BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Qatar’s Adel switches QP signs deals worth to T3 QR9bn with major Can-Am international fi rms published in QATAR since 1978

TUESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 11099 February 19, 2019 Jumada II 14, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief Food festival at

QATAR | Offi cial Amir congratulates Gambian president Oxygen Park His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and from March 20 HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani sent he tenth edition of Qatar Inter- yesterday cables of congratulations national Food Festival (QIFF) to Gambian President Adama Barrow Twill be held from March 20 to on the anniversary of his country’s 30 at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Oxy- Independence Day. gen Park, offi cials from Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) and QF an- AMERICA | Politics nounced. The festival is Qatar’s longest-run- Trump’s emergency ning food and beverage tradition, com- declaration decried HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani launches Qatar Petroleum’s Tawteen bining culinary arts with family enter- A small group of demonstrators initiative during a ceremony held in Doha yesterday. Page 24 tainment, and this year it celebrates rallied outside the White House its milestone edition at the heart of yesterday to protest President Education City, off ering a whole new Donald Trump’s declaration of format and exciting festivities for resi- a national emergency to fund a dents and visitors of all ages. wall on the US-Mexico border. The Over the last decade, QIFF has grown declaration allows Trump to bypass as a festival and so has its contribu- Congress, which approved only a tion to the country’s thriving dining quarter of the $5.6bn he wanted PM launches QP’s scene by attracting international chefs for the wall. Although presidents to open local outlets and support local have declared national emergencies businesses. This year, the festival has before, Friday’s action is believed to dedicated 15% of its space to up-and- be the first time one has been used coming entrepreneurs and local SMEs to raise funds that were specifically to provide them with a suitable plat- rejected by Congress. localisation drive form to introduce their F&B off erings in this market. BRITAIN | Politics All participants interested in book- ‘Tawteen’ to raise GDP by 1.6%; off ers 100 ing a stall at QIFF 2019 (including ho- ‘No one would oppose’ tels, restaurants, SMEs and others) can arching goal of creating a sustainable Brexit delay: Juncker investment opportunities in Qatar’s energy sector register online through this link: http:// economy. The European Union has given one of qiff 2019.live/english The deadline for “This collaboration will also show its strongest signals yet that it would By Peter Alagos know more about the initiative, and “As part of our national duty to de- registration is February 23. how Education City is a vibrant and allow Britain to delay its departure Business Reporter about the incentives it off ers to guar- velop the industry in Qatar and to pro- Mashal Shahbik of QNTC said: diverse environment that is open to from the bloc. The apparent antee eff ective participation in the en- mote self-reliance, we saw the need “This year marks ten successful years the wider community. By provid- stalemate in Brexit negotiations ergy sector’s supply chain and to gen- to localise many of the supporting in- of QIFF and we are very pleased to ing year-round activities, we offer between London and Brussels has he country’s GDP is expected erate high quality job opportunities. dustries in our sector to help enhance partner with Qatar Foundation to host visitors the opportunity to explore led to widespread speculation about to increase by 1.6% from Qa- In a speech, HE the Minister of State our independence as well as support this special edition. Through this fes- Qatar Foundation, including its rec- a delay past the deadline of March Ttar Petroleum’s (QP) localisa- for Energy Aff airs Saad bin Sherida the private sector through Tawteen. tival, we showcase the destination’s reational facilities, community de- 29. The president of the European tion programme ‘Tawteen’, which was al-Kaabi, who is also the president This programme provides local alter- unique venues and this year, we have velopment initiatives, educational Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, launched yesterday by HE the Prime and CEO of QP, said Tawteen is part natives to exports with a value of be- chosen Oxygen Park to off er a new offerings, and science and research said that if the British government Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh of QP’s “dedicated eff orts for the ad- tween QR8bn and QR9bn a year, which look and curated experiences for dif- centres – all of which have been de- asked for an extension, it would most Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- vancement of our country under the would raise GDP by about 1.6%,” al- ferent age groups and palates in addi- signed to create a positive impact on likely be granted. Page 14 Thani. leadership of His Highness the Amir Kaabi said. tion to popular features from previous the community.” Similarly, the Prime Minister also Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.” According to al-Kaabi, Tawteen’s editions.” QIFF, fi rst organised in 2010 as part AFRICA | Food launched yesterday Tawteen’s web- Al-Kaabi also listed QP’s eff orts to fi rst component is the creation of 100 She added: “QIFF also inspires en- of Qatar’s strategy to grow and diver- site, which serves as an “important optimise Qatar’s natural resources, new investment opportunities within trepreneurs to off er innovative initia- sify its tourism off erings in partner- Tiny beach restaurant link” to the various components of the achieve higher effi ciency and returns, the energy sector. Through this, QP tives and has been instrumental to the ship with the private sector, has gained crowned best in world energy sector’s supply chain. as well as growth and expansion. and its companies will off er incentives success of numerous local startups. We popularity and gone from strength to A tiny beach restaurant in an Tawteen is QP’s ‘Localisation Pro- He also highlighted QP’s recent and off take guarantees, according to look forward to celebrating this success strength, receiving over 400,000 visi- isolated South African fishing village gramme for Services and Industries in decisions and achievements, which the programme’s guidelines. with our partners from the private and tors last year. was named the best in the world the Energy Sector’, which aims to en- included cutting operational cost by The second component, al-Kaabi public sectors.” So far, the festival has been hosted at yesterday. Chef Kobus van der hance the localising of the sector’s sup- QR4bn annually, adopting a strategy said, is an in-country value policy, Mohamed Fakhroo, executive di- numerous scenic venues across Qatar Merwe, who only learned to cook ply chain and expand Qatar’s small and to raise QP’s production output from which rewards suppliers and contrac- rector of Outreach and Institutional including Katara Cultural Village, MIA when he was 30, forages every day medium-sized enterprises (SME) base. 4.8mn to 6.5mn barrels of oil equiva- tors who execute their contracts and Advancement, QF, said: “We’re de- Park, Hotel Park, and The Pearl-Qatar. for ingredients on the wild Atlantic The launch was also part of a dedi- lent per year, raising Qatar’s LNG pro- agreements by maximising local con- lighted to announce this collaboration This year, residents and visitors from shore of the Western Cape near his cated two-day conference and exhi- duction from 77 to 110mn tonnes per tent. with Qatar National Tourism Council all over the world attending QIFF will Wolfgat restaurant, where he also bition held with a large participation year by 2024. Fifteen major companies in Qatar’s which will see Qatar Foundation host get a chance to explore the impressively makes his own bread and butter. of offi cial bodies and entities, energy Al-Kaabi also discussed the devel- energy sector are taking part in Taw- the Qatar International Food Festival designed and landscaped Oxygen Park, The Wolfgat just opened last year sector companies, and a wide spec- opment of a new world-scale Petro- teen, and are expected to extend great- for the first time. By providing the also referred to as ‘green lungs of Edu- in a 130-year-old cottage and cave trum of service providers and sup- chemicals Complex with the largest er support to the oil and gas industry. use of our facilities for this event, we cation City’, as well as other amenities on the beach at Paternoster. It’s porting industries. ethane cracker in the Middle East and This would also reinforce Qatar’s posi- are striving to encourage commu- within the premises, including Qatar seven-course tasting menu costs Activities during the event, which QP’s most recent decision to invest tion as a leading, reliable, and trust- nity participation, while showing our National Library, the Minaretein build- the equivalent of 53 euros ($60), a concludes today (February 19), were more than $10bn in the Golden Pass worthy supplier of clean energy and support for local projects and initia- ing (Education City Mosque), Qur’anic fraction of what you are likely to pay designed to present a unique oppor- LNG export facility in Sabine Pass, high quality hydrocarbon products to tives that benefit the nation and ulti- Botanic Garden, and Torba Farmers at a top Paris table. tunity for private sector companies to Texas. the world. Business Pages 1, 8, 22 mately help fulfil the country’s over- Market. QU Career Fair off ers 300 job opportunities

QNA vide students and graduates with an important platform and a win- Doha the opportunity to learn about the dow to introduce students to the career opportunities available in nature of the skills required by the the Qatari labour market through labour market, and the opportuni- he Qatar University (QU) the participating bodies and to of- ties available to them in the areas Career Fair, which is be- fer promising career opportunities of training and sponsorship, and Ting held for the 13th year in such as employment, fi eld training others. a row, was inaugurated yesterday and academic sponsorship. He added that the fair is also an with the presence of about 70 par- The fair off ers students about important occasion for Qatar Uni- ticipants from diff erent sectors of 300 opportunities covering em- versity to learn about the opinions the country such as energy, indus- ployment, training and sponsor- of the participating parties from try, fi nance and business, as well as ship, as well as awareness activi- ministries, companies and institu- education, health, sports and serv- ties about the labour market, the tions about the QU’s programmes ices. required majors and the skills re- and their suitability for the labour The four-day fair, held at Qatar quired in this context. QU presi- market, which allows the Univer- University, is one of the most im- dent Dr Hassan Rashid al-Derham sity to develop and expand its pro- portant events off ered by the QU’s said in a press statement after grammes and training facilities ac- Career Development Center to pro- opening the fair that this event is cording to this feedback. To Page 3 Qatar University president Dr Hassan Rashid al-Derham at the opening of the QU Career Fair along with other off icials and dignitaries. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 QATAR

Qatar-Somalia ties reviewed Minister meets Turkish Post Corporation CEO

HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali met Somalia’s HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti met CEO and General Manager of the Turkish Post ambassador to Qatar Abdul Razzaq Farah Ali. During the meeting, they discussed aspects of Corporation (PTT), Kenan Bozgeyik, in Doha yesterday. They discussed topics of common interest between both countries related to co-operation between the two countries in the fields of culture and sport, and means of the postal sector and ways to develop them. The meeting was attended by Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Post, Faleh developing them. Mohamed al-Nuaimi, and ambassador of Turkey to Qatar Fikret Ozer.

OFFICIAL CDC recorded Advisory Council approves draft law Deputy PM receives message QNA plan of the Qatari parliamentary from Singapore FM Doha friendship groups with the par- over 120,000 liaments of friendly countries. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and The Speaker laid out his vi- Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh he Advisory Council held sion for the programme of their Mohamed bin Abdulrahman its regular weekly meet- action during the next phase. al-Thani has received a written Ting yesterday under the Meanwhile, the Advisory message from the Minister of chairmanship of HE the Speak- Council’s Legal and Legisla- Foreign Aff airs of Singapore er Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid tive Aff airs Committee held a Vivian Balakrishnan, pertaining outpatient al-Mahmoud. meeting under the chairman- to bilateral relations and ways of The meeting started with a ship of its Rapporteur Nasser enhancing them. The message discussion of the report of the bin Rashid Saria al-Kaabi yes- was received by HE the Minister Public Services and Utilities terday. of State for Foreign Aff airs Committee regarding a draft HE the Speaker Ahmed bin The committee reviewed a Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi law on reconciliation of the Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud draft law on documentation during a meeting yesterday with crimes stipulated in some pro- and decided to continue to re- the ambassador of Singapore visits last year visions of the laws relating to Assembly in Halifax, Canada. view it in the next meeting. Jai Sohan. The meeting was the municipality and the envi- HE al-Mahmoud briefed the The Internal and External attended by a number of off icials amad Medical Corpora- the development of the active ronment. members on his meeting on Sun- Aff airs Committee of the Ad- at the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs. tion’s (HMC) Commu- disease in individuals who have After the discussion, the day with a delegation of senior visory Council also held yes- Hnicable Disease Centre been infected. Council approved the amended offi cials from the US Congress, terday a meeting chaired by its Minister bids (CDC) delivered care at more In addition to general outpa- draft law and decided to refer during which they discussed Rapporteur Abdullah bin Fahad than 120,000 outpatient visits tient visits and contact screen- its recommendations to the parliamentary relations between bin Ghorab al-Marri. farewell to in 2018, it was announced yes- ings, the CDC recorded nearly government. the Advisory Council and US The committee continued Malaysian envoy terday. A regional fi rst, the facil- 40,000 direct observation ther- During the meeting, the Ad- Congress and ways to develop to study the request for pub- ity is dedicated to the diagnosis, apy (DOT) patient visits dur- visory Council was also briefed them, in addition to topics of lic discussion on traffi c acci- HE the Minister of State for treatment, and prevention of in- ing 2018, the majority receiving on the report of its delegation common interest. dents in Qatar, and decided to Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad fectious diseases. anti-TB medication. DOT is a which participated in the meet- At the end of the meeting, continue its review in the next al-Muraikhi met the outgoing CDC medical director Dr method of drug administration ings of the Nato Parliamentary the Council discussed the work meeting. ambassador of Malaysia to Qatar, Muna al-Maslamani said the in which healthcare profession- Ahmed Fadhel bin Shamseddin specialist tertiary hospital cares als observe a person as they take yesterday. HE al-Muraikhi for patients with a variety of each dose of a medication. The thanked the ambassador infectious diseases, including Dr Muna al-Maslamani. practice helps ensure patients of Malaysia for his eff orts in tuberculosis (TB), Middle East receive all medications as pre- Speaker meets Deputy FM of Venezuela promoting bilateral relations, Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and scribed and is also used to moni- wishing him success in his future infl uenza, measles, hepatitis, parasites, and many can be eas- tor the response to treatment assignments. Acquired Immune Defi ciency ily passed from person to person. and to prevent antimicrobial re- Syndrome (Aids), and a number To help prevent transmission of sistance. Qatar attends of travel-related diseases and ill- infectious diseases, we screen Dr al-Maslamani says in ad- nesses. all contacts of the aff ected TB dition to outpatient clinics, the high-level WHO In addition to disease diagno- patients received at our facil- CDC off ers comprehensive in- regional meeting sis, treatment, and health edu- ity. Last year we conducted over patient services for infectious cation, contact screenings are 4,100 contact screenings,” she disease patients who need hos- Qatar participated in the high- one of the most eff ective tools pointed out. pitalisation. Last year the facility level meeting of the World for preventing the spread of in- Contact screening or tracing cared for more than 1,200 inpa- Health Organisation (WHO) fectious diseases. is a primary means of control- tients. Regional Off ice for the Eastern “As the fi rst facility of its kind ling infectious diseases such as The CDC is also home to Qa- Mediterranean, on institutional in the region, we pride ourselves tuberculosis. The objective of tar’s fi rst dedicated and compre- capacity for the use of evidence on being the leading centre for contact screening is to identify hensive Travel Clinic. Opened in health policy-making being the treatment and control of people who have been exposed in January 2017, this one-stop- held in Lebanon. The meeting infectious diseases. The CDC to an infectious disease and to shop off ers vaccinations and will conclude today. Assistant provides high-quality care to ensure they receive appropriate preventative information for HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud met the Secretary General for Medical patients and ensures strict in- treatment, when necessary. people travelling overseas. It Deputy Minister of Foreign Aff airs for Asia, the Middle East and Oceania of Venezuela Ruben Aff airs at the Ministry of Public fection control measures,” said Contact screenings for infec- also provides assessment, treat- Dario Molina, who is visiting Qatar. The meeting reviewed a number of issues of common Health Saleh bin Ali al-Marri Dr al-Maslamani. tions such as TB and latent TB ment, and counselling for those interest. It was attended by the ambassador of Venezuela to Qatar Giuseppe Angelo Yoff reda headed Qatar’s delegation to “Infectious diseases are dis- not only stop transmission of the returning with travel-related ill- Yorio and a number of off icials of the Advisory Council. the meeting which will discuss a orders caused by organisms such infection but can also prevent nesses. number of important issues.

Police College signs LoI SJC signs pact with General with Tajikistan ministry QICCA participates in Authority for Minors Affairs arbitration forum in Oman

he Qatar International Board of Directors, affi rmed the Arbitration in accordance with Centre for Conciliation willingness of the Qatari side to the Royal Decree refl ects the Tand Arbitration (QICCA) transfer its experience in arbi- increasing importance of arbi- participated in the Arbitra- tration to its Omani counterpart. tration and the eff ectiveness of tion Forum organised by Oman In a speech at the forum, he resorting to it as a special sub- Chamber of Commerce and In- said that the QICCA places all its stitute for conventional courts, dustry. The forum, which pre- expertise and staff in the service based on its eff ectiveness in re- pares for launching the activities of the Omani arbitration centre solving disputes quickly by arbi- of Oman Centre for Commercial to contribute eff ectively to the trators specialised in all branch- Arbitration following the issu- advancement of the centre which es of trade and investment. ance of a royal decree, discussed seeks to settle disputes between On the sidelines of the forum, the most important rules for the the parties in accordance with the Qatari delegation discussed The Police College signed yesterday a letter of intent (LoI) Centre’s system and the organi- the Omani Arbitration Law is- with Omani offi cials how to en- The Supreme Judiciary Council and the General Authority for with the Ministry of Internal Aff airs of Tajikistan to promote sation of its procedures. sued by Royal Decree No. 47/97. hance continuous co-operation Minors Aff airs yesterday signed a memorandum of co-operation between the two sides in academic, training and HE Dr Thani bin Ali bin Saud HE Dr Thani bin Ali bin Saud and the mechanisms of trans- understanding (MoU) in the fields of data exchange and scientific research fields. The letter was signed by Major Jabr al-Thani, representative of Qa- al-Thani, who headed the Qatari ferring the experience of the integration. The MoU was signed by Supreme Judiciary Hamoud Jaber al-Nuaimi, director, department of tar to the International Chamber delegation to the forum, pointed QICCA to the Omani arbitration Council’s assistant undersecretary for shared service aff airs administrative and financial aff airs at the Police College, and of Commerce’s Court of Arbitra- out that the establishment of the centre, which will start its work Abdulaziz Sheikh, and the General Authority for Minors Aff airs’ Colonel Mashrabzoda Jamshed, head of executive off ice of the tion and a member of the QICCA Oman Centre for Commercial in the coming period. – QNA acting director of shared service aff airs Khalid Heikal. The MoU Tajik Minister of Internal Aff airs. The Letter of Intent covered aims at organising the process of linking the Supreme Judiciary areas of scientific co-operation between the two sides, the Qatar to take part in Muscat International Book Fair Council and the Authority to achieve speed and accuracy in implementation of academic projects and training information and data sharing and integration. The agreement programmes, the exchange of visits between students and Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, will participate in the 24th edition of Muscat covers data and information sharing and integration through an trainers, as well as the exchange of information on curricula, International Book Fair due to be held from February 21 to March 2. The Ministry of Culture and Sports said electronic platform that allows them to benefit from the data. training programme and co-operation in the fields of scientific it would participate in the exhibition organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture in Oman through a The two sides will also exchange documents required to achieve research activities. special pavilion, which includes a large collection of literary, historical, heritage and intellectual books, in accuracy and improve the services provided to the public. addition to the ministry’s periodicals and publications of Qatari publishing houses. – QNA Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 3 QATAR Qatar open for dialogue to resolve Gulf crisis: FM

QNA for supporting the stability of the United States has spared no ef- Munich region. He stressed that the Gulf fort to resolve the crisis, adding crisis threatens regional security, that US President Donald Trump HE the Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani speaking at the Munich Security Conference. saying, “We have been through had tried to hold a Gulf summit E the Deputy Prime Min- various confl icts and disagree- and sent letters to the leaders of them, and this is geography.” concept are indisputable as long “We will support any US eff orts Syrian regime done in order to be ister and Minister of ments in the last 20 years, but we the blockading countries, but He added that the diff erences as they are not contrary to the within the acceptable context of rewarded by normalisation of re- HForeign Aff airs Sheikh have never reached this level, and their response was that they were between the Gulf states and Iran provisions of international law, the Palestinian people, but we lations, rewarded by coming back Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al- it refl ects a shift in the position unwilling to resolve the issue at should be resolved through dia- adding that as long as this alli- cannot go beyond the Palestin- to the League of Arab States?” Thani has stressed that Qatar is of the leadership of these coun- that time. logue, and this was a position not ance is defensive in nature and ian people and accept something “This is what we said when open for dialogue to resolve the tries.” He also stressed that Qatar’s only of Qatar but of the whole based on the exchange of capa- they have not seen yet, so we they tried to convince us of the Gulf crisis, adding that it has He said that Qatar was ready relations with the United States GCC. bilities between its members, hope that they bring something return of the Syrian regime to the been calling on the blockading for dialogue during the Gulf have never been aff ected by this HE Sheikh Mohamed said that there will be no problem with it if positive for the Palestinians and Arab League,” he added. countries to sit at the negotiating Summit in Kuwait, but the siege crisis, saying: “Our strong alliance the US is making eff orts to es- it is based on co-operation. we will support it,’’ he added. On the labour laws and Qatar’s table to discuss the causes of the countries were not, as evidenced with them continues. We have the tablish a strategic alliance in the HE the FM stressed the need “The core issue of the rela- hosting of the 2022 FIFA World crisis and work to resolve it. by the fact that they have lowered largest US airbase and there are Middle East, adding, “Our posi- to address the core issue before tionship between Qatar and Is- Cup, HE the FM said, “We start- HE Sheikh Mohamed said the level of their representation 11,000 to 12,000 US troops on our tion in this regard was clear: We moving to a higher level of the rael is the Palestinian issue, as ed the review process for migrant during a discussion panel at the at that summit. territory. The centre of the inter- must address the fundamental alliance, adding that the Qatari long as this is not resolved, there workers, we have done a lot of Munich Security Conference He added that the invitation to national coalition is in Qatar, and problem before talking about the side has explained this clearly to will always be a problem between things. Qatar is a pioneer in these that the Saudi and Emirati lead- Qatar to attend the recent Gulf everything is going well.” alliance. It’s not possible to es- the United States, and constantly us. This applies for all the Arab changes in the region and we are ers should pay attention to the Summit in Riyadh was from the With regard to the relations tablish an alliance among coun- holding meetings to help con- countries,” he pointed out. proud of that, but we recognise Gulf issue because it is integral GCC Secretary-General and not with Iran, he said: “We have tries, four of which are hostile to structively build this alliance. He On the Syrian issue, he said, that we have to do more.” to the regional security, add- from the host country “that is not built alternative alliances one. If we do so, we will greatly affi rmed that for this alliance to “We are seeing countries are He added that Qatar appre- ing that the Gulf Co-operation why we participated with a lower to replace of the GCC. Iran is compromise our credibility be- succeed, this pending issue must running back to normalise rela- ciates what Amnesty Interna- Council (GCC) was established representation.” our neighbour. We have always fore our people that would ques- be addressed. tions with the Syrian regime, in- tional, Human Rights Watch and for co-operation and consulta- On Washington’s eff orts for shared a large part of a gas fi eld. tion our alliance with hostile HE Sheikh Mohamed said that viting the Syrian regime to come other organisations say, and it tion within the region, and that resolving the Gulf crisis, HE It is not like the new thing after countries.” the resolution of the Palestini- back to the Arab League. And we will keep the dialogue open with it is the most successful model Sheikh Mohamed said that the the crisis. We share borders with He said that the idea and the an-Israeli confl ict must be fair. raise a question: What has the them.

Senegalese president meets Qatar’s attorney-general Annual exhibition of private associations to begin on March 1

QNA it is the result of the partner- between the two ministries to Doha ship between the Ministry of support families in need, peo- Administrative Development, ple with disabilities and NGOs. Labour and Social Aff airs, and He stressed that this exhibition he Ministry of Admin- the Ministry of Awqaf and Is- aims to introduce society to the istrative Development, lamic Aff airs and a number of role of NGOs and to provide the TLabour and Social Af- other bodies, through acti- opportunity for the employees fairs and Ministry of Awqaf and vating the role of civil society of these associations to present Islamic Aff airs signed a co-op- organisations represented by their projects. eration and partnership agree- private associations and insti- He announced that the Gen- ment to launch the fi rst annual tutions to highlight their role eral Directorate of Awqaf as the exhibition of private associa- in serving the Qatari commu- platinum sponsor of the exhi- tions and institutions. nity. bition will announce the two The agreement was signed Al-Kuwari stressed the most important projects to be by Assistant Undersecretary ministry’s keenness to enrich sponsored by the administra- for Social Aff airs at the Min- and activate the role of these tion at the end of the exhibi- istry of Administrative De- private associations and in- tion. velopment, Labour and Social stitutions and highlight their The Director of the Private Aff airs, Ghanim Mubarak al- positive role in enhancing co- Associations and Institutions Kuwari and the Director Gen- operation and activating social Department at the Ministry of eral of Awqaf Public Admin- participation and achieving Administrative Development, istration at Ministry of Awqaf outputs that serve all segments Labour and Social Aff airs Naji and Islamic Aff airs Dr Sheikh of society through private as- al-Ajji, said that the exhibition President Macky Sall of the Republic of Senegal met in Dakar yesterday with HE Qatar’s Attorney-General Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri, who Khalid bin Mohamed al-Thani. sociations and institutions. is the fi rst of its kind and aims is also the UN Special Advocate for the Prevention of Corruption. He is currently visiting Dakar. During the meeting, they discussed the Al-Kuwari said that the fi rst For his part, Dr Sheikh Kha- to encourage and motivate civil activities of the Doha-based Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center (ROLACC), in co-operation with the Republic of Senegal and future annual exhibition of private as- lid bin Mohamed al-Thani said society organisations to make projects in this field. The meeting was attended by ambassador of Qatar to Senegal Saree bin Ali al-Qahtani. sociations and institutions will that this agreement comes eff orts in community develop- be held between March 1-3, and within a series of partnerships ment. 28 students graduate QU Career Fair off ers 300 job opportunities from QC centre’s From Page 1 Ministry of Commerce takes part in QU Fair Arabic programme Assistant vice-president for The Ministry of Commerce and cadres to access the job market, Student Academic Success and Industry (MoCI) is taking part and promote co-operation with Development Dr Haya Nasser in the 13th edition of Qatar Uni- various educational institutions he Friends Cultural al-Attiyah said QU, represented versity Career Fair, which began across the country in profession- Centre (FCC), a Qatar by the University’s Career Devel- yesterday. al fields. During its participation TCharity (QC) commu- opment Center, is keen to organ- The four-day exhibition aims to in the fair, the Ministry will outline nity development centre, has ise various professional events introduce university students plans and programmes aimed celebrated the graduation of 28 throughout the year, pointing out and graduates to career oppor- at attracting Qatari cadres to students from the Arabic for that the Career Fair is one of the tunities in the Qatari job market undertake practical training and Non-Native Speakers (ANNS) most important of these events, through participating organisa- will encourage its employees to programme in a ceremony held which hosts about 70 employers tions. The event also familiarises complete their studies and keep at the FCC headquarters. and training bodies from various participants with diverse and abreast of the latest develop- The list of graduates in- sectors in the country. promising professional prospects ment and progress. The Ministry cluded both male and students From the graduation ceremony. She explained that the Career in terms of employment, field will also familiarise students belonging to diff erent Asian Fair is aimed at three main cate- training and academic guidance. with the career opportunities it communities residing in Qatar. over the next fi ve years. gories: high school students, uni- The Ministry’s participation in the off ers, its key responsibilities and The students studied the Ara- Habeeburahiman Kizhissery, versity students and graduates. career fair is in line with its eff orts services and its role in develop- bic language for four months at FCC director, spoke about the She said that hosting a number of to attract and train national ing human resources. the Beginning and Intermedi- importance of Arabic and its role secondary schools to visit the fair ate levels. in building an educated and civ- has been co-ordinated with the Saleem Abdullah Mohamed ilised society, pointing out that Ministry of Education and Higher nities for those who are about to (sponsored scholarships), making al-Hamdani, volunteer in- the language has signifi cantly Education, in order to identify graduate or already graduated. it an important window on the la- charge of educational aff airs and contributed to medical and en- the current and future areas of Dr Haya al-Attiyah urged all bour market. Arabic language at the FCC, ex- gineering innovations. work, which in turn contribute to students to attend the Career She stressed the keenness of the pressed happiness at the gradu- The students also praised the proper and early professional Fair and take advantage of the Center to enhance communication ation and congratulated the the programme, calling it a planning of the student and thus opportunities available, to iden- with the various participants in students, wishing them a pros- valuable opportunity to en- choose the appropriate profes- tify the employers and offi cials of the fair to explore the extent of its perous future. He also hoped hance their knowledge of Ara- sion for his/her preparations and these bodies and ask questions success in providing real opportu- that their journey would contin- bic. Mostafa, a student, said: abilities and tendencies. and queries, and to benefi t from nities for students and graduates, ue through learning the Arabic “It was an opportunity to im- She also noted that QU stu- the CV venue at the exhibition, saying that they tried in accord- language more deeply. prove my Arabic. I read the fi rst dents can learn about the op- which helps students to write ance with a specifi c mechanism Al-Hamdani said the FCC novel in this language.” portunities off ered by academic their biography properly. to follow up the extent to which would expand the ANNS pro- Sridevi, another student, sponsorship and summer train- Director of the Career Develop- students and university gradu- gramme for new students to added: “This was also an op- ing, which provides them with ment Center Maha al-Marri said ates benefi t from the opportuni- accept applicants in the morn- portunity to know more about opportunities to develop their this year’s fair provides about 300 ties presented by the participating ing shift of the programme next the Arab and Gulf cultures by various skills and gain in-depth opportunities for Qatari students parties and know the number of year, noting that this number attending events and work- knowledge in their fi eld of study, and graduates, including employ- benefi ciaries as an important cri- is expected to increase by 20% shops organised by the centre.” as well as employment opportu- ment, training and sponsorship terion for the success of the fair. MoCI off icials briefing participants at the career fair. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 QATAR QFBA fetes 25 Qatari

Fifty One East has signed a partnership agreement with the ‘Kawader’ graduates Education City Golf Club. he Qatar Finance and Business Academy T(QFBA) held a graduation ceremony for the sixth cohort of the ‘Kawader’ programme, Fifty One East, which is under the patronage of the Minister of Finance. The ceremony saw the gradu- ation of 25 outstanding young Education City Qataris, bringing the total number of participants in ‘Ka- wader’ since its inception to Golf Club tie up 149 students, who have been primed to contribute eff ectively to the human capital develop- ifty One East, Qatar’s lead- said, “We never forget that our ment of the country’s fi nancial ing department store, has customers have chosen us, and services sector, the national Fsigned a partnership agree- we work hard to deliver the best economy’s progress, and to the ment with the Education City in service together with an ac- realisation of the Qatar National HE the Finance Minister Ali Sherif al-Emadi with Kawader graduates and QFBA off icials. Golf Club, it was announced. cess to world-class events. Vision 2030. Winners of Education City “Education City Golf Club is a During the three-month pro- “It is with such initiatives and training under one course, of- Bank, Barwa Bank, Ahlibank, Stock Exchange and QInvest. Golf Club’s monthly tourna- perfect fi t to this promise due to gramme, all 25 students interned capacity-building programmes fering students direct access Doha Bank, IBQ, al khaliji, Qa- “Kawader, with its unique ments in Qatar will receive ex- their impressive facilities partic- at top international and local that QFBA reaffi rms its role in to world-leading fi nancial in- tar Development Bank, Stand- training programme, is one of clusive prizes from Fifty One ularly the Centre of Excellence. organisations while two can- supporting Qatar’s 2030 vision, stitutions and a collection of ard Chartered, Qatar Islamic the main sources to provide the East’s range of exclusive brands. Together, our partnership will didates were successfully em- by empowering the Qatari hu- carefully-crafted, specialised Bank and Masraf Al Rayan while fi nancial services sector with The tournament calendar will enable us to connect with our ployed during the programme in man capital,” its chief executive courses backed by world-class the programme partners in- young, talented Qatari profes- feature monthly medals, women’s customers on a personal level.” the Qatar Central Bank and Qa- Dr Khalid al-Horr said. professional accreditations that clude PricewaterhouseCoopers, sionals with the right set of open days and junior open days. Rhys Beecher, director of Golf tar Financial Centre. Kawader diff erentiates itself encompass several aspects of McKinsey, Qatar Financial Mar- skills and knowledge to go on to The members’ monthly medal at Education City Golf Club, com- Furthermore, all 25 students by off ering an intensive and the fi nancial sector. ket Authority, Bank of Tokyo, play important and vital roles is part of a series that showcases mented: “We are delighted to part- completed certifi cation studies holistic training programme The programme is sponsored Qatar Financial Centre Regula- in the economy,” according the top golfer of the year. ner with Fifty One East who has in IISI and in Business Banking that combines academic learn- Qatar Financial Centre Author- tory Authority, Qatar Invest- to Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, In line with the vision of Edu- been a pioneer in promoting and and Conduct. ing with practical, on-the-job ity (QFCA), QNB, Commercial ment Authority, Al Koot, Qatar QFCA chief executive. cation City Golf Club to grow supporting Qatar’s sporting scene”. the game of golf, a number of the Rolex, the luxury watch brand events will have a concentrated whose global support for golf focus on women and children, spans more than 50 years, will be Bedaya Centre to take part in Biryani Festival according to a statement. the Offi cial Timekeeper of Educa- The fi rst event of the partner- tion City Golf Club. Fifty One East Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship organising company ‘Four and One’, of the business they are operating in ship was the National Sport Day will facilitate the installation of and Career Development (Bedaya we have been able to provide eight and ways to improve their performance Stableford, which saw 100 golfers Rolex wall clocks in carefully se- Centre), a joint initiative by Qatar start-up projects the opportunity to and services,” she concluded. participating in the tournament. lected locations around the golf- Development Bank and Silatech, showcase their F&B related products This initiative reflects the continuous Also, golfers participated ing facility including the Centre of is participating for the second and to present their skills and services, eff orts by Bedaya to support local on the 18 Hole Championship Excellence and Clubhouse. consecutive year at the Biryani Festival in addition to providing this platform to entrepreneurs by providing them Course along with the unique- In addition, the Entertainment taking place at the Al Bidda Park from another 20 entrepreneurs to showcase with an appropriate platform and six Hole Championship course in Division under Fifty One East in- February 20 to March 2. their products at Dukan Bedaya.” discounted/ reasonable exhibiting a walking event that encourages cluding JouéClub and alongside Prominent F&B brands from the region “This participation aims to strengthen fees to showcase and promote their them to stay fi t on the long run. FNAC Qatar, will off er support as well as global markets are expected the knowledge of entrepreneurs in the products and easily reach consumers, Commenting on the new to key events via a set of activa- for the event, according to a statement. Reem al-Sowaidi, said: “Thanks to the local market and bringing them closer which contributes to the growth and partnership, Daniel Lattouf, re- tions, product displays, givea- Bedaya Centre general manager strategic partnership we have with the to the community to learn the nuances development of their businesses. tail director at Fifty One East, ways and many more activities. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 5 QATAR

Domasco hosts Bollywood star to add test drive for glitter to Qatar Show GAC customers oha Marketing Services tractive in-house fi nance facili- Company (Domasco), the ties and three years/100,000km Qatar Airways to bring international celebrities and style influencers to take part in the event Dauthorised distributor warranty. of GAC Motor in Qatar, hosted This month GAC also has a a special test drive event for lucrative retail off er of cashback atar Airways has an- create the innovative Beau Cut and a range of exquisite classic their existing and potential fl eet up to QR7,000 with one-year nounced that it will Gemstone. Beau has created an and contemporary collections customers, providing them an free registration and insurance, Qfl y internationally- innovative luxury lifestyle, in from international and local de- opportunity to experience the two years/30,000km free service renowned Bollywood actress partnership with Rolls-Royce, signers, all under one roof. complete range and services of with in-house fi nance. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Doha Sunseeker super yacht, global Visitors to the Qatar Show will GAC Motor. GAC vehicles combine state- to provide a glittering opening to top tier hotels and other luxu- also have the opportunity to ex- Customers were able to test of-the-art technology and in- this year’s Qatar Show 2019, fea- ry brands. His clients include perience Qatar Airways’ award- drive their favourite car model novation. The trendy and sleek turing some of the world’s fi nest members of royal families, ce- winning Business Class seat, and take advantage of some ex- design meets outstanding fuel gemstones, jewellery collections lebrities, and UHNIWS. Qsuite, which will be on display citing off ers at this event, held effi ciency and safety. and watches. Regarded as one of China’s at the show. Qsuite features the at the GAC Motor showroom on The young Chinese brand has As the Offi cial Airline Partner most infl uential fashion innova- industry’s fi rst-ever double bed Salwa road. been embraced by customers of the show, Qatar Airways will tors, Grace Chen has been hailed in Business Class and allows Faisal Sharif, managing direc- in Qatar and sales performance also bring a host of other inter- as “the Power Dresser of China” passengers in adjoining seats to tor of Domasco, said: “This event quickly refl ected that while the national celebrities and style by South China Morning Post create their own private space. was organised following the en- market penetration has been in- infl uencers to take part in the and “China’s Most Sought-Af- Adjustable panels and movable couraging response the GAC creasing year after year, accord- event, including Chinese jewel- ter Couturier” by The Hollywood TV monitors enable colleagues, brand has received from custom- ing to a Domasco statement. lery designer Beau Han Xu and Reporter. Her unique designs friends or families travelling to- ers in Qatar. We will continue to Customers can visit the ex- fashion designer Grace Chen. draw out the beauty in every gether to transform their quad build on this success and look clusive GAC Motor showroom at Qatar Airways Group chief woman by combining sophis- into a private suite, allowing forward to hosting more such Salwa road, near Qatar Decora- executive HE Akbar al-Baker tication, elegance and modern them to work, dine and socialise events for our customers.” tion roundabout, opposite HSBC said: “Qatar Airways is de- aesthetics, resulting in a textural together. GAC Motor off ers a complete Bank. The showroom is open lighted to be the Offi cial Airline sculpture that appeals to the A multiple-award win- model range for limousine and from Saturday to Thursday, 8am Partner of the Qatar Show 2019 most stylish and iconic women ning airline, Qatar Airways was rent-a-car companies with at- to 8pm. and to be bringing Aishwarya in the world. As New York Fash- named ‘World’s Best Business Rai Bachchan and many other ion Institute of Technology’s Class’ by the 2018 World Air- high-profi le guests to Doha for fi rst mainland Chinese alumni, line Awards, managed by in- this prestigious event. We look she had worked in New Work ternational air transport rating forward to hosting these impor- and Hollywood for many celeb- organisation Skytrax. It was tant guests at the show, which rities and stars for 15 years be- also named ‘Best Business Class will draw jewellery designers fore returning to China to set up Seat’, ‘Best Airline in the Mid- and connoisseurs alike from all her own label in 2009. Through- dle East’, and ‘World’s Best First over the world to appreciate the out her career, Grace has worked Class Airline Lounge’. exquisite gemstones on display. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with globally-renowned clients Qatar Airways currently oper- Qatar Airways is synonymous including Oprah Winfrey, Acad- ates a modern fl eet of more than with luxury at every level, and Film Festival. She was honoured fuses the magical and futuristic. emy Award winner Helen Mir- 230 aircraft via its hub Hamad looks forward to welcoming all with the Padma Shri by the In- His fi rst collection, Splash!, fea- ren, leading Chinese actresses International Airport to more guests to Doha to participate in dian government in 2009 and tured fantastical organic crystal Liu Xiaoqing, Li Bing Bing, Xu than 160 destinations world- this glittering event.” the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres cuff s, chokers, tiaras, and rings Qing and Taiwanese actress Lin wide. Aishwarya Rai is one of India’s by the French government in where diamonds shimmer and Chi-Ling. The airline has launched an ar- most popular actresses. She 2012. She has often been cited in swim within. Inspired by na- The Qatar Show 2019 will take ray of new destinations recently, made her acting debut in 1997 the media as ‘the most beautiful ture and the ethereal, Beau’s place from tomorrow until Feb- including Gothenburg in Sweden; and has since appeared in more woman in the world.’ creations freeze inspirational ruary 25 at the Doha Exhibition Mombasa, Kenya and Da Nang, than 40 fi lms in fi ve languages. Beau Han Xu is an inter- moments in time: a raindrop’s and Conference Centre. This Vietnam. Qatar Airways will add a In 2003, she was the fi rst Indian nationally-renowned artist, splash and the subtleties of spectacular exhibition will bring number of new destinations to its actress to represent her country gemologist and award-winning light playing on light. Beau has together more than 400 inter- extensive route network in 2019, Domasco’s test drive event showcased complete range and services of as a jury member at the Cannes jewellery designer whose work collaborated with Swarovski to national luxury jewellery brands including Malta. GAC Motor. Staybridge Suites in Lusail off ers variety of amenities

HG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has announced the opening of Staybridge Suites Doha Lusail, in part- Inership with Al Sraiya Hotels & Hospitality Group. The 119-key hotel residencies will be the first Staybridge Suites in Doha. Pascal Gauvin, managing director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said: “It is our sixth hotel in Qatar and the latest addition to our portfolio in line with the rising de- mand for long-stay accommodation due to an expected increase in business travel within the region.” Staybridge Suites Doha Lusail offers a variety of ameni- ties, such as daily continental breakfast, daily and weekly housekeeping, a guest laundry room, fitness centre, out- door pool, and communal barbecue area. Shared leisure spaces also include The Living Room and The Den, a place to relax and unwind with family and friends. Additionally, Staybridge Suites Doha Lusail of- fers guests a ‘Grab and Go’ facility where they can enjoy snacks and other food and beverage items while on the go. Staybridge Suites Doha Lusail offers wireless Internet throughout the property, and business services such as a meeting space, printing and scanning. The property is located a short distance from the West Bay and West Bay Lagoon and in the futuristic city of Lu- sail, close to the water’s edge at Lusail Marina. It is close to The Pearl-Qatar, an iconic residential, re- tail, and dining destination in Doha, as well as Katara Cul- tural Village, Qatar’s cultural and arts hotspot and home of the soon-to-open luxury department stores Galleria Staybridge Suites Doha Lusail. Lafayette and Harrods. Residents of Staybridge Suites Doha Lusail will be able In total, there are 86 one-bedroom apartments, one to enjoy the soon-to-be-launched Place Vendome, the of which is a penthouse complete with its own swim- new home of luxury and fashion at the heart of Lusail City. ming pool and three of which single-bedroom apartments The property offers modern services apartments. Styl- complete with their own terraces, 16 two-bedroom apart- ishly designed and furnished with thoughtful amenities ments, one of which is complete with its own terrace, and for extended stays, each serviced apartment is fitted with 17 three-bedroom apartments, three of which are pent- a living area, a full kitchen, and a workspace for the per- houses complete with their own private swimming pool. fect blend of work and relaxation. The residencies are located at Marina Promenade Road in With the modern-day corporate traveller in mind, Lusail. The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands Staybridge Suites Doha Lusail boasts a host of facilities, mean that its hotels can meet guests’ needs whatever the including a fully-equipped fitness centre and a swimming occasion – whether an overnight getaway, a business trip, a pool. family celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Rashid Nasser Sraiya al-Kaabi, vice chairman, Al Srai- Reservations can be made by calling 1-888-STAY- ya holding group, said: “Staybridge Suites is the perfect BRIDGE or by going to IHG.com/Staybridge. The Stay- brand for the region, whether it’s a short stopover, a long- bridge Suites brand participates in IHG’s loyalty pro- er business stay, or a holiday.” gramme, IHG Rewards.

QNB ‘Diamond Sponsor’ of Tarsheed Carnival

NB has announced its partici- achieve water and electric sustainability. bank aligned its sustainability goals with pation as a ‘Diamond Sponsor’ The carnival will include many the objectives of Qatar National Vision Qin the Tarsheed Carnival or- events and awareness activities during 2030, the United Nations Sustainable ganised by the Qatar General Electric- morning and evening sessions. Development Goals, and the Qatar Stock ity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) Tarsheed is the National Programme Exchange guidance on sustainable ini- until February 28 at the Kahramaa for the Conservation and Energy Effi - tiatives. Awareness Park in Al Thumama. ciency, which aims to reduce water con- QNB Group, which is the largest fi - The week-long carnival is a national sumption per capita by 15% and electric- nancial institution in the Middle East programme for water conservation and ity by 8% by 2022. QNB’s participation in and Africa will continue to support energy effi ciency. The main goal of the this event comes as part of both its CSR sustainability initiatives in Qatar and carnival is to raise awareness about ra- programme and its recently launched throughout the markets in which it op- tional use of electricity and water to sustainability programme, in which the erates. Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 QATAR

Difi concludes UN session participation QCS to host thyroid he Doha International addressing them, as well as Family Institute (Difi ), a to exchange experiences and Tmember of Qatar Foun- lessons learned from new evi- dation (QF), has concluded its dence and innovations in ef- participation at the 57th Ses- forts targeted at families. sion of the Commission for So- Difi executive director Dr cial Development in New York. Sharifa al-Emadi said: “Re- The institute hosted a panel search has shown that social cancer conference titled Towards Family-Sensi- protection programmes can tive Protection, in collaboration strengthen the capacity of By Joseph Varghese It is organised by the QCS in mon cancer among females of all with the Qatar Mission to the families to care for their chil- Staff Reporter collaboration with the Ministry nationalities in Qatar in 2014, to UN, the Division for Inclusive dren, and remove barriers to of Public Health, Hamad Medical the sixth most common cancer Social Development of the UN access services, while reaching Corporation, the Qatar Doctor’s across all nationalities and gen- Department of Economic and the most vulnerable.” he Thyroid Cancer Con- Society, and the Qatar Austrian ders and second most common Social Aff airs (UN DESA), the Attendees included HE ference, to be hosted by Medical Team. cancer among females of all na- UN Economic and Social Com- Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Tthe Qatar Cancer Soci- Details of the conference were tionalities in Qatar in 2015,” said mission for West Asia (UN ES- al-Thani, Qatar’s permanent ety (QCS) on April 19 and 20, will shared yesterday by Sheikh Kha- Sheikh Khalid. CWA), Berkeley Social Welfare, representative to the UN; Re- discuss the latest developments lid and Dr Abdul Azeem Hussain, “There is great improvement and the International Council nata Kaczmarska, focal point in the treatment of thyroid can- vice-chairman of the QCS and among the public in awareness of Social Welfare. on the Family at UN DESA; Neil cer, the second highest prevalent director of the Surgery Depart- about cancer and the ways to deal The event aimed to provide Gilbert, the Milton and Ger- cancer among women in Qatar. ment and head of medical staff at with the disease,” he said. “How- stakeholders – including gov- trude Chernin professor of so- The event is under the patron- Al-Ahli Hospital. ever, still we fi nd some people are ernments, civil society organi- cial welfare and social services age of HE the Prime Minister and “According to the Qatar Na- afraid of the disease and several Sheikh Dr Khalid and Dr Hussain at the press conference. sations, and UN entities – with at the University of California, the Interior Minister Sheikh Ab- tional Cancer Registry, thy- others are reluctant to discuss a platform to discuss and en- Berkeley, US; and, Gisela Nauk, dullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- roid cancer has gone up from the disease even if they feel the ees to exchange knowledge with roof at international level. able a better understanding of chief of the Inclusive Social Thani and the leadership of QCS the ninth most common cancer symptoms of the disease.” top experts and keep abreast of More than 1,000 medical pro- the challenges faced by fami- Development Section at UN chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid bin across all nationalities and gen- The thyroid cancer conference latest innovations in the fi eld of fessionals are expected to par- lies and the progress made in ESCWA. Jabor al-Thani. ders and the third most com- is an opportunity for the attend- thyroid cancer care under one ticipate in the conference.

Ashghal opening a temporary roundabout at Al Waab intersection

he Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has an- nounced the opening of a temporary signalised Troundabout at Al Waab Intersection. This includes the following road layout changes: Me- hairja Street’s expansion from one lane to two lanes in each direction; a new eastbound connection from Me- hairja Street to Al Samriya Street through Al Khufoos and Al Baidaa streets; and, adding a third lane to turn left at Mehairja Intersection for those coming from Muaither. These temporary layout changes have been designed in co-ordination with the General Directorate of Traffi c to facilitate the construction of an interchange that will replace Al Waab Intersection and a new fl yover with four lanes in each direction along Al Bustan Street South, Ash- ghal has said in a statement. This will be implemented from February 23 and remain in place for a period of 16 months. Road users travelling east from Muaither to Al Sadd, using Al Waab Street, can use an alternative route via Me- hairja and Al Khufoos streets. The authority will install road signs advising motorists of the traffi c shift and has requested all road users to abide by the 50kph speed limit and follow the road signs to en- sure their safety. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 7 QATAR/REGION

Winners gets cars in LuLu-Ali Bin Ali P&G promo Vodafone Qatar unveils new Red portfolio

Red Has It All provides customers with a “hassle-free KEY PRODUCT DETAILS series of services” Anghami – Vodafone Red Privilege Club membership odafone Qatar yesterday customers can listen to their number with Vodafone. unveiled the details of its favourite songs through the A special welcome bonus can Vnew Red Has It All port- Anghami plus subscription with- be availed for new Red custom- folio of postpaid plans, a “fi rst of out the annoyance of listening ers. Winners of LuLu-Ali Bin Ali P&G promotion held at Lulu Hypermarkets, Abdulsalam Mangalath Vilappil (Coupon No 91858) and Edna its kind” in the market that tai- to adverts, and have the ability Shop & Ship – Vodafone Red Ortega Guerrero (Coupon No 53379) receive a symbolic key of their prizes, Toyota Rush Cars, from off icials of LuLu Hypermarkets lors to customers’ lifestyles. to download their songs without customers can shop from their and Ali Bin Ali — P&G Division at a ceremony held at the LuLu Regional Off ice. On top of the data, calls and the use of other apps. preferred global online stores roaming features and benefi ts Careem – Vodafone Red without the challenge of find- that Red includes, Vodafone is customers can take advantage ing an international shipping now off ering a suite of non-tele- of special rates on premium address. communications services drawn transportation to their favourite In addition, customers will have from widely known and leading destinations. their shipments delivered right digital brands in Qatar, available The Entertainer – with 2 for 1 to their doorsteps. to its customers on all Red plans. off ers, Red customers can enjoy Talabat – With Talabat Go, Using insights related to the a year’s subscription to the co- Vodafone Red customers can ‘British International Dental day-to-day routine of custom- branded Vodafone Entertainer enjoy free and quicker deliveries. ers, Vodafone Qatar “has collab- app that has a hand-picked list Wavo by OSN – since custom- orated with a carefully selected of merchants suiting customers ers prefer watching their shows group of partners to unlock ben- lifestyle. on their own devices at their Centre’ holds Invisalign Day efi ts available to customers at Qatar Airways – Red own time, Vodafone Red cus- the click of a button”, the com- customers can earn Qmiles at tomers can enjoy hundreds and pany has said in a statement. no additional charge, by simply thousands of shows from the he British International vision of how their teeth could Red Has It All now provides registering their Qatar Airways comfort of their own device. Dental Centre (BIDC), look after Invisalign. Patients customers with a “hassle-free Tcelebrating its 25th year who liked their results were able series of services”. These include in Qatar, held its first Invisalign to start on the day with a 35% listening to music on Anghami, avoid bill shock, was introduced, providing our customers with Day on February 16. discount. There was no need to free and fast deliveries from as well as Global Data that al- world-class products and serv- On the occasion, BIDC invited take an impression and the iTero Talabat, customised off ers on lows customers to use their local ices catered to their lifestyle,” those interested in straightening scans were sent digitally to Align the Vodafone Entertainer App, in-plan data when roaming in 20 said Vodafone Qatar chief op- their teeth to have an iTero scan. Technology to commence fabri- watching favourite shows from countries Vodafone operates in. erating officer Diego Cam- iTero is an advanced technol- cation of the aligners and get OSN on Wavo on smartphones beros. ogy used to take highly accurate treatment started sooner. or tablets, special rates on pre- “Five years ago, we launched digital scans of teeth, according “It was so cool being able to mium rides from Careem, inter- the first Red postpaid plans, to a statement. see the results before paying,” national deliveries via Shop & which became the benchmark The Invisalign system allows said Harry, a new Invisalign pa- Ship and borderless WhatsApp for such customised packages. patients to straighten their teeth tient. messaging when roaming. Today, we’re proud to be without the need for conven- The people behind the Invis- Launched in 2014, Red launching Red’s new benefits, tional braces. Invisalign can be align system, Align Technology, changed what customers could in partnership with so many removed when eating or brush- the US-based global medical expect from their telecommuni- leading brands, which shows ing teeth, and one needs fewer device company, says Invisalign cations provider. we are closer than ever to the visits to the orthodontist. is “the most advanced clear It brought together “exclusive needs of our customers,” he The participants were greeted aligner system in the world”. privileges such as valet parking added. On top of Red’s current “with a rose and a smile”, the “No one noticed that I was service, great value and fantas- roaming benefits, Red custom- statement noted. They then re- wearing Invisalign until I tic family deals”. It proved to be ers can now also use WhatsApp ceived a smile assessment from showed them. It really is an “hugely popular with thousands messaging while roaming at no an Invisalign international rep- ideal way to correct malaligned of loyal customers”, the company These are in addition to the extra cost, allowing them to resentative who flew in for the teeth,” said Dr Sarah, clinical said. recently announced partner- stay connected with family and occasion. director currently undergoing In 2017, Red introduced new ship with Qatar Airways that friends without draining their Dr Yaser’s team led the pa- Invisalign treatment. fi rsts in the market with innova- enables customers on Red plans in-plan’s roaming data. tients to the dental surgery Invisalign Day was a “massive tive changes to the rules of mo- to earn Qmiles. In the near future, Vodafone where they undertook a pain success for the British Interna- bile, “designed to give customers “We’re proud of our long his- Qatar said it will be announcing free scan in just a few minutes tional Dental Centre”, the state- more fairness and freedom”. Bill tory of innovation and country additional partners and benefi ts and were able to get an instant ment added. BIDC held its first Invisalign Day on February 16. Manager, which helps customers ‘firsts’ and are committed to to the Red Has It All portfolio. ‘Dana Al-Sadd’ apartment History of Qatari homes comes is now open for lease alive in new UCL Qatar project

AK Holding has announced CL Qatar has developed generations to come.” that ‘Dana Al-Sadd’, fi ve- an innovative presenta- The teachers’ pack has also Sstorey hotel apartments Ution to support school- been well-received by private are now open for lease. teachers in teaching the history institution teachers, UCL Qa- ‘Dana Al-Sadd’ is the result of Qatari homes. tar has said in a statement. of a partnership between SAK This comes as part of the Beata Sulzycka, Year 4 teacher Holding and Al Sadd Real Estate UCL Qatar and Qatar Muse- at King’s College Doha, was Company. The new project “is ums Origins of Doha and Qatar pleased with the impact it had one of the modern and elegant project. on children: “There was a sig- architectural features that in- Throughout the 2018/19 nifi cant development in their cludes luxury rooms and suites, school year, UCL Qatar aims interest towards Qatar history as well as restaurants, adminis- to reach thousands of students lessons and they started to look trative offi ces, and various en- between the ages of six and 11 forward to the weekly lessons.” tertainment, sports and service years, developing their knowl- UCL Qatar’s contribution to facilities.” edge of the history of Qatari the Origins of Doha and Qatar ‘Dana Al-Sadd’ is a fi ve-storey ‘Dana Al-Sadd’ is the result of a partnership between SAK Holding traditions and the main archi- research project forms part of hotel apartments’ project con- and Al Sadd Real Estate Company. tectural features of homes in the university’s broader work sisting of some 165 hotel units the 1930s and 40s. The available school materials include a children’s presentation, a in Qatar to increase awareness including 20 luxury suites, three approximately 100m2, as well as and quality tourism projects The Origins of Doha and Qa- teacher’s pack and lesson plans. in the rich archaeological and restaurants and kitchens with a two basement fl oors for parking that complement the country’s tar project, which these mate- architectural history in the re- total area of 1,215m2. This is in with a capacity of 117 cars. preparations for hosting the rials form part of, is funded by tion, and lesson plans. Qatar Foundation’s Educa- gion, feeding into the knowl- addition to a gymnasium with “Dana Al-Sadd is another 2022 World Cup, as well as other the Qatar National Research The tools were produced tion Development Institute by edge-based economy of the sauna and steam room of 270m2, success for real estate “Shark- international sporting events Fund’s National Priorities Re- through a collaboration be- Mariam al-Thani at a workshop country, the statement notes. gym, swimming pool and other ena” product, launched by SAK and tournaments, and other re- search Programme, and draws tween the outreach team at held on January 29. UCL Qatar’s Professor Carter vital facilities that “aim to make Holding Group under the pa- gional, Arab and international on archaeology, history and UCL Qatar, Professor Robert The workshop was attended said, “These materials will pro- guests’ stay a great experience tronage of Sheikh Thani bin Ab- economic and tourism events. geography to depict the histori- Carter, principal investigator of by teachers from the institute, vide students with an oppor- in an integrated service environ- dullah al-Thani, chairman of the Ali Abdullah Abdul Ghani, cal development of Qatar. The the Origins of Doha and Qatar representing more than 800 tunity to learn about Qatar’s ment.” Group’s Board of Directors, with general manager, Tatweer Real materials are designed to be research project, and Mariam students. history, in a fun and innovative The main entrance of the hotel the aim of supporting real estate Estate Company, a partner in Al used by teachers to support the al-Thani, UCL Qatar alumna, Mariam al-Thani gave her in- way. I am looking forward in features large glass facades and investors and develop the local Sadd Tower Company, owner of curricula approved by the Min- who holds a UCL Qatar mas- sight on the project, saying: “I seeing the benefi ts to students a large lobby connected with a real estate market,” a company ‘Dana Al-Sadd’ said, “The com- istry of Education and Higher ter’s degree in Archaeology of feel privileged to be able to work and teachers across the country more than 400-square-metre release said. mencement of the lease at “Dana Education. the Arab and Islamic World. on the Origins of Doha and Qa- throughout this year.” lounge area. The new hotel apartments’ Al-Sadd” comes within the The available school materi- The materials are now availa- tar project. It has off ered me the The resources are available to ‘Dana Al-Sadd’ also includes project is a “unique and im- timeline that paves the way for als include a children’s presen- ble for schoolteachers to down- opportunity to become part of download in English and Ara- two mezzanines and 500m2 for portant architectural icon” for the offi cial inauguration, which tation titled, Traditional Qatari load from the UCL Qatar web- the team that’s making inroads bic at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ administrative offi ces, a seat- the hospitality sector, in align- is expected to take place within Homes, a teacher’s pack that site. They have already been in preserving, recording and qatar/public-engagement/ ing area and an indoor garden of ment with Qatar’s development the next few months.” includes a teacher’s presenta- downloaded and presented to safeguarding Qatar’s history for school-resources Yemen’s parties agree to start stalled troop withdrawal from main port

Reuters weeks of diplomacy to salvage a pact on the port and paving the way for ne- Saleef, used for grains, and Ras Isa, ary Committee, said its forces would the Saudi-led coalition loyal to oust- Riyadh/UN that stalled over control of the Red Sea gotiations to end the four-year war. used for oil. withdraw 5km from the ports, while ed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour city. “The parties reached an agreement This would be met by a retreat of the government forces would retreat Hadi are massed on the outskirts. The Houthi movement and the on Phase 1 of the mutual redeployment Saudi-led coalition forces from the by 1km from the Kilo 7 area, in east Ho- The UN statement said the two emen’s warring parties have Saudi-backed government agreed in of forces,” the UN spokesman’s offi ce eastern outskirts of Hodeidah, where deidah city. sides also agreed “in principle” on agreed to start withdrawing talks in December to withdraw troops said in a statement without giving de- battles raged before a ceasefi re went The Houthis control Hodeidah, Phase 2, entailing full redeployment Yforces from the main port of by Jan 7 from Hodeidah — a lifeline for tails on what was agreed. into eff ect on Dec. 18. the main entry point for the bulk of of both parties’ forces in Hodeidah Hodeidah under a UN-sponsored deal, millions facing famine — under a truce Under Phase 1, the Houthis would Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, the head Yemen’s commercial and aid imports, province. the United Nations said, following aimed at averting a full-scale assault withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, of the Houthis’ Supreme Revolution- while other Yemeni forces backed by Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 REGION Iran’s Khamenei warns government about deception by nations

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ment of pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani return for curbs to its nuclear programme. Khamenei said, according to state TV. “Europe- few economic benefits to show for it, Rouhani yesterday warned his country’s government not has in maintaining his policy of keeping Iran The Europeans have promised to guarantee ans also practice deception today....The enemy has faced a backlash from conservatives. to be deceived by European countries that say open to the outside world in the face of new US that Iran benefits from abiding by the deal, even sometimes shows his teeth, sometimes his fists, The Trump administration says the nuclear deal they want to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal aban- sanctions. though Trump reimposed sanctions. and sometimes his smile. All these tactics are the did not do enough to curb Iran. doned by US President Donald Trump last year. Washington’s major European allies have said In practice, European companies largely aban- same. Even their smile is out of animosity.” European countries say they share US concerns The comments by the long-serving cleric they want to save the agreement under which doned plans to reinvest in Iran after Trump’s de- Since Washington walked out of the deal, Iran about Iran, but that scrapping the deal would demonstrate the diff iculty the elected govern- world powers agreed to lift sanctions on Iran in cision. “America’s enmity towards Iran is obvious,” has so far continued to observe it. However, with undermine reform. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 9 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Fishing trip Iran arrests three over suicide attack

AFP Tehran

ran’s elite Revolutionary Guards said yesterday it has Iarrested three “terrorists” involved in last week’s deadly suicide bomb attack on security forces. “Safe houses in (the cities of) Saravan and Khash were iden- tifi ed and eliminated, and the terrorists based in them were ar- rested,” the force said on its offi - cial Sepah news agency. “Three of the terrorists were arrested and 150 kilograms of explosives and 600 kilograms of explosive materials as well as weapons and ammunition were Palestinian fishermen ride boats at the seaport of Gaza City, yesterday. confi scated,” it said. US-backed Syrian force seeks militants’ surrender

AFP discuss this,” said the source, ask- against IS. British Prime Min- Baghouz ing not to be named. ister Theresa May’s spokesman The Syrian Observatory for Hu- said yesterday that foreign fi ght- man Rights, a Britain-based war ers should be tried “in the region slamic State group militants monitor, said the SDF have turned where the crimes had been com- defending their last scrap down the request. mitted”. Germany’s Foreign Min- Iof territory in Syria have no AFP could not confi rm this with ister Heiko Maas warned that it choice but to surrender, a Kurd- an SDF offi cial, but a commander would be “extremely diffi cult” to ish-led force said yesterday, ahead with the alliance said IS has no organise the repatriation of Euro- of a victory declaration expected leverage to negotiate. pean nationals from Syria. within days. “They are besieged in a very In France, Justice Minister The warning by the US-backed tight area and they have no other Nicole Belloubet said the govern- Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) choice but to surrender,” said the ment would stick to its current came as European nations reacted commander. policy of dealing with fi ghters on a coolly to a US call to repatriate IS declared a “caliphate” across case-by-case basis. their nationals from Syria, which large swathes of Syria and neigh- European Union foreign aff airs Germany said would be “extreme- bouring Iraq in 2014, which at its chief Federica Mogherini ruled ly diffi cult”. Diehard IS fi ghters are height spanned an area the size of out any EU involvement in the now trapped in a fi nal patch of Syrians gather at the scene of a double attack in the northwestern city the United Kingdom. disputes, saying they are a matter territory of less than half a square of Idlib. Successive off ensives in both for national governments. kilometre in the village of Baghouz countries have since shattered Trump stunned allies in De- near the Iraqi border. on the militant holdout, saying Kurdish-held camps for the dis- the proto-state, but the extrem- cember when he announced all From an SDF position hundreds IS is increasingly using civilians placed to the north. ist group still retains a presence in 2,000 US troops would withdraw of metres (yards) away, an AFP re- as “human shields”. Spokesman The International Rescue Com- Syria’s Badia desert. from Syria as IS had been defeat- porter spotted people moving be- Mustefa Bali said the alliance was mittee said yesterday that 62 peo- After years of fi ghting IS, the ed. tween white tents inside the last “still working on trying to get ci- ple, mostly children, had died on Kurdish-led SDF hold hundreds General Joseph Votel, com- militant redoubt, including a wom- vilians out”. the way to the Al-Hol camp or of foreigners suspected of being IS mander of US forces in the Middle an clad in black and masked men. “The clashes are sporadic and shortly after arriving in the past fi ghters, as well as related women East, was in Syria earlier yesterday An SDF fi ghter pointed towards very limited,” Bali said yesterday. few weeks. and children. but “has since left the region”, a a water tanker parked in the arid “There have been no signifi cant An informed source told AFP Syria’s Kurds have long urged US-led coalition spokesman said. plain that separated his force from changes on the ground.” that IS fi ghters are seeking safe their home countries to take them Two bomb attacks in Idlib yes- militants. Thousands of people have passage to the militant-held city back, but these nations have been terday killed 24 people, including “Do you see people moving be- streamed out of IS turf in recent of Idlib in northwestern Syria. reluctant. four children, the Observatory hind the water truck. It’s not clear weeks, but no civilians have made “They want to take remain- European countries gave a cool said. if they are fi ghters or civilians,” he it out in the last three days. ing civilians with them as human response to a call by US Presi- The area is administered by a said. Those that managed to escape shields. dent Donald Trump to take back militant alliance led by Syria’s The SDF are moving cautiously have been ferried on trucks to But the SDF are not willing to their citizens captured in the fi ght former Al Qaeda affi liate.

Iraqi Kurds elect fi rst woman speaker in stop-gap measure

AFP a permanent appoint- Arbil ment. Lawmakers from the PUK, the party of former Iraqi president he parliament in Iraq’s semi-auton- Jalal Talabani, boycotted omous Kurdistan region yesterday yesterday’s session. Telected its fi rst ever woman speaker The PUK has asked for as a temporary stop-gap while deep politi- more time to hash out thorny issues with its cal rifts persist more than four months after rival including the leadership of the disput- legislative elections. ed oil-rich province of Kirkuk. During the body’s fi rst session since the Iraqi Kurdistan has faced political insta- September polls deputies chose Vala Farid bility since a September 2017 referendum from former regional leader Massoud Bar- for independence backfi red after it was re- zani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). jected by Baghdad and international powers. The head of the KDP bloc Haimim Hawrami Iraqi forces took back oil-rich regions said Farid was appointed “temporarily” un- from Kurdish control in the wake of the til a deal can be reached with the rival Pa- vote, dealing a hammer blow to the authori- triotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party on ties in the semi-autonomous region.

Port Sudan container terminal workers strike over deal

Reuters position to the deal. “Today with the prime Khartoum minister’s visit all the workers in the con- tainer terminal in Port Sudan’s port carried out a full strike,” said Othman Taher, head of orkers at Port Sudan’s southern an opposition trade union. “They numbered container terminal went on strike 1,800 workers.” Wyesterday to protest against a deal “Our message and our demand to the gov- with Philippine port operator International ernment is to refuse the privatisation and can- Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), cel the contract with the Philippine company port employees and a union offi cial said. to protect the country’s resources.” Witnesses in Port Sudan said work at On Jan 3 ICTSI subsidiary ICTSI Middle the terminal had been suspended since the East DMCC signed a 20-year concession morning because of the strike, which was deal with the Sea Ports Corp of Sudan (SPC) timed to coincide with a visit by the Suda- to operate, manage and develop the South nese prime minister aimed at resolving op- Port Container Terminal at Port Sudan. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 AFRICA

Four generals Buhari warns vote-riggers retired in fi rst Mnangagwa of a ‘ruthless’ response military purge Reuters AFP Commission (INEC) blamed the last- Harare Abuja minute delay on logistical diffi culties in the distribution of election materi- als, as well as sabotage. imbabwe President Emmerson igerian President Muhammadu Elections have been delayed be- Mnangagwa yesterday retired Buhari said yesterday he had fore in Nigeria: In 2015, there was a Zfour generals, in the fi rst major Nordered the police and military six-week postponement on security shake-up of the armed forces since to be “ruthless” with vote-riggers, as grounds linked to the Boko Haram con- he took offi ce and including the man preparations were made for resched- fl ict in northeast Nigeria. who led a deadly crackdown against uled elections. In 2011, the election was halted after post-election protests in August. Presidential and parliamentary elec- it had already begun due to problems The quartet’s removal also coin- tions were put off just over fi ve hours with deliveries of ballot papers, results cided with the absence abroad of before polls were due to open on Satur- sheets, and other voting materials. Vice President Constantino Chi- day, causing widespread anger. This year’s election is the sixth in wenga — the retired general respon- New polls have been rescheduled the 20 years since Nigeria returned to sible for ousting former president for this Saturday, while governorship civilian rule after decades of military Robert Mugabe in November 2017 and state assembly elections have been government. and now widely viewed inside the pushed back to March 9. Some 84mn voters are registered. country as the power behind Mnan- At an emergency meeting of his rul- Buhari’s aides retweeted the speech gagwa’s administration. ing All Progressives Congress party with the hashtag #SnatchAtYourOwn- All four generals will be appointed (APC) in Abuja, Buhari said he intend- Risk, while one made an explicit refer- to diplomatic posts overseas in line ed to make sure the rescheduled ballot ence to the president’s past as an army with Zimbabwe’s “critical global en- proceeds without a hitch. general. In 2015, the-then-newly- gagement and re-engagement strat- “I do not expect anybody to make elected head of state, who during the egy,” a government spokesman said. any disturbance,” he told senior party last election campaign said he was a Mnangagwa has been under in- members. “converted democrat”, made a point of creasing pressure to take action over “Anybody who decides to snatch saying he would no longer be referred allegations of brutality by the secu- (ballot) boxes or use thugs to disturb to as “General Buhari”. rity forces since a second crackdown it (the vote), maybe this will be the last His latest comments came as the in January, triggered by a sharp hike unlawful action he will take.” APC, PDP and international observers in fuel costs that he had decreed. Buhari said he had ordered “the mil- called for calm after the postponement That violence led to accusations itary and the police to be ruthless” to and the PDP said it was a “direct call for Nigerian President and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Muhammadu Buhari listens on as party chairman Adams from opposition parties that the ensure all Nigerians can vote for their jungle justice”. Oshiomhole speak during the party caucus emergency meeting in Abuja yesterday. country is reverting to the authori- chosen candidate. “It is indeed a licence to kill, which tarian rule that characterised much “I am going to warn anybody who should not come from any leader of any has said the decision to postpone was PDP challenger Atiku Abubakar’s “We are working hard to meet the of Mugabe’s 37-year rule. thinks he has enough infl uence in civilised nation,” said party spokesman the commission’s alone and rejected campaign team has accused the APC deadline,” said INEC spokesman The most high-profi le of the side- his locality to lead a body of thugs or Kola Ologbondiyan. claims of any political interference. of working with INEC and the security Christian Nwokorie. lined commanders was Major Gen- snatch (ballot) boxes or to disturb the Many Nigerians had returned to APC chairman Adams Oshiomhole, services to rig the vote in its favour. “But the internet connection is a eral Anselem Sanyatwe, who led the voting system, he will do it at the ex- their home towns and villages to vote, however, backed a call from his oppo- INEC offi cials across the country challenge...Usually it should take no presidential guard and drew wide- pense of his life,” the president empha- prompting fears they may not return site number at the PDP for Yakubu to began reconfi guring the 180,000 elec- more than one minute to complete this spread criticism for telling an in- sised. next weekend and turn-out will be low. resign, and accused INEC of “mischief, tronic machines used to “read” voters process but if the network is bad, it can quiry into the post-election violence Both the APC and the main opposi- Buhari told APC delegates there was collusion and double-speak”. cards to account for the new election take up to fi ve minutes.” that one of his soldiers caught on tion Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) no justifi cation for the delay and that There was a “strong suggestion” the date. Batteries on the machines also need video shooting into a crowd was fi r- have been accused of wanting to rig questions needed to be answered about election watchdog had colluded with In the southern city of Port Har- to be charged but constant electricity is ing into the air at a 45 degree angle. the result, notably by buying biometric “why such incompetence manifested “anti-democratic forces”, he said, ac- court, IT personnel were changing the an issue, he said. The inquiry found that the mili- voter identity cards. itself”. cusing it of warning the PDP in ad- date and other information on about INEC has provided generators as tary used “disproportionate and un- The Independent National Electoral INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu vance about the delay. 7,000 machines before tomorrow. back-up, he added. justifi ed” force, including live bul- lets, to quell the August 1 unrest. Mnangagwa also retired Major General Douglas Nyikayaramba, the defence forces inspector general who had been largely absent from day-to Zimbabwe’s Biti fi ned for poll win claim German return of historic day operations since November 2017. Air Vice Marshal Shebba Shum- bayawonda and army chief of staff AFP/Reuters MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, Mnangagwa had promised not to items to Namibia delayed Major General Martin Chedondo Harare who was in court, said the convic- repeat the rigging and intimidation were the other two retired offi cials. tion “casts a very dark shadow on our that characterised previous votes, but “Government will release ac- politics”. delays in announcing results enraged by complaint from a clan creditation details for each...once Zimbabwe court yesterday “I am absolutely innocent and we the opposition and led to street dem- various bilateral consultations are convicted leading opposition will be appealing that decision. It’s onstrations. concluded,” Mnangagwa’s chief sec- Afi gure Tendai Biti of an election unacceptable what is happening, we Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s successor DPA Christine Kramp, the group’s repre- retary, Misheck Sibanda, said in a crime and fi ned him for announcing will keep on fi ghting,” Biti told re- at the head of ruling party ZANU-PF, Windhoek sentative in Germany, argues that the statement. his own results for presidential polls porters outside the courthouse. was later declared the winner accord- items should be returned to Witbooi’s By posting the offi cers outside the last July, which he claimed he won. Chamisa said Biti was being perse- ing to the offi cial results, but the MDC heirs. Furthermore, the group argues country, Mnangagwa is continuing a Biti, a respected former fi nance cuted for telling the truth and that the claims the election was rigged. he return of a Bible and a whip that Germany should pay damages to tradition that fl ourished under Mu- minister, proclaimed his Movement former fi nance minister was one of Biti fl ed the country for neighbour- taken from Namibia by German make up for the time the items were gabe, who used to sideline those who for Democratic Change (MDC) the many MDC leaders being targeted by ing Zambia at the height of the poll Tcolonisers will be delayed after a outside of Namibian control. fell out of favour with him. victor of the contested July 30 poll President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tensions but was returned to Zimba- Namibian group fi led a case in German A spokesperson for a Stuttgart court But Mugabe’s plan in 2017 to re- which sparked anti-government pro- government in a bid to cripple the op- bwe despite seeking asylum, sparking court arguing the terms of the return yesterday confi rmed the delay. tire several generals seen as against tests that were put down by soldiers. position. The government has denied an international incident. are inadequate. The items were to be returned from moves to appoint his wife Grace as Six people were killed in the violence. the charge. The international community has The Nama Traditional Leaders As- the city’s Linden Museum to Namibia vice president was one reason be- Magistrate Gloria Takundwa or- Zimbabwe was thrown into chaos urged Mnangagwa to guarantee the sociation (NTLA) is arguing that the on March 1. hind his removal, army sources say. dered Biti to pay $200 — the price of a following the elections, the fi rst in the safety of Biti. Namibian government should not be Witbooi belonged to the Nama clan, full tank of petrol — or go to prison for country’s history not to feature former Biti’s lawyer Doug Coltart de- the recipient of the items, which once which has argued that its interested a week. He was also handed a jail term president Robert Mugabe following scribed yesterday’s conviction as a belonged to Namibian national hero were not represented in the case. Mogadishu, Nairobi of six months, which was suspended his resignation in the wake of a brief “travesty, and said it remained “open Hendrik Witbooi, currently in the pos- The German empire controlled large for fi ve years. military takeover in November 2017. to challenge.” session of a Stuttgart museum. parts of Namibia from 1884 to 1915. at loggerheads over maritime border omalia has rejected accusa- tions by Kenya that it had auc- Stioned off oil and gas blocks in After deadly clashes, Ivorian farmers and herders now try dialogue a disputed maritime area. Nairobi on Saturday recalled its ambassador from Mogadishu for By Patrick Fort, AFP also easing tensions and avoiding new “urgent consultations” over the Bouna, Ivory Coast confl ict.” maritime border dispute that in- The project also aims to share man- volves lucrative off shore oil and gas agement of water points between local deposits. athered under the spread- committees including herders, land- Kenya said it had acted because of ing baobab tree in Danoa town owners, renting crop farmers and local an “egregious decision by the gov- Gsquare, farmers and herders in businesses or teachers. ernment of Somalia to auction off oil a remote corner of Ivory Coast are fi - Travelling herders pay a higher rate and gas blocks in Kenya’s maritime nally talking about a dispute that has for water access — 15,000 CFA (23 eu- territorial area that borders Somalia”. poisoned relations and destroyed lives. ros) per month per herd, compared It accused Somalia of an “unpar- Nearly three years ago, the northeast to locals, who are charged 2,000 CFA alleled aff ront and illegal grab at the region of Bouna plunged into violence francs (3 euros). resources of Kenya”. between crop growers and nomadic Landowners say they are happy to But in a statement late on Sunday, cattle raisers from the Fulani com- provide land for crossing routes. Somalia’s Foreign Ministry denied munity, leaving 33 people dead and “We explained to the community the allegations levelled at Mogad- prompting 2,500 to fl ee their homes. that it was for the common good,” said ishu. The scenario is tragically familiar in chief landowner Amadou Ouattara. “Somalia is not now off ering nor many parts of Africa, where sedentary “It’s better for everyone if we avoid does it have any plans to off er any farmers and herders share water and confl ict.” blocks in the disputed maritime area land — and tensions at times of stress Herder Barry Bounangui agrees. until the parties’ maritime boundary may swiftly spiral into ethnic violence. “Before, there were arguments every is decided by the ICJ.” Thousands have died in clashes in day about water, grass or routes for the It added that it wished to “reas- Chad, the Central African Republic, animals, so to avoid any confl ict, we sure the government of Kenya that Mali and Nigeria in recent years. went to the park,” he said. it stands by its commitment not to But in Bouna, a pilot project — part “Now, farmers and herders are talk- undertake any unilateral activities in of a scheme to protect the coveted ing. It’s a good thing. The crossing the disputed area until such time as Comoe National Park — has nurtured routes help us a lot, but we need the the ICJ renders its judgement”, with hopes of a dialogue that will head off (leaking) dam to be repaired too.” which it would comply. future bloodshed. Crop farmers are happier too. The International Court of Justice “After what happened, I was fright- “There’s less damage now,” said Kam- in The Hague, which rules in dis- ened. Everyone was frightened,” said bou Tchourite. putes between countries, has been Awa Ouattara, who heads a women’s Problems are being aired but anger hearing a case brought by Somalia group of smallholders. A Peul livestock farmer guides cattle in a transhumance corridor near the Danoa dam in northeastern Ivory Coast. remains and the pathway to enduring against Kenya over the dispute. “I hope the plan will work. When peace may be long. Mogadishu’s case against Nairobi everyone is in agreement, it’s better for ($1.4mn) over four years to support economically from sharing manage- to shrub savannas and thick rainforest “The cows come on to our fi elds and focuses on an attempt to redraw the all of us.” communities around the park. ment of resources between community usually found much farther south. destroy everything,” a farmer said at sea border which would aff ect at Supported by German sustain- The forum in Danoa brought to- members. We hope to create a virtuous “Our mission is to protect the park,” the Danoa meeting. “I told the herder to least three of Kenya’s 20 off shore oil able development agency GIZ, village gether Koulango, mostly landowners, circle.” said D’Angouss Kissi from the Ivorian stop but he just keeps coming back again blocks. chiefs, farmers and cattle breeders are and the Lobi, mostly tenants, as well Comoe national park is a world her- Parks and Reserves Authority. and again. We can’t go on like this!” Somalia says bilateral talks have creating designated cattle routes to as Fulani. “Just getting people around a itage site and one of West Africa’s larg- “We realised that surveillance alone Separately, a herder told AFP: “The failed to resolve the spat. A fi nal out- prevent herds from grazing in the park table and having a discussion is already est protected areas, known for its plant wasn’t enough to stop cattle entering crop farmers want everything. They set come will signifi cantly impact a new and on to farming land. an achievement,” said Sanogo Issou- and animal diversity. it illegally. We needed to fi nd grazing fi re to the fi elds so that not even a blade source of revenue for either of the GIZ is investing 1.2mn euros fou from GIZ. “Everyone will benefi t Fed by the Comoe river, it is home land and water outside the park, whilst of grass is left.” east African neighbours. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 11 AMERICA Trump tweets discussions on removing him ‘treasonous’ Mourners attend a vigil at Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois on Sunday. By Jim Mannion, AFP ten points to as evidence of a “deep pervises the Russia investigation, Washington state” conspiracy against him. appears never to have acted on those “I want to believe the path you ideas. threw out for consideration in “But what I can say is the deputy resident Donald Trump said Andy’s offi ce — that there’s no way attorney general was defi nitely very Thousands brave freezing cold in vigil yesterday a top Justice offi cial’s he gets elected — but I’m afraid we concerned about the president, Preported discussions about in- can’t take that risk,” the investiga- about his capacity and about his in- voking the Constitution to remove tor, Peter Strzok, wrote. “It’s like an tent at that point in time,” McCabe for Illinois shooting victims him from offi ce were part of an “ille- insurance policy in the unlikely event said. gal and treasonous” push against him. you die before you’re 40.” McCabe himself was fi red in Deputy Attorney General Rod Trump abruptly fi red Comey May March 2018 for “lack of candour” Reuters vive it, however. It’s a hard, diffi cult trek Stoneman Douglas High School in Park- Rosenstein raised the possibility of 9, 2017 as pressure rose over the Rus- in an internal investigation into the Aurora, Illinois but it can be done,” said Mace, 55, who land, Florida. removing the president in 2017 af- sia investigation, setting off alarm FBI’s handling of a 2016 probe into drove three hours from Petersburg, Illi- Several local pastors spoke and the ter Trump fi red FBI director James bells in the FBI and Justice Depart- Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary nois, and wore a university pin to hon- vigil drew people of many ages. Comey, according to Andrew Mc- ment. Clinton. ore than 2,000 people braved our shooting victim Trevor Wehner, a Barbara Fultz, a 72-year-old retired Cabe, who replaced Comey as the According to McCabe, in a lengthy In the interview, McCabe also icy rain in sub-freezing tem- 21-year-old intern from NIU who was woman who has been living in Aurora bureau’s acting director. interview that aired on Sunday touched on Trump’s inclination to Mperatures in Illinois on Sunday on his fi rst day on the job. for more than 50 years, said her church, McCabe and Rosenstein “look like on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Rosenstein believe Russian President Vladimir for a vigil paying respects to fi ve people The other fatal victims were Josh Pink- Main Baptist Church in Aurora, had told they were planning a very illegal act, brought up the possibility of invok- Putin over what his own intelligence killed and fi ve police offi cers wounded ard, the plant manager; Clayton Parks, members about the vigil and she has a and got caught.....,” Trump said in a ing the 25th Amendment of the US services are telling him. by a factory worker who opened fi re on the human resources manager; Russell cousin who works at the Henry Pratt series of tweets. Constitution, which provides for the He recounts a meeting he did not Friday after losing his job. Beyer, a mould operator and union chair- Company factory, a maker of industrial “This was the illegal and treason- removal of a sitting president for in- attend but was witnessed by another Solemn mourners stood before fi ve man; and Vicente Juarez, a stock room valves. ous ‘insurance policy’ in full action!” capacity. FBI agent, in which Trump reported- white crosses with the names of the attendant and fork lift operator. A sixth “It’s a tragedy all over,” Fultz said. Trump has often attacked the “Rod raised the issue and dis- ly said he did not believe North Korea dead that became a shrine to the victims employee and fi ve police offi cers re- “We’ve never had anything like this federal investigations into his cam- cussed it with me in the context of had missiles capable of reaching the bearing pictures and hand-written re- sponding to the scene were wounded. here. It’s so sad.” paign’s links to Russia as a “witch thinking about how many other cab- United States because Putin had told membrances outside the factory where The gunman himself was slain about Michelle Lamos, a 40-year-old hunt” aimed at sabotaging his presi- inet offi cials might support such an him that. the shooting took place in Aurora, about 90 minutes later in a gunfi ght with po- healthcare worker, stood with her dency. eff ort,” said McCabe, who has a book “Intelligence offi cials in the brief- 64km west of Chicago. lice who stormed the building. 14-month-old daughter. The “insurance policy” he cited coming out, The Threat. ing responded that that was not con- “My heart is broken again for the fam- Friday’s bloodshed marked the lat- “We need to come together. This is refers to an ambiguous text mes- Rosenstein even pondered wearing sistent with any of the intelligence ily members of the victims,” said Mary est outbreak of gun violence in a nation awful,” Lamos said. sage a top FBI investigator sent to a wire to secretly record his conver- our government possesses,” McCabe Kay Mace, mother of the late Ryanne where mass shootings have become al- The gunman was a violent felon who his lover in August 2016 that alludes sations with the president, he said. said. Mace, who was killed 11 years ago in a mass most commonplace, and came a day obtained a state permit to buy a fi rearm to their concerns about then-candi- The deputy attorney general, who “To which the president replied, ‘I shooting at Northern Illinois University. after the fi rst anniversary of the massa- despite being legally barred from own- date Trump, which the president of- remains in offi ce but no longer su- don’t care. I believe Putin.’” “I’m living proof that you can sur- cre of 17 people by a gunman at Marjory ing one, offi cials said.

North Carolina vote board to hear Pacifi c storms continue to feed snowpack evidence on election fraud claim orth Carolina election offi cials were yesterday beginning to hear evidence on allegations that DPA received 38cm of snow Saturday and received roughly 18tn gallons of Nabsentee ballots unlawfully collected by a Re- Los Angeles Sunday and more than 2.75m in the water, enough to fi ll up 45% of Lake publican operative may have tipped a tight November US past week, the resort said on Twit- Tahoe, the National Weather Serv- congressional election in favour of a Republican candi- ter. ice said. date. he snow piling onto the Sierra But it isn’t all glowing news. The winter has also helped keep The US House of Representatives seat has remained Nevada (in Western US) could Not only are several mountain much of the state out of drought vacant since state offi cials refused to certify the apparent Tbe considered more of a snow passes across the mountains closed that plagued California for years. victory by Republican Mark Harris over Democratic rival pile-on at this point. That’s because because of poor conditions or vis- A third of the state (36%) was Dan McCready after voters in the state’s 9th congres- several feet of white powder have ibility or even avalanches, but even considered to be in normal condi- sional district said the Harris campaign team had col- accumulated across the range since parked vehicles are at risk. tions and more than half (52%) was lected their incomplete absentee ballots. the beginning of the month, adding The Placer County Sheriff’s considered only abnormally dry as State offi cials have named Republican political opera- to what has become one of the most Office published a video Sunday of last Thursday. tive Leslie McCrae Dowless as a person of interest in their bountiful winters California has had morning showing one of their None of the state is considered election fraud probe after voters in Bladen County said in a decade. SUVs crunched under a felled, to be in extreme or exceptional people working with Dowless came to their homes and The entire Sierra snowpack sits at snow-covered tree. drought, the worst conditions pos- collected ballots, which would violate state law. 141% of its seasonal average and is In southern California, the Cali- sible. Each side will have a chance to present evidence to the already above its April 1 benchmark, fornia Highway Patrol was forced For perspective, at this point in fi ve-member State Board of Elections in hearings that which is considered the end of Cali- to pace vehicles travelling the Te- 2015, only 0.16 per cent of California could run through tomorrow. fornia’s rainy season and when plans jon Pass after this weekend’s storm was considered to be under normal Under state law, the board could order a new election for how to allocate the snowmelt to dropped snow levels to 2,500ft, conditions and more than 41% of if it fi nds suffi cient evidence that voter fraud aff ected the farmers through the summer kicks enough to trigger black ice and snow the state was considered in excep- outcome of the election. into high gear. concerns in the Grapevine. tional drought, the worst conditions If it does not, it could certify Harris as the district’s A man waves as people shovel snow in Twin Bridges, California. Heavenly ski resort at Lake Tahoe Since February 1, California has on the federal scale. congressional representative. Democratic candidates compete to claim Obama legacy

DPA our that carried him twice into what Democratic primary vot- the redistricting committee. Harris also talked to Obama embracing her identity as a black and conquer, we might win an Washington the White House testifi es to his ers want to hear in the cam- Not all 2020 presidential can- before announcing her cam- woman. election, but he proved you can’t lasting impact on his party. paign against President Donald didates are campaigning as heirs paign, but her staff off ered no Obama downplayed his race govern.” That sort of legacy is relatively Trump’s politics of polarisation. of Obama. information about their contact. but still drew record levels of O’Rourke has been widely lik- enator Kamala Harris has rare. Candidates such as Sena- Senator Bernie Sanders, the Running for president during black turnout, which Democrats ened to Obama because of his been called the “female Republicans, after George W tor Elizabeth Warren are build- Vermont independent who is her fi rst term in the Senate, as in 2020 want to replicate. youthful appeal, fundraising SBarack Obama.” Former Bush’s presidency, did not fl ock ing their campaign with fi ghting expected to announce his 2020 did Obama, and being a biracial Booker, who is also black and, prowess and authentic-seeming Representative Beto O’Rourke to him for advice or run as his words about the clash between candidacy later this week, has lawyer nearly guaranteed Harris like Obama, has a background style of campaigning in his un- has been referred to as “Barack legatee. the haves and have-nots. called for policies far to the left ‘Obama’ comparisons. as a community organiser, has a successful 2018 campaign to Obama, but white.” Senator Cory With Bill Clinton’s presidency But Valerie Jarrett, a close of Obama’s in expanding access In 2009, when Harris was campaign message that is often unseat Republican Senator Ted Booker sings from the Obama clouded by scandal, Vice Presi- Obama friend and former White to healthcare and regulating Wall running for California attorney likened to Obama’s because of his Cruz of Texas. hymnal of hope and optimism. dent Al Gore kept his distance in House adviser, said she believes Street. general, Gwen Ifi ll identifi ed her focus on love and unity. Obama called O’Rourke an Joe Biden, as Obama’s vice presi- his 2000 White House campaign. that voters are still hungry for an But many potential Demo- as part of a rising generation of In his fi rst news conference as “impressive young man who ran dent, is closer to the former pres- Ronald Reagan, in contrast, upbeat leader like Obama. cratic candidates want his advice black leaders in her book, The a candidate, he made a joke that a terrifi c race in Texas” in a No- ident than anyone running for was an enduring political icon “Part of the reason he’s enjoy- on running for president, and Breakthrough: Politics and Race appealed to voters’ aff ection for vember 2018 podcast interview the White House in 2020. for the Republican Party, having ing such popularity is he stood Obama has been generous with in the Age of Obama. the former president and wife with his own former adviser In the rapidly growing Demo- galvanised a coalition of defence for something good and positive his time. “She’s brilliant; she’s smart. Michelle: David Axelrod. cratic candidate fi eld, an un- hawks, fi scal conservatives and and optimistic,” Jarrett said in an O’Rourke sought a meeting They call her the female Barack “I want everyone to know: I “What I liked most about his der-the-radar competition is the religious right that endured interview. with Obama after the 2018 mid- Obama,” Ifi ll said in an interview miss Obama. And I miss her hus- race was that it didn’t feel con- brewing over who is the clearest for decades. “There are several candidates term election. on Late Night with David Letter- band too,” he said. stantly poll-tested,” Obama said. heir to former president Barack A generation of Republicans who have that level of optimism He told Oprah Winfrey in an man. Booker said he got advice from “The reason I was able to make Obama’s political legacy. after him competed in primaries and believe we should appeal to interview that the former presi- Harris fi rst met Obama when Obama in the Oval Offi ce the day a connection with a sizeable por- Many of the Democrats run- to see who could out-Reagan our better angels.” dent did not urge him one way he ran for US Senate from Illinois he was sworn in as a senator. tion of the country was people ning or thinking about it have their rivals. Obama has been less publicly or the other whether to run but in 2004. “I’m really grateful for the kind had a sense that I said what I made pilgrimages to Obama’s of- Obama’s stature is not quite political since the midterm elec- warned him about the strain it She was an early supporter of of leadership he provided this meant.’’ fi ce to seek his counsel. that imposing, if only because tions in November. could put on his family. his presidential candidacy when country,” Booker said. No candidate is closer to Some have found ways to cas- there is not such broad agree- He is scheduled to speak today “He said, ‘Look, just to be re- Hillary Clinton was the estab- James M Demers, who was Obama than Biden. ually drop that fact into televised ment about whether replicating in Oakland, California, at a con- ally clear, this is one of the most lishment favourite. co-chairman of Obama’s 2008 “If he decides to run, there interviews. the Obama coalition alone is the ference of My Brother’s Keeper, a intense...brutal things you can When Obama announced his campaign in New Hampshire, will be a huge nostalgia wave “I can’t think of a better person best path for the party. non-profi t dedicated to advanc- go through,’” O’Rourke said. candidacy in Springfi eld, Illinois, has endorsed Booker and called when you get to see Joe back on to get advice from,” Senator Amy While he built a majority heavy ing young men of colour. “’Know that going into it.’” in February 2007, Harris was him ‘Obama 2.0’ because of his the campaign trail,” said Wade Klobuchar said in an MSNBC in- on women and minorities in ur- One of his political priori- Klobuchar mentioned her visit there. energetic ability to connect with Randlett, a longtime Democratic terview after she announced her ban, coastal regions, some Dem- ties is the work of the National with Obama when her MSNBC During her 2016 Senate cam- voters. fundraiser. candidacy. “And he seems, by the ocrats say the party would be Democratic Redistricting Com- interview turned to the touchy paign against fellow Democrat “We elected a president in But Axelrod said a Biden cam- way, in a very good mood.” better off if it also worked harder mittee, a group that is fighting subject of high turnover of her Loretta Sanchez, Harris got a big 2008 who campaigned on hope paign would have to go far be- Obama is unlikely to make a to expand support among rural, the redrawing of congressional staff . plug from the president when he and change,” Demers said. yond a promise of an Obama-era public endorsement. white communities and in the districts in Republicans’ favour. “I was teasing President made a 30-second television ad “In 2016, we elected a presi- restoration. But the competition to ignite Midwest. Late last year, Obama consoli- Obama the other day,” Klobu- calling her a “fearless fi ghter.” dent who won on divide and con- “The challenge for him will be an Obama-like spark and to re- There is also a debate about dated his political efforts by char said. “They have hired — the Harris’ 2020 campaign strat- quer. to speak to the future,” Axelrod assemble the coalition of young whether Obama’s trademark folding his non-profit group White House hired over 20 of my egy includes a signifi cant de- “If we respond to Donald said. “If he doesn’t, he is not go- voters, women and people of col- message of hope and unity is Organizing for Action into staff members.” parture from Obama’s: She is Trump with our version of divide ing to be the nominee.” Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 ASIA

Maldives arrests ex-leader Yameen over witness tampering: offi cials

AFP ing into allegations that Yameen fi ned three times the amount of Since Yameen’s shock elec- to China. Authorities believe bezzled from state-run Maldives nounced they had evidence Male received nearly $1.5mn in illicit the fraud involved. Yameen, who tion defeat, all dissidents have millions of dollars allegedly si- Media and Public Relations Cor- linking Yameen and Shakoor to payments just before he lost an came to power in 2013 and jailed returned to the Indian Ocean phoned off by Yameen could be poration during Yameen’s tenure. the theft of millions from the election in September and was many of his opponents or forced archipelago and most have had stashed abroad, and have said There was no immediate com- country. The Maldives was on aldives authorities yes- forced out of power. them into exile, was summoned their convictions overturned. that talks are under way with ment from Yameen or his legal the verge of being slapped with terday detained former “Prosecutors said that Yameen to the Criminal Court Sunday to During his fi ve-year tenure, foreign entities to repatriate any team on the detention order. The Western-led sanctions before Mstrongman president had allegedly attempted to bribe formally receive his indictment. Yameen relied heavily on China cash found. The court has al- arrest of Yameen came a day after opposition leader Ibrahim Mo- Abdulla Yameen after he was ac- witnesses,” a court offi cial said, He sent his lawyers in his place. for political and fi nancial support ready frozen Yameen’s local bank his chief lawyer and former jus- hamed Solih won an unexpected cused of trying to bribe witnesses adding that the former president The court then scheduled a as he came under international accounts holding about $6.5mn, tice minister Azima Shakoor was landslide in last year’s election, in his money laundering trial, of- would be held at the Dhoonidhoo rushed hearing after prosecutors criticism over his dismal human a decision the former leader has also charged with embezzlement campaigning on a pledge to end fi cials said. prison island near the capital. If told judge Ahmed Hailam that rights record. contested. Last week, an anti- and helping her boss to launder corruption in the country other- The arrest came after the convicted, the 59-year-old could Yameen was attempting to inter- The nation of 340,000 Sunni corruption body came up with money. wise known for its luxury tour- Criminal Court began a hear- face up to 15 years in jail and be fere with witnesses. Muslims is now heavily in debt a report saying $79mn was em- Maldivian police earlier an- ism. Thai opposition party undeterred after ally’s failed

Sudarat Keyuraphan, (centre) Pheu Thai Party and Prime Minister candidate greets her supporters during princess bid an election campaign in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand.

Reuters ding the country of Thaksin’s Bangkok infl uence once and for all. The party has to distance itself from the former telecommunications eaders of Thailand’s big- tycoon because the law on politi- gest opposition party cam- cal parties forbids outsiders from Lpaigning yesterday never controlling or directing them. mentioned ousted premier Thak- But Thaksin’s loyalists in Udon sin Shinawatra, whose policies Ratchathani were undeterred. they espouse, nor the princess “I think Pheu Thai will win by a whose shock candidacy could see landslide, despite what’s hap- its ally banned from the March 24 pened, and regardless of the election. military-appointed Senate,” said They didn’t need to. Support- Kriangsak Lamun, 64. ers in the northeastern strong- Mathematically, however, hold of the Pheu Thai party are Pheu Thai’s chances of regaining well aware of the complexities of power would be reduced even if it the fi rst general election since a is the top vote-getter if one of its A supporter of Pheu Thai Party wearing T-shirt with a picture of 2014 coup — and are determined allied parties, Thai Raksa Chart, former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra attends an election to return their party to power de- is disqualifi ed. campaign in Ubon Ratchathani Province. spite electoral rules limiting their Thai Raksa Chart stunned the voting power. nation and electrifi ed supporters scoop up seats under the com- royalty, revered as semi-divine in “How long have you all waited, on Feb 8 with the surprise nomi- plex electoral laws that limit the Thai culture, into politics. Some how long have you all suff ered?” nation of the king’s older sister, impact of the largest party. With said they admired the princess as asked Sudarat Keyuraphan, Pheu Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Pheu Thai likely to be hamstrung a candidate, while others found it Thai’s top prime ministerial can- Sirivadhana Barnavadi, as its by those rules, other pro-Thaksin inappropriate. didate, asked supporters during sole prime ministerial candidate, parties such as Thai Raksa Chart “I don’t think it was a good a campaign stop in Ubon Rat- Supporters of Pheu Thai Party attend an election campaign in Ubon Ratchathani Province. breaking tradition of royalty and the Pheu Chart party are in- move ... Royals should not get chathani province. “We all have shunning politics. tended to gain some of the pro- involved in politics,” said Virat to wait just a little while, until The party and its off shoots re- isterial candidate of a new pro- After nearly fi ve years in pow- The nomination drew a swift portionally awarded seats that Laddabut, 55, though he said he March 24. That day will be a day tain support among rural farmers military party. er, the junta is in the process of rebuke from King Maha Vaji- favour smaller parties. wouldn’t change his vote. An- of victory for all of us!” she told and the poor for their social wel- Pro-Thaksin parties have won choosing all 250 members of the ralongkorn, and the princess If Thai Raksa Chart is dis- other voter, Somchai Wongsa, the cheering crowd. fare programmes, but they face every election since 2001, but af- Senate, which will elect a prime was disqualifi ed by the Electoral qualifi ed, that safety net may said voters in the rural northeast Pheu Thai is the largest of sev- an uphill battle in the election, ter Thaksin was ousted their suc- minister along with the 500- Commission. Now, her nominat- disappear — making the head- would vote for pro-Thaksin par- eral parties in the election linked with new rules that prevent any cessive governments have been seat House of Representatives, ing party faces a possible ban in line-grabbing nomination of the ties whatever their name. to ex-prime minister Thaksin one party gaining a big majority. ended either by court rulings or putting pro-military forces at a a Constitutional Court decision princess seem like a miscalcu- “It doesn’t matter if Thai Rak- Shinawatra, who was ousted in a Junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, coups, with the most recent mili- signifi cant advantage even before due later this month. lation. Die-hard supporters of sa Chart is dissolved,” he said. 2006 coup and lives in self-exile who as army chief in 2014 ousted tary takeover ousting a Pheu Thai election. Thai Raksa Chart is one of at Thaksin’s populist policies were “People here will still vote Pheu after a corruption conviction he the last civilian government, is government that Thaksin’s sister, Supporters of Pheu Thai say least three pro-Thaksin parties mixed in their opinions about Thai. The party is as popular as says was politically motivated. also running, as the prime min- Yingluck, had led. the new rules are aimed at rid- contesting the elections to help Thai Raksa Chart’s recruiting ever.”

Six charged over murder In the net Thai junta shoots down proposal of Bangladesh to slash expenditure on defence blogger Six people have been charged with the gruesome AFP linked to ex-premier Thaksin but are exempted if they are stu- murder four years ago Bangkok Shinawatra and the country’s dents. Thailand has not fought a of a controversial atheist most popular political party, has full blown war in living memory, blogger, Bangladesh vowed to end conscription and although border disputes have police said yesterday. Avijit hailand’s junta defended cut spending by 10% if it beats previously turned into bloody Roy, a Bangladesh-born its $7bn defence budget the odds and returns to power af- confl icts with Laos and more US national, was hacked Tand annual draft yesterday ter the March 24 poll. Junta chief recently Cambodia. The mili- to death on a busy road after political opponents pro- Prayut Chan-O-Cha — who tary has used its might more outside Dhaka University posed slashing military spending hopes to become civilian premier frequently inside the country, in February 2015. His wife by 10% and ending conscription under an army-aligned party af- quelling street protests, stag- was critically injured in the after elections. ter the elections — yesterday jus- ing coups or fi ghting insurgents attack. Police investigators The country spends among tifi ed the increase as necessary to in the Muslim-majority “Deep said 11 of the 12 militants the most on defence in Southeast upgrade obsolete gear. South”, bordering Malaysia. from the outlawed Ansar al Asia and recent big purchases — “If we do not have it, our mili- Army chief Apirat Kongsom- Islam group implicated in including submarines and tanks tary quality cannot be compared pong gave a coded slapdown to the murder took part in the from China — have drawn criti- with other countries,” he told Pheu Thai’s leadership over the street killing. “Six people cism in a state riddled with in- reporters. Chan-O-Cha said the proposal to cut military spend- have been charged over equality and corruption. breakout of war was impossible ing, insisting they should listen the murder of Avijit Roy. Of Its generals have grabbed to predict and in peacetime the to a nationalist Cold War-era the six, two are on the run,” A Cambodian policeman (right) hands passports to a group of 47 Malaysians, suspected of power a dozen times since 1932 army “fi ghts against drugs and propaganda song, Nhak Paen Dhaka police spokesman involvement in the illegal gambling operation, as they arrive at the Siem Reap international with defence spending spiking illegal entry” into the country. Din. Masudur Rahman told AFP. airport in Siem Reap province in northwestern Cambodia on Sunday. in lockstep with each coup. Last Military conscription, he added, Roughly translating as ‘Scum A sacked army major who year the junta-picked National is “a duty of all Thai men”. of the Earth’, it was the anthem masterminded the attack Legislative Assembly proposed The army runs an annual draft of paramilitary units who led a was one of those still on the a defence budget for 2019 of for 100,000 men each year — all massacre of at least 41 students loose, Rahman said, adding Bangladesh actress ordered to take down ‘vulgar’ social media images $7bn, a $1bn increase since the male citizens must participate protesting the return of a mili- police could not identify latest 2014 coup. But Pheu Thai, at least once after they turn 21, tary dictator in October 1976. the other five involved. Provocative selfies earned case of its kind to hit the national “We are tirelessly working to One suspect was killed by Bangladeshi social media star entertainment industry, the create a free and safe Internet police in a crackdown that Sanai Mahbub a reprimand from 21-year-old was ordered to attend for everyone. So we don’t want Nepali singer pulls video from YouTube after threat followed the murder. Roy, Bangladesh police yesterday, a Dhaka police station on Sunday content which goes against who migrated to the United as authorities step up their and told to pull the photos. our social norms, especially for A popular Nepali folk singer chord among Nepalis angered removed it (from YouTube). I will States two decades ago, campaign against adult content Nazmul Islam, a senior off icial of children,” he told AFP. has been forced to remove a by widespread corruption in upload it after revision,” he told was known in Bangladesh online. the Dhaka police cyber-crime unit, Bangladesh has launched satirical song on corruption the country. The opening lyrics a local radio station yesterday. for his Mukto-Mona (Free- The aspiring actress, who said the actress was “counselled” a crackdown on Internet from YouTube after a youth mean “Loot whatever you can The move has triggered protests mind) blog, where he regularly posts suggestive by off icers and told to remove pornography in recent weeks, wing of the ruling communist since that’s allowed only in from people who say it’s an attack railed against all forms of but fully-clothed photographs the “vulgar” content. “We highly with telecoms regulators party allegedly threatened him, Nepal.” Sharma said he took on freedom of expression and organised religion. One of on social media platforms, hit respect freedom of speech in ordering service providers to local media reported yesterday. off the video after he received creative rights. his books, The Virus of Faith, local headlines last year after a democratic system. But her block hundreds of adult websites. Pashupati Sharma, a folk singer threatening calls from members The current communist became a controversial becoming the first Bangladeshi content has drawn protests from Mahbub said she did not think her in his 30s, released a video of of Youth Federation of Nepal, a government has been accused of bestseller in Bangladesh, celebrity to announce that angry parents,” Islam, said, adding images were “adult only”. “These the song ‘Lutna Sake Lut, Nepal student wing of the ruling Nepal curtailing freedom of expression which is off icially secular she had undergone breast that some of her images could are just part of my modelling ...” over the weekend, with the Communist Party. “They objected and increasing surveillance on even though 90% of the enhancement surgery. be “illegal” under the country’s career and part of my freedom,” song immediately striking a to certain words of the song. So I social media users. population is Muslim. In what is believed to be the first pornography laws. she told AFP.

Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

North Korea faces ‘historic turning point’: state media

North Korea is facing a “sig- nificant, historic turning point”, US blocks state media said yesterday, ahead of a highly-anticipated second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. The meeting between the two lead- ers – which will be the second time the pair have come to- N Korea air gether following their Singapore summit in June – is scheduled for Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27-28. Attention has been fo- cused on whether the US team will off er to lift some economic sanctions on North Korea, in traffi c revival return for Pyongyang taking concrete steps toward denu- Reuters working with Pyongyang to open said. North Korea also asked clearisation. “It is time for us to Seoul a new air route that would pass ICAO for access to US-produced tighten our shoe strings and run through North and South Korean aeronautical charts, they said. fast, looking for a higher goal as airspace. But the United States discour- we face this decisive moment,” he United States has Airlines currently take indirect aged the UN agency from help- the Rodong Sinmun newspa- blocked eff orts by a UN routings to avoid North Korea ing North Korea with its air pro- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore last year. per said in an editorial. “Our Tagency to improve civil due to the threat of unannounced gramme as Washington wanted country is facing a significant, aviation in North Korea at a time missile launches, which have to “pool all the leverages and An ICAO spokesman did not im- in the North Korean market, ac- ian aid. South and North Korea, historic turning point,” it added, when Pyongyang is trying to reo- been witnessed by some pas- incentives” until Pyongyang mediately respond to a request cording to a January note from meanwhile, have rapidly ad- without explicitly referencing pen part of its airspace to foreign sengers on commercial fl ights. makes substantial progress on for comment. independent research fi rm CAPA vanced relations, which prompt- the summit. Earlier this month, fl ights, three sources familiar If the space was deemed safe, denuclearisation, a third source The North Korean mission to Centre for Aviation. That com- ed U.S. offi cials to openly warn US President Trump tweeted with the matter told Reuters. international airlines could save said. “They would keep tight the United Nations in New York pares with over 13mn seats avail- against moving too quickly with- that North Korea will become a The US move is part of a nego- fuel and time on some routes be- hold of all available leverage to did not respond to a request for able in the South Korean market, out suffi cient progress on denu- “great Economic Powerhouse” tiating tactic to maintain sanc- tween Asia and Europe and North make sure there is no loophole comment and there was no im- which has roughly double the clearisation. under Kim. “He may surprise tions pressure on North Korea, America, and North Korea could until the North Koreans take ac- mediate reaction from South population, CAPA said. A fourth source told Reuters some but he won’t surprise me, one of the sources said, ahead of begin reviving its own commer- tion that deserves a reward,” the Korea’s foreign ministry. In 2017, The biggest benefi ciaries of that the US move to facilitate because I have gotten to know a second summit between Presi- cial aviation industry. source said. the United States proposed the lifting air restrictions over North humanitarian aid was intended him & fully understand how dent Donald Trump and leader The cash-strapped country All sources spoke on condition UN Security Council freeze the Korea would be South Korean to appease South Korea, facing capable he is,” said Trump. The Kim Jong-un in Vietnam in late has a population of more than of anonymity due to the sensitiv- assets of state-carrier Air Koryo, carriers including Korean Air some complaints that Washing- Rodong Sinmun commentary February. 25mn but its economy has been ity of the matter. ICAO cannot which fl ies to a handful of cit- Lines and Asiana Airlines Inc, ton is not willing to make any called on North Koreans to Washington is seeking con- squeezed by a series of sanc- impose binding rules on govern- ies in China and Russia, as part according to CAPA. The United concessions. make greater eff orts to boost crete commitments from tions for its nuclear and ballistic ments, but wields clout through of new sanctions on Pyongyang. States has doubled down on “But they made it clear that the country’s economy. North Pyongyang at the summit to missile programmes. Montreal- its safety and security standards The measure was dropped dur- sanctions enforcement ahead there will be no relief of econom- Korea is rising as a “strong, abandon its nuclear and missile based ICAO was prepared to help which are approved by its mem- ing negotiations between the 15 of the planned second summit ic sanctions until they see sub- socialist nation,” and one’s true programmes. The United Na- improve North Korea’s aviation ber states. Asked for comment, a members. amid concerns Pyongyang is not stantial progress,” said the source act of patriotism begins at one’s tions’ International Civil Avia- system by leading training ses- US State Department offi cial said Airlines including Air Koryo committed to denuclearisation, who also spoke on condition of workplace, the commentary tion Organization (ICAO), with sions between its military and it does not publicly discuss de- and Air China Ltd off er less than though Washington promised to anonymity due to the sensitivity added. 192 member countries, has been civil aviation staff , two sources tails of diplomatic conversations. 200,000 available seats a year relax some rules on humanitar- of the issue.

No need for Godzilla in the neighbourhood Shinzo Abe: NZ will conduct Trump already nominated for own assessment of Nobel Prize Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not saying Huawei risk: PM whether or not he nominated Donald Trump for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, Reuters weekly news conference. Ard- but the question may be Wellington ern said New Zealand, which is moot: the US president has a member of the Five Eyes in- been put forward by others telligence sharing network that for the prestigious award. ew Zealand will inde- includes the United Kingdom During a White House news pendently assess the and the United States, would conference on Friday, Trump Nrisk of using China’s conduct its own assessment. “I said the Japanese premier Huawei Technologies in 5G would expect the GCSB to ap- had given him “the most networks, Prime Minister ply with our legislation and our beautiful copy” of a five-page Jacinda Ardern said yesterday own security assessments. It is nomination letter to the after a report suggested that fair to say Five Eyes, of course, Norwegian Nobel Committee. British precautions could be share information but we make Since then Abe has declined used by other nations. our own independent deci- to say whether he had done Huawei, the world’s biggest sions,” she said. so. Regardless, Trump has producer of telecoms equip- Huawei New Zealand did already been nominated by ment, faces intense scrutiny in not immediately respond to a two Norwegian lawmakers. the West over its relationship request for comment. Spark “We have nominated him with the Chinese government said it was in discussions with of course for the positive and US-led allegations that its GCSB offi cials. developments on the equipment could be used by “We are working through Korean Peninsula,” Per-Willy Beijing for spying. what possible mitigations we Amundsen, who was Justice No evidence has been pro- might be able to provide to Minister in Prime Minister duced publicly and the fi rm has address the concerns raised Erna Solberg’s cabinet in repeatedly denied the allega- by the GCSB and have not yet 2016-2018, told Reuters. tions, which have led several made any decision on whether “It has been a very diff icult Western countries to restrict or when we should submit a re- situation and the tensions Huawei’s access to their mar- vised proposal to GCSB,” Spark have since lowered and a kets. spokesman Andrew Pirie said The head of Godzilla, a Japanese monster movie character, is seen on a building of Toho Cinema in Tokyo, Japan. lot of it is due to Trump’s The Financial Times report- in an emailed statement. unconventional diplomatic ed on Sunday that the British The Huawei decision, along style,” he added. government had decided it can with the government’s tough- Amundsen, who is a member mitigate the risks arising from er stance on China’s growing of the rightwing Progress the use of Huawei equipment infl uence in the Pacifi c, has Party, wrote a letter to the in 5G networks. It said Britain’s some politicians and foreign award committee together conclusion would “carry great policy analysts worried about with his parliamentary weight” with European lead- potential strained ties with a colleague Christian Tybring- key trading partner. Ardern’s Australia says ‘state actor’ ers and other nations could Gjedde, he said. The letter use similar precautions. New planned fi rst visit to Beijing was submitted in June, Zealand’s intelligence agency has faced scheduling issues, immediately after a summit in November rejected an initial and China last week postponed Trump held in Singapore request from telecommunica- a major tourism campaign in with North Korean leader New Zealand days before its hacked parties, parliament tions services provider Spark Kim Jong-un aimed at to use 5G equipment provided launch. easing tensions and tackling by Huawei. Ardern said her govern- AFP the cabinet – to change pass- resources, maritime claims and — Australia is a particularly rich Pyongyang’s nuclear At the time, the Govern- ment’s relationship with China Sydney words and take other security the use of Chinese state-backed target for foreign interests. “Our weapons programme. ment Communications Secu- was strong despite some com- measures. Experts warn that at- technology companies. Rela- political institutions represent rity Bureau (GCSB) gave Spark plex issues. “Visits are not a tribution is time-consuming and tions have recently been frayed high-value targets. But we have options to mitigate national measure of the health of a re- ustralia yesterday said a diffi cult. over Canberra’s decision to ban resilient systems in place to de- Australia defends security concerns over the use lationship they are only one “sophisticated state ac- “I think it’s defi nitely too early Huawei from the country’s 5G tect compromises and remediate PNG refugee of Huawei equipment, Ard- small part of it,” she said, add- Ator” had hacked the coun- to say,” said Fergus Hanson, a network amid national security them,” said Alastair MacGibbon, ern said yesterday. “The ball is ing that trade and tourism ties try’s main political parties and cybersecurity expert at the Aus- concerns and the expulsion of head of the Australian Cyber Se- contracts with now in their court,” she told a remained strong. parliament, just weeks before a tralian Strategic Policy Institute. Huang Xian, a Chinese billion- curity Centre. closely fought election. Prime He added, however, that there aire who doled out millions in Five Eyes membership also obscure firm Minister Scott Morrison told were only “one or two actors” ca- Australian political donations. gives Australia access to a host of China province defends lawmakers that investigators pable of carrying out such an at- Australians are expected to signals and human intelligence Australian off icials yesterday looking into a hack of parliament tack. Hanson said he would put go to the polls mid-May, rais- to back up any suspicions of defended awarding lucrative ban on Tibetan lessons computer systems revealed two China “at the top” of the list of ing fears that hackers could be state hacking. MacGibbon said contracts to an obscure weeks ago “also became aware possible suspects, but “wouldn’t trying to infl uence the outcome the hackers were sophisticated firm with a beach shack as Chinese authorities yesterday defended a ban on schoolchildren that the networks of some politi- rule out” Russia’s involve- of the vote, or change the tenor enough to get into the network, its registered off ice, saying attending informal Tibetan language classes taught by Buddhist cal parties” had been breached. ment. Chinese foreign ministry of the debate. Both Russia and but “not sophisticated enough to they were in a hurry to find a monks in western China, as religious and cultural freedoms in the “Our cyber experts believe spokesman Geng Shuang said China have used cyber opera- remain undetected”. company to provide services country come under increasing pressure. A county in western that a sophisticated state actor such speculation about Beijing tions in a bid to infl uence demo- His organisation has already at Pacific refugee camps. The Qinghai — a province with a large Tibetan population that is mostly is responsible for this malicious was “irresponsible” and an at- cratic votes. Beijing’s spies are briefed electoral commissions Singapore-registered Paladin Buddhist — in December ordered an immediate halt to informal activity,” he said. Australian se- tempt to “smear” the country. accused of targeting Taiwanese across the country and could be Holdings was awarded more language classes taught by monks during the winter school holidays. curity agencies said they did not “When investigating network offi cials before the election there deployed to provide technical than A$420mn (US$300mn) The lessons taught in monasteries in the province bordering Tibet know who was behind the at- breaches, there should be suf- last year. support to those aff ected. He — about A$17mn a month — in have gained popularity among parents as a way for their children to tack or their motives. It is not fi cient evidence, unreasonable Dozens of Russians have been said it was unclear whether the contracts to provide security learn a language that is being sidelined from the off icial curriculum. yet clear what, if any, material guesses can’t be made,” Geng indicted for trying to tilt the 2016 attackers gained access to sensi- at three transition centres It follows a similar ban last summer barring Tibetan students from was stolen during the hacks, how said at a regular press briefi ng US presidential election, and al- tive data or e-mails. “We don’t for refugees on Papua New taking part in religious activities during their holidays. The provincial long the perpetrators went unde- in Beijing. Geng urged media to leged Russian involvement in know. These are very early days,” Guinea’s Manus Island. government yesterday told AFP that the lessons were “illegal” and tected, or whether it could make “stop using so-called cyber leaks Britain’s referendum on leaving he said. “We genuinely do not The operations are part of said the monasteries were “safety hazards” as well as being “ill- some political fi gures vulnerable and hacking attacks to discredit the European Union in the same know.” Morrison insisted, how- Canberra’s harsh policy of equipped” to teach students. “According to Chinese law... education to blackmail. China and stop compromising year has been well documented. ever, “there is no evidence of any processing asylum-seekers is conducted by the government. No organisation or person can use Earlier this month, Australia China’s interests and China’s Moscow has denied the accusa- electoral interference”. who try to reach Australia religion as a means of obstructing the state education system,” it reported a “security incident on bilateral relations with the coun- tions. As part of the Five Eyes in- “We have put in place a by boat at remote off shore said in a statement. It added that the classes pose a financial burden the parliamentary computing tries concerned”. telligence network -- which also number of measures to ensure Pacific camps, where to students and their families, and contravene regulations to reduce network”. That forced users – Beijing and Canberra have includes Britain, Canada, New the integrity of our electoral sys- hundreds of refugees have the workload of students. including the prime minister and sparred over access to natural Zealand and the United States tem.” been stranded for five years. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 BRITAIN/IRELAND Migrants wrongly told to pay for NHS care upfront: minister

Guardian News and Media health and social care (DHSC) government’s controversial deci- gent” NHS care should receive to start implementing from Oc- ies (which) included instances last year of the charging regu- London has acknowledged. sion to force hospitals in England it without having to pay in ad- tober 2017 as part of the govern- where individuals were required lations, made clear that: “Evi- Three of the 22 were women to demand the cost of treatment vance, regardless of their immi- ment’s “hostile environment” to make advance payment for dence suggests some cases of who were prevented from having upfront from people deemed in- gration status. But campaign- approach to immigration. treatment that the department poor practice where treatment ospitals have wrongly an abortion. eligible for free care. ers, including doctors’ groups Labour and the Liberal Demo- has concluded was arguably, on the department (DHSC) consid- told some migrants A minister in the department Data published by the Guard- and health charities, claim the crats want the rules scrapped, proper analysis, immediately ers to be ‘immediately neces- Hneeding urgent care to has admitted that the 22 were ian under the Freedom of Infor- rule is often being misapplied while several medical royal col- necessary and/or urgent”. sary’ and/or ‘urgent’ is treated pay for it in advance even though wrongly told they had to pay mation Act in November 2018 and is leading directly to mi- leges, the British Medical As- Lady Manzoor did not say as non-urgent.” It added that they qualifi ed for free treatment upfront after hospital personnel showed that across 84 of Eng- grants who cannot afford to sociation and the Equality and if any of the 22 did hand over the 22 included “three examples on the NHS, the government has made mistakes in their interpre- land’s 148 acute hospital trusts, pay the charges missing out on Human Rights Commission have money in order to get their concerning pregnant women admitted for the fi rst time. tation of a controversial rule that 2,279 patients were charged up- treatment. all voiced deep unease about the treatment, how seriously un- who have said that they chose Rules were broken when 22 has led to migrants being denied front between October 2017 and The errors came to light dur- policy. well those involved were or what not to have an abortion due to people were ordered to pay be- care for cancer, heart complaints June 2018. ing a recent government review In a recent parliamentary an- medical conditions they had. a requirement to make advance fore they could start treatment, and other serious medical con- Under the charging regula- into the operation of advance swer Zahida Manzoor, a Con- But a 113-page legal docu- payment, with the result that despite the seriousness of their ditions. tions those in need of “imme- charges, which ministers or- servative peer, said the review ment, released by the govern- they proceeded with the preg- condition, the department of The admission is a blow to the diately necessary and/or ur- dered NHS hospitals in England had identifi ed “22 case stud- ment during a judicial review nancy”.

Don’t call resigning MPs traitors: Watson

Tom Watson, the deputy Labour leader, has said his party faces an even more severe split if Seven MPs it denounces the seven MPs who quit as traitors instead of addressing the reasons for their departure. In an emotional statement, Watson said he sometimes “no longer recognises” his own party, as he called on colleagues not to quit Labour adopt the language of betrayal towards the seven who resigned yesterday. He said he was particularly worried by the departure of Luciana Berger, a Jewish MP who accused the party of being “sickeningly in rebuke institutionally racist” as she announced the formation of a new independent grouping in parliament. Berger was joined by Chuka Umunna, Ann Coff ey, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes and Gavin Shuker in resigning to Corbyn from Labour in the biggest schism for the party since the Reuters tional party lines and creating only towns and villages but also gang of four senior fi gures quit to London new ad hoc coalitions. parliament, with both Conserva- form the Social Democratic party “The Labour party we joined tive and Labour leaders strug- (SDP) in 1981. that we campaigned for and be- gling to keep their parties united. Watson said Labour urgently even Labour lawmakers lieved in is no longer today’s La- Eurosceptics in Prime Minis- needed to “confront the scale quit yesterday over leader bour Party. We did everything we ter Theresa May’s Conservative of the problem and meet the SJeremy Corbyn’s approach could to save it, but it has now Party fl exed their muscle by vot- consequences to keep others to Brexit and a row over anti- been hijacked by the machine ing against her government in a from leaving”, as he urged a Semitism, saying Britain’s main politics of the hard left,” law- symbolic Brexit ballot last week “kinder and gentler approach”. opposition party had been “hi- maker Chris Leslie told a news but have so far given little sign of “I love this party. But sometimes jacked by the machine politics of conference. formally breaking away. I no longer recognise it,” he said. the hard left”. “Evidence of Labour’s betrayal But lawmakers in the new La- That is why I do not regard those In a direct challenge to Corbyn, on Europe is now visible for all to bour independent grouping may who have resigned as traitors.” the seven centrist MPs said they see. Off ering to actually enable hope to tempt away some pro-EU His response contrasted with were courting others from across this government’s Brexit — con- members of the governing party Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour parliament to join their group, stantly holding back from allow- and said they were holding talks leader, who said he was saying “enough is enough” in ing the public a fi nal say.” across parliament. “disappointed” in their decision keeping silent over their doubts The seven lawmakers are Le- “We believe that the entire and highlighted the popularity of about the Labour leader’s fi tness slie, Luciana Berger, Angela political system is now broken... his party’s policies with voters. for offi ce. Smith, Gavin Shuker, Chuka We’ve had enough evidence to In a press conference yesterday, United by a desire for a second Umunna, Mike Gapes and Ann suggest that people out there the seven MPs delivered a referendum on Britain’s decision Coff ey. They will continue to sit will come forward, register their scathing attack on the party for to leave the European Union, now as members of parliament under support and help us... build a being “institutionally racist” and that the likely terms of the di- the banner “The Independent new political movement,” Angela betraying its members over Brexit. vorce are known, they acknowl- Group”. Smith said. Umunna said they were taking edged that their move would not Corbyn expressed his disap- Corbyn has so far stuck to La- the fi rst step to forming a new change the arithmetic in parlia- pointment that the group had bour policy to keep the option of movement, as he called on ment, where there is as yet no left, referring in a statement to a second referendum “on the ta- politicians from other parties to majority for such a so-called “Labour policies that inspired ble” if May’s government fails to join them. “People’s Vote”. millions at the last election” secure a deal with Brussels that The former shadow Cabinet But their move underlines the when the opposition party saw can pass through parliament. minister said the established increasing frustration within La- its biggest increase in vote share The deal’s perceived failure ei- parties could not change bour over Corbyn’s reluctance to since 1945 to win 262 seats. ther to make a clean break from because they had become the change his Brexit strategy — the But the seven may only be the the EU or keep close economic problem, and put party interests leftist leader and long-time critic start of a bigger exodus, a Labour ties with the UK’s main trade above the national interest. He of the EU has stuck to his prefer- source close to the group said. partner has united eurosceptic said it was “time we dumped this ence for a new election or his That, critics say, could split and pro-EU MPs against it. country’s old-fashioned politics” plan to leave the bloc. the party and hand almost cer- Corbyn’s fi rst choice is a new and created an alternative. With only 39 days until Britain tain victory to the governing election but he has also called “We have taken the step in leaves the EU, its biggest foreign Conservatives in any new elec- on May to change her “red lines” leaving the old politics behind and trade policy shift in more tion. and for her to embrace his plan and invite others to do the same,” Former Labour party MPs Chris Leslie (left), and Luciana Berger arrive to speak at a press conference in than 40 years, divisions over Britain’s 2016 EU referendum, for a permanent customs union he said. London yesterday where they and colleagues announced their resignation from the Labour Party, and Brexit have fragmented British in which 52% voted to Leave ver- with the EU — something the the formation of a new independent group of MPs. politics, breaking down tradi- sus 48% to Remain, has split not prime minister has refused to do.

Hard border in Ireland Gauke calls for end will trigger violence’

Guardian News and Media says the report. to short jail terms Belfast Its publication comes hours after a pipe bomb exploded and Guardian News and Media year of being released. Sentences had been getting homes evacuated in south Ar- London “Why would we spend taxpay- longer, he added. “We are now here will be a return to vio- magh and weeks after a car bomb ers’ money doing what we know taking a more punitive approach lence in Northern Ireland if went off in Derry. doesn’t work, and indeed, makes than at any point during Thatch- Tthere is any infrastructure The report was compiled by he justice secretary has us less safe?” er’s premiership. We should be installed on the border, an in- Mark Daly, a senator with Ire- said he wants to end short He cited the example of female extremely cautious about con- depth report on youth and peace land’s main opposition party, Fi- Tprison sentences because shoplifters jailed for short terms, tinuing to increase sentences as in the region has concluded. anna Fail, with research conduct- they do not work and hopes that which often blights their life a routine response to concerns “The only issue is the scale of ed by Pat Dolan, the professor of technology and more community chances on release. “For women, over crime. “For the off enders the violence,” says the research leadership and community devel- sentences will provide better al- going into custody often causes completing these short sentences conducted by two Unesco chair- opment at the Pennsylvania Stat ternatives to jail. huge disruption to the lives of their whose lives are destabilised, and men. University, and Mark Brennan, In a break with the “prison families, especially dependent for society which incurs a heavy The 377-page report notes that the director of the Unesco child works” mantra of past Conserva- children, increasing the risk (the fi nancial and social cost, prison youth in Northern Ireland have and family research centre of the tive governments, David Gauke children) will also fall into off end- simply isn’t working. not had to endure the violence of National University of Ireland. outlined the plans that reformers ing.” Gauke said tough community “That’s why there is a very previous generations but they still They are co-founders of the hope will be more than just talk. orders should be backed up by tag- strong case to abolish sentences live in a “post-confl ict environ- global network of Unesco chairs Gauke used a central London ging and could mandate treatment of six months or less altogether, ment with residual issues such as on children, youth and communi- speech to point out that Britain for underlying causes of off ending with some closely defi ned excep- levels of deprivation, covert on- ty. The report was commissioned jails more people compared with such as alcohol, drugs or mental tions, and put in their place a ro- going paramilitary activity, and amid fears that the conditions other European countries and health issues. Five pilot schemes bust community order regime.” sporadic violence”. would be quickly set for a referen- that those sentenced to short have been set up. Gauke challenged the view that “In as little as six weeks it is dum on a united Ireland if any in- terms in prison have high reof- “Our research shows that prison after conviction should possible that a hard border could frastructure was installed around fending rates. nearly 60% of recent off enders be the only punishment for more materialise due to a no-deal Brex- the border regions. “In the last fi ve years, just over who engaged with a community- serious off ences. “I believe we are it, triggering a return to violence Daly said while there was no a quarter of a million custodial based alcohol programme did not nearing a time when a combina- in Northern Ireland. issue of a border poll being im- sentences have been given to of- go on to reoff end in the two years tion of technology and radical “All indications are that with- minent it was important to know fenders for six months or less; following treatment. Off enders thinking will make it possible for out direct eff orts to engage youth what was at stake in the event over 300,000 sentences were for given a community sentence in- much more intensive and restric- and citizens of all backgrounds, there was one. “You have to be 12 months or less. But nearly two- cluding mental health treatment tive conditions to be applied in there will also be a return to vio- prepared. Brexit is the perfect ex- thirds of those off enders go on to have also shown to be signifi cant- more creative and fundamental lence in the event of rushed bor- ample of what happens when you commit a further crime within a ly less likely to reoff end.” ways outside of prison.” David Gauke: seeks better alternatives to jail der poll on the island of Ireland,” are not prepared,” he said. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 15

BRITAIN House prices ‘raised age of ownership by eight years since 1997’

Guardian News and Media Offi ce for National Statistics said than 50% of the population lived Factors that have exacerbated ever, the tighter rules have made those aged between 25 to 34 in 21 in 1997 to 23 in 2017. London it took until the age of 34 for more in a home they owned had been the housing issues facing mil- it harder for people to get on the 2018, with 55% renting, up from Sarah Coates, of the centre than half of the population to 28 as recently as 2007, meaning lennials could include the rising housing ladder. 35% in 1998. for ageing and demography at own their own home, compared the bulk of the shift since 1997 cost of an entry-level property In 2016, the average house Other milestones are also be- the ONS, said: “Over the past 20 ritain’s increasingly unaf- to 26 in 1997. has taken place in the past dec- and the introduction of stricter price-to-income multiple was ing reached later in life. The ONS years the UK has seen many soci- fordable housing market Average house prices in Britain ade. mortgage lending rules intro- 8.2 times, down from a peak of said it is not until the age of 19 etal, economic and demographic Bhas delayed the age when have skyrocketed by more than The analysis underlines the duced after the 2008 fi nancial 11.2 times in 2007, even though that more than 50% of people changes which will have contrib- most adults become homeown- 270% over the past two decades shifting living standards of mil- crisis, according to the ONS. earnings have stagnated over the are in full-time employment, uted to the changing milestones ers by at least eight years since – with a signifi cant accelera- lennials in Britain amid growing Mortgage rules capping the past decade and house prices with the average age of leaving into adulthood. 1997, according to offi cial fi g- tion for property values since the concerns that those born be- amount an individual can borrow have accelerated. full-time education rising from “While recognising everyone’s ures. fi nancial crisis a decade ago – tween the mid-1980s and mid- as a multiple of their earnings Over the past 20 years, rent- 17.8-years to 19.3-years in the journey into adulthood is diff er- Among one of several sig- pushing homes out of reach for 90s could be the fi rst generation were launched after the crash, ing has become more common past two decades. ent, these fi gures show a shift nals that young adults are being growing numbers of people. in modern history to experience following the failure of several across all age groups except the The fi rst age when more than in the timing and occurrence of forced to wait until much later in The ONS study revealed that worse economic conditions than banks in the credit crunch after a oldest in society. The most sub- half of young people had left the some of life’s most important life to reach key milestones, the the average age by which more their parents. period of reckless lending. How- stantial change has been for parental home has also risen from moments.” Manchester ‘The Life’ exhibition bombing ‘akin to western airstrikes’

Guardian News and Media come a poster girl for the group: London “I didn’t want to be on the news at fi rst. I did hear a lot of people were encouraged to come after, he east London schoolgirl but I wasn’t the one who put my- who left the UK to join Is- self on the news. We didn’t want Tlamic State has compared to be on the news.” the Manchester Arena bombing Amid the debate about to airstrikes by the western allies whether she should be allowed that killed non-combatants in to return to Britain, it has been ISIS-held areas. asked whether legally she can be Shamima Begum, 19, says she stripped of her British citizen- wants to return to Britain and is ship. Begun took full responsi- asking for “forgiveness”, having bility for her decision to leave given birth to a son on Saturday Britain, saying she alone was while in a refugee camp in Syria. “the one who made the choice”. Attendees look through augmented reality glasses at Marina Abramovic’s exhibition ‘The Life’, the world’s first large-scale performance exhibited using Mixed Reality at the A debate has broken out about She added: “Even though I was Serpentine Gallery in London, Britain, yesterday. whether Begum, who travelled only 15 years old, I could make to Syria in 2015 aged 15, should my own decisions. But I will ad- be allowed to return to Britain mit, it’s my fault right now. I just having joined ISIS, which has want forgiveness from the UK. claimed responsibility for ter- Everything I’ve been through, I rorist attacks on the UK. didn’t expect I would go through The Manchester Arena attack that.” in May 2017 killed 22 people after She said while in Britain she a suicide bomber detonated a de- had been lured by ISIS propa- vice packed with shrapnel at the ganda videos about the “good life end of a pop concert. they can provide”. She had also Facebook broke rules, In the latest of a series of in- viewed beheading videos and terviews she has given while in those glorifying ISIS fi ghters. the camp, Begum told the BBC The father of her newborn son she had regrets about the Man- is an ISIS fi ghter and despite her chester attack. “I do feel that is four years with the sworn en- wrong. Innocent people did get emies of the UK, Begum said: “I killed,” she said. actually do support some British must be regulated: MPs “It’s one thing to kill a soldier, values.” it’s fi ne, it’s self-defence. But to Begum also said in the latest Reuters attempts by foreign countries to tion and competition laws, and bridge Analytica scandal in which users of the social network. kill people like women and chil- interview that if she made it back London infl uence elections, and risks to said it shared the committee’s tens of millions of Facebook pro- Zuckerberg apologised last dren, just like the women and to Britain and was charged and personal data. concerns about false news and fi les were harvested without their year for a “breach of trust” over children in Baghuz who are being convicted, she wanted her family “We need a radical shift in the election integrity. users’ consent. the scandal. But he refused to ap- killed right now unjustly by the to look after her son. acebook intentionally balance of power between the “We are open to meaningful Earlier this month, it ordered pear three times before British bombings. It’s a two-way thing Her discovery in a camp last breached data privacy platforms and the people,” com- regulation and support the com- Facebook to curb its data collec- lawmakers, a stance that showed really.” week has highlighted the issue of Fand competition law and mittee chairman Damian Collins mittee’s recommendation for tion practices in the country. “contempt” towards parliament Begum continued: “This is what western countries should should, along with other big tech said. Collins said the age of inad- electoral law reform,” Facebook’s US senator Marco Rubio in- and the members of nine legisla- kind of retaliation. Their justifi - do about their citizens who are companies, be subject to a new equate self-regulation must end, UK public policy manager Karim troduced a bill last month aimed tures from around the world, the cation was that it was retaliation now fl eeing areas formerly con- regulator to protect democracy following an 18-month investi- Palant said. at giving Americans more con- committee said. so I thought that is a fair justifi - trolled by ISIS that been retaken and citizens’ rights, lawmakers gation that concluded Facebook “We also support eff ective pri- trol over data collected by online “We believe that in its evidence cation. by its enemies. said yesterday. had “intentionally and knowingly vacy legislation that holds com- companies like Facebook and Al- to the committee Facebook has “That was unfair on them … Downing Street has rejected In a damning report that sin- violated both data privacy and panies to high standards in their phabet’s Google. often deliberately sought to frus- They weren’t fi ghting anyone. Donald Trump’s call for Britain gled out Facebook CEO Mark anti-competition laws.” use of data and transparency for The British committee does not trate our work, by giving incom- They weren’t causing any harm. to take back militants who have Zuckerberg for what it said was a “The rights of the citizen need users.” propose legislation, but does have plete, disingenuous and at times But neither was I and neither fought with ISIS. failure of leadership and personal to be established in statute, by Lawmakers in Europe and the the power to summon witnesses misleading answers to our ques- (were the) other women who are Trump urged European coun- responsibility, the parliament’s requiring the tech companies to US are scrambling to get to grips for its investigations. tions,” Collins said. being killed right now back in tries, including the UK, to repat- digital, culture, media and sport adhere to a code of conduct writ- with the risks posed by big tech Facebook became the focus “Zuckerberg continually fails Baghuz.” riate 800 captured ISIS fi ght- committee said tech fi rms had ten into law by Parliament, and companies regulating the plat- of its inquiry after whistle- to show the levels of leadership Begum’s departure to Syria ers to their home countries and proved ineff ective in stopping overseen by an independent regu- forms used by billions of people. blower Christopher Wylie al- and personal responsibility that was seen as a propaganda tri- put them on trial. He said that if harmful content on their plat- lator,” he said. Germany has been at the fore- leged that political consultancy should be expected from someone umph for ISIS, but Begum has they did not the US and its allies forms. Facebook rejected the sugges- front of the backlash against Face- Cambridge Analytica had ob- who sits at the top of one of the said she had not wanted to be- would be forced to release them. This included disinformation, tion it had breached data protec- book, fuelled by last year’s Cam- tained the data of millions of world’s biggest companies.”

Royal visit Rail industry proposes CPS mulls charges over best fare guarantee

Guardian News and Media testing of the potential systems, Grenfell effi gy burning pre-empt the fi ndings of a gov- London ernment-sponsored review of the Guardian News and Media People could be heard saying, men who were arrested over the railways from former British Air- London “Help me, help me” and, “Jump incident were a 19-year-old, ail companies are off ering ways chief executive Keith Wil- out the window” while another a 46-year-old and a 49-year- part-time season tickets, liams, due in the autumn. asks, “Didn’t it start from the old, all from South Norwood, a Ra guarantee that passen- The review was commissioned rosecutors are considering 10th fl oor, though?” Another 49-year-old from Lambeth, a gers will get the cheapest prices after last year’s botched summer whether to bring criminal person can be heard saying in 55-year-old from Beckenham and smartphone-based ticketing timetabling changes that wrought Pcharges against a group of the video, “Stay in your fl at, we and another 19-year-old. They across the UK as part of a radical havoc on England’s railways and men who were fi lmed burning an are coming to get you” in an ap- were held on suspicion of the overhaul of British fares. prompted a wave of calls for Chris effi gy of Grenfell Tower. parent reference to the stay-put public order off ence of caus- The rail industry proposals in- Grayling, the transport secretary, The Crown Prosecution Serv- policy which directed residents ing another person harassment, clude a weekly fare cap that al- to resign. ice was given a fi le of evidence by to remain in their fl ats as the fi re alarm or distress. lows commuters to avoid paying The need for an overhaul of rail the Metropolitan police around spread across the building. Bobbi Connell, 19, and his fa- for their season ticket on the days fares is almost universally rec- 10 days ago and said a decision Someone else can be heard ther, Cliff ord Smith, 49, were when they don’t use it – some- ognised, with passengers often would be made “in due course”. saying: “That’s what happens among the group who handed thing long demanded by cam- paying more than they need to Six men were arrested and re- when they don’t pay their rent.” themselves in to police. paigners as a benefi t for part-time because of complex options. The leased under investigation and a Seventy-two people died as a At the time, a spokesperson workers. RDG estimates that there are 55mn seventh was interviewed under result of the blaze at the 24-sto- for the campaign group Jus- Another idea is a “best fare separate fares available in Great caution over the video, which rey block, in west London, on tice4Grenfell said the clip had guarantee” from the industry, Britain. drew condemnation from survi- June 14, 2017. “caused great alarm and dis- meaning that customers will au- The train companies argue that vors of the tragedy, as well as the A CPS spokesman said: “The tress” to survivors. They added: tomatically pay the cheapest fare regulations prevent them from prime minister, Theresa May, police have passed evidence “We are disgusted and shocked available at the time of purchase. being able to introduce technolo- after it was posted online last to the CPS regarding a video at the inhumanity and callous- It should be possible to use dig- gies that would simplify buying November. which featured a model of Gren- ness of those involved in this ital tickets – including on smart- tickets for passengers, allowing The clip showed a cardboard fell Tower on fi re. The CPS is video.” On Twitter, Theresa May phones – on all journeys within for airline-style ticketing systems model, marked Grenfell Tower, now considering the available said: “To disrespect those who Queen Elizabeth meets with GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming fi ve years if the plans are accept- for longer journeys and more “tap being placed over a fi re in what evidence and will make a deci- lost their lives at Grenfell Tower, as she visits Watergate House to mark the centenary of the ed, said the Rail Delivery Group in, tap out” pay-as-you-go sys- appeared to be a back garden, sion in due course on whether as well as their families and loved GCHQ (Government Communications Head Quarters) in (RDG), the industry body making tems in urban areas, similar to while men laughed in the back- anyone should be charged with ones, is utterly unacceptable.” London, Britain. the proposals. Transport for London’s Oyster ground. any criminal off ences.” The six The proposals, which call for system. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 EUROPE

‘Killer’ cells raise hope Centre-right seen to lead of fi nding universal EU poll as far-right surge fl u vaccine

Reuters This will be the most impor- sembly’s staff yesterday. 10%, despite the loss of Brexit those may not, in fact, bolster May elections to resist euro- AFP Brussels tant EU election since the fi rst That would outstrip the 135 campaigners the UK Independ- the far-right. sceptic forces. Paris was held in 1979, Parliament’s seats for the centre-left Social- ence Party. There are also question marks One consequence of the un- chief spokesman Jaume Duch ists and Democrats, whose share That refl ects gains for Italy’s over the alignment of some 24 certainty over the make-up of he centre-right is set to told a news conference on the would drop six points to 19%, League, adding 21 seats, Ger- seats for Poland’s ruling Law the new parliament could be cientists said yesterday remain the biggest group polls. partly due to the loss of British many’s AfD (Alternative for and Justice party, often hostile delay in forming the new execu- that they had discovered Tin the EU legislature after While traditional parties are seats after Brexit as the parlia- Germany), gaining 11, and Ma- to Brussels, as its ECR (European tive. Simmune cells that can fi ght elections in May that should also set to retain a dominance that ment slims down from a total of rine Le Pen’s French National Conservatives and Reformists) National leaders should nom- all known fl u viruses in what show a surge in seats for the far- would allow a continuation of 751 seats. Rally, which would add six seats allies the British Conservatives inate a successor to European was hailed as an “extraordinary right, a survey by the European the broad centrist majority coa- Britain’s ruling Conservative if polls hold. depart. Commission President Jean- breakthrough” that could lead Parliament showed yesterday. lition that has tended to sup- party does not sit with the EPP. However, realignments of Also unclear are the 18 French Claude Juncker in late June. to a universal, one-shot vaccine The German Christian Dem- port legislation from the EU ex- Their departure would hit the existing groups are likely after seats which polls suggest Presi- Lawmakers should then con- against the killer disease. ocrat CDU/CSU alliance led ecutive, gains of about 40% for European Conservatives and voting ends on May 26 and be- dent Emmanuel Macron’s En fi rm the nominee in July so that Infl uenza epidemics, largely by Chancellor Angela Merkel radicals on the right, to 14% of Reformists, dropping that group fore the new parliament sits on Marche movement may win. a new Commission of nominees seasonal, kill hundreds of thou- would remain the biggest single seats, may introduce more poli- from third place to fi fth – al- July 2 as national parties seek Adding them to the centrist from all 27 member states is in sands of people each year, ac- party with 29 seats, but only just cy uncertainty. though parliamentary offi cials allies that fi t their policies and ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and place on November 1. cording to the World Health Or- ahead of Italy’s League, the far- The European People’s Party also expect the voting to usher in can leverage their strength with Democrats for Europe), home to Given the summer break, that ganisation (WHO). right group now in government (EPP), to which Merkel belongs, a major reshuffl e of alliances on funding and committee posts. some Macron allies and which is a fairly tight timetable. Due to its mutating strains, in Rome. would take 183 of the 705 seats, the fl oor, making it diffi cult to Italy’s 5-Star Movement shares Macron’s strongly pro- A demand by Parliament that vaccine formulas must be regu- Its 27 seats are a mark of or 26%, in the new chamber. forecast group alignments in the (M5S), in government with the EU line, would give ALDE 93 leaders nominate a lead candi- larly updated and only off er lim- how the elections will refl ect That is down from 29% at new chamber. League, sits now with Ukip, but seats, making it easily the third date from one of the winning ited protection currently. a strengthening of nationalist present, according to the com- The two far-right euroscep- has looked at joining groups fur- biggest bloc. parties could also cause more Researchers in Australia said sentiment against established pilation of national polling data tic groups among the eight in ther left in the chamber. But Macron has been wary of wrangling. that “killer T cells” – found in pro-EU movements across Eu- from the 27 member states. the current parliament would The polls suggest it could confi rming which alliances he Juncker and his team would over half the world’s population rope. It was published by the as- see their share rise to 14% from gain eight seats to 22 in May, but will make as he looks to use the stay on if there were such a delay. – had shown in testing to be ef- fective in fi ghting all common fl u varieties. This means the cells could po- tentially be used to develop an all-encompassing fl u shot that Court Swede fi ned for delaying Afghan’s expulsion did not need to be changed an- nually, and even be eff ective in people who don’t naturally pos- rejects bid By David Crouch paigned in 2011 against the sess them. Guardian News & Media deportation of a 91-year-old “Infl uenza viruses continu- Ukrainian woman, said. “It is ously mutate to evade recogni- to block amazing for me as a liberal that tion by our immune system, and Swedish student who it is taking shape under a So- they are vastly diverse, making livestreamed her protest cial Democratic government … it nearly impossible to predict paedophile Aagainst the deportation decency has retreated; this is a and vaccinate against the strain of an Afghan asylum-seeker dramatic change in the Swedish that will cause the next infl uenza last year has been found guilty debate.” pandemic,” said Marios Kout- priest fi lm of violating Sweden’s aviation Fatemeh Khavari, an Afghan sakos, a researcher at the Uni- laws and fi ned £250. author and refugee, who found- versity of Melbourne’s Doherty Elin Ersson, 22, avoided a er an anti-deportation cam- Institute. Reuters prison sentence at the Gothen- paign group, said: “Although it T cells are a type of white Paris burg district court, where she is not a lot of money, this is a blood cell that roams the body was sentenced to a fi ne of 3,000 clear signal about what sort of scanning for abnormalities and Swedish krona. society we are becoming. It is infections. Paris court has thrown Last July, she broadcast her right to save lives and wrong to They are essential for human out an attempt to block attempt to prevent a Turk- be punished for trying.” immunity against a host of in- Athe French release of a ish Airlines fl ight from leaving Ersson originally boarded the vading bacteria and viruses. fi lm inspired by the real-life bat- Gothenborg Landvetter airport plane to prevent the deporta- So-called “killer” T cells are tle fought by victims of a pae- on Facebook. tion of 26-year-old Ismail Kha- unique in that they can directly dophile Catholic priest, lawyers A 50-year-old Afghan, wari. target and kill other infected said. asylum-seeker and convicted However, Khawari was not cells. Father Bernard Preynat was criminal, who was being de- on the plane, and was deported Koutsakos and his colleagues accused of abusing dozens of ported from the country, was This file photo taken on February 4, shows Ersson during her trial in the district court in Gothenburg, separately. used mass spectrometry – a boy scouts during the 1980s and onboard. Sweden. Seeing the other asylum- scanning technique that helps early 1990s and was removed After Ersson refused to take seeker, Ersson decided to con- separate molecules based on from his post in the Lyon diocese her seat, several other passen- The government has sharply appointed by the court’s deci- for harsher sentences against tinue her protest nonetheless. their mass – to identify parts of in 2015. gers – including members of a reduced the number of asylum- sion, and would appeal. asylum rights activists. She told Swedish media: “My the virus that are shared across He has admitted sexual abuse, football team – joined her pro- seekers and brought the coun- “Elin’s ambition was not to Meanwhile, liberal and left- starting point is that he [the de- all fl u strains, and realised that according to his lawyer, and is test and the asylum-seeker was try’s asylum regime in line with commit a crime or break the wing politicians saw Ersson’s portee] is human and deserves killer T cells could eff ectively due to go on trial this year. removed from the plane, to ap- the rest of the EU. law – her protest might be seen prosecution as evidence of an to live. fi ght variations of infl uenza A, B Francois Ozon’s fi lm Grace a plause from passengers. Sweden took in 370,000 peo- to have an element of civil diso- offi cial clampdown on civil dis- “In Sweden we do not have and C. Dieu (By the Grace of God), which The video went viral has ple in the fi ve years to 2016, but bedience, but in this case what obedience. the death penalty, but depor- Flu is especially dangerous won the Silver Bear Grand Jury been viewed millions of times received 21,500 asylum appli- was right was also legal,” he “Sweden has been going to- tation to a country at war can for elderly people, children and Prize on Saturday at Berlin’s In- around the world. cations last year, down from a said. wards tighter and tighter rules mean death. those with compromised im- ternational Film Festival, tackles The protest has had a mixed peak of 163,000 in 2015. In the aftermath of the pro- on asylum, the perspectives “If someone has committed mune systems, as well as certain the story behind France’s most reception in Sweden, where at- Ersson declined to comment, test itself, Tobias Billstrom, a have been narrowed,” Abir al- a crime, they may be jailed and ethnic groups who never devel- important church child abuse titudes have hardened towards but her lawyer Tomas Fridh told leading member of the centre- Sahlani, a former MP for the serve their sentence in Swe- oped immune responses to the scandal to date. immigration. the Guardian that he was dis- right Moderate party, led calls liberal Centre party who cam- den.” disease. Preynat’s lawyer has said that he regretted the Paris court’s de- cision. “To portray a man as guilty for two hours when he hasn’t yet been tried is an aff ront to Spanish opinion polls point to unpredictable election outcome the presumption of innocence,” lawyer Emmanuel Mercinier told Reuters. Reuters nouncement by Prime Minis- To complicate matters, gov- votes see their number of law- The judge confi rmed that Madrid ter Pedro Sanchez agree on one ernment sources do not rule makers drop sharply. events were presented as fact thing: Vox will get lawmakers out a Socialist deal with Ciu- For instance, in 2015 Ciu- in the fi lm, Mercinier said, but elected to the national parlia- dadanos, but the centre-right dadanos obtained 13.9% of the ruled that a written message at our opinion polls pub- ment. party offi cially says it does not vote and 40 seats. the fi lm’s end indicating that lished since Spain’s prime However, their predictions want one at a national level, al- In an election the following Preynat was innocent until Fminister called a general range from 16 to 46 seats. though it does not exclude such year, it obtained 13.1% of the proven guilty was suffi cient un- election for April 28 have pre- Similarly, all polls see deals for municipal elections. vote but eight fewer seats. der French law. dicted widely diff erent out- Sanchez’s Socialists leading the “We have a context of high Ciudadanos, Vox and the far- The movie is due to be re- comes, illustrating how the election and getting more seats volatility,” said Lluis Orriols, left Podemos are all now poten- leased tomorrow, on the eve of a emergence of new parties, and in than in the previous election in a political science professor at tially in that 10-15% grey area. meeting in Rome between Pope particular the far-right Vox, has 2016, while falling well short of a Carlos III university, saying that “A word of advice: more cau- Francis and senior bishops from upset political forecasting. majority in the 350-seat parlia- was making it harder for poll- tion than ever with the polls,” around the world to discuss the In December, pollsters failed ment. sters to interpret results. Narciso Michavila, the head of protection of minors. to predict the success of the an- But the GAD3, Gesop, Met- The electoral system gives the GAD3 pollsters, told ABC news- The Pope has come under fi re ti-immigration Vox, which won roscopia and NCReport polls party with the most votes a bo- paper. for his handling on a spreading 12 seats in a regional election in disagree on who would have a nus in terms of seats. He also noted that the last sexual abuse crisis in the Catho- Andalusia in the fi rst electoral shot at a coalition deal – the There is also a grey area around polls before the election will be lic Church. win for a far-right party in Spain conservative People’s Party (PP) the 10-15% of votes where there published during Easter holi- Much of the focus has been in over four decades. with centre-right Ciudadanos can be a huge diff erence in the days, at a time when many voters on the United States, Chile and The four surveys published and Vox, or the Socialists with number of seats allocated, while will be focused on issues other Sanchez: polls see his Socialists leading the election and getting Australia. since last Friday’s election an- Ciudadanos. parties getting less than 10% of than the elections. more seats than in the previous election in 2016. Russia’s RT fumes after Facebook blocks ‘wildly popular’ page

AFP Telegram social network ac- behind them,” Facebook said. A YouTube channel describes “We’ll be reaching out to ad- oceans, the yellow vest protests Last month, Facebook said Moscow count. “Just as we’ve stepped up our the project as striving “to build ministrators of these Pages to ask in France, the rise of atheism and it had removed over 500 pages She said that a report aired by enforcement of co-ordinated a community of mindful media that they disclose this additional Russian football hooligans. originating in Russia for engag- CNN about the project being fi - inauthentic behaviour and fi - consumers around important, information and their affi liation The EU-funded project EU vs ing in what it determined to be acebook has blocked a pop- nanced by the Russian state led to nancially motivated spam over curious and purpose-driven with their parent company to get Disinfo, a campaign to “respond “co-ordinated inauthentic be- ular page run by Russian “Facebook immediately blocking the past year, we’ll continue im- content”. back on the platform,” the social to pro-Kremlin disinformation”, haviour”. Fstate TV channel RT, the us! Without presenting any of proving so people can get more Launched on YouTube in network giant said. has said In the Now was launched Most of the removed accounts channel’s editor said yesterday, the accusations”. information about the Pages they March 2014, it makes no mention Kremlin spokesman Dmitri to attract younger audiences were found to be linked to em- criticising the move as an attack “We didn’t violate any Face- follow,” it added. of any affi liation with RT or Rus- Peskov said RT deserved a de- turned off by RT’s political sto- ployees of Sputnik, a state news on media rights. book rules,” Simonyan said. Simonyan said it should not sia and reports over 2.8mn views. tailed explanation for the move ries. agency launched in late 2014 that “We had a subsidiary project in Facebook told AFP that the be an issue that the page did not Facebook told AFP that it is and added that many large Inter- It does this “by adding videos is also run by Simonyan. English, In the Now. The project move stemmed from an informa- disclose its Russian funding to doing a phased roll-out of an net companies were used by gov- with high emotional and enter- Facebook said at the time that was wildly popular – 2.5bn views tion policy on the origin of some visitors. update for Pages with large audi- ernments as “a means of pressure tainment value” which are used the blocked pages created ac- and 4mn subscribers on Face- content. It was not possible to access ences to provide more informa- on Russian media”. as “bait” to “camoufl age” the counts “to mislead others about book alone!” RT editor-in-chief “People connecting with Pages the In the Now Facebook page tion on which countries they are The topics of the most recent project’s ties to Russia, EU vs who they were and what they Margarita Simonyan said on her shouldn’t be misled about who’s yesterday. primarily managed from. RT videos include cleaning up the Disinfo said. were doing”. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 17 INDIA

INVESTIGATION POLITICS CONTROVERSY BUDGET EVENT Punjab IGP arrested in CM on the road, poll loser Opposition demands Petrol and diesel rates Himalayan ‘majesty, 2015 Faridkot firing case ruling Puducherry: Kejriwal Nitish’s resignation slashed in Punjab mystery’ on display in Delhi

Punjab police yesterday arrested Inspector General Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday Opposition parties yesterday created a ruckus The Punjab government yesterday slashed Interspersed with colour photographs, a series (IG) of Police Parampal Singh Umaranangal in termed it a “travesty of democracy” that an elected in the Bihar Assembly demanding Chief Minister petrol and diesel prices by Rs5 and Re1 of black-and-white stills on display in New Delhi connection with the Behbal Kalan firing in Faridkot chief minister was sitting on the road while a person Nitish Kumar’s resignation, two days after a respectively in the annual budget presented take one through the enrapturing Himalayan belt. in October 2015. In recent months, Umaranangal who was defeated in the Delhi elections was ruling court in Muzaff arpur asked the Central Bureau of for the state. “With the reduction, the diesel Captured over 60 years by Deb Mukharji, a former was questioned by the special investigating team Puducherry as Lt Governor. In Puducherry to Investigation to probe the involvement of Kumar price will be the lowest in the region,” Finance Indian Foreign Service off icer and envoy to Nepal of the police about the circumstances and person meet his Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who and two IAS off icers in the infamous shelter home Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said. He said and Bangladesh, the images freeze the infectious who ordered firing on Sikh protesters, protesting has been protesting for the past six days against rape case. Legislators of the Rashtriya Janata Dal that VAT (value added tax) had been reduced charm of the mountains he dearly loves. “Tall tales against sacrilege cases of Guru Granth Sahib. At the Lt Governor Kiran Bedi’s alleged interference (RJD), Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) to effect the price reduction. “Why should from the Himalaya”, an exhibition of 75 images time the Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in the government’s functioning and stalling and the Left parties disrupted assembly shouting Chandigarh take advantage of the price of mountains, forests, lakes and rivers – selected was in power. Two men were killed and several implementation of welfare schemes, Kejriwal slogans and demanding Kumar’s resignation. The variation. This was essential to promote trade out of a body of thousands of photographs – injured in the firing. The SIT last month arrested said Narayanasamy was the people’s elected court order came after one of the accused, Ashwani, a in Punjab,” Badal said. The difference between showcase the beauty of Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim, former Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) representative, while Bedi was merely a Lt Governor self-claimed medical practitioner, demanded an petrol and diesel prices in Chandigarh and Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and even Charanjit Sharma in Hoshiarpur. Sharma and three appointed by the central government. “This is investigation into the role of the three. According to Punjab is around Rs9 and over Rs2 per litre, California and the Western Ghats. “The Himalayas others were booked for murder and attempt to travesty of democracy,” Kejriwal said, adding a charge-sheet, Ashwani used to visit the shelter home respectively. Fuel pump owners had been are particularly my fascination. The fascination murder following recommendations by the Ranjit “it is a shocking sight to see the chief minister, to allegedly administer sedative-laced injections to the demanding uniformity in taxes at par with is like love, you either feel it or you don’t, but I do Singh Commission of Inquiry. ministers, and legislators sitting on the road.” inmates before they were subjected to sexual abuse. other states in the region. love the mountains,” Mukharji said.

Remove Sania as brand ambassador, Mastermind MLA urges Telangana

IANS of Pulwama Hyderabad

ontroversial Bharatiya Ja- nata Party legislator Raja CSingh yesterday urged the Telangana government to terror attack remove Indian tennis star Sania Mirza as the brand ambassador of the state, calling her “Paki- stan’s daughter-in-law”. The Telangana Assembly member said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao must im- killed in clash mediately remove Mirza as the brand ambassador in the wake of Reuters were killed, while nine troops for Pakistan’s foreign ministry the February 14 terror attack in Srinagar were wounded, including a brig- said on Twitter yesterday. Pulwama that claimed the lives adier, one of the army’s top roles, The Thursday bomb attack of 44 Central Reserve Police and a deputy inspector general of has sparked outrage in India with Force (CRPF) troopers. ecurity forces yesterday police. calls for revenge circulating on “We don’t need a Pakistani killed three militants, in- A civilian was also killed. social media, and rising animos- bahu as brand ambassador of Scluding the suspected or- “They have protection. Our ity towards Kashmiri Muslims in Telangana,” said Raja Singh, who ganiser of a suicide bombing in offi cers and men are exposed, other parts of the country, to the represents Goshamahal constit- Jammu and Kashmir that fuelled whereas they’re in the built up alarm of rights groups. uency in Hyderabad. tension between India and Paki- area, hiding,” said K Rajendra “We are at a dangerous mo- He feels that removing Mir- stan, police said, with fi ve troops Kumar, a former director general ment, and authorities must do za, wife of Pakistani cricketer also killed in the clash. of police in Jammu and Kashmir. everything they can to uphold Shoaib Malik, as the brand am- The suicide bomb attack on Security force sources said the rule of law,” said Aakar Patel, bassador will send a strong mes- a paramilitary police convoy in one of the dead militants had head of Amnesty India. sage to Pakistan over its alleged Pulwama district last Thursday been identifi ed as Abdul Rash- “Ordinary Kashmiris across involvement in terror activities. killed at least 44 men, the dead- id Gazi, who went by the alias India who are only seeking to Raja Singh said when the cen- liest single assault on Indian Kamran Bhai and is suspected of improve their lives should not tral government was taking a forces in 30 years of insurgency playing a leading role in organis- be singled out for violence sim- series of tough measures against in the state. ing Thursday’s attack. ply because of where they come Pakistan, the state government The Pakistan-based militant Indian troops had earlier cor- from.” should also take the step to con- group Jaish-e-Mohamed (JeM) doned off Pinglan village in Pul- The anger has also spread vey strong sentiments of the In- claimed responsibility for the wama, where the attack took to India’s two big obsessions: dian citizens to Pakistan. attack. India accuses Pakistan place on Thursday. cricket and its Bollywood fi lm The BJP leader suggested that for harbouring the group. An indefi nite curfew has been industry. the state government could ap- Pakistan denies that. imposed and police have asked Several cricket fans and a point any other player as its Prime Minister Narendra people to stay indoors. sport offi cial have called on India brand ambassador. Modi, facing an election that Mohamed Yunis, a journal- to boycott a World Cup match “We have cricketer V V S Lax- must be held by May, is under ist in Pulwama, said troops were against Pakistan in June, while man and badminton stars Saina domestic pressure for decisive searching the village and civil- the Cricket Club of India has Nehwal or P V Sindhu, who are action against Pakistan. ians trapped in houses were be- covered up a portrait of Pakistan also from Telangana and who Modi has promised a strong ing evacuated. Prime Minister Imran Khan – have brought many laurels to response and says he has given On Sunday, police said secu- himself a former cricketer – at the state and to the country,” he the military a free hand to tackle rity forces had detained 23 men its Mumbai offi ce. added. cross-border militancy. suspected of links to the mili- The All India Cine Workers Telangana had named Sania The three militants killed in the tants who carried out the Thurs- Association called for a “total Mirza as the state’s brand ambas- clash yesterday were all Pakistani day bombing. ban” on Pakistanis working in sador in July 2014. Then BJP leader nationals and members of JeM, India withdrew trade privileg- India’s fi lm industry, though in Telangana Assembly, K Laxman, two security sources said. es off ered to Pakistan after the they have been largely blacklist- had termed Mirza as “non-local” “The encounter is still in bomb attack and has warned of ed from Bollywood since a simi- and “Pakistan’s daughter-in-law” progress and the security forces further action. lar attack in Kashmir in 2016 in questioning her credentials to rep- are on the job,” police said in a The United States had told which 19 soldiers died. resent the state. statement. India it supported its right to de- The Confederation of All In- Reacting to Laxman’s com- But the 17-hour engagement, fend itself against cross-border dia Traders called for a nation- ment, the tennis ace had said that ended shortly before 1330 attacks, India said on Saturday. wide strike to protest against the that though married to a Paki- GMT, came at a cost for India’s With tension mounting, Paki- attack, and television footage stani, she would remain an In- A house in which militants are suspected to have sheltered is in flames after a gunfight broke out between security services. stan withdrew its envoy to India showed shuttered shops in sev- dian until the end. rebels and security forces in Pinglan village in Pulwama district yesterday. Four soldiers and a policeman for consultations, a spokesman eral states yesterday. Time for talks is over, says Up to Sidhu to explain Modi after deadly attack his stand: Punjab CM IANS “Budget presentation is a vi- DPA the site of a rebel bombing that ures against terrorism and those Chandigarh tal proceeding, which the people New Delhi killed 40 paramilitary soldiers against humanity, also encour- of the state await eagerly every on Thursday. ages terrorism,” he added. year,” Singh said, lashing out at Addressing the press along- Thursday’s attack came a unjab Chief Minister Am- the Akalis for targeting Sidhu ndian Prime Minister side visiting Argentine Presi- time when India is readying arinder Singh yesterday it to divert attention from such an Narendra Modi has rejected dent Mauricio Macri in New for general elections, which are Pwas up to minister Navjot important matter. Ithe possibility of talks with Delhi, Modi exhorted the world due by May. Singh Sidhu to explain his stance Singh said that the Akali lead- Pakistan after a deadly bomb- to unite against terrorism. Attacks on Kashmiri peo- defending Pakistan on the Pul- ership was making a mockery of ing last week sparked new vio- “The Pulwama terror attack ple have been reported from wama terror attack. democratic traditions for petty lence in the disputed Kashmir (bombing) shows that the time several parts of India since the Sidhu’s comments have em- political gains. region yesterday and raised for talks is over,” Modi said in a deadly bombing last week. barrassed Singh’s government “Such unconstitutional behav- tensions between the nuclear- reference to a possible dialogue Human rights group Am- and the Congress Party. iour is not only unbecoming of a armed neighbours. with Islamabad to ease ten- nesty has called on Indian au- Singh said Sidhu “must have party of national stature but ac- Four Indian soldiers, three sions. thorities to ensure that Kash- realised that he had gone over- tually exposed their anti-people militants, one police offi cer “Now the entire world needs miri people are not targeted or board with his Pakistan visit”. mindset. They neither care for the and one civilian were killed to unite to take concrete steps face harassment and arbitrary The chief minister was refer- traditions of the House nor are yesterday in a gunbattle in to deal with terrorism and sup- arrests in the aftermath of the ring to Sidhu’s visit to Pakistan concerned about the welfare of the Pulwama district, not far from porters. Not taking strict meas- attack. during the Kartarpur corridor people,” the chief minister said. ceremony. “Sidhu was a crick- Sidhu, who takes every oppor- eter while I was a soldier, and tunity to harp on his friendship both have diff erent viewpoints with Pakistan Prime Minister on things,” Singh said. Imran Khan, a former cricketer “Sidhu does not understand like himself, said on February 15: defence intricacies and had pos- “Wherever wars are fought and sibly reacted out of friendly mo- such things (Pulwama-type at- tive,” the chief minister said, add- tack) happen, dialogue also con- ing that the minister’s “intentions tinues simultaneously. were surely not anti-national and “There is a need to fi nd a per- he must have got the message”. manent solution (to issues be- The chief minister slammed tween India and Pakistan). Such the opposition Shiromani Akali people (terrorists) have no reli- Students hold placards and shout slogans during a procession to pay Dal for creating ruckus on the is- gion, no country and no caste. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks on as Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri speaks during tribute to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed in a sue in the Punjab Assembly yes- When a snake bites, its antidote a joint press briefing at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi yesterday. terror attack in Kashmir, in Chennai yesterday. terday for political gains. is also snake poison.” Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 INDIA SC revokes order to reopen Vedanta smelter plant

Agencies In December, India’s National urge its chief justice for an expe- other parts of the state. zhagam president M K Stalin a to the US Department of Justice ment has brought a permanent New Delhi Green Tribunal (NGT) revoked ditious hearing and for interim Tamil Nadu Law Minister C Ve case be registered against the (DOJ) and the Securities Ex- blot on Tamil Nadu in the global the state decision to shut the relief. Shanmugam welcomed the Su- US-based Cognizant Technology change Commission (SEC). arena by demanding and accept- plant, prompting the state gov- The TNPCB had in the course of preme Court verdict. Solutions for bribing Tamil Nadu Bribing of foreign government ing bribe from Cognizant in 2014 he Supreme Court yester- ernment to appeal in the Su- arguments asserted that the cop- “The Tamil Nadu government government offi cials in an orteff offi cials is an off ence in the US to give construction permits for day set aside an order by preme Court. per smelting plant was the cause had argued before the Supreme to secure construction permits. under the Foreign Corrupt Prac- the KITS Campus in Shollinga- Tan environmental court The NGT had asked the Tamil of near irreversible ground water Court that the NGT does not In a statement issued in Chen- tices Act. nallur. which had cleared the way for Nadu Pollution Control Board pollution and thus could not be have jurisdiction in deciding on nai, Stalin said that Prime Minis- Cognizant admitted that it He said the All India Anna reopening Vedanta’s copper (TNPCB) to give its consent for allowed to resume operation. the government’s closure order,” ter Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya had paid about $2mn as bribe Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam smelter plant in Tamil Nadu, in the re-opening the plant. On the other hand, Vedanta he said.. Janata Party government should to the offi cials through its con- government was driving away a blow to the company’s plans to However, a bench of Supreme had described as “political” the “It is a victory for the Tamil assist the state’s Directorate of struction company to get the investors thereby preventing job begin operations. Court judges Rohinton Fali Nar- decision to put the plant under Nadu government. The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption permits. opportunities for the youth. The Tamil Nadu government iman and Navin Sinha asked the lock. government will face the case (DVAC) in getting bribery evi- The construction company is Although Cognizant has ordered the smelter shut perma- Vedanta to approach the Madras Vedanta had contended that if the company approaches the dence from US courts. a large engineering fi rm with an agreed to settle the case, the nently in May after violent pro- High Court and since the plant the water pollution was not lim- high court for Last week, Cognizant said offi ce in Chennai, according to DVAC can start a probe to locate tests at the plant in Thoothukudi has been locked up for quite ited just to Thoothukudi, and In another development yes- that it agreed to settle the case the case papers. the corrupt offi cials, an agency in which 13 people were killed. some time, the company could that similar situation existed in terday, Dravida Munnetra Ka- by agreeing to pay about $28mn Stalin said the state govern- offi cial said. Congress to Veteran music director Khayyam turns 92 launch poll campaign on March 1

IANS Dhule and Nanded are tra- Mumbai ditional Congress bastions in northern Maharashtra and the Marathwada regions of the state, ongress president Rahul with a fair sprinkling of minori- Gandhi will launch the ties, tribals, Dalits and other Cnational campaign for sections of population. the coming Lok Sabha elections Meanwhile, the Congress has in Maharashtra with a mega rally asked all its state units to expedite in Dhule, a traditional party bas- the process of candidate selection tion, on March 1, a party leader as well as state-wise electoral Singer Talat Aziz (left), music director Uttam Singh (second left), musician and singer Bhupinder Singh (right) and singer Jagjit Kaur (second right) celebrate the 92nd said yesterday. understanding for the Lok Sabha birthday of Bollywood music director Mohamed Zahur Khayyam, better known as Khayyam, at his home in Mumbai yesterday. Gandhi will begin the cam- before this month which would paign at 3pm in the presence be then approved by the Congress of top leaders. The same day he Election Committee. may even visit Mumbai and ad- The recent assembly polls, par- dress a rally there. ticularly in Rajasthan, saw a lot The Congress-led United of infi ghting in the Congress over Progressive Alliance in Mahar- ticket distribution, causing em- ashtra will set the ball rolling for barrassment to the central lead- the parliamentary elections by ership. Several disgruntled party its fi rst joint poll campaign rally leaders staged protests and over a in Nanded tomorrow, said state dozen contested as independents, Shiv Sena, BJP forge party chief Ashok Chavan. denting the party’s showing. The rally will see the partici- In order to avoid a repeat of a pation of UPA constituents in- similar situation, the state units cluding the Nationalist Congress have been told to expedite the Party, the Praja Rajyam Party and procedure of candidate selection other parties and their top leaders and submit the lists before the like Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad month end. alliance for elections Pawar and Jogendra Kawade. One of the major issues dis- This will be followed by an- cussed during Rahul Gandhi’s Agencies told a news conference in Mum- Manohar Joshi and other sen- cherished desire of party work- Patil alleged that the Sena was other UPA rally to be hosted recent meeting with general sec- Mumbai bai. ior leaders from both sides ers from both sides to work out arm-twisted into forging the al- by the NCP leader Dhananjay retaries and state unit chiefs was The Shiv Sena enjoys consid- made the announcement at a an alliance, and fi nally it has liance under threats of Enforce- Munde, in his home town of Par- ticket distribution. erable political clout across Ma- joint press conference in the been done successfully. ment Directorate (ED) cases. li, Beed, on Saturday. “Ticket distribution has always he Shiv Sena party will harashtra. evening. He appealed to all workers The Nationalist Congress According to party sources, been a contentious issue with all partner with Prime Min- Maharashtra sends 48 law- “We are confi dent of return- that since the Sena is the old- Party (NCP) state spokesman Congress general secretary Pri- the parties. But this time it has Tister Narendra Modi’s makers to parliament, second ing to power both in Maharash- est and most reliable ally, “to Nawab Malik claimed that the yanka Gandhi is also likely to been decided that ticket distri- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in only to Uttar Pradesh, the most tra and the Centre based on our bury their bitterness of recent Sena, which had called Modi address some rallies in the state, bution will be fi nalised only after coming elections after agreeing populous state, which elects 80 exceptional performance for the times” and start working for the “Chowkidar Chor Hai” in the although the details are yet to be names recommended are ap- a seat-sharing plan in Mahar- lawmakers. past fi ve years,” Fadnavis said. elections with renewed vigour past, is now allying with the fi nalised. proved,” a Congress leader said. ashtra, the parties said yester- “We have entered into the He said the BJP has accepted to ensure victory of the alliance same BJP. day. alliance to keep the opposition all major demands of the Shiv in both Lok Sabha and assembly BJP has been scrambling to Kirti Azad joins Congress The tie-up with the Shiv parties out,” Shiv Sena chief Sena including expediting the elections. make an alliance with regional Sena, a partner in the govern- Uddhav Thackeray said. process to construct a Ram Shah also reiterated that the parties for the general election, Cricketer-turned-politician Congress president Rahul ing coalition led by the BJP, is a “We have been together for temple in Ayodhya, farmers’ BJP-Sena alliance will bag 45 which pollsters say could pro- and suspended Bharatiya Gandhi. A three-time MP, Azad boost to Modi as he seeks alli- over 25 years because of our issues and problems in imple- seats in the Lok Sabha in view of duce a fractured mandate. Janata Party MP Kirti Azad was suspended from the BJP in ances ahead of the general elec- shared ideologies and spirit of menting the Pradhan Mantri the performance of the govern- The Samajwadi Party (SP) joined the Congress in New 2015 for alleging “corruption” tion, which is due to be held by nationalism. In the 2014 elec- Fasal Bima Yojana to benefi t the ment headed by Modi. and the Bahujan Samaj Party Delhi yesterday and slammed in the Delhi and District Cricket May. tions, owing to certain reasons peasantry. However, none of the lead- (BSP), traditional political rivals Prime Minister Narendra Association (DDCA), then The Shiv Sena had said last we had split, but later for the Terming it a “new begin- ers took any questions from the in Uttar Pradesh, last month Modi for making what he said headed by Finance Minister year it would contest the elec- past nearly fi ve years we are in ning” between the two parties, media, especially pertaining to forged an alliance in an eff ort to were false promises. Azad, Arun Jaitley. Azad launched a tion on its own. alliance in Maharashtra and at Thackeray said the “bitter ex- the Sena’s claim for the post of defeat the BJP. who represents Darbhanga scathing attack on Modi and In Maharashtra the Shiv Sena the Centre,” Fadnavis said. periences” of the past fi ve years chief minister in the next as- In a fi llip to opposition par- in Bihar in the Lok Sabha, said that under the current and the BJP would contest 23 BJP president Amit Shah and would not be repeated in future, sembly elections. ties, the BJP lost power in three was formally inducted into leadership there was no and 25 seats respectively, Chief Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thack- and both parties will work and Reacting to the develop- states in December, dealing the party in the presence of internal democracy in the BJP. Minister Devendra Fadnavis, eray, along with Fadnavis, fi ght “shoulder-to-shoulder”. ments, the opposition Congress Modi his biggest defeat since he who is also a member of the BJP, former Lok Sabha speaker Shah said it was the long leader Radhakrishna Vikhe- took offi ce in 2014.

Pak must be ordered to free Two held for murder of Jadhav, India tells UN court Youth Congress workers IANS The authorities have got in Thiruvananthapuram touch with the Karnataka police AFP death by a military court in 2017. the treaty that governs diplo- over the case. The Hague India insists Jadhav, 48, was matic relations between coun- Skirmishes between support- not a spy and that he was kid- tries. day after two Youth Con- ers of the shutdown and the po- napped in Pakistan. India’s joint secretary at its gress workers were killed lice were reported from many slamabad should be ordered New Delhi is now asking the External Aff airs Ministry, Deep- Ain Kerala, police yesterday places yesterday. Youth Congress to immediately free an Indian ICJ – which rules in disputes be- ak Mittal, told the court the arrested two men as a dawn-to- demonstrators reportedly stoned Iman sentenced to death for tween countries – to nullify his proceedings against Jadhav in dusk statewide shutdown called state-owned buses and forcibly alleged spying in Pakistan, In- sentence and to order Islamabad Pakistan were based on a “farci- by the Congress youth wing af- closed down shops in some areas. dia’s lawyers told the UN’s top to set him free. cal case” and “malicious propa- fected life in the state. However, shops in Thiru- court yesterday, saying his mili- “Considering the trauma he ganda”. While the Congress has hinted vananthapuram district were tary trial was a “farcical case” has been subjected to over the But Pakistan’s lawyer Khawar at Communist Party of India open ahead of the Attukal Pon- based on “malicious propagan- past three years, it would be in Qureshi hit back after the hear- (Marxist)’s hand behind Sun- gala festival to be held tomorrow. da”. the interest of justice of making ing, saying: “There are funda- day’s killings, the ruling party At a few places, private vehi- The hearing concerning Kul- human rights a reality, to direct mental questions that India has has denied any involvement. cles were stopped by the pro- bushan Sudhir Jadhav at the his release,” India’s lawyer Har- yet to answer. There has been rising animosity testers but traffi c plied smoothly International Court of Justice ish Salve told the judges. “Today, we are disappointed between the youth wings of the in other areas. comes amid a sharp spike in ten- He said Jadhav’s trial by mili- with India’s position. They’ve two parties in Kasargode where Meanwhile, the Kerala High sions between the two neigh- tary court “hopelessly failed said nothing new,” Qureshi said, the killings occurred. Court yesterday said the shut- bours, after a suicide attack on to satisfy even the minimum adding: “You will hear what we Krupesh, 19, and Joshy, 24, down violates its directives. an military convoy last week and standards of due process and have to say about this tomor- were hacked to death by three On January 7, a division bench renewed fi ghting in Kashmir. should be declared unlawful”. row.” men who came on motorcy- of Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy Jadhav, a former navy offi cer, Furthermore, he said, Paki- New Delhi’s move in the con- cles. While Krupesh died at the and Justice A K Jayasankaran was arrested in the southwest- stan “grossly violated” Jadhav’s troversial case comes as fresh Indian lawyer Harish Salve (left) and V D Sharma are seen at Kasargode district hospital, Nambiar had passed an interim ern Pakistani province of Balu- human rights by refusing him bloodshed in Kashmir sent ten- the International Court of Justice during the final hearing of Joshy succumbed to his injuries order which said that any group chistan in March 2016 on charg- consular access he was entitled sions between the neighbours the Kulbushan Jadhav case in The Hague, the Netherlands, on his way to a medical facility in which wishes to call a shutdown es of espionage and sentenced to to under the Vienna Convention, soaring. yesterday. Mangaluru, Karnataka. should give seven days’ notice. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 19 LATIN AMERICA Argentina security in spotlight as election nears

Reuters alling facial recognition at train The focus on crime comes Management and Fit, said the drug bust or gang that has been central political role, told Reuters ing the deportation of foreigners Buenos Aires stations. as her boss, President Mauri- government was trying to pitch taken down. her past with a guerrilla group convicted of crimes and lower- In an interview, Bullrich told Reu- cio Macri, prepares for national its campaign with “Bullrich front “Let’s fi ght hard against the had steeled her to deal with tough ing the age of impunity by a year ters she was also spearheading talks elections in October, with the and centre and a focus on the is- drug traffi cking mafi a and their political fi ghts now. to 15, which she said was to deter rgentina’s government, with China to purchase police body country still reeling from an eco- sue of law and order”. impunity,” she wrote on Twitter. She did not rule out a future young people from committing with one eye on elections cameras for local forces, which she nomic collapse last year that saw This, in part, is a way of dis- Bullrich was once part of a run for higher offi ce, but said she serious crimes. Alater in the year, is getting added would be the fi rst such deal Argentina’s peso lose half its val- tracting from the economic tur- left-wing Peronist political fac- was now focused on the work at Other measures include buy- tough on crime, and one fi gure is with Beijing for her ministry. ue against the dollar. moil still roiling the country, For- tion with ties to guerrilla groups hand. ing about 300 stun guns for po- taking centre stage: the country’s “Insecurity is a concern of Macri, hamstrung by a deal noni said. and was exiled under Argentina’s “In that moment, we were lice, the introduction of a law on security tsar. the Argentine people and so it’s with the International Monetary “(The focus of the campaign) military dictatorship that ruled in anti-system in every sense,” she violence by soccer fans and an- Patricia Bullrich, 62, the secu- a concern of our government,” Fund (IMF) that gives his govern- can’t be centred around the the 70s and 80s. said, adding she’d since learned other easing rules around using rity minister, is pushing a series she told Reuters at her sprawling ment limited options to rev up a economy,” she said. She is now the face of Argen- that while democracy was not DNA collected from criminals. of new tough-on-crime meas- Buenos Aires offi ces at the min- stalled economy, is trying to turn The security minister has often tina’s crackdown on drugs and perfect, “It’s the best system we Political peers defended her ures, including dropping the age istry of national security. attention instead to security. been at Macri’s side over the past “narcoterrorism”. have.” crime crackdown as being a re- for juvenile convictions, equip- “We’re trying to have the best Mariel Fornoni, a political ana- few months and regularly posts The security tsar, who some Bullrich is now pushing ahead fl ection of what citizens were ping cops with stun guns and tri- tools.” lyst for Argentinian consultancy on social media about the latest have tipped to take an even more some controversial laws, includ- concerned about. Protests in Brazil as black teen dies after being restrained

Guardian News and Media ment) in Brazil to compare to the Brasilia US, but this year I think it will happen more often because the black community is more and razilian activists have more united.” Silva said the pro- taken to the streets in fi ve test was for all the black people Bmajor cities after the death being killed, citing the case of of a young black man who was Jenifer Gomes, 11, who died last restrained by a supermarket se- week in Rio. Residents blamed curity guard. the city’s police – recently ac- Campaigners said the pro- cused of executing 13 unarmed tests are feeding a nascent Black men in a Rio favela, including Lives Matter movement in Brazil, drug gang members – but offi c- where nearly three-quarters of ers have denied responsibility. all homicide victims are black. “We want to talk more about Outside the Extra supermar- black lives matter, for society to ket in the upscale Barra da Ti- understand we can’t stand rac- juca neighbourhood of Rio de ism anymore,” he said. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido speaks during a news conference to mark the fifth anniversary of the arrest of the opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez in Caracas, Venezuela. Janeiro, demonstrators chanted Black activists, rappers and the name of Pedro Gonzaga, who celebrities shared details of the died of a heart attack in hospital protests and expressed revul- on Thursday after being immo- sion over Gonzaga’s killing. Lucy bilised with a “sleep hold” by a Ramos, an actor, shared a lyric security guard. from the singer Elza Soares: “The Protests were also reported in cheapest meat in the supermar- Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte and ket is black meat.” Fortaleza. Another took place on Augusto Trota, 19, a car Expelled EU lawmakers Saturday in Recife. cleaner and friend of the victim, Lyz Ramos, 19, a student said Gonzaga had hoped to be painting placards in Rio, said: ome a successful rapper perform- “We have to take a position ing funk, a Rio style of hip-hop. “He against this to stay alive. It’s a was a good person, you could count basic issue.” Gonzaga, 19, was on him at any time,” Trota said. immobilised by Davi Amancio. O Globo newspaper reported plan to re-enter Venezuela Video footage showing the prone that Gonzaga was a drug user and Gonzaga underneath Amancio was being taken by his mother, AFP eign minister inviting the fi ve to Pons said the fi ve had been in- Opposition offi cials hit out at “On February 23 we have the while onlookers pleaded for him Dinalva Oliveira, to a rehabilita- Madrid go to his country on Saturday. vited by Guaido to visit Venezuela. state Internet provider CANTV opportunity to save the lives of to be let go generated widespread tion clinic when they stopped at “We have accepted the invi- The delegation included two yesterday for blocking the web- hundreds of thousands of Ven- anger. One woman can be heard the supermarket’s food court to tation and... we are going to try other Spanish lawmakers as well site where volunteers are sign- ezuelans,” Guaido said. saying: “He is suff ocating him.” have lunch, and he had a fi t or ive European lawmakers to cross over with rations and as one each from Portugal and ing up to help bring in the aid, Last week, CANTV had also He was taken unconscious to hallucination. Andre Barreto, a who were expelled from medicine from Cucuta,” Pons the Netherlands. mostly supplied by the US but redirected traffi c from the vol- hospital, where he died. lawyer for Groupe Protection, FVenezuela yesterday said told reporters in Madrid, refer- Writing on Twitter, Guaido stockpiled in Colombia just over unteer website to an almost As the outcry grew, the hash- the security company at the they would try to re-enter the ring to the Colombian border said the MEPs had been “de- the border from Venezuela. identical-looking page in an- tag .VidasNegrasImportam (Black store, told the Folha de S.Paulo country via Colombia along city where US humanitarian aid ported by an isolated and in- Bringing in humanitarian aid other bid to slow down the mo- Lives Matter) began circulating, newspaper that Gonzaga ran to- with a shipment of humanitar- is being stockpiled for planned creasingly irrational regime”. is crucial to Guaido, who has bilisation. and black Brazilians compared his wards the security guard, threw ian aid sent by the US. delivery to Venezuela. Both Spain and France have given Maduro’s government un- Yesterday a second aid col- death to that of Eric Garner, who himself on the ground and simu- The European Parliament The expulsion of the lawmak- condemned Venezuela’s deci- til Saturday to let the shipments lection centre began operations died after police in New York im- lated a fi t. The security guard members were tossed out of ers is the latest point of tension sion to kick them out. into the country. in Brazil’s northeastern state of mobilised him in 2014. put him on his side and raised Venezuela with no explanation between the international com- Venezuela’s crisis was deep- Guaido is recognised as inter- Roraima, which borders Ven- Rene Silva, one of the organ- up his head, but Gonzaga seized on Sunday shortly after they ar- munity and Venezuelan Presi- ening yesterday as opposition im president by 50 countries in ezuela. A third centre is due to isers of the Rio protest and the his weapon and began threaten- rived in Caracas, according to dent Nicolas Maduro, who is in leader Guaido’s deadline to let his challenge to socialist leader open this week in the Dutch is- founder of the Voz das Comuni- ing people, Barreto said. Another Spanish MEP Esteban Gonzalez the grip of a power struggle with in desperately needed humani- Maduro’s authority. land of Curacao, off Venezuela’s dades, a newspaper from Rio’s security guard took the weapon, Pons who led the group. opposition leader Juan Guaido, tarian aid loomed, and Presi- Venezuela is in the grip of north coast. Complexo do Alemao favela Gonzaga attacked Amancio But after he returned to Ma- the head of the National Assem- dent Nicolas Maduro showed a humanitarian crisis due to “We are committed to achiev- complex, said: “There has never again, and the two began a strug- drid, Pons said he received a bly who proclaimed himself in- no sign of backing down on shortages of food and medicine ing change in Venezuela,” said been a Black Lives Matter (move- gle, he added. phone call from Colombia’s for- terim president last month. blocking the shipments. exacerbated by hyperinfl ation. Guaido on Twitter. Mexican president visits Ortega meets business ‘El Chapo’s’ home turf chiefs in bid to end crisis Reuters eliminate some exemptions. Managua Protests fi rst erupted in April Reuters growers. the capos emerged as unlikely when Ortega’s leftist govern- Badiraguato, Mexico With a population of 32,000, benefactors, building roads and ment moved to reduce welfare Badiraguato is one of the poor- buildings, locals say. he Nicaraguan govern- benefi ts, but have escalated into est municipalities in the state of That may explain why some ment said it has initiated broader opposition against Or- Mexican President Andres Sinaloa and the country, accord- found Lopez Obrador’s visit, Ttalks with the country’s tega, who has been in offi ce since Manuel Lopez Obrador has visit- ing to Mexican statistics agency coming after El Chapo’s con- private sector in what observers 2007. ed the birthplace of the country’s Inegi. viction on smuggling tonnes see as a bid to repair the relation- More than 320 people have most infamous drug traffi cker, Lopez Obrador, who has spo- of drugs to the US, so signifi- ship between embattled Presi- been killed and more than 600 Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, ken of the need to fi ght poverty cant. dent Daniel Ortega and business detained since protests began, calling for peace and reconcilia- across Mexico, announced a de- With the drug lord behind leaders and ease a political crisis according to fi gures from human tion days after a US jury convict- velopment plan for Badiraguato bars, and facing a probable life that has engulfed the country rights groups. ed the kingpin. that included a new highway, sentence, Badiraguato will need a since last spring. Roman Catholic Cardinal Speaking to a crowd in Badira- a public university and a pro- new champion. The dialogue between the Leopoldo Brenes and Archbishop guato, a mountainous munici- gramme to plant trees. “Guzman helped the town government and businessmen Waldemar Stanislaw also partic- pality in the northwestern state “Until now, I’ve never seen a a lot. Now that he is not here, “has confi rmed the need for an ipated in the talks. of Sinaloa long associated with let’s hope the state responds,” agreement to begin negotiations The Catholic Church of Nica- cartels, Lopez Obrador said peo- “Guzman helped the said Jose Carrillo, a 61-year-old through an inclusive, serious and ragua organised previous talks ple must not be “stigmatised.” town a lot. Now that he day labourer, while eating at a frank meeting,” the government between Ortega and the opposi- “(The people of) Badiraguato is not here, let’s hope the chicken restaurant named after said in a statement. tion. are good people, they are hard- state responds” El Chapo. Jose Adan Aguerri, the presi- Kevin Sullivan, the US am- working people,” he told a cheer- Several residents said they dent of the Superior Council bassador to Nicaragua, ap- ing crowd in a public square. “We president come here,” said Javier were cautiously optimistic about of Private Enterprise, told lo- plauded the meeting. “The US must seek reconciliation, we de la Rocha, a 41-year-old farm- Lopez Obrador’s plans and eager cal media that the meeting was government welcomes this must fi nd peace.” er. to work on the projects. an “important effort to open a effort to re-establish nego- Though warring gang factions El Chapo is not the only drug “With the university, my door that has been closed for a tiations between Nicaraguan have infl icted periodic bloodshed lord who calls it home — Rafael family is no longer going to have long time.” government and civil society on the municipality, some villag- Caro Quintero and Ernesto Fon- to travel to study elsewhere,” This week, Nicaragua’s na- representatives,” he wrote in a ers speak fondly of the largesse of seca Carrillo, both former leaders said de la Rocha, the farmer, tional assembly, which is domi- post on Twitter. their native son, who was born in of the Guadalajara cartel, were leaning on his shovel in front nated by legislators loyal to “The negotiations will require the hamlet of La Tuna and whose also born nearby. of a huge sign welcoming Lopez the government, is expected to good faith eff orts to achieve real Sinaloa cartel provided work In a district where 70% of resi- Obrador. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador delivers a speech during discuss tax reform that would solutions in real time for the Nic- for marijuana and opium poppy dents live below the poverty line, an event in Badiraguato, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. increase taxes on business and araguan people.” Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 PAKISTAN

Gunmen kill four Punjab planning WASH soldiers in southwest

Reuters initiative in 11 districts Quetta Internews hawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan about water-borne and water- water treatment, and solid waste vide this facility for villages not The documents indicated that Lahore divisions alone. related diseases, nutrition and bins). covered under their project on the government has allocated unmen attacked a Paki- The project aims to reduce hygiene. Under this programme 25 ODF missing school facilities. Rs1.13bn for the current fi scal stani security post in the stunting by improving nutrition, Under the programme, 4,630 villages will be provided sewer- Drinking water facility will be year 2018-19, Rs1.21bn will be Gresource-rich province of he Punjab government is through ensuring access to ad- villages will be certifi ed ODF, age, drainage facility, PCC (Port- provided to each of the model earmarked for fi scal year 2019- Baluchistan and killed four para- going to initiate its Water, equate and equitable sanitation 350,000 toilets will be con- land cement concrete) pavement villages through ongoing ini- 20, Rs684mn for fi scal year military soldiers, offi cials said TSanitation, and Hygiene and hygiene for all men, women, structed by community on self- in streets, wastewater treatment tiatives of the Punjab Saaf Pani 2020-21, and Rs58mn for fi scal yesterday. (WASH) programme soon in 11 and children, and substantially help basis, 8mn people will be facility, and solid waste bins. Company. year 2021-22. Separatists have for decades districts of South Punjab, it was reduce open defecation in ru- reached through awareness ses- At least 75,000 people in these Animal segregation areas Upon execution, the schemes fought a low-level insurgency learnt yesterday. ral areas of targeted districts of sions of village organisations 25 model villages will gain access and waste management will be will be handed over to com- against the government in the Offi cial documents show that South Punjab by 2021-22. (VOs), and 3,500 ODF villages to safely managed total sanita- promoted, and free vaccination munities so that they can be southwestern province, which the WASH programme will be The main objective and stipu- (75% of total villages) provided tion facilities. promoted to those in compliance responsible for operation and is seeing increasing investment rolled out in Rahim Yar Khan, lated output of the programme cash reward of Rs200,000 as an Latrines – for boys and girls, through co-ordination with the maintenance, although need- in energy and infrastructure Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, include promoting knowledge, incentive. with hand washing station – for livestock department. based allocation for major repair projects by China and others, in- Multan, Khanewal, Vehari, Lod- behaviour change, demand for According to the documents, at least one school in each every The capital cost of the project (resulting in non-functionality) cluding Saudi Arabia. hran, Muzaff argarh, Dera Ghazi services and opportunities for the programme will help create ODF village will be provided. is estimated at Rs3.08bn, of may be considered by the gov- The Sunday attack in Panjgur Khan, Layyah, and Rajanpur. participation in rural commu- a healthy and safe environment This will be done in co-ordi- which 67% will be funded by ernment. district came as Saudi Arabia’s The project is estimated to nities to create an open defeca- through the provision of safely nation with the school educa- the provincial government and A proper mechanism will be Crown Prince Mohamed bin Sal- benefi t some 10mn people in tion-free (ODF) environment managed total sanitation facili- tion department. the rest will be fi nanced by the developed by VOs for revenue man was arriving in Pakistan at 4,630 villages of Multan, Ba- and increase public awareness ties (sewerage, drainage, waste- The project will only pro- World Bank. collection and its spending. the start of a tour of South Asia and China, which risks being overshadowed by escalating ten- sion between nuclear-armed ri- All in a day’s work vals India and Pakistan. “The four men suff ered multi- Pakistan ple gunshot wounds and died on the spot,” Khan Wasay, a spokes- man for the Frontier Corps para- on way to military force, told Reuters. No group claimed responsi- bility for the attack but it bore join Smart the hallmarks of the separatists who have long complained that Baluchistan’s gas and mineral Cities Club resources are unfairly exploited by richer provinces, with little reward for the people of Paki- Internews stan’s poorest province. Islamabad Pakistan has accused old rival India of supporting the Balu- chistan separatists. akistan is on the path of India rejects that. becoming a member of China has funded develop- PSmart Cities Club with ment of a deepwater port at the possible inclusion of Lahore Gwadar in south Baluchistan, in the Safe City Project of the and is also investing in other global index of United Nations projects as part of the giant Chi- (UN). na Pakistan Economic Corridor The Safe City Project en- (CPEC). sures the safety and protection of people and contributes to the economic development in the Afghan Taliban country, Punjab Safe Cities Au- thority chief operating offi cer postpone planned (COO) Akbar Nisar Khan told talks in Pakistan Express Tribune. A team of UN-Habitat will A delegation of the Afghan visit Pakistan in the fi rst week Taliban, which was scheduled to of March to review the security arrive in Islamabad yesterday, has situation for the inclusion of La- postponed its visit owing to travel hore in the Safe City Project. restrictions. The key component of this A statement issued by the Afghan project is the human resource of Taliban stated that a delegation information technology (IT). was scheduled to travel to Currently, around 1,000 em- Islamabad, but most of the ployees are working on the Safe members of its negotiating team City Project in Lahore, of which were unable to travel because 850 are IT experts. they are subject to US and UN Khan said that the execu- sanctions, according to a foreign tive committee of the National news agency. Economic Council (ECNEC) has No details were available. revised the cost of the project The delegation was scheduled to from Rs13.42bn to Rs17.5bn, ex- meet with Prime Minister Imran tending the project to Kasur fol- Khan, US Special Representative lowing the kidnap and murder of for Afghanistan Reconciliation six-year-old Zainab Ansari. A worker dries fabric threads after dyeing them at a factory in Lahore. Zalmay Khalilzad, and other As many as 50 cameras have off icials. been installed and the remain- ing 450 would be operational by next month in Kasur, he added. The Punjab Safe City author- ity has proposed to start the plan in six regional hubs of the prov- ince: Multan, Bahawalpur, Sar- 55bn plastic bags used annually in Pakistan godha, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and Gujranwala. Khan revealed that Punjab Internews Pakistan with an average daily used every year for the produc- duction, purchase, sale and use Sources disclosed that the The offi cials added that shop- Chief Minister Usman Buzdar Islamabad production capability of 250kg- tion of plastic. of polyethylene bags for the fi rst federal government prohibited keepers or traders often give also wants the scheme to be ini- 500kg. Plastic decomposes after a time in 1994, while Punjab’s In- manufacturing, production, these plastic bags for free with tiated in Dera Ghazi Khan. Further, this industry pro- period of 100 years. stitute for Conservation of En- purchasing and selling of plas- every purchase as they are very ‘This will create a minimum he usage of non-degrada- vides direct employment to Two years ago, the Environ- vironment placed a similar ban tic shopping bags in Islamabad cheap. of 5,000 jobs,” he said, adding ble plastic is high in Paki- some 200,000 people, and pro- ment Protection Department in 1995. in 2013 through an offi cial state One offi cial suggested that the that these projects would cost Tstan despite a ban on the vides for some 600,000 people issued notices to all traders in The Baluchistan government regulatory order (SRO). usage of plastic bags could only Rs50bn over three years to man- manufacturing, purchasing and indirectly. Islamabad to ensure full imple- completely banned and prohib- According to the SRO, it was be reduced if they are produced age traffi c and crimes. selling of non-degradable plas- According to the Environment mentation on the ban on us- ited the use of polythene bags prohibited for an individual to with an improved standard and The Safe City Project has also tic bags. Protection Department report, age of plastic bags, while it also throughout the province in 2001 manufacture, trade, supply, dis- sold instead of being given away become a major source of rev- According to a survey report around 5tn plastic bags are con- published advertisements in through the “Baluchistan Prohi- tribute, produce, purchase or for free. enue for the Punjab government, of the Environment Protection sumed every year worldwide, national newspapers to spread bition on Use and Sell of Poly- sell any non-degradable plas- The offi cials said that the pol- as it has earned Rs75mn through Department, as many as 55bn out of which some 13mn tonnes awareness about the hazards of thene Bags 2001” Ordinance. tic product or non-degradable ythene bags are a severe threat to e-Challan over the past three plastic bags are used per year of plastic bags are dumped into plastic. Similarly, Khyber Pa- plastic itself. the environment, as being non- months. in Pakistan, with the amount of the seas, endangering marine However, all the measures did khtunkhwa (KP)’s department of Offi cials said that there are a biodegradable, they choke the The Safe City Project in La- plastic use increasing 15% each life, with around 100,000 ma- not result in the desired out- Industries banned the manufac- number of plastic manufactur- sewerage lines. hore has been locally and inter- year. rine animals dying annually af- comes. turing of polythene bags across ing home industries operating Further, the smoke emitted nationally lauded. The report disclosed that ter ingesting plastic. A department source revealed the province, while the current across the country with no plan after burning of plastic bags is It has also developed academ- more than 8,000 plastic manu- The report revealed that that the Sindh government KP government has banned the in place for environmental pro- hazardous to health and the en- ic linkages. facturing units are present in around 17bn barrels of oil are banned the manufacturing, pro- use of polyethylene bags. tection. vironment.

Deals worth $20bn signed 2,100 inmates to be freed

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed deals worth $20bn Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman late on Sunday as Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed has ordered the release of about 2,100 Pakistani ‘Pakistan faces funding challenges in cutting disaster risk’ bin Salman began a two-day visit to Islamabad, to a prisoners from the kingdom’s jails during a high- great fanfare and amid heightened security. profile visit to Islamabad, Pakistan’s information “Today we signed MOUs (memorandums of minister said. Internews Development Fund (ADF). conducted, no comprehensive federal government and sepa- understanding),” the crown prince said during a The crown prince had “ordered the immediate Islamabad The report titled Diagnostics stochastic assessment of disas- rate funds administered by each ceremony at Prime Minister Imran Khan’s residence release of 2,107 Pakistani prisoners”, after a request Assessment of the Disaster Risk ter risk is now available for the of the provincial governments. .“The amount of investment is $20bn.” by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Information Minister Financing (DRF) in Pakistan entire country. However, in practice, sig- He added that the investment would “definitely Fawad Chaudhry said in a post on Twitter. akistan continues to face suggests that an eff ective dis- The federal and provincial nifi cant work remains to be ac- grow every month, every year” and that it would “be The fate of thousands of Pakistani workers locked funding challenges for aster relief fi nancing strategy governments have highly lim- complished in making the funds beneficial for both countries”. up in jails across the Middle East is a sensitive issue Pdisaster risk reduction should be developed based on ited ex-ante fi nancing instru- operational, adequate provision “We have worked together in tough and good times in Pakistan, where there is a perception that the and disaster response, and the detailed knowledge of the coun- ments in place for post-disaster of fi nancing mechanisms and and we continue to the same,” he said. prisoners are mostly poor labourers who have no heavily-decentralised approach try’s disaster risk. response. standardisation of procedures Earlier in the ceremony, Khan thanked the crown real legal recourse. to disaster relief fund is com- According to the report, while The National Disaster Man- across the provinces. prince for supporting Pakistan during diff icult times. The Saudi Arabia government has yet to comment plicating challenges in enhanc- some district and city-specifi c agement Act of 2010 established The mechanisms through “Saudi Arabia has been friend of Pakistan when on the Pakistani announcement of the prisoner ing disaster relief management, multi-hazard vulnerability and the National Disaster Manage- which disasters are fi nanced Pakistan needed friends,” he said. release. says a new report from the Asian risk assessments have been ment Fund administered by the vary by province. Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 21 PHILIPPINES Baguio struggles to cope with tourist infl ow

The resources are further said. According to the study, Baguio kilometres “can only support 145,416 strained by a “daylight has not yet breached its carrying ca- (residents).” Narrow roads and the population” composed of pacity — the population ceiling set high volume of private and public ve- transient students, employees by economists before a community’s hicles have led to traffi c jams, air pol- from other towns and resources are no longer enough for lution and the subsequent diminution provinces, and out-of-town everyone.It will exceed the capacity of income for commuters “who spend entrepreneurs who though when its population rises to more time travelling.” transact business in Baguio 700,000, the study added. The study also said the city’s solid The daytime population on week- waste management and sewerage sys- Agencies days has grown to 725,366, doubling tems had been inadequate. Authorities have stepped up appeals to parents to get their children inoculated against measles, amid a scare triggered by a Baguio City when tourists arrive during the Yule- The Certeza team used satellite im- controversial anti-dengue vaccine. tide and summer months, accord- ages and maps and determined that ing to Candido Cabrido, the project forest cover was only 23% of the total rban decay comes to mind leader. area of the city. every time city residents count Baguio was designed and built by “The population threshold of water Uthe hours before water comes the American colonial government supply is 267,546 (consumers), which out of their faucets, or when walking is in 1909 for 25,000 people, but popu- is lower than the current population,” a faster option to get to downtown so lation spikes occurred in the 1970s it said. Death toll in measles they won’t be late for classes. and after the city was devastated by Water has been rationed since the A draft report of an urban carrying- the 1990 Luzon earthquake, Navarro late 1980s, with each resident getting capacity study commissioned by the said. an average of 0.15 cubic metre a day. National Economic and Development After reconstruction, Baguio tried High-rise buildings, 52 of them Authority (Neda) has found that the to draw back people following massive more than eight storeys high, have outbreak reaches 136 city’s resources are hardly enough for outmigration “but had overmarketed been concentrated in densely popu- its population. the city after 1990 through (attrac- lated sections of the city, leading to DPA Authorities stepped up appeals to “In boxing, I have your back. But in Findings of the study were present- tions like) Panagbenga (the Baguio overcrowding, the study said. Manila parents to get their children inoculated our fi ght against measles, we have to be ed here on Feb 15, Philippine Daily Flower Festival),” she said. According to Cabrido, Baguio is against measles, amid a scare triggered together,” he said as he expressed sup- Inquirer reported. Migration, as well as the transient ideal for low-density development by a controversial anti-dengue vac- port for the Department of Health’s Baguio’s water supply, roads, ur- population, has replaced new births as because of its terrain, although new he death toll in a measles out- cine. “Knock Out Tigdas” (measles) cam- ban facilities and public services are the reason for Baguio’s current pace of engineering technology could make break in the Philippines has The health department has dis- paign. suffi cient by the thinnest of margins population growth. buildings safer on the mountains. Treached 136 since the start of patched teams to provide free vaccines Duque has blamed the increase on for its population of 345,366 (2015 Transients leave the city after their At the Philippine Military Academy the year, the Department of Health in government centres around the low vaccination rates among children census) but are woefully inadequate transactions so they should not con- on Saturday, Environment Secretary said yesterday. country in a bid to get wider immuni- due to a scare triggered by a controver- for its daytime population, especially sume too much of the city resources, Roy Cimatu said he might ask Mala- The number of cases nationwide has sation coverage. sial programme to immunise children when hordes of tourists come to visit Cabrido said. “But residents would canang to revoke Baguio’s exemption reached 8,443 as of February 16, al- “Vaccination is the best strategy against dengue in 2017. in summer or the Christmas season, naturally complain when they feel that from Presidential Decree No 705. The most double the number since the last to combat measles,” Health Secretary The scare focused on a vaccine cre- according to the study team from con- tourists, or people living in boarding Forestry Code of the Philippines pro- update last week, according to data Francisco Duque said. ated by French fi rm Sanofi Pasteur, sultancy group Certeza Infosys. houses, are being prioritised,” Navarro hibits the construction of houses and from the Department of Health. Senator Manny Pacquiao, a world which disclosed that the medicine But these resources are further said. buildings on steep slopes. Of the 136 patients who died from boxing champion, added his popular posed risks to children who have not strained by a “daylight population” The study matched fi ndings with Section 15 of the code states that the disease, 40% were aged one to four voice to the call for parents to vacci- been infected by dengue before immu- composed of transient students, em- public perception and validated con- “no land of the public domain 18% in years old, the department said. nate their children against measles. nisation. ployees from other towns and prov- cerns about overcrowding, pollution slope or over shall be classifi ed as al- inces, and out-of-town entrepreneurs and resource scarcity. ienable and disposable, nor any forest who transact business in Baguio, The study confi rmed that Baguio’s land 50% in slope or over, as grazing Certeza economist Gladys Navarro current road system spanning 349 land.” Court set to uphold martial law extension

By Jomar Canlas ponente of the case, Associate Justice tion of the Marawi siege, because ter- Manila Times Benjamin Caguioa, had circulated his rorism continues to haunt Mindanao. draft ponencia or decision on the mat- Lawmakers led by Albay Rep.Edcel ter last week, against the extension of Lagman have fi led a petition seeking to he Supreme Court is set to de- martial law. declare the third extension of martial liberate and vote today on the As of press time, sources said, sev- rule as well as the suspension of the Tpetitions assailing the declara- eral justices have manifested their dis- privilege of the writ of habeas corpus tion of President Rodrigo Duterte to sent on the Caguioa draft. in Mindanao as unconstitutional. prolong martial law in Mindanao, and Doing the headcount, the sources Other petitions were fi led by oth- Congress for agreeing to it. said an overwhelming majority of the er opposition lawmakers, group of Unimpeachable sources of Manila magistrates were inclined to uphold Lumad, former Commission on Elec- Times in the high court said an over- the extension of martial law. tions chairman Christian Monsod and whelming majority of the justices The Offi ce of the Solicitor General Bayan Muna party-list. sought to uphold the extension. has stressed that if terrorism and re- The suspension of the privilege of The petitions against martial law bellion continue, such would be a fac- the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao extension were listed on the Supreme tual ground for its extension. was fi rst imposed by the president for Court en banc or full-court agenda to- It cited the presence of communists 60 days on May 23, 2017, as a result of day, under Item 42. and extremist rebels. the attack in Marawi City by the Maute The court was given until February Data showed that the Abu Sayyaf Group and its followers, through Proc- 22 to rule on the matter as required by Group had a total of 424 members lamation 216. law. with 473 fi rearms. They are scattered In February 2018, the high court de- It must decide on the matter within all over Basilan, Sulu Tawi-Tawi and clared constitutional the declaration 30 days from the fi ling of the last peti- Zamboanga. The Bangsamoro Islamic of President Duterte’s extension of tion on the case. Freedom Fighters has 264 members martial law and the suspension of the The last petition against the exten- with 254 fi rearms. privilege of the writ of habeas corpus sion of martial law was fi led on Janu- Solicitor General Jose Calida has ar- in Mindanao until Dec 31, 2018. ary 23. gued that it was within the powers of Afterwards, Duterte asked Congress However, the regular en banc ses- Congress to determine the suffi ciency for an extension, and it voted 240-27 sions of the Supreme Court are done of the factual basis for the extension of for the extension until Dec 31, 2018. on Tuesdays only, unless the high court martial law. Congress again extended martial law calls for a special en banc session be- He said that martial law under Proc- and the suspension of the privilege of fore Friday to vote on the matter. lamation 216 did not become functus the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao The Manila Times sources said the offi cio (expired) because of the cessa- for another year or until Dec 31, 2019. Palace denies Duterte links with Rappler chief’s accuser

Agencies you stated are correct, it doesn’t fol- Manila low that the president will know this particular person,” Panelo said. Panelo said the president does not alacanang yesterday said interfere with the departments unless President Rodrigo Duterte there are complaints of corruption. Mhas no links with the busi- “You must remember that the pol- nessman who fi led a cyber-libel case icy of the president is that he does not against Rappler chief executive of- interfere with the department heads fi cer and journalist Maria Ressa. relative to their governance of their Presidential spokesperson Sal- departments. vador Panelo issued the denial after Duterte earlier denied that he knew an article from the Pinoy Ako Blog Keng. claimed that businessman Wilfredo Keng fi led a cyber-libel case Keng’s Century Peak Metals Hold- against Ressa and Rappler over a 2012 Issued in Public Interest by ings Corp, has secured billions of article, which he claimed was “clearly pesos worth of projects, including a defamatory.” P10.9bn cement manufacturing plant This led to the arrest of Ressa last and a massive reclamation project Wednesday by virtue of an arrest in Cavite, Philippine Daily Inquirer warrant issued by Manila Regional reported. Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46. Ressa Panelo: denying presidential links “Even assuming that those facts posted a P100,000 bail on Thursday. Gulf Times 22 Tuesday, February 19, 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 Stars on the horizon as legends come good at worlds Crowd favourites Lindsey Vonn and Aksel Lund Svindal said their farewells in style while medals favourites Mikael Shiffrin and Marcel Hirscher confirmed they are the outstanding performers of today. The 45th world championships and the third hosted by Are, Sweden, produced a near perfect script for Svindal and Vonn as alpine skiing now looks forward to the next edition in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in 2021. Svindal, 36, went out with a downhill silver and Vonn, at 34 and with her knees giving up on her, captured downhill bronze in what would have been an unlikely scenario two weeks ago. Useful lessons for EU, Alpine skiing has been here before: the likes of Kjetil Andre Aamodt, Alberto Tomba, Hermann Maier, Janica Kostelic, Anja Paerson have all had to bow out, and new names took their place. Shiffrin, who looks set to dominate for the UK from ‘Grexit’ saga foreseeable future, had already cemented her status as the outstanding skier in the World Cup. And the By George Papaconstantinou a vengeance in 2015, when a newly 2016 UK referendum result gave way on its own unity and prepare for all US star left Are with two more golds and a bronze, Athens elected Greek government played a to the emergence of a surprisingly eventualities. The EU will agree to any including a record fourth straight slalom gold. game of chicken, taking negotiations cohesive EU front, no doubt helped by extension of the March 29 deadline to Hirscher meanwhile confirmed he is the king of to the brink. It was a case of a moped broader geopolitical considerations avoid being blamed for the UK crashing s the Brexit train lurches against a German truck; when the vis-à-vis the United States and China. out, but there will be no last-minute, slalom with a powerful victory on the last day, his third forward with no clear EU refused to budge, Greece had to Rather than favouring centrifugal 17-hour negotiations as there were with after 2013 and 2017, giving him a record-equalling direction, it is useful to look undergo a near-death experience before forces, the Brexit debacle increased Greece in 2015. seven gold medals. He indicated it could be his last Aback at another dramatic its eventual U-turn. One week after a confi dence in the EU and the euro. We now know that the UK world championships as he reaches the latter stages of episode in European Union politics for referendum in Greece, in which a 61% True to form, the EU has handled government’s Brexit plan consists of possible guidance: the Grexit that never majority voted against a deal, the Greek Brexit with a combination of principles, squaring the proverbial circle. But his career. happened. Although almost everyone parliament ignored the result and voted bureaucracy, and adherence to rules. does the EU have a plan? Only two Of the emerging new during the euro crisis between 2010 and overwhelmingly for a third bailout, What’s more, the UK’s shambolic outcomes should be acceptable to it: a The alpine names Slovakian Petra 2015 was convinced that Greece would avoiding collapse and fi nally putting internal decision-making on Brexit customs-union arrangement with the Vlhova, at 23 the same have to leave the eurozone, if not the Grexit to rest. reinforced the EU’s inclination to UK, or a People’s Vote that convincingly EU, the country remains a member of There are a number of useful lessons embrace caution and lack of strategic reverses the 2016 referendum result. skiing World age as Shiffrin, won both. here in the context of Brexit. The fi rst is perspective, as it did during the Despite increasing support in European Championships three medals — gold in On the face of it, there is not much to that negotiating power is never with the eurozone crisis. capitals for the former, the latter is the giant slalom, silver in compare. Unlike the United Kingdom, individual country. This means the EU As we move to the Brexit endgame, EU’s preferred long-term alternative. combined and bronze Greece is one of the EU’s smaller can neither be blackmailed nor divided several considerations frame the issue Although the UK could self-destruct produced a near economies, notorious for its weak by building convenient alliances, on the EU side. These include an in a second referendum, the EU should in slalom — and could institutions and economy, and a net especially by a country leaving the club. awareness that there is no clear House help the country in any way possible to perfect script for be the biggest threat in recipient of EU funds. Greece was being Nor can an EU member state appeal of Commons majority for any Brexit revisit a fl awed decision that was based Svindal and Vonn seasons to come for the threatened with expulsion from the above the heads of “bureaucrats” option; a conviction that British Prime on lies. American. eurozone (though there is no legal route to politicians, because no political Minister Theresa May lacks support The EU cannot, of course, openly out), whereas the UK chose to leave negotiation can ignore technical or legal for a realistic compromise; a suspicion do that. Fortunately, all it needs to do The Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen, 24, made his the EU. And yet the Grexit saga off ers problems. that hardline Brexiteers are running now is stick to the principles it has laid mark with his first championship medal by capturing important lessons for the fi nal stage of Just like Greece, the UK lacked an down the clock to the March 29, 2019, down, and let time do its work. The EU gold in the giant slalom, leaving Hirscher with the Brexit negotiations. understanding of the EU’s political and deadline for the UK to leave the EU; and must resist the temptation to push the silver. The prospect of Grexit – which institutional dynamics. This led to a growing doubt about the wisdom of a UK toward a “reasonable deal” featuring was on and off the table after the fl awed negotiating strategy, based on a second referendum, popularly known a customs-union arrangement. This Wendy Holdener was another stand-out performer, crisis erupted in 2010 – waned after misplaced belief in the leverage the UK’s as a “People’s Vote.” The dominant may sound cynical; but keeping the UK winning two golds including one in the team event for a cross-party majority in the Greek size would give it. The UK government sentiment underlying the EU’s unifi ed in the EU is in the best interests of both Switzerland. Another medal beckoned for her in the parliament backed the second bailout also lacked a clear long-term strategy. position on Brexit now seems to be what sides. “No deal” on the part of the EU is slalom after she led the first run, but a mistake left her of Greece in 2012 and the associated Wanting to leave the EU is not enough; it was in the case of Greece: “enough what kept Greece from leaving in 2015. debt restructuring. The threat you also need to plan how to do it and already.” – Project Syndicate empty-handed. subsided even further after European what happens the day after. All of this suggests that, contrary The Swiss, Norway and the US finished with two gold Central Bank President Mario Draghi As with Grexit, time has worked in to the expectations of the pro-Brexit z George Papaconstantinou, a medals each. And a medals sweep in the men’s slalom said that summer that the ECB was the EU’s favour. By 2015, the EU was camp, the EU will not blink. It will former fi nance minister of Greece who on the final day for Austria went some way to making ready to do “whatever it takes” to better prepared to manage a possible make cosmetic concessions for one last negotiated the country’s fi rst bailout, is preserve the euro. Grexit; so it is today with Brexit. The attempt to win a Commons majority, the author of Game Over – The Inside up for its women’s team failing to win a medal at all for The risk of Grexit returned with initial fear of contagion after the June but no more. Instead, it will focus Story of the Greek Crisis. the first time in 37 years. The championships began with a dramatic women’s super-g when Vonn crashed badly and her US team- mate Shiffrin went on to win the gold medal. But Vonn, in her final race before retiring, bounced back to clinch the downhill bronze in a race won by defending champion Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia. The men’s downhill turned into a Norwegian celebration, with Svindal capturing his ninth world championship medal, winning silver behind compatriot Kjetil Jansrud. The flag is now handed to Cortina — like Are a planned venue for the 2026 Winter Games as part of the bids by the only remaining candidates, Stockholm and Milan-Cortina.

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© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. British Prime Minister Theresa May Gulf Times Tuesday, February 19, 2019 23 COMMENT Taxing footloose multinationals By Joseph E Stiglitz Transfer pricing relies on the well- preventing a race in which only the New York accepted principle that taxes should multinationals win. refl ect where an economic activity Since its inception, the OECD/ occurs. But how is that determined? In G20 Base Erosion and Profi t Shifting n the last few years, globalisation a globalised economy, products move Project has made an important has come under renewed attack. repeatedly across borders, typically contribution to rethinking the Some of the criticisms may in an unfi nished state: a shirt without taxation of multinationals by Ibe misplaced, but one is spot buttons, a car without a transmission, advancing understanding of some on: globalisation has enabled large a wafer without a chip. The transfer of the fundamental issues. For multinationals, like Apple, Google, and price system assumes that we can example, if there is true value in Starbucks, to avoid paying tax. establish arms-length values for each multinationals, the whole is greater Apple has become the poster child stage of production, and thereby assess than the sum of the parts. Standard for corporate tax avoidance, with its the value added within a country. But tax principles of simplicity, effi ciency, legal claim that a few hundred people we can’t. and equity should guide our thinking working in Ireland were the real source The growing role of intellectual in allocating the “residual value,” as of its profi ts, and then striking a deal property and intangibles makes the Independent Commission for the with that country’s government that matters even worse, because Reform of International Corporate resulted in its paying a tax amounting ownership claims can easily be moved Taxation (of which I am a member) to .005% of its profi t. Apple, Google, around the world. That’s why the advocates. But these principles are Starbucks, and companies like them all United States long ago abandoned inconsistent either with retaining the claim to be socially responsible, but the using the transfer price system within transfer price system or with basing fi rst element of social responsibility the US, in favour of a formula that taxes primarily on sales. should be paying your fair share of tax. attributes companies’ total profi ts to Politics matters: the multinationals’ If everyone avoided and evaded taxes each state in proportion to the share of objective is to gain support for reforms like these companies, society could not sales, employment, and capital there. Globalisation has enabled large multinationals like Google to avoid paying tax. that continue the race to the bottom function, much less make the public We need to move toward such a system and maintain opportunities for tax investments that led to the Internet, on at the global level. avoidance. Governments in some which Apple and Google depend. How that is actually done, advanced countries where these For years, multinational however, makes a great deal of companies have signifi cant political corporations have encouraged a race to diff erence. If the formula is based infl uence will support these eff orts the bottom, telling each country that largely on fi nal sales, which occur – even if doing so disadvantages the it must lower its taxes below that of disproportionately in developed rest of the country. Other advanced its competitors. US President Donald countries, developing countries will countries, focusing on their own Trump’s 2017 tax cut culminated be deprived of needed revenues, which budgets, will simply see this as another that race. A year later, we can see the will be increasingly missed as fi scal opportunity to benefi t at the expense results: the sugar high it brought to the constraints diminish aid fl ows. Final of developing countries. US economy is quickly fading, leaving sales may be appropriate for taxation The OECD/G20 initiative refers to behind a mountain of debt (the US of digital transactions, but not for its eff orts as providing an “Inclusive defi cit passed the trillion dollar mark manufacturing or other sectors, where Framework.” Such a framework last year). it is vital to include employment as must be guided by principles, not Spurred on by the threat that well. just politics. If the goal is genuine the digital economy will deprive Some worry that including inclusiveness, the top priority must governments of the revenues to employment might exacerbate tax be the well-being of the more than fund function (as well as distorting competition, as governments seek six billion people living in developing the economy away from traditional to encourage multinationals to countries and emerging markets. – ways of selling), the international create jobs in their jurisdictions. The Project Syndicate community is at long last recognising appropriate response to this concern z Joseph E. Stiglitz is the winner that something is wrong. But the is to impose a global minimum of the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize fl aws in the current framework of corporate-income tax. The US and in Economic Sciences. His most multinational taxation – based on the European Union could – and recent book is Globalisation and so-called transfer pricing – have long should – do this on their own. its Discontents Revisited: Anti- been known. If they did, others would follow, Apple’s corporate headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple has become the poster child for corporate tax avoidance. Globalisation in the Era of Trump.

Three-day forecast How foreign aid fuels African media TODAY Maximum Temperature : 230c Minimum Temperature : 170c

By Prue Clarke companies told me that they have established outlets and paid them pairing African media outlets with WEDNESDAY Maximum Temperature : 220c New York not paid their staff for at least a year, as much as ten times their normal experts in business, technology, yet they continue to publish with no salary. Once the project was over, and advertising. In particular, Minimum Temperature : 140c noticeable change in output. most of the journalists quit their old tech companies should help media THURSDAY t a recent press conference, The implications of this journalistic jobs in search of better pay in the aid organisations take advantage of Maximum Temperature : 230c a small group of Liberian business model are profound. For and government sectors. platform innovations and find Minimum Temperature : 140c starters, stories are typically poorly From my experience, most African opportunities to monetise diaspora journalists made a Fisherman's forecast courageous admission: they written, based on a single source, journalists know how to report audiences. A WARNING confessed they were all “on the take.” and inspired by a press conference or a well-sourced story. What they Donors have already shown lack are the resources to put this that they can pursue development Inshore : Strong wind over most To supplement salaries as low as $40 press release, rather than a thorough areas after midday & a month, the journalists said they and objective assessment of issues knowledge to use. The deficiencies of priorities while also making smart expected poor visibility often rely on payments from the very aff ecting readers. Journalism as a African media are best addressed as investments in media. The Bill & at some places people they write about. career is also debased, and most a business challenge, not a training Melinda Gates Foundation, for Offshore : Strong wind & high sea The revelation confirmed a top university graduates avoid the problem. example, funds health-related WEATHER dirty secret of African journalism: profession entirely. Some media organisations already reporting at South Africa’s Mail & Inshore : Sctd clouds & c of light reporters earn most of their income Ironically, aid agencies’ efforts recognise this. In Ghana, Joy FM Guardian and at Premium Times. rain at some place & slight dust to blowing from payments by their sources. to improve African media have only owner Kwasi Twum told me that Aid has also been key to sustaining dust after midday, cold And the dirtiest secret of all is that exacerbated the problem. That’s he pays his staff “enough for a car the organisation I lead, New by night the international aid community is because today, a typical journalist and a mortgage,” and the station has Narratives, which uses funding Offshore : Scattered clouds & c of sctd rain on some among the most prolific payers. in Africa is a professional workshop been widely credited with helping from governments and foundations places Development agencies fork attendee. NGOs from every sector lift the standard of journalism in to support independent local out vast sums to sway African “train” journalists in their subject the country. In the past, Nigerian media. Reporting we supported WIND Inshore : Northwesterly 15-25 KT journalists. While outright bribery is matter, often with content conceived journalist Dele Olojede lured top helped bring about a ban on female Offshrore : Northwesterly 20-30/35 rare, insidious payment is rampant. in Western capitals by people with graduates in business, medicine, and genital mutilation and uncovered KT Many schemes – from “transport” no experience in journalism or in law to the profession with higher numerous cases of corruption and Visibility : 4-8/3 KM refunds that far exceed reporters’ the target countries. Journalists go wages and an inspiring mission. In mismanagement. Offshore : 6-10/13 FT 2011, journalists whom he mentored As these and other efforts travel costs to exorbitant per diems from workshop to workshop, turning Around the region – come with a tacit understanding up long enough to collect their per founded Premium Times, which has demonstrate, supporting Weather that coverage will be positive. Aid diems and write a puff piece. earned a reputation as an impartial independent media is among the Weather tomorrow Max/min groups insist that payments are This approach is as costly as it is political watchdog. Liberia’s Front most important investments donors today Max/min Sunny 18/07 not inducements; in reality, poorly regrettable. In one African country, Page Africa has played a similar role, can make in Africa’s future. But Baghdad Sunny 18/07 Sunny 20/10 remunerated journalists cannot a media-development organisation as has the Daily Maverick in South support should never come with Kuwait CityP Cloudy 18/10 Sunny 21/14 easily tell the difference. with which I have worked spent Africa. strings attached. To build strong Manama Cloudy 21/14 M Sunny 24/18 For media bosses, bribery more than $1mn of taxpayer money To make further progress, African communities, Africans need Muscat P Cloudy 26/21 Sunny 08/-1 rationalises costs: as long as they to produce a one-hour programme news outlets should emulate their news they can trust. To deliver Tehran M Sunny 10/-1 publish, sources will foot the bill. on governance, which was then aired counterparts in advanced economies it, journalists need to come by Although it is difficult to know for on community radio, its content so by developing sustainable revenue their funding honestly. – Project certain what percentage of media sanitised to appease local officials streams though e-commerce, Syndicate budgets derive from unethical that few people tuned in. But even subscriptions, sponsored content, payments, in Liberia, where I do more problematic was the distortion supplements, and multimedia. This z Prue Clarke is Executive Director most of my work, anecdotal evidence to the domestic media market. To is where donors can be helpful: and Co-Founder of New Narratives, suggests it is a majority of reporters’ produce the programme, the NGO rather than host useless trainings, a non-profit organisation supporting pay. For example, two leading media recruited ten top journalists from they should enable innovation by independent journalism in Africa.

Around the world Weather Weather Live issues today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens Sunny 17/06 Sunny 17/06 Beirut M Sunny 17/13 P Cloudy 16/12 Bangkok Sunny 33/26 Sunny 34/26 Berlin Cloudy 11/04 Cloudy 10/06 Cairo M Sunny 21/10 M Sunny 21/10 Cape Town P Cloudy 26/18 P Cloudy 24/17 What is wet macular degeneration Colombo M Sunny 31/23 M Sunny 32/23 Dhaka P Cloudy 29/18 P Cloudy 31/19 Hong Kong S T Storms 23/21 I T Storms 24/21 Tribune News Service degeneration and dry macular Bakri says there are two kinds of do for symptoms. Istanbul P Cloudy 12/02 Sunny 11/05 Washington degeneration. macular degeneration: wet and dry. “The wet type is usually in the Jakarta S T Storms 32/25 T Showers 31/25 You’re getting older and notice “The dry kind usually comes later stages when a blood vessel Karachi M Cloudy 26/19 S T Storms 24/18 you’re not seeing as well. You try out on first, and when we look in the has grown under the retina and is London M Cloudy 12/07 Cloudy 13/07 illions of people deal readers, but everything just seems retina of the dry kind, we see those leaking blood or fluid. And the No. Manila Sunny 32/23 M Sunny 32/23 with age-related blurry. And straight lines seem wavy. little rocklike deposits under the 1 goal is to shut down that blood Moscow P Cloudy 01/-3 Cloudy 03/-2 macular degeneration It could be age-related macular retina,” she explains. “Sometimes vessel to prevent it bleeding even New Delhi P Cloudy 24/15 Showers 20/15 M as they get older, degeneration. we see areas of atrophy where the more and to prevent patients losing New York M Sunny 03/-4 S Showers 01/01 but many don’t understand the “The macula is the centre of the cells are not present or not really more vision.” Paris P Cloudy 13/02 P Cloudy 14/04 difference between types of the retina,” Bakri says. “The retina is the working as well.” Bakri says that for wet macular Sao Paulo P Cloudy 28/20 S T Storms 28/20 condition or what they can do to camera of the eye that receives the For dry macular degeneration, degeneration, you’ll likely need to Seoul S Showers 06/-4 M Sunny 07/-6 lessen the effects. Dr Sophie Bakri, light impulses and processes them, there are over-the-counter see a retina specialist for a treatment Singapore T Storm 31/26 S T Storms 32/26 a Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist and the macula is responsible for the vitamins that can help, but mostly plan that includes regular eye Sydney S T Storms 25/20 S Showers 23/20 and retina specialist, explains the really fine visual acuity, the right Bakri says a Mediterranean diet and injections. — Mayo Clinic News Tokyo Cloudy 12/05 Cloudy 16/07 differences between wet macular precise vision.” exercise are the best things you can Network Gulf Times 24 Tuesday, February 19, 2019 QATAR

PM attends Tawteen launch Qatar joins Kuwait National Day festivities

A snapshot from Qatar’s participation in the Kuwait National Day celebrations, which was launched at Sabah Al-Ahmad Heritage Village recently as part of the GCC folk heritage festival in Kuwait and continues until March 2. Qatar is taking part in the National Day celebrations of Kuwait as part of the close brotherly relations between the two countries through the Organising Committee of Qatar National Day Celebrations in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture and Sports. A number of activities are being featured at the Qatari pavilion in the heritage village, reflecting the original Qatari HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani during the launch ceremony of Tawteen. folk tradition. The pavilion has been welcomed with a high public turnout, with a large number of Joining him are Qatar Businessmen Association chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani and HE the Minister of Finance Ali visitors expressing appreciation for the featured events. Picture courtesy of Ministry of Culture and Sherif al-Emadi. Sports Twitter page 75 currently benefi ting from Residential Care Compound’s tender helping hand

total of 75 patients at Ha- mad Medical Corpora- Ation’s (HMC) Residential Care Compound are benefi ting from individualised care de- signed to help them integrate back into the community. The community-based com- pound, which is managed by Ru- mailah Hospital, is the fi rst facil- ity of its kind in the region and off ers round-the-clock specialist care to patients who have cogni- tive and physical disabilities but do not require hospitalisation. “Our patients, whom we refer to as residents, require long-term support due to injury, disability, or chronic disease but they do not need acute hospital care,” said Dr Abdul Aziz Darwish, Medical Director, Rumailah Hospital and Qatar Rehabilitation Institute. “This specialised facility is Dr Abdul Aziz Darwish designed for those who need support and assistance with the ities, group therapies, and family “Because all our residents have general activities of daily living. engagement programmes,” noted some form of disability, they The majority of our patients are Dr Darwish. need training, education, and in need of long-term rehabilita- Since the Residential Care support in order to re-integrate tion and recovery before they re- Compound was launched in 2011, back into the community. integrate into the community,” he a total of 185 patients have been “We have designed this facility explained. HMC’s Residential Care Compound cared for at the facility. as a community-style residential The facility, which consists of He said the specialised com- living environment in order to 13 single-storey villas, was de- Dr Darwish says the communi- also to help provide the right level planned for patients to support (for the preparation of tea and pound provides an important encourage our patients to chal- signed for patients who could be ty-based compound was initially of care to our long-term patients and promote mental and physical snacks), and laundry facilities. service for patients who would lenge themselves and embrace safely discharged from hospital established as part of eff orts to who are living with disabilities,” well-being. There is also a community club- have otherwise remained in hos- lifestyle changes in a safe and but still needed long-term care free up hospital beds. recalled Dr Darwish. The families of patients are house with an adjacent swim- pital. supportive setting. and support. “This community-based serv- Each villa has between fi ve encouraged to visit and to play a ming pool. We plan a number of According to Dr Darwish, the “Our goal is to help our pa- It provides adult patients with ice was launched as part of the and seven single bedrooms and is major role in their loved one’s re- activities each week in order to goal of each patient’s treatment tients achieve their full poten- a home-like setting where they Corporation-wide plan to ensure staff ed 24-hours a day by nursing cuperation. keep our residents engaged and to plan is to help them learn ways tial on their journey to transi- can receive professional health- hospital beds are available for pa- teams. “Each villa has a communal promote good mental health and to overcome the eff ects of their tioning back home,” added Dr care tailored to their needs. tients who require acute care and A full roster of activities is living and dining area, a kitchen well-being. We off er social activ- injury. Darwish.

QNL highlights Mirza Ghalib’s works

isitors learned about the life and work of Mirza VGhalib, a prominent 19th century Urdu and Persian poet, in a lecture at Qatar National Li- brary. The event, organised in part- nership with Bazm-e-Urdu Qa- tar, the country’s oldest Urdu literary organisation, marked the 150th anniversary of Ghalib’s death. Participants recited Ghalib’s famous ghazals and poems at the literary evening, which was part of the Library’s celebration of Qatar-India 2019 Year of Cul- ture. Prominent Qatari citizen HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani and other dignitaries at the opening of the exhibition yesterday. “The life of Mirza Ghalib is an example of how one should deal Katara celebrates Al Ahli achievements on sporting club’s 69th anniversary with diffi culties in life. I have always been a great fan of him, Commemorating the 69th anniversary of the in Qatar besides commemorating the Qatari always hosted international matches where and discussing his achievements prominent sports club Al Ahli, Katara — the legends in this field. world-legends played such as the Brazilian with other attendees at the event Cultural Village Foundation hosted an exhibition “This exhibition is to present to the world all-time soccer legend Pele. was really insightful. It is great yesterday in building 19 to commemorate the that Qatar has a long history in soccer and The exhibition displays biographies of to see that the Library is organ- club’s legends. The opening ceremony was sports. Especially since Qatar is hosting the several prominent Qatari figures in the field of ising events for everyone in Qa- attended by several high ranking administrators FIFA 2022 World Cup, many people have soccer and their achievements, in addition to tar,” said participant Mohamed of the club management and some of the team’s started to ask about our achievements in some old photographs of international sport Rezwan. The QNL event commemorated the life and works of Mirza Ghalib, greats along with other off icials and dignitaries. soccer and this exhibition says a lot,” he said. events that occurred in Qatar. Fayaz Osman, an admirer of a prominent 19th century Urdu and Persian poet. Ali Mohamed al-Ali, the exhibition manager Ali expressed pride and honour to have played It also features audio and visual contents Ghalib, said he was glad to see the and a former player at Al Ahli Club, said that for Al Ahli team which was established in 1950. for some legends and a collection of some of Library recognising an important considered an important treas- More information about the the main aim of the exhibition is to document Qatar has a long history in soccer since the the players’ belongings that form a mini- historical personality. ure. I always recite his poems and Library’s upcoming events, may the history of sport and football in particular British Mandate in Qatar in the 1940’s and had museum. “Mirza Ghalib belonged to the recount his achievements,” he be had from www.qnl.qa/en/ entire region, and his work is now added. events