Doha Islamic Youth Forum begins today - Gulf Times

GULF TIMES

published in

QATAR

since 1978

BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1

In brief

SUNDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11237

July 7, 2019Dhul-Qa’da 4, 1440 AH www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Higher Organising Committee of Beach Games formed

REGION | Politics

France-Iran N-talksby July 15 likely

ARAB WORLD | Unrest

Sudan ruler vowsto implement deal

QATAR | Reaction

Qatar slams bombing ofmosque in Afghanistan

French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday he and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani had agreed to seek conditions for a resumption of dialogue on the Iranian nuclear question by July 15. “The President of the Republic has agreed with his Iranian counterpart to explore by July 15 conditions to resume dialogue between the parties. Page 9

Sudan’s army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed yesterday to implement the power-sharing deal agreed with demonstrators, as the protest campaign cancelled a nationwide day of civil disobedience later this month. The ruling military council and protest leaders agreed on Friday to form a joint civilian-military governing body aimed at ending the country’s months-long political crisis. Page 9

Qatar has strongly condemned the bombing of a mosque in Ghazni province in southeast Afghanistan, killing two people and injuring others. In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs reiterated Qatar’s firm stance rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of motives and reasons. It stressed Qatar’s total rejection of targeting places of worship and intimidating civilians. It expressed Qatar’s condolences to the victims’ families, the Government and people of Afghanistan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

US quake-hit assess damage,brace for more aftershocksReutersRidgecrest, California

High desert communities in Southern California yester-day assessed damage and

braced for potentially dangerous af-tershocks from a major earthquake that shook buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked fi res near the re-mote epicentre of the second temblor in as many days.

The powerful magnitude 7.1 earth-quake rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest south of Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Fri-day, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4 quake that struck the same area 34 hours earlier.

California Governor Gavin New-

som requested federal assistance and placed the state Office of Emer-gency Services (OES) on its highest alert.

“We do know there were a number of injuries, but most of them I would characterise in the minor to moder-ate level, and no reports of any fatali-ties, so I think we’re very lucky there,” OES Director Mark Ghilarducci said at a news conference.

Ghilarducci said there were reports of building fi res, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas-line breaks.

State offi cials said all roads dam-aged by the quakes had been repaired and reopened.

Violent shaking also caused wa-ter-main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, home to about 27,000

people some 200km northeast of Los Angeles.

Ghilarducci said there was sure to be a signifi cant number of after-shocks, including possible powerful ones, and advised residents to ensure they had necessary supplies.

“We want to make sure that peo-ple over the next 24 to 48 hours are prepared and cognizant of what to do should more earthquakes occur,” Ghilarducci said.

Overnight the centre of Ridgecrest was quiet, except for the occasional rumble of aftershocks. Some residents could be seen sitting on lawn chairs in the darkness outside. The garage doors of many homes were left open with a car parked on the driveway.

The sprawling US Naval Air Weap-ons Station China Lake just north-west of town was evacuated of all non-essential personnel following the quake.

The facility, which at more than 1.1mn acres is larger than the state of Rhode Island, reported no injuries. Authorities were assessing any dam-age to buildings or other infrastruc-ture, according to a post on the base’s Facebook page.

Friday’s earthquake was widely felt across Southern California, including greater Los Angeles, where shaking in some areas lasted about 40 seconds. Low-level rumbling extended as far north as the San Francisco Bay area and beyond to Reno, Nevada, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona.

Firefighters work to put out a fire, the morning after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck in the area, yesterday in Ridgecrest, California.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised an open discussion session yesterday with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (AOC) delegation, currently visiting Qatar. The delegation includes participants from Europe and North America. HE the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah Alkhater addressed the discussion session. Page 2

Foreign ministry holds talks with UN team

MDD to host Huawei’s Smart Experience CentreMsheireb Downtown Doha, the

smartest and most sustain-able fully built city district in

the world and Qatar’s destination for leisure, living and business, is intended to become home to Huawei’s Smart Experience Centre in Qatar.

The announcement was made dur-ing a signing ceremony between Msheireb Properties, the developer of Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), and Huawei who is a leading global provid-er of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices.

This agreement aligns with the vi-sion set for Msheireb Downtown Doha to be a city of fi rsts, constantly bring-

ing into the country the latest and smartest technology solutions. For Huawei, this co-operation with the national real estate developer will help the company in expanding its pres-ence locally and increasing its market share.

Ali al-Kuwari, Acting CEO of Msheireb Properties, said: “Msheireb Downtown Doha is all about connec-tivity and smart living. We have prom-ised our tenants and visitors an experi-ence like no other, and we are currently embarking on partnerships to ensure we fulfi l that. Our work with Huawei will witness the development of their smart experience centre in the coun-try, which is only telling of the trust

that international companies have in our infrastructure. We are very happy with this venture and we look forward to announce it’s opening soon.”

Frank Fan, CEO of Huawei Technol-ogies LLC, said: “It is an exciting co-operation indeed. The Huawei brand has a large customer following in Qa-tar, and the smart experience centre will give visitors the opportunity to experience some of Huawei’s lead-ing technologies such as 5G, AI, cloud products and solutions that Huawei integrates into its unique Cloud-Pipe-Device strategy targeted at driv-ing digitalisation and empowering customers. That’s why it’s vitally im-portant to solidify our presence and

increase our footprint. We are excited that our collaboration with Msheireb Properties will further support us in achieving this goal.”

Huawei is a leading global informa-tion and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world. The company has more than 180,000 employees, and operates in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 3bn people around the world.

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employ-ees, with revenues exceeding $108bn in 2018.

Msheireb Properties and Huawei off icials at the co-operation agreement signing ceremony.

Qatar-UK trade volume up 3.6% to reach $2.9bn in 2018

Doha Islamic Youth Forum begins today

QNADoha

The Doha Islamic Youth Forum kicks off today at QNCC, under the theme “Youth is the power

of the nation”, which is part of the activities of Doha, Capital of Islamic Youth 2019.

Organised by the Ministry of Cul-ture and Sports, the forum will con-tinue until July 11, hosting about 90 young people representing 56 coun-tries of the Islamic world, including 20 Qatari youth.

The forum is organised in co-oper-ation between the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Islamic Youth Co-operation Forum, the youth wing of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC), and under the supervision and organisation of the Qatar Center for Cultural and Heritage Events.

Issues related to youth including good governance and transparency, importance of sustainable develop-ment, youth and social media, and diplomatic simulations are among the major topics on the agenda.

These discussions are accompanied by three workshops.

HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali described the Doha Forum for Islamic Youth as “a unique event” at this particular time when the Islamic nations are facing many challenges.

The forum will contribute to the promotion of cultural exchange among young Muslims providing an interac-tive platform for youth coming from diff erent Islamic countries to learn from and about each other.

“This forum is an opportunity to empower young people by expand-ing their participation and initiative, building capacities and promoting cultural diversity as a value on which to build joint ventures and to connect young people from other countries and cultures,” he said.

The minister added: “It is not pos-sible to achieve sustainability without the availability of these elements and

our bet on our youth is a basic value bet, emphasising the central role of youth”.

The motto “Youth is the power of the nation”, will be the theme of Doha, the Islamic Youth Capital 2019 through-out the year.

Dr Issa al-Hur, Chairman of the Technical Committee for the Doha Youth Capital 2019, said the forum will be a great opportunity for young peo-ple to exchange ideas and discuss dif-ferent issues.

He said the youth participating in the forum will discuss various issues that will be presented at the forum, in addition to the workshops where the “young people will discuss the prob-lem and develop solutions to these problems by themselves”.

After these discussions, Dr al-Hur said the youth will be trained on the model of the Islamic Co-operation Organisation summit. This will help young people to gain leadership skills, identify the nature of the problems, and how to address them by fi nding appropriate solutions.

Aisha al-Mahmoud, Director of Public Relations and Communication at the Ministry of Culture and Sports, said that all necessary preparations for the forum have been completed.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports has provided all the necessary resourc-es to ensure success of this forum.

Forum to provide an interactive platform for young people to exchange ideas and discuss different issues

HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali

2 Gulf TimesSunday, July 7, 2019

QATAR

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations delegation, currently visiting Qatar, toured the Msheireb Museums, and Souq Waqif yesterday. The delegation was briefed on the history of Qatar and the development currently witnessed by the country in all fields. The delegation of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which includes participants from Europe and North America, is visiting Qatar in co-ordination with the National Committee of the Alliance of Civilizations in order to learn about the history of the State, its historical and cultural landmarks, and to achieve closer co-operation between races, religions and cultures among peoples based on the values of truth, justice and equality.

UN delegation visits Msheireb Museums, Souq Waqif

HMC-SSPC gets about 3,000 visits since openingHamad Medical Corporation

(HMC) yesterday said its Sec-ondary Stroke Prevention

Clinic (SSPC) has delivered education, monitoring and prevention services to hundreds of stroke patients with al-most 3,000 visits since its opening in April 2018.

The aim of the clinic is to reduce the risk for a recurrence in patients who have recently had a stroke or tran-sient ischemic attack (TIA or ‘mini-stroke’), as Dr Naveed Akhtar, head of Stroke Services at HMC, explained: “The patients that we see in this clinic have a high risk of suff ering a stroke or TIA, often for the second or even third time.”

“We have made enormous progress in recent years to improve the treat-ment given to stroke patients – we now see patients more quickly, treat them with specialist teams and help them recover faster than ever be-fore. The SSPC complements these improvements by enabling us to not only treat the symptoms and effects of stroke but also to prevent strokes from happening again,” added Dr Akhtar.

Due to the high prevalence of many of the risk factors of stroke among Qatar’s population, the incidence of stroke is high, particularly amongst those under the age of 60 years.

“Studies show that the risk of re-current stroke is between 5-10%

within the fi rst 30 days and rises to up to 40% within fi ve years of the initial stroke. For this reason, it is essential that we provide suitable education and support for stroke patients to try to prevent any further incidents,” stat-ed Dr Akhtar.

The stroke team ensures that all stroke patients are given an appoint-ment date at the SSPC within six weeks of discharge from every HMC hospital, according to a press state-ment. The SSPC runs eight clinics a week, with services delivered by spe-

cially trained stroke consultants, clin-ical nurse specialists, educators and pharmacists.

“During the consultations, our teams discuss a wide range of pre-ventative issues with patients, includ-ing diagnostic results, healthy lifestyle habits and the main risk factors for stroke,” said Paula Bourke, advanced clinical nurse specialist for stroke. “The new clinic is equipped with advanced stroke investigation tech-nology, including Prolonged Holter monitoring to assess heart function, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring devices and specialist 3D Doppler Ca-rotid ultrasound equipment.”

There are many factors that increase a person’s risk of stroke: high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and not taking medication as prescribed. The SSPC helps to give patients a better understanding of these factors and of-fers them practical ways to minimise their risk.

The SSPC highlights HMC’s focus on health promotion and education, the statement notes. With the open-ing of this service, in addition to the Tobacco Control Centre and National Obesity Treatment Centre, both of which have opened in the past two years, HMC is expanding its range of preventative services aimed at keep-ing Qatar’s population as healthy as possible.

Dr Naveed Akhtar

Barzan Holdings and Qatar Post sign MoU

Barzan Holdings has formalised a memo-randum of under-

standing (MoU) with Qatar Post, paving the way for “a seamless and fully secure” postal service to be provided to the Ministry of Defence’s strategic arm.

The signing ceremony took place at the Barzan Holdings headquarters.

The agreement was inked by Nasser Hassan al-Naimi, president and executive board member of Barzan Holdings; and Faleh Mo-hamed al-Naemi, Qatar Post chairman and manag-ing director.

Commenting on the signing, Barzan Holdings’ al-Naimi said: “We are de-lighted to have partnered with Qatar Post through this strategic MoU. Barzan Holdings is establishing sig-

nifi cant relationships with industry leaders all over the world, and our ability to correspond securely with them is paramount. Qatar Post has demonstrated its expertise in this area over many years, and I’m sure that this agreement will prove to be mutually ben-efi cial to both parties.”

“The signing of this memorandum of under-

standing with Barzan Hold-ings comes in the context of our support to government, private entities and insti-tutions to encourage them to adopt integrated postal services,” Qatar Post’s al-Naemi added.

“This will help them achieve greater effi ciency and enable them to de-velop, grow and contribute eff ectively to the process of

sustainable development. “Qatar Post will provide a

number of important postal services, including the pro-vision of a Global Priority Service, logistics from out-side Qatar and vice-versa, the transfer of equipment within the country and the clearance of procedures in the ports and the airport, the transfer of all types of shipments within the state, and other services.

“We also hope that this initiative will be a starting point for a long-term part-nership between the two companies, off ering Barzan Holdings a range of solu-tions and innovative postal services that are consist-ent with the goal of Qatar in seeking to build a competi-tive economy and transform the country into a fully con-nected society.”

Nasser Hassan al-Naimi with Faleh Mohamed al-Naemi after signing the MoU.

Qicca hosts trainees from justice ministryThe Qatar Interna-

tional Centre for Conciliation and Ar-

bitration (Qicca) has hosted members of the Centre for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Ministry of Justice for a training session on ar-bitration and other topics.

The event discussed the most important aspects of commercial arbitration, the role of Qatar Chamber and Qicca in spreading the culture of arbitration in the business community, and alternatives to resolving commercial disputes.

Qicca board member for International Relations Sheikh Dr Thani bin Ali al-Thani said the centre holds regular meetings with trainees, jurists, and those interested in commercial arbitration to introduce arbitration, which is gain-ing increasing importance globally.

He said the laws and regulations issued in recent years have contributed sig-

nifi cantly to Qatar becom-ing an important economic and trade centre in the re-gion.

Sheikh Thani lauded the issuance of laws and regu-lations related to the regu-lation of non-Qatari capital investment, laws regulat-ing economic activity, the commercial register, free zones, industrial zones, the protection of competition, the prevention of monopo-listic practices, and elec-tronic commerce, as well as the establishment of a spe-

cial court for investment and trade.

He also gave a brief in-troduction about Qicca, which was established in 2006 by a resolution issued by the board of directors of the Qatar Chamber and the adoption of its rules that are consistent with the rules of the Model Unistral (2010).

The centre’s Arbitra-tion Committee also holds seminars and lectures to raise awareness of arbitra-tion and encourage com-

panies to resort to arbi-tration. Similarly, major conferences are organised with the participation of experts and international jurists to learn about the latest arbitration practices, in addition to training pro-grammes and programmes of rehabilitation and prepa-ration of arbitrators.

Qicca counsellor Dr Mi-nas Khatchadourian also presented a brief about the most important procedures and methods of arbitration in the centre.

MoI teams up with Polish customsto foil attempt to smuggle heroin

The General Direc-torate of Drug En-forcement in Qatar,

in a joint operation with the Polish police and Customs offi ce, has thwarted an at-tempt to smuggle 5.8kg of heroin into Poland.

The Ministry of Inte-rior (MoI) informed this through a series of tweets yesterday.

The Polish authori-ties arrested the accused and seized the contraband that was hidden in his bag, thanks to the co-operation between the General Direc-torate of Drug Enforcement and the relevant bodies in Poland, the MoI said.

Earlier, the International Communication Section of the Department of Studies and International Aff airs at the directorate had received information about an at-tempt by an European na-

tional to smuggle narcotics into Poland through War-saw Chopin Airport.

The directorate took all measures in accordance with international conven-tions and laws, and through co-ordination with the

relevant bodies in Poland, the ministry added, noting that the Polish authori-ties thanked Qatar “for this outstanding co-operation”.

Maj Mohamed Abdul-lah al-Khater, director of the Department of Studies

and International Aff airs at the directorate, stressed that Qatar is “exerting every eff ort to support the international community in addressing this serious scourge”.

The Polish authorities arrested the accused and seized the contraband that was hidden in his bag.

Maj Mohamed Abdullah al-Khater, director of the Department of Studies and International Aff airs at the General Directorate of Drug Enforcement.

Sheikh Dr Thani bin Ali al-Thani and Dr Minas Khatchadourian during the training session with the Ministry of Justice.

3Gulf TimesSunday, July 7, 2019

QATAR

HE the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces Lieutenant General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanim, who is currently visiting the United Kingdom, visited the production lines of the Typhoon and Hawk aircraft, BAE Systems. During the tour, the Chief of Staff was briefed by the manufacturers on the latest technology and equipment owned by the facility. The Chief of Staff was accompanied during the tour by the Executive Director of the company, Christopher B, off icers of the Qatar Armed Forces, and the company’s senior off icials.

Chief of Staff visits Typhoon and Hawk aircraft production facility in UK

Ministry of Interior issues safety tips for travellersThe Public Relations Depart-

ment at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has issued an advisory in

a bid to ensure the safety and security of travellers during the summer.

The advisory contains a wide range of awareness tips, which are as fol-lows: Offi cial documentsThe advisory has asked travellers

to make sure that their passports are valid for at least six months and they should obtain a visa on time. “Some embassies in Qatar require the signa-ture of children aged 10 years or more on the passport,” it says, asking people to confi rm the validity of offi cial doc-uments such as the ID card, driving licence, car ownership card and debit/credit cards.

The advisory further urges resi-dents to keep official documents and personal valuables in a safe and se-cure place while travelling. “Do not pawn your passport or ID card to any party in any way,” it says, adding that in case of any problem, “you must immediately inform the nearest dip-lomatic mission of your country and notify the officials about the prob-lem in detail”.

The MoI also advises travellers to arrange for an international driver’s licence as the transit system in some countries does not allow a foreigner to drive unless he/she carries a licence issued by those countries.

“Get the international Customs transit book (Triptyque) as this will serve as a guarantor before the Customs authorities of countries through which you pass or stop during your journey. Some Arab states require the Triptyque for passing through their territory,” the advisory says. People should also keep a copy of their passport and visa of the country of they are visiting as this will help them in case the passport goes missing. This may be done through saving the copies of both documents in one’s e-mail.

“Travellers should also collect the address and telephone numbers of the embassies/consulates of their coun-tries in the countries where they in-tend to travel. This will help them in case of any emergency,” the advisory adds.

Securing the house before travel

The advisory has urged travel-lers to ensure that their houses are properly locked by using one or more high-quality locks. It also asks not to keep money, jewellery or other valu-ables inside the house and, instead, advises them to deposit such items in the bank.

“Before leaving the house, please switch off the electric switchboard, gas pipelines and main water valve,” the advisory points out. Also, resi-dents could request their relatives or neighbours to keep an eye on their

house and pass by it at regular inter-vals to ensure their safety.

Awareness and caution during travel

The MoI has urged people to be “extra cautious” about the situa-tion around them “as it is the basis of maintaining your personal secu-rity and safety while travelling”. “You should be conscious everywhere, whether at hotels, airports or mar-kets,” it says, adding: “please avoid mingling with unknown persons while travelling.”

People should also avoid carrying jewellery or valuables unnecessar-ily during the travel period. “Keep your money in a purse and ensure it is available there constantly,” the advi-sory notes. Also, people should avoid using illegal taxis to go from one place to another.

“Throughout your travel, act as an ambassador of your country and avoid suspicious localities. Obey the rules and regulations of the host country and the terms of global aviation sys-tems,” the advisory continues, stress-ing that people should not carry pro-hibited items.

If accompanied by domestic work-ers and companions, the sponsor must enquire about their visas and procedures in this regard, the advisory says.

If security agencies in the host country have to inspect a traveller’s place of residence there, s/he should ask them if they have obtained the necessary permission from the ju-dicial authorities to conduct such a search.

In the event of an investigation into any case, one must report to the State mission as soon as possible.

“Carry currencies consistent with instructions of the host country,” the advisory adds. Excessive cash has to be declared before the Customs au-thorities.

Car safety tipsThe MoI has advised people to en-

sure the capacity of their vehicle by conducting a comprehensive techni-cal test well ahead of their trip and also check the safety and validity of the tyres. “Wear a seatbelt through-out the trip as it can save people from injuries by 50% and from death by 60-70 % during an accident,” it says, stressing that people should always keep a fi rst-aid kit in their car.

“Take a route map of the country you are travelling to, or GPS for route guidance. Always keep a fi re extin-guisher in working condition in your vehicle as well as an extra key of the vehicle with you. Don’t allow the fuel level in the tank to come down by more than half, as the next petrol sta-tion may not be working,” it adds.

Motorists should be cautious while approaching areas where animals such as camels and sheep may appear, es-pecially while driving at night.

“If you feel drowsy, immediately stop your vehicle and proceed on your journey only after giving yourself some rest. Then, continue your travel peacefully and safely and avoid driv-ing during the late hours of the night as much as possible.”

Driving in emergency condi-tions (rain, fog and dust)

The points highlighted by the MoI are as follows: reduce the vehicle’s speed by as much as possible; drive the vehicle on the right side of the road; use the wipers while raining; switch on the dim lights; don’t over-take vehicles in front of you; keep enough distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you; and in case you have to stop the vehicle because of poor visibility or for any other reason, please stay off the road and switch on the hazard lights, and strictly avoid sudden braking with-out giving signals to other drivers in advance.

HEC Paris has held a ‘Meet the Alumni’ event where alumni members shared their experiences with potential participants and prepared them to embark on a learning journey through the Specialised Master in Strategic Business Unit Management degree programme. The event took place on the HEC Paris Doha campus, in Tornado Tower, and alumni members in attendance included Cristina Porumb, Class of 2016; Abdulla al-Kharaz, Class of 2017; Bahig Georgi, Class of 2018; and Hend al-Naimi, Class of 2019. The alumni also guided the attendees through the wide-ranging benefits of the the programme, which gives participants the opportunity to learn best global practices that will help them enhance their leadership skills and transform their careers. The next intake for the SBUM 2020 Class starts on July 18.

HEC Paris in Qatar alumni members meet

Lawyers committee holds meetingQNADoha

The Lawyers Admission Committee held a meet-ing yesterday chaired by

HE the Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Aff airs.

The committee reviewed the topics on its agenda, witnessed three new lawyers swear the le-gal oath before the committee, and reviewed the applications for the registration of more new lawyers.

In addition, the committee reviewed the requests for the transfer of other lawyers from the board of lawyers before the courts of appeal and discrimina-tion, and took appropriate deci-sions.

A number of organisational topics and fi les submitted for discussion were also reviewed, including some complaints and grievances, and appropriate de-cisions taken.

QATAR

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 20194

QAC presents new 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander in QatarQatar Automobiles Company

(QAC), the authorised dis-tributor of Mitsubishi Motors

Corporation and FUSO in Qatar, has presented the new 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander in Qatar.

The 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander and a wide range of other Mitsubishi vehi-cles are available at the Mitsubishi Mo-tors showrooms on Salwa Road and in Al Khor.

The Outlander “has accomplished a lot of success in Qatar with huge de-mand in the fi rst half”, according to a press statement.

The upgraded design of the 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander is stylish, with changes on the front and rear exterior design to give the care more attractive appearance. Both bumpers, front and rear, are extended while the radiator grill is wider with new headlamps fea-ture LED lighting for both the high and low beams. The LED fog lamps illumi-nate the road ahead with white light, while the Shark Fin Antenna adds a sporty look. The SUV is equipped with diff erent options of wheels, either 18- or 16-inch alloy wheels.

Driving the Outlander “is a pleasur-able experience heightened by quick, responsive handling and high-quality craftsmanship”, the statement notes. “The ride is also extremely quiet thanks to enhanced noise reduction measures that lower engine, road and wind noise. From generous cabin space and comfortable seating to quality ma-terials and refi ned amenities, every de-tail contributes to your travelling joy.”

When it comes to seating arrange-ment, it is easy to fl exibly arrange the second- and third-row seats to carry al-most any combination of passengers and luggage. “You can even fold down all rear seatbacks to create an extremely large

and fl at luggage area. The second-row seat sliding function provides easy ac-cess to the third-row seats. Padding and springs in the third-row seat cushions contribute to riding comfort,” it adds.

The Outlander is powered by a choice of two clean and effi cient en-gines — a 2.4-litre MIVEC or 3.0-litre V6 MIVEC. The two engines are re-sponsive and fuel effi cient, while the high-displacement V6 engine sup-plies powerful acceleration even when carrying heavy loads or travelling up mountainsides.

The engine is mated with an ad-vanced CVT that automatically adjusts in response to changing road and vehi-cle conditions to deliver smooth, swift acceleration, as well as outstanding fuel effi ciency beyond what conventional automatic transmissions provide.

Electronically controlled 4WD off ers “incredible traction and stability even in challenging terrain by optimally com-bining with Active Stability Control”. The Drive Mode Selector lets one easily select the most appropriate drive mode when desired: the 4WD ECO mode for maximum economy, 4WD AUTO mode

for normal driving conditions, or 4WD LOCK mode for rough terrain.

When it comes to safety, the new Mitsubishi Outlander 2019 follows high standards, and is equipped with state-of-the-art systems. The Forward Col-lision Mitigation System helps prevent a frontal collision or reduce damage if the collision becomes unavoidable; the Adaptive Cruise Control System main-tains a selected distance between one’s vehicle and the car ahead via radar for greater safety and peace of mind; the Automatic High-Beam is provided to increase safety, comfort and driving ease at night; and the Blind Spot Warn-ing feature uses radar sensors in the rear bumper to detect vehicles in one’s rear blind spots, on the right and left sides.

The Outlander also comes with the Rear Cross Traffi c Alert, Multi Around Monitor system and Ultrasonic Misac-celeration Mitigation System.

In addition, controlling the audio system is easy on the 6.1-inch QVGA touch-panel display, while the USB PORT is conveniently located near the instrument panel, allowing easy access from both front seats.

The Mitsubishi Outlander.

QATAR5

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 2019

Qatar, EU vow to promote peace, sustainable solutions to confl icts

The fi rst formal high-level meeting between Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Af-

fairs and the European Exter-nal Action Service (EEAS) was held in Brussels under the joint chairmanship of Qatar’s Minis-ter of State for Foreign Aff airs HE Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi and EEAS Secretary-General Helga Schmid.

The meeting launched the implementation of the co-op-eration arrangements signed on March 7, 2018 during the offi cial visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to Brussels.

The co-operation arrange-

ment aims to establish a frame-work for exchanging views on issues of common interest and exploring diff erent areas of co-operation between the two sides.

The high-level political con-sultations focused on the bilat-eral relations between Qatar and the European Union and recent developments in the Gulf region, including the Gulf crisis, which entered its third year, a joint statement said.

The two sides underlined the need to defuse tensions and avoid escalation, which will have a signifi cant impact in the region and beyond. The dis-cussions also paid special at-tention to Yemen, the Middle East peace process, the situa-tion in the Horn of Africa, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan and Libya.

The two sides also reiterated their commitment to continue their work and co-operation to promote peace and sustainable solutions to existing confl icts.

They further lauded the out-come of the fi rst meeting of the Working Group on Human Rights held in Doha on Decem-ber; and confi rmed their inten-tion to hold the second edition of the meeting in Brussels before the end of the year.

The deliberations of the senior offi cials’ meeting were aimed at fi nding ways to enhance sectoral co-operation and coordination. The Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and the EEAS welcomed the pos-sibility of closer integration in the areas of security and coun-terterrorism, confl ict prevention and mediation, development co-

operation and humanitarian as-sistance in addition to economic and social issues.

The meeting also discussed co-operation in a number of areas, such as informa-tion exchange, combating ter-rorism and its funding and cybersecurity.

The two sides intend to strengthen their security part-nership and combat terrorism to eliminate it and violent extrem-ism. They also agreed on the im-portance of increased co-opera-tion within existing multilateral forums such as the International Counter-Terrorism Forum and the Global Fund to Support the Participation and Sustainability of Communities.

In this regard, HE Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi, and

Helga Schmid welcomed Qa-tar’s commitment to provide 66.5mn euros over fi ve years to support the UN Offi ce for Counter-Terrorism. The Qatari side presented the latest devel-opments in the preparation of security plans for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

The two sides also exchanged information on their respective work in the areas of develop-ment co-operation and humani-tarian assistance, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, in areas such as youth, health and refugees.

HE al-Muraikhi and Schmid explained their policies, meth-ods and tools in these areas and discussed specifi c areas of po-tential co-operation between them.

QNABrussels

HE the Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi with EEAS Secretary-General Helga Schmid in Brussels.

Co-operation in economic and social issues was also discussed with a focus on facilitating trade, investment, education, academ-ic mobility and space, including satellite navigation.

The two sides agreed to con-tinue their discussions, and to

hold the second meeting of sen-ior offi cials in 2020 in Qatar.

For her part, Schmid ex-pressed her pleasure at opening the fi rst meeting of senior of-fi cials between the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and the European External Action Service.

Landmark Group to launch stores at Doha Mall

Doha Mall, managed and oper-ated by Al Mana Malls, has an-nounced that Landmark Group

will open its “most popular brands” at the shopping and leisure destination for its 2020 opening.

The partnership brings Centrepoint, Home Centre, Max Fashion, Shoex-press and Steve Madden to the Doha Mall portfolio.

“In line with its commitment to de-liver a world class shopping experi-ence for families and visitors, the new stores will off er a truly integrated in-store shopping experience focusing on technology and better layouts,” the Doha Mall management has said in a statement.

Rony Mourani, general manager for Al Mana Malls, said: “We are very pleased to welcome these much-loved brands to join our retail mix. We look forward to continuing our growth tra-

jectory, and shoppers can anticipate even more retail and dining options to be announced over the next few months.

“Doha Mall is continually refresh-ing its retail off ering to ensure it meets the ever-changing needs of consumers while bringing them new and innova-tive experiences they can’t get any-where else. The new ‘future concept’ stores enhance our destinations, which will attract 15mn customers each year.”

Santosh Pai, chief operating offi cer at Landmark Group Qatar, added: “With its aim to cater to families and serve as a one-stop shopping destination for Qa-taris, residents and tourists, the soon-to-be-launched Doha Mall will play a signifi cant role in transforming the re-tail landscape of the region. We are very pleased to partner with Al Mana Malls to establish our presence at their latest retail destination.

“We will be opening fi ve of Land-mark Group’s leading brands, Cen-trepoint, Home Centre, Max Fashion, Shoexpress and Steve Madden, at Doha Mall. With these popular brands we will bring a mix of home, fashion, footwear, and beauty off erings to mall shoppers, off ering them a truly integrated experi-ence and showcasing a selection of val-ue-driven off erings through our stores.”

Doha Mall will be home to more than 250 retail stores, with over 14 anchor stores, a new FLiK Cinemas concept, 12 cinema screens, a “world-class” bowling centre, a “high-tech” fam-ily entertainment centre, a trampoline and adventure park for children, a wide range of dining options with more than 60 food and beverage units as well as a well-lit ambiance with natural sky light; making it “an attractive desti-nation” upon its opening in 2020, the statement adds.

Qatari team wins three gold medals in World Military Parachute Jumping Championship

The Qatar Special Forces’ Para-chuting Force team won three gold medals in the World Military

Parachute Jumping Championship held in Switzerland with the participation of 17 teams representing 11 countries.

The Qatari team won the gold medal for free skydiving scoring 186 points, ahead of Spain, who scored 171 points and Ger-many who came third with 163 points.

In the Air Tunnel competition, Qa-tari team also topped the ranking with 293 points, ahead of Germany who came second with 269 point and Spain who came third with 260 points.

Qatar also won the gold medal in the four-way formation with 15 points ahead of Spain and 23 point of Germa-ny who came in the third place.

Joint Special Forces Commander

Major General Hamad bin Abdullah al-Fetais al-Marri, dedicated the victory to the wise leadership of the country,

praising the Qatari team’s victory dur-ing their participation and described it as a great achievement. (QNA)

QATAR

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 20196

QIB, Mastercard bring back summer campaignQatar Islamic Bank

(QIB) has launched the 2019 edition of

its annual summer cam-paign in collaboration with Mastercard, titled ‘Win Weekly this Summer with QIB Mastercard’.

Cardholders can en-joy extra rewards with a chance to win with every transaction of QR500 or above, excluding ATM transactions, throughout the summer period.

The campaign, which will run from July 1 until September 30, will see a total of 13 winners receiv-ing QR10,000 weekly, while the two grand prize winners will take home QR100,000 each.

QIB customers who use their Mastercard debit card internationally or credit cards on local and international purchases of

QR500 or more per trans-action will automatically enter the competition.

To be eligible for the grand prize draw to win QR100,000 cardhold-ers must spend a total of QR25,000 or more during the campaign period. The draws will be conducted in the presence of repre-sentatives from Master-card and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry at QIB’s premises.

QIB Personal Banking Group general manager D Anand said, “The sum-

mer period is a very excit-ing time for our customers. The campaign is tailored towards rewarding our cus-tomers’ loyalty and giving them their money’s worth for banking with QIB. Given that last year’s campaign was a major success, we wanted to ensure that this year more customers are able to enjoy these rewards.”

Accepted by millions of merchants around the globe, online, and at mil-lions of ATMs worldwide, QIB Mastercard debit cards off er customers the ultimate in convenience and rewards.

The bank’s Mastercard debit cards give custom-ers the ease and secu-rity of cashless shopping plus discounts, concierge service, travel insurance, extended warranty, and purchase protection.

Ooredoo enables Qatar Building Company’s fl eet managementOoredoo has announced that

Qatar Building Company is embracing the innovative

Internet of Things (IoT) enabled by Ooredoo Fleet Management.

One of Qatar’s largest and innova-tive construction companies, Qatar Building Co will digitally transform with Ooredoo’s Fleet Manage-ment solution for real-time visibil-ity across more than 1,000 vehicles, Ooredoo has said in a statement.

Using Ooredoo Fleet Management, Qatar Building Company can optimise costs, productivity of vehicles and maintenance, and enhance safety and customer experiences.

The agreement was signed by Ooredoo Qatar chief business of-fi cer Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser al-Thani and Qatar Building Company group commercial man-ager Bader Mustafawi.

Ooredoo Qatar COO Yousuf Ab-dulla al-Kubaisi said, “Our Oore-doo Fleet Management solution for Qatar Building Company shows that the Internet of Things is mov-ing from theory to reality, enabling digital transformation and strong business benefi ts. We’re committed to driving Qatar’s nationwide digital

transformation and supporting new levels of Internet of Things-ena-bling innovation in the fast-paced construction sector.”

Ooredoo’s Fleet Management is an end-to-end solution, covering hardware, software, mobile con-nectivity and 24/7 support serv-ices. Qatar Building Company uses telematics devices, which can measure data such as live GPS tracking every second and provides engine analysis. Ooredoo transmits the data over the cloud, with soft-

ware providing live tracking and predictive analytics for proactive decision-making.

Mustafawi said, “Aligned with our goals of providing excellent services and pioneering technology, Qatar Building Company is leverag-ing Ooredoo Fleet Management to transform the construction com-munity. We can effi ciently rotate our workforce to enhance employee safety, and provide predictive main-tenance to ensure vehicle safety.”

Founded in 1971, Qatar Building

Company has three divisions across civil engineering, materials produc-tion and construction equipment. Qatar Building Company has offi c-es, workshops, plants, factories and showrooms across the country.

Business customers can leverage the Ooredoo Advantage, making Ooredoo ‘Best for Business’, thanks to its breadth and depth of talent, best fi xed and mobile networks, broadest portfolio of ICT services and solutions, and trusted partner for 60 years, the statement adds.

Ooredoo and Qatar Building Company off icials mark the partnership.

Nama opens registration for Reyada Award

The Social Develop-ment Centre (Nama) yesterday announced

the launch of the latest edi-tion of the Reyada Award.

The centre will begin re-ceiving applications for the award today, while Septem-ber 26 will be the last day for registration and for receiv-ing the applications of ex-isting and potential Qatari entrepreneurs, and owners of small and micro enter-prises aged 18-45 years.

The initiative comes within the framework of its strategic objectives to de-velop micro and small en-terprises, Nama has said in a press statement.

The winners will be an-nounced at a ceremony organised by Nama on Oc-tober 28 in the presence of prominent national and in-ternational entrepreneurial fi gures.

In its fi fth edition, the award seeks to qualify 14 contestants for the fi nals to present their projects to a carefully selected jury who will evaluate them accord-ing to well-chosen criteria based on integrity, trans-parency and fairness, the statement notes.

The evaluation sessions will be documented and the selection of winners will take place publicly at the award ceremony, during which four entrepreneurs will be chosen and granted cash and discretionary priz-es and awards.

There will be two winners for each of the two catego-ries, whereby the fi rst-place winners in both categories will receive a gold shield and a grant of QR150,000 while the second-place winners will get a silver shield and a grant of QR75,000.

Hamad al-Saff ar (pic-tured), acting director of the Entrepreneurship Sec-tion at Nama, said: “The award is divided into two categories: Best Business Plan and Best Existing Business with fi xed growth rates. The fi fth edition of the award has undergone many changes and adjustments in line with the centre’s 2016-2020 Strategy. These changes include the grant-ing of fi nancing loans to the winners, up to QR250,000, in addition to training and one-on-one consultation, as well as well as facilitating access to the market.”

General and specifi c qualifi cation criteria have been identifi ed for partici-pation in the 2019 Reyada Award. These are as follows: applicants must be Qataris, aged between 18 and 45 years; and the project must

be classifi ed in the category of micro and small enter-prises based on the unifi ed national defi nition.

As for the specifi c criteria for Best Business Plan, the applicant must be directly responsible for providing and developing a coherent, executable and economi-cally feasible work plan. The business plan model will be provided after suc-cessful registration; and the applicant should provide necessary documents to demonstrate knowledge of preparing business plans, such as courses and work-shops, educational back-ground, etc

For Best Existing Busi-ness, the applicant must be directly responsible for op-erating and managing the project; the project must be established, executed and registered in Qatar in conformity with the laws in force in the State; the project must be at least two years old and not more than six years old; and an audited fi nancial and technical re-port must be presented.

Al-Saff ar further ex-plained that the centre seeks to support young Qa-tari entrepreneurs by ca-tering to their needs in the form of services and fi nan-cial, technical and logistical support, in order to pave the way allowing them to at-tain their goals. He noted that the award aims at mo-tivating and encouraging the Qatari youth to inno-vate in entrepreneurship, and at promoting the spirit of competitiveness among them, as part of achieving the strategic objectives of the centre concerning the development of small and micro enterprises.

As for the conditions to apply to the award, al-Saff ar indicated that it is suffi cient for applicants to send an application using the e-registration link and they will be contacted im-mediately after ensuring that the basic conditions are met in order to provide supporting documents. The internal committee at Nama will start screening applica-tions according to prede-fi ned qualifi cation criteria in order to determine the 14 fi nalists.

QATAR7

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 2019

Lensman captures wildlife images thanks to new Land Rover DefenderWorld-famous fi ne art

photographer David Yarrow has teamed up

with Land Rover in support of Tusk to raise awareness of de-clining lion numbers in Africa by capturing a set of stunning wildlife images.

Tusk, an organisation that “advances wildlife conservation across Africa”, has designated 2019 as its Year of the Lion to bring the issue of threatened lion populations to the top of the conservation agenda. To sup-port the initiative, Land Rover sent a prototype of the new De-fender 4x4, which will make its world premiere later this year, to the Borana Conservancy in Laikipia, in northern Kenya, to help support lion tracking and monitoring operations.

The new 4x4 “promises to bring an unparalleled breadth of capability and new levels of comfort and driveability to the Defender family” and was tested by expert wildlife man-agers performing a series of real-world activities in Borana, according to a statement issued in Doha by Alfardan Premier Motors.

Land Rover’s link to East Africa stretches back to 1948, when some of the fi rst 48 pre-production series models were tested in the region.

Yarrow was on hand to cap-ture a series of images as the new Defender, wearing a spe-cially devised camoufl age, was put to work locating a pride of lions. There are currently fewer than 20,000 African lions re-maining in the wild, compared with 25,000 rhinos (20,000 white rhinos and 5,000 black rhinos), and three-quarters of

Land Rover sent a prototype of the new Defender 4x4, which will make its world premiere later this year, to the Borana Conservancy in Laikipia, in northern Kenya, to help support lion tracking and monitoring operations.

African lion populations are in decline.

“Wildlife photography is all about access – about getting yourself in the best position – so you need a vehicle that can reach inaccessible places. Defender has been synonymous with adven-ture and conservation since the fi rst Land Rover debuted in 1948, so it’s fi tting that one of the fi rst offi cial tasks for the new Defend-er has been to shine a light on the dangers faced by lions in Africa,” Yarrow said.

The unique programme in Kenya gave Tusk-supported wildlife managers a chance to test the new Defender in re-al-world scenarios across the

14,000-hectare conservancy in day-to-day operations, includ-ing a darting exercise to help replace an old tracking collar fi t-ted to a male lion. The lion was sedated at close range from the security of the specially camou-fl aged new Defender prototype.

Charles Mayhew, chief ex-ecutive of Tusk, said: “This year marks Tusk’s Year of the Lion. Our aim is to raise awareness

of the alarming decline in lion populations across Africa. For-tunately, within the Borana Con-servancy, there are a number of prides of lion and tracking and monitoring their movements across this vast and tough envi-ronment is vital in order to pro-tect them and reduce any confl ict with neighbouring communities. The new Defender took every-thing in its stride, from deep

river wading to climbing rocky trails.”

Supported by Tusk, the Borana Conservancy works in a number of strategic areas, including supporting communities, en-vironmental education, habitat protection, saving endangered species and ensuring human-wildlife co-existence is achiev-able. The reserve is home to some of the most vulnerable species in the world with elephants, black

rhinoceros, African wild dogs and Grevy’s zebras sharing the reserve alongside lions and other large predators.

The initiative was supported by Jaguar Land Rover’s world-wide logistical partner and sup-porter of Tusk, DHL.

Laura Wood, head of Global PR Brand & Partnerships, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “This activity provided a great chance for us to work with a team of partners at

Tusk and DHL to raise the pro-fi le of dwindling lion numbers in Africa. The Borana Conservancy features a wide range of chal-lenging environments, making it a perfect place to test the off -road attributes of the new De-fender.”

The new Land Rover Defender will make its world premiere later this year, but one can register interest early at www.landrover-qatar.com/en/defender.

“Wildlife photography is all about access – about getting yourself in the best position – so you need a vehicle that can reach inaccessible places. Defender has been synonymous with adventure and conservation since the fi rst Land Rover debuted in 1948, so it’s fi tting that one of the fi rst offi cial tasks for the new Defender has been to shine a light on the dangers faced by lions in Africa”

QATAR

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 20198

Turning the tide for turtles at Fuwairit beachThe Ministry of Munici-

pality and Environment (MME)’s Environmental

Protection and Wildlife Depart-ment, in co-operation with the Public Relations Department, conducted an event at Fuwairit beach on Friday evening to raise awareness about the endangered Hawksbill turtles.

The event coincided with the hatching season of the turtles.

The event was attended by Omar Salim al-Nuaimi, director of the Environmental Protection and Wildlife Department; Nasser Ab-dulrahman al-Sarami, director of the Public Relations Department; and Ali Saleh al-Marri, head of the Wildlife Section, in addition to a number of MME employee and the participating public.

Al-Nuaimi said the MME was keen to organise the awareness event during the hatching season of the turtles and release newly hatched turtles to the sea before the public, in addition to inform-ing them about the importance of maintaining biological diversity and marine life in Qatar.

He stressed the importance of the project and the need to pro-tect these endangered species. He also appreciated the considerable public presence at the event and the participation of children in the release of turtles into the sea.

The event included a presenta-

tion introducing the public to the hatching season with the aim of protecting the endangered tur-tles, where a detailed explanation of the project was given.

In addition, awareness bro-chures and fl yers were distrib-

uted among the public and a fi eld visit was also conducted to give the participants an opportunity to watch the release of newly hatched turtles into the sea.

The project comes within the framework of the eff orts under-

taken to protect sea turtles un-der the supervision of the MME, fi nanced by Qatar Petroleum and implemented by Qatar University in co-operation with a team from the Environmental Protection and Wildlife Department.

Snapshots from the awareness event at Fuwairit beach.

REGION/ARAB WORLD

9Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 2019

Sudan ruler vows to implement deal agreed with protestersAFPKhartoum

Sudan’s army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed yesterday to im-

plement the power sharing deal agreed with demonstrators, as the protest campaign cancelled a nationwide day of civil diso-bedience later this month.

The ruling military coun-cil and protest leaders agreed on Friday to form a joint civil-ian-military governing body aimed at ending the country’s months-long political crisis.

“We, as the military council, promise to protect what has been agreed upon and ensure that it is implemented,” Burhan said in a statement broadcast live on state television.

“We are going to work with our partners from the Alliance for Freedom and Change and other forces in close co-oper-ation in order to realise the as-pirations of the people,” he said.

The deal reached Friday fol-lowed two days of hard-won talks brokered by Ethiopian and African Union mediators, after negotiations collapsed in May over who should lead the new body — a civilian or soldier.

The agreement stipulates that the new governing body will be presided over by a mili-tary nominee for the fi rst 21 months, and the last 18 months by a civilian.

It is expected to be ready for signing by the two sides early

next week, although the draft has postponed the formation of a 300-seat transitional parlia-ment that had been agreed upon in previous talks.

The breakthrough accord came amid a political deadlock

that has gripped Sudan since the generals ousted leader Omar al-Bashir in a palace coup in April following months of mass protests nationwide.

Burhan’s remarks came after the Alliance for Freedom and

Change cancelled a nationwide day of civil disobedience that was set for July 14.

The alliance released a new programme of events on social media, which makes no men-tion of the planned campaign.

Ahmed al-Rabie, a prominent leader from the movement, said the decision was made “to give room for the agreement” to be implemented. A mass protest scheduled for July 13 by the alli-ance has also been changed to a “commemoration” for protesters killed 40 days earlier in a raid by men in military fatigues on a sit-in outside army headquarters.

Another protest leader, Kha-lid Omar, said the earlier aim of the mass protest and civil disobedience campaign was to “achieve civilian rule” through mobilising people on the streets against the generals.

“But now we can assume that civilian rule will be achieved through the agreement,” he

added. Tension between the generals and protest leaders soared following the June 3 raid, prompting intense mediation eff orts by Ethiopian and African Union envoys that led to the two sides resuming talks.

At least 136 people have been killed since June 3, including more than 100 on that day itself, according to doctors close to the protest movement.

The health ministry has given a lower death toll of 78 people killed over the same period.

Days after the raid on the Khartoum sit-in, the protest al-liance held a three-day nation-wide civil disobedience cam-paign which attracted strong participation and hit the coun-try’s already dilapidated econo-my hard.

Earlier, the protest movement said it has cancelled a nation-wide day of civil disobedience that was planned for later this month, after reaching a power-

sharing agreement with ruling generals.

The decision to cancel the July 14 campaign came as a top general called on the Sudanese people to back the deal, saying the agreement was the start of a “new phase” in the history of Sudan.

The Alliance for Freedom and Change and the ruling mili-tary council agreed on Friday to form a joint ruling body, which in turn is to install a transitional civilian administration — pro-testers’ main demand.

A deal is expected to be ready for signing by the two sides ear-ly next week, although the draft has postponed the formation of a 300-seat transitional parlia-ment that had been agreed upon in previous talks.

The protest umbrella group yesterday released a new pro-gramme of events which makes no mention of the civil disobe-dience campaign.

Five years into war, Yemen situation at ‘rock bottom’AFP Sanaa

Like most residents of Amran, a strategic gateway to Yem-en’s capital Sanaa, Mohamed

al-Najri thought the capture of his city by Houthi rebels fi ve years ago would not last long.

But fi ghting quickly spread to most areas of the country, plunging the nation into a devastating con-fl ict that is yet to end.

Fifty kilometres north of Sanaa, Amran was taken by the Houthis on July 8, 2014.

It was the fi rst major city to fall, in a military campaign that saw the rebels seize vast swathes of Yemen from the internationally recognised government.

At the education ministry offi ce in Amran where he works, Najri has gone without his salary ever since the beleaguered government two years ago moved the central bank from Sanaa to Aden, its makeshift capital.

“Five years have passed since the war broke out, but we know there is still a long way to go,” the 40-year-old civil servant said by telephone.

“Our situation has deteriorated... We have reached rock bottom. Eve-rything has collapsed,” he said.

Mohamed Taha, 48, a journal-ist from Amran who has continued to cover his home city since the Houthis seized it, does not even consider the possibility of peace.

“Five years of war were suffi cient for me to adapt and adjust my life and that of my family accordingly,”

Taha said. “Yes, we were aff ected by the war at the start, but we were able to live with its consequences. I no longer care if it continues or ends,” he said. The United Nations says Yemen is experiencing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, warn-ing that millions are on the verge of famine.

Thousands of civilians, includ-ing hundreds of children, have been killed and tens of thousands wounded. Essential health, educa-tion and other services have all but collapsed, especially since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the government.

In Amran, rebels carrying au-tomatic rifl es remain vigilant day and night, while revolutionary slo-gans are daubed everywhere on the old city’s brown buildings made of clay and stones. “Death to Ameri-

ca, Death to Israel, Curse on Jews,” reads one slogan.

Two Yemeni government offi cials said that when Amran fell into the hands of the Houthis, no one was aware of the rebels’ plans to take their military campaign to Sanaa and other regions.

Beyond the city limits, Amran is a key province in Yemen historically, boasting important archaeological landmarks, including the 100-year-old Shaharah Bridge — meaning the ‘bridge of sighs’ — which links two mountains. It is also home to Ray-dah town, where the last of Yem-en’s Jews lived, before they made their way to Israel in 1949-1950 in a secret airlift dubbed “Operation Magic Carpet”. Amran occupies a strategic location between Sanaa and the rebels’ stronghold of Saada in the far north. It is also home to

the Hashid, Yemen’s most powerful tribe. The Houthis overran govern-ment forces in Amran after a two-month siege and then moved south, capturing the capital in September 2014 before pushing into other parts of Yemen.

Sixty months after seizing the city, the rebels still hold the up-per hand on the battlefi eld, despite major military campaigns by the government and air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition.

The rebels still hold a fi rm grip on Sanaa and most cities in northern, central and western regions includ-ing the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. They have made strong use of their fi ghting experience in mountain ranges. But the war has devastated Yemen.

It “has fragmented the country down the lines of identity, geog-raphy and ideology in ways that were almost unimaginable before it began,” Peter Salisbury, a Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, said. The rebels and the gov-ernment have participated in several rounds of UN-sponsored talks, the last held in Sweden in December, but they failed to strike a deal to end the bloody war.

The United Nations says that 3.3mn Yemenis are displaced, while at least 24mn — some two-thirds of the population — need assistance.

“The country is not on the verge of collapse, it is collapsing. It is col-lapsed actually,” Fabrizio Carboni, the International Committee of the Red Cross regional director for the Near and Middle East, said in Ge-neva on Thursday.

Iran to lift uranium enrichment to 5%, above level in 2015 dealIran today will announce an increase in uranium enrichment to 5%, a concentration above the limit set by its 2015 nuclear deal, an Iranian off icial told Reuters, in a move signalling a deepening chal-lenge to escalating US sanctions pressure.The declaration comes at a time of sharply increased US-Iranian confrontation, a year after Washington quit the pact and reimposed sanc-tions that had been lifted under the accord in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear work.“The main announcement tomorrow will be the increase of the level of enrichment to 5% % from 3.67% that we agreed under the deal,” the off icial said yesterday on condition of anonymity.In a sign of heightening Western concern, French President Emmanuel Macron said he and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani had agreed to seek conditions for a resumption of dialogue on the Iranian nuclear question by July 15.Macron’s off ice added that he would keep on talking with Iranian authorities and other involved parties to “engage in a de-escalation of tensions

related to Iranian nuclear issue.”The deal is aimed at extending the time Iran would need to produce a nuclear bomb, if it chose to, to a year from roughly 2-3 months.Iran says its nuclear programme is only for peace-ful purposes, such as power generation, and not to make bombs.Under its deal with six world powers, Iran can enrich uranium to 3.67% fissile material, well below the 20% it was reaching before the deal and the roughly 90 % suitable for a nuclear weapon. Iran’s semi-off icial Fars news agency reported that senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi would announce more cuts in its commitments to the pact at a news conference at 10:30am (0600 GMT) in Tehran. Today’s planned announcement is a setback for Britain, France and Germany, co-signatories of the deal who have pressed for months to persuade Iran to remain committed to the accord. Iran has said that the Europeans have done “too little, too late” to salvage the pact by protecting Iran’s economic interests from US

sanctions. Washington tightened those curbs from May, ordering all countries and companies to halt all imports of Iranian oil or be banished from the global financial system. It has also dispatched extra troops to the region to counter what it describes as Iranian threats. In reaction to the toughened US sanctions, Iran said in May that it would scale back its commit-ments to the deal after a 60-day deadline to European signatories of the pact to protect Iran’s economic interests from US sanctions. However, Iran’s Rouhani said last week that all the measures taken by Iran were “reversible” if other parties to the deal fulfilled their promises. Leaving room for diplomacy, Rouhani said in a telephone conversation with his Macron: “Lifting all sanctions can be the beginning of a move between Iran and six major powers.”“The US sanctions are a full-scale economic war against Iran that could create more crisis in the region and in the world,” he told Macron, accord-ing to state TV.

A customer checks dried fruits at a market in the province of Amran, some 50 kilometres north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, yesterday.

Coalition intercepts Houthi droneReutersCairo

A Saudi-led military coa-lition said yesterday it had intercepted and de-

stroyed drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi group at targets in the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“The drones were destroyed in air space,” a coalition state-ment said. The Houthis, who are fi ghting the coalition in Yemen, have repeatedly launched at-tacks against targets in neigh-bouring Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the Houthi move-ment also said that it carried out drone attacks on military sites at Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia, the group’s Al-Masirah TV reported.

A grab from a broadcast on Sudan TV yesterday, shows Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chief of Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC), reading a statement in the capital Khartoum.

US welcomes power-sharing deal as ‘important step forward’

The United States yesterday welcomed a provisional agreement forged by Sudan’s ruling military council and a coalition of opposition and protest groups to share power for three years as an “important step forward.”The US State Department said in statement that special envoy for Sudan Donald Booth will return to the region soon. The agreement bro-kered by the African Union and Ethiopia Union, announced on Friday, is due to be finalised tomorrow. “The agreement between the Forces for Free-

dom and Change and the Transitional Military Council to establish a sovereign council is an important step forward,” the State Department said. “We look forward to immediate resumption of access to the Internet, establishment of the new legislature, accountability for the violent suppression of peaceful protests, and progress toward free and fair elections.”The deal revived hopes for a peaceful transition of power in a country plagued by internal con-flicts and years of economic crisis that helped to trigger the ouster of Omar al-Bashir in April.

Jordan bans online game PUBG

Jordan yesterday banned the

hugely popular but brutal

online game PlayerUnknown’s

Battlegrounds, citing its “nega-

tive effects” on the kingdom’s

citizens. Often likened to the

blockbuster book and film

series The Hunger Games,

PUBG pits marooned charac-

ters against each another in a

virtual fight to the death, and

has become one of the world’s

most popular mobile games.

ARAB WORLD/AFRICA11Gulf Times

Sunday, July 7, 2019

20 civilians ‘killed in northwest Syria’AFPBeirut

Syrian regime and Russian bombardment has killed 20 civilians including

seven children in northwest-ern Syria, a war monitor said yesterday, in the latest deadly raids on the embattled opposi-tion bastion.

Regime warplanes and heli-copters late Friday carried out air strikes on Mahambel vil-lage in Idlib province, killing 13 civilians including the seven

children, the Syrian Observa-tory for Human Rights said.

Another seven civilians were killed yesterday, including a woman hit by regime rocket fire on the outskirts of the town of Khan Sheikhun in the south of the province, the Britain-based war monitor said.

Three members of a fam-ily were killed by a Russian air strike on the town of Morek, in neighbouring Hama province, the Observatory reported.

Idlib, a region of some three mn people, many of whom fled former rebel-held areas re-

taken by the government, is the last major bastion of opposi-tion to the Russia-backed Da-mascus government after eight years of civil war.

The region on Turkey’s door-step is administered by Syria’s former Al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but other mil-itant and rebel groups are also present.

Idlib is supposed to be pro-tected from a major regime as-sault by a September deal be-tween Moscow and Ankara, but Damascus and its Russian ally have ramped up their deadly

bombardment of the region since late April.

More than 530 civilians have been killed since then, accord-ing to the Observatory.

The United Nations says 25 health facilities in the region have been hit, the latest in-cluding the second attack in two months on an underground hospital in the town of Kafran-bel on Thursday.

“The attacks happened de-spite the fact that the co-or-dinates of this hospital had previously been shared with the parties to the conflict in a

deliberate, carefully planned effort to prevent any attacks on it,” an UN official said on Fri-day. “I am horrified by the on-going attacks on civilian areas and civilian infrastructure as the conflict in northwest Syria continues,” said Mark Cutts, UN deputy regional humani-tarian co-ordinator for the Syrian crisis.

Syria’s war has killed more than 370,000 people and dis-placed millions since it started in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government

protests.

Syrians inspect the damage following reported regime air strikes on the town of Muhambal, in the northern Idlib province, yesterday.

Tunisia fi nds 12 bodies after migrant boat sinksAFP Tunis

A dozen bodies were re-trieved yesterday by the Tunisian coast guard,

the Red Crescent said, days af-ter a boat sank with scores of migrants on board according to a survivor.

“Twelve bodies were recov-ered Saturday morning off the coast of southern Tunisia, two of which were women,” said Mongi Slim, a Red Crescent of-fi cial.

Those found were estimated to have been between 20 and 30 years old, he said.

The body of another woman who drowned was found on the beach of Zarzis in southern Tu-nisia, national guard spokes-man Houcem Eddine Jebabli said Friday.

The search for other victims of the shipwreck was continu-ing off the coast of Zarzis, he said.

A Malian survivor told the UN’s migration agency that 86 people had been on board the infl atable dinghy that sank on

Monday. “People were terri-fi ed as water started pouring in, some of them fell into the water.

They stayed down there,” survivor Soleiman Coulibaly said.

The Red Crescent and the navy said three Malians and an Ivorian were rescued on

Wednesday by the coast guard, who had been alerted by local fi shermen.

The Ivorian, however, died in hospital and one of the Malians has also been hospitalised in intensive care.

“About 80 migrants are feared dead. More updates are needed in order to confi rm

what happened and the actual number of missing,” Flavio Di Giacomo, a spokesman for the UN’s International Organiza-tion for Migration, tweeted on Thursday.

The boat tipped over only hours after setting out to sea from the Libyan town of Zu-wara, west of Tripoli, with the

intention of reaching Italy.Libya has in recent years

been a major departure point for migrants seeking to reach Europe across the Mediterra-nean.

Rights groups say migrants face horrifying abuses in Libya, with many held in squalid de-tention facilities.

An air strike Tuesday on a migrant centre in the capital Tripoli killed at least 53 people, according to the World Health Organisation.

Those who attempt the dan-gerous sea crossing are also facing an increasingly hostile response from the other side of the Mediterranean.

Italy is attempting to close its ports to migrant rescue ships, while last month Tu-nisian authorities for more than two weeks refused to let 75 people saved at sea come ashore.

Malawi leader says protesters want ‘lawless society’ after disputed voteAFPBlantyre

Malawi’s re-elected President Peter Mutharika yesterday

condemned protests that have gripped the country over the disputed result of a May vote saying organisers wanted to turn the country into a “law-less society”.

The aid-dependant south-ern African nation has seen nearly two months of protests by demonstrators who dismiss the election as fraudulent and demand the resignation of election commission chair-woman Jane Ansah.

On some days the protests have seen businesses in the capital Lilongwe and com-mercial hub of Blantyre, pull down their shutters for fear of violence.

The president accused the protests organisers of plotting to oust his government and warned that the organisers will be dealt with severely.

“The violence you see is cal-culated to turn Malawi into a lawless state,” Mutharika told a rally to mark the country’s 55th anniversary of independ-ence from Britain.

“They want to create law-lessness so that they can take over this government.

But they will only take this government over my dead body,” he said.

“Turning Malawi into a law-less society is unacceptable.

We will hold each one of them accountable, force will be met by force and this nonsense will come to an end,” said the president without naming any political party or group.

About 20,000, mainly sup-porters of Mutharika’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), thronged Kamuzu Sta-dium in Blantyre for the an-niversary celebrations, a day after scores of protestors con-verged at the same venue for a vigil against his re-election.

Lazarus Chakwera, leader of the largest opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who alleges he was robbed of vic-tory, and former vice president Saulos Chilima of the United Transformation Movement (UTM) party — have been tak-ing part in the protests.

The nationwide protests have been organised by a non-profi t grouping, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition.

Its vice chairman Gift Trapence, said that the presi-dent’s statement is “misplaced because these protests are not targeted to overthrow the gov-ernment”.

“We are not attacking the government... and no one wants to overthrow the gov-ernment.

“These peaceful demon-strations are being done to force Jane Ansah to resign,” said Trapence.

Opposition leaders claim correction fl uid was used on some results sheets and have lodged cases in court.

Experts discuss ways to manage IS detainees

AFPBeirut

Dozens of international experts gathered in northeastern Syria yes-

terday to discuss how to man-age thousands of suspected Islamic State group members crammed into Kurdish-run prisons and camps.

French lawyers and US-based analysts were among those attending the three-day conference on the challenges still facing the region after IS’ territorial defeat, organisers said.

Offi cials of the autonomous Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria, which is

hosting the conference in the town of Amuda, were also due to take part.

In March, Kurdish-led fi ghters overran the last pocket of the militants’ cross-border “caliphate” with support from a US-led coalition.

Now, the Kurds are strug-gling to cope with the thou-sands of alleged IS members they detained during the bat-tle. They include around 1,000 suspected foreign fi ghters held in jail, and some 13,000 fam-ily members in overcrowded camps. With no local court equipped to deal with the large number of militant suspects, the Kurds have pressed their home countries to take them back.

Seven killed in Mozambique militant attack claimed by IS

Seven people including a police-

man were killed in northern

Mozambique this week in a

militant attack claimed by the

Islamic State group, local sources

said yesterday. The attack on

Wednesday evening occurred in

Lidjungo village in the Nangade

district, a local source based in

Mozambique’s northern Cabo

Delgado province said. One

policeman and six civilians were

killed in the attack, including two

children. Fighters have targeted

remote communities in the gas-

rich, Cabo Delgado province since

October 2017, killing more than

250 people and forcing thousands

from their homes despite a heavy

police and military presence in

the area that borders Tanzania.

According to SITE Intelligence,

which monitors militant activity,

Islamic State issued a statement

late on Friday claiming involve-

ment in the Wednesday attack.

This is its second IS claim for an

attack in Mozambique, targeting

the volatile northern region. The

first was on June 3. “The soldiers of

the caliphate assaulted barracks of

the crusader Mozambican army, in

the Nangade area, two days ago,”

said the statement.

Togo’s ruling party has cruised to victory at the first local elections in 32 years in the West African nation that has been dominated by one family for decades, results said. Voters in the country of 8mn people cast their ballots on Sunday at a poll Western powers described as an “important step in strengthening local democracy”.Some opposition parties took part after boycotting parliamentary elections last year in protest at President Faure Gnassingbe’s grip on power. Gnassingbe has ruled the country for 15 years since he succeeded his father Eyadema Gnassingbe, who led the country for 38 years after taking over in a coup. Parliament in May approved a constitutional change allow-ing Gnassingbe to run two more times and potentially remain in off ice until 2030. Preliminary results released late Friday by the electoral commission gave the ruling Union for the Republic 895 of the 1490 local council seats on off er. The National Alliance for Change was second on 134 seats, ahead of two other opposition groupings. Overall turnout was put at just over 52% but participation was low in the capital Lome.

Togo ruling party tops at first local polls in 30 years

POLITICS

A representative of the Tunisian Red Crescent association checks bodies recovered from a boat carrying 86 migrants that capsized off the coast, as they lie on a beach in Aghir in the southern island of Djerba, yesterday.

“Twelve bodies were recovered Saturday morning off the coast of southern Tunisia, two of which were women”

Egypt increases public transport fares after fuel price hikeDPA Cairo

The Egyptian government has in-creased public transport fares after it introduced new fuel price hikes

as part of harsh economic reforms.On Friday, Egypt — the Arab world’s

most populous country of nearly 100mn

— increased the price of various types of fuel by 16 to 30%. The increases, the fi fth in fi ve years, covered petrol, diesel fuel and butane cooking gas. Local authori-ties in diff erent provinces of the coun-try have put up fares on public transport by 10 to 15% depending on the distance of the journey, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported yesterday, citing govern-ment spokesman Nader Saad. The new

fares have been announced on signs at the stands of privately operated minibuses in order to prevent drivers from taking ad-vantage of the increases in fuel prices to overcharge passengers, he added.

Fares on government-operated public buses in Cairo have also gone up by 25%.

Traffi c police have launched intense campaigns across the country to arrest violating drivers, Al-Ahram reported.

Last year, the government raised ticket prices on the Cairo underground metro service, used by an estimated 3.5mn peo-ple a day across the mega-city.

Egyptians living on limited incomes of-ten rely on public transport.

The Supply Ministry meanwhile said that prices of subsidised food staples, in-cluding bread off ered to ration card hold-ers, remain unchanged.

AMERICAS

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 201912

Trump pushes census citizenship questionReuters Washington

The Trump administration on Friday refused to back down over its bid to put a conten-

tious citizenship question on the 2020 US census, meaning a court case will move forward over wheth-er offi cials were motivated by racial bias in seeking to add it.

The Department of Justice told Maryland-based US District Judge George Hazel it has not made a fi -nal determination on whether to add the question even as President Donald Trump told reporters he was considering issuing an execu-tive order to do it.

Hazel, who had asked for a fi nal decision from the government by Friday afternoon on whether it in-tended to press forward, issued an order saying the case will now move ahead.

In New York, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its partners asked a federal judge to block the administration from add-ing a citizenship question to the census.

The group said the administra-tion had successfully received an expedited hearing by arguing the census questionnaire had to be fi -nalised by June 30.

Given the abandonment of that deadline, they urged the judge to use his authority to “prohibit de-fendants from concocting a new basis to add a citizenship question” and to stop the government’s “she-nanigans.”

Civil rights groups and some states strongly object to the citi-zenship question proposal, calling it a Republican ploy to scare immi-grants into not participating in the census.

That would lead to a population undercount in Democratic-leaning areas with high immigrant popula-tions.

They say that offi cials lied about their motivations for adding the

question and that the move would help Trump’s fellow Republicans gain seats in the US House of Rep-resentatives and state legislatures when new electoral district bound-aries are drawn.

The Supreme Court on June 27 blocked Trump’s fi rst eff ort to add the question, faulting the adminis-tration’s stated reason.

The legal fi ght seemed to be over earlier in the week when the gov-ernment said it would start print-ing census forms without the citi-zenship question.

But the battle reignited on Wednesday when Trump reversed course via tweet.

“We’re working on a lot of things including an executive order,” Trump told reporters on Friday outside the White House as he left for his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The US Constitution specifi cally assigns the job of overseeing the census to Congress, limiting the authority of the president over it, which could complicate an eff ort to add the question via presidential missive.

The judge on Friday rejected the administration’s request that the case be put on hold, saying that an inquiry into the racial bias allega-tion would be relevant even if the government comes up with a new rationale for adding the citizenship question.

“Regardless of the justifi cation defendants may now fi nd for a “new” decision, discovery related to the origins of the question will remain relevant,” Hazel wrote, ref-erencing the legal process for gath-ering evidence.

In May the challengers, including the ACLU, presented new evidence they said showed that the admin-istration’s plan to add the ques-tion was intended to discriminate against racial minorities.

Documents created by Repub-lican strategist Thomas Hofeller, who died last year, showed he was instrumental behind the scenes

in instigating the addition of the question.

Hofeller concluded in a 2015 study that asking census respond-ents whether they are American citizens “would clearly be a dis-advantage to the Democrats” and “advantageous to Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites” in redraw-ing electoral districts based on cen-sus data.

The Justice Department told the Supreme Court that the notion that Hofeller was behind the adminis-tration decision to add the question was a “conspiracy theory.”

Under current law, states draw new districts based on total popu-lation.

The Supreme Court endorsed that approach as recently as 2016, while reserving judgment on whether counting total eligible vot-ers would be legal.

Trump on Friday said the “number one” reason for adding

the question was for the draw-ing of electoral districts, which is not the legal reason the ad-ministration originally gave for adding it.

He and his supporters say it makes sense to know how many non-citizens are living in the coun-try.

His hard-line policies on immi-gration have punctuated his presi-dency and 2020 re-election cam-paign.

The Supreme Court ruled that administration offi cials had given a “contrived” rationale for including the question.

The court ruled that in theory the government can ask about citizen-ship on the census and left open the possibility that the administration could off er a plausible rationale to add the question.

The administration had original-ly told the courts the question was needed to better enforce a law that

protects the voting rights of racial minorities.

The census is used to allot seats in the House and distribute some $800bn in federal services, includ-ing public schools, Medicaid ben-efi ts, law enforcement and highway repairs.

A group of states including New York and immigrant rights organi-zations challenged the legality of the citizenship question, arguing among other things that the US Constitution requires congression-al districts to be distributed based on a count of “the whole number of persons in each state” with no ref-erence to citizenship.

Three diff erent federal judges blocked the administration before the Supreme Court intervened.

Even if a citizenship question is not included, the Census Bureau is still able to gather data on citizen-ship, which the Trump administra-tion could provide to states.

President Donald Trump greets guests on Friday on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC.

Anchorage heatwave shatters city’s record, disrupts livesBy Laurent Banguet, AFPAnchorage

Temperatures in Alaska’s largest city Anchorage have soared to a sweltering all-

time record of 90F (32C) as a heat wave grips the US state which straddles the Arctic Circle.

Fourth of July fi reworks were cancelled due to risk of wildfi res caused by “extreme dry weath-er conditions,” as temperatures matching those in Miami high-lighted rapid warming in a region considered particularly vulnerable to climate change.

“At 5pm this afternoon, Anchor-age International Airport offi cially hit 90 degrees for the fi rst time

on record,” tweeted the National Weather Service (NWS) late on Thursday.

The previous record was 85 de-grees, set in June 1969.

The average high temperature for July 4 in Anchorage, located in southern Alaska, is a far cooler 65 degrees.

The abnormally warm weather is being caused by a “giant ridge of high pressure sitting right over us,” NWS meteorologist Bill Ludwig told the Anchorage Daily News.

Alaska had earlier broken tem-perature records throughout a hot spring, particularly in the Arctic zone which is especially sensitive to fl uctuations in climate.

All 30 days in June had above-

average temperatures, the NWS said.

According to scientists, Alaska is warming at twice the rate of the global average.

“From 1901 to 2016, average tem-peratures in the mainland United States increased by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit...whereas in Alaska they increased by 4.7 degrees,” Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assess-ment and Policy, told AFP in April.

The dramatic warming Alaska has experienced in recent years — linked partly to a decline in sea ice and Arctic ocean warming — has wreaked havoc on local communi-ties, wildlife and the state’s econ-omy.

Permafrost — the frozen ground

that covers almost 85% of Alaska — is thawing, aff ecting everything from building foundations to wild-life habitats and the picking of ber-ries that grow on the tundra.

Frozen rivers usually serve as transport routes in winter, as two-thirds of communities in the state are not accessible by road.

But higher temperatures have made the ice dangerously thin and unsafe for truck or car travel.

Many recreational sled-dog races have had to be cancelled this year, and the famed Iditarod race had to be re-routed as what is nor-mally solid sea ice was open water on part of the race course.

Crab fi shing has also been aff ect-ed as the sea ice that fi shermen use as a platform is non-existent or too

thin in some areas.Alaska’s seal population is like-

ly to be aff ected this summer, as some species give birth on solid ice, Thoman said.

Global warming has led to the lowest ice levels in the Bering Sea — which connects with the Arctic Ocean — since 1850, when sea ice records were fi rst kept, he added.

While it is unprecedented for the mercury to hit 90 degrees in coastal Anchorage, temperatures as high as 100 degrees have been recorded in Alaska’s interior.

The high-pressure system caus-ing the current spike in tempera-tures is expected to shift north to inland areas in the coming days, with further records likely to be broken, according to AccuWeather.

Southern Resident killer whale ‘J31’ swims with her new calf off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, in this picture obtained from social media.

Mum’s the word!

Families fi le suit in bizarre mistaken identity caseAFPWashington

Alfonso Bennett’s sisters agreed to take him off life support after doctors at Mercy Hospital in Chicago told them there was no hope for recov-

ery.Turns out it wasn’t their brother Alfonso Bennett

who was dying in the hospital but an entirely diff erent man, Elisha Brittman.

The Bennett and Brittman families fi led a lawsuit last week against the Chicago Police Department and Mercy Hospital in Illinois’ Cook County Circuit Court claiming negligence.

The bizarre mistaken identity case dates back to late April, when a naked and badly injured man was found underneath a car in Chicago and admitted to Mercy Hospital.

Alfonso Bennett’s sisters were informed by police that he was the man in hospital.

Although they had some doubts about his identify, they eventually agreed to take him off life support and move him to a hospice, where he died three days later.

As they were preparing his funeral, Alfonso Bennett turned up at a friend’s barbecue, his sisters said at a press conference during which the Bennett and Britt-man families announced the lawsuit.

“She said, ‘He’s here! He’s alive!” Yolanda Harvey, one of Bennett’s sisters, quoted the friend as saying.

The dead man was eventually identifi ed through fi n-gerprints as 69-year-old Elisha Brittman.

“The bottom line is this mistaken identity situation was something we think could have easily been avoided and should have been avoided,” said Cannon Lambert, the attorney for the families.

In a statement to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, the police department said it had opened an investi-gation. “To say that we currently have questions is an understatement,” it said. “We have detectives looking into every aspect of this incident — from the incident response to the circumstances leading to the hospitali-sation and the notifi cation of family members.”

Oregon senator faces hearing on ‘heavily armed’ commentBy Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters Los Angeles

An Oregon state senator who was among Republican lawmakers who fl ed the state Capitol last month to scuttle a vote on a

bill to fi ght climate change faces a conduct hear-ing over remarks tinged with threats of violence about any eff orts to force the senators to return.

Senator Brian Boquist, who is a former US Army special forces offi cer, ahead of the Re-publicans’ departure said on June 19 to the state Senate’s Democratic president: “If you send the State Police to get me, hell is coming to visit you personally.”

Governor Kate Brown, a Democrat, enlisted the State Police on June 20 to try to bring Re-publicans back to the Capitol, but ultimately the Democratic-sponsored bill died.

By fl eeing the Capitol, the Republican senators prevented a vote from being held because, under Senate rules, there were not enough lawmakers present for legislation to be voted on.

The state Senate’s Special Committee on Con-duct will hold a hearing on tomorrow over Bo-quist’s comments.

Boquist also told a reporter from a Portland television station that if police came looking for him, “Send bachelors and come heavily armed.”

The Senate Special Committee agenda for to-

morrow calls for its two Democrats and two Re-publicans to consider a recommendation from an outside counsel that Boquist not be allowed to return to the “workplace” during an investiga-tion.

The memorandum from the outside counsel, attorney Brenda Baumgart of the fi rm Stoel Rives LLP, cited the need to “ensure that the Capitol is free from threats of (or actual) violence and in-timidation.”

The two Democratic senators on the commit-tee could not be reached for comment.

Boquist did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment on Baumgart’s recom-mendation.

He told the Salem Reporter that he had made comments to State Police offi cials similar to his remarks to the television reporter, specifi cally that they should “send bachelors and come heav-ily armed.”

“And of course, they see this is purely political free speech and discussion, you know, within the politics and the realms,” Boquist told the Salem Reporter.

The Oregon climate change bill would have required the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions below 45% of 1990 levels by 2035.

The approach would have capped the state’s total amount of greenhouse gases, forcing com-panies such as utilities to buy emission allow-ances.

US House panel chair seeks probe into DHS leaders

The chairman of a US House panel asked an inter-nal watchdog on Friday to investigate whether top offi cials at the Department of Homeland

Security (DHS) and the US border service knew about a Facebook group where agents posted racist and mi-sogynistic comments.

“Such vile and threatening behavior from agents of the United States government is entirely unaccept-able” and “should be grounds for immediate dismiss-al,” Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a letter to the DHS’s acting inspector general.

Noting that the issue was already being probed by the offi ce of professional responsibility of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service, Thompson asked the inspector general to open a probe into what DHS and CBP leadership knew about the groups and what action they had taken to address it.

Thompson said it had been reported that recently named CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan “knew about the group as early as 2016, when he was chief of the Border Patrol.” “If accurate, this report calls into ques-tion Mr Morgan’s fi tness to hold any offi ce in the Unit-ed States government,” Thompson said.

He also asked the acting inspector general to investi-gate whether Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan knew about the Facebook groups. McAleenan has ordered a probe into the social media posts. He had called them “disturbing & inexcusable” in a tweet on Wednesday.

The US border service came under fi re over the issue last week, when the non-profi t news site ProPublica re-ported that off ensive content had been posted on a pri-vate Facebook group for current and former CPB offi cers. Posts included jokes about the deaths of migrants and sexually explicit comments referring to US Representa-tive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the news outlet said.

Reuters did not independently confi rm the report.The report emerged as Ocasio-Cortez and other

lawmakers visited a border patrol station in Texas and criticized conditions at the site. Ocasio-Cortez said mi-grants held at the station had been told to drink water out of toilets and were subjected to psychological abuse.

ASIA/AUSTRALASIA13

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 2019

Thousands protest in Myanmar capital over toddler abuse case Thousands of protesters

marched to a police of-fi ce in the north of Myan-

mar’s largest city, Yangon, yes-terday, demanding speedy and transparent justice in a child-abuse case that has sparked national outrage.

Police said this week they had arrested a suspect for abusing a toddler - nicknamed Victo-ria - at a private nursery school in the administrative capital, Naypyitaw, in May.

Social media users have criti-cised the speed and profession-alism of the police response after the girl’s family fi led a complaint more than a month ago, underscoring a lack of trust in authorities in a country still emerging from decades of military rule.

A government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi took power after sweeping elections in 2015, but key institutions such as the police remain under military control and eff orts to strengthen the rule of law have fl oundered.

Organisers estimated as many as 6,000 protesters gath-ered yesterday at the Yangon

offi ce of the Criminal Investiga-tion Department (CID) wearing white T-shirts, some printed with the words “Justice for Vic-toria”. One banner read: “We don’t want any more Victorias.”

“We need an explanation that people can accept and justice for the kid,” said 33-year-old pro-test organiser Aung Htike Min.

The protesters also called on the government to create a safe environment for Myanmar’s children.

The police force’s deputy di-rector general, Aung Naing Thu, said on Friday in a news confer-ence broadcast live on Facebook and watched by thousands of people that police had fi led a case at court against a driver at the victim’s nursery, who was in custody.

A thorough investigation was conducted, he said, but eff orts to identify the perpetrator had been delayed because offi cers were waiting to speak to the vic-tim, a three-year-old girl who was recovering from medication she was given after the assault.

“We fi led the lawsuit against the suspect based on the testi-mony of the child and technical records,” said Aung Naing Thu, referring to security-camera footage that he said implicated the driver.

The nursery had also been closed because it lacked the correct licence to operate, he said.

Demonstrators were scep-tical about the account given by Myanmar police, a force that is widely perceived as

corrupt or incompetent.Ye Myint Win, 37, who joined

yesterday’s protest along with his wife and two-year-old daughter, told Reuters authori-ties should take child abuse cases more seriously.

“I found it very suspi-

cious and I don’t trust the investigation of CID,” he said.

Child rights experts at NGO Terre des Hommes (Lausanne) said child abuse is “very common” in Myanmar, and they hear of about two cases a week in just one Yangon

township of 800,000 people.But stigma and families’ re-

luctance to go to court mean most go unreported.

A new child law is soon due to be signed and would allow po-lice to open cases even if nobody presses charges.

Reuters/AFPYangon

Protesters walk to the Central Investigation Department (CID) during the demonstration demanding justice for a three-year-old who was abused and given the pseudonym “Victoria” in Yangon yesterday.

Turtle disrupts fl ight

A turtle that wandered onto the runway at the Gold Coast airport in Australia,

caused more than a few problems for travellers on board an Ad-elaide-bound fl ight, authorities said on Friday.

While taxiing on the runway for takeoff on Thursday, pilot James Fuller was forced to slam on the brakes, fearing the turtle could get sucked into the plane’s powerful en-gine, reports Xinhua news agency.

When he radioed the control tower for assistance, he was in-formed that the turtle often vis-its the airport.

“They said he’d been up there ear-lier in the day as well. It was the sec-ond time they’d had to move him,” Fuller told the Australian Broadcast-ing Corporation on Friday.

The turtle was eventually re-moved from the airport and taken to a safer location, but authorities said they remained on high alert in case the animal returns again.

Although the incident did cause the fl ight to be delayed, one passenger did see the funny side of the situation.

“(They) brought the plane to a stop for a few minutes... to allow a gorgeous little turtle to cross the taxiway in front of the aircraft and make his way (yes, slowly - give him a break - it’s a turtle!) to the creek near the airport fence,” a pas-senger Lachlan Burnet tweeted.

IANSCanberra

Released student was ‘spying’: North Korea

An Australian student who was released after being held in North Korea had

been “spying” in the reclusive country, state media said yes-terday.

Alek Sigley, 29, disappeared around two weeks ago prompt-ing deep concern about his fate, but was freed and fl ew to Japan on Thursday.

Offi cial North Korean news agency KCNA said Sigley had admitted “he had been spying by collecting our internal informa-tion and sharing with others and repeatedly asked for our forgive-ness for infringing on our sover-eignty”.

It said Sigley - one of just a handful of Westerners living and studying in North Korea - had been detained on June 25 for promoting propaganda against the country online, in-cluding on specialist website NK News, which rejected the accusations.

“Sigley, upon request by anti-DPRK news outlets such as NK News, on numerous occasions transferred information that he gathered while travelling to every corner of Pyongyang us-ing his status as an international student, including photographs and analysis,” it said, using the initials of North Korea’s offi cial name.

“The government of DPRK has

exercised humanitarian forbear-ance and deported him from our grounds on July 4.”

Sigley’s detention came just days before a G20 summit and a landmark meeting between Pres-ident Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump was closely involved in the case of University of Vir-ginia student Otto Warmbier, who was imprisoned during a tour of the authoritarian state in 2016.

Doctors said Warmbier suf-fered severe brain damage while in detention, fell into a coma and died days after arriving back in the United States, aged 22.

Sigley was much more familiar with the country and spoke fl u-ent Korean.

He organised tours to North Korea, and ran a number of social media sites, which usu-ally had a stream of apolitical content about life in one of the world’s most secretive na-tions.

His blog posts focused on eve-ryday Pyongyang - everything from the city’s dining scene to North Korean app reviews - and he married his Japanese wife there last year.

Chad O’Carroll, director of the NK News, said in a statement yesterday that Sigley’s columns for the site “presented an apo-litical and insightful view of life in Pyongyang”.

“The six articles Alek pub-lished represent the full extent of his work with us and the idea

that those columns, published transparently under his name between January and April 2019, are ‘anti-state’ in nature is a misrepresentation which we re-ject,” he said.

On Friday, Sigley said he was planning to “return to normal life” but off ered no details of his detention, adding he would not be conducting any interviews or holding a press conference.

“I just want everyone to know I am OK, and to thank them for their concern for my wellbeing and their support for my family over the past week,” he said in a statement released by represent-atives of his family on Friday.

However Sigley gave no indi-cation of why he was held, how he was treated or why he was re-leased. It said he would not make any further comment “at this time or later”.

The case was also complicated by Australia’s lack of diplomatic representation in North Korea.

Sigley specifi cally thanked Sweden’s envoy to North Korea, who helped negotiate his release.

Also on Friday, Australia’s Home Aff airs Minister Peter Dutton cautioned Sigley against returning to Pyongyang.

“My advice will be pretty clear - I would stay in Japan. I would go back to South Korea. I would come back to Aus-tralia. All of those would have to be better options before he returns to North Korea,” Dut-ton told broadcaster channel Nine.

AFPSeoul

‘Dancing aunties’ spark new Hong Kong protest

Renewed confrontations broke out between police and protesters in Hong

Kong yesterday evening - this time sparked by anger over pro-vocative “dancing aunties” who have long vexed local residents near the border with China.

In the latest fl ashpoint with authorities, hundreds of pro-testers blocked roads and chanted slogans at police in the northwestern district of Tuen Mun, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

Hong Kong has been rocked by a month of huge peaceful protests as well as a series of separate violent confrontations with police sparked by a law that would have allowed extra-ditions to mainland China.

On Monday its parliament was trashed by hundreds of masked, youth-led protesters in unprecedented scenes.

Anger towards police is run-ning high after tear gas and rub-ber bullets were used against demonstrators.

Yesterday’s rally had a much more local cause but feeds into Hong Kongers’ anxieties that the city’s unique freedoms and culture are being eroded by a resurgent Beijing.

A rally was held earlier in the day to “reclaim” a park in Tuen Mun where so-called “dancing aunties” have sung Mandarin

pop songs through loud micro-phones and danced for gener-ally older men who give them cash donations.

The predominant language in Hong Kong is Canton-ese and locals say authorities have failed for years to tackle noise complaints caused by the performers.

While the afternoon rally ended without incident, large crowds stayed in the vicinity af-terwards.

Protesters said police briefl y deployed pepper spray as they tried to protect a man who had earlier attacked demonstrators, sparking anger from the crowds.

People later gathered around the local police station shouting “Add Oil!” - a Cantonese phrase expressing encouragement that has long been embraced by protesters.

Police also briefl y scuffl ed with protesters as offi cers re-trieved another man who had

been surrounded by the crowd and was being ordered to delete pictures on his phone.

“Protesters were angry about the police offi cers being quite bi-ased and were protecting our at-tackers,” one demonstrator, who declined to give his name, said.

Crowds began dispersing soon afterwards.

In response to the huge ear-lier backlash, the extradition bill was postponed by the city’s pro-Beijing leaders.

AFPHong Kong

Policemen hold hands to line up and surround protesters during a demonstration in the north-western district of Tuen Mun, near the border with the Chinese city of Shenzhen, in Hong Kong yesterday.

Abe’s ruling bloc on course to win majority in Japan poll

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition is on course to grab a solid

majority in Japan’s upper house elections this month and cement his premiership, local media re-ported yesterday.

Abe’s Liberal Democratic Par-ty (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito are forecast to win more than 63 seats, or a majority of the 124 seats contested in the July 21 election, Kyodo News said in its opinion poll.

The ruling parties “stand a good chance of reaching 77,” said

Kyodo, which conducted the poll on Thursday and Friday.

The Asahi Shimbun and other newspapers also said the ruling coalition was expected to win “a comfortable majority” in the election.

The two parties control 70 seats in the other half of the up-per house that is not contested. This means that according to the projection they are set to secure their majority in the 245-seat body.

Parliament voted last year to increase the number of seats in the chamber by three from the current 242.

The House of Councillors, as the upper house is formally

known, is the less powerful chamber in Japan’s bicameral parliament, and half its seats come up for election every three years.

Abe, who has been seeking to revise the pacifi st constitution since he took offi ce in late 2012, is aiming to secure a two-thirds “super majority” needed to re-vise the charter in the election.

“This is an election to decide whether to pick lawmakers and parties who take responsibil-ity for discussions” on constitu-tional revision, Abe told voters in a campaign speech on Thursday.

Local media predicted pro-revision forces, led by Abe’s LDP, are approaching 85 of the seats

being contested to have a two-thirds majority in the chamber.

Japan’s constitution, imposed by the United States forces af-ter World War II, prohibits the country from waging war.

The provisions are popular in the public at large, but reviled by nationalists like Abe, who see them as outdated and punitive.

Apart from a two-thirds majority in both houses, con-stitutional revision also re-quires a majority in a nationalreferendum.

A planned consumption tax hike in October and the nation’s fragile pension system are also among key issues for candidates during the run up to the election.

AFPTokyo

Lanka president vetoes deal with US

Sri Lanka’s president yes-terday announced he will not allow his government

to conclude a proposed military deal that would allow US troops free access to the island’s ports.

Maithripala Sirisena said he was opposed to the draft Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that the two countries are ne-gotiating to further strengthen their military ties.

Sirisena is at loggerheads with his pro-Western Prime Minister Ranil

Wickremesinghe.“I will not allow any agree-

ment that undermines our in-dependence and sovereignty,” Sirisena told a public rally in the island’s south. “Several agreements currently being

discussed are detrimental to our country.”

“I will not allow the SOFA that seeks to betray the na-tion. Some foreign forces want to make Sri Lanka one of their bases. I will not allow them to come into the country and challenge our sovereignty.”

The SOFA seeks to ensure reciprocal access to port fa-cilities and allow freer entry to military personnel and their contractors.

Sirisena said there will be no bilateral agreements “against Sri Lanka’s national interest” as long as he was in offi ce. His term ends in January.

He did not name the powers he accused of trying to gain a military foothold in his Indian Ocean island republic of 21mn people.

However, it was a thinly veiled reference to the US

which is keen on strength-ening their existing military co-operation.

A year ago, Washington an-nounced it was granting $39mn to boost maritime security in Sri Lanka as China developed its strategic hold on the Indian Ocean island.

Increased US interest in Sri Lanka comes as China is up-ping investment in ports and other building projects on the island, which is a key link in Beijing’s ambitious “Belt and Road” infrastructure initiative.

The US had stopped arms sales to Sri Lanka during the height of the island’s Tamil separatist war that ended in 2009. The global power has also been highly critical of the human rights record of the former government of strong-man president, Mahinda Rajapakse.

AFPColombo

BRITAIN

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 201914

Some members of Britain’s Conservative Party have been issued with more than

one ballot paper to vote for the party’s next leader, who will also become prime minister, the BBC reported yesterday.

Ballot papers have been sent to about 160,000 Conserva-tive Party members across the country, asking them to choose between frontrunner Boris John-son, a former London mayor and foreign minister, and Jeremy Hunt, the current foreign min-ister.

Voting is due to close on July 22, with the winner set to be an-nounced a day later.

The BBC said that an investi-gation it had carried out found some party members had re-ceived two ballot papers, citing one party insider as estimat-ing that more than 1,000 people could be aff ected.

It said that in some cases this was because members live and work in diff erent constituen-cies and may have joined the lo-cal Conservative associations in both areas.

Other members may have changed their name after mar-riage.

Party chairman Brandon Lewis said on Twitter that – as was the case in a general election – peo-ple would only be able to vote once even if they had been sent more than one ballot paper.

Hunt’s campaign chairman, the former cabinet minister Sir Patrick McLoughlin, warned party members should only vote

once even if they had received two ballot papers.

“It’s made very clear on the ballot paper that you are only allowed to vote once. I expect Conservative members to follow that,” he told BBC Radio 4’s To-day programme.

McLoughlin acknowledged the error has “got to be looked at”, but added: “It can’t be clearer, it’s right there on the ballot paper saying that you must only vote on one occasion and I expect people to do that.”

Iain Duncan Smith, the former party leader and chairman of Johnson’s campaign, said the chairman of the Conservative party had been asked to look into the problem of multiple ballot papers being given to members.

“Obviously there is an issue here, I accept that,” Smith told the Today programme. “In all elections there are issues about this, where people are registered separately.”

Smith echoed McLoughlin’s call for Tory members to not vote

more than once. “It’s quite clear as Patrick McLoughlin said that you are not to vote more than once.

“But it’s clear that the Con-servative party needs to continue to do some work and look into how they can actually sift this properly so that they recognise who is who.”

The Electoral Commission, which sets standards for how UK elections are run, has no role in the leadership contest.

Theresa May will take her fi nal session of prime minister’s ques-tions on July 24 and hand over to the contest winner that after-noon.

Separately yesterday, the Times newspaper reported that Johnson is backed by 74% of Conservative Party members with Hunt on 26%, according to a YouGov/Times poll.

It said a fortnight ago the last YouGov survey gave almost iden-tical fi gures.

Both candidates appeared at a campaign event in Nottingham,

central England, yesterday.Johnson was asked about a Sky

News report that said 30 Con-servative lawmakers led by fi -nance minister Philip Hammond were plotting to stop a no-deal Brexit in October.

“I’m a great admirer of Phil ... but I sat in the cabinet with him when we were all committed to getting ready for no-deal,” he said. “To the best of my knowl-edge the chancellor (fi nance minister) and every other mem-ber of the cabinet is still commit-ted to that policy.”

Johnson has pledged to leave the European Union with or without a deal on October 31 if he becomes prime minister, while Hunt has said he would, if abso-lutely necessary, go for a no-deal Brexit.

Last Monday a group of pro-EU lawmakers failed in their lat-est bid to prevent Britain leaving the bloc without an exit deal, af-ter parliament’s speaker did not choose their proposal to be put to a vote.

Tory members get more than one ballot: BBCReuters/GuardianLondon

Johnson and Hunt gesturing while speaking during a hustings event in Cardiff .

Boris Johnson was forced to defend his ability to repre-sent minority groups in the

UK at a Conservative party hus-tings in Nottingham yesterday.

Johnson and his rival Jeremy Hunt were taking questions from local Conservative members who will be voting to choose the next leader of the party.

Johnson was asked whether he could represent minority groups having made such “derogatory and arguably racist” comments, referring to his newspaper col-umn comparing veiled Muslim women to letterboxes.

He told the audience: “If you look at that article … it was a strong, liberal defence of the right of women to wear the bur-qa.”

He said he had received letters from Muslim religious leaders after the article was published, supporting his stance on integra-tion.

Earlier that day, in an inter-view in the Daily Mail, Johnson called for a tougher approach on criminal justice issues, including removing restrictions on police stop-and-search powers and longer sentences for serious vio-lent or sexual off enders.

He said: “There are too many people … who have committed serious violence or sexual of-fences who are being let out … after they’ve served only half their sentence.”

But lawyers criticised his com-ments, with the Secret Barrister, who writes about the law, saying on Twitter that the comments were “legally illiterate” and ig-nored the already severe indeter-minate prison sentences that ex-ist for serious violent off enders.

Hunt came on second at the hustings to argue that despite his preference for getting a deal with the EU that removes the conten-tious backstop,

Brexit must happen even if it is with no deal.

Or the Conservative party “will be toast”, he said.

“If that is the way we have to leave then we must leave [with no deal].” He said there would be preparation for the possibil-ity of no deal, including £20bn of support for businesses currently dependent on trade with Europe.

Hunt also acknowledged cuts had gone too far on social care and policing, saying: “I believe that we did the right thing be-cause we had to put the economy back on its feet, we had the worst fi nancial crisis since the second world war.”

But he added that “in a couple of specifi c areas, the cuts went further than we anticipated. We do have some headroom … that would allow us to fi nd extra funding for those public serv-ices”.

But he acknowledged that a no-deal Brexit would put that at risk.

“If we had a no-deal Brexit, then those resources initially will need to go to supporting busi-nesses, but hopefully we can get a deal and then start to address some of those issues,” he said.

Johnson faces questions over ‘arguably racist’ commentsBy Harriet GrantGuardian News & Media

The UK is going through a “political nervous break-down”, with the Brexit

debate stirring anxiety in White-hall, a former MI6 chief says.

Sir John Sawers said the Brexit debate had left the country bit-terly divided and damaged the UK’s global reputation.

Sawers told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are go-ing through a political nervous breakdown here in the UK. We have potential prime ministers being elected by the Conserva-tive party now, [and] in the shape of the leader of the opposition, who do not have the standing that we have become used to in our top leadership.

“Whether people can develop that when they become prime minister, we will have to wait and see, in terms of the candidates for the Conservative leadership.

“But I think there is a lot of anxiety. As we leave the Euro-pean Union we take a huge risk to our international standing, to the strength of the British economy.”

The former spymaster said it is not surprising that “the peo-ple who have devoted them-selves to serving the interests of this country” are concerned about the direction the country is heading in.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader and chairman of Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign, hit back at Sawers’s remarks that the country is struggling with a political and emotional crisis.

“Actually, I think he might be

going through a political nerv-ous breakdown,” Smith told the Today programme. “I’m cer-tainly not going through one and I don’t think my party is either, to be honest with you.”

Smith described Sawers’s comments as anti-democratic, saying: “The reality is that the expression of democracy may well frighten him slightly.”

Smith said he disagreed with the argument that Britain’s membership to the EU should not have been put on a public ballot.

“The truth is the British people were asked a very serious ques-tion and this whole leadership election comes down to a simple factor, we have not delivered on what they asked for so the deci-sion that the membership take is who will now deliver on it by Oc-tober 31.”

Ex-MI6 chief: UK going through ‘political nervous breakdownBy Aamna MohdinGuardian News & Media

In a Belfast museum, seam-stresses are at work depict-ing gory battles and warring

kings in shimmering threads of red and gold – an epic homage to the TV phenomenon Game of Thrones.

The team at the Ulster Muse-um are putting the fi nal touches to a 90m (300’) tapestry depict-ing all eight seasons of the fan-tasy saga, which reached its dra-matic conclusion in May.

Game of Thrones, which fi rst hit screens in 2011, was pro-duced and chiefl y fi lmed in stu-dios in Belfast and in the North-ern Irish countryside.

The Northern Irish public have taken the series to their hearts.

“A tapestry is, more than anything else, a great storytell-ing device,” explained Valerie Wilson, costume and textiles curator at National Museums Northern Ireland. “The length of the tapestry allows the story to unfold, so in many ways it’s the perfect medium for telling the story of the Game of Thrones project.”

Styled in the manner of the treasured Bayeux Tapestry – which depicts the 11th-century Norman conquest of England – the completed piece will be transported to France to hang near its predecessor in Septem-ber.

“This tapestry references the Bayeux Tapestry in that it has a series of repeated icons through it,” explained Wilson.

The panels of the piece are woven by machine before the fi nishing touches are put on by hand.

For two years, a team of 30 has been at work on and off stitching embellishments on the icons – “blood red weddings”, “emerald green wildfi re”, and “cold-blue White Walkers” – which prove pivotal in the blood-and-guts HBO drama.

Such is the graphic nature of their handiwork that the muse-um display comes with a warn-ing: “Due to the depiction of graphic scenes, viewing of the tapestry is not suitable for any-

one under the age of 18.”The team has been working on

stitching depicting the eighth and fi nal series.

Participants – like actors in the show – were also sworn to silence, forced to sign non-dis-closure agreements to maintain the shroud of secrecy.

“It was very crucial when the project launched that it had that new, fresh, almost surprise ele-ment,” Wilson told AFP.

After the embellishments are put on, the fi nal panels are be-ing added to the snaking display of series one to seven already on show to museum visitors.

“I think it’s really beautiful,” said Abbie Merrick – a diehard fan of Game of Thrones, who spent a morning walking her

mother through the plot woven across the fabric. “I think tap-estry’s a really beautiful art form and a really nice way of story-telling.”

The Game of Thrones televi-sion series is based on the still-ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire series of high fantasy books by George R R Martin.

Belfast museum tapestry depicts Game of Thrones sagaBy Joe Stenson, AFPBelfast

Embroiderers work on the final section of a tapestry depicting one of the last scenes from the Game of Thrones.

Roisin Aiston, one of the embroiderers working on the final section of the tapestry depicting scenes from the hit television series Game of Thrones, poses at the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

Members of the public look at completed sections of a tapestry depicting scenes from the hit television series Game of Thrones, at the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

One the UK’s most senior female Asian police of-fi cers has launched a dis-

crimination lawsuit against the Metropolitan police.

Temporary Chief Super-

intendent Parm Sandhu has brought an employment tribunal claim, alleging that she has been denied promotion and work op-portunities on the basis of her race and gender.

The move comes shortly after Sandhu was cleared of allega-tions that she breached rules about honours nominations.

She was accused of gross mis-conduct over allegations that she encouraged colleagues to support her nomination for a Queen’s Po-lice Medal.

In 2006 Sandhu was pre-sented with an Asian Women of Achievement award, in part for her work in the aftermath of the July 7, 2005 London bombings.

Sandhu was placed on restrict-ed duties while the allegations were looked into but investiga-tors concluded last month that there was no case to answer.

A Metropolitan police spokes-man said: “The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards began an investigation into the conduct of three offi cers following an al-

legation they breached guide-lines relating to the UK honours nomination process.

“The investigation concluded in June 2019 and found there was no case to answer for gross mis-conduct or misconduct in rela-tion to any of the offi cers.

“The [discrimination] claim will be heard on a date yet to be

confi rmed. It would be inappro-priate to comment further at this stage.”

Sandhu, who is of Indian herit-age, is one of a very small number of female Asian offi cers at senior levels across England and Wales.

Last year, there were all of six Asian chief superintendents and three offi cers at a higher rank;

most of them were male.Sandhu, 54, is being backed

by the Metropolitan Black Police Association, which says it is con-cerned about the lack of senior female ethnic minority offi cers.

She has not commented pub-licly on her discrimination claim but did retweet a BBC article about the case yesterday.

Senior female Asian police offi cer accuses Met of discriminationBy Harriet GrantGuardian News & Media

Activists turn waste bins into ballot boxesElectoral reform activists turned litter bins into mock ballot boxes yesterday to highlight their claim that most votes in British elections are wasted.Make Votes Matter organised a nationwide Demand Democracy Day, calling for “mass action to show and build support for proportional representation in general elections”.Activists joined events in London, Cardiff and other towns and cities across Britain, urging supporters to petition their local lawmakers to back reform of Britain’s first-past-the-post, constituency-based electoral system.Opinion polls this week suggested that support has plummeted for Britain’s two biggest political parties, Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives and the main opposition Labour, and shifted to the resurgent anti-Brexit Liberal Democrats and to veteran eurosceptic Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party.“We are now a multi-party democracy operating under a broken, one-person-takes-all voting system,” Jess Blair of the Electoral Reform Society said on Thursday.In the last general election in 2017, about 68% of voters “didn’t play an active role in the decision of the outcome because they either were for losing candidates or they were for winning candidates who didn’t need that many votes,” Darren Hughes, head of the society, told DPA last month.

EUROPE15Gulf Times

Sunday, July 7, 2019

A migrant rescue boat breached a ban on dock-ing in Italy for the second

time in a week, arriving illegally in Lampedusa yesterday as Italy rejected a German call to open its ports to charity vessels.

Italy’s migration policy is deepening rifts in Europe as NGOs clash with Italian author-ities over rules that eff ectively close off the country’s ports to their boats.

Italy’s coalition government, which includes the right-wing League, blames European part-ners for leaving it alone to deal with sea arrivals.

New rules were adopted last month threatening NGO ships entering Italian waters without permission with a fi ne of up to 50,000 euros and the impound-ing of their vessels.

Yesterday German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer asked his Italian counterparty, League leader Matteo Salvini, to rethink the ports shutdown.

The sailboat Alex, carrying 41 migrants, docked at the same quay where a week ago another charity vessel collided with an Italian police boat when it de-cided to bring migrants ashore after two weeks in international waters.

The German captain of the Sea-Watch 3 boat, 31-year-old

Carola Rackete, was arrested in Lampedusa last Saturday before a Sicilian judge ordered her re-lease a few days later.

The German interior minis-ter said he is working with the European Commission to fi nd solutions for people aboard the Alex and the Alan Kurdi, a sec-ond NGO ship which is close to Italian waters and has also been denied permission to enter.

“We cannot allow ships with rescued people on board to be left sailing the Mediterranean for weeks because they can’t fi nd a harbour,” he wrote in a letter. “We need swift European solutions in a spirit of common responsibility and solidarity.”

But Salvini replied in a Face-book video that a policy change is out of the question.

“Dear German government, I’m not reopening the ports ... if anything we’re going to put...[the migrants] in a car and take them to the German embassy,” he said.

“If someone is used to con-sidering Italy a dumping site for all the problems Europe pretend not to see, that’s over. And this applies to the French and the Dutch,” Salvini said, adding he “felt lonely” and called on fel-low ministers to help more over migrants.

The Alex was escorted to Lampedusa by an Italian naval vessel and a sea patrol boat, but the migrants were not allowed not leave the boat and policemen stood on the quay.

“The migrants must be imme-diately disembarked and taken

care of,” Italian NGO Mediter-ranea, which operates the Alex, said in a posting on Twitter.

Mediterranea had declined a Maltese off er to go to Valletta saying the people aboard could not sustain such a long journey.

However, Salvini says Rome would not “yield to blackmail” and that armed forces were ready to intervene.

“I’m not authorising people

who ignore Italian laws and help human traffi ckers to disembark,” he said on Twitter.

According to Mediterranea spokeswoman Alessandra Sciur-ba, the charity had no choice but to head to the closest port due to health and hygiene conditions aboard the Alex.

But Italy’s interior ministry said it had provided food, medi-cines and 400 litres of water,

while another 400 had been re-fused by the Alex due to a lack of space.

“They refused water so that they could declare the state of emergency ... we won’t be in-timidated,” Salvini said.

The League will propose in-creasing fi nes for NGOs violat-ing the docking ban up to €1mn and making it easier to seize ves-sels, he added.

Another migrant rescue boat defi es Italian banReutersMilan

This still image taken from a video footage shows police off icers guarding a migrant rescue boat, which docked at the port of Lampedusa in defiance of a ban on entering Italian waters.

Salvini: If someone is used to considering Italy a dumping site for all the problems Europe pretend not to see, that’s over.

After Melania cake, Mel-ania honey, and even Melania slippers, the

Slovenian hometown of the US fi rst lady will now boast a statue of its most famous daughter – albeit one that has faced decid-edly mixed reviews.

The life-size statue on the outskirts of Sevnica was in-augurated on Friday and is the brainchild of 39-year-old American conceptual artist Brad Downey, who says it’s the fi rst monument anywhere ded-icated to the wife of US Presi-dent Donald Trump.

The sculpture was carved into a tree using a chainsaw and depicts Melania in a blue dress raising her left hand in a waving gesture, emulating a pose she struck at her husband’s 2017 inauguration.

Its somewhat naive style has led some critics on social media to brand it a “scarecrow”.

“I can understand why peo-ple might think that this falls short as a description of her physical appearance,” Downey told AFP, but insisted that he found the end result “absolute-ly beautiful”.

Since Trump took offi ce in 2017, sleepy Sevnica has be-come a magnet for tourists and journalists searching for in-sights into the American fi rst lady’s past.

Entrepreneurial locals have been cashing in on the infl ux, off ering a bewildering array of Melania-branded food and

merchandise as well as a tour of the area taking in the key sites of her early years.

Downey came up with the statue as part of a project aimed at exploring the fi rst lady’s Slovenian roots and commis-sioned local artisan Ales Zupe-vc – also known as “Maxi” – to actually carve the sculpture.

Downey told AFP that he was struck by the fact that Maxi was born in the same year and in the same hospital as Melania her-self.

He said conversations with Maxi had enabled him to see Melania’s ancestral region through local eyes.

“You see this river that she would have seen as a child, you see the mountains,” Downey said.

However, not everyone has been moved to wax lyrical about the artwork.

Nika, a local 24-year-old ar-chitecture student, told AFP: “If the monument was meant to be a parody, then the artist has been successful.”

“We in Sevnica can only laugh and, at the same time, hold our heads in our hands over their (the Trumps’) cata-

strophic reputation,” she add-ed.

Katarina, a 66-year-old resi-dent of nearby Rozno, said she

thought the monument was a “good idea”. “Melania is a Slov-enian hero, she made it to the top in the US,” she said.

‘Statue of Melania Trump’ divides opinionAFPSevnica, Slovenia

People gather around what conceptual artist Ales ‘Maxi’ Zupevc claims is the first monument to Melania Trump, set in the fields near the town of Sevnica, the US first lady’s hometown, during a small inauguration celebration.

A close-up of the statue’s face.

Iranians found in freight trainDPAVienna

Eleven Iranians attempted to travel from Serbia to Germany hidden between

refrigerators in a freight train, police in Austria said yesterday.

They were discovered on Fri-day in a southern Austrian rail-way yard in Fuernitz, when they attracted attention by knocking after spending almost 40 hours in the sealed freight car.

Police found two men and three women between the ages of 32 and 39, one 17-year-old, and fi ve children between the ages of four and 12 in the train car.

According to the Red Cross, the migrants were in good health.

They were sent to a transit camp.

According to the police, the Iranians said that traffi ckers had picked them up from an asy-lum shelter in Sid in Serbia at 2am (0000 GMT) on Thursday morning and brought them to the railway station.

They had paid €1,000 ($1,120) per person for a trip to Germany.

Fuernitz lies near the Austri-an border with Slovenia, about 200km south of Salzburg.

There are about 600km be-tween Sid and Fuernitz.

Russia buried 14 navy offi cers amid tight security in Saint Petersburg yesterday, who

were killed in a fi re on a nuclear-powered submersible in circum-stances that have not been fully re-vealed by the Kremlin.

The offi cers died in the Barents Sea on Monday, but the accident was only made public a day later.

Moscow has said the crew was studying the sea fl oor and that the details of the tragedy are a “state secret”.

However, Russian media have re-ported that the ship was a top-secret

nuclear-powered mini-submarine.The defence ministry confi rmed

the vessel was nuclear-powered for the fi rst time on Friday.

The funerals, which were closed to the media, took place in the former imperial capital’s historic Serafi movskoye Cemetery.

They began amid heavy security, with military police standing out-side the cemetery gates.

“You have to understand that the identities of most of the people who gathered here are secret and their faces cannot be shown,” a repre-sentative of the defence ministry told AFP.

An AFP reporter saw 14 vehicles carrying coffi ns drive into the cem-etery.

Later, a military salute and the Russian national anthem were heard.

Dmitry Razmyslov, 38, attended the funeral to pay his respects to one of the seamen – Dmitry Solovyev – with whom he studied at a military academy decades ago.

“I did not know the details of his job. It was secret,” Razymyslov, who did not go on to have a military ca-reer, told AFP.

The Russian defence ministry said Solovyev acted heroically dur-ing the accident, evacuating a civil-ian and closing the vessel’s hatch to halt spreading fl ames.

“He was very responsible and, despite the fact that his wife is ex-pecting a child, he conducted him-

self the way he did,” Razmyslov said.“This is a great sorrow,” said a

young woman clad in black attend-ing the ceremony.

She held a wreath that read “from friends and classmates”.

Some ordinary Saint Petersburg residents came to the cemetery’s gates to pay their respects.

“I feel so sorry for them, like they were my own (family),” said 60-year old Natalya Stepanova, who lives nearby. “They are real heroes.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded state hon-ours to all 14 of the submariners.

The tragedy has echoes of the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000, also in the Barents Sea, that claimed 118 lives and shook the fi rst

year of Putin’s presidency.Russian media reported that the

14 seamen will be buried near a monument to the Kursk victims in the Serafi movskoye Cemetery.

On Friday, the defence ministry said the fi re started in the submers-ible’s battery compartment and did not impact the vessel’s nuclear re-actor.

Nearly all of the victims were highly decorated offi cers and in-cluded seven Captain First Rank of-fi cers – the most senior staff offi cers in the Russian navy.

Experts have said that the pres-ence of many high-ranking offi cers on board could suggest the subma-rine was not on an ordinary assign-ment.

Russia buries 14 navy offi cers killed in nuclear-powered sub fi reAFPSaint Petersburg

A navy off icer mourns after a funeral ceremony at a cemetery in Saint Petersburg, three days after a fire that killed 14 off icers on what was reportedly a nuclear-powered mini-submarine.

German police halt some acts at far-rightconcert

DPABerlin

German police halted the performances of two of three bands and confi s-

cated large quantities of beer at a far-right rock concert in eastern Germany this weekend.

About 100 people were visit-ing the festival yesterday, which was taking place in the village of Themar in the south of the state of Thuringia.

Another 100 had gathered at a local pub in nearby Kloster Vess-ra, a central meeting point for the far-right music scene.

The numbers were expected to rise further by the evening.

An estimated 400 protesters demonstrated early yesterday near the rock concert.

Their numbers were expected to rise to as many as 1,100 by the evening and include state gov-ernment offi cials.

The bands were stopped be-cause they had violated the con-ditions set for their perform-ances on Friday evening, a police spokesman said.

The band Sturmwehr (Storm Forces) had played a banned track, while the band Unbeliebte Jungs (Unloved Boys) played a song that was not on the previ-ously submitted list.

Both groups are now barred from performing at “Tage der nationalen Bewegung” (Days of National Movement) until today.

The third band on Friday evening had a short appearance as planned.

Beer was banned for the week-end but light beer of less than 2.7% alcohol content had been allowed on the Friday night.

Police confi scated 16 beer bar-rels and 188 six-packs yester-day, according to a state police spokesman.

Police are present in large numbers this weekend.

Four hundred people had bought tickets for Friday evening’s concert, while be-tween 800 and 1,200 were ex-pected to attend yesterday.

Police said ahead of the con-cert that they would crack down on banned right-wing extremist symbols or the playing of forbid-den songs.

On Friday night, police said 18 criminal complaints were fi led for forbidden symbols.

Police had already imposed alcohol restrictions on the con-cert.

Three dead in gas blast in Poland

A mother and her two children died in a gas explosion in the Polish city of Bytom, local media reported yesterday.Four people were injured, the news agency PAP said.Among them was one person who had walked past the building at the time of the accident and had to be taken to hospital with severe burns by a rescue helicopter.Two dozen residents of the house were able to get to safety unharmed.Numerous windows were destroyed in the blast, an apartment on the ground floor burnt out completely.The exact cause of the explosion was not known at that point.

EUROPE

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 201916

The UN cultural body Unesco has voted to add 14 sites to its World Herit-

age list yesterday, including the Indian “Pink City” of Jaipur (see report on Page 18), the ruins of

Liangzhu city in China, and the Plain of Jars located in Laos.

Currently there are more than 1,000 cultural and natural sites from 167 countries on the World Heritage list.

The United Nations Educa-tional, Scientifi c and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) also agreed in its morning session

to add Bahrain’s Dilmun burial mounds, the Budj Bim wetland aquaculture landscape formed by Australia’s aboriginal Gunditj-mara nation, the Mozu-Furuichi mounded tombs of Japan, and the Dutch-colonial era Ombilin coal mining heritage site in Indo-nesian Sumatra.

Later yesterday, the body rec-

ognised the Ore Mountains, which join the German region of Saxony with the Czech area of Bohemia, as a World Heritage site, along with the Roman-built water management system of the Bavarian city Augsburg and Poland’s Krzemionki prehistoric fl int mines.

Saxony premier Michael Kret-

schmer gave his thanks for the recognition, labelling the project an example for international co-operation.

The Ore Mountains, known as the Erzgebirge in German and Krusnohori in Czech, applied for the tile with 17 elements on the German side and fi ve on the Czech side.

Canada also had the stone carvings and paintings of the Blackfoot (Siksikaiiitsitapi) peo-ple inscribed onto Unesco’s list yesterday afternoon, while South Korea gained the neo-Confucian Seowon academies.

Also added was Myanmar’s Bagan Buddhist complex, and the Czech Kladruby nad Labem car-

riage horse breeding and training area.

The UN Committee is meeting in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea, and will vote on a total of 35 applications.

The gathering ends on July 10.On Friday, fi ve sites including

the ancient Iraqi city of Babylon, were added to the list.

Unesco votes to add 14 sites to World Heritage listDPABaku

The world-famous and controversial San Fermin festival, with its legen-

dary bull runs, was opened yes-terday in the northern Spanish town of Pamplona.

In front of thousands of en-thusiastic people, traditionally all dressed in white and red, the opening El Chupinazo rocket was fi red at noon (1000 GMT) from the balcony of the town hall.

“Viva San Fermin (Long live San Permin)!” the cheering crowd shouted as they waved red scarves.

The fi rst of the eight bull runs takes place this morning.

On Friday, dozens of dem-onstrators from animal welfare organisations Peta and Animal Naturalis protested the festival in front of the town hall.

Dressed only in black under-pants, they wore bull horns on their heads and lay down on the ground, to protest the killing of the animals in the bullring.

They had fake spears jutting from their backs, in a recreation of the technique used to weaken bulls in a bullfi ght.

Yellow signs read: “Bulls die a bloody death in Pamplona.”

Such protests have been tak-ing place regularly for the past 16 years, according to the news-paper La Vanguardia.

The activists taped the out-lines of bulls on the fl oor as po-lice would in a crime scene.

“Supporting the bull runs is the same as supporting bull-fi ghting, as the same bulls that run in the mornings will later be tortured and killed in the bull-ring,” said Aida Gascon, spokes-

person for AnimalNaturalis.Gascon said many people be-

lieve the bulls are put out to pas-ture after the run whereas in fact they are included in bull fi ghts and killed in the ring later the same day as part of the festivi-ties.

Dedicated to the city’s patron saint, San Fermin, the festival has existed since 1591, featuring the spectacle of six black fi ght-ing bulls running through the narrow cobbled streets of the city to the bullring for eight days in a row.

One of several bull running fi estas held around Spain every year, San Fermin was made fa-mous when it featured in US au-thor Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises.

Proponents of bullfi ghts say the fi ghts and runs are a central part of the festivities, putting Pamplona on the global stage and bringing millions of euros into the city every year.

“They don’t stop to think ... about the economic aspect. Pamplona lives off San Fermin. A lot of locals count on that week to sustain themselves for the rest of the year,” said 44-year-old bullfi ghter Angel Gomez Esco-rial.

Pamplona bull-running festival gets under way‘Speared’ activists protest bull runs

DPA/ReutersMadrid/Pamplona

‘Speared’ animal rights protesters demonstrate on Friday for the abolition of bullfights, one day before the start of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona.

Right: Revellers celebrate during the ‘Chupinazo’ (start rocket) to mark the kick-off at noon of the San Fermin festival, in front of the town hall of Pamplona.

Assistant bullfighters stop an animal rights activist who invaded a bullring during a bullfight at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in central Paris yesterday to raise aware-

ness and demand tougher action on femicides in France.

Yelling “Enough” and carry-ing signs reading “Stop femi-

cides” or “The planet needs women alive”, the crowd took to the Place de la Republique square as part of the demon-stration organised by various women’s rights NGOs to protest the rate of femicides, the killing of a woman by a man because of her gender.

The women of all ages and a few men also observed 74 sec-

onds of silence in tribute to the 74 women allegedly killed in France so far this year, according to data collected by Facebook group “Femicides par compag-nons ou ex” (Femicides by part-ners or exes).

It said four were killed this week.

According to interior ministry fi gures, 130 women were alleg-

edly killed in 2017 by their hus-band or partner up from 123 in 2016.

“It’s a massacre,” Julie Gayet, a French actress and partner of former French President Fran-cois Hollande, said at the pro-test. “We need to raise aware-ness on what’s happening today, which means that despite so-ciety’s evolution, there’s a step backward, and even more wom-en are dying today.”

Actress Muriel Robin accused French President Emmanuel Macron of inaction, saying that violent partners had ruined the lives of women and children for far too long.

“So I ask Emmanuel Macron: How much is the life of a woman worth? Nothing is being done. It is shameful,” she told the broad-caster Franceinfo.

Taking to Twitter, French Gender Equality Minister Mar-lene Schiappa said that she sup-ported the demonstration.

“I share the anger of victims and their relatives and reiterate my support to this struggle and the government’s determina-tion,” she tweeted.

In light of the numbers shared by “Femicides par compag-nons ou ex”, women’s advocacy groups in France have grown more vocal in recent days de-manding the government stick to its gender equality promise and act decisively against do-mestic violence.

Several feminist campaign-ers published an op-ed piece in French newspaper Le Monde on Friday, demanding that the government take measures like suspend child custody from men

suspected of killing their wife or partner during investigations as well as open more shelter spaces for victims of domestic violence.

Women’s rights groups in France have also criticised the treatment that victims receive from French police.

They have demanded a dedi-cated offi cial for violence against women at every police station.

German police authorities estimated that 147 women were killed by their partners or ex-partners in 2017.

Protest in Paris over deadly violence against womenReuters/DPAParis

French actor Julie Gayet at the rally in Paris against gender-based violence targeted at women.

‘Greener cities can help withadaptation to climate change’

DPABerlin

With regard to adapt-ing to climate change, German Chancellor

Angela Merkel has emphasised the importance of adjustments in urban planning, with more green spaces required.

The right conclusions should be drawn, Merkel stressed in her weekly video podcast published yesterday.

“We have several programmes in which urban green space is increasingly being used to help people adapt to higher tempera-tures,” Merkel said.

Adaptation to climate change is now part of the federal build-ing code.

“The early midsummer this year shows that extreme weather events are becoming more fre-quent. We have more warm days and more tropical nights, espe-cially in some parts of Germany,” the chancellor said. “We have to react to that together.”

In Germany it was the hottest June on record this year.

Merkel also emphasised the importance of the forest.

“Especially the forest suff ers from extreme drought and is also particularly aff ected by pest in-festation,” she said. “And that’s why we’re going to help foresters in a special way. They have many, many worries this summer.”

The German government showed during the drought last summer that it was reacting intensely to special events and supporting farmers, said Merkel.

“But here too it’s about a long-term adjustment. In oth-er words, we have developed a farming strategy that makes it very clear that we need in-novative processes for the soil, and that we also need resistant plants that respond better to cli-mate change,” she said, adding that research and innovation are important in that regard.

Meanwhile, in view of massive damage caused by fi res, drought, storms and pests, Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner has called for a major reforestation programme in Germany.

“There has hardly been a comparable loss of forest in the past,” the conservative politician told DPA yesterday.

In the 1980s, everyone spoke of the forest dying, she said. “Now it is dying in large parts, and hardly anyone talks about it.”

There was an urgent need for action, she stressed.

According to the ministry of agriculture, several million new trees are needed to off set the loss of a total of 110,000 hectares of forest.

Specifi cally, Kloeckner wants a “multimillion-tree pro-gramme” that, in her view, could be fi nanced from the federal government’s energy and cli-mate fund (EKF).

“The forest is the lungs of our society, a key climate protector,” she said.

The government set up the energy and climate fund to pro-mote the transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy.

According to the government, the fund has €4.5bn ($5.05bn) for 2019, which are to be spent on renewable energy, energy-saving measures, climate pro-tection, environmental projects and the promotion of electro-mobility, among other things.

The forest climate fund is part of the EKF and promotes the adaptation of German forests to deal with climate change.

Lithuanian couple defends world wife-carrying championship title

A Lithuanian couple won the World Wife-Carrying

Championship for a second time in a row in the

Finnish town of Sonkajarvi yesterday, triumphing in a

contest where men complete an obstacle course with

their wives slung over their shoulders.

Each year, the championship draws thousands of

visitors to the town of only about 4,000 inhabitants in

central Finland.

Yesterday’s competition was the 24th year it has been

held.

Having gained followers across the world, prelimi-

nary competitions were held in countries such as the

United States, Australia, Poland and Britain, organisers

said on their website.

Among the two dozen contesting couples, Vytautas

Kirkliauskas and his wife Neringa Kirkliauskiene came

out on top for a second straight year, completing a

253.5m (277 yards) obstacle course featuring a water

trap in one minute and six seconds.

The Lithuanian couple claimed the first place prize –

consisting of the wife’s weight in beer – after beating

six-time champion Taisto Miettinen of Finland and his

partner Katja Kovanen by the slimmest of margins –

0.1 seconds.

“I was looking at the watch and I thought I’m not

going to make it, but we did it,” Kirkliauskas said after

the triumph.

Wife-carrying as a sport drew inspiration from the

19th century legend of Ronkainen the Robber, who

compelled would-be members of his gang to prove

their mettle by carrying sacks of grain or live pigs

over a similar course.

The competition is also said to look back to an even

earlier practice of wife-stealing – leading many

present-day contestants to compete with someone

else’s wife.

INDIA17Gulf Times

Sunday, July 7, 2019

11 coalition MLAs quit in KarnatakaIANS Bengaluru

Karnataka was yesterday plunged into a major po-litical crisis as 11 MLAs

from the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine quit, re-ducing the 13-month-old gov-ernment to a minority in the 225-member state Assembly.

Of the 11 legislators who sub-mitted their resignations in the Assembly Speaker’s offi ce, eight are from the Congress and three from the JD-S.

The major political develop-ment came at a time when Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and his two cabinet colleagues are away in the US and are scheduled to return today.

Before the resignations, the ruling coalition had 118 MLAs, fi ve more than the required ma-jority mark of 113.

They included 78 MLAs of the Congress (excluding the Speak-er), 37 of the JD-S, one each from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and regional outfi t Karna-

taka Pragnyavantha Janata Party (KPJP) and an Independent.

The opposition Bharatiya Ja-nata Party (BJP) has 105 legisla-tors.

The MLAs went to the Assem-bly secretariat to submit their resignations to the Speaker but he was not there and therefore they handed over their letters to his personal assistant.

A H Vishwanath, who resigned as JD-S MLA, told reporters after meeting the governor that three more legislators would be resign-ing soon.

He appeared before the media along with the other legislators who resigned.

“I came to know from my per-sonal secretary that 11 legislators gave resignation letters in my offi ce. They were acknowledged with receipts. I will go through them on Tuesday as I am on leave on Monday,” Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar told reporters at his resi-dence here.

The legislators then met Gov-ernor Vajubhai Vala in Raj Bhavan and apprised him of the reasons for their resignation.

In a communique later, the Governor’s offi ce said the legis-lators had given a copy of their resignations to Vala as they could not give those to the speaker per-sonally.

Congress sources in New Delhi said the party’s state in-charge K C Venugopal, who is in Kerala presently, was rushing to Ben-galuru to meet the rebel MLAs.

The eight Congress MLAs who resigned are Pratapgauda Patil (Maski), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Shiv-ram Hebbar (Yellapur) Mahesh Kumatahalli (Athani), Ramalinga Reddy (BTM Layout), S T So-mashekar (Yeshvantpur) and S N Subba Reddy (KGF in Kolar).

The three JD-S MLAs who quit are Vishwanath (Hunsur), N Narayana Gowda (KR Pete) and Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmim).

Though Jarkiholi had sent his resignation on July 1, it was not accepted by the Speaker, as it was faxed to his offi ce, which was against the procedure.

Congress legislator Anand Singh from Vijayanagara seg-ment had also resigned on July 1.

As he personally handed over his resignation letter to the speaker, his offi ce acknowledged receiving it.

Of the Congress legislators, Reddy, a seven-time lawmaker, was a Cabinet minister in the previous Siddaramaiah-led gov-ernment.

Three more Congress legisla-tors, including Reddy’s daughter Soumya (Jayanagar), Byarti Basa-varaj (KR Puram) and Munirathna (R R Nagar) are also reportedly considering resignations.

Vishwanath resigned as JD-S state unit President last month, owning responsibility for the party’s debacle in the recent Lok Sabha elections, in which it won only one seat, retaining Hassan, about 180km northwest of Ben-galuru.

“Two more Congress legisla-tors — Munirathna and Basavaraj from Bengaluru — will resign by Monday,” Vishwanath told re-porters outside the Raj Bhavan after meeting the governor yes-terday.

“If the Speaker accepts all the (14) resignations, the ruling alli-

ance will be reduced to minority with 104 members and lose the fl oor test in the Assembly in a tri-al of strength,” BJP’s spokesman G Madhusudan told IANS.

The 10-day monsoon session of the state legislature is set to begin on July 12 to approve the state budget for this fi scal and take up pending bills besides dis-cussing various issues, including farm loan waiver, drought relief works and water crisis across the southern state.

Admitting that the year-old coalition government had failed to meet the people’s aspirations, Vishwanath alleged that there was no coordination between the ruling allies and they (legislators)

were not taken into confi dence by their leaders in the functioning of the government.

“The absence of coordination between the allies in governance is evident from the serious diff er-ences they have in power-sharing and day-to-day administration,” Vishwanath contended.

Insisting that each legislator had resigned on his own volition, Vishwanath said the fl edgling gov-ernment had failed the people who had huge expectations from it.

“Though the allies had con-tested together in the recent gen-eral elections under a pre-poll arrangement, fi elding joint can-didates in all the 28 Lok Sabha seats across the state, both had

won only one seat each, retain-ing Bangalore Rural and Hassan,” Vishwanath said.

The BJP won 25 of the 27 Lok Sabha seats it contested and ena-bled an Independent (Sumalatha) wrest Mandya from the JD-S by supporting her.

Denying BJP’s role in their res-ignations, Vishwanath said the disgruntled MLAs of the Con-gress and the JD-S were acting on their own, out of dejection from the way the coalition government has been tottering over a year.

“We have nothing to do with the BJP. There is no poaching of MLAs or horse trading. We are all seniors in politics. We can’t be traded,” added Vishwanath.

Rebel Congress MLAs Munirathna Naidu, S T Somashekar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, B C Patil and JD-S MLAs K Gopalaiah, and H Vishwanath call on Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala in Bengaluru yesterday.

Man held for fake bomb threats on Hyderabad-Chennai fl ights

The Hyderabad Police yesterday arrested a

man after he gave fake information about

bomb threats to two Hyderabad-Chennai

flights.

The accused, said to be a jilted lover,

called the airport authorities about bomb

threats to Indigo and Truejet flights at

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in

Hyderabad.

Deputy Commissioner of Police,

Shamshabad, Prakash Reddy said the call

proved a hoax after Central Industrial

Security Force (CISF) personnel and bomb

disposal teams searched the planes.

According to the police, K V Vishwa-

nathan, who was in a drunken state and

was in depression due to love issues, had

come to the airport to board Truejet flight

2T201.

He made a call about bomb threats to

the Truejet flight and also Indigo flight

6E-188.

The 24-year-old, a native of Chennai, is a

sales executive with a private company in

Hyderabad. The Rajiv Gandhi International

Airport police booked a case against him

under the Suppression of Unlawful Act

Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act.

Mumbai braces for steep parking penalties from todayIANSMumbai

Parking will get more diffi cult than driving from today after the BrihanMumbai Municipal

Corp (BMC) and Mumbai Traffi c Po-lice implement new rules for vehicles parked in no-parking zones with fi nes ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs23,000.

This would apply to all vehicles parked within 500m radius of the 26 authorised public parking lots and 20 designated bus depots in the city.

The penalty will comprise the actual fi ne for illegal parking and towing charges, which will come to a whopping Rs5,000 to Rs8,300 for two-wheelers and Rs15,000 to Rs23,250 for heavy vehicles.

BMC’s notices proclaiming the

new parking fi nes-cum-towing charges went up in diff erent areas of the city on Friday warning potential off enders, a civic offi cial told IANS, requesting anonymity.

The new penalties for medium vehi-cles shall be Rs11,000 to Rs17,600, light motor vehicles Rs10,000 to Rs15,100 and for all types of three-wheelers Rs8,000 to Rs12,200 per violation.

From the minimum amounts, the

fi nes will keep increasing progres-sively daily for late payment charges till the maximum rates. Mumbai has an estimated vehicle population of around 3mn comprising all categories.

Anticipating brawls between driv-ers and implementing offi cials, the BMC has requisitioned services of ex-service personnel and even pri-vate security guards to help the traffi c police, said the offi cial.

INDIA

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 201918

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was yesterday granted bail by a court in Patna in connection with a defamation case filed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. The Patna civil court granted the bail to Gandhi, a government lawyer said. In April, Modi had filed a defamation case against Gandhi for his statement “all thieves have Modi as their surnames”. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had filed the case in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Patna under Section 500 of the IPC alleging him of defaming and hurting the sentiments of all people with Modi as their surnames.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has demanded federal legislation to curb the increasing incidents of mob lynching, as directed by the Supreme Court. He said it had been a year since the apex court directed the Centre to draft a legislation but the federal government has done nothing. Terming those indulging in mob lynching as terrorists, Owaisi said these incidents were result of the hatred being spread against Muslims. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act on the incidents of mob lynching. Owaisi wondered what was stopping the Prime Minister from pushing the legislation when he constantly talked about winning the confidence of Muslims.

A Special Court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Ahmedabad yesterday convicted former Gujarat BJP MP Dinu Bogha Solanki in the murder of RTI activist Amit Jethva. The court also convicted six others in the case. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on July 11. Jethva was shot dead outside the Gujarat High Court on July 20, 2010, by two assailants. Jethva, had through RTI queries, exposed illegal mining in the Gir forests allegedly involving the former parliamentarian. The Gir forests are the only abode of the Asiatic Lion. Special CBI judge K M Dave convicted the seven accused, including Solanki, a former Lok Sabha member from Junagadh constituency in the Saurashtra region.

The ruling AIADMK party yesterday nominated former ministers A Mohamed John and N Chandrasekaran as its candidates for the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, while it retained A C Shanmugam as its nominee for the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency. The announcements came in two separate statements signed by party co-ordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and joint co-ordinator and Chief Minister K Palaniswami. The AIADMK said one Rajya Sabha seat has been allotted to the PMK as per the electoral agreement signed with that party earlier. The Rajya Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu will be held on July 18, while polling for the Vellore seat will take place on August 5.

Two women from Punjab’s Moga town have sought President Ram Nath Kovind’s intervention in ‘false’ cheating cases registered against them by writing a letter to him with their blood, it was learnt yesterday. Both have demanded euthanasia for the family if they do not get justice. In the letter, Nisha and Amanjot Kaur claimed that the complainants have been threatening them and they have been living in fear. They have been urging the police to investigate the matter on priority. Deputy Superintendent of Police Kuljinder Singh said an investigation was underway. He said the duo were facing allegations of kabootarbaazi — meaning using illegal means to settle someone abroad.

Rahul Gandhi gets bail in Bihar defamation case

Owaisi seeks legislation to curb mob lynching

Ex-BJP MP convicted over RTI activist’s murder

AIADMK nominates three for next round of elections

Two Punjab women write to president in blood

JUSTICE COURT ORDERIN THE DOCK POLITICS APPEAL

Jaipur named Unesco World Heritage SiteBy Archana Sharma, IANS Jaipur

The ‘Pink City’, Jaipur, was yesterday made an offi -cial entry on the list of the

Unesco World Heritage sites and leaders across the political spec-trum welcomed the signal honour to the historical city.

The Unesco shared the an-nouncement on Twitter.

“Just inscribed as @UNESCO #WorldHeritage Site: Jaipur City in Rajasthan, #India. Bravo,” the UN body posted yesterday.

The decision was taken at the 43rd session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee, which is tak-ing place in Azerbaijan from June 20 to July 10.

In 2018, then-Tourism and Culture minister Mahesh Sharma formally announced that Jaipur’s name being proposed for World Heritage City.

The Archaeological Survey of India had in 2015 submitted a pro-posal to Unesco for the status.

Since then, the city has been in the tentative list while Ahmedabad proved luckier as it bagged the tag of becoming the fi rst World Herit-age City from India.

In addition to Jaipur, the Com-mittee examined 36 nominations for inscription on Unesco’s World Heritage List during the session.

Welcoming the Unesco an-nouncement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Jaipur is a city associated with culture and valour. Elegant and energetic, Jaipur’s hospitality draws people from all over. Glad that this city has been inscribed as a World Her-itage Site by Unesco.”

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed his happiness at the development, terming it a proud

moment for the state and a develop-ment which will boost tourism.

“It is a matter of great pride that our #PinkCity, #Jaipur has been declared as a #WorldHeritage site by @UNESCO. It will add to the glory of the capital city of #Rajas-than”, he said in a tweet.

Gehlot opined that the develop-ment will boost tourism and the local economy.

“#Jaipur listed on the world map as #WorldHeritage site is not only a matter of prestige but it will give a boost to tourism. The local economy will benefi t along with improving infrastructure.”

Jaipur princess Diya Kumari termed it as a proud moment for the entire state. “I am really feel-ing proud and happy about this development as my ancestors had built this city. Maharaj Jai Singh II, the founder of the city, was one of my ancestors. He invited the best craftsmen and architects from all over the country to ensure they built the most beautiful and well-planned city of the world. They considered astronomy, planetary movement and Vastu Shastra while bringing up the city to ensure that the city gets the best location and the people are happy, prosperous and safe here.”

“In fact, Jaipur is one of the most planned and beautiful cities of the world, deserved the honour of being the World Heritage City. It will benefi t the city to retain and maintain its originality and beau-ty as once the Unesco tag a city as a heritage city, it ensures that its originality is retained. Hence now, many unwanted structures and encroachments and buildings coming up in the walled city shall have no place in this premises,” Diya Kumari, who is also a MP from the state, told IANS over phone from Delhi.

“Also, this development shall

bring in more tourism and more employment will come in thereby boosting the economy. People from all over the world shall come here to look at its amazing archi-tecture. The success of this initia-tive needs to be given to the entire team who worked on it going be-yond borders for its implementa-tion,” she added.

Thakur Randhir Vikram Singh, general secretary, Indian Her-itage Hotels Association said: “Jaipur is one among the most deserving cities in the world to get this honour. It is the most well-planned city which has the best drainage system. In fact, Jai Singh, the founder of the city, made a remarkable planning to beautify the city.

“He looked for the safest loca-tion for the people where earth-quake can never make its impact due to geographical location of plates. Hence the city deserved this honour.”

Jaipur was founded in 1727 CE under Sawai Jai Singh II.

The city was proposed to be nominated for its value of being an exemplary development in town planning and architecture that demonstrates an amalgamation and important exchange of ideas in the late medieval period, Unesco had said.

“In town planning, it shows an interchange of ancient Hin-du, Mughal and contemporary Western ideas that resulted in the form of the city. Jaipur is also an exceptional example of a late me-dieval trade town in South Asia and defined new concepts for a thriving trade and commercial hub. In addition, the city is as-sociated with living traditions in the form of crafts that have na-tional and international recogni-tion,” it added.

An historical building in Jaipur.

18 days after NRI’s suicide, his business venture gets cleared

IANS Thiruvananthapuram

Eighteen days after a Nigeria-based NRI businessman committed suicide allegedly after his Rs1.6bn state-of-the-art convention centre in Kerala’s Kannur was

stalled by the local civic body, the project has got offi cial clearance, it was announced yesterday.

Sajan Parayil, 49, hanged himself in his house on June 18, allegedly fed up with the way he was treated by the Ant-hoor Municipality chairperson P K Shymala, who, at one point, according to Sajan’s wife Beena, said that he will not get the clearance as long as she held the post.

Things, however, changed after Sajan’s suicide as the Congress-led opposition took up the issue in a big way and the Kerala High Court took cognisance of the incident, seeking all the relevant fi les been submitted to it by July 5.

The Kerala government had subsequently suspended four employees of the municipality and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured the Assembly that things will be sorted out soon. Now, Local Self Government secretary T K Jose has directed the Municipality Secretary to see that the occupancy certifi cate is issued tomorrow after ensur-ing that all the changes sought have been made.

While the government has cracked down on offi cials, the lack of action against Shyamala is being seen due to the fact that she is the wife of Vijayan’s closest aide and party Central Committee member M V Govindan. Sajan was close to another top CPI-M leader in Kannur P Jayarajan and this has been attributed by those in the know of things as the reason for Shyamala’s opposition.

The Anthoor Municipality currently does not have any opposition party representative, as all the council-lors belong to the ruling Left Democratic Front and hence Shyamala reigned supreme. To mount pressure on Vijayan to act, all legislators of the opposition Congress-led UDF last week quit the state government’s recently-formed Loka Kerala Sabha created to channelise investment and expertise of Malayali industrialists settled abroad for the state’s betterment following Sajan’s shocking suicide.

Technopark Trivandrum gets Crisil ‘A’ rating

Technopark Trivandrum — a technology park situated in

Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram city — has received a Crisil ‘A’

rating, an IT off icial said yesterday. Crisil is India’s foremost

provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions.

This is the first time that a Kerala-based Electronics

Technology Park got such a high rating. “Crisil ‘A’ rating is

truly a defining moment for Technopark. It is recognition of

the check measures adhered to over the years in achieving

this milestone which will help us go a long way in attracting

more investors and credibility in the industry,” said Techn-

opark CEO, Hrishikesh Nair.

One of India’s largest IT parks, it is also one of the world’s

greenest technopolis. Technopark Trivandrum, which is

spread over 724 acres of land, was established in 1990 on

the city outskirts. It has about 400 operational companies at

present which employ more than 56,000 IT professionals.

Ruling BJP MP’s security beats up toll plaza staff IANS Agra

Even before the controversy over its Madhya Pradesh MLA Akash Vijayvargiya could completely settle down, another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker

has hit the headlines for misbehaving with toll plaza staff in Uttar Pradesh. The scene of BJP MP from Etawah, Ram Shankar Katheria, looking on as his security staff beat up a toll plaza employee and fi re in the air, was captured on CCTV cameras and the video clip has gone viral on social media.

The toll plaza staff has lodged a complaint against the MP and his security personnel at the Etmadpur police station. Agra’s Senior Superintendent of Police Bablu Kumar said an FIR has been registered on the basis of the complaint and the CCTV footage was being studied to fi nd out the truth.

Sources said that trouble began when the toll plaza em-ployee asked for payment for all the vehicles in the MP’s convoy on the inner ring road in Agra.

Katheria, who is also chairman of the SC/ST Commis-sion, has blamed the toll plaza employees and some uni-dentifi ed criminals of attacking him and his party workers.

Katheria’s representative Sharad Chauhan alleged that some 8-10 persons had attacked the MP and party workers at the toll plaza. Sensing a threat to their lives, the security guards opened fi re. The toll plaza staff ers, however, pre-sented a contrary story, accusing the MP and his followers of violence and arrogant behaviour.

Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, who was in the city, told reporters that facts were being ascertained and an inquiry would be conducted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had slammed party lead-ers for misbehaving in reference to the Vijayvargiya inci-dent after which the BJP issued a show cause notice to the lawmaker, son of senior party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.

‘Missing’ Tejashwi attends RJD national executive meetIANS Patna

A day after he skipped RJD’s founda-tion day function here, party leader Tejashwi Yadav yesterday attended

its national executive meeting to discuss the worst-ever performance of the party in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) later yesterday announced that Yadav will be the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls.

The announcement was made dur-ing the party’s national executive meet-ing here, in the presence of senior party leaders Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav, former MP and RJD state President Ramchander Purve.

Yadav, along with senior party leaders, was attending the meeting in a posh hotel here where “they would discuss the strat-

egy for 2020 Bihar Assembly elections”. Before attending the meeting, Yadav

told the media that the Union Budget pre-sented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sith-araman in the Parliament on Friday was not in the interest of the country.

“Poor will not get any benefi t from the Budget,” he said.

The former deputy chief minister and younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad was not seen in the public for a month after the RJD-led Grand Alliance was routed in the Lok Sabha polls.

Yadav also failed to attend the ongoing monsoon session of the Bihar Assembly for fi rst four consecutive days.

His absence led to speculations in po-litical circles over his leadership and sev-eral opposition leaders demanded his resignation as RJD could not secure even a single seat in the parliamentary polls.

But RJD leaders made it clear that Yadav will continue as the Leader of Opposition.

RJD leaders Rabri Devi, Misa Bhart and Tejashwi Yadav light a lamp to inaugurate the party’s national executive meeting in Patna yesterday.

Private sector may get to operate some railway linesIANS Panaji

Some sections of the Indian Railways could be opened up for investment from the private sector which could

operate its own railway lines in return for licence fees, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said yesterday.

Goyal also said that the private sector in-vestment was necessary if the Indian Rail-ways was to raise Rs5tn over the next fi ve years for modernisation and expansion of railway facilities across the country.

Goyal, who was in Goa to launch the state BJP’s membership drive, also said that while the government had a “open mind about at-tracting investment from the private sector, the Indian Railways by itself would not be privatised.”

“There are diff erent models we can follow. We want the Indian Railways to grow. There could be some sectors where the private sector can lay their own lines, we would not have a problem. They can take a licence from us. Railways will be able to increase its rev-enue. If it can increase its revenue, it will be able to give better facilities to its passengers. Our mind is open,” Goyal said during a press conference here.

“But Railways by itself will not be priva-tised. Railways belong to the government, it will stay with the government. The big in-vestment (in the railways sector) belongs to the government and it will be in the service of the public,” he said.

Goyal’s comments come at a time when the opposition has slammed the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance govern-ment for what they see as attempts being made to privatise the Railways.

Goyal also said, that over the last 65 years, until Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gov-

ernment began in 2014, freight traffi c had shrunk 30% and the infrastructure to pas-senger and freight traffi c ratio had widened to astronomical proportions.

“We have also set an ambitious target for increasing of freight on the railways, which has now shrunk to 30%. We have seen that in 65 years, before the advent of the Modi government, investment had reduced in the Indian Railways, as a result of which infra-structure has increased by only 30% and the passenger and freight traffi c has increased by 1,500%. The estimate is obviously that passengers and freight will face discomfort and safety will be decreased due to over-load,” he said.

“Our eff orts are to bring in technology of international standards, (attract) invest-ment or a Public Private Partnership or a TOT (toll operate transfer) model, which yesterday (federal Finance Minister) Nir-mala (Sitharaman) referred to,” Goyal said.

Railway Minister Goyal

LATIN AMERICA19Gulf Times

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Salvadoran ex-gang members dream of removing telltale tatsBy Carlos Mario Marquez, AFP Santa Ana

Their skin looks all but taken over by endless in-tricate tattoos. Many of

El Salvador’s reformed gang members now desperately want a chance to laser-erase this out-ward evidence of their fearsome past.

Sector One of Apanteos Pris-on, a medium-security facility in Santa Ana, near the capital, houses 239 men, most former members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 gangs, who

say they have gone straight for good.

Aged 24 to 48, they are serving time for homicide, drug traffi ck-ing and extortion convictions.

Their terms range from six years to six decades.

Like many ex-gang members, Carlos Ruballo, formerly of MS-13, is covered in sprawling ink used as a sort of terror trade-mark.

These tats, typical of the crim-inal group, were meant to turn him into a visible symbol of the gang’s power and reign of terror.

“My dream is to get rid of all these letters I have on me. I’m

just covered on my back and ab-domen,” Ruballo told AFP.

At 41, he has served 15 of a 36-year sentence for aggravated homicide.

Ruballo said he would gladly submit to the intensely painful laser erasing process.

Others in the same boat, keen to distance themselves from their past, are left with no other option than to ink a massive “X” over the gang tats in symbolic rejection.

Born on the streets of the US city of Los Angeles in the early 1980s, MS-13 and Barrio 18 now strike fear into communities in this impoverished Central Amer-

ican nation, traffi cking drugs and extorting people, while often re-cruiting new blood by force.

Gangs in El Salvador have some 70,000 members, of whom about 17,000 are behind bars.

Ruballo’s face, neck and arms are virtually covered by the tat-toos he started having done at age 13.

But he knows that all the pain that went into getting them may pale in comparison to having them erased.

Removing a single tattoo with a laser takes several sessions.

So “it could take years” to erase all the tattoos, explained Mayde

Ramirez, a doctor who leads a government clinic where former gang members no longer in jail can get the ink removed.

Paying for tattoo removal in private clinics is costly and well out of reach for most.

“Tattoos in the gangs are about identity, and symbolic affi liation that represents part of its subcul-ture,” says social researcher Jan-nette Aguilar.

Gang members also often have ink “that tells their life story, about important people, and also about death,” given their many violent crimes, she said.

While a tear stands for a mur-

der that was committed, a cross signifi es mourning for a fallen comrade, a face with long hair is a girlfriend, and a clown repre-sents a fun moment.

In recent years, tattooing has stopped being a requirement in an attempt to evade persecution under the government’s tough anti-gang strategy, said Aguilar.

Regardless of facts and cir-cumstances, if a suspect has gang tattoos, police often think the individual may as well be guilty, Aguilar said.

Retired members also are keen to erase tattoos so as to go unno-ticed by rival gangs, and to avoid

stigmatisation in general society, such as when applying for jobs.

Nelson Maximiliano Argueta, 41, another former member of MS-13, has been imprisoned for 20 years for homicide.

He knows that one day he will be free and that he has to be ready to rejoin society. But that is going to take removing the tattoos which on the outside will expose him to danger: the other gangs’ wrath.

“I feel bad walking around with these things on me, because I am no longer part of this. But these are youthful mistakes,” Argueta says, showing the dense designs covering much of his body.

Cheered on by family, Cuban centenarians aim for 120By Katell Abiven, AFPHavana

Looking into a mirror, Delia Barrios applies blush and lipstick — she wants to look

her best for her 102nd birthday celebration, when she will be surrounded by loved ones.

Barrios is one of more than 2,000 people in impoverished Cuba who are 100 years or old — a reality that has piqued the in-terest of experts, and led some to aim for even longer lives.

“I don’t feel like I’m this old. I have a family... that loves me a lot. That helps me to feel good,” said Barrios.

She deftly manoeuvres her motorised wheelchair with her seven-year-old great-great-granddaughter Patricia on her lap.

Only two candles were placed on her birthday cake, which Bar-rios blew out to the applause of around 30 guests gathered in the courtyard of a building in Ha-vana’s Playa neighbourhood.

When she was in her 60s, Bar-

rios was diagnosed with colon cancer and told she had only a year to live.

She defi ed the odds and then left Cuba in 1993, when the island nation was in the throes of a ma-jor economic crisis, for the United States, where her son lives.

But two decades later, Bar-rios suff ered several falls and her doctor said she could no longer live alone.

Barrios — who says she “danced a lot” when she was younger — came home and moved in with her granddaughter Yumi, who is now 59.

There are currently 2,070 cen-tenarians in Cuba out of a popu-lation of 11.2mn — in a country where the average life expectancy is 79.5 years.

Those fi gures are comparable to those in many wealthier na-tions, despite the fact that Cuba’s average public salary is just $30 a month.

The socialist country, where healthcare is free and doctors are numerous, now has a “120 Club” that encourages residents to aim for that ripe old age.

“Biologically, it has been prov-en that humans can live for 120 to 125 years,” said Raul Rodriguez, a doctor and president of the “120 Club,” which was created in 2003 by Fidel Castro’s personal doctor, Eugenio Selman-Housein.

The club “tries to promote healthy lifestyles for all, because that’s the only way to get to that age,” said Rodriguez.

The elderly generally receive a pension of just $10 a month.

But the government has set up cafeterias for those unable to supplement that meagre amount with help from family members living abroad.

Centenarians are venerated and get special attention.

“We try to provide them with specifi c care,” said Alina Gonzal-ez Moro from the Center for Re-search on Longevity (CITED).

“All centenarians in Havana can call us if they have a health problem and a specialist in geri-atrics will immediately go see the patient.”

With a surprisingly smooth face and a mischievous look in her eye, Rigoberta Santovenia

turned 102 in January.“I didn’t think I’d get to this

age...and here I am,” she said, sitting comfortably on a sofa.

Santovenia walks quickly despite her cane, and was still cooking until recently but doc-tors advised her to stop.

She also stopped sewing but can still thread a needle and reads the newspaper every day without using glasses.

What’s her secret?“I’m very family-oriented — I

love my children, my grand-chil-dren, my six great-grandchil-dren. I’ve never been alone,” she said.

Santovenia lives in the Vedado neighbourhood with a grandson and her 68-year-old daughter Regla, who looks after her.

“It’s my duty because she’s given me everything,” said Regla. “Now I have to thank her by tak-ing care of her.”

And she’s convinced her mother will make it to 120.

“Her great-grandmother was a slave. Slave blood seems to be stronger — that’s why she’s kept going so long.” Delia Barroso, 102, puts on make-up for her birthday in Havana on May 18, 2019.

Rival rallies, UN rebuke mark Venezuela I-DayAFPCaracas

Venezuela’s Independence Day was marked by rival rallies on Friday, led by opposition leader

Juan Guaido and President Nicholas Maduro, who waged a war of words even as the UN warned of eroded rule of law in the country.

Guaido, who considers himself Venezuela’s legitimate acting leader, implored supporters in the streets of Caracas not to give up hope: “Don’t leave! We’re going to get there! Have no doubt, we’ll succeed.”

The crowd that gathered to hear the centre-right leader, who in January declared himself acting president in a direct challenge to Maduro’s authority, was markedly smaller than those at the beginning of the year.

The country was observing the July 5 holiday celebrating its 1811 Declaration of Independence.

Maduro, meanwhile, led a military parade down the Paseo de los Proceres, a boulevard honouring the country’s founders, and received a public display of support from the military’s top brass.

“Count on the armed forces...we are not afraid to face the enemies of the country,” General Remigio Ceballos, commander of operational strategy, assured the president.

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet meanwhile presented a damning re-port on Venezuela which pointed to attacks on political opponents and activists, including torture and thou-sands of killings by security forces in the country.

She said that attempting to exercise the most basic rights like freedom of opinion, expression, association and assembly in Venezuela “entails a risk of reprisals and repression.”

However she later welcomed the release of 22 prisoners in recent days, including journalist Braulio Jatar and Lourdes Afi uni, a judge.

The Supreme Court confi rmed the reversal of detention measures against the two, although they were yet to be released.

Afi uni, who has been detained since 2009 expressed her “immense grati-tude” to Bachelet on Twitter, saying

her release, if it was fi nalised, would “be the end of nine years and seven months of persecution and torture.”

Jatar’s sister denied he had been

freed, but said she hoped he would be released soon.

The United States, along with some fi fty other countries, including major

Latin American powers, has declared Maduro to be illegitimate and recog-nised Guido as the interim leader.

But Maduro has withstood a US-

led pressure campaign that includes sanctions on Venezuela’s crucial oil exports, and still enjoys support from Russia, China and Cuba.

Venezuelan troops march at a military parade at Los Proceres boulevard in Caracas on Friday.

US demands El Chapo forfeit $12.7bn in drug money

AFPNew York

Prosecutors on Friday said they were seeking $12.7bn from con-victed Mexican drug kingpin

Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, based on a conservative estimate of revenues from his cartel’s drug sales in the Unit-ed States.

According to a motion fi led by US Attorney Richard Donoghue, authori-ties are “entitled to forfeiture of all property that constitutes or is derived from the defendant’s narcotics-relat-ed crimes.”

Based on prices for drugs quoted by various witnesses, Guzman’s 25-year reign atop the Sinaloa cartel net-ted sales of some $11.8bn in cocaine, $846mn in marijuana and $11mn in heroin, authorities said.

The money was laundered and used to pay the cartel’s workers and suppli-ers, as well as used to purchase com-munications equipment and “planes, submarines and other vehicles.”

“The government need not prove that the defendant can pay the for-feiture money judgment; it need only prove by a preponderance of evidence that the amount it seeks is forfeitable,” prosecutors said.

Guzman’s lawyer, Jeff rey Licht-man, told US media that the demand is “largely an academic exercise as the government has never located or iden-tifi ed even a penny of this $12.7bn in proceeds supposedly generated by Mr Guzman.”

Guzman, 62, was found guilty in February following a three-month trial for traffi cking hundreds of tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and marijuana to the United States over the course of 25 years.

He was also convicted on money laundering and weapons possession charges by jurors who heard how he had beaten, shot and even buried alive those who got in his way.

A former El Chapo associate said during the trial that the drug kingpin lived a lavish lifestyle in the 1990s — the height of his power — with four jets for travelling the world, a beachfront mansion in Acapulco and a private zoo on his sprawling estate in Guadalajara.

It was not clear which assets Guz-man still possesses following his extradition to the United States in January 2017 and which have been transferred to family and friends.

PAKISTAN

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 201920

Russian President Vladmir Putin has extended an in-vitation to Prime Minis-

ter Imran Khan to visit Russia in September, sources told Geo News.

Khan has accepted the Russian president’s invitation, which was extended last month in a conver-sation between the two leaders on the sidelines of the 19th Meet-ing of the Council of the Heads of State (CHS) of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

According to sources, the Rus-sian president invited the prime minister to attend as a special guest at the Eastern Economic

Forum, which is scheduled to be held from September 4 to 6 in the Russian city of Vladivostok.

Indian Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi is also expected to at-tend the summit.

Prime Minister Khan and the Russian president held several informal discussions as they at-tended the SCO summit last month.

The two leaders engaged in conversation on several occa-sions.

Observers said that, of the world leaders present at the SCO meeting, Khan interacted with Putin the most.

The prime minister and Pu-tin were also seen sitting next to each other during lunch as they remained engaged in conversa-tion.

The two were also seen stand-ing next to each other during photo sessions.

In an interview with Russian news agency Sputnik in June fol-lowing the SCO summit, Prime Minister Khan said that his gov-ernment has been mulling the purchase of arms from Moscow, given the fact that the Cold War is long over.

Asked about military co-op-eration between Pakistan and Russia as well as joint exercises later this year, he said the defence forces of the two nations had al-ready developed co-operation and hoped to deepen their con-tacts.

“Most of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s were spent in the Cold War region, where India was close to the Soviet Union, and Pakistan

was close to the United States. We were in diff erent camps. Now things have changed,” the prime minister said.

“India is also friendly with the United States, and Pakistan is also friendly with the US. So we no longer have the Cold War situation. It is refreshing that we have developed our contacts with Russia, and they are developing all the time.”

Responding to a question about the import of Russian weapons, the prime minister said: “As I’ve said, the Cold War is over. Previously, Pakistan was tied to the US, and, as we all know, India was tied to the So-viet Union. And no longer is that situation there.

“First, we hope that our ten-sion with India decreases, so we

do not have to buy arms because we want to spend money on hu-man development,” the premier added.

“But, yes, we are looking for arms from Russia, and I know our military is already in touch with the Russian military,” Khan com-mented.

Regarding the prospects of Pak-Russia co-operation within the SCO, the prime minister said that they look forward to have exchanges, develop more con-tacts, and improve their trade.

“Russia is an energy-surplus country. Pakistan has short-ages in energy, so we hope to talk on those areas. We already are. Apart from defence, we want to also improve our trade in other areas with Russia,” Khan was quoted as saying.

Imran to visit Russia at Putin’s invitationInternewsIslamabad

Prime Minister Khan and Putin during the SCO summit in June.

Pakistan’s northwest dis-trict of Bajaur has become the fi rst tribal district

where regular courts have started functioning within its territorial limits.

“Bajaur has won the title of having the pioneer district judi-ciary. It is indeed a historic event as now the inhabitants of Bajaur would get all the constitutional rights,” stated the Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court, Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, in a message after regular courts started work in the district.

Senior lawyer Wali Khan Afridi said that the residents of other tribal districts could also get reg-ular courts in due course.

He said people would need some time to adjust to the regu-lar courts, as there was no con-

cept of such courts in the merged tribal districts.

Tribesmen from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) noted that they had struggled for separation of ju-diciary from the executive and ultimately that goal has been achieved.

Earlier, the political agent per-formed the role of both adminis-trative and judicial offi cer.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) chief justice had ordered the establishment of regular courts at the earliest within the territorial limits of the newly-merged districts in a bid to com-ply with the judicial pronounce-ment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The regular courts started functioning on March 11, 2019 in the seven tribal districts, nine months after the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Initially, these courts were es-

tablished in the adjoining settled districts due to lack of court-rooms and staff , aside from secu-rity concerns.

Bajaur took the lead as regular courts started functioning in this merged district late last month.

On February 25 the PHC post-ed 28 judicial offi cers of the dis-trict judiciary – seven district and sessions judges, 14 addition-al district and sessions judges and seven senior civil judges – to operate the regular courts in the merged districts.

PHC registrar Khawaja Wa-jeehud Din said that on self-help basis, makeshift arrangements have been made in the adjoining districts where district judici-ary of the newly merged districts started functioning.

He said the makeshift courts would be shifted when the gov-ernment is able to provide suit-able places for the courtrooms in the tribal districts.

The seven tribal agencies were merged with Khyber Pa-khtunkhwa through the Consti-tution (25th Amendment) Act 2018, which was published in the offi cial gazette on June 5, 2018.

In Peshawar, four judges post-ed to the Khyber tribal district set up their court at the Federal Judicial Complex located in Hay-atabad.

The judicial offi cers of Kurram set up courts at Thall in Hangu and those for South Waziristan worked at Tank.

The judicial offi cers of district Orakzai functioned in Hangu, those for Mohmand in Shabqa-dar in Charsadda and the ones for North Waziristan in Bannu.

In erstwhile Fata, the adminis-trative offi cers including politi-cal agents and assistant political agents were assigned judicial powers under the Fata Interim Governance Regulation 2018 (FCR).

The FCR was abolished through the Fata Interim Gov-ernance Regulation 2018 in May 2018, but the administrative of-fi cers continued to exercise judi-cial powers.

However, after the passage of the Constitution (25th Amend-ment) Act, 2018, the PHC de-clared as unconstitutional sev-eral provisions of Fata Interim Governance Regulation 2018, through which judicial powers were assigned to executive offi c-ers and council of elders.

The high court had given the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa govern-ment one month to introduce regular judicial system in tribal districts.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on January 16 this year, while upholding the PHC’s verdict, gave six months to the government for the introduc-tion of a regular judicial system in the former Fata.

Bajaur the fi rst tribal district to have regular courtsInternewsPeshawar

Karachi and Lahore are still on the top benefi t-ing from the tax amnes-

ty scheme, as around 70% of those availing themselves of the scheme belong to these two major cities.

In the last amnesty intro-duced by the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N)-led government, around 90% had availed themselves of tax am-nesty from Karachi and Lahore – with a share of 60% belong-ing to Karachi and 30% to La-hore.

In the latest asset declara-tion scheme, the share of the rest of Pakistan has jumped up from 10% to 30%, indicating that the shares of Karachi and Lahore have shrunk compared to the last amnesty, while the share of the other cities have increased.

Owners of small and medi-um-size businesses fi led dec-larations to avail themselves of the latest amnesty scheme.

Some 80% availed them-selves of amnesty on domestic assets and 20% availed on for-eign assets/income.

Initial analysis done by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) shows that a major chunk of benefi ciaries of this year’s am-nesty declared their immov-able properties.

The last amnesty in the

PML-N regime was availed by those who had declared cash assets.

However, the latest amnesty is diff erent from the previous one introduced by the PML-N regime because the scope of availing of amnesty was ex-panded to other major cities of Pakistan, including Abbotta-bad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Fais-alabad, and Rawalpindi.

The number of declarations increased to 137,000 for “whit-ening” of a total of Rs2.5tn in “black” economy assets and income.

So far, the FBR has collected Rs54.7bn while around Rs15bn is in the pipeline, as the FBR’s system has broken down and work is underway to fi nalise collection on amnesty and rev-enue collection fronts.

The FBR expects that the to-tal collection through the am-nesty to reach Rs70bn.

The revenue collection so far stands at Rs3.832tn, with an-other Rs10bn expected as the total collection is projected to reach Rs3.842tn in fi scal year 2018-19 until the fi nalisation of revenue collection, a level achieved by the FBR in corre-sponding year of 2017-18.

FBR chairman Shabbar Zaidi said fi gures on revenue col-lection and last year’s revenue would be shared next week.

He also said that there is need to revamp the IT system of the Pakistan Revenue Au-thority Limited (PRAL).

Benefi ciaries of tax amnesty mostly fromKarachi and Lahore

InternewsIslamabad

Many of the complaints received on Karachi police’s WhatsApp hel-

pline, during the fi rst six months of 2019, were ironically against police offi cers.

According to statistics re-leased by the police, of the 1,603 complaints received on the hel-pline from January 1 to June 30 this year, 696, more than 40% of the total complaints, were made

against police offi cials.As a result, action was taken

against 40 offi cials – 23 of them were meted out severe punish-ments while 17 others were given minor punishments.

On the basis of the complaints received on the WhatsApp hel-pline, 10 offi cers from Korangi police station, as well as one each from Ferozabad police sta-tion, Sahil police station, De-fence police station and traffi c police department were sus-pended on charges of extortion.

An offi cer from Rizvia police

station was demoted and sus-pended for the same crime.

Similarly, an offi cial from Darakhshan police station and another from Taimooria police station were suspended for in-appropriate behaviour.

An offi cial from Boat Basin Police Station also faced sus-pension for beating citizens.

Additionally, an offi cer posted at Nabi Bakhsh police station was sent to quarter guard and 16 offi cials from court police were transferred.

An offi cer from the offi ce of

the South Zone Senior Superin-tendent of Police was suspended for violating the police’s code of conduct and a show-cause letter was issued to an Anti-Car Lift-ing Cell offi cer found to be in-volved in organised crime.

Apart from the complaints against police offi cials, 178 com-plaints were made against pub-lic violence, 135 against illegal occupation of land, 92 against drug abuse, 85 against threats, 83 against cases of fraud, 61 pertaining to missing persons, 53 against robberies, 52 against

snatching, 45 against theft, and 22 against kidnapping.

Of the total complaints, 276 were received in January, 194 in February, 209 in March, 282 in April, 316 in May, and 326 in June.

On the basis of these com-plaints, 169 fi rst information reports (FIRs) were registered in police stations across the city.

A breakdown shows that 27 FIRs were registered in the month of January, 23 in Febru-ary, 28 in March, 34 in April, 26 in May, and 31 in June.

Investigation was initiated regarding all the complaints re-ceived on WhatsApp helpline this year, and among these, all cases pertaining to gambling, sexual abuse and extortion were concluded.

The WhatsApp helpline was initiated last year, on the orders of Karachi police chief, to ad-dress citizen’s problems.

According to the Karachi po-lice representative, citizens have thanked the police, through vid-eo messages, for addressing and resolving their issues.

Most complaints received at police helpline were against copsInternewsKarachi

All in a day’s work

A man pours chickpeas for frying at his shop in Lahore.

Climber summits Nanga Parbat for 5th timeInternewsIslamabad

Mohamed Ali Sadpara has set the record of climbing Nanga Parbat

– nicknamed “Killer Mountain” – for the fi fth time, the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) said.

Confi rming the fi rst success-ful summits of this season, the ACP said that at roughly 2pm on Friday, 11 climbers including Stefi Troguet, Sergi Mingote and veteran Pakistani mountaineer Sadpara, had reached the sum-mit of the 8,126m mountain, at the tail end of the Himalayas.

The climbers set off for the fi nal summit push at 1am on Thursday morning, climbing 1,000m through waist-deep snow.

Two months ago in May, Sad-para became the fi rst Pakistani to summit the 8,516m Lhotse and the 8,485m Makalu in Nepal.

ACP secretary Karrar Haidri congratulated Sadpara “espe-cially for the record summit for the fi fth time of Nanga Parbat”.

Sadpara was also the fi rst Pa-kistani to summit Nanga Parbat in the winter.

Haidri said the mountaineers’ tracking devices showed that they reached the main summit early on Friday.

Haidri shared a tweet by climber Stegi Troguet, which stated: “Probably the happiest girl from the top of Nanga Par-bat.”

He also said that Italian mountaineer and skier Cala Cimenti took a selfi e from the summit, which was posted on Facebook.

Opposition steering committee okays handing senate chairship to PML-NThe opposition’s Rahbar Committee (steering committee) has given approval to elect a new Senate chairman from the party with the majority, the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).According to sources, the PML-N has begun considering Raja Zafarul Haq and Musadik Malik, along with two others, for the post of Senate chairman.The party will announce the name of its candidate in two days’ time.Sources further said that the PML-N will leave the position of opposition leader after the chairmanship of Senate.The Rahbar Committee during its meeting also mulled over who would be the new opposition leader in the Senate.Meanwhile, Deputy Senate Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla will continue in his post, sources added.A day earlier, the 11-member opposition’s anti-government Rahbar Committee met in Islamabad and reached a consensus to remove Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

PHILIPPINES21Gulf Times

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Duterte’s son pulls out of race for speaker’s roleBy Ma RL TolentinoManila Times

Davao City First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Du-terte has decided not to

pursue his plan to run for speaker of the House of Representatives, saying he would support the candidate endorsed by the party headed by his sister, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

“I have personally spoken to President Rodrigo Duterte Thursday night in Davao City regarding my plan to run for speaker of the House of Repre-sentatives. We both agreed that this will not be the right time for me to be speaker and I can still help his administration from the House in a diff erent capacity,” the neophyte lawmaker said in a statement issued yesterday.

“As president of Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, I will support the bid for speakership of Con-gressman Isidro Ungab, from our sister party, Hugpong ng Pagba-bago (HnP),” he added.

Ungab represents the Third District of Davao City.

“The president has also been fully informed of Rep. Ungab’s participation in the race for the next speaker of the House of Representatives,” the younger Duterte said.

Last week, HnP announced it would endorse Ungab for the House’s top post.

It said Ungab “is the only lawmaker to hold the chair-manships of both ways and means and appropriations committees.”

“We understand if President Duterte, because of delicadeza, will not accept the intent of our brother from Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod Congressman Paolo Duterte to resolve the con-fl ict among candidates,” Hug-pong said.

It proposed that the other contenders for the post accept other positions instead.

Last week, Paolo said he might join the speakership race to unite a divided House.

The other aspirants for House speaker are Leyte First Dis-trict Rep. Martin Romualdez, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Ve-lasco and Taguig City-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.

For Buhay party-list Rep. Jose “Lito” Atienza Jr, the emergence of several contenders for the top House post was a good thing.

“The speakership race is noisy and that’s good. I look at that positively because then we can

select which of them has the better character,” Atienza said in a forum yesterday at Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City.

He warned several Cabinet offi cials to stop their alleged meddling in the selection of the House speaker. “Do not meddle with the problem of choosing a speaker. That’s none of your business,” he said.

Atienza said an inform-ant mentioned several alleged meddlers, among them Trans-portation Secretary Arthur Tu-gade, Finance Secretary Car-

los Dominguez 3rd and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

Dominguez had said the De-partment of Finance does not interfere with the Legislative Branch’s internal aff airs. The Department of Transportation had also denied Tugade’s alleged meddling.

“They were convincing the president on siding with Con-gressman Cayetano because in their term-sharing they called 15-21 formula, Cayetano would be at the post for 15 months and Velasco would have 21 months,” Atienza said.

“That is not acceptable to congressmen because we know that it is not going to be good for the institution, it will only be a continuing destruction to our concentrated effort to make quality laws for the peo-ple. And there would be dislo-cation again after 15 months. So, what would be the benefits from it except for those who would benefit from the term sharing?,” he added.

Surigao del Sur Second Dis-trict Rep. Johnny Pimentel had said Velasco and Cayetano did not enter into any term-sharing deal.

“There was no formal meeting between Lord Velasco and Con-gressman Cayetano. They did not talk. They did not sit down. There was never any deal or talk between the two of them what-soever,” he said.

Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Moreno Domagoso feeds an elephant during a visit at the Manila Zoo. The mayor promised to upgrade the zoo to make it safer for visitors.

Nature connect Interior secretary

reveals 85% of

typhoon relief

funds ‘liquidated’By Dempsey ReyesManila Times

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano yesterday clarifi ed that 85% of total funds un-

der the assistance programme for the victims of Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) have al-ready been liquidated by con-cerned local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Ano’s clarifi cation came af-ter the Commission on Audit (CoA) had called out the De-partment of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for its lax monitoring of reha-bilitation projects for those aff ected by Yolanda, a super typhoon that devastated the Visayas region in 2013.

State auditors had fl agged the DILG over P1.059bn in funds it transferred to im-plementing agencies that re-mains unliquidated.

But according to Ano, some P3.455bn, or 85% of the total P4.055bn funds under the Re-covery Assistance for Yolanda (RAY) programme, have been liquidated already.

He said the remaining 15%, or P600.67mn that remains unliquidated as of July 4, “mostly represents ongoing projects currently being im-plemented by the LGUs and are being closely monitored by the department.”

Started in 2014, the RAY programme covers the repair, rehabilitation and reconstruc-tion of government facilities struck by Typhoon Yolanda including municipal halls, public markets, civic centres, village facilities and similar

infrastructure using designs of another programme, “Build Back Better.”

The “Build Back Better” programme was initiated by the administration of then-President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

Ano cited “signifi cant ac-complishments” in imple-menting Yolanda-related projects within concerned LGUs from January to June of this year, which, he noted, was not covered by the CoA since its cutoff date for the audit re-port on the projects was Dec 31, 2018.

“We want to make it clear that while the funds were ap-propriated by Congress to the DILG, we transferred these to the implementing agen-cies, the DPWH and the LGUs, thus, the task of liquidating the funds lies on the shoulders of the implementing agen-cies,” he explained.

“Nevertheless, we are still actively and continuously monitoring and co-ordinating with the DPWH and LGUs to fast-track the liquidation of the funds entrusted to them,” Ano said.

Of the remaining P600.67mn unliquidated funds, according to the DILG secretary, P219mn is with the DPWH while P381.035mn is with the LGUs (and) “which are mostly ongoing projects under RAY Batches 2, 3 and 3A.”

He said the DPWH has al-ready completed all 25 RAY projects, while the LGUs have fi nished 4,403 projects.

A total of 370 projects are undergoing implementation, 25 on procurement process and six on preparation of doc-umentary requirements.

Paolo Duterte: withdrawing from contest

Senator hails Malasakit Centers’ role in off ering quicker healthcare accessBy Javier J IsmaelManila Times

Senator Christopher Law-rence “Bong” Go has lauded the continuing

growth of Malasakit Centers nationwide, which plays a key role in his vision of providing accessible healthcare for all Filipinos.

“My promise has always been to go around each corner around the country, and hear the needs of the Filipinos,” said Go during the opening of the 35th Malasakit Center in Siqu-ijor province in the Visayas.

“There is still a lot of needed equipment for the hospital. If there’s money in the govern-ment, then we’ll use it to uplift the lives of our brothers and sisters. I will be a working sena-tor and I am used to delivering service right there and then,” he added.

The fi rst Malasakit Center was established in 2018 through Go’s initiative as then-Special Assistant to President Rodrigo

Duterte. Based on his idea, the centre is a one-stop shop that brings under one roof all con-cerned government agencies such as the Health and Social Welfare departments, the Phil-

ippine Charity Sweepstakes Offi ce and the Philippine Insur-ance Health Corp. (PhilHealth) to make healthcare accessible to indigent patients.

On Tuesday, the neophyte

senator filed his Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which is set to institutionalise Malasa-kit Centers and complement the Universal Health Care Law.

The bill states that “there shall be a Malasakit Center in each DoH, LGU (local govern-ment unit), DND (Department of National Defence) and SUC (state universities and col-leges) hospital in country as a processing centre for all Phil-Health concerns regarding coverage, billing, health bene-fits packages, patient naviga-tion and referral to the health care provider network, and one-stop shop medical assist-ance to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses of indigent and poor patients.”

Go, in an interview after he fi led the bill with the rest of his nine priority measures in the Senate, said that if given the chance to head the com-mittee on health in the Senate, he plans to put a centre in all government and DoH-run hos-pitals.

Call for key US decision over militarisation

President Rodrigo Duterte dared

the United States to fire the “first

shot” against China in the West

Philippine Sea (South China Sea)

amid Beijing’s militarisation in

the disputed territory, Manila

Times reported.

Duterte said the US should be the

first to declare war against China

if it wants to help the Philippines

assert its rights in the disputed

waters. “Bring all your aircraft and

ships to China and fire the first

shot. We’ll be right behind you.

Let’s do this and see who’s going

down,” Duterte said.

He added that the Philippines

would honour the defence agree-

ment it signed with the US.

“They say we have the US-RP

pact. Okay. Let America declare

war. Let them assemble all their

armaments there in South China

Sea. Fire the first shot and I’ll be

glad to do the next. Let us honour

it. Do you want trouble? Okay, let’s

do it,” he said. Under the mutual

defence agreement signed in 1951,

both nations agreed to support

each other if attacked.

But Duterte said he was hoping

that China would not “overdo

things” because the US has been

“egging” the Philippines on the

issue in the disputed sea.

“That’s our problem. I hope that

China would not overdo things

also because there is always

America pushing us, egging us,”

the president said. “They’re mak-

ing me a pawn. Do you think Fili-

pinos are earthworms?” he added.

Duterte made the statement amid

criticisms over his supposed sub-

mission to China. The president

earlier said he had a verbal deal

with Chinese President Xi Jinping

allowing Chinese to fish within the

Philippines’ exclusive economic

zone.

Go: praise for growth of Malasakit Centers

Bill seeks building of multipurpose facilitiesBy Javier J IsmaelManila Times

Senate President Pro Tem-pore Ralph Recto has re-fi led a bill that calls for

the construction of a building in every town that would serve multiple purposes, including as an evacuation centre.

Recto commended the De-partment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for having built 82 evacuation centres in 52 provinces, with 55 more under-way, but urged the department to explore designs other than the limited-capacity dormitories it was building.

The design, according to Recto, should include gymna-siums that could have multiple uses during ordinary days, but could also transform into a safe refuge for hundreds when dis-aster strikes.

With “a country visited by two dozen typhoons a year, one that sits atop the volcanic

Ring of Fire, and whose cit-ies are submerged during the monsoon months,” Recto sug-gested expanding the design into a “one town, one evacua-tion centre” programme.

Recto said the government would have value-for-money in designing multi-use gyms, “Not only for sports, but for disaster as well. During evacu-ation time, it can be furnished with easy-to-install modular cubicles, to afford every family with privacy.”

The sports-cum-evacuation centre, he explained, “address-es both the shortage of sports facilities in towns and the need for a disaster-resilient building people can seek shelter in dur-ing calamities.”

Such a multipurpose civic centre could host day or night community events, but when calamity strikes, could take in evacuees, the senator ex-plained.

As women, children and eld-erly comprise the majority of

those displaced by natural and man-made calamities, like fire, Recto said the “gyms-cum-evacuation centres” should be equipped with toilet facilities and a clinic area.

He added that these cen-tres could be designed so these could house town libraries, making them youth centres where the young could study and play — “activities they can do even when they are tem-porarily displaced from their homes.”

“If there’s one reason why we should put them up is that they will prevent schools from becoming default evacuation sites during calamities, a prac-tice which turns students into displaced persons, when their (youth’s) learning is disrupted,” Recto said.

In conflict areas, the “forced vacation” of children, whose schools are used to house ref-ugees, “is coterminous with the length of fighting,” he lamented.

Labour dept open to plan for extra month’s pay

By William DepasupilManila Times

The Department of Labour and Employment (DoLE) is open to the proposed

bill providing a 14th month pay for all rank-and-fi le workers in the private sector and other measures that will benefi t the working class.

Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said that an additional month pay would be a big help to private sector workers, particularly the estimated 4mn minimum wage earners across the country.

The labour chief, however, said the proposed bill must fi rst be studied carefully and must undergo a tripartite assessment to fi nd out its viability under the country’s present economic situation.

“The proposed 14-month pay for our private workers is a huge help for their families. It’s ex-tra earnings to (help them) cope with the rising infl ation but we also have to consider a lot of fac-tors,” Bello said.

“We support anything that benefi ts our workers and their families. However, we must en-sure that the proposal will not cause imbalance between the needs of labour and the capabil-ity of employers. We must study it very well,” he added.

Bello emphasised the need to consider the capability of the employers, considering that the Philippine economy largely de-pends on the sustainability of its micro, small and medium enter-prises (MSMEs).

“We must take note that around 90% of the businesses in the country are MSMEs, so we must always consider the capa-bility of the employers to bear extra expenses. We do not want to give our workers with false expectations that might result in industrial controversy,” Bello said.

Senate Bill 10, otherwise known as “An Act Requiring Employers in the Private Sector to Pay 14th Month Pay” was re-fi led by Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd. It has been pending in the Senate since July 2016.

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 2019

COMMENT22

To Advertise [email protected]

Display 44466621 44418811

Classified 44466609 44418811

Subscription [email protected]

© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved

GULF TIMES

P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar

[email protected]

44350478 (News),

44466404 (Sport),

44466636 (Home delivery)

44350474

facebook.com/gulftimes

twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar

CHAIRMANAbdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFFaisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka

Deputy Managing EditorK T Chacko

India requires privateinvestment-led growthfor $5tn GDP by 2025

In its fi rst budget since returning to power in a landslide election, Narendra Modi’s government in India unveiled plans for a private investment-led growth strategy as part of his push for a $5tn economy by 2024.

A $5tn economy in absolute terms would mean India becoming the third largest economy in the world.

What this essentially means is that the value of all goods and services produced in India, as measured by the value of the dollar, should be about $5tn by 2024.

India is, currently, a $2.8tn economy; making it the world’s seventh largest by nominal GDP and the third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP).

To reach the $5tn mark by 2024 or 2025, the economy would require nominal growth in dollar terms of more than 8% a year. It is easier said than done.

India needs to cut real interest rates, ease labour rules, reduce capital gains tax on startup investments and encourage infant fi rms to grow at a sustained 8% rate to reach the GDP target by 2024-25.

Achieving such an aspirational growth target, economists say, calls for pulling all the economic growth levers — investment, consumption, exports, and across all the three sectors of agriculture, manufacturing and services.

India’s fi rst full-time female fi nance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India was poised to become a $3tn economy by end of 2019-20.

In her budget presentation on Friday, Sitharaman said India plans to further open up investment in sectors such as aviation and insurance, and relax local sourcing rules for single-brand retailers.

Economist Abhijit Sen told Hindustan Times newspaper: “It helps us to say we are the fastest-growing economy or the third largest economy. It is a feel-good number…that sort of a thing. If an increase in GDP translates into an increase in incomes, what ultimately matters is how it is distributed and whether people’s spending power will go up.”

India’s GDP over the last few years grew lower than the ideal rate and had even fallen. Consumption is experiencing a slowdown. This is refl ected in lower goods and services tax (GST) collections and indicators such as a decline in auto sales.

Real estate is experiencing a slump. That means construction, a sector with a signifi cant multiplier impact on economic growth, is not generating the income that spur consumption.

India could and should aspire to double-digit growth. Without sustained growth at that level it has little hope of employing the roughly 1mn young people who join its workforce every month.

And unless it takes advantage of its current, favourable demographics it is never likely to emerge as an upper-middle-income economy with a prosperous and thriving middle class, a Bloomberg dispatch showed.

More than half of India’s nearly 1.2bn people live in rural areas. Their incomes have stagnated over the last few years.

For millions of fi nancially challenged Indians, what matters most is the actual purchasing power of their income in their own currency – rupee rather than a GDP goal set in US dollars.

For the country to get back to a higher trajectory, an economic stimulus aided by private investment-led growth, lower real interest rates, and relaxed labour and investor-friendly laws is absolutely essential.

India needs to cut real interest rates, ease labour rules, reduce capital gains tax

07- 07 -2019

Issues concerning levels of inequal-ity, changes in ine-quality, and their

determinants remain at the heart of the de-

velopment agenda both in the theoretical debate and policy discussions.

Joseph E Stiglitz, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 wrote a book in 2012 entitled The Price of Inequality.

In that book, he was reminding us that neoclassical economics and the Chicago school was trying in the mid fi fties to make a paradigm shifting in economic thinking by emphasising that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’: economic growth would bring increasing wealth and higher living standards to all sections of society.

In the ensuing economic and political debate in the Eighties, the neoliberal eco-nomic restructuring policies that followed the same path and was introduced to third world countries by the Washington Consensus (IMF, Word Bank, US Treasury Department ), this ‘rising-tide hypoth-esis’ evolved into a much more specifi c idea, according to which regressive eco-nomic policies— policies that favour the business/richer classes— would end up benefi ting everyone.

Resources given to the rich would inevitably ‘trickle down’ to the rest.

What was in need, in their opinion, is to establish a remedial temporary social safety nets to minimise the social cost of the restructuring process that could be shouldered by the poor.

International Financial Institutes were telling policy makers that there is a trade-off : A country could achieve more equality, but only at the expense of overall economic performance.

Today it proved that the promised rising tide has only lifted the large yachts, and many of the smaller boats have been left dashed on the rocks.

This is partly because the extraordinary growth in top incomes has coincided with an economic slowdown.

This is especially true if we focus on appropriate measures of growth.

If we use the wrong metrics, we will strive for the wrong things.

As the international Commission on the Measurement of Economic Per-formance and Social Progress argued, there is a growing global consensus that GDP does not provide a good measure of overall economic performance.

What matters is whether growth is sustainable, and whether most citizens see their living standards rising year after year.

Today, these issues are as relevant in the Arab region as they are elsewhere.

Inequality, in various forms, is a major source of social injustice, a cause of pov-erty, and of confl ict.

In a broader perspective, there are diff erent approaches to tackle inequality,

in particular diff erentiating individual, or vertical, and group, or horizontal, inequality, and adopting a plural approach to inequality, which involves moving beyond income to include some basic capabilities such as health, education and nutrition, and also inequalities in political power and cultural status.

The “World Inequality Report 2018 has ranked the Arab region as leading the world in economic inequality. Accord-ing to their benchmark estimates, the share of total income accruing to the top 10% of income earners is about 64% in the region, which compares with 37% in Western Europe, 47% in the US, 55% in Brazil, and 62% in South Africa – the two latter countries being often characterised as the most unequal in the world.

Historically that was the case.During the period 1990-2016, the top

10% of the population in the region en-joyed, on average, 60-66% of the region’s income, while the bottom 50% accrued on average less than 10% of regional income.

Furthermore, the Arab region is charac-terised by a dual social structure.

Income inequality exists both between countries as well as within individual nations.

Inequality between countries, accord-ing to the same Report, is largely due to the geography of oil ownership, resulting in the Gulf countries accounting for 42% of the region’s income in 2016 despite having only 15% of the region’s population.

There is an extremely rich group at the top, whose income levels are broadly comparable to their counterparts in high-income countries, and a much poorer mass of the population left with little income.

This structure refl ects the absence of a broad ‘middle class’, usually the catalyst for social and economic change, as the middle 40% of the income distribution is left with far less income than the top 10%.

As for the causes of inequality in the region, it is a result of multiple factors.

On one hand, the disparate urban-rural income gap plays a large role in skewed income distribution.

Limited access to basic needs increases malnutrition and poverty rates in the rural

and remote areas in non-oil countries, thereby furthering the economic divide.

The impact of Inequality can cause a profoundly damaging eff ect on the social cohesion of any society, given its potential to undermine the confi dence of the poor and to fuel political discontent.

We all know how inequality has played a role in the Arab Spring uprisings and demonstrations, polarising these countries not just economically, but also politically.

Moreover, inequality is usually associ-ated with a low elasticity of growth to poverty reduction.

This arises when inequality of opportu-nity is embedded in society, so that the poor are denied the assets by which they might build their livelihoods, and are disadvan-taged – indeed, in some cases face outright discrimination – in markets.

Not only do the poor suff er, but so too does the economy as a whole, since the working poor are unable to contribute substantially.

In terms of possible Arab policy alter-natives and solutions, what is needed to combat inequality in the non-oil coun-tries of the region is to adopt pro-poor development strategies.

The fi rst thing to ask in the formula-tion of this kind of strategies is: why does growth in the given country not always transmit its benefi ts to the poor? The answers lie in the degree of access that the poor have to markets and the terms on which they participate in such markets.

This can be broken down into the following elements: (a) Lack of physi-cal access – some people are eff ectively unable to take advantage of opportuni-ties owing to the costs of reaching the market; (b) Market failures – particularly in the cases of fi nance, land, and labour, such failures mean that the poor cannot obtain the resources needed to invest and innovate; (c) Lack of human capital of the poor – low levels of basic education and vocational skills, and higher levels of ill-health, often leave the poor in no position to get better-paid jobs; and (d) Exclusion – discrimination on grounds of remote region, race and ethnicity, and gender can mean people are excluded from jobs and public services.

In addition, the vulnerability of the poor to a range of hazards makes it too risky for them to invest, innovate, spe-cialise and otherwise take up economic opportunities.

Indeed, shocks to the vulnerable poor are a major reason for poverty, depriving them of assets and preventing them from working.

Credit market imperfections also excludes the poor, or from a political economy in which policy distortions arise from the lobbying of the existing economic powers.

Judged by my experience, I can con-clude that promoting pro-poor develop-ment policy to combat inequality is not a matter of reading off policies from a blueprint.

Policy-makers need to fi nd the right combination and sequencing of these economic and social policies to facilitate pro-poor growth.

In the short term, with limited re-sources, trade-off s and prioritisation may be apparent.

But many of the measures are comple-mentary and a broad approach could be more eff ective than a narrow one.

How closely should strategies target poor people or focus on general condi-tions? There is no clear answer to this – the nature of the policy will largely de-termine how a targeted approach should be adopted.

As the principles outlined indicate, most of the measures for economic growth apply generally, while social protection and countering discrimination will usually be targeted to particular cases and issues.

Application of these principles de-mands that strategies are tailored to local circumstances to ensure that they are context specifi c.

A far reached stakeholder’s participa-tory approach is a must.

Giving the majority, and particularly the poor, a stronger voice in policy-making promises to lead both to better policy-making as well to demands on the state for accountability, with consequent pressure for more eff ective and effi cient public services.

That said, how the poor can gain more representation and power is a dif-fi cult question: formal democracy and decentralisation can help, but may not be suffi cient.

Recent development success stories are notable for gains to the poor resulting from the initiatives of enlightened and socially responsible elites.

Indeed, the road to better governance is long, diffi cult and so deeply embedded in local contexts and sequences that it is diffi cult to stipulate what steps should be taken on the basis of general principles.

As with the case of pro-poor economic growth and poverty reduction, it seems that in trying to improve governance there is no substitute for detailed case based and context bound political economy analysis.

That will help us to know what works and what doesn’t.

Key economic challengesfacing the Arab world

By Dr Darim al-Bassam

The “World Inequality Report 2018” has ranked the Arab region as leading the world in economic inequality.

Combating inequality and achieving social justice

COMMENT

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 2019 23

Lagarde is the right choiceBy Philippe LegrainLondon

The choice of Christine La-garde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund and a former French

fi nance minister, to succeed Mario Draghi as president of the Euro-pean Central Bank, is controversial. It should not be.

To be sure, the political horse-trading through which top European Union positions are allocated is unedifying. Lagarde was selected not in an open, merit-based appointment process, but rather as part of a backroom deal that also involved the nomination of Ursula von der Leyen, the German Defence Minister, to be the next president of the European Commission.

But despite the opacity of the appointment process, and although she was chosen in part because she is a woman, French, and from the centre-right European People’s Party, Lagarde would bring formidable qualities to the role. She has the tenacity and political skills to have succeeded fi rst as a lawyer, then as a politician, and most recently as an international technocrat. Her eight years at the IMF have given her immense global experience and stature. Above all, like Draghi, in a crisis she would be willing to do “whatever it takes” to save the euro.

Some have been quick to criticise Lagarde for decisions she made during the eurozone crisis. As French fi nance minister, she went along with the wrong-headed eurozone consensus that Greece’s debts should not be restructured in 2010, and that fi scal austerity was the cure for the fi nancial panic that almost destroyed the euro. But when I fi rst met her before the IMF annual meetings in September 2011, she privately backed both unlimited ECB intervention (unlike then-ECB

President Jean-Claude Trichet) and Greek debt relief (ditto).

She later sanctioned unusually candid appraisals of the Fund’s failings in Greece, over austerity, and during the wider eurozone crisis – and thus also of her own actions as fi nance minister. EU institutions have conspicuously failed to undertake a similar reckoning. Her willingness to admit mistakes and learn from them is rare and welcome.

Lagarde’s political background leads some to worry about the potential politicisation of the ECB, especially given that several other members of its 25-strong Governing Council are ex-politicians, too. But as her largely successful tenure at the IMF shows, she can be diplomatic in public while speaking her mind in private. And, because immense political skills are needed to run an incomplete and fl awed monetary union of 19 countries with divergent ideas and interests, her good relations with EU leaders is actually a big plus. Draghi felt able to make his “whatever it takes” promise in July 2012, thereby quelling the panic, only because he had fi rst won over German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Besides, the ECB is arguably excessively independent. Given its bullying of Ireland and southern European governments during the crisis, a greater deference to politics would not necessarily be a bad thing.

Lagarde’s lack of formal economic training should not be an issue, either. The same charge was laid against her when she took over from the disgraced Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the IMF in 2011, yet she proved the doubters wrong.

Crucially, Lagarde is both bright and knowledgeable enough about economics to evaluate competing arguments, heed good advice, and make sound decisions. During her tenure at the Fund, she has wisely listened to a glittering array of chief

economists: Olivier Blanchard, Maurice Obstfeld, and Gita Gopinath. At the ECB, she will be well-advised by its chief economist, Philip Lane.

Lagarde’s fl exibility and openness to diff erent ways of thinking stand in sharp contrast to the rigidity and closed-mindedness of dogmatic policymakers such as Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann, one of her leading rivals for the ECB job. Weidmann, a monetary economist,

wrongly opposed Draghi’s “whatever it takes” policy and its operationalisation as outright monetary transactions (OMT), as well as the ECB’s launch of quantitative easing (QE) in 2015. Lagarde, at the IMF, supported both.

To be sure, Lagarde’s lack of direct monetary-policy experience is a weakness. US Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell, another lawyer, had fi ve years’ experience on the Fed’s Board of Governors when appointed. But,

as she showed at the IMF, she quickly masters her brief and now has a deep understanding of international economic policy. And at a time when monetary policy desperately needs an overhaul, it can be helpful not to have preconceptions.

After all, the ECB’s next president faces big challenges. The ECB failed to meet its infl ation target of below but close to 2% even when the eurozone economy was booming. And now that

it is fl agging and vulnerable to China’s slowdown, US President Donald Trump’s trade wars, and a no-deal Brexit, there is little scope for further stimulus.

Offi cial interest rates are near-zero or slightly negative, and, under its current rules, the ECB has little room for further QE: its purchases of government bonds are already near its self-prescribed issue and country limits. Bolder policies, such as targeting long-term bond yields or even using so-called helicopter money, remain legally tricky and politically taboo.

In this environment, with excessively low infl ation posing the main challenge for monetary policy, fresh thinking is needed about the ECB’s targets, tools, and taboos. Lagarde may be more open to this than most.

More broadly, the eurozone’s internal architecture remains incomplete, and its external role is inadequate. Its half-baked banking union has not severed the links between banks and governments that almost destroyed the euro. Moreover, the eurozone lacks a common safe asset that would bolster the stability of the fi nancial system, boost the eff ectiveness of monetary policy, and provide an alternative to the dollar, whose privileged global status is being weaponised by Trump.

Lagarde’s nomination is a breath of fresh air for the stale, male-dominated ECB. Draghi may seem like a hard act to follow, but Lagarde has what it takes to succeed. She needs to be bold. – Project Syndicate

Philippe Legrain, a former economic adviser to the president of the European Commission, is a visiting senior fellow at the London School of Economics’ European Institute and the author of European Spring: Why Our Economies and Politics are in a Mess – and How to Put Them Right.

Freedom to choose teas and dietary supplements

Memories of a doyen

Live issues

By Barbara QuinnThe Monterey County Herald

Can some teas really help you sleep better at night? And is there a dietary supplement that can protect

you from sunburn? While we are free to buy these products, they are worth checking out. Here goes:

A close friend swears that his fi rst cup of Sleepytime tea won’t be his last. It helped him sleep better. So I took a look at the ingredients. At the top of the list is chamomile which has been used as a sleep and digestive aid in some cultures for hundreds of years. Hard data on the eff ects of chamomile for sleep are unfortunately scarce, however.

Some studies show that chamomile is a safe way to get a

good night’s sleep; other studies show no benefit. Pregnant women should avoid chamomile, advises the National Library of Medicine, since one variety, Roman Chamomile, may cause miscarriages. Chamomile is also related to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds and daisies in case you are allergic to any of these plants.

Sleepytime tea also contains spearmint, which according to its manufacturer, Celestial Seasonings, “is thought to help settle the stomach and soothe the mind.” At any rate, spearmint is a plant source of anti-infl ammatory substances and has been used as a medicinal plant for more than 200 years, say scientists.

Celestial Tea folks also say lemongrass gives Sleepytime tea, “a uniquely uplifting fl avour and aroma that many tea drinkers describe

as ‘hitting the reset button.’” Fair enough. Enjoy.

Another friend approached me this week about a product that she heard, “helps you from getting sunburned.” Interesting. It’s called astaxanthin – pronounced asta-zan-thin (I think) – which is a potent antioxidant in the carotenoid family. (Carotenoids are pigments that give carrots their orange colour.) Astaxanthin gives the orange tint to salmon and is also found in shrimp, crab, red snapper, green algae and red yeast.

Antioxidants work behind the scenes to do battle against wayward oxygen molecules that damage our cells in the process of living. How important is the work of antioxidants? They help protect every cell in our bodies from infl ammation and damage that can lead to premature ageing and a host of chronic diseases.

But can astaxanthin protect us from sunburn? A few small studies on middle-aged women found they had less saggy skin and fewer wrinkles (sun damage causes skin to sag and wrinkle) after taking doses of astaxanthin ranging between 4 to 12 milligrams for 6 to 16 weeks. And at least one study found that applying astaxanthin directly to the skin helped protect skin cells much like sunscreen.

Always good to check out dietary supplements at reliable sites like the Offi ce of Dietary Supplements www.ods.od.nih.gov Unlike drugs and medications that must meet strict requirements for safety and effi cacy (meaning they work for what you are taking them for), products marketed as dietary supplements do not have to prove they are safe or eff ective before they can be sold. That’s unfortunate. – Tribune News Service

By Dr Mohan ThomasDoha

BK Birla was the fi nest gentleman, philanthropist, educationist and industrialist I have ever met in my life. I

vividly remember my fi rst meeting with him in his Mumbai offi ce almost 17 years ago. He insisted to his President Dalmiaji that he wants to meet me in person even before considering us as a franchisee of Birla group for the upcoming school project in Qatar.

I remember, the only thing he carefully asked me was about my educational background and academic achievements. He also found out from me my family background and how I was raised. I was expecting him to talk the business terms but to my surprise he never even mentioned this to me.

At the end he hugged me and told me “in our family we have never given our name to an outsider. This is the fi rst time we are doing it. Please keep up our name”. He looked back to Dalmiaji and told him: “If they need support from us, please make sure we take care of one year’s salary of the principal .”

For education he never hesitated to off er his support in all manners possible.

As a founder of BPS, Doha he visited us three times. He always

took time to spend some great moments with me and gave me his words of wisdom and advice. During his last visit, he called me aside, held my hand and told me “I tell everyone one, out of all my 100 and odd schools, the best one is in

Doha. Thank you for keeping up Birla name”. It touched my heart and my eyes were wet.

Today we pay tribute to this personality for his contributions to India’s freedom struggle, support to Gandhiji, building the industrial

and educational foundation of India and above all a sterling example of philanthropy. It is indeed a great loss to India but for me my guide and mentor in education is lost but I shall cherish his fond memories for ever. May his soul rest in peace.

Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

BK Birla in Doha in 2004 when he graced the inauguration of the BPS Doha.

WARNINGInshore : Strong wind at places

daytime

Offshore : Strong wind with high sea

WEATHERInshore : Hot daytime with slight

dust to blowing dust at some places at times

Offshore : Slight dust to dusty at times

WINDInshore : Northwesterly-Norther-

ly 12-22/28 KT

Offshrore : Northwesterly 12-22/25 KT

Visibility : 4-8/3 KM

Offshore : 5-7/8 FT

TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Maximum Temperature : 470c

Minimum Temperature : 350c

Maximum Temperature : 430c

Minimum Temperature : 340c

Maximum Temperature : 440c

Minimum Temperature : 340c

BaghdadKuwait City ManamaMuscat Tehran

AthensBeirut BangkokBerlinCairoCape TownColomboDhakaHong KongIstanbulJakartaKarachiLondonManilaMoscowNew DelhiNew YorkParisSao PauloSeoulSingaporeSydneyTokyo

Weather

today

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Max/min

46/27

47/33

42/34

37/31

39/25

Weather

tomorrow

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Max/min

46/28

47/33

40/34

37/31

39/26

Around the region

Around the world

Max/min

36/24

30/26

32/26

21/10

38/23

16/12

30/27

31/27

30/27

31/19

33/24

33/29

21/13

33/27

20/12

34/29

29/21

26/14

14/09

33/19

31/27

18/11

21/19

Weather

today

Sunny

Sunny

S T Storms

M Cloudy

Sunny

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

T Storm

S T Storms

Sunny

M Sunny

P Cloudy

M Cloudy

S T Storms

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

M Cloudy

S T Storms

M Sunny

Rain

Max/min

37/26

29/26

32/26

18/11

38/23

16/12

30/26

31/27

30/27

32/23

33/24

33/29

22/12

33/27

21/12

34/28

27/21

25/12

18/09

32/19

30/27

16/09

26/18

Weather

tomorrow

Sunny

Sunny

S T Storms

M Cloudy

Sunny

S Showers

I T Storms

T Storm

S T Storms

Sunny

M Sunny

M Sunny

P Cloudy

S T Storms

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

P Cloudy

S T Storms

P Cloudy

Cloudy

Fisherman's forecast

Three-day forecast

Six Qatar studentsstar at FIFA eventSix young stars from

Qatar Foundation’s (QF) sport and com-

munity programmes have taken centre stage at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 at the invitation of the Wanda Group, an offi cial glo-bal partner of world football’s governing body, FIFA.

The high school students were given the opportunity to participate in the ‘FIFA fl ag bearers’ programme, which saw them join youth from around the world in carrying the FIFA fl ag on the pitch before kick-off in the competition’s two semi-fi nals, played in the French city of Lyon.

The Wanda Group has rights to FIFA’s Youth Pro-gramme at every one of the governing body’s tourna-ments, selecting children to be FIFA fl ag bearers during

the pre-match ceremonies. Ahead of the 2022 FIFA

World Cup in Qatar, the Chinese conglomerate and QF are set to continue work-ing closely together through their shared focus on youth empowerment, cultural ex-change and inspiring young people through sport, ac-cording to a press state-ment.

During their time in France, the students from Qatar – Fatima al-Naimi, Alya al-Naimi, Haya al-Nai-mi, Farah Mohamed, Nihad Rizal and Shameem Taha – also toured the city and took part in QF-hosted activities.

Alya said: “As a Qatari, I’m proud of my country be-cause it is going to be hosting a World Cup, and I’m very happy and excited to have been in France for the Wom-en’s World Cup.”

Wanda bench selfie after the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France semi-final between the Netherlands and Sweden at Stade de Lyon in Lyon, France. (Picture by Joosep Martinson - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

During the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France semi-final between England and the US at Stade de Lyon in Lyon, France. (Picture by Joosep Martinson - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

QATAR

Gulf Times Sunday, July 7, 201924