QATAR | Page 16 SPORT | Page 1 ‘Satisfi ed’ Karjakin claims INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2, 16 COMMENT 14, 15 REGION 3 BUSINESS 1-5, 7-8 Box Festival off ers Blitz world 19,751.28 10,436.76 53.66 ARAB WORLD 3 CLASSIFIED 6,7 -68.50 +100.71 -0.11 INTERNATIONAL 4-13 SPORT 1-8 unique products -0.35% +0.97% -0.20% title Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

SATURDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10319 December 31, 2016 Rabia II 2, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals World’s highest bridge Oil on track In brief for biggest EUROPE | Crisis Russia rules out any tit-for-tat expulsions President Vladimir Putin refrained yearly gain yesterday from retaliating for the US expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies, putting the onus on Donald Trump to help solve a crisis over Russian cyber attacks when he takes over the White House next month. As a Sunday since 2009 deadline approached for dozens of Russians to leave the US, Putin US rig count up two in week to mer of 2014 from above $100 a barrel. said he would wait for the actions December 30; Oman to reduce The price rout, due to oversupply of Trump, who takes off ice on Jan crude term volume in sign of Opec thanks in part thanks to the US shale oil 20, before responding. President cut compliance revolution, was accentuated later that Barack Obama on Thursday ordered year when Saudi Arabia rejected any deal the expulsion of the 35 Russians and The Beipanjiang Bridge, near Bijie in southwest China’s Guizhou province. The world’s highest bridge has opened to traff ic Reuters by the Organisation of the Petroleum Ex- imposed sanctions on two Russian in China, connecting two southwestern provinces and reducing travel time by three quarters. Page 7 London porting Countries (Opec), to cut output intelligence agencies over their and instead fought for market share. involvement in hacking political But a historic Opec agreement struck groups in the Nov 8 US presidential il traded slightly lower yester- over three months from September election. Page 9 day, but was still on track for its that will reduce production from Janu- Obiggest annual gain since 2009, ary 1, marked a return to the 13-country ARAB WORLD | Diplomacy after Opec and other major producers group’s old objective of defending prices. May slams Kerry’s Russia seeks world’s agreed to cut output to reduce a global Oman told some customers it will re- supply overhang that has depressed duce term allocations by 5% in March, Mideast speech prices for two years. but did not say whether the supply re- British Prime Minister Theresa May A two-rig rise in the oil rig count in duction would continue after that. yesterday criticised US Secretary the United States, the ninth weekly in- Although doubts remain as to the pro- of State John Kerry’s speech on support for Syria deal crease in a row, as reported by oilfi eld duction cuts’ eff ectiveness in implementa- peace in the Middle East as an services provider Baker Hughes Inc, tion, the rise in prices can be seen as “proof attack on the Israeli government. added to bearish sentiments. of international credibility,” for Opec and Although Kerry’s speech was in AFP added, saying that the peace plan “is “We hope others will join in, like But the total count of 525 for the partners, said Igor Yusufov, founder of the line with British policy, May said it United Nations not just a Russia-Turkey eff ort.” Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar,” week, the last for the year, was still be- Fund Energy investment fi rm and a former was an inappropriate attack on the “We hope that tomorrow morn- Churkin said. low last year’s level by 11 rigs. Russian energy minister. Israeli government that focused too ing, we can go for a vote and adopt it One Western diplomat said it US benchmark West Texas Interme- Equally as important to oil prices heavily on settlement activity in the ussia yesterday submitted a unanimously,” Churkin said. would take time to examine Mos- diate (WTI) crude futures were down 5 next year will be the development of West Bank and East Jerusalem as draft resolution to the UN Se- The ceasefi re deal calls for negoti- cow’s draft resolution. cents, or 0.1%, at $53.72 a barrel, while demand globally, and major forecasters a hurdle to achieving peace. “We Rcurity Council supporting the ations over a political solution to end “It needs to be studied seriously,” Brent fell 3 cents, or 0.1% , to $56.82. diverge in their predictions. do not believe that it is appropriate ceasefi re it helped broker in Syria as the confl ict that has killed more than the diplomat said. “Some profi t-taking very light trad- “We see a big variation in demand to attack the composition of the well as planned peace talks in Kaza- 310,000 people since 2011 and forced There were still “a lot of unan- ing - a lot of people have already done growth assessments for 2017, ranging democratically elected government khstan. millions to fl ee. swered questions,” said another what they needed to do for the year.” from +1.22mn bpd (barrels per day) to of an ally,” read the statement from Moscow drew up the text endors- The ceasefi re - which involves 13 Western diplomat, adding that Rus- said Elaine Levin, president of Pow- +1.57mn bpd,” analysts at JBC said in a Downing Street. ing the plan it spearheaded with the groups representing 60,000 fi ghters sia might be hard-pressed to muster erhouse, an energy-specialised com- note to clients. help of Turkey and Iran for a nation- who control “large chunks” of Syria - the nine votes needed for its resolu- modities broker in Washington. Oil will gradually rise towards $60 INDIA | Politics wide ceasefi re, which went into ef- appeared to be “holding adequately,” tion to pass. Brent rose 52% this year and WTI per barrel by the end of 2017, a Reuters fect at midnight and appeared to be the Russian envoy said. The draft resolution, a copy of climbed around 45%, the largest annu- poll showed on Thursday, with further UP’s chief minister mainly holding despite reports of The deal excludes militant groups which was seen by AFP, “endorses al gains since 2009, when the bench- upside capped by a strong dollar, a like- ousted in family feud sporadic clashes near Damascus. including the Islamic State and Fateh the documents mediated and issued marks rose 78% and 71% respectively. ly recovery in US oil output, and possi- The chief minister of India’s most The deal calls for subsequent ne- al-Sham Front, an Al Qaeda affi liate by Russia and Turkey on December Oil prices have slumped since the sum- ble non-compliance with agreed cuts. populous state Uttar Pradesh was gotiations in late January in the Ka- previously known as Al Nusra Front. 29.” expelled from his ruling party by zakh capital Astana, Russia’s UN Russia’s plan, which pointedly ex- It “stresses the importance of their his own father yesterday following ambassador Vitaly Churkin told re- cludes the United States, does not full and immediate implementation a political family feud that has porters. overlap with an initiative for ne- and calls upon all parties to be guided dominated national headlines for The council held closed-door gotiations in February mediated by by the aforementioned documents weeks. Akhilesh Yadav has been consultations on the text yesterday UN peace envoy Staff an de Mistura, and provide support to their imple- locked in a dispute with his father morning. Churkin said. mentation.” Drugs gang leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is the Some countries have made recom- Nevertheless, Moscow expects the The text does not mention the leader of the Samajwadi Party, and his mendations that can be “easily ab- UN will be “fully involved” in pre- planned UN-led talks in Geneva in uncle Shivpal Yadav, a senior party sorbed” into the draft resolution, he paring for the Astana talks, he added. February. Page 3 member, ahead of key state elections. sentenced to death Akhilesh, 43, has been trying to shake off the influence of his father and uncle, finding support instead in his Last day for fabled New York ‘outcry’ commodity trading Doha Criminal Court has convicted quent deportation in addition to a fi ne trusted adviser and other uncle Ram fi ve expatriate men for engaging of QR500,000 for his part in the crime. Gopal Yadav. Page 10 It’s the end of an era and another sign of digital dominance: announcement was hardly news to many in the industry. Ain illicit drugs smuggling and sen- The same sentence was awarded to yesterday was the fi nal day screaming, gesturing traders can “The closing of the New York trading pits is largely a formality, tenced their leader to death by hanging. the third defendant, while the fourth EAST ASIA | Calamity buy and sell commodities, including oil, on a trading fl oor in which surprises the trading community, not for fi nally closing, Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported was sentenced to seven years in prison New York. but for still existing on the eve of 2017,” former pit trader Ryan that four defendants were convicted of and a fi ne of QR200,000. 5.5-magnitude quake The death knell for “open outcry” trading in New York came Carlson said in an e-mail message to AFP. smuggling 120kg of hashish and opium The fi fth defendant was sentenced to near Japan east coast in April when the CME Group announced it planned to close Carlson, who transitioned to electronic trading in 2005, has in collusion with other unidentifi ed one year in jail and a fi ne of QR10,000 A 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit the physical trading fl oor at the end of 2016, saying volumes published a book to document the hundreds of hand signals Asians, who had hidden the drugs in for illicit drug consumption. near Japan’s east coast today, the for the old-fashioned method represented just 0.3% of overall used to communicate in the noisy chaotic trading pits. three barrels in the Gulf waters. He was acquitted by the court from US Geological Survey said. The energy and metals trading. He professes “nostalgia” for an era that is quickly fading. The fi rst defendant, who was sen- taking part in the smuggling process. moderate quake hit at a shallow “I can confi rm that all open outcry options on futures trading “Ever since I began as a clerk on the trading fl oor at the Kansas tenced to death and a fi ne of QR500,000, The case started when the Drug Preven- depth of 11km, 244km northeast of pits in New York will be closed, as planned, at the end of City Board of Trade in 1998, the inevitable closure of exchange was spotted by the authorities concerned tion Department of the Ministry of Interior Tokyo, just after 5am (2000 GMT). trading today,” a spokesman for the Chicago Mercantile fl oors was always thought to be imminent but like the while diving in the water of the Gulf try- received information about the operation On Wednesday a 6.3-magnitude Exchange said yesterday. In truth, US markets have long scrappy occupants of the trading pits, means of survival were ing to retrieve the barrels. and kept everything under control until the quake hit 18km north-northeast of been transitioning to electronic trading and the CME’s continually discovered,” he said. The second defendant was sen- defendants were arrested while trying to the town of Daigo. tenced to life imprisonment and subse- get the drugs from the sea. Road safety campaign reaches over 300,000 people

By Joseph Varghese torists through a radio jingle as well as of over 300,000 people, and continues ten their seat belts whenever they are in our overall corporate social responsi- Staff Reporter an Instagram activity. to raise road safety awareness among a vehicle and on the road. bility strategy in Qatar. Safety is a core A ConocoPhillips spokesperson told the community,”explained the spokes- As part of the campaign, an engag- value for ConocoPhillips, and we, along Gulf Times that the campaign had been person. ing Instagram page was launched invit- with all our partners, are always person- he month-long national road a huge success through the radio jingles. “Make It Click Qatar” channelises the ing users to share a photograph of them ally invested in pioneering initiatives that safety campaign, ‘#Make It “The captivating jingles have helped use of both traditional and social media buckling up in their parked cars, before positively reinforce a safety culture, every TClick Qatar’, organised by motivate people to make wearing a seat platforms to draw in residents as brand they begin driving, using the hashtag single day. It’s who we are as a company, ConocoPhilips and BMW Qatar, has belt a regular habit in their life. In addi- ambassadors and together weave a cul- #Makeitclickqatar. and it’s what we do as people. reached more than 300,000 peo- tion, the jingle videos have been viewed ture of road safety within the community. By the end of the campaign, the safe- “The ultimate goal is to create a be- ple through its digital platform and over 114,225 times since their release The radio jingle was composed by ty drive seeks to turn the hashtag into havioural change, and enforce the use its jingle videos have received over online. Dominick Farinacci, a New York City a tangible habit among motorists, em- of a seatbelt as an automatic habit – 114,225 views so far. “A large number of people partici- Jazz artist, in association with over 15 bedding the use of seat belts as part of one that you don’t have to even think The campaign, launched at the be- pated in the successful campaign, with international artistes from around the their driving lifestyle. of. Something that motorists would ginning of December to raise awareness a total of over 800 photos and videos world. Todd Creeger, president of Cono- just include as part of their everyday on road safety, concludes today. shared on Instagram. To date, #Make it The jingle will serve as a friendly re- coPhillips Qatar, said: “We are proud driving habit. It’s a small practice, It has been reaching out to the mo- Click Qatar has achieved a digital reach minder, encouraging passengers to fas- to launch Make it Click Qatar as part of however it truly can save lives.” A participant of the Instagram campaign. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, December 31, 2016 QATAR Cinema halls see surge in footfall

By Ramesh Mathew of children enjoying their winter cial said the screens operated of Asian Town Cinema, where Staff Reporter school break, went to catch their by their company reported big crowds were spotted favourite stars in action. good viewership following the even for the afternoon shows Cinema operators are confi - fi lm’s release last weekend. He yesterday. t’s year-end cheer for cin- dent that this weekend, too, will added that a number of Bol- Visits to a couple of locations emas in Qatar as people bring good business. lywood fi lms released in the showed that several school- Ithrong multiplexes in large One of the prime contribu- last two months have fetched children had come to watch the numbers. tors to the surge in footfall is the good revenues for local cinema movie, accompanied by their A combination of holidays for Indian blockbuster Dangal star- operators. parents. many children and blockbuster ring Aamir Khan. The biograph- Usually, late-night shows at Similarly, a Malayalam movie releases has led to an increase ical sports drama has drawn some of the company’s screens screened at some of the screens in ticket sales, especially on big crowds and the spell is ex- have only a handful of viewers also recorded good viewership, Trust Exchange Plaza Mall branch being inaugurated weekends, it is learnt. pected to continue, according to but things looked diff erent last according to cinema owners, Last weekend was particularly sources. weekend. while some Hollywood fi lms, good for the multiplexes as resi- A Qatar Cinema and Film Similar feedback was also too, were doing well at the local dents, including a large number Distribution Company offi - received from the operators box offi ce. Trust Exchange opens at Plaza Mall

rust Exchange Co, a ers who are based around the liver fl exibility, reliability, and leading money exchange area and the branch is now sit- transparency,” Das said. Tand remittance com- uated in a location that is easily The Plaza Mall branch has pany in Qatar, has relocated its reachable. also been fi tted with the eS- Asian Village branch to a more Aiming to deliver superior igning facility, which allows spacious location within Plaza service quality at every con- customers to verify the details Mall in Asian Town. sumer touch-point, Trust Ex- of the transaction and digit- The relocated branch was change provides a wide range ally sign on the receipt pre- inaugurated by the senior man- of money transfer services to sented to them on the e-tablet agement of Trust Exchange, meet all customer needs. present on the counter, which which currently has eight One of Trust Exchange’s then automatically sends the branches spread across Qatar. premier products ‘Lulu Now’, copy to customer’s e-mail “The relocated branch will which allows immediate credit address. be yet another milestone in our to designated bank accounts Customers are also provided endless strife to be of service instantly, is a testimony of its the physical copy of the receipt to our clients through easily commitment towards innova- with their signature. Trust Ex- accessible locations, excellent tion. change had earlier in the year customer assistance and quick “At Trust Exchange, we fa- implemented the automated ID service,” said KNS Das, an of- cilitate fi nancial transaction scanning facility, which eases fi cial with Trust Exchange Co. services that are secure, instant the KYC (know your customer) He said Trust Exchange has a and compliant through state- norms, thereby allowing more Thursday evening rush for Dangal at Asian Town cinemas. PICTURE: Nishad Guruvayoor signifi cant number of custom- of-the-art systems that de- convenience to its customers.

Mercury touches 31C at Al Rayyan HEC Paris in Qatar graduate awarded special prize Mercury touched 31C yesterday at Al Rayyan, in an unusual development during winter in EC Paris has cele- underprivileged mentees in also in a multitude of benefi ts Qatar. brated the success of Pakistan and willing mentors from being part of a grow- Doha Airport, Al Khor, Hone of its Qatar Ex- throughout the world. ing, global family of success- Sheehaniyah and Turayna ecutive MBA (EMBA) gradu- Over fi ve years, it will ful and caring professionals, recorded 30C, according to the ates for the award of a special spend $1mn and create a cu- according to a press state- Qatar Meteorological prize by the HEC Paris Foun- mulative Monetised Social ment. In this way, Mishaall’s Department. dation. Value (MSV) of over $5.5mn sponsors will gain a credible, The maximum temperature The HEC Paris Foundation by providing mentorship to professionally run channel to forecast for today is 30C at celebrates its 40th year of more than 5,000 15-28-year promote their philanthropic Al Khor, followed by 28C at recognising HEC Paris par- olds. As of its 60th month of objectives. Mesaieed, Wakrah and in Doha, ticipants for the academic operations, the foundation Commenting on his 25C at Dukhan, 23C at Ruwais and rigour of their analyses and will be facilitating 1,000 achievement, Naqvi said: 22C at Abu Samra. the pertinence of their work simultaneous mentorship “I’m truly grateful to my The minimum temperature today in the business world. Syed pairings, creating a month- professors at HEC Paris is expected to be 14C at Mesaieed Zuhair Naqvi, an EMBA ly MSV of over $200,000, who guided and inspired me and Wakrah, followed by 15C at alumnus from the Doha cam- translating into a social re- to conceive The Mishaall Al Khor, 16C at Dukhan and Abu pus, received some of the turn on investment of over Foundation as my Capstone Samra, 17C in Doha and 18C at recognition this year. 1,000%. Project, which is the fulfi l- Ruwais. The inshore warning for With a career spanning Mishaall will be the only ment of a lifelong dream.” today is poor visibility at places more than 20 years across nationwide mentoring plat- HEC Paris in Qatar off ers at first. various industries, Naqvi was form in Pakistan giving men- a number of Executive Edu- Yesterday’s lowest temperature praised for initiating plans to tees the opportunity to learn cation programmes from of 13C was recorded at Karanah, launch The Mishaall Founda- and mentors the opportunity its campus in Doha, led by until 5.30pm, followed by 14C tion, a social enterprise for to “give back” in a way that experienced professors and (Mesaieed), 15C (Wakrah, Al Khor), the exchange of high-qual- not only results in a great deal mentors, with alumni from 17C (Abu Samra), 19C (Dukhan) ity, life-changing mentor- of self-development through diff erent sectors across the and 20C in Doha. ship between thousands of sharing and listening, but region. Syed Zuhair Naqvi, EMBA alumnus from the Doha campus. Flower Festival to Lecturer advises practical conclude today skills education in Mena

he Flower Festival at Al By Joseph Varghese while preserving Qatari identity tity of viable participation gion should expect to initially Khor and Al Thakhira Staff Reporter and customs,” she recalled. information regarding both em- encounter resistance from stu- Tyard, organised by the Despite these initial complica- ployers and students. This has dents, families, local legal com- Ministry of Municipality and tions, the programme has proven been and will be the basis for munities, and even colleagues or Environment’s (MME) Agri- ore practical skills edu- successful in meeting its chief further research regarding stu- university management. culture Aff airs Department, is cation should be im- goals and has produced several dent career expectations, moti- “Due to this resistance, it is criti- to conclude today. Mplemented in the Mena positive outcomes. The major vations, and engagement. cal for the educator to immediately The festival, which opened region as done by the Qatar Uni- outcomes have been the large in- Another result of the pro- implement certain standards, safe- on Thursday, has witnessed a versity College of Law, a faculty crease in the number of students gramme has been a signifi cant guards, contracts, and waivers, and large turnout of visitors. Six lo- member has suggested. opting for the programme, the increase in reported post-gradu- to set realistic short and long-term cal companies are taking part, “The push for practical skills signifi cant contribution to the ation employment by law gradu- goals for data collection and pro- displaying their collections of courses and clinical legal educa- amount of data collected for the ates. As per the undergraduate gramme achievements that will locally produced fl owers. tion is being actively implement- university and great increase in alumni survey report for 2009- serve to legitimise and highlight Yousef al-Khelaifi , direc- ed at the Qatar University College reported post-graduation em- 2010, the employment rate within the educational value of the pro- tor, Agriculture Aff airs De- of Law through its Externship ployment as well as the boost for one year of graduation for the col- gramme,” she suggested. partment, said that through Programme,” lecturer and stu- self-growth and self-confi dence lege was 49%. Now, the employ- According to the writer, prac- the Flower Festival, the MME dent adviser Melissa Deehring of the students. ment rate within one year of grad- tical skills programmes and wants to attract the largest wrote in a research paper pub- “The programme has seen uation for the law students is 91%. clinical classes in the Mena re- possible number of visitors lished on QScience.com recently. unprecedented growth. From 12 “During the fall semester 2015, gion create long-lasting solid to the yards, and promote the “This type of pedagogy in the students competing for 18 jobs a signifi cant majority of both male relationships between academ- local products, which also in- Middle East and similar regions with 15 diff erent employers, by and female students of the pro- ics and industry stakeholders. clude honey and farm produce. is more than possible, and strong fall semester 2015, it became a gramme reported boost in self-con- “These relationships, when fos- The same festival will be or- results are achievable if eff orts are programme hosting 72 students fi dence and strong feelings about tered, may serve as the basis for ganised at Al Wakrah yard in made to address cultural and so- who competed for 103 jobs with how much they attribute their self- more scholarship regarding legal March. A wide variety of locally produced flowers are displayed at the festival. ciological barriers,” she explained. 51 diff erent employers. It is a growth to the programme as more careers in the region as well as In addition, many more fes- “In 2011, the College of Law 500% increase in students per than 93% of students reported that increased involvement by alum- tivities and events will be con- around 20,000 fl owers were culture produce display yards, established a practical skills class semester, 472% increase in jobs the programme directly helped them ni, local practitioners, and local ducted at other yards such as sold to the public, and more are stressed the importance of to teach students real life lawy- per semester, and 240% increase in developing several professional public servants that will eventu- the honey festival at Al Mazr- expected to be sold during this such events in promoting lo- ering skills, encourage gradu- in participating employers per skills,” the writer added. ally lead to the creation of more ouah yard next week. edition. cal products, while giving con- ates to pursue legal careers, and semester,” Deehring pointed out. Deehring cautioned that edu- clinical programmes addressing Al-Khelaifi said that during Abdulrahman al-Sulaiti, sumers more options to deco- overcome existing administra- It has also provided the uni- cators seeking to establish simi- local access to justice and skills the last edition of the festival, general supervisor, local agri- rate their homes and gardens. tive, cultural, and social barriers versity with a substantial quan- lar programmes in the Mena re- gap issues,” she added. Gulf Times Saturday, December 31, 2016 3 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Israel warns on Clashes tarnish Russia travel to India

Reuters and Turkey’s Syria truce Jerusalem Peace talks planned in Moscow ally Kazakhstan; srael’s anti-terrorism direc- US sidelined in torate issued a travel warn- latest peace eff orts Iing for India yesterday, citing an immediate threat of attack to Reuters Western and tourist targets, par- Beirut ticularly in the south-west of the country. “A particular emphasis should lashes, shelling and air be put on events in the coming raids in western Syria days in connection with beach Cmarred a Russian and and club parties celebrating the Turkish-backed ceasefi re that New Year where a concentration aims to end nearly six years of of tourists will be high,” part of war and lead to peace talks be- the warning said. tween rebels and a government The statement recommended emboldened by recent battle- that tourists avoid participation fi eld success. in such parties. Russian President Vladimir It also called on families in Is- Putin, a key ally of Syrian rael to contact their relatives in President Bashar al-Assad, an- India and tell them of the threat. nounced the ceasefi re on Thurs- In addition, it recommended day after forging the agreement avoiding markets, festivals and with Turkey, a longtime backer crowded shopping areas. of the opposition. Unusually, the warning was The truce went into force published yesterday evening in at midnight but monitors and Israel, after the start of the Jew- rebels reported almost imme- ish Sabbath, when government diate clashes, and violence ap- offi ces close for business. peared to escalate later yester- A man rides a bicycle near damaged buildings in the rebel held besieged city of Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, yesterday. Right: Dozens of Syrians take day as warplanes bombed areas part in a small gathering calling for the fall of the regime, in the northwestern city of Idlib yesterday. in the country’s northwest, they said. they will guarantee the truce, is Damascus’s ally Hezbollah de- and had asked Turkey to make September last year has turned lution under this agreement Saudi invites Iran Asaad Hanna, a political of- the fi rst of three ceasefi re deals nied any Syrian government air sure the attacks stop. the war in Assad’s favour, and would “reproduce the criminal for talks on Haj fi cer in the Free Syrian Army this year not to involve the Unit- strikes on the area. “If the breaks come again, the last rebels left Aleppo for regime”. (FSA), a loose alliance of insur- ed States or United Nations. An offi cial from the Nour al- we will reply to all the sources areas that are still under rebel “The solution is to topple Saudi Arabia has invited Iran to gent groups, told Reuters vio- Moscow is keen to push ahead Din al-Zinki rebel group said of fi re. We are monitoring the control to the west of the city, the criminal regime militarily,” discuss a return of its nationals to lence had reduced but had not with peace talks, hosted by its government forces had also fi ghting but our weapons are including the province of Idlib. he said in a statement yester- next year’s Haj after Iranians were stopped. ally Kazakhstan. tried to advance in southern ready,” he said. In another sign that the latest day.The powerful insurgent excluded from the pilgrimage “We cannot be optimistic But the fi rst challenge will be Aleppo province. The previous two Syria truce could be as challenging group Ahrar al-Sham said it following a major diplomatic row, about someone like the Rus- maintaining the truce, which There was no immediate ceasefi res, brokered by Wash- to maintain as its predecessors, had not signed the ceasefire reports said yesterday. The Al sians who used to kill us for six looked shaky yesterday. comment from the Syrian mili- ington and Moscow, took eff ect there was confusion over which agreement because of “reser- Hayat daily reported that Riyadh’s years...they are not angels. But Syrian government war- tary on yesterday’s clashes. in February and September but rebel groups would be covered vations” but did not elaborate. pilgrims minister Mohamed we are happy because we are re- planes carried out nearly 20 Residents of several rebel- both collapsed within weeks as by the ceasefi re. The deal follows a thaw Bentin had opened discussions ducing the violence and work- raids against rebels in sev- held areas, including towns and warring sides accused each oth- The Syrian army said the in ties between Russia and with more than 80 countries, ing to fi nd a solution for the eral towns along the provincial cities in Idlib province, used the er of truce violations and fi ght- agreement did not include the Turkey. Ankara backs rebels including Iran, to work out the current situation,” said Hanna. boundary between Idlib and relative calm to hold street pro- ing intensifi ed. radical group Islamic State, fighting against Islamic State, details of the 2017 Haj. “Iran’s Haj The ceasefi re is meant as a Hama, the Syrian Observatory tests against the Syrian govern- Putin said the parties were fi ghters from Al Qaeda’s former which has made enemies of delegation was invited to come fi rst step towards fresh peace for Human Rights said. ment yesterday, the Observa- prepared to start peace talks in- branch the Nusra Front, or any all other sides involved in the to the kingdom” for preparations, talks, after several failed inter- Clashes between rebel groups tory said. tended to take place in Astana. factions linked to those jihadist conflict. the paper said. The Arab News national eff orts this year to halt and government forces took A number of rebel groups Syrian state media said late groups. In a sign of the detente, the daily said Riyadh would welcome the confl ict, which began as a place overnight in the area, the have signed the new agreement, on Thursday those talks would But several rebel offi cials said Turkish armed forces said yes- pilgrims for Haj and the smaller peaceful uprising and descend- Observatory and rebel offi cials Russia’s Defence Ministry said take place “soon”. on Thursday that the agreement terday Russian aircraft had Umrah rite “irrespective of their ed into war in 2011. said. on Thursday. The Syrian government will did include the former Nusra carried out three air strikes nationalities or sectarian aff ilia- It has resulted in more than Warplanes and helicopters Several rebel offi cials ac- be negotiating from a strong Front — now known as Jabhat against Islamic State in the tions, including Iranian pilgrims”. 300,000 deaths, displaced more also struck northwest of Da- knowledged the deal, and a FSA position after its army and their Fateh al-Sham — which an- area of al-Bab in northern More than 1.8mn faithful took than 11mn people and drawn mascus in the rebel-held Wadi spokesman said it would abide allies, including militias sup- nounced in July that it was sev- Syria. Ankara has insisted on part in this year’s Haj, but Iranians in the military involvement of Barada valley, where govern- by the truce. ported by Iran, along with Rus- ering ties with Al Qaeda. the departure of Assad but his stayed at home after tensions be- world and regional powers, in- ment troops and allied forces Hanna, the FSA political of- sian air power, routed rebels in A spokesman for Jabhat Fateh removal has become a second- tween Riyadh and Tehran boiled cluding Moscow and Ankara. clashed with rebels, the British- fi cer, said late yesterday rebels their last major urban strong- al-Sham criticised the cease- ary concern to fighting the ex- over following a deadly stam- The agreement brokered by based Observatory reported. were not yet responding to at- hold of Aleppo this month. fi re for not mentioning Assad’s pansion of Kurdish influence pede during the 2015 pilgrimage. Russia and Turkey, which said A military media unit run by tacks by pro-government forces Moscow’s air campaign since fate, and said the political so- in northern Syria.

Tunisian foreign fi ghters ‘to face anti-terror law’ Palestinian woman hurt in shooting

Reuters youth and a loosening of se- prosecution of suspected mili- ist Nidaa Tounes party, came AFP She was wounded when se- sives before allowing her to be Tunis curity controls after Tunisia’s tants. amid a fierce political debate Jerusalem curity forces opened fire, po- transported to hospital. 2011 uprising. “Those who come back will over how to deal with foreign lice spokesman Micky Rosen- Since October 2015, 246 More than 3,000 Tunisians be arrested immediately after fighters. feld said. Police said she was Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two eturning Tunisian mili- are known to have travelled their arrival on Tunisian soil Some secularist politicians Palestinian woman was 35 and from Issawiya, a neigh- Americans, a Jordanian, an tants will be immediately abroad to wage jihad, according and will be judged under the have called for them to be shot and wounded yes- bourhood in east Jerusalem. Eritrean and a Sudanese have Rarrested and judged un- to the interior ministry. anti-terrorism law,” Chahed stripped of their nationality, A terday after approaching A spokeswoman for the Is- been killed in a wave of vio- der anti-terrorism laws, the Last week, the interior min- told state TV late on Thursday. though the right to citizenship an Israeli security checkpoint raeli hospital she was taken lence, according to an AFP prime minister said, seeking to ister said 800 had already come He also said authorities had is protected under the consti- near Jerusalem with a knife, Is- to described her condition count. Most of the Palestin- calm fears over the homecom- back to Tunisia, without giving comprehensive records on mil- tution. raeli police said. as “serious”. She was left for ians killed were carrying out ing of some of the country’s details on what had happened itants who had left the coun- Politicians from the Islam- The woman approached the around an hour after the at- knife, gun or car-ramming several thousand jihadists. after their return. try. “We have all the details on ist party Ennahda, part of the crossing point in Qalandia, tack on the ground before attacks, according to Israeli Tunisia is among the coun- Prime Minister Youssef them, we know them one by governing coalition, have said between Jerusalem and the oc- receiving treatment, an AFP authorities. tries with the highest per capita Chahed said returnees would one, and we have taken all the Tunisia is still responsible for cupied West Bank, in a lane photographer at the check- Others were shot dead dur- number of militants, a prob- be dealt with according to a necessary measures,” he said. returning militants and that designated for vehicles despite point said. ing protests or clashes, while lem linked to widespread radi- 2015 anti-terrorism law that is The comments by Chahed, the government cannot prevent repeated calls from guards to Israel public radio said some died in Israeli air strikes calisation among disillusioned designed to ease the arrest and a member of the secular- them from coming back. stop, a statement said. forces checked her for explo- on the Gaza Strip. Iraqi forces face fi erce IS combat in south Mosul

Reuters ply lines to the town of Tel Keyf, ing as had been expected. lition backing Iraqi forces had Near Mosul, Iraq north of Mosul. A civilian in the southeastern killed 70 militants since late Since the off ensive began 10 Wahda district, which is still on Thursday and were using weeks ago, US-backed forces under Islamic State control, said Apache helicopters, HIMARS raqi forces faced fi erce re- have retaken a quarter of the helicopters were visible over- rocket launchers and fi ghter jets. sistance from Islamic State militants’ last major stronghold head fi ring at Islamic State tar- Mosul is bisected by the Tigris Imilitants in southern Mosul in Iraq in the biggest ground gets on the ground. river, and Iraqi forces have yet yesterday, the second day of a operation there since the 2003 “One of them targeted a car to enter the western side, where renewed push to take back the US-led invasion that toppled carrying a rocket launching 2,000-year-old markets and city after fi ghting stalled for sev- Saddam Hussein. pad from which Daesh (Islamic narrow alleyways are likely to eral weeks. Recapturing Mosul would State) was targeting counterter- complicate any advance. An offi cer in the federal police probably spell the end for Islam- rorism positions in liberated ar- Coalition forces bombed the forces, which joined the bat- ic State’s self-styled caliphate, eas,” he said over the phone. last remaining bridge connect- tle on Thursday, said there were and Prime Minister Haider al- On the northern front, Iraqi ing east and west Mosul late on heavy clashes in the southeast- Abadi has said the group would forces have yet to enter Mosul Monday in a bid to block Islamic ern Palestine district, but they be driven out of Iraq by April. itself but yesterday they were State’s access across the Tigris had made progress in two other Elite forces pushed into Mo- clearing just-recaptured areas River. neighbourhoods, disabling a sul from the east in October but on its periphery as well as trying A medical source in Mosul number of car bombs. regular army troops tasked with to cut off Tel Keyf. told Reuters a large number of Another offi cer, from an elite advancing from the north and “The enemy had occupied this wounded militants had been fer- Interior Ministry unit fi ghting south made slower progress and area and used it for resting and ried across the river to the emer- alongside federal police, said his the operation stagnated. resupplying towards Tel Keyf gency hospital on the western forces were gaining ground in After regrouping this month, and Mosul,” Major General Najm side of city on Thursday. the Intisar district despite heavy they renewed the off ensive on An Iraqi woman, seen with her pet bird, escapes fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State fighters north al-Jubbouri, a top commander in The source said the militants clashes there. Thursday, advancing from the of Mosul, Iraq, yesterday. the off ensive told Reuters in the were denying wounded and sick Iraqi forces in the east and south, east and north of the city, northern district of Sada, which civilians access to the hospital. north of the city were clear- which has been under militant city. Yesterday, a Reuters report- a village just north of Mosul. forces who are trying to avoid ci- was recaptured on Thursday. More than 114,000 civilians ing areas they had recaptured control for more than two years. er saw a handful of Americans in Although the militants are vilian casualties. “It (Tel Keyf) is surrounded have been displaced from Mosul on Thursday before advancing The second phase of the oper- their MRAP vehicles, that tower vastly outnumbered, they have Despite food and water short- from the other sides and by our so far, according to the United any further, offi cers said, and ation will see US troops deployed over Iraqi tanks, accompanying embedded themselves among ages, most civilians have stayed forces here,” he said. Nations — a fraction of the 1.5mn the army was trying to cut sup- closer to the front line inside the top commanders to meetings in Mosul residents, hindering Iraqi in their homes rather than fl ee- Jubbouri said the US-led coa- thought to still be inside. Gulf Times 4 Saturday, December 31, 2016 AFRICA French PM sees ‘long war’ Talks on Congo against militants in Africa AFP N’Djamena

rench Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has power transfer Fwarned troops stationed in Africa’s Sahel region that they should “prepare for a long war” against Islamist militants. He also promised Chad, where French troops have been sta- tioned since 2014 under Opera- tion Barkhane, his nation’s fi - deal ‘faltering’ nancial support. “Our country must continue Reuters/AFP On Wednesday a political op- to make clear and ambitious Kinshasa position leader was sentenced to budgetary decisions in support fi ve years in prison. of our armies,” Cazeneuve said The court found Franck Dion- on his fi rst overseas visit as prime alks to ease Congo Presi- go, president of the opposition minister. dent Joseph Kabila out of MLP party, guilty of illegally The Barkhane forces’ mis- Tpower next year and quell detaining three soldiers during sion is to target Islamist militant Cazeneuve meets soldiers of the Barkhane operation at the protests over him overstay- violent protests last week in the groups that are active in the Sa- ‘Sergent-chef Adji Kossei’ 172 air force base in N’Djamena. ing his mandate are hanging by capital Kinshasa that killed doz- hel region south of the Sahara a thread, an opposition leader ens, said Georges Kapiamba, a Desert. Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad. surmount its diffi culties,” said said yesterday ahead of the re- lawyer and human rights advo- The operation was launched Cazeneuve hailed troops fi ght- Cazeneuve after a meeting with sumption of the negotiations. cate who attended the trial. after French military interven- ing on fronts “thousands of kilo- President Idriss Deby. Only last week the sides ap- Kapiamba told Reuters that tions in Mali and Chad. metres away from their homes”. Like its neighbour, oil giant peared near a historic deal that Diongo was not able to defend “We must prepare for a long “You risk your lives to save Nigeria, Chad has been undergo- could have paved the way for the himself because of failing health war in an environment that has others’,” he said. ing a severe fi nancial crisis as a fi rst peaceful transfer of power and called the decision “totally undergone dramatic shifts,” Ca- Four French troops have been result of a several months-long through a democratic election political”. zeneuve said. killed in Mali this year. slump in the price of crude. since the country gained inde- Kabila: his mandate has been eff ectively extended until 2018. The government has denied The French military is cur- Barkhane forces are working While the world’s major oil pendence in 1960. that the prosecution is politi- rently battling Islamist militants alongside Malian troops in the producers have agreed to cut However, the talks hit a stum- had been planned, Ambongo Delegates said bishops act- cally motivated. in two regions – in the Middle search for Sophie Petronin, a back on production in order to bling block over whether a new said negotiators had reached ing as mediators met Kabila A political deal could boost East against the Islamic State (IS) French aid worker who was kid- bring prices back up, the impact prime minister for Democratic compromises on several out- and veteran opposition leader pro-democracy activists in oth- group, and in the Sahel where it napped last weekend. of the change remains to be seen Republic of the Congo will come standing points. Etienne Tshisekedi on Thursday. er countries, given the Congo’s has deployed 4,000 soldiers as The prime minister also in the worst-aff ected nations. from the main opposition bloc If the negotiations fall apart, Under the deal, Kabila would size and sway on the continent. part of the Barkhane force. pledged France’s help for pover- The opposition in Chad is also and on the composition of the the church plans to call off the agree not to attempt to change But if the talks break down it Operation Barkhane covers ty-stricken Chad. critical of the political situation electoral commission, which the talks and move ahead with a the constitution to participate could lead to more violent dem- fi ve nations: Mauritania, Mali, “France will always help Chad under Deby’s iron-fi sted rule. opposition accuses of pro-gov- “Plan B” which the bishops have in elections to be held next year. onstrations. ernment bias. yet to make public. His two-term mandate ended Police spokesman Colonel “At this stage, we are closer Appointment of a prime min- on December 19 but the author- Pierre Mwanamputu said secu- Three killed in Congo prison mutiny to a rupture than to a solution,” ister is the one remaining stick- ities have eff ectively extended it rity was being stepped up for the opposition leader Félix Tsh- ing point, said Martin Fayulu, an until 2018. New Year celebrations and to Three people died and four suff ered bullet injuries Thursday isekedi said in a tweet. opposition delegate. That would have represented guard against unrest. during a short-lived mutiny at a jail in the Congo Republic’s capital Nigeria’s However, one negotiator held A spokesman for the ruling a signifi cant turnaround giv- The Congo has never seen a Brazzaville, the prosecutor said. out hope that agreement could coalition declined to comment. en that security forces killed democratic transfer of power The unrest broke out in the afternoon at a prison near the city’s be reached. Other parties and mediators around 40 people last week for following polls since independ- court when a few prisoners got hold of guns belonging to the ‘plastic “We believe that we can fi nd made no comment. protesting the tenure of a lead- ence from Belgium in 1960. wardens, Andre Ngakala Oko said. an accord today,” said Archbish- The talks between the ruling er who came to power in 2001 Two decades ago, the coun- “They started shooting in all directions creating panic,” he said, op Fridolin Ambongo, one of the coalition and opposition par- when his father Laurent was as- try collapsed into the deadliest adding that the three dead included a “gendarme, a mutineer and a rice’ is Roman Catholic bishops medi- ties organised by the Catholic sassinated. confl ict in modern African his- civilian killed by a fleeing mutineer”. ating the talks. “If we are here it Church were set to resume for a The opposition also wants tory. “Four people were wounded: three mutineers and a civilian,” he is because we believe that.” make-or-break day at the head- the authorities to drop charges Its two wars in the late 1990s said. real, but Despite running past 3pm quarters of the conference of against some of its leaders, ar- and early 2000s pulled in at Witnesses said the short-lived riot lasted around 30 minutes. (1400 GMT) when a signing cer- Catholic bishops in the capital guing that the prosecutions are least six African armies and left The prosecutor said all the prisoners who had tried to flee had been emony in the capital Kinshasa Kinshasa. political. more than 3mn dead. apprehended and locked up in their cells. inedible: offi cial

Drinking water AFP Lagos crisis hits Indian round 100 bags of “plastic rice” seized in Lagos have Aturned out to contain real but contaminated rice, authori- Ocean island ties said yesterday in Nigeria, where prices for the staple have rocketed. AFP ary when rains are forecast to Tests on the rice have shown Mamoutzou arrive and replenish the island’s that the product is “not plastic two dwindling reservoirs. but ... contaminated with micro- “This is a crisis situation,” lo- organisms above the permissible he Indian Ocean island of cal offi cial Florence Ghilbert- limit” and therefore unfi t for hu- Mayotte has been forced Bezard told AFP, adding that the man consumption, according to Tto impose severe water re- restrictions were necessary “to the National Agency for Foods strictions on tens of thousands maintain our resources at any and Drugs Administration and of people due to the late arrival of cost until the start of the rainy Control. seasonal rains. season”. Authorities said there were Around a third of the 200,000 The drought has exacerbated still “several metric tonnes of residents on the island, which Mayotte’s water problems. expired and dangerous rice” in is administered by France, have The island’s resources were warehouses in neighbouring seen their access to piped water already under pressure from a countries destined for Nigerian at home cut to one day in three. rising local population which markets. Hotels, an important part of saw water consumption jump by Customs would “intensify the local economy, have been 9.7% in 2016. their patrols” to make sure the told not to fi ll up their swim- Low-lying island nations have inedible staple did not make it ming pools and many are having lobbied hard for global eff orts to onto Nigerian plates. to hand out bottled water to cus- combat climate change, arguing Offi cials have not said where tomers. that they are the most vulnerable the impounded consignment of Local offi cials met on Wednes- to extreme weather events such 102 50kg (110-pound) bags of day and decided to extend the as drought, as well as rising sea contaminated rice came from measures until the end of Janu- levels. Children walk with buckets to collect water at a drinking water point in Nyambadao village on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte. nor how it entered Nigeria, where rice prices have doubled over the year. After the haul in Lagos, cus- toms agents believed the bags were smuggled in from China, Burundi president hints at election Zambia drafts in air since Nigeria has banned rice imports to encourage domestic production, according to a cus- force to combat pests toms agent who asked not be run in 2020 ‘if the people request it’ named. The oil-exporting west Afri- AFP emergency operations should can giant plunged into recession AFP change to Burundi’s constitu- made “given the situation at the Lusaka be distributed to all parts of the in the second quarter of 2016 Nairobi tion, which stipulates that the moment”. country.” and is aff ected by a severe short- president is elected by universal Nkurunziza also threatened Agriculture ministry per- age of foreign currency, mainly suff rage to a fi ve-year term and to withdraw Burundi’s 5,400 ambia has ordered the manent secretary Julius Shawa due to falling oil prices. urundi’s President Pierre may be re-elected once. troops from the African Union national air force into told reporters that army worms In October, President Mu- Nkurunziza, whose con- When he stood for re-elec- (AU) peacekeeping force sta- Zaction to fi ght a plague had damaged crops in four of hammadu Buhari urged Nige- Btroversial election to a tion in 2015, Nkurunziza argued tioned in Somalia next month of pests that has invaded maize the country’s 10 provinces – rians to buy home-grown rice third term in 2015 triggered a that as his fi rst election in 2005 unless they are paid. crops and threatened vital food Copperbelt, Luapula, Central to boost agriculture and cut political crisis, hinted yesterday wasn’t by direct vote but by the Nkurunziza The European Union has been supplies. and Lusaka. imports of rice and fl our, which that he might seek a fourth term parliament under a transition fi nancing the AU mission in So- The air force is transporting “It is not the entire province. cost more than 1,000bn naira in offi ce. mechanism from the civil war horrifi c sexual violence, mass malia to back Somalia’s interna- pesticides across the country It’s only some districts in the (€3bn, $3.2bn) each year. “As we are in a state governed that it didn’t count under the arrests and disappearances and tionally-backed administration so that fi elds can be sprayed in four provinces,” said Shawa. In the wake of the “plastic by law and if the people say constitution. warned that “the crime of geno- in fi ghting the Shebaab mili- an attempt to combat infesta- Lungu’s spokesman said rice” scandal, the governor of they approve running without Nkurunziza’s third-term run cide also looms large”. tia, but according to analysts, tions of “army worms”, a type the president was concerned Lagos presented the fi rst bags of violating the law, if the people and victory plunged the cen- Burundi has a long history of Brussels doesn’t want to pay of larvae moth that can deci- that harvest volumes would be “Lake Rice”, grown in Lagos and request it, we won’t betray the tral African nation into turmoil, violence between its Hutu and the money to the Burundi gov- mate crops. badly damaged “if the outbreak surrounding areas and sold at a confi dence of the country, we with more than 500 killed in en- Tutsi communities, which led to ernment directly as it fears the “The Zambia Air Force has of the worms is not controlled reduced price. won’t betray the confi dence of suing unrest. the 12-year civil war that ended funds could be diverted. since begun to airlift chemi- speedily”. The price for a 50kg bag of rice the people,” Nkurunziza said at At least 300,000 people have in 2006. The Burundi troops, which cals,” President Edward Lun- No details were available on has doubled recently and infl a- a meeting in the southeastern fl ed the country. Nkurunziza acknowledged form the second-largest con- gu’s spokesman said in state- the number of aircraft involved tion in the country hit 18.5% in town of Rutana where he took A September report by UN that he promised upon his re- tingent, haven’t been paid in 11 ment. “The president has in the operation. November, its 13th consecutive questions from the public. rights experts recounted spine- election in 2015 not to stand for months, according to the gov- directed that the chemicals Maize – or corn – is a staple monthly rise, pushed up mainly He suggested a possible chilling cases of torture and offi ce in 2020, but said it was ernment. that were purchased under crop across much of Africa. by rising food costs. Gulf Times Saturday, December 31, 2016 5 AMERICAS

INVESTIGATION CURRENCY LEGAL CELEBRITY PEOPLE Brazil police grill off icer Venezuela’s 100-bolivar Former football player’s Rapper held for throwing Justin Bieber voted 2016’s over missing ambassador note gets stay of execution death ruled suicide equipment off stage Worst Celebrity Neighbour

Brazilian authorities questioned a police off icer Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has Rashaan Salaam, a former Heisman Trophy Singer Trey Songz was arrested after he Grammy-award winning singer Justin Bieber overnight in connection with the apparent murder again delayed removing the country’s largest winner as America’s top college football player destroyed the stage he was performing on during has been voted as the most undesirable of Greece’s ambassador to Brazil, and investigated bank note from circulation after a botched who was found dead in a Colorado park on a concert in Detroit, the police have confirmed. celebrity neighbour in 2016. Every December, if the diplomat’s Brazilian wife was involved, plan to retire it triggered violent protests. The December 5, shot himself, a coroner’s report According to Detroit Police department online real estate marketplace Zillows asks local media reported yesterday. The O Globo 100-bolivar note will now remain legal tender stated. Salaam, 42, starred at the University of spokesman Dan Donakowski, Songz – whose real American adults which celebrities they would newspaper, citing family members of the police until January 20 instead of January 2, “so Colorado and won the 1994 Heisman Trophy, name is Tremaine Neverson – became “belligerent like to have as their neighbour and with whom off icer, reported the policeman was questioned everyone can spend their New Year’s in calm,” beating out Warren Sapp and Steve McNair and and very irate” when told around 11:30pm that his they wouldn’t want to share a fence. The Sorry for several hours regarding missing Greek Maduro announced in a national address. The winning by a landslide margin of 842 points. The set time was up and he had to conclude his show hitmaker has topped the list this year, reports ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis. Globo also reported central bank meanwhile announced the arrival Boulder County Coroner’s Off ice released a report at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday night, reports aceshowbiz.com. Bieber had earlier topped that detectives found blood on a couch inside the of new 20,000-bolivar bills, meant to replace saying he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound variety.com. The singer then proceeded to throw the list in 2014 as well. But this year, he earned Rio home where the ambassador and his wife were the old money as Venezuela grapples with to the head. There was a note at the scene of the objects from the stage, including microphones the highest percentage of votes in the survey’s staying, and questioned his wife, Françoise. A burnt the world’s highest inflation rate — set to hit shooting, which was in a park near the university and speakers. He continued acting erratically history. One in three participants (36%) found corpse was found Thursday evening inside the car 475% this year, according to the International campus. According to the report, Salaam killed when off icers at the scene tried to calm the Bieber to be the worst neighbour and he was that Amiridis, 59, and his Brazilian wife had rented. Monetary Fund. himself after struggling with depression. situation down, Donakowski said. particularly disliked among male voters (39%). Trump trade On alert war casualties could include 5mn US jobs

Tribune News Service swathe of states would lose at Washington least 4% of their workers, in- cluding California, Texas, Penn- sylvania, Illinois, Kentucky and s a presidential candidate, North Carolina. Donald Trump said that The study assumed that China AChina had committed and Mexico would respond to “the greatest theft in the history Trump by slapping equally large of the world” by taking advan- tariff s on US goods, which would tage of the US in global trade. drive up costs for all consumers “We can’t continue to al- and result in far less cross-bor- low China to rape our country,” der trade. Trump said at a rally in May. Trump argues that his plan With Trump now headed to would result in more US jobs the White House in just three staying put. And his advisers weeks, many trade backers fear have argued that new tariff s may the president-elect will follow never be needed if China and through on his threats to add a Mexico change their positions in Members of the New York police department’s counterterrorism bureau patrol Times Square in the lead up to New Year’s celebrations in Manhattan, New York City. 45% tax on all Chinese goods response to worries over a loss of entering the US and a 35% tariff access to American markets. on Mexican imports. Trump made trade a signature The anxiety over a possible issue of his campaign, appealing trade war is particularly acute to blue-collar voters by arguing in Washington state, where that the US had become a push- China ranks as the No. 1 trading over, allowing too many com- partner, accounting for nearly a panies to lay off employees and quarter of all the state’s exports. move their operations to foreign For many, the biggest worry countries. is that China would respond by Last month, Trump took Trump ally refuses to go not doing business with Boeing, credit for saving a thousand US Washington state’s largest pri- jobs when heating and cool- vate employer, with more than ing giant Carrier decided not 75,000 workers. to move some of its production “The Chinese will simply re- work to Mexico. taliate and make Washington Trump said all American goods much more expensive,” companies are now on notice in Obama racism row said former Washington state that they’ll face tariff s if they try Democratic Governor Gary to relocate with hopes of selling Guardian News and Media ments had “nothing to do with gressive elitist ingrates who bully and making remarks they The state education com- Locke, who served as the US am- products in US markets. Washington race”, he also said they were ex- have hated their country so would not tolerate from students. missioner, Mary Ellen Elia, is bassador to China from 2011 to Trump also wants to renego- amples of “old-style humour” badly and destroyed its fabric in “This level of hatred for Af- monitoring the situation and 2014. “It will cost us jobs. Those tiate the North American Free intended “to wake people up … so many respects in eight years”. rican Americans cannot and will review any removal request Chinese airlines don’t have to buy Trade Agreement, signed in 1993 he Trump presidential to get people’s attention”. He subsequently said his should not set policy for the as quickly as possible, a spokes- from Boeing. And they don’t have by president Bill Clinton, and to campaign New York co- The newspaper, Artvoice, words were not meant for pub- education of African American woman said. to buy Washington wheat ... . It’s scrap the 12-nation Trans-Pa- Tchair who made infl am- included Paladino, 70, among lication but were nevertheless children,” said board member Paladino’s comments about bad news for Washington state.” cifi c Partnership long sought by matory and racist statements a number of people asked what “inappropriate”. Paulette Woods. the Obamas were condemned by Under the most dire scenario, President Barack Obama. about Barack and Michelle they wanted to see happen in At a special meeting on Thurs- Members of the audience fi gures including New York gov- a trade war would kill nearly 5mn Bob Haberman, co-owner Obama says he will not resign 2017. day, the Buff alo school board stood up and cheered when the ernor, Andrew Cuomo, who beat US jobs, with Washington state of No. 9 Hay Trading Co. in El- from the Buff alo school board, “(Barack) Obama catches voted 6-2 for a resolution ask- resolution was approved. Paladino in the 2010 election. A hit the hardest of any state, los- lensburg, Wash., is among those which on Thursday voted to re- mad cow disease” he said. ing the state education commis- Paladino, who did not at- Trump spokesperson said the ing 5% of its private sector jobs, sympathetic to Trump’s get- move him. About Michelle Obama, he sioner to remove Paladino, the tend, has said he will not re- comments were “absolutely or a total of 127,685, according to tough approach, even though his Millionaire developer Carl said: “I’d like her to return to ninth member, if he did not resign sign. On Wednesday he told reprehensible, and they serve no the Peterson Institute for Inter- business could get caught in the Paladino last week told a Buff alo being a male and let loose in the within 24 hours. More than 70% a local radio station: “I’m the place in our public discourse”. national Economics, a pro-trade crossfi re. alternative newspaper he wanted outback of Zimbabwe where she of the district is non-white, ac- agent of change. I’m the guy Paladino visited Trump Tow- group. “No one wants a trade war, to see the president dead of mad lives comfortably in a cave with cording to the resolution. that exposed the underbelly of er earlier this month, telling the While Washington state don’t get me wrong,” he said. cow disease and the fi rst lady liv- Maxie, the gorilla.” The meeting was broadcast their corrupt and dysfunctional Buff alo News he spent an hour would be the worst aff ected, the “But we’ve been on the other end ing with a gorilla in Zimbabwe. In a statement, Paladino said online. Some board members school system, and they want with the president-elect and study concluded that a broad of a trade war with China.” Having fi rst said the com- he had spoken “about two pro- accused Paladino of acting like a me gone from the scene.” key members of his inner circle.

In the dark Former Manson follower Gunman killed, police seeks parole for 14th time offi cer hurt in shooting Tribune News Service ings. They found Rich and his Baltimore teenage son home. Rich and Tribune News Service former “Manson girl,” Leslie coff ee heiress Abigail Folger be- the woman began to argue, Corona, Calif. Van Houten, whose recommen- fore stabbing her 28 times at the authorities said, and he went dation for parole was reversed home of Polanski, who was in 52-year-old man was to a back room in the house to in July by California Governor Europe at the time. killed and a Queen retrieve a shotgun, police said. he’s California’s longest- Jerry Brown. “This was such Krenwinkel was also convict- AAnne’s County sheriff ’s “He came out of the room serving female prisoner, a sensation in an unprepared ed of stabbing both LaBiancas deputy was critically wounded and fi red one round,” state Sand at 69 the model inmate world that all of a sudden got hit and complaining “it isn’t work- in an exchange of gunfi re in police spokesman Greg Ship- in the state’s notoriously over- with this.” ing” when she hit bone and the Chestertown on Maryland’s ley said. “He then continued crowded prisons would seem an The two-day killing spree in knife bent. Eastern Shore, authorities said. walking toward the deputy and ideal candidate for the parole she August 1969 remains one of the After Leno LaBianca had been Sheriff ’s deputy Warren was in close proximity when sought on Thursday for the 14th most notorious in California his- stabbed, she plunged a fork into Scott Hogan and James L Rich the suspect and the deputy ex- time. tory. It began at the Beverly Hills his abdomen. II shot each other after a dis- changed gunfi re.” But Patricia Krenwinkel is home of fi lm director Roman Over the years, parole boards pute between Rich and his girl- “Both were struck by the also a former Manson follower, Polanski, where actress Sharon have recommended the release friend at his home, Maryland other’s gunfi re, according to convicted of seven savage and Tate – seven months pregnant – of three out of eight Manson State Police said. State police the preliminary investigation,” senseless murders that shocked was killed. family killers. Only one, in 1985, are investigating the incident Shipley said. Rich was taken to the nation in 1969. The following night, the kill- was freed: Steve Grogan, who at the request of the Queen University of Maryland Shore The parole board in Riverside ers struck at the Las Feliz home was involved in a separate killing Anne’s County sheriff ’s offi ce. Medical Center at Chestertown, County postponed a decision of Leno and Rosemary LaBi- of a ranch hand three weeks lat- The woman, whose name po- where he was pronounced dead. after a daylong hearing, citing a anca. er, but not the Tate or LaBianca lice did not release, texted her Hogan, a four-year veteran need for further investigation. Prosecutors said Charles murders. father to say that Rich had been of the department, was taken But no matter what it decides Manson, the cultlike fi gure with Gov. Brown reversed the pa- violent toward her and asked to Maryland Shock Trauma in the coming months, it’s un- whom the killers lived in a desert role decisions in the two other him to call police. When sheriff ’s Center in Baltimore, where he likely the governor would ul- commune, had urged them to cases: Van Houten, who was deputies arrived at the home, the was in critical condition after timately set her free, meaning slaughter the rich and famous side-by-side with Krenwinkel woman and Rich were not there, surgery, authorities said. No Krenwinkel will probably die in to start a race war. He remains in during the LaBianca killings, and The exterior of the Rio Hotel & Casino is dark after an authorities said. The woman’s one else was injured, they said. prison. prison, having been denied pa- Bruce Davis, who was also in- electrical fire in a service elevator on the 27th floor caused father had taken her to the sher- The deputy was wearing a “This one event, those two role multiple times for his role in volved in the ranch hand murder. a partial power outage in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fire was iff ’s department himself. body camera during the inci- nights, destroyed the 1960s the slayings. In reversing Van Houten’s parole put out by fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived Deputies and the woman’s dent. Offi cials said any footage movement of peace, love and Krenwinkel took an active ruling, Brown cited her “inabil- and no one was injured or evacuated according to the parents escorted her back to will be reviewed by Maryland drugs and all that,” said Richard role in both nights of killings, ity to explain her willing partici- Clark County fire department. the house shortly after mid- State Police and won’t be im- Pfeiff er, attorney for another admitting that she chased down pation in such horrifi c violence.” night to pick up her belong- mediately released. Gulf Times 6 Saturday, December 31, 2016 ASEAN

Myanmar to take Nobel laureates urge UN to back 2,415 citizens from Bangladesh

Reuters Myanmar citizens from Bangla- intervene in Rohingya crisis desh,” its foreign aff airs ministry Yangon said in a statement, giving the AFP protests around Southeast fi gure of 300,000. United Nations Asia. Bangladesh’s govern- yanmar said yesterday Security has deteriorated ment has been under pressure it will take back 2,415 sharply in Myanmar’s northwest- to open its border to the fleeing Mcitizens from Bangla- ern Rakhine State, home to many ore than a dozen No- refugees, but it has reinforced desh, only a tiny fraction of the Rohingyas, since attacks on se- bel laureates urged the its border posts and deployed 300,000 people who Bangladesh curity posts near the border with MUnited Nations to “end coastguard ships to prevent says are Myanmar citizens tak- Bangladesh on October 9 in which the human crisis” of Myanmar’s fresh arrivals. ing refuge there and should go nine police offi cers were killed. Rohingya minority group, whose “The Rohingyas are among home. The government of predomi- members have been fl eeing to the world’s most persecuted mi- Tension has been rising be- nantly Buddhist Myanmar has Bangladesh to escape a bloody norities, who for decades have tween the neighbours over My- blamed militants with links to military crackdown. been subjected to a campaign anmar’s treatment of ethnic Islamists overseas for the at- In an open letter addressed to of marginalisation and dehu- minority Rohingya Muslims, tacks and poured troops into the the UN Security Council, 23 No- manisation,” said the authors – about 50,000 of whom Bangla- region. bel laureates, politicians, phi- among them peace prize winners desh says have fl ed there since Rights groups and residents say lanthropists and activists said Desmond Tutu, Shirin Ebadi and the Myanmar army launched a widespread abuses have occurred “a human tragedy amounting Jose Ramos-Horta. crackdown on its side of their during the Myanmar military op- to ethnic cleansing and crimes They asked the 15-member border in October. eration over the weeks since then. against humanity is unfolding in Security Council to add the “cri- Shirin Ebadi Desmond Tutu Jose Ramos-Horta Myanmar has for decades said Myanmar has denied the accusa- Myanmar.” sis” to its agenda “as a matter Rohingyas are illegal immigrants tions, saying many of the reports They also criticised the of urgency, and to call upon the from Bangladesh and it has de- of abuses are fabricated, and it country’s leader Aung San Suu secretary-general to visit My- Malaysian NGOs plan to send aid flotilla to help Rohingyas clined to grant them citizenship. insists the strife in Rakhine State Kyi — herself a Nobel Peace anmar in the coming weeks” – An aid flotilla carrying food displaced 300,000 Rohingyas, they are looking for trouble, we Bangladesh says the Rohingyas is an internal matter. Prize winner — for what they either current UN chief Ban Ki- and emergency supplies for amid allegations of abuses by will not accept that,” Zaw Htay, are Myanmar citizens and it has While Bangladesh says 50,000 called a lack of initiative to moon, or his successor Antonio Rohingya Muslims will sail security forces. spokesman for the presidential refused to grant refugee status to people have fl ed there since Oc- protect the Rohingyas. “We Guterres, who will take over the from Malaysia for Myanmar’s The Malaysian Consultative off ice, told Reuters. those who have fl ed there, many tober, the United Nations says the are frustrated that she has not post next month. troubled Rakhine State next Council of Islamic “No non-Myanmar citizens from communal violence and number is 34,000. The violence taken any initiative to ensure “If we fail to take action, month, the Malaysian organiser Organisations secretary- can enter our body of water Myanmar army crackdowns over in Rakhine State has become the full and equal citizenship rights people may starve to death if said yesterday. general Zulhanis Zainol said without our permission. If they the past decades. biggest challenge facing Aung of the Rohingyas,” the group they are not killed with bul- The flotilla, organised by a the flotilla’s organisers had do, we will respond – we will “There are only 2,415 Myan- San Suu Kyi’s government and wrote. lets, and we may end up being coalition of aid groups, has yet applied for permission to enter not attack them, but we will not mar citizens, according to our has sparked international criti- In recent weeks, more than the passive observers of crimes to receive permission to enter Myanmar through its embassy receive them.” data,” Kyaw Zaya, director-gen- cism that the Nobel Peace Prize 27,000 people belonging to the against humanity which will Myanmar, sparking fears of a in Kuala Lumpur, but had yet to The flotilla, departing from eral of Myanmar’s Ministry of winner has done too little to help persecuted Muslim minority — a lead us once again to wring our confrontation with security receive a reply. Malaysia on January 10, would Foreign Aff airs, said, referring to the Muslim minority. group loathed by many of Myan- hands belatedly and say ‘never forces that could worsen “Even if we do not receive a be carrying 1,000 tonnes of rice, the number of Myanmar citizens Bangladesh has asked My- mar’s Buddhist majority — have again’ all over again,” the letter Myanmar’s already-frayed ties response, we will continue medical aid and other essentials in Bangladesh. “We always stand anmar to “urgently address the fl ed a Burmese military opera- said. with predominantly Muslim to sail as we believe this is for the Rohingya population. with our number,” he said, add- ‘root cause’ of the problem” tion in Rakhine state launched in The Rohingya have lan- Malaysia. an important humanitarian Earlier this month, Malaysia ing he had “no idea” about the and said it was ready to “discuss response to the attack of border guished under years of dire pov- Malaysia has been an mission,” he said. urged the Association of South Bangladesh fi gure of 300,000. process and modalities of repa- posts by armed groups. erty and discrimination from a outspoken critic of the Myanmar’s presidential East Asian Nations (Asean) He said the Myanmar govern- triation with Myanmar”. Rohingya survivors say they government that denies them Myanmar government’s off ice denied it had received to co-ordinate humanitarian ment had a plan to take back the Adding to the tension, earlier suffered rape, murder and ar- citizenship. The UN and other handling of a violent a request and said it would aid and investigate alleged 2,415 in 2017. Bangladesh had this week Bangladesh’s border son at the hands of soldiers rights groups have repeatedly crackdown in Rakhine, which not accept the flotilla’s arrival atrocities committed against earlier summoned the Myanmar force accused the Myanmar navy – accounts that have raised called on Myanmar to grant has killed scores of people and without prior permission. “If Rohingya Muslims. ambassador in Dhaka to demand of opening fi re on a fi shing boat global alarm and galvanised them full rights. the “early repatriation of all in the Bay of Bengal.

Malaysian woman Royals on New Year train faces jail for attack on Indonesian maid

AFP ken cheekbone. “... the injuries Kuala Lumpur could result in the death or se- vere trauma and with that you (Rozita) have committed an of- Malaysian woman faces fence under Section 307 of the life in jail after being Penal Code,” the chargesheet Acharged yesterday with said. If found guilty, Rozita could the attempted murder of her either face life imprisonment or Indonesian maid who was grue- a 20-year-jail term. somely beaten, according to Rozita, who was freed on bail, court documents. pleaded not guilty to the charge, There has been a string of her lawyer Rosal Azimin said. maid abuse incidents including He said his client, who was un- the deaths of domestic work- well, sought a “speedy trial”. The ers in Malaysia in recent years. court has set February 7 to fi x the In the latest case, 19-year-old trial date. Suyanti Sutrinso was attacked One of Asia’s largest importers with a kitchen knife and hit with of labour, Malaysia depends heav- a metal mop and an umbrella ily on domestic workers, mainly last Wednesday by 43-year- from Indonesia, but has been crit- old Rozita Mohamad Ali, the icised for its lack of action to pro- chargesheet said. tect their rights and regulate their Suyanti sustained injuries to working conditions. her eyes, head and right lung. Indonesian maids typically Other injuries included blood work seven days a week for as lit- clots on her brain and a bro- tle as 600 ringgit ($134) a month.

Vietnam police fi nd haul of rhino horns in bag from Kenya

DPA the seized shipment was about Hanoi $890,000. Twelve intact horns were Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni and his mother, former queen Monique (centre right), walk as Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen (left) and his wife Bun Rany found inside the suitcase along (right) accompany them at the railway station in Phnom Penh. Norodom Sihamoni took the train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville for the first time to celebrate the ietnamese authorities with seven broken pieces of upcoming New Year. seized 50kg of rhino horns horn. The offi cial said it was Vfrom a Kenya Airways unusual to discover so many fl ight at Hanoi’s main airport, intact rhino horns in a seized state media reported yesterday. shipment. No arrests have been The horns were discovered in a made as neither the owner nor suitcase aboard a Kenya Airways the recipient of the suitcase was fl ight from Nairobi, the Vietnam identifi ed. News Agency reported. “The Vietnam is one of the world’s Road accidents kill 42 in Thailand seized horns were still fresh, biggest consumers of rhino horn probably belonging to African worldwide. Some believe it has black rhinos,” a customs offi cial important medicinal and aphro- was quoted as saying, adding disiac properties, and it seen as a that the black market price for status symbol. ahead of end-of-year watch period

Eastern Indonesia hit by earthquake DPA Most accidents involved More offi cers will be de- the full New Year holiday pe- continue to increase each year Bangkok motorcycles and happened in ployed around the clock riod last year killed a total of in Thailand. A 6.6-magnitude earthquake The quake’s epicentre was 59km the city of Chiang Mai, 680km between Saturday and 380 people and injured 3,505 Last year, a World Health struck early yesterday near south-west of Sumba Island. The north of Bangkok, said Sopon Wednesday at drunk-driving others. Organisation Report found Indonesia’s Sumba Island, the agency indicated that there was no s many as 42 people were Mekthon, permanent secre- checkpoints across the coun- Drunk driving and speeding that Thailand was second Indonesian geophysics agency risk of a tsunami and there were killed and 565 others tary to the Public Health Min- try, police said. accounted for nearly 30% of only to Libya for road deaths. said. The earthquake occurred no immediate reports of injuries Awere injured in road ac- istry. Each year, Thai police The tally from Thursday, the the 524 road accidents reported The UN agency estimated that at a depth of 91km at 5:30am or damage. The quake was also cidents in Thailand on Thurs- step up their watch over a so- fi rst day of the watch period, Thursday, Sopon said. as many as 36.2 people per western Indonesia time and hit felt in the western part of Lombok day, the fi rst day of an annual called “dangerous” seven-day shows a spike from last year’s Despite tough laws against 100,000 die on the country’s in waters between Sumba Island Island and in the Gianyar and Kuta police watch period, an offi cial period around the New Year fi gures of 39 deaths and 456 drunk driving, road accidents roadways, or around 24,237 and Komodo Island. regions of the island of Bali. said. holiday. injuries. Road accidents over caused by alcohol consumption people per year. Gulf Times Saturday, December 31, 2016 7 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

China Communist party expels former spymaster Taiwan announces US

AFP like Ma and his former boss do- Beijing mestic security czar Zhou Yong- kang, although critics liken it to a factional purge. hina’s ruling Commu- The campaign has gained nist Party has expelled “crushing momentum”, the itinerary for president Cthe former deputy chief CCDI said in a statement on its of the country’s top intelligence website that looked back at the Reuters of precedent and cast doubt on that order. She will leave Tai- China has claimed sover- agency, it said yesterday, the lat- offi ce’s annual achievements. Taipei his incoming administration’s wan on January 7 and return on eignty over Taiwan since 1949, est high-ranking fi gure to face Moving forward, it will seek to commitment to Beijing’s “one January 15. when Mao Zedong’s Commu- prosecution in a much-publi- “purge the Party’s political eco- China” policy. Tsai will arrive in Houston nist forces won the Chinese cised corruption crackdown. system”, it added, suggesting it aiwan President Tsai Ing- China is deeply suspicious on January 7 and leave the fol- civil war and Chiang Kai- Ma Jian, former deputy head could intensify its eff orts. It has wen will transit through of Tsai, who it thinks wants to lowing day. On her return, she shek’s Nationalists fled to the of China’s ministry of state se- already swept through the ranks THouston and San Fran- push for the formal independ- will arrive in San Francisco on island. curity, was suspected of taking of the party, which has 88mn cisco during her January visit ence of Taiwan, a self-govern- January 13, Presidential Offi ce Speaking to members of Chi- bribes and abusing power, the members. to allies in Latin America, her ing island that Beijing regards as spokesman Alex Huang told a na’s largely ceremonial advi- Central Commission for Disci- This week alone, Chinese of- offi ce said yesterday, prompting a renegade province, ineligible regular news briefi ng. The AIT sory body to parliament earlier pline Inspection (CCDI) — the fi cial media have reported the China to repeat a call for the US for state-to-state relations. said the transit did not contra- yesterday, Chinese President party’s internal watchdog — said convictions of a vice-chair of to block any such stopover. China’s Foreign Ministry re- dict the “one China” policy. Xi Jinping said next year China in a statement on its website. the national legislature and a Tsai’s offi ce declined to com- peated a previous call for the “President Tsai’s transit would make “unremitting ef- He “seriously violated po- provincial vice-governor, the ment on whether she would be United States not to allow the through the United States is forts” at unifi cation and devel- litical discipline and the code trial of a senior provincial offi - meeting members of US Pres- transit and not send any “wrong based on long-standing US prac- oping peaceful relations across of conduct, confronted an or- cial, the indictment of a deputy ident-elect Donald Trump’s signals to Taiwan independence Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. tice and is consistent with the the Taiwan Strait, state news ganisational probe, as well as head of the Taiwan aff airs offi ce team, but the US mission in forces”. “We think everyone is unoffi cial nature of our relations agency Xinhua said. transferred and hid money and and a second vice-governor, and Taiwan, the American Institute very clear on her real inten- Chinese position that there is with Taiwan,” Alys Spensley, act- Taiwan had as many as 30 property related to his case,” it a probe into a senior general. in Taiwan (AIT), said the visit tions,” the ministry said, with- only “one China” and that Tai- ing AIT spokeswoman, said. diplomatic allies in the mid- said. Ma’s case is linked to other would be “private and unoffi - out explaining. wan is part of it. “There is no change to the US 1990s, but now has formal Ma was fi rst put under inves- top offi cials who were thought cial”. The United States, which Tsai is transiting in the United ‘one China’ policy,” she added. relations with just 21, mostly tigation for “serious disciplinary to pose a threat to Xi, who last Trump angered China when switched diplomatic recogni- States on her way to and from Spensley said that Tsai’s smaller and poorer nations in violations” — standard code for month lashed out at what he he spoke to Tsai earlier this tion from Taiwan to China in visiting Honduras, Nicaragua, transits would be “private and Latin America and the Pacifi c graft — in January 2015. described as “political conspira- month in a break with decades 1979, has acknowledged the Guatemala and El Salvador in unoffi cial”. and including the Vatican. His case is being transferred cies” against him. to the judiciary, the CCDI Earlier this month, Ling Ji- statement said, where he will hua, the brother of a senior aide almost certainly be prosecuted, to former Chinese President Hu convicted and sentenced to Jintao, was sentenced to more prison. than a decade in prison and fi ned The announcement is part of 1.5mn yuan ($215,000) for ac- cepting bribes. World’s highest bridge in China the ongoing corruption crack- down announced by Chinese Ma is “closely linked” to Ling, President Xi Jinping after com- according to Hong Kong’s South ing to power in 2012. China Morning Post. Another Since that time, the drive has brother, Ling Wancheng, has fl ed to the US, where he is reported to decreases travel time by 3 hours punished more than 1mn mem- bers of the ruling party, from have shared Chinese state se- lowly “fl ies” to powerful “tigers” crets with Washington. AFP Beijing

he world’s highest bridge has opened to traffi c in China, connecting two provinces S Korea president spared Tin the mountainous southwest and reduc- ing travel times by as much as three-quarters, local authorities said. of questioning in court The Beipanjiang Bridge soars 565m (1,854ft) above a river and connects the two mountainous provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Guizhou AFP had asked the court to summon provincial transport department said in a state- Seoul Park and question her directly. ment on its offi cial website. “The request ... is rejected,” the The bridge cut travel times between Xuanwei court said. The court has 180 in Yunnan to Shuicheng in Guizhou from more he court tasked with vali- days to consider parliament’s than four hours to around one, a truck driver dating the impeachment impeachment motion and its surnamed Duan was quoted by the offi cial news Tof South Korean President president Park Han-Chul said agency Xinhua as saying after the bridge opened Park Geun-hye said yesterday in a New Year message that it Thursday. It was “very convenient for people that she would not be required to would seek to make a decision who want to travel between these two places,” he appear for questioning. “at an early date”. added. But the Constitutional Court If the impeachment is con- The 1,341m span cost over 1bn yuan ($144mn) said Park’s close friend Choi fi rmed, a presidential election to build, according to local newspaper Guizhou Soon-sil, the media-dubbed will have to be held within 60 Daily. It overtook the Si Du River Bridge in the “Rasputin” at the centre of the days. Park is accused of col- central province of Hubei to become the world’s corruption scandal that trig- luding with Choi to strong-arm highest bridge, a separate statement by the pro- gered the president’s downfall, companies into handing over vincial transport department said earlier. must submit for questioning on tens of millions of dollars to du- Several of the world’s highest bridges are in January 10. bious foundations which Choi China, although the world’s tallest bridge — The National Assembly, controlled. Choi has been for- measured in terms of the height of its own struc- which passed a motion to im- mally indicted on charges of ture, rather than the distance to the ground — peach Park earlier this month, abuse of power and extortion. remains France’s Millau viaduct at 343m. The world’s highest bridge, the Beipanjiang Bridge near Bijie in Guizhou province, has opened to traffic in China.

Deadly jellyfish spreading to east coast of Australia as mercury rises Family passion sparks Sydney’s A tiny but deadly type of jellyfish Irukandji jellyfish off Fraser Island, is moving “slowly but surely” north of the Sunshine Coast, ABC down the east coast of Australia reported. Just two people have as water temperatures rise, a been killed by Irukandji jellyfish marine expert warned yesterday. in Australia in recent history, spectacular New Year fi reworks The almost-invisible Irukandji Seymour said, but dozens are jellyfish, which has a body of hospitalised every year. only one cubic centimetre Seymour, who has been AFP ated via 16 computers, with the but tentacles up to 1m long, is stung several times, said the Sydney sequences involving 20,000 normally found in warmer waters pain is excruciating. It can be fi reworks shooting from the near Cairns. overwhelming and cause heart Sydney Harbour Bridge and It could, however, reach highly attacks in the elderly or frail. hen Fortunato Foti fl oating barges timed “to a hun- populated beaches on the “This is a 10 out of 10 pain that dreams up his designs dredth of a second”, 52-year-old Sunshine Coast, more than you are going to hang onto Wfor Sydney’s daz- Tino Foti says. 1,000km to the south, within a for probably six to 12 hours,” zling New Year’s Eve fi reworks “You can let your imagination few years, James Cook University Seymour said. The sting can display, he’s drawing on more do a lot more because you’ve got Associate Professor Jamie cause severe vomiting, nausea than 200 years of pyrotechnics the fl exibility ... and the com- Seymour told national broadcaster and stomach cramps, he added. expertise. puterisation.” ABC. “We’ve seen a one to two “Linked with that is this feeling The Foti family moved from This year, the Fotis have degree temperature rise in the of impending doom where Italy to Australia in the 1950s, drawn inspiration from two late water off the coast in the southern everything is going to go wrong but have been in the same busi- musical legends — David Bowie side here and the animals have and there’s nothing you can do ness since 1793. This year, they and Prince, promising “never- moved predictably with that,” to fix it.” Swimmers are advised are marking two decades as the seen-before” fi reworks eff ects Seymour said. to wear full-body anti-stinger brains behind Sydney’s world- including purple rain. This week, four people were suits on the Great Barrier Reef, renowned visual extravaganza, Helping to set them off from hospitalised and in stable near Cairns, and in the northern which kicks off global celebra- one of seven barges on Syd- condition after being stung by waters of Queensland. tions. ney Harbour is Fortunato Foti’s The family’s secret recipe, daughter Elena, who jumped says fi reworks director 51-year- at the chance to join the family Search underway for father and old Foti, is passion — lots of it. business when she turned 18 in daughter who sailed from NZ “It’s in the bloodline, we start 2012. from a young age,” adds Gio- “I think not many girls can An extensive search was custody disagreement and Wyler vanni Foti, 29, who together say they get to work with ex- underway yesterday in New had hired Chapman on a previous with his father Vince, are two of plosives. It’s a bit of a party- Zealand for a father and daughter occasion to locate Langdon and the eight Fotis working for the trick conversation starter, who had not been heard from Que, local media reported. family company. that’s for sure,” she says. “You since leaving the country on a Chapman told Radio New Zealand “We are so used to fi reworks. obviously have to have a pas- catamaran two weeks ago. Alan that Langdon, an Australian We start to love them – then we sion to be in it, otherwise we Langdon, 46, and his six-year-old citizen with family in New Zealand, start to try and make other peo- wouldn’t put ourselves through daughter, Que, sailed from the was possibly trying to make it ple love them,” he tells laughing. Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks director Fortunato Foti (second right) posing with his children Elena hours and hours of labour and North Island town of Kawhia on back to Australia. Langdon was Sydney’s New Year’s Eve (second left), Angelina (right) and Salvatore in front of the Harbour Bridge in Sydney. sweat ... there’s defi nitely high December 17 on a 21ft (6.4m) said to be an experienced sailor, celebrations — which take 15 enjoyment working with fi re- catamaran, police said. but police said they had “grave” months of planning and cost an Yet much of the expertise my brother learnt it, because mainland China to sending the works.” Air Force, Coast Guard and concerns for the pair’s well-being. estimated Aus$7mn (US$5mn) behind the 12-minute-long there’s no courses that do fi re- pyrotechnics soaring through “That’s all we do, we enter- other groups were conducting Wyler said she was confident — are billed as Australia’s larg- star attraction — the fi reworks works, there’s no university,” he the night sky on December 31. tain people year in, year out,” searches and broadcasting alerts, that nothing had happened to est public event and it’s hard not -- wasn’t learnt through for- says. Twenty years ago when the adds her father, who describes police said. The child’s mother, her daughter. “I am strongly to see why. mal education, notes Fortunato “It’s stories, recipes — it’s a Fotis fi rst worked on the Sydney fi reworks as “fl owers in the sky”. Ariane Wyler, hired Australian convinced that they both are alive, More than 1mn spectators Foti. bit like being a cook.” display, each button to trigger “We’re happy to do it, get child recovery specialist Col well and safe,” Wyler was reported pack Sydney Harbour to watch “It’s been passed down from The Fotis are involved in the a sequence had to be pressed a buzz out of it and hopefully Chapman to conduct a private as saying. “I believe in Alan the spectacle and a further 1bn generation to generation and entire process from designing manually. we’ll continue for another 50 search, local media reported. Langdon and his capabilities as a people watch on television. that’s how I learnt it, that’s how the fi reworks with a factory in Now the entire show is oper- years.” The couple was in the middle of a seagoing person,” she said later. Gulf Times 8 Saturday, December 31, 2016 BRITAIN

COMMENT WARNING SETBACK TRAVEL PROPOSAL George Michael autopsy World ‘vulnerable’ to New claim brings more Ten evacuated as Learner drivers may be ‘inconclusive’, says police deadly epidemic: Gates legal woes for Brexiteers train catches fire allowed on motorways

The cause of singer George Michael’s death this Billionaire Bill Gates warned that the world was A fresh legal challenge to Britain’s plans to Ten people have been evacuated from a Learner drivers will be allowed on to week is unclear after an initial autopsy and more vulnerable to a deadly epidemic of an illness like leave the European Union has been launched in train which caught fire. Smoke could be seen motorways for the first time, if new tests are needed, the police said yesterday. “A flu, with the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks London, the latest in a series of claims against the billowing out of the three-carriage train at the government plans are approved. Transport post mortem examination was carried out as underlining weaknesses in global eff orts to tackle government’s approach to Brexit. The claim argues old railway station in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Minister Andrew Jones says the move would part of the investigation into the death of George health crises swiftly. Gates, whose foundation that separate parliamentary approval is needed The engine at the front of the train set alight, help make roads in Britain safer. The lessons Michael,” Thames Valley police said. “The cause of invests in improving healthcare in developing to bring Britain out of the European Economic the fire service said. Operator Vivarail said it will not be mandatory and driving instructors death is inconclusive and further tests will now be countries, said the global emergency response Area, which allows for tariff -free trade and free was a test train and all staff were safe. National will decide when their students are ready. The carried out. The results of these tests are unlikely system was not strong enough and the ability to movement of people. All 28 members of the EU Rail’s website said trains will not run between department for transport is also looking at to be known for several weeks,” they added in a create new drugs and vaccines quickly was lacking. are part of the bloc, as well as Iceland, Norway and Coventry and Leamington Spa for the rest of the trialling a “target number” of hours of lessons statement. Singer Michael, who became one of He added that there needed to be more focus on Liechtenstein. The legal challenge has been started day. Freelance rail journalist Fraser Pithie, who to complete before learners take their test. the pop idols of the 1980s with Wham! and then developing treatments for likely epidemics. “I cross with the Administrative Court, which sits within had gone down to watch the test, said the train The proposal is one of a number of ideas forged a career as a successful solo artiste with my fingers all the time that some epidemic like a London’s High Court, a spokesman for the judiciary was a recently converted London Underground being considered by ministers as part of a sometimes sexually provocative lyrics, died at his big flu doesn’t come along in the next 10 years,” said. A single judge will consider the claim and test train which had been running up and down £2mn research programme by the DfT into home in southern England on Sunday. Microsoft Corp founder Gates told the BBC radio. decide whether it can proceed to a hearing. the lines when it came to a halt at Kenilworth. improving safety for new drivers. Thatcher’s Foggy morning resignation ‘shocked US and USSR’

Guardian News and Media indicated that all were supportive London but most thought that it was now unlikely she would win the bal- lot”. Offi cially the minutes record argaret Thatcher’s resig- that the “Cabinet took note, with nation as prime minister profound sadness, of the state- Mprovoked tears in Wash- ment by the prime minister”. ington and consternation in Mos- The fi les also contain papers cow, according to a secret Down- from the October 1989 resig- ing Street fi le released yesterday. nation of her chancellor, Nigel Henry Kissinger rang Downing Lawson, which show Thatcher’s Street “in a very emotional state” principal private secretary, An- saying her decision to resign was drew Turnball, told her that she “worse than a death in the fam- could turn his resignation her to ily”, while Thatcher’s closest ad- advantage by exposing his policy Pedestrians cross Westminster Bridge on a foggy morning in central London yesterday. viser, Charles Powell, told the US of trying to get sterling into the national security adviser, General European Monetary System by the Brent Scowcroft, that her depar- back door by shadowing the Deut- ture was “a sad commentary on schmark despite her opposition. standards of loyalty in politics”. Thatcher’s departure was par- The Downing Street fi le en- tially precipitated by popular re- titled The Resignation of the sentment over the poll tax, which Prime Minister, Margaret she championed. It was seen as an Thatcher, includes tributes from attempt to shift the burden of tax- world leaders to Thatcher, a two- ation from the rich to the poor and page briefi ng note from the Cab- as an example of an increasingly Zero-hours workers inet secretary explaining why an authoritarian style of leadership. immediate general election was The Downing Street papers not necessary, and a “resigna- show that while Thatcher’s res- tion action plan” setting out a ignation was regarded as a slow- timetable for the fateful day of motion car crash by those at November 22 1990. Westminster, it was greeted with It also contains a curious 1991 incomprehension in the wider ‘face £1,000 pay penalty’ rebuttal by John Wakeham, then world. a Cabinet minister, of allega- In Kissinger’s emotional phone Guardian News and Media “precarious pay penalty” com- sectors, and younger and less last year reveals a leap of 20% to Frances O’Grady, said: “Zero- tions in a forthcoming book by call to No 10 he told Thatcher’s London pared with other workers doing experienced staff . more than 900,000, indicating hours workers suff er the dou- the journalist Alan Watkins that foreign policy adviser, Powell, similar jobs. “To get to the real pay penalty that insecure employment has ble whammy of lower pay and he had deliberately precipitated that she had been one of the great The pay penalty directly as- associated with zero-hours con- become a permanent and grow- fewer rights at work. That’s why Thatcher’s downfall by initiat- fi gures of modern times and “no- orkers on zero-hours sociated with zero-hours work tracts, the foundation’s analysis ing feature of the jobs market. the Taylor review must drag ing the “parade of Cabinet min- body outside Britain – indeed no- contracts lose an es- amounted to 6.6% or 93p an compares the pay of zero-hours Laura Gardiner, a senior pol- employment law into the 21st isters” who one by one told her body outside Westminster – could Wtimated £1,000 a year hour. For a typical zero-hours and non-zero-hours workers icy analyst at the Resolution century. Far too many workers she would not win a second understand how your fellow Con- compared with employees do- worker doing 21 hours a week, with similar characteristics and Foundation, said: “Concern have no power to stand up to round leadership ballot against servatives could have done this”. ing the same work, according it amounts to £1,000 a year. An doing similar jobs,” it said. about the use and abuse of zero- bad bosses.” Michael Heseltine. The feeling was even more to a study that underscores the examination of workers in low- Zero-hours contracts are hours contracts goes far wider Earlier this month a report Thatcher quit to leave the fi eld acute in Moscow. The Soviet divide between people in pre- paid roles revealed a bigger pen- widely used by retailers such than a few notorious fi rms. by the thinktank showed that clear for John Major and Doug- ambassador handed over a per- carious jobs and those who have alty of 9.5% as Sports Direct and JD Sports, There is mounting evidence agency workers suff ered an las Hurd to fi ght off Heseltine, sonal message to “Margaret” a permanent contract. The foundation said its anal- restaurants, leisure companies that their use is associated with average pay penalty of 22p an a move recorded by the Guard- from Mikhail Gorbachev saying The Resolution Foundation ysis were the fi rst to pinpoint a and hotels. The care industry a holding down of wages. hour, equivalent to £430 a year ian that day under the headline: there had been “consternation” said all workers who fi nd them- specifi c penalty associated with is estimated to employ 160,000 “While some people value the for those working full-time. “Battle to halt the usurper.” at the turn of events: “Gor- selves without a permanent, zero-hours contracts. workers on zero-hours con- fl exibility off ered by zero-hours The loss of earnings jumped The Cabinet fi les for 1989 and bachev had sent Shevardnadze full-time role lose out in terms It said it was well known that tracts while the public sector, contracts, they also carry a sig- to 45p an hour for permanent 1990 released at the National (his foreign minister) out of a of wages, but people hired on zero-hours workers earned less especially the health service, nifi cant ‘precarious pay penalty’ agency workers. Archives at Kew yesterday also high level meeting in the Krem- zero-hours contracts suff er the than permanent employees – has increasingly adopted them. that can cost workers around A report by the UK’s largest include the minutes of Thatch- lin to telephone him, to fi nd out biggest fi nancial punishment. 38% an hour less on average Figures show the number of £1,000 a year. That’s a big price to trade union, Unite, estimates er’s last Cabinet meeting, during what on earth was going on and The thinktank said its re- – but it had previously been as- UK workers on zero-hours con- pay for work that too often lacks that the number of workers in which she said her “consulta- how such a thing could be con- search showed that workers on sumed this was down to their tracts rising steadily in recent the security workers desire.” insecure employment of one tions among colleagues … had ceivable,” recorded Powell. zero-hours contracts faced a concentration in low-paying years, and offi cial data for the The TUC general secretary, kind or another has topped 5mn. Ultra-rare Jane Austen Photo call KitKat chocolate bars’ £5 note found in card downsizing ruled out Guardian News and Media want to make sure that Nestle London does everything it can to try and Guardian News and Media “When somebody opened at Square cafe in Blackwood, save costs and to ensure that we London their Christmas card from a Caerphilly, on December 8, absorb as much as possible our- loved one, it was contained having chosen the south Wales itKat lovers can eat happy selves,” she said, adding that the in that Christmas card,” he town where his mother was in the knowledge that the company would not take risks t is the fi ver that could earn said. “The person who put born in 1909. Kchocolate bar will not be with well-loved brands for the you tens of thousands of it in didn’t necessarily know The note was discovered a downsized to cut Brexit-related sake of short-term cost increases. Ipounds: one of four Jane what they were doing. That’s week later and the lucky fi nder costs. “We will look at every single Austen £5 notes has been found two down and there’s still two said she intended to give it to her Dame Fiona Kendrick, Nes- opportunity to try and take costs in a Christmas card in the Scot- out there. Keep checking your granddaughter as an investment tle’s boss in the UK and Ireland, out before we put pricing through tish Borders. change.” for when she grows up. said the four-fi ngered version and we will do that in a very re- The ultra-rare notes, en- Graham Short, a specialist Each note features a diff er- of the much-loved biscuit bar sponsible way. We’ve got fantas- graved with a tiny portrait of micro-engraver from Birming- ent quote from Austen’s novels. would not be reduced to three to tic, iconic brands and we’re not the novelist, were released se- ham, said he came up with the Both fi nders said they intended lower costs. “Not while I’m sit- going to obviously do anything cretly around the UK earlier idea of engraving a 5mm por- to keep the notes rather than ting here as chairman and CEO short-term in order to manage this month. trait of Austen on the transpar- sell them, according to the (chief executive),” she told BBC the immediate cost issues there.” The fi rst was found in change ent part of the new plastic Bank Huggins-Haig. Radio 4’s Today programme. The pound has fallen sharply from a cafe in south Wales a of England £5 notes to mark the Short said: “I don’t know In November, the makers of against other major currencies fortnight ago. The second was 200th anniversary of her death whether I’m disappointed that Toblerone outraged fans by re- since the Brexit vote in June, discovered on Thursday in a next year. they haven’t wanted to sell vealing plans to widen the gaps making imports more expen- Christmas card, meaning two Short’s most recent work, a them because I wanted them to between the chocolate bar’s tri- sive and driving up costs for UK are yet to be discovered. portrait of the Queen on a pin- have some money for Christ- angular chunks in an eff ort to manufacturers which buy raw Anyone fi nding one of the head, sold for £100,000. Hug- mas, but the fact that they are avoid raising its prices. Mondelez materials and ingredients from £5 notes has been advised to gins-Haig said the engraved so happy to keep them, that’s International said higher costs abroad. The pound is down 17% contact the Tony Huggins- notes could be worth tens of nice as well.” for ingredients meant it was cut- against the dollar at about $1.23. Haig Gallery in Kelso which thousands of pounds at auction. He admitted he was also ting the weight of two bars in To- Economists including those launched the project. “All of Graham’s work has an checking his change, adding he blerone’s UK range. It has reduced at the Bank of England have said The gallery in the Scottish insurance valuation of about was “terrifi ed” of fi nding one. 400g bars to 360g and 170g bars higher costs will increasingly Borders said the recipient of £50,000 at the moment. It’s a “When someone gives me a £5 to 150g to maintain retail prices. feed through into consumer the latest note wished to re- reasonable estimate,” he told note in my change now I always Kendrick said Nestle would do price infl ation in 2017. The head- main anonymous and that he/ the BBC. check, wouldn’t it be awful if it Actors pose for a photograph at the Charles Dickens Museum all it could to absorb any price line infl ation rate is expected to she had checked the note “on Short spent the fi rst note on came back to me, people would in central London. rises internally before pass- rise to about 3% next year from a the off chance”. a sausage and egg sandwich say it was a fi x,” Short said. ing them on to customers. “We current level of 1.2%. Gulf Times Saturday, December 31, 2016 9 EUROPE Putin won’t react by expelling Americans AFP Putin’s move was a clear heads of state around the world. chase plane tickets on such short electoral scale, painting Obama’s Putin: We evaluate the new unfriendly steps by the outgoing US Moscow sign that Moscow is pinning its Obama on Thursday unleashed notice. accusations as a thinly veiled ef- administration as a provocation aimed at further undermining hopes on President-elect Don- a barrage of sanctions against Foreign ministry spokeswom- fort by a Democratic president to Russian-American relations. ald Trump to help rebuild ties Russia over alleged cyber-attacks an Maria Zakharova told Russian cover up for his party’s loss. resident Vladimir Putin – which have plunged to their aimed at tilting the election in news agencies that a total of 96 Trump said that while he be- Washington described as “un- The sanctions freeze any as- has ruled out any tit-for- lowest point since the Cold War – Trump’s favour. people will be leaving the United lieves the US should “move on precedented” in the post-Cold sets they may have in the United Ptat expulsion of Americans when he takes offi ce next month. The move came after years of States, but declined to give de- to bigger and better things”, he War era. States and block US companies after Washington turfed out doz- “We evaluate the new un- bad blood with Putin that has tails on their fl ight. would meet intelligence leaders US offi cials played down the from doing business with them. ens of Russian diplomats over friendly steps by the outgoing seen Washington slap sanctions US intelligence concluded next week for a briefi ng on the impact that sanctions against The US government is also de- alleged interference in the US US administration as a provoca- on Moscow over its interference that the Kremlin had ordered a situation. the GRU and the FSB could have classifying technical information presidential election. tion aimed at further undermin- in Ukraine and Syria. hack-and-release of Democratic Obama – who has also clashed on intelligence-sharing on issues on Russian cyber activity to help The Kremlin strongman’s sur- ing Russian-American relations,” In response to the alleged Party and Hillary Clinton cam- with Trump over his Israel policy like counter-terrorism, saying companies defend against future prise decision came after the for- Putin said. hacks, dubbed “Grizzly Steppe” paign staff e-mails in a bid to in recent days – has pointedly co-operation was already lim- attacks. eign ministry asked him to send He said Moscow would plan its by US offi cials, Obama an- put Republican real estate mogul stated that “all Americans should ited. “The United States and friends home 35 US diplomats in retalia- next steps “based on the policies nounced sanctions against Rus- Trump in the Oval Offi ce. be alarmed by Russia’s actions”. Both agencies will face sanc- and allies around the world must tion for the expulsion of the same pursued by the administration of sia’s military and domestic intel- Obama’s moves have put him It remains to be seen whether tions, along with GRU agency work together to oppose Russia’s number of its staff by President president Donald Trump”, while ligence agencies, and gave the 35 at odds with his successor, who Trump would move to roll back chief Igor Korobov and three of eff orts to undermine established Barack Obama on Thursday. warning that the Kremlin re- suspected “intelligence opera- has expressed his admiration for the sanctions against Moscow, his deputies. international norms of behaviour “We will not create problems serves the right to hit back. tives” 72 hours to leave. Putin and desire to improve ties with many leading Republican In addition, the US Treas- and interfere with democratic for American diplomats. We will The president ended his mes- The Kremlin’s administra- with Russia. lawmakers publicly warning him ury hit two individuals, Evgeniy governance,” Obama said. not expel anyone,” Putin said in a sage by wishing both Obama and tion said it is sending a special Moscow has repeatedly de- to stay tough on Putin. Bogachev and Aleksey Belan, That refl ects growing concerns statement, also inviting children Trump a Happy New Year and plane to fl y diplomats and their nied the hacking allegations Obama also linked the fresh with sanctions for “involvement that Russia could target elections of US diplomats to a holiday par- separately congratulated Trump families from the US, following and Trump too has questioned sanctions to harassment of US in malicious cyber-enabled ac- next year in France, Germany and ty at the Kremlin. in his New Year’s message to reports they are not able to pur- whether Russia really tipped the diplomats in Moscow, which tivities”. the Netherlands. European cities boost security for New Year Serbia has no more By Oliver Denzer and Geert De Clercq, Reuters Berlin/Paris beds for

uropean capitals tightened migrants, security yesterday ahead Eof New Year’s celebra- tions, erecting concrete barriers says UN in city centres and stepping up police numbers after the Islamic State (IS) attack in Berlin last Reuters week that killed 12 people. Belgrade In the German capital, police closed the Pariser Platz square in front of the Brandenburg Gate erbia’s centres for housing and prepared to deploy 1,700 ex- migrants are completely tra offi cers, many along a party Sfull, the UN refugee agen- strip where armoured cars will cy UNHCR said, leaving more fl ank concrete barriers blocking than a thousand facing a win- off the area. ter sleeping rough in the Balkan “Every measure is being taken A Belgian soldier patrols ahead of New Year’s celebrations in central country that has become a bot- to prevent a possible attack,” Brussels. tleneck as the European Union Berlin police spokesman Tho- sealed its borders. mas Neuendorf told Reuters TV. the New Year will be restricted suicide bombers killed 16 peo- At least 7,000 migrants, Some police offi cers would to 25,000 people, with police ple and injured more than 150 in mainly from Afghanistan, Iraq carry sub-machine guns, he setting up barricades to control March, the mayor was reviewing and Syria, are trapped in Ser- said, an unusual tactic for Ger- access. whether to cancel New Year fi re- People walk past a cement bia, many spending months in a man police. In Cologne in western Ger- works but decided this week that block placed on a sidewalk at country culturally and fi nancial- Last week’s attack in Berlin, many, where hundreds of wom- they would go ahead. the Christmas market on the ly ill-equipped to care for them in which a 24-year old Tunisian en were sexually assaulted and In Paris, where IS gunmen Champs-Elysees Avenue, one and where few of them want to ploughed a truck into a Christ- robbed outside the central train killed 130 people last November, day before New Year’s Eve stay. mas market, has prompted station on New Year’s Eve last authorities prepared for a high- festivities in Paris. Despite the offi cial closure German lawmakers to call for year, police have installed new security weekend, the highlight of the so-called Balkan route, tougher security measures. video surveillance cameras to of which will be the fi reworks Two other people, one of which has eased pressure on rich In Milan, where police shot monitor the station square. on the Champs-Élysées, which whom was suspected of hav- nations like Germany, aid agen- the man dead, security checks The attacks in Cologne, where some 600,000 people are ex- ing planned an attack on police, cies estimate more than 100 new were set up around the main police said the suspects were pected to attend. were arrested in a separate raid, migrants are entering Serbia square. mainly of North African and Ahead of New Year’s Eve, also in southwest France near every day, while only around 20 Trucks were banned from the Arab appearance, fuelled criti- heavily-armed soldiers pa- Toulouse, police sources told are allowed to enter Hungary – centres of Rome and Naples. cism of Chancellor Angela Mer- trolled popular Paris tourist Reuters. Serbia’s only neighbour in Eu- Police and soldiers cradled kel’s decision to accept nearly sites such as the Eiff el Tower, the In Vienna, police handed out rope’s Schengen visa-free area. machine guns outside tourist 900,000 migrants last year. Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre more than a thousand pocket About half of those are chil- sites including Rome’s Colos- The Berlin attack has intensi- museum. alarms to women, eager to avoid dren, and every 10th child is seum. fi ed that criticism. Across France, more than a repeat of the sexual assaults classifi ed as unaccompanied, Madrid plans to deploy an ex- In Frankfurt, home to the Eu- 90,000 police and thousands of that blighted Cologne’s New A dog turns around to look at police off icers on patrol ahead of New a spokeswoman for Save the tra 1,600 police on the New Year ropean Central Bank and Ger- soldiers will be on duty for New Year’s Eve in 2015. Year’s celebrations in central Madrid. Children told Reuters at an over- weekend. many’s biggest airport, more Year’s Eve, authorities said. “At present, there is no evi- crowded Belgrade centre where For the second year running, than 600 police offi cers will be On Wednesday, police in dence of any specifi c danger in gang Sobotka said. “We leave rested a man yesterday who they the international NGO encour- access to the city’s central Puer- on duty on New Year’ Eve, twice southwest France arrested a man Austria. However, we are talking nothing to chance with regard to suspect was planning a Ber- ages children to take part in ac- ta del Sol square where revellers as many as in 2015. suspected of having planned an about an increased risk situa- security.” lin copycat attack in the city of tivities to help them come to traditionally gather to bring in In Brussels, where Islamist attack on New Year’s Eve. tion,” Interior Minister Wolf- In Ukraine, police offi cers ar- Odessa. terms with their trauma. Serbia has pledged to make 6,000 beds available and has reached almost that total but has appealed for more help from the European Union to help it ease Horns blare as Polish trucker is buried the crisis. “All the reception centres are full, full,” a UNHCR spokes- AFP President Andrzej Duda as well the truck that Tunisian Anis TV, we knew it was him. But un- woman said, adding that it was Banie, Poland as offi cials from Poland and Amri smashed into the Berlin til the body was identifi ed, we unclear whether Serbia would Germany. market on December 19, killing had hope,” she told AFP. “Lu- make any more capacity avail- “We’re extremely sad ... Lu- 11 people. kasz was a great guy and he took able. ruckers honked their kasz was really good to every- Urban had been killed with a excellent care of his family.” The Serbian government horns across Poland in one, he never said no to anyone,” gunshot to the head some time The Polish state has said it agency for refugees and migra- Thomage to Lukasz Urban, childhood friend Danuta Jure- before the attack and the owner will pay for the funeral costs. tion, the SRC, was not immedi- the registered driver of the lorry wicz, 34, told AFP. of the transport company that A British trucker, Dave Dun- ately reachable for comment. hijacked in the Berlin Christmas Some 120 truckers converged he worked for said his body can, has raised nearly £177,000 A warehouse in central Bel- market attack, who was buried on Banie later to pay their re- showed signs of a struggle. (€206,000) for his widow Zu- grade without basic facilities yesterday. spects, and trucks across Poland Family member Zofi a Zurek zanna and 17-year-old son has become the home of more People take part in the funeral of the Polish driver Lukasz Urban, who The 37-year-old’s funeral stopped at midday and sounded recalled the moment she got the Adam. than 1,000 men – women and was killed in the Berlin market attack, at the cemetery in Banie village in the northwestern village of their horns in solidarity. news. Polish truckers have started a children are given priority in of- near Szczecin, northwestern Poland. Banie was attended by Polish Urban’s body was found in “We recognised his truck on similar collection. fi cial camps – many of whom are reluctant to enter the system for fear their onward journey will be hindered. It is one of the largest camps of its kind in a European capital. Madrid party square appears in suspected militant video “Serbia is becoming a buff er zone, some kind of purgatory,” said Rados Djurovic, executive AFP The authorities were quick Spaniards gather for New Year’s and said they found bullets and The videos also had “Daesh “images showing men with director of the Asylum Protec- Madrid to allay fears, saying that there Eve, to guard against truck at- empty weapons magazines for (Islamic State group) attributes hoods, weapons, in front of the tion Centre, a Serbian non-prof- was no indication that an attack tacks like those that hit Nice and “long guns” when they raided a including their fl ag, with Islamic Puerta del Sol”. it organisation that provides le- was in the works, but the Span- Berlin. hut in a Madrid park that the two chants and [Islamist militant]- But on Thursday, Interior gal and psychological support to panish police found videos ish government has nevertheless Trucks have also been banned men, Edrissa Ceesay and Samir style phrases”, the court docu- Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido told displaced persons. at the home of a suspected strengthened security during next week from parts of the city Sennouni, used to go to. ment added. reporters there was “no concrete Many migrants are turning to SIslamist militant detained the holiday season. where people gather to watch They also found a memory They published these on evidence that makes us think people-traffi ckers to smuggle this week, showing armed men Madrid for one has taken un- traditional parades celebrating card at Ceesay’s home with vid- Instagram, Facebook and there was going to be an attack them into Hungary or Croatia, in front of an image of a central precedented measures that in- the arrival of the wise men after eos showing them and others YouTube, according to the doc- in Spain”. with the short Croatian border Madrid square where thousands clude using bollards and police Jesus was born. holding an AK-47 assault rifl e ument. Ceesay and Sennouni, both eff ectively sealed and a months- will celebrate New Year’s Eve, vans on roads near the famous Police arrested two alleged Is- and machete, a court document A judicial source who refused Spaniards, have been remanded long waiting list at the barbed- sources revealed yesterday. Puerta del Sol square where lamist militants on Wednesday said. to be named added there were in custody. wire Hungarian border. Gulf Times 10 Saturday, December 31 , 2016 INDIA

TRAGEDY OBITUARY LAW AND ORDER CELEBRITY CRIME Six workers killed in Former minister Family looks to end life Kohli rubbishes Anushka Three held for bid to kill locked bakery blaze Vikhe-Patil dead after girl’s rape, murder engagement rumours rape victim’s mother

Six labourers were asphyxiated to death as they Veteran Congress leader and former Union Alleging police inaction and improper Star cricketer Virat Kohli The Delhi police arrested three persons, including slept inside a locked bakery where a fire broke out minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil died at his home investigation, the distraught family of a yesterday rubbished rumours of a graphic designer, for shooting at a rape victim’s early yesterday, the Pune police said. The blaze, following a long illness. He was 84. Vikhe-Patil is teenaged girl who was allegedly raped and his engagement to Bollywood mother with the intention of killing her, police believed to be caused by an electrical short-circuit survived by his wife, two daughters and three sons, murdered by her friend in Haryana’s Sonipat actress Anushka Sharma. said yesterday. Those arrested are Faisal Hussain, was noticed around 5.45am inside the Bakes and including leader of opposition in Maharashtra, district last month, has sought permission from Rumours of the 28-year-old Kohli 36, the key conspirator and resident of Shaheen Cakes Bakery in Kondva area, an off icial said. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil. Considered a pillar of President Pranab Mukherjee for self-immolation. getting engaged to Anushka Bagh, Wasim, 30, a resident of Jasola village, and Shanu Ansari, 22, Zakir Ansari and Fahim Ansari, the co-operatives movement in the state and The family has written a letter to the president, flooded social media platforms Mohamed Iqbal, 46, a resident of Okhla village, both 24, Junaid Ansari, 25, Irshad Khan, 26, and credited with launching Asia’s first sugar co- highlighting the inaction of Haryana Police after they were spotted together police said. They were arrested by separate police Nishan Ansari, 28, all from Bijnaur district in Uttar operative factory in Loni, Vikhe-Patil had been off icials in investigating the rape and murder of in Uttarakhand. According to the teams following raids at Batla House and nearby Pradesh, were caught unawares as the flames and elected member of parliament eight times from the 17-year-old victim. The family claimed they buzz, they were to get engaged on January 1, areas in Jamia Nagar. “Wasim and Iqbal worked thick smoke quickly engulfed the mezzanine floor Ahmednagar. Leaving the Congress to join the were not allowed to meet Haryana Chief Minister 2017, in Dehradun. Kohli, however, took to Twitter for Hussain, a graphic designer. Wasim and Iqbal where they were sleeping. Rescue off icials said Shiv Sena briefly, he served as minister of state for Manohar Lal Khattar in Gohana recently. The to clear the air in a series of tweets, saying: “We admitted they shot the woman on the instruction the owner had locked the bakery shutter from finance and later as minister for heavy industries in father alleged that the police had even failed to aren’t getting engaged and if we were going to, of Hussain. They had no personal enmity with the outside, trapping and killing the workers inside. then prime minister A B Vajpayee’s government. recover the body of his daughter. we wouldn’t hide it. Simple...” rape victim’s family,” a police off icer said. Disquiet in Kashmir unrest BJP over cash crunch ahead of key polls

Reuters minister’s offi ce to seek solutions New Delhi for the cash crunch, said a senior fi nance ministry offi cial. BJP spokesman G V L Narasim- ash shortages weeks after ha Rao said that despite temporary Prime Minister Narendra diffi culties, the prime minister CModi’s decision to abolish continued to enjoy overwhelming large currency notes are making support. allies and members of his ruling “Party cadres are highly en- party anxious, with some distanc- thused about a big victory in up- ing themselves from the move coming elections, and if a few are ahead of a series of state elections. apprehensive, they will realise the Modi removed Rs500 and reality soon,” Rao said. Rs1,000 notes on November 8, Disquiet within the BJP under- billing it as an attempt to root out scores how Modi’s unprecedented corruption, end terror fi nancing bet is turning into a test of popu- Kashmiri protesters throw stones at police during clashes in the Batamaloo area of Srinagar yesterday. Police fired tear smoke shells to disperse the stone-throwing and move the country into the age larity, and could go some way to protesters in Srinagar. of digital payments. determining his political future. He promised to replace all old It has become a central issue in bills with enough new currency Uttar Pradesh where the outcome notes by the end of this month. of elections early next year will be But his government has strug- key for Modi’s expected bid for a gled to do that, leading to long second term in 2019. lines at banks and a slump in econ- The opposition, led by the omy activity. Congress party, has joined forces, Nearly 90% of transactions in mocking the government for be- the country used to be in cash. ing ill-prepared for so-called “de- Interviews with six lawmak- monetisation” and blaming it for Samajwadi Party splits ers from the Bharatiya Janata hardships faced by the poor as a Party (BJP) and a senior leader result. It has called for Modi’s res- of the party’s ideological par- ignation. ent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak The senior RSS offi cial said they Sangh (RSS), show his party cadre had counselled Modi days before is starting to worry that the cash the move to take time to prepare crunch could hurt their prospects the ground for such a massive ex- as Mulayam expels son in several states that go to the polls ercise, including setting up two next year. new mints and expanding the IANS Singh fi nalised his list of candi- Mulayam Singh told reporters at a elections are held; Akhilesh Ya- is unconstitutional. He (Mulayam Some parliamentarians said banking network, and to roll it out Lucknow dates for the polls in the politi- hurriedly convened presser with dav asked to prove majority in the Singh) acted even before we could that while they thought Modi’s in phases. cally most crucial state. brother Shivpal Yadav sitting by assembly if he continues to stay respond to the show cause notice decision was good, its execution But the prime minister decided The Akhilesh faction with his side. defi ant. If he loses, the Mulayam (issued earlier),” he told the me- had been botched and they were to press ahead, and said he alone he ruling Samajwadi Party Ram Gopal Yadav’s support The SP chief said Akhilesh Ya- faction may be asked to elect a dia. faced with constituents who were would bear responsibility for its (SP) in Uttar Pradesh split came up with a separate list of dav is no longer the chief minister new chief minister. Ram Gopal Yadav said they increasingly upset. failure or success, the offi cial add- Tyesterday between party candidates, sparking crisis in the and the party would decide who Minutes after the expulsion, would go ahead with the party “There is no doubt that it is dif- ed. Earlier this month, N Chan- chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Yadav family and the party as its would succeed his 43-year-old hundreds of Akhilesh support- convention tomorrow. fi cult to convince voters that eve- drababu Naidu, chief minister of and his son and Chief Minister fi ve year rule in the state draws to son. ers, waving banners and post- The Yadav patriarch came rything will be fi ne,” said Santosh Andhra Pradesh and a political ally Akhilesh Yadav who was expelled a close. “I made Akhilesh the chief ers with pictures of the chief down heavily on Ram Gopal Ya- Gangwar, the junior fi nance min- of Modi, abruptly distanced him- from the party following a rift Asserting his authority, Mu- minister. Now he does not even minister, gathered outside his 5, dav and accused him of damag- ister who is leading the BJP cam- self from the move. over the selection of candidates layam Singh said only he, as the consult me,” said the senior Ya- Kalidas Marg residence here to ing Akhilesh’s future prospects paign in Uttar Pradesh. Modi and senior members of his for the assembly elections due party chief, had the right to call dav, adding he was sacking the show their support to him. They apart from weakening the party “Every candidate who will be cabinet defend demonetisation. next early next year. a national council meet and no- son to “save the party”. accused the party chief of doing through his activities. contesting polls is nervous be- In an interview with India To- Also expelled for alleged anti- body else could do so. But a defi ant Akhilesh Ya- “injustice”. “Ram Gopal has weakened cause they feel people may not day magazine on Thursday, Modi party activities was Akhilesh- “We are expelling both dav showed no signs of quitting, Returning the fi re, Ram Gopal the party. He has no right to call vote for the BJP...There is tension said it would give the economy a backer and party general secre- Akhilesh and Ram Gopal from throwing up some possible po- Yadav refused to accept the ex- party’s national convention. He is and we cannot deny it,” he said. boost and provide long-term ben- tary Ram Gopal Yadav who had the party for six years. Both of litical scenarios in the poll-bound pulsion and defended his deci- also damaging Akhilesh’s politi- Of the BJP’s 71 MPs from Uttar efi ts, including forcing the coun- earlier in the day called a national them showed indiscipline...this state. sion to call an emergency conven- cal future, and Akhilesh does not Pradesh, 28 have been to BJP pres- try’s vast shadow economy into convention of the Samajwadi is to send a strong message that These include the imposition tion of the party. understand this,” Mulayam Singh ident Amit Shah and the fi nance the open. Party tomorrow after Mulayam indiscipline won’t be tolerated,” of President’s Rule till assembly “The action taken against me said. 10 dead, many missing Masood Azhar blacklist bid blocked after mine collapse Reuters on the move in April, had now New Delhi blocked it, he said. “We had expected China AFP Some of the workers had es- feet of the mine collapsed as work- would have been more under- Lalmatia caped the disaster site follow- ers headed towards the exit around hina has blocked India’s standing of the danger posed ing the collapse, Mallick said, 7.30pm on Thursday. request to add the head of to all by terrorism,” he said in a with unconfi rmed media reports There was no immediate ex- Cthe Pakistan-based mili- statement. escuers pulled out two more putting the number trapped at 50. planation for the collapse, but tant group Jaish-e-Mohamed to Swarup added that the ina- bodies yesterday from the Images showed the dead cov- the government has launched an a UN Security Council blacklist bility of the international com- Rrubble of a collapsed coal ered with white sheets on make- investigation into the “unprec- of groups linked to Al Qaeda, In- munity to take the step showed mine in eastern India, taking the shift quilts as colleagues and locals edented” incident. dia said yesterday. the “prevalence of double death toll to 10, police said, as looked on at the rescue eff orts. In a separate incident on Thurs- India has accused Jaish-e- standards in the fight against many were still feared trapped. Police and emergency workers day, four miners were injured at Mohamed and its top leader, terrorism”. A massive mound of earth caved used sniff er dogs, earth movers a government-run coal mine in Maulana Masood Azhar, of mas- China’s foreign ministry said in late Thursday at the Lalmatia and their bare hands to remove Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district. terminding several attacks, in- there were diff erent views about open cast mine in Jharkhand state, giant rocks and mangled, over- A mine offi cial said the workers cluding a deadly assault on an the case, so China had put for- burying at least 23 miners and turned trucks to locate the trapped were hit after the roof of the Putki Indian air base in January. ward a “technical shelving” to dozens of vehicles as hundreds of workers under tons of earth. Balihari coal mine partially col- Pakistani security offi cials give more time for consultation, workers battled overnight to res- Prime Minister Narendra Modi lapsed. Two of the workers were interrogated Azhar and his asso- but that regretfully no consen- cue them. expressed his grief on Twitter, critically injured. ciates after the attack, and said sus had been reached. “Up till now, 10 bodies have promising to help the state gov- Jharkhand is one of the richest they found no evidence linking China’s aim is to maintain been recovered after two more ernment in its rescue operations. mineral zones in India, accounting him to it. the authority and eff ectiveness were pulled out. Coal mine au- “Saddened by the loss of lives at for around 29% of the country’s Jaish-e-Mohamed has al- of name listing by the commit- thorities believe that there may a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers coal deposits. However it is also ready been blacklisted by the tee discussing the case, which be two-three more dead bodies are with those trapped inside,” he one of India’s poorest areas and 15-nation Security Council, but accords with Security Council inside,” Jharkhand police spokes- said. the epicentre of a Maoist insur- not Azhar. resolutions and is the responsi- man, RK Mallick, said. Federal disaster and rescue au- gency. Foreign ministry spokesman ble thing to do, it said in a state- “The total dead should not be thorities have dispatched more India has maintained a relatively Vikas Swarup said that India had ment. China will continue to more than 13 or 14, as per assess- than 200 rescue workers to the safe record in mining-related ac- requested that Azhar be added maintain communication with ment,” he added. site. cidents compared to neighbouring to the list nine months ago and all parties, it added. He added that it was diffi cult to The mine is operated by the China, which on average reports had received strong backing If Azhar was blacklisted by know how many may be trapped, government-owned Eastern around 1,000 fatalities every year. from all other members of the the UN Security Council, he but said close to a dozen were still Coalfi elds Ltd. Its top offi cial, Ni- In 2015, India recorded 38 People gather near the site of the collapsed coal mine near council. would face a global travel ban unaccounted for. ladri Roy, said that more than 820 deaths across 570 mining sites. Lalmatia in Godda district, Jharkhand, yesterday. But China, which put a hold and asset freeze. Gulf Times Saturday, December 31, 2016 11 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Death toll from toxic liquor incident up to 39

Thirty-nine people have now died after drinking home-made Islamabad wins its war on liquor mixed with aftershave on Christmas Eve in central Pakistan, off icials said yesterday, including two out of the four suspects accused of creating the toxic brew. Police and hospital off icials added terror, says British journal 23 of the 121 people sickened in the incident, which happened in Karachi in September 2013. Major general Bilal Akbar, military off ensive, Zarb-e-Azb. in the town of Toba Tek Singh, Internews Crimes, terrorism decreased in Karachi: report Islamabad At this meeting Sharif called director-general of Sindh Rang- Taliban groups responded with some 340km (211 miles) south of an end to Pakistan’s culture of ers for the past two-and-a-half a series of atrocities of which the Islamabad, are still in hospital. violence. years, said: “We have appre- most grotesque was the attack Assassinations, kidnappings apprehended, the report said. “So far 39 people have died after ntil a few years ago, Pa- Parts of Karachi, a teeming hended 919 target killers from on the Army Public School in Pe- and terrorist attacks have The majority belonged to consuming toxic liquor,” senior kistan was one of the city of more than 20mn on the the militant wings of political shawar, in which a reported 140 significantly decreased in militant wings of political parties. police off icial Atif Imran, who is Umost dangerous coun- Arabian Sea, had been a war parties since September 2013. children were killed. Pakistan’s largest city Karachi The report said that Rangers investigating the case, said. Most tries on earth. But now the zone for decades. All the main They confessed to over 7,300 That stimulated the National in 2016, said a report released had conducted 1,992 of the dead were Christians. country has won its war against political parties employed para- killings. The daily homicide rate Action Plan in January 2015, by one of country’s most operations and apprehended Imran added that two of the four terrorism, normalising the military wings and some formed in the city is less than two now. hailed by Prime Minister Sharif important paramilitary forces 350 terrorists of diff erent suspects accused of preparing war-like situation in parts of alliances with terror groups It used to be ten or 15, and dur- as the defi ning moment in the yesterday. shades who had aff iliations the mix had died while the other the country, a British journal including Al Qaeda. ing ethnic clashes we could lose fi ght against terrorism. It es- The Rangers released a one- with political or sectarian two were had been charged with reported yesterday. The Taliban had long treas- 100 lives a day.” tablished special military courts page report for year 2016 with parties and those who murder and terrorism related It would be foolish to claim ured a secure basis in Karachi, Just three years ago, accord- and outlawed terror groups spokesman Major Qambar belonged to criminal gangs off ences. that Pakistan’s security prob- as had religious terror groups. ing to the Numbeo interna- which had previously been Raza saying that “target killing operating in the port city. Though legal breweries exist lems are over. But something That was a conventional crime tional crime index, Karachi was given latitude by the state. has substantially decreased The paramilitary force was in Pakistan, alcohol sales and extraordinary and unexpected industry specialising in kidnap, the sixth most dangerous city At the same time, the army during 2016.” given policing powers in 2013 consumption are banned for has certainly happened. Since it drug smuggling and extortion in the world. Today it stands at stepped up its operations. Ac- According to the report, under which they are allowed Muslims and tightly regulated for fails to fi t the established narra- (every business had to pay pro- number 31 – and falling. cording to offi cial fi gures, it has political assassinations and to raid, arrest and keep minorities and foreigners. tive of Pakistan as a dangerous tection money to gangs). Six months after he ordered killed about 3,500 Taliban fi ght- similar targeted killings have suspects in their custody for While wealthy Pakistanis buy nation, it’s gone unacknowl- Pakistan’s politicians toler- the Rangers into Karachi, Na- ers, destroyed 992 hideouts and decreased from 199 cases in three months, a duty usually foreign alcohol on the black edged in the West, says a report ated this. Pervez Musharraf, the waz Sharif took an even more cleared 3,600sq km of territory. 2015 to 86 cases in 2016, in performed by the police. market at heavily inflated prices, published on Spectator.co.UK. army chief and president, was momentous decision. The Nearly 500 soldiers have died. 2013 the number was 965. That report said terrorist the poor often resort to home Violence has not just dropped often accused of allowing the prime minister, whose initial The Taliban have been grave- During the year 446 so- incidents had come down to 16 brews that can contain methanol, a bit. It is down by three quar- armed wing of Karachi’s largest instinct had been to negotiate ly weakened, according to Ba- called target killers were in 2016 from 57 in 2013. commonly used in anti-freeze ters in the last two years. The political party, MQM, to operate with the Taliban and oppose the khtiar Mohamed, director of and fuel. country is safer than at any with complete impunity. use of force, yielded to advice the National Counter Terrorism Eleven Christians died in October point since George W Bush This policy continued under from his generals. He sent the Authority. “The army has gone been brutal. There is very little sion of Pakistan protests that after consuming toxic liquor at a launched his war on terror 15 Musharraf’s civilian successor, army into North Waziristan, very deeply into every nook and testimony from the tribal areas, more than 430 people have been party in Punjab province. years ago. Asif Zardari, whose Pakistan’s the Taliban stronghold on the corner of the tribal areas. There but one expert says Miranshah, executed since the moratorium In October 2014, 29 drinkers were The change can be dated to a People’s Party governed Kara- Afghan border. is no possibility of any revival of capital of North Waziristan, has on the death penalty (which was killed after consuming methanol- special cabinet meeting called chi in coalition with MQM from In June 2014, General Raheel extremism.” been turned into a ‘car park’. imposed by Zardari in 2008) tainted liquor over the Eid public by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 2008 to 2012. Sharif took charge of a massive Some of the methods have The Human Rights Commis- was ended in 2014. holidays. Man wrongly Farm fresh Afghan teens convicted of abusing minor held for Berlin DPA They were convicted of Stockholm forcing the victim, who was under age 15, into a forested area on the outskirts of Upp- Swedish court yes- sala where they raped the in- attack ‘fears terday convicted fi ve dividual at the end of October. AAfghan teenagers of Part of the assault that in- raping an Afghan minor, but cluded a beating was recorded rejected the prosecution’s re- on a mobile phone. quest that they be deported The victim was also threat- for family’ after serving their sentences. ened with a knife. All fi ve defendants and the The fi ve were ordered to pay victim were unaccompanied damages of 250,000 kronor AFP German authorities have since minors who had applied for ($27,600) to the victim whose London identifi ed rejected Tunisian asylum in Sweden. identity was shielded by the asylum-seeker Anis Amri as the Four of the fi ve teens each court. prime suspect in the Berlin attack. received one year and three Prior to the assault the de- he Pakistani man Amri was shot dead by Ital- months in juvenile detention, fendants had consumed alco- wrongly arrested for the ian police on December 23 after the district court in Uppsala, hol and several said they were TBerlin truck attack yes- fl eeing a manhunt in Germany. north of Stockholm, ruled. too drunk to remember the terday said he had told German Following the publication of Farmers wash carrots on a polluted stream during harvest season at a farm on the outskirts of A fi fth defendant, aged incident. police he could not even drive the Guardian interview, Ber- Faisalabad, 329km from Islamabad, yesterday. 16, was given a 13-month The motive for the assault and was now afraid for the lin police strongly denied that sentence. was not clear. safety of his family back home. Baloch had been assaulted. Naveed Baloch, an asylum- In a statement, police said seeker from the troubled they had asked Baloch about province of Balochistan, told the allegations yesterday and the Guardian newspaper he that he “clearly stated he had had just left a friend’s house not been beaten, injured or 792,000 and was crossing a street when mistreated while in custody”. Zardari-led PPP not to hold he saw a police car approach- The statement also noted ing fast and picked up his pace. that there was no professional Pakistanis He said he was arrested translator present during the and taken to a police station, Guardian interview. where he was undressed and Baloch, a shepherd by pro- anti-govt long march go abroad photographed. fession, told the daily that “When I resisted, they start- members of his family in the ed slapping me,” the 24-year- village of Mand in Balochistan Internews organised by the party’s district protest rallies and public meet- nook and corner of the country for jobs old, who has been living in a in southwest Pakistan had re- Islamabad or city chapters. ings, described “the PPP’s long would lend support to it. secret location provided by po- ceived threatening phone calls He said the party’s leader- march programme” as a broad- Haider said the public was lice since his release because he following his arrest. ship had already instructed all based protest campaign that demanding that operations Internews says he is afraid for his life, told “Now they all know I fl ed he Zardari-led Pakistan the PPP chapters to hold rallies would continue till the last days under the National Action Islamabad the British daily. to Germany, fearful of my life, Peoples’ Party (PPP) and public meetings in their of the PML-N government. Plan (NAP) against terrorists Baloch, who sought refuge and that I am claiming asylum Tyesterday said it will not districts and cities. Asked if such a protest cam- and militants should also be in Germany as a member of a here. It leaves my family very mount a march to the capi- When asked if a public meet- paign would manage to create launched in Punjab but Minis- s many as 792,000 edu- secular separatist movement in vulnerable and there’s nothing tal but instead hold rallies and ing would be organised in Is- any grave problems for the gov- ter of State for Interior Balee- cated Pakistanis left their Balochistan, said he struggled I can do to protect them,” he public meetings in various cit- lamabad, Babar said: “Defi nite- ernment, Haider said that even ghur Rehman had tried to pro- Acountry for foreign desti- to communicate because no told the Guardian. ies across the country. ly, the PPP’s capital city chapter if it did not give a serious jolt to tect the Punjab government nations in search of employment translator could be found who Baloch said he left Pakistan “This time, long march [to will also hold a public meeting the ruling party it would at least when he told the Senate recent- in 2016 that witnessed limited could speak his native Balochi. around a year ago, arriving Islamabad] will not be staged that will be addressed by Bhut- mobilise the public against the ly that the provincial govern- job opportunities and fi nan- “I calmly told them I cannot in Germany via Iran, Turkey but many small protest rallies to-Zardari.” rulers. ment had taken action against cial constraints due to various drive at all. Neither can I even and Greece, because of death and public meetings will be On the occasion of the ninth “If the government has no the Chhotoo Gang. reasons. start a vehicle,” he said. threats he had received for held in diff erent cities, includ- death anniversary of his mother fear of Allah Almighty, it will “Taking action against a According to a report com- Baloch was arrested on De- his activism for the Baloch ing the federal capital,” said PPP on Dec 27, Bhutto-Zardari had not care for whatever the op- small group of criminals is the piled by Bureau of Emigration cember 19 in the hours after National Movement. spokesman Senator Farhatullah announced that PPP would position is doing against it,” the internal matter of police and and Overseas Employment, a to- the attack on a Christmas “Most of the people I Babar. mount a long march in protest senator said. not a pride for the whole pro- tal of 444,373 Pakistanis found market in the heart of Berlin worked with have been ar- Babar said that PPP chairman against the non-fulfi lment of The PPP’s protest campaign vincial government,” he said. jobs in Saudi Arabia; 273,639 in in which 12 people were killed. rested and killed. I knew it was Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would his four demands. would now go beyond Bhutto- The Punjab government was United Arab Emirates; 41,065 Police released him 24 hours a matter of time before they try to reach every protest rally Another senior party leader, Zardari’s four demands, he doing nothing against terror- in Oman; 10,097 in Malaysia; later, after failing to fi nd evi- came for me. That’s the reason or meeting to which he would Senator Taj Haider, who has said, as people from all seg- ists and extremists, the senator 8,616 in Qatar; 7,475 in Bah- dence of his involvement. I came to Germany,” he said. be invited. The events would be been tasked with monitoring the ments of society and from every added. rain; and 748 in Kuwait. Hun- dreds of thousands of Pakistanis also succeeded in getting jobs in other countries especially Arab states. The report said those who went abroad included 4,950 en- Balochistan to fi ll 20,000 vacant posts gineers; 4,485 accountant; 6,209 managers; 2,559 doctors; 249 nurses; and 1,106 teachers. Internews provincial Chief Secretary Sai- be fi lled through the NTS. the posts were vacant in the ed- offi cials of the provincial gov- training centres in the province. It stated some 358,602 resi- Islamabad fullah Chattah in the chair was The process of recruit- ucation, health, livestock, social ernment stressed the need for He said a large number of young dents of Rawalpindi went abroad informed that around 35,000 ment on 20,000 posts would welfare and forest departments. fi lling vacancies in provincial people would be trained in these for employment from 1981 to approved vacancies were in dif- be completed in three months. government. institutions. 2016; 142,166 from Attock; he government of Balo- ferent provincial government Recruitment on posts of Grade Recruitment on Meanwhile, Balochistan He said the chief minister had 322,820 from Gujrat; 268,779 chistan province has de- departments. 16 and above would be made posts of Grade 16 government’s spokesper- taken notice of ghost employees from Faisalabad; 268,779 from Tcided to fi ll 20,000 out Chief Minister Nawab through the Balochistan Public and above would be son Anwarul Haq Kakar while in the health and education de- Sialkot; 314,533 from Sheikhu- of 35,000 vacancies in diff er- Sanaullah Zehri after knowing Service Commission which also made through the confi rming the plan of fi ll- partments and issued directives pura; 354,930 from Lahore; ent provincial departments in about these vacancies ordered held competitive exams on 94 Balochistan Public ing 20,000 vacant posts in the for taking strict action against 224,586 from Dera Ghazi Khan; 90 days. The appointments to the departments concerned to posts of assistant commission- Service Commission province said that the provin- them. 335,261 from Lower Dir; and Grade 11 to 15 posts will be made make arrangement for recruit- ers, section offi cers and tehsil- cial government was also mak- Kakar disclosed that a large 118,807 from Abbottabad. through the National Testing ment on them purely on merit. dars last month. Around 20,000 It has also been learnt that ing operational the technical number of posts of ghost em- Pakistani emigrants proceed Service (NTS). The sources said that in the male and female candidates ap- Commander Southern Com- training centre, which was ployees had already been de- abroad through licensed overseas According to sources, a fi rst phase 20,000 vacancies up peared in those exams. mand Lt Gen Aamir Riaz dur- gifted by the Chinese govern- clared vacant and that new peo- employment promoters as well meeting held last month with to Grade 15 would The sources said majority of ing a recent meeting with senior ment to the province, and other ple would be recruited on them. as on direct employment visa. Gulf Times 12 Saturday, December 31, 2016 PHILIPPINES Embassy off ers legal aid to Filipina convict in Kuwait

Manila Times Citing Philippine ambassador to mutation of her sentence,” Villa was last June as a housemaid and was ar- veillance showed that the woman used laibiya Central Jail on Tuesday and as- Manila Kuwait Renato Pedro Villa, Arab News quoted as saying. rested in August. the Telegram messaging application on sured her of the embassy’s assistance. said the 32-year-old woman has told News agency Agence France-Press Local security forces monitored her her mobile phone to contact her Somali “We would like to thank the Kuwait her lawyer to insist that she was a vic- earlier reported that the woman was e-mail accounts and discovered that husband in Libya who has an alleged authorities at the Sulaibiya Central Jail Filipina in Kuwait who was con- tim in the case. sentenced to 10 years in prison by a she was in communication with the link to the Islamic State in Iraq and for giving her due process and protect- victed for allegedly pledging “We fully respect the decision of the Kuwaiti court, which had found her militants’ affi liate in Libya and was Syria and the Levant. ing her rights under the Kuwait law and Aallegiance to the Islamic State Kuwaiti Court and the judicial process. guilty. using a diff erent name to supposedly They alleged that she had only been for guaranteeing her safety,” he said. group and plotting an attack is receiv- On the other hand, we will fi le an ap- The decision is not yet fi nal and may evade the monitoring, according to waiting for the chance to conduct a “We highly appreciate that they are ing legal assistance from the Philippine peal through our legal team before the still be appealed. Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior. suicide bombing attack in Kuwait. taking care of her and all other Filipino government. Kuwait Court of Appeals for the com- The woman entered the Gulf state Kuwaiti authorities said their sur- Villa visited the Filipina at the Su- inmates.”

Militants blamed over holiday bombings

AFP Manila

he Philippine government blamed militants yester- Tday for bomb attacks that left 52 people injured during the mainly Catholic nation’s Christ- mas holidays. An explosion ripped through fi ght fans watching a boxing match in the central town of Hi- longos late Wednesday, while six people were hurt in a roadside bomb attack on the southern island of Mindanao the same night. Police said 13 people were also injured in another blast out- side a Catholic church during Christmas Eve mass on Mind- President Rodrigo Duterte pulls the rope with other government off icials during a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the death anniversary of Filipino national hero Dr Jose Rizal in Manila yesterday. Former president anao on Saturday. Joseph Estrada, now Mayor of Manila is also seen. “It looks like they are employ- ing diversionary tactics else- where to ease military pressure on them,” Defence Secretary Delfi n Lorenzana told reporters. Two small Mindanao-based militant groups, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) Duterte seeks national unity, and the Maute group, are suspect- ed of involvement in the blasts af- ter they formed a tactical alliance and began sharing bomb-making technology, he added.

‘active involvement’ for change ASSISTANCE Govt to off er free Agencies “We are the fortunate re- illegal drugs and corruption.” Duterte urged everyone “to Manila cipient of the fruits of Rizal’s “Indeed, they are our manifest the same fervour and medicines for poor sacrifi ces, the freedom that present enemies. They are the dedication” that moved and he fought for, and the self- modern invaders that sub- motivated Rizal to action. At least P1bn worth of medicines will resident Rodrigo Du- identity and honour that he jugate our people’s hearts, “Let us therefore emu- be made available to indigent pa- terte yesterday called strongly believed we ought minds and spirits,” he said. late the traits of Rizal. Let tients, the Department of Social Wel- Pfor a “period of national to defend. Beyond his pro- The president then called us be willing heroes—patri- fare and Development (DSWD) said. unity” as the country faced a digious and various talents, “active involvement of all otic, faithful, and loyal to our DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo “signifi cant phase” of social Rizal is best honoured when sectors to help us in this war Motherland,” he said. has said poor patients only need development and economic we regard him as a beacon and to bring about genuine change He also expressed hope that a doctor’s prescription to get free growth. moral compass in these chal- in our society.” Filipinos would become their medicines. “As long as they have the In his message during the lenging and perilous times,” “As the nation undergoes own heroes by being commit- doctor’s updated prescription, we country’s commemoration of he said. a signifi cant phase of social ted to advocate good govern- will validate it and give them guar- Jose Rizal’s martyrdom, Du- Until now, however, Duterte development and economic ance and uphold the rule of antee letters that they will submit to terte also sought the “active said, the country is still fi ght- growth, a period of national law, steadfast to end criminal- pharmacies. The assistance won’t involvement” of all sectors ing for independence. Only unity that calls for the co-op- ity and all forms of govern- be in the form of money. They will to help bring about genuine this time, he said, the nation is eration, patience and sacrifi ce ment corruption and com- present the guarantee letter and it change in society, Philippine fi ghting for freedom from the of our people is necessary,” he passionate to the plight of the Duterte shakes hands with supporters as he leads the death anniversary is us who will pay for it,” Taguiwalo Daily Inquirer reported. “bondage of poverty, crime, said. poor and less privileged. celebration of Filipino national hero Dr Jose Rizal in Manila. said in a Palace briefing. Philippines in economic sweet spot but misgivings rising

Reuters drugs. “That has been his obses- wide. Analysts at Nomura have ing even his own ministers, who Manila sion,” he told Reuters. “He es- said his populist, development- scrambled to assure investors — sentially leaves other issues and centred approach suggests he is without his consent — that his concerns to the cabinet.” “strongly motivated” to address policy was to diversify, not sever fter six months at the The strategy seems to have the Philippines’ biggest weak- ties. helm in the Philippines, worked so far although econo- ness — infrastructure. It’s a gambit that could pay ARodrigo Duterte has been mists are beginning to question Expenditure on infrastruc- off , with an intractable dispute touting just two achievements of how long it can last. ture, including on fl ood man- with Beijing now on the back his presidency — a vicious war “That’s what we’re hoping for, agement schemes, ports, a rap- burner and China pledging to on drugs and a surprise alliance that his core economic team can id-transit bus system and a rail provide the Philippines with bil- with his country’s bitter rival, prevail,” said Bank of the Phil- line, makes up a quarter of next lions of dollars in infrastructure China. ippine Islands (BPI) economist year’s record $67bn budget. loans and ramp up farm and fi sh- Yet behind the curse-laden Emilio S Neri. Consumer spending is strong, eries imports. bluster and populist demagogu- “The fundamentals are there helped by $22bn of remittances Nevertheless, economists ery that has defi ned Duterte’s but we are leaning towards in the fi rst 10 months from Fili- warn that hot-headedness and rule, he presides over one of the defi cit spending and stimulus- pinos overseas, a 4% rise. willingness to take big risks world’s fastest growing econo- driven growth and some unsus- Unemployment was a record could be a problem if it spills into mies, and has put cabinet col- tainable populist policies are low 4.7% in the third quarter, policymaking, especially if it leagues to work on drafting re- worrisome.” from 5.7% a year earlier. impacts US fi rms, which account forms and legislation to tackle At the national level, Duterte’s “He should deserve cred- for three-quarters of the coun- the economy’s most stubborn signature campaigns have in- it,” Finance Secretary Carlos try’s $23bn business-processing structural problems. cluded his tilt toward China Dominguez told Reuters. outsourcing (BPO) sector. Advisers say Duterte’s eco- while turning his back on long- “Unfortunately, people are al- Some big US fi rms have de- nomic successes come from us- term ally the United States in ad- ways looking at the controversial layed BPO investments to un- ing a strategy he honed as the dition to the war on drugs. statements. But if you judge it, dergo more due diligence. long-time mayor of Davao City He rarely mentions it, but the he has done an excellent job...the Capital Economics notes at a national level. economy has boomed under his important thing is the trust and a “growing risk that Duterte He concentrates on busting watch, although some of the confi dence of businesses in him makes it harder” to attract big crime and deliberately delegates gains have been ascribed to the is very high.” investment. the handling of the economy to previous administration’s poli- Workers balance on steel frames as the construction of a skyway pushes through at a major thoroughfare Duterte’s volatility and seem- Moody’s has a stable outlook, others. cies and Duterte’s decision to in Metro Manila. ingly unilateral foreign policy expecting “continued econom- By his own admission, Duterte retain them. has caused jitters and confusion, ic outperformance relative to says he is no expert on the econ- Growth reached an annual worries that Duterte’s erratic terte took over, the main stock porters, who say his decisive especially when he turned hos- peers”, assuming Duterte’s drugs omy and leaves it to “the bright 7.1% in the third quarter of the behaviour could impact policy, index has lost nearly 20% in dol- leadership and intolerance of tile towards the United States war doesn’t distract him from guys” in his cabinet. year, Asia’s second highest and with political risk over his drugs lar terms and is among the worst bad governance will be a long- and then started cosying up to his economic reforms. Economic Planning Secretary the country’s strongest quarter crackdown and foul-mouthed performers in Asia. term boon for the economy. China, with which the Philip- “There’s lots of focus going Ernesto Pernia sees the presi- in three years. outbursts at some big donors Over the same period, the peso In Davao City, he helped lure pines has a history of mistrust into the anti-drugs programme,” dent only twice monthly and The government expects full- and investors. currency is down around 5% to investors, dramatically cut red over the South China Sea. said BPI’s Neri. rarely hears feedback. year growth around 7%. The Markets have signalled their the dollar, but other currencies tape and fi red inept offi cials. Duterte announced his “sepa- “In six months, economic He said Duterte was focused economy is expected to grow concern. in the region are also depressed. In 2014, Davao saw growth of a ration” from the United States policy reforms seem to have tak- almost entirely on crime and 6.5-7.5% in 2017, but there are In the six months since Du- But Duterte has plenty of sup- 9.3%, compared to 6.1% nation- in Beijing in October, shock- en a back seat.” Gulf Times Saturday, December 31, 2016 13 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Ministerial talks in Lanka on fishermen issue

India and Sri Lanka will hold the second round of ministerial- level meeting in Colombo Nepal alliance refuses to next week to find a solution to the vexed fishermen issue, Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has said. The first round of discussions was held in November in New Delhi with a view to arriving at a permanent solution on the join local govt elections issue. The delegation comprised Amaraweera, Minister of Foreign Madhesi Morcha leaders to hold polls to local bodies guage, federal boundaries and Aff airs Mangala Samaraweera and meet to chalk out their without approval from Madh- equal representation to Mad- other senior off icials. future strategy in case the es-based parties and without hesis and other marginalised The second round is scheduled Nepal government goes amending the constitution as communities in various state to be held on January 2, ahead with the planned polls they demanded. bodies, the government regis- Amaraweera said. India’s Minister to the local government “Any elections without ful- tered the bill in Parliament on of Fisheries and Agriculture bodies fi lling the demands of vari- November 29. Radha Mohan Singh is expected ous ethnic and marginalised However, due to obstruction to attend the meeting. It is IANS communities will only invite by the main opposition parties, not yet clear if India’s external Kathmandu confl ict. The constitution the government could not table aff airs minister would attend the amendment bill registered in the bill in the house. The Mad- meeting as she is recuperating Parliament Secretariat should hes parties have now called on from an operation. n alliance of Madhes- be revised and approved, which the government to revise the bill “We have held Indian boats based political parties only will pave the way for elec- since it also does not meet their for doing illegal fishing. We Ain Nepal yesterday said tions,” a top Morcha leader said demands and requirements. have released people while they would not participate yesterday after the Medhesi In its four-point statement, confiscating boats. This has in local government elec- leaders’ meetings. the Madhesi Morcha said it will helped us reduce the number tions until their demands are The Morcha leaders held ex- Madhesi Morcha leaders during a meeting in Kathmandu yesterday. hold demonstrations in major of illegal fishing incidents by met through a constitutional tensive deliberations on Thurs- Nepal cities on Monday to pro- 50%,” Amaraweera said, adding amendment. day and yesterday for their fu- in accordance with the Local tion promulgated last year will Commission on new local units. test attempts to announce local that over 120 boats of Indians The agitating Samyukta Lok- ture strategy in case the Nepal Level Restructuring Commis- become invalid. Any demarcation of the lo- poll dates before constitutional indulging in illegal fishing in tantrik Madhesi Morcha issued government goes ahead with sion report. In order to hold local polls, cal bodies should be based on amendment. the Sri Lankan waters are being a strongly worded statement af- the planned polls to the local As per the mandatory consti- the government formed the the population ratio, a Morcha The meeting criticised the currently held by Sri Lanka. ter three major political parties government bodies. tutional provision, Nepal needs panel to come up with new statement said. “The commis- main opposition CPN-UML for India and Sri Lanka on November – the Nepali Congress, Com- The government is under to hold elections to local, pro- numbers of local units refl ect- sion report is unconstitutional; continuously obstructing Par- 4 decided to set up a Joint munist Party of Nepal-Unifi ed pressure from the Nepali Con- vincial and federal bodies with- ing the federal aspirations. we are not going to accept it.” liament’s meeting to block the Working Group (JWG) on Marxist-Leninist and Com- gress and CPN-UML to an- in the next 15 months. If any of The Madhesi Morcha re- In order to address the de- government from tabling the Fisheries to meet every three munist Party of Nepal (Maoist nounce the dates of these local these elections do not take place jected a report prepared by mands of agitating Madhes par- constitutional amendment bill months and hold a meeting Center) – unilaterally agreed polls, which they agreed to hold on schedule, the new Constitu- the Local Level Restructuring ties vis-a-vis citizenship, lan- and a discussions on it. between the ministers for fisheries every six months during the first round of extensive ministerial-level talks held in New Delhi on possible mechanisms to find a permanent solution to the India waiver for tourist visas in Bangladesh emotive issue of fishermen. Three held There have been several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan By Mizan Rahman the process of securing Indian immediate family members ceive walk-in Tourist visa ap- navy personnel firing at Indian Dhaka visas, a statement issued by In- with confi rmed air, rail or bus plications from confi rmed fishermen fishing in the Palk Strait dian High Commission said in tickets (issued by authorised travellers and senior citizens and seizing their boats. for kidney Dhaka. operators for Bangladesh-India from January 1, 2017. The Palk Strait, which is a n a major move to facilitate It said that travellers can bus services) will continue to “With the introduction of these narrow strip of water separating more people-to-people submit their completed visa be applicable at IVAC Mirpur measures, no applicant in Bang- India’s Tamil Nadu state from Sri Icontact, India has an- application forms along with instead of IVAC Uttara from ladesh with a confi rmed journey Lanka, is a rich fishing ground nounced its decision to allow confi rmed journey tickets at January 1, 2017. ticket to India (by air, train or bus) for fishermen from both the smuggling all Bangladeshi travellers hav- IVAC (Indian Visa Application Besides, applicants with ap- will require an e-token or online countries. ing confi rmed air, train or bus Centre), Mirpur in Dhaka. pointment dates or e-tokens may appointment date,” it said. The fishermen associations of tickets to submit their tourist The date of journey should continue to deposit their tourist These measures are aimed at India and Sri Lanka had held talks Agencies knowledge of the victims. visa applications without e-to- be after 7 days but within one visa applications at the follow- facilitating ease of securing In- on the issue last month where Kathmandu Deepak Nepali, 19, is the ken or prior appointments from month of submission of the ing IVACs – Gulshan, Uttara, dian visas for Bangladesh visi- the delegation from the island only victim who has so far January 1, 2017. visa application form, it said. Motijheel, Mymensingh, Barisal, tors to India and strengthen- nation rejected demands for complained to the police The decision was taken as The scheme for walk-in or Khulna, Jessore, Rangpur, Ra- ing people-to-people contacts relaxation of norms for fishermen olice in Nepal have ar- about the theft of his kidney. part of the ongoing eff orts to appointment-free tourist visas jshahi, Chittagong and Sylhet. between India and Bangladesh, from Tamil Nadu to use fishing rested three individu- Police, however, assumed streamline, liberalise and ease for women travellers and their IVAC Mirpur will only re- the statement said. trawlers. Pals who were allegedly there were many victims like involved in a kidney racket him and the investigation across the Indo-Nepal border, would bring out further details. Nepal, China to a media report said. The three identifi ed as Binu The gang took innocent conduct joint New Year celebration ceremony Bahadur Timalsina, 44, Pra- Nepali citizens to Indian military drills kash Basnet, 47 and Bhim cities by promising them Prasad Neupane, 36, report- job and took out their Nepal and China have agreed edly took out kidneys from kidney aft er making to hold their first joint military innocent people by promising them unconscious drills early next year, local media them job across the border. reported yesterday, in a move Police arrested the trio on “Nepali came to know about that could upset regional rival December 21, but made the the removal of his kidney only India. arrest public on Thursday, Re- when he was admitted to While Nepal has organised publica reported yesterday. Chitwan Medical College for military exercises with several The Metropolitan Crime his check-up after he suff ered other countries including India Division of Nepal police said health complications,” a police and the United States, this will be that the three accused were statement said. the first time the Nepal Army and remanded in custody for fur- Khanal informed that the China’s People’s Liberation Army ther investigation on charges criminals would give some will train together. of human traffi cking, while money to the victims after Dubbed “Pratikar I,” the joint they searched for two more. taking out their kidney and ask military exercise is aimed at The gang took innocent them to return home. strengthening the two countries’ Nepali citizens to Indian cit- “So far, they have extracted capabilities in tackling terrorism ies by promising them job and kidneys from fi ve people,” he and disaster management, The took out their kidney after said, adding that they were Kathmandu Post newspaper making them unconscious, two other members of the reported. said Sarbendra Khanal, a sen- smuggling racket. Nepal’s powerful neighbour India ior superintendent of police in Under Nepal’s laws, only is the main supplier of consumer Kathmandu. relatives are allowed to donate goods to the landlocked country, When the victims regained kidneys, but smugglers take but relations between the two consciousness, the criminals advantage of the country’s po- have hit rock bottom following a would say that they were hos- rous border with India where border blockade last year. pitalised after being attacked the organs are harvested. In recent years, China, through with a knife by gangsters,” If convicted, the three face a military aid and investment in Members of the Nepalese indigenous Gurung community wear traditional attire as they take part in a New Year celebration ceremony Khanal told Republica. jail sentence of up to 10 years infrastructure, has increased known as “Tamu Lhosar” in Kathmandu yesterday, held to celebrate their New Year or Lhosar. Gurungs number some 700,000 people, They used to sell the vi- and a fi ne of 200,000 Nepali its foothold in the Himalayan about 3% of the Himalayan nation’s population and are mainly concentrated in the country’s central region. tal organs without the rupees ($1,843). nation. Law ministry opposes Bangladesh war crimes court shifting of tribunal sentences 12 to death in 2016 By Mizan Rahman tory. The government in 2009 decided Dhaka to use it to host the ICT as it didn’t fi nd a better and secured location to host the By Mizan Rahman Mannan, 88, Nasiruddin Ahmed, The fi rst tribunal on August 10 of another accused Lutfor Morol tribunals. Dhaka 62, his brother Shamsuddin Ahmed, sentenced former BNP and Jamaat out of the judgement as he died of he Bangladesh law ministry has “Up until 2009, part of the building had 60 and Hafi z Uddin, 66, to death lawmaker Sakhawat Hossain to a cardiac arrest in police custody on urged the Supreme Court to recon- been used as the offi ce of the Judicial Serv- for their 1971 crimes, while handing death and imprisonment till natural May 6, 2016. Tsider its directive issued for shifting ice Commission and Law Commission. Af- angladesh’s the International down imprisonment for life to their death to his seven cohorts for com- In its last judgment of the year, of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), ter that, necessary renovations were made Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 1 has cohort Azharul Islam, 60. mitting crimes against humanity the ICT-1 on December 5 sen- known as war crimes tribunal, from the to host the ICT there. The rich history of the Bpronounced judgement in six Habiganj razakar commander in 1971. tenced fugitive razakar leader from old High Court (HC) building in the capital building which once was the offi cial resi- cases of crimes against humanity, Mohibur Rahman alias Boro Miah “The sentence of death awarded Shariatpur Idris Ali Sardar to death Dhaka. dence of the Governor of East Bengal and sentencing 12 war criminals to death was sentenced to death while his as above in respect of charge number for committing crimes against The Supreme Court issued the directive Assam has been further enriched through for their crimes during the liberation younger brother Mozibur Rahman two and four be executed by hang- humanity in 1971. on December 4 asking the law ministry to hosting the historic events like the war war in 1971. Angur Miah and cousin Abdur Raz- ing the convict accused Sakhawat Meanwhile, two top war crimi- relocate the ICT from the old High Court crimes trial.” The fi rst judgement came from zak received sentences of imprison- Hossain by the neck or by shooting nals including the now former chief building by December 31. The letter further added that if the ICT the three-member tribunal on Feb- ment till natural death on June 1. him till he is dead, as decided by the of Jamaat-e-Islami, Matiur Rah- In response to the letter, the law ministry was relocated from the Old High Court ruary 2, as it sentenced Netrokona On July 18, the ICT-1 sentenced government,” said Justice Anwarul man Nizami, were hanged in 2016 requested the apex court to reconsider its Building, anger would grip the minds of ‘razakar’ (collaborator of Pakistani three killers of Jamalpur Al-Badr Haque, chairman, the ICT-1. for committing crimes against order. the people and its relocation would cre- army) duo Obaidul Haque Taher and Bahini, Ashraf Hossain, Abdul The other seven accused are Billal humanity in 1971. The letter, signed by a senior assistant ate obstacles to the continuation of proper Ataur Rahman Noni to death as four Mannan and Abdul Bari, to death Hossain, Ibrahim Hossain, Sheikh Nizami’s party colleague and Al- secretary in the ministry of law, justice development. out of the six charges against them and their fi ve companions Sharif Md Mujibur Rahman, Abdul Aziz Badr commander Mir Quasem Ali and parliamentary aff airs, said, “The old In this situation, the people of Bangla- were proved beyond any doubt. Ahmed, Md Harun, Abul Hashem, Sarder, Qazi Ohidul Islam alias Wa- was hanged in Kashimpur Central High Court building is a historical estab- desh want the trial to continue at the old HC On May 3, the tribunal sentenced Shamsul Haque and Yusuf Ali to im- hidur Salam, Aziz Sarder and Abdul Jail on September 3, for his crimes lishment of Bangladesh with a long his- building, the letter said. Kishoreganj razakars Gazi Abdul prisonment till natural death. Khalek Morol. ICT-1 left the name against humanity during 1971. Gulf Times 14 Saturday, December 31, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko Learning to love a

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] multipolar world Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) The only sane way forward poisoning of the oceans, and the United Nations, the Bretton Woods But “China’s rise thus far has Fax 44350474 threat posed by global warming to the institutions, the Marshall Plan, the already bred geopolitical, military, for the US is vigorous and world’s food supply, vast drylands, and reconstruction of Japan, and more. economic, and ideological challenges open global co-operation heavily populated coastal regions. Under that order, the rest of the to US power, US allies, and the Yet global co-operation means the world has closed much of the vast US-dominated international order,” to realise the potential willingness to reach agreements with technological, educational, and Blackwill and Tellis noted. “Its of 21st-century science other countries, not simply to make infrastructural gap with the US. As continued, even if uneven, success in unilateral demands of them. And the economists say, global growth has the future would further undermine GULF TIMES and technology to slash US is in the habit of making demands, been “convergent,” meaning that US national interests.” poverty, disease, and not making compromises. When a poorer countries have been catching US President-elect Donald Trump’s state feels destined to rule – as with up. The share of the world economy newly named trade adviser Peter environmental threats ancient Rome, the Chinese “Middle represented by the US has declined Navarro agrees. “Whenever we buy Kingdom” centuries ago, the British by roughly half (to around 16% products made in China,” he wrote US is headed for a By Jeff rey D Sachs Empire from 1750 to 1950, and the currently). China now has a larger last year of the US and its allies, “we New York US since World War II – compromise economy in absolute terms than the as consumers are helping to fi nance is hardly a part of its political US, though still only around one- a Chinese military buildup that may vocabulary. As former US President fourth the size in per capita terms. well mean to do us and our countries huge expansion of merican foreign policy George W Bush succinctly put it, None of this catching up was a harm.” is at a crossroads. The “You’re either with us or against us.” perfi dious trick against the US or at With just 4.4% of the world’s United States has been an Not surprisingly, then, the US is its expense. It was a matter of basic population and a falling share of Aexpanding power since its fi nding it hard to accept the clear economics: given peace, trade, and a world output, the US might try to military spending start in 1789. It battled its way across global limits that it is confronting. global fl ow of ideas, poorer countries hang on to its delusion of global North America in the 19th century In the wake of the Cold War, Russia can get ahead. This tendency is to be dominance through a new arms race and gained global dominance in the was supposed to fall in line; but welcomed, not shunned. and protectionist trade policies. Doing On December 22, US President-elect Donald Trump second half of the 20th. But now, President Vladimir Putin did not But if the global leader’s mindset so would unite the world against US startled the worldwide community of arms-control facing China’s rise, India’s dynamism, oblige. Likewise, rather than bringing is one of domination, the results of arrogance and the new US military experts with a message on Twitter. Africa’s soaring populations and stability on US terms, America’s catch-up growth will look threatening, threat. The US would sooner rather economic stirrings, Russia’s refusal covert and overt wars in Afghanistan, which is how many US “security than later bankrupt itself in a classic He wrote: “The US must greatly strengthen and to bend to its will, its own inability Iraq, Syria, Libya, South Sudan, strategists” view them. Suddenly, case of “imperial overreach.” expand its nuclear capability until such time as the to control events in the Middle East, and elsewhere created a fi restorm open trade, long championed by The only sane way forward for the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.” and Latin America’s determination to stretching across the greater Middle the US, looks like a dire threat to its US is vigorous and open global co- The next day, Trump spoke off -camera with Mika be free of its de facto hegemony, US East. continued dominance. Fear-mongers operation to realise the potential of power has reached its limits. China was supposed to show are calling for the US to close itself 21st-century science and technology Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joe programme and One path for the US is global gratitude and deference to the US for off to Chinese goods and Chinese to slash poverty, disease, and reportedly told her, “Let it be an arms race. We will co-operation. The other is a burst of the right to catch up from 150 years of companies, claiming that global environmental threats. A multipolar outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all.” militarism in response to frustrated abuse by Western imperial powers and trade itself undermines American world can be stable, prosperous, and But on the same day, President Obama signed ambitions. The future of the US, and Japan. Instead, China has the audacity supremacy. secure. The rise of many regional legislation that could do more to set off an arms race of the world, hangs on this choice. to think that it is an Asian power with My former Harvard colleague and powers is not a threat to the US, but an Global co-operation is doubly responsibilities of its own. leading US diplomat Robert Blackwill opportunity for a new era of prosperity than anything the president-elect has said. The vital. Only co-operation can There is a fundamental reason, of and former State Department adviser and constructive problem solving. – National Defence Authorisation Act, an annual bill deliver peace and the escape from a course, for these limits. At WWII’s Ashley Tellis expressed their unease Project Syndicate aff ecting every aspect of the US military, for the first useless, dangerous, and ultimately end, the US was the only major in a report published last year. The time strikes the word “limited” from the language that bankrupting new arms race, this time power not destroyed by the war. It US has consistently pursued a grand z Jeff rey D Sachs is Professor of including cyber-weapons, space led the world in science, technology, strategy “focused on acquiring and Sustainable Development, Professor describes the nation’s missile defence system. weapons, and next-generation nuclear and infrastructure. It constituted maintaining preeminent power of Health Policy and Management, Another provision in the law calls for the Pentagon to weapons. And only co-operation perhaps 30% of the world economy over various rivals,” they wrote, and and Director of the Earth Institute begin research, development and testing of space-based can enable humanity to face up to and formed the cutting edge of every “primacy ought to remain the central at Columbia University. He is also missile defences. urgent planetary challenges, including high-tech sector. It organised the objective of US grand strategy in the Director of the UN Sustainable That opens the door for virtually unlimited spending the destruction of biodiversity, the postwar international order: the 21st century.” Development Solutions Network. on new missile defence systems aimed at countering a nuclear threat from Russia and China, an escalation from current systems designed to stop smaller threats from nations like North Korea. This signifi cant The new arms change in US policy was made quietly on Capitol race is not solely Hill and approved by overwhelming of US making bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress. Although President Obama issued a four-page signing statement criticising parts of the bill, he was silent on the changes in the nuclear defence policy. A 2012 study of missile defence technologies conducted by a panel of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of Congress estimated the minimum cost of building a space-based missile defence system at $200bn, not including hundreds of billions of dollars to operate it. The co-chair of the panel, retired Lockheed Corp executive L David Montague, said in an interview that a missile defence system could never ensure against a dedicated attack, but was “an opportunity to waste a prodigious amount of money.” Of course, to some members of Congress, it’s not a waste of money if it creates a brand new defence facility With so many new innovations becoming available, Africa’s family farmers need their governments to invest in their future. and high-paying jobs in their districts. But the new arms race is not solely of US making. Trump’s message on Twitter followed a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin vowing to “strengthen How to help the African ‘Dust Bowl’ the strategic nuclear forces” of his nation, and calling for an upgrade of non-nuclear forces so they are By Jeff Raikes My father realised that he couldn’t and other technologies have been soil is missing key nutrients, and many “capable of neutralising any military threats.” Seattle go it alone, and that he would need developed for African family farms farmers lack the technical knowledge The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward reported better access to fi nancing. So he – those with 4-5 acres or less – to and resources to restore their land’s helped guide – fi rst as a customer, use in the fi eld. In October, a group fertility, leaving them unable to take that military and intelligence sources see “a giant icture a small farm under a and later as an adviser and director of scientists received the World Food full advantage of new technologies. buildup” of Russia’s nuclear arsenal while the US blazing hot sky. An intense – Farm Credit, a national banking Prize for producing and disseminating African farmers growing new crop relies on ageing weapons from the Kennedy and drought is affl icting the cooperative network, in its eff orts to a sweet potato variety that adds varieties are increasing their yields Reagan eras. Trump’s national security adviser, Psurrounding region, prospects help local farmers weather the Dust vitamin A to Sub-Saharan Africans’ by only 28%, compared to 88% for for the next harvest are bleak, and the Bowl years. He also helped found the diets, and other new seed varieties are farmers in Asia. retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, told Woodward the fi nancial system lacks the capacity to Nebraska Farm Business Association, helping farmers survive the harvest- My parents made certain that president-elect is convinced the US has to modernise provide the loans farmers need to get which aggregated the data that he crushing drought. all fi ve of their children graduated and spend “vast amounts of money” to maintain a by. This scenario describes today’s and his peers collected, so that they But, as a recent report from the from college. Like them, farmers position of strength. southern Africa, which is in the grips of could determine best practices. And Alliance for a Green Revolution in everywhere want to ensure that their an epic drought. As it happens, it also he worked together with my mother, Africa (AGRA) makes clear, government children lead healthy, prosperous lives; The so-called “peace dividend” that followed the describes eastern Nebraska in the “Dust Alice, who ran the family poultry investment must follow the science. and they all recognise the importance end of the Cold War in the 1990s appears to have run Bowl” years of the early 1930s – a period business. Agriculture comprises almost two- of education. The farmers I have met its course. The US is headed for a major expansion of through which my own family lived. Farm Credit and the University thirds of Sub-Saharan Africa’s around the world often just want to military spending, set in motion by lawmakers of both My father, Ralph Raikes, was the of Nebraska’s labs and greenhouses workforce, and in 2003 the African sell enough extra produce to pay their political parties and by two presidents. fi rst in his family to graduate from emerged out of United States Union called for countries to increase health bills and put their children college. After working for Standard government programs that had been their investment in the sector to an through school. They take advantage The biggest fi ght may be between Congress and the Oil in California, he stopped by created to improve the agriculture ambitious 10% of all government of opportunities when they arise, and White House about where the money will be spent fi rst. his parents’ farm on his way to sector’s performance. That sector was spending. Only 13 countries answered they position their children to reap Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he under water in 1933; with one-quarter that call, but their investments – in larger profi ts in the future. planned to pursue graduate studies at of the population living on farms research and development, services One hopes that an American story MIT. He never made it. He had to stay at the time, more investment was that help farmers take advantage of new of economic progress, like that of my in Nebraska and help my grandfather needed. That year, Congress passed research fi ndings, credit and fi nancing family, will soon be an African story, To Advertise save the family farm from the banks, the fi rst “farm bill,” the Agricultural initiatives, commodity exchanges, and too. With so many new innovations which had already repossessed one- Adjustment Act, which boosted other marketing eff orts – have already becoming available, Africa’s family [email protected] third of the land. investment in the rural economy and paid dividends. Those 13 countries have farmers need their governments to Display The most important change my helped lift farm income by 50% within experienced marked improvements in invest in their future. If they do, that Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 father made was in his mindset: he two years. Federal farm programmes agricultural production, per capita GDP, future will look much better than came to think of the farm not as a treated farming as a business and nutrition. today’s dusty and desperate reality. - Classified subsistence operation, but as a family enterprise, enabling businessmen like Government investment paves the Project Syndicate Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 business. He turned to the University my father to prosper. way for private-sector investment, of Nebraska, where he had received his Eighty years later, African farmers and it could be a game-changer for z Jeff Raikes is Co-founder of the Subscription undergraduate degree, and acquired need to make the same switch, by African farmers, who have operated Raikes Foundation, former CEO of [email protected] hybrid corn and other improved seeds treating their subsistence operations at subsistence levels for far too long. the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, that the university was developing. as family-owned enterprises. And, Only about 6% of rural households and, previously, President of Microsoft Then he tracked inputs and weather like my father during the Dust Bowl in Sub-Saharan Africa receive loans Business Division. He is a board 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved conditions, which was rarely done at years, they have novel means at their from fi nancial institutions. Moreover, member of the Alliance for a Green that time. disposal: a wide range of new seeds almost two-thirds of African farmland Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Gulf Times Saturday, December 31, 2016 15 COMMENT Educating Syria’s rebuilders Students in devastated Syrian world’s most renowned academics. cities can now pursue their The model’s benefi ts extend far beyond quantifi able metrics such as chosen degrees, thanks to a enrolment numbers or matriculation unique online programme fi gures. The UoP provides an invaluable good: hope for the future, made available by the and the means to prepare for it. This is University of the People (UoP) not something that can be airdropped or delivered by a humanitarian convoy. Education is a basic human right, By Gordon Brown and in regions riven by chaos, it can London nurture a sense of normalcy for the many, not just the few. In two months, on March 1, n Aleppo, the devastated Syrian displaced and refugee students will city and former rebel stronghold receive even more help, with the that has now been retaken by launch of the Platform for Education ISyrian government forces, in Emergencies Response, a new online there was a glimmer of hope even service that connects college-ready as the bombs were falling. Amid the students with higher-education ruins, learning endured, as 15 young institutions and sponsorship Syrians prepared for their university opportunities around the world. PEER, exams. They could not walk to a which is partly funded by former college campus, because so many of New York University President John the country’s universities have been Sexton’s education charity, Catalyst, reduced to rubble. But they could still will be administered by the Institute of earn their degrees, thanks to a unique International Education (IIE). online programme made available by With this new service, refugee the University of the People (UoP). students can post their CVs online for Every week, the Syrian students university admissions offi ces to peruse, participate in online courses alongside and the universities themselves can pupils and instructors from around list all of their academic and cultural the world. Through these virtual off erings and terms. This will help classrooms, they pursue their chosen match the right students with the right Amid the ruins, learning endured, as young Syrians prepared for their university exams. They could not walk to a college campus, because so many of the country’s degree in business administration, schools, and the IIE will also provide universities have been reduced to rubble. computer science, or health science. a tutoring and counselling service The courses are so well prepared – online and offl ine – for students are paramount – and not on the and programs administered by When the day comes that Syrians can today’s youth, so I asked him why. “I that many of these highly motivated seeking opportunities to study abroad. big picture. But, thanks to inspired nongovernmental organisations such fi nally begin to rebuild their country, want to rebuild Syria,” he said. With students will be invited to attend We already know that, on average, leadership by former United Nations as the UoP and the IIE, those displaced they will need qualifi ed people. That is the help of initiatives like the UoP and Western universities later in their refugees spend at least ten years High Commissioner for Refugees youths could now gain an education why philanthropists in the United Arab PEER, thousands of young Syrians will studies. away from their home country. If Antonio Guterres – who will now be lifeline. Emirates, and across the Middle East, someday be able to play their part in The UoP’s programme has been a they are deprived of an education the UN’s ninth Secretary-General – Many of them have been bunkered are supporting the invaluable, ongoing their country’s reconstruction as well. rapid success. Its enrollees currently during that time, they will have few and current Commissioner Filippo down in Aleppo, which has just been education initiatives described here, as – Project Syndicate include 500 Syrians – half of whom employment opportunities in the Grandi, the UN Refugee Agency is now evacuated. But that does not mean that well as establishing scholarship funds to are still holed up in their war-torn future. Not providing an education making education a high priority. they are safe. Whether they end up provide more help from within the region. z Gordon Brown, former Prime homeland, while the other half are for displaced people has been one Syria once had the highest-quality in Idlib province or somewhere else, When I recently met a 14-year-old Minister and Chancellor of the refugees – and 6,000 other students, of our humanitarian-aid system’s universities in the region; now, a they will still be threatened by Syrian refugee in Beirut who yearned to go to Exchequer of the United Kingdom, from almost 200 countries. The UoP’s biggest failures. We have focused half-million students who would have government bombs. As their nightmare school, I asked him what he wanted to is United Nations Special Envoy for inventive model was developed by the only on the short term – the fi rst attended them cannot do so because continues, we must at least provide do when he grew up. He replied that he Global Education and Chair of the education entrepreneur Shai Reshef, few weeks of people’s displacement, of the civil war. But with support them with the education and training wanted to be an engineer. That is not a International Commission on Financing and has been endorsed by some of the when supplying food and shelter from global-governance institutions they will need for the future. particularly popular profession among Global Education Opportunity.

LEGAL HELPLINE Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY High: 28 C Low : 17 C The role of labour inspectors Hazy to misty / foggy at places at first becomes moderate temperature day time, relatively cold by night By Nizar Kochery terminated either by payment of the court consider the case? How is A punishable act Doha value of the cheque or by withdrawal of the arbitrator appointed and who SUNDAY the complaint following the occurrence will fi x his remuneration? Please over parking row High: 29 C of the crime and prior to the issuance advise. Q: I do not have an assigned vehicle Low: 17 C QUESTION: I have been newly of a fi nal court judgment. Accordingly, SI, Doha parking lot at my residence. Usually, Sunny appointed as the HR manager the criminal action shall be ended/ I park my car on the roadside in a company. The company terminated upon withdrawal of the case A: As per Article 190 of the Civil where parking is allowed for the owns a camp for workers in the by the complainant or upon payment and Commercial Procedure Law, public. Last week, on my way back MONDAY Industrial Area. I found lapses of the cheque value subsequent to the any agreement referring disputes from offi ce, I found the space was High: 26 C on the management’s part to perpetration of the crime but prior to to arbitration must be in writing. occupied by some other car. I asked Low: 16 C comply with the requirements and the issuance of a fi nal verdict. Where there is an arbitration clause the driver to move his car, but he Sunny I came to know that there will be In order to sell the car, ask your friend in any agreement and a party to that refused to do so. On that particular inspection from certain concerned to prepare a special power of attorney agreement has begun substantive day, I was really exhausted after departments. As per the Labour authorising you to sell the car which proceedings in the court, the other work and, out of anger, I let the air Fishermen’s forecast Law, what is the role of labour should specifi cally state the purpose party may raise objection on the basis out of a tyre of that car. Now, I have OFFSHORE DOHA inspectors? Will they issue prior and it should include all relevant of the arbitration clause. Generally, received a summons from the court Wind: NW 05-15/ 18 KT notice before inspection? Please details to identify the car. The power the court stay proceedings as there is and I understand that the owner of Waves: 1-3/4 Feet advise. of attorney prepared outside Qatar for arbitration clause. that vehicle has lodged a complaint INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW 03-12KT YU, Doha use in Qatar requires to be notarised, Upon the request of the party, the against me. Kindly advise me the Waves: 1-2 Feet attested, and consularised to the level court shall appoint the arbitrator and consequences. ANSWER: In order to ensure legal of the Qatari embassy in the country the parties are able to agree on the JS, Doha Around the region compliance, labour inspectors shall of origin, before it is re-attested by arbitrators’ costs, but where there Weather Weather have authority to enter the places of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs in is no agreement, the court is able to A: The said act committed by you today Max/min tomorrow Max/min work without prior notifi cation, for Qatar. determine such costs. Article 210 attracts the provisions of Article Abu Dhabi Sunny 26/19 Sunny 26/18 inspecting the registers, books, fi les of the procedure code provides that 389 of the Penal Code, which covers Baghdad P Cloudy 17/07 M Sunny 17/05 or any other documents related to the remuneration of arbitrators shall be instances such as destructing, Dubai P Cloudy 28/17 P Cloudy 27/18 Kuwait City workers. They may inquire from the Arbitration clause specifi ed by agreement of the litigants damaging or spoiling, on purpose, Sunny 24/13 Sunny 22/11 Manama Sunny 26/17 Sunny 25/17 employer or his representative or any in agreement thereof in the arbitration agreement or other’s movable or immovable Muscat Sunny 29/19 Sunny 29/18 of the workers individually or in the in a subsequent agreement, otherwise properties, or making them unusable, Riyadh Sunny 29/13 Sunny 28/12 presence of witnesses on any of the Q: We included an arbitration they shall be specifi ed by the court invaluable, useless or invalid. The Tehran M Cloudy 14/07 P Cloudy 14/04 matters related to the implementation clause in the agreement with our primarily competent in hearing the punishment prescribed under the law of labour law and regulations. They sub-contractor and now there is a dispute, in virtue of a motion of one of is either imprisonment for a period of are also empowered to inspect the dispute on the payment schedules. those concerned, in the presence of the three years, or a fi ne of no more than residence of the workers for assuring It was agreed as per the agreement rest of them or in their absence after QR10,000, or both. their compliance with the required to appoint the arbitrator by court. being served summons to appear. The health conditions. They have approached the court decision of the court shall be fi nal. z e-mail: [email protected] for the pending payments. Will the Criminal case for bounced cheque Q: My friend had borrowed some LEGAL SYSTEM IN QATAR amount from a person and he issued a cheque as a guarantee for The court may, upon the application more than the required limit, the com- repayment. He left Qatar and the of any partner, approve the dissolu- pany can be transferred into Limited issued cheque got bounced because tion of any Simple Partnership, Joint Liability Company and the remain- of insuffi cient funds. We came to Partnership or Joint venture company ing shareholders shall be responsible know that the lender has fi led a if reasonable causes justifi ed the same. for the company debts. In the event criminal case against him. What is Any condition depriving partner from that the number of shareholders in a the legal provision? On discussion exercising such right shall be null and company falls below the minimum and with my friend, we have decided to void. If the reasons justifying dissolu- remains at this level for one year, every make repayment by selling the car tions resulted from the acts of partner, interested party may apply to the court Around the world owned by him. How can I sell the the court may order the dismissal of to dissolve the company. Weather Weather car owned by him? Please advise. the partner from the company; and in The Limited Liability Company today Max/min tomorrow Max/min ON, Doha this case, the company shall continue shall not be dissolved upon share- Athens M Cloudy 07/02 P Cloudy 09/03 to exist among the other partners. The holder’s withdrawal from the com- Beirut Rain 13/08 Showers 14/09 A: Issuance of a cheque without entitlement of dismissed partner shall pany, death, attachment thereupon, Bangkok P Cloudy 32/23 P Cloudy 33/24 Berlin M Sunny 03/0 P Cloudy 03/01 suffi cient balance in the bank account be assessed according to its value on declared bankruptcy, or insolvency, Cairo Sunny 17/07 Sunny 17/06 is a crime. A complaint for cheating the day of the dismissal judgement, unless the Articles of Association Cape Town Sunny 27/19 Cloudy 27/19 against the signatory of the cheque and shall be paid to him in cash. The stipulates otherwise. Colombo P Cloudy 33/24 S T Storms 31/24 can be lodged. According to Article dismissed partner shall not have any Board shall call for an Extraordinary As per Article 298, if the losses Dhaka M Sunny 27/17 Sunny 27/16 P Cloudy 22/21 357 of the Qatar Penal Code, whoever entitlements in the company’s rights General Assembly meeting to consider of the Limited Liability Company Hong Kong 21/19 P Cloudy Istanbul Rain&Snow 05/02 S Showers 04/-1 draws in bad faith a cheque without accruing thereafter, except to the the continuation or dissolution of the reached half the capital, the direc- Jakarta P Cloudy 33/24 S T Storms 33/25 suffi cient funds or who, after giving extent that such rights accrued out of company before the duration fi xed tors shall, within thirty days from the Karachi P Cloudy 30/16 Sunny 31/15 the cheque withdraws all or part of the transactions preceding the reasons of in its Articles of Association. If the date of losses, shall refer the matter of London Fog 08/07 Rain 07/02 funds, so that the remaining balance his dismissal. The court may also order Board of Directors fail to convene the reinstating the capital or dissolution of Manila Showers 31/25 P Cloudy 31/24 Moscow Cloudy 02/02 Showers 03/01 is insuffi cient to cover the amount of the dissolution of the company at the Extraordinary General Assembly, or the company to the General Assembly. New Delhi Sunny 23/11 Sunny 23/10 the cheque, or gives an order to the request of a partner in the event of if a resolution on the matter could In case of dissolution of company, a New York P Cloudy 06/04 Sunny 08/02 drawee to stop payment, or deliberately failure on the part of the other partner not be passed, every interested party resolution approving the dissolution Paris P Cloudy 01/-3 Cloudy 03/02 writes or signs the cheque in such a to fulfi l his undertakings. may apply to the court to dissolve the is required to be passed by majority Sao Paulo I T Storms 33/22 S T Storms 32/21 P Cloudy P Cloudy 09/03 manner as to make it dishonour shall According to Article 295, if the company. vote similar to the requirements for Seoul 07/-3 Singapore T Storms 31/24 T Storms 31/24 be sentenced to imprisonment or fi ne Public shareholding company losses Where the shareholders in Public the amendment of the Articles of As- Sydney P Cloudy 26/21 S T Storms 26/19 or both. The criminal case pertaining half of its capital, the members of Shareholding Company are reduced sociation. Tokyo Clear 12/02 Clear 13/03 to a dishonoured cheque shall be Gulf Times 16 Saturday, December 31, 2016 QATAR

Some residents spend their weekend fishing on the Doha Corniche despite a ban on such activity. PICTURES: Joey Aguilar While a cycling ban is in place, residents still engage in the activity. Fishing, cycling continue on Doha Corniche despite ban By Joey Aguilar including the risk posed by cy- he said, readying his fi shing rod, and also due to the places’ prox- However, some residents of them also leave behind gar- banned activities, he observed. Staff Reporter cles to children playing along the hooks, bait and other accesso- imity to their homes. who regularly walk and jog on bage such as tea/coff ee cups and The expatriate urged cyclists promenade. ries. Two anglers belonging to a the promenade raised safety plastic bags. to cycle in designated areas to Speaking to Gulf Times, one While some places in the diff erent group shared similar concerns over the practice of Apart from fi shing, he point- prevent accidents, saying the of the anglers said fishing is the country allow such activities, views, saying they found these fishing in the area. Hooks left ed out that cycling also poses a entire Corniche stretch is meant number of banned activi- only hobby he has, and engages the angler said he and his group locations attractive and appeal- behind by anglers on the walk- danger to families and children for pedestrians, who visit the ties continue to take place in the activity together with preferred to fi sh on the Doha ing. way are among their prime who visit the Doha Corniche. place in large numbers this time Aon the Doha Corniche friends, especially on week- Corniche and an area near the “Sometimes it is not about worries. He recounted that a speeding of the year. “While we all want to with many residents spending ends. Museum of Islamic Art. getting a good catch but more “These hooks can injure pe- cyclist almost hit some chil- enjoy the weather now, we also their free time to fi sh and ride “Yes, we know fi shing is not He said they also feel more about enjoying the environment destrians and children who play dren who were playing in front need to consider the safety of bicycles in the area, it is learnt. permitted in this area. But no comfortable at these two loca- here while we spend time,” one in this area, which serves as a of the Oryx statue. However, every visitor by simply adhering This has prompted many regular one has asked us to stop or leave tions due to the relaxing ambi- of them noted. “For many it is playground to them,” an Asian despite such risks, many peo- to the rules,” another resident visitors to raise safety concerns, the place in the past two years,” ance, particularly in the winter, boring, but for us it is fun.” resident said, adding that some ple continue to engage in the added. Box Festival off ers unique products at The Pearl-Qatar

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

he ‘Box Festival Doha’, a unique shopping event at TThe Pearl-Qatar’s Qanat Quartier, will off er a variety of food and other items until to- morrow. Several local vendors are par- ticipating in the festival, which A 1,200sq m playground for children at the venue. PICTURE: Ram Chand started on December 12. They sell a variety of items and prod- ucts in colourfully-designed shipping containers set up a few metres away from the location’s beach area. “We have been receiving a good number of customers since the opening and we hope to at- tract more until tomorrow,” said an employee at a shop. Apart from traditional clothes, she noted that they also sell other items such as home decor, phone and personal accessories, and stuff ed toys for children. Various shops off er a wide range of products such as car- Colourfully-designed shipping containers served as shops for a variety of products at the Box Festival pets, men’s, women’s and chil- Doha. PICTURE: Ram Chand dren’s clothes, natural beauty products, jewellery, perfumes, Each shop sells a variety of items. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar toys, bed accessories, shoes, bags, and hand-made items, among others. Pure and wild honey from Yemen and Oman, which a vendor claims to be medicinal, are also off ered at a reduced price of up to 50% until tomorrow. Some shops are selling Turkish (ground) cof- fee, teas, sweets, and nuts. The vendor hopes to partici- pate in similar festivals in Qatar in the future to promote healthy products such as honey and tea to both local and foreign visi- tors. Many residents come to the festival not only to shop but also to spend time with friends and families at some of the eater- ies and cafes at the food court, according to another vendor. She said the location is ideal for those who like to relax and have a coff ee while enjoying the pleas- ant weather. “Burgers, sandwiches, sweets, and hot and cold drinks are available at the food court for all and for beach goers who want to take a break,” she added. A 1,200 sq m playground is also set up at the location to serve as a recreational area and attraction for visitors, especially A young boy cuddles two minion stuff toys A shop sells a variety of jewellery items and for children. Carpets on display at the festival. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar offered at a shop. PICTURE: Ram Chand accessories. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar