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MONDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10524 July 24, 2017 Dhul-Qa’da 1, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Emir meets Centcom chief Erdogan meets In brief Saudi, Kuwaiti

QATAR | Offi cial Emir sends greetings to Sultan Qaboos leaders in bid His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime to defuse crisis Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday sent a cable of congratulations to Sultan Qaboos bin „Turkish president to hold Saeed of the Sultanate of Oman on the occasion of the anniversary of his talks with Emir in Doha today accession to the throne. His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met with the Commander of US Central Command (Centcom), Gen. Joseph Leonard Votel, and his accompanying delegation at Al Bahr Palace yesterday. Their talks dealt with bilateral strategic QATAR | Industry Agencies relations between the two friendly countries and means of enhancing them in defence co-operation in particular. The meeting Kuwait City PM holds meeting reviewed the joint operations between the Qatar Armed Forces and the US forces in combating terrorism aimed at supporting their eff orts to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in the region. Gen. Votel thanked the Emir on Qatar’s pivotal with businessmen role in this field. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common. urkish President Recep Tayyip HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Erdogan yesterday began a key Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Ttrip to the Gulf aimed at defus- bin Khalifa al-Thani has ordered the ing the Gulf crisis, saying no one had an formation of a committee comprising interest in prolonging the dispute. members from designated ministries Erdogan had talks in Jeddah with and industries. The committee will be King Salman who hailed the Turkish charged with revising and following up International mission calls leader’s “eff orts in the fi ght against all the decisions made as well as their terrorism and its fi nancing,” Saudi state implementation in co-ordination with news agency SPA reported. all governmental bodies. The Prime He also met Saudi crown prince Mo- Minister gave a directive to this eff ect hamed bin Salman before leaving for when held a meeting with a number of for swift lifting of blockade Kuwait for the second leg of his tour. Qatari industrialists, several ministers Erdogan was received by Kuwait’s and state off icials yesterday. The Prime QNA yers, writers and doctors, reviewed the situation, according to the delegation. Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Minister was briefed on the challenges Doha repercussions of the blockade and its The delegation called on the siege al-Sabah, who has been mediating to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan facing Qatari industry, such as acquiring negative eff ects on families, especially countries to restore the situation as it resolve the crisis. basic materials, manufacturing and women and children, and on the right was before June 5. They stressed that the On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the dication Ankara sees Kuwait as the key the export process - and the solutions n international observer mis- to education, health, family reunifi ca- time has come to lift the blockade and United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut to solving the crisis. to them. The Prime Minister stressed sion, which is currently vis- tion and private property. The delega- to end it immediately, and compensate ties with Qatar, accusing it of backing Qatar’s Emir said on Friday he was the importance of developing Qatari Aiting Doha to investigate the tion pointed out that its members met those aff ected, reunite families, and al- extremism and fostering ties with Iran. ready for talks to resolve the row as industry to transform it into one of the violations of international law, has with 40 victims who explained the great low students to complete their educa- Doha denies the claim and has been long as the country’s sovereignty is re- most prominent in the region. described the blockade imposed by the damage they have suff ered, and the tion, and to deliver certifi cates to those strongly backed by Ankara throughout spected. Saudi bloc as unjust, a violation of in- pressures that they are being subjected who fi nished their studies, and to solve the standoff . Erdogan is to get a warm welcome EUROPE | Solidarity ternational law and the UN Charter and to because of the blockade. These cases all the problems in accordance with the The Turkish president will visit Qa- in Doha where Turkey has been loudly human dignity. will be documented and included in the provisions of international laws and na- tar today for his fi rst face-to-face talks applauded for sending in food, includ- Protest to denounce The delegation, which includes law- report which will be prepared on the tional constitutions. To Page 20 with His Highness the Emir Sheikh ing fruit, dairy and poultry products by unjust siege of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani since the ship and by plane to help Doha beat the A group of civil society organisations crisis began. blockade. and sympathisers of Qatar held a “The Emir will discuss with his According to the economy ministry, protest to denounce the unjust siege Palestinian right brother the President of Turkey bilater- Ankara has sent around 200 cargo planes against the state at the United Nations al relations between the two countries fi lled with aid since the crisis began. Plaza in Geneva. The demonstrators and means of enhancing and advancing Under a 2014 agreement, Ankara raised Qatar’s flags and pictures of its them, in addition to the developments maintains a military base in Qatar leadership during protest, shouting in the Gulf crisis,” the offi cial Qatar which is set to eventually host as many slogans calling for the lifting of siege and News Agency (QNA) said. as 1,000 troops. Pages 2, 18, 20 respect of the sovereignty of the State of “No one has any interest in prolong- Qatar. The protest was widely covered ing this crisis any more,” Erdogan said Mogherini calls by the Swiss media. In El Salvador, before leaving Istanbul. for direct talks Vinicio Cerezo, Secretary-General of the He accused “enemies” of seeking to Central American Integration System “fi re up tensions between brothers” in European Union foreign aff airs chief (SICA), who served as former President the region. Federica Mogherini yesterday called of Guatemala from 1986 to1991, has Erdogan praised Qatar’s behaviour for swift direct talks to resolve the Gulf expressed the organisation’s support in the crisis, saying Doha had sought crisis between Qatar and its neighbours. and solidarity with Qatar to face the to fi nd a solution through dialogue. “I Mogherini’s call came aft er she met media attack and false accusations. hope our visit will be benefi cial for the Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad region,” he said. al-Jaber al-Sabah and other offi cials ARAB WORLD | Confl ict The crisis has put Turkey in a deli- and expressed EU support for Kuwait’s cate position, and Erdogan has repeat- “relentless mediation eff orts” in the Militants take control edly said he wants to see an end to the dispute. Mogherini in a statement of major Syrian city dispute as soon as possible. called on “all the parties to enter into Militants yesterday took Idlib in Syria “From the fi rst moments of the Qa- negotiations to agree clear principles after rival rebels withdrew, strengthening tar crisis, we have been on the side of and a roadmap for a swift resolution of their grip over the northwestern city peace, stability, solidarity and dia- the crisis”. and its province, one of the last beyond logue,” said Erdogan. She said the EU was ready to support regime control. At the same time a car “As the elder statesman in the Gulf the process of negotiations and assist bomb exploded in Idlib killing 11 people, Israeli border police stand guard as a Palestinian man takes part in evening prayers outside the Lion’s Gate of Jerusalem’s Old region, Saudi Arabia has a big role to in the implementation of a plan for the nine of them militants, the Britain-based City yesterday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that the Palestinian leadership will not accept Israel’s play in solving the crisis,” said Erdogan. resolution of the crisis, in particular in Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recently installed metal detectors at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. He said: “Israel does not have the right He said he supported the mediation the area of counter-terrorism. monitoring group said. Page 7 to install these metal detectors, because having sovereignty over Al-Aqsa Mosque is our Palestinian right.” Page 7 eff orts of Kuwait’s emir, a possible in- Road, infrastructure works in northern New Slata completed n a major step towards improving The project also provides a solution the construction of 21km of surface and keen to minimise the impact of con- traffi c movement and developing for the area’s rainwater fl ooding prob- groundwater drainage networks, which struction works on residents and visi- Iinfrastructure services across the lems during the rainy season, Ashghal will eliminate the rainwater fl ooding tors. These included the use of micro- country, the Public Works Authority has stressed. problem, construction of the 4.7km tunnelling techniques instead of deep, (Ashghal) has said it has completed the With the completion, all streets in extension of the existing treated sew- open excavations, installation of safety ‘Roads and Infrastructure Development the area have been opened to traffi c. age effl uent networks, in addition to barriers and signs at worksites and ex- Project in the Northern Part of New Sla- There are a total of 86 streets within connecting all plots in the area with the cavations to provide information on al- ta’, covering an area of some 1.72sq km. this area with a combined length of 1.12km drainage networks developed as ternative routes, as well as maintaining The project, located in Area 40 of 15.38km and a corridor width ranging part of the project. and cleaning the diversion roads con- Doha Municipality, serves 633 land from 12-30m. The streets have been re- Ashghal has used distinctive designs tinuously during the project period. plots, including 574 built plots, 14 plots designed, reconstructed and paved. in the interlock structure on sidewalks In addition, Ashghal regularly com- under construction and 45 empty plots. A number of signboards and speed and allocated slots to plant trees in the municated with the area’s residents The project also serves four schools, a humps have been installed to enhance area. to keep them informed of the project kindergarten, fi ve mosques and around traffi c safety in the area. These are in Further, the project includes the de- details and traffi c diversions being im- 70 commercial buildings, Ashghal has addition to the installation of 659 poles velopment of utility networks, includ- plemented, and to answer their que- said in a statement. with energy-saving LED lights, pro- ing nearly 3km of electricity lines, as ries within the shortest possible time The development of roads will “sig- vision of pedestrian paths and road well as the provision of water and com- through project engineers who were nifi cantly facilitate access to the main marking, and construction of 2,800 car munications lines, which will cater to on site 24 hours a day during the whole streets surrounding the area, namely parking spaces. the future requirements of the area. construction period. Roads were also Ali Bin Abi Talib Street, D-Ring Road The project also envisages develop- During the implementation peri- opened to traffi c as soon as work was and Salwa Road, for New Slata resi- ing the area’s infrastructure “accord- od, Ashghal said it took several safety completed to ease congestion in the dents and visitors”. ing to the highest standards”, including measures at the project site and was area, the statement added. Page 5 Work has been carried out on roads across the area. Gulf Times 2 Monday, July 24, 2017 QATAR

Prime Minister meets Airbus CEO Emir meets chief of Italian power firm

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani met Airbus Chief Executive Off icer, Fabrice Bregier, in Doha yesterday. Talks dealt with bilateral co-operation, especially in aviation. Complaints pour His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met the Chairman of Italian Energy Company ‘Eni’, Claudio Descalzi, at Al Bahr Palace yesterday. The meeting reviewed aspects of co-operation and means of developing them. Meanwhile, HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held a separate meeting yesterday with Claudio Descalzi. They discussed aspects of in from students, co-operation and means of enhancing and developing them. UK welcomes Qatar’s call for Gulf crisis talks

livestock owners Britain’s government has praised willingness UAE, Egypt and Bahrain through dialogue, remaining diff erences to begin.” of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin negotiation, and Kuwaiti mediation. These “The UK will continue to engage our partners Hamad al-Thani for dialogue to resolve the steps will help to resolve the dispute,” Johnson in the region to help them reach a solution, he Compensation Claims documents required to submit a Mohamed al-Khulaifi , a Qa- ongoing diplomatic dispute with Saudi Arabia, added. The Emir said in a televised address including assisting Kuwait’s important eff orts Committee received claim for compensation for the tari national, said he has two UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. on Friday that Qatar is ready for dialogue to in whatever way we can,” Johnson added. Taround 1,800 complaint loss he incurred as he was de- plots of land in the UAE worth “I welcome the Emir of Qatar’s commitment resolve the diplomatic row with the Saudi-led British Prime Minister Theresa May had applications and calls from Qa- nied access to his possessions in QR125,000 each. He fears he to combat terrorism in all its manifestations, group, but stressed that any solution to the previously urged the leaders of Saudi Arabia, taris and expatriates within the Saudi. may lose them due to the block- including terrorist financing,” Britain’s Foreign crisis must respect its sovereignty. Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to take past two weeks of its launch. Ali Subaie, another livestock ade and, therefore, approached Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement Johnson said Britain hopes that “in turn Saudi steps to reduce tensions in the region. The complaints pertain to the owner, faced a similar problem the committee to claim his law- yesterday. Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain respond by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain cut losses incurred by the applicants with his animals stuck in Saudi ful rights. “The Emir also pledged to resolve the taking steps towards lifting the embargo,” and diplomatic ties with Qatar last month. – Al as both a direct and indirect out- Arabia. He visited the com- The committee has also re- remaining diff erences with Saudi Arabia, that “this will allow substantive discussions on Jazeera come of the ongoing blockade mittee’s offi ce to fi nd a way to ceived many cases of youths imposed on the country by four get back his livestock. He also studying in Saudi Arabia, Bah- Arab states, according to local praised the panel for its co-op- rain and the UAE, who have Arabic daily Arrayah. eration and for making the pro- been adversely aff ected by the The individual complaints re- cedures for claims easy. blockade. Unable to complete ceived by the committee include Ibtsam al-Metaab, a Saudi their studies in those countries, Hotels in Qatar enjoy ‘high various types of cases, such as woman living in Doha for the they are worried about their fu- fi nancial loss, broken social and past 12 years and married to a ture. family ties, and students be- Qatari man, said she is unable The Compensation Claims ing denied the right to complete to communicate with her fam- Committee, which was opened their education. Many of the ily in Saudi Arabia or visit them by HE the Prime Minister and occupancy despite blockade’ complaints have comes from due to the measures taken by the Interior Minister Sheikh Abdul- livestock owners as well. Saudi-led bloc. She approached lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- Ali Salem, a Qatari livestock the committee to claim damages Thani, is the sole committee to By Peter Alagos occupancy levels, he said hotels than 30 new nationalities. He owner, said he has 120 camels for the sudden severing of close follow up of complaints lodged Business Reporter benefi ted from the decision of said the initiative “will open a with fi ve employees in Saudi family ties as she could not visit by individuals, private and pub- Qataris and other residents to lot of opportunities to boost the Arabia in addition to a number of her family and they were not al- lic companies, State institu- spend their Eid holidays in Qa- tourism industry of the coun- farms there. He approached the lowed to come and meet her ei- tions, banks and other aff ected otels in Qatar enjoyed tar. Occupancy also got a boost try”. committee to enquire about the ther. parties. high occupancy levels from the arrival of many Ku- Also, it was reported last Hduring the Eid al-Fitr waitis and Omanis, he said. month that the Ministry of In- holidays despite the economic Heidari also lauded the eff orts terior, Qatar Airways and Qatar blockade imposed by Saudi Ara- of Qatar Airways to enhance the Tourism Authority had launched bia and its allies, according to an country’s connectivity to world. an e-visa platform through offi cial at Sheraton Grand Doha “We need a national carrier to which visitors to Qatar could di- Resort & Convention Hotel. bring in more people and Qatar rectly apply for tourist visas. Saeid Heidari, Sheraton Grand Airways is doing a phenomenal Tourist visa applications can Doha general manager, said the job,” he said, citing the airline’s now be completed on the new hotel was “doing better busi- Sheraton Grand Doha general growth in fl eet. e-visa platform, which is cur- ness” compared to the previous manager Saeid Heidari. “Qatar Airways is doing an ex- rently in pilot phase, at www. year, citing “higher” occupancy PICTURE: Jayan Orma tremely good job in making Qatar qatarvisaservice.com rates and revenue. a hub, and it is extremely impor- The new service is set to Heidari said Sheraton record- adding that occupancy “was at tant to have connectivity because ease visitor access to Qatar, ed a 23.71% year-on-year in- the high 80% levels on the suc- people will not come if you’re not as it offers a more efficient crease in hotel occupancy, but he ceeding days”. connected,” he pointed out. and transparent visa applica- noted that occupancy during the “During Eid, occupancy was Another factor that drives ad- tion system, with standardised Eid holidays “were better”. around 55% to 60% for Qataris ditional business, according to fees. Previously, applicants In 2016, Heidari said rooms and around 20% to 22% for Ku- Heidari, is tourism infrastruc- for tourist visas were required in most hotels “were normally waitis and Omanis, while the ture. He noted that Qatar’s hos- to submit their applications sold out for a maximum of three rest were residents and other pitality industry off ers a range through accredited Qatar- days” and enjoyed 70% to 80% expatriates,” Heidari told Gulf of choices that cater to diff erent based entities, such as hotels occupancy on two additional Times. types of markets. and tour operators. Now, trav- days. But for this year’s Eid, Hei- Aside from “moderate pric- Further, Heidari lauded the ellers can apply directly and dari said the Sheraton was sold ing”, which, according to Heidari recent move to open up the vi- track the status of their appli- The committee’s off ice in Doha. out for seven consecutive days, was “a big factor” in enhancing sa-on-arrival facility to more cation online. Bedaya Centre hosts meeting with national fi rms

he Bedaya Centre for En- nationals to become permanent ers and trainers who presented various fi elds of the Qatari la- trepreneurship and Ca- and sustainable entrepreneurs. workshops and training pro- bour market to present their ca- Treer Development (Bedaya We are confi dent that this meet- grammes. During this period, reer and achievements. Centre) has met with represent- ing will play a crucial role in en- more than 80 projects were sup- The Bedaya camp, scheduled atives of national companies and hancing our national economy ported from the concept stage for two weeks from July to Au- institutions to connect them and to meet the needs of the to the implementation. Among gust, aims to develop students with Qatar’s young generation SME sector.” the achievements were eight ac- in the professional fi eld by intro- to encourage them to contribute In fi rst half of 2017, Bedaya credited Qatari trainers who re- ducing them to the most impor- towards the goals of Qatar Na- Centre hosted a total of 70 work- ceived internationally accredited tant professions in the country, tional Vision 2030 and for a bet- shops in various fi elds that saw certifi cates in the fi eld of profes- and educating them about the ter society. the attendance of more than sional development. most important specialities, During the meeting, Be- 2,500 participants. The centre The professional develop- in addition to recreational ac- daya Centre also showcased the provided more than 144 hours ment section also revealed the tivities aimed at developing and achievements of the Entrepre- of consultation to entrepreneurs programmes for the second honing their skills. neurship Department during who are constantly seeking to half of this year. Starting this During the months of Sep- the fi rst half of this year, led by reach their goals that will sup- Attendees of the meeting. month until October, a voca- tember and November, a ‘Meh- a team of trainers and certifi ed port the economy of Qatar. In tional training programme will na Café – Career Café’ event mentors. addition, the Entrepreneurship tifi c Club and will be held from The meeting also highlighted tunities for students, as well as be held, which will help prepare will be held with an experienced Reem al-Suwaidi, general Department reviewed the ba- August 6 to 9. the ‘Dukan Bedaya’ project, linking students and the Qatari young people to move to the ap- professional who will discuss manager of Bedaya Centre for zaars established by the centre As part of the summer pro- which includes a number of labour market through many propriate work environment by with the participants their pro- Entrepreneurship and Career during that period that was at- gramme for youth clubs, Bedaya “unique local projects” estab- programs off ered by the centre. providing them with practical fessional career in a coff ee shop. Development, said: “We are tended by more than 150 small- Centre - in cooperation with the lished by a group of creative and The Career Development De- experiences related to them and In December, the Entrepreneur- pleased to see the large partici- and medium-sized companies, Ministry of Culture and Sports, aspiring Qatari youth to present partment noted that more than to help them identify their pro- ship Division will hold a ‘Kha- pation of national companies, according to a press statement. will host workshops from August their products in an innovative 4,320 people attended work- fessional interests and develop lak Qeyadi’ event at the school entrepreneurs and business The meeting also discussed 21 to 23. In addition, a workshop way to attract the public and de- shops and training programmes their leadership and personal level, targeting student council leaders in this meeting, which the planned programmes of Be- on “How to employ qualifi ed fi ne the nature of their work. and about 250 consultancy hours skills by expanding their knowl- members to develop student would contribute towards our daya Centre for the second half people for small businesses?” The meeting gave the Ca- were held at the centre’s head- edge in fi eld training. leadership. economy by investing in our of 2017. These include work- will be held on November 20. reer Development Department quarters for small and medium In November, the Career Finally, the marketing depart- youth who are the backbone of shops on the basics of Entrepre- Other events scheduled are an opportunity to review the enterprises. Awareness Week will be held to ment at Bedaya revealed a major our future. neurship, as well as specialised Forums for Children’s Projects services provided to the public During the fi rst half of 2017, educate all segments of Qatari marketing campaign at a mall for “The meeting was in line with workshops in fi elds of business. in October, the Health Projects through vocational guidance, more than 6,500 students from society about the importance the centre’s activities, hosting the directives of His Highness The workshops will include an Forum in November and the Qa- training in basic skills and the nine universities participated in of professional development by of a breast cancer bazaar with the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- initial prototype workshop in tar Entrepreneurship Forum in working environment, providing the 38 development programmes bringing together a number of Georgetown University and the mad al-Thani, seeking to qualify collaboration with Qatar Scien- December. volunteer and training oppor- with the assistance of 20 speak- professionals and pioneers in National Day celebrations. Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 3 QATAR Ministry cracks down on Jassim Foundation fruit and vegetable shops implements Three fruit and vegetable terms of ensuring the com- shops booked for concealing mitment of suppliers to the stocks of ginger to provisions of the Consumer manipulate its market price Protection Law and their ob- QR170mn ligation to display all available goods to ensure their avail- he Ministry of Economy ability in the market, and Commerce (MEC) according to the statement. Thas carried out surprise Article 10 of the Consumer projects inspection campaigns target- Protection Law states that “the ing fruit and vegetable shops in supplier shall not conceal any Doha. commodity and shall refrain assim and Hamad Bin Jas- province of Pakistan, with a The initiative resulted in a from selling it for the purpose sim Foundation has an- capacity of 50 beds at a cost of crackdown on three fruit and of controlling its market price. Jnounced the total amounts QR30mn and expected to fi nish vegetable shops that concealed The supplier shall also refrain of its charitable activities dur- the project by the end of 2018. stocks of ginger to manipulate its from imposing the purchase of ing the fi rst half of this year, In the Gaza Strip, the Foun- market price, which represented certain quantities or a bundled which included many projects dation inaugurated Sheikh a violation of the provisions of commodity and from charging a inside and outside the country Hamad Bin Jassim Center for Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer higher price than the advertised worth QR170mn. Daily Care in co-operation Protection. price”. According to the Founda- with Qatar’s National Com- The inspection was carried Violations of Law No. 8 of tion, internal projects in- mittee for the Reconstruction out in a bid to monitor the com- 2008 on Consumer Protection cluded cash and supply as- of Gaza, at a cost of $5mn. pliance of suppliers – fruit and result in penalties that include sistance, monthly and health Al-Hajri pointed out that vegetable shops – with Law No administrative closures and guarantees, debt payment, the project aims to provide 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protec- fi nes ranging between QR6,000 tuition fees payment and mar- specialised rehabilitation tion, the MEC said in a state- and QR1mn. riage assistance, in addition to services for people with mul- ment yesterday. The MEC stressed it would supporting cultural, social and tiple and permanent dis- The campaigns come within not tolerate any violations of An MEC off icial inspecting a shop. educational activities costing abilities and to provide them the framework of the minis- the Consumer Protection Law more than QR12mn. with the necessary care in try’s eff orts to regulate and and its regulations, and would decrees to the competent au- The MEC has urged all con- qa, Twitter: MEC_QATAR, In- It said that outside projects treatment, social, health and monitor markets and com- intensify its inspection cam- thorities, who will in turn take sumers to report violations or stagram: MEC_QATAR and the focused on development ar- rehabilitation. mercial activities as well as paigns to crack down on vio- appropriate action against the submit complaints and sugges- ministry’s application on iPhone eas, especially health, edu- Concerning the housing to uncover violations in a bid lations. It will refer those who perpetrators in order to protect tions through the call centre: and Android devices: cation and housing at a cost projects, he confi rmed the to protect consumer rights in violate laws and ministerial consumer rights. 16001, e-mail: [email protected]. MEC_QATAR of QR157mn to benefi t thou- completion of the second sands of Muslims in Asian and phase of Sheikh Jassim Model African countries. City in Manar province of Sri Saeed al-Hajri, CEO, Jassim Lanka, which included 556 and Hamad Bin Jassim Foun- housing units at an estimated dation, said, “The projects cost of more than QR11.2mn. implemented by the Founda- The project, which is ex- HMC holds patient tion during the fi rst half of pected to be fully completed in this year were characterised 2019, includes 2,000 housing by diversity and sustainability, units at a total cost estimated which is taking into consider- at QR40mn. ation the foundation’s slogan The Foundation opened an safety awareness “Health and Education for a industrial training institute in Better Life”.” Dabhol of India’s Maharashtra He pointed out that the state, at a total cost of more internal projects focused on than QR2mn. providing social assistance The capacity of the centre programmes to needy families and indi- is estimated to be between viduals and monthly guar- 128 and 200 students per year, antees, while the Foundation who are expected to be em- atients, visitors and staff is as important as delivering that eff ective patient safety focused through its external ployed in major companies in members recently took good care. initiatives can only be pos- activities to support and de- the region. Ppart in Patient Safety She said, “During a consul- sible if more focus is directed Diversion at Umm Birka interchange velop healthcare and educa- The CEO said that the char- Awareness Week events organ- tation, we should realise that toward patient safety systems tion services in a number of ity is organising immunisa- ised by Hamad Medical Cor- our patients see everything that and work environments rather The Public Works Authority on the Al Thakhira sewage treat- countries including Morocco, tion, vaccinations and health poration’s (HMC) Quality Im- we do, so our actions should than individuals. (Ashghal) has announced that it ment plant, transfer pumping Palestine, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, campaigns in a number of Af- provement and Patient Safety help them feel better. Our pa- “To achieve sustained, reli- will close the exit and entrance at station and associated pipelines, India and other countries. rican and Asian countries at Department. tients will feel better much more able success in patient safety, Umm Birka Interchange and di- the statement noted. He noted that the Foundation an estimated cost of QR1mn. The week-long campaign in- quickly if we smile at and engage we must evolve the way we think vert traff ic to an alternative road Ashghal has requested all road announced this year develop- The Foundation has taken cluded activities that took place with them, and allow them to about patient safety, shifting our running parallel to the closed one users to abide by speed limits ment projects in the areas of care of the processing and on July 11 and 12 across Hamad ask questions relevant to their thinking from person-centred (see map). and follow diversion signs to health and education in Moroc- operation of Jassim Primary General, Rumailah and Heart health.” to system-level. This can con- The diversion will start on July ensure their safety. co, and that the cost of health Health Care Clinic in Al-Azraq hospitals. A series of workshops Dr al-Ishaq added that all tribute to the creation of error- 27 and continue for 75 days, the Ashghal has also reminded road projects is estimated at QR92mn camp in Jordan, at a total cost and lectures were held from July healthcare professionals should proof healthcare environments authority has said in a statement. users to exercise special care implemented in stages. of QR2.8mn, noting that the 13 to 16, featuring international encourage patients to ask ques- – understanding of course that The traff ic diversion is required while driving to their campsite Al-Hajri said that the foun- clinic provides free healthcare and local quality improvement tions pertinent to their health, we are continually learning and to enable work on laying ‘sewer by further reducing speed as dation has launched a hospi- to about 7,000 Syrian refugees experts off ering their insights stressing that this would help improving,” said Dr Feeney. rising mains’ as part of the work necessary. tal project in Bakr in Punjab per month. about patient safety. improve health outcomes as As part of the safety aware- During his opening remarks at well as the quality of service or ness week programme, various the launch of the formal learn- care received. She emphasised HMC hospitals organised ac- ing sessions, Professor Adam that the simple questions that tivities to help reinforce patient Cairns, CEO, Al Wakra Hospital patients should ask are: “What safety messages aimed at rais- and Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical health problem do I have? What ing awareness of general safety City, highlighted the importance do I need to do? And why do I measures. Booths providing ‘Skate Girls of Kabul’ is very of these programmes in encour- need to do it?”. information for patients, visi- aging learning and collaboration Speaking on “Patient Safe- tors and healthcare providers between care givers and care ty: A Global Challenge”, two about patient rights, medication receivers. international speakers, Dr safety, hand hygiene and other Dr Moza al-Ishaq, executive Luke Feeney, director of Risk, patient safety ideas were set up inspiring story: photographer director of Clinical Transfor- Audit and Safety National in the hospital lobbies. mation, Quality Improvement Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Staff , patients and visitors and Patient Safety at HMC, Ireland; and Dr Seval Akgun, were engaged in dialogue and By Joey Aguilar we can all speak to it, it reminds (to the exhibition) and if they are Alongside the exhibition, QM urged healthcare providers to professor of Public Health and games designed to test knowl- Staff Reporter us of what we have in common not necessarily trying sport, they built a skating ramp inside the always treat patients kindly Medicine Baskent Univer- edge about important matters wherever you are from, and can have a go and get hooked. I am gallery space. Visitors can try to reduce their anxiety, worry sity and chief quality offi cer, such as hand hygiene and other that is uniting in a world that sure there will be more skate parks their hand at skateboarding by and stress, adding that a com- Baskent University Hospital safety related activities were he ‘Skate Girls of Kabul’ might be trying to put us apart,” around Doha,” she said. using skateboards and helmets. passionate gesture or smile Network, Turkey, emphasised also organised. exhibition could leave Fulford-Dobson pointed out. Tbehind a legacy by inspir- “It was wonderful to come ing the local society to possibly here (Doha) again and be re- create its own version such as minded of what we all have in ‘Skate Girls of Doha’, renowned common, and this brings us all British photographer Jessica together,” she told reporters at Fulford-Dobson has said. the QM Gallery in Katara re- “That is a great thing and I cently where the show is taking feel there could be a legacy like place. ‘Skate Girls of Qatar or Skate She thanked QM and HE Girls of Doha; it becomes a force Sheikha Al Mayassa for host- of its own,” the artist noted. ing the show for three months, A major show by Qatar Mu- allowing more people from all seums (QM), ‘Skate Girls of Ka- backgrounds to visit and see her bul’ marked its fi rst appearance works of art. in the Middle East last week Out of more than 4,000 sub- Jessica Fulford-Dobson shows her photographs. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar and runs until October 21. It is missions, Fulford-Dobson’s presented under the leadership work won second prize at the of QM chairperson HE Sheikha National Portrait Gallery’s Tay- Skateistan expands beyond borders Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin lor Wessing Photographic Por- Khalifa al-Thani. trait Prize Award (where it was The charity eff ort of Johannesburg,” she said. The show features 40 im- exhibited for the fi rst time) in Skateistan has expanded The artist saw what she ages of Afghani girls between November 2014. beyond the borders of described as “a great story the ages of fi ve and 25 who The photographer also cited Afghanistan, according to about girls” in a conservative use skateboards as a means of the eff orts of QM in involving the Fulford-Dobson. society who can skate and enjoy transportation to attend school. community in such an artistic Skateistan, an award-winning some freedom and a chance to Lauding the eff orts of QM, endeavour, which she believes international nonprofit have a childhood with the help Fulford-Dobson said Qatar is will have an impact other than organisation empowering of a charity organisation. taking her exhibition “to a great “just looking at a nice picture youth and children through “I captured their laughter, and even bigger level” after her and then walking away”. skateboarding and education, it was so sweet, and you solo exhibition in April 2015 at “We are all skate girls in dif- is supporting the ‘Skate Girls hear them laughing and the Saatchi Gallery in London. ferent ways... in every country, of Kabul’ programme. falling down (from their She noted that such a show, there is room for this kind of an “Now they have the biggest skateboards),” she recounted. described as ‘art with impact’ exhibition,” she added. school in north Afghanistan. Despite tragedies (suicide by a London magazine, brings According to Fulford-Dobson, The charity is reaching beyond attacks) in 2012 that killed people of diff erent cultures and ‘Skate Girls of Kabul’ greatly im- its borders and it is now going a couple of its students, to backgrounds together. pacted her as an artist, stress- to Cambodia where they have Fulford-Dobson stressed “We have shown that the ing that these girls helped her two projects, and they just Skateistan still continued their Off icial opening of the learning sessions in the presence of Ali al-Khater (chief communications off icer, story cuts across all bounda- produce her best work. opened another school in charity work. HMC), Prof Adam Cairns and Dr Moza al-Ishaq. ries of cultural divide because “Hopefully, girls can come here Gulf Times 4 Monday, July 24, 2017 QATAR

Retaj Hotels digitally transforms with Winners of Al Dana Ooredoo’s support

etaj Hotels and Hospi- and Ooredoo, we have the se- tality is seeing strong cure and easy-to-use tools to Rsuccess in its digital enable staff to work from any- transformation with Oore- where, anytime, and on any Scheme announced doo to drive its international mobile device,” said Retaj IT expansion, enhance guest ex- manager Agraw Seid. oha Bank announced yes- perience, and support the re- Microsoft Offi ce 365 sup- terday the winners of its gion’s smart hospitality mar- ports close collaboration DAl Dana Savings Scheme ket growth. through video calls, easy ac- for July 2017 at a draw held at its One of the region’s fastest- cess to e-mail and calendars, Doha Festival City branch. growing hospitality organisa- and business applications The fourth monthly draw of tions, the Doha-based Retaj such as Microsoft Word, Excel, the year crowned a total of 19 Hotels and Hospitality man- PowerPoint, Outlook, Publish- winners, including S Ali, who ages a wide range of hotels, re- er, and OneNote. took home the QR1mn mega sorts, and residences. Using Microsoft Offi ce 365, prize. Recently Retaj Hotels and staff can share fi les through He said: “I am glad to be the Hospitality opened a host of ho- SharePoint and hold live vir- winner of the QR1mn. This is tels in Doha, including the Retaj tual business meetings using such a great opportunity to Suites Musheireb, and Retaj Al Skype for Business. contribute to my community Rawdah in Rawdat Al Kheel. “Ooredoo is committed to back home. I invite all the peo- The company plans to open supporting Qatari organisa- ple in Qatar to save with Al Dana more resorts in Doha shortly, tions in their expansion and which might also change their including the luxurious Re- exchanging global best prac- lives.” taj Salawa and Vichy Spa’ on tices in smart hospitality,” said N C Bhavsar was named the Salwa road. Ooredoo Qatar chief operating winner of the QR100,000 prize, As Retaj Hotels and Hos- offi cer Yousuf al-Kubaisi. while N Firdous received the pitality expands, it needs to Ooredoo business custom- Young Savers Scholarship prize quickly take on-board new ers can choose from three dif- worth QR25,000. employees. ferent tiers of Microsoft Offi ce Fifteen additional winners In response, the organisation 365, Silver, Gold, and Plati- walked away with prizes worth deployed Microsoft Offi ce 365 num, with packages starting QR10,000 each. Meanwhile, B running on the Ooredoo Cloud. from QR32 per user per month. A S al-Shatti from Kuwait was “Retaj Hotels and Hospital- Qatar’s businesses can lev- announced as the winner of the ity needed the technology so- erage the Ooredoo advantage, KWD2,500 prize for overseas Al lutions to meet our business which makes Ooredoo “best Dana customers. expansion goals, especially in for business”, thanks to its The prize draw was streamed enabling our staff to deliver an breadth and depth of talent, live on Doha Bank’s social media exceptional level of service to best fi xed and mobile net- platforms, including Facebook, our guests. works, and broadest portfolio Twitter, and YouTube. “With Microsoft Offi ce 365 of ICT services and solutions. “It is very gratifying to be able to contribute in making our loyal customers’ dreams come true through the monthly Al Dana prize draws. All that the customers need to do to have a chance at becoming the next millionaire is to maintain a Doha Bank officials with S Ali, who took home the QR1mn mega prize of the Al Dana Savings Scheme. minimum balance of QR5,000 in their Al Dana accounts. Of Aside from its cash prizes, Al debit card; online, SMS, and most competitive exchange rates. est Doha Bank branch or send an course, the more they save, the Dana Savings Scheme off ers cus- mobile banking services; and To open an Al Dana account SMS to 92610 with the keyword greater their chances of win- tomers a wide range of banking utility bill management through and stand a chance to become ‘AL DANA’, or fi ll up a simple ning,” said Doha Bank CEO Dr R benefi ts, which include, among Al Dana account, as well as easy the new millionaire next month, online application form at www. Seetharaman. others, free Visa international fund remittance overseas at the customers can visit their near- dohabank.com Ooredoo’s Yousuf al-Kubaisi. Retaj IT manager Agraw Seid. 500 new residential buildings added in Q2

atar has seen some 500 resi- as more supply in this category comes pared to the same period of 2016 with dential units being added in into the market. ADR and RevPAR remaining static, in- Qthe second quarter of this year, An estimated 50,000sqm Gross dicating an increase in preference for bringing the total supply to 281,500 Leasable Area (GLA) of offi ce space aff ordable mid-market hotels. units, a new report has shown. was added, bringing total offi ce stock Pawel Banach, ValuStrat Qatar gen- Approximately 80% of the expected to 3.65mn sqm. eral manager said, “Overall in all sec- supply during the quarter has been Nearly 130,000sqm expected during tors, we have observed delays in supply pushed to second half of the year, ac- the quarter was delayed to the second during the second quarter. cording to consulting fi rm ValuStrat. half of 2017. It is predictable due to summer va- “The rate of decline in transaction Despite the deceleration in supply, cations and Ramadan. However, in prices for bungalows has slowed to offi ce rents struggled, recording a 10% terms of residential and commercial 6% this quarter when compared to the annual decline and a 3.5% quarterly dip. transaction volume, we observed con- previous year, while on a quarterly lev- An exception to this was offi ce spac- tinued recovery since the beginning of el, prices remained unchanged. es in C and D Ring Roads, which saw a the year. “In retrospect of the current Transaction volume increased an- negligible quarterly change in median geopolitical situation, future perform- nually for bungalows and residential rents, ValuStrat said. ance of real estate sector has become buildings, however transaction volume Four hotels were launched, increas- contingent on numerous supply and declined quarterly, partially indicating ing total supply to approximately demand factors. that demand growth might have been 25,000 keys within 138 properties. In the medium term, we are expect- off set by rise in borrowing costs”, said An additional 550 keys were held ing construction delays to stagnate Anum Hasan, Market Research analyst back from launch this quarter. unless supply chain and logistical at ValuStrat Doha. During the fi rst fi ve months of 2017, challenges are overcome. Median monthly asking rents for hotel visitors increased by 7% YoY The medium-term trajectory of de- villas and apartments declined 14% amounting to 1.37mn. Despite the mand fundamentals will depend on annually and 6% quarterly. annual growth, average occupancy the recovery of oil prices and popula- However, Al Wakrah, Muaither, Al dipped by 3% compared to the same tion growth. Aziziya and Freej Bin Mahmoud expe- period last year. With the release of the second edi- rienced stable rents. With new supply and decreasing tion of our quarterly report, we aim The fall in average rents can be at- occupancy, Average Daily Rate (ADR) to continuously inform and assist all tributed to a reduction in demand for and Hotel Revenue Per Available Room stakeholders in understanding essen- high-end units in locations such as (RevPAR) declined by 11% YoY. tials of the Qatari real estate market The Pearl and West Bay. However, 3-star hotels experienced so they can make more informed deci- This trend is expected to continue an increase in occupancy of 13% com- sions.”

MDPS to organise meet on Foreign RAF builds 33 schools in Investment Survey The Ministry of Development Planning 10 African countries and Statistics (MDPS), in collaboration with Qatar Central Bank (QCB), will organise a workshop on quarterly QNA Republic of Somalia has received the Foreign Investment Survey tomorrow Doha largest share of these educational at the MDPS. projects with nine primary, prepara- This workshop is part of an eff ort tory, secondary and industrial schools by Qatar to become a subscriber of heikh Thani Bin Abdullah along with a secondary nursing in dif- IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Foundation for Humanitar- ferent parts of the country. System (SDDS). Under this scheme, Sian Services (RAF) has built 33 Sudan, Ghana and Mali have also countries are required to compile schools in 10 African countries over benefi ted from the projects with fi ve and disseminate quarterly foreign the past three years at a total cost of diff erent schools for each in order to investment statistics. These statistics QR 13.4mn – donated by Qatari phi- enhance their eff orts to support their are essential for the compilation lanthropists. national educational systems. of Balance of Payment (BOP), The Foundation said in a report RAF has also built two schools in International Investment Position published yesterday the establish- the Comoros, Chad and Mauritania (IIP) and External Debt statistics. ment of the schools, which comes and a school in Djibouti, Niger and The main objective of the one- within the framework of its strategic Tunisia. day workshop is to introduce the plan in the fi eld of education, is aimed RAF leads global eff orts and initia- survey questionnaire. Concepts and at supporting the eff orts and gov- tives in the fi eld of education, such as definitions as well as instructions ernmental programmes being imple- the Food and Light Initiative, which on how to fill in the questionnaire mented by these countries to spread provides needy families with eco- will be discussed in details by education and eradicate illiteracy. nomic support and hence enabling representatives from all enterprises The report pointed out that the thousands of children. targeted by the survey. Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 5 QATAR Safari draw Prize-winning care at Sidra for children with bowel disease

idra Medical and Now in its 26th year, Research Center the Drucker Prize, for- S(Sidra) was re- merly known as the cently recognised for its Peter F Drucker Award participation in an in- for Nonprofi t Innova- The winners of the second raff le draw for the Safari ‘Win 20 Toyota Camry Cars Promotion’ promotions’ have been announced. The draw was conducted ternational award-win- tion, is given to a social- in the presence of a representative from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and members of the Safari Hypermarket team. The three winners are ning programme with sector organisation that Hamdy Ahmed Mustafa (coupon No 2024150), Mohamed Memon (coupon No 4237815) and Noor Mizhalate Mid Horkanali (coupon No 2908744). Each the ImproveCareNow demonstrates Drucker’s of them has won a Toyota Camry GL 2017. Network (ICN). defi nition of innovation The ICN was awarded — “change that cre- the Drucker Prize for ates a new dimension of 2016. performance”. Ashghal maintains Books donated Through an innova- ImproveCareNow tive, internationally was selected from its safety record Qatar National Library connected approach, Dr Mamoun Elawad among 495 applicants. (QNL), in collaboration the ICN dramatically It was awarded for “re- s part of its commitment to with Qatar Charity, recent- changes the lives of children and adoles- framing healthcare from a product de- implementing its work zone ly donated a collection of cents with Crohn’s disease and ulcera- livered to patients to an activity that Asafety objectives, Ashghal books to the We Are Here tive colitis. The ICN Network comprises patients, care providers and researchers and a joint venture of Al Mohanna Community Centre. 98 collaborators in the US and Europe. co-produce together”, and how the net- Trading & Contracting and Puentes, The project, organised Dr Mamoun Elawad, the division chief work has “eff ectively combined the cre- the project contractor, achieved by the InterEuropean of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepa- ative energies and expertise of so many 4.1mn man-hours without any lost Human Aid Association, is tology and Nutrition Section Head – In- who were previously unconnected with time incident. based at the Nea Kavala fl ammatory Bowel Disorders, is the Sidra each other”. “This achievement is a refl ection of refugee camp in Greece. ICN director. Under his leadership, Sidra Dr Elawad has been an integral part of the authority’s keenness to adhere to The collection includes is the only organisation in the Middle the ICN collaboration since its beginning the highest safety standards in work 328 children’s books and East to be part of this innovative part- and from his previous role as the head of areas through imposing a set of safety 110 adult’s books in both nership, according to a press statement. Paediatric Gastroenterology at Great Or- procedures on all contractors imple- Arabic and English. With the award, Dr Elawad’s innova- mond Street Hospital in London. menting their projects, in order to The donation aims to tion and dedication to bettering the lives Internationally, ICN Network part- protect project workers and road us- support the centre in its of children with Infl ammatory Bowel ners meet twice a year to examine qual- ers from injuries caused by work haz- goal to provide a platform Disease (IBD) in Qatar and around the ity improvements and to reach further ards during the project implementa- of support, solidarity, and world sets Sidra at the forefront of the into diagnosis and management of IBD. tion period,” the authority said. normality for the 800 Syr- world’s stage as a leader in research and Locally in Qatar, Dr Elawad introduced A road development project is ian refugees in the camp, treatment of IBD. the fi rst IBD Parents Day at Sidra in currently being implemented near 50% of whom are children. Dr Elawad said: “The ICN Network December last year. In this forum, par- the roads and infrastructure devel- Dr Sohair Wastawy, is a collaborative international commu- ents worked in partnership with Sidra opment project in the northern part executive director of nity of clinicians, researchers, parents clinicians, nurses and researchers, and of New Slata, which is the Ali Bin Abi Qatar National Library, and patients that shares knowledge and brought forward their ideas and con- Talib Street development project. said: “QNL is committed expertise to empower parents and help cerns about the treatment process. It The project started at the end of to promoting lifelong children suff ering from Infl ammatory was a success, which will be repeated January and is expected to be com- learning and educational Bowel Disease. Today, the ICN Network again this year, along with a Qatari par- pleted before the beginning of the opportunities in Qatar and is recognised worldwide as a leader in ent who is being brought in as an offi cial new academic year. beyond.” — QNA research and care for children with IBD.” member of the team. Gulf Times 6 Monday, July 24, 2017 QATAR Oil recovery project clinches top honours at Tamuq event team of high school stu- dents who investigated Aa phenomenon in the oil industry that can make it dif- fi cult to recover oil, won ‘Best Engineering Research Project’ in the third annual Summer Engi- neering Academy organised and hosted by Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq) and Maersk Oil Qatar. The Summer Engineering Academy, an elite 10-day sci- ence, technology, engineering and math (STEM)) enrichment programme, is part of the Dhia: Engineering Leaders partnership between Tamuq and Maersk Oil Qatar that aims to attract young Qataris to STEM fi elds, which are critical to the success of Qa- tar National Vision 2030. Members of the winning team are Eric Frohlich, Fatima Alna- jar, Mohab Bosila, Saidatul Zai- rin, Salma Ibrahim and Sara al- Banna from Raba’a al-Adawiya Secondary Girls’ School, Inter- national School of London-Qa- tar and International School of Choueifat. A team that designed a smart Young achievers pose with their awards along with officials. helmet to help monitor the health of Qatar’s construction workers ing Academy, 20 academically skills.The students also learned with the progress the students with the Future Engineers Pro- during the intense summer heat outstanding grade 11 students, how to communicate technical had made during the two-week gramme in which more than 30 won the ‘Outstanding Technical who were named Qatar National ideas and put these lessons to the programme. students rising into grades 10, Communication’ award. Vision scholars, worked with test at the end of the programme “As a teacher, my role is to 11 and 12 built desert emergency Alya Alkawari, who won the Texas A&M faculty members when they presented their in- make sure the next generation kits, including an emergency ‘Best Presenter’ award, said: on real-life, hands-on research dividual projects and research of scientists and engineers is communications device, and in- “The Summer Engineering projects related to Qatar’s re- fi ndings to Texas A&M at Qatar inspired and that they do well. vestigated various water-purifi - Academy provided me with search challenges in energy, en- faculty members who served as These students were excited to cation technologies. the opportunity to explore the vironment, healthcare and cyber judges. learn and they liked what they During the 10-day pro- STEM fi elds more than before, security. Dr Nayef Alyafei, assistant learned, it’s so rewarding to see gramme, the participants as- especially since this project em- The Summer Engineering professor of petroleum engi- them appreciate the beauty of sembled a walkie-talkie called phasises a certain major off ered Academy aims to introduce stu- neering and a graduate of Ta- science and engineering,” Alya- a ‘talkiepi’, which has a simple at Texas A&M University at Qa- dents to advanced topics in engi- muq, led the winning team with fei said. push-to-talk interface to com- tar.” neering and science while teach- Dr Mohamed Fadlelmula. The Summer Engineer- municate with other talkiepis in During the Summer Engineer- ing important problem-solving Both said they were impressed ing Academy ran concurrently the channel. Students at work. Rota volunteers complete home renovation project in Al Wakrah

ducation Above All (EAA) foundation, Ethrough its pro- gramme Reach Out To Asia (Rota) in collaboration with the Social Development Centre (SDC), have carried out renovation works at a house in Al Wakrah. This has been done as part of its ‘Reach into Qa- tar’ campaign. Both na- tional and non-national volunteers took part in the community development initiative, which extends social development assist- ance to families in need across the country. As part of the commu- nity development project funded by Da’am, the So- cial and Sports Activities An interior view of the house. Support Fund, 40 youth volunteers assisted in while off ering youth vol- targeted communities, and Company (GCC). GCC has completing a full makeover unteers the opportunity to seeks to educate, engage and a long established commit- of the family home. Vol- provide community serv- encourage all sectors of the ment to Corporate Social unteers restored fi ve bed- ice support. The project community to participate Responsibility that they ac- rooms, two Majlis, one liv- focuses on activities that in the spirit of volunteerism tively support with funds, ing room, and one kitchen. engage volunteers in reno- and community work in Qa- technical expertise, human “I have been involved vation or upgrading of tar. resources, as well as material in previous Rota house houses of families in need. “We are lucky to have resources. Rota is exception- renovations and was able In addition, the project partnered, since two years ally grateful for the essential to see fi rst-hand the ef- also includes infrastruc- ago, with an invaluable part- role that the GCC has played fect the renovation of a ture maintenance, which ner, the Gulf Contracting in this project,” Idriss added. house can have on the liv- necessarily involves the ing conditions of a family,” need to have a professional commented Isra ElWadia, contracting company dur- a Rota volunteer. “I am al- ing the course of work. ways keen to get involved Hazem Idriss, volunteers with the ‘Reach into Qa- outreach specialist, EAA tar’ initiative, as there are highlighted the importance many families outside our of this project, stating: capital city in need of as- “Responding to the real sistance.” priorities of local commu- The ‘Reach into Qatar’ nities in need, the ‘Reach initiative aims to trans- Into Qatar’ initiative con- form the living conditions tinues to make a positive of underprivileged families and meaningful impact in

Another renovated room of the house. Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 7 REGION/ARAB WORLD

DEFENCE HEALTH CONFLICT EXPLOSION UNREST Iran and Iraq pledge 600,000 Yemenis could Nearly 10 killed after Mine blast leaves soldier Egypt forces kill eight to boost military ties contract cholera this year clashes in East Darfur dead near Yemen border militants at camp in south

Iran and Iraq yesterday signed deals aimed at boost- More than 600,000 people are expected to Clashes between two tribes in Sudan’s war-torn A Saudi border guard died yesterday in a mine Egyptian security forces have killed eight suspected ing military co-operation during a visit by Baghdad’s contract cholera in Yemen this year, the Inter- state of East Darfur have killed up to 10 people, tribal explosion near the country’s border with Yemen, militants belonging to the Hasm movement in what Defence Minister Irfan al-Hayali to Tehran. In a national Committee of the Red Cross warned leaders said yesterday. The fighting that began on the interior ministry said. The guard was on patrol off icials said was a training camp in a southern memorandum of understanding signed by Hayali yesterday as the war-torn country’s healthcare Saturday comes as the United Nations and African in the southern Asir province when the mine ex- desert region, the interior ministry said yesterday. and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Dehghan, the system faces collapse. Separately, the United Union prepare to downsize their peacekeeping ploded, the ministry said in a statement carried by Five other militants were arrested in operations neighbours agreed on a “wide range of military and Nations warned that 10mn Yemeni civilians are mission in Darfur, saying that overall violence there the off icial SPA news agency. Saudi Arabia heads carried out in Giza and Sharqiya regions, it said. defence co-operation” including the “fight against in acute need of life-saving aid as the country has diminished. The clashes between the tribes a coalition which entered Yemen in March 2015 Automatic rifles, ammunitions and supplies were terrorism and extremism,” state news agency IRNA teeters on the edge of famine. One in every came months after a similar clash left at least nine to prop up the government up against Houthi recovered at the Fayoum camp southwest of the reported. Hayali, who was leading a military delega- 45 Yemenis will contract cholera by December dead. The two tribes have a history of violence over rebels. Asir province is home to an airbase central capital. Hasm, a group that emerged last year and tion, also met separately with parliament speaker as “a direct consequence of a conflict that has land ownership rights. “A group of tribesmen from to the coalition campaign. The Houthis and their has claimed several attacks on security forces, said Ali Larijani and Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s devastated civilian infrastructure and brought Maaliya were ambushed by members of Rizeigat allies, troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah on Friday it had carried out a shooting last week in Supreme National Security Council. Larijani and the whole health system to its knees,” the ICRC when they tried to chase thieves who had stolen Saleh, control much of northern Yemen and the Fayoum, a province about 60km south of Cairo, that Shamkhani emphasised the importance of “unity”. said in a statement. livestock,” said Ahmed Nour, a Maaliya leader. Red Sea coast including the port of Hodeida. killed one policeman and injured three others.

Libyan Al-Aqsa Mosque metal PM, rival to meet detectors ‘may be reduced’ in Paris Reuters Reuters Cairo Jerusalem he head of Libya’s UN- srael said yesterday it would backed government will not remove metal detectors Thold talks in Paris this Iwhose installation outside week with a powerful military a major Jerusalem mosque has commander who has so far re- triggered the bloodiest clashes jected his authority, a diplomatic with the Palestinians in years, source said. but could eventually reduce The talks between Prime Min- their use. ister Fayez al-Serraj and com- Fuelling fears of an escala- mander Khalifa Haftar are aimed tion, Palestinian President at stabilising the oil-producing Mahmoud Abbas said he would country, which has been mired halt security ties with Israel un- in chaos and fi ghting since rebels til it scraps the walk-through toppled strongman Muammar gates installed at entrances to Gaddafi in 2011. Al-Aqsa mosque plaza after two Western governments are police guards were shot dead on pushing the UN-backed political July 14. agreement that installed Serraj’s Prime Minister Benjamin Government of National Unity, Netanyahu was due to convene but Haftar, whose forces have his security cabinet to weigh al- gained ground in the east of the ternatives. However, his right- country, has refused to accept wing government is wary of be- the government’s legitimacy. ing seen to yield to Palestinian The two rivals held talks in pressure over the site. Abu Dhabi in May, the fi rst in “They (metal detectors) will more than a year and a half. remain,” Tzachi Hanegbi, Israeli “I know Haftar is in Paris al- minister for regional develop- ready, Serraj is due to arrive ment, told Army Radio. soon. They are aiming for Tues- “If they (Palestinians) do not day,” the diplomatic source told want to enter the mosque, then Palestinian children hold candles during a protest against Israel’s newly-installed security measures at the entrance to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, in Khan Younis in the Reuters. let them not enter the mosque.” southern Gaza Strip yesterday. A French government spokes- Incensed at what they per- man had no comment, and of- ceive as a violation of delicate three demonstrators dead on “If Israel wants security co- tectors,” Erdan told Army Ra- fi cials with Serraj’s government decades-old access arrange- Friday, Palestinian medics said. ordination to be resumed they dio, suggesting that only po- did not return calls. ments at the holy site, many Police said they were inves- have to withdraw those meas- tential trouble-makers might But Libya’s Nabaa TV cited a Palestinians have refused to go tigating the charge. A fourth ures,” Abbas said in a speech be subjected to extra screening. Libyan government source say- through the metal detectors, Jerusalem-area Palestinian was yesterday, referring to the metal Any such substitute arrange- ing Serraj would arrive in Paris holding street prayers and often killed on Saturday when an ex- detectors. “They should know ment was not ready, he added. tomorrow. violent protests. plosive device he was building that they will eventually lose, However, the Muslim authori- Years of turmoil in Libya have Israeli security forces shot went off prematurely, the Israeli because we have been making ties that oversee Al-Aqsa said allowed Islamist State militants military said. it our solemn duty to keep up they would continue to op- and people-traffi ckers to thrive: Palestinian medics said he security on our side here and on pose any new Israeli-imposed the North African country is the Jordanian killed near died of shrapnel wounds to the theirs.” measures. main point of embarkation for Israeli embassy chest and abdomen. Erdan said Israel may even- “We stress our absolute re- migrants attempting the dan- In a sign unrest was spread- tually do away with metal-de- jection of...all measures by the gerous voyage across the Medi- One Jordanian was killed and ing, a Palestinian stabbed three tector checks for those entering Occupation (Israel) that would terranean to Europe. two people were wounded, in- Israelis in the occupied West the Al-Aqsa compounds under change the historical and reli- With no national army, bri- cluding an Israeli, in a shooting Bank on Friday after vowing on alternative arrangements un- gious status in Jerusalem and gades of former rebels who once incident yesterday in a building Facebook to take up his knife der review. Such arrangements its sacred sites,” the Palestinian fought together to oust Gaddafi within the Israeli embassy com- and heed “Al-Aqsa’s call”. Yes- could include reinforcing Israeli grand mufti, acting Palestinian have become powerful compet- plex in Jordan’s capital Amman, terday, a rocket was launched police at the entrances and in- chief justice and Jordanian-run ing factions. a police statement said. It said into Israel from the Gaza Strip troducing CCTV cameras with Waqf religious trust said in a Each is backed by rival po- two Jordanian men working for but hit an open area, causing no facial-recognition technolo- joint statement. Palestinian paramedics run for cover from tear gas during clashes litical leaders in fl uid alliances a furniture firm had entered the damage, Israel’s military said. gies. Jordan and Turkey, have between demonstrators and Israeli security forces at the Qalandiya locked in a struggle for control. embassy before the shooting. Gilad Erdan, Israel’s public “There are, after all, many urged the removal of the metal checkpoint, between Ramallah and Jerusalem, in the occupied West Serraj is loosely supported by The dead Jordanian was killed security minister, warned of po- worshippers whom the police detectors. The Arab League said Bank, yesterday. a coalition of armed brigades in by a gunshot, while the two tential “large-scale volatility” know, regulars, and very elderly yesterday that Israel was “play- the west of the country, but even wounded people were taken to — a prospect made more likely people and so on, and it recom- ing with fi re”. sis for today. “We are managing Netanyahu said in televised re- in the capital Tripoli his govern- hospital, the statement said. in the West Bank by the absence mended that we avoid putting The UN Security Council this in a level-headed, deter- marks before his weekly cabinet ment has struggled to impose its of Abbas’ help. all of these through metal de- scheduled a session on the cri- mined and responsible way,” meeting. authority. Militants seize control of major Syrian city

AFP The army announced a halt Beirut in fi ghting in areas of Eastern Ghouta on Saturday from mid- day local time, but did not say ilitants yesterday took which areas exactly would be Idlib in Syria after ri- included. Mval rebels withdrew, The ceasefi re announcement strengthening their grip over the came after regime ally Rus- northwestern city and its prov- sia said it had reached a deal ince, one of the last beyond re- with “moderate” rebels on the gime control. boundaries and policing of the At the same time a car bomb safe zone. exploded in Idlib killing 11 peo- Farther east from Idlib, US- ple, nine of them militants, the backed fi ghters pressing an of- Britain-based Syrian Observa- fensive to capture the Islamic tory for Human Rights monitor- State group stronghold of Raqqa ing group said. received high marks from a sen- The latest developments come ior offi cer of the US-led coalition after the group Hayat Tahrir al- battling IS. Sham, which is dominated by Rupert Jones, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force – Major General Rupert Jones, a a former Al Qaeda affi liate and Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), arrives for a meeting with the deputy commander of the coali- known as HTS, agreed a cease- Syrian men ride their bicycles at the rebel held Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, yesterday. Raqqa Civil Council yesterday, in the northern Syrian village of Ain Issa. tion, said the alliance known as fi re Friday with Ahrar al-Sham Syrian Democratic Forces “have rebels. ince. “Ahrar al-Sham withdrew The fall of the city and provin- The HTS and Ahrar al-Sham controlled by Ahrar al-Sham, government. Yesterday, the re- proved themselves to be a reli- The truce ended a week of from the city of Idlib which is cial capital is symbolic. were once allies and fought would be handed over to civilian gime launched air raids against able counter-Daesh partner”. fi erce fi ghting between HTS and now under the control of Hayat It comes after the militants alongside each other to capture administration, it said. one of the last rebel strongholds But he warned “Daesh is not Ahrar al-Sham, that killed at Tahrir al-Sham,” Observatory captured in a bloodless takeover most of Idlib province from Syr- Abdel Rahman said the pres- near Damascus a day after it de- defeated with the liberation of least 92 people including 15 ci- head Rami Abdel Rahman said. “more than 31 towns and villag- ian government forces in 2015. ence of Ahrar al-Sham rebels clared a ceasefi re in parts of the Raqqa”, using an Arabic acronym vilians, the Observatory said. “Hundreds of rebels left the es” across Idlib province over the The truce they agreed to on has been greatly diminished in besieged Eastern Ghouta en- for IS. Analysts have said grow- city aboard dozens of vehicles past two days, the monitor said. Friday calls for the release by Idlib province, which they once clave, the Observatory said. Speaking to reporters in the ing tensions over the past two heading towards southern Idlib The HTS is dominated by the both sides of prisoners and the dominated. President Bashar al-Assad’s town of Ain Issa 50 kilometres months have been exacerbated province,” he said. Fateh al-Sham faction, which “withdrawal of armed groups Syria’s confl ict erupted in forces have surrounded the East- north of Raqqa, Jones said: “We by HTS fears of a plan to expel Abdel Rahman said the HTS was previously known as Al- from the Bab al-Hawa” border mid-March 2011 with peaceful ern Ghouta region for more than know as an international coali- the internationally designated set up checkpoints across the Nusra Front before renouncing crossing with Turkey. anti-government protests that four years, and regime forces tion there’s still a great deal more “terror” group from the prov- northwestern city. its ties to Al Qaeda. Bab al-Hawa, which had been were brutally repressed by the have regularly targeted the area. to do here in Syria.” Gulf Times 8 Monday, July 24, 2017 AFRICA

Congo opposition Sisulu: ANC must return unveil plans to force Kabila out

AFP to its roots, combat graft Kinshasa

Reuters he Congolese opposition has unveiled a rolling Johannesburg programme of strikes and civil disobedience Taimed at forcing President Joseph Kabila from power. outh African housing minister The announcement was made after two days of Lindiwe Sisulu launched her opposition talks in Kinshasa amid concerns that Sbid over the weekend to suc- Kabila, in power since 2001, is seeking to remain in ceed scandal-hit President Jacob place in defi ance of constitutional limits. Zuma as leader of the African Na- Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo tional Congress (ANC) by vowing are due this year under a transitional deal aimed at to help save the ruling party from avoiding fresh political violence in the sprawling infi ghting and corruption. country of 71mn people after Kabila failed to step Sisulu, a veteran cabinet minister down when his second mandate ended in December who comes from a prominent fam- 2016. ily in the struggle against apartheid, Under the deal, Kabila is allowed to remain in of- last week joined the crowded race to fi ce pending the elections, in late 2017, ruling in tan- replace Zuma in a party leadership dem with a transitional watchdog and a new premier, contest in December. chosen from within opposition ranks. The ANC has become increas- Under its newly unveiled plan of action, a two-day ingly divided over Zuma’s leader- general strike will be held throughout the country ship following a series of corruption from August 8 “as a warning,” Francois Muamba, scandals, a much-criticised cabinet rapporteur of the opposition conclave, told reporters reshuffl e and a failure to handle an in Kinshasa. economy that has slipped into re- Then, on August 20, the opposition plans simul- cession. taneous rallies in the capital Kinshasa and 25 prov- Zuma can remain head of state inces. until an election 2019 but his op- If Kabila does not by the end of September set ponents inside the ANC would like an election date he will “no longer be recognised as to remove him as president once he president of the republic on October 1,” said Mua- steps down as party leader. Kicking mba, speaking at the headquarters of the main op- off her campaign, Sisulu said the position Union for Democracy and Social Progress party needed to get back to its roots. (UDPS) in Kinshasa. “I would like you to stand with From that date the opposition will invite the peo- me, because we have to save the ple to stop paying taxes to the state or paying their ANC. Saving the ANC is to save bills to the water and electricity monopolies. South Africa,” she said in a speech On New Year’s Eve, pro-government and opposi- in Kliptown, Soweto. tion groups agreed to a deal brokered by the infl u- Sisulu also called for an end to the ential Roman Catholic Church that sought to avert a corruption that has dogged Zuma’s full-fl edged crisis in the country. government. But the death of veteran UDPS leader Etienne Tsh- Media reports about a trove of isekedi, held up the accord. leaked e-mails has heaped pressure And meanwhile the opposition coalition has on him to allow a judicial commis- struggled to live up to its name, thanks to a push sion to investigate graft claims. by Tshisekedi’s son, Felix, to take over the party He has denied wrongdoing. helm. Members of the ANC have pushed Lindiwe Sisulu ... clear stance Felix Tshisekedi has called for “police and the mil- for Zuma to step down as have alli- itary to no longer respect bad orders, especially those ance partners, the trade union fed- He also faces a no-confi dence leader of the main opposition party Zuma, has openly backed his ex- Zuma, while Cosatu and the SACP to kill Congolese people”. Previous opposition rallies eration Cosatu and the South Afri- motion in parliament on August Democratic Alliance. wife and former African Union have voiced support for deputy against Kabila, last September and December, ended can Communist Party (SACP). 8 tabled by Mmusi Maimane, the With campaigning yet to start, president, Nkosazana Dlamini- president Cyril Ramaphosa. in several deaths.

Nigeria’s former oil minister Mali militant battles barrage of graft cases nabbed near

AFP tial election to keep Jonathan in Timbuktu Lagos power. Prosecutors in Lagos this week began proceedings to recover Reuters igeria’s former oil minister $1.76bn of assets owned by Kola Bamako faces charges only at home Aluko and Jide Omokore, whose Nbut her name crops up in a companies were awarded oil con- growing number of international tracts by Alison-Madueke. alian and French troops have cases that lift the lid on the scale of A similar asset recovery case was arrested a close associate of alleged corruption in the country’s fi led last week in Houston, Texas, Ma preacher whose extremist oil sector. seeking the seizure of luxury prop- group has claimed dozens of attacks Since leaving offi ce in 2015, Die- erty, including a New York apart- against Western and Malian targets, zani Alison-Madueke has been im- ment and superyacht, bought by the Mali’s security minister said yesterday. plicated in bribery, fraud, misuse of businessmen. Macina Liberation Front, based in public funds, and money laundering Last Wednesday, another judge central Mali’s Mopti region, is led by cases in Nigeria, Britain, Italy and ordered the forfeiture of Alison- cleric Amadou Koufa who has called the United States. Madueke’s $37.5mn luxury Lagos upon followers to take up arms and The fi rst female president of the property, saying it was purchased rebuild the historic Fulani empire of global oil cartel Opec — who was with ill-gotten funds. Massina. one of Africa’s most prominent pol- Meanwhile, Italian prosecutors “I confi rm that the terrorist Alhous- iticians — has always denied the al- allege that she and Jonathan re- seyni Ag Assaleh, in charge of logistics legations, which involve billions of ceived kickbacks from oil majors for...the group run by Amadou Koufa dollars syphoned from oil deals and ENI and Shell as part of a $1.3bn was arrested on 8 July during a joint op- state coff ers. deal for an off shore oil block in Ni- eration with Barkhane in the Timbuktu But former US State Department geria. region,” General Salif Traoré told Reu- Nigeria specialist Matthew Page Charges relating to the same ters. suggested that a US civil forfeiture oil block deal have also been fi led He said the arrest was kept secret case to seize $144mn of assets from against the oil majors and some until now because of ongoing eff orts to allegedly ill-gotten crude contracts senior Nigerian politicians. capture others in his network. may just be the start of Alison-Ma- Jonathan and Alison-Madueke There was no immediate comment dueke’s legal troubles. are not named in the suit but the from France’s 4,000-strong Barkhane “Although this is the fi rst attempt former president is under pressure counter-terrorism force operating in by US law enforcement to go after from parliament to answer ques- the Sahel. assets allegedly stolen by Diezani tions about the so-called Malabu Barkhane is collaborating with re- and her henchmen, it almost cer- deal. gional troops in fi ve West African coun- tainly will not be the last,” he told Finally, Diezani-Madueke was tries to form a new force to fi ght desert AFP. arrested in London in October 2015 militants who have regrouped since the Nigeria’s President Muhammadu in connection with a British probe French army drove them out of their ur- Buhari, elected in 2015 on a prom- into international corruption and ban strongholds in northern Mali in 2013. ise to eliminate graft, has said that money laundering, but she was “mind-boggling” sums of public freed on bail. money were stolen by previous ad- As the international cases pile up, Ethiopia hands over ministrations. anti-graft campaigners hope the Offi cials in Abuja say they are growing body of evidence will boost prisoners to Somalia talking with US prosecutors about current Buhari’s faltering war on repatriating the money if the civil corruption. thiopia has released 114 prisoners forfeiture claim is successful. Several high-profi le fi gures in and handed them over to neigh- Alison-Madueke served under Jonathan’s government have been Ebouring Somalia, a Somali offi cial president Goodluck Jonathan from charged with corruption since Bu- said over the weekend. 2010 to 2015 and was Nigeria’s fi rst hari came to power, however so far The prisoners arrived in the Somali female minister of petroleum re- there have been no major convic- capital Mogadishu on Saturday evening sources. tions. as part of an agreement between the two But her tenure was dogged by Still, some activists believe the countries, said an offi cial, who asked not scandal. overseas cases will serve as a pow- to be named because he is not author- On her watch, the former cen- erful example of justice. ised to speak to the media. tral bank governor Lamido Sanusi Debo Adeniran, of the Coali- Now in Somalia, each prisoner’s case was sacked for claiming the state- tion Against Corrupt Leaders lobby will be assessed, Mohamed Dahir, a sen- run Nigerian National Petroleum group, said the latest cases involv- ior Somali police offi cer, said yesterday. Corp (NNPC) had failed to remit ing Alison-Madueke, Aluko and Somalia’s Prime Minister Hassan Ali $20bn. Omokore could be a “morale boost- Kheire confi rmed the release via Twit- In one case heard in Nigeria in er”. ter, while attending the 29th African February, Alison-Madueke was ac- “Once a conviction is got abroad, Union summit in the Ethiopian capital, cused of diverting some $153mn the right signal will be sent to all Addis Ababa. from the NNPC coff ers. looters that the judgment day has The Somali government will now In another ongoing trial, some come,” he said. oversee the prisoners. 23bn naira ($73mn) of NNPC “The fi ght against corruption will Details of the off ences for which they money is alleged to have been used receive a boost. At last, the chickens were imprisoned were not immediately to influence the 2015 presiden- are coming home to roost.” available. Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 9 AMERICAS

New White House press boss Eight bodies found Scaramucci deletes tweets

Agencies transparency: I’m deleting old tweets. Past Washington views evolved & shouldn’t be a distrac- tion. I serve @POTUS agenda & that’s all that matters,” the new man on the White onald Trump’s new communica- House job announced on Twitter. A bit inside trailer truck tions chief has deleted tweets in later, Scaramucci followed up with “The Dwhich he shared views contrary to politics of ‘gotcha’ are over. I have thick The suspected migrants had been transported the US president’s own, saying they were skin and we’re moving on to @POTUS in conditions that proved deadly a distraction. The day after he started his agenda serving the American people.” In new job Friday, Anthony Scaramucci, a a 2012 comment he tweeted, he appeared AFP New York fi nancier, cleared up his Twit- to back many causes long championed by Washington ter trail of remarks in which he diff ers from Democrats, describing himself as “for Gay Trump on illegal immigration, climate Marriage, against the death penalty, and change, Islam and even gun control. “Full Pro Choice”. ight suspected migrants were found dead early yesterday inside an overheated truck Ein a Walmart parking lot in Texas, and Mexican ex-governor to be tried for organised crime nearly 30 others were hospitalised, in what police said appeared to be a “horrifi c” human traffi cking A former state governor from Mexico’s ruling party will stand trial for engaging in organised crime. crime and handling funds of illicit origin after a judge reviewing evidence approved the case, the Twenty of those taken to area hospitals after attorney general’s off ice said on Saturday. Javier Duarte, who until 2016 governed the Gulf coast the discovery in San Antonio — about a two hour state of Veracruz for President Enrique Pena Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), has drive from the Mexican border — were in serious been accused by the opposition of siphoning off millions of dollars during his six-year tenure. On to “extremely critical” condition, suff ering from Monday, Duarte was extradited to Mexico from Guatemala, where he was captured in April after heat stroke and dehydration, authorities said. spending months on the run. He has denied any wrongdoing. Some doubts had surfaced in the City police chief William McManus said the past few days about the strength of the case against him. However, after presenting 82 pieces of truck driver had been arrested. evidence in hearings on Saturday, the attorney general’s off ice said in a statement that the judge At least 38 people were in the trailer includ- gave prosecutors six months to proceed with the investigation against 43-year-old Duarte. ing now fewer than two school-age children, Fire Chief Charles Hood said, but McManus later told CNN that the dead were all adult men. It was not immediately clear how many might Police officers work on the crime scene after eight people were found dead inside a sweltering have escaped and were unaccounted for. 18-wheeler trailer parked behind a Walmart store. “We got a call from a Walmart employee about a welfare check in a tractor-trailer that was immigration offi cials are assisting local law en- a security wall along America’s border with its parked on the lot here,” McManus told a news forcement with the investigation. neighbour — and make Mexico pay for it — in or- conference. “This is not an isolated incident...this happens der to crack down on illegal immigration, leading “He was approached by someone from that all the time,” McManus said. to raised tensions with Mexico City. truck, who was asking for water.” “It happens late at night, under darkness be- So far, the project has been stalled by reluctance The employee returned with the water and then cause they don’t want to be discovered.” in Congress to dedicate funding for the barrier, called the police who “found eight people dead in The police chief said store security footage which could cost as much as $20bn according to the back of that trailer,” the police chief said, call- showed that some vehicles came to pick up some some estimates. US Homeland Security Secretary ing it a “horrifi c tragedy.” travellers who were on the truck and who had John Kelly has been to Mexico twice to discuss “We’re looking at a human traffi cking crime made it out alive. immigration, human traffi cking and the spiralling this evening,” McManus said. It was not immediately clear how long the truck cross-border drugs trade. Authorities used helicopters to rush some of had been in the parking lot, and police were work- “By any standard, the horrifi c crime uncovered the injured to seven area hospitals, Hood said, ing to determine who owns it. last night ranks as a stark reminder of why human saying some were in “extremely critical condition Tens of thousands of illegal migrants from smuggling networks must be pursued, caught or very serious condition”. Mexico and Central America attempt to make the and punished,” acting Immigration and Customs He added that the people in the truck were “hot treacherous trip into the United States each year. Enforcement director Thomas Homan said in a to the touch,” adding the air conditioner in the In 2003, 19 would-be migrants died in an over- statement. trailer was not working. Weather in the area has heated truck while being taken from south Texas “These networks have repeatedly shown a been hot and dry. near the Mexican border to Houston. reckless disregard for those they smuggle, as last The US Department of Homeland Security and President Donald Trump has pledged to build night’s case demonstrates.” Venezuelan opposition prepares for fresh strike

AFP allied with Maduro and frequently rules in his to a key Caracas motorway to head downtown to- Caracas favour. ward the court building. But uniformed National Emboldened by a nationwide strike on Thurs- Guard troops riding motorcycles fi red tear gas to day that paralysed parts of the capital Caracas and disperse them. enezuela’s opposition has called a fresh other Venezuelan cities, opposition leaders held a Wuilly Arteaga, a violinist who has gained ce- 48-hour general strike against embattled mock swearing-in ceremony Friday for the shad- lebrity for playing at many marches, was injured VPresident Nicolas Maduro’s plans to have ow court’s new “judges.” and taken to a clinic. The 23-year-old was seen the constitution rewritten giving him broader Many of the actual court’s justices were hast- with blood pouring from cuts on the left side of powers. ily appointed shortly before Maduro’s ruling party his face. He said later he had been struck with The walk-out comes as violent and sometimes lost its majority in congress. buckshot. “They are not going to frighten me,” deadly protests continue amid a political and “Everyone has given their backing to the new Arteaga said in a video he posted on Twitter. economic crisis that has led to shortages of basic Supreme Court,” tweeted Freddy Guevara, a lead- The musician became an icon of the protest goods and soaring infl ation. er of the opposition-led congress. movement when he was pictured calmly weaving “We are calling out the entire people, all groups “We support the new judges because they will through tear gas with his violin on his shoulder, in society, for a 48-hour strike” Wednesday and restore independence to the Supreme Court,” playing the classic Venezuelan folk song Alma Thursday, lawmaker Simon Calzadilla said. said 43-year-old demonstrator Luis Torrealba, Llanera. Calzadilla said that the strike would be capped marching with his wife and teenage son. Immortalised in photographs from that per- on Friday with a march demanding that Maduro Their swearing in was condemned by the gov- formance during a demonstration on May 8, he offi cially scrap his Constituent Assembly vote ernment as “incitement to subversion” and an act said he meant it as a “message of peace.” scheduled for July 30. of “treason,” and offi cials threatened to throw the With the situation already infl amed, the stakes Earlier on Saturday, police on motorcycles fi red dissidents into prison. have risen further, after the United States threat- tear gas to break up an opposition march on the One of the judges was arrested by intelligence ened economic sanctions if Maduro proceeds Supreme Court to press demands that elected so- services, the National Assembly said on Twitter. with his controversial vote for a body to rewrite cialist Maduro leave offi ce. Maduro said the opposition’s bid to derail the the constitution. The president has vowed to That rally was also meant as a show of sup- constitutional assembly would fail. maintain the election of 545 members to the Con- port for a slate of 33 magistrates — a so-called “We are going to be implacable if they try to stitutional Assembly. shadow Supreme Court — whose names were use violence to stop what cannot be stopped,” the Saturday’s demonstrations, like many others put forward Friday by the opposition to replace president warned on television. since April, were organised by the Democratic Venezuela’s current high court, which is closely In Saturday’s march, hundreds of people took Unity Roundtable, a coalition of political opposi- tion groups. The number of deaths in protests across the country since April has reached 103 — about one fatality per day. Datanalisis surveys have shown that more than 70% of Venezuelans reject Maduro’s leader- ship. But the president has brushed aside moves to oust him because he can count on the loyalty of the Venezuelan military, which has been given control of swaths of the economy. Police in Venezuela have detained a newly nominated judge on the country’s Supreme Court in a move rejected by the opposition as “baseless”. In a statement on Twitter, opposition politician Julio Borges charged that the authorities had no justifi - cation for detaining judge Angel Zerpa. Borges called the move “arbitrary” and slammed the state security forces, saying they worked for what he termed embattled socialist President Nico- las Maduro’s “dictator- ship.” Gulf Times 10 Monday, July 24, 2017 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Spotlight on Baby’s day out ... Pell’s ‘sexual assault’ case

By Subel Bhandari, DPA sacked a German Cardinal who headed the offi ce Melbourne handling sex abuse cases, which came just days after police fi led the case against Pell in Aus- tralia. ustralian Cardinal George Pell, one of The developments threatens to tarnish Fran- Pope Francis’ most senior aides, has been cis’s legacy, who was elected in 2013 on a man- Asummoned to appear in court in his home date to clean up the Catholic Church from the fi - state this week to face “historical sexual assault” nancial scandals and sexual abuse crisis dogging charges. the papacy. Last month, Victorian state police charged The Holy See said it “learned with regret” of him with multiple sexual off ences involving the charges against Pell and expressed “its re- multiple complainants from years ago. spect for the Australian justice system (which) In Australia, there is no statute of limitations will have to decide the merits of the questions on such crimes, which means one can be charged raised.” for crimes committed decades ago. For years, Pell has been widely denounced at Police have refused to elaborate on the allega- home with allegations of mishandling cases of tions and the local court has issued a gag order clergy abuse dating back to his time as a priest in on details regarding the case. his home town of Ballarat in the 1970s. Pell, 76, is the most senior Vatican cleric to He later became archbishop of Melbourne and ever be charged in the Roman Catholic Church then Sydney. sex abuse scandal. But more recently, Pell faced direct accusa- He has vehemently denied all the charges and tions of abuse himself and also was the focus of A 40-day-old female baby giant panda sleeps at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo. At 40 days, she tipped the scales at 1,656.5gm and measured allegations. an investigation. 34.1cm in length. Pell has also taken a leave from the Vatican to Last year, he met with three police detectives defend himself and arrived in Australia earlier from Victoria who fl ew to Rome to interview him this month. at the Vatican. He is scheduld to appear for a preliminary The allegations against him were repeated in a hearing before Melbourne Magistrates Court on book published in May, July 26. which Cardinal Pell’s offi ce in Rome has la- After he was summoned by the court, Pell belled “an exercise in character assassination.” told reporters in Vatican: “I am looking forward While Pell complained he has been a victim of Abe’s support slides again fi nally to having my day in court. I repeat that I “relentless” attacks, am innocent of these charges. They are false. The Victorian police said standard procedures had whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.” been respected and that he had “been treated the Pell moved from Australia to Rome in 2014 for same as anyone else.” a senior role. Th police chose to charge Pell after Victorian ahead of parliament grilling He now heads the Vatican’s Secretariat for prosecutors concluded that he could be charged the Economy, and also sits on the nine-member following a year-long investigation. cardinal panel advising Francis on wider church Child sexual abuse survivor groups have laud- Reuters Abe was until recently seen as among many voters that Abe’s reaucrat in January and has ac- reforms. ed the police’s decision to prosecute Pell. Tokyo on track to become Japan’s long- administration is taking them for cused the government of distort- The case is a major test for Australia as well as “Sexual abuse thrives when it is allowed to est-serving prime minister by granted, are encouraging rivals ing the approval process. for the Vatican. fl ourish in secrecy,” said SNAP, the survivors winning a third three-year term and casting doubt on Abe’s hopes Opposition lawmakers are also In Australia, since 2013, a powerful independ- network, which claims to be the world’s oldest apanese Prime Minister when his current tenure ends in for a third term as ruling Liberal expected to grill Abe about me- ent Royal Commission has been investigating and largest support group for victims of sexual Shinzo Abe’s support slid 10 September 2018. Democratic Party leader. dia reports that Inada allowed the incidents and the extent of alleged child abuse committed by Catholic priests. Jpoints to 26% in a poll pub- Abe and his aides have repeat- Abe is expected to reshuffl e defence offi cials to conceal logs abuse in Catholic churches and institutions and Another group, Blue Knot Foundation, has lished yesterday, a day before edly denied intervening to help his cabinet early next month in about the activities of the Self- the church’s response. said charging Pell sends a powerful message not Abe will be grilled in parliament Kake Gakuen (Kake Educational an eff ort to repair his damaged Defense Forces (SDF), as Japan’s According to one commission report in Feb- only to survivors of child sexual abuse but to the over a suspected scandal that is Institution) win approval for a ratings, a step often taken by be- military is known, in a UN-led ruary, seven per cent of all priests between 1950 whole of society. cutting his ratings to the lowest veterinary school in a special leaguered leaders but one that peacekeeping operation in South and 2010 had sexually abused children in more “It upholds that no one is above the law, no since taking offi ce in 2012. economic zone. Its director, Ko- can backfi re if novice ministers Sudan. than 1,000 institutions across the country. matter how high their offi ce, qualifi cations or The July 22-23 Mainichi news- taro Kake, is a friend of Abe. become embroiled in scandals or Media reports have said of- Pell has testifi ed repeatedly before the com- standing,” Pam Stavropoulos, the head of re- paper poll also showed that 56% Defence Minister Tomomi In- commit gaff es. fi cials had tried to hide the logs mission, but mostly on the issue of his handling search at the foundation, said in a statement. of respondents did not back ada, an Abe protege, meanwhile Abe will appear at an ad hoc because they showed a worsen- of child sexual abuse cases involving priests She said apart from the impacts of the abuse Abe’s government, a 12 point rise faces calls to resign over media committee meeting in parlia- ing security situation in the Afri- under his jurisdiction, the blame for which he itself, many survivors of child sexual abuse from a previous survey in June. reports, which she has denied, of ment today. can country. largely defl ected. struggle with society’s silent disbelief that re- The precipitous drop in sup- direct involvement in a ministry Also appearing at the session Japan ended its participation He once conceded, however, that he had made spected public fi gures can be perpetrators of port does not immediately cover-up of documents about a will be his aide Hiroto Izumi, and in the peacekeeping operation in a mistake by believing priests over victims. criminal acts and Pell’s charging was an impor- threaten Abe’s job, but clouds the sensitive peacekeeping operation. Kihei Maekawa, who resigned as May but said the withdrawal was At the Vatican earlier this month, Pope Francis tant step for community awareness. outlook for the premier. The scandals and a perception the education ministry’s top bu- not related to security concerns.

Fish tale! People fish in a Melted fuel found at Fukushima flooded yard after heavy rains near Jilin city, in China’s DPA 3 more than six years after the portant in the decommission- northeast Jilin Tokyo triple meltdown at the complex, ing process, which is expected to province. The rains Kyodo News agency reported. take up to four decades, the op- caused a fish pond The 30cm long remote-con- erator said. to overflow n underwater robot has trolled robot, which is equipped The robot has been sent into releasing fish into captured images of what is with two cameras, found the fuel the containment vessel of the re- the surrounding Abelieved to be melted nu- debris in layers as thick as one actor three times since Wednes- area. clear fuel at the bottom of a crip- metre at the bottom of the con- day. pled reactor at the Fukushima tainment vessel of the reactor, About 6.4m of water have ac- Daiichi nuclear plant, local media the operator said. cumulated at the bottom of the reported yesterday. “It’s natural to think that containment vessel, as the oper- Tokyo Electric Power, the op- melted material fl owed [out from ator has continued to inject wa- erator of the Fukushima Daiichi the reactor pressure vessel],” ter into the unit to cool the fuel, Nuclear Power Station, said it a company offi cial told a news it said. was able to take the images of conference late on Saturday. The plant suff ered meltdowns material deemed Locating fuel debris and at the three reactors after it was “highly likely” to be melted studying the extent of damage hit by a powerful earthquake and fuel for the fi rst time at Reactor at three of its six reactors is im- ensuing tsunami in March 2011. Boxed in: S Korea child law sees more babies abandoned

By Park Chan-Kyong, AFP Around 110,000 South Ko- into the wall functions as a baby “When the father started More unmarried mothers are are moved to orphanages to await Offi cials say that will see au- Seoul reans have been adopted to the box, enabling unwanted new- shovelling earth over it, the keeping their children in South new families. thorities regulate all stages of the United States alone since the borns to be taken in without mother could not bear it any Korea, but face social ostracism But a stigma remains around adoption process, including the 1950s but numbers have fallen in parents having to identify them- more and rescued the baby.” and struggle to fi nd husbands adoption in Korea, where a fo- reasons children are given up, the he young woman laboured recent years. selves. In 2010, its fi rst year of op- willing to accept such a past. cus on preserving family blood- qualifi cations of adopting par- up the steps, past brightly Birth rates have plummeted to New arrivals — almost 200 last erations, just four babies were Even employment checks of- lines makes the idea of raising ents, and ensuring that as adults, Tdecorated walls akin to a the world’s lowest with factors year, an average of nearly four a placed in the box. ten go into family background, someone else’s child anathema adoptees will be able to trace child’s nursery, her daughter in such as high child-rearing costs week — are deposited covered At the time, South Korean and would show that a woman to many. their birth families. her arms. and a workaholic culture aff ect- in blood, wrapped in material, women who wanted to give up had had a child and given it up. It also has a long history of Pastor Lee’s colleague Cho Opening a hatch in the wall, ing the situation. sometimes with the umbilical unwanted babies were obliged The box operates in a legal grey taking pride in its racial homo- Tae-Seung is concerned that she put her inside, turned around But the number of abandoned cord still attached. to give adoption agencies their area. geneity — many of the fi rst in- the regulations resulting from and walked away. babies has jumped in recent years Pastor Lee Jong-Rak of the written consent, but often gave Authorities are fully aware ternational adoptees were the the convention could backfi re by She ran her hands over her in the wake of a law intended to Jusarang Community Church set false details or no records, and of it, and the welfare ministry mixed-race children of Ameri- driving women to abandon un- head but did not look back, sur- protect children. up the facility after hearing re- operators looked the other way. — which has a specifi c category can servicemen and Korean wanted babies illicitly and dan- veillance camera footage showed. Now more changes are moot- ports of babies being abandoned But two years later the country for it in its statistics — neither mothers. gerously. She may never see the girl ed, for similarly well-intended in the open air or in public re- adopted a law banning adoption supports it nor opposes it as, ac- International adoptions “It’s very hard to strike a bal- again. reasons, that campaigners say strooms, where they risked dying agencies accepting undocu- cording to offi cial Kim Hye-Ji, “it slumped by three-quarters in ance between reality and inter- South Korea has risen from could make the situation even of hypothermia. mented babies, in line with the saves the lives of newborn ba- the wake of the 2012 law — which national adoption norms,” he the ruins of war to become Asia’s worse. “Some teenagers give birth Hague Convention, which aims bies”. tightened requirements from said. fourth-largest economy and a The woman in the video foot- to babies in empty houses or in to give adoptive children the But the Gwanak district offi ce natural and prospective adop- Instead the group wants moth- member of the OECD club of de- age was among the latest of more public toilets. They wrap them right to trace their birth parents. has repeatedly urged Pastor Cho tive parents — going from 916 the ers to be legally allowed to give veloped countries. than 1,000 to have made their in old shirts or towels and bring It also required all adoptions to to shut it down. previous year to 236 in 2013. birth and give up their children It was for a time one of the way to a house in a working-class them to us,” he told AFP. be court-approved. “We see the baby box as an il- Now Seoul says it aims to ratify anonymously. world’s biggest sources of un- neighbourhood on the outskirts On one occasion, a young cou- In 2013, 224 babies were aban- legal facility that encourages the Hague Convention, which Next to the hatch in the wall, wanted children, driven by pov- of Seoul. ple brought in a baby covered in doned at the centre by parents baby abandonment,” said local says children should preferably a form enables parents to state a erty, a light regulatory touch, and Converted into a shelter by a dust. desperate to hide their identities. offi cial Min Seo-Young. be adopted by families in their child’s name, date of birth, and a culture of racial purity, family small Seoul church, a tempera- The father had been planning Almost all who do so are poor The shelter looks after new home country, by the end of the vaccinations. The mother in the bloodlines, and shame. ture-controlled chamber built to bury it alive, he explained. single women. arrivals for a few days until they year. video left it blank. Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 11 BRITAIN Princes regret rushed conversation with mother Diana

Prince William and Harry have spoken of their rything else,” Prince William said. “one of the naughtiest parents”. They also Prince William and Prince Harry would be regret over the last conversation they had with Prince Harry said: “It was her speaking from recall the pain of their parents’ divorce and happy to show this film to their own children their mother Princess Diana before she died, Paris, I can’t really necessarily remember what how they dealt with the news of her death and and say this is who your grandmother was”, saying the telephone call was “desperately I said but all I do remember is probably regret- its aftermath. Kent said. rushed”. ting for the rest of my life how short the phone While the film addresses aspects of Diana’s Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy will be In a documentary called Diana, Our Mother: Her call was.” life such as her charity work involving HIV and broadcast on British and US television today. Life and Legacy timed to coincide with the 20th Nick Kent, the film’s executive producer, said landmines, it shies away from some other is- A number of commemorative events have anniversary of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash he believed the document off ered a glimpse of sues, such as extra-marital aff airs. been planned to mark Diana’s death. on August 31, 1997, the two princes said they “the private Diana”. According to the makers, however, the British William and Harry attended a private service spoke to their mother shortly before she died. “Nobody has ever told this story from the point of royals were very open and did not put any this month to rededicate her grave and the “Harry and I were in a desperate rush to say view of the two people who knew her better than subject off limits. brothers have commissioned a statue to be goodbye, you know ‘see you later’...if I’d known anyone else, and loved her the most: her sons.” Prince William and Prince Harry in an Rather, they wanted to cover new ground and erected in her honour outside their off icial now obviously what was going to happen, I The princes recall their mother’s sense of undated photo released by Kensington make a diff erent type of film. London home. wouldn’t have been so blase about it and eve- humour, with Prince Harry describing her as Palace yesterday. “What we had in mind is that in years to come,

Mum of missing airman mulls injunction over landfi ll search

Guardian News and Media “I am getting advice about the London possibility about an injunction to stop them fi lling the landfi ll in at least until there is more honesty he mother of missing RAF and plain speaking from the po- serviceman Corrie McK- lice.” Teague may seek an injunc- She said she was angry at the tion to stop police fi lling in a land- claim her son slept in bins and did fi ll site, where she believes her not believe there was any evidence son’s body is. he did. Detective superintendent Police confi rmed on Friday Katie Elliott said police had spo- that the 20-week search of waste ken to a witness who had previ- at Milton landfi ll in Cambridge- ously found McKeague asleep in shire was at an end, having sifted a bin and he had previously been through 6,500 tonnes of waste. found sleeping on park benches, Nicola Urquhart said the deci- in toilets and stairwells following sion meant police had given up on nights out. fi nding her son. Supporters have Elliott said the police investiga- launched a petition, which has tion has been continuing while the been signed by more than 11,000 search was on. She said: “This has Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show in London yesterday. people, urging police to continue been an unprecedented search, the landfi ll search. in the scale and amount of waste McKeague, from Fife, vanished that has been examined. We have after a night out with friends in searched the whole area where we Bury St Edmunds last year. He believed Corrie could be. We had was last seen on CCTV in the compelling information that di- early hours of September 24 walk- rected us to this area however we ing into a horseshoe-shaped area haven’t found Corrie and this is – which is a bin loading bay – in bitterly disappointing.” Corbyn denies pledge to Brentgovel Street. The Milton landfi ll site cov- ers some 48 hectares and accepts “The decision to stop about 96,000 tonnes of waste an- searching at the landfi ll nually. means they have now given Elliott said: “The search up on fi nding Corrie” has been complex, systematic, thorough and comprehensive. wipe out students’ debts Police say compelling informa- Throughout the process the work tion points to the fact that Corrie being completed has been re- Guardian News and Media “I don’t see why those that Corbyn said the party was land are set to graduate with graduates, after both McDon- was transported from the “horse- viewed by national experts. London had the historical misfortune not aware of how much writing average debts of £50,800. nell and the shadow educa- shoe” area in a bin lorry. They say “The investigation behind the to be at university during the off the debt burden would cost. “Quite a lot of it is never go- tion secretary, Angela Rayner, he had been known to go to sleep in scenes hasn’t stood still while the £9,000 period should be bur- “What I said was we would ing to be collected anyway,” he distanced themselves from the rubbish on a night out. search has been carried out, but eremy Corbyn has insisted dened excessively compared to deal with it by trying to reduce said, given that graduate debt commitment. Urquhart, who is herself a police all the information we have still Labour did not commit to those that went before or those the burden of it,” he said. “We is written off after 30 years and Rayner last week accused the offi cer, said on the Find Corrie Fa- points to the fact that Corrie was Jwiping graduates’ student that come after. I will deal with never said we would complete- only repaid when a graduate is Tories of “wilfully misrepre- cebook page: “This is their strong- transported from the ‘horseshoe’ loan debts during the gen- it,” he told the magazine. ly abolish it because we were earning more than £17,775. senting” the party’s plans and est line of enquiry and as such they area in the bin lorry.” eral election campaign, after However, Corbyn told the unaware of the size of it at that “(The shadow chancellor) said a debt amnesty had never are not looking at other possible On the 38 Degrees website, Kel- Conservative MPs accused the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show yes- time.” John McDonnell has estab- been promised and was not in lines or have dismissed them al- ly Morris, who started the petition, party of knowingly misleading terday that was not a com- The Labour leader said the lished a working party to look the party’s manifesto. ready as they so fi rmly believe said: “Corrie’s family and friends students. mitment to write off the debt, party had established a work- at this policy and we will be The education secretary, Corrie is in the landfi ll. deserve to know if he is actually in The Labour leader told NME currently more than £76bn ing group to develop a policy on making a statement which will Justine Greening, said the “The decision to stop search- there, after waiting weeks before magazine during the election owed by English students and how a future Labour govern- set out what our plans are in party had “not been honest ing at the landfi ll means they have starting the search, it is disgrace- that he would “deal with” the EU students studying in Eng- ment could ease the burden for the future,” he said. with young people” while the now given up on fi nding Corrie. ful that they would end the search huge debts acquired by gradu- land. “I didn’t make a com- those who had racked up huge During the fi nal week in former Tory leader Iain Dun- Suff olk police have handed back without fi nding him but claiming ates who had paid high tuition mitment to write it off be- debts over the past few years. parliament, Conservative MPs can Smith said Labour had the landfi ll and are trying to have it he is in there. Why start a job if you fees, as well as abolishing fees cause I couldn’t at that stage,” The Institute for Fiscal Studies regularly attacked Labour for treated students as “election fi lled back. are not going to complete it?” for current students. he said. has suggested students in Eng- appearing to mislead young fodder”. Man dies in shop ‘Act now’ on pay and gender, stars tell BBC after police chase Agencies said would make it easier for rival London broadcasters to poach talent, but bowed last week to the govern- Guardian News and Media put his hand to his mouth. As with family and friends. ment’s demand to publish the sal- London another man, in plain clothes, is “The IPCC has launched an ome of the most high-profi le aries of its highest earners. seen helping the offi cer, the man independent investigation to es- female presenters at the BBC BBC responded in a statement they are attempting to arrest is tablish what happened and has Syesterday called on the head that it has made “signifi cant 20-year-old man has died seen lying on the fl oor hand- viewed the offi cers’ body-worn of the public broadcaster to “act changes” in recent years but needs after being chased and ap- cuff ed with his hands behind his video. now” to address a gender pay gap to do more to close the pay gap. Aprehended by police in east back. “There is likely to be specula- that sees it pay its top male star Education Secretary Justine London. Scotland Yard said the offi cer tion over the next few days re- fi ve times more than its best-paid Greening, who handles matters The man, named locally as “intervened and sought to pre- garding what led to this man be- female presenter. involving women and equality, Rashan Charles, was allegedly vent the man from harming him- coming ill so I would encourage Reaching 95% of British adults told Sky News yesterday it is “im- seen trying to swallow an object self”. Paramedics were called and people to keep up to date with the every week and a global audience possible not to be shocked” by the before being taken ill, and was before they arrived police offi cers IPCC’s statement, as and when of 372mn, the BBC is a prized na- BBC’s pay disparity. pronounced dead in a hospital a – including a medic – provided they are released. tional asset but faces intense scru- She said the salary gap is “very short time later. fi rst aid, the Met said. “All police offi cers are fully tiny over spending as its funding hard to justify.” Prime Minister The Independent Police Com- Tributes to Charles have been aware that they will be asked to comes from a fee levied on TV Theresa May has also criticised the plaints Commission (IPCC) is in- paid on social media with some account for their actions – offi c- viewers. pay diff erential. vestigating. comments critical of the actions ers are not exempt from the law Its list of on-air employees The letter to Hall says the docu- The Metropolitan police said of the police offi cer. and we would not wish to be.” earning at least £150,000 num- ments confi rmed a long-held sus- the man was followed on foot In a statement, Simon Lau- The IPCC said: “The man be- bered 96 people, two-thirds of picion that “women at the BBC are after offi cers tried to stop a car rence, the Met’s borough com- came unwell and fi rst aid was them men, most earning more being paid less than men for the in Kingsland Road, Hackney, at mander for Hackney, said offi cers provided by a police offi cer, police than women doing similar work. same work.” 01.45am on Saturday. attempted to stop a car in the early medic and paramedics. The IPCC “You have said that you will Clare Balding, one of BBC’s Footage, recorded by a secu- hours of Saturday. has obtained evidence which in- “sort” the gender pay gap by 2020, most accomplished TV journal- rity camera and which has been “A man, who was in the car, dicates an object was removed but the BBC has known about the ists, said in a pointed tweet that shared on social media with the was pursued on foot before enter- from his throat at the scene. The pay disparity for years. We all want a 2020 target for equal pay isn’t hashtag #JusticeForRash, ap- ing a shop where he was seen to man was then transported to the to go on the record to call upon you good enough, since the Equal Pay pears to shows a young black man be trying to swallow an object. He Royal London hospital, where he to act now,” more than 40 women Act was enacted in 1970 and the entering a shop pursued by a uni- was then taken ill. He was taken died soon afterwards. wrote to the BBC’s director gen- Equality Act was passed in 2010. formed police offi cer. to hospital by the London am- Police said next of kin had eral, Tony Hall. “We’re standing together to po- The fi lm shows a struggle on bulance service where, sadly, he been informed and a postmortem The BBC had not wanted to litely suggest they can do better,” the fl oor, and the man appears later died. Our thoughts remains would be held. Greening: salary gap “very hard to justify” disclose information which it she said. Gulf Times 12 Monday, July 24, 2017 EUROPE

POLITICS ENVIRONMENT SURVEY ACCIDENT Turkey rearrests two Wild boar wreaks havoc on French President Macron’s 18 injured after tractor rolls human rights activists German Autobahn popularity rating drops in wedding celebrations

Turkish authorities off icially arrested two human A single wild boar was the cause of a trio of car French President Emmanuel Macron’s popularity 18 people were injured on Saturday after a rights activists yesterday, one week after they accidents in south-western Germany overnight rating has slumped by 10 percentage points this tractor, and the trailer it was pulling, rolled in were released from prison, the state-run Anadolu yesterday, leaving four injured, two of them month, according to an Ifop poll yesterday — the wedding-eve celebrations near Zurich, local news agency reported. Nalan Erkem and Ilknur critically, police said. The animal was hit by biggest decline for a new president since 1995. media has reported. The accident occurred in Ustun were among 10 activists who were taken a vehicle on a motorway near the town of The poll, published in the Journal du Dimanche the municipality of Wohlen, 26km west of Zurich, into custody on July 5 after police raided a human Insheim. Shortly afterwards, another vehicle hit newspaper, said 54% of people in France were after the tractor driver lost control of the vehicle rights seminar in Istanbul. All 10 were detained the stricken boar, causing damage to the side satisfied with Macron in July, compared with while descending a steep hill, Swiss news agency on suspicion of terrorism-related off ences. Four of the second car. The third collision proved 64% in June. It added the last time a newly sda reported, citing local police. The weight of of them were released but Istanbul prosecutors to be the most serious, when a 22-year-old elected president had lost ground in that way the trailer, which was loaded with 17 people, appealed against the move and issued a new driver spotted the carcass too late and swerved was Jacques Chirac in 1995. Macron has had reportedly forced the tractor out of control, warrant for their capture last week. The other sharply to the right, causing the car to come off Wild boars a tough month, marked by a public row over causing it and the trailer to tip. Three people two are still being sought for arrest, according the Autobahn and roll down the embankment, military spending cuts with top armed forces were badly injured in the accident, while the to Anadolu. The six other defendants in the case police said. The driver and a 21-year-old front- Fully grown male boars can weigh up to 250 chief General Pierre de Villiers that led to de others received only minor injuries. The tractor remain in custody, including the head of Amnesty seat passenger escaped with minor injuries but kilograms. While they belong to Germany’s most Villiers’ resignation. Macron also ending up was only meant to be used for farming activities International’s Turkey branch, Ali Gharavi of two people sitting in the back, aged 19 and 24, common wild mammals, they are shy, nocturnal overruling his prime minister by vowing to press and not on public roads, police said. Public Sweden and Peter Steudtner from Germany. were critically injured and taken to hospital. creatures and sightings are rare. ahead with tax cuts in 2018. prosecutors have opened an investigation.

Protest for free Internet Russia behind Ukraine hot war: US envoy

The new special US envoy the lives of 11 Ukrainian said the crisis needed troops over the past few days, immediate attention the most serious surge in bloodshed in recent months. A protester shout slogans as members of Russian opposition parties take part in a March for Free Internet in central Moscow. AFP Ukraine and the West say Kiev Moscow has funnelled troops and arms across the border to fan the fl ames of the war in he new US special en- Europe’s backyard. voy on Ukraine said Moscow has denied the Tyesterday that Russia is allegations, despite over- responsible for the “hot war” whelming evidence that it has in the country’s east, after been involved in the fi ghting Pedal power sways Muscovites fresh clashes between gov- and its explicit political sup- ernment forces and Russian- port for the rebels. AFP thoroughfares repaved, cyclists have been backed rebels. Volker agreed when Moscow quick to notice that the renovated streets Kurt Volker, who was ap- asked whether he consid- lack one crucial element — bike lanes. pointed this month as the ered the confl ict to be the Data on the number of cyclists on Mos- State Department’s special result of Russian aggres- wo years ago, Luiza Nesterova cow’s roads are unavailable but the fi gure representative for negotia- sion rather than a Ukrain- would never have dreamt of cycling remains relatively low. tions to end more than three ian civil war. Tto work in Russia’s capital. But now In June, a local Moscow deputy Vladimir years of fi ghting, was visit- “We understand the way she bikes everywhere, undeterred by busy Baushev was killed by a car while riding his ing on the eve of telephone this confl ict has begun, we roads that are still a battleground for cy- bike on a road. talks between the leaders of understand the way it is be- clists. For Nadezhda Zherebina, who has Ukraine, Russia, Germany ing managed today and that In the city of 12mn, biking round snarled launched a cycling lobby group called Let’s and France on how to stem is why it is important the US streets seems to make perfect sense, but Bike It with a group of friends, the city a confl ict that has claimed become more engaged,” the Moscow “isn’t an easy city for cyclists”, hall still needs to focus on providing cycle 10,000 lives. former US ambassador to admits 30-year-old Nesterova, a consult- lanes — otherwise riders are forced to use “This is not a frozen con- Nato said. ant in a fi nance company. pavements. fl ict, this is a hot war and it is On Monday, Volker will Uncrossable highways fi lled with speed- “That causes confl icts and situations an immediate crisis that we have talks with Ukrainian ing cars cut through the centre, drivers are that are dangerous and pointless,” Zhere- all need to address as quickly authorities in Kiev and next oblivious to cyclists and, for over half the bina said. as possible,” Volker said while week will visit France, Bel- year, the city is smothered in snow and ice. She also called on the authorities to visiting the government- gium, Austria and Britain Every day — winter or summer — Nestero- “prioritise clearing snow off cycle lanes controlled city of Kramatorsk before going back to Wash- va gets on her pale green bike, undaunted, over roadways, in order to encourage Mus- in the war-torn Donetsk re- ington to make “some rec- and rides for more than fi ve kilometres covites to cycle”. gion. ommendations about exactly along very busy roads with no cycle lanes A man riding a high wheel bicycle during a retro bicycle race in central Moscow. “Cities like Oslo and Montreal have “I wanted to come here... how the US can engage bet- and no cycle helmet. winters just as cold as ours but they have and to see fi rsthand the situ- ter”. “When it snows, I just wear warmer learn to share the road with cyclists.” But, still, it remains just a fraction of the a strong cycling culture, so why can’t we?” ation along the line of con- The US and EU have im- gloves,” she says, adding that she gets in “Moscow is a city made for cars.” amount in established bike-friendly capi- she asks. fl ict,” Volker, wearing a bul- posed sanctions on Russia, the saddle even when it is minus 27 de- In a bid to change that negative image, tals in Western Europe. According to town planning consulting letproof vest, told journalists. but eff orts to secure a peace grees C (minus 16 F). Moscow city hall has invested in develop- “Moscow will never become a cycling fi rm Urbica, snow and bad weather have “It is truly a high degree Ukraine deal have ground To encourage other Muscovites to do ing cycling over the last couple of years. In city like Amsterdam but we hope that it little impact on Russian cyclists. of suff ering, there was a high to a halt as the fi ghting has the same, she has created an Instagram 2013 the city launched its own bike shar- will become more and more pleasant to “Before, we used our bikes to ride in the human cost to this confl ict dragged on. page — @luizinbike2.0 — that gets viewed ing system, Velobike, copying the “Boris cycle here,” Alexei Mityayev, the city offi - park, we didn’t use them to get from A to and that is another reason The confl ict, along with more than 5,400 times per day. She often Bikes” and “Velib” networks in London cial in charge of cycling, told AFP. B. It’s very new for us to think of bikes as a why it is so urgent that we ad- Russia’s annexation of Cri- gets interviewed by Russian media and and Paris. Despite the advances however, the au- form of transport,” said Zherebina. dress it.” mea from Ukraine in 2014, has has become a kind of “ambassador” for Last year, some 196,000 people got thorities’ focus appears to have slipped off For Mityayev, Muscovites’ recent en- His visit follows a fresh pushed ties between Moscow cycling. bikes from the now 380 stations around cycling — to the chagrin of many, who had thusiasm for cycling is a sign of their “de- fl are up in fi ghting in eastern and the West to their lowest “My dream is for cycling to become the city. begun taking to pedal power. sire to reclaim their city.” Ukraine which has claimed point since the Cold War. the norm and for people not to see me as The authorities spend some 150mn ru- For the second summer running, the “This is also a generational shift: our ‘brave’ any more,” she said. bles ($2.5mn, 2mn euros) annually on the centre of Moscow is a mass of roadworks parents’ generation put the car fi rst,” “There are more and more people, who scheme. as part of a mammoth reconstruction symbolising individualism after decades would like to ride bikes but they are very At the same time, Moscow’s modest project ahead of the World Cup in 2018. of Communism, he said. “Our generation scared of cars here and so drivers don’t number of cycle lanes has also expanded. While pavements are being widened and prefers to be free.”

Germany must act now to stop re-run of refugee crisis

Reuters ered and support for the AfD limit in terms of what they can who play for time and try to ig- Horst Seehofer, leader of the Aachen, Germany has dropped. do.” nore the topic until the election Christian Social Union (CSU) Martin Schulz, whose Social Other European Union coun- are acting in a very cynical way.” — the Bavarian sister party to Democrats (SPD) are lagging far tries need to help Italy, such as by Migrant arrivals in Germany Merkel’s Christian Democrats ermany needs to take ac- behind Merkel in the polls ahead taking in refugees, he added. have been far lower this year than (CDU) — told the Welt am Son- tion now to prevent a re- of a September 24 election, Schulz said he had spoken in the previous two years, with ntag newspaper the situation Grun of 2015, when some warned against a repeat scenario to European Commission chief data from the Interior Minis- was calm now but added: “We all 890,000 migrants arrived in the after more than 93,000 mainly Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday try showing the number of new know that the wave of migrants country, Chancellor Angela Mer- sub-Saharan African and Bang- about what fi nancial or logistical arrivals seeking asylum fell to will continue.” kel’s Social Democrat challenger ladeshi migrants have arrived by help Brussels might be able to of- 90,389 in the fi rst half of 2017, The CSU, which takes a for a September election told boat in southern Italy so far in fer countries prepared to take in about half as many as in the year- tougher tone on migrants than Reuters yesterday. 2017, up 17% on the same period refugees and said he would speak earlier period. Merkel’s CDU, has long called In September 2015, Merkel last year. to both the Italian government Last year, some 280,000 mi- for an upper limit on the num- threw open Germany’s bor- “The numbers in Italy are wor- and the Commission about this grants arrived in Germany — a bers arriving and Seehofer on ders to thousands of migrants rying — thousands per day,” he during the week. sharp drop compared with 2015 Sunday repeated his call for a to avoid a humanitarian dis- said in an interview in the west- In an interview with the Bild — and the refugee issue has not cap of 200,000 per year. Merkel aster — a move that later hit ern German city of Aachen. am Sonntag newspaper, Schulz yet played a major role in the has rejected a cap. her popularity and boosted the “If we don’t want a repeat of said the situation was “highly election campaign. Bild am Sonntag said Schulz anti-immigrant Alternative what we experienced in 2015 explosive” and suggested he The latest Emnid poll showed would travel to Italy on Thursday for Germany (AfD), though her we need to take action now as wanted to turn it into an election Merkel’s conservatives on 38% to meet Italian Prime Minister conservatives have since recov- the Italians are reaching their campaign issue, saying: “Those and the SPD on 25%. Paolo Gentiloni. Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 13 INDIA

Tamil Nadu Builders pledge ‘green’ homes in race to meet climate goals Roundup The country’s top builders have that conserve water and electricity in the industry, as well as among our carbon dioxide emissions. “Housing for All”. This has led to pledged to make at least a fifth of and make best use of natural light and clients,” he said. Those emissions come mainly from a boom in construction across By Umaima Shafiq their new housing developments wind patterns, while also pursuing India is the world’s third-biggest energy-intensive processes in making the country. The eff ort by SHLC — sustainable by 2022, as the country more energy-eff icient methods of emitter of greenhouse gases that construction materials such as steel, an initiative of the World Bank’s Gulf Times Correspondent looks to tap sectors other than construction. cause global warming. As a signatory cement and bricks. International Finance Corp under the renewable energy to meet its “The construction industry has one of to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate As the economy grows at a fast clip, eco-cities programme of the European ambitious climate goals. The campaign the biggest carbon footprints, so it’s change, India is committed to reducing demand for homes, off ices, roads, Union — will add 110mn sq ft of green is led by the Sustainable Housing really important for us to take action its carbon emissions by a third by airports and factories is also rising. housing by 2020. 45 villages to Leadership Consortium (SHLC) to minimise the impact,” said Jaimin 2030. The demand for homes is particularly While “green” homes were built at a comprising builders Godrej Properties, Desai, head of design and sustainability It is doing so with tougher emission acute: in urban areas alone, there is a premium earlier and therefore had a be taken over for Mahindra Lifespaces, Shapoorji Pallonji, at developer Mahindra Lifespaces. norms, more electric vehicles and giant shortage of about 20mn homes. niche appeal, newer technologies and oil exploration Tata Housing and VBHC Value Homes. “This initiative pushes us to incorporate solar power plants to replace energy Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greater demand have narrowed the It is backed by the ministry of housing. sustainability right from the selection generated by coal. made aff ordable housing a priority, cost diff erential between them and Builders will use mainly local and of the site to the design, the use of The real-estate sector is responsible with incentives such as subsidised traditional housing to “almost nothing” The Tamil Nadu government has recycled material, and design homes materials and in increasing awareness for nearly a quarter of the country’s loans to meet a 2022 target of now, Desai said. declared that 23,000 hectares covering nearly 45 villages in coastal Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts will be taken over for a petrochemical complex and oil exploration Heavy rains in West Bengal project. The government said the area would be utilised for petroleum refineries that could generate jobs for local residents and improve road, rail and air Kerala legislator connectivity to the region. Despite a two-year feasibility study that gave a go-ahead to the project, social activists fear that fertile regions are been taken over. There is also accused of rape concern that the quake and tsunami-resistant mangrove forests in these villages will be destroyed. Meanwhile two men have been charged with sedition for calling ‘a good man’: on the public to oppose oil exploration projects in Neduvasal village in Pudukottai district and Kathirmangalam village in Thanjavur district. victim’s sister Fireman killed By Ashraf Padanna her, the younger sister and her “She took two pills for blood in bakery blaze Thiruvananthapuram husband were reportedly op- pressure and another two that posed to her over the matter. she used to take to control cho- The sister alleges that the lesterol. You ask the hospital au- A fireman was killed and three he arrest of an opposition brother, who belongs to the rul- thorities. Do you think she’ll die others injured while fighting a Congress party legisla- ing Communist Party of India from these?” Subha asked. fire at a bakery in Kondugaiyur, Ttor on rape charges took (Marxist), was behind the com- “She used to come here and Chennai. The blaze reportedly a new twist yesterday with the plaint as the legislator could not complain against the miscon- started after an electrical short- complainant’s sister coming out land him a government job. duct of her husband whom she circuit which led to a cooking against her. The sister said the two were in claimed assaulted her. She’s an gas cylinder exploding inside the Subha, the wife of M Vincent, constant touch for four months unstable person.” premises. The accident occurred who is now in a 14-day judicial before the incident but she fell The investigation team head- when the shop was closed. custody, also accused the vic- out with her after she questioned ed by commissioner, Ajeetha In a separate incident, a tim of conspiring with the ruling her regarding the incident. Beegum reportedly traced 900 female worker died and Communist Party of India (Marx- Meanwhile, Vincent’s wife has calls between the victim and the seven other women were ist) leaders to trap her husband. asked the police to book CPI (M) accused. injured in an explosion at a The Congress party which leaders, including a legislator, The police have charged Vin- fireworks manufacturing unit in maintains that the case was part whom she accused of hatching cent with repeated rape, abet- Puliparaipatti in Sivakasi town, of a political vendetta, however, the conspiracy. ment of suicide, using obscene about 45kms from Madurai. decided to suspend Vincent till “The woman used to call him language, sexually explicit re- The women were stringing the end of the probe. regularly. When my husband marks and criminal intimidation. firecrackers when the accident “We have known him since stopped attending her calls she Meanwhile, Congress presi- occurred. Though workers in our childhood, and he’s a good asked me to request my hus- dent M M Hassan said that open sheds nearby managed to man,” the younger sister of the band to return her calls,” Subha “though Vincent’s arrest was escape, the two women died on complainant told a television claimed. part of a political conspiracy, the spot. channel. “She has made such “It all started when she and considering the woman’s com- allegations against others in the her husband came to meet my plaint, we decided to suspend past too. I told her not to do this husband with a similar case. He him as party secretary,” Jayalalithaa court to an innocent person,” the vic- refused to intervene as it was “The charges against him were case dismissed tim’s sister claimed. fabricated. Then she turned converted into rape following She said her sister was on against him.” political pressure exerted by lo- medication for depression for The police booked the legisla- cal CPI(M) legislator K Ansalan The Supreme Court has struck the past 10 years and was an un- tor after the woman attempted and other leaders.” down the last court case pending stable person. suicide by overdosing on medi- Hassan cited the statement of against former chief minister The complainant and others, cines and a magistrate recorded the victim’s sister that “it was Jayaram Jayalalithaa in a hearing including the legislator three her statement accusing him of a case of political conspiracy in New Delhi. Jayalalithaa died years younger to her, live in a repeatedly raping her for more and the victim is suff ering from on December 5, 2016. The court Motorists make their way through a waterlogged street in Kolkata yesterday. Several neighbourhood in the municipal than a year. some mental problem.” He won- ruled that with her death the case rivers in some West Bengal districts were flowing above the danger level creating a town of Balaramapuram, where Vincent’s family and his party dered why the police did not act was no longer valid. flood-like situation, while a number of city roads saw waterlogging following incessant she also runs a shop. now argue that CPI (M) lead- when similar allegations came The case related to Jayalalithaa rains, officials said yesterday. While the victim’s husband ers and a legislator were present up against the ruling legislators having violated Section 177 and a brother are fi rmly behind when all the “drama played out.” and ministers. of the Indian Penal Code by filing nominations to four constituencies of Bhuvanagiri, Krishnagiri, Pudukottai and Andipatti in the 2001 general elections. At the time, the Supreme Court had barred her Canada says no threat to from contesting the polls due to conviction in a corruption case. The case oscillated between the Madras High Court and Amarinder, closes probe Supreme Court with subsequent appeals by Jayalalithaa and her detractors from 2007 to last IANS speeches made by Sikh radicals op- stressed the need for Canada to rein week. Chandigarh erating out of Canada. in the radical elements, who were Videos of the Vaisakhi Parade in “trying to use Canadian soil to spread Surrey on April 22 were sent to the strife and divisiveness in India”. Coimbatore to iting non-availability of Canadian foreign ministry as proof. The chief minister raised the is- get metro rail “suffi cient evidence”, the Indian authorities had also ob- sue with Jalandhar-born Canadian CCanadian government has jected to the public display of Kha- MP Rameshwar Singh Sangha, who told India that there is no threat to listan fl oats with images of slain met him in New Delhi on Friday. Chief Minister Edappadi K Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder separatist leader Jarnail Singh “Such elements, including Kha- Palanisami has announced that Singh and has concluded its inves- Bhindranwale and other terrorists, listani supporters, could not have Coimbatore city will have metro tigation into the matter. pictures of AK-47s and photo- any impact on the Canadian po- rail facility within a few years. In a communication to Indian graphs of former and serving army litical environment but they could Coimbatore, colloquially known authorities, Canada’s department and police offi cers who are on the infl uence the people of India and as the Manchester of the south of foreign aff airs, trade and devel- hit-list of Sikh radicals. vitiate the atmosphere here,” Ama- for its textile and industrial spare opment has stated that the inves- rinder Singh pointed out. parts manufacturing industries, tigation had been conducted by the Amarinder Singh stressed “The Canadian government has welcomed the proposal. Royal Canadian Mounted Police the need for Canada to rein should crack down on these forces However citizens cautioned (RCMP). in the radical elements, who and ensure they do not have a free there should be a feasibility Sources in the ministry of exter- were “trying to use Canadian run on social media and other public study funded by the federal nal Aff airs (MEA) in New Delhi said soil to spread strife and platforms, the chief minister added. government before beginning the Canadian authorities, in the divisiveness in India” The Amarinder Singh govern- the long-term project. communication, has said the RCMP ment had, in April, cold-shouldered investigation had determined that MEA sources said the Canadian visiting Canadian defence minister there is no evidence of direct physi- authorities were cautioned about of Indian-origin Harjit Singh Sajjan Travancore royal cal threat towards Amarinder Singh. the “anti-India propaganda” of the as he travelled to various places in dies aged 90 It further stated that there was Khalistani elements as India was Punjab. “not suffi cient evidence” to fi le anticipating trouble. The Canadian He had refused to meet Sajjan, the criminal charges or proceed against foreign ministry, responding to the fi rst Sikh to be the defence minister Indira Bai, the daughter of Sethu anyone. The Canadian government early warning, said it would take of a Western country, accusing him Lakshmi Bai, the late Queen said in view of the fi ndings, the in- “necessary action”. and other ministers of Punjab ori- Regent of Kerala’s Travancore vestigation had been concluded. However, the Khalistani elements gin in the government of Canadian royal family, died in Chennai. The Indian High Commission in were allowed to have a free run and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of She was 90. She is survived by Canada had lodged a “formal com- even issued threats on loudspeak- links to radical elements demanding her son Sreekumar Verma and plaint” to Global Aff airs-Canada ers to Amarinder Singh in front of a separate Sikh state of Khalistan. daughter Shobana Verma. Indira (Canada’s foreign offi ce) in April hundreds of people from the Indian No minister or senior offi cer of Bai was twice married. Her first following a threat publicly issued community who participated in the the Punjab government went to husband died after three years to the Punjab chief minister by pro- April 22 parade. The Canadian pro- welcome Sajjan or even accompany of marriage in 1949 and she Khalistan elements during a Vaisa- vincial police and security agencies him during the visit. married his cousin K K Verma, the khi Day event in British Columbia’s were present when all this hap- Amarinder Singh made it clear founder-chairman of India Meters Surrey city. pened, the sources said. that he “would not meet any Kha- and Chennai Kerala Samajam. The threat was part of the hate Amarinder Singh on Friday again listani sympathisers”. Gulf Times 14 Monday, July 24, 2017 INDIA

PROTEST LAW AND ORDER OBITUARY TRAGEDY PEOPLE ‘Pakistani’ arrested Kerala NCP president Teenager hangs self after Tibetan student dies for peddling drugs Uzhavoor Vijayan dead argument with brother after setting self alight

A Pakistani national, who had entered the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Kerala unit A teenager in West Bengal allegedly committed A Tibetan student who self-immolated in an act country illegally and was peddling drugs, has president Uzhavoor Vijayan died at a private suicide yesterday after an argument with her of protest against Chinese rule in the Himalayan been arrested in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram hospital in Kochi yesterday, his relatives said. brother over a headphone, police said. “A 19-year- region has died in hospital, a doctor said. Tenzin district, police said yesterday. “Mohamed Yunus Vijayan, 60, was admitted to the hospital early old girl from South 24 Parganas district’s Baruipur Choeying, 19, succumbed to critical burn injuries in is a Pakistan national. He had come to Ervadi this month. He was suff ering from cardiac and allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself New Delhi a week after shouting “Victory to Tibet” from Sri Lanka on an illegal boat,” a police off icer gastrointestinal ailments and died around yesterday morning. The body was recovered from and setting fire to himself at a university campus in Ramanathapuram district said. The man had 6.45am. Vijayan began his political career her bedroom,” an off icer from Baruipur police in Varanasi. “He died days after he was shifted been staying in a lodge and trying to get people through the student wing of the Congress station said. According to police, the college from a Varanasi hospital for specialised treatment,” to peddle brown sugar. Yunus was arrested on a party. A hugely popular leader, Vijayan was student was upset after she had a fight with her Anil Rai, medical superintendent at Safdarjung tip-off , police said, adding that he did not have a known for his humour. Vijayan is survived by younger brother over a headphone. “It seems hospital, said. His body will be handed over to the passport and other required papers on him but his wife and two daughters. His last rites will that the girl has committed suicide following the authorities after a postmortem, Rai added. Varanasi only had some Indian and Pakistani currency. be performed at his home village – Uzhavoor, argument. The brother is not being interrogated police, quoting eyewitnesses, said the 19-year-old Supporters of Gorkhaland chant slogans during Two locals have also been arrested in connection today. Condolences have poured in from every as no complaint has been filed by the parents,” the yelled “freedom” before dousing himself with a protest march in New Delhi yesterday. with the case. political party and leader. off icer added. kerosene and setting himself ablaze on July 14. Top fashion brands’ ETI agenda fl awed, claim critics

Thomson Reuters Foundation initiative that is working within Chennai mills to address such issues and to build the trust of all con- cerned. We are showing such he agenda was to im- programmes can work to the prove the conditions benefi t of all,” Alok Singh, ETI’s Tfor tens of thousands of south Asia head, said. women garment workers who While the ETI has been around stitch everything from jeans to since 1998 working on issues like jackets for the world’s leading child labour and workers’ rights fashion brands. But the strat- in countries including South Af- egy was flawed, say critics. rica, Thailand and Peru, it began The Ethical Trading Initia- focusing on India’s textile work- tive (ETI) aimed to gain access to ers in Tamil Nadu in 2012. often highly restricted factories The region, often dubbed the in Tamil Nadu with a “hygiene “Textile Valley of India” — where awareness” programme and use 400,000 women work in around that as a platform for promoting 2,000 spinning mills and facto- workers’ rights. ries — supplies to various Euro- Five years and $630,000 later, pean and American retailers. the ETI, which brings together la- ETI offi cials said they knew President Pranab Mukherjee signs the visitors book at Hyderabad House, during a farewell hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for him in New Delhi yesterday. Also seen are bels like H&M, GAP and Burberry addressing exploitation of tex- president-elect Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Hamid Ansari. with unions, factory owners and tile workers — from long hours civil society groups, has done lit- and little freedom of movement tle more than teach workers hand to low pay and poor healthcare — washing, campaigners say. was not going to be easy. Trade unions and labour The $40bn textile and gar- rights charities, some of them ment sector is a pillar of India’s partners in the initiative, say its economy and moves aimed at shortcomings show big stores improving workers’ rights are are merely paying lip service to often viewed with suspicion Ordinances should be last the rights of garment workers. by authorities, politicians and “It is like image management. management, who see it as a Brands are using the ETI plat- threat to the thriving industry. form to safeguard themselves,” “We...need to note that when said Nambi Chelliah of non-profi t the programme started there group the Centre for Social Edu- was no appetite for transparency resort, president tells govt cation and Development that was among the mills themselves,” said part of the ETI’s initial meetings. Singh. IANS preserve, protect and defend the liamentary practice. was presented a scroll, a memento parliament’s time devoted to leg- Workers’ representatives say The “Nalam” — meaning New Delhi Constitution in both word and Vice President Hamid Ansari, and a book containing signatures islation has been declining. employees in textile mills and “well-being” in Tamil — pro- spirit. A nostalgic Mukherjee, who is also chairman of the Rajya of the parliamentarians. In his “With heightened complex- factories have not benefi ted, gramme was ostensibly to teach who will demit offi ce tomorrow, Sabha, cited Mukherjee’s remarks speech, which received repeated ity of administration, legislation with fair wages, contracts and a women and adolescent girls utgoing President Pranab recalled that he was only 34 years at the a farewell dinner for gover- applause, the president addressed must be preceded by scrutiny and workplace free of abuse still elu- workers about hygiene and sani- Mukherjee yesterday gave old when he fi rst entered parlia- nors and lieutenant governors last both the government and the op- adequate discussion. Scrutiny in sive for most. tation and has been rolled out in Oa message to both govern- ment in 1969 as a Rajya Sabha MP week in which he had said that position. committees is no substitute to “ETI has not been able to lever- more than 30 mills and factories. ment and opposition telling them and went on to complete 37 years their role is “mainly confi ned to “I am fi rm in my opinion that open discussion on the fl oor of age any benefi ts for the workers Armed with pamphlets, ETI ordinance route should be used as a parliamentarian – where he giving advice to chief minister” as the ordinance route should be the House. from either the brands or the fac- staff infi ltrated high-walled com- only in compelling circumstanc- “understood the real value of de- “there cannot be two functional used only in compelling circum- “When Parliament fails to dis- tories, both of whom are members pounds where employees live es, disruption harms the opposi- bate, discussion and dissent” – executive authorities in a state”. stances and there should be no re- charge its law making role, or en- of the alliance,” said a trade union and work, and went about ask- tion too and passing bills without before being elected to the high- The function was attended by course to ordinances on monetary acts laws without discussion, it offi cial who requested anonymity. ing women how often they brush discussion was a breach of the est constitutional post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, matters,” he said, adding it should breaches the trust reposed in it by The ETI denies the claims and their teeth and when they wash people’s trust. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Congress president Sonia Gan- not be brought on matters pend- the people,” he added. says progress has been made in their hands. Addressing a farewell function Mahajan read out the farewell ad- dhi, union ministers, senior lead- ing in the house or before a com- Mukherjee said he realised as a Tamil Nadu through community Posters demonstrating the held in the Central Hall of par- dress by the lower house’s mem- ers from the opposition besides mittee and if a matter is deemed parliamentarian that disruptions programmes and peer groups at correct way to wash hands were liament by the members of both bers, describing him a “guru” present and former MPs. Former urgent, the should be asked to of proceedings “hurts the opposi- factories and mills that discuss put up near restrooms and ado- houses, Mukherjee described from whom generations of parlia- prime ministers H D Deve Gow- present its report in a stipulated tion more than the government as rights beyond hygiene. lescent girls were told to eat himself as “humble servant” of mentarians have received lessons da and Manmohan Singh were time. it denies them the opportunity to “This is the only large-scale more greens and fruit. the people who had sought to on operational dynamics of par- among those present. Mukherjee He said it is “unfortunate” that raise the concerns of the people”.

Fadnavis at tea party Gang held for 50mn GST scheme a mess, litres crude oil theft claims Shiv Sena chief AFP Singla revealed that the driv- New Delhi ers were authorised to carry wa- ter — a byproduct in oil explo- IANS hit the common man. The public (dependents) will suff er a hit. ration — from exploration sites Mumbai must decide whether to bear it or Who will provide for these 6mn olice in Rajasthan have for dumping but some of the beat it. In Gujarat small traders their daily bread?” he asked. cracked a criminal syn- tankers were fi lled with crude took to the streets opposing GST Thackeray pointed out how he Pdicate accused of smug- instead. The drivers were disa- hiv Sena president Ud- and were mercilessly beaten up, was the fi rst to speak out against gling more than 50mn litres of bling their GPS devices to avoid dhav Thackeray yester- Thackeray said. demonetisation after it created crude oil inside water tankers tracking and detection. Sday took pot shots at ally, “We have opposed GST, since immense hardships for the masses. from India’s largest onshore More than 30 trucks have the Bharatiya Janata Party, and under Prime Minister Narendra However, the Sena leader clari- oilfi eld, an offi cial said yester- been seized, with numbers likely Prime Minister Narendra Modi Modi, everything is sought to be fi ed he was not speaking about day. to grow, police said. over several issues, including ‘centralised’ unlike under former Modi, but only the government The theft at the Cairn India The oil was sold to two small GST and demonetisation, and prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who machinery. “Whenever the Sena oilfi eld went undetected for factory owners nearby, who said he has lost faith in the BJP- implemented the Panchayati speaks anything, it’s is consid- nearly six years until Rajasthan stockpiled the crude in under- led central and state govern- Raj right at the grassroots level,” ered ‘anti-government’. But that police arrested 25 people this ground tanks before selling it on ment in the past three years. Thackeray said in the fi rst salvo is wrong, we are always with the week for involvement in the so- to clients across the country. His strong BJP bashing came against the government. people,” he said. phisticated smuggling network. The stolen oil was used in in his customary, annual birth- He claimed the Shiv Sena Thackeray said though he was Local media reported $7.75mn road construction and diesel day-eve interview series to the managed to ‘save’ Mumbai and not an economist, he could clearly worth of oil could have been sto- production, police said. party’s publications, Saamana 27 other municipal corpora- sense the suff erings of the people, len in total from the oilfi eld run In February, police in Ut- and Dopahar Ka Saamana, the tions in the state by getting re- who after paying income tax, GST by a subsidiary of British mining tar Pradesh arrested nearly a fi rst part of which was published imbursement for the losses they and other levies, have hardly any- giant Vedanta Resources. dozen people accused of steal- yesterday. suffered due to the closure of thing left. More than 75 people, many ing $15.5mn worth of petroleum Thackeray, who turns 57 on the octroi checkposts after GST Pointing out a possible security drivers and contractors working from a high pressure refi nery July 27, spoke on various issues was implemented from July 1. issue, Thackeray said when octroi at the oilfi eld, are still wanted in pipeline in the state. with Saamana executive editor, He urged the government to checkposts existed all vehicles en- connection with the heists, said The gang had purchased land Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP. ascertain whether its policies are tering Mumbai were checked for district police chief Gangandeep adjacent to the refi nery and Asked if he was upset with for the overall common good or goods they were carrying. But with Singla. dug a tunnel to tap the pipeline the Goods & Services Tax im- not and cited the example of last GST this had stopped. “The company suspected owned by state-run Hindustan plemented by the government, year’s demonetisation. “Nobody knows what is being Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attends a something fi shy was happening Petroleum. Thackeray said the scheme was “There are reports that 1.50mn brought into Mumbai or who’s tea party before the start of the state assembly’s monsoon and complained to us, and dur- The country imports nearly a complete mess. We were the people lost jobs directly due to sitting in those vehicles,” Thack- session in Mumbai yesterday. ing investigations we found this 82% of its crude oil to meet its fi rst to point out how GST will demonetisation, meaning 6mn eray said. was an organised ring,” he said. energy requirements. Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 15 PAKISTAN

TRADE EDUCATION COMMERCE HONOUR TRAGEDY Pakistan to highlight CPEC Students prepare for Services exports increase Student wins 2nd prize Death toll in Afghan benefits at Saarc meeting semester at US varsities to $387mn in May in Business Ideas contest bus crash rises to 15

A high-level delegation comprising private American ambassador David Hale congratulated Pakistan’s services export rose 7.19% year- Would it not be nice that apart from directing At least 15 people were killed in a bus crash sector representatives left for Thimpu more than 100 Pakistani undergraduate on- year (YoY) and increased 4.34% month-on- you to the nearest café, your phone could also in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province (Bhutan) yesterday to represent Pakistan in students who have been selected to participate month in May to $387.04mn as transportation, help prevent wastage of food. Well, now there yesterday, an off icial said, raising the previously the forthcoming 70th executive committee in the fall 2017 US Government-funded Global telecommunication and government services is an app for that. Developed by a group of reported death toll by one. Among the dead meeting of the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Undergraduate Exchange Programme (Global remained the key revenue earners, off icial data international students, were two children, Mahmood Haqmal, a Industry. Talking to media prior to departure, UGRAD) during a pre-departure orientation in showed. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) including a Pakistani student, the idea has won spokesman for the Baghlan governor, told DPA. leader of the delegation and Saarc Chamber Islamabad. Since Global UGRAD’s launch in 2010, statistics showed that services sector, which second prize at the Business Ideas competition The incident took place when the bus veered Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik said distinctive approximately 1,400 Pakistani students have accounted for almost 60% of GDP, earned the in Singapore. off the road and overturned in Doshi district features of the China-Pakistan Economic participated in the programme, which allows country $370.95mn in April and $361.07mn in “Taste in Time”, was developed by Ali Imam at 11:20am. Some 28 people were wounded, Corridor (CPEC) would be highlighted during students to spend a semester studying alongside May 2016. from the Institute of Management Sciences Haqmal added. The bus was travelling from the deliberations apart from other issues American peers at American colleges and The government earned $84.090mn in export (IMSciences) while participating in the two- the capital Kabul to northern Mazar province, confronting the region. He said CPEC would act universities. “Meeting with bright, enthusiastic revenue from telecommunication, computer and week international competition organised by Haqmal said, adding that an investigation into as a trading hub between South Asia, Middle students like you is one of the best parts of my information services in May, up 11.99% over April the National University of Singapore (NUS) the crash has been launched. It is not yet clear East and Europe. job,” ambassador Hale said. and 13.76% over May 2016. Entrepreneurship Centre. what caused the accident. Tension mounts between Pakistan’s envoy woos US Pakistan political parties multinationals zSupreme Court’s order on ‘Panama case’ is expected Reuters connectivity is the key to next week Kabul progress and prosperity,” he zPPP has announced ‘Go added. Nawaz Go,’ rallies in Punjab Ambassador Chaudhry un- izaz Chaudhry, Paki- derscored the need for bring- Internews stan’s ambassador to ing the US travel advisory in Islamabad AUS, has asked multina- consonance with the positive tional fi rms to give a serious reality of today’s Pakistan. thought to tapping business In the follow-up discussion, n the fast changing scenario, opportunities off ered by Pa- participants asked a number political tension is mounting kistan, a statement said yes- of questions focusing on dif- Ibetween the ruling and op- terday. ferent sectors of the Pakistan’s position parties and their allies, “The security situation has economy and the investment as three-member bench of the improved considerably. The opportunities available to for- Supreme Court reserved order on improved security situation eign investors. ‘Panama case,’ and over the ques- is having a dynamic eff ect on Katherine Moss, President tion of Prime Minister Nawaz our economy and Pakistan Potomac Exchange, stated Sharif’s possible disqualifi cation. is attracting foreign invest- the business community was Though no date for the order ment from all over the world,” delighted to know about the has been given, there is the in- Chaudhry told the representa- improvement in the economic dication that it is expected next tives of a number of US multi- and security situation in Paki- week. national fi rms during a lunch- stan. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif eon reception. “The members are look- still holds the ‘key’ in this sce- The reception was hosted in ing forward to benefi ting from nario, as political development his honour by the Potomac Ex- new investment opportunities revolves around him, both in fa- change, Washington, DC. in Pakistan,” Moss said. vour or against. The ambassador said Paki- The Potomac Exchange is a For his supporters, his decision stan had a tremendous eco- Washington, DC based busi- to ‘fi ght and defy’ is the right way nomic turnaround witnessed ness forum, which facilitates in given circumstance while oth- in recent years. meaningful dialogue between ers believe that he should nomi- “All the economic indicators US businesses and foreign nate his replacement in case of any are projecting upward trend in missions in the United States. adverse order. Supporters of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) take part in a protest against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore yesterday. Pakistan’s various sectors of the econo- Its members are some of the Sources said the PM’s decision governing party has rejected as “trash” a corruption report accusing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of living beyond his means, the latest in long- my,” he added. largest multinational compa- would set the tone for his gov- running allegations which sparked calls for him to resign. Detailing the US business nies of the US, including Ae- ernment and party’s strategy as leaders about its salient fea- tna, the ruling party is expecting the On the other hand, the op- if, his focus would be to retain The PPP has announced ‘Go meeting with his brother Shahbaz tures, Chaudhry stressed Chi- 3M, Bank of America, BMW decision next week. position, particularly Pakistan his position in his constituency Nawaz Go,’ rallies in the Punjab, before he held consultative meet- na- Pakistan Economic Cor- Group, Boston Scientifi c, Ko- While there are no defections Tehreek-e-Insaf, is confi dent in the biggest province. not only in a bid to build pres- ing with other leaders over the SC ridor (CPEC) project would dak, Fluour, General Mills, in the party, the issue between of not only victory in the SC but Therefore, he is particularly in sure on the PM but also to show proceedings and possible outcome. benefi t not only Pakistan but Google, Lockheed Martin, Interior Minister Ch. Nisar and also very optimistic about its consultation with Punjab lead- its own presence in this PML Vs It was an important meeting as the entire region. McGuire Woods, Oracle, Per- PML-N top leadership includ- success in next elections. ership to build pressure in the PTI political battle. the PML-N and Sharif under no “In an era of changing eco- nod Ricard USA, TE Connec- ing the PM remained unresolved Imran in particular sees ‘divi- Punjab. While the hearing in the Su- circumstances would allow the nomic alignments, regional tivity, Coca Cola and Viacom. and in the last one week, he has sion in the PML, and also politi- The PPP which politically preme Court has concluded after PTI to take ground in the Pun- not been part of any consultative cal exit of the Sharifs. emerged as a ‘loser’ after it com- the decision was reserved, it is jab, as without winning Punjab, meetings, but has not resigned. The PTI has already decided mitted a blunder by not becom- now up to the politicians and par- its dream to form government at Taliban makes further gains in Afghanistan Sharif also knows problems to maintain pressure on the gov- ing a party in this case as a peti- ties to cope with the situation. centre would not realise. within PML-N and among his ernment, which includes hold- tioner, now sees the developing PM Sharif will lead the party The prime minister and the Taliban militants captured yesterday after several days key players like Ch. Nisar, Kh ing a grand show in Islamabad scenario healthy for its political in the next elections, even if the PML-N looked ‘down but not two district centres in of fighting between militants Asif on one hand and between after the SC order. space in Punjab. decision goes against him and he out,’ from political scene and if northern and central and Afghan security forces, Sanalullah and Abid Sher on the Imran knows the importance There is little doubt that the resigns as prime minister on the the PM and the party decided Afghanistan yesterday, Mohamed Mahdavi, deputy other hand. of the SC order and also knows next political battle would be court’s order, not under pressure. not to go for fresh polls or dis- off icials confirmed, as Afghan chief of the provincial council The prime minister has also that despite victory on the legal fought in Punjab, and in the The PML-N has already said solved assemblies and instead forces fight to contain a for Ghor, told DPA. Another discussed with his colleague front, it would not automatically changing scenario, the PPP that they would accept and re- fi ght on both legal and politi- growing insurgency across district in north-western how to get Imran disqualifi ed take him to Islamabad unless he would also take confrontation spect the Supreme Court’s order. cal fronts, the opposition, par- the country. The Taywara Faryab province also fell to and speed up cases against him defeated the PML in the Punjab. with the PTI who it believes has Reports suggest that the prime ticularly Imran Khan, may face district fell to the Taliban early the Taliban early yesterday. regarding foreign funding. Despite all odds against Shar- caused them political damage. minister has held one-on-one a tough challenge in the Punjab. Victims of cross-border firing Afghan police search for kidnapped villagers

AFP ing they had attacked police He said troops had retreated Kandahar checkpoints in the area. 2km from the centre of Ko- “Our mujahideen killed a histan district. There was no number of local police and word on casualties. fghan police yesterday pro-government militias there, Local media yesterday also launched a search for also capturing 17 suspects who reported that the Taliban had Asome 30 villagers still were later released after inter- overran Taywara district in missing two days after a mass rogation. We have not killed or the central province of Ghor, kidnapping blamed on Taliban kidnapped any civilians,” the though there was no immediate militants in the southern prov- Taliban said in a statement. offi cial confi rmation. ince of Kandahar. Civilians are increasingly There has been a surge in Seventy people were ab- caught in the crosshairs of Af- fi ghting in several northern ducted on Friday from their ghanistan’s worsening confl ict and southern Afghan prov- village along the main road in as the Taliban step up their an- inces in recent days, including the south and seven of them nual spring off ensive launched in Helmand in the south where were found dead the follow- in April. 16 Afghan police offi cers were ing day alongside the highway, Highways passing through killed by a US air strike on Fri- from the city of Kandahar to insurgency-prone areas have day night. Tarinkot in Uruzgan province. become exceedingly danger- The strike, the latest setback Around 30 people have been ous, with the Taliban and other in Washington’s eff orts to pac- released while 30 others re- armed groups frequently kid- ify the country, hit a compound main missing, Kandahar police napping or killing travellers. in Gereshk district, large parts spokesman Zia Durrani told In July Taliban fi ghters of which are under Taliban AFP. closed a highway connecting control. It remained unclear why the Farah to Herat city in the west, Afghan troops and police villagers were seized. But some stopping a bus and forcing 16 are battling largely alone on offi cials said they suspected passengers off it. They shot at the ground against the insur- the Taliban had kidnapped or least seven of them while the gency, after US-led foreign killed them for suspected co- remainder were taken hostage. forces withdrew from most operation with the Western- Elsewhere in the country, combat operations in Decem- backed government which the the Taliban on Sunday cap- ber 2014. militants are striving to topple. tured a district in the north- The United States is active- The insurgents have a heavy ern province of Faryab after an ly considering sending more presence in Uruzgan, a poppy- overnight attack that triggered troops to Afghanistan and US Members of a Kashmiri family are seen in their damaged house after cross-border firing between Indian and Pakistan troops in Morha growing area. hours of heavy fi ghting, said commanders there have re- village Line of Control (LOC) in Nakyal Sector, 140km from Muzaff arabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, on Saturday. On Sunday they denied in- provincial police spokesman quested thousands of extra sol- volvement, while confi rm- Abdul Karim Yourish. diers on the ground. Gulf Times 16 Monday, July 24, 2017 PHILIPPINES Tight security near Congress ahead of Duterte speech The military has said it has not monitored specific threats to the state of the nation address, but troops were on alert

DPA Manila

Philippine Marines patrolling a deserted street at the frontline in Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao, as fighting between ecurity has been tightened government troops and militants enters its third month. around the Congress com- Spound in the Philippines ahead of President Rodrigo Du- terte’s fi rst state of the nation speech today. Thousands of activists were Marawi standoff enters third expected to hold protests ahead of and during the speech in the Manila suburb city of Quezon. While police have vowed to exercise tolerance against the month underlining crisis protesters, they have warned them against forcing their way beyond the barricades set up Reuters kilometres away from the venue. Manila The theme of Duterte’s speech, scheduled to begin at 4pm (0800 GMT) will be “a wo months after mili- comfortable life for all,” said tants launched an assault presidential spokesman Ernesto Ton one of the biggest Abella yesterday. southern cities in the Philip- The Philippine president’s pines, the fi ghting is dragging assessment of the state of the on, and President Rodrigo Du- country under his fi rst year in terte says he is prepared to wait offi ce “will be frank, challeng- for a year for it to end. ing, realistic but hopeful,” Abella The defence top brass admits said, adding that the 72-year- Duterte: likely push for tax reform plan it underestimated its enemy old was also expected to make and is struggling to fi nish off off -the-cuff remarks. said Colonel Edgard Arevalo, revenues to fi nance infrastruc- the highly organised, pro-Is- The military said it has not a spokesman for the military, ture projects and make taxation lamic State fi ghters who swept monitored specifi c threats to the which will provide support to more equitable. He was also ex- through Marawi City on May 23 state of the nation address, but the police. pected to submit to Congress his and have held parts of it despite troops were on alert. Among the key legislation that administration’s proposed budg- sustained ground attacks by “We are hopeful that there Duterte was expected to push for et for 2018, worth 3.767tn pesos hundreds of soldiers and daily will be a peaceful and meaning- during his speech is a tax reform ($75.34bn), with the biggest allo- pummelling by planes and ar- ful state of the nation address,” programme designed to boost cation going to education. tillery. On Saturday, lawmakers ap- proved Duterte’s request to ex- tend martial law to the end of Soldier dead and 11 injured in communist rebel attack the year on the island of Mind- anao, granting greater powers One soldier was killed and 11 were wounded in the at an investment forum in the southern city of to security forces to go after ex- latest attack by suspected communist rebels in the Davao on Friday, when six police off icers and one tremists with a reach that goes southern Philippines, police said yesterday. civilian was killed in an attack by the rebels. far beyond Marawi. The soldiers were on their way back to their camp Peace talks between the government and But it remains unclear how when they were attacked by the guerrillas in the Netherlands-based communist rebel leaders have exactly Duterte plans to tackle Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left) speaks while Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, Western town of Kitaotao in Bukindnon province, 899 kilo- been suspended since May. extremism after troops re- Mindanao military commander, listens during a dialogue between displaced Marawi residents and metres south of Manila, a police report said. In April, government and communist rebel ne- take Marawi, where about 70 government officials in Iligan City on the southern island of Mindanao yesterday. A recent spate of attacks by communist rebels has gotiators agreed to an interim ceasefire, but they militants remain holed up in angered President Rodrigo Duterte, prompting have not yet finalised the guidelines and rules that the debris of what was once a ing Malaysia and Indonesia, are or counter intelligence, but in a report on Friday, adding the him to call off government eff orts aimed at resum- would make the truce eff ective. fl ourishing commercial dis- fi ghting in Marawi. tackling the root causes.” fi ghting had “lifted the prestige ing stalled peace talks with the guerrillas. Communist rebels have been fighting the Philip- trict, along with many civilian Defence Secretary Delfi n The Marawi assault was of the Philippine fi ghters in the Duterte instead challenged the guerrillas to 50 pine government since the late 1960s, making hostages. Lorenzana indicated on Sat- planned and executed by a eyes of ISIS Central”. more years of fighting. “I’ve decided to just aban- the movement one of the longest-running leftist More than 500 people have urday that after Marawi, the relatively new group, Dawla Richard Javad Heydarian, a don the talks,” Duterte told reporters after a speech insurgencies in Asia. been killed, including 45 ci- government would strengthen Islamiya, better known as the political science professor at vilians and 105 government surveillance in the region, wid- Maute Group, which wants rec- Manila’s De La Salle University, troops. After missing several ening the net to detect rebel ognition from Islamic State as said the military should seek to self-imposed deadlines to re- training camps and movements its regional affi liate. neutralise the Maute brothers to take the city, the military says of militants. Led by two brothers, the buy time to disrupt recruitment its options are limited because “We need communications Maute Group want a “Wilayah”, and stop fi ghters regrouping. of the hostages. equipment, high-tech commu- or province of Islamic State, in Moderate separatist groups Public smoking ban takes eff ect Duterte has said he had asked nications equipment that we Lanao del Sur province, where from Mindanao should be co- the military to avoid more civil- can use to monitor cellphones it has engaged in fi erce, days- opted to counter the extremist ian casualties. of the enemies. long battles with the military message, he said, while the mil- DPA to protect public health,” Abella trains, tricycles and other simi- “I told them ‘do not attack’. We also need drones,” he told since 2016, each time suff ering itary should work closer with Manila added. lar vehicles. The order, which What’s important is we do not Congress. heavy losses before regrouping the United States and Australia, “Together, let us give our full strictly implements a 2003 To- want to kill people,” he said on Security experts say the months later. which have provided opera- co-operation and support to the bacco Regulation Act, allows Friday.”If we have to wait there government needs a strategic The brothers, Abdullah and tional advice and surveillance nationwide smoking ban smoke-free establishments in for the creation of designated for one year, let us wait for one overhaul after failing to act on Omarkhayam Maute, have planes. for public places took ef- public and enclosed places,” he smoking areas but also imposes year.” warnings long ago that radi- been joined by Isnilon Hapilon, The Marawi crisis erupted Afect in the Philippines said. rigid criteria for these locations. The southern Philippines has cal ideology was taking hold in the anointed Southeast Asian not because of intelligence fail- yesterday with the government The ban, which Duterte ap- Smoking areas cannot have been marred for decades by in- Mindanao, and luring foreign “chief” of Islamic State and ures, but the policy priorities of urging the public to co-operate proved in May, declared all openings that will allow air to surgency and banditry. fi ghters unable to join Islamic leader of a faction of another Duterte, Heydarian added. with the measure aimed at pro- public places throughout the escape, except for a single door But the intensity of the bat- State in Syria and Iraq. Mindanao group, Abu Sayyaf. He said Duterte, who came tecting public health. country as off limits to smoking, equipped with an automatic tle in Marawi and the pres- “Things have changed dra- The Marawi fi ghting has been to power a year ago, channelled The implementation of the whether indoor or outdoor. closer. ence of foreign fighters fight- matically...our country must much publicised across mili- security resources into a war ban is a realisation of President The order includes play- They cannot be located within ing alongside local militants pursue some paradigm shifts,” tant networks and experts say on drugs instead of countering Rodrigo Duterte’s “dream of a grounds, sporting areas, side- 10 metres from entrances, exits has raised concerns that the said analyst and retired police it could attract more fi ghters to radicalisation in the south, an tobacco-free future,” presiden- walks, schools, workplaces, gov- or any place where people pass region may be becoming a intelligence offi cer Rodolfo the region. issue the president himself has tial spokesman Ernesto Abella ernment offi ces, restaurants and or congregate or near air ducts. Southeast Asian hub for Is- Mendoza. “It has inspired young ex- himself fl agged in the past. said. other businesses. Duterte, who used to be a lamic State as it loses ground “We have to counter the tremists from around the region “They were all aware of this. “This (smoking ban) is anoth- Also covered are public con- heavy smoker, kicked the habit in Iraq and Syria. spread of terrorism not only by to want to join,” the Institute for It was just a matter of time,” er milestone where the govern- veyances such as elevators, decades ago after he developed Militants from neighbour- supporting use of intelligence Policy Analysis of Confl ict said Heydarian said. ment gives priority to the right planes, ships, buses, taxicabs, health problems.

CRIME Agency to file charges against 44 foreigners The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to file charges of violation of im- Robredo wants probe into rights abuses under martial law migration laws against 44 foreigners for their alleged involvement in kidnap-for-ransom activities, Manila Times reported. The suspects, 42 Chinese and two Malaysians, were arrested last week by joint opera- By Llanesca T Panti until December 31, 2017, to suppress the getting worse. The evacuees are calling tives from the police’s Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) and the BI’s Fugitive Manila Times rebellion allegedly led by the combined on us to hear their plight, on what is im- Search Unit (FSU) inside a Pasay City hotel that led to the rescue of a forces of the Maute group, Abu Sayyaf, portant to them. That is a crucial mes- Singaporean woman. They victimised foreign high-roller casino players Ansarul Khilafah Philippines and sage because we need to listen to those in the country. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said over the ice President Maria Leonor Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters aff ected (by the martial law and the weekend that he had instructed the BI’s legal division to initiate deporta- “Leni” Robredo expressed op- (BIFF). attacks by the Maute rebels),” Robredo tion proceedings against the aliens and to summon them to the bureau Vposition against the extension Robredo cited the tearful appeal of said in her weekly radio programme. for preliminary investigation. Morente added that the suspects will be of martial law and suspension of the aid worker Samira Gutoc of the Ranao “It is only right that a woman from charged for being undesirable aliens and for violating the conditions of writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao and Rescue Team who testifi ed in the joint Marawi, who is an aid worker helping their stay as tourists. He explained that the BI’s move is separate from the called for an investigation on alleged session of Congress on Saturday on the our evacuees, gets to testify on what is criminal charges for kidnapping that were filed against the suspects by human rights abuses committed during abuses suff ered by the displaced dur- happening on the ground. Her message the Department of Justice (DoJ). their enforcement over the last 60 days. ing the 60-day period of martial law in is important, and I got the same mes- “This is to ensure that these foreign criminals do not get the chance to Robredo made the call yesterday, a Marawi City. sage in the few times that I visited the go free even if they are allowed to post bail by the court. Technically, they day after Congress resoundingly ap- “There are allegations that there are evacuees,” Robredo added. will be under our custody after we have charged them for immigration proved President Rodrigo Duterte’s re- human rights abuses. The government The vice president visited Marawi law violation,” Morente said. quest to keep martial law in the south should look at this to prevent it from twice. Leni Robredo: seeking investigation Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 17 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL One killed, four missing

Shakib Khan in Bangladesh landslide Court allows DPA tims were the passengers Dhaka of a bus but were cross- ing the road on foot as the Shakib Khan road was severely dam- girl was killed and aged following the last four people went month’s torrential rain to work in Amissing after a and consequent land- mudslide was triggered by slides. Passengers are heavy rains in southeast- often forced to get down three movies ern Bangladesh yesterday, from vehicles on certain offi cials said. points due to its poor The incident took place condition. By Mizan Rahman at around 9:30am [0330 “I saw a huge chunk of Dhaka GMT) as over half a dozen mud fall on seven to eight people were crossing a people when they were road in Bandarban dis- crossing the road,” said he High Court (HC) yes- trict, said Md Rafi qullah, Sumon, a witness to the terday stayed in part a no- chief police offi cer in the disaster. Ttice issues by Bangladesh Bandarban Sadar sub- The rescue operation Chalochitro Poribar, a group of district. is being disrupted due to 18 organisations related to fi lm “Two of my sisters went heavy rain and intermit- industry, boycotting the coun- missing in the landslide tent landslides in the area. try’s fi lm superstar Shakib Khan. but later we found one’s “Primarily, we think A HC bench comprising Jus- body,” said the victim’s four to fi ve people are be- tice Salma Masud Chowdhury brother Chain Kya U. neath the mud,” the chief and Justice Zahirul Hoque passed Witnesses said the vic- police offi cer said. A man rows a raft made of banana tree trunks on floodwater in Sirajganj, 130km from Dhaka. the order, asking people con- cerned not to obstruct Shakib from acting in three movies to be made under the banner of the production house Shapla Media. The HC also issued a rule asking 18 people, including the Court offi cial Ailing Hefazat chief moved information secretary and man- aging director of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) to explain in four weeks as to why it shall not declare il- in the dock to New Delhi for treatment legal the notice and the inaction of the defendants in taking steps against barring people from IANS Shafi is the rector of June 6 after his condition de- board in Bangladesh. working with Shakib. Dhaka Al-Jamiatul Ahlia teriorated. Doctors at Asgar Ali The Islamist group was in Bangladesh Chalochitro Pori- over forging Darul Ulum Moinul Hospital in Gendaria treated the news earlier this year for bar issued the notice signed by its Islam, also known as him for old age complications demanding the removal of all convener Akbar Hossain Pathan he 96-year-old ailing Hathazari Madrasa, and released him from the ‘idols’ installed in the name of Faruk and member secretary Bo- chief of Hefazat-e-Is- and the chairman of hospital on July 10. sculptures or statues across the diul Alam Khokon on July 18. Tlam, a pro-Islamist plat- Befaqul Madarisil Arabia The controversial nonage- country. It said their organisation has bail order form in Bangladesh, has been Bangladesh, the largest narian leader, who is known as The Hefazat, which is an in- unanimously decided that their fl own to the Indian capital for Qawmi Madrasa board in Boro Hujur (the oldest cleric) fl uential network of madrasas, members will not take part in treatment after his health con- Bangladesh among his followers, is strongly had demanded the removal of any way in the movies of Shakib By Mizan Rahman Two days after the for- dition worsened, a media report criticised by progressive peo- the statue of ‘Lady of Justice’ Khan. Dhaka gery by the bench offi cer, the said. through a tube. His respiratory ple for his highly prejudicial at the Supreme Court premises Selim Khan, proprietor of government ordered tem- Shah Ahmed Shafi , who has problem has also worsened. views on various social issues and staged countrywide pro- Shapla Media, fi led a writ with porary ban on fi shing in the been suff ering from various old That’s why he is going Delhi and also for the radical Islamist tests demanding the removal of the HC, challenging the legality bench offi cer of the Naaf river along the Bang- age complications, left for New for better treatment. Delhi’s platform’s pledge of Islamising the statue. of the notice. Bangladesh High Court ladesh-Myanmar borders to Delhi on Saturday, the Dhaka Deoband Madrasa teacher Ar- Bangladesh, the daily said. In May, the statue was re- The complainant in its petition Ahas been accused of check Yaba smuggling into Tribune reported. shad Madani will look after him Shafi is the rector of Al- moved from the Supreme Court said Shakib Khan has signed con- forging a bail order in favour Bangladesh. Azizul Haque Islamabadi, during the treatment session.” Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum premises, which triggered tracts to work in three movies un- of a person possessing 50,000 The bench of Justice central organising secretary of Shafi was undergoing treat- Moinul Islam, also known as widespread protests by Bangla- der the banner of his fi rm and the Yaba addictive tablets. Shawkat Hossain and Justice the Islamist platform, said, “He ment at a private hospital in Hathazari Madrasa, and the deshis. The following day, May contracts were signed before the The sensational forgery Nazrul Islam directed the High [Shafi ] has been suff ering from Chittagong city after he fell sick chairman of Befaqul Ma- 27, the statue was reinstalled in notice was issued. Now after the by bench offi cer Rafi qul Is- Court registrar to immediately various old age complications. on May 18. darisil Arabia Bangladesh, the annexe building of the apex issuing of the notice, fi nancing in lam came to the notice of put Rafi q under suspension He is now taking liquid food He was fl own to Dhaka on the largest Qawmi Madrasa court. these three movies is at risk. Justice Shawkat Hossain and fi le a forgery case against and Justice Md Nazrul Is- him. lam Talukder after another The High Court’s addition- accused in the same Yaba al registrar Sabbir Faiz told case submitted the forged newsmen that there would be bail order to their court with full compliance of the order. School building funded by India opened in Nepal their bail petition, court The foul play of Rafi q came offi cials said yesterday. to light on July 19, a day be- On June 26, 2016, besides fore the special bench of Jus- IANS Secondary School in Jogidaha gramme, an Indian embassy re- itorious students of each school education facilities in Udyapur others, Boktar Ahammed be- tice Nazrul Islam and Justice Kathmandu consists of 12 classrooms along lease said. who score the highest marks in district, it said. longing to southeastern Cox’s Khizir Ahmed Choudhury with separate toilets for boys and Currently, more than 600 stu- Class 10 for further studies in Earlier, the Indian government Bazar district, was arrested in directed the High Court Reg- girls on each fl oor, compound dents are enrolled in this school Class 11 and 12. has provided fi nancial assist- Dhaka for possessing 50,000 istrar to hold a probe into the ndian envoy to Nepal Man- wall and furniture. and more than 65% of them are The Shree Narad Aadarsha ance of Nepali Rs81.50mn for fi ve Yaba tablets. complaint from lawyers that jeev Singh Puri inaugurated a He also laid the foundation girl students. Education Campus, affi liated completed and ongoing projects Nurul Alam Titu, a co-ac- he had tampered the cause- Ischool building in Udayapur stone for the Shree Narad Aa- In his inaugural address, Am- to Tribhuvan University, Kath- in the district. Additionally, India cused in the case submitted list during the vacation after district and laid the foundation darsha Education Campus in bassador Puri stressed on the mandu, was established in 2003 has, in the past, provided 11 am- the forged bail order of Bok- taking bribe. stone for construction of a cam- Basaha. importance of proper infra- and more than 175 students are bulances recognising the need of tar to claim bail for himself As politically powerful ele- pus building for another educa- The Nepali Rs66.44mn fi - structure for ensuring access to enrolled in the campus and 75% the people of the district. exposing the forgery of the ments in collusion with bor- tional institution in Basaha in nancial assistance for the con- quality education to all. of them are girls. The new infra- Ambassador Puri also visited bench offi cer. der guards, law enforcers and the same district, for which India struction of these buildings falls The ambassador urged stu- structure would provide much B P Koirala Institute of Health The Yaba case is under trial brokers are involved with Yaba has extended Nepali Rs66.44mn under the Indian government’s dents to make maximum use of needed classroom space and Sciences at Dharan, which is the at the court of 6th additional smuggling, they easily escape as fi nancial aid, a statement said. Small Development Programme the newly inaugurated building. create an improved environ- largest institute providing spe- metropolitan sessions’ judge’s punishment even if arrested The newly-constructed Scheme as part of India-Nepal He also announced the Mahatma ment for learning and contrib- cialised healthcare services to court of Dhaka. and repeat their crime. building of Shree Janata Higher Economic Co-operation Pro- Gandhi scholarship for two mer- ute to the development of the eastern Nepal for decades. Lanka navy rescues two elephants washed out to sea

AFP trol craft which called in sev- Colombo eral other boats to help with the rescue.” Two weeks ago, the navy wo young elephants mounted a similar operation in washed out to sea were the same region to save a lone Tsaved from drowning elephant washed 8km (fi ve yesterday by the Sri Lankan miles) off the Sri Lankan coast navy in the second such inci- into the deep waters of the dent off the island in as many Indian Ocean. weeks. Navy offi cials say the ani- The navy said the pair of mals were likely swept out while wild elephants were brought crossing shallow lagoons in the ashore after a “mammoth ef- region. fort” involving navy divers, They are not the only wildlife ropes and a fl otilla of boats to encounter trouble in the bio- to tow them back to shallow diverse island. waters. In May, the navy and local Photos showed the elephants residents saved a pod of 20 pilot in distress, barely keeping their whales that became stranded in trunks above water in the deep Trincomalee, a natural harbour seas about 1km off the coast of that is popular for whale watch- Sri Lanka. ing. “Having safely guided the two The waters around Trincoma- elephants to the shore, they were lee, which were used by Allied subsequently released to the forces as a staging post during Foul Point jungle (in Trincoma- World War II, have a high con- lee district),” the navy said in a centration of blue and sperm statement. whales, while the surrounding “They were extremely lucky jungles have herds of wild el- to have been spotted by a pa- ephants. Sri Lankan naval personnel help guide elephants that were spotted struggling to stay afloat in deep water back to shore a kilometre off the island’s northeast coast yesterday.

Gulf Times Monday, July 24, 2017 19 COMMENT Renzi struggles to fi nd political touch

Reuters years of economic underperformance, of Britain’s Jeremy Corbyn, a diehard Rome stagnant wages, high unemployment socialist who galvanised the youth and falling living standards. vote in Britain’s June election. “Something isn’t working and we Renzi is drawn instead to the recipe atteo Renzi is struggling have six months to sort it out. All that helped centrist Emmanuel to regain the political these controversies will be reduced to Macron win this year’s French initiative after a zero. We will adopt an institutional, presidential election. Mdisastrous spell during upright attitude,” said lawmaker “Don’t forget, Corbyn lost. He is a which he lost his job as prime minister Matteo Richetti, who is head of nice guy, but he lost. This is not the and his party fractured. communications for the PD. model we want to follow,” said Gozi, His approval ratings are in slow One PD source, who declined to be a close Renzi supporter. “Macron’s decline, his attempts to reassert named, said that to help calm frayed success shows you can bring together control over the ruling Democratic tempers, the 42-year-old Renzi would diff erent ideas and win... Party (PD) are flailing and his efforts adopt a very low profi le in August and this is what Renzi wants.” to control the coalition government only return to television screens in the The PD plans to crisscross Italy in a from outside parliament have middle of September. train in September to reconnect with foundered. The general election must be held by the electorate and in October the party Unless he manages to revive his May, with February or March seen as will hold a convention to decide the fortunes quickly, he will surely lose the most likely. outlines of its campaign manifesto. national elections expected in early An electoral milestone will come The party hopes signs the economy 2018, and possibly open the door for in November, however, via a ballot in is fi nally picking up, with the Bank of groups that are hostile to the single Sicily which could see the anti-system Italy predicting growth of 1.4 % this euro currency and likely to spook 5-Star Movement chalk up its fi rst year, its strongest reading since 2007, fi nancial markets. regional victory. will boost its chances. Italy has the highest outstanding “This vote will have a major impact Renzi’s opponents are likely to try sovereign debt in the European Union and set the tone for the subsequent to keep his abrasive personality to and investors fear a populist-led general election,” Richetti said. the fore, seeing it as a vote winner for government in Rome could yet lead to Unfortunately for Renzi, Sicily, them. the break up of the eurozone. blighted by a jobless rate of some 22%, “Personal relations are vital in “Renzi keeps on saying that has little love for him. Italian politics and he has up ended everything is going well, but it clearly More than 70% of islanders isolated, even within his own PD. isn’t,” said parliamentarian Giuseppe voted against him in a December When he needs help, he will realise Civati, a one-time friend of the referendum, his worst showing in the there isn’t much out there for him,” centre-left leader who walked out of country besides Sardinia. said his old companion Civati. the PD two years ago in disaccord over The PD won more than 40% of the Portrayed in the media as the policy priorities. vote across Italy in European elections “demolition man”, Renzi has a “He seems disconnected from in 2014 shortly after Renzi took offi ce reputation for ruthlessly dismissing reality. He is getting into fi ghts with in an internal party coup, but it has people he no longer views as useful everyone and turning people off ,” he been downhill ever since. Matteo Renzi. — most recently the PD’s centrist told Reuters. He was forced to resign as prime ally, Foreign Minister Angelino Civati was one of many people minister in December after losing the the PD on 26.9%, behind 5-Star on The system restores proportional parties greater negotiating power, Alfano, whose efforts to find a criticised in Renzi’s new book referendum on his plans to streamline 27.6%. The survey also showed a representation (PR) to Italy and looks which helps to explain the schisms and compromise on the electoral law he called Avanti (Forward), which was parliament. trio of loosely allied rightist parties, certain to produce highly fragmented fomentation rattling Italian politics. blithely squashed. published this month and was meant Two months later, a group of senior including Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza legislatures in both the upper and “This electoral law is to blame for Renzi brushes off suggestions that to focus on future plans, but instead PD members broke away, saying the Italia, taking some 35% of the lower chambers. a lot of the agitation we are seeing,” his swagger and self-confi dence set off fi erce rows over his reading of party had shifted too far to the centre. combined vote. This means the PD could still be at European Aff airs Minister Sandro don’t chime with the national mood, recent history. Although Renzi comfortably won None of these scores would be the heart of the next government even Gozi told Reuters. “People are looking hopeful that policies not personalities While rallying to Renzi’s side, party a party leadership contest in May, enough to let any group govern alone if it comes second at the ballot box, where best to position themselves for will dominate the coming campaign. chiefs are exasperated by constant the PD fared badly in June’s local under the terms of a new electoral law, but this will depend on Renzi’s ability votes and that is causing tensions.” “We have to change Italy, not my public feuding as they fear it is elections, and a poll yesterday for which Renzi has tried but failed to to forge coalition alliances. The breakaway PD dissidents see character,” he told RTL radio this exasperating voters worn down by Corriere della Sera newspaper put change. The return to PR will give smaller gains to be made following the path month. Weather report Erdogan ushers in a new era for Turkey Three-day forecast TODAY High: 45 C By Harun Yahya Turks had never given into pressure, One year later, that honourable that they would do the same thing if or were subjugated in their history. night was marked all around Turkey anything similar happened today. It Low : 33 C Istanbul Inshore: Hazy to misty at places Obviously, they weren’t going to with joy, pride and honour. The should be noted that the Turks spent at first becomes hot daytime with some clouds and relatively humid do it now. So, as soon as they heard Bosphorus Bridge, now named ‘July that entire night awake, standing by night. ne year ago on July 15, the their leader’s call, they poured 15 Martyrs Bridge’ after 36 brave guard for democracy. They did not go people of Turkey lived a into the streets. From grandfathers patriots were martyred there, saw back to their homes, instead spent the TUESDAY night of extreme atrocities. and grandmothers to elementary the most glorious celebrations. night outside, stood in solidarity and High: 44 C A group of deranged schoolchildren, from housewives to Turkish leaders, celebrities, showed their commitment to their Low: 33 C O Sunny terrorists, disguised as Turkish teenagers, hundreds of thousands politicians and up to 6mn Turks country and leader. In other words, soldiers, tried to take over the country of passionate Turks poured onto the beautified the roads leading up to the the spirit of July 15 was strong as ever, and turned their deadly weapons on streets to defend their country and bridge. All together, they lovingly if not stronger. innocent Turkish people that bravely democracy. remembered and honoured their 250 Usually, when there is a coup in a WEDNESDAY stood their ground. However, the coup plotters were martyrs, and 2,193 gazhis (injured). country, presidents are overthrown, High: 43 C The truth is that the coup plotters so depraved, no one could see what A year later, people again came to the governments are shut down, and Low: 33 C had a very detailed, carefully planned was coming. The traitors that posed bridge, but this time to keep vigil for parliaments are closed. But this time, M Sunny strategy. They secured almost all as Turkish soldiers, without blinking democracy. The iconic bridge looked it was diff erent. This time, democracy key positions in the army, bought an eye, ran over innocent, completely like a beautifully illuminated field won, this time civilisation, freedom numerous henchmen to help them in armless people with tanks and of red roses with millions of Turkish and faith won. President Erdogan, Fishermen’s forecast their nefarious attack, had some of indiscriminately fi ring at them from flags proudly held. refused to bow to imminent death and OFFSHORE DOHA the world’s most advanced tanks, jet helicopters while dropping bombs. President Erdogan unveiled the the Turkish people that trusted him, Wind: SE-NE 03-12 KT fi ghters, helicopters, machine guns at However, it is quite possible that memorial built at the July 15 Martyrs managed to avert the coup attempt. Waves: 1-3 Feet their disposal (which were by the way, if it hadn’t been President Erdogan’s Bridge, which is a nine and a half And now with these rallies, President INSHORE DOHA Wind: SE-NE 04-14/18 KT paid for by the Turkish people) and had and Turkish people’s brave stance, the metres tall limestone structure with a Erdogan is ushering in a new era for Waves: 1-2 Feet dark connections in various countries, coup plotters could have taken over pentagon dome. Inside the structure, Turkey. July 15 will now be the symbol who were excitedly waiting for the coup the control of the country and plunged names of the 250 honourable martyrs of a new Turkey, a new direction for a Around the region to succeed. But they failed. the entire region into turmoil. But this are etched. The President then fl ew to better, brighter future. Weather Weather However, President Recep Tayyip didn’t happen; as a couple of hours Ankara, and spoke in the Parliament The Turkish nation, who saved today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Erdogan, proved that he was a true passed, Turkish people stepped up that was bombed by the coup plotters. their country one year ago, went to Abu Dhabi Sunny 42/33 Sunny 41/33 leader and refused to give in, no matter their resistance, and jumped in front Following his speech, Quran recitation work the next day, without expecting Baghdad Sunny 47/30 Sunny 46/30 Dubai Sunny of tanks. As people shouted ‘if this took place in front of the Parliament any thanks or praise. They proved Sunny 43/33 43/32 what. Although a group of assassins Kuwait City Sunny 48/36 Cloudy 49/35 equipped with bombs, anti-tank is not the day to die, when is it?’ the and our people one more time showed their loyalty to God, to their country, Manama Sunny 44/33 Sunny 42/34 rockets, phosphorus bombs, 167 traitors realised their mistake. that Turkey would never allow any to each other and to their leaders. Muscat P Cloudy 38/34 P Cloudy 38/34 grenades, 8 automatic guns and more As President Erdogan put it, “Turkish coup to happen again. With the rallies of one year later, they Riyadh Sunny 46/32 Sunny 46/32 than 30,000 bullets were after him nation fought the world’s most In addition to Istanbul and Ankara, proved that plots, invasion plans, Tehran Sunny 37/25 Sunny 37/26 and his family, he called a TV channel advanced weapons with their faith. millions of people celebrated the dirty politics against Turkey would fail by Facetime and urged people to take There is no other example of this. They saving of their country in cities of no matter how detailed and covertly to the streets. stopped the bullets with their chests.” Turkey. When asked, they all said planned. Live issues High BP in pregnancy may return

By Lisa Rapaport hypertension during pregnancy Among women who had fi rst to keep a healthy weight before and Reuters Health had an increased risk of developing pregnancies in their 40s, 32% of throughout pregnancy,” said lead chronic hypertension later in life, but those who had high blood pressure study author Dr Simon Timpka of the conventional wisdom was that during pregnancy got hypertension Lund University Diabetes Center in igh blood pressure during `later in life’ was years or decades over the next decade, compared with Malmo, Sweden. pregnancy has long been postpartum,” said senior study author 11% of women who had normal blood “In order to reduce the risk of post- Around the world linked to greater odds of Dr Heather Boyd of the Statens Serum pressure during pregnancy. pregnancy hypertension, it appears Weather Weather redeveloping the condition Institut in Copenhagen. The study wasn’t a controlled especially important for women with today Max/min tomorrow Max/min H Athens Sunny 36/26 Sunny 36/24 in middle age, but a new study “We looked year by year, starting experiment designed to prove a history of hypertensive disorders of suggests that the increased risk may right after pregnancy, and found that how or if pregnancy conditions pregnancy to keep a healthy weight,” Beirut Sunny 29/27 Sunny 31/27 Bangkok T Storms 33/26 T Storms 32/26 exist soon after delivery and persist for the risk of chronic hypertension is like preeclampsia or gestational Timpka said by e-mail. Berlin M Cloudy 24/16 Rain 19/15 decades. increased right from the start,” Boyd hypertension cause high blood Avoiding chronic high blood Cairo P Cloudy 38/24 Sunny 39/25 Women who had common blood said by e-mail. pressure later in life. pressure after preeclampsia or Cape Town Sunny 18/11 Showers 15/08 pressure problems like preeclampsia Boyd and colleagues examined data Even so, the results suggest that gestational hypertension, however, Colombo S T Storms 31/27 S T Storms 30/27 Rain 29/26 and gestational hypertension during on more than 1mn women who had even young women who develop high isn’t all about diet and exercise, said Dhaka 27/26 Rain Hong Kong S T Storms 31/27 M Sunny 31/27 their fi rst pregnancy had 12 to 25 babies or stillbirths in Denmark from blood pressure during pregnancy Dr. Leonie Callaway, author of an Istanbul Sunny 31/21 Sunny 32/23 times higher odds of having elevated 1978 to 2012. should be monitored for symptoms accompanying editorial and professor Jakarta M Sunny 32/24 M Sunny 33/24 blood pressure in the fi rst year after They found the increased risk of of heart disease long before they at the University of Queensland Karachi Cloudy 32/27 M Cloudy 32/27 delivery than women who had normal chronic hypertension after a high BP reach middle age, when hypertension Centre for Clinical Research. London Cloudy 21/13 P Cloudy 24/14 Manila T Storms 30/26 T Storms 31/26 blood pressure during pregnancy, disorder during pregnancy got larger becomes more common, Boyd said. “It is also about work-life balance, Moscow M Cloudy 22/14 Cloudy 23/15 researchers report in The BMJ. for older fi rst-time mothers. A separate US study in The BMJ contentment, spirituality, engagement New Delhi Showers 33/27 M Cloudy 34/27 Over the fi rst decade after delivery, For women who had fi rst pregnancies examined data on more than 5,500 in nature, social connections, family New York S T Storms 24/19 P Cloudy 25/18 women with high blood pressure in their 20s, 14% who developed high women with a history of high blood connections, etc.,” Callaway said Paris S Showers 21/15 M Cloudy 24/14 Sao Paulo Sunny Sunny 26/12 during pregnancy had 10 times blood pressure while pregnant had pressure during pregnancy and found by e-mail.“Take a diagnosis of 26/12 Seoul I T Storms 32/26 S Showers 34/24 higher chances of developing chronic chronic hypertension during the fi rst that obesity may infl uence their odds hypertension in pregnancy as a special Singapore I T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 31/26 hypertension, the study also found. decade after delivery, compared with of developing chronic high blood gift — a warning that you are a special Sydney Sunny 19/07 Sunny 19/12 “We already knew that women who 4% of their peers with normal blood pressure after delivery. person and you really need to take care Tokyo Cloudy 32/27 Cloudy 35/27 had had preeclampsia or gestational pressure during pregnancy. “Women are generally advised of yourself.” Gulf Times 20 Monday, July 24, 2017 QATAR

Mission calls for Construction projects lifting of blockade From Page 1 human rights into account. The delegation also found that he head of the delega- these measures were taken on tion, Abdelmajid Mrari, personal whims and will lead to Tsaid that the delegation grave consequences. not aff ected: Astad CEO contacted the three blockad- Referring to the mental dif- ing countries in order to visit fi culties members of the bi- he current restrictions them and to listen to their nation families are suff ering on transportation from views, but did not receive any from, Mairead Tagg, a psychol- Tcertain GCC countries response from them, indi- ogist from the UK, noted that has not aff ected Astad’s con- cating that he will continue some are suff ering from de- struction projects, chief ex- to communicate with them pression, particularly children ecutive offi cer Ali al-Khalifa within a month from now. and women as a result of the has said. The delegation will submit separation from the families. “We have co-ordinated ef- its report on the visit to the Eu- The delegation included 20 forts on a national level with ropean Parliament, as well as to members from countries such as all stakeholders to fi nd solu- the UN Human Rights Council, Belgium, France, the UK, Holland, tions and mitigate all risks. while examining the possibil- Spain, and Italy. They all stressed We have found many alter- ity of fi ling complaints to states on the importance of not involving native sources at competitive with universal jurisdiction. civilians in political diff erences. prices and of a higher quality. Francois Burgat, director, of They noted that many of the af- All projects are going ahead as research, Arab World Institute fected people whom they docu- normal with alternative sup- in France, criticised the block- mented were not politically active pliers, sources and shipping ade on Qatar and the harm it and suff ered great injustice. routes in place,” he stressed has done to states and individ- They also stressed on the legal while speaking at a ‘Tamim Al uals, especially families. responsibility the siege countries Majd’ mural signing ceremo- Burgat considered the block- have towards their citizens at ny held at Astad’s headquar- ade as unacceptable as it aff ected home and abroad, as well as to- ters in West Bay. negatively the relations between wards everyone who was harmed “We are proud to have been families and caused health and by the siege. They added that the awarded 11 new projects this social problems for women, chil- visit of independent experts to year and remain committed dren and the elderly. Qatar was aimed at gauging the to ensuring the timely deliv- Meanwhile, Isa Gultaslar, nature and severity of the viola- ery of projects throughout who is a lawyer specialising in tions. It also aimed at communi- our journey towards Qatar human rights cases, said that cating with members of the civil National Vision 2030,” he the delegation analysed the society in Qatar and obtaining said, noting that the existing cases they met in accordance reports and discussing with wit- economic conditions are not Astad CEO Ali al-Khalifa and Astad employees express solidarity and support during a signing ceremony held recently. with the law and recognised nesses the humanitarian condi- delaying any of the projects international standards. The tions resulting from the siege. Astad is currently working on Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- ity for HH the Emir and Qatar, our Emir,” al-Khalifa said. ny is working on is the National member added that the delega- It was also done to support Al in Qatar. Thani, at its headquarters. The alongside all Astad employees. Astad manages and ensures Museum of Qatar, which contin- tion found that all the measures Jazeera Network in carrying out Astad has installed a ‘Tamim signing ceremony was led by al- “As a Qatari company, we are the delivery of vast construction ues to make steady progress with taken by the siege countries its right to freedom of speech and Al Majd’ mural, bearing an im- Khalifa who signed on the mural, very proud today to show our projects in Qatar. One of the most the recent announcement of its were arbitrary and lacked any protect its staff in their right to age of His Highness the Emir expressing support and solidar- solidarity for our nation and anticipated projects the compa- December 2018 inauguration. legal support and did not take carry out their jobs as journalists.

CRA unveils ‘Tamim Al Majd’ mural Al Khayarin Holding shows solidarity

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has unveiled a ‘Tamim Al Majd’ mural at its headquarters to express the organisation’s solidarity with and support for His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The unveiling of the mural was done by Mohammed Ali al-Mannai, president of CRA, who wrote the first support message, followed by CRA’s employees expressing their loyalty and love for Qatar and the Emir.

Al Khayarin Holding and Al Khayarin Group of Companies has put up a ‘Tamim Al Majd’-themed display at its corporate off ice in order to show solidarity with Qatar and its leadership. Pictured are Idrees Anwar, CEO of KG Group, and other staff members.

DCMF taking part in NHRC conference

oha Centre for Me- paper in one of the sessions of cess to information that have cation technology, means to dia Freedom (DCMF) the conference about “Free- accompanied the rapid spread protect and support journal- Dwill participate in the dom of Information and the of modern technologies. ists and promote pluralistic, two-day international confer- Rights of Journalists: Towards Through various sessions, independent and free media, ence organised by the National a pluralistic, independent and the conference will discuss ways to enhance the protection Human Rights Committee free media”. how to address the enforce- of journalists in hostile zones (NHRC) in collaboration with DCMF will also hold car- ment of international hu- and confl ict areas and end the International Federation for toon exhibition during the man rights law, instruments impunity for crimes against the Protection of Journalists. conference on freedom of and procedures with regards journalists, and ways to raise The conference is being expression and challenges to freedom of opinion and up to ethical challenges, in held under the title “Freedom facing the right to access to expression and access to in- particular threats posed by the of Expression: Towards Con- information. formation, the problems and resurgence of racism as well fronting Risk” in Doha today The conference will address challenges to international as cultural and religious con- and tomorrow. the challenges to freedom of human rights law in connec- fl icts, and rekindle a positive The centre will present a expression and exchange, ac- tion with modern communi- ethic for the profession. CNA-Q is accepting Qatari ‘Haj restrictions are regrettable’ he restrictions imposed ritory, therefore, the Qatari thorities tried to deny the ban on pilgrims from Qatar, Haj Mission offi cials, contrac- on the pilgrims from Qatar to Tand the obstacles that tors and supervisors have not perform the duty and invoked students hit by blockade prevent them from perform- been able to travel to the king- the issuance of the vague ing their religious duty in Saudi dom to inspect the pilgrims’ statement, Qatar’s pilgrims Arabia, are regrettable, local accommodation and complete never did any thing that vio- ollege of the North Atlan- Each student will have his/her pathways to degree creden- fi eld, as required in many of Arabic daily Arrayah has said. the other preparations related late the ethics and conditions tic-Qatar (CNA-Q) has previous academic experience as- tials upon completion of their Qatar’s industry sectors. The daily denounced in an to Haj at Arafah, Mina and of Haj and Umrah, so why did Csaid it will support Qa- sessed to meet admission stand- diploma programme. Diabetes advanced diploma is article by its editor the state- Muzdalifah. the Saudi authorities prevent tari students whose studies have ards, and will be placed in the For international students, a one-year part-time programme ment issued by the Saudi Haj The Saudi authorities, the them from performing the Haj been aff ected by the blockade in correct programme and courses. there are still three programmes for working professionals who authorities recently regarding paper said, also prohibit the and Umrah. neighbouring countries. Where appropriate, students accepting applications for Sep- would like to specialise in the area pilgrims from Qatar and con- circulation of the Qatari riyal It expressed its great appre- National students who have will receive advanced standing tember 2017 in the School of of diabetes education and care. sidered it an extension of the and transactions and remit- ciation for the eff orts of the been attending programmes for courses taken abroad. CNA- Health Science: Occupational The programme is completed rigidity and vulnerability of the tances with the State of Qatar, kingdom in serving the pil- in institutions aff ected by the Q is Qatar’s premier techni- Health and Safety is a two-year part-time over the course of one siege countries in their attitude which is severe arbitrariness grims, stressing the need not blockade and who would like cal college, off ering 30 diploma programme, and the Environ- academic year. Each week, there towards Qatar. and restrictions for pilgrims to refl ect the repercussions of to continue their diploma pro- programmes in Business Stud- mental Health three-year pro- will be 6-12 hours of classes It said that since the begin- who want to carry a Qatari political diff erences negatively grammes in September 2017 may ies, Engineering Technology, gramme. Both programmes in the mornings or early eve- ning of the crisis, the Saudi currency. on the citizens of Qatar and the do so at CNA-Q, according to a Health Science and Information prepare students to work in the nings, to accommodate working authorities have prevented The newspaper said that performance of religious duties statement. Technology. All students have health, safety and inspection professionals with families. Qataris from entering its ter- no matter how the Saudi au- and rituals.