campaign was specifi - Ethnic loyalties tend to trump Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogem- government last week and cally targeting oil facilities policy matters in Kenyan politics. bo said he had authorised the which the group immedi- but warned “if need be After a disputed election in De- detention of the eight for four ately rejected. we may review our earlier cember 2007, incitement by rival day. He said the prosecution had The NDA said in a post stance of not taking lives”. camps was blamed for stoking shown the suspects were infl uen- on its website on Monday “We are going to redirect bloodletting between major eth- tial and that they could interfere Kenyan politicians Aisha Jumwa, Florence Mutua, Johnstone Muthama, Junet Mohammed, Timothy Bosire, Ferdinand that it wanted “independ- and reactivate all our ac- nic groups that left 1,200 dead and with the investigation. Waititu, Moses Kuria and Kimani Ngunjiri standing in the dock at the Milimani Law Courts over alleged “hate speech” ent mediators” at the talks tivities if the government, hundreds of thousands displaced. Ogembo said the eight must re- in Nairobi yesterday. as well as representatives oil companies and their The 2010 constitution that turn to court on June 17 for further of oil multi-nationals. services fi rms don’t heed sought to reshape institutions directions. Waititu, a lawmaker now chal- 40 ethnic groups – against Raila he has led a series of almost week- That would be the only to these modest warnings and national politics guarantees On the opposition side, the lenging for a county governorship Odinga, a Luo, another major eth- ly protests against an electoral way of ensuring “genuine of not carrying out any re- free expression but expressly out- politicians named included Aisha near Nairobi, and Moses Kuria, a nic grouping. Kenya will also hold oversight body his supporters ac- dialogue” to bring about pair works and suspend the laws ethnic incitement or “hate Jumwa from the coastal region and lawmaker who represents a con- elections for parliament, gover- cuse of pro-government bias. The a resolution to the dis- buying of crude oil from speech”. Timothy Bosire, a lawmaker from stituency formerly held by Presi- nors and county assemblies next oversight body denies this. pute and a lasting peace, our region as we await the However, incidents of politi- western Kenya, an opposition dent Uhuru Kenyatta. year. At least four people have been it added. right atmosphere that will cians drumming up support or stronghold. The 2017 presidential election is Odinga disputed the 2007 and killed in the protests so far, in Attacks on oil pipelines engender genuine dia- stoking fears based on ethnic al- On the pro-government side, expected to pit Kenyatta, a Kikuyu 2013 election results, losing the which demonstrators have often and installations in the logue,” it said. legiances continue to crop up in politicians included Ferdinand – the biggest of Kenya’s more than latter to Kenyatta. Since late April, clashed with police. southern Niger delta re- Nigeria’s government gion since February have has ordered military de- severely hit production, ployments in the swamps cutting output by up to and creeks of the delta to 800,000 barrels to 1.6mn be scaled back to allow for barrels per day. talks to take place. Pistorius ‘must pay’: Burundi students expelled for defacing Cameroon gets Steenkamp’s father president picture new cinema AFP Barry Steenkamp, a former race- AFP a dozen schools have reported Pretoria horse trainer, described the chaos Nairobi similar cases of defacing the and panic when his wife June rang president’s portrait. In some rench media conglom- The idea “is to have 100 in him at work early in the morn- of the pictures the eyes had erate Vivendi yesterday the end across Africa”, said eeva Steenkamp’s father ing after Reeva, a model and law ver 230 teenagers have been gouged out, while insults Fopened a 300-seat cin- Bollore at the opening that broke down in court yester- graduate, was shot. been suspended from against the president were ema in Cameroon’s capital was also attended by Prime Rday as he told a dramatic sen- “June grieves like I do, all the Oschool in Burundi after scrawled over others. Yaounde, the fi rst of 100 it Minister Philemon Yang. tencing hearing that Oscar Pistorius time. I hear her at night, I hear her no one owned up to defacing Burundi plunged into crisis plans to build across Africa, The cinema is powered by must “pay for his crime” of murder- crying, I hear her talking to Reeva,” a picture of the president in in April 2015 when President where cinemas have closed solar energy using batteries ing his daughter three years ago. he added, saying that June had tried the troubled central African Pierre Nkurunziza announced one by one, AFP reports. developed by the powerful It was the fi rst time that 73-year- to forgive Pistorius to help her cope country, government offi cials he was running for a third Cameroon’s cinemas have Bollore group, which has Af- old Barry Steenkamp testifi ed in court with the loss of her daughter. said yesterday. term, a vote he won last July all shut down, as is the case rica-wide interests in trans- and directly addressed Pistorius. “You must still understand that “We have decided to tem- amid opposition boycotts. in many African nations, but port, logistics and ports. The Paralympic athlete killed Barry Steenkamp looking on after he must pay for that, although June porarily expel some 230 stu- Earlier this month 11 stu- a second is planned within The cinema will be used Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours testifying at the Pretoria High has forgiven,” he said. dents... because they refused dents were arrested in the months in the economic not only to screen mov- of Valentine’s Day in 2013, saying Court on the second day of Oscar The original trial judge Thokozile to denounce those among central Muramvya district capital Douala with another ies but also as a venue for he mistook her for a burglar when Pistorius pre-sentencing hearing Masipa is due to hand down a new them who defaced a photo- for insulting Nkurunziza by to be opened in Yaounde, music and comedy shows he fi red four times through the door yesterday. sentence for murder after arguments graph of his Excellency the damaging his portrait and are said the chairman of the and can be converted into of his bedroom toilet. from both prosecution and defence. President of the Republic,” awaiting trial. Vivendi supervisory board, an open-air site massing In March, Pistorius’s lawyers lost split seconds – she must have been The hearing was adjourned until said local government offi cial In another case, 300 stu- Vincent Bollore. thousands of people. an appeal judgement that upgraded in so much fear and pain. That is Wednesday morning. It is sched- Aloys Ngenzirabona, from the dents from a school in Ruziba, his original conviction from cul- what I think of, all the time.” uled to last until Friday. eastern Gisuru district. south of the capital Bujum- pable homicide – the equivalent of “It must have been absolutely Pistorius faces a minimum 15-year Teachers ordered students bura, were suspended in early manslaughter – to murder. awful.” jail term for murder, but his sentence to write down the culprits but June for the same reason. They “It has been very diffi cult for me He also said that he believed the could be reduced due to time already they refused. have since been allowed back, to forgive... I feel that Oscar has to couple had argued on the night of spent in prison and mitigating fac- “We gave them the paper on but police are investigating pay for what he did. He has to pay the murder - disputing Pistorius’s tors, including his disability. which they write the names the case. for his crime,” Barry Steenkamp claims. He was released from jail last Oc- of offi cials, but they gave us Violence has left more than said, tears streaming down his face. Pistorius held his head in his tober to live under house arrest at blank sheets,” Ngenzirabona 500 people dead and forced Reliving how his daughter, 29, hands, sobbing during the testimo- his uncle’s mansion in Pretoria af- said. more than 270,000 to fl ee the died, Steenkamp said: “What she ny at the High Court in the South ter serving one year of his fi ve-year Sources in the education small central African country, must have gone through in those African capital Pretoria. sentence for culpable homicide. ministry said that as many as according to the UN. Ethiopia warns Eritrea after border clash

AFP emies, with tens of thousands tional service makes Eritrea one of mistake of inviting us to wage a ed the kind of response that we Addis Ababa of troops dug into trenches eye- the world’s most militarised na- full scale war.” mounted. The measures we have ing each other along the heavily tions, but with just fi vemn citizens The 1998-2000 border war taken in the last two days will send fortifi ed frontier. it is dwarfed by Ethiopia, Africa’s claimed nearly 80,000 lives. No a suffi ciently clear message to the rch-rivals Ethiopia and On Sunday, fi ghting broke out second most populous nation with death toll has been given for Sun- regime,” Getachew said. Eritrea traded blame yes- around the Tsorona area – re- some 96mn people. day’s clash but Getachew de- Eritrea’s ministry of informa- Aterday for one of the fi erc- portedly involving heavy artil- “We’re capable of waging a full scribed the skirmish as “a major tion yesterday criticised what it est border clashes since a 1998- lery – with each blaming the scale war against Eritrea, but we engagement”. said was the “latest act of mili- 2000 war, with Addis Ababa other for starting the fi ght and choose not to,” Ethiopian govern- Ethiopia said the fi ghting was tary aggression” by Ethiopia, and warning any further confl ict is claiming heavy losses suff ered by ment spokesman Getachew Reda now over, and that it had been a claimed to have repulsed the as- “up to Asmara.” their opponent. said yesterday. warning message to Asmara. sault with the Ethiopian troops The neighbours are bitter en- Open-ended, compulsory na- “I hope they won’t repeat the “We don’t think they expect- “sustaining heavy causalities”. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 13 AMERICA

Appeals court Police search motive for upholds ‘Open Internet’ rules

AFP deadly Orlando rampage Washington

Reuters he wouldn’t know I was alive,” Colon “He always introduced himself as US appeals court panel yesterday up- Orlando said. Omar,” said the performer, Ty Smith, held hotly contested “Open Internet” When police drove Mateen back who uses the stage name Aries. Aregulations that prohibit broadband into a restroom, an offi cer dragged He said Mateen usually was quiet carriers from playing favourites or blocking S investigators were digging Colon to safety, he said. but sometimes showed fl ashes of competing online services. yesterday into what motivat- The investigation into the possi- temper. The so-called “net neutrality” rules, which Ued a Florida man to slaughter bility that Mateen, who worked as a “He was fi ne most of the time but essentially categorises high-speed Internet 49 people at a gay nightclub, includ- security guard at a gated retirement other times, if he was drinking, he’d as a public utility, won court approval after ing evidence that he had become ab- community, may have been gay fol- go all spastic and we’d have to take two past eff orts failed. sorbed in militant Islamist ideas and lows media reports citing men who him out to his car and make him leave.” The US Appeals Court panel in Washington reports he might have been gay him- said they were regulars at the club But a bartender who worked at a dealt a setback to major broadband fi rms like Ve- self, but not openly so. and saw Mateen there before the at- club affi liated with Pulse and who rizon and AT&T, which claimed the rules unfair- US law enforcement offi cials are tack. visited the club on his nights off said ly restrict providers and discourage investment. investigating reports that the man However, another source who it was not true Mateen had been a Judge David Tatel, writing for the 2-1 ma- who killed 49 people at a gay night- spoke with Reuters disputed the idea regular visitor. jority, said the Federal Communications club in Orlando may have been gay that Mateen was a regular visitor to “That’s a lie,” Raymond Michael Commission’s decision last year to reclassify himself, but not openly so, two of- Pulse. Sharpe said in a text message. “I Internet fi rms as “common carriers” that can fi cials said yesterday, with one de- Visiting a gay club in and of itself would have known him. Somebody be regulated like phone companies “is a per- scribing the massacre as a possible would say nothing about Mateen’s stirring the pot. No one knew him.” missible exercise of its authority.” “self-hate crime.” Mourners hold a vigil outside Manhattan’s historic Stonewall Inn to express sexuality, as he could have a variety During his rampage, Mateen made In a 115-page opinion, Tatel wrote that “the Omar Mateen, who was shot dead their support for the victims killed at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. of reasons for such a visit. a series of calls to emergency 911 dis- role of broadband providers is analogous to by police after a three-hour standoff The two US offi cials, both of whom patchers in which he pledged loyalty that of telephone companies: they act as neu- early on Sunday, left behind a tangled vestigation, who spoke on the condi- attack, described hearing gunfi re and have been briefed regularly on the in- to the leader of Islamic State, Abu tral, indiscriminate platforms for transmis- trail of possible motives. tion of anonymity, investigators are falling to the fl oor, shot in the left leg. vestigation and requested anonymity Bakr al-Baghdadi, whose organiza- sion of speech of any and all users.” He also called police during his only beginning to delve into the con- “I couldn’t walk at all,” Colon told a to discuss it, said that if it emerged tion controls large swaths of Iraq and The ruling is a victory for consumer groups rampage to voice allegiance to vari- tents of Mateen’s cellphone and other news conference at Orlando Regional that Mateen led a secret double life or Syria. and others who argued that a handful of In- ous militant Islamist groups. electronic devices. Medical Center, where he is one of 27 had gay impulses that confl icted with He also claimed solidarity in those ternet providers, without these rules, could Federal investigators have said The source said they believe Ma- survivors being treated.”All I could do his religious beliefs, it might have calls with the ethnic Chechen broth- eff ectively block or hamper big online serv- Mateen was likely self-radicalised teen browsed militant Islamic mate- was lay down. been what the same offi cial called ers who carried out the deadly 2013 ices like Netfl ix or smaller ones that compete and there is no evidence that he re- rial on the internet for two years or People were running over me.” “one factor” in explaining his motive. Boston Marathon bombing and with with those backed by the broadband provider. ceived any instruction or aid from more before the Orlando shootings. Colon said he had a hopeful mo- “It’s far too early to be defi nitive, a Palestinian-American who became “This decision should lay to rest what has outside groups such as Islamic State. Mateen’s wife attempted to talk ment when Mateen went into a bath- and some leads inevitably don’t pan a suicide bomber in Syria for the al become a needlessly contentious issue,” said Mateen, 29, was a US citizen, born him out of the attack, MSNBC re- room – where he later took hostages out, but we have to consider at least Qaeda off shoot known as the Nusra Gene Kimmelman of the consumer group in New York to Afghan immigrant ported yesterday, citing offi cials fa- – but the gunman then emerged, sys- the possibility that he might have Front, authorities said. Public Knowledge. “Now consumers will be parents. miliar with her comments to the FBI. tematically making his way through sought martyrdom partly to gain ab- Mateen’s name was listed on an assured the right to full access to the Internet “We currently do not have any in- The attack on the Pulse nightclub the club shooting people who were solution for what he believed were his unclassifi ed federal database for without interference from gatekeepers.” formation to indicate that a foreign in the central Florida city was the already down, apparently to ensure grave sins,” one of the offi cials said. nearly a year between 2013 and 2014 Ed Black of the Computer & Communica- terrorist group directed the attack in deadliest mass shooting in modern they were dead. The offi cial noted that the concept after he allegedly told co-workers tions Industry Association, which represents Orlando,” President Barack Obama US history. “I look over and he shoots the girl of martyrdom is not confi ned to Is- of possible sympathies he had with various Internet and tech fi rms, also wel- told reporters after a meeting of the Soon after the attack, Mateen’s next to me and I was just there lay- lam, as Christians also venerate mar- militants overseas, three federal of- comed the ruling. “This is a huge, historic National Security Council.”It is in- father indicated that his son had har- ing down and thinking, ‘I’m next, I’m tyrs who died for their beliefs. fi cials familiar with the investigation victory for all Internet users,” Black said. creasingly clear, however, that the boured strong anti-gay feelings. He dead,” Colon said. A performer at Orlando’s Parlia- told Reuters. “It means no company can act as a gate- killer took in extremist information recounted an incident when his son Mateen shot him twice more, one ment House, another gay club, said He was removed from this so- keeper for Internet content. It ensures that and propaganda over the Internet. became angry when he saw two men bullet apparently aimed for Colon’s he had seen Mateen at Pulse occa- called selectee list after the FBI smaller startups and service providers will be He appears to have been an angry, kissing in downtown Miami while out head striking his hand, and another sionally before his rampage, often completed a nine- or 10-month in- able to compete on equal terms for Internet disturbed, unstable young man who with his wife and young son. hitting his hip, Colon recalled. accompanied by a male friend. vestigation and concluded he had no traffi c with established companies.” became radicalised.” Angel Colon, who was in Pulse “I had no reaction, I was just pre- He had not seen Mateen in about connections with known terrorist The new rule also applies the concept to One offi cial familiar with the in- with friends at the time of Mateen’s pared to stay there laying down so two years, he said. groups, two of the offi cials said. mobile Internet carriers, preventing them from blocking or throttling content for com- petitive reasons. Two previous eff orts by the US Federal Communications Commission were tossed out by the appellate court in Washington, but earlier this year the agency tried again with a Muslim leaders brace for the backlash new twist, applying the 1934 law that regu- lates phone companies, categorizing Internet fi rms as public utility providers. Reuters and vigilant, and we’ve got to do it ness for attacks, and said they would But the cable and Internet providers, which Miami now, because later is too late,” Trump maintain already higher levels of contend the regulation limits their ability to said in a New Hampshire speech on security implemented after the San invest and innovate, could appeal the ruling Monday. Bernardino shootings in December. to the US Supreme Court. “We have always n Sunday, June 5, hundreds In her response to the massacre, The Islamic Community Center of expected this issue to be decided by the Su- crowded into a Louisville, the presumptive Democratic nomi- Phoenix has received multiple hate preme Court, and we look forward to par- OKentucky mosque to cele- nee, Hillary Clinton, warned against emails since the Orlando shooting, ticipating in that appeal,” said AT&T general brate the life of boxer Muhammad Ali “infl ammatory anti-Muslim rheto- its chairman Usama Shami said, and counsel David McAtee in a statement. in an interfaith service. ric” and said she would make “iden- had already been working with local Dr Mohamed Babar began the tifying and stopping ‘lone wolves’ a law enforcement and the Department service with a poem: “You were the top priority.” of Homeland Security. Nasa to set fire in space true face of faith,” he read. In Louisville, mosque offi cials One e-mail, from “CJ,” said: “Do The vibe, he said, was one of peace contacted a police offi cer to provide you also refute the Qur’an when it An unmanned cargo ship pulled away and compassion. security at their Ramadan dinners, tells you to lie to the infi del and pre- yesterday from the International Space Sta- A week later, Babar, a local physi- held every Friday, Saturday and Sun- tend to be his friend, so that you can tion to stage the first of three planned Nasa cian and community leader, attended day during the Muslim holy month. betray him.” experiments on how big fires grow in space, a vigil for fi fty people killed in a gay After anti-Muslim messages were The All Dulles Area Muslim So- an important test for astronaut safety. nightclub in Florida by a 29-year old spray-painted in red on the Louisville ciety in Virginia, which Homeland Previous experiments in space were lim- American of Afghan descent. Islamic Center’s walls in September, it Security Secretary Jeh Johnson vis- ited to the incineration of samples no bigger “It’s like somebody has punched upgraded security technology, includ- ited in December, had carried out than an index card, said David Urban, lead us in the gut,” he said. “Last week, we ing wirelessly controlled locks, and ar- A man holds up a sign saying Arab Muslims condemn the attack at a candle- multiple security assessments with researcher for the Spacecraft Fire Experi- thought, fi nally this monkey is off our ranged for an off duty police offi cer to light memorial service in Orlando. national and federal law enforcement ment, or Saff ire. back, but now it seems the burden is keep watch during Friday prayers. agencies in the past few months on “We tried for years to find a vehicle and back on us to prove our innocence for On Sunday, the Islamic Center of yelled at students and cars trying to the mosque is hiring extra security at how to improve security around the a circumstance where this would work and something a criminal who claims to Long Island, New York contacted run people over who were crossing night, according to Fatima Rami, an community centre. initially we’d get a ‘not on my spacecraft’ reac- be Muslim has done.” their local precinct chief to arrange the road, she said. administrator. “The sad thing is, we’re almost tion,” Urban said during a Nasa TV interview. Across the country, Muslim Ameri- police presence at the mosque during “We’re hoping this time will be The centre has called on local con- used to it now,” said Rizwan Jaka, The National Aeronautics and Space cans were quick to condemn the attack, the evening prayer service. calmer,” she said. gregants to donate blood to victims of chairman of the organisation. Administration ultimately settled on using and some mosques took extra security “We’ve had backlash before, es- The Islamic Center of Orlando on the shooting, even if it means break- “Racism and bigotry is the same, an Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo ship, which is measures to protect against backlash. pecially with irresponsible rhetoric Sunday told congregants to avoid ing their Ramadan fasting for a day. whether it’s against one group or an- designed to burn up in the atmosphere after On the presidential campaign trail, from politicians,” said Isma Chaud- praying outside - a practice that is “A broken fast can be made up, a other,” Babar said. “We hope our fel- it departs the space station. presumptive Republican nominee hry, president of the Islamic Center common during Ramadan, when life lost is gone forever,” it posted on low citizens will see us through the The Cygnus, which departed the space Donald Trump called for a ban on of Long Island. mosques are often over capacity for its website. lens of Muhammad Ali, rather than station yesterday, was launched from Earth in immigration from countries with a After the San Bernardino shoot- evening prayers. Some mosques have been working this deranged soul, though our hopes March with more than 3,200kg of food, sup- “history of terrorism.” ing in December, the community was Local law enforcement is sending with federal authorities on assess- are dampened by this senseless trag- plies and science experiments for the station, “We’ve got to get smart, and tough, harassed, she said, with obscenities patrols to the neighbourhood, and ments to increase their prepared- edy.” a research laboratory that flies about 400km above the planet. The cargo included Saff ire, a module containing a 97cm by 49cm cotton-and- fibreglass material sample that will be set on fire after Cygnus reaches a safe distance from Russians steal research on Trump in hack of Democratic Party the station. The experiment will begin with hot wires igniting the sample. Reuters of some Republican political action may be working for Russia’s Federal Air flowing through ducts will fan the fire, Washington committees. Security Service, or FSB, Alperovitch which is expected to last about 20 minutes. The intrusion is emblematic of the said. FSB was once run by Russian “One of the big questions is how big will sophistication of Russian hackers, President Vladimir Putin. the flame get?” Urban said. ussian government hackers who intelligence offi cials have long The second group, nicknamed Fire behaves diff erently outside of Earth’s penetrated the computer net- viewed as the most talented of US Fancy Bear, is probably working on atmosphere, so scientists want to test Rwork of the Democratic Na- adversaries in cyberspace. behalf of Russia’s military, Alpero- whether microgravity will limit flames and tional Committee and gained access In Moscow, a Kremlin spokesman vitch said. It gained entry in late April what materials will burn. to all opposition research on Repub- did not immediately respond to a re- and “went straight to the oppo re- The question is not academic. lican presidential candidate Donald quest for comment. search specifi cally on Donald Trump In February 1997, an oxygen-generating Trump, the committee and security Two separate groups were able and ex fi ltrated some of it,” he said. canister aboard the Russian Mir space station researchers said yesterday. to enter the DNC’s system and read Alperovitch added that both erupted into a searing flame, blocking the Representative Debbie Wasser- email and chat communications, groups were among “the best threat crew’s path to an emergency escape ship. man Schultz, chairwoman of the according to the committee and actors that we’ve ever encountered” The crew fought the fire with foam extin- Democratic National Committee, CrowdStrike, the cyber fi rm that but that they appeared to not be guishers and water and it eventually burned confi rmed the breach to Reuters, fi rst helped clean up the breach. working together. itself out, leaving a thick residue of soot. reported by the Washington Post. CrowdStrike began assisting the Cyber attacks against political The Saff ire experiment will be the largest “When we discovered the intru- DNC in May and identifi ed two candidates and organisations are fire set in space since the accidental blaze sion, we treated this like the serious groups, said Dmitri Alperovitch, the common worldwide. on Mir. incident it is,” Wasserman Schultz company’s co-founder and chief US National Intelligence Director Onboard sensors will record temperature, said in a statement. “Our team moved technology offi cer. James Clapper said last month he was oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, while two as quickly as possible to kick out the Both were kicked out this week- aware of attempted hacks on cam- cameras snap pictures. intruders and secure our network.” end, he said. paigns and related organisations and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the Saint Andelm The data and images will be relayed to The Washington Post quoted US The fi rst, which CrowdStrike that he expected to see more as the College New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Manchester, New Hampshire. ground control teams over the next four to offi cials as saying Russian spies also named Cozy Bear, entered the DNC’s November presidential election nears. six days. targeted the networks of Trump and systems last summer, according The last two US presidential cycles versaries targeting President Barack US intelligence offi cials have said Nasa plans two more Saff ire experiments Democratic presidential candidate to the fi rm. It primarily monitored in 2008 and 2012 witnessed a barrage Obama’s campaign and the cam- many previous assaults were linked aboard future Cygnus spacecraft. Hillary Clinton, as well as computers email and chat conversations and of cyber attacks from a range of ad- paigns of his Republican foes. to Chinese hackers. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 ASEAN

Indonesia to ramp Asean ‘retracts South up executions of drug traffi ckers

China Sea criticism’ Reuters criticism last year when it ex- Jakarta ecuted 14 people, mostly foreign AFP ministers and their Chinese chunk of global shipping passes. use its economic leverage on tion of disputes,” the statement drug traffi ckers. Kuala Lumpur counterpart in the Chinese city It has bolstered its claim by poorer members to water down said. President Joko Widodo’s re- of Kunming. building artifi cial islands in- criticism of its actions. This includes “full respect for ndonesia plans to execute 16 fusal to pardon the prisoners, But just hours later, Malaysia cluding airstrips in the area, But the region appeared legal and diplomatic processes, prisoners after the Eid al-Fitr despite repeated pleas for mercy, outheast Asian countries said the Asean secretariat had some of which are suitable for earlier yesterday to be ral- without resorting to the threat Iholidays next month, and sparked diplomatic tensions, have reversed course on a issued a recall. “We have to re- military use. lying around one of its chief or use of force, in accordance more than double that number most notably with Australia, Sstatement that expressed tract the media statement by The Philippines, Taiwan, democracies.“We expressed our with universally recognised next year, a spokesman for the which recalled its ambassador in deep concern over events in the the Asean foreign ministers... Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam serious concerns over recent principles of international law, attorney general’s offi ce said protest at the execution of two of South China Sea, where Beijing as there are urgent amendments have competing claims to parts and ongoing developments, including the United Nations yesterday. its citizens last April. is embroiled in territorial rows, to be made,” a Malaysian foreign of the sea, which is believed to which have eroded trust and Convention on the Law of the M Rum told reporters there are Attorney general spokesman Malaysia said yesterday, add- ministry spokeswoman said. harbour signifi cant oil and gas confi dence, increased tensions Sea (UNCLOS) and the UN 152 people on death row in the Rum said drug-related cases in- ing that “urgent amendments” She said the Secretariat had deposits. and which may have the poten- Charter”. Manila’s case is being country, but that drug traffi ckers volved “many” foreigners, but would be made. approved the release of the The episode comes as the re- tial to undermine peace, secu- heard at The Hague under the would be prioritised. declined to comment on wheth- In a strongly-worded state- statement, then later informed gion braces for a ruling by a UN rity and stability in the South provisions of UNCLOS. “In accordance with the er any would face execution this ment released to AFP by the the ministry it was being re- tribunal on a claim brought by China Sea,” the original state- China has been roundly criti- budget we have, we plan (to ex- year. Malaysian foreign ministry, the scinded. the Philippines against China. ment said, without mentioning cised in the international com- ecute) 16 this year and 30 next A 59-year-old British women, Association of Southeast Asian The Chinese foreign ministry China does not recognise the China by name. munity for its strong-arm tac- year,” Rum said. Lindsay Sandiford, was sen- Nations (Asean) had earlier expressed puzzlement over the arbitration and has reacted an- “We emphasised the impor- tics in the South China Sea. “President Joko Widodo has tenced to death after being con- warned that recent actions in diplomatic dance, and denied grily to Manila’s legal eff orts tance of non-militarisation and Washington has repeatedly said the country is facing a nar- victed in 2013 of trying to smug- the disputed waterway – where any offi cial document had been over the Beijing-controlled self-restraint in the conduct cautioned Beijing to exercise cotics emergency and this is to... gle cocaine worth $2.5mn into Beijing has been building mili- issued. Scarborough Shoal, off the main of all activities, including land restraint in the region, and has save our future generations,” he the country. tarised artifi cial islands – had “We have checked with the Philippine island of Luzon. reclamation, which may raise sent warships through the wa- added. A Philippine maid, Mary Jane “the potential to undermine Asean side, and the so-called Asean has frequently strug- tensions in the South China ters on designated “Freedom of He declined to give details on Veloso, got a last-minute re- peace”. statement reported by AFP is gled to reach consensus on is- Sea,” it said. Navigation” missions. who would face the fi ring squad prieve last year in response to The statement came after not an offi cial Asean document,” sues involving China, which “We articulated Asean’s It has also chided the Asian next month. a request from Manila after an what was characterised as “a spokesman Lu Kang said. prefers to negotiate with indi- commitment to maintaining giant in recent weeks over what Indonesia has harsh penal- employment recruiter, whom candid exchange” — language China claims nearly all of the vidual countries, rather than and promoting peace, security it says are “unsafe” intercepts of ties for drug-related crimes, but Veloso had accused of planting that hinted at a diplomatic set- South China Sea – a vast tract the bloc. and stability in the region, as US spyplanes by Chinese temporarily halted executions drugs in her luggage, gave herself to-between the bloc’s foreign of water through which a huge Critics say this allows it to well as to the peaceful resolu- fi ghter jets. after facing intense international up to police in the Philippines. Chinese, Taiwanese American gets 10 years for child abuse arrested over AFP Phnom Penh suspected extortion ambodia yesterday sen- tenced an American man Cto a decade in jail for Reuters na.” The 15 Chinese and 12 Tai- sexually abusing girls as young Phnom Penh wanese men and women were as fi ve, the latest eff ort to pun- arrested in a raid at their villa in ish foreign paedophiles in the the capital Phnom Penh on Mon- impoverished country. ambodia has arrested 27 day, Heisela said. Brian Naswall, the 53-year- Chinese and Taiwanese Since 2011, Taiwan and China old CEO of Aero Cambodia, Cnationals on suspicion of have co-operated in investigat- a small aviation fi rm based in operating a telecoms extortion ing telecoms fraud in Indone- Phnom Penh, was arrested last ring to defraud victims in China, sia, Cambodia, Philippines and year, reportedly in the act of offi cials said yesterday. other countries, arresting more abusing three underage girls. Cambodia has deported more than 7,700 suspects, including Since he was detained, a to- than 200 Chinese nationals 4,600 from Taiwan, according tal of nine victims have accused since November in a crackdown to China’s offi cial news agency, Naswall of abuse. on Internet and telecoms scams. Xinhua. Naswall denied the charges Beijing is battling a fast grow- “This is happening all over during his trial and claimed the ing industry in telecoms fraud the world,” said Khun Sambor, case was fabricated. that has cost billions of dollars in Cambodia’s deputy director of But Phnom Penh’s Munici- fi nancial losses and driven some immigration. “Cambodia is just pal court yesterday found the victims to suicide. a small percentage of it.” Sam- American guilty of engaging Chinese and Cambodian au- bor said he was unaware why in child prostitution and sen- thorities have co-ordinated to Cambodia had become a base for tenced him to 10 years in prison. uncover scams orchestrated some of those involved. The court also ordered Nas- from Cambodia. Chinese authorities say crimi- wall to pay $16,000 in com- Cambodian police said people nal gangs based in diplomatic pensation, which will be split in Cambodia would call up peo- rival Taiwan are behind many of among eight victims. ple in China asking for money to the scams and according to Xin- The director of Action Pour free relatives allegedly held cap- hua, on average more than 10bn Les Enfants (APLE), an NGO tive or for other fi ctitious rea- yuan ($1.5bn) is swindled out of that hunts down suspected for- sons. the mainland to Taiwan by tel- eign paedophiles in Cambodia, “We are questioning them ephone scammers every year. called for Naswall to be deport- and if we fi nd them guilty of the Chinese Foreign Ministry ed after he serves his sentence. American Brian Naswall (right), the 53-year-old CEO of Aero Cambodia, walks from a prison van as a Cambodian policeman stands guard upon crimes, we will deport them,” Uk spokesman Lu Kang said yes- “We applaud the ruling. It his arrival at Phnom Penh municipal court yesterday. Heisela, chief of investigations terday that he did not know the is reasonable and acceptable,” at Cambodia’s immigration de- details of the case. APLE director Seila Samleang tion as a child sex hub attracted The country launched a drive still wide gaps in policing. that while some successes partment, told Reuters yesterday Kenya deported 45 Taiwan said. global attention in 2002 when in 2003 to shed its reputation as A landmark study released have been made in Southeast after the latest arrests. suspects in another telecoms A member of Naswall’s legal British glam rocker and serial a haven for foreign paedophiles. last month by a coalition of Asia, paedophilia remains an “Their alleged crimes were all fraud case to China in April, an- team told reporters that his cli- paedophile Gary Glitter was de- Dozens of foreigners have nearly 70 child protection “enduring phenomenon that the same, they extorted money gering Taipei who accused China ent would appeal the ruling. ported over suspected sexual since been prosecuted for agencies looking at child sex has plagued the region for sev- via phone from victims in Chi- of kidnapping its citizens. Cambodia’s grim reputa- off ences. child sex crimes but there are abuse around the world said eral decades”.

Search mounted for missing Vietnamese jet fi ghter Three killed in Myanmar Hundreds attend vigil in Vietnamese authorities are look- ing for a missing jet fighter that Singapore amid tensions lost contact while it was flying on a training mission off the coun- try’s coastline yesterday, a senior helicopter crash: military AFP candles — no naked fl ames are army off icer said. The Russian- Singapore allowed in a public park.One made SU-30MK2 was carrying participant Syafi q Khai, 23, said two pilots when it disappeared AFP the Orlando attacks were a result from radar around 26 nautical Yangon undreds in Singapore of homophobia being tolerated. miles from northern Nghe An joined a vigil yesterday “Recent events will only make province, state-media reported. Hfor victims gunned down our resolve stronger to push for “We are looking for it and have hree Myanmar army of- in a US club amid growing ten- LGBT rights in Singapore...We no further information yet,” Vo fi cers were killed when sions between conservatives and have to urge our fellow country- Van Tuan, the Vietnamese army’s Ttheir helicopter crashed gays in the city-state. men to accept that LGBT are part vice commander in chief, said. into a hillside and burst into The shooting, which killed 49 of society,” he said. According to reports on state fl ames in the country’s central in a popular gay club in Orlando, The vigil follows several inci- media, navy ships, fishing vessels region yesterday, the military Floria, hit home for many in Sin- dents that have left Singapore’s and planes have been mobilised said in a statement. gapore’s local LGBT community, gay community feeling vulner- to search for the missing aircraft. The MI2 helicopter went said vigil organiser Nicholas able. Earlier this month the gov- State-run Tuoi Tre newspaper down mid-morning after it hit Lim. ernment warned foreign fi rms quoted a report from the pro- poor weather in south central “In Singapore, there aren’t against sponsoring Pink Dot, vincial border authorities that a Bago, according to the state- any sanctuaries or safe ha- an annual gay rights rally. Last fisherman “saw an aircraft falling ment released by the offi ce of vens for gay people to come out weekend, news broke that a lo- down some six nautical miles the army’s commander-in- and explore their sexuality at a cal staging of Les Miserables was east of Hon Mat island”. Vietnam chief. safe place where they won’t be forced to cut a scene with a kiss has been keen to renew its almost It was fl ying south from charged,” Lim said ahead of yes- between two male actors be- exclusively Russian-made military Meiktila to an air base near terday’s vigil. cause of public complaints. hardware amid rising tensions Yangon, the former capital and In heavily regulated Singa- Singapore’s leaders have had with Beijing over disputed territory largest city. pore, politically or socially sen- to maintain an uncomfortable in the South China Sea. Unoff icial “All three crew members... This handout photograph taken and released by the Myanmar Armed Forces yesterday shows the sitive public gatherings can only balance between increasingly reports said the Southeast Asian who were on board died on the wreckage of an MI2 military helicopter at the crash site in a valley in Bago region. be held in Hong Lim Park, the vocal conservatives and gay country now owns more than 20 spot,” the statement said. country’s sole offi cial protest rights supporters. SU-30MK2s – long-range strike jets “Authorities plan to inves- did not provide any further ture. In February, all five ATR 72 twin-engine turbo- area, but are subjected to strict In 2014, Singapore’s top court known as “King Cobras”. Made by tigate the cause of helicopter details. crew died when a Myanmar prop carrying 49 passen- rules. upheld the law criminalising sex Russia’s Sukhoi, the SU-30MK2 is crash,” it added. Myanmar has a busy avia- air force plane crashed in the gers skidded off the runway Yesterday evening, organisers between men, and children’s the most advanced jet currently in A senior military offi cer tion sector, partly to com- capital Naypyidaw soon after after landing during heavy said around 700 gathered and books with gay themes were Vietnam’s arsenal. from the army chief’s offi ce pensate for the country’s take-off. rain at Yangon International sang, forming a giant heart with moved to the adults section in confi rmed the accident but poor road and rail infrastruc- Last year an Air Bagan Airport. their glow sticks and electronic public libraries. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

Treading water ‘Bungling sailors’ in record ice bust

AFP Wellington

ome bungling boating by a group of landlub- Sber drug smugglers led to New Zealand’s largest ever haul of methamphetamine, with their fumbling eff orts arousing The boat involved in the haul. the suspicion of locals, police said yesterday. taining zip-lock bags full of The 494kg haul, with a street drugs totalling 448kg. value of $347mn, is the largest Police also found a handheld ever in New Zealand, eclips- GPS device in the fi rst vehicle ing in a single swoop the en- which had co-ordinates lead- tire amount of ice seized in the ing to some sand dunes, where South Pacifi c nation last year offi cers on Monday dug up a (334kg). further 46kg of drugs. Police said locals found an “What is so great about this abandoned boat at remote 90 is that it’s not only the result Mile Beach on Sunday and also of hard work by the Northland reported a group of men had police, but it’s the result of been acting suspiciously in the information we got from the area in recent weeks. community,” Superintendent They said the men, whose Russell Le Prou said in a state- nationalities were not given, ment. had been unsuccessfully try- “We received notifi cation of ing to launch boats off the several cases of suspicious be- beach, then off ering locals large haviour in the past few weeks, amounts of cash to help them. and that has allowed us to get to When police went to recov- this point.” er the boat, a vehicle used by Police said they were work- the group drove past and was ing with customs to determine stopped after a brief chase. where the methamphetamine Two men, aged 26 and 31, came from. Many of the bags were arrested. showed signs of salt water. A model poses during a photo shoot in Beijing. A short time later, a camper- The three men appeared in van driven by a third man, aged court charged with importing 19, was stopped and a search and possessing class A drugs found multiple suitcases con- for supply.

Human fl esh, hair Chinese activist ‘ready found inside bear

AFP Hideki Abe, an Akita pre- Tokyo fectural offi cial, told AFP that human remains and hair sam- for backlash over book’ ples were discovered inside the uman fl esh and hair bear’s stomach on Monday. Dissident activity even in Hong Kong Gao’s wife Geng He fl ed to the United said her father was still living in “diffi cult” made under pressure from Beijing. were found inside the Abe described the body part is being given little room to flourish States in 2009 with Grace and their other conditions and not receiving proper care. Hong Kong police have said they are Hstomach of a bear sus- as “a piece of human fl esh”, child. The wide-ranging book discusses China imprisons a number of high-pro- continuing to investigate the booksellers’ pected of attacking at least one without elaborating, though AFP the physical abuse Gao endured under de- fi le critics including Liu Xiaobo, the writer cases. of four people in northern Ja- stressed it remained to be de- Hong Kong tention, his faith in God and his belief that and democracy advocate who won the No- Lam was one of three who went missing pan who apparently died from termined if that particular bear the Communist Party could collapse next bel Peace Prize in 2010. from southern mainland China in October. such assaults, offi cials said was responsible for the wom- year. It has been brought out by a Taiwan- A Hong Kong bookseller who went Another went missing from Thailand yesterday. an’s death. leading dissident lawyer in China is ese publisher and will go on sale there this missing in mainland China and re- and the fi fth, Lee Bo, from Hong Kong. Bear attacks on humans are “Two thirds of the stomach prepared to face the consequences week. emerged under detention returned to his Lee’s disappearance led to accusations not unusual in mountainous was fi lled with bamboo shoots,” Aover his new book predicting the But the publisher is still looking for a home city yesterday and asked police to that mainland law enforcement agents Akita prefecture on Japan’s he said, suggesting that little possible collapse of the ruling Communist distributor in Hong Kong, said pro-de- drop their investigation into his initial dis- were operating illegally in the city. main island of Honshu, but human fl esh was likely con- Party, his tearful daughter said yesterday. mocracy lawmaker Albert Ho. The dissi- appearance. Lam’s colleagues Cheung Chi-ping and fatal ones are, with only eight sumed by the bear and that it Gao Zhisheng has been under house ar- dent lives in an isolated village in Shaanxi Lam Wing-kee is one of fi ve Hong Lui Por returned to Hong Kong in March tallied from 1979 through last was not the only one involved rest since 2014 after serving a three-year province. Ho, a friend of Gao, would not Kong-based booksellers who published on bail, but are reported to have quickly year. in the attacks. prison term on subversion-related charges say how the manuscript was delivered to salacious titles critical of Beijing and dis- gone back to the mainland. Last month, however, three Bamboo shoots are a sta- – a sentence which sparked an interna- the publisher. appeared at the end of last year, a case Lam is also on bail. men – two in their seventies ple food for bears at this time tional outcry. Gao fell foul of Chinese authorities by which fuelled growing fears Beijing was Lee resurfaced in the city the same and one in his sixties – died in of year, while Japanese go into Daughter Grace Gao said the 52-year- championing the rights of vulnerable peo- tightening its grip on the semi-autono- month, only to cross back across the bor- apparent attacks while har- the mountains to harvest the old was about to publish a book written in ple including underground Christians, mous Chinese city. der less than 24 hours later. vesting bamboo shoots in three popular seasonal plants to eat custody and was ready to accept the con- aggrieved miners and members of the It later emerged that all had been de- He insists he is a free man and is just as- separate incidents in a moun- or sell. sequences. banned Falungong spiritual movement. tained in China, where four of them – in- sisting mainland authorities. tain forest. The prefecture has not cap- “He told us we (the family) should be He was convicted in 2006 of “subver- cluding Lam – are under offi cial investiga- The men all worked for the Mighty Cur- The body of a fourth victim, tured any bears in traps set up prepared. sion of state power” and given a three-year tion over the import of banned books from rent publishing house, which produced a badly mauled 74-year-old Friday in Kazuno city, where To him he is physically and mentally suspended prison sentence. Hong Kong to the mainland. books about political intrigue and love aff airs woman, was discovered Fri- the mountain is located, Abe prepared,” the 23-year-old told a press State media said in 2011 that he had been Lam is the latest to return to Hong Kong at the highest levels of Chinese politics. day. The woman had reportedly added. conference. ordered to serve the sentence after a Bei- – three of the other booksellers have also Bookseller Gui Minhai, a Swedish citi- been picking wild plants. Prefecture and city offi cials Gao has indicated he is determined to jing court ruled he had violated the terms made short trips but have quickly gone zen, confessed to trying to smuggle illegal Hunters killed a bear just have told locals to stay away sacrifi ce his freedom despite being sepa- of his probation. back over the border. books into China in a television interview 10m from the spot where her but some are not heeding the rated from his family, she said, bursting The decision was criticised by the Unit- Hong Kong police said they met Lam in February. remains were discovered. warnings. into tears. ed Nations, the United States, the Euro- yesterday morning. Lam, Cheung and Lui blamed the com- “He’s determined he is not going to pean Union and rights groups such as Am- Like the others who have come back, he pany’s illegal book trade on Gui. leave China... for things he thinks are right nesty International. requested the cancellation of his missing Hong Kong was returned to China by to do,” Grace Gao said. Upon his 2014 release, his family said he person case and said he did not need offi - Britain in 1997 and enjoys far greater liber- “He is putting his family aside... he thinks had suff ered abuse in prison and malnutri- cial help, police said. ties than in mainland China, but there are there are things bigger than ourselves.” tion that led to severe tooth damage. Grace Critics have said the retractions were fears these are being eroded. Chinese boats seized

QNA tured in the neutral waters Seoul since the South Korean mili- tary kicked off their crack- S Korean admits down in the area late last Rodent fi rst victim outh Korea’s military week. seized two Chinese fi sh- The latest seizure is a con- to Tokyo shrine Sing boats operating ille- tinuation of Seoul’s joint op- gally in the neutral waters of eration with the United Na- the Han River estuary between tions Command launched of climate change? blast: media two Koreas, the Joint Chiefs of to deal once and for all with Staff (JCS) said yesterday. Chinese boats fi shing without “South Korea’s military po- permission in the tense border AFP The Melomys rubicola, considered ble Cay melomys from Bramble Cay AFP lice captured two Chinese ves- area. Sydney the Great Barrier Reef’s only endemic occurred because of rising sea levels Tokyo sels during their crackdown The military said it issued (found nowhere else) mammal spe- and an increased incidence of ex- operation at around 7.10pm verbal warnings to disperse cies, was fi rst discovered on the cay treme weather events over preceding and turned the boats over to the boats but took action when limate change appears to have in 1845 by Europeans who shot the years is signifi cant in that it prob- South Korean man admitted yesterday to deto- the coast guard,” the JCS said they did not leave the area, the driven to extinction of an Aus- “large rats” for sport. ably represents the fi rst documented nating a homemade pipe bomb at a controversial in a press release, carried by JCS said. It said the crew of Ctralian Great Barrier Reef ro- But the last known sighting, by a mammalian extinction due solely (or ATokyo war shrine last year, in a case that high- Yonhap news agency. the boats strongly resisted and dent, according to a new study, which professional fi sherman, was in 2009. primarily) to anthropogenic climate lighted lingering tensions over Japan’s former rule of The move marks the fi rst even threw fi shing equipment suggests the species may be the fi rst When a 2014 study found no sign change,” it said. the Korean peninsula. Jeon Chang-Han, 28, also ad- time Chinese boats were cap- at troops. mammal lost to the global phenom- of the species, researchers decided The study added that the main mitted to illegally entering the shrine in the case’s fi rst enon. to conduct the most extensive survey hope for the species was that another hearing at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday, public Extensive searches for the Bramble possible in the hope of conserving the population existed in neighbouring broadcaster NHK and other media reported. Cay melomys, a small rat-like ani- species. Papua New Guinea. No one was hurt in the explosion that happened in mal, have failed to fi nd a single speci- That survey – using traps, cameras “Consequently, at this stage, it may the toilets at the Yasukuni shrine, which has been tar- men from its only known habitat on a and searches – “produced no records be premature to declare the Bram- geted in the past by activists who see it as a symbol of Quake hits Vanuatu sandy island in far northern Australia. of the species, confi rming that the ble Cay melomys extinct on a global Japan’s militaristic past. Jeon is believed to have left Researchers said the key factor be- only known population of this rodent scale,” it added. Japan after the blast, but was arrested when he re- hind the extinction was “almost cer- is now extinct”, said the report. Environment group WWF-Aus- turned in early December – reportedly carrying 2kg of AFP Vanuatu is part of the Ring of tainly” ocean inundation of the olw- The 2015 IUCN Red List of Threat- tralia said the fate of the species was gunpowder. Sydney Fire, a zone of tectonic activity lying cay, likely on several occasions, ened Species implicated climate a sad reminder of the nation’s extinc- Prosecutors and the court could not be reached for around the Pacifi c that is sub- over the last decade which resulted in change in the extinction of another tion crisis. confi rmation.The Yasukuni shrine honours millions of ject to frequent earthquakes dramatic habitat loss. mammal, the Little Swan Island hutia “Australia offi cially has the worst Japan’s war dead, including several senior military and 6.2 magnitude earth- and volcanic eruptions. Available data on sea-level rise and (Geocapromys thoracatus), a rodent rate of mammal extinction in the political fi gures convicted of war crimes after World quake hit the Pacifi c is- The quake struck at a depth weather events in the Torres Strait previously found on a coral atoll in world,” said spokesperson Darren War II, and remains a diplomatic fl ashpoint in North- Aland nation of Vanuatu of 131km, 92km northwest of region “point to human-induced cli- Honduras. Grover. Unless governments commit east Asia. Visits by senior Japanese politicians to the yesterday, the United States the town of Isangel on Tanna mate change being the root cause of But it found the main driver of its signifi cant funding towards protect- Yasukuni shrine routinely draw an angry reaction from Geological Survey (USGS) said. island, USGS said. the loss of the Bramble Cay melomys”, demise was an introduced cat, the re- ing Australia’s threatened species, China and South Korea. There were no immediate re- Vanuatu has been rocked added the Queensland state govern- port said. “we can expect to see more native Issues related to Japan’s 1910-1945 rule of the Korean ports of damage or casualties, by a series of quakes this year, ment and University of Queensland “Consequently, the conclusion critters go extinct on our watch”, he peninsula remain a fl ashpoint in Tokyo’s relations with and no tsunami warning was including some that prompted study. here that the extirpation of the Bram- added. South and North Korea today. issued. tsunami warnings. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 BRITAIN Newcastle mother’s 17 children taken into care after birth

Guardian News and Media knowing that the children would Newcastle city council. Children’s otic lives” made it hard for them to who sought help from Newcastle was nine. Research looking at taken was exceptional. London almost certainly be taken from her charities have been shocked by the seek help. Many were described as Women’s Aid said she felt judged family court records found that in She said: “I think she is an ex- within hours of being born. fi gure, revealed as Barnardo’s an- being victims of domestic abuse by social services. “They said I 2013, 2,018 babies were taken into ception, I don’t think anyone else Thought to be in her late 40s, nounced the launch of a project in and have been in care, while some was too upset to look after my care at birth or soon afterwards, in Newcastle has reached any- mother from Newcastle she has been unable to keep any the city to help reduce the number are sex workers, use drugs or alco- child but, of course, I was upset up from 802 in 2008. where near that fi gure and hope- has had 17 children taken of her children, though the reason of children taken into care. hol or have mental health issues. they were going to remove him,” The study, Vulnerable Birth fully in the future there will not Afrom her by a local author- for them being taken into care is Pause, a project for women Sian Bufton, assistant direc- she said. Mothers and Recurrent Care Pro- be any more because we will have ity over the last 30 years. Charities not clear. The children were re- trapped in a cycle of having chil- tor of children’s services at Bar- Neighbouring areas also re- ceedings, funded by the Nuffi eld been able to deliver this service. believe it to be the highest number moved over a 30-year period from dren taken away from them, is nardo’s, said: “They’re women vealed high fi gures, with a mother Foundation, found that between “It is likely she would have recorded in England and Wales. the mid-1980s. The situation of being extended to Newcastle who’ve experienced a lot of loss, a in Gateshead having 10 children 2007 and 2014 a total of 13,248 had diffi culties such as domestic The woman has been pregnant the mother, who has not been by the council and Barnardo’s lot of trauma, a lot of diffi culty in taken from her, and in Cumbria, babies were removed by the au- abuse, mental health problems, throughout most of her adult identifi ed, came to light after a in September. The charity said their lives and need some help to Sunderland and Durham the thorities. Bufton said the case of a chaotic lifestyle, possibly sub- life and has given birth each time freedom of information request to some women’s “absolutely cha- live a diff erent life.” One woman highest fi gure for a single mother the mother who had 17 children stance misuse.”

Ex-police offi cers Labour rallies lose bid to sue force pro-EU troops Guardian News and Media London

olice detectives were within their rights to investigate Pcolleagues involved in the as Sun shines notorious Cardiff Three miscar- riage of justice murder case whom they suspected of framing the in- nocent men, a senior judge has ruled. Justice Wyn Williams also said he found it hard to see how on Brexit camp false accusations from key wit- nesses that helped convict the Reuters Trades Union Congress which have also been slashing the odds three for the murder of 20-year- London groups 51 unions representing on Brexit, unsettling investors. old Lynette White would have almost 6mn of the United King- Sterling was down almost 1% emerged as they did if a police of- dom’s 65mn people. against the dollar yesterday and fi cer was not instrumental. he leader of the main op- Criticised by some campaign- London-listed shares fell more Eight offi cers were put on trial position party yesterday ers for being lukewarm in his than 1% on Brexit worries. for allegedly “fi tting up” the Car- Turged supporters to vote support to remain in the EU, Cor- In another, though not un- diff Three, but the case against the to remain in the European Union byn was clear he was leading his expected, boost for the “Leave” offi cers collapsed and they were after opinion polls showed gains party’s push to stay but kept his campaign, media tycoon Rupert acquitted. They sued South Wales for those wanting to leave and distance from Cameron’s mantra Murdoch’s Sun newspaper called police, claiming they were wrong- the nation’s biggest-selling paper that Britain is “stronger, safer and on its readers to vote to quit the ly investigated and prosecuted. backed Brexit. better off ” in the bloc. EU. However, Williams rejected The “In” camp led by Prime In a later speech, he attacked “The Sun urges everyone to their allegations yesterday, ruling Minister David Cameron, whose the Conservatives for damaging vote Leave. We must set our- that the force was within its rights own Conservatives are deeply the public health service (NHS) selves free from dictatorial Brus- to investigate the offi cers. split over the EU, has recently - where he had represented staff sels,” said the tabloid, which has White, a sex worker, was given the lead role in campaigning before becoming a lawmaker. a circulation of 1.7mn but may stabbed more than 50 times at to the left-leaning Labour Party, But he told voters those who be preaching to the converted as the fl at where she worked in whose supporters could decide wanted to leave would “put the many of its readers already back a the Cardiff docks area in 1988. the June 23 referendum. NHS in jeopardy”. Brexit according to polls. Stephen Miller, Yusef Abdullahi In a campaign dominated by The general secretary of the In an article for the London and Tony Paris were convicted concerns over immigration and TUC, Frances O’Grady, and other Evening Standard in February, of her murder in 1990 and jailed. the economy, both sides have union leaders published an open veteran journalist Anthony Hilton Their convictions were quashed stepped up their arguments be- letter earlier yesterday underlin- said he once asked Murdoch why two years later and the men, fore the closely contested vote ing their fears that Britain would he was so opposed to the Euro- nicknamed the Cardiff Three, that will help determine Britain’s vote to leave the EU, something pean Union. were released. In 2003, another future in trade and world aff airs they described as “a disaster for “’That’s easy,’ he replied. man, Jeff rey Gafoor, admit- but also shape the EU itself. working people”. ‘When I go into Downing Street ted murdering White; he is now The pound and euro have lost The “Remain” camp played they do what I say; when I go to serving a life sentence. value on fears a British exit from down any connection between Brussels they take no notice.’” In 2011, the eight former offi c- Europe, or Brexit, would tip the the spotlight on the Labour mes- But at a 2012 public inquiry into ers were tried for “acting corrupt- 28-member bloc back into reces- sage and the slide in the opinion the press, Murdoch rejected sug- ly together” to make a case against sion. polls - several of which put the gestions he had infl uence over the Cardiff Three. Prosecutors Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, “Leave” campaign ahead - saying British politicians and in a world claimed their case was “largely the fl anked by the party’s top law- there had been no change in strat- of declining sales and growing product of the imagination”. makers and trade union members, egy or message. new media, the stance taken by The former police offi cers – said a vote to stay in the 28-na- “We’re concentrating on get- the media may matter less than it Graham Mouncher, Richard Pow- tion bloc would protect workers’ ting our message across up and once did. ell, Thomas Page, Michael Dan- rights, pitching to voters who down the country,” said a spokes- The Sun newspaper does, iels, Paul Jennings, Paul Stephen, “In” campaigners fear have been man. “We’re particularly con- however, reach many of La- Peter Greenwood and John Sea- turned off by a debate dominated centrating on Labour voters and bour’s traditional working class ford – all denied conspiring to by rivalries in the ruling Conserv- demonstrating to them that their supporters, some of whom have pervert the course of justice. The ative Party. party is unequivocally on the side been won over by arguments trial, the biggest of its kind against “This is the Labour movement of remain.” that Britain needs to control im- British police offi cers, collapsed, saying we are voting to remain in Polls over the last four days migration to reduce pressure on costing the taxpayer an estimated Labour Party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn poses with other senior members of the party and trade unionists the European Union next week,” have suggested that the “Leave” the health service, schools and £30mn. at an event in support of remaining in the European Union, in central London, yesterday. he said at the headquarters of the camp is gaining and bookmakers housing. Fresh Deepcut inquest Largest diamond Temporary sites for travellers sought into soldier death likely London Evening Standard series of “short-stay” — or “tran- London sit” — sites across London. He said it had become “intolerable” Guardian News and Media torney general Jeremy Wright QC Cheryl James inquest. It is ter- in Barking and Dagenham and London cleared the way for the high court rible to think of Sean alone there. ayor Sadiq Khan was yes- claims it costs local businesses up application less than two weeks “More than two decades after terday urged to launch a to £3mn a year. after a three-month inquest into our brother died – and having Mfresh crackdown on trav- Lewis said: “At the moment he family of a second the death of 18-year-old Private lost both our parents in recent ellers occupying private land. there’s no place for the travellers to young soldier who died at Cheryl James in November 1995 years – Tony and I are deter- The call came from business go if they are only passing through. TDeepcut barracks in Sur- concluded that she had shot her- mined to fi nd out what happened leaders who say an increase in It has become a huge and expen- rey might be granted a second self. to Sean.” travellers breaking and entering sive problem for local businesses inquest into his death. Emma Norton, the family’s so- sites is costing local businesses who bear the costs of cleaning up, The brother and sister of Pri- “More than two decades licitor from Liberty, said: “Sean’s hundreds of thousands a year in which can run into tens of thou- vate Sean Benton who was found aft er our brother family have waited 21 years for legal and clean-up fees. sands of pounds.” He said nearby with fi ve bullet wounds to his died, Tony and I are this moment – and it is a source One of the latest incidents came Havering College recently suff ered chest at the base 21 years ago determined to fi nd out of immense sadness that his par- two weeks ago in Dagenham, when a similar break-in and was left have been given permission to what happened to Sean” ents are not here to take this vital a group forced caravans through with a bill of over £20,000. apply to the high court for the next step in their search for jus- the manned and padlocked barrier Lewis cited Halton borough original inquest to be quashed Benton’s twin brother, Tony, tice.” of a scientifi c research and devel- council, in north-west England, and a fresh one ordered. and his sister Tracey Lewis, ap- The two other young soldiers opment park. where he says “transit” sites run The coroner at the fi rst in- plied last year. As in James’s case, who died from gunshot wounds Bosses at the londoneast-uk by the local authority have result- quest held in July 1995, a month the application for a new inquest were Private Geoff Gray, from business and technical centre ed in less private land being occu- after Benton’s death, recorded a was only possible because Ben- Hackney, east London, who was captured CCTV of the break-in, pied and police having somewhere verdict of suicide. Benton’s fam- ton’s mother, Linda, who died found dead with two wounds to on June 3, and of one traveller def- to move travellers to. ily estimate the inquest took less last year, used the Human Rights his head in September 2001, and ecating on the pavement. Barking and Dagenham coun- than two hours and say it heard Act to persuade Surrey police to Private James Collinson, 17, from Security staff felt threatened cil said: “We fully understand from six people. A criminal in- disclose evidence about her son’s Perth, Scotland, who was found and police were apparently pow- the frustrations and are working vestigation by Surrey police sev- death. She had been supported by with a single shotgun wound A model shows off the 1,109 carat “Lesedi La Rona”, the erless to move them on because it with the police and land owners en years later found no evidence the human rights charity Liberty. through his chin in March 2002. largest gem quality rough diamond discovered in over was private land, according to the to tackle illegal traveller encamp- of third-party involvement. Lewis, Benton’s older sis- The inquest into James’s 100 years, during a sale preview at Sotheby’s auction site’s managers. ments as and when they arise. Benton, 20, from Hastings, ter, said: “We have been over- death, which ended earlier this house in London yesterday. The diamond, uncovered John Lewis, managing direc- “We would support any pro- Sussex, was the fi rst of four whelmed and disturbed by all the month, concluded there had last November in Botswana by Canadian mining tor of londoneast-uk, has written posals for a pan-borough solution young recruits to die from gun- details of the shameful environ- been a highly sexualised and al- company Lucara Diamond Corporation, is expected to to the mayor of London follow- to address the needs of members shot wounds at Deepcut be- ment at Deepcut which have fi - cohol fuelled environment at the fetch more than $70mn. ing the second break-in in four of the traveller community in and tween 1995 and 2002. The at- nally come to light through the barracks. months, urging him to create a around London.” Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 17

BRITAIN Smithsonian abandons plan for bespoke London outpost

Guardian News and Media leased a joint statement an- courted by former London mayor Garland’s ruby slippers from The they want”. Details of how the ar- engage with diverse audiences in lantic collaboration as “growing London nouncing what they called a Boris Johnson to be a major pres- Wizard of Oz. Instead it will be rangement will work had yet to be innovative ways.” London’s cultural sector is one “major new international col- ence in the “Olympicopolis” a partner in the V&A’s planned fully worked out but it would be Al Horvath, the Smithsoni- of my core priorities as mayor”. laboration”. Both will be part of project, joining the V&A, Sa- 18,000 sq metre building op- a genuine exhibition partnership, an’s undersecretary for fi nance He added: “These plans would he Smithsonian, the the new cultural complex being dler’s Wells and two university posite the Aquatics Centre with rather than staging consecutive and administration, said the create an exciting new cultural world’s biggest museum created in Stratford on the site of campuses. jointly organised permanent ex- major shows in the same place, high cost of a new building had venue in east London, which will Tand research complex, has the London 2012 Olympic games The idea was for the Smith- hibitions as well as opportunities Reeve said. played a part in the decision but help many more people enjoy the abandoned its plan for a bespoke – but not as originally envis- sonian to have its own build- to do things separately. Similarly the Smithsonian getting hold of real estate had extraordinary collections man- outpost in London and will in- aged. ing, its fi rst base outside the US, The V&A’s deputy director, secretary, David Skorton, said: never been the prime motivator. aged by the Smithsonian and the stead stage joint exhibitions with The Smithsonian, one of the and send over exhibits from its Tim Reeve, said they had been “This would not be a ‘Smithso- “We feel this is a big win for us,” V&A. It is great news for every- the V&A on the former Olympic world’s most famous museum vast collections of about 138mn talking to the Smithsonian for a nian outpost in London’. It would he said. one who wants to see London’s site in east London. names with 19 outposts in Wash- objects, everything from works long time and both agreed “this be a collaboration with the V&A, The new London mayor, Sadiq cultural and creative sectors even The two organisations re- ington and New York, had been of art to space rockets and Judy is the best way of getting what giving both of us opportunities to Khan, welcomed the transat- bigger and better.” MPs warn Tate Modern expands over changes to early guilty plea scheme

Guardian News and Media both in the magistrates’ court and London the crown court,” the report con- cludes. Bob Neill MP, the Conserva- lans to tighten rules allowing tive chair of the committee, said: off enders to receive reduced “There has not been enough re- Psentences in return for early search to assess the possible im- guilty pleas must be delayed in pact on prisons and other aspects case they lead to a surge in the of the criminal justice system. The prison population, MPs have said. Sentencing Council should con- Up to 4,000 additional places duct further research into the fac- for inmates may be needed if pro- tors that infl uence a defendant’s posals from the Sentencing Coun- decision to plead guilty, to form a cil go ahead, according to the jus- more comprehensive and robust tice select committee. The Justice reassessment of the draft guide- Secretary, Michael Gove, has also line, taking into account costs and signalled his concern at the revised savings to all aspects of the crimi- London Mayor Sadiq Khan and director of Tate, Nicholas Serota, stand on the viewing platform at the new Switch House extension of the Tate Modern gallery in London scheme. nal justice system, especially the yesterday. Tate Modern unveiled its new extension, a pyramid-like tower housing cavernous gallery spaces, ahead of its off icial opening. The 200ft structure, boasting Introducing stricter guidelines prison population.” panoramic views of London, is part of a £260mn revamp of the world-famous art museum. designed to persuade defendants Under the Sentencing Coun- to plead guilty earlier in the court cil’s proposals, to qualify for the process could have a perverse im- maximum reduction of one-third pact and encourage more to go to off their punishment, off enders full trial, the committee’s report would have to acknowledge guilt suggests. the fi rst time that they are asked The changes, currently out to for their plea in court. consultation, may also adversely For those who plead guilty af- aff ect those with mental health ter the fi rst stage, the maximum problems and the increasing reduction for which they are eligi- European court backs UK number of unrepresented defend- ble would drop to one-fi fth, com- ants going through the criminal pared with one-quarter under the justice system, MPs fear. current process. A Sentencing Announcing the proposals in Council resource assessment ac- February, Lord Justice Treacy, knowledged the uncertainty as to the chairman of the Sentencing how defendants would respond to Council, said: “We want those a changed guideline. over child benefi ts limits who have committed crimes to “Some defendants, having admit their guilt as early as possi- missed the full one-third dis- AFP said it was lawful for Britain to considered to amount to indi- welcomed the ruling, saying it is very close to what this com- ble … It also means that the police count, may opt to go to trial and, Brussels apply a “right-to-reside” rule to rect indiscrimination, it is jus- “supports our view that we are mission thinks and what we’re and Crown Prosecution Service if found guilty, could serve longer EU migrants based on whether tifi ed by the need to protect the entitled to ensure only EU mi- trying to implement in the UK can use their resources more ef- prison terms by losing credit for an they were working or seeking fi nances of the host member grants who have a right to be in deal,” Commission spokesman fi ciently to investigate and pros- early plea,” the MPs suggest. he EU’s top court yester- work, and would not be a burden state.” the UK can claim our benefi ts”. Margaritis Schinas told a news ecute other cases.” “On this assumption, the re- day backed Britain’s right to British taxpayers. Britain’s right to limit such In Brussels, the European briefi ng. However, in its report, the jus- source assessment estimates Tto limit child benefi ts to The European Commission, child benefi ts was at the heart of Commission said the judgement The ruling in Britain’s favour tice select committee warns that up to 4,000 additional prison European migrants, a hot-but- the bloc’s powerful executive a renegotiation deal that Cam- was an “important and welcome had been largely expected. the well-intentioned aim could places may be needed. Even if ton issue in Britain’s referendum arm, had taken Britain to court eron secured at a European Union clarifi cation” on the rights of The top legal adviser to the cost up to £120mn extra in funding more off enders do plead guilty on its future in the European arguing that it had breached EU summit in February to put before EU citizens to clarify benefi ts in ECJ had given a similar opinion additional prison places. at the fi rst stage of proceedings, Union next week. laws rule granting all European voters in the June 23 referendum. other EU countries. in October, and a defeat would “We recommend that the Sen- the assessment estimates that The decision comes as a series citizens the right to live and work The deal - which will only It stressed the case had been have been a major blow to the tencing Council delay the fi nali- 1,000 additional prison places of opinion polls show a grow- wherever they like in the EU. take eff ect if Britain votes to stay brought by the previous Com- campaign to stay in the EU. sation and implementation of the would be required; this is be- ing lead for the campaign for a “The UK can require recipi- in the EU - will also limit the mission run by Jose Manuel Bar- Campaigners for Britain to new guideline until it has under- cause the new guideline is de- “Brexit,” despite Prime Minis- ents of child benefi t and child tax amount of child benefi ts that roso, who stepped down in 2014, leave the bloc complain that taken and published further re- signed to ensure that sentence ter David Cameron’s appeals for credit to have a right to reside in EU migrants living in Britain can and that current chief Jean- London’s sovereignty is under- search into the factors that infl u- reductions are applied more people to vote to remain in the the UK,” the Luxembourg-based send back to their home coun- Claude Juncker’s views were mined by the EU and particularly ence a defendant’s decision about consistently than under the cur- 28-nation bloc. court said in its judgement. tries. closer to the court’s stance. by rulings by the ECJ that over- whether and when to plead guilty, rent guideline.” The European Court of Justice “Although that condition is In London, the government “The way the court clarifi es rule national decisions.

Wales’ automatic organ London soaked House prices up by donation system saves lives 8.2% over the year Agencies property”, meaning results are less Guardian News and Media which most donations are lost. I tives is a delicate issue. Family London likely to be artifi cially infl ated by London am extremely proud that Wales and close friends cannot overrule expensive properties. now leads the way by being the their loved one if they register As this is the fi rst time this index fi rst nation in the UK to move to their position. They can inform ouse prices increased by has been released, it is being de- landmark scheme under a soft opt-out system of consent. medical staff if their loved one 8.2% in the year to April, scribed by the ONS as an “experi- which people are deemed I fully expect that the new system objected to organ donation but Haccording to a revamped mental offi cial statistic” for now. Ato have consented to organ will create a step change in con- had not opted out. The Welsh index by the Offi ce for National Even though average house donation unless they opt out has sent for organ donation in Wales. government says that if this Statistics (ONS). prices have been revised down, saved dozens of lives in the six The early indications are that happens, the donation will not The rise has been described many areas have enjoyed growth months since it was introduced, this certainly is the case. go ahead. But it insists that the as a continuation of the “strong over the past 12 months - and the Welsh government has said. “This law was introduced to objection has to be based on the growth” seen in property prices London continues to be the fast- Of the 60 organs transplanted address the chronic shortage of views of the deceased. over the past two-and-a-half est growing region, with prices in Wales between December organs for transplant which we It is the fi rst such move in the years. increasing by 14.5% in the year to and June, half came from people face in Wales. I am sure we have UK and has been warmly wel- According to the ONS index, April. whose consent had been deemed. all heard heartbreaking stories comed by patients waiting for which uses data from several In local authority areas, it was The organs were provided from about those on organ waiting vital procedures. But critics in- sources, the average house price is good news for the City of London 31 people, 10 of whom had not lists. I would like to express my cluding the Church in Wales are signifi cantly lower than suggested (27.3% growth) and Slough (25.2% explicitly confi rmed that they heartfelt thanks to the peo- sceptical, arguing that the new under the old method. growth), with the Berkshire town’s wanted to become donors. ple of Wales for embracing this system could be confusing, may The ONS now says the typical property market buoyed by the The Welsh government groundbreaking legislation.” alienate relatives of potential do- value of a UK property is £209,054 imminent arrival of Crossrail, a launched the initiative in Decem- Under the deemed consent nors and could tarnish the image - £83,000 less than what was re- new high-capacity railway route ber last year in an attempt to in- system, people aged 18 and over of organ donation. corded using the former index in to London. crease the number of organs avail- who have lived in Wales for more The Welsh government said a March. Meanwhile, Merthyr Tydfi l in able for life-saving transplants. than 12 months and die in the survey published this year showed London property prices have Wales saw an 11.1% slump in house Before the law was changed, country are regarded as having that almost three-quarters of cit- also taken a hit under the new prices. 23 people donated their organs in consented to organ donation un- izens could explain the system. measurement and are now back Howard Archer of IHS Global the same period in 2014-15, and less they have opted out. A campaign is to begin this under the half a million pound Insight said increases in stamp 21 in 2013-14. To opt out, people can add summer aimed at getting more mark at £470,000, consider- duty for buy-to-let investors and Vaughan Gething, the cabi- their name to a register by phone young people to talk about their Pedestrians get caught in a heavy downpour as they make ably less than the old estimate of the upcoming EU referendum had net secretary for health, wellbe- or online. Those who wish to organ donation decision with their way through a street in London yesterday. The Met £552,000. dampened activity on the housing ing and sport, said: “The path register a positive decision to opt their loved ones and to remind Off ice issued a severe weather warning, with heavy rain A diff erent formula is now being market, but added that the ongo- to organ donation is a complex in can do so. people of their options under the expected across the country. used to calculate prices which “is ing supply shortage would “likely one, but consent is the stage at The role and rights of rela- system. not as sensitive to extreme valued provide support to house prices”. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 EUROPE French cops killed in IS-inspired stabbing AFP Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to “kill in- Manuel Valls told parliament, Magnanville, France fi dels, at home, with their fami- which observed a minute’s si- lies.” lence for the victims of both the IS claimed Monday’s attack in Orlando and the Magnanville at- convicted radical who a statement issued by the Amaq tacks. killed a French police cou- news agency, a regular conduit The slain policeman, who also Aple in an IS-inspired stab- for IS announcements. had another child from a previ- bing was carrying a “hit list” of Molins said police had found a ous relationship, was based at a Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg addresses the press ahead of the Nato Defense Council meeting in Brussels. VIPs and urged followers to turn hit list in the house of VIPs and station in the western Paris sub- Euro 2016 into a “graveyard”, of- professions, including police and urb of Les Mureaux. fi cials said yesterday. journalists, to be targeted. His partner had an adminis- Monday’s assault in a small They also found three knives, trative police job. town northwest of Paris was the one of which was covered in Their deaths are the fi rst po- fi rst deadly strike in France since blood. lice fatalities in a militant attack since January 2015 when gunmen Nato prepares to deploy the co-ordinated attacks in the Three men from Abballa’s en- capital by an Islamic State cell in tourage have been arrested over attacked a satirical newspaper, a November, which killed 130 peo- the attack, Molins said. Jewish supermarket and the po- ple. One of the three was among lice, claiming the lives of 17 peo- Larossi Abballa, who was un- seven people convicted alongside ple, among them three offi cers. A month later, three soldiers troops to eastern Europe der surveillance after serving Abballa in 2013 over their in- time for links to jihadist net- volvement in a network recruit- protecting a Jewish community works, fi rst stabbed 42-year-old ing militants for Pakistan, Molins centre in the French Riviera city Reuters units, as well of weapon and Other Nato nations will even- Russia’s powerful arsenal. Jean-Baptiste Salvaing outside added. of Nice were attacked by a man Brussels equipment depots. tually take command responsi- With a warning last week his home. Abballa, who had been known with a knife. Russian Defence Minister bilities, diplomats told Reuters. from a senior US commander He then holed up inside the to police as a youth for petty Interior Minister Bernard Ca- Sergei Shoigu said the goal of Western offi cials also ac- that the alliance would have house with Salvaing’s 36-year- crime, spent over two years in zeneuve said Monday’s killings ritain, Germany and the the June 14-22 drill was to en- knowledged discussions in only 72 hours notice of a missile old partner Jessica Schneider and custody. showed the gravity of the threat United States advanced sure the ability of his military Canada to lead a fourth battal- or ground attack, Baltic nations the couple’s three-year-old son. More recently, he was investi- to security forces “who are pay- Bplans yesterday to spear- to “carry out planned activities, ion, with a British offi cial saying and Poland want a sophisticated Shortly afterwards he killed gated in connection with a net- ing a heavy price to ensure the head a new Nato force on Rus- including mobilisation.” a decision could come as early as anti-missile shield to deter Rus- Schneider by slitting her throat. work recruiting militants to fi ght safety of the French”. Hollande sia’s border from next year, and Nato’s battalions are part of a Wednesday. sia from gaining the upper hand. Abballa then posted on Face- in Syria. said the threat level was “very Russian President Vladimir wider deterrent to be approved Reuters fi rst reported on Can- Nato Secretary-General Jens book a live 13-minute video of His wiretapped conversations high everywhere” and that the Putin ordered snap checks on at the Warsaw summit on July 8. ada’s possible role last week. Stoltenberg said Nato was also himself inside the house with gave no indication he was plan- government had mobilised “sig- combat readiness across his It will involve troops on ro- Canada’s battalion was expect- considering a Romanian off er to the child in which he admits the ning an attack, however, Molins nifi cant resources, both in the armed forces. tation, warehoused equipment ed to be based in Latvia, diplo- command a multinational bri- murders and urges fellow mili- said. police and in intelligence serv- Weeks before a critical Nato and a highly mobile force backed mats say, although Ottawa has gade which could coordinate al- tants to carry out more blood- In his Facebook video, which ices” to defend the country. summit in Warsaw, three of by Nato’s 40,000-strong rapid yet to comment publicly. liance training and possibly play shed. was seen by AFP, Abballa called The Magnanville bloodshed Nato’s biggest military powers reaction unit. The new deployments are a deterrent role. He was later killed during a po- on supporters to attack police, began shortly before 9pm (1900 said they would each command Nato hopes the complex plan apart from US plans to provide Russia sees Nato’s deterrence lice raid which ended the stand- journalists, public fi gures, prison GMT) on Monday when Abballa a battalion across the eastern can discourage Russia from or- an armoured brigade, typically plans as hostile. Moscow’s en- off in the town of Magnanville. guards and rappers and to “turn attacked the offi cer, who was in fl ank to help deter any show of chestrating the kind of cam- around 5,000 troops, plus extra voy to the alliance has warned The child escaped unharmed the Euro into a graveyard.” The civilian clothing, stabbing him force such as that deployed by paign used to annex Ukraine’s equipment in Europe. they threaten peace in central but was stated to be in a state of video was later removed. repeatedly. Moscow in Crimea in 2014. Crimea peninsula in February “There will be a continually Europe. shock. “It’s unquestionably a terrorist Police moved in to evacuate “Britain will lead one of the 2014 and which has left eastern present armoured brigade com- The Kremlin also says a US Paris prosecutor Francois Molins act,” President Francois Hollande residents, block off roads and battalions,” British Defence allies nervous of their former bat team, which will bring in its ballistic missile shield, which said Abballa, 25, who came from the said of the latest in a series of at- launch negotiations with the Secretary Michael Fallon said at Soviet overlord. own equipment with each rota- Washington says is directed at nearby suburb of Mantes-la-Jolie, tacks on soldiers and police in re- suspect. a meeting of Nato defence min- Berlin and Washington also tion,” said US Defence Secretary protecting the alliance from told police negotiators before his cent years, including a number of Loud blasts and shots were lat- isters, adding London will send said that they would send troops Ash Carter. Iran, is also escalating tensions. death that he had sworn fealty to IS stabbings by so-called lone wolf er heard around midnight as of- up to 700 troops to the Baltics to the new force, which is ex- He said that on top of that, The United States denies that. three weeks earlier. operatives. fi cers from the French elite police and Poland. pected to total about 4,000 sol- the United States would bring Nato says it is respecting a He told negotiators he was “A new horror threshold has force, RAID, launched an assault “That should send a very diers, with contributions from “a pre-positioned set of equip- 1997 agreement with Moscow responding to a call by IS leader been breached,” Prime Minister after the dialogue failed. strong signal of our determina- other allies. ment for yet an additional ar- not to deploy substantial com- tion to defend the Baltic states France is sending a company moured brigade combat team bat forces on Russia’s borders. and Poland in the face of con- of about 250 troops to Britain’s which troops could fall in upon “You don’t invade with a few tinued Russian aggression,” he battalion. in a crisis.” battalions, okay?” the US en- said. Germany is likely to deploy to While eastern allies welcome voy to Nato, Douglas Lute, told In a reminder of Russia’s ef- Lithuania, the United States to the deployments in Nato’s big- reporters.”But you can deter, Berlusconi’s heart surgery ‘went well’ forts to bolster its military read- Poland and Britain to Estonia, gest military build-up since the and you can aff ect a potential iness, its armed forces started on a six- to nine-month rotat- end of the Cold War, they want aggressor’s calculus in terms of carrying out spot checks on its ing basis. more support to defend against cost, benefi t and risks.” Reuters maker for the past decade. He kept a vigil at the hospital since Milan underwent a four-hour opera- Berlusconi was admitted. tion at Milan’s private San Raf- One supporter erected a Stolen marble head of Rome’s first emperor returns home to Italy faele hospital to replace a defec- banner - “Forza Silvio. Don’t ormer Italian prime min- tive aortic valve. give up” - while his girlfriend, marble sculpture of the widespread that Italy set up a the name Augustus in around immediately to return it to Italy, ister Silvio Berlusconi had “The operation went well. He was 30-year-old Francesca Pascale, head of Rome’s fi rst em- police unit dedicated to tracing 27BC, had been on display in the ministry said. Fopen heart surgery yester- breathing normally. We were not was pictured in local media wip- Aperor was welcomed the pieces. the Cinquantenaire Museum in Visibly damaged by exposure day at the age of 79, an operation particularly worried before. We are ing away tears while looking out back yesterday to the Italian “Today we don’t just have Brussels. to the elements and the passage his family described as a success even more relaxed now,” Berlusco- from a hospital window. capital, some 40 years after it the retrieval,” Deputy Foreign The museum had bought it of time, the head is believed to and his supporters greeted as a ni’s younger brother, Paolo, told re- “Francesca was emotional like was stolen and traffi cked out of Minister Mario Giro said at a in good faith after it ended up have formed part of a statue sign that he could soon return to porters outside the hospital, which all women. She is at his side, lit- the country. ceremony to mark the return of in a private collection, Italy’s wearing a toga. the political fray. is well known for its cardiac unit. tle by little his children will arrive The portrayal of Augustus, the artwork. “We are celebrating Foreign Ministry said in a state- Its likeness to another head in The centre-right leader and “His heart is very strong and in too,” Paolo Berlusconi said. one of the earliest known depic- the importance the memories of ment, without saying who the Nepi museum helped iden- media mogul was taken to hospi- good shape, I am sure that he will The hospital said Berlusconi tions of a man born more than these artefacts have for the fu- might have committed the orig- tify it, Nepi mayor Pietro Sold- tal last week suff ering from what overcome this trial and will come had been placed in intensive care, 2,000 years ago, is the latest ar- ture of humanity.” inal theft. atelli said. doctors called a life-threatening out of this the same as before, or but gave no more details. An of- tefact from Italy’s ancient sites The 45cm tall veiled head, As soon as art history experts “After more than 40 years cardiac defi ciency. even stronger and more deter- fi cial said he would stay in inten- to be repatriated after being il- whose hairstyle shows it dates to established that it had been sto- of exile in Europe, he’s fi nally Berlusconi, still engaged in mined than before.” sive care for 48 hours and would legally smuggled abroad. the period before the young Oc- len from Nepi, near Rome, in home. Welcome back Augus- active politics, has worn a pace- Family and supporters have be under sedation until today. The phenomenon became so tavius became emperor and took the 1970s, the museum decided tus,” Soldatelli said.

At razor-wire fence, migrants wait to reach EU free-travel zone

By Ivana Sekularac, Reuters of smugglers, while a few hun- UNHCR and the Red Cross Union, but in March the borders Horgos, Serbia dred, including Eskanzadah and distribute three meals a day, closed, stemming but not com- her family, wait patiently to be while Serbian police patrol the pletely stopping the migrants. allowed to enter Hungary legally. camps. So far this year Hungary says it ila Eskanzadah, a Hungary lets 30 refugees into Tents, some made of sticks and has registered 19,140 asylum ap- 25-year-old midwife the country daily, mostly families blankets, have been put up along plications and more than 14,000 Nfrom Afghanistan, has from confl ict zones. the wire fence Hungary put up migrants have crossed its south- been camping on the border be- “We don’t have more money last year to hold back the fl ow of ern borders illegally. tween Hungary and Serbia for the to pay to smugglers,” Eskanzadah migrants. Hungary passed a law on Mon- past 16 days. said as she opened a bag contain- Behind the tents is another day that allows police to send il- She is on a list to cross tomor- ing lunch provided by the UNHCR. metal fence to separate them legal migrants detained within row to the other side of a razor According to the Serbian from the highway to Budapest. 8km of its southern frontier back wire fence into the EU free-travel government, 500 people, half Mohamed Hakim Ayoobi, a to Serbia. zone. of them children, are living in 41-year-old from Kabul, says he “The approach is very restric- According to the United Na- makeshift camps at two border has not had a shower since he ar- tive and is not good. They (the tions High Commissioner for crossings between Serbia and rived three days ago. asylum seekers) are left there in Refugees, the number of mi- Hungary, in what are described “I worked for Germans in Af- dire conditions,” said Babar Ba- grants in transit through Serbia as transit zones. ghanistan and my life was threat- loch, UNHCR regional spokes- has doubled to 1,800 this week At the Horgos crossing where ened, that’s why I had to leave,” man. from 900 a month ago. Eskanzadah and her family wait, he told Reuters. “This will only increase their While Balkan borders remain there are 200 migrants, mainly More than 650,000 people suff ering. They are trying to es- closed to migrants, aid workers from Afghanistan. from the Middle East, Asia and cape wars and persecution. We A migrant girl from Afghanistan plays on a swing at a makeshift camp at the Serbian-Hungarian border warn that most of those 1,800 They have access to one toilet Africa passed through Serbia last should try to help them, not near the Serbian village of Horgos. will put themselves in the hands and one drinking fountain. year on their way to the European make their lives more diffi cult.” Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 19 EUROPE

Unknown alien rock found in Sweden quarry

By Mariëtte Le Roux, AFP Paris

morsel of never-before-seen alien rock has been dug up in a limestone Aquarry in Sweden, where it had lain deeply buried for about 470mn years, scien- tists said yesterday. The biscuit-sized remains are unlike any other meteorite found on Earth to date, and may shed light on the history and forma- tion of our Solar System, they reported in the journal Nature Communications. Dubbed Oest 65, it is thought to be a splin- ter of a potato-shaped rock some 20km wide, which had smashed into another much larger body, sprinkling our adolescent planet with debris. Previously, remnants of only one of the two rocks had been found, in the form of meteor- ites called chondrites. But now scientists believe they have un- earthed a piece of the second space orb, boosting the theory of a major smash-up be- tween two galactic travellers. It is thought that the breakup of the big- ger chondrite body, about 100km to 150km across, had yielded a major cluster of rocky debris in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The resultant fl ux of extraterrestrial ma- terial, some of which rained down on Earth, coincided with a massive expansion of inver- tebrate ocean life at a time our planet’s land- mass was largely fused together into a super- continent called Gondwana. “The single meteorite that we now found... is of a type that we do not know of from to- day’s world,” study co-author Birger Schmitz of Lund University in Sweden told AFP. Along with about 100 chondrite pieces discovered to date, the new alien fragment had sunk to the fl oor of an ocean covering parts of what today is a limestone quarry in southern Sweden. “The object contains very high concentra- tions (compared to Earth materials), of ele- ments such as iridium, which is very rare on Red smoke rises from a smoke bomb near French anti-riot police during a demonstration against proposed labour reforms in Paris. Earth,” Schmitz explained by e-mail. “The meteorite also contains high con- centrations of rare isotopes of the element Neon” – and in diff erent proportions than in chondrites. The team measured telltale signs of cos- mic radiation in the meteorite to determine how long it had fl own around in space before crashing to Earth. Masked protesters clash “Our meteorite fell 470mn years ago,” said Schmitz – more or less the same period as the chondrite fragments. The mysterious morsel “may be a fragment of the impactor that broke up the (chondrite) parent body,” concluded the study. The extraterrestrial lander may be the fi rst with Paris police, 26 hurt documented example of an “extinct meteor- ite” – so called because it’s parent body had AFP Greek workers to strike over airport concessions said he expected “maybe more than been entirely consumed by space collisions, Paris 50,000 demonstrators” in Paris meaning no more fragments can fall to Earth Greek civil aviation workers plan a five- Piraeus and in the northern Greek city als and technical issues are ironed out. alone. today. day strike next week in protest at the of Thessaloniki. Privatisation agency HRADF Two further protest days are set for Chondrites still drop to our planet every wenty-six people were hurt long-term lease of 14 regional airports, Workers at state railways operator published an invitation on Monday to later this month. now and then. and authorities made 15 arrests complicating government eff orts to TRAINOSE have also been staging hire an advisor to work out whether At a time when the French capital The fi ndings mean that today’s meteorites Tyesterday as protests in Paris implement a privatisation programme stoppages against its privatisation, and another 23 regional airports can be would normally be reaping the ben- – on which scientists base much of their as- over disputed labour reforms de- linked to the country’s bailout. are expected to hold a 24-hour strike further developed. efi ts of high-season tourism boosted sumptions about our Solar System’s forma- scended into violent clashes between Authorities agreed to lease the air- on June 22, when final bids from inves- OSYPA is concerned that such by the football, the demonstra- tion – are not fully representative of what is, riot police and masked troublemakers. ports to German operator Fraport last tors are due. a move would result in job losses, tions have dampened the fl ow to the and once was, out there. Police fi red water cannon in south- year and are now considering off ering Under a third international bailout further hurting an already struggling world’s most-visited city. “Apparently, there is potential to recon- ern Paris to quell rioters as “several concessions for 23 others. the left-led government signed up to economy. Several staff at the Eiff el Tower struct important aspects of solar-system hundred” masked protesters lobbed The walkout, called by civil aviation a year ago, Athens has promised to “The privatisation agency proceeds went on strike, leaving insuffi cient history by looking down on Earth sediments, objects at police in bloody scenes in workers union OSYPA from June 20 to conclude a series of pending deals and with the sell-off of the remaining... numbers to open the monument in addition to looking up at the skies,” wrote the French capital. June 25, is expected to disrupt domes- set up a new umbrella privatisation regional airports aiming, as its charter safely, according to its operator, the study authors. The clashes erupted as the inter- tic and international flights as airports fund by September which will include stipulates, to shut the ones that will not SETE. national spotlight was on France as will operate with emergency staff only. additional state assets. be sold,” the union, which represents Adding to the climate of discon- the host of the Euro 2016 football Privatisations have been a key ele- The 1.2bn euro ($1.35bn) deal with about 1,200 workers, said in a state- tent, rail workers continued strike Preschoolers tote guns at championships, which have also been ment of the three international bailouts Fraport and its Greek partner, energy ment. action to protest working conditions. German army open house marred by violence between fans. Greece has received since 2010, group Copelouzos, covers the opera- “We really wonder whether politi- They were joined at the weekend Strikes closed the Eiff el Tower but they have reaped very limited tion of 14 provincial airports in popular cians and local communities have real- by a minority of Air France pilots. Germany’s armed forces will no longer allow and disrupted transport links as tens revenues due to political resistance, tourist islands including Corfu and ised what the closure(s)...will mean.” The pilots’ strike, which aff ected visitors to handle weapons at open houses, of thousands of fans pour into the bureaucracy and opposition by unions. Santorini. HRADF said the invitation is just part about one in fi ve fl ights according to following a scandal in which preschoolers country for Europe’s showcase foot- Port workers have been on 48-hour The German firm is expected to start of a preparation process before the the airline, was set to end Tuesday were photographed playing with unloaded ball event. rolling strikes since late May to protest operating those airports by the end of 23 airports are transferred to the new but the rolling strike at national rail weapons, Defence Minister Ursula von der During the Paris unrest, several dem- the sale of Greece’s two largest ports in this year, once it gets pending approv- fund in September. company SNCF was in its 14th day. Leyen said yesterday. onstrators stormed a building site and The actions have further depressed The children got their hands on the guns hurled wooden pallets at riot police. France’s tourism sector, already hit while visiting a barracks in the southern state Protesters also smashed shop win- Boukelmoune, a 26-year-old techni- claiming allegiance to Islamic State But Philippe Martinez, head of the by the November jihadist attacks in of Baden-Wuerttemberg on Saturday. dows and targeted banks in running cian marching in Paris. militants killed a policeman and his far-left CGT union that spearheaded Paris. “To prevent something like this from hap- battles through Paris with police. “I want the reforms to be with- partner at their home in a northwest- last month’s blockades of fuel depots Hollande, who faces a re-election pening again, I have decided that no weapons Pictures showed one man being led drawn, pure and simple. Only then ern Paris suburb late Monday. and an ongoing rail strike, predicted a bid next April, had hoped the sig- should be handled in future open houses, said away by offi cers in riot gear with blood will it stop. For the government’s The latest in a wave of protests “very strong mobilisation”. The CGT nature reform would reverse his ap- von der Leyen. “Despite clear guidelines, this streaming from a wound above his eye, sake, they should withdraw the law, that began in March coincides with a laid on more than 600 buses to trans- proval ratings, which are among the regrettable mistake occurred,” she said. his white T-shirt splattered with blood. otherwise we’ll block the economy.” French Senate debate on the reforms, port demonstrators to Paris and un- worst of a modern French leader. Armed forces members present at the time The strike is the latest in months of With France on high alert over which are aimed at making the job ions said around one million people But his government sparked fury said soldiers did not give the guns to children. industrial action that has seen air and fears of attacks during Euro 2016, market more fl exible and reducing had joined in. when it pushed the reforms through “I strongly object to this,” said Hansjoerg rail transport severely disrupted, fuel overstretched security forces had high unemployment but which crit- Police and unions gave wildly dif- parliament without a vote, with a Friedrich, the site’s senior soldier. “Not a single shortages and rubbish piled up on the feared the demonstrations could turn ics see as too pro-business. ferent fi gures for the turnout, with little-used political device. soldier handed children weapons.” streets of Paris. violent and banned 130 known trou- President Francois Hollande’s So- union claiming 140,000 in Marseille While rejecting union demands Instead, he said, accompanying adults “I’ve been to all the demos since blemakers from taking part. cialist government has voiced hope compared to 5,000 estimated by au- to withdraw the bill, the govern- passed the weapons to children. Soldiers took March because I want to live in dig- The terrorism threat was thrust the latest day of protest will be a last thorities. ment has watered it down, notably by them away immediately, he said. nity, not just survive,” said Aurelien back into the spotlight after a man stand for the movement. Paris police chief Michel Cadot scrapping a cap on severance pay.

Russia, Ukraine swap prisoners as ties thaw

AFP former Soviet republic’s eastern their arrival in Kiev for treat- Russian news agencies that their Kiev separatists’ cause. ment for chronic ailments that release was “made possible thanks Their release came 19 days required immediate care. to the active involvement of Viktor after Ukraine’s celebrated com- The Kremlin also said sepa- Medvedchuk” - a Ukrainian who ussia and Ukraine swapped bat pilot Nadiya Savchenko was rately that Kiev in turn had re- has developed a personal friend- prisoners yesterday for the traded for two alleged Russian leased two Ukrainian reporters - ship with Putin. Rsecond time in less than a soldiers convicted of fi ghting Yelena Glishchinskaya and Vitaly The release of Soloshenko and month as relations between the alongside pro-Moscow insur- Didenko - who were convicted Afanasyev was greeted with joy sworn foes showed rare signs of gents during the 26-month war of promoting the pro-Moscow in Kiev and the pair met Ukrain- calming in the midst of war. in Ukraine’s devastated rustbelt. rebels’ cause and state media re- ian President Petro Poroshenko. The exchange involved two The Kremlin did not explain ported they had fl own to Russia. “My dear boys - welcome men that Kiev views as politi- Russian President Vladimir Pu- RIA Novosti news agency said home,” Poroshenko told the two cal prisoners and a pair of pro- tin’s decision to pardon Yuriy So- Glishchinskaya touched down in men after their arrival in hospital. Russian Ukrainians who were loshenko and Gennady Afanasyev. Moscow with her child. “We did it!” he added with a Ukrainians take part in funeral ceremony at Independence Square in Kiev to pay tribute to fighters of a jailed for allegedly promoting the Both were sent to hospital on The Kremlin press offi ce told broad grin. volunteers battalion fighting pro-Russia forces. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 INDIA

APPEAL CONFERENCE HEALTH LEADERSHIP EDUCATION Gadkari urges people Meeting to discuss No harmful chemicals British Council trains Nalanda University to obey traff ic rules maritime security in bread: Bengal bakeries 1,200 teachers convocation in Aug

Road Transport, Highway and Shipping Minister A meeting to review all aspects of security Bakery associations in West Bengal yesterday The British Council has trained 1,200 teachers President Pranab Mukherjee will attend the Nitin Gadkari yesterday urged people to obey along India’s over 7,500km coastline, dotted claimed tests conducted on bread samples in government-run schools in Telangana. convocation ceremony where degrees will be traff ic rules and help reduce road accidents. with 12 major ports and 187 intermediate ports, produced by around 4,000 establishments in the The three-week training programme on core awarded to the first batch of students of Nalanda “Obey traff ic rules and exercise utmost care and will be held on June 16 in Mumbai. Federal state have revealed their products were “safe” for skills and school leadership development University in August. He will also launch the caution on the roads. People should not drink Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the consumption. The West Bengal Bakery Co-ordinators concluded last week, the British Council said ground breaking ceremony for the construction of and drive, and not violate traff ic rules,” said meeting to be attended by chief ministers of Committee and West Bengal Bakers’ Association in a statement yesterday. It said 200 state the campus site, a university off icial said yesterday. Gadkari at an event in New Delhi. The appeal all coastal states and representatives of union said tests showed the absence of certain harmful government schools under the control of the “Mukherjee will confer degrees to the first batch came in the background of a growing number territories. Also, central security agencies have chemicals which were reported in bread samples by director of school education were chosen of students on August 27, 2016,” the off icial of road accidents and related fatalities in the said that South Asia could soon emerge in the a recent Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) for the programme. The programme will said. According to off icials, these students had country. Gadkari said the growing number of “eye of a storm for terror attack” and the next study. “We had earlier said our bakeries do not use be scaled to other schools across the state joined the two inaugural schools - the School of road accidents was a matter of grave concern, line of attack could be through the maritime harmful chemicals. Tests have proved that. Even the only after the successful conclusion of this Ecology and Environment Studies and the School and it was extremely sad that so many innocent route. “The meeting on June 16 will review test ordered by Kolkata Municipal Corporation has pilot, the statement added. A total of 1,000 of Historical Studies in the two-year Masters lives were lost every day. “My ministry is the security threats on India’s coastline. The shown the same,” Sheikh Ismail Hossain, secretary teachers underwent the core skills training programme. The university will be admitting a working towards reduction of road accidents; gaps in intelligence gathering and the issue of of the committee, said. The CSE analysis focussed on in critical thinking and problem solving, new batch of students in August and will also start 726 black spots have been identified and work foolproof maritime security will be addressed,” potassium bromate and potassium iodate which are including a one-day introduction to core skills the new school - the School of Buddhist Studies, is on to rectify these,” he said. a central intelligence source said. banned in many countries. for teachers. Philosophy and Comparative Religions.

President arrives in Abidjan Mallya declared Every state ‘proclaimed off ender’

IANS has backed Mumbai

Mum- bai Acourt yesterday de- GST idea, clared liquor baron Vijay Mallya (pic- tured) a “pro- claimed of- fender” over bank loans default and money- says Jaitley laundering cases, offi cials said. Prevention of Money Laun- Finance minister unveils a states, passage of central and But pleasing one runs the risk of dering Act (PMLA) Special roadmap for the proposed tax model state laws by parliament, antagonising the other. Court Judge P R Bhavke is- regime and then the states adopting their For example, the GST is globally sued the proclamation against own GST laws. known as a consumption-based Mallya, while accepting an ap- Agencies “We’ll try our best to see the tax, but Jaitley has agreed to allow plication fi led by the Enforce- Kolkata constitutional amendments are states to impose a 1% additional ment Directorate (ED). approved in the monsoon ses- levy on the cross-border transport On Monday, ED lawyer Ni- sion. And therefore, by the end of of goods. tin Venegaonkar had urged the inance Minister Arun Jaitley the year, we must have the CGST This proposal is anathema to judge to declare Mallya a ‘pro- yesterday signalled much (central) and the SGST (state) laws the Congress. claimed off ender’ to facilitate his Fprogress in a pan-India in place,” he said. The Congress, the original deportation from Britain. goods and service tax regime, “Hopefully, that should be the author of the tax reform, wants The ED said that Mallya has thanks to an okay from all states intention,” he said, when asked the proposed levy to be scrapped refused to respond to multiple except one, and rejected demands if April 1 was the declared target - a position the government-ap- summonses and a non-bailable for specifying the tax rate in the for what is being described as pointed panel has also backed. arrest warrant, and sought the bill itself. the most far-reaching reforms in States are ready to forgo the special court’s order to declare After a meeting of the Empow- India’s tax administration since tax, provided Jaitley off ers higher the 61-year-old businessman ered Group of Ministers on GST 1947 to create one uniform, un- compensation from the national a ‘proclaimed off ender’ under here, Jaitley said a draft model bill fragmented market. budget. section 82 of the Criminal Pro- has also been put up in the public The fi nance minister also al- The principal opposition party cedure Code. domain and that the panel chair- luded that the Congress Party’s has also asked for capping the Under the law, a proclaimed man, West Bengal Finance Min- demand for the inclusion of the GST at 18% and setting up an in- off ender is required to appear ister Amit Mitra, will convene a proposed rate in the law itself, was dependent mechanism to resolve before the court within 30 days, meeting again next month to sug- rejected outright. disputes on revenue sharing be- failing which the government gest the GST rate. “There is complete consensus tween states. can launch proceedings to seize “Virtually every state has sup- that there should be no consti- “GST is not like magic,” Mitra and sell his assets to clear his ported the idea of a GST. One tutional cap on the GST rate, be- said. “Step by step it progresses.” loans, Venegaonkar said. state, that is Tamil Nadu, said cause contingency might arise in Mitra also spoke about the The latest development came it has some reservations... But the future as far as the quantum of “magic rate” - the revenue-neu- barely two days after Mallya de- they have also said how to make taxation fi xed by the GST council tral rate or what is loosely called nied all allegations against him it implementable,” Jaitley told is concerned. It is best to leave it the GST rate under which the tax and termed the ongoing inves- reporters on the margins of the to the GST council.” will be imposed. tigations as “heavily biased,” crucial meeting, represented by The reform would for the fi rst He said some suggested 17% and holding him “guilty without 22 states. time create a single market for and some research institu- trial.” “They (Tamil Nadu) have of- one-sixth of the world’s popula- tions have recommended 26.5%. The ED is in touch with Inter- fered a few suggestions, which tion and could boost the rate of “There is a huge diff erence,” he pol to issue a Red Corner Notice have been noted in the commit- growth by 2 percentage points. said. against Mallya, which could fa- tee meeting itself. So, eff ectively, For the measure to become a “A large part of the discussion cilitate his arrest anywhere in every state either supported, or reality, Jaitley needs not only the today also centred around the idea the world. Ivorian President Alassane Outtara shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Pranab accepted, the idea of the GST,” the backing of states but also of the of dual control. How this is work- In April, the Indian govern- Mukherjee following his arrival at the airport in Abidjan yesterday. Mukherjee arrived in the minister said. Congress to secure the required able, and that it shouldn’t lead to ment had cancelled Mallya’s Cote d’Ivoire capital from Ghana to begin the second leg of his three-nation African tour that Jaitley said there were several two-thirds majority needed to any confl ict or repugnancy. And passport and made a formal re- will also take him to Namibia. This will be the first -ever high-level visit from India since the stages involved, going forward pass a key constitutional enabling therefore, it should be worked out quest to the British authorities establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. - an amendment of the consti- amendment in parliament’s upper harmoniously between the centre for his deportation. tution, an approval to it by the house. and the states,” said Jaitley. Air India and aviation policy: nothing but full of air here is a lot of churning ostensibly intended to make air shut shop, Air India is planning to Take Arvind Kejriwal for in- posite with one party maintaining happening up in the skies travellers happy. No more arbi- expand! This is what Civil Avia- stance. He led his Aam Aadmi stoic silence while the other seek- Tover India. Or so we are trary offl oading of passengers tion Secretary R N Choubey has Party (AAP) to a stupendous vic- ing to drag the whole thing into asked to believe. But those who because of overbooking, airlines Delhi Diary to say: “Air India plans to expand tory in the Delhi assembly elec- the gutter. A chief minister calling observe India’s civil aviation sec- have been told. And if you do, its fl eet from 130 aircraft to 230 tions in February last year. All a prime minister “psychopath” tor closely know better. be prepared to cough up hefty By A K B Krishnan aircraft in the next four years.... Delhi was agog with expectations. was unheard of till date in a coun- Last month the ministry fi nes running up to as much as The airline now expects to see net Here was a man who seemed to try where politicians had been headed by Ashok Gajapati Raju Rs20,000 per passenger. And no Gulf Times Correspondent profi t in 2018-19 fi nancial year, think and speak like the ordinary calling each other names since the of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) more exorbitant excess baggage two years ahead of the timeline man. There was going to be major independence. cleared the civil aviation policy fee. Instead of the Rs300 per kg, fi xed in the turnaround plan.” change in the way Delhi was gov- Having lost out on his attempt after several months of delibera- Rs100 is all that you get, the car- tion story - or the disaster story in make the railways more effi cient In two years few would re- erned and all for the better. That to get into parliament Kejriwal tion and put it up for cabinet ap- riers have been informed. And to Indian aviation, to be precise - is and modern by privatising it. member what Choubey said this was the presumption. decided to use his chief minister- proval. The policy talked about cap it all, if the passenger was the the one about Air India. Minister Modi may look like lording over week. There is every likelihood of But Kejriwal began to feel that ship of Delhi as a means to take on how the government intended to one cancelling her/his fl ight pro- Raju himself admits there is no everything he surveys but there the fi rst part of the plan - adding if he could win Delhi so easily, Modi. He is fully aware that Delhi create an ecosystem that will en- gramme, only the basic fare can be light at the end of the dark and are forces at work that even a 100 planes to the fl eet - coming why stop there? Why not win the does not enjoy full statehood and able 300mn domestic ticketing by charged. deep debt tunnel into which the prime minister of Modi’s stature to fruition. More of public money whole of India? He began to think possibly never will, given that it 2022 and 500mn by 2027. Simi- In a country where mass air national fl ag carrier has plunged. cannot resist. That force is the would have been spent by then. the world of himself. So he went is also the seat of the federal gov- larly, it aimed to increase interna- travel is still relatively new, and The previous Congress govern- net result of a deeply entrenched It will be a miracle if Modi still and fought the parliamentary ernment. But he began to act as if tional ticketing to 200mn by 2027 therefore airlines have been mo- ment had pumped in a massive bureaucracy hand in glove with maintains his unblemished record elections against none other than this did not matter. And if there by abolishing partially or fully the nopolistic in their attitude to- $4.4bn to keep Air India afl oat. It an equally greedy and corrupt po- as a fi ghter against corruption. As Narendra Modi. That he came was some law that put the brakes 5/20 rule which stipulated that wards the passenger, these new has since accrued another $2.9bn litical set-up cutting across party for the second part of Choubey’s second only to Modi from Vara- on him, he would remove that airlines should have been in serv- rules must be music to the ears in further debts. “Its books are so lines. This nexus made it possible plan - Air India making a net nasi was touted as a major step law. There would be opposition to ice for at least fi ve years and also of those who buy air tickets. Of bad that even if it is off ered (on for private airlines to corner the profi t - all one can say is hope lives towards his pan-Indian plans. If what he does but this would pro- possess a minimum of 20 planes course, there is a catch; these are sale) I don’t think anybody would better routes and time slots at the eternal. at all anyone had told him that vide him with further opportunity before being allowed to fl y abroad. only proposals and the carriers come forward (to buy),” says Raju. expense of Air India. It also made coming second was no refl ection to hit out at Modi. Increased regional connectiv- can come up with objections. A So what then? Still more of tax- sure that planes that did not meet on the winner’s stature, Kejri- So Kejriwal appointed 21 of his ity by off ering concessions and ministry spokesman said most payers’ money to keep alive this the requirements were ordered Kejriwal thinks: wal is not the sort of person who legislators as parliamentary sec- incentives to airlines to fl y to airlines have already been con- terminally ill patient? Prime Min- for the national carrier because I, me, myself would want to dwell on such ni- retaries when the law had provi- non-metro airports was another sulted on these points and there ister Narendra Modi had dropped their makers were willing to keep ceties. He thought Modi was his sion only for one! The Election major initiative, but the biggest is general consensus among them more than a hint during the run- those involved in issuing the order Self-importance, after all, is sole rival and nobody else mat- Commission questioned it, the of them all perhaps was the deci- that the time has come for these up to the 2014 parliamentary happy, euphemism for you know not such a bad thing. If the dose is tered. Lieutenant-Governor objected to sion for the Directorate General new rules to be implemented. But elections that the government what. correct, that is. It brings a certain So he took on Modi at every op- it, the federal home ministry op- of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to cre- the proof of the pudding is in the of India had no business to be in Modi would not like to admit it dignity to everything that one does portunity. It would have been an posed it and now the President of ate a single-window system for eating. The paying public is likely businesses like aviation and hos- but it looks like the nexus is alive and, by extension, gets appreciat- embellishment for Indian democ- India has rejected it. But all Ke- all aviation-related transactions, to have a long wait by the time the pitality, both of which have been and well under his watch too as ed. But unwarranted self-impor- racy if this projected confronta- jriwal would say is he was doing queries and complaints. airlines agree to implement these deeply in the red wherever the Air India continues its inexorable tance often leads to ridicule and tion had developed into an intel- the right thing and all others are Last week the government an- rules. government was involved. He had journey into the bottom of the even clashes that are best avoided. lectually stimulating argument. wrong. Clear case of self-impor- nounced more steps that were Be that as it may, the real avia- even said that he would like to heap. Here’s proof: Rather than This is especially so in public life. But it turned out to be just the op- tance gone awry. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 21 INDIA Indian navy ship with all-woman crew arrives in Port Louis

IANS cal miles voyage from Goa to here, lice offi cers embarked on INSV undertake local day sorties for trol specialists), Lt Vijaya Devi adequate training to the women communications and electronic Port Louis, Mauritius through rough seas whipped up Mhadei around 10 miles outside select groups of people before and Sub Lt Payal Gupta (both crew. navigation systems. by the southwest monsoon in 20 the harbour and sailed into port embarking on its return voy- education offi cers). “This is a huge step towards INSV Mhadei also created histo- days, along with the Indian women age on June 24 to Goa, where it The Goa-Mauritius voyage the circumnavigation next year,” ry earlier when Commander Dilip ndian Navy created mari- The vessel was welcomed by crew. is expected to arrive early next in the extreme weather condi- a naval spokesman said. Donde sailed it on a circumnaviga- time history yesterday when Mauritian Coast Guard vessel Re- During their 10-day long so- month. tions is a build-up to a planned “The timing of the voyage tion voyage in 2009-2010 while in Iits sailing ship INSV Mhadei, triever outside Port Louis harbour journ in Mauritius, the women INSV Mhadei is commanded attempt by the all-woman crew was chosen to expose the crew 2012, Lt Cdr. Abhilash Tomy com- with a six-woman crew, travelled and escorted to her berth, where sailors will call on President by Lt Commander Vartika Joshi, to circumnavigate the globe in to rough weather that they are pleted a solo, unassisted non-stop through the stormy Indian Ocean the acting Indian High Commis- Ameenah Gurib, minister for a naval architect and its fi rst 2017. likely to encounter during their circumnavigation under sail, mak- to reach Mauritius, offi cials said. sioner, Commandant of National gender equality and child devel- woman captain, and the crew During its voyage, the 56ft- attempt to circumnavigate the ing him the fi rst Indian, second It was the fi rst voyage by an all- Coast Guard and other dignitaries opment, and other offi cials. comprises Lt B Aishwarya (naval long INSV Mhadei combated globe in 2017.” Asian and 79th person in the world women crew on any Indian Navy and invitees were present. The ship will be kept open architect), Lt P Swathi, Lt Prati- winds of up to 35 knots and The wood-core and fi breglass to achieve the feat covering 23,100 vessel. It covered the 2,100 nauti- Ten Mauritian women po- for visitors and schoolchildren, bha Jamwal (both air traffi c con- waves up to 5m high, providing ship is equipped with satellite nautical miles (42,781km). BJP, Congress want 21 AAP legislators disqualifi ed

IANS ready for by-elections. New Delhi “We have already sought the disqualifi cation of the 21 legisla- tors,” Maken said. hief Minister Arvind Ke- The BJP accused Kejriwal of jriwal yesterday slammed “demeaning the president’s of- CPrime Minister Narendra fi ce.” Lekhi said: “It is high time Modi a day after a Delhi govern- the CM also learns the adminis- ment bill that sought to exclude trative skills of the prime minis- the post of parliamentary sec- ter. They (AAP) have been caught retaries from the offi ce of profi t on the wrong foot.” didn’t get presidential nod. President Mukherjee on Mon- The Congress and the Bharatiya day declined to sign the Delhi Janata meanwhile sought the dis- Members of Legislative Assem- qualifi cation of 21 AAP legislators. bly (Removal of Disqualifi cation) “Our Parliamentary Secretaries Act, sent to him by the offi ce of don’t get a penny, still everyone Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and the is after them and Modiji wants central government. Others in to disqualify them. If he wants to the AAP too were defi ant. Aam Aadmi Party supporters stage a demonstration against Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung outside the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) off ice in New Delhi yesterday. disqualify, then all the parliamen- Senior AAP leader Sanjay tary secretaries in the country Singh said other states like Har- should be disqualifi ed,” Kejriwal yana, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan said at a press conference. and Chhattisgarh ruled by the The AAP chief said the reason BJP too had parliamentary sec- behind the central government’s retaries but the Modi govern- move was that Modi was scared ment was opposed to the idea of Delhi’s ruling party. only in Delhi. The BJP and the Congress The Congress tweeted: “Mr Delhi minister resigns tried to corner the AAP, which Kejriwal, you used to talk a lot trounced both parties in Febru- about propriety. After you as- ary 2015 by winning 67 of the 70 sumed power, where has all seats in the Delhi assembly. these gone?” “This is an open and shut case. Lekhi dismissed the AAP’s The Election Commission must contention that the Delhi legis- take a fi nal call on the disqualifi ca- lators were not getting money or amid graft allegations tion issue at the earliest,” BJP leader enjoying any perks. and MP Meenakshi Lekhi said. The president’s decision IANS Minister Arvind) Kejriwal for the “I told them to furnish proof Rai is also one of the most Congress leader Ajay Maken raised questions over the fate of New Delhi past one week to relieve me of if I have indulged in corruption. visible faces of the AAP in Del- said: “We have already demand- 21 AAP legislators. this portfolio,” Rai said. They were clueless,” Rai said. hi. ed the disqualifi cation of the 21 Through the amendment bill, “The transport portfolio is The allegations have been The Congress meanwhile ridi- MLAs who were appointed par- the AAP government wanted enior Aam Aadmi Party one portfolio which demands levelled by the Bharatiya Ja- culed the Delhi government over liamentary secretaries by fl out- “retrospective” exemption for the leader Gopal Rai said yes- 24-hour attention that someone nata Party. The ACB, which was Rai’s resignation, saying in just ing the procedures.” parliamentary secretaries from Sterday he had quit as Del- like me can’t provide any more.” originally with the Delhi govern- a year, half of Kejriwal’s cabinet He also said the party was the disqualifi cation provision. hi’s transport minister on health The minister said he would ment, is now controlled by the has been removed on various grounds and denied the decision continue to retain the depart- Gopal Rai arrives at the central government. charges. had anything to do with corrup- ments of Labour, Employment, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Rai, who has been a minis- “Half of Kejriwal cabinet re- Congress expels six UP MLAs tion charges hurled at him. Development, Irrigation and office in New Delhi yesterday. ter since the AAP took power in moved on corruption, cheat- After the transport portfolio Flood Control that he described February 2015, later met Lt Gov- ing and ineffi ciency in one year! The Congress yesterday expelled four of the Bahujan Samaj Party was handed over to Health Min- as relatively “light portfolios.” app-based premium bus service ernor Jung who reportedly told Transport Minister Gopal Rai six of its legislators in Uttar also voted for Bharatiya Janata ister Satyendra Jain, Rai met of- Rai, who limps because of a scheme were proved. him he had received no corrup- resigns - premium bus investi- Pradesh for voting for other Party candidates who used all fi cials of the Anti-Corruption gunshot injury he received as There were allegations of fa- tion charge against him. gation starts,” Delhi Congress party candidates in the Rajya measures available to secure the Branch (ACB) and Lt Governor a student activist, said he was vouritism underlying the notifi - “The allegations against me president Ajay Maken posted on Sabha elections. “Three of these victory of their candidate. “Any Najeeb Jung. set to undergo three months of cation of the new policy on pre- are politically motivated,” Rai Twitter. six MLAs cross-voted for the BJP candidate needed 34.5 or 35 “I have only given up the medical treatment at a hospital mium buses as a ploy to extend said. Earlier Maken tweeted: “In while the other three for BSP,” votes to win the Rajya Sabha seat transport portfolio because it here for spine and heart related benefi ts to a Gurgaon-based pri- As transport minister, Rai wake of premium bus service in- party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad from UP. With 41 MLAs, the BJP is a 24-hour job and gives too issues. vate operator. oversaw the Delhi government’s vestigation - Transport Minister said in New Delhi. He added had fielded a second candidate much strain which I am not able Rai said on Monday that Rai quoted ACB chief M K two rounds of odd-even traffi c Gopal Rai resigns... Or is he be- that four MLAs of the state’s too who was 27 votes short off to take,” Rai said. he was prepared to go to jail if Meena as saying there was “no scheme aimed at battling pollu- ing shunted out for dismal public ruling Samajwadi Party and the mark,” Azad said. “I have been telling (Chief charges of corruption over an corruption charge” against him. tion in January and April. transport?” Scientists use underwater Hindu Sena celebrates robots to study monsoon Trump’s birthday Agencies for India as well, because our AFP At the same time, colleagues that fall in intense bursts from New Delhi country has long suff ered from New Delhi from the University of Reading June until September. such terrorism,” group leader and climate experts in India will More precise predictions of Vishnu Gupta said. use instruments on board the the monsoon, that sweeps up Hindu fringe group cele- “Therefore, Trump will defi - cientists from Britain and plane fl ying from Bengaluru to from the Indian Ocean which brated the 70th birthday of nitely help our country and to- India will release under- measure heat and moisture in extends into the bay, can also ADonald Trump in New Del- gether we will fi ght it,” said Gupta Swater robots into the Bay the air. help hundreds of millions better hi yesterday, calling the US presi- as he distributed cake to onlookers. of Bengal in a bid to more accu- The robots, which have com- prepare for droughts and fl oods. dential contender the “saviour He further said: “Prime Min- rately predict the Indian mon- puters onboard and look like Beamed backed to scientists of humanity” who could end the ister Narendra Modi is doing soon critical to millions of farm- miniature yellow submarines, via satellite signals, the infor- global threat posed by militants. good work for the country. How- ers, they said yesterday. will spend a month moving mation will be used to create About 20 members of the ever, I don’t see anything hap- Researchers will also fl y a through a southern section of computer models of the ocean to far-right Hindu Sena held the pening on the anti-terror front.” plane packed with scientifi c the bay, to measure temperature, determine how it aff ects weather festivities as Americans grieved He also said that his organisa- equipment over the bay to meas- salinity and currents. and rainfall over India. over the deaths of 49 people in tion would run an election cam- ure the atmosphere as part of the “The Indian monsoon is no- “We should be able to collect the country’s worst-ever mass paign to support Trump. multi-million pound study of toriously hard to predict. It is a an amazing amount of informa- shooting, perpetrated by a gun- “We are already running an the monsoon which hit southern very complicated weather sys- tion about how this weather sys- man claiming allegiance to Is- online campaign on social media India last week. tem and the processes are not tem develops,” researcher Ben lamic State. by the name ‘Hindus for Trump’. Better forecasting would im- understood or recorded in sci- Webber told said. Donning red and blue paper As the election progresses we prove the livelihoods of India’s ence,” lead researcher Adrian The £8mn collaboration is the hats, the activists gathered at will also campaign outside the more than 200mn farmers and Matthews said. latest eff ort to understand the a stall on a Delhi road to pledge US Embassy and colleges which agricultural labourers, who “Nobody has ever made ob- monsoon in India where weather their allegiance to the presump- have international students. We are reeling from devastating servations on this scale during scientists have a patchy record tive Republican nominee. hope that our campaign will help drought. the monsoon season itself so of predicting its start time and They observed a minute’s si- in infl uencing Indian-origin Scientists from the University this is a truly groundbreaking intensity. lence for the victims of last week- voters in the US,” he added. of East Anglia (UEA) will release project,” he said. India suff ered its worst end’s shooting at a nightclub in The Hindu Sena is one of In- seven underwater robots from an More than half of India’s drought in decades in 2009 de- A rightwing Hindu activist holds a piece of cake up against a Orlando, Florida, before a large dia’s many rightwing fringe Indian ship next week to study farms lack irrigation for their spite the meteorological depart- picture of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump birthday cake was cut to shouts groups which have made head- how ocean processes infl uence crops, meaning they depend al- ment’s predictions of a normal during celebrations to mark his 70th birthday in New Delhi of “Long Live Donald Trump.” lines with recent protests and monsoon rainfall. most entirely on the annual rains monsoon. yesterday. “His stand is very important vigilante activities. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

TALKS LEGAL CRIME LAW AND ORDER DECISION Colombia, Farc close to Corruption probe into Riot, fire erupt in prison Police kill eight Costa Rica deports peace deal: Norway Lula returned to judge near Mexico City gunmen in shootout arrested fugitive to US

The Colombian government and the rebel The Supreme Court has decided to return a A riot and fire erupted late Monday at a prison Police killed eight gunmen who attacked them on An escaped American inmate convicted of sex Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) corruption investigation into former Brazilian in a Mexico City suburb, prompting authorities a road in northern Mexico and seized six high- crimes has been arrested in Costa Rica after a are making progress in peace talks, and a deal president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to a anti- to send in hundreds of police and firefighters calibre rifles and a grenade launcher after the year on the run and returned to the US, off icials to end Latin America’s longest-running conflict corruption judge who is presiding over cases in the to restore order. The fire was extinguished shootout, authorities said. The federal off icers were said. John Wesley Saatio, 34, “has been returned is in sight, Norway’s foreign minister said. “We’re Petrobras graft scandal. Lula is under investigation and there were no reports of casualties at the on patrol on a road in the town of San Fernando, to the US,” the Central American country’s public making progress in Colombia and I think we for allegedly benefiting from the corruption Barrientos prison, located in the municipality of in the violence-plagued state of Tamaulipas, when security ministry said in a statement. Saatio put hopefully are close to a deal,” Borge Brende said. scheme uncovered at the oil company. The Tlalnepantla, off icials said. Some 150 relatives armed civilians arrived in two pick-up trucks and up a struggle when he was arrested on June 2 in Norway and Cuba mediate the talks. The two Supreme Court took over the Lula investigation of inmates, some in tears, stood near the prison opened fire, a regional security task force said in Jaco, a seaside resort town popular with foreigners. sides of the conflict already missed a self-imposed from judge Sergio Moro in March after he released awaiting for news while police off icers cordoned a statement. “While repelling the attack in self- While in a holding cell he “bent the bars and tried deadline to conclude the peace talks by March 23. a wiretap of a conversation between Lula and off the area. “I want to tell the families of the defence, the federal police killed eight assailants,” to flee” but was stopped and handed over to The peace talks have already successfully led to then-president Dilma Rousseff as evidence she was inmates that they have nothing to worry about, the Tamaulipas Co-ordination Group said in a immigration off icials for deportation, the statement partial agreements on agrarian reform, political appointing him to her Cabinet to shield him from (the riot) was controlled with minimal eff ort,” statement, adding that the gunmen have yet to be said. The ministry did not specify what day Saatio participation of former rebels, illicit substances, prosecution. Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki State of Mexico security chief Eduardo Valiente identified. A police car was left with several bullet was sent back to America and its off icials were not and the rights of victims and transitional justice. has now sent the Lula case back to Moro. said after visiting the prison. holes but none of the off icers were hurt. immediately contactable to elaborate. Caracas ‘seeking easing of China oil-for-loans deal conditions’

Reuters mours to that eff ect in order to Caracas/Houston destabilise his government. The potential cash-fl ow ben- efi ts of the proposed deal, how- enezuela is in talks with ever, could be off set by Venezue- China to obtain a grace la’s falling oil output. Vperiod in its oil-for- Consulted about the proposal, loans deal that would improve PDVSA president and Oil Minis- the Opec nation’s capacity to ter Eulogio del Pino responded: make bond payments amid an “We’re working on all of this.” economic crisis, sources briefed He added that he planned to on the proposal have told Reu- travel to China following a trip ters. to Russia, which is expected this Venezuela has borrowed over week. He declined to provide ad- $50bn from China under the fi - ditional details. nancing arrangement created by China’s foreign ministry did late socialist leader Hugo Chavez not respond to an e-mail seeking in 2007, in which a portion of comment. its crude and fuel sales to the Economy Vice President world’s second-biggest econo- Miguel Perez said in an inter- my are used to pay down loans. view last month Venezuela had The two-year rout in oil mar- reached a deal to improve the kets has left the government terms of the arrangement, but US Secretary of State John Kerry attends the Organisation of American States (OAS) 46th general ordinary assembly in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, yesterday. of President Nicolas Maduro declined to provide details. struggling to meet the original Under the proposal, the inter- terms of the agreement, which est-only payment terms would require that state oil company remain in place as long as Ven- PDVSA set aside more barrels for ezuelan crude is below $50 per debt services when prices fall. barrel, according to the three Venezuela is now seeking a sources. one-year grace period in which If crude prices continue to it would only pay interest on the rise, China would apply a slid- Kerry calls on Maduro to loans, according to two oil in- ing scale under which Venezuela dustry sources and one fi nance would steadily increase payment industry source who asked not on the principal portion of the to be identifi ed because they are loans, one of the sources said. not authorised to speak about Venezuela’s basket of oil and the issue. fuels this year has traded at a The sources said state oil discount of around 25 % to the free ‘political prisoners’ company PDVSA would receive benchmark Brent crude price, cash payments for shipments which was trading around $49.55 AFP freedom of expression and as- litical reasons, a charge the gov- The leftist leader blames Ven- Rodriguez said her country that currently go to pay princi- a barrel yesterday. Santo Domingo sembly, (and) alleviate short- ernment denies. ezuela’s economic crisis on an was the victim of international pal. The proposed change in terms ages of food and medicine.” Kerry also called on the Ven- “economic war” waged by the bullying and lambasted the The change would improve of the agreement has not de- Oil-rich Venezuela has slid into ezuelan government to “honour Venezuelan business elite, whom head of the OAS for interfering PDVSA’s 2016 cash fl ow by $3bn railed negotiations for the re- S Secretary of State John a punishing economic crisis as its own constitutional mecha- he accuses of plotting with the in Venezuela’s domestic aff airs. if it took eff ect this month, two newal of a $5bn tranche of the Kerry yesterday urged crude prices have crashed over the nisms” by allowing a “fair and US to destabilise the country. Rodriguez lashed out at the of the sources estimated. fi nancing deal, according to two UVenezuelan President past two years, threatening Ma- timely recall referendum.” The OAS permanent coun- head of the OAS, Luis Almagro, That would make it easier for of the sources. Nicolas Maduro’s government duro and the socialist economic The remarks came a day after cil is due to discuss the crisis in accusing him of bias in siding PDVSA to meet heavy bond pay- The proposal has been slowed to free “political prisoners,” model he inherited from his late Maduro’s allies challenged the Venezuela on June 23. It was not with opposition groups, which ments this year amid an ongoing in part because China has re- safeguard basic freedoms and predecessor, Hugo Chavez. recall process before the Su- on the agenda for the current are pushing for a referendum collapse in a socialist economy quested that the change be ap- address the severe food short- Short on cash, the import- preme Court, accusing the op- meeting. to recall President Nicolas Ma- facing Soviet-style scarcity and proved by Venezuela’s Congress, ages crippling the country. dependent country is facing position of “fraud.” Venezuelan Foreign Minis- duro. daily food riots. according to one of the sources. Speaking out on what he dire shortages of food, medicine Kerry said the US supported ter Delcy Rodriguez, who was “We are not here to judge the It could also ease investor The legislature has been called the “deeply troubling sit- and basic goods, fuelling grow- a “national dialogue” to resolve scheduled to meet Kerry later in countries and societies of other concerns of a default that have locked in a power struggle with uation in Venezuela” at the Or- ing unrest and an opposition the Venezuelan crisis. the day, said he should stay out countries,” Rodriguez told the made its paper the riskiest of any Maduro since January, when an ganisation of American States’ push to call a referendum on Maduro has tense relations of Venezuela’s business. “Ven- 35-member Americas bloc, emerging market debt. opposition majority took control general assembly in the Do- sacking Maduro. with the US and the Washing- ezuela’s internal matters will “Today, Venezuela is the victim Maduro denies his govern- of parliament following a sweep- minican Republic, Kerry urged The opposition accuses the ton-based OAS, which he ac- be settled by Venezuelans,” she of international bullying from ment will default and accuses ing electoral victory in Decem- Maduro’s government to “re- authorities of jailing dozens of cuses of conspiring against his fi red back in unscheduled re- the right...we do not need any- adversaries of spreading ru- ber. lease political prisoners, respect its leaders and activists for po- government. marks after his speech. one’s charity.” Brazil natives face Olympic Park visit US sanctions threaten Panama newspaper eviction in land row AFP real estate, and malls, were put Panama City on a US sanctions black list that freezes their American as- Thomson Reuters Foundation constitution,” Melo told the title to that land, Melo said. sets and locks them out of do- Rio de Janeiro Thomson Reuters Foundation. Because the indigenous group 167-year-old newspaper ing business with Americans. “The people pushing for the does not have a formal title plan- in Panama that existed Though the US Treasury eviction are the big landowners tation owners were able to regis- Aeven before the country Department gave a special li- n indigenous community in the region who grow soy and ter ownership of the land with became independent is faced cence “intended to allow both in southwestern Brazil sugar cane on large plantations,” a local offi cial, a practice that with extinction because its Panamanian newspapers to Afaces imminent eviction she said. “Other communities is not uncommon in rural ar- main shareholder has been hit continue printing and operat- from its traditional territories, are facing the same problem.” eas where property rights are not with US sanctions for allegedly ing by authorising specifi c ac- Amnesty International said yes- The community was given fi ve well regulated, Melo said. laundering drug money. tivities that would otherwise terday, in a case exemplifying days notice that it will be evicted The nine families who face The daily, La Estrella de be prohibited,” the writing for ongoing land confl icts in South sometime between June 13 and eviction have told activists that Panama, and a sister newspa- them appears to be on the wall. America’s largest country. June 15. they would rather die than leave per, El Siglo, are in “real dan- Gese has seen its advertis- A small number of fami- The ministry of justice, the the land, Melo said. ger of closing,” the head of its ers run away and local banks lies from the Guarani Kaiowa government body responsible Government offi cials have publishing company, Eduardo throw up fi nancial obstacles. Apika’y indigenous group re- for ordering the eviction, did said they are upholding the law. Quiros, told foreign corre- The group, which has 300 ceived a judicial order late last not respond to e-mails or phone Alexandre de Moraes became spondents. employees, has sacked 6% of week to leave the contested land calls requesting an interview. justice minister last month fol- Both titles are published by its staff . For La Estrella and El in Mato Grosso do Sul state, an Nearly 13% of Brazil’s territory lowing the suspension of Presi- Gese, which is part of a busi- Siglo, the future looks bleak. agricultural region bordering belongs to indigenous people, dent Dilma Rousseff due to budg- ness empire owned by Abdul La Estrella is the oldest in Paraguay, Amnesty said. according to the country’s Na- et irregularities. Upon taking over Waked, a Panamanian who the Central American country, The judge’s eviction order fol- tional Indian Foundation (FU- the portfolio, Moraes told local also holds Lebanese and Co- and was started in 1853, back lowed complaints from farmers NAI), a government body. media that he would “review in- lombian nationalities. when Panama was a province who say they are the rightful Unclear land titles and com- digenous land demarcations that Waked, 66, and a relative, of Colombia, before independ- owners of the land even though peting territorial claims from were made in a rush.” Nidal Ahmed Waked Hatum, ence in 1903. “If we can’t man- the territory had been promised farmers, indigenous groups and “If there is a (land) invasion by 36, were on May 5 designated age to reactivate our fi nancial to the indigenous group, accord- the state lead to frequent con- indigenous people and a judicial by the US as major money- operations our situation is a ing to Amnesty researcher Fa- fl icts in the country’s agricultural decision of eviction all negotia- launderers for big drug cartels. situation that is not sustain- tima Melo. heartland. FUNAI had demar- tion (with the indigenous group) Rio de Janeiro’s mayor Eduardo Paes (left) speaks with Waked Hatum was arrested able in the long-term,” Quiros “It’s a symbolic case: indig- cated nearly 10,000 hectares of will be fi nished,” Moraes said in Brazilian acting president Michel Temer (right) during a visit in Colombia. said. “It’s a vicious cycle of enous people have the right to territory to the indigenous group, an interview with the Folha de to the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. Their interests, which also starvation in which you end up this land under the (Brazilian) but they never received formal Sao Paulo newspaper. span duty free shops, a bank, dying,” he said. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Pakistan moves Pakistan, Afghanistan to hire lobbyists amid strained boost troops at border ties with US Pakistani military off icer dies Afghan government, among them after clash on Afghan border; the Haqqani network and the Was shot by Afghan forces, leadership of the Afghan Taliban. Reuters countries, and how aggressive Pakistani military says; Gates Pakistan denies it supports Islamabad their public relations is,” the at Khyber Pass crossing militants and says it is building offi cial added. closed for third day the gate to stop militants from “In light of this, and most crossing the border. akistan is looking to recently, of course, the whole Reuters “This gate (is) considered es- hire lobbying firms in episode with the F-16s, Paki- Peshawar sential to check and verify docu- PWashington after a gap stan has decided that it has to mentation of all border crossers,” of nearly eight years, seeking step up its lobbying eff orts in Asim Bajwa, chief spokesman to refurbish its image in the DC.” Pakistani army offi cer for the Pakistani military, said on United States at a time of de- A second government of- died yesterday after being social media website Twitter on teriorating relations between ficial in the prime minister’s Ashot by Afghan forces in Monday. the allies, two government media team confirmed the a border clash, Pakistan’s mili- Afghanistan summoned the officials told Reuters yester- decision, saying it aimed at tary said, a development likely Pakistani ambassador yester- day. stepping up efforts to “sell to ratchet up tension between day to register its protest at the Ties have been particularly Pakistani interests and im- the neighbours who sources said violence, Afghanistan’s foreign strained following a US un- prove its image in the United were beefi ng up troop numbers ministry said. manned aircraft strike that States”. on either side. Pakistan had similarly sum- killed top Afghan Taliban The main gates at Torkham, moned the Afghan charge leader Mullah Akhtar Man- “In light of this, and most the most frequented offi cial bor- d’aff aires in Islamabad on Mon- sour in western Pakistan last recently, of course, the der crossing at the end of the day, the Pakistani foreign offi ce month, which Islamabad pro- whole episode with Khyber Pass, stayed closed for said. tested was a violation of its the F-16s, Pakistan has a third day, leaving thousands The Pakistani army had moved sovereignty. decided that it has to step stranded on either side. heavy weaponry and additional Relations have also been up its lobbying eff orts in troops to the Afghan border on Pakistani soldiers patrol at the Torkham crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Pakistan’s Khyber tense since a plan to buy DC” “This gate (is) considered Monday night, said Pakistani se- Agency yesterday. Below: Afghan protesters stage a demonstration against Pakistan in Helmand eight F-16 fighter jets from essential to check and curity offi cials, who asked not to Province yesterday, after clashes between forces on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. the United States fell through The offi cial added, “We are verify documentation of all be identifi ed because they were not this May after the US Con- fi ghting this war on terror border crossers” authorised to speak to the media. gress refused to approve the at great cost to lives and our On Monday, an Afghan bor- deal. economy. Yet we keep hear- Firing between Pakistani and der police commander also con- The deal, valued at $699mn, ing that we have to do more. Afghan forces fi rst broke out on fi rmed that reinforcements had came unstuck after Congress Clearly there is a public rela- Sunday at the crossing, about been deployed to the Afghan side refused to authorise the use of tions gap.” 45km west of Peshawar, over the of the border. US government funds to pay Neither offi cial would name construction of a new border In Afghanistan’s eastern city for the aircraft under the For- the lobbying fi rms Pakistani post on the Pakistani side. of Jalalabad, more than a thou- eign Military Financing (FMF) offi cials are talking to. Pakistan’s army chief at- sand mourners attended funeral programme. Pakistan was shortlisting tended funeral prayers yesterday prayers on Tuesday for the dead “Pakistan used to have lob- prospective lobbying fi rms, for Major Jawad Ali Changezi, Afghan soldier. byists in Washington. Now we foreign policy chief Sartaj who was among nine Pakistani Angry protesters chanted an- want to relaunch the eff ort,” Aziz on Monday told a Senate and six Afghan casualties in the ti-Pakistan slogans. Hundreds said a senior government of- meeting on defence and for- fi ghting, security offi cials said. of demonstrators burned Pa- fi cial, who asked not to be eign aff airs, the Dawn news- Pakistani Prime Minister Na- kistani fl ags at another protest identifi ed, as he was not au- paper reported. waz Sharif’s offi ce and the Pa- in the southern Afghan city of thorised to speak to the media Some jets in Pakistan’s fl eet kistani military’s press wing also Lashkar Gah. on the record. of F-16s are due to be decom- confi rmed Changezi’s death. The Pakistan-Afghanistan Islamabad dropped its of- missioned in the next few One Afghan soldier was killed, border has long been porous and fi cial lobbying eff orts during years and the government says Afghan offi cials had said on disputed. the 1999-2008 military rule it needs the aircraft to fi ght Monday. Afghanistan has blocked re- of General Pervez Musharraf, Islamist militants in remote Relations between Pakistan peated attempts by Pakistan to the offi cial said, adding that mountains near neighbouring and Afghanistan have been build a fence on sections of the the government had now de- Afghanistan. strained for months. roughly 2,200-km-long fron- cided it needed help selling its It is now considering buy- Kabul says Pakistan harbours tier, rejecting the contours of the image. ing used F-16 fi ghter jets from militants seeking to overthrow the boundary. “Look at India and other Jordan.

Met Offi ce urges provinces Pakistan considers off er of Jordanian F-16s

Reuters since they gained independence the US Congress refused to au- pability, are essential for that to prepare for monsoon Islamabad from Britain in 1947. thorise the use of US govern- fight. “We are now going for a ment funds to pay for the air- The diffi culty over the F-16 third-party transfer of F-16s craft under the Foreign Military deal was the latest sign of in- Internews downpours that may generate (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan. akistan is considering and have an off er from Jordan,” Financing (FMF) programme. creasingly frayed ties between Islamabad fl ash fl oods and hill torrents in In Punjab, heavy rainfall may buying used F-16 fi ghter Defence Secretary Alam Khat- Members of the US Con- Pakistan and the United States. DG Khan and Rajanpur. cause urban fl ooding in large cit- Pjets from Jordan, media tak told a joint sitting of the gress, led by Republican Last month, a US drone killed In each letter, the Met Offi ce has ies. The tributaries of Chenab reported yesterday, after a plan Senate defence and foreign af- Chairman of the Senate For- Mullah Akhtar Mansour, then ith the monsoon sea- highlighted all those areas where and Ravi rivers are also expected to buy eight of the aircraft from fairs committees on Monday, eign Relations Committee chief of the Afghan Taliban, on son fast approaching, heavy downpours are expected to be in high fl ood due to heavy the United States fell through newspapers reported. Bob Corker, demanded that Pakistani soil. Wthe Met Offi ce of Paki- during monsoon, which is likely rains in the catchment area. because of the refusal of the US An air force spokesman de- Pakistan stop harbouring Pakistan condemned the stan has for the fi rst time written to start from July and continue till In Sindh, heavy rains may result Congress to fi nance the deal. clined to say how many F-16s militant groups like the Af- strike as a violation of its sov- separate letters to all the provin- September and may result in fl ash in urban fl ooding in Karachi, Hy- Some of Pakistan’s fl eet Pakistan has but the number of ghan Taliban and Haqqani ereignty, and as not being con- cial chief secretaries, calling for fl oods and landslides. derabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Su- of F-16 jets are due to be de- the aircraft in service is believed Network, which are leading ducive towards encouraging the extra precautionary measures The chief secretaries there kkur and Larkana, among others. commissioned in the next few to be about 70. an insurgency against a US- Taliban to enter talks with the before the start of rains. have been requested to keep in Heavy spells of rain in the up- years and the government says Jordan had off ered to sell backed government in Kabul. Afghan government. The Pakistan Meteorological touch with the PMD for forecast per catchment areas of the In- it needs the aircraft to fi ght Pakistan 16 used F-16s of the Pakistan say it is acting Pakistan has bought Jorda- Department (PMD) has predict- information and pay frequent dus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Islamist militants in remote Block-30 variant, an older ver- against the militants, citing nian F-16s before, procuring ed above average rainfall across visits to its offi cial website for Sutlej rivers may cause riverine mountains near Afghanistan. sion than the Block-52s that military operations in lawless 13 of them in 2014, Dawn re- the country in the upcoming weather and fl ood updates. fl ooding downstream Guddu. The military also sees the Pakistan would have obtained ethnic Pashtun lands that bor- ported. monsoon season. The letters show the Met Of- In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa prov- aircraft as vital in case of war from the United States, the der Afghanistan. The current batch on offer Monsoon will be especially fi ce has given a complete summer ince, there is a high probability of against old rival India. Dawn newspaper reported. Pakistan says the F-16s, were manufactured between active along the Suleiman Range, monsoon outlook for the entire frequent heavy downpours, which The nuclear-armed neigh- The US deal, valued at with their precision strike 1988 and 1990, and were up- producing occasional heavy country, including Azad Kashmir may result in fl ash fl oods. bours have fought three wars $699mn, came unstuck after ability and night-flying ca- graded in 2001/02, Dawn said.

After Taliban music ban, songbook teaches Afghan children to sing again

Thomson Reuters Foundation It’s hard to grasp for us be- said ‘we have to get these songs A second version published London cause we don’t go without music back’,” she said. in 2013 was accompanied by a for fi ve minutes.” With a help of an Afghan mu- guide to help teachers use the The green book, now worn sician, Pascale put together a songs to improve literacy. hen Louise Pascale, and tattered, that Pascale com- new version of the songbook, The songbook also came with an American mu- piled while working as a teacher 5,000 copies of which were a notebook and two pencils - Wsic teacher, pulled a in Afghanistan in the 1960s, ready to be sent to schools and precious for children who had three-decade-old Afghan chil- contained 16 children’s songs, orphanages in Afghanistan in nothing. dren’s songbook from her book- which she believes were lost to 2007, together with a CD and Although 50,000 copies of the case, she realised she was likely the next generation. cassette tape. book have been distributed so far holding a treasure lost to Afghan “People were saying to me The buzz about the book across Afghanistan with a help children following a music ban ‘come on, the mothers could of long-lost children’s songs of local education groups, Pas- imposed by the Taliban. have hummed to their children, reached the wife of the Afghan cale said she realised her eff orts Playing instruments was who would know?’, Pascale said ambassador to the United States, were “a drop in a bucket”. banned during the period of in a phone interview from her who decided to launch the book She is now hoping to raise Taliban rule in late-1990s Af- home in Massachusetts. at the embassy in Washington. funds for a third edition of the ghanistan, and even today, many “But when you’re terrifi ed and Some 200 Afghans gathered for songbook and teachers’ guide, conservative Muslims frown on terrorised you don’t do it. You the launch, many moved to tears possibly with a collection of Af- most forms of music. hum this little song to your child when they heard a recording of ghan folktales, which she said “Musicians were practically and then who knows when they children singing songs from their were also disappearing from the losing their minds trying to hide would go out on the street and childhood, Pascale said. culture. their instruments under wood start humming...and then the Pascale saw a potential the “One of the things I had read piles, thinking they were going repercussions of that are dread- book had to connect children in my research really pointed out to go crazy without any music ful.” with their heritage and boost that when you take away culture, and trying to practise in their Looking at lyrics in the old their literacy skills. when you take away music and heads at night,” Pascale told the songbook she could no longer “What I was noticing was that art, you take away identity and Thomson Reuters Foundation. read and melodies she wasn’t the children were reading the humanity,” Pascale said. “When I was back (in Afghani- sure she could remember, Pas- Some 50,000 copies of the songbook have been distributed so far across Afghanistan. text,” she said about her trip to “I can’t claim that this (song- stan) in 2009 there were girls who cale realised that the songbook Afghanistan in 2009 to see for book) is turning Afghanistan said they grew up without even did not belong in her bookcase to the children of Afghanistan. talked to a lot of Afghans and same with every Afghan: they herself the impact of the book around but in a tiny way...maybe understanding what music was. and decided to return the songs “I did a lot of research and the response was absolutely the were moved to tears and then and to determine the next steps. we’re making some impact.” Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 PHILIPPINES Govt condemns execution of Canadian by militants Second Canadian executed in past two months; Abu Sayyaf group known for beheadings, extortion

Reuters Toronto/Manila

he Philippines confi rmed yesterday the execu- Ttion of a Canadian who had been held hostage by the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf mili- tant group on a remote southern island with three other people since September 2015. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Toronto on Monday that it appeared the second execution of a Canadian hostage by Abu Sayyaf in recent months had taken place. That was later confi rmed in Manila. “We strongly condemn the brutal and senseless murder of Mr. Robert Hall, a Canadian national, after being held cap- tive by the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu for the past nine months,” outgoing Philippines President Benigno Aquino said in a state- Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Lab Director PC Supt Emmanuel ment. Hostages Canadian national Robert Hall (right) and Norwegian national Kjartan Sekkingstad are seen in this undated picture released to local media, Aranas, answers questions during a news conference inside the police A Philippines military spokes- in Jolo island in southern Philippines. headquarters in Metro Manila yesterday. man said earlier a severed head had been found near a Catholic Another Canadian who was fully responsible for this cold- Abu Sayyaf, based in the south group that ended 45 years of “We cannot allow this situation Preliminary intelligence re- cathedral on a remote southern held captive, former mining ex- blooded and senseless murder”. of the mainly Roman Catholic confl ict. to continue, this should end once ports in the Philippines indicated island late on Monday. ecutive John Ridsdel, was ex- He said Sunday’s attack on a Philippines, is known for kid- In Manila, President-elect and for all,” Duterte’s adviser Her- Hall had been beheaded 10 min- No identifi cation had been ecuted by the group in April. gay nightclub in Orlando, Flori- napping, beheadings and extor- Rodrigo Duterte’s national se- mogenes Esperon told Reuters. utes after a 3pm deadline lapsed made yet. Hall was taken cap- A Norwegian man and a Fili- da, and the killing of Hall “serve tion. curity adviser said Duterte’s Abu Sayyaf had initially de- in the mountains outside Jolo’s tive by the militants with three pina are still being held. as devastating reminders for all Security is precarious in the new government, which takes manded 1bn pesos ($21.7mn) Patikul town. Philippine media others from an upscale resort on Trudeau told reporters that of us, the vicious acts of hatred southern Philippines despite charge on June 30, would “take a each for the detainees, but it had already quoted Abu Raami, a Samal island, hundreds of miles “Canada holds the terrorist and violence cannot be tolerated a 2014 peace pact between the stronger action against lawless- lowered the ransom to 300mn spokesman for Abu Sayyaf, con- east of Jolo. group who took Mr Hall hostage in any form”. government and the largest rebel ness in the south”. pesos each early this year. fi rming the execution. Facebook apologises Tribute to US shooting victims over Philippine fl ag gaff e

AFP a statement sent to AFP yes- the first to cause a stir over an Manila terday. inverted Philippine flag. The blunder was greeted In 2010, the United States with a mix of anger and hu- had to apologise for mixing acebook has apologised mour in the social media-ob- up the red and blue fields of for accidentally declaring sessed country. the Philippine flag during a Fthe Philippines was in a “Dear @facebook: It’s not New York meeting between state of war, in what was meant a happy Independence Day if President Barack Obama and to be an innocuous fl ag tribute our flag is like this. Like se- Southeast Asian leaders. for Independence Day. riously,” said Twitter user @ Filipino-American athletes The social media giant econcepcion. at last year’s Southeast Asian greeted Filipinos a “Happy But activist Jonas Bagas Games had a wardrobe mal- Independence Day” on Sun- jokingly linked the gaffe to function as they wore their day with a post showing a president-elect Rodrigo Du- vests with the Philippine flags Philippine flag, but it was terte’s controversial planned upside-down. upside-down with red rather law-and-crackdown that en- Another sportsman, Seattle than blue at the top. visages security forces killing Seahawks wide receiver Doug In the Philippines this of- thousands of criminals. Baldwin, committed a similar ficially means the nation is at “We will soon have shoot- blunder in 2013 when he car- war. to-kill orders and bounties ried an inverted Philippine Facebook, which routinely to eradicate the scums that flag before a game to cam- comes out with greetings to plague our timelines and our paign for victims of Typhoon mark holidays around the streets...Happy Independ- Haiyan. world, apologised for the ence Day, Philippines! What a Others were not as well- blunder. curious state we are currently meaning. In May this year, “This was unintention- in,” Bagas said in a Facebook Philippine authorities de- al, and we’re sorry. We care post. tained Chinese crew members deeply about the community A nation of over 100mn, the on the suspicion of poaching in the Philippines and in an Philippines has 51mn monthly after their vessels flew an in- Student activists light candles as they remember the victims of a shooting at a club in the US, during a vigil in front of a university in attempt to connect people on active Facebook users, ac- verted Philippine flag as they Manila yesterday. The assault, which left 50 people dead including the shooter, is the worst mass shooting in modern US history, and Independence Day, we made cording to Facebook. sailed in waters off northern has triggered an outpouring of grief. a mistake,” Facebook said in The social network is not Philippines. Bicol cops, teachers among Ruling on sea row investment scam victims ‘to bring peace’

Manila Times Serving as the government’s least P300 mn from their vic- register as a lending fi rm,” she Manila Times the confl icting claims to both land and maritime Legazpi City frontline agency, the SEC tims. said. SEC offi cials warned the Manila territories in the disputed South China Sea (West checks whether investors are Another SEC lawyer, Alfonso public not to trust investment Philippine Sea), international law—through the safe where they put their mon- Lanuza, said that for the last 20 companies involved in get-rich- ad hoc UNCLOS Tribunal’s decision—will still he Securities and Ex- ey and if investment companies years at least P80 bn pesos have easy schemes. Lawyer Marylou he looming ruling of the international tri- contribute to a peaceful resolution to Asia’s most change Commission offering high profits on invest- been lost to scammers here. Duka-Castillo, SEC regional bunal in The Hague on the complaint fi led problematic dispute in recent years,” Roque add- T(SEC) in Bicol reported ments are legitimate. director in Bicol said that the Tby the Philippines against China concern- ed. China based its claim on the disputed sea on that policemen and teachers “When the offer is too good “More oft en than not, usual technique of scammers is ing islands in the West Philippines Sea (South the Nine-Dash Line theory, which encompasses wanting to double their money to be true, then it is not true,” they’re not registered. They through a business community China Sea) will bring peace between countries, areas located within a country’s 200 nautical mile have fallen prey to investment Bobis said.The SEC officials registered as traders or as a meeting where they lure poten- incoming Kabayan representative Harry Roque exclusive economic zone. scammers victimising mostly said that the permits of numer- trading corporation....” tial investors. said. Beijing has repeatedly said that it will not hon- residents in Camarines Sur. ous erring firms in Bicol have Castillo admitted that to date, Roque made the prediction in his speech at the our the tribunal’s ruling but Roque believes that Atty. Fiona Mae Corral-Bo- been revoked, but unfortu- “Unfortunately, our office no scammers have been put be- Asian Society of International Law (AsianSIL) in the end, China will have no choice but to bow bis, SEC securities counsel said nately these erring companies is the last agency to know the hind bars in Bicol. “In the Phil- Regional Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. to the international tribunal. that even a retired banker lost can register again using differ- scam because the victims re- ippines, only Baladjay was con- The Philippines questioned China’s ambigu- “China will honour the decision of the arbitral his mn to scammers but unfor- ent names. ported or complained to our victed and imprisoned.Before ous claim on almost the entire West Philippine body if not in words, then in its deeds—if only be- tunately the SEC only learned They added that charges office if the money they have investing your hard-earned sav- Sea.“While China has repeatedly said that it will cause no law-abiding state has thus far admitted of the incident after the victims against two erring corpora- invested is not gaining any- ings, investigate fi rst if the fi rm ignore the decision of this tribunal, I am confi dent to its breach of international law,” he said. complained when they could tions, the Roco Agnabo and more,” the official added. you’re authorising to keep your that to scholars of international law, the decision “International law remains the most potent not get the interest or return- Nes Em, have been filed in the Lending companies are under money is legal,” Castillo advised. of a competent body under the UNCLOS with ju- system to maintain peace and prosperity in the of-investment. court. Bobis said that at least the SEC and according to Atty. Rosario Baladjay of the in- risdiction over issues of interpretation and appli- Asian continent. After all, international law goes “We are conducting thor- seven scammer firms were Bobis these lending fi rms are not famous Multitel “pyramiding” cation of the UNCLOS cannot simply be ignored, beyond providing rules.It is a normative system ough surveillance and inves- uncovered in Camarines Sur registered. investment scam was convicted particularly by a country that wants to be recog- that enables us to harness and promote values tigation. We can only do so with more than 1,000 victims, “More often than not, they’re of securities fraud for conning nised as a responsible world power,” Roque said, that serve our commons interests,” Roque, who much, and we hope more peo- mostly retired policemen and not registered. They registered hundreds of people into invest- referring to the United Nations Convention on also served as the director of the University of the ple read our website,” Atty.Bo- teachers. as traders or as a trading cor- ing in her fi rm, the Multinational the Law of the Sea, on which the Philippine case is Philippines Law Centre’s Institute of Interna- bis said. The erring firms collected at poration but seldom do they Telecom Investors Corp. anchored.“While this arbitration will not resolve tional Legal studies, added. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Lanka party calls for pullout of excess camps

Sri Lanka’s main Islamic political party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), yesterday Bangladesh clerics issue called for removing excess military camps in the former war zones in the country’s north. SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said his party does not agree with the proposal that the army should be fully withdrawn from the north, Xinhua reported. He said there is fatwa on Islamist killings a concern by the public that the army is still occupying property it AFP heads the Council of Bangla- bloggers along with two for- killings, taking the total number Deputy inspector general of tants were shot dead in gun- does not require. Dhaka desh Clerics, said over 100,000 eigners and two gay rights ac- to 11,307. Bangladesh police A K M Sha- battles with police in recent He said the army must release clerics had signed the fatwa, or tivists. Bangladeshi authorities had hidur Rahman said just 145 of days. property which needs to be given religious edict, which will be faced criticism for failing to those arrested were members of It is thought to have been back to the people and have angladeshi clerics said made public on June 18. “The fatwa unequivocally tackle the violence, but Prime Islamist militant groups. triggered by the murder this camps in the north which are only yesterday they have is- “The fatwa unequivocally said these killings of Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed Police said they had detained month of Mahmuda Begum, required for national security. Bsued a fatwa against the said these killings of non-Mus- non-Muslims, minorities at the weekend to catch “each two local leaders of the An- wife of a top anti-terror police The Sri Lankan army earlier said it killings of minorities and secu- lims, minorities and secular ac- and secular activists are and every killer”. sarullah Bangla Team (ABT) on offi cer. will not withdraw from the north lar campaigners in the mainly tivists are forbidden in Islam,” forbidden in Islam” She has accused the main op- the outskirts of the capital with The offi cer had led several despite the end of a 30 years civil Muslim country, where police he said. position Bangladesh National- a meat cleaver and some jihadi high-profi le operations against war in 2009. have arrested over 10,000 peo- “We’ve said these killings are The Islamic State (IS) group ist Party (BNP) and its Islamist books in their possession. the JMB, scores of whose mem- Sri Lanka government battled ple in a crackdown on mili- illegal and are crimes against and a South Asian branch of Al party ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, Police have blamed the ABT bers were among those arrested Tamil Tiger rebels in a brutal war tancy. humanity,” Masuod added. Qaeda have claimed responsi- of orchestrating the killings to and another homegrown mili- in the latest sweep. which saw thousands killed on Nearly 50 people have been Last week an elderly Hindu bilities for many of the murders. destabilise the country. tant group, Jamayetul Muja- Masuod said the police crack- both sides. killed over the last three years priest was found nearly de- But the police and the govern- However, the BNP says 2,100 hideen Bangladesh (JMB), for down was important, but the However following the end of the in a wave of gruesome attacks capitated in a rice fi eld and a ment say they have no presence of its activists have been ar- most of the murders. clerics’ fatwa would discredit war Tamil political parties have by Islamist militants targeting Hindu monastery worker was in the country. rested and accuses the govern- Many of the ABT’s leaders are any Islamist groups that tried to been calling for the withdrawal of Hindus, Christians, Sufi Mus- hacked to death, while a Chris- The fatwa announcement ment of using the crackdown to highly educated and the group defend the killings. the army from the north. lims, activists and foreigners. tian grocer was murdered near came as police said they had de- suppress political dissent. has a reputation for sophistica- “The fatwa clearly says these Many were hacked to death with a church. tained 3,115 people on the fourth Most of those arrested are tion. killings are not a just part of ji- machetes. Other victims have included day of a nationwide anti-mili- wanted for criminal off ences The crackdown comes after had, but mere acts of terrorism,” Minister rules out Farid Uddin Masuod, who liberal activists and secular tant drive aimed at stopping the unconnected with militancy. five suspected Islamist mili- he said. foreign judges in war probe Lankans stranded off Indonesia waters The Sri Lankan government yesterday reiterated that it will not agree to have foreign judges 18 stand trial in the domestic accountability process over its civil war and only accept technical assistance. Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Mustapha over factory said that President Maithripala Sirisena has been very clear that war crimes did not take place in Sri Lanka, according to Xinhua. He said that some groups are, disaster however, attempting to give the impression that a war crime investigation will take place in Sri AFP Owner Sohel Rana, who has Lanka with the participation of Dhaka been in jail since 2013, and foreign judges. others also face separate mur- “The president has said earlier and der and corruption trials over even now that he will not invite Bangladesh court yes- the disaster, although neither foreign judges but will accept terday ordered 18 peo- hearings have started yet. technical assistance,” he said. Aple stand trial for the Rana became Bangladesh’s The comment comes as the UN collapse of a garment fac- public enemy number one in Human Rights Council begins tory three years ago that killed 2013 after survivors recounted meeting in Geneva where Sri more than 1,100 people, a how they were forced to start Lanka will also be discussed. prosecutor said. work despite complaints of Council members had last year A senior magistrate issued cracks appearing in the walls urged Sri Lanka to allow the the order against the 18 charged the previous day. participation of foreign judges in with breaching building laws Rana’s parents, who jointly the process to investigate the last in the lead up to the Rana Pla- owned the building with him, stages of a 30 year war between za compound’s implosion in and the mayor of the town of Tamil Tiger rebels and the army. 2013, one of the world’s worst Savar where it was located, are Mustapha said that the industrial disasters. also charged with breaching resettlement of war displaced No one has yet been con- building laws. people in the north and east will victed over the tragedy which The mayor and other offi - take place as promised. highlighted appalling safety in cials are accused of falsifying The minister said the army should Bangladesh’s $27bn garment documents to approve the ex- Migrants from Sri Lanka remain on their boat despite their vessel being washed ashore on the west coast of Lhoknga in Aceh Besar, not be used to achieve political export industry, the world’s tensions, while factory own- Indonesia’s Aceh province yesterday. Dozens of Sri Lankan immigrants bound for Australia were stranded off Aceh in northwest goals and added that the army second largest after China. ers are charged with illegally Indonesia after their boat broke down, local off icials have said. will continue to safeguard the Thirteen of the accused, in- installing heavy equipment country’s national security. cluding owners of the building including generators in the and those of factories housed building. inside, appeared in court to At least 1,138 people are seek their release from jail, known to have died in the saying they were not guilty. tragedy. Rescue workers “The judge rejected their struggled for weeks to re- Higher than ‘7.8-magnitude quake could hit Himalayan region’ discharge pleas and ordered trieve the bodies from the ru- their trial. The hearings will ins but some people are still now begin on August 23,” unaccounted for. IANS The 2015 Nepal earthquake slip occurred on the ruptured “There was a clear lack of af- online in the journal Nature prosecutor Anwarul Kabir The disaster triggered de- New York ruptured a 150km-long section fault plane in the six months ter-slip. That has implications Geoscience. said, adding that fi ve others mands for Western retailers of the Himalayas but did not immediately following the for future great earthquakes, “There’s no evidence that it will still on the run also face trial to help introduce sweeping rupture the earth’s surface, sig- earthquake. which can tap into this stored spontaneously rupture in another on the same date. reforms including new safety ue to the lack of post- nifying that only part of the fault The fi ndings showed that the strain,” said lead author David damaging earthquake. But the All 18 face seven years in jail inspections and higher wages earthquake movement, had slipped below ground. part of the fault that had not Mencin, student at the Univer- strain may fuel a future earth- if convicted of the charges. in the industry, which employs Dleading to build-up strain In the following days, even moved remained completely sity of Colorado at Boulder in the quake starting nearby,” Roger Bil- The court has heard how the around four million workers. in the faults, the Himalayan re- the after-slip - post-earthquake locked, accumulating further US. ham, professor at University of Rana Plaza owners allegedly A host of Western retailers gion may experience an earth- movement - produced little strain. This means that below the Colorado at Boulder, said. violated building codes and had clothing made at the fac- quake far more destructive than surface evidence of continued The team estimated that there region, there is a great well of He added, “The entire Hima- illegally extended the nine- tories housed at Rana Plaza, the 2015’s 7.8-magnitude Nepal movement. may be about 3.5m worth of energy still pooled, which the layan arc may host dozens of storey complex which was ini- including Italy’s Benetton, earthquake that killed nearly The study team used GPS strain built into this fault, which future quakes can result in dev- pockets of strain energy await- tially approved as a six-storey Spain’s Mango and the British 9,000 persons and destroyed records of surface motions to the post-earthquake movements astating consequences, Mencin ing release in future great shopping mall. low-cost chain Primark. parts of the country, says a study. show that only a little seismic did nothing to reduce. explained in the paper published earthquakes.” Shopping time Activists press for ouster of Lankan central bank chief

AFP “Through the bond scam, he has caused Colombo billions of rupees in losses to the state.” Mahendran has consistently maintained his innocence. n infl uential group of Sri Lankan Tennakoon said Sirisena should dismiss academics and professionals yes- Mahendran, a Singaporean national of Sri Aterday called on the president to Lankan origin, at the end of this month and remove the country’s controversial cen- launch a fresh investigation. tral bank chief over long-running insider “If the president ignores our call and the trading allegations. demand of all reasonable thinking people of The powerful Anti-Corruption Front, this country, we will not hesitate to take to credited with aiding President Maithripala the streets,” he said. Sirisena’s election victory last year, said it Despite the claims and the pending in- would “take to the streets” if he did not ter- vestigation, Mahendran was again accused minate Arjuna Mahendran’s governorship Anti-Corruption Front head Keerthi of favouring his son-in-law’s fi rm in an- of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Tennakoon addressing reporters in other bond auction in April this year. Mahendran, whose tenure is up for re- Colombo yesterday, demanding the The Anti-Corruption Front is also cred- newal at the end of June, was accused last sacking of controversial Central Bank ited with leading a campaign to topple year of leaking inside information to his Governor Arjuna Mahendran. former strongman president Mahinda Ra- son-in-law’s fi rm, allowing it to allegedly japakse, who was accused of nepotism and make millions of dollars in profi ts from a more thorough investigation, which has yet corruption. Bangladeshi shoppers visit a market one week into the month of Ramadan and ahead of Eid al-Fitr central bank bond auction. to be held. Sri Lanka’s economy is under stress, celebrations in Dhaka yesterday. Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of An ad-hoc ruling party committee “Don’t allow Arjuna Mahendran to bleed and earlier this month began receiving the Ramadan, is marked with great feasting and the giving of gifts. cleared him of direct involvement but the country,” ACF convenor Keerthi Tenna- fi rst tranche of a $1.5bn bailout from the pointed to unusual activity and called for a koon told reporters in Colombo. International Monetary Fund. Gulf Times 26 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Production Editor: C P Ravindran Rethinking the Robin Hood

P.O.Box 2888 principle in development aid Doha, Qatar [email protected] The globalisation that has years, and this guide has always little economic gain for four decades, standards understated, or whether Telephone 44350478 (news), rescued so many in poor seemed broadly right. and that the bottom end of the schools are really that bad everywhere. 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) But I currently fi nd myself feeling US labour market can be a brutal But deaths are hard to explain away. Fax 44350474 countries has harmed some increasingly unsure about it. environment. Perhaps it is not so clear that the people in rich Both facts and ethics pose problems. But just how badly are these greatest needs are on the other side of Huge strides have undoubtedly been Americans suff ering from the world. countries, as factories and made in reducing global poverty, more globalisation? Are they much better Citizenship comes with a set of jobs migrated to where through growth and globalisation than off than the Asians now working in rights and responsibilities that we through aid from abroad. the factories that used to be in their do not share with those in other labour is cheaper The number of poor people has hometowns? countries. GULF TIMES fallen in the past 40 years from Most undoubtedly are. Yet the “cosmopolitan” part of the By Angus Deaton more than 2bn to just under 1bn – a But several mn Americans – black, ethical guideline ignores any special Madrid remarkable feat, given the increase in white and Hispanic – now live in obligations we have toward our fellow world population and the long-term households with per capita income of citizens. slowing of global economic growth, less than $2 a day, essentially the same We can think about these rights Unauthorised drone nternational development aid especially since 2008. standard that the World Bank uses to and obligations as a kind of mutual is based on the Robin Hood While impressive and wholly defi ne destitution-level poverty in insurance contract: We refuse to principle: take from the rich welcome, poverty reduction has not India or Africa. tolerate certain kinds of inequality for Iand give to the poor. National come without a cost. Finding shelter in the United States our fellow citizens, and each of us has activity poses a clear development agencies, multilateral on that income is so diffi cult that a responsibility to help – and a right to organisations and NGOs currently Poverty reduction $2-a-day poverty is almost certainly expect help – in the face of collective transfer more than $135bn a year from much worse in the US than $2-a-day threats. rich countries to poor countries with has not come poverty in India or Africa. These responsibilities do and present danger this idea in mind. Beyond that, America’s much- not invalidate or override our A more formal term for the Robin without a cost vaunted equality of opportunity is responsibilities to those who are Hood principle is “cosmopolitan under threat. suff ering elsewhere in the world, but Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest, prioritarianism”, an ethical rule that The globalisation that has rescued Towns and cities that have lost their they do mean that if we judge only closed its airspace for 69 minutes due to unauthorised says we should think of everyone in so many in poor countries has harmed factories to globalisation have also by material need, we risk leaving out drone activity on Saturday. In January 2015, the same the world in the same way, no matter some people in rich countries, as lost their tax base and fi nd it hard to important considerations. where they live, and then focus help factories and jobs migrated to where maintain quality schools – the escape When citizens believe that the airport was closed for a similar period of time after a where it helps the most. labour is cheaper. route for the next generation. elite care more about those across drone incident. Those who have less have priority This seemed to be an ethically Elite schools recruit the wealthy to the ocean than those across the train Around 100 airlines fl y to more than 240 over those who have more. acceptable price to pay, because those pay their bills, and court minorities to tracks, insurance has broken down, destinations from the hub, which is also home to This philosophy implicitly who were losing were already so much redress centuries of discrimination; we divide into factions, and those or explicitly guides the aid for wealthier (and healthier) than those but this no doubt fosters resentment who are left behind become angry and carrier Emirates. Apart from the larger issues of economic development, aid for who were gaining. among the white working class, whose disillusioned with a politics that no aviation safety, inconvenience to thousands of health and aid for humanitarian A long-standing cause of kids fi nd no place in this brave new longer serves them. passengers, experts have estimated that Dubai’s emergencies. discomfort is that those of us who world. We may not agree with the remedies economy loses about $1mn for every minute the hub is On its face, cosmopolitan make these judgments are not exactly My own work with Anne Case that they seek but we ignore their real closed. prioritarianism makes sense. well placed to assess the costs. reveals more signs of distress. grievances at their peril and ours.- People in poor countries have needs Like many in academia and in the We have documented a rising tide Project Syndicate The fl ying of drones is prohibited within 5km of that are more pressing, and price levels development industry, I am among of “deaths of despair” among white airports, helipads, landing areas or manned aircraft in are much lower in poor countries, globalisation’s greatest benefi ciaries – non-Hispanics – from suicide, zAngus Deaton, the 2015 Nobel the UAE. so that a dollar or euro goes twice or those who are able to sell our services alcohol abuse, and accidental laureate in economics, is Professor of Around the world, the use of civil drones, whether three times further than it does at in markets that are larger and richer overdoses of prescription and illegal International Aff airs and Professor of home. than our parents could have dreamed drugs. Economics and International Aff airs at for commercial purposes or as a leisure activity, is Spending at home is not only more of. Overall death rates in the US were the Woodrow Wilson School of Public rising. And that has led to increasing reports of near- expensive, but it also goes to those Globalisation is less splendid for higher in 2015 than 2014, and life and International Aff airs and the misses with commercial aircraft. who are already well off (at least those who not only don’t reap its expectancy has fallen. Department of Economics at Princeton One of the most recent incidents occurred on relatively, judged by global standards), benefi ts, but suff er from its impact. We can argue about the University. and so does less good. We have long known that less- measurement of material living His most recent book is The Great March 18, when a Lufthansa fl ight from Frankfurt I have thought about and tried to educated and lower-income standards, whether infl ation is Escape: Health, Wealth, and the approaching Los Angeles International Airport measure global poverty for many Americans, for example, have seen overstated and the rise in living Origins of Inequality. reported a drone fl ew about 200ft above the Airbus A380. Each month, US pilots and air traffi c controllers report more than 100 drone “sightings” to the Federal Aviation Administration, which says such reports have surged since 2014, with more than 1,200 incidents nationwide last year. Current FAA rules restrict drone operators from fl ying Each month, within fi ve miles of an airport and above US pilots and 400ft. Drones, made of air traffi c solid plastics, batteries controllers and metal, will “most certainly” cause more report more damage to an aircraft than 100 drone than birds, which have caused airliners to “sightings” to the crash, according to a US study published last Federal Aviation November. Administration True, the Gulf states are investing millions of dollars in technology and system upgrades to ensure seamless and safer passenger as well as freight movement. With Middle East airports expected to be handling nearly 450mn passengers a year by 2020, constant upgrades to the security system are needed to deliver a better travellers’ experience, according to the International Air Transport Association. There is no stopping of technology, for sure. Drones People holding candles during a memorial service at the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. will soon be boosting crop yields, verifying insurance claims and assisting in future Hollywood blockbusters in a business set to boom by more than 6,000% by the Another mass shooting, another round of denial end of the decade. The global market for commercial applications of drone technology, currently estimated By Rex Huppke group of Americans points out that the than four dozen human beings and proposed ban on Muslim people at about $2bn, will balloon to as much as $127bn by Chicago Tribune/TNS common denominator in these tragedies injuring dozens more. entering the country would’ve done 2020, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers study. is the device that sends the bullets into Could he have still done it? Sure. nothing to stop Sunday’s shooting. people’s bodies and another group But we made it easy for him. The shooter was born here, as much Let, then, technology police technology, experts say. don’t care whether the evil clutches their pocket Constitutions to We always make it easy, because a citizen as any one of us. Drones could be manned by geo-fencing technology, maniac who slaughtered at least their chests and cries, “Tyranny!” making it hard might infringe on So unless Trump’s actual proposal which could prevent the devices from fl ying near 49 people in an Orlando bar One group says, “Hey, maybe if we someone’s right to buy a cool new gun. is to round up every Muslim in the airports. Get too close and they crash to the ground. Iwas a Muslim or a Christian, a didn’t let people on the terrorist watch But wait, the real problem is country - thus making America a lot Democrat or a Republican, a bigot or a list buy guns, that might help,” and the Muslims, right? Tell that to the white less like America - then he’s spouting Embedded software could also restrict the altitude. terrorist. I don’t care whether you call other group says, “We can’t do that guy from Indiana, James Wesley nonsense. Amid growing concerns that a drone could be used what he did - the worst mass shooting because someone accidentally on the Howell, who was arrested on Sunday I am sick, beyond belief, of by terrorists to wreak havoc, the unauthorised use of in American history - a terror attack terrorist watch list might be denied in California with a cache of weapons, politicians in the pocket of the small drones pose a clear danger to aircraft, privacy or an act of terrorism or a massacre or their precious right to a gun.” ammunition and explosive-making National Rifl e Association talking and wider security. The drones discovered on the a hate crime. materials in his car. “American exceptionalism” out one What I care about is this: Without a Blame is directed at Tell that to the people at Virginia side of their mouths and then saying, White House lawn and the roof of the Japanese prime legally purchased military-style rifl e, Tech who still recall how Seung-Hui “What can we do? Bad guys will minister’s offi ce certainly did make a point; and the he would’ve just been a guy standing everything except Cho shot and killed 32 people in 2007. always get guns” out the other. Dubai airport closure is a grim reminder. in a bar. Tell that to the families of the 26 This country is great. This country Are there lame excuses that can be the ease with which people - 20 children and six adults - is powerful, and smart. We can break used to argue that point? Absolutely. gunned down by Adam Lanza at Sandy this insane cycle. But we have to try. How about these: guns are purchased Hook Elementary School in 2012. And right now, trying is denounced To Advertise “You’re just trying to punish law- Be like presumptive GOP as an attack on liberty. abiding gun owners.” That’s literally what happened presidential nominee Donald Trump Blame is directed at everything [email protected] “If he didn’t have a gun he would’ve one day after 14 people were killed and insist that the problem we’re except the ease with which guns Display had a knife or a bomb.” in San Bernardino, California, by dealing with here centres entirely are purchased, something even our Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Or this chestnut: “If everyone in the a radicalised couple using legally around Muslims. enemies have taken note of as they bar was armed, fewer people would’ve purchased AR-15 assault rifl es. Treat this most recent tragedy, plot to do us harm from within. Classified died.” Senate Republicans rejected a bill which involved an American-born An exceptional America does more Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 Blah. Blah. Blah. that would have stopped suspected Muslim who police say pledged than divide up and yell. I won’t even entertain responses to terrorists from legally buying guns. allegiance to the Islamic State before An exceptional America fi xes this. Subscription those gripes, because they’re either The Orlando shooter, who also used the shooting, in an almost celebratory We are not, right now, exceptional. [email protected] whiny, defeatist or predicated on all an AR-15, had been on the FBI’s radar fashion the way Trump did as he Not at all. Americans toting fi rearms 24/7. since 2013. tweeted, “Appreciate the congrats You can say we’re at war with Every time there’s a mass shooting And he legally bought a gun, for being right on radical Islamic radical terrorism until you’re blue in 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved in the US - and it’s getting to be a bit without which he would’ve had a terrorism” and “I called it”. the face. But who we’re really at war too frequent, wouldn’t you say? - one much harder time murdering more But then remember that Trump’s with, I’m afraid, is ourselves. Gulf Times Wednesday, June 15, 2016 27 COMMENT Europe’s most innovative universities German universities KU Leuven earned its first- Europe dominates the list, with 60 account for 24 of the 100 place rank, in part, by churning universities in the top 100. out a high volume of influential Northern Europe comes in a distant most innovative inventions. second, with 24; Southern Europe has universities in Europe, more Its researchers submit more patents 15. than almost any other university Eastern Europe only has a single than any other country in Europe, and outside researchers university on the list, Poland’s frequently cite KU Leuven inventions Jagiellonian University, ranked #92. By David Ewalt in their own patent applications. And only fi ve universities on the list Reuters Those are key criteria in the Reuters are located in countries that are not ranking of Europe’s Most Innovative members of the European Union - four Universities, which was compiled in Switzerland, and one in Norway t fi rst glance, the most in partnership with the Intellectual (University of Oslo, #41). Notable innovative universities in Property & Science division of absences from the top 100 include any Europe don’t appear to have Thomson Reuters. universities in Russia or Turkey, two of Amuch in common. Some are Some of the top-rated universities Europe’s most populous countries; or Catholic schools, some are secular, on the list were created when larger any universities in small but wealthy others are state-run and some are institutions spun out their technical Sweden or Finland. private. One is 920 years old. Another departments. To compile its ranking of Europe’s has been an independent institution Imperial College London (ranked most innovative universities, the IP & for less than a decade. #2) was formerly The Imperial College Science division of Thomson Reuters They’re scattered across the of Science, Technology and Medicine, began by identifying more than 600 continent, some in large cities, others part of the University of London. global organisations -including in rural areas. Imperial became fully independent educational institutions, nonprofi t The single unifi er: Nearly all of in July 2007, and is now a public charities, and government-funded them emphasise practical research and research university serving more than labs- that publish the most academic applied science, as opposed to pure 16,000 students from more than 125 research. academics. countries. Then they evaluated each candidate Technical universities and colleges It also outperforms its parent - the on 10 diff erent metrics, focusing on dominate Reuters’ fi rst-ever ranking University of London is ranked #30 on academic papers (which indicate basic of Europe’s top 100 innovative the Europe Top 100. research) and patent fi lings (which universities, a list that identifi es the Similarly, Switzerland’s Ecole point to an institution’s ability to educational institutions that are doing Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne apply research and commercialize its the most to advance science, invent took its current form in 1968, when discoveries). Finally, they trimmed the new technologies, and help drive the it was spun out of the University of list so that it only included European global economy. Lausanne. Today EPFL is a federal universities, and then ranked them The most innovative university institute and is obliged to grant based on their performance. in Europe is KU Leuven, a Dutch- admission to every Swiss high-school The most innovative university in Europe is KU Leuven, a Dutch-speaking school based in Belgium’s Flanders region. Since the rankings measure speaking school based in Belgium’s graduate. innovation on an institutional level, it Flanders region. Founded in 1425 by Other top-ranked institutions were alumni have won a Nobel Prize since and the University of Oxford, ranked universities per capita than any other may overlook particularly innovative Pope Martin V, it’s the world oldest specifi cally created to serve as centres 1927, including Rudolf Mössbauer #8. country in Europe. departments or programmes; a Catholic university, but its instruction of innovation. (physics, 1961) and Ernst Otto Fischer Many of history’s greatest Trinity College Dublin, ranked #48, university might rank low for overall isn’t limited to theology. KU’s modern Germany’s Technical University (chemistry, 1973). scholars have studied or taught at is Ireland’s highest-ranked university. innovation, but still operate one of the mission is comprehensive and of Munich (#5) was founded in 1868 German universities - technical “Oxbridge”, including Isaac Newton, Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth most innovative biotechnology labs in advanced scientifi c research. by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, and and otherwise - account for 24 of the Charles Darwin and Alan Turing I and modelled on Oxford and the world, for instance. Open to students of all faiths, it tasked with driving the kingdom’s 100 most innovative universities in (Cambridge); and Roger Bacon, Cambridge, today Trinity is notable But whether they rank in the top operates autonomously from the transition from an agricultural to an Europe, more than any other country. Robert Hooke and Edmund Halley for holding a higher percentage of cited 10 or somewhere in the 90s, all the Church, and maintains one of the industrial state. Today the school has The United Kingdom comes in (Oxford). patents in its portfolio than any other universities ranked in the Europe Top largest independent research and 37,000 students enrolled across its second with 17 institutions on the list, The Republic of Ireland only has university in Europe’s top 100 -more 100 count among the world’s best. development organisations on the three locations in Munich, Freising- including the two oldest universities three schools on the entire list, but evidence of Ireland’s outsized impact on They produce original research, create planet -in fi scal 2014, research Weihenstephan and Garching. in the English-speaking world: The with a population under 5mn people, global research and development. useful technology and stimulate the spending exceeded 426mn euros. Thirteen TUM professors and University of Cambridge, ranked #3, it can boast more top 100 innovative On a regional basis, Western global economy. Letters Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY An excellent the message of Ramadan whose main The treacherous Mediterranean High: 43 C themes are piety and helping others. Sea crossing from Libya to Italy has Low : 31 C Please send us Strong wind and high seas till initiative Almost everyone can donate organs claimed the lives of thousands of evening and blood. migrants.The tally cannot be known Dear Sir, for sure as authorities acknowledge your letters Rajesh Nair they don’t have precise information THURSDAY It is great to know that the Qatar rajeshnair.it@gmail about how many people are being By e-mail High: 40 C Organ Transplant Centre aims to jammed into unsuitable vessels and [email protected] Low: 31 C have about 150,000 donors on its swallowed up by the vast waters of the Sunny registry list this year (Gulf Times, June Shocking southern Mediterranean. Fax 44350474 14). Organ donation saves lives and images These poor migrants leave Or Post needs to be supported by government their homes because of a lack Letters to the Editor FRIDAY initiatives. of opportunity for growth and High: 39 C One organ and tissue donor, it is Dear Sir, development in their countries but Gulf Times Low: 31 C said, can save the lives of up to 10 end their lives in a watery grave. P O Box 2888 Sunny people and signifi cantly improve the The images of heavily-overloaded It is time the United Nations, major Doha, Qatar lives of many more. boats with migrants capsizing in the power powers like the US and Russia There are already more than Mediterranean off Libya are shocking. and leading Middle Eastern countries Fishermen’s forecast 100,000 people registered as organ The drowning of so many people, in a leave behind any diff erences among All letters, which are OFFSHORE DOHA donors in Qatar and a new campaign, way, depicts the death of our morality them and fi nd a viable solution to the subject to editing, should Wind: NW 15-25 KT just launched, aims to add 50,000 and consciousness. Syrian crisis. Waves: 5-8 Feet more to the list by December this year. Also, it brings into sharp focus the At the same time, stern action must have the name of the INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW 10-20/25 KT The Hamad Medical Corporation urgent need to end the Syrian strife be taken against human traffi ckers writer, address and phone Waves: 1-3/4 Feet (HMC) and AlFaisal Without Borders which has resulted in millions seeking who exploit those desperate to fi nd a number. The writer’s (ALF) Foundation have jointly refuge in neighbouring countries and better life in a new country. name and address may be Around the region launched drives during the holy month in Europe. The journey to a better Weather Weather of Ramadan to promote blood and life, for many, meets a horrifying end, Ramesh G Jethwani withheld by request. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min organ donations. This is in tune with though. (e-mail address supplied) Abu Dhabi Sunny 39/27 Sunny 41/28 Baghdad Sunny 44/26 Sunny 43/26 Dubai Sunny 39/29 Sunny 40/30 Kuwait City Cloudy 46/29 Sunny 46/29 Manama Cloudy 37/30 Sunny 38/28 Muscat Sunny 37/31 Sunny 39/30 Riyadh Sunny 42/26 Sunny 43/27 Live issues Tehran Sunny 33/22 Sunny 35/23 Black coff ee daily ‘can cut liver disease risk’

By Isha Sharma permeability of the intestine,” said IANS Vincenzo Lembo, from the University of Napoli, Italy. In alcohol-induced liver injury, f you are a coff ee lover, here caff eine has been shown to be is another reason to go for an protective against liver fi brosis. extra cup. According to health The benefits associated with Iexperts, two-three cups of black, drinking dark black coffee also caff einated coff ee without sugar and a helps in preventing diabetes and little bit or no milk can reduce the risk of thus lowering the risk of liver liver disease - including liver cancer. disease. People who consume more than “It should be noted that other two cups of coff ee per day with caff einated drinks do not provide pre-existing liver disease have similar protection against liver shown lower incidence of fi brosis disease. The component - polyphenols Around the world and cirrhosis, lower Hepatocellular (CGA) - may be responsible for the Weather Weather carcinoma (HCC) rates - the most positive metabolic eff ects of coff ee,” today Max/min tomorrow Max/min common type of liver cancer - as well Wadhawan informed. Athens Sunny 32/22 Sunny 33/24 as decreased mortality. “Drinking coff ee lessens the risk of Beirut Sunny 31/23 Sunny 27/23 “Coff ee is a rich source of sugar. If sugar is added, it decreases “Coff ee is safe for people with liver developing liver disease but does not Bangkok S T Storms 33/27 I T Storms 33/27 Berlin Showers 18/12 P Cloudy 24/14 antioxidants and the protective the eff ects of caff eine. Also, go for diseases but one has to remember eliminate the possible risk factors. Cairo Sunny 37/27 Sunny 36/21 eff ects of coff ee have been proposed less milk or preferably without milk,” that moderation is the key. It is also So, the risks of development of liver Cape Town Rain 17/11 P Cloudy 16/09 in a variety of conditions ranging Wadhawan suggested. advisable to consult your physician,” disease still are there but severity may Colombo S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 30/26 from heart disease to stroke to Type Various components of coff ee have Garg advised. be less,” Wadhawan noted. Dhaka T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 31/26 T Storms T Storms 32/27 2 diabetes as well as Parkinson’s a favourable eff ect on liver, including A group of Italian researchers have A word of caution, though. Hong Kong 32/28 Istanbul P Cloudy 26/19 Sunny 28/21 disease,” Dr Manav Wadhawan, senior caff eine, coff ee oils kahweol, cafestol found that fi ve-six cups of coff ee daily Children and young people in Jakarta T Storms 32/25 S T Storms 32/25 consultant at Fortis Escorts Liver and and antioxidant substances from can provide protective eff ect against paediatric age group should avoid the Karachi Cloudy 36/29 Cloudy 37/27 Digestive Diseases Institute in New coff ee beans. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease more intake of coff ee as it increases London T Storms 19/10 T Storms 18/11 Delhi, told IANS. “Epidemiological studies strongly (NAFLD). Daily dose of coff ee can the side eff ects of caff eine in the form Manila S T Storms 33/25 S T Storms 33/25 Moscow S T Storms 26/18 T Storms 26/17 The incidence of advanced fi brosis suggest that drinking about three cups check non-alcoholic fatty liver disease of anxiety, restlessness, headache and New Delhi P Cloudy 37/27 P Cloudy 38/26 and cirrhosis is lower among coff ee of coff ee every day will reduce the by reducing permeability of the gut, insomnia. New York P Cloudy 29/19 Showers 25/18 drinkers. risk or severity of liver damage caused the team reported after conducting the “Pp to 400 mg of caff eine daily can Paris T Storms 19/11 S T Storms 19/12 The risk of liver cancer is also by a variety of etiological agents,” research on mice. be considered safe for such age group,” Sao Paulo P Cloudy 22/10 P Cloudy 23/10 Seoul T Storms 26/19 P Cloudy 27/17 lower in coff ee drinkers compared to Dr Ramesh Garg, senior consultant “Previous studies have confi rmed Wadhawan advised. Singapore S T Storms 32/27 T Storms 31/26 non-coff ee consuming population, (gastroenterology), from Saroj Super how coff ee can reverse the damage Sydney M Cloudy 20/08 M Sunny 21/11 Wadhawan added. Specialty Hospital in New Delhi, told of NAFLD but this is the fi rst to zIsha Sharma can be contacted at Tokyo Rain 26/19 Clear 26/19 “Coff ee should be taken without IANS. demonstrate that it can infl uence the [email protected] Gulf Times 28 Wednesday, June 15, 2016 QATAR

HE Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti with other dignitaries and guests at the event. HIA hosts appreciation dinner amad International Air- ternational Airport has achieved opportunity to thank all our port (HIA) has hosted tremendous success since its airport stakeholders for their Han Airport Stakeholders opening and has made the tireless efforts and constant Appreciation Dinner this week country proud as the gateway support. We are proud and to commemorate all airport into Qatar and to the rest of the grateful for all that we have ac- partners and stakeholders who world. I am happy the airport complished together - but this have been part of Qatar’s award- has organised this appreciation is only the beginning. We will winning airport, which com- event to recognise all their part- reach greater heights together.” pleted two years of operations ners who have played an integral HIA’s offi cial theme music, last month. role in the airport’s success.” ‘The Beginning’, was also exclu- HE the Minister of Transport Qatar Airways group chief sively revealed to guests. The and Communications Jassim executive Akbar al-Baker said: music has been composed by Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti attend- “Hamad International Airport is Dana Alfardan, founder and CEO ed the event to present airport a major part of the Qatar Airways of DNA Records, an independent stakeholders and partners with group. In a short period of time, music label based in Doha and appreciation certifi cates on be- the Qatar Airways hub became London. half of HIA. one of the main airports in the The musical piece was per- HIA staff and representa- region and across the world, and formed by Qatar Philharmonic tives from a number of airport a destination by itself. We extend Orchestra in front of the iconic stakeholders were present at the our special thanks to the Minis- Lamp Bear at HIA and beside the event, including representatives try of Transport, all partners and airport runway, and guests at the of the Ministry of Transport and stakeholders for presenting this dinner became the fi rst to view Communications, Qatar Civil good image of Qatar, and we look the new video. Aviation Authority, Qatar Tour- forward to more achievements.” HIA has been acknowledged as ism Authority, Qatar Museums, Badr Mohamed al-Meer, the “Best Airport in the Middle Ministry of Interior, Airport Im- chief operating officer of HIA, East” by the Skytrax World Air- migration, General Authority of said: “It is our honour to work port Awards for 2015 and 2016, Customs, CID, Qatar Airways, alongside partners who have and is also the fi rst in the Middle Qatar Duty Free and Qatar Air- made our growth and success East to enter the world’s top 10 ways Cargo. possible. best airports in the Skytrax World Al-Sulaiti said: “Hamad In- We would like to take this Airport Ranking. Dana Alfardan receiving a memento from Badr Mohamed al-Meer. QIB holds Ramadan ‘Ghabga’ Maersk’s fi lm on Al Shaheen for employees and families receives top honours at World Fest in Houston atar Islamic Bank (QIB) in QIB’s calendar, aims to cel- tainment activities for its em- examples from his personal has held a Ramadan ebrate Ramadan traditions and ployees. I would like to thank experience. QGhabga banquet for its to strengthen relations and un- all employees and their fami- The evening featured a aersk Oil’s animat- employees and their families. derstanding of the true spirit of lies for their active partici- question-and-answer ses- ed fi lm, Overcoming The event, which took place the holy month. pation in the event and their sion, followed by a raffle draw Mthe Challenges of Al in the Ramadan tent at Four Commenting on the occa- valuable contribution towards and prizes for children. Shaheen has won international Seasons Hotel Doha, was at- sion, Gamal said: “We are de- making this event a success.” Senior management of- recognition at this year’s World tended by QIB Group CEO Bas- lighted to have hosted our an- Speaking at the event, ficials welcomed the par- Fest Film in Houston, bagging sel Gamal and the executive nual Ramadan Ghabga, which Sheikh Sulaiman stressed the ticipants and the event gave gold in the corporate communi- management team as well as has become a key annual event importance of respecting Is- the guests the opportunity cations category. the guest of honour, Sheikh Su- in our calendar. QIB organised lamic values that call for am- to network and socialise The fi lm combines real foot- laiman al-Jubailan. this event as part of its efforts ity and love and to elevate while enjoying the Ramadan age with 3D animation, allowing The event, a regular feature to enhance social and enter- humanity, offering real-life atmosphere. viewers to visualise the complex subsurface geology of Qatar’s largest off shore oilfi eld, which is hidden some 2,500-3,250 feet below the seabed.

“We’re proud this fi lm has received international recognition for its ability to tell the compelling story of Al Shaheen and to help non-industry audiences to understand the challenges of fi nding and recovering oil”

The animation also high- lights a number of innovative approaches and technologies that have been used by Maersk Maersk Oil’s animated film Overcoming the Challenges of Al Shaheen Oil and Qatar Petroleum to suc- has won international recognition. cessfully develop the vast fi eld, which spans 2,214sqkm. rector, Maersk Oil Qatar said: Platoon and Wall Street among The fi lm has been well received “We’re proud this fi lm has re- its award-winning alumni. by audiences in Qatar, where it ceived international recognition This year’s event received has been used in technical con- for its ability to tell the compel- more than 4,300 entries from 74 ferences and in universities to ex- ling story of Al Shaheen and to diff erent countries. The fi lm was plain oil extraction from the help non-industry audiences produced by Myriad Global Me- Al Shaheen fi eld, as well as to to understand the challenges of dia, UK, who specialise in creat- encourage students to pursue fi nding and recovering oil.” ing cutting-edge productions rewarding careers in the en- World Fest is one of the oldest for the oil and gas sector. ergy industry. Since its launch and largest fi lm and video com- Overcoming the Challenges on YouTube in 2015, it has been petitions in the world and counts of Al Shaheen can be viewed at: viewed over 10,000 times. George Lucas of Star Wars fame https://www.youtube.com/ Guests at the QIB Ghabga banquet. Lewis Affl eck, managing di- and Oliver Stone, director of watch?v=GUV1OLM3HCc