BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Messi back in training but Valverde Over 320 aircraft to join will not Qatar Airways fl eet in next few years: Al-Baker take risks published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 11086 February 6, 2019 Jumada II 1, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief

QATAR | Offi cial Qatar, EU reach Amir condoles with Kuwaiti leader His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim landmark ‘open bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin skies’ agreement Khalifa al-Thani yesterday sent cables of condolences to the Amir of Kuwait Deal likely to take eff ect petition. Our hope is that the success of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al- before end-2019 these negotiations will encourage other Sabah on the death of Sheikha Lulwa trading blocs and signifi cant aviation Mohamed al-Ali al-Malek al-Sabah. By Pratap John markets to join in achieving a liberal- Chief Business Reporter ised global aviation regime for future QATAR | Diplomacy generations. “The agreement will off er a common Amir sends message atar and the European Union platform for airlines in Europe and Qa- to Malaysian PM have “concluded negotiations” tar to understand each other better, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim Qfor a landmark Comprehensive creating new opportunities for collab- bin Hamad al-Thani has sent a written Air Transport Agreement, which may oration and co-operation. message to Malaysian Prime Minister take eff ect before the year-end. “We approach the principle of fair Dr Mahathir Mohamad pertaining The announcement on the conclu- competition very simply: fair access to to bilateral relations and means of sion of negotiations was announced markets, competing for market share developing them. The message was by European Commissioner for Mobil- based on products and services of what handed over by Qatar’s ambassador ity and Transport, Violeta Bulc, on the the customer wants and is willing to to Malaysia Fahad bin Mohamed sidelines of the CAPA Aeropolitical and purchase.” Kafood during a meeting with the HE Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Aff airs, President and chief executive of QP, and Darren Woods, Regulatory Aff airs Summit at the Sher- European Commission director gen- Malaysian Prime Minister. chairman and chief executive of ExxonMobil Corporation, shake hands as US Energy Secretary Rick Perry (right) looks on after aton Doha yesterday. eral (Mobility and Transport) Henrik signing the agreement to develop the more than $10bn Golden Pass LNG export project in Texas, in Washington DC yesterday. The “historic agreement” will be the Hololei said: “We are very pleased to QATAR | Ties fi rst of its kind ever between the EU and have concluded our negotiations with a Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) the State of Qatar here in Doha today. Ghana president gets member state, providing a “signifi cant Thanks to the strong commitment of message from Amir competitive edge” to air carriers of all parties, we have managed to recon- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim both sides and a sustainable framework cile our diff erences and found common bin Hamad al-Thani has sent a written for future operations. ground through honest engagement message to Ghana’s President As a result, all air carriers from the and open dialogue.” Nana Akufo-Addo pertaining to QP and Exxon to go 28 European Union member states and “Intense discussions were held as relations between the two countries Qatar now have “unlimited and unre- part of the negotiations, which will be and means of boosting them. The stricted access” to their respective ter- the basis for a holistic future-oriented message was delivered by Qatar’s ritories. aviation partnership covering not only ambassador to the Republic of Ghana As part of this agreement, Qatar and the issues relating to market but also Mohamed bin Ahmed al-Humaid the EU have taken bold steps by agree- issues such as safety, security, envi- during a meeting with the President ahead with $10bn ing to articles on: fair competition, ronment and social aff airs. When the of Ghana on Monday. environment, consumer protection, agreement is reached, it will be a mile- social aspects and transparency, as well stone as it will be the fi rst of its kind in ARAB WORLD | Politics as the inclusion of a doing-business the GCC. provision, which exempts EU carriers “As a result of this agreement, we Lebanon’s new govt from the obligation to hire a local Gen- will have predictable legal framework to stay out of confl icts Texas LNG project eral Sales Agent (GSA) in Qatar. between the two parties. It will form Lebanon’s new government said Qatar Airways Group Chief Execu- the basis for future co-operation and yesterday it will stick with existing Export facility to have a production capacity of 16mn tonnes of LNG per year tive HE Akbar al-Baker said: “Through solidify our co-operation,” he said at a policy of keeping out of regional these negotiations, both sides have press conference. conflicts like Syria after talks to set atar Petroleum (QP) and Exx- benefi ts in the US including federal, the US economy and the neighbour- demonstrated that positive engage- “Yes, we will be able to come to a policy. Lebanon declared a principle onMobil are going ahead with state and local tax revenues over the ing local communities in the US gulf ment can build trust among nations, so conclusion on the agreement this year,” of “disassociation” in 2012 to keep the Qthe more than $10bn Golden life of the project. coast,” al-Kaabi said. they can embrace the benefi ts of com- Hololei told Gulf Times. To Page 7 deeply-divided state formally out of Pass Terminal LNG (liquefi ed natural “The Golden Pass LNG export The development of the Golden complex regional disputes such as gas) project, located in Sabine Pass, project is not our fi rst investment in Pass LNG export facility enhances the the lengthy war in neighbouring Syria. Texas. the US, and is certainly not going to be depth and fl exibility of its global LNG The project, which is owned by our last. It represents a signifi cant part supply portfolio, and reinforces the Taliban hold rare talks with Afghan politicians Golden Pass Products – a joint venture of the plans that QP had announced position of the US as a key contribu- of QP (70%) and ExxonMobil (30%), to invest $20bn in the US energy sec- tor to meeting the world’s growing de- The Taliban began an extraordinary after the insurgents held talks with US was announced yesterday during a tor, which we believe would bring great mand for LNG, he said. meeting with high-ranking Afghan negotiators about ending the 17-year special ceremony held in Washington benefi ts for both the US and Qatar,” “The Golden Pass project is proof politicians – including women – war. The meeting in Russia is “nothing DC. said HE Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, the that two of the world’s top energy pro- yesterday in Moscow, where rivals of more than a fantasy. No one can decide It will pave the way for the con- Minister of State for Energy Aff airs, ducers can work together as allies to President Ashraf Ghani called for an without the consent of the Afghan struction of the Golden Pass LNG ex- President and chief executive of QP. increase energy diversity, advance en- interim government as they negotiated people,” Ghani told Afghan broadcaster port facility with a production capac- Highlighting the signifi cance of this ergy security, and support rather than without him. TOLOnews late Tuesday. ity of about 16mn tonnes of LNG per event in the context of the US LNG subvert an open energy marketplace,” The unprecedented gathering saw “Those who have gathered in Moscow year. The project will commence soon, industry, he said: “This investment Rick Perry, the US Secretary of Energy the Taliban outline their vision for have no executive authority. They can and is expected to create in excess of of over $10bn is of a particular im- said. Afghanistan – including rules around say what they want.” 45,000 direct and indirect full-time portance as one of the largest single Darren Woods, chairman and chief women and the adoption of an Islamic But many of his chief opponents – jobs in the US during the construction investment decisions in US LNG his- executive of ExxonMobil Corporation, constitution – before heavyweights, including some contesting presidential period, which is expected to take about tory.” said both QP and it have for decades including former president Hamid elections in July – were present in the fi ve years. “We will all continue working to- successfully demonstrated their capa- Karzai, in televised talks. Russian capital, and some called for the It is estimated that the project will gether towards the successful execu- bilities of producing, shipping and mar- The roundtable, which saw women formation of an interim government to generate more than $35bn of economic tion of this project, which will benefi t keting natural gas globally. To Page 5 defend their rights, comes a week include the Taliban. Qatar, FIFA launch joint venture to organise 2022 World Cup

he 2022 FIFA World Cup has of- fi cially entered tournament de- British man held in UAE for wearing Qatar football shirt Tlivery mode after Qatar and FIFA announced the launch of a new joint A British football fan has been between Qatar and Iraq on January venture to organise the event. arrested and detained in the United 22. The tournament took place in the The ‘FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Arab Emirates after he wore a Qatar UAE between January 5 and February LLC’ (joint venture) was unveiled as the national team shirt to a match. Ali 1 and was won by Qatar. Ahmad body responsible for delivering the fi rst Issa Ahmad, 26, a British Arsenal wore a Qatar shirt to the match not FIFA World Cup in the Arab world after fan who lives in Wolverhampton, knowing that doing so in the UAE is the nine-member management board travelled to the UAE for a holiday an off ence punishable with a large met for the fi rst time yesterday in Doha. in January. While he was there he fine and an extended period of The new delivery model will capital- got a ticket for an Asian Cup match imprisonment. Page 8 ise on the planning expertise the Su- preme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has built up since winning the right players and offi cials in 2022. with chairman of the joint venture, said: to host the tournament in 2010, accord- While the joint venture focuses on “The formation of this new joint venture ing to a statement issued by the SC. tournament delivery, the SC will con- comes at a strategically important time Combined with FIFA’s extensive tinue to manage the development of on Qatar’s World Cup project as we com- tournament expertise, this innovative event infrastructure, along with the plete our various infrastructure projects, model of delivering world football’s various legacy programmes. and turn our attention to fi nalising the premier event aims to ensure an opti- Hassan al-Thawadi, who will com- unique fan and player experience that mum World Cup experience for fans, bine his role as SC secretary-general Qatar 2022 will provide.” To Page 5 The board members of ‘FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC’. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 QATAR

Qatar-US media ties reviewed SJC chairman meets chief of Paraguay SC

HE the Chief Executive Off icer of Qatar Media Corporation (QMC), Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani, met the Charge d’Aff aires of the US embassy in Qatar William Grant yesterday. During the HE the Chairman of the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) and President of the Court of Cassation Dr Hassan bin Lahdan al-Mohannadi meeting, they discussed the media relations between the two countries and means of enhancing met the President of the Supreme Court of Paraguay Dr Jose Raul Torrres Kirmser in Doha yesterday. The meeting discussed the them. judicial and legal co-operation between Qatar and Paraguay and prospects to enhance it. HMC and Q-Post Al-Hammadi meets UN officials sign agreement z The partnership will provide premium services to patients

QNA Doha

amad Medical Corpora- tion’s (HMC) has signed Ha partnership agreement HE the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi with Qatar Post, to provide a met the Director of the Middle East and North Africa division of the High Commissioner for number of premium services to Human Rights Off ice Mohamed al-Nosor, and the Director of the UN Human Rights Training and patients, including the delivery Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab region, Dr Abdulsalam Sayed Ahmed. of medical reports. The meeting discussed enhancing prospects of co-operation, in addition to matters of common The agreement was signed by concern. HMC’s Deputy Chief of Qual- ity and Director of the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute Nasser al-Naimi, and Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Postal Services Faleh al-Nuaimi. OFFICIAL The collaboration will of- Education ministry fer HMC patients the option to request a number of premium services, the fi rst of which will seminar to prepare for see Qatar Post deliver medical reports to its patients’ doorsteps, for a small fee. This cross-in- global assessment dustry partnership will support HMC in simplifying the delivery of patient medical reports and he Ministry of Educa- ing to internationally recog- Public security will improve patient experience. tion and Higher Educa- nised standards. head meets envoy This service will be fi rst Ttion is organising dis- Head of international as- launched at Hamad General cussion seminars that will run sessments at the education of Burkina Faso Hospital, starting 10 February, till the end of February focus- ministry, Shaikha al-Ishaq, and then rolled out across the HMC’s Deputy Chief of Quality and Director of the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute Nasser al-Naimi, ing on its preparations to hold said participating in interna- HE the Director of Public Security, HMC network. and Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Postal Services Faleh al-Nuaimi signing the agreement. the Trends in International tional tests is a national duty Staff Major General Saad bin The agreement will also see Mathematics and Science that will enhance the name Jassim al-Khulaifi met the HMC work with Qatar Post on portunity to have their medical bolster our patients’ experience stakeholders involved. The prima- Study (TIMSS). Qatar in the fi eld of education ambassador of Burkina Faso to the possible future delivery of reports delivered to their home, and support HMC in reaching its ry focus of Qatar Post is to provide The TIMSS will be held dur- and motivate students to par- Qatar Adama Compaore in Doha health cards and medical con- anywhere in Qatar, instead of ambition of delivering the best services in a manner that works ing March by the ministry’s ticipate seriously. yesterday. During the meeting, sumables, such as syringes, collecting them from the hospi- care always, to all of our patients. for its customers. Qatar Post has international assessments of She called on school admin- they discussed topics of interest medical gloves, and IV fl uids. tal. It will also improve access for Qatar Post has a strong reputa- helped many organisations in the the Evaluation Institute. istrations, teachers and par- to both countries and issues of Teams from the two organisa- patients who need medical care, tion for safely and effi ciently country to transform their level of The seminars are part of ents to carry out their respec- common concern. tions are working towards de- by reducing the number of indi- delivering goods across the na- customer service. We are always the procedural plan for the tive roles to achieve this goal. veloping a robust process which viduals visiting HMC hospitals,” tion. With this partnership, we seeking new and innovative ways preparation and training of TIMSS is a global assess- NHRC chief meets will further enhance services of- said Nasser al-Naimi. are looking forward to providing to enhance the delivery of our the fi eld staff to implement the ment aimed at focusing on ed- fered to patients. “This service will be the fi rst real and lasting benefi ts to our services and are excited about this test. The candidates are cho- ucational policies and systems, Malaysian MPs “This joint eff ort has been de- in a set of premium services that patients,” added Faleh al-Naimi. partnership and the profound im- sen from the schools and are studying the eff ectiveness veloped to support our patients, we plan to off er to our patients. He said that partnerships like pact it will have on the experience trained in administrative and of the applied curricula and HE the Chairman of the National providing them with an op- These value-added services will this are a win-win situation for all of HMC’s patients.” technical procedures accord- methods of teaching. –QNA Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Ali bin Samikh al-Marri met two members of the Malaysian Parliament, Nurul Izzah Anwar and Nor Azrina Binti Surip, in Doha yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed ways QFMA holds training on ‘combating fi nancial crimes’ to promote co-operation and partnership between NHRC and Malaysia. They also discussed QNA cussed the role of the private means of exchanging expertise Doha sector in combating such crimes. on both countries’ experience in It aims to enable participants protecting and promoting human with the tools to examine the rights. he Qatar Financial Mar- crimes of money laundering, kets Authority (QFMA), terrorist fi nancing, bribery, cor- Real estate Tin collaboration with the ruption and fraud. Union of Arab Securities Au- The programme has been de- transactions thorities (UASA), has held a spe- signed to be highly interactive, cialised training programme on so that participants are invited The volume of real estate “Combating Financial Crimes”. to discuss a number of real-life transactions in the sales The two-day programme cases and practical experiences contracts registered with the was attended by 144 trainees in order to gain an objective and Department of Real Estate representing 51 entities in Qa- practical understanding of the Registration at the Ministry of tar, including professionals and nature of fi nancial crimes. Justice from January 27 to 31 those working in fi nancial serv- In respect of money launder- amounted to QR317,415,042. ices industry, involved in regu- ing, the programme discussed According to the weekly bulletin lation, law enforcement, trade the international Anti-Money issued by the Department, the list and commerce, as well as private Laundering (AML) standards, of sold real estate includes lands, sector. the Financial Action Task Force houses, residential buildings, The programme addressed (FATF), as well as the role of in- multi-use lands and multi-use various issues related to fi nancial ternational bodies. buildings. crimes, including money laun- With regard to terrorist fi - Sales were concentrated in the dering, terrorist fi nancing, brib- nancing, measures to combat QFMA off icials with training programme participants. municipalities of Al Rayyan, Al ery, corruption and fraud, along the fi nancing of terrorism, the Daayen, Doha, Umm Salal, Al with the practical defences, and standards for combating it and Practices Act (1977). Regarding cators were discussed. they discussed considerations UASA, with the possibility of Khor, Al Thakhira, Al Wakrah and focuses on how laws, regula- terrorist listing have been ad- corruption, corrupt practices, On fraud, the programme in- for the fi nancial services indus- obtaining a professional quali- Al Shammal. tions and best practice continue dressed. combating corruption, the role cluded investment fraud, market try, risks, and practical business fi cation from the Chartered In- The volume of real estate to evolve across the entire spec- As for bribery, it included of multi-lateral and bilateral in- abuse, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act safeguards. stitute for Securities and Invest- trading during the period from trum of associated activities. examining the UK Bribery Act stitutions, mutual legal assist- 2002, and tax evasion and on fi - Participants were given of- ment “CISI” after passing the January 20 to 24 amounted to The training programme dis- (2010) and Foreign Corrupt ance (MLA) and corruption indi- nancial crime risk management fi cial certifi cates issued by the appropriate exam. QR324,523,570. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 3 QATAR ‘Fun Days with Qatar

The music video of Selma is set in the hometown of Kahlil e-Nature’ launched at Gibran, Bcchareh in Lebanon. Offi cial music seven public parks video for song he Ministry of Munici- pality and Environment Selma released T(MME), represented by the Public Parks Department Internationally acclaimed film in Gibran’s birthplace pays (PPD), Sasol and Oryx GTL have musical masterpiece ‘Broken homage to this visionary’s announced the launch of ‘Fun Wings’, composed by Dana contribution to the literature, Days with Qatar e-Nature’, a Alfardan, Qatar’s foremost poetry and art spheres.” series of family entertainment musical composer, in Dana worked with a nine- activities at seven public parks collaboration with West End piece semi-staged production in Qatar. star Nadim Naaman, has orchestra by Joe Davison The Fun Days activities will be released the second video (who has worked previously held over seven Fridays, start- from the musical soundtrack with Adele and Leona ing on February 8 and ending for the song Selma. Lewis) at the Theatre Royal on March 22, from 2pm to 6pm Broken wings is a musical Haymarket in 2018 to debut every Friday. adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s ‘Broken Wings’. The events It is an initiative designed to poem, which premiered in of the musical highlight key raise environmental awareness London’s West End in August issues of the time, yet the and promote knowledge in an in- 2018, at Theatre Royal themes and debates raised teractive and engaging way, or- Haymarket. remain increasingly relevant ganisers have said in a statement. Produced by Ali Matar and today to both local and The announcement was made Off icials at the press conference. directed by Bronagh Lagan, international audiences. yesterday at the PPD headquar- the show is set to return to Selma is the second off icial ters in the presence of offi cials tions, fun activities, planting ex- ple, especially the young, to plant public aff airs at Sasol, said, “Dif- of this important environmental the stage in 2019, with details song to be released from from the organising parties as periences and interactive games, trees and increase green spaces. ferent parks throughout Qatar event, which is in line with Oryx of international shows to be the ‘Broken Wings’ musical well as representatives of Vo- in addition to various sports The objectives of the Fun Days were selected to directly engage GTL’s vision and commitment to announced soon and with Doha after ‘Spirit of the Earth’ was dafone Qatar, the offi cial tel- such as zumba, karate and kick- initiative and Qatar e-Nature in and reach the largest possible raise environmental awareness potentially on the line-up. released in April 2018. A ecommunication sponsor of the boxing. Gymmito Fitness Club general are in line with these ef- audience. We thank the Public among the public and encour- The music video introduces ‘Broken Wings’ concept album event. will present a balance game for forts. We thank Sasol and Oryx Parks Department at the MME, age children to plant trees. We the audience to the featuring an all-star cast was The activities will be held children, Vodafone Qatar will GTL for this initiative and wish Oryx GTL and all the sponsors for thank all partners and sponsors masterminds behind ‘Broken released in May. consecutively at Izghawa Park present an augmented reality all family members a great time their support and co-operation.” for their eff orts and call on eve- Wings’; musician and co- To watch the Selma video, one (February 8), Al Sheehaniya game to educate children about at the seven parks.” Questions at the competitions ryone to participate in and enjoy composer Nadim, and Qatari can visit https://www.youtube. Park (February 15), Al Khor Plaza online safety, and Sasol will Winners of the weekly con- and planting experiences will be the Fun Days.” composer Dana. Nadim is on com/watch?v=kezOpASNzxg; Park (February 22), Celebration present a ‘small steps for healthy tests, and in a draw that will take based on content that is available Mohamed al-Yami, executive vocals while Dana plays the the video for ‘Spirit of the Square Park – Al Daayen (March habits’ game. place at the end of the Fun Days, free of charge in the Qatar e-Na- director, external aff airs at Vo- piano. Inspired by Gibran’s life, Earth’, the first song released 1), Al Legtaifi ya Park (March Moreover, ‘This is Qatar’ will will receive prizes presented by ture application and website in dafone Qatar, said, “We are de- the video is set in his beautiful from ‘Broken Wings’ can 8), Al Shamal Park (March 15) off er photography workshops for the sponsors and supporters of Arabic and English. The applica- lighted to be the telecommunica- hometown, Bcchareh in be viewed at https://www. and Al Wakrah Public Garden adults. the event – including Vodafone tion contains offi cial information tion partner of this event. We are Lebanon. youtube.com/watch?v=t9b3_ (March 22). Each park will host PPD director Mohamed al- Qatar, Flik Cinema, Aura and about plants, birds, insects, rep- committed to promoting online Commenting on the video, g1qUDQ. The ‘Broken Wings’ a fun day so that all areas and Khouri said, “Through its various Baladna Farm. The prizes include tiles, mammals, marine life and safety in the society, and the Fun Dana said: “Selma’s music concept album is available communities in Qatar will be departments, the MME is work- mobile phones, cinema tickets, nature reserves in Qatar. Days gives us a good opportunity video aims to capture the on iTunes, Apple Music, covered, the statement notes. ing to promote the culture of entertainment vouchers and Mohamed al-Enazi, chief ad- to harmoniously integrate digital essence of Kahlil Gibran’s work Spotify and most digital music The Fun Days with Qatar e- sustainability and environment more. ministration offi cer, Oryx GTL, education with environmental and philosophy. Choosing to platforms. Nature will feature competi- protection and to encourage peo- Jack Saba, general manager, said, “We are pleased to be part education.” Ooredoo announces digital price tag system rollout

oredoo has kicked time focusing on customer off a new paperless needs. And from a visual Oprice tag system perspective, shops look called ePaper labels at the neater, more digitalised and Ooredoo shop along Old modern. Airport Road, and will ex- Speaking about the new tend the rollout of the new digital tag system, Manar solution to other Ooredoo ink, paper, and labour are enabled, meaning the Khalifa al-Muraikhi, direc- shops very soon, evidenc- reduced, and the poten- technology installed can tor, public relations and ing its commitment to en- tial for mistakes is greatly communicate direct- corporate communications vironmental responsibility reduced; price tags are ly with the customer’s at Ooredoo, said: “We’re and digitalisation. synchronised with central smartphone. There is constantly looking at ways The new digital price pricing systems, increas- also a QR code that can to improve the customer tag system – the fi rst to be ing accuracy and allowing be scanned and pushed to experience at our shops, used in Qatar – provides a any amendments to be car- Ooredoo online channels and ways to improve our number of benefi ts to cus- ried out quickly and eas- to provide features of the business in line with our tomers and shops, as well as ily. Promotions and special displayed device or enable corporate strategy. Digital- the environment. off ers can also quickly and online purchase. ising our price tagging sys- Obviously, without the easily be incorporated into Customer service will be tem is of great benefi t to our need for paper, the new the system to refl ect on the enhanced by the introduc- customers and also propels system is entirely sus- digital price tags. tion of the tags, as staff will us further along our path to tainable and environ- All labels are near-fi eld spend less time on paper complete digitisation, a key ment-friendly. Costs of communication (NFC) tagging and can spend more goal for Ooredoo.”

Traff ic shift along 1km of Al Bustan Street onto parallel road The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) the completion of road works, Ashghal required to use Salwa Road or Ekhrais has announced a traff ic shift in both has said in a statement. Street to reach their destinations. directions on a 1km stretch of Al During this time, traff ic in both The authority will install road signs Bustan Street, before Faleh Bin Nasser directions of Al Bustan Street will be advising motorists of the traff ic change. Intersection on Salwa Road. shifted to newly constructed parallel It has requested all road users to abide The diversion will be implemented from roads with two lanes each, as shown on by the reduced 50kmph speed limit February 10 in co-ordination with the the attached map. on alternative routes (the new parallel General Directorate of Traff ic, and will The exit on Al Eshaiqer Street will also roads) and follow the road signs to be in place for a year and a half to allow be closed; therefore, road users will be ensure their safety. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 QATAR

Unesco launches call for 2019 prize on ESD

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has announced that the call for nominations for the fifth edition of the Unesco-Japan Prize on Education QU conference focuses on for Sustainable Development (ESD) is now open. The Unesco-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development, consists of three annual awards of $50,000 for each recipient. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education pointed out that this prize honours outstanding projects by individuals, institutions and organisations related to ESD, noting that the terms and conditions of the award can be found on website www.unesco.org/esd The deadline for receiving tourism strategies for Qatar applications is April 30. — QNA

he College of Law (LAWC) at Hassan Abdel Rahman al-Ibra- Qatar University (QU) organ- him, assistant secretary-general of Tised its annual conference on the National Tourism Council said, law and tourism titled ‘Law in Keep- “Promoting tourism is one of Qa- ing Up with Tourist Activities: Spe- tar’s national priorities, and part of cifi cities and Prospects.’ the state’s plan for diversifi cation of The event was in co-operation economic resources. with the National Tourism Council The College of Law is keen to con- (NTC) and under the sponsorship of sider tourism sector from a legal per- the offi ce of Sheikh Dr Thani bin Ali spective, and in consolidating Qa- al-Thani for Law and Legal Consul- tar’s presence as a state-of-the-art tancy. tourist destination with historical “The conference aims to provide and cultural roots. Following the es- solutions and recommendations to tablishment of the National Tourism various challenges in the tourism in- Council, Qatar has witnessed an in- dustry in the country,” QU president creased interest in tourism activity.” Dr Hassan al-Derham told the open- Sheikh Thani bin Ali al-Thani, ing session. Some of the dignitaries at the conference. founder of Thani bin Ali Al Thani “One of the main objectives is Law Firm and Legal Consultants to address the legal framework of sired objectives,” he said. There were towards the world’s most prestigious said: “Qatar has adopted and im- the tourism sector, both nation- three main themes: Supervising and football tournament and the most plemented legislative reforms in ally and internationally, which will organising the tourism sector, the widely viewed sporting event, FIFA relation to the tourism sectors in ac- help identify the legal and technical private sector commercial activity World Cup 2022. cordance with its vision to become challenges facing the tourism sec- in the fi eld of tourism investment This growth of the tourism sector an international hub. tor at the local, regional and inter- and the private sector commercial in the country raises legal, economic Promoting the tourism sector is national levels. This conference will activity in the fi eld of tourism in- and social challenges and hence the key to diversifying Qatar’s economic allow us to exchange ideas, experi- vestment. “The establishment of importance of this conference, con- resources and, therefore, a number ences and research in order to reach National Tourism Council promises ducted to highlight the legal aspects of reforms were implemented in- conclusions and recommendations a fl ourishing future in the fi eld of associated with tourism.” explained cluding the Amiri Decree to establish that will assist in achieving the de- tourism, especially as we are heading Dr al-Derham. the National Tourism Council.”

Joyalukkas unveils jewellery designs

oyalukkas has unveiled its exclusive ‘Be Mine’ col- lection for the Valentine’s Day celebrations. The Jlimited-edition collection features “intimate heart- themed jewellery, including pendants, rings and brace- lets in certifi ed diamonds, rose and yellow gold,” the jeweller has said in a statement. “Love is the most powerful emotion and the highest form of happiness; our ‘Be Mine’ collection is crafted with passion to refl ect that everlasting love. The ‘Be Mine’ collection has been well received by our patrons exchange during the promotion period, Joyaluk- over the years, and this year, we have added more style, kas has said. Exclusive gift boxes with the Valentine’s patterns and designs based on current trends. We are Day theme have been designed for the new collection, The limited-edition collection sure it will appeal to people from all generations of life,” “making it an ideal choice to gift your loved ones”, the features heart-themed jewellery, Joy Alukkas, chairman and MD of Joyalukkas Group, statement adds. including pendants, rings and said on the occasion. The off er is valid until February 16 at all Joyalukkas bracelets in certified diamonds, Customers can also enjoy 0% deduction on gold branches around the world. rose and yellow gold. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 5 QATAR

Another step in trade NBK Automobiles takes part in ties, says US diplomat atar and the US have taken pertise and fi nancial strength to another step forward in this project. ‘Ladies Test Drive Open Day’ Qtheir strong investment, “The US and Qatar both stand commercial, and trade ties with to benefi t from this investment – asser Bin Khaled (NBK) to support the ladies in our com- cedes-AMG GLE 43 Coupé looks the announcement of the fi nal in- one of the largest single-project Automobiles, the au- munity and give them the atten- impressive as well. vestment decision in the Golden energy infrastructure invest- Nthorised general distrib- tion they deserve, and we look Despite the similarity to an Pass LNG (liquefi ed natural gas) ments by a foreign entity in the utor of Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, forward to contributing to more SUV with its raised seating posi- export terminal on the Texas Gulf US in recent years. participated in the ‘Ladies Test events in the coming months.” tion and an all-round view that Coast, the US Chargé d’Aff aires to “This project fortifi es Qatar Pe- Drive Open Day’ last week at Lo- The four Mercedes cars received is expansive for a coupé, the oc- Doha William Grant (pictured) troleum’s long-standing relation- sail International Circuit. Four a great deal of attention from la- cupants are led to believe that said yesterday in a statement. ship with ExxonMobil and opens sports cars were provided by the dies who were impressed by the they are in sports rather than “This joint ExxonMobil and the door to more investment in the luxury brand for guests to drive. overall look and feel of the cars, off -road mode. Qatar Petroleum investment of US by Qatar Petroleum. Organised by Losail Circuit their features and capabilities, and The Mercedes-AMG GT is $10bn will provide increased “For Americans, we will Sports Club, the “fi rst event of additionally, the safety level they distinguished by its long bonnet, and reliable supply of LNG see thousands of new jobs, its kind” in Qatar aims to deliver off ered, the statement added. cockpit positioned far back, and to global gas markets and improvements to energy a safe and fun place for ladies to The Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 is a wide and powerful rear end. is one more prominent infrastructure, and a range test drive a variety of cars under a four-door coupé with an iconic With its long bonnet, a green- example of the strength of direct and indirect the supervision of experts and A Mercedes-Benz sports car provided by NBK Automobiles on the shape that reshaped cars for a house set well to the rear and of the US and Qatar’s economic benefi ts. This safety professionals. track during the event. new era. extremely short overhangs, the strategic economic and project ensures that the US The event strictly abides by The CLS broke new ground by Mercedes-AMG GT reveals clas- energy partnership. Both and Qatar will continue to be the international standards fol- to female drivers, characterised place where women can con- fusing the elegance and dyna- sic sports car proportions. Qatar Petroleum and global energy leaders for lowed in such sports. by luxury, safety, sportiness and nect and exchange ideas, share mism of a coupé with the com- An exciting interplay of fl ow- ExxonMobil bring ex- years to come.” NBK Automobiles was repre- reliability”. experiences and learn from one fort and functionality of a sedan. ing lines and curves creates a sented by four cars: Mercedes- Mercedes-Benz has built and another; a hub for sparking con- The third generation seam- trendsetting design of sensual QP, Exxon to go ahead with Texas LNG project AMG CLS 53, Mercedes-AMG maintains a strong connection versation, off ering new perspec- lessly connects every unique el- purity that makes the Mercedes- GLE 43, Mercedes-AMG GT and with women in Qatar through its tives and supporting ambitions. ement of the CLS and elevates it AMG GT a dynamic sports car. From Page 1 The project’s engineering, Mercedes-Benz SL 400, “re- dedicated platform ‘She’s Mer- Ihab El Feky, chief opera- by setting new standards in de- The Mercedes-Benz SL 400 is procurement and construction fl ecting its commitment to the cedes’, the statement notes. tions offi cer – Auto at Nasser sign, safety and technology. a legendary sports car tradition, “We look forward to bringing contract was awarded to a con- local community and support- The platform is dedicated Bin Khaled Group, said: “Nasser The sporty nature of a Mer- dynamically transported into the our shared expertise to bear at sortium comprising Chiyoda, ing events”, the company said in to “inspiring, connecting and Bin Khaled Automobiles and cedes-AMG GLE 43 is imbued present time with the latest sus- Golden Pass, which will help to McDermott and Zachry and was a statement. empowering women to be their Mercedes-Benz are pleased to with the striking characteristics pension technology. This Mer- provide low-cost, cleaner-burn- executed at the ceremony by The participation also “dem- best, both behind the wheel and take part in this special event of a robust SUV. cedes among roadsters impresses ing natural gas to meet growing senior executives representing onstrated the brand’s promise in their everyday lives”. dedicated to ladies. This partici- In addition to convincing on- with eff ortless superiority which global energy demand and im- the consortium together with to off er a range of vehicles suited It is an inspiration circle; a pation refl ects our commitment road vehicle dynamics, the Mer- seeks to prove nothing. prove living standards,” he said. Golden Pass LNG. Qatar World Cup will be one of the best ever, says al-Thawadi From Page 1 very pleased to launch this new Creating a joint venture forms erational Offi ce Yasir al-Jamal tar, will help to ensure that the the opportunities and challenges by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin organisation and collectively part of FIFA’s vision to create an and QFA vice president Saoud World Cup continues to be the that come along with it.” Ahmed al-Thani, President of the He said he was “confi dent that develop the best possible opera- organisation that streamlines al-Mohannadi. most eagerly awaited event by Smith said “the Qatar-based Qatar Football Association (QFA), the combination of FIFA’s ex- tional plans for 2022. the operational delivery of the Samoura said: “Today we take billions of fans worldwide.” joint venture that will plan and who congratulated them on the tensive tournament experience, “In less than four years’ time, World Cup. The management a major step in the organisation Colin Smith, managing di- deliver the next FIFA World Cup formation of the new joint venture and our own tactical experience we will be welcoming the partic- board of the new entity will be of the biggest single-sport event rector of the joint venture, said: will work together with FIFA in and the achievement of yet an- and the nine years’ hard work al- ipating teams and over 1mn fans composed of FIFA’s secretary- in the world. Created in accord- “The continuous growth and Zurich as one team and combine, other Qatar World Cup milestone. ready invested in the project will to Qatar for the world’s biggest general Fatma Samoura, FIFA’s ance with the FIFA president’s complexities of a FIFA World at all levels, the event experience Sheikh Hamad and the board ensure that the fi rst FIFA World single-sport event. It is the work two deputy secretaries general vision and together with our Cup and the need for integrat- we have there with invaluable members then joined Mansoor Cup in the Arab world is one of we do now which will ensure the Zvonimir Boban and Alasdair Qatari counterparts, the joint ed involvement of all key areas knowledge from our colleagues in al-Ansari, QFA general secre- the best ever.” experience we deliver is unlike Bell, FIFA’s chief tournaments & venture aims to reorganise the across a host country has made Qatar. It is a very important step, tary and Hani Balan, CEO of the Nasser al-Khater, the SC’s anything previously witnessed events offi cer Colin Smith, and way we work at the operational it clear that a more effi cient and which shows how FIFA and Qatar Qatar Stars League (QSL), to of- chief of Tournament Readiness at a tournament. I look forward FIFA’s chief legal offi cer Emilio front and avoid ineffi ciencies. I optimised operational structure are working together to deliver a fi cially inaugurate the organisa- & Experience Group and CEO to leading this innovative joint Garcia Silvero, as well as al-Tha- am convinced that this new ap- is required – this is particu- successful and memorable event.” tion’s new offi ces located at Al of the joint venture, said: “Qa- venture with FIFA and the work wadi, al-Khater, chairman of the proach to planning, delivery and larly the case in Qatar, given the Prior to the fi rst board meeting Bidda Tower, the same building tar’s World Cup project is enter- it will be undertaking in the Operational Offi ce and the vice legacy, always hand-in-hand unique and compact nature of taking place, the nine-member where the SC, QFA and QSL of- ing its fi nal phase and we’re all years to come.” chairman of the Technical Op- with our colleagues based in Qa- the tournament, both in terms of management board was greeted fi ces are based. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 QATAR Aussie envoy 800 cadets take part in NSA’s tactical drill hails enhanced ties with Qatar

By Joey Aguilar and the number of tourists con- at the highest level (AAA) by Staff Reporter tinue to increase. Qatar Airways the three global rating agencies. also became only the second It has had 27 years of uninter- non-Australian airline to fl y to rupted economic growth and has atar and Australia have Canberra from February 2018. the highest average GDP growth witnessed substantial According to Dr Wabenhorst, forecast among major advanced Qlevels of improvement in the most popular destinations economies over the next fi ve their bilateral relations, further are the major cities and the Gold years. boosting trade, investment, and Coast, which have been attrac- “Australia is politically stable cultural co-operation, Austral- tive for Qatari families for shop- and has a transparent regulatory ian ambassador Dr Axel Waben- ping and due to the high quality system. It is a leading producer horst has said. restaurants and the presence of of minerals and agricultural The envoy was highlighting mosques. products, and has strengths in the strong ties and continuously “Australia’s cities are no fur- fi nance, education and tourism,” growing ties between the two ther from Qatar than the eastern the envoy said. countries to mark the Australia US. In the Qatari summer, it is “Australia’s workforce is one The National Service Academy concluded on Monday, the tactical exercise “Miqdam-2”, with the participation of 800 cadets of the Day in Doha today (February 6). winter in Australia,” he said. of the most educated, multi- Academy’s 11th Batch. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah and “The trade volume is Australia also sees Qatar as an cultural and multilingual in the HE the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces Lieutenant General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem attended the conclusion of AUD1.815bn, which is the total of attractive trading partner and world. It is a good base for com- the exercise along with a lineup of Armed Forces senior off icers. Miqdam-2 started on January 27 in the southern region. two-way trade in both goods and source of foreign investment, panies doing business with Asia,” services in the 12 months, from and is keen for further co-oper- he added. In the cultural fi eld, Dr July 2017 to June 2018,” Dr Wa- ation with the latter in trade and Wabenhorst said the Australian benhorst told Gulf Times. investment. musical group, Directors of the He said that Australia’s major Dr Wabenhorst said Australia, South Australian Museum, and exports to Qatar include meat a major food producer and expert the National Gallery of Australia and livestock, and alumina, in dryland farming, can help Qa- have all visited Qatar. while Qatar’s major exports to tar in its self-suffi ciency eff orts The embassy, he added, also Australia aims for ‘greater Australia include fertilisers and as the latter placed an increasing hosted an exhibition of the fi nest aluminium. Merchandise trade priority on food security. opals from the South Australian increased 11% over the previous “There are currently many in- Museum and organised an exhi- year. vestment opportunities in Aus- bition of artworks from the Can- The Australian embassy has tralia, including in infrastruc- ning Stock Route (Yuwara Kuju). co-operation in education’ been working hard to develop ture (roads, railways, airports) in “This is a strong basis on links in the trade, investment the major cities and in northern which to continue cultural co- and cultural fi elds, as well as en- part,” he said. “Qatar has signifi - operation,” the envoy stressed. By Joey Aguilar to continue.” The University further collaboration, espe- farming matches with Qatar’s couraging Qataris to visit Aus- cant investments in Australia, The embassy is also working Staff Reporter of South Australia (UniSA), cially in Islamic studies. priority to be more self-suffi- tralia for tourism, education and particularly in agriculture, en- on a number of mutual visits, which saw the visit of its sen- Another visit to Doha early cient in food production,” the commercial purposes, Dr Wa- ergy infrastructure and prestige particularly in the fi eld of agri- ior officials to Doha recently, this year by UniSA officials, envoy added. benhorst stressed. real estate.” culture, as well as other senior- he Australian embassy is also exploring research and Centre for Islamic Thought Around 30 Australian com- He noted that approximately An attractive investment des- level visits. in Doha is focusing on academic collaboration with and Education director, pro- panies also operate in Qatar, 1,000 Qataris visit Australia an- tination, Australia is the world’s Dr Wabenhorst said some Tstrengthening its co- Qatar. fessor Mohamad Abdalla; and with the biggest belonging to nually for business and tourism 13th largest economy and rated memorandums of understanding operation with Qatar in the It aims to foster cultural School of Education Divi- the engineering and construc- (MoUs) are also being prepared, field of education, aimed at understanding and exchanges sion dean and head, associate tion sector. They participate and he hopes a good progress exploring academic collabo- between the two countries. professor Graham Hardy, was in big projects, including in between the two countries can ration and research, as well as “There is co-operation on aimed at fostering cultural the construction of Hamad be made in the near future. fostering cultural understand- implementing the school cur- understanding and exchanges Port, the Doha Metro, World He noted that Australia’s Min- ing and student exchanges, riculum in Qatar, and an Aus- between the two countries. Cup stadiums and in servicing ister for Agriculture and Water Australian Ambassador Dr tralian college has been pro- In small and medium en- the hydrocarbon sector. Resources visited Qatar in May Axel Wabenhorst has said. viding a vocational finance terprise collaboration, Dr Australian companies also 2018, citing many other visits in “Qatar’s Ministry of Educa- course in two Qatari high Wabenhorst said he travels worked in building Qatar State both directions: in agriculture, tion and Higher Education has schools,” Dr Wabenhorst said. to Australia to inform small Mosque, Hamad International commerce, investment and stu- approved 20 Australian uni- Australian universities and and medium-sized compa- Airport, shopping centres and dent study groups. versities for online degrees, research institutions also col- nies about the opportunities sports consulting. The embassy is currently ex- and there are 33 Australian laborated with Qatar National in Qatar. “With the focus shifting to ploring the possibility of high universities approved for Qa- Research Fund, with addition- “The embassy’s role is to Qatar for the hosting of the level visits or meetings between tari government scholarships,” al opportunities in areas of understand the opportunities 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the two countries. the envoy told Gulf Times. scientific and sports therapy in Qatar and inform Australian the increase in direct flights Dr Wabenhorst cited the two He noted that student research. companies of these,” he said. between our two countries, I countries’ strong relations in groups have exchanged vis- In 2018, the envoy said “There are some visits and expect an increase in the in- defence and security, and dis- its in the fields of journalism Qatar University and UniSA exchanges planned in the field terest shown by Australian closed that some Qatari offi cer and Middle Eastern studies, signed a memorandum of un- of agriculture, where Aus- companies to operate in this Australian ambassador Dr Axel Wabenhorst. cadets are studying in Australia. and “I expect these exchanges derstanding on education for tralia’s expertise in dryland country,” he added.

Ministry recalls 2004-2017 Jeep models SUAS-Q tops in fi ve categories: global ratings agency The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in co-operation with United Cars Almana Com- tenden University of Applied graduate and from the 2018 student ICE benchmarking report, in which pany, announced the recall of Sciences-Qatar (SUAS-Q) is the satisfaction survey completed by stu- Stenden Qatar has been compared Jeep Cherokee, Commander, Sonly institution accredited by dents from all THE-ICE accredited in- to some of the best higher education Compass, Grand Cherokee, The International Centre of Excellence stitutions and a global group of other institutions in the fi eld of hospital- Patriot and Wrangler models of in Tourism and Hospitality Education participating peer universities. ity and tourism education, and other 2004-2017 due to a potential (THE-ICE) to be number one in fi ve The Benchmarking Rating Report peer universities across the globe. Our defect in the plastic handles of categories, according to a benchmark- will help SUAS-Q to support its con- successful performance in this global fire extinguishers. ing rating report. tinuous quality improvement and benchmarking study is a validation of The Ministry urges all custom- SUAS-Q topped for language sup- strategic planning and also will pro- our continuous eff orts on support- ers to report any violation to its port, host culture, social activities, vide the opportunity of benchmarking ing our students and enhancing their Consumer Protection and Anti- Internet access, and accommodation itself against many other international overall educational experience. The Commercial Fraud Department, cost and quality in the report prepared institutions. best and most eff ective measure of which processes complaints, by THE-ICE, according to a statement It was almost two years ago that our quality as a university is the suc- inquires and suggestions through issued yesterday. SUAS-Q got full accreditation THE- cess of our graduates, and therefore the following channels: Call centre: THE-ICE is a global quality assur- ICE for the Bachelor in Tourism Man- we are fully focused on delivering a 16001, e-mail: [email protected], ance agency and a worldwide network agement, and the Bachelor in Interna- high-quality educational product and Twitter: @MOCIQATAR, Instagram: of leading quality tourism, hospitality, tional Hospitality Management. preparing graduates who can success- MOCIQATAR, Ministry of Com- events and culinary arts institutions. Dr Ivan Ninov, executive dean of fully deal with the challenges of to- merce and Industry mobile app for The report was based on the results, SUAS-Q commented: “We are very day’s complex and dynamic business android and IOS: MOCIQATAR analysed by the UK-based agency i- pleased with the results of latest THE- environment”. Stenden University of Applied Sciences-Qatar. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 7 QATAR

Qatar, EU reach landmark ‘open skies’ agreement

From Page 1 Through the “historic” agreement, Qatar has demonstrated once again that despite the “ongoing intra-regional geopolitical tensions due to the illegal blockade” imposed on the nation it re- mains a leader on the global stage. On Qatar and the EU concluding ne- gotiations for a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement, IATA director general and CEO Alexandre De Juniac said: “Open skies between two regions often produce more traffi c”. “Certainly, it is not bad news for the industry. For people in Qatar, it will multiply the possibilities to go to Eu- rope either through the national car- rier Qatar Airways or through the Euro- pean carriers, which now have the right to land openly in Qatar. You will have more choices and possibilities to go to Europe. This means, more competition and hence more freedom for passengers HE Akbar al-Baker, Alexandre De Juniac, Henrik Hololei and CAPA Centre for Aviation executive chairman Peter Harbison pose for a photo following and generally lower fares,” De Juniac told the announcement on Qatar and European Union concluding negotiations for a landmark Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement yesterday. Gulf Times. HBKU PhD student awarded at Kuwait invention contest

graduate student at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Science and Engineering (CSE) has been Ahonoured for his innovations in security screenings at the 11th International Invention Fair in the Middle East (IIFME), hosted by the Kuwait Science Club. Ali Hassan al-Rashid, who is enrolled in the Computer Sci- ence and Engineering PhD programme at CSE, received the 11th IIFME Award, and secured three gold medals and one sil- ver medal for his smart detection inventions at IIFME. Al-Rashid was recognised for four inventions: a Smart Security Investigator, which is able to detect people who are under the infl uence of narcotics and those carrying infectious diseases at airports; a Smart Vest – able to read the biometric information of construction work- ers to determine if they are fatigued to prevent injury on the job; an Automatic Detection for Dangerous Materi- als in X-Ray Scanners, which provides a new method for the detection of hazardous materials and substances in baggage; and a Mobile Inspector Robot used for airport surveillance to detect explosives, counterfeit money and fake documents. The IIFME is one of the largest specialised invention fairs in the Middle East, and was held this year under the patronage of the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. HBKU PhD student Ali Hassan al-Rashid was recognised for four inventions at the event in Kuwait. JWT to handle Alfardan Group marketing communications

Walter Thompson (JWT) JWT Doha is part of the J Doha yesterday announced Walter Thompson Company, a Jthat it has been awarded the leading global marketing com- The all-new 2019 Mazda 6. marketing communications ac- munications brand and a WPP count of Alfardan Group. company. This came following a high- Alfardan Group Communica- ly competitive tender process tions & PR manager Sara Fahad involving multiple agencies, Alfardan said, “We are con- JWT said in a press statement. vinced that through its ability NCC brings all-new J Walter Thompson has been to remain future relevant, JWT tasked with developing the stra- is the right communications tegic communications plan to partner in the continuing de- grow Alfardan Group’s core lux- velopment and diversifi cation of ury goods services “from a high- our own business interests – not Mazda 6 to Qatar ly successful family business least our imminent move into into a globally recognised luxury the healthcare sector.” brand”, the statement notes. J Walter Thompson Doha ational Car Company (NCC), found under the long hood. with a Bose Surround Sound audio “Over the course of the last managing director Chady Janho the sole agent for Mazda ve- Along with the adoption of cyl- system with 11 speakers, which lets six decades, Alfardan Group added, “Our exciting brief is to Nhicles in Qatar, has intro- inder deactivation for the current all the occupants enjoy a surround has evolved from a fl ourish- support Alfardan Group’s future duced the all-new 2019 Mazda 6. 2.5-litre inline-four cylinder, the sound experience from nearly any ing venture in the pearl-trading strategy to become a globally Mazda has taken the most eye- naturally aspirated engine is available source, including Bluetooth-enabled business to become the region’s recognised name in high-end catching sport sedan on the road with six-speed automatic transmis- devices and more. premier supplier of luxury prod- lifestyles. We are honoured to even further, according to a state- sion delivering 187hp. The available 360° view monitor ucts and services across multiple partner with such a highly am- ment. Mazda’s exclusive technology, uses four cameras to display the car’s sectors – ranging from automo- bitious, dedicated and respected The most striking change is the Skyactiv-Vehicle Dynamics with G- periphery on the centre display. tive to jewellery and property to business that includes some of new front fascia that includes the Vectoring Control, helps achieve a Additionally, parking sensors at hospitality,” JWT noted in the the world’s best-known luxury mesh grille which gives a 3D eff ect smoother, less fatiguing drive for the the front and rear help detect prox- statement. brands within its portfolio.” with light refl ections and fog lamps driver as well as the passengers. imity to obstacles. integrated within the new LED head- While cornering, the system The exquisite interior trim has light design. works seamlessly by adjusting pow- been reimagined in the new Mazda6 Announcing the launch of the er delivery, shifting vehicle weight with materials like high quality leath- all-new 2019 Mazda 6, Sathish Nair, on initial turn-in and throughout er and aesthetic panelling. Young visitors marketing and sales manager, NCC the corner. Wind and road noise and unwanted Mazda said there is much more than The seats are redesigned and con- vibrations are reduced by incorporat- meets the eye in this premium mid- structed with new cushioning mate- ing sound-insulating glass, re-tun- size sedan. rials. ing and reinforcing the suspension, “Mazda’s human centric approach The result is improved posture and and adding acoustic insulation in all focuses on delivering the joy of ef- weight distribution. the right places. fortless driving to the driver while the The Mazda6 also off ers ventilated Available i-Activsense vehicle safety comforts and convenience of the co- front seats that wick away warm air innovations use advanced sophisticat- passengers are never compromised. to keep driver and front passenger ed technologies like cameras and radar “The feeling of connection be- cool and dry. to alert the driver against potential haz- tween car and driver — ‘Jinba Ittai’ — Easily navigated with the Mul- ards and avert collisions. has been strengthened in New Mazda tifunction Commander control or NCC showroom, which off ers the 6, creating a human-centred model touch screen, the new 8.0-inch MZD entire range of new generation Mazda that operate in harmony with human CONNECT infotainment display is sedans, SUVs and pick-ups, at Fer- sensibilities. less refl ective and has more contrast eej Al Nasr is open from 9am to 9pm “The discerning car enthusiasts for improved viewability. Saturday to Thursday and on Fridays in Qatar will discover a lot more on a It’s also been repositioned higher during evening hours. visit to the Mazda showroom located on the dashboard for better visibility For more information, visit Mazda Schoolchildren visiting Halal Qatar Festival at Katara yesterday. in Al Nasr, Doha.” at a glance. showroom, call 44435965/44417859 The most important changes are The all-new Mazda6 is available or visit www.mazda-qatar.com Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 REGION/ARAB WORLD British man detained in UAE after Saudi and UAE wearing Qatar football shirt to match zAli Issa Ahmad held over ‘false allegations against security off icials’ after initial arrest

By Diane Taylor warns: “The UAE authorities He wasn’t given very long to Offi ce and asked them to help Guardian News and Media announced on June 7, 2017 speak to me and I’m not ex- get him released,” Lokie said. ‘gave US arms that showing sympathy for actly sure what happened. “He said he would call us Qatar on social media or by “It seems that he was re- back but since then we have British football fan has any other means of communi- leased after being detained, not heard anything from him. been arrested and de- cation is an off ence. Off enders assaulted by the security men I am in shock that he was ar- Atained in the United could be imprisoned and sub- in the car and accused of pro- rested and assaulted because Arab Emirates after he wore a ject to a substantial fi ne.” moting Qatar. He went to the of the football T-shirt he was to groups linked Qatar national team shirt to a Its advice adds: “You should police station to report the as- wearing. We are all so worried match. respect local traditions, cus- sault and was accused of tell- about him. This is very seri- Ali Issa Ahmad, 26, a British toms, laws and religions at all ing lies about the incident. ous.” Arsenal fan who lives in Wol- times. There may be serious “We’re not clear about ex- A UAE embassy spokesper- verhampton, travelled to the penalties for doing something actly what happened next but son said: “The United Arab UAE for a holiday in January. that might not be illegal in the he has been held because he Emirates embassy is looking to Al Qaeda’ While he was there he got a UK.” is accused of making false al- into allegations that a Brit- ticket for an Asian Cup match The sanctions for “promot- legations against UAE security ish citizen has been detained. z CNN says Saudi Arabia and UAE transferred US-made weapons between Qatar and Iraq on ing” Qatar are linked to the offi cials. He said he is being The UAE is a nation built on January 22. The tournament breaking off of diplomatic re- held in a place called Al Shar- the rule of law and respect to militias designated by the US as terrorist groups took place in the UAE between lations between the two coun- jar.” for individuals. We take any January 5 and February 1 and tries in May 2017. The UAE Lokie added: “He loves allegation of human rights Aljazeera hkosh armoured vehicles that The vehicle was part of a was won by Qatar. accused Qatar of undermining football so much. He goes to violations extremely seri- Doha were paraded through the city in $2.5bn sale to the UAE in 2014. Ahmad wore a Qatar shirt security and stability in the watch lots of football matches ously – whether it concerns a 2015 show of force. The sale document, seen by to the match not knowing that region by funding and host- in the UK. He’s such a kind one of our citizens, or any of Abu al-Abbas, the militia’s CNN, certifi es that “a determi- doing so in the UAE is an of- ing terror groups, which Qatar and quiet guy. He is the kind the 1.5mn Britons who visit us audi Arabia and its coali- founder, was sanctioned by the nation has been made that the fence punishable with a large denies. of person who always tries to each year.” tion partner in Yemen, US in 2017 for allegedly fi nanc- recipient country can provide fi ne and an extended period of Ahmad was granted one help others. An FCO spokesperson said: Sthe United Arab Emirates ing Al Qaeda and the Yemeni the same degree of protection imprisonment. phone call on January 31 and “He didn’t sound good “We are providing assistance (UAE) transferred US-made chapter of the Islamic State of for the sensitive technology” as After his initial arrest he was was able to call his friend Amer when he spoke to me on the to a British man arrested in the weapons to Al Qaeda-linked Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also the US. held over claims that he had Lokie and raise the alarm. phone. He was speaking very UAE and are in touch with the groups and a Salafi militia whose known as ISIS) group. Hiram al-Assad, a member made false allegations about Lokie said: “This is just slowly and he sounded very local authorities.” commander who once “served “The coalition is still sup- of the Houthi political coun- security offi cials, a friend of unspeakable. He just went to frightened.” Last November the British with” the Yemeni branch of ISIL, porting me,” al-Abbas said in cil, confi rmed to CNN that the Ahmad told the Guardian. watch a football match while Lokie said that Ahmad’s academic Matthew Hedges a CNN investigation has found. an interview in December with MRAPs were still in Houthi The UAE embassy said it he was on holiday in UAE phone had been taken by of- returned to the UK after being Corroborating an earlier re- the Washington Post. “If I really hands but denied reports that was investigating the circum- and says he was arrested and fi cials and wiped, adding that accused of spying and jailed port by Al Jazeera, the CNN in- was a terrorist, they would have the vehicles had been probed by stances of the arrest and the beaten after being accused his friend had told him he was for life in UAE. He served vestigation said that the weap- taken me in for questioning.” Iranian intelligence. Foreign Offi ce (FCO) said it of wearing a football shirt held in a small room for two seven months of his sentence, ons had also made their way into According to CNN, his group The US is by far the biggest was off ering support. which promoted Qatar. When days. mostly in solitary confi ne- the hands of Houthi rebels who still enjoyed support from the supplier of arms to both Saudi The FCO website in its he managed to call me offi - “He begged us to do what- ment. He was released after are battling against the coalition Saudi-led coalition and was ab- Arabia and the UAE, and its sup- section containing informa- cials were sitting next to him ever we can to get him released receiving a pardon from the for control of the country. sorbed into the coalition-sup- port is crucial to the Saudi-led tion for travellers to the UAE so he couldn’t say too much. so we contacted the Foreign UAE authorities. Saudi Arabia and the UAE en- ported 35th Brigade of the Yem- coalition’s continuing war in tered Yemen’s war in 2015 lead- eni army. Yemen. ing a military coalition to try “The United States has not In his fi rst overseas trip as and restore the internationally authorised the Kingdom of Saudi president, US President Don- recognised government of Presi- Arabia or the United Arab Emir- ald Trump sealed an arms deal dent Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. ates to re-transfer any equip- with Saudi Arabia worth about The two Gulf countries want- ment to parties inside Yemen,” $110bn over several years. The ed to restore the Hadi govern- Pentagon spokesperson Johnny agreement was said to be aimed UN envoy says Yemen prisoner ment after a civil war broke out Michael told CNN. at bolstering security “in the between Hadi’s supporters and “The US government cannot face of Iranian threats”. those loyal to the Houthis. comment on any pending inves- According to CNN, the rev- But according to CNN, the tigations of claims of end-use elations raise fresh questions swap would help peace process coalition was using US-manu- violations of defence articles over whether Saudi Arabia is re- factured weapons “as a form of and services transferred to our sponsible enough to be allowed currency to buy the loyalties of allies and partners,” Michael to continue buying sophisticat- Reuters militias or tribes, bolster chosen added. ed US arms and other military Amman armed actors, and infl uence the According to the report, US- hardware. complex political landscape,” made weapons also ended up in Out of the 18,000-plus raids local commanders and analysts the hands of Houthi rebels. the Saudi-UAE coalition has UN special envoy told said. According to the Pentagon, In September 2017, a Houthi- launched since the start of the warring Yemenis yes- the Gulf monarchies were break- run TV channel broadcast im- confl ict, nearly a third of all Aterday that rapid imple- ing the terms of their arms deal ages of Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, bombs have hit civilian targets, mentation of a prisoner swap with Washington. a senior Houthi leader, sitting according to the Yemen Data deal would help advance eff orts A US defence offi cial told CNN behind the wheel of a captured Project, a monitor of the war in at a political settlement of a that there was an ongoing inves- US-made Mine-Resistant Am- Yemen. nearly four-year-old war. tigation into the issue. bush Protected vehicle (MRAP) The developments also come The envoy, Martin Griffi ths, Citing the situation in the in the capital Sanaa, as a crowd as Congress, outraged with Ri- said fi nalising a list of the thou- fl ashpoint city of Taiz, CNN said chanted “death to America” in yadh over the murder of Saudi sands of prisoners should be that Al Qaeda had forged “ad- the background. journalist Jamal Khashoggi last completed by the end of three vantageous alliances with the CNN also obtained an image year, considers whether to force days of talks in Amman be- pro-Saudi militias they fought showing the serial numbers of an end to the Trump adminis- tween teams from the Saudi- alongside”. a second MRAP in the hands of tration’s support for the Saudi- backed government and their It said the Abu al-Abbas Bri- another senior Houthi offi cial UAE coalition. Houthi adversaries. gade possessed US-made Os- last year in Hodeidah. Courtesy: Aljazeera.com The list is to be handed over to the world body and the Inter- national Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “It will lay the basis for the next step which will be to see United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griff iths and International Committee of the Red Cross Sudan forces disperse protesters that release happening,” Grif- President Peter Maurer speak to the media during a new round of talks by Yemen’s warring parties on fi ths told delegates before the a prisoners swap deal, in Amman, yesterday. start of the second round in Reuters The demonstrations, often involving hundreds Amman in less than a month. return Yemen to peace.” As he their forces. The prisoner swap plementing the deal could take Khartoum of people, have shaken the country of some 40mn Griffi ths stressed how im- spoke, the new head of the UN was one of the least contentious weeks and involve the repatria- people. portant the swap deal was to mission tasked with overseeing confi dence-building measures tion of third country nationals. They were sparked by rising food prices and cash achieving progress in ending a a fragile ceasefi re deal in Yemen, at the peace talks in Sweden. “Trust doesn’t come from udanese security forces used tear gas yester- shortages and have since turned against President confl ict that has killed tens of Danish Major General Michael The Amman prisoner negoti- one day to another. It is a diffi - day to disperse hundreds of lawyers pushing Omar al-Bashir who has been in offi ce for nearly 30 thousands and left 15.9mn peo- Anker Lollesgaard, arrived in the ations will verify names of about cult process and we know this is Sfor the release of activists detained during re- years. ple facing severe hunger. port city of Hodeidah. 15,000 prisoners exchanged by work in progress,” ICRC Presi- cent anti-government protests, witnesses said. Witnesses said more than 200 lawyers tried to “Success in this regard is not Implementation of the deal, both sides, some of whom in- dent Peter Maurer said at the The demonstration outside the Supreme Court deliver a petition to the head of the judiciary de- only of huge importance for reached in Sweden in Decem- clude Saudis and other nationals start of the Amman talks. building in Khartoum was one of several staged by manding the release of activists detained during those who will be released.. but ber, has stalled as the two sides fi ghting on the government side. The confl ict, widely seen in members of various professions, including teach- the protests. also for the broader political cannot agree on who will control The head of the International the region as a proxy war be- ers, doctors and pharmacists, following a call by the Security forces attacked the lawyers with tear process in which we have hopes the port — a lifeline for millions Committee of the Red Cross tween Saudi Arabia and Iran, Sudanese Professionals Association to join the pro- gas, forcing them to disperse. There were no reports the parties will together resolve of Yemenis — and the city af- (ICRC), whose agency would has been bogged down in a mil- tests that began in December. of casualties. the issues that divide them and ter a planned redeployment of oversee the operation, said im- itary stalemate for years.

DEFENCE Tehran bats away EU criticism of Pope Francis holds historic public mass missile tests Iran dismissed European Union AFP zens. In a homily yesterday, he The son of Italian immigrants criticism of its missile programme, Abu Dhabi turned to the tens of thousands who was raised in Argentina, regional policies and rights record of migrant workers living in the Jorge Bergoglio — or Pope Fran- yesterday, highlighting their Emirates. cis — has paid particular atten- increasingly testy relationship as ope Francis held a historic “It is most certainly not easy tion to migrants and refugees both sides seek to salvage a trou- public mass for an esti- for you to live far from home, during his papacy. bled nuclear deal. Pmated 170,000 Catholics missing the aff ection of your Inside the stadium yesterday, Iran’s comments came a day at a stadium in the capital of the loved ones, and perhaps also 50,000 Catholics with tickets to after the bloc criticised the Islamic United Arab Emirates yesterday, feeling uncertainty about the the mass cheered the Pope on, Republic’s ballistic missile tests and capping the fi rst ever papal visit future,” the Pope said. with one small group hoisting expressed concern at Iran’s role in to the Gulf. “But the Lord is faithful and a pink posterboard which read: growing Middle East tensions. The pontiff waved at the en- does not abandon his people.” “We the Catholics of Yemen The EU has promised to abide by a thusiastic crowd carrying yel- Aboard the papal plane on his love you”. 2015 nuclear deal under which Iran low Vatican fl ags and banners way back to Rome, he hailed the Another 120,000 gathered agreed to limit its atomic work in as he rode in an open-top Pope- visit as a “step forward” in dia- outside, watching via video exchange for sanctions relief, even mobile into Zayed Sports City logue with Islam, a relationship link on large screens. Parishes after US President Donald Trump Stadium, where an altar with that must still “ripen like fruit”. across the UAE said 135,000 abandoned the accord because a large cross was set up for the Pope Francis’ trip has been tickets to the Pope’s mass were it did not cover Iranian military unprecedented open-air serv- warmly welcomed by Filipino distributed to parishioners. activities. The EU has stepped up ice. and Indian Catholics among the Some 4,000 tickets had been criticism of Iran’s ballistic missiles Francis, who has made out- UAE’s huge migrant workforce. given to Muslims to attend the programme and its regional reach to Muslim communities About 1mn Catholics live in mass, according to the local policies in a dual-track approach a cornerstone of his papacy, the country, or about one in 10 churches. analysts say is designed to show wrapped up his historic three- of UAE residents. A choir sang hymns as the Washington it is possible to con- day visit with the mass. Asian nationals make up Pope, joined by priests of dif- tain Tehran while remaining inside The Pope’s public comments some 65% of the population and ferent nationalities, began the the nuclear pact. The Iranian in Abu Dhabi centred on calls to are crucial to all sectors in the service at around 10:30am foreign ministry said yesterday end wars across the Middle East oil-rich Gulf state, from con- (0630 GMT), broadcast live on Iran would never negotiate over and protect the rights of all citi- struction to services and hotels. Emirati television. Pope Francis greets people during a visit to the St Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, yesterday. its missile programme. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 9 AFRICA

‘Bandits’ kill 26 in C Africa govt inks peace Nigeria

AFP Kano

unmen killed 26 people agreement with militias in Nigeria’s northwestern GZamfara state, police said AFP was not immediately made starts because of outstand- yesterday, in the latest violence Khartoum public, and there was no word ing diff erences. A major stick- to hit the troubled region. on what compromises may have ing point was the creation of The attacks happened late Mon- been needed to achieve it. a mechanism to follow up any day in six neighbouring villages - he government of the “The contents will be made peace agreement. Wonaka, Ajja, Mada, Ruwan Baure, Central African Repub- public after the signature,” the The CAR began its nightmare Doka, Takoka, and Tudun Maijatau Tlic and 14 armed groups head of the CAR government del- descent in 2012, when a mainly - in the state’s Mada area. yesterday inked a new peace ac- egation, Firmin Ngrebada, said. Muslim rebel movement called the In a separate attack, armed cord seeking to end years-long Past stumbling blocks in Seleka rose in the country’s north. bandits killed 11 people and fi ghting that has left thousands peace negotiations have include The following year, insur- torched homes in Batauna vil- of people dead. rebel demands for an amnesty, gents overthrew President lage, in Bukkuyum district. The accord was initialled by something that the CAR gov- Francois Bozize, a Christian – a Details about the attack on President Faustin Archange ernment, under pressure from move that triggered the rise of a Batauna were sketchy due to dis- Touadera for the CAR govern- Western allies, has refused. predominantly Christian militia tance, inaccessible terrain, and a ment and representatives of mi- After the deal was announced called the anti-Balaka. lack of telecommunications, said litias which control most of the on Saturday, Aboubakar Sidik, Fearing a Rwandan-style Zamfara state police spokesman chronically-troubled country. spokesman for one of the main genocide, former colonial ruler Mohammed Shehu. It will be formally signed in armed factions, the Popular France intervened militarily un- “The Zamfara state police the CAR capital of Bangui “in Front for the Rebirth of Central der a UN mandate. command wishes to confi rm the the coming days,” Touadera’s African Republic (FPRC) said The Seleka were forced from killing of 15 persons, including a offi ce said, without announcing “a consensus has been reached power and in February 2016, female, following attacks on the a date. on sticking points which were Touadera, a former prime min- six villages” in Mada, he stated. “The Khartoum Agreement an amnesty and an inclusive ister, was elected president. “In another development ... opens the door for peace to re- Central African president Faustin-Archange Touadera, left, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, government.” But Touadera only controls a armed bandits stormed Batauna turn to our homeland,” Touad- right, attend the inking of a peace deal between the government of the Central African Republic and 14 The history of peacemaking fraction of the state, despite the village and killed 11 persons and era declared at the ceremony. armed groups in Khartoum yesterday. in the CAR is littered with fail- support of more than 13,000 set several houses ablaze.” “It is now time to open a new ures. All seven previous agree- troops and police in the UN’s Seven people were kidnapped page for Central Africa. Let’s go that is a byword for turmoil and thousands are at risk of famine. Bashir said his country was de- ments have failed to stick. MINUSCA mission. during the attacks on the six together to Bangui to build our poverty. Herbert Gontran Djono lighted to have hosted the talks The last attempt, in 2017, Eighty percent of the country villages but were later released, country together.” Thousands of people have Ahaba, speaking on behalf of and vowed to “continue to be a was forged with the help of the is held by militias, who typically Shehu said. The agreement, brokered been killed and a quarter of the the armed groups, said: “The partner” in peace eff orts. Catholic church, but fi ghting portray themselves as defend- The spokesman added that the by the African Union after 18 population of 4.5mn have fl ed diffi cult time starts now, and After the agreement was ini- resumed within a day, leaving ers of a community or religious Mada attacks were “presumably” months of exploratory work their homes. that is implementing the Khar- tialled, representatives of the a hundred people killed in the group but often fi ght over min- reprisals for the killing last week and sponsored by the UN, is The UN says unrest has toum Agreement... This agree- armed groups shook hands with central town of Bria. eral wealth – a hoard that rang- of seven nomadic herders in the the eighth attempt in almost six driven so many people from ment is crucial for peace.” Touadera and Bashir. The Khartoum talks began es from gold to uranium and area by vigilantes who burnt the years to forge peace in a country their farms that hundreds of Sudanese President Omar al- The text of the agreement on January 24 after several false diamonds. men together with their cattle.

Zambian minister held on graft charge Zambia’s infrastructure and housing minister has been 14 civilians Sahel leaders meet against charged with concealing property believed to have been bought with the proceeds of crime, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Lusaka said. dead in Burkina backdrop of new violence The ACC arrested Ronald Chitotela yesterday and released him on bail pending a court AFP hearing. Chitotela did not Ouagadougou immediately respond the Reuters’ Faso attack attempts to contact him for comment. summit of fi ve nations The main opposition party AFP The army said it suff ered that have joined forces has often accused President Ouagadougou “light casualties” but “no loss Ato fi ght jihadism in the Edgar Lungu’s government of life” during the retaliations, Sahel got under way yesterday, of corruption. Chitotela, 47, is adding that security opera- a day after a fresh terror attack the first cabinet minister to be ourteen civilians were tions were continuing in the in the region claimed 14 lives. arrested on suspicion of graft killed in a jihadist at- aff ected areas. Leaders of the so-called G5 since Lungu’s re-election in 2016. Ftack in northern Burkina Both civilians and security Sahel – Burkina Faso, Chad, ACC said Chitotela had been Faso near the Mali border, the forces have paid a heavy price for Mali, Mauritania and Niger charged on two counts of military said yesterday. jihadist attacks in recent years, – gathered in the Burkinabe concealing property acquired The army conducted raids with the death toll now standing capital of Ouagadougou. in the capital, bought with the in three northern provinces at nearly 300 since 2015. Their one-day meeting aims proceeds of crime and registered in response and said it had There were three major at- at beefi ng up co-ordination in the name of another person. “neutralised” 146 militants, tacks in the north alone last in the battle against jihadists according to a report that AFP month: on January 10, 12 ci- who have killed hundreds of could not immediately confi rm vilians were killed in the vil- civilians and infl icted crippling Anti-govt activist from an independent source. lage of Gasseliki; on January economic damage. The jihadist attack, which 27, 10 civilians were killed in On the eve of the summit, freed in Gabon took place in the town of an attack on Sikire; and on 14 civilians were killed by in- An anti-government activist who Kain in the Yatenta prov- January 28, four soldiers died surgents in a pre-dawn attack made videos that were deemed ince bordering Mali, is one of in a massive jihadist attack in at Kain in northern Burkina hostile to Gabonese President Ali the most serious recorded in Nassoumbou. Faso near the Mali border, the From left: Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou, Bongo was released yesterday the country and came on the Attacks have also aff ected military said. Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, Chad’s President Idriss Deby and Mali’s President Ib- after being held for 17 months, his eve of a G5 Sahel summit in the east, and to a lesser extent, It said it carried out retali- rahim Boubacar Keita pose for a family photo during the G5 Sahel heads of State summit in Ougadougou, lawyer in Libreville said. Ouagadougou. the west of the country. atory air strikes and land op- Burkina Faso yestserday. Herve Mombo Kinga, who was Army spokesman Colo- Ouagadougou has been hit erations in three northern arrested on August 31, 2017, nel Lamoussa Fofana said in three times since 2016, with provinces, “neutralising” 146 It encourages them to close off fi ve nations in the front line. Nearly 300 people have been over a number of video clips he a statement: “On the night of nearly 60 lives lost. The last fi ghters, a claim that could not any gaps in which the enemy But lack of funding and killed, according to an AFP toll. showed in a public place, was Sunday 3 to Monday, Febru- attack, in March 2018, hit the be independently confi rmed. can fl ourish.” training, as well as poor equip- The capital Ouagadougou released in the early afternoon ary 4, 2019 a terrorist attack army headquarters in the city “Burkina Faso, the host of Tight security was in place ment, have greatly under- has been hit three times, most after the judge threw out the in Kain left 14 civilian victims. centre. this summit, which used to be yesterday. A key highway link- mined the initiative, and last recently in March 2018, and al- case, his lawyer Anges Kevin “In response to this attack, Burkina Faso police are among the most peaceful coun- ing the airport and the confer- June the force’s headquarters most 60 people have died here. Nzigou said. the national defence and secu- also struggling to combat the tries in the world... is today ence venue was closed off to in Mali were hit in a devastat- Last month, President Roch Mombo Kinga was charged with rity forces immediately began increasingly frequent and the victim of attacks by ter- non-summit traffi c, and armed ing suicide attack claimed by an Marc Christian Kabore car- spreading “propaganda aimed at operations in the Kain, Banh deadly jihadist attacks. Since rorists with regressive aims,” troops were deployed at regular Al Qaeda-linked group. ried out a major reshuffl e of the disturbing the public order” and (Loroum Province, north) and 1 January, a state of emer- said former Burundian presi- intervals. The G5’s problems have given country’s security apparatus, “insulting the president” over the Bomboro (Kossi Province, gency has been declared in dent Pierre Buyoya, the African The Islamist revolt in the Sa- rise to long periods of apparent sacking the chief of the armed “videos and messages encouraging northwest) areas. 14 out of 45 provinces, giving Union’s representative at the hel took off after chaos engulfed inactivity, although on Sunday, forces and replaces the minis- an uprising against the State, (and “This counterattack... re- additional powers to security summit. Libya in 2011. Jihadist attacks its commander General Hanena ters for defence and security. spreading) hatred and disunity,” the sulted in a land and air op- forces. “The African Union express- erupted in northern Mali as Ould Sidi, a Mauritanian, said At the end of February, prosecution said at the time. eration which neutralised 146 President Roch Marc Chris- es its solidarity and compassion Boko Haram arose in northern the force had carried out three Burkina Faso will host the At his first appearance in court terrorists in the three areas,” tian Kabore dismissed the for the Burkinabe government Nigeria. operations since January 15. He Panafrican Film and Television last Monday, prosecutors sought the statement said. army chief of staff this month and people and urges them As the toll spiked, a French- gave no further details. Festival of Ouagadougou, one an eight-year prison term with A military source confi rmed and then replaced the defence to mobilise to stand together backed scheme was launched in The attacks in Burkina Faso of the biggest African fi lm fes- three years suspended for that the term “neutralise” and security ministers during against the destabilising ac- 2015 with the goal of deploying began in the country’s north in tivals, which is celebrating its Mombo Kinga. meant kill. a reshuffl e. tions of the terrorist groups. a 5,000-man joint force among 2015 but then spread to the east. 50th anniversary. Zimbabwe teachers strike patchy as reprisals feared Reuters tions and looting, plus a brutal tion, we are building a dossier of Zimbabwe has more than less currency in 2009 and adopted Harare response from security forces, such,” ZIMTA said in a notice to 100,000 public-sector teachers. the dollar, but most Zimbabwe- which rights groups say left members. The Bulawayo-based online ans are paid via electronic dollars 12 people dead. Police put the Cabinet ministers declined to news site, Centre for Innovation into their bank accounts and those ome Zimbabwean teachers fi gure at three. answer questions on the strike at and Technology, said teachers at electronic dollars have lost value stayed at home while oth- The Zimbabwe Teachers As- a media briefi ng in Harare. several schools in the country’s against their cash equivalent. Sers went slow on the job sociation (ZIMTA), the biggest In schools near central Harare, second biggest city did not turn Many Zimbabweans, who as an indefi nite strike at state teachers’ union, said between most teachers appeared to have up for work and parents had to have seen purchasing power schools got off to a patchy start 60 and 75% of its members had turned up for work, but some collect their children. eroded, say Mnangagwa has not amid fears of further intimi- stayed at home in rural and ur- were not conducting lessons, in “Some teachers are in class but delivered on pre-election pledg- dation by security forces who ban schools but that security adherence with the strike, wit- there is no meaningful teaching es to kick-start growth after the cracked down hard on protests agents had gone to some schools nesses said. going on,” ZIMTA’s president, exit of Robert Mugabe following last month. taking details of absent teachers. In a classroom at a primary Richard Gundane, told Reuters. a coup in 2017. Zimbabwe is in an economic The union accused authorities school in Harare’s Mbare town- Government workers are de- Despite their demands for crisis marked by cash short- of spreading fake news to dis- ship, a Reuters photographer manding wage rises and pay- better pay, other public workers ages and rising prices of basic courage teachers from going on saw one teacher eating from her ments in US dollars to cope have declined to join teachers on goods after President Emmer- strike after state media reported lunch box in the morning while with soaring infl ation and an strike, with unions saying they son Mnangagwa hiked fuel costs that the work stoppage had been pupils sat quietly. economic crisis that has sapped are fearful of the security situa- Pupils play next to a chair on a field at a government school in the 150% last month. called off . She and the headmistress supplies of fuel and medicines. tion and want to continue wage capital city of Harare yesterday. That brought demonstra- “Report all forms of intimida- declined to be interviewed. Zimbabwe dumped its worth- talks with the government. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 AMERICAS

White House Trump pushes case for denies Trump wall ahead of key speech link to Reuters US president invites bullied boy named Trump new graft Washington When US President Donald Trump delivers his second State of the Union speech to Congress, his guests will include Joshua Trump, a sixth grader probe resident Donald Trump passionate about science and animals. was set to deliver yester- The youngster is not a member of the president’s family, but instead Pday a State of the Union a boy from Wilmington, Delaware, who has been bullied in school as a AFP speech challenging Democrats result of his last name, according to a short statement issued the White Washington to approve funding for his long- House. sought border wall but stopping “He appreciates science, art, and history,” the statement said. short of declaring a national “He also loves animals and hopes to pursue a related career in the he White House said yes- emergency over it, at least for future,” it continued, adding young Trump’s hero and best friend is his terday that a new cor- now. Uncle Cody, a member of the United States Air Force. Truption investigation into At 9pm EST (5am Qatar time “Unfortunately, Joshua has been bullied in school due to his last name. President Donald Trump’s inau- today) before a joint session of He is thankful to the First Lady and the Trump family for their support,” guration has nothing to do with Congress, Trump will likely stir the statement concluded. Trump himself. contention with remarks on im- The president, the first lady, and the 535 members of Congress are Federal prosecutors in New migration policy, after his de- permitted to invite guests to the annual speech, a key fixture in the York issued a subpoena on mand for $5.7bn in wall funds American political calendar which sees the US leader tout their successes Monday for fi nancial and other triggered a historic 35-day par- and outline goals. records to the Trump Inaugural tial government shutdown that The first couple’s other guests include family members of Gerald and Committee, seeking information more than half of Americans Sharon David, an elderly couple killed in January allegedly by an un- on the $107mn that it raised for blamed him for, according to documented immigrant; and Matthew Charles, a former drug dealer who festivities to celebrate the bil- Reuters/Ipsos polling. turned his life around in prison and was the first person released under a lionaire developer’s election vic- Millions of Americans were criminal justice reform law passed in December. tory as he took offi ce on January expected to watch the address 20, 2017. on television, giving Trump his A spokesperson for the com- biggest opportunity to date to rah Sanders declined to give any of Washington climate scientist mittee confi rmed that they were explain why he believes a barrier details in a Fox News interview. Lisa Graumlich to underscore reviewing the subpoena, adding is needed on the US southern Trump, Vice-President Mike the climate change issue. that “it is our intention to co- border with Mexico. Pence and White House acting “One thing you will see is that operate with the inquiry”. The speech was delayed for a Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney the chamber is full and the pres- The investigation piles fresh week because of the shutdown, Trump: continued to push his wall in a tweet yesterday, vowing to ‘build a Human Wall if necessary’. went over the speech on Monday ident is surrounded by women, legal pressure on a White House which ended on January 25. night with about a dozen sup- by people of colour, by individu- already threatened by multiple When Trump takes cen- Instead he will urge a congres- drug costs and healthcare. 2016 campaign and said Mexico porters including former cam- als who have really been hurt by lines of inquiry from Special tre stage in the chamber of the sional committee to work out a A senior administration of- would pay for, is needed to deter paign aides Corey Lewandowski this president and many of the Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe House of Representatives for border security deal by Febru- fi cial said Trump would “en- illegal immigration and drugs. and David Bossie, as well as actions that he has taken,” Jaya- into possible collusion with Rus- the big speech, sitting behind ary 15. courage Congress to reject the Some of Trump’s fellow con- Matt Schlapp, chairman of the pal said on Monday. sia by the Trump campaign in him over his shoulder will be his Trump continued to push his politics of resistance and ret- servatives have urged him not to American Conservative Union, Stacey Abrams, who lost her the 2016 presidential election. main congressional adversary, wall in a tweet earlier yesterday, ribution, and instead adopt a declare an emergency. a source familiar with the meet- race last year to be governor of White House spokeswoman Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who vowing to “build a Human Wall spirit of co-operation and com- Such a move would “upend” ing said. Georgia, will deliver the Demo- Sarah Sanders said that the in- became House speaker after her if necessary”. promise so we can achieve it”. the balance of powers between The source said that Trump crats’ response to Trump, mak- augural committee’s operations party won control of the cham- Yesterday Senate Democratic Senator Angus King, an in- the White House and Congress, would discuss troop drawdowns ing her the fi rst African-Ameri- did not involve Trump himself. ber in November’s elections. leader Chuck Schumer criti- dependent, told MSNBC that Republican Senator Susan Col- in Syria and Afghanistan and can woman to deliver the party’s “This has nothing to do with She has shown no sign of cised Trump over the economy, the potential for bipartisan ac- lins told reporters yesterday. that about half the speech would rebuttal. the White House. I think the budging from her opposition to healthcare and other issues. tion over opioids, HIV and in- Trump also will address for- be devoted to foreign policy. Republican strategist and common thread is a hysteria over Trump’s wall-funding demand. “The president will say the frastructure could be derailed eign policy, including support Trump also will claim success former White House offi cial Raj the fact that this president be- That has led Trump to con- state of the union is strong but “if he throws down the gauntlet for an eff ort to coax Venezuelan on economic policy, including Shah said that the speech off ered came president,” she told CNN. template declaring a national the American people know the and gives us another lecture on President Nicolas Maduro into cutting federal regulations, the the president a chance to turn “The fact that those things have emergency, which he says would state of the Trump administra- the wall”. leaving power and declaring the source said. the page. taken place literally have ab- let him reallocate funding from tion is chaos,” he said. Trump’s message could also Islamic State militant group all Some Democrats have invited “Washington right now looks solutely nothing to do with the elsewhere without congression- Trump’s speech also will off er be undermined by his threats but defeated. guests to the speech to highlight a little bit petty and a little bit president.” al action. an olive branch to opponents as to go his own way on the long- He also will give an update on various causes, some at odds small and the State of the Un- “There is so much hatred A source close to Trump said he looks toward the 2020 elec- promised wall if he cannot get trade talks with the Chinese. with Trump’s policies, making ion is an opportunity to go big out there that they will look for the president was not expected tion, targeting areas he sees for Congress to approve the funding Asked if he would announce a raucous atmosphere possible and talk in broad themes about anything to try to create and tie to take that step, which likely potential bipartisan agreement, he wants. where he will next meet North inside the House chamber. what’s good about America and problems to this president.” would draw a swift court chal- such as infrastructure improve- He has said that the wall, Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Representative Pramila Jaya- look beyond some of the issues The subpoena seeks docu- lenge from Democrats. ments, lowering prescription which he promised during his White House spokeswoman Sa- pal planned to invite University of the last few weeks,” he said. ments relating to donors, ven- dors, contractors and bank ac- counts linked to the inaugural Cryptocurrency committee, suggesting pos- sible suspicions of fraud and exchange seeks money laundering according to Study says women’s court protection Neeson says he’s ‘not racist’ the Washington Post, which re- viewed the subpoena. A Canadian cryptocurrency It focuses in part on one donor, brains appear ‘years exchange went to court venture capitalist Imaad Zuberi, yesterday to seek bankruptcy after outcry over admission and his Los Angeles company protection after its president Avenue Ventures, which donated younger’ than men’s took passwords for accounts $900,000 to the inauguration, containing C$180mn AFP while promoting his new thrill- according to the Post. ($137mn) to his grave. Washington er Cold Pursuit, about a father Presidential inaugurations AFP male brains were about were In a statement, Vancouver- seeking revenge after his son is open the door for businesses and Washington 2.4 years older than their true based QuadrigaCX said it is murdered. lobbyists seeking to gain access ages. seeking creditor protection ollywood star Liam While the star of Taken – a to the White House to show their “It’s not that men’s brains after weeks of attempting to Neeson insisted yes- hit fi lm about a former Central support for the new leader by omen tend to outlive age faster,” said senior author “locate and secure our very Hterday that he was “not Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent funding gala balls, concerts and men and stay men- Manu Goyal, assistant profes- significant cryptocurrency racist”, after confessing that he trying to track down his kid- other activities during the week Wtally sharp longer, sor of radiology at Washington reserves” following the death had once set out to attack ran- napped daughter – insisted that of the inauguration. and a new study out on Mon- University School of Medicine, of its president Gerald Cotten. dom black men after a friend of he was not racist, he said his The Trump Inaugural Com- day could explain why: female St Louis. The Nova Scotia Supreme his told him she had been raped. reaction underscored the need mittee raised $107mn, and ques- brains appear on average about “They start adulthood about Court was to consider the “I’m not a racist,” Neeson for a broader debate on race in tions have been fl oating for two three years younger. three years older than women, application made by his said on ABC news, although he society. years over whether that involved The study enrolled 121 and that persists throughout widow Jennifer Robertson on admitted he had felt a “primal “If she had said an Irish or a illegal donations from foreign- women and 84 men, who un- life,” said Goyal. behalf of the company. urge to lash out” some 40 years Scot or a Brit or a Lithuanian I ers, sweetheart deals for con- derwent PET scans to measure But why? Quadriga CX announced mid- ago after hearing from his close would – I know I would – have tractors and possible kickbacks. brain metabolism, or the fl ow One theory is that hormones January that Cotten died of friend that she had been raped Neeson: I did seek help, I went had the same eff ect. I was trying The committee board com- of oxygen and glucose in their might begin shaping brain me- complications from Crohn’s by a black man. to a priest. to show honour, to stand up for prised several billionaire sup- brains. tabolism at a young age, set- disease on December 9 while “I went out deliberately into my dear friend in this terribly porters of Trump. Like other organs in the ting females on a pattern that volunteering at an orphanage black areas in the city, looking that I could ... kill him,” he told mediaeval fashion,” the North- The deputy chairman, who body, the brain uses sugar as is more youthful throughout in India. to be set upon,” the 66-year-old the British newspaper The Inde- ern Irish actor said. managed the operation, was Rick fuel. their lives, compared to men. In an aff idavit, Robertson star of Schindler’s List said, re- pendent earlier this week. His remarks triggered wide- Gates, who has pleaded guilty to But just how it metabolises Scientists hope to fi nd out said the company has calling that he went out several “It was horrible, horrible spread condemnation. charges of conspiracy and false glucose can reveal a lot about if metabolic diff erences in the been unable to access times carrying a cosh and hop- when I think back, that I did Charles Blow, an African- statements in the Mueller inves- the brain’s metabolic age. brain may play a protective role on its main computer the ing a black person would pick a that. And I’ve never admitted American columnist for the New tigation in a co-operation deal. Subjects ranged from their for women, who tend to score cryptocurrencies owed to fi ght. that,” he said. York Times, asked on Twitter: According to reports last year, 20s to 80s, and across those better than men on cognitive 115,000 users. “I’m ashamed to say that and In the end, no violence oc- “Could Will Smith confess to Mueller has taken an interest in age spans, women’s brains ap- tests of reason, memory and The company’s digital I did it for maybe a week, hoping curred and Neeson added: “It stalking the streets of Los An- the attendance at the inaugu- peared metabolically younger problem solving in old age. platform allows trading some black bastard would come shocked me and it hurt me... I geles for a whole week search- ration and exclusive inaugural than men’s, said the fi ndings in It “could mean that the rea- of Bitcoin, Litecoin, and out of a pub and have a go at me did seek help, I went to a priest.” ing for random white men to kill events of individuals with ties to the Proceedings of the National son women don’t experience as Ethereum. about something, you know? So Neeson made the remarks and get a pass? Exactly.” the Russian government. Academy of Sciences, a peer- much cognitive decline in later reviewed US journal. years is because their brains A machine-learned algo- are eff ectively younger”, said rithm showed that women’s Goyal. brains were on average about More work is underway to 3.8 years younger than their confi rm and better under- Nurse pleads not guilty to raping disabled woman chronological ages. stand the implications of the And when compared to men, research. Reuters His next court appearance was Sutherland’s lawyer, Dave she is capable of responding to The facility said in a writ- Phoenix set for March 19. Gregan, said he would work sound and making facial ges- ten statement that Sutherland Jogger fights off , kills mountain lion Sutherland, a licensed prac- to uphold his client’s “process tures, and has some ability to was fi red as soon as administra- tical nurse who began working rights”. move her limbs, head and neck. tors learned of his arrest, and A trail runner attacked by a mountain lion in a park in Colorado n Arizona nurse pleaded at Hacienda HealthCare Skilled Gregan has said previously “The important thing is that that he had undergone extensive managed to fight off and kill the wild cat with his bare hands, park not guilty yesterday to Nursing Facility in Phoenix in that there was no direct evidence she is a beloved daughter, albeit background checks before being authorities said. Araping a severely disabled 2012, faces one count each of against his client, who had no with signifi cant intellectual dis- hired. The jogger, who was not identified, suff ered serious but non-life woman, a crime that came to sexual assault and abuse of a vul- prior criminal history, and that abilities,” they said in a letter re- The baby, a boy who is being threatening injuries and was hospitalised after Monday’s attack, the light when the victim unexpect- nerable adult. the defence planned to conduct leased to the media last month. cared for by family members, is Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) department said in a statement. edly gave birth in the long-term He has been held on $500,000 its own DNA tests. Hacienda employees were not doing well, the authorities have The man was running alone on Horseshoe Mountain when he care facility where she has a pa- bail since last month. The woman, who has been dis- aware that the woman was preg- said. “described hearing something behind him on the trail and was tient for about two decades. Police arrested Sutherland last abled since very early childhood nant before she went into labour, Hacienda has since retained an attacked by a mountain lion as he turned around to investigate”, Nathan Sutherland, 36, wear- month after investigators linked as a result of seizures, has spent police say, and were fi rst alerted Indiana-based company, Bench- CPW said. ing an orange jumpsuit and him to the case through DNA evi- most of her life in the nursing fa- to the case when the baby was mark Human Services, to oversee “The lion lunged at the runner, biting his face and wrist,” it said. shackled at the wrists and legs, dence after the woman, who is in cility. born. operations at the nursing facility “He was able to fight and break free from the lion, killing the lion in entered his plea at a brief ar- her 20s, went into labour on De- Although she was initially de- Police then sought DNA sam- after Arizona regulators ordered self-defence. He was able to suff ocate the animal while defending raignment hearing at the Mar- cember 29 at Hacienda Health- scribed by authorities as coma- ples from all male employees at the site placed under independ- himself from the attack.” icopa County Superior Court. Care. tose, her parents have said that the facility. ent management. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 11 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Sri Lanka ready for landmark hanging of drug convicts: minister

AFP a tougher line on spiralling nar- president’s request to restart fi rmed his plans to replicate his sions of President Duterte, I will fi ll a vacancy for an execution- ago, an executioner functioned Colombo cotics-related crime including capital punishment,” Thalatha counterpart Rodrigo Duterte’s not bow to international non- er. Light work and a salary of until his retirement in 2014. executions for repeat drug of- Athukorale said. Five names “success” in dealing with ille- governmental (rights) organisa- 35,000 rupees ($200) a month Three replacements since have fenders, inspired by a similar had been sent to the president gal drugs. Sirisena praised the tions and change my decision on was off ered in advertisements quit after short stints at the un- ri Lanka is ready to execute crackdown in the Philippines. between October 12 and the end “decisive action” of Duterte who death penalty for drug off ences,” placed last year, but no suitable used gallows. fi ve drug convicts and end The country’s justice minister of January, but Sirisena was yet has off ered anti-narcotics help Sirisena said last month. candidate came forward, he said. Criminals are regularly given Sits 42-year capital punish- told parliament yesterday that to sign the warrants and fi x the to Sri Lanka. Duterte ran on a Athukorale said there were 18 “Technically, we don’t have death sentences for murder, rape ment moratorium once Presi- legal and administrative pro- execution dates, Athukorale law-and-order platform that drug convicts who would qualify a hangman right now, but if the and drug-related crimes but dent Maithripala Sirisena signs cedures for the fi ve condemned added. There was no immediate included promises to kill thou- under Sirisena’s guidelines to be need arises, we should be able their punishments have been the death warrants and a hang- Sri Lankans were completed last comment from Sirisena’s offi ce sands of people involved in the hanged out of 376 convicts on to get one fairly quickly,” Up- commuted to life. Internation- man is appointed, offi cials said month, paving the way for the on the cases. drug trade, even offi cials. death row. But prisons spokes- uldeniya told AFP. al rights groups have urged Sri yesterday. fi rst hangings since 1976. “We Following a visit to the Philip- “Even though I have not im- man Thushara Upuldeniya said While Sri Lanka’s last execu- Lanka not to revive capital pun- Sirisena announced last year have already complied with the pines last month, Sirisena reaf- plemented some of the deci- authorities were still trying to tion was more than four decades ishment. Australia PM tours fl ood-ravaged areas

AFP the clean-up and rebuild their heavy rainfall, some of it very had water come right up in the Townsville lives.” heavy, about the north-east backyard again, similar to last In hard-hit Townsville, more tropics for the next few days... week, not as high, luckily, but than 650 people have been with that there is the real el- a lot of rain and a lot of water wo bodies were dis- evacuated from their homes evated risk of fl ash fl ooding.” upstream,” he added. covered in Australia’s and about 11,000 houses re- Local gym instructor Rebec- The authorities were forced Tfl ood-ravaged northeast mained without power Tues- ca Chilmaid described the scale to open fl oodgates of a major yesterday as continuing heavy day. of the devastation, of people dam late Sunday, unleashing rain prompted authorities to Around 9,000 more have left “without clothes, cars, what they called “dangerous warn of further fl ash fl ood- asked for help. Police said late their homes, everything”. and high velocity fl ows”. ing in the hours ahead. Prime yesterday that two bodies had “People and businesses have As waters began to recede Minister Scott Morrison toured been discovered in Townsville lost everything,” she told AFP. yesterday in some areas, au- the region where “once-in-a- fl oodwaters following a search “I sit and struggle to keep tears thorities were warning peo- century” fl oods have inundated for two men in their 20s, who from falling thinking about it.” ple of the dangers of returning thousands of homes and closed were last seen during the peak Australia’s tropical north home, not least thanks to the airports and schools, leaving of the deluge early Monday. typically experiences heavy risk of encountering croco- cars and houses submerged. There seems little prospect rains during the monsoon sea- diles. As stormwaters receded in of an immediate respite from son, but the recent downpour “Do not go swimming in some areas, he warned of a dif- what locals call the “Big Wet”. has seen some areas get a year’s those fl oodwaters,” Queens- fi cult recovery ahead. “It’s just “We expect this active mon- worth of rainfall in just a week. land Premier Annastacia Pal- going to be tough, going to be soon to remain active for the “Last night it was crazy,” Blue- aszczuk said. tough for a while,” Morrison coming days, potentially eas- water resident Michael Niem- “And when the clean-up said, expressing sympathy for ing over the weekend, so there inen, some 30km northwest begins, you need to make sure young families who had lost is an end in sight,” said Richard of Townsville, told national that you are wearing closed-in their homes. Wardle of Queensland’s Bureau broadcaster ABC. boots and that you do not have “The real work is to make of Meteorology. “But we are “We had another lot of fl ash any scratches or anything ex- sure that they can get through expecting further periods of fl ooding come through, we posed.” Shackled Bahraini footballer

US actress, filmmaker and humanitarian Angelina Jolie (right), a special envoy for the United Nations High ‘upsetting’, says PM Morrison Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), visits a school in the Kutupalong camp for Rohingya refugees in Ukhia in southern Bangladesh yesterday.

Reuters icism of the royal family. Mor- porters. Foreign Minister Don Bahraini authorities deny al- Sydney rison said he was “disturbed” to Pramudwinai said Australia and legations of torture. Phil Rob- see Araibi with shackles on his Bahrain should negotiate a so- ertson, the group’s deputy Asia feet arrive at a Bangkok court lution. “We don’t have a stake director, said Araibi’s return to Jolie visits Rohingya camps ustralian Prime Minis- on Monday. The court extended in this and it’s a matter that the Australia “is an open and shut ter Scott Morrison said his detention for two months. two countries need to talk,” Don case.” “Everybody seems to re- Ayesterday he was “dis- “I thought that was very upset- told reporters. “If they can’t alise that except the Thai gov- Reuters Nations said it was preparing to placement, and improve con- turbed” to see Bahraini refugee ting and I know it would have fi nd a solution, then Thailand ernment,” he told Reuters. Many Cox’s Bazar launch a new appeal for $920mn ditions for all communities in footballer Hakeem al-Araibi in upset many Australians, and I is ready to mediate. I am sure Thais, including former deputy to support the refugees, who fl ed Rakhine state, including the Ro- shackles in Thailand and had respectfully reminded the Thai things will not escalate, but for prime minister Chaturon Chai- a brutal military crackdown in hingya.” told its prime minister this was prime minister that Australians now Hakeem will be under the sang, have called for Araibi’s re- N refugee agency special neighbouring Rakhine state in Myanmar government spokes- a serious issue for Australians. feel very strongly about this,” care of Thai authorities.” lease, making the hashtag #Sa- envoy Angelina Jolie yes- Myanmar. UN investigators have man Zaw Htay did not pick up a Pressure is mounting on Morrison told Sky News. Araibi was convicted of van- veHakeem the top trending Thai Uterday visited camps in accused Myanmar’s army of car- call seeking comment. Jolie fl ew Bangkok to free Araibi, who was “So we will continue to make dalising a police station in Bah- item on Twitter on Monday. Bangladesh for Muslim Rohingya rying out mass killings and rapes to Bangladesh this week to “as- arrested in Thailand in Novem- these representations and not rain and was sentenced to 10 Thai soccer team Chiang refugees from Myanmar and with “genocidal intent” during sess the humanitarian needs of ber on behalf of the Bahraini just to Thailand, but also to years in prison in absentia. He Rai United have also joined the condemned the world’s failure to the massive off ensive that laid the Rohingya refugees and some government, with Canberra and Bahrain,” he added. Thai Prime denies wrongdoing, saying he campaign to free Araibi, who prevent a crisis that saw 730,000 waste to hundreds of Rohingya of the more critical challenges soccer’s world governing body Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, was playing in a televised soccer played for Melbourne’s second people driven from their homes. villages in the western Rakhine facing Bangladesh as a host FIFA demanding his return to leader of the junta, said yester- match at the time. tier Pascoe Vale soccer club. The Hollywood actor ad- state. country”, the UNHCR said in a Australia where he plays. day his government could not Araibi was tortured by Bah- Football Federation Australia dressed a crowd of refugees on a The United Nations says con- statement. She will meet Bang- Araibi, who fl ed Bahrain in intervene in the court proceed- raini authorities because of his have ramped up their cam- hilltop in Kutapalong camp, the ditions are not yet right for re- ladesh Prime Minister Sheikh 2014 before being granted per- ings. brother’s political activities paign to free Araibi and pledged world’s largest refugee settle- turn. The Rohingya say they Hasina and Foreign Minister AK manent residence in Australia, “Do not jump to conclusion during the Arab Spring uprising A$10,000 ($7,263) on Tuesday ment, in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Ba- want guarantees over their safety Abdul Momen in the capital, has said he would face torture if about the verdict and do not in 2011, New York-based Hu- to kickstart a fundraising drive zar district. She said was “hum- and to be recognised as citizens Dhaka, today, the refugee agency sent back to Bahrain for his crit- politicise this,” Prayuth told re- man Rights Watch has said. to help return him to Australia. bled and proud to stand with you before returning. Jolie said she said. today”. had met stateless Rohingya who Several refugees who gath- “You have every right not to be described being “treated like cat- ered to watch Jolie speak said stateless and the way you have tle” in Myanmar. “I met a woman they knew only that she was a been treated shames us all,” said yesterday, a survivor of rape in “high offi cial”. But 22-year-old Temple blaze in Bandung Jolie, adding the crisis was the Myanmar, and she told me ‘you Mohammed Shakir, who fl ed result of decades of discrimina- would have to shoot me where I his home in Rakhine after the tion that had gone unaddressed. stand before I would go back to 2017 violence, said he respected “What is most tragic about this Myanmar’,” Jolie said. “I urge the her for her humanitarian work. situation is that we cannot say Myanmar authorities to show the “When I saw her, I was very ex- we had no warning.” genuine commitment needed to cited because she has special Jolie’s visit came as the United end the cycle of violence, dis- words for our Rohingya,” he said.

Facebook bans four ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar

Facebook has blacklisted four representation will be removed the four have clubbed together more of Myanmar’s ethnic rebel as soon as we become aware of in an alliance, refusing to enter groups, the platform announced it,” Facebook’s news page said. bilateral peace talks with the yesterday as it struggles to “There is clear evidence that government. In December, the control rampant hate speech, these organisations have been military announced a tempo- misinformation and incitement responsible for attacks against rary ceasefire in the troubled on its platform. For years the civilians and have engaged in northeast of the country but has social media giant has been lam- violence in Myanmar, and we continued to pound AA rebels in basted for its slow and ineff ectual want to prevent them from using Myanmar’s beleaguered Rakhine response to incendiary posts, our services to further inflame state in violence that has seen particularly against the country’s tensions on the ground.” several thousand displaced. Rohingya Muslims. Hardline nationalist monks and Facebook told AFP that the The company has embarked on even top military generals – who government had flagged up a huge PR campaign over the last UN investigators say should content posted by the rebel year to prove it is taking action face prosecution for genocide groups several times but said in a country with an estimated for their crackdown against the the decision to blacklist them 20mn Facebook accounts. The Rohingya – were kicked off the had been internal. The platform latest rebel organisations to have site last year. Hundreds of pages has tried to repair its battered been banned are the Arakan and accounts with hidden links reputation, improving the speed Army (AA), Myanmar National to the armed forces were also re- with which hate speech is taken Democratic Alliance Army moved in December. The newest down and boosting the number (MNDAA), Kachin Independence rebel groups to be kicked off the of Myanmar-language review- Army (KIA) and Taaung National site are among some two dozen ers. It confirmed it now employs Liberation Army (TNLA). ethnic armed organisations fight- more than 100 staff who speak Indonesian firefighters work during a blaze at the Samudera Bhakti and Satya Budhi temple complex on the first day of Lunar New “These armed groups are now ing decades-old conflicts over Myanmar – including some who Year in Bandung yeserday. No casualties were reported. banned from Facebook and autonomy, identity, territory and can also review content in Shan all related praise, support and natural resources. Since 2016, and Chin languages. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 BRITAIN/IRELAND

TRAGEDY PROPOSAL LAW AND ORDER CRITICISM OFFBEAT Four children die in Govt looks to get more Man arrested for alleged Lammy hits out at Shopping centre sold Staff ord house fire women in top finance jobs death threats against MP deportation flights for average house price

Four children have died in a house fire in Banks, insurers and other financial firms in A man has been arrested after death threats Labour MP David Lammy has accused the A Scottish shopping centre has been sold for the town of Staff ord, north of Birmingham, Britain may have to come up with tougher were allegedly made towards Labour MP government of “pandering to far-right racism” about the price of an average house in some police said yesterday. Two adults and a targets for getting women into top jobs, Yvette Cooper. The 59-year-old was detained in its handling of the Windrush row and with its areas of the country, in the latest sign of the fifth child are being treated in hospital for Financial Services Minister John Glen said. by West Yorkshire police on Friday. Detectives decision to deport about 50 people to Jamaica. crisis in UK retail. The Postings mall in Kirkcaldy, injuries not believed to be life threatening. Some 300 financial firms have publicly signed said the man from Leeds was arrested in In a strong attack on the Home Off ice, Lammy in which 14 of the 21 shops lie empty, was sold Police and emergency services were called up to the voluntary Women in Finance Charter Castleford and has since been bailed. A Labour said its decisions had “killed” at least 11 people for £310,000 to an unnamed bidder yesterday. to a fire in the Highfields area at 2.40am launched in 2016 by the finance ministry. In Party member, who did not wish to be named, who had been wrongly deported back to the The City pension fund Columbia Threadneedle (0240 GMT). Police have launched an 2015, just 14% of executive committee members said several police off icers had been present Caribbean. These deaths were a “shocking Investments put the property up for auction investigation into the cause of the fire. were women. The number signed up compares at a constituency party meeting on Friday indictment of your government’s pandering to a with a minimum price of £1 after losing about “Our thoughts are with the family, who with just over 200 firms by March last year, evening as a precaution. Those attending the far-right racism, sham immigration targets and £200,000 a year on the property. Duncan Moir, are being supported by specialist off icers when a review said progress on meeting targets meeting in Airedale were asked to show their a dog-whistle to the rightwing press,” he said. an auctioneer for Allsop which handled the sale, at this diff icult time,” Staff ordshire Police by 2020 was slow. Glen said he will be studying membership cards to off icers as they arrived, Lammy was granted an urgent question in the said there had been at least six bidders. The said. Tearful neighbours said they heard a review of progress in March, which will give he said. Cooper received a threat against the House of Commons to voice concerns about deal is set to be completed by February 15. The “screaming” and saw flames “lashing” out latest figures on how each firm that has signed lives of her children and grandchildren in June Home Off ice plans to deport dozens of people successful bidder will have to pick up at least the windows. up is making progress on their internal targets. 2016, shortly after the murder of MP Jo Cox. to Jamaica in the next few days. £5,000 in legal fees. Karl Marx’s London grave vandalised

Guardian News and Media future.” In a statement the Met- London ropolitan Police said: “Initial en- quiries have been completed and at this stage the investigation has he tomb of Karl Marx at been closed. If any further infor- London’s Highgate cem- mation comes to light, this will be Tetery has been vandalised investigated accordingly.” in a targeted attack that means Dungavell speculated that the the grade I-listed monument will suspect attacker damaged the “never be the same again”. memorial with a hammer wielded The suspected vandal damaged in the left hand. a marble plaque which was taken “I think they are left-handed from Marx’s original 1881 grave- because of the angle of the marks stone and incorporated into the left on the memorial move down 1954 monument. from left to right. If they were Images of the defaced memo- right-handed they’d be moving rial, which attracts tens of thou- from right to left. sands of visitors each year, show “I would guess it has been done what appears to be damage done with a relatively blunt metal in- by a hammer to the lettering of strument. There are rust marks, Marx’s name and the marble on and the cuts seem to be broad which it is mounted. rather than deep, so I would say it Ian Dungavell, the chief ex- was probably a hammer.” It is un- ecutive of the Friends of Highgate clear when the incident occurred. Prime Minister Theresa May attends a roundtable meeting during her visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, yesterday. Cemetery Trust, condemned the The damage was fi rst noticed on attack as “an appalling thing to Monday afternoon, but Dungavell do” and a “particularly inarticu- said images posted on social me- late form of political comment”, dia suggest it could have occurred warning that the tomb would be early last week or before. permanently scarred. “Just looking at social media Speaking to the Guardian he posts from people who have vis- said: “We think it was deliberately ited, if you squint you can see that targeted against Karl Marx. It was the damage was visible in some of May to visit Brussels in not random. You can see from the those photographs,” he said. photograph that the person has The cost of the damage has yet really done their best to obliter- to be estimated. Dungavell said: ate Karl Marx’s name.” Dungavell “I’m hoping we will be able to get condemned the attack as a “par- a specialist stone conservator to ticularly selfi sh act”. consolidate the white marble and He said: “Regardless of what then if we can get the lead letter- search of a Brexit deal anyone thinks about Marx’s phi- ing back it might be that you don’t losophy I just think it is an appall- notice it.” The children’s author Reuters deal or a no-deal exit. should be used, used by all sides. backstop had to be replaced. and sustained fashion,” she said. ing thing to do. On a human level and poet, Michael Rosen, sug- London/Brussels Since British lawmakers voted But for this it would be very im- “The current backstop, as I Britain, Ireland and the EU this is a grave of his wife, his own gested launching an appeal for the down the withdrawal agreement portant to know what exactly the have said all along, is toxic to want to avoid physical checks on grave and other members of his cost of repair. last month, parliament has in- British side envisages in terms of those of us living in Northern the border between Ireland and family.” He added: “This is no way The cemetery will be discuss- rime Minister Theresa structed May to replace its most its relationship with the EU,” she Ireland,” DUP leader Arlene Fos- Northern Ireland that ceased to treat a grade I-listed monu- ing repairing the uninsured me- May will travel to Brussels contentious element — an insur- said. ter, who will meet May in Belfast with the 1998 Good Friday ment and it’s a particularly inar- morial with its owners the Marx Ptomorrow to tell European ance policy covering the possible May, on a visit to Belfast yes- today, told BBC radio. Agreement. ticulate form of political protest. Grave Trust. It will also talk to the Union leaders they must accept future arrangements for the bor- terday, tried to reassure North- Foster refused to say whether Where British soldiers once “If it is someone who is rabidly trust about the possibility of in- legally binding changes to the der between EU-member Ire- ern Ireland that she can deliver the deal would have to be rene- manned checkpoints in a re- anti-Marxist they could do a lot stalling CCTV around the monu- Irish border arrangements of land and the British province of an orderly Brexit that will ensure gotiated or whether she would minder of Ireland’s division, better trying to change people’s ment. Britain’s divorce deal or face the Northern Ireland. peace in a province riven by three accept legally binding assur- the border is now open with no opinion rather than just smash- Dungavell said: “We might do prospect of a disorderly no-deal May will meet European decades of sectarian confl ict un- ances. controls since both the United ing up the monument. That is not a security review with the Marx Brexit. Commission president Jean- til a 1998 accord. “If the backstop is dealt with Kingdom and Ireland are part of going to win any sympathy to the Grave Trust and speak to the po- The UK is due to leave the Claude Juncker and then Euro- The Northern Irish Demo- in the withdrawal agreement the EU. anti-Marxist cause.” lice about what should happen EU in just 52 days, yet London pean Council president Donald cratic Unionist Party (DUP), then, despite the fact we may But when the UK leaves the The “deliberate and sustained about any recommendations they and Brussels are arguing over Tusk in Brussels tomorrow. which has propped up May’s have misgivings around other EU’s Single Market and Customs attack” on the monument was may have.” He pointed out that whether the deal clinched in “From a political point of government since she lost her parts of the withdrawal agree- Union the EU does not want the “very upsetting”, he said. “It will the Marx memorial has been re- November can be changed, view, there is still time,” German parliamentary majority in a 2017 ment, we will support the prime 500km border to become a back- never be the same again, and will peatedly damaged since it was raising the possibility of a de- Chancellor Angela Merkel told snap election, said it wanted to minister because we do want door into the bloc without cus- bear those battle scars for the installed. lay to Brexit, a last-minute a conference in Tokyo. “That get a deal agreed but the border Brexit to happen in an orderly toms and regulatory checks. British ISIS hostage still Charity initiative McCartney wins gold alive, says government Blue Peter badge Guardian News and Media combe, said: “Sir Paul McCart- London ney has inspired generations of Guardian News and Media Wallace would not have made cratic Forces stated Cantlie may Blue Peter viewers to love music London his remarks without a fi rm piece still be alive in Hajin town. and be creative – a core value of of evidence. The UK could be Cantlie was captured in No- aul McCartney has won Blue Peter.” relying either on intercept evi- vember 2012 alongside the US countless awards, but he The BBC children’s show cel- ohn Cantlie, the British jour- dence, or some fragment pro- reporter James Foley who was Psays he has fi nally “made ebrated its 60th anniversary nalist captured by Islamic vided from the growing number subsequently beheaded. it” after being presented with in late October. It is famed for JState more than six years ago, of former ISIS fi ghters returning The Free John Cantlie cam- perhaps the greatest accolade of “here’s one I made earlier” craft- is still alive, the Home Offi ce has to Europe. paign has continued to try to all: a gold Blue Peter badge. ing segments such as the Thun- said. Cantlie’s sister Jessica had keep his memory alive with On receiving the badge, which derbirds Tracy Island, as well as Security Minister Ben Wallace previously appealed for direct increasingly heartfelt appeals is shaped like the ship logo of the for classic bloopers such as Lulu in a briefi ng with reporters, did contact with the group holding for someone to come forward children’s television programme, the elephant going to the loo all not elaborate on his justifi cation him. There was no immediate and provide information on his the former Beatle said: “That is over the studio fl oor and former for the UK government’s belief comment from his family. whereabouts. It said on Twit- beautiful … I will wear it with presenter John Noakes scal- that Cantlie is alive. He declined In 2014, his 80-year-old fa- ter: “We are aware of the current great pride. Yes! I made it!” ing the side of Nelson’s Column to give details of where British ther, Paul, issued a video appeal news circulating that Cantlie is McCartney also declared that in London on a wobbly ladder intelligence believes Cantlie is from his hospital bed for his son’s alive, whilst this is not substan- he “doesn’t really know” how without a safety harness. still held by ISIS. release. Shortly after that appeal, tiated at present, we continue to to write songs. When presenter Gold badges are the pro- The amount of ISIS-held terri- he died from complications fol- hope and pray that this turns out Lindsey Russell asked him to share gramme’s highest award, given tory in Syria and Iraq has shrunk lowing pneumonia. to be true. Thank you for your tips for budding musicians, he re- out rarely for either bravery or vastly, but the UK, contrary to In July 2017, reports emerged continued support”. plied: “I have a songwriting class, services to society, and only to Donald Trump’s US administra- in Iraqi media, based on inter- The Foreign Secretary, Jer- and the fi rst thing I say to them is, those considered role models to tion, does not believe ISIS has views with Isis fi ghters, claim- emy Hunt, recently wrote to the ‘Look, I don’t really know how to young people. Previous winners been eff ectively defeated. ing Cantlie had been killed in an foreign aff airs select commit- do this.’ At fi rst they kind of look at include Ed Sheeran, J K Rowling, Cantlie, captured by ISIS in airstrike sometime during the tee saying that he believed Isis me, but when you think about it, Prince William and the Duch- Syria in 2012, fronted a series of battle to recapture Mosul. But “had lost almost all the territory there is no formula. I know how to ess of Cambridge, the Queen propaganda videos for the group in October 2017, a French Isis they once held”, but remained write one of my songs, but I can’t and David Attenborough. It has but had not been seen alive since fi ghter told the French magazine a threat. He was responding to say, ‘You do it that way,’ because become tradition, too, to give a video was last released in 2016. Paris Match that he had seen Trump’s decision to withdraw it’s a very personal thing. every presenter one during their He was then shown in Mosul, Cantlie “seven or eight months US troops from Syria, a move Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrives at the Lavender McCartney can be seen receiv- fi nal show. Two Blue Peter stu- northern Iraq. Mosul was freed ago” in Raqqa, the ISIS strong- that has privately infuriated the Primary School in support of Place2Be Children’s Mental ing his badge on Blue Peter on dio dogs, Bonnie and Endal, have from ISIS control last year after a hold in Syria. UK military and many policy- Health Week 2019 in London, yesterday. CBBC on tomorrow at 5.30pm. also won gold badges for their bloody siege. In January, the Syrian Demo- makers in Washington. The show’s editor, Ewan Vinni- longstanding work. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 13 EUROPE Tsipras visits Erdogan for talks to ease tensions

AFP The Greek and Turkish lead- against Greece’s Muslim minor- two countries to the edge of a war The discovery in recent years grants landing on Greek islands Yesterday Tsipras said that Ankara ers were expected to discuss ity in northern towns like Ko- over the sovereignty of rocky is- of gigantic gas fi elds in the east- in exchange for incentives in- coup suspects were “not wel- disputed Cyprus energy explo- motini, near the border, citing a lets – called Kardak by Ankara ern Mediterranean has whetted cluding fi nancial assistance. come” in his country but he re- ration, Aegean sea issues, a mi- chapter in the treaty about mi- and Imia by Athens. the appetite of Cyprus which Tsipras told Anadolu that as a spected the judicial process, re- reek Prime Minister Alex- grant agreement, and economic nority rights, which he said had The trip also comes 20 years dreams of eventually becoming a result of the deal, “illegal fl ows ferring to eight Turkish soldiers is Tsipras visited Turkey co-operation though analysts see not been “respected”. after the beginning of a rap- major energy player. and especially deaths in the who fl ed there after the failed Gyesterday, where he met little concrete progress. “During my visit, I think we prochement in ties in 1999 when However, Ankara says such Aegean drastically decreased”. coup. Turkish President Recep Tayyip “We are going through a diffi - will have the opportunity to Greece rushed to Turkish help exploration deprives Turkish Despite the agreement, hun- “On the thorny issue of the Erdogan for talks to ease tensions cult period in our relations with continue the diffi cult but frank following a devastating earth- Cypriots of the island’s off shore dreds of migrants continue to eight offi cers, Greece respects over bilateral disputes and the Turkey, which is why we have dialogue that began in December quake. resources and calls for its sus- disembark every day on the Greek the decisions delivered by the ju- long-running Cyprus problem. to continue to discuss,” Greek 2017,” the Greek prime minis- “Even though these talks pension until a lasting solution is islands – about 5,000 people be- diciary,” he told a joint press con- Tsipras, in his second visit to government spokesman Dimi- ter said in an interview with the might not go anywhere, the es- found to the Cyprus problem. tween September and December, ference with Erdogan. “In Greece Turkey as Greek premier in four tris Tzanakopoulos told KritiTV. Turkish state-run news agency sence is that there is a pretence of Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim putting heavy pressure on over- the putschists are not welcome; years, arrived in the capital An- “This visit can contribute to de- Anadolu ahead of the visit. dialogue, and this is important,” Kalin said on Monday that Tur- crowded Greek refugee camps. we must face any criminal organ- kara and met Turkish Vice-Pres- escalation of tensions.” For Ozgur Unluhisarcikli at according to Dimitrios Trianta- key would not allow a “fait ac- The number of people cross- isation that prevents co-opera- ident Fuat Oktay before heading In December 2017, Erdogan the German Marshall Fund of the phyllou, director of the Centre compli” in the eastern Mediter- ing the land border between the tion between the two countries.” into talks with Erdogan. became the fi rst Turkish presi- United States think tank, “the for International and European ranean and would instead defend two countries has also increased On his part, Erdogan said that He said his government is dent to visit Greece in 65 years. positions (of the two countries) Studies at Kadir Has University “equal and fair” sharing of the signifi cantly, from 5,400 in 2017 disputes between Turkey and happy to hold an “open” dialogue However, he stunned his hosts are too far away” to bring con- in Istanbul. resources. to 14,000 in 2018, according to Greece could be resolved “peace- with Turkey to solve disputes be- when he asked for a revision of crete results and the main ob- One of the main disputes is the The two leaders are also ex- Greek Minister for Migration fully” through dialogue. tween the countries. the 1923 Lausanne Treaty that jective would be to see “if there issue of oil and gas exploration of pected to discuss a migrant deal Policy Dimitris Vitsas. “We, as Turkey, believe all the “I am very pleased that com- defi nes the borders of modern is any space for dialogue in the Cyprus, which has been divided which Ankara struck with the Turkey also strongly criti- problems with Greece could be munication channels (with Tur- Turkey after the collapse of the future”. between the internationally-rec- European Union in 2016 to stem cises Athens for granting asy- resolved peacefully,” he said at key) are open so that we can take Ottoman Empire. Tsipras’s visit comes a few ognised Greek southern portion the fl ow of refugees. lum to Turkish soldiers who fl ed the joint press conference. “We more constructive steps,” Tsipras The Turkish leader also de- days after the 23rd anniversary and the breakaway Turkish north Under the migrant deal, Tur- the country after the 2016 failed believe every problem could be said. nounced “discrimination” of a 1996 crisis that brought the for over four decades. key has agreed to take back mi- coup. resolved through dialogue.”

Russia to develop new missile systems At least 10 die in Paris after treaty pullout

AFP low us to signifi cantly reduce Moscow the time needed to produce the new missiles as well as fi nanc- ing for them,” Shoigu said. apartment block fi re ussia’s Defence Minister He also tasked defence offi - Sergei Shoigu said yes- cials with extending the maxi- AFP Rterday that the country mum range of ground-based Paris must develop new types of missiles that are being devel- missile systems in the next two oped. years after Washington and Defence experts say that t least 10 people died Moscow ripped up a key arms because ground-based inter- and 30 were injured in control treaty. mediate-range missiles are Aan overnight blaze at an The United States has re- cheaper, Russia could theoreti- apartment block in Paris that the peatedly accused Russia of vio- cally place more of them within police suspect was deliberately lating the Intermediate-Range range of European targets. started by a female resident with Nuclear Forces (INF) agree- Speaking to Shoigu on Sat- psychological problems, offi cials ment, and on Friday President urday, Putin said Russia would said yesterday. Donald Trump said that Wash- not put any such missile “in The fi re on the upper fl oors ington was starting a process to Europe or other regions of of the building on Rue Erlanger withdraw from the treaty in six the world” unless the United in the upscale 16th district of months. States did so fi rst. southwest Paris is the deadliest In a tit-for-tat move on Military experts were hard- in the capital since 2005. Saturday, Russian President pressed to say what hypersonic Dramatic footage from the Vladimir Putin said that Mos- missile Russia planned to de- scene showed fl ames shooting cow was also leaving the treaty velop in response to Washing- out of the windows and fi refi ght- and beginning work on new ton’s exit from the INF treaty. ers climbing narrow ladders to types of weapons that would In December, Putin said that rescue terrifi ed residents, some breach the crucial Cold War- if Washington abandoned the dressed only in pyjamas, from the era agreement. treaty, Russia’s seaborne Ka- top of the eight-storey block. Many analysts say that libr and air-launched Kh-101 The blaze left at least 10 peo- abandoning the 1987 treaty ef- cruise missiles – as well as cut- ple dead and 33 injured – eight of fectively signalled the start of a ting-edge hypersonic Kinzhal them fi refi ghters. new arms race. (Dagger) missiles – would be Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz At a meeting with offi cials converted to allow for ground said that a 40-year-old woman yesterday, Shoigu said that launch. who lived in the building and had Russia should develop two new “We have plenty to choose “prior psychological problems” missile systems in the next two from,” pro-Kremlin defence had been arrested near the scene, years. analyst Igor Korotchenko told where the acrid smell of smoke “During 2019-2020 we have AFP, noting that the Dagger still hung in the air several hours to develop a land-based ver- missile was just one such sys- after the blaze was extinguished. sion of the seaborne Kalibr tem. The woman “appeared drunk system equipped with a long- Korotchenko, who is editor and was trying to set a car on fi re range cruise missile which of the National Defence jour- in the street when she was ar- showed good results in Syria,” nal, said it would be fairly easy rested”, a police source told AFP. Shoigu told defence offi cials. to convert the seaborne Kalibr A 22-year-old neighbour told “Over the same period we system for ground use as the Le Parisien newspaper that his will also have to create a land- defence ministry just needed girlfriend had asked the woman based missile system with a to develop a land-based mobile to turn down her music late on This handout picture taken and released by the Paris firefighters brigade (BSPP) shows the fire in a building in Erlanger street, in the 16th long-range hypersonic mis- launcher. Monday, prompting a fl urry of arrondissement in Paris. sile,” he said. The INF treaty was signed in insults that led them to call the The defence minister said 1987 by then-US president Ro- police. fi refi ghters worried that struc- Another local, who gave his “The building was very dif- to the Parc des Princes stadium the plans had been approved by nald Reagan and Soviet leader The couple later left their tural damage might cause the top name as Nicolas, said he initially fi cult to access,” Daniele Giazzi, of club Paris Saint-Germain. Putin. Mikhail Gorbachev, and re- apartment while the police in- fl oor to collapse. thought that a fi ght had bro- mayor of the 16th district, told The fi re is the most deadly in The INF agreement forbids solved a crisis over Soviet nu- tervened, and upon their return Police captain Valerian Fuet ken out when he heard a woman BFM television. Paris since 2005 when an arson ground-launched, short- and clear-tipped ballistic missiles bumped into the woman in the said that around 50 people had screaming. “Thoughts for the victims. attack on a building in the south- intermediate-range missiles, targeting Western capitals. hallway. been rescued from the block, “She was screaming, scream- Thank you to the fi refi ghters eastern 13th district killed 17 but not those launched from Experts say that the United “She wished me good luck … some of whom had climbed on to ing and we went outside and the whose courage helped save many people, 14 of them children. the air or sea – which Russia States and Russia abandon- then I smelled smoke and realised the roofs of adjacent buildings to building was already on fi re,” he lives,” President Emmanuel Ma- The worst fi re in Paris since already has. ing of the INF treaty delivered she had set the entire fl oor on escape the inferno. said. cron tweeted. World War II was in April of the Defence experts say that a huge blow to the global arms fi re,” he told the paper, asking not “Unfortunately, we could still Rescue eff orts were initially Standing at the police cordon, same year when 24 people per- converting seaborne and air- control regime and interna- to be identifi ed by name. “She make some unpleasant discover- hampered by the fact that the Jose Emilien was seeking news of ished inside a building used for launched missile systems for tional security. must have set the fi re outside my ies,” Fuet said. blaze was ripping through apart- his cousin and nephew who live temporary accommodation after ground use will be advanta- The last nuclear arms con- apartment to get revenge.” The fi re started about 1am ments facing an inner courtyard on the sixth fl oor of the building. a fi ght between two residents. geous for Russia since pro- trol treaty between Washing- A judicial source said that af- (0000 GMT), and it took around which had no vehicle access. “I called both of them,” the Yesterday’s blaze follows ducing such missiles will be ton and Moscow – the New ter questioning, the woman had 200 fi refi ghters more than fi ve “They had the trucks, the big 46-year-old builder told AFP. a powerful gas explosion last cheaper and quicker. START treaty – expires in 2021 been placed in a psychiatric fa- hours to bring it under control. ladders, but they couldn’t do an- “They’re not picking up and I month that killed four people in “The use of seaborne and and most analysts expect it will cility. “At windows, people were ything,” Nicolas told AFP. don’t have any news.” the city’s central 9th district and air-launched missiles will al- not be extended. By afternoon yesterday, po- yelling ‘Help, help!’ – everyone Only once they had fi tted ex- The neighbourhood of both is likely to renew debate about lice were still gingerly searching was panicking,” witness Hum- tenders to their equipment were modern and classic Haussmann fi re safety in the City of Light, through the building’s blackened berto Ribas, who works in an ad- the fi refi ghters able to begin res- buildings is located on the edge of where few old buildings have fi re France holds nuke defence simulation remains for any survivors with jacent building, told AFP. cue operations. the Bois de Boulogne park, close escapes. France has conducted a rare simulation of a nuclear deterrent mission, its armed forces ministry said yesterday, at a time when the United States plans to exit a nuclear arms control pact with Russia. The 11-hour mission, which included refuelling, tested all phases of Abuse of nuns within the church ‘is a problem’: Pope an attack mission involving a Rafale warplane. “These real strikes are scheduled in the life of the weapons’ system,” French air force spokesman Colonel Cyrille Duvivier said. “They are Reuters zine about the abuse of nuns in “We have been working on part of it (the religious order), Francis said, without saying who carried out at fairly regular intervals, but remain rare because the Aboard the Papal Plane the Catholic Church. this for a long time. We have even sexual slavery on the part of prevented the probe. real missile, without its warhead, is fired.” Recently more nuns, encour- suspended some priests because priests and the founder”. After he became pope, Ratz- It did not say when the test was carried out, and off icials declined to aged by the #MeToo movement, of this,” he said, adding that the He did not name the group, but inger reopened the investigation say how often they take place. ope Francis, whose papacy have been coming forward to Vatican was in the process of Vatican spokesman Alessandro and dissolved the order, Francis has been marked by ef- describe abuse at the hands of shutting down a female religious Gisotti said it was a French order. said. Pforts to quell a global crisis priests and bishops. order because of sexual abuse Before he became pope, Ben- Pope Francis has summoned French anti-hooligan law passed over sexual abuse of children by Last year, the International and corruption. edict was Cardinal Joseph Ratz- key bishops from around the Catholic clergy, said yesterday Union of Superiors General, He did not name it. inger, the head of the Congrega- world to a summit later this France’s parliament has passed a bill aimed at curbing violent that he is committed to stopping which represents more than “I can’t say ‘this does not hap- tion of the Doctrine of the Faith, month at the Vatican to fi nd a protests in response to three months of anti-government the abuse of nuns by priests and 500,000 Catholic nuns, urged pen in my house’. It is true. Do the Vatican department that in- unifi ed response on how to pro- demonstrations by the grassroots “yellow vests” movement. bishops, some of whom had used their members to report abuse. we have to do more? Yes. Are we vestigates sexual abuse. tect children from sexual abuse Despite criticism that the law could curb civil liberties, it passed the the women as sex slaves. “It is true ... there have been willing? Yes,” he said. The pope at the time was John by clergy. lower house, the national assembly, by 387 votes to 92. Francis made his comments priests and even bishops who Francis said that former pope Paul. Asked if there would be some It will now be discussed in the upper house, but the assembly has on the plane returning from Abu have done this. I think it is still Benedict XVI dissolved a reli- Then-cardinal Ratzinger kind of similar action to confront the last word. Dhabi in response to a reporter’s going on because something does gious order of women shortly af- wanted to investigate the reli- abuse of nuns in the church, he The “anti-casseurs” (anti-hooligan) law bans protesters from hiding question about an article last not stop just because you have ter his election as pontiff in 2005 gious order where women were said: “I want to move forward. their faces, and gives police greater powers to extract potential week in a Vatican monthly maga- become aware of it,” Francis said. “because slavery had become being abused but he was blocked, We are working on it.” trouble-makers from demonstrations. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday February 6, 2019 INDIA

LEGAL DECISION OPINION OFFBEAT UNEMPLOYMENT Govt gets consular access Hazare breaks fast BJP government derailed ‘Modi wave’ in Valley Engineers, post-graduates to 117 students held in US after talks with Fadnavis economy: Chidambaram sparks laughter on Twitter vie for sweeper jobs

The government yesterday said it is in touch Social activist Anna Hazare ended his seven- India’s economy that had recovered from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tour of Dal Lake Believe it or not, persons with professional quali- with the US authorities to ensure a humane and day-long hunger strike yesterday evening damage caused by the ‘Great Recession’ of in Srinagar is causing embarrassment for the fications such as M.Tech, B.Tech and MBA, post dignified treatment of Indian students detained after a nearly six-hour marathon meeting with 2008, cruising at a growth rate of 7%, has been BJP after a video of him waving at the empty graduates as well as graduates are in the race in America for enrolling at a sham university. The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. derailed by the Modi government, says former lake gave many Twitteratis an occasion to poke for jobs as sweepers and sanitary workers in the government said the Indian embassy and consu- Union Agriculture Minister Radhe Mohan Singh Finance Minister P Chidamabaram who feels fun at the prime minister. The prime minister was Tamil Nadu assembly secretariat. Many diploma lates have obtained consular access to 117 of 129 also participated in the discussions at Hazare’s that the damage done to the economy is as dressed up for the occasion just like any other holders too are fighting it out for the posts of of them. An external aff airs ministry release said Ralegaon-Siddhi village. After the meeting, worrying as that done to the society. “Everyone tourist would. And he perhaps posed for the vid- sweeper (10 vacancies) and sanitary worker the government is closely monitoring and taking Fadnavis requested Hazare to break his fast, who brought sensible ideas to the table to turn eo which went viral yesterday just as he would (four vacancies). On September 26, the assembly proactive measures to deal with the detention of which the activist did by accepting a glass of the economy around has left the government on any other occasion – waving at enthusiastic secretariat sought applications for the posts. The Indian students. “According to US government, water from the chief minister amidst loud cheers in disgust and despair,” he says, accusing the crowd, except that there was no crowd that day. only qualification was that the aspiring candi- 129 Indian nationals were arrested on January 31 by his supporters and villagers. Earlier, Fadnavis ruling dispensation of “manufacturing statistics”. Seeing the video, BJP’s former ally and People’s dates should be able-bodied. The minimum age in connection with their enrolment at the ‘univer- and Singh discussed threadbare the three-point He makes the observations in “Undaunted: Sav- Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti limit was 18 years. The maximum age diff ered. A sity’. Our embassy has obtained consular access demands raised by Hazare who launched the ing the Idea of India”, which is scheduled to be mocked the prime minister, saying he was wav- total of 4,607 applications were received, includ- to the 117,” the release said. indefinite hunger strike on January 30. launched by on February 8 in New Delhi. ing at countless imaginary “friends” in Kashmir. ing from the Employment Exchange. Court snubs government plea to extend NRC deadline

IANS this stage on the request made by New Delhi the centre, the chief justice said, “we direct that adequate number of state government offi cials he Supreme Court yester- (number indicated by the state day refused to relax the co-ordinator as 3,457) which TJuly 31 deadline for pub- would consist of offi cers in dif- lishing Assam’s fi nal National ferent ranks as stated in the re- Register of Citizens (NRC) as it port, be kept free for NRC work”. expressed its disapproval of the The availability of the said of- centre’s plea for putting the list fi cers for NRC work, the court update work on hold until after said “would still leave out over the Lok Sabha election schedule 2,000 persons currently engaged is announced. in NRC work for being engaged in “The ministry of home aff airs the election work at the relevant is bent upon ensuring that NRC point of time”. work is not carried out. The en- Expressing “disappointment” tire eff ort of the ministry is to over the stand of the central gov- destroy the process. If you want ernment and making it clear that NRC work to go on, there are they are not extending the dead- 1,001 ways of doing it. The gov- line, chief justice Gogoi said: “Is ernment is not co-operating,” it too much to ask the govern- West Bengal Chief Minister and All India Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party president Chandrababu chief justice Ranjan Gogoi said. ment of India for both works to Naidu gesture during a protest against the recent raids by the CBI in Kolkata yesterday. His remarks came after attor- go on? Both exercises are impor- ney general K K Venugopal ap- tant for the country.” prised the apex court of the cen- Attorney general Venugopal tre’s stand that work on updating told the court that in the 2014 the NRC should be put on hold polls, 2,500 companies of the till after the Lok Sabha elections Central Armed Police Force are announced. (CAPF) were deployed and in Brushing aside the centre’s 2019, this is likely to go up to request, the bench of chief jus- 2,700 and would require with- Mamata ends sit-in, gears tice Gogoi and justice Rohinton drawing some of those currently Nariman asked the poll panel to posted in Assam. examine if it could hold elections Besides deployment for elec- in the state by sparing 3,457 of- tion duties, the central po- fi cers who would continue with lice forces are also required for the NRC work. guarding the borders, he added. “We also request the Elec- Noting a statement by the up to take fi ght to Delhi tion Commission of India to ex- joint secretary, ministry of amine the case of exemption of home affairs that there are IANS Mamata had begun her “Save here. I have also done a 14-day by the probe agency but it could Kumar from the ongoing CBI offi cers, in the rank of district 3,000 CAPF companies, chief Kolkata Constitution” sit-in on Sunday sit-in at Singur too. We have not arrest him or use any coer- probe into the Saradha ponzi magistrates, additional district justice Gogoi said that even if evening after a team of CBI offi - got the justice from at least one cive action against him. scam and hailed the Supreme magistrates, etc..., from trans- 2,700 of them are deployed for cials showed up near the Loudon democratic institution. Banerjee said the offi cer con- Court verdict directing him to fers which are likely to be made in election duty, there were still est Bengal Chief Min- Street residence of the Kolkata “This protest was not a politi- cerned has already initiated appear before the central agency. view of the elections,” the court enough to take care of other re- ister Mamata Baner- Police chief and were taken away cal agitation. It was an agitation proceedings to meet the cen- Hitting out at Mamata, he said said in its order. quirements. Wjee yesterday ended by state police personnel. to save India and India’s democ- tral agency at a mutually agreed “nothing can be more shameful The Election Commission, Meanwhile, NRC state co- her sit-in to protest against the Terming her protest a victory racy. Let us end it today because place as per the judgment. in a democracy than a state chief the order said, will consider the ordinator Prateek Hajela urged Central Bureau of Investiga- for the “people, country and de- the Supreme Court gave a very Mamata said she would attend minister giving shelter to the matter “keeping in mind that the court to reschedule, by two tion’s (CBI) attempt to question mocracy”, Mamata said she was positive verdict. It was verdict an opposition party meeting to “corrupt”. “You have seen how this court which has consist- weeks, the work to update the Kolkata Police Commissioner ending it as requested by senior of the people, by the people, for be held in Delhi next week, add- the state chief minister is busy ently monitored the NRC work NRC which would involve hear- Rajeev Kumar in connection opposition party leaders after the people,” Mamata announced ing that it could be held on Feb- trying to protect a state offi cer is of the view that least interfer- ing of claims and objections. with its probe into the ponzi the Supreme Court verdict. from the dais with her Andhra ruary 13-14 but the decision was involved in a chit fund scam. ence should come in such works He said that with elections scheme scam after the “posi- “I have decided (to end the Pradesh counterpart Chandrab- yet to be taken. I want to thank the Supreme so that the fi nal NRC is made and round the corner, the process of tive” apex court verdict. sit-in) because of the requests abu Naidu by her side. Meanwhile Uttar Pradesh Court that has directed the cor- published on the stipulated date holding hearings on claims and She also announced a meeting from all the political parties. I Hearing the case yesterday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath rupt offi cer to appear before the i.e. July 31, 2019.” objections is also likely to gener- of opposition leaders in the na- have no problem. I have previ- the Supreme Court had ruled yesterday termed as “shameful” CBI,” Adityanath said address- Declining to pass any order at ate passions. tional capital next week. ously done 26 day-hunger strike that Kumar could be questioned Mamata’s attempt to protect ing a rally in Bengal’s Purulia. BJP banks on Sabarimala Official visit Dad kills daughter factor for Kerala poll boost over love aff air IANS On coming to know of the af- Vijayawada fair eight months ago, the girl’s IANS “Our stance on the Sabarimala allies. “However, I am unable to parents had warned her to end Thiruvananthapuram issue will certainly bring a huge reveal more on the list, as it has to the aff air. diff erence in the political sce- be done at the national level. But n a shocking incident of hon- On February 2, Vaishnavi left nario in Kerala. It’s during the we have more or less fi nished our our killing, a man in Andhra her home and reached Marka- he Bharatiya Janata Party’s elections that people will make job,” added the leader keeping his IPradesh’s Prakasam district puram town with plans to elope stance on the Sabarimala their decision and we are hugely cards close to his chest. killed his daughter for being in with her lover. Tissue will help it open its confi dent,” said Pillai. The most likely candidates to love with a boy from another However, her parents came to account in the Kerala Lok Sabha In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, be fi elded may include former caste, police said. know about it and brought her elections, a top party leader said. the BJP had a vote share of state party presidents – P K K Venka Reddy strangled his back home. A heated argument The BJP-led National Demo- 10.33%, which went up to 15.10% Krishna Das and C K Padmana- daughter K Vaishnavi, 20, to ensued between Reddy and his cratic Alliance has over the years in the 2016 Assembly elections. bhan, senior party leaders like death at their house in Kotta- daughter and in a fi t of rage he increased its vote share in the One survey has even predicted Sobha Surendran, K Suren- palem village in Thallur block on strangled her. state. The party’s Sabarimala the BJP will win one of the 20 Lok dran, A N Radhakrishnan, M Monday. This is the fourth incident of stance has been a huge mo- Sabha seats from the state. T Ramesh, P M Velayudhan, B He later informed relatives honour killing in Prakasam dis- rale booster and Prime Minister In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, O Gopalakrishnan among others. and the villagers that she died of trict in four years and third in Narendra Modi’s twin visit in Rajagopal had come second from Former Indian Space Research a cardiac arrest. However, police Thallur block. January has injected the ground the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Organisation (ISRO) chairman G rushed to the village on a tip-off Five months ago, a man had level workers with a new found Sabha seat. Madhavan Nair and superstar Mo- and found injury marks on her strangled his daughter to death energy, state BJP president P S The BJP-led National Demo- hanlal, who was given the Padma body, including around the neck. after she refused to marry her Sreedharan Pillai claimed. cratic Alliance has already com- Bhushan, are also being consid- The body was shifted for autop- uncle as she was in love with an- Everyone in the party feels that pleted round one of the seat dis- ered, according to party leaders. sy and a case was registered at other youth. He had buried the this time it will reap rich divi- tribution talks. However, those close to the ac- Thallur police station. body, which was later exhumed dends on the back of the strong The Bharath Dharma Jana Sena tor have denied the claims. Vaishnavi, who was study- by the police. protest the BJP and the Sangh (BDJS), the second biggest ally Other possible candidates in- ing for a bachelor’s degree in Four years ago, a girl was stran- Parivar forces launched against of the alliance, has sought eight clude Union Minister of Tour- commerce at a college in Ongole gled to death by her parents, who the Supreme Court verdict al- seats and the Kerala Congress ism, K J Alphons and former state town, fell in love with a classmate were angry over her aff air with a lowing women of all ages to enter (Thomas) one. BJP president, V Muraleedharan, belonging to another caste and boy. They later hanged the body the temple, Pillai said. The party The fi nal round of talks is who is now a Rajya Sabha mem- Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Prince hailing from Lingasamudram to make it look like a suicide. workers expect to put up their scheduled for late-February. ber from Maharashtra. Superstar Albert II of Monaco before a meeting at the Hyderabad village. The couple were said to The incident had occurred in best-ever performance, the BJP Pillai said a broad understand- Suresh Gopi is already a Rajya House in New Delhi yesterday. have been in a relationship for Gangavaram village in the same leader said. ing has been reached among the Sabha member. two years. block. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 15 LATIN AMERICA

SECURITY WOES FORENSICS REFORMS FINANCE CRASH SITE Colombia pipeline hit in Mexico to try new tactics to Brazil mulls changes to Obrador says will reduce third bomb attack this year find drug war missing minimum retirement age Pemex’s fiscal burden

Colombian state-run oil company Ecopetrol SA Mexican off icials on Monday presented a new plan Brazil’s government has opened discussions Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said a bomb attack on the Trasandino pipeline to search for the tens of thousands of people who with congressional leaders, state governors said yesterday that his government will soon late Monday near a populated area caused a have disappeared during the country’s drug war, and mayors on a pension reform bill that would announce extraordinary measures to support fire but no injuries. The bombing hit the pipeline creating a new forensic institute and working more set the minimum retirement age for men and Pemex, aiming to reduce the fiscal burden on near the town of El Pailon in Narino Province, closely with international groups and families. The women at 65, a government off icial said on the state oil company. “We’re going to reduce close to the border with Ecuador, the company government estimates more than 40,000 people Monday. The proposal is one of several under Pemex’s fiscal burden like never before,” he told a said yesterday, adding that the fire has been have gone missing in Mexico, and there are about consideration, as President Jair Bolsonaro looks morning news conference. “This will mean fewer contained. The pipeline was not operating at 26,000 unidentified bodies in the forensic system, to overhaul Brazil’s creaking social security resources for the government but we’re sure we’ll Fire fighters, police off icers and Peruvian Air the time of the attack, the third this year. There Alejandro Encinas, the undersecretary for human system. Currently, if workers have contributed make up for that lack of income.” New York-based Force personnel monitor the scene where a were 16 attacks on the pipeline in 2018. Ecopetrol rights in the interior ministry, said during a news into the system for at least 15 years, the earliest Fitch downgraded debt issued by Pemex by two training plane crashed on a street in Lima on did not say who was responsible but security conference on Monday. Off icials believe there are men can retire is 65 and for women it is 60. But steps last week, sending the peso weaker and Monday. The crash left one of two occupants of sources attributed it to the National Liberation more than 1,100 hidden burial sites in the country, men can retire at any age if they have paid into stoking fears that it could significantly raise the the plane injured and damaged several parked Army (ELN) rebel group, which frequently he added. “Unfortunately, our territory has the system for at least 35 years, and women if oil company’s financing costs. Pemex holds some vehicles in a neighbourhood a few blocks away attacks oil and energy infrastructure in the area. become a huge clandestine grave,” he said. they have contributed for 30 years. $106bn in financial debt. from an Air Force base.

Audit of burst Brazilian dam Guaido bucks Maduro found issues with drainage with humanitarian aid and monitoring By Maria Isabel Sanchez, AFP By Ricardo Brito, Reuters Caracas Brasilia

oosted by the backing of 19 report commissioned by Brazilian miner European Union countries, Vale SA last year, to look into the stability BVenezuela’s opposition leader Aof a tailings dam that ruptured on January Juan Guaido is ploughing on with his 25, certifi ed it as sound but raised concerns over its bid to bring humanitarian aid into drainage and monitoring systems. the country despite President Nico- The report by German-based TUV SUD, re- las Maduro’s vow to block it. viewed by Reuters yesterday and marked as last Venezuela’s National Assembly, updated in August 2018, made a variety of recom- headed by self-proclaimed acting mendations aimed at improving the safety of the president Guaido, was to discuss the structure. It also said the dam adhered to the mini- process of gathering badly-needed mum legal requirements for stability. food and medicines in neighbouring Among the issues identifi ed were cracks in countries before bringing it in. drainage channels, which were pictured in the re- Guaido has pleaded with the mili- port. The audit also recommended the installation tary, the key power behind Maudro’s of a new monitoring system able to pick up tiny authority, not to block the aid, movements in the soil. claiming that up to 300,000 people The fi ndings of the audit were reported yester- face death without it. day in Brazilian papers Folha de S Paulo and O Es- “Here in Venezuela nothing will tado de S Paulo. enter, not one invading soldier,” said Vale said in a statement it had followed the rec- Maduro, who claims humanitarian ommendations in the report, which it described as aid would be a precursor to a US-led “routine.” invasion. The disaster at the tailings dam at Vale’s Corrego Maduro has repeatedly accused do Feijao iron ore mine in Brazil’s mining heartland the United States of being behind of Minas Gerais killed at least 134 people, with 199 an attempted coup by Guaido, who still missing. declared himself acting president on The report appeared at odds with a statement January 23. from TUV SUD the day after the spill, which said The US, which has not ruled out “based on our current state of knowledge, no dam- a military intervention in crisis- ages were found” during their inspection of the wracked Venezuela, was the fi rst to dam. recognise his claims followed by a Issues with drainage could be crucial in inves- dozen Latin American countries. tigations into the causes of the dam rupture, with Britain, France and Spain were a state environmental offi cial telling Reuters that among 19 EU nations to side with evidence suggested the burst was caused by lique- Guaido on Monday after Maduro faction. ignored a deadline they had set for Liquefaction is a process whereby solid material him to announce new presidential People cross the Simon Bolivar International Bridge on the border between the Colombian city of Cucuta and the Venezuelan town of Tachira. such as sand loses strength and stiff ness, behaving elections. more like a liquid. Guaido is trying to force Maduro Guaido and Maduro led rival ral- His fl edgling alternative adminis- ing sanctions on state oil company which the opposition boycotted af- It is a common cause for the collapse of up- from power, set up a transitional lies in Caracas on Saturday that tration will also hold talks in Wash- PDVSA in a bid to starve the admin- ter several of its leaders were either stream dams holding mining waste, known as government and hold a new presi- brought tens of thousands of people ington February 14 on responding to istration of its funding. jailed, barred or forced into exile. tailings, because their walls are mostly built with dential poll. into the streets. He must still fi nd “the largest hemispheric humani- But on Monday, Guaido accused The US and EU dismissed the dried tailings of sand and clay-like mud. He thanked each EU country in a way to bring in the humanitarian tarian crisis in modern history.” Maduro of trying to illicitly transfer elections as a fraud. Drainage issues can cause water to seep into the turn on Twitter “for supporting all aid, given the military’s loyalty to Analysts Eurasia Group say the up to $1.2bn from public coff ers to a Maduro has fl atly rejected de- dried tailings, changing their consistency and sta- Venezuelans in this struggle we un- Maduro. humanitarian crisis “represents a bank in Uruguay, urging the Monte- mands for new elections, telling bility. dertake to rescue our nation’s de- The young lawmaker accused lose-lose gambit for Maduro as he video government “not to lend itself Spanish television he would not “To increase dam safety regarding failure from mocracy, freedom and justice.” the military on Monday of plan- will either have to allow the goods to stealing.” “cave in to pressure.” liquefaction, it is recommended to adopt measures But key Maduro ally Russia ning to divert aid being stockpiled to enter the country, further bol- Under Maduro’s stewardship, oil- He has supported plans for a to reduce the possibility of a trigger,” TUV SUD slammed what it called interference in Colombia, Brazil and an uniden- stering Guaido, or force the military dependent Venezuela has plunged meeting of Latin American and EU said in its evaluation of the dam. in the oil-rich but now poor Latin tifi ed Caribbean island, in order to to block their entry, which would into an economic crisis, suff ering states in a “Contact Group” in Mon- “To that end, (Vale) should avoid vibrations, American country, saying it was distribute it through the socialist likely lead to more blowback in the from hyperinfl ation and shortages tevideo tomorrow, though, saying it prohibit nearby detonations, avoid heavy machin- an attempt to “legitimise usurped government’s subsidised food pro- streets.” of food and medicine. would lead to “dialogue.” ery traffi c on the dam, prevent higher water levels power.” gramme for its own supporters. Maduro, though, remains stead- Eurasia said US oil sanctions are The United Nations said 40 peo- in the tailings, not conduct work removing materi- Guaido, 35, claims his legitimacy Guaido appealed to the military’s fast. “They want to send two little “set to have a broad impact” with ple were killed in clashes with secu- al from the feet of the slopes or conduct work that from the constitution and has been “conscience” to let the aid reach trucks with four casseroles. Vene- the government facing “the pros- rity forces in a week of protests last causes an overload of the reservoir of the dam,” it ramping up pressure on Maduro by those most in need. Guaido knows zuela doesn’t have to beg to anyone,” pect of running out of gasoline, month, coinciding with Guaido’s said. “The installation of seismological monitor- calling his supporters out into the he also needs the armed forces on his he said. “If they want to help then which could serve as another social self-proclamation as acting leader. ing equipment is also recommended in the vicinity streets. side to dislodge Maduro, although he end the blockade and the sanctions.” catalyst.” Local NGO Foro Penal said almost of the dam.” The next mass demonstration is was boosted on Saturday by the de- The US has stepped up the pres- Guaido branded Maduro ille- 1,000 people were detained between TUV SUD did not respond to a request for com- due for February 12. fection of a top air force general. sure on Maduro’s regime by impos- gitimate over his reelection in May, January 21 and 31. ment to Reuters. Salvadorans hope for change with outsider as president

By Nelson Renteria and ise government and his dynamic Gang violence has made El But Bukele has turned away Noe Torres, Reuters use of social media have ener- Salvador one of the world’s most from Latin America’s traditional San Salvador gised young Salvadorans, eager murderous countries in the past left, branding Venezuelan leader for an end to the economic stag- few years, driving Salvadorans to Nicolas Maduro and Nicaragua’s nation, poverty and violence that fl ee to the north. Daniel Ortega as well as conserv- alvadorans voiced hope for have beset the nation of 6.5mn Among his campaign prom- ative Honduran Juan Orlando a changed country on Mon- people following its vicious ises, Bukele, an avid social media Hernandez as dictators. Sday after political outsider 1980-1992 civil war. user who snapped a selfi e with “A dictator is a dictator, on the Nayib Bukele won a sweeping On the bustling streets of San supporters before declaring his ‘right’ or the ‘left,’” Bukele wrote victory in the presidential elec- Salvador, Juana de Calderon, a win, said he would push infra- last week on Twitter. tion with a pledge to tackle the 38-year-old cook in a small res- structure projects to limit migra- Although he was expelled from corruption and violence plaguing taurant, said she cast a vote for tion. the FMLN in 2017, Bukele de- the Central American nation. Bukele hoping to put a stop to He will face challenges, how- scribes himself as from the left. Bukele, 37, a former mayor of corruption. ever, pursuing his reform agenda As he sought the presidency, the capital, San Salvador, won “We hope that he fulfi ls what from a divided Congress and an however, he joined a conservative 53% of the vote with returns he promised in the campaign,” onerous government defi cit. party known as GANA, or “win” counted from 99.9% of polling she said while preparing em- Bukele’s allies have only 11 leg- in Spanish. stations, the national electoral panadas, a savoury pastry popu- islators in the 84-seat Congress. Along with the goal of mod- tribunal said on Monday, allow- lar in Latin America. Credit rating agency Fitch said ernising government, Bukele, ing him to clinch the presidency “If we voted for him, it’s be- on Monday that governability who is set to take offi ce in June, in the fi rst round of voting. cause we want something new — would be a challenge for Bukele has proposed creating an inter- His emphatic victory in Sun- to have a diff erent country.” and highlighted an increased risk national anti-corruption com- day’s election was a stunning Bukele’s two rivals from the of polarisation between the pres- mission with the support of the rebuke to the two political par- FMLN and ARENA quickly ac- ident and Congress. United Nations, following simi- ties that had dominated El Salva- cepted defeat on Sunday evening. It forecast only modest eco- lar committees in Guatemala and dor since its civil war, the ruling Bukele must now contend with nomic improvement this year. Honduras. leftist Farabundo Marti National US President Donald Trump’s fre- Growing up, Bukele’s relatively “We’ll create a (commission)... Liberation Front (FMLN) and its quent threats to cut aid to El Sal- wealthy family was sympathetic so that the corrupt can’t hide long-standing rival, the con- vador — as well as to neighbouring to the FMLN, the former leftist where they always hide. Instead, servative Nationalist Republican Guatemala and Honduras — if they guerrilla army that became a po- they’ll have to give back what Alliance (ARENA). do not do more to curb migration litical party at the end of the civil they stole,” Bukele said in Janu- Presidential candidate Nayib Bukele and his wife Gabriela de Bukele celebrate with supporters after the Bukele’s promises to modern- to the United States. war. ary. first off icial presidential election results were released in San Salvador. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 PAKISTAN ‘Inept water management FBR says costs estimated at $12bn’

Internews Civil work on Mohmand Dam to start next month Karachi The government is to commence civil work on Moh- made by the ICDBMD and its sub-committees for mand Dam in March, while later this year, work would early commencement of construction work on Mo- Benami law he World Bank has esti- be initiated on Diamer Bhasa dam. hmand Dam Hydropower Project and Diamer Basha mated $12bn as economic The Implementation Committee on Diamer Basha Dam Project. Tcosts per year to Pakistan and Mohmand Dams (ICDBMD), constituted by the He said that the committee, in co-ordination with all from poor water and sanitation, Supreme Court of Pakistan, reviewed progress on stakeholders, had tremendously contributed towards fl oods and droughts. both projects in its meeting on Monday at the ICD- the national cause of developing water reservoirs in “The economic costs to Paki- BMD Secretariat in Islamabad. the country. stan from poor water and sani- Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Hussain reiterated that the committee would tation, fl oods, and droughts are and CDBMD chairman Lieutenant General (retired) continue to serve with same zeal against all odds for operational conservatively estimated to be Muzammil Hussain presided over the meeting, which accomplishment of the task by the Supreme Court. 4% of GDP, or around $12bn per was attended by ICDBMD members and co-opted Later, presentations were made on the progress year,” the World Bank said in a members, including former Wapda chairman Sham- achieved on Mohmand and Diamer Basha Dams. report, Pakistan: Getting More sul Mulk. The meeting participants were also briefed about the from Water. Hussain expressed satisfaction over the progress financial plans of the two projects. “These costs are dominated by the costs of poor water sup- ply and sanitation. The eco- power generation is economi- from water in Pakistan, and ity, while paying more attention from Friday nomic costs of degradation of cally signifi cant, with a current water-dependent ecosystems – to the social and environmental the Indus Delta are estimated to market value of $1bn to $2bn.” rivers, lakes, wetlands, and the aspects of water management, Internews fi ctitious individuals in order to taxes across the country. be around $2bn per year, while The World Bank said irriga- Indus Delta – are in rapid de- is critical.” Islamabad avoid taxes. He said that the overlap is the costs of pollution and other tion service delivery is poor and cline. “This will require strong col- The legislation was passed by creating undue hurdles for busi- environmental degradation contributes to low productivity. “This decline is characterised laboration between federal and parliament in January 2017, but nesses across the country. have not been assessed.” “Hydraulic effi ciency of wa- by biodiversity loss, greatly re- provincial governments and fter a delay of more than was not put into action due to As part of ease of doing busi- The World Bank said that the ter distribution is very low, and duced stocks of freshwater and other stakeholders. two years, the Federal delays in the fi nalisation of rules. ness, Sarwar said that the federal estimates of economic benefi ts water delivery across command estuarine fi sh stocks, and a loss “The objective must be to ABoard of Revenue (FBR) Asked whether the govern- government will take up this is- and costs cannot be directly areas is inequitable,” it said. “Ir- of other ecosystem services, strengthen water governance has announced that the Benami ment will provide amnesty to sue with the provinces. compared or aggregated, but rigation services are not fi nan- including the storm protection and strategic water planning to Act will become operational from individuals who registered their To a question, he said that the they demonstrate that Pakistan cially sustainable and fi nancial aff orded by coastal mangrove build resilience in the face of a Friday (February 8), allowing the assets under fi ctitious persons FBR received Rs12bn in taxes gets a poor economic return performance is declining. forests,” it added. changing climate and growing government to confi scate prop- before the enactment of law, Sar- from property transactions, add- from its signifi cant water re- “Service tariff s are set too low “Excessive water withdraw- water demands.” erty and bank accounts regis- war said that he is not aware of ing that “we expect this collec- source. and are decoupled from serv- als and widespread pollution are William Young, author of the tered with fi ctitious individuals. such a decision at the moment. tion to reach Rs15bn by June end”. The bank said the country ice quality, and the operational the main causes of decline, but report, said that new dams can “We have drafted rules for the Highlighting the issues arising He also said that the valuation does not make the best use of its costs of service providers are far river fragmentation by infra- help improve water security but implementation of the much- from an overlap in the collection table for taxation is still far be- water endowment. too high.” structure and changed sediment will not address the most press- awaited Benami Act and for- of sales tax on services between hind the market value. Water use is heavily dominat- The bank said that poor op- regimes contribute.” ing water problems that Paki- warded to the Law Division”, said the federal and provincial rev- FBR member for IR Operations ed by agriculture, which con- erational performance in irri- The World Bank said that Pa- stan faces. FBR member for Inland Revenue enue authorities, he said the is- Seema Shakil said that around tributes around one-fi fth of na- gation continues to exacerbate kistan could get more economic, “Irrigation systems need (IR) Policy Dr Hamid Ateeq Sar- sue will be taken up during the 6,000 notices were issued to high tional GDP, but less than half of water logging and salinisation, social and environmental ben- modernising, hydromet systems war. National Finance Commission net-worth individuals (HNWI) this is from irrigated cropping. especially in Sindh. efi ts from its water, subject to should be expanded, and urban He said that the law, which is meeting. in the past two months. Irrigation contributes around “Despite large-scale recla- urgent reforms to improve water water infrastructure, especally in line with the government’s ef- Sarwar suggested that the col- Of these, she said that the tax $22bn to annual GDP. mation eff orts, high water with- use effi ciency and service deliv- for wastewater, requires major forts to document the economy, lection of sales tax should either demand was of Rs6bn in 204 The four major crops (wheat, drawals and poor drainage mean ery. investment.i will allow the authorities to take be solely handed over to the FBR, cases, whereas recovery made so rice, sugarcane, and cotton) that salt continues to accumulate “Water security in Pakistan “The National Water Policy strict action against movable and or a single tax authority should far after the assessment was at represent nearly 80% of all wa- in soils and groundwater in the is reaching a critical point that provides a sound basis for re- immovable assets registered with be set up for the collection of Rs2.6bn. ter use generate less than 5% of lower Indus Basin, aff ecting ag- demands urgent attention and form, but provincial water poli- GDP. ricultural productivity.” reform,” Illango Patchamuthu, cies need much attention, and “Other economic contribu- The World Bank further said World Bank country director for the underpinning legal frame- tions from water are diffi cult to that scant attention is paid to Pakistan, said in a statement. work is incomplete and needs accurately assess, but hydro- the environmental outcomes “Boosting irrigation productiv- strengthening,” Young said.

Govt gets deadline on All in a day’s work Students district court complex raising

Internews This was ordered by Islamabad ing in privately-owned buildings Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar in the commercial area of Sector awareness Minallah, as he heard a case fi led F-8 for the past three decades. by Chaudhary Mohamed Akram The order went on to state that ith the state responsi- over the situation in the district the appalling working environ- through ble for ensuring access courts in Sector F-8 Kutchery. ment and conditions in the dis- Wto inexpensive and ex- The case came after some trict courts were beyond com- peditious justice, a higher court chambers of lawyers were de- prehension and that “it cannot short fi lms has given the government until molished in the district courts, be described in words”. March 12 to draw up proposals and the lawyers launched a strike Minallah added that the de- for establishing a purpose-built of court proceedings and threat- plorable conditions at the district Internews complex for the district courts of ened to block the entrance to the courts is aff ecting the funda- Karachi the federal capital, and to submit courts if their demands – of re- mental rights of the people, and them before the federal cabinet. building their chambers and of speaks volumes for the apathy Further, the inspector general introducing a rotation policy for of successive governments since t a time when majority of police (IGP) and deputy com- judges – are not met. 1980 towards the most impor- of youth in Pakistan are missioner of the city were told In the order, the court noted tant tier of the judicial system. Aworried about their fu- to take appropriate measures to that the district courts in the “It defi nitely manifests that ture, some students are raising ensure the security of the courts. federal capital have been operat- hitherto, the state through its awareness about social issues functionaries appears to have through short video fi lms and Supreme Court to resume contempt proceedings given lowest priority to the in- documentaries. against real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain violable fundamental right of ac- The group members –school cess to justice,” the order noted, and college students – are de- The Supreme Court of Pakistan will resume contempt of court proceed- adding that under Article 37 of termined to bring about social ings against property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain tomorrow, for hurling Constitution, the state was ob- change through their fi lms. harsh allegations against then-chief justice Iftikhar Mohamed Chaudhry ligated to ensure the provision “We have produced about 20 and his son over alleged business deals. of inexpensive and expeditious short fi lms on public aware- A three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Asif Saeed justice. ness themes, including climate Khosa and Justices Maqbool Baqar and Syed Mansoor Ali Shah will take “Strengthening the rule of law change, proper use of water, up the contempt of court proceedings initiated on June 13, 2012 against and ensuring that every citizen cleanliness, humanity and etc. the Bahria Town Ltd chairman for allegedly influencing judicial proceed- has access to an eff ective and We are happy that our short ings then. aff ordable justice system is not fi lms have become popular,” says While senior counsel Dr Abdul Basit had represented Hussain in the only one of the most important Ahsan Khan, a 10th grader who is contempt case in 2012, when queried, he said he was not sure if he would fundamental rights but inevita- leading the group. still be appearing on behalf of the respondent. ble is a constitutional obligation He said that he has had a pas- Currently, in a majority of cases being heard by the apex court, such as of the state as well. It is defi nitely sion for fi lm since childhood. the implementation of the May 4, 2018 judgment against the housing the foundation for good govern- “I realised that nowadays peo- schemes launched by Bahria Town in Malir, Rawalpindi and Murree, ance.” ple have access to social media Hussain is being defended by a panel of lawyers led by Barrister Ali Zafar, Noting that the state had failed and Internet, so decided to make Aitzaz Ahsan, Zahid Bukhari and others. in its obligations, Minallah ob- short movies on diff erent sub- The contempt proceedings against the property tycoon were initiated served that it is a classic example jects and upload these to raise by a three-judge bench, comprising Justices Mian Shakirullah Jan, Tariq of “denial of the fundamental awareness about social issues,” Parvez and Amir Hani Muslim, that sat beyond normal court timings to right of access to justice to its he said. issue him a show-cause notice for hurling allegations against the then- actual stakeholders (litigants and Khan said that the group chief justice Chaudhry at a press conference. victims of crime) and undermin- A textile worker checks the quality of yarn at a power loom in Karachi. members bought cameras and ing of the rule of law”. other equipment with their pocket money. He said that he wanted to join the fi lm industry of Hollywood as a director and producer. Zeeshan, another member of Govt saves $32.6mn by abolishing Haj subsidy: minister the group who works as a pro- duction director, said that he joined the group when he saw Internews was paying in the form of a sub- fi nancial situation, the federal When asked about the criti- als only. The other countries will adding the rupee devaluation some short fi lms produced by it. Islamabad sidy for the pilgrims. cabinet has decided to withdraw cism on government for increas- demand for the same relaxa- and Rs40,000 subsidy given by “I was fond of fi lm-making A major chunk of the Haj’s this subsidy, he said. ing the Haj prices, the minister tion,” the minister said. the Pakistan Muslim League – but had no platform to exhibit infl ated price is due to rupee While briefi ng on the increase said that some political elements Last week, the federal govern- Nawaz (PML-N) government,” my skills. When I saw Ahsan’s he government has ad- devaluation and the VAT (value- in Haj prices, the minister said are politicising this issue. ment increased Haj prices by up he said. work, I was impressed, so I mitted that total burden added tax) imposed by the Saudi each pilgrim has to pay Rs63,000 When asked whether the gov- to 60%, putting an additional “The cost of Haj in 2018 joined his group,” he added. Ton national excheq- government, he said. extra due to rupee devaluation. ernment will take up this issue burden of up to Rs156,000 on was Rs283,050. In 2019, it’s Presently, the group is busy in uer owing to Haj subsidy was This year 184,000 Pakista- “Pakistan’s Haj expenditure with Saudi Crown Prince Mo- each pilgrim. Rs436,975. Even if you add making a short fi lm on humanity Rs4.5bn ($32.6bn), which was nis will perform the Haj, out of is still the lowest in the region if hamed bin Salman in his up- The leaders of opposition par- the Rs40,000 subsidy given to show that everyone is equal, saved as a result of the govern- which 107,000 will go on gov- you count it in US dollar as In- coming visit to Pakistan, Qadri ties have criticised the govern- by PML-N, and add 20% de- and that there is no diff erence ment decision to charge full ernment quota, Qadri said. dia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and said that the government will ment for abolishing the subsidy valuation, the cost should be between the rich and poor. price from pilgrims. The previous government was Indonesia are charging more in highlight this issue, added that and increasing the Haj price. Rs387,660,” Ismail pointed out The group members said that Federal Minister for Religious paying Rs42,000 subsidy on term of US dollars,” Qadri said. it is unlikely that Saudi govern- Former fi nance minister Mif- on Twitter. “This is Rs49,315 (or they would welcome assistance Aff airs and Interfaith Harmony each pilgrim, which put an addi- “My ministry had proposed that ment will review the Haj prices. tah Ismail said that the cost of 17%) more. Hajis will pay Rs9bn from the government and non- Noorul Haq Qadri said that the tional burden of Rs4.5bn on the the subsidy should not be abol- “It will be diffi cult for the Haj in 2018 was Rs283,050. more this year! Corruption, in- governmental organisations in government has withdrawn the national exchequer. ished but the Federal Cabinet Saudi government to review the “The cost of Haj should not be competence or just Tabdeeli terms of equipment and profes- Rs4.5bn fi nancial assistance it Given the country’s current decided against it.” Haj prices for Pakistani nation- more than Rs387,660, even after (change)?” sional training. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 17 PHILIPPINES

Lunar New Year celebrations

A fire breather performs during celebrations for the Lunar New Year in Manila’s Chinatown district, yesterday. Right: A lion dance troupe performs among visitors jostling for freebies thrown to them during celebrations in Manila’s Chinatown district.

Blasts hit Lorenzana backs protest southern Philippines ahead of against China rescue centre regional vote By Dempsey Reyes weather,” he said in a security will be protested by us because cue centre in Fiery Cross, which Manila Times forum at the National Defence we believe that Mischief (Pan- they call Yongshu Reef. College of the Philippines ganiban) Reef, Fiery Cross and Lorenzana announced that DPA in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon all those islands that they have the Department of Agriculture Manila efence Secretary Delfin City. built within our exclusive eco- would soon put up a refrigera- Lorenzana has backed But the Defence chief said nomic zone (EEZ) belong to tion station at Pag-asa (Thitu) Dthe proposal of the De- he was in favour of the plan of us,” Lorenzana added. Island to help fi shermen. hree explosions rocked partment of Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Secretary Teo- Asked if he was worried the The government also plans to the southern Philippines (DFA) to file a protest against doro Locsin Jr to file a protest rescue shelter would soon turn bring biological scientists to Tyesterday, a day before China for building a rescue against China to prevent Bei- into a military facility, the De- Pagasa Island to study the another round of voting to de- shelter in the contested Kagit- jing from building more facili- fence chief replied, “No.” area, particularly the maritime termine which areas are to join ingan (Fiery Cross) Reef. ties in the contested waters. He noted that airstrips had life. a new autonomous region on Lorenzana at first said he did “I agree with the Secre- been built in islands near Fiery Pagasa is one of the nine Mindanao island. not see anything wrong with tary of Foreign Affairs that Cross. islands occupied by the Phil- No injuries or damages were the construction of a maritime we should protest, only be- During the ‘90s, a fi sher- ippines in the Spratly or Ka- reported in the explosions. rescue centre by Beijing in the cause we don’t want them to men’s shelter was built in Mis- layaan archipelago. Others are Authorities are investigat- disputed West Philippine Sea be keeping on building things chief Reef. Years later, it turned Likas (West York) Island, Parola ing whether the explosions are (South China Sea). there so that will be perma- into a Chinese military garri- (Northeast Cay) Island, Lawak connected to the votes in Lanao “Anyway, that is for hu- nent, it will become theirs,” he son. (Nanshan) Island, Kota (Loaita) Del Norte and Norte Cotobato manitarian purposes, maybe said. Quoting the Chinese Min- Island, Patag (Flat) Island, Pa- provinces, which are set to be they could also help Filipinos “We just protest to let them istry of Transport, state-run nata (Lankiam Cay) Island, Riz- held today. “That’s one of the who are stranded or in distress know that any development Xinhua News Agency said Bei- al (Commodore) Reef and Ay- angles we’re looking into — Delfin Lorenzana: asserting rights in the sea due to inclement that they continue to do there jing had opened a maritime res- ungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. peace spoilers who want to sow fear,” Colonel Alex Aduca, an army official said. The votes are being held in order to ratify the Bangsam- oro Organic Law (BOL) which Former Quezon mayor and Tougher rules on access to asset details opposed calls for the creation of a new autonomous, Muslim-majority region. deputy found guilty of graft By Catherine S Valente transparency and accountability of pub- The BOL is result of a peace Manila Times lic officials,” he added. agreement in 2014 between the The House recently adopted Resolu- government and the Moro Is- By Glee Jalea of service, lawyer Jose Salvacion tion 2467, which requires plenary ap- lamic Liberation Front (MILF). Manila Times from January to July 2011, and paid alacanang is opposed to the pro- proval before a lawmaker’s SALN can be According to a police state- him honoraria through the budget posal requiring plenary approval released. The resolution, authored by ment, two explosions in Lanao allotted for the City of the Mayor Mfor access to the Statements of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, also Del Norte province targeted ormer Tayabas, Quezon instead of the city’s legal depart- Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) seeks to establish the SALN Review and the Kauswagan town municipal mayor Faustino Silang and ment. of lawmakers, saying it might hinder the Compliance Committee that will screen hall and a petrol station in Lala Fformer vice mayor Veneran- “Accused Silang ignored the people’s constitutional right to informa- public request for the documents stating town. The provincial Governor do Rea were found guilty of graft restrictions and continued to hire tion. the wealth of lawmakers. Imelda Dimaporo is against the for conspiring to hire a private the services of Atty. Salvacion as Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said It also has a condition that request- inclusion of six towns in her lawyer to perform services for the legal counsel for the city under the resolution passed by the House of Rep- ing party will be required to pay P300 for province in the new autono- city, despite a ban on the appoint- the guise for a service contract for resentatives might not be consistent with every copy of SALN. The resolution also mous region. ment. consultancy,” the anti-graft court the government’s policy on transparency. Panelo: opposed to proposal obliges the requesting parties to provide The third explosion was The Sandiganbayan’s Fourth said. “We note the passage of a resolution of all information about them, the purpose reported in Talayan town in Division found Silang, Rea and six Silang and the other former the House of Representatives requiring thereof which guarantees the right of the of the request and interest sought to be Maguindanao province. others guilty of violating Section 3 public offi cials were sentenced to plenary approval before it may release a people to information on matters of pub- served and, if applicable, the justifica- Maguindanao voted in favour (e) and Section 3 (j) of the Republic two to six years of imprisonment. copy of a member’s Statement of Assets, lic concern. Republic Act No. 6713 makes tion for access to previous SALNs. of the BOL in the first round of Act (RA) 3019 or the “Anti-Graft The offi cials were earlier con- Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) to the the said document readily available to the Members of the media who wish to se- voting on January 21. and Corrupt Practices Act.” victed of graft and meted six years public. Such a procedure may be perceived public,” Panelo said in a statement. cure a copy of the SALN will be required The recent attacks come a The decision, dated January 18, imprisonment for the anomalous as a transgression of Article XI of the Con- “Any stringent measure which bur- to provide an affidavit of affiliation and week after two explosions at a stated that the former public of- release of P19.9mn to pay the in- stitution, requiring any public offi cial to dens the people in obtaining public in- certification from the news organisa- Cathedral on Jolo island killed fi cials hired, through a contract centives of employees. submit a SALN, in relation to Article II formation may not be consistent with tion. 23 people. Groups make fi nal push to end contract system

By Javier J Ismael through its Presidential Legislative these as something that “continue to Manila Times Liaison Offi ce (PLLO) as it shepherds immerse our workers in a quagmire of the bill to its passage, as it usually poverty and underemployment.” does in all certifi ed measures,” Matula “We urge our senators to follow orkers from the Nagkaisa added. the lead of Senate President Vicente Laboir Coalition (NLC) “We call on President (Rodrigo) Sotto, who said that the ‘End ENDO’ Won Monday trooped to the Duterte to ensure that his decision to bill is the upper chamber’s priority Senate and made a fi nal push for the certify as urgent the passage of Senate at the beginning of the year,” Matula “End ENDO” or end of contract bill Bill 1826 (SB)is carried to the letter by further said. before the congressional break. all his allies in the Senate by passing NLC’s rally happened hours before NLC is a coalition of eight labour the bill as it is,” he stressed. SB 1826 was subjected to long over- groups, namely: Trade Union Con- President Duterte has certifi ed as due deliberations at the Senate labour gress of the Philippines (TUCP), urgent SB 1826 which seeks to pro- committee, led by Sen. Emmanuel Sentro Partido Manggagawa (SPM), hibit contractualisation and labour- Joel Villanueva. Federation of Free Workers (FFW), only contracting, practices that he The House of Representatives ap- Philippine Airlines Employees As- said were causing poverty and under- proved its version of the bill last Janu- sociation (Palea), Agila, UFSW and employment in the country. ary. PSLink. He cited the need to immedi- Under the bill, there is labour- NLC chairman Sonny Matula said ately enact SB 1826, titled “An Act only contracting if the job contrac- that with only a few session days to Strengthening Workers Right to Se- tor, whether licensed or not, merely go, the Senate was running out of time curity of Tenure,” in a letter to Sen- recruits, supplies or places workers to deliver on a presidential promise to ate President Vicente Sotto 3rd dated to another company, whether or not end ENDO. September 21. there is substantial capital or invest- “We have taken the fi ght this far. The president said the measure ment. We expect no less than the passage of would strengthen workers’ security of If the bill is enacted, companies the End Endo bill,” Matula said. tenure by prohibiting the “prevalent” will have to hire employees directly “We would like to see that Malaca- practices of contractualisation and and could no longer source workers Workers from the Nagkaisa Laboir Coalition (NLC) trooped to the Senate and made a final push for the end of contract bill nang actively engages the legislators labour-only contracting, describing from employment agencies. before the congressional break. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Corporate warnings grow louder on Brexit as March 29 nears

Just as the clock is ticking down to Britain’s departure from the world’s biggest trading bloc on March 29, so the chorus of doomsayers grows louder. Airbus, which makes wings for commercial aircraft in Britain, has said it might be forced to move future investments elsewhere in the event of a no-deal Brexit. “If there is a no-deal Brexit, we at Airbus will have to make potentially very harmful decisions for the UK,” said chief executive offi cer Tom Enders, who has been among the most outspoken business leaders on the topic. Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, directly employs How EU leaders can 14,000 people in the UK and supports another 110,000, Enders said. BMW chief executive offi cer Harald Krueger has said the carmaker would be forced to build in the Netherlands; Toyota warned of a temporary halt in production at its prevent a no-deal Brexit plant in Burnaston, England; and PSA Group, the maker of Peugeot, Citroen and DS vehicles, is considering By Anatole Kaletsky in power until the next general election happy to extend the Brexit negotiating circumstances, even the most anti- closing one of its UK factories. London and perhaps beyond. period for as long as is necessary European Labour MPs would not want to Of late, Japanese automaker Nissan cited ongoing But this happy outlook for May rests not only to agree on a new UK-EU vote in favor of a totally arbitrary deadline on one crucial assumption: that the relationship, but also to demonstrate imposed on Britain by May for purely doubts about the UK’s split from the European Union in as British Prime March 29 Brexit deadline will remain that what is agreed satisfi es both sides. partisan reasons. its decision to scrap plans to build a new vehicle model in Minister Theresa May unchanged. European leaders could To lift the deadline of March 29, an As a result, a clear majority of MPs the country. outmanoeuvered all her easily neutralise May’s threat of a arbitrary date that came to dominate would almost certainly push through Britain would face a Hopponents? By defeating no-deal Brexit and therefore eliminate the Brexit negotiations only because of Parliament the legislation that narrowly Parliament’s eff ort to rule out a any need to off er the concessions a quirk in the EU Treaty, would merely failed last month. This would remove The Brexit saga severe hollowing-out of disorderly “no-deal” rupture between she demands. To do this, they must acknowledge what is already happening from UK law the March 29 Brexit deadline its industrial base if such the European Union and its second- understand the method behind May’s behind the scenes. European and and eliminate the possibility of leaving has got more decisions were taken, yet largest trading partner, May has maddening strategy of indecision and British offi cials are already planning the EU without a deal. time is running out for a redoubled pressure on EU leaders delay. for an extension, but both sides are But now suppose that Parliament dramatic and to accept her demands by the Brexit Throughout her political career, May reluctant to admit this publicly, because turned down the EU’s off er of an decision on Brexit. If the deadline of March 29. has used procrastination as a winning they think the deadline gives them extension, perhaps to signal support for confusing ahead UK can’t agree on a deal Holding a gun to one’s own head is strategy. As Home Secretary, she often negotiating leverage. Contrary to earlier May’s no-deal threat. Even then, the in the next 8 weeks, the rarely a successful negotiating strategy, won battles against other ministers expectations, however, it should now EU would lose nothing by unilaterally of the March 29 as Greece discovered when it threatened simply by refusing to express her views or be clear that the deadline has actually abandoning the March 29 deadline. country will leave the EU to leave the euro. But a collapse even to appear at meetings until minutes weakened the EU’s negotiating position. Those EU leaders planning to capitulate exit deadline in a disorderly split that of trade with Britain is a far more before a fi nal decision had to be made. It is only the March 29 deadline that has to May’s demands at the last moment to British authorities warn alarming prospect. Moreover, the main May’s strategy of “running down the allowed May to weaponise the threat of avoid a no-deal Brexit could still do this concessions that May is demanding are clock” often wins, but only if there is a a no-deal Brexit. Without it, May would on March 28. will risk a recession. literally peripheral to every European hard deadline that forces her opponents be unable to threaten EU leaders with In short, an EU initiative to remove While the focus has been on trade with the EU, the country except Ireland. It therefore to capitulate. Without that, “running economic chaos and would have no the arbitrary deadline could be the key problem is that what’s become known as a “no-deal seems reasonable to expect that EU down the clock” becomes “kicking chance of forcing through Parliament a that unlocks Brexit. Instead of allowing Brexit” might be just as bad for companies doing business leaders will blink as the Brexit deadline the can down the road,” an ineff ectual botched withdrawal plan that will never itself to become a captive to May’s no- approaches and give May what she eff ort to shirk responsibility, refl ecting command popular support in Britain deal threats, the EU could off er Britain with other parts of the world. wants: exemption from any guarantees May’s paradoxical character traits of and could poison UK-EU relations for the time to seek a national consensus The UK’s failure to guarantee free-trade agreements to keep open the Irish border and robotic infl exibility and exasperating years to come. and then decide calmly on its future with countries like South Korea, Turkey and Norway maybe even a promise of completely indecisiveness. Now consider what would happen relationship with Europe, whether a frictionless trade with the EU. Once May’s negotiating strategy if EU leaders voted to suspend the customs union, a Norway-style single has left exporters and importers concerned they too will May also appears to have is properly understood, the EU’s deadline and off ered to continue Brexit market arrangement, an arms-length be cut adrift. About 11% of Britain’s trade is currently outmanoeuvred her domestic rational response becomes obvious: negotiations for as long as necessary to trade deal, or no Brexit at all. In every covered by deals struck by the EU for its member opponents. By persuading dozens of total infl exibility on the Brexit deal’s reach an agreement that was genuinely successful hostage negotiation, the states, ones the UK will have to replicate to maintain Labour MPs not to oppose her in the substance, but removal of the Brexit satisfactory to both sides. fi rst crucial step to a breakthrough is to crucial votes on Brexit, May managed deadline. European leaders should May could, in theory, refuse to accept remove the deadline. European leaders unencumbered exports and imports to and from more to discredit the Labour Party in the eyes make no concessions of any kind on an extension and still insist that Britain should take that step now. – Project than 30 countries. of an entire generation of pro-European the withdrawal agreement, allow no would crash out on March 29 if the EU Syndicate The Brexit imbroglio is also undermining London’s young voters. And by persuading Tory shadow of doubt on the commitment to refused her demands for renegotiation or coveted status as the global fi nancial hub. Brexiteers that she would magically Ireland, and off er no hints about future if Parliament failed to support her deal. z Anatole Kaletsky is Chief Economist erase the most objectionable features of trade deals. But they should also state But in that case, the blame for no-deal and Co-Chairman of Gavekal The “City,” home to over 250 foreign banks and the the EU withdrawal agreement, May has publicly that they no longer consider chaos would fall entirely on May and Dragonomics and the author of Capitalism Lloyd’s of London insurance market, has been facing a won herself the possibility of staying March 29 a hard deadline and would be her Conservative Party. Under these 4.0, The Birth of a New Economy. crisis ever since the vote on June 23, 2016. An Ernst & Young report in June 2017 predicted a loss of 232,000 fi nancial jobs in Britain as a result of Brexit. Goldman Sachs chief executive offi cer David Solomon told the BBC in Davos last month that the bank would invest less in Britain if there is a diffi cult or hard Brexit. For sure, the Brexit saga has got more dramatic and a lot more confusing. Britain now faces a March 29 exit deadline that may or may not be extended. All Brexit options would involve costs, but a no- deal goodbye would be costlier, infl icting “substantial costs for the UK economy, and to a lesser extent the EU economies,” according to the International Monetary Fund.

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British Labour Party politician Hilary Benn briefs the media after a meeting with off icials to discuss Brexit at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved February 4. Gulf Times Wednesday, February 6, 2019 19 COMMENT Europe and the new nuclear-arms race

By Sigmar Gabriel because they now regard China as their on the precondition that the US does the Berlin true nuclear adversary. Because China same. But US agreement looks unlikely, was not on the international radar for because the Trump administration disarmament talks in the late 1980s, is seems more focused on countering ne of the pillars of nuclear- not part of any current arms-reduction China’s nuclear capabilities than on arms control became and disarmament treaty. But today, Russia and Europe. Here, Europe, and history on February 2, with about 80% of China’s nuclear arsenal particularly Germany within Nato, Othe expiry of the 60-day is in exactly the medium ranges that must take a clear stance toward the US. deadline that the United States the INF Treaty prohibits for the US Even a conditional US acceptance of had given Russia to save the 1987 and Russia. Despite their public war verifi cation by Russia would represent Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces of words over real or alleged treaty progress. (INF) Treaty. Russia blithely let the violations, the US and Russia share an Russia’s willingness to engage in deadline pass. But so did the European overriding goal: arming themselves nuclear-arms control with Europe, Union, abetted by Germany. Europe is against China. meanwhile, will depend not least on now entering a potentially dangerous Germany and Europe are thus of the readiness of France and the United period and must play a much more secondary importance to the two Kingdom to allow inspections of active role in the nuclear-arms debate. nuclear superpowers. From the their own arsenals. France and other The INF Treaty prohibits the perspective of the US and Russia, countries that want European security stationing of medium-range nuclear a new nuclear-arms build-up and defence policy to become more missiles in Europe. Its near-certain in Europe would represent only independent from the US must be demise dims prospects for extending collateral damage. But for Europe, prepared to take such measures. The the US-Russian New Strategic Arms it may bring dreams of a common aim must be to return to a reliable Reduction Treaty when it expires European Foreign and Security Policy and credible European security in 2021. And without a contractual to a sudden end. If Nato were to architecture, something that ceased nuclear-arms framework between launch serious discussions about the to exist when Russia invaded Crimea Russia and the US, the international renewed stationing of medium-range and fostered insurrection in Eastern Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear missiles in Europe, Eastern Ukraine. Nuclear Weapons cannot survive. European members – sceptical that Pacifying this confl ict is probably Non-proliferation depends on the Western Europeans (especially the a key precondition for re-engaging two nuclear superpowers’ willingness to Germans and the French) – would in arms talks with Russia. This will subject themselves to arms control and be willing to die for their freedom, require a United Nations peacekeeping verifi cation. If the US and Russia instead would almost certainly follow the mission that – robustly if necessary – engage in a nuclear-arms build-up, lead of the US. Meanwhile, Germany maintains the truce between Ukraine smaller powers will follow suit, because and other parts of Western Europe and Russian-backed separatists and they believe that doing so makes them would likely experience massive oversees the removal of heavy arms invulnerable. North Korea and Iran are political turmoil. from Eastern Ukraine. Germany is just the fi rst examples of this. Faced with this scenario, Europe a non-permanent member of the An extension of the INF Treaty to must now try to apply some kind of UN Security Council in 2019. Its prevent a new nuclear-arms race in brake to current development and overarching task should be to pull talks Europe would have been worth fi ghting gain time for negotiations, without about a UN mission in Eastern Ukraine hard for. As the fi rst – and, so far, only annoying US President Donald Trump out of the mud and drive them to a – true disarmament agreement, it gave and making him likelier to leave the Trump and Putin at the Helsinki summit. Both the US and Russia want to free themselves from all nuclear-arms limitations – successful conclusion. the continent previously unheard-of alliance. The debate must begin not to face off against each other, but because they now regard China as their true nuclear adversary. This would clear the path for security from nuclear confrontation. within the EU, which is not formally building a new European security But instead of high-level summits and a negotiating partner on the nuclear- military security by deploying more building measures, such as mutual is of course a top priority. Although architecture, and enable Europe to shuttle diplomacy to rescue the treaty, arms issue and currently is standing European – and more German – inspection of military capabilities and the US and Russia acknowledged play a more central role in containing all we got were whistle-stop eff orts. on the sidelines. With Trump clearly conventional troops in these countries. development, can help to rebuild trust, inspections under the agreement only the new nuclear-arms race. – Project The chances of saving the INF unwilling to inform Nato members, This must be accompanied from the start which is a prerequisite for subsequent until 2001, revitalising the treaty’s Syndicate Treaty are now negligible. Both the let alone the EU, about his next steps, by talks between Europe and Russia on arms reduction and disarmament. Special Verifi cation Commission US and Russia want to free themselves Europe must assert itself. conventional and nuclear weapons. The An audit of the Russian SSC-8 would off er a way forward here. zSigmar Gabriel, former German from all nuclear-arms limitations – As a fi rst step, it should take greater fi rst step is arms control, an instrument (9M729) cruise-missile system, which Russia recently made a verbal off er to Minister of Foreign Aff airs, is a member not to face off against each other, but responsibility for Eastern Europe’s intended for diffi cult times. Confi dence- the US claims violates the INF treaty, open its nuclear arsenals for inspection – of the Bundestag.

Three-day forecast

Life without Internet in Tonga TODAY Maximum Temperature : 220c Minimum Temperature : 130c AFP To conserve capacity offi cials of supplies and when the goods are estimated she lost bookings “worth Nuku’alofa, Tonga fi ltered out social media, cutting arriving. thousands of dollars”. THURSDAY families off from relatives and So things were kind of in the dark And Lee Latu was trying to run a Maximum Temperature : 230c friends overseas and dealing a blow and dangerously low some of the hotel in Vava’u “with no idea if I have Minimum Temperature : 140c two-week cyber blackout to companies which operate through stock,” ‘Akau’ola said. bookings needing to be picked up”. FRIDAY caused fi nancial headache Facebook. “Defi nitely there had to be an Accountant Caryl Jones said he was Maximum Temperature : 230c and social heartache in For many of Tonga’s 110,000 impact on various operations.” unable to fi le monthly tax returns for Minimum Temperature : 160c remote Tonga, but it also residents, it was a wake-up call to how For Tonga, which relies heavily on his many clients. A Fisherman's forecast forced residents of the Pacifi c island much they have come to rely on the international links for daily supplies “I have clients that e-mail me kingdom to rediscover the art of offl ine internet in just half a decade since the and vital tourism income, no Internet information, so they were unable to WARNING meant serious problems with making do so. And I have clients who have Inshore : Nil communication. 827km fi bre-optic cable from Fiji was Offshore : Expected strong wind The sudden Internet outage on put into service. and confi rming transactions. accounting in the cloud and they and high sea at some January 20 brought an abrupt halt Some queued for hours to access the Banks could not process money couldn’t access their accounting places at first to many businesses and cut access satellite service, while others pottered transfers, hitting families reliant system in order to do it.” WEATHER Inshore : Mild with some clouds to social media — the community’s about in their gardens or went out on income from relatives working When the cable — which joins up and weak chance of lifeline to the outside world. socialising. overseas. with the Southern Cross cable linking light rain at places by “We had to learn how to talk to each “I actually felt that it was pretty Sam Vea, Tonga agent for global Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and midday. Cold by night. other without Internet messaging,” good to be forced off the Internet and freight giant DHL, said the fi rst week the continental United States — was Offshore : Scattered clouds with Joshua Savieti, who works in the talk to people again, go outside and see of the outage created “major issues” repaired, it caused fresh problems as weak chance of light creative arts, said of the involuntary what everyone’s up to,” Savieti said. for the company. people rushed to re-establish contact rain at some places WIND digital detox. “There were a lot of people going “We could not send our shipments with family, friends and clients. Inshore : Northwesterly-North- “We didn’t know anything, what out during that time.” because we have to upload documents At a murder trial in Nuku’alofa, easterly 05-15/ KT was going on, anything on the news, But the outage did not come as a before they are put onto the plane,” he judge Charles Cato had to remind the Offshrore : Northwesterly-North- (or) if there was a cyclone coming.” welcome break for everyone. said. jury what they were there for, telling easterly 03-14/22 KT It took 13 days to fi nd the fault Lives were at stake as medicine “We really need that connection. them that just because the Internet Visibility : 4-8 KM — a severed undersea cable — and stocks reached dangerously low That was the scary part, and we didn’t had been restored it did not mean they reconnect Tonga, which lies nearly levels, and Health Ministry chief know how long it was going to be out.” could use social media while evidence Offshore : 3-5/7 FT was being heard. 2,400km northeast of New Zealand. Siale ‘Akau’ola lost contact with Several small businesses which use Around the region During the blackout, a small, locally government outposts on Tonga’s outer Facebook to publicise their services The cause of the break in the cable Weather operated satellite service helped islands. could no longer take bookings online. has not been determined but it is Weather tomorrow Max/min maintain limited service, but the speed “There are areas that are critical In the capital Nuku’alofa, suspected it was cut by a ship dragging today Max/min Cloudy 19/11 was a throwback to dial-up days. and most of them need confi rmation guesthouse operator Taiatu ‘Ata’ata its anchor along the seabed. Baghdad M Sunny 19/07 Kuwait CitySunny 20/09 Sunny 21/13 Manama Sunny 22/16 Sunny 22/16 Muscat P Cloudy 21/16 Sunny 22/15 Tehran Sunny 10/02 P Cloudy 12/05 Live issues Mother’s friendships may be good for babies’ brains

By Lisa Rapaport tive assessments done when kids were homes. Mothers with larger families Another limitation is that research- Reuters Health 2 years old. had kids with lower cognitive test ers lacked data on the quality of Overall, mothers had an average scores than women with smaller fami- relationships mothers had with the of 3.5 friends in their social support lies, the study found. diff erent people they interacted with Around the world hen new mothers have networks. When they had more, their Almost 60% of the mothers lived regularly. Weather Weather friends ready to step in kids had higher cognitive test scores with the fathers of their children and The study also didn’t examine today Max/min tomorrow Max/min and help them, they have than when they had fewer. knew lots of people in their neigh- mothers’ coping mechanisms for jug- Athens Rain 14/09 Cloudy 12/06 Wtoddlers who score bet- “Outside the family context, moth- bourhoods. These two factors didn’t gling life with a new baby, and it’s pos- Beirut S Showers 20/16 S Showers 18/14 ter on cognitive tests than the babies ers with larger social networks may be appear to infl uence children’s test sible that the eff ect of various social Bangkok Sunny 33/27 Sunny 34/27 of women with smaller social support able to draw on resources from those scores after researchers also accounted relationships might be explained by Berlin M Cloudy 06/01 Cloudy 07/03 networks, a US study suggests. networks that alleviate some of the for poverty levels. how these people help women manage Cairo Rain 18/09 Sunny 21/11 Strong social ties to friends and burdens associated with parenting,” All of the families in the study lived stress, said Dr Mary Lauren Neel, a Cape Town Cloudy 27/19 Sunny 32/17 family have long been linked to bet- said study co-author Kaja LeWinn, a in the area around Memphis, Ten- researcher at the Ohio State University Colombo S T Storms 29/24 I T Storms 29/24 ter behavioural and physical health psychiatry researcher at the University nessee, and it is possible that results and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Dhaka Sunny 28/16 P Cloudy 29/18 outcomes for adults. And plenty of of California San Francisco. might be diff erent elsewhere. Columbus. Hong Kong P Cloudy 21/18 P Cloudy 22/18 previous research also indicates that “This may include emotional sup- The study wasn’t a controlled ex- Still, the results off er fresh evidence Istanbul Rain 11/07 Showers 08/06 infants’ and toddlers’ bonds with port, tangible support in the form periment designed to prove whether or that mothers with friends they can Jakarta T Storm 31/25 T Storm 31/24 caregivers can have a lasting impact on of babysitting or help with errands, how mothers’ social support networks count on and more social support may Karachi Sunny 23/12 Sunny 21/13 children’s emotional, intellectual and and the transfer of knowledge around might directly aff ect children’s cogni- have an easier time managing parent- London Cloudy 11/07 P Cloudy 11/07 social development. high-quality day care or other child- tive development. hood, Neel, who wasn’t involved in the Manila M Sunny 32/22 Sunny 32/22 But less is known about how the hood programs,” LeWinn said by The researchers accounted for some study, said by e-mail. Moscow Snow -3/-9 Cloudy -2/-7 caregivers’ own social connections e-mail. “These resources may reduce factors that might infl uence child “What’s exciting about this study is New Delhi S T Storms 24/14 T Storm 21/09 might infl uence early childhood cog- parenting stress and improve maternal cognitive development, including that it suggests that a child’s develop- New York Rain 06/04 S Showers 08/06 nitive development. mental health, both of which are posi- mother’s age and IQ, father’s educa- ment could potentially be changed by Paris Showers 11/09 S Showers 11/06 For the current study, researchers tively associated with child cognitive tion level and the child’s birth weight. enhancing a mother’s social networks Sao Paulo T Storm 24/19 S T Storms 26/18 examined data on 1,082 mother-child development.” But they did not have data to assess of connection,” Neel said. “You might Seoul M Cloudy 10/-4 P Cloudy 01/-12 pairs. They questioned women about About 75% of the mothers in the other personal diff erences, such as not be able to change where you live or Singapore P Cloudy 33/25 P Cloudy 33/25 their family structure, friendships and study had fewer than six people in history of depression, between moth- how much money you make, but you Sydney S Showers 26/21 Sunny 27/21 relationships in their communities and their family network, including all ers with large networks of friends and might be able to expand your social Tokyo Rain 09/05 Clear 17/03 also looked at test results from cogni- adults and children living in their those with fewer. network.” Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 QATAR ArcheoMed3D Exhibition fl agged off

By Joey Aguilar Staff Reporter

he ArcheoMed3D Exhibi- tion was launched yester- Tday at Msheireb Museums’ Jelmood House, showcasing var- ious Unesco-listed World Herit- age Sites in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and Ara- bian Gulf. A panel discussion highlighted the event while the 3D interac- tive exhibition will be open to the public at Company House from today (February 6) until March 9. “The exhibition aims to pro- mote dialogue and enhance cul- tural exchanges within countries of the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and Arabian Gulf, underlining the extraordinary cultural variety and inputs that this part of the world has ab- sorbed over history,” Italian am- bassador Pasquale Salzano said. Italian ambassador Pasquale Salzano. He noted that this unique show is formed by panels dedicated to the history of a meaningful selec- tion of archaeological wonders. These countries include Italy (Temple of Zeus in Agrigento and the archaeological site of Pom- Dignitaries and other guests viewing the exhibition. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil peii), Qatar (Al Zubarah), Moroc- co (Volubilis), Tunisia (El Jem), is both inspiring and tangible. Algeria (Djemila), Syria (Krak des “Msheireb Museums prides Chevaliers), Palestine (Church of itself in partnering with global the Nativity in Bethlehem), Leb- organisations that share a similar anon (Baalbek), Turkey (Hagia vision to ours. Working in tan- Sophia), Jordan (Petra), and Libya dem with the embassy of Italy in (Leptis Magna), among others. Qatar and Unesco is another way The exhibition uses the lat- to diversify our off ering to the est technology in archaeological public and create a platform for 3D visualisation and augmented intercultural dialogue that pro- reality to bring to life these sites motes tolerance and understand- from around the world, and “raise ing across nations,” Msheireb awareness on our common world Museums director Dr Hafi z Ali Unesco Regional Off ice in Doha director Dr Anna Paolini. heritage.” Salzano said Italy and Abdulla said. Qatar share the same vision Comprising a series of didactic about culture and knowledge: panels, the exhibition features they belong to all humankind and two main technologies; barcodes they have no boundaries. “The and augmented reality. Visitors impressive number of countries will be able to scan barcodes us- represented in the ArcheoMed ing their smartphones in order to 3D exhibition confi rms this vi- view the 3D fi lm visualisation of sion. Cultural Heritage indeed the archaeological sites. represents our past, but it also Augmented reality can be A panel discussion highlighted the opening of the exhibition yesterday at Bin Jelmood, Msheireb expresses what we have in com- viewed via an exhibition app, Museums (supplied picture). mon in the present and what we which will enable visitors to scan want to preserve for the future,” the panels to reveal 3D augment- tion process. “The 3D virtual “That’s why, ArcheoMed al- ArcheoMed 3D is organised he stressed. ed reality models. rendering of archaeological sites lows us to explore and appreci- by the embassy of Italy in Doha ArcheoMed 3D aligns with the Anna Paolini, director of the or historic cities based on scien- ate some of the most important and Msheireb Museums, in co- commitment of Msheireb Mu- Unesco Regional Offi ce in Doha, tifi c documentation allows us to World Heritage sites around the operation with Unesco Regional seums to innovation and inge- said documentation of cultural visualise how they used to look Mediterranean Basin and in the Offi ce in Doha and Altair4. It is nuity in making history and cul- heritage is an essential element like in a precise period in time,” Middle East at the moment of sponsored by the Italian Foreign ture a sensory experience that of the restoration and restitu- she noted. their glory,” Dr Paolini added. Ministry. Msheireb Museums director Dr Hafiz Ali Abdulla Temperature dips, cooler weather to persist for now

he temperature has come early hours of the day. The de- ed in Turayna (southern Qatar), and Batna at 10C, Karana at 11C, perature is expected to be 10C in temperature of 19C yesterday, Meanwhile, the forecast states down signifi cantly over tailed forecast says mild condi- as compared to 18C on Sunday Wakrah, Sheehaniya, Ghuwayri- Wakrah, Mesaieed and Al Khor, followed by Ruwais, Abu Samra, that scattered clouds are likely in Tthe past two days and tions are expected inshore along and 13C on Monday. In Doha, too, yah and Jumayliyah at 12C, Abu 13C in Doha and Abu Samra, 15C Karana and Shehaimiya at 20C. off shore areas today and there is a similar conditions are likely to with some winds, and there is a the mercury level dipped to 15C Samra at 13C, and the Qatar Uni- in Dukhan and 17C in Ruwais. Doha saw a high of 22C yesterday. weak chance of light rain in some prevail today as well, the weather weak chance of light rain in some yesterday from 22C on Sunday versity area, Hamad Internation- The maximum, on the other The weather report says to- places. charts show. The Qatar Met de- places by midday. It will be cold and 18C on Monday. al Airport area, Abu Hamour and hand, has hovered between 19C day’s maximum will be 20C in The wind speed may go up to partment has also issued a warn- by night. The minimum temper- After Turayna, the places with Umm Bab at 14C. Doha was next and 23C around the country over Dukhan, 21C in Abu Samra and 22 knots in some of these areas ing for strong winds and high ature in the country dropped to the lowest temperatures yester- at 15C along with Dukhan. the past couple of days. Dukhan Ruwais, 22C in Doha and Al Khor, in the early hours of the day, with seas in some off shore areas in the 9C yesterday, which was record- day included Mesaieed, Al Khor Today, the minimum tem- and Umm Bab had a maximum and 23C in Wakrah and Mesaieed. the sea level rising to 7ft.

Katara opens three art exhibitions

Katara – the Cultural Village Foundation has opened three art exhibitions at its diff erent venues and art galleries. Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general manager of Katara, opened the exhibitions along with several ambassadors and some artists and enthusiasts in attendance. “We are always keen on diversifying the arts at Katara by hosting diff erent art exhibitions of diff erent trends,” al-Sulaiti noted. The first exhibition is a photograph collection titled ‘Sport Moments’ which highlight some of the prominent Qatari figures and sportsmen.The second exhibition is by the Kuwaiti artist Abdallah al-Otaiby titled ‘Emotions’ where al-Otaiby illustrates some human emotions through artwork while the third exhibition is a collective work by a group of four Pakistani artists titled ‘Visions’. The artists Shahla Khan, Mala Wassim, Adnan Siraj and Shazia Bahenji said they are participating with their artworks in Katara for the first time and they have expressed many meanings through their paintings describing diff erent visions of people. Al-Sulaiti added that Katara promotes not only Qatari artists, but also artists from all around the world.