In brief

19,938.79+138.94+0.70%

11,057.83+107.49+0.98%

53.15+0.40

+0.76%

DOW JONES QE NYMEX

Latest Figures

GULF TIMES

published in

QATAR

since 1978WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10344

January 25, 2017Rabia II 27, 1438 AH www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

BUSINESS | Page 1

QIC’s gross writtenpremium jumps 19%to QR9.9bn in 2016

SPORT | Page 12

Federer storms into Melbourne semisQATAR

REGION

ARAB WORLD

INTERNATIONAL

COMMENT

BUSINESS

CLASSIFIED

SPORTS

26, 27

1–12, 18-20

13-17

1–12

2-5, 28

6

7-9

10–25

INDEX

New care facility opens for home-bound workersIn keeping with Qatar’s consist-

ent efforts to augment the welfare measures for expatriate labourers,

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) yesterday officially opened Bayt Aman.

The care facility is for expatriate la-bourers in the fi nal stages of recovery following illness and waiting to return to their home country.

Bayt Aman, a villa in Al Thumama, can accommodate up to 12 guests at a time and is staff ed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a charge nurse and pa-tient care attendants.

Guests being cared for at Bayt Aman no longer need the clinical supervision,

provided at HMC’s rehabilitation and long-term care units.

Mahmoud al-Raisi, chief of con-tinuing care at HMC explained that Bayt Aman provides a safe and re-storative environment for expatriate workers who have completed medical treatment and are waiting to return home.

“The accommodation will help our guests who have completed their treat-ment at HMC to fully recuperate and re-adjust to their normal routines so they are better able to return to living their everyday lives.”

Opening Bayt Aman, Ali al-Khater, HMC chief communications offi cer,

said the project has shown the value of diff erent organisations working to-gether eff ectively. He especially lauded the support from the Community Po-lice and Human Rights Departments at the Ministry of Interior.

The Bayt Aman villa was donated to HMC by the Qatar Building Company (QBC), whose owner, Abdulhameed Mostafawi described the gesture as part of his organisation’s social re-sponsibility.

Bayt Aman has been open for seven months and so far helped 13 guests. Jer-man Mukhiya, from Nepal, will be leav-ing Qatar shortly and has been staying at Bayt Aman for six and a half months after

recovering from a traumatic brain injury.He recalled that Bayt Aman has al-

lowed him to recover fully from his in-juries in a safe and caring environment. “It has also given me the opportunity to ease myself back into everyday life, do-ing things like cooking and cleaning. I am very thankful to both HMC and the Ministry of Interior for supporting me and my family before I return to Nepal,” Mukhiya added.

The opening of Bayt Aman follows the recent expansion of facilities across HMC, including the start of care serv-ices at two new hospitals, the Commu-nicable Disease Center and the Qatar Rehabilitation Institute.

Representatives from HMC, the Community Police and Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior and Qatar Building Company with a Bayt Aman guest.

3-way bid toboost Syriatruce afterAstana talksAFPAstana, Kazakhstan

Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed yesterday to bolster a fragile truce in Syria but rebels and Da-

mascus made no progress towards a broader settlement to end the war after two days of talks.

The three main sponsors of the ne-gotiations in Astana announced the creation of “a trilateral mechanism to observe and ensure full compliance with the ceasefi re” in place since late December.

Moscow, Tehran and Ankara — all key players in the confl ict — also agreed armed rebel groups should take part in a new round of peace talks set to be hosted by the United Nations in Geneva next month.

“There is no military solution to the Syrian confl ict and it can only be solved through a political process,” said the fi nal statement by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Russia — the driving force behind the meeting — has become the major powerbroker in Syria after changing the tide on the ground with its military support for leader Bashar al-Assad.

But while the Kremlin has succeed-ed in sidelining the West with its new drive to play peacemaker, there were signs Moscow will struggle to trans-form military gains into wider progress towards peace.

The latest diplomatic initiative to end the bloodshed in Syria that has cost 310,000 lives comes one month after regime forces, aided by Russia and Iran, dealt a crushing blow to the rebels by retaking full control of the country’s second city Aleppo.

The meeting was expected to see the fi rst face-to-face negotiations between the regime and the battered armed op-position since Syria’s confl ict erupted in 2011, but the defi ant rebels refused and mediators were forced to shuttle between the two sides.

Rebel negotiator Mohamed Alloush said the “intransigence of Iran and the regime” was responsible for “no nota-ble progress” in the negotiations.

Alloush did say that Russia now ap-pears more willing to push Assad’s regime harder to ensure peace, and Moscow’s representatives blamed both sides for violating the truce deal.

“The Russians have moved from a party to the confl ict, and are trying to be a guarantor,” he told reporters.

But rebels said they refused to dis-cuss a Russian-drafted new constitu-tion for Syria that Moscow said was meant to accelerate political negotia-tions to end the confl ict.

A ceasefi re brokered by Russia and rebel-backer Turkey has been in place since late December but both rebels and Damascus have complained of re-peated violations.

The rebels — who insisted they would use the Astana talks to push Da-mascus to respect the truce — refused direct talks with the regime on Monday because of its continued bombardment and attacks on a fl ashpoint outside the Syrian capital Damascus.

Regime negotiator Bashar al-Jaa-fari said after the end of the talks that the meeting “succeeded in achieving the goal of consolidating the cessa-tion of hostilities for a fixed period paving the way for dialogue between Syrians.”

But he insisted that operations will continue against key flashpoint Wadi Barada, an area 15km (10 miles) northwest of Damascus, where rebels have demanded the regime stops at-tacks.

There were few details about the proposed ceasefi re monitoring mecha-nism and it was unclear what impact it will have on the ground.

The Kremlin’s envoy at the talks Al-exander Lavrentiev said it will involve experts from Russia, Turkey and Iran meeting in Astana.

The rebels had earlier opposed Iran’s involvement in monitoring the cease-fi re as it sees Tehran and the militias it controls as a main source of the vio-lence.

Neither they nor the regime — which was opposed to Turkey’s role — signed the fi nal declaration.

UN Syria envoy Staff an de Mistura said his organisation was ready to assist in developing the mechanism and “en-sure that it helps strengthen the quality of the ceasefi re.”

As a further reminder that the con-fl ict is far from over in Syria fi ghting continued to rage yesterday with ma-jor militant groups not covered by the truce.

Rebels were battling former Al Qae-da affi liate Fateh al-Sham Front in the country’s north, a monitoring group said.

As the talks were ending, Russia’s defence ministry said its warplanes had bombed the Islamic State militant group in Syria’s Deir Ezzor region.

Meanwhile, UN agencies and aid groups appealed for $4.63bn (4.31bn euros) in 2017 to help Syrians who have fl ed their country’s war and sought ref-uge in neighbouring countries.

The appeal is on top of the $3.4bn that the UN estimates is needed this year for the 13.5mn people still in Syria who have been affected by the conflict.

Israeli settlement actionan obstacle to peace: UNAgenciesUnited Nations/Brussels

The United Nations yesterday denounced recent Israeli ini-tiatives to accelerate settlement

construction in occupied Palestinian territory, stressing that “unilateral ac-tions” are an obstacle to peace based on a two-state solution.

“For the secretary general there is no plan B for the two states solution,” UN chief Antonio Guterres’s spokes-man Stephane Dujarric said.

“In this respect any unilateral deci-sion that can be an obstacle to the two state goal is of grave concern for the secretary general,” he said.

Dujarric said the UN’s position on settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem “has not changed.”

“We would include that in the cat-egory of unilateral actions,” he said,

referring to Israel’s announcement on settlements.

“There is a need for the two parties to engage in a bona fi de negotiation to reach the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, two states for two people,” he said.

The United Nations considers the settlements to be illegal and an obstacle to peace, as it reaffi rmed in a recent UN Security Council resolution which the United States under former US president Barack Obama’s administration declined to veto, for the fi rst time since 1979.

Israel yesterday announced the construction of 2,500 settler homes in the occupied West Bank, the biggest initiative of its kind in years.

Meanwhile, the European Union’s diplomatic service said yesterday Is-rael’s plan for 2,500 more settlement homes in the occupied West Bank se-riously undermines the prospects for peace with the Palestinians.

In a statement, the European Union

External Action Service (EEAS) said Israel’s plans fl ew in the face of inter-national objections, saying they “fur-ther seriously undermine the pros-pects for a viable two-state solution”.

“It is regrettable that Israel is pro-ceeding with this policy, despite the continuous serious international con-cern and objections, which have been constantly raised at all levels,” the EEAS said in a statement.

On Sunday, just days after US Pres-ident Donald Trump’s inauguration, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light for the construc-tion of 566 settlement homes in East Jerusalem, a predominantly Palestin-ian sector of the city illegally occupied by Israel.

The announcement refl ects the Israeli government’s clear determi-nation to take advantage of the new situation created by Trump’s election, after eight years of tense relations with the Obama administration. Page 7

ARAB WORLD | Confl ict

Iraqi forces take fullcontrol of east MosulIraqi forces have taken full control of the eastern side of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced yesterday, around three months after the launch of an off ensive to drive Islamic State militants out of the city. “This is a major achievement for the Iraqi forces,” al-Abadi told a press conference in Baghdad. “I call upon these heroes to quickly liberate the rest of Nineveh province, especially the western side of (Tigris) river.” “We have proved that Daesh is shrinking and disappearing,” he said, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Islamic State militants took control of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, in mid-2014. Page 8

AMERICA | Politics

Trump revives blockedoil pipeline projectsUS President Donald Trump yesterday revived two oil pipeline projects blocked by his predecessor on environmental grounds, signalling his determination to undo Barack Obama’s legacy. Trump gave a conditional go-ahead to the Keystone XL pipeline — which would carry oil from Canadian tar sands to US refineries on the Gulf Coast — and an equally controversial pipeline crossing in North Dakota. Both had been put on hold by president Barack Obama’s administration on environmental grounds.

BRITAIN | Referendum

Court: parliament mustapprove start of BrexitThe British government must win parliament’s approval before starting talks to leave the EU, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday, in a landmark judgment and setback for Prime Minister Theresa May. The legal case has revived divisions within British society after last June’s referendum which saw 52% vote to leave the European Union after a bitter campaign that split the country. Page 17

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in co-op-eration with Ali Bin Ali Tech-

nology Solutions, has announced the recall of iPhone 6S (manufac-turing year 2015) for unexpected shutdown issues.

The procedure is a part of MEC’s eff orts to ensure the commitment of the agents and dealers to follow up and correct the defective goods, in addition to protect the rights of consumers.

The ministry has urged con-sumers to check if their iPhone

6S is aff ected by entering the se-rial number at the link www.apple.com/ae/support/iphone6s-unex-epctedshutdown/ or connecting with the company to take the nec-essary action.

The MEC has urged all customers to report any violations to its Con-sumer Protection and Anti-Com-mercial Fraud Department through the following channels: Hotline: 16001, e-mail: info@mec.gov.qa, Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

Cool conditions to continue

MEC recalls iPhone 6S 2015 Cool conditions will continue to prevail in the country today, the Qatar Met department has said. Strong winds and high seas in off shore areas in the early hours have also been forecast.Northwesterly winds will blow at 18-28 knots in off shore areas before decreasing to 5-15 knots by the afternoon. Windy and dusty conditions were experienced in diff erent parts of Qatar yesterday, resulting in a drop in visibility in some areas. Strong winds and high waves were also reported from off shore areas. Today, a minimum temperature of 12C is expected in Mesaieed, Wakrah and Abu Samra, and 14C in Doha. The maximum, on the other hand, will be 18C in Dukhan and Abu Samra and 21C in Doha and other places.

Slovenia beat Qatar

Qatar’s pivot Youssef Ali jumps to shoot on goal during their quarter-final match against Slovenia in the 25th IHF Men’s World Championship 2017 yesterday at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris. Slovenia won 32-30 to enter the semi-finals.

QATAR

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 20172

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will patronise today the graduation ceremony of the fourth class of the Air College at Leader Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Attiyah College at Al Udeid Air Base.

HE the Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani yesterday received a telephone call from the Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Jordan Ayman Safadi.They discussed relations between Qatar and Jordan and ways of enhancing them, in addition to issues of common interest.

A delegation from Qatar Advisory Council will participate in the 12th conference of Parliamentary Union of OIC member-states (PUIC) in Mali.The three-day meeting scheduled to start tomorrow will tackle a number of topics, including the election of vice-presidents from the African and the Arab groups in addition to discussing the secretary-general’s report and a number of draft decisions presented by special committees.The meeting will also examine and adopt the reports and draft resolutions of the seventh meeting of the committee on Palestine, sixth conference on Muslim women parliamentarians and the consultation meeting of the secretaries general of the PUIC member-parliaments.The PUIC 12th conference will also address issues of environment and sustainable development in addition to coordination on human rights issue in the international fora.

Qatar is taking part in the 1st meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Planning Institute for the year 2016-2017 which will be held tomorrow in Kuwait. The Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics said that HE Minister of Development Planning and Statistics Dr Saleh Mohamed Salem al-Nabit will attend the meeting. The meeting will discuss the annual report of 2015-2016, the financial contributions received from members, Arab funds, Kuwaiti contribution for the 8th financing plan (2015-2020) in addition to a few other topics. The Arab Planning Institute is an Arab development institution that aims to support economic and social development administrations in the Arab countries; through functions that cover developing national human resources, provide consultation services, institutional support, and establish researches and report.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos yesterday received the credentials of Qatar’s ambassador Abdulaziz Ali al-Naama. Ambassador Abdulaziz Ali al-Naama conveyed HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s greetings to the Greek president. President Pavlopoulos reciprocated the Emir’s greetings and wished the ambassador success in his mission to enhance friendship and co-operation between Qatar and Greece.

The General Command of the Qatari Armed Forces on Tuesday announced that the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) will carry out abseiling exercise from a height of 10.5 and 5 metres in Lekhwiya camp on January 31 from 7:30am to 11am.The General Command has cautioned visitors to the area.

Emir to attendAir College graduation event

FM gets phone call from Jordanian counterpart

Advisory Councilteam to take part in PUIC meeting

Qatar participatesin Arab Planning Institute meeting

Envoy presentscredentials

Lekhwiya tohold exercise

In brief

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Aff airs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud met the assistant to the President of Sudan Musa Mohamed Ahmed and his accompanying delegation yesterday in Doha. Talks during the meeting covered bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them. They also reviewed the progress of Darfur peace process, especially the agreement signed on Monday between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Army/ Movement (SLA/M) “The Second Revolution”, in accordance with the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. The meeting was attended by Sudanese Presidential Envoy for Diplomatic Contact and Negotiation over Darfur Dr Amin Hassan Omer, Sudan’s ambassador to Qatar Fath al-Rahman Ali Mohamed, and off icials at the Cabinet General Secretariat.

Deputy PM meets Sudanese delegation

QC income projectbenefi ts 50 poor Kenyan families

Qatar Charity (QC) has funded an income project in Kenya which provides

herds of cattle to impoverished families in northeast of Kenya. Some 50 families have benefi ted from the project.

Qatar Charity aims to support families who lost their cattle due to the drought in the region re-sulting in extreme economic ob-stacles for the citizens.

Regional Director of Qatar Charity offi ce Mohamed Hus-sein Omar said that the econom-ic empowerment project execut-ed by QC in northeast of Kenya contributed to restoring life in the area which was abandoned by many of its citizens.

He added that providing the families with herds of cattle en-ables them to create a living for themselves rather than depend-ing on humanitarian aid since the lifestyle of the area fully de-pends on cattle ranching.

QNADoha

Qatar Charity providing drinking water to poor families in Kenya.

Qur’anic BotanicGarden launches photo contestThe Qur’anic Botanic Gar-

den, a member of Qatar Foundation for Educa-

tion, Science and Community Development, has launched Ghars 2017 Campaign Photogra-phy Contest for university stu-dents in Qatar.

Themes for the contest are: ‘The most attractive tree/trees landscape in Qatar’; ‘The big-gest and oldest trees in Qatar’; ‘The tree’s components (roots, bark, stems leaves, fl owers, fl o-rescence) and Ghars (plant-ing) trees initiatives in Qatar (at houses, streets, and public places).

Those interested can register at www.qbg.org.qa and submit entries on or before March 31. A contestant can submit three to fi ve photos, preferably speci-

fying the location,the image is taken.

The fi rst prize winner will re-ceive QR 5,000; second prize winner will get QR4,000 and the third prize winner will be award-ed QR 3,000.

Three winners will be hon-oured at a prize distribution cer-emony held at the student centre of Hamad Bin Khalifa University at Education City.

Contestants must respect the ethical and legal aspects of the submitted images.

The entries should not show any violation or abuse of the environment or human rights. No major changes in the photos are allowed and entering frames, signs, date or time make them unacceptable.

The award committee has

the right to call for the original raw fi le for the winning photos and failing to present the raw fi le will disqualify the relevant picture(s). Images awarded at other contests are not allowed. The images should have the resolution of 300 dpi and 3,000 pixels.

Candidates can submit the entries on a CD or memory stick at the front desk of HBKU Stu-dent Centre.

They can also e-mail the im-ages in high quality for printing and publishing to qbg@qf.org.qa

The entries must be accom-panied with the name as well as contact details of the applicants. More details can be collected by calling 44548301, 66261160 as well as through e-mail from qbg@qf.org.qa

Qatar Foundation Islamic history festival a huge draw

Cancer Society to participate in GCC awareness week

Temporary closure of link road

Hundreds of families at-tended ‘The Beacon of Knowledge and Light’

festival, held at Qatar Founda-tion’s Education City Mosque over the weekend.

The two-day festival provided an opportunity for community members of all ages and from all backgrounds to learn about Is-lam and Islamic history.

Mohamed al-Ghurbani, head of Islamic Affairs, Community Development Department, Qa-tar Foundation, said the event

was open to community mem-bers, regardless of their back-grounds, languages or cultures. “It also aimed to strengthen friendships, develop public knowledge, and emphasise that the EC Mosque welcomes all residents of Qatar.”

Dr Omar Abdelkafy gave the Khutba at the event, and held a Q&A session before the activi-ties commenced.

The programme, delivered in both Arabic and English, included storytelling ses-

sions, puppet shows, a live calligraphy station, movies under the stars, Qur’anic Bo-tanic Garden discovery activ-ities, a kids’ corner, astrology workshops, and stories of the Prophets.

The Education City Mosque, open to the public, has the ca-pacity to host nearly 3,000 peo-ple in total and holds a lecture every Friday, with translation services in English, Urdu, and sign language for non-Arabic speaking members.

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) will participate in the activities of the

GCC week to raise awareness of cancer in the region under the slogan “40% protection; 40% cure,” organised in the fi rst week of February every year.

The campaign aims to unify media messages in the GCC, under the Gulf Union against Cancer care in co-operation with Gulf Centre for Cancer Control and Prevention.

On this occasion, QCS has launched a marathon walk for

5km on Feb-ruary 4, at 10am on Doha C o r n i c h e , with the par-ticipation of 500 people from diff erent age groups, to highlight the importance of sport in the p r e ve n t i o n of diseases, especially cancer. There is also a raffl e draw for participants.

Dr Sheikh Khalid bin Jabor al-Thani, chairman of the Gulf Union against Cancer as well as QCS chairman said that QCS, by participating in the GCC Awareness Week, aims to raise awareness on the risk factors that cause cancer, and to pro-mote a healthy lifestyle.

“It also aims to encourage early detection of cancer and activation of national pro-grammes for the fi ght against cancer as a shared responsibil-ity between government and non-governmental sectors.”

The Public Works Author-ity (Ashghal) has an-nounced that it will tem-

porarily close for a month the 500m link road connecting Al Shafi Street with Al Rayyan Al Jadeed Street.

The diversion, implemented in co-ordination with the Traf-fi c Police Department, will start tomorrow (January 26), Ash-ghal has said in a press state-ment.

During this period, road us-ers travelling towards Doha and Bani Hajer from Al Shafi Street will be required to use alternative routes along Al Jas-sasiya, Al Qalaa Street and Al Wajba Street to connect to Al Rayyan Al Jadeed Street (see map). The traffi c diversion is required to allow for util-ity works, installation of traf-fi c signals and construction of

the main carriageway on Ash-ghal’s Al Rayyan Road Upgrade project, Phase 1, the statement explains.

Ashghal has requested all

road users to abide by the speed limit of 50km/h for the length of the diversion and follow the newly installed traffi c road signs to ensure their safety.

Body of Filipino cyclist to be repatriated soon, says embassy

The body of Filipino ex-patriate Ed Bacay, who died in a road accident on

December 25, is expected to be repatriated to his home country soon, the Philippine embassy in Doha has said.

Speaking to Gulf Times, the embassy said they are awaiting the results of the police investigation.

According to sources, Bacay, an engineer who actively par-ticipated in various cycling com-petitions and races in the coun-try, was a member of the United Filipino Mountain Bikers Qatar (UFMBQ).

He was with six other Filipino cyclists on a morning ride on the fatal day, said one of the sources,

who was supposed to join the group but could not due to some other development.

The victim’s last post on his Facebook account was on De-cember 18 when he uploaded several pictures of a ride from the Ceremonial Road to another location, captioned as “Search-ing for the uncharted trails. Dis-

covering new places. This is just the beginning of a new and ex-citing 2017 UFMBQ rides.”

Bacay had participated in sev-eral races of the group held in diff erent locations in Qatar, in-cluding the UFMBQ Race 2 Rid-ing in Tandem held on December 16, his Facebook posts show.

He was a resident of Makati

but known to be an Ilocano (who is a native of Ilocos region in northern Philippines). His body is in the Hamad hospital morgue.

About 400 cyclists had organ-ised an event in Doha on Decem-ber 30 in honour of Bacay.

Filipino community members, particularly cycling groups, are saddened by his untimely demise. Ed Bacay

Children participate in an Arabic calligraphy workshop at the event.

Dr Sheikh Khalid bin Jabor al-Thani

QATAR

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 20174

QU-CENG hosts university industry network sessionRepresentatives from

leading industries and government

agencies attended a uni-versity industry network session hosted by Qatar University College of En-gineering (QU-CENG) to highlight the relevant engi-neering research priorities of Qatar National Research Fund’s (QNRF) National Priorities Research Pro-gramme (NPRP) 10th cycle and identify opportunities for collaboration between academics and stakehold-ers.

The event was attended by CENG dean Dr Kha-lifa al-Khalifa, QNRF’s Information and Commu-nication Technology Pro-gramme director Dr Munir Tag, CENG associate deans for Academic Aff airs Prof Abdelmagid Hammuda, for development and industrial relations Dr Saud Ghani, and for Research and Grad-uate Studies Prof Abbes Amira, and QU director of research support Dr Aiman

Erbad, as well as CENG fac-ulty and staff .

The programme included a presentation on CENG’s multidisciplinary research priorities presented by Prof Amira, and presentations delivered by Dr Tag and Dr Erbad. Highlighted topics were ICT, materials and na-notechnology, energy and environment, biomedical engineering, and infra-structure and livable envi-ronments.

Dr al-Khalifa described that the event aligned with CENG’s ongoing eff orts to

provide services that fulfi l the requirements and needs of the local business and in-dustry.

“This will contribute to promoting the existing re-search activities between academia and industry, while advancing further partnerships between both sectors in the fi eld of re-search, which will benefi t the society in Qatar and the region.”

Dr Tag recalled that QNRF has been funding re-search over the last decade during which the focus was

on building capacity, capa-bility and infrastructure.

“We are now focusing on research impact on the economy and the society in Qatar. Such interaction will help in addressing problems and challenges through our research fund-ing programmes and lead to more innovation and entre-preneurship opportunities in the country.”

Prof Amira said the event highlighted the spirit of collaboration between academia and industry, and its crucial role in providing outstanding outcomes that address needs related to ac-ademics and stakeholders.

Dr Erbad observed that the research sector at QU is building platforms of collaborations between re-searchers and industry to help QU researchers devel-op the industrial sector, its services and products. “The role of industry is impor-tant to guide the research towards fi nding solutions for today’s challenges.”

Dr Aiman Erbad Dr Munir Tag

Floor salesmen of TVs attend a training camp.

LG conducts training camp on latest technology in TVsLG Electronics, in as-

sociation with Video Home & Electronic

Centre, recently conduct-ed a training camp at the LG Qatar offi ce to impart knowledge and benefi ts of the latest technology in televisions.

LG’s televisions are equipped with advanced technologies, such as HDR with Dolby Vision, 4K res-olutions and intuitive we-bOS operating system for smart TVs, and more.

Floor salesmen of LG TVs across leading hypermar-kets and Jumbo Electronics showrooms attended the training camp. Ashley Ko-cherry, TV product trainer from LG Gulf in Dubai, conducted the camp.

LG conducts regular training programmes to update the product knowl-edge of its sales staff . Dur-ing this session, the bene-fi ts of LG’s OLED 4K range and Super UHD 4K TV were highlighted.

The OLED Signature Se-ries G6V & OLED 4K TV series E6V were the main highlights of the training programme. Other mod-els like Super UHD UH950 series & UH855 series were also covered.

“Our objective is to keep customers better informed about the technological advances in televisions so that they can make an in-formed decision in their purchase. LG OLED TV’s perfect black creates per-

fect colour and, with HDR Dolby Vision, you get an immersive entertainment experience,” said Sajed Jas-sim Mohamed Sulaiman, vice-chairman and man-aging director, Video Home & Electronic Centre.

The initiative included roleplay and tests, while the two best performers were rewarded with an LG Sound Bar. Product and sales managers from Video Home were also present for the training camp.

The cleaning campaign at the northern western beaches of Qatar has concluded with the removal of 3,152 tonnes of various refuse materials, including oil and grease washed ashore. The campaign was launched in November last year.

Tonnes of beach waste removedAl Maysan Heavy Equipmentlaunches Yutong busesAl Maysan Heavy

Equipment Com-pany, affi liated to

Jaidah Group of Compa-nies, launched an “in-dustry-leading brand” of buses ‘Yutong’ as an ex-clusive dealer in Qatar.

Chinese ambassador Li Chen, Jaidah Group Group executive director Mohamed Jaidah, Jaidah Equipment & Al May-san managing director Ayman Ahmed, Yutong (Middle East) sales di-rector Jacky Cui, besides a number of diplomats from the Chinese em-bassy in Qatar and Jaidah Group executives were present.

Mohamed Jaidah said, “Jaidah Group has a his-tory of long standing re-lationships with major international manufac-turers, which make Jaidah Group perfectly suited for satisfying the high de-mand of equipment and vehicles to cater to Qatar’s construction boom driven by Qatar National Vision 2030.”

He expressed his confi -dence that Yutong buses will satisfy and exceed the expectations of customers in Qatar.

Ahmed said, “Yutong is world’s largest manufac-turer of buses for the last six years consecutively.” Yutong is China’s only ISO TS 16949:2002 certifi ed manufacturer.

The high safety standards, comfort and the aff ordable prices make Yutong superior to other bus brands. Ahmed emphasised that aftersales service played an important role and a dedicated service centre catering to customers would start functioning at Street 36 of Industrial Area, from early next month.

“We will also provide mobile services for main-tenance by professional technicians to fl eet cus-tomers,” he said.

Ahmed added that the long term strategic part-nership between Jaidah and Yutong would bring about “the best of both companies and provide high quality and comfort-able buses” in Qatar.

Jacky emphasised that Qatar was an important market for Yutong.

He said, “Yutong buses

are of high quality and es-pecially labour transporta-tion buses have competitive prices.”

He said the success story of Yutong buses in other

Middle East countries will be replicated in Qatar also.

The Yutong bus factory in China has the biggest pro-duction capacity of up to 310 buses a month.

Yutong has achieved many successes globally and regionally and has bagged many awards for quality and effi ciency.

Yutong buses have a com-

plete range from 25-seater to 66-seater buses, suited to the diff erent needs of construction, transport and tourism companies and leasing companies.

Mohamed Jaidah with dignitaries during the launch of Yutong buses recently.

QATAR5Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Three violations detected during MEC inspections

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has conducted surprise

inspections at commercial out-lets in Al Shamal town and Al Ruwais in a bid to monitor their compliance with Law No.8 of 2008 on consumer protection.

The inspection campaigns resulted in the detection of three violations, according to a statement from the MEC.

During the inspections, shops were fi ned for failing to display prices and Arabic labels, as well as off ering unlicensed discounts in violation of Law No.8 of 2008 and Decision No.5 of 1984 regarding discounted sales (promotions).

The three violations resulted in fi nes of QR11,000. The min-istry said the campaigns were within the framework of its ef-forts to monitor markets and

commercial activities in order to crack down on price manipu-lation and violations and pro-tect consumer rights.

Further, the MEC stressed that it would not tolerate any violation of the Consumer Pro-tection Law and its regulations, and would intensify inspections to crack down on violators. It will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to the competent authorities, to take appropriate action against the perpetrators.

The ministry has urged all consumers to report violations or submit complaints and sug-gestions through the call cen-tre: 16001, e-mail: info@mec.gov.qa, Twitter: MEC_QATAR, Instagram: MEC_QATAR and the MEC application on iPhone and Android devices: MEC_QATAR.An MEC off icial carries out inspection at a saloon.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment’s Department of Environment Protection, Wildlife and Protectorates, in co-operation with the Public Gardens Department, has distributed 800 wild tree saplings to owners of winter camps at desert areas and farm owners as part of the ‘Plant It’ initiative, which aims to enhance the green cover in the country. An off icial and a farmer are seen planting a sapling.

Saplings given to campers

QIB’s new campaign off ers additional profi t on saving

Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has launched a new cam-paign providing cus-

tomers with additional profi t on their additional savings. The initiative aims to foster a culture of saving among customers and encourages them to save more on quarterly basis.

The new campaign encour-ages customers to save more by off ering them to earn 50% more expected profi t rate on their in-cremental deposit amounts. Customers who increase their savings account average bal-ance during the quarter with a minimum of QR50,000 get to earn 50% extra on the expected annual profi t rate on that addi-tional balance. The off er is avail-able throughout 2017 and profi t is paid on quarterly basis.

This campaign is part of QIB’s comprehensive Shariah-com-

pliant fi nancial products and services suite and is open to all QIB customers.

D Anand, Personal Banking Group general manager at QIB, said: “We are always working to off er our customers fi nancial services that support their fi -nancial health and lifestyle. For this reason, we have introduced this campaign in order to en-courage our customers to save more in anticipation of their fu-ture needs and aspirations.”

“As the leading Islamic bank in Qatar, we are always looking for innovative ways to address the fi nancial interests of the people in Qatar. We are pleased to start the year with a unique off er which keeps the customers’ needs at the core of our strat-egy,” Anand added.

Savings accounts at QIB pro-vide customers a number of bene-

fi ts. Return is given to the average daily balance with the profi t dis-tributed on quarterly basis, while customers are free to draw from the account at any time.

The savings account comes with free e-Statement (daily, weekly or monthly, upon cus-tomer’s request), free instantly issued debit/ATM card, and 24/7 access to their accounts via phone, Internet, and mobile banking.

QIB has recently launched a number of new products and services, including the new salary transfer campaign, the comprehensive Ladies Banking Proposition to meet the needs of all women in Qatar and a new credit card with fl exible pay-ment option, whereby custom-ers can pay as low as 5% per month on their card outstanding balance.

GU hosts lecture on US polls today

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) is hosting today a public lecture on

the recent US presidential elec-tions. Dr Samuel Potolicchio, pictured, director, Global and Custom Education at the Mc-Court School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, is the speaker at the event taking place at 6pm today, at GU-Q’s Education City campus.

Dr Potolicchio will seek to explain why Donald Trump won the race, defeating Hilary Clin-ton. “The talk will give a scien-tifi c breakdown of why Trump pulled off the most stunning ascent in American political history, and forecast what this may mean for the future of poli-tics,” said Potolicchio. “We will also judge the eff ectiveness of the presidential transition.”

The presentation is informed by the questions Potolicchio has received from audiences while travelling abroad and lec-turing on the topic in China, Russia, Brazil, and Italy. It will also include commentary on the newly-appointed president’s cabinet decisions and the start of his term of offi ce.

The scholar, who specialises in political and social communications,

holds a PhD from Georgetown University and has served as the president of the Preparing Global Leaders Foundation, a leadership training programme for rising leaders from over 100 countries.

REGION

Gulf TimesWednesday, January 25, 20176

Nato seeks closer ties with Gulf, launchesnew centreAFPKuwait City

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg yes-terday called for

boosting security co-oper-ation with the Gulf states as the Western military alli-ance opened its fi rst offi ce in the region.

“It will be a vital hub for co-operation between the alliance and our Gulf part-ners,” Stoltenberg said at the inauguration of the cen-tre in Kuwait in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah.

The centre is based on the Istanbul Co-operation Initiative (ICI), which was launched by the Nato lead-ers in 2004 and aims to boost security links with the Middle East, in particu-lar Gulf states.

Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emir-ates are members of ICI while the remaining two Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states — Saudi Arabia and Oman — plan to join.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah said the region is fac-ing serious challenges that require co-operation with

international organisations.“We face common se-

curity threats like terror-ism, weapons proliferation, and cyber attacks. And we share the same aspirations for peace and for stability,” Stoltenberg said.

“So it is essential that we work more closely together than ever before. We have now developed individual co-operation programmes with all our Gulf partners,” he said.

Stoltenberg said that over the past year, Nato has trained hundreds of Iraqi offi cers in Jordan to better fi ght the Islamic State group.

“We are now extending our training and capacity-building eff orts into Iraq it-self,” he said.

Nato continues to fi ght terrorism in other ways, in-cluding with direct support to the anti-IS coalition, he said.

The centre will strength-en the military-to-military co-operation and the fi ght against terrorism and ex-tremism, Stoltenberg said.

The centre will help the Gulf states by providing ad-vanced training courses on cyber security, energy se-curity, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (centre) and Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah at the inauguration of the Nato Istanbul Co-operation Initiative (ICI) Regional Centre in Kuwait City.

Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Aff airs HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, at the inauguration ceremony of the Nato-ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait City yesterday.

Parliament bid to curb austerity steps

Kuwait’s parliament is trying to restrict the cabinet’s ability to impose new fees on citizens and reduce price subsidies, an eff ort that threatens government plans to strengthen state finances in the face of low oil prices.Opposition candidates won about 24 out of 50 seats in elections last November that were seen by many Kuwaitis as a referendum on austerity measures. That gave the op-position more power to oppose government initiatives.Yesterday Safa al-Hashem, a spokesman for the National Assembly’s financial and economic committee, said mem-bers of parliament had proposed cancelling a law passed by the previous assembly which ratified a rise in electricity and water tariff s. MPs also proposed a measure confirming the right of the National Assembly to regulate and approve any move by the government to impose fees.The measures would constrain government eff orts to save money by reducing energy subsidies and increasing non-oil revenues. A victory by parliamentary opponents in these areas could help them block other austerity plans, such as a drive to reform public sector wages.Hashem, speaking to reporters after the committee met with Finance Minister Anas al-Saleh, said Saleh considered the two proposals to be legally and constitutionally flawed, and asked for two weeks to respond to them.

Fighting for a key port city on Yemen’s Red Sea coast has left at least 40 rebel and pro-government fighters dead, military off icials said yesterday. Loyalist forces said Monday they had captured the port of Mokha, almost three weeks into an off en-sive to oust Shia Houthi insurgents and their allies from Yemen’s southwestern coast. But they exchanged fire overnight with rebels still holed up in the port on Mokha’s southwestern edge.Clashes continued yesterday on the southern and eastern out-skirts of the city. “Despite the significant human toll, the Houthis are still in the centre of Mokha,” a military off icial said.Rebel snipers were reported to have slowed the loyalist advance.At least 28 rebels and 12 pro-government fighters have been killed in fighting in the past 24 hours, military and medical sources said yesterday. That brought to nearly 200 the number of deaths on both sides since the off ensive began.Houthi forces had controlled Mokha since they overran the capi-tal Sanaa in September 2014 and advanced on other regions aided by troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.Forces supporting President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, backed by a coalition, launched a vast off ensive on January 7 to retake the coastline overlooking the Bab al-Mandab strait. The strait is a strategically vital maritime route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

At least 40 dead in battle for portUNREST

Saudi security forces have arrested 13 Pakistanis and three locals suspected of having links to militants who blew themselves up during a weekend firefight with police, authorities said yesterday.The interior ministry also identified the two militants who detonated explosive belts during Saturday’s raid in the Red Sea city of Jeddah as locals. Marzouk Anzi and Khaled al-Sourwani had both taken part in previous militant attacks in the kingdom, and Sourwani had links with the Islamic State group, the ministry said. Authorities also seized arms and materials for making explosives from the building where the men blew themselves up, the off icial Saudi Press Agency said. In late October, Saudi authorities said they had arrested eight militants and disman-tled several “terrorist” cells linked to IS, including one that had planned to attack a major football match in Jeddah. Those ar-rested included two Pakistanis, a Syrian and a Sudanese citizen.

16 ‘terrorism’ suspects arrestedCRIME

ARAB WORLD7Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Israel’s plan for 2,500 new settlement homes slammedReuters Jerusalem

Israel announced plans yes-terday for 2,500 more settle-ment homes in the occupied

West Bank, the second such declaration since US President Donald Trump took offi ce sig-nalling he would be less critical of such projects than his pred-ecessor.

A statement from the Defence Ministry, which administers lands Israel illegally occupied in 1967, said the move was meant to fulfi l demand for new hous-ing “to maintain regular daily life”. Most of the construction, it said, would be in existing set-tlement blocs that Israel intends to keep under any future peace agreement with the Palestin-ians.

However, a breakdown pro-vided by the prime minister’s offi ce showed large portions of the planned homes would be outside existing blocs.

About 350,000 settlers live in the West Bank and a further 200,000 in East Jerusalem, which Israel illegally occupied in 1967.

Beyond the major blocs, most of which are close to the border with Israel, there are more than 100 settlement outposts scat-tered across hilltops in the West Bank.

Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokes-man for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the Israeli announcement and said it would have “conse-quences”.

“The decision will hinder any attempt to restore security and stability, it will reinforce ex-

tremism and terrorism and will place obstacles in the path of any eff ort to start a peace proc-ess that will lead to security and peace,” he said.

They want the West Bank and

Gaza Strip, from which Israeli troops and settlers withdrew in 2005, for an independent state, with its capital in East Jerusa-lem.

Most countries consider set-

tlements illegal and an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace as they reduce and fragment the territory Palestinians need for a viable state.

During the US election cam-

paign, Trump indicated he would dispense with former President Barack Obama’s op-position to settlement building, a stance that delighted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s

government. On Sunday, two days after Trump’s inaugura-tion, Israel announced plans for hundreds of new homes in East Jerusalem, and the right-wing Netanyahu told senior ministers he was lifting restrictions on settlement construction across the board.

“We can build where we want and as much as we want,” an of-fi cial quoted Netanyahu as tell-ing the ministers.

Following yesterday’s an-nouncement, the prime min-ister’s offi ce listed some of the West Bank areas slated for new construction, but not all were in settlement blocs.

“I have agreed with the de-fence minister to build 2,500 new homes in Judea and Samar-ia (West Bank) — we are build-ing and will continue to build,” Netanyahu said in a tweet.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman is himself a settler.

The Defence Ministry state-ment said 100 of the new homes would be in Beit El, a settlement which according to Israeli media has received funding from the family of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

David Friedman, a staunch supporter of Israeli settlers who Trump has nominated to be his ambassador to Israel, has served as president of the American Friends of Beit El, a group that raises funds for the settlement.

It was not immediately clear whether yesterday’s announce-ment was the fi rst in relation to the new construction.

There are several stages in-volved in approving and build-ing settlement homes and announcements frequently overlap or are reissued.

A Palestinian woman sits in a field in the West Bank village of Deir Ballut yesterday.

Father of convicted soldier seeks leniencyAFPTel Aviv

The father of an Israeli sol-dier convicted of man-slaughter for shooting

dead a prone Palestinian assail-ant pleaded for leniency for his son at a sentencing hearing yes-terday in a case that has divided the country.

Charlie Azaria told a military court that he believed his son Elor and his family had suff ered enough since the soldier was ar-rested some 10 months ago.

“I want to tell you that this punishment of 10 months is enough,” the longtime former police offi cer testifi ed at the hearing in a court at Israel’s de-fence headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“It has been 10 months since we stopped living. We are suff er-ing. After everything I’ve given to the country, this is physical and psychological abuse...

We are out of energy,” he add-ed, breaking down in tears.

Sergeant Azaria, 20, a dual French-Israeli national, was ap-plauded by his family when he arrived for the hearing, with his mother taking him in her arms.

Azaria was not to be sentenced in yesterday’s hearing, with wit-nesses testifying about his char-acter before prosecutors submit their recommendations.

His army counsellor, a former teacher and fellow soldiers were among those testifying on Azar-ia’s behalf. Azaria faces up to 20 years in prison, though there have been reports that prosecu-tors will recommend between three and fi ve years.

ARAB WORLD

Gulf TimesWednesday, January 25, 20178

UN ‘racing’ to prepare civilian aid ahead of battle for west MosulReutersBaghdad

The United Nations said yesterday it is “racing against the clock” to pre-

pare emergency aid for hundreds of thousands of endangered ci-vilians in Mosul with an Iraqi army off ensive looming to oust Islamic State from the western half of the city.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi confirmed yesterday that government forces had taken complete control of east-ern Mosul, 100 days after the start of the US-backed cam-paign to retake Iraq’s second largest city from Islamic State (IS) insurgents who seized it in 2014. UN officials estimate 750,000 people remain in Mo-sul west of the Tigris River that flows through the last remain-ing major urban centre held by Islamic State in Iraq, after a se-ries of government counter-of-fensives in the country’s north and west.

The west side could prove more complicated to take than the east as it is crisscrossed by streets too narrow for armoured vehicles, allowing militants to hide among civilians.

The militants are expected to put up a fi erce fi ght as they are cornered in a shrinking area of Mosul.

“We are racing against the clock to prepare for this,” UN humanitarian co-ordinator Lise Grande told Reuters.

Humanitarian agencies were setting up displaced people camps accessible from western Mosul and pre-positioning sup-plies in them, she said.

“The reports from inside

western Mosul are distress-ing,” she said in a separate statement.”Prices of basic food and supplies are soaring...Many families without income are eat-ing only once a day. Others are being forced to burn furniture to stay warm.”

Government forces yesterday fi nished clearing the last eastern

pocket held by militants — the northern suburb of Rashidiya, Major General Najm al-Jubbou-ri, commander of the northern front, told the local Mosuliya TV channel.

“I now call on these (armed forces) heroes to move quickly to free what remains of Mosul, es-pecially the right (western) side,”

Abadi told a news conference in Baghdad.

He also said new US President Donald Trump has sent messag-es off ering to increase the level of assistance to Iraq.

Trump has made the fi ght against IS a foreign policy prior-ity.

It was from Mosul’s Grand

Mosque, on the western side, that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a “caliphate” under his rule in 2014, spanning large tracts of Iraq and Syria. Mosul has been the largest city under IS control in either country, with a pre-war population of about 2mn.

A US-led coalition is provid-ing air and ground support to Iraqi forces in the battle that began on Oct 17, the biggest in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003.

More than 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of regional Kurdish security forces and Shia Muslim paramilitaries known as Popular Mobilisation are par-ticipating in the off ensive.

Iraqi forces estimated the number of militants inside Mo-sul at 5,000-6,000 at the start of operations three months ago, and say 3,300 have been killed in the fi ghting since.

Military preparations to re-capture western Mosul have be-gun, with Popular Mobilisation militia preparing an operation in “the next two-three days” to pave the way for the main of-fensive on the western bank of the Tigris, the overall campaign commander, Lieutenant General Abdul Ameer Yarallah, told Mo-suliya TV.

Popular Mobilisation is a coa-lition of predominantly Iranian-trained groups formed in 2014 to

join the off ensive against Islamic State. It became an offi cial wing of the Iraqi armed forces last year. More than 160,000 civil-ians have been displaced since the start of the off ensive, UN of-fi cials say.

Medical and humanitar-ian agencies estimate the total number of dead and wounded — both civilian and military — at several thousand.

Islamic State has “continued to attack those fl eeing or at-tempting to fl ee areas that are controlled by it”, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in Geneva yes-terday, and was also shelling dis-tricts retaken by the army.

She added that air strikes tar-geting Islamic State insurgents in Mosul had also killed civilians, although facts and casualty fi g-ures were hard to verify.

The militants blew up a land-mark hotel in western Mosul on Friday in an apparent attempt to prevent advancing Iraqi forces from using it as a base or a sniper position once fi ghting shifts west of the Tigris.

The Mosul Hotel, shaped like a stepped pyramid, stands close to the river.

State television said the army had set up temporary bridges across the Tigris south of the city limits to allow troops to cross in preparation for the of-fensive on western districts.

An elderly woman carries bottles of water she received from Iraqi security forces in Antesaar neighbourhood of Mosul, Iraq yesterday.

Bomb classes and gun counts: trauma of children under ISReutersMosul, Iraq

Schools in the east of the Iraqi city of Mosul are seeking to return

to a semblance of normal-ity after two years under Islamic State rule when they were either shuttered or forced to teach a martial curriculum that included lessons in bombmaking.

Around 40,000 students — most of whom have been kept at home by their par-ents since the militants cap-tured Mosul in 2014 — will attend around 70 schools in the coming weeks after the buildings have been checked for unexploded bombs.

US-backed Iraqi forces have retaken most eastern districts of the city and are preparing to push into the western part of Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State across its self-pro-claimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

Teachers and parents told Reuters about the militants’ brand of education received by those children who have attended school over the past two years, including many children of militants.

This included chemistry lessons on bombmaking and maths classes devot-ed to tallying up weapons caches, they said.

“In math, my six-year-old son was counting rifl es. In other classes, he was be-ing taught about suicide bombing,” said Mishwan Yunis, a 41-year-old water ministry worker whose son attends Kufa Boys’ School.

“He lost two very im-

portant years of his life. He should have been in the third grade; now he goes back to fi rst.”

The northern city is coming back to life with markets and shops reo-pening and people sell-ing once-prohibited goods such as cigarettes openly on the streets yet the damage of battle is everywhere — and fi ghting rages just a few kilometres away.

At Kufa Boys’ School, children run around the concrete yard wearing new bright blue school bags provided by Unicef, in the shadow of neighbouring buildings reduced to rubble.

One schoolyard in the area has been turned into a cemetery covered with doz-ens of freshly dug graves.

Yet a return to normal-ity will not be easy for chil-dren, who bears the scars of living in the Islamic State’s de facto capital in Iraq and the bitter battle for the city since late last year when Iraqi forces launched the biggest ground operation in the country since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003.

They could face psycho-logical hurdles, as might their teachers, many of who told Reuters they had been threatened with being hung from their schools’ walls if they did not continue teach-ing under Islamic State.

“Our role is bigger now than it was two or three years ago because you need to deal with the children’s psychological state be-fore you can teach them,” said Omar Khudor Ali, headteacher of nearby Ba-dayel Boys’ School.

School children react to a camera as they attend a class after registering in school in Mosul, Iraq.

Moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be a declaration of war, influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said yesterday. “Transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem would be a public and more-explicit-than-ever declaration of war,” he said in a statement. In a break with previous admin-istrations, new US President Donald Trump has pledged to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate the US em-bassy there from Tel Aviv. Sadr, a Shia cleric whose militia once fought US occupation forces in Iraq, called for the “formation of a special division to liberate Jerusalem were the decision to be implemented.” Sadr said the Cairo-based Arab League as well as the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, the world’s main pan-Islamic body, should take a decisive stand on the issue or dissolve themselves. The Najaf-based cleric also called “for the immediate closure of the US embassy in Iraq” should Washing-ton go ahead with its promised embassy transfer in Israel.

Cleric warns US on embassy moveOPINION

ARAB WORLD9Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Jordan’s king to visit Moscow for Syria talksAFPAmman

Jordan’s King Abdullah II will visit Moscow today for talks with President Vladimir Putin on the Syrian crisis and “the fi ght

against terrorism”, a palace statement said.The two leaders will discuss “developments

in the Middle East, especially the Syrian crisis and the peace process” between Israel and the Palestinians, yesterday’s statement said.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow yesterday, the offi cial Petra News Agency re-ported.

The meetings come as Syrian regime and rebel delegates hold indirect peace talks in Kazakhstan, organised by regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel sponsor Turkey.

The three sponsors of the talks agreed yes-terday to establish a joint “mechanism” to monitor the frail truce in Syria.

Jordan has consistently called for a “com-prehensive political solution” to the crisis in its northern neighbour that erupted in 2011.

Amman is one of the few Arab capitals that still has diplomatic relations with Damascus.

The two countries share a 370-kilometre border, but Jordan closed the fi nal crossing

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi attend a meeting in Moscow yesterday.

point in 2015 after rebels seized the Syrian side.

It has also sealed its frontier with Iraq.The Jordanian economy has been hard hit

by the Syrian crisis, particularly the burden

of hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria. The United Nations says it has registered 650,000 Syrian refugees in Jor-dan, but authorities say as many as 1.3mn are now living there.

UN to need $8bn this year to help displaced at homeReutersGeneva

The United Nations said yesterday it will need a total of $8bn this year

to provide life-saving assist-ance to millions of Syrians in-side their shattered homeland and to refugees and their host communities in neighbouring countries.

The fi rst part, a $4.63bn ap-peal for 5mn Syrian refugees — 70% of whom are women and children — was launched at a Helsinki conference.

Funds will be used to pro-vide food, rent, education and healthcare.

A separate appeal for an es-timated $3.4bn to fund its hu-manitarian operation to help 13.5mn people inside Syria after nearly six years of war, is being fi nalised.

“The crisis in Syria remains one of most complex, volatile and violent in the world,” UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien told a news conference.

Attempts to end the confl ict in Syria have so far failed.

After two-day talks, Iran, Russia and Turkey earlier an-nounced a trilateral mechanism to observe and ensure full com-pliance with a ceasefi re.

“Of course we fear that it will get worse,” O’Brien said. “And even if peace was to take place from tonight, the humanitarian needs within Syria would con-tinue for a good time to come.”

Five countries — Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt — host nearly 5mn Syrian refu-gees, a “staggering number”,

with few in camps, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said.

“Even if Syrians have stopped arriving in Europe in any signifi cant numbers, I hope that everybody realises that the Syria refugee crisis has not gone away and continues to af-fect millions in host communi-ties and continues to be a tragic situation,” he said.

It was too early to say wheth-er any solution would lead to further displacement or people returning to their homes.

“There is uncertainty sur-rounding the political process, we all hope that it will move in

the right direction, but we can’t tell. We’ve had disappoint-ments in the past,” Grandi said.

Providing livelihoods and re-storing basic utilities are a pri-ority in Syria, said Helen Clark, administrator of the UN Devel-opment Programme (UNDP).

“Even were there to be a po-litical settlement tomorrow, we would still be here seeking support for humanitarian re-lief for a country that has been brought to its knees, with 85% living in poverty, 50% in unem-ployment and with the severe economic and social impacts on the neighbourhood.”

File photo shows a member of the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, evacuating a child following reported government shelling on the rebel-held town of Douma, east of the Syrian capital Damascus.

A public television station in Morocco was given an off icial reprimand yes-terday for broadcasting a sequence on how to use make-up to conceal the bruises of battered women. It was transmitted last November — marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women — by 2M on its morning magazine programme “Sabahiyate”. The sequence depicted

a woman with a swollen face, with the presenter telling viewers that she was not really injured, and that these were just “cinematic eff ects”. Yesterday, the country’s High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA) said the se-quence “violated certain legal and regulatory provisions”. HACA said in a state-ment it was forbidden to “incite violence against women, directly or indirectly.”

Morocco TV channel censured over makeup for battered womenREPRIMAND

AFRICA

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 201710

Roadside bomb kills 4 troops in Somalia townReutersMogadishu

At least four soldiers were killed and fi ve wounded yesterday when a roadside bomb that Is-

lamist militant group Shebaab said it planted exploded outside a military camp in a town near Mogadishu, offi -cials said.

Further south, Kenyan soldiers work-ing under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) killed seven She-baab fi ghters in a Somali district on the countries’ border, Kenyan authorities said.

The blast in Afgoye, about 30km southwest of the capital, took place a day after the insurgent group carried out a raid on the same town that was repulsed by government troops, Major Osman Abdulle, a police offi cer, told Reuters.

Shebaab, which is waging an insur-

gency across Somalia aimed at toppling the Western-backed government in Mogadishu, claimed responsibility for the bombing.

“We planted the bomb last night. At least seven soldiers died,” Sheikh Ab-diasis Abu Musab, the group’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters.

The Kenya Defence Forces said the Shebaab fi ghters were killed during an operation to fl ush them out of the southern town of Badhaadhe, where the group had taken control of a mosque and a police station.

It said it recovered rifl es, ammuni-tion and two 81mm bombs among other items.

Shebaab, which is affi liated with Al Qaeda, aims to impose its own version of Islam on the Horn of Africa state.

The group once held large swathes of Somalia including Mogadishu before being ousted from the capital in 2011 and losing further ground. But it con-tinues to pose a formidable threat.

Nigeria suicide bomber had ‘baby strapped to her back’AFPKano

A female suicide bomber who at-tacked a town in northeast Ni-geria earlier this month was car-

rying a baby at the time, the country’s main relief agency said yesterday.

But the National Emergency Man-agement Agency (NEMA) said it was unclear whether this was a new tactic on the part of Boko Haram Islamists to allow would-be bombers to evade de-tection.

“From the report we got after the Madagali attack (on January 13), one of the female suicide bombers had a baby strapped to her back,” said the NEMA coordinator for Adamawa state, Saad Bello.

“However it is not clear whether it was a coincidence or a strategy they employed to avoid detection by security personnel.

“This was one isolated case and it will be premature to arrive at a defi nite con-clusion that the use of babies in suicide attacks has become a trend.”

At least two people were killed and 15 others injured in the explosions in Madagali at a checkpoint manned by lo-cal hunters, at a military post and a bus station.

Police said four female bombers were

responsible while the state government blamed Boko Haram, which has fre-quently targeted Madagali, including in December, when some 45 people were killed.

Boko Haram, which has been fi ght-ing to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria since 2009, began us-ing suicide bombers in mid-2014.

Women and girls, some reportedly aged 10 and younger, have been used to target checkpoints, bus stations, mosques, churches, schools and mar-kets to infl ict maximum civilian casual-ties.

Last week, the group’s leader Abu-bakar Shekau admitted for the fi rst time they had used women in the confl ict.

Experts studying suicide bomb-ings have said children are likely to be unaware they are being used as human bombs but that women using children and babies as cover for suicide attacks was rare.

In 2008, US investigators suggested a blast blamed on Al Qaeda which killed at least 35 at a wedding reception north of Baghdad may have been carried out by a bomber pretending to be pregnant.

Two years earlier in Sri Lanka, anoth-er woman believed to be feigning preg-nancy carried out a suicide bomb attack that killed 11 and wounded the country’s army chief. Tamil Tiger separatists were blamed.

In-laws ‘steal from’ Zimbabwe widowsBy Reagan Mashavave, AFPHarare

As Maliyaziwa Malunga mourns her dead husband, she also battles against his relatives

who plot to seize her house in a cus-tom that aff ects thousands of women in Zimbabwe each year.

A Human Rights Watch report re-leased yesterday details how in-laws in the country routinely expect to take property and money from bereaved widows soon after their husbands die.

When Malunga’s husband died in 2013, his relatives locked her in her home, forced her to open her cash box, and stole $4,000 and the title docu-ments to her property.

“I lock my doors always fearing some of those in-laws will come and harass me,” Malunga, who is still in a legal tussle to fi ght off the relatives, told AFP.

“It is so painful to go to courts and it is stressful. I lose sleep, my blood pressure is high and I have lost weight

because of stress,” the 53-year-old said.

HRW said Zimbabwean widows who are thrown out of their homes by their in-laws often have little chance of justice because many marriages are under customary law and not regis-tered.

“My advice is for married women to go to court and have a wedding cer-

tifi cate and we will not have problems like this one,” said Malunga.

“Widows must fi ght for their rights, they should be strong and should not give up,” she added, recalling that her husband’s relatives engaged in fi st-fi ghts over her house in Chitungwiza, outside Harare.

The HRW report called for the gov-ernment to protect vulnerable, often elderly widows.

“The impact of property grabbing on widows is devastating,” said its au-thor Bethany Brown.

“Women whose property was taken from them spoke of homelessness, destitution and loss of livelihoods.”

The report is based on interviews with 59 widows across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces last year.

“(My brother-in-law) has taken all of my fi elds,” Deborah, 58, from Mashonaland East, told researchers.

“Now, he says that I cannot walk on ‘his’ fi elds...Maybe he is really happy to see us suff er.”

The Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), an organisation helping wid-

ows in Zimbabwe, said it alone had handled at least 1,700 cases in the last three years.

“Women have to register their es-tates and they should do so imme-diately after the deaths of their hus-bands,” Lucia Masuka-Zanhi, legal programmes director at LRF, told AFP.

“Women can assert their rights through the courts and each case will be decided on its facts.”

The government said it supported better protection for widows and would act to enforce the law more widely.

“This practice contravenes the law which entitles the surviving spouse to inherit property,” Ivan Dumba, an of-fi cial from the ministry of women af-fairs, told a press conference in Harare where the report was launched.

“We will increase the volume to condemn such practices...It is critical we investigate this issue as we need to get to the bottom of it.”

HRW said that, according to Zim-babwe’s 2012 census, there were about 590,000 widows in the country, and that most women over 60 were widowed.

Maliyaziwa Malunga speaks in Harare yesterday after Human Rights Watch released a report yesterday detailing how in-laws in Zimbabwe routinely take property and money from bereaved widows soon after their husbands die.

A vervet monkey passes in front of a woman on the shores of lake Naivasha, Kenya yesterday.

Monkey see!

Opposition leader leaves DR Congo for medical treatment

AFPKinshasa

Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi yesterday headed to Belgium for medical

treatment — just as his party is trying to negotiate a power-sharing deal follow-ing President Laurent Kabila’s refusal to step down.

The 84-year-old head of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), a historic heavyweight in DR Congo’s opposition movement, took off from Kinshasa’s airport aboard a private plane at 6am, an AFP journalist reported.

The departure of the frail leader could

complicate negotiations over the time-table for a New Year’s Eve deal under which Kabila will stay in offi ce before new elections are held in late 2017.

The country’s infl uential Catholic bishops brokered the deal in a bid to prevent more bloodshed in a crisis that has already claimed dozens of lives in the chronically unstable nation.

The UDPS, saying it wanted to put an end to “rumours”, published a state-ment overnight saying its leader would be leaving for Brussels on Tuesday on a trip that had been “postponed several times because of the political situation in the country”, without specifying the reason for his departure.

But a source close to the Tshisekedi

family said he was going to Belgium for medical tests. “He’s not dying, but he has to go for a test in Brussels,” the source said.

A senior UDPS offi cial expressed greater concern over the health of “the Old Man”, as Tshisekedi is aff ectionately known among his political allies, saying the opposition leader’s health had rapid-ly deteriorated. “This could be a one-way trip, we can’t rule that out,” the party of-fi cial said on condition of anonymity.

The UDPS statement said Tshisekedi would be returning to Congo as soon as possible to “take up his historic respon-sibilities”.

Tshisekedi had made a triumphant return in July after two years of medi-

cal treatment in former colonial power Belgium, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to welcome him home.

Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, was due to step down on Decem-ber 20 at the end of his second and fi -nal mandate, but has shown no signs of wanting to leave offi ce.

Tshisekedi is supposed to head a tran-sitional body that will be set up until the elections due at the end of the year, with a prime minister to be named from op-position ranks.

He had unsuccessfully fought the 2011 presidential election against Ka-bila, a vote which the opposition alleged was marked by massive fraud.

Swaziland orders schools to teach only ChristianityAFPMbabane

Swaziland’s schools opened yesterday for the new aca-demic year under new gov-

ernment orders to teach only Christianity, a move criticised by opponents as fuelling intolerance of Muslims.

Offi cials said that old text books were being replaced with new ones that mention only the Bible, and that schools were required to submit a list of qualifi ed religious studies teachers ahead of the start of term.

“Other religions will not be of-fered at primary and high school level,” said Pat Muir, a top educa-tion ministry offi cial, adding that the policy sought to avoid confusing pupils.

“At tertiary level they will be able to make a decision to learn about other religions,” he said.

Some surveys put Swaziland’s Muslim population as high as 10%, but the US Department of State in 2015 put the fi gure at about 2%.

Many Swazis combine Christian-ity with indigenous beliefs, and reli-gious freedoms are written into the country’s 2005 constitution.

The education ministry last week instructed all head teachers to en-sure that the syllabus would not mention any religion other than Christianity, including Islam and Judaism.

Sahid Matsebula, a Swazi-born Muslim who works for a mosque near the capital Mbabane, said the government’s policy could worsen religious friction in the southern African nation.

“What plan does the government have in place for our children who are not Christian?” he told AFP.

“They will be taught one thing at home and taught something else at school.”

The US State Department’s Inter-national Religious Freedom Report said some schools have long sought to prevent Muslim pupils from leav-ing early for Friday prayers.

It also said some Christian groups “discriminated against non-Chris-tian religious groups, especially in rural areas where people generally held negative views on Islam.”

The new education policy comes after public complaints over Asian and Muslim migration into the country led parliament to set up a commission of enquiry last year.

Some illegal migrants have since been deported, and Minister of Commerce and Trade Jabulani Mabuza told parliament that a law making it harder for foreigners to set up businesses in Swaziland was in the pipeline.

Church leaders in Swaziland wel-comed the Christianity-only syl-labus.

“Christianity is the bedrock re-ligion on which this country was built,” said Stephen Masilela, presi-dent of the Swaziland Conference of Churches.

Swaziland, with a population of about 1.2mn, has been ruled by King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, since 1986.

The country suff ers dire poverty and has struggled to lift its econ-omy, and has faced international criticism that the government sti-fl es dissent, jails its opponents and denies workers’ rights.

Jammeh gets to ‘keep’ luxury car collection

Gambian ex-president Yahya Jammeh

will be allowed to keep his collection

of 13 luxury cars and fly them out to

his exiled home in Equatorial Guinea, a

spokesman for new president Adama

Barrow said yesterday.

Barrow’s spokesman confirmed to

AFP an agreement had been struck to

facilitate Jammeh’s exit on Saturday

in order to end a weeks-long impasse

caused by the ex-leader’s refusal to rec-

ognise Barrow’s election victory.

“What is very clear is that arrange-

ments were made and the government

was fully prepared and supportive of

ex-president Jammeh to leave and as

a result they found it is better to leave

with all his properties instead of com-

ing down and checking properties,”

spokesman Halifa Sallah told AFP.

An airport source who saw the

cargo being prepared on Saturday

night when Jammeh flew out of the

country said “two Rolls Royce and one

(Mercedes) Benz” were loaded onto

a Chadian cargo plane, while others

await shipment. The spokesman added

that the decision was also aimed at

minimising return visits by Jammeh.

“He leaves with all his properties

so he is not coming up and down to

check,” Sallah said.

Another Barrow spokesman had

alluded angrily to the luxury cars on

Sunday, but did not say that the new

president had agreed that Jammeh

could leave with them.

As of yesterday, the source added,

“10 cars” were still earmarked for future

shipment, which diplomats and others

familiar with the matter confirmed

included a Bentley, Land Rovers, a Mini

Cooper, and another Mercedes. “No in-

formation or orders have been given by

this new government to stop shipping

the cars,” the airport source told AFP.

The news is likely to anger Gambians

who have also learnt Jammeh took off

with $11mn of state funds, leaving the

coff ers nearly empty. An “entry-level”

Rolls Royce costs $250,000, and most

Gambians live on less than $2 a day.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspect a guard of honour in Maputo yesterday at the start of the Turkish president’s state visit to Mozambique. Erdogan is on a three-day tour to east Africa that includes Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar.

State visit

AMERICAS11Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Trump plans to keep Comey as FBI chiefReutersWashington

President Donald Trump intends to keep FBI Director James Comey in his post, a person familiar with

the decision said yesterday, amid reports that US law enforcement and intelligence agencies are scrutinizing Trump associ-ates over their ties to Russia.

Comey, a Republican, drew furious criticism from Democrats for announc-ing just 11 days before the November 8 election that the FBI was looking at addi-tional emails related to Democratic presi-dential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server.

Four days after the election, Clinton privately blamed Comey for her elec-tion loss to Trump, telling donors Trump was able to use the FBI chief’s comments about the e-mails to attack her in the waning days of the campaign.

On Sunday, Comey got a warm hand-shake and pat on the back from Trump during a reception at the White House.

Trump would not confi rm yesterday that Comey was staying on when asked about it during an Oval Offi ce appearance with top US auto industry executives.

The news about Comey keeping his job was fi rst reported by the New York Times, which said he told his top agents Trump had asked him to remain in the post he has held since 2013.

An FBI director is appointed to serve a 10-year term, but may be fi red by the president at any time.

For example, former president Bill Clinton in 1993 dismissed William Ses-sions after a Justice Department internal watchdog report that revealed unethical conduct such as taking FBI aircraft on personal trips.

Trump had sharply criticized the Jus-tice Department during the campaign for not bringing criminal charges against Clinton for her use of a private e-mail

server to conduct government business during her 2009-13 tenure as secretary of state.

Comey sent a letter to the US Congress on October 28 announcing that the FBI was investigating more e-mails as part of its investigation into whether the former secretary of state mishandled classifi ed

information when she used the private email server.

The FBI director then announced two days before the election that a review of the new emails did not change the bureau’s previous fi nding that no criminal charges were warranted against Clinton, but the political damage had already been done.

The Times reported last week that US law enforcement and intelligence agen-cies are looking into intercepted com-munications and fi nancial transactions as part of a wider investigation into po-tential ties between Russian offi cials and Trump associates including former cam-paign chairman Paul Manafort.

Mike Pompeo (left) is sworn in as CIA Director by Vice President Mike Pence as his wife Susan Pompeo looks on at Eisenhower Executive Off ice Building in Washington, DC on Monday after Pompeo was confirmed for the position by the Senate.

EPA grants, contracts temporarily frozenPresident Donald Trump’s administration has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily halt all contracts, grants and interagency agreements pending a review, according to sources.The White House sent a letter to the EPA’s Off ice of Administration and Resources Management ordering the freeze on Monday, an EPA staff er told Reuters.“Basically no money moving anywhere until they can take a look,” the staff er said, asking not to be named.The EPA awards billions of dollars worth of grants and contracts every year to support programmes around environmental testing,

cleanups and research. It was unclear if the freeze would impact existing contracts, grants and agreements or just future ones.Myron Ebell, who headed Trump’s EPA transition team until his inauguration last week, said he believed the move was related to Trump’s executive order on Monday temporarily halting all government hiring outside the military. “A freeze at EPA on some other things like grants and contracts appears to have happened,” Ebell told Reuters in an e-mail yesterday morning.An EPA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump invited to address joint session of Congress

AFPWashington

US House Speaker Paul Ryan yesterday an-nounced that he has in-

vited President Donald Trump to address a joint session of Con-gress late next month, an invita-tion in keeping with Washington tradition.

“Today I am inviting President Trump to address a joint session of Congress on February 28,” Ryan told reporters.

“This will be an opportunity for the people and their repre-sentatives to hear directly from our new president about his vi-sion and our shared agenda.”

The White House and both chambers of Congress are now controlled by Republicans.

Trump will come to Congress as a change agent.

But he entered the White House with poor national ap-proval ratings, and he may al-ready have some repair work to do with the leadership and rank and fi le of his own Republican Party, after he off ered a searing repudiation of the Washington

establishment in his inaugura-tion speech.

He is likely to address several of the objectives that he hopes to accomplish in the fi rst 100 days of his presidency, notably a repeal and replacement of the Aff ordable Care Act, the health reforms implemented by his predecessor Barack Obama.

But the complex issue already appears to have set Trump on course for a possible clash with Republicans.

Shortly before his swearing-in, Trump told The Washington Post that he wants the replacement plan to provide “insurance for everybody,” a proposal that usually has been opposed by his party.

Republicans in recent weeks have sought to shift the language to include a call to provide every-one with “access” to health care.

Ryan’s formal invitation ful-fi lls a tradition that provides an incoming president with the op-portunity to address Congress within weeks of taking offi ce.

A joint session of Congress usually occurs in the House of Representatives chamber, and is attended by all 100 US senators and 435 representatives.

Adviser reassures Canada on trade tiesAFPOttawa

A senior economic adviser for US President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

and his cabinet on Monday that Cana-da should not fear the trade intentions of the new American administration.

Speaking at a retreat in Calgary to map out Ottawa’s demands in a rene-gotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Trump ad-viser Stephen Schwarzman said Cana-dians should not be “enormously wor-ried” about the protectionist rhetoric coming out of the White House.

Trump pledged on the campaign trail to secure a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico or, failing that, ripping up the 1994 trilateral trade pact.

But Schwarzman, who is also head of the investment fi rm Blackstone,

said this and other proposed measures, such as a “border tax” on imports, are not aimed at Canada.

“Canada has been a great partner for the US for as long as anybody can re-member,” Schwarzman said.

“There may be some modifi cations, but basically, things should go well for Canada...It’s a model for how trade relations should be, it’s a positive sum game. Canada is well-positioned.”

Trump has regularly assailed China and Mexico on trade and vowed to re-claim manufacturing jobs lost overseas.

The US president’s son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is expected to travel to Cal-gary to speak with Trudeau and his team.

But a spokesman for Trudeau said the visit would not occur.

“We can now confi rm to you that no other offi cials from the US administra-tion, beyond Mr Schwarzman, will be

present here at the retreat,” Trudeau spokesman Cameron Ahmad said.

“A high level of engagement between our government and the US adminis-tration certainly continues,” he added.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer, meanwhile, told reporters that Trump would meet with his Canadian and Mex-ican counterparts in the next month.

“He’s already spoken to both the president of Mexico and prime min-ister of Canada about his desire to re-negotiate, and I think as he meets with both of these individuals over the next 30 days or so, that’s going to be a topic,” Spicer said.

“Now, if they come in and express a willingness to do that, you could nego-tiate it within the current parameters and update it through the existing structure,” he said.

“If they don’t, and he decides to pull out, we would have to go back to the drawing table in the future.”

Press secretary promises ‘never to lie’ReutersWashington

President Donald Trump’s press secretary promised reporters on Monday that

he would never lie after a week-end briefi ng in which he made statements about the crowd size for Trump’s inauguration that were debunked.

In comments to reporters on Saturday that became known as the “alternative facts” briefi ng, White House spokesman Sean Spicer declared that Trump’s crowd was “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period.”

Photographs showed the crowds at Trump’s swearing-in on Friday were smaller than Barack Obama’s fi rst presidential inauguration in 2009.

Spicer’s statement drew fur-ther criticism after Trump ad-viser Kellyanne Conway said on Sunday the White House had wanted to “put alternative facts out there” to counter what she said was a biased media.

At his fi rst formal White House briefi ng on Monday, Spicer was asked by a reporter if he intended to always tell the truth from the lectern.

“Our intention is never to lie to you,” he replied.

Spicer defended his right to give the administration’s point of view.

He said he had been includ-ing television and online view-ers in his remarks on Saturday about the size of the inauguration crowd.

He told reporters that Trump and his advisers had been frus-trated by “demoralizing” cover-age that he called a “constant attempt to undermine his cred-ibility.”

“I want to have a healthy rela-tionship with the press,” Spicer said.

Spicer answered questions on a wide range of policy issues, with a focus on trade policy.

He did not take questions from reporters on Saturday.

“That moves it away from the acrimonious session on Satur-day,” said Martha Kumar, a po-litical scientist and emeritus professor at Towson University in Maryland who studies the re-lationship between the White House and its press corps.

Spicer took questions from 43 re-porters — more than twice the aver-age, Kumar said in an interview.

He also said he would start tak-ing questions from four “Skype seats” later this week to allow news organizations outside of Washington to participate.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer holds the first of daily briefings of the Trump administration in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday.

AMERICAS

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 201712

Massachusetts sued over ban on assault weaponsReutersBoston

Gun rights advocates have sued Massachusetts over the state’s ban on assault weapons, say-ing that a crackdown begun last year on “cop-

ycat” assault rifl es is a vague and unconstitutional violation of gun ownership rights.

The lawsuit, fi led in federal court late Monday, challenges a 1998 state law banning rifl es includ-ing the AR-15 and AK-47 and a July 2016 directive by the states attorney general banning guns that are similar in function but have been slightly modifi ed to meet state requirements, such as by replacing folding stocks with fi xed models or removing fl ash suppres-sors.

The group of gun owners, dealers and the state’s Gun Owners Action League, who have the backing of the National Rifl e Association, said the July decision by Attorney General Maura Healey banned guns that had been purchased legally in the state over the past two decades and infringed on the right to bear arms protected by the Second Amendment of the US Con-stitution.

“Massachusetts prohibits fi rearms it pejoratively defi nes as ‘assault weapons,’ which is a non-techni-cal, entirely fabricated, and political term of uncer-tain defi nition and scope,” the 33-page lawsuit con-tends.

It said that 1.2mn such weapons were sold across the United States in 2014 and that that type of fi rearm represented 20% of US gun sales in 2012.

The suit asks a federal judge to overturn the 1998 state law and to block the state from enforcing its July ban on “copies or duplicates” of assault rifl es.

“The assault weapons ban keeps dangerous, mili-tary-style weapons off our streets,” said Jillian Fen-nimore, a Healey spokeswoman.

“We will vigorously defend the law and continue our enforcement eff orts.”

Gun rights are a hotly debated issue in the United States.

Advocates for years have succeeded in fi ghting off attempts to restrict weapons possession on the fed-eral level, contending that access to a wide range of weapons is needed for personal protection, hunting and shooting sports.

Gun-control advocates, who highlight the guns’ use in mass shootings at places such as schools and nightclubs, have responded by focusing their eff orts on promoting new restrictions at the state level.

Liberal-leaning Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun regulations in the country.

“We are drawing a line in the sand where Massa-chusetts’ gun control agenda tramples the funda-mental individual right to defend oneself and family in the home,” James Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners’ Action League, said in a statement.

La La Land ties record with 14 Oscar nominationsAFPLos Angeles

Romantic showbiz musical La La Land yesterday topped the Oscars nomina-tions list with a whopping 14 nods, ty-

ing the all-time record set by Titanic and All About Eve. The movie — a whimsical tribute to Hollywood’s Golden Age of musicals, set in modern-day Los Angeles — earned nods for best picture, director for 32-year-old Damien Chazelle, and for its two stars, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

In second place were sci-fi movie Arrival and coming-of-age drama Moonlight, tied at eight nominations each.

This year’s crop of nominees clearly re-fl ected a push by the Academy of Motion Pic-ture Arts and Sciences to show more diversity after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of the past two years, with multiple black actors and fi lmmakers earning nods.

For best actor, Gosling will be vying for a golden statuette at the February 26 Oscars bash along with Golden Globe winner Ca-sey Affl eck (Manchester by the Sea), Andrew Garfi eld (Hacksaw Ridge), Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) and Denzel Washington (Fences).

In the best actress category, France’s Golden Globe winner Isabelle Huppert was nominated for her performance in the rape-revenge thriller Elle, along with Stone, Ruth Negga (Loving), Natalie Portman (Jackie) and Meryl Streep, who earned her 20th nomina-tion for Florence Foster Jenkins.

Industry watchers had predicted that Cha-zelle’s La La Land — buoyed by a record seven Golden Globe awards earlier this month — will triumph at the nominations.

But few thought it would tie for the all-time record set by Titanic and All About Eve.

La La Land will vie for best picture honors with eight other fi lms (current rules allow for up to 10 nominees in this category) including Arrival, grim family drama Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight.

Others in the coveted top category are the fi lm adaptation of August Wilson’s play Fenc-es, Mel Gibson’s bloody WWII drama Hack-saw Ridge, the western Hell or High Water, the real-life tale of NASA’s black female math-ematicians Hidden Figures and Garth Davis’s family drama Lion.

In the running for best supporting ac-tress are three black actresses: past nominee Viola Davis for Fences, Oscar winner Octavia Spencer for Hidden Figures and Naomie Har-ris for Moonlight. They will compete against past Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (Lion) and Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea), who was nominated three times before.

In the best supporting actor category, Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water) will take on Ma-hershala Ali of Moonlight, Dev Patel (Lion), Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) and Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals).

The foreign fi lms nominated are Land of Mine (Denmark), A Man Called Ove (Sweden), The Salesman (Iran), Tanna (Australia) and Toni Erdmann (Germany).

The nominations were revealed in the pre-dawn hours in Los Angeles in an online broad-cast, not at the traditional press conference.

Unlike previous years, this year’s nominees include a number of black actors and fi lm-makers, a move that should ease the diversity row that has cast a shadow over the Oscars for the past two years.

Almost half the 683 people invited last year

to join the 6,000 plus Academy members that bestow the Oscars were women and nearly as many people of color.

All 20 nominees in the main acting catego-ries at last year’s Oscars were white for the second year running, prompting calls to boy-cott the glitzy event and an angry social media backlash under the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.

The Academy’s board of governors has vowed to double the number of female and ethnic minority members by 2020.

Late night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel will host the Oscars on February 26.

(From left) Best actor nominees Casey Aff leck, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Viggo Mortensen and Denzel Washington.

(From left) Best actress nominees Isabelle Huppert, Ruth Negga, Natalie Portman, Emma Stone and Meryl Streep.

Canadian pipeline leaks oil on aboriginal landReutersCalgary

A pipeline in the western Ca-nadian province of Saskatch-ewan has leaked 200,000

litres of oil in an aboriginal commu-nity, the provincial government said on Monday.

The government was notifi ed late in the afternoon on Friday, and 170,000 litres have since been recov-ered, said Doug McKnight, assistant deputy minister in the Ministry of the Economy, which regulates pipe-lines in Saskatchewan.

Oil pipelines are viewed by the oil-rich provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan as a critical life-line to move crude to the coast, but they have drawn fi erce opposition from environmental and indigenous groups.

It was not immediately clear how the current incident happened or which company owns the under-ground pipeline that leaked the oil.

McKnight said Tundra Energy Marketing Inc, which has a line adja-

cent to the spill, is leading cleanup ef-forts. “There are a number of pipes in the area,” he told reporters in Regina. “Until we excavate it, we won’t know with 100% certainty which pipe.”

The incident happened in the lands of the Ocean Man First Nation 140km southeast of the provincial capital of Regina, according to the province.

Ocean Man Chief Connie Big Ea-gle said the spill was 15m in diameter on Friday.

Ocean Man has 540 residents, one-third of whom live on the re-serve, Big Eagle said.

She said an area resident who had smelled the scent of oil for a week located the spill and alerted her on Friday.

The chief said there are no homes near the spill but it is about 400m from the local cemetery.

“We have got to make sure that Tundra has done everything that they can to get our land back to the way it was. That can take years,” she said.

“They have assured me that they follow up and they don’t leave...un-til we are satisfi ed.”

Bush Senior out of intensive care, Barbara releasedAFPChicago

Former president George H W Bush was transferred out of intensive care on Monday as he recovered

from pneumonia, while his wife Barbara was discharged from the hospital after a bout of bronchitis, doctors said.

The 41st president and former fi rst lady were admitted to Houston Meth-odist Hospital last Wednesday.

George H W Bush, 92, was suff ering from bacterial pneumonia and was in-tubated during a 48-hour period to help him breathe. He is now breathing on his own and could be discharged as early as Friday or this weekend.

Barbara Bush, 91, who had viral bron-chitis, was hospitalised as a precaution.

Physicians Amy Mynderse and Clint Doerr said at a news conference that the two were recovering well, but full recovery could take another week or two.

“X-rays continue to improve, so no obvious re-accumulation of ma-terial in his airways that would then again put him behind the eight ball (at a disadvantage),” Doerr said about the former president, adding that he will need a “fairly aggressive combination

Former president George H W Bush and his wife Barbara Bush at the Houston Methodist Hospital in a January 23 handout photo released to the press yesterday.

Teenagers go to court over ‘unlawful’ conditions at Wisconsin youth facilitiesReutersChicago

Wisconsin was sued on Mon-day over conditions at two juvenile detention facilities

in the state’s northeast, where teen-agers claimed they are routinely sub-ject to unlawful solitary confi nement, shackling and pepper spray.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Juvenile Law Center fi led the law-suit against Wisconsin Department of Corrections offi cials on behalf of four unnamed youths at the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and the Copper Lake School for Girls in Irma, Wisconsin.

The civil rights class action lawsuit fi led in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin named two department of corrections offi cials

as defendants, as well as the supervisor of the facilities and the security director.

The Wisconsin Department of Cor-rections will review the suit, spokes-man Tristan Cook said by email Mon-day evening. Some 15% to 20% of detainees at the facilities are kept in solitary confi nement for 22 or 23 hours a day, the complaint said.

“Many of these children are forced to spend their only free hour of time per day outside of a solitary confi ne-ment cell in handcuff s and chained to a table,” the complaint said.

“Offi cers also repeatedly and exces-sively use Bear Mace and other pepper sprays against the youth, causing them excruciating pain and impairing their breathing.”

The complaint added that, “these practices constitute serious violations of the children’s constitutional rights.”

The four plaintiff s are not named in the lawsuit because they are minors. They are represented by their parents.

Two are currently in custody at Lin-coln Hills and one is in Copper Lake, the complaint said.

The fourth was previously in cus-tody at Lincoln Hills but is now at an-other facility.

Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, which share a campus around 350km north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin have been the subject of multiple com-plaints and investigations in recent years.

An investigation into allegations including child neglect and sexual as-sault at the facilities was launched by State Attorney General Brad Schimel in January 2015, according to local media.

The FBI joined the investigation in December 2015.

of breathing medications” and a full course of antibiotics.

Bush has Parkinson’s disease, which has left him in a wheelchair, but doctors said it was not a major factor in this lat-est illness.

His is a less-common version of Par-

kinson’s that only aff ects the lower body.Advanced age was of greater concern.“This age group doesn’t have as much

reserve as a decade ago, let alone 40, 50 years ago. It doesn’t take much, from a respiratory standpoint, to get into trou-ble,” Doerr said.

Barbara Bush was discharged but ex-pected to return to remain by her hus-band’s bedside, where she has been for much of their hospitalisation.

“They really, truly are therapy for each other,” Mynderse said. “When she’s not there, he’s looking for her.”

The couple “thank their fellow Americans and friends from around the world for their prayers and good wishes,” Bush family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a tweet.

He posted a photo showing the former president sitting in a hospital bed, dressed in a gown and smiling.

Barbara Bush is at his side, her hand on his arm, wearing a lavender sweater set and her trademark pearls.

The former president and fi rst lady have received many messages of sup-port, the doctors said, including from a family who hand-delivered a get-well card. The card is in Bush’s hospital room, they said.

The couple has been surprised by the public concern. Mynderse said that before she headed to the Monday news conference, George H W Bush asked her: “People want to know about me?”

“They’re very grateful for the love that people showed them, and just are extremely humbled and I think a lit-tle bit awed by how beloved they are,” Mynderse said.

ASEAN13Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Myanmar’s Wa State suff ers as fewer Chinese come to partyReutersPangsan, Myanmar

In a remote casino in north-eastern Myanmar, China’s pervasive campaign against

graft has taken its toll. Hundreds of local traders and farmers place petty bets as low as 10 cents, out-numbering a few Chinese who were once the VIPs of a gambling hall decorated with chandeliers and Renaissance-style paintings.

“The business has been re-ally bad since Chinese tourists stopped coming,” said casino waitress Ling Ling who was con-sidering leaving Pangsan, capital of the self-proclaimed Wa State that borders China, to look for better paying jobs.

The three-storey gambling parlour, with some 1,000 work-ers, off ers games from jackpot slot machines to high-stakes VIP rooms featuring bets of up to $16,000. It is deep in the Wa hills in one of Asia’s poorest regions, where its majority ethnic Wa farmers earn an annual income of $115.

In the statelet the size of Bel-gium controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Myanmar’s strongest ethnic armed group,

the once bustling gambling in-dustry is not the only casualty from the falling number of high-roller mainland punters.

From shopkeepers to moto-taxi drivers, local people said Beijing’s tightening of visas for Chinese gamblers travelling to the Wa in recent years — part of the anti-corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping — has cast a shadow on liveli-hoods in the reclusive territory.

The Wa State is now trying to diversify its economy, which re-lies heavily on China as a market for its exports of rubber and met-als such as tin.

Reuters visited the rugged ter-ritory in October — a rare trip by a major international news organi-sation that off ered a glimpse into the Chinese-speaking statelet of 600,000 people that is beyond the control of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s government.

The Wa State took shape in 1989, after the Communist Party of Burma disintegrated follow-ing a purge by Wa leaders. The 30,000-strong UWSA signed a ceasefi re with the Myanmar army shortly afterwards and the two sides have not fought in years.

Wa leaders say the region, which used to grow opium on a

vast scale, underwent an eradi-cation campaign against the plant used for production of her-oin more than a decade ago.

Poppy fi elds were replaced by plantations, mostly rubber, as well as coff ee and tea, they say.

Many plantations are backed by investors from China, along-side businessmen connected to the Wa State leadership. Their “state-supported private com-panies”, as described by several Wa leaders, control key busi-

nesses in the territory from gaso-line to mining.

“I hope there is more foreign investment so that I can diversify my business,” said C Yang, son of a UWSA commander who owns a rubber plantation of 132 acres.

The stocky 25-year-old is typical of the wealthy, if narrow, Wa elite. The rubber plantation aff ords him a comfortable life in a mansion overlooking Pang-san, and fancy gadgets such as the newest model of iPhone and a fi ne-tuned Toyota Hilux truck.

All these goods are unattain-able for regular citizens in Wa, where life expectancy, at 60, is fi ve years below Myanmar and 16 years behind neighbouring China. Some Wa farmers rely on a World Food Programme (WFP) operation to supplement what they can produce.

The agency, active throughout the area which has also experi-enced outbreaks of vaccine-pre-ventable diseases such as tuber-culosis, had planned to deliver 152 metric tons of food last year through its community asset cre-ation programme.

“We don’t have enough doc-tors and we are in need for medicines. We need help from

the international community,” said Tun Kyi, who oversees the Wa Healthcare Bureau. The Wa education programme is in an equally poor state. The illiteracy rate stands at 90%, with 83% of adults having less than a year of schooling or none at all, accord-ing to a 2008 report by Health Poverty Action.

That is in sharp contrast to Myanmar’s illiteracy rate of less than 5%, based on data from the United Nations. Business own-ers and the Wa political elite send their children to China for schooling.

“Their parents want them to learn Chinese and to work in Chi-na, because children educated in Wa schools can’t join the Chi-nese education system and have no opportunities,” said Wa Wa Myint, a teacher at an elementary school of 700.

Back in downtown Pangsan, bright, neon signs dangling from low-rise hotels, massage par-lours and bars light up the main street a few minutes walk from a border crossing with China.

A rowdy birthday party is un-der way in a two-storey karaoke lounge that resembles a Roman temple, with life-size sculptures by its gate.

Ethnic performers dressed as United Wa State Army soldiers perform a traditional dance in Mongmao, Wa territory in northeast Myanmar.

The Wa State is now trying to diversify its economy, which relies heavily on China as a market for its exports of rubber and metals such as tin

Indonesian province on alert as haze fears growAFPJakarta

An Indonesian province that suff ers annual outbreaks of haze-belching fi res said yes-

terday it was declaring an early alert to prevent blazes burning out of con-trol after forecasters predicted a dry 2017.

Riau, on the western island of Su-matra, announced the move after a few “hotspots” — areas of extreme heat detected by satellites which of-ten indicate fi res — were sighted this month.

It came a day after President Joko Widodo urged local authorities to take early steps to prevent a repeat of the haze crisis of 2015. The fi res occur every year on Sumatra and the Indonesian part of Borneo island,

typically during the months-long dry season later in the year.

The fires are deliberately started to clear land quickly and cheaply for palm oil and pulpwood planta-tions.

The 2015 blazes were among the worst on record and sent clouds of toxic smog floating across South-east Asia, leading large numbers to fall ill.

A US academic study estimated that the crisis may have led to over 100,000 premature deaths.

The alert status in Riau — below the more signifi cant “state of emer-gency”, which typically indicates a large number of fi res burning fi ercely — was set to remain in place until April and allows the province to re-quest more resources from central government.

“We are preparing helicopters

for water-bombing to help the re-gional government,” disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Several provinces were criti-cised in 2015 for failing to declare emergencies quickly enough.

The blazes typically start earlier in Riau due its high concentration of carbon-rich peatland and a wide-spread practice of using fi re to clear land.

The Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency has predicted that this year will be drier than 2016, when an unusually long rainy season prevented major outbreaks of fi res.

Widodo urged eff orts to stop the blazes including setting up fi re pre-vention task forces.

He told a meeting of ministers and senior offi cials: “It is only January but it is already looking dry, there-fore we cannot be careless.” A helicopter operated by National Disaster Mitigation Agency dropping water over a fire in Kampar, Riau province in August 2016.

Thai court muzzles media as traffi cking trial beginsAFPBangkok

Dozens of people includ-ing a general arrested in Thailand’s crackdown on

human traffi cking appeared in court yesterday to begin present-ing their defence but journalists were barred from reporting trial proceedings.

The kingdom has long been a major hub for human traffi cking and people-smuggling, with of-fi cials accused of turning a blind eye and even of complicity. Thai-land’s junta launched a belated crackdown in 2015, a move that uncovered grim camps on the Thai-Malaysia border and led to dozens of arrests.

But it also led to the sudden closure of the traffi cking route, leaving thousands of people —mainly Rohingya migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh — abandoned by gangmasters on land and at sea.

More than 80 suspects, includ-ing local offi cials and senior army general Manas Kongpan, packed into a chamber at Bangkok’s main criminal court yesterday for the opening of their defence on an ar-ray of human traffi cking charges. Reporters watched proceedings on a television screen in a side room. But they were told by court offi cials that any reporting of what was said at the trial had been banned since the start of proceed-ings last year. No reason was given for the decision.

Thailand’s generals seized power in 2014. Secret court hear-

ings have since become more commonplace, particularly in military tribunals and for royal defamation prosecutions.

But it is rare for such restric-tions to be placed on a criminal trial. The alleged involvement of senior military offi cers in the trade is an incendiary topic given that the ruling junta proudly shows off its anti-corruption creden-

tials. “As a matter of basic judicial principles, trials should be public unless there is a very good rea-son why they’re not,” Sam Zarifi , Asia director for the International Commission of Jurists, told AFP.

The Thai Navy has sued report-ers for investigations that alleged the complicity of their offi cers in human traffi cking. Southern Thailand has long been known as

a nexus for lucrative smuggling networks used by persecuted Ro-hingyas in Myanmar, and Bangla-deshi economic migrants, on their way to Malaysia.

Many were held in pitiful jun-gle camps on the Thai-Malaysia border suff ering beatings, rape and murder until relatives paid ransoms. Thailand’s image has been battered in recent years by a

series of human traffi cking scan-dals — including in its lucrative fi shing and food production sec-tors. The junta has vowed to clean up the country’s image. But con-victions have so far been few. In September a man was jailed for 35 years by a Thai court for mas-terminding a smuggling network. The defence is expected to end by March.

Lieutenant General Manus Kongpan (centre), suspected of involvement in human traff icking, arriving at the criminal court in Bangkok in this 2015 photo. Dozens of people including a general arrested in Thailand’s crackdown on human traff icking appeared in court yesterday to begin presenting their defence but journalists were barred from reporting trial proceedings.

Hong Kong customs to release Singapore’s seized troop carriers

Hong Kong is to release ar-moured vehicles belonging to Singapore impounded in the Chinese-ruled city on their way home from military exercises in Taiwan, Singapore said yesterday.Hong Kong customs seized the troop carriers in Novem-ber. Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, then warned coun-tries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan.Singapore’s foreign aff airs ministry said Hong Kong authorities would release the Singapore Armed Forces’ troop carriers and other equipment to the Singapore government but the ministry did not give details. Hong Kong’s commissioner of Customs and Excise, Roy Tang, said in a statement the vehicles were seized because of “a suspected breach of the Hong Kong law”.“Hong Kong Customs has completed its investigation

of the suspected breach. The investigation might lead to criminal prosecu-tion,” Tang was quoted as saying, while adding: “The military vehicles and the associated equipment will be returned to Singapore through the carrier.”The seizure of the vehicles came amid mounting regional uncertainty and signs of tension between China and Singapore, which has deepened its security relationship with the United States over the last year and remains concerned over Cahina’s assertive ter-ritorial stance . Singapore and Taiwan have a military relationship from the 1970s, involving the use of Taiwan for Singapore infantry training. Beijing has grudgingly tolerated this agreement since re-establishing diplomatic ties in the 1990s with Singapore, which recognises Beijing’s “one China” policy that says Taiwan is part of its territory.

Malaysia boat death toll rises to 12

Two more bodies washed ashore in Malaysia yesterday after the sinking of a boat overloaded with illegal Indonesian immigrants, rais-ing the death toll to 12 with about 25 still feared missing.The bodies were found on Tanjung Leman beach near the south-eastern town of Mersing, said Saiful Lizan Ibrahim, local head of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.“Security forces found the two bodies – both men – believed to be Indonesians,” he said, adding that a sea search has been suspended due to bad weather.The boat was believed to be carrying about 40 Indonesian illegal immigrants when it capsized in rough seas off Mersing.Two passengers were rescued and taken to hospital.The 27-ft (9m) boat, designed for only 15 people, was travelling from Indonesia’s Batam Island to Malaysia, Saiful said.Some 45 off icers were combing the shore in search of survivors. Indonesian illegal migrants often make the perilous journey in small rickety boats to Malaysia in search of work, mainly in construction and agriculture. Last November a speedboat believed to be carrying illegal Indonesian migrant workers returning from Malaysia sank near Batam.More than 40 people were missing.

14 Gulf TimesWednesday, January 25, 2017

EAST ASIA

China says Mongolia learned lesson after Dalai Lama visitReutersBeijing

China said yesterday it hopes Mongolia has learned a lesson and will

keep a promise not to invite the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama again after his visit in No-vember led to a chill in relations.

The Dalai Lama is upheld as a spiritual leader in predominantly Buddhist Mongolia, but China re-

gards him as a dangerous separa-tist and warned Mongolia before the visit that it could damage ties.

“The Dalai Lama’s furtive visit to Mongolia brought a negative impact to China-Mongolia rela-tions,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Mongolia’s Minister of Foreign Aff airs Tsend Munkh-Orgil by telephone.

“We hope that Mongolia has taken this lesson to heart,” he said, according to a statement posted on the Chinese Foreign

Ministry’s website. China also hoped Mongolia would “scrupu-lously abide by its promise” not to invite the Dalai Lama again, Wang said.

The Mongolian minister was not available for comment but the Chinese ministry said he ex-pressed regret at the negative impact caused by the visit and reaffi rmed his government’s po-sition that the Dalai Lama would not be invited again, fi rst stated in December.

A week after the November visit, China imposed fees on commodity imports from Mon-golia, charging additional transit costs on goods passing through a border crossing into China’s northern region of Inner Mon-golia.

“Mongolia fi rmly supports the one China policy, consist-ently holds that Tibet is an in separable part of China, that the Tibet issue is China’s internal af-fair,” the Mongolian minister was

quoted as saying. Mongolia has been working to boost economic ties with its powerful southern neighbour and use Chinese in-vestment and know-how in min-ing and infrastructure projects.

Mongolia had previously said the Dalai Lama’s trip had nothing to do with the government and he had been invited by Mongolian Buddhists.

The Dalai Lama fl ed Tibet af-ter an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He is based

in India. Beijing regards him as a “splittist”, though he says he seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland, which Communist Chinese troops “peacefully liberated” in 1950.

Rights groups and exiles say China tramples on the religious and cultural rights of the Tibet-an people, accusations denied by Beijing, which says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once-backward region.

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Beijing reiterates South China Sea sovereigntyReutersBeijing/Washington

China said yesterday it had “irrefutable” sovereignty over disputed islands in

the South China Sea after the White House vowed to defend “international territories” in the strategic waterway.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer in his comments on Mon-day signalled a sharp departure from years of cautious US han-dling of China’s assertive pur-suit of territorial claims in Asia.

“The US is going to make sure that we protect our interests there,” Spicer said when asked if Trump agreed with comments by his secretary of state nomi-nee, Rex Tillerson.

On January 11, Tillerson said China should not be allowed ac-cess to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

“It’s a question of if those is-lands are in fact in international waters and not part of China proper, then yeah, we’re going to make sure that we defend in-ternational territories from be-ing taken over by one country,” Spicer said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news briefi ng yes-terday “the United States is not a party to the South China Sea dispute”.

China claims most of the South China Sea, while Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philip-pines and Brunei claims parts of the sea that commands strate-gic sealanes and has rich fi shing grounds along with oil and gas deposits. China’s sovereignty over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea was “irrefuta-ble” Hua said.

But China was also dedicated to protecting freedom of navi-

gation and wants talks with na-tions directly involved to fi nd a peaceful solution. “We urge the United States to respect the facts, speak and act cautiously to avoid harming the peace and stability of the South China Sea,” Hua said.

“Our actions in the South China Sea are reasonable and fair. No matter what changes happen in other countries, what they say or what they want to do, China’s resolve to protect its sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea will not change,” she added.

Tillerson’s remarks at his Senate confi rmation hearing prompted Chinese state media to say at the time that the Unit-ed States would need to “wage war” to bar China’s access to the islands, where it has built military-length air strips and installed weapons systems.

Tillerson was asked at the

hearing whether he supported a more aggressive posture toward China and said: “We’re going to have to send China a clear signal that, fi rst, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.”

The former Exxon Mobil Corp chairman and chief executive did not elaborate on what might be done to deny China access to the islands. But analysts said his comments, like those of Spicer, suggested the possibility of US military action, or even a naval blockade. Such action would risk an armed confrontation with China, an increasingly for-midable nuclear-armed military power. It is also the world’s sec-ond-largest economy and the target of Trump accusations it is stealing American jobs.

Spicer declined to elaborate when asked how the United States could enforce such a

move against China, except to say: “I think, as we develop fur-ther, we’ll have more informa-tion on it.”

Tillerson narrowly won ap-proval from a Senate committee on Monday and is expected to win confi rmation from the full Senate.

Military experts said that while the US Navy has exten-sive capabilities in Asia to stage blockading operations with ships, submarines and planes, any such move against China’s growing naval fl eets would risk a dangerous escalation. Aides have said that Trump plans a major naval build-up in East Asia to counter China’s rise.

China’s foreign ministry said earlier it could not guess what Tillerson meant by his remarks, which came after Trump ques-tioned Washington’s longstand-ing and highly sensitive “one-China” policy over Taiwan.

China to push Mandarin to protect dying tongues

ReutersBeijing

China will “unswervingly” stick to the promotion of Manda-rin for ethnic minorities, the government said yesterday of a policy that has ignited sporadic protests, and will also step up

protection for threatened tongues on the verge of extinction.Language politics have long been tricky in China, especially in

restive minority areas like Tibet and Xinjiang where non-Chinese languages are widely spoken and have offi cial support including be-ing taught in school.

The pushing of bilingual education in Tibetan regions has set off protests in recent years, though many parents also want their chil-dren to learn Mandarin to improve their job prospects.

The government has pushed Mandarin for decades to give a com-mon means of communication in a country where thousands of Chi-nese dialects and many dozen non-Chinese languages like Tibetan and Uighur are spoken. In a lengthy policy document mapping out development goals for ethnic minority regions over the next fi ve years, the central government said it would promote teaching in Mandarin.

“Fully promote and spread the national common language and script,” the government said, referring also to the use of the simpli-fi ed Chinese script offi cially used in China. “Raise the ability and level of ethnic minority students to grasp and use the national com-mon language and script.”

Focus must be put on areas with limited Chinese abilities, it added, without naming any locations. The government also pledged help for threatened tongues. “Increase eff orts to protect ethnic minority lan-guages in imminent danger,” it said. The United Nations estimates more than 100 languages in China are at risk of dying out, including Manchu, mother tongue of the country’s last emperor, as Mandarin takes over.

Chinese children pose for a photograph beside a tree decorated with lanterns ahead of the Lunar New Year in Beijing. The Lunar New Year, known locally as the Spring Festival, falls on January 28 this year and marks the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese calendar.

All decked up Japan launches fi rst

satellite for military

communicationsReutersTokyo

Japan launched its fi rst mili-tary communications satellite yesterday to boost the broad-

band capacity of its Self Defence Forces as they reinforce an island chain stretching along the south-ern edge of the East China Sea.

Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the military is operating further from Japan’s home is-lands as it takes on a bigger role to counter growing Chinese mili-tary activity in the region.

The satellite lifted off from Japan’s Tanegashima space port aboard an H-IIA rocket and suc-cessfully entered orbit, said a spokesman for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which builds the launcher.

The satellites is one of three planned so-called X-band satel-lites, that will quadruple broad-band capacity, unify a fractured and overburdened communica-tions network and allow commu-nications across more territory.

Japan and China are locked in a territorial dispute in the East China Sea over a group of un-inhabited islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The two countries are also at odds over the exploitation of gas fi elds that straddle exclusive

economic zones claimed by both.Japan, the main US ally in Asia,

is concerned that a recent in-crease in Chinese military activi-ty in the area is a sign it is looking to extend its military infl uence from the neighboring South Chi-na Sea as a challenge to US mari-time dominance.

In the nine months from April to December, Japan scrambled fi ghter jets to counter Chinese aircraft approaching Japanese airspace 644 times, almost dou-ble the 373 times a year earlier, Japan’s Ministry of Defence an-nounced on Friday.

In December, China’s fi rst aircraft carrier, the Soviet-built Liaoning, accompanied by sev-eral warships, sailed through the passage between the Japanese Southwestern islands of Mikado and Okinawa and into the Pacifi c for what China described as rou-tine exercises.

The launch marks the success-ful resumption of a programme that was halted last year by an embarrassing mishap. The fi rst of the three satellites, which was meant to go into space from Europe’s Space port in French Guiana, was crushed during a fl ight from Japan after a blue tar-paulin covering its transport box blocked valves meant to equalise the internal air pressure as the cargo aircraft descended.

Japan’s H-IIA rocket carrying the Kirameki-2 satellite is launched from Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima prefecture, yesterday.

Tourism body backs boycott of Japanese hotel groupReutersShanghai

China’s tourism admin-istration has urged tour operators to sever ties

with a Japanese hotel chain after an escalating row over the hotel-ier’s denial of the 1937 massacre by Japanese troops in the Chi-nese city of Nanjing.

A furore erupted this month over books by Toshio Motoya, president of Tokyo-based hotel and real estate developer APA Group, that air his revisionist views and are placed in every

room of the fi rm’s more than 400 hotels.

Motoya, using the pen name Seiji Fuji, wrote that stories of the Nanjing massacre were “im-possible”: “These acts were all said to be committed by the Jap-anese army, but this is not true.”

The China National Tourism Administration is fi rmly op-posed to APA Group’s “provo-cation” of Chinese tourists, spokesman Zhang Lizhong said yesterday.

“We demand that all opera-tors with international tours and online platforms completely stop all co-operation with this

hotel,” Zhang said in a statement on the body’s website. “We call on Chinese groups and the many tourists that visit Japan to resist APA’s wrong approach and avoid spending money at this hotel.”

APA did not immediately re-spond to requests for comment.

Offi cial support for a boycott of the Japanese chain escalates calls that had circulated online and in some of China’s state-run media. The offi cial Xinhua news agency added its voice yester-day, calling the incident “only the tip of the iceberg of Japan’s ultra-right wing’s eff orts to re-vise the nation’s war history.”

Japan’s wartime occupation of Nanjing, and the resulting mas-sacre is a highly contentious is-sue between the uneasy neigh-bours.

China says Japanese troops killed 300,000 people in the city. A post-war Allied tribunal put the death toll at about half that. To the fury of China, some conservative Japanese politi-cians and academics deny the massacre took place, or they put the death toll much lower.

Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabi-net Secretary Koichi Hagiuda downplayed the incident on Tuesday, saying China and Ja-

pan should work together on common issues facing the in-ternational community, rather than focusing too much on the “unhappy past”.

Japan attracted about 6.3mn tourists from China last year, the largest such bloc of visitors, up nearly 28% from 2015. Their spending helped buoy the slug-gish economy, in areas from ho-tels to cosmetics.

APA President Motoya previ-ously said Chinese tourists only made up 5% of the chain’s cus-tomers in Japan and that he did not expect the row to aff ect the hotel.

AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA15Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

South Korean and US soldiers prepare to take part in a demonstration as part of a joint annual winter exercise in Pyeongchang, some 180km east of Seoul. The Korean peninsula is the world’s last Cold War frontier as Stalinist North Korea and pro-Western South Korea have been technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict.

The last frontier

East Timor drops spying claims against AustraliaEast Timor has withdrawn

its Australian espionage claims in the permanent

court of arbitration as a “con-fi dence-building measure”, as the two countries continue to negotiate over their maritime border.

In 2013 it was revealed the Australian government had bugged the Dili cabinet room of the East Timor government in 2004 – under the guise of Australian aid-sponsored ren-ovations.

The East Timor government claimed the espionage gave Australia an unfair advantage in negotiations over the Cer-tain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (Cmats) treaty, which divides future revenue from the tens of billions of dol-lars worth of oil and gas that lie beneath the sea.

In a joint statement issued yesterday by the East Timor and Australian governments, the two countries confi rmed East Timor had withdrawn from Cmats and the treaty would cease to operate from 10 April this year.

As the fi nal in a series of “confi dence-building meas-ures”, East Timor agreed to

withdraw two arbitration cases before the permanent court of arbitration (PCA) in The Hague: the “espionage case” and a second arbitration con-cerning jurisdiction of a gas pipeline from Bayu-Undan to Darwin.

The dispute over the Timor Sea – more precisely the lu-crative oil fi elds beneath the sea – has pre-empted and then overshadowed the short and chequered history between independent East Timor and Australia.

The fi elds are estimated to hold 9tn cubic feet of gas and 300m barrels of condensate and liquefi ed petroleum gas worth about $53bn.

But the agreement to ter-minate Cmats and “commit-ment to good faith talks” ap-pear to have mended mistrust in the relationship and helped with the progress of negotia-tions.

Both countries are engaged in a year-long compulsory conciliation, overseen by the permanent court of arbitra-tion, and say they are working towards a fi nal agreement on a permanent maritime boundary by September this year.

“The commission and the parties recognise the impor-tance of providing stability and certainty for petroleum com-panies with current rights in the Timor Sea,” the joint re-lease said.

“The parties are committed to providing a stable frame-work for existing petroleum operations (and) the commis-sion intends to do its utmost to help the parties reach an agreement that is both equita-ble and achievable.”

In order to provide a stable framework for existing petro-leum operations, Australia and East Timor have agreed that the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty and its regulations would remain in force in its original form until a fi nal delimitation of maritime boundaries has come into ef-fect.

Father Frank Brennan, former director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in East Timor, adviser to the church-consti-tution working group in that country and professor of law at Australian Catholic University, said the fl edgling country had taken a huge gamble in its ne-gotiations. – Guardian News & Media

Zookeeper urges people to catch deadly spiders as antidote runs lowReuters Sydney

An Australian zookeeper yesterday urged people to catch and donate deadly

funnel-web spiders, to help re-plenish stocks of antidote run-ning low after a spate of spider bites.

The Australian Reptile Park, the country’s sole supplier of funnel-web venom to antidote producers since 1981, relies on

the public to hand in spiders that are milked for the venom used to produce an antidote.

The anti-venom programme was now at risk after too few spi-ders were donated last year and a recent heatwave encouraged more spider activity and bites, the park’s general manager, Tim Faulkner, said yesterday.

“We rely on community sup-port to keep this program alive,” Faulkner said in a telephone in-terview. “We have tried to catch enough spiders ourselves and we

just can’t.” Funnel-web spiders live throughout southeastern Australia, but the only known killer is the Sydney funnel-web spider, found in the Sydney re-gion and as far north as New-castle and south to Illawarra, the park says on its website.

“The large fangs and acidic venom make the bite very pain-ful,” it said, noting that a major bite can cause death within an hour if left untreated.

After milking the spiders, the park delivers the venom to a di-

vision of the blood plasma and vaccine maker CSL Ltd, which converts it into the life-saving antidote.

Despite the terrifying reputa-tion of Australian wildlife, no-body has died from the bite of a funnel-web spider since the anti-venom programme began in 1981. Catching venomous spiders is safe, as long precautions are followed, Faulkner said. “With an appropriate jar and a wooden spoon, you can fl ick the spider into the jar so easily,” he said.

16 Gulf TimesWednesday, January 25, 2017

BRITAIN

Survivor of gun attack played dead on beachGuardian NewsLondon

The widow of a British man killed in a terror-ist attack on a beach in

Tunisia has told an inquest she played dead between two sun-loungers after she had been shot in the stomach.

Allison Heathcote, who was 48 at the time, was staying at the Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse with her husband, Philip, on a holiday to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.

The couple, from Felixstowe, were sunbathing on the beach outside the hotel on the morn-ing of 26 June 2015 — three days before their anniversary — when Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, opened fi re, killing 38 holidaymakers, among them 30 Britons, includ-ing Philip Heathcote.

In a statement to the London inquests into the British deaths, Allison Heathcote, who was lat-er put into an induced coma for a month, described the moment she was shot.

“I became aware of being shot in my upper right arm,” she said.

“It was a stinging pain.I was conscious that I had

been shot elsewhere on my body but strangely I did not remem-ber bleeding from my injuries and I was not actually aware I had been shot in my abdomen.”

She said fellow holidaymak-ers were screaming and run-

ning away from the scene as she shouted for help.

She then heard the sounds of gunshots getting louder as she realised the gunman was re-turning to the beach.

“I was fearing for my life,” she said. “I lay still on the sand try-ing not to move in an eff ort to not draw attention to the fact I was still alive.

I realised my best chance of survival was to play dead.”

Heathcote said she was not aware at this stage if her hus-band had been shot.”At the fi rst opportunity I was asking Phil if he was all right.

There was no response from Phil and I realised he had not made it.”

The inquests are hearing in-dividual details of each of the

30 deaths including “pen por-traits” of those who died.

Philip Heathcote, who was 53 when he died, was described as a man who “called a spade a spade” by his widow, with whom he had one son, James, who is 27.

He worked for Goldstar transport as a traffi c operator, was an avid Manchester United fan and a youth cricket coach.

Last week, the inquest heard evidence from the Foreign Of-fi ce (FCO) and Tui, the travel fi rm with which all 30 of the Britons killed had booked their holiday.

The inquest heard claims that Tui travel agents had reassured some of the survivors that Tu-nisia was 100% safe when they booked their trip to Sousse, de-

spite travel advice warning of a threat from terrorism.

It also heard that tour op-erators working for the fi rm told embassy offi cials they did not want “an army of police” on the streets of Tunisia because it would scare tourists, although they did accept some increase in security was required.

Lawyers representing fami-lies of 20 of the Britons who died are to accuse Tui of “prac-tically hiding and keeping out of the limelight”

FCO warnings about terror-ism in Tunisia, according to papers submitted in advance of the resumption of the inquests.

Last week, the inquest was shown how Tui customers were able to access the FCO advice via links on booking pages on the fi rm’s website.

Giving evidence to the in-quest, Tui representatives said they did not carry out regular security risk assessments and did not agree security audits were necessary as they were told the advice would not be changing.

The hearing later heard from the daughter of a couple who were just three months away from their 50th wedding an-niversary when they were both killed on the beach.

Fighting back tears, Donna Bradley told the inquest that her parents,

Ray and Angie Fisher, did not live to meet their fi rst grand-child, who was born two days before the inquests resumed, to their son Adam and his fi ancee.

A witness said he saw Ray

Fisher, 75, who was a retired former engineer and caretaker who loved wildlife and bred koi carp, shot twice by Rezgui from a range of about three yards as he sat on a sunlounger.

In a statement read to the inquest, holidaymaker Alan Foster, who was sitting nearby, said: “He [the gunman] was holding the gun [at] hip level when he shot the man.”

Angie Fisher, 69, who was a retired bank manager and hair-dresser, was shot fi ve times, in-cluding in the head and neck, a postmortem revealed.

A former British soldier who saw the Fishers, both from Leicester, on the beach told how he later walked past the gunman after mistaking him for a secu-rity guard.

Keith Hawkes, who served with the Gurkhas during a 22-year career, said he saw Rezgui with an AK-47 assault rifl e and narrowly avoided being shot himself.

In a statement read to the inquest, Hawkins described security offi cers who arrived as a mess, saying: “They looked like anyone off the street, they didn’t have any uniforms and one guy must have been 20 stone.”

The inquest has previously heard criticism of local law enforcement, who were ac-cused during a Tunisian inves-tigation into the mass killing of deliberately delaying their arrival at the scene to confront Rezgui.

The hearings are set to con-tinue until the end of February.

Husky dogs pull rigs with their mushers during practice for the Aviemore Sled Dog Rally in Feshiebridge, Scotland.

Sled Dog Rally

The bodies of people are seen after an armed attack on a tourist hotel in Sousse, Tunisia.

The Big Ben clock tower and parliament are seen in London.

Cloud over parliament

Southern ‘worst’ train operator Guardian News London

Southern’s status as Brit-ain’s worst-performing train operator has been

confi rmed by the national rail passenger survey, which shows growing dissatisfaction across the country.

According to research from the independent watchdog Transport Focus, 66%

of Southern’s passengers were satisfi ed with their last journey, compared with an overall fi gure of 81% nationwide, down 2% from the previous year.

While the satisfaction score appears relatively high, com-pared with the results of pre-vious polls by consumer and commuter groups, the survey — conducted at stations last au-tumn — asks passengers to con-sider only the last journey they took.

Transport Focus said it was unable to poll some Southern customers because trains were not running.

The survey found that the experience of rush-hour South-ern passengers was particularly poor.

Only 30% said their last jour-ney had been punctual, and only one in eight said the company had dealt well with delays.

On Southern’s sister service, the Gatwick Express, just 12% of peak-time travellers believed their ticket was value for money.

Nationally, 47% of passengers thought their rail ticket was val-ue for money.

Scotland’s rail service showed a decline in perceived punctu-ality and satisfaction, down 7% year-on-year at Scotrail, while regional train operators in Eng-land and Wales saw their ratings drop to 84% on average.

But commuters across south-east England remain the most dissatisfi ed.

After Southern, the next worst-performing train service was Thameslink, which is part of the same franchise operated by Govia Thameslink Railway, with 73% satisfaction.

The other brands in the fran-chise, Great Northern and Gat-wick Express,

scored 78% and 82%. Neigh-bouring Southeastern, also run by Govia, scored just 77%, while another commuter network in the south-east, Greater Anglia, scored 79%. Hull Trains had the overall highest satisfaction score at 97%, followed by Heathrow Express and Merseyrail.

Anthony Smith, chief execu-tive of Transport Focus, said: “The results around the country are disappointing.

Scottish passengers and those travelling in peak hours in Lon-don and the south-east are bear-ing the brunt of poor perform-ance.

“The timetable on parts of

the London and south-east railway can be a work of fiction which passengers cannot rely on.

As passenger numbers rise, parts of the rail network will remain brittle until welcome improvements are in place and working.

“Southern, Thameslink, Gat-wick Express and Network Rail must continue to collaborate to produce a more robust timeta-ble.

Passengers need a better bal-ance between peak and off -peak services, reliability and capac-ity.”

Rail companies said the survey showed four in fi ve passengers were satisfi ed with their train journeys overall.

Jacqueline Starr, of the Rail Delivery Group, which repre-sents train operators and Net-work Rail, said: “We know we must do better.

We’re sorry when customers don’t get the service they ex-pect, including those aff ected by strikes.

Everyone in the railway is working hard to make train journeys better from start to fi nish.”

She said much of the disrup-tion was caused by engineering work that would eventually de-liver a better service.

“After decades of underin-vestment, and with passenger numbers soaring to 4.5mn a day on thousands more trains, the railway is full in many places,” Starr said.

Andy McDonald, Labour’s transport spokesman, said the results “expose the failure of our privatised railways”.

“It’s becoming more diffi cult for the government to justify al-lowing private and foreign state-owned companies to take money out of the system that should be used to improve services or hold fares down,” he said.

The satisfaction results ap-pear high in comparison with other polls.

A survey published this month by the consumer group Which? found that only 21% of Southern customers were satisfied, down from 44% the previous year.

An online poll of about 1,000 Southern passengers by the newly formed Association of British Commuters found less than 1% would be likely to rec-ommend the train service.

A Transport Focus spokes-woman said the long-running survey, which polls about 60,000 passengers annually and is classifi ed as an offi cial statis-tic by the government, remained valid, but said the organisation had started to conduct addi-tional research to “gather other kinds of experience”. Most of Southern’s service was planned to be restored on Tuesday for the fi rst time since early December, although 12 RMT drivers were offi cially on strike.

Prince Harry says jokes help cope at veterans’ support centre Reuters Tidworth

Britain’s Prince Harry spoke of soldiers’ need for “a dark sense of humour” to cope with the aftermath of serving in confl ict zones as

he visited a support centre for ex-servicemen suf-fering from anxiety, depression, stress, anger, and alcohol issues.

The prince, who served with the British forces in Helmand, Afghanistan on two operational tours, was visiting the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre in Tidworth, Wiltshire, in southern England, where he learned more about the therapeutic benefi ts of outdoor activities.

Speaking to former soldiers involved in a pro-gramme to build an Iron Age roundhouse, Harry touched on a macabre brand of humour that civil-ians could fi nd hard to understand.

“It’s that dark sense of humour”, he said. “A lot of civilians don’t get it and actually it can be frowned on sometimes but...without it, you can’t function at all, it’s got to be...part of the recovery process.”

The Help for Heroes service provides free and confi dential aid to former service personnel and their families, as well as the families of those still serving.

Mike Day, a former soldier, described how be-ing outdoors at the centre in a natural environment

with people who had endured similar experiences had helped him.

“Being outside in the woods, where there is no real noise, being here with people who are like-minded, similar injuries, similar situations...brings you all together and...more than anything it’s ther-apeutic,” he said. In a sit-down session with ben-efi ciaries of the Help for Heroes programme, Harry stressed the need to reach out to those suff ering from debilitating depression and anxiety.

Harry, 32, has been active in raising awareness of the challenges faced by veterans, including helping to organise the inaugural London Invictus Games, a sporting event for wounded servicemen and wom-en, in 2014.

Prince Harry during a visit to a Help For Heroes Recovery Centre at Tedworth House in Tidworth.

Allison Heathcote was shot in the stomach but survived

Straightforward Brexit bill, says government

A man arrives at the supreme court in central London yesterday.

The government asserts that the time table still stands

Agencies London

The British government said it will table a “straight-forward bill” allowing

parliament to vote on triggering formal Brexit negotiations, af-ter the country’s top court ruled on Tuesday that it must consult lawmakers.

“We will shortly introduce leg-islation,” Brexit minister David Davis told parliament following the supreme court ruling.”This will be the most straightforward bill possible.”

Davis urged lawmakers to help ensure the bill is passed “in good time” and not to “thwart the will of the people” following the ma-jority vote for Brexit in a referen-dum in June.

Conservative prime minister Theresa May, who commands a working majority of 16 in the 650-seat parliament, has said she plans to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets the rules for a two-year negotiating process for a nation leaving the EU, by the end of March.

“Our timetable for invoking Article 50 by the end of March still stands,” Davis said.

The 11 supreme court judges upheld a high court ruling and rejected the government’s appeal by a majority of eight to three, said David Neuberger, the su-preme court’s president.

“In a joint judgment of the majority, the supreme court holds that an act of parliament is required to authorise ministers to give notice of the decision of the UK to withdraw from the Euro-pean Union,” Neuberger said.

“To proceed otherwise [than consulting parliament] would be a breach of settled constitutional principles,” he said the majority of the judges had agreed.

David Greene, a lawyer for one of the plaintiff s, welcomed the ruling as a “victory for parlia-mentary democracy and the rule of law”.

“My client is delighted by to-day’s judgment,” said Greene, who represented Deir Dos San-tos, a London hairdresser.

Dos Santos has reportedly gone into hiding after suff ering a barrage of abuse following the launch of his legal challenge.

He did not appear at the court on Tuesday.

The other main plaintiff , in-vestment fund manager Gina Miller, said she was “shocked by the level of personal abuse” she has suff ered during the legal ac-tion.

Miller said Brexit was “the most divisive issue of a genera-tion”, but said the court case was “not about politics, but process”.

“Today’s decision has cre-ated legal certainty based on our democratic process,” she told re-porters outside the court.

In a boost to May, the supreme court judges ruled that the gov-ernment is not legally obliged to consult parliaments in Scotland,

Northern Ireland and Wales be-fore she triggers Article 50.

That decision could help the government to avoid potential delays to its Brexit timetable.

But Scottish fi rst minister Nicola Sturgeon said May has a “clear political obligation” to consult Scotland despite the court ruling.

In a major speech on Brexit last week, May said she planned to negotiate an agreement that involves Britain leaving the EU single market, in what critics called an economically damaging “hard” Brexit.

She promised that parliament will vote on the fi nal agreement to leave the EU, most likely in 2019.

A majority of 52% of voters opted to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum on June 23.

The ruling means the Brexit process is now open to scrutiny from lawmakers, the majority of whom had wanted to stay in the EU.

However, the main opposi-tion Labour Party has said it would not block Brexit although it would try to amend the legisla-tion.

“Labour will seek to build in the principles of full, tariff -free access to the single market and maintenance of workers’ rights and social and environmental protections,” party leader Jeremy Corbyn said.

Media reports have suggested that up to 80 Labour lawmakers (MPs) in the 650-member House of Commons, the lower cham-

ber, would ignore Corbyn and vote against triggering Article 50, while the small Liberal Democrat Party said it would oppose Brexit unless there was a second refer-endum on the fi nal deal.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Na-tional Party, which has 54 MPs, vowed to put forward 50 “serious and substantive” amendments.

However, the opponents of Brexit are still likely to be some way short of the numbers needed to either delay May’s timetable or to stop it.

The upper chamber, the House of Lords, could also seek to amend the plans but minis-ters are confi dent that unelected peers would not try to stop Brit-ain leaving the EU after voters backed Brexit by 52-48 % in last June’s referendum.

May’s spokesman said the court’s decision did nothing to change the path of Brexit or her timetable.

Davis said: “The point of no return was passed on June 23rd last year.

This judgement does not change the fact that the UK will be leaving the European Union.”

Last week May set out her stall for negotiations, promising a clean break with the world’s largest trading bloc as part of a 12-point plan to focus on global free trade deals, setting a course for a so-called “hard Brexit”.

Some investors and those who backed the “remain” cam-paign hope that lawmakers, most of whom wanted to stay in the EU, will force May to seek a

deal which prioritises access to the European single market of 500mn people, or potentially even block Brexit altogether.

Sterling initially rose on the news that the government had lost its appeal, but it then fell over half a cent to hit day’s lows against the dollar and euro af-ter the ruling that the devolved assemblies did not need to give their assent.

Those who campaigned for Britain to leave the EU said the vote on triggering Brexit should be a mere formality.

“Any attempt to delay the Brexit process... would be an unforgivable betrayal of the Brit-ish people,” said Richard Tice, co-chairman of the Leave Means Leave campaign.“The Lords should also follow suit; any delay by them would ensure their abo-lition.”

While yesterday’s ruling has settled the argument over the role of parliament in starting the Brexit process, other hurdles and headaches await May.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the court’s decision on devolved assembles raised the spectre of another Scottish independence referen-dum because Scots, who voted in favour of staying in the EU, were not being treated as equal part-ners.

May’s spokesman also stressed that the government’s assertion that Article 50 was irreversible, but another legal case is being prepared to challenge that view in the courts. Page 26

Parliament ‘backed the referendumReutersLondon

There are some reaction to the judgment of the Su-preme Court on the Brexit

process:The PM’s spokesman: “The

British people voted to leave the EU, and the government will de-liver on their verdict — triggering Article 50, as planned, by the end of March.

Today’s ruling does nothing to change that.”

“It’s important to remember that parliament backed the ref-erendum by a margin of six to one and has already indicated its support for getting on with the process of exit to the timetable we have set out.”

“We respect the Supreme Court’s decision, and will set out our next steps to parliament shortly.”

Jeremy Corbyn: “The govern-ment has today been forced by the Supreme Court to accept the sovereignty of parliament.”

“Labour respects the result of the referendum and the will of the British people and will not frustrate the process for invok-ing Article 50.”

“However, Labour will seek to amend the Article 50 Bill to prevent the Conservatives using Brexit to turn Britain into a bar-gain basement tax haven off the coast of Europe.”

“Labour is demanding a plan from the government to ensure it is accountable to parliament throughout the negotiations and a meaningful vote to ensure the fi nal deal is given parliamentary approval.”

Nicola Sturgeon: “It is vital that the Westminster parliament is now given the fullest possible opportunity to debate and decide upon the triggering of Article 50 and also the terms of the UK’s negotiating position.

SNP MPs will seek to work with others across the house of commons to stop the march to-wards a hard Brexit in its tracks.”

“The Scottish government will bring forward a Legislative Con-sent Motion and ensure that the Scottish parliament has the op-portunity to vote on whether or not it consents to the triggering of Article 50.”

“However, it is becoming clearer by the day that Scotland’s voice is simply not being heard or listened to within the UK.

The claims about Scotland being an equal partner are be-ing exposed as nothing more than empty rhetoric and the very foundations of the devolution settlement that are supposed to protect our interests... are being shown to be worthless.

“This raises fundamental is-sues above and beyond that of EU membership.

Is Scotland content for our fu-ture to be dictated by an increas-ingly right-wing Westminster government with just one MP here — or is it better that we take

our future into our own hands? It is becoming ever clearer that this is a choice that Scotland must make.”

Tim Farron (Liberal Demo-crats): “I welcome today’s judg-ment. But this court case was never about legal arguments, it was about giving the people a voice, a say, in what happens next.”

“The Liberal Democrats are clear, we demand a vote of the people on the fi nal deal and without that we will not vote for Article 50.”

Gina Miller, lead claimant: “This ruling today means that members of parliament we have elected will rightfully have the opportunity to bring their inval-uable experience and expertise to bear in helping the govern-ment select the best course in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations — negotiations that will frame our place in the world and all our destinies to come.”

“There is no doubt that Brexit is the most divisive issue of a generation but this case was about the legal process not poli-tics.

Today’s decision has cre-ated legal certainty based on our democratic process, and pro-vides the legal foundations for the government to trigger Article 50.”

Paul Nuttal, (UK Independ-ence Party): “This decision is hardly a surprise but in the end it will make no real diff erence.

The will of the people will be heard, and woe betide those pol-iticians or parties that attempt to block, delay, or in any other way subvert that will.”

“It will embolden those who rail against the decision of the people.

It may give heart to those in the EU, used as they are to ignor-ing their own people, to attempt to play hard ball in the negotia-tions.”

“I am convinced that though this skirmish has been lost in the courts, the war will be won”.

Arron Banks, chairman of Leave.EU: “Today’s judgment gives our out-of-touch estab-lishment the ability to soften or delay the clean Brexit a majority of the British people voted for.”

“The people have been let down. Parliament gave us a refer-endum and the people had their say yet the power has now been handed back to Westminster by our unelected establishment judges. This decision shows how broken the system is — true de-mocracy is being thwarted.”

Richard Tice, co-chair of Leave Means Leave: “It is regret-table that anti-democracy cam-paigners have delayed the Brexit process for so long.”

“No more time must be wasted on this — a one line bill must be tabled this week in parliament and a clear timetable set out to ensure that Article 50 will be triggered no later than the end of March as promised by the prime minister.”

A man walks his dog in front of the setting sun on Primrose Hill in London, yesterday.

London vistaAir quality plunges in cities from London to BelfastGuardian London

The continuing cold, still weather is expected to see pollution levels soaring in

London with freezing fog bring-ing more disruption at airports and on the roads across the south of England.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, issued the highest alert for pollution in the capital on Mon-day and experts said air qual-ity was expected to remain unac-ceptably low yesterday.

Widespread freezing fog also brought disruption for travel-lers and commuters. Heathrow announced it was to cancel 100 fl ights and there were also prob-lems reported at Gatwick, London City, Stansted and Southampton airports. A Heathrow spokes-man said: “Persistent freezing fog across the south-east has reduced visibility at Heathrow again today.

“With [the airport] operating

at more than 99% capacity, there are no gaps in the schedule that can be used for delayed fl ights and as a result, some passengers may experience disruption to their journeys today.”

He added that passengers should check their fl ight status with their airline before travel-ling to the airport.

“As always, Heathrow’s top priority is the safety of passen-gers and we apologise to those whose travel has been aff ected by today’s weather.” Road users in the south were also being warned of diffi cult driving conditions.

Dorset police reported 31 col-lisions on Monday — six times more than usual over that time on an average weekday.

The force is urging motorists to take extra care yesterday, while the Met Offi ce warned that jour-neys were likely to take longer than usual because of the “adverse conditions”. Alex Burkhill, a me-teorologist at the Met Offi ce, said although the cold weather would

continue for the next few days it should become clearer, with im-proved air quality from today.

“There is high pressure to the south-east of the UK and that is causing still, cold, damp weather causing frost and freezing fog.

“However, the [air] fl ow will increase from Wednesday and although it will still be cold that will bring clearer weather … and better air quality.”

According to the latest data from the department for envi-ronment, food and rural aff airs, by Monday evening eight regions of the UK were rated as having high or very high levels of air pol-lution, including the south-east, south-west, the east Midlands and Northern Ireland.

In particular, parts of Bristol, Belfast and Nottingham were among those fl agged as hav-ing high 24-hour mean levels of PM2.5 particulates. Experts said that was caused by the still con-ditions, car fumes and a peak in the use of wood-burning stoves.

BRITAIN17Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

EUROPE

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 201718

The death toll from an ava-lanche that swamped an Italian mountain hotel

rose to 15 yesterday, with 14 still missing, as a nearby helicopter crash left six people dead and dealt another blow to a region reeling from earthquakes and the heaviest snowfall in decades.

The emergency response heli-copter came down in thick fog near Campo Felice, a popular ski resort 120km (75 miles) east of Rome, during the evacuation of an injured skier.

There were reports of a loud explosion being heard.

“Rescue teams have reached the wreck of the helicopter and they found the bodies of the six deceased in the snow,” a police spokesman told AFP.

Campo Felice, located at 710m (2,330’) altitude but with pistes up to just over 2,000m, is close to the epicentres of earthquakes that struck the region last Wednesday and were followed by the killer avalanche.

Police said there was no ap-parent link between the crash and the seismic activity or the avalanche.

But it came as fi refi ghters and mountain police grappled with their aftermath.

A team of fi rst responders who had been helping the rescue ef-fort at the Hotel Rigopiano was dispatched to the helicopter crash site but would not have

been able to get there before news of the deaths came.

The tally of bodies found in the ruins of the Rigopiano rose to 15 on the sixth day of an increas-ingly forlorn search through the snow-covered wreckage.

Eleven staff and guests sur-vived the disaster, two men who we outside when the avalanche struck and nine people, includ-ing four children, who were found on Friday.

Rescuers have refused to give

up hope of fi nding more people alive with morale amongst the exhausted rescuers having been boosted on Monday when three puppies were retrieved alive from under the rubble.

Italian authorities are investi-gating the chain of events lead-ing to the avalanche to see if the tragedy could or should have been avoided.

A preliminary manslaughter investigation has been opened with the prosecutor in charge

looking into whether environ-mental risks were properly taken into account during the con-struction and subsequent reno-vation of the hotel.

Events on the day of the dis-aster itself, when guests were unable to leave because of snow-blocked access roads, are also in the spotlight.

The local council had only one functioning road-clearance vehicle and had deployed it to reach isolated hamlets with eld-erly residents rather than clear-ing the road to the hotel.

A second snow plough had broken down earlier in the month and staff were awaiting authorisation to get a €25,000

($26,800) repair done.The hotel, a four-star spa fa-

cility where George Clooney once stayed, was built into a hillside at 1,200m altitude on the eastern slopes of Monte Gran Sasso.

Campo Felice is on the other side of the near 3,000m peak that dominates the region.

The survivors pulled from the ruins on Friday were all treated for mild hypothermia, suggest-ing that anyone still alive nearly four days later would have had to have found some way of keeping warm.

Rescuers have not ruled that out because they believe some rooms they are trying to reach by

tunnelling through thick stone walls may be almost intact.

New routes have been dug into the rubble but progress re-mained painfully slow with the fi rst responders often digging with their bare hands because of fears of masonry or snow slides.

The avalanche occurred three hours after the last of four mag-nitude fi ve earthquakes shook the region in the space of four hours.

Police have calculated the force of the impact on the three-storey stone and wood structure as being equivalent to it being hit by 4,000 fully-loaded trucks.

The fi rst funerals for the vic-tims were held yesterday.

Italy avalanche toll up as copter crash adds to painAFPFarindola, Italy

The wreck of the helicopter following a crash yesterday in the mountains near the ski resort of Campo Felice, central Italy.

Rescue workers inspect a cleared road by the site of the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola, central Italy.

Director Roman Polanski has pulled out of his role as the honorary host of

the “French Oscars” – the Ce-sars – after pressure from wom-en’s groups and the government over his child rape case.

The setback underlines the pariah status of the maker of Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby for many outside the fi lm indus-try almost four decades after he was accused of raping a 13-year-old in Los Angeles.

The controversy over his ap-pearance at the Cesars ceremony next month, where he would have given the opening speech,

“deeply saddened Roman Po-lanski and aff ected his family”, his lawyer Herve Temime said in a statement.

Last month he won his legal fi ght to end eff orts by the United States to extradite him from his native Poland for unlawful sex with a minor.

Polanski confessed to the crime, which dates back to 1977.

Leading French feminist group Osez le feminisme (“Dare to be Feminist”) had called the decision by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques to invite Polanski “shameful” and urged people to protest out-side.

France’s minister for wom-en’s rights, Laurence Rossignol, said on Friday that she found it

“surprising and shocking” that the controversial fi lmmaker had been chosen for the awards.

A petition calling for the 83-year-old to be removed gar-nered nearly 62,000 signatures.

Polanski’s lawyer Temime said the decision to pull out had been made “in order not to disturb the Cesars ceremonies, which should focus on the cin-ema and not on the appointment of the (event’s) president”.

His victim Samantha Geimer has previously appealed for the US case to be dropped, saying that she wanted to move on.

Temime added that Polan-ski himself had attended many festivals and ceremonies in the course of his life and had re-ceived top awards without criti-

cism of his attendance.While the choice of the Fran-

co-Polish fi lm-maker caused outrage for some, the director won backing from many French industry insiders.

“I spoke to him yesterday by phone and I think we shouldn’t have added problems to the problems. He’s deeply hurt,” said the director of the Cannes fi lm festival, Thierry Fremaux, yesterday.

“It’s a case you need to know well in order to speak about it. I know it well but I’m not going to add my own comments,” he told RTL radio.

The French Academy of Cin-ema Arts and Techniques had praised Polanski as an “insatia-ble aesthete” and former cul-

ture minister Aurelie Filippetti defended him last week as a “great director ... who should be allowed to preside over the cer-emony”.

His third wife, French actress Emmanuelle Seigner, posted a picture of a forest on Instagram yesterday where she said she had woken up “far from human nas-tiness and stupidity ... and lies”.

Polanski, who was 43 at the time of the rape, was accused of

drugging Geimer before having sex with her.

He pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, or statutory rape, as part of a plea bargain under which he served 42 days in detention while undergoing psychiatric evaluation.

However, in 1978, convinced that a judge was going to scrap the deal and hand him a hefty prison sentence, Polanski fl ed to France.

Polanski quits French fi lm jury after public outcryAFPParis

This 2014 file picture shows Polanski with his Best Director award for La Venus A La Fourrure (Venus in Fur) during a photocall at the 39th Cesar Awards ceremony in Paris.

Erdogan calls for action against Gulenists in MaputoAFPMaputo

Turkish President Re-cep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Mozambican

leader Filipe Nyusi to take ac-tion against the exiled cleric he blames for last year’s failed coup.

Erdogan was echoing the call to arms that he made during a stop in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam on Monday as part of his tour of three African coun-tries.

He told a reception in Maputo that “we are aware that Fethulla-hists have a presence here in Mo-zambique”, referring to Fethul-lah Gulen’s Hizmet movement which is linked to a network of schools across the world, in-cluding in Africa.

“They have a vast sector of schools and associations all around the world, and they have a wide network here in Mozam-bique as well,” Erdogan said.

Turkish offi cials accuse Gulen of using his private education network to build infl uence and of running a “parallel state” inside Turkey.

“What they’ve tried to achieve in Turkey, they will try to achieve in Mozambique sooner or later,” said Erdogan. “This is something that we request from you ... a friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Since a failed coup on July 15 which tried to overthrow Er-dogan, the government has launched wide-scale purges, detaining, sacking or suspend-ing thousands of people in the public sector.

Erdogan’s fi ve-day tour of Af-rica will also see him visit Mada-gascar before he returns home.

Another key priority of the trip has been to promote Turk-ish infl uence on the continent and to stimulate trade between Africa and Turkey.

The Turkish strongman brought around 100 Turkish business leaders with him for the offi cial tour.

The United Nations Refu-gee Agency was awarded the prestigious Inter-

national Willy Brandt Prize by Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) on Monday.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, accepted the award from SPD chief Sigmar Gabriel at the party’s Berlin headquarters.

Gabriel, Germany’s deputy chancellor, said he was “deep-ly humbled” to hand out the award given the global plight of refugees, especially children.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose Christian Democrats are in coalition with the SPD, has been alternately praised and criticised across the world for her open-door policy on mi-gration in the face of the Syrian civil war.

In December, 12 people were killed after a failed Tunisian asylum-seeker rammed a truck

into a Berlin Christmas market.The International Willy

Brandt Prize, worth €25,000 ($27,000), is awarded every year by the SPD to people and organisations committed to understanding and peace.

Previous winners include Berlin State Opera conductor Daniel Barenboim and Nato Secretary General Jens Stolten-berg.

A separate prize for politi-cal courage went to the Turkish journalists’ trade union TGS, which the award panel said is committed to freedom of the press and freedom of expres-sion in Turkey.

TGS has helped journalists arrested since July’s failed mili-tary coup.

Brandt was a leader of the Social Democrats, who served as West German chancellor from 1969 to 1974.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971 for his eff orts at reconciliation with communist East Germany, the Soviet Un-ion and Eastern Europe during the Cold War.

UN Refugee Agency awarded German Willy Brandt prizeDPABerlin

Erdogan: What (the Gulenists) have tried to achieve in Turkey, they will try to achieve in Mozambique sooner or later.

An Austrian teenager ar-rested on suspicion of planning an Islamist at-

tack in Vienna has told investiga-tors that he built a “test bomb” in Germany, where another suspect has been arrested, Austria’s inte-rior minister was quoted as say-ing yesterday.

The Austrian suspect, a 17-year-old with Albanian roots,

was arrested on Friday after tip-off s from unspecifi ed foreign countries.

Austria alerted Germany to a related suspect, a 21-year-old who was arrested in the western city of Neuss on Saturday.

A boy thought to be 12 has also been held in Austria.

Whether the German and Austrian suspects are believed to have planned separate attacks or a joint one, and of what nature, is not clear.

Austria has said that pub-

lic places in Vienna including its underground transit system might have been a target.

“A test bomb seems to have been put together,” Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang So-botka told broadcaster ORF, even though no explosives were found in the apartment in question. “That is all we can announce to-day from the questioning.”

Asked what he meant by a test bomb, Sobotka said: “Where one tries to put together materials obtained on the market from in-

structions on the Internet.”He added that what had been

established in the questioning was changing daily.

An interior ministry spokes-man declined to elaborate.

The German admitted during questioning that the Austrian had visited him for two weeks at the end of last year, a spokesman for the Duesseldorf prosecutor said on Monday.

Germany’s Focus magazine had said the man was planning an attack on police and soldiers.

Both he and the Austrian had experimented with materials to create explosives in the Neuss apartment, it said.

German authorities have been on high alert since a Tunisian whose bid for asylum had been rejected rammed a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin on December 19, killing 12 people.

Police in Vienna have been put on heightened alert since Friday’s arrest and have increased patrols at transport hubs and busy public places.

Austrian teen says he built ‘test bomb’ in GermanyReutersVienna

Austria’s defence minister suggested yesterday that suspected Islamist mili-

tants returning from the Syrian war should wear electronic tags under a planned package of new “anti-terror” measures.

“There are several possibilities on the table ... electronic ankle tags for people posing a potential threat are defi nitely something

to be considered,” Hans Peter Doskozil told Austrian radio.

“I defi nitely think that it would be appropriate that ... they are monitored, that the authorities know what they are doing, whom they are meeting. It’s very im-portant,” he said.

Austria’s centrist govern-ment has been preparing a raft of measures to beef up security and reduce illegal immigration, including tighter border controls and more video surveillance.

Interior Minister Wolfgang

Sobotka told reporters before a cabinet meeting yesterday that the use of electronic tags, which he also supports, would require new legislation.

Around 300 people have either left or were intercepted trying to leave Austria to fi ght in Syria, ac-cording to the interior ministry.

Around 40 have died there while some 90 have come back.

Austria has so far been spared by the string of attacks by Islam-ist extremists in other European countries in recent years.

Tags eyed for returning militantsAFPVienna

A Syrian asylum-seeker accused of killing his girlfriend with a deli knife and injuring passersby in southern town went on trial yesterday in the German city of Tuebingen.The man is facing murder and attempted murder charges for allegedly stabbing to death his 45-year-old girlfriend, who was reportedly pregnant, outside the deli they both worked at in Reutlingen.He then went on to injure and threaten other people with the knife.The incident took place on July 24, just two days after a German-Iranian teen went on a shooting spree at a Munich shopping mall, leaving nine people dead.The court is trying to determine the exact age of the defendant, who says he was not of age at the time of the crime despite the fact that his asylum documents state that he was.If this is true, his case would have to be considered by a youth court.A verdict is expected in early April.

German court tries asylum-seeker accused of deli knife murder

EUROPE19Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The head of Germany’s So-cial Democrats (SPD) has abandoned an expected

bid to challenge Chancellor An-gela Merkel in September’s gen-eral election, nominating former European Parliament speaker Martin Schulz instead.

Sigmar Gabriel, 57, who cur-rently serves as vice-chancellor and economy minister in Mer-kel’s government, revealed the decision in media interviews, saying that his chances of vic-tory would be dismal.

Speaking ahead of a party meeting in Berlin to news weekly Stern, Gabriel proposed Schulz, speaker in the Brussels parlia-ment until last week, as a can-didate.

Although Merkel’s conserva-tive bloc enjoys a double-digit lead over the Social Democrats, Schulz – who must still confi rm he is willing to run – was widely seen as a more promising con-tender than Gabriel.

“If I were to run, I would fail, and the SPD with me,” Gabriel said.

Asked by the Die Zeit news-paper whether he was stepping aside because of a poll show-ing that the party rank-and-fi le overwhelmingly believed Schulz would have a better chance in

the general election, Gabriel said: “Yes. It is my responsibility as (party) chairman.”

Gabriel is part of Merkel’s loveless “grand coalition” gov-ernment, as well as chairman of the SPD, which, like many of its European sister parties, is riven by disputes between its leftist and centrist wings.

“All the polls have shown that people don’t want a grand coali-tion any more. In people’s minds I stand for that. So Martin Schulz is the most suitable man,” one person at the SPD party meeting quoted Gabriel as saying.

Polls show Merkel’s conserva-tive Christian Democrats (CDU) as the clear frontrunners over the SPD ahead of the September 24 poll, despite unease over her liberal asylum policy.

If confi rmed, Schulz faces a very tough job beating Merkel.

However, an opinion poll con-ducted this month by the Emnid institute for the Bild newspa-per showed that in a direct vote Schulz would win 38% versus 39% for Merkel, compared to a result of 27% for Gabriel and 46% for Merkel.

Schulz, who has spent most of his political career in Brus-sels, declared late last year that he wanted to turn his back on EU politics to focus on his home country but did not specify his ambitions.

Stern reported that Gabri-

el, 57, a former schoolteacher, would also off er to give up his chairmanship of the Social Democrats, a position he has held since 2009.

Gabriel is the longest serving leader of the SPD since former Chancellor Willy Brandt.

Gabriel told Stern and Die Zeit that he now aimed to be-come foreign minister, replacing Frank-Walter Steinmeier who is expected to be elected German president next month.

News website Spiegel Online said that Gabriel told SPD lead-ers yesterday that with his de-cision he wanted to ensure “the survival of the party”, which he has led since 2009 without ever presenting a viable alternative to Merkel, who took power in 2005.

Party sources told German news agency DPA that Brigitte Zypries, a former justice minis-ter, would take over the economy brief.

Merkel, 62, announced in No-vember that she would seek a fourth term at the helm of Eu-rope’s top economy.

Her popularity has endured despite misgivings about her refugee stance, as voters look to a safe pair of hands in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the Eu-ropean Union and the inaugu-ration of Donald Trump as US president.

She has also been buoyed by steady economic growth, low

unemployment and a dearth of viable challengers within her own party.

Gabriel had long hesitated to say whether he would carry the banner for the Social Democrats, who have seen their support plummet in Merkel’s shadow.

The news nevertheless came as a shock to political observers in Berlin.

The top-selling Bild had re-ported earlier this month that Gabriel had made up his mind to run for the top job, on the advice of former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, 72.

Polls show that Merkel’s CDU are the top pick for the national election with around 37% sup-port, followed at a distance by the SPD with about 20%.

An insurgent anti-immigra-tion party, the AfD, is currently polling at around 15%.

Meanwhile the opposition Greens, who served in a centre-left coalition under Schroeder from 1998 to 2005, have indi-cated their willingness to join Merkel in government if they managed to security a majority together.

German SPD’s Gabriel makes way for SchulzAFP/ReutersBerlin

This picture taken on December 12, 2015 shows Gabriel with Schulz at the annual SPD federal congress in Berlin.

Heavy pollution envel-oping much of Europe prompted emergency

measures across the continent yesterday.

A toxic cocktail of extreme cold, no wind and heavy burn-ing of coal and wood for heating has left many regions shrouded in smog.

In many countries, including Britain, France and Brussels, of-fi cials have cautioned against physical exertion for children and the elderly, and for people with respiratory problems.

Offi cials in Paris have ordered older, more polluting vehicles off the road since Monday, and cut the price of public trans-port.

Speed limits have also been reduced in many parts of France.

In London, a cloud of freez-

ing smog forced the cancella-tion of around 100 out of 1,300 fl ights at Heathrow airport for the second day in a row, while Met Offi ce forecasters had a “severe” warning in place for all of England.

Madrid has not issued an alert since a seven-day stretch of high pollution that ended January 1, which saw the city impose the fi rst driving restric-tions based on licence plates in Spain.

Eastern Europe has also been hit by blanket of smog, exacer-bated by the heavy use of wood and coal for heating during the cold snap.

Hungarian offi cials have is-sued pollution alerts for about 20 cities, including Budapest, where cars without catalytic converters have been forbid-den from roads from Monday to Wednesday.

In Bulgaria, pollution has smothered the capital, Sofi a, already considered one of the

most polluted European capi-tals.

But so far, offi cials have not imposed any specifi c restric-tions.

Lawmakers in the Krakow re-gion of Poland, considered the area with the dirtiest air in the country, approved on Monday an anti-smog plan that calls for replacing the most polluting heating stoves by 2023.

Poland also plans to ban the use of low-quality coal – an im-portant but costly measure in a country where coal is used to heat 72% of homes.

Piotre Kopalka, 31, was among protesters who present-ed a petition calling on Warsaw to enact measures similar to those in Krakow.

“We want to live in a healthy city,” he said, wearing a black robe and an anti-pollution mask, and carrying a scythe. “The situation in Warsaw is more and more worrying, we have to act.”

Europe chokes under freezing smogAFPParis

A view of Budapest is seen with the parliament building between the ‘Lanchid’ (Chain Bridge, foreground) and the Margaret Bridge (background) yesterday as the level of air pollution approaches dangerous levels.

Right: The iconic Eiff el Tower is barely visible in the smog yesterday.

Kosovo leader hopeful ahead of talks with SerbiaAFPPristina

Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci said yesterday that he hoped for long-await-

ed recognition from former foe Belgrade as he left for a meet-ing in Brussels with top Serbian leaders.

The European Union-bro-kered meeting comes as ties be-tween the two Balkan countries have reached their lowest level since they opened talks to im-prove relations back in 2011.

Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian in-surgents fought Serbian forces in 1998-1999 and the former prov-ince unilaterally declared inde-pendence in 2008, but Serbia’s denies Kosovo’s sovereignty.

Tensions have heightened in recent weeks but Thaci voiced optimism before leaving for Brussels.

“This is the opening of the fi nal chapter of dialogue which will lead to mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia,” he told reporters.

Earlier this month, Belgrade sent a train towards Kosovo painted in the colours of the Ser-bian fl ag, covered in the state-ment “Kosovo is Serbia” in mul-tiple languages and decorated inside with Serbian Orthodox imagery.

Kosovo said it was a “provoca-tion”.

The train was stopped from crossing the border over fears it would be attacked, according to Serbian Prime Minister Ale-ksandar Vucic.

Members of Kosovo’s eth-nic Albanian majority were also outraged by the arrest in France in early January of former prime minister Ramush Haradinaj, un-der an international warrant is-sued by Serbia.

Belgrade wants to try him for alleged war crimes commit-ted against civilians during the 1990s confl ict.

Relations have further dete-riorated in the town of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo, where Serb authorities have started erecting a concrete wall on the banks of the Ibar river.

The wall’s construction, by a bridge that divides the town’s Serb-dominated north and largely ethnic Albanian south, has angered Pristina, which says it is cementing the town’s divisions and must be knocked down.

Ahead of the meeting, Kos-ovo’s Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said the dialogue with Belgrade “has no alternative”.

Vucic and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic are due to at-tend the talks.

Stanislava Pak, an adviser to Nikolic, told state-run RTS tel-evision they were “expecting the intensifi cation of dialogue and hope for the establishment of a ‘red phone’ with Pristina so that concrete problems can be avoid-ed in future”.

Vucic said on Monday that although he did not “expect much” from the Brussels meet-ing he still expected a “calming of the situation and clear mes-sages”.

Bulgaria sets early vote for March 26ReutersSofia

Bulgaria’s president has called an early national election for March 26 and

appointed former parliament speaker Ognyan Gerdzhikov as caretaker prime minister until then.

Gerdzhikov, 70, currently a professor of law and head of an arbitration court, served as speaker of parliament in a cen-trist government from 2001 to 2005.

Kiril Ananiev, 61, currently a deputy fi nance minister in charge of budgets, will take over as fi nance minister, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

President Rumen Radev, who took offi ce this month, had to call an early election after the centre-right government re-signed late last year following the presidential election loss of its candidate.

He will dissolve the parlia-ment on Friday.

“The head of state sets March 26 as the date for the general election. With another decree, the president appoints Ognyan Gerdzhikov as interim prime minister,” the president’s offi ce said in a statement.

Russia-friendly Radev is also expected to appoint diplomat Radi Naidenov, at present Bul-garian ambassador to Germany, as interim foreign minister in a bit to reaffi rm Sofi a’s commit-ment to its allies in the European Union and Nato.

The main task of Gerdzhikov’s interim government will be to ensure that the Balkan country holds a fair election and main-tain fi scal stability to protect the Bulgarian currency’s peg against the euro.

The centre-right government of Boiko Borisov steered eco-nomic growth and cut unem-ployment to an eight-year low, while cutting fi scal defi cit, but its failure to tackle widespread graft in the EU’s poorest country has frustrated voters.

Political analysts say the par-liamentary election, Bulgaria’s third since 2013, is again unlikely to produce a strong majority government able to implement the judicial, economic and other reforms the country needs.

The fi rst group of German and Belgian troops ar-rived in Lithuania yes-

terday as part of a Nato move to reinforce its eastern fl ank.

A group of German offi c-ers have landed in the Baltic state’s capital Vilnius to co-ordinate the deployment of a 1,200-strong battalion that will include forces from several Nato members.

Hours earlier, some 30 Bel-gian troops arrived at another airport in western Lithuania

while a ship carrying logistical equipment docked at the Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda, Lithua-nia’s military spokesman cap-tain Andrius Dilda told AFP.

Last summer, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) ordered continuous troop rotations on its eastern fl ank as a tripwire against Rus-sian adventurism in states for-merly under Moscow’s control.

Apart from the German-led battalion in Lithuania, Canada will lead a multi-national bat-talion in Latvia, Britain in Esto-nia and the US in Poland.

Vilnius University analyst Deividas Slekys said that the

deployments would force Rus-sia to think twice about any provocations in the region.

“The deployment of a well-armed battalion makes a snap intervention scenario less like-ly. Russia will need to calculate how Washington, London or Berlin would react,” he said.

The historic burden of Na-zism has made EU heavyweight Germany a reluctant military leader.

Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaite has called Berlin’s decision to lead the Nato bat-talion a “breakthrough” toward it playing a greater role in Euro-pean defence.

German and Belgian troops in Lithuania for Nato movesAFPVilniusAn explosion of ocean life

some 471mn years ago was not sparked by a me-

teorite bombardment of Earth, said a study yesterday that challenges a leading theory.

Without off ering an alter-native explanation for what is known as the Great Ordovi-cian Biodiversifi cation Event (GOBE), researchers from Swe-den and Denmark said the crea-ture expansion started some 2mn years before the space rock bombardment.

This was based on fresh dat-ing of crystals from meteorite-bearing sediments in Sweden.

“This study shows that the

two phenomena were unre-lated,” researchers wrote in the journal Nature Communica-tions.

For study co-author Anders Lindskog of Lund University in Sweden, the data showed “there is no measurable ‘extraterres-trial’ infl uence on biodiversity” in Earth’s oceans.

The GOBE, which vastly ex-panded marine life diversity, kicked off 70mn years after the fi rst explosion of life on Earth during the preceding Cambrian period, some 540mn years ago.

Some scientists contend that the Ordovician event was sparked by a collision of objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter raining debris down on our planet.

Such a bombardment may

have changed the environment just enough to stimulate diver-sifi cation of existing life, the theory goes.

The question of what caused it remains open, but Lindskog speculated it was likely a com-bination of events and proc-esses.

“It is reasonable that the very high sea levels that prevailed during the Ordovician ... sim-ply gave more space for life to thrive,” he told AFP.

“Combined with the pres-ence of many small continents (allowing for more endemic faunas, adding to the sum of diff erent species) and benefi cial climate change (cooling, most likely), we have a pretty nice ‘recipe’ for biodiversifi cation,” he said by e-mail.

Meteors ‘did not enrich ocean life’

AFPParis

Advise Kerala to stop damplans, Tamil Nadu tells PM

Running train enginedetaches from bogies

Head Post Off ices tooff er passport services

The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh yesterday staged a protest in New Delhi against the alleged killing of “hundreds” of Bharatiya Janata Party and RSS cadres in Kerala by Communist Party of India (Marxist) supporters and demanded a stop to it. Hundreds of RSS workers gathered at the Jantar Mantar and raised slogans against the CPI-M workers and the Left-ruled Kerala government for allegedly being behind the killing of its cadres in the state. The protest was led by RSS’s joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale. Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party unit president Manoj Tiwari told reporters, “They were killed because they supported the ideology of BJP and RSS.”

The Cabinet yesterday gave approval for the Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017 (VPBY-2017) as part of financial inclusion and social security programmes. “The scheme would be implemented through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) during the current financial year to provide social security during old age and protect elderly persons aged 60 years and above against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions,” the finance ministry said in a statement. The scheme would provide an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8% per annum for 10 years, with an option to opt for pension on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis.

RSS protests killingof cadre in Kerala

Cabinet approvesnew pension scheme

POLITICSDECISION

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam urged the central government to advise Kerala to stop construction of check dams across the river Bhavani. In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Panneerselvam said Kerala must be advised not to take up any project or works without obtaining Tamil Nadu approval. Kerala should not start work on the dams until the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee come into force, he said. Citing reports of Kerala planning to construct six dams across the river Bhavani, which is a tributary of the river Cauvery, Panneerselvam told Modi there is a great concern and anxiety among the people.

DISPUTE CLOSE CALL POLICY

Passport Seva Kendra services will now be available at all Head Post Off ices across the country, it was announced yesterday. “Every district Head Post Off ices (HPO) will extend the services of Passport Seva Kendra,” Minister of State for External Aff airs, V K Singh, said. “All work related to passports can be executed in the post off ices,” he said. This is the first time the external aff airs ministry will share the powers it has under the Passport Act with another ministry. The pilot project for this joint venture between the external aff airs ministry and the department of post will be inaugurated today at the Mysuru HPO in Karnataka and at Dahod in Gujarat.

Barely two days after the derailment of the Hirakhand express in which 41 persons were killed on the Odisha-Andhra border, the bogies of the Bhubaneswar-Anand Vihar superfast express got detached from the moving engine in Rourkela yesterday. However, no injuries or casualties were reported. “The engine of the train accidentally got detached from the bogies near Birajapalli about 10-15 minutes after leaving Rourkela Railway Station,” said a railway off icial. The passengers on the train panicked and raised an alarm. The driver realised that the rest of the train was not behind after travelling about 2km. Later, the driver brought the engine back and the passenger train left for New Delhi after changing the engine, the off icial added.

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 2017

INDIA20

The Congress Party has just escaped from a double whammy by tying up with

the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

It was a touch-and-go aff air as the new SP president and state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav almost called off the seat-sharing talks as he sensed that both Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka were acting pricey.

Although the Gandhi scions had initially talked to Yadav di-rectly, when the time came for a sit-down negotiation for seats, the Congress Party sent Prashant Kishor and Dhiraj Kumar Srivas-tava whose own political creden-tials are nothing to brag about.

Kishor’s claim to fame is that he strategised Narendra Modi’s march to victory in the 2014 par-liamentary elections and then jumped ship, as it were, to ma-noeuvre Nitish Kumar into chief ministership of Bihar the follow-ing year.

Srivastava is a former Rajasthan government employee who has been with the Gandhis for more than a decade and loyalty is his calling card.

Rahul Gandhi enticed Kishor who, apparently, was willing to provide his services to the highest bidder. So, there is no ideological baggage for Kishor to drag along. But this also means he is a political lightweight and having to deal with

someone of that rank, especially when he had just won a battle of wits against his own father, report-edly annoyed Akhilesh Yadav who threatened to fi eld SP candidates in all 403 constituencies.

Before the Election Commis-sion of India (ECI) ruled in favour of Akhilesh and against his father and party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on the party symbol issue, the chief minister was reportedly ready to concede as many as 142 seats to the Congress.

Senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad says his party had wanted “a respectable number of 150 seats spread across the state” to accom-modate all castes and religions. So, we must take it that what the party eventually got - 105 seats - is not exactly “respectable”.

But with the ECI recognising his claim to the symbol as well as presidency of the party, Akhilesh was in no mood to relent. And then the Gandhis sent two lowly partymen to seal the deal even though the Congress Party main-tained that the two were not in-vested with any powers to negoti-ate nor were they expected to.

But all is well that ends well, for the Congress Party was looking down the barrel of near-obliter-ation in the state and a pre-poll arrangement with the ruling party in the state can only do Rahul Gandhi’s party good. With Priya-nka Gandhi getting ready for a much wider campaign role, the

Congress can hope for a better showing this time around.

How it will play out for the SP is a diff erent matter altogether. The Yadavs, as a community, had been brought up on a steady anti-Con-gress diet for decades by Mulayam Singh and suddenly they fi nd themselves on the same side and are asked to support and vote for the Congress. There is bound to be confusion and consternation.

And then there is the Shivpal Yadav factor for Akhilesh to con-tend with. The chief minister’s uncle has been delivered a slap in the face in the symbol imbroglio and although he himself has se-cured a ticket to fi ght the polls, Shivpal is not the kind to sit quiet and take things as they come.

Back to the Congress Party though. Just as well that there is a tie-up with the top state party because Rahul Gandhi had suf-fered a major blow to his cred-ibility just over a week ago when the Supreme Court threw out an attempt to charge Prime Minister Modi with corruption. Although Rahul did not have anything to do

with the case directly, he had gone to town with what he claimed was evidence to “burst the balloon” of the prime minister. The apex court said the so-called evidence was nothing but a scrap of paper.

An alliance with the Samajwa-di Party is certainly more to the benefi t of Rahul Gandhi than to Akhilesh Yadav, so the Congress vice-president has some reason to cheer.

But the person rejoicing the most is three-time former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit. She had very reluctantly agreed to be hoisted as the chief ministe-rial candidate of the Congress Party for UP. She obviously did not want to leave Delhi – if she and her party were to win power in UP, a very remote possibility, one might add – but being the “disciplined soldier of the party” that she is, Dixit put up a brave face and said she was up to it. She knew she was in for a drubbing ei-ther way, but a seasoned politician has to take setbacks in her stride.

Then came Rahul Gandhi’s “earth-shattering” allegations

against Modi. Unfortunately, Dix-it also was alleged to be one of the benefi ciaries of the said payoff , but Rahul presumably thought she can be sacrifi ced if he can get Modi’s scalp. Dixit had denied any wrongdoing and had also main-tained that the diary jottings on which the case was supposed to be based were all spurious.

So when the court eventu-ally snubbed the plaintiff , lawyer Prashant Bhushan representing the NGO, Common Cause, Dixit’s sigh of relief was heard all over Delhi. And now with the yoke of UP chief ministerial candidate off her shoulders, Dixit has every reason to smile as broadly as she is wont to.

It’s a make or breakbudget for Modi

“A very pro-poor, pro-devel-opment budget that addresses the need of the hour. I congratulate the fi nance minister for his vi-sion” – Narendra Modi.

“A totally pro-rich, pro-corpo-rate budget that will bring further distress to the rural poor and the common man” – Rahul Gandhi.

Haven’t we heard all this be-fore? Probably the words were dif-ferent, but the sentiments could not be anything but the same. You have the government on the one side praising its fi nance minister and the opposition on the other

trying to pick holes in the biggest annual economic exercise. And yes, you are going to hear the same once again very soon.

With elections to fi ve state as-semblies beginning the same week as the budget, there is extra interest in what Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is going to do. If he goes for sops and doles, there is going to be a major outcry from the opposition. The ECI will not also take kindly to any special provisions in the budget that are aimed at the states going to polls. In fact, it has forbidden Jaitley from doing any such thing.

Jaitley has been given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court to present the federal budget on February 1 as planned. The court threw out appeals that the budget should not be presented before March 11, the last day of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

Looks like Jaitley knew all along that he was on a strong wicket. Last week he had prepared the traditional ‘halwa’ for the offi cials of the fi nance minister in charge of printing the budget papers. About 100 of these offi cials have to spend nearly a fortnight con-fi ned to the underground space of the printing presses and cannot have any contact with the out-side world till the minister rises to present the budget proposals in parliament.

Jaitley had gone ahead and or-dered printing of the budget pa-

pers and if, for any reason, the court had ordered postponement of the presentation, these offi cials would have been spending a long cloistered life. Luckily that did not happen.

There are those who believe the main pro-poor, pro-farmer poli-cies of the government have al-ready been initiated by the prime minister himself during his New Year’s speech to the nation. They feel it is now the turn of the sal-ary earner and the middleclass who had to put up with a lot of problems in the wake of the de-monetisation of high value notes. Speculation is that several tax re-lief measures are on the anvil.

Whatever Jaitley will do there is no denying that this is going to be the most crucial budget for the Modi government.

The goods and services tax (GST) is set to take eff ect from July 1. Demonetisation is still a work in progress and, despite the entrenched positions, no one is absolutely certain it was a big suc-cess or a monumental failure. The world economy is nowhere near the healthy zone. America’s new president has declared a protec-tionist policy that will aff ect the entire world. Private investment to boost production and employ-ment has not taken off the way the government had wanted. In the midst of all this, Jaitley has to present a “promising” budget. Some task that!

Rahul, Akhilesh shake hands and Dixit smiles broadestDelhi Diary

By A K B Krishnan

Gulf Times Correspondent

BJP attacksShahrukh as man diesin stampedeIANSNew Delhi

Bharatiya Janata Party gen-eral secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya yesterday

slammed Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, even comparing him to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, after the death of a fan at the Vadodara railway station during the promotional tour of the actor’s movie Raees.

Ditching the usual air travel to go to a city for fi lm promotion, Shahrukh – known for innova-tive marketing ideas – boarded the August Kranti Rajdhani to Delhi from Mumbai.

However, a crowd went berserk at the Vadodara railway station in a bid to catch a glimpse of the actor. Many started banging the windows of the air-conditioned coach. Stones were thrown to grab the actor’s attention.

Cricketers Irrfan and Yusuf Pathan had also turned up at Va-dodara station to meet the super-star, adding to the fan frenzy.

Social activist Farid Khan Pathan of Hatikhana area of Va-dodara, who reached the Vado-dara station with his wife and daughter as the family adores the actor, fell unconscious report-edly after a cardiac arrest. He was

rushed to hospital where he was declared dead.

However, some reports sug-gest he died because of suff oca-tion due to the teeming crowds.

Police had to use batons to dis-perse the crowd and this led to injuries to some people.

Commenting on the incident, Vijayvargiya yesterday told re-porters: “If Dawood Ibrahim comes on the street, there would be a crowd to see him ... You can’t gauge the popularity on the basis of crowd. I will not comment fur-ther... People have understood what it means.”

Meanwhile Delhi Bharatiya Ja-nata Party unit President Manoj Tiwari demanded that Shahrukh compensate Pathan’s family.

“I appeal to brother Shahrukh Khan to come forward and com-pensate the family properly, and also condole with them as it all happened in his gathering,” Ti-wari said.

The BJP MP termed Pathan’s death an unfortunate incident and said: “It is a very unfortunate incident and the death of any-body is painful.”

Tiwari also appealed for checking security arrangements and avoiding any security lapses caused due to a celebrity. “Even the security agencies should en-sure that proper orders have been

issued prior to this kind of event,” he said.

Meanwhile Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu yesterday ordered a probe into the death.

“Directed the director general of Railway Protection Force to investigate the matter and take stern action against any lapse,” Prabhu said in a tweet.

Shahrukh Khan, who reached New Delhi by train, expressed grief over Pathan’s death. Call-ing the incident unfortunate, the 51-year-old actor said he was saddened and praying the family of the deceased stays strong. The dead man was a relative of a col-league travelling with the actor.

“One of our colleagues was travelling with us. Her uncle came to see her at Vadodara. He suff ered a cardiac arrest. It was really unfortunate,” Shahrukh told the media at the Hazrat Ni-zamuddin station here.

“We started the journey think-ing we all will travel, spend time with each other... When one of your own loses someone on a trip like this, it saddens us all.”

Even in Delhi, the actor couldn’t get out of the train for almost 15 minutes due to a huge turnout. Shahrukh was accom-panied by fi lm director Rahul Dholakia and actress Sunny Leo-ne for the promotional tour.Actor Shahrukh Khan waves to fans at the Surat railway station.

Akhileshlashes outat Modi,MayawatiIANSSultanpur

Uttar Pradesh Chief Min-ister Akhilesh Yadav kicked-off the assembly

poll campaign for the Samajwadi Party (SP) yesterday and urged people to vote him back to power, so as to take forward the develop-ment work initiated by him.

Addressing two back-to-back public rallies here, the chief min-ister said that while the BJP gov-ernment at the Centre had only made false claims, the BSP (Ba-hujan Samaj Party) government before the SP government only worked for making parks of stone and erecting statues.

The more the ‘Cycle’ (SP sym-bol) pedals ahead, the more the state will speed up on the path to prosperity, he told the gathering, which intermittently raised slo-gans in his favour.

This was Akhilesh’s fi rst rally after he took over as the national president of the party after oust-ing his father Mulayam Singh Ya-dav following a protracted feud within the family.

This was also Akhilesh’s maiden rally since he sealed an electoral pact with the Congress. Both par-ties are contesting the staggered assembly polls together with an “aim to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from coming to power”.

Alluding to the alliance’s secu-lar credentials as a formation, the chief minister also said that if the people were to support the combine and they come to power, the state will see further develop-ment while protecting the secular credentials of the state.

“The Modi government has only fooled people with false hopes and in reality done nothing other than making people stand in long queues outside banks and ATMs to take out their own mon-ey,” he said and pointed out that many people died in the serpen-tine queues “even as the prime minister made fun of people”.

INDIA21Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Actor Dileepis new Keralafi lm exhibitors’forum chief

By Ashraf PadannaThiruvananthapuram

The split in the fi lm exhibi-tors of Kerala was formal-ised yesterday with a new

body, Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK), coming into being. FEUOK also claimed to have majority support among the exhibitors.

Actor Dileep, who was elected president at the FEUOK meeting yesterday, said he would ensure that disruptions in the fi lm in-dustry were a thing of the past and nobody would be allowed to resort to such protests anymore.

“We are here to make sure there’s no stoppage in the free fl ow of the entertainment in-dustry and that the fi lmgoers are never disappointed,” he stressed.

The Kerala Film Exhibitors Federation (KFEF) had been forced to withdraw its indefi -nite shutdown – that entered its 30th day on January 14 – after Dileep convened a meeting of like-minded cinema owners and decided to end the impasse.

The KFEF had been demand-ing that producers give the fed-eration a 60% share in fi lm reve-nue at every screen instead of the existing 50:50 sharing pattern.

Dileep, who also owns a pro-duction house and a restaurant in Kochi, ventured into the mul-ti-screen business through a new arm, D Cinemas, opening its fi rst multiplex at Chalakudy near the Kochi International Airport with

three screens two years ago.“We have the support of the

vast majority of the cinema owners, and at least 100 of them have attended the meeting,” the FEUOK president told reporters after the meeting.

“This is going to be a collec-tive of those who love cinema. The movie industry should move seamlessly forward, and there should not be such strikes any-more. Many theatre owners were part of fi lm production as well, and their stakes are high.”

Dileep said the new body had the support of almost 90% of KFEF members, which means it would have a membership base of 168 theatre owners with a total of 300 screens.

The actor revealed that his ap-pointment had the support of superstars Mohanlal and Mam-mootty, both of whom have pro-duction houses as well.

Antony Perumbavoor, Mo-hanlal’s producer and business partner, is the vice-president of the new body.

The strike had stalled the New Year-Christmas fi lm releases like Mohanlal’s Munthiri Vallikal Thalirkkumbol, Dulquer Sal-maan’s Jomonte Suvisheshangal, Prithviraj’s Ezra and Jayasurya’s Fukri.

“There’ll be no stalling of fi lm releases anymore. No blockades. No negative attitude towards producers. All producers and distributors are with us,” Dileep reiterated. Industry sources said that some 350 ‘A’ class theatres had remained shut during the strike leading to a loss of nearly half a billion rupees.

The Kerala Cine Exhibitors As-sociation, of mostly rural B and C Class theatres, had not joined the strike. So too had the multiplexes, a new culture fast catching up in cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kochi.

Dileep said the FEUOK would attend a meeting convened this week by Cinema Minister A K Balan to discuss the formation of the proposed regulatory authori-ty as recommended by the Adoor Gopalakrishnan committee set up by the previous government to suggest reforms. The industry is deeply divided over the pro-posal with the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) of fi lmmakers and technicians stat-ing that government control on the industry was not desirable.

Soldiers stand guard near the site of gunfight at Bakura in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, some 25kms from Srinagar, yesterday. Police and troops killed three suspected militants in two separate gunbattles in Kashmir yesterday

Militants killed

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives in New Delhi yesterday on an official visit.

Official visit

Chennai police faces theheat over arson claimsIANSChennai

Life in Tamil Nadu was normal yesterday after a day of violence linked to

Jallikattu, but police came un-der attack for breaking peaceful protests and for allegedly in-dulging in arson.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognizance of media re-ports that police attacked, ar-rested and damaged private property in order to disperse a large pro-Jallikattu gathering.

The NHRC issued notices to the Tamil Nadu chief secretary, the director general of police and Chennai’s commissioner of police.

“The visuals on news chan-nels show that police set on fire huts, autos, motorcycles, vegetable shops and other properties in Chennai. The bleeding students ran for their

life,” it said in a statement.“Police even entered houses

and started beating people indiscriminately. The police blocked the major routes lead-ing to Marina Beach as well as Chennai city.”

A video showing women and men in police uniform setting fi re to vehicles and huts and damaging two-wheelers here on Monday went viral, sending shockwaves across the state. Police said the video was a fake.

Although a small group of people remained at the Marina beach yesterday, life was back on track in Chennai.

“Buses as well as suburban and metro trains are operating as usual,” an offi cial said.

A large contingent of police remained at the Marina.

The railways for the fi rst time in recent days did not cancel any train fully though partial cancellations and diversion of trains were announced.

On Monday, police invaded

the sprawling beach and forci-bly began removing the thou-sands of protesters who had gathered in support of the lift-ing of the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu.

This triggered largescale violence in parts of Chennai, leaving some 60 people injured and leading to about 40 arrests. Violence was also reported from distant Madurai district.

Pattali Makkal Katchi leader Anbumani Ramadoss sought a probe by the CBI and by a Ma-dras High Court judge into the violence in Chennai and Ma-durai.

He said there was suffi cient proof to prove that police and anti-social elements indulged in the violence and not protest-ers.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Stalin demanded a judicial probe into the police action.

He said the police watched the protest from the sidelines

for seven days and acted just when the state assembly was set to pass a bill to legalise the bull taming sport.

He condemned Chennai po-lice commissioner, S George,

for calling the demonstrators anti-social and anti-national. George said the police acted on Monday because “anti-nation-al forces” had infi ltrated the Marina protest.

Peta responds to Kamal Haasan’s dare on rodeos

Peta India yesterday respond-ed to actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan’s dare to ban bull rid-ing rodeos in the US. The ac-tor claimed the animal rights organisation helps animals only in India. Kamal Haasan, who feels Jallikattu should not be banned but regulated, recently told Peta in a tweet: “Peta go ban bull riding rode-os in Trump’s US. You’re not qualified to tackle our bulls. Empires have been made to quit India.” In response, Peta India CEO Poorva Joshipura said: “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India, as is indicated by its

name, helps animals in India only and is an Indian entity.” Peta US, on the other hand, has been working to stop animal abuse in the US since 1980, where bull fighting is illegal and cruel activities associated with the rodeo, which the actor refers to, are also against the law in many states, Joshipura added. “The rodeo is further prohibited in the UK, The Netherlands, and elsewhere. Spanish supporters of another organisation, Peta Europe, have made bull fights in many areas of Spain illegal,” Joshipura said.

ProbeagainstKejriwal

Mallya chargedin loan default

IANSNew Delhi

The Delhi Police yesterday ordered its economic of-fences wing (EOW) to

initiate a preliminary inquiry into allegations of cheating, forgery and fraud against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others for irregularities in public welfare department (PWD) work.

According to a senior police offi cer, EOW has started an in-quiry into the matter but has not currently registered any charge-sheet. It had on Friday called the founder of Road-Anti Corruption Organisation, Rahul Sharma, to join the inquiry team for providing documents and necessary information.

“A complaint in this connec-tion was lodged by Kislay Pan-dey, an NGO’s lawyer who also approached a local court in fi ling a petition against Kejriwal and his brother-in-law, Surender Kumar Bansal for alleged cor-ruption in roads and sewer lines work,” the police offi cer said.

Meanwhile a Delhi court has agreed to hear a defamation case fi led against Delhi Chief Minis-ter Arvind Kejriwal and others by New Delhi Municipal Council vice chairman Karan Singh Tanwar, ac-cusing them of dragging his name in an advocate’s murder case.

ReutersMumbai

Vijay Mallya, the fugitive liquor and aviation

tycoon, was yesterday charged with conspira-cy and fraud connected to a Rs9bn ($132mn) loan granted by a gov-ernment-owned bank, a spokesman for the Central Bureau of In-vestigation said.

The head of the Force India Formula One team and a former owner of an Indian Pre-mier League cricket team, one-time billionaire Mallya moved to Britain last March after being pursued in courts by banks seeking to recover about $1.4bn the authorities claim is owed by his Kingfi sher airline.

The CBI, in its charge-sheet, accused Mallya of diverting from the country Rs2.54bn in-tended for the now-defunct airline.

In total, charges were brought against Mallya and nine other people, as well as the airline itself.

A former chairman and managing director of the government bank, IDBI Bank, was arrested along with another four bank executives.

The CBI also arrested the airline’s chief fi -nancial offi cer and three senior offi cials.

The CBI spokesperson said the offi cials would be held in judicial custody until Mon-day, pending a bail hearing.

A spokesman for Mallya could not immedi-ately be reached for comment despite calls and a text message.

The arrests made were the fi rst since 2014, when the CBI initiated an enquiry into loans provided by the bank to the already debt-rid-den airline.

“We are here to make sure there’s no stoppage in the free fl ow of the entertainment industry and that the fi lmgoers are never disappointed”

The KFEF had been demanding that producers give the federation a 60% share in film revenue at every screen instead of the existing 50:50 sharing pattern.

22 Gulf TimesWednesday, January 25, 2017

LATIN AMERICA

ELN readyto call forbilateralceasefi reReutersBogota

Colombia’s second larg-est rebel group, the ELN, is ready to call a bilateral

ceasefi re with the government while they negotiate an end to fi ve decades of war, a guerrilla negotiator said yesterday.

The government and the Na-tional Liberation Army (ELN) will begin formal peace talks in Ecuador on February 7, once the insurgent group frees a kid-napped politician and authori-ties pardon two jailed rebels.

The sit down will end three years of back and forth between the two sides and hopefully stop a confl ict that pit leftist rebels against right-wing paramili-taries and the military, killing over 220,000.

President Juan Manuel San-tos was awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his eff orts af-ter negotiating peace with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the nation’s biggest rebel group.

“We are willing to have a bi-lateral ceasefi re from the begin-ning,” ELN negotiator Aureliano Carbonell told Reuters in a tel-ephone interview from Ecuador.

“That would help create an-other climate to the peace proc-ess; send the nation a positive message.”

Carbonell is not a well-known ELN commander and he declined to provide personal details. Juan Camilo Restrepo, chief govern-ment negotiator, has said he will seek a “de-escalation” of the confl ict.

An early bilateral ceasefi re would contrast with the Farc talks, which stretched for four years in Cuba and were con-ducted mostly amid fi ghting and bomb attacks.

A bilateral ceasefi re was called in the fi nal stages of talks.

Carbonell said the ELN, which has battled a dozen governments since it was founded in 1964 and is considered a terrorist group by the US and European Union, would allow former president Alvaro Uribe’s participation in the talks.

Chile borders ‘to stayopen to immigrants’AgenciesSantiago

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has said the Latin American country

remains open to immigrants.“We feel that immigration isn’t

on a massive scale,” Bachelet said in an interview at the presiden-tial palace in Santiago. “This can continue. We just need the peo-ple who want to come to Chile go through all the appropriate proc-esses and fulfi l all the conditions.”

The number of foreigners with permanent residency in Chile has doubled in the past 10 years, reaching the highest propor-tion in modern times. More than 34,400 Haitians came in the fi rst nine months of last year alone, and the fl ow is rising by the month, according to the police department. Coupled with Co-lombians, Peruvians, Domini-cans and Venezuelans, Chile is now taking in immigrants at a similar pace to the UK, relative to their populations.

Chile’s status as South Ameri-ca’s wealthiest nation is attract-ing thousands of people fl eeing

poverty or economic collapse across the continent. While there are few signs of a backlash against newcomers, tensions could mount as Chile enters its fourth year of sluggish growth.

Yet, Chile remains a newcomer to mass migration, Bachelet said. Immigrants represent about 3% of the population, a much lower proportion than the 12.6% average in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Tensions exist “in some sec-tors,” Bachelet said. “The problem in Antofagasta and in other cities is that they work in the informal market and employers prefer to hire migrants before others.”

The government is preparing to present a bill that will update legislation that dates from Au-gusto Pinochet’s dictatorship and that treats migration as a threat. Bachelet looks at the issue from a diff erent point of view.

“The great majority of mi-grants coming to Chile are peo-ple looking for a better life and a better future for them and their families,” she said. “We need to make sure that if migrants are working they do so under the same rules as Chileans.”

China’s State Grid buys Brazil power fi rm CPFLAFPRio de Janeiro

China’s State Grid has concluded a deal to buy a majority stake in

Brazil’s electricity giant CPFL for $4.5bn, the companies an-nounced yesterday.

The purchase of a 54.64% stake in CPFL for 14.19bn re-als will advance the Chinese company’s presence in Brazil, a huge market with some 200mn inhabitants.

The world’s largest utility company and China’s largest state-owned enterprise, State Grid has pursued deals around the world.

Its attempted purchase of an Australian electricity network last year was blocked over na-tional security concerns.

But it boasts other invest-ments in Italy, the Philippines, Portugal and Hong Kong, the company said in a statement.

It entered the Brazilian mar-ket in 2010 and already oper-ates transmission lines in the

states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

It runs 10,000kms of power transmission lines in Brazil and has another 6,000kms under construction, the company said.

CPFL is the largest private power company in Brazil and the country’s third largest util-ity provider overall.

It supplies power to 24mn people and is a leading supplier of renewable energy, it said in a statement announcing the deal.

The Chinese fi rm said it aims to extend its presence in electricity transmission and distribution in Brazil as well as generation from renewable sources.

“The aim of acquiring con-trol of CPFL Energy is to diver-sify State Grid International’s business portfolio and to use existing synergies between CPFL and its transmission as-sets to strengthen our leading position in the Brazilian elec-tricity sector,” it said.

The Brazilian company sees the deal as “fundamental” to

“continuing its path of growth” and strengthening its own po-sition in the sector, CPFL’s president Andre Dorf said in a separate statement.

The deal off ered Brazil a boost as it fi ghts to scramble out of its deepest recession in decades and stabilise the public fi nances.

“This investment is good for Brazil because the country needs non-speculative foreign capital for infrastructure serv-ices like this,” the president of the Electricity Sector Asso-ciations Forum, Mario Menel, said.

The Chinese deal gives CPFL an opportunity “to expand, and this can set an example for other Brazilian companies,” he said.

State Grid distributes elec-tricity to nearly a billion peo-ple across China through local subsidiaries.

In December, it signed up to build a $1.5bn power line across Pakistan.

It also bought a stake in the Greek operator ADMIE.

Bogota eyesbullfi ghting ban after protestsHighest court to debate if practice violates laws against mistreatment of animals after protesters tried to disrupt first bullfight in Colombia’s capital city in four years

Guardian News and MediaBogota

Colombia’s highest court is to consider a national ban on bullfi ghting just

days after protesters battled with riot police as they tried to disrupt the fi rst bullfi ght in the country’s capital city in four years.

Offi cers used pepper spray and teargas against the demonstra-tors on Sunday as they shouted “murderers” and “torturers” at bullfi ghting enthusiasts on their way to Bogota’s iconic redbrick bull ring.

The constitutional court ruled in 2015 that bullfi ghting was part of Colombia’s cultural heritage and could not be banned. But to-day, that same court will debate an opinion by one of its magis-trates which reportedly argues that the practice violates Co-lombian laws against mistreat-ment of animals.

The court is also studying a separate case that asks the court should penalise any actions re-lated to abuse of animals not only in bullfi ghting but in cock fi ghts and rodeo-type games where animals can be mistreat-ed.

A 2016 law already declared animals “sentient beings” that should receive “special protec-tion against suff ering and pain, especially that caused directly or indirectly by humans”.

Bullfi ghting was banned in Bogota in 2012, but the current mayor, Enrique Penalosa has said that he is bound to uphold the court’s ruling by renting the bull ring to the bullfi ghters as-sociation.

Penalosa – who opposes bull-fi ghting – supports proposed legislation that would seek to “mitigate pain in bullfi ghting” and would give municipal of-fi cials the power to ban them in their localities.

Previous attempts to pass legislation in congress banning the practice outright have run aground in committee hear-ings.

Foreseeing large protests, 1,200 police were on hand on Sunday for the bullfi ght.

Hundreds of protesters, many dressed in black as a symbol of mourning, stood at every entrance to the ring. One of then was Maytik Avirama, 25, who said she had partici-pated in anti-bullfighting pro-tests since she was 14 and was

frustrated at the return of the spectacle.

“When it was banned we felt a sense of triumph over the elites, not just for animal rights activ-ists but for a whole society that doesn’t want more violence,” said Avirama, an ecologist. “The return of the bullfi ghts is a huge backward step.”

She lamented that the protests themselves turned violent, with demonstrators throwing bottles, stones and brick and police fi ring teargas.

“Cultural heritage and en-tertainment are no justifi cation for any activity that causes an-guish, suff ering and the cruel death of these animals,” said Ricardo Mora, of the group World Animal Protection, in a statement.

The group called on Bogotá residents to not attend the bull-fi ghts to show respect for the bulls.

Bullfi ghting is permitted in just eight countries around the world but has been restricted in some regions so that the spec-tacle does not end in the bull’s death.

In Ecuador, voters in many cities, including the capital Qui-to, prohibited bullfi ghting in a 2011 referendum. Several states in Mexico have also banned the blood sport.

In Spain, where the tradi-tion began, the constitutional court reversed in October 2016 an earlier ban on bullfi ghting in Catalonia passed by the regional parliament.

French President Francoise Hollande and his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos visit the Farc concentration zone of Caldono, Colombia, yesterday.

Chile will continue to pursue trade deals even though the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is off the table after US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the pact, Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz told journalists. Munoz said that while another regional trade deal without the US might be possible, “it wouldn’t be the TPP.” The South American country has invited ministers from other TPP members as well as China and South Korea to a summit in Chile in March to discuss how to proceed, and has received positive responses at a high level, Munoz said. “The TPP as it was going forward is off the table. That doesn’t mean that Chile is going to change tack,” he said.

A forest fire rages in the town of Litueche in the O’Higgins region, south of Chile, yesterday.

Mexico could walk away from negotiations with US President Donald Trump’s administration if its demands cross certain red lines, the economy minister said yesterday. During the US election, Trump vowed to make Mexico pay for a massive border wall and threatened to finance it by tapping into the $25bn in remittances that Mexican migrants sent back home last year. “There are very clear red lines that must be drawn from the start,” Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told the Televisa network. Asked whether the Mexican delegation would walk away from the negotiating table if the wall and remittances are an issue, Guajardo said: “Absolutely.”

Brazil’s central bank recorded a current account deficit of $23.507bn in 2016, shrinking from the previous year and covered entirely by the $78.9bn in foreign direct investment that flowed into the country, central bank data showed yesterday. In December, the country’s current account gap widened from the previous month to $5.881bn. That compared to a median forecast of a $4.5bn deficit in a Reuters poll of analysts. In 2015, Latin America’s largest economy had an external deficit of $58.8bn and foreign investment inflows of $74.4bn. The central bank expects the country’s current account deficit to widen to $28bn in 2017.

Remittances to El Salvador jumped by 7.2% in 2016 compared to the same period a year earlier, reaching the highest level in the country’s history and marking the biggest increase in a decade, El Salvador’s central bank reported. Remittances, which mostly come from the US and underpin the impoverished Central American country’s economy, totalled $4.58bn in 2016. “The accumulated (amount) between January and December 2016 constitutes the highest amount in the history of remittances received in El Salvador and the highest growth rate in the last 10 years,” the bank said in a statement.

Chile ‘eyes new deals’ withPacific trade pact members

Mexico says ready to quit talks with US if necessary

Brazil’s current accountdeficit fell in 2016: data

Remittances to El Salvadorsurge to record high

PLANSDISASTERWARNING ECONOMY ANNOUNCEMENT

“When it was banned we felt a sense of triumph over the elites, not just for animal rights activists but for a whole society that doesn’t want more violence”

Venezuelan opposition leader and governor of Miranda state Henrique Capriles talks to the media during a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government on a main highway in Caracas, Venezuela, yesterday.

Anti-Maduro protest

PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN23Gulf Times

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Second batch of Afghan refugees arrives in Kabul

Deported after years of liv-ing in Germany, 26 young Afghans arrived in Kabul

yesterday with only one thought in mind: fl eeing this war-torn country.

Escorted by 80 German po-lice offi cers, their plane landed shortly after 7.30am — the sec-ond batch deported under a dis-puted Afghan-EU deal signed last October and aimed at curb-ing the infl ux of migrants.

“What would you have me do here? There is only death!” said 19-year-old Ramid Afshah, re-turning from Germany after fi ve years — a country it had taken him six months to reach.

Airport police spokesman Mohamed Adjmal Fawzi said at least one of the 26 was “suff er-ing” and showing signs of psy-chological distress, adding: “He could be brought back to Ger-many.”

Several of the migrants said they had been arrested on Mon-day at dawn and sent to Kabul with just a small piece of luggage or a backpack containing their belongings.

“The police came to pick us up yesterday morning at 4am and we were treated like animals,” said Arash Alkozai, 21.

Alkozai, who had come to Germany when he was 16, was living in Munich with his family before taking a room in the city.

After leaving school he had studied auto repair, all the while learning to speak his adopted tongue “perfectly”.

“I cannot say anything nega-tive about this country that helped me. I respect its decision but now I’m living a nightmare. I’ve left behind my three-month

pregnant girlfriend, I won’t fi nd work here and there’s no secu-rity,” he said.

Afghanistan has been battling an insurgency since a US-led coalition toppled the hardline Taliban in late 2001.

The confl ict caused some 9,000 deaths or injuries among civilians in the fi rst nine months of 2016, according to the United Nations, which is to publish its annual report by the end of the month.

In 2015 the number of civilians killed or wounded was more than 11,000, the highest recorded since 2009, with children paying a particularly heavy price, ac-

cording to UN fi gures.Some 250 people staged a pro-

test against the deportations at Frankfurt airport on Monday night, Sarmina Stuman of the Afghan Refugees Movement told AFP.

“Afghanistan is simply at war, which is why we are protesting against expulsions to a country like Afghanistan,” she said.

In December German inte-rior minister Thomas de Maiz-ière justified the expulsion of Afghans in order to preserve the “right” of asylum in the country, the only one in Europe to open its doors wide to refu-gees.

De Maiziere argued that Tali-ban attacks largely targeted “representatives of the interna-tional community” in Afghani-stan and not the civilian popula-tion.

A fi rst fl ight carrying 34 men arrived in Kabul in December, a third of whom had been con-victed of crimes ranging from theft to homicide, according to the German authorities.

That did not appear to be the case yesterday, when the pas-sengers were able to leave the airport freely.

They will be sheltered by the government for at least two weeks.

After that they face an uncer-tain future, with Afghanistan already so overwhelmed by peo-ple fl eeing fi ghting that offi cials have warned of a humanitarian crisis.

Standing just outside the airport, appearing lost in the fog and melted slush, a man called Milad said he had spent 11 years in Germany and want-ed a “cigaratte and a drink” before he set off in search of an uncle.

Told his second wish could not be fulfi lled in the conserva-tive Islamic republic, he said: “I don’t actually know this coun-try.”

AFPKabul

Afghan refugees who have been deported from Germany arrive with their belongings at the international airport in Kabul yesterday.

“The police came to pick us up yesterday morning at 4am and we were treated like animals”

Pakistan testfi res N-capableballistic missile

Pakistan yesterday con-ducted a test launch of a surface-to-surface bal-

listic missile capable of carry-ing nuclear and conventional warheads up to 2,200km, the military said.

The missile, named Aba-beel, was tested within days of Pakistan launching its fi rst submarine-based nuclear-capable missile.

Having the sumbarime mis-sile gives the South Asian na-tion more room to hit back in case of a nuclear strike, known as second-strike capability.

Pakistan’s military said the new missile was aimed at “validating various designs and technical parameters of the technical system.”

Pakistan and its rival, India, conducted nuclear tests days apart from each other in May 1998.

Both South Asian neigh-bours have since been devel-oping the fastest-growing stockpiles of nuclear warheads in the world, as well as com-peting missile-based delivery system.

The latest launch comes amid tensions between the two countries after an attack in September last year by mili-tants in the disputed valley of Kashmir, which left 19 Indian soldiers dead.

DPAIslamabad

An Ababeel ballistic missile launches from an undisclosed location in Pakistan.

Pakistan PM inaugurates Metro bus project

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday inaugurated a metro bus service in Punjab province’s Multan city, off icials said.Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Governor Rafique Rajwana, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and other high-ranking off icials

were present at the event, Dawn news reported.The Premier later took a ceremonial ride on one of the buses to formally begin the service, which will initially operate 35 buses. The project had been completed at a cost of over 28bn Pakistani rupees ($267mn).

An Afghan man caries gas cylinder on his shoulder on the snowy day on the outskirts of Kabul yesterday.

Winter woes

Govt to curtail powersof federal ombudsman

The government of Paki-stan has decided to curtail the powers of the Federal

Ombudsman after the state-run offi ce pointed out massive irreg-ularities and corruption in fed-eral and provincial departments.

The government has in this regard prepared a bill to make amendments to the Establish-ment of the Offi ce of Wafaqi Mo-htasib Order 1983 and the Fed-eral Ombudsmen Institutional Reforms Act 2013.

Under the bill Federal Om-budsmen Institutions (Amend-ment) Act 2017 which will soon be tabled in the National Assem-bly, the Federal Ombudsman will not able to interfere in the aff airs of provincial governments and regional offi ces.

At meeting was held in the law ministry yesterday to discuss the proposed bill and fi nalise a plan for tabling it in parliament.

Under the bill, the Federal Ombudsman cannot appoint provincial ombudsmen or set up regional offi ces and the Federal Tax Ombudsman cannot serve as acting Federal Ombudsman in the latter’s absence.

The new bill will remove the following clauses of the previous Acts: “The Mohtasib holding of-fi ce, on commencement of this clause, shall continue to per-form his functions and exercise his powers in all matters under this Order in respect of such dis-tricts till such time a Mohtasib is appointed on fi rst occasion for these districts under clause.

“Provided that till such time the acting Ombudsman is ap-pointed, the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) shall act as Om-budsman of the concerned offi ce and in case the Wafaqi Mohtasib is absent or unable to perform function of his offi ce, the Fed-

eral Tax Ombudsman shall act as Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman), in addition to this own duties. The Mohtasib may set up re-gional offi ce as, when and where required.

“Authorities of provincial functionaries, etc, the Mo-htasib may, if the considers it expedient, authorise, with the consent of a provincial gov-ernment any agency, public servant or other functionary working under the adminis-trator control of the provin-cial government to undertake the functions of the Mohtasib under clause (1) or clause (2) of Article 14 in respect of any matter falling within the juris-diction of the Mohtasib; and it shall be the duty of the agency, public servant or other func-tionary so authorised to un-dertake such functions to such extent and subject to such con-ditions as the Mohtasib may specify.”

Salman Faruqi, the incum-bent Federal Ombudsman, has reportedly taken some drastic measures to provide for a virtual alternative judicial system in the country through his offi ce by checking bottlenecks and irreg-ularities in federal ministries like interior and foreign aff airs and some provincial departments as well as police.

His two reports on police and jail reforms were appreciated by the Supreme Court which had ordered the provincial govern-ments to implement in their provinces recommendations made in the reports.

According to the Federal Om-budsman, his offi ce had last year addressed a record number of 94,000 complaints against an average of 16,000 complaints attended in previous years.

It addressed more than 320,000 complaints over the past three years.

The Federal Ombudsman

has introduced a parallel judi-cial system in all ministries and government offi ces to address grievances and complaints about maladministration and injustice in these departments.

Under this system, all minis-tries and federal government of-fi ces have designated

‘grievance offi cers’, not below the rank of BS-19, to register and hear complaints against these departments on behalf of the Federal Ombudsman.

Through a notifi cation ef-fective from Oct 1 last year, the grievance offi cers were empow-ered under Section 33 of the Fed-eral Ombudsman Act to hear and decide cases amicably.

The Federal Ombudsman also introduced “informative stands and boards” placed at the recep-tions of all ministries and de-partments for public awareness.

List of all focal persons/griev-ance offi cers of ministries and departments are available at the website of the Federal Ombuds-man.

In January this year, the Federal Ombudsman sought the Presidency’s assistance in broadening its network to the level of district and union coun-cils to closely monitor and check maladministration in govern-ment departments and address people’s grievances.

However, the proposal could not be materialised because, it is believed, it was quite a dif-fi cult decision for the president belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz to give a go-ahead to the idea due to some political compulsions.

“If offi ces of Federal Ombuds-man are established at the union councils’ level, irregularities of government departments will be exposed and ultimately the government will be blamed for these,” said a senior offi cial at the Presidency, who did not want to be named.

InternewsIslamabad

Afghanistan orders arrest of vice-president’s guards

Afghanistan’s attorney general has ordered the arrest of nine body-

guards of Vice-President Ab-dul Rashid Dostum for sexually abusing and torturing a rival, an offi cial said yesterday.

Dostum, a former warlord who has a catalogue of war crimes to his name, has been accused of abducting Ahmad Ishchi in November last year during a traditional game of Buzkashi, or polo using an ani-mal carcass, in the northern province of Jowzjan.

Dostum allegedly kept Ish-chi hostage in his private com-pound for five days, where he was said to have been tortured

and sodomised.The country’s attorney gen-

eral launched an investigation into the allegations after local media said Ishchi underwent a medical examination at the US air base at Bagram north of Ka-bul to confi rm the abuse.

“The investigating team has issued an arrest warrant against nine of Mr Dostum’s body-guards who were involved in the case,” Jamshid Rasuli, the spokesman for the attorney general’s offi ce, told AFP.

“The team has also asked Mr Dostum to either respond to the queries himself or through his legal channels.

But he has not responded yet,” he said.

Dostum was not immediately available for comment but has previously denied the allega-

tions, proposing to resolve the matter by the traditional medi-ation of tribal elders rather than through conventional courts.

The controversy has once again drawn attention to how Afghan warlords and strong-men operate with impunity, hobbling Western-backed ef-forts to restore peace and re-build the nation after decades of confl ict.

Observers have been scepti-cal the government will sack or bring charges against Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse.

Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Govern-ment in 2014 in an attempt by President Ashraf Ghani to at-tract the support of his mostly ethnic Uzbek constituency.

AFPKabul

Taliban tell Trump to leave Afghanistan

The Taliban have called on President Donald Trump to withdraw US forces

from the “quagmire” of Afghan-istan, saying that nothing has been achieved in 15 years of war except bloodshed and destruc-tion.

In an open letter to the new US President published on one of its offi cial web pages, the insurgent movement said the United States had lost credibility after spend-ing a tn dollars on a fruitless en-tanglement.

“So, the responsibility to bring to an end this war also rests on your shoulders,” it said.

The Taliban, however, warned Trump against relying on the kind of “unrealistic” reports presented to former presidents by their generals, saying: “They would emphasise continuation of war and occupation of Af-ghanistan because they can have better positions and privileges in war.”

The United States would not accept foreign forces on its territory or even in a neigh-bouring country, said the Taliban.It accused Washington of imposing a “surrogate ad-ministration” on Afghanistan in the face of popular Muslim resistance.

“You have to realise that the Afghan Muslim nation has risen up against foreign occupation,” it said.

The Taliban have made steady inroads against the Western-backed government in Kabul since coalition forces ended their main combat mission in 2014, with government forces now in control of only two thirds of the country.

ReutersKabul

PHILIPPINES

Gulf TimesWednesday, January 25, 201724

Duterte blames CIA for botched terror raidAFPManila

Philippine President Ro-drigo Duterte said yes-terday the US Central

Intelligence Agency secretly orchestrated a botched raid tar-geting an alleged terrorist that left 44 Filipino policemen dead two years ago.

Police commandos killed Zulkifl i Abdhir, who was on the US government’s list of “Most Wanted Terrorists”, in the raid in remote farmland in the south-ern Philippines, where various separatist rebel groups and more hardline militants are based.

However gunmen ambushed the attacking police commandos and killed 44 of them in a day-long battle, with a Philippine Senate investigation blaming poor planning and co-ordina-tion for the deaths.

The raid was carried out dur-ing the term of Duterte’s pred-ecessor Benigno Aquino.

It derailed Aquino’s ef-forts to forge a peace pact with the nation’s main sepa-

ratist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), to end a decades-long rebellion.

“It was an American adven-ture with the co-operation of some, and apparently with your

blessing,” Duterte said, referring to Aquino.

“Why was it kept under wraps? It was actually an opera-tion of the CIA.”

Duterte made the allegations in a speech to widows and other relatives of the 44 policemen killed in the raid, after receiv-ing them at the Malacanang presidential palace. Duterte has during his seven months in of-fi ce sought to loosen the Phil-ippines’ longtime alliance with the United States while forging closer ties with China and Rus-sia.

The controversial politician has branded former US president Barack Obama a “son of a *****,” and made unsubstantiated accu-sations that the CIA is plotting to assassinate him.

Aquino had justifi ed the po-lice raid, saying that Zulkifl i had been training militants in the southern Philippines in how to make bombs.

The United States had said Zulkifl i was a top militant in the Southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiyah.

A Philippine Senate report

into the raid concluded the United States played a “sub-stantial” role by providing training, equipment and intel-ligence to the Filipino forces. However it did not refer to the CIA.

Responding to the Senate re-port in 2015, a US government offi cial said at the time: “This operation was planned and ex-ecuted by Philippine authorities. We refer you to them for details of the operation.”

Spokesmen for the US embas-sy in Manila and Aquino did not immediately reply to requests for reaction to Duterte’s latest com-ments.

Duterte also alleged yesterday Aquino held back reinforce-ments and let the commandos die because the government did not want to risk a fresh war with the MILF, which had signed a peace agreement 10 months ear-lier.

“It is not enough to tell the people it was your fault. You (Aquino) must tell me what you did. You fed the soldiers to the lion’s den to be eaten by death,” Duterte said.

Environmental activists display placards and streamers as they protest the continuing construction of military bases across various reefs in the Spratlys Islands in West Philippines Sea during a rally in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati city, Metro Manila yesterday.

Protest against Chinese construction on SpratlysPolice extort South Korean golfers: superiorAFPManila

Philippine policemen robbed and extorted money from three South

Korean golfers as part of a sus-pected larger racket targeting tourists from the neighbour-ing nation, a senior offi cer said yesterday.

The announcement fuelled fears of police abuse under the cover of President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on crime, after authorities announced last week policemen murdered a South Korean businessman then extorted money from his wife.

“They came to the Philip-pines just to play golf but they went through a traumatic ex-perience,” said Chief Super-intendent Aaron Aquino, the regional police head.

He said the three South Koreans were staying in an upscale gated community in Angeles City, about two hours’ drive north of Manila, when policemen barged into their house under the pretext of carrying out an illegal gam-bling raid on December 30.

They robbed the Koreans of their computers, jewel-lery, golf clubs, golf shoes and 10,000 pesos ($200), accord-ing to Aquino.

He said the three South Ko-reans were then held at a police station for about eight hours until a friend paid 300,000 pesos for their freedom.

The three reported the in-cident to the South Korean embassy, which informed the national police, Aquino said.

This led to an investiga-tion that found seven police-men were involved, accord-ing to Aquino, who said they

all faced the sack. However he said the offending offic-ers would not face criminal charges because that would require the South Koreans, who had fled, to return to the Philippines.

“They don’t want to come back. They are terrified,” he said.

The incident took place in the same gated subdivision where policemen abducted a South Korean businessman in October, Aquino said.

The businessman, abduct-ed in a fake anti-drug opera-tion, was strangled inside the national police headquarters in Manila but his wife, think-ing he was alive, later paid about $100,000 in ransom, authorities said last week.

Aquino said the two inci-dents were not related but he suspected rogue policemen had targeted many South Ko-reans in the Angeles area.

“I suspect there are many (such incidents) but most of the crimes committed against the South Koreans are not being reported. They are all afraid,” he said.

The murder of the business-men has shocked and angered the South Korean government, with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se demanding those behind the crime be brought to justice.

The police have come under intense scrutiny as the front-line troops in Duterte’s ef-forts to eradicate illegal drugs in society, with human rights groups accusing them of mass extrajudicial killings.

Duterte has vowed to shield police from any murder charg-es, and told them he accepts them getting “sideline” mon-ey as long as it is not from drug activities.

Govt apologises for murder of businessman

The Philippine government yesterday apologised to the South Korean government and people for the killing of a South Korean businessman seized by police off icers on bogus illegal drugs charges. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella also expressed condo-lences to the wife of the man who was strangled allegedly by police off icers on the same day he was taken from his house north of Manila in October.“We apologise to the South Korean government and people for this irreparable loss,” Abella said.”We commit the full force of the law to ensure that justice is served and not delayed.”“To the Korean people, please accept our sincerest and deepest regrets,” he added. The suspects in the case, all members of a po-lice anti-narcotics task force, allegedly seized the victim in Octo-ber on a fake arrest warrant and extorted 5mn pesos ($100,000) in ransom from his wife. The victim was strangled to death inside a vehicle in the national police headquarters in Manila on the day he was seized, according to one of the off icers arrested in the case. The man’s body was then cremated in a funeral parlour, whose owners and employees are also being investigated.Legislators and human rights groups warned that the South Korean’s killing highlights abuses under the government’s ag-gressive anti-drug campaign. Since Duterte came to power in late June, 2,256 suspects had died in police operations against drug users and pushers by mid-January,

President Rodrigo Duterte gestures while addressing families of the 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) members who were killed in a 2015 police operation, during a dialogue at the presidential palace in Manila yesterday.

Miss Universe candidates listen to a briefing from an instructor during a rehearsal for the upcoming beauty pageant on January 30 in Manila yesterday.

Getting ready for big daySenate ethics panel to probe De LimaBy Jeff erson AntipordaManila Times

The Senate ethics commit-tee will proceed with the investigation of Sen. Leila

De Lima after it found the eth-ics complaint fi led by the House of Representatives and the sup-plemental complaint fi led by a lawyer suffi cient in form and substance.

The committee, however, dis-missed the two other complaints fi led by Abelardo de Jesus and Ronillo Pulmano for lack of ju-risdiction.

During the committee hear-ing presided by Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto on Mon-day, senators agreed to limit the chamber’s probe on the com-plaint fi led by the House of Rep-resentatives against De Lima to violation of Article 150 of the Re-vised Penal Code (RPC) and the second supplemental complaint of De Jesus which also tackles the same issue.

Rep. Reynaldo Umali, head of the House Committee on Jus-tice, and Speaker Pantaleon Al-varez and Majority Leader Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” Farinas fi led

the ethics complaint against De Lima in December in connec-tion with the latter’s repeated refusal to attend the probe on the alleged proliferation of ille-gal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).

The lawmakers alleged that De Lima violated the law when she advised her former bodyguard and lover Ronnie Dayan to hide and not face the House inquiry.

Sotto said the committee will consolidate the complaints against De Lima.

The committee will give De Lima 15 days to submit her re-sponse.

Nod to attach Marcos properties

By Jomar CanlasManila Times

The Supreme Court (SC) has granted a petition as-sailing the Sandiganbay-

an’s cancellation of a notice of lis pendens issued over property alleged to be ill-gotten by former president Ferdinand Marcos and his associates.

Lis pendens is a written no-tice of a pending suit involving property usually fi led before the appropriate offi ce.

In a ruling, the SC’s Second Division held that the anti-graft court “should have issued an or-der of preliminary attachment considering that the requisites of the law – including that of Executive Order No 14 – have been substantially met and that there is factual basis for the is-suance of the preliminary at-tachment.”

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Maria Imelda Marcos and Irene Marcos Araneta are the supposed regis-tered owners of a land in Cabuyao, Laguna and covered by a Transfer Certifi cate of Title (TCT).

Leila De Lima: under scrutiny

SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL25

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Bangladeshi man seeks mercy killing of sons and grandsonDesperate to end their

suff ering, an impover-ished Bangladeshi father

has begged permission to kill three terminally ill members of his family, sparking a rare debate about euthanasia in a deeply conservative society.

“I have taken care of them for years. I took them to hospitals in Bangladesh and India, I sold my shop to pay for their treatment but now I’m broke,” said To-fazzal Hossain as he describes his years-long struggle to cope with the costs of looking after his two sons and grandson.

“The government should de-cide what it wants to do with them. They are suff ering and have no hope of recovery. I can’t bear it any longer.”

Hossain, a fruit vendor from the rural west of the country, wrote to his local district ad-ministration pleading for them to either help care for his loved ones – who suff er from an in-curable form of muscular dys-trophy – or “allow them to be put to death with medicine”, he said.

One of Asia’s poorest coun-tries, Bangladesh lacks any kind of free healthcare and medical treatment is often beyond the reach of the tens of millions of inhabitants who

live below the poverty line.An estimated 600,000 Bang-

ladeshis suff er from incurable diseases, yet the country has just one palliative care centre and no hospice services.

This leaves few treatment options for Hossain’s sons, aged 24 and 13, and eight-year-old grandson, who are affl icted with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

This rare genetic disorder is characterised by progres-sive muscle degeneration and patients rarely live beyond 30 years of age.

Hossain said his sons were aware of their condition but could do little for themselves, unable to move and confi ned to their beds. The grandson can still go to the washroom, but his condition is worsening.

“I told them about the letter. I told them (about seeking per-mission for their deaths). They did not take it seriously. Per-haps they did not understand the severity of the situation,” he said.

His eldest son, 24-year-old Mohammad Abdus Sabur, said he spent his days watching tel-evision and talking with their father.

“I tell father not to worry too much,” he said.

An AFP correspondent’s at-tempt to ask the son about his fa-ther’s desperate appeal was met with stern rebuke from Hossain, who said it would hurt them.

Mahbubul Alam, a doctor who has treated the Hossain family, said there was no cure for their condition and they lived in extreme pain.

“It’s a humanitarian case. Everyone should come forward (and help).”

A government offi cial who visited the family after Hos-sain’s appeal grabbed nation-al headlines said the request was “the plea of a helpless father”.

“He asked for their medi-cal assistance, or permission to kill them. But who will give the permission to kill?” he said.

Authorities were trying to fi nd ways to help Hossain bear the cost of their care, the offi cial added.

Their plight has sparked a rarely-seen debate about eu-thanasia in Bangladesh, where even attempted suicide can land one in prison.

So-called “mercy killing” is forbidden both under the secular law of the land, and by religious code adhered to by the Muslim-majority population.

“Euthanasia is completely il-legal in Islam. It is the govern-ment’s duty to take responsi-bility for every citizen,” Islamic cleric and scholar Fariduddin Masoud said.

The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshis not only dis-approve of mercy killings but would oppose the mere discus-

AFPDhaka

Tofazzal Hossain, right, who has sparked a debate over assisted suicide, is seen with his two sons and grandson (second left) in Meherpur.

sion of it, said Nur Khan Liton, head of local rights group Ain O Salish Kendra.

“They consider it an act of murder. It’s the duty of the gov-ernment and society to look af-ter these victims,” he said.

But sympathy for Hossain’s family has run deep on social media, where many have off ered

thoughts and prayers amid calls for the government to improve its paltry health services.

Nezamuddin Ahmed, the head of Bangladesh’s sole palliative care centre in the capital Dhaka, said it was time for an “honest discussion” about the issue and improving care for those suff er-ing from incurable diseases.

“I think this will lead to healthy debate about assisted death,” he said.

“But before launching into this, the government should strengthen palliative care services here. There has to be something we can all do to ease the suff ering of these helpless people.”

Chickens culled after bird fl u outbreak

Bangladesh authorities have culled 2,268 chickens fol-lowing a fresh outbreak of

bird fl u at a commercial farm last week in Dhamrai on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, an offi cial said yesterday.

“We’ve detected avian infl u-enza, known as H5N1, in a com-mercial farm last week,” Habibur Rahman, a bird fl u control offi cial in the government, told Xinhua news agency.

“Some 2,268 chickens were culled on January 16 after detect-ing avian infl uenza in the com-mercial farm,” he said.

Apart from this, he said eight to nine crows were found dead in Rajshahi district, 256km north-west of capital Dhaka, earlier this month.

The wild crows were later test-ed positive for highly contagious H5N1 bird fl u virus, he said.

Rahman said his department is yet to confi rm the sources of fresh attacks of the disease, “but it may be due to germs of bird fl u remained as we faced huge outbreak in the past years”.

Special steps have already been taken to further moti-vate farmers to adopt preven-tive measures since the disease found to reemerge after no-out-break during winter last year, he added.

IANSDhaka

Lankan rupee ends slightly weaker on dollar demand

The Sri Lankan rupee ended slightly weaker yesterday as importer

dollar demand outpaced mild greenback sales by exporters, while the market expects the downward pressure to con-tinue until some steady for-eign infl ows come in, dealers said.

Rupee forwards were active, with two-week forwards ended at 150.95/151.05 per dollar after it traded at 151.10/20 in early trade, compared with Monday’s close of 150.90/151.10.

However, the dollar stead-ied yesterday, recovering from a dip on fears that US President Donald Trump’s focus on protectionism over fi scal stimulus suggested his administration might be content to gain a competitive advantage through a weaker currency.

The spot rupee was quoted around the central bank’s ref-erence level of 150.15, dealers said.

“This downward pressure will persist until we see steady infl ows,” a currency dealer said, asking not to be named.

Dealers also said exports could be hurt as severe drought condi-tions hit production of tea and other commodities.

The rupee has been un-der pressure due to rising imports, net selling of gov-ernment securities by for-eign investors and a central bank decision to adjust the spot rupee reference rate to a record low of 150.15 rupees to the dollar.

Sri Lanka’s central bank sold $458mn worth of development bonds on Thursday and inves-tors say they expect the move will take ease the pressure on the rupee.

Foreign investors have net sold 19.8bn rupees ($132mn) worth govern-ment securities in the two weeks ended January 18, according to the latest central bank data.

ReutersColombo

Doubt over Everest’s exact height spurs fresh expedition

Anyone who aspires to climb Mount Everest might already be one

inch closer to their goal. Indian scientists have an-

nounced they will send an ex-pedition to the peak of Mount Everest to confi rm theories that Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake shrank the world’s largest mountain.

The 7.8-magnitude earth-quake killed thousands of people and reshaped the landscape across the Himalayan nation.

Satellite readings have suggested the impact of the earthquake reduced Everest’s height – offi cially recorded by India and Nepal as 8,848m (29,029ft) – by somewhere between a few millimetres and an inch.

But ongoing doubts within the scientifi c community have prompted India’s surveying agency to fi nd out for sure, said India’s surveyor general, Swarna Subba Rao.

Rao said he would be send-ing a team to the peak of the mountain including three or four agency offi cers “who are physically fi t, able-bodied and qualifi ed to go”. “The rest will be professional mountaineers,” he said.

They will spend about two hours at the summit, enough time to take GPS readings of the distance between their co-ordinates and satellites orbit-ing above. The data – accurate to within a centimetre – will take around two weeks to be processed.

To cross-check, a team will also be deployed to measure the mountain the old-fashioned way: by triangulation, the same method used by the Welsh sur-veyor Sir George Everest, an earlier boss of India’s surveying agency, to determine the peak’s height in the 1850s.

It involves standing at a horizontal surface at a known distance from the mountain, and using a high-powered, tel-escopic protractor to determine the angle between that point and the peak. In other words, trigonometry.

The fi rst attempts to deter-mine the height of Mount Ever-est by this method recorded it accurately to within 30ft. The precise height has since been the subject of some contro-versy, including over whether the fi gure should include the mountain’s snow cap or just the rock underneath.

Rao said the expedition would involve the usual level of danger but that he had been inundated with volunteers among his staff . “The risk is compensated by the recogni-tion,” he said. “They will be recognised as having summited the mountain.”

He said the expedition, which will cost about $700,000 and be conducted jointly with the Nepal government, would happen when conditions and staff were ready.

“We’re preparing our people, acclimatising them, training them in mountaineering,” he said.

The new, updated height would be used to assist in sci-entifi c studies and to determine the position of the underlying plates, he added.

Guardian News ServiceNew Delhi

The precise height of Everest has been the subject of some controversy.

Court rejects bail plea of cricketer

A court refused to grant bail to Bangladeshi cricketer Arafat Sunny yesterday

after he was charged with post-ing “intimate” photos of his girlfriend on social media.

Metropolitan magistrate Za-kir Hossain said another court which deals with Internet-re-lated crime would instead hear the bail application, meaning the 31-year-old spinner would remain behind bars on remand at a Dhaka prison.

“The court directed us to move to the cyber court to seek

bail. It also asked the jail au-thorities to look after the health of Sunny as he was sick,” Sunny’s lawyer M Muradduzaman said.

Police arrested the left-arm bowler in a Dhaka suburb on Sunday after his longtime girl-friend Nasrin Sultana, 23, fi led a complaint two weeks ago.

In her complaint Sultana said Sunny opened up a fake Facebook account in her name and posted “intimate photos” which she found “off ensive and defamatory”.

She also claimed that they had been married since 2014 and fi led a separate lawsuit against Sunny on Monday, ac-cusing the player of seeking

dowry worth millions from her family.

Sunny has denied all the ac-cusations, including the claim that the couple had been se-cretly married for more than two years.

If found guilty Sunny could be jailed for up to 14 years and fi ned 10mn taka ($125,000) under the country’s strict Internet law, which local right groups say is be-ing used to crack down on dissent.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan has said that Sunny, who has played 16 One-Day Internationals and 10 Twenty20 internationals, could be banned from the sport if found guilty.

AFPDhaka

Jute bags mandatory for packaging 11 more commoditiesThe Bangladeshi government has made jute bags mandatory for packaging of 11 more products to boost domestic use of the golden fibre, in wake of the imposition of anti-dumping duty on jute goods imported from Bangladesh by the Indian government.An off icial order issued yesterday made the use of jute bags for onion, ginger, garlic, pulses, potato, flour, chilli, turmeric, coriander seeds and husks of rice and wheat mandatory, Xinhua news agency reported.The use of jute bag is now compulsory in the preservation and transporting of 20kg or more of 17 commodities.The Bangladesh government in a similar order had earlier made use of jute bags mandatory for six products – paddy, rice, wheat, corn, fertiliser and sugar.India on January 5 imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from $6.30 to $351.72 per tonne on imports of jute and jute products from Bangladesh and Nepal to protect the domestic industry.

2 Bangladeshis held in Malaysia for suspected links with IS

Two Bangladesh nation-als were arrested in Malaysia for suspected

links to the Islamic State (IS) militant group, media report-ed yesterday.

Malaysian Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division held four persons, including the two Bangladesh citizens, in separate raids between January 13 and 19 in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah, the Daily Star reported.

The suspects included a 31-year-old Filipino and a 27-year-old Malaysian woman.

The Bangladesh men, aged 27 and 28, worked as sales-men, and were arrested last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. They were suspected of hav-ing ties with suspected IS mil-itants in Bangladesh and plan-ning to join a terror cell led by Mahmud Ahmad, according to the report.

Mahmud Ahmad was a former lecturer at University

Malaya who had joined IS mil-itants based in the southern Philippines.

Malaysian police said the arrests meant that police had eff ectively destroyed a new IS cell which had planned to turn Sabah into a transit station for Southeast Asia and South Asia terrorists to join a Philippines-based IS group led by Mahmud and Isnilon Hapilon.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the cell, led by Mahmud, had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group headed by Isnilon, which had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi,” police said in a statement.

Malaysia is a major desti-nation for Bangladeshi job-seekers. Around four lakh Bangladeshi nationals are now working in the country.

IANSDhaka

“Preliminary probe revealed that the cell had combined with an Abu Sayyaf group, which had pledged allegiance to Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi”

The chief executive of Time Warner getting paid $34mn, 629 times as much as the median worker at the company in 2014; 16 billionaires coexisting with 358mn people living in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa … are we living in a world that perpetuates growing inequality at an unprecedented level?

There are some hard-to-digest facts and fi gures, especially if brought into the debate in isolation.

As of 2014, nearly half of the world’s population – more than 3bn – lived on less than $2.50 a day, while more than 1.3bn endured extreme poverty (less than $1.25 a day). More than 2.1bn children are now living in poverty, with 22,000 of them dying each day for lack of food, according to the Unicef. On the other hand, an estimated one-third of global food production goes to waste – around 1.3bn tonnes every year – says the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Runaway inequality created a world where 62 people own as much as the poorest half of the world’s population in 2016, according to international aid charity Oxfam. This number fell from 388 in 2010 and 80 in 2015. And the wealth of the richest 62 has increased by more than half a trillion dollars to $1.76tn and just nine of the ‘62’ are women, says Oxfam.

From 1979 to 2011, infl ation-adjusted after-tax income for the top 1% of households in the US jumped 200%; and the top 1% of earners took home 95% of the gains in the fi rst three years of the recovery from the

2008 recession. China’s income gap has grown wider than America’s even as hundreds of millions of people were lifted out of poverty.

With anti-establishment forces

manifesting themselves in populist surges in such previously unthinkable outcomes as US election and Brexit, International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde has called for greater wealth distribution to respond to populist advances across the world at the Davos recent gathering. Income disparity and the resultant social unrest are the issues most likely to have a big impact on the world economy in the next decade, according to an earlier WEF assessment.

Middle East policymakers need to look no farther than the Arab Spring countries to know what that would mean for the region. When people are starving, societies tend to unravel, no matter whether they are ruled by an elected government, or an autocrat.

Post-Arab Spring, Gulf countries, which already provide generous welfare assistance to the citizens, have lunched massive spending programmes to ensure development reaches the poorer sections of the society.

Sure, a mathematically perfect equality in any society by any measure is too utopian a dream to turn into reality. But reducing inequality is not just the prerogative of institutions like the World Bank, or economists, or the policymakers to brood over. It is also a shared commitment and goal for every responsible member of the society.

Global inequality, for sure, isn’t a zero-sum game, but more unequal societies suff er from higher unemployment, social instability and reduced investment.

P.O.Box 2888Doha, Qatar

editor@gulf-times.comTelephone 44350478 (news),

44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) Fax 44350474

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 2017

COMMENT26

GULF TIMES

To Advertiseadvr@gulf-times.com

DisplayTelephone 44466621 Fax 44418811

ClassifiedTelephone 44466609 Fax 44418811

Subscriptioncirculation@gulf-times.com

2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved

When people are starving, societies tend to unravel

Brexit plans unlikely to be slowed by Article 50 defeat

Rich-poor inequality threatens societiesInternewsIslamabad

Consider the following fact: Since 2015, the richest 1% has owned more wealth than the rest of the planet.

A recent report “An economy for the 99%” by Oxfam has put the gap between the rich and the poor to be far greater than what was feared before.

It has claimed that just 8 men own the same wealth as 3.6bn who make up the poorest half of the world.

The report details how big businesses and the super-rich are fuelling inequality by evading taxes, driving down wages and using their power to infl uence politics.

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, has said that “it is obscene for so much wealth to be held in the hands of so few when 1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day. Inequality is trapping hundreds of millions in poverty; it is fracturing our societies and undermining democracy.”

The report has laid emphasis on inequality as a major issue that is affl icting the world and has put forward some startling facts to prove how stark it is.

Incomes of the poorest 10% of people increased by less than $3 a year between 1998 and 2011, while the incomes of the richest 1% increased 182 times.

Growing inequality threatens to pull societies apart.

It leads to increase in crime and insecurity and undermines the fi ght to end poverty.

Multilateral organisations such as the World Bank have kept the twin goals of fi ghting poverty and working towards shared prosperity as their foremost agendas.

Former US president Obama in his departing speech to the UN General Assembly also emphasised on global inequality as a crucial agenda when he stated that “a world in which 1% of humanity controls as much as 99% will never be stable”.

Interestingly, the report also claims that inequality is fuelled by the fact that big businesses and the super-rich use their connections to make sure that government policy works for them.

They use a network of tax havens to avoid paying their fair share of tax.

Contrary to popular belief, most super-rich are not ‘self-made’.

Analysis from Oxfam has shown that over half of the world’s billionaires either inherited their wealth or accumulated it through industries that are prone to corruption and cronyism.

The report has also interviewed ordinary people in some of the poorest countries and provides a good indicator of how inequality aff ects people.

Seven out of ten people live in a country that has seen a rise in inequality in the last 30 years.

Women are hugely disadvantaged amongst this group as they work in poorly paid sectors and take a disproportionate amount of unpaid care work.

The report indicates that based on current trends, it will take women a whopping 170 years to be paid the same as men.

Stark inequality has also resulted in public anger and has been manifested in recent global events such as the election of Donald Trump in the US, Brexit in the UK and the election of President Duterte in the Philippines.

The report has made some suggestions for achieving a more ‘human’ economy.

This includes eff orts by governments to increase taxes on high incomes and wealth to ensure a more level playing fi eld and to generate funds for investment in health, education and job creation.

Governments must ensure that economies work for women.

They must make eff orts to remove obstacles to women’s access to education and ensure a level playing fi eld.

A concerted eff ort by governments and the private sector is needed to fi ght inequality across the world.

ReutersLondon

Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans to start the process of Britain leaving the European Union by the end of March are

unlikely to be hindered or slowed by yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling the government must seek parliamentary approval.

In the ruling, judges on Britain’s top judicial body upheld an earlier High Court decision that lawmakers had to give their assent before May can invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which formally starts two-years of divorce talks.

However, the legal defeat, while an inconvenience and embarrassment for the government, is not expected to delay its Brexit timetable or, as some investors and pro-EU supporters hope, make it possible to stop Britain leaving the bloc.

Part of this is because the opposition is divided.

“We will not block Article 50,” Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party which campaigned against Brexit, said last week.” All Labour MPs (members of parliament) will be asked to vote in that direction next week, or whenever the vote comes up.”

Not all Corbyn’s colleagues may go along, but May can get the votes she needs for overall passage.

However, what the decision could do is give an opportunity for Labour and other lawmakers who oppose a “hard Brexit” — an agreement with the EU that puts immigration curbs above access to the single market — to

have a greater infl uence on what the fi nal deal should look like.

Senior ministers in May’s Conservative government, which had been expecting to lose the case, have already drawn up a series of options, including a short, tight bill which will quickly be put before parliament’s lower chamber, the House of Commons.

Although before June’s referendum the vast majority of MPs in the Commons backed staying in the EU, most now say they would back Brexit, especially those in England and Wales whose constituents had strongly backed leaving the bloc.

MPs voted overwhelmingly to support the timetable of May’s Conservative government for invoking Article 50 before April in a non-binding vote in December.

Sources from both May’s ruling Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party have told Reuters there was scope for a bill to be accelerated through parliament, without restricting debate, to ensure it could pass before the end of March.

Labour, though, faces a particular problem as many of its traditional working class supporters voted to leave the bloc and have been wooed in recent years by the anti-EU UK Independence Party (Ukip).

Whilst not blocking Brexit, Corbyn, who himself was an EU critic for many years, has said he would fi ght for Britain to have full access to the single market “with reasonable management of migration”.

Labour could try to amend any bill to ensure this, attracting support

from some Conservative MPs, who oppose a “hard Brexit”, and other smaller parties such as the Scottish Nationalists and Liberal Democrats.

The greatest potential threat to May comes from parliament’s unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords, where many peers remained strongly opposed to Brexit and do not have voters to worry about.

If the Lords were to vote against approving the triggering of Article 50, the Brexit timetable could be severely delayed.

However, the government is confi dent the bill will pass through the Lords because there would be a constitutional crisis if unelected peers were to thwart the will of the people expressed both through the referendum and from their representatives in the Commons.

Haves and have-nots:the world needs tobridge the divide

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah

Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko

A grab taken from the televised live feed shows the President of the Supreme Court David Neuberger (centre) as he delivers judgement in case to decide whether or not parliamentary approval is needed before the government can begin Brexit negotiations, inside the Supreme Court in central London yesterday.

Three-day forecast

TODAY

FRIDAY

High: 21 C

Low : 14 C

High: 24 C

Low: 16 C

Weather report

Around the region

Abu DhabiBaghdadDubaiKuwait CityManamaMuscatRiyadhTehran

Weather todayP CloudyM SunnyP CloudyM SunnySunnyS ShowersSunnySunny

Around the world

Athens BeirutBangkok BerlinCairoCape Town ColomboDhakaHong KongIstanbulJakartaKarachiLondonManilaMoscowNew DelhiNew York ParisSao PauloSeoulSingaporeSydney Tokyo Clear

Max/min12/0521/1333/2401/-223/1124/1631/2329/1621/1706/0131/2524/1306/-229/22-9/-2126/1411/0602/-628/21-1/-929/2324/2008/-2

Weather todayP CloudyP CloudyP CloudyCloudyM CloudyCloudyT StormsSunnySunnyShowersCloudyP CloudyM CloudyP CloudyCloudyI T StormsM SunnyP CloudyS T StormsSunnyT StormsCloudy

Fishermen’s forecast

OFFSHORE DOHAWind: NW 18-28 KTWaves: 7-10 Feet

INSHORE DOHAWind: NW 05-15/18 KTWaves: 1-3/4 Feet

High: 22 C

Low: 16 C

THURSDAY

Strong wind and high sea at first.

Sunny

Sunny

Max/min21/1617/1022/1419/0920/1220/1719/0808/03

Weather tomorrowSunnyM CloudySunnyP CloudySunnySunnySunnyRain

Max/min22/1518/0823/1620/1421/1522/1624/12

Max/min08/0316/1232/2302/-421/0926/1631/2430/1719/1802/-132/2522/1205/-129/22-16/-1720/1212/0306/-126/2006/-330/2425/2109/0

Weather tomorrowCloudyShowersP CloudyM SunnyM SunnyCloudyS T StormsSunnySunnyRain&SnowI T StormsSunnySunnyS ShowersM SunnyRainShowersSunnyT StormsSunnyT StormsCloudyClear

11/06

COMMENT

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 2017 27

By Peter A Singer and Jill W Sheff ieldToronto/New York

This year, the World Health Organisation will elect a new Director-General. Last September, WHO member

states nominated six candidates for the position: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Flavia Bustreo, Philippe Douste-Blazy, David Nabarro, Sania Nishtar, and Miklos Szocska. Today, the WHO Executive Board will shortlist three candidates; and in May, the World Health Assembly will elect one of those candidates to succeed Margaret Chan.

All of the candidates have presented a vision for how they would lead the organisation, and we personally know and admire several of them. But, ultimately, we believe that Ghebreyesus is the most qualifi ed person for the job. Our endorsement is based on three considerations that are important in any hiring process, and

especially for a position such as this: the candidate’s past achievements, leadership style, and the diversity that he or she brings to the table.

With respect to the fi rst consideration, Ghebreyesus has a proven track record of success. As Ethiopia’s health minister from 2005 to 2012, he championed the interests of all of the country’s citizens, and strengthened primary-care services. He created 3,500 health centres and 16,000 health posts, and dramatically expanded the healthcare workforce by building more medical schools and deploying more 38,000 community-based health extension workers.

Ghebreyesus’s eff orts now serve as a model that other countries seek to emulate as they try to achieve universal health coverage for their citizens. He is the only candidate who has achieved such results at a national level.

Ghebreyesus is also a longtime champion and advocate of gender equality and the rights of women and

girls. In fact, his eff orts to strengthen Ethiopia’s health system played a crucial role in more than doubling

the percentage of Ethiopian women with access to contraception, and in reducing maternal mortality by 75%.

When Ghebreyesus was Ethiopia’s foreign minister from 2012 to 2016, he gained extensive diplomatic experience, not least by leading negotiations for the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the international community’s plan to fi nance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This same knack for diplomacy is now needed to bring WHO member-states together for co-operative action on collective health challenges.

Ghebreyesus’s leadership style is also perfectly suited for this role: he speaks last, and encourages others to share their views. He also knows how to spot and nurture talent, and how to bring the best out of the people around him. He would undoubtedly boost organisational morale and motivate the staff to deliver maximum value and effi ciency – to the benefi t of all member states and their citizens.

And while he is a receptive listener, he is also decisive, which is an attribute for the leader of the world’s foremost health institution, especially during global public-health emergencies.

Then there is Ghebreyesus’s extensive leadership experience within global health institutions. As Board Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria between 2009 and 2011, and as Chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership between 2007 and 2009, Ghebreyesus pushed through sweeping changes that dramatically improved both organisations’ operations. What’s more, he helped them raise record-breaking fi nancial commitments from donors: $11.7bn for the Global Fund, and $3bn for Roll Back Malaria.

This is precisely the kind experience and expertise that the WHO needs in today’s global health environment, and it explains why the African Union has offi cially endorsed Ghebreyesus’s candidacy. Amazingly, in its almost 70-year history, the WHO has never

had a Director-General from Africa. This fact alone is not a reason to pick a candidate; but in Ghebreyesus’s case, his direct experience working in developing countries makes him uniquely qualifi ed to tackle our toughest global health problems, which tend to hit developing countries the hardest.

It is time to break the WHO’s African-leadership glass ceiling. Sustainable development is truly achievable only when leaders of global institutions are from the communities most aff ected by those institutions’ work.

Ghebreyesus’s candidacy presents the WHO with an historic opportunity, which its Executive Board should seize today. – Project Syndicate

Peter A Singer is Chief Executive Offi cer of Grand Challenges Canada. Jill W Sheffi eld is an independent consultant and longtime advocate for women’s health and rights.

Breaking the WHO’s glass ceiling

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Considering switching to a vegetarian dietTribune News ServiceWashington

Question: I am 58 and considering becoming a vegetarian. I know it will be important to make sure I

get enough protein, but are there other nutrients I should focus on, as well?

A: Following a vegetarian diet is a healthy way of eating. Multiple studies have linked vegetarian diets to a reduced incidence of chronic disease and cancer. Excluding meat or animal products makes a diet healthier, but there are other factors to consider.

As with all dietary patterns, it’s important not to rely too heavily on processed foods, which can be high in calories, sugar, fat and sodium.

Vegetarians have an advantage in that they usually eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains than people who consume meat.

The key to a healthy vegetarian diet, as with all diets, is to include a variety of foods. No single food can provide all the nutrients your body needs. It’s especially important for older adults to be aware of their nutritional needs, since ageing can increase the risk of nutritional defi ciencies. Talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian about developing a healthy vegetarian eating plan that meets your needs. In general, though, pay attention to these nutrients:

Calcium and vitamin D. Calcium helps maintain strong bones and prevent fractures, which is especially important as you age. Milk and dairy foods are highest in calcium. However,

dark green vegetables are good plant sources when eaten in suffi cient quantities. Calcium-enriched and fortifi ed products, including juices and cereals, are other options. Vitamin D also plays an important role in bone health, immune function and in the reduction of infl ammation. Vitamin D is added to milk, some brands of soy and rice milk, and some cereals. If you don’t eat enough fortifi ed foods and have limited sun exposure, you may need a vitamin D supplement derived from plants. Of note is that research studies suggest a high intake of vegetables and fruits is associated with increased bone mineral density, which is probably due to mechanisms other than calcium or vitamin D.

Vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 is necessary to produce red blood cells

and prevent anaemia. Dairy and eggs are good sources, if you include these in your diet. Older adults tend to have more diffi culty absorbing vitamin B-12 from food and may want to consider fortifi ed foods or vitamin supplements to make up for any defi ciencies. This is especially true for those on a vegan diet, which excludes dairy products.

Protein. Protein helps maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. Eggs and dairy products are good sources, and you don’t need to eat large amounts to meet your protein needs. You can get suffi cient protein from plant-based foods (e.g., soy products, legumes, lentils, seeds, nuts and whole grains) if you eat a variety throughout the day.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for heart

health. Diets that don’t include fi sh and eggs are generally low in active forms of omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil, soy oil, walnuts, ground fl axseed and soybeans are good sources of a plant-based form of omega-3s called alpha-linolenic acid. However, conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to the omega-3 types that are best for heart health is much less effi cient.

Iron and zinc. Iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. Because iron isn’t as easily absorbed from plant sources, the recommended intake of iron for vegetarians is almost double that of nonvegetarians. To help your body absorb iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C (e.g.,

strawberries, citrus fruits or tomatoes) at the same time as you’re eating iron-containing foods. As with iron, zinc isn’t as easily absorbed from plant sources as it is from animal products. Cheese is a good option if you eat dairy. Plant sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, legumes, nuts and wheat germ.

Iodine. Iodine is a component in thyroid hormones, which help regulate metabolism, growth and function of key organs. Plant-based diets are typically low in iodine. However, just one-fourth of a teaspoon of iodised salt a day provides a signifi cant amount of iodine.

With just a little planning, a vegetarian diet can easily provide you with all of the nutrition you need and likely will improve your health. – Mayo Clinic News Network

Gulf Times Wednesday, January 25, 2017

QATAR28

People of various ages and from diff erent walks of life have been thronging Souq Waqif in Doha in large numbers to enjoy the various shows and attractions on off er as part of the ongoing Spring Festival. Children’s activities, fun rides and cultural performances are among the highlights of the festivities. PICTURES: Shemeer Rasheed

Festivities galore

Hadara, Kayan pactto promote Muslim women’s advancementBy Joey AguilarStaff Reporter

Abdullah Abdul Ghani Foundation for Cross-Cultural Understanding (Hadara) and Global League of Is-

lamic Women Organisations (Kayan) have signed a partnership agreement to address key issues and concerns faced by Muslim families, particularly women and children, in various countries.

The agreement was signed earlier this week at the Hadara Foundation offi ce in Al Wakrah.

Hadara is a private institution that sup-ports projects related to culture and edu-cation, among others, while Kayan is a non-profi t Islamic association working to protect and promote the advancement of women.

Founded in 2013 in Britain, Kayan is now working with 77 women organisations from 26 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Arab world.

Speaking at the press conference, Ha-dara board of trustees chairman Salman Abdulla Abdul Ghani stressed the impor-tance of their partnership with Kayan, “which is dedicated to take care of Muslim women in all respects”.

Hadara board of directors chairwoman Buthaina Abdulla Abdul Ghani echoed the statement of Salman citing the need to in-tensify and redouble eff orts to achieve the objectives and goals of the agreement.

The partnership seeks to “activate the role of the family at all levels to eff ectuate its structural and productive role”, and fo-cus “on scientifi c research and fi eld stud-ies in the intellectual sphere and commu-nity development”, according to Hadara.

Hadara also cited the need for an “eff ec-tive co-ordination and constructive co-operation between the Islamic women’s organisations in the world” in addressing

family and women’s issues.Apart from the launch of Kayan’s me-

dia identity at the event, Hadara said it will also start managing the association’s executive offi ce “in its new phase” as part of the partnership. The move aims to push for close co-operation and integration to achieve common goals.

Kayan board of directors chairwoman Dr Noura Khaleed al-Saad expressed con-fi dence that the partnership will contrib-ute in building an “intellectual system and knowledge derived from our Islamic val-

ues and to promote the positive presence of Islamic approach on women’s issues in the local, regional and international fo-rums.

“This partnership will also help unify eff orts in resolving contemporary prob-lems of women, and protects children and families from deviant and anti-Islamic ideas,” she said.

The event last Sunday was attended by a group of scientists, academics, and rep-resentatives from diff erent institutions locally and abroad who are interested in

community work related to family and women’s issues.

Among the attendees were Dr Ali Mo-hiuddin Qara Daghi, secretary-general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars; Dr Adel Hassan Hamad, adviser on women’s and family issues, Dr Rashid al-Hajri, principal of Gulf Academy, and Sheikh Ahmed al-Buainain, secretary-general of the World Federation of Islamic Preachers, as well as women prominent in the fi eld of family and community work in and outside Qatar.

Hadara board of trustees chairman Salman Abdulla Abdul Ghani (centre) with prominent guests at the event. PICTURE: Ram Chand

‘Shoot and Show Your Profession’ exhibition at KataraSome 45 photographs out

of 400 submissions from Qatar residents have been

selected for the ‘Shoot and Show your Profession’ exhibition jointly organised by Katara – the Cultural Village, Youth Hobbies Centre, and Bedaya Centre.

In a statement, Katara said the exhibition revolves around a pho-tography and videography compe-tition, where participants are asked to capture a picture or a video that clearly displays their profession.

The launch of the exhibition also saw the awarding of the top three winners in the photography and videography competitions, which started on October 1 and concluded December 21.

In the photography category, cash awards were given to Ronald Vinluan who won the fi rst place followed by Mohamed al-Yaf’ie (second place) and Aisha al-An-sari (third place).

Winners for the videography contest include Mohamed al-

Ameen (fi rst place), Fatima Mo-hamed (second place), and Mo-hamed al-Yaf’ie (third place).

The exhibition was inaugu-rated by Katara deputy general manager Ahmad al-Sayed, Youth Hobbies Centre general man-

ager Mohamed al-Hajri, and the Bedaya Centre general manager Reem al-Suwaidi.

The competition is in line with Katara’s eff orts to educate and involve the public in initiatives that combine arts with daily life.

Off icials of Katara, Bedaya Centre, and Youth Hobbies Centre led the inauguration of the ‘Shoot and Show Your Profession’ exhibition.

An entry that portrays a dhow maker.

Encroachment demolished by ministry departmentThe Ministry of Mu-

nicipality and Environ-ment’s (MME) health

control section at Doha Mu-nicipality has conducted an inspection campaign at a number of food outlets.

The inspectors came across expired food and drinks con-centrates used to prepare juices at a cafeteria in the Old Airport area. Also, expired food products were found in-side a restaurant at Msheireb Area, while bags of frozen spinach past the expiry date were found stored at a bakery at New Salata Area. All the outlets were issued violation reports according to law no 8 for 1990.

Meanwhile, the MME’s mechanical equipment de-partment has removed an en-croachment on state property at Hazm al-Markhyah, where an interlock constructed on land assigned for a service road was removed based on

the request of the entity con-cerned and a violation report issued.

Al Daayan Municipality has conducted a large scale clean-ing campaign at Semaisma open area. The MME Gardens Section at Doha Municipal-ity has beautifi ed the sports roundabout with a number of ornamental plants and fl ow-ers.

The MME’s building per-mits section at Al Rayyan municipality dealt with 780 requests and applications during December 2016. It is-sued 143 building permits, 19 demolition permits, 139 build-ing completion certifi cates, 29 building maintenance per-mits, 417 licenses for adver-tisements and 33 digging and excavation works permits. Be-sides, it handled 244 contracts registered in December. The collected revenue from such transactions and related fi nes amounted to QR582,982.

The MME Gardens Section at Doha Municipality has beautified the sports roundabout with ornamental plants and flowers.