Al Arabiya loses UK licence over QNA hack

16 Pages·2017·1.7 MB·English

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GULF TIMES Qblis
sinceA 1T9ARhed in
7
FRIDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10731 8
February 16, 2018
Jumada I 30, 1439 AH

www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals
Al Arabiya
In brief loses UK
QATAR | Offi cial
Emir arrives in Munich licence over
to attend conference
His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim
bin Hamad al-Thani arrived in Munich
yesterday to participate in the 54th
session of the Munich Security QNA hack
Conference starting today. The Emir
and his accompanying delegation
were welcomed upon arrival at Munich
International Airport by Harald Braun,
head of the research institution
associated with the Munich Security
Conference, Qatar’s Ambassador QNA The surrendering of the licence by Al
to Germany Sheikh Saoud bin London Arabiya was to avoid an investigation
Abdulrahman al-Thani and members which could have resulted in the im-
of the Qatari embassy. The Emir will position of substantial fi nes and other
A
deliver a speech today at the opening l Arabiya News Channel, a Du- penalties and even in the revocation of
session of the conference which ends bai-based satellite broadcaster the licence due to previous violations.
on February 18. owned by Saudi businessmen, Al Arabiya had previously been heav-
has surrendered with immediate eff ect ily sanctioned by Ofcom in relation to a
QATAR | Aid its licence with the UK broadcasting material broadcast in 2016. On that oc-
QRCS plans $2mn regulator Ofcom, which received a com- casion, Ofcom found Al Arabiya to have
HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, HE the Minister of Transport and plaint over the channel’s involvement breached its regulatory obligations to
projects in Iraq
Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti and HEC Paris in Qatar dean and CEO Nils Plambeck with some of the graduates of in covering the crime of hacking Qatar treat subjects fairly and justly and not
The Qatar Red Crescent Society the QDGTP programme yesterday. PICTURE: Jayaram News Agency (QNA), British law fi rm to intrude upon privacy in unwarranted
(QRCS) has submitted a plan for the Carter-Ruck said. circumstances. Among other sanctions,
implementation of humanitarian QNA had hired Carter-Ruck to submit Ofcom imposed a fi ne of £120,000.
projects in Iraq worth $2mn in 2018. a complaint at Ofcom against Al Arabiya Following the surrender of its licence,
QRCS said these projects will be Qatar keeping pace with and Sky News Arabia for broadcasting Al Arabiya is no longer able to broadcast
funded through co-ordination with the fabricated and false statements attrib- in the UK or elsewhere in the EU. In ad-
stakeholders to mobilise community uted to His Highness the Emir Sheikh dition, it has placed itself outside the
support at the level of institutions Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani after QNA’s community of those responsible broad-
and individuals. In a statement issued website was hacked on May 24, 2017, a casters who, by placing themselves
yesterday, QRCS said its humanitarian digital age, says minister crime that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab within a reputable regulatory regime
support for Iraq, which was announced Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt used to jus- such as that administered by Ofcom,
during the Kuwait International tify the siege that they have been impos- ensure that they comply with codifi ed
Conference for the Reconstruction ing on Qatar since June 5, 2017. industry standards relating to bias and
of Iraq (KICRI), hosted by Kuwait, Based on the complaint, Ofcom, fairness.
would involve reconstruction eff orts which regulates the conduct and output The move also confi rms that Al Ara-
and building areas aff ected by the By Ramesh Mathew The QDGTP, being implemented by It has identifi ed three key domains of broadcasters who broadcast in the biya has been a vehicle for the propa-
destruction over the years. QRCS said Staff Reporter the Ministry of Transport and Com- – education, employment and com- UK and elsewhere within the European ganda of the four siege countries in
it has already implemented dozens of munications, aims to build highly qual- munity to continue to fulfi l its mission Union (EU), had announced that it was terms of broadcasting fake news against
humanitarian projects for the benefit ifi ed management and boost leadership of removing the barriers that restrict taking measures to handle such issues. Qatar, QNA added.
Q
of those aff ected by the events in atar, under the wise leadership capabilities of technology personnel. PwDs from participating in soci-
Iraq, ranging from shelter, healthcare, of His Highness the Emir Sheikh It is also meant to enhance the tech- ety. These three domains are assisted
water, sanitation, food and non-food Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is nological and professional capabilities through advisory services and policy
assistance. QRCS said the total value keeping up with the digital age and pro- and skills of staff who will help gov- recommendations. The Access to Em- US mulls GCC summit
of these projects over the past three gressing fast, HE the Minister of Trans- ernment agencies implement digital ployment programme works to qualify
years was more than $13mn. port and Communications Jassim Seif transformation plans and the strate- the disabled people to enter the job
Ahmed al-Sulaiti said yesterday. gic goals of Qatar Digital Government market to access real employment op-
subject to Qatar progress
QATAR | Reaction He was speaking in the presence of 2020 Strategy. portunities.
Shooting at US HE the Prime Minister and Interior Executed in partnership with HEC Al-Sulaiti announced that the Prime
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nass- Paris in Qatar, the QDGTP is one of Minister had given directives to ap-
school condemned
er bin Khalifa al-Thani to mark the several IT programmes to boost the point all 53 Access to Employment
Qatar yesterday expressed strong fi rst annual ceremony on Qatar Dig- professional capacity of government graduates at diff erent state institutions By Nick Wadhams held up over concern that the confl ict
condemnation of the shooting incident ital Government Training Programme ICT professionals with specialised and from next week. Washington/Bloomberg between Qatar and its neighbours led
at a high school in Florida, which killed (QDGTP) and the graduation of the fi rst accredited training programmes. Nils Plambeck, dean and CEO of HEC by Saudi Arabia may only be prolonged
at lest 17 people and injured many. batch of students from Mada’s (Qatar The Access to Employment is a new Paris in Qatar, said the participants can if the US lets the summit proceed with-
T
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry Assistive Technology Centre) Access to programme from Mada, in association now play a major role in the Qatar Dig- he Trump administration is out movement towards a resolution,
reiterated Qatar’s firm stance on Employment programme. with the Ministry of Administrative ital Government Strategy 2020. moving towards hosting a sum- according to the person, who spoke on
rejecting violence and criminal acts “The advancement of the country is Development, Labour & Social Aff airs. “This collaboration with the MoTC mit with a bloc of six Arab na- condition of anonymity.
regardless of motives and reasons. a shared responsibility of all citizens,” Mada works on enabling and enhancing underlines HEC Paris’ commitment, tions later this year, but fi rst wants to The White House is considering
The statement expressed Qatar’s HE al-Sulaiti said and stressed Qatar the capacities of the disabled through in partnership with Qatar Foundation, see signs of progress in ending a stand- Camp David as a possible venue and the
condolences to the families of the spares no eff orts in raising awareness information and communication tech- to help develop the region’s leaders of off between US allies in the Gulf, a per- summit subject to some positive devel-
victims and the government and about the needs of persons with disa- nologies. It works to improve the digital today and tomorrow across the govern- son familiar with the matter said. opment in the form of a keen desire
people of the United States, and wished bilities and to make use of their abilities inclusion for persons with disabilities mental and private sectors,” he added. Planning for a meeting with the Gulf among the countries blockading Qatar
speedy recovery for the wounded. and potentials. (PwDs) across Qatar. Page 2 Co-operation Council (GCC) has been to end the dispute. To Page 3
85 companies take part in Seasonal Dates Market
A
month-long Seasonal Dates HE Sheikh Ahmed al-Thani also and consumers. There are new agree-
Market was inaugurated by HE highlighted the role that the market ments to be signed soon and will be an-
the Minister of Economy and plays in promoting national date prod- nounced.
Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim ucts and diff erent kinds of date produce Hassad Food, as a government com-
bin Mohamed al-Thani yesterday. in addition to off ering local and foreign pany, strives to support local farmers
It is organised by the Ministry of companies the opportunity to directly without any confl ict or competition
Economy and Commerce in co-opera- sell their products to the public, which with the private sector.
tion with Souq Waqif. would refl ect positively on their sales The Seasonal Dates Market off ers
The largest event of its kind brings volume and support their eff orts to ex- traders, entrepreneurs and small and
together around 85 local and foreign pand production capacity. medium enterprises the opportunity to
companies specialised in the produc- “The Seasonal Dates Market presents display and promote various date pro-
tion, supply and distribution of dates an opportunity to promote trade and duce as well as dates-related food and
from Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Tunisia and investment co-operation between lo- industrial products.
Algeria among other countries. The ex- cal and foreign companies as well as to Within this framework, the Minis-
hibition will run until March 15. exchange expertise in date-related in- try had invited foreign companies to
The opening ceremony was attended dustries, thus enhancing the competi- participate in the event, and enter into
by Qatari Businessmen Association tiveness of national products in local agreements and partnerships that will
chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim and global markets,” he said. bolster bilateral trade and provide ac-
al-Thani, Qatar Chamber chairman Hassad Food’s executive vice-pres- cess to new markets.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, ident Ali bin Hilal al-Kuwari said the The Ministry also sought to em-
Hassad Food CEO Mohamed Badr al- company’s presence in the Seasonal power local investors to market their
Sada, and a number of ambassadors Dates Market stems from its keenness products in foreign markets and gain
from participating countries. to be one of the main participants. He insight into the expertise of partici-
In his opening remarks, HE the Minis- said Hassad owns the largest dates pating countries in a bid to improve
ter of Economy and Commerce thanked packaging factory in the region, which the quality of local date products and
the participants in the market, stressing has a capacity to process as much as strengthen its position in the foreign
that the event is in line with the Minis- 3,000 tonnes of dates. markets.
try’s eff orts to support Qatar in its jour- He said last year Hassad exported its The Seasonal Dates Market is open to
ney towards achieving self-suffi ciency fi rst shipment of dates to India, draw- visitors daily from 8am to 12 noon and HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani inaugurates the Seasonal Dates
across all sectors, particularly in food. ing positive reactions from importers from 3pm to 10pm. Market as Qatari Businessmen Association chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani and other dignitaries look on.
2 Gulf Times
Friday, February 16, 2018
QATAR
OFFICIAL
Labour Minister
meets British
parliamentarians
HE the Minister of Administrative
Development, Labour and Social
Aff airs Dr Issa bin Saad al-Jafali al-
Nuaimi met a visiting delegation
from the British parliament in
Doha yesterday.
The meeting discussed the topics
of common interest, and the ways
HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani attending the HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani presenting a to develop them.
graduation of the first batch of the QDGTP yesterday. certificate to a graduate.
Al-Rumaihi
Offi cial hails digital govt receives Irish
minister
HE the Minister of Municipality
and Environment Mohamed
bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi met
the Irish Minister of State at the
training programmes Department of Foreign Aff airs
and Trade Ciaran Cannon in Doha
yesterday.
During the meeting, they
discussed bilateral relations and
ways of developing them, in
addition to matters of common
interest.
T
he Qatar Digital Govern- staff have received the training joined the CTO programme. The serve the e-Government orien- meet the individual needs of its
ment Training Programme and obtained 199 internationally programme also trained 32 staff tation, and facilitating the use of members with the help of spe-
Qatar-Somalia
(QDGTP) has made re- recognised certifi cations in the in the fi rst batch of IT Talent ICTs and integrate digital serv- cialised trainers and consultants.
markable achievements in the fi eld of information technology. training programme, she added ices in Qatar for all segments of While highlighting the role of ties reviewed
fi elds of training the IT person- The overall achievements, while explaining that after the society, she singled out for praise training programmes as a prac-
nel, stated Ministry of Transport since the establishment of the success of the fi rst batch, 25 staff the role of Mada, the Qatar As- tical solution to narrow the gap
and Communications assistant QDGTP in 2016, has reached members were registered for the sistive Technology Centre, for between the educational sys- HE the Secretary General of the
undersecretary for Digital Com- over 3200 and 266 international second batch. helping enhance the capacities tem and eff ective employment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr
munity Development Aff airs certifi cates, through 178 training Al-Mansouri also presented and capabilities of persons with the Mada CEO said such pro- Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi,
Reem Mohamed al-Mansouri. courses. the training plan for the fi rst disabilities in accessing the la- grammes not only aim to fi nd met the Under Secretary of the
She was addressing the grad- Al-Mansouri said the QDGTP quarter of 2018, where 38 train- bour market. immediate solutions to address Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
uation of the fi rst batch of the has designed two specialised ing courses were introduced in Speaking later, Mada CEO the issues of employment for International Co-operation of
QDGTP yesterday under the training programmes, the exec- co-operation with the Ministry Maha al-Mansouri said many persons with disabilities, but Somalia, Ali Mohamed Ali.
patronage and presence of HE utive managers’ training (CTO) of Administrative Development, people with disabilities, who also identifi es the challenges During the meeting, the two
the Prime Minister and Inte- and the Talent Training Pro- Labour and Social Aff airs. did not have access to suitable facing them and subsequently sides discussed bilateral
rior Minister Sheikh Abdullah gramme (IT Talent). While lauding the Ministry of Reem Mohamed al-Mansouri opportunities, have joined the design programmes with the relations, means of boosting
bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. A total of 25 executive IT of- Transport and Communications speaking at the graduation Access to Employment pro- necessary partnerships to over- them, as well as matters of
The offi cial said more than 1,150 fi cers representing 20 bodies for launching programmes that programme yesterday. gramme, specially designed to come these challenges. mutual interest.
Defence Minister meets British parliamentarians Culture Minister hosts British
parliamentarians at MIA
QNA
Doha
H
E the Minister of Cul-
ture and Sports Salah bin
Ghanem bin Nasser al-
Ali met the British Parliamen-
tary delegation, headed by MP
Alistair Carmichael, at the Mu-
seum of Islamic Art yesterday.
They discussed ways to
strengthen cultural co-opera-
tion between Qatar and the UK,
and to activate the role of muse-
ums in this regard.
The meeting was attended
by offi cials of the Ministry of
Culture and Sports and repre-
sentatives of the Youth Advisory
Committee of the ministry.
The minister spoke about the
perspectives adopted by the HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser
ministry in realising its vision, al-Ali with the visiting British Parliamentary delegation headed by MP
and stressed the importance Alistair Carmichael at the Museum of Islamic Art yesterday.
of the role of young people in
building the state of Qatar and an active role in the various seum of Islamic Art.
their contribution to leader- programmes and projects of The delegation commended
ship. the ministry. the vision of the Ministry of
HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah has met with the British He said that the Ministry of The members of the British Culture and Sport and expressed
parliamentary delegation visiting Qatar. The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest during the meeting, which was also attended Culture and Sports pays great Parliamentary delegation ex- their hope for greater co-oper-
by Yousef bin Ali al-Khater, Qatar’s ambassador to the UK. attention to youth, and that pressed their admiration for the ation between Qatar and UK on
they are represented and have architectural design of the Mu- cultural and youth aff airs.
Qatar Chamber discusses tourism Qafco-Tamuq conference focuses on
co-operation with Turkish team
scientifi c solutions to global issues
many European and Gulf tour- in the recent years where the
QNA
ists visiting every year. number of Qataris annually
Doha T
Kark invited Qatari busi- visiting Turkey increased from he tenth edition of the an- Tamuq dean Dr César O Malavé
nessmen to attend the open- 600 visitors, 15 years ago, to nual Qatar Fertiliser Com- said, “It is critical for industry and
Q
atar Chamber yes- ing of the longest suspension 46,000 visitors in the past year, pany (Qafco) - Texas A&M academia to work together to solve
terday held a meeting bridge, spanning the Darda- 77 times more. University Conference was held the real-world problems that will
with a Turkish del- nelles Strait, which will be Al-Kuwari said the increase yesterday at Texas A&M University aff ect our future. For the past 10
egation representing the Fed- launched in mid-March. in the number of Qatari tourists at Qatar (Tamuq) in Education City. years, Texas A&M at Qatar and
eration of Travel and Tourism in Turkey requires specialised The Qafco-sponsored event Qafco have partnered to host the
Agencies in the Middle East the increase in the companies in both countries held under the patronage of HE annual conference to encourage
headed by Hussain Arif Kark, number of Qatari tourists to create new off ers, products the Minister of Energy and In- the exchange of knowledge, ideas
with both parties discussing in Turkey requires and destinations to enhance dustry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al- and expertise that is essential to
ways to promote co-operation specialised companies in the turnout of Qatari tourists Sada and in partnership with the fuel innovation and new think-
in the fi eld of tourism and in- both countries to create to Turkey. American Chemical Society (ACS) The conference in session yesterday. ing. We are grateful to Qafco, our
vestment. new off ers, products and He added that the tourism Qatar Candidate Chapter, hosted longtime friend and partner, for
Kark said the federation wel- destinations to enhance sector in Qatar is witnessing experts from around the world. cused on the theme “Emerg- Qafco CAO Dr Hamed al-Mar- its visionary leadership in driving
comes Qatari investments in the turnout of Qatari a continuous development, The conference highlighted the ing Frontiers in Chemistry and wani described the Qafco – Texas the success of this annual event.”
the fi eld of tourism in Turkey’s tourists to Turkey especially with the fast ap- pressing need for policymakers, Chemical Engineering.” A&M Conference 2018 as a con- Qafco has been an exclusive
Canakkale and other cities. He proaching World Cup in 2022, industry and academia to work to- The keynote speakers were Sir fl uence of ideas. “I believe such sponsor of the conference series
highlighted the promising op- Qatar Chamber Vice-Chair- which will open new pros- gether to develop new knowledge Fraser Stoddart, a 2016 Nobel conferences can help give better since 2007. Over the past dec-
portunities for investment and man Mohamed bin Ahmed bin pects in the field of tourism and create scientifi c solutions that laureate in chemistry and a fac- insights into issues wherein insti- ade, the conference has attracted
the co-operation between both Tawar al-Kuwari said the tour- as Qatar will be the centre of have direct impact on the world. ulty member at Northwestern tutional learnings of industry and a steadily increasing audience of
parties in the city, which is one ism fi eld is one the important attention. HE Dr al-Sada said, “The University (US), and Dr Robert academia can mutually benefi t. I chemists and engineers from all
of the biggest tourist spots in sectors to Qatar and Turkey. The Dardanelles Strait con- series is signifi cant because it H Grubbs, 2005 Nobel laureate hope the conference becomes the over the globe, covering a wide
Turkey. He added that the bilateral nects the Aegean Sea with the places Qatar at the genesis of an in chemistry and a faculty mem- platform for sharing ideas to fi nd range of topics and discussions
He revealed the city has a relations in the fi eld of tour- Marmara Sea, west of Turkey at expanding knowledge pipeline.” ber at the California Institute of solutions for short and long-term related to chemistry and chemi-
population of 1mn people, with ism saw an important leap a length of 61km. This year’s conference fo- Technology (CalTech, US). issues facing us.” cal engineering.
Gulf Times 3
Friday, February 16, 2018
QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD
Cruise ships return to Doha
Two mega cruise ships arrived in Doha on consecutive days – yesterday and on Wednesday – as part of the ongoing cruise season. Mega cruise ship MSC Splendida returned to Doha Port yesterday for the fourth time this season with more than
3,600 passengers and 1,310 crew members on board, Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) announced on Twitter. The vessel is scheduled to make two more calls during the season – on March 8 and March 29. Earlier, on Wednesday,
TUI Mein Schiff 5 docked at Doha Port on its seventh call during the season, Mwani Qatar said. In total, the mega cruise ship is scheduled to make eight visits to Doha, with the next – and final – one slated for March 14. The 2017-18 cruise season
began on October 26 and continues until April 24. Pictures courtesy of Mwani Qatar Twitter page
GCC summit ‘possible’
Egyptian politician held
at Camp David
From Page 1 nomic issues and the American
for Brotherhood links
Though Qatar has repeatedly president reiterated his support
asked for a dialogue to discuss for a unifi ed GCC.
the matter, the Saudi-led bloc “President Trump reiterated
has spurned the off er and re- his support for a strong, united
fused to negotiate the crisis and Gulf Co-operation Council that
fi nd an amicable solution to the is focused on countering regional
parties. threats. The president thanked
Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh is
days and also instructed him to Egypt’s government responsible Trump had off ered to host a the Emir for Qatari action to
an ex-presidential candidate;
undergo medical checkups at the for Abol Fotouh’s safety. Egypt’s meeting of GCC leaders at Camp counter terrorism and extremism
Latest opposition figure held
prison hospital after “he com- electoral commission has vowed David last year but the proposal in all forms, including being one of
ahead of March election
plained of exhaustion and sud- to conduct the vote “according was not heeded by the countries the few countries to move forward
den fatigue”. to principles of independence, that have launched a blockade of on a bilateral memorandum of
The other Strong Egypt party transparency and objectivity”. Qatar. understanding. The leaders dis-
Reuters
leaders were later released, one Abol Fotouh was detained The proposed meeting later cussed areas in which the US and
Cairo
of them said. The Interior Minis- days after an interview with this year would follow a summit Qatar can partner to bring more
try said Abol Fotouh held “secret Al Jazeera Mubasher, a Qa- last May in Riyadh, where Presi- stability to the region, counter
E
gypt’s state security pros- meetings” with leaders of the tar-based channel banned in dent Donald Trump met with Iranian infl uence, and defeat ter-
ecutor yesterday remanded international Muslim Brother- Egypt, in which he criticised GCC leaders from Saudi Arabia, rorism,” the statement added.
for questioning a former hood organisation during a visit what he called the menacing Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab The Middle East has been a
presidential candidate who was to London earlier this month to atmosphere of the election Emirates, Oman and Bahrain, key foreign policy issue for the
arrested over alleged contacts implement a plot to stir unrest campaign. He also accused and called for concerted Gulf ac- Trump administration. The
with the banned Muslim Broth- and instability in the country. Sisi of pulling the army into tion to combat terrorism. White House has backed Sau-
erhood, state news agency MENA The ministry said in a statement politics, failing to curb deadly The following month, four of di Arabia’s “anti-corruption”
said. that authorities confi scated attacks by militants and mis- the countries severed diplomatic campaign, which has ensnared
Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh items some of which contained managing the economy. and transport links with Qatar, top princes and billionaires once
and several leaders of his Strong instructions to Abol Fotouh, in- “Any attempt from any presi- accusing it of backing Islamist seen as US allies, it has provided
Egypt party were arrested on cluding on how to gather crowds dent, whether Abdel Fattah al- groups and cozying up to Iran - support for the Saudis in their
Wednesday, a day after he re- on the streets and how to create Sisi or those before or after him, claims Doha has repeatedly de- war in Yemen and it has been
turned from London where he and infl ame a crisis to undermine to push the army to be an actor nied. Saudi Arabia also closed muted in criticism of the crisis
had given interviews critical of the state. in the political process, I con- Qatar’s only land border. sparked when Lebanon’s prime
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Lawyers for Abol Fotouh were sider this a crime. We will not While Trump initially said Qa- minister briefl y resigned last
Sisi is almost guaranteed to not immediately available to accept this as Egyptians,” he told tar was supporting militants, he year while in Saudi Arabia.
win a second term in a presi- comment on the Interior Minis- Al Jazeera. He was referring to a has moderated his tone as Sec- A GCC meeting held in Kuwait
dential election slated for March try’s allegations. However earlier Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh stern warning last month from retary of State Rex Tillerson has in December was overshadowed
26-28, but the vote has been yesterday, one lawyer said pros- Sisi to anyone looking to chal- sought to mediate the standoff . In by the regional rift. It could not
panned by rights groups after a ecutors had accused him of hold- independent bid for the presi- a terrorist organisation by the lenge his rule. a call last month, Trump thanked make any headway in solving the
number of potential competitors ing a leadership post in a “terror- dency in 2012, and has distanced government. The Brotherhood “The repression in advance His Highness the Emir Sheikh Gulf crisis that has now entered
called off their campaigns, cit- ist organisation” and publishing himself from the group since maintains it seeks political of Egypt’s presidential election Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for the ninth month.
ing intimidation, and a top chal- false news both inside and out- then. change by peaceful means. is a substantial escalation in a “action to counter terrorism and The Saudi-led bloc has de-
lenger was arrested. Abol Fotouh side the country that was likely Egypt banned the Brother- The Strong Egypt party an- political environment that de- extremism in all forms.” manded that Qatar agree to a
was among several high-profi le to harm the national interest. He hood in 2013 after President nounced it was suspending nies people’s rights to political According to a readout of the 13-point list of demands that in-
Egyptians to call last month for a has not yet been charged. Mohamed Mursi was ousted activities and said the arrests participation and to freedom of call released by White House, cluded shutting down Al Jazeera
boycott of the election. Abol Fotouh, a 67-year-old by the military following mass marked “a complete closure by expression,” a statement from the two leaders discussed ways television, refraining from back-
The state prosecutor ordered physician, quit the Muslim protests against his rule. The the ruling regime of political life 14 local and international rights to strengthen US-Qatar bilateral ing militant groups and scaling
he be remanded in custody for 15 Brotherhood in 2011 to mount an group has since been declared in Egypt”. The party said it holds groups said this week. relations on security and eco- back relations with Tehran.
Temperature expected to rise
QPO announces ‘Kitajenko Conducts Shostakovich 10’
A
“noticeable rise in tem- – 92%) last night and the
perature” is expected conditions were favourable
in diff erent parts of the for misty to foggy conditions
Q
country from today until Sunday, in most places around the atar Philharmonic Or-
the Qatar Met department has country until the early hours chestra (QPO) has an-
said. today. These conditions may nounced that it is pre-
During this period, the maxi- bring down visibility to 1km senting a concert, ‘Kitajenko
mum temperature is expected to or less. Conducts Shostakovich 10’,
reach the high-20C levels along After the foggy spell, moderate at Katara – the Cultural Vil-
the eastern coast and low-30Cs daytime temperature is expected lage’s Opera House tomorrow.
elsewhere due to the prevalence in the country today along with The concert will be held from
of southeasterly winds, the some clouds. 7.30pm, QPO has said in a press
weather offi ce posted on social It will again become misty by statement. Dmitrij Kitajenko
media yesterday. late tonight, the forecast states. is the conductor of honour at
The temperature will return to Off shore, misty to foggy condi- the event with Daniel Muller-
its normal range, for this time of tions are likely in most areas and Schott on the cello.
the year, on Monday as northerly there could also be some clouds The programme will feature
winds will begin aff ecting Qatar, later. Antonín Dvorak: Concerto in
the department added. Mean- The weather offi ce advised B Minor for violoncello and
while, today’s forecast says poor people to be cautious and follow orchestra, Op 104, B 191, and
visibility is expected in most latest updates through its offi - Dmitri Shostakovich: Sympho-
places in the early hours of the cial social media accounts. The ny No 10 in E Minor, Op 93, ac-
day due to fog. A similar warning Traffi c Department, too, issued cording to the statement.
has been issued for off shore areas an advisory urging road users to Seating begins 20 minutes Dmitrij Kitajenko
as well. take precautions during fog to before performances, QPO has
The Met department said ensure their safety. said, and children aged six years spent his life constructing his zig Gewandhaus Orchestra,
light fog and high relative The minimum and maximum and above are welcome at Phil- oeuvre between obedience and Vienna Symphony Orchestra,
humidity was observed at temperatures in Doha are ex- harmonic concerts. contestation. Philharmonia Orchestra Lon-
some places (including Doha pected to be 17C and 26C today. Widely regarded as the most He was one of Russian cul- don and the Orchestre Philhar-
distinguished of Czech com- ture’s most acclaimed intel- monique de Radio France,” the
posers, Dvorak produced “at- lectuals and an internation- statement notes.His complete Daniel Muller-Schott
Oman minister in rare visit to Jerusalem tractive, vigorous, well-demar- ally recognised composer whose recording of Shostakovich’s
cated music, and his melodies music was in over 100 fi lms, but symphonies with the Cologne great cello concertos, Müller- refl ects this passion”. In collab-
An Omani minister made a rare Such a visit would usually require are spontaneous-sounding yet his success fl uctuated between Gürzenich Orchestra (2005) Schott has a special inter- oration with l’arte del mondo,
visit by an Arab off icial to a co-ordination with Israeli off icials. memorable and his music col- honours and censorship. received, among others, the est in discovering unknown Müller-Schott processed works
Jerusalem holy site yesterday An Israeli foreign ministry spokes- ourful, abundant and varied”. Kitajenko is described as Echo Klassik Prize, one of the works and extending the for cello by Haydn, CPE, JS Bach
after holding talks with Palestin- man said he was unaware of the His nine symphonies are among “one of the great conductors of most sought-after awards in cello repertoire, for example and Mozart for this recording.
ian leaders in the occupied West visit and could not immediately his most widely appreciated our time”. “Equally esteemed the classical field. with his own adaptations and Müller-Schott plays the Ex
Bank. Yusuf bin Alawi, minister in comment. Oman and Israel do works. in eastern and western Europe, In September 2015, Kita- through co-operation with Shapiro Matteo Goff riller cello,
charge of foreign aff airs, visited not have off icial diplomatic rela- A patriotic composer and he regularly conducts prestig- jenko was named conductor contemporary composers. made in Venice in 1727.
the Al-Aqsa mosque compound tions, as is the case with most of among the most decorated of ious orchestras like the Berlin of honour of QPO. In addi- The new CD released in au- Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is
in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. the Arab world. Soviet citizens, Shostakovich Philharmonic Orchestra, Leip- tion to performances of the tumn 2017 with ORFEO “fully a member of Qatar Foundation.
4 Gulf Times
Friday, February 16, 2018
AFRICA
Protesters face ‘zero tolerance’ in Chad as 17 sentenced
tral Africa, taking discontent to The regime, which is fi ghting Most were released after pensions to ten opposition par- mandate was expanded in Janu- brutal methods of the infamous
AFP
the streets is a dangerous game the violent militant group Boko spending several hours in cus- ties that called for a protest rally ary 2017 “allowing its agents to Directorate for Documenta-
N’Djamena
under the stern rule of Presi- Haram based in neighbouring tody, but police on Wednesday in N’Djamena on the grounds target and arrest human rights tion and Security under former
dent Idriss Deby, in power for 27 Nigeria but active across sev- said 17 people were sentenced to that they were “disturbing pub- defenders on the grounds of na- president Hissene Habre, who
F
ear rules over the city,” years. eral borders, argues that the four months in prison for “dis- lic order” and “inciting vio- tional security”. was ousted by Deby and sen-
said Mahamat, a resident Early in January, a public sec- risk of attack is too high to allow turbing public order, destruction lence”. “The ANS had already been tenced by a special court in
of the Chadian capital tor strike over pay and condi- marches and public gatherings. of property, holding an unau- In a report released last Sep- illegally arresting people and de- Dakar in 2016 to life in jail for
N’Djamena for more than 40 tions garnered some backing, “Terrorists, thugs, could in- thorised gathering and injuring tember, Amnesty International taining them in unoffi cial deten- crimes against humanity.
years who did not dare to reveal but once trade unions, students fi ltrate the march,” Security members of the police force”. charged that since early 2016, tion facilities, without allowing “For the past two weeks,
his real name. and the political opposition Minister Ahmat Bachir recently The prosecutor of Chad, Ma- the security forces have stepped access to families and lawyers,” we’ve seen what happened un-
“Although people are frus- urged people to demonstrate warned. hamat Saleh, warned protesters: up “eff orts to repress human Amnesty reported. der Habre,” including “arrests in
trated, they don’t want to be ar- against “bad governance”, secu- Among those who have risked “There will be zero tolerance for rights”, with a key role for the Secret detention and arbi- bedrooms”, Clement Abaifouta,
rested, kidnapped or tortured.” rity forces were deployed across public protest, several hundred troublemakers.” feared national intelligence trary arrests marked a return chairman of an organisation
In Chad, a large partly-desert the capital and few chose to pro- people have been arrested since Last week, the authorities also agency (ANS). to a dark past, said the human representing Habre’s many vic-
nation straddling north and cen- test. the end of January. handed down two-month sus- The report said the ANS’s rights NGO, referring to the tims, told AFP.
Ethiopian
PM resigns
in bid to end
political crisis
and own signifi cant land at
By Aaron Maasho/Reuters
the expense of other ethnic
Addis Ababa
groups,” wrote Ahmed Salim,
vice president at Teneo glo-
E
thiopia’s Prime Minister bal advisory fi rm in a briefi ng
Hailemariam Desalegn note.
suddenly resigned yes- Some foreign-owned fi rms
terday in what he described were attacked in the violence,
as a bid to smooth reforms, which dented investor confi -
following years of violent un- dence in East Africa’s largest Cyril Ramaphosa addresses MPs after being elected president in parliament in Cape Town yesterday.
rest that threatened the ruling and fastest growing economy
party’s hold on Africa’s second and sparked divisions in the
most populous nation. ruling coalition on how best to
New S African president
The prime minister leads end the unrest.
the nation under Ethiopia’s Hailemariam, a 52-year-
political system and Haile- old former university dean,
mariam’s decision to quit un- said he would stay on as prime
derscores the depth of division minister in a caretaker capac-
within the ruling coalition ity until the ruling Ethiopian
over how fast to pursue politi- People’s Revolutionary Dem- vows to tackle corruption
cal openness. ocratic Front (EPRDF) and the
It was not clear who would country’s parliament named a
replace Hailemariam, who new premier.
also resigned as chairman of The ruling coalition has ac-
the ruling coalition that con- cepted his resignation, state-
tains four parties represent- affi liated outlets said.
ing Ethiopia’s ethnic groups It was not immediately clear mally named Ramaphosa, the As parliament began to sit, ministerial appointments. people, they have been unable to
Agencies
and has governed the country when a new premier was to be only candidate, as new president EFF members became disruptive ‘State capture’ refers to al- meet expectations.
Cape Town
since it defeated a military re- announced. yesterday after scandal-tainted and eventually walked out. leged corruption of state insti- Many people live without
gime in 1991. The party is scheduled to Zuma resigned under intense EFF leader Julius Malema tutions and state-owned busi- electricity or sanitation. School-
“Unrest and a political crisis hold a congress next month. South Africa’s new Presi- pressure from the ruling ANC said Zuma was “headed to the nesses by private individuals ing and healthcare are often ru-
have led to the loss of lives and There is pressure for a dent Cyril Ramaphosa yes- party. dustbin of history,” but he noted seeking illegal profi ts. dimentary.
displacement of many,” Haile- member of the Oromo ethnic terday used his fi rst speech Zuma announced his resigna- Ramaphosa had been Zuma’s South African newspapers One recent survey found eight
mariam said in a televised group to get the post, said a in offi ce to vow to fi ght govern- tion late Wednesday, and aimed deputy. yesterday morning had wel- out of 10 nine-year-olds in South
speech. source close to a ruling party ment corruption, in a direct ref- barbs at the African National The EFF has repeatedly criti- comed the dawn of a new era af- Africa are functionally illiterate.
“I see my resignation as vital member and an analyst famil- erence to accusations levelled Congress (ANC) party for vow- cised the millionaire business- ter weeks of political crisis that Levels of violent crime are
in the bid to carry out reforms iar with the region. against his predecessor Jacob ing to oust him via a no-confi - man for his role in a deadly saw Zuma refusing to step aside among the highest in the world,
that would lead to sustainable Currently the foreign min- Zuma. dence vote in parliament. crackdown on striking mine despite having lost the backing with poor South Africans suff er-
peace and democracy.” ister is the most senior Oromo “Issues to do with corruption, After he was announced as workers several years ago. of his party. ing most.
Hundreds of people died in in government. issues of how we can straighten leader members of parliament DA leader Mmusi Maimane “Finally! Zuma falls,” the According to government sta-
Ethiopia’s two most populous Hailemariam’s resignation out our state-owned enterprises broke into celebration, dancing was also sceptical, telling par- headline of The Sowetan read. tistics, the total number of peo-
regions – Oromiya and Am- follows a reshuffl e in ruling and how we deal with ‘state cap- and singing “Rise Ramaphosa.” liament: “We don’t have a Jacob “Going Going Gone,” said The ple living with HIV increased
hara – in 2015 and 2016. party that began in Novem- ture’ are issues that are on our “South Africa must come fi rst Zuma problem, we have an ANC Star’s headline. from an estimated 4.72mn in
Opposition to an urban de- ber and sidelined a number radar screen,” he told lawmakers in everything we do,” Ramaphosa problem.” A cartoon in the Daily Maver- 2002 to 7.03mn by 2016, though
velopment plan for the capital of senior members, including in parliament. said in brief remarks afterwards. Many in South Africa hope ick read: “End of an error.” the rate of infection is declining.
Addis Ababa sparked pub- the widow of the former prime “Those are issues we are going “All of us should continue to that Ramaphosa, a trade-un- Ramaphosa faces many chal- Unemployment remains at an
lic demonstrations against minister. to be addressing and tomorrow improve the lives of our people.” ionist turned-businessman, can lenges. historic high of 27.7% across the
political restrictions, land Since January, the govern- we will also have an opportu- “I will work hard not to dis- turn the country around after Twenty-three years after the general population, and as high
grabbing and human rights ment has speeded up reforms, nity to outline some of the steps appoint the people of South Af- endless corruption scandals that end of the racist, repressive apart- as 68% among young people.
abuses. releasing more than 6,000 of we are going to be taking,” said rica,” he added. have diminished the popularity heid regime, South Africa remains Economic growth has been
“Much of the public anger political prisoners. Ramaphosa, who got a standing The two main opposition of Nelson Mandela’s ANC. a country with enormous re- limited in recent years, averaging
stems from the fact that the Most of the released prison- ovation at the end of the speech. parties, the Economic Freedom Among other things, Zuma is sources and great wealth but also little more than half the rate of
Tigryan ethnic group, repre- ers, which included high level Ramaphosa, a wealthy former Fighters (EFF) and the Demo- accused of allowing a wealthy vast inequality and poverty. population growth of 1.2%.
senting 6% of the population, opposition fi gures and jour- businessman, will deliver his cratic Alliance (DA), both re- Indian business family, the Though successive ANC gov- Zuma’s departure has sent the
control key business interests, nalists, were detained for al- fi rst State of the Nation address fused to vote for Ramaphosa, Guptas, to “capture the state” ernments have made huge ef- rand surging and will spur a rush
hold senior level positions in leged involvement in the mass today. however, despite supporting through lucrative business deals forts to build homes and sup- of much-needed foreign invest-
government and the military, protests. South African lawmakers for- Zuma’s early departure. and possibly even by infl uencing ply basic services to millions of ment.
Kenyan court revokes Mnangagwa leads
tributes to Tsvangirai
deportation of lawyer
gabe in November after he was
Reuters
forced to stand down by the
Harare
military, said in a statement.
ing was “not in the best interest Last week, Raphael Tuju, the In political terms, the ruling
Reuters Z
of the country”, adding it would secretary general of Kenyatta’s imbabwe’s President ZANU-PF party and Mnan-
Nairobi
appeal shortly. Jubilee party, wrote a letter to the Emmerson Mnangagwa gagwa, who paid a personal
“The government still holds Chief Justice David Maraga, ac- led tributes to late op- visit to Tsvangirai in January,
A
Kenyan court yesterday its earlier stated view that the cusing the judiciary of favouring position leader Morgan Ts- stand to gain from the oppo-
revoked the deportation deportation of Mr Miguna Mi- the opposition whenever dis- vangirai yesterday, describing sition leader’s death, due to
of a lawyer who “swore guna was procedural and done putes are brought before it. the long-time rival of recently fi ghting within the MDC over
in” opposition leader Raila Od- in accordance with the law,” Ka- He cited eight recent in- ousted president Robert Mu- who should succeed its found-
inga as the country’s “president”, ranja Kibicho, the principal sec- stances, which he called “evi- gabe as a dedicated defender ing father.
a ruling likely to worsen relations retary in the ministry of interior dence of bias, double standards, of democracy. The MDC’s National Coun-
between the judiciary and Presi- said in a statement. impunity and poor leadership Arguably Zimbabwe’s most cil announced the party’s vice
dent Uhuru Kenyatta’s govern- Miguna’s expulsion came after on the part of the judiciary”, in- popular politician, Tsvangirai president, Nelson Chamisa,
ment. he was charged with treason over cluding Odinga’s boycott of the died on Wednesday evening was taking the role of acting
Miguna Miguna, who holds the “swearing-in” ceremony. repeat vote, which Maraga did aged 65 after a long battle with president following Tsvangi-
dual Kenyan and Canadian citi- The High Court in Nairobi not condemn. cancer. rai’s death.
zenship, is currently in Canada had issued several orders that he Last week, Maraga sharply His death in a South Afri- The MDC described Tsvan-
after being put on a fl ight to To- be allowed to appear before it, criticised the government for can hospital cast his Move- girai as a hero who had “left
ronto by the Kenyan government which the government ignored. failing to comply with court or- ment for Democratic Change his footprints on the sands of
last week following several days The case exposed a deepening ders in relation to the Miguna (MDC) party into unknown history”, in large part through
in police detention. rift between Kenyatta’s govern- case and others. territory less than six months his tussles – both literal and
A High Court judge declared ment and the judiciary, which had The offi ce of the chief justice before elections, the fi rst in fi gurative – with Mugabe.
Miguna’s deportation order ille- nullifi ed his initial re-election and declined to comment on the let- Zimbabwe that will not feature Tsvangirai suff ered repeated
gal and ordered the government ordered a repeat election, which ter. 93-year-old Mugabe. abuse and harassment from
to surrender his Kenyan pass- Odinga then boycotted. But Miguna welcomed the “He remained a national Zimbabwe’s security and in-
port, which was seized when he Odinga justifi ed his “swearing court ruling, tweeting: “(We) are fi gure who obdurately insisted telligence services, including
was deported. in” by saying he had won the ini- fully committed to the rule of on free, fair, credible and non- a 2007 beating in police cus-
The judge gave the govern- tial August 8 election which was law. We shall use the constitu- Kenyan lawyers hold placards with yellow ribbons during a violent elections as a way of tody that left him with a badly
ment seven days to comply. then invalidated by the Supreme tion as the spear and the shield demonstration against impunity and disobedience of court orders strengthening our democracy,” swollen face and a deep gash in
The government said the rul- Court. in the fi ght.” by the government, in Nairobi, yesterday. Mnangagwa, who replaced Mu- his head.
Gulf Times 5
Friday, February 16, 2018
AMERICAS
Court says Trump travel ban unlawfully discriminates against Muslims
ond federal appeals court to rule 9th US Circuit Court of Ap- and other executive branch of- ised “a total and complete shut- “a novel legal rule that provides Yesterday’s ruling upheld a
Reuters
against the ban, fi nding that peals, which found the ban vio- fi cials, along with the proclama- down of Muslims entering the for the use of campaign-trail Maryland-based district court
Washington
the Republican president’s own lated federal immigration law but tion itself, we conclude that the United States.” statements to recast later offi cial judge’s decision in a case brought
words demonstrated that bias did not address the question of proclamation is unconstitution- The court also took note of the acts of the president.” by the American Civil Liberties
P
resident Donald Trump’s against Muslims was the basis of whether it also violated the Con- ally tainted with animus toward fact that Trump in November Trump’s policy, the third ver- Union, which represents several
travel ban targeting people the policy. stitution. Islam,” 4th Circuit Chief Judge shared on Twitter anti-Muslim sion of the ban that he has issued advocacy groups including the
from six Muslim-majority The US Supreme Court has The Supreme Court already Roger Gregory wrote in the rul- videos posted by a far-right Brit- since taking offi ce in January International Refugee Assistance
countries violates the US Consti- allowed the ban, put in place by has said it will consider both is- ing. ish political fi gure. 2017, blocks entry into the United Project.
tution by discriminating on the Trump with a presidential proc- sues in deciding the legality of The travel ban challengers “of- In the main dissenting opin- States of most people from Chad, “President Trump’s third il-
basis of religion, a federal appeals lamation in September, to go into the ban in the coming months. fer undisputed evidence of such ion, Judge Paul Niemeyer said the Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and legal attempt to denigrate and
court ruled yesterday in another eff ect while litigation challeng- The justices are due in April to bias: the words of the President,” courts should be deferential to Yemen. discriminate against Muslims
legal setback for the policy. ing it continues. hear arguments over the ban and Gregory wrote, noting Trump’s the president on matters of na- Trump has said the policy is through an immigration ban has
The Richmond-based 4th The 4th Circuit ruling went issue a ruling by the end of June. “disparaging comments and tional security. needed to protect the United failed in court yet again. It’s no
US Circuit Court of Appeals, further than the earlier deci- “Examining offi cial state- tweets regarding Muslims.” Niemeyer criticized the major- States from terrorism by mili- surprise,” ACLU lawyer Cecillia
on a 9-4 vote, became the sec- sion by the San Francisco-based ments from President Trump As a candidate, Trump prom- ity, saying his colleagues applied tants. Wang said.
White House rejects
bipartisan Senate
immigration plan
Department of Homeland Security win support from enough Democrats said the White House veto threat
Reuters
to focus enforcement eff orts on un- in the closely divided chamber. would “scuttle” some Republican
Washington
documented immigrants who have A narrower third bill focusing just support for the bipartisan bill.
been convicted of crimes, are a threat on Dreamers and border security, by The prospect of all bills failing
The White House yesterday to national security or arrived in the Republican John McCain and Demo- could even discourage some Repub-
stuck to its hard-line immi- United States after June 30, 2018. crat Chris Coons, has been dismissed licans from voting for the Trump-
gration approach and said ad- The Senate is debating at least four by Trump. backed plan, the aide said.
visers would recommend that Presi- immigration measures as lawmakers A fourth measure, which is not ex- Trump is anxious to start on the
dent Donald Trump veto a bipartisan race to resolve the status of Dream- pected to pass, focuses on punishing border wall, which he made a central
US Senate proposal to protect young ers, who were protected under an “sanctuary cities” that do not coop- part of his 2016 election campaign
“Dreamer” immigrants and tighten Obama-era programme. erate with federal immigration en- and which Democrats have long op-
border security. Trump has ordered that pro- forcement eff orts. posed.
The plan, which would protect gramme to end by March 5, telling Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc- Senate Democratic Leader Chuck
from deportation 1.8mn young adults Congress it should come up with an Connell said votes on the four meas- Schumer said the wall would be “an
who were brought to the United alternative plan by then. ures would be held possibly by today, enormous waste of money,” but both
States illegally as children, would The Department of Homeland ahead of a self-imposed Senate dead- parties had to bend.
weaken border security and undercut Security also opposed the biparti- line of the end of the week. “We have to rise above our diff er- The flag above the White House flies at half staff yesterday after an order by President
existing immigration law, spokes- san plan led by Republican Senator The bipartisan Collins bill got a ences, admit that no one will get eve- Donald Trump following the Florida school shooting.
woman Sarah Sanders said in a state- Susan Collins, saying it would pre- slight boost yesterday when an infl u- rything they want and accept painful
ment. vent DHS offi cers from being able to ential group that advocates for im- compromises,” Schumer said.
“Preventing enforcement with remove millions of undocumented migrants, America’s Voice, gave its In September, Trump rescinded Trump avoids
respect to people who entered our immigrants from the country, and reluctant support to the measure. the Deferred Action for Childhood
country illegally before a date that is “is an egregious violation of the The group opposes provisions al- Arrivals (DACA) programme to pro-
in the future would produce a fl ood of four compromise pillars laid out by lowing the construction of a border tect Dreamers from deportation and
new illegal immigration in the com- the President’s immigration reform wall and moves to limit legal immi- off er them work permits.
ing months,” she said. framework.” gration, but said in a statement: “We Although the protections are due talk of gun curbs
The proposal, which had been Trump has said any immigration believe the chance to provide a per- to start expiring on March 5, federal
considered perhaps the most likely to bill must include funds to build the manent solution for Dreamers calls judges have blocked that from taking
succeed in the Senate, also includes border wall, end the visa lottery pro- us to swallow these bitter pills.” eff ect amid ongoing litigation.
a $25bn fund to strengthen border gramme, impose curbs on visas for Despite backing from several Re- Even if one of the Senate measures
security and possibly even build seg- the families of legal immigrants and publicans for the Collins-led plan, passes, it must still win over the US after Florida
ments of Trump’s long-promised protect Dreamers. it was unclear whether it would House of Representatives, where Re-
border wall with Mexico. The Republican president has muster the 60 votes needed in the publicans hold a larger majority and
White House opposition to the backed a measure by Republican 100-member Senate, controlled 51- are pushing a more conservative pro-
bipartisan plan appeared to focus Senator Chuck Grassley that em- 49 by Republicans. posal that is more closely in line with
on a provision that would direct the braces his wish list but is unlikely to A senior Senate Republican aide Trump’s framework. school shooting
Oprah Winfrey confirms no
plans to run for president Massachusetts top court rejects
Talk show icon Oprah Winfrey has again AFP well-loved football coach in Parkland, a
confirmed she has no intention of run- police traffi c stop challenge Washington city of about 30,000 people located north
ning for US president, despite revealing of Miami.
that would-be donors off ered to raise Of the people wounded in the attack,
P
$1bn for her to take on Donald Trump in resident Donald Trump yesterday two remained hospitalised in critical but
2020. vowed to make mental health a stable condition, while six others were on
The 64-year-old billionaire prompted a Reuters pretextual traffi c stops had raised Rahsaan Hall, director of the priority after a “disturbed” teen- the way to a full recovery, offi cials told a
blaze of speculation last month that she Boston “considerable, legitimate con- American Civil Liberties Union ager with a fi rearms obsession sowed news conference.
might be nurturing political ambitions cerns” about the role racial profi l- of Massachusetts’ Racial Justice carnage at a Florida high school, while Expelled for disciplinary reasons, Cruz
after a rousing speech at the Golden ing plays in police stopping vehi- Program, called the ruling “a set- avoiding any mention of gun curbs to was reportedly known to have fi rearms at
M
Globes, heralding a “new day” in the wake assachusetts’ top court cles. back for racial justice, for the po- stem America’s scourge of mass shoot- home and had talked about using them.
of the sexual harassment watershed. ruled on Wednesday Justice Kimberly Budd, in a lice accountability movement and ings. A teacher at the school said Cruz had
Hollywood’s loathing of Trump and that police can carry concurring opinion, said while for the physical safety of people of Former student named Nikolas Cruz, been identifi ed previously as a potential
Democrats’ baff lement that a crass- out traffi c stops for motor vehicle Buckley, who is black, had not colour in Massachusetts.” 19, was to appear before a magistrate threat to his classmates.
talking reality star with no previous violations as a pretext to probe for himself argued he was stopped Plymouth County District At- charged with the premeditated murder of “We were told last year that he wasn’t
government experience could win the other crimes, but the justices ex- for “driving while black,” con- torney Timothy Cruz said he was 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas allowed on campus with a backpack on
presidency have fuelled talk of, well, why pressed concerns about how racial cerns about bias were “well “committed to promoting fair High School in Parkland. him,” math teacher Jim Gard said in a Mi-
not another television star, only one with bias could infl uence such stops. founded.” procedures to guide the police in Announcing plans to travel to Florida ami Herald interview.
the “right” politics? The Massachusetts Supreme “Further, recent tragic events their interactions with the pub- to meet members of the shocked commu- Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel
“I am actually humbled by the fact Judicial Court rejected arguments have shown that the fear people lic.” nity, Trump delivered a somber televised said authorities had “begun to dissect his
that people think that I could be a leader by a lawyer for a man convicted of colour have of being stopped by According to the ruling, Buck- address in response to the 18th school websites and things on social media that
of the free world, but it’s just not in my of cocaine possession that “pre- police is justifi ed: African-Amer- ley was a passenger in a car that shooting to hit the country this year — a he was on and some of the things...are
spirit,” Winfrey told CBS. “It’s not my textual” traffi c stops violate de- icans have been killed during rou- parked in 2013 near a Whitman, terrifying pattern that US authorities very, very disturbing.”
DNA.” fendants’ rights under the state’s tine traffi c stops,” Budd wrote. Massachusetts, apartment where have appeared powerless to stop. “If a person is predisposed to commit
She said her only goal had been to constitution to be protected from The court left open the possi- police suspected drug activity was “My fellow Americans, today I speak to such a horrifi c event by going to a school
deliver a good speech and that she had unreasonable seizures. bility of considering the issue in occurring. a nation in grief,” said Trump, calling on and shooting people...there’s not any-
been “stunned” by the reaction. Justice Elspeth Cypher said the future. After police witnessed two peo- his fellow citizens to “come together as body or not a lot law enforcement can do
“I had a lot of wealthy men calling, tell- “the fact that a traffi c law has been Budd encouraged Massachu- ple from the car go into the build- one nation” and “answer hate with love, about it.”
ing me that they would run my campaign violated is, generally speaking, a setts’ legislature to require data ing and then drive off without its answer cruelty with kindness.” The school shootings are part of a
and raise $1bn for me,” Winfrey told the legally suffi cient basis to justify collection on traffi c stops. headlights on, police stopped the But the president avoided all mention broader epidemic of gun violence in a
television network. stopping a vehicle, irrespective The law fi rm that represented vehicle for speeding. of the politically fraught issue of gun country that loses 33,000 people to gun-
“I think that when you have that many of any additional suspicions held Buckley, Wood & Nathanson LLP, Police found a fi rearm and co- control, vowing instead to “tackle the dif- related deaths each year.
people whose opinions you value coming by the offi cer(s) conducting the expressed disappointment, say- caine in the car. fi cult issue of mental health.” While the latest mass shooting has
at you, it’s worthy of thinking about.” stop.” ing the decision gave “short shrift Buckley was convicted in 2015 Trump had weighed in on the tragedy reignited questions about America’s per-
But if she had not heard a higher call to But Cypher, writing for a 7-0 to the real world diffi culties faced of a cocaine possession charge. earlier yesterday by pointing to “so many missive gun laws, Trump — who is the
run for president, neither does she intend court, said Rogelio Buckley’s at- by people who are subjected to He originally also faced fi rearm signs” the shooter was “mentally dis- fi rst president to have addressed the NRA
to sit on the sidelines. torney in arguing for banning pretextual stops.” charges. turbed.” gun lobby — is staunchly opposed to any
“I do feel that I have a responsibility, “Neighbours and classmates knew he additional gun control.
as a person who has a big voice in this was a big problem. Must always report Opponents of gun curbs have consist-
country, to use it to promote justice and Canada taxman signs Panama Papers search warrants such instances to authorities, again and ently sought to steer public debate away
kindness and goodwill in the world. But again!” he tweeted. from the issue, and onto the behaviour
it never has felt to me that that was sup- Canadian tax authorities bank accounts used allegedly to recover C$2.6 bn (US$2.1bn) from But US authorities were themselves and motives of people using the weapons.
posed to be political.” raided locations in Cal- evade taxes,” it said in a state- tax evaders. The CRA said it is under scrutiny as the FBI confi rmed re- When questioned late on Wednesday,
In an interview with InStyle maga- gary, Toronto and Van- ment. pursuing other criminal investi- ports it was alerted last year to a message Florida Governor Rick Scott — who de-
zine’s March issue, conducted before the couver on Wednesday as part of a In 2016, the so-called Pan- gations related to the Panama Pa- posted on YouTube by a user with Cruz’s scribed the massacre as “just pure evil”
Globes, Winfrey also said she lacked the criminal investigation prompted ama Papers revelations di- pers leak. name, in which he vowed: “I’m going to — similarly declined to make a statement
disposition for a presidential run in 2020. by the Panama Papers leak. vulged how many of the world’s In total, the agency has 42 in- be a professional school shooter.” on gun control.
A January NPR, PBS NewsHour and The Canada Revenue Agency wealthy — including politi- ternational tax evasion probes In a statement, the FBI said it had in- Since January 2013, there have been
Marist poll found that while 64% of Ameri- said 30 of its investigators, as- cians, celebrities and some open, which it said involve “com- vestigated, but was unable to confi rm the at least 291 school shootings across the
cans have a favourable view of Winfrey, sisted by federal police, took part criminals — stashed assets in plex structures and potentially identity of the poster. country — an average of about one a
only 35% wanted her to run in 2020. in the operation, executing search offshore companies. multimillion dollars in taxes Wednesday’s harrowing shooting spree week, according to Everytown for Gun
Trump’s former White House strategist warrants to look for evidence of The massive amount of data, evaded.” saw terrifi ed students hiding in closets Safety, a non-profi t group that advocates
Steve Bannon is quoted in a book by income tax and excise tax of- which came from Panamanian Persons convicted of tax eva- and under desks as they texted for help, for gun control.
journalist Joshua Green of calling Oprah fences. legal firm Mossack Fonseca, in- sion can face fines of up to 200% while the gunman stalked the school with “It is pretty clear that we’re failing
an “existential threat” to the Trump presi- “The CRA’s investigation iden- cluded information on 350 Ca- of the evaded taxes and up to five a semi-automatic AR-15 rifl e. our kids here,” said Melissa Falkowski, a
dency should she decide to campaign for tifi ed a series of transactions in- nadians. years imprisonment. The pen- Fifteen people were killed at the school teacher who squeezed 19 students into
the Democrats in 2018. volving foreign corporations and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s alty for tax fraud is up to 14 years itself, and two later died in hospital. a closet at the Parkland high school to
several transfers through off shore government has said it hopes to in jail. One of those killed was Aaron Feis, a shield them from harm.
6 Gulf Times
Friday, February 16, 2018
ASIA/AUSTRALASIA
Thailand to scan eyes of workers in seafood industry
The lucrative fi shing business to a European Union threat in Labour Minister Adul Sangs- tures data from the iris, started farmed out to another vessel. “It police say a crackdown has led to
AFP
is the fourth largest in the world 2015 to ban all Thai seafood ingkeo said tens of thousands of in October and is part of an over- is to fi nd out whether the fi sher- the prosecution of some 100 traf-
Bangkok
and is heavily dependant on mi- products unless issues were ad- workers had been scanned but arching plan to register workers. man is truly in the list of this ship fi cking suspects and the rescue
grant labour from Cambodia, dressed. But rights groups say the roll out was still in the early The government is also adopting and has not been sold and rotated of 160 victims since May 2015,
T
hailand is using optical Myanmar and Laos, but docu- abuses have continued despite stages. “The ministry has done measures for facial and fi nger- to work for many ships all the when the EU issued its “yellow
scanning technology to mented abuses and forced labour widely publicised reforms while optical scanning to 70,000 peo- print scanning. time,” she said. card” warning about seafood
keep track of who is work- have put the trade under pressure the US State Department’s 2017 ple who work on fi shing boats so Petcharat Sinauy, deputy per- A report released by Human products.
ing on its fi shing boats, offi cials to clean up its act or face conse- Traffi cking in Persons report kept that we can track their identity,” manent secretary at the Ministry Rights Watch last month said The government has also re-
said yesterday, as the kingdom quences. Thailand on its Tier 2 Watchlist he said. “Also we’re in the middle of Labour, said the purpose of forced labour and other rights duced the number of fi shing
tries to curb slave labour and hu- Thailand’s junta, which took for a second consecutive year. of creating a software to read the the stepped up tech was to make abuses remained “widespread” fl eets and created a hotline that
man traffi cking that has riddled power in 2014, led the push to At a briefi ng in Bangkok to collected data from the scans.” sure workers were on the boat and that little had been done to resulted in the prosecution of 53
the low-paid industry. overhaul the industry in response trumpet reforms in the industry, The programme, which cap- they were registered with and not rein in worker exploitation. Thai cases.
Taiwan, China exchange Two held
in maid
death case
warm new year greetings
AFP
Kupang, Indonesia
T
wo people have been ar-
Reuters
rested in Indonesia on hu-
Taipei
man traffi cking charges in
connection with the death of a
T
aiwan President Tsai Ing- maid allegedly abused by her em-
wen wished “friends” in ployer in Malaysia, police and a
China a happy Lunar New lawmaker said yesterday.
Year yesterday, drawing a sur- Indonesian authorities said
prisingly warm reaction from the employment recruiters — an
Chinese state media which is unidentifi ed husband and wife —
more used to disparaging her as a used forged documents to send
dangerous separatist. 20-year-old victim Adelina Sau
Taiwan is one of China’s most to Malaysia in 2015.
sensitive issues and a potentially The woman’s mother said
dangerous military fl ashpoint. she disappeared from their vil-
China considers the self-ruled lage in impoverished East Nusa
island its sacred territory and Tenggara province after her fam-
a wayward province and it has ily rebuff ed a recruiter’s job off er
never renounced the use of force for their daughter. The domestic
to bring it under Chinese control. helper died at a Malaysian hos-
China has become increas- pital on Sunday, a day after be-
ingly hostile to Taiwan since ing rescued by a migrant workers’
Tsai, from the pro-independence protection group, according to
Democratic Progressive Party, local reports.
won election in 2016, believing Her head and face were swol-
she wants to push for the island’s len and she had raw wounds on
formal independence, a red line her hand and legs, a police docu-
for China. ment and Malaysian lawmaker
In a video message to mark said. “The doctors said the maid
Chinese New Year, which falls died of multiple organ failure,”
today, Tsai said the festival was said Steven Sim, a Malaysian
an important one for people on politician from the Democratic
both sides of the Taiwan Strait Action Party. “She was made to
as they share many of the same sleep in the car porch near a dog
traditions. “Through people- which was on a leash ... It is a
to-people exchanges and media senseless loss of a life.”
broadcasts, this has narrowed The Indonesian recruiters
the psychological gap between were taken into custody Wednes-
both sides,” Tsai said. day on traffi cking charges, while
“I want to use this opportunity another suspect is being pursued,
to send new year’s greetings to police said. A brother and sis-
friends on the other side (of the ter, as well as their mother, who
Taiwan Strait) and ethnic Chi- employed Adelina, have been ar-
nese in other parts of the world.” rested in Malaysia. Some 2.5mn
China’s state-run ‘Global An empty shopping mall complex is seen in the centre of Beijing yesterday. Indonesians work in neighbour-
Times’, known for its stridently ing Malaysia, which is a magnet
nationalistic stance and which to show goodwill, of course we shot of disparaging comments families of nine Chinese tourists more bickering between Beijing aftermath of the earthquake. for migrant workers but salaries
often calls the island’s president welcome it,” it said on its web- — one extremely vulgar — made killed in an earthquake in Taiwan and Taipei. This week, Taiwan Taiwan and China have also are low and employees are not
“provincial governor Tsai”, said it site, using another name for the by people on Facebook respond- last week. “As I have said, on hu- accused China of insensitivity traded accusations about China protected by labour laws. In re-
would normally criticise her, but holiday. ing to Tsai’s greeting. Facebook is manitarian relief there is no dis- by announcing that Papua New opening a new route for civil cent years the country has seen
in this case would reciprocate the Underscoring China’s contin- blocked in China. tance between the two sides of Guinea had downgraded its rela- aircraft over the Taiwan Strait, a series of cases involving mis-
goodwill. “If Tsai Ing-wen really ued suspicion though, the ‘Glo- Tsai, in her message, also the strait.” However, the run-up tions with the island while Tai- which Taiwan says could aff ect treatment of domestic workers
wants to use the Spring Festival bal Times’ also posted a screen- expressed condolences to the to the new year was marked by wan was still dealing with the fl ight safety. including deaths.
Berlin film fest
Australia deputy PM’s popularity wanes amid scandal over aff air slammed for Kim
Ki-duk invite
Reuters Australia bans aff airs between ministers and staff A coalition of more than 100
Sydney South Korean civic groups
yesterday condemned the Berlin
Australia’s prime minister week, allowing him to side- film festival for inviting director
D
eputy Australian Prime imposed a formal ban on step the role of acting leader Kim Ki-duk, who assaulted an
Minister Barnaby Joyce aff airs between ministers and while Turnbull is on a visit to actress, despite its support for
will take a break next week their staff yesterday after his the United States. Turnbull the #MeToo campaign against
rather than step in for the coun- deputy made “a shocking departs for Washington next abuse of women.
try’s leader while he is away, as a error of judgement” by having Wednesday for meetings Kim, 57, is one of South Korea’s top
poll shows his popularity plum- an aff air that left an aide with US President Donald directors whose awards include
meting since admitting to an pregnant and the government Trump and is scheduled to the Golden Lion at the Venice
extramarital aff air with a former reeling. Malcolm Turnbull be overseas for four days. Film Festival for Pieta in 2012.
staff er. Joyce, a Catholic who announced the amendment Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, But an actress last year accused
campaigned on “family values” to the ministerial code of as deputy Liberal leader, would him of sexual and physical
and been married for 24 years, is conduct at an extraordinary normally step in if Joyce was abuse, saying he forced her
expecting a child with his former press conference during which unavailable. But she will also be into unwanted, unscripted
press secretary. he slammed deputy Barnaby travelling, which means Senate nude scenes and slapped her
The aff air has thrown Prime Joyce for causing “terrible hurt leader Mathias Cormann will repeatedly while shooting his
Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s and humiliation” to his wife and take the position. Turnbull said 2013 award-winning film Moebius
centre-right government into four children. the break would allow Joyce to – before replacing her with
turmoil, straining the alliance “Barnaby made a shocking “consider his own position”. another actress.
between his Liberal Party and error of judgement in having The prime minister could sack Prosecutors dropped the abuse
Joyce’s National Party and sap- an aff air with a young woman him, but that risks fracturing charge citing lack of evidence
ping Joyce’s public standing. working in his off ice,” he said. the ruling coalition and could but fined Kim 5mn won ($4,600)
Joyce has so far resisted calls to “In doing so, he has set off a cause a rift between the Liberal for assault under a procedure to
quit either his seat or his cabi- world of woe for those women and National parties. settle minor cases out of court.
net spot, including a motion that and appalled all of us. Joyce admitted to the aff air The actress – who said she had
passed the Senate calling for his “Our hearts go out to them. It after a picture of his pregnant quit acting due to trauma – has
resignation, since leaving par- has been a dreadful thing for lover was splashed across the appealed against the decision to
liament would put the govern- them to go through in the glare front page of the Sydney Daily dismiss the sex abuse allegation.
ment’s narrow one-seat majority Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce (right) looking at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of publicity.” Telegraph’, and has publicly Kim admitted slapping her as
at risk. during a press conference in Sydney in a file picture. Joyce, 50, has been under apologised to his shattered part of “acting lessons”. His
“The deputy prime minister immense pressure since wife of 24 years Natalie and latest work Human, Space, Time
will be taking leave from Mon- The percentage of voters back- fi ce. Australia’s ministerial code riage break-up, it is not unusual his aff air with former media their daughters. Turnbull and Human will have its world
day ... and accordingly will not ing him crashed to 43%, ac- of conduct requires lawmakers for those who you are close to, advisory Vikki Campion, 33, said times had changed and premiere in the Panorama Special
be able to be acting prime minis- cording to the ReachTEL poll to declare relationships with any to off er support,” he told parlia- who is now pregnant with their people expected politicians section of this year’s Berlinale,
ter while I’m overseas,” Turnbull published in Fairfax newspapers staff member of a cabinet minis- ment. child, became public last week. to set an example. “I am not which began yesterday. “We
said above loud heckling in par- yesterday, down from the 63% ter. “Mr Maguire approached me It has led to allegations that he here to moralise. But we must are living in this unfair reality in
liament. margin he won at a by-election in There are also questions about ... he said: ‘You’re living out of breached ministerial rules, with recognise that whatever may which a physical assault off ender
Joyce’s break, while Turnbull December. Joyce’s acceptance, rent-free, a suitcase, and this is basically the crisis dominating the front have been acceptable or to is working and being welcomed
travels to Washington to meet US His week off also comes as of a townhouse belonging to a something that I should try and pages and parliament question which a blind eye was turned everywhere as if nothing
President Donald Trump, comes pressure intensifi es over his fail- wealthy friend, Greg Maguire, help you with.’ I took him up on time, with calls mounting for in the past, today, in 2018, it is happened, while the victim who
after an opinion poll showed ure to declare the relationship and whether Joyce broke minis- the off er but I off ered to pay for him to resign. Joyce, whose not acceptable for a minister spoke out against the abuse is
support for the plain-spoken with his former press secretary, terial rules forbidding asking for it.” He has also said he did not National Party is in a coalition to have a sexual relationship being isolated and marginalised,”
small-town accountant-turned- Vikki Campion, when she was gifts. Joyce denied asking for the break any rules over Campion’s with the prime minister’s with somebody who works for the alliance of about 140 civic
politician had tumbled in his ru- hired for two highly-paid gov- townhouse. “Most people would employment because she was not Liberals, will take leave next them,” he said. groups said in a joint statement
ral electorate. ernment positions outside his of- realise that at the time of a mar- his “partner” at the time. sent to AFP.
Gulf Times 7
Friday, February 16, 2018
BRITAIN/IRELAND
CRISIS JUSTICE LAW AND ORDER WILDLIFE WARNING
Dublin, London hoping to Father jailed for hammer Police ‘failing to record Rare butterfly found Faulty appliances cause 60
re-establish N Ireland talks attack on children thousands of crimes’ breeding in Scotland house fires a week: Which?
The Irish and British governments will seek a way A man has been jailed for life for trying to kill his Thousands of reported crimes including rape The microscopic eggs of an endangered Faulty appliances such as washing machines,
to get talks on restoring Northern Ireland’s power- three children and step-daughter by hitting them and domestic abuse are going unrecorded by butterfly have been found in Scotland, tumble dryers and fridge freezers are causing
sharing government back on track and neither is with a hammer then crashing a car into a wall. police, a watchdog has warned. The shortcomings suggesting the insect has returned to breed in more than 60 house fires a week in the UK – a
contemplating a return of direct rule from London, Owen Scott, 29, of Fawley, Hampshire, admitted mean victims are being failed, inspectors said. the country for the first time in more than 130 figure which has stayed “stubbornly high” in
Ireland’s foreign minister said yesterday. Talks to four counts of attempted murder and dangerous Two forces – Thames Valley and North Yorkshire years. Lepidopterists discovered white-letter recent years – according to a Which? investigation.
end a political stalemate broke down yet again driving at Sheff ield Crown Court, after the crash – were singled out for their “inadequate” crime hairstreak eggs on wych elm trees at Lennel, Government action to remove potentially
on Wednesday after the leader of the largest near Penistone, South Yorkshire. Two girls, aged recording by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Berwickshire, this month after an adult butterfly dangerous electrical white goods from homes
unionist party said there was no prospect of a seven and eight, and two boys, aged 21 months Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services was spotted last summer 10 miles away – the is falling “woefully short”, the consumer group
deal and called on Britain to take further financial and nine months, were seriously injured. Scott (HMICFRS). The assessment of Thames Valley first sighting in Scotland since 1884. “Last warns, as it challenges ministers to explain how the
control of the region. The British province has will serve at least 14 years. As a result of her found that nearly one in five off ences (19.6%) were year was an impossible find, but this year’s fledgling Off ice for Product Safety and Standards
been without a devolved executive for over a year injuries, one of his daughters will be wheelchair- not being properly recorded, which equates to egg discovery is beyond anything we thought will tackle the problem. Its analysis reveals that the
since Irish nationalists Sinn Fein withdrew from the dependent for the rest of her life. She was left approximately 35,200 crimes a year. Crimes that possible,” said Iain Cowe, butterfly recorder for number of fires has stayed at a similar level for five
compulsory power-sharing government with their partially paralysed and remains in hospital, having are going unrecorded by the force include sexual the Borders, who found the adult butterfly last years, with faulty kitchen appliances causing close
arch-rivals, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). lost a large section of her skull in the attack. off ences, domestic abuse and rape. summer. to 16,000 blazes across the UK since April 1, 2012.
Charles bans Harry serves healthy lunches
single-use
plastic from
estate shop
“We are continuously making
London Evening Standard
improvements to our environ-
London
mental practices and this latest
step is an important one in re-
P
rince Charles is banning ducing our environmental im-
all non-reusable plastics pact still further.
from his Highgrove estate “Unfortunately, the use of
shop. plastic to protect goods from
His move comes after his damage is systemic in manufac-
environmental commitment turing, with products often de-
was called into question as it livered already pre-packaged by
emerged that dozens of items the manufacturer.
made from or wrapped in plas- “We will be working close-
tic were for sale on his Wiltshire ly with our suppliers over the
estate. course of the year to ensure we
Highgrove Enterprises an- achieve our goals and eliminate
nounced that from the end of the use of non-recyclable single Prince Harry helps to serve lunch during a visit to a ‘Fit and Fed’ school holiday activity programme at the Roundwood Youth Centre in London yesterday.
2018 it will no longer use non- use plastic packaging from our
recyclable, single-use plastic product ranges,” she said.
packaging in its products. Highgrove Enterprises was es-
Its statement yesterday said tablished in 1988 to raise money
Prince Charles has led by exam- for The Prince of Wales’s Chari-
Russia to blame for
ple for more than 40 years with table Foundation.
most product lines already free The organisation operates gar-
from plastic. den tours at The Prince of Wales
It read: “By the end of 2018, and The Duchess of Cornwall’s
all non-recyclable single use private residence in Gloucester-
plastics will be removed from shire, as well as a retail operation
product packaging to ensure the which prides itself on support-
cyber-attack: minister
environmental impact is kept to ing traditional crafts and artisan
a minimum.” makers.
Highgrove products made en- Highgrove Enterprises has
tirely of plastic include wreaths raised over £6.6mn for charita-
and plates while items such as ble causes.
a pet bed, toff ee, a silk pocket Julian Kirby, waste campaign-
square and even notebooks are er at Friends of the Earth, said:
wrapped in the material. “The Prince of Wales has been ther evidence of a “new era of evidence,” he said. Banking operations were munist regime to access foreign
AFP
It comes days after the Queen championing the environment warfare” with “a destructive and The attack contaminated compromised in what authori- currency. The NotPetya attack
London
cracked down on plastic at royal for decades and his recent speech deadly mix of conventional mili- thousands of computers world- ties said was an unprecedented appeared much smaller in scale,
palaces. Staff have been told highlighted the need for urgent tary might and malicious cyber- wide, particularly aff ecting mul- attack, which even disrupted with global cybersecurity fi rm
T
to ditch straws, eat from china action to tackle the scourge of he government yesterday attacks”. tinational companies and critical arrivals and departures informa- Kaspersky Lab estimating there
plates and drink from glass bot- plastic pollution. accused the Russian mili- “Russia is ripping up the rule infrastructure, such as radiation tion at the capital’s main Boryspil were thousands of victims.
tles. The Queen is thought to “Bold government measures tary of being behind last book by undermining democ- monitors at the old Chernobyl airport. Comparing it to WannaCry,
have taken a personal interest in are essential for driving urgent year’s “NotPetya” cyber-attack, racy, wrecking livelihoods by nuclear power plant and the ports The virus, which demanded the director of European po-
plastic since working on a wild- change across the whole econo- which started in Ukraine and targeting critical infrastructure of Mumbai and Amsterdam. a payment worth $300 as it lice agency Europol, Rob Wain-
life conservation documentary my, but we also need companies Russia before spreading globally, and weaponising information,” Companies hit included the locked up fi les at companies wright, said at the time that Not-
with Sir David Attenborough. and individuals to take action aff ecting thousands of comput- he said. Russian oil group Rosneft, Dan- and government agencies, was Petya showed “indications of a
Christine Prescott, CEO at too. ers. The accusation was immedi- ish shipping company Maersk, reminiscent of the WannaCry more sophisticated attack capa-
Highgrove Enterprises, said: “Prince Charles can further “The government judges that ately denied by the Kremlin. US pharmaceutical giant Merck, ransomware attack that swept bility intended to exploit a range
“As a business we have always demonstrate his commitment to the Russian government, spe- “We categorically reject such French construction specialist the world a month earlier in of vulnerabilities”.
strived to operate as sustain- the environment by encouraging cifi cally the Russian military, was accusations. We consider them Saint-Gobain and the British ad- May 2017, hitting more than The British government yes-
ably as possible. Since open- his outlets to ditch unnecessary responsible for the destructive unsubstantiated and ground- vertising fi rm WPP. 200,000 users in more than 150 terday said the attack “masquer-
ing our fi rst Highgrove shop we plastic as soon as possible. Plas- NotPetya cyber-attack of June less,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Ukraine, which is battling countries. aded as a criminal enterprise but
have only ever used FSC ap- tic pollution is killing and maim- 2017,” Foreign Offi ce minister Peskov told journalists. Russia-backed rebels in the east Britain and the US have blamed its purpose was principally to
proved paper shopping bags and ing marine life, and could pose Tariq Ahmad said. “This is nothing but a con- in a confl ict that has killed more North Korea for the WannaCry disrupt”. The UK and its allies will
have always kept packaging to a a serious health risk to humans Defence Secretary Gavin Wil- tinuation of a Russophobic cam- than 10,000 people, was the attack, saying it may have been not tolerate malicious cyber ac-
minimum. too.” liamson said the attack was fur- paign that is not based on any worst aff ected country. an attempt by the isolated com- tivity,” it added.
Bomb detonated
Corbyn ‘can’t be trusted’ Voting age to be cut
to 16 soon: Top Tory
after spy revelations: govt
Nicky Morgan announced on the
London Evening Standard
Conservative Home website that
London
she is backing a Private Mem-
“with the objective to strengthen Ex-foreign secretary Malcolm bers’ Bill tabled by Labour MP
London Evening Standard A
mutual recognition and the deep- Rifkind said: “If these documents historic lowering of the Peter Kyle to fi x a new voting age.
London
ening of trust”. are genuine, which they appear to voting age from 18 to 16 She said today’s 18 and 19-year-
At a Nato meeting in Brussels, be, there is a serious case for Cor- could be enacted before olds, who were denied a vote in
T
he defence secretary yester- Williamson said: “Jeremy Corbyn byn to answer.” the next general election, a sen- the 2016 EU referendum, were
day claimed Jeremy Corbyn has never had Britain’s interests at According to The Sun, the Czech ior Conservative predicted yes- “furious that their futures have
“cannot be trusted” after heart. Time and time again he has records described Corbyn as “neg- terday. been decided by those aged over
a disclosure that he met a Czech sided with those who want to de- ative towards USA” but “positive” Sir Peter Bottomley said there 70”.
diplomat three times at the height stroy everything that is great about towards the Soviet bloc and that was “growing” support among She added: “Embracing votes at
of the Cold War. this country, whether it is sympa- he backed “the Soviet peace initia- Tory MPs for the reform, which 16 would demonstrate to the next
Gavin Williamson alleged it was thising with terrorists, backing tive”. is currently opposed by Theresa generation that the Conservative
“a betrayal of this country” that rogue regimes, or cosying up to The records, unearthed from ar- May’s government. “It’s a ques- Party has something to off er them.
Corbyn met with the envoy, said to those who want to infl ict pain and chives of the Czech secret police in tion of when rather than whether Just as the Conservatives both de-
have been “a communist spy” act- misery on the British people. Prague, suggested two hard-Left it is going to happen,” the former livered on and then fulfi lled Votes
ing under cover. Corbyn strongly “That he met foreign spies is a activists introduced the Labour minister told the Standard. for Women, it is time for us to take
denies knowingly meeting a spy betrayal of this country. He cannot MP to Czech employee lieutenant Asked if there was enough the next pragmatic leap forward
but confi rmed that he had talks be trusted.” Jan Dymic. backing for it to be made law in the and get on with Votes at 16.”
at the House of Commons with a Keith Simpson, a Conservative Labour’s offi cial response said: current Parliament, the veteran Putney MP Justine Greening,
diplomat in 1987. member of the intelligence and “The claim that he was an agent, MP said: “I think it would prob- who left her post as education
The furore erupted after The security committee, said Corbyn asset or informer for any intel- ably carry. Labour would vote in secretary last month, said she was
Sun newspaper revealed docu- should have assumed any Czech ligence agency is entirely false favour of it, so would every minor- open to the idea and urged May to
ments from a Soviet-era archive diplomat who sought a meeting to and a ridiculous smear. Like ity party and a growing number of consider it.
that described the meetings and be a spy. other MPs, Jeremy has met dip- Conservatives support it.” Scottish Tory MP John Lamont
revealed the future Labour leader The twitter feed Corbyn4PM, lomats from many countries. In A number of senior Tories re- said he would be “pleased” to see
was known to the Czechs under controlled by Corbyn’s inner cir- the 1980s he met a Czech diplo- cently made public calls for voting 16-year-olds vote: “Having seen
the codename of COB. cle, tweeted: “The scum getting mat, who did not go by the name at 16. But Theresa May’s de facto how 16 and 17-year-olds posi-
According to the declassifi ed desperate now! Their own story of Jan Dymic, for a cup of tea in deputy, David Lidington, ruled it tively contributed to the Scottish
papers there were at least three points out that the diplomat met the House of Commons. Jeremy The World War II bomb found earlier this week in the out two weeks ago, implying 16 independence referendum, the
meetings, including two at the Jeremy and ‘conversation was neither had nor off ered any privi- River Thames was detonated in the sea off the Essex and 17-year-olds lacked the “ma- Scottish Conservatives came to a
Commons. One lasted 90 minutes limited to a general nature’. The leged information to this or any coast, by the Royal Navy bomb disposal team. turity” to decide. view that they should be allowed
and was held, said the Czech agent, Scum’s story is entirely bogus.” other diplomat.” Former education secretary to participate in future votes. ”
8 Gulf Times
Friday, February 16, 2018
EUROPE
CLARIFICATION SCANDAL DECISION LEGAL FALLOUT
Ex-pope ‘not suff ering French minister denies Far-right MP’s case against Former Greek premier Dance teacher sacked
debilitating disease’ second sex abuse claims prime minister rejected sues Tsipras for slander for ‘skipping’ speech
The Vatican yesterday denied a German magazine French Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin Dutch public prosecutors yesterday threw out a Greece’s former prime minister Antonis Samaras A dance teacher in Tajikistan says she was sacked
report that former Pope Benedict was suff ering yesterday denied he had used his political bid by far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders to have filed a lawsuit against Alexis Tsipras yesterday, after failing to watch the end-of-year speech
from a paralysing disease of the nervous system. position to ask for sexual favours, saying a the prime minister charged with discrimination accusing the current head of government of of long-reigning autocrat President Emomali
A Vatican spokesman said a report in the German second complaint from a woman this week was against the Dutch people. Dismissing Wilders’s slander and “a villainous plot” against him over a Rakhmon. Rakhmon, who has led the ex-Soviet
magazine Neue Post quoting Benedict’s older a “slanderous accusation”. Prosecutors in Paris complaint against Prime Minster Mark Rutte, bribery case. The case involves alleged bribery of country for more than a quarter of a century,
brother was false. The magazine quoted Georg opened a probe on Tuesday after a woman filed a the public prosecution (OM) said “no criminal Greek doctors, politicians and off icials by staff of tolerates little opposition and has presided over a
Ratzinger, 94, who is a priest, as saying: “The complaint alleging that he had abused his powers off ences have been committed.” Wilders, leader Swiss drugmaker Novartis. Greek prosecutors last leadership cult that has noticeably strengthened in
greatest fear is that the paralysis could at some while mayor of the northern town of Tourcoing in of the Freedom Party (PVV), lodged the complaint week referred the case to parliament, which under recent years. Saida Rustamova, 45, said yesterday
point spread to his heart. Then it could be over 2015 and 2016. Darmanin said he had heard about with prosecutors in November accompanied by Greek law is the only institution that can investigate she lost her job after not attending a viewing
quickly”. A Vatican statement said the “presumed this “new slanderous accusation against me” on boxes full of statements in support of his action. ministers. The house will soon decide whether to of the president’s speech in December at the
news of a paralysing degenerative disease are the website of Le Point magazine on Wednesday “We are treated like second class citizens in our probe the roles of 10 socialist and conservative state-run music school where she worked in the
false. In two months, Benedict XVI will turn 91, and which broke the story of the second complaint own country. That’s why I am seeking action politicians mentioned in the file, including Samaras, capital Dushanbe. “When I went into the hall to
as he has said himself, feels the weight of his years, against him. “I don’t know the person or what I’m against Mark Rutte”, Wilders said on a website set former leader of the conservative New Democracy attend, there were no empty seats in the room,”
which is normal at that age.” accused of,” he told La Voix du Nord newspaper. up for his campaign. party, according to documents filed to parliament. Rustamova said.
Oxfam’s Turkish premier meets Merkel
ex-director
denies sex
allegations
lier operations: In Liberia in 2004,
Reuters
he acknowledged, he was fi red
Brussels
after attending a party where two
prostitutes were present although
T
he former Oxfam director he said he had only “danced and
at the heart of a sex abuse fl irted” with them.
scandal yesterday said he He said rumours of aid staff
made mistakes when working in paying for sex in Chad in 2006
Haiti but denied paying for sex were “complete nonsense”. Com-
with prostitutes or abusing mi- plaining of “slander”, he said he
nors. believed reports were based on
In his fi rst response to allega- allegations by a man he had fi red
tions over his conduct, Roland in Liberia for drunkenness and
Van Hauwermeiren said in an abusing staff . He did not name
open letter to a broadcaster in his this person.
native Belgium he did not want to “I feel I have done wrong, but
cast himself as a victim but feared not in the way that some media
that Oxfam, other aid workers and are reporting,” Van Hauwermeiren
those they help would suff er from wrote, adding: “these allegations German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim give a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin yesterday. Yildirim said in Turkey ahead of
false accusations. are destroying me and I no longer his trip that he and Merkel would discuss Turkey-EU relations, bilateral trade and the 3.5mn Turkish nationals living in Germany.
In the four-page letter, seen by dare to appear in public or speak to
Reuters, he accused an unnamed my family and children.”
former employee of being the Earlier, he spoke to reporters
source of reports that have shaken from De Standaard newspaper
the global humanitarian commu- who had called at his apartment
EU split over expansion
nity and prompted Britain and the near the Belgian coast. He told
EU to review funding for Oxfam. them his account would make the
“I am a man of fl esh and blood media “blush with shame”.
and I have made mistakes (not “It is not that I deny every-
easy to admit) and I am DEEPLY thing,” he told the paper. “There
ASHAMED,” the 68-year-old are things which have been de-
former soldier wrote in Dutch to scribed correctly. But there are
into Western Balkans
broadcaster VTM. many lies and exaggerations.
He said he resigned his post Parties every week? Fancy vil-
running the Oxfam operation after las? Women paid with money
the 2010 Haiti earthquake because from the organisation?” Reuters
he had failed to exercise suffi cient could not reach Van Hauwermeir-
control over staff accused of sexu- en for direct comment.
al misconduct. A spokeswoman for Oxfam de-
But he denied any wrongdoing clined to comment on his letter gro to join the bloc. the newer member states — from that smuggle arms, drugs and Boyko Borissov said he would
Reuters
himself — he never organised “sex or reported remarks. Oxfam has Hungary’s Peter Szijjarto was Romania and Bulgaria, to Poland migrants over European borders host the heads of the Balkan states
Sofia
parties” or visited brothels in the neither confi rmed nor denied the “very much disappointed” by and Hungary. top a long list of problems the six on March 1 for talks with Euro-
country. accounts reported in the media that target, saying the fi rst two “I’ve just come from Serbia and Balkan hopefuls would have to pean Commission chief Jean-
E
He acknowledged having had but has said an internal investi- uropean Union foreign countries from the Western Bal- in Kosovo the situation is excep- crack down on if they are ever to Claude Juncker on building new
a brief sexual relationship at his gation in 2011 confi rmed sexual ministers yesterday disa- kan six should be admitted in tionally diffi cult. We will speak be allowed into the EU. highways and railways to improve
Oxfam house with a local woman misconduct occurred and it has greed over a proposal by 2022. frankly about this,” said German Poland, Italy and Austria are links with the EU.
whom he met as a result of giving apologised. the bloc’s executive to push for “I think 2025 is very late and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. among other EU countries in But Slovenian Foreign Minister
her younger sister milk powder Haitian Justice Minister Heidi expansion into the Western Bal- they deserve a much quicker Serbia’s refusal to recognise favour of stepping up eff orts to Karl Erjavec thought that even
and diapers for her child. Fortune said on Wednesday he kans, a region still scarred by way to integration,” Budapest’s the independence of its former open the bloc to the region, which 2025 was “not realistic” as a goal,
He denied giving the woman had asked Belgium for help in ethnic wars fought in the 1990s foreign minister told reporters, province Kosovo — something has seen growing Russian and saying the Western Balkan states
money but said the liaison “fuelled starting legal action against Van and dogged by a reputation for stressing that EU entry would endorsed by most, though not all, Chinese infl uence. would need more time to settle
rumours” and had left his leader- Hauwermeiren, without specify- lawlessness. help relieve tensions between EU states — is just one example of “Who will be fi rst in Belgrade — their disputes and meet criteria
ship and Oxfam “compromised”. ing which laws might have been Meeting in Bulgaria, the EU neighbours in a region that sits on intractable regional disputes that China or the EU? It is that (which) for EU entry.
Reuters was not able to verify that broken. ministers discussed for the fi rst the bloc’s doorstep. threaten the Western Balkans’ we have to counteract, as it is our France’s Jean-Yves Le Drian
account. The Belgian justice ministry time the plan by the European But Germany, the EU’s leading western integration. immediate neighbourhood,” Aus- was also cautious. “It’s clear there
The letter also dealt with alle- yesterday said it had not received Commission that set out 2025 as power, is very reluctant, pointing EU diplomats say that corrup- tria’s Karin Kneissl told reporters. are conditions and that those
gations about his conduct in ear- such a request. a goal for Serbia and Montene- to rule-of-law shortcomings in tion and powerful criminal gangs Bulgarian Prime Minister conditions are demanding.”
Murdered girl’s mum Russian leader’s
website blocked
lashes out at killer
moved relates to an investiga-
Reuters
tion disclosed by Navalny, who
Moscow
has been barred from running
derer” and a “monster” and said he whether Lelandais played a part in in next month’s election, which
AFP R
would be haunted by his deeds. their disappearance. ussian authorities yes- alleges that Deripaska met Ser-
Pont-de-Beauvoisin, France
“I had to wait fi ve-and-a-half His lawyer Alain Jakubowicz terday blocked op- gei Prikhodko, Russia’s deputy
months before this monster fi - denied his client, who was found to position leader Alexei prime minister, on a yacht be-
T
he mother of a murdered nally broke his silence,” she said, have carried out internet searches Navalny’s website just over a longing to the businessman off
French girl whose remains adding: “Maelys will haunt you on the decomposition of the hu- month before a presidential the coast of Norway in 2016.
were found this week said night and day in prison until you man body after Noyer’s disappear- election, a move Navalny said Navalny questioned the eth-
her child would “haunt” the ex- die.” ance, is a serial killer. was unjustifi ed and prompted ics of the meeting in which he
soldier who has fi nally confessed Relatives of the dead soldier, “There is not the slightest by a dispute with a wealthy said the two men discussed
to killing her after months of inter- 24-year-old Arthur Noyer, said proof,” he said. businessman. US-Russian relations, and he
rogation. they too were hoping to learn the Lelandais, who is single, was a Navalny said on social media posted what purported to be
The case of Maelys de Araujo, truth about his death. Noyer was guest of the groom at the wedding that Roskomnadzor, Russia’s photographs of the encounter
who vanished in August while at- last seen in the early hours of April and spent part of the evening play- communications regulator, had taken from the social media
tending a wedding near Chambery 12, 2017, hitchhiking in Chambery ing with Maelys before she disap- warned him last week it would account of a young woman
in the Alps with her parents, has after leaving a nightclub. peared in the early hours of the bar access to his site unless cer- who was also on the boat. He
gripped France. Parts of his skull were found on morning. tain material was removed from also issued a YouTube video to
On Wednesday, chief suspect a hiking trail in Montmelian, near He was charged with her mur- it to comply with a court order accompany his investigation
Nordahl Lelandais, 34, admitted Chambery, in September. der in November. The day after the reportedly obtained by billion- that has been watched over
to killing the eight-year-old child Telephone records place Noyer wedding, as a massive search got aire Oleg Deripaska. 5mn times.
and led investigators to her re- and Lelandais in the same area at under way for the little girl, Le- Roskomnadzor confi rmed Deripaska, in a statement
mains after police found a trace of the same time on the night of the landais was seen scrubbing down in a statement yesterday it had last week, accused Navalny and
her blood in his black Audi car. dead man’s disappearance. his car inside and out. ordered telecoms operators to others of spreading lies about
Lelandais, a former military The Noyer family’s lawyer Ber- An initial search of the vehicle block Navalny’s site because him and was reported to have
dog-handler who is also charged nard Boulloud told France Info ra- revealed a trace of Maelys’s DNA the off ending material was still obtained a court order in south-
with murdering a hitchhiking sol- dio yesterday he hoped Lelandais on the dashboard which he argued there. ern Russia to have the off ending
dier last April, claimed he killed would “continue his confessions she could have left while playing. It said Instagram had com- material removed.
Maelys “by mistake” but has so far to the end”. CCTV images also showed a sil- plied with a similar request to “Outrageous false allegations
refused to give details of her death. Investigators have also reo- houette in a white dress, like the A woman and her daughter stand in front of candles, toys and take down related material and appeared in social networks
In a Facebook post, the child’s pened a number of cases of peo- one Maelys was wearing, being messages displayed in tribute to eight-year-old Maelys de Araujo in Le that it was waiting for Google to and mass media that I allegedly
grief-stricken mother Jennifer ple who vanished in the area be- driven away in Lelandais’s car on Pont-de-Beauvoisin, the place where the schoolgirl was seen for the delete a YouTube video. committed unlawful actions,”
Cleyet-Marrel called him a “mur- tween 2010 and 2016 to determine the night of the wedding. last time. The material it wants re- the statement read.
Gulf Times 9
Friday, February 16, 2018
INDIA
PEOPLE TRAGEDY DECISION ACCIDENT CRIME
Goa chief minister Two air force pilots Punjab CM, ministers Woman dies after hair gets Kerala CPI-M worker kicks
‘suff ers food poisoning’ killed in Assam crash to pay own income tax entangled in go-kart wheel pregnant woman, arrested
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was Two pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed All Punjab ministers, led by Chief Minister The Haryana Police yesterday booked the A local leader of the ruling Communist Party of
yesterday rushed to the Lilavati hospital in Mumbai yesterday when their microlight aircraft crashed on Amarinder Singh, yesterday announced their owner of a go-karting company after a woman India-Marxist and five of his accomplices were
after being diagnosed with food poisoning, an Assam’s Majuli island, off icials said. The microlight decision to voluntarily pay their own income died when her hair got entangled in the wheel arrested in Kozhikode, Kerala, yesterday for kicking
off icial said. A formal statement issued by the Virus SW-80 aircraft took off from Air Force Station tax, which is currently being paid out of the of the go-kart. The accident took place at a a pregnant woman, resulting in her losing the
chief minister’s off ice said that Parrikar was Jorhat for a routine sortie around 12 noon and government exchequer. The announcement came mini-amusement park adjacent to the popular baby, police said. All six were produced before a
in Mumbai for a “routine check-up”. A CMO crashed shortly on the island, police and defence after a meeting of the state Cabinet in Chandigarh Yadavindra Gardens in Pinjore in Haryana’s court and sent to judicial custody, a Kodanchery
functionary said that Parrikar was examined at the off icials said. The pilots – Wing Commanders J yesterday. Besides Amarinder Singh, there are Panchkula district. Sushil Malik, the owner of police off icer said. “All those involved in the assault
state government-run Goa Medical College near James and D Vats – attempted an emergency nine ministers in the Punjab government. The the amusement park Aqua Village, was booked have been identified.” The incident took place on
Panaji late on Wednesday night after complaining landing but the aircraft crashed in a sand bar and development comes within days of the chief on charges of causing death by negligence. January 28 when the victim’s husband Siby Chacko
of stomach pain. He was examined at the Goa went up in flames. Both died in the crash. A court minister suggesting that elected representatives, Thirty-year-old Puneet Kaur was seated beside had an argument with the group of men following
Medical College where doctors established the of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause including ministers and MLAs, should pay their her husband in the go-kart when her scalp was a property dispute. In the melee, Chacko’s wife
cause of his illness as food poisoning. He was of the accident. More than 170 IAF pilots have lost own income tax. Punjab was probably the only ripped out after her hair got entangled in the car who was eight months pregnant, was kicked in
rushed to Lilavati hospital yesterday for further their lives in accidents in the past three decades, state in the country to follow the system of wheel when her helmet fell off . She was rushed to the stomach and collapsed. She was taken to a
treatment,” the off icial disclosed. with crashes blamed on its ageing fleet. government paying taxes for ministers, legislators. a private hospital but died soon after admission. hospital but the baby could not be saved.
Modi campaigns in Tripura
Verdict on
Cauvery
water row
likely today
by all the three states and the
IANS
union territory.
New Delhi
Karnataka had told the court
that the 1924 agreement between
T
he Supreme Court is likely the then British province of Ma-
to pronounce its verdict dras and the princely State of
on a batch of cross peti- Mysore could not be the basis of
tions by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, sharing Cauvery river water be-
Kerala and Puducherry chal- tween the present day Karnataka
lenging the 2007 Cauvery River and Tamil Nadu and present day
Water Disputes Tribunal award needs must taken into account.
today. It said that water sharing was
The bench of chief justice Di- decided on the basis of the 1890
pak Misra, justice Amitava Roy and 1924 agreement without de-
and justice A M Khanwilkar had termining equitable share and its
reserved the verdict on Septem- apportionment.
ber 20, 2017, after hearing the However, Tamil Nadu on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to his supporters as he arrives to address an election campaign meeting ahead of Tripura state assembly elections, in Agartala, yesterday.
matter for 29 days spread over other hand had contended that
eight months. tribunal’s award was erroneous
Both Tamil Nadu and Kar- as it allocated 192 TMC of water
nataka had approached the top taking into account cultivation
court soon after the 2007 award of just one crop as against the
was announced, assailing it on prevailing two crops in the state. Jeweller, family fl ed before
several counts. Seeking more water than that
was allocated by the tribunal,
The Cauvery River Water it had told the court that in the
Dispute Tribunal was set up absence of Cauvery Water Man-
on June 2, 1990, and gave agement Board, it has never got
its fi nal report on February its allocated share. lookout notice issued: CBI
5, 2007, which was Seeking to put in place a
challenged before the top mechanism for the eff ective
court by all the three states implementation of the Cauvery
and the union territory award including Cauvery Man-
agement Board, Tamil Nadu had,
The Centre had opposed the however, resisted the sugges-
top court adjudicating over the tion that the issue of framing a ever, according to the sources, the “strictest” and “fastest” ac- Modi, three in Surat, four in was a “well known fact” that
IANS
Cauvery River Water Dispute scheme for setting up of such a Modi and his associates fl ed the tion against Modi but the Con- Mumbai and two in Delhi. As- Modi was close to the Nehru-
New Delhi
Award, contending that the ap- board be left to the wisdom of country before the notices were gress was doing politics over sets worth Rs13bn have been Gandhi family.
peals by the three states and the Parliament. issued. national interest, seized. Action has been taken to “The genesis of the scam was
A
union territory of Puducherry It rejected Karnataka’s stand lookout notice was issued While Nirav and his brother Addressing a press con- initiate revocation of his pass- in 2011 and interesting thing to
were not maintainable as under that allocation of water could be by the Central Bureau Nishal left India on January 1, ference, Prasad said that the port,” Prasad said. note is that the total income of
the Constitution’s Article 262 determined only at the end of the of Investigation against his wife Ami, a US citizen, and scam started in 2011 when the He added the CBI was also Geetanjali Jewels almost dou-
read with Section 11 of the Inter- crop season or at the end of the jeweller Nirav Modi and his as- Choksi left on January 6, all be- Congress-led United Progres- raiding 20 locations associ- bled within a span of two years
State River Water Disputes Act, water year. sociates last month in the bank- fore the CBI received a complaint sive Alliance (UPA) government ated with him and has seized his between 2011 and 2013. Geetan-
1956, the top court was barred Upon the conclusion of the ing fraud case but by then they from the PNB on January 29. was in power and is the “latest Mumbai residence. jali Jewels – a company owned
from hearing the appeals. hearing on November 20, the had escaped from the country, The source added that around in line in the legacy of corrup- Prasad said that the CBI fi rst by Mehul Choski who is also one
However, the top court had court had asked Tamil Nadu and CBI sources said yesterday. 150 Letters of Understanding tion and fraudulence left by the received a complaint from PNB of the partners along with Modi
said: “Prima facie we feel that Karnataka to submit written According to the sources, were issued to Nirav Modi’s Congress Party”. pertaining to Rs2.8bn on Janu- in the fi rms booked for fraud by
Article 262 does not say that notes which would include the a lookout circular was issued fi rms by the PNB. In course of He said that the agencies are ary 29 this year and a case was PNB,” Prasad said.
(river water) tribunal award is so question of law by Karnataka, against Modi along with his the probe, the CBI has fi nished already taking action against registered on January 31. Prasad also questioned Con-
sacrosanct that Supreme Court opposition to the proposition of wife Ami, brother Nishal Modi examining computers seized Modi who fl ed the country. “The prime minister had said gress’ right to comment on the
can’t look into it.” question of law by Tamil Nadu, and Mehul Choksi in the Punjab during searches at Modi’s prop- “The ED (enforcement di- in the Lok Sabha that our gov- incident, claiming that their
The Cauvery River Water Dis- signifi cant aspects of 2007 tri- National Bank (PNB) fraud case erties on February 3, 4 and 21. rectorate) and the CBI (Central ernment has not given any loans government allowed disgraced
pute Tribunal was set up on June bunal award and the principles on January 31. Meanwhile, Union Law Min- Bureau of Investigation) are that have become NPA (non- tycoon Vijay Mallya to run away
2, 1990, and gave its fi nal report that were invoked by the tribu- The circular was issued to all ister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. already in action against Modi. performing assets). The legacy with around Rs90bn which he
on February 5, 2007, which was nal, the genesis of the issues and airports, ports and exit points to the NDA (National Democratic The ED has already raided nine of NPAs comes from the Con- had taken as loan from 17 Indian
challenged before the top court other dimensions. stop them from escaping. How- Alliance) government has taken properties associated with gress,” he said, claiming that it banks.
Rouhani in Hyderabad
Ratan Tata denies link Cash row settled:
Binoy Balakrishnan
to Netanyahu scam
tleman and he was not aware
IANS
of what exactly was the is-
Thiruvananthapuram
sue. When he was told of what
Tata,” Ynetnews reported. The intention was to provide happened, he agreed to with-
IANS I
Tata, 80, contested the alle- skilled employment to Palestin- n relief to Kerala CPI-M draw the case. Since today is
Mumbai
gations in a statement here. He ians. To be viable, the plan en- state secretary Kodiy- a holiday here, I will fi le a new
said: “The reports in the media visaged the establishment of a eri Balakrishnan, his son application to lift the travel
H
ours after his name fi g- of a ‘partnership with Arnon free trade corridor to Haifa to fa- Binoy Balakrishan yesterday ban. Moreover, I also have a
ured in the Israeli Po- Milchan’ and the claim of ‘a huge cilitate exports and off set higher told the media here that his fi - few programmes here,” Binoy
lice recommendations profi t’ are both factually incor- logistics costs in Israel. nancial dealings with a Middle claimed.
seeking to indict Prime Minister rect and appear to be motivated.” “These discussions on the East resident ‘are now in the The issue has been raging
Benjamin Netanyahu for corrup- project were directly held be- clear’. for the past few weeks with
tion, Indian businessman Ratan “The reports in the media of tween a Tata team and the Is- Trouble began for Binoy the opposition Congress and
N Tata yesterday termed the re- a ‘partnership with Arnon raeli authorities and not with and Kodiyeri after a three- the BJP taking up the matter
ports factually incorrect and ap- Milchan’ and the claim Arnon Milchan as stated by the page letter dated January both inside and outside the as-
parently motivated. of ‘a huge profi t’ are both Israeli media. Tata wishes to 5 from H I A al-Marzooqi, sembly. The controversy had
Hollywood producer Arnon factually incorrect and clarify once again that there has sponsor of a Dubai-based also caused a huge dent in the
Milchan reportedly attempted appear to be motivated” never been any partnership in company, was made avail- image of both the CPI-M and
to promote a free trade zone on any such project with Milchan,” able last month to the media, Kodiyeri.
the Israel-Jordan border as part The former chairman of Tata it said. stating that he had started It even saw party general
of his partnership with Tata ac- Sons, the salt-to-software con- A broad concept plan for a low legal proceedings against secretary Sitaram Yechury
cording to reports appearing in glomerate, added that the ‘Tata output automobile assembly Binoy for an alleged fraud of coming under fi re from the
an Israeli news media outlet, project’ being referred to in the plant was prepared by Tata Mo- Rs130mn. Kerala unit of the party over
Ynetnews. Israeli media was a proposal re- tors. It never reached the stage of The Dubai authorities im- the manner in which the issue
“According to the police, the ceived by Tata in 2009 from the detailed planning or costing as posed a travel ban on Bionoy surfaced in the media.
most glaring example of Netan- Israeli establishment. the peace initiative itself was not after Marzooqi fi led a com- The latest development
yahu working against Israel’s It sought the assistance of put in place. The car project died plaint over a Rs17.2mn dishon- will certainly come as a major
interests to benefi t Milchan was Tata organisation in preparing a a natural death. oured cheque. relief for Kodiyeri, as he is all
his eff orts (to) promote a free concept plan, as part of a broad- During Tata’s visit to Tel Aviv Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives with Iran Foreign Speaking to a TV channel set to get a second three-year
trade zone on the Israel-Jordan er peace initiative with Pales- on November 1, 2017, to address Aff airs Minister Mahamad Javad Zarief (left) at a meeting in from Dubai yesterday evening, term at the helm of the state
border, a project the Hollywood tine, for a low volume automo- a conference on Mobility, he met Hyderabad yesterday. Rouhani addressed Muslims leaders Binoy said that the controversy unit of the ruling CPI-M. A
producer sought to promote as tive assembly plant on the banks a team of Israeli investigators and scholars at the event. The Iranian president is on a arose because of a “misunder- state party conference is to be
part of his partnership with In- of the Jordan river, said the Tata at their request and enunciated three-day off icial visit to India. standing”. held at Thrissur from Febru-
dian industrialist Ratan Naval statement. these facts to them. “Al-Marzooqi is a nice gen- ary 22-25.
10 Gulf Times
Friday, February 16, 2018
PAKISTAN
Pakistan investigates
investments in Dubai
Over 1,000 cops sacked
real estate
The Federal Board of Revenue
(FBR) of Pakistan has directed
individuals who invested in Dubai
real estate to furnish details of
their sources of investment,
officials said yesterday. “Around
over corrupt practices 400 notices have been sent to
individuals to provide sources for
making investment in Dubai real
estate business,” a FBR official
said.
The board has started question-
ing sources of investment from
Pakistanis who have been identi-
Internews signments. The source said as many as Nasir Khan Durrani was appointed innocent and charges levelled against use of offi cial funds and powers. fied for having ownership in Dubai
Peshawar 1,008 policemen have been dismissed Inspector General of Police for Khyber them were baseless. The spokesman for the KP Police real estate business.
from service or compulsorily retired Pakhtunkhwa. In other cases, the authorities Waqar Ahmad said IGP Salahuddin The official said five regional
all over the province since October A signifi cant decrease has been couldn’t prove the charges against Khan Mahsud has made it clear that tax offices (RTOs) and two large
M
ore than 1,000 police offi cials 2013. witnessed in actions against corrupt those sacked. corruption will not be tolerated at any taxpayers units (LTUs) in the Sindh
were dismissed from serv- They included 13 acting superin- police offi cials during the last many An overwhelming majority of those level in the force and strictest action Region have jointly served over
ice and 7,224 were awarded tendents of police (SPs) or deputy su- months, giving a sort of relief to the dismissed from service during the last against those involved in any corrupt 100 notices to individuals who
other punishments for alleged corrup- perintendents of police (DSPs), eight ‘bad cops’. over four years were constables. practice or misuse of power will con- have purchased properties in
tion, misuse of power and links with inspectors, 54 sub-inspectors, 49 as- The ratio of the strictest penalty of The sources said among the 1,008 tinue. Dubai.
smugglers and criminals in Pakistan’s sistant sub-inspectors, 91 head con- dismissal from service is particularly dismissed policemen, 793 were con- He added that 40 policemen have Around 5,000 to 7,000 people
northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prov- stables and 793 constables. on the decline since mid-2017. stables. been dismissed from service while 510 have been identified with invest-
ince since October 2013, a source told Apart from dismissals, 7,224 police- Another sources told The News that The ratio of offi cers of grade-17 were awarded other kind of punish- ment of around Rs1.1tn in Dubai
The News. men from the rank of acting SP/DSP only two offi cers were removed from sacked on the basis of corruption, mis- ments during the last six months of the real estate business, according to
Not a single offi cer of grade-18 or down to constables were awarded oth- service or compulsorily retired during use of power or links with criminals previous year. the latest information revealed by
above, however, is among the 8,232 er punishments, including reversion. the second half of 2017. and smugglers is only 1.2%. “There is no place for any corrupt Geo TV.
policemen who were awarded diff erent The 7,224 cops awarded diff erent The rest of the 34 policemen sacked Not a single offi cer of grade-18 or offi cer or junior offi cial in the KP Po- The list includes names of
kinds of punishments for their wrong- punishments included eight acting during the period were constables above was dismissed from service or lice. Dismissal of over 1,000 offi cials politicians, including members
doings during the last more than four SPs/DSPs, 79 inspectors, 578 sub-in- while four were head constables. awarded major punishment in the last for corruption and misuse of power in of parliament, retired generals,
years, the source said. spectors, 704 ASIs, 986 head consta- A number of policemen dismissed four years. the last over four years speaks volumes former judges, real estate tycoons,
Some offi cers were removed from bles and 4,869 constables. from service were reinstated when they Nobody could conduct proper in- of the commitment of the KP Police businessmen, bureaucrats, law-
their positions after numerous com- Actions against policemen for cor- approached the Service Tribunal or the quiry against seniors who allegedly administration about going after cor- yers, actors, singers, and media
plaints but they had to be immediately ruption, links with criminals and mis- concerned courts. made huge properties during service rupt elements in the force,” Waqar Ah- personalities.
compensated and given important as- use of power were accelerated after Some of these offi cers were said to be and remained under criticism for mis- mad added. The FBR officials said the
notices have been sent in different
categories to dig out the sources
Artworks submitted for of investment.
calligraphy contest PML-N’s Zafarul Haq in the The notices have been sent
to both filers and non-filers of
A total of 309 calligraphers from income tax returns.
across Pakistan have submitted their In non-filers category, the
artworks to the National History and individuals, who have not filed
Literary Heritage (NH and LH) Division run for Senate chairmanship their return of any one or more
for participation in the up-coming years during the past five years,
National Calligraphy Competition and have been asked to comply with
Exhibition. the law.
The jury members comprising over “Otherwise non-filers can file
the expert calligraphers have started returns of past 10 years along with
the scrutinising process to identify Internews key bills sailed through the upper chairman back in the year 2015 be- ported legislation on constituencies’ declaration of wealth statement,”
the best calligraphic artworks for Islamabad house including the Election Bill, cause the PPP was a majority party delimitation in the Senate and in re- the official added.
the week-long national calligraphy 2017, which paved the way for Sharif’s in the Senate then even though the turn received ‘concrete’ assurances The official said the FBR will
competition and exhibition, to be held re-election as PML-N president after PML-N had a majority in the Na- from the PML-N for a few seats in the launch audit of the individuals,
February 23-28. The ruling Pakistan Muslim his disqualifi cation by Supreme Court tional Assembly and provincial Senate from Punjab’s quota and some who have declared their invest-
Talking to APP yesterday, adviser League-Nawaz (PML-N) has in the Panamagate case. assemblies of Punjab and Balo- seats in general elections from south ment. “In case an individual is
to Prime Minister on NH and LH, Irfan fi nalised the name of party When approached, Haq neither chistan. Punjab. filer the FBR will obtain a state-
Siddiqui said, it is a matter of great chairman Raja Zafarul Haq as its can- confi rmed nor denied the reports. Prior to Rabbani, it was Nayyar It is also believed that the PPP ment under an oath,” the official
satisfaction that calligraphers from far didate for the post of Senate chair- “The time has not arrived yet. Once Bokhari and Farooq H Naek, all from wanted the PML-N to agree on added.
flung areas of the country including man and has started lobbying in this the Senate elections are held, our the PPP, who served as Senate chair- Talpur’s elevation as chairperson. In the past the FBR and other in-
FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu regard. party attains majority and the stage men. But Sharif did not agree to it after vestigative agencies approached
and Kashmir have submitted their Haq is currently the Leader of the arrives to elect the new chairman “Now, it’s our turn. In the past, we which the PPP reportedly lobbied to Dubai authorities to provide
unique art pieces to the division for House in Senate whose 54 members Senate then the party leadership will took a decision, in principle, to sup- send the PML-N government in Ba- details of Pakistanis regarding
participating in the competition which are scheduled to be elected on March decide about it,” he said. port the PPP senators to head the lochistan Assembly packing in order investment made in the real estate
reflect their enthusiasm and love for 3. Recently, the outgoing Senate upper house given that the PPP had to bring a favourable government set- sector, but the Dubai authorities
this ancient art, he said. Half of the upper house members chairman Raza Rabbani submitted his a majority in the Senate,” the source up in the province to win Senate seats were constantly refusing to share
He said national calligraphy are retiring on March 11. nomination papers for re- election as said. from there. the information.
competition and exhibition will help Following several rounds of con- Senator amidst reports that the PML- He said the PML-N leadership ex- Sources said after the Balochistan However, Dubai authorities
discover talented calligraphers from sultation among PML-N chief Na- N may agree to Rabbani’s re-election pected that Rabbani would not con- Assembly debacle, it is unlikely that agreed to share specific informa-
the remote corners of the country waz Sharif, Prime Minister Shahid as Senate chairman in case he man- test the Senate polls after staying as the reported deal between the two tion where individual details are
and play vital role in the revival of this Khaqan Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minis- ages to retain his seat. chairman for three years. parties on Senate elections would be provided.
Islamic art. ter Shehbaz Sharif and other senior However, sources in the PML-N The PML-N would contest him in materialised. Now, the FBR will be able to
The calligraphy competition and leaders, the party has decided to have said the party would resist if the Pa- case he was nominated by his party “There had been an informal un- obtain specific information from
exhibition will be dedicated to Abdul Haq elevated as Senate chairman in kistan People Party (PPP) decided to for chairmanship after the Senate derstanding between the PML-N and Dubai authorities under avoid-
Majeed Parveen Raqam who was a case it attains maximum seats in the fi eld Rabbani or any other candidate polls, he added. the PPP that both would not act to ance of double taxation treaty, the
legendary calligrapher and rendered upper house. for the upper house chairmanship. Prior to this, reports were doing destabilise the governments of one official said.
huge contribution in this field. Haq is regarded as one of the Shar- Asked if the PML-N would sup- the rounds that PPP supremo Asif another. Pakistan has so far signed
This initiative will serve as catalyst if’s trusted confi dantes who stood by port Rabbani yet again, Haq said: “We Ali Zardari was ‘bargaining’ with the The PPP broke this accord. bilateral taxation treaties with at
toward promotion of glorious Islamic him through thick and thin, especially will see what to do if such a situation PML-N for the elevation of his sister There are no concessions for the least 64 countries, according to
art of calligraphy in the country and when the party faced serious chal- arises.” Faryal Talpur as Senate chairperson. PPP in the Senate polls from Punjab’s the FBR’s website.
motivate the young artists to get lenges during the Musharraf era. Requesting anonymity, a PML-N In December 2017, the PML-N and quota or elsewhere now,” said one of Besides, the country became
excellence in this ancient form of art, As leader of the house, Haq has senator said the party leadership the PPP were said to have reached a the close aides of Sharif, wishing to be signatory of a number of multi-
he said. been instrumental in getting some agreed to Rabbani’s re- election as deal, according to which the PPP sup- kept unnamed. lateral accords to improve the tax
A total of 15 awards will be given in system’s efficiency.
three categories to the winners of the The government stepped up ef-
competitions on the concluding day of forts to finalise a national action
the exhibition on February 28. Approval being sought for draft trade policy plan to ensure transparency in
These categories include Nastaleeq, tax matters and economic affairs
Thuluth and Modern style calligraphy. to become member of global
The cash prizes worth Rs75,000, reform forum Open Government
Rs50,000, Rs40,000, Rs20,000 and Partnership (OGP), a group of
Rs15,000 will be given to the best five Internews year Strategic Trade Policy Framework ties for women entrepreneurs. Small year 2023 and a maximum of $61bn. 64 nations to implement open
calligraphers of each category. Islamabad (STPF) – 2018-23 up to April. and medium enterprises will also be The proposed STPF will include government reforms around the
Young calligraphers, aged up to 35 The division has received more part of the new policy, he added. three policy initiatives-short, me- world.
years, from across the country includ- than 1,000 proposals so far. Dagha further claimed the policy dium and long terms. Pakistan has already met the
T
ing AJK, FATA and Gilgit- Baltistan he Commerce Division of Paki- The new policy will revolved will set the direction of exports on a In short term, measures will be eligibility threshold for member-
have submitted their artworks to the stan is seeking approval of the around eight pillars — institutional path of continued recovery and sus- taken for recovering export loss by in- ship to OGP, achieving 15 out of
division. federal cabinet on a draft trade strengthening, trade promotion and tainable development, capable of creasing competitiveness. the 16 criteria.
The selection of best calligraphers policy for 2018-23 before the PML-N branding, trade facilitation, market- changing the socio-economic profi le In medium term, several measures In 2016, the country became a
will be made by the jury comprising government completes its term. ing access and regional connectivity, of the country and bringing positive will be taken for leveraging strength signatory to the Organisation for
over senior calligraphers in transpar- After approval from the cabinet, services strategy, product develop- changes in the living standards of the of existing sectors, attract export Economic Co-operation and Devel-
ent manner. the draft policy will be placed before ment, compliance and gender main- people. oriented investment, and encourage opment’s multilateral convention
The calligraphers participating the next government’s cabinet for its streaming. Since 2009, the government has product sophistication. on mutual administrative assist-
in the competition will also conduct implementation. As part of an outreach programme announced three STPF but most part Since June 2017, exports have been ance in tax matters after signing
training workshops during the cal- The next government, which will to fi nalise the draft, Secretary Com- of these policies remained unimple- witnessed on average 10% growth. the convention.
ligraphy exhibition. be formed after general election will merce Younus Dagha said the pro- mented. The export target announced For improving market access for The convention, which has been
This calligraphy competition along have the full mandate whether to posed policy would now also include in these policies was also not materi- exporters, negotiations are being pur- signed by more than 80 countries,
with an exhibition of selected art adopt this policy fully, partially or services, export competitiveness and alised. sued vigorously with China, Indone- would facilitate international co-
pieces will be held February 23-28 at a amend it. investment linkages, particularly FDI The current STPF 2015-18 will sia, Thailand and Turkey on revising operation on national tax laws and
local hotel. The calligraphy exhibition The division has already initiated in the export oriented sectors. complete its term in June this year. terms of FTAs and PTAs. provide administrative co-opera-
will be open for the general public seeking proposals from all stakehold- He said integration of local indus- Despite this hard fact, the new policy “New PTAs are being initiated with tion among member countries to
during the whole week. ers since October 2017 and is expected tries into the global value chain will also comes up with a claim to increase African, South American, and some combat tax evasion.
to complete the fi rst draft of the fi ve- provide equal and better opportuni- exports to minimum $36.2bn by the other countries as well”, he said.
New UN report highlights worrying level of gender inequality in Pakistan
reveals that 12% of women in The data highlights that services with seven per cent liv- Almost 24% of women belong- Looking at healthcare, women Only 32% of rural households
Internews
Pakistan (4.9mn) aged 18-49 are women from marginalised eth- ing more than 30 minutes from ing to the richest households and and girls from rural areas with have access to safely managed
Islamabad
simultaneously deprived in four nic groups living in poor rural the closest water source. a staggering 63% from the most high concentrations of poverty drinking water compared to the
Sustainable Development Goals- households fare worse across a A unique disparity was found disadvantaged backgrounds are have less access to medical serv- 41% of urban households.
The United Nations released related dimensions of child mar- variety of well-being and em- in employment with the richest married before age 18. ices. The large diff erences also ex-
a report on gender equality riages, education, healthcare and powerment. more likely to lack employment While inequality is observed The diff erence between the ist across income and ethnic
for its Sustainable Devel- employment. The most disadvantaged eth- as compared to the poorest — at across all indicators, the larg- most advantaged and most dis- groups.
opment Agenda 2030 with Paki- “These women were not only nic group oscillates between Sin- 86.8% and 53.3% respectively. est disparity is seen in regards to advantaged groups is signifi - When safe water is not avail-
stan being one of the main four married before the age of 18 and dhi, Saraiki and Pashtun. While poverty pushed the education, where 98.8% of the cantly large (13.4% and 70.2%, able, women and girls from 80%
countries in focus. education-poor, they also re- “Sindhi women and girls from poorest women into precarious, women belonging to rural back- respectively). of households are responsible for
The report identifi es inequal- ported no agency in health-care the poorest rural households often informal and unpaid work, ground and 29.3% belonging to The report stated, on average, water collection, especially in
ity among women and girls and decisions and said they were not fare far worse than any other the rich face signifi cant barriers the richest urban dwellers lack 48.1% of women and girls aged 15 rural areas.
paints a sorry picture for the working at the time of the sur- group across all wealth and lo- including biased gender norms, access to education. have no say in decisions relating Almost 70% of the female ur-
country. vey,” the report adds. cation parameters,” the report discrimination in wages and lim- A total of 74% of women have to their own health care, howev- ban population in Pakistan lives
Using data from a UN Demo- In all, 79.8% of the women in notes. ited job options. an average of less than six years of er, percentages vary signifi cantly in slums where they lack at least
graphic and Health Surveys 2012- this cluster live in rural areas and The report found that around Child marriage, widespread education. by location, wealth and ethnicity. one of the following: access to
2013 report which takes into ac- households concentrated in the 79.8% of the women lack ac- across all socio-economic The data reveals that poor, ru- Food insecurity among women clean water, improved sanitation
count variables such as wealth, bottom 40% of the wealth distri- cess to clean cooking fuel while a groups, encompasses 12% of all ral Pashtun women are the most was a staggering 11% higher than facilities, durable housing or suf-
location and ethnicity, the report bution. quarter is deprived of sanitation women aged 18-49 (or 4.9mn). disadvantaged in literacy. among men. fi cient living area.