Volume 22 | Number 7401 | 2 RiyalsTuesday 9 January 2018 | 22 Rabia II I 1439 www.thepeninsula.qa

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BUSINESS | 21 SPORT | 36

Deputy Emir chairs second meeting of QU Board of TrusteesQNA

DOHA: Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Qatar University, presided over the second meeting of the Board for the academic year 2017-2018 at the Emiri Diwan yesterday.

At the outset of the meeting, the Board reviewed the implementation of its decisions and recommenda-tions adopted in the first meeting of the academic year 2017-2018. The Board dis-cussed the topics listed on its agenda. It approved the Uni-versity Calendar for the next three years (2017-2018), (2018-2019), (2019-2020), as well as amendments to the organisational structure of Qatar University.

The Board also approved the introduction of a number of master’s and doctorate programs as follows: Master’s Program in Genetic Coun-seling, Master’s Program in Religions and Dialogue of Civilizations, and Joint Doc-toral Program in Health Sci-ences (Biomedical Sciences, Medical Sciences or Pharma-ceutical Sciences), and Doc-toral Program in Fiqh and Principles of Jurisprudence. The Board approved the cre-ation of three sections of the Faculty of Law: Private Law, General Law, and Legal Skills.

Cooperation key to face GCC challenges

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Emir of Kuwait, H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, has said that cooperation is key to face chal-lenges in Gulf states.

In his opening speech yesterday at the 11th Meeting of Chairpersons and Speakers of Shura, Representatives Councils and National Assemblies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Kuwait Emir stressed the need for coop-eration, consultation and meeting at all levels in order to face the deteriorating situation in the region.

H H the Emir of Kuwait underlined that these challenges cannot be faced individually, and that collective action is the only way to address these chal-lenges and maintain the gains and achievements accomplished through the blessed journey of the GCC nations and peoples.

The Kuwaiti Emir highlighted the important role of the legislative bodies as representatives of the GCC countries in drawing the path of development, construction and communication under these delicate circumstances which require all to realize the dimensions and risks.

He stressed that the Gulf entity has achieved over the past four decades goals and gains that enhance its ability to fulfil the aspiration of its people and maintain its prestigious position among

countries and international gatherings, adding: “What brings us together is greater than any disagreement that we see as a transient no matter how long”.

Speaker of the Advisory Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, led Qatar’s delegation to the meeting.

He praised the speech of H H Emir of Kuwait at the opening of 11th Meeting of the Chairpersons and Speakers of Shura, Representatives Councils and National Assemblies of the Gulf Coop-eration Council (GCC), which was held yesterday in Kuwait.

Speaking exclusively to Qatar News Agency after the opening of the meeting, H E Al Mahmoud said history will record the efforts of H H the Kuwait Emir and his sincere initiatives to support the path of the GCC and activate its role so that it can achieve the hopes and aspirations of its people.

H E Al Mahmoud confirmed that the State of Qatar under the leadership of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will remain loyal to the GCC, committed to its principles and keen to achieve its goals. About the meeting, H E Al Mahmoud said it is being held in a delicate circumstance and amid great challenges and expressed his trust in the parliament members in the GCC.

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No talks before lifting siege: QNHRC

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Public sector commercial bank deposits increased to QR308.3bn, showing an increase of 73.3 percent compared to same month in 2016 and a rise of 3.3 percent compared to October 2017.

The population of Qatar increased from 2.64 million in November 2016 to over 2.68 million at end of November 2017 with an annual increase of 1.7 percent, according to Qatar Monthly Statistics released yesterday by the Min-istry of Development Planning and Statistics. A total of 525 traffic cases were recorded during the month, showing a decrease of 12.9 percent com-pared to the 603 cases of October 2017. In November, 20 death cases were recorded.

The bulletin also high-lighted that the total number of registered vehicles has reached 6,520 new vehicles during November 2017, registering a monthly increase of 1.8 percent compared to October 2017, where the total number of

registered vehicles was 5,407 new vehicles. A total number of 2,550 live births were registered during November 2017, while 210 death cases were recorded during the same period.

On another aspect, the total number of registered marriages was 199 marriages during November 2017, whereas the total number of divorces reached 65 cases. The number of social security beneficiaries reached 14,029 individuals, whereas the total value of social security has reached QR 81.1 billion during November 2017.

Regarding electricity and water consumption rates, the bulletin showed the total elec-tricity utilisation value during November 2017 was 2996.3 (GWh) attaining a monthly decrease of 24.6 percent as compared with last month. It also showed that total value of water consumption reached 41822.6 thousand cubic meters during the same month attaining a monthly decrease of 7.9 percent compared to last month.

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MOHAMMED OSMAN

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (QNHRC) yesterday called upon the government to avoid accepting any solution to the prevailing crisis or engaging in negotiations with the blockading countries before lifting of human rights violations and injustices and redressal of the sufferings of the victims caused by the repressive measures.

The QNHRC welcomed the report issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commis-sioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the impact of the Gulf crisis on human rights.

Speaking at news conference held at the headquarter of the NHRC, President of the QNHRC Dr Ali bin Sumikh Al Marri wel-comed the report of the OHCHR Technical Mission on the impact of the Gulf crisis on human rights.

“We welcome the content of the report despite some observations regarding the sta-tistics of the affected people, as well as insufficient attention to some violations,” Al Marri stressed.

The OHCHR team visited Qatar from November 17 to 24 and met representatives of 20 governmental and non-govern-mental organizations and

interviewed 40 individuals to get a better understanding of their situation as victims of the blockade. The four countries imposing the siege on Qatar were refused to accept visit by the mission.

Dr Al Marri described the report as first of its kind issued by an international organization and as an important legal ref-erence that reflects diplomatic and legal moves at the regional and international levels.

Condemning the decisions and measures taken by the blockading countries, Dr Al Marri said: “The report affirms in a non-interpretive manner that the measures adopted by

the countries of the blockade are arbitrary and unilateral and explicitly violate international law, the principles of interna-tional relations and human rights conventions.”

The report also, he said, affirms that the crisis is not merely the severance of diplo-matic relations rather it is a col-lective punishment, and viola-tions against citizens are sub-stantiated and not just allegations. The OHCHR report proves that the siege countries have no intention to alleviate the sufferings of the victims, and there is a continuation and intransigence of those countries that contribute to further

deterioration of the humani-tarian situation. The report stated that the majority of cases remain unresolved and are likely to durably affect the victims.

While the report praised in many points the efforts of the government of Qatar and some of its authorities in finding solu-tions to the worsening human-itarian cases of the victims.

Dr Al Marri pointed out that the committee is going to cir-culate the report to all interna-tional and regional organizations and the global alliance of national human rights institu-tions and all international parliaments.

Al Marri said the OHCHR will convene a meeting with the Department of Special Proce-dures of the Commission to hand over the cases to the UN Special Rapporteurs, each according to its competence.

The Commission will also hold a meeting with the diplo-matic missions of the countries of the blockade at the United Nations in Geneva to inform them of the report and cases and try to find solutions.

Information will be provided to some specialized international organizations, such as the Inter-national Labor Organization, Dr Al Marri outlined during the press conference.

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Emir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah stressed consultation and meeting at all levels to face the deteriorating situation in Gulf region.

Speaker of Advisory Council H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud led Qatar’s delegation to the meeting and praised Kuwait Emir’s speech.

Emir of Kuwait, H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, received yesterday Speaker of Advisory Council H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud at the 11th Meeting of Chairpersons and Speakers of Shura, Representatives Councils and National Assemblies of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Kuwait City.

Public sector commercial bank deposits increase

President of the QNHRC, Dr Ali bin Sumikh Al Marri

Continued from page 1He added that thanks to their expe-

riences, deep awareness to the needs of the current situation and the responsi-bility towards the people of the region, are able to effectively contribute to over-coming any obstacles facing the GCC’s path, and to preserve it as the most important Gulf achievement and one of the most important Arab achievements.

The Speaker confirmed the State of Qatar’s Advisory Council’s keenness to coordinate its efforts with other Gulf councils, to sincerely cooperate and jointly build in order to develop the par-liamentary work and prosper it till its attains a real voice for the GCC citizen, express his hopes, embody his aspira-tions and fulfil his ambitions in a stable and prosperous present and a better future for future generations.

GCC parliament speakers stressed during their 11th meeting the importance of localizing jobs and investing in human resources.

In their final statement, the partici-pants recommended discussing the

localization of jobs, which they had chosen as a common theme for 2018 in the context of the work of GCC parliaments, calling upon the Kuwaiti National Assembly to implement activities and events related to this matter in coordi-nation with the GCC General secretariat.

They also praised the speech of Emir of Kuwait, reiterating the importance of its contents as it stressed “the importance of ensuring cooperation and consultation at all levels in order to address the chal-lenges facing the Gulf joint march in light of the surrounding conditions.”

The GCC speakers added that Emir of Kuwait stressed in his speech that col-lective action is the way to tackle the Gulf challenges and preserve the gains and achievements.

They took a number of decisions on the topics on the agenda, most notably reviewing the recommendations of the forum on food and water security con-cerns in the Gulf states under the current threats.

They also reviewed the measures taken to strengthen relations with foreign parliaments and parliamentary

unions, and directed about constantly working on everything that would strengthen existing relations.

The directives included mandating the GCC General Secretariat to coor-dinate with the Kuwaiti National Assembly to complete the mutual visits between GCC parliaments and the

European Parliament and to approve the coordination of a joint Gulf-European meeting on the sidelines of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) meetings.

In addition, the directives included approving the president member state’s p a r l i a m e n t t o c o m p l e t e

communications for the implementation of a visit by a delegation of member states to the U S Congress in 2018.

The GCC parliament speakers were briefed on the member states’ experi-ments and views regarding the threat of terrorism and terrorist groups and how to combat them.

02 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018HOME

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: A surgical team comprising members from Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) new Qatar Rehabilitation Institute and the Neurology Department, has performed a pioneering pain management surgical procedure on two patients in Hamad General Hospital’s state-of-the-art oper-ating theatre facility.

Dorsal Column Stimulator is a type of implantable device — sometimes referred to as a pain pacemaker — that is used to send electrical signals to select areas of the spinal cord for the treatment of certain pain conditions.

This surgical technique is often used for patients who have a chronic pain condition that has not responded to more conserv-ative therapies.

“The procedure is a first for Qatar and demonstrates HMC’s commitment to delivering the best possible care to patients through the introduction of new and innovative techniques,’’ said Dr Wafa Al Yazeedi, Chairperson of QRI and one of the lead clini-cians involved in the surgical procedure.

The Dorsal Column Stimu-lator procedure involves inserting a temporarily implanted electrode, called a trial. This delivers electricity to

areas of the spinal cord in order to relieve pain.

“By inserting an electrical implant, the patient is able to control the frequency of the elec-trical impulses via a remote control,’’ added Dr Al Yazeedi.

The two patients who underwent the Dorsal Column Stimulator procedure both suf-fered from chronic pain that had not responded to previous treatment methods.

“Following the procedure, the patients were discharged to

return home. They returned to HMC one-week post-procedure to be assessed by our clinical teams. This assessment reviewed the success of the pain management and the intensity of the electrical impulses

delivered due to the Dorsal Column Stimulator and allowed us to then insert a permanent electrode,’’ said Dr Ghanem Al Sulati, Head of Neurosurgery at HMC. The QRI has provided world-class care to patients

during more than 50,000 out-patient appointments since opening its first clinics in December 2016.

Throughout 2017, the range of services provided by teams at the QRI has continued to expand, including the start of inpatient care in March. By December, more than 10,000 outpatient visits were being recorded each month.

QRI is the region’s largest tertiary rehabilitation hospital, providing high-quality rehabil-itation services through the most technologically advanced patient-centred care.

QRI is significantly expanding HMC’s capacity to care for recovering patients.

This expansion, combined with the most modern rehabil-itation facilities in the region, will provide patients with faster access to rehabilitative care.

Pioneering pain management procedure at HMC

Dr Wafa Al Yazeedi Dr Ghanem Al Sulati

Dorsal Column Stimulator is a type of implantable device used to send electrical signals to select areas of the spinal cord for the treatment of certain pain conditions. This surgical technique is often used for patients who have a chronic pain condition that has not responded to more conservative therapies.

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The principal and deputy administrator of Omar bin Al Khattab Secondary School for Boys were assaulted, said the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in its Twitter account.

The Ministry has expressed its regrets for such practices which has nothing to do with ethics of students, and the com-petent security authority has began investigation the case for taking necessary legal action.

The Principal of the Omar bin Al Khattab Secondary School for Boys, Hassan Ajran Al Buainain and another official were assaulted on Sunday morning by a student and members of his family.

This shocking incident was reported by the Ministry of Edu-cation on Twitter and a ministry official condemned the incident and said that necessary measures are being taken against the aggressors after their arrest.

“The Ministry of Education deplores this behaviour and the authorities have initiated nec-essary measures against the aggressors after their arrest,” said Khalifa Saad Al Dirham, Director of the Department of Gov-ernment Schools Affairs at the Ministry.

Al Dirham added that the Ministry assures its support to the

principal and the administrator and absolutely rejects such prac-tices under any circumstances which leads to physical or psy-chological damage to anyone connected to the education system.

“H E Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Wahid Al Hammadi, Min-ister of Education and Higher Education, and the Ministry offi-cials are following up the incident with the competent authorities and also reassured the health status of the victims, who were transferred to HMC for treatment and health services,” the ministry said further.

He added that the Minister instructed the Department of Government Schools Affairs and Legal Affairs Department to investigate the case and make necessary follow up, as well committee formed committee to run administration of the school.

The Ministry said the incident has no effect on the ongoing tests of the end of the first semester.

Al Dirham pointed out that this is isolated act and very strange behavior which rarely happens in Qatari society where everyone respects and appre-ciates the educational process and those who provide it.

The Ministry’s rule and reg-ulations will be applied, he added.

Emir of Kuwait calls for cooperation

Speakers of the GCC states’ Advisory Council with Kuwait’s Emir and GCC officials pose for a group picture.

Ashghal to close 1.5km stretch of Al Shamal road for six nights

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Public Works Authority, ‘Ashghal’, will close on a temporary basis Al Shamal Road for a couple of hours over-night for a distance of 1.5km long section between Al Gharrafa (Passport) Intersection and Umm Lekhba (Landmark) Intersection.

It will remain closed from Thursday (January 11) and last for a short period of six nights till Tuesday (January 16).

The diversion, aimed at installing a new bridge between Al Gharrafa and Madinat Khalifa North, starts at 12.30am on Thursday, 11 January, 2018 and ends at 4.30 am on the same day, to be continued at 2 am on Friday, January 12, 2018 till 9am on the same day.

The detour resumes on the following four nights back to back from Saturday, January 13, 2018 through Tuesday, January 16, 2018, to be in effect from 12.30am to 4.30am.

The traffic change will require the closure of Al Shamal Road carriageway and

service roads in each direction along with Passport Intersection Bridge. Also, traffic leading to Doha and Al Shamal on Passport Intersection Roundabout will be diverted while other exits of the roundabout leading from and to Khalifa Street and Doha will be opened.

Motorists commuting from Doha to Al Shamal are advised to take right at Passport Intersection onto Khalifa Street, turn left at Al Markhiya Intersection towards Arab Leagues Street, then join Al Markhiya Street by taking left the next Dahl Al Hamam Intersection towards Landmark Intersection underpass and take right towards Al Shamal Road,

afterwards.Motorists commuting from Al Shamal

to Doha are advised to take left onto Landmark Intersection underpass towards Al Markhiya Street, turn right at the next Dahl Al Hamam Intersection towards Al Markhiya Intersection on Khalifa Street, then turn right towards the Passport Inter-section and take the third exit of the roundabout towards Doha, afterwards.

Ashghal will install road signs pro-viding motorists with advance notice of the new road layout. The Public Works Authority requests all road users to abide by the new speed limit and follow the road signs to ensure their safety.

Probe into attack on school principal and deputy administrator

The diversion starts at 12.30am on Thursday, 11 January, 2018 and ends at 4.30am on the same day, to be continued at 2am on Friday, January 12, till 9am on the same day. The detour resumes on the following four nights back to back from Saturday, January 13, through Tuesday, January 16, to be in effect from 12.30am to 4.30am.

03TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 HOME

Sudan Embassy marks Independence Day

H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi, Minister of Municipality and Environment; Fatah Rahman Ali, Sudan’s Ambassador to Qatar; Driss Ibrahim Jamil, Minister of Justice of Sudan; Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ibrahim Fakhroo, Director of Protocol cutting a cake to mark Sudan’s 62nd Independence Day at Radisson Blu yesterday. PIC:BAHER AMIN/THE PENINSULA

Over 700 experts to gather for cardiology conferenceFAZEENA SALEEM

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The region’s largest gathering of experts dedicated to cardiology will be held in Doha this week. The 14th Gulf Heart Association Conference and the 11th Gulf Vascular Society Sympo-sium would gather more than 700 local, regional and international physi-cians and cardiology specialists from

January 11 to 13. The annual conference, under the

patronage of H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Public Health, will focus on advanced management of cardiac patients, said H E Dr Hajar Ahmed Hajar Al Binali, Conference Chairman, yesterday.

Considered as one of the largest con-ferences related to cardiology and car-diac surgery, the event will be held in

partnership with the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology.

Addressing a press conference at the Heart Hospital Dr Hajar, together with Dr Nidal Ahmed Asaad, Chairman Car-diology, Director Cardiac Electrophys-iology, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) shared information regarding the high profile event.

The 14th Gulf Heart Association Con-ference and the 11th Gulf Vascular Society Symposium will see a strong contribution from the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Associ-ation, the European Society of Cardi-ology and the World Heart Federation. It will discuss advanced treatment methods as well as several sessions will focus on providing participants with information on comprehensive approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of common heart conditions.

“More than 30 eminent international experts and distinguished local faculty from the various Gulf and Middle East countries will present the most recent, cutting-edge information on topics related to the field of cardiovascular medicine. During the three days of intensive scientific sessions and work-shops, attendees will hear the latest developments in a variety of fields, including heart disease, hypertension, diagnostic imaging, and cardiovascular surgeries,” said Dr Al Binali.

“This annual conference is also an opportunity for the open exchange of

medical information and expertise. In addition to being a significant educa-tional event highlighting the most important medical developments in the field of cardiology, it also provides an important networking opportunity for local and international colleagues to engage in important dialogues about the treatment of heart disease,” added Dr

Al Binali, who is also President of the Gulf Heart Association-Doha.

Dr Asaad said that the conference will also focus on how to prevent heart attacks by treating patients with meta-bolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

“Cardiac diseases are one of the common conditions among the popu-lation due to lifestyle diseases, and high prevalence of diabetics. We have great responsibility as a physicians to discuss the latest developments of how to treat and prevent heart attacks,” he said.

The event will include three work-shops and 17 scientific sessions led by local and regional speakers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Serbia, Italy, Netherlands, Aus-tralia, France, and Turkey.

The conference will be held at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Con-vention Hotel.

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: At least half of the patients seen with cardiac disorders at the Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Heart Hospital, present with diabetics, says a senior official.

Between 250 and 300 patients are seen daily at the Outpatient Department of the Heart Hospital and also present metabolic disorders with a majority with diabetics, said Dr Nidal Ahmed Asaad, Chairman Cardiology, Director Cardiac Electrophysiology, HMC.

He also said that the number patients seen with cardiac disorders at the Outpatient Department each year are increasing, and it has jumped from 40,000 to between 70,000 and 80,000 over the past four years.

Among the other disorders, hyper-tension, high cholesterol, smoking, sedentary lifestyle are the risk factors

for coronary artery diseases and heart attacks.

“We have observed that the pres-ence of diabetes in almost 50 percent of our patients. Other risk factors also include obesity, hypertension and smoking,” said Dr Asaad on the side-lines of a press conference held yes-terday to announce about the 14th Gulf Heart Association Conference and the 11th Gulf Vascular Society Symposium.

The Heart Hospital also has a spe-cialised clinic to advice patients and help them quit smoking, encourage to do more physical activities, adopt a healthy lifestyle and healthy dietary habits.

However, as factors such as genetics or family history cannot be controlled, experts at the clinic try to advice patients with such conditions not to develop other risk factors.

Diabetics more prone to cardiac disorders

H E Dr Hajar Ahmed Hajar Al Binali (centre), Conference Chairman of 14th Gulf Heart Association Conference and the 11th Gulf Vascular Society Symposium, Dr Nidal Ahmed Asaad (left), Chairman Cardiology, Director Cardiac Electrophysiology addressing a press conference held yesterday. PIC: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA

Ooredoo Fibre Home plans get huge response from customersTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Ooredoo announced yesterday that since the launch of its new Fibre Home Entertain-ment plans, more customers than ever are able to enjoy faster Internet speeds and the compa-ny’s award-winning Ooredoo tv service.

The Fibre Home Entertain-ment plans, which were launched in November 2017, have seen a huge positive response from customers, and over 12,000 households switched to the new options in just a few months.

One of the reasons for the growing popularity of the new Fibre Home Entertainment plans is the 50 percent increase on speed on the starter plan (15Mbps), compared to the old Ooredoo Fibre bundles (7.5Mbps), as well as inclusive

TV content.To cater for the growing

demand of seamless home entertainment, all new Ooredoo “Fibre Home” plans will include the STARZ PLAY on demand service, which offers more than 6,500 hours of content, at no extra cost.

Ooredoo Fibre Home Enter-tainment customers choosing the 30Mbps or above plan can also enjoy an inclusive beIN Full Package subscription which covers live and exclusive sports channels, as well as kids, life-style and factual programmes, the latest movies, music and

more. Talking about the success,

Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director of PR and Corporate Communications, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “The new Fibre plans were designed to cater to the increasing bandwidth speed and entertain-ment needs of our customers and we’re delighted that they have seen such a positive response. Our aim is to make our services affordable for all, so that everyone in Qatar can enjoy the Internet and take advantage of the many benefits of our home entertain-ment service.”

New and existing Ooredoo customers can benefit from the new Fibre Home Entertainment plans, which start at 15Mbps to a blistering 10Gbps. Existing cus-tomers on Home Broadband can upgrade to the new Fibre Home Entertainment plans by visiting an Ooredoo Shop or calling 111.

The 14th Gulf Heart Association Conference and the 11th Gulf Vascular Society Symposium will see a strong contribution from the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, the European Society of Cardiology and the World Heart Federation.

Qatar Airways launches Global Travel Boutique promotionTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Qatar Airways announced yesterday its first global sales campaign of the year, the popular ‘Global Travel Boutique,’ offering passengers amazing discounts across all of the award-winning airline’s cabin classes.

The Global Travel Bou-tique is back with an exclu-sive selection of savings and offers to memorable places around the world in Economy, Business Class and First Class. The promotion will also pro-vide passengers with the opportunity to win fantastic prizes, including up to one million Qmiles from Qatar Air-ways Privilege Club, as well as many more discounts from Qatar Duty Free (QDF) and amazing prizes from Qatar Airways Holidays.

Passengers are invited to plan their next trip with Qatar Airways and take advantage of 40 percent discounts on Economy and Pre-mium, as well as the airline’s spe-cial ‘Companion Offer’ in Pre-mium. Families with children can

also enjoy special discounts with a kids special offer.

Qatar Airways Chief Com-mercial Officer, Ehab Amin, said: “We are delighted to usher in 2018 with our Global Travel Bou-tique promotion, our first sales campaign of the year. This pro-motion follows the success of last year’s Global Travel Boutique campaign, offering our passen-gers tremendous discounts on

fares across all cabin classes. This promotion is a wonderful way to start to 2018, and we invite all of our passengers to take advan-tage of the exciting discounts and prizes on offer.”

Passengers will also have the chance to earn double Qmiles on all bookings made from January 9-16, 2018, with travel validity from January 9 until December 10. Additionally, passengers who

book their tickets at qatarai-rways.com during this period will be entered into a raffle, where 10 lucky winners will earn 100,000 Qmiles each as well as a chance to win one of 10 hotel vouchers valid for a three-night stay for two guests from Qatar Airways Holidays.

To avail this offer, please visit any Qatar Airways sales office, your preferred travel agency or qatarairways.com/globaltravelboutique, and to learn more about Qatar Air-ways destinations and pro-motions, please visit qatarai-rways.com.

The promotion will also provide Qatar Airways pas-sengers up to 15 percent dis-counts on Al Maha Services and Lounge access, up to 10 percent discount on RCC car rentals and a special dis-count of 20 percent for up to four rides with Qatar Air-ways’ luxury chauffeur service partner, Blacklane.

Qatar Airways will continue expanding its g l o b a l n e t w o r k

throughout 2018 by adding flights to many more exciting d e s t i n a t i o n s i n c l u d i n g

Pattaya, Thailand; Penang, Malaysia and Canberra, Aus-tralia, to name just a few.

All new Ooredoo “Fibre Home” plans will include the STARZ PLAY on demand service.

04 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018HOME

Al Muraikhi meets Pascal Lamy

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, met yesterday with the French Political Adviser, Pascal Lamy, the inter-ministerial delegate in charge of the preparation of the French candidature for the World Expo 2025. The meeting discussed bilateral relations and ways of developing them, as well as enhancing prospects for cooperation. The meeting was attended by a number of officials at the Foreign Ministry.

Ashghal launches plan for small contractorsIRFAN BUKHARI

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ yesterday announced the launch of the “Rehabilitation of Small Contractors” initiative to provide local entrepreneurs with the opportunity to execute small projects that will enable such companies executing future strategic projects in Qatar.

Addressing a press conference, Eng Saud Al Tamimi, Director of Roads Projects, said that the initiative included the rehabilitation and equip-ping of small local contractors for ten-ders of five small projects related to road improvement works in different areas of the country.

He said that it would bring com-petitive advantage and development of the national economy and raise the level and quality of the implementa-tion of projects.

He further pointed out that the projects included road improvement works in several areas of Doha (Phase A6) in Doha Municipality, as well as road improvement works in Al Rayyan (Phase A6), as well as road improve-ment works in the northern parts (Phase A3) of the country.

These projects further include the improvement of roads in the south of Doha; areas 90 to 95 (Phase A6) of the Al Wakra Municipality; and the improvement of roads in the towns of Al-Daayen and Umm Salal. He said that the projects would be completed in 18 months from their starting date.

“Through this initiative, Ashghal aims to support national entities from new local companies that have never worked in this field with the Authority to participate in road projects and it will also reduce dependence on for-eign contracting companies.”

Al Tamimi pointed out that the Authority intended to contribute through the “Rehabilitation of Small Contractors” initiatives to implement

the State’s approach to implement the infrastructure projects in the country by relying on national expertise, believing that the qualified local con-tractor was one of the most important elements of the success of the future development plan.

For his part, Ghanim Al Mansouri, Director of Contracts Department at the Public Works Authority, said that the tenders for the five projects would be published on the website of Ash-ghal and the government procurement site on January 1 4 2018. “One project will be awarded to each bidder.”

He added that one of the most important conditions of the tender and

submission was that the contractor should be Qatari and classified by the government procurement department in the Ministry of Finance as the fourth or third degree contractor category.

“There is no condition of prior experience for these companies in the infrastructure projects with the Public Works Authority.”

Regarding encouraging local pro-ducers and contractors and increasing their participation in development projects, Ashghal officials said that the Authority had rehabilitated 47 national plants and accredited 54 products under the “Ta’heel” initiative since its launch in July last year.

Ta’heel is an initiative launched by the Public Works Authority in coop-eration with Qatar Development Bank for the rehabilitation and accredita-tion of the existing national industrial factories.

The initiative aims to give Qatari manufacturers the chance to partici-pate in the implementation of Ash-ghal’s engineering and construction programs and projects, in addition to enlisting the national factories in the supply chain approved by the Public Works Authority.

“Rehabilitation of Small Contractors” initiative includes the rehabilitation and equipping of small local contractors for tenders of five small projects related to road improvement works in different areas of the country.

Eng Saud Al Tamimi (second left), Director of Roads Projects, and Ghanim Al Mansouri (second right), Director of Contracts Department, with other officials during a press conference at Ashghal Tower yesterday.PIC: BAHER AMIN/THE PENINSULA

RLESC receives new batch of candidates from MoIQNA

DOHA: Ras Laffan Emergency and Safety College (RLESC) received a new batch of candidates from the Ministry of the Interior who have secondary school certif-icate as new students of the faculty for this year.

The new batch, comprising 24 students, will start their first freshman period in the college, which lasts for fifty days, during which they trans-form from civilian life to military life, and gradually adapt to the new life as part of a training plan that takes the students to the highest levels of readiness.

Captain Engineer Nasser Ahmed Al Ziyarah, who is responsible for the affairs of Ras Laffan Emergency and Safety College (RLESC), said that Ras Laffan College a mixed military and civilian college not only military.

He pointed out that the college, which uses English as teaching language, offers both diploma and bachelor degrees in three specializations, namely Oper-ations Management, Crisis and Disaster Management, and Fire Fighting Engineering.

Ras Laffan College has invited high school graduates to attend the next aca-demic year which begins in September 2018.

WCM-Q course spreads the word about sound nutritionTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Healthcare professionals from all over the world learned the latest information about the impact of diet on health when they attended Weill Cornell

Medicine-Qatar’s (WCM-Q) Certificate in Clinical Nutrition course. This was the third offering of the course.

Forty-eight doctors, nurses, pharma-cists, researchers, dieticians and other healthcare professionals joined the

four-day course, where they learned about a wide range of subjects including the role of nutritional supplements, the benefits and risks of various popular diets, ways to incorporate healthy nutritional practices in specific clinical situations and conditions, creating nutritional plans tai-lored to children, the elderly, and preg-nant and lactating women, and the role of nutrition in the causation and manage-ment of chronic conditions such as obesity, cancer and diabetes.

The course, delivered by WCM-Q’s Institute for Population Health, involved 32 hours of on-site learning sessions such as workshops, lectures and Q&A sessions led by medical faculty and healthcare professionals from WCM-Q and other leading institutions, and an 18-hour 14-module online self-study unit. Upon successful completion of both elements participants were awarded the WCM-Q Certificate in Clinical Nutrition. The certificate program is a regular WCM-Q event that is offered once a year.

Dr Ravinder Mamtani, Professor of Healthcare Policy and Research and Dr Sohaila Cheema, Assistant Professor of

Healthcare Policy and Research and Director, Institute for Population Health, were the course directors of the certif-icate program.

Dr Mamtani, who is also Senior Associate Dean for Population Health, Capacity Building and Student Affairs,

said, “With the prevalence of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hyperten-sion on the rise globally, sound knowl-edge of nutrition has never been more important. This certificate program is a very effective vehicle for sharing the most up-to-date guidance on issues in nutrition and diet with healthcare pro-fessionals so that they can give their patients the very best advice possible to protect their health.”

The activity was accredited locally by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners-Accreditation Department (QCHP-AD) and internationally by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

Course participant Dr. Sumaiya Zobairi, a family medicine physician at Tadawi Medical Center in Doha, said: “The certificate program is a very effective way for me to refresh and update my knowl-edge of key issues in health and nutrition. The speakers are very well-qualified and I also found it extremely helpful to meet and speak with other healthcare profes-sionals in attendance to share knowledge and experiences.”Dr Ravinder Mamtani during the program.

In all 48 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, dieticians and other healthcare professionals joined the four-day course, where they learned about a wide range of subjects including the role of nutritional supplements, the benefits and risks of various popular diets, ways to incorporate healthy nutritional practices in specific clinical situations and conditions among other things.

05TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 HOME

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), a member of Qatar Foundation, will take part in the first regional round table event aimed at advancing net zero carbon buildings in the MENA region this week.

The event, organised with the support of nine Green Building Councils throughout the region, takes place from January 9 to 11 at Kempinski Hotel, Ishtar, Dead Sea, Jordan.

The round table will address the work being carried out by the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC’s) pioneering ‘Advancing Net Zero’ project, which aims to accelerate the uptake of net zero carbon build-ings to 100 percent by 2050.

Delegates will also discuss the opportunities for greater col-laboration towards increasing net zero buildings in the region, and global trends towards reducing emissions from the built environment.

“Net zero carbon buildings are a critical part of achieving global emission reductions,” said Victoria Burrows, Project Man-ager, Advancing Net Zero, who will speak at the round table event.

The project supports the implementation of mass scale highly energy efficient buildings, with the remaining energy demand provided by on-site and off-site renewable power sources. In terms of building sus-tainably, the savings and wider benefits of net zero

carbon buildings in energy, water, maintenance, operations, and healthcare offer short and long-term investment returns. Applying sustainable strategies to a building can ensure that both economic and environmental performance is maximized.

“Our world is inexhaustibly sustainable if we support the

mandates of Green Building Councils. The MENA network, with over 350 million people undergoing rapid urbanisation, understands that it is our uni-versal responsibility to pass a healthy Earth on to our future generations,” said Khaled Bushnaq, Chair, World GBC’s MENA Regional Network.

The round table will see Vic-toria Burrows discuss developing market mechanisms and resources such as net zero carbon building rating systems, their role in catalysing the industry towards transforma-tional change, and the unprece-dented impacts on the wider industry. It will also host Ed Garrod, Principal with global engineering firm Integral, who will present case studies of net zero buildings they have success-fully completed, and share the critical elements to address in delivering such high-perform-ance buildings.

The round table will raise awareness of net zero building and help key partners to learn about opportunities and chal-lenges in the MENA region, in

addition to encouraging regional cooperation and investments in MENA building sector.

“Never has humanity faced such huge environmental chal-lenges. Nine GBCs from the MENA region will be coming together to discuss the means and mechanisms through which they could work in tandem with our global GBC family to reduce the negative impacts of global warming through green building,” said Mohammad Asfour, Regional Head, World GBC MENA Regional Network.

The round table will be spon-sored by Majid Al Futtaim and will be followed by a regional meeting, whereby regional GBCs will be providing updates on their latest developments and joint ventures.

QGBC to attend 1st regional round table event to go green

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The students of Social Work course at Qatar University distributed winter-kits and other aid to workers under a Qatar Charity’s Local Winter Aids Programme, along with its International Winter Campaign.

The students prepared winter bags with the necessary supplies and helped distribute to the workers.

The programme aims at achieving the goals of Humanitarian Partnership Office, at Student Activities headquarters of Qatar University to lay foundations of human-itarian solidarity values

The winter campaign launched by Qatar Charity at the beginning of the season is considered as a part of commu-nity contributions that Qatar Charity strives to provide in order to lay the foun-dations of social solidarity values.

Qatar Charity believes that the pro-tection of workers’ rights and their safety are important elements of the system of institutional values that works to make a positive difference in the lives of these workers, which will benefit to maintain safety and security in the community as well. Workers’ Assistance Programmes are core programs of Qatar Charity,

whether they are cleaners, construction and farm workers, guards or others. The donations and contributions are received from companies, hotels and schools to provide support to workers in Qatar throughout the year, not only in winter.

It is worth mentioning that last year Qatar Charity has partnered with human-itarian and charitable organizations, in cooperation with the Ministry of Munici-pality and Environment to provide winter bags to single workers, in addition to pro-viding first aid kit and conducting their medical tests.

Fareed Khaleel Al Siddieqy, Director of Projects and Local Centers, at Qatar Charity, said: now we reap the benefits of Humanitarian Partnership Office, estab-lished recently at Qatar University to enhance voluntary work, unlock the cre-ative thinking potential of the university youth and take the initiative to design and implement realistic programs, which accommodate the potential and turn it into practical outputs in order to serve Qatari Community. Khaleel Al Siddieqy thanked the student of Social Work course at Qatar University for their good management of the project and adherence to the regula-tions and laws that govern and organise the work.

QU students distribute winter-kits to workers

The students of Social Work course at Qatar University distributing winter-kits and other aid to workers under a Qatar Charity’s Local Winter Aids Programme.

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Professor Daniel Brumberg, Co-Director of Democracy and Govern-ance Studies at Georgetown University, addressed in his recent talk at Georgetown University in Qatar’s Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS).

How has the relation-ship between Iran and the United States shifted since the start of Donald Trump’s presidency? And what does the future hold? These were some of the questions that Professor Daniel Brumberg talked about in the event at Georgetown University in Qatar’s Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS).

Brumberg, who also teaches GU-Q students

remotely from the Univer-sity’s Main Campus in Washington, DC, explored the countries’ complicated diplomatic history in his lecture.

He explained that the US had no clear Iranian strategy for many years, and was left with limited options in the face of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and rising regional influence.

“We had a very short menu of choices: you can either go to war, and there’s no such thing as a short term war,” he explained. “Another alternative is engagement in diplomacy (some sort of negotiated outcome) and another alternative is containment and deterrence. You have to choose, and for a long time, American policy

makers didn’t want to choose.”

The scholar explained that the nuclear agreement, negotiated under former US President Barack Obama, was a diplomatic effort that provided clearer strategic aims for the United States’ relationship with Iran. He stressed the importance of this agree-ment for stability in the greater Middle East region.

“Daniel Brumberg is one of the most astute observers of Iran,” said CIRS Director Dr. Mehran Kamrava. “He has always been one of those scholars who has continued to shape the discipline, with his research greatly influ-encing how we understand the evolving nature of authoritarianism in the Middle East.” Brumberg has authored and edited

numerous books on Iran, including Reinventing Kho-meini, The Struggle for Reform in Iran, and Con-flict, Identity, and Reform in the Muslim World: Chal-lenges for U.S. Engagement, and Power and Political Change in Iran. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago has previously served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development.

Established in 2005, CIRS is a research institute devoted to the academic study of regional and inter-national issues through dialogue and exchange of ideas, research and schol-arship, and engagement with national and interna-tional scholars, opinion-makers, practitioners, and activists.

US had no clear Iranian strategy: GU-Q professor

Professor Daniel Brumberg, Co-Director of Democracy and Governance Studies at Georgetown University and CIRS Director Dr. Mehran Kamrava during the talk.

RAYNALD C RIVERA

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: There is more to Shop Qatar 2018 than just shopping with a plethora of side events and activities which kicked off yesterday at partic-ipating malls, living up to its name as the biggest festival of its kind in the country.

More than the discounts, promo-tions and prizes, the second edition of Shop Qatar is expected to drive footfall to shopping malls and other venues with plenty of workshops, masterclasses, fashion shows, con-certs and in-mall entertainment for various ages and interests.

Following the spectacular opening event on Sunday, malls have begun holding workshops and pop up shops yesterday revolving around the Ara-bian Week theme.

Visitors thronged various pop up shops at the malls including pearl art pop-up shop at Al Khor Mall, canvas art pop-up shop at Lagoona Mall, dhow art pop-up shop at City Center Doha, sand art pop-up shop at The Gate Mall and pottery pop-up shop at Tawar Mall. An eggshell planting workshop was held at Ezdan Mall. The

pop up art shops will be alternating at participating malls throughout the week.

Tomorrow, over 100 creations by well-known Arab designers will take the runway at the Arabian Fashion Show, which is one of the highlights of this week. To be held at the Mon-drian Hotel at 7pm, the show will fea-ture designs by celebrity fashion designers including Kuwaiti designers Yousef AlJasmi and Sakba and Meriem Bel Khayat from Morocco.

Arabic music lovers will have the chance to watch famous Lebanese singers Yara and Joseph Attieh per-form their hits live on Friday, 8pm at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Another highlight of the week is Kuwaiti celebrity makeup artist Hanan Al Najada’s makeup

masterclass on Saturday, 4pm at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Other Arabian Week highlights are children’s enter-tainment at Landmark Mall including balloon twist colouring activities and henna from 4pmto 7pm today, walk-in wardrobe & beauty lounges at Doha Festival City tomorrow from 5pm to 7pm, Omani cultural show at The Gate Mall at 5.30pm and 6pm, and Aladdin and the Genie children’s show at Hyatt Plaza from 4pm to 4.50pm on Friday.

The first weekly raffle draw will be held on Thursday, 7.30pm at Mall of Qatar where 13 cash prizes worth QR500,000, one BMW 730 Li and one BMW 530i will be given away to lucky shoppers.

Those who wish to enjoy outdoor activities may visit the ongoing Souq Waqif Spring Festival which has over 60 attractions and activities including over 30 amusement rides and games, live entertainment and more than 20 food stalls. Under the theme ‘A Brand New Tradition’, this year’s shopping festival aimed at supporting the coun-try’s vibrant retail sector as well as drive tourism, offers 31 days of big shopping promotions, activities and events spread in uniquely themed weeks.

Shop Qatar: Plethora of events delights visitors

Tomorrow, over 100 creations by well-known Arab designers will take the runway at the Arabian Fashion Show, which is one of the highlights of this week.

Ties reviewed with Somalia

The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, met yesterday with Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development of Somalia, Jamal Mohamed Hassan. The meeting discussed bilateral relations and ways of developing them, in addition to matters of common concern.

The scholar explained that the nuclear agreement, negotiated under former US President Barack Obama, was a diplomatic effort that provided clearer strategic aims for the United States’ relationship with Iran. He stressed the importance of this agreement for stability in the greater Middle East region.

06 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018HOME

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: To spur personal and professional growth by offering local community access to development opportunities, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation, announced the launch of its Spring 2018 community classes.

The diverse range of public classes on offer includes courses on public speaking, customer service, leadership, and executive development for female leaders.

The community classes, which are scheduled to begin early February, are to be deliv-ered by local and international experts. Each course typically runs for one to two weeks. A discounted registration period will end on January 15, and reg-ular registration will continue until January 20.

VP of Student Affairs, Maryam Al Mannai, said, “Pro-fessional growth of the larger community around the Univer-sity has always been an impor-tant organisational objective at HBKU. As such, we consider it both our privilege and respon-sibility to engage with the com-munity around us in growth and development-focused activities.”

Maryam Al Mannai also added that HBKU is keen to establish close relationships with members of the commu-nity through shared

experiences and provision of training and development opportunities across all fields – including arts, science, sports, and research – to enhance human potential.

“The doors to our univer-sity are always open to our greater community – we wel-come our community members’ involvement in our public pro-grammes as both students and subject matter experts.”

HBKU’s Power of Positive Leadership community class, which is scheduled for February 4 – 13, seeks to equip students with a thorough understanding of leadership, and how it may be exercised to inspire teams at the workplace.

Master Public Speaking and Overcome the Fear of Speaking in Public, is scheduled for Feb-ruary 4 – 18 and designed to help attendees strengthen their ability to articulate in public settings – a skill that is essen-tial to succeed in any profes-sional environment. The course includes modules on the fun-damentals of public speaking as well as practical exercises that are involved in communi-cating verbal and non-verbal messages effectively.

Finally, Al Jiwan: A Pro-gram for Qatari Women Leaders is scheduled for Feb-ruary 5 – 18. To register, inter-ested individuals are advised to go to the following link and register: www.hbku.edu.qa/community-classes.

Global experts to share knowledge at HBKU ‘Spring 2018’

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collabora-tion with Al Fardan Automo-biles, dealer of BMW vehicles in Qatar, announced the recall of BMW Series 7 Saloon and Series 5 Saloon models of 2015-2017 over possible corruption in software

The Ministry said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle repairs.

The Ministry also said that it will coordinate with the dealers to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are car-ried out. Customers are also urged to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through the fol-lowing channels:

* Call Center: 16001* Email: info@mec.gov.qa* Social media accounts:* Twitter: @MEC_Qatar* Instagram: MEC_Qatar

BMW Series 7 & 5 Saloon models of 2015-2017 recalled

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: As part of its ongoing partnership with the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF), Aspetar provided comprehen-sive world-class medical serv-ices at the ATP Qatar Exxon Mobil Open 2018 for the seventh consecutive year.

The tournament, which ran from January 1 to 6, featured some of the world’s greatest tennis players, including world number five Dominic Thiem; number ten, Pablo Carreno Busta; number 19, Tomas Ber-dych; and number 46, Gaël Mon-fils, who was crowned the Qatar ExxonMobil Open Champion for 2018.

Aspetar’s team of experts included sports medicine

physicians, physiotherapists, massage therapists, podiatrists, emergency medical staff, and paramedics.

Commenting on the occa-sion, Dr. Scott Gillogly, Chief Medical Officer at Aspetar, said: “We are proud to continue our work with the Qatar Tennis Fed-eration. Since 2011, Aspetar has been the official and exclusive Medical Partner for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open as part of our long-term partnership agree-ment. This is an extension of our on-going efforts to provide inte-grated sports medical care in support of all local and interna-tional tournaments held in Qatar, while ensuring fast, on-the-spot reaction to any injury obtained during play.”

As part of its efforts to

prevent injuries and ensure players are fit to compete at their highest performance level, Aspetar also offers customised physiotherapy solutions.

Players can receive use Asp-etar’s state-of-the-art rehabil-itation facilities, designed to treat injured athletes from all over the world.

Held consistently since 1993, the ATP Qatar Exxon Mobil Open has become a pacesetter on the ATP World Tour’s 250 series and represents the highest prize-money event of the Tour.

In addition to its support for the ATP Qatar Exxon Mobil Open 2018, Aspetar will provide med-ical support to the WTA Qatar Total Open 2018, which is scheduled to take place in February.

Aspetar provided medical services at ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: In the framework of its ongoing development plan of communication channels with its customer base, Ezdan Real Estate - a subsidiary of the Ezdan Holding Group - has launched a three-dimensional walk-through service on its website and its smart phone applications, in a move to enable users to view and roam around the various resi-dential units.

Ezdan Real Estate has devel-oped 3D technology and applied it in all its properties, providing real like visualisation of the unit and explore its details in a per-fect interactive manner. Such technology allows users to walk around the house and view all the layout as if you are actually there.

It uses a high-quality camera equipped with a laser to measure dimensions and take panorama or 360 degrees snapshots. This would create a “true” feel for of what the space looks like and help the user navigate through the space either with naked eye or using virtual reality headset through any computer, tablet or phone.

In this regard, Acting Gen-eral Manager of Ezdan Real Estate, Omar Al Yafey, said, “We are pleased to unveil this service, compatible with all types of computers and smart phones, allowing a unique experience for our clients to enjoy such modern technology and have the possi-bility to roam around our prop-erties in 3D. The technology is user-controlled, affordable and convenient way to enable poten-tial home seekers to take a vir-tual walk-through of our prop-erties online without wasting time and effort.”

He added: “3D imaging tech-nology reflects the future vision of realty marketing, as it helps

to motivate interested and potential customers before vis-iting the site for real. This tech-nology has become a powerful tool to reach customers in an easy, fast and clear-cut way.”

“Ezdan Real Estate is con-stantly keen to develop new ways to connect with our cus-tomers. We spare no effort to make use and adopt modern technology in our business to market our properties and ensure our clients satisfaction. Live 3D interactive walk-through technology enables our customers to navigate in our properties online and from any-where in the world. This has made Ezdan Real Estate the first company in Qatar to use such technology,” Al Yafey noted.

It is worth mentioning that 3D viewing technology is a vir-tual visualisation of the property, in which photos and videos of the premises are used in an interactive and smooth way. With this technology, one can easily share and download the property video on the Internet, social media and text messages, in addition to WhatsApp and o t h e r s m a r t p h o n e applications.

3D view of Ezdan features is online

Views of various Ezdan properties.

Ezdan Real Estate has developed 3D technology and applied it in all its properties, providing real like visualisation of the unit and explore its details in a perfect interactive manner.

Aspetar’s team of experts poses at ATP Qatar Exxon Mobil Open 2018.

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Vodafone Qatar announced yesterday that Red Customers can now exclu-sively enjoy roaming using all their local in-plan data in 20 countries for free till March 28, 2018.

No activation is required for this. All a customer needs to do is use the Internet like they’re at home and their in-plan Vodafone Global Data will take care of the rest. Red gives customers the ideal fix for a major travel bugbear that affects more than one third (36%) of people according to Vodafone research – exces-sive mobile phone bills when travelling.

Vodafone Global Data is available in the following countries where Vodafone operates: UK, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Spain, Hun-gary, Portugal, Australia, India, Romania, Czech Republic, Ire-land, South Africa, Malta, Netherlands, Greece, New Zealand, Albania and Ghana.

“We’re constantly looking to bring the best of our busi-ness to benefit customers in Qatar. Red is a perfect example of our focus on deliv-ering game changing products and services that enable cus-tomers to confidently connect to the people and things that matter most,” said Diego Cam-beros, Commercial Director, Vodafone Qatar.

Vodafone announces new promotion

07TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 HOME / MIDDLE EAST

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) Primary Health Care Centre in Syria has stopped working due to heavy shelling. The centre is located in Idlib and it was completely destroyed in the aerial bombardment, tweeted QRCS.

“On January 7 2018, the Qatar Red Crescent Society Pri-mary Health Care Center, located in Idlib Governorate, Ma’arat Al Nu’man, was almost completely destroyed as a result of aerial bombardment,” the tweet said.

QRCS has been providing support in the medical sector in Syria, by providing medica-tions, medical equipment, and fuel to help health facilities

absorb the increasing numbers of injuries, amid deteriorating

health conditions country wide due to the conflict.

QRCS centre in Syria stops working due to shelling

A view of the damaged building of Qatar Red Crescent Society Primary Health Care Center in Syria.

AMNA PERVAIZ RAO

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The nurseries and kindergartens prepare them-selves for inspections after the warning issued by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs to all entities running similar activi-ties sans licenses.

Several nurseries and kin-dergartens take proper care of all the safety, hygiene and health measure on daily bases to keep the parents trust strong. The Ministry has warned all the individuals and the legal enti-ties in the State from receiving children for holding similar activities, said the Ministry on its Facebook page.

The Ministry highlighted that it issued notice “due to serious health and safety risk

for children that might result from such a practice”.

Talking to The Peninsula, Sufera Ashraf, Principal at The Springfield Nursery, Doha Branch, said: “Inspections at our nursery happen quite often. Inspectors from different departments like health, safety and education come and inspect, few of them come sur-prisingly. We get our licenses renewed by September each year as with the renewal we are able to access the website through which we admit and remove children from our nursery. If the nursery is not licensed by the Ministry of Edu-cation they cannot admit children.”

Talking more about the inspections, she said: “Since September to December last year, four inspections were

done by different departments. A person has been appointed by the Ministry who remains in contact with our administration all the time. Ministry has appointed two supervisors each from different departments to come and inspect.”

Few kindergartens in the city are also aware of the Min-istry’s warning issuance, due to which they are now careful and follow strict rules and regula-tions to face the inspectors for surprise visits anytime now.

“Our Kindergarten section takes proper care of children’s safety, health and hygiene. School administration keeps a close eye on children’s lunch; we do not allow children bringing junk food. Their lunch time is supervised by a teacher until they finish their meals then they are sent to the playing area

to enjoy. We have canteen which serves children with food approved by the Health Min-istry. Safety precautions are taken by the teachers strictly as well, children are not allowed to go with someone who is not blood relative to children,” said Mubaraka Nouman, head mis-tress of kindergarten wing at Pakistan International School.

Different ministries visit schools and kindergartens to check their security and hygiene measures. She said: “The Min-istry visits our school and keeps an eye on our canteens, play areas and especially washrooms in order to check our hygienic measures.

The visits are sometimes surprise but we are always pre-pared for such visits as we ensure the parents the safety and care of their child.”

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Qatar Airways Group has demonstrated significant improvement in environmental performance across its business interests, including airline and airport operations, catering serv-ices, retail outlets and hotels.

Qatar Airways has continued to improve how efficiently it uses aviation fuel, making airline operations 2.5 percent more carbon efficient than the previous year, said the Group in its Sus-tainability Report 2016-17 released yesterday.

The airline’s ongoing fuel optimisation programme focuses on reducing weight, route opti-misation, aircraft operations on the ground and technical per-formance. The airline demon-strated constant and rapid

growth during 2016-17, with 14 percent more passenger and cargo flights carrying signifi-cantly more passengers, adding 10 new routes to its global net-work, and growing its fleet from 182 to 196 aircraft in the 12 month period ending 31 March 2017.

Hamad International Airport exhibited similar growth in 2016-17, serving 38.2 million passen-gers, managing 250,419 aircraft movements and handling 1.8 mil-lion tonnes of cargo.

During 2016-17, the airport achieved an 11.9 percent improvement in carbon effi-ciency per passenger when com-pared to the previous year. It also became the first airport in the Gulf Co-operation Council to achieve Level 3 of Airports Council International’s carbon accreditation programme and set

a new target to improve its carbon efficiency per passenger by 30 percent before 2030.

Qatar Airways “Our environmental per-

formance demonstrates that

Qatar Airways takes its leader-ship role in the international avi-ation community very seriously. We lead by example in environ-mental matters, particularly the management of our carbon

emissions and the protection of wildlife and endangered species,” said Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways.

“As a global airline serving more than 150 destinations on six continents, every corner of the globe is important to us. We are committed to our own sustaina-bility journey as well as to con-tributing to the aviation indus-try’s target of carbon-neutral growth from 2020,” he added.

The Sustainability Report provides many other examples of Qatar Airways Group’s envi-ronmental commitments in man-aging network growth, airport operations, waste management, water conservation, and pro-tecting endangered wildlife. For example, Qatar Airways Group continues its dedication to the global fight against the illegal

trade in endangered wildlife, and this year it developed plans to improve detection within its cargo and passenger network. Qatar Airways Group continues to collaborate with its peers, international bodies and regula-tory authorities to tackle this important issue at the industry level.

The report outlines Qatar Air-ways Group‘s plans for environ-mental improvement to ensure sustainable growth across its operations. It reveals how the careful implementation of the principles and the processes of its environmental management systems throughout the Group is embedding a culture of environ-mental responsibility amongst its workforce. This is paramount as the airline continues its robust growth trajectory.

QA Group improves environmental performance

Kindergartens follow norms to win trust

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The report has classified victims of the crisis into four categories including Qatari individuals who were residing in the blockading countries and citizens of those countries residing in Qatar and compelled to immediate exit Qatar upon decisions of blockading states.

The report indicated that the measures taken by the siege countries, individuals left behind their family, businesses, employment, property, or being forced to interrupt their studies.

The third category is the migrant workers and their fam-ilies, who constitute the majority of the population of Qatar, some of whom have lost their employment and have been facing increased economic pressure.

The population of the Gulf countries at large have been affected by the suspension of freedom of movement between their countries and the reper-cussions on various civil, eco-nomic, social and cultural rights.

The report officially described the measures taken by the countries of the blockade lacking legal deci-sions motivating, unilateral, coercive measures as defined and standardised by the United Nations.

The measures also described as non-dispropor-tionate and discriminatory and make no distinction between the government of Qatar and its population.

The report also states that the considerable economic impact of the crisis takes over the dimension of an economic warfare, with significant finan-cial losses for the State, com-panies, and individuals; where Qatar has effectively absorbed

the shock.The mission submitted its

report and recommendations to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The report stressed the negative and deep psycholog-ical impact on the population as a result of the campaigns of incitement, media defamation and campaigns against Qatar, its leadership, and people.

The report stressed the need to communicate with the four countries to determine the impact of their actions on their citizens and residents.

Dr Al Marri made several recommendations, urging the government of Qatar not engage in dialogue before lifting the siege or redressing the victims.

He also urged the govern-ment to refer the report in sup-porting complaints before the World Trade Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and UNESCO. As well, raise the issue at international and regional forums, UN organisa-tion including the UN General Assembly to lift the unjust blockade.

The Commission has called upon the national compensa-tion claims committee to expe-dite the proceedings of litiga-tion and international arbitration and depending on the report of the mission to facilitate the role of the appointed International Law Office.

The NHRC President also urged the OHCHR to move fur-ther at all levels of interna-tional human rights mecha-nisms and the United Nations Human Rights Council to raise the issue and promote the complaints against the block-ading countries.

No talks before lifting siege, says QNHRC

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

As for the buildings permit’s information, the bulletin showed that total number of permits reached 838 permits during November 2017, recording a monthly decrease of 2.3 percent in comparison with the previous month October 2017.

Total broad money supply (M2) recorded about QR589.7bn during the month of November 2017 showing an annual increase of 18.9 percent compared with November 2016 from last year. On the other hand, cash equiva-lents (including deposits) attained for QR802.3bn during November 2017. The figure has recorded an annual increase of 16.1 percent in comparison with November 2016 from last year, as it recorded approximately QR 690.8bn.

Public sector commercial bank deposits surge

REUTERS

TUNIS: Tunisian police yesterday fired tear gas and clashed with hundreds of people protesting against unemploy-ment, high prices and new taxes in two towns, residents said.

Tunisia, widely seen in the West as the only democratic suc-cess among nations where “Arab Spring” revolts took place in 2011, is suffering increasing eco-nomic hardship. The dinar hit a record low on Monday on trade deficit data and other factors.

The North African country raised from January 1 the price of gasoil and some goods as well taxes on cars, phone calls, the Internet, hotel accommodation and other items, part of austerity measures agreed with its foreign

lenders.The economy has been in

crisis since a 2011 uprising unseated the old regime and two major militant attacks in 2015 hit the tourism sector, which

comprises 8 percent of GDP and is a key source of foreign revenues.

Police fired tear gas in the central city of Thala to disperse hundreds demanding more development and jobs while protesting against high inflation.

The protesters burned wheels and threw stones at the police, Mohamed Hedi Omria, a resident, told Reuters. Clashes were also reported from Kas-serine, another impoverished central town where hundreds protested against price increases.

In the capital Tunis security forces dispersed small protests late on Sunday against rising prices and taxes.

On Monday, about 300

people took to the streets in the central Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, cradle of the country’s Arab Spring revolution, carrying banners aloft with slogans denouncing high prices.

A lack of tourists and new foreign investors scared of tur-moil pushed the trade deficit up by 23.5 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2017 to a record high $5.8 billion, official data showed at the end of December.

Concerns about the rising deficit have hurt the dinar, sending it to 3.011 versus the euro on Monday, breaking the psychologically important three dinar mark for the first time, traders said.

The currency is likely to weaken further, said local finan-

cial risk expert Mourad Hattab.“The sharp decline of the

dinar threatens to deepen the trade deficit and make debt service payments tighter, which will increase Tunisia’s financial difficulties,” he said.

Hattab said the dinar may fall to 3.3 versus the euro in the coming months due to high demand for foreign currency and little expectation of inter-vention from the authorities.

Last year, former Finance Minister Lamia Zribi said the central bank would reduce its interventions so that the dinar steadily declined in value, but it would prevent any dramatic slide.

The central bank has denied any plans to liberalise the cur-rency but Hattab said Monday’s

decline showed there was an “undeclared float” of the dinar.

A weaker currency could further drive up the cost of imported food after the annual inflation rate rose to 6.4 percent in December, its highest rate since July 2014, from 6.3 percent in November, data showed on Monday.

Tunisia is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to speed up policy changes and help its economy recover from militant attacks.

The 2018 budget raises taxes on cars, alcohol, phone calls, the internet, hotel accommodation and other items. It also raises customs taxes on some products imported from abroad, such as cosmetics, and some agricultural products.

Tunisian police disperse protests against price hikesThe protesters burned wheels and threw stones at the police, Mohamed Hedi Omria, a resident, told Reuters. Clashes were also reported from Kasserine, another impoverished central town where hundreds protested against price increases.

Electric vehicles deployed by Qatar Airways at airport.

Addressing a two-day gathering of senior legislators of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Kuwait Emir H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah has warned that

the “deteriorating circumstances in the Gulf” is a challenge to all the member states. His concern came in the wake of the illegal and unjustifiable siege against the State of Qatar that entered its eighth month without any sign of ease.

As the main mediator in the stand-off, Kuwait has called for dialogue to resolve the dispute. The Kuwait Emir, in his opening speech, stressed the need for cooperation and consultation at all levels in order to face the deteriorating situation in the region and the growing challenges for the GCC.

Last month, the heads of state from the three boycotting states skipped the 38th GCC summit hosted by Kuwait, while the UAE and Saudi Arabia announced the formation of a new economic and military partnership, separate from the GCC. But, Kuwait said at that time the GCC would continue to operate and carry out its duties despite the spat and yesterday the Emir reiterated that collective action is the only way to address the challenges the GCC States are facing.

The blockade against Qatar has separated families, infringed on the right of free expression, and interrupted medical care and education. It also has reached at a level of breaching individual and religious freedom.

It was widely reported that Qatari people, for the first time in history, were denied the right to perform the Haj, the highest religious duty in Islam, by the Saudi authorities last year. Many Qataris were expelled from the Grand Mosque in Makkah while performing Umrah, immediately after the siege was announced.

Preventing Qataris from performing the Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage, is

continuing as the Saudi authorities last week deported a group of 20 Qatari nationals from Jeddah airport to Kuwait, after two days in detention at the facility, while they were on their way to perform the religious duty. Denying a religious duty by any means is not acceptable legally or morally. Qatar’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had filed a complaint in this regard during the Haj days to the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion and to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

When the region is facing a volatile situation, the unity and integrity of the countries in the region are of utmost importance and any attempt to destabilise it will threaten the peace and tranquility of the nations and its citizens. Regional tensions should be tackled through political engagement and not by imposing unilateral measures. Qatar has always called for dialogue to resolve any dispute. Arrogance and bullying will not solve issues. Kuwait Emir’s wise words should be taken in its spirit.

IN the more than three months since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, a lot of excuses have

been offered to explain the failure to restore power and provide other critical services to American citizens who live on the island. Like the enormity of the devastation. Or the complexity of the work. Or the difficulty of getting workers and supplies to a place surrounded by water. Yadda yadda yadda.

The real reasons for the deplorable response to conditions in Puerto Rico are clear: the island’s lack of political muscle and the mainland’s lack of political will. As a US territory, Puerto Rico has no US senator, no vote in the House and no electoral votes in presidential elections — and so it is all too easy for the White House and Congress to turn a blind eye to the needs of its vulnerable population.

More than 100 days after Maria swept the island on September 20, nearly half of its residents — more than 1.5 million people — remain in the dark, and officials are now saying it will take to the end of February to restore most power. Hard-to-reach rural areas will not get

power until the end of May — “just in time,” the New York Times noted, “for the 2018 hurricane season.”

Lack of power is seen as a major factor in the higher death rates that occurred after the storm passed, and it continues to pose a danger as Puerto Rico struggles with limited resources, strained health-care services and the worsening of an already-poor economy.

If this were happening in any state — including another group of islands, Hawaii - there would be uninterrupted media attention and demands for action. As Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., put it following a visit this week to Puerto Rico: “If this were happening in Connecticut, there would be riots in the streets.”

Some of the blame for the prolonged power outage — which energy experts say is unprecedented in modern US history — falls on the island’s electric power authority and its questionable decision to entrust restoration work to a tiny Montana company.

That, though, does not let the federal government off the hook for a delayed response, bungled coordination and insufficient resources. Adding insult to injury was Congress’s enactment of a

sweeping tax plan that punishes Puerto Rico with new business taxes even as a stalemate developed over disaster relief.

It is time to stop shortchanging Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump needs to acknowledge that more needs to be done and done sooner. Congress needs to allocate the resources sufficient to help Puerto Rico get back on its feet, including ensuring Medicaid costs will be covered. If not, there will be a further exodus of Puerto Ricans from the ravaged island to the mainland, where — need we remind the White House and lawmakers — their votes will count.

Regional tensions should be tackled through political engagement and not by imposing unilateral measures. Qatar has always called for dialogue to resolve any dispute.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

08 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018VIEWS

EDITORIAL

Call for unity

QUOTE OF THE DAY

We need more than one percent of

European GDP, quite clearly, if we are to

pursue European policies and fund them

adequately.

Jean-Claude Juncker European Commission

Chief

Battle looms for rebel-held Syrian province after IS defeat

No more excuses. Puerto Rico needs help

BASSEM MROUE

AP

SYRIAN government forces and allied militiamen are advancing on the largest remaining rebel-held territory in the country’s

north, forcing thousands of civilians to flee toward the border with Turkey in freezing winter temperatures.

The offensive on Idlib — a large province in northwestern Syria packed with civilians and dominated by Al Qaeda-linked militants — was expected after the defeat of the Islamic State group late last year. Last week, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the main military operations against IS in Syria have ended and signaled that the focus would shift to Al Qaeda-linked militants.

The Idlib offensive carries significant risks. The province bordering Turkey is home to an estimated 2 million Syrians, including tens of thousands of people who fled fighting elsewhere. A full-blown government offensive could cause large-scale destruction and massive displacement.

Turkey, a supporter of the rebels, has deployed military observers in the province as part of a de-escalation deal with Iran and Russia, but that has not stopped the fighting on the ground or Russian airstrikes against the insurgents.

It is not clear how far the current offensive aims to reach, and recapturing the entire province is expected to be a

long and bloody process. Opposition activists say the main target for now appears to be the sprawling rebel-held air base of Abu Zuhour, on the southeastern edge of the province, and securing the Damascus-Aleppo road that cuts through Idlib province.

Over the past two months, troops backed by Russian airstrikes have captured more than 80 towns and villages in the northern parts of the nearby Hama province and breached Idlib itself for the first time since mid-2015.

The offensive gained more intensity on Christmas Day, when one of President Bashar Assad’s most trusted and experienced officers took command of the operation to extend the government’s presence toward Idlib and boost security for

the road that links the capital, Damascus, with Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

Brig. Gen. Suheil Al Hassan, also known among his troops as “Tiger,” has led elite forces to many victories against insurgents since the conflict began nearly seven years ago. He has been credited most recently with the defeat of IS in much of eastern Syria, including the months-long battle for the city of Deir el-Zour.

”Conditions on the ground are wretched for the rebels,” said an opposition activist based in northern Syriawho asked to be identified by his first name, Hassan, for fear of reprisals by insurgents. He said rebels are stuck in a two-front battle with government forces and remaining pockets of Islamic State militants. He said the Russian airstrikes have exacted a heavy toll.

Another opposition activist based in Hama province, Mohammed Al Ali, said the Russians and the Syrian government are “carpet bombing” villages before pushing into them.

”The Russian air strikes, weak fortifications and Islamic State attacks in Hama” have all helped government forces, he said by telephone.

Hassan and Al Ali said it is highly unlikely that government forces would march toward the provincial capital, also named Idlib, because it would set up a costly battle with highly experienced and well-armed Al Qaeda-linked insurgents. The province is dominated by the Levant Liberation Committee, which claims to have severed ties with Al Qaeda but is widely believed to still be affiliated with it.

Al Hassan’s chief mission for now appears to be securing the Damascus-Aleppo road.

In December 2016, Assad’s forces captured rebel-held parts of the city of Aleppo, marking the government’s biggest victory since the conflict began. The main road to the capital remained perilous, however, with insurgents attacking it from the west and IS from the east. The troops have since driven IS back, but the western side remains exposed.

Four days after Al Hassan took over operational command, troops managed to break through the militants’ heavy defenses and capture the town of Abu Dali, a link between Hama, Idlib and Aleppo.

Since then, thousands of people have been fleeing with their belongings amid harsh cold weather toward safer areas further north, including Idlib city and areas near the border with Turkey. Pro-opposition media say that more than 5,000 families have fled the violence over the past two weeks, some renting homes or staying in tents in open fields, others left homeless.

Last week, government forces advanced to within around 12 kilometers (8 miles) of Khan Sheikhoun, where a sarin nerve gas attack killed more than 90 people last year, prompting the US to launch a missile attack on Assad’s troops. Experts from the UN and other monitoring groups blamed the chemical attack on the government, which denied responsibility.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fighting through a network of activists, says that some 43 civilians, 57 militants and 46 pro-government forces have been killed since the offensive led by Al Hassan began on December 25. ”The regime wants to take the eastern part of Idlib province,” said the Observatory’s chief, Rami Abdurrahman. “Their aim is to remove any threat to the road” between Damascus and Aleppo, he said.

Al Hassan, a general with the country’s powerful Air Force intelligence service, has led elite forces to victory in Aleppo and across much of eastern Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Al Hassan during a visit to Syria last month, where he met him along with Assad and Russian officers at the Hemeimeem air base.

”Your Russian colleagues told me about your work and that you and your soldiers carry out the missions effectively,” Putin told Al Hassan as Assad and Russian officers looked on. “I hope that this cooperation will bring more success in the future.”

More than 100 days after Maria swept the island on September 20, nearly half of its residents — more than 1.5 million people — remain in the dark, and officials are now saying it will take to the end of February to restore most power.

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

BLOOMBERG

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fighting through a network of activists, says that some 43 civilians, 57 militants and 46 pro-government forces have been killed since the offensive led by Al Hassan began on December 25.

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DAVID N BOSSIE

THE WASHINGTON POST

AT about 2:20 a.m. the morning after Election Day, Kellyanne Conway’s

cellphone rang. It was the Associated Press calling the 2016 presidential election for the ultimate political outsider, Donald J Trump. When the call came there were about a dozen of us, senior campaign staff, along with Indiana Gov Mike Pence, R, his wife and the Trump family in the residence atop Trump Tower. I remember standing near Melania Trump after Conway shared the news. Mrs Trump was ecstatic that her husband had just been elected the 45th president of the United States. All of us were. I don’t remember Michael Wolff being in the room.

This week’s effort to undermine President Trump

and his administration comes in the form of Wolff’s trashy, headline-grabbing book, “Fire and Fury,” which first lady Melania Trump correctly said belongs in the “bargain fiction section.”

The explosive allegations in the book attributed to former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon are disappointing to many, including me. Bannon must have realised the distraction that such inflammatory rhetoric would do to the momentum of the Trump agenda that’s finally being achieved for the American people. It is inexcusable.

In our own recent book, “Let Trump Be Trump,” Corey Lewandowski and I offered a firsthand account of a campaign the likes of which this country had never seen. From the Mobile, Alabama,

“Trumpmania” event in August 2015 to our last stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, early on Election Day, Trump’s rallies were the driving force of his campaign. Millions of people packed arenas around the country, often standing in line for hours, to see their candidate.

And their candidate did not disappoint. Candidate Trump traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, visiting more than 200 cities over the course of the campaign. He worked 18-hour days, seven-day weeks, for months. At 71 years old, he is a machine.

If you couldn’t keep up with him, he’d leave you standing on the tarmac. Trump was motivated, driven and focused on one goal - defeat “Crooked Hillary” and “Make America Great Again.” The idea that he didn’t think he could win, or never wanted to become president, an assertion made by Wolff in his book, is ludicrous on its face. I know because I was there.

By the end of October, our data and poll numbers showed us pulling even with Hillary Clinton. We also knew we had the momentum. Anything can happen on Election Day — we knew that, too — but to say we were shocked by the outcome is nonsense. This is a narrative the mainstream media continues to push in an obvious attempt to delegitimise Trump’s election and his 304 electoral votes.

By the time Bannon, Conway and I took leadership roles in the campaign in mid-to-late August 2016, the president had already steamrolled through his primary opposition and secured the Republican nomination.

While we worked incredibly hard for him, no one won the election but him. The truth is, Trump, through sheer will and hard work, was responsible for 99.9 percent of his victory; the rest of the campaign team together accounted for something like 0.1 percent.

Though the president often confronts fake news, of which there is plenty, he now has to contend with a fake book that reads like the National Enquirer on steroids. In the introduction to “Fire and Fury,” Wolff concedes that many of the accounts in the book “are in conflict with one another” and that many “are baldly untrue.”

Respectable journalists don’t take liberties like these. Lewandowski and I certainly made sure we took no liberties in our book. We didn’t need to. The facts of Trump’s rise to the presidency are compelling enough without them.

While I can’t know for sure whether Bannon said all of the outrageous things that Wolff alleges, he publicly stated this week that he wants Trump and his “America first” agenda to succeed.

Make no mistake, from

the beginning, long before the campaign officially began, Trump himself decided on the agenda to Make America Great Again and he has worked to make his agenda a reality.

That goal is shared by all of us who work for and support Trump and by the 60-million-plus Americans who voted for him.

Over the past year, Trump has enacted historic reforms that are making America safe and prosperous again. Bannon should clear the air so that we can all get back to the business of Making America Great Again.

Bossie, president of Citizens United, was deputy campaign manager of the Trump campaign and deputy executive director of the Trump presidential transition team.

ON New Year’s day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivered an address full of mixed messages. He issued

nuclear threats but also offered to engage in a dialogue with South Korea, restore a hotline between the two capitals, and schedule talks at the demilitarised zone in Panmunjom. He even suggested that North Korean nationals participate in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

It is difficult to say what pushed the North Korean leader to relax his otherwise belligerent rhetoric. There is little intelligence available on the inner workings of his regime and these days even high-ranking visitors from China, North Korea’s main ally, are denied the courtesy of an audience with Kim Jong-un.

Nevertheless, it seems that Washington’s carrot and stick strategy might have worked. Although most of the world’s attention has been focused

on US President Donald Trump’s provocative tweets on North Korea, his administration has been quite busy working on the issue on various fronts.

Talks and military pressureDuring a June 2017 meeting with

then newly elected President Moon Jae-in, President Trump stated that the era of strategic patience is over, which clearly informed Kim Jong-un and other stakeholders that the failed polices of past US administrations would not be repeated.

Subsequently, the Trump administration led international efforts to increase pressure on North Korea. This includes United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions in August, September, and December of 2017— a significant achievement given the tensions between the US and Russia on Ukraine and Syria, and between the US and China on a wide range of security and trade issues. Meanwhile,

Washington put North Korea on the list of state sponsors of “terrorism”.

At the August ASEAN Regional Forum, the Trump administration also urged the ten-nation bloc not to serve as a safe place for North Korean business and diplomats to conduct illicit activities.

At the same time, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a number of occasions reiterated Washington’s readiness to sit down for talks with Pyongyang. In December, he even declared that the US was willing to talk to North Korea without any “precondition”.

The US has kept up military drills in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, including, Key Resolve, Foal Eagle, and the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises in the spring and summer. In December, the Vigilant Ace 18 exercise brought into South Korea the largest concentration of fifth-generation fighter jets.

With military exercises an important part of a comprehensive strategy, the Trump administration is unlikely to accommodate calls to pause military exercises in return for a North Korea pause in nuclear and missile tests. However, Washington conceded to postpone military drills until after the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.

Often overlooked as a motivation for North Korea accelerating its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in recent years is the institutional instability (despite its economic strength) of South Korea. In recent years, Seoul has been shaken by the arrest of a member of the National Assembly accused of operating a North-Korea-sponsored plot to overthrow the government; days-long filibusters; corruption investigations of politicians and business leaders; the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye; and an early presidential election.

When President Moon took office in May 2017, he faced a number of challenges, including North Korea’s increasing nuclear and ballistic tests, a US president with an aggressive approach to security and trade issues, and preparations for the February 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

President Moon’s left-of-centre predecessors were manipulated by Kim Jong-un’s father Kim Jong-il into providing cash, food aid, and investments. He will have to pursue a firmer position if he is to stand up to Pyongyang’s aggressive posturing.

President Moon and his compatriots want to show the world that despite North Korea’s threats, South Korea remains capable of hosting the Winter

Olympics. Seoul was already the victim of an unsuccessful North Korean plot to disrupt the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. In 1987 two North Korean agents put a bomb on a Seoul-bound aeroplane killing 115 people on board; the explosion was meant to wreck the Seoul airport, but the device exploded early.

Today, South Korea certainly would welcome the North’s participation as a competitor rather than have the North excluded as an enemy. However, this week’s meetings with North Korea and its participation in the Olympics will test President Moon’s wisdom and policies; he should avoid giving Kim Jong-un the military and public relations victories that he seeks.

China and JapanFrequently criticised by President

Trump for its failure to enforce sanctions, China now claims it will enhance UN sanctions enforcement, with a recent pledge to deal seriously with violations.

China must balance its resentment of US sanctions on Chinese businesspeople who transact with North Korea, anger at South Korea’s deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Defense system, and fears of a North Korea regime collapse with the more important goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. While it appears that China played no role in this week’s developments, it can be a productive player on the Korean Peninsula in 2018 if it wishes to do so.

Japan can also play an important role, but it needs work on its relations with South Korea. A wide gap in personal political ideologies exists between the conservative Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and progressive President Moon.

Former President Park’s views on North Korea policy aligned with Abe’s, and under Park’s leadership South Korea and Japan reached an agreement in 2015 on compensation for the crimes committed against women by the Japanese military in Korea during World War II.

Seoul’s plan to re-negotiate the agreement appeals to President Moon’s base but hurts relations with Tokyo. Amid rising nationalism, which will continue to increase as the enthronement of a new emperor in 2019 approaches, Japan is likely to watch this week’s developments with wariness.

The author advises clients on political risk in Asia.

Don’t believe Michael Wolff’s trashy efforts

The geopolitics behind the Korean Peninsula talks

ROSS DARRELL FEINGOLD

AL JAZEERA

09TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 OPINION

With military exercises an important part of a comprehensive strategy, the Trump administration is unlikely to accommodate calls to pause military exercises in return for a North Korea pause in nuclear and missile tests.

Over the past year, Trump has enacted historic reforms that are making America safe and prosperous again. Bannon should clear the air so that we can all get back to the business of Making America Great Again.

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12 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Sudanese students stone police on third day of bread price protestsKHARTOUM: Hundreds of Sudanese students yes-

terday threw rocks at riot police and were met with

tear gas salvoes on the third consecutive days of

protests over a doubling in bread prices, witnesses

said. They said police formed a cordon to force more

than 300 marchers onto the campus of Khartoum

University, the largest in Sudan, and continued to

fire tear gas at students chanting, “No, no, no to

price rises!” A smaller number of protesters gath-

ered in Kosti, Sudan’s biggest Nile river port 350 km

south of the capital, but were dispersed by baton-

wielding police. Street protests broke out across the

sprawling northeastern African country after bread

prices doubled following a government announce-

ment late last month that it was eliminating subsidies

in its 2018 budget.

83 dead in communal violence in Nigeria since December 31ABUJA: At least eighty-three people have been

killed in communal violence in Nigeria since Decem-

ber 31, government and police officials said, much

of it involving clashes between Muslim cattle herd-

ers and Christian farmers. The killings endanger

efforts by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring

security and stability to Nigeria — a central pledge

of his campaign for election in 2015. Muslim herds-

men, mainly of the Fulani ethnic group, and Christian

farmers often clash over the use of land in parts of

the Middle Belt. The region is one of Nigeria’s most

diverse, where religious, ancestral and cultural dif-

ferences have frequently kindled conflict.

Nigerian army says gang leader Don Wani dead in shoot-outWARRI: The Nigerian army says it has killed a gang

leader who was accused of planning a New Year’s

Day massacre that left 17 people dead. Army spokes-

man Col. Aminu Iliyasu says that Prince Igwedibia

— popularly known as Don Wani or Don Waney —

was killed on Saturday evening, along with two of his

lieutenants. The suspects were killed during a heavy

gunbattle with security officers in Enugu state. Igwed-

ibia had being accused of killing dozens of people

including police officers, ambushing security patrol

teams and kidnapping scores of others for ransom.

NEWS BYTES

AFP

TEHRAN: President Hassan Rowhani went all-in on yesterday with a push for greater civil liberties in the wake of the deadly unrest that rocked Iran in recent days.

“The problem we have today is the gap between offi-cials and the young generation,” he told officials, according to the presidency website.

“Our way of thinking is dif-ferent to their way of thinking. Their view of the world and of life is different to our view. We want our grand-children’s gen-eration to live as we lived, but we can’t impose that on them.”

It was a radical call to arms for change, one that has grown more pressing for the reformist faction as it became, for once, the target of the protests that swept the country for several days over the new year.

Although many of the slo-gans turned against the Islamic system as a whole, chants of “Death to Rowhani” showed that many had lost faith in his promise of gradual reform.

Since May, his failure to appoint any women to his cab-inet or make any progress on freeing political prisoners has left many disillusioned with the moderate president and his reformist allies.

Rowhani was quick to say the unrest called for urgent efforts to improve the govern-ment’s transparency and liber-alise its conservative-skewed media.

He said internet restric-tions, including the block placed on Iran’s most popular

social media app Telegram midway through the unrest, should “not be indefinite”.

“Saying that the complaints of the population are limited to economic questions is an insult and will send us down the wrong path,” he said.

The reformist faction has backed this line, with many calling for greater freedom to protest peacefully.

Yesterday’s reformist papers all focused on the Tehran city council decision to set aside a dedicated place for protests on the model of Hyde Park in London or Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

But many dismissed the idea as a gimmick.

“What about other cities?” wrote conservative analyst Nasser Imani in the govern-ment’s Iran newspaper.

“The main problem is we lack a culture of criticism,” he said, calling for the security forces to “gradually have less fear of people’s rallies”.

Hardliners, who have repeatedly attacked Rowhani’s austerity policies, say all the talk of civil liberties is a distrac-tion from the “simple problems” of the poor.

QNA

CAIRO: The Arab League has warned that reducing the budget of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Pales-tine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will have serious repercus-sions on its operations and services to some 5 million Palestinian refu-gees, which will seriously affect their living, education and health condi-tions.

The Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a statement that the US position on UNRWA was only one of a series of actions and nega-tive attitudes adopted by the admin-istration in the past period, beginning with the decision by the American President to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and his intention to transfer the embassy there, through the restrictions on the Office of the Palestine Liberation Organi-zation in Washington, and the deci-sion to cut US aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Rowhani in reform push after unrest

Arab League warns of danger of reducing UNRWA funding

REUTERS

JUBA: The South Sudanese govern-ment yesterday declared army chief of staff General Paul Malong a rebel and accused him of being behind a series of attacks last week.

Malong, who had led President Salva Kiir’s campaign against rebels, has been under house arrest since May after Kiir sacked him following a string of military resignations by senior generals alleging abuses and ethnic bias. Malong initially fled the capital Juba for his home state of

Aweil following his dismissal, raising the possibility he might join opposi-tion forces, before returning to Juba.

Malong loyalists started joining rebels and in November, Kiir released Malong to exile in Kenya.

South Sudan, which became the world’s newest country after split-ting from Sudan in 2011, plunged into war in late 2013 after Kiir sacked his deputy, Riek Machar.

The dispute erupted into fighting that spread across the country, largely along ethnic lines between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar.

Kiir’s spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said Malong was ordering his commanders in South Sudan to attack the government. He cited an audio recording obtained by its intelligence services. “Malong is a former chief of staff of the army but in accordance with the tape, he’s a rebel. The gov-ernment and the security committee will come with an appropriate response,” he told a news conference. Lucy Ayak, Malong’s wife, said the accusations were baseless.

“This audio is a fake audio recording,” she told Reuters by

phone from Nairobi. “Every time government is accusing him that he wants to launch an attack, which is not true. Last week, clashes broke out near Juba between government troops and rebels, the latest viola-tion of a ceasefire signed in December.

The deal reached in the Ethio-pian capital Addis Ababa between Kiir’s government and a myriad of opposition groups had aimed to end the four-year-old war in which tens of thousands of people have been killed.

REUTERS

MOSCOW: Pilotless drones carrying explosives attacked Russian bases in Syria over the weekend without causing any casualties or damage, Russia’s defence ministry said yesterday.

“Ten drones carrying explosives attacked the Rus-sian air base at Hmeimim and three others targeted the Russian naval base in Tartus”, both in western Syria, the ministry said in a statement run by Russian press agencies.

The “terrorist” attacks took place on Friday night causing “neither casualties nor material damage”, the statement said.

“The Hmeimim and Tartus bases continue to operate normally,” the min-istry added.

Of the 13 drones used in the attacks, seven were destroyed while the six others were intercepted by the Russian army, it said.

The statement comes

days after Moscow announced that two Russian servicemen were killed in a mortar attack by Islamist militants at the Hmeimim air

base on New Year’s Eve.According to the Russian

Kommersant business daily, seven military planes were “practically destroyed” in

that attack, but the ministry dismissed the report as “fake”.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported

that Russian forces were on alert following drone attacks on the Hmeimim base, the largest Russian military base on Syrian territory.

After two years of Rus-sian military support for the regime of Syrian leader Bashar Al Assad, President Vladimir Putin announced in mid-December the par-tial withdrawal of forces from the country, saying their task in the war-torn country had been largely completed.

The size of the Russian deployment in Syria is not known but independent Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer told AFP that up to 10,000 troops and private contractors could have taken part in the conflict.

More than 330,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the Syrian war, which began in 2011 as the regime brutally crushed anti-government protests. Millions have been displaced.

South Sudan declares former army chief a rebel

Drone attack on Russian bases in Syria: Moscow

ANATOLIA

LONDON: Jerusalem should be the shared capital of the “Israeli and Palestinian states”, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said yesterday, following a meeting with Pales-tinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki.

“I reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and the two-state solution, the urgent need for renewed peace negotiations, and the UK’s clear and longstanding position on the status of Jerusalem: it should be deter-mined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jeru-salem should ultimately be the shared cap-ital of the Israeli and Palestinian states,” he said, according to a statement by the Foreign Office.

“The UK-Palestinian relationship is strong and long-standing and it was a pleasure to meet Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki to discuss our shared desire to

strengthen it further,” he added.British Prime Minister Theresa May had

reacted to the US President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel last month.

“We want to see a negotiated settlement

between the Israelis and Palestinians; we believe that should be based on a two-state solution that should be a sovereign and viable Palestinian state but also a secure and safe Israel,” May had told lawmakers at the House of Commons.

Jerusalem should be shared capital: UK

AFP

WASHINGTON: US Vice-President Mike Pence will leave next week on a high-stakes trip to Egypt, Jordan and Israel, a US official said, moving ahead with a Middle East tour delayed amid anger over Wash-ington’s policy shift on Jerusalem.

Initially set for late December, the trip was pushed back as the region reeled from deadly protests triggered by President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to

declare the Holy City as Israel’s capital — in a break with decades of US policy.

Pence will arrive in Cairo on January 20 for a meeting with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, heading the following day to Amman for a one-on-one with King Abdullah II. His trip will conclude on January 22-23 with a two-day visit to Israel, where he will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, deliver a speech to the Knesset, visit the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

Pence to travel to Mideast next week

Palestinian women gather to stage a protest against US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, in east of Shuja’iyya district in Gaza City, yesterday.

Smoke rises from buildings following air strikes on the rebel-held besieged town of Arbin, in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, Syria, yesterday.

“The problem we have today is the gap between officials and the young generation,” Iran President Hassan Rowhani told officials, according to the presidency website.

13TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 ASIA

International Kite FestivalKite-flying enthusiasts fly kites on the second day of the eight-day long International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, yesterday.

Police officers investigate the scene where fire broke out at a restaurant in Bengalaru, yesterday.

Five dead in Bengalaru as restaurant catches fireIANS

BENGALURU: Five employees of a restaurant here died yesterday as a blaze swept the premises leaving them no way of escape, police said. Two persons, including the establish-ment’s manager, have been arrested for alleged violation of safety norms.

“All the five men died when the Kailash Restaurant (in the city centre) caught fire around 2.30am,” Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner of Police, West MN Anucheth told reporters here. “We have registered a case of criminal negligence amounting to culpable homicide against owner RV Dayashankar, 58, who obtained the trade and liquor licences to run it.”

The fire occurred about 10 days after a fire incident in a rooftop restaurant claimed 14

lives in Mumbai on December 29.

Even as the owner was not traceable, his elder brother VR Prakash, 60, and manager Somashekar, 59 were arrested after police filed a case of crim-inal negligence amounting to culpable homicide under sec-tion 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to a police statement.

A case has also been regis-tered against the building owner, the statement added.

“We have arrested Prakash, who has been running it along with his brother for the past two years, and Somashekar and are on the lookout to locate and arrest Dayashankar,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (West) Niranjan Urs said.

Karnataka Director General of Fire and Emergency Services M N Reddi said the victims died

due to asphyxia than burns, as they suffocated in the absence of fresh air, ventilation and no exit door to escape.

“Preliminary inquiry revealed that prima facie the place had no fire extinguisher or other fire precautionary measures like an exit door, ven-tilation, exhaust fans or an escape way,” Reddi told reporters after inspecting the spot.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and police have been directed to inspect all restaurants, hotels and eateries across the city to check for safety norms, Reddi added.

The cause of the fire was, however, still unknown even 14 hours after it broke out. “Elec-trical short circuit is suspected to have sparked it,” said Anucheth.

China cuts troops in DoklamIANS

NEW DELHI: Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat yesterday said there has been a major reduction of Chinese troops in Doklam.

India and Chinese armies were locked in a 73-day stand-off at Doklam in the Sikkim sec-tion of their border.

The crisis was resolved in August last year after both sides retreated from the point of the face-off. But the Chinese beefed their presence in the plateau claimed by Thimpu and Beijing.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event here, the Army Chief also said the transgression inci-dent in Arunachal Pradesh, where Chinese workers entered Indian territory constructing a track, had been resolved.

“Tuting incident has been resolved,” Rawat said. Gen Rawat said a Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) took place two days back on the issue.

A Chinese road construc-tion party entered India on December 26 and was con-structing a track, around two kilometres away from the nearest Indo-Tibetan Border Police post.

An almost 600-metre-long and 12-feet wide track was built on the Indian territory when the Chinese party was stopped.

The Chinese labourers had entered the area inadvertently, according to a government report on the incident. The Chi-nese People’s Liberation Army

(PLA) troops were not involved in the incident.

Indian troops pushed back the labourers and seized their equipment. The incident came nearly four months after the end of the Dokalam stand-off that went on from June 16 to August 28, 2017.

Earlier, speaking at the Army Technology Summit here, the Army Chief pitched for modernisation of the force and said India needed to be ready for “future wars”.

“There is a huge require-ment of modernisation of our armed forces, in every field,” he said.

“Future wars will be fought in difficult terrains and circum-stances and we have to be pre-pared for them.

“We would like to gradu-ally move away from imports (in defence technology) because for a nation like ours the time has come to ensure that we fight the next war with home-made solutions,” he said.

CAT-2017 results for IIMs announcedIANS

LUCKNOW: The Combined Admission Test (CAT) 2017 results were announced yesterday by the Indian Insti-tute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, which conducted the exam for entry into top business schools and 20 IIMs this year.

As many as 20 candidates got 100 percentile marks in the exam. These 20 include three candidates with non-engineering background and two girls. Last year, the top 20 were all boys and all the candidates in the top slot were of engineering back-ground, said an IIM official.

CAT-2017 Coordinator Neeraj Dwivedi, while declaring the results, said that the results can be seen on the website of IIM and added that all candidates have been apprised of their percentile marks through SMS.

Based of the CAT score, the students will now go through group discussion (GD) and personal interviews at these 20 IIMs and after being shortlisted will gain entry in these prestigious institutes.

The IIM-Lucknow would invite the students for per-sonal interviews and writing eligibility test in February and the admission procedure will be completed by April.

The CAT exam was con-ducted in two sessions in 140 cities across the country on November 26, 2017. A total of 1,99,632 candidates had appeared for the exams, which was also the highest in the past three years.

Made mistakes, but will present a new vision: RahulIANS

MANAMA: Congress President Rahul Gandhi (pictured) yesterday admitted that he also “made mistakes as he is also a human being” and promised to present a new party, whose focus will be to give a “new vision” to India. “You said Congress party accepted its mistake. I am admitting that I also made mistakes. I am a human being. We all make mistakes,” said Gandhi during an interaction with the NRIs here to a query about the mistakes of his party.

“You said there is gap. There is a gap in the media. In media, the campaign could be one-sided.

But, we are fighting on the ground. Gujarat is the BJP’s bastion and stronghold. But they somehow managed to escape the defeat (in the assembly election),” he added.

“Congress party has ques-tioned them (the BJP) in the state. So, we are fighting them on the ground. Our focus is to give India

a new vison, a new Congress party to the people.

“If you give a new Congress party to you, it is not a big thing to defeat the BJP. We have made mistakes. But we too have our strengths in the party. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had predicted a 2 percent fall in

GDP when demonetisation was announced,” he noted.

“There is a good mix of expe-rience and youth in the Congress party. We will present a new Con-gress party to you and a new vision to the country. You will see a dramatic change in the Con-gress party,” said Gandhi.

Gandhi also said, during the interaction, that job crea-tion, transforming the education system, and developing a strat-egy for global healthcare system will be three main focus of the Congress party when it comes to power.

He also said the Congress will put pressure on the BJP government to pass the Women Reservation bill in Parliament.

“When we come to power we will definitely pass the women reservation bill in the Parliament. We already have reservation for women at the panchayat level but we will ensure that it is passed in the Parliament,” he said in response to a question.

Govt for stay on national anthem order in cinemas IANS

NEW DELHI: The Central government yesterday asked the Supreme Court to put on hold its December 2016 order making mandatory the playing of national anthem in cinema halls and the audience to stand up during its rendition.

Telling the top court that it has set-up an inter-ministerial committee for framing guide-lines describing occasions and circumstances in which the national anthem is to be played or sung and the observance of proper decorum, it said that it would require extensive discus-sions on wide ranging issues.

Telling the court that the committee has been asked to submit report with its recom-mendations in six months, the Centre urged the top court to put on hold its direction

vis-a-vis playing of national anthem in cinema halls.

The Supreme Court may consider restoration of “status quo ante until then”, that is res-toration of the position as it stood before the December 2016 order.

The matter will come up for hearing today. The government stand comes as a total summer-sault of its previous stand on the issue. The Supreme Court, on October 23, asked the govern-ment to consider amending the national flag code for regulating the playing of national anthem in cinema halls across the country.

Earlier, Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said India was a diverse country and the national anthem needs to be played in the cinema halls to bring in unity.

Dhaka court upholds ban on Rohingya marriageDHAKA: A Bangladesh court yesterday upheld a govern-ment ruling banning marriage between its citizens and refu-gees from Myanmar’s perse-cuted Rohingya minority, who have fled ethnic violence in the neighbouring country.

The High Court in Dhaka dismissed a legal challenge from a father whose son mar-ried a Rohingya teenager in a Muslim ceremony in Sep-tember despite laws forbidding such unions. Marriages with Rohingya were banned in 2014 to try to prevent hundreds of thousands of refugees living in Bangladesh from seeking a back door to citizenship.

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat also said the transgression incident in Arunachal Pradesh, where Chinese workers entered Indian territory constructing a track, had been resolved.

Bangladesh shivers in record low temperaturesDHAKA: Temperatures in subtropical Bangladesh hit a 70-year-low yesterday as authorities handed out tens of thousands of blankets to help the poor fight a record cold spell, officials said.

The mercury plunged to a frigid 2.6 degrees Celsius (36.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of Bangladesh, well below average in the low-lying riverine nation whose 160 million citizens are used to milder winters. “It is the lowest temperature since authorities started keeping records in 1948,” Shamsuddin Ahmed, head of the Bangla-desh Meteorological Depart-ment, said.

We will present a new Congress party to you and a new vision to the country. You will see a dramatic change in the Congress party.

Congress President

Rahul Gandhi

AFP

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani court yesterday granted bail to an anti-US cleric - the father-in-law of one of Pakistan’s most wanted militants - days after Washington suspended aid over Islamabad’s failure to crack down on extremism. Sufi Mohammad, whose son-in-law is Maulana Fazlullah, the fugitive chief of the Pakistani Taliban, was himself charged with murder, treason, terrorism and rebellion.

He was the chief of Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) was the architect of a violent movement for the enforce-ment of Islamic sharia law in country’s northwestern Malakand Division. He was arrested in October 2001 as he crossed the border into Pakistan with a group of armed men, accused of sending hundreds to fight against the US-led interna-tional forces. But he was released in 2008 under a peace agreement with local tribal elders which settled those charges. Believed to be in his 90s, he was arrested again in Peshawar in 2009 over an inflamma-tory speech, and has been held in a maximum secu-rity prison.

Anti-US cleric gets bail after aid cut

Beating coldAfghan men drinking tea in a restaurant in Mazar-i-sharif city in the northern Afghanistan yesterday to beat the cold wave as mercury goes down in the region.

Pakistan cautions US about anti-Taliban offensiveINTERNEWS

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is believed to have told US inter-locutors that a major military offensive against the Taliban from both sides of the Afghan border, if ending in failure, will have negative consequences for the entire region.

Diplomatic sources, believe that the key element in the new US strategy for Afghanistan is to launch a two-pronged military offensive that inflicts a military defeat on the Taliban and forces them to join the Afghan recon-ciliation process on Kabul’s conditions.

Pakistanis do not disagree with the basic thrust of the Amer-ican argument but they have one major worry: What if it fails?

“We’ve been working with Pakistan, on the South Asia Strategy and it’s how do we work together to take out the terror-ists,” said US Secretary of Defence James Mattis while

explaining the new strategy, which he said at this weekend news briefing was a strategy for entire South Asia.

Asked if he believed the civilian government was capable of assisting US counterterrorism efforts in the region, Mattis said: “I would say the Pakistan gov-ernment is capable of doing what we’re trying to do together, yes. Absolutely.”

Mattis said that the US was engaged in an ongoing dialogue

with the Pakistanis to “hammer this out now that we’ve created the strategy, then you have to execute it.”

Secretary Mattis and State Rex Tillerson are the two cabinet level officials of the Trump administra-tion who recently visited Pakistan to explain this strategy to senior civilian and military leaders, including Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Mattis said that senior US gen-erals were maintaining regular communication with their Paki-stani counterparts and on Thursday Gen Joseph Votel, who heads the US Central Command, spoke to Gen Bajwa as Washington announced the decision to sus-pend security assistance to Pakistan.

Asked if the US administration had studied the possible impact of this decision on its Afghan strategy, Mattis said: “It’s all integrated into the strategy.”

“We’ll fight them,” the secre-tary said, when asked about his

strategy for combating terrorists, including those from the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The remarks strengthen the speculation often heard at Wash-ington’s diplomatic and political circles: President Donald Trump wants to be remembered as the US leader won the Afghan war and he wants to do it in his first term to increase his chances of winning the second.

Pakistani officials, who have interacted with US officials on this issue, say that they too have the same ambition: ridding the region, particularly Afghanistan, of militants.

They argue that no other country has suffered more at the hands of militants than Pakistan and no other country has been more successful in fighting them back either.

Secretary Mattis acknowl-edged both points at his weekend briefing at the Pentagon but also urged Islamabad to cooperate with

the US in defeating the Afghan Tal-iban, including the Haqqani Net-work which, he says, has safe havens inside Pakistan and uses them to recuperate and re-launch attacks into Afghanistan.

“Pakistan has lost more troops total than all of Nato coalition combined in the fight against them.

But we’ve had disagreements, strong disagreements on some issues, and we’re working those,” he said. He also acknowledged that the United States was holding private talks with Pakistan on how to win this war.

While Pakistanis reject the US charge that they have allowed the Haqqani Network to maintain safe havens, they appear more eager to understand the US plan to defeat the Taliban.

But they fear that a major military offensive, without engaging some Taliban factions in direct talks first, could be counter-productive.

The Taliban might outlive

this offensive too, and deal with it “lying low in their mountain fastness, as they did with pre-vious offensives,” as one inter-locutor said.

And in the process Pakistan will lose whatever influence it has. With all lines of communi-cation closed, the Taliban will become even more dangerous, particularly for Pakistan, which has always faced the blowback of previous adventures in Afghanistan, whether launched by the Russians or Americans.

They remind their interloc-utors that Pakistan is still coping with the consequences of Brit-ain’s Afghan adventures. Those adventures led to the creation of a buffer zone - Fata, which later became the source of many troubles.

The Trump administration, however, does not seem much interested in the Pakistani argu-ment, at least for now. But it would if the Taliban outlive the proposed offensive as well.

The key element in the new US strategy for Afghanistan is to launch a two-pronged military offensive that inflicts a military defeat on the Taliban and forces them to join the Afghan reconciliation process on Kabul’s conditions.

Contamination, shortage of water a serious threatAFP

ISLAMABAD: Barely 15 days old, Kinza whimpers at an Islamabad hospital where she is suffering from diarrhoea and a blood infection, a tiny victim among thousands afflicted by Pakistan’s severely polluted and decreasing water supplies.

Cloaked in a colourful blanket, Kinza moves in slow motion, like a small doll. Her mother, Sartaj, does not under-stand how her daughter became so ill. ”Each time I give her the bottle, I boil the water,” she says.

But Sartaj and her family drink daily from a stream in their Islamabad neighbourhood—one of several waterways running through the capital that are choked with filth. Boiling the water can only do so much.

They are not alone. More than two-thirds of households

drink bacterially contaminated water and, every year, 53,000 Pakistani children die of diar-rhoea after drinking it, says UNICEF. Cases of typhoid, cholera, dysentery and hepatitis are rampant. According to the UN and Pakistani authorities, between 30 and 40 percent of diseases and deaths nationwide are linked to poor water quality.

And it is costing the devel-oping country billions. In 2012 the World Bank, which has warned that “substantial invest-ments are needed to improve sanitation”, estimated that water pollution costs Pakistan $5.7bn, or nearly four percent of GDP.

”Water is the number one problem for the country,” says professor Javed Akram, vice chancellor at the Pakistan Insti-tute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.

In Lahore, Pakistan’s second

largest city, the situation is even worse than in Islamabad. The Ravi River which supplies the city’s 11 million or so inhabitants with drinking water also serves as a spillway to hundreds of fac-tories upstream.

River fish are eaten by locals, but “some papers show that in the fish bones, some heavy metal contamination (is) found,” says Sohail Ali Naqvi, a project officer with the conservation group WWF. The Ravi is also used to irrigate neighbouring crops, which are themselves rich in pesticides, warns Lahore envi-ronmentalist Ahmad Rafay Alam.

The lack of water infrastruc-ture is glaring. In a country where the “environment is not part of the political agenda”, there are “nearly no treatment plants”, warns Imran Khalid, a researcher at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

”Those who can afford it buy bottles of water, but what about those who cannot?” he says.

In Karachi, a mega city whose population could be as many as 20 million people, mafias fill the vacuum left by the creaking local network, selling the precious water they bring in by tanker trucks at high prices.

In the face of widespread

indignation, Sindh along with Punjab province, together home to more than half of the coun-try’s population, have already announced measures to improve water quality, though their effi-cacy is yet to be seen.

But Pakistan’s water is not only contaminated—it is becoming scarce. Official pro-jections show the country, whose

population has increased five-fold since 1960 to some 207 mil-lion, will run dry by 2025, when they will be facing an “absolute scarcity” of water with less than 500 cubic metres available per person in Pakistan.

That’s just one third the water available in already parched Somalia now, according to the UN.

14 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018ASIA

This picture taken on December 14, 2017 shows people boating in the Rawal Lake, a water storage basin, in Islamabad.

Philippines VP opposes possible polls’ cancellationREUTERS

MANILA: The Philippines’ vice president has joined a chorus of opposition to a possible cancellation of mid-term elec-tions and extensions to terms in office, including that of the president, amid a renewed push for a shift to federalism.

President Rodrigo Duterte is keen to follow through on his election campaign promise to introduce federalism, saying it would be more equitable for Filipinos and would bring peace and development, especially in the country’s restive south.

House Speaker and Duterte ally Pantaleon Alvarez has said it was possible May 2019 mid-term elections would be can-celled if proposed constitutional amendments, to introduce fed-eralism, pass a plebiscite this year.

But the no-election sce-nario has not sat well among Duterte’s critics, who also expressed concern that changing the constitution could see him prolong his stay in power beyond the end of his term in 2022. Philippine pres-idents are allowed to serve one term only, lasting six years.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who was not Duterte’s running mate, comes from an opposition party and has

clashed with him on numerous occasions, said it was “self-serving” if moves were made to extend terms of incumbent executives. ”We are very much against this no-election pro-posal because holding elections sums up democracy,” she said during her weekly radio pro-gramme on Sunday.

”This is the only way for ordinary Filipinos to participate in the process of choosing who should lead them.” Filipinos are due to elect 12 senators, about 300 congressmen and thou-sands of local government offi-cials in next year’s elections.

Speaker Alvarez said the house planned to convene as a constituent assembly early this year to tackle constitutional amendments, including the shift to federalism.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte has no intention to prolong his stay in power and is even willing to cut short his term. ”He’s willing to let go because he’s not keen really on staying (longer) as president. That’s the truth,” Roque said yesterday. But lawyer Christian Monsod, one of those who helped design the 1987 Constitution, questioned motives of the pro-Duterte camp in Congress. ”Is it really necessary to change the con-stitution?,” he said.

Hindu pilgrims visit fabled pondINTERNEWS

ISLAMABAD: Hindu pilgrims from across Pakistan visited Katas Raj, the fabled pond, on Monday. The visit for the 40 persons was organised by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

The pilgrims were pleased to

find that the pond which had gone

dry in April last year had been re-

filled by Bestway Cement Factory

in accordance with Supreme Court

orders. “For the first time, Hindus

from the four provinces were taken

to visit Katas Raj so they can tell

us about missing facilities which

are posing problems for them in

worshiping at the site,” said Evac-

uee Trust Property Board Chairman

Mohammad Siddiqul Farooq. Two

MPAs from Sindh were also among

the pilgrims.

He added that he had asked

the Pakistani high commissioner

in New Delhi to arrange for idols to

be brought to Pakistan for placing

in Katas Raj temples.

“We want pilgrims who will be

visiting from India in February to

celebrate Shivratri,” he said.

The Evacuee Trust Property

Board chairman said a lot of work

has been done to renovate Katas

Raj. “A tubewell has been approved

and will be installed in Katas Raj. The

pond can be re-filled via the tube-

well if it runs dry again,” he said.

15TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 ASIA

Korean talks begin today amid tensionsAFP

SEOUL: South Korea will seek discussions on resuming reun-ions of separated families at this week’s inter-Korean talks, Seoul’s top delegate said yesterday, as the North trum-peted the importance of achieving reunification.

The two Koreas agreed last week to hold their first official dialogue in more than two years and will meet today at the border truce village of Panmunjom.

The talks will largely focus on the North’s participation in next month’s Winter Olympics in the South, but the two sides are also expected to bring up their own issues of interest.

“We will prepare for discus-sions on the issue of separated families and ways to ease mili-tary tensions,” Unification Min-ister Cho Myoung-Gyon told reporters, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty, the two Koreas remain technically at war.

Tensions soared last year as the North made rapid progress on its banned weapons pro-grammes, launching ballistic missiles it said are capable of reaching the United States and carrying out its sixth nuclear test, by far its most powerful.

Their tentative rapproche-ment comes after North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un warned in his New Year speech that he had

a nuclear button on his desk — but also said Pyongyang could send a team to the Winter Olym-pics in Pyeongchang.

Seoul responded with an offer of talks, and last week the hotline between the neighbours was restored after being sus-pended for almost two years.

South Korean Foreign Min-ister Kang Kyung-Wha said the North’s participation in Pyeongchang would strengthen the Games’ profile as “a peace Olympics”, Yonhap reported, and could lead to further progress.

North Korea’s state media has stopped condemning the South and instead called for “independent reunification” without relying on other coun-tries such as the United States.

“The master of improved inter-Korean relations is not the outsiders but the Korean nation itself,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said at the weekend. “The flun-keyism and idea of dependence on outside forces are the venom which makes the nation slavish and spiritless,” it added.

US President Donald Trump

said at the weekend that the rare talks between the two Koreas would go “beyond the Olympics” and that Washington could join the process at a later stage.

Also in recent days, the United States and South Korea agreed to delay annual joint mil-itary exercises until after the Games, apparently to help calm nerves. The regular joint drills have been criticised by some as heightening regional tensions. Beijing and Moscow have both called for them to be suspended.

But Kim Yong-Hyun, a polit-ical science professor at Dongguk University, warned that the talks “will become dif-ficult if North Korea makes unreasonable demands”.

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said there was “no turnaround” in the US stance, reiterating that the North must stop nuclear tests for talks with Washington. The divided families are one of the most emotive outcomes of the Korean War, which saw the peninsula formally partitioned in 1953. Around 60,000 increas-ingly elderly South Koreans still hope to meet their relatives again. The last round of reun-ions — in which relatives meet for a few days — were held in 2015 and the number of ageing divided family members is dwindling.

North Korean officials have previously said they would not consider further reunions unless several of its citizens are returned by the South.

Macron in BeijingFrench President Emmanuel Macron (centre) and his wife Brigitte Macron (second left) are welcomed on the tarmac by children upon their arrival at Beijing Capital Airport, Beijing, yesterday.

The two Koreas agreed last week to hold their first official dialogue in more than two years and will meet today at the border truce village of Panmunjom.

Vietnam sets up command centre for cyberspace defenceREUTERS

HANOI: Vietnam announced yesterday the creation of a cyberspace operat ions command to protect its sover-eignty on the Internet, with Prime Minister citing risks related to the disputed South China Sea and complex regional and global situations.

The new unit would “research and predict online

wars”, the defence ministry said in report on the government website, which also reported Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s comments.

Vietnam is locked in a long-running territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, which it refers to as the East Sea. While Phuc singled out the South China Sea, he made no mention of China.

“To protect the country in

the new situation, the Commu-nist Party has set a high priority on protection of the State in cyberspace,” the website quoted Phuc as saying at the founda-tion ceremony for the new unit yesterday.

In December, Vietnam revealed it had a cyber warfare unit of 10,000 staff, named Force 47, to counter what it said were ‘wrong’ views on the Internet, local media reported.

Terracotta museum Terracotta warriors are seen at the Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shihuang in Xian, in northwestern China’s Shaanxi Province, yesterday.

Rule of law not compromised: Hong Kong’s justice ministerAFP

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s new Justice Minister said yesterday the rule of law in the city has not been compromised, after a string of cases raised fears the legal system is under threat from Beijing.

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland as part of the “one country, two systems” deal made when colonial power Britain handed it back to China in 1997.

Those rights include an independent British-style judi-ciary, viewed as one of the bed-rocks of Hong Kong’s identity and a key factor differentiating it from mainland China.

But a recent ruling by Bei-jing approving a plan to bring parts of a Hong Kong high-speed rail terminus, linking the city with the southern mainland, under Chinese national law prompted outrage among some leading lawyers.

They argue it has no legal

basis and goes against Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

The city’s pro-Beijing gov-ernment has backed the plan and it is likely to be voted through by the legislature, which is only partially elected and weighted towards the establishment.

Last summer Hong Kong’s government successfully sought to overturn non-custodial sen-tences against pro-democracy activists, leading to them being jailed in August.

Concerns were also raised in 2015, when a special “inter-pretation” of the Basic Law by Beijing led to the ousting from parliament of six publicly elected pro-independence and pro-democracy lawmakers who protested while taking their oaths of office.

“Some suggest that the rule of law in Hong Kong is under threat,” justice secretary Teresa Cheng told guests at the cere-monial opening of the legal year yesterday.

“If it means that it is being tested I have no qualms with such suggestions. But, with respect, I cannot agree with sug-gestions that our rule of law is in any way compromised.”

She argued that the Basic Law was “open to different interpretations” and that some policies may require new laws to be enacted.

Cheng herself has had a tur-bulent start to her new role after allegations that some parts of her home were built illegally, an accusation that has dogged a number of leading politicians in space-starved Hong Kong.

Also speaking at the cere-mony, Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma said courts and judges must not be affected by political or other biases.

The city’s common law system is “vital to the continuing success of Hong Kong” for both business and the community, Ma added. “This is a system that has been regarded as being appro-priate for our community,” he said.

Family of murdered Sri Lanka editor seeks justiceAFP

COLOMBO: The family of a newspaper editor murdered in Sri Lanka criticised the govern-ment for failing to bring his killers to justice as they marked the ninth anniversary of his death yesterday.

Lasantha Wickrematunga, a prominent critic of the former administration, was stabbed days before he was due to tes-tify in a corruption case involving the then defence min-ister Gotabhaya Rajapakse.

The killing sparked an international outcry and shone a light on human rights

violations in Sri Lanka under former president Mahinda Rajapakse, Gotabhaya’s brother.

President Maithripala Sirisena promised to bring the perpetrators to justice when he came to power in 2015 after ousting Rajapakse, but no one has yet been prosecuted.

In a statement, Wickrema-tunga’s brother Lal accused the government of using the case as a political tool without ensuring justice was done.

“What about bringing the perpetrators to book,” he said, adding there was a “sense of hopelessness” over the govern-

ment’s handling of the case.“Justice needs to be done

not as a favour. Justice needs to be done to prevent repetition.”

Wickrematunga had accused the former defence secretary of taking kickbacks in arms procurements, including the purchase of second-hand MiG jet fighters.

Gotabhaya Rajapakse has been accused of giving orders to a shadowy military outfit allegedly involved in murdering journalists and political dissi-dents during Sri Lanka’s long-running civil war, an allegation he denies.

Mourners light candles at the grave of editor Lasantha Wickrematunga on the ninth anniversary of his murder in Colombo, yesterday.

Taiwan says new China air routes ‘irresponsible act’REUTERS

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s government has called China’s recent unilateral expansion of civil aviation routes in the Taiwan Strait an irresponsible act that threatens regional security, in the latest row between Beijing and the self-ruled island.

China opened several dis-puted air routes last week, including a northbound M503 route in the Taiwan Strait, without informing Taiwan, contravening what the dem-ocratic government in Taipei said is a 2015 deal to first dis-cuss such flight paths.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, after meeting with ministry heads to assess the situation, said the move “not only seriously affects aviation safety, but also damages the current situation in the Taiwan Strait.

Two jailed for insulting policemanAFP

BEIJING: Two men have been jailed in China for insulting a policeman and posting his personal information online after a video of the officer beating a dog to death stirred outrage.

The two men were handed five-day sentences on Saturday, the Changsha police bureau in the central prov-ince of Hunan said on their official Weibo social media account.

One of the men published the address and photos of the policeman’s house online, while the other “openly insulted” him, the bureau said.

16 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018EUROPE

Flooded banks of Seine RiverA cyclist rides past the flooded banks of the Seine River after days of rainy weather in Paris, yesterday.

May appoints new head of ConservativesREUTERS

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May named a new head of the ruling Conservatives yesterday in a reshuffle aimed at handing her government a new start after months of divisions over Brexit, scandals and an ill-judged election.

May, weakened by the loss of the Conservatives’ majority in June’s election gamble, moved to make changes to her team of top ministers after ending last year with a deal to shift talks with the European Union to a second phase.

She kept her team’s ‘big beasts’ — the finance, Brexit, for-eign and interior ministers — but is promoting women, black and younger lawmakers to challenge critics who call her party “male, pale and stale”.

Appointing Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis and law-maker James Cleverly to become the chairman and deputy chair of the Conservatives was part of

her strategy to reassert her authority over the party and to try to broaden its reach.

May is also keen to strengthen her hand in talks with the EU to unravel more than 40 years of union and in parliament, where she depends on the sup-port of a Northern Irish party.

“I’m not a quitter. I’m in this for the long term,” May told the BBC on Sunday, a new mantra from a Prime Minister who has been mocked in the media as a ‘Maybot’ for her dogged

repetition of catchphrases and policy statements.

Despite winning agreement from the EU to push Brexit talks to a discussion of future trade relations and a transitional deal, May has been criticised at home for her approach to healthcare, housing and transport among other issues. In a blow, her Min-ister for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, stepped down because of ill-health.

He had been trying to help officials form a power-sharing government to avoid any return to violence between pro-British unionists and Irish nationalists that scarred the province for decades. Brexit Minister David Davis, Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, Finance Minister Philip Hammond and Interior Minister Amber Rudd all kept their posi-tions, while David Lidington was appointed to become Minister for the cabinet office, replacing May’s closest friend in parlia-ment, Damian Green, who was forced to resign.

But the biggest change so far was the appointment of Lewis to head the Conservative Party whose membership is plum-meting after what many mem-bers acknowledge was a disas-trous election campaign in June.

The main opposition Labour Party, under the leadership of leftist lawmaker Jeremy Corbyn, is enjoying some of the highest numbers of support in its

history.It will now fall to the

46-year-old Lewis, and new deputy James Cleverly, to pro-vide the leadership needed to attract younger voters and those in northern England if the gov-erning party is to have a chance to win the next election in 2022.

Lewis, who is popular in the party and was a supporter of May’s leadership bid in 2016, will

take over from veteran minister Patrick McLoughlin, who had been criticised by some mem-bers for failing to broaden the appeal of the party. “(Lewis is) the type who might have the guts and inclination to take on the party internally and to be a loud media voice to take away the heat from Theresa May,” a Con-servative member said. “He’s not usually scared of a fight.”

Prime Minister Theresa May poses with Brandon Lewis, James Cleverly and others at 10 Downing Street in London, yesterday.

May kept her team’s ‘big beasts’ — the finance, Brexit, foreign and interior ministers — but is promoting women, black and younger lawmakers to challenge critics who call her party “male, pale and stale”.

Poland to go for Cabinet reshuffle todayREUTERS

WARSAW: Poland’s new Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, will reshuffle the two-year-old conservative government today before flying to Brussels to discuss controversial judicial reforms.

The long-expected shake-up will probably involve naming a new finance, for-eign, environment and health minister, several sources close to the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party have said.

“The swearing-in should take place around noon,” Morawiecki’s spokeswoman Joanna Kopcinska said. Teresa Czerwinska, a deputy finance minister responsible for budget affairs, is the most likely to succeed Morawiecki himself as finance minister, two sources said.

Merkel with Carol singersGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel standing among young Carol singers at the Chancellery in Berlin yesterday. Traditionally around Epiphany, the German Chancellor receives Carol singers from all over the country promoting their yearly charity action (Sternsinger). The children dressed as the Three Kings go from house to house to collect money for aid projects aiming to support children in need.

France saw record 100,000 asylum claims last yearAFP

PARIS: Asylum claims in France hit a record 100,000 last year, official figures showed yesterday, as President Emmanuel Macron’s govern-ment draws up hotly-debated new legislation on immigration.

Officials said the rate of arrivals was “historic”, with Albanians forming the biggest group of applicants despite their country being considered safe by France.

“It confirms that France is one of the countries receiving the most asylum claims in Europe,” Pascal Brice, head of refugee protection agency Ofpra, said. “It’s a historic level,” he added, though he noted the numbers are just half of those seen in neighbouring Germany last year.

Macron’s government is preparing to unveil a bill on immigration next month, but his centrist Republique En Marche (Republic On The Move) party are divided on how to tackle the issue.

Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe have vowed to speed up the process for managing asylum requests and offering improved conditions for successful applicants.

But they have also prom-ised a much tougher line on economic migrants that would see an increased number of deportations and tighter con-

trols on people arriving.In his New Year’s message,

Macron warned that France “cannot welcome everyone” although he pledged an immi-gration policy that walked the line between “humanity and efficiency”.

Albanians made up the big-gest group applying for asylum in France last year — some 7,600 adults, almost all of them set to be sent home because their home country is consid-ered “safe”.

Brice attributed the 66-per-cent jump in Albanian asylum claims to “economic emigra-tion”, an issue he said was wor-rying authorities in both coun-tries. Albania announced an action plan in July to fight traf-ficking, with France com-plaining that too many spaces in its refuges are taken up by Albanians who will never be granted asylum.

Afghans made up the second biggest group last year with nearly 6,000 applications, followed by migrants from Haiti, Guyana and Sudan.

Applications from Syria were down 10 percent to just over 3,000, though almost all of them were granted asylum.

Ofpra also reported a sharp rise in applications from fran-cophone west Africa including Ivory Coast and DR Congo. Brice said they were part of the wave of migrants crossing to Europe from Libya.

Germany’s Greens set for shake-up at topREUTERS

BERLIN: Germany’s environ-mentalist Greens, still reeling from the collapse of coalition negotiations last year, are set for a shake-up at the top after their leaders both said they would not stand for re-election.

The reshuffle follows the failure in November of three-way “Jamaica” talks between Chan-cellor Angela Merkel’s conserv-ative bloc, the Greens and the

pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). The “Jamaica” moniker came from the official colours of the three parties that combine to make up that country’s flag.

The Greens, who got 8.9 per-cent in September’s vote, still have an outside chance of get-ting into government - either in a two-way tie-up with the con-servatives or in a Jamaica coali-tion, if current talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s con-servatives and the SPD fail.

Cem Ozdemir, a 52-year-old politician of Turkish origin who was touted as a potential foreign minister if the Jamaica talks suc-ceeded, said he did not stand a chance in a leadership vote so he would not attempt to extend his tenure. “Ultimately it became clear to me that what I offer didn’t have enough support in the par-liamentary fraction at the moment — I obviously don’t have a majority and I must accept that,” he told newspaper.

His co-leader, 52-year-old Simone Peter - who belongs to the party’s leftist wing, also said she would not run for re-election after Anja Piel, another leftist member, said she would stand. Other candidates include 48-year-old Robert Habeck, a popular regional environment minister, and 37-year-old Annalena Baerbock, a member of the national parliament. Both of them are considered to be in the party’s pragmatic wing.

BBC China editor quits in equal pay protestAFP

LONDON: BBC journalist Carrie Gracie announced she had quit her post as China editor in protest at an “indefensible pay gap” at the British broadcaster, winning support from dozens of colleagues.

Gracie said she resigned last week over a “crisis of trust” which has engulfed the BBC since the broadcaster was forced last year to reveal the salaries of its highest-paid employees.

The disclosures showed “an indefensible pay gap between men and women

doing equal work,” Gracie said in a blog post announcing her resignation.

Two-thirds of BBC staff earning more than £150,000 ($203,000) were shown to be men, according to the figures published in July.

The former China editor has returned to London and will resume her former post within the television newsroom.

Yesterday, she co-pre-sented BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, during which she said she was “moved” by the positive reaction to her deci-sion which spoke of a “depth of hunger” for pay equality.

German Justice Minister victim of own social media law

BERLIN: Germany’s Justice Minister has fallen victim to the rules he himself champi-oned against online social media, as one of his tweets was deleted following several complaints.

The tweet dated back to 2010, when Heiko Maas was not yet minister.

In the post, he had called Thilo Sarrazin, a politician who wrote a controversial book on Muslim immigrants, “an idiot”. Maas said that “there are things that I would no longer tweet today.”

17TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 AMERICAS

Talks under way for Trump’s interviewREUTERS

WASHINGTON: Preliminary discussions are under way for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to potentially interview US Pres-ident Donald Trump as part of the probe of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elec-tion, NBC News reported yesterday.

Citing three people familiar with the situation, NBC said law-yers for Trump had met with representatives of Mueller’s office in late December to talk about the logistics of any such interview.

The discussions included the possible location and length of any interview as well as legal standards and options for its format, including written responses instead of a formal sit-down, according to the news network.

Mueller, under the Depart-ment of Justice, is investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the US presidential election and possible collusion by Trump’s campaign.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the election to try to help Trump win.

Russia has denied any med-dling, and Trump has said there was no collusion.

Democratic US Senator Richard Blumenthal said yes-terday that he expected Mueller would try to talk to the presi-dent in person.

“He will interview the pres-ident face-to-face is my predic-tion,” said Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is conducting its own Russia investigation.

Mueller’s probe so far has led to two Trump associates, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and campaign aide George Papadopoulos, pleading guilty to lying to FBI agents in the investigation.

Two others, Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Man-afort and his associate Richard Gates, have also been indicted but have pleaded not guilty. Manafort sued Mueller’s office last week, saying the special counsel’s investigation exceeds its legal authority.

Trump lawyer Ty Cobb said

the White House would not comment on communications with the Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) but said it was “continuing its full cooperation with the OSC in order to facili-tate the earliest possible resolution.”

Other lawyers for the pres-ident, including John Dowd and Jay Sekulow, did not immedi-ately reply to requests for comment.

The spokesman for the spe-cial counsel’s office, Peter Carr, declined to comment.

Trump has repeatedly said he personally is not under investigation.

Asked on Saturday if he would speak with Mueller’s team, Trump said he would. He also defended his legal team’s work.

“There’s been no collusion; there’s been no crime,” he told reporters while at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. “And in theory, eve-rybody tells me I’m not under investigation.

“We have been very open,” Trump said. “ ... We could have been very closed, and it would have taken years. But you know, it’s sort of like, when you’ve done nothing wrong, let’s be open and get it over with.”

Oprah Winfrey denies presidential ambitionBLOOMBERG

LOS ANGELES: Minutes after giving a rousing speech at the Golden Globes Awards that promised “a new day” for women, minorities and the downtrodden, Oprah Winfrey (pictured) said she has no ambi-tions to run for president.

In a brief interview back-stage at the event, Winfrey was told that “Oprah 2020” was cir-culating on Twitter, and asked whether she planned to run. “I don’t -- I don’t,” the 63-year-old billionaire said.

The drumbeat was well underway. “She. Is. Running,” said John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary magazine.

“Oprah. 2020,” said Shaun King, the Black Lives Matter activist.

The host of the Golden Globes, late-night comedian Seth Meyers, jokingly urged Winfrey to run in his opening monologue, noting that President Donald Trump had reportedly decided make his bid for the office after he was the butt of Meyers’s jokes at the White House Correspond-ents Dinner in 2011.

Winfrey, worth $3.6bn according to the Bloomberg Bil-lionaires Index, made refer-ences to the sexual harassment scandal in Hollywood and marked the recent death of Recy Taylor, whose sexual assault in 1944 became a focal point for civil rights activists, in her speech to accept the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement.

“I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon!” Winfrey said. “And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because

of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say, ‘Me too’ again.”

Even with Winfrey’s denial, the speculation is likely to continue.

“It’s up to the people,” Win-frey’s longtime partner, Stedman Graham, said yes-terday when asked about a presidential run. “She would absolutely do it.”

Winfrey has long been a political figure and has had a front-row seat to presidential campaigns.

After hearing Barack Obama speak at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004, she brought him onto her show, befriended him and strongly supported both of his presidential bids.

Her voice periodically appears in national debates and she’s never shied away from the political arena.

As Democrats cast about for a political antidote to Trump,

her appeal could be strong. Winfrey has an especially strong connection to women and non-whites and her personal fortune may go a long way toward financing a presidential campaign.

Four children dead after house fire in Nova ScotiaAFP

MONTREAL: Four children were killed in a house fire in the eastern Canadian prov-ince of Nova Scotia, local media reported yesterday, quoting family members on the tragedy.

The fire tore through a home in Pubnico Head, in the province’s Yarmouth County, 260km southwest of Halifax.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers said they responded to a call shortly after midnight (0413 GMT Sunday).

“We can confirm there are fatalities. The RCMP is at an early stage of this investigation,” spokes-woman Jennifer Clarke said yesterday.

Local media reported that two children who lived in the house were involved, as well as another two who were not part of the same family but were in the house at the time of the fire.

The province has been dealing with frigid tempera-tures; it was 8 Fahrenheit (-13 Celsius) at the time.

Trump’s book author opposes Bannon’s claimAP

WASHINGTON: The author of an explosive new book that questions President Donald Trump’s fitness for office yesterday contradicted Steve Bannon’s explanation of comments that had angered his former boss.

Michael Wolff appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to dis-cuss “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.”

In the book, Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, described as a meeting between Donald Trump Jr., senior cam-paign aides and a Russian lawyer as “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.”

The reference angered the president, who last week lashed out at Bannon, saying he “lost his mind.”

Bannon sought to make amends on Sunday, saying in statement his description wasn’t aimed at Trump’s son but at former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

But Wolff said: “it was not directed at Manafort, it was directed directly at Don Jr”

Wolff’s book portrays the 45th president as a leader who doesn’t understand the weight of his office and whose compe-

tence is questioned by aides.Trump administration offi-

cials and allies defended Trump and attacked the book Sunday.

Chief policy adviser Stephen Miller, in a combative appearance on CNN recently, described the book as “nothing but a pile of trash through and through.”

CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Trump was “completely fit” to lead the country.

“These are from people who just have not accepted the fact that President Trump is the United States president and I’m sorry for them in that,” Pompeo, who gives Trump his regular intelligence briefings, said on.

Nikki Haley, the US ambas-sador to the United Nations, said she visits the White House once a week, and “no one ques-tions the stability of the president.”

“I’m always amazed at the lengths people will go to, to lie for money and for power. This is like taking it to a whole new low.”

Trump took the extraordi-nary step Saturday of using Twitter to defend his fitness for office, insisting he is “like, really smart” and, indeed, a “very stable genius.” He pressed the case again on Sunday.

Blaze at Trump Tower injures oneAFP

NEW YORK: A blaze broke out in the ventilation system of Trump Tower in New York yesterday, seriously injuring one person, the fire department said.

The fire started on the roof shortly before 7am in the Fifth Avenue skyscraper, which is President Donald Trump’s pri-vate home in New York and houses the headquarters of his company, which is today run by

his two adult sons.“Twenty-six units of 84 fire

fighters were mobilized to quench the blaze, which was under control just over an hour later,” said fire department spokesman Ken Reilly.

“There was a small electrical fire in a cooling tower on the roof of Trump Tower,” the pres-ident’s second son, Eric Trump, tweeted.

“The New York Fire Depart-ment was here within minutes

and did an incredible job,” he added.

One person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, Reilly said.

The US president has spent little time in New York since his inauguration a year ago, but has a private triplex home at the top of Trump Tower.

The glass building was also his presidential campaign head-quarters and is home to private apartments.

Clashes leave 11 dead in Guerrero StateAP

ACAPULCO: Violent clashes involving gunmen, a commu-nity police force and state police killed 11 people in the troubled southern state of Guerrero while a separate series of shootouts the previous night left seven dead in the northern Mexico beach resort of San Jose del Cabo.

Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez said eight people were initially killed

when gunmen ambushed com-munity police before dawn in the town of La Concepcion, near the resort city of Acapulco. Two of the dead were from the com-munity force.

Later in the morning, state police arrived to disarm the local agents, and another shootout erupted in which three people were killed.

Alvarez said he did not know the casualties, but local media said they were community police.

State Attorney General Xavier Olea Pelaez said 30 members of the community police were detained on suspi-cion of crimes including homi-cide and illegal weapons and drug possession.

Among those arrested was Marco Antonio Suastegui, the founder of the community force and the leader of a social movement that for over a decade has fought against a hydroelectric project in the region.

New York Fire Department crew respond after a blaze broke out at Trump Tower, in Manhattan, yesterday.

Guerrero policemen are seen during the arrest of a member of the Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities (CRAC) at La Concepcion village, in Guerrero State, Mexico, yesterday.

Democratic US Senator Richard Blumenthal said yesterday that he expected Mueller would try to talk to the president in person.

18 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018AMERICAS

AP

FREDERICKSON: Authori-

ties in Washington say a Pierce

County Sheriff’s deputy has

died from gunshot wounds

sustained while responding

to a home invasion.

The Pierce County Sher-

iff’s Department posted on

its Facebook page early yes-

terday that the deputy was

shot just after 11:30pm on Sun-

day during a foot chase after

responding to a 911 call. The

deputy had been transported

to a hospital in Tacoma before

he died. The deputy has not

been identified.

Officials said two suspects

were involved in the home inva-

sion in the Frederickson area.

NEWS BYTES

Man dies from gunshot wounds

Unrest in ArgentinaNora Cortinas, president of human rights organisation “Madres de Plaza de Mayo Linea Fundadora”, and other activists protest after the justice allowed former Buenos Aires police chief Miguel Etchecolatz to serve the rest of his life imprisonment at home due to his advanced age in Mar del Plata, Argentina, yesterday.

Salvadoran migrants lose US residencyAGENCIES

WASHINGTON: About 200,000 Salvadorans who have been in the US since at least 2001 will become eligible to be deported next year, the Trump adminis-tration announced yesterday.

“The Salvadorans, who were granted temporary permits to live and work in the US after a series of deadly earthquakes, could be deported if they don’t leave the US by September 9 next year,” said two senior adminis-tration officials said yesterday.

Salvadorans make up the largest portion of individuals covered by so-called temporary protected status, which shields about 320,000 people in the US from deportation, according to

the Congressional Research Service.

The humanitarian pro-gramme covers immigrants who have fled from natural disasters

and other turmoil in their home countries.

President Donald Trump’s decision signals a departure from the stance of previous adminis-trations, which granted and re-authorised temporary protected status for Hondurans beginning in the late 1990s.

In 2016, the Obama admin-istration determined that condi-tions in El Salvador remained unsafe for the return of residents covered under the TPS programme.

“There continues to be a sub-stantial, but temporary, disrup-tion of living conditions in El Sal-vador resulting from a series of earthquakes in 2001, and El Sal-vador remains unable, tempo-rarily, to handle adequately the

return of its nationals,” a July 8, 2016, notice in the Federal Reg-ister said.

Advocates for continuing TPS for El Salvador and other coun-tries in Central America have argued that violence and polit-ical unrest make it unsafe for migrants to return.

Trump campaigned on a hard-line approach to immigra-tion and his allies have said the temporary protections have per-sisted far beyond their original intent.

The protection programme has been recently criticised by Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, who said in an October 30 letter to the Department of Homeland

Security that immigrants living in the US under TPS were taking “jobs that might otherwise be filled by one of the 7.1 million unemployed Americans.”

El Salvador’s President Sal-vador Sanchez Ceren spoke at length by phone with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Friday to renew his request to extend the status to allow more time for Congress to deliver a long-term fix for those covered to stay in the US.

In November, Nielsen’s pred-ecessor, acting Secretary Elaine Duke, ended protections for Hai-tians, requiring about 50,000 to leave or adjust their legal status by July 22, 2019, and for Nicara-guans, giving about 2,500 until January 5 next year. She delayed

a decision affecting more than 50,000 Hondurans, forcing a decision on Nielsen.

The decision was criticised by Republican and Democratic lawmakers from Florida.

Last year, the Trump admin-istration extended status for South Sudan and ended it for Sudan. Other countries covered are Nepal, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

More than 90 percent of TPS beneficiaries come from Hon-duras, El Salvador and Haiti. Losing them could cost the US about $280m in contributions to gross domestic product, according to an analysis by the Immigrant Resource Center, which promotes immigrant rights.

Travellers still stranded at JFK AirportAFP

NEW YORK: Chaos reigned at New York’s flagship airport for a third consecutive day on Sunday with one terminal flooded and irate passengers stranded by chronic delays blamed on brutal cold and a deadly winter storm.

Arrivals were significantly disrupted into Terminal Four at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where a water pipe broke, compounding chaos blamed on a “cascading series of issues.”

Water poured from the ceiling and the arrivals area was submerged by around three inches of water, through which a few intrepid passengers picked their way gingerly, CNN footage showed.

“What happened at JFK Air-port is unacceptable,” admitted Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is

responsible for area airports. “We will hold those responsible accountable for any shortcom-ings we find,” he added.

The incident highlighted complaints about poor infra-structure serving the US finan-cial capital, home to 8.5 million people, with a crisis in the subway and derailments in recent years on commuter trains.

The cause of the break appeared to be “weather-related” but would be investi-gated, as would why the pipe had not been weather protected and whether other failures contrib-uted to the disruption, officials said.

After the pipe broke and water began flooding the ter-minal, power to the affected areas was shut off for safety rea-sons, officials said.

Domestic arrivals and depar-tures, and international depar-tures operated with delays. A string of international flights were diverted to other airports

or terminals.Terminal 4 is used by more

than 30 airlines, including Air India, Delta, Egyptair, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, KLM Royal Dutch, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Tempers flared for days

among exhausted travellers, forced to sleep on the floor of terminals, with others stranded on planes for hours waiting to access a gate and massive delays in baggage claim.

Hugo Zylberberg, a 28-year-old researcher, said while his

11-hour flight from Egypt was on time, it took an hour to find a gate, another hour at customs and then an hour and a half to wait for his luggage.

“There’s still like a hundred people waiting for their luggage.”

AP

TOLEDO: The Ohio Depart-

ment of Transportation is

planning to require fencing

at some overpass construction

sites after a Michigan man was

killed by a sandbag thrown

through a car windshield.

The department is draft-

ing a new rule that would

require temporary fencing

when it removes permanent

barriers at construction sites.

The change comes after

Marquise Byrd, of Michigan,

died in December after a car

he was riding in was struck by

a sandbag tossed onto Inter-

state 75 in Toledo. Authorities

have charged four teenagers

with throwing the sandbag

and other objects at cars.

Ohio to require fencing on overpass

US weather disasters cost $306bn in 2017AP

WASHINGTON: With three strong hurricanes, wildfires, hail, flooding, tornadoes and drought, the United States tallied a record high bill last year for weather disasters: $306bn.

“The US had 16 disasters last year with damage exceeding a billion dollars,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said yesterday.

That ties 2011 for the number of billion-dollar disasters, but the total cost blew past the pre-vious record of $215bn in 2005.

Costs are adjusted for

inflation and NOAA keeps track of billion-dollar weather disas-ters going back to 1980.

Three of the five most expensive hurricanes in US his-tory hit last year.

Hurricane Harvey cost $125bn, second only to 2005’s Katrina, while Maria cost $90bn, ranking third, NOAA said.

“Irma was $50bn, for the fifth most expensive hurricane. Western wildfires fanned by heat racked up $18bn in damage, triple the previous US wildfire record,” according to NOAA.

“While we have to be careful about knee-jerk cause-effect

discussions, the National Academy of Science and recent peer-reviewed literature con-tinue to show that some of today’s extremes have climate change fingerprints on them,” said University of Georgia mete-orology professor Marshall Shepherd, a past president of the American Meteorological Society.

NOAA announced its figures at the society’s annual confer-ence in Austin, Texas.

The weather agency also said that 2017 was the third hot-test year in US records for the Lower 48 states with an annual

temperature of 54.6 degrees (12.6 degrees Celsius) -- 2.6 degrees warmer than the 20th century average . Only 2012 and 2016 were warmer. The five warmest years for the Lower 48 states have all happened since 2006.

This was the third straight year that all 50 states had above average temperatures for the year.

Five states -- Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and New Mexico -- had their warmest year ever.

Temperature records go back to 1895.

Democratic activist pledges $30m to mobilise voters

Workers sweep water from the floor of the arrival area at John F Kennedy International Airport's terminal 4, in New York, yesterday.

“The Salvadorans, who were granted temporary permits to live and work in the US after a series of deadly earthquakes, could be deported if they don’t leave the US by September 9 next year,” said two senior administration officials .

BLOOMBERG

WASHINGTON: Billionaire Tom Steyer (pictured) pledged yesterday to spend $30m through his NextGen America organisation to help Democrats win congressional seats in the 2018 midterms.

Steyer, who has boosted his national profile with a recent series of television ads calling for the impeachment of Presi-dent Donald Trump, said he won’t run for office himself in 2018.

“That’s not where I can make the biggest difference,” he said at a news conference in Washington.

The mega-donor helped create what began as the NextGen Climate network in 2012 after leaving Farallon Cap-ital Management, the hedge

fund he co-founded, to devote himself to conservation.

In 2016, the group focused on mobilising young voters around climate change policies. Steyer said he’ll use his money similarly in 2018.

Steyer was the biggest indi-vidual political donor in the 2016 election, and his decision removes some uncertainty for California’s races for governor and US Senate.

When asked about his plans after the midterms, Steyer declined to rule out a potential presidential bid in 2020.

Pennsylvania bans fraternity over student’s hazing deathAP

STROUDSBURG: A national fraternity was banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years and ordered to pay a fine of more than $110,000 as it was sentenced yesterday for its role in the death of a 19-year-old pledge during a 2013 hazing ritual.

The judge and a prose-cutor slammed Pi Delta Psi for calling itself a victim of rogue fraternity members, saying the organisation tol-erated and even encouraged hazing for years leading up to the death of Baruch College freshman Chun “Michael” Deng.

“It’s the epitome of a lack of acceptance of responsi-bility. It’s their rituals and functions that led us here today,” said Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Kim Metzger said in court.

Pi Delta Psi, an Asian-American cultural fraternity founded in 1994, has 25 chap-ters in 11 states.

Four defendants who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other charges will be sentenced later yesterday.

A grand jury said frater-nity members at Baruch, a campus of the City University of New York, physically abused Deng, and then tried to cover it up as the 19-year-old lay dying in their rented house in the Pocono Mountains.

19TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018 HOME

FAJRSHOROOK

05.00am06.21 am

ZUHRASR

11.41 am02.41 pm

MAGHRIBISHA

05.03pm06.33 pm

PRAYER TIMINGS

HIGH TIDE 10:00 – 00:00 LOW TIDE 03:00 – 18:00

Slight dust to blowing dust at places at

times and scattered clouds with chance

of scattered light rain at places, cold by

night.

WEATHER TODAY

COURTESY: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum 15oC 22oC

20 TUESDAY 9 JANUARY 2018MORNING BREAK

Water liliesPeople take a boat to see giant water lilies (Victoria amazonica) — known as Yakare Yrupe in Guarani — which appear every three to four years in great numbers and a size of more than a metre and a half in diameter, in the Paraguay River in Piquete Cue, north of Asuncion, yesterday. Water lilies are seen every year but not in such quantities and size and locals treat them as a national treasure.

BLOOMBERG

NEW York: The US TV audi-ence for Sunday’s Golden Globes Awards fell by a million viewers compared with a year earlier, even with the added intrigue of Holly-wood’s response to the sexual-harassment uproar.

The evening telecast on NBC drew 19 million viewers, the network said yesterday in an email, a decline from the 20 million who watched a year earlier. While the audi-ence was smaller than a year ago, it was still the largest for an entertainment program since the Oscars pulled in 32.9 million viewers last February.

The smaller audience may not reflect audience reaction to the show’s focus on women in entertainment confronting sexual harass-ment, but rather the relatively low profile of this year’s movie nominees.

The big winner a year ago was the musical “La La Land,” which set a record with seven awards and had $446 million in worldwide sales. The win-ners this year were “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “Lady Bird,” neither of which has pulled in as much as $50m.

BLOOMBERG

LAS VEGAS: Toyota Motor Corporation trying to transform itself into a leader of the new driverless economy, unveiled both the concept vehicle and the big-name partners to make it a reality.

Amazon.com Inc. has signed on as a partner for Toyota’s new mobility alliance, which will develop fully autonomous elec-tric vehicles to deliver packages, pizza and people to desired destinations. Also joining the e-commerce giant as partners are Pizza Hut, Uber Technologies Inc., Mazda Motor Corp. and Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing. “This announcement marks a major step forward in our evolution towards sustainable mobility, demon-strating our continued expansion beyond traditional cars and trucks to the crea-tion of new values including services for customers,” Akio Toyoda, the automak-er’s president, said in a statement.

Toyota’s news comes as major car manufacturers and tech giants gather this week in Las Vegas at CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, to showcase whole suites of products meant to overhaul human mobility. Auto companies from General Motors Co. to Tesla Inc. as well as interlopers like Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo are racing to bring fully self-driving cars to market, and the payoff will be massive for the

ones who pull it off first. Toyota’s vehicle unveiled at CES —called the e-Palette concept — will come in three sizes and sport open interior layouts with flat floors to allow users to outfit them according to their companies’ needs. The larger vehicles resemble small buses and allow adults to stand up inside. The com-pany suggested they could even be reconfigured as mobile hotel rooms.

Speedier Delivery“We’re constantly looking for ways

to innovate and help improve our logis-tics operations, and in this partnership with Toyota we’ll collaborate and explore new opportunities to improve the speed and quality of delivery for our customers,” Tim Collins, vice president

of Amazon Logistics, said.In the near term, the alliance will

focus on developing the battery-electric e-Palette, which will have an opensource control interface that allows partner companies to install their own automated driving systems instead of Toyota’s, if desired. In addition, Toyota will provide an array of services to help e-Palette cus-tomers use their vehicles, including leasing

and insurance support and fleet manage-ment. Users will also have access to its global communications network and a so-called Toyota Big Data Center. “What’s unique about our system is we offer all the software, all the hardware and all the financial tools you would need to run mobility as a service, soup to nuts,” Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said. The process is intended to be cashless, allowing users to make payments automatically once they’ve gained access to the vehicles with smart keys or a facial recognition system.

Pizza PiesPizza Hut, a Yum! Brands Inc.-owned

chain that built its reputation on sit-down pizza service, said its partnership with Toyota could help it deliver more

pizza faster, with driverless cars poten-tially helping during particularly busy times, like Super Bowl Sunday. Even though driverless delivery is still a few years off, the tie-up with Toyota could make the company’s delivery system safer and more efficient by analyzing driver data, according to Artie Starrs, who runs Pizza Hut’s US operation.

The largest of the three major pizza chains in the US, Pizza Hut has lagged behind its rivals on technology and struggled to shed its roots as a sit-down dining destination in an industry where delivery is king. “It’s an incredibly sym-biotic relationship,” Starrs said. “This reinforces Pizza Hut as a delivery-cen-tric brand.” Toyota is not alone in exploring such concepts. Ford Motor Co. conducted a test this past fall with Dom-ino’s Pizza Inc. to gauge consumer appe-tite for driverless-pizza delivery. Nissan Motor Co. plans to unveil at the Hanover Motor Show in Germany in September a driverless van that can transfer pack-ages from central warehouses to sur-rounding homes. GM plans to have its self-driving cars ready for a ride-share service next year.

Toyota has small stakes in launch partners Uber and Mazda and is already seeking additional partners to either uti-lize the self-driving vehicles or help develop the technology. Didi, the only China-based company joining the alli-ance, will cooperate globally with Toyota, according to an emailed state-ment. Toyoda, 61, is a scion of Toyota’s founding family who’s served as presi-dent of the carmaker since 2009. He’s said frequently the company needs to accelerate the pace of its technological innovations. He’s also said that since Toyota can’t create the future of mobility all by itself, it needs to get better at cre-ating partnerships, even with compa-nies like Amazon, which he cited in August as a potential competitor.

Toyota launches e-Pallete, the self-driving concept vehicle

AFP

MIAMI: The vast majority of green sea turtles in the northern Great Barrier Reef are now female because of warmer temperatures due to climate change, which influ-ences their sex during incuba-tion, researchers said yesterday.

The population of about 200,000 nesting females in the area along the east coast of Queensland, Australia, is one of the largest in the world, and could crash without more males, according to the report in the journal Current Biology.

The temperature at which eggs incubate determines the sex of the eggs. Warmer nests, which are dug into beaches, mean more females. Just a few degrees can mean the difference between a balanced and skewed sex ratio.

“With average global tem-perature predicted to increase 4.7 Fahrenheit (2.6 Celsius) by 2100, many sea turtle popula-tions are in danger of high egg

mortality and female-only off-spring production,” said the report.

Since figuring out the sex of buried eggs is too difficult, researchers decided to catch sea turtles and use genetic tests to find out where they’d come from.

They worked in an area where two different populations of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) forage — one from a warmer area and the other from a cooler area.

After collecting 411 for anal-ysis and release, they found a “moderate female sex bias” in turtles from beaches in the cooler, southern Great Barrier Reef, where about 65-69 per-cent were female.

But those in the warmer, northern Great Barrier Reef were “extremely female-biased,” at 99.1 percent female among juveniles and 99.8 per-cent for those between juveniles and adults.

A total of 86.8 percent of adult-sized turtles from the area were female.

The trend of producing more females in warm areas has been ongoing for more than two dec-ades, according to lead author Michael Jensen, from the US National Oceanic and Atmos-pheric Administration.

The study “provides a new understanding of what these populations are dealing with,” he said.

“Knowing what the sex ratios in the adult breeding pop-ulation are today and what they might look like five, 10 and 20 years from now when these young turtles grow up and become adults is going to be incredibly valuable.”

Experts say there are strat-egies that could help, including erecting shady tents over beaches where turtles nest to keep them cool.

Green sea turtles are con-sidered endangered throughout much of the world, under siege from coastal debris, loss of hab-itat, fishing nets and pollution, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Most sea turtles now female in northern Great Barrier Reef

Golden Globes audience drops by a million despite Hollywood drama

Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, announces the ‘e-Pallete’, a new fully self-driving electric concept vehicle designed to be used for ride hailing, parcel delivery services and other uses at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, yesterday.

REUTERS

NEW YORK: Sony/ATV said yesterday it signed a licensing agreement with Facebook Inc that will allow the social media platform’s users to upload and share videos from the music publishing compa-ny’s catalog on Facebook and Instagram.

The multi-year deal will allow artists associated with Sony/ATV — whose catalog includes Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran — to earn royalties from the use of their music on the social media platforms.

Facebook’s deal with Sony/ATV follows a similar deal with Universal Music Group in December, to retain u s e r s a n d a t t r a c t advertisers.

Facebook and Sony/ATV sign music licensing deal