BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 8 Dutch delight as Verstappen wins Austrian Qatar posts 1.4% GDP growth in Q1 Grand Prix published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10867 July 2, 2018 Shawwal 18, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir meets Volkswagen chief QCB ensures In brief Qatar banks’

QATAR | Offi cial Amir sends greetings to Canada, Somalia cyber safety His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh By Pratap John “Banks in the State of Qatar are re- Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent Chief Business Reporter quired to comply with the require- yesterday cables of congratulations ments of the circular and accordingly, to Governor General of Canada Julie implement a cyber-security framework Payette on her country’s National atar Central Bank has devel- to ensure alignment with the require- Day. The Amir and the Deputy Amir oped a cyber-security strategy ments of the circular. also sent cables of congratulations Qfor the fi nancial sector in the “Banks are also advised to plan for to Somali President Mohamed His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met yesterday at his off ice at the Amiri Diwan with the visiting country through encrypting the data- their business continuity and disaster Abdullahi Farmajo on the anniversary Volkswagen Chairman Dr Hans Dieter Poetsch and Chief Executive Off icer Herbert Diess. The meeting dealt with co-operation bases and updating the servers of the recovery,” QCB said in its comprehen- of his country’s Independence Day. relations and prospects of developing them. national payment gateway and associ- sive review of Qatar’s fi nancial system Meanwhile, HE the Prime Minister ated security standards. in 2017. and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah Cyber-attacks threaten fi nancial The data back up plans and other bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani sent stability by disrupting the vital func- contingency measures taken by the similar cables of congratulations tions that the fi nancial sector performs banks are continuously monitored by to Canadian Prime Minister Justin for the economy, QCB has said in its QCB. An annual assessment for com- Trudeau and Somali Prime Minister latest 9th Financial Stability Review. pliance to the requirements of this cir- Hassan Ali Khayre. Russia, Croatia advance “As with fi nancial risk, cyber risk cular is being done by QCB. gets amplifi ed due to the inter-con- According to the review, the per- QATAR | Market nectedness of the global fi nancial sys- formance of Qatar’s economy dur- tem,” QCB said. ing 2017 has been characterised by Gold Souq opened QCB has also issued a comprehen- its stable and robust nature. The in Souq Najada with shootout victories sive cyber-security circular to pro- economy quickly rebounded from the The Private Engineering Off ice (PEO) vide guidance to bank users, employ- unjust economic blockade through opened yesterday the Gold Souq in ees, contractors and other authorised relocation and realignment of eco- Souq Najada, which brings together Agencies ensure Croatia won 3-2 and advanced users in Qatar, of their obligatory nomic activities, enabled by prudent 50 jewellery shops under one roof. Moscow to their fi rst quarter-fi nals since the requirements for protecting the tech- economic policies and a sound finan- Following the opening, Managing 1998 World Cup in France. nology and information assets of the cial system. Director of the Private Engineering The dramatic ending followed early bank. The cyber-security guideline, Through the annual publication of Off ice Nasser Rashid al-Nuaimi oalkeeper Danijel Subasic was excitement – but little in between. it said provides measures of how the Financial Stability Review (FSR), Qatar toured the new Souq. Director of the hero as Croatia squeezed In an astonishing start to the match, information assets can be protected Central Bank provides an annual as- Souq Waqif Mohamed al-Salem said Ginto the World Cup quarter- both teams scored within four minutes by implementing controls on these sessment of fi nancial sector’s risks and an off ice for issuing certificates for fi nals with a penalty shoot-out victory via their fi rst attacks. assets. vulnerabilities for the public. the sale of gold will open soon within over Denmark here yesterday. First, Mathias Jorgensen turned the Souq. Page 20 Croatia will now meet Russia in the home in the second minute after quarter-fi nals after the hosts knocked Croatia failed to clear a long throw-in REGION | Confl ict out Spain, 4-3, also on penalties. from Jonas Knudsen, the defender’s On a night of late, late drama Ivan shot creeping under Subasic to give Amir appoints ambassador to UAE halts off ensive Rakitic stroked home the decisive spot- Denmark the perfect start. in Yemen’s Hodeidah kick to ensure the Croats advanced to But any hopes they could hold onto The United Arab Emirates yesterday their lead vanished within 90 seconds. Croatia and representative announced it had halted the off ensive A Sime Vrsaljko cross was ham- it is backing against Houthi rebels in WORLD CUP Russia’s goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev mered by Henrik Dalsgaard into fellow to the League of Arab States Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah to give reacts after saving a shot. Dane Andreas Christensen and the ball a chance to UN diplomatic eff orts. In a fell obligingly in the penalty area to series of tweets, UAE Foreign Minister Yesterday’s results the last eight after the two sides fi nished Mario Mandzukic who scored. is Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- Anwar Gargash said the pause was Croatia 1 Denmark 1 locked at 1-1 following extra-time. The explosive start – both sides hit the mad al-Thani issued yesterday Amiri Decision aimed at pursuing negotiations for an Croatia win 3-2 on penalties The Barcelona midfi elder’s win- back of the net within three minutes and HNo 50 of 2018 appointing Nasser bin Hamad unconditional rebel withdrawal from Russia 1 Spain 1 ner came after Milan Badelj and Josip thirty seven seconds – was offi cially the bin Mubarak al-Khalifa as ambassador Extraordinary the port but warned that full military Russia win 4-3 on penalties Pivaric saw their penalties saved by quickest two teams have ever scored in a and Plenipotentiary to Republic of Croatia. action could resume. The weeks-long Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, World Cup fi nals match. The Amir also issued Amiri Decision No 51 of 2018 off ensive on Hodeidah - Yemen’s Today’s matches who also saved an extra time penalty Earlier, Russia captain Igor Akin- appointing Ibrahim Abdulaziz Mohamed al-Sahlawi main port - has raised fears of further from Luka Modric. feev saved two penalties in a dramat- as Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to suff ering and deprivation in a country Mexico vs Brazil, 5pm But Danes Christian Eriksen, Lasse ic shootout as the World Cup hosts the League of Arab States. already deeply shaken by years of war. Belgium vs Japan, 9pm Schone and Nicolai Jorgensen were dumped title contenders Spain follow- Nasser bin Hamad bin The decisions are eff ective from the date of issue Page 5 thwarted by Subasic in the shootout to ing a 1-1 tie. Sport Pages 1-4 Mubarak al-Khalifa and are to be published in the offi cial gazette. Marriott stops showing pirated World Cup matches in Saudi hotels

By Anthony Harwood number of pilgrims expressed surprise The Riyadh authorities stopped the London Correspondent at the broadcast of pirate channels sale of beIN boxes and banned view- “that are keen on robbing and insulting ers form renewing their subscrip- a Muslim Arab country at a time when tions. n international hotel chain has they paid high sums to book at this lux- So that its sports fans would not lose clamped down on pirate broad- ury hotel”. out they launched a piracy operation Acasts of the World Cup across A Marriott Hotel manager told one the following August, using the Arab- Saudi Arabia after they were discovered of the pilgrims who complained: “We sat station in which Saudi Arabia is the being shown to pilgrims in the holy city thank you for bringing this to our at- largest shareholder. of Makkah. tention and reassure you that we take They managed to steal the beIN feed, Marriott International Hotels says such matters very seriously. superimposing a ‘beoutQ’ logo on top it acted swiftly to shut down the illegal “We have investigated the issue and of the beIN one. transmissions of the rogue pirate chan- can confi rm this has been discontinued Even though beIN was being pirated nel, called beoutQ, as soon as they were with immediate eff ect.” by Saudi Arabia on an industrial scale, discovered. Two weeks ago FIFA launched its the Doha-based channel agreed to The American-based chain then own clampdown, threatening to take broadcast 22 matches across the Mena launched an investigation and dis- legal action against the Saudi Arabia- region for free, so that millions without covered beoutQ was also showing the based station, Arabsat, after it ignored the illegal broadcasts would not miss football at its other hotels in the coun- warnings to stop broadcasting the out. try, and is stopping those broadcasts as tournament’s every game. But this did not stop piracy operation well. Football’s governing body inter- continuing. There are nine Marriott Hotels in vened after complaints by the Qatari- It later emerged that beoutQ was also Saudi Arabia, located in Riyadh, Madi- based channel, beIN Sports, which stealing from the US-based NBC Uni- nah, Jeddah and Makkah. has bought exclusive rights to show versal Telemundo’s World Cup feed to Matches that were shown at the ho- the World Cup across the Mena re- America’s Spanish-speaking viewers. tel in Makkah included group games gion. And Europe’s governing body, UEFA, between Nigeria and Iceland, and Ar- Saudi Arabia stopped trading with also entered the fray calling the Saudi gentina and Croatia. Qatar last June when it launched a dip- piracy a ‘signifi cant threat to European According to Khaleej Online, a lomatic and transport boycott. football’. To Page 20 Gulf Times 2 Monday, July 2, 2018 QATAR 5G helps users download HD fi les in a few seconds

atar has become the fi rst sion, making it a better choice ing over 100 times bigger capac- commercial network in coopera- company in the world that owns Boctor told QNA that the com- tion and digital services in Qa- country in the world to overall. ity, which means more people or tion with Qatar Airways through the hardware and equipment pany took part in Qatar’s spec- tar. Through continuous invest- Qroll out a 5G network Ooredoo formally announced devices can connect to a specifi c Ooredoo Supernet network. necessary to provide this service tacular development progress ments in the structure, Vodafone on the 3.5GHz spectrum band, in mid-May the launch of the 5G network without compromising Al-Sayed pointed out that the to corporate customers. to become a knowledge-based Qatar has been able to build a confi rming its leading position services in Qatar. the performance of other users. company had launched the 5G Al-Sayed said Ooredoo was economy supported by a sophis- world-class network,” he said. in the world of communications The introduction of 5G services Speaking to Qatar News Agen- services for a limited number of the fi rst company in the world ticated digital infrastructure, Boctor said the fi fth generation and technology. will signifi cantly increase Inter- cy (QNA) Chief Executive Offi cer companies during Qatar Nation- to launch a fi fth-generation net- explaining that the company has technology was an essential step Due to Qatar’s capabilities and net speed in the country off ering of Ooredoo Qatar, Waleed al- al Day in December 2017, con- work through the 3.5 GHz Spec- helped in supporting economic in the digital development proc- infrastructure in the world of speeds up to 10 gigabytes per sec- Sayed said the company has been sidering this as a very important trum, noting that the company sectors that play a pivotal role in ess that both the company and the communications it was able to ond (gbps) compared to the cur- keen to be proactive in adopting achievement due to its positive continued to expand its fi fth pushing Qatar to the ranks of the country were witnessing, revealing be the fi rst in this fi eld, a posi- rent available speed of up to 256 and developing the latest tech- importance to the digital com- generation network throughout world’s most developed coun- that Vodafone will start providing tion which was sought by many megabytes per second (mbps). nologies and provide it in vari- munity in Qatar in the future. Qatar less than 3 weeks after the tries in terms of technology and this service at the end of the year countries around the world. This With the 5G service, users can ous regions of Qatar. This will The CEO said Ooredoo con- announcement. communication. and it will be operational as soon confi rms Qatar’s readiness to use download HD movies in just a enable the use of new concepts tinued to experiment 5G devices The Ooredoo Qatar CEO said The Vodafone Qatar CTO as the devices that supports it are applications related to technolo- few seconds. in technology because of the un- and software in diff erent areas the company’s 5G speed has stressed that the company is available in the Qatari market. gy and benefi t from it in all areas. Slow Internet speed does not precedented high speed of data and at diff erent speeds in Qatar reached 2.51 GHz/sec, with a high working to utilise its global com- He said the fi fth generation 5G is a wireless communica- occur due to the lack of Internet transfer, such as the Internet until last February. During Mo- rate of capacity and very low delay. munication experience in de- technology will enable com- tions technology that develops or low signal, but because of the of Things that will enable eve- bile World Congress in Barcelo- The second service provider veloping new innovations that panies and individuals to enjoy faster communication than 4G large amount of information and rything like the appliances and na in Spain, Ooredoo announced in Qatar is not far from the fi fth contribute to making a better super-high speeds, faster trans- technology. Multiple antennas data being sent at the same time tools to connect to the Internet. that it had reached advanced generation technologies. In this life, noting that the company mission time for data and an through this technology allow by many users. However, the new He explained that Ooredoo stages of providing fi fth genera- context, Vodafone Qatar Chief is concentrating on providing increase in the reliability of net- better and faster data transmis- 5G will solve this problem off er- has begun conducting the 5G tion services, to become the fi rst Technology Offi cer (CTO) Ramy world-class telecommunica- work performance.

Amir issues Trimoo and Ooredoo sign instruments of ratifi cation

is Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani issued yes- fi ve-year sponsorship deal Hterday an instrument of ratifi ca- tion approving draft air service agreement Ooredoo’s Supernet to al-Thani, the country has witnessed between Qatar and Dominican Republic, connect country’s one-of-a- a rapid proliferation of its economy. signed in the Sri Lanka capital Colombo on kind entertainment parks “This unparalleled growth has December 6, 2017. opened up opportunities to diver- His Highness the Amir issued also an in- sify and invest in other industries strument of ratifi cation approving memo- rimoo, the world’s ground- such as tourism, thus shaping Qa- randum of understanding (MoU) in the fi eld breaking location-based en- tar into one of the most sought- of law between the Ministry of Justice of Ttertainment company repre- after destinations in the region,” he Qatar and the Ministry of Justice and Hu- sented by Talal bin Mohamed Trading noted. man Rights of Argentina, signed in Buenos (TBMT) in Qatar, has offi cially an- “At TBMT, we continuously Aires on July 28, 2016. nounced Ooredoo as the exclusive strive to work in line with the na- His Highness the Amir issued also an in- telecommunications partner for its tional aspirations of Qatar and strument of ratifi cation approving MoU on cluster of high-thrill entertainment contribute towards its expansion. conducting political consultations between parks, set to launch at Doha Festival Hence, when Trimoo approached the Ministry Foreign Aff airs of Qatar and City. us with their pioneering concepts, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and Worship The country’s largest family desti- we immediately got on board,” al- of Argentina, signed in Buenos Aires on July nation is comprised of four pioneer- Attiyah explained. 28, 2016. ing concepts: Angry Birds World, Trimoo CEO Riad Makdessi said His Highness the Amir issued also an Snow Dunes, Virtuocity, and Juni- they are working meticulously on the instrument of ratifi cation approving draft verse, which together span more than development of each park, from its agreement on the promotion and protec- 45,000sq m. range of attractions to personalised tion of mutual investments between the The fi ve-year sponsorship agree- visitor interactions. government of Qatar and the government ment was signed between TBMT “This is to ensure that we deliver of the Republic of Benin, signed in Doha on chairman Talal bin Mohammed bin the highest standards of family en- May 7, 2018. Khalifa al-Attiyah and Ooredoo Qa- tertainment in the country. We are tar CEO Waleed al-Sayed at a special driven by the motto of boundless ex- ceremony held recently at the Oore- TBMT chairman Talal bin Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Attiyah and Ooredoo Qatar CEO Waleed al-Sayed led the perience,” Makdessi stressed. Advisory Council doo Tower in West Bay. agreement signing. “By securing Ooredoo as the ex- With Ooredoo’s strategic partner- clusive telecom provider, we are re- delegation attends ship in place, Trimoo aims to drive its transfer and usage network, sup- support such an important step for mega project will have,” he noted. affi rming our commitment towards motto of boundless experience even porting each park’s cutting-edge Qatar. With our state-of-the-art “Ooredoo is working hard to reach enriching lives and creating lasting Arab Parliament further. technology and attractions through infrastructure and network, and Tri- its goal of becoming the number one impressions. This esteemed part- Visitors will enjoy high-end and its world-class Supernet. moo’s innovative parks, we are going ICT provider in the region and part- nership will help us build upon our A delegation of the Advisory Council fast Internet connectivity with no Furthermore, a dedicated Oore- to create a truly amazing experience nerships like today help demonstrate shared goals of innovation and limit- (Shura) will take part in the second latency across Qatar’s largest indoor doo space will be located within the for the people of Qatar,” al-Sayed that we are the best choice for Qatar’s less imagination,” Makdessi added. legislative session of the Arab Parliament and outdoor entertainment destina- destination, allowing visitors full ac- said. communication needs,” al-Sayed The four entertainment parks will scheduled to start in Cairo today. tion, providing an unparalleled guest cess to the network’s comprehensive “Ooredoo has a long history of added. feature an array of thrilling rides and The three-day meeting will discuss experience. range of products and customer-care supporting family-friendly destina- Al-Attiyah said that under the ex- attractions, edutainment activities, developments of the current Arab The country’s national telecom services. tions in our country, and we can’t emplary leadership of His Highness food and beverage options and retail situation and the continuation of the provider will also cement the data “Ooredoo is proud to sponsor and wait to see the impact this upcoming the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad stores. Arab Parliament’s eff orts in supporting the pivotal and strategic Arab issues, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue, the developments of the situation in Yemen and lifting the name of Sudan from the list of states sponsoring Health programme for terrorism. NHRC chief praises EU ties The four permanent committees of the Arab Parliament will discuss the latest adolescents launched political developments in the Arab world, ational Human Rights up the ongoing exchange be- pean Union was established,” achievement of food security, attracting Committee (NHRC) tween the EU and the NHRC. Dr al-Marri said. Arab capital to the Arab world, the report Nchairman HE Dr Ali bin Mogherini met with HE the He added, “We at the NHRC he Ministry of Education and Higher Educa- on human rights situation in the Arab Smaikh al-Marri has praised Deputy Prime Minister of For- appreciate the EU’s commitment tion, in collaboration with the Primary Health world in 2017, protection of the rights of the European Union’s con- eign Aff airs Sheikh Mohammed to follow up the continuous ex- TCare Corporation (PHCC), will apply the adoles- refugees and displaced Arab women and tinued cooperation with the bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in change with the NHRC, in a way cent health-friendly programme in a number of public children and the preservation of Arab NHRC, as well as the existing the Belgian capital Brussels re- that strengthens the culture of schools for boys and girls at the beginning of the aca- monuments. co-operation with the Europe- cently, where a statement issued human rights in Qatar, the re- demic year 2018/2019. The specific committees of the Arab an Parliament, which resulted by Mogherini’s offi ce confi rmed gion, and the world at large. We In this regard, a training workshop was held with the Parliament will hold their meetings, in the signing of a joint agree- that the two sides discussed the reaffi rm our readiness and full participation of a group of experts and consultants on in which the Palestine committee ment to exchange expertise and positive relations between the involvement in any endeavour to adolescent health, in the presence of school principals will discuss the plan of action of the consultations. He also com- EU and Qatar, and steps to be In the this file photo, NHRC protect human rights in the Gulf and administrators. Arab Parliament after United States mended the positive attitude taken to implement the bilateral chairman HE Dr Ali bin Smaikh region and the whole world.” The workshop included an overview of the adoles- transferred its embassy to Jerusalem and of the EU and the Parliament cooperation agreement signed al-Marri speaking at a press Dr al-Marri also stressed cent health project and the role of school principals and ways to strengthen the resources of the towards the siege imposed on on March 7, on the occasion of conference. the NHRC readiness to further psychologists. The adolescent health programme is one Al Aqsa and Jerusalem funds. Qatar. the visit of His Highness the bilateral cooperation with EU of the priorities of the PHCC’s national strategy, in or- The Committee on the Preparation of He said that Federica Mogh- Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad keenness on human rights is- human rights institutions and der to create health programmes to enhance the ability an Arab Draft Law on Higher Education erini, high representative of al-Thani to Brussels. sues and her support for estab- the European Parliament to of the adolescents and their families to adapt to health and Scientific Research, the Committee the European Union for For- NHRC chief said that the lishment of a human rights dia- exchange expertise and con- and psychological changes and challenges that may be of Arab Least Developed Countries, the eign Aff airs and Security Pol- statements of Mogherini re- logue with Qatar, which refl ects sultations in the fi eld of human associate this period or in the future. Human Rights Committee for the Arab icy, had stressed the impor- fl ected the positive position of the importance that EU coun- rights protection, noting that The programme aims to provide high quality, acces- World, the Committee for the Review of tance of initiating an informal the EU and the European Par- tries and institutions attach to the long-standing and strong sible and appropriate health services for adolescents the Arab Convention for the Suppression dialogue in the fi eld of human liament on the siege imposed the protection of human rights bilateral relations between the on basis of their needs and in cooperation with other of Terrorism and the Committee for rights, as a way to promote bi- on Qatar. as one of the most important commission and the European relevant stakeholders such as the family, community, the Support of Least Developed Arab lateral cooperation and follow “We appreciate Mogherini’s principles for which the Euro- Parliament. (QNA) schools, government and private institutions. (QNA) Countries will also meet. (QNA) QU research labs awarded ISO accreditation

atar University’s (QU) strates that the labs comply with the run by internationally recognised also adhere to the highest levels service. LARC implements qual- research laboratories at accreditation requirements spelled organisations such as A2LA. of international best practice.” ity standards in all its activities Qthe Biomedical Research out in ISO/IEC 17025. Prof Mariam al-Maadeed, QU BRC director and QU College and in providing rodent animal Centre (BRC) and Laboratory As one of the essential re- vice-president, Research and of Health Sciences dean Prof models to support biomedical Animal Research Centre (LARC) quirements of accreditation, QU Graduate Studies, said: “This Asma al-Thani said, “Quality is a and health research.” have been awarded ISO/IEC research labs are participating achievement underlines the journey, not a destination. Qual- QU research laboratories at 17025 accreditation from the successfully in the profi ciency competence of quality manage- ity must be promoted consist- Environmental Science Centre, American Association for Labo- testing programmes with the ment systems, the personnel ently in BRC’s activities to elimi- Centre for Advanced Materials, ratory Accreditation (A2LA). American Society for Testing involved and equipment used at nate variation in practice. This Central Laboratory Unit and the ISO/IEC 17025 is the single-most Materials (US), the Laboratory of QU’s research laboratories. QU’s will result in producing reliable Gas Processing Centre have been important standard for calibration the Government Chemist (UK) research centres have state-of- and high-quality research to en- awarded renewal of their ISO/IEC and testing laboratories around and the Environmental Resourc- the-art equipment and infra- rich the health services in Qatar.” 17025:2005 accreditation status the world and is used in developing es Associates Waters (Greece). structure that can support the LARC director Dr Hamda al- from A2LA in 2018, reaffi rming the management system capable To enhance the technical com- research activities of the faculty Naemi said, “Highest standards their status as world-class fa- of producing accurate and reliable petence of its employees, QU has members, student learning, and of quality are the key of success cilities complying to international results. This accreditation demon- a series of training programmes services to the industry. They and sustained delivery of best standards and best practice. QU off icials mark the occasion. Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 3 QATAR

‘Glucophage Over 250 patients treated 500mg’ imported from Europe safe, at Neuroangiography Suite says ministry The Ministry of Public existing quantities in Qatar amad Medical Corpora- new suite is the advanced capa- Health confirmed the and destroyed them under tion (HMC) has said its bility of bi-plane angiography safety of “Glucophage the supervision of the HNeuroangiography Suite and CT like imaging. Dr Ahmed 500mg”, produced by Ministry of Public Health. has off ered improved treat- Own, chairman of Neuroradiol- Merck, which has branches The department of ment outcomes for hundreds of ogy at HMC, explained that this in several countries, pharmacy stressed its patients with serious vascular imaging technique allows neu- including Germany, France keenness on the health disorders in the brain and spinal ro-interventional teams to view and Britain, from which the and safety of citizens and cord since its offi cial opening the inside of blood vessels and drug is imported to Qatar. residents, and that it takes in April 2016 by HE the Minis- organs in greater detail. The ministry said in a all preventive measures to ter of Public Health Dr Hanan “This advanced imaging gives statement yesterday that prevent the selling of any Mohamed al-Kuwari. them the very best view of the the drug is safe and there pharmaceutical product The new facility has boosted arteries and veins and allows are no warnings about that does not meet the HMC’s ability to deliver mini- them to see their precise loca- it from any international international standards. mally invasive treatment of vas- tion and determine the strategy organisation. It also stressed that it cular problems in the brain and for treatment while they per- The pharmacy and drug is in constant contact spine, known as Interventional form the procedure,” explained control department at with the World Health Neuroradiology (INR). These Dr Own. the ministry said that Organisation (WHO) procedures are provided by the Five children below two years with regard to what was and other health bodies Neuroradiology Department and of age have been treated with life- circulated through social regarding medicines and have resulted in a marked im- saving procedures in the Neuroan- media on ‘Metaphage pharmaceuticals. provement in the quality of care The Neuroangiography Suite provides physicians with advanced imaging. giography Suite. These infants 500mg’ tablets, a circular It called on users and outcomes for both paediatric suff ered from a condition known was issued by the Central of social media and adult patients since 2015. said Dr Ayman Zakaria, sen- developmental vascular dis- artery of the groin up to the brain as Vein of Galen Malformation, a Gulf Committee for Drug to investigate the “More than 250 patients have ior consultant, Interventional orders in the brain, have been and physically remove the clot that rare condition that occurs during Registration to withdraw accuracy of the source received treatment, including Neuroradiology, Hamad General among those to benefi t from blocks the arteries to the brain. Be- pregnancy and results in abnor- the drug from the Gulf of information before many life-saving procedures Hospital. the cutting-edge technology fore the introduction of this tech- mal connections between blood markets for not passing the publication, and refer to since operations fi rst began in “The treatment options for in this new facility,” explained nique, the only treatment option vessels within the brain. bioequivalence study. the competent off icial the Neuroangiography Suite. these patients have improved Dr Zakaria. available for acute stroke patients The number of cases treated On May 6, the department sources at the Ministry These include minimally inva- enormously due to the technol- “For patients with acute stroke, was to inject a clot-busting drug. in the Neuroangiography Suite of pharmacy issued a of Public Health before sive endovascular treatments for ogy available in the new suite. we are now able to perform a pro- This option is far less eff ective than has risen each year due to the in- circular to alert the local publishing anything brain and spine vascular disor- Patients with tumours, vascular cedure known as mechanical the mechanical thrombectomy creased number of patients with agent to stop selling the without evidence or ders and procedures to remove malformations, cerebral aneu- thrombectomy, where we intro- procedure,” explained Dr Zakaria. stroke and vascular conditions of drug and withdraw the scientific basis. (QNA) blood clots from brain arteries,” rysms as well as children with duce a thin catheter through the One of the key benefi ts of the the brain and spine in Qatar.

Ministry recalls Dodge, Jeep and Farewell for envoy Chrysler vehicles QR430,000 won by Commercial The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has an- nounced the recall of a number of Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler vehicles over a defect in the Bank savers in two months cruise control system. The recall has been announced in collaboration with United Cars ommercial Bank custom- Almana, dealer of Jeep, Dodge ers have won QR430,000 in and Chrysler vehicles in Qatar. Cthe latest Save & Win Cam- The MEC will co-ordinate with paign draw that rewards savers United Cars Almana to recall with 365 cash prizes throughout 2,518 vehicles over a defect in the year, including a QR1mn grand the cruise control system that prize for one lucky customer. could threaten the safety of road Another 62 winners were an- users and drivers of these cars nounced for two months of the across Qatar. campaign, with the April and Further, the ministry has said May draws bringing the total it will follow up on the main- number of cash prize winners to tenance and repair works and 273 from a total of 365. Selected communicate with customers by electronic draw, 10 customers to ensure that the necessary won QR10,000 each, 20 custom- repairs are carried out. Qatari entrepreneur Farhan al-Sayed has hosted a ers won QR5,000 each, and 24 The recall campaign includes farewell party for outgoing Brunei ambassador Nordin customers won QR2,500 each. the following models: 39 Jeep Ahmed. Pictured are Nepal’s ambassador Ramesh Prasad The month of May also marked Wranglers (2018); 23 Jeep Chero- Koirala, Cuban ambassador Emilio Caballero Rodriguez, the Save & Win Campaign’s third The latest winners of the Save & Win Campaign draw gather at Commercial Bank’s headquarters. kees (2014-2017); 1,458 Jeep Hungarian ambassador Fodor Barnabos, Ahmed, Serbian quarterly draw, where two cus- Grand Cherokees (2014-2018); ambassador Jasminko Pozderac and al-Sayed. tomers won QR50,000, including cash prize of QR1mn to be award- ally before spending money, and tomers can earn double coupons 104 Chrysler C300s (2014-2016); Qatari actor Ghazi Hussain and ed this September. Keep on sav- to invest in the right place.” for every QR1,000 average balance 487 Dodge Charger and Chal- another two won QR30,000 each. ing with Commercial Bank and All Commercial Bank custom- incremental versus the previous lengers (2014-2018); 407 Dodge Commercial Bank EGM, Con- you could be our fi rst Save & Win ers with a minimum average bal- month, thus improving their chanc- Durangos (2014-2017). sumer Banking Amit Sah said: millionaire.” ance of QR10,000 each month in es to win. If the minimum average The ministry has informed “Commercial Bank’s Save & Win Hussain stated that “life their basic current or saving ac- balance of QR10,000 is maintained vehicle owners of the recall Workshop mulls Campaign is an innovative ini- teaches us all kinds of lessons count are automatically entered for three consecutive months, the campaign through various com- tiative that encourages our cus- and we never know what is com- into the monthly draw. customer qualifi es for the grand munication platforms. It also tomers to save combined with ing next.” His advice to everyone, The more customers save, the prize draw of QR1mn. called on them to stop using the methods to prevent the chance to win cash prizes. especially the younger genera- greater their chance to win one of All winners are notifi ed fol- cruise control system to avoid “We still have 92 prizes to tion, was “to learn how to bal- 365 cash prizes, as each QR1,000 lowing the draw, and customers any risks, and to contact the be given away in the next three ance between being objective qualifi es for an entry coupon into an are not restricted to the number local agent to take the necessary desertifi cation months, including the grand and subjective, to think ration- electronic draw. In addition, cus- of prizes they can win. measures to urgently rectify the situation. three-day work- and wildlife department at The ministry has urged all shop on preparing the ministry, said the devel- customers to report any viola- Aa national strategy opment of a national pro- tions through the call centre: to combat desertifi cation gramme to combat deserti- 16001, e-mail: [email protected], in Qatar, organised by the fi cation in Qatar is ongoing Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: Ministry of Municipality and is based on sustainable Mazda launches cashback off er MEC_Qatar and the mobile app and Environment in co-op- development and capaci- for Android and iOS: MEC_Qatar eration with United Nations ties in diff erent fi elds. “This Convention to Combat De- includes taking measures to azda’s cashback cam- breathing life into the car, has sertifi cation (UNCCD) got protect the land that has not paign, off ered by Na- been redefi ned by strengthening Apple MacBook underway yesterday. yet been degraded or par- Mtional Car Company the low, wide expression of the The workshop will touch tially exposed to it, setting (NCC), the sole agent for Mazda evolved Mazda identity. Inspired and MacBook Pro on the modern standards to plans to combat drought at in Qatar, has been announced. by traditional Japanese crafts, models recalled set the national strategy to the local, regional and inter- The initiative comes as a “cool Mazda has pursued minimalist combat desertifi cation, as national levels and develop- breeze in the scorching summer aesthetics – the “Less is More” The Ministry of Economy and well as training to develop ing sustainable irrigation heat for enthusiastic car buyers concept free of all non-essential Commerce (MEC), in collaboration and prepare the seventh programmes for feed and who are always looking for pre- elements. The result is a bold with Ali Bin Ali, dealer of Apple in national report of Qatar to livestock using non-con- mium quality and best value”, and premium-looking exterior, Qatar, has announced the recall combat desertifi cation. The ventional water.” according to a press statement. and an interior that gives all oc- of a number of Apple MacBook workshop will also touch on UNCCD associate pro- Mazda’s summer campaign cupants a pleasant feeling. and MacBook Pro models of formulating the measures gramme offi cer Sabine Sakr gives customer the chance to The all-new CX-5 adopts G- 2015, 2016 and 2017 due to and procedures to reduce the said this is the fi rst work- get a cashback on each and eve- Vectoring Control, the fi rst of the malfunction of character potential risk of land deg- shop organised by the min- ry model, which will be passed the SKYACTIV-VEHICLE DY- functions in the keyboard. radation, soil erosion and istry to discuss the means of on as discount and vary from NAMICS technologies. Driving The following MacBook have been drought in addition to open- combating desertifi cation in QR1,000-10,000 based on the performance focuses on human The all-new Mazda CX-5. recalled: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, ing the way for sustainable Qatar and fi nding solutions selected model. In addition, val- sensibilities, realising dynamic Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports), MacBook land management practices for a more sustainable with ue-added benefi ts such as free behaviour that corresponds with fi c Sign Recognition, Active rything in the cockpit dedicated Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt and options. less desertifi cation. extended warranty, roadside as- driver expectations and a com- Driving Display and Smart City to helping you celebrate driving 3 Ports), MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Ahmed Mohammed al- “Desertifi cation and land sistance and registration etc are fortable ride in a quieter cabin Brake Support. through a direct feeling of being Early 2015), MacBook Pro (15- Sada, assistant undersecre- degradation is a real threat also off ered. with minimal torso-sway for all The brand-New Mazda CX-9 at one with the vehicle. inch, 2016), MacBook Pro (13-inch, tary for environment aff airs around the world and espe- Sathish Nair, marketing and vehicles occupants. is the “ultimate blend of stun- A unique sedan with an emo- 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports), at the ministry, said Qatar cially in the Arab world,” she sales manager at NCC, said: The CX-5 comes with a SKY- ning sophistication and family tional design, precise control, MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early is party to the convention said, adding that the num- “Mazda’s super cashback off er ACTIV-G 2.5 direct-injection SUV”. It’s the fi rst Mazda to fea- and premium appeal, the Mazda6 2016), MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017), since 1999 and is commit- bers show the degradation is focusing on customers’ de- gasoline engine paired with the ture the breakthrough SKYAC- comes with an attractive body MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four ted to allocate adequate re- of nearly 70% of the agricul- sire to own a premium-quality six-speed SKYACTIV-DRIVE TIV-G 2.5T petrol engine. Deliv- that sits atop a sharp-handling Thunderbolt 3 Ports) and MacBook sources to combat deserti- tural land in the Arab region. sedan or SUV at the most com- automatic-manual transmis- ering class-leading performance chassis and wraps around a lux- (Retina, 12-inch, 2017). fi cation and to mitigate the Degradation and deserti- petitive prices and assured long- sion. These powertrains pro- with real-world effi ciency, the ury-grade interior. The 6’s Entry, The MEC will co-ordinate with eff ects of drought according fi cation are linked to prob- term value, including a ‘peace of vide powerful acceleration, turbocharged engine off ers driv- Core and High-grade trims share the dealer to follow up on the to its circumstances and ca- lems such as drought, sand mind’ warranty package. Mazda delivering a power output of ing excitement never before felt the same 184-hp 2.5-litre four- maintenance and repair works pacities. “Qatar is also com- and dust storms, climate is perceived by customers as an 187hp@5,700 rpm and torque of in a seven-seat SUV. cylinder engine. For the entry and communicate with customers mitted to develop strategies change facing the region. aff ordable premium brand with a 250Nm@5000 rpm (AWD). The innovative Dynamic and core grade, 154-hp 2.0-li- to ensure that the necessary and priorities within the Sakr presented the mes- unique design, innovative tech- Along with a plethora of Pressure Turbo adjusts boost tre four-cylinder engine is an repairs are carried out. framework of sustainable sage of UNCCD’s executive nologies, Japanese quality and standard features, Mazda SUVs pressure and airfl ow accord- available option. Automatic six- The ministry has urged all development policies in this secretary Monique Barbut workmanship.” and sedans off er additional ing to engine speed to overcome speed transmission and the lat- customers to report any context,” al-Sada said. on June 17, World Day to Highlighting the features of proactive safety and i-ACTIV- traditional problems such as est active safety features such as violations to its Consumer Omar Salem al-Nuaimi, Combat Desertifi cation and the all-new Mazda CX-5, the SENSE driver-aid technologies turbo lag. adaptive cruise control and au- Protection and Anti-Commercial director of environmental Drought, themed “Land has statement explains that the that include Mazda Radar Cruise The Mazda6 is a driver’s car. A tomated emergency braking are Fraud Department. protection, nature reserves true value invest in it”. Kodo – Soul Motion design, Control, Lane Keep Assist, Traf- personal sports sedan with eve- available in high grade versions. Gulf Times 4 Monday, July 2, 2018 QATAR Date season WCM-Q’s Your Health First campaign wins sustainability award

n international environmen- tal organisation has presented AWeill Cornell Medicine – Qa- tar’s (WCM-Q) Sahtak Awalan (Your Health First) campaign with a prestig- ious award for sustainability. The Energy Globe Foundation, which is based in Austria, announced that Sahtak Awalan is the 2018 winner of the Energy Globe Award for Qatar. The prize honours projects across the globe that raise awareness about the sustainable use of resources and A young boy holding a small bunch of dates from a tree near Al Wakrah. Summer is the time when date palms yield which make a real diff erence to the fu- their fruits. A lot of eff ort and expertise is required to grow this indigenous fruit, which growers have inherited from ture of our planet. their ancestors. Dates are found to be rich in several vitamins, minerals and fibre and some health specialists say Nesreen al-Rifai, chief communica- eating dates at prescribed quantities can lead to a balanced and healthy diet. PICTURE: Jayan Orma tions offi cer at WCM-Q, said it was a great honour to have been selected and testament to the valuable work that Sa- htak Awalan is doing in the community. “Sahtak Awalan is helping change the health and sustainability land- scape in Qatar through a multitude of Doha Bank expands its services for projects that are improving people’s lives but also mitigating the environ- Crops are grown in large-scale greenhouses to improve sustainability and Qatar’s a ‘seamless shopping experience’ mental impact that we have on the food security. world around us,” al-Rifai said. Khayr Qatarna brand at local super- “We have a duty to our children to markets with all proceeds being rein- oha Bank has announced the tem of the shopping platform to allow of benefi ts to its vendors and B2B cus- create sustainable lifestyles that will vested in the scheme so that it can be launch of new Doha Sooq’s customers to track their orders more tomers, such as access to a global mar- protect both their health and the envi- expanded to include more schools. DArabic website to extend the effi ciently and with ease on both Eng- ketplace, reduced operating costs and ronment and Sahtak Awalan is helping The mission and vision is to support e-commerce portal’s services to its lish and Arabic portals with the “fi rst- extended trading hours all year round. to do this.” Qatar’s drive for food security, but also Arabic-speaking customers. of-its-kind integration of a cutting- “We are extremely proud to launch Initiatives launched by Sahtak Awa- to improve sustainability by reducing This is in addition to the recent re- edge driver application”. Doha Sooq Arabic website to pro- lan include The Colour Run, Yalla Natu- food miles. launch of the new Doha Sooq English Further, the integration will enable vide our Arabic-speaking customers ral and Project: Greenhouse, which has The scheme also teaches students platform. Doha Sooq merchants to manage de- an unparalleled shopping experience built 130 greenhouses in local elementa- about agriculture and economics. Doha Sooq’s customers can enjoy an liveries to off er their customers an en- while complementing the overall cus- ry schools to teach children how to grow This year, more than 182 coun- array of shopping products from more hanced shopping experience. tomer experience on our new Doha fruit and vegetables and the importance tries participated in the Energy Globe than 100 merchants on the shopping Doha Sooq has also added new pay- Sooq platform,” Doha Bank Group of including them in their diet. Awards and there were over 2,000 en- platform, all available at discounted ment acceptance solutions and an ex- CEO Dr R Seetharaman said. This has been taken to the next level tries. rates. tra layer of security to their checkout “With the enhanced order-to- by the new phase of ‘Project: Green- With such strong engagement, the The merchants range from LuLu system to allow users to make conven- delivery process and the newly intro- house’, Khayr Qatarna, which was award is considered to be the most Hypermarket, Ansar Gallery, beIN ient, safe and secure payments. duced cutting-edge driver application launched in February. prestigious environmental and sus- Shop, Al Jaber Jewellery & Watches, Al Additionally, the new feature will to track each order, both English and This has seen three, large-scale tainability prize worldwide. Sulaiman Jewellery and Jumbo Elec- enable Doha Bank customers to pay Arabic websites have become the fast- greenhouses erected in local schools Having been selected as the national tronics, among others. using their bank accounts and Doha est and most convenient and secure and fruits and vegetables grown on a winner of the Energy Globe Award, Sa- In addition, Doha Bank has re- Miles. one-stop shop for both customers and The certificate awarded to the WCM-Q commercial scale. htak Awalan will now be considered for vamped the order management sys- The e-commerce portal off ers a host SMEs’ lifestyle needs in Qatar.” project. The produce is then sold under the the international prize. Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 5 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD Qatar Charity launches dispensary in Mogadishu

atar Charity’s (QC) offi ce mary health services to the dis- in Somalia, in co-oper- placed and the poor, especially Qation with the Benadir mothers and children under the Regional Administration opened age of fi ve. So far, around 27,300 a dispensary in Wadjer, an im- people have benefi ted from this poverished neighbourhood in project. Mogadishu. At the end of last year, QC’s Nearly 93,000 needy people offi ce in Somalia handed over are expected to benefi t from the medicines and medical supplies health services. to the Mogadishu City Hospital Most residents of the area are as part of the emergency relief poor and suff er from the lack project for the victims of the of basic health services, as they bombing to minimise the serious are not able to aff ord the costs impact of the accident. of private hospitals, QC said in a As Somalia was facing a wors- statement. ening humanitarian situation The 300sq m dispensary is at the beginning of 2017, due expected to provide the required to the drought, which caused health services, mostly for chil- An exterior view of the QC dispensary in Mogadishu. an increase in the number of dren, women and elderly. displaced persons from 1.1mn The opening ceremony was services. The ambulance dona- maximised the risk to the lives of to 2.1mn in a few months, QC attended by a number of Somali tion came at a time when many many patients. launched a relief intervention for ministers and local fi gures, in- The gathering during the inauguration of the dispensary. hospitals in Somalia were suf- In March, QC interacted with the displaced in the camps. cluding Abdurahman Yarisow, fering from a severe shortage in the operation of mobile health The number of benefi ciaries governor and mayor of Mogad- The ceremony was also at- ed the importance of the devel- In February, QC’s offi ce in So- the patient transport services, clinics in Somalia, especially in reached more than 27,975 per- ishu, who lauded the Qatari do- tended by Osman Mohamed opment and relief projects im- malia handed over three ambu- especially for urgent cases, as the southern provinces, which sons in six provinces of Somalia nations that contribute to help- Abdi, deputy minister of ports plemented by QC for the benefi t lances to hospitals in Mogadishu many vehicles were not designed are still ongoing in the fi eld. through the operation of 15 med- ing the needy. and marine resources, who not- of the Somali people. to support the country’s health to provide fi rst aid, which had Medical convoys provide pri- ical convoys.

Holiday travel sees Qatar population fall

Trump criticises here was a steep fall in the of the country due to the summer hol- and August, according to sources. country’s population at the end idays. The MDPS data on population Records of the previous years show Tof June compared to the previ- also showed that Qatar had 1,954,419 it is usually in November that the pop- ous months, according to latest fi gures males and 626,315 females as on June ulation returns to the May levels. released by the Ministry of Develop- 30. The latest population fi gure is the Qatar’s population at the end of ment Planning and Statistics (MDPS). lowest since October last year when May was the highest ever recorded in Opec, warns fi rms While there were 2,731,910 people there 2,634,234 people in Qatar. the country’s history. Also, May 2017 in Qatar as on May 31, the fi gure came It may take another three-four was the fi rst time the country’s popu- down to 2,580,734 at the end of June - months for the country’s population lation touched the 2.7mn mark. a diff erence of 151,176. to return to the 2.73mn levels re- The country’s population had hit This drop could largely be attribut- corded at the end of May, as residents the 2mn mark for the fi rst time in Oc- against Iran ties ed to the fact that many people are out usually travel in big numbers in July tober 2013.

Reuters Oil prices rose on Friday on worries He said in the Fox interview that Berkeley Heights, NJ that US sanctions against Iran would European companies would face One dead after suicide bombing near ballot box store in Kirkuk take away signifi cant volumes of crude sanctions if they traded with Iran oil from world markets while oil de- now. One person was killed in Iraq’s Kirkuk yesterday when a holding the ballot boxes was not damaged, the sources said. resident Donald Trump lashed mand worldwide increases. “Of course. That’s what we’re doing, suicide car bomb went off near a storage site housing ballot Iraq’s parliamentary election in May was clouded by allega- out at Opec with a warning to Rising gasoline prices could create a absolutely,” he said. boxes from a May national election, police sources said, two tions of fraud. On Saturday a judges’ panel announced that Pstop manipulating oil markets political headache for Trump ahead of Trump will leave for a trip to Europe days before a manual recount was due to begin. Another a recount of votes mandated by the Iraqi parliament and the and piled pressure on close US allies in the November elections by off setting later this month for a meeting with 20 people were wounded in the explosion. The warehouse courts was to kick off tomorrow, starting with Kirkuk. an interview that aired yesterday with Republican claims that his tax cuts and Nato allies, whom he has criticised a threat to sanction European compa- rollbacks of federal regulations have sharply for paying too little for their nies that do business with Iran. helped boost the economy. joint defence. The president, in an interview with On Fox, Trump directed blame at the Trade tensions are likely to over- Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures Organisation of Petroleum Exporting shadow that trip. with Maria Bartiromo, also said he Countries, of which Saudi Arabia is a Trump has imposed tariff s on steel would not complete a new Nafta trade member. and aluminium in response to what he deal with Canada and Mexico until af- Asked if someone was manipulating calls unfair trade practices from Eu- ter the November congressional elec- oil markets, Trump said: “Opec is and rope, Canada, and other allies around tions. they better stop it because we’re pro- the world, who have responded with Trump, who is spending the week- tecting those countries, many of those retaliatory sanctions in kind. end at his golf property in New Jersey, countries.” On trade, the president said in the said in a tweet on Saturday that Saudi The president also had tough words Fox interview that he was not happy Arabia’s King Salman had agreed to for other US allies. with the North American Free Trade produce more oil. Earlier this year, to the chagrin of Agreement and would not agree a new The White House later walked back European partners, Trump said he one until after the November elec- the president’s comments, saying the would pull the United States out of tions. king said his country can raise oil pro- the Iran nuclear agreement secured by “I want to wait until after the elec- duction if needed. world powers. tion,” he said.

TRAGEDY Over 60 migrants feared dead after Assault on Yemen’s Hodeidah boat sinks off Libya More than 60 migrants are feared halted as UN pursues talks dead after their boat sank off the Libyan coast yesterday, the second such incident reported in AFP He said the pause had been in ef- two days. Colonel Tawfik al-Sakir, Abu Dhabi fect since June 23 and while there was a Libyan coastguard off icial, said continued “pressure on the parameter”, that 41 migrants were picked up pro-government forces were awaiting after the boat sank off the capital he United Arab Emirates yester- the results of an upcoming visit by Grif- Tripoli. The boat was carrying day announced it had halted the fi ths to the rebel-held capital Sanaa. 104 migrants when it sank, and Toff ensive it is backing against Griffi ths met with Hadi in the south- 63 of them are presumed dead, Houthi rebels in Yemen’s port city of ern city of Aden on Wednesday and is survivors said. However, al-Sakir Hodeidah to give a chance to UN diplo- reported to be pushing for the Houthis said that rescue personnel in the matic eff orts. to cede control of Hodeidah to the Unit- area had found no trace of dead In a series of tweets, UAE Foreign ed Nations. people. On Friday, a boat with Minister Anwar Gargash said the pause In a speech published by the state- more than 100 migrants attempt- was aimed at pursuing negotiations for run Saba news agency, Hadi yesterday ing to travel to Europe capsized off an unconditional rebel withdrawal from hailed the military for its “great victo- Tripoli. Sixteen of them were saved the port but warned that full military ries.” The rebels, have said they may be and nine bodies have since been action could resume. willing to share control of Hodeidah’s recovered, according to coast- The weeks-long off ensive on Hodei- port with the UN but say their forces guard off icials. There is no word dah — Yemen’s main port — has raised must remain in the docks and the rest of yet on the fate of the other mi- fears of further suff ering and depriva- the Red Sea city. grants. In recent years, Libya has tion in a country already deeply shaken The Houthis have controlled Hodei- become a major transit route for by years of war between the Houthis and dah and its port since 2014, when they migrants trying to reach Europe President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s also drove the Hadi government out of by sea. Some 115 African migrants Gulf-backed government. the capital and seized large swathes of were plucked from a shipwreck Pointing to a renewed push for a ne- northern Yemen. late Saturday off western Libya, gotiated settlement by UN envoy Mar- On June 13, the UAE and its allies, the navy said. Early yesterday, 105 tin Griffi ths, Gargash said: “We have including Saudi Arabia, launched a other migrants, including two chil- paused our campaign to allow enough massive military operation — dubbed dren and 10 women, were picked time for this option to be fully explored. “Golden Victory” — to drive the rebels up off the western city of Sabratha. We hope he will succeed.” out of the port.

DIPLOMACY Oman and Iran ministers in talks

Minister Responsible for Foreign Aff airs in the Sultanate of Oman Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah met in Muscat yesterday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif, who is currently visiting the Sultanate. During the meeting, they discussed aspects of co-operation between the two countries and ways of boosting them in various fields, besides exchanging views on a number of regional and interna- tional issues of common concern, People displaced from the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah sit in a class room at a Oman News Agency reported. school where IDPs temporarily live, in Sanaa, yesterday. Gulf Times 6 Monday, July 2, 2018 ARAB WORLD Jordan seeks truce for southwest Syria Reuters killed since an escalation in Amman/Beirut fighting on June 19. Many who fled have sought refuge along the borders with ordan stepped in to try to avert Jordan and the Israeli-occupied further violence and stem an- Golan Heights. Jother wave of displacement Both Jordan, which already across its border with Syria yes- hosts more than half a million terday, mediating new talks be- Syrian refugees, and Israel, have tween rebels and the Syrian gov- said their borders will stay shut. ernment’s main ally Russia for a Both countries’ militaries have truce in the southwest. distributed aid supplies to people Talks on Saturday broke down seeking shelter near the borders. as the army seized more ground Yesterday, Israel also said it in its off ensive, with insurgent had deployed more tanks and lines in some areas collapsing, and artillery to the Syrian front as a a string of towns and villages ac- precaution because of the fight- cepting the return of government ing there. rule after intense bombardment. An Israeli army commander Discussions yesterday were dif- told Reuters that it was hard to fi cult, said diplomatic sources fa- quantify how many people had miliar with the talks. sought shelter in the area im- Opposition negotiators said mediately across the border, but they would only accept a deal that that it was in the thousands and made Jordan a guarantor for the there were hundreds more arriv- safety of Deraa province’s 800,000 ing each day. civilians and added that continued Southwest Syria was an early air strikes during the talks under- hotbed of the uprising against mined trust in the process. Fight- Assad in 2011 that morphed into ing and bombardment had calmed the seven-year conflict that overnight, the Syrian Observa- has cost over half a mn lives tory for Human Rights said, but and pushed half the country’s reignited yesterday around Tafas, People gather while trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies to be delivered for displaced Syrians, wait at the pre-war population from their northwest of Deraa, along with Jordanian city of Mafraq, near the border, yesterday. homes.Until Assad’s offensive heavy air attacks. began this month, its front lines Syrian President Bashar al-As- any American military support. respondent said rebels in Bosra during negotiations, all this gives had been mostly stable. sad’s off ensive in the southwest The opposition’s chief negotia- al-Sham had agreed to come back us more reason for lack of trust However, the army has now aims to reclaim one of two remain- tor in wider UN peace talks, Nasr under government rule and were and justifi ed fear,” said Adnan Ma- taken much of the eastern side ing rebel strongholds in Syria, the al-Hariri, last week accused the starting to surrender their weap- salmeh, a co-ordinator of an op- of the rebel territory there and other being Idlib and adjacent ar- United States of complicity in As- ons. position committee steering the forced two large towns on the eas in the northwest. sad’s southwest off ensive, saying Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ay- negotiators. western side, Dael and Ibta, to Assad’s forces captured the American silence could only be man Safadi said the kingdom was Air strikes have pounded accept deals to come back under last enclaves near Damascus and explained by “a malicious deal”. engaged in intensive diplomacy the region since the offensive state rule. Homs earlier this year. Peace talks in the town of Bosra with all parties in the confl ict to ramped up two weeks ago, caus- That pattern of local groups in Southwest Syria is a “de-esca- al-Sham, home to a Unesco world help broker a ceasefi re that would ing at least 160,000 people to towns and villages agreeing deals lation zone” of reduced warfare heritage site, failed on Saturday ease the plight of displaced civil- flee their homes, according to with the government independ- and bombardment agreed by Rus- when insurgents rejected Russian ians. the United Nations. ently of the main rebel factions sia, Jordan and the United States terms for their surrender, but be- “We are moving in all directions On Saturday at least ten ci- has been repeated in locations last year. gan again yesterday under the aus- and with all the parties to bring a vilians were killed when bombs across the southwest. Washington warned it would re- pices of Jordan, rebel spokesman ceasefi re and protect civilians,” he were dropped on the rebel-held Yesterday, the army entered spond to violations of this agree- Ibrahim al-Jabawi said. said in a Tweet on Saturday. “The village of Ghasam, relief workers the areas of Al-Musayfra, Kuheil ment, but has done nothing so far. A military media unit run by Russian insistence on attempt- said. and al-Sahwa after striking Last week, rebels said the United the government’s ally Hezbollah, ing to impose conditions, their The Observatory says more agreements with their inhabit- States had told them not to expect and a Syrian state television cor- unreadiness to stop the air strikes than 100 civilians have been ants, the Observatory said. Iraq begins border fence to block militants

AFP “Ten days ago we started to set up a Baghdad declared victory over IS at the In total the frontier stretches for some Baghdad barbed wire security fence with surveillance end of last year, but the group holds pock- 600 kilometres. Border spokesman Nayef towers along the border with Syria,” said ets of territory in the vast deserts of eastern said that experts from Baghdad’s ministry Anwar Hamid Nayef, spokesman in Iraq’s Syria and maintains its ability to strike in- of defence and an anti-IS coalition spear- raq has begun building a fence along its Anbar province. side Iraq. headed by the United States would come “to border with Syria to stop Islamic State The frontier barrier includes a six-metre- The new fence so far runs for 20 kilome- evaluate the eff ectiveness of the fence”. Igroup militants crossing into the coun- wide trench and involves thermal cameras tres north from the area around the border “If they approve the installations, we will try, a border guards spokesman said yester- and drones scanning the border for militants town of Al-Qaim, which Iraqi forces retook continue along the whole border with day. attempting to cross from Syria. from IS in November. Syria,” he said. More refugees leave Lebanon for home

AFP “I’ve never felt better,” he said, as he Masnaa waited to return with 10 family members to Moadmiyet al-Sham. Lebanon hosts just under 1mn registered everal dozen Syrian refugees left Leba- refugees from the confl ict in Syria, although non for neighbouring Syria yesterday authorities say the real number is much Sas part of returns co-ordinated be- higher. tween both countries, an AFP reporter and More and more are returning however as authorities said. the regime reasserts its control over larger A total of 42 Syrians returned voluntarily parts of the country. from Lebanon through the Masnaa crossing Damascus has approved the return of 450 to areas in Syria, Lebanese authorities said. Syrian refugees from Lebanon from a list of A Lebanese co-ordinator said they were 3,000 requesting to do so, Lebanon’s state headed for areas including Moadmiyet al- news agency NNA said this week. Sham, a suburb of Damascus where the re- On Friday, the head of Lebanon’s Hezbol- gime retook control from rebels in October lah said his powerful movement was creat- 2016. ing a mechanism to help Syrian refugees re- An AFP reporter saw men and women turn home, in co-ordination with Lebanese dressed in crisp clothes board a bus, some authorities and Damascus. carrying bags or young children. Hassan Nasrallah said the group was set- Mohamed Nakhla, 58, was anxious to set ting up centres with phone numbers and foot in his home country for the fi rst time in social media accounts where refugees could six years. sign up to return home.

Syrian refugees ride in a bus evacuating them from Lebanon at the Masnaa crossing on the border yesterday, on their way back to Damascus. Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 7 AFRICA

Mutharika dubs French soldiers ambushed in graft reports as ‘fake news’ new attack in troubled Mali By Mabvuto Banda, Reuters Lilongwe

AFP said the French patrol was deliber- Bamako ately targeted by a suicide car bomb. alawian President Peter Mutharika said “An armoured vehicle blocked the yesterday reports accusing him of fraud- way and the car blew up,” she said. Mulently benefi ting from a near $4mn gov- rench soldiers on patrol in Another resident told AFP that ernment contact were “fake news” as part of a ploy troubled northern Mali were the area around the ambush had to smear him ahead of a national election next year. Ftargeted yesterday in a bomb- been sealed off by French troops. “I did not personally benefi t in any way from the ing, the third attack in the country Mauritanian President Mohamed contract and that’s why I am concerned about the in as many days. Ould Abdel Aziz, whose country lack of truth. I am worried about what our country The upsurge in violence under- is part of the G5 and is hosting the has become in as far as peddling of fake news on scores the fragile security situation two-day African Union summit, social media is concerned,” he told Reuters. in the West African nation as it pre- warned that Friday’s attack on the “I do understand that it’s election season and pares to go to the polls on July 29. Sahel force HQ had exposed regional my opponents will come up with all manner of Yesterday’s attack occurred as security failings. lies to in an attempt to win the hearts and minds an African Union summit opened He said the blast “hit the heart” of of people.” in neighbouring Mauritania, with the region’s security and lashed out Mutharika, president since 2014, has been security crises on the continent, at a lack of international help, say- tipped to be re-elected, but regular allegations of including unrest in the vast Sahel ing the doors of the United Nations corruption could hobble his campaign in the im- region, high on the agenda. were “closed”. poverished southern African nation where reports On Friday, a suicide bombing hit “It was a message sent by the ter- of government graft have become routine. the Mali headquarters of the fi ve- rorists at this precise moment when The country’s anti-graft body, the Anti-Cor- nation force known as G5 Sahel, we are getting organised to stabilise ruption Bureau, has been investigating a $3.9mn adding to concerns about how it can and secure our region,” Aziz told Malawi police food supply contract awarded to tackle the jihadist groups roaming France 24 television. Pioneer Investments — a fi rm owned by an Asian- the region. “If the headquarters was at- born Malawian businessman Zameer Karim. The French military said there tacked, it is because there are so Malawi’s two biggest daily newspapers on Fri- were no deaths among the troops many failings we need to fi x if we day published what they said was the ACB’s fi nal whose armoured vehicle was at- want to bring stability to the Sahel.” A still image taken from a video shows an armoured personnel carrier on fire after a car bomb attack in Gao yesterday. report into the contract. tacked near the town of Bourem in The Al Qaeda-linked Support The reports, widely circulated on social media, the Gao region yesterday, but that Group for Islam and Muslims, the da at the AU summit being attended Ethiopia and Eritrea, whose relations nic Tuareg separatist uprising, which said the businessman deposited 145mn Malawian there were civilian casualties. main extremist alliance in the Sahel, by more than 40 African heads of have been poisoned for decades. was exploited by militants in order to kwacha ($203,000) into an account belonging to “A blast of unknown origin took claimed Friday’s bombing in a tel- state and government as well as Rwandan President Paul Kag- take over key cities in the north. the ruling party and of which Mutharika is sole place and there is a large number of ephone call to the Mauritanian news French President Emmanuel Ma- ame, who holds the presidency of The extremists were largely driv- signatory. civilian casualties, including chil- agency Al Akhbar. cron, who will meet G5 leaders to the 55-nation AU, will make a call to en out in a French-led military op- Karim denied wrongdoing. dren,” military spokesman colonel And on Saturday, four Malian sol- focus on progress made by the force. promote free trade. eration launched in January 2013. “My company was awarded the contract after a Patrik Steiger told AFP. diers were killed when their vehicle G5 operates alongside France’s Mali votes on July 29 in a presi- But large stretches of the coun- rigorous process so I don’t see any wrongdoing,” he “The Barkhane soldiers who were drove over a landmine in the central 4,000 troops in the troubled “tri- dential election in which incumbent try remain out of the control of the said. at the scene are all back at the Gao Mopti region. border” area where Mali, Niger and President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita foreign and Malian forces, which are ACB director general Reneck Matemba did not base,” he said, referring to the name The G5 aims to have a total of Burkina Faso meet, and alongside will face more than a dozen chal- frequent targets of attacks, despite comment on whether the report refl ected its fi nal of the French mission in the region. 5,000 troops from fi ve nations — the UN’s 12,000-strong MINUSMA lengers. a peace accord signed with Tuareg conclusions, which have yet to be offi cially pub- There was no further information Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Maurita- peacekeeping operation in Mali. Thousands of people have taken leaders in mid-2015 aimed at isolat- lished, but said: “We are still investigating the pro- immediately available about the ci- nia and Niger — but has faced fund- African leaders will also look at a to the streets in banned opposition ing the extremists. curement and we are not fi nished yet.” vilian casualties. ing problems. planned ceasefi re in South Sudan’s protests. The violence has also spilled over Malawian presidents have seen the impact of Gao resident Fatouma Wangara Security will be high on the agen- civil war and at the detente between Mali’s unrest stems from a 2012 eth- into both Burkina Faso and Niger. corruption allegations before. ‘Cashgate’, the 2013 corruption scandal in which senior government offi cials siphoned millions of dollars from state coff ers, saw international donors cut off aid and then-president Joyce Banda go into self-imposed exile in the United States. AU summit host warns of ‘security failings’ in Sahel Malawians next go to the polls in May 2019 to elect the president, parliament and ward council- lors. AFP of the G5 and is hosting the two-day and Eritrea, whose relations have been Periodically hit by severe food shortages and Nouakchott AU summit, said the bombing “hit the poisoned for decades. power outages, the country is struggling to contain heart” of the region’s security and lashed Rwandan President Paul Kagame, its external debt and put its economy on a sound out at a lack of international help. who holds the presidency of the 55-na- footing — all chief campaign issues alongside cor- he host of an African Union sum- Aziz said the G5 was a “sovereign ini- tion AU, will make a call to promote free ruption. mit that opened yesterday warned tiative” of Sahel states that face not only trade. “As president, I have demonstrated my com- Tthat a deadly attack against a re- security problems but drought, poverty, Currently, African countries only mitment to fi ghting corruption by allowing ACB gional anti-terror force has exposed re- unemployment and traffi cking. conduct about 16 % of their business to even investigate my cabinet. I didn’t block the gional security failings. “We are not at all satisfi ed with the with each other, the smallest amount of investigation of one of my ministers over the Zam- A suicide bomber in a vehicle painted help we are getting. We also feel that the intra-regional trade compared to Latin bian maize procurement deal,” Mutharika said re- in UN colours killed two soldiers and a doors of the United Nations are closed.” America, Asia, North America and Eu- ferring to a scandal that saw his agriculture minis- civilian in the attack on the headquarters Security will be high on the agenda at rope. ter arrested for his suspected part in the deal. of the so-called G5 force headquarters in the AU summit in Nouakchott being at- Meanwhile, discussing the fl ow of mi- With the election, Mutharika faces losing the the Malian town of Sevare on Friday. tended by more than 40 African heads of grants from Africa to Europe, Aziz told immunity from prosecution he currently enjoys as Chad’s Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the AU Commission, It was the fi rst attack on the head- state and government as well as French France 24 it was a “result of the ‘destruc- sitting president. Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Rwandan quarters of the fi ve-nation force, which President Emmanuel Macron, who will tion’ of Libya by Western strikes”. Mutharika main rivals are Banda, and current President and Chairperson of the African Union Paul Kagame was set up with French backing in 2017 meet G5 leaders to focus on progress “I am not saying that all responsibility deputy president Saulos Chilima, who quit the and Mourad Ben Dhiab, Secretary-General of the AUC stand to fi ght insurgents and criminal groups made by the force. lies with Europe, we must deal with the ruling party last month citing corruption. with delegates at the plenary session of the 31st Ordinary in the vast and unstable Sahel region. African leaders will also look at a problem upstream,” said the former gen- Banda returned home in April and vowed to Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Mauritanian President Mohamed planned ceasefi re in South Sudan’s civil eral who took power in a coup in 2008 prove her innocence after more than three years in Government in Nouakchott yesterday. Ould Abdel Aziz, whose country is part war and at the detente between Ethiopia and has since been elected twice. the self-imposed exile.

No evidence, Locals lose out in Rwanda’s second-hand clothes war claim Burkina By Moses Gahigi, AFP for stymieing development of their Kigali own clothing industries. While Twagirayezu has watched Faso coup trial his business wither, Dusabe cross Rwanda, markets sell- switched to selling Chinese imports, ing piles of cast-off clothes but is not faring much better. defence lawyers Aonce worn by Americans “You can’t imagine how many have become the unlikely centre of a customers I have lost by switching trade war that vendors say is ruining to selling Chinese clothes! Many AFP their livelihoods. people still come asking for second- Ouagadougou Kigali, determined to boost its hand clothes, when they don’t fi nd domestic textiles industry, in 2016 them they don’t come back,” he said. raised tariff s on the importation of Twagirayezu agreed, saying cus- efence lawyers have told a court that the second-hand clothes, disrupting a tomers prefer second-hand clothes prosecution had failed to provide evidence for multi-million dollar industry and to Chinese imports, citing the lower Dthe murder charges faced by their clients in a setting it on a collision course with price and higher quality. landmark trial over a failed 2015 coup in Burkina Faso. the United States. Initially, the East African Com- “The prosecution has not provided any evidence Friends Celestin Twagirayezu, 33, munity regional bloc was united in that can establish a link between the murders, the and Mercelle Dusabe, 35, began sell- its battle against used clothes. shots and the wounds and our clients,” said Issaka ing second-hand clothes a decade But the alliance cracked as Ken- Badini, representing Staff Sergeant Lawoko Mo- ago at adjacent stalls in Kigali’s pop- ya, Tanzania and Uganda balked at hamed Zerbo, the fi rst of 84 defendants to be ques- ular Nyabugogo market in Kigali. the prospect of retaliatory loss of tioned by the court in the capital Ouagadougou. It was a good business which ex- access to US markets via the Afri- “The prosecution has no evidence...and tries to panded quickly, allowing them to can Growth and Opportunity Act reclassify the facts as a crime against humanity,” buy homes and get married. (AGOA) whereby some countries added Olivier Yelcouni, another defence lawyer. Then Rwanda slapped a 12-fold can export some products to the US The 84 defendants are on trial over the Sep- increase on import tariff s on used duty free. tember 2015 attempt to overthrow the transitional clothes and a 10-fold increase on Rwanda, alone, did not capitu- government which took power after President used footwear, a price hike that late and in 2016 its imports of used Blaise Compaore was ousted a year earlier. amounts to a de facto ban for cash- clothing dropped by a third. Behind the coup was an elite unit of presidential strapped traders. In late March this year the US told People look for second-hand clothes at Gisozi Market in Kigali. guards loyal to Compaore, who took the country’s “The decision took everyone Rwanda it would lose some of its leaders hostage before being thwarted by street by surprise, at fi rst we relied on AGOA benefi ts within 60 days as a is resolved.”We have lost market in clothes locally are many the prod- used clothing while continuing to protesters backed by the army, which attacked the the stocked clothes but after a few result. the US because of the AGOA situa- ucts will be competitive, not only in stifl e local industrialisation. plotters’ barracks. months reality kicked in, and things The deadline since passed and tion,” said manager Emmy Iraguha. Rwanda but even in the neighbour- “Considerable imports of Chinese Fourteen people died and 270 were injured in the went from bad to worse,” said Twa- no action was announced, but with C&H has an annual turnover of ing countries,” said managing direc- clothing, both legitimate and unde- unrest. The defendants are being tried on a range girayezu. “I am soon throwing in the President Donald Trump on the $154mn and has been producing ex- tor Ritesh Patel, alluding to the dif- clared, constitute the real threat to of charges including treason, undermining state towel”. warpath over trade Rwanda is un- clusively for export. fi culty of producing clothes cheaply the East African textile industry,” security and murder in a case seen as a test for the East Africa imports around an likely to be forgotten. It has not yet bowed to Rwandan enough for the domestic market. said the USAID study. judiciary in the West African country. eighth of the world’s used clothing Rwanda’s clothing industry is government pressure to produce “The alternatives to second-hand However, Andrew Mold of the Among them are two generals thought to be the into an industry that employs some nascent, with only a couple of play- clothes for the local market to fi ll clothes are very expensive,” said UN’s Economic Commission for ringleaders: Gilbert Diendere and Djibrill Bassole, 355,000 people who earn $230mn ers, which means there are some the gap left by the dearth of second- Kevin Uwamahoro, a motorcycle Africa, said high import tariff s on who served as foreign minister under Compaore. a year, according to a study by the surprising victims of the trade spat. hand clothes. taxi driver who crosses into Uganda clothes from China and India mean During Saturday’s hearing, the prosecutor’s of- American development agency, US- One of those losing out is Chinese Rwanda’s other clothes producer to go clothes shopping at its still- there is a “margin for regional fi rms fi ce acknowledged the absence of ballistics analy- AID. garment maker C&H which set up is Uterxwa, which specialises in in- thriving second-hand markets. to compete”. sis in the case, but said a doctor had produced a fo- The large majority of these in Kigali’s special economic zone in dustrial clothing and uniforms, has The big winner in this David and In the meantime, however, it is rensic report determining that 13 people had been clothes come from the US and re- order to enjoy AGOA benefi ts. welcomed the “positive move” to Goliath trade war might well be ordinary Rwandans — buyers and shot dead and 42 wounded. gional leaders, including Rwanda’s Many of its US clients have put ban second-hand clothes. Chinese companies whose fl ood of sellers of second-hand clothes — The case was adjourned until today. Paul Kagame, blame the cast-off s orders on hold until the AGOA issue “Once the companies making cheap garments are set to replace who continue to suff er. Gulf Times 8 Monday, July 2, 2018 AMERICAS

US teachers quietly train to carry guns Anti-Ortega marches into school

By Monique Antonette Lewis, AFP Denver leave 2 people dead hen Donald Trump proposed arming teachers to deter school shooters, the overwhelming response By Maria Isabel Sanchez, AFP wife and Vice President, Rosario Wfrom educators was horror. Yet teachers in Colorado Managua Murillo — nepotism, a dictator- are taking action to carry concealed guns to school. ship and brutal repression. The non-profi t group FASTER, set up after 20 small chil- “I have always marched, and dren were killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, t least two demonstrators today more than for our dead, for has trained more than 1,300 US school staff , mostly in Ohio, were killed and 11 oth- the children, I grieve for the mur- on how to use a handgun in the event of a school shooting. Aers wounded in Nicaragua ders at the hands of Ortega and Sixty-three of them have been trained in Colorado, home to on Saturday, a rights group said Rosario. the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. yesterday, as thousands of dem- I was in 1979 against Somoza The swing state has a Democratic governor and both a onstrators marched against Presi- and now against the new dictator- Democrat and a Republican in the US Senate. dent Daniel Ortega across the ship,” said Cecila Cruz, 67. “I think it’s scary to people to bring a weapon into school,” Central American country. The march, supported by the conceded Katie, a fi rst-grade teacher in Jeff erson County, west Dubbed the Flowers March, powerful business union — for- of state capital Denver, who declined to give her second name. the protests honoured the youth merly an ally of Ortega — had “They just see the bad side, not the positive side of how killed in the more than two been suspended a week ago due to guns can save people,” the 27-year-old told AFP. months of anti-Ortega unrest met the violent incursion of riot police She was a student this week at the three-day, $1,000 course with repression by government and paramilitaries in several areas in Commerce City outside Denver. forces that has left at least 220 of the country. The United States is the only developed country in the people dead. The Civic Alliance pushed back world that suff ers relentless school shootings with roughly A 23-year-old street vendor the demonstration to take advan- one a week, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a group was shot in the head when some tage of a visit from experts from working to restrict fi rearms. of the marchers strayed off the the Offi ce of the United Nations America’s gun violence epidemic kills around 33,000 peo- scheduled route, according to High Commissioner for Human ple each year. More than 214,000 students have experienced a rights groups. Rights and the Inter-American school shooting in the United States since 1999, according to “This is something incred- Commission on Human Rights. a Washington Post database. ibly diffi cult,” said Luis Ortiz, the The offi cials came to the coun- As shootings multiply and Congress remains paralysed, man’s elderly father, who fought try in the face of worsening re- FASTER saw an uptick in business, even before President alongside the president decades People attend the ‘Marcha de las Flores’ in Managua to honour the children killed during earlier protests. pression, and have met with del- Donald Trump supported arming teachers in the wake of a ago when Ortega was a Sandinista egates from the government and Valentine’s Day massacre in Florida. rebel commander. Autonomous University of Nica- In one hand, he was waving a ment forces attacked and left 18 the Alliance, as well as with vic- “I had to add four additional classes to our schedule to meet “I never imagined that my son ragua (UNAN), where the Nica- Nicaraguan fl ag, and in the other, people dead. tims of the violence. demand this year, but I don’t think it was related to Trump,” would die in the hands of some- raguan Center for Human Rights he held a mortar launcher. The protesters demand the res- With the mediation of the Ohio director Joe Eaton said. one with whom I fought so hard. (CENIDH) said one man behind In other cities including Leon, ignation of Ortega, a 72-year-old Catholic Church, the government This week, 24 Colorado school staff , including principals, I gave my sweat and my blood...I student-erected barricades was Masaya and Granada marches former leftist guerrilla who came and the Alliance resumed talks teachers and pastors, attended a three-day training led by four am an injured vet, too. I am still a killed. were also organised by the Civic to power with the popular up- last week. active duty law enforcement offi cers. Sandinista,” he said, adding “but “I’m here because I want to see Alliance for Justice and Democ- rising that defeated the dictator But dialogue has had trouble Colorado law prevents anyone from carrying weapons onto not with Daniel,” referring to the my Nicaragua free, it hurts that racy. Anastasio Somoza in 1979, and taking off because Ortega, whose school grounds with the exception of school resource offi c- president. children like me have died, but we The demonstrations were the retook the presidency in 2007 af- third consecutive term ends in ers — law enforcement responsible for safety in schools — and At the beginning of the march must continue fi ghting to get this fi rst of their kind since May 30, ter a vote. January 2022, will not consider security guards. armed men also fi red on a pro- dictator out,” a 15-year-old stu- when a huge Mother’s Day march Activists accuse him of es- a proposal to move up elections Many on the course are prohibited from being armed at testers’ barricade at the National dent wearing a ski mask told AFP. turned bloody after pro-govern- tablishing — together with his from 2021 to March 2019. school, but hope their training will help their districts change their minds. The curriculum includes handgun basics, range shooting, casualty care tactics and roleplaying with an active shooter and simulated fi re. “I will defi nitely talk to my principal and security,” said high school physics teacher John MacFarlane, 40, seeing weak- Yosemite reopens after restoration Senator Collins ‘won’t support’ nesses in his district’s security protocol after the exercise. Wayne, a facilities manager at a rural primary and high school, said his district estimates it would take 20 to 25 min- By David McNew, AFP attacks and helping them survive countless anti-abortion court nominee utes for law enforcement to respond to an incident at the Yosemite Valley wildfi res over the millennia. school, which has no SRO. Gone are the gift shop, suff ocating fumes It took just 7.5 minutes for two teenage boys to kill their Co- from a chugging diesel tram and 115 spaces Reuters She added that there were people on lumbine classmates in the library, where survivor Evan Todd he Mariposa Grove of Giant Se- of parking lot asphalt that once cluttered Washington Trump’s initial list that she could not told the class he was hiding. quoias, at the heart of California’s the site, a major tourist destination four support. Twelve students and a teacher died in the 1999 shooting in TYosemite National Park, is home to hours’ drive from San Francisco. The president has said he will choose Littleton, Colorado. 500 of the towering trees — many at least Only a small parking lot remains along- key moderate Republican US sena- a nominee from a list of 25 jurists devel- Todd, 35, said he “absolutely” believes there would have 2,000 years old, having sprouted around side new restrooms. tor said yesterday she will not sup- oped for him by White House aides and been fewer deaths if teachers had been allowed to carry a gun. the time of Jesus Christ. The removal of asphalt helps protect the Aport a nominee to fi ll a soon-to-be- conservative Washington legal activists. But there are plenty of critics. One of the world’s 65 remaining natural trees’ shallow root system from compac- vacated seat on the Supreme Court who Trump has said he will not ask candi- “I do understand how it can be a tougher issue in our very sequoia groves, and the largest in Yosemite, tion, allows water to fl ow naturally again, would overturn a key legal ruling that sup- dates whether they would overturn the rural areas,” said Tom Mauser, spokesman for Colorado Cease- Mariposa Grove reopened in June, three and reduces damaging air pollution from ports a woman’s right to abortion. Roe vs Wade, a landmark 1973 ruling on a fi re, a political action committee that advocates for stricter years after the start of a $40mn restoration excess vehicles. New trails and bridges “I would not support a nominee who women’s abortion rights. gun laws. “Teachers should be teachers, not SWAT members.” project to protect the ancient giants for fu- over 6.5km have been constructed. A new demonstrated hostility to Roe vs Wade,” For decades it has been a major focus Mauser’s 15-year-old son, Daniel Mauser, died at Columbine. ture generations. boardwalk through part of the grove is el- Susan Collins told CNN’s State of the of America’s long-running and bitter de- By the end of the course, 21 of the 24 participants met the The oldest sequoias can live for more evated over sensitive areas and facilitates Union programme, referring to the 1973 bate about abortion. Colorado Peace Offi cer Standards and Training requirements than 3,000 years, their bark resisting insect handicapped access to view the trees. landmark decision. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in handgun profi ciency, the same level for police offi cers who Collins of Maine is a frequent swing told NBC’s Meet the Press he sees legal graduate from the academy. vote in the Senate, which Republicans precedent as important on the issue. Staff who receive POST qualifi cation could be considered Prank caller talks to Trump aboard Air Force One control by only a slim majority. “Roe vs Wade has been affi rmed over by their school districts to be security guards in order to le- The Senate must approve any nomi- the years...I am not going to vote for any- gally carry concealed guns on school premises. A prank caller talking to the leader of the for corruption before the charges were even- nee from Republican President Donald one who tells me they are going to decide FASTER encourages schools to announce that they have world’s most powerful country aboard Air tually dropped. Trump to replace Supreme Court Justice a case before the facts are presented,” he armed staff as a deterrent for would-be shooters. Force One? It’s apparently possible. The two men then continued their conver- Anthony Kennedy, who is retiring at the said. Students themselves are divided. “I think it would be a very Posing as New Jersey Senator Robert sation, moving from immigration to replacing end of July. While Kennedy was a conservative, he smart thing so you don’t have to wait and fear for your life,” Menendez, comedian John Melendez said Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is set to retire Trump said on Friday he plans to an- proved to be a somewhat unpredictable said Alex Easton, 14, from Aurora, Colorado. he contacted President Donald Trump on from the US Supreme Court. nounce his nominee to the nation’s high- “swing” vote over his long career. Andre Fouque, 16, from Louisville, Colorado, was more Wednesday night while he was on the presi- The comedian said he called the White est court on July 9 and has narrowed his Views on abortion were expected to sceptical. “Would police be able to diff erentiate who had the dential plane. House pretending to be an aide to the sena- list of candidates to about fi ve, including be a topic that senators will ask the new gun? The teacher would be the fi rst person to get shot. We Melendez aired a recording of the conversa- tor and was ultimately put in touch with the two women. nominee about in confi rmation hearings should leave that to the police,” he said. tion on his The Stuttering John Podcast, in which president on Air Force One, in a scenario that “I told (President Trump) that I was — even if the president does not. FASTER is trying to schedule classes in Indiana and Wyo- a voice that appears to be Trump’s can be heard. raises questions about protocol governing looking for a nominee that would dem- In addition to Collins, another key ming, and see if there is enough demand to hold classes in “You went through a tough, tough situa- access to the commander in chief. onstrate a respect for precedent...I also vote in the Senate on the abortion issue New York state next year. “The more people talking about it, tion and I don’t think a very fair situation,” he The White House did not immediately suggested that he broaden his search,” would be fellow Republican Senator Lisa taking classes and carrying and getting approval from dis- said to the “senator,” who was investigated respond to requests for comment. Collins also told ABC’s This Week pro- Murkowski, who also favours abortion tricts, the more it won’t be a scary, ominous thing,” said Katie, gramme. rights. the fi rst-grade teacher.

Mexicans vote for president after violent campaign, outsider favoured

Reuters ground down by graft, years of tional parties had failed to stem His popularity crumbled as his carefully and wants to broker a Mexico City subpar economic growth and graft and bloodshed. name became tainted by investi- deal with Trump under which soaring crime levels. In addition to the political kill- gations into alleged confl icts-of- Mexico would work to rein in il- Since the race began late last ings, Mexico suff ered its most interest and embezzlement scan- legal immigration in return for exicans lined up yes- year, at least 133 politicians have violent year in recent history in dals engulfi ng top PRI offi cials. economic support. terday to vote for a new been murdered from all the major 2017, with murders unabated this Lopez Obrador has spent 13 If that proves impossible and Mpresident with the anti- parties. year. years relentlessly campaigning Trump keeps provoking Mexico, establishment outsider who is The crimes are mostly attrib- The bloodshed is blamed on around Mexico but has been a di- few think the fi ercely patriotic tipped to win calling for national uted to gangs trying to infl uence drug cartels splintering and visive fi gure since bringing much Lopez Obrador will stay silent. reconciliation after a campaign municipal elections. branching out into fuel theft and of the capital to a standstill for How much heft he can bring to in which dozens of down-ticket “With all my heart, I want to- extortion. weeks with demonstrations to bear domestically and internation- candidates were murdered by day’s election to take place with- “This is our chance to bring protest his 2006 election loss. ally will depend on his control of suspected drug gangs. out violence,” Lopez Obrador about change in the country,” His criticism of the govern- Congress, where no party has held Opinion polls before the elec- said before voting in the south said Meinardo Perez, 25, an en- ment’s economic agenda has an outright majority since 1997. tion showed a double-digit lead of Mexico City after a campaign gineer voting for Lopez Obrador, been tempered by business- Polls suggest his National Re- for Andres Manuel Lopez Obra- marked by mud-slinging be- who nonetheless recognised the friendly aides. generation Movement (MORE- dor, a former Mexico City mayor tween presidential candidates candidate would struggle to keep He has played with the idea of NA), a party that has only existed expected to inject a dose of na- over tit-for-tat graft allegations. all his promises. “But we have to referendums to resolve divisive formally since 2014, could be tionalism into government and “As soon as the election is over, start somewhere. We need to up- issues like whether to continue Mexico’s presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador casts close to a majority. Markets may sharpen divisions with US Presi- we will begin a period of national set things,” he added. with Pena Nieto’s opening of the his vote during general elections in Mexico City yesterday. react negatively if voters give him dent Donald Trump if he wins. reconciliation,” said Lopez Obra- Vague on policy details and oil and gas industry to private too free a hand in Congress. Lopez Obrador, 64, would be dor, who is known by his initials seeking to harness support from capital. ties that have ruled modern Mexico. American Free Trade Agreement Many Mexicans also worry the fi rst leftist president in dec- AMLO, smiling and fl ashing a economic nationalists, leftist Rivals Ricardo Anaya, an ex- Their eff orts to catch Lopez (Nafta) unresolved, pressuring that Lopez Obrador could im- ades in Mexico, Latin America’s victory sign at the polling station liberals and social conservatives, leader of the centre-right Na- Obrador have been hampered by Mexico’s peso currency. plement policies that deepen, No 2 economy, if he ousts the rul- where he arrived 40 minutes be- Lopez Obrador vows to reduce tional Action Party (PAN) head- attacks on each other, and some Trump has threatened to pitch rather than alleviate the coun- ing centrist Institutional Revolu- fore it opened. inequality, improve pay and wel- ing a right-left alliance, and PRI opinion polls put his lead in ex- North America into a costly trade try’s problems. “I’ve been nerv- tionary Party (PRI).Runner-up in Across the country, many peo- fare spending as well as run a candidate Jose Antonio Meade, cess of 20 percentage points. war over Nafta, and his insistence ous since the campaign started,” the 2006 and 2012 elections, he ple, waiting in the morning chill tight budget. a former fi nance minister, diff er The next president will in- that Mexico pay for his desired said housewife Consuelo Guer- pitched himself as the only man to vote at schools and community The law bars current President only in nuance in their support of herit a simmering dispute with border wall has deeply angered rero, 36, voting in Mexico City. capable of cleaning up a political centres, said it was time to give Enrique Pena Nieto from seeking the energy reform. Trump over migration and trade, many Mexicans. “I’m very worried about AMLO class whose credibility has been the left a chance, and that tradi- re-election. They represent the only two par- with talks to rework the North Lopez Obrador has moved winning.” Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 9 ASIA

World Bank Divers advance as cave search predicts 4.3% growth for Lanka’s for lost Thai kids gains ground economy AFP Pattaya Beach where offi cials Mae Sai believe the 13 are taking refuge because of its elevation. IANS Rescuers have advanced Colombo escue divers inched clos- 600m from the base towards er to a spot in a fl ooded the Pattaya site, while heavy Rcave where 12 boys and drilling at separate chimneys ri Lanka’s economy is ex- their football coach have been outside the cave has start- pected to grow 4.3% in the missing for more than a week ed in an attempt to establish Smedium term, but it will after days of bad weather beset communication with the boys. only be possible if the govern- the gruelling search. The upbeat attitude comes ment remains committed to its The children, aged 11 to 16, after a week of heavy rains reform agenda, the World Bank and their 25-year-old assistant pounded the area near the My- has said in a report. coach have not been heard from anmar and Laos borders, mak- “The economy is expected since they ventured into the re- ing it diffi cult to reach deeper to rebound from a low base and cesses of the Tham Luang cave into Tham Luang. grow around 4.3% in the me- in northern Thailand on Satur- “I’m feeling happy like dium term, driven by private day and were blocked by heavy I’ve never felt in a long time. consumption and investment,” rains. Many good signs,” the football Xinhua news agency quoted the But the clouds parted yester- team’s head coach Nopparat report as saying. day and with the help of water Khanthavong, 37, said. World Bank’s senior econo- pumps divers were able to es- “The rain has stopped and mist Ralph Van Doorn said the tablish a forward operating base rescue teams have found po- challenging political environ- inside the twisting chambers, tential ways to reroute the wa- ment has already slowed the raising hopes that the “Boars”, terway”, diverting its fl ow so no reform agenda and remains the as the team is known, could be more enters the cave, he said. key risk to a favourable medium- located soon. “The families are feeling much term outlook. “Today is a bright day for me better too.” “Sri Lanka’s march towards and our team. We have sunlight The dramatic wait has trans- upper middle-income status and today, roads are easily walka- fi xed Thailand, capturing the more and better jobs hinges on ble,” Narongsak Osottanakorne, attention of social media us- the economy’s competitiveness governor of Chiang Rai prov- ers, dominating front pages and its ability to pursue a private ince, told reporters yesterday of newspapers and grabbing investment-tradable sector-led afternoon. international headlines. growth model,” Ralph said. He said water levels in the Buddhist monks from all over He, however, praised the gov- cave had decreased and that al- Chiang Rai gathered at a local ernment for introducing sev- most 60 foreign and Thai divers school to pray for the football Soldiers and rescue workers work in Tham Luang cave complex, as an ongoing search for members of an under-16 soccer team and their eral key reforms, including the were involved in the rescue squad. coach continues, in the northern province of Chiang Rai in Thailand yesterday. new Inland Revenue Act (IRA), eff ort. Teams of foreign experts transparent fuel pricing formula, “Today what we have to do is from Australia, England, Ja- Tait, a spokeswoman for the est and toughest caves to navi- said. “But anyway we put our covered the kids’ football boots, drafting of a new Public Finance to rush to the kids,” Thai Navy pan and China, including more US troops, said. “With the im- gate, but drilling experts hope best team in Thailand to come. backpacks and bicycles. Act and implementation of a Seal commander and Rear Ad- than 30 US military personnel, provement with the weather, its limestone formations could So let us try.” Relatives and friends have single window for investors. miral Apakorn Yookongkaew have descended on the remote hopefully some other areas and make a series of holes and al- Offi cials said the boys know held vigils and prayed for their Sri Lanka’s infl ation rose to said earlier at the site. “We will mountainous site to join some some of the eff orts are becoming ternative entrances explorable the site well and have visited safe return. 4.4% in the 12-months to June not stop until we fi nd them.” 1,000 Thai rescuers. easier.” by camera. many times, so they may have “I miss them,” said 15-year- 2018, from 4% in May, data from Responders are placing ex- The fi eld where the Boars Large pumps were installed in “We still expect some diffi - been able to fi nd shelter. old Thananchai Saengtan, a the state statistics offi ce showed. tra oxygen tanks, strong ropes used to practice is now a helipad a nearby village to drain water culties, because we have to drill Rescuers discovered foot- friend of one of the boys. “I Food prices rose 1.32% with and LED lights along the cave’s used to lift up heavy machinery. from the area. not vertical, but inclined,” Suth- prints and handprints in a want them to come back so vegetables up 0.81% and sea fi sh walls in hopes they can provide “Every single day the con- At 10km (six miles), Tham isak Soralump, a geotechnical chamber earlier in the week, we can play football together up 0.35%. Non-foods rose 0.7% a path to an airy chamber called ditions are changing,” Jessica Luang is one of Thailand’s long- engineer leading up the eff ort, farther in from where they re- again.” with transport rising 0.52%. Myanmar not safe for Rohingya Maldives opposition gets new leader, vows returnees, says Red Cross chief to restore democracy

AFP rather endure hardship than AFP Currently, all Yameen’s oppo- Chakmarkul return to persecution. Colombo nents and top dissidents are either “We need to prepare in jail or in exile, and Solih is seen the ground for returns for as a symbol representing the united he head of the Red Cross those who wish to return,” he Maldivian opposi- opposition against the president. yesterday said it was not Maurer said. tion have chosen a new A presidential term is fi ve years Tsafe to return Rohingya Bangladesh and Myanmar Tcandidate to run against in the Maldives but a sitting lead- refugees to their homes in My- agreed in November to begin strongman President Abdulla er can call snap elections. anmar, where he described repatriating the Rohingya but Yameen in elections this year Ghafoor said they also prom- whole villages abandoned and the process has stalled, with and promised to allow dissidents ised to undertake democratic re- destroyed. both sides accusing the other of to return from exile if they win, forms in the troubled islands. Peter Maurer toured strife- frustrating the eff ort. offi cials said yesterday. “An MDP government will re- torn western Myanmar before Fewer than 200 have been The Maldivian Democratic store powers of parliament, the visiting refugee camps over resettled, and the vast majority Party nominated its parliamen- Supreme Court and the elections the border in neighbouring refuse to contemplate returning tary leader Ibrahim Mohamed commission so that exiled leaders Bangladesh, where nearly 1mn until their rights, citizenship Solih to lead a coalition of oppo- can return and we can establish de- Rohingyas have sought refuge and safety are assured. sition groups, party spokesman mocracy in the Maldives,” he said. from violence. The UN has says conditions Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said. Yameen declared a state of The bulk of the persecuted in Rakhine are not ripe for a Solih will replace veteran op- emergency in February after the Muslims in Bangladesh have safe, voluntary and dignifi ed re- position leader Mohamed Nash- Maldives’ top court ordered that arrived since August, fl eeing patriation, but signed an agree- eed, who withdrew his candidacy members of parliament sacked by a huge Myanmar army crack- ment with Myanmar to assess last week after being told by the the president be restored to power down in troubled Rakhine state President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer, right, visits the Chak- conditions on the ground to national electoral commission and dissidents free from jail. that the UN has likened to markul refugee camp in Teknaf, Bangladesh yesterday. help refugees make an informed that he was disqualifi ed from The Maldives’ chief justice ethnic cleansing. decision. running in the September poll. and Supreme Court judges were UN Secretary-General An- yesterday, will use the trip Buddhist-majority Myanmar. disruptions in markets, of The UN Security Council Nasheed, who was jailed for 13 subsequently arrested, along tonio Guterres today will make to study prospects for “a Maurer, the president of the livelihood, of communities, I visited Myanmar and Rakhine years in what the UN called a po- with Yameen’s half-brother his fi rst visit to the camps since safe, voluntary and digni- International Committee of the don’t think the present mo- state in early May, meeting with litically motivated trial, has been Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a that infl ux of nearly 700,000 fi ed return” of refugees to Red Cross, said a lot more was ment is an ideal condition to refugees who gave detailed ac- living in exile since seeking med- former strongman who ruled for Rohingya sparked a humani- Myanmar. needed to improve the situa- return,” Maurer told AFP in counts of killings, rape and ical treatment abroad in 2016. 30 years until 2008. tarian crisis in southeast But relief agencies warn tion he witnessed in Rakhine an interview in Chakmarkul torching of villages at the hands Ghafoor said if victorious, The United States and the Bangladesh. that conditions in Rakhine, during an offi cial visit the past refugee camp. of Myanmar’s military. the MDP would clear the way European Union have expressed The UN says Guterres, who which is heavily restricted to few days. He said more was needed for Myanmar has vehemently for all political dissidents to re- deep concern over Yameen’s ac- discussed the Rohingya with international observers, re- “What I’ve seen in terms those families eking out sur- denied allegations by the US, turn within 18 months and par- tions. Rights activists have asked Bangladesh Prime Minis- main too unsafe to consider of destruction of villages, vival in gigantic tent cities in United Nations and others of ticipate in an inclusive electoral the EU to slap sanctions on ter Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka repatriating the Rohingyas to abandonment of situations, Bangladesh, where many would ethnic cleansing. process to join government. Yameen and key aides. Cambodia earns Guinness Record for longest scarf AFP Phnom Penh Thousands of young people Youngest son Hun Many, a troversial election that Hun Sen, then rolled out the krama along fast-rising potential succes- who has ruled for 33 years, is a street in the capital yesterday sor to his father, represented poised to win after backing the ambodia won a place in for a visiting Guinness offi cial to the 65-year-old premier at dissolution of the opposition the Guinness Book of measure the garment. yesterday’s event. party last year. CWorld Records yesterday “With 1,149.8m, you have set “This Guinness World Record Analysts say the prime minis- for a 1,100m (3,600ft) long ver- a new Guinness World Record!” is for all Cambodians,” he said at ter is also trying to build a politi- sion of the country’s popular Swapnil Dangarikar, a Guinness the event. cal dynasty by priming his three krama scarf. adjudicator, told a large cheering In recent years, Hun Sen has sons in leadership positions. Supported by a youth move- crowd. tried hard to court the nation’s His eldest son Hun Manet was ment with links to the nation’s Long-serving Prime Min- youth, launching a Facebook page on Saturday promoted to two ruling party, more than 23,000 ister Hun Sen earlier gave his and displaying a lighter, more ap- senior and powerful military people took part in the six- own blessing to the campaign by proachable side in public. posts while his second son Hun month weaving marathon out- weaving a few strands of thread The Guinness event comes Manit is the head of a powerful Cambodians roll out a 1,149.8m-long krama scarf so it can be declared as the world’s longest hand woven side Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace. into the scarf. just weeks before a highly con- military intelligence unit. scarf, in Phnom Penh yesterday. Gulf Times 10 Monday, July 2, 2018 AUSTRALSIA/EAST ASIA

Protesters take part in a march in Hong Kong, yesterday, marking the 21st anniversary of the city’s handover to Chinese sovereignty from British rule. Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong wave to supporters during a protest march in Hong Kong. Hong Kong protesters march for democracy Organisers say 50,000 call for end to “one party rule”; Protests come amid simmering tensions with Beijing

Reuters in 20 or 30 year’s time? I don’t which disrespect ‘one coun- Hong Kong think so,” said 13-year-old Joan- try’... was not in line with Hong na Wen, who was accompanied Kong’s overall interests and by her father. would undermine its devel- A police off icer stands guard in front of Chinese flags as pro-Beijing ong Kong’s annual pro- Hong Kong is a former Brit- opment.” At a ceremony early demonstrators hold a counter-rally during a protest march in Hong democracy protest saw ish colony that was returned yesterday to mark the handover Kong. Hone of the lowest turn- to China in 1997 under a “one anniversary, Chief Executive outs in history, as thousands country, two systems” formula Carrie Lam asserted that the Donald Tsang and Leung Chun- of people and money between braved sweltering heat to protest guaranteeing it a high degree of “one, country, two systems” ying, as well as mainland offi - Hong Kong and the mainland. against Beijing’s tightening grip autonomy and the promise of framework remains intact un- cials. While Hong Kong activ- Veteran pro-democracy barris- over the city yesterday, the 21st eventual universal suff rage. der her watch. ists push for greater democracy, ter Martin Lee said the opening anniversary of its return to Chi- Beijing’s refusal to grant full Lam took over as governor of Beijing has been taking a tougher of the bridge and rail line will nese rule. Organisers said 50,000 democracy to Hong Kong trig- Hong Kong a year ago, pledg- stance on the city, and some kick-start Hong Kong’s absorp- protested, in one of their lowest gered massive street protests ing at a ceremony attended by Hong Kong residents say the old tion into the Greater Bay Area. estimates since the annual march in 2014 and deepened resent- Chinese President Xi Jinping border that has defi ned the city’s “That seems to be the plan of started in 2003. Police said 9,800 ment toward China’s perceived to be accountable to both Bei- autonomy is slowly withering Beijing, to have Hong Kong ab- attended at the peak — the lowest growing encroachment on the jing and Hong Kong. “Without away. sorbed into this bay area ... Hong fi gure on their record. territory, where its infl uence fear, we correctly deal with our Lam faces a test later this year Kong will no longer be Hong Hong Kong’s opposition has in nearly every facet of life has relationship with the central with the opening of two highly Kong,” Lee said. lost much steam in the past year, increased. Hundreds of po- government. And we promote a symbolic infrastructure projects Lam was chosen by a largely which saw elected pro-democ- Protesters dressed as political prisoners take part in a march in Hong lice were deployed yesterday as stronger understanding of the — a bridge and high-speed rail pro-Beijing committee of some racy legislators disqualifi ed and Kong. some demonstrators marched constitution, the Basic Law, and line linking Hong Kong with 1,200 people in the city of 7.3mn. some of the most prominent ac- with yellow umbrellas, a symbol national security in all sectors,” mainland China. Her approval ratings have dipped tivists jailed. Protesters included elderly party rule; Against the fall of of democratic activism in the Lam said at a Sunday morning The projects are part of a since then. A University of Hong Still, the mood was defi ant, people in wheelchairs, cou- Hong Kong.” “Now the govern- city. cocktail reception. broader Beijing plan dubbed the Kong survey of 1,000 people with one of the most common ples with sleeping toddlers and ment is already siding with the In response to the protest, Also present at the ceremony Greater Bay Area, overseen by Xi, put her approval rating at 54.3 chants being “Hong Kong peo- young residents, some of whom Communist Party. Can Hong the government said in a state- were the three former Chief to integrate the city into the Pearl points, down from 61.1 points a ple, keep going.” waved banners saying: “End one Kong see any universal suff rage ment that “chanting slogans Executives — Tung Chee-hwa, River Delta and improve the fl ow year ago.

Shark pulls woman overboard US has plan to dismantle North Korea by biting fi nger in Australia nuclear facilities within a year: Bolton AFP told the West Australian late all, but it could have been a lot Sydney Saturday. “I think the shark was worse,” Brunning said, adding Reuters in shock as much as I was... the that she had learnt to “respect Washington only way I can describe it is this marine life, and look at it in awe, woman who was pulled immense pressure and it felt like but just leave them alone”. Brun- into crocodile-infested it was shredding it off the bone,” ning said she did not realise that hite House national security ad- Awaters in northwestern the 34-year-old said. she should have left the piece of viser John Bolton said yesterday Australia when a shark bit her “I came up and I was like, ‘I’ve fi sh in front of her and watch the Whe believed the bulk of North fi nger as she attempted to feed lost my fi nger, my fi nger’s gone’.” shark suck it up, instead of try- Korea’s weapons programmes could be it has described the terrifying Mobile phone footage of the ing to hand-feed it. dismantled within a year, although some moment which nearly cost her incident at Dugong Bay in late “This is not a shark attack, experts say the complete process could a digit. Melissa Brunning said May, aired by commercial broad- this is just a blonde doing a stu- take far longer. Bolton told CBS’s ‘Face she was on a yacht in the remote caster Channel Seven on Satur- pid thing.... When you’re in the the Nation’ that Washington has devised Kimberley region some 2,500km day, showed Brunning scream- water, they’re top of the food a programme to dismantle North Korea’s north of Perth when she tried ing as she was dragged into the chain, it’s their domain. We’re weapons of mass destruction – chemical, to hand-feed up to four Tawny water before the boat’s crew and not meant to be in the water, biological and nuclear – and ballistic mis- nurse sharks hanging around the friends quickly pulled her out. if we were we’d have gills,” she sile programmes in a year, if there is full co- back of the boat. She sustained cuts, a fracture, a added. operation and disclosure from Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju visit the Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory The two-metre (6.6-foot) torn ligament and a bad infec- Apart from sharks, saltwater “If they have the strategic decision al- in Sinuiju, North Korea. creature – which has strong jaws tion on her fi nger as a result of crocodiles — which can grow up ready made to do that and they’re co-op- and rows of sharp teeth – sucked the encounter, but miraculously to seven metres long and weigh erative, we can move very quickly,” he said. the agencies believe Pyongyang is conceal- “There’s not any starry-eyed feel- at her right index fi nger “like a did not lose the digit. more than a tonne — are also “Physically we would be able to dismantle ing an unknown number, especially smaller ing among the group doing this,” he said. Hoover (vacuum cleaner)”, she “It’s not the shark’s fault at found at the bay. the overwhelming bulk of their programmes tactical ones, in caves and other under- “We’re well aware of what the North Kore- within a year.” ground facilities around the country. North ans have done in the past.” He said Secretary of State Mike Pom- Korea agreed at the summit to “work toward Asia expert Patrick Cronin called the Ritual draws crowds peo will likely discuss that proposal with denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,” NBC and Washington Post reports “ex- Australian supermarkets the North Koreans soon. The Financial but the joint statement signed by North Ko- tremely worrisome.” to Indonesia volcano work to prevent ‘bag rage’ Times reported that Pompeo was due to rean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Cronin, senior director of the Asia- visit North Korea this week but the State Donald Trump on June 12 gave no details on Pacifi c Security Programme at the Center Thousands of locals and the off erings. The month- Australia’s biggest supermarket Department has not confi rmed any travel how or when Pyongyang might surrender for a New American Security, said he had tourists climbed Mount long Yadnya Kasada festival chains are scrambling to combat “bag plans. Some experts disputed Bolton’s op- its nuclear weapons. heard from US and South Korea offi cials Bromo early yesterday for a harkens back to the 15th rage” as frustrated shoppers vent timistic time frame. “It would be physically US intelligence agencies believe North that Pompeo was expected to return to lavish ceremony that involves century legends of Majapahit their anger over the removal of single- possible to dismantle the bulk of North Ko- Korea has increased production of fuel for Pyongyang at the end of this week and that throwing ritual off erings kingdom princess Roro use plastic bags. One man put his rea’s programmes within a year,” said Tho- nuclear weapons at multiple secret sites in Sung Kim was working to prepare the way into the smouldering crater Anteng and husband Joko hands around a supermarket worker’s mas Countryman, the State Department’s recent months and may try to hide these for that trip. The US side was “working to of an active volcano in Seger. throat, the West Australian newspaper top arms control offi cer under President while seeking concessions in nuclear talks see whether they can prepare for high- Indonesia’s tribal hinterlands. The sacrifice tradition reported, while grocery stores are Barack Obama. with the United States, NBC News quoted level talks between Secretary Pompeo and Each year people from the continues to this day – the putting on more staff to help custom- “I do not believe it would be possible to US offi cials as saying on Friday. Kim Jong-un and others in Pyongyang that Tengger tribe gather from Tengger sacrifice their ers get used to the change. The verify full dismantlement within a year, nor The Washington Post reported on Satur- would be a specifi c denuclearisation road the surrounding highlands harvest and farm animals removal of single-use plastics is part have I yet seen evidence of a fi rm DPRK de- day that US intelligence offi cials have con- map, or at least signifi cant dismantlement to cast fruit, vegetables, Dancers in elaborate of a national push to reduce waste. As cision to undertake full dismantlement.” cluded that North Korea does not intend to steps that could fi ll in a roadmap,” he said. flowers, and even livestock traditional costumes and of July 1, major retailers in all but two Siegfried Hecker, a nuclear scientist and fully give up its nuclear arsenal and is con- Republican Senator Susan Collins said such as goats and chickens tourists were up before dawn Australian states will be fined if they Stanford University professor, has predicted sidering ways to hide the number of weap- she was troubled by the news reports. into Mount Bromo’s smoking to take part in this year’s supply single-use plastic bags. it would take around 10 years to dismantle ons it has. It also reported Pyongyang has “North Korea has a long history of cheating crater as part of the Yadnya ceremony. National supermarket chain Coles, and clean up a substantial part of North Ko- secret production facilities, according to on agreements that it’s made with previous Kasada festival. Crowds have swelled at owned by Wesfarmers , yesterday re- rea’s Yongbyon nuclear site. South Korea me- the latest evidence they have. administrations,” she said on CNN’s ‘State Other villagers — not Mount Bromo in recent years moved single-use plastic bags from its dia reported yesterday that US envoy Sung Bolton refused to comment on intel- of the Union’. Collins stressed the need for members of the Tengger as the local government stores, shortly after rival Woolworths Kim, the American ambassador to the Philip- ligence matters but the United States was “verifi able, unimpeded, reliable inspec- tribe — try to catch the promotes the festival as a banned the bags on June 20. Con- pines, met with North Korean offi cials at the going into nuclear negotiations aware of tions” of the North’s weapons programmes. off erings before they tourist event. sumer complaints forced Woolworths border yesterday to co-ordinate an agenda Pyongyang’s failure to live up to its prom- Another of Trump’s fellow Republicans in disappear into the billowing Foreign tourists joined to backflip on charging customers for Pompeo’s next visit to North Korea. ises in the past. “We know exactly what the the US Senate, Lindsey Graham, echoed the smoke using nets and sarong. travellers from elsewhere in 15 Australian cents (11 US cents) for a US intelligence is not certain how many risks are – them using negotiations to drag need for scepticism. “If it is true that they This is not technically part Indonesia at the mountain’s reusable plastic bag, with the retailer nuclear warheads North Korea has. The out the length of time they have to continue are saying one thing and doing another, no- of the ritual but reflects local peak, throwing coins into the now off ering them free until July 8. Defense Intelligence Agency is at the high their nuclear, chemical, biological weapons body should be surprised,” he said on NBC’s frugal urges not to waste crater for ‘good luck’. end with an estimate of about 50, but all programmes and ballistic missiles,” he said. Meet the Press. Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 11 BRITAIN

NHS preparing for disruption to supplies from no-deal Brexit

Haroon Siddique cording to the Association of the in terms of ensuring continued regulatory arrangements will be process for EU citizens who want Guardian News & Media British Pharmaceutical Industry. supplies for all the thing that we after Brexit and a smooth tran- to stay in the UK post-Brexit but After the chief executive of need in this country, at the top of sition towards them. It has also that it was also important to NHS England, Simon Stevens, the list has got to be those medi- raised concerns about implica- train more homegrown staff . ignifi cant planning is going revealed last year that there cal supplies. tions for the future of medical In a wide-ranging interview, into preparing the NHS for was no contingency planning “There’s extensive work under research and development. ahead of the NHS’s 70th birthday Sthe prospect of a no-deal within the health service for a way now between the Depart- On Wednesday, the doctors’ on Thursday, he said the £20bn Brexit, including securing con- no-deal Brexit, Labour said it ment of Health, other parts of union, the BMA, said leaving the of extra funding for the NHS was tinuation of medical supplies, the was “grossly irresponsible”. But government, the life sciences in- EU was “bad for Britain’s health” “a real step change”, despite in- head of the health service has said. asked on BBC One’s The Andrew dustry, the pharma companies, as its members endorsed a public creases of 3.4% a year being less Concerns have been raised Marr Show yesterday whether so nobody’s pretending this is a vote on the fi nal Brexit deal. than the 4% he asked for. that if Britain leaves the EU that was still the case, Stevens desirable situation but if that’s Another major worry has been Stevens said: “If you take a without a deal disruption to said it was not and priority had where we get to then it will not the retention of international show like Love Island, look at the imports of drugs and medical gone to securing medical sup- have been unforeseen.” staff amid evidence already of adverts that are shown alongside equipment could cause wide- plies and equipment. The parliamentary health and a Brexit “brain drain” of health Love Island. You’ve got explicit spread hardship to patients. He said: “There’s been signifi - social services committee has workers who come from the ads aiming at young women There are currently 37mn packs cant planning going on around said patients, the NHS and the EU27 countries. Stevens said a around breast, cosmetic surgery. of medicine coming from the EU the scenarios ... Nobody is in UK’s life science industry need letter had been sent to all hos- That’s all playing into a set of Simon Stevens, chief executive of the National Health Service (NHS) into the UK every month, ac- any doubt whatsoever that ... certainty about what the UK’s pitals detailing the registration pressures around Love Island.” speaks on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show in London.

‘Livid’ UK minister tears up customs plan

Environment Secretary at each of the plans. Gove was Michael Gove ripped up plans reportedly among the ministers for possible future customs examining the partnership arrangements with the EU, model, largely opposed by according to reports, as Brexiteers, and was reacting Brexit divisions roil tensions within the cabinet to a summary report of their over Brexit continue to supposed position on it surface. Gove was reportedly prepared by civil servants. “livid” and tore up the papers European Union president detailing Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued a “last call” Theresa May’s preferred on Friday for Britain to explain option for a future customs what it wants from Brexit, as partnership with the European the bloc warned time was Tory party ahead of Union, after concluding his running out and stepped up concerns about the proposals preparations for the prospect had been downplayed, the of no deal. ‘The Independent’ reports said. newspaper said EU leaders Gove, a leading proponent of had given up hope of reaching Brexit, “physically ripped it up an agreement by the next to show he wasn’t prepared summit in October, as originally to accept the document as a envisaged by both sides. key cabinet meeting summary of their discussions,” Meanwhile, in another blow The Sun newspaper reported. to May’s authority, the ‘Daily AFP Conservative lawmakers pile pressure on May The account of the incident Telegraph’ reported new US London was later confirmed by the BBC, National Security Advisor John More than 30 Conservative leadership in the face of those citing aides to the minister. Bolton bypassed Downing lawmakers have signed a who seek to undermine the May will gather together her Street and held a secret ritain’s ruling Conserva- letter demanding Theresa May express wish of the British warring ministers for a key meeting on Brexit with senior tives were mired in divi- “get tough” in negotiations people in the 2016 referendum”. Brexit summit on Friday to Conservative eurosceptic Bsions over Brexit yesterday to leave the European Union, “Our departure must be absolute. thrash out Britain’s plans for lawmakers while in London ahead of a crunch cabinet meet- increasing the pressure on the We must not remain entangled issues including trade and last week. The aide to Donald ing next week and following British prime minister before a with the EU’s institutions if this customs after it leaves the Trump reportedly used the warnings from the EU that time crunch government meeting. restricts our ability to exercise our EU next year, as pressure meeting to stress the US is running out to reach a with- May has pledged to overcome sovereignty as an independent intensifies for them to agree to president’s enthusiasm for drawal deal. Just days after back- deep divisions in her cabinet of nation. Anything less will be a a unified stance. Britain’s withdrawal from the bench lawmakers told Prime ministers at a meeting at her weakening of our democracy. The cabinet, which has been EU and his belief that the two Minister Theresa May that its country residence this week and Britain must stand firm.” publicly disagreeing on countries can agree a trade “departure must be absolute”, come up with a blueprint for the It also lists what the lawmakers various aspects of Brexit, is in deal within two years of its Business Secretary Greg Clark future relationship with the EU, will not accept, including any deadlock over two options for departure. refused to rule out indefi nitely a step needed to move forward extension of a transition period customs arrangements after No government off icials extending a transition period out all-but-stalled Brexit talks. beyond December 31, 2020, the March 29, 2019 withdrawal were present at the meeting, of the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May. The letter from Conservative remaining part of a customs date. A “maximum facilitation” and Downing Street was not Under the current timeta- lawmakers adds to the pressure union and any deal which fails to model proposes using trusted- informed about it, the paper ble the implementation period posite. Calling on her to show warring ministers for a key Brex- on the prime minister, who link the payment of a divorce bill trader arrangements and said. Speculation is growing is set to end in December 2020, “courage and leadership”, the it meeting Friday to thrash out a has so far been reluctant to to getting a good trade deal. With technology to avoid border that Trump will decide to meet after Britain leaves the bloc next group said: “We must not remain unifi ed stance ahead of the re- spell out detailed Brexit plans only nine months to go before checks, while a “customs Tory Brexiteers privately when March. entangled with the EU’s institu- lease of a formal policy proposal because of the rifts inside her Britain leaves the EU, May is also partnership” system would he visits Britain on July 13, “It seems to me that any rea- tions if this restricts our ability the following week. own cabinet over the terms of under pressure in Brussels to set see Britain collect tariffs on further undermining May, it sonable person would have to be to exercise our sovereignty as an The cabinet, which has been Britain’s biggest foreign policy out her vision for future ties and behalf of the EU for goods added. guided by the facts and the evi- independent nation.” dogged by public discord on shift for decades. Dated June off er ways of meeting a promise heading to the continent. Downing Street declined to dence,” Clark told Sky News. The British cabinet is also various aspects of Brexit, is in 29, the letter calls on May to to prevent a return to a hard Two groups of cabinet comment on the reports. “There are things that would deeply divided on Britain’s fu- deadlock over two options for “demonstrate courage and border on the island of Ireland. members have been looking need to (be) put in place, compu- ture relationship with the bloc. customs arrangements after the ter systems for example, posts at Environment Secretary Michael March 29, 2019 withdrawal date. the border,” he added. Gove last week physically ripped A “maximum facilitation” model on behalf of the EU for goods partnership model, largely op- Communities Secretary emerge from Friday’s meeting Andrea Jenkyns, who quit a up proposals for possible post- proposes using trusted-trader heading to the continent. Two posed by Brexiteers, and was James Brokenshire attempted to with a “clear direction”. junior government role to cam- Brexit customs arrangements arrangements and technology groups of cabinet members have reacting to a summary report of downplay divisions yesterday. European Union president paign on Brexit, delivered a let- with the EU favoured by May, to avoid border checks, while a been looking at each of the plans. their supposed position on it pre- “There’s strong views on either Donald Tusk issued a “last call” ter Friday to May signed by more according to reports Saturday. “customs partnership” system Gove was reportedly among pared by civil servants. Downing side,” he told the BBC, adding he Friday for Britain to explain what than 30 Tories insisting the op- May will gather together her would see Britain collect tariff s the ministers examining the Street declined to comment. was “confi dent” ministers would it wants from Brexit.

Thunderstorms Firefi ghters tackle British strawberries in a jam over picker shortage hit parts of Britain Thunderstorms have hit south-west England and Wales, second wildfi re in AFP gled” to fi nd staff , starting from last year. providing a brief respite from Faversham “(It) has become even more diffi cult sweltering temperatures and from May this year,” she added, noting the dry weather that have raised the Northern England fi rm usually brought over around 10,000 prospects of a hosepipe ban. fter weeks of uninterrupted sun- seasonal workers annually. Households have been urged shine the strawberry season is in The labour squeeze is occurring despite to conserve supplies amid near AFP Afull swing in the so-called Garden workers being mostly paid at the national record-breaking temperatures London of England. But with a shortage of sea- living wage of £7.83 ($10.34; 8.84 euros) in June, while over the weekend sonal labourers to pick the fruits, a trend an hour and some given airline tickets, Northern Ireland became the first exacerbated by Brexit, there are grow- housing support and productivity bo- part of the UK to issue a hosepipe irefi ghters in north- ing fears many may be left to rot on their nuses. The prospect of British fruit pickers ban. The Met Off ice gave its first ern England launched a stems. “We will end up with a problem,” replacing them is remote, with the coun- ever thunderstorm warning F“large-scale attack” on a said Alastair Brooks, who runs a 60-hec- try close to full employment and those in yesterday amid fears that torrential new moorland blaze yesterday, tare farm near the town of Faversham in search of jobs mainly in urban areas. “We rain, hail and lightning could lead as emergency responders con- the southern fruit-growing county of Punnets of strawberries are stacked at BR had two (British applicants) this year, in to diff icult driving conditions, road tinued to battle another nearby Kent. Brooks & Son farm in Faversham, south six months,” said Maurel, adding there is closures and flood damage to wildfi re that has been burning all “The agencies that we use for recruit- east England. “absolutely no appetite” for the jobs. “It’s homes and businesses. week. Crews from Manchester ing are saying now that they are not going really, really hard work.” The thunderstorm warnings and the surrounding county of A firefighter beats out a wildfire to be able to fi ll any vacancy after August.” largely as a result of an increase in home- Producers are calling on the government were only introduced last month Lancashire are tackling a “rapidly on Winter Hill in Lancashire, His operation in Kent produces about grown strawberries. to open the immigration system to more in recognition that there is “a developing, aggressive fi re” that north west England yesterday. 1,200 tonnes of strawberries and 400 The industry is now worth more than seasonal workers from countries outside significant diff erence between the gained strength overnight after tonnes of raspberries annually from April £1.2bn ($1.6bn; 1.4bn euros). The staff the EU, as Germany, Spain, Portugal and impacts of heavy rain in winter two big blazes merged north of across the country that has left to November. shortage is not restricted to fruits, with Ireland have already done. Maurel noted and those from thunderstorms”. A Bolton, according to offi cials. rural areas dry. “There’s defi nitely a tightening of the the entire horticultural sector buff eted by that Britain, whose citizens voted to leave new weather alert was introduced “We increased fi refi ghting ef- With little rain forecast for labour market,” added Brooks, 50, who Brexit and improvements in labour mar- the bloc partly to put a brake on European by the Met Off ice for lightning at forts at 4:30 this morning in or- the area, offi cials have warned it employs 20 permanent and 180 seasonal kets in Eastern Europe. immigration, “is ironically perhaps the the same time. About 30-40mm der to mount a large-scale attack could be weeks before they bring workers. As unemployment has fallen in Bul- only country to recruit only within the of rain was expected in places on the fi re fronts,” Lancashire the blazes under control. Mean- “If you go back even to last year, there garia and Romania, the number of people (EU).” but today the thunderstorms are Fire Service said in a statement. while dozens of fi refi ghters re- were four or fi ve applicants for every job, applying to work in England’s fi elds has Without government intervention, expected to have all but cleared, Twenty-fi ve fi refi ghting vehi- main at the site of another large and this year we have to chase people. dropped, with Britain’s impending depar- British Summer Fruits is warning the im- leaving most of the country free cles are deployed, he said, add- blaze 30 miles (48km) away, “We will see fruits left, not only in this ture from the European Union now ampli- pact on the industry could be devastat- to bask in sunnier weather. ing: “We are looking into getting which has raging since last Sun- farm, but across the country,” he predict- fying the trend. It has led to uncertainty ing. “Our growers are investing millions of Helen Roberts, meteorologist helicopter support later in the day. Last Thursday, members of ed. over future immigration rules, while fears pounds every year in their businesses and at the Met Off ice, said: “It could day to assist with getting water the armed forces were called in A recent study by British Summer of encountering xenophobia and a weak- actually they don’t know now whether be another day of very warm or onto the incident ground.” to help tackle the fi re on Saddle- Fruits, the biggest industry body, found ened British currency — giving less money they will have any seasonal staff ,” Marston hot sunshine. There will be some Offi cials warned people to worth Moor, east of Manchester, three out of fi ve soft fruit growers are to send home — have also deterred arriv- warned. cloud across the south-west avoid the area – and not fl y which had led to the temporary struggling to recruit the 30,000 seasonal als. “No business would invest under those corner of the country where they drones overhead. “There are evacuation of dozens of homes. staff needed. Around 95% of the work- Maria Parnic, 37, who has been work- circumstances,” he said, adding a third had have been showers (on Sunday) helicopters fl ying in the area Greater Manchester Fire and ers currently come from Eastern Europe. ing for Brook’s operation for seven years, already decided to scale back investment, so that diminishes things a little to extinguish the fi re and the Rescue Service (GMFRS) said it “At the moment berry farms are typically said a hard Brexit would likely lead her and while others were looking at expanding in bit but otherwise (there will be) drones are putting fi refi ghters’ had 28 fi re engines and 120 per- between 10 and 15% short of people,” its other Eastern Europeans to leave. “They diff erent countries. A spokesman for the lots more sunshine.” With the rain and pilots’ lives at risk,” the fi re sonnel battling both moorland chairman Nick Marston said. “Growers say ‘I don’t go anymore in England, I go Department of Agriculture said it is work- expected to be short-lived, Welsh service said. blazes. say they expect that position to be worse in Italy, I go in Germany’,” she said foreign ing closely with the Home Offi ce, which is Water and South West Water Britain, where large wildfi res Smoke has darkened the skies next year.” colleagues and neighbours tell her. Steph- in charge of immigration policy, “to ensure encouraged householders to cut are rare, has experienced weeks above one of the country’s most Soft fruit production in Britain has anie Maurel, CEO of recruitment agency the labour needs of the agriculture sector water consumption where they of uninterrupted hot weather densely populated areas. grown over the past 20 years by 131% — Concordia, confi rmed it has “really strug- are met once we leave the EU”. could. —Guardian News & Media Gulf Times 12 Monday, July 2, 2018 EUROPE

Poverty in Italy at Hardline minister rejects its highest level in Merkel’s migration plan 12 years

AFP Reuters Berlin Rome

erman Chancellor Angela he number of people liv- Merkel’s hardline interior ing in poverty in Italy Gminister Horst Seehofer Tclimbed to its highest is unhappy with an EU-wide level for more than a decade in deal she struck last week to re- 2017, data showed this week, duce migration, sources told prompting a promise of urgent AFP yesterday, sharpening a cri- action from the country’s new sis that threatens to bring down government. her conservative alliance. Those living in “absolute pov- After his Bavarian Christian erty” rose to 5.1mn last year, or Social Union (CSU) party spent 8.4% of the population, despite a weeks pressuring Merkel to fourth consecutive year of mod- toughen immigration and asy- Seehofer: told party colleagues that a discussion he had had with est economic growth. lum policy, Seehofer complained Merkel late on Saturday evening had been fruitless. That was up from 7.9% in 2016 to allies that he had endured a and the highest since current “conversation with no eff ect” well as federal interior minister, big step forward,” CSU deputy records began in 2005, national with the chancellor on Saturday, rejected her assessment that the chief Manfred Weber, who leads statistics bureau ISTAT report- the sources said. EU-wide measures would “have the centre-right European Peo- ed. CSU leaders gathered in Mu- the same eff ect” as his demand ple’s Party (EPP) group in the ISTAT defi nes absolute pover- nich from 3pm (1300 GMT) to to turn away at the border asy- European Parliament, said. Merkel leaves the German public television ZDF off ice in Berlin after recording the traditional ty as the condition of those who decide their response to the EU lum-seekers already registered “The CSU has rocked Europe ‘summer interview’ yesterday, prior to a leadership meeting of her centre-right CDU party. Her CDU and cannot buy goods and services deal, while Merkel and her top in other EU nations. in the last few weeks,” he added. its conservative Bavarian CSU allies held separate meetings yesterday to weigh the results of last week’s “essential to avoid grave forms lieutenants were set to huddle If he orders border police to go Leaders agreed on Friday to EU summit. of social exclusion”. later in the day in Berlin. ahead with the scheme in defi - consider setting up “disembar- Italy emerged from a steep On Friday European leaders ance of the chancellor, Merkel kation platforms” outside the deals with 16 other countries to solute majority in Bavaria’s state migration and asylum laws. double-dip recession in 2014, agreed new measures to reduce would be forced to fi re him, in EU, most likely in North Africa, return already-registered mi- parliament. Nevertheless, the anti-refu- but the report shows that the immigration to the bloc and so- turn prompting a CSU walkout in a bid to discourage migrants grants if had they reached Ger- The “Free State” with its gee, anti-Islam Alternative for slow growth posted since then called “secondary migration” of that would cost her her majority and refugees boarding EU- many. beer-and-lederhosen Alpine Germany (AfD) was propelled has done little to help its poor- asylum-seekers between coun- in parliament. bound smuggler boats. In a newspaper interview, traditions, powerful industries into federal parliament for the est. tries. Backing for the long-time Member countries could also Germany’s EU Commissioner and impenetrable dialect has fi rst time last year by outrage Gross domestic product rose Merkel, who has been in offi ce German leader came from lead- create processing centres to de- Guenther Oettinger reminded a more conservative bent than over immigration, leading to 1.5% last year, the strongest since 2005, warned ahead of the ing fi gures in the CDU, with termine whether the new arriv- fellow conservatives that Mer- other German regions. months of paralysis while Mer- since 2010. summit that the issue of migra- Hesse state premier Volker als are returned home as eco- kel’s “respect and authority” However, the CSU and CDU kel struggled to fi nd a workable Roughly the same rate is fore- tion could decide the very future Bouffi er warning that it would nomic migrants or admitted as among member countries were together form a centre-right coalition. cast for this year, which would of the EU itself. be “extremely ill-advised to take refugees in willing states. “very valuable for Germany, no- force that has dominated na- Opinion polls point to the AfD leave Italy in its customary posi- Earlier yesterday, Merkel told national measures without con- At the national level, Merkel one should destroy it”. tional politics for decades. making a similarly spectacular tion among the eurozone’s most broadcaster ZDF that she would sulting others”. also proposes that migrants ar- However, several central Eu- Political stability was upset by entrance to Bavaria’s parliament sluggish economies. do “everything possible to “We should keep a cool head,” riving in Germany who fi rst reg- ropean nations including Po- Merkel’s 2015 decision to keep in October. Fighting poverty has always achieve results that mean we can he added. istered in another EU country land, Hungary, the Czech Re- borders open to migrants and Weeks of “Merkel-bashing”, been a battle cry of the anti- continue to assume responsibil- The Bavarian party’s discon- should be placed in special “ad- public and Slovakia have denied refugees arriving from the Mid- however, have failed to help the establishment 5-Star Movement ity for our country”, adding that tent comes despite many of its missions centres” under restric- that they had agreed to accept dle East via the Balkans, Hun- CSU, as a Forsa poll last week (M5S), which emerged as eas- “everyone knows the situation long-standing migration de- tive conditions, according to a returned migrants. gary and Austria. showed around 68% of Bavar- ily the largest party at national is serious” between her centre- mands appearing in the EU sum- document she sent to the CSU The chancellor’s frantic last- Since then, more than 1mn ians backed Merkel’s quest for a elections in March when it took right Christian Democratic Un- mit deal. and coalition partners the Social minute diplomacy was ulti- people have arrived in Germa- Europe-wide answer to migra- some 32% of the vote. ion (CDU) and their CSU allies. “Good decisions were taken at Democratic Party (SPD). mately prompted by the CSU’s ny, while Merkel’s governments tion rather than Germany going The M5S formed a coalition Seehofer, who is CSU leader as the summit, Europe has taken a The document also outlined fear of losing its cherished ab- have repeatedly tightened im- it alone. government this month with the right-wing League, and its leader, Luigi Di Maio, said the latest data showed the urgency of the M5S’s fl agship policy of a universal income, or “citizen’s Salvini calls for a Europe-wide alliance wage” for the poor. “It’s not possible to carry on like this ... the citizens’ wage AFP Salvini, who is also co-deputy per declared on Saturday. must be launched immediate- Pontida, Italy prime minister, has thrived with The party’s strength “de- ly,” said Di Maio, who is deputy his hardline stance as the mi- pends above all on the continui- prime minister as well as indus- grant issue has become central ty of Matteo Salvini’s communi- try and labour minister in the taly’s hardline Interior Min- to the European Union’s agenda. cation strategy in relation to the new government. ister Matteo Salvini has He announced on Friday that electoral campaign, a strategy Opinion polls show that the Icalled for a Europe-wide al- Italian ports would be closed “all based on a precise choice of sen- M5S’s support has ebbed slight- liance against “mass immigra- summer” to charity ships which sitive topics in Europe, and also ly in recent months while the tion” at a triumphant annual rescue migrants trying to cross on his aggressive stance towards League, which took 17% at the gathering of his far-right League the Mediterranean from Africa political leaders”, in particular March 4 election, has surged on party yesterday, after declar- to Europe. President Emmanuel Macron of the back of a vigorous and popu- ing the country’s ports closed to “The NGOs will only see It- France, the paper said. lar campaign against immigra- non-governmental organisation aly on a postcard,” Salvini had Last weekend, Macron called tion. migrant ships. quipped. for fi nancial penalties to be Both parties are now estimat- “I think of a league of Leagues “The decision to open or close levied against EU nations that ed at just under 30%, with the in Europe, which unites all the ports is taken by the interior refuse to accept migrants. latest poll published last week free movements that want to de- minister,” he said yesterday. The two men have also by the SWG agency putting the fend their borders and the well- Anti-immigration hardliners clashed over Rome’s refusal to League on 29.7% and the M5S on being of their children,” Salvini accuse the rescuers of exacer- take in rescue boats with asy- 29.4%. said at his fi fth party conference bating the situation in the Medi- lum-seekers. In the underdeveloped south in the northern port of Pontida. terranean, where migrants try Italy’s stance comes despite of Italy, the bedrock of the Around 50,000 people from to cross the sea on rickety boats the fact that arrivals have dipped M5S’s support, 11.4% of people around Italy attended the event, from North Africa. by 96% since the peak of Eu- were living in absolute poverty local media reported, drawn by The issue has once again ex- rope’s migration crisis in 2015. last year, up from 9.8% in 2016, Salvini’s “Italians fi rst” rallying posed the rifts plaguing the Eu- It has also sparked warnings ISTAT said. cry. ropean Union, as member states that authoritarian movements That compared with 6.4% in “It’s an indescribable feeling,” fi ght over how to handle the in- will take advantage of any failure central regions including the Salvini told the crowds, to hear fl ux of people fl eeing war, pov- to tackle migration. capital, Rome, and 7.0% in the the “calls of love coming from erty and persecution trying to Salvini took the helm of the north, including the business Pontida”. reach the continent. League in 2013, when it was a capital, Milan. He said the League had ce- On Friday, the bloc’s 28 lead- northern secessionist party on ISTAT said that Italians liv- mented its place as the “most ers hammered out a hard-fought Salvini speaking to journalists yesterday during the annual meeting of Lega Nord (North League) in the brink of collapse with 4% of ing in “relative poverty”, or those populist party” in Europe. agreement aimed at clamping Pontida, northeast Milan. the popular vote. whose disposable income is less “The term is a compliment down on immigration. Since then, he has ridden a than around half the national to me,” the 45-year-old, clad in But key divisions remain re- ment elections will be a refer- third largest economy narrowly and the anti-establishment wave of public discontent, play- average, also edged up in 2017 a blue T-shirt bearing his own garding its implementation. endum on “a Europe without avoid snap elections after a last- 5-Star Movement (M5S). ing on anti-immigrant senti- to 9.4mn people, or 15.6% of the portrait, told journalists earlier. Salvini – who has forged al- borders ... and a Europe that gasp coalition deal. Salvini’s hardline charisma ment as he has sought to shift population. “I will tour capital cities, and liances with other far-right protects its citizens”. Prime Minister Giuseppe has all but eclipsed his co-depu- the party’s image from defender That compared with 14.0% in not just European ones, to cre- Europeans including France’s Italy’s new anti-establish- Conte was sworn in at the head ty prime minister and M5S lead- of the wealthy north against 2016 and was the highest fi gure ate an alternative to this Europe National Rally (formerly the Na- ment government took power on of the fi rst far-right, populist er Luigi Di Maio. the “parasite” south, to that of since current records began in founded on exploitation ... (and) tional Front) – said yesterday June 1, ending months of dead- government in an EU founding “It’s the League’s moment,” guardian of Italy’s national sov- 1997. mass immigration.” that the 2019 European Parlia- lock that saw the eurozone’s member, forged by the League the Corriere della Sera newspa- ereignty. Migrant rescue boat heads for Spain

Reuters ports in Italy and Malta” and said ister Giuseppe Conte said was children, and were of various Rome that the boat would arrive in Bar- positive for Italy, the European nationalities including Palestin- celona on Wednesday. nation that has borne the brunt ians, Syrians, and Guineans. In a similar episode on June 11, of migrant arrivals by sea in re- More than 650,000 migrants humanitarian boat carry- Spain off ered to take in another cent years. have come ashore in Italy since ing 59 migrants rescued charity rescue boat, Aquarius, However, the agreement does 2014, mostly after being rescued Aoff Libya was heading for with 629 migrants aboard, after not oblige other EU states to at sea off the Libyan coast by pri- Barcelona yesterday after Italy Italy and Malta had barred its share the burden of rescues in the vate and public groups. and Malta, both much closer to ports. Mediterranean. Italy is sheltering about the place of rescue, had refused The travails of the Aquarius, “Thank you for doing the most 170,000, but the number of ar- to let it dock in their ports. which fi nally docked in Valen- diffi cult part, saving lives, and rivals has plummeted this year. The boat Open Arms, run cia, triggered a barrage of insults thank you for not giving up in the Despite the decline in arriv- by the Spanish Proactiva Open and accusations among Euro- face of cruel and inhuman Eu- als, there are still daily stories of Arms charity, said late on Sat- pean Union Countries over who ropean policies,” Colau tweeted. disasters as migrants make the urday that it was “going home” should take responsibility for “Barcelona awaits you with open perilous crossing from Africa to after receiving an off er of a safe migrants picked up in the Medi- arms.” Europe. port from Barcelona’s mayor Ada terranean. Proactiva Open Arms said the The Libyan coastguard said Colau. EU leaders on Friday came to a migrants on board the boat, who that around 100 were thought to In a tweet, it denounced the hard-fought agreement over mi- it picked up early on Saturday, have drowned off Tripoli on Fri- This picture issued yesterday shows migrants on the deck of the boat of the NGO Proactiva Open Arms. “inhuman policies and closed gration which Italian Prime Min- included fi ve women and four day. Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 13 EUROPE Russians protest pension reform as Putin’s popularity rating drops

AFP Both Kremlin-friendly trade form amid plunging living stand- Mass rallies will not take place start doing something”. The government says that More than 80% of Russians are Moscow unions and political parties and ards may present the most seri- in Moscow and other cities host- “Let’s be honest: the state move to increase the pension age against the pension hike as many Putin’s top critic Alexei Navalny ous challenge to Putin during his ing the World Cup where protests pension hike masterminded by is unavoidable as the current sys- see early retirement as a com- organised the rallies, in a rare nearly 20 years in power. are banned. Putin and (Prime Minister Dmit- tem represents a growing weight pensation for social injustice in everal thousand people show of unity and widespread Protesters rallied in the far- However, one young Russian ry) Medvedev is a true crime,” for the cash-strapped federal the country. protested yesterday across public opposition to the govern- eastern cities of Vladivostok, managed to evade police, take his Navalny said on Instagram ahead budget. According to the VTsIOM state SRussia against a hugely ment proposal. Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk- clothes off and stage a one-man of the rallies. “It is common rob- To sweeten the pill, it an- pollster, the Kremlin leader’s unpopular government decision “Croak before retirement – on-Amur, the Siberian cities of protest on Moscow’s Red Square, bery of tens of millions of people nounced the measures on June approval ratings slumped by a to hike the pension age that has help the budget,” read one plac- Omsk and Tomsk and Murmansk his head turned in the Kremlin’s under the guise of ‘much-needed 14, the day the World Cup kicked record 14 percentage points in led to a record slump in President ard, seen on pictures shared on in the north, among other places. direction. reform’.” off in Russia. the space of nearly two weeks – Vladimir Putin’s approval rat- social media. Navalny said that more than “They even took the clothes off The authorities have proposed More than 2.5mn people have to 64% on June 24 from 78% on ings. “I will spend my fi rst pen- 3,000 people protested in Omsk our back,” read a sign he held to raising the pension age to 65 for signed a petition against the pro- June 14. Rallying in dozens of cit- sion to buy a coffi n if I live long alone, tweeting a picture of a city cover himself. men and 63 for women, which posal. The last time the Russian ies from the far east and Siberia enough,” said another. square fl ooded with people. The 28-year-old protester, Vy- would be the fi rst such increase Unlike in Western democra- president’s approval ratings to central and southern Russia, Given Russians’ low life ex- The demonstrations drew acheslav Shumsky, said on radio in nearly 90 years. cies, pensions in Russia are mea- were so low was in January 2014, many urged Putin to oust the pectancy, many will not live long people from all sides of the po- that he wanted to draw public A legacy of the Union of Soviet gre and many have to work past just months before his popular- government, while some called enough to receive a state pension. litical spectrum including Nav- attention to a raft of unpopular Socialist Republics (USSR), Rus- their state pension age to survive, ity skyrocketed following Rus- on the Kremlin leader himself to Analysts say that growing alny’s supporters, Communists government measures including sia’s retirement age is currently others rely on fi nancial help from sia’s annexation of Crimea from “retire”. popular discontent over the re- and radical nationalists. the pension reform “so that we among the lowest in the world. their children. Ukraine.

Tough Swedish law on French gangster rape now in force in spectacular

AFP Stockholm

tough new law that will recognise sex without Aexplicit consent as rape copter jailbreak came into eff ect in Sweden yes- terday, after the country was AFP Right: This picture taken rocked by the #MeToo move- Réau, France yesterday in Aulnay-sous-Bois, ment denouncing sexual harass- north of Paris, shows a partially- ment and assault. torched car abandoned by Faid. The law stipulates that a per- notorious gangster, who son has committed rape if they said his life of crime was have been part of a sexual act in Ainspired by Hollywood which the other person has not fi lms like Scarface, pulled off a participated “freely”. brazen jailbreak yesterday, fl ee- Rape had previously been ing a prison near Paris aboard defi ned as a sexual act carried a hijacked helicopter in a com- out with the use of violence or mando-style operation. threat. Redoine Faid, 46, broke out of Now for someone to face rape the prison with the help of two charges, “it is no longer neces- accomplices who used smoke sary that violence or threats bombs and angle grinders to were applied, or that the ag- make their way into the facility’s gressor took advantage of the visiting room where Faid was victim’s particularly vulnerable talking to a brother, who was This file photo taken on April 15, 2013 shows a reproduction of the situation”, according to the gov- later taken into custody, accord- Interpol website showing the international ‘wanted person’ notice ernment. ing to prison unionist Martial for Faid. Courts will need to pay partic- Delabroye and a judicial source. ular attention to whether con- The men quickly made good in a northeastern suburb of Paris The escape came after an ap- sent was expressed with words, their escape in the helicopter about 60km (37 miles) from the peals court in April sentenced gestures or in another manner, in an operation lasting just 10 prison, one source said. Faid to 25 years for mastermind- and judges will have to rule on minutes, Delabroye told AFP at A police source said that the ing a botched armed robbery in the issue, according to the law the penitentiary in Réau, in the helicopter pilot was a fl ight in- 2010 in which a policewoman passed in May. French capital’s southeastern structor waiting for a student was killed. Judge Anna Hannell, who suburbs. when he was seized by Faid’s ac- Faid has been behind bars helped create the law, said that It is the second time Faid has complices. since mid-2011 for breaking the there is “absolutely no require- pulled off a spectacular escape – He was forced to fl y before be- terms of his parole over past ment to formally say ‘yes’, to hit a in 2013, he blasted his way out of ing later freed in a state of shock. convictions for bank robberies button in an app or anything else a prison in northern France us- The men apparently went on and brazen heists of cash-in- Police off icers are seen near the helicopter II abandoned by Faid after his escape from prison. of the same type”. ing dynamite. to use a car that was later found transit vehicles. “Simply participating physi- The helicopter – hijacked torched in a shopping mall car In his 2013 jailbreak, he briefl y men had been there for several outside Paris where he grew up, sors said that Faid had never had cally is a sign of consent,” she from a terrifi ed fl ight instructor park, police said. took four guards hostage with a days. has made several television ap- any disputes with staff , “but we told Swedish news agency TT. – landed at around 11.15am (0915 Some “2,900 police and gen- pistol before escaping in a wait- Faid had earlier been released pearances. must always be wary”. More than 7,000 rapes were GMT) in the prison yard. darmes have been mobilised” for ing getaway car. from a 10-year stint behind bars At a Paris fi lm festival in April “In the corner of his mind, he reported in Sweden last year, a The two black-clad men a nationwide manhunt, a police All the hostages were released after convincing parole offi cers 2009, Faid approached Michael never lost the idea of escaping. 10% increase compared to 2016, armed with assault rifl es set source told AFP. unharmed. that he regretted his criminal Mann, the director of the 1995 Behind all his manners – he is latest offi cial fi gures show. off smoke bombs before break- French Justice Minister Faid was recaptured six weeks past and was determined to start gangster fi lm Heat, starring Al very polite – he always hid his Rape is punishable by up to six ing their way into the prison’s Nicole Belloubet, who arrived later at a hotel located in an in- afresh. Pacino and Robert de Niro, tell- game,” the supervisor said. years in prison, with a maximum visitation room using the power at the prison in Réau yesterday dustrial area on the outskirts of Police nicknamed him “The ing him: “You were my technical Delabroye, the prison union penalty of 10 years if the victim tools. evening, said that the comman- Paris. Author” for two books he co- adviser.” rep, said the yard where the heli- is a minor. The wardens, who were un- dos most likely “used drones to A woman working at the hotel wrote about his delinquent He wrote that he had watched copter landed is the only area not Backed by the ruling Social armed, fl ed to safety and raised survey the location ... the in- told AFP at the time that Faid’s youth. the fi lm dozens of times to per- equipped with anti-aircraft net- Democrat-Green coalition, the the alarm. quiry that is under way will tell accomplice had paid for the Faid, who has a cult following fect his bank-robbing prowess. ting because inmates never use legislation has drawn criticism The helicopter was later found us”. room in cash and that the two in the tough immigrant suburbs One of his prison supervi- it – “except to leave the prison”. from a number of quarters, in- cluding the Swedish lawyers’ association and the national law council. Opponents say that it will force judges to make arbitrary Pantheon burial honour for rights icon decisions on whether or not there was consent. However, the government has AFP leading to the Pantheon. horror and that’s why she’s in bers of her family and a host defended the legislation. Paris President Emmanuel Macron people’s hearts,” he told AFP. of politicians and dignitaries, “#MeToo showed with force said the decision to bury her Simone Veil was 16 when she among them former presidents that a lot still needs to be done to there was a decision taken by the was deported along with family Francois Hollande and Nicolas fi ght sexual harassment and sex- housands gathered in entire nation. members in 1944 to Auschwitz. Sarkozy as well as Macron. ual violence at work and in the Paris yesterday to pay “It is ... what all French peo- Her mother, father and broth- Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, which rest of society,” Gender Equality Ttheir fi nal respects to ple wanted,” he said at the cer- er were killed in the Holocaust. has become the European Union Minister Lena Hallengren said in Holocaust survivor and wom- emony. “With Simone Veil, After her return she became anthem, played during the cer- a statement yesterday. en’s rights icon Simone Veil as all the women that have made a resolute advocate of women’s emony. The government will allocate she was given the rare honour of France are here.” rights as well as European rec- Also at the event was former 120mn krona (€11.5mn/$13.5mn) burial at the Pantheon a year and “We owe it to Simone Veil onciliation, securing her biggest minister Segolene Royal, who to combat sexual abuse, she a day after she died. not to let the doubts and crises political victory in 1974 by con- said it was “not normal” for so added. People stand by a portrait of Simone Veil following the burial Veil’s death at the age of 89 which are hitting Europe miti- vincing the French parliament to few women to have been in- The #MeToo campaign ex- ceremony at the Pantheon in Paris. prompted an outpouring of gate the dazzling victory that, legalise abortion despite fi erce terred at the Pantheon, consid- posing sexual misconduct, emotion as she had long been for 70 years, we have won over opposition. ering 75 men had received the which began with the series of considered one of France’s most the rifts and mistakes of past She also became the fi rst honour. allegations against Hollywood Four dead in Romania flooding popular and trusted public fi g- centuries,” he said. elected president of the Euro- She called for three women in mogul Harvey Weinstein, has ures. Among the crowds were many pean Parliament in 1979, a post particular to be added: Olympe shaken up nearly every sector in Days of torrential rains in Romania have claimed four lives and The Pantheon in the heart women wearing T-shirts with she held for three years. de Gouges, the revolutionary Sweden, one of the most gender- forced more than 250 people to flee their homes, local authorities of Paris houses the remains of the slogan: “Thank you Si- The campaign to have Veil’s co-author of a declaration of equal countries in the world. said yesterday. many great French fi gures, in- mone.” remains transferred to the Pan- women’s rights who was guil- More than 10,000 women in High waters swept away two men and a woman, while a fourth cluding Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Beatrice, 43, paid tribute to theon began immediately after lotined in 1793, anarchist Louise Sweden – including actresses, person was crushed when flooding caused her home to collapse. and Emile Zola. “the way she worked for wom- her death on June 30, 2017, with Michel, and philosopher Simone journalists, lawyers, musicians, An embankment gave way in the hard-hit central Covasna region, She is only the fi fth woman en’s freedom, so that they can two petitions gaining hundreds de Beauvoir. doctors, and construction work- swamping several villages including Bacel and Lunca Marcusului. to be buried there, being laid to choose their career, choose of thousands of signatures. The transfer of Veil’s remains ers – have spoken up and cam- rest alongside her husband An- whether to have children or not”. Until now, only four women began on Friday, when the cou- paigned against harassment. toine, a high-ranking civil serv- Bernard Greensfeld, who was have been interred there: scien- ple’s coffi ns were exhumed from “#MeToo is changing behav- New record low temperature: -98.6°C ant who died in 2013. outside the Holocaust memo- tist Marie Curie, Sophie Berth- the Montparnasse cemetery iours and people now under- Their coffi ns were escorted rial, said that Veil “broke every elot, who was buried alongside and brought to the crypt of the stand the extent to which sexual Researchers have recorded the lowest ever temperature on the by Republican Guards through glass ceiling, in terms of wom- her chemist husband Marcellin French Holocaust Memorial, violence is widespread,” said Ida Earth’s surface: -98.6° Celsius in Antarctica. Paris from the Holocaust Me- en in society, but also that of Berthelot, and resistance fi ght- which she helped found. Ostensson of the Make Equal A research group under lead scientist Ted Scambos from the morial where they had been for (France’s role in) the extermina- ers Genevieve de Gaulle-Antho- After Macron’s address, the foundation, a key campaigner University of Colorado in Boulder discovered the record low when 48 hours to allow the public to tion of the Jews: it was taboo”. nioz and Germaine Tillion. two coffi ns were transferred into for the new law. “We fi nally have analysing satellite measurements of the icy southern continent. pay their last respects. “She’s not going into the Pan- As the sun beat down, a large the Pantheon where they will lie legislation that protects physical The researchers published a paper on the measurements in the They were then carried by theon as a Holocaust victim but crowd gathered for the ceremo- in state until today, with admis- and sexual integrity.” journal Advancing Earth and Space Sciences. pall-bearers on a blue carpet as someone who overcame this ny which was attended by mem- sion free until July 8. Gulf Times 14 Monday, July 2, 2018 INDIA

PEOPLE POLITICS CATERING ENVIRONMENT ACCIDENT Ex-speaker Chatterjee PDP legislator revolts 4 fall ill as ‘undercooked’ Delhi Sikh group to launch Bengali actor falls off continues to be critical against Mehbooba Mufti chicken served on train tree plantation drive apartment, condition stable

The health of former Lok Sabha speaker In a bitter attack on former Jammu and Four passengers on the Puri-Sealdah Duronto The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Veteran Bengali actor Chinmoy Roy, who fell Somnath Chatterjee, under treatment at a private Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, Express allegedly fell ill after eating “undercooked” Committee (DSGMC) yesterday said it will off the fifth floor of his apartment on Saturday nursing home in Kolkata following a cerebral senior People’s Democratic Party legislator chicken, a railway off icial said. The authorities have launch a mega plantation drive in the current evening, was “stable neurologically”, a hospital haemorrhage, continues to be critical, a hospital Abid Hussain Ansari yesterday said she has since decided to suspend the vendor’s licence. The monsoon season to create “urban forests” in spokesman said yesterday. The 77-year-old actor off icial said. “His condition is more or less the converted the party into a “family fiefdom”. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp – which the national capital. “The DSGMC will start suff ered injuries on his head, arms, leg and other same. He is still kept in the critical care unit and Addressing PDP workers and supporters, deals with catering, tourism and online ticketing distributing free saplings of plants and trees parts of the body, his son Sankha said, adding all the standard medical procedures are being Ansari said: “She has destroyed the party and of Indian Railways – said they will discontinue the mentioned in the ‘Gurbani’ such as ‘Neem’ the actor was found by neighbours lying on the followed. Such critical patients generally take finally converted it into a family fiefdom. She service of the third-party vendor responsible for and ‘Ber’ along with others species, beneficial ground floor of the building in south Kolkata. time to recover,” Pradip Tondon, CEO of Bellevue got her cameraman brother out of the blue and serving food on the train and will levy a hefty fine for the environment,” the DSGMC said in a He was admitted to Rabindranath Tagore clinic, said. “He is slightly conscious at times but made him tourism minister even when he did on him. “At least four passengers were served statement. “The free sapling of tree will be International Institute of Cardiac Sciences. “He is extremely drowsy. However, there has not been not have an elementary knowledge of tourism.” undercooked chicken on Saturday night. The distributed from Sikh shrines mainly Gurdwara in critical care unit. He has upper limb and femur any further deterioration in his condition,” he Ansari said he has “always told her that she was passengers complained of uneasiness while a Rakab Ganj and Gurdwara Bangla Sahib which fracture. Vertebral injury is not ruled out. He is added. Tondon confirmed the veteran politician surrounded by sycophants who are destroying teenager fell ill after eating food,” IRCTC general are visited by largest numbers of devotees stable neurologically. He is not on ventilator,” would not undergo any surgery. the party and giving her wrong advice”. manager Debasish Chandra said. daily,” the statement said. the hospital spokesman said.

Celebrities dazzle at Ambani son’s AAP to step engagement

IANS Mumbai up campaign op politicians, industry moguls, sports personal- Tities and Bollywood stars dazzled at the engagement par- ty of Reliance Industries chair- man Mukesh Ambani’s eldest for Delhi’s son Akash and fiancee Shloka Mehta. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looked every bit of the diva at the event at Ambani’s residence here on Saturday night in a saree with gold fl oral motifs, while husband statehood Abhishek opted for a black sher- wani and their daughter Aarad- IANS ticipate in the campaign, as the leaders from six countries will hya was decked up in a red and New Delhi AAP plans to open at least 3,000 visit the existing 150 clinics on golden lehenga. centres throughout the national September 6, which just shows Business honchos who at- capital for the purpose. the success of our project.” tended the glitzy event were he Aam Aadmi Party yes- “Anyone who wishes to volun- Meanwhile, experts said Ambani’s younger brother Anil terday announced its plan teer at our campaign centres can statehood was not a burning is- Ambani and his wife Tina, Tata Tto ramp up its campaign dial 7065049000. Take the forms sue among the residents but Group chairman emeritus Ratan for full statehood to Delhi. from the centre, get it signed a way should be found to give Tata, Mahindra group chairman Addressing a gathering of and submit the form there again. more powers to the elected gov- Anand Mahindra, Kotak Mahin- thousands of AAP supporters, From there, these will be sent ernment to make its work easier. dra managing director Uday Ko- ministers and legislators here, along with the chief minister’s Delhi is a Union Territory tak, Aditya Birla Group chairman Chief Minister Arvind Kejri- letter to Modi,” Rai said. with special status. Unlike Kumar Mangalam Birla and Zee wal said that if “Prime Min- Kejriwal said that the submis- other states, matters concern- chair Subhash Chandra. ister Narendra Modi fulfi ls his sion of 1mn letters to Modi was ing law and order and land fall Politicians who graced the promise of granting Delhi full just the fi rst phase of his party’s in the purview of the central event included Maharashtra Chief statehood before the 2019 gen- programme. government. And with the cen- Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv eral elections, his party will once “The AAP will continue their tral government controlled by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray again win all seven Lok Sabha fi ght for the people of Delhi and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- with wife Rashmi Thackeray, fed- seats in the national capital. If continue the campaign until led government, the AAP has eral ministers Suresh Prabhu and not, then in the next election, he each and every resident of Delhi been having a running battle for Manoj Sinha, Nationalist Con- should be ready to be left empty- is covered,” he said. greater control and freedom to gress Party president Sharad Pa- handed.” Since the central government act. war and his party colleague Pra- Kejriwal said that it was Lt says that Delhi is the national Former Lok Sabha and Delhi ful Patel, senior Congress leaders Governor Anil Baijal who did not capital and hence cannot be Assembly secretary Sudarshan Anand Sharma, Digvijay Singh, let his government build “more given full statehood, Kejriwal Kumar Sharma said Delhi can Prithviraj Chavan and former MP Mohalla Clinics, educational in- suggested that while the areas become a full-fl edged state only Priya Dutt. stitutions, ensure ration delivery under the New Delhi Municipal if the constitution is amended. Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor at doorsteps and install CCTVs Council (NDMC) can come un- He said the capital of a country looked dapper in a black band- for the people of Delhi.” der the central government, the has its own administrative re- hgala. He made a stylish entry Deputy Chief Minister Man- rest of Delhi should be given full quirements. with his mother Neetu Singh ish Sisodia announced that the statehood. “Nowhere in the world is the Kapoor and fi lmmaker friend AAP will, in the next phase of “The NDMC zone, where capital of a nation under the rule Ayan Mukherji. “Dilli maange apna haq” (Delhi all the dignitaries live, should of a state government. The capi- Alia Bhatt, Shraddha Kapoor, demands its right) campaign, be handled by the central gov- tal belongs to all,” Sharma said. Sara Tendulkar, Rekha, Sara Ali will reach out to 1mn families ernment and remaining Delhi Former Lok Sabha secretary Khan and Rani Mukherjee looked here from July 3 to 25 for signa- should be given full statehood general P D T Achary said the stunning in their traditional outfi ts. tures in support of full statehood so that when the time comes, statehood demand is genuine Shah Rukh Khan’s eldest demand. the people can demand answers and legitimate, especially when son Aryan Khan came with his “Our party workers will go to from the state government,” the “the rift between the Centre and mother Gauri Khan. every household in Delhi, along chief minister said. state government is so high”. Bollywood couples Tiger with a letter from Kejriwal, Talking about his “incom- “The present situation is un- Shroff with Disha Patani, Aamir to sign a letter to demand full plete” project of building at least acceptable. The major ques- Khan with Kiran Rao, cricketer statehood for Delhi. We will then 1,000 Mohalla Clinics, the AAP tion is what sort of administra- Zaheer khan with wife Sagarika deliver these signed letters to chief said: “The clinics which of- tion Delhi wants. There should Ghatge, Madhuri Dixit with hus- Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” fer free medicines and treatment be special arrangements. Some band Sriram Nene and Vidya Ba- he said. is now known around the world thought has to go into this,” he lan with husband Siddharth Roy Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan with actress wife Aishwarya Rai and their daughter Aaradhya Addressing the gathering, for its facilities but the L-G will said, adding that the interest of Kapoor made glamorous entry Bachchan poses for a picture as they attend the engagement party of Mukesh Ambani’s eldest son minister Gopal Rai exhorted still not let us build anymore the central government should with their beautiful outfi ts. Akash and fiancee Shloka Mehta in Mumbai late Saturday. everyone present to actively par- clinics here. Nonetheless, six also be taken into consideration.

BJP will sweep polls Trinamool holds rally in Odisha: party chief

IANS The BJP chief also asked the to counter Shah’s meet party workers to reach out to Bhubaneswar booth-level supporters within IANS Sabha seats. Forget 22, they will “We love the tribal communi- 15 days and highlight the welfare Kolkata even lose in the Darjeeling and ties and have always respected haratiya Janata Party (BJP) work of the central government Asansol seats that they currently their contribution to society. president Amit Shah yes- and raise the issue of the alleged hold. The BJP will score a big Trinamool Congress observed Bterday said his party will failure of the Naveen Patnaik-led n a bid to counter Bharatiya zero in Bengal in the 2019 elec- the ‘Hool festival’ yesterday and sweep the Odisha polls in 2019 Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government Janata Party president Amit tions,” he claimed. celebrated the Santhal rebellion under the leadership of Prime in the state, said a BJP leader. IShah’s public meeting in The minister said people like and their bravery against the Minister Narendra Modi. Shah also held meetings with West Bengal’s Purulia district, Shah who come from Delhi or British rule in Bengal. Did the Shah, who has set a tar- two leaders from each of the the ruling Trinamool Congress Gujarat have no idea about how BJP president say a single thing get to win 120 plus seats in panchayats in the 21 assembly yesterday held a rally in the area much the situation has changed about it? No, he did not,” Panja the 147-member state assem- segments in Bhubaneswar, Puri and vowed to stop the “sepa- for the good in the Maoist- added. bly, yesterday held closed door and Cuttack Lok Sabha constit- ratist forces and riot mongers” infested districts under Chief Shah, who came on a two-day meetings with state leaders to uencies. from entering the state. Minister Mamata Banerjee. trip to West Bengal, met the vil- fi ne tune poll strategies. He also held closed door Ridiculing Shah’s claims of “During the Left rule, these lagers in Purulia as part of the “Addressed a meeting with meetings with the party ‘prab- winning more than 22 Lok Sabha people did not have the guts to party’s ‘Jan Sampark Abhiyan’ Shakti Kendra incharges and co- haris’ of parliamentary and as- seats from West Bengal in the visit Jungle Mahal because at on June 28 and later held a public incharge in Bhubaneswar. With sembly constituencies and social 2019 general elections, Trina- that time there was no democ- meeting on the outskirts of the such energy and enthusiasm media team separately. mool said that the party would racy here. Many people were town where he vowed to uproot among Odisha BJP karyakartas, “Shah’s guidance will surely end up losing two Lok Sabha killed. The entire region was the Banerjee government and the BJP is all set to sweep Odisha in inject a new enthusiasm and seats it hey currently has in the suff ering from the dual attacks claimed that his party would 2019, under the leadership of the energy among BJP workers and state and draw a blank. of the Maoists and Left Front- emerge as the largest political prime minister,” tweeted Shah. will strengthen the party at the “The person, a prime accused backed goons. Under Banerjee’s outfi t after the 2019 elections. Shah’s visit to Odisha follows booth level,” said Petroleum in many murder cases in Gujarat, able leadership, we have brought Meanwwhile, a senior Con- his tour of West Bengal and Ma- Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. is coming here to foment unrest peace,” Hakim said. gress party leader said the Con- nipur. The party has focused on Odis- and making tall claims. He has no Women Development and gress and Left parties need to During his address to poll ha, which will witness both gener- idea about Bengal’s tradition, cul- Social Welfare Minister Shashi come together in a political front booth workers, Shah targeted al and assembly elections in 2019. ture and prior situations. We want Panja, who was present at the or on a common platform in the Odisha government over the The party hopes it has a chance to clarify that there is no place for meeting, said the Trinamol Con- West Bengal to eff ectively fi ght missing keys of the Jagannath to come to power in the state by riot mongers in Bengal,” Urban gress is the only party in West the “murder of democracy” by temple’s Ratna Bhandar, saying riding on Modi’s popularity and Development Minister Firhad Bengal that cares about the lives the ruling Trinamool Congress BJP chief Amit Shah and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan if it cannot safeguard the hopes the prevailing anti-incumbency Hakim said at the meeting. and traditions of the tribal com- and the “communal agenda” of are seen with party leaders during their visit to Bhubaneswar of Hindus, how could it protect against the BJD, which has been in “He is talking about 22 Lok munities here. the BJP. yesterday. the state’s interests. power for the last 18 years. Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 15 INDIA Faster project approvals alarm environmentalists

Reuters the environment ministry under for approvals does not mean at 4.3% last year but growth are major contributors to rising cleared by the environment min- references for various sectors Pedaveedu, Telangana Prime Minister Narendra Modi much.” slowed from 4.6% a year ago. The levels of particulate matter in the istry this year include three new the government has tried to re- has slashed the average time tak- The environment ministry did speedier approvals come as some air. The World Health Organisation thermal power plants, a carbon duce time in the environment en to grant clearances to 170 days not respond to requests for com- big-ticket infrastructure projects says India is home to the world’s 14 black manufacturing facility, two clearance process. This is not a ndia is fast-tracking environ- from 600 days, said two govern- ment. face delays, including the pro- most polluted cities. cement plants and the expansion bad step. But in order to reduce mental clearances for projects ment sources with direct knowl- The push appears to be similar posed $100bn Delhi-Mumbai in- “The way in which in the last of four coal mines, according to time, it has exempted public Ilike power plants and coal edge of the matter. to US President Donald Trump’s dustrial corridor and the Japan- ten years government has al- government data. hearing for some important mines in a bid to propel growth, “We’re standardising proc- eff orts to speed up infrastructure backed $17bn bullet train. lowed power plants to come up “Faster clearances can cer- sectors. This is extremely prob- setting off alarm bells among esses and taking decisions approvals – his administration Any loss of jobs from slowing in the periphery of Delhi and its tainly compromise the quality of lematic.” environmentalists and aff ected swiftly,” said one of the offi- has said it wants environmental growth could hurt Modi as he surrounding region is a major evaluation,” said Srestha Baner- In India’s villages and smaller residents who say the decisions cials, who did not want to be reviews for major projects to take seeks a second term in 2019. contributor to pollution,” said jee, programme manager at the towns, protests are mounting are being made too quickly. named, citing government pol- no longer than 21 months, instead Environmental group Green- Sunil Dahiya, senior campaigner private Centre for Science and against rapid industrialisation In a country where state ma- icy. “We know the basic issues, of years. peace says India’s construction with Greenpeace. Environment. because of the environmental chinery typically moves slowly, and merely taking more time India’s industrial sector grew sector and coal-fi red power plants Projects across the country “By standardising terms of damage. GST now a bad word among businesses: Chidambaram

IANS “The truth is that GST was New Delhi thrust upon an unprepared na- tion.” The Congress leader also said he Congress Party yester- that the tax administrators were day attacked the govern- untrained. Tment on the fi rst anniver- However, the Indian industry sary of the Goods and Services considers the GSTa step in the Tax (GST), saying it has become right direction and a majority are a bad word among businesses. satisfi ed with its overall imple- “The design, structure, in- mentation, the Confederation of frastructure backbone, rate or Indian Industry (CII) said citing rates and implementation of GST its own survey. were so fl awed that GST has be- The CII said that 83% of re- come a bad word among busi- spondents saw the new indirect ness persons, traders, exporters tax regime a step in the right and common citizens,” former direction and 65% are satisfi ed People gather along a road near the site where 11 family members were found dead inside their home in the neighbourhood of Burari in New Delhi yesterday. fi nance minister and Congress with its overall implementation, leader P Chidambaram said. despite some teething problems. He said the only section that “A year into the implementa- appeared to be happy about the tion of GST, there is great opti- GST was the tax administration mism among businesses about that had acquired extraordinary the impact of GST on the econo- powers that frighten the average my. Satisfaction was high across business person and the common the spectrum on GST implemen- citizen. tation issues as well,” the CII said 11 members of family “Beginning with the GST in a statement. Constitution Amendment Bill, The GST implementation led every step taken by the BJP gov- to increased effi ciency for busi- ernment with regard to the GST nesses by reducing their trans- was deeply fl awed,” he said. portation time, on account of “The net result is that what we absence of state barriers, the re- have today is a very diff erent ani- port said. found dead at home mal and not a true GST.” “GST has had a moderat- Chidambaram also stressed ing impact on retail price infl a- Agencies istered, the statement said. ditional deputy commissioner of He said the home was neither “Police are investigating. ... that the multiple rates, going up tion, which may have risen to New Delhi The home of those who died is police in north Delhi. ransacked nor any valuables stolen. Let’s wait for their investigation to 40%, and arbitrary cess on top higher level without the new above a grocery store the family “We are investigating all pos- The gold jewellery on the bod- to be over,” he said. of the rates had completely “dis- tax regime,” CII director general owned in the Burari district in a sible angles including suicide, ies of females had not been tak- In a video posted on Twitter torted the idea of GST”. Chandrajit Banerjee said in the leven members of a family northern part of Delhi. foul play. We can say something en, Kumar said. by Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, “An intolerable compliance statement. were found dead in India’s It is near to where three people about the cause of death only Arjun Thukral, a relative of the neighbours are heard tell- burden had been put on the av- One-third of the survey re- Ecapital yesterday, most of were killed and several injured in after the postmortem reports the family who lives in the same ing him that the family was busy erage business firm, especially spondents witnessed a down- them hanging from the ceiling of a shootout between two gangs come.” neighbourhood, said he ran to with wedding preparations. on the SMEs (small and me- ward movement in the wholesale their home, blindfolded, gagged just two weeks ago, but police All the family members had the victims’ house as news of the A neighbour of the family said dium sized enterprises), by re- prices of their supplies, while and with hands tied behind the said there was no apparent link. died and there were no wit- deaths spread. they couldn’t have died by sui- quiring the assessee to file three nearly 30% saw a fall in the re- back, with police unable to off er Yesterday’s dead were four nesses. “I saw the bodies hang- cide, NDTV channel reported. returns a month in every state tail prices of supplies. A major- any concrete explanation about men and seven women, includ- Neighbours had not heard ing, stools lying around, and The neighbour said he spoke to where the assessee carries on ity of respondents witnessed no what happened. ing teenagers and a 75-year-old anything untoward, police said. my wife’s aunt sprawled on the one of the victims on Saturday business. That means that an change in their supply prices. A police statement said some woman who was found on the “Their shop would open by fl oor by the bed. I couldn’t bear night and found no sign of any all-India business is required to “The survey also indicates a handwritten notes were found in fl oor. 6am daily. When it did not open watching anymore,” he said. stress, the report said. file over 1,000 returns a year,” positive impact of GST on em- the house “which point towards The others were hanging from till 7.30 today, a neighbour, Thukral questioned whether TV channels broadcast inter- he said. ployment as well as on the de- observance of some defi nite a railing attached to the ceiling. who came to buy milk, checked the family had died by suicide. views with neighbours who said “Gross delay in refunds has mand for goods and services. spiritual/mystical practices by Police said the family in- and found the main door open, “No father can kill his own son. the family did not have any dis- blocked crucial working capital Given that it is the biggest tax the whole family”. cluded the woman, her two sons prompting him to call the po- ... How would a mother be able cord among themselves. of fi rms. It is widely perceived reform of independent India, one “These notes have strong simi- and their wives, a daughter and lice,” Joint Commissioner of Po- to kill her own children? I don’t According to media reports, that GST has increased the tax must compliment the govern- larity with the manner in which grandchildren. lice Rajesh Khurana said. think they committed suicide. the family migrated to the capi- burden of the common citizen; ment on its effi cient and trans- the mouths, eyes, etc of the de- A neighbour found the vic- There were no bullet marks These are murders,” he said. tal from Rajasthan about two it has certainly not reduced the parent administration despite ceased were tied and taped.” tims early yesterday, police said. on the victims’ bodies and there Delhi Chief Minister Arvind decades ago and police were try- tax burden as was promised,” some ‘teething problems’,” Ban- This angle was being investi- “I haven’t seen such a crime was no sign of forced entry into Kejriwal, who visited the scene, ing to get in touch with relatives Chidambaram said. erjee said. gated and a case of murder reg- before,” said Vineet Kumar, ad- the house, Kumar said. called the incident “tragic.” there. 14 actresses refuse to join 48 die as bus falls into Amma over Dileep issue gorge in Uttarakhand Agencies “The bus started from Bhoan Dehradun in Pauri district and was on its IANS Chirayath, wrote: “It has been a the issue since last Sunday when way to Ramnagar in Nainital dis- Thiruvanathapuram year since the WCC was formed the annual general body meeting of trict, around 70km from Bhoan. by women from various facets of Amma decided to readmit Dileep t least 48 people died and However, after travelling for just the Malayalam fi lm industry and who who was suspended last year. several were injured when 7km the bus fell into the gorge everal actresses yesterday said we decided to become members Earlier, Rima Kallingal, Remya Aan overcrowded bus fell near the Queen village,” Pauri they would not join the Asso- as we knew the issues of women Nambisan and Geetu Mohandas, into a deep gorge in the hill state Senior Superintendent of Police Sciation of Malayalam Movie will be addressed by WCC. all of whom are leading lights in of Uttarakhand yesterday, police (SSP) Jagat Ram Joshi said. Artists (Amma) as it lacks any fair- “We decided not to take mem- the Malayalam fi lm industry, re- said. Uttarakhand Chief Minis- ness, a week after the fi lm industry bership in Amma because when signed from Amma. The accident took place on ter Trivendra Singh Rawat has association revoked the suspension there is no pay parity between males This was followed by actresses a winding hill road in Pauri announced compensation of of actor Dileep, accused of master- and females in the industry, all have Revathy, Padmapriya, and A Par- Garhwal district, local police of- Rs200,000 for the families of the minding the abduction and sexual to pay an entry membership fee of vathy writing to Amma general sec- fi cial Sanjay Singh said. deceased and Rs50,000 each for assault of an actress. Rs1 lakh which is not justifi ed. retary Edavela Babu, demanding an The 28-seater bus was carry- the injured. Fourteen active members of the “It has become diffi cult to be- emergency executive meeting of the ing 58 people. “Extremely saddened by the recently-formed Women in Cin- lieve the organisation given their organisation on July 13 or 14. Several women and children bus accident in Pauri Garhwal, ema Collective (WCC) took the stand towards the victim in the Dileep is awaiting trial over and the driver of the bus were Uttarakhand. Rescue operations decision even as superstar Mo- actress kidnap case... besides the incident in February 2017 in among the dead, Singh said. are under way and authorities hanlal, who heads Amma, said on it’s tough to go forward with any which a group of men allegedly “All the bodies have been re- are providing all possible assist- Saturday that there was no vested sort of meaningful discussion on forced their way into the wom- covered. Eleven injured people are ance at the accident site,” Prime interest in taking back Dileep. women issues.” an’s car and sexually assaulted being treated in hospitals, some of Minister Narendra Modi posted Also, two Kannada fi lm bod- The actresses said that after her as they drove around Kochi them are critical and the toll could on Twitter. ies – the Kannada Film Industry realising that there is nothing city for several hours. rise further,” Singh said. President Ram Nath Ko- and the Film Industry for Rights positive on the horizon, “as no Dileep, one of the most popular “The cause of the accident is vind expressed his sorrow and & Equality – yesterday wrote meaningful discussion can take actors in Mollywood – as the in- not confi rmed but according to re- said, “Very sad to learn about to Amma expressing their dis- place because it’s caught between dustry in Kerala is known – is ac- ports we have received, the driver the tragic bus accident in Pauri pleasure in the manner in which certain groups, fans associations cused of masterminding the kid- lost control while taking a bend,” Garhwal, Uttarakhand. Rescue Dileep was readmitted. and it fails to have a humane ap- napping as revenge for the woman Singh, who is based at the district eff orts are on and local authori- In a Facebook post, the ac- proach towards issues concern- telling his now ex-wife about his headquarters in Pauri town, said. ties are doing their utmost to tresses, including Amala Akkine- ing women, we are unable to take alleged aff airs, according to the Rescue operations underway after a bus fell into a 60m gorge Most of the victims were local help. My condolences to the be- ni, Archana Padmini, Divyapra- membership in Amma”. police charge-sheet. He denies near the Queens Bridge in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district people travelling between Dhu- reaved facilities and best wishes bha, Sajitha Madathil and Jolly The WCC has been vocal about any involvement and is out on bail. yesterday. makot and Ramnagar towns. to those injured.” Gulf Times 16 Monday, July 2, 2018 PAKISTAN Tax amnesty deadline extended Registered Afghan refugees On Saturday, FBR offi cials said alised the importance of the They expressed satisfaction The cabinet meeting approved Upon the expiry of this two- Frontier Regions (SAFRON) min- get to stay in Pakistan for that existing taxpayers have so scheme a bit late, “the govern- over the actions and arrange- the Financial Institution Rules month deadline on March 31, the istry. another three months far declared around Rs2tn of their ment should extend the last date ments made by the Election 2018 and appointed the Federal cabinet granted a 90-day exten- After deliberations, the meet- previously-hidden local and for- for the scheme in order to expand Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Investigation Agency (FIA) as the sion. ing accorded interim approval for Internews eign assets. the tax base”. and resolved to provide all assist- investigating agency, as required The Afghan authorities and a 90-day extension in the stay of Islamabad The offi cials said the compli- The tax amnesty scheme, an- ance to the ECP for holding the under Section 20(7) of Financial the United Nations High Com- registered Afghan refugees in Pa- ant taxpayers form majority of nounced by the Pakistan Muslim polls on the given schedule in a Institutions (Recovery of Financ- mission for Refugees (UNHCR) kistan. the people who availed the tax League – Nawaz (PML-N) gov- free, fair, and transparent man- es) Ordinance (FIRO) 2001. have in the past expressed res- A source privy to the matter he federal government of amnesty for undisclosed foreign ernment earlier this year, came ner. The budget of Capital Devel- ervations about the return of said the cabinet had left it to the Pakistan has principally and domestic assets. into eff ect on April 10, and was to The sources said that the de- opment Authority for the year refugees to war-hit regions of next elected federal government Tapproved the extension in “New taxpayers are very few end on June 30. mand made by a political party 2018-19 was also approved by the Afghanistan. to fi nally decide whether or not the Federal Board of Revenue’s in the total declarations fi led so The scheme has been cited for the change in governors cabinet. The UNHCR’s offi cial data it intended to continue the ex- (FBR) tax amnesty scheme by one far under the amnesty scheme,” as an opportunity for people to didn’t come up for consideration. In a related development, the suggests that there are nearly tension granted by the caretaker month, i.e. till July 31. an FBR offi cial said. “Most of ex- fi le their local and foreign assets It is understood that the mat- federal government has accorded 1.4mn registered Afghan refu- government. The federal government de- isting taxpayers are availing the without facing any consequenc- ter has been shelved. extension of three months to Af- gees, most of them living in Pa- Meanwhile, the cabinet ap- cided to extend the scheme after amnesty. es. On the fi ndings of the Finan- ghan refugees in Pakistan. kistan since their country was proved an amendment to include the cabinet was briefed yester- And, it is surprising that in- The FBR has warned that cial Action Task Force (FATF) The facility has been extended invaded by the Soviet Union in National University of Technol- day. dustrialists and manufacturers, holders of undeclared local and meeting in Paris last week, the to the refugees who are duly reg- 1979. ogy (NUTCH) in Schedule-II of The scheme’s deadline was who are already on the tax net, foreign assets will face dire con- cabinet has decided to take all istered. The data suggests that there Rules of Business, 1973. June 30. are availing the scheme.” sequences if they do not declare necessary actions to ward off any In March, Afghan refugees are more than 2.5mn illegal Af- The meeting also approved Sources said a presidential A paltry 1.3mn income tax re- assets after the expiry of the tax further negative fallout. were given three months to re- ghan immigrants, who face com- Financial Institution Rules, 2018 ordinance will be issued on the turns were fi led for the tax year amnesty scheme. It offi cially stated that Finance main in the country. pulsory expulsion after the dead- and appointing FIA as the Inves- extension of the scheme, and the of 2017. The cabinet held its meeting Minister Shamshad Akhtar Afghan refugees in Pakistan line expires. tigating Agency as required un- State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will “The response to the amnesty here yesterday with caretaker briefed the cabinet about the have faced an uncertain future Pakistan has announced the der Section 20(7) of Financial In- keep special bank branches open scheme is overwhelming. And Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk in deliberations during the FATF since the government earlier this expulsion of Afghan refugees stitutions (Recovery of Finances) until 10pm for the purpose. the majority of existing taxpay- the chair at the Prime Minister’s meeting. year decided to expel all of them several times in the recent past, Ordinance (FIRO), 2001. According to the FBR, up till ers are availing the scheme,” Zee- House. The cabinet also approved an by the end of January. but these decisions were never Budget of Capital Develop- now 51,000 people have ben- shan Marchant, vice-president Well-placed sources said af- amendment to include National On January 31, the cabinet ap- followed through. ment Authority for the year efi ted from the scheme and the of Karachi Tax Bar Association ter the cabinet meeting that the University of Technology (Nutch) proved a 60-day extension in the According to offi cial sources, 2018-19 was also approved by the Board has received a payment of said on Saturday. election process and arrange- in Schedule-II of Rules of Busi- registered Afghan refugees stay the cabinet took up an agenda cabinet, according to PMO state- Rs65bn so far. He added that as people re- ments were also reviewed. ness, 1973. in Pakistan till March 31. item moved by the States and ment.

Election Maryam symbols Nawaz to for parties address allocated Rawalpindi

Internews meeting Islamabad

Internews fter allocation of election Islamabad symbols to all contesting Apolitical parties, all elec- toral formalities – other than ormer prime minis- the polling day itself – have been ter Nawaz Sharif and his completed. Fdaughter Maryam Na- Returning Offi cers (ROs) waz could return from London across the country have allocat- later this week, provided signs ed party symbols to prospective of improvement in the health candidates who produced party of former fi rst lady Begum Kul- certifi cates, while independent Scene soom Nawaz are witnessed. candidates were allocated sym- They left for London last bols from a list of 224 symbols. yesterday month to visit the former fi rst The Election Commission of lady, who was in the UK for can- Pakistan (ECP) allocated elec- Above: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) cer treatment, but she suff ered tion symbols to 107 political par- chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari severe cardiac arrest just before ties, dozens of which have not addresses supporters yesterday their arrival, aggravating her fi elded any candidate. as part of his election campaign in health further. Political parties fulfi lling cer- Karachi. Kulsoom has been uncon- tain election laws were allowed Left: A bull savar (jockey) guides scious ever since the two arrived to be registered for contesting his bulls as he competes yesterday in London. the polls. in a bull race on the outskirts of Sources in the Pakistan Mus- ROs will send names of eligible Islamabad. lim League – Nawaz (PML-N) contestants to the ECP, which said yesterday that the former will send them to the printing ruling party has begun planning presses to produce ballot papers. for public meetings and rallies in This process will be handled anticipation of the return of Na- by the Printing Corporation of waz and Maryam. Pakistan Press in Islamabad, Maryam will address her fi rst the National Printing Security public meeting in Rawalpindi Company in Karachi, and the after returning, to counter the Pakistan Post Foundation, also Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad. campaign of its chief Imran Khan The security of printing and party leader Chaudhry Nisar presses has already been handed Ali Khan. over to the army. Nawaz Sharif will also address The military will also provide such gatherings but his last pub- security to election material lic meeting will be in Lahore, the during its transport to offi ces of party sources said. ROs and to polling stations. PTI chairman Khan has fi nal- The ECP had made changes to ised his plan to address a fi nal the election schedule a number public party meeting in Islama- of times after it notifi ed the dis- bad, but it is understood that the solution of assemblies on May 31 return of Nawaz Sharif and the this year. PML-N plan for him to address Initially, the last date for sub- Supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party march yesterday in Karachi to welcome their leader Women take part yesterday in a campaign in Lahore to the last public meeting in Lahore mission of nomination papers Khadim Hussain Rizvi (not pictured), during a campaign rally ahead of general elections. demand clean drinking water. could compel the PTI to revise its was changed from June 2 to June plan. 6 because of litigations in the superior courts. It was later extended till June Government moves to ease CNIC 8 due to litigation over certain omissions in the new nomina- process for transgender people tion forms. 20,000 CCTV cameras for Sindh poll stations Making a third extension, the Punjab Chief Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani has said that as per commission fi xed June 11 as the orders of Supreme Court, the process of issuance of computerised last date for submitting nomi- Internews operation of Sindh Public Pro- The chief secretary said he de- polling stations to be monitored national identity cards (CNICs) to transgender people would be nation papers after a Supreme Karachi curement Rules 2009 regarding cided on the acquisition of CCTV from 5,000 to 5,776, an increase made simple and easy. Court order restored affi davits the purchase of equipment and cameras on a rental basis in con- of CCTV cameras from 15,000 to He directed the authorities concerned that facilitation centres be set that were part of 2013 nomina- services for video surveillance sultation with the chief minister. 20,000, and an agreement that up in all districts to issue CNICs to transgender people through the tion forms omitted in the new he Sindh cabinet decided system for polling stations. He said that the NRTC then 30% of all the CCTV cameras and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)’s mobile van ones. yesterday to install 20,000 He said the surveillance of all drafted a fresh proposal of video recorders would become under one-window operation. The ECP has realigned the Tday and night vision cam- polling stations is necessary. Rs915mn, excluding GST, for Sindh government’s property af- He issued these directions while presiding over a meeting this week electoral process several times. eras at 5,776 polling stations to “Since the amount [of funds] 5,000 polling stations compris- ter completion of the task. to review progress on the issuance of CNICs to transgender people, Most mainstream political monitor the process from start to involved in the procurement of ing 15,000 CCTV cameras. NRTC chairperson Ahmed told at Civil Secretariat. parties provided their candi- fi nish. the CCTV [closed-circuit televi- He added that he constitut- the cabinet that 20,000 day and Addressing the meeting, the chief secretary said that in the light of dates’ certifi cates of party af- The meeting, presided over by sion] cameras and other required ed a four-member committee night vision cameras will be in- Supreme Court’s orders, a monitoring committee at provincial level fi liation at the proverbial last Caretaker Chief Minister Fazalur equipment was very high, I had comprising Secretary General stalled at 5,776 polling stations, while implementation committees in districts have been formed. minute. Rehman, was attended by Chief assigned negotiation with the (Administration) Zulfi qar Shah, with each station will have the He directed the departments concerned to take all possible steps In several such cases, political Secretary Major (retired) Azam NRTC to the chief secretary so Home Secretary Mohammad Ha- coverage of at least three CCTV for the well-being of transgender people for bringing them into the parties opted to withdraw cer- Suleman, Inspector General of the entire project could be com- roon, the information technolo- cameras. mainstream. tifi cates from some, assigning Police Amjad Javed Saleemi, missioned at minimum cost,” Re- gy secretary, and a representative The cabinet approved the them to other candidates, creat- Principal Secretary to the Chief hman told the cabinet. of the NRTC. project and the NRTC chairper- ing confusion. Minister Sohail Rajput, Infor- Chief Secretary Suleman said Briefi ng the cabinet, Shah said son told the cabinet that the in- Intelligence Bureau chief transferred Offi cially, the last date for mation Secretary Qazi Shahid that the NRTC had off ered a rate that after detailed negotiations stallation work would start this withdrawal of candidature was Pervez, National Radio Telecom- of Rs1mn per polling station for with the NRTC, the committee weekend. The interim government of Pakistan has made another round of June 29, but anyone wishing to munication Corporation (NRTC) the purchase of CCTV. was able to bring down the cost After installation, the camera large-scale changes in the federal bureaucracy. quit the election race may sub- chairperson Brigadier Taufi q “Therefore, the cost comes to from Rs915mn to Rs575mn, in- accessories and other equip- Dr Muhammad Suleman Khan, a grade-22 off icer of the police mit an application to the RO. Ahmed, and others. Rs4.15bn for 4,154 polling sta- cluding GST. ment, including a back-up sys- service who has been director general of the Intelligence Bureau This option will remain avail- In the last cabinet meeting, the tions,” he said, adding that the He added that additional con- tem and training of the con- (IB) since May 7, was made national co-ordinator of the National able to all prospective candidates Rehman said, keeping in view the home department estimated a cessions were also obtained from cerned staff , will be handed over Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta). up to four days before the polling shortage of time till the elections, revised cost for 5,000 polling the NRTC, which included an in- to Election Commission of Paki- His predecessor retired Lieutenant Commander Ihsan Ghani, who day on July 25. an exemption was approved from stations at Rs1.79bn. crease in the number of sensitive stan on July 23. also belongs to the police service, will now head the IB. Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 17 PHILIPPINES Duterte biggest spoiler Audit panel says of peace talks: Sison

By Demsey Reyes patrol cars worth Manila Times resident Rodrigo Duterte is the “biggest spoiler” of Pthe peace talks between the government and commu- nist rebels, exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) billions ‘defective’ founder Jose Maria “Joma” Si- son said. By Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino report said the PNP had paid tional needs assessment which ited availability of spare parts Sison cited Proclamation Manila Times for, but had not received af- “pushed back the full attain- not to mention its prohibitive 360 issued by the president in ter more than two years, utility ment of the objectives of the maintenance cost,” the Coa November last year that ter- trucks, light personnel carriers PNP’s capability enhancement added. minated the peace negotiations he Commission on Audit and other combat assets worth programme (CEP).” COA said the status report of with the National Democratic (CoA) said 2,054 patrol P1,347,616,452.90 it procured “About four months af- the PNP’s Offi ce of the Direc- Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Tvehicles purchased in from the Philippine Interna- ter the delivery and issuance torate for Logistics validated its panel. 2015 by the Philippine National tional Trading Corporation of the Mahindra Enforcers in survey which found out that 731 The proclamation was issued Police (PNP) for P1.8bn were de- (PITC). May 2015, there were numer- or 57.2% of the 1,278 survey re- weeks after the New People’s fective. The amount was for the pur- ous complaints received from spondents were unsatisfi ed with Army (NPA) ambushed mem- CoA auditors confi rmed their chase of 42 utility trucks and 11 the end-user units regarding the vehicles’ overall perform- bers of the Presidential Secu- fi ndings in the 2017 PNP con- other line items worth P1.009bn, problems noted on the use of ance. rity Group (PSG) in Arakan, solidated annual audit report, six light personnel carrier and 17 the Mahindra Enforcer patrol “The respondents, who were North Cotabato. saying the numerous com- other line items worth P101.1mn, jeeps and the inability of the the end-users of the vehicles, “Duterte has never revoked plaints against the India-made four units of Integrator and CAC to provide fast moving were comprised mostly of driv- Proclamation 360 by which he vehicles were validated by its three other line items valued at spare parts necessary for the re- ers who are also police person- has terminated the said peace survey of diff erent police re- P70.08mn, 12 automatic grenade quired repair and maintenance nel, responsible supply police negotiations. He has also can- Sison: allegations against president? gional offi ces. launcher and 15 other line items procedures of the vehicles as non-commissioned offi cers, celled and aborted the June A report secured by Manila costing P156.7mn, and 3,300 mentioned in the letter dated supply accountable offi cers 28 to 30 resumption of formal talks. In his recent statement, gotiating panels on social and Times over the weekend said the units of Poncho and four other February 24, 2017 from the ODL (SAOs) and other PNP person- peace talks in Oslo and has Sison said the NDFP does not economic reforms as socialism complaints included problems line items worth P10.48mn. (Offi ce of the Directorate for nel who have direct use or have thereby continued his termina- have to cancel peace talks with even as these are bourgeois- on high fuel consumption, dif- “Since 2016, when the fund Logistics) addressed to the PS- actual experience using the tion of the peace negotiations,” the government. democratic in character. It is fi culty in acceleration at higher transfers (payments)were made, DBM,” CoA said. patrol vehicles and can readily Sison said in a statement issued “The NDFP should simply truly impossible to negotiate speed, tough manoeuvrability none of the required items had Despite these complaints, the provide factual responses,” CoA late yesterday. The communist allow Duterte to have the dis- with a regime that is dominated due to the vehicle’s narrow body, been delivered as of December PNP purchased 398 light trans- said. leader was referring to the pro- tinct dishonour of having sab- by pathologically rabid anti- low engine performance, heavy 31, 2017,” CoA said. port vehicles, the CoA said. It said only 204 respondents posed resumption of the talks otaged and terminated these communists,” Sison said. smoke emission, limited inte- Despite the two-year delay, “The additional procure- or 15.96% were satisfi ed while on June 28 after agreeing to it negotiations so many times National Security Adviser rior space, absence of service the audit report said the PNP was ment therefore raised ques- 343 respondents or 26.84% were during the backchannel talks within a short period since May Hermogenes Esperon Jr, mean- centres, lack of spare parts and still required to pay PITC service tions with regard to the de- undecided. held earlier last month in The 2017,” he said. while said the CPP and the others. fees totalling P23,904,722.15 or cision made by the (PNP) The survey respondents even Netherlands. Sison maintained that the New People’s Army (NPA) are Of the 2,054 patrol vehicles, one to four percent of the Ap- management considering that suggested other patrol vehicles The government, through NDFP would reject the “de- as “equally dangerous” as ter- 1,656 were acquired through the proved Budget for the Contract months before the public bid- to be considered which have Peace Process Adviser Je- mand” of Duterte to hold rorist groups inspired by the Procurement Service – Depart- (ABC) plus 12% value-added tax ding conducted in the National long been operational in the sus Dureza, also said Du- peace negotiations in the Phil- Islamic State (IS). ment of Budget and Manage- upon delivery of the combat as- Headquarters in December country. terte would review the signed ippines. “The CPP-NPA has been ment (PS-DBM) and the remain- sets. 2015, the PNP has been aware Furthermore, CoA said the agreements, including the He also lashed out at Defence committing the same brutal ing 398 were purchased through Because of this, the COA of the current defects of the PNP incurred additional costs Comprehensive Agreement on Secretary Delfi n Lorenzana af- atrocities like the Daesh. CPP- the PNP National Headquarters said the PNP should require earlier delivered Mahindra En- of P53,379,200 in service fees by Social and Economic Reforms ter the latter reminded Sison to NPA terrorists killed more than Bids and Awards Committee the PITC to refund the total ad- forcers,” the report said. procuring the 1,656 Mahindra (Caser) and the ceasefi re, for stop his “tantrums.” 10,000 soldiers, policemen and (NHQ-BAC). vance payments of P1.347bn for It stressed that these defects Enforcers through the “PS-DBM three months. “Lately, (Duterte’s) sidekick civilians in one of the largest The report said the Columbian deposit to the National Treas- “should have been a warning to which it could have used to pro- Last week, Sison said the Lorenzana has already ex- running insurgencies in the Autocar Corporation (CAC) won ury and to “refrain from availing take a second look on the ca- cure additional 67 units mobility NDFP is no longer inclined to pressed total opposition to the history of the world,” Esperon the contract to supply vehicles in (of) the services of the PITC un- pability and reliability of the assets at P873,600.00 per unit engage with the government GRP (Government of the Re- said in his speech during the 2015, when the PNP was headed less extremely necessary.” CoA manufacturer and the vehicles or utilised it as part of the ABC but he retracted his statement public of the Philippines)-ND- United Nations high-level con- by retired Deputy Director-Gen- found out that the Mahindra themselves knowing that the of high-capacity patrol vehicles the next day, saying only the FP peace negotiations. (Loren- ference of heads of counter- eral Leonardo Espina. procurement was done with- end-users encountered me- which could benefi t the whole NDFP national council has the zana) misrepresents the level of terrorism agencies in New York Meanwhile, the same CoA out fi rst conducting an opera- chanical defects and the lim- police force,” CoA said. authority to withdraw from the mutual agreement by the ne- City on Friday. Robredo claims fulfi lled Kalibo airport expansion, promise to help poor restoration set to start today Manila Times Manila By Reicelen Joy Ignacio make the most out of the op- ippine government directed the dated a total of 2,520,168 pas- Manila Times portunity brought about by the closure of Boracay from April 26 sengers in 2017. reduction of fl ights,” the CAAP to October 26 for the rehabili- Meanwhile CAAP is sched- ice President Maria Le- said in a statement yesterday. tation of the island, after it had uled to inaugurate the new pas- onor “Leni” Robredo he P17.9mn expansion “Priority projects in the KIA been found to be heavily pol- senger terminal of the Maasin Vbelieves that she has ful- and rehabilitation of the rehabilitation include the refur- luted because of environmental Airport in Southern Leyte to- fi lled her campaign promise to TKalibo International Air- bishment of existing passenger law violations of several estab- day. It is the only airport oper- help the poor in her two years as port (KIA) terminal building terminal building, repainting lishments. ating in Southern Leyte. the second highest elected offi - will begin soon, according to of the international passen- “Other major developments The Build, Build, Build pro- cial in the country. the Civil Aviation Authority of ger terminal building interiors, for the airport’s expansion in- gramme of the government has Robredo, who ran on a plat- the Philippines (CAAP). landside beautifi cation through clude the reblocking of Apron been pushing for the develop- form of uplifting the lives of the “The traffi c and passenger landscaping, electrical system Pavement which is targeted to ment and expansion of exist- poor, cited her offi ce’s anti-poor movement cutback due to the and air conditioning system re- start on September 4, runway ing infrastructures such as air- initiative, the Angat Buhay pro- ongoing Boracay Island clo- wiring, and the enhancement of strip grade correction starting ports, road networks and sea gramme, which taps the help of sure from April until October railings and barricades,” CAAP on November 22 and the con- ports, as well as the construc- the private sector. this year will signifi cantly al- added. Air carriers have started struction of a power house on tion of new ones to promote Angat Buhay, which touches low several projects to be put to reduce their fl ights to and November 24,” CAAP said. connectivity and mobility in on six advocacy areas namely: into action. The CAAP plans to from Kalibo as soon as the Phil- It noted that KIA accommo- the Philippines. public education, rural de- velopment, food security and nutrition, women empower- ment, universal healthcare, and housing and resettlement, has benefited 155,000 families Comelec to resume registration of voters from 176 communities across the country since its launch in October 2016. “This is what I By William Depasupil offi ces nationwide will also accept appli- plained. He said applications for registra- promised when I was running Manila Times cations for transfer/transfer with reacti- tion should be personally fi led at the Offi ce for vice president and during vation, reactivation, change/correction of of the Election Offi cers (OEOs) of the city, my inauguration day — to look entries/ or reinstatement of records in the district or municipality where the appli- after the poorest, smallest, and he Commission on Elections (Come- list of voters. cant resides. farthest communities. And lec) will resume today, the system of Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said The Comelec will also conduct satellite that is exactly what we did,” Robredo: fulfilling campaign promise Tcontinuing registration of voters for however that the order to start registration registrations during this period, wherein Robredo said in a statement. next year’s local and national elections. of voters does not include Marawi City. fi eld offi cials go to barangays, public pla- “The most important takea- limited budget and limited protest he lodged before the Comelec Resolution 10392 sets the peri- “It is the duty of the Commission to zas, schools and other public places to reg- way here is not only extend- power,” Robredo said. Supreme Court, sitting as the od for the fi ling of application for registra- conduct regular voter registration in or- ister voters. In these off site registrations, ing help, but how crucial and Robredo, who beat former Presidential Electoral Tribunal tion as voters for a period of 90 days, from der to enfranchise and enlist qualifi ed preference shall be given to members of effective collaboration is. We senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” (PET). July 2 to September 29, 2018. voters nationwide, with the exception of the vulnerable sector such as indigenous all have the obligation to help Marcos Jr by 263,473 votes in The PET has yet to resolve Registration will be conducted Mondays Marawi City, Lanao del Sur in light of the peoples (IPs), senior citizens, and preg- those in need, regardless of the 2016 polls, is still facing a Marcos’ protest. to Saturdays including holidays. Comelec current situation in the area,” Jimenez ex- nant women.

PhilHealth assures claimants on benefi ts despite online glitches

By Mary Gleefer F Jalea patients may still avail them- have led to delays in health serv- leased advisories for planned Arboleda. Another clerk from or the “My PhilHealth Portal” to almost all aspects of our opera- Manila Times selves of PhilHealth benefi ts as ices of some hospitals. “Glitches maintenance activities when- the Lung Centre of the Philip- process online the claims of their tions like routers, databases and long as their eligibility docu- are usually caused by either in- ever the downtime would take a pines (LCP), who asked not to patients. While the Private Hos- middleware… we utilise virtual- ments are available,” said Rey ternal (PhilHealth) or external day or more. be named, said she has been pitals Associations, Inc. (Phapi) ised environments for computer he Philippine Health In- Balena, senior manager of the (User or Hospital, Telco) factors. Balena’s statement contra- experiencing the same glitch in suggested that PhilHealth “hire fl exibility and elasticity,” Baleña surance Corporation agency’s corporate communica- If the cause is internal, all users dicted that of Andreo Arboleda, PhilHealth’s system for a long the best IT offi cer” and in- added. T(PhilHealth) assured yes- tions department. nationwide will not be able to a clerk at the National Kidney time. crease its Internet capability, the PhilHealth urged the public to terday that claimants may avail PhilHealth released its state- access the systems. This hap- and Transplant Institute (NKTI), These hospitals, which pro- agency countered that it used get in touch with them through of their benefi ts even with the ment after Manila Times report- pens very seldom, and this is who told this newspaper that the vide rehabilitation and dialysis a “highly-virtualised environ- the PhilHealth Customer Assist- “very seldom” glitches in its on- ed on Saturday that glitches in usually resolved in a matter of system was “often offl ine.” treatment to patients as tertiary ment” for its members and part- ance, Relations and Empower- line portal, which hospitals have PhilHealth’s online portal have minutes, or a couple of hours,” “There is almost always no hospitals in Quezon City, are de- ner health care institutions. ment Staff (PCARES) deployed long been complaining about. been slowing down the process- Balena said in a statement. connection, and there is always pendent on Philhealth’s Institu- “We have made eff orts to in hospitals nationwide for as- “Should the system be offl ine, ing of payment claims, which He added that the agency re- a problem with the portal,” said tional Health Care Portal (IHCP) implement high availability in sistance. Gulf Times 18 Monday, July 2, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A lost generation: Rohingya Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko children face bleak future P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] By Jason Patinkin/ IRIN continue their studies. They have no discrimination from teachers and Myanmar and Bangladesh have balked 44350478 (News), Dhaka lives.” classmates of other ethnicities. at establishing a formal education Without formal schools, “temporary That means education levels among system in the Rohingya camps. 44466404 (Sport), learning centres” operated by NGOs the Rohingya children attending the There’s no Rohingya-language 44466636 (Home delivery) eventeen-year-old Mohamed like Save the Children and BRAC, a camps’ temporary classrooms vary curriculum because the language has Zubayer once dreamed of Bangladeshi aid group, allow some greatly: for some young children, no widely used script. Myanmar’s 44350474 fi nishing school and getting a children to attend classes for about classes at the learning centres are the government won’t approve the facebook.com/gulftimes Sgovernment job so he could help two hours per day, but there’s no fi rst education they’ve ever received. Burmese-language curriculum for use his Rohingya community in Myanmar’s certifi cation to show they’ve completed For others, like Mohamed Zubayer’s in Bangladesh, said Risto Ihalainen, the twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar Rakhine State. a grade level. younger brothers, aged nine and 11, they co-ordinator for aid groups working But today he’s a refugee living in The age and grade-level restrictions merely cover old ground. on education in the camps. And the Bangladesh, where the government bars mean that the temporary centres aren’t “They only teach A, B, C. They just Bangladeshi government won’t allow formal education in the crowded camps, open to the majority of school-age make them sit and sing songs,” said Rohingya refugee children to learn in leaving a generation of young people Rohingya. Just one quarter of school- their father, Rahim Ullah, who had Bangla, Bangladesh’s offi cial language. GULF TIMES like Mohamed out of school and stuck age youth – about 130,000 children sent the younger boys to an NGO- That means the host country’s in limbo. – attend the classes, meaning that run learning centre next to his hut. “I curriculum is also off limits. “I wanted to be smart by studying,” around 400,000 refugees who should said, ‘I don’t approve (of) this kind of “That is the fear that the government said Mohamed, who completed the be learning receive no education. education’.” has: If they have education in Bangla, eighth grade in Myanmar before fl eeing “They only educate the small kids,” Rahim said he bought Burmese- (the Rohingya) might try to be Terror and heartbreak to Bangladesh last year. “I wanted said Kushida Begum, a refugee mother language books to supplement the boys’ Bangladeshi (citizens), and they will to be a scholar to help the Rohingya whose three children attended fourth, studies. But, after two months, he pulled feel comfortable staying here rather community. But kids who want to study fi fth, and sixth grades in Myanmar his sons out of the centre. Now, they than going back to Myanmar,” said in the Annapolis are not getting the chance.” before the family fl ed to Bangladesh last attend one of the madrassas, which have Nazrul Islam, education co-ordinator Some 700,000 Rohingya refugees year. “They say there is no school for big proliferated in the camps along with the for BRAC, which runs 200 learning poured into Bangladesh after kids here. I am dying by thinking about new refugees’ makeshift tents. Some centres in the camps. “The textbook Myanmar’s army launched a violent the kids’ future.” madrassas off er a secular education that we have in Bangladesh, we could Capital newsroom crackdown in northern Rakhine State Mohamed Abul Kalam, who leads alongside religious schooling, but Rahim use it if the government allowed us to last August following a series of attacks Bangladesh’s Offi ce of the Refugee says the classes there are still subpar. use Bangla. As long as it is not allowed, by a Rohingya rebel group. Relief and Repatriation Commission “Education is a right,” Rahim said. “If we need to develop learning materials, Newspaper reporters routinely show up at scenes of The Rohingya have found safety in Cox’s Bazar, said, “It is the general we don’t fi nd a way to teach our kids, which will take time.” violent crime as police descend to restore order and here, as well as food and healthcare. understanding within the government what will we do?” In the absence of an offi cial launch investigations. The journalists take notes, talk But formal education is out of reach that Rohingya repatriation will begin Money is one hurdle to providing curriculum, aid groups submitted for 530,000 school-age refugees, soon, so formal schooling is not education to more refugee children. alternative education guidelines to offi cers and witnesses, and try to make sense of the including the children of Rohingya necessary (or) cost eff ective.” Donors have committed only 14% of the covering basic literacy and numeracy tragedy. who fl ed earlier waves of violence, But multiple waves of Rohingya have $47.3mn needed to fund education in skills to the government in February. Last week, one shooting episode happened at the because Bangladesh’s government sought safe haven in Bangladesh over the camps, aid groups say. Although the authorities have not Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. does not want the Rohingya to stay decades. A plan to begin sending recent A lack of space and proper facilities approved these guidelines, some long-term. Only a quarter of the refugees back to Myanmar fi zzled is also a problem. The learning centres, learning centres have based their Shootings are frighteningly commonplace in school-age Rohingya have access to any earlier this year. like most of the structures in the lessons around them anyway, since American workplaces. People in virtually every store, kind of instruction, through informal Kushida’s youngest, a daughter, has teeming camps, are fl imsy shelters children are showing up. factory, warehouse or offi ce dread what happened on classrooms set up in the camps – but enrolled in one of the camp’s learning made of bamboo and plastic sheets. In the hope of educating more Thursday: Blasts of gunfi re. Workers dead or wounded. even this is only for kids up to 14 years centres, even though the classes are Of the 1,179 centres in the refugee children in the future, aid groups The caterwaul of sirens. of age, and the level of the teaching not advanced enough for her. The two settlements, 350 are threatened by are developing guidelines to teach itself doesn’t go past the second year of older children, both boys, don’t attend fl oods or landslides in the coming up to a Grade Eight level. But even if The killing of fi ve journalists at the Capital Gazette primary school. classes. monsoon season. the government approves this, the newsroom and the shooting of several more is The government of Myanmar, for its “When I remember about the school Then there’s the fact that last year’s fundamental problem of the ban on heartbreaking. part, won’t allow its Burmese-language (in Myanmar), I feel sad, because now refugee infl ux was so large and so formal education remains. Word of a shooting in the newsroom spread rapidly curriculum to be used in Bangladesh’s I can’t study anymore,” said Kushida’s sudden that Bangladesh’s government “We are calling on the government refugee camps. That means the same younger son, Forizul. His brother, and aid groups struggled to feed and of Bangladesh to recognise the right through the media far beyond Maryland as reporters government responsible for forcing the Mohamed, added, “Now we’re just house the new arrivals, let alone provide of refugee children to education,” said refl ected on their memories of working at the Capital Rohingya out of Myanmar has eff ectively sitting and doing nothing.” emergency schooling. Beatriz Ochoa, humanitarian advocacy or community newspapers like it and contemplated the blocked Rohingya children from In Myanmar, education was never a Any wider education programme manager for Save the Children’s possibility that their newsrooms could become scenes continuing their education in exile. given for Rohingya children. Rohingya must be designed “in an organised Rohingya response. “All education “The next generation, they have no girls were often not sent to school, in way”, said Pawan Kucita, the Unicef sector partners should be given the of violence, too. dreams,” said Serazul Mustafa, a refugee part due to deep conservatism within education chief in Bangladesh. “That authorisation from relevant authorities Police swept through The Baltimore Sun’s building as leader in Kutupalong camp, the largest the community. But apartheid-like means we have a proper curriculum, to set up classrooms, organise learning a precaution, and New York police reportedly fanned in Bangladesh. “If you have graduated restrictions imposed on the minority proper teachers, proper materials. activities, or, where feasible, expand out to news organisations in the city just in case. from fi fth grade in Myanmar, you need group meant all Rohingya children had Otherwise, education for the children temporary learning activities to Other media companies said they were increasing to go to sixth grade. But there’s no sixth spotty access to education. And once will not be meaningful.” ensure all refugee children can access in school, Rohingya children reported But the governments of both their security. At a time of political divisiveness when grade, so what do we do? They can’t education and develop their minds.” views of the news industry itself have become starkly polarised, many jumped quickly to speculation Killing like about whether the this is nothing metaphorical war on the media had become but madness, shockingly literal. Journalists in other no matter countries are murdered what terms it’s with shocking regularity. Before Thursday’s couched in attack, the Committee to Protect Journalists listed 1,306 such killings since 1992, only seven of which occurred in the United States. But after seeing elected offi cials shot, from former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giff ords to Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the fear that journalists could be targeted because of their role in public life is something most workers have felt. That’s why so many reporters across the US got a sickening feeling on Thursday afternoon – they couldn’t believe something like this had happened, except that they could. Killing like this is nothing but madness, no matter what terms it’s couched in. One can never understand it. But it must stop. The fear journalists feel today is no diff erent from the one high school students felt after Parkland or clubgoers felt after the Pulse or people at music festivals felt after Las Vegas. The truth is, nowhere can feel safe anymore. Not churches, not shopping malls, not factories, not offi ce buildings. No one can feel sure that someone won’t target them for some reason, and one can certainly have no assurance that a madman will be stopped from obtaining a gun. An Islamic teacher instructs a group of Rohingya children in a community madrassa in Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh. With no formal education available, Soon, America will begin the ritual of dissecting Rohingya parents in the camps often send their kids to makeshift madrassas. how today’s murderer obtained his weapon, what type it was and whether any particular proposal for gun control might have stopped the killer. Enough. Whatever may prove to be the case, America is awash in too many guns and that they are too easy to get. The country allows individuals to amass insane amounts When online hatred turns real of fi repower and its systems to keep them out of the wrong hands are full of holes. By The Baltimore Sun invective Ramos spewed on Twitter to back away, and that’s when things look at the false intimacy the Internet New York about the Capital and its reporters took a turn. He engaged in an escalating can off er and the venom that can hide and editors but also of the toxic stew pattern of harassment and threats, behind a computer screen.” of reactions that followed last week’s dropping off for a while only to return: That venom not only preceded To Advertise he column that began Jarrod killings. “For all that time he was silent, he’s last Thursday’s attack, it also fl owed Ramos’ vendetta against the In 2011, Ramos pleaded guilty in collecting things about me. And then freely in the hours afterward, with a [email protected] Capital Gazette newspaper in Anne Arundel County District Court to comes back at me, like, 10 times worse back-and-forth of tweets about fake Display TAnnapolis was about a court a harassment charge stemming from his than he had before.” news media and whether Ramos was a case in which he had been convicted online relationship with a former high The pattern would repeat. After the supporter of President Donald Trump. 44466621 44418811 of harassment. It wasn’t some piece school classmate. He had contacted column, Ramos sued the paper for There were many heartfelt sentiments, of exploitative journalism; it had a the woman (who was not named in the defamation and lost but maintained a to be sure, but also a mountain of hate. Classified broader point and purpose, one that original column because she feared for Twitter account that railed against the It is facile to blame President Trump’s 44466609 44418811 resonates chillingly after his alleged her safety) out of the blue on Facebook Capital and at least at one point hinted rhetoric for an act of violence like this shooting rampage at the Capital Gazette because, he said, she was the only one at the possibility of mass violence in one, but equally naive to believe the Subscription newsroom that left fi ve dead. who had been nice to him in school. The its newsroom. Then he was silent for coarsening of our discourse doesn’t feed The column was a cautionary tale woman initially felt sorry for Ramos, two years, until moments before the it. If we can so easily disconnect from [email protected] about social media, about how it can she testifi ed, and off ered advice and shooting. the reality that fi ve people are dead – connect people while also serving as some personal details about her life. The 2011 column, by former Capital fi ve people with families and friends an outlet for wanton cruelty. It reads When it seemed like he made more of writer Eric Hartley, notes, “The case is whose lives are shattered – what more © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved as eerie foreshadowing of the years of the relationship than she did, she tried extreme. But it provides a frightening horrors must we endure? Gulf Times Monday, July 2, 2018 19 COMMENT The truth about Trump’s popularity

By Tom McCarthy incumbent president, ruling out re- white, working-class Americans who New York election. And 90% in-party support voted for Barack Obama. A New York is not unusual in recent presidential Times analysis of offi cial voter fi les in cycles. three states found that almost one in ive hundred days after the “Don’t listen to the polls,” cautioned four white working-class voters who 2016 election, many US voters a 55-year-old army veteran and supported Obama switched to Trump remain deeply sceptical of, if Clinton supporter from central Florida in 2016. Fnot hostile to, political polling. who tweets @politicalppatty and who Will those voters stick with Trump? The national polls in 2016 were did not want to give her name for fear An Economist/YouGov poll released actually fairly accurate: Hillary Clinton of losing her Veterans Administration last month of people who voted in the was supposed to win the popular vote benefi ts. last presidential election suggested by about three points and she ended up “Even if they say Trump is that the 2016 electorate has soured winning by two. going down, that he’s going to be on Trump somewhat. The president’s But election models portraying impeached – don’t listen. Democrats approval rating in the poll was seven Clinton as a sure thing left her don’t get out the vote. We do not points underwater, 41-48, a signifi cant supporters feeling betrayed when, band together. We don’t have a slide from his 46-48 popular vote loss thanks to the electoral college, the playbook like them (Republicans). So to Clinton. presidency fell to Donald Trump. don’t listen to the polls. Unless we Vavreck described a paradox of For those voters today, mistrust of show up, we’ll lose.” Trump that makes it hard to gauge the surveys can take on an almost spiritual Some voters fi nd it hard to political winds swirling around him. As vehemence. understand how Trump could maintain an unusual candidate in 2016, Trump Yet while Americans who feel that such strong support from Republicans. made an election look unusual when Trump is harming the country can But while Trump is an unusual it was in fact quite usual, in terms of be leery of any survey that seems like president, in terms of his political style partisan voter behaviour. good news for their side, the same and conduct, certain features of his “The 2016 election did look in a voters might be too quick to believe presidency, such as his robust party lot of ways like typical presidential numbers that look good for Trump but support, are true to historical patterns, elections – the problem was, we which upon closer scrutiny exaggerate said Lynn Vavreck, a professor of couldn’t appreciate that while the strength of the president’s political political science at the University of it was happening, because all position. California-Los Angeles. you could see was how different When Trump hit a personal best “I think the problem is that and unusual it was – and it was,” 45% overall approval rating last week people want to think that Trump Vavreck said. in Gallup’s weekly tracking poll, should be different, and that he “But to say now, ‘Anything that boosted by a 90% approval rating shouldn’t have the same approval looks unusual, we should discount among Republicans, a chorus of rating as a ‘typical’ Republican that’ – I don’t think we want to do anxious Trump detractors asked: “How president,” Vavreck said. that. I don’t think the lesson to learn can this be?” “But he is the president, he is a from 2016 is, ‘When you see something Easy come, easy poll: on Monday, Republican, so it’s a little bit like the Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and son Barron board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland: voters really outside the equilibrium, forget Gallup had Trump back down at 41%, counter-question is: ‘Why would we remain sceptical. it, because it’s just like being in the as Americans learned more about his expect him to look diff erent?’ The equilibrium.’ policy of separating migrant families answer to that is that he behaves poll, up from two in November 2016. Democratic in the midterm elections. what they hope is the building “No, that’s exactly wrong. If you see at the US border. In fact, Trump’s diff erently. But that party label is still And Republicans are suff ering high- “In today’s GOP, which is the opposition, Republican defections things that are outside the historical approval rating during his fi rst term really important to people.” profi le defections, recently including president’s plaything, he is the might not be the place to focus. norm, I think you do have to pause and has been “incredibly stable” within a In positive news for critics of the Steve Schmidt, who ran the 2008 John mainstream,” Will wrote. “So, to Probably more important to the defeat say, ‘Wait, what does this mean for band from about 36% to 43%, polling president, robust support from the McCain presidential campaign and vote against his party’s cowering of the Trump bloc in future elections, what we know?’” analyst Harry Enten and others have Republican party might not be what worked in George W Bush’s White congressional caucuses is to affi rm the analysts say, will be factors such as For some American voters across pointed out. it used to be, as the party shows signs House. In his most recent Washington nation’s honour while quarantining turnout among minority voters, whom the political spectrum, the answer is Under normal circumstances, of shrinkage. Democrats have built a Post column, the renowned him.” Trump lost in 2016 by a whopping 53 simple. No matter what the numbers an overall approval rating much seven-point advantage in registered conservative commentator George But if critics of Trump who remain points. say: ignore the polls and vote. - under 50% would spell doom for an voters, according to Gallup’s tracking Will urged fellow Republicans to vote poll-curious wonder how to gauge Another important group are the Guardian News and Media

Can multilateralism adapt? Three-day forecast TODAY The very principles of H W Bush and Bill Clinton thought because consensus is required to Maximum Temperature : 420c By Jean Pisani-Ferry Minimum Temperature : 300c Florence multilateralism, a key pillar of global that the international order would change the rules. governance, seem to have become a help transform Russia and China into So what should be done? One option TUESDAY relic from a distant past. “market democracies.” But neither is to preserve the existing order to the Maximum Temperature : 410c ewind to the late 1990s. After What happened? Trump, for sure. Russia nor China has converged greatest extent possible. Minimum Temperature : 310c an eight-decade-long hiatus, The 45th US president campaigned politically. This was the approach adopted WEDNESDAY the global economy was for the job like a bull in a china China is converging in terms of GDP after Trump withdrew the US from Maximum Temperature : 410c Rbeing reunifi ed. Economic shop, vowing to destroy the edifi ce and sophistication, but its economic the Paris climate agreement: the other Minimum Temperature : 320c of international order built and system remains apart. signatories continue to abide by it. openness was the order of the day. Fisherman's forecast Finance was being liberalised. The maintained by all of his predecessors As Mark Wu of Harvard argued in The advantages of this approach are nascent Internet would soon give since Franklin Roosevelt. a 2016 paper, although market forces that it contains the damage from one play a strong role in its economy, co- country’s peculiar behaviour. WARNING everyone on the planet equal access to Since taking offi ce, he has been true Inshore : Nil information. To manage ever-growing to his word, withdrawing from one ordination by the state (and control But, to the extent that the interdependence, new international international agreement after another by the Communist Party) remains US attitude is a symptom, the Offshore : Nil institutions were developed. The and imposing import tariff s on friends pervasive. conservationist approach does not WEATHER World Trade Organisation was brought and adversaries alike. China has invented its own address the disease. Inshore : Hot daytime with slight to life. A binding climate agreement, Still, let’s face it: today’s problems did economic rules. A second option is to use the crisis dust and humid by the Kyoto Protocol, had just been not start with Trump. It was not Trump Third, the US is unsure that a as an opportunity for reform. night fi nalised. who, in 2009, killed the Copenhagen rules-based system off ers the best The EU, China, and a few others – Offshore : Slight dust at times with The message was clear: negotiation on a climate agreement. It framework to manage its rivalry with including, one hopes, the US at some some clouds globalisation was not just about was not Trump who is to blame for the China. point – should be the ones to take the WIND liberalising fl ows of goods, services failure of the Doha trade round. True, a multilateral system may initiative, salvaging those aspects of the Inshore : Northwesterly-North- and capital but about establishing the It was not Trump who told Asia to help the incumbent hegemon and the old multilateralism that remain useful, easterly 05-15/18 KT rules and institutions required to steer secede from the global fi nancial safety rising power avoid falling into the so- but fusing them into new arrangements Offshrore : Southwesterly-North- markets, foster co-operation, and net managed by the International called “Thucydides’ trap” of military that are fairer, more fl exible, and more westerly 03-13/18 KT deliver global public goods. Monetary Fund. confrontation. appropriate for today’s world. Visibility : 4-8 KM/ 3 KM Now fast-forward to 2018. Before Trump, problems were dealt But the growing perception in the This strategy would have the Despite a decade of talks, the global with more politely. But they were there. US is that multilateralism puts more advantage of identifying and absorbing Offshore : 1-3/5 FT constraints on its own behaviour than the lessons off ered by the exhaustion trade negotiations launched in 2001 There is no shortage of Around the region have got nowhere. The Internet has explanations. on China’s. of traditional arrangements and the Weather become fragmented and could break An important one is that many Finally, global rules look emergence of new ones. Weather today tomorrow Max/min up further. Financial regionalism is on participants in the international increasingly outdated. But is there enough leadership and Max/min Baghdad Sunny Sunny 48/31 the rise. The global eff ort to combat system are having second thoughts Whereas some of their underlying enough political will to go beyond 46/30 Kuwait City Sunny Sunny 46/33 climate change rests on a collection of about globalisation. A widespread principles – starting with the simple empty, face-saving compromises? 47/33 Manama Cloudy Sunny 41/31 non-binding agreements, from which perception in advanced countries idea that issues are addressed The downside risk is that failed reform 38/31 Muscat M Sunny Sunny 38/32 the US has withdrawn. is that the rents from technological multilaterally rather than bilaterally could lead to a complete unravelling of 38/32 Sunny Sunny 39/24 Yes, the WTO is still there, but it is innovation are being eroded – are as strong as ever, others were the global system. Tehran 40/26 increasingly ineff ective. US President precipitously. conceived for a world that no longer In the end, the solution is neither to Donald Trump, who does not hide The US factory worker of yesterday exists. cultivate the nostalgia of yesterday’s his contempt for multilateral rules, owed his standard of living to these Established trade negotiation order nor to place hope in loose, is attempting to block its dispute rents. But as the economist Richard practices make little sense in a ineff ective forms of international co- settlement system. The US pretends Baldwin brilliantly shows in The Great world of global value chains and operation. - Project Syndicate against all evidence that imports of Convergence, technology has become sophisticated services. BMWs are a threat to national security. more accessible, production processes And categorising countries by zJean Pisani-Ferry, a professor at the China is brutally ordered - outside have been segmented, and many of the their development level is losing Hertie School of Governance (Berlin) any multilateral framework - to import rents have gone. its usefulness, given that some of and Sciences Po (Paris), holds the more, export less, cut subsidies, A second explanation is that the US them combine fi rst-class global Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa chair at the refrain from purchasing US tech strategy towards Russia and China has companies and pockets of economic European University Institute and is companies, and respect intellectual failed. backwardness. a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels- property rights. In the 1990s, presidents George But inertia is considerable, if only based think tank.

Around the world Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens Sunny 33/22 Sunny 34/23 Live issues Beirut Sunny 28/24 Sunny 28/26 Bangkok I T Storms 34/26 T Storms 33/27 Berlin P Cloudy 23/11 M Sunny 28/13 Cairo Sunny 37/23 Sunny 37/24 Obesity may cause early onset of Alzheimer’s Cape Town Rain 11/09 P Cloudy 13/08 Colombo T Storms 29/26 T Storms 29/26 Dhaka T Storms 31/26 T Storms 31/26 IANS infl ammation and stress in the E K MacPherson, from the Brock and cellular stress in areas of the Hong Kong S T Storms 29/26 S T Storms 29/26 Toronto hippocampus - responsible for long- University in Ontario, Canada. hippocampus thought to be involved Istanbul Sunny 29/20 Sunny 30/21 term memory - and prefrontal cortex In the study, published in the in the progression of Alzheimer’s Jakarta P Cloudy 33/24 M Sunny 33/24 - responsible for complex cognitive, journal Physiological reports, the team disease. Karachi Cloudy 32/29 Cloudy 32/29 hile ageing has been emotional and behavioural function. used a mouse model to look at the The study also revealed that certain London M Sunny 28/15 M Sunny 28/13 long identifi ed as a Both brain regions are thought eff ects of an obesity-inducing diet on areas of the brain respond diff erently Manila S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 31/26 signifi cant risk factor for to be involved in the progression of insulin signalling - the process that to risk factors associated with Moscow M Sunny 23/13 P Cloudy 20/12 WAlzheimer’s disease, a Alzheimer’s disease. tells the body how to use sugar - and Alzheimer’s. New Delhi S Showers 35/28 S T Storms 36/28 new study shows that obesity during “This study provides novel markers of infl ammation and cellular “These results add to our basic New York M Sunny 34/24 Sunny 31/24 middle age may contribute to the early information in relation to the stress. understanding of the pathways Paris P Cloudy 31/19 P Cloudy 28/19 development of the brain disorder, mechanistic link between obesity One group of mice received a high- involved in the early progression Sao Paulo Sunny 27/14 M Sunny 23/15 termed as the most common form of and the transition from adulthood fat, high-sugar diet (“HFS”), while the of (Alzheimer’s) pathogenesis and Seoul T Storms 27/23 S Showers 31/22 dementia. to middle age and signalling control group had a normal diet. demonstrate the negative eff ects of Singapore S T Storms 29/26 S T Storms 29/26 The results showed that ageing, cascades that may be related to Mice with HFS demonstrated an HFS diet on both the prefrontal Sydney S Showers 16/09 M Sunny 18/08 combined with a high fat and high (Alzheimer’s) pathology later in life,” signifi cantly higher markers of cortex and hippocampal regions,” Tokyo Clear 33/25 Clear 33/25 sugar diet, results in increased said researchers, including Rebecca infl ammation, insulin resistance MacPherson said. Gulf Times 20 Monday, July 2, 2018 QATAR

New Gold Souq housing 50 shops opens at Souq Najada

The Private Engineering Off ice (PEO) opened the Gold Souq at Souq Najada yesterday evening. The souq brings together 50 shops under one roof to present a wide variety of gold jewellery and cater to all tastes, according to a QNA report. Following the opening, PEO managing director Nasser Rashid al-Nuaimi toured the new souq where he was briefed on the shops and jewellery displayed. In statements given on the sidelines of the opening, Souq Waqif director Mohamed al-Salem said an off ice for issuing certificates for the sale of gold would start operating within the next two weeks at the new souq in order toserve customers there. He added that the souq includes the most important jewellery stores in Doha that sell jewellery and yellow gold. The stores have a second floor that can be used as workshops. Further, al-Salem said that the Gold Souq is equipped with all the services and facilities that make it an attractive destination for visitors, where they can move freely within the market and enjoy all the services it off ers. The souq also has 250 underground parking slots. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil ‘Cosmos’ joins galaxy of HIA artworks atar Museums (QM) and Qatar’s heritage and culture. well as other parts of the coun- Hamad International Othoniel drew inspiration for try as part of its mission to cre- QAirport (HIA) have an- Cosmos from an artefact found ate easily accessible cultural ex- nounced a new public art piece at in the collection of the IM Pei- periences for all those who live the award-winning airport cre- designed Museum of Islamic in and visit Qatar. ated by internationally acclaimed Art in Doha – the oldest Islamic “A major focus for us has been contemporary French artist Jean- astrolabe in the world. Cosmos to create a diverse and striking Michel Othoniel. pays homage to this extraordi- public art off ering at HIA and Named Cosmos, the new in- nary object, using gold to gild around the country, with the aim stallation is the latest addition to the steel structure of the piece to of taking art outside the walls of Qatar’s extensive public art pro- evoke the warm light of the sun. a museum to inspire local talent gramme, which aims to connect The public art piece represents a and engage travellers and tour- audiences living in and visiting colossal celestial globe echoing ists,” QM’s chief strategic plan- the country with inspiring works the trajectories of travellers from ning offi cer Khalid al-Ibrahim of art. around the world, with more said. “Othoniel is an inspir- Earlier this summer, Othon- than 30mn passengers passing ing talent who has developed a iel participated in a panel dis- through HIA last year. strong artistic connection with cussion at The New York Times The striking piece resem- the community in Qatar. Cosmos Cosmos, a new public art piece at HIA by internationally-acclaimed contemporary French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, is the latest addition Art Leaders Network 2018 with bles bright calligraphy drawn in will be a huge draw and a wel- to Qatar’s extensive public art programme. QM Chairperson HE Sheikha Al space when observed side-on or come addition to the wonderful Mayassa bint Hamad bin Kha- from below, and appears in the range of work already on display distinguish and enhance the pas- growing airports into an inno- veiled Small Lie by KAWS, a se- lan, Don Gummer, Keith Har- lifa al-Thani and other distin- shape of a blooming rose when at the airport,” he noted. HIA senger experience at HIA as it vative space beyond the walls of ries of Oryx sculptures by Dutch ing, Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer, guished figures from the world observed from the front. Under COO Badr Mohamed al-Meer represents the global and cross- a gallery. HIA is now fi lled with artist Tom Claassen, and instal- Marc Quinn, Anselm Reyle, Ru- of architecture. The artist, who the patronage of its Chairper- said, “HIA is truly growing as a cultural sentiments that we very breath-taking pieces meant to lations entitled ‘Playground’ by dolf Stingel and Bill Viola. is best known for modernis- son, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa, gateway to culture as we continue much value,” he added. intrigue, surprise and inspire American artist Tom Otterness HIA being located at the cross- ing the gardens of the Chateau QM has worked with local, re- to add to our collection of world- Artworks on display at HIA passengers as they travel across among others. Other regional roads of East and West, the art- de Versailles with his strik- gional and international artists class art by both international comprise a mix of site-specifi c the world. and international artists featured ists featured at the airport are ing glass fountain sculptures, for many years to commission and locally renowned artists.” creations, as well as art that has Cosmos joins other work such at the airport include Adel Ab- the refl ection of both sides of the described Cosmos as a monu- and acquire artworks for key “Cosmos is a monumental especially chosen, transform- as the hugely popular Lamp Bear dessemed, Dia Azzawi, Ahmed world, transcending all cultures mental sculpture that reflects locations in and around HIA as sculpture that will undoubtedly ing one of the world’s fastest- by Urs Fischer, the recently un- al-Bahrani, Maurizio Catte- and beliefs. QR400,000 worth in cash won at QSF 2018 fi rst raffl e draw

ine winners of Qatar Summer Festival (QSF)’s Nfi rst raffl e draw walked away with QR400,000 in cash prizes last Thursday at Lagoona Mall. QSF fi rst kicked off on June 15 and Qatar residents, as well as visitors, still have a chance to win by shopping or dining at any of the festival’s 10 mall partners. For every QR200 spent at any of the participating retailers or restaurants, shoppers can enter one of the festival’s two remain- ing raffl e draws for a chance to win a Lamborghini Huracan su- percar and 16 cash prizes ranging People watching a World Cup match broadcast by pirate beoutQ channel at a location in Saudi Arabia. from QR20,000 to QR100,000. QSF’s participating malls in- clude Al Khor Mall, Al Mirqab Mall, B Square Mall, Dar Al Salam Mall, Doha Festival City, Gulf Marriott stops showing pirated Mall, Hyatt Plaza, Landmark Mall, Lagoona Mall and Mall of Qatar. football matches in Saudi hotels In addition to the in-mall shopping off ers and discounts, The raff le draw was conducted at Lagoona Mall. the all-new Qatar Summer Pass From Page 1 gaging with selected carriers immediate eff ect at our hotel mobile application’s Summer (https://apple.co/2KBkrTo) and number 47978 and 47477; and Visitors and residents wishing in the region.” in Makkah. “Some of our other Deals feature provides users has both English and Arabic user QR100,000 — voucher number to stay up to date with key events In a statement it said: “The A spokeswoman for Marri- hotels in Saudi Arabia were with access money-saving of- interfaces. 47320 and 115448. QSF 2018’s being held in Qatar, can also fol- protection of our Intellectual ott International Hotels, which showing (beoutQ) and are now fers across hotels, entertainment The Summer Deals feature can next raffl e draw will be held on low the Qatar Events Calendar’s Property is key to UEFA and is based in Maryland, said last being stopped.” centres, cinemas as well as hun- be unlocked for a one-time fee of July 26 at Mall of Qatar and the dedicated social media accounts we will take the necessary night: “This issue was brought Despite an international dreds of cafes and restaurants. QR75. The winners are as follows: third and fi nal draw will be con- on Twitter and Instagram (@ steps to address the issue in to our notice yesterday. We take outcry, beoutQ broadcasts The application is available QR20,000 — voucher number ducted at Doha Festival City on QatarCalendar), Facebook (Fa- order to enforce and protect such matters very seriously and of the World Cup continue on both Android (https://bit. 22763, 43155, 13188, 110801 and the last day of the 11-week festi- cebook.com/QatarCalendar) and the rights granted to beIN can confi rm that beoutQ broad- across Saudi Arabia, including ly/2KDhezg) and iOS app stores 087168; QR50,000 — voucher val, August 31. Snapchat (QatarCalendar). Sports, including through en- cast has been discontinued with at airports.